Love and Marriage. May Forever ba? My personal experience in keeping a lasting marriage.

I have been married to my wife for six years. That being said, at the time I got married, I thought that as long as you keep your partner happy, our marriage would go smoothly just like the saying "Happy wife, happy life."

The "Wash"-band

After six years of our marriage, I know now that it takes even more than that.

When we were newly wed, I thought that she was the ideal person to be with. She would be the perfect partner to assist me with my personal affairs like looking after the house. Soon enough though, as in the next day, I began to realize that there are certain things that she would not be able to help out with at all. Just like washing dishes and doing the laundry.

I found out that she had very sensitive hands. Dishwashing soap and detergents easily scar her hands while she washes. There was no other choice but for me to do them myself. Right there, I  became the official family "wash"-band.

off to the wash room...

But there is more to the story...

My wife is also very sensitive when it comes to the scent of her clothes. Once, I hurriedly washed the uniforms so I won't miss my favorite show. In my mad scramble to finish, I put too little detergent in my washing machine. The result? When she inspected the armpit area (by sniffing it) she got so furious she ordered me to wash it again this time with twice the amount of detergent, and make sure that her uniform dries up in time for ironing.

And there was this one time, I had to wash a bulk of household clothes, but it was raining non-stop for days. I had no choice but to hang them inside the house after washing. But because we lived in a small condo unit with a small window, our clothes couldn't dry up well. My wife, knowing her clothes would smell bad, told me, like she always does, to wash the clothes again, but this time asked me to use a fabric conditioner. That was first the time I tried Del fabric conditioner. After buying from a sari-sari store and using Del, my nightmare of washing them all over again were averted.

When it comes to washing, it would seem that my wife is a pain to me rather than a source of comfort. But I always think of the bright side of things. In return she's the one who fixes food for me and my son. She's the one who folds the clothes after drying, the one who then irons all our clothes. The one who takes care of my son when I'm not around, and helps me out it some of my projects.

Keeping the wife happy with gifts may be one aspect of a happy marriage but that's not all. Because no matter how much we spend on gifts, dates, food trips or vacations, nothing matters if husband and wife do not learn to compromise. Like being the "wash"-band is the role I gladly picked up to compromise for mommy being the cook and "iron"-woman, things work out for us as a family.

Lastly, for us to have a happy marriage, we should also try to do things differently, to keep things interesting,  and keep the love going. Following Team Kramer,  I found out that they are also using Del to keep their clothes mabango all day with Del Forever Joy and Love.

So, lately, I tried out Del Forever Joy and Del Forever Love in my latest wash routines. I also let my son help me with the laundry. He helps me hang the clothes after every batch of clothes I wash. Then I let my wife give a sniff inspection to know if she likes it, and boy it really does smell great! After all, Del Forever Joy and Love now has 15x longer lasting bangooooo vs a regular detergent brand based on consumer tests in Metro Manila.

trying out Del Forever Love and Forever Joy

Daddy's little helper

Keeping a long-lasting marriage is extremely difficult at times, and so is learning to compromise. But for me, Forever Love and Forever Joy is not really about "me". It should be about my spouse, and how to make her feel loved just like the Lord who loves us and made our marriage possible.

Team Delima, happily together for six years and counting!

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Pinoy Fitness Virtual 50k Challenge

November 30, 2016 will be the last day to submit your entries for the Pinoy Fitness Virtual 50k Challenge. All you have to do is complete a total run of 50 kilometers for the month of November. Here is my entry to the challenge using Strava.

You can use other apps to record your runs like Strava and submit a screenshot of your running activities through the Pinoy Fitness submission form where your entry gives you a chance to win raffle prizes. Visit their facebook page for more details.

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How to be a #SelfieExpert

Pinoys like me like to take great selfies. Although the word selfie sounds so selfish, in reality it is not. For starters, a selfie is defined as a photo taken by yourself to be shared online through social media. So selfies are taken not just for yourself but for the interest of your friends.

