College Kid and the Empty Nest Syndrome

I feel stirrings of the empty nest syndrome. I can’t even do the things that are normally advised to ease the mild depression and loneliness that comes with an empty nest: like get a new job, start a hobby, go out with friends, or go on a trip with your spouse. I still have two kiddos in the house that need caring after.

This is the start of his sophomore year. My “semi-syndrome” is kicking in a year late...

A Review of ProActive Parenting's Gentle No's for Toddlers

Being a first-time mom with no background experience in child discipline, I’m the perfect example of what you shouldn’t be doing to your kid. Whenever Holly shows signs of bad behavior in the house (spanking or biting), I’d scold her, call out her name, and look at her in the eye. I’d try to talk to her like how a mom would talk to a 7-year old, but if she didn’t stop her bad behavior, I’d punish her by slapping her hand and raising my voice.

What frustrates me is that this method of discipline wasn’t working at all. I couldn’t get her to stop slapping her nanny on the face, biting her aunt’s shoulder, or pulling my hair. She is a feisty 1-year old who didn’t seem to want to listen to anyone.

What Do You Love Most About Being a Mom?

I used to feel sorry for classmates who, when it's time to share about your parents' occupations, say that their mom is "just a plain housewife." It surely doesn't sound as pompous as when you say "My mom is a lawyer" ...or a doctor ...or a businesswoman. I usually imagine a frazzled woman wearing that floral daster doing nothing but cook and clean the house all day. What a boring place to be in, I used to think. Now that I'm a mother myself however, I realize how wrong I had been to judge housewives like that!

Interesting Facts About Mother’s Day

My own mother will be in Guam to attend the wedding of a niece on the second Sunday of May this year. I myself am not too keen on celebrating the day, except maybe for daydreams of sleeping in and having Rodic’s tapsilog served to me in bed (a logistic impossibility).

However, the concept of officially celebrating motherhood with a special day is an interesting one.  The facts behind the celebration make it even more interesting.

• The founder of Mother’s Day in the United States, Anna Jarvis, never became a mother

• She died in poverty after spending her life fighting against the commercialization of Mother’s Day

5 Simple Budget-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day

I'm sure you're excited for Mother's day. It's that one special day where mothers are remembered, loved a hundred times over, and of course pampered twice as usual (think a day at David's Salon).

We especially love this day because it's an opportunity to make our own moms feel special. We want to let them know just how loving, selfless, and beautiful they are, so we do our best to make them twice as happy on Mother's Day.

But wait, do you have the budget for your planned surprise? Are you quite tight on cash right now that you can't celebrate Mother's day the way you wanted to?

Got My Rustan's Fresh Card!

Okay, I just gotta share this: I finally managed to claim my very own Rustan's Fresh Card after collecting PHP 5000 worth of grocery receipts at Rustan's (Fairview Center Mall). It's funny but it felt such an accomplishment for me haha! (I even felt giddy when they asked for my birthday in the application form.) If you are a frequent shopper at Rustan's, you can also get a Fresh Card from any outlet for only PHP 200. Since we are loyal patrons of Rustan's, I chose the option to get a free card (by collecting the mentioned amount of receipts over a three-month period) and today, I succeeded. Yay!