Live – Page 26 – Jellybeans in the City

The Jelly List: Thoughtful Gifts for Valentine’s Day

The day of hearts is fast approaching. Despite the pandemic, Valentine’s Day remains one of the most anticipated holidays of the year.

The question is: how can sweethearts in the metro celebrate the day of romance if they can’t go out to wine and dine?

Through thoughtful gift-giving, of course!

Nothing says “I love you” like a well-considered present, one that gave thought to one’s sweetheart’s interests and passions.

Check out this list and let me know which suggestion suits your beloved best:

For the hopeless romantic: Preserved Flower Arrangement from Stories & Blossoms

Flowers are almost synonymous with Valentine’s Day. A bouquet of fresh-cut blooms would set a romantic heart racing, but nowadays, preserved flowers may be the way to go. They last longer than fresh flowers and are pretty low maintenance. (Somewhat like the ideal partner, eh?)

Tell your love story with a tasteful preserved flower arrangement from Stories & Blossoms. Through the creative combinations of colors, shapes and textures of various preserved blooms, you can express quite a lot to your loved one and evoke romantic memories. You can even have a unique arrangement inspired by your loved one favorite book, movie or TV series, just like the store’s Sex & the City Collection.

Stories & Blossoms’ preserved flower arrangements start at Php299 with more ornate signature creations starting at Php2,500. You can also have an arrangement custom-made according to your preferred colors and flowers as well as your budget. Shop online at Stories & Blossoms’ website or call +63 967 5099050.

Derma Science Hand Gel may be your new hygiene essential

With threat of COVID-19 still looming over us, it is still important to do all we possibly can to keep the virus at bay.

Foremost among these measures is to always keep our hands clean.

Hand-washing with soap and water is still the best way to achieve this (with thorough rubbing and rinsing for at least twenty seconds), but what do we do when these are not immediately available?

According to dermatologist Dr. Doris Velasco, using hand sanitizer gels is next best thing to hand-washing.

Citing the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, Dr. Velasco shares that hand sanitizers should have at least 60% alcohol content to be able to break down the SARS COV-2 lipid protective barrier. However, rubbing high concentrations of alcohol on your skin may cause skin dryness and irritation because it disrupts the protective layer of oil on your skin.

This is the reason hand sanitizer gels were created: they contain moisturizers to counter-act skin dryness caused by alcohol.

They are also quite handy and easier to carry. You can pop a small bottle in your bag to bring with you wherever you go.

When applied, they also slow the evaporation of alcohol on your hands, ensuring that it has time to work against the microbes on your skin.

Dr. Velasco further advises that one to two drops of hand sanitizer gel are enough to use to sanitize your hands. Just make sure that the whole hand area from palm to fingers are covered and rubbed well. Once properly applied, let the hand sanitizer gel dry completely on its own, then you’re good to go.

Luckily for us, there’s a new hand sanitizer gel that’s just been introduced to the market to level up the entire category: Derma Science Hand Gel.

According to Pacific Healthcare Philippines Product Manager, Romer Estrada, Derma Science Hand Gel addresses our need for effective hand cleasing without sacrificing the moisturizing of our skin.

It has two variants:

A 100ml bottle (priced at Php110) which is infused with sakura extract, has a mildly fragrant smell and is perfect for personal use.
A 490ml bottle (priced at Php320) which is infused with German chamomile extract, is scent-free and is perfect for general use.

Both infusions are proven effective in helping to retain skin moisture and repair natural skin barriers. They also have anti-aging properties due to their wide array of anti-oxidants.

Derma Hand Science Hand Gel is also paraben-free. Parabens are preservative substances that not only produces dry skin, they can disrupt hormone function in women leading to increased risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity.

Derma Science Hand Gel also has 70% alcohol content but no colorants and is quick drying, letting you effectively cleanse your hands without that sticky feeling.

Want your own bottle (or bottles!) of Derma Science Hand Gel? You can get them at Shopee, Lazada or at goodnessandgrains.com!

Get started on your wellness journey with Sunlife’s GoWell Studio

We’re halfway through the first month of the year and if you haven’t gotten around to making good on your New Year’s resolutions to live healthy, here’s a good place to start.

GoWell Studio is an on-demand holistic wellness platform launched by Sun Life Philippines as part of its commitment to help Filipinos live healthier lives.

In this site, you can find top-notch content such as follow-along exercise programs, guided meditation sessions, various masterclasses, short courses, and healthcare awareness and education. These will be led by some of the country’s leading fitness coaches, doctors, allied health professionals, and educators.

