I’m really scared of what our kasambahay told me this morning.

Yesterday in the afternoon, a girl called daw our house. She asked if I was living there. And then the caller asked if she was the kasambahay. And then the caller asked if I was the one driving the car and ano ba daw ang tawag ng kasambahay sa akin.

Our kasambahay answered the first two questioned and kept quiet when asked the last two questions. She suspected something was not right because the caller said that I was with them and I was the one asking the caller to ask them the questions. After keeping quiet, the caller hung up on her.

What was that?! We do not give out our landline number so I am really wondering where they got our number. Nakakatakot. Did this every happen to you guys already?

Dress: COLE VINTAGE: Shoes: CLN

Hi, muthers.

I’m still feeling anxious right now. Thank you to all those who commented on my blogpost, The Scary Call.

Basing on the comments, ang rampant pa din pala ng ganyang modus, ano? It’s very important to be vigilant. There are other very creative ways now how bad people can do this. You can back read the posts that I wrote dati:

Imported and Local Theives (May 2011)
Warning: Please Be Careful (June 2013)
About The Other Night (November 2013)

There.

Please be careful ha? Lekat na yan. Dadagdag pa sa iisipin natin everyday.

I don’t know about you moms but I feel there are 10 million things running in my head at any given moment. This morning, for example. In that 15 minutes that I was in the shower, ang dami dami ko nang iniisip.

“I have to enroll na Anika for gymnastics. Sayang because her previous coach told me that she has the body and talent for it.”
“Kelan naman ako makaka-punta sa CSA during office hours?”
“Schucks, onga pala, I have to get a car sticker also in school.”
“Oh yeah, I have to get Anika a new pair of P.E. jogging pants too. Super bitin na sa kanya yung ginagamit niya. Baka sabihin sa school hindi ko man lang ina-asikaso si Anika.”
“Hindi naman nila siguro sasabihin yun. Araw araw talaga ako gumagawa ng baon niya eh. Ipapanguya ko baon ni Anika sa magsabi nun.”
“Speaking of baon, pa-ubos na ideas ko. Kaya siguro pakonti ng pakonti na lang ang likes when I post. Hindi talaga healthy ang prito lagi eh. I have to Google more recipes and ideas.”
“Lekat, expired na pala yung bread today. I’ll buy mamya pag-uwi.”
“Anong oras na naman kaya ako uuwi mamya? I have to present our Midyear Presentation to my boss. Nakakatakot.”
“Eto na naman ako. Natatakot ng wala pa. Kaya siguro mataas cholesterol ko? May connection kaya yung kaba sa cholesterol? Lakas ng kabog ng dibdib ko eh.”
“Hindi ko alam bakit pa ako kinakabahan eh 7 years ko na ito ginagawa.”
“Yun oh! Seven years na pala ako sa company. Kailangan ko ba magpa-kain sa staff ko? I think yes. Next sweldo, maybe.”
“Bakit may laman pa tong shampoo ni Alvin?! Mahigit isang taon na ito dito.”
“Speaking, san kaya ako dadaan today? Sabi ni Alvin magchange route. Seryoso kaya na yung caller kahapon may balak na masama sa akin?”
“Tae nakakatakot. Parang ayoko pa mamatay.”
“Teka, sino naman ang papatay sa akin? Wala akong kaaway. Blog troll?”
“Katawa sa news: “Blogger pinatay ng blog troll dahil na-irita.” Pangit.”
“Lintek na yan. Ang aga aga ang dami ko nang iniisip.”
“I-blog ko kaya ito?”
“Fuzz. Walang papel.”
“Tanga. Basa ako. At saka paano naman magkaka-papel sa banyo?”
“Tama na. Late na ako.”

See, muthers? That is just for less than 15 minutes. No wonder we are always tired, ano? There are so many things that we have to think about and do.

But you know, I just realized now, it’s not okay for our kids to see us anxious and agitated all the time. John Maxwell has this book titled, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The 13th law is the Law of the Picture.

Basically that law says that you should practice what you preach. Your followers tend to copy what you do. Ang maganda dito sa corporate world, the lessons that I learn are also applicable at home with Anika. Whatever it is I do, Anika will copy. If I do not change my agitated ways, Anika will also become like me: madaming iniisip always and aligaga. Changing will be difficult because this trait is prominent with Type A people. But I have to try to tone it down and set a relaxed atmosphere with Anika. Is it too late to do that with her? I hope not.

For the meantime muthers, I want you to know that I’ve read about this thing that we have na always thinking and thinking and doing a lot of things always and then getting so tired and stressed at the end of the day. The article said that this is very common among mothers. Ganyan kasi talaga tayo eh. Nature na siguro natin yun. And most probably, wala naman kasi ibang gagawa ng mga kailangan nating gawin. If inevitable talaga, we should pick a time in a day when to relax and not think about anything. Yung sa akin is yung 10 minutes ko sa banyo making poopoo in the morning. Sorry TMI but that’s the truth.

Kayo? When’s your me-moment?

I remember when I was in Anika’s age, I would sell gulaman, banana-q and kamote-q outside our house during summer afternoons.

In the morning, Wowa will take me to the talipapa where we will buy the ingredients. LT or she will cook the food that I will be selling. I will get my empty, long Cadburry chocolate tin can and I will cut out folders so I can make the dividers. That will serve as my cash register. The househelp will set up a table and chair outside our gates. By 4pm, magtitinda na ako niyan sa labas. My customers will be my playmates  and their parents. During our time kasi, without all those computers and iPads yet, the kids and grown ups hang out outside the house to pass time.

After a few successful afternoons, I ventured to selling naman ginataan. I will make our househelp lift and pull our sofa set in the garage so the buyers can eat there. Hindi pa naman kasi ganun ka-rami ang masasamang tao that time so we were not that scared to welcome people to our garage. Again, Wowa will buy the ingredients in the talipapa. Either she or LT will cook the food then I’ll sell it. Apart from my playmates, their parents and the kasambahays, my customers were the Electrolux sales people. Do you remember them? Ang sipag nila magikot sa village dati di ba?

My other business venture was selling and trading my stationery. Iipunin ko din profit ko dun. I like the feeling kasi of earning money na that time.

I am not sure where my money went afterwards but I remember treating some of my family members in Tropical Hut restaurant. I also remember buying prettier stationery for my collection. Lelz. Tapos eto na, nagtanong na si Wowa. Kelan ko daw babayaran sa kaniya yung capital niya. Um… Um… What capital? That’s not the way daw to do business. Okay, noted Ma.

This year, it will be Anika’s turn to do business and sell food. Together with Maeko, they will be joining this weekend’s Kiddopreneur in Glorietta 2!

I am sooooooo EXCITED!

On Saturday, July 22, Anika and Maeko will be one of the participants of the Kiddopreneur.

Kiddo-preneur is a market place where all the sellers are kids between the ages of 5-17. By participating, the kids/Kiddo-preneurs, get to start a business, interact with customers, and learn about entrepreneurship and the value of hard work through first hand experience.

The participants may sell any product or service that caters to a wholesome family audience. While the sale of original and homegrown products are encouraged and preferred, repackaged items may also be sold. They may not sell clothing or shoes. They cannot also sell high value goods/electronics.

They will be decorating their booths and us parents will just be there to guide and assist them. The kids will be the one to man their own booths.

At the end of the day, awards will be given to the deserving kiddo-preneurs.

• Best Booth Design
• Best Concept
• Best Service
• Highest Sales

I submitted Anika and Maeko’s Business Plan last week.

They will be selling lemonade, nachos and Wowa’s fantastic banana muffins!!!

Please do come and support them! Please! Please! Please!

It’s a perfect opportunity to expose them to the business world. This is a great way to train the kids how to be responsible and show them the value of money.

Again, please support these kids! See you there okay? The Kiddo-prenur Summer 2017 will start at 10am until 6pm.

Mmmmmwaaaah!

Advertorial

One item that never runs out in my kitchen is table napkins. I have one kind for every need. When I do the groceries, I like to make tambay sa tissue and napkins aisle. I like looking and checking out different kinds. Nakaka-aliw eh. It may sound weird but I blame that in the mom in me. Hehehe.

