Ahhh, because of the quarantine, I know it has been a hard time looking for the perfect gifts. Finishing the Christmas shopping may seem to be forever because of the lockdowns and terrible Christmas. I feel you! 

But let me tell you, it is never too late to do Christmas shopping or prepare the sweetest Christmas gift ever for your beau, your friends, or family. Here are some ways that you can either order or make virtually to send to your loved ones before the year ends:

1. Create a Playlist for them

Spending money on extravagant Christmas gifts is never an option, right? But if you are aiming to create something extra special and personal, creating a special playlist for them will always be ideal. You can be as specific, quirky, or witty and even share it via YouTube or Spotify!

2. iWantTFC Premium Subscription

Who doesn't want to do binge-watching during the holiday? If your loved one is on a hunt for new shows to follow or intends to catch up most especially with their favorite ABS-CBN show, getting a premium subscription with ad-free access to the iWantTFC streaming service. iWantTFC is packed with over 1,000 movies, live channels, full episodes of classic and currently airing ABS-CBN shows, Thai boys’ love shows, and originals. Plus, spending P119 a month wouldn't be cost a fortune, right?! 

3. Get Tickets to Concerts on KTX.ph

Going to a concert in the middle of a pandemic is impossible that is why treating them with live music while helping the less fortunate to a special benefit Christmas concert for only P1,200 will be a special present to get! "Our Grown-Up Christmas List," featuring musical theater royalties Gian Magdangal and Carla Guevarra-Laforteza who will sing songs about “home, love, family, and friendship.” Access to the show is available for 48 hours from December 24 (8 PM) to December 26 (8 PM). 

Your friend can also usher in the New Year on December 31 starting 7 PM by watching Resorts World Manila’s “The Grand Countdown to 2021,” which will offer performances by Morissette, Jed Madela, Jona, and Jon Santos. The general admission ticket costs P600 and gives the holder access to the show only, while the special ticket costs P1,200 and gives the holder access to the show and a chance to win exciting gifts. 

4. Make a Digital Scrapbook

Instagram carousel posts are a special way to show your appreciation for someone. Make it even unique by making a digital scrapbook of your favorite photos together. Start DIY-ing your own design now! Use Photoshop or a free template online. 

5. Sing a Song You Want to Dedicate to Him/Her

Singing a song to your loved ones is a great way! Pick up an instrument and give your loved one an intimate performance of their favorite song! If your group or family wants to surprise someone, you can also use a social karaoke singing app like Smule to let you all cover a song separately without sharing a microphone! Unleash the performer in you and upload the video of your song cover on social media or just send it to your friend for their safekeeping. 

6. Gaming Skins or In-Game Goodies

If you have been following me for a very long time, you would know that I really love sending gaming skins to my partner, Jerico. That is why I highly recommend you to send this to your gamer boyfriend. Spice up their gaming character or their weapons a festive makeover, or by purchasing them event passes! They will definitely love it! 

7. Personalized Video Greeting From Your Loved One's Favorite Kapamilya Star

Shock your friends and loved ones with a personalized video greeting from their favorite stars! But how? Just head over to FanLove.ph. This is a new online video shoutout request platform that gives you the freedom to book a special video message or a song dedication from over 50 Kapamilya stars. Avail of their special holiday promo from December 24, 2020, to January 7, 2021. 

Book a personalized video greeting from your favorite Kapamilya artists such as Elisse Joson, Belle Mariano, Loisa Andalio, LouDre, KiaNo, KarJon, FumiYam, and many more by visiting FanLove.ph! For updates, like www.facebook.com/fanlove.ph or follow @fanlove.ph on Instagram and @fanloveph on Twitter.

What're your favorite Christmas ideas listed above? Let me know in the comments below.

Life has been very busy for me these past few months. Hence, my blog hiatus. But that's okay. I have so many realizations and I want to share them with you. You know, these past few months I have been very stressed out with various triggers. Of course, the number one is the pandemic as this really the cherry on top of these 'crazy' situation that we are all going through.

Hi mommies, It's me Mhownai.

