FDLS Online Magazine: April 2015

Family's Travel Essentials Guide

The minute that your family plans to travel away from home for more than an hour trip, things must be well-prepared for a stress-free getaway and the list goes something like this (in no particular order) :

Clay Art Gallery: 30 Design Photos

Here is my six-year-old daughter's Clay Designs your kids might like to try, all of these are her own idea and she thought of molding her favorite cartoon characters too, I hope you and your child will enjoy copying the designs :)

"Pizza" by Riana Ysobel (according to her red one is ham,
the green is bell pepper and yellow is cheese)

"Snake" by Riana Ysobel

"Snail" by Riana Ysobel

"Cupcake" by Riana Ysobel

Kyowa Induction Cooker Product Review Plus More

After around 10 years of using gas stove, I finally decided to try the innovation in the cooking industry today – the induction cooker. A gas stove with an 11kg tank is good for one and a half month in my household. A filled gas tank costs me around seven hundred pesos (PhP 700/45days = PhP 15.55 daily costs), that is about 15-17 US$. Good if the gas costs remains stable but the month before my last buy, it costs me nine hundred plus pesos (US $20-22) bringing the daily consumption to twenty pesos.

Economically speaking, induction cooker (powered by electricity), which I have been using for almost five months now just costs me around three hundred pesos ( US $6-8) a month, giving me around PhP 450 (US $ 10-12)for one and a half month or forty-five days ( a consumption in an average of P10/daily) – almost half on gas consumption.

More of the Advantages of Using an Induction Cooker:

1. It is hassle free to use. Very user-friendly.

Just learning few important keys and features, you are up for years of cooking till the stove is worn-out :)

Clay Art Design Gallery: Clay Engraving

My six-year old has been very busy making her masterpieces out of clay and I wanted to let her know I appreciate what she is doing that is why I have decided to take a photo of her every design and post it here for you to see and your kids to copy :) Just to give them some clay design idea..

This is my way of encouraging her to hone her skill too...that made her crave to design more :)

The names of the whole family is there. The star bears mine, the flower shape her sister's and the trapezoid her father's and the heart hers :)

She used a pencil for engraving and a toy to mold the shapes that way.

If you happen to like what you have seen, please plus, tweet, pin it, re-share it on G+ or Fb (share buttons below this post or there is another at the side bar on the left of the blog) and thank you very much for recommending this Magazine to Google by hitting the G+ button on the top-left corner of the HOME page :) Also follow Family, Daily Living & Style Google Page to see posts posted earlier at a glance with the images and summary for easy selection. Follow my newly-created Pinterest account.

Thanks for viewing. Watch-out for more clay design models ...

Clay Art Design Gallery: Fruit Strawberry

Riana Ysobel's Clay Craft Design Model 003

I hope your child will have an idea of making it on his own :)

Thanks for viewing.

Unfair Honor Ranking System?!

The new grading system the Department of Education has caused a lot of controversies to honor students and their families who are patronizing Public Schools. The grade computation of 7-3, seven for Academics and three for the co-curricular activities.

Before, the grade is computed just by getting the average of the exams, project and quizzes and the points of extra-curricular activities. Now, there is this "ranking" happening in two aspects namely: academic and extra-curricular. DepEd says, as I read in the Circular, that there can also be a ranking per subject, but not required (DepEd Order No. 74 Enclosure No.1.) The most common practice is - teachers chose to award the best students in every subject by giving them "Best in Subject" ribbon aside from their over-all ranking medal.

The academic grades average of the top 10 students (who do not have a grade of below 85) are ranked. Here is how the grades are computed in ranking (just a sample in Academics/names are just for example purposes):

Candidate for Honors	Average	Rank	x 7
Capisonda, Jewel May	89.750	8	56
Cruz, Zandra Angel	91.607	5	35
Espedillon, Sabdiel	92.568	2	14
Mauricio, Angel May	88.348	9	63
Macadangdang, Carlo	90.203	7	49
Sarne, Zyril Louise	91.610	6	42
Sotero, Carla	94.320	1	7
Tolentino, Charmee France	92.158	4	28
Vergara, Maymay	92.465	3	21
Zaide, Clyde	86.782	10	70

The ranks are multiplied to the fixed/invariable factor 7 = the weight given to academics out of 10 as total base. As it is seen, the higher the equivalent, the lower its rank. The lowest equivalent is ranked to be the 1^st honor in academics.

Goodbye My Dearest Aunt Dalisay

My aunt Dalisay died last April 15. Tonight is the last of her wake in St. Peter Chapel Commonwealth, Quezon City.

Above is the only picture I had with my dear aunt, I am maybe four years old on that picture, the whole family was in Manila Zoo as mama told me. Aunt Dalisay is wearing blue dress. That is, from left-to right :my grandmom and Uncle Cardo (who both died earlier when I was younger), Aunt Dalisay (Graduate of a Telephone Operator Course), Aunt Josie (DepEd Manila Employee as of today) and Aunt Celia (Naval Architect), modesty aside, just proud of them all :)

Farewell Tita Dalisay

Goodbye tita Dalisay,

I may not be there today or tomorrow on your interment

But my heart is with you

Your precious smile will remain in my heart

I will remember the days we were together as long as I live

You are very kind and loving

I admire your kindness to me and to all of us, your nieces and nephews

I am so lonely that I can not be there

This is the last night I can see you

I never had even a newer picture of you

But tita, I love you

I hope you will treasure me in your heart too

Tita Dalisay your name matches you

You are as PURE as your name implies

I never regret being a part of our wonderful family

You never stopped lving and caring for me

I want to say thank you for nurturing my little brother;

For taking care of your brother, my father...

