Are you Ready for School?: Back to School 2015 edition

Summer is almost over. In a few more days, school year 2015-2016 will officially begin. Oh hello traffic and morning rush! And as expected, our daily morning grind this year will definitely change as my 4 year old daughter will be going to school. Hooray! I'm really looking forward to this milestone of my li'l one as it will be her first time to enter school. She will skip Nursery and proceed to Kinder 1 (or Pre-Kinder) because of her age. I see her very excited as much as I am. I enrolled her as early as April to make sure she'll be in the morning slot (from 8:30 until 11:30). In her school-to-be, each class (particularly in her level), will be limited to only 15 kids. I liked that they narrowed it to that number so that they can be monitored by their teacher properly. And dealing with toddlers can be really tiring when tantrums and hyper-activeness strikes. We are not talking about 1, 2 or 5 children here, but 15 kids with different personalities. (As a backgrounder, the school that I enrolled her in is in its 2nd year of operations only. Before enrollment, I already went there to inquire. That's why I knew ahead why they limit down the number of students per class particularly in this level. Last year, they have a total of 25 kids in each class. Knowing kids can be rowdy, playful and has a short attention span, it's really a handful for the teacher and a co-teacher to handle such a huge number of kids.)   

Anyways, in preparation for school, I slowly bought the things which I think she will be needing (without yet the school's checklist). 

• Bag of course! (I had it already prepared for her since 2013. See post here.)
• Black Mary Jane shoes (I bought hers at SM Department Store. Its brand is Sugar Kids for just around Php300.00. Some kind of like this. I know it cost cheaper and its quality a question. But let's see… So far I love the texture and the design. Very simple yet easy to clean)
• Umbrella
• Undergarment "sando" shirt
• Black knee-high socks
• face towels (The one I bought is the microfiber quality that is like the Aquazorb)
• Undergarment black cycling shorts (since her skirt is above knee level long)
• Snack box/bag (It's a hand-me-down bag but still in its good quality condition. I know it is because it came all the way from Canada and it was hardly used by my niece. Thank you sponsor!)
• plastic cover for the (6) books and (8) notebooks

Now that I have the checklist from the school, I was stunned to see a lot of requirements for a preschooler. It's like endless...

Page 1.
Today's generation is really different. Lesson Plan notebooks na gamit today.
What will they do with the sand paper?
What is chipboard?

I'm kind of obsessive when it comes to checking on things that every thing is complete. Honestly, these are a lot for a preschooler to check everyday if her supplies are intact. I know my daughter would not fathom right away if I remind her always to check her things by herself. Guardians are not allowed to enter into the school's campus during school hours. So there's no 'Ate' to check it for her. I worry a bit if it'll be misplaced or other kid would get it. Thinking now on how to label each and every thing on the list. A lot of things needs to be done…

Page 2.
Seriously? As in EQ or Huggies diaper?

"There may be additional items that may be requested by teachers throughout the…" Gotta be prepared for it. Nevertheless, I am determined to settle it all before the start of their classes on June 8. For now, I am excited to buy the rest of the requirements and join in the rush in buying school supplies. Anyway, I love it and it makes me bring back to memory lane…

How about you? Are you prepared na mothers like me?

Carmen's Best: Pure Indulgence

True to its word, Carmen's Best Pure Indulgence artisanal ice cream is indeed indulgence at its finest. I've seen numerous raves about it in social media including blogposts that kept my mind glued on it until its availability reached here in Davao City and can only be bought at Echostore here and here at that time. I'm happy about it because only a step away, I'd be able to taste the much talked about homemade artisanal ice cream and gelato made available in the local market. And since it is now available in NCCC Supermarket, I couldn't be any happier! That's what I call accessibility granted!

I couldn't believe it's this plenty when I saw it yesterday
at NCCCMall Supermarket. To my heart's delight!

Last Sunday, and because it's Mother's Day, I posted in my FB days before that all I want is to have this ice cream and nothing else. I cannot remember telling my husband about what I want for that day but he asked me if that ice cream I want is available in GMall Toril. No, it's not.

