It's been cold lately especially in the mornings and showering is a bit of a challenge because we don't have a water heater installed in the bathroom. It kind of makes you think that summer is still several months away but hey, in reality, it is just a couple of months away. In fact, for some, summer literally starts next month - March. 

But how do you choose the perfect summer destination when our planet offers so many wonderful places to visit and adventures to discover? 

Most people would probably have booked for their plane tickets and hotel reservations to their favorite summer destinations a few months ago taking a cue on Condé Nast's Best Beach Getaways article while some opt to spend their summer in a colder destination. Whatever is your choice is, do make sure to have fun, relax, and indulge. Summer's don't last and will eventually fade into the lovely colors of autumn or the rainy months in the tropics, case in point - The Philippines! I am an advocate of taking a break from the daily grind once in a while and summer is the perfect excuse to transport yourself into a different environment, a new vista, a change of perspective. 

For a working mom like me with a toddler who goes to preschool and a husband who is knee-deep in his business ventures, my priority is to provide a summer experience that wouldn't only be unforgettable and full of memories to last a lifetime but also an experience that would not require us to break our banks and dent our pockets. 

MY DREAM SUMMER DESTINATION

My dream summer destination will always be Hawaii. This is always #1 in my bucket list of places to see before I die. I dream about frolicking in the red and black sandy beaches of Hawaii, sea cliffs that make other cliffs in the world pale in comparison, volcanic landscapes that evoke the power of nature, clear blue waters in different depths, amazing underwater flora and fauna, and of course the ever wonderful and pleasant Polynesian culture.  

I am willing to bet that Hawaii is part of everyone's travel bucket list because why not? Hawaii's six major islands have a different offering for every age group. You can go to Hawaii with your family and frolick at the beach, explore nature, hike, run the hills, snorkel and admire the variety of sea creatures, and tackle the giant waves among others.

Wouldn't you love to stay in Hawaii and live off wearing no footwear or at the very least just a pair of flip flops/slippers? I'd take slippers any day over the painful scourge of the stilettos. Wouldn't you love to be in your bikini all day long and no one will judge you? I'd raise both my hands to that. Hawaii is indeed a dream summer destination - where you literally kick off your heels and run towards the embrace of the warm water any time of the day.

Hawaii is every water baby's paradise! As soon as you see the glorious beaches, you instantly forget the rush hour madness, the stockpile of paperwork, the clutter of an unkempt home, the hustle and bustle of cramped cities behind you. Hawaii may be God's gift to the Ariel-dreaming humans. Despite its gorgeous and undeniable appeal, Hawaii offers more than what you see with your eyes, it offers so much more that it warms your heart as much as it tans your skin. Nothing is hurried - you take your sweet time as you brush your soles into the fine sandy shores and you swim and get carried away by the waves.

I dream of just packing my bags and going straight to a Hawaiian cottage by the beach. Who needs a career when you can live in a world that seems to exist only in your dreams? I would love to spend enough time around cliffs that are awe-inspiring and spend time admiring powerful waves that tell me that there are strong forces beyond my control and that I should live my life on my own terms.

Indeed, a beach is not a beach when you have to wear a jacket just to walk along the shores. A beach should be warm enough to let you wear the skimpiest beachwear to your heart's content. 

There are pockets of adventure everywhere you look - swimming holes that require adventurous souls to brave the depth of the sea and the hyperactive waves, caves to explore, beaches to soak in the summer sun, and waterfalls and rainforests too. It's like the Garden of Eden described in the Bible. It's simply paradise here on Earth peppered with tall coconut trees and lush pineapple fields. Maybe when Hawaii was created, the Creator was actually thinking of creating a Paradise on Earth - a priceless gift to the human race.

In fact, if money is not a question, I would want to move to Hawaii and make summer happen all year round. But for now, Hawaii will stay in my books as my dream summer destination.

MY FAVORITE SUMMER DESTINATION

Because in all honesty, I don't have a visa to go to Hawaii and a passport, it will stay on my bucket list for now and remain as a dream. So, I'm ready to declare that my favorite summer destination is none other than BORACAY - our very own Boracay.

Every single time I think of relaxing on a vacation, I think of Boracay. The place gives me a different kind of excitement. I literally have butterflies in my stomach when I reminisce on my most memorable trip to Boracay. It was several years ago, on our honeymoon. It never fails to give me that giddy feeling, that warm and comforting feeling.

Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every day’s

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right.

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints.

I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

HOW TO DETERMINE THE BEST SUMMER DESTINATION FOR THE FAMILY

Although planning a vacation that will please everyone in the family is not an easy feat, choosing the right destination is the key. If you have chosen the right destination then you're almost guaranteed to have only the best time with your family.

1. Determine the needs of the youngest members of the family first.
Infants, toddlers, and school-age kids have different requirements for entertainment and fun. When you have an infant you need to consider their feeding time. When you have toddlers with very short attention span then you have to make sure there is enough entertainment to make them busy. For curious school-age kids who have so many questions, then you can bring them to a place that would satisfy their curious minds.

In our case, our toddler loves to be active - run around, play, jump on trampolines, swim using her floaties and everything Disney. She's not keen on food trips and meditation sessions. She wants to be up and running most of her waking hours.

2. Consider your budget.
Choose a hotel that offers many inclusions - like free wifi, free towels, free breakfast among other things. Although all-inclusive hotels may be more expensive but if you calculate the comfort and all the inclusions, you will see that you have saved. Some hotels even have free playrooms as well as free swimming pools.

3. Check the weather. 
When you travel with kids, it is best to check the weather so you can prepare rainy weather essentials or stormy weather necessities. Also, it would be best to overpack than to under pack when you have kids in tow. Bring a poncho or an umbrella, sundresses or shorts and sleeveless shirts as well as extra change of clothes - especially when you have an all day activity scheduled.

4. Remember, you can never take enough photos.
So click the shutter, capture every move. Choose a summer destination that is pretty in itself. Bring OOTDs that would match the location of your destination. You would not want to bring thick fur coats on a beach destination and vice versa.

Of course, you would not want to bring along a humongous DSLR or your precious mirrorless camera on the beach with you. Bringing your expensive camera is just too risky because of the risk of sand getting in the nook and crannies of the lenses. So what better way to document your wonderful fun in the sun than to bring your trusted mobile phone that can take beautiful photos.

The Oppo F1s should be a perfect part of your summer adventure because:

1. It packs a storage space that will not be a part of your baggage allotment.
The Oppo F1s has a 3GB RAM coupled with a 64-bit octacore processor that ensures the possibility of multitasking. The phone allows a seamless operation that lets you play games in between swim or surf sessions, browse on the go so you know where to eat or go next, store photos of all your summer adventure, capture and play videos among other things. The additional memory card slot is a perfect feature as well and the storage allows up to 128GB expansion. The current ROM is 32GB. You have all the space you need to capture photos and videos of your summer destination. What more could you ask for yeah? Maybe filters?




2. It has available filters that would surely complement your photos. 
You'd think summer has all the natural lighting you would need so you won't settle for a filter to prettify your photos but hey filters can make your photos pop in the sea of photos in social media today. You just need that little bit of advantage to stand out. I'm also in awe of the watermarking feature. The phone imprints the photo with time, date, temperature and other information about the specific shot.


3. It has camera features that are at par if not more advanced than entry-level cameras.
The 13MP rear camera would give mobile phones in the same class a competitive advantage. The aperture is slightly higher than the front camera and is at f/2.2. The rear camera is best used for landscapes, sceneries, action photos - basically all pertaining to summer destination adventures and practically anything you want to photograph. It's not touted as the Selfie Expert phone for nothing for sure!



OPPO F1s Microsite

Where do you plan to spend your summer? Wherever it is, I strongly suggest bringing your Oppo F1s with you on your summer destination. I'm sure I will!


DISCLOSURE: This is my entry to the Nuffnang PH x Oppo F1s Summer Destination Blog Contest. I was not paid to write this blog post but I have a chance to win my very own Oppo F1s. I own a few of the photos featured in this post and some were copied from the Oppo F1s website, PicJumbo, Unsplash, and Stocknap. There is no affiliate link included in this blog post.

I had to sit down and reflect for a bit and ask myself if I am an Urban Jetsetter, a Modern Dapper, a Business Class, or a Sporty Hipster and I too was surprised because after carefully evaluating myself I turned out to be an Urban Jetsetter. I had to pinch myself a little bit though because I would not really consider myself a jetsetter - I had to meditate to come in to terms with it. What a realization! It took me 29  years. Hooray! 

