What's Inside our Travel Kit

My hands had been full for the past few months, and so is our schedule.  I had missed being to the beach and luckily my youngest brother was so generous that he gifted our family with airfare tickets. So, off to a beach we shall go before this year ends.  But before that, I need to ensure a worry free vacation and this means I have to check travel essentials. Now, for us, travel essentials include my trusted medicines and other products from Unilab.

I have grown seeing Biogesic as a staple medicine in our first aid cabinet.  When I had my family and kids, it is still my go-to medicine for headaches and minor aches and pains.  

Recently, the little princess has been diagnosed with Allergic Rhinitis and since then I ensure that we have Allerkid and NasoClear handy if ever she needs it.  Mahirap na hindi maging ready lalo na at island ang destinasyon namin.

The past few years I have witnessed how my skin turns dull and dry every time that the Amihan season is here.  I am glad to find an affordable moisturizer that suits my skin's needs.  Celeteque Dermoscience Facial Moisturizer is so nice to use since it is water-based and oil free.  I never tried any other facial moisturizer since I started using Celeteque a few years ago.  

Motherhood is a Happy Journey

When I got pregnant the first time, I was only 25 years old and was married for only six months. It was unexpected since I had been having irregular menses eversince I began having them. But God was really full of surprises, he sent us our firstborn the time that the family needs a bundle of joy because we found out that our Mom was suffering from a rare type of Cancer.

What's nice about my first encounter with mommyhood is that I have my Mom to guide me. She never fails to give me insights on how to deal with the roller-coaster ride of emotions a first-timer mom could ever imagine. Although she was not there to accompany me during my delivery, she ensures I am in good hands by helping me choose the hospital to deliver my firstborn.

Seven years after my firstborn, I experienced what could be the one of the worst experiences a mother could have, a miscarriage. I missed my Mom during those times because had she been alive, she could have comforted me more than anyone else because she herself knows the way I was feeling those time having experienced miscarriage for her supposed to be third child.

Now, that I am on my third pregnancy, I still miss her. I know she will be very happy for us especially since we are having a princess. She knows how much we wanted to have another child. Sadly though, she is not near me anymore. I miss all the foods she sends my way specially those that I craved for. But, eventhoug, she is no longer here with us, I am thankful because I have people around me who ensures I get to have a happy pregnancy. There's my husband whose such a dedicated father and he never misses all my OB-Gyn appointments. And since, my firstborn is already grown up, he takes care of me when his father is not around. It also helps a lot that I have lots of friends and relatives who never fails to lighten my mood or just sends a smile either via SMS or a call.

Happiness is really a choice that we have to choice for ourselves. And we have to do it everyday, preggy or not. At the end of the day, we are the ones who dictates the mood of our life. Afterall, we are the first ones that is affected by whatever choice we make.

Santa Claus on Sale

If you have been to the Philippines, then you surely know that Christmas from where I am starts as early as September. Chistmas songs are played on the radio and malls starts to dispose their previous inventory via big Sale. You would see a lot of christmas decors everywhere. Speaking of decors, the kid and I went to a bookstore last weekend and we saw these paint-your-own Santa Claus set. It comes with four Santa Claus porcelain figures, a brush and a paint set. I want to add a different flair to our Christmas tree this year and thought that this could be what I wanted. And the kid was really bugging me in getting them. He said he wants to paint them and that it would be a good bonding moment for us. Makes sense, right?

 So this is how they look like inside the box.

Once they were out of the box, I found out that they seem to be heavy for something to be hanging on a tree. I guess, I better find a different place for them instead. On top of a side table perhaps?

And here they are after they have been painted.

Pardon the fourth one, it was not fully painted yet. My bad, i got all sleepy when we were painting them. I guess painting porcelain figurines would help me in my sleeping habits, too. And, did I tell you, these are really cheap deals? This stash only cost  P 169.75 (around 4 US dollars). Another thing is that it's on sale, you get to have another box for free when you buy it. So that means eight Santa Claus figurines instead of four. Good buy, isn't it?

 I still wish I have enough money though because I would really like to buy this Santa Claus.  He will surely be a great addition to our garden come Christmastime.  Hmm, perhaps next year?

