mommyjournals

God is sending us another miracle!

2014-02-14T23:40:00.000-08:00

Truly God answers prayers in the exact moment when He feels you are ready for it. After seven long years of constant prayers and waiting, God finally answered my prayers, not to mention Bea's prayers which goes along this line: "Jesus please give us another baby, a baby boy, only one please!" I don't know about her, but whether God gives us a little boy or a girl, it doesn't matter. What's important is, He has finally answered our prayers! :)

So you could just imagine my excitement on New Years day, when I figured I just missed my usually on-the-dot period (yep, I never skip a regular date). I just had to get my hands on a preg test so I did the liberty of purchasing two from the drug store. Why two, well..for someone who always gets a negative on the preg test, I just had to make sure. :) And lo and behold when I saw two lines on the two preg tests I purchased, I almost fainted! :) Yep, I'm a bit of a drama queen like that but I was very ecstatic!

I was so happy, I couldn't contain my excitement so I had to share it with hubby, after all, it is going to be his baby too. And I've realized for a number of years, I am not capable of immaculate conception, sorry. We both cried (well I wailed, and hubby refused to admit he was teary eyed) with the news. So the following day, we just had to go see my OB. But the doctor said I am indeed impregnated but she couldn't find a heartbeat. So to make story short, I was a bit disappointed and had to wait a few more weeks to be sure.

On the seventh week, my doctor confirmed that the little bleep in my tummy is growing, and she had finally detected a heartbeat! Hallelujah! I am now on my 12th week and on my latest ultrasound, my baby already showed mommy his face :)

So.. after 2 preg tests, 4 ultrasounds and a number of visits to my OB, I can finally announce to the world.. We are having a baby! :) Yey!

Conversations with my photogwafy hubby...

2013-09-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

At dahil me Beaboo Anecdotes, syempre di papahuli at me anecdotes din si hubby doodles... :)

__________________________________________________________

ME: please dapat maganda ako sa pictures! dapat flawless at payat!
HUBBY: photographer ako hon, di magician!

ay.. bakit naman?

****

HUBBY: attend ako photography workshop ha.
ME: oks. attend din ako workshop e.
HUBBY: tungkol saan?
ME: make-up workshop para makasama ako sa mga photography shoots mo.

hehe kala mo ha! wa-is to! :)

****

iba talaga pag me anak na babae...

ME: pag teenager na little girl natin tuturuan mo mag shoot?
HUBBY: hindi, ako mag aaral mag shoot
ME: e marunong ka naman mag shoot kaya
HUBBY: pag teenager na little girl natin, bibili na ko ng baril!

ay, ibang shooting na pala!

****

ALL ABOUT LENSES:

HUBBY: Shoot lang ako portraits ha
ME: Sure, yung telephoto lens lang dalhin mo ha!

loko to.. eh alam ko naman na magshu-shoot na naman sila ng mowdels na chekchi! Telephoto lens lang para di makashoot ng sobrang lapit hehe.
-----

sa beach...
ME: picturan mo ko please...
HUBBY: ok..
ME: (review pic sa camera) bat lagi ako nasa gitna ng frame?
HUBBY: e wide angle lens gamit ko. di ba gusto mo checkchi ka lagi?

bright talaga tong asawa ko hehe.
-----

I know I am a "trying hard" comic, but its my way of saying Happy Anniversary to Daddy Omay and the Pinay Travelogue's official photographer! Although you're not the "flower and chocolates" type of guy, and you are not as sweet as sugar, I still feel the love! :)
It's been wonderful celebrating 13 years with you. :)

25 Rules for Mothers of Daughters.

2013-08-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

I found this article in the internet. I did not write this article and found it to be applicable to me and my unica hija. So sorry I didn't find the name of the writer since it was written anonymously.

***************************************************************************

25 Rules for Mothers of Daughters...

1. Paint her nails. Then let her scratch it off and dirty them up. Teach her to care about her appearance, and then quickly remind her that living and having fun is most important.

2. Let her put on your makeup, even if it means bright-red-smudged lips and streaked-blue eyes. Let her experiment in her attempts to be like you…then let her be herself.

3. Let her be wild. She may want to stay home and read books on the couch, or she may want to hop on the back of a motorcycle-gasp. She may be a homebody or a traveler. She may fall in love with the wrong boy, or meet mr. right at age 5. Try to remember that you were her age once. Everyone makes mistakes, let her make her own.

4. Be present. Be there for her at her Kindergarten performances, her dance recitals, her soccer games…her everyday-little-moments. When she looks through the crowds of people, she will be looking for your smile and pride. Show it to her as often as possible.

5. Encourage her to try on your shoes and play dress-up. If she would rather wear her brother’s superman cape with high heals, allow it. If she wants to wear a tutu or dinosaur costume to the grocery store, why stop her? She needs to decide who she is and be confident in her decision.

6. Teach her to be independent. Show her by example that woman can be strong. Find and follow your own passions. Search for outlets of expression and enjoyment for yourself- not just your husband or children. Define yourself by your own attributes, not by what others expect you to be. Know who you are as a person, and help your daughter find out who she is.

7. Pick flowers with her. Put them in her hair. There is nothing more beautiful than a girl and a flower.

8. Let her get messy. Get messy with her, no matter how much it makes you cringe inside. Splash in the puddles, throw snowballs, make mud pies, finger paint the walls: just let it happen. The most wonderful of memories are often the messy ones.

9. Give her good role models- you being one of them. Introduce her to successful woman- friends, co-workers, doctors, astronauts, or authors. Read to her about influential woman- Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie. Read her the words of inspirational woman- Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson. She should know that anything is possible.

10. Show her affection. Daughters will mimic the compassion of their mother. “I love yous” and Eskimo kisses go a long way.

11. Hold her hand. Whether she is 3 years-old in the parking lot or sixteen years old in the mall, hold on to her always- this will teach her to be confident in herself and proud of her family.

12. Believe in her. It is the moments that she does not believe in herself that she will need you to believe enough for both of you. Whether it is a spelling test in the first grade, a big game or recital, a first date, or the first day of college…remind her of the independent and capable woman you have taught her to be.

13. Tell her how beautiful she is. Whether it is her first day of Kindergarten, immediately after a soccer game where she is grass-stained and sweaty, or her wedding day. She needs your reminders. She needs your pride. She needs your reassurance. She is only human.

14. Love her father. Teach her to love a good man, like him. One who lets her be herself…she is after all wonderful.

15. Make forts with boxes and blankets. Help her to find magic in the ordinary, to imagine, to create and to believe in fairy tales. Someday she will make her 5 by 5 dorm-room her home with magic touches and inspiration. And she will fall in love with a boy and believe him to be Prince Charming.

16. Read to her. Read her Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. But also remember the power of Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost. Show her the beauty of words on a page and let her see you enjoy them. Words can be simply written and simply spoken, yet can harvest so much meaning. Help her to find their meaning.

17. Teach her how to love- with passion and kisses. Love her passionately. Love her father passionately and her siblings passionately. Express your love. Show her how to love with no restraint. Let her get her heart broken and try again. Let her cry, and gush, giggle and scream. She will love like you love or hate like you hate. So, choose love for both you and her.