Got a question for a specialist? Using the platform, you can look up from a directory various experts from whom you can seek personalized health and wellness advice. The line-up includes Ginastica Natural Philippines Founder Mark Cupino; Bukodon, Yin and Vinyasa Yoga Instructor Anna Manalastas; Myotherapist and Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner Filbert Tan; Pilates Coach and Animal Flow Instructor Trisha Buhat; Founder of Awake.ph and Modern-day Kriya Yogi Neil Salang; Sound Healer Coach Yeyette San Luis; World Kettlebell Club Strength and Conditioning Coach Tim Ayson; Alab Pilipinas, UP men’s basketball, and Petrogazz Angels Volleyball team’s Strength and Conditioning Coach Chappy Callanta; and Sports Performance Specialist and F45 Functional Strength Coach Andro Amador, among others.

Access to the GoWell Studio may be enjoyed exclusively by Sun Fit and Well, Sun Senior Care, and Sun Cancer Care policyholders simply by registering in the GoWell website (gowell.com.ph).

“We take pride in GoWell Studio’s team of highly credible experts and carefully curated content, all of which a member can access in the comforts of his own home,” Sun Life Chief Marketing and Client Experience Officer Gilbert Simpao said. “Taking care of ourselves remains crucial now that we are still in the middle of the pandemic. We invite everyone to become members of GoWell, Sun Life’s community that promotes holistic wellness through a fit and active lifestyle, healthy eating, and living a healthier life.”

Those who wish to know more about Sun Life’s health and accident insurance products are encouraged to consult a Sun Life advisor or visit sunlife.com.ph. For more about Sun Life’s health and wellness initiatives, visit gowell.com.ph and follow @SunLifePH and @GoWellPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Details provided in a recent press release.

Tell your tales with Stories and Blossoms’ preserved flower arrangements

Have you ever heard the phrase “say it with flowers?”

This saying is attributed to Boston adman Major Patrick O’Keefe who came up with the slogan during a discussion with former President of the Society of American Florists. While brainstorming on possible slogans for the organization, Penn was said to have remarked “There is nothing you can’t say with flowers – when you send flowers, it says everything,” to which O’Keefe exclaimed “That’s it!”

For ages, meaning have been attributed to flowers. From the Ottoman Empire’s obsession with tulips to the Victorian era’s interest in floriography, up to the present day’s penchant for using blossoms in home decor, flowers have been used to send messages to their recipients.

Imagine what you can say with preserved flowers instead. If you haven’t yet considered preserved flowers to beautify your home or to give as gifts, here are ways they trump fresh-cut flowers.

1. They last longer.

The thing with flowers is they tend not to last that long. While fresh-cut flowers can generally last for a week or two, preserved flowers can stay around for up to three years. You won’t have to worry about your home accent or present wilting away too soon.

2. They cost less.

Fresh cut flower arrangements for delivery usually start at Php700 but preserved flower arrangements can cost as low as half this amount.

3. They require little maintenance.

Since the preserved flowers are dried, they do not require water to maintain them. Given our climate, you would just need to keep them from dust and moisture so you can enjoy them for a long time.

4. They don’t trigger pollen-based allergies.

If you’ve always loved the beauty of floral arrangements but get a case of the sniffles every time you’re near them, preserved flowers is the solution to your problem. Preserved flowers no longer have pollen so those who suffer from allergies to this substance can enjoy them safely.

More and more, it seems that preserved flowers are well-suited to today’s minimalist trends in gift-giving and home decor.

Online flower shop Stories & Blossoms captures not just the needs of times but also the stories behind every emotion, celebration and milestone that call for its tasteful preserved flower arrangements.

Through the artful combinations of colors, textures and sizes of different blooms, it helps evoke feelings, memories and thoughts.

Take this Stories & Blossoms creation – called “Little Black Dress” – a 26-inch tall arrangement that incorporates the Pantone colors of 2021 – Illuminating Yellow and Ultimate Grey – as well as my favorite color, Black. This imbued a combined sense of brightness, serenity and hope to my home. It also became an eye-catching and elegant centerpiece for my dining table.

You too can capture and tell your tales with preserved flowers. Just shop online at Stories & Blossoms’ website. Arrangements are priced starting at Php299. To know more about its newest arrangement creations and offers, like and follow Stories & Blossoms on Facebook or call +63 967 5099050.

Disclosure: A product sample was provided to facilitate this feature article.

Quick pain relief with White Flower

I’m no snowflake.

In fact, I pride myself on being a low-maintenance kind of girl, a koboy, in fact.

But sometimes, there are those aches and pains that stop me from having a happy and productive day.

