gift Archives - Mommy Ginger

I am truly a Belle De Jour fan. I love the Belle De Jour Planner 2019! I’m not just saying this, because Darlyn, the founder is a friend of mine. I have been using the BDJ or Belle De Jour planner since 2008. Wow, I just realized that that that was 10 years ago! I’ve been buying the BDJ planner, because I love the content. I love the lists, the pages that allow you to plan and the other trackers that Viviamo places inside the BDJ planner.

By the way, Viviamo is the name of the company behind all of these products that i’ll be sharing with you today. “Viviamo” is Italian for “we live!” The name is so fit for what Darlyn and her team hope to achieve, which is to provide products and services of superior quality and value that will help people to try, to dare, to succeed, to experience, and to live.

This year, I’d like to show you some of the products that they have created for you, starting with the dated planners with Belle De Jour Planner 2019 leading the pack!

DATED PLANNERS

BELLE DE JOUR POWER PLANNER

The theme of this year’s Belle de Jour (BDJ) Power Planner collection is “Make Today Magical.” I love that this is the theme, because with the plethora of things that you do on a daily basis, we oftentimes forget the ‘magic’ that every day can bring. We’re all pre-occupied with deadlines, tasks, and things to do, that we forget that life is about the journey, and not the destination.

Since I always have my Belle De Jour Planner 2019 planner with me, this is good reminder that we just need to think of things differently. Magic will then happen!

This year, the Belle De Jour Planner 2019 planner comes with 12-monthly dividers with worksheets about lifestyle, fashion, career, finance—to help you discover your own magic, identify your mood, strengths, priorities and goals. These worksheets include Make Things Happen, Checklist, Dream Board, Spirit Animal, Mood Tracker, and Make Your Own Magic Spell. The planner also features an expandable pocket sleeve at the back for receipts, cards and bills safekeeping.

Monthly Dividers – Start each month right with the monthly activities and articles about lifestyle, fashion, career, finance

Monthly Calendar and Weekly Layout – Manage your time and priorities with spacious monthly calendars and vertical weekly spreads

Special Pages – Discover your own magic, identify your mood, strengths, priorities, and goals through a variety of worksheet pages

The 2019 BDJ Power Planner comes in different styles—the classic cover (Php 598), limited edition (Php598), leather (Php 680), discbound (Php 980)—that cater to every Bella’s distinct taste and need.

BDJ Classic – Php598  – Matte laminated hardcover with glitters and illustration of the 2019 Bella

BDJ Limited Edition – Php598  – Matte laminated hardcover with glitters and a creative illustration about the Belle De Jour Planner 2019 theme

BDJ Leather – Php680  –Velvet black leather with debossed flower elements and gold foil stamping

BDJ DiscBound – Php980  – Gold-stamped velvet black leather with disc binding for users who want to customize planner pages

Aside from these functional pages of the Belle De Jour Planner 2019 and of course, the super thick booklet of discounts which we always love, a new and cool feature that it has is that there are little codes that you can scan using your Zappar app. See the pages come to life after scanning!

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PLANNER:

As I browsed through the pages of the this year’s Belle De Jour planners, I can’t help but notice that it feels that the planner was created “intentionally” for me. Everything just felt so right. I think the BDJ team did a good job in understanding their market, and continuously evolving to suit the needs of its audience. Check out and grab a planner at http://ilovebdj.com

THE OTHER PLANNERS THAT THEY HAVE:

NAVI JOURNAL – Php598

This year, I had no plans of travelling often, but circumstances led me to opportunities to travel. And I’m thankful that most of these travels are within our country. I think that all of us should make time to travel to different places in the Philippines and immerse ourselves in our own culture, understand it and go back to our own origins. This kind of mindset is what this year’s Navi Journal plans to achieve. Instead of “just travelling”, try to immerse yourself in your own country’s or in another country’s culture and traditions.

Navi journal showcases contents and illustrations of 12 widely celebrated festivals from different parts of the world on its monthly dividers. With special pages such as 101 Checklist, Bucket List, Must-see Destinations, Pre-trip Checklist and Packing List, Navi journal helps you visualize your travel goals and carefully map out your next adventure with ease.