18. Encourage her to dance and sing. Dance and sing with her- even if it sounds or looks horrible. Let her wiggle to nursery rhymes. Let her dance on her daddy's feet and spin in your arms. Then later, let her blast noise and headbang in her bedroom with her door shut if she wants. Or karaoke to Tom Petty in the living room if she would rather. Introduce her to the classics- like The Beatles- and listen to her latest favorite- like Taylor Swift. Share the magic of music together, it will bring you closer- or at least create a soundtrack to your life together.

19. Share secrets together. Communicate. Talk. Talk about anything. Let her tell you about boys, friends, school. Listen. Ask questions. Share dreams, hopes, concerns. She is not only your daughter, you are not only her mother. Be her friend too.

20. Teach her manners. Because sometimes you have to be her mother, not just her friend. The world is a happier place when made up of polite words and smiles.

21. Teach her when to stand-up and when to walk away. Whether she has classmates who tease her because of her glasses, or a boyfriend who tells her she is too fat - let her know she does not have to listen. Make sure she knows how to demand respect - she is worthy of it. It does not mean she has to fight back with fists or words, because sometimes you say more with silence. Also make sure she knows which battles are worth fighting. Remind her that some people can be mean and nasty because of jealousy, or other personal reasons. Help her to understand when to shut her mouth and walk-away. Teach her to be the better person.

22. Let her choose who she loves. Even when you see through the charming boy she thinks he is, let her love him without your disapproving words; she will anyway. When he breaks her heart, be there for her with words of support rather than I told-you-so. Let her mess up again and again until she finds the one. And when she finds the one, tell her.

23. Mother her. Being a mother - to her - is undoubtedly one of your greatest accomplishments. Share with her the joys of motherhood, so one day she will want to be a mother too. Remind her over and over again with words and kisses that no one will ever love her like you love her. No one can replace or replicate a mother's love for their children.

24. Comfort her. Because sometimes you just need your mommy. When she is sick, rub her back, make her soup and cover her in blankets - no matter how old she is. Someday, if she is giving birth to her own child, push her hair out of her face, encourage her, and tell her how beautiful she is. These are the moments she will remember you for. And someday when her husband rubs her back in attempt to comfort her...she may just whisper, "I need my mommy."

25. Be home. When she is sick with a cold or broken heart, she will come to you; welcome her. When she is engaged or pregnant, she will run to you to share her news; embrace her. When she is lost or confused, she will search for you; find her. When she needs advice on boys, schools, friends or an outfit; tell her. She is your daughter and will always need a safe harbor - where she can turn a key to see comforting eyes and a familiar smile; be home.

Beaboo Anecdotes Series

2013-08-10T18:58:00.001-07:00

Bea playing with her leappad, teaching me how to play Brave (from the movie)

Bea: mommy.. so thats the LEAVING DOOR!
Me: the what? you mean its alive? like a "living" door?
BEa: no mommy! that's the "leaving" door because its where you go when you want to leave! (and she says it as if its a natural thing to have "leaving" doors in every house.)

hmmm... i wonder where the "entering" door has to be? :)

— feelingamazed. (reposted from my facebook status)

******

One time, my little girl was writing a letter for Lalaloopsy. She placed it inside an envelope and asked the help of her ate Jen to put it in the post box we have outside the gate.

After a number of days, I saw her getting her umbrella and opening the gate by herself. Given that these times are dangerous. I got nervous seeing her opening the gate all by herself, what if she goes out unseen by any of us in the house.. oh my!

Me: Bea where are you going?

Bea: in the mailbox mommy.

Me: why?

Bea: Lalaloopsy might left me a letter!

Me: whats the umbrella for? Its sunny outside.

Bea: its for the bad people mommy. So I can stick them with my umbrella.

aaah. praning din pala tong anak ko. ma-enroll nga ito sa martial arts para di na nya kelangan ng umbrella! :) so proud of my little girl - naka mana sa praning na nanay hehe.

*********
yesterday at home, i was amazed by a very "helpful" Bea...

while cooking our dinner: BEA: mommy i help you cook (so i let her hold the spatula)

while washing the dishes: BEA: mommy i help you wash (so i let her play with the water while i wash the dishes

while tidying up our bedroom: BEA: mommy i help you, im a good cleaner! (so i let her sweep the floor with the broom)

while i was in the bathroom, she knocks: BEA: mommy what ya doin?

ME: making pupu.. why?

BEA: i help you mommy..

(O my gawsh! luka-luka tong anak ko! i wonder how she expects to help me with that!)

**********

last night while trying to sleep kasi brownout...

BEA: mommy.. i can't sleep!

ME: don't say "can't" if you do you really won't do it.. always say "Can" so you will try and believe you can (Anlalim agad ng usapan namin no?)

BEA: what about flying?

ME: huh?

BEA: i can fly.. i can fly.. i can fly...

(hay ambot. ang can sleep napunta sa can fly.. how to explain na ang flying di pwede ang positive thinking! sigh!)

***********

Daddy having a serious conversation with her 6yr old...
DADDY: so what do you want to be when you grow up? you can be an architect.. and draw tall buildings! or a doctor?
ME (butting in): what about an interior designer? so you can get your clients to buy stuff from our store (hehe)
BEA:...hmmm.
DADDY: or an engineer like daddy? what do you want to be when you grow up?
BEA: I know! I know!
DADDY: a doctor?
BEA: No daddy, I want to be a FAIRY daddy!

(hahaha.. i wonder how he can convince her daughter that being a doctor is more exciting than being a fairy. so it all comes back to flying...hay!)

**********
We were early at Church today,
Bea asked me: mommy... where is Jesus?
So I pointed to the big crucifix on the altar.. and then she goes:

BEA: Mommy! the fat guy who reads in church! where is he?
ME: sweetie.. that's not Jesus, he's the Priest. That's Father.
He's there o...
BEA: He's a father??? of who?

hay naku! I hope God gives me endless patience for my little girl's innocent questions and the skill to perfect my poker face so I don't end up giggling even in Church!

*********

BEA: "Mommy daddy says im his CRICKET! Bec i have to look at his pictures"
ME: ano daw
BEA: im his cricket mommy...
ME: ah what daddy means is you're his CRITIQUE silly. Bec you have to see if his pictures are good.
...daddy naman ksi d malinaw magsalita.

*********

I was scolding bea... and then she started singing...
BEA: this girl is on faaaayeeeer!! this girl is on fire... (pointing to me)

haaay. imbes na mainis ako nagwalk out na lng ako bago ako matawa at di ako magmukhang convincing! me pagka loka loka talaga tong anak ko. still wondering kanino nagmana.. — feeling lost.

Bonding Moments...Baking

2013-03-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

Kids are such a joy to work with. They are passionate little souls that help you wholeheartedly once they put their minds and hearts into something.

At times when we feel like eating cookies, rather than just buy them, we bake them! And what better way to bond with your little ones than baking! Whats fun about it is,
they get to participate actively in the baking, testing their patience on how long they can resist sticking their tongue out on the spatula for a taste test. Plus it tests your patience too... waiting for them to actually put the spatulas in their little mouths!

Beaboo and I usually go for baking mommy and baby moments such as this. Its a rare opportunity for me to bond with my little girl. Its just a challenge though keeping all of the ingredients for the cookie inside my mixing bowl! :)

Of course it helps to have a timer handy as well. You might both be having fun that your cookies might actually end up burned. :)

And Voila! -- the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies we made...