Songs that make us Sing: Just the Way He Is

 I revisited my VoiceBoks account this weekend.  I was not surprised about the messages and group invites.  Maybe because I know that I am a very lame member but I have promised myself that I will seriously blog this time. My attention was caught by one bloghop that goes on every saturday.   It was almost the same time that my brother had posted a video where he sings for his girl.  Now, being his number two fan, (I don't want to take the number one fan spot from her girlfriend), I decided to share it with all Songs that makes us Sing bloghoppers.

 

Aint he so sweet?


If you wanna check out what other songs makes other moms sing, please head on to Ginger and Becca .  Or you may just simply click on the button below.   Happy Saturday singing!

A Mother's Love

Mothers' Day is here again. It seems that this special day for Moms has been tainted because of Pacquiao-Mosley boxing bout. Since Pacquiao won, can we say Mommy D is the happiest amongst all moms today? I guess not. I am happy because Hubby and Kid surprised me with a bouquet of red roses after the mass. I know, it was not as grand as the Hermes bag that Mommy D had or those Manolo Blahniks that she will be wearing on her birthday bash. But the flowers came from two important men in my life. I care not about the tag but more about the thought.

Our Mom makes us be this way. We were brought up to choose needs over wants. We were shown that we have to work hard to be able to get what we want in life. Life can be simple or grand , depending on how you choose life to be. Everything that we are right now, we all owe to this one very special lady.

Mama was there when I had to fight for my right to become the schools representative on a district wide quiz bee in grade one. Mama was there when I delivered my first poem in front of two classrooms full of onlookers, a lot of them I don't know. Mama witnessed how I tripped my way when I was dancing one night in high school. She was also there when I graduated in college. She was with me when I walked down the aisle and she was there during my own take on motherhood. She patiently gave me all the foods that I was craving for, making sure that I get what exactly I want. She might not be beside me when I was laboring for my kid but I know that on her room she was whispering a prayer for my safe delivery. She was there to teach me how to bathe my kid. I could still remember how she beams with pride holding on to her only apo. She was patient enough to call us each and every day when we were living far from them. She never fails to give hope and courage even during the times that she was already bedridden with cancer. She never makes it hard for us to live with her illness. Although she battled cancer for almost six years, we never saw the pain in her eyes until the very last hours. She may be gone now but her spirit remains. Whenever I see my kid and hug him, I now know how it feels to become a mother and I now know why she chooses to live longer. She chose to live longer even when she is silently in pain so she could be with us for a little more time. I guess it is true, that Angels cannot be everywhere, so He just created Mothers.



Mama, wherever you are please know that you are loved and that we are blessed having you as our Mom.

Happy Mothers Day!

A Different Way of Saying Happy Mother's Day

I was baking those cupcakes when the kid asked me about Mothers' Day and I replied that I need to be at the office on that day. He did not say anything and went back to his drawing board. After about 15 minutes, he went back to me and said that if I could take a leave on Mother's day. To which I answered No, because I have already filed a leave for mommy's death anniversary on the 14th and it will be too late for me to file for a leave for Mother's Day. He went back to with his stuff again and after about 15 more minutes went back to me and said, "Paglaki ko, magpe Presidente ako, tapos oorder ko na ang lahat ng Mommies , walang pasok pag Mother's Day. Bakit kaya di naiisip ng Presidente yun ngayon 'no Mama?". (When I grew up, I will be a President and I will make an order that Mommies dont have to go to work on Mother's Day. Why don't you think the President is not thinking about that?). I was stumped and to be honest I was about to burst into laughter and tears. I told him that the president could be thinking a lot to think about declaring Mother's Day an official holiday for Moms. We were about to sleep and he was kissing me goodnight when he said, "Mama, ayoko na pala maging Presidente, maraming problema yun eh. Mag business na lang tayo para di mo na kelangan pumasok pag Mother's day, tapos lahat ng mga nagtatrabaho sa tin na mommies wala rin pasok pag Mother's Day, pede ba yung ganun Mama?" (Mama, I no longer want to be a President because there are lots of problem that a President is worrying about. Let us just venture into a business so you don't have to go to work on Mother's day, then all those Mommies working on our business also do not have to go to work on Mother's day, would that be possible, Mama?). What an insight from an eight-year old kid! I guess, it is his way of saying that he wants me beside him on Mother's day. What a way to be greeted Happy Mother's Day!