Monthly Dividers – Give the lowdown of widely celebrated festivals around the world to inspire you to explore different cultures

Monthly Calendar and Weekly Layout – Write down your monthly travel plans and your week’s highlights in the horizontal weekly layout with notes pages

Special Pages – Worksheet pages help you visualize your travel goals and carefully map out your next adventure with ease
Bound by an intricately-designed matte leather cover, the journal contains 176 full colored pages and horizontal weekly layout with notes page where you can list down your week’s highlights and wonders. What’s more, Navi also has an expandable back pocket that lets you store your travel essentials like tickets, cards, cash and postcards, among others.

For an affordable price of Php598, Navi Journal gives you access to over Php25,000 worth of discount coupons from partner brands in the Travel Curious coupon booklet.

This 2019, soak in the colors, the flavors, and the music of each festivity you go to and write about it in your journal. Bring Navi: Your Life Navigator Journal in your upcoming travels this year. Get it now for Php598 at all leading bookstores nationwide or visit us at ilovebdj.com.

EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE – Php598

The 2019 Everything is Possible (EIP) is the perfect gift for anyone who wants a full and meaningful life this 2019. And, it also fits the lifestyle of goal-oriented people like me, who love to retrospect! haha! (Yes, I love drowning in my own thoughts… hehe!).

Priced at Php598, this year’s edition of EIP features 176 full-colored pages, a matte-laminated hard cover, and an expandable back pocket for receipts and cards safekeeping. Aside from its striking cover, EIP contains monthly dividers with motivational quotes and weekly mantras that will serve as voices of encouragement to always keep the momentum.

The special pages in the EIP planner are also in place to guide users to stay on track of their goals for the course of the year.

Discover your goals and make it achievable with the following pages:

Ikigai
Vision Board
Timeline of Goals
Identifying Intentions and Motivations
How to Measure Success
Positive Poster
Life Achievements
#LifeGoals
No-Edit list
Priority List
Milestones
Reward Checklist
Things I’m Grateful For
Obstacles and Mistakes, and
Promise for Next Year

Monthly Dividers and Monthly Calendar – Inspirational quotes help propel you towards your goals

Weekly Layout – Prioritize your tasks in vertical weekly spreads and be encouraged by the motivational quotes each week

Special Pages – A variety of workbook pages guide you to stay on top of your goals for the course of the year. Each page lets you set and sustain your goals with momentum throughout the year

This year, Everything Is Possible wants you to create the momentum you need in life to achieve infinite possibilities. Get it now for Php598 at all leading bookstores nationwide or visit us at ilovebdj.com.

FOCUS JOURNAL – Php498

It’s so funny that I feel that each kind of planner this year from Viviamo was meant for me! haha! Next up in the list of the planners that they have is the Focus Planner. The 2019 Focus Journal was designed to help users look past the noise, and find clarity and peace. With all of the noise and chaos, it’s sometimes hard to listen to your thoughts and heart and to find direction.

Featuring 176 full colored pages bound in a matte laminated hardcover, Focus Journal allows you to surrender your thoughts and worries on paper and align to your spirit’s purpose and desires. Focus Journal features 12 monthly dividers filled with power words and suggested activities to help you handle your thoughts with ease. It also comes with special activity pages such as Monthly Check-up and Year-End Reflections so you can mindfully evaluate accomplishments and learnings, and to maintain focus for the course of the year and the next.

Monthly Dividers -Power words and suggested activities help you handle your thoughts with ease. Monthly Calendar and Weekly Layout -Have enough space for planning out your whole year Special Pages – Activity pages to help you mindfully evaluate accomplishments and learnings

ESSENTIALS PLANNER -Php380

This planner is the perfect gift for the practical, straight to the point kind of loved one or friend. I actually love this, too. I love that the simplicity of the 2019 Essentials Planner is what captivates you. This planner comes in two sleek (2) cover designs–Classic and Pattern– both with gold foil stamping. The planner contains 144 pages with dotted weekly pages ideal for bullet journaling, as well as creative journaling.

Monthly Calendar and Weekly Layout – Have the freedom in planning or unleashing your creativity with spacious dotted spaces and a minimalist layout

Whether you’re a first-time planner user or not, the Essentials Planner can be your planner of choice this 2019. Get it today for Php380 at all leading bookstores nationwide or visit us at ilovebdj.com.