WHAT IS AN URBAN JETSETTER? 

Well, an urban jetsetter is someone who loves travelling and who loves going out of town. To take that a notch higher, an urban jetsetter is someone who loves travelling and who loves going out of town complete with Urbanize gears - bags, totes, carry-on set, heck, even a travel French press system! It is such a good time to be alive yeah? 

Before we got married, my husband and I loved driving around town and cities nearby. We love exploring and discovering new places, new joints, new restaurants, new spots to conquer. We love the concrete jungle just as much as we love our developing town. We don't have skyscrapers yet and so we revel in the moment when we get lost inside the concrete jungle - the urban jungle. 

We enjoy exploring even the mundane, like the colorful "perya" in the middle of the concrete jungle.  I feel like I'm going around places as the horses gallop round the carousel. 

We travelled to different cities and provinces in the Philippines and I have a ton of pictures to look back to. I always find it heartwarming when I talk about my travels to other people. I take pride knowing that #IAmUrbanBrave to have explored the unknown and dip my foot into the wonderful world of travel. 

When I was a bit younger, I told myself that I would explore my country, venture into the big big  world, collect stamps for my passport, book  a two-way-ticket, see the world and go back to the welcoming arms of my beloved country - the Philippines where I would then spend some more days daydreaming and reminiscing my travels. 

Urbanize products were indeed made for urban adventure. It is made for urban dwellers like my sister, weekend warriors like my husband, the multitasking expert and urban jetsetter just like myself. Each and every product made and manufactured have fashion, function and style infused in it. Urbanize is like the skyscraper turned into a sturdy bag, a bridge turned into a functional everyday necessity, and the busy disctricts and metropolis transformed into the combination of colors and aesthetics. 

I'm glad to have stumbled upon Urbanize because I am able to choose the best products/gear to bring with me as I indulge my wandering feet and insatiable love for travel. What is on top of my list is the famous brand PACSAFE. I love the anti-theft technology. Pacsafe can take my money anytime! I'd love it to be my forever travel buddy. 

This bag will be perfect when I need to carry my gadgets with me when I travel including my laptop. Bonus that it comes in red too! 

This water bottle is a must-have! I would recommend it to anyone. I would actually buy my daughter this too as it would be perfect for any ages. Hydrate using a Hydrapak for a better lifestyle!

Visit Urbanize Stores to see the different products that you can equip your self as you fuel your wanderlust. 

Wow! I honestly don't even know how to begin this blog post. I'm just too caught up with the daily goings-on in my life that I feel I have fallen into a routine that has controlled my life already. I'm like preprogrammed and cruising at the same speed for the past couple of months or so. We just had a little bit of change when my daughter finally started attending a preschool which by the way she absolutely loves. 

I'm not complaining even a bit though because I am enjoying my life right now and I feel that I am productive at the end of the day and knowing that my family is happy makes me less guilty of not being able to devote 100% of my time for them. I have learned to accept that stability is healthy. Since the onset of 2016, I’ve had a solid routine that involves four main things: household chores that I delegate to our help sometimes, wife and mommy duties, company nurse duties,  and of course "me time".  It doesn't look one bit complicated but I'd wish for an hour or two more than 24 hours in order for me to accomplish my day satisfactorily. 

Come along as I take you with me to experience "a day in the life" of a wife, mother, and company nurse. 

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A WORKING MOM

I have been a mom for almost three years now and so far the motherhood journey has been amazing - something that I would not trade for anything in this world. I quit my job as a government nurse after I gave birth and I devoted the first year leading to the second year of my baby daughter. She will turn 3 in a couple of months. I started my new job early last year and so you could kind of tell how I am grasping for a sense of normalcy in our lives much less form a harmonious routine in our home. I am required to work Monday to Saturday so my only real rest day is a Sunday. But hey, I guess all the moms who read this may agree that there is really no such thing as a rest day for mothers because a mother's duty lasts 25 hours in a 24-hour day. I guess you know what I mean.

Motherhood is not an easy feat, in fact, it is hard! It is trying, exhausting, extra challenging. It can drain you yet it can energize you. It can surprise you and it can fulfill you at the same time. It is a constant second-guessing yet you are required to be steadfast, to be brave. It is truly the most amazing thing that ever happened to me ever!

