For the super long weekend that ends today, we went to Dumaguete City for a brief visit to Daddy's work site. Dumaguete is a province also in the Visayas. It was such a welcome breather for us and the kids. It's a far cry from the highly commercialized tourist sites or the chaotic more urbanized areas. We stayed at Sta. Monica Beach Club though still under renovation. This trip was really more of hanging out at the work site since we were rushing to finish the place up. I actually wanted to stay a few more days to explore.
We were able to sneak in a trip to Bais. On the map, it seemed far but it's actually only 42km away from the city. We enjoyed the drive as it was coastal on very good roads. We even stopped roadside to take a picture with an old train relic. We also were amazed at the number of grand old houses on the roadside punctuated by sugarcane fields. We had lunch at La Planta in Bais. That lunch was great! We had lechon, 3 different kinds of shells cooked 3 different ways, and crispy shrimp. La Planta is cool because it was the old power station and it still has that very old world feel to it. We're already planning our trip to the sandbar which can be accessed from Bais.
I also had my first taste of budbud from Tanjay. It was yummy especially with the thick hot chocolate.
Closer to Sta. Monica Beach Club, we frequented Robinson's Mall to eat in Sans Rival - no trip to Dumaguete is complete without this for me. The meals are very affordable and taste home made. I liked their lasagna which reminded me of lasagna that was taught to us in Home Economics in high school.
We also discovered Kalikaf which is a health/organic restaurant in Robinson's too. It's short for Kalikasan Cafe. We'll definitely be including this in our Dumaguete regulars list.
Of course we hit the wet market for our dinners. We were able to buy super fresh and yummy tuna panga. Chef Syl of Sta. Monica grilled it to juicy and moist perfection. The kids ate so much! We matched this with some sugba sauce, hot rice and super sweet mangoes on the side. The next night, we experimented with our own version of hot pot served poolside while we listened to the waves crashing. I like the wet market in Dumaguete because it's clean, organized and it always has lots of fresh seafood and vegetables for sale.
We were so spoiled on fresh sea food! In the morning, I was surprised to find yaya rushing to the room to get money. Apparently, she was able to catch the fishermen just coming in and was able to buy super fresh fish right at our Sta. Monica doorstep! We had fish tinola for breakfast. I know, a bit unconventional, but cooked with just tomatoes, ginger, salt and a few leeks, it tasted so clean and good.
How can I forget our Lab-as dinner? We had sashimi, baked oysters, pancit, steamed vegetables with guinamos, grilled whole fish, and shell soup. The pancit was a winner for me. The sashimi was disappointing because it was obviously still frozen in some areas. But I'd still go back on our next visit.
On this trip, the kids were a bit disappointed because the pool wasn't filled with water yet. The beach is right at our doorstep but it's not really a swimming beach. It's more for divers.
I can't wait for our next visit to Dumaguete! I'm dreaming of the sandbar in Bais and finally catching the Malatapay Market. My husband is particularly excited to swim with the whalesharks in Oslob which is only 30 minutes by boat from our doorstep. If we're lucky, we may even be able to squeeze in a long drive (and the ensuing food trip) to Bacolod. Ahhh, dreaming of a month long stay in Dumaguete! No wonder so many people come to Dumaguete and never leave!
See you soon Dumaguete! Can't wait to get to know you more!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Manila with Kids
I'll be editing this post as we go along but here's my list of things to do for my kids who are both below 5. I know it's sometimes difficult to think of what to do that doesn't involve just walking around the mall. My children seem to have outgrown their love of Gymboree so I have to scrap our playtime at Gymboree from the list already.
1. Fun Ranch or Active Fun - my kids love places like this. My friends also recommend Kidzville in Podium though I have never personally tried it. An hour is usually not enough for them but for the adults with them an hour is more than enough. They have a healthy appetite right after. I try to schedule going to places like this after their afternoon nap so it's dinner then an early bedtime. The little zoo near Fun Ranch at Tiendesitas is a big hit with the kids.
2. Mind Museum at the Fort - It's very organized. Ava enjoyed but I think Emilio may have been a bit too young for the exhibits. My daughter likes the more interactive exhibits at the ground floor. I couldn't tear her away from the paleontology exhibit.
3. Museo Pambata - Ava celebrated her first birthday here. It's a nice place though it could use a bit of an upgrading of the exhibits and areas as it's showing wear and tear already.
4. Fully Booked - I can't believe my little boy was asking for me to bring him to Fully Booked. He's just turning 2 (and could hardly pronounce Fully Booked)! In the absence of good libraries, the Fully Booked children's area is the closest we have. Since it's free for them to browse, I do feel compelled to buy a book or two though.
5. Manila Ocean Park
6. Catch a play with Repertory's children's theater.
7. Do some kids yoga at Urban Ashram at the Fort - the schedule now is at 3:30pm on Saturdays and it's not too expensive. Mom or Dad joins the children.
8. Early morning at the Centris Market (if you're near QC like us) or Legazpi Market (if you're near the Makati area or want to buy more arts-y stuff) We like going to Centris. The children and the yayas get their weekly taho fix while I buy our fruits and vegetables for the week. I also end up buying things we don't really need (oops!). There's also a stand where I sometimes find nice export overuns of children's sandos. The last time I went though, their supply was low. The kids also like looking at the puppies, birds and fish for sale.
1. Fun Ranch or Active Fun - my kids love places like this. My friends also recommend Kidzville in Podium though I have never personally tried it. An hour is usually not enough for them but for the adults with them an hour is more than enough. They have a healthy appetite right after. I try to schedule going to places like this after their afternoon nap so it's dinner then an early bedtime. The little zoo near Fun Ranch at Tiendesitas is a big hit with the kids.
2. Mind Museum at the Fort - It's very organized. Ava enjoyed but I think Emilio may have been a bit too young for the exhibits. My daughter likes the more interactive exhibits at the ground floor. I couldn't tear her away from the paleontology exhibit.
3. Museo Pambata - Ava celebrated her first birthday here. It's a nice place though it could use a bit of an upgrading of the exhibits and areas as it's showing wear and tear already.
4. Fully Booked - I can't believe my little boy was asking for me to bring him to Fully Booked. He's just turning 2 (and could hardly pronounce Fully Booked)! In the absence of good libraries, the Fully Booked children's area is the closest we have. Since it's free for them to browse, I do feel compelled to buy a book or two though.
5. Manila Ocean Park
6. Catch a play with Repertory's children's theater.
7. Do some kids yoga at Urban Ashram at the Fort - the schedule now is at 3:30pm on Saturdays and it's not too expensive. Mom or Dad joins the children.
8. Early morning at the Centris Market (if you're near QC like us) or Legazpi Market (if you're near the Makati area or want to buy more arts-y stuff) We like going to Centris. The children and the yayas get their weekly taho fix while I buy our fruits and vegetables for the week. I also end up buying things we don't really need (oops!). There's also a stand where I sometimes find nice export overuns of children's sandos. The last time I went though, their supply was low. The kids also like looking at the puppies, birds and fish for sale.
Philippine Airlines' Book and Hold - A Lifesaver! (and other local airline feedback)
I was just making domestic travel arrangements now and saw that they have a new facility where you can book tickets and have until the next day to pay for them in any PAL office, selected San Mig Convenience store or Petron with EC pay. This will make my life easier because of the flexibility it provides - I can hold onto the fare and I schedule for my family but have time to double check with my husband before we finally pay. I can't count the number of tickets (and money!) I've wasted making ticket purchases in haste and realizing I've made mistakes. We've literally had to throw away those tickets as it would cost more to rebook. Another big plus is that there's no need to always use my credit card online!
On another note, the Airphil Express website is easier to use now too! When comparing flight costs, Airphil can be a bit misleading though because unlike other airlines, the add-ons it adds are pretty big. Make sure you check the total cost before deciding as it can throw you off. What I do like about it is that there's luggage included already. We made costly mistakes before on Cebu Pacific when we didn't notice the tickets booked for us didn't buy luggage allocation.
I recently started to use Zest Air (despite my apprehensions!) because our company would use their vouchers. It's a pity they stopped selling these booklets of 11 tickets usable anytime (almost) even with just 1 day notice. It made our lives so much simpler as we didn't have to plan way in advance or have to pay a fortune for last minute tickets. The smaller airport of Zest Air was much easier to manage especially traveling with children. Their staff at the desk were really kind and helpful. The airport also has free wifi. At first, our staff were making hints how they found the planes "shaky." When we flew Zest, it was true. For some reason, they were "maalog." I don't know why but it did get us to Tagbilaran and Manila safely.