My selfie experience at the Venice in Taguig City

We take selfies so that we can share our day-to-day experiences. We keep our friends posted on  what is happening around us. We inform them of current happenings and important events that unfold during the day. We entertain them with our personal stories. Clearly selfies re-define the meaning of the word sharing.

With all  that in mind, we should do our best to take a perfect selfie. Photos that our friends can easily appreciate with just one look.

Here are my 5 tips on how to take a perfect selfie and be a  #SelfieExpert

1. Choose a good topic and location for your photo. The first thing you should know before taking a selfie is why you are taking one. Do you want to share your good time at a party? Or do you want to show the new gadget you just bought? At this point you should also discern which topics are suitable for sharing or not. For example: A fun party is a good thing to share but keep personal moments like funerals private and off-limits to selfies.

Depending on your topic, choose a good angle and location for your photo. If you want to feature an event like a concert or a scenic backdrop, position your face to the side of the photo so you can feature the scene like my Venice selfie above. Choose a spot like higher ground so the backdrop can stand out. If you are holding something you want to show, make sure you and the item are well focused and well-lit.

make sure subject is well-positioned and well-lit like for example...

In choosing a good location for your selfie, you should also consider the location being safe as well. Because we want to take the best-looking photos most of us neglect safety in doing so. Looking out for dangers such as no railings on high ground, streets, or dark places with few people can actually prevent untoward incidents.With all these considered, you could improve your photo even more by following tip number 2...

choose a good, interesting and wholesome topic to show your friends like for example... your weight?

Hmmm... how about more foodie shots?

2. Know some photography basics. Anyone with a smartphone can be a selfie expert as long as we know the basics of photography. Some basics include lighting, movement and angling of your camera. The most important of which is lighting. Without good lighting, your photos will either look dark, blurry or pixelated. Most of the time it is not the fault of the selfie taker but at least he is aware that he should compensate so the photo will turn out well. Some remedies for poor lighting would be using flash or changing location with good lighting.

Also shooting against the light (for selfies it is lighting behind you) is not recommended unless you want to have a silhouette effect.  A silhouette is a shadowed figure in the foreground (that would be you in a selfie). Most of the time you would want the light source to be on your side or behind the camera  so you can be well lit.

In terms of movement, you should not move too much when having a selfie specially with poor lighting conditions otherwise your photo will appear blurry. That is because cameras will use slow shutter settings on automatic to compensate for poor lighting.

Lastly for angling, certain angles can enhance the photo depending on your preference. For example, if you want to look thin, you can tilt your body to the side before snapping your selfie. Another example would be using a wide angle (zoom out) and moving the camera away from you to make yourself look small while capturing the background or scene. Zooming out will give you a better chance of getting the 'bigger picture.'

3. Remember to smile (or do a creative facial expression)  A picture of a happy person can be contagious. It can bring out smiles to other people who see you. Try to have a natural looking smile and do not overdo it. You can also try wacky poses to make things more interesting.

ARRGHH!!! A happy and/or wacky shot makes for an interesting selfie.

4. Know your equipment. Selfies need not be taken using your hand and smartphone only. There are other photo equipment you can use to make your photo stand out. One of the more popular tools out there is the selfie stick. You can use this to extend the reach of your phone so you can take a photo of your body. Depending on the selfie stick, you can also use this as an extension bar for your tripod. Bring this and other equipment to special events and you will have better looking and well-placed pictures. (Note however that some events prevent you from bringing a selfie stick for safety reasons)

Other equipment you can use are the following...

my personal equipment for better selfies

Tripod - This equipment usually used with DSLR and point-and-shoot cameras can also be used for smartphones. You just need the proper adapter so you can attach your smartphone to this. Standard tripods can offer a wide variety of height. With a tripod, you can use the delayed timer of your smartphone to maximize selfies.

Use tripod for more distance and highlight the background

I highly recommend bringing extra equipment on out-of-town  trips. They really make your selfie stand out.

