🛒I Was on Panic Buying Due To COVID19 Pandemic Lockdown.

I can still remember how I was extremely worried on March 14, 2020, when I heard the news that the National Capital Region of the country Philippines will be locked down on no specific date as to when. The word “Lockdown”, it is something that made me scared of, because I only heard and saw those scenarios in the movies where the apocalypse is the main setting – all about survival. I went ahead to the nearest grocery store and spent more than 30k for three months' supply of food and likes. 

  📺 WATCH THE VLOG

I’ve forecasted that in the next few months when the government declared total lockdown, there will be no establishments opened and food will be the main problem. Panic buying happened; canned goods and noodles became scarce. In fact, you’re only allowed to buy five pieces of instant noodles and you have to go put the next day to buy again which defeats the purpose of lockdown if you keep going outside to buy such items especially if that is the only item you’re capable of buying from your tight budget.

Not to mention, there are also scheduled market opening depending on the first letter of your last name to avoid the area became congested. Those challenges and uncertainties are on the top of my head because I am only alone and those trigger my anxiety.

Undeniably, the COVID19 pandemic and lockdown happened. Numerous Filipinos lost their job; many of the people who are in the middle class became poor; there are industries being forced to close due to fluctuation of the economy.  And, as of the time being while writing this blog entry – it has been 9 months and we are still in the middle of this COVID19 battle.  I am hoping that we can make it as we’re all in this together!

💊 With the Help of Melatonin, I Solved My Sleeping Problem.

As I grew older; well  33 to be exact, and with my lifestyle – who worked in a call center in the graveyard shift,  having quality sleep is one of my goals. Working at night and forcing myself to sleep in the daytime is my normal routine for almost  15 years now, and browsing on my social media before going to bed is one of the major reasons why I am really having a hard time getting asleep. Not to mention, all the stress from the work and from my personal issues. Sleep problem arises!

📺 WATCH THE VLOG

Antihistamine’s side effect is my “go-to” solution. Taking such medicines even without an allergy attack became my normal routine 30 minutes before bed just to get the feeling of drowsiness. But my body became immune to it wherein I need to increase my dosage. But, what if I will have an allergy attack in the future; it’s going to be a huge predicament as normal antihistamine might no longer effective on me due to immunity. And so, I have to stop it and try to condition my body clock to wake up during the night and sleep in the daytime because of the call of duty.

Adherence to a normal sleep routine became a challenge to me in a few months because I need to render overtime at work. Well, it is not mandated but “extra money doesn’t hurt”, but unconsciously working too much and extending work hours at work – affects me negatively on my sleep pattern. Honestly, I over-rendered six hours every day at work because of the extra income that I may get and I almost forgot my health. 

Until I noticed a dramatic effect on my health because of sleeplessness, I had ulcers on my mouth, I became hypertensive at the age of 33 of 150/110 blood pressure, loss of appetite, and having behavioral problems, - (e.g. Rapid change of mood, irritability and losing the drive to work). It also affects negatively in my work performance which is measured in a monthly target. Then, I realized that I need to rest myself or else  I will suffer the consequences if  I will just ignore my health and just prioritize my work. Indeed, health is wealth especially in the middle of the COVID19 pandemic, and having a weak immune system will make me more vulnerable 

Recently, I discovered this synthetic melatonin that can be purchased over the counter. I did extreme research about this food supplement before I will take it. Melatonin's main job in the body is to regulate night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Darkness causes the body to produce more melatonin, which signals the body to prepare for sleep. Light decreases melatonin production and signals the body to prepare for being awake. Some people who have trouble sleeping have low levels of melatonin. It is thought that adding melatonin from supplements might help them sleep.

According to WebMD, Melatonin is a hormone found naturally in the body. Melatonin used as medicine is usually made synthetically in a laboratory. It is most commonly available in pill form, but melatonin is also available in forms that can be placed in the cheek or under the tongue. This allows the melatonin to be absorbed directly into the body.

