Glamour Moments

If the idea of self-care seems like little more than a dream, you are not alone. Millions of us struggle to take care of our own needs while spending time and money managing those of others. However, it is time to stop and, more importantly, to shift the focus to ourselves. You do not have to drain your bank account to engage in a bit of self-care. It starts with doing something just for yourself each day and then building on positive habits. Image via  Pexels Time is valuable Your most valuable asset is time. Make a point of using it wisely. If you have vacation time at work, for example, use it before you lose it. This does not mean that you have to roam around the country or bask on the beach for weeks. You can put your time to good use by sticking close to home. What’s important is that you break your routine to give your mind time to rest and reset. Chicago is the third-largest city in the US and, as such, has more than enough activities and events to hold your in...

The world is full of different religious and non-religious celebrations. Even just from town-to-town or country-to-country, there are wildly different events that take place for completely different reasons. Being aware of other cultures and understanding why they do what they do is a key aspect of accepting people and living a positive life, which is why it makes sense to learn a little about some of the most widely celebrated events in the world. With this in mind, here are four of the most prominent religious events explained to give you a better understanding of the history and beliefs behind these key dates. Christianity: Lent and Easter One of the most important events in the Christian calendar is the 46-day period known as Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Easter Sunday but centres around a period of fasting or self-control during this timeframe. Lent commemorates Jesus’40-day long walk through the desert , during which he fasted; in turn, the most...

Adopting a plant-based diet is beneficial in many ways, both to you and the environment , but it can be difficult to know how to get started. Eating fresh fruits and veggies every day can be expensive if you aren’t used to shopping for those specific items, and meal planning can be challenging, especially if you have picky eaters in the house. In most cases, however, the pros far outweigh the cons, and there are some easy ways to make lifestyle changes that won’t break your budget. Photo by  JillWellington One of the keys to adapting to a plant-based diet is to be prepared. Arm yourself with plenty of meal ideas and keep an open mind; don’t be afraid to branch out and try new things or different cooking methods. Utilize online resources that can help you find out more about the foods you’re eating, and how to uncover deals and coupons. Here are a few tips to help you get started. Consider the details While there are a ton of fruits and vegetables to choose from, you m...

Dubbed as the heart of Asia, Taiwan beats with a fiery passion that attracts many Filipinos. In fact, the number of Filipinos who visited the island republic increased in 2018 by 44.13% from 2017. For some, Taiwan is a food destination and picturesque views. To many others, it is the home of cutting-edge technologies and life-changing innovations. Over the past year, Taiwan has grown into a global leader in innovation by supplying solutions to our modern problems. The value they provide is so gigantic that the Taiwanese economy lists global powerhouses such as Google, Apple, Microsoft and IBM as part of its clientele. It's easy to get lost at the rate Taiwan churns out game-changing products. So, for those who are looking to get the best Taiwan can offer, look for the seal of the Taiwan Excellence Award. "Products selected for the Taiwan Excellence Awards serve as shining examples for the domestic industry. Apart from the distinction, these products and brands ...

Hello Kitty is celebrating her 45th anniversary, there's a special adventure awaiting in Los Angeles so our HK team flew from Chicago to Los Angeles to experience the Hello Kitty friends around the world exhibition. We explored 5 rooms and transported into Hello Kitty's journey on different countries to London, Paris, New York, Honolulu and Tokyo! Where to buy tickets: buy it only at https://hellokitty45.com/ - there's no third party seller so please be careful when buying to other people Where to go: The Pop-up event is located at new LA Plaza Village in 555 N Spring St in downtown Los Angeles. How much it is cost: Weekdays Monday to Wednesday is $27, Thursday to Sunday is $30. There's a special access in the evening from Thursday to Saturday at 9pm -$50 that includes a special gift. What to do : You should check in first before boarding. This is a timed event so you have to be on time (they said to check in 15 minutes before your time). Right aft...

Who would have thought there are a lot of fabrics from around the country? Not commonly used and therefore, rarely heard of. Growing up, I’ve heard and used a few, but thanks to Likhang HABI Market Fair , I learned there’s more than Tinalac, Batik, Pina, Abaca, Cotton etc. As a crafter myself, I’d like to source for materials that are cheaper but boasts of quality equal to, if not greater than, their imported counterparts. As a crocheter, I try to find yarns that would yield wearable or usable outputs. I would locate sellers of yarns to see what kinds they use and where they are from. The ones i end up buying were said to be outsourced from Taiwan, unknowing that there are also cotton threads that can be sourced locally, and if spooled into the preferred thickness, they could be as good as the ones i’m used to buying. This coming October 11th to 13th, the 9th Likhang HABI Market Fair will be held at the Glorietta 3 Activity Center. I hope to go there at least once to learn...