BDJ PETIT PLANNER – Php350

The BDJ Petit Planner comes in two styles—Purple and Pastel—both with zippered plastic covers that can be an instant pocket or a secondary wallet for your cards, bills, and receipts.

Get the functionality of the regular-sized BDJ planner in a pint-sized version with the BDJ Petit Planner.

Monthly Calendar and Weekly Layout – Write down quick notes, random thoughts, or simple inspiring ideas

Special Pages – Simple pages for making your own lists or goals

The other products that I love are…

QUEST JOURNAL TRAVEL at Php480
ESSENTIALS NOTEBOOK — Php240

Even if I appreciate and use automation and gadgets to make my life easier, I still love writing with a pen and paper. These two products are a staple in my backpack. I use my Essentials Notebook to write down ideas, plans, etc. I use my quest journal for meetings and for bullet journaling! So many tools, right?

Aside from the Belle De Jour Planner 2019, the planners mentioned here and the other products that I use, there are more products that you may want to check out from Viviamo. Please visit http://ilovebdj.com

Five gift ideas for kids that will make their mommies happy too

Christmas is a time of giving, and oftentimes that giving is focused on the kids we know—which is just as it should be. But when you get to be a certain age, you find that you might have a lot of kids to get gifts for (mga pamangkin, inaanak, and more) when really it’s their parents who are your friends.

So recently I got to thinking, why not kill two birds with one stone and get your friends’ kids gifts that their parents will really appreciate too?

Of course, this got me thinking, what kind of gift would this be? To get ideas, I went back to my marketing roots and asked myself, “What’s the one problem every mom, myself included, suffers from?” And the answer was obvious—lack of mommy time!

That is to say, just about every mom I know wishes there were more hours in the day because we are all so busy. Not only are we charging forward with our careers, whether we’re employees or self-employed, but we’re also busy managing our households and families.

Given this problem, it was easy to think up a solution: get gifts for kids that keep them active and creative… and out of their parents’ hair! That way, while the kiddies are enjoying, Mommy and Daddy can take a breather.

So here are a few ideas for these kiddie gifts that are actually gifts for the whole family:

KidZania passes

I’ve been a KidZania Manila fan since the child-sized city opened in Bonifacio Global City a couple years ago. It’s not just that it’s fun for kids between the ages of 4 and 14 to get to experience their dream jobs in areas that look like scaled-down versions of actual workplaces. It’s that they learn a lot about themselves and also the challenges adults face, which helps teach them responsibility and creative thinking.

Oh, looks who’s one of them? 🙂 hehe!

Zeeka created her own comic strip at Metro!

Learn more about KidZania Manila via their website. http://manila.kidzania.com/en-ph/

Ticket prices range from P900 to P1100 for kids aged 4 to 17.

ActiveFun

Another play and activity center kids are guaranteed to enjoy is ActiveFun, which has branches in Bonifacio Global City, SM Megamall, The 30th Mall, Power Plant Mall, and Evia Lifestyle Center. In fact, if the members of your barkada all have kids around the same age, it might even be cool to make a fun day out of it so the kids can exhaust themselves on the slides, in the ball pits, and more, while the mommies can have a spa party.

Learn more about ActiveFun via their website. http://activefun.ph/

Admission rates for unlimited play are P480 per child.

GummyBox PH

Just a couple months ago, I discovered Gummybox, which offers themed activity boxes containing everything kids could want or need for a hands-on crafting or science project—something sure to keep them occupied for at least a whole morning or afternoon.

To learn more about Gummybox PH, check out my previous blog post or the company’s Instagram account, @gummybox.ph. For inquiries, email kfunkidstoys@gmail.com or text +63 939 551 1501.

Workshops and Kiddie Courses

Who says learning can’t be fun? There are workshops all around the metro to cater to a whole rainbow of kids’ interests. SparkleLab.ph alone offers courses on game development, toymaking, robotics, film and animation, and more.

Know any MasterChef Junior contenders in the making? Check out the kiddie courses at the Red Apron Cooking Academy. Dolldalita offers dollmaking workshops where kids can learn what goes into making toys they love. Or if you know any kids set to become the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, check out the courses at Jack.com.ph. And kids with an eye for style and beauty can learn a lot from the programs at KidzArt.

