Mommy Ginger
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Gifts for Dad for this Father’s Day from S&R

Here it is! Father’s day is fast approaching and I’m sure there a lot of wives and moms who are still thinking of what to give their husbands as a Father’s day gift. Well, fear not, for I have done all the canvassing myself, and I did it half a day. As you all may know, I am not feeling too good and yesterday, the doctors have told me that I have upper and lower respiratory track infection. Woohooo! Lucky me, right. Aside from playing Everwing, I just lie in bed, because once I start working and blogging, in just a few minutes, I’m tired again, and my abs (uhuh!) hurt from coughing. So, anyway, lucky for me, I got to do this canvassing and shopping last week.

I did all of my canvassing and shopping at S&R Membership Club. So here are my top picks for dad:

Daddy needs to look most handsome always. I think that both men and women need to groom themselves and look their best even if they’re married. For daddy, I found this WAHL Home Products Home Pro. This is a complete haircutting and touch-up kit. This set is only at Php 1499 (marked down from Php 2599.00).

Another product hat I saw is this item from Philips. If your man requires a close shaved hair style, they can use this shaver. This Philips Multi-groom & battery operated shaver is only at Php 2498.

The third item on my list is the On Time Wall Clock. This comes in different colors. It’s only at Php 899.95. This will be the perfect gift for the lolos, too!

The next two items are for those dad who always have their friend over at home. To inject sophistication to the parties that we have at home and to make our guests feel special, I think this Five Piece Decanter Set from Sommelier or the Circleware Barware Beer Set (from Php 899.95 now Php 699.95) will be the perfect choices. Both will appreciated and used by your man!

Speaking of parties, what are parties without alcohol! Let me give you some of the best brands with amazing deals that I have seen at S&R Membership Club:

These are the brands that you can get for Dad! Now going back to my list. Next up is this really affordable and durable Men’s Chino Pant from Kirkland. It’s now at Php 899 from Php 1299. S&R Membership club also have these Bridgeport PJ Set!

Next item in my Father’s Day Gift list is this Hampton Forge Magnetic Knife Strip. My husband took cooking classes for knife skills before at Enderun. Ever since that time, he always wanted to have a magnetic knife strip to hold the knives in the kitchen. Check this out! It’s only Php 349.95 from Php 449.95.

The next items in my list for Father’s day gift choices are these towels made especially for dad. These cotton towels are at Php 399 each!

And last but not the least amongst all of these choices, I have dad’s bath favorites! Both the Dial Soothing Care Body Wash (Php 299.95) and the Axe White Label Forest Body Wash (Php 499.95) is at Buy One Take One!

So these are my top picks for Father’s day. Do check out S&R Membership Club and see what you’re top picks are. Share them with us using #LoveSnR and #SnREveryday.

But wait, before you go, I’d like to share with you my food pick for this month. I love Chicken, and I think my friends and family know that. So imagine me going crazy when I saw these!

These chicken variants are the bomb! Naturally, upon seeing this, I did what any sane person would do.

I got all of the flavors. Now, that I am at home and resting, I got to finish one whole pack of the Hot n’ Spicy variant. Yes, I finished it by myself.

What I loved about it is that the chicken was still so fresh. It wasn’t bloody at all when cooked. The meat was very soft and juicy. What I did was I bought ranch dressing and used it as sauce for this variant. I’ll share with you soon what my favorite will be after I go through all of the variants. Haha! But honestly, this was a good purchase in my opinion.

So that’t is for today! I hope you liked all of my suggestions for your Father’s day gift and for the chicken (haha!). Talk to you soon!

 

 

 

Mommy Diaries: Back to School Shopping at NBS was FUN!

Back-to-school shopping was fun! I’m sure you have read my first article on my back to school shopping spree at NBS with some of the Mommas of Manila (haha!). If you haven’t read it yet, read about it here: http://mommyginger.com/2017/05/back-school-shopping-spree-national-book-store.html Now, I wanted to share with you this video that my friend Mikaela and I created on what our tips for moms are.

The back-to-school season is so stressful for a lot of moms, so here are a few tips that we wanted to share with you.
1) Make a list  of what you need. Mikaela makes her own list so she doesn’t forget anything. If you have it on paper, you will remember to buy these things.
2) Plan and have something visual to look back at. I have a whiteboard and cork board at home for stuff that I need to check every so often. I have a huge cork board for my goals, to do lists, bills, tuition fee schedule that I just pin. Then I have a a white board which I use when teaching Zeeka and for both our schedules! Both these things can be found, of course, at National Book Store.
3) Organize your home, so you’re READY! Arrange your home so that you have designated areas for different stuff. Also, I have specific areas for where things are. I have paper inside filing cabinets, colored paper in a big box, markers inside a bag, etc. I usually stock up also on different things. It’s good to be prepared for anything!
4) Label all of your things! As I said in the video, I’m a sucker for labeling everything. All of the things that I shared with you in my unboxing video of what I bought in NBS were all labeled!
5) Prepare a Go-Bag for your child. There are earthquakes happening here and around the world, so it won’t hurt to be ready for anything. I usually prepare a Go-Bag for Zeeka, my daughter. This includes a first aid kit, extra clothes, flashlight, whistle, protein bar or crackers, alcohol, bottled water. In National Book Store, you can find these stuff (except the drinks and food)!
How about you? What are your back to school tips! Leave a comment below, so that we can all help each other! You can also share your tips using #BacktoSchoolwithNBS
Happy Shopping!

