The Eco Shoppe

We are very excited with our soon to open shop in Los Baños, Laguna. The shoppe is along Grove near Robinson's. It will be carrying different organic and natural products. Here is the list:

• Sketch Shirts - when we thought about setting up a store, Sketch Shirts is the only product line that we thought of selling.  Why?  Because it is our baby, our original design.  But other opportunities came in, that we thought will also be good to sell.  Anyway, we only had one dilemma - are there available earth friendly silkscreen paints?  Good thing we found a brand that is water based and non toxic.
• Human Heart Nature - we've been using HHN products for almost a year now; the results are really great.  Having started the HHN business as a dealer helped us open our minds in switching from chemical based products to organic.  Human Heart Nature manufactures affordable organic bath and body products.
• Earth and Me - very cute and effective product lines.  Earth and Me focuses on babies and mommies.  
• Victoria - I am surprised with the result of using this Victoria Organic Detergent.  I love the smell, it feels good on my hands too.  Everyone, and I mean Everyone who bought this product from us are satisfied with the result of using Victoria.
• Cyleina - organic bath soaps.  I have already tried 3 variants of Cyleina (shea butter, oatmeal and honey and kojic), Thina have used 1 (apple and cinnamon).  I have only good things to say about this product line.   
• Papelipa - these are handmade recycled papers.  The primary purpose of carrying this product is to serve as material for gift wrapping.  But aside from gift wrappers, we will also include Papelipa's scrap book line.

I think our line up is a very good.  Soon, we will be adding more products.  So see you in our shoppe!

Veggie Meat and Homemade Cheese naman!

I Can't Believe It's Not Meat!It's been 2 weeks since my last post. I was so busy with my Voters Education speaking engagement and setting up of our soon to open shop in Los Banos, Laguna.

Today, I will talk about Veggie Meat aka TVP (texturized vegetable protein). We might include this in the list of our products. Tomorrow, we will be experimenting on different processed meat recipes like sausage, patties, dumplings,etc using TVP. Hmmm...i really hope we'll be able to create sumptuous dishes. The plan is, we will sell frozen processed TVP. This isn't really new, but at least we will be able to provide more options to those people trying to be vegetarian and live a healthier life. But I think, the most difficult part in selling TVP, is to personally use/eat TVP in our daily meals. Of course, we cannot sell something that we do not use ourselves right? I have tasted TVPs, and found it good substitute for meat, but right now I am not sure if I can completely forget the real meat; maybe in few weeks or months.

Another product that we are selling now is the Homemade Cheese. Sarap! Not too salty, very creamy, and very affordable. This is Thina's best seller for this month.

Our shop in LB will be opening soon, target date is April 15, 2010, so, we might add more organic and healthy products in our Food Line. Watch out!

A One-Stop Organic Shop

I am imagining my own Organic Supermarket.  I can see a spacious place with very nice Japanese landscape and relaxing ambiance.  Inside, all products are organic and produced in the Philippines - fruits, vegetables, meat, bath and beauty products, toiletries, etc.  Aside from a market, it's also a restaurant where customers can ask my chef to cook for them - of course my kitchen will only use organic oil, herbs, spices, etc.  I also imagine a small garden that will provide basic ingredients - like onion, garlic, tomatoes, herbs etc.  I can hear people talking about saving Mother Earth, going green, patronizing Filipino products, etc.  Plastic and styro are No-nos.  Wow! A one-stop Organic Shop.