The only downside in bringing tripods and selfie sticks is that it is bulky and cumbersome at times. But if you feel that getting the perfect selfie is really important, you have to bring in more tools.

Bluetooth Remote Clicker - You can use this remote control clicker to manually shoot your selfie at a distance. Combine this with a tripod or selfie stick you can shoot your selfie at greater distances.

Aside from external equipment you should also know the features of your smart phone as well. Doing so will save you time, effort and will give you better shots overall. Features such as aperture, shutter, timer delay, camera options, etc. can be a big help in composing your shots. Normal people will be content at auto settings but selfie experts should know more about  their camera phone.

5. Choose a good smartphone with great camera features. No matter how knowledgeable  you are with photography or how flexible your equipment is, you won't have a good looking photo if your smartphone camera is poor. A great smartphone camera must have sharp lens, a sensitive camera sensor and big camera resolution, post processing features aside.

I had an old smartphone that had a hard time taking night time photos because its aperture is not as wide as current generation smartphones. Either my photo came out blurry, pixelated or downright ugly.

Fortunately there is a smartphone dedicated for selfie experts like us - the OPPO F1 Selfie Expert. This phone just released as recent as February 2016 in the Philippines and it has  all the nifty features a selfie expert would want and more!

Here are some of the OPPO F1 Selfie Expert specifications...

Primary: 13 MP, f/2.2, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
Secondary: 8 MP, f/2.0, 1/4" sensor size, 1080p
Video: 1080p@30fps
Features: Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama

With a weight of 134 grams (4.73 oz) and a size of 143.5 x 71 x 7.3 mm (5.65 x 2.80 x 0.29 in) this smartphone is relatively easy to carry around for selfies. An f/2.2 aperture and 13 MP resolution can already rival entry level DSLRs given proper usage and technique. Definitely the OPPO F1 Selfie Expert is essential in taking the best selfies while using a very light frame!

The OPPO F1 Selfie Expert also has great phone features too! With a metallic body its LTE ready and with the WLAN and dual SIM options you have more options for mobile sharing. 1.2GHz  octa-core processor, 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB internal storage are welcome features that prevent the phone from lagging when we process our selfies for upload. Memory can also be expanded to 128 GB with an external card slot.

And the best part of this phone is that even with all the selfie and phone features it possesses it is reasonably priced as well.

OPPO F1 Selfie Expert TVC

Now with all things considered, we can all proceed to become our very own Selfie Expert. Just keep in mind the 5 tips for making  a perfect selfie and you are on your way to being one yourself!


To know more about the OPPO F1 Selfie Expert you can visit the OPPO F1 Website by clicking this link here or by visting the OPPO Philippines Facebook page , OPPO Instagram page and the OPPO twitter page to get the latest on this remarkable Selfie phone.

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I'm Back!!!

Hi all! I have not updated this blog for quite a long time now. After two years of not updating, a lot of things have happened. Change of priorities and interests, family matters... etc. Now I am back I am hoping to revive this blog and hopefully I can return to the world of contests and promos.

I also would like to state that it seems that contests are much fewer now compared to two years before. Contests are a lot of fun and I still hope sponsors would still use contests to promote their brand and at the same time foster competitiveness and goodwill to all those who would like to try out contests.

For the newbies to contests, I would like you to know that winning contests are very hard but if you do win, it is also very fulfilling. And even if we don't win contests it is a really good way to develop skills and self esteem.

To all contest enthusiasts good luck and happy treasure hunting. :)

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NESCAFÉ Cappuccino is the most indulgent coffee I’ve ever had!

I love my coffee sweet and chocolatey! Among all the coffee flavors out there to choose from, cappuccino is what I prefer the most. It has the perk and aroma of coffee and the bitter sweet taste of cocoa that is perfect for keeping me active from early morning onwards.

And what better way to wake me up in the morning would be my daily cup of Nescafe Cappuccino! So how indulgent is my personal cup of Cappuccino? Normally I enjoy mine as it is but on special days, when I really want to enjoy my cup of coffee, I would throw in other sweet stuff into the mix. This is how I make one...