Blame it on today’s busy and overwhelming pace of living, or, yes, my age, but lately, I can succumb to those twinges and sniffles that get in the way of what I have set out to do.

I guess I’m not as tough as I thought I was.

Well, some wise ladies have clued me in on their tried-and-tested home remedy: White Flower Embrocation.

A nifty bottle of this liniment provides a quick dose of much-needed relief for those who get knocked-down by life’s little discomforts.

Yes, being a legacy brand, White Flower has been around for quite a while. That’s just a testament to its efficacy.

Just by performing three basic steps – ipatak (apply a few drops to the palms and rub together), langhapin (breathe in the soothing vapor) and ihagod (massage onto the aching area) – generations have benefited from its pain-fighting qualities against ailments such as:

Headaches. Don’t you just hate it when your head begins to throb when you get tired or stressed? There are times that call for you powering through your headache to deliver your work task or fulfill responsibilities at home. To give yourself some quick relief from these kinds of headaches, apply two to three drops onto your palm and gently rub your palms together, deeply inhale the vapor and massage the oil onto your temples in a circular motion. Be sure to avoid contact with your eyes!

Muscle Pain. My good intentions of having a more active lifestyle are being curtailed by those muscle aches from overexertion or tension. With the anti-inflammatory qualities of its lavender and eucalyptus essential oils, White Flower is the solution to pain caused by muscle swelling. To get your quick relief from muscle pain, apply two to three drops onto your palms or directly on the skin, then massage the oil into the sore area.

Colds. When my Vitamin C intake was not enough to stop the onset of the sniffles, I have no choice but to just ride it out. Fortunately, White Flower’s soothing and refreshing vapors can help ease the discomforts caused by sinusitis and nasal congestion. Place two to three drops on a handkerchief, then inhale the soothing vapors. My mom taught me to do suob (steam inhalation) for even faster relief: drop a bit of the oil into a basin of hot water, drape a towel over your head and inhale the steam. For a more comfortable sleep, apply a few drops on your pillow at bedtime. Not only will you have a more pleasant slumber, your pillow will also smell fresh and minty!

White Flower also provides relief from travel sickness and insect bites. Just remember the three-step action: ipatak, langhapin and ihagod!

With a bottle of White Flower Embrocation in my bag, I can go back to being my usual tough and koboy self. After all, pain relief is just a few drops away.

What’s your home remedy for pain relief?

To get your own stash of White Flower Embrocation, order now from Shopee or Lazada.

White Flower Embrocation is a blend of six essential oils – peppermint, wintergreen, camphor, eucalyptus, menthol and lavender, all known for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is manufactured by Hoe Hin Pak Fah Yeow Mfg., Ltd. in Hong kong, and imported, packed and distributed by Jelma Philippines.

For more information on White Flower Embrocation, visit its website.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature article.

New to being a plantita? Keep these tips in mind

Are you a plantita yet?

During quarantine, it seems that people all started cultivating houseplants. This is hardly surprising because plants do contribute to beautifying a space by providing spots of color or unique touches to the area. Since most of us are spending practically all our time at home, we are seized with the urge to improve the visual appeal of our abode with the use of houseplants.

Aside from their aesthetic contributions to our homes, houseplants also help in maintaining our health.

Some houseplants have known medicinal benefits. Aloe vera, for example, has been used to treat burns and skin, while the root of the ginger plant is used to help with digestion and nausea.

Aside from these, houseplants also help in maintaining our mental well-being. They give off a calming vibe that eases our stresses. Plants help to bring the outdoors into the home by reminding us of nature and wide open spaces. Also, since plants give off oxygen while taking in carbon dioxide, they help in improving air quality in our home.

If you’re a newbie plantita (or plant-parent), you might want to keep these tips in mind to make sure you get to enjoy your plant-babies, and their health benefits, for a long time.

1) Have the basics on-hand.

Plants basically need three things to grow and thrive: soil, sunlight and water. The availability of these requirements in your home should determine which plants you will choose and what gardening method you will employ.

If you have a large outdoor space for a garden, for example, you have the leeway to opt for larger plants that need lots of sunlight and soil. If you live in a condo, on the other hand, a smaller potted plant that does not require constant sunlight might be more appropriate.

2. Check your lifestyle.

Some people may have lots of time to devote to gardening and can take on plants with exacting care requirements.

Other may not have time in abundance, plants that are low maintenance may be the order of the day.

Luckily, there are products now available that help make plant care a lot easier such as self-watering systems and misters.

