My Sugar, Spice and everything Nice: An Inspiration

She is the most bubbly, funny, adorable, happy soul, all out person I've known in the blogosphere. She is a genuine, thoughtful, loving and generous mother, wife, daughter, friend that anyone could ever have. I don't know her personally but her blog says it all. I couldn't remember what, how or where I found her in the blogosphere. But the moment I bumped into her blog, that was the start of everything. I silently read her blog post everyday. No fail. I don't comment at first because by just reading and seeing her blog post and photos in it is fine enough for me. The way she just loved her 3 kids and hubby endeared me to her and that melts my heart away. She's a kind a mom anyone would want. She's so attached to her kids and vice versa. Her childish-like ways made her youthful and glow even more as I could see in her 3 kids (Ate, Babyson & Lovey as what she calls them) and her Kap (what she calls her hubby) surrounding her. Ms. Jane/ Mommy Jane, even if you are chubby (no offense po!) and I'm not, I wish I have your BIG heart. That is truly amazing of you. And that makes you endearing.

And because I'm a proud fan of hers, she just answered my teeny-weeny request through answering the Old School Blogging/ Alphabet Meme a.k.a "slumbook/autograph". Imagine she made me some kinda tribute and effort and generous of her to put me in her space! A blog post for me? I'm boasting it now and reposting it in my blog too. That's how ecstatic I am. I'm pretty sure too that her millions of supporters would want to know her inside and out. So this is Ms. Jane fellow bloggers. Visit her blog and surely you will be entertained and know what I am raving about. Here's the link below she made for me. Thank you Ms. Jane/ Mommy Jane to the moon and back!

Sugar, Spice and everything Nice: For Donna

People with Rich Souls

I stumbled upon Mommy Teresa's blog "Mommy Bares All." She talks about how God makes miracles in everyday life of a woman and exactly the way her life is all about. It is very inspiring that I have to share also some points where I find myself buried into the words she lovingly wrote.

And I quote:

.."I felt God's loving reminder that I should not be too hard on myself. God reminded me that as long as I give my best, I should not feel guilty. I needed to be reminded that I'm human and I have limitations."  -- That's exactly I want to hear. I jerked when I read this line. I remember alongside this a line from a song..I did my best but I think my best wasn't good enough... This is the life that I lived and I have to compose myself for my family. A mother is everything. Period.

.."it is when you are closest to accomplishing your goals that you encounter the greatest challenges." -- By faith, you are tested in whatever way possible. It is not that God is playing games on us. But having a heart and soul for Him and for Him alone we can conquer whatever obstacles that comes our way if only we believe in the grace of God. I am not the person that questions God on why this thing happened in my life. In every down that I feel in my life, yes I cried, hurt, wallowed and grieved. But I wouldn't blame my God why He allowed this to happen on me. But instead I would think that it has a purpose in my life. Because I'm sure enough that God wants me to teach a lesson and that He wants me to become better even not the best.

It is good that we read a lot of stories like this to enlighten us and not be complacent. We have our share of stories to tell and in anyways God is moving us to conquer the life He has chosen for us. And that is the best life we can ever have. 

See you at the top!

It's good to be on higher grounds. It makes oneself confident in a positive manner. It's more on feeling grateful, humbled and honored when others acknowledged and accepted you for the small achievements you made. I am telling this because my blog, Sound of Life, is making waves and ranking 300 in the Top Blogs as of today and having a Page rank 2 for quite a while now. For this, I am thanking not only my readers (I'm positive I have  ;))) but also to the bloggers who inspired me on writing my own. They are many to mention. Here's a proof of what you have done to me and my blog.

Need to post or else di na maulit ang ganitong ranking.

This is overwhelming for me. As a newbie. this would be my gauge to strive even harder. THANK YOU TO YOU!

Patting One's Back

It seems easy to pacify other people who are in the midst of a problem, in sorrow, sad, depressed and all other words that is synonymous to what I said. It's easy to sympathize, give them a word, hug them, listen to them just to loosen things for them. But what if there's nobody to do it for you when you are the one experiencing it? Seems difficult right? Even if you knew what to tell others, the moment you are in the situation, makes it difficult to think on what to do. Oh how I wish its easier to do it than to just say it. 

