Mommy Moments - Motherly Advice

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” - Washington Irving

A mother encompasses many different roles - a teacher, caregiver, nurse, a storyteller, a scientist, an artist, a soccer coach, and sometimes even a father. In between the many different roles we tackle, sometimes we forget about ourselves. If there is one advice I could give to mothers, it would be love yourself because you can take better care of your family if you take care of yourself. Laugh often. Pursue your passion. Daydream. Meditate. Feel good about yourself because it will make you a happier mom.

And that's my piece of motherly advice. Happy Mother's Day!

the insurance marketplace

Despite the high cost of living and the economic regression the world is experiencing at this time, it is a fact that an insurance is something that is indispensable, still a worthwhile investment, and still relied upon in case of unforeseen events - death, accidents or business loss. Although shopping for the best insurance is like looking for a needle in a haystack, if you study your options and find the best possible match for your insurance needs, a local insurance may be your best bet.

And since employees now also enjoy the benefit of a health insurance, a high-quality business health insurance from a business owner can affect the quality of health care the employer and his employees can receive. More than 60% of people in the US with medical coverage receive their health care plans through an employer sponsored group health insurance plan. The key to finding the affordable health insurance for the employer and his employees is discussing with a licensed insurance agent the coverage that will meet their needs, someone who also go beyond reviewing and planning company benefits. For example, a Utah business insurance may have a different set of requirements and benefits compared to business insurance in other States. In this setting, a big help would be an online insurance quote marketplace that allows a consumer to apply and comparison shop for quotes from a variety of major providers of auto, home, health, life and business insurance.

Even a work at home parent like me needs an insurance, in fact, aren't work at home parents entrepreneurs themselves. In case of an unfortunate event, it is comforting to know that we have something to rely on and keep us afloat while we are recovering from our losses.

PBW 3: Safari

It was our schedule to visit my mother-in-law and hubby's siblings and nephew, and it was a lazy Saturday afternoon so we decided to go to SM North Edsa to check out the Sky Garden Safari Adventure. Being Saturday and Labor Day holiday, of course there were a lot of people in the mall. The Sky Garden Safari Adventure features mechanized safari animals or life-sized stuffed animals. There were 16 wild animals featured in the Safari Garden, but we have only just seen a few because Joaqui was a little afraid of them and besides it was hard to appreciate it with so many people walking and also taking pictures. We might come back here on a different day as it is ongoing until May 31.


After a quick tour of the Safari Adventure, the little boy enjoyed eating Icebreaker Scrambles.


I hope you all enjoyed your weekend ; )

Mini Awarding Ceremonies

Yesterday was a very important day for Joaqui as it was the last day of the Readiness Transition Camp, and the teachers had a mini awarding ceremonies to give out certificates of accomplishment. They also gave us a brown envelope which contained all their outputs during the two-week summer camp. The parents were more excited than the children themselves ; )

At the end of their class, the parents were called inside the classroom and the children had sang two songs which they learned in the camp. After that, they presented one of their artworks as each one of them got in front, said their name and said, "This is my work." They were also called one by one to receive their certificate.

Some of Joaqui's outputs:

The teacher's comment was that he needs to improve on his motor skills, but he is very cheerful inside the classroom. Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you Joaqui! We love you so much!

Mommy Moments - Blue

It's another color theme for this week's Mommy Moments, so I'm sharing pictures of Joaqui with the color BLUE.

With the girls from Hooters, wearing his favorite blue shirt with a bulldozer in it.


Joaqui in blue shirt and me in a blue dress at his cousin's baptism.


Opening a present wrapped in blue paper.


With a blue necktie this time when we went to my best friend's wedding.

You will definitely not be blue as you see more wonderful pictures at Mommy Moments.

school happiness

Tomorrow will be the final day for Joaqui's Readiness Transition Camp at Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila School and we are so very proud because he adjusted quite well after three days of crying and separation anxiety. Now he is looking forward to going to school, eating snacks with his classmates, and doing activities like coloring and storytelling. He also adores his Teacher Karina and he is beaming with stories on what they did in class every time we go home from school. He used to say, "I don't want to go to school." Now he just says, "Mommy, I'm very happy in school!" We just hope that when classes begins in June, he will not have that separation anxiety anymore.

Hubby and I can't believe that Joaqui is going to school already. It's just amazing how time flies and how fast children are growing. I even said to hubby that we are blessed that I am able to work from home and that he has a flexible schedule that we are able to witness this major milestone of Joaqui. For the past two weeks, hubby and I go to school with Joaqui and we both patiently wait for 1-1/2 hours until their class ends and we all go home, or sometimes eat before going home. ; ) For me, the light in Joaqui's face when he sees us after his class is just priceless. And I really thank God how hubby is such a hands-on Dad and is always there for him to a point that he was one of the only two parents who stayed inside the classroom because Joaqui does not want to be left alone!

Tomorrow will be their sort of Awarding Ceremonies for two weeks' worth of class. I'm sure it will be a lot of fun. I promise to post pictures tomorrow.

Paypal issue

I have a Paypal account and I use it mainly for online purchases. I did not link a debit card or a credit card because I knew that withdrawing money through a debit card or a credit card would incur an extra charge. Now I have to pay something to a fellow blogger through the send money option so that there would be no extra charge, but it was only then that I found out about a sending limit. I have to send her $15 and my limit was only $9, so I sent $8 because I thought that the limit was for a day only. It turned out that it was my limit for life (unless I link up a card)! So I still have $7 balance.

I know this is kind of embarrassing, but I need help so that I can pay my remaining balance. I need someone who has a Paypal account who can send the $7 and then in turn I can send the $7 equivalent in Philippine peso thru bank deposit. I am really hoping somebody will reply to this.

PBW 2: Water

Joaqui had been attending a Readiness Transition Camp for a week and he has been looking forward to the weekend, which I told him he can go swimming in his inflatable pool. When he woke up on Saturday, the first thing he did was ask me if he could go swimming. He enjoys it a lot, even though he was all by himself.




Our weekend was spent at home, with Joaqui swimming while me and hubby catch up on some things. Share your weekend pictures at Pixel Bug Weekend.

Mommy Moments - Red

Since this week's theme is about the color red, let me share with you some things about this color. Red is the warmest of all colors. In China, red is the color of prosperity and joy. Brides wear red and front doors are often painted red. Red is the color of blood, and as such has strong symbolism as life and vitality. It brings focus to the essence of life and living with emphasis on survival. Studies show that red can have a physical effect, increasing the rate of respiration and raising blood pressure. These words are synonymous with red or represent various shades of the color red: scarlet, crimson, vermillion, carmine, maroon, burgundy, ruby, rose, madder, rouge, brick, blood red, blush, fire engine red, cinnabar, russet, rust, Venetian red, flame, Indian red, tomato.

Joaqui wearing a red necktie when he was a ring bearer at a Christian wedding.


Me and Joaqui posing with Astroboy in red boots.


Smiling for the camera in his red shirt during a short stop on our way to Tagaytay.


Lots of red during Joaqui's 2nd birthday party.


For me, red is a joyful color and signifies life, especially during celebrations. To see more of this color, head on to Mommy Moments.

hottest day so far

According to the Philippine Weather Bureau, today, April 19, 2010, is the hottest day in Metro Manila so far this year - 36.8 degrees Centigrade at about 3 p.m. this afternoon. No wonder I was sweating profusely even though I was not doing anything. It was even hotter in Tuguegarao which was 39.5 degrees Centigrade. Whew!

Always stay safe in this very hot weather. Drink plenty of fluids, stay indoors especially during the hottest part of the day and avoid staying in parked vehicles.