Enhanced Community Quarantine is a blessing in disguise to some extent, although it may cripple us in terms of finance, but it made our relationship to our family closer than ever. Some companies are fortunate enough to give office workers the chance to work in the comfort of their homes to make themselves and their families safe from being infected with COVID-19. However, the Enhanced Community Quarantine is bound to end on April 30th, and although we are not sure whether the ECQ will be lifted or extended, still we need to prepare ourselves from going back to work.

So here's the thing- working moms, are you ready?


Here are some few things to do to get yourselves ready to go back to your Office Environment:

Your Body Clock

I don't know what's with the ECQ, but my body clock is really messed up before I can go to sleep at around 10 pm, and now, I'm still awake (writing this blog at 4am) maybe one of the reasons why is because of my partner, Jerico; because he doesn't have to work we tend to sleep later at night which eventually lead to sleep in the wee hours of the morning, and I believe most of you would experience the same thing and so as your children. It's crucial to change this body clock as soon as possible so that we won't tend to feel exhausted in the middle of the day or worse- get sick.

So how to change your body clock, I am not a professional what-so-ever but here are some of the things I tend to do when I need to change my body clock:

1. I tend to push myself further until I tend to feel so sleepy- so now it's 4am I would push myself further until 6am or more until I feel really sleepy and I do this repetitive OR if I don't have much time and I really need to change my body clock PRONTO, I sleep a little bit earlier.
2. I don't take afternoon naps- I am a sucker for any naps because as a mom, a student, an entrepreneur I am working non-stop and any naps will do. A little bit of trivia: I'm good at taking power naps. 
3. When I need to sleep earlier, I make sure to feel relaxed and set my mood for bedtime- this means I make my bedtime routine earlier and add more to make me feel relaxed. One of the best things I do is turn on my essential oil diffuser I normally diffuse lavender and peppermint- that's the best combo for me. I also tend to take a hot bath to make my body relieved. 
4. Repeating these things until it became a habit- to me, I can change my body clock in a week or two but for some, it takes a while. Make sure you really need to be consistent with this change.

Hi mommies, it's me Mhownai!

Call me a couch potato but I have to admit, Netflix is so damn addictive. Do you agree? Well, here's the thing. My partner and I decided to renew our Netflix account because of Money Heist we need to keep up and join the bandwagon you know.

Little did you know, one of the primary things that made me not renew my Netflix account is because I definitely get addicted to the point that I cannot do anything aside from watching most especially if it's series.


But since my businesses are closed and our clients postponed our services for social media handling, I have more time to spend relaxing and this means- NETFLIX.

To be honest, I've been an avid fan of Korean Drama series because they're unpredictable and there's always a new approach. Also, I am already fed up with cheap other woman storyline or crazy sister's jealousy storyline here in the Philippine Soap Operas; watching Korean Dramas has always been a breath of fresh air to me.

First on my list, The Last Empress


Okay. Okay!

I know this show has been up for a while now but I have always been a sucker for any Jang Nara series. Her sweet face makes me smile as well even if she cries- she still looks beautiful. Last Empress is such a beautiful series to look for if you are looking into a different twist in storylines. Scenes are very interesting to watch and as I indulge in the series, even more, I come with a crazy ending which was far different from the real ending.

But, I didn't like the ending though. I don't like to spoil but I know many people would agree but that's the title is all about- Last Empress. Watch to find out why...

Second, Go Back Couple


Again, another Jang Nara series. Let's admit, she's such a stunner. Of course, second to Song Hye Kyo- she's the goddess of the fountain of youth!

This is a light drama that makes me want to go back to a regular college and my younger days. Based on the title, you may get the idea of what the storyline is. Watching this movie made me think about my what ifs- what if I go back in time, would I change my wrongdoings?

The ending was predictable of course, but then it was such a good movie and mind you- I didn't skip any second. That's how good the movie is to me.

Last, Hi Bye Mama


I haven't finished this series yet because Netflix is uploading new series every week (this makes me so irritating in the sense that- why can't they upload everything now so I can finish this! HAHAHAHA!) but this is such a great series. As I'm writing this, Netflix has 14 episodes available and I couldn't wait for the 15th; the twist is great! I felt sadness, gratefulness for life and love for my family.