Last week, my heart palpitated for a bit when I received this in the mail.

Cheers kitchen and paper towels in fun designs! I had the urge to throw a party right then and there. I love the festive and colorful packaging because it’s so me! Alam niyo naman ako. Ako si budburan mo ng colors and glitters pagdating sa ganyan.

Here are the kitchen and table napkins that I got (back left to right then front):

• Cheers Table Napkins: Pull Napkins – 2 Ply 200 sheets
• Cheers Kitchen Towel Roll: Jumbo Solo 80 pulls
• Cheers Interfolded Paper Towels: Pull Paper Towels – 2 Ply 150 sheets
• Cheers Table Napkins: Folded Party Napkins – 50 sheets
• Cheers Table Napkins: Flat Napkins – 100 sheets

It’s good to note that these Cheers napkins has 100% Virgin Pulp. Napkins with 100% Virgin Pulps are more absorbent, stronger, smoother, softer and BPA free. Cheers napkins have no artificial whiteners and elemental chlorine which makes it hygienic.

And since they made a Cheers napkin for each kind of role in the kitchen, there is less wastage when you use it.

I use the Cheers Jumbo Kitchen Towels for wiping liquid off surfaces and for drying my hands.

It’s the same with my daugher. Anika uses the pull paper towels to dry her hands after she washes it. I am kampate because Anika has sensitive skin and the Cheers paper towels do not give her rashes or any kind of allergies.

I am glad that Cheers has this flat napkins. I normally use it to wrap Anika’s sandwiches.

I also use it in the morning when I make #AnikasBaonToday. I put it on the counter and put the bread or biscuits or other food on it. Instead of getting a big plate, I just use the flat napkins and then wipe the surface with it afterwards.

Cheers also has this folded party naps with cute designs. It even comes in a colorful napkin boxes that you can put on the tables in your parties. There are also Cheers garbage bags and Cheers starch based cutlery to complete your party needs. These spoons and forks do not break easily and have rounded edges. They’re safe to use especially with kids.

Lastly, I have the Cheers pull napkins on the table beside Anika everytime she eats. It practices her not to be makalat while eating. I also train her to always wipe her mouth and hands after eating.

There is a Cheers napkin configuration for all types of everyday needs and occasions. That is what I love about it and that is why it’s my go-to napkin brand now.

Well, plus the fact na ang fun niya tingnan and it gives an ooomph and something special when I put it in my kitchen and on our table. It feels that we are constantly having celebrations at home =)

Cheers napkins are available in all leading groceries nationwide.

You can follow the Facebook Page of Cheers for more information and for more creative ideas how to you these paper napkins.

Dress: TOPSHOP; Sandals: RENEGADE FOLK

Nag-dramarama ako last night on my way home from work.

I’ve been very busy the past two weeks. Apart from the daily grind at work, we were preparing for our midyear presentation to the management. Preparing for our midyear presentation is not easy. Mga 100 times kang magrerevise. Perfect dapat and the stress levels are on high, at least for me dahil ako ang actual  na gumagawa. Bakit ako ang gumagawa? Kaysa maubos ang scalp ko kakakamot sa inis sa kaka-utos, inako ko na ang trabaho. At least na-save ang anit ko.

To make things sweeter because the universe is surely testing me, sinabay ang exams ni Anika sa kaguluhang ito.

So for a couple of days, I work during the day and then go home a bit late than usual, review Anika, and make her reviewers for the next day. I was so exhausted. Hindi na ako mapakinabangan afterwards. Plakda na talaga sa bed ang eksena. Working moms, I know you get me here.

We reported the midyear report yesterday. Ang sarap ng feeling ng nakatapos. My officemates went out for drinks to celebrate. Well, to celebrate and to pass time siguro because we ended the meeting around 6pm already. Ang traffic kagabi, exage. I badly wanted to go with them to unwind for a while but I had to beg off because I needed to go home early. I wanted to make sure that Anika reviewed for her exams. Filipino talaga ang exams niya the next day eh.

When I called Alvin to tell him I was going home already, he told me he was just having drinks at his parents house and be home after a while. I really felt bad. Ang unfair naman ng mundo. Bakit siya nakakapag-drinks? Bakit ako parang pagod na pagod and still have a million things to do? I felt that there were so many things that I had to do for the house and for other people na talaga namang wala na akong time for myself. Halos tubuan na ng mushroom ang nails ko sa feet because I can’t even find time to go to a nail salon. Ganung levels.

I told Alvin this. I told him I’m not mad at him but I was really feeling bad for myself.

Alvin told me that I should have gone with my officemates instead. Kaya nga daw kami kumuha ng tutor kasi para less stress for me. I do a lot of things daw kasi. Hindi ko kailangan gawin ang lahat. I have to relax daw.

Relax?!

How can I relax eh I want to be sure that Anika is prepared for her exams? Yung tutor niya naman kasi hindi naman tutok like how I do it with her. Her tutor goes to two more house to tutor more kids after she teaches Anika. I can’t blame her if hindi niya mapa-intindi kay Anika everything in an hour.

How can I relax eh ako ang gumagawa ng reviewers niya for the next day tests? Akala ba niya madali gumawa ng reviewers? Hindot na Diptonggo yan. Hindi ko makita ang sense ng Diptonggo sa kabuhayan ng tao.

How can I relax eh I have to think about what Anika needs to make baon the next day? I need to check if may laman pa ref namin. I need to check if may stock pa pantry. I have to buy everything and do it fast so I can be home before Anika gets sleepy.

How can I relax eh nobody will do these things everyday if I won’t do it?

Men.

Wala namang loka loka ang gustong pahirapan ang sarili niya di ba? I need to think about and do all these things kasi need siya. Hindi siya optional for me actually.

I cried on my way home. Weird na weird sa akin si Ate dun sa toll gate. Akala siguro nakipagbreak ako sa boyfriend ko. Ang sarap ng release, though. It’s really helpful to cry once in a while if you get overwhelmed with life.

I couldn’t stay mad at Alvin when he got home. Nilambing ako ng bongga even though I wasn’t minding him at first. I think from the time we talked until he went home, na-gets niya siguro ako. Or nagconcede na lang siya para wala nang away. Lelz. Ganyan boys, pagnag-iinarte ang mga asawa niyo, lambing lang ang katapat. Alam niyo naman kami, mga uto uto. Wag na magdeny, girls.

This morning, I looked back on my episode last night. Am I spreading myself too thin? Do I really want to get all things done even the unnecessary ones? Alin kaya naman dun ang unnecessary? Maybe I am spreading myself too thin nga because I’m exhausted always, stressed, I’m sick now and I think I do not have a free time for myself.

This is not good for my health. Lalong hindi ito maganda for my skin. Whatever beauty stuff I put on my face, na kung sino sinong guru ang nag-endorse, cannot hide stress. Alam nating lahat yan. Ayokong tumandang harassed looking, ghelz! I feel that I need to change my attitude and outlook  in life. Kailangan ko din ng shopping. Instant Endorphin supply yan. Instant wasak din sa wallet but kikitain naman so keribelles.

Plus on a brighter side, the midyear reporting is done and it’s Anika’s last day of exams tomorrow. I can start relaxing. I have to make that a habit.

Alam ko na yung next topic ko: “How To Let Go”  =D Baka madaming maka-relate, hihi.

I’m feeling so much better today, muthers. Thank you for your messages and comments about my last post. It was just a moment of weakness that I needed to put out there. I want to let you girls know that (1) hindi kayo nagiisa and (2) it’s normal to feel overwhelmed sometimes. You just have to let it out, cry, shout, eat, shop or whatever and then you’ll feel better. I also want to let you know how important it is to have a time for yourself too. Mothers need to be happy so the family will be happy. A wife needs to be happy so that the husband’s life will be happy. Mental health is very important so let’s all take care of it.

