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crown, filipino culture

Yas queen.

Artist Mar Velicaria is giving a renaissance to Filipino culture. Their beautiful handmade golden headdresses are taking over TikTok, and not just because they are stunning to look at.

Velicaria currently has four different crown designs, all inspired by a key part of the Filipino flag: the Philippine sun. The image of the sun invokes a lot of different things for a lot of different people. But it has a particular meaning in Filipino culture.

Located in the center of the flag’s white triangle, the sun—which originally had a face on it—is meant to symbolize the “brightness of the Filipino mind,” according to The Philippines Today. Each of the sun’s eight rays represent the provinces that rebelled against Spain to defend freedom.

filipino sun crowncommons.wikimedia.org

In addition, it features three stars surrounding the sun, which carry two different meanings. First, they represent the three groups of islands that make up the Philippines: Luzon, Mindanao and Visayas. But each star also carries more specific context: Luzon represents diligence, Mindanao preserving nature and Visayas the importance of a happy personality.

Velicaria used their impressive skills to shine a spotlight on this rich heritage in a truly creative way and people are loving them for it.


Below is thier first design, simply called the "Reyna.”

@marharlika

POV you’re just trying to live out your mom’s dream of being in a Philippine teleserya 🇵🇭🤪

♬ It's All Coming Back To Me Now - Céline Dion

Velicaria told "Good Morning America" that the idea came to them after watching the 2018 Met Gala, which had the theme of “heavenly bodies.” What started out as a fun creative hobby soon became a meaningful way to support and celebrate their community.

“I hope my products inspire you to learn more about your family, your culture, your people and yourself,” they told GMA.

Below is a slightly different but just as beautiful crown called the "5 Ray Reyna."

@marharlika

I didn’t expect this version of headpiece to be as popular as it is, but I’m happy that y’all like it 💖🥰🇵🇭

♬ T a l k i n g t o t h e P l a y D a t e - MidnightDrives

This one is my personal favorite, called the "Sunpaguita."

@marharlika

POV you fall asleep during class and dream of sunny days ☀️

♬ Howl's Moving Castle - Merry-Go-Round of Life - Vitamin String Quartet

The Sampaquita is the national flower of the Philippines, though oddly enough it isn't native to the area. The flower symbolizes purity, simplicity, humility and strength.

Last but not least, there's the lovely "Maria," showing up at the very beginning of this video:

@marharlika Since so many class of 2022 grads wanna see what the headpieces looked like in a cap and gown 🎓✨🇵🇭👑 #classof2022♬ Get Up (feat Chamillionaire) - Ciara

Mary, aka "The Blessed Mother," is a major icon in Filipino Catholic tradition. Several days throughout the year are dedicated to honoring her, as she is seen as a living connection to the sacred.

It's not just glamorous crowns either; Velicaria offers all kinds of accessories and jewelry inspired by Filipino culture. And with every lovely trinket they create, they brings in more representation.

“There’s this saying [in Tagalog] called ‘Isang Bagsak,’ which means ‘One Down," they said to GMA. "It basically represents this idea in Philippine culture that if one of us falls, we all fall. And if one of us rises, we all rise.”

If you want to check out more of their work, or even purchase a few items, you can find their Instagram and website here and here.

Kristen Bell announces This Saves Lives new partnership with Upworthy.

True

Every day, Upworthy shares stories that spotlight the very best of humanity. But if there’s one cause that unites us all, it’s solving child hunger.

In a recent poll of our followers, we found that child hunger is the issue they care about most. So today, we’re doing something about it. We’ve joined forces with humanitarian snack brand This Saves Lives to end child hunger.

This Saves Lives co-founder, actress Kristen Bell.

This Saves Lives was founded in 2013 with the goal of ending early childhood severe acute malnutrition. Its solution is simple, for every snack you purchase, they give life-saving food to a child in need. This Saves Lives has already donated over 30 million packets of lifesaving food in Haiti, Guatemala, Kenya and beyond. We hope our new partnership works to feed millions more.

“Will you join us? It’s easy and delicious.” — Kristen Bell.

Join us and explore delicious snacks that give back at thissaveslives.com/doinggoodtogether.

A 6-year-old and his dad shared a moment of emotional regulation after a toddler meltdown.

Anyone who has parented a spirited "threenager" knows how hard handling toddler tantrums can be. Parents often joke about our wee ones throwing down, because laughter is sometimes the only way to cope. But in reality, it can be extremely disturbing and distressing for the entire household when a family member carries on in a way that feels—or truly is—out of control.

Major tantrums can be especially hard for parents who didn't have good parenting examples themselves. It takes superhuman patience to be the parents we want to be some days, and none of us does it perfectly all the time. When a child is screaming and crying over something irrational and nothing seems to be working to get them to stop, exhausted parents can lose their cool and respond in ways they normally wouldn't.