Cebu Pacific is my least preferred among the 4. The airport is too big and difficult to manage when traveling with children and handcarry. Past security, there are no more little carts you can use so you have to carry everything on top of having to use stairs to go down to the gate. And they have this bad habit of always changing the gate where you are about to depart even if you're already settled in the original gate. I would buy Cebu Pacific for technicians we need to send to Bohol because I can pay via LBC and have no need to give my ID and credit card copies to people I don't really know.
Overall, if prices aren't too far apart, we always choose to ride Philippine Airlines. The little comforts like better airport, water on board and bigger luggage allowance make traveling just more pleasant. We also like the Yakun Kaya toast in the airport. It's been a little tradition to have the yakun kaya bread and eggs there as we wait. The quality has dramatically declined over the years though. I'm so happy the period of bad service last year has been put behind them. It was actually that period that forced us to use the other airlines more regularly.
Our daughter has learned to ask beforehand if this is the plane that gives free food or not. I don't know why she loves those peanuts so much! At age 2, she was so sad the first time she rode Airphil when the stewardess didn't give out water and peanuts. "Mommy! Tubig lang walang binibigay!!!" "Oops, sorry Ava, we're flying budget!" "Ayoko dito mommy!" She was wailing the whole trip as she couldn't understand why her peanuts and water weren't being given out despite my explanations.
She knows better now. And I know better too. Choose PAL if the price difference is under P500 per ticket.
On another note, the Airphil Express website is easier to use now too! When comparing flight costs, Airphil can be a bit misleading though because unlike other airlines, the add-ons it adds are pretty big. Make sure you check the total cost before deciding as it can throw you off. What I do like about it is that there's luggage included already. We made costly mistakes before on Cebu Pacific when we didn't notice the tickets booked for us didn't buy luggage allocation.
I recently started to use Zest Air (despite my apprehensions!) because our company would use their vouchers. It's a pity they stopped selling these booklets of 11 tickets usable anytime (almost) even with just 1 day notice. It made our lives so much simpler as we didn't have to plan way in advance or have to pay a fortune for last minute tickets. The smaller airport of Zest Air was much easier to manage especially traveling with children. Their staff at the desk were really kind and helpful. The airport also has free wifi. At first, our staff were making hints how they found the planes "shaky." When we flew Zest, it was true. For some reason, they were "maalog." I don't know why but it did get us to Tagbilaran and Manila safely.
Cebu Pacific is my least preferred among the 4. The airport is too big and difficult to manage when traveling with children and handcarry. Past security, there are no more little carts you can use so you have to carry everything on top of having to use stairs to go down to the gate. And they have this bad habit of always changing the gate where you are about to depart even if you're already settled in the original gate. I would buy Cebu Pacific for technicians we need to send to Bohol because I can pay via LBC and have no need to give my ID and credit card copies to people I don't really know.
Overall, if prices aren't too far apart, we always choose to ride Philippine Airlines. The little comforts like better airport, water on board and bigger luggage allowance make traveling just more pleasant. We also like the Yakun Kaya toast in the airport. It's been a little tradition to have the yakun kaya bread and eggs there as we wait. The quality has dramatically declined over the years though. I'm so happy the period of bad service last year has been put behind them. It was actually that period that forced us to use the other airlines more regularly.
Our daughter has learned to ask beforehand if this is the plane that gives free food or not. I don't know why she loves those peanuts so much! At age 2, she was so sad the first time she rode Airphil when the stewardess didn't give out water and peanuts. "Mommy! Tubig lang walang binibigay!!!" "Oops, sorry Ava, we're flying budget!" "Ayoko dito mommy!" She was wailing the whole trip as she couldn't understand why her peanuts and water weren't being given out despite my explanations.
She knows better now. And I know better too. Choose PAL if the price difference is under P500 per ticket.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
The King and I, A Review
My daughter and I caught The King and I at Resorts World this Friday.
Since I put off buying tickets for the last minute, we had really bad seats. They were so bad that it was better for us to watch on the LED screen than the stage. As such, we didn't appreciate all that the first half had to offer. We were so blessed that the ushers allowed us to move to better seats for the second half. That's when I realized how choice of seats makes such a big difference! So please avoid the seats from 1-10. They are too far left.
The show for me was nice too. Moniqiue Wilson and Leo Valdez did a great job. I was so proud to be Filipino. Having many children in the show caught my daughter's attention. As it was "real" theater versus the children's theater we used to watch, my daughter had to put more effort in getting into the story.
I know she enjoyed it because no matter how sleepy she was - show starts at 8pm which is almost bedtime for her - she really snapped to attention when the actors and actresses started to sing.
Catch it if you can!
For this evening, Ava was giddy with excitement as the theater was so big. She also enjoyed having my sister with us and no yaya. I guess it felt like a "big girls'" night out for her.
I'm so happy that more shows are coming to the Philippines and that we don't have to travel abroad to catch them. I still remember lining up at TKTS in New York to watch all the great shows or watching plays in London by myself. It's also so nice to find something my daughter and I both enjoy even at her young age.
Since I put off buying tickets for the last minute, we had really bad seats. They were so bad that it was better for us to watch on the LED screen than the stage. As such, we didn't appreciate all that the first half had to offer. We were so blessed that the ushers allowed us to move to better seats for the second half. That's when I realized how choice of seats makes such a big difference! So please avoid the seats from 1-10. They are too far left.
The show for me was nice too. Moniqiue Wilson and Leo Valdez did a great job. I was so proud to be Filipino. Having many children in the show caught my daughter's attention. As it was "real" theater versus the children's theater we used to watch, my daughter had to put more effort in getting into the story.
I know she enjoyed it because no matter how sleepy she was - show starts at 8pm which is almost bedtime for her - she really snapped to attention when the actors and actresses started to sing.
Catch it if you can!
For this evening, Ava was giddy with excitement as the theater was so big. She also enjoyed having my sister with us and no yaya. I guess it felt like a "big girls'" night out for her.
I'm so happy that more shows are coming to the Philippines and that we don't have to travel abroad to catch them. I still remember lining up at TKTS in New York to watch all the great shows or watching plays in London by myself. It's also so nice to find something my daughter and I both enjoy even at her young age.
Repertory Philippines Wizard of Oz, a Review
I discovered my 3 year old daughter likes watching theater when we went to Repertory Philippines' production of Horton Hears a Who last year. She was enraptured!
The Wizard of Oz is a classic which I thought she ought to see. It's still showing and I strongly suggest for you to take your children to watch it. I was very happy to see the theater jam packed when we went.
All in all, I give it 5 stars for the following reasons:
1. There is a lot of audience participation. I was surprised to find my daughter actively participating.
2. The pace of the show is pretty fast too so I didn't get bored. I was dying of boredom when we watched the Disney Rockin' Roadshow at Araneta and I was quite bored at Horton Hears a Who as well.
3. The actors are seasoned - even if the target audience are children, they performed very very well.
4. The stage, props and costumes were great too.
5. And the real proof - my daughter still remembers the story after the show as she was engaged the whole time.
6. And best of all, it's reasonably priced at less than P500 per ticket. If you'd like to buy tickets, just check online. We just called the organizer, reserved 2 tickets and paid for them on the day itself. The seats are all nice too. There are no far left or right seats which hardly have a view of the stage (quite unlike the Resorts World theater). Do try to get seats as near as possible as your kids will enjoy it more.
Afterwards, we had a great ramen lunch in Greenbelt 5. As a working mom, I really try to plan activities like this with my daughter to bond and share something we both enjoy. I still remember when my mom would take me to watch the ballets at CCP when I was young. It's not just the ballets I remember fondly. I also remember the joy of the ride to the theater, the anticipation of theater complete with dressing up a little and our bonding meal after we watch.
I'm seriously considering making a habit of watching theater. My daughter calls it watching a story that's alive. It's a great alternative to watching TV. And now she's reminding me to please have her taught how to sing like them and to dance ballet. I'm so excited for summer to come around so that I can enroll her in Trumpets. Though I never did become a ballerina, I am not forcing my daughter to be a theater star. For now, it's enough for me to just enjoy theater with her.
