Sm Woman x Sabina's The Sewing Cup, Sewing Heart Bra

     Every month of October, pink ribbons can be seen almost everywhere. This is the way of showing our support and awareness to one of the world's deadliest disease- Breast Cancer. Many women who have breast cancer are now becoming aware of their condition and we can manage this if we will face this with proper knowledge. Did you know that Philippines has the most number of breast cancer patients in Asia? 

     SM Woman knows that they need to stand up and support the victims that's why they finding ways to help raise awareness and make an advocacy to support women and breast cancer patients. Recently, SM Woman partnered with the iCanServe Foundation and with leading Thai lingerie brand Sabina, for a Sewing Cup Sewing Heart activity. This is already an 8-year tradition of the Thai brand and for the first time, this was launched exclusively in The SM Store. During the event, supporters and guests were invited to sew 250 Sabina sewing cups—hypoallergenic bra fillers for women who have undergone a mastectomy, that were then donated to the iCanServeFoundation. More details below :)

Sm Woman x Sabina's The Sewing Cup, Sewing Heart Bra

     During the event, the attendees participated in sewing one bra cup. This is the Sabina sewing bra that is filled with a padding, which can be adjusted according to any cup size by filling a provided pouch with just enough LLDPE Plastic Beads. These are highly-purified plastic beads that contain zero harmful chemicals. It is round in shape and has no sharp edges so it does not irritate the skin or pierce through clothes. The Ministry of Industry of Thailand also certifies it as a standard of product “Polyethylene.” Therefore, it will not cause any irritation or have any harmful effects when it comes in contact with skin.

Sm Woman x Sabina's The Sewing Cup, Sewing Heart Bra

     The Sewing Cup Sewing Heart activity was graced by the Chairperson of the iCanServe Foundation, Libet Virata, and, President of iCanServe Foundation, Tang Singson. At the event, special guests such as Martha Revilla Schulze, Bettina Osmeña, Lilibeth Campos, Frannie Jacinto, and Bibeth Orteza-purposefully participated in the sewing activity, gathering around the pretty pink tables with spools of pink thread and sewing needles, enthusiastically going straight to work on the Sabina sewing bras. This activity united us in giving hope to breast cancer patients.

Sm Woman x Sabina's The Sewing Heart, Sewing Cup Bra

     Ms. Orteza shared how she heard stories of friends, family and acquaintances being diagnosed with the disease and didn’t think much of it since it happens so often. Only when it happened to her did it become real. She has only gratitude for the women of iCanServe who flew to her aid when she had been cancer herself.

Sm Woman x Sabina's The Sewing Cup, Sewing Heart Bra
Bibeth Orteza

     This life threatening disease can be prevented by the simple act of diligently getting checked. This is what iCanServe Foundation does for the patient and the family. They're here to inform the public that there is a cure for breast cancer, especially if it is detected early. Many lives will be saved if at first signs and symptoms, the patient will be checked immediately.

     "United we stand, divided we fall." We need to be aware, be concerned with our love one's condition if we are suspecting any with regards to this disease. The coalition of SM Woman, Sabina and the I Can Serve Foundation makes the Sewing Cup Sewing Heart an event that can help survivors feel more whole, one sewing cup at a time.

Sm Woman x Sabina's The Sewing Cup, Sewing Heart Bra

     So if you know someone who is or has bravely battled this life-altering disease, tell them about The Sewing Cup, Sewing Heart bra, which is exclusively available at SM Woman at The SM Store. Thank you so much SM Woman and Sabina for having me. I felt so lucky that I was able to sew a cup in the event. I'm proud that I'm giving breast cancer patients hope to be strong and positive amidst their condition.

For more information on SM Woman and Sabina,

Like them on Facebook: SM Woman, Sabina

Follow them on Twitter: @_SmWoman 

Follow them on Instagram: @smwoman

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The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Give Flavorfully 2015 Holiday Launch

     It's a no brainer that Christmas is the most anticipated holiday of the year here in our country. We are very excited when our calendars hit the BER months. We are all busy thinking of Christmas parties, reunions and shopping for Christmas gifts. Behind all these things, have you paused for a while and said to yourself that "I've been good this year", "I've achieved the plans that I envisioned last year" and Thank you, Lord for all the blessings." We are all blessed, big or small a blessing is a blessing. It doesn't matter what kind of blessings we have received this year and in return of all these, how will you give flavorfully?

