Ina-Tay Recommends: SM Science Discovery Center

Childhood is one of the best moments in a person's life. It is the time where the most meaningful memories are created both in the mind and heart. Memories that serve as a foundation that shape the persons children grow up to be. Coupled with proper guidance and education, these memories become the values and stir their imagination that gear them to succeed in the future.

Along with some members of the Davao Bloggers Society, your Ina-Tay and the heir to her stilettos Leia, were invited to the launching of the newest attraction at SM Lanang Premier - the SM Science Discovery Center. After six years of bringing the fun in science to the families and students in Luzon, this out-of-this world attraction has finally set foot in Mindanao!

Edu-tainment: Education and entertainment at SM Science Discovery Center

Solutions for the Domestic Goddess

After the success of the first two Good Housekeeping workshops in 2011 and 2012, 3M Philippines together with Good Housekeeping magazine brought a rebranded workshop entitled Home-mazing Ideas Workshop. The provincial leg of the workshop kicked off at SM Lanang Premier in Davao City last August 31.

Blogger Koni Esteban shares her crafting tips 

Now on its third year, the Home-mazing Ideas Workshop goes around the Philippines to conduct workshops at malls, residential areas, and condominiums about the best of home improvement ideas including topics about clutter management, and space saving home organization tips, from the country’s best interior design and home experts. 3M Philippines early set of workshops were conducted at Alabang Town Center in Muntinlupa City, The Columns and One Serendra in Makati City. The workshop featured Ms. Koni Esteban, a freelance DIY and Craft Specialist; and cool guys from Mad Science.

15 Things to Give Up to Be Happy - a Repost

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” ― Dalai Lama 

Hi y'all! Allow me to share this article I chanced upon on the web... Because we all need a good knock on the head at times just to be reminded that happiness is a decision. I myself found this timely and made me do a good amount of introspection.

May this week be productive for us dear readers. Live. Laugh. Love!

Ina-Tay and discipline

"For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" - Hebrews 12:11 (ESV)

Image from the web

The how-to for child support

Disclaimer: This post should not be taken as an expert's opinion. I'm not a lawyer but I reckon someone out there may be asking Google about the matter, as my friend and fellow blogger Raine said (she's happily married  by the way). Let's just say I've been in your shoes before and want to share my experience hoping that I can help someone out there in my blogger's way of writing a how-to post. Please excuse the occasional expletives. Spare me too your pontifications, I have enough of that. 

If you are going through this right now or know someone who needs someone who has "been there been that" (hahaha), please send me an email at inatayblog@gmail.com. I can be a friend and can recommend a good lawyer for your child support battle.

- o0o -

Before we start, allow me to be blunt about this and state the obvious - it will not only be a financial battle but more importantly, an emotional one. Wounds, whether fresh or old, will be opened, you will have to recall everything that transpired and you have to be pretty resolute about seeking support from your former husband, boyfriend, partner, sperm donor and whatever you call him. It is inevitable that you will face this man, who has not only left you with a broken heart but also in a financial rut. This will be a painful ordeal but remember, you are doing this for your child/children because they are entitled to it, it is their right and you have to do something on their behalf.

Image: www.childsupport.alberta.ca

Beware: ATM scams - it's REAL!

Just last week, I read in a national broadsheet warning the public to be careful and vigilant in using automated teller machines (ATM) after a new scam was discovered. I don't think this is a "new" scam since every other year or so, scammers always seem to make a comeback. They just let the issue dissipate and the moment banks and depositors let their guards down, boom! Anyway, it still involves the same modus of "skimming" or capturing an ATM card's number, personal identification number (PIN) and other important information using a specialized scanner. The captured data is then used to make a duplicate card which the scammers use to make withdrawals, without the knowledge of the depositor of course. This scam also victimizes credit card owners.  The cause for the warning is a recent case of ATM fraud in UAE. 

Image from the web

I thought you're 28!

Ladies - be honest, aside from your weight, relationship status and if you still have feelings for your ex, which question leaves you blank for a few seconds to ask yourself if you should tell the truth or not?

If you say your age, well I don't blame you. One of the worst things for the fairer sex to hear is someone telling you that you look older than you really are! It's like receiving a slap on the face and any woman would feel insulted unless she deliberately wants to appear older. Who would want that?! I believe this is the rallying point of the beauty industry - make women age slower and more gracefully. Do I get an "Amen"?

Your Ina-Tay a few days after her 32nd birthday, Gen. Santos City

Me NO Love Guru

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." -M. Scott Peck

Few weeks ago I found myself in a very uncomfortable situation. A friend from high school sent me a text message to share her marital problems. I empathized with her thinking that all she wanted was someone to talk to and unload some of her emotional baggage. After a few exchanges, she then asked me, "please advise me what to do." Yikes! I paced to and fro hoping that I could think of a clever way to tell her without sounding aloof that she made a dumb choice to ask for my two-cents on her marriage. I would rather choose solving an algaebric equation then than to pretend and give her an advice that could spell doom for her already troubled life.

Let's Talk Breast, Shall We?

Hi everyone! Ina-Tay is so back! I apologize for the silence as my new work took me to Gen. Santos City for five days. I am home for the weekend and after putting my little one to sleep, I immediately grabbed my laptop and wore my blogger hat.

Image from Touch, Look, Check UK

As I have mentioned in my previous post, Mum and I attended the 3rd Silver Linings event here in Davao City last weekend. Among the activities for the day was a free breast clinic. I never passed on the chance to have my "lemons" (apparently I was under a beach umbrella when God gave the gift of "melons" to human female species thus I only got the lemons) checked. ICanServe Foundation, aside from providing hope to women with breast cancer and their families, also puts on top of their list the promotion of early detection by providing women across all demographics information and guidelines on Breast Self Exam (BSE). More than a hundred women signed up for the breast clinic who were checked by resident doctors from Davao Doctors Hospital. If my memory serves me right, it was a Dr. Lu who did my exam after a short interview. I was asked to remove my top and my bra then I had to lie down before she proceeded. By the way, these were all done behind curtains! I was so nervous while she was feeling my breasts. I silently prayed that my exam would give a negative result. I was also embarrased because milk started to flow from my right breast while she was checking my nipple. :) After what felt like eternity, I finally heard the best words that day "You're okay." I gave a sigh of relief but she told me to have an ultrasound just to double check given my family history of breast cancer.

Face care 101 (when you're 30 and up)

The famous designer Coco Chanel once said "Nature gives you the face you have at 20; it is up to you to merit the face you have at 50." It means how you would look now totally depends on you. As we age, our skin specifically on the face loses it's ability to retain moisture. This results to a dry, lifeless, wrinkled and older-looking face. Who wants to be told "you look young for a 40 year old" when your real age is just 35!

The "breast" of intentions...

I have quite a number of friends who are currently pregnant or has recently given birth. This encouraged me to post this entry if only to reinforce what I have been encouraging them to do - BREASTFEED! Quite honestly, I sometimes feel like a broken record sharing with as many people as I can the benefits of breastfeeding. So to all mothers out there (married, single, it's complicated, etc.), I hope you can read the rest of this post and maybe, just maybe, I can convert you to give your babies the "breast" of intentions...