How to Get Five Star Ratings as an Uber Driver

 

In such a short time that ride booking apps have graced the Philippines, people can’t get enough of booking an Uber to get to their destination. It really is a lifesaver to get a ride when you need it the most, or when you can’t be bothered to go on public transportation. For those women drivers who are in this kind of business, who want to get into this business and for those who are new to this business, I’ll be releasing a series specifically for you! Hope you can share these articles.

Like with any service offered, Uber drivers have to put their best foot forward when providing the service to their riders. As a passenger, the rating of a driver can be a major factor in deciding whether or not to continue with the booking. Comparing my personal experiences and reading the comments of other users, there are tips which drivers can use to achieve the coveted five-star rating.

Clean your car! You remember the times that you had to make a great first impression, maybe a first date, a big interview, or an important presentation? The exact same concept also applies here! The first 5 seconds is crucial in getting a great first impression from your rider. A shoddy-looking car is no better than a poorly maintained cab, so give your vehicle some TLC by driving to the nearest car wash.

Keep your car well-maintained. There’s nothing worse than rushing to get a ride to go to an important appointment and having the car break down mid-way. Not only will this be more expensive for you, but this will create a horrible experience for your rider.

Be polite, even if your rider does not grant you the same courtesy. It’s the oldest lesson that’s been taught since we’ve learned to think for ourselves. Even if your rider is having a bad day, or maybe they’re not into greeting people, or even if they’re impolite, just offer a polite greeting and leave it at that.

Avoid talking or texting on your phone while driving. With the Anti-Distraction Law in place, the last thing riders need is for their Uber driver to be apprehended and end up arriving late to their destination.

If you’re not familiar with the area, trust Waze. Just trust the technology. There’s no point in trying out detours if you’ll end up getting lost and spending twice the time to get to the destination.

While this is not required, I am personally impressed with drivers who provide water, small candies, or even wet wipes in their car to help riders freshen up. In this humid climate Metro Manila is subjected to, any occasion to do so is welcome and appreciated.

Choose your music with care. Most riders want a comfortable and relaxing ride to get to their destination. It’s best to keep a playlist that creates that vibe, such as a coffeehouse playlist or soft rock music. Avoid playlists that feature songs with offensive lyrics.

Remind your riders to check if they have forgotten anything inside your vehicle before leaving. I find this extremely courteous as I feel that the driver looks out for the safety of your belongings. It also saves the rider from the stress of relocating their things and saves the driver the hassle of bringing back any forgotten items.

Hope these tips help you in providing the utmost care for your passengers!

Kiddie Art Kart

Last week, I had a wonderful time with my family in Japan. I promise to share with you snippets from my trip in another blog post. We will also share tips on how to get around Japan with a Toddler with you. Speaking of toddlers, it will be one week to go before Zeeka goes back to school. I’m sad, but at the same time relieved since I’ve been constantly looking for activities for her.

For this week, I’m featuring a young entrepreneur. She has a business for kids who want to practice art and for parents who want to teach their kids creativity!

Anna Cristina L. Ignacio, also known as Teacher Anna to her students. She’s 26 years old, single, and love to travel. She graduated from UP Diliman with a Fine Arts degree in Industrial Design. She’s been teaching art in various preschools in Metro Manila for the past 7 years, helping kids of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds discover and hone their creative talents.

In 2015, after completing the course on Program and Project Management in Tokyo, Japan, she was awarded the Honor Certificate of International P2M Practitioner by the Project Management Association of Japan. She’s currently the Head Art Teacher for a Likhang Bata Creativity Center, and Chief Creative Director of Kiddie Art Kart. She is a strong advocate of creative self-expression, which she believe is very important to a child’s positive development.

She comes from a family of 6 – 3 older brothers with her being the only girl and the youngest.

Their family loves to travel and exploring places together, and they also have high appreciation for the arts. She have a very supportive family who helps her with all the marketing efforts for Kiddie Art Kart, and they are always present in all of her events.

Kiddie Art Kart’s Story

Ginger: What is your Startup/brand/business? What is it about? How long have you been in business?

Teacher Anna: Kiddie Art Kart is a traveling art room that brings arts and crafts activities to parties, family gatherings, kiddie events, and play dates. We set up an art station and facilitate art activities to kiddie guests. Currently, I have a team of 6 experienced preschool teachers, which we call Creativity Coaches, and a resident Psychologist who guides us in our curriculum development. Kiddie Art Kart creates a positive, encouraging, and nurturing environment so no kid is left behind. Our projects are designed using the principles of creative self-expression and art therapy to help children in the discovery of their creative intelligence. We also incorporate the different developmental skills in each activity so not only do they get to create art, but they also learn something through creative education. We have been in business since November 2016.