The Wizard of Oz is a classic which I thought she ought to see. It's still showing and I strongly suggest for you to take your children to watch it. I was very happy to see the theater jam packed when we went.
All in all, I give it 5 stars for the following reasons:
1. There is a lot of audience participation. I was surprised to find my daughter actively participating.
2. The pace of the show is pretty fast too so I didn't get bored. I was dying of boredom when we watched the Disney Rockin' Roadshow at Araneta and I was quite bored at Horton Hears a Who as well.
3. The actors are seasoned - even if the target audience are children, they performed very very well.
4. The stage, props and costumes were great too.
5. And the real proof - my daughter still remembers the story after the show as she was engaged the whole time.
6. And best of all, it's reasonably priced at less than P500 per ticket. If you'd like to buy tickets, just check online. We just called the organizer, reserved 2 tickets and paid for them on the day itself. The seats are all nice too. There are no far left or right seats which hardly have a view of the stage (quite unlike the Resorts World theater). Do try to get seats as near as possible as your kids will enjoy it more.
Afterwards, we had a great ramen lunch in Greenbelt 5. As a working mom, I really try to plan activities like this with my daughter to bond and share something we both enjoy. I still remember when my mom would take me to watch the ballets at CCP when I was young. It's not just the ballets I remember fondly. I also remember the joy of the ride to the theater, the anticipation of theater complete with dressing up a little and our bonding meal after we watch.
I'm seriously considering making a habit of watching theater. My daughter calls it watching a story that's alive. It's a great alternative to watching TV. And now she's reminding me to please have her taught how to sing like them and to dance ballet. I'm so excited for summer to come around so that I can enroll her in Trumpets. Though I never did become a ballerina, I am not forcing my daughter to be a theater star. For now, it's enough for me to just enjoy theater with her.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Plana Forma, Bikram Yoga or Urban Ashram? A Journey into Losing Weight
There are so many fitness centers coming up these days that it's hard to choose - analysis paralysis! After 2 children, a very healthy appetite and a sedentary life, my body has definitely seen better days. I still look back with fondness at all the comments before on how I seem to eat like there's no tomorrow and still am stick thin. *sigh*
In school, I've always been the brainy one and never the fit one. I've always been the booster squad and never the cheerleader. My physical fitness then really revolved around my mom's mandatory ballet class (which I dreaded each time they rolled around). I'm thankful for those classes though as at least my abs have muscle memory on how tight they used to be. Or at least I'd like to believe that.
My first wake-up call came when I arrived home after a 10-month study abroad in Beijing. All the while there, I thought to myself how bad the quality of the jeans in China were - they were shrinking way too fast that I could hardly even get them up my thighs. The 2 pairs of Gap size 2 jeans I brought still fit perfectly well, albeit snug.
When I got home to Manila with my best bud and room mate Sarah, we headed straight to Boracay accompanied by my sister. Of course I brought my old bikinis. We were walking around Boracay enjoying the sun. When we got home, my sister, being the sister that she is, said - "didn't you notice I was walking as far away from both of you as possible? You both felt like you were so sexy but Ate, you were both so fat." Then my super favorite Tita's said, "Oh no! You look like all the little siopaos you like so much!" And my derma literally stood from her table, stared at my greasy and pimply face and said, "this is an emergency, do you want Roaccutane?" In 10 months, I had gone from 110 pounds to 135 pounds! My weekly Peking Duck 2 ways finished by just Sara and I, my daily bing jiding and daily yi-tiao baozi (1 steamerfull of little meat buns) and daily noodle soup with 6 pieces jiaozi (like little gyozas) had taken their toll!
So I had to move by butt. I got into badminton and aerobics and for the first time in my life, tried to eat just 1 cup of rice a meal. It worked! Whew! And FYI, the size 2 Gap jeans, upon closer inspection, were massively deformed after trying to fit me all those months.
Before getting married, I wanted to be more fit. I got into Bikram yoga and never felt cleaner and healthier in my life! While in class, I always thought I'll never go back this is torture but after class, I felt great. So my boyfriend and I kept coming back. It was really our quality time together. I never saw my actual wedding gown until my wedding day. I had only fit a muslin version of it. I saw the waistline and told the designer - that's too small I'll never fit into that! Lo and behold I did! Thank you Bikram Yoga!
I'd keep doing Bikram Yoga but I developed hyperthyroidism after I gave birth to Ava. Exercise took a back seat what with breastfeeding, a new baby and work. The next alarm came when my thyroid was getting controlled but my eating habits weren't. The weight started to come again. This time, Bikram Yoga was out because the heated room and my still too fast heart rate was a dangerous combination.
My sister recommended Plana Forma. I like the community atmosphere, the teacher's lively pep talks and that it's only 50 minutes long. In the class my muscles were really burning. Oh how that 1 inch up and down hurt so much. Being the procratinator that I am, I waited for the last minute to finish all my 10 classes. And boy did that hurt! My muscles were burning just holding the ball between my legs! Only then did I find out it's not supposed to be done daily. But my body responded - my old clothes started to fit and in just 2 months!
I haven't signed up again though because I panic bought 30 classes on Deal Grocer for Urban Ashram. Ahhh, the dangers of panic buying!
Yoga has always been my exercise of choice because I feel so relaxed during and after the class. It's been tough fixing my schedule around the Urban Ashram Fort classes though. I've only taken 1 class out of the 30 because I got sick after the first class. It wasn't the class' fault mind you. I was feeling under the weather even before I went to class.
Between the 2 forms of yoga, I actually prefer Bikram because I like the predictability of the poses and find comfort in knowing what's next. Sometimes, yoga classes become too teacher dependent and personally get bored doing sun salutations the whole time. But maybe that's also just my mind resisting the poses right?
Among the three, Bikram still gets my vote but I can't do it for health reasons (hyperthyroid). So between Urban Ashram and Plana Forma which would I choose? In a perfect traffic-less world, I would alternate between the two daily and be a totally hot momma. In this real world, I better finish all the classes I bought first then work out a more realistic alternating schedule between the 2 next year.
In school, I've always been the brainy one and never the fit one. I've always been the booster squad and never the cheerleader. My physical fitness then really revolved around my mom's mandatory ballet class (which I dreaded each time they rolled around). I'm thankful for those classes though as at least my abs have muscle memory on how tight they used to be. Or at least I'd like to believe that.
My first wake-up call came when I arrived home after a 10-month study abroad in Beijing. All the while there, I thought to myself how bad the quality of the jeans in China were - they were shrinking way too fast that I could hardly even get them up my thighs. The 2 pairs of Gap size 2 jeans I brought still fit perfectly well, albeit snug.
When I got home to Manila with my best bud and room mate Sarah, we headed straight to Boracay accompanied by my sister. Of course I brought my old bikinis. We were walking around Boracay enjoying the sun. When we got home, my sister, being the sister that she is, said - "didn't you notice I was walking as far away from both of you as possible? You both felt like you were so sexy but Ate, you were both so fat." Then my super favorite Tita's said, "Oh no! You look like all the little siopaos you like so much!" And my derma literally stood from her table, stared at my greasy and pimply face and said, "this is an emergency, do you want Roaccutane?" In 10 months, I had gone from 110 pounds to 135 pounds! My weekly Peking Duck 2 ways finished by just Sara and I, my daily bing jiding and daily yi-tiao baozi (1 steamerfull of little meat buns) and daily noodle soup with 6 pieces jiaozi (like little gyozas) had taken their toll!
So I had to move by butt. I got into badminton and aerobics and for the first time in my life, tried to eat just 1 cup of rice a meal. It worked! Whew! And FYI, the size 2 Gap jeans, upon closer inspection, were massively deformed after trying to fit me all those months.
Before getting married, I wanted to be more fit. I got into Bikram yoga and never felt cleaner and healthier in my life! While in class, I always thought I'll never go back this is torture but after class, I felt great. So my boyfriend and I kept coming back. It was really our quality time together. I never saw my actual wedding gown until my wedding day. I had only fit a muslin version of it. I saw the waistline and told the designer - that's too small I'll never fit into that! Lo and behold I did! Thank you Bikram Yoga!
I'd keep doing Bikram Yoga but I developed hyperthyroidism after I gave birth to Ava. Exercise took a back seat what with breastfeeding, a new baby and work. The next alarm came when my thyroid was getting controlled but my eating habits weren't. The weight started to come again. This time, Bikram Yoga was out because the heated room and my still too fast heart rate was a dangerous combination.