Bea's New Tweety Neighbors

2013-02-13T22:17:00.002-08:00

photo from the internet

Just this weekend, while Beaboo and I were playing (yes I play with her too :) at the backyard, there was this little tangerine Maya bird (who looks a lot like the photo on the left) going back and forth in one of Lola Cora's hanging plants...

She was carrying branches of twigs, going back and forth our pocket garden.

This is what Lola's hanging plants look like from afar... the one on the right was where she was bringing pieces of twigs. We will post pictures of mommy bird as soon as she poses in front of our camera :)

So we got really curious and started peeking inside the plant...

And Lo and behold! It was a bird's nest! She was building a nest in our garden.

Beaboo and I got really excited. We have birds right in our backyard. Its nice knowing that little birdie thought our garden was safe enough for her to put her eggs in. It's the first time we have a nest with eggs on them! :)

The first time we took this shot, there were only three eggs, now as I write this,

the bird has a total of five eggs in her nest! :)

We got really excited seeing the eggs in the nest, and Beaboo goes:

"Mommy! this means, this birdie is my pet now!"

Hehe. yeah right sweetie. as long as the little birdies are still inside the eggs.

I'm sure mommy bird won't allow us to keep all her chicks. But it was a very nice experience for me and my little girl having a front seat as nature shows us how God takes care of everyone and finds shelter even for the littlest of his creations. :)

DIY Christmas wrappers and presents

2012-11-30T18:19:00.001-08:00

"Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas... dum...dum... dee dum...."

I can't help singing that song as I see Christmas decors everywhere - in the mall, the lanterns and lights adorned on houses we pass by at night...Of course, in our house our tree has been up since after Beaboo's birthday last October, thanks to our official Christmas decorator - Lola Cora! :) It has been a tradition to decorate our house and put up our tree right after Oct 5. since Lola has to go back home to Paranaque after that. So yes, it has been Christmas-y in our house really early.

But yesterday, I was busy wrapping a few Christmas presents. And my little girl was busy on her own. Guess what my busy little bee's up to?

Yep. She is busy making her own Christmas wrappers! She chanced upon the stack of bond papers in daddy's office and she was drawing and coloring these wrappers. Hmmm.. and so I thought, these would really make a unique wrapper and I'm sure the people who would receive them would be happy and treasure not just the present inside but might actually keep the wrapper since Bea painstakingly made them herself! Wow! Good idea Beaboo!

But then, this blogpost is to be continued after Christmas when I find out what she has wrapped since the card on the present says here it's for me! hehe. Hmmmm. Should I be worried? :)

Beaboo Anecdotes Revamped

2012-10-05T01:11:00.001-07:00

Some of Beaboo's latest antics... sharing them with you before I forget them. :)

*About Money:

BEA: Mommy can you buy me a toy?

ME: but you have tons of toys already and besides we don't have money

BEA: But I have money!! look!! (she shows me her coins, about P20 of assorted coins)

ME: But sweetheart that's not enough. we need the paper money too.. we have to work really hard so we can have enough money to buy you toys

BEA: but mommy... paper comes from twees (trees) right? where we gonna get twees?(oh gosh! please explain that to my 5 year old, pakiconnect ang work sa trees :)

*Singing:

ME: If there's something strange... in your...neighborhoood... who you gonna call?

BEA: MY MOMMY!!!

(do I look like a ghostbuster? )

*Witchcraft:

ME: what are you doing with my lotion, daddy's mouthwash and our toothpaste?

BEA: I'm making a potion mommy...

ME: potion for what?

BEA: for you!

(nge.. i hope she doesn't expect me to drink it!)

pweez God, don't make it rain, my mommy has tons of laundry!

*Bath:

(Before taking a bath, Bea gets hold of her bodywash and pretends to read the label...)

BEA: mommy is this soap for shiny?

ME: why?

BEA: because I want to shine in school!

(after using her soap...)

BEA: mommy am I golden?

(oh.. so that's what she means by being shiny. and for a second I thought she wants to get medals in school)

*Medals:

ME: baby did teacher tell you if you're gonna get a medal in school?

BEA: NO!! I don't want a medal!!

ME: Ngeee.. why naman?

BEA: because teacher says Jollibee will give the medal on stage!

(hay.. Jollibee. Is there a term for fear of Jollibee?)

*Pet Fish:

( I was amazed to see Bea talking to our pet fish in the aquarium yet again... :)

ME: hey sweetie.. talking to the fish?

BEA: yes mommy

ME: what did the fish say?

BEA: GLUB...GLUB...GLUB...

ME: oh.. so what does he mean?

BEA: I don't know mommy. I'm not a fish!

(hay! oo nga naman)

---> happy 6th birthday beaboo! Daddy and I love you to bits. And I hope you grow up to have a very lively sense of humor! :) XOXO

Package from the USA (Worldwide Culture Swap Group 62)

2012-08-26T19:21:00.001-07:00

Another package arrived for us from the USA.

It was sent by the Robisons from Ohio, USA.

There was an assortment of items in the package -
brochures, animal flash cards, pencils and a lot more.

There was even a pack of bubble gum which was originated in the US :)

Bea especially loved the paper dolls that came with it...

...as well as this original arrowhead that we felt should belong

to a museum!

Of course, we can't get over these baseball cards which we feel we should keep

lest they become valuable in the future.. hehe.

The dream catchers were our favorite, since my little girl always had her share of night terrors.

So this was really a special surprise!

To the ROBISON FAMILY of Ohio, USA,

we wish to thank you for preparing such a wonderful package!

We truly appreciate your effort and we enjoyed them!

THANK YOU!

Saludos desde España (Worlwide Culture Swap Group 62)

2012-07-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Saludos desde España! Greetings from Spain!

It was a wonderful surprise for Bea when she arrived from school last week...

The package from the Boned family of Spain has arrived!

It was filled with a cornucopia of exciting things about Spain and Tenerife in the Canary Islands...

It came with a bag of Spanish Gofio, at first we thought it was cookie crumbs or what was left of the cookies that Elena sent. :) But then after reading the attached information, we found out it was the famous Canary island Gofio. We just reshaped it using my polvoron cutter. :)

Gofio is the Canary Islands name for flour made from roasted grains (typically wheat or certain varieties of maize) or other starchy plants (e.g. beans and, historically, fern root), some varieties containing a little added salt. Gofio has been an important ingredient in Canarian cooking for some time, and Canarian emigrants have spread its use to theCaribbean - info from the wikepedia

Along with the package came Spanish coins, I told Bea that during the Spanish colonization of our country, if the Spaniards never left, we might actually still be using these same coins. :)

My little girl was excited seeing all of the wonderful things from Spain,

but this was what caught her fancy...

De la familia de Gallinero a la familia Muñoz-Boned,

queremos darle las gracias por compartir el sabor de España con nosotros. Disfrutamos de los artículos enviados.

Con la esperanza de que nuestro disfrute también.

¡Gracias!

From the Gallinero family to the Boned family,

we wish to thank you for sharing a taste of Spain with us.

We enjoyed the items you sent.

Hoping you enjoy ours as well. Thank you

If you want to be a part of the Worldwide Culture Swap, visit their official website here.

Let's Cook: Thai Stir-Fry Chicken with Cashew Nuts

2012-07-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

While hubby and I were in Thailand, this Thai Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts was one of our favorite dish. There was even a group of European tourists who order this same dish almost everyday! :)

So one time, while thinking of dishes to cook for my family at home, I decided to try my hand at this. Please bear with me since this is my first try at blogging about food (ahhhm food that I've cooked actually). I'm not much of a good cook. Since cooking for me is a very hard task. Baking though I love, but cooking... I have a few reservations. So it was a nice experience for me when this dish turned out as yummy as the one we ordered at Thailand! Yes! Success! hehe..