Message to oneself: Hold on! Everything is alright. It will just pass. These are mere wake up call so that you will know what is right. Don't give up! Don't let anybody ruin your dignity and feel small. Stick to what you believe in. Acknowledge the pain and free yourself. Take off for a while and reflect. Don't say a word unless you're sure to spill it out. Find time to think things over and then decide and open up. Clear your mind with angry thoughts and fill in what's important. Take a breath and feel the air and positivity coming in your body. Think of your kids. They are your treasures in life. They are your ultimate happiness and contentment. Tomorrow's gonna be a brand new day! God make these little surprises to let you know He's always there. Do not be too complacent. Just remember how lucky you are.

Blogger.com vs. Bloggers.com

My heart pounded much and my breath stopped for a while as I read a sad news. A sigh of relief came on me when I saw the difference. One commenter said that it is BLOGGERS.com and not BLOGGER.COM. So how would you react if you saw it? You see, there's this news circulating around the world wide web that BLOGGERS.COM is closing, shutting down operations come 25th of June 2013. I thought a part of me would break into pieces.

BLOGGER.COM. I am somewhat attached to this online personal diary as I call it. And that has how it moved and inspired me. I've met friends, learned a lot of information that would nurture me, digest a lot of things that make me discover a lot for myself. I would somehow feel for a lot of bloggers and readers who were also attached to writing and expanding knowledge through this kind of sites. It's informative and fun. Aside from that, the perks and returns are somewhat rewarding. It encourages me to hone my writing skills and to break free from any stressful element. So to all bloggers of BLOGGER.COM, worry no more. It's not what our group that binds us together that would shut down. It's the BLOGGER with an "S". Please click on the links to see the difference.

S & R, what does it stand for?

The much talked about S & R Membership Shopping has opened its doors here in Davao City. And for about 2 weeks now since it has opened, the craze and hype has not even dropped a bit. They say that Dabawenyos are okay for the first few months when it comes to patronizing new stuff. But we'll see. Davao City has developed so much right before my very eyes. So far some of my officemates love what they saw and definitely they keep coming back there. They were raving about how the food tastes good and is affordable with regards to their serving. They told me the pizza is a must if you had the chance to visit there. Long queues is expected too!

Anyway, my blog is not about reviewing S&R since I haven't been inside the store. I was just struck by what my hubby asked me one time when we passed by the store. He asked me what S & R stands for. I got speechless and dumbfounded for a while. Oo nga ano? What does it mean? Well, as I searched in their website, I cannot found it. Then asked my officemates if they have any idea. Then one officemate of mine told me R stands for Ricks. That's all that she knows. Then I thought, maybe S & R stands for the founders of the shop. How about you? Any idea what the S stands for?

Visit S & R Membership Shopping website for more shopping experience. Happy Shopping!

Long Live Philippines!!

This is a belated greetings to my fellow countrymen. Yesterday marks our 115th year of Independence from foreign colonizers. It feels great to be celebrating it from the usual holiday where we just bum around the house and take a midweek rest. Since my hubby is a government employee and their office was invited to celebrate it at SM City Davao, we thought that it would be nice idea that I come along with my eldest daughter with him. So I dolled up my little princess in an exercise/jogging-inspired outfit since it will be an early morning event which started off with a parade of guards holding Philippine flags. I don't have idea how many are they. But its nice to see it up close.

 

My darling made a Girl Scout sign. Boy scouts also joined in the celebration.
I love SM's Philippine flag logo.

This is inside SM's Annex area where a short program was held. It was also a turn over of school supplies which SM donated to the City government to help those schools who are in dire need of it. I love SM's idea of making a big Philippine Flag where it was made up of school supplies. I just regret that I didn't take a photo from above.

My kiddo is excited where she makes a pose and dancing beside the uniformed Boy Scouts.

Right on the 2nd Floor, you could see those security guards holding the Philippine flags. They surrounded the whole area. I felt like being proud of my roots.

Old School Blogging, June: Let's A-B-C

School's here and so is my blog for today. I'm doin' the Alphabet Meme as inspired by Mommy Kim of Mom on Duty. So here's ME in A to Z.