I’m still nursing a cold and Alvin has been very nice to me yesterday. He went home early and was very pleasant. He even stopped watching the On The Job movie that he was in the middle of to change the movie to something I also like. We were in bed by 6pm because of my stuffy nose and headache. No cellphones and laptops. After Anika’s tutor left, she climbed to the bed with us. I did not try to review her further anymore. I realized that though grades are important, they’re not everything  you need to succeed in this life. They do not necessarily make one a good person. I have to learn to settle with that to keep my sanity. I am not saying that I will no longer tutor Anika myself. It’s just that I will not push myself to the brink of exhaustion anymore. Like last night, I was really feeling under the weather so I had to let go of some things and just rest.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, Wowa slept over in our house. That meant we get to make and eat good food that we do not normally have at home. Anika requested for California Maki. She loves them and she calls them sushi. I am actually surprised that she likes maki because it wasn’t until college ata ako when I started eating that food. Dun ko lang siya na-appreciate and naging favorite.

This was the first time we made these so please bear with us. Sabay sabay na lang tayo matuto sa learnings. Hehe.

So when making basic California Maki without the orange fish eggs outside, you just need:

Japanese rice
Nori
Cucumber cut in match stick sizes
Mangoes cut in match stick sizes
Kani strips
Japanes mayonnaise
Sushi mat
Cling wrap
Kikoman and wasabi for dipping

First put the cling wrap on the sushi mat. This will ensure that that rice will not stick to the sushi mat. Wowa put some rice wine nga pala in the rice while she mixed it. Mga 2 table spoon .

And then put the rice on the cling wrap followed by the nori. Be sure that the rice and nori are in the middle of the cling wrap and mat. You will figure it out why when you actually do it. We don’t want the cling wrap to go around inside the maki kasi.

Put the cucumber, mango and kani.

Learnings: Dapat pala sa i-roll muna ng konti yung maki then ilagay sa bottom part yung cucumber. mango and kani.

Then you roll it. Wowa did it because it was kind of complicated. Lelz.

Learnings again, do not put too much rice and ingredients. Tataba ang maki niyo and you will not be able to put them inside your mouth in one go.

After rolling, cut the maki for serving. If you check the photo below, ang lalaki ng maki hahaha! Giant California Maki! Parang Futo Maki ang dating.

Put Japanese Mayo on top.

And then serve.

The California Maki that we made were not perfect but it was delicious. It was so delicious that Anika requested Wowa to make another batch so we can eat more and so that Anika can make them baon the next day.

Wowa made the second batch a little smaller na.

There you go! I just don’t know where to buy those orange fish eggs that they put around the California Maki. If you guys know, please do comment where below ha? =)

Happy weekend!

I think pwede na ako mag-doctor.

Charot.

I mean, doctor based on experiences as a mom. Nice siguro if they give mothers basic medicine courses ano? Kahit may board exams din hahaha! I know you can relate kasi there are really moments na you just want to know and understand what’s wrong with your kid right then and there. Para less panic modes din, don’t you think.

Anyway, ikwento ko na here for learnings.

During exam week last week, Anika was already complaining that she was kinda not feeling well at night. She was masigla and she didn’t have any fever so I thought she was just coming down with colds. I gave her Vitamin C twice a day and instructed her to drink lots of water. Thankfully, she was able to take all her exams. However, last Friday afternoon, Alvin called me to tell me that Anika has fever. Yeah. A day before the Kiddo-preneur bazaar, may lagnat siya.

I went home immediately and took care of her. I prayed and prayed na sana this is one of those fevers that goes away overnight.

Boy, I was wrong.

I was up all night monitoring her. After the effect of the Paracetamol wears off, she gets fever again pero hindi naman umaabot ng 39 degrees..

The next morning, she had a 39 degree fever. There was no way she can go to the bazaar and sell.

After attending to her and making all the bilins, I left for the Kiddo-preneur bazaar. As much as I wanted to stay home with Anika, I had to go because the other stuff that Maeko needed were with me.

I went home around lunchtime because Alvin said that Anika has a high 39 degree something fever.

Stress.

I wasn’t able to go also to Faye’s baby shower after the bazaar and I really felt bad. Kaso, feeling ko Anika needs her Nanay more than ever. I’m not saying that Alvin can’t take care of her but iba talaga ang alaga ng Nanay.

When I got home, Anika’s fever went down. I gave her Ibuprofen kasi and wiped iced water on her. Ang lambing lambing ni Anika pagmay sakit. She wanted me to hug her lang all the time. The whole afternoon, her fever was managable at 37.8 degrees.

However, the high fever comes back after the effect of Ibuprofen wears off. While I was feeding her,

“Nanay, can you just please stay here with me and embrace me?”

Hay. Nakakatunaw.

The scary part came around 2:30 am kaninang umaga.

She had a 40 degree fever and 30 seconds after I gave her Ibuprofen, she threw up. Her suka had blood. Then blood came rushing out her nose too.

Akala ko hihimatayin ako.

There were so much blood everywhere!

We rushed her to Asian Hospital and I noticed that the nosebleed has not stopped even though we were putting pressure on her nose.

The kind ER doctor checked on her. She was so nice to panicking Anika. She ordered for blood test and Dengue test. I prayed nasa hindi Dengue.

The results arrived after 2 hours. It was already 5am then. Negative sa Dengue.

Thank God.

Viral lang daw. Expect fever for up to a week. Paracetamol for ever and plenty of liquids. Nebulize if there’s difficulty in breathing because of colds. Salinese for her nose pagstuffy. Air humidifier for the room para wag magdry ang hangin.

We were told that very sensitive daw yung mga veins ng kids sa nose. Mabilis mag-errupt pagmay sipon hence the nosebleeding. Then nagdrip na yung blood sa throat ni Anika so there was blood in her vomit too.

We were sent home with the instructions.

There are so many kids with viral infections nowadays so wash hands always and boost the immune system.

Take extra care of the little ones, mommies.

I have not been eating meat since the doctor told me that I have high bad cholesterol.

I eat fish, fruits, vegetables and chicken. We no longer buy that much meat ngayon. Talagang lots and lots of fish and chicken na lang.

For the fish, we get them from the palengke. For the chicken, I always get the Magnolia chicken. I never get from the other brands. Ever since I was a child, Magnolia chicken na binibili ni Wowa for the family. Sigurado kasi ang freshness and the quality.

So imagine the happiness in the Nanay in me when I got these three plump whole chicken from Magnolia!

One of our favorite luto of the chicken is the Oven Roasted Chicken. It’s very easy to do plus it’s healthier compared sa fried chicken.

First, you marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, soy sauce and calamansi. Best if overnight. And then when you are going to cook it na, stuff it with sliced lemon, ginger, garlic and bell pepper. Put in the oven at 350 degrees F for a little over one hour. Kami, we cooked it for around 90 minutes. Check if may blood blood pa inside. You can make small slices on it to see.

Then cook a couple of boiled sliced baby potatoes in butter and garlic. You can leave the skin on. Season with salt and pepper. Grate cheese on top just before turning off the fire.

You can decorate your chicken with cabbage and the butter garlic baby potatoes.

Viola!

What I like best about the Magnolia chicken is that it’s very juicy and tender. Lasa mo naman talaga na fresh. The lemon, garlic, bell pepper and ginger stuffing made the meat very malasa.  Ang sarap ng pagka-dali namin dito sa oven roasted chicken! This is great for lunch and dinner!

Our wonderful househelp/cook made naman the Chicken Afritada the other night. Sobra niyang sarap! I have to get the recipe! I’ll share it to you as soon as I get it from her =)

Magnolia chickens are rich in Omega 3, free from hormones and steroids, grown in stress free environment and are free of antibiotic promotants.

Only the best for our families, right?

Just like Ms. Margie Moran, Ms. Gloria Diaz and Ms. Pia Wurtzbach, I know walang kapalit ang sarap at freshness ng Pambansang Manok.

Feeling beauty queen din kasi ako. Lelz.

Magnolia chicken is available in all leading groceries and supermarkets nationwide.

Last Saturday was the Kiddo-preneur bazaar at Glorietta 2 Activity Center.