To all mommies, nanays, mamas, inays or whatever you are being called; we may only be someone to a lot but for our kids we are everything (or at least during their younger years). So hug them always and let them know you care for them. And if you still have your Mom with you, don't forget to tell them how much you appreciate them.

New Year's Feast...New Year Feat

Exactly eight days to go before Christmas and fifteen days before New Year, hubby and I are still debating on what to have on our table for the special occassion. I have been suggesting that we go for an all-Filipino feast for New Year, except for the addition of the Spagetti (which I am planning of Filipinizing as well). Hubby wants to have an Asian inspired feast on the other hand. He was even telling me that the Paella and the Leche Flan are not actually Filipino dish iin nature and that there are actually no such thing as authentic Filipino dish because dishes of the Philippines are actually a fusion. But since I do the marketing of the groceries and other stuff, he can't say "No." if I already have them on the pantry. I want an all Filipino menu because my two brothers who are from Singapore and Japan will be here. I know how hard it is to find authentic Pinoy dishes cooked the way it should be when you are far from home. Besides, it is only during this time that my brothers are here. So,here goes the menu for the New Year's Eve feast.


Appetizers:
Lumpiang Prito
Main Dishes:
Seafood Paella
Pork Hamonado
Pochero
Pancit Palabok
Herbed Chicken Inasal
Spagetti
Desserts:
Ube Halaya
Leche Plan
Sapin-sapin

For sure my younger brother who adores my mom's Dinuguan will be asking me to make my version of it and the other brother will be asking for Kare Kare. This means that I might spend most of my time in the kitchen before the countdown. For sure the New Year's feast will be a New Year's feat for me but I really don't care, as long as I can suffice their cravings. The smiles on their faces will be more than enough to repay the day's hardwork at the kitchen.

Mommy Moments: Hat Day

I have been absent for a bunch of fridays already but I still wish that my fellow mommies will take time to read my Mommy Moments entry for this week.

Boys have always been fond of accessorizing themselves with hats and my Jian is of no difference. He had always been wearing hats eversince he was a toddler. Hubby always completes his attire by buying a complimentary hat. Jian seems to like wearing them. But what I am sharing right now are fun shots we had when we went shopping one time. We bumped into a collection of different hats from the Toy's Section. And just look how he had fun trying them all.




These are actually some of my favorite pictures of my toddler then. If you want to see more kids wearing all hats possible, please take time to visit Mommy Moments.

Mommy Moments: I Gotta Wear Shades

Jian has been a kid who loves to sport different get ups every now and then. As Hubby puts it, blame it on me being his mom. But, hey he actually looked good in whatever I asked him to wear. The sad thing is that even if I entice him to try his hand in the entertainment business, he just does not want to. Well, this mom is no differnt from other moms. Pardon me, but bragging about my cute son is actually one reason why I am keeping this blog.

Jian at age two, wearing Lola Adela´s big sunglasses.

Jian at age four. Kahit pango, bagay pa rin ang shades.

Well, just look at where he got the idea of wearing shades.

If your kid loves to wear shades, you better head to Mommy Chris´ site and share your pictures with us.

Mommy Moments: Part of The Family

I am so sorry I was not able to post an entry to last week´s Mommy Moments. I have been really busy on my son´s birthday preparation and I know I still owe you an entry about that celebration plus I have my heads full of all the new knowledge I am trying to absorb from my training at work. i just could not pass on this week´s theme that made me write a really quick post.

Jian has always been close to my side of the family. It is because we live with them and we get to see most of them often.

These are my brothers and my sister-in-law.
Jian being the only nephew that they have as off the moment is very close to them.

This is Tito Dandrie, my cousin who is four years younger than Jian.
Jian calls him Tito and Ayey calls him Kuya.

Well, nothing beats Mommy, my mom. She will always be special to Jian.

For more Mommy Moments, please visit Mommy Chris´ Mommy Journey.