A. Attached or Single? Legally ATTACHED for 3 years now with 2 beautiful kids.

B. Best Friend? Aside from my hubby, mother and sister, I have 2 girlfriends who I can share my innermost feelings that not anybody can know. 

C. Cake or pie? CAKE in any sort like everyday. My weakness.
 
D. Day of choice? SATURDAY.

E. Essential Item? WEDDING RING. 

F. Favorite color? Current... TURQUOISE.

G. Gummy bears or worms? WORMS.

H. Home town? DIGOS CITY, DAVAO DEL SUR.

I. Favorite Indulgence? SPA/FACIAL & BODY MASSAGE

J. January or July? JULY. My birth month.

K. Kids? 2 beautiful girls, MARIELLA and NIQUE.

L. Life isn’t complete without? My God, my Family, friends... Spending quality time with them is incomparable and pure joy.

M. Marriage date? January 04, 2010.

N. Number of brothers/sisters? 1 younger brother / 1 older sister

O. Oranges or Apples. APPLES.

P. Phobias? WATER, ROACHES, SNAKES, HEIGHTS...

Q. Quotes? "Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you." The basic rule, The Law of Karma. I believe in that. Same like the saying, "You reap what you sow."

R. Reasons to smile? Everyday when I wake up and see my family happy, a clean and orderly house, soothing music (Jazz, RnB), scent of pine/vanilla, bumming at the beach, vacation time, cool weather, anything sweets and coffee (adds kick to life!), meeting and spending time with friends, when I finish every blog post I write and when I see my blog ranks and when I inspire others...

S. Season of choice? SPRING.

T. Tag 5 People. Ms. Jane, Mommy Fleur, Mommy Frances, Marie and Sheng. These bloggers inspire me a lot in so many ways.

U. Unknown fact about me? A wanna-be Interior/ Furniture designer.

V. Vegetable? Broccoli.

W. Worst habit? Pulling dead/dry hair.

X. Xray or Ultrasound? ULTRASOUND!

Y. Your favorite food? Spell C-A-K-E.

Z. Zodiac sign? CANCER/LEO. I'm born July 22. Sometimes when I read horoscopes, 22nd of July falls on a Cancer or sometimes Leo. I don't know why is that.

Now, it's your turn. As per Mommy Kim, ..."hop right in and copy-paste the questions from Elaine and Jennifer's (they co-host this) blogs. Don't forget to add the badge below!"


This is so much fun! Invite also your blogger friends to do the same. You may also share this thru tweet-ing (add #OSBlog) or facebook-ing.
Happy Monday everyone! #happiness.

My Take on The Philippine Kasambahay Law

June 04, 2013 marks the effectivity of Republic Act No. 10361, otherwise known as the "Domestic Workers Act" or "Batas Kasambahay" (you can view the bill here or a more simplified version here). A "Kasambahay" or "Domestic Worker" as what it say are the general house-helper, nanny or "yaya", cook, gardener, or laundry person (but shall exclude family drivers, persons under foster family arrangement and service providers. You can view the entire details under Sec. 2 & 3 of the bill). As an employer, I have to read thoroughly, know and understand what is the bill all about. I have a nanny and a house-helper because of my 2 kids. If not, I'd prefer not to have even one.

In general, my opinion on the passed bill is that it is applicable for those people who drafted and spearheaded it. They are politicians whose income is way beyond the salaries of ordinary people. Or yet they haven't experienced to have worked with a "problem-child" house-helper. Moreover, it should have fair play with regards to the rules and regulations stipulated between the employer and employee and not weighing more only on the employee or vice-versa. But in this case, it's like the kasambahay had all the rights and you, the owner of the house, don't have!

I'm quoting on some rules in the bill that I have a reaction to. Read after the break..

My Favorite (current) stash: Cloth Diapers

When you're a mom especially a new one, you forget your needs (and even the wants) and excited on the little ones. Having a baby makes shopping extra exciting for me. Not that I do it regularly. But the moment I step at the department store, the first and must-go for me is the baby/infant section. I don't know. The mother-in-me I guess. Baby finds are a delight for me. Seeing new stuff and innovative products that is useful and beneficial to my baby amazes me all the time.