It was a success however, Anika wasn’t able to join Maeko =c She got sick the night before. It was so sayang because I loved how all the kids there were very excited to sell. Mataba ang utak ng naka-isip ng ganitong bazaar. Parents were able to appreciate it because this activity teaches the kids a lot of things: from simple math to having a business minded attitude. Plus factor also that you just need to pay for the booth. All the proceeds will go to the kids. Nakaka-gana lalo mag-benta.

So anyway, on that day, Pineda and I arrived in Glorietta. Like I said, there were so many cute kids there! Mga budding business people! And the booths, grabe, career levels!

I’m so happy Pineda has these booths! I was just thinking to put a nice table cloth for the provided tables and have a signage. Buti na lang career ang bestfriend ko.

When we were planning everything, I told Pineda siya na bahala how to decorate the booth of the kids. She’s really good at that. See? Tama nga ako. Basta sa mga ganyan, Pineda is the best person for it! I didn’t do anything. Binihisan and inipitan ko lang si Maeko. Lelz.

We sold three kinds of lemonade: blue, pink (lychee) and green (cucumber). I love the green one. I bought yata 3 glasses in the three hours that I was there.

We also sold nachos, the banana muffins that Wowa baked and the Nutella peanut cookies that Pineda’s dad baked. Pwera bias, they were all delicious!

Here’s what I wore.

Top: FOREVER 21; Shorts: UNIQLO; Belt: FOREVER 21; Earrings: FRANC AND ANDIE

Kabog my tassel earrings, ano? I’ve always wanted to own one but ang expensive niya sa mga online stores. Nanghihinayang ako bumili because I won’t wear it naman often. Pero girls, with Franc and Andie, it’s very affordable. Magugulat kayo. I’ll write about them more soon but you can check their Facebook account na if you want.

Maeko was a one man show that day. I was so proud of her. She maked Nachos, served lemonades and gave change to customers.

Thank you so much to all those who went.

Thank you Wowa for baking all those delicious muffins and for staying. Oh, thanks also for buying a lot from the booth hahahaha!

This is Bing and she’s one of my oldest and dearest friends. Her daughter also had a booth there that day and they won the Most Sales award! Congratulations!

Bravo and kudos also to this mommy-daughter team up! Galing! I wish next time, Anika will be able to participate na.

Congratulations to all the kids who participated! You can see that they really took their jobs seriously. Good job also to the organizers! Till next time!

Online stores are God sent to busy women like me.

Fifty percent of my shopping, I do online. Wala talaga akong time to go to the mall. This is the reason I am always in search of good and reputable online stores everywhere.

One of my favorite online stores is Beauty MNL.

Beauty MNL’s website comprises of a magazine and an online store.

Their magazine provides fun and insightful articles tailor-fit to the Filipina’s lifestyle, whether it’s finding a good sunscreen for Philippine weather or the best shade of red lipstick to match your skin tone. With the help of their celebrity gurus, the magazine brings the readers tips, easy how-tos, and great beauty trends they can actually rock in the tropics.

Their online store carries various brands that are compatible to the Filipina skin and beauty. Perfect this site for me because I do not need to scour the metro to find the products that I like.

Yun lang, most of the products that I want to buy is out of stock. Mabentang mabenta kasi siguro kaya sold out lagi.

Check out the items na binabantayan ko maging available.

I like the Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask…

… the Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder…

… Innisfree Green tea Mineral Mist…

… Simple Micellar Wipes…

…and the Simple Hydrating Light Moisturizer.

Since these are out of stock, here are the beauty products that I bought instead. I love that the website is very easy to use. You can pay via Paypal or via your credit cards. The items arrive at your doorstep the next day after payment (for Metro Manila). Efficient!

The first product that I got is the It’s Oat-K Bundle by Snoe. I’ve read a lot of good reviews about this product. I read that the Oat-K line is really good for dry skin. Ako ata ang reyna ng dry skin so I can’t wait to try this.

Next is the St. Ives Collagen Elastin Moisturizer. I cannot stress how important it is to moisturize for a person with normal skin. How much more pa for someone like me with dry skin? I’ve been a user of the St. Ives Apricot Scrub since my High School days so I am expecting a lot with this moisturizer too.

Next is the Happy Skin Pretty Clean Instant Make Up Eraser. The one who invented this product is a genius! It cuts my eyebrow make up time in half! I often tell myself na medyo madaming oras ang nasasayang ko in putting on my eyebrow make up. Ang tagal kasi before ko sila mapantay. But I tried this Make Up Eraser this morning, and wham! Kahit kagulo ang kilay attempt ko, I just fix and erase the edges that I want to rectify. I was done under 5 minutes!

Lastly, since all of the products that I wanted to buy from Innisfree are out of stock, I opted to get some of their facial masks. I do facial masks twice a week. Nakaka-addict eh and feeling ko nakaka-ganda. Lelz. These Innisfree facial masks: It’s real squeeze Strawberry, Manuka Honey and Aloe are all affordable at only Php 65 each.

There you go! Those are my Beauty MNL beauty loot. Abang abang ako when the Innisfree and Simple products will become available again.

By the way, there are also kid friendly products available such as VMV Hypoallergenics, Happy Face, Happy Body: Milk Wash by MooGoo, and Baby Shampoo from Zenutrients. More shopping for us mommies!

How about you, muthers? What are your Beauty MNL favorites? =)

I’ve been wanting to buy tassel earrings for a while now but I kept putting it off kasi ang ma-mahal ng mga nakikita ko online. It’s expensive for me in a sense that, I won’t be using it naman like, everyday. Mga once in a blue moon lang and sa malamang, I might not wear it ng paulit ulit also #AngDamingSinabi

Lelz.

Things changed when one of my friends showed me the tassel earrings that she makes.

My friend, Frances is the sister of one of my college barkada. We became close because after graduation, we stayed in their house almost every day! As in tambay kami dun. I became close to her, their parents and the rest of their relatives. Ganun kami ka-tagal tumambay. Hahahaha!

Anyways, their family business is consigning accessories to stores like Sari-Sari, etc. Everytime I was at their house before, feel na feel ko to stay there because there were so many accessories everywhere! It was as if I was in a candy store!

Now that Frances has her own family na, she also opened a new venture: Franc & Andie. Franc & Andie is an online store where Frances showcases her handmade accessories at very reasonable cost. Made to order lahat so you can expect that each accessory is lovingly made and attention to detail talaga ang peg.

Remember the red tassel earrings that I wore during the Kiddo-preneur event last weekend?

Ganda di ba? Would you believe that pair only costs Php 350? And they are on sale now so Php 250 na lang the pair!

The tassel earrings have a necklace that goes with it. It only costs Php 350. You can go matchy matchy with your daughter because she also makes the same necklace in kiddie sizes for only Php 250. If you get the mother daughter necklace, you can have both for only Php 500.

Anika has that red necklace too. We’ll wear this together during our gala when she gets well na so I can show you.

Franc & Andie has other accessories great for moms and daughters.

I am loving this chandelier tassel earrings. I want to buy a tube top then yan lang ang accessory. Kabog. Hahanap lang ako ng pupuntahan. Baka ma-overdress ako pag sa grocery ko i-outfit yan.

Ang Anika ay super excited because of this pair of tassel earrings that Frances made for her.

Diyosme, feel na feel ng bagets! That comes with a necklace and this pretty unicorn bracelet that she wants to wear kahit sa pagtulog.

You can actually get the whole set for only Php 150.

You can check out more designs of accessories and cute bags for your daughters (actually, I want to get one for myself) at the Franc & Andie Instagram account too.

Wait, I’ll show you the things I will be ordering na lang. Hahaha! So cute not to share eh!

I’ll get this unicorn bag for Anika. She’s into unicorns and bows nowadays. This bag sells for only Php 350.

I’m going to get this adorable cactus bag for myself. This sells at only Php 350 too.

I wanna get this pair of tassel earring only only because they’re shala but also because Php 150 lang talaga sila eh!

Don’t you love it when you discover new online stores?! Franc & Andie is perfect to all kikay moms with equally kikay daughters who love wearing matching stuff. They’re also a great source of gifts for all kinds of occasions.

Hurry now because they’re on sale until the end of this month!

Check them out in their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Happy shopping and you’re welcome!