I am sad that I have shared nothing to you

How I wish I can take care of you too!

All I can say again is farewell

You have ran a good battle

You have imparted the thought of kindness and calmness to us

Too late I have never done anything to share my faith with you.

Tita Dalisay, you will never be forgotten...

Thanks to St. Peter's E-burol technology, because of it, I was able to see her for the last time. I am in Quezon Province, guilty that I was not able to come in person to view her remains. But everything became better when I just clicked and see her:

Rest in Peace, Tita...

Combat Your Child's Talk-back Attitude

We appreciate our children being open to us and talking about things that bother them. But this is the situation that is getting us upset, when we hear them talk-back. Like you, I have been experiencing too much stress hearing my child answering-back whenever I discipline her for something wrong she did, it started when my older child was eight-year old.

I am really troubled how I can regulate her. It really made lose my temper that sometimes I cannot help but mildly hit her. Still, that hitting did not give her a lesson to learn to avoid her being like that again. The “answering-back” is made worst by her unruly look – eyes piercingly-sharp matched with her creasing forehead. Who will not explode, if you are the mother seeing and hearing your youngster that way?

Sofa, car seats, bags, belts, shoes and even accessories that trend nowadays- there is always a leather version. We love leather.We are fond of its beauty, quality and elegance. Leather available in the market ranges from snake's, buffalo's, cow's, leopard's, ostrich's or the most expensive - the crocodile's. It comes on different color depending on the source animal but most are brown and black.

Here are some tips to get to know leather more and some few reminders on taking care of it:

Clay Art Design Gallery: Cartoon Character Lorax

My daughter has been very busy creating her masterpieces out of clay and I wanted to appreciate what she is doing that is why I have decided to take a photo of her every design and post it here for you to see and your kids to copy :) Just to give them some clay design idea...see the last close-up image of the project below:

She copied Lorax :)

Loom Band Florid Bracelet Tutorial

Here is a very nice florid loom band bracelet tutorial your kids might want to try creating. It is on a video format compatible to Android devices (mobile phones, tablets). See the two videos (part1 & 2 below:)

Florid Loom Band Bracelet

The Golden Rule Never Fades

Hi, everyone. I love to discuss quotes here in my blog and one of them I want to tackle is the quote I live by:

An Intriguing Insect(Beetle) I Found!

Hi, have you seen this beetle and crab-like creature? I just wanted to share its beauty to you. To be honest, I do not really know how is it called :)

Hi! It has been ages since I wrote for the “Relationship” tabs of my blog. And here is another article married men should be reminded of and why one must not opt to have an illicit affair:

How to Make Tastier Slivers (not a recipe, just a tip)

Hi, here's how to make tastier pork slivers (small chunks of meat combined with an entree).

As we know, pork is a not that quick to soften unlike chicken. What I did before is just boiling it with salt. But I noticed that it did not tasted that good especially in soupy entrees, when you put too much water in boiling.

Here is the better way I have tried:

1. Slice the pork around half-inch thick and in smaller bits.

2. Salt it according to taste and add a little MSG (without the water yet). Mash it.

English Lesson IVa : PRONOUNS

Pronoun - is the part of speech that takes the place of or substitutes a noun.

It is good that pronouns had been invented because if not, writing and speaking will be so boring if we are going to hear and read the same names (in writing, it's troublesome to write long names too!) over and over again. Imagine your essay for example about the "mysterious woman in black dress" - the name is unknown. You have to write that name phrase you called her again and again to say something about her, without using Pronouns, it would be difficult, I suppose. Thanks it has came about :)

The "basics" about PRONOUNS...

Loom Band Flower Charm Tutorial - BETTER-ANGLE VIDEO :)

We know that many of you liked this design but our first video-tutorial was done in a very poor angle :( We have decided to do a re-make of the tutorial video. My daughter and I are quite sure that this will make you happy craft-lovers :)

Designed by my Angel Reign. I have converted it to a video format compatible for tablets and android phones, just send it from your laptop via blue tooth device :)

Centi-fly Loom Band Bracelet Tutorial

Mobile-friendly format Tutorial. Here is the very first loom band bracelet tutorial by my daughter Angel Reign, she personally invented the design.

Centipede-butterfly designed loom band bracelet

CLayArt No.001 3D Clay Cup

Here is a clay masterpiece (because it was made a six-year old) for your children to re-create or copy. Buy them the "non-toxic" clay set of different colors and you are actually keeping them glued on their seats while copying the designs I will upload frequently. We are planning to make videos of it sooner.

"Flower Cup" by Riana Ysobel

I have asked her to re-construct the cup and she came-up with the heart design here, I let her choose the colors:

Commonly Misused English Words

These are just three of the words we used everyday that we never noticed that is wrong:

We called the writing material pentel pen when it should have been felt-tip-pen. Pentel is a brand/manufacturer name.

Folding Clothes, Your Child Can Do it!

Here is my six-year old child, Riana Ysobel folding newly-dried clothes. I just set-up the ironing board, the iron-rest serves as the hanger suspender and the board as her desk where she can put the folded clothes...here is her video with her older sister (Angel Reign) singing in the background...

Plus, tweet, pin or re-share this post if it inspires you to encourage your children at a very young age to do some light chores like it or you adore Riana and her "little job" :) Thanks for watching...Riana Ysobel will be happy to hear your comments :) Come back to see more of her.

A Quote about Health

Eating the right kinds of food will make us healthy - and will prevent us from getting sick. I never sacrifice my family's health over budgeting. And I opted not to give them (my children) ALWAYS what they wanted especially if it would give them health risk. And it always rewarding to know that we have not been the regular visitors of hospitals and clinics :)