The Trouble with Tuition: How Parents Can Cope via BPI

Parents, with school year 2013-2014 right around the corner, we'd like to share with you another banking breakthrough from BPI!

Who’s afraid of tuition fees, more so, those dreaded tuition fee hikes? 

Not the parent who has saved enough to pay for their child’s education well into graduate school. But the reality is that, many parents get nervous when the time to pay for tuition and school fees rolls around. Even families, who live relatively comfortable lives, would still feel the crunch, especially when they’re sending multiple kids to school at the same time. 

Years ago, a mom of 4 kids was telling me of her plan to send her youngest and only daughter to a school which was not as fancy, hence, less expensive than her three older boys’ private school. Sounds unfair, but what’s a mom with a budget to do? 

Let’s face it. Filipinos in general, are not financially savvy. A Money Summit infographic based on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Consumer Finance Survey of 2012 presents these truly shocking facts: But we don’t have to be part of this statistic. 

The good news is that, parents can do financial planning early on and get advice, before we have to make life-changing decisions for our kids. From talking to financially savvy relatives and friends, to talking to a financial planner or personal banker, there’s a host of options really. 

But if you are not comfortable talking finances face to face with family & friends, especially strangers, here’s one novel way of getting money advice – via the BPI Bankers Online App on Facebook! 

BPI makes it easy for every Filipino with a Facebook account to get financial advice by allowing us to have personalized conversations with real bankers from BPI. 

Each BPI Banker Online has his/her own specialty whom we can ask about our individual financial needs – from money management, building a nest egg, growing wealth, to borrowing for business. For the already money savvy BPI client, the BPI Online Banker app also features a connection to BPI’s help desk for account-related inquiries and other customer service concerns.

It sort of is like having a personal banker on speed dial, but even better. What’s more convenient than getting financial advice in between chatting with friends and liking their photos? Haha!

But really, the BPI Online Bankers App makes it easy for all of us to get to our financial goals faster, through expert financial advise and solutions. Which in the case of the parent wringing her hands because tuition fee season is right around the corner, could be as easy as seeking advise via the BPI Online Bankers app found on the BPI Facebook Page www.facebook.com/bpi. 

BPI seeks to help improve financial literacy in the country by reaching out to the more than 27 million Filipinos on Facebook. Through the app, BPI encourages these users to become more aware of their financial health and to seek the expert advice offered by the bank’s pool of friendly and knowledgeable bankers.

The Jessica Alba Way to Losing that Post-Pregnancy Belly

 

Moms! Expecting moms! Young ladies who will eventually become moms years from now! Here's a tip from Jessica Alba, hot momma of two, on how to lose that post-baby paunch:

"It was brutal; it's not for everyone. I wore a double corset for three months. It was sweaty, but WORTH IT."

The secret to getting her pre-baby bod back at The Edit via net-a-porter.com

Actually, I can vouch for you that this works. Like a charm.

Unwittingly, I had done the Jessica Alba tactic and wore a belly wrap (just one, not 2. But I also wore a hip shrinking band) for 2 months (ok, I should have worn it an extra month pala!) day and night as soon as I popped Berry and Xavi. Well, not right after, but on the day we left the hospital, which was about 2 days after I gave birth.

This is me a few days before I gave birth

 Ten days after I gave birth

Xavi and me five weeks after he popped out

Yes, it was sweaty. Yes it was uncomfortable. Yes it bulged under my clothes. Taking it off after 2 months felt very liberating. But it was also a relief to have the semblance of a flat tummy after months of just seeing it protrude. Which was good enough.

Unlike Jessica Alba, I need to work on strengthening my core and toning my tummy. Now if only I can find the discipline to do plana forma and yoga religiously. Next week, promise!

P.S.

Oh, I have to say that using a belly wrap  has to be used in conjunction with a belly tightening cream like Palmer's Post Natal Firming Lotion or the Clarins Tonic Oil. My therapist at the Clarins Spa says you have to apply a tightening cream or lotion day and night, and soon after giving birth to see the full effect. I noticed that when I gave birth to Berry, I was younger and my skin just bounced back  with no help from a firming cream. But since I was 34 when I gave birth to Xavi, skin wasn't as elastic and got a bit loose and saggy, hence the needed boost, ahihi.