First of, I prepare a sachet of Nescafe Cappuccino and pour into my mug...

Next, pour in hot water, then stir it well.

Because of my love for chocolate I add a little more cocoa powder for maximum enjoyment. Mix again thoroughly.

Well, sometimes I add mallows into the mix (or cereal depending on my preference).

And finally I top it off with the choco sprinkles that comes along with Nescafe Cappuccino.
 

The coffee foam and choco sprinkes in NESCAFÉ Cappuccino make it a more indulgent experience because it makes my coffee chocolatier and fuller when it comes to taste.

Now it is time to enjoy the flavor of my very own Nescafe Cappuccino creation!

With the sweet and bitter blend of coffee and chocolate, I am sure to wake up vibrant and full of energy before I go off to work or any other activity over the weekends like playing fun games with my little one.

Nescafe Cappuccino kickstarts my day! It helps me go through my day-to-day activities at work or at home with a smile! Honestly, it is the most  indulgent coffee experience I’ve ever had!

Now, how about you? What's your most indulgent coffee you ever had?

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Real UnliCHAT Experience with Globe’s GoUnli30

A thrifty person like me will do anything to keep his expenses to the minimal. Whether it be spending on groceries, food or even gadgets and communication. Globe Prepaid has its wide variety of deals that every money saver like me can make use of. One of popular these services Globe provides is the GoUnli30.

How does Globe GoUNLI30 give us the REAL UNLI chat experience?

Globe has a lot to offer with GoUNLI30...

- With GoUNLI30, subscribers get unlimited texts to all networks, unlimited calls to Globe/TM, and unlimited chat with the best messaging apps like Viber, Kakao Talk, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat, Line and the telco’s very own messaging app GMessage without the need for Wi-Fi or additional data charges. Available for only P30 valid for 1 day, GoUNLI30 gives you no excuse to stay out of the loop and connect with more than 1 billion users around the world regardless of mobile network or location.

- Go all-out unlimited with GoUNLI30 and UNLICHAT25 now. Register by dialing *143# and then choosing GoSAKTO on your Globe mobile phone or texting GOUNLI30 or UNLICHAT25 to 8888

 With only 30 pesos to spare, you can have UNLIMITED access to communicating with friends and loved ones even if they use a different network for a whole day. Unlimited texting, unlimited use of messaging apps, you name it. Nowadays, smartphones are getting more and more popular so people nowadays connect to the internet for daily communication. Facebook messanger, WeChat and Viber are few of the popular ones as of the moment. Having access to messaging apps through GoUNLI30 is very practical if you are situated in non-wifi and rural areas, yet need to be connected to the internet, and with those who are most important to us.

With Globe GoUNLI30, for one day, you definitely get a real 'sulit' chat experience.

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I GoBigger and GoBetter with Globe

Suppose we ask ourselves, what is more sulit? What kind of deal would I choose to maximize my savings? Would I go for the bigger deal? Or the better deal?

If you ask me I would normally go for the bigger deal. Why? Because as the saying goes... the bigger the better. If I would go out to buy groceries, I usually choose to get the bigger variant. You may argue buying bigger will be more expensive at face value, but in the long run, you get to save more. Same goes for ordering food and drinks. I usually order the bigger portion rather than going for two smaller portions. Again, you get to save more if you go for the bigger deal.

That's why if if I choose Globe's new prepaid promos, I would choose GoBigger. Remember. Bigger is Better. This offer maximizes the benefits of calling my wife with no worries of spending too much on longer calls.

Here are some of Globe Prepaids new line of amazing deals. You can either go and choose to GoBigger or GoBetter. 


Go Bigger

– GoCALL100 gives me more call minutes (500 mins) VS Competitors offer (200 mins). No need to use prefix to enjoy unlicalls.

