How Online Games Help Us Become Creative

Growing up in an electronics-filled, massively online and socially-networked world changed the way we think, act and learn. 

Moreover, the pandemic has greatly affected our lifestyle. I remember in the past if you feel stuck, if you are experiencing writer's block, or if you need to get your creative juices running, it is suggested that you spend time outdoors and take time to commune with nature. Nowadays, due to quarantine restrictions and the threat of the virus, you have to think twice first before going out of your house. 

Luckily, there are many other ways to stay creative. 

According to a study conducted by the Michigan State University, both boys and girls who play video games tend to be more creative, regardless of the type of video game. They found that the more that the kids played video games, the more creative they were in tasks such as drawing pictures and writing stories. 

How is it possible? It is believed that playing games help foster creative thinking because it lowers the barriers of established norms and routines by allowing new rules and realities. 

While playing, the players adapt to the new role that they have as the reality around them changes. This allows them to "think outside the box" in order the solve the challenge, mission, or objective of the game.  

The games can be as simple as it is and do not have to be complicated. There is a game called, Open Restaurant available at https://www.culinaryschools.org that had helped me come up with a creative way to optimize our processes in the restaurant. By playing the game, I was able to figure out how to properly manage time and prioritize tasks. The game was very user-friendly even kids or "non-gamers" will have no problem playing it. 

Another important highlight of online gaming is its entertainment value that which actually affects our creativity. 

A study published in the scientific journal, Nature in 1998 showed that video games raise the level of dopamine in the brain by about 100 percent. If you are not familiar, Dopamine is our achievement hormone. It spikes when we are happy or we experience something pleasant. 

Experts say that the higher the dopamine levels in your body, the higher is our alertness, focus, creativity, long-term memory, and concentration. 

Should we allow our kids to play online games? Just like anything in this world, moderation is the key. There is a thin line between the benefits of gaming and game addiction. We must teach our children how to maintain healthy gameplay and allow them to harness its potential. We have to encourage them to log off to do other things as well in order to live a balanced lifestyle. 

Alaska gives 70 days of ‘Lakas at Talas’ to Foster Kids

As we greet a new year, new challenges have inevitably arisen given the current state of the world. With these problems that we face during these uncertain times, Alaska Fortified Powdered Milk sought to uplift vulnerable communities and share the spirit of giving. Last Christmas, Alaska invited members of its Facebook community, MOMs of Alaska (MOMAs), to make the holidays a little brighter for the children from the company’s partner orphanages, Christian Compassion Ministries Foundation, Inc. and House of Refuge Foundation, Inc. Over a hundred members of the Alaska MOMAs community came together to create special Christmas cards, with creative designs and personalized messages dedicated to each of the children.

Alaska collected the Christmas cards and held a turnover with the partner institutions, donating 70 days’ worth of “Lakas at Talas” in the form of Alaska Fortified Powdered Milk products that can give the children the added nutrition to help with their brain and body development while they are growing. Gift packs with toys and educational materials were also included in the turnover, which the children welcomed with smiles and loud cheers.

 Center Head Mailyn Balairos joined by the staff Christian Compassion Ministries receive Christmas cards and 70 days’ worth of “Lakas at Talas” from Alaska

Mailyn Balairos, Center Head of Christian Compassion Ministries Foundation, Inc. (CCMFI), a church-based Christian organization that aims to provide children with educational assistance, shelter, medical aid, skills training and nourish their souls with the word of God, shared her appreciation to the moms who took their time to create Christmas cards for the children under their care. “On behalf of CCMFI and the children, I wanted to convey my deepest gratitude to the moms of Alaska and to Alaska Fortified Powdered Milk for this unforgettable event for the children,” Mailyn shared.

Riza Lepasana, OIC and Directress of House of Refuge Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting orphaned and abandoned children in Metro Manila, also expressed her gratitude for the initiative. “On behalf of House of Refuge, I sincerely thank the moms who made an effort to make this Christmas feel special for our kids, and to thank Alaska for sharing their blessings of ‘Lakas at Talas’ with our children,” Riza said.

Social Worker Jessa Mae Masalon of House of Refuge Foundation, Inc. receives Christmas cards made by Alaska MOMA members and 70 days’ worth of “Lakas at Talas” from Alaska Milk Corporation representative Miriam Maramba, Associate Manager for Marketing Services

Alaska Fortified Powdered Milk also thanks its partner orphanages for assisting and providing homes to children in need and giving them the “alaga” or care that they deserve. In these challenging times, Alaska reaches out to the children of House of Refuge and Christian Compassion Ministries Foundation and hopes to continue its mission of providing affordable quality nutrition to Filipino children and families everywhere.

For more information on Alaska Fortified Powdered Milk and its initiatives, visit www.alaskamilk.com and www.facebook.com/alaskamilkph.