My current addiction and slowly stashing my collection is cloth diapers. Although a bit expensive at first but in the long run it's all worth it and a good investment. Actually this is a traditional practice before disposable diapers are introduced in the market. Cloth diapers nowadays are re-branded, redesigned and reinvented that will fit and suit to the lifestyle of the mothers of today at the same time. Now that we are ecologically, health and financially conscious about almost everything, Cloth diapering can help save almost everything too!

Initially, I was a bit apprehensive because of the inconvenience it may bring: the leaks, the constant and frequency of diaper changes, the amount of diapers to be laundered and all unlike and compared to disposable diapers. It took me a while to give it a try. But because I want to contribute in saving the environment, budget money expenses and what's best for my baby (click here to know what I mean), I gave this a try only 4 months ago. Now that my second baby is 8 months old (I regretted I didn't used it on my eldest baby now she's 2), it was a surprise that everything I thought about saving indeed came true. Now I have only 4 Cloth diapers on hand (1 Alva, 1 Bamboo Dappy & 2 Baby Leaf, in order according to my preference. But there are a lot in the market that is available depending on your preference. I shall have a separate post about a review of my cloth diaper experience.) but it is still not enough. For a start one should have at least 8-10 cloth diapers or at most 12 depending on the extent your baby is on wetting/pooping. That is for an alternate use already. And cloth diapers should be hand washed every other day that is why you need to have extras to use for the next day. In a day, my baby uses at normal about 3 cloth diapers and at night about 2 disposable diapers. I am planning also to fully cloth diaper my 2 daughters at night where overnight inserts are also locally available. A local seller sells overnight inserts (5-layers) at a price of 150pesos. There are a lot of information about Cloth diapers and diapering itself. I still consider myself a newbie and it helps that I get to know about cloth diaper and its proper use because for me it is all worth trying for.

I am very grateful that I blog because in here I knew about this. I have a list of blog roll of mommies who had great insights about Cloth Diaper/ing 101. You can view them on the right side column on my page --Mothering/Family/Home. Recently, I found in Facebook a group called MCNP (Modern Cloth Nappying Pinays) Group Buys. In here, you get a lot and more insights about different cloth diapers in the market and where you can buy it, frequently asked questions about cloth diaper and diapering and these mothers can help you especially if you are first time mommies or make shift to cloth diapering for your little ones. Since then I can't get over about cloth diapers because aside from the fact that it helped me in so many ways, I just love the designs and styles that makes me wanna hoard it. These has gone to a whole new level of Cloth diapering because of its stylishness and oomph not only for little girls but even for the little guys as well. I love being a mother as much as I love Cloth diaper/ing.

Farming, Fruits and a Refreshing Honey Dew

I am one lucky person because I have a partner who has abundant supply of fruits from their farm almost every week. And we rejoice for the plentiful of food we get from my hubby's family. I am not much into eating fruits unlike my hunger rush for chocolates and sweets. My MIL's ethnicity is Bagobo and they acquire quite a big expanse of area which they plant fruit bearing trees years ago. Good enough that hubby got my MIL's (mother-in-law) and FIL's (father-in-law) love for farming. In my hubby's younger days, he talks about living a simple yet abundant life in the farm. Simple because they are not as comfortable as with their way of living now but they are happy and content with it. Abundant in the sense that their means of living is just outside the vicinity of their small house full of fruit-bearing trees. They have durian, banana, cacao, lanzones, marang, avocado to name a few which they and we enjoy until present.

I may not be a fruit eater but I have a selection of fruits that I may be selfish of. Like this one: Honey Dew

Juicy

Crunchy and sweet.

Honey Dew Melon fruit. Photo source here

Honey Dew is part of the gourd (term: Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons) family. It is the sweetest of all the melons. My office mate usually brings this to office and shares with us. The first time I tried it, I immediately fell in love with the taste. I didn't expect that it taste this good since it is not that common unlike bananas, mangoes, watermelons and the like. This is good when eaten cold as the crispiness and the juiciness of the fruit brings out freshness to ones mouth and body. This is rich in Vitamin C, potassium, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6 which helps beat high blood pressure levels, skin conditions as well as other difficulties of the circulatory system (source and more information about Honey Dew including its benefits here).