I love enabling you guys to shop!

Hihihihihihihi!

Top: WILLOW CLOTHING: Pants: UNIQLO; Shoes: CLN; Necklace: PIESA.PH

Last night, I noticed small red pimple like bumps around Anika’s mouth. I muttered a silent “sh*t” and told Alvin that I wanna take Anika to the doctor to have her checked for Hand Foot and Mouth disease. She was nursing a low grade fever too and counting the days, 4 days na siyang nilalagnat. Dengue definitely was a negative na so I wasn’t worrying about that anymore.

After dinner, we went to the emergency room of Asian Hospital. There were so many people! I thought nga there was an accident eh. For a while akala ko dun dinala lahat ng na-aksidente dun sa C5 that morning. Narealize ko lang na ang layo naman. I asked the nurses and for some reasons daw talaga, ang daming tao na may sakit and have concerns that night.

Anika’s nose was bleeding since we left the house so she had this lampin up her nose. The pedia ER doctor saw her and told us that it wasn’t HFMD. Whew. We were about to be sent home when I pulled a large and long blood clot from Anika’s nose. That alarmed the ER doctor and made us stay for a PT PTT test and blood chem ulit. Anika’s nose has been bleeding for almost an hour na. That was too long, we were told. Scary. After an hour, the doctor got back to us to tell us the blood results were okay. However, she had concerns about the irregular heartbeat of Anika. She referred this to Anika’s pedia and told us na need daw i-confine si Anika for observations.

Kinabahan ako. I Googled it immediately.

I read about Arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is any change in the regular, even rhythm of the heartbeat. From the same website, I learned that “an arrhythmia might result from a physical condition — such as a heart defect —or in response to outside factors, such as a fever, infection, and certain medications.”

Alvin and I fell silent. Lintek na yan. Never ending talaga ang scare sa mga parents ano? I am praying na it’s just because of the fever and the infection lang.

This morning, Anika’s pedia saw her na. He said that the blood test results naman are okay. He just said to be safe, magECG na si Anika. He also referred us to an ENT doctor so that yung frequent nosebleed ni Anika will be addressed. Malaman na din bakit lagi nagno-nosebleed si Anika.

So here we are waiting for the ECG peeps to come to the room. Ang dami daw talagang patients ngayon so we wait.

It’s never easy when your kids are hospitalized. I hate hospitals. First, ang lamig lamig dito. Second, the air smells like medicine. Third, the food in their cafeteria is ridiculously expensive. I bought a big pack of Doritos and a tiny cup of fruit salad a while ago. It cost me Php 320. I’m not the one to scrimp especially with food but that’s wild.

Anyway, I was observing the doctors in the Emergency Room last night. They were so busy and looked so hard core. Bakit nga ba ako hindi nagdoctor? And today, whenever I go down to buy food, I see them in their white jackets go out and about around the hospital with their stethoscopes around their necks. Ang cool siguro ng mga araw nila everyday.

“Yeah, I pulled a bullet out of someone’s head today.”
“Delivered 4 babies this morning and I’m famished. I haven’t had breakfast, noh.”
“Saved the life of that grandmother a while ago.”
“I just finished seeing patients in my clinic for 5 hours. Ang daming tao sa pila.”

I wish Grey’s Anatomy was being shown on TV already while I was in High School. Malamang nag-doctor ako. Madadami pa lang poging doctors eh (hello McDreamy and McSteamy!). Charot. Kidding aside, I think I could have been a doctor. Kaya ko naman all the years of studying, I think. Yung emotional attachment lang sa patients ang hindi ko sure if I can draw a line. In my next life siguro. I would love to do something good for a lot of people in a daily basis. I mean, saving lives mainly because it’s your work. Okay di ba?

Osha. Daldal ko na. I wish we’d get discharged na tomorrow.

Balitaan ko kayo.

Anika’s ECG results weren’t good. A resident doctor told us that we are being referred to a pedia cardiologist and he will be seeing us asap. I wanted to throw up sa stress.

The doctor arrived and told us that the ECG showed that Anika’s heartbeat skips. That’s not good daw. Another result of that ECG is that the right side of her heart is enlarged. When he said that, nahilo ako sa takot. He asked us a couple of questions about Anika’s health history. Nope. No dizzy spells. No chest pains. No fainting. Anika’s newborn analysis were also okay. The doctor said to do a 2D echo to double check. Minsan daw kasi meron yung hole sa heart na hindi naririnig sa stethoscope yung symptoms. It’s a congenital disease na walang symptoms. Mag2D echo na daw now na. For peace of mind din siguro. I wanted to throw up sa stress.

The doctor left to do the paperwork. Alvin left to smoke. Kita ko ang takot sa mata niya. I was left with Anika. Anika asked what’s wrong with her heart. I wanted to cry. I wanted my mom and dad. Why was this happening to Anika?

I never normally do it but I posted in Instagram and Facebook asking for prayers. I needed prayers right then and there. I was calling my dad because I know he has super prayerful friends in Amsterdam. Hindi ko nga lang siya macontact.

I told Anika to pray the Our Father together. She was crying the whole time. Takot eh. My throat hurt from holding back my tears. Ayoko magpakita na umiiyak sa kanya.

All the time from our hospital room to the 2D echo room, dasal ako ng dasal. Wala po sanang hole. Wag sana enlarged. I don’t know how many Our Father, Apostles Creed, Hail Marys and Hail Holy Queen prayers that I prayed. Malamang madami. I prayed all the novenas that I know.

At that moment just before the doctor started the 2D echo on Anika, parang nagslow motion ang paligid ko. It was a make or break moment. At that second malalaman namin if Anika’s heart is okay or not. I prayed so hard. Bahala na kako ang Diyos.

After 10 (or was it 20?) minutes, tapos na.

No hole.

Right and left part of the heart have the same size.

But her heart skips talaga. Inulit kasi yung ECG.

I felt light headed. At least walang butas. At least hindi enlarged.

Thank you, Lord.

They will test the electrolytes of Anika tomorrow. Pwede kasi na cause yun ng heartbeat skipping. Pwede din daw because of the viral infection. We will know tomorrow.

When we got back to the room, I wanted to cry.

Dahil sa relief.

Dahil din I saw all the comments in my Instagram and Facebook posts. Ang dami. Nakaka-overwhelm ang support. Naiiyak ako now. Thank you so much talaga. I saw my relatives, friends, CSA and DLSU friends, previous workmates, blog readers and even people I don’t know leave comments na they are all praying for Anika.

Nagulantang siguro ang langit kaninang 7:30pm. Ang daming nagdasal for Anika bigla bigla.

Maraming, maraming salamat po for all your prayers.

How’s everybody doing? Ang lakas ng ulan kanina. I saw in Viber that the mommies were stressing if there were classes. Pasig, Quezon City and Makati have not declared class suspension. Until now, ata right? Some of the parents decided not to let their kids go to school today anymore. Good decision because CSA suspended classes kaninang 10am. Kaloka. What’s one day of no school compared to the safety of all the kids?

Yesterday, there are some people from my staff asking if they can go home already. Mataas na daw ang tubig kasi sa kanila. Kwinento ko kay Alvin.

ALVIN: Alam mo relative din yung sinasabi na mataas ang tubig. Anong basis nila? Kunwari lagpas tao, ano basis?

ME: Siguro yung pader nila.

ALVIN: Kunwari sinabi nila na hanggang leeg, itanong mo: “Hanggang leeg? Nakatayo or nakadapa ka?”

I looked at him.

ME: Bakit totoo naman ah. Kahit mababa lang ang baha, pagdumapa ka, magiging hanggang leeg mo di ba?

Nakaka-sira ng bait kausap minsan ang asawa ko.

At least hindi boring, di ba? Hehehe.

Anyway, since school has started already, I know the parents of little girls have been shopping for hair accessories. Where do you guys buy? Ako, apart from SM Department store, I order Anika’s hair pieces from M + K = a.

The hair pieces from M + K = a are handmade by Em, a pretty mommy who’s my blog reader turned friend. Magaganda ang gawa niya. Especially now that nauuso ang bows because of Jojo Siwa, patok ang mga bows niya.