Some people take melatonin by mouth to adjust the body's internal clock. Melatonin is most commonly used for insomnia and improving sleep in different conditions. For example, it is used for jet lag, for adjusting sleep-wake cycles in people whose daily work schedule changes (shift-work disorder), and for helping people establish a day and night cycle.

📺 WATCH ABOUT THE MELATONIN

So far, I am using it and I actually love it. It has been a while since I experienced dreaming. And with the help of melatonin, I even achieved REM (rapid eye movement) and deep sleep. The only downside is, I am extending my sleep hours which also became a problem especially I have to wake up because of my work schedule but it is manageable. The important is, I am able to sleep and I love it. 

I do not have any plan of taking this supplement for a long span of time as it has a negative effect on health. This is just a perfect short term remedy if you are having a sleep problem that needs to be addressed. 

🍗 TIPS : My Best Practice Before Cooking Chicken Rotisserie.

Marinating overnight before cooking the chicken is our usual way of getting the flavor and seasoning absorbed into the meat. In this vlog, I will share with you my - one of the best practices when it comes to Chicken Rotisserie. 

Using a kitchen syringe and industrial needle to inject the sauce inside the chicken meat is an effective way of spreading the flavor. In addition, since the sauce is being injected into the meat, this will give more juice and tenderness to the Rotisserie.

I hope this TIP will help you to have a more savory Chicken Rotisserie. 

  📺 WATCH THE VLOG

Enjoy EATING!

📺 WATCH - 🎋I Bought ; Aglaonema Red Lipstick, Variegated Peace Lily, Jade Pothos & Sansevieria Dragon Wings

🎋 Hello Tansyong Lovers, in this  PlanTitoVlog episode - I'll be sharing with you my newly purchased plants - Aglaonema Red Lipstic, Variegated Peace Lily, Jade Pothos, and Sansevieria Dragon Wing. I hope you'll enjoy my new Indoor Plants collection during Lockdown.

  📺 WATCH THE VLOG

🎋Aglaonema Red Lipstick 

I am so excited because this is going to be my first time to have an Aglaonema Genus inside my room. I've been eyeing to have one especially this Aglaonema Red Lipstick variety because of its aesthetic. I love the red lining on the edge of the whole leaf. It is so amazing to look at the leaves of this living thing with an artificial impression. It looks like plastic-ish foliage, shiny and highlighted with vibrant red. 

Honestly, I don't have any idea if this will thrive indoor with zero to low light, I just bought it as a guinea pig because  I am planning to get the Aglaonema Super Red which is more expensive. If this Red Lipstick Variety will like my environment - then I might get the  Super Red soon. 

  🎋Variegated Peace Lily 

What I loved about the Peace Lily Plant, it provides human health benefits as it purifies the air. Mostly, since I live in a small condominium unit, the air is seemingly reused since I am in a closed 13.5sq meters with 24-hour air-conditioning.   

Peace  Lily is a low maintenance plant that can thrive even in neglect. It is also not difficult to determine if the plants need to be watered, because it will show on the leaves when it drop dramatically. Not to mention, since  I worked at night; it is impossible for me to open the window during the daytime to let the sunlight come in; because  I have to sleep and so, Peace Lily is perfect for my lifestyle as it survives in zero to less light. 

The variegated peace lily is a rarer kind, I already have the normal one, and having this variety with variegation on it foliage is more attractive and exciting too. 

 🎋  Jade Pothos 

Pothos or also known as Money Plant is not new to me, to name some of my collection, I have Manjula Pothos, NJoy Pothos, Queen Marble Pothos, Silver Satin Pothos, and Neon Pothos. To add to my Pothos Collection, I purchased this Jade Pothos which has perfectly green foliage and established roots.

What I liked about this Pothos, aside from its strong survivability indoor, it produces leaves that will create a forest-like feeling inside your room. It is a climbing plant that can be hanged on your ceiling, window, or on the top of your cabinet. 