Mommy Moments: First Steps

This week at Mommy Moments the theme is all about first steps, be it the literal first step or whatever firsts that we might have in photo for our kiddos. I know I was not able to capture Jian´s first real step (it could be because we still don´t have the digital cam before). But luckily I was able to dig into my mom´s treasure chest of memorable photos. I was not even thinking that my mom was really that sentimental about his only apo that she kept this picture.



So there goes my Jian´s first wobbly steps captured in photo by my mom. ´Twas like just yesterday, but then a few days from now he is turning seven. Makes me think seriously about trying-to-conceive again real soon.

More mommies are bragging about their little ones firsts here. You can join in the fun, too.

Planning for a Birthday Party

It´s already the month of July. We are already more than half way of the current year and this also means I have only one month to plan on my kid´s upcoming 7th birthday. No, it´s not going to be grand. I am actually planning on a do-it-yourself birthday party for him. I am now starting to think of a theme. He insists on having a Spongebob Party but he already have one on his 3rd. Hubby suggests a Transformers theme but it appears too hard to make a DIY birthday party with that theme.

I have been checking on some stuffs for the event. I already have plans on going to Divisoria to buy the supplies (like the balloons, the loot bags and perhaps the souvenirs). I have also spoken with my previous baking instructor for the cake. She is just waiting for the theme to finalize the cake design. Oh, one thing more, my son is asking for food carts but I think I will just assign one of my cousins to cook fishballs and cheese sticks during the party. Right now, what needs to be taken cared off will be the food for the adults who will be joining the kids on that day. My kumares are asking for Palabok. I am still thinking if I can cook it and still be able to entertain the guests on that day. Surely, it is going to be one tiring event to plan ,and to executebut if it is for my kid then everything is worth it.

Care to share any idea on preparing for a birthday party? If you can share me suppliers for DIY parties, I would really appreciate it.

Quick Dish for Lazy Days

My early mornings have been busy since monday. I am now attending to two kids (my son who goes to school and the bigger baby Hubby who goes to work). I am enjoying it so much and I am not complaining but then again, admit it or not, there are really days when you stayed late because of blogging you just can't go to sleep easily. I need to prepare their breakfast real quick or they will end up munching on just bread. This dish is a quick fix to those days when I feel too lazy like not getting up too early.

My Cute Kid

A lot of people have been telling you that your kid's photo are great and that he really exudes a different charm on each and every single shots. Don't you think its high time for your kid to join in TheCuteKid, it is an online baby and photo contest that offers great prizes for their mothly winners. The site actually requires a minimal fee of $19.95 but then there are a lot of freebies for all of those who will be joining in. For a limited time, those who will be entering their photo for the contest, will be getting an 11 x 14 canvas portrait of the entry. If you don't want to enter the contest, you may still upload your kid's picture and you will be sent an 8 x 10 canvas copy of that picture . You just have to shed off some cash for shipping and handling. The prizes at stake for the winner are really great. What's good about this is that every cute kid gets to join irregardless of their location. Sounds pretty cool? Well, I can't resist the opportunity so I did some research and found this cute photo of my son.

Now, i just need to ask Hubby about entering the contest. I need to borrow his credit card for the fee and the shipping and handling of the canvas.



Now, if I were you, I'll check on those piles of photo that you have and look for the best and then head on to the TheCuteKid. Who knows? it could be your kid they are looking for.

MIssing Mom on Mother's Day

Today is a very special day to all mother's in the world. This happens to be the first mother's day that I will not be able to hug my mom. Roughly a year ago, she left us to be with her creator. I actually made the video below as a gift to her on her 50th birthday last November 4, 2007. That was her last birthday with us and I could also say it was her happiest. There were a lot of surprises for her on that day. She was reunited with her long lost friends and all the person dear to her were there to greet her on that special day.



Nasaan ka man, Mama, Happy Mother's Day. I know you are still guiding us. Thanks for everything and I promise to make sure that you will always be remembered by your apo. Mahal na mahal ka naming lahat.

