Advice/ Tips Archives - Page 4 of 7

10 Back-To-School Tipid Tips

A few days ago, I had my first ever radio guesting! And not just on radio but DZMM’s teleradyo. I had the chance to share some Back-To-School Tipid Tips on DZMM’s SAKTO show.

DZMM Sakto is a magazine talk show hosted by Amy Perez and Marc Logan. The show talks about latest topics and hottest issues, family matters, and interesting human stories. Family matters like tipid tips and because malapit na mag back-to-school, SAKTO featured me for some back-to-school tips.

Thank you for my TBDM Mommy Club for this photo! The best talaga ang mommy group na ito!

Here’s a video of my guesting from DZMM Youtube Channel:

Bitin yung video eh, may pabati portion pa yan for my kids. And I also mentioned a few more tips. I can’t remember though kung ilan nabanggit ko. Let’s close the number to 10 para mas sakto.

10 Back-To-School Tipid Tips From A Mom of 4 Students:

Make a list of the things you need to buy. I always start my tips with a list. Make a list. It’s the most crucial part of planning. Ask your school for the list of items that your kids need. Also take into consideration other stuff aside from school supplies. Bag? Shoes?
You don’t have to buy it all. Recycle! Check your kids’ notebooks, meron pa ba? pagsasamahin mo yung walang sulat and use their diary or journal. Pwede rin “drawing notebook” o kaya naman “scratch notebook”. Even with bags, uniforms, shoes, and socks, you don’t have to buy new sets every year.
Uniform tipid tip. I always buy a size higher/ bigger or longer for my kids. Nilulupi ko na lang muna and then next year pag tumangkad na sila, tatastasin na lang. Also, from my experience, it is best to buy uniform for the whole week.
School shoes tipid tip. Buy a brand that would last at least for a year. Always ask your mommy friends which brands ang tested na nila. Also look for the soles, dapat nakatahi yan at hindi nakadikit lang. Don’t indulge too much naman, 1000-1500 Pesos is good enough. After a year naman lalaki din ang paa.
School socks tipid tip. Buy a brand with quality din. Stretchable ang socks, so pang matagalan talaga sya, siguro it can last up to 3 school year. Buy 6 pairs at least. Better if same color para mas tipid sa paglalaba.
School Bags tipid tip. When it comes to knowing what school bag to buy, you have to trust me. I already bought a few to know which one can last long enough. A usual budget for a school trolley bag is 3000-4000 PhP. It’s not a small amount but it’s worth it. Trolley bags at this amount can last for more than 5 years.
Buy in bulk. Buy in boxes too. Buy bond papers in ream. Buy pencils in boxes. Buy permanent marker in boxes. Even ball pens, buy in boxes too. This also applies in pad papers. Based on expereince, these 5 school supplies are the hottest, aka, laging nawawala!
Buy twistable crayons. Notices how I did not include crayons on the “hottest” list? Mommy Levy mentioned that twistable crayons is better dahil hindi madali maputol. Hindi rin walain kase medyo malaki sya. Mas mahal nga lang but in the long run, mas sulit na din.
Use self adhesive plastic cover for books. This is the best invention ever! Last year, I discovered this magic and I am never gonna use other kinds of plastic cover again. The self adhesive plastic cover makes it easier to cover books, less time pa!
Buy in one-stop-shop for all school related merchandise. Ito ang pinaka effective na tipid tip sa lahat. Kung bibili ka din naman ng sapatos, bag at school supplies, look for a mall/shop that offers it all, like SM Stationery. Makakatipid kase isang labasan na lang, isang lakaran na lang. Makakatipid ka na sa oras, makakatipid ka pa sa pamasahe/ pang gas at pati na rin sa pagkain.

And if you are going to buy school supplies in bulk, here’s a smart move that I am going to share with you.. this year ko pa lang ito gagawin eh. Pay for the school supplies in retail! So kung kailangan ng pad paper, bayaran mo in retail price yung kukunin mo sa stock mo. O di ba, naibalik mo na yung pinambili mo, tumubo ka pa which you can use pandagdag sa school supplies nila next year.

The Ins And Outs Of Snapchat For Parents

It really is quite challenging to be up to date with my kids’ online activities. Our only requirement for allowing them to use a device is they share their passwords with us. Now that I have a son who’ll be a teen ager in just a few months, I know the password requirement will soon be questioned. So I guess the only way to be up to date with his technology and online activities is to know what’s in and out with teen’s technology. And Snapchat is one of those!

Here’s a guest post from Hilary Smith* about the Ins and Outs of Snapchat and 5 Ways To Encourage Teen Safety On Snapchat

The Ins And Outs Of Snapchat

Snapchat is a popular disappearing messaging app that was developed in 2011. It allows users to send short messages or images to others, but after the receiver views the message after a certain amount of time has elapsed Snapchat automatically deletes the message. The fleeting qualities of this app have made Snapchat one of the fastest growing social media platforms.

Teens and adults embrace the freedom and authentic communication Snapchat offers users. The ephemeral messages trim the amount of data left in a person’s digital footprint making it a great alternative to traditional social media that relies on walls, profiles, and messaging. As an added bonus, it allows users a broad range of self expression without fear that everyone will be able to see every post a person makes.

Recently, Snapchat has created “stories” which are basically homepages for users to post Snapchats with other users. According to the site, “stories are compilations of Snaps that create a narrative … Snaps appear in chronological order with a beginning, middle, and end.” While this makes it easier to share posts, after twenty-four hours the Snaps still disappear from a “story”.