My sister recommended Plana Forma. I like the community atmosphere, the teacher's lively pep talks and that it's only 50 minutes long. In the class my muscles were really burning. Oh how that 1 inch up and down hurt so much. Being the procratinator that I am, I waited for the last minute to finish all my 10 classes. And boy did that hurt! My muscles were burning just holding the ball between my legs! Only then did I find out it's not supposed to be done daily. But my body responded - my old clothes started to fit and in just 2 months!
I haven't signed up again though because I panic bought 30 classes on Deal Grocer for Urban Ashram. Ahhh, the dangers of panic buying!
Yoga has always been my exercise of choice because I feel so relaxed during and after the class. It's been tough fixing my schedule around the Urban Ashram Fort classes though. I've only taken 1 class out of the 30 because I got sick after the first class. It wasn't the class' fault mind you. I was feeling under the weather even before I went to class.
Between the 2 forms of yoga, I actually prefer Bikram because I like the predictability of the poses and find comfort in knowing what's next. Sometimes, yoga classes become too teacher dependent and personally get bored doing sun salutations the whole time. But maybe that's also just my mind resisting the poses right?
Among the three, Bikram still gets my vote but I can't do it for health reasons (hyperthyroid). So between Urban Ashram and Plana Forma which would I choose? In a perfect traffic-less world, I would alternate between the two daily and be a totally hot momma. In this real world, I better finish all the classes I bought first then work out a more realistic alternating schedule between the 2 next year.
Movie Review: Courageous
Let me share with you a little secret, I only watch comedy films. I cry at a drop of a hat so drama is out of the question. I used to cry even at TV ads.
One of my daily prayers is for God to please strengthen our family, to guide my husband and I in this journey of life with Him firmly in the center. We are a young Catholic family. We go to church every Sunday. We pray with our children nightly. But we are seeking something deeper, a relationship with God that will be truly alive in our lives. I've been reading Joy Tanchi's blog and a lot of what she says resonates with me. However, I don't really "force" my husband into any form of thinking. In my own little way, I try to be a better Christian wife and mother.
Imagine my surprise when he called me to say his friend had given him a film that made him think about what it means to be a father. It made him re-assess our family dynamics. It made him realize it wasn't enough that I was being a mom, it made him want to step up being a dad. Don't get me wrong, I think he already is a good dad. But I was very happy that we are now on the same page on how we are going to raise our children. It made me so happy when he said he realized that he is the spiritual leader of our home.
On our way to CCP to watch the Phantom of the Opera, I grabbed the opportunity to watch the movie in the car. It is a bit sappy and mushy. But it gave us clear insight in where we can improve as a family.
Being Catholic, we don't have a tight church community or a pastor who can help us along on our journey. We don't mind, we read non-denominational Christian literature because the truth contained is still true for us. We just pray that we find a way that family life guided by Christ can be more fully alive for Catholic families like us.
I'm lending the movie to my brother and office staff who are young parents in hopes that it plants a seed in them just as it had for us.
One of my daily prayers is for God to please strengthen our family, to guide my husband and I in this journey of life with Him firmly in the center. We are a young Catholic family. We go to church every Sunday. We pray with our children nightly. But we are seeking something deeper, a relationship with God that will be truly alive in our lives. I've been reading Joy Tanchi's blog and a lot of what she says resonates with me. However, I don't really "force" my husband into any form of thinking. In my own little way, I try to be a better Christian wife and mother.
Imagine my surprise when he called me to say his friend had given him a film that made him think about what it means to be a father. It made him re-assess our family dynamics. It made him realize it wasn't enough that I was being a mom, it made him want to step up being a dad. Don't get me wrong, I think he already is a good dad. But I was very happy that we are now on the same page on how we are going to raise our children. It made me so happy when he said he realized that he is the spiritual leader of our home.
On our way to CCP to watch the Phantom of the Opera, I grabbed the opportunity to watch the movie in the car. It is a bit sappy and mushy. But it gave us clear insight in where we can improve as a family.
Being Catholic, we don't have a tight church community or a pastor who can help us along on our journey. We don't mind, we read non-denominational Christian literature because the truth contained is still true for us. We just pray that we find a way that family life guided by Christ can be more fully alive for Catholic families like us.
I'm lending the movie to my brother and office staff who are young parents in hopes that it plants a seed in them just as it had for us.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Bali with Kids
Call us crazy but we like traveling with our kids without yayas. It's a little thing I promised myself, no traveling abroad with yayas.
I was so excited when Philippine Airlines started direct flights to Bali this year. Our first trip to Bali in 2010 involved a nerve wracking run through the Singapore Airport with a 2 year old, tons of handcarry, me pregnant on my first trimester and a delayed flight from Manila. As soon as we sat on our seat to Denpasar, the door of the plane closed.
We didn't really enjoy the first trip to Bali as we stayed only in Seminyak. And there isn't much partying that can be done with a 2 year old. But the foie gras at Metis www.metisbali.com was unforgettable. The melt in your mouth tiny quiche at Biku also gave me something to come back for. Add super promo PAL fares and I as ready to give Bali another go - this time with 2 little kids in tow!
On this second trip, I decided to venture out into Ubud, try Nusa Dua and Canggis on top of Seminyak (for foodie reasons!).
What are my tips for families with little kids traveling to Bali?
1. On the flight: the schedule of the PAL flight is red-eye so expect to kill your first day and last day because of the schedule. It's also a bit tough for the little ones so don't schedule much on the 1st day
2. Renting a private house with driver is a good idea but risky too. I tried this for our first 2 nights at but the villa was too far from the main road and renting a car to take us around was a hassle. You can't just walk around and explore. Also, we didn't have the luxury of having knowledgeable people like a front desk to help with figuring out our itinerary.
3. It's nice to rent a hotel close to the action. We stayed at Amadea in Seminyak on the last leg of the trip and it was so convenient to be on the main road where the restaurants were. I actually liked the hotels we stayed in in 2010 in Seminyak - The Kayana and The Samaya especially because they had a car that would drop you off and pick you up for free around Seminyak. For P5000 a night though, the Amadea was a clean and central place to stay. We missed the fabulous breakfast and frills of a villa though. And the price difference isn't that big. So if you're budget can take it, spring for better accommodation. We were also ripped off by the transportation service at the Amadea.
5. Bluebird Taxi is the way to go. You don't need to deal with the touts and illegal car rentals. We discovered this taxi and private car rental service on the last leg of our trip. We wish we knew sooner!
6. Slow down your schedule - Our kids were bored with the shopping but loved just hanging out at the hotel so make sure you're hotel is super kid friendly. We didn't try the Four Seasons on this trip. We tried Aman but we find the Four Seasons experience tough to beat. Ava still remembers learning how to dance the real Balinese dance with the community children as arranged for free by Amandari though. We took the time (as best we could considering the hectic schedule I made) to enjoy the pools and the beach.
7. Baby carrier is the way to go - Our Ergo came in so handy during the long rice paddy tour and walking the 1 km (though it felt longer!) to Sari Organik. Both were pleasant outdoorsy walks made comfortable by carrying Emilio backpack style throughout. He seemed to enjoy it too!
8. Jean Francois Fichot (jf-f.com) - Since we didn't have much luck with the drivers we got for the tours, we couldn't find his workshop which was a great loss on my part as I found his jewelry in the hotel boutiques and they were beautiful. Bummer! Maybe next time right? The John Hardy outlet we went to was nice too. But since I don't know what the regular prices are, I can't really say if it was cheaper or not. We also checked out the jewelry shops in Celuk village. I would really give that a miss if you prefer more fine work as they look like what you'd get in Greenhills or Baguio.
9. Ubud and Seminyak - Among all the places we stayed in, Ubud and Seminyak would be my picks for traveling with 2 kids. It's very laid back but everything is within reach. There's bits of shopping and restaurants all around the place. The other places we went to were a little too contained.
10. The Kecak dance was a great introduction for the kids to Rama and Sita. Ava still remembers the story up to now and she's only 3! Plus the views were beautiful too. Just maybe think twice about the Jimbaran Bay dinner as being Pinoy, we do get lots of yummy fresh seafood here. I heard the Indonesian resto at the Four Seasons in Jimbaran Bay is a better option. We just didn't get a chance to try it.