So I am sharing this recipe with you. Hope you like it...

Ingredients:

Chicken Thigh, cut into bite sized pieces
1/3 cup fried cashew nuts
3 cloves garlic
dried chilies, chopped (you can omit this if you don't want a spicy dish)
2tbsp red and green bell pepper
1/2 cup chicharo ( they're not in the original recipe I just added these since i have them inside my ref.. hehe)
1/2 cup water chestnut (or singkamas) cubed
1/4 cup spring onions (nah.. i just used a few or omit them too if you like)
1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
1 onion, cut into quarters
2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil :)
1 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Procedure:

Coat the chicken pieces in all-purpose flour and add a little salt. Stir-fry and set aside.
Saute garlic and onion, then add water chestnuts, bell peppers, chicharo and earlier stir fried chicken. Stir fry for a minute careful not to overcook the veggies. add the chilis, cashew nuts and spring onions.
Add the wet ingredients (tomato sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce) and stir fry. Season with sugar and salt.

Voila! thats it. really easy huh? Let me know how your dish turned out okay? Enjoy!

Worldwide Culture Swap Group 62 - FROM KENTUCKY, USA

2012-07-18T04:49:00.000-07:00

This was waiting for us at home today...

It was a package from Lexington, Kentucky, USA!

The McConell's package has arrived!

Bea was so excited seeing the items
from the minute we opened it. She readily grabbed these two little darlings who thank God, survived traveling from across the world...

The package was an extensive load of very useful information about the USA and Kentucky. Regena was obviously very organized that it came in different zip-locks. This one was about her native Kentucky and everything in it like the gorgeous posters, the flaglets and bookmarks were about Kentucky. We love also that she took the time to personalize the printed information that came with it. I had to restrain my daughter from tearing all the ziplocks since I had to explain it to her one at a time. :)

This one was about the country as a whole, it came with various stickers which Bea couldn't wait to get her hands on. Little tidbits about the USA and an authentic dollar bill and coins. :) And we loved the books about America and horses too!

The contents of the next zip-lock however, I didn't get to touch... Bea was already putting them on and posing for my camera. :) Thank you for a taste of the Louisiana Mardi Gras! Now my little girl can party whenever she feels like it. It was a nice experience for us since the accompanying literature made her understand Mardi Gras and co-relate it to our fiestas and festivals here in the Philippines.

From the Gallinero Family to the McConnells in the USA:
We wish to thank you for sharing a little of your country and your city with us here in the Philippines. We love every single item you sent us and hoping you get to enjoy ours as well.
Thank you Thank you!
We truly appreciate them Regena!

If you want to be a part of the Worldwide Culture Swap, visit their official website here.

Worldwide Culture Swap

2012-07-17T07:39:00.002-07:00

The Worldwide Culture Swap is a project initiated by three French expat moms aimed at promoting different cultures around the world to children - starting with their own - to partner families/ children all around the world. Their tagline being "Bringing you the world, one package at a time" is a simple endeavor which centers on bringing families from different parts of the world closer to each other by introducing their own cultures to partner families within a WCS group.

For starters, and to those of you who are utterly curious ( I know I did :) so here are a few information from their website about this culture swap program:

All swaps are open to children, families, schools, homeschools and clubs around the world. We have had families take part as well as teachers, grandparents and servicemen wanting to set up an exchange for their children back at home -WCS team

Types of Culture Swap Groupings:

Worldwide Culture Swap - A group of 5 families from around the world swap packages containing items related to their country and culture.
US State Culture Swap - A group of 5 families from different US states swap packages containing items related to their state's geography and culture.
Culture Swap for Schools - An exchange between two schools / classes which takes whatever form is agreed between the two educational establishments.
Find a Pen Pal - A service putting children and families in touch with potential pen pals from around the world

I first came upon this program from a friend and fellow blogger Lady Garcia (you can check out this hot momma's blog here). I got so interested in the program that I readily signed up for it. Readily, Mymy of the WCS team arranged for me to be included in the WCS group 62 with four other mommies who signed up. My group is composed of the Marais family from South Africa, the McConnell and Robison families from the USA and the Boned family from Spain.

At first, I hadn't got a clue on what to send them (well being my first time). But I was so excited to tell them about the Philippines that I ended up with these items on my stash... hoping to come up with more items next time I join. :)

If you are interested to participate in this project, check out the WCS website here. You can also visit their facebook page. So what are you waiting for? Click on the links and sign up. Share a little about our culture here in the Philippines to partner families around the world.

Ballet Fever and its benefits for kids

2012-04-15T04:52:00.002-07:00

For so long, I have been longing for the day I would have a little girl to enroll in ballet class. :) Call it my childhood frustration or what ( i have two left feet!), but it was a plus for me knowing that my beaboo also happens to love dancing especially ballet! She would dance and do pirouettes and tiptoe across the room at times when she feels like dancing (well more of pretending to be a ballerina) -- even at the mall at times. :)

So a few days ago, we trooped over to a dance studio in Gensan for her first ballet class. It was nice to see all the pictures of little ballerinas in their recital dance wearing their tutus and ballet slippers. The minute we walked into the office, beaboo's eyes (along with her dad) was all alight with excitement.
So I guess the decision for my 5 year old to learn ballet this summer is a good one! And it was also a nice factor that daddy seems to be excited as my little girl. Imagine buying all of my soon to be ballerina girl all the paraphernalia - tutus, leggings, leotards and ballet slippers almost as soon as we left the dance studio! Whew! Sure glad daddy is also as excited as I am. :)

So for her first week in ballet, she instantly made friends. I was surprised that my usual shy little girl suddenly let go of mommy's hand to eagerly join her new ballet teacher and classmates!

And in this latest event in my child's life, I've come upon some articles about the benefits of creative dance for pre-schoolers. So I've gathered, that engaging preschoolers in creative dance not only flexes their muscles but challenges them emotionally and cognitively.

"When children dance together, something amazing happens. Creative dance is a tremendous learning modality for the individual, but what's thrilling to see as a teacher and parent is the way children begin to embrace new ideas that foster community building and social connections. Under the care of a dedicated teacher, even the tiniest dancers can look at and appreciate each other's choreographic efforts, applaud each other's determination and zeal and work together to solve problems. While they're just having a great time singing and dancing and being silly, they're also addressing important meta-cognitive learning needs. Simply put, these small dancers can begin to see the differences in the way they think and feel compared to other people, to accept and celebrate these differences, and to have the necessary vocabulary to sort out their experiences. This level of objectivity about other people is something that will serve any child well as he or she encounters the larger classes and variety of experiences that loom in early educational experiences. The creative dance method offers children and their caregivers tools for learning for a lifetime." - from sparkplugdance.org

Not only this, i can see the following benefits for kids as well:

They learn to follow instructions
They get a regular exercise which they may not get staying at home watching tv or playing with the computer
They gain self confidence performing in front of groups of people
They learn social skills as they interact with their classmates (so unlike social networks)
They gain discipline as they learn the many positions in ballet
They start to appreciate proper nutrition since they have to be fit and trim to be able to dance properly
They start to take pride in their bodies and what they can do through ballet
They learn grace, coordination and balance with the varying positions in ballet

If you are in the Gensan area and want to enroll your child in classical ballet like we did, you can get in touch with the "Girlie S. Royeca Ballet and Performaing Arts School" at Block 1 Lot 1, Royeca Subd., Lagao, General Santos or call them through these numbers: (083) 553-8312/ 0917-7143240/ 0942-7381179

Anghel dela Guardia

2012-03-21T15:58:00.002-07:00

For many nights, my beaboo has been having nightmares. She usually wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and kicking. There was even a time I got really scared of her since she woke up really really angry. Her eyes were scary and she started screaming "I hate you mommy". I was even contemplating whether I should call a doctor friend or a priest friend to do exorcism. hehe. I was at loss, I couldn't understand what my little girl was going through. Then I learned she was not just having nightmares, she was having "night terrors". See previous blog about night terror here.