You might also want to consider if you have family members or pets that you may not always be able to control around houseplants. Pets may dig the soil from potted plants or chew on leaves, making themselves sick. Meanwhile, small children might pull off flowers or knock down potted plants.

Bearing in mind how much time and effort you can devote to the care of your houseplants, as well as the other living things that share the space with them, choose the ones that suit your lifestyle best.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

The plantita/plantito community in the country is growing and many of its members are more than happy to share best practices and useful advice to newbie plant owners. Search Facebook for groups on plants and gardening where you can post questions and ask for advice.

Your local plant nurseries are also good sources of information and equipment for plant care. Just ask the gardener about plant care tips.

You can also brush up on your plant care know-how by reading books or browsing plant care websites.

Being a plantita has its own unique rewards. Seeing your plant-baby grow and flourish will surely feel akin to a big accomplishment.

So with these tips in your plantita arsenal, you can face your plant ownership journey head on and enjoy the happiness it brings.

This post contains affiliate links.

Photos of plant nursery taken at D’Flora’s Garden along Katipunan Road, White Plains Subdivision, Quezon City.

My sparks of hope and joy for 2021

“A spark is a little thing, yet it may kindle the world.” – Martin Farquhar Tupper

2020 may have been characterized by one catastrophe after another, but those of us who made it through are now faced with the promise of better days ahead.

As we leave the disaster of a year that is 2020 behind, we bring with us the lessons thar we learned and the little things that got us through our darkest days to bolster us into the new year.

Here are the sparks of hope and joy that will continue to kindle in me the strength and courage as I continue to forge ahead.

Love of family

The quarantine which arose from the pandemic physically cut us off from almost everyone except our immediate family. Instead of catching up every evening on how each other’s day went at work or in school, we now spend the entire day together at home.

With the increase in time that I spent together with my family, I was able to discover new things about them: how Hubby polished up his cooking skills to be able to serve me the dishes that I’ve been craving for but can’t have because restaurants are closed, how my daughter #ExhibitA took the time to tutor her brother because I was too tired to do so, or how my son #ExhibitB did his best to adjust to learning from home despite his development issues.

I’m looking forward to discovering more to love about my family in the new year.

Constancy of friendship

Before the pandemic, busy work schedules and various responsibilities have already precluded frequent meetups with friends.

During the pandemic, the restrictions on mobility and the need for physical distancing made getting together with friends near impossible.

That doesn’t mean, however, that true pals will let those get in the way of friendship. There were those who were quick to send messages of concern and encouragement when my mother company was shut down, or those who immediately checked up on me and my family during the typhoons because they know I live in a flood-prone area. There were also friends sent tasty dishes and care packages to brighten my day.

These friendships bolster my confidence in facing the days ahead.

Innate goodness of people

With all the travails that 2020 brought, we Pinoys really went out of our way to help each other out. From contributing to #TulongTulongSaTaal and #PantawidNgPagibig, we helped to make vital supplies and essentials available to those who needed them most.

Abundance of blessings

Through all the dark times we’ve faced this year, there are slivers of sunshine that bring us moments of happiness and hope.

While the new work from home setup required quite a lot of adjustments for me and my coworkers, we were still able to function and be productive away from our office. The blended learning setup for my son enabled me to be more involved in his education, something that was very difficult when I worked in the office.

I was also gladdened to learn that many of my friends became entrepreneurs, providing products and services that became important because of the pandemic.

These are small blessings that when added up made life in 2020 bearable, and some moments even enjoyable.

As I leave the past behind, I carry these sparks of hope and joy into 2021.

I hope you keep your own sparks close to your heart and I wish you a better and happier new year.

Become a millionaire with Shopee Milyonaryo’s Christmas Special!

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, brings back the massively popular Shopee Milyonaryo for the third time. Shopee Milyonaryo is an interactive lucky draw contest on Shopee Live, where Shopee users stand a chance to win up to ₱1,000,000 in cash, ₱5,000 worth of ShopeePay vouchers, and other prizes—just in time for Christmas and New Year!

From December 17 to January 4, users can participate by logging on to the Shopee app and claiming their raffle code. Users can collect raffle codes daily for more chances of winning.

They also get additional entries per draw when they purchase mobile load or data via the Shopee app. Each completed order qualifies as an additional entry. The same raffle code will be used for users with additional entries.

During daily draws, users with the winning raffle codes can get ShopeePay vouchers worth ₱5,000.

Grand draws are on December 21, December 28, and January 4. Users with the winning codes will be called on air via Shopee Live to choose among nine bags. Four bags will contain ₱10,000; two with ₱20,000; one with ₱30,000; one with ₱50,000; and one with the ₱1,000,000 jackpot prize. These users will also receive a ShopeePay voucher worth ₱5,000.