Anika’s school has rules for hair accessories. The only colors allowed are black, white, navy and brown. Dati pwede red eh, I’m just not sure if pwede pa din now. That is why yan ang mga inorder ko. Each bow is meticulously made and because she’s a mom also to an adorable girl, she made sure that the hair pieces that she made are safe and does not hurt the little ones when you put them.

Em has been making hair pieces for Anika ever since she was little. Buhay pa lahat because matibay yung pagkakagawa. Quality stuff.

And again, they are all very affordable. I like it. You can place your orders online by messaging Em and your orders will just be delivered to your house. Convenient especially for busy moms like us.

I’m hoping Em will make those giant bows like that of Jojo Siwa. Malamang magclick because there are so many girls na tuwang tuwa.

You can see her designs at the M + K = a Facebook page and from their Instagram account.

We were discharged from the hospital last night!

Ang sarap ng feeling of bringing your daughter home from the hospital, I tell you. The relief is overwhelming after going through all the stress and anxiety. My stomach is finally back to its old self. I was having an upset stomach due to nervousness the whole time we were there. I probably have lost 10 lbs kaka-LBM (sorry TMI).

There are a lot of you who are asking what happened and how we ended up having a 2D echo for Anika. I’ll answer all your questions na lang here in this timeline that I made. Para na din for information of mommies out there.

It all started last July 28, Friday afternoon.

Friday afternoon – Alvin picked up Anika from school. When they arrived home, Anika had a 38 degree fever. We gave her Paracetamol.

Saturday – Anika had fever the whole day. It went up to 39.9.

Sunday, 2:30 am – Anika had a 40 degree fever and vomited. There was blood in her vomit and she started nosebleeding. We took her to the Emergency Room. The Dengue test was negative and her blood tests say that she has an Upper Respiratory Infection. So, viral siya. We were given instructions on her meds and were sent home. We were also told that for viral infections, fever usually lasts for 7 to 10 days.

Monday – On and off fever

Tuesday – On and off fever.

Tuesday night – When I got home, I noticed that there were small red pimple like spots around her mouth. A mom from her class told us in our Viber group that her son has Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. We took Anika to the Emergency Room again to check if she has HFMD also.

Her nose started bleeding again.

The ER pedia doctor said that it wasn’t HFMD because her throat did not have sores. Onga pala. Pagmay HFMD, pati throat merong mga sores. We were about to be sent home when I pulled out this humongous blood clot from her nose. It was only then that the doctor realized that Anika’s nose has been bleeding for almost an hour na. She ordered for a PT PTT test.

The PTT is used primarily to investigate unexplained bleeding or clotting. It may be ordered along with a prothrombin time (PT) test to evaluate hemostasis, the process that the body uses to form blood clots to help stop bleeding. (source)

The ER pedia nurse listened to her heart again. We were told to wait for an hour for the results.

After an hour, the doctor came back and told us that she has consulted with Anika’s pedia. She heard daw kasi Anika’s heart skipping. Anika’s pedia asked us to be confined for observation. Just to be sure lang daw. Usually, a child’s heart has irregular heartbeat pagmay viral infection so no need to worry.

Wednesday – Anika had low grade fever. Her pedia arrived and listened to her heart via stethoscope. Her heartbeat was irregular nga and we were referred to a pedia cardiologist. Gawan daw ng ECG si Anika. The pedia cardiologist saw us after that. He explained the ECG results. He confirmed the irregular heartbeat and he told us that according to the ECG results, the right side of Anika’s heart is enlarged. There is also a probability that there is a hole in the heart kaya nagsi-skip ng beat. He asked a lot of questions about Anika’s health history.

He informed us that there are cases when the heart has a hole and hindi nakikita sa newborn screening. They are hard to detect via stethoscope. This is the reason why some people discover that they have a hole in their heart in their teenage or adult years na. Naconfirm ko naman ito because I know a couple of people who had this case.

That was the time I posted in social media asking for prayers.

We did the 2D echo right then and there.

The 2D echo showed that there is no hole, the heart is not enlarged but the heartbeat is skipping.

They had the potassium level of Anika checked via blood extraction to know the cause of the heart skipping.

Thursday – No fever the whole day. The ENT doctor came and checked on Anika. He said that there is no need for a nasal Xray because it looked like na mabilis lang mag-erupt nung nose veins ni Anika. This is true for those who have allergic rhinitis like her. He gave discharge orders na for Anika for the ENT. After lunch, the blood test came out and showed that Anika has a elevated potassium level. The nurse told us that they were looking for a nephro for Anika. What the fuck was a nephro?! I googled and found out that a nephro is a doctor for the kidneys.

Nagtinginan kami ni Alvin.

What the hell was wrong with Anika’s kidneys?

Ayun gusto ko na naman umiyak. I googled and saw that if the kidney is malfunctioning, hindi niya natatanggal sa body yung excess potassium kaya nag-ha-high potassium.

I went to the chapel to pray the rosary. Nagnovena na din ako kay St. Jude.

Anika’s pedia arrived around 4pm. He apologized because the nurses stressed us out. Hindi naman pala kailangan ng nephro! He didn’t order for a nephro. Sabi niya stand by lang daw in case makita niya na we need it after he sees us. Hindi na dapat nakarating sa amin na we need a nephro. The elevated potassium level can be retested after she gets well from the viral infection. In short, the viral infection can be the one causing all these!

He explained to us that the ECG and 2D echo were necessary because he didn’t want to risk anything kasi heart yung involved. The 2D echo showed that the heart is fine. Nagsiskip nga lang ng beat but that may be due to the viral infection. ENT is also fine.

He can imagine daw our stress kasi nosebleed lang, bakit magiging apat ang doctors ni Anika!

Ditto. Yan na yan ang iniisip namin ni Alvin.

Since Anika did not have fever the whole day, the cause of her nosebleed was determined na and all the blood test including the PT PTT are okay (albeit the low WBC kasi nga may infection siya and the high potassium na hindi naman ganun ka-alarming daw), the pedia allowed us to go home na.

Music to our ears!

We were instructed to do the ECG and potassium checking again after Anika gets well.

So there. Nagsimula sa magtatanong lang sana ako if she has HFMD, nauwi na ganyan. It’s okay though. At least nacheck lahat kay Anika kahit na kulang na lang atakihin kaming mag-asawa sa takot and anxiety.

Again, thank you so much for all your prayers. My family and I appreciate all of them!

Happy weekend!

As you all know, Anika got sick for a week and was even hospitalized because of viral infection. She had Upper Respiratory Infection.

Viruses can affect any part of the body or body system, and can cause infections such as the common cold, flu, gastroenteritis, chicken pox or herpes. The most common type of viral infections involves the respiratory tract.

The common cold is a frequently occurring viral infection and usually includes symptoms such as sneezing, stuffy nose, sore throat and coughing. Although colds are a minor infection of the nose and throat, a cold can last from two days to two weeks. Colds are highly contagious and are spread by fluids from sneezing or coughing, which contain the infection. (source)

We can prevent our kids to not get sick by nagging them to wash their hands. One of Anika’s bad habits is that she always puts her hand or anything in her mouth. Nakaka-inis. I think she got sick because of this. There were a lot of kids who were sick these past few weeks. Ayan, hawa hawa na talaga sila.

Frequent washing of the hands with soap is the key.

A few weeks ago, this large package, together with very important information, from Safeguard arrived for me.

Grabe, mommies.

Do you know that schools can be a hotbed of all kinds of microorganisms. PAMET (Philippine Association of Medical Technologists, Inc.) conducted an experiment to identify what kind and how many germs children can come to contact within a school. Here’s what they found:

• 3.2 Million Staphylococcus bacteria were detected on the school desk and 94,000 Influenza germs on books and notebooks
• 100,000 Streptococcus bacteria were counted on the stairs handrail
• On the monkey bars, 250,000 Hepatitis bacteria may cause infection during playtime
• 2 Million E. Coli and 1 Million Shigella Bacteria were identified on the toilet

No, I am not saying balutin natin ng bubble wrap ang mga bata to prevent them from getting all these. Us, mommies, should just have something that can effectively protect our kids from all these germs even if we are not around.

