Mommy Moments: My Favorite Photos

Pictures help us to remember the beautiful memories we don't want to forget. Pictures help us to create legacy to our future generation, so they will have a visual perception of their family history. Here are some of the pictures I really love to share with my fellow moms for the Mommy Moments: Mommy's Favorite Photos:

This is our first family picture..

May this picture reminds my daughter how much I love her

So adorable!

She really looks like Dora here!

So pretty in yellow..proud to be a Filipina baby..

Taken at Lakeshore, Pampanga.. a very special love..

Hope you enjoyed viewing the pictures!

The One

This is a story I shared in the Big Magazine, and I am sharing this now in Mommy Moments Unforgettable Stories.

Do you believe in miracles and signs? Every girl has a fantasy of finding the one God had ultimately prepared for her-her one true love. I admit I used to be one of them. I fell in love for the first time..to a man my family was not in favor of. However, a sweet dream turned into a nightmare. I woke up one day with a broken heart. Time has passed by, another relationship has begun. I fell in love and was hurt for the second time. I was deceived by love. I often hear people say, God won’t give us things we can’t handle; but there have been times in my life when I thought God always knew more about what I could or couldn’t handle than I did. I do believe, however, that When God see you need a little help, He goes one step further to let you know that everything will be alright.

My heart and mind were enlightened by my best friend. Her heartfelt words helped me to stand up and to fight with all the heartaches I’ve felt.I had thought that my past relationships were all failures. But my best friend made me realize these were not failures, but a success. The experience of getting into an unpleasant relationship is a blessing in disguise. One of the purposes of a relationship is to test if a man is worth the pure and endless love a woman or other way around; a test if the two of them are meant to spend the rest of their lives with each others arms. The purpose was fulfilled. I have realized I haven’t met my future husband yet. I’ve learned to trust in God’s special ways and special time. I’ve learned to open my heart for His greatest gift.

I praised God for His great love. I never thought that He had already planned a very special way of meeting my one true love. I prayed for it. I asked for signs. I was afraid of falling in love with the wrong man again. I prayed that whoever will fulfill the three signs would be the one that God has prepared for me. These three signs were an angel, rain with that guy and a pink rose. It really amazed me that these signs were indeed fulfilled. I was so surprised because I never expected that my one true love is actually one of my friends. I am now married to my one true love and the Lord has blessed us with a beautiful angel.

As the saying goes, life is like a box of chocolates..Its uncertainty is a mystery. But one thing is sure; you’ll never hesitate enjoying the chocolates if you always believe in Him..And you’ll see that every bite is so sweet.

Future Pedia

My little toddler's second birthday is coming closer, and I thought of buying her something that could make her super happy. I remember one time in the mall she want the "Baby Alive" doll so much. After my appointment with a client, I and my office mate went to Parkson in Clark and bought the "Better Baby Alive" doll for my daughter as my gift for her birthday. She want also a bicycle but I am afraid of the accident it may bring. 

checking the vital signs

first picture with her new baby

getting the temperature

time to change her diaper!

I am glad she likes it. I can see that she enjoys it, but I enjoyed more watching her playing. As I watch her, I realized how time flies so fast..my little one is growing up. And maybe someday, she will become one of those successful pediatricians in our place.

Renewal of PRC License thru Fast ID

My expired PRC ID was finally renewed today. I and hubby went to PRC Manila for the renewal of my ID and for the registration of his new license. The experience on the renewal is faster today. I recommend for those professionals who lives in province to renew their license thru the Fast ID system of PRC so they can apply and get it the same day. Here are the steps I followed today (preferably applicable to CPAs):
1. Make sure that you will bring the following requirements:
    a. a photocopy of your old PRC license (bring also the original for verification)
    b. A total of P900 (P450 for fast ID and P450 for renewal). Since my ID was already 1 year and 1 month
        expired, I paid P600 (one-year expiration) for the renewal plus P30 for every one month expiration. So
        I paid a total of P1,080 for the renewal of my ID.
    c. one-piece passport size picture with name tag. There is a 1-minute ID express outside the PRC building
        just near the gate where you will only pay P80 pesos for 4 pieces passport pictures.
2. Get the application  for "fast ID" in the Information  booth on the left side of the entrance gate.
3. Proceed to Window 30 and submit the photocopy of your old PRC ID and the duly filled-up "fast ID" form
    for the assessment of fees. The assessor will then write the fees on the form.
4. Pay the assessed fees at the Cashier (Window 4 or 26 will do).
5. Proceed to the MegaData Express office located in the center of the lobby for your picture to be taken and for your application to be encoded.
6. Proceed to Window 30 and submit the portion of the form for PRC and show the Official Receipt. The designated hour to claim the renewed PRC ID will then be written on the claim stub.
7. Claim your ID at Window 31 after 2 hours. Since we arrived there at 8:30 and finished the steps in 9:00am, I was able to claim my new PRC ID at 11:00am. IDs can be claimed at 11:30am for those applications until 10:00am, beyond this time but before 2:30pm IDs can be claimed in the afternoon.

