Archives for March 2010

Wealthy Living: Marriage and Money

Contributed by Melvin J. Esteban, FLMI, AFSI, RFP, CFC Finance guru Efren Cruz, who happens to be a friend of mine, once said, that in the Filipino family “Ang ina ang ilaw nga ating tahanan” (The mother symbolizes the light of our home), then he goes on to say that “unfortunately, the role of the […]

Energy Release Cookies

Even before she turned two, Raine has always been my little baking ‘assistant’.  Take note of the quotation marks. As can be expected, having Raine help always ends up messier and much, much slower—plus her definition of ‘taste the batter’ involves spoonfuls of the stuff (I try to think of it as really good quality […]

11 Great Gifts for SAHMs

Wondering what to get for that stay-at-home-mom? Here are a few fantastic suggestions.

The Magic Kong Pop—Or How I Get Raine to Eat Vegetables…Sometimes

I  used to be one smug mama, when Raine would chow down almost any vegetable presented to her. Carrots, broccoli, beans, even ampalaya (bitter gourd) would be eaten with relish. Then one day, she just woke up and decided to go on strike. Nothing would entice her to eat her veggies. Not cheese sauce, not […]

Pipe Cleaner Creatures

My quest to distract Raine from TV has led me to several interesting activities that I normally wouldn’t have done (or, in my imaginary Perfect Mommy world, would have done, along with a string of other exciting, brain-stimulating, character-developing activities). Making pipe cleaner creatures sounded very easy. But as I discovered, I am not the […]

Wealthy Living: Your Financial Plan–Which Financial Institute Do You Choose?

Contributed by Melvin J. Esteban, FLMI, AFSI, RFP, CFC With practically a bank on every corner, how can you choose a bank that is right for you? And though there are fewer mutual fund companies, I still use the same principles in choosing the institution that will match your needs. Consider the following: Stability. You […]

Wealthy Living: Your Financial Plan–What Instruments Should You Use?

Contributed by Melvin J. Esteban, FLMI, AFSI, RFP, CFC There are a good number of instruments that we can recommend but the most important consideration in this case is liquidity. Liquidity is the ability to convert your investment back to cash without losing your principal.   Bank Products. Banks can be a very good source of […]

Wealthy Living: Do You Have a Financial Plan?

Contributed by Melvin J. Esteban, FLMI, AFSI, RFP, CFC  If there is anything positive about the calamities that have been happening around the world—earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and Taiwan; and our own Typhoons Ondoy and Pepang—it’s the goodwill it has generated among people. People go out of their way to help others; companies extend help […]

Why Motherhood is Like Playing Dominoes

Contributed by Marlene Legaspi Munar     Not all of you may be mothers, but definitely, you all have mothers. Some of you may have pleasant memories of your mothers, some may have forgettable ones. It may not be Mother’s Day, but it’s always timely to hear a story from a mother. I flagged down […]

10 Secrets of Sizzling Couples

See each other as lovers.  Don’t fall into the habit of calling each other “Mommy” and “Daddy” even when the kids aren’t around. Flirt with each other—even if it doesn’t lead to any in-the-ring action. Communicate. Go beyond the how-was-your-day-can-you-wake-me-up-early-tomorrow-and-pick-up-the-kids-on-your-way-home. Talk about non-house related topics. Discuss political issues. Your plans for the future. You know, […]