Hop aboard Baby Company's Grand 2015 Safari Adventure!

Tremendously blessed am I indeed to be hosting again for Baby Company's Grand Baby Fair, now on its 5th year, and with a spanking, stripe-tacular new Safari theme! Yes it was one unforgettable, fang-tastic jungle weekend for me as I hopped aboard the very busy BC train into the jungle known as "parenting" where I got to meet new species of "parents" and "moms" all sharing the same excitement and confusion that all new and longtime parents feel - because everyday is an adventure when you are a parent and that's why we are thankful for the likes of Baby Company for guiding us in this vast and scary jungle that can leave new (and experienced) parents Catatonic... like me below, looking all CAT-atonic!

Meow or Me-Wow? (My version of Fab or Drab? Hope you like my Day 1 outfit. Was it a Fine Feline Fashion Wonder, or a CAT-astrophic Fashion Blunder).

Above shows me-owt and about playing games with the fun gang of parents and grandparents who joined the adventure! It was one long, exhilarating 3-day train ride, so let me take you to the highlights first of the fang-tastic first day of the much-anticipated Baby Company Grand Baby Fair - Year 5! We had our fun rounds of games and superb expert talks - but the best part? SHOPPING! For Day 1, below are my treasured brands: 

The best is never too FAR... thanks to FARLIN! Many families really got the best buys and deals that day, thanks to FARLIN! Above are my favorite unscented wipes, but for the more adventurous thrill-seeking moms and dads, they also have one in blue - their fresh powder scent variant! All the explorers such as myself even got to take home FARLIN Baby Buds, the perfect pal whether you have a newborn, or you have an active pre-schooler like me! (But I bet moms like me, not just our kids are huge fans of these wipes and gentle buds too!)

I definitely love FARLIN products - so affordable but world class indeed! you don't have to look FAR and wide, or FARLIN's got it all!  Plus what I loved about the FARLIN booth apart from awesome products at big discounts and the freebies, were their activities! There was a coloring station for kids while parents shopped, plus a photo booth! More growl-icious and stripe-tacular SA-FARLIN pics coming in my blog soon! 

After FARLIN, let us now forget our longtime friends over at the PHILIPS AVENT booth. Here I was above when I dropped by the AVENT booth with friends-slash-bosses Ms. Jenny Gingco (and her adorable son), marketing extraordinaire of LJS, distributor of Philips AVENT and Ms. Jeryl Sy, daughter of the owners of LJS Philippines. And we mustn't forget the adorable Truman the Rabbit - official mascot of AVENT!

They have all the top-quality products for moms and babies,guaranteed to give your babies the best start in life! They gave my son truly the best and I will never forget the generosity of Philips AVENT - such a big support for a young mom like me.  My son has definitely enjoyed the best first few years of life thanks to this well-loved and 'til now, he is so proud to be an AVENT boy! Below are faves for the day: teats for his Classic, Comfort and Standard bottles! 

Just please don't tell my son I shared to the world that he is still soothed by his Philips AVENT bottle at night (and here's to hoping that while he reads so well, that he never gets to read this). I love how my son will always be an AVENT Child, and now he loves getting active too, with the help of FARLIN's exceptional products, especially the wipes which is a staple in his school bag and in my purse! Here is my son and his classmate and best buddy, Jared, whose backs I always have to wipe clean with FARLIN wipes... 

"They say that little boys are Superheroes in Disguise... and I totally agree. My son is definitely my hero. Such a small child, but such a Great Miracle. And as he grows in size, wit and will, I witness how my life's Miracle just grows larger and larger..." 

Thanks, Baby Company for trusting me with your annual event - a humbling experience where I trade my thoughts and hosting expertise for more parenting tips and wisdom. See you all for my Day 2 AVENT-ures!!! 

- Marylaine Louise Viernes 

Elburg continues to sail toward Success!

Elburg Crew Management Philippines, with their vision "One Crew, One Horizon," proves once more that they are indeed number One in the Ship Manning industry! The same family behind the numinous Augustea Ship Manning Philippines Inc., Elburg has been sailing in this business much longer than Augustea and having founded by Capt. Nicolo Terrei and Mrs. Proserfina Terrei, they have gradually let their children take lead in this vast enterprise, as this is being led by the wise and strong-willed Ms. Richelle Labrusca Terrei, their eldest among the brood of 5 intelligent and kind children. 

 This year, the conference was held at the SMX and was attended by many of their distinguished partners from Italy, all respected men and women in the cast crewing and ship management sectors. Different salient and timely issues were discussed, and the most important ones being the Safety and Security standards that must be upheld at all times, because this just doesn't pertain to securing the business, the investment in procuring a vessel or a tanker ship, but it also means securing the lives of these seafarers. Business is built on the safety and welfare of these men on deck and that is why Elburg stresses the importance of ensuring safety on and off the ship. 