Disappearing Messages And Teens

Typically, children using Snapchat are only sending funny pictures or silly selfies that are entertaining to a certain friend or group of peers. Unfortunately, this popular app is quickly becoming notorious for sexting and cyberbullying among our kids. The promise of fleeting messages can encourage teens to behave in cruel or risky ways that they normally wouldn’t even consider in a face-to-face situation.

It’s easy to put our blinders on and say this won’t happen to our children, but current statistics are stark reminders of how prevalent negative behaviors online really are. Here is a quick rundown of some shocking statistics:

Sexting is now seen as a normal part of teen development. Experts liken this behavior to “I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours” for the digital age.
Cyberbullying rates have tripled and now it is widely believed that 87 percent of our children will come across bullying on social media or text messaging.
25 percent of Snapchat users regularly send “sensitive content” that includes sexting or bullying.

Children often fail to recognize that there is no guarantee of secrecy. Even though Snapchat boasts about disappearing messages, other users can secretly screenshot or take a picture of the message before it disappears. This copy can then be shared with others or kept as blackmail for later use. So what started out as a fun way to communicate with peers, can backfire and open a child up to lifelong consequences for a hastily made poor decision.

5 Ways To Encourage Teen Safety On Snapchat

Unfortunately, there is no promise or guarantee that our children will never encounter a dangerous situation on social media sites like Snapchat. We need to challenge ourselves to help our kids learn the necessary life skills needed to avoid common potholes lurking on Snapchat.

Listed below are five tips to encourage our sons and daughters to use Snapchat safely:

Teach children about social media etiquette and frequently discuss this topic as a family.
Make sure a child knows it is alright to deny a request for sexting or to ignore hurtful comments.
Stress the importance of seeking help from an adult if they witness cyberbullying.
Keep digital devices in public living areas to reduce the temptation to take part in questionable activities.
Encourage kids to only friend people they actually know online and be leary of friend requests from strangers.

What other ways do you use to keep your teens safe on Snapchat and other social media sites? I want to hear your suggestions and tips.

*Born and raised in Austin, TX, Hilary Smith is a free-lance journalist whose love of gadgets, technology and business has no bounds. After becoming a parent she now enjoys writing about family and parenting related topics.

5 Tips to Revitalize Your Super Parent Energy

Being a parent is truly one of the greatest joys in life. As soon as you feel your child’s touch on your hand, see it smile, or hear the first “I love you”, everything in life seems to fall into place. Still, the most important role is a 24/7 job, and most parents put in a hard day’s night of work each and every day. Albeit it is worth every drop of energy, sometimes you just feel like your life force has been drawn from your body.

But when the going gets tough, you need to rely on you, to organize your day, leave room for some “me” time, and give yourself a jolt of energy.

…and Friends

Family life is spectacular, but it does take a big chunk of your time. Sometimes, you just need to go back and relive those carefree days of youth. And who better to walk down memory lane with, than the people who were there! Not only does spending time with friends give to spend time with adults for a change (other than your spouse), it also provides you with a chance to have some fun.

Remember fun? Enjoy brunch, pay a visit to your favorite bar, go shopping, spend a night on the town – enjoy yourself. There is no need to feel guilty about it. Trust me, you have earned it!

Me, Myself and I

Free time drifts by without you even realizing it, so use the time you do have at home by dedicating it to yourself. Find a nook or cranny within your family home, cozy up, and enjoy something you like to do.

Dive into your latest favorite book, and let you imagination relieve you of tension. Let loose, draw a bath, light up some scented candles, and play some easy music. Put the kettle on, and drink a natural stress-relief tea, and allow your mind to wonder for at least that one cup. Once you dedicate at least that bit of the day to yourself, you can achieve that better version of yourself.

The Sneaky Approach

Yes, kids need your constant care and supervision, but sometimes you can trick them into giving you some time for yourself. The best way to do this is to keep them occupied. Inspire them to take up an arts and crafts project they will adore, interest them in a interactive free kids game, such as Poptropica, take them to the park, or arrange a play date. They will be so absorbed by the fun activity that they won’t mind you sneaking a couple of moments all to yourself.

A Relaxing Retreat

Sometimes you are so drained, that a couple of moments just won’t do. In those hard instances, you need to do something truly special. Take the day off, put your feet up, and treat yourself to a spa or mani/pedis. Go for a relaxing massage, a dip in the pool, sauna… the entire package!

Not only is it good for your soul, but a day spa treatment can detox your body, and improve your health. Little by little you feel the energy flowing back, and you might even experience a true moment of Zen.

A Delightful Treat

With all the slaving away in the kitchen during the week, leave at least one meal during the week to satisfy your indulgence. Your favorite treat might be the greatest superfood and energizer – chocolate. Dark chocolate has been proven to reduce stress, re-energize and even make you happy. Also, you might take it slow, and make a healthy and delicious snack that will fuel your energy. It will be a savory meal that you have been waiting for.

It might not seem like much, but giving yourself a boost every now and then will make you a super parent yet again. You will feel re-energized, and able to be the best to the most valuable person in your world.

This post is a guest from Sophia Smith.

Sophia Smith is Australian based health, beauty and lifestyle blogger. She is very passionate about organic beauty products, yoga and healthy lifestyle. Sophia writes mostly in beauty related topics, mainly through blogs and articles. She is regular contributor at High Style Life and Ripped.

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