Check out my other posts on the places to eat! We were lukewarm on whether we'd go back to Bali again in the near future but the places to eat we discovered (plus my desire to go to JF-F) makes me want to go back sooner rather than later.
But we think it would be better to leave the kids with lolo and lola first and maybe go back just the two of us. It was heartbreaking to be washing and sterilizing bottles nightly as well as going to bed at 9pm. I honestly wanted to be out in the restaurants exploring and having a drink or 2. I also wanted to give the yoga classes a try.
I was so excited when Philippine Airlines started direct flights to Bali this year. Our first trip to Bali in 2010 involved a nerve wracking run through the Singapore Airport with a 2 year old, tons of handcarry, me pregnant on my first trimester and a delayed flight from Manila. As soon as we sat on our seat to Denpasar, the door of the plane closed.
We didn't really enjoy the first trip to Bali as we stayed only in Seminyak. And there isn't much partying that can be done with a 2 year old. But the foie gras at Metis www.metisbali.com was unforgettable. The melt in your mouth tiny quiche at Biku also gave me something to come back for. Add super promo PAL fares and I as ready to give Bali another go - this time with 2 little kids in tow!
On this second trip, I decided to venture out into Ubud, try Nusa Dua and Canggis on top of Seminyak (for foodie reasons!).
What are my tips for families with little kids traveling to Bali?
1. On the flight: the schedule of the PAL flight is red-eye so expect to kill your first day and last day because of the schedule. It's also a bit tough for the little ones so don't schedule much on the 1st day
2. Renting a private house with driver is a good idea but risky too. I tried this for our first 2 nights at but the villa was too far from the main road and renting a car to take us around was a hassle. You can't just walk around and explore. Also, we didn't have the luxury of having knowledgeable people like a front desk to help with figuring out our itinerary.
3. It's nice to rent a hotel close to the action. We stayed at Amadea in Seminyak on the last leg of the trip and it was so convenient to be on the main road where the restaurants were. I actually liked the hotels we stayed in in 2010 in Seminyak - The Kayana and The Samaya especially because they had a car that would drop you off and pick you up for free around Seminyak. For P5000 a night though, the Amadea was a clean and central place to stay. We missed the fabulous breakfast and frills of a villa though. And the price difference isn't that big. So if you're budget can take it, spring for better accommodation. We were also ripped off by the transportation service at the Amadea.
5. Bluebird Taxi is the way to go. You don't need to deal with the touts and illegal car rentals. We discovered this taxi and private car rental service on the last leg of our trip. We wish we knew sooner!
6. Slow down your schedule - Our kids were bored with the shopping but loved just hanging out at the hotel so make sure you're hotel is super kid friendly. We didn't try the Four Seasons on this trip. We tried Aman but we find the Four Seasons experience tough to beat. Ava still remembers learning how to dance the real Balinese dance with the community children as arranged for free by Amandari though. We took the time (as best we could considering the hectic schedule I made) to enjoy the pools and the beach.
7. Baby carrier is the way to go - Our Ergo came in so handy during the long rice paddy tour and walking the 1 km (though it felt longer!) to Sari Organik. Both were pleasant outdoorsy walks made comfortable by carrying Emilio backpack style throughout. He seemed to enjoy it too!
8. Jean Francois Fichot (jf-f.com) - Since we didn't have much luck with the drivers we got for the tours, we couldn't find his workshop which was a great loss on my part as I found his jewelry in the hotel boutiques and they were beautiful. Bummer! Maybe next time right? The John Hardy outlet we went to was nice too. But since I don't know what the regular prices are, I can't really say if it was cheaper or not. We also checked out the jewelry shops in Celuk village. I would really give that a miss if you prefer more fine work as they look like what you'd get in Greenhills or Baguio.
9. Ubud and Seminyak - Among all the places we stayed in, Ubud and Seminyak would be my picks for traveling with 2 kids. It's very laid back but everything is within reach. There's bits of shopping and restaurants all around the place. The other places we went to were a little too contained.
10. The Kecak dance was a great introduction for the kids to Rama and Sita. Ava still remembers the story up to now and she's only 3! Plus the views were beautiful too. Just maybe think twice about the Jimbaran Bay dinner as being Pinoy, we do get lots of yummy fresh seafood here. I heard the Indonesian resto at the Four Seasons in Jimbaran Bay is a better option. We just didn't get a chance to try it.
Check out my other posts on the places to eat! We were lukewarm on whether we'd go back to Bali again in the near future but the places to eat we discovered (plus my desire to go to JF-F) makes me want to go back sooner rather than later.
But we think it would be better to leave the kids with lolo and lola first and maybe go back just the two of us. It was heartbreaking to be washing and sterilizing bottles nightly as well as going to bed at 9pm. I honestly wanted to be out in the restaurants exploring and having a drink or 2. I also wanted to give the yoga classes a try.
Maid's Uniforms
Here's a little secret for Quezon City moms. I found an inexpensive place to buy helper's uniforms. The Centris Sunday market has a stall where uniforms are sold for around P200-250 per set. Yup, you read it right!
They have lots of prints and they aren't the big boxy scrubs that look so shapeless. They are still scrub type but with a bit more detail. Sometimes, it's just hard to put together a whole set of maybe 5-10 of all the same prints in different sizes but I always find something that would work for me and my helpers.
I also buy yaya's white uniforms here. It's not as thick as the one in Rustan's so I keep 1 set of the nice Rustan's ones for occasions and have a couple of these simpler white ones with a little chinese collar for day to day. Our yaya actually likes them because they aren't hot and they dry fast.
They have lots of prints and they aren't the big boxy scrubs that look so shapeless. They are still scrub type but with a bit more detail. Sometimes, it's just hard to put together a whole set of maybe 5-10 of all the same prints in different sizes but I always find something that would work for me and my helpers.
I also buy yaya's white uniforms here. It's not as thick as the one in Rustan's so I keep 1 set of the nice Rustan's ones for occasions and have a couple of these simpler white ones with a little chinese collar for day to day. Our yaya actually likes them because they aren't hot and they dry fast.
Fun Ranch or Active Fun?
We often look for fun places to bring our kids for some family time together. So far, our default places have been either Active Fun in the Fort or Fun Ranch in Tiendesitas.
I personally prefer Active Fun because it's newer and hence, looks a lot cleaner. There are also more shops which I enjoy going to nearby. There's a Mothercare just in the ground floor and now that I like doing yoga in Urban Ashram, I am imagining (hasn't actually happened!) that I will have my yoga practice while the children play at Active Fun downstairs.
The real test of which is better is end user rating. And Ava actually prefers Fun Ranch. I cringe when I give her the option between Fun Ranch and Active Fun. Since then, I have stopped giving her a choice and just announce, "Bring socks because we're going to Active Fun! Yay!" She's pretty cool with Active Fun anyway. She stops being cool about Active Fun when it was a choice between the two.
Why?
I tried probing and basically the gist is Fun Ranch is bigger so she has more things to do. Yes, this is despite her getting a huge friction burn on her below because of the slide. It's all part of it, I guess. She also likes feeding the rabbits at the zoo nearby. But the real reason I think is she gets to play the fishing game. It's really just fish with magnets and the plastic fishing rod with magnets. It's one of those projects I'm thinking of recreating here at home since she likes it so much.
I'm not too fond of Fun Ranch because it looks so dirty. That's really my main concern. Plus it's such a big problem when it rains or drizzles because it's a walk through semi-covered then uncovered and sometimes slippery paths to the car. I must give them credit though, it's very nice that they include a free grown-up ticket for children 3 and below. Active Fun charges another P125 for an adult to go in with young children but parents couldn't possibly let a child younger than 3 all by himself. He will literally get trampled on by the bigger kids! Fun Ranch is much lighter on the pocket.
My top tips for enjoying these activity areas:
1. Bring socks for your child and yaya (or you if you're feeling energetic). It saves a lot of money in the long run as the socks they sell are practically disposable. They unravel after the first wash. I usually include a pair of socks in my yaya's uniform kit so that we come prepared.
2. Bring something to do while you wait. I've tried going in the play area with Ava and it was really really tiring. I could do it for about 30 minutes but maybe not a whole hour. But the kids like it when they know you're just there watching them. Ava likes waving from odd areas.
3. Avoid going on weekends - when everyone seems to have the same idea as you. We've gone on 2 weekends and each time I promised myself I wasn't going to do that again. We left super drained and mentally tired. It was not a good weekend activity.
