A Momma's Life

Kids are back to school again.  I remember how excited I was at the start of every schoolyear because of my new school supplies.  I would smell my new erasers and play with my bulky pencil case.  It was amusing to play with the magnets on its  lid. I would repeatedly open and close it.  Oh and the crayons, I was happy with my 24-crayon set, even if the other kids had bigger ones.  I did not mind back then since there was never an artistic inclination in me.  It's heartwarming to think about those days when the simplest of things could make me happy.  When the possessions that I had interest in acquiring were just a box of crayons, cute pencils, and wonderfully scented erasers.  Now, I am into this full blown "adulting".  And the proof of that is my 6-year old nephew who is already in big school this month. Look at his school essentials, which he personally picked. Seems like it was only yesterday that he was this sweet lit...

I thank God for giving me a good partner in life, and for blessing Arya with a wonderful dad.  You have loved Arya even before she was born. You sang and talked to her and she responded with excited kicks and somersaults.  From the start, you've always been a hands-on dad.  You are very patient and kind to our little one, even more now that she acts like a legit little human.  After a long day at work, you still make time to play together.  You excitedly call me when you discover a new antic of hers, only for me to shrug it off and say- oh yes, I've seen it.  But please know it is the purest joy when we get to witness this kind of things together.  Just like in your work and everything that you do, you are acing this thing called fatherhood. It is indeed the best "hat" that you could ever wear. Have a happy Father's Day tomorrow, my dear husband. Arya and I love you to the moon and back.

Sometimes, even if we try to be a positive and a good person, we might still encounter or be caught up in conflicts.  The sad thing about it is that we have no control over these issues or to people around us who might have caused these problems, intrigues, and gossip. Conflicts can make us tired and leave a heavy feeling in our chest.  There are some people who thrive or might be indifferent to arguments and conflicts.  On the other hand, most people that I know do not like being dragged into drama and negativity. How should we deal with negative emotions? Bottling up our feelings will not do good to our health.  At the same time, lashing out in anger and saying hurtful things is definitely not the way to go.  We need to acknowledge our emotions and at the same time, not dwell on it.  Confusing, right? What works for me is doing breathing exercises and distracting myself with worthwhile activities.  It also helps to  channel our energy on a...

The rainy season is here. We mommas, especially those with young kids who go to school, must take the necessary precautions to keep our kids from getting sick  .  As we all know, there is a higher incident of infection and sickness during rainy days.  Kids can get sick due to mosquito bites, floods, and simply due to the change of weather. One precaution against sickness and epidemic is to remove the breeding ground for mosquitoes.  We can prevent dengue and other infestation if we all do our part in keeping our surroundings clean.  My top find for the rainy season is an indoor insect trap from Hanns Philippines.  It is very handy, water-resistant, and dust-proof.  We bring it when we go to my in-laws' house.  It is also odor-free that's why I like it, plus it has a nice design, too. One time,  we went on an out of town trip and failed to bring the insect trap.  Arya got bitten by an insect.  She kept on scratching the insect...

We moms should be the rays of sunshine in this sometimes crazy world. The world is harsh enough and every day, we are faced with bad news and sad news.   Things can get gloomy and nasty.   And if that’s not enough, sadly, even in the mommy world, there are conflicts and hatred going on.    We moms must treat each other with understanding and respect.  If we do not have anything nice to say, we better keep our thoughts to ourselves.  We can always express our disagreement in a diplomatic way.  There is no need to shame other moms. If we would like to give an advice that may benefit another mom, we may opt to discuss it privately to avoid embarrassing the concerned party.  I must admit, before I became a mom, I was less kind, less forgiving, and more judgmental.  I am just grateful that somehow motherhood has given me a little bit more patience and wisdom.  I am not saying that I am perfect and that I am nice all the time.  S...

Our little ones depend on us for almost everything.  They rely on us to feed them, bathe them and a bunch of other things.  They cannot choose nor decide for themselves so we mommas have the  responsibility of picking what's best for them.  When it comes to their skin care, we have to be meticulous.  There are some babies and kids who are more prone to allergies and irritation.  If your child is among them, you have to be always mindful of product labels and formulation.  A common skin problem  is diaper rash, which causes too much discomfort and sometimes pain for our little ones.  Sad to say that Arya also went through this when she was a baby; there was a time when she would always cry during her diaper change.   Arya is still using diapers now.  And a diaper spray is helpful to keep her clean and smelling fresh especially when we are out of the house.   Look at this diaper spray from Voila.  I know you...

Don't you think it's awesome to be a parent nowadays?  There are cool activities in the metro that our kids can attend.  During a bazaar stint, I came across Kiddie Art Kart.  They caught my interest because I saw the students happily doing their artwork.  The art teachers seemed nice, too.    "Kiddie Art Kart is a traveling art room that brings fun and educational arts and crafts activities to children's parties, family gatherings, and play dates.  Kiddie Art Kart Creativity Coaches will put up an art station and facilitate art activities for your kiddie guests." Arya's Hand and Kiddie Art Kart's Coloring Kit  It would be great to have Kiddie Art Kart at Arya's birthday party next year.  Okay, I know I am such an over-eager momma because Arya just celebrated her birthday last month.  But I know she and her guests will definitely enjoy working on hands-on art projects.  I am always on the lookout for activities that ...

There are so many things to discover and experience when one becomes a mom.  As for me, I can say that everyday is a learning experience with my kid.  Who would have thought that brushing teeth could be challenging at times?  Oops, I am not talking about myself here, it's about my little girl.  I have no memory of myself not wanting to brush my teeth, ever! I remember it was my little sister who always refused to do so.  Yes, I was such an easy kid.    Fast forward to today, my sister has a beautiful set of pearly whites, thanks to my dad who always made sure that my sister brushed her teeth after every meal.  He was like a #ToothPatrol- he really used to monitor my sister's dental hygiene during our grade school days. Here's our family pic with my nephew Jaden.  He has a very good set of teeth. So now, I can very much relate to my dad. With Arya, I try my best to make brushing fun for her.  I sing her a song, I make funny faces ...