Hubby turns 37

My hubby turned 37 last April 18th. We would have wanted to celebrate it some place special. There have been plans actually but we can’t go some place which will take hours for traveling. Instead, what we did was to go to the nearest park in our area. Walking under the huge trees of La Mesa Eco Park was a stress buster on its own. You can trail the whole park without feeling exhausted, must have been the oxygen from the trees. We were lucky to be gifted a nice weather as well. Another surprise was the Cultural show on the amphitheater of the place. Some cultural groups from different schools were there to perform their stuffs. One group caught my attention. They are from University of the Philippines. The name of their group was Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino (Kontra-Gapi). They played all sort of cultural Filipino music. We hear them played music from different tribes. It reminds me of the time that I still play the lyre (Yes, I did! way back in high school). The music was soothing and it was nice to dance with the tunes.

Indeed we would have enjoyed the day if it was spent somewhere else. But who says, we did not enjoy nature at La Mesa Eco Park. Well, think again!

A Day in the Wild

Jian has always been tugging on us to go to the parks. Unlike kids of his age, he seems to enjoy the beauty (and heat!) of nature instead of the comfort being offered by the malls. Lucky for us, because these parks does not actually ask for a lot for entrance fees. It also is a great way of distressing from the daily hustle and bustle thing we called “work”. I thought that last saturday was not going to be different from all the other saturdays that we had. I normally wake up late and asks the same question, “Where are we gonna buy our groceries?”. Nagulat ako, kasi Jian replied “Ano kaya kung magpunta naman tayo sa park, antagal ko na kayang hindi nakakapunta sa park?”. Gusto kong sumagot na walang groceries sa park. I tried to convince him that it was not the right time to go there as the sun is about to shine its brightest and I don’t want us to be toasted and all. But then, pinanigan ng ama, kaya ayun natuloy din kami. . Add to this the fact that Apple, my cousin who stays with us, haven’t been to the Wildlife before. We boarded a public utility jeepney off to the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife at around 10amWe were greeted by the scorching heat of the sun when we arrived in Wildlife at around 11am. Walkathon na syempre ang drama naming lahat. They don’t seem to care about the heat (buti na lang we were able to apply sunblock lotions before we went out!).

Being in this park, makes memories come back.
Hah, this park seems to hold a special place in my heart. It was saddening to see that over the years, deterioration seems to take over the place.
The animals looked malnourished,and a lot of the structure which houses animals are dilapidated. Even the main administration building does not look properly taken cared off.

It is no longer possible to fish on the lagoon, nor to go boating. There was a nice part of the park which remains to be close and no one can answer how commoners can get there. I know that this park is a sanctuary for strayed wild animals but it appears that the whole place needs a lot of finances for make over. This reminds me the reason why even people from Class C & D crowds prefer to go to the mall even if its more costly.

On a lighter note, it is nice to see that the cleanliness of the park was maintained well enough. The flowering plants seems to be happy as shown in the abundance of the buds. Oh and I almost forgot to say, that we were not alone on that day. There are actually a lot of families and groups of young students on the park on that scorching saturday afternoon.

All in all, that day in the Wild was not a bad experience at all. As the pictures implied, we have a nice time under the heat of the sun.

I just wish that our government could do something about the “dying parks” so that the next generation Filipinos could still savor the beauty of the wild without having to pay much.

Victory at last!

After all the exhaustion that we had from organizing our family reunion last Valentines Day, we are now thinking of having a BIG break. It is actually more of a victory party for all of us. the reunion was such a blast. Everyone who attended had a night to remember, well those who were not able to be there should somehow regret it. But then, we know that they would have been there if their schedule permits. Right now, for a much needed vacation, we are contemplating on going to this...



or to this?

What do you think?

A day in the City of Manila

It has been Hubby's yearly promise to went to the Feast of the Black Nazarene. Since we dated (oh well, yes that was fourteen years ago!), I have been tagged on this yearly occassion. There was only one time when we were not able to attend the feast;that was last year because I happen to at the hospital for surgery. Nonetheless, we are not part of the crowd that was almost a mob during the procession. I don't like the idea of us being part of the crowd especially since we have our son in tow. We just went there to go to mass. Hubby said this for him is to thank the Black Nazarene for all the blessing that he have been giving him all throughout. He always told me how he begged Señor for a lady love that he will end up marrying (ako daw yun!). We actually met on a friday, he was from Quaipo church that day. Seeing how people from all walks of life present during the feast makes me believe (once again!) to the Infinite Power of God. Son was very fascinated that he never gets tired of walking nor did he ever get grumpy at all.