Hope the professional moms out there will be able to renew your PRC ID too without any hassle!

Mommy Moments: Mommy's Favorite Products

The weekly theme for Mommy Moments is Mommy's Favorite Products. I have these products that I keep on buying for how many years already coz I love their qualities and performance. I had chosen four products to share with, my favorite product for daddy, for mommy, for baby and for the whole family.

For Mommy:
As a loan officer in a bank, it is very important for me to look fresh all day and have a presentable personality.
 I started using this Nu Skin Tinted Moisturizer in year 2008 and many had noticed that I have a smooth and pimple-free healthy face.What I love with this product is that it is very light when applied in my face because it is water-based. With only a small amount my face is fresh all day. Aside from Vitamin A and E, it has also SPF 15 sunscreen protection. To reflect my natural skin color, I even used this on my wedding day. One bottle is good for one year.

For Baby:
For my baby's delicate skin, I use hypoallergenic  Lactacyd baby bath since the day she was born and eventually switched to Lactacyd Toddler Wash now that she is a toddler. I had tried other baby wash for her but did not work well for her for she develops skin rashes. I noticed that she is not allergic to Lactacyd products just like me who uses Lactacyd Feminine Wash.

For Daddy:
This is my birthday gift to hubby last year. I love to kiss and hug him when he wears it! The clean  smell lasts for a long time. I love the sweet, baby scent smell. He wears it in office and also whenever he's on field.

For the whole family:

This Acer netbook is very useful for me. Aside from enjoying blogging, net surfing and doing my other work here, it serves also as my online book (medical, inspirational, articles, blogs). It serves also as an educational device for my daughter who loves nursery rhymes, music and cartoons online. My hubby who loves to cook can now watch the many "how to cook" recipes online.

But of course, all my favorites, my most favorite product is the product of our love, our little one!

My 29th Birthday

 Due to busy schedule I was not able to post something for my birthday last September 14. I turned 29, getting close to 30- it made me feel like I’m getting old!  I thank God for giving me another year to cherish and live for. My life has not been that easy but I am glad that I still stand whatever trials I faced. It’s been 3 years since I became a wife, and two years since I became a mom. My life has become more meaningful since the day I gave birth to my child. I value myself more now since I know that nobody could replace my role as a mom to my child.

That early morning my husband surprised me with a birthday card and chocolates. I am thankful that he is consistent of being sweet. I don’t really have big celebrations on my birthdays. A simple dinner with my family is a big thing for me, but that thing was impossible that day since my in-laws visited us in our home. 

 

I was also touched with my officemates thoughtfulness- a sweet chocolate cake made my day also special.

But what really melted my heart is hearing my daughter for the first time greeting me a happy birthday.

Magical Day at Enchanted Kingdom

I am sharing our pictures during our family bonding at Enchanted Kingdom and Tagaytay last August. It was actually a late summer outing for hubby and his officemates. They brought with them their own families for they know they will enjoy a day in EK if they'll spend it with their family. I forgot to reset the date and time settings of our camera, so you will notice that the date was different.

My daughter was just behave for 10 minutes, she actually walked around the bus for the whole trip

Upon arrival to Josephine's Restaurant in Tagaytay, my little tot who was so tired fell asleep

My little one loves these pretty hats and she wants me to buy one for her

Carousel Ride.. she cried a lot when the ride ended, huhu

happy family

I'm a little bit scared coz my daughter wants to go down

so excited to ride Up, up and Away!