Today, I am going to invite you to spend a day with me. I am writing this blog intro on a Thursday but I will be documenting my Friday to give you a peep to a day in my life - A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A WORKING MOTHER! 

My usual day starts before the neighbor's roosters sing in a chorus of cock-a-doodle-doos! In the province, you can be sure that the roosters would wake you up no matter if you haven't slept a wink. Sometimes I loathe it but most days I appreciate it because hey who doesn't love a free alarm clock just when you need it the most? 

I consider Friday to be my busiest day - so little time, so much to do! When everyone in the workforce probably keeps on chanting "TGIF, TGIF, Ahhhh Thank God it's Friday!", I'm left to asking myself "Is it only Friday?"

I think I have managed to master multitasking to this day. So while waiting for the water to boil, I vacuum the floor and collect dirty clothes to put in the washer. While waiting for the rice to cook, I prep my daughter's bento box while at the same time listening to some music to perk up my sleepy nerves. While the oil is heating up, I prepare the table and when I'm done cooking the table is also set.  I try my best to not only be an effective mother but an efficient one as well. That makes me feel less guilty for leaving the house to spend most of my waking hours in the office. 

I start my day with a few good morning snuggles and kisses before I get up and prepare a cup of coffee. Those are my quick power boosters any day! Sometimes, my daughter squirms close to me hoping to get more snuggles as her eyes are still closed but today, I think she can feel that "Supermama" needs to get up and start hustling.

After enjoying my morning cup, I start preparing our breakfast and my daughter's bento box as well as clothes for school. I'd let her sleep in longer while I do all these so she won't wake up cranky. You don't want to mess with a cranky toddler early in the morning. You can trust me on that! 

I'll finish all my early morning mommy duties in about an hour ot two. I'm also done showering around that time frame but I feel like I'm super productive already and my day has only just begun. 

I allow my daughter to sleep a few more minutes longer while I arrange things inside our bedroom. I make sure that there is no sharp objects lying around and that every toy is in its proper storage. I'm not usually this obsessive-compulsive but today I feel like doing it. 

She woke up with a smile on her face today and so bathing her and changing to her school uniform is quite a breeze today. We make it a point to eat breakfast together so we can have a morning conversation before we all head out the door.

But first family picture...

Before we head out the door, we take a groufie! This is already a habit because I like looking at our photos when I am on break or when I start to get sappy and miss my husband and my daughter. We dropped my daughter to her preschool and then my husband drove me to work. It's a quick drive because traffic is not heavy in our municipality. The only traffic I encountered today was the herd of cows crossing from one palm plantation to another. Can you imagine how idyllic my workplace is? 

I was able to clock-in early today and I'm prepped up for work. I only have my positive thinking to rely on or else I'll have an unpleasant day ahead. I always psyche myself before I start on my day at work so I would not fall into any negativity. 

I devoted this time to updating my monthly reports. I don't want to procrastinate that's why. This is one of the reasons why I love monitoring what I do on a daily basis - I get a chance to check what my deliverables are and if I am on-track. 

Lunch Break - I'm not in the mood to nibble on anything so I decided to take a quick 30-minute nap and recharge a bit so I have energy for my rounds at the plant this afternoon. Oh yes, I don't ride a mini-golf cart when I do my rounds, I literally just walk around the plant and check on the employees. If I wake up hungry, then I'll probably just nibble on the cookie that I brought with me to work. 

After taking a quick power nap, I felt so rested and ready to face the afternoon work again. I freshened up, replied to emails, continued the draft of my project proposals and then had a little chat with the human resource ladies at work. I then prepared my prepares and tracking sheets to bring with me for the afternoon rounds. 

I schedule my rounds at the plant around this time so I can check on employee's blood pressure. I usually walk around with our Safety Officer to ensure that health and safety practices are implemented at the palm oil processing plant. I always bring along my Oppo phone with me so I can keep track of my time, log data on my notes file, call the main office in case I need some assistance or if I have questions and of course take photos when it isn't that busy. If there's a will, there's a way so they say. We have a very laidback environment and I know almost all the employees already.

I waited for my husband to pick me up at the plant. This is our daily routine. The guards clocked us out to ensure that no one cheats with time. Another day at the office is done. Whew! As soon as we reached home, I wore my "Supermama" cape again and prepared dinner and played a little bit with my daughter. I also took the clothes from the dryer and folded each one.