4. Keep in mind that this is fun for our kids. I honestly am so bored being there and can think of many other places I'd rather be. But I keep repeating how I'm being here for my kids and try to be as excited as they are. And I think of all the times I made them wait while my meeting went on and on or dragged them around doing errands. Those times weren't fun for them too so it's a give and take. Sometimes, I throw in pretending to be Elasto-girl from The Incredibles just to make it more fun and Ava pretends to be Violet.
5. Bring some water and handy snacks and of course a change of clothes - the kids are extremely hunger and sweaty after. The food choices in both places aren't all that healthy.
Oh and maybe avoid planning another activity after. They'll probably be tired and cranky and you'll want to go straight home after! I treated Ava to an unlimited play time in Active Fun when I had a meeting that would run long. She actually opted out of Active Fun after 3 hours. She fell asleep in the car on the way home and woke up the next day.
I'm making a list of fun activities to do around town. It's time we got to know Manila all over again through our children's eyes. Up next on our list are the Farm in Sta. Elena, doing the Viaje del Sol, maybe even a trip to Baguio. Closer to home, we plan on visiting the National Museum. They may be too young for the Old Manila Walks though.
Plays and fairs are fun activities too. We took Ava to watch Horton Hears Who? in Repertory and we came back this year for the Wizard of Oz. She loved both so I'm taking her to more plays these coming months like The King and I. We missed the Book Fair this September - bummer! Maybe a trip to the Negros Fair in Rockwell will be a fun field trip this weekend.
Let me know if you have other ideas where we can take our kids! And stay tuned for more ideas.
I personally prefer Active Fun because it's newer and hence, looks a lot cleaner. There are also more shops which I enjoy going to nearby. There's a Mothercare just in the ground floor and now that I like doing yoga in Urban Ashram, I am imagining (hasn't actually happened!) that I will have my yoga practice while the children play at Active Fun downstairs.
The real test of which is better is end user rating. And Ava actually prefers Fun Ranch. I cringe when I give her the option between Fun Ranch and Active Fun. Since then, I have stopped giving her a choice and just announce, "Bring socks because we're going to Active Fun! Yay!" She's pretty cool with Active Fun anyway. She stops being cool about Active Fun when it was a choice between the two.
Why?
I tried probing and basically the gist is Fun Ranch is bigger so she has more things to do. Yes, this is despite her getting a huge friction burn on her below because of the slide. It's all part of it, I guess. She also likes feeding the rabbits at the zoo nearby. But the real reason I think is she gets to play the fishing game. It's really just fish with magnets and the plastic fishing rod with magnets. It's one of those projects I'm thinking of recreating here at home since she likes it so much.
I'm not too fond of Fun Ranch because it looks so dirty. That's really my main concern. Plus it's such a big problem when it rains or drizzles because it's a walk through semi-covered then uncovered and sometimes slippery paths to the car. I must give them credit though, it's very nice that they include a free grown-up ticket for children 3 and below. Active Fun charges another P125 for an adult to go in with young children but parents couldn't possibly let a child younger than 3 all by himself. He will literally get trampled on by the bigger kids! Fun Ranch is much lighter on the pocket.
My top tips for enjoying these activity areas:
1. Bring socks for your child and yaya (or you if you're feeling energetic). It saves a lot of money in the long run as the socks they sell are practically disposable. They unravel after the first wash. I usually include a pair of socks in my yaya's uniform kit so that we come prepared.
2. Bring something to do while you wait. I've tried going in the play area with Ava and it was really really tiring. I could do it for about 30 minutes but maybe not a whole hour. But the kids like it when they know you're just there watching them. Ava likes waving from odd areas.
3. Avoid going on weekends - when everyone seems to have the same idea as you. We've gone on 2 weekends and each time I promised myself I wasn't going to do that again. We left super drained and mentally tired. It was not a good weekend activity.
4. Keep in mind that this is fun for our kids. I honestly am so bored being there and can think of many other places I'd rather be. But I keep repeating how I'm being here for my kids and try to be as excited as they are. And I think of all the times I made them wait while my meeting went on and on or dragged them around doing errands. Those times weren't fun for them too so it's a give and take. Sometimes, I throw in pretending to be Elasto-girl from The Incredibles just to make it more fun and Ava pretends to be Violet.
5. Bring some water and handy snacks and of course a change of clothes - the kids are extremely hunger and sweaty after. The food choices in both places aren't all that healthy.
Oh and maybe avoid planning another activity after. They'll probably be tired and cranky and you'll want to go straight home after! I treated Ava to an unlimited play time in Active Fun when I had a meeting that would run long. She actually opted out of Active Fun after 3 hours. She fell asleep in the car on the way home and woke up the next day.
I'm making a list of fun activities to do around town. It's time we got to know Manila all over again through our children's eyes. Up next on our list are the Farm in Sta. Elena, doing the Viaje del Sol, maybe even a trip to Baguio. Closer to home, we plan on visiting the National Museum. They may be too young for the Old Manila Walks though.
Plays and fairs are fun activities too. We took Ava to watch Horton Hears Who? in Repertory and we came back this year for the Wizard of Oz. She loved both so I'm taking her to more plays these coming months like The King and I. We missed the Book Fair this September - bummer! Maybe a trip to the Negros Fair in Rockwell will be a fun field trip this weekend.
Let me know if you have other ideas where we can take our kids! And stay tuned for more ideas.
My Season of Motherhood
The seasons, well there are only 2 in the Philippines, are relatively predictable. And they are comfortable in their predictability. I can trust that in December, it will be cooler and in August, the rains will come. Abroad, it is beautiful to take pictures of leaves turning red, ready to fall and of trees in spring and summer, all green and lush. Why is it more difficult to trust the seasons of motherhood?
I recently took the time to go to Books for Less and it was a fantastic treasure trove for a bookworm like me and my little bookworms. We came home with about 5 books each - books that before going I had wished would be there like Big Bear Brown Bear and other Eric Carle books. I came home with much more - especially parenting and homeschooling books I've always wanted to buy but never really bought at Fully Booked. Imagine, we bought 15 books and I spent P4,000.00 only! Just one of the Eric Carle books would've cost around P500! Oops, it was a pretty big dent on our budget considering that the trip to Books for Less was a detour because I missed the opening hours of LBC. Perhaps the detour was an answered prayer because out of those books, I learned so much. And one of my biggest insights was on motherhood.
I'm a working mother in a family business. That basically means nobody dictates when I go to the office or how long I stay there. It also means the desire to work and see the business flourish comes from a much deeper desire to see what my husband and I started grow. I wish I had the luxury of working from home but my work takes me away from home. I wish I could homeschool. I have the whole kit and all the books but no energy and predictable schedule. My big fantasy is to be a stay at home mom. But things being what they are, I can't.
The book I was reading talked about various seasons in a woman's life- a season for mothering and a season for a career. It basically said (and this is a very abbreviated version of the book) that as women, we should be ready to put our career on hold for a little while when our children need as most. And then when they are bigger, we can transition into a season of career growth. It also said to trust that my husband will take care of our needs. Ouch, how I always found joy in the two of us building something together. Our daily drive together to and from the office is one of the highlights of my day.
There are so many opportunities in my line of work. I love working. I love being creative in the office and in many ways, I feel more in control. But so many times (hmm... like daily!), I am guilty that I left the children to the yayas. And I really wonder if all the family vacations, the ability to buy nice toys make up for all the other days when they didn't have me. Yet when I am home, I also think about the office. What am I missing? What should I be checking? Who should I be meeting? I think about how demanding I must seem to my staff yet "slack off" every now and then. It's crazy! Nobody pressures me to clock in the hours. It's my personal work ethic that gets to me.
Realizing these seasons of motherhood or a woman's life made me take stock of my life. I know I always say my order of priorities are God, family and work. Yet my schedule tells you otherwise. I'm at my mothering season now that my children are toddlers and preschoolers. Already I see some character traits which need forming in them. It's a no brainer to slow down. The crazy thing is, I don't know how!
So here's my big leap of faith. Today marks the day when I really will put my career on a simmer and trust that our business will still be healthy when I am ready to return to it full blast in a few years. It has all been lip service up until today. I have been praying really hard for the courage to believe that the Lord will pull through for me and my family. I have been working for more than 10 years now and I am scared of what slowing down will mean at work.