Various discussions on governmental policies, new trends, heightened training and educational implementation were also discussed, which really drove to the point that the ship crewing industry is getting larger than ever and most importantly, Elburg is here to stay. I am glad that many (I believe thousands attended the crew conference) and they all appreciate the care and development that Elburg - just like Augustea Ship Manning Phils) endows on them - just what they deserve being today's modern day heroes. See the very relevant talking points below, plus my photo with the beautiful Ms. Grace Labrusca during the fellowship party and entertainment; she may not be the Captain of this Ship (her sister Richelle leads Elburg, while she leads Augustea), but she still looked every inch a Star that night... 

Mabuhay ang ating manlalakbay-mandaragat, and ating mga bagong bayani. At mabuhay ang Elburg Crew Manning Philippines sa kanilang pagsuporta at pangangalaga sa ating mga Marino at sa kanilang pamilya! 

- Marylaine Viernes 

Smooth Sailing with Augustea Philippines' first-ever Crew Conference

I sailed through worlds when I got the honor of being the Master of Ceremony for Augustea Ship Manning Philippines' first Crew Conference. It was an empowering and unforgettable 2-day Conference and I am thankful to be part of it. First stop: I reveled through the high seas of business wisdom and immersed myself in the vast "Inform-Ocean" from listening to the esteemed speakers. I learned so much about the Maritime industry, especially in this country. 

Second was that I had learned how this well-respected industry has made heroes out of ordinary men. Sailors or "Marinos" grow with the trade, leaving home and comfort behind, weathering the rough seas all to give their families a bright future. And what's most important is how they literally keep the economy floating and sailing in the right direction, as Seafarers are among the largest remittance contributors among the overseas Filipino Workers, contributing much in volume and value.

And lastly, this meaningful journey ended in knowing the wonderful Terrei Family, led by Captain Nicolo Terrei and his wife, business ingenue, Ms. Proserfina Terrei. I am so glad to know them and most especially their beautiful daughter, President of Augustea Ship Manning Phils Inc., Ms. Grace Labrusca Terrei, who has trusted me to host this phenomenal, eye-opening activity. I met other members of the Terrei family too and they were all genuinely kind and brilliant! To summarize, Day 1 was all about the company (relatively new, being only 1 year in Operation), the plans and the policies of the trade, and Day 2 was more on the needs of the Seafarers signed with Augustea, and a peek into the many amazing plans Augustea Philippines has in store for all of them. Talk about motivation! 

After the two amazing days of relevant talks, we capped it with a night of fellowship, song, dance and wine. And I am just astounded at how disciplined these seamen are! From the cadets to the captains, they were all very polite and pleasant! It was a fun time and I felt safe even if those gentlemen knew how to own the night and seize the dance floor! They all deserve the good life they are now happily sailing to... Congratulations to the Seafarers and to Augustea Ship Management Inc! More success to come to you all! 

Mabuhay ang Augustea Ship Manning Phils.! Mabuhay ang mga Bayaning Marino! (Long-live Augustea, and our modern-day heroes, the Filipino Seafarers! 

- Marylaine Louise Viernes 

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Proud to B a Barbie Girl!

We love Barbie! Such is the battle cry when I lead my legions of pretty little princesses in Pink, all loving and looking like Barbie! I can definitely say that I have grown up with Barbie, as the little Barbie girl in me will never outgrow her pretty fab pinkness, and the idea that we can B anything we dream to be (in my case, I continue to discover that this is true!) 

Here's my look back to the recent fabulous holidays I've spent with Barbie - the memories of fun and her endless Barbie jingles still ringing in my head today! All of these fun times are best described with my favorite letter, B! Brilliant... Bedazzling... Beautiful... Breathtaking... Bright... Bravery... Bliss... Bountiful... Blessed...  

First was the launch of Barbie Dolls of the World where we had a fabulous Meet & Greet session at the SM Mall of Asia, with beautiful Barbie dolls on display, and Barbie Philippines came to life as we played a ton of Pink-tastic games and danced ballet! The MOA crowd... 

A week after, we celebrated the Magic of Barbie at the SM North EDSA featuring Barbie The Secret Door where we had a fun and delectable cooking workshop with the beautiful Chef Sabrina Artadi, plus singing and modeling activities too with Center for Pop. We also awarded the Barbie collectors for sharing their awe-inspiring Barbie doll collections and their love to everyone during the holiday season! 

Much love to my Richprime family who has let me live out the child IN me, whose spirit grows braver through the years... for letting me "B" who I really am (sometimes a mermaid, a selkie but often a fairy... sometimes even a mummy!) Love 'em all plus Richprime's Mia and Gilbert...

Summertime and Halloween when I get to become a Fabulous Ghoul with my Monster High gals and of course, almost all year round I get to be Ate Barbie! What a Magical year it has been and I am so thankful! Looking forward to a much brighter and more Pinktastic 2015! Where I have come to learn (like what Barbie says all the time) "Nothing is Impossible as long as you Believe." (Except having a Real Prince. So below shows me with my pretend Princes Charming, but just for that day only...) Here below we had a Prince Cosplayer during the Barbie Princess event (but the shoe didn't fit) plus my handsome peers from SM North EDSA, both Mall Managers) 

Remember that the Best is yet to come! This calls for a Barbie Self-We! 

- Marylaine Louise Viernes 

A Wedding to Remember...