How about you, what's your current favorite Korean Drama?

Hello mommies, It's me, Mhownai!

How are you?

If you remember my College Homeschooling journey that was published at least 2 to 3 years ago, I shared with you how I enroll in my current university and the requirements we need to present. I was so amazed to receive at least 4,000+ views and counting. It was really unexpected and I'm more excited than ever. I also received tons of comments asking about more details about the homeschooling.

Here's part 1 and I hope you could support me on this.

Hi, mommies! It's me, Mhownai!

Do you celebrate Easter? For our family, we normally celebrate Easter in church and then have easter egg hunting, the kids will receive goodies from the elders but because of the Community Quarantine, the church won't be holding any religious service for us to be safe during this virus.

But still, we celebrate Lenten Season in the comfort of our homes.


4 Fun Easter Activities We Can Do During The Lockdown

1. Attend Religious Service Online


Our religious sector is generous to hold their celebrations online in that way we can still join the services even if we are at home. However, we should now that our mind, body, and spirit should be with the celebration. That means, we cannot eat, drink or use mobile phones while at the celebration.

2. Video Conference with Friends & Family


Easter means celebration because our creator has risen from the dead. Some families would opt to hold Easter Celebrations that includes fun games and delicious meals. Although we are supposed to stay at home, we can still have fun with our families through a video conference using zoom, google hangouts or even Facebook Messenger.

3. Decorate Easter Eggs


The celebration Easter is most likely enjoyed by the kids since most elders prepare something fun for them like Easter Egg Hunt. However, that's not the case during the quarantine but we won't let the situation spoil the fun for the kids right?

Time to gather empty eggs and let them decorate it.

This will also enhance their creativity as they can experience mixing colors together. It's also memorable to join them too- great bonding as a family.

4. Color The Easter Egg


No empty eggs? No paints?

That's okay, you can print some cute egg that they can color. You can also keep it as memorabilia or give them a reward after, maybe a treat or a delicious chocolate if you have some.

Let's enjoy Easter even we are locked up in our homes. Happy Easter, everyone!

Hi Mommies, it's me, Mhownai!

Since the Enhanced Community Quarantine was extended until April 30, 2020, we are into the extreme pressure now in terms of money more than ever. As we all know, most of our employees have received their monthly salary left and 13-month pro-rated bonus. So the question is, where will you get the funds for the succeeding weeks.

As homemakers, we need to take action on this- maximize the budget and make the most out of it.

Find out how much do you have right now for the family's budget

Hi mommies,

Hi Millennial Mommies,

How are you?

We are down on the 3rd week of our Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and at this point, many people regardless of their status are focusing on one thing- survival! Living here in Quezon City, unfortunately, we haven't received any relief and supposedly it is the Third Wave already but the only thing the LGU provided us are Enhanced Community Quarantine Pass.

We were left with no choice but to occasionally go to the nearest grocery to buy supplies but the problem is: it's either they are running out of supplies or they are on the edge of closing due to the same reason.


As homemakers, what are the vital things we need to purchase to survive this EHQ?

• Food (Rice, Canned Goods, Noodles and Produce)
• Water
• Medicines (Vitamins for our kids and adults)
• Prepaid Load (for communication to our loved ones who are miles away)

So here's what I found out as a solution:

Crowd Store Finder is a website that is similar to Waze or Google Maps but specifically works to find stores, banks, pharmacies, and remittance centers that remain operational. As we all know, one of the primary purposes, why the government established an Enhance Community Quarantine, is to prevent people from staying outdoors that increases the risk of being infected with COVID-19.


Crowd Store Find relies on the information shared by volunteers from Good Vibes Digital PH- a group organized by Trinmar Boado, winder of the Clash Codes competition at Multisys Technologies in 2019. Boado works at the Department of Science and Technology's Metal Industry Research and Development Center (DOST-MIRDC), mentioned that there are more than 100 volunteers who coordinate safely from their homes.

"This technology reminds us that sharing of [information] does not just save the time of other people but also their lives," Boado mentioned. 