I like it that it has 'best before' note written.
Sorry for the blurry photo. But for the one I bought,
it'll last until April of 2016 when kept chilled. 

Honestly, I find it expensive at 450 pesos for a small tub of container. But hubby gave me money for this and his gift for me as I wished for. Why not? I splurge because it's Mother's Day! Amusing part. After the cashier punched it in the cash registry, she kept looking at the bar code and also the bagger. They were having small conversations I assume of how much it cost. I smiled at them and said that's really the price. She then said, "Does it taste good?" And I said, "It's my first time to try that too. We'll see…" 

That creamy, rich, velvety and smooth texture is sooo damn goood!!!

I must admit, having a sweet-tooth, is a bit difficult because I easily submit to every dessert and pastry that is available for me to eat. I love everything sweet! No questions about that. Of all the ice cream that I've tasted and tested (though I haven't tasted yet the Haagen Dazs or Ben & Jerry's or Dreyer's to name a few expensive ones), I love the mild sweetness, melts-in-the-mouth Mudslide flavor of Tillamook available in S&R. Now, having tried this flavor of Carmen's Best, I'll surely try out the rest of its available flavors even if I sacrifice buying other things/'wants' I want. This is what I call pampering oneself and submitting to my heart's desire. Carmen's Best is the best!

Bag Giveaway...Joei & Me: My Birthday Giveaway: Win a Coach Crossbody Bag fr...

I love bags… second to shoes. All my bags are given by my sponsors such as my OFW family. And I'm one of those lucky beneficiaries of them. But because I'm kind of very particular to quality and brand, it ends that I cannot buy one for me because I cannot afford to buy quality products. That's why I settle to wait for them giving me or join in contests especially in blog giveaway (which I'm fortunate to say, I've been lucky for the past 2 years) such us the Joei & Me: My Birthday Giveaway: Win a Coach Crossbody Bag fr…:

SM Kid's Sale Loot

I am always on a look out for sale items from SM Department store especially in the kids section. I dunno know why I don't go directly in the ladies department. Maybe and like all mothers out there the mother in us always rules and comes first! And I find their kids stuff really cute especially for the girls. #mamawonders #motheratheart Don't you think?


Just this Monday, I went to SM City Davao to check on sale items for my 4 year old daughter who I brought along with me. I really love the selection of kids clothing from SM. As in everything whether it's a sale item or not. When it's a sale item naman, I find it still very okay and no flaws like what we are always used to. You know, some minor or invisible defects or stain. Usually their items on sale are last sizes or pieces that they want to dispose already. Since I am already eyeing to get a blue and green colored blouses for her, check out what I got from the sale items...

Note: I really love the Just Tees collection for girls. It's hip, trendy and very fashionista!

1) This shirt is on sale already @ Php125.00. But since they have
ongoing sales, this I got for Php100.00 na lang. Happy mama lang ang peg ko!

2) It's not in my plan to get this dark peach statement shirt.
But I like the caption. Perfect for my daughter!
I got this on sale for around Php160.00. 

3) Still on high from our London trip, I got this for her.
Since there's no red bus design available, I settled for this blue one.
Still on sale @ around Php160.00.
(They have a San Francisco design in pink.
But it's too big already for her at size 14.)

Notice I haven't found a green blouse? Well, a second trip to SM calls for that, yahoo! They have a mall wide sale at the end of April in time for Labor Day (May 1). I only spent less than Php500.00 for all 3 items. Super not bad! Hurry and check out stuff not only for your kids but for you and your home as well. #ilovesm #iheartsm

Fascinated

Staring at you in this photo makes me a happy mother of you.
I praise God for a beautiful and thoughtful daughter in you.

Random thoughts: You are growing fast before my very eyes. Everyday, I am in awe of what you are today. I thank God for giving me a beautiful daughter in you and your little sister Nique. May you be a God-fearing, generous, cheerful, optimistic and loving person that I wish you would be. May God give me and your papa good health, strength and wisdom to guide the both of you until you are ready to face the complexities of life. I love you and Nique more each day and everyday that I and your papa lives.