Besides being a technological hub, Taiwan also has a flourishing agricultural sector. Indeed, just in the first half of 2019, Taiwan's Council of Agriculture reported that the island republic has logged US$2.7B (nearly 140 billion pesos) worth of agricultural exports. This number is only expected to grow as the nation recalibrates its agricultural strategy. Taiwan aims to optimize its farming techniques by using high-precision technology as it commits to the Agriculture 4.0 movement. Agriculture 4.0 , or precision farming, refers to a redefined farming system that integrates high-technology innovations. According to the World Government Summit, Agriculture 4.0 is a green agricultural revolution with science and technology at its heart. In an effort to sustain its growth, the Taiwanese government is currently raising its investments in Agriculture 4.0 with a pledge of up to $300 million by 2020. To properly implement Agriculture 4.0, the following materials a...

The main push in today’s climate is for people to be faster, more responsive, and efficient. Employees are working longer hours in order to achieve their department goals at work, though recent studies suggest that people actually become less efficient after a certain number of work hours. So, in a world that is zipping by, how do you make time for self-care? Here we’ll touch on some basic areas you may be overlooking that could vastly benefit your mental health. Managing Your Sleep Our sleep needs change as we age, so it is important to ensure that you are getting enough rest. According to Tuck, adults ages 18 and over need seven to eight hours of sleep per night. The benefits of sleep are well documented and include improvement in memory, increased productivity, better heart health, and a stronger immune system. In fact, studies have found that a lack of sleep can age your brain, make you more forgetful and increase your risk of dementia by as much as 33 percent! Ma...

9th Likhang HABI Market Fair invites you to participate in the #HABIJourney HABI: The Philippine Textile Council is excited to take you through the #HABIJourney at the 9 th Likhang HABI Market Fair on October 11 to 13 at the Glorietta 3 Activity Center in Makati City. With the theme The Highlights of our HABI Journey, this year’s edition of thepioneer in artisan market fairs and textile advocacy promises to be an immersive experience. The three-day fair will feature a HABI Craft Corner where visitors can learn the basics of weaving using pure Philippine cotton and other natural local fibers, and create their own woven products. HABI goers can also participate in the Community Craft Loom and learn modern weaving using different materials, textures, colors, and weaving techniques. There will also be workshops on macramé, the art of knotting. In keeping with its goals of promoting Filipino culture and heritage, the Likhang HABI Market Fair will also have a Baybayin...

Korea’s LG Sakers and Barangay Ginebra gear up for a battle of the ages Basketball season is in full swing! Five years after their last meeting, worlds collide yet again as two of the most popular basketball teams in Asia face each other once more. The LG Sakers, one of the stalwarts of the Korean Basketball League (KBL), is set to face what is arguably the country’s most beloved PBA team – the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Dubbed as Asian Basketball Showdown, the first exhibition game between the two teams happened 5 years ago and was received very well by the appreciative crowd. It was a landmark event that pitted perennial crowd favorites in their respective leagues. The LG Sakers is one of the most well-supported teams in the whole of South Korea while Barangay Ginebra is a pillar in Philippine sporting history. To have these two teams face against each other is a dream come true for every fan of basketball. While the LG Sakers bested Barangay Ginebra in their f...

In today's pressing climate crisis, sustainability has now become a top priority for countries aiming to balance bullish economic development with its inevitable environmental impact. Developing countries should look at the playbook of a once-garbage-ridden island republic in Asia, which is now one of the world's leading recycling countries. More than a couple of decades ago, Taiwan grappled with a widespread waste disposal problem. Inaction pushed the residents of Taipei to protest, thus enacting change through laws and other government measures. From then on, Taiwan has become a leader in many aspects, including green initiatives. Its success has been a result of effective public and private efforts. Leading in green innovation To better arm itself in its bid for sustainable development, Taiwan has also adapted the Circular Economy model, which focuses on maximizing the resources while minimizing waste. According to President Tsai Ing-Wen, Taiwan's deve...