Maybe, it's the same way the trees trust the Lord that even if all their leaves shed, the season will come when they will be green again.
So, here's my journey. Hold me accountable, please.
I recently took the time to go to Books for Less and it was a fantastic treasure trove for a bookworm like me and my little bookworms. We came home with about 5 books each - books that before going I had wished would be there like Big Bear Brown Bear and other Eric Carle books. I came home with much more - especially parenting and homeschooling books I've always wanted to buy but never really bought at Fully Booked. Imagine, we bought 15 books and I spent P4,000.00 only! Just one of the Eric Carle books would've cost around P500! Oops, it was a pretty big dent on our budget considering that the trip to Books for Less was a detour because I missed the opening hours of LBC. Perhaps the detour was an answered prayer because out of those books, I learned so much. And one of my biggest insights was on motherhood.
I'm a working mother in a family business. That basically means nobody dictates when I go to the office or how long I stay there. It also means the desire to work and see the business flourish comes from a much deeper desire to see what my husband and I started grow. I wish I had the luxury of working from home but my work takes me away from home. I wish I could homeschool. I have the whole kit and all the books but no energy and predictable schedule. My big fantasy is to be a stay at home mom. But things being what they are, I can't.
The book I was reading talked about various seasons in a woman's life- a season for mothering and a season for a career. It basically said (and this is a very abbreviated version of the book) that as women, we should be ready to put our career on hold for a little while when our children need as most. And then when they are bigger, we can transition into a season of career growth. It also said to trust that my husband will take care of our needs. Ouch, how I always found joy in the two of us building something together. Our daily drive together to and from the office is one of the highlights of my day.
There are so many opportunities in my line of work. I love working. I love being creative in the office and in many ways, I feel more in control. But so many times (hmm... like daily!), I am guilty that I left the children to the yayas. And I really wonder if all the family vacations, the ability to buy nice toys make up for all the other days when they didn't have me. Yet when I am home, I also think about the office. What am I missing? What should I be checking? Who should I be meeting? I think about how demanding I must seem to my staff yet "slack off" every now and then. It's crazy! Nobody pressures me to clock in the hours. It's my personal work ethic that gets to me.
Realizing these seasons of motherhood or a woman's life made me take stock of my life. I know I always say my order of priorities are God, family and work. Yet my schedule tells you otherwise. I'm at my mothering season now that my children are toddlers and preschoolers. Already I see some character traits which need forming in them. It's a no brainer to slow down. The crazy thing is, I don't know how!
So here's my big leap of faith. Today marks the day when I really will put my career on a simmer and trust that our business will still be healthy when I am ready to return to it full blast in a few years. It has all been lip service up until today. I have been praying really hard for the courage to believe that the Lord will pull through for me and my family. I have been working for more than 10 years now and I am scared of what slowing down will mean at work.
Maybe, it's the same way the trees trust the Lord that even if all their leaves shed, the season will come when they will be green again.
So, here's my journey. Hold me accountable, please.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Chocolate Lovers
My daughter and I had our regular mom and Ava day today. We took a field trip to chocolate lovers at P. Tuazon. It's the castle looking building.
It's been awhile since I've baked. All the paraphernalia and boxes made me want to start baking again. It may not be a good thing for the waistline as I seem to be able to eat what I bake unlike other bakers.
I have a new resolution to bake with Ava weekly because it's supposed to teach her patience. That justifies all the sprinkles.
I was surprised that we had no tantrum today. She filled up the cart with her wants but when I asked her to choose only 3 things, she obliged.
It's been awhile since I've baked. All the paraphernalia and boxes made me want to start baking again. It may not be a good thing for the waistline as I seem to be able to eat what I bake unlike other bakers.
I have a new resolution to bake with Ava weekly because it's supposed to teach her patience. That justifies all the sprinkles.
I was surprised that we had no tantrum today. She filled up the cart with her wants but when I asked her to choose only 3 things, she obliged.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Little Gym, Kindermusik or Gymboree? A Personal Assessment
I've often wondered what the difference was between Little Gym, Kindermusik and Gymboree. Luckily, we've tried them all one time or another and here's my assessment:
When Ava was about 8 months old, we signed her up for Gymboree classes. She really liked Gymbo the clown (though I couldn't understand why). One of her first words was actually "Gymbo." At home, we have the Gymbo that laughs, the Gymbo hand puppet and the Gymbo peek-a-boo toy. And I think it did help her learn cause and effect and object permanence. She also loved popping the bubbles (mental note: we can make glycerin bubbles tomorrow!). I can honestly say she learned to pack away because of this class.
I especially like the free Gymplay passes that came with the membership too. Even now, it helps a lot that I have a safe place for them to play while I go to the grocery.
I stopped taking her to Gymboree when the teachers kept changing and we had a couple of classes with a new teacher who really wasn't really good yet. Also, it was so frustrating because they'd have classes posted in the board but we would be informed that it was closed or not running when we came. I couldn't blame them entirely though because the schedule I'd have on hand would often be outdated because we weren't very consistent in going.
When she was about 2 years old, a Kindermusik class opened near us. We gave it a try as it was nearer than Gymboree. It was ok but I found personally found the class a little too noisy and the pace was way too fast. I felt like even the book reading was rushed and class was going on fast forward mode. Even yaya remarked, "Mam parang napagod ako para sa teacher."
Ava likes going to class though she actually just lays on my lap and watches the whole class whizz by. In a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, I'd rank it 7.
This summer, we gave Little Gym a try as I had heard that their teachers were better. The place really impressed me because it was bigger and super clean and nice. We've just been to a couple of classes but I do find it better than Gymboree because it teaches more gymnastics basics and some pre-school concepts (for Ava's age) too. The pace is just right, not too fast nor too slow. It is slightly more expensive though.
If we judge by Ava's rating though, she's equally excited for any of the 3 classes so I think they are all pretty much ok. As a mom though, I do like Little Gym, I only wish they had a branch near us. But when I watch Ava doing the balance beam or the uneven bars, I sometimes wish I was young enough to play on them again.
When Ava was about 8 months old, we signed her up for Gymboree classes. She really liked Gymbo the clown (though I couldn't understand why). One of her first words was actually "Gymbo." At home, we have the Gymbo that laughs, the Gymbo hand puppet and the Gymbo peek-a-boo toy. And I think it did help her learn cause and effect and object permanence. She also loved popping the bubbles (mental note: we can make glycerin bubbles tomorrow!). I can honestly say she learned to pack away because of this class.
I especially like the free Gymplay passes that came with the membership too. Even now, it helps a lot that I have a safe place for them to play while I go to the grocery.
I stopped taking her to Gymboree when the teachers kept changing and we had a couple of classes with a new teacher who really wasn't really good yet. Also, it was so frustrating because they'd have classes posted in the board but we would be informed that it was closed or not running when we came. I couldn't blame them entirely though because the schedule I'd have on hand would often be outdated because we weren't very consistent in going.
When she was about 2 years old, a Kindermusik class opened near us. We gave it a try as it was nearer than Gymboree. It was ok but I found personally found the class a little too noisy and the pace was way too fast. I felt like even the book reading was rushed and class was going on fast forward mode. Even yaya remarked, "Mam parang napagod ako para sa teacher."
Ava likes going to class though she actually just lays on my lap and watches the whole class whizz by. In a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, I'd rank it 7.
This summer, we gave Little Gym a try as I had heard that their teachers were better. The place really impressed me because it was bigger and super clean and nice. We've just been to a couple of classes but I do find it better than Gymboree because it teaches more gymnastics basics and some pre-school concepts (for Ava's age) too. The pace is just right, not too fast nor too slow. It is slightly more expensive though.
If we judge by Ava's rating though, she's equally excited for any of the 3 classes so I think they are all pretty much ok. As a mom though, I do like Little Gym, I only wish they had a branch near us. But when I watch Ava doing the balance beam or the uneven bars, I sometimes wish I was young enough to play on them again.
Love my Worms
Nobody seems to understand my love affair with worms. It all started when I bought 1 kilo of the worms for vermiculture during an agri fair in Bohol. I had tried composting and being type A, didn't have the patience to wait until I could use the compost. I'm sure I did something wrong because my compost stank.
My first kilo of worms suffered in my care. My helper Sandra started shrieking one day. I rushed out to see her frantically trying to shovel my worms back into my big banga. Apparently, they were trying to run for their lives. They must've known I didn't know what I was doing.