We seriously need a good soap that our kids can use to fight all these bacteria and viruses.

I am sure you guys have your own trusted soap but mine is Safeguard.

Safeguard has Germshield+ Technology that removes three kinds of germs (gram positive, gram negative and fungi) which can cause skin infections, body odor and pimples.

Alvin uses the Safeguard Pure White soap since like forever. That is is only go to soap.

For the kids, you can bathe them with the Safeguard Pure White Body Wash. It does not only remove germs but also prevents the regrowth of germs, all the while maintaining the kidn’s natural germ barrier so that germs do not stick easily. You do not have to worry because the formula is as gentle as water and is dermatologically tested to ensure that it keeps the skin soft.

And for washing of hands, we have been using the Safeguard liquid soap.

We should tell the kids to wash their hands:

1. After going to the toilet
2. Before eating
3. After eating

I’m making Anika bring a Safeguard soap to school when she goes back on Monday. I do not want to go through all that stress again of her getting sick and all. At least man lang kahit sa ganyang paraan, I can have a peace of mind without preventing Anika to play and enjoy the other things that she usually do.

Safeguard products is available in all leading supermarket and groceries nationwide.

source

Papalagpasin ko na sana eh kaso lang hindi ako matahimik.

I already packed my laptop away. 10 minutes ago, I was finishing my reports for our early Operations Meeting tomorrow. I saw that there was one pending comment in the blog so I read it.

Nabwisit ako.

She commented on the post The Aftermath. Ang OA daw kasi namin. “Inistress” lang daw namin ang bata.

I closed my laptop and started preparing for Anika’s school grab kit.

Eh hindi ako mapakali.

I opened my laptop again and here I am now.

Seriously, sige nga. Sinong Nanay diyan ang gustong mahirapan ang anak niya?! Sinong Nanay diyan ang gustong mapasama anak niya?! I think better na “OA” kami kaysa super passive then magrisk may mangyaring masama pa more sa anak. I can tell you more than 10 true to life stories of parents who were not able to detect, identify and act on something immediately regarding their kids’ health that resulted to either permanent damage or death of their children.

Aantayin pa ba dapat yun?!

God.

It’s not actually yung pagka-kitid lang ng utak yung kina-iinisan ko eh. It’s the way how some people do mom-shaming. The sad part there is women or fellow mothers ang mahilig mag-mom shame ng ibang tao.

Seriously, ladies. We should be protecting one another not putting each other down.

For example, yung hina-hanash ni Maggie Wilson a few days ago. Someone close to her mom-shamed her. You can just click that sentence to go to the story. Why does she wear skimpy clothes daw eh nanay na siya. Ehem. Pag ba Nanay ka na, hindi ka na pwede mag-bikini?! If my body were as fit and toned as Maggie’s, malamang naka-two piece ako lagi. Kahit sa grocery store, two piece ako.

Why are we shaming each other? Nakaka-bawas ba sa pagkatao niyo if you see a mom in a skimpy attire? Nasa beach naman. Magulat kayo if naka-maong longsleeves siya sa beach.

There is nothing wrong in wearing a two piece swimsuit in a beach regardless if you are a mom or a single woman.

And a mother cannot be judged with what she wears. Open your minds, people.

Next example, yung hina-hanash naman ni Cat Arambulo. She is exploiting and extorting daw her kids. Click the sentence for the story. First and foremost, if you do not know, Cat Arambulo’s family is rich. Cat Arambulo’s husband is rich. I should know because I worked for her husband’s family corporation before. Hindi sila naghihirap and their kids do not need to work. The kids are well provided for. Nakita niyo ba ilang yaya ang kasama nila when they go out? Hindi nila kailangan to do sideline work para mabuhay. They allow their kids, or specifically their son, to do “work” (if you can even call it that) so that they can learn the value of responsibility at an early age. They are lucky pa nga eh kasi they have opportunities like that. And I can bet my year’s worth of shopping money that none of the money that their son “earns” go to their parents pockets para pambili ng expensive bags.

Why are some people affected with that? Why do they automatically assume that when a child gets paid for something, kinukurakot na agad ng magulang?

Bakit?!

Let’s deviate dito sa mga famous personalities.

Punta na lang tayo sa mga simpleng people like me. I cannot count how many times I have been shamed for wanting to work instead of staying home to take care of the family. I cannot count how many times I have been shamed because Anika gets sick all the time. Parang kasalanan ko ang lahat. I cannot count how many times I have been shamed because I shop a lot. As if I ask my shopping money from them.

I will not justify each and every thing that they said because well, fuck them all.

The negative things that you say to mothers like how to raise our kids, how to act and dress in public and how to talk ay hindi nakakatulong sa bansang ito. Walang magandang nagagawa ito. Hindi niyo din ito ikaka-asenso. So why the hell do you do this? Perfect kasi kayo? If you say you are, alika, please have coffee with me. I want to know you. I want to know how you do it. I want to interview you. I want to know “how to be you, po?”. And I will blog about it so that dumami din ang perfect na mothers like you.

Otherwise, shut the hell up.

Stop the hate.

Stop the mom shaming.

Stop putting other girls down.

Rather, magsimba kayo for world peace para magkasilbi naman kayo.

Go.

Dress: H&M; Cardigan: COTTON ON; Shoes: NINE WEST; Necklace: PIESA.PH; Eyeglasses: OWNDAYS

Muthers, enough na dun sa tao na yun. I would like to think na siguro she is not a parent yet that’s why she was able to say those things. Baka ngayon siguro, because of all the comments and sharing, naiintindihan niya why when it comes to our kids, over acting talaga tayo.

The learning with everything that has happened is that let us not mom-shame each other. Let’s not put other women down. Hindi ako nagmamalinis ha? I’m guilty of doing that before. Ma-comment pa naman ako na tao. But then I realized bringing up kids is hard enough. The pressure of making sure they are healthy and will not get hurt or die under our care can drive oneself crazy. Bakit pa natin dadagdagan ng negativity? Dapat love, love, love na.

Anyway, speaking of OA, when it comes to Anika’s health, I am really over acting. If I am over acting, I do not know how to describe how Alvin is sa unica hija niya. Mas over sa akin yun. Like 10 times more.

But, bakit nga ba tayo over acting? I can speak only for myself now ha pero here are my reasons.

It is difficult magdunong dunungan when you’re child’s sick. I am not a doctor. I honestly do not know what to do if she gets sick beyond the normal sickness that I can manage (sinat, colds and one day fever). I do not recommend self treating the child or managing their sakit at home if you are not a physician. Si Gabo nga, dinala nila sa hospital last weekend because ang red-red ng tongue niya. One of the signs kasi daw yun ng Kawasaki virus. Thank God negative naman ang results. Viral lang daw sabi ng mga doctors but partida, doctor na nanay ni Gabo niyan ha. She didn’t risk it too. Anak yan eh. Susugal ka ba?

Next, we have a health card. I am recommending everyone to have one. I can bring Anika to the ER/hospital whenever I want without the fear na malaki ang babayaran. I think that is one of the limitations why other parents do not bring their kids to the ER agad. Health cards are one of the best investments for me. Secured ka na hindi mo na iintindihin yung money if you want to be checked up. Well of course, hindi naman sinat lang eh you’ll bring na the child to the doctor. My rule is if Anika’s high fever has been running for two days na, punta na for check up. If you see a doctor earlier kasi, hindi pa madedetect ano yung sakit talaga eh. Sayang ang punta. But, if kahit first day pa lang pero there are unusual and scary things that are happening, like nosebleeding for an hour na with high fever, i-sugod na sa hospital yan.

Para sa akin, okay na mapuyat and mapagod in the hospital rather than wag dalhin and pagsisihan pa after.

Remember guys, never napunta sa unahan ang pagsisisi. Lagi nasa huli yan.

Yes, true. Bringing the kids to the hospital stresses the hell out of them. But bringing them there will also identify if they have to be treated further or if they are fine. “Benefit outweighs the risk” in those situations, ika nga.