We ate dinner together with my parents-in-law. We had good conversation while having our meal. Sometimes we eat earlier but I had to do some chores and the food took longer than usual to cook thus the delay. I was not able to take a photo because everyone was so hungry that they dug in as soon as we blessed our food with prayer. No more time for pictures! Sigh! Then again, I was pretty hungry also so all is well. 

Time to read a book with my daughter until she dozes off to sleep. We also played a little game of Tickle Me Silly and she loved it. 

By this time, my body battery signals that I am almost drained and that I need to get some rest already. There are times that I feel that I belong to the #TitasOfProbinsya already because my Friday's are spent doing the same routine that I do daily. There's no more party on a Friday night in my book. I'm way past that stage. I've embraced the fact that priorities indeed change when you become a mother. This is when I try to strike another conversation with my husband before I drag myself to bed and fall asleep. This is when an "I love you" from my husband is enough to reward me for my efforts today! This is when a stolen kiss from my snoring little baby makes me feel giddy and blessed. This is when I feel that I've won another day, I've faced another battle of being a working mother. There are days that I feel I'm "Supermama" and today is one of those. My Friday is done ladies and gentlemen and I am mighty proud to say that the hugs and kisses from my family melt my guilty feelings slowly. I assure myself that as long as I balance my work and family life then it should be all good.

This is also when I squeeze in a little bit of me-time. Either I blog, I read a book, catch up on pre-recorded "teleserye" or watch the news. Tonight, I am going to finish this blog in the hopes that I encourage working moms to feel a lot less guilty for working hard for their family. Cheer up mommies! We're the new breed of "superheroes".

Tomorrow is a new day! One last day at work before I spend more time with my family on Sunday.

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL

The struggle is indeed real for working moms like me. We feel guilty that we don't spend enough time with our family especially our children but we don't have a choice. If only money grows on trees then I would prefer to just harvest every day so I can sustain the daily needs of my family. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy my work because I try to always see the positive in all the things I do. That is the only way that I think would get me by every single day. Accepting the reality of my life, loving my family even though I am not with them most of the day, and doing my best at work keep me sane and grounded.

Being a full-time working mother can lead to feelings of guilt and stress because of divided attention between work and family. The key is to focus on a plan, get organized, and find the right balance between profession and parenthood.

MY OPPO PHONE AND I

Did you notice how prominent selfies and groufies are in my life? I'm a proud user of Oppo F1s and the feature that I think I need in my everyday adventure as a "Supermama" to my family is it's 16MP front camera and 13MP rear camera.

As a super busy mama, I make it a point to capture as many photos as I can every single day so I can look back and appreciate the tasks that I was able to accomplish during the day as well as reminisce the wonderful feeling that I feel when I'm around my family and friends. The phone perfectly captures photos in daylight, low-light, backlight, or even night time - thus it always provides crisp photos I take from the moment I wake up until I retire to bed.

For all the selfie-lovers who are reading my blog, trust me when I say that the Oppo F1s front camera is something that you will love. It has the Beautify 4.0 function that reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, pimples and other facial blemishes. For a busy mom like me, sometimes I forget to put on make-up or I just don't have time to spare to color my face and that's when Beautify 4.0 comes to the rescue. The wonderful camera of the Oppo F1s plus the addition of the filters make it a phone that would put other phones in the similar range to the curb.

Mobile photography will never be the same again after you try this wonderful mobile phone. I've had this phone for almost 3 months already and it's the fruit of my labor for being awarded as the Most Outstanding Employee. As soon as I received my bonus, I knew I had to have it so I bought it without even thinking hard. I'm sold knowing that its camera will provide me photos that are crisp, clear, sharp and vibrant.

To read more about the other features of the amazing Oppo F1s, please visit the Oppo microsite.




DISCLOSURE: This is my entry to the Nuffnang PH and Oppo F1s: Day In the Life blog contest. I was not influenced nor paid by any of the brands mentioned above to write favorably about any of the brands. I'm already a "Supermama and super happy user" of the Oppo F1s. If I win this blog contest, I will give the phone as a gift to my husband so he can replace his "ancient-looking" pre-smartphone era phone.