Before each grand draw, users can play Guess-the-Box on the Shopee app, where they guess which box contains ₱1,000,000. They will receive one free token, which they can then use to spend on the option they want to guess on. Users who guess correctly get the chance to share a coin pool of up to ₱50,000.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee is happy to announce its third run of Shopee Milyonaryo. We saw the joy and excitement with which our Filipino users received the past two iterations of our raffle, and want to continue spreading the holiday spirit of giving with Shopee Milyonaryo’s Christmas Special. We also want Filipinos to enjoy the festivities and end the year on a good note. This 2021, Shopee remains committed to engaging and uplifting its consumers by creating more initiatives that let them enjoy the benefits of e-commerce.”

More details about Shopee Milyonaryo here.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

Shopee shoppers embrace digital payments on 12.12

Adoption surges in North and South Luzon as ShopeePay provides shoppers across the Philippines with easy access to digital payments

ShopeePay, an integrated mobile wallet that offers users easy access to digital payment services, saw more consumers adopt digital payments at the recent Shopee 12.12. It was highlighted by a 50 times increase in ShopeePay transactions in the first hour of December 12 compared to an average day, as people turned to digital payments for their convenience and ease of use.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “I am happy to see more people enjoy greater convenience and rewards with ShopeePay at the Shopee 12.12. Our integrated mobile wallet allowed users to check out purchases more quickly and securely while also accessing exclusive deals. It’s heartening to see more people using digital payments as their preferred payment method. It is a positive trend as digital payments become increasingly important in driving digital inclusion and the acceleration of our region’s digital economy.”

Rising confidence in digital payments in the Philippines

Filipinos used ShopeePay to discover exclusive deals, earn rewards, and complete orders at the Shopee 12.12. The most popular categories checked out using ShopeePay were Home & Living, Health & Personal Care, and Women’s Apparel, showing that people are now more comfortable using digital payments for various essential and lifestyle needs.

Key trends for the use of ShopeePay on December 12 included:

Growing digital adoption in cities: North and South Luzon saw the most significant uplift in ShopeePay transactions on Shopee than an average day, showing that ShopeePay offers users easier access to digital payments.
ShopeePay adoption increases across different generations: Millennials aged 18 to 34 continued using ShopeePay to conveniently shop for various needs such as kitchen essentials, mobile accessories, and makeup. Gen X users above 50 also saw a surge in adoption, with orders paid via ShopeePay increasing 24 times from an average day.

Yu closed, “As users become more accustomed to digital payments, we are committed to further growing our ecosystem of partner merchants so all users benefit from the convenience both online and offline, while businesses enjoy better growth in the future.”

About ShopeePay

ShopeePay is an integrated mobile wallet that offers users easy access to digital payment services. Launched in 2015, ShopeePay enables a seamless shopping experience by allowing users to make online payments on Shopee, top-up their wallets, transfer and withdraw funds, and make payments offline at thousands of merchants.

ShopeePay makes it easier to shop and do business. It provides users with a convenient, secure, and rewarding payment option; it empowers businesses and helps them to capture new opportunities.

ShopeePay is part of SeaMoney, the digital financial services arm of Sea Group. A leading digital payments and financial services provider in Southeast Asia, SeaMoney’s mission is to better the lives of individuals and businesses in the region with financial services through technology.

For more information on ShopeePay and SeaMoney, please visit seamoney.com.

Shopee 12.12 Birthday Sale kicks off on a high note, with four times more items sold in the first hour compared to last year

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, kicked off its fifth 12.12 Birthday Sale on a high note with strong enthusiasm from shoppers across the region. Shopping activity surged at midnight on December 12, with four times more items sold in the first hour compared to 2019

Key trends in the first 8 hours of 12.12 Big Christmas Sale

Home & Living, Men’s Apparel, and Health & Personal Care are the most popular product categories among Filipino consumers.

People are prepping for fitness-related New Year’s resolutions by stocking up on activewear. In the first 8 hours of December 12, around 30,000 units of men’s jogger pants were sold. Filipinos are also keen on doing some home organizing over the holidays, with around 22,000 shoe box organizers sold.

Filipinos are eagerly snapping up the best deals in celebration of Shopee’s fifth birthday, with one shopper making almost 100 orders in the morning of December 12
Shopping activity is also highest in Metro Manila, South Luzon, and North Luzon

Discover more unbeatable deals at Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale until midnight at https://shopee.ph/m/christmas-sale