Start a Digital Real Estate Selling Career with Lumina Homes

Real estate is one of the few industries that thrived during the pandemic. But as with other sectors, only brands that can quickly adopt full digitalization and drive online sales can see light in the post-pandemic world.

Lumina Homes, the ever-innovative housing brand for the middle-income Filipino, continues to be at the forefront of digital real estate selling.

Not only has the company become a go-to brand for homeowners and investors during the lockdowns, but it has also been offering a unique opportunity for candidate sellers.

Aside from providing regular training and webinars about digitization in the real estate industry, Lumina continues to provide digital tools that make home selling easier to its partner sales network.

Lumina Homes Online

The one-stop-shop online reservation portal makes it simple for accredited brokers and sales agents to hold the preferred unit on behalf of their customers. Once the seller has reserved units in the available inventories for their clients, Lumina Homes will automatically send a reservation payment link to their email addresses.

An Interactive Project Map also allows both buyers and sellers to view Lumina Homes’ available units in the subdivision map. This gives them a better idea of the unit’s exact location within the subdivision, similar to how you reserve a plane or theater seat when making an online reservation.

Lumina Online University

Gone are the days when candidate sellers and partners travel to Lumina’s physical offices to formalize their training.

Today, they can receive their certifications in the comfort of their homes by attending Lumina Online University’s two-level learning course.

The Beginner's Course includes modules about the Fundamentals of Lumina Homes and Lumina Online Training System Guide, while the Advanced Course includes modules about Recruitment and Training, Facebook Marketing, and Digital Marketing.

Sellers’ Portal

All the mentioned digital tools can be accessed through the Lumina Sellers’ Portal—everything a seller needs to know about Lumina Homes’ condo units or house and lot packages. It’s also where sellers can track upcoming events and activities, promos, and ongoing sellers’ incentives. They can also check pricing updates, view maps, see a complete directory of Lumina offices and site locations nationwide.

Lumina Homes takes pride of introducing these sellers’ portal even before the pandemic happened, a proof of its forward-thinking characteristic that it wishes to extend to its sellers.

As such, site visits or trippings are easily scheduled online, which can also be done through 3D virtual tours, to the excitement of interested homeseekers during the lockdowns.

Virtual Tours and Online Appointments

Lumina is equipped with a virtual 360-degree house tour of its best-selling homes, so sellers and homebuyers can have a walk-through of their home models online. Homeseekers, with the assistance of their brokers or agents, can easily search for their dream home through Lumina's digital solutions. They can choose from virtual home and subdivision tours, book online appointments, and pay through digital wallets and digital banking.

Lumina Homes’ official website, www.lumina.com.ph is an effective venue to explore its best-selling home models in 3D: Angelique at 35 square meters with two-bedroom and one carport provision, and Angeli at 42 square meters with three-bedroom and one carport provision.

There’s also a virtual tour of Lumina’s signature showcase area, which offers a preview of a Lumina Homes community.

Earn more at Lumina Homes

Lumina Homes has recently increased the commission rate by 6% for its partner sales network, on top of other perks and promos, such as “Complete It to Win It,” where sellers can get additional cash incentives as they guide their buyers through the homeownership journey.

Be an accredited seller of Lumina Homes today! Register at https://sellers-portal.lumina.com.ph/accreditation or contact (0917) 629-6523. 

Be BEAUTY GLAZED with the Perfect Eye Palette

Here's the perfect palette to try out trendy colorful eye looks. Check out these makeup must-haves from Beauty Glazed on Shopee Beauty for up to 69% off!

From hair care to makeup, Shopee Beauty has all your makeup and skincare needs! Enjoy the most exclusive deals up to 90% off, new launches, and exciting offers fit from various brands for every makeup & skincare haul--only from Shopee Beauty!

BEAUTY GLAZED New 60 Color Eye Shadow Palette

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Disney Anti-Bruno Movement: Who is this Bruno they keep talking about?

Are you thinking about Bruno, the dog from Cinderella?  Well, we won't be talking about him. 

Instead, we'll talk about Bruno that was mentioned in two of Disney's latest movies, Luca and Encanto. 

In the animated movie, Luca, one of the famous lines was, "Silenzio Bruno" and in the movie, Encanto, they even made a song all about Bruno. 

This made me wonder who exactly is this Bruno that they keep talking about? 

To answer that question, let's watch this short video.

As you can see in this short clip, Alberto tells Luca that "You got a Bruno in your head." 

Bruno is our own self-limiting, insecure belief. It is an inner negative voice that stops us from reaching our goals and fulfilling our dreams. It tells us that we can't do it and holds us back from reaching our full potential. 

