The Curious Mom

It is that time of the year again: cough and colds season. With hot, humid spells alternating with cold, rainy days, you, your loved ones, and practically everyone are at risk of acquiring respiratory illnesses. The most common of these diseases are cough and the common cold, both of which afflict most Filipinos every year.

The increased risk of catching cough, the common cold, and other respiratory illnesses are a few of the reasons you need to take even greater care of your health, especially your nose, mouth, throat, lungs, and airways – or respiratory tract, in short. When this usual pair (Cough + Cold) strike, Ambroxyl, and Salinase, respectively, maybe your right remedies to ease the symptoms.

Ambroxyl (Ambroxol Hydrochloride) helps soften and reduce phlegm, thus, eases breathing by lessened coughing and unblocked airways.

The economy and the way we live have been changed since the pandemic. All of us are affected and that is the reality.

The impact of Covid-19 has slammed businesses and different industries instantly in just a short period of time, despite the efforts made in making the economy move forward, there are still businesses and establishments that feel its continuous effects just like in the hospitality industry. 

These affected businesses have doubled their efforts to develop and adapt to the new normal by following heightened safety measures and investing in technological advancement for the protection of all guests and employees, just like the largest and fastest-growing Filipino-owned hotel chain in the country did across all of its branches. “Here at Hotel Sogo, we are trying on things to help improve the situation in our hotels as early as March 2020 last year. From that point on, we continued to research, invest further and develop innovative ways to upgrade our safety protocols especially in cleanliness and sanitation.” Ms. Sue Geminiano, Hotel Sogo Corporate Marketing Manager said. 

Aside from the enhanced new normal protocols such as no contact fixtures and thermal scans, some remarkable changes and innovations that the Hotel Sogo management applied across its branches such as, UVC disinfection in rooms, lobbies, and air-conditioning units, increased ventilation, microbial testing (method to indicate the presence and amount of microorganisms), Covid sniffer dogs, reduced touchpoints, and application of anti-microbial coatings infrequently touched surfaces. 

Through Hotel Sogo’s 11 So Safe Innovations, the safety and wellness of guests, as well as its employees, are set first. 

“This ongoing pandemic has helped us to take further steps in giving importance to safety. The innovations that I speak of are the development and improvement of amenities that revolve around the 4 major ways to prevent the spread of the virus and protect our guests like reduction of touchpoints, improve air quality, disinfection and testing. It is important to test all these protocols to make sure that all these innovations are really effective to keep our guests safe; we want our guests to feel safe and secured whenever they stay at Hotel Sogo. We will continue to protect our guests and develop more upgraded protocols even after the pandemic,” Ms. Geminiano added. 

More than just a hotel Aside from the hotel innovations that have been implemented, Hotel Sogo is also ramping up its effort in helping fellow countrymen through its Corporate Social Responsibility program, Sogo Cares. Hotel Sogo is helping indigent communities who are in need of basic necessities, such as food, medicines, and water. 

“Recently, we donated food packs with linens and towels to the fire victims at Manila. We also donated essential needs such as bottled water, linens, pillows, surgical masks, pillowcases, and mattresses to the Philippine General Hospital with the help of AFP and we also gave assistance in different community pantries in Bulacan and Quezon City. Our team will definitely help those who are in need in these trying times. Even at this time of GCQ, Hotel Sogo is still accepting front liners, essential, repatriated OFW, seafarers, and economic workers across all Hotel Sogo branches. We are also accommodating those who prefer long-term stay for their work purposes,” stated Ms. Geminiano. 

Over the course of six (6) years, starting from 2015, Hotel Sogo through its Corporate Social Responsibility program Sogo Cares has conducted over 400 medical missions with 100,000 plus beneficiaries, led over 600 donations with more than 170,000 beneficiaries. 

For more details, visit www.hotelsogo.com or like and follow Hotel Sogo on Facebook (facebook.com/hotelsogo), Twitter (@hotelsogo), and Instagram (@hotelsogo).

When you become a parent, budgeting is harder than when you are single. But of course, on a case-to-case basis, we have different lifestyles and different reasons for budgeting. In my experience, unexpected purchases are the things that I and my husband must avoid such as toys for the kids. Too many toys are not necessary we know that. As my kids grow, I learned a lot about budgeting our finances. In this post, I will be sharing some budgeting tips. Whether you're a parent or not, maybe you can get helpful tips in this article that I will be sharing.

