Be, Do and Have More

“If you work hard and smart you may finally reach the top - #1! And then what? If you want to stay there, you've got to work even harder and smarter! Give it your all. Give it your best. Give it 120%,” says Ron Kaufman, an internationally acclaimed customer service training educator and motivator, author of bestselling series ‘UP Your Service!’ and founder of Up Your Service! College.

Ron coaches business-oriented individuals as he relates his experience at the Singapore Airlines Cabin Crew Training Centre…

A visitor asked Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice President Sim Kay Wee, “How does Singapore Airlines stay on top all these years? And how do you plan to keep the lead while other airlines work so hard to beat you?”

Sim Kay Wee answered clearly, “100% is not enough. When you reach #1, you need 120%. Here's why… if you fly on a mediocre airline, your service expectation may be only 50%. If the cabin crew is in a better mood, they may actually deliver 65%. Then what is your opinion of the service? It's up 15%!”

“Now if you know Singapore Airlines is #1, what is your expectation of the service? 110%! And if our cabin crew delivers service only at the 100% level, what is your opinion of the service? It's down 10%! This is the challenge of being #1. If you are in the lead and want to stay there, 100% is not enough. You need every member of the team to give 120%!”

The lesson of the story is simple. Do not be afraid to aim further and exceed the projected mark. Never underestimate your strengths and capabilities. You can always be, do and have more!

To receive more motivational stories and valuable lessons, attend Ariva!’s seminar-workshops from September to December 2009. VIEW AD

Drezzee-ing Up

Fashion Tips from a Certified Fashionista

Girls will be girls! We all want to look and feel good of course not just for our husbands, boyfriends or crushes, but more importantly for our very selves. Shopping mall, salon and spa are the three favorite places that an average girl would love to regularly visit. It is always a fun experience to have a new haircut or get our nails done or receive a full body massage. And as for me, no matter how much I want to stay as simple as possible, I can’t help but admit that I love dressing myself up even once in a while.

Following the latest beauty trends is not a laid-back hobby. Trendsetters say if you want to be on your toes with fashion, you must have the right amount of time and resources. But putting on a dressy outfit does not necessarily have to be unimaginably high-priced. Go for sophisticated brands like Drezzee, which has a line of fabulously detailed and close-fitting gowns and cocktail dresses. And to achieve that perfect sexy look, listen to Drezzee owner and fashion stylist, Cherrie G. Cariaga, as she shares some tricks and tips on how to fit perfectly in a gown.

• Flat chest. Go for gushy textures and request built-in pads for your gowns to add volume to the bust line. Do not be afraid to wear gowns with plunging necklines; they actually look classy and attractive (but not suggestive) to women with flat chest.


• Full-size chest. Dress in off-shoulder gowns which would perfectly complement your asset.


• Big bones. Put on gowns with built-in corsets and girdles to tighten your waist and highlight your curves.


• Weighty arms. Wear gowns with nice sleeves for cover up.


• Short legs. Choose dresses that are few inches above the knees to maintain an attractive figure.


• Round built. Slip into dark-colored gowns that would make you look slim.

According to Cherrie, tube remains to be the most in demand cut when it comes to gowns. Girls want to flaunt their assets, and close-fitted tube gowns highlight the silhouette of the body. Soft textured and lingerie-type garments are also in, while the fashion style of the 80s which is more on volume and details is back on stage. Fashion themes excitingly change annually, but for now check out what you must have in your closet:

• Pencil cut skirts
• Asymmetrical tops
• Jumpsuits
• 80’s belts
• Maxi dresses
• Baby doll dresses
• Empire cut dresses

A made-to-order gown will cost P3,500 to 25,000.To order gowns from Drezzee by Cherrie G. Cariaga, view ad. (Myka Santiago)

How to Become a Successful Songwriter

Music is one of the oldest art forms that have been existent since the pre-colonial times. Instrumental was the type of music initially produced until people realized that lyrics add emotion and set up the mood of the song.

Lyrics or the words that accompany a certain tune vary on themes. A song may become a love story, a nationalistic aspiration, a social issue or a religious praise depending on the style it was written. Now, the skilled art of songwriting does not only serve as a hobby but also considered as a fine line of work if thoroughly mastered.

So for those who plan to build a career in songwriting, take a cue from the expert before grabbing a pen and paper. Trina Belamide, a professional and award-winning songwriter provides some tips.

• Recognize your talent and showcase it. If you have it, put your heart and soul into it—as the classic tip applies to all disciplines.