– With GoUNLI30, I get real unlimited service with unli allnetwork texts, unli calls to Globe TM, plus the real UNLI-chat experience with the best apps available. It’s the real deal compared to competitor’s UNLI offer.

Go Better

- GoUNLITXT49 gives me the same UNLI texts to Globe/TM at a BETTER prices VS Competitors offer.

– With GoUNLI25, I get real unlimited service w/ unli Globe/TM calls and texts, plus unli Viber chat to the rest of my friends. It’s the real deal compared to competitor’s UNLI offer.

Only Globe Prepaid gives me Bigger and Better unli offers. Click the images below to know more about Globes latest prepaid deals...

http://www.globe.com.ph/gocall100

http://www.globe.com.ph/gounli49

http://www.globe.com.ph/gounli30

http://www.globe.com.ph/gounli25

I GoBigger and GoBetter with Globe.

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Transform yourself with Schick

He is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and more! He is no other than the most recognizable superhero the world has ever known - SUPERMAN.



Superman has a wide range of superpowers. He is super strong, super resilient, he can fly, he is super fast, he shoots laser beams from his eyes, has x-ray vision, can freeze objects with his super breath, and, for his lesser known powers he also has super hearing, super memory and super intellect which makes SUPERMAN a genius too!

All those super powers rolled into one person makes SUPERMAN the superhero everyone looks up to. He is the hero every person desires to be.

Supposing it were possible to borrow Superman's powers at least for one week, what would I do with it?


For every super power Superman has, here is what I will do with them in one week:

Flying - It would be great to travel the world. But why stop there? Why not go to the moon, nearby planets, stars? The universe has a lot to offer. Flying to and from work also allows me to get more quality time for my family. Traffic will not be an issue for a week.

Super Strength - I can use this to help build a better country. How? with my super strength, I can help build classrooms for the indigenous and homes for homeless people, build roads for easy access to vital services, build bridges and more! Our country deserves more specially from our politicians. But if anyone has a special gift like this, he should do his part to improve our land.

Super Resilient / Invulnerability - I would use this to shield our police officers and soldiers from harm when they need to perform their duty. Our poor officers on duty lack the equipment they need all thanks to corruption in our country. One week may not be enough but at least it can still save lives.

Super Intellect - Given a week, I would use my powers to solve some our country's major problems. We have so many problems right now, like corruption, traffic, booming population, territorial crisis, insurgency, and more. Making solutions may be great, but it is up to our leaders to implement them. If I were smart enough, I would elect the best person to advise the president before my one week is up.

X-Ray Vision - I can help out those who are sick and poor by giving free them x-ray exams. Plus I can easily identify problems with sewage lines around Metro Manila. It would be great if clogs can be eliminated ASAP.

Heat Vision - With heat coming from my eyes, I can help my wife cook delicious meals without using the stove. I can make water boil for my baby's milk and bottle sterilization. With that, I can help save money for my family.

Freeze breath - I can save money on my electricity bill by not using the refrigerator for one week, since I can make ice cubes, make cold water, chill meat and produce, etc.

Super hearing - With it, I'm sure to wake up in the wee hours of the morning when my little baby boy cries for his milk and if he needs to change his diapers.

Super memory - Now I won't be scolded by my wife if I forget to buy the grocery items we need since I am not fond of making a list.

Super Speed - I will do all my office and house chores in record time. And since I have all the time in the world, I can give all the remaining time to my wife and baby boy.

With all those powers in one week, I can make a difference in many people's lives, not just my own. For the betterment of the country, service to the poor, quality time with family. That for me matters most.

We all want to be Superman, even for a week because Superman is also the embodiment of freedom - freedom from oppression, freedom from our own and world problems and freedom from our physical limitations.

But even if we can't be Superman, at least we can be free from being unkempt and unshaven. Thanks to the Schick line of products.

When you avail of any of the specially marked Superman - Schick razor packs entitles you to win Superman movie prizes and limited Superman premium items.


Schick. Free Your Skin.

Per DTI-NCR Permit No.1843 Series of 2013.

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