Craft Supplies and Kits

Know kids who love to get hands-on with crafty materials? Feed their love for these types of activities by getting them age-appropriate art and craft supplies, such as watercolor, calligraphy and lettering, or scrapbooking sets. Some places to shop include The Craft Central, Hey Kessy, Craft Carrot, and National Book Store.

Do you have other suggestions on gifts that will make both the parents and the kids happy? 🙂 Share it with me in the comments section below.

Since Christmas is fast approaching, I know that you are all busy looking for gifts to give your loved ones. I shared with you my Christmas gift ideas for your mompreneur friends in this link: http://bit.ly/snrChristmasMompreneur. I will be sharing more Christmas Gift Ideas these coming days. For today, I feel so giddy sharing this product with you, since this brand was co-created and built by one of my good friends and event directors in Manila Workshops, Donna. She and her friend created Katsa Co., which I will tell you more about in this post.

Donna, one of the Co-Founders of Katsa Co. with son, Kib

I haven’t told Donna this, but I really admire her. She is a superwoman! She is a single mom, homeschooling mom, a work-from-home mom, a supportive mom to her busy 10 year old son who gets a lot of tv/print commercial gigs, a mom blogger, and now a budding entrepmom. She like travelling and shopping. She loves eating, but doesn’t like cooking (haha!).

Donna was a banker and a licensed teacher by profession. She started venturing into this business very recently (October 2106), which was co-founded with a friend. She met her friend and was her best friend during graduate school. “We complement each other,” Donna adds. They always get along and are patient with each other. “When one tends to be in a bad mood, the other one gives way. haha!”

They have always thought of starting a business, but what kept them from starting was because of the distance of their homes. Late last year, they decided to get serious and thought of Katsa Co. as their initial venture, being both kikays and who love bags. Her goal as a mom is to inspire other moms that you can homeschool and be a mompreneur at the same time through her blog and instagram posts.

When asked about other goals, she hilariously uttered, “Gusto ko magkaron pa din ng lovelife, haha! (I want to have a lovelife!).” But her main goal is really to raise her son to be a fine young man and to prepare for their future. This is the reason why she has several jobs. “Some of my friends say that they cannot do the things that I can do, because I juggle work, business, parenting, and home management. I just tell them, “mahirap talagang kumita ng pera.. haha! (Earning money is hard!).

Katsa Co.’s Story

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

Donna: Our business name is Katsa Co. We thought of that name, because we wanted something that is catchy and easy to remember. Our bags and pouches are basically made of katsa, so having it as our business name is something that people can easily recall. We are into selling personalized bags and pouches. We ask our customers how they want their bags to be and what kind of print should be on the bags/pouches. We have our own line of bags, but we are also open to different customizations. As long as it is made of katsa, we can do it. We just started last October 2016.

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

Donna: We would love to tap everyone who is looking for something to use for their own or someone who would love to showcase their kids’ artwork or maybe someone who is looking for gift ideas or Christmas gift ideas (since it’s almost Christmas). We will serve every one who would love personalized bags and pouches! Our bags and pouches can also be used by men, too! My friend and I love ‘owning’ things so we thought of opening this idea to other people, too.

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

Donna: My friend and I have already been thinking of a business that we can both work together despite of our proximity, and opening an online business is the most workable for both of us. We’ve thought of also buying a franchise, but the place to put the business is really a big challenge for both of us. It’ll be very difficult for us to physically manage a traditional business because aside from being business partners, we’re also mothers. We also need to find time for our kids.

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

Donna: Choosing the right business, because we wanted to put up a business that we both like. Another one is the challenge of dividing the task. Proximity is a challenge for us so we need to really plan our strategy for us to make the business work. We need to put more time on this business so that It’ll prosper.

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

Donna: Our business is fairly new, and we are still finding the right ‘formula’ so that we will be able to last in the business. Online business is really a tough industry to be in, because there are thousands of online businesses out there. We need to really market the business double time and deliver in a timely fashion to our customers. We make sure that we answer all their inquiries on time.