• Learn the basics of music. Get a good grasp of different melodies, chord progressions, and other music appreciation techniques.


• Understand the difference between lyrics and poetry. Both song lyrics and poems are made up of words and rhymes, but each has its own mode of expression. A song lyric is to be complemented by a tune and sung by a human voice so it has to work well with musical elements, while a poem is to be read from a page of a book and does not need an accompaniment.


• Have a good command of the language. To be a good writer, you must have a sufficient background in language and literature. Express your thoughts in a cohesive but artistic manner, and keep a wide range of words to rhyme and stitch up.


• Strive for excellence. Admit your flaws and accept constructive criticism to be able to grow as an artist.


• Be at the right place at the right time. Sometimes hard work and perseverance are not enough. Trina says, “I’ve met many aspiring songwriters who I believe have worked much harder than I have, but have not been as lucky with breaks”. Go out, meet people and create network.


• Maintain a healthy balance in your business. According to Trina, a lot of artists are afraid to ask for what is due them and to put a price on their craft since it is something they enjoy doing anyway. The consequence is they end up poor or being taken advantage of. On the other hand, there are artists who think their works are priceless and show off a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. They are not willing to share their talent which is very unprofessional. Be something in the middle in order to be successful. “A healthy balance is the key to success in having songwriting as a business.” (Myka Santiago)

Connect with other Filipino songwriters. VIEW AD.

How to Take Care of Your Own Space

Basic Household Cleaning Tips from the Expert

After a stressful day in the school or office, there’s nothing more relaxing than going home to a well-cleaned and sweet-scented house. In the comfort of your zone, you will find the love and warmth that you need to be able to get by for the next day. But maintaining a house, be it a bungalow or a mansion, is never an easy task. And even if you have helpers at home, it is better that you personally know how to take care of your own space.

LCS Trading & Janitorial Services has been in the general housecleaning business since 2004. Originally based in Cabuyao, Laguna, LCS opened an office in Manila in 2007 in order to serve more customers. LCS’ Administrative Officer Lourdes “Lulu” Sanchez shares, “After we have engaged into online advertising, we are getting 5-10 clients in a week.” Their usual customers are not only residential houses, but also big companies, hotels, restaurants and other business establishments. With LCS’ wide range of clients, Lulu says, “Price is not a big deal here. We offer free estimation to clients, and we can adjust the price based on their budget but it wouldn’t affect the quality of the service. The price will also depend on the size of the area.”

You may at anytime avail of the expert’s service such as of LCS’. However, it’s best to know the basics yourself. So, put on your work clothes and get ready to exercise your bones as Lulu shares tips on household cleaning.

Sofa Cleaning

• For wooden and leather sofas, put a mild liquid soap on a damp cloth. Wipe it on the sofa. Use a different clean cloth for drying. A wooden sofa requires daily wiping, while weekly clean-up is enough for a leather one.
• For fabric sofas, wiping is insufficient. Seek a professional shampooing service once every three months. Shampooing will not affect the texture of the sofa, but the color will slightly fade if chemicals are used to remove stains. Advise the professional cleaner to use a mild shampoo to avoid discoloration.

Carpet Cleaning

• Vacuum the carpet at least once a week, then, let a professional cleaner apply carpet shampooing at least once every three months. Shampooing will not affect the entire color of the sofa. Only the stained part will slightly fade once it is rubbed by stain removal agent.
• If you have pets at home, train them to stay away from the carpet. Vacuum the carpet everyday, and leave baking soda overnight. (Baking soda is known to contain a property that absorbs musty odors.)

Floor Dusting and Waxing

• For wooden floors, rub on a non-buffable wax to avoid making it too slippery. (Non-buffable wax does not need polishing.)
• For tiled floors, simply apply wet and dry mopping.
• For marble floors, have them crystallized (marble crystallization) by a professional cleaner to protect the surface and keep them shiny.
• For vinyl floors in hallways, use a buffable wax or wax that requires polishing. Put a sealer wax on small vinyl floored areas to protect them from scratches.
• For all types of floors, dust and sweep everyday. Use wax only when needed.
• If you have kids or elders at home, do not apply wax to areas that do not need polishing to refrain from causing accidents.

Furniture Dusting

• Wipe medium to large furniture with a damp cloth. Use a mild liquid detergent to remove dirt. Dry it with a clean cloth.
• Use old socks as mitts for dusting difficult woodworks.
• Wash small knick-knacks instead of just dusting them with a brush or cloth.