And then I started a devotion to my Guardian Angel. I've learned that these celestial beings are not figments of our imaginations, but truly do exist. God in His goodness has given each of us a personal angel, not only to protect us in
times of danger but to guide us in our decisions in life. They are however not like God in having the power to read our thoughts so we have to "ask" them for help verbally every time we need them. They are always on the sidelines waiting for us to call on them for help. They don't like to intrude since we are given free will, so the key is to "ask for help" or guidance. And sometimes, a tinkle of a bell, a feather and other subtle signs they give, affirm their presence in our lives. You can read more about these wonderful beings here.

Learning about guardian angels, I started talking about them to my little beaboo. And I was surprised, she instantly named her guardian angel "Chi". At first she was scared of Chi, just the idea that Chi is behind her all the time - just invisible. But when she started including prayers to Chi about protecting her from bad dreams, I was surprised that the night terrors we experience almost every night seem to lessen and disappear altogether! If that isn't sign enough of the presence of this wonderful beings, I don't know what does. Thank you Chi!

Prayer to our Guardian Angel:

Heavenly Father,

Your infinite love for us has chosen a blessed angel in heaven

and appointed him our guide during this earthly pilgrimage.

Accept our thanks for so great a blessing.

Grant that we may experience the assistance

of our holy protector in all our necessities.

And you, holy, loving angel and guide,

watch over us with all the tenderness of your angelic heart.

Keep us always on the way that leads to heaven,

and cease not to pray for us

until we have attained our final destiny, eternal salvation.

Then we shall love You for all eternity.

We shall praise and glorify You unceasingly

for all the good You have done for us while here on earth.

Especially be a faithful and watchful protector of our

children.

Take our place, and supply what may be wanting to us

through human frailty, short-sightedness, or sinful neglect.

Lighten, O you perfect servants of God, our heavy task.

Guide our children,

that they may become like unto Jesus,

may imitate Him faithfully,

and persevere till they attain eternal life.

(prayer from http://www.paranormalknowledge.com )

Nightmares vs Night Terrors...

2012-03-07T03:30:00.000-08:00

For almost a week now, my little girl has been waking up middle of the night screaming at the top of her lungs angrily with bouts of kicking and punching her pillows. I thought she was having a nightmare so I always go to her bed during fits like these and try to comfort her. But oftentimes, the more I give her attention, the more she resorts to screaming and kicking.

I had no idea what my little girl was going through. I am not only losing sleep but getting worried whenever she has nightmares. Then, just last night, she was having another episode.
This time, she was really angry and her eyes were really flashing and her mouth pouted in her "angry tiger look". For a time, I got really scared of her. Whats worse, I couldn't understand her. It was like she was a totally different kid altogether.

All I ever did to calm not only her but myself was to pray for her. And yet I never really understood what it was in her dreams that bothered her since in the morning when I ask her about her dream, she doesn't remember anything or the fact that she was screaming and kicking with her eyes open (seeming awake to me).

Until I came upon an article about "Night Terrors". So here are a few articles differentiating nightmares from night terrors that I would like to share with you in case you also find yourself in the same situation as I was last night. :)

What are nightmares?

Nightmares are scary dreams. Most children have them from time to time. Most nightmares happen very late in the sleep period (usually between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.). Your child may wake up and come to you for comfort. Usually, he or she will be able to tell you what happened in the dream and why it was scary. Your child may have trouble going back to sleep. Your child might have the same dream again on other nights.

What are night terrors?

Some children have a different kind of scary dream called a "night terror." Night terrors happen during deep sleep (usually between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.). A child having a night terror will often wake up screaming. He or she may be sweating and breathing fast. Your child's pupils (the black center of the eye) may look larger than normal. At this point, your child may still be asleep, with open eyes. He or she will be confused and might not answer when you ask what's wrong. Your child may be difficult to wake. When your child wakes, he or she usually won't remember what happened. Children who have night terrors may also sleepwalk.

Info from www.familydoctor.com

How are night terrors different from nightmares?

Unlike a night terror, a nightmare leaves your child truly awake — he can remember his dream and sometimes talk about it, and he'll seek out and feel comforted by your presence. Also, kids have nightmares during dream (REM) sleep, often in the early morning hours between 2 and 6 a.m. They commonly have night terrors, on the other hand, in the first few hours of the night, during deep non-dream (non-REM) sleep.

The easiest way to tell the difference between a night terror and a nightmare, according to BabyCenter sleep expert Jodi A. Mindell, author of Sleeping Through the Night, is to ask yourself who's more upset about it the next morning. "If your child is more agitated, he had a nightmare. If you're the one who's disturbed, he probably had a night terror." Rest assured, the "terror" of a night terror lingers far longer in the parent who watched it than in the child who lived it.

What should I do if my child has a night terror?

Don't try to wake him. And expect that your efforts to comfort him will be rebuffed — a child having a night terror really can't be calmed down, and if you try to hold him it may make him wilder. Unless he's in danger of hurting himself, don't attempt to physically comfort him. Just speak calmly, put yourself between him and anything dangerous (the headboard of his bed, for instance), and wait for the storm to pass. Before you go to bed, take the same precautions you would for a sleepwalker, since children in the grip of a night terror often stumble out of bed: Pick up any toys or objects on the floor that he could trip on, fasten a gate at the top of the stairs, and make sure windows and outside doors are locked.

What causes night terrors, and can they be prevented?

There's no definitive way to prevent night terrors because no one knows exactly what causes them. What is known is that night terrors, on their own, do not mean a child has a psychological problem or is even upset about something. Night terrors can result from an erratic or insufficient sleep schedule or any type of sleep deprivation. Solving any other sleep problems your child has (such as getting up in the middle of the night) and making sure he has a regular bedtime with a calming routine and gets enough hours of sleep can help ward off night terrors. In certain cases, night terrors can be triggered by sleep apnea, a serious but correctable disorder in which enlarged tonsils and adenoids (normal tissue in the throat) block airway passages during sleep, making it difficult to breathe and prompting a child to partially awaken.

Info from www. babycenter.com

The Big Shift - Working Mom to Stay at Home Mom

2011-11-10T16:52:00.001-08:00

Just recently, I was visited by one of my BFFs who is a busy career woman and mom who works for the Australian embassy. She informed me that she was granted a one year indefinite leave. Whew! Talk about being one of the fortunate ones in the corporate world. She was about to resign but her boss decided to grant her a one year leave instead! :) And so I started reminiscing about my days working as a corporate slave before
I decided to take the plunge as a wife and mom leaving my career and work behind. For mom's like me and my BFF who are also making the big change, here are a few things to expect and a few ideas I have in making the "Big Change" from a corporate career woman to a doting stay at home mom.