Ginger: Who is your target market? Why did you choose this market? Can you give us the insight behind this market?

Teacher Anna: Our target market is AB class parents with children aged 3-15

 

Ginger: How did you come up with this idea? What made you decide to start this kind of business?

Teacher Anna: Being an art teacher, a lot of my students would often ask me if I can do art activities for them in their parties. Most of the time, parents would like their children to do activities with their friends in the comfort of their homes and not having to go through Manila traffic. Since I love to travel, and I love doing art with children, I came up with a traveling art room wherein we are the ones who go to you and we set up everything at your own chosen venue.

Ginger: Were there any obstacles that you faced when you decided to pursue becoming an Entrepreneur? What are these?

Teacher Anna: Having no background in business, it was a struggle to start one. I had to do the concept development, inventory, accounting, and research alone. Putting up the capital was also one of my worries. Good thing my family is so supportive of my passion and they were always there to guide me and save me when I was feeling stuck.

Ginger: What are the greatest challenges in putting up and maintaining a business in your country?

Teacher Anna: The greatest challenge for me in putting up my own business was giving up my full time job as an art teacher. It was a risky move and a huge sacrifice because that means I will no longer have a stable income. Aside from that, I became fearful of the unknown. So many questions like “will people avail of my services?” or “will they like the projects we offer?” or “is this a long-term business?” kept popping up in my head. But I learned to just believe in my concept and work my best to put it up. It was a great factor that I love what I am doing and I enjoy it, and I can only hope that other parents will see it and I’ll be able to share with them and their children the same love and passion I have for art.

Ginger: What are three traits that you think an Entrepreneur/Startup Founder should have when starting their own business?

Teacher Anna: Commitment – There’s this quote I heard which says “Entrepreneurs are the only people who will work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week.” Being an entrepreneur needs a lot of commitment because if you want to succeed in your business, you have to do everything yourself and not ask someone else to do it for you. It’s okay to get help from other people, but at the end of the day, it’s ultimately up to you to control your own success.

Being able to accept constructive criticism – I believe that in every business, you always have to see it from the point of view of the client or customer. What may seem great to me may not seem great on the other end. I appreciate hearing feedback because that is one way of knowing the needs and wants of my client so I will be able to improve my services and give the best experience to new and returning clients. I also do meetings with my team of teachers and ask them about the good points and points for improvement. As the boss, I may be overlooking something and might be expecting so much from them that it makes them uncomfortable or less motivated. So I also like hearing their side and take them into consideration.

Believe in your product/service – This is very important because how can you expect other people to buy your product or avail your service if you yourself are not confident that it is effective. You have to back it up and be able to defend it 100% but also make sure that you can deliver. I wouldn’t recommend going into anything that does not align with your own values, beliefs, and practices because if something goes wrong, you won’t be able to save it.

Ginger: Unforgettable moments or lessons that you learned as an Entrepreneur/Startup Founder

Teacher Anna: Everything is a learning process and no one has it easy from day one. It is constant work and you have to be patient. I learned to stop and take a breather when I feel like something is not going the way I want it to be so I can bounce back better and think clearer. I also learned to not make decisions based on emotions because feelings come and go, but the damages you make when you do emotional decisions are there forever.

Ginger: What advice can you give to other Entrepreneurs?

Teacher Anna: Don’t get easily discouraged. Take negative comments and turn it into positive ones. Not everyone will like what you have to offer, but there is always someone else who will.

Ginger: Do you believe that everyone should become entrepreneurs?

Teacher Anna: I believe anyone can be an entrepreneur, but it takes a lot of courage to finally decide to be one.

Ginger: What are ways that you can do to raise capital?

Teacher Anna: Savings from job income, De-clutter and sell items that other people can use. A garage sale is a good way to do this. Look for investors and sacrifice the wants, and only spend for the needs.

Ginger: How do you market your products? Growth strategy?

Teacher Anna: We do a lot of online marketing on Facebook and Instagram. We also attend or join expos and events. We build connections with other entrepreneurs and this is very helpful when you want to collaborate on certain projects that will be beneficial to both businesses. We also build relationships with parents and children to get them to keep coming back. We send monthly newsletters to our subscribers to keep the updated with our events.

Ginger: What are tech tools that you use for your business?

Teacher Anna: Microsoft Excel, Afterlight photo editing app, Mailchimp for sending newsletters to subscribers, Facebook and Instagram, Trello for organizing tasks and to-do lists

Ginger: Other things that you want to mention which you think are important

Teacher Anna: Kiddie Art Kart believes in the benefits of creative education and creative self-expression. We do not impose on the children and we give them full freedom to do art with the guidance of our creativity coaches. We build an environment that is encouraging to all children so they become more confident within themselves.

Ginger: Thank you, teacher Anna, for sharing with us your entrepreneurial journey! For those who want to learn more about Kiddie Art Kart, please see the contact numbers below.

For Contact information:

Website: www.kiddieartkart.com

Email address: hello@kiddieartkart.com

Mobile Number: 09178610022

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/kiddieartkart

Instagram account: @kiddieartkart

Youtube account: www.youtube.com/kiddieartkart