      This was the question during the launch of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Give Flavorfully event that made me think of all the things I have in life. I've realized that I'm truly blessed and there are people who despite all the hard work still lack something in their life. I can say I'm blessed because I have a family who value giving and caring for other people in need. That's why my mission this holiday season is to  help someone in need flavorfully. 

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Give Flavorfully 2015 Holiday Launch

     During the launch, we we're asked to write something that we'll do flavorfully this holiday season. We wrote the things we want to do in the 'flavorfully' wall. It's nice to know that we all want to do something fulfilling in the spirit of the yuletide season. 

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Give Flavorfully 2015 Holiday Launch
Sharing with you what I'll do flavorfully this holiday season on this wall

     Christmas season started early with the launch of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's 2015 Holiday offerings which include two special flavors that make the perfect companions for this season and these comes in two variations: an iced drink and a warm latte. 

     Toffee Nut Flavor is for the fans with a sweet tooth. A holiday tradition inspired drink that compromises of a buttery caramelized sugar with a hint of nut, paired with the richness of espresso and a sprinkle of toffee bits

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Give Flavorfully 2015 Holiday Launch
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf 2015 Holiday drinks: Toffee Nut and Winter Dream

     Winter Dream Tea is another offering that  you should not miss. This is a drink that will be a hit in your taste buds if you're a patron of rooibos and black tea. These beverage is truly what holiday dreams are made of as this is blended with sweet spices and hints of vanilla.

     Aside from the two special drink offerings, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® hopes to give flavorfully this season in ways that warm the soul as much as the body. As a way to encourage its community to brew their best years, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® will also be releasing a new edition of The Giving Journal. It is a journal designed to inspire each individual to pursue their passions and find meaning and fulfillment in everyday moments, while at the same time providing them with the opportunities to give back by helping others.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Give Flavorfully 2015 Holiday Launch
The Giving Journals 2016

     During the event, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf team showed us The Giving Journals in purple, tan and light blue colors. If you love writing simple things you do everyday, this journal is a must. It's simple yet full inspirations inside- it's a diary you can say your own. Plan your travels, jot down notes, score freebies because there are exciting coupons inside too!

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Give Flavorfully 2015 Holiday Launch
The Giving Journal 2016 in Purple

     It is the tradition of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® to give back to the community, and it has partnered with Real LIFE foundation, the Giving Journal’s beneficiary, to fulfill this tradition by supporting the educational needs of the less fortunate. To date, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® has already sponsored 38 university scholars since 2011 – giving them the chance to fulfill their dreams, help their families, and improve their prospects for a brighter future. At present, the brand is proud to share that 13 of the sponsored scholars have already graduated. 

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Give Flavorfully 2015 Holiday Launch

     Evidently, The Giving Journal is certainly not your ordinary planner; it is a gift where the joy of giving and receiving it lasts well past the holiday season. It is also a journal where you'll give hope to the scholars in fulfilling their dreams. Share the gift of education to the chosen scholars by purchasing The Giving Journal 2016 and from this, you'll be able to give flavorfully to one individual. Thank you so much The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for having me and letting me share what I need to fulfill before the year ends and this coming holiday season.

For more information on  The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® Philippines 2015 Holiday offerings

Like them on Facebook: The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Philippines

Follow them on Twitter: @CBTLPH @BREWPH 

Follow them on Instagram: @CBTLPH @BREWPH

Subscribe to: brewyourbestyear.com

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The Cutest Parent-Child Relationship

     Having a child can be incredibly daunting, especially for first time parents. There are a plethora of serious things that can go wrong regarding a baby’s health and wellbeing, not to mention smaller dramas like tantrums, mealtime stress and children’s birthday parties and play dates. The good times, however, completely outweigh the bad, and children can prove to be an incredible source of inspiration, love and humour. Some of our favourite celebrities share some beautiful relationships with their children on their Instagram pages, where they do things normal families do as well as some things that belong to the realm of the rich and fabulous. For your daily cute-break, here are some of the most adorable relationships between celebrities and their offspring, showing just how beautiful and strong the bonds of family can be.