Your first few months, will be really exciting as you embark on your new career as a stay at home mom. You will have a lot of time for things that you find you cannot do before like reading your favorite novels, catching up on those movies you missed during a busy weekend at home and other things that you cannot find the time to do before.

But after the first few months and you have settled on a daily routine at home, you will find that there will be too much time in your hands. Boredom will start to settle in and you will start to notice the difference of having a workweek laden with schedules and meetings and the big chunk of time you suddenly have on your hands thinking of things to fill your schedule so you don't lose your mind over small trivial things at home. So if you find yourself suddenly bored with being a new stay at home mom, here are a few suggestions to get you started.

If you have a hobby or plan to have a hobby that you had no time before since you are required to be at work 5 times a week, now is a good time to start doing it. Now you have time to do that scrapbook you always wanted to do, or the curtains you planned to sew. Gardening is also a good therapeutic hobby, if you love plants, now is the time to get started on this hobby.

With a lot of time on your hands, you can start reconnecting with your girlfriends. Plan a weekly "me" time or a girls day out for the sake of your sanity. :) Believe me, it helps to go out of the house with other people besides your hubby and your kids. It even gives you something new to talk about with hubby besides the grueling work at home. You can have a movie date or a spa date. Something you can do with your girlfriends to keep you energized to face another week of housework.

While you're at it, why not start thinking about starting a small business? With too much time on your hands, you can still earn your own money (for that lovely dress in the mall) so you don't bother asking hubby for more moolah, earn your own! Be a Mom-trepreneur. Start an online business. You can just source out suppliers and sell things online. That way, you get to earn while staying at home.

If the online business is not for you, why not enroll in that baking class you always wanted to do? Or a cooking class, to get you busy and elevate your skills a few notches. Who knows, you might be a good chef in the making.

Or if you love to write like I do, you can start sharing those ideas and start blogging! :)

Do you have more ideas for mom's making the big shift? Comment below for ideas. Share away...

Is Life fair?

2011-10-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Whoever told you that life was fair? The fact that we were born was proof enough that life isn’t fair and that our existence has nothing to do with our choice. I have yet to meet someone who can tell me that being born was his own choice. And so, given this dilemma, life in itself is not a choice given to us but a gift given to us by our Creator. I say gift since we may do with it as we please.
We may decide to make good use of it, looking at all the good things that come with it, or we may choose to trash it, destroying this precious gift that was given to us.

For most of us, this gift called life is a constant struggle. Struggle to make ourselves happy, struggle with the daily grind that comes with a job so we could live the good life. Struggle to find relationships bonded in love. Struggle to make this gift into something we could be proud to look back on when our friend death decides to take it away from us. Again, even in death, we were not given a choice.

Given this thought, how do we deal with the spices that come with life? How do we face it when our worlds start to crumble? Problems after all are part and parcel of this extraordinary gift. Now how we deal with them is the choice given to us.

For the pessimist such as myself, when my world crumbles, I see it as a torture. Problems are torments that leave us unbalanced. It is cast upon our shoulders to make us suffer. I am not a masochist, so I am not fond of pain. But problems for me are that way.

But on the other hand, problems make us whole. It completes the gift of life given to us. I’ve realized that without these spices in our life, we would never truly appreciate what a wonderful gift life is. If we never experience falling, we would never truly appreciate rising up after each fall. If we were never hurt, we would never learn the courage that comes with fighting for our happiness.

And so I ask you again… is life fair? No it is not, and it is in being unfair that we truly experience the beauty of this gift given to us.

The case of the snuffles...

2011-09-30T01:48:00.000-07:00

Come hell or high waters, when the time comes for the flu season...we mommies are really praying hard that our little ones will be spared. Even a simple case of the snuffles sometimes causes us extreme worry especially at night when our wee ones are having a hard time sleeping. I've compiled a few of my personal tried and tested list of things to do in case your child has the cough and the snuffles...

See to it that your little one is drinking lots of fluids.. be it water, fruit juices or milk. Having a bad case of the colds is bad enough, don't let your child suffer from dehydration as well.
Chicken soup might be one of the best food to feed your child since it not only provides sustenance, the hot soup relieves their sinuses a little.
Remember the old wives tale about covering your head when you go out at night so you don't catch a cold? Well, it is really helpful to cover your child's head with a beanie or a towel when sleeping since it helps loosen the mucous around the sinuses, making breathing a little bit bearable especially for small noses. (This is also applicable to grown ups trust me, I swear to this!)
Do you remember having a cough or colds during the hot summer season? You don't I know. Its because the cold virus does not thrive on hot weather. Its also the reason it is very common during the wet, rainy and cold season. So when you sleep, don't turn the air-conditioning unit or your electric fans to full power. It will only give you a clogged nose and throbbing sinuses.
If your little one is really having a difficulty breathing with a clogged nose and you don't have a nebulizer at home, take your baby inside the bathroom. Let the hot shower run (just make sure to have a big pail so you don't waste the water), the vapor from the hot shower is very soothing and may help loosen the mucous in those little noses.
Or, for a little older kids, you can put a spoonful of Vicks vapor-rub in a pot of hot water and let your little one inhale the steam to relieve their sore sinuses.
Another thing I do for coughs is rub vaporub in the soles of the feet and cover them with socks when sleeping. I can't really explain why but it soothes and prevents cough fits especially at night.

These are some of my personal tried and tested methods...not backed by any scientific study or anything. It just happens to be passed on from one mother to the next. The best remedy however for any kind of sickness, is large doses of tender love and care by no one else but mommy and for sure, the little ones will feel a little better and soon will be in their most peachy self. XOXO :)

My little Business Manager...JOHNSON’s My Kid’s Growing Up So Fast Contest.

2011-09-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

My Beaboo lives a very toxic life.

She wakes up, eats breakfast,

takes a quick shower using Jhonson's baby milk bath,

goes to school...

and off to a short stint at our hardware.

She manages the computer making sure that christmas songs are played

so that our customers would be encouraged to buy from our store. :)
Christmas songs makes them want to spend way way more **wink wink**

Oh and she mans the cash register too!

Happily exchanging customer's money for candies..

At home, after doing her homework...

she balances the sheets and do all of our accounting :)

Making sure that daddy is spared from the glare of his computer

truly very considerate! :)

But she is changing before my eyes...her skin is still like a baby’s. We still need the gentle care of JOHNSON’s Baby Milk Bath, with Vitamins A & E and 100% more milk proteins to nourish developing skin.

So before little beaboo ends her day, we take a quick shower

using Jhonson's baby milk bath

and then she catches up on her ZZZZs...

That's a day in the toxic life of our little business manager...

Before, I forget... Johnson's will be giving away a gift pack for the most interesting comment so please comment below with your own witty captions for Bea's photos above then "like" Johnson's Baby World of Firsts facebook page to make your entry valid.

HOW TO WIN A JOHNSON'S BABY GIFT PACK...

Mechanics:

1. Like Johnson's Baby World of First Facebook page.
2. Comment by giving your own title to the first photo. The more creative and relevant the title-comment, the bigger chances of winning.
3. The winner will be based on the following criteria:
Creativity of Title: 50%
- Cuteness of the Title
- Unique play of Words
Relevance to article: 50%
Note: Only comments from October 8 to October 21, 2011 are valid to win the gift pack.

