Before, TOYCON is all about toys, comics and celebrating the best pop culture has to offer. Of course through the years, Pop Culture has become more advances, with the DC and Marvel universe having really rad cinematic universes, and that's just the beginning. Naturally, TOYCON is also giving itself an upgrade and this year, they're going up and beyond, to where no con has gone before :D



Now on it's 16th year, the Philippine TOYCON is now partnering with Pop Life Entertainment, a leading international creative house and brand development company. They started last year to create the ultimate Fan experience for the Filipino pop-culture fans.





FanXperience made ToyCon the staging-ground of the "ultimate fan experience” for the local fan base who got to get up close and personal for the first time with international celebrities like Kristian Nairn from Game of Thrones and Dean Cain from the Adventures of Superman.



This year the TOYCON POP LIFE FANXPERIENCE 2017 takes it up a notch higher and promises bigger entertainment and a whole new playground for the digital generation.

To get us warmed up, here's what to expect at the 2017 TOYCON :D

TOYCON POP LIFE FANXPERIENCE launches to the stratosphere with not just one, two or three but SEVEN big international celebrities for the Filipino fans to enjoy an up close and personal encounter! These include:

• Carla Perez – Rita Repulsa in the Power Rangers 90s TV Series 
• Charlie Bewley – The Vampire Dmitri, from the Twilight movie franchise 
• Lindsay Mckeon – Tessa the Reaper from the hit TV series, Supernatural 
• Karen Fukuhara – Katana of the Suicide Squad Stefan 
• Capicic – Colossus in the Deadpool Movie 
• Cas Anvar – the voice of Altair in Assassins Creed:Revelations 
• Kevin McNally – Joshamee Gibbs in all 5 Pirate of the Caribbean movies

The FanXperience will certainly give lucky fans a chance to interact one-on-one with these big celebrities through the live panels and Meet & Greet sessions.

The TOYCON also boasts of some of the biggest exhibits in the world of popular culture and this year’s highlights include:

•  Japan’s top toy brand, Kotobukiya, displays its latest line of Marvel, Star Wars and DC figurines along with the launch of the Frame Arms Girl Anime and merchandise. 
• Warner Brothers features its movie exhibit of its upcoming line of hit movies, IT, Ninjago, Justice League and the original movie prop doll of the horror cult classic, Annabelle. 
• Mars Ravelo’s Superheroes are featured in their classic art and comic form courtesy of the Mars Ravelo Estate and ABS CBN Licensing. 
• The TOYCON Toy Club Gallery – The biggest toy collectors’ exhibit ever assembled under one roof featuring top toy brands, Kotobukiya, Enesco, Bandai, Hero Cross, Hasbro, Mattel, Hot Toys and Lego. This exhibit makes ToyCon one of the most photographed events in the country. 
• Artists Alley and custom artwork - fans meet their favorite local and international guest artists for custom sketches, signing and art critiquing

WHAT NEW FOR THIS YEAR’S CONVENTION?

Pop Life Entertainment brings your ideas to life in the Creator Stage! All digital content creators and online celebrity aspirants can make their mark on the digital stage by creating their own content right at the Pop Life Creator Stage at the 2nd level of the SMX Convention Center. Share your genius and get a chance to be part of a global leader in multi-channel networks, Pro Am Studio!



I'm pretty stoked because I have never really had the time or purpose to go to toycons. I have been wanting to do cosplay ever since college, but I never really had the chance or the resources to create a bad ass costume. Although this year is a different matter. I'll definitely be there, embodying my favorite character EVER in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Comics. Come on and join the fun to see which character I'm referring to! ;D

#ThisIsHowYouOPPO

When it comes to our smartphones, Beauty and the Budget is always a hit or miss. Either you have great specs, awesome camera capabilities that comes at a high price or lower priced phones but it doesn't deliver up to grade A standards. When OPPO came in the market, this is not the case anymore. Take their latest F3 and the A57, which is fully loaded with great functionality and at an affordable price.



OPPO also added style into the case, with the most affordable dual selfie camera phone now available in a matte black color. This makes the OPPO F3 accessible in three hues which are Gold, Rose Gold and Black, all units pre-installed screen protector and jelly case for added value and protection.



“Our new OPPO F3 Black is our answer for people who are looking for more ways to match their smartphone with their lifestyle and fashion preference. Not only that we are bringing more options to consumers into the table, but its also one of the few models in its price range to have color options. ” – Stephen Cheng, Brand Marketing Manager of OPPO Philippines.


The new OPPO F3 Black is on sale June 16th for Php15,990 (Limited time offer of Back to School Promo), while the bigger OPPO F3 Plus is available for Php23,990.



Now, if you have a lower budget, no worries because OPPO also announced the latest in their A-series, the A57 which gives users a flagship-level 16 MP selfie front camera, bokeh enabled selfies, lightning-fast solid-state fingerprint scanner, a long-lasting battery with a perfect 5.2” body size that perfectly holds grip at a price of Php 11,990.


And you're getting quality photos here as well for photo enthusiasts because the rear camera of the A57 uses a Sony IMX258 sensor paired with a large F2.2 aperture that provides high light sensitivity and clarity that works even in night setup. It also has Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) that delivers an auto focus time of as little as 0.1 seconds, and Ultra-HD mode allows users to capture stunningly detailed 52 MP images.


And of course, for selfies, the A57 sports a 16MP front camera similar to that of the F1s, with a new bokeh feature. It has a f/2.0 aperture lens, Beautify 4.0, palm shutter gesture and OPPO’s Screen Flash feature for amazing selfies even at dim lighting conditions.


Best part? You're getting a stylish phone with loaded features because the A57 is also available in black!