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

Donna: A start-up entrepreneur must put up a business that they think that they would love, and not just for the sake of earning. A start-up entrepreneur must be flexible to their customer’s needs. Like in our case, even if we have our own line of products, we also do welcome customizations and we really try to meet our customers’ needs. A start-up entrepreneur must be willing to learn. Just like what I’ve learned from the business talks that I’ve attended in the past, innovation is the key to last in the industry. Learning never stops.

Ginger: Any unforgettable moments or lessons that you learned as an Entrepreneur/Startup Founder?

Donna: My friend and I always have arguments, hahaha. But towards the end of the day, we’re still friends. Respect each other’s opinion and always consult each other for decisions.

Ginger: What advice can you give to other Entrepreneurs?

Donna: You don’t need to have a big capital to start a business! Start small, and from there, make your business grow ☺ Work on your capacity too, don’t get too excited whenever there are inquiries, just take it lightly. Learn to say no. Pray. Pray to the Lord for the right business opportunity for you, for sure there’s a tailor-fit business for you.

Ginger: Do you believe that everyone should become entrepreneurs?

Donna: While being an entrepreneur is one way to achieve financial goals, I guess that being an entrepreneur also needs a lot of preparation and experience. While some can be entrepreneurs at young age, some people need a lot of learning and encouragement to be one. But then, the bottomline is do not be afraid to take risks. The risk that you would take depends on how much failure are you also willing to accept.

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

Donna: Save a portion of your regular pay by tagging it as business fund. Have a small home business like selling ice candy or ice or fishballs. If you are bolder, apply for a bank loan. Borrow money from family members (I say family members because family can be leaner on payment terms, hihi). Cut on luxury expenses.

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

Donna: Since it is an online business, sharing the website to several groups is a good way to make the people aware of the brand. I blogged about my business, haha. Asking friends to spread the love about the business. Keeping the site alive by posting a lot of updates.

Ginger: What are tech tools that you use for your business?
Donna: Our online shop is on Facebook and Instagram for now. Hopefully, we would evolve in the future by having our own e-commerce site.

Ginger: Thank you, Donna, for your time! For those who are looking for gifts to give out this holiday season, do check out these Christmas gift ideas from Katsa co.

Contact information:
Website: https://www.facebook.com/katsacoph/
Email address: katsacoph@gmail.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/katsacoph/
Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/katsa_co/

P.S. This post is dedicated to Alex, the daughter of Donna’s Co-Founder Rowena, who passed away yesterday 🙁

As a mompreneur, Christmas is the busiest time of the year for me. My to-do list doubles and I usually lag behind in the things that I have to do. I think that throughout the three years that I have been a full time mom and entrepreneur, I have picked up “hacks” and a rhythm that I can repeat and work with every year during the holiday season. One of the things that a mompreneur needs to accomplish to is get Christmas shopping done for both family, friends and for work. I realized that my hack is really just to go to S&R and do most of my Christmas shopping.

Speaking of making thing more efficient for busy moms like me, this year, I am making it even easier for you. I have listed down all of my Christmas gift ideas that I will share with you. It will save you the time and the effort. All you will need to do is to is grab your S&R Member Shopping card, drive to S&R and grab pieces of each item.

Love S&R Everyday!

So here are my top 8 Christmas Gift Ideas for the Mompreneur. These items are perfect for corporate giveaways and exchange gifts (with a lot of savings involved mind you!).

Delichef Personal Coffee Maker (Php 1699.95 – Buy 1 Take 1)

American Home Microwave Oven (Php 2449.95)

Delichef Food Steamer (Php 2289.95)

UltraHD Cushioned Pneumatic Stool (Php 2699.95)

American Home Water Dispenser (Php 5298.95)

Sky Viper Nano Drone M500 (Php 2999.95)

Sky Viper Stunt Drone S1700 (Php 3199.95)

Luggage Scooter Adult Bag (Php 5799.95)

There are a lot of other things that you can buy for the busy mompreneur at S&R. It’s one of our favorite places to shop! Hope you can come up with your won list of Christmas Gift Ideas for the Mompreneur and share with me using #LoveSnR and #SnReveryday

Comment below with a link to your blog post and one of you will receive a special Christmas gift from Mommy Ginger!