This is a great way for us to save time, effort in visiting familiar stores that happen to be closed due to the EHQ, it's also a great way for us to consolidate our trips outside meaning we do all our errands all in one trip- an ideal way to limit ourselves to being in contact of the outside world and avoiding ourselves from being infected with COVID-19.


ABOUT GOOD VIBES DIGITAL PH

The creator of ‘Crowd Store Finder’, GOOD VIBES DIGITAL PH is a team of volunteers from government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), and private companies, working remotely to help develop digital solutions to address people’s needs during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) period. The team is spearheaded by Trinmar Boado, an award-winning Information Technology (IT) expert at the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). For more information and media queries, send a private message to m.me/CrowdStoreFinder.


To use the website, visit bit.ly/CrowdStoreFinder on any mobile, tablet or computer devices. Follow Crowd Store Finder on Facebook at fb.com/CrowdStoreFinder.

Hello, it's me, Mhownai, your millennial nanay!

Just like you, I'm also stressed, pressured and slowly losing my sanity with this COVID-19. It's normal but we cannot surpass this challenge if we will let stress consume us. Haven't you noticed when you are stressed, you cannot think straight and worse, you tend to feel tedious, irritated and lose connection with our family.

So take it easy, calm yourself down and know that we will all surpass this together.

Be cautious, be alert, prepare for the worse

This may not sound healthy but know this if you have already set a plan for your family, then you don't have to think about what you need to do if the worst-case scenario occurs- if enhance community quarantine will be prolonged if the government won't be giving any relief regardless where you live if your employers of clients won't pay you on time. It's better to know what to do in times like this.


I know moms, we are really good when it comes to advance thinking, we are so cautious; this skill will be beneficial in times like this.

Prepare your family's budget

For me, the best thing we can do is be wise when buying basic needs. It's very important to also have a budget plan in order to make ends meet. In my personal experience, as a freelancer, to be honest, my clients haven't paid me yet. I'm fortunate enough to still live with my parents so we tend to combine all our salaries and savings in order to suffice our food supply good for at least a month.


Here's my personal thing when it comes to budgeting at this point of time: 

I separate my budget into 6 different envelopes. Half of the entire salary will go to the daily needs and the remaining 50 percent will be divided into 10% and will be placed on 5 envelopes. Each envelope corresponds to a specific need for our family:

• Everyday needs: Daily food, Load Allowance for every day, snacks and all. At this point in time, we spend the 'everyday envelope' every other week since we limit ourselves going outside so weekly market visits became every other week- this is in terms of meat and vegetables which is very important since we need to be healthier as ever.
• Emergency funds: This is one of the things I tend to do regardless if there's a pandemic virus or not, this is for unforeseen circumstances in our lives such as house and car repairs, accidents and sudden death. Since panic buying happened before the community quarantine, I spent some of it in order to supply our needs for the entire month (I bought tons of diapers, milk, canned goods, and cleaning supplies). This envelope will be consumed once the everyday needs run out or if my clients haven't paid me yet and we need to do restocking.
• Celebration: Think of this, what you will do after the COVID-19 will be eliminated? Of course, it's better to celebrate. My partner, Jerico and I planned that when the government declared that the Philippines is COVID-19 free our first agenda is to have a staycation. So despite our financial struggles now, we tend to keep a part of our budget in our future staycation. It also keeps me going and it gives me hope that all of this will soon end.
• For the Business: Little did you know that my partner and I have 3 micro businesses on IG and I am an owner of a digital marketing agency. Now that most of the businesses are affected, I tend to keep a part of my salary for my upcoming marketing campaigns as soon as this pandemic virus is over. We business owners need to prepare and tune up our game and turn things around for our business.
• For Payments: This will be allotted for my employees and for the bills payment which tends to be used every month. Before the community quarantine, I manage to pay all my employees their salary and half of their 13th month. It was an amazing feeling- helping other people despite your own struggle and this will make them feel that they're special. Now that we are on enhanced community quarantine, I am forecasting that some of my employees will be asking for a cash advance and although they haven't asked one yet, it's better to be prepared right?
• For my Personal Savings: What's working when you don't have any savings, right? Although everyone is stressed right now when it comes to their income, it's better to have your own personal savings so that when you want to buy something luxurious for yourself, you won't go on a guilt trip for buying it for you- and that is the purpose of this envelope for me. I tend to disregard myself after working so hard and providing for my son and helping in the household which is definitely wrong, this pandemic virus made me realize that it's also beneficial to treat yourself every once in a while because you definitely need it! Although this purpose can also go for the Celebration envelope, it's no harm to save one for yourself, right?