In buying things, it is best to know when you should need to buy that particular thing. Look out for promotions and also start coupling, Oh love using coupons to save! Also, I learned to buy second-hand toys. Yes, because why not, I just sanitized and clean it thoroughly. Save me a lot. In buying gifts for someone or a thing for yourself, always check the specs and not just the brand. Understand and take time to read real previous from real buyers to know if that thing is worth it to buy.

When I became a mom, everything becomes expensive for me because I really try to save most of the time. I even tried cut-costing in my clothing, yes we can do that, as long as it's comfortable to wear then you are good with that clothes. Instead of buying take-out food, I cook our food, and by doing that I can also save some money. 

We don't want an additional debt, as much as possible we want to get out of debt. Know your needs and wants is one of the first steps and probably a big step because most of the time we actually spend more on what we want. Manage the incoming money, don't compare the earnings of other people to yours.Track your spending, things to pay. Review and organized receipts, DebtConsolidation.com is helping people to understand and pay their debt. It is an online resource and tool that help managing finances and debts.

If you are making and following daily budgeting, stick to it and focus prioritized what needs to be prioritized. Don't overspend, this is about your hard-earned money. Think as it is wise in handling your money, more on discipline.

Sometimes, we need to make a big purchase. Things that we really need, in this case for example buying properties you need to think many times before putting up your money in that particular property. Ask for advice, professional advice. But, if you are still paying, things can wait. Purchase when you are ready financially.

Always save for the future, if you feel there are things that are unnecessary strip that away. Tiny luxuries, when adds up make a huge impact on your budgeting. Try to save as much as you can, you never know the emergencies, a lot of advantages when you have savings in your account.

Lastly, keep your job and work hard while saving and paying on time everything will go on smoothly. 

Speeding is one of the most commonly written traffic citations. Some drivers like the thrill of going fast, but there is a reason nearly all roads and highways have a posted speed limit. Traveling above the speed limit significantly increases the risk of a collision, and all too often, an innocent party gets injured.

Proving a negligent driver was speeding isn't always an easy task. Victims can go online to get helpful information about what steps to take first. Hiring a lawyer is also advisable. Here are some ways to prove the negligent driver's speeding led to the car accident:

1. Search the Scene for Physical Evidence

Anyone who has watched a true-crime documentary knows the importance of gathering physical evidence. It's also crucial to do this after a car accident. There may be key pieces of evidence that will help to paint a better picture of what happened.

First, search the road for any skid marks. While they may seem insignificant at first, the length and depth of skid marks can help forensic experts determine how long it took the negligent driver to stop. These marks can also help determine how fast the driver was going before the incident. For instance, longer skid marks indicate it took longer for the vehicle to stop, suggesting the driver was going over the speed limit.

Road debris and car damage may also help build a case. The faster a car travels, the farther it throws road debris. Forensic experts can use this information to determine the car's speed at the time. That's one reason it's critical to take plenty of measurements and photographs before cleaning up the accident scene. The amount of damage the car sustained is also very telling. Fast-moving vehicles hit with more force and leave behind more damage.

2. Request a Police Report

It's sometimes tempting to leave the scene of a minor car accident without calling the police. However, having a police report actually makes it easier to prove fault. Police reports contain vital information. Officers may note road conditions and take statements from all parties involved. They may even search for witnesses who can corroborate the story. If the officer wrote any speeding tickets at the scene, they would also note this in the report.

3. Look Around for Witnesses

Witnesses play an essential role in determining whether or not speed was a factor. Eyewitness testimonies can even help determine fault. While the average person can't report a driver's exact speed, they can tell if the guilty party was driving faster than everyone else on the road. Always make sure any witnesses leave their contact information in case the insurance company, lawyer, or police need to contact them again in the future.

Not every accident has eyewitnesses, however. What should an injured driver do if no one else saw the accident? That's when it's time to call in expert witnesses. These professionals have the skill and training needed to help determine speed and fault. Police officers, forensic experts, or traffic reconstruction professionals are some of the most helpful expert witnesses in car accident cases.