My daughter's first time to watch 4D @ Realto (Yogi Bear)

I bought that sweater along the way

She's shy when our officemate took a picture of her

The day ended with smiles in our faces

Must Have: Medicine Cabinet For My Little Toddler

My Tot's Medicine Cabinet

Last September, my little girl has a low-grade fever and common cold at the same time. That night I was so anxious since when I looked at the medicine cabinet there was no paracetamol available for her fever. It even took me also longer hours looking for the digital thermometer to monitor her temperature. I was nervous that I brought her to her pediatrician the following morning and requested for NS1 Dengue Test. Thank God that the result was negative and her low grade fever was due to phlegm in her lungs. One thing I learned from that situation is that it is a must for every home with toddlers to keep a medicine cabinet as first aid for any illness especially when those situations arise in the middle of the night. Experiencing those cuts, scrapes, insect bites, common cold, rashes and diarrhea are part of growing-up so parents must be pro-active and must be ready to give their children first aids at home. From them on, I made sure that the following items are available in my toddler’s medicine cabinet:

1.       Digital Thermometer. Once your kid has a fever, it is necessary to monitor her temperature. I opt to use digital than mercury since mercury thermometer contains toxic when broken.

2.       Paracetamol. I usually give my toddler Tempra when her fever reaches 38.2 degree Celsius. Her pedia does not recommend Ibuprofen and Aspirin when the cause of fever is unknown since it can increase the risk of bleeding like for dengue fever.

3.       Hydrocortisone/Diaper Cream/ Petroleum Jelly.   Having a sensitive skin, I always maintain inventories of these ointments to relieve my toddler’s diaper and heat rash.

4.       Antibiotic Ointment.  For minor cuts, burns and insect bites, I apply this ointment to prevent bacteria build-up and infection.

5.       Salinase Drops.   This is a must since at their age and with the changing climate toddlers are prone to colds.

6.       Mosquito Repellent.  Since there was dengue outbreak, I made sure that we apply the no-DEET insects repellent lotion from Human Nature (made from Citronella). I used to buy mosquito patch before but I noticed when I arrive home that there were still mosquito bites in her legs, so I switched to lotion.

7.       Oral Rehydration Fluid Pedialite.  I usually maintain a bottle of Pedialite, but it should be put inside the refrigerator. Toddlers usually have diarrhea since it is the stage of their exploration and they tend to put everything on their mouth. To prevent dehydration, I usually let her drink about two to four ounce of this depending on the frequency of her bowel movement.

I did not mention any decongestants, anti-histamines or cough medicines here since I don’t want to give them to my daughter without her doctor’s prescription. Medicine cabinets should be hang/place in areas free from direct sunlight or humidity to maintain the quality of the medicines.

Mommy's Hobby

My life as a woman usually revolves around my role as a mom, wife and a worker. As a working mom wherein I only have little time in my hands for myself, it is important for me to have a hobby to provide an outlet for my innate need. I take some time out everyday to pursue what I enjoy for me to unwind and recharge to lessen the stress from work pressure and other responsibilities. These are the hobbies that make me feel relaxed and positive:

Reading. Reading allows me to have my own world, it allows me to explore to different worlds and gain knowledge from it. Reading gives me different views about life, teaches me how to be a better person, helps me to understand other people’s life, and guides me how to be a better wife and mom.

When you're looking for parenting tips, I'll recommend this one..

Manual for couples with biblical principles towards a happy marriage

Music.  Music helps me release my innermost feelings. It helps me get back into mood whenever I have those bad times. A way of engaging into music is listening and videoke trips with my hubby. I am not born diva, but whenever I sing I make the people around me happy-maybe because I sing with my heart.

Videoke trip with hubby (Taken when we were still friends)

Blogging. It started in October 2010 when I became interested in blogging. It all began when I became a mom and I google whatever information I want to know about parenting. Since then, I was inspired to blog whatever achievements, tips and experience I have in my life as a wife and mom. Blogging widens also my network of friends and helps me to understand more about life. I am looking forward that my blogging hobby will earn money for extra income aside from the fun I have from it.