Hi, it;'s me, Mhownai!

Do you have an Emergency Fund? 

As mommies, we really need to have this but if you don't have yet, that's okay. I was in the same situation as you a few years back. I don't really know that this is important not until I experienced being broke, jobless and my son was sick ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Imagine, as a single mom who also is a student- how can I surpass this.

So let me share with you my personal experiences but before anything else, let us talk about how important having an Emergency Fund is whether you're earning more or just enough for your daily living.


Financial emergencies are unforeseen events in your life that require you to use your money immediately. However, these types of emergencies should be related to your health, your family's health, your family's future and/or assets.

Hindi kasama yung kelangan mo bumili ng TV kasi sobrang liit ng TV mo hindi mo mapanuod yung paborito mong Teleserye sa hapon. Hindi rin kasama yung pagpaparebond mo ng buhok dahil mukha ka nang haggard ha? 

Emergency Situations such as Job Loss, Health Issues, Accidents, Fire, Home Repair, Auto Repairs and more. These events should be spent using your emergency fund.

Now that we have understand where and when should we use our Emergency Fund, now, we should know why we need to acquire a good enough amount of Emergency Fund.


In Case You Lose Your Job

As we all know, we can never can tell as to when we will lose our job, most especially if you are a Freelancer like me, I must say, I'm not as fortunate as some of the high paid freelancers who earn so much and/or find more clients so when they lose one, they can easily find a replacement. So it's very important to save for a rainy day for these sudden situations in order to still provide for our family while we are looking for a job.

Same goes for our husband and corporate mommies, we may never know when we will be laid off from work and still, even though you have been with a member of the organization for a very long time, there's no guarantee that you will stay forever in that company. Put it this way- if you will be laid off, then you have enough money to get updated requirements, money to support the family, and most importantly, you have enough money to find another job.

Health is Unpredictable

This is the primary reason why I decided to start an Emergency Fund. Let's be real, fewer Filipinos own a health card and that is purely understandable: Filipinos, in general, opt for survival than security. As a single mom, I more focus on my son's needs rather than saving for a rainy day. But this is so wrong!

If our little one or our husband got sick, where will you get your funds? When will you take them to the hospital? As we all say, prevention is better than cure. So it's better to bring them to the doctor to take urgent care rather than take them to the hospital when the situation is worse. Trust me, I'm always seeing myself in the Emergency Room because I hate going to the hospital to have myself checked.

It's really important to have enough money for any health, dental issue.

Sudden Death and Accidents

This is one of the most terrible situations that will happen to our family yet, unfortunately, we cannot control it. This is why for these situations, it's very important for you to have the funds for it. Lucky if we don't use it but if we do, at least we have money to use.

I remember when our house helper's son died unexpectedly, she didn't have that money to use in order to go to his son's location nor to spend for the burial. With my Emergency Fund, I was able to give her some cash to bring with her to support her transport fee and support some of the burial expenses.

Lowers Down Stress and Financial

Imagine if we have enough money, how does this feel? Of course, we can achieve peace of mind and clarity in our hearts. When I accumulated some Emergency Fund, I am not bothered to go to the hospital or face unexpected scenarios because I know I can carry on with our life.

Now there's a COVID-19, this is where we spend most of our Emergency Fund goes. Most of the people don't have that money to do panic buying which is why we can use this fund to supply our family's needs what's more, now that there are more clients pulling out because their income will also be affected due to the fact that most businesses are closed; some Filipinos are either work from home or no work, no pay at all. Having that emergency fund will give you peace of mind and we won't have so much stress as to asking ourselves where we can gather enough funds to support this long-time quarantine which can be prolonged depending on the situation.