This December proved to be so fabulous as I had a week of hosting Weddings! And who said that February alone was the love month? Love is everywhere everytime! This time I got the honor of hosting the beautiful wedding of Chad and Che (last post I emceed the wedding of Jae and Jo, I guess to be married nowadays meant that you have to find a partner with a name that starts the same letter as yours huh?)

This breathtaking wedding with a lovely coral pink theme was attended by an intimate number of family all of whom witnessed the ten years of the couple through thick and thin. We had our usual program a bit of the games, a bit of trivia about the usual symbolic parts and a ton of well wishes and meaningful messages and prayers for the beautiful couple!

Thanks for trusting me with your beautiful December wedding and more blessings to come for you both! - Marylaine Viernes

Kicking Off 2015 with Convergys Libis

I welcomed 2015 with my first-ever hosting gig for the year! Got the pleasure of being the host of Convergys for their New Year kick-off party. It was a crowd of almost 500, and every bit of it was fun and the program reflected the talent and passion of the people working for this esteemed BPO company.

What I loved most about the party was that the festivities were so grand and yet people were so humble and basically laughed and clapped along with me all the time and my corny jokes were sold out at this event! Theme was Glow and Growth, so excuse my amateur dark photos! We were all shining bright like diamonds that night.

Highlights of the part apart from the usual Star of the Night awarding was the "Let it Glow," where a representative per team would belt out this famous Disney song but replace it with lyrics reflecting their teams' values and goals. 

The other one which was called "Glow and Show" was a freehand talent show and this fun activity proved that these hardworking people were not just resourceful and hard driven, but also very thankful to the company. In everythig we must give thanks as I believe that positively and gratitude is the indefatigable Stream of Heavenly Grace. 

What a great start! I'm looking forward to a 2015 brimming with joy, blessings, good health and energy (despite tons of work and activities) and so much love and wisdom! Thanks, Convergys CVG for letting me crash your awesome party! Keep Growing and Glowing! 

- Marylaine Viernes 

Broadway & Glitz: The 2014 SM Metro Malls Christmas Party!

What a great way to give thanks to the company I have been with for the past 3 years (and will stay here for as long as I can), than to emcee for the SM Supermalls' Corporate Christmas Party for the Metro Malls division. It was one fabulous affair, and while it was different from my usual hosting stints because this had all my bosses, and even the Sy family present in this affair - I still had so much fun that night! Now this is what you call a SY-lfie - when you get Mr. Hans Sy, President of SM Prime and Ms. Annie Garcia, President of SM Malls join you for a fun group-fie!!! SY Cheese!!!

This year's theme was Broadway, and I got the honor and pleasure of co-hosting the party with another SCMC employee, Sir Jason Alvarez, the Group Marketing Head of the Central South region of SM Supermalls, and of course, DJ Show Suzuki whom I have known for quite some time now not just through hosting gigs, but also because he is a tenant at my first SM Mall, SM Center Pasig! Talk about multi-talented! 

Photo below shows me giving the guys, my male co-hosts a headache... 

This was held at the SMX and every single bit of it was fun - it wasn't just the fact that I was one of the emcees, but it was more of meeting old and new friends from this company that is my second home (or even perhaps my first now since I spend so much time in SM Malls, not just in the ones I handle). The only sad part was that I did not win in the raffle when I had been concentrating on bringing home the Ipad or even a Juicer this year. Why? Because the HR said I was not qualified for the raffle draw because I just got transferred to non-Metro SM Mall, and I was emcee that night, so they didn't even put my name in there. Shoot. So here I am below just eating my sorrows away. Lol. 

It was one fabulous 2014, I am so thankful for my SM Life, which has opened so many doors for me! Most importantly, is because even if I live a very hectic life with my day job at SM, I still get to emcee so many events every week, can you believe that? Plus I get to still devote quality time to everything else that mean so much to me - my family especially my growing son, my Church family/ Lector service, and everything else in between. My hopes are clearer than ever, and I look forward to an even brighter 2015!!! #Excited #LookingForward 

Photos below with my loving bosses: Women of Wisdom and Integrity. They are Ms. Annie Garcia, President and Ms. Liza Silerio, Vice President. I owe them a lot and they are among the reasons I stay despite the challenges, and in spite of myself. I also can't thank my other bosses SNL, BDH, GPJ, RLC, RMM, my partners & good work pals enough! (Can you imagine how many bosses I have and people I have to contend with? Lol.) But seriously, these two lady superiors below have always believed in & encouraged me, that is why I want so much to be successful, to prove that their faith in me is another one of the many reason why they are BRILLIANT.  

Lastly, thanks Mr. Hans Sy. He and his family have been inspirations not just to me or the SM Family, but to every Filipino who believe in Hard-work, Integrity, Creativity and Dynamism. So many things I've learned in this company, that I can never find elsewhere.

Thank you Lord for all the opportunities that come my way and for the energy to take on them all. Sometimes I wonder why you throw so many challenges my way. Is it that you have so much faith in me? Again, I Thank You, Lord. Amen. #BringItOn2015 #Faith

- Marylaine Viernes