This is my long-term goal but for now I will promote organic products online and our soon-to-rise shop in Los Banos, Laguna:Sari-saring Organic Store. Lol!

http://sketchshirts.multiply.com

Kumikitang Kabuhayan ng Raketerang Ina

Simula nang ako ay maging isang single mom, hindi na mabilang ang mga raket na pinasok ko. Heto ang aking mga naaalala:

• Shoe Business:  namimili ako ng mga tsinelas at sapatos sa Liliw, para ibenta sa mga officemates ko sa Makati.  Mgandang kita, doble presyo.
• Food business.  nagluluto ng siomai at samosa sa RAQ4 Badminton Court every Wednesday, Friday at Sunday.  Super benta ng siomai,  3pcs for 20 pesos.  More expensive than other siomai, pero dto ko naprove na kahit mas mahal, mbibili pa rin bsta mganda quality.  Minsan, gumagawa din ng nachos.  Nagbebenta din ng homemade cheese na knikuha ko kay Sir Domz.
• Website development. I find clients who would like to have a website, or a customized software, etc. 
• Human Heart Nature:  dealer ng Human Heart Nature - organic bath and body products. Also thinking of being a dealer for other Organic products like Cyleina and Earth and Me.  Being a dealer of organic products made me see things in different ways. I am now more aware of the things that harm our environment, hence I think twice before using chemical based products.  I am also living a healthier life din, sana lng meron na din Organic beer. hehehe!
• Bookkeeping job:  I have a regular bookkeeping job para sa iba't ibang barangay ng San Pablo.  Easy job, easy money.
• Voters' Education Seminar.  Since malapit na ang 2010 Automated Election, eto ang malaki laki kong raket ngayon.  I'm earning money at the same time I'm helping other voters.  Sarap ng feeling everytime mtatapos ang seminar thankful ang participants sa mga na-share ko sa knila.  Through this seminar, nafufulfill ko ung dream ko na maging Professor.
• Sketch Shirts.  Eto ang aking newest source of income.  It started na one-time raket for Vday 2010.  But it turned out na ok na gwing regular business.  Thina and I are now preparing for our shop in Los Banos, Laguna.  We are optmistic that this business will be a regular one, hindi raket lng.
• At kung anu ano pa.

Sometimes, before I close my eyes, I think of how I am able to manage my life and my Basty's life.  I am amazed at how I am able to support needs of my baby on my own.  God always provides for us.  He never leave me empty handed.  He always gives me rakets. hehehe!

I am happy with my life now.  I don't have everything, kahit cellfon ko nga walang camera, but I have enough.  Enough to keep us going.  Konting sipag pa, I know I'll find the best raket ever.  Sabi nga ni Czjai, raket lng ng raket!!!

Kiwanis Club of Buklod San Pablo

August 2008, Kiwanis Club of Buklod San Pablo was chartered, and I was the Charter Secretary.  I felt like a 10 year old girl again helping other kids thru iodized salt distribution.  Back in elementary days, my dad tasked me to distribute iodized salt to my school mates in San Pablo Central School, coz as we all know, iodized salt can help kids grow smarter.  Distribution of Iodized Salt is one of the longest running project of Kiwanis worldwide.

Kiwanis Club of Buklod San Pablo is an organization of young volunteers.  Buklod is composed of the youngest Kiwanians in the Philippines, and probably in the world.  Kiwanis is an international organization whose mission is to help the children of the world, one child one community at a time.  I enjoy every moment of being a Kiwanian.  

My mom tells me "Why join Kiwanis?  It's expensive!", but I always say, " We may be spending our own money, but it's fine...will you think twice of helping other people by spending few hundreds?."  I remember one of our feeding projects for the affected areas of Bagyong Undoy in Victoria, Laguna.  A donation of P100 can feed 100 children in a day. Imagine that!

Aside from iodized salt distribution and feeding program, we also do book distribution (coz we believe that children must learn to love reading), story reading, school supplies distribution, etc.  But being a Kiwanian is not all about projects and community services, it's also about fellowship.  In our club, Buklod-San Pablo, we have become good friends.  Personally, I look forward to our weekly meeting because I enjoy exchanging ideas with them, telling each others' activities for the past week, sharing problems and advices and of course...drinking beer!!! We are different people from different walks of life, but one thing bonds us, the passion to help other people while having fun.  

I would like to share with you the blog of our current President Wilson Anzures http://wranzures.multiply.com/journal/item/54.

Day2. Badminton at RAQ4

Badminton is a very popular sport in the Philippines nowadays.  According to Wikipedia, "Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half of the court. A rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck the ground, and each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net", but for me, Badminton simply means FUN BONDING!  