Keeps You On A Budget

As homemakers, we mostly do the budgeting, if we also know how to allocate our money, we have enough cash that we can use on a daily basis. With this method as well, we avoid overspending and go beyond our target budget because our funds are already assigned to a specific category.

Stay tuned in my upcoming blogs as to how we can budget our money more with a minimal income and build our emergency fund little by little.

Hello, It's me, Mhownai, Your Millennial Nanay, 

As of writing, the number of cases of COVID-19 virus had already reached 49 as confirmed by the Department of Health (DOH).

As a mom, it really bothers me that we are not really safe wherever we go and in reality, the healthcare system in the Philippines is really expensive so it really makes me wonder how can the less fortunate have themselves tested for the said virus even though the Philhealth recently announced that testing for COVID-19 is already free.

Would people put attention their health first before putting food into their family's table? I don't think so.

Which is why, we, moms and superwoman of our household really need to take in action to fight this virus. We need to do it right now!


1. Get yourself tested if you seem to show symptoms of the virus

One of the most common connotations of Filipinos are "Wala akong pera pampa-hospital" just so you know the DOH declared recently that tests for COVID-19 are free for all, it is necessary for people who are less fortunate and have the mindset of 'food for the family now, health later'.

Go to the nearest hospital and ask if they are offering COVID-19 tests and have yourself checked before you feel sorry. If ever the results will be positive, you don't also have to worry because the quarantine fee is also free.

2. Avoid crowded places

This is one of the toughest things to do most especially if your workforce required you to report to the office every day. If this occurs, do not go anywhere else, go straight at work and home immediately. Avoid yourself to be more exposed to the virus more than ever.

3. Sanitize and maintain good hygiene

Equip yourself with the alcohol, hand sanitizers at all time most especially when you are going to other places. Wearing face masks and bringing a tissue with you is also ideal for you to bring because it also keeps yourself germ-free at all times.

Your Millennial Nanay advises bringing a pouch with you that consists of all these essentials in order for you to bring it with you all the time, packed and easy to access.

4. Never touch your face

If you feel like coughing or sneezing most especially when you are in a public place, sneeze or cough behind your elbows instead of covering your face with your hands or a tissue in this way, the disease, dirt, and germs won't be contaminated to your hands which is quite easy for the germs to be transferred as we use our hands all the time.

After sneezing or coughing, it's also recommended for you to wash your hands if water and soap are accessible or use a hand sanitizer or alcohol to remove the germs of your body.

5. Make your immune system stronger than ever

Let you and your family eat regular vegetables, vitamins, and minerals in this way, your body has enough protection to fight the disease.

6. Make your environment as clean as possible

What's the point of making our selves clean if our environment is messy? Right?

It's very important that we also take advantage of the suspension of classes to clean our surroundings and ensure that our household is also free from the virus. Use the necessary products that kill bacteria and focus on the parts of your house wherein most people are gathering such as living room, dining room, kitchen, and other common areas.

Also, regularly change your bedsheets to avoid possible virus to be directly transferred in your body.

After the general cleaning, make sure to clean yourself after.


Have a healthy diet and make yourself healthy as much as possible, regular exercise can be helpful.

We can all fight this virus! Stay healthy and safe, everyone.

Image: Unsplash

Hi, it's me, Mhownai, your millennial nanay.

And just like you, I'm also stressed. Back in 2018, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and severe anxiety; I was taking up medications to improve my mind's being but then I realized that NONE OF IT HELPED ME.

So I was stuck!

Days turned into months, months turned into years- I lead me to my rock-bottom. It was horrible and I realized that the only way for me to cope with this situation is to work, work and work. I don't address my mental state nor recognize my emotions because at that time my mindset is "I'm a single mom, I have no time for this" but this leads me to frustrations and leads me to feel not motivated to do anything. I came to a point wherein I wake up feeling pumped up and when I'm trying to do it seems like all motivations and inspirations were gone in thin air.

That also made me realize that it's time to finally press the pause button and reflect, heal and go back to my roots so that I can show more of myself.

There are so many things I did in order to achieve a healthier mind, but I broke it down to these 6 simple steps which are doable and achievable.