 🎋 Sansevieria Dragon Wings

I must say that this variety of Sansevieria is one of the uncommon in my collection. I have numerous Snake Plants in my room which most of them actually occupy the majority of the indoor space. This Dragon Wings variety is small and slow to grow. I became interested in this variety because of its size - perfect for an office table. 

🥜🧄 Export Quality Products of Mommy Elma Cooks - Accepting for Reseller.

Watch the Video for my Review :

Packaging: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Taste: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥜Garlic Peanuts with Garlic Chips (Spicy)

🧄Crunchy Garlic 

🧄Crunchy Garlic Oil

#️⃣You can follow their Facebook and Instagram for another products.

 📞 Call +63927156 2460 

 📧 Email at mommyelmacooks@gmail.com

 

View this post on Instagram

Ganyan nasarapan si Mama Anne Clutz sa ating Crunchy Garlic. Kitang-kita sa latest VLOG nya kung paano nya binudbod ang ating #GoldenBawang sa kanyang mainit na kanin 💛💜 So, ano na suki?? Baka ikaw na lang hindi nakakatikim!! 🤣 #MommyElmaCooks #AngonosFinest!

A post shared by Mommy Elma Cooks (@mommyelmacooks) on Sep 28, 2020 at 8:53pm PDT

🎵 The Greatest Love of All 🎵- By Whitney Houston ( Cover by Jonathan D. Orbuda)

Advertisement by Google:

What to Expect at Puerto Galera's Mangrove Conservation and Ecological Park?

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:

Located at Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro - where this 22 hectares can be found;  is composed largely of a mangrove forest coupled with reefs and seagrass. Mangrove Conservation & Eco-Tourism Park is Puerto Galera’s new marine protected area (MPA) and the mangrove conservation site was launched on August 26, 2015. With the entrance fee of PHP50 and the store available on the said location, the mangrove conservation site was developed into a revenue-generating eco-tourism destination by the provincial government, embassy of Canada, and MFI, jointly managed by community-based organizations of barangays Tabinay and Dulangan.

Hours of operation: Business hours
Days of operation: Open every day
Entrance fee: Php 50 (as of February 2020)

Protecting Puerto Galera's seascape, this mangrove reserve is accessed via a well-kept bamboo boardwalk. Go early when the birds are active. It's a 10-minute drive south of Puerto Galera town via tricycle.

Advertisement by Google:

🦐 How to Cook Garlic Buttered Shrimp? - FILIPINO RECIPE.

In this cooking episode, I will teach you how to cook Garlic Buttered  Shrimp - my own style.

Ingredients:

• Lime  Juice (alternative - sprite, mountain dew or 7 Up Soda)
• Fresh Shrimp
• Parsely ( alternative - Chili Leaves)
• Lemon Juice ( alternative -Calamansi Juice)
• Garlic 
• Onion
• Butter
• Chili Sauce (Optional)
• Pepper

PRE-COOKING:

Prepare the fresh shrimp by washing and removing the antennas. You may also remove the intestine but it is optional. If you opt to have it removed, the intestine is located at the back of the shrimp, this can be accessed by creating an incision using scissors. This is a complicated process as it takes time and patience. If not doing correctly, you might break the intestine which makes you difficult to pull out. In addition, please cut it slowly as it will damage the meat of the shrimp if you're doing it quickly. Once cleaned, pour the lime juice and marinate in 10 minutes, the longer the better, so I recommend marinating it overnight. 

COOKING TIME

Sautee the garlic and onion, and when ready, you can now put the marinated shrimp. No need to include the Lime Juice to you can throw it away. Cooking Shrimp doesn't require much time. When you notice the color orange, it means, it is ready. Overcooking the shrimp will make the meat tough and difficult to remove the carapace (skin of the shrimp).