A Mom's Perfect Day at Greenbelt

When my friend and fellow SoMom Jenny R. of My Mommyology told us that our little "mommy gang" aka The SoMoms were invited by Ayala Malls to celebrate Mothers Day at Greenbelt 5, my initial reaction was like, "Spend Mother's Day at the mall? But wouldn't that be so commercial?"

But well, we've been celebrating Mother's Day at home most of the time since I became a mom, and we'd usually eat out the day before to avoid the crowds, so I was up for something different this year. I mean, why not, diba?

Plus, there was this fun part where Jenny said we should wear matching "Mommy & Me" outfits. The kids get to wear clothes from Gingersnaps and us moms could wear anything as long as we found it in an Ayala Mall store. So the Friday before Mother's Day, Berry and I went to Greenbelt to shop.

We first went to Zara, and found plenty that I liked. But I wasn't sold yet. I wanted something really special for Mother's Day that I could also wear over and over. Plus, Berry was getting bored and wanted to go where the kids stuff were. So Berry & I went to Gingersnaps right after.

Shopping at Gingersnaps has got to be the most enjoyable thing for me and Berry. Because there are so many pretty clothes, the dilemma really boils down to choosing which items we love best. These are just but a few of the items Berry & I liked:

So cute no? I love how dainty and yet practical their clothes are. I ended up getting Berry a pair of blue & white shorts and a white eyelet top, to match Xavi's blue & white striped polo shirt and shorts. I also found cute shorts with pink flamingos for Xavi at the sale table, and a matching shirt at the little boys section.

With Berry content, I decided to go take a look at the wheat print dress that I saw at Tory Burch back in March. When I tried it on, eeeep! It fit like a glove! I posted this photo on Instagram and all my IG friends agreed I should get it. Ahihihi.

Btw, I just have to share with you the shorts I wore that day. This is from Zara. They're the coolest shorts ever. It's like an asymmetrical wrap skirt but they're actually shorts. I've been living in them since I got them, because the heat just calls for something that's simple, no-fuss, weather appropriate, but with loads of style.

When Sunday rolled around, Berry & I went to Greenbelt with our friends Jackie & Gabbie. It became a mommies day out! Or day off? Hahaha. Ayala Malls prepared high tea treats for the moms, catered by Bizu...

 

When Berry saw the tables laden with goodies, she immediately made a beeline for it. Here we are caught on camera, choosing pastries for Berry:

 

After getting our fill of sweet treats, Mench Dizon of Ayala Malls brought us to the Butterfly Garden:

 

The kids loved it! Berry was both thrilled and freaked out with the butterflies at the same time.

Behind the Butterfly Garden was a mani-pedi area which was free for Moms & their kids.

 

Mench said that the ongoing Mother's Day theme for all Ayala Malls was "Music & Memories" and they hired musicians to serenade the moms celebrating Mother's Day at their malls. I think the mall goers enjoyed it too because a lot of them would stop and rest at the gallery, listening to live music while nibbling on pastries and chocolates from the high tea buffet.

Of course, while at Greenbelt we had to pass by Gingersnaps to say thank you for generously dressing up the kids for Mother's Day.

Here are our girls decked out in Gingersnaps, all busy holding on to Mommy's phone:

 

Here's the requisite group shot. Heehee. Notice that most of the little girls' hair clips are by Celestina & Co, and their sandals are Salt-Waters. Like a uniform!

We were in for some beauty treats that day too. Lancome invited us over to their store...

And I think our budding beauty enthusiasts had fun inside as well:

 

They highlighted their new luxury cream, Absolue L'Extrait which has 2 million rose stem cells. Very exotic and luxurious! The price? Php20,000 thereabouts. But if it will make Mama look youthful, let her go ahead and indulge!

Kiehl's invited us over too...

They had wonderful Mother's Day gift suggestions, such as their new Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream, which is a treat any woman would love, mom or not. 

Soon after, my friend Tammy David, who was the official photographer for the day took our photo for posterity. Loved that Berry & I got to have a girls day out. Heehee.

Of course, Berry & I also enjoyed spending a portion of Mother's Day with our friends. We had a lot of fun, I actually wouldn't mind spending another special occasion at Greenbelt again!