General Housecleaning

• Set all your cleaning tools in one place to avoid unnecessary trips back and forth.
• Start cleaning from the ceiling down to the walls, furniture and flooring.
• Clean as you go. It takes less time to remove new dirt than the old ones.
• Carry out a general cleaning once a month. You may also prefer doing it portion by portion.
• When hiring professional cleaners, give them ample time to set the entire house for the cleaning job. MYKA SANTIAGO

Contact LCS Trading and Janitorial Services. View Ad.

Budgeting your way into financial success

“How do you spend your hard-earned cash?” is a question that should be taken seriously. Most of us can be careless when it comes to spending money. We use it up without thinking only to realize we don’t have enough to bring us to the next payday. There are moments that we try to be thrifty only to lose our control when sale season comes. And the solution that we think of – swiping that credit card!

How many times have we heard of the statement, “Live within your means.”? It’s not that people do not want to follow this golden rule; sometimes, they simply don’t know how. Sheila Ching, a registered financial planner and senior financial consultant for AXA Philippines stresses the importance of keeping your expenses in sync with your earnings, so you won’t find yourself always waiting for the next payday.

Create a budget. A budget plan will be your starting point to manage your income. To make a budget, Sheila advises to list down all expected and probable expenses for the month and categorize them based on your expense type such as household utilities, mortgage fees, entertainment, etc. Allocate your money to each item in the category then subtract your total expenses from your total income. An excel spreadsheet can make doing this easy.

Identify your spending habit. Take time to track where your money is going. Record your daily expenses. Do you really need to spend on Starbucks coffee every day? Do you really have to ride a cab? Think about it. You might realize you’re spending too much on things that don’t really matter.

Plan your purchases. Plan your purchases so you can better manage your cash outflow. Sheila’s suggestion is to know the estimate amount of the thing you wish to buy and plan when you intend to buy it. If for instance you intend to buy something that costs around 20,000 pesos, four months from now, it means you have to raise 5,000 pesos a month. If you think you can’t, you may consider delaying the gratification. Wants can wait, and it is better to wait than get it instantly by swiping your credit card only to realize in the end that you can’t afford to pay the price.

Use your credit card wisely. Sheila recommends using credit card only for emergency purpose or when you are certain that you have the money when the bill arrives. This is to avoid paying the interest which goes as much as 3.5% a month. Take note that the interest accumulates over time when you fail to pay in full.

Save for the rainy day. When payday comes, before you start making any purchase, take away a portion of your salary – at least 10% - and save it as your emergency fund. This is to be used when something unexpected arises such as when you lose a job or get hospitalized. If you’re having a hard time, start with 5% and increase it when you get a salary raise. Build an emergency fun that is equivalent to at least 3 times of your monthly salary. When you have saved enough, Sheila suggests putting a portion of your emergency fund in an ATM account, a portion in checking account and a portion in time deposit. WILLETH LAUS

For financial consultations, contact Sheila Ching here.

Winning the Perfect Shot

Basic Travel Photography Tips

Summer heat is now kissing our skin. I’m sure it is not only me who can’t wait to worship the sun, the sand and the sea. Summer vacation spells swimming, sunbathing, camping, mountain climbing, nature-tripping and a hundred more adventures. But one action that summarizes them all is one of my favorite hobbies in the world—traveling!

Discovering new and far-off places is one of the things I best look forward to every summer. My points of interest range from God-made to man-made—ancient trees, bodies of water, sea shores, rice fields, farm animals, nipa huts, hilltops and caves. My eyes could capture them well, but stories are always better with visuals attached. And so, with my traveling comes photography, which allows me to share my divine experience with nature to the rest of the world.

Not everyone has a knack in photography, but it is a skill that can be learned through considerable amount of practice. It doesn’t matter if what you have in your bag is a pricey SLR or a basic digicam. Just hold it high, keep your focus and aim all you want. Now, let me share some tips on vacation photography that my artsy friends and I keep in our pockets every time we go out of town.

• Do not over pack. It’s best to just bring the equipment—camera, tripod, batteries and memory cards—you need for easy traveling. A huge pack will be harder to carry as you tour from one place to another. Plan ahead what you need for where you are going.
• Get out of the hotel. Take pictures of the beach, the sunset, and other flattering sceneries. And don’t miss out on local cuisine and great architecture. Capture the culture of the place you are in, and take as many pictures as you can.
• Experimenting is your key to productive vacation photography, so try different angles and techniques in shooting.
• Get in the spotlight and prove that you’re there. You might get carried away shooting those scenic beauties and forget to include the human element.
• Make your photos tell a story. Try to get some action shots and not just you and your family or friends always standing in front of a scenery or landmark.
• If you are with your family, consider taking kids’ photos first. They may not be that fresh and game after hours of walking. Capture their excitement with that amazing scenery or landmark at the background.