Car accidents are not always cut-and-dry, especially when they involve speeding. Guilty parties may deny fault, and insurance companies will do anything to avoid paying. Victims should consider hiring a car accident lawyer instead of handling everything alone. Doing so will allow them time to focus on healing instead of stressing over the details of their case.

Tide® has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to help in the development of laundry detergent solutions and technology development in space. Under the agreement, NASA may test and study Tide cleaning solutions in space. The study could have potential on-planet implications like innovative solutions for resource and environmental challenges on Earth. Aligning with Tide’s decade-long sustainability commitment, Ambition 2030, Tide will strive to bring off-planet learnings back to everyday consumer products.

Currently, astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) wear clothing several times before replacing it with a new set. Clothing is delivered to the station through resupply shipment opportunities. The limited cargo capacity makes the practice of replenishing the clothing supply challenging for deep space missions, such as Artemis Moon missions and a crewed roundtrip Mars mission. Without a laundry solution, 160 pounds of clothing per crew member per year are launched to the ISS. Human roundtrip missions to Mars could be two to three years in length.

Major challenges for off-Earth laundering include ingredient safety and compatibility with NASA life support systems, and the limited amount of water available per wash load and the requirement that the wash water is purified back to drinking-quality water. To combat these challenges, Tide has developed a fully degradable detergent, specifically designed for use in space to solve malodor, cleanliness and stain removal problems for washable items used during deep space missions, while being suitable for use in a closed-loop water system.

Onboard a 2022 cargo launch to the space station, “Mission PGTide” (P&G Telescience Investigation of Detergent Experiments), teams will test the stability of cleaning ingredients under microgravity conditions and exposure to the radiation levels experienced in space in partnership with the ISS U.S. National Laboratory and SEOPS. In addition, the stain removal ingredients and performance will be tested on board the ISS through experiments with Tide To Go Wipes and Tide To Go Pens.

"The ISS National Lab is excited to work with the P&G team once again as they push the limits of their research and development onboard the orbiting laboratory,” said Dr. Michael Roberts, Acting Chief Scientist for the ISS National Lab. “Through private-sector utilization of the space station, companies like P&G can conduct investigations in ways not possible on Earth to develop new consumer products, enhance existing products, and better understand processes that further business models both on the ground and in low Earth orbit. We look forward to this first investigation of Tide in Space and hope that many more will soon follow."

In addition to testing onboard the ISS National Lab, NASA, and Tide researchers may study how an innovative combined washing and drying unit utilizing the special-formulated detergent could potentially be integrated into planetary habitats that may be used for the Artemis Moon and Mars missions under low-gravity surface conditions. There are also a unique set of challenges that present themselves for a crewed Mars mission. Future missions to and from Mars expect to span multiple years, and these long-duration flights will require laundry solutions designed for extreme space-based environments and varying gravity conditions.

“This partnership was created to rethink cleaning solutions – forcing us to rethink innovations for resource-constrained and challenging environments like the ISS, deep space, and even the future of our home planet,” said Aga Orlik, Senior Vice President, P&G North America Fabric Care. “We are eager to apply our learnings from our partnerships with NASA and the ISS National Lab to Tide on Earth, developing a low-resource-use laundry solution for everyday use while meeting consumer demand for more sustainable products.”

The news of Tide’s space exploration to innovate low-impact laundry solutions comes on the heels of Tide’s Ambition 2030 commitments, announced earlier this spring. Included among Tide’s Ambition commitments were actionable goals to find resource efficiencies in energy, water, and waste across the laundry lifecycle – from manufacturing and packaging to consumer use phase and end of life – to reduce the environmental impact of a load of laundry while increasing the impact of clean clothes.

“Humanity has reached a pivotal point where on one hand, we’re on the exciting cusp of space colonization, and on the other, facing a critical period where action must be taken now to save the planet we all call home,” said Orlik. “The collaboration with NASA and the ISS National Lab is particularly exciting because it allows us to push the bounds of resource efficiency to its absolute limit, uncovering learnings with practical applications for both the future of laundry in space and here on Earth.”

To check out more information on Tide’s overarching sustainability ambitions, please see here.