*The high tea spread and all the Mom's Day events and activities such as the mani/pedi and entrance to the Butterfly Garden in Greenbelt was a special treat for all moms, not just us. Just reach the minimum required spend that day,  and qualified mall goers get the perks for the day.

All photos save for my IG photos are courtesy of photographer Tammy David

Summer 2013 Sunnies: Oliver Peoples & Paul Smith

I love the "secret message" hidden in the inner temples of Paul Smith sunnies. The top and bottom two-tone frames are a visual treat too. I like how they look so classic, and yet very "Paul Smith" colorful. But if low-key is more your thing, then the middle one fits the bill:

Have I told you how much I want these Oliver Peoples sunnies too? I really really wanted these, but ended up getting the Miu Miu Pentagon ones instead. Because well, I really really wanted those too! Not to say, this style is still in my wish list!

Such a classic! Oliver Peoples makes amazing spectacles as well. This pair below looks so cool and not nerdy at all:

I've held it and it's very light. It looks expensive too. "Hand crafted in Italy" is painstakingly carved or lasered on the inside. Bellissima.

And this completes my roundup of the latest in sunglasses and eyewear from BLI/Luxury Eyewear Philippines. For updates, follow LuxuryEyewearPH on Twitter and Instagram and Like them on Facebook!

Branded Lifestyle Inc. (BLI) is the distributor of luxury & fashion eyewear in the Philippines.  Brands in their portfolio include Coach, Tory Burch, Polo Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Miu Miu, Prada, Versace, Paul Smith, Oliver Peoples, Bvlgari and Tiffany & Co.

Feiyue in Manila

Photo by My Mom Friday's 6 year old daughter M, galing! 

The sneakers above are my Feiyues (pronounced Feî-yué) and I love them! Not only are they stylish, they are super comfortable too! I remember seeing a guy in the Singapore MRT back in 2010, that's 3 years ago, wearing this exact same pair and I wanted one at first sight. I thought they looked cool in a classic, old school kind of way.

Feiyue sneakers have an interesting history. As the name suggests, it has Chinese roots. Feiyue literally means "Flying Forward" and it has done just that, transforming itself from a lowly cloth shoe in the 1920s worn by martial artists and athletes to a global brand today, backed up by a group of French sneaker enthusiasts.

Ruby Gan's son Ralph tells me Feiyues are known as shaolin shoes

To understand how progressive the brand has become, imagine this. From shaolin shoes, they moved on to a Feiyue x CELINE collaboration in 2008. And the sneakers looked pretty cool, pre-Phoebe Philo at that. (Philo only came on board as Creative Director of Celine in 2008 and presented her Pre-Spring 2010 debut collection in 2009 - MFO's note).

 

The Feiyue x CELINE collaboration from 2008

From this first collaboration, Feiyue went on to work on artistic and graphic projects with Shin Tanaka (Japan), Stereo Japan (France), Steph Cop (France), NSDQ (Hong Kong), CASIO and agnès b.

Feiyue x agnès b.

Feiyue landed in Manila in 2011. The same year the brand launched in Australia and New York. But it was only recently that Feiyue Manila opened their showroom in Greenhills, at Sekai Center.

  Xavi & me at the Feiyue showroom with L to R: Janice, Jaycee, Kris, Michelle and Jenny

My friend Janice's cousin Jaycee Dee invited the SoMoms over and we got to look at the styles they brought in...

Plus a sneak peek of the new Fall 2013 collection which should arrive in a few months. Can I just say I love the kids line? Totally adorable! The high tops? O.M.G.

I want to get this for Berry

I want to get this for Xavi

Can we get a collective squeal? Eeeeeeeeeep! Too too too cute!

Of course, I am getting myself a pair of this mid-cut origins too, as seen on Janice and Jaycee:

The mid-cut origins are also part of the Fall Collection and I am getting antsy waiting for all these new styles! Hurry up Feiyue and Fly Forward to the kiddos and meeee!

Feiyue is available at Rustan's Alabang Town Center, Makati and Shangri-la, Zalora.com.ph and at their Greenhills showroom: Unit 104 Sekai Center, 368 Ortigas Avenue cor Madison Street, Greenhills, San Juan.

For more information and updates, like Feiyue on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Feiyue.Philippines