For more than a month now, my siblings and my mom regularly visit RAQ4 Badminton Court in Colago Avenue, San Pablo City because we were tasked to manage it.  My brother Mike is the General Manager, my mom is the Floor Manager (heheheh), my sister is the cashier and I am the Food and Beverage Manager.  Managing the court was not for money but more on for the love of badminton and the fellow players.  Before, I play badminton once in a blue moon...but now I play almost everyday.  I am not a good player coz I can't run fast and have very slow reflexes, but still I enjoy the sport.  Badminton is a sport requiring stamina, agility and athleticism, which I don't have...poor me.  Badminton may be a tough sport but it can still be fun for someone like me.  I enjoy every single moment inside the court, I just hope that my partner and oppnonents are also enjoying the game with me!  I am still looking forward to joining a tournament someday.  I am still positive that someday, I'll be awarded a trophy or medal. Yahoo!!! 


Badminton at RAQ4 is a daily family bonding.  It gave my family something to talk about, something to argue about and something to laugh about.  I am thankful for the opportunity that was given us.  It is a healthy responsibility.  I am also gaining new friends which is really great.


To those who would like to play Badminton in San Pablo City, Laguna, visit RAQ4 Badminton Court at Colago Avenue, San Pablo City, beside San Pablo City Inn, near Puregold San Pablo.


I am glad I decided to blog about my daily thoughts...it makes me realize the small things that I sometimes ignore.  More blogs in the coming days!

Voter's Education

How to Win (or Lose) in Philippine Elections: The Dynamics of Winning and Losing in Philippine Electoral ContestsMy plan is to write just one article per day, but my mind is still awake, so i will just keep on writing until my mind becomes blank.


I am very excited about the May 2010 Automated Elections here in the Philippines.  Excited because the system is new to me and all other voters - I can't wait to see the process and result of the 2010 Automated Elections.  I can imagine the faces of the voters while trying to figure out how to go about the shading of the ovals and inserting the ballot to the PCOS machine; I can see rallies after the proclamation because as usual Filipinos will doubt the result, but this time, they will blame it to the Automation; I can imagine how politicians are scratching their heads figuring out how to add votes to them.


2010 Automated Elections is really something that we should be excited about.  But it is still 2 months away, right now what I want is to help Filipinos know how to go about the Automated Elections.  Since last month, I have been busy researching and doing presentations about the Election 2010.  I want to help, I want to get involved, I want to educate voters, I want to speak about the automation.


Last monday, I was able to do this.  I was invited to be a speaker in a Voter's Education program sponsored by Councilor Pamboy Lopez and 1-AHAPO.  My audience were the Barangay Health Workers of San Pablo City.  As I expected, everyone has very little knowledge about the truths and facts of the upcoming elections.  This made me very worried.  What will happen on Election Day? I am terrorized by the scenario of voters trying to vote but votes will not be counted due to shading errors; worse is the scenario that voters will not even try to go to the precincts and vote because they do not know what to do.


I would like to help.  I would like to get involved.  I would like to share what I know about the 2010 Automated Election.


http://www.know-your-candidates.com/

Day 1. Launch of daily blogs

Day1 March 3, 2010

I have been doing some blogging in the past few months, but today I finally decided to do this regularly, that means daily.

Yesterday, I finally decided to quit my job. I have so many things in mind that I would like to do outside office:

• officially start Sketch Shirts (http://sketchshirts.multiply.com)
• spend more time with my baby Basty
• be a better blogger
• restart my Human Heart Nature dealership (http://eastwayorganics.com)
• help promote GSSA websolutions (http://gssawebsolutions.com)
• study again so I can take the CPA board exam next year

Whew! A lot of things to do, but above all else, I think the best way to spend my "bum" moments is to ponder on what I really want for myself. I have worked in different companies, handling different positions, but still I feel that I haven't found the right career for me.

I am hoping that by writing about my daily thoughts, I will be able to figure out what I really want to do.

I think this is good enough for my first day...Hooray to a good start!