Today Pinterest is announcing that more than 300 million people come to the platform every month.  Pinterest is a visual discovery engine that helps people discover new ideas, from what to cook for dinner to how to decorate your home to what products to buy or where to go for your next holiday. With more than 200 billion Pins saved, Pinterest serves billions of personalized recommendations each day. APAC is one of the fastest growing regions for Pinterest with millions of people currently using the platform each month, a number that has increased by more than 50% over the past year (June 2018 to June 2019) and in the Philippines, more than 815K ideas are saved each day. To mark the occasion, researchers at Pinterest commissioned a survey with TalkShoppe* to ask more than 2,000 Pinners about their attitudes around Pinterest and look at how it is tracking on its mission and helping people find the inspiration to create a life they love. Here are some of the ...

Image via  Pexels According to data from the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), more than  one in three adults are considered obese. Traditionally, a person who is obese has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher . However, BMI is not always an accurate indicator. For instance, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has a BMI of 34.3, but considering the bulk of his weight is muscle mass, we wouldn’t label him obese by any means. A better way to determine if a person is obese is by measuring their body fat percentage, which is a bit more technical than a simple math equation. So for the general population, it’s easier to determine obesity using BMI. There are various health risks associated with obesity: Heart disease Stroke High blood pressure Cancer Diabetes Osteoarthritis Gallbladder disease and gallstones Gout Respiratory issues including asthma Sleep apnea The best way to prevent these issues caused by obesity is to l...

Event coverage by Andrea Sagragao Intramuros Administration is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It has been the agency that has been actively restoring, developing, and promoting Intramuros as a national heritage. Recently opened was the Museo de Intramuros, a restored building that once housed Ateneo de Manila University before it transferred to its current campus in Katipunan, QC. In celebration of this momentous occasion, LG Philippines donated 6 OLED TVs to Museo de Intramuros, also in commemoration of the 70 years of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and South Korea. The newly-opened Museo de Intramuros now houses some religious artifacts that dates a couple of centuries, as well as salvaged remnants of the building before it was restored. [Press Release] LG Celebrates History with Tomorrow's AI Technology LGEPH, in partnership with Intramuros Administration, showcases history in an entirely different perspective in the newly opened Museo de Intr...

Event Coverage by Roger Decierdo It was a different ToyCon for me this year. I went on the last day (a Sunday) instead of the usual second day. And there were many new things that made this year’s Philippine Toy, Hobbies, and Collectibles Convention another great experience. A world of toys ToyCon has always been about toys and ToyCon 2019 was no different, with many of the major manufacturers being represented. Brands like Kotobukiya, Bandai, XM Studios, and Good Smile Company even had their own booths showcasing their latest releases. I was hoping to grab one of those GSC exclusive figures but that was already sold out. Not to be outdone, Pinoy pop culture brands also showed their stuff. The  Ravelo estate and ABS-CBN unveiled the new Ravelo Komiks Universe brand. This line showcased a variety of collectibles, including action figures of popular characters Darna, Lastikman, and Captain Barbell. While these are limited-run items,...

ToyConPH has been around since 2001, and for me and my friends, it has become an annual thing to go to at least once in its 3-day affair. Toy collectors and enthusiasts alike would agree, if there's one thing that makes ToyConPH the way it is, is that ToyCon PH stays true to what it stood for when it began. It started as a toys, comics and pop culture convention, and guess what it has become now? The very same. Staying true to itself gave it the strength to stay standing still despite the numerous attempts by others to take it down. While there are others that try to create drama, ToyConPH has probably learned to just shake it off, or it has just been that sturdy an institution that it didn't make a dent at all to its spirit. I bet my friends would agree, ToyConPH is one of those things that brings us together, a reason for us to see each other despite our busy schedules. For us it is one of those good things in life we are lucky to have.

Editor: If you're looking for an indoor adventure and fun, join us in celebrating Toycon's 18th year showcasing the best of Asian Pop Culture Scene at the SMX Convention Center (beside Mall of Asia) in Pasay City. What to expect on this event? A total entertainment, toy exhibits, hard to find collectibles, cosplayers, artists gallery, selfie worth-displays, and the most important of all - it's rainproof, once you're in...you can stay until the end of the program! Our team is excited to cover this event once again for the 18th time. I am highly recommending you should also try this out if you haven't attended Toycon. Entrance fee is ranging from Php 600 (single entry only) and above depending on how many days you would like to attend. Kids have discounted rate as well. Tag along all your family and friends. Make sure you come early in buying your tickets so that you won't be missing the program. Also, prepare your budget because you will be overwhelmed with boo...