My Blog: A Story of a Wife and Mom

Watching Movies. Whenever there is too much stress from work (usually every week), I and hubby would go to cinemahouses and watch the movies we both like. I really enjoy this hobby especially when I can relate with the flow of the stories. I love it whenever I and hubby talks about the plot and characters of the movies we watched.

At the moviehouse..

I am looking forward to spending more time for my hobbies so when I return to my real world I will be facing challenges with more confidence and positively!

This is my share to Mommy Moments: Mommy's Hobby.

Almost Christmas

September 1, 2011

This is a late post. I had this picture taken on the first day of September. This coming Christmas makes me excited coz it is the first Christmas we’re gonna celebrating in our own “new” home. I am looking forward that my daughter would enjoy the holiday season with us. Hope it will be a merry Christmas.

Elder Care

One of the issues raised in most families is who will take good care of their parents when they get old. Nursing homes in the Philippines is not popular due to the cultural value of close-family-ties. Elders usually stay at home and taken good care by their children. There are exceptional cases wherein children are too busy with their work and they cannot attend with their parents needs. In this scenario, their children just hire some caretakers, usually one of their relatives, to feed them, dress them, and take good care of them while they are not present. It is just like parents hiring nannies for their little one. Caring elders is just like caring babies. They have to be nourished emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Emotional nourishment.  They need attention, patience, someone who will listen to their old stories, affection and understanding. They need to feel that inspite of their old physical appearance they are still loved. They want to feel that their children still need them inspite of being helpless. They still need communication inspite of their weak hearing. They need to be understood whenever they have those poor memory, repetitive stories, sensitivities on almost things and tantrums. They need to be guided to live their life normally just like they used to.

Physical Nourishment. Since their bodies became fragile, due care is necessary. They have to be maintained clean and fresh. Their dry skin should be kept moisturized. For the bed-ridden elders, their lying position should be change every hour to prevent them from having bed sores. Nutritious food should be given to them. Since their body could not absorb nutrient that much, food supplements and nutritional milk should be feed to them to have strong resistance against sickness. We must encourage them to still do simple exercises to have strong body and proper blood circulation.

Spiritual Nourishment. Reading the bible with them or other spiritual articles will build their faith in God and lessen their fear of being old. It will help them grow more with God inspite of getting old. Going to church with them is also a way of bonding with them and a way of letting them feel valued.

Caring elders is not a responsibility. It is a privilege to bring back the care and love they had given us-it is an act of gratitude. They once gave us the attention, patience, and time in order for us to reach what we are now. Now is the time to return the love and let them live their remaining life to the fullest.

Art of Shaving For My Hubby

As a wife, I am concern of my husband’s grooming just as I take good care of my little one. If a child is a reflection of her parents, husband’s grooming is a reflection of how his wife takes good care of him. Husbands love to be pampered by their wives. And being a wife of a man who works as an appraiser, I should be aware on how to take good care of his skin and how to maintain his face with a clean-shaven fresh and flawless look.

I used to worry when I see those cuts, razor burn or irritation on my husbands face after his shaving. Since I want my husband to have that clean look without hurting himself, I took an effort to learn on how to apply the art of shaving to him and I am glad that now I don’t see anymore those cuts and burns.

Warm Water helps open pores so it is vital to wash his face with warm water to detoxify and remove oil and dirt in his skin at the same time opening the pores.

Next is applying the shaving cream over the area to be shaved. But since some shaving creams contains chemicals that irritates my husband’s sensitive skin, applying pre-shaved oil is necessary before the cream.

Shave in the direction of the hair growth gently. My husband uses electric shaver coz it allows him to shave fast and prevent razor cuts. It is best to clean the shaver cutter after every shave for sanitation purposes and for longer use.

After shaving, he rinses his face with cold water to close the pores and applies natural moisturizing ointment. Two times a week he exfoliates his skin using a natural facial scrub to maintain his fresh look.

Hope these tips will help your husbands too to prevent razor burns and cuts and maintain that fresh clean look. As they always say, it takes a woman to get the job done properly. Hope you enjoy the art of shaving with your hubby!