Hope these tips help you in your vacation photo shoot. Don’t be afraid to take that shot. Grab your gadget, focus and snap the button! MYKA SANTIAGO

Be a professional photographer? Take photography lessons! View Ad.

Summer Loving with Dogs

As the weather changes from somewhat chilly to humid, sun-worshippers prepare their travel odds and ends for the ultimate summer getaway. Humans can bathe under the heat of the sun for long hours protected by sun block lotion with high SPF, but what about our best friends – the dogs which are our favorite companions for almost all occasions.

Dog-owners love to drag their cuddly-wuddly pets anywhere, anytime like during a morning jog in the park, an afternoon stroll in the mall, or an evening dinner at a nearby pizzeria. And during this season, those who have considered their pet dogs as part of the family will not forget to bring them along to lovely summer destinations like vacation houses in the province, beach resorts, and even on out-of-country trips.

But do you know that traveling and other outdoor activities are not actually recommended for dogs during hot days? It does not take a genius to know that a dog’s body is heavily covered by furs and that they do not have sweat glands. They release the heat from their bodies through deep breathings. And so, you may observe how warm they feel inside by the way their tongues droop from their mouths.

Lovepets.com President Joey Tiosayco says, “It is not just about the sun being out and hot. A bad humid climate condition could be worse to our dogs. When we feel hot and sweat up, our dogs feel much worse than that. How many times worse? It depends whether your dog is acclimatized or not, more coaty or not, hyper or not—just like humans who move a lot, they sweat up more than the inactive ones.”

However, dog-lovers need not worry! Your bonding moments with your charming pets are not really over this summer season. Hear out some tips from Lovepets.com on how you can spend happy times with your dogs outside the coziness of your house.

Minimize your dog’s sun exposure between 10am to 3pm. The Animal Welfare Law Republic Act 8485 of 1998 says it is not advisable to expose your dog under the direct heat of the sun from around 10am to 3pm (when it is hottest).

Have a bowl of water ready all the time. When you bring your dog out, chances are your dog would play and run around with you or with other dogs in the area. So, always bring water and a bowl then, have it ready in a spot as you and your dog settled in a particular place. Dogs will find their way there every time they feel the need to drink. It is actually better that way than you initiating them when to drink or not.

Let them have their water ice-cold. Bring along a small cooler with lots of ice and store the bottled water inside. If you want to travel light, put the bottled water in the freezer the night before your trip until it gets icy. Wrap the icy bottle with towel and pack it safely in your traveling bag. The ice will slowly melt along the way and you will have a real cold drink for your dog.

Give your dog an extra support. Water is enough but it pays to give your dog a rehydration support like the one from Royal Canin. It is a powder that has to be mixed with water for instant rehydration and energy booster.

Keep them refreshed with instant cool wipes. Dampen a small face towel with clean water. Place the damp towel in a plastic bag, then keep it in the freezer overnight. Pack it safely in your traveling bag. The cold towel will come handy in helping your dog beat the summer heat. Do not wait for your dog to react negatively with the hot temperature. Just wipe the towel on the areas where there is less coat (fur)—face, belly, hip and armpit—from time to time.

Don’t make your dog a fashion victim. Don’t force your dog to wear clothes especially when going outdoors and in places that are not properly ventilated. Imagine how hot a dog feels with that built-in fur which is impossible for them to take off for a while, unlike the piece of jacket that we, humans, wear which we can easily remove from our body anytime we like.

Check on their needs every now and then. Yes, you can bring your dog to the beach. Just be more cautious with dogs that are into it as a first time experience. Sporting breeds like Labradors and Golden Retrievers may love and enjoy the water more than any other breeds. Let your dog feel the summer fun, and don’t forget to check on all their needs from time to time.
Seek help from a veterinarian when the need arises. It is hard to tell if a dog is about to suffer from a heatstroke. The signs would only show when the condition gets irreversible, and that stage could be very fatal. When your dog collapses, rush it to a vet and apply cold body rub right away on the face, belly and other areas that have less coat (fur). MYKA SANTIAGO

Lovepets.com is a pet welfare group that promotes responsible pet ownership. Join their cause. View ad.