Please take note that comments SHOULD be done on the blog post's page not on the Facebook wall. Thanks!

Art Attack: Hand-made Mobiles

2011-09-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

With the long weekend before us and the semestral break looming in the corner, I am sure mommies and their kiddos are looking for activities to take up most of their time. For the budget conscious, who can't squeeze a vacation or a trip to the beach in these long school breaks, I have a suggestion for you! Why not indulge
yourself my dear mommies and involve your kids in a craft project which the two of you can make together! I assure you it will not only occupy a big chunk of your time, it will also build lasting memories for your kiddos. A sort of mommy-kid bonding moment.

For our first Art Attack, we will be making hand-made mobiles. Its actually my little girl's school assignment but we had so much fun doing it together, that I thought it would be a better idea to share it with you. So here are the things we will need for this project:

2 barbeque sticks (it can be more depending on your preference)
strings or yarn (in our case we used DMC strings leftover from my cross stitching days)
picture cut-outs (you can choose whichever theme you would like, for me, i printed animals from Madagascar movie since tamad na to search for pictures in magazines:)
construction or art paper
charms
paper or silk flowers (or your old plastic flowers from your flower vase :)
glue

Steps:

First cut out pictures of your child's favorite things or characters.
Tape the string or yarn at the back of each picture, make sure you leave an allowance for your charms at the bottom of the picture
Glue the picture with string at the back of a construction or art paper, cut according to shape.
Attach hanging charms at the bottom of the picture, this will serve as a sort of paper weight to pull your cut designs in place.
Tie the pictures on the barbeque stick ends
Tie the barbeque sticks in the middle

Voila! you have your own handmade paper mobiles...

Beaboo Anecdotes...updates

2011-08-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

Forgetfulness is a trait I am slowly getting accustomed to. Maybe due to aging...sigh! :) Still in my twenties and already becoming forgetful..hehe. So before this memory gap takes me on full force I am documenting my little girls latest antics... something to come back to once in a while. Please bear with me. :)

***
We were reviewing our lessons since the nursery class will be having their first quarter exams...
ME: bea tell me something about yourself...
BEA: my name is bea ga-wis gawi-neyo, i am foh yees owd... i am in gwow-sewy...
ME: sweetie.. you're not in the grocery...you're in nursery!
(it doesn't help that she hangs around her lola's grocery most of the time.. hehe)
***

While sitting on the sofa one night, Bea started listening to my tummy..
BEA: mommy, baby in your tummy?
ME: no sweetie.. gas lang (hehe)
Then off she goes and listens to daddy's tummy instead...excitedly with eyes so big she says:
BEA: Mommy!! chicken baby in daddy's tummy!
ME: Huh? Why?
BEA: it says "Krrrruk! Krrruk!
--sometimes her innocence comes off as really funny! :)

***
While browsing through recipe books for kids...
ME: hmmm.. carrot sticks. Kain ka nyan bea?
BEA: no mommy kenks
ME: bakit naman? looks really yummy!
BEA: I'm not a wabbit!
--hehe.. oo nga naman diba? :)

***
One afternoon, hubby and I were about to go on one of our movie dates when Bea went to me and said:
BEA: mommy! i want a harry wizard!
ME: why you know harry potter the wizard?? ( i was so amazed by her)
BEA: no mommy, i want a wizard! a harry wizard!
ME: ok, you want to watch harry potter with me? (Still totally clueless)
BEA: mommy!! i want a PET HARRY WIZARD!
--and then i realized she was asking me for a hairy lizard! buyoy nga pala tong anak ko! hahaha!

***
After playing with ate caye in one of our dance practice, Bea went home singing her first tagalog song...
BEA: amusa ka.. ami ay asaya! eject sa anan, eject sa ayiwa...ipelekpek ipelekpek..a-yap ng ba!
Translation: kumusta ka, kami ay masaya, ipadyak sa kanan, ipadyak sa kaliwa...ipalak ipalakpak, humanap ng iba!
(the funny way she pronounces the words overshadows the fact that she memorized the song in one afternoon while just playing with another kid! there is still hope for our tagalog! hurrah!! :)

***
In the middle of the night, bea wakes up crying...
BEA: mommy...huhuhu... squish me again!
ME: thats ok...only a dream...what letter this time?
BEA: wetter Oh mommy!
(she often dreams about letters squishing her in her dreams.. maybe too much time spent watching wordworld. time to convince her to start watching math-tinik next! )

note: Wordworld is a show for kids in the Disney Jr. channel that teaches them about phonetics and spelling.. there's a part in the show where the characters get to 'build a word'or spell a word. actually good for toddlers since it familiarizes them and teaches them about letters and reading. :)

Tips for Travelers with Kids in Tow

2011-07-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

On my way to Singapore, I was seated behind a young couple with a 1year old who cried almost the entire way. The couple obviously first time parents seem to be clueless on how to pacify and comfort their little girl. The only time the toddler was quiet was when she fell asleep, tired from crying.

I myself am a first time parent to a four year old little girl. We also had our share of the trouble that comes with traveling with an infant. Since I am originally from Manila, every time we go home for the holidays, we have to take 1.5 hours plane rides and an hour or so car ride from the airport to my mom’s house. Also, since hubby and I love to travel, there are times we had to endure long car drives with an infant in tow. Yep since my baby was eight months, we brought her along wherever we went. Her first trip abroad was also at Singapore (our favorite travel destination) when she was just a year and eight months old.

So during our travels, I’ve learned a few things here and there. Here are a few tips for all the new couples out there who have to go through traveling in airplanes with infants or toddlers in tow…

Make sure you bring your baby’s milk and bottles in your hand carried luggage. There are travel bottles (what I love to call them) made by Playtex with disposable plastic liners/inserts so you don’t have to bring all the bulky bottles. All you have to do is pop a plastic liner in the bottle if your baby needs feeding. Mineral water you can just buy from the airport so you don’t need to pack those in your bag.
Make sure to give your baby a bottle of water or milk to suck ESPECIALLY during take –offs and landings. Its hard enough for us when our ears seem to pop due to the cabin pressure inside the plane, what more the little infants who don’t understand what the heck is happening to their ears as the plane ascends or descends. Kids also find this irritating, so for toddlers or big kids who have already stopped bottle feeding, a chewing gum should come in handy –believe me it’s the only time you can actually allow your little ones to chew gum. It eases the pressure on their ears.
Infants usually love the rocking movements, making them sleepy. Take advantage of this and rock your little one to sleep, sing them lullabies. Don’t worry about your seatmate, if they are parents themselves, they would understand even if you sing off key. The only ones who don’t understand are single unattached people, and I think its more their problem if they don’t like your singing. Hehe. They wouldn’t mind it compared to a crying baby. J
Bring a change or two of diapers so the baby won’t feel uncomfortable with her soiled diapers. Airplanes are usually equipped with a changing table for passengers with infants. And should you need assistance, don’t be shy to call the flight attendant.
With toddlers however (or big kids) who are overly curious and hyper active, bring loads of activity materials to occupy their attention. For me, I usually bring a set of crayons, pencils, different colored pencils, pentel pens, coloring books and other what have yous you can bring. There was even a time I brought glue and scissors so we can cut a variety of pictures and she can paste them in a notebook. It has to be varied since after 10 mins or so, kids usually get bored of one activity. So it’s a good idea to stack up on different materials for craft projects to keep your little ones busy the entire trip.