Here Comes Summer 2015 (Part 2)

In lieu of my previous post here, here's the 2nd part. I've said that I'll bombard photos of our recent beach trip in this post but sadly I haven't took as much photos as I want because my phone battery's drained. I forgot to charge it. But anyway, here are some photos I grabbed (without permission) from my SIL's FB page. 

Their swimming pool is very nice. Even the adult pool can accommodate kids
but with adult supervision and company.

Here's the mushroom structure they have and from afar the giant shoes
which I think is 20 years old or more. Both structures
are preserved and I'm glad they did. We have stories to tell to our children.

At the far right is their new and child-friendly playground. 
At the left is one of their new function halls.

This castle is also 2 decades old. We remember playing here when
we were kids. But now, they closed the entrance going at to the top.

That's all folks. More than the photos I shared, there are many improvements Mergrande has done through the years. And I'm glad that they maintained it and until now they are still in operation despite many resorts that are now in business.

Our Family Portrait: A Cartoonist Perspective

As a parent, every milestone our children make is not only their achievement but ours as well. We take a sense of pride in every little thing they say and do from 0 to 1 year. On the onset, blurting out voices from their own mouth (even if there is no word uttered) is a first step of development. Then they will be able to respond later on when we talk to them even if we cannot understand what they mean is another. But we know it is the answer to what we say to them. 


Fast forward to 4 years now, my daughter will be a school girl soon. She will be in pre-kinder come school opening. I am ecstatic, I believe, as she is. This Wednesday will be the first day of enrollment on her soon-to-be school. Since I took a leave in work on that day, in the morning, I will officially enroll her just to be sure to get the morning slot. We have a lot to prepare before she will start on her new environment. For one, she doesn't recognize the alphabet and numbers yet though she can memorize and utter it. She doesn't know how to write her name but she knows how to say it, she knows how old she is, where she lives and the names of her family members. That's us.


Speaking of us, one thing I am proud of our eldest daughter is she is showing her artistic side. She loves to scribble on things in a drawing paper and color it. Currently, she is into Play-doh. Honestly, I don't want her playing it because it is so messy and after she plays, me and the nannies fixes it. It's so tiring picking up the pieces of clays on the table and the floor. But even if I don't like it, I let her play because I know it is for her own good. It molds her creativity and imagination.


Speaking of imagination, just this morning, she made the drawing below:

My Mariella's version of our family including our 'house-mates'.

I know it is unattractive but seeing this development of my Mariella makes me one proud mother. She knows now how to relate things through drawing. I bet you will also feel the same if your children exhibits this kind of work. Every time she asks a pen and paper, I really give it to her because it exercises her mind and I encourage parents too to do the same. I feel so blessed that little by little my Mariella is slowly coming out of her shell. 


How about you? Any developments your child is making that makes you one proud parent? Share it...

Here Comes Summer 2015 (Part 1)

Everybody's excitement in every social media page screams out S-U-M-M-E-R!!! It's the most wonderful time of the year apart from Christmas or when you are a student. Believe me, even parents sigh with relief when summer time comes. No hurried morning madness especially if you're a working mom. This summer is extra ordinary and I would say memorable for us as it is not a yearly happening. Two of my husband's family from abroad are here to spend vacation at the same time and what better way to spend summer is to hit the B-E-A-C-H. Oh yeah! This is the last day of the month and tomorrow, April 1, is officially the start of summer. Exciting noh? Personally, at this point in my life, as much as possible I refrain from too much exposure under the sun. For one, I easily get dark and I care for my skin more at my age now. I don't like excessive sweating too because it's an icky, sticky feeling. But since I have kids already, I enjoy looking at them enjoying the water so I'm equally happy na rin, diba muthers? A hat, a pair of sunglasses and an overload of sunblock will do the trick for me. But for the meantime, let's prepare ourselves first for the complete spiritual cleansing. We are commemorating the Holy Week this week. Let us renew and come ourselves before our God who died on the Cross and sacrificed for us. And gave a new hope for us by rising from the dead. May we have a fruitful, peaceful, restful, blessed and meaningful week.