We have spent the afternoon after the mass, trying to look for an alternate route so we won't end up following the procession or getting tangled on it. Much to our surprise, our feet bought us to the Jones Bridge. We crossed Jones Bridge and off we went to the Intramuros. To my surprise, Intramuros was a much different place than I remembered it to be. We were lucky because there was a Sto. Niño Exhibit ongoing until that day. It was nice seeing all the Infant Jesus' image being shown. A group of youngsters were also there as if practicing for a parade. They were placing makeshift drums and cymbals, but they do sound great. Reminds me of Pinoy ingenuity. Since we are already around the place, we also dropped by the Manila Cathedral and off to Luneta Park we also go. It was almost sunset when we arrived there. Our son was very happy about the experience. He even blurted out not to go to the malls and spend some more time at the park. He even mentioned boating and fishing in La Mesa Ecopark to become part of our next itinerary.

Well, a day in the City of Manila is not bad at all. Seeing the smile, makes every drop of sweat (oh, I almost forgot, we never ride any jeepneys or what have yous transferring from one place to another) worth it!

Pataas ng Pataas ng Pataas

Kanina lang ako nagbyaheng ulit papuntang opisina kasi di pwedeng maghatid si Hubby dahil kailangang mag aral ni Baby para sa test sa eskwela bukas. Nagulat ako sa sobrang taas ng pamasahe sa ngayon. Parang kelan lang, 1.50 ang minimum na pamasahe sa mga jeepneys tapos ngayon 8.50 na pala. Okay, siguro nga ay sobrang tagal na ang panahong sinasabi ko kasi 15 years na nga pala akong nakakagraduate from high school, at high school ako noong 1.50 ang pamasahe sa jeep. Naisip ko lang dati pag may bente pesos ako sa bulsa, malayo na ang mararating ko, may meryenda pa ako. Ngayon kaya magkano na ang baon ng mga high school students? Grade 1 pa lang kasi ang anak ko eh kaya nagkakasya pa sya sa sandwiches and biscuits na pinapabaon namin. At saka mas gusto ko yung ganito na pinababaunan ko sya ng pagkain, alam ko na kung ano ang kinakain nya, di pa sya lumalaki na sanay na may hawak na pera. Ang hirap na talaga ng buhay, wala ng mura ngayon kundi ang mura ng kapitbahay mo na galit na galit dahil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin.

Kung noong mga nakakaraang buwan na ang NFA rice ay nabibiling disiotso pesos isang kilo, madami pa ring magugutom, paano na ngayong tumaas na rin sya at naging bente singko pesos na kada kilo. Dumadami lalo ang batang nasa kalye at naghahanap buhay, dumadami rin ang nasisiraan ng bait dahil sa gutom. Ano na lang kaya ang kahihinatnan nang Pinoy at ng Pilipinas pagkaraan ng sampung taon? Dati, ang bukambibig ko noong nasa kolehiyo ako, di ko iiwan ang 'Pinas kasi alam ko kaya pa nitong tumayo sa lugmok na kinalalagyan nya. Nagsisimula kasi noong ituring tiger economy ang ekonomiya ng bansa na nasa pamamahala ni Tabako. Ngayon, nagsisimula na rin akong mag isip na mangibang bayan para sa kinabukasan ng anak ko, ng pamilya namin. Pabulok na kasi nang pabulok ang sistema sa 'Pinas kahit sa pinakamaliit na sangay ng gobyerno me korupsyong nagaganap, kahit sa kabataang barangay nauso na rin ang bilihan ng boto. Haynaku, pano pinakikialaman na rin ng malalaking pulitiko.

Mag aanim na taon pa lang ang anak ko sa Agosto, at ayokong ito ang maging mukha ng Pilipinas na kalakihan nya. Pero, ano ang magagawa ng isang inang katulad ko kung nag iisa lang ako. Kung sana lang lahat ng ina ay magtutulong tulong alam ko may natitira pang hibla nang buhay ang 'Pinas at nasa palad ito ng kabataang nasa pangangalaga ng kanilang mga magulang.