"I remember there was this one time, I had an entire art supply in my bag since I had to travel with my toddler alone. I kept on popping a different activity material for her to the amusement of the flight attendant and a few passengers. I even had her favorite story book and finger puppets! But at least my little one’s hands got so busy she forgot her ears hurt or that we were confined to a small seat and can’t roam around inspecting the interiors of the plane! J I’m not a fan of electronic stuff for kids to play with so I stick with art materials. At least it hones their creativity and imagination.“

Bring your kid’s favorite food be it a biscuit or a favorite drink. There are times when they get hungry and plane food are usually not appealing to a kid’s taste buds. It lessens the instance of a coming tantrum and free you from worries of disturbing other passengers.
But the best advice I could give you is to prep your little one to be excited for a plane ride. And to remind them that there are things we can do at home that are not allowed inside the plane. Kids are easily distracted. Use that to your advantage when traveling.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip with your wee ones!

Farewell Harry Potter!

2011-07-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

Just last Thursday, I was already at the cinema lining up for the final installment in the Harry Potter series. I cleared up everything for the day and convinced a friend to come with me for the Deathly Hallows Part 2 3D movie. Too bad my little girl is still too small to take with me to the movies.. and since she only wanted a pet harry wizard (hairy lizard) and not Harry the Wizard to whom I have been following since JK Rowling published her very first novel.

I remember the first time the Sorcerer's Stone came out,
I didn't have an inkling that the book will be so popular. Thanks to my sister who is the original Harry Potter fan. I started reading her copy of Sorcerer's Stone. I got hooked... not so much as to be part of a popular following, but the way author JK Rowling writes. I was so amazed by the richness of her imagination, totally creating a world of wizardry that reminded me a bit of the Tolkien series I was already addicted to.

JK Rowling at a Deathly Hallows book launch

Her books are so entertaining that I find it difficult to put it down and usually do an "all nighter" just to finish a book. I remember we used to order way in advance (just when the books release dates where announced) and line up at Powerbooks in Makati early in the morning just to get the first copy of her next installment of books. When the Deathly Hallows was released, I was already Gensan based, so I had to bribe my sister to get me a copy which she sent to me through courier. I just gave birth at the time, but at nights when my baby is sleeping, I couldn't put down the book. So I had sleepless nights not because of the baby but because I had to know what happened in the final installment of the Harry Potter Series. :)

I got so involved in the series that the characters to me where like family. I cried when Sirius died, and for Dumbledore, even for little elf Dobby. All because I was so wrapped up in the story. And to think that the series is a children's fantasy novel. I have been a fan of JK Rowling ever since.

JK Rowling's writes with a certain flair, she engages the reader making them crave for more. She has a knack for making up her own words, like the way she uses Latin for her spells. She has an entertaining way of writing letting us in on the way the world really looks like to a teenager such as Harry. She has instilled the love for reading for kids (and kids at heart) of this generation. What with the advent of electronic gadgets and other techie stuff, who would think that kids would still prefer to pick up a book and read? Only JK Rowling was successful in doing that with her Harry Potter series.

With all that said, I guess it isn't goodbye to Harry Potter after all, JK Rowling's magic continues to live on. I am sure that for ages to come, many children of all ages will still get to know and love Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley long after the final book has been published, the last movie had made its final curtain call.

I leave you now with some hidden meanings I picked up in the book (well some I read in the internet :))

I love that JK Rowling makes up her own words and uses Latin for her spells like “lumous” means “light” in Latin.
I love that Diagon Alley is really "diagonally" the way the street and the stores are positioned.
That the Mirror of Erised is really the Mirror of Desire.. with "erised" is actually "desire" spelled backwards
Voldemort in French means flight of death
The name of Lord Voldemort with the words "I am Lord Voldemort" are an anagram (a phrase formed by rearranging the letters of another phrase) of his real name: Tom Marvolo Riddle. --truly brilliant!
Minerva is a Roman goddess of wisdom, crafts and war, and the Greek counterpart for the goddess is Athena.
Albus means "light"in Latin, which is a good description of Dumbledore in his plight against darkness spread by Voldemort.
That the war against Voldemort can be likened to the present war against terrorism.

Thanks to the Bookworm of Gensan for inspiring me to write this blog about Harry Potter. He is the original authority on anything "Harry Potter" in Gensan considering his extensive collection of books. Read about his blog here. Thanks Sir G! :)

Mommyjournal's 2011 Top Emerging & Influential Blogs

2011-07-04T01:24:00.000-07:00

Its my first time to nominate my Top Emerging and Influential Blogs and below are my favorites:

The PINAY TRAVELOGUE is a blog about the various places

hubby and I have been blessed to have been to.

It also showcases some of his prized photographs (with a few of mine :)

plus places in and around our beautiful Mindanao

to somehow help erase the bad publicity about this

often misunderstood island.

Second on my list is:

EAT'S TERRIFIC!

a food and beverage blog by Gandaeversomuch's Orman Manansala

He has a flair in providing his readers with good and honest reviews

of each restaurant or food that gets his attention.

Third is:

MOTHER INSTINCTS

written by another mom to moms and aspiring moms out there...

Shiela Marie Dumalay's blogs makes me treasure the gift we have as mothers.

I get a lot of good info and useful tips about motherhood from her site.

Fourth is none other than:
KIKAYMUCH!
this fashionista gal, gives us a blog for all the ka-kikayness
every girl should know about. I love reading about the latest trends in fashion
and makeup tips from Donna Congson's blog, since I have the same passion for make up.
A treasure trove of kikay stuff!

Fifth on my list is:

I AM ARIEL LALISAN

Ariel is a blessed teacher. It is no wonder that most of this students adore him.

His blog is a personal journal of things that catch his fancy.

Be it a book review, a topic he is passionate about,

I find his opinions on subjects very engaging.

My number six is:

13th Witch

I always find Leah Valle gifted in the art of writing. She writes with a certain passion,

I always feel whatever she wishes to convey through her blogs. And she is one

good photographer and make up artist as well! Talk about being present

when the heavens opened and decided to bless people with talents!

Number seven on my list is none other than:

The Bookworm of Gensan

Sir Gilbert Tan is an educator by profession, and a very good one at that!

His advocacy for literacy and reading is very evident in this blog wherein he gives

informative and very worthwhile (often witty) reviews of books he happen to take an interest in.

His wide collection of books and extensive readings really earn him the right to be

Gensan's own Bookworm.

Eight is given to:

General Joanna

Another educator, this lady's blog gives us an interesting

perspective on her take on life, love and her passions.

Number Nine on my list is:
Jinky's Kitchen World
This mom reigns supreme in her kitchen coming up with
delectable recipes for her family

and finally, the tenth on my list:
Libotero
Having a travel blog of my own, this blogger from Cebu presents his experiences in each of his travels in an entertaining manner.

If you want to make your own nominations, click on the link: http://www.influentialblogger.net/p/join-top-10-emerging-influential-blogs.html

This contest is made possible by the following sponsors: Cyber Monday Deals, TRIbeca Private Residences, How To Videos, Palawan Beaches for Sale, Green and Natural Lubes Philippines, Philippine data center, Philippine online shopping, Singapore Jobs, and Pinoy Party Food.