This is why Albert later asks Luca to repeat saying "Silenzio Bruno." in order to silence his inner negative voice – shutting down his doubts by giving them a name. It's Alberto's way of convincing Luca to take a step towards their dream which starts by riding their DIY Vespa off of a cliff. 

Now, if you listen to the song from Encanto, We Don't Talk About Bruno, it totally makes sense. 

It was my wedding day (it was our wedding day)

We were getting ready, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky 

(no clouds allowed in the sky)

Bruno walks in with a mischievous grin (thunder)

You telling this story or am I?

I'm sorry, mi vida, go on

At first, everything was going well. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. 

The "cloud in the sky" means that there is no doubt or second thoughts. 

However, when Bruno walks in, that's the time that things started to go south. 

Bruno says, "It looks like rain" (why did he tell us?)

In doing so, he floods my brain

Abuela, get the umbrellas

Married in a hurricane

What a joyous day! 

Bruno says "It looks like rain" which is something negative and it flooded his sister Pepa's brain which later resulted in a hurricane according to the song. 

This means that when we allow "Bruno" in our lives and let it affect us, this self-limiting and negative belief about ourselves will only bring problems just like a hurricane. 

So, whatever Disney is up to with this "Anti-Bruno" movement.

I agree with Alberto - Don't listen to stupid, Bruno!

ShopeePay Offers Users Free and Real Time Transfers for a More Convenient Cashless Payment Experience

With ShopeePay, users are able to save on additional costs from InstaPay fees, and also send money to other ShopeePay users for free.

ShopeePay, Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, continues to make financial services more accessible and convenient for Filipinos. The e-wallet offers free and real-time transfers, on top of other free services, to enable easier and more seamless digital transactions.

ShopeePay users can now enjoy free cash-ins and bank transfers in real-time with 35+ banks and e-wallet partners, including BDO, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), RCBC, Metrobank, Chinabank, UnionBank, and more with InstaPay. InstaPay is an electronic fund transfer (EFT) service that allows customers to transfer funds almost instantly between accounts and is available 24/7, all year round. On top of the new cash-in via InstaPay option, users can also link their bank account to their ShopeePay Wallet for free and easy cash-ins.

Within the app, verified ShopeePay users can also instantly send money to any ShopeePay user for free, available 24/7. Additionally, senders can also personalize their send money transactions with themed virtual cards fit for any occasion. With ShopeePay, users can do more cashless transactions and get discounts on load products and cashback on bills payment.

As more consumers embrace and adopt digital transactions, ShopeePay aims to support the transition by providing hassle-free digital banking options. This year, the Philippines saw an exponential growth of new digital consumers, recording about 12 million since the start of the pandemic. Aside from the significant increase in digital consumers in the country, there is also a notable increase in the adoption of digital-only banking, recording 18.34 percent in 2021, and is expected to reach 36.18 percent by 2026.

Ruoshan Tao, Head of ShopeePay Online, Philippines, said, “The digital market of Southeast Asia is rapidly growing, and digital transactions such as online payments and money transfers are also becoming more prevalent. At ShopeePay, we are committed to providing our users with seamless and easy access to digital financial services through a secure and integrated ecosystem. We look forward to continue helping Filipinos embrace digitalization.”

Here’s how to cash into your ShopeePay Wallet via InstaPay, and enjoy up to P25 cashback on your InstaPay fee:

1. Tap ‘Cash in’ on your ShopeePay wallet.
2. Click the ‘InstaPay’ dropdown.
3. View the specific instructions and cash in from your preferred bank.
4. You will receive a notification if your cash in was successful.
5. If eligible, you will receive the cashback after 7-10 working days.

To transfer money for free from your ShopeePay Wallet to your selected bank account or e-wallet via InstaPay, make sure that your ShopeePay account is verified. Here’s how to transfer:

1. Tap ‘Send Money’ on your ShopeePay wallet.
2. Select either ‘To Bank Account’ or ‘To E-Wallet’
3. Choose the bank/e-wallet you want to send money to and input the required details.
4. Enter the amount to be sent.
5. Review all details to ensure accuracy and proceed with sending money.  

To send money for free to other ShopeePay users, you must have a verified ShopeePay account. Here’s how:

1. Tap ‘Send Money’ on your ShopeePay wallet.
2. Select ‘To Shopee User’.
3. Enter the phone number or Shopee username to send money to.
4. Input the amount to send. You may also personalize your transfer with a virtual card.
5. Enter your ShopeePay PIN to confirm the transaction.

To know more about ShopeePay’s InstaPay feature, visit https://shopee.ph/m/shopeepay-instapay.

To enjoy free cash-ins and transfers, and also save on additional fees, make sure to activate ShopeePay. With ShopeePay, you can also avail of exclusive deals when you Buy Load, Pay Bills, and Scan to Pay at thousands of merchants nationwide. Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.