The Cutest Parent-Child Relationship

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Charlotte

     Sarah Michelle Gellar is perhaps most famous for playing Buffy in the hit supernatural series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and for her turn as Kathryn Merteuil in Cruel Intentions. She has a famously strong relationship with her husband Freddie Prinze Jr to whom she has been with for 15 years and has two children with. She recently launched an e-commerce start up called Foodstirs that provides baking kits and equipment for kids. To help her to publicise the brand, she enlisted the help of her daughter Charlotte, who she describes as her most ‘honest’ customer. This adorable picture taken by Sarah for her Instagram page shows her daughter looking to the camera whilst up to her elbows in baking mixture. You can always rely on children to tell you exactly what is on their minds, which is why they are so adorable and, oftentimes, hilarious.

The Cutest Parent-Child Relationship
Sarah Michelle Gellar's kids

David Beckham and all his kids

     One of the world’s most famous footballers, in recent years David Beckham has also branched out to other areas of public life. This has included philanthropy, becoming a UN representative for UNICEF as well as modelling for labels like Armani, Calvin Klein and H&M. With his wife Victoria Beckham, David has four children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, who he is more than willing to share on Instagram. He captures beautiful moments with all his children, showing that he might be one of the world’s biggest stars but his family is the most important thing to him. We love all the shots of him kissing and cuddling Romeo and Brooklyn and we also love that he isn’t afraid to make himself look a little silly, for example when he wore a party hat for Harper’s birthday party. Fathers are encouraged to be much more hands on with parenting these days, and David Beckham is the ultimate inspiration. He doesn’t take himself seriously and will do anything for his children.

The Cutest Parent-Child Relationship
David Beckham and son

Kim Kardashian and North West

     With a hit reality TV show, businesses, product endorsement deals and big designer friends, Kim Kardashian has cemented herself as one of the most famous women in the world. She is known for her polished, high profile looks, with her favourite labels including Balmain, Givenchy and Valentino Shop. However, we love her down time snaps that she shares with us on Instagram. These mostly feature her cute daughter North West. With a cheeky smile and a wardrobe to die for, Kim claims that she is the family’s ‘Troop Leader’. Kim shares her daughter’s fancy dress costumes, trips to the pumpkin patch and playdates with her cousins, showing that even one of the most famous families in the world has relatively normal downtime. She loves to be at the beck and call of her daughter and we think that North is on course to become one of the sassiest and fashionable toddlers in the world.

The Cutest Parent-Child Relationship
Kim Kardashian's daughter North

Feature: Lips on Fleek with Lip Pure

     Colder months means dry, flaky and chapped lips season for some women. Despite the relief that cold air brings, it can also affect our puckers! For ladies who experience this every year, the search for a trusted lip care is always challenging. Not all lip balms in the market guarantees immediate results. Some may trigger allergies that's why we need to know first the root cause of dry lips.Taking care of our lips is important as taking good care of our skin. 

     The skin surrounding our lips is very thin that's why we need to look for gentle and mild lip care products that will help in combating dry, flaky and chapped lips. Do you agree that looking polished with healthy and moisturized lips will give you the #onfleek feel all the time? For me, it's a yes! A well-moisturized and healthy looking lips is what you need if you want to look naturally polished and it can even make you favorite lipstick look gorgeous. Here's a new lip care product that will give you a lips that's always on fleek! Scroll down to know more :)

Feature: Lips on Fleek with Lip Pure

    Lip Pure, a new and all-natural beauty product by international OTC and health care company Mentholatum, offers just this with its unique formulation and ingredients. It contains all-natural components that are sure to be safe for the skin. 

     The lips are very important in accentuating or completing a look. Dramatic or subdued, keeping them healthy and moisturized is a must for those vying for double-tap worthy selfies.

Why choose Lip Pure lip balm?