Fast forward to next week…


We will be having a family gathering. Oh well, it's also the time where family reunions are usually being held because the kids are on vacation too. So it's totally a big event that we are all looking forward to. It'll be an overnight stay in one of the longest running operational beach resort here in the city, the Mergrande Ocean Resort (formerly the Villa Victoria Beach Resort). 

Rewind…

We frequent this beach resort when we were kids about 20 years or so ago. A regular visitor means almost every weekend we were there with my relatives on my father's side. Upon arrival, we changed in our swimming outfits and swam like there's no tomorrow. Me and my cousins would just get out of the water to eat or when it's time to go home already. Then we are knock off to sleep.


At present...

Being in this resort brings back a lot of happy childhood memories. A lot has been changed and it is for the better. Cottages for overnight has improved a lot and in air-conditioned type already, their playground is more child-friendly and as a parent it's a double thumbs-up and a high-five recommended for me. (The giant shoe and the big mushroom structure is still there. I'm glad that they still preserved it.) They have improved and added their recreational facilities such as seminar halls which can accommodate events like weddings, birthdays and the like. Their swimming pool is more exciting than before with the additional slides, waterfalls structure and installed shaded area in its vicinity. Sorry but I haven't taken photos when we were there about 2 weeks ago. But I'd say, I loved it's amenities now including the toilet and bath rooms and the restaurant. I didn't expect their generous amount of serving for an affordable price. We had our breakfast there and for a price range of Php100-140, a serving of their regular breakfast includes a huge cup of rice, 2 servings of sunny side up egg, a bacon (or tocino or longganisa), a choice of tea or coffee and a choice of fresh fruits of juice. And I am amazed at how delicious their breakfast selection is. That time the available fruit they serve is watermelon. It's sweet and juicy and in large serving too. If you'll order their American breakfast, they serve a jumbo-sized hotdog, 3 slices of toasted bread, a butter and a jelly then a choice of either tea or coffee and fresh fruits or juice. I can't help to brag about it because it's really worth every peso you'll spend. I promise to show you in photos the next time we'll visit there and just bombard you with one, less talk…. hehehe. So for now, I leave you hanging. It means I'll make a part 2 series of this post, more on photos next time.


I hope you will also have an exciting, adventure-filled summer with your loved ones blogga' friends!

The Modern Day Cinderella

Have you seen it? I bet mothers like me with daughters have movie-dated already. My 4 year old daughter and I watched it last Friday the 13th. And I guess I'm the more excited one because being a young girl once I giddy when Ella turns into a beautiful girl with her beautiful dress, steps in to her glittering glass (slippers) shoes complete with a whole bunch of grandiose and echos, hehehe...

The most coveted glass (slippers) shoes... Stunning!

Opinion: Though everything is beautiful in the movie, I think the girl
who portrayed Cinderella doesn't fit in the role. Not because she
is not beautiful physically but there's something in her beautiful face
that didn't make me sigh on how beautiful she was. #parangmaykulang

My date.

I love how the run of the story goes. It was not totally revised I should say. Straight to the point. There was no add-on scene just to give a twist on the story. Maybe the only thing that I think was improved is that Cinderella here is empowered like the woman of today. (And fairy godmother is kinda groovy in this film). Moral lesson of the story: Be kind and have courage. Being kind as the traditional Cinderella we've known and now, coupled with having courage to face the world in times of hostilities. I like the version of this Cinderella because it speaks to the women of today. I believe that even if we are now empowered we should remain in us the kindness and meekness a woman is known for. It's like we are the hope after the storm. A ground of solace from chaos.