That's one reason a TikTok video of a father and son captured in the aftermath of an epic toddler tantrum has caught people's attention. Many of us have been in the dad's shoes before, frazzled and shaken by the relentlessness and intensity of a 3-year-old's meltdown. And many of us have been in the son's shoes as well, witnessing a younger sibling's insanity and our parents' struggle to manage the situation.

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Sponsored

This is the most important van in NYC… and it’s full of socks.

How can socks make such a huge difference? You'd be surprised.

all photos provided by Coalition for The Homeless

Every night, the van delivers nourishment in all kinds of ways to those who need it most

True

Homelessness in New York City has reached its highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Over 50,000 people sleep each night in a shelter, while thousands of others rely on city streets, the subway system and other public locations as spaces to rest.

That’s why this meal (and sock) delivery van is an effective resource for providing aid to those experiencing homelessness in New York City.

Every night of the year, from 7pm to 9:30, the Coalition for the Homeless drives a small fleet of vans to over 25 stops throughout upper and lower Manhattan and in the Bronx. At each stop, adults and families in need can receive a warm meal, a welcoming smile from volunteers, and a fresh, comfy new pair of Bombas socks. Socks may be even more important than you think.

Bombas was founded in 2013 after the discovery that socks were the #1 most requested clothing item at homeless shelters.

Access to fresh, clean socks is often limited for individuals experiencing homelessness—whether someone is living on the street and walking for much of the day, or is unstably housed without reliable access to laundry or storage. And for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness —expenses might need to be prioritized for more critical needs like food, medication, school supplies, or gas. Used socks can’t be donated to shelters for hygienic reasons, making this important item even more difficult to supply to those who need it the most.

Bombas offers its consumers durable, long-lasting and comfortable socks, and for every pair of Bombas socks purchased, an additional pair of specially-designed socks is donated to organizations supporting those in need, like Coalition for the Homeless. What started out as a simple collaboration with a few organizations and nonprofits to help individuals without housing security has quickly become a bona fide giving movement. Bombas now has approximately 3,500 Giving Partners nationwide.

Though every individual’s experience is unique, there can frequently be an inherent lack of trust of institutions that want to help—making a solution even more challenging to achieve. “I’ve had people reach out when I’m handing them a pair of socks and their hands are shaking and they’re looking around, and they’re wondering ‘why is this person being nice to me?’” Robbi Montoya—director at Dorothy Day House, another Giving Partner—told Bombas.

Donations like socks are a small way to create connection. And they can quickly become something much bigger. Right now over 1,000 people receive clothing and warm food every night, rain or shine, from a Coalition for the Homeless van. That bit of consistent kindness during a time of struggle can help offer the feeling of true support. This type of encouragement is often crucial for organizations to help those take the next difficult steps towards stability.

This philosophy helped Bombas and its abundance of Giving Partners extend their reach beyond New York City. Over 75 million clothing items have been donated to those who need it the most across all 50 states. Over the years Bombas has accumulated all kinds of valuable statistics, information, and highlights from Giving Partners similar to the Coalition for the Homeless vans and Dorothy Day House, which can be found in the Bombas Impact Report.

In the Impact Report, you’ll also find out how to get involved—whether it’s purchasing a pair of Bombas socks to get another item donated, joining a volunteer group, or shifting the conversation around homelessness to prioritize compassion and humanity.

To find out more, visit BeeBetter.com.

Family

A letter to my mother-in-law who spoiled my sons

"It's pointless to dwell on regrets, but I often think about how I had it all wrong. I was so wrong in how I perceived your generosity."

Tina Platamura

This article originally appeared on 04.14.16


You always stole my thunder. You gave them everything they wanted. You never said no when they asked for anything.

Tina Platamura

A second helping of dessert. Candy before dinner. A few more minutes in the bath. Money for the ice cream truck.

I struggled to show you respect and appreciation while trying to make sure you didn't spoil my children. I thought you would turn them into “selfish brats" by giving them everything they wanted. I thought they might never learn to wait, to take turns, to share, because you granted their wishes as soon as they opened their mouths and pointed.

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A dad's hilarious letter to school asks them to explain why they're living in 1968.

"I look forward to this being rectified and my daughter and other girls at the school being returned to this millennium."

This article originally appeared on 12.08.17.


Earlier this week, Stephen Callaghan's daughter Ruby came home from school. When he asked her how her day was, her answer made him raise an eyebrow.

Ruby, who's in the sixth grade at her school in Australia, told her dad that the boys would soon be taken on a field trip to Bunnings (a hardware chain in the area) to learn about construction.

The girls, on the other hand? While the boys were out learning, they would be sent to the library to have their hair and makeup done.

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