• It's natural.
• Made from 100% food grade ingredients.
• It has beeswax.
• It's free of colorants and preservatives.
• Lip Pure is formulated with royal jelly and manuka honey to keep the lips moisturized even during the harshest of weather conditions. 
• Additionally, its moisturizing qualities are made even more effective with a combination of natural ingredients like almond oil, aloe extract, shea butter oil, and jojoba oil for deep hydration and long-lasting moisture.
• Lip Pure is also infused with anti-oxidants like Vitamin E and grape seed oil to keep lips youthful looking. 

Feature: Lips on Fleek with Lip Pure
Lip Pure Fragrance Free and Lip Pure Orange (P129)

So what does it take to stay #onfleek all the time? 

     Looking well-kept doesn’t mean you have to pile on makeup. Sometimes, looking fresh is all it takes to look refined and well-maintained.

     Dance floor maven and television personality Yassi Pressman is a good visual example of this. With her hectic schedule and always on the go lifestyle, one might wonder how this rising star manages to step out looking on point all the time. “It doesn’t take much for me, really. I try to stick to the basics no matter how busy I am. When my schedule is really hectic, I just put on cheek tint, mascara, and swipe on my trusty lip balm.”

Feature: Lips on Fleek with Lip Pure
Yassi Pressman, brand ambassador

     Lip Pure is the perfect makeup kit necessity for those who want to keep themselves well-kept while still caring for their lips’ health. Yassi, who also serves as the local brand ambassador of Lip Pure, is the perfect embodiment of the youthful brand.

Feature: Lips on Fleek with Lip Pure
L-R Clockwise: Lip Ice Sheer Color (P145), Lip Ice Water Colour (P145) and Lip Ice Tinted Lip Balm (P99)

     Lip Pure is a product of Mentholathum, an international OTC and health care products manufacturer headquartered in Orchard Park, USA.In Asia, their regional office is in Hongkong. Lip Pure is available in the Philippines in all Watsons Nationwide. Other products are: Mentholathum Therapy Lip Balm and Lip Gel, Men’s Cool Aqua Lip Balm and Lip Ice in Sheer Color, Fruity, Tinted and Water Color

Have you tried these lip care products from Lip Ice? To know more about Lip Pure and Lip Ice

Like them on Facebook: Lip Ice

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Care in the community: why social care is central to a healthy community

     Community services are a major part of NHS activity, with some 100 million community contacts taking place each year, ranging from public health functions such as school nursing and health visiting to assistance with intensive rehabilitation and chronic disease management. 

     There's an ongoing ambition to transfer more health care from hospitals to locations closer to patients' homes, progressing from reactive care to proactive care and prevention.

Care in the community: why social care is central to a healthy community

     Skilled personnel, registering through a social care recruitment agency, use their expertise in their own particular field to educate the local community on improving their lifestyle. Their common goal is to create a healthcare system that doesn’t wait until patients become ill before it acts, but rather work to keep the population healthy. Risk-reducing behaviour can significantly decrease cases of preventable disease and chronic conditions.

     According to a survey by charity The King's Fund, there has been "significant progress" with care in the community, resulting in reductions in the length of time spent in hospital. In addition, care co-ordination programmes are flourishing particularly well at neighbourhood level, where engaging local communities is paramount.

     The aim of social care is to help people improve their health and general wellbeing, based on a local need and varying between areas. Some of the issues tackled by social care in a proactive manner include smoking, eating habits, physical activity, sexual health, alcohol and emotional wellbeing.

Activities include:

• Advice on stopping smoking, including community support groups
• Breastfeeding advice for new mums, leading to teaching parents about healthy foods for children
• Healthy cookery courses for people on a budget
• Breakfast clubs, ensuring children have a healthy meal to start the day
• Exercise and weight-management classes
• Raising awareness of the dangers of binge-drinking and substance abuse
• Promoting initiatives such as screening programmes
• Advice on immunisation
• Initiatives supporting emotional wellbeing
• Advice on keeping your teeth healthy

    The government's vision for care in the community, explained in its 2012 White Paper, Caring for our Future: Reforming Care and Support, outlined the benefits of social care.

     Two core principles were identified. The first was to postpone and prevent people's need for formal care by keeping them healthy and out of hospital through social care. The second was to change society's perception of people with care needs, recognising they had a lot to offer and ensuring they could live life to their full potential.