So yes, I am over acting when it comes to Anika’s health.

Pero..

Hindi ako over acting with other things like hovering around her. As much as possible, I let her be. I let her commit mistakes so she can learn from them. I let her play outside. I am learning not to be stressed with the grades she goes home with. As long as I see that she’s trying her best to study, that is enough for me. Kung titingnan mo naman, the most successful people are not always the ones with high grades in school. Tama di ba?

Yun lang, mommies. Let’s fill this world up with love and support. Mahirap magpalaki ng anak. Magtulungan na lang tayo.

I thank you, bow =D

Have a great day everyone!

If there is one question that I get asked everyday by my IG followers and blog readers, it’s where I got Anika’s lunch box or Yumbox.

The answer’s always BRIGHTBRANDS.PH =D

Sobrang daming nagtatanong everyday. That is because Anika’s Yumbox is really pretty and useful. Isang tingin pa lang, you will want to have one for your little one. The mere fact that food do not spill in one compartment to another, sold na sold na tayong mga Nanay.  You can read about Anika’s Yumbox here. 

Anyway, I’m sharing this now because I want to let you know that Brightbrands.ph sells other neat things for kids too.

Brightbrands.ph also sells Snails nail polish for your little girls.

Snails nail polish is the first ever washable nail polish ever. I bet you didn’t know that! =D The nail polish washes off with soap and water. These colorful polishes for the girls’ digits are very safe to use. They do not contain Dbutyl Phthalte, Toluene, Formaldehyde​, Formaldehyde Resin, Parabens, Camphor, ​Perfume, MIT and Amyl Cinnamal (source).

In short, pwedeng um-aura ang mga bagets safely.

I don’t mind Anika putting nail polish on. She sees me doing that. What I mind is that I want the things she uses are safe. Pasok ang Snails dun.

Brightbrands.ph also has Tiger Tube’s Shrinkies.

Tiger Tribe is an Australian company that designs & creates imaginative and playful gifts for children.

Established in 2007 by husband and wife team Naomi and Anthony Green, they design and manufacture toys that fit into their busy lifestyle. A range of portable and compact toys that can be taken anywhere, whilst travelling, to cafes, out and about (source).

We seldom buy Anika toys now. We get her more books and activity packages so this Shrinkies set is a great way for her to get busy and learn at the same time.

This particular set of Shrinkies, called the Ultimate Collection, can make your own shrink art key rings and jewelries.

First, you color them.

Then you pop them in the oven to be baked.

After baking, they didn’t come out like they should have.

ANIKA: Nanay, what did you do? Why are they like that?

ME: I promise I followed the instructions!

They are supposed to come out like the ones pictured in the box but sadly, it didn’t. I must have done something wrong while baking it. Alam niyo naman ako, negative talent pagdating sa kitchen and anything connected with it. Lelz.

But we will be trying again. Hopefully, tama na siya because these can make great keychains. Super cute, I tell you!

Lastly, if you guys like the Yumbox, you should know that Brightbrand.ph also sells the Yumbox Minisnack.

It’s a smaller version of the Yumbox but same same. Food will not spill in the other compartment pa din. I can put Anika’s lunch in the regular Yumbox and then her merienda, here na lang in the Yumbox Minisnack. I love it!

You can order all these from their Facebook page. Click the link here.

Happy shopping! =D

Top: UNIQLO; Cardigan: STRADIVARIUS; Pants: UNIQLO; Shoes: NINE WEST; Eyeglasses: OWNDAYS

Emergerd. Sunod sunod ang blog post ko about my concerns. After this kwento, I shall make it up to you guys. I just need to let this out because I can’t sleep.

When I got home this evening, Anika casually told me that her male classmate slapped her face out of nowhere during their Music class.

The fuzz!!!

Anika said that she was sitting on her chair and writing on her notebook. This male classmate went up to her and suddenly slapped her face then went back to his seat. Anika cried kasi daw masakit. One of her class best friends saw her crying and asked what happened. Anika told her. Her best friend went to their teacher and told her. The music teacher talked to the both of them daw. Anika also told her class adviser what happened after that. The class adviser talked daw to the boy after school.

After hearing her kwento, I wanted to cry. I wanted to get mad. I know you guys can feel me right now. Masakit sa parent to know na may nanakit sa anak nila. Mas masakit for me because this was not the first time that boy hurt Anika.

A few weeks ago, Anika told me that the boy hit Anika’s face with his elbow. Sinasaway niya kasi wag magsulat sa black board. I told their class adviser about this and she said she will talk to the parents. I talked to Anika and told her na wag na masyadong magsaway ng magsaway. Feel na feel niya kasi na class president siya.

Kanina, I called the mom of the boy. I told her what happened. In fairness to the mom, she was very apologetic. Mabait naman. I also told the mom that sabi ni Anika, hindi naman sila magka-away ng anak niya so I do not understand why he is hurting Anika. Again, the mom apologized. Sabi ko sa kanya, I am scared baka the next time masaktan na talaga si Anika ng grabe. Parang hindi ko yata make-keri yun. Sabi ko please tell her son not to hurt Anika anymore. She apologized more. I can hear naman talaga the sincerity sa kanya. Hindi ako nagwarla because kahit papaano, maayos and humble kausap ang mom. Wala naman sigurong nanay ang may gustong may sinasaktan ang anak niya. I can feel that this is also hard for her.

But even if hindi ako nagwarla, I felt that I needed to put everything in writing and submit a letter to the school. Hindi naman pwedeng palagpasin ito. This should be put on record to ensure it will not happen again. As long as the children are in school, they are under their responsibility. Tama naman ako, di ba? I wrote a letter to Anika’s adviser, copy furnished the head teacher, guidance counsellor and the assistant principal. They should be aware na may mga ganitong ganap. I told them that I want to be informed what steps they are taking regarding this case. I want to be assured that they are doing something about it para hindi na maulit.

While Anika and I were having dinner kanina, I was looking at her.

ME: Anika, what did you do after he slapped you?

ANIKA: Nothing. I just cried.

ME: Baka anak, when somebody hurts you like that, you should fight back na. Nabubugbog ka eh.

She looked at me with her innocence radiating all over.

ANIKA: I don’t like to fight back, Nanay. That is bad.

ME: Pero baka ulitin lang ng ulitin sayo.

ANIKA: I won’t fight back, Nanay.

I stayed quiet.

ANIKA: What if Tatay hits you, will you fight back?

ME: Tatay will never hit me.

ANIKA: What if he does? Will you fight back?

ME: I am more than 100% sure he will never do that Anika. Boys should never hit girls. Remember that.

ANIKA: But what if nga he does?

ME: He won’t. Takot niya lang kay Wowa mo.

ANIKA: But what if he does? Will you fight back?

ME: Yes. I will fight back.

ANIKA: You shouldn’t. It’s bad to fight back.

Me: Sometimes anak, hindi masama to fight back.

ANIKA: Di ba nga in Jojo Siwa’s song? She said, “We don’t even fight back!”. So I will never fight back.

Siya na si Jojo Siwa talaga.

Anika is still in that stage na pure, mabait, kind hearted, innocent and I am so in love with her. Sa tingin ko, Alvin and I brought her up well. We raised her to be loving and compassionate. But in the same time, I am worrying. She needs to know when to say enough and be strong. Dapat marunong lumaban for self-defense lang. How to balance everything? That is the question.

Grabe, my head hurt from the stress. Iba if the kids are involved. My head is aching more now because I am anticipating my conversation with Alvin about this later when he gets home. Alvin is very, very, very overprotective of Anika. Baka magwarla siya. Anong baka, malamang magwawarla talaga yun. Ang sakit sa bangs grabe. Baka sumugod sa school yun. Kaloka.

I saw this funny meme that a fellow mom sent.

Very, very true =D Hehe.

P.S.

I will not approve any comment muna for this blog entry ha? Please send me na lang a private message if you feel you need to share something with me about this. You can email me at mommyfleur@yahoo.com or send me a message in the Mommy Fleur Blog Facebook Page or message me in my Instagram @mommyfleur.

Good night, guys.