Advertisement by Google: Put a little bit of salt, be mindful how much to put because it depends on what kind of salt and what kind of butter you'll put later on. If you use rock salt, make sure to put it early so it will melt and if you put iodized salt, you can put it on the later part. Please be reminded that iodized salt is salter compared to rock salt - so be mindful. Moreover, in gauging how much salt to put, you have also to consider if you're using salted butter or plain butter.

Put a chili sauce and group pepper to create a spicy kick.


Put the butter on the last part, others want to put the butter while cooking the shrimp. But for me, I don't overcook the butter so I like putting it on the last part. Pour the Lemon Juice; this will remove "fishy smell" and the same time - to add flavor. Put the parsley to add the aesthetic of the said dish. This will create a restaurant-like feeling when serving the dish on the plate.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:

🦟 REVIEW: Green Leaf Powder Cockroach Killing Bait.

When we heard the word “cockroach” it’s associated with disgusting feeling, dirty and above all, hate against this insect which extinction was never in their vocabulary. When I transferred to my new dwelling, I didn’t remember that there was even a single roach inside my unit. But as times goes along, the whole condo building was fully occupied. I noticed some small roaches coming from the exhaust fan in my washroom.
From then, they multiply dramatically. Even if our condo administration is regularly conducting pest control in the whole building sans the units because you have to pay for an extra if you want your own condo units included on the said cleaning.  I opted not to avail, instead search my own way on how to control the pest.
I tried several insect killers like BAYGON and alike, they’re effective yet after weeks, another batch is still surviving no matter how I clean and spray the said pesticide.
Lately, my neighbors posted in our Facebook Group regarding this “Green Leaf Powder Cockroach Killing Bait”. For the amount of PHP10, it is not bad. I tried it right away and in just five minutes, I saw dead roaches.
Watch the Vlog Below:

When it comes to effectiveness, I salute this product. There was no odor and you can put the bait to any dark corner where the most roaches are nesting.
Packaging wise, with the sachet variety, color, and size; if you’re not really cautious – you might mistakenly assume that it is coffee or a sachet of green tea due to the resemblance in the same famous coffee and tea brands.
Meanwhile, On Aug 29,2013, The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday warned the public against buying nine “imminently dangerous” household insecticides, eight of them made in China. One of those mentioned products is “Green Leaf Powder Cockroach Killing Bait” - classified as household hazardous substances and the FDA makes sure that highly toxic substances should not be used in homes with pets or children. But until now, this product is accessible in the public market and you can even purchase it online thru Lazada and Shopee.
Advertisement by Google: It might questionable it terms of toxic; but what about Baygon and some anti-cockroaches that are already registered? All I can say, whatever brand you’re going to use – registered or not, those are all toxic and harmful to children and pets, it is just a matter of proper usage. Even the pesticides that the whole condo uses, –it contains carcinogens. But we have to sacrifice because having a single cockroach crawling on the table while you’re eating meals is extremely not acceptable.

My Personal #KwentongSSS.(SSS -Sana'y Sumulpot ang Salapi)

Honestly, in a span of my existence doing business with Philippine Government establishment, I haven’t experienced yet an efficient and effective way of assistance when it comes to public service. Specially, we, the public – we already had multiple times na nakaka-pag dealt with ka sa private establishments; we can’t avoid comparing the government versus private – the way they handle transactions.

Kapag Government, ang susungit ng mga teller na nag aasist, eh magbabayad ka naman or may concern ka at ang babastos pa, parang walang gana mag trabaho. Pero pag sa BANK ka mag bayad or makipag transaction – you felt being dignified. Isa lang yan sa mga napapansin ko sa Private versus Government.

Since ang title nga ng blog na ito at pesteng #KwentongSSS nga , wag na tayo lalayo – sa SSS.  Aba naman po, ang contribution ko every month is tumatagingting na PHP2,400 – na binabawas sa sahod para daw sa insurance mo na kapag sinwerte at di ka mamatay ng maaga, mapakinabangan mo ang pension pag umabot ka ng sixty years old.