I recommend you to watch it. It's a nice movie especially when you bring your daughters with you. A fun bonding activity that you both will surely treasure. #perksofhavingadaughter

London Diaries 2014 (Part 2): Charity Shops & Tea Cups

For all of you who are not familiar with this, London has several charity shops that sells second hand and even brand new stuff that owners didn't use even once. You won't miss a shop since every area in London has two or more. Some of the charity shops where we frequent to are Salvation Army, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Princess Alice Hospice Shops, Oxfam to name a few. They are called as such because the proceeds goes to the needy. Each charity shop has its respective recipients depending on their cause. They are legal entities operating in the country. While for us here, we can equate it to the thrift shops or "ukay-ukay" being the seller that benefits. It's not more on the cause anymore… hehehe. 

Being a thrifty-natured one, we always end up entering into these shops because we can buy items priced from £1 or even less and at the same time helped in their cause in our own little way. So imagine my happiness when I bought Aldo wedge shoes about £7, a Zara belt for only £2, a Havaianas slippers for my daughter for the same price as my Zara belt. There's also this one charity shop where I forgot the name, I saw and bought a brand new (tag still attached) Levi's 501 jeans in black (but unfortunately didn't fit me but I gave it to my mother) that cost me only £4. That's less than Php300.00. It's such a steal! But so much of my random steal finds (to which I plan to make a separate post), here's to one of a charity shop find (or was it a car boot sale find?) that is actually given to me by my ever generous and sweet SIL. Since they moved out to UK na and now based in the US, she gave these pretty tea cups with saucers perfect for tea break and matching plate for a dessert to pair with it.

I was actually inspired to write this post because of Ms. Ellen of PseudoShrink. Hers is a brand new elegant royalty tea cup talaga. But in my mind, hindi naman lalayo din kung ano yung meron ako. Hi Ms. Ellen! If you happen to come across this post of mine, here's my share of tea cups din! Toast to our tea cups, hihihi… Parang sorority sisters lang ang peg. "Would you like a cup'a (of) tea?"

It is already a habit for English people to have tea breaks or drink tea. Whittard of Chelsea is a famous brand that sells premium teas and drinks that is renowned worldwide and dates back in 1880's. I had the chance to visit their store and taste their selection of tea and chocolate. I must say that it really satisfied my taste buds more so to my palate. See their various products here.

This one is my pasalubong for my boss. He like it!

This first set of tea cup I got is more on a Chinese-y inspired design because of the blue and white color combination. Owning something like this inspires me to get fit. Why? Because ang sarap uminom ng tea pag ganito ka elegant and kaganda ng craftsmanship ng tasa. Diba? Not to mention tea  has a lot of healthy benefits. Inom lang ng inom.

And when we say royalty and elegance, Europe and the Great Britain automatically pops in our mind. The following two sets of tea cups I own now says more of that. Ala Greta Baretto diba? 

Part of our London trip last October of 2014, we went to museums and visited castles and palaces where the kings and queens have lived. In there, they displayed various kitchen utensils and dinnerwares they used. It is very amazing to see such fine porcelain wares. Talagang royal highness ang dating lang.

These three are sitting prettily on my cupboard and never used any of it. I love staring at them. But just this morning I thought of using the blue one first for my tea breaks here in the office. It's not only inspiring but it teaches (forces) me to drink tea for health reasons. ;-))

How lovely! Common expression of typical English people when they appreciate things. Couple that with a very warm and welcoming smile and politeness that makes me a happy tourist in London. 

On Being Healthy, Physically Fit and Losing Weight

Yesterday, I went to see my doctor again after a month of medication. While waiting for my turn, I was browsing a diabetes-issue magazine and stumbled upon an article that's all about the right way to exercise. And I think it's not only applicable for those having the said illness but for everyone's information.

You choose what category fits your fitness plan.

What I knew all along isn't true at all. I thought when you just sweat it all out, everything is all in. There is a particular exercise routine, frequency, intensity and duration you have to follow pala in terms of your fitness goal. But I think it will also matter on what particular exercise you will undergo. 

My present goal is to be physically fit. But after I weighed myself yesterday, I found out I am 8 kilos heavier. Maybe I have to lose some weight muna then be physically fit after I shed off those stored baggage.