"Filipinos love taking selfies. With the spectacular success of F1s, we thought of bringing the same experience to a broader market. said Stephen Cheng, OPPO Philippines Brand Marketing Manager. “The A57 brings consumers premium photography and advanced features, the best that is offered in its price range.” Cheng added.


The A57 will be available in colors Gold and Black, in all OPPO concept and dealer stores nationwide starting June 16, 2017 for Php11,990.



For more details and specs about the OPPO F3 and the OPPO A57, please visit https://www.facebook.com/OPPOPH/ or log on to http://www.oppo.com/ph/index.html.

•  CALM Yourself

  Before anything else, when you open your eyes take around 5 minutes of meditation, and center yourself to the upcoming day ahead. I say meditate and not go back to sleep ayt? Setting aside time to relax yourself before the day begins makes you more viable. Less stress equates to more efficient and effective and lets you have more energy to withstand the whole day! 
  

• Prepare uniform and double check the kid's bags at night or during weekends

  Especially when it's saturday, I get my kid's uniform along with the undies and sando up on the hangers. One set for every day of the week. So I save time and energy being frantic while looking for clothes. :D

• Stock up on wax and Headbands

  I have a girl and a boy and fixing up their hair can really take up some time. So what I do is stock up on some wax for Rafael that easily sets and for Jenae, headbands which is easy peasy to wear. Save the braids and pigtails for special occasions. :D
  
  

• SAVE TIME and ENERGY by grabbing bread for Baon

  Snacktime is easy peasy when you have breads in your arsenal. Say a loaf of white bread and some cheese equates to a 3 minute preparation of snacks, or better yet, grab yourself some of Gardenia's Pocket Sandwich which makes life THAT MUCH EASIER.
  
  
  
  
  
  The great thing with this is not only is it a time saver, but is also really nutritious. Jenae loves the Chocolate Pocket sandwich, while Rafael prefers the Peanut Butter Pocket Sandwich. Both are  pretty rich in Iron and folate, Vitamin A which is essential for eye health and Vitamin B1 which helps release energy from proteins, fats & carbohydrates.
  
  Best part? it only costs for 15 pesos per sandwich! Pretty economical I might add.
  
  
  

So there we have it! Hope you try out these hacks I found out while trapezing through life and hopefully they make your life a little bit easier too!

Recently you would have seen in my facebook posts that I am currently raving about some fashionable finds I got at Tutuban Center. You can literally find almost anything you would want and need within this mall, and all are at sulit price!

I am up and out with another beauty review! With a whole lot of colors, I have been testing this out for months if it is true to it's 10HR claim. If you wanna know why you should love (or hate) this L'oreal Infallible 10HR Lipsticks, and see the swatches and prices of these babies ,please read on to find out! 

Globe PRISM is a professional development program, conducted by Globe Telecom since February 2017. This is focused towards the teachers who will or are molding the minds of our younger generation today- Generation Z.

This immersive bootcamp, personalized coaching and blended project based learning for teachers is specialized for educators all over the country who are teaching the new Media and Information Literacy subject in Senior High as well as English and Social Studies at both K-12 and higher education levels.





PRISM Pampanga, which we got to witness is the fourth leg of the program, with the first three happening in Metro Manila (Mandaluyong), Bicol (Naga), Visayas (Cebu).  The last workshop will be held in Cagayan de Oro, representing Mindanao.  

The teachers are grouped into teams representing the colors of the rainbow, and each had a focus, which was shown in the PRISM Expo. Said expo is the culminating activity for the program.  It showcases the different digital literacy projects the teachers created as part of the workshop.








For example, Blue team is geared towards helping teachers on classroom strategies and teaching performance, with the help of technology today. This is done through multiple video recordings of class which as Ms. Mitch Tapia of Globe had introduced as a great help for those students who are a bit behind say math problems and are too shy to ask once again to their teachers.



Green team is focused on Social Media Etiquette, training teachers on how to impart to kids and guide them on what is proper when it comes to being a netizen.



Or the Orange Team which seemed to be focused on integrating learning with digital games which are sure to stretch the mind of our children today.



We got to ask teachers if they are overwhelmed with their new role of being a guide to learning instead of paving the way, as well as the gadgets and gizmos that kids seem to know more about than us adults, they had mentioned that they are a bit intimidated, but with Globe Prism, they have become more confident and assured that they can be the guide that our children would need today.




"In the past year and a half, we hired many senior high school teachers. We are committed to their professional development, so that they can build students of conscience, competence and compassion. Globe's PRISM is a powerful set of learning tools that helps our teachers guide students in using electronic tools and online information responsibly. Our teachers' training with PRISM not only improves their digital literacy, but also enhances their skills to engage their students."  As per Holy Angel University VP Academic Affairs Dr. Alma S. Espartinez

One of the key components of the program is the Brightspace Integrated Learning Platform, which the teachers got to access the global Brightspace Community and they underwent distance learning for 3 weeks, with multimedia resources for guide and a seamless platform to collab with learning coaches and teachers in real time.

Disney's Newsies is set to be live and onstage in Manila come July 2017. After the success of A Christmas Carol and American Idiot, Globe Live and 9 Works Theatrical Production team up once again to recreate the Disney and Broadway Classic on stage.



Newsies is also known to be the Philippines' First Dance Musical and the auditions have been tough. There have been a lot of training for this, but in the end, as we saw in a sneak preview of their performance last week, it was all worth it.




So before anything else, here are 10 Must Know Facts about Disney's Newsies in Manila!


1. Newsies, is loosely based on the real-life 1899 newsboy strike in New York City, where a group of boys started a strike hoping to improve the child labor force of daily paper sellers compensation.