 Tangina naman, pangarap ko pa naman pag may pension ako pag retire ko, mag diving ako, mag bandi jamping (peste diko alam speiling), basta ibig ko sabihin gagastosin ko para pumasok sa mga BARS , ganurn ‘ only if aabot ka ng sixty pero feeling ko sa stress ng dinulot SSS sa akin mamatay ako maaga, mga 59 ganun! Haha di umabot sa pension!

Dios ko, naranasan niyo naba ba pumila ng kalahating  araw sa main office sa QC , tapos isang tanong lang ang maisasagot ng customer service rep. nila “ Hindi pa po na process, bumalik nalang po kayo!”. Kalahating araw ka nakapila para sa sagot na 10 seconds lang. Nakakatawa pero #relate kayo noh?

Ito pa, dahil uso ang UMID, abah nakikiuso ako kasi daw pwede daw ito isangla sa pawnshop pag nawalan ka ng pera, ganun siya kahalaga as PINOY sitezen. Eh ako naman, tara bakla ! Punta tayo sa SM AURA dahil may office dun at dun tayo mag papa ID ng UMID, (yumid, ganyan sya basahin, pag wet ang singit mo, it’s because its yumidity, gets? #YUMID),

Infairness naman malakas aircon, akala ko call center yung napasokan ko pero SSS branch office pala talaga! Aba mabilis ang pag assist, ayun binigay ko ang mga kailangan. PESTE si tomboy na nag assist sa akin,

“ Sir di ka pa po pwede kasi may discrepancy ang middle name mo , yung DELA mo magkahiwalay dapat DE(space)LA (and send to 23sixsix to vote, charot). “
Advertisement by Google: “Ah so di ako ito?” tanong ko

“Oo sir, di ikaw yan” – sagot ni SSS

Sa loob loob ko, “so sino ako? Nasan ako? Bakit ako nandito?” , charot,

Pero ang totoo ang sama ng loob ko. Di talaga ako pinag bigyan ni TOMBOY, kasi daw magkaiba dawn a tao ang “Jonathan Dela Piedra Orbuda” versus “Jonathan DE(space)LA Piedra Orbuda”,
Sa buset ko, umuwi ako at sumakay ng jeep pa Guadalupe, kasi dun naman sakayan ng bus EDSA papunta sa bahay ko.

At swerte nga naman, may nakita ako “wanted katulong for hire” , pero di iyan ang kinakatuwa ko dahil may nakita akong sign pa na iba “SSS Guwalowpe Branch”.

“Ay masubukan nga” , sabi ko sa sarili ko (paran parati ko kinausap sarili ko, alarming!)

Umakyat ako, at nag sign up ng kung ano ano, pumila kasama ang mga senior zetisin, na feeling ko, 30 years from now, makikita ko din sarili ko na nakapila dito para sa pension haha… hanggat sa evaluate nila ang mga papel ko nay un din ang pinakita ko sa nag assist sa akin sa SSS SM aura.

“Ok proceed ka sa Picture” sabi ng miss Guadalupe Branch.

“Ay talaga ba, pinahirapan pa ako ni Miss Miss SM Aura, “ natawa nalang ako sarili ko.

Boom,  inabot ng ilang buwan at kailangan ko kunin ID ko, di na daw sila nag dedeliver kasi bahay kasi mas madami daw ang return to sender kaysa san a deliver.

“kasi naman sa tagal ng printing niyo ng YUMID nayan, malamang lumipat na ng bahay ang mga member kaya di na mahanap ng pinakamasipag niyong cartero haha! , sa sobrang tagal, poor sila nung nag apply ng UMID, rich na sila nung na PRINT (ganun ka tagal) haha, umasenso kana at lahat lahat di pa na print ang YUMID haha.

