More than two decades ago, I was a child growing up in a world with no internet, no fun mobile games, and no video calls. Other than television (Hello Batibot!) and my plastic kitchen toy set, my favorite form of entertainment was my humble collection of storybooks. 📚 Best childhood ever! For decades, my little…
Category: Adulting
You’ll be safe here
Dear Tash, Mom is scared of the virus that I tell you about. Sometimes, Mom is still feeling weird about our new setup. Most of the time, Mom is tired, trying to balance work and taking care of our home. Despite all that, Mommy will do her best to protect you. Just like Rylie of…
Let your heart design
“Mom, let your heart design,” Tash said to me yesterday while I was busy working. ❤️🖍🎨 I’m not sure if she heard it from one of the children shows she’s been watching, but I really think it’s a catchy tagline or an empowering mantra for the second half of our memorable 2020. 🤓 Surely, the…
Scent of coffee beans and handwritten love notes
Scent of coffee beans ☕️ and handwritten love notes 📝 Whatever it is that makes you smile genuinely, enjoy it. 🧡🤎 Allow yourself to get a taste of those simple pleasures — warm hugs, genuine laughter during a Zoom call, unexpected food delivery from a friend, milktea or that indoor plant you just bought. When…
Coping with anxiety during quarantine
“Motherhood is driving me crazy!” I used to think this statement is an overstatement…until I got quarantined…during a pandemic…with a toddler. It’s been 55 days since the Philippine government declared a community quarantine, which evolved into “enhanced community quarantine” to “extreme enhanced community quarantine” due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Whatever it’s called, this lockdown…
Life lesson from a quarantine summer
This magnificent mango tree is the scenic view closest to Masungi Georeserve that we can enjoy this quarantine summer. 🌳 🌤 Every morning, Tash and I will open our room window, stare at this beauty, greet it good morning, count the birds that fondly nestle on its strong branches and marvel at the many fruits…
Missing my fearless, carefree self
Imagining the adrenaline rush of our thrilling ride in the middle of the majestic Paoay Sand Dunes 🤩 How I wish I can shout my heart out like we did back then, willingly embracing the unseen wind right in front of us, joyfully surrendering to every unexpected bump and turn. Yes, we all want that…
A confident mother is a requirement to raise a positive and courageous child #FilipinaBeautyJourney
Fair and flawless skin. Long legs. Sexy body. Chiseled cheekbones. Let’s be honest. In the Philippines, we were made to think that beauty is confined to these few physical characteristics. What we don’t realize is that, in other parts of the world, there are people who will pay just to have our skin color. Somewhere…
BE IN THE MOMENT: Life lesson from children
In a generation where multitasking has become a way of life, practicing mindfulness is something easier said than done. Though I have read a lot of articles about it and attended quite a few events that promote it, being mindful is still something I find hard to consistently do. As a work-at-home mom, I try…
Let’s do small things with great love this 2020
Can’t believe the holidays are over! 🤭 Time flies when everyone’s having fun, right? Here’s our little family savoring the few hours left of the long holiday break with another family food trip. 😍 While we wish the happy holiday season won’t end, let’s just be excited with the new opportunities to love and serve our…
I am the Best Children’s Story Book
While we want to encourage our children to do their best in everything they do, we also need to make them understand that, in reality, there will be times that they’re not the superstar…and that’s totally fine. 🤩 How do we make little children learn that it’s good to do their best but it’s OK…
Readpro Center for Literacy: Helping parents encourage kids to love reading
When I was a child, I loved reading books especially when I read them with my Mom or Dad. Back then, it was easy to love books because there were limited forms of kiddie entertainment. Hello, Batibot babies! Now that it’s my turn to be a parent, I love telling stories to my little girl….
Do you ever get those photos with your toddler right?
I admire parents who always get their photos right. 🤩 I am in awe of well captured precious moments with energetic kids posing like a pro with their moms and dads. That’s definitely a talent… if not a miracle. 😄 For me and my little family, having a decent photo is a rarity. As you…
Let’s Protect the Earth’s Future Today: Tetra Pak’s School Recycling Programs in the Philippines
Tetra Pak, one of the biggest food processing and packaging solutions company in the world, has been committed to its sustainability efforts in the Philippines. One of these is school recycling programmes that have been set in motion since 2002 – Care & Share and Eco Caravan – with the intent to promote and educate…
Throwback: Prenup Pictorial
This is my favorite among our pre-nup photos. Mukha kasing under si Novo dyan! Haha! 🤪 Kidding aside, I just love looking at our prenup photos. Aside from the fact that I miss my body that’s 10lbs lighter, it makes me go back to when my hubby (then boyfriend) and I were still clueless on…
Throwback Tuesday: Calaguas Island
Sharing a memento of my single life 😎🌴 Back when there were no little Tash and Daddy Novo yet, I was one of those carefree millennials who loved to travel. Whether it’s because of a piso fare or a travel bandwagon in the office, I willingly included myself in the “joining” list. 😄 These photos…
Problems between husband and wife should not result to a child’s traumatic experience
Being a work at home mom now, I rarely have the chance to be in public places, but I had to process some documents recently, which led me standing in a busy street in Binondo on a Monday morning. While waiting for my ride home, my carefree searching through my phone’s playlist was disturbed by…
The Asian Parent Philippines’ Mother’s Day Video
I’m honored to be part of the Mother’s Day video of The Asian Parent Philippines. The video is a mashup of the messages of selected moms to their own moms. I had a hard time writing the letter to my Mom as I couldn’t help my tears from flowing. 😭 Watch the video at Blissful…
Mother’s Day 2019: Letter to My Mom
Dear Mom, My 2 years of being a mom to Tash brought me back to your decades of motherhood. Somewhere in my sleepless nights and other mommy challenges, I remember a young version of you going through the exact same things I’m now going through. I saw you patiently wait for me to pee on…
Do you fall into #MalnutritionTraps?
“Pag healthy food, mahal na, matrabaho pa gawin!” I am guilty of having this mindset. We often think it’s time-consuming and expensive to prepare healthy food. When it’s so convenient to just buy an affordable meal in the nearest fast food store, being conscious of what I eat is often taken for granted. Truth is even busy…