I thought they were hungry. I instructed Sandra to feed them with all the fish innards from the employees' meal from Amorita. Ooops, that didn't go so well either. I thought that the white worms were the babies of the red african vermi worms. They weren't. And soon, ants crawled all over. My worms were dead. I killed them in just 2 days.
I am not one to accept defeat so easily. I bought a kilo again and read as much as I could on the internet. Turns out, fish innards do not belong in the vermi bin. Now where did I get that idea? Plus I can only put equivalent weight of the worms... meaning 1 kg worms = 1 kg vegetable and fruit peelings per day. Got it.
My second batch of worms fared very well. Would you believe I now have more than 10 sacks in Bohol?
We also have a big terracotta jar full of vermi worms where we get the castings for our vegetable garden at home. We put all of our vegetable and fruit trimmings in it as well as some leaves and grass we sweep from the garden. I just take time to have a bowl ready when I cook so I drop all the fruit and vegetable odds and ends in there.
It just takes some time and convincing for new helpers to get the hang of it. But vermiculture is so easy I wonder why more people aren't getting into it.
My first kilo of worms suffered in my care. My helper Sandra started shrieking one day. I rushed out to see her frantically trying to shovel my worms back into my big banga. Apparently, they were trying to run for their lives. They must've known I didn't know what I was doing.
I thought they were hungry. I instructed Sandra to feed them with all the fish innards from the employees' meal from Amorita. Ooops, that didn't go so well either. I thought that the white worms were the babies of the red african vermi worms. They weren't. And soon, ants crawled all over. My worms were dead. I killed them in just 2 days.
I am not one to accept defeat so easily. I bought a kilo again and read as much as I could on the internet. Turns out, fish innards do not belong in the vermi bin. Now where did I get that idea? Plus I can only put equivalent weight of the worms... meaning 1 kg worms = 1 kg vegetable and fruit peelings per day. Got it.
My second batch of worms fared very well. Would you believe I now have more than 10 sacks in Bohol?
We also have a big terracotta jar full of vermi worms where we get the castings for our vegetable garden at home. We put all of our vegetable and fruit trimmings in it as well as some leaves and grass we sweep from the garden. I just take time to have a bowl ready when I cook so I drop all the fruit and vegetable odds and ends in there.
It just takes some time and convincing for new helpers to get the hang of it. But vermiculture is so easy I wonder why more people aren't getting into it.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Our First Four Seasons Family Vacation at Langkawi
A perfect stretch of beach just for us
Our dream villa in the background
As far as unforgettable vacations go, our Malaysia trip last year was really something. Even our 3 year old daughter Ava who was just 2 then remembers our vacation.
It was supposed to be our first trip just husband and wife for a long time. But a week before leaving, Emilio still didn't want to drink milk from the bottle. I couldn't leave him to starve in Manila so we decided to take him along. While packing for our trip, Ava brought out her little Minnie Mouse suitcase and I just didn't have the heart to tell her we were leaving her behind. So off we went to buy her ticket too.
Turns out I made the big mistake and we ended up with an 8 hour lay-over in KL arriving on the Cebu Pacific red-eye and leaving on the Malaysia Airlines 8:30am flight in the morning. And it also turned out we had to take a cab at midnight from the low cost airport to the international airport. Yikes! And we had to do this on the way back too.
Needless to say we were so tired when we arrived at the Four Seasons Langkawi. We were upgraded to a beach villa and it took my breath away.
We were just supposed to stay for 1 night and move to a less expensive resort nearby the next day. It was dirty beyond words and not child-friendly. I could just see the rest of our vacation falling apart. I am very glad they agreed to refund my payment and allowed us to move back to the Four Seasons. I didn't even get mad or anything like that.
Wouldn't you know, we were the fastest ever returning guests of the Four Seasons Langkawi - 4 hours from departure to arrival again.
We had a much simpler room this time around. The Kids for All Seasons made a mark on Ava as well as the sincerity and warmth of everyone at the resort. I could go on and on about everything the staff did to make traveling with 2 little children enjoyable - from giving me white cold towels to wipe off Emilio's spinach baby food (and they didn't bat an eyelash) to wrapping up my cold dessert and bringing it to our room when the children got sleepy and cranky over dinner to laying a big duvet on the floor so the two kids could play in the room. It was just amazing.
Overall, we had a great time. We're saving up for another Four Seasons vacation as luxury really doesn't come cheap. It left such a mark on Ava that she would rather go to Four Seasons than go back to Disneyland. And despite all the hassle of budget carriers, moving airports in the middle of the night with 2 sleepy toddlers, strollers, luggage, hand carry where water spilled all over inside and all it was our best family vacation ever.
Ps. We were not in any way comp-ed or remunerated by Four Seasons for this post:)
My Top 5 Sanity Savers
It's quite a challenge balancing work, a 1yr old, a 3 yr old and having a husband who works out of town. I've learned to find ways of keeping my sanity. Here are the little things I do:
1. Lists
I love making lists and scratching things off them. I've learned through the years to keep my lists per day only down to 6 items, 10 maximum. And I make lists for the helper at home, my secretary in the office and yes sometimes of things I should remind my husband to do (though I never actually hand him the list). It's helped me get more done the past few weeks and I feel good at the end of the day.
2. Post-it
Post-its make my many lists even more organized. I use them as tabs in my meeting notebook so I can easily find the last meeting with the different people I coordinate with. I make post-its for reminders for events in the future so that my planner stays neat and I can move it around should my schedules move. I only like how they line up neatly on my desk and stay put. I have post-its in the kids' closet to remind yaya where to put their clothes and what to pack in the diaper bag. I have post-its on my ref to remind yaya on healthy snacks. Recently my husband bought the big post-its with lines. I still like the square ones with no lines better though.
3. IPhone
Having lists, photos, email and games for bored toddlers to play with during traffic really makes the Iphone worth it. I'm not really a techie. I was convinced to get an Iphone only because of Facetime (for my husband who works far away).
4. Speed Queen Washing Machine
My brother convinced me to get a set of Speed Queen washing machines. I wasn't sure I wanted to spend for them because we had the old school washing machine we bought when we got married and a tiny dryer for when we used to live in a condo. But each time I lack househelp, I am so so thankful for my fantastic washing machines which are super sturdy and easy to use. It also helped me survive cloth diapering my son for a year now and still going despite the constant lack of household help.
5. Facebook
I have to admit, mindless Facebook-ing (hmmm, is that a word?) really relaxes my mind when I'm feeling overwhelmed. My current schedule really hardly has time for going out but it's really nice to be updated with friends and to feel connected even just "like"-ing their status updates.
We all have our little things to save our sanity... what are yours?
1. Lists
I love making lists and scratching things off them. I've learned through the years to keep my lists per day only down to 6 items, 10 maximum. And I make lists for the helper at home, my secretary in the office and yes sometimes of things I should remind my husband to do (though I never actually hand him the list). It's helped me get more done the past few weeks and I feel good at the end of the day.
2. Post-it
Post-its make my many lists even more organized. I use them as tabs in my meeting notebook so I can easily find the last meeting with the different people I coordinate with. I make post-its for reminders for events in the future so that my planner stays neat and I can move it around should my schedules move. I only like how they line up neatly on my desk and stay put. I have post-its in the kids' closet to remind yaya where to put their clothes and what to pack in the diaper bag. I have post-its on my ref to remind yaya on healthy snacks. Recently my husband bought the big post-its with lines. I still like the square ones with no lines better though.
3. IPhone
Having lists, photos, email and games for bored toddlers to play with during traffic really makes the Iphone worth it. I'm not really a techie. I was convinced to get an Iphone only because of Facetime (for my husband who works far away).
4. Speed Queen Washing Machine
My brother convinced me to get a set of Speed Queen washing machines. I wasn't sure I wanted to spend for them because we had the old school washing machine we bought when we got married and a tiny dryer for when we used to live in a condo. But each time I lack househelp, I am so so thankful for my fantastic washing machines which are super sturdy and easy to use. It also helped me survive cloth diapering my son for a year now and still going despite the constant lack of household help.
5. Facebook
I have to admit, mindless Facebook-ing (hmmm, is that a word?) really relaxes my mind when I'm feeling overwhelmed. My current schedule really hardly has time for going out but it's really nice to be updated with friends and to feel connected even just "like"-ing their status updates.
We all have our little things to save our sanity... what are yours?
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