Ayun nakuha ko din naman, laking tulong ng YUMID talaga.. basta malaki,, ayaw ko na isa-isahin kasi wala ako ma-lala charot. Ayon pala! Kapag naagka amesia ka, at least may ID – haha. Isa pa pala, pag nag abroad ka yun daw ipapakita…….. sorry passport pala yun. Basta, mahalaga siya – pwede siya isanla sa ka officemate mo pag wala ka pa sahod……… sorry ATM pala yun.

COVID 19 PANDEMIC..

Ayun nag pauso sila ng CALAMITY LOAN, pesti bago maglaunch ng ganung drama sa buhay – yung website nagkaka outage. Pati Employer di makapag submit ng …. Kemerut barurut na transaction.

Pero mga JUNE 2020 SOMETHING, nagging ok naman din ang website, pagbigyan na natin kasi may COVID19, baka kasi nagka COVID19 ang website,  – at naka-apply din ako ng calamity sa pinagmamalaki nilang WEBSITE PORTAL… (papuntang kabilang mundo) . Pwedeng mag enroll ng kahit anong bank account para dun daw ipapasok ang pinakamalaki at matigas at madulas na “SALAPI”, when loan application is approved.

July 2, tweny tweny (ganyan magsalita pag caller center agent), may nag text sa akin. Basahin nalang screenshot sa baba kasi napagod na ako magtype.

O diba na approved na ako! May pambili na ako ng shabu, este pampa straight ng buhok, este … sory soryy naisipan ko lang !!! ganun kasi ginawa ng ibang mga nga katanggap ng AYUDA, shabu at rebond.haha

Lumipas ang makailang taon este buwan, madaming ng nag positive sa COVID pero potsa negative ang LOAN ko, tangina,,,wala pa din feedback , walang pumasok sa bank account ko, wala ding checkey na dumating, kung wala lang siguro akong trabaho, feeling ko itong CALAMITY LOAN – patay na ako sa gutom, pero syempre di pwede ako mamatay sa gutom, aantayin ko talaga yung CALAMITY LOAN ko kahit AUG 5 na ngayon.

Sanay na ako mag-antay!!!!! PARANG JOWA LANG YAN, ANTAYIN MO DUMATING! Kaya mahaba pasensya ko.
………….

“Fren , pumasok na LOAN ko, kailangan daw Union Bank  daw an een-roll mo para maipasok nila” sabi ng ka office mate ko na epal.

“Tangina! Bakit sabi pwede kahit anong bank” sabi ko na may kasamang luha sa mata.

……………….

“Fren, dumating na din checkey ko, wala kasi akong UNION BANK, kaya checkey ang pinadala sa akin” sabi ng isa pang ka office mate ko na epal din.

“Tangina, bakit ako until now wala pa din, eh  nasa CONDO ako ng EDSA nakatira, di naman maliligaw cardero ditto at may mailbox ako” sabi ko na may kasamang dugo sa mata.(dugo na talaga siya, parang regla)

…………….

Nag email ako, walang reply…
Tumawag ako.. tangina..walang sumasagot… naubos na limang piso ko kakahulog sa payphone.

GIVE UP NA AKO….

……….

Aug 5, 2020, I checked my online account at pending pa din ata!



Kaya naman naisipan ko mag check sa FB page nila…

Pota, may #KwentongSSS – mukhang kabaliktaran lahat ng nangyayare sa akin, bakit ang malas ko pero yung ng testimony –parang ang swerte.

ANAK BA SIYA NG DYOS AT AKO ANAK NI SATANAS? Haha bakit mukang di nangyayare sa akin ang nangyare sa kanya !!! HAHAHA

AT JAN NA PO NAGTATAPOS ANG #KwentongSSS – isang pang MMK. Charot! SSS ! Sanay SALAPI SUMA-SAAKIN!




OO NGA PALA, MAY PAHABOL AKO HAHAHA WATCH NIYO NALANG