I have here with me a stack of three journals. One is a Taschen, the other is a Piccadilly, and the third is an unidentified good quality hardbound.
These are my family’s baby books, one for each son. These are where the memories and keepsakes of each of my babies’ growing-up years are recorded. These keepsake journals are not the usual kind that you can buy in stores. Inside these books, there are no illustrated pages of pink and blue cutesy designs, color coded according to the child’s gender. There are no specified areas to fill up with milestones and growth charts and baby’s first everything.
New Mom Blogger Kelly: Queen of All Trades
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| Kelly with little Kaaro |
Now that you've met Steffi, let me now introduce our next, new mommy blogger. Mommy Kelly is mother to three boys (four, including her adoring husband, Marlon) with whom she's made a home in Cagayan de Oro.
She and her husband are both artists and between mothering and working online, it amazes me that she still finds time to curate museum exhibits, organize artist directories, spearhead conventions, and who knows what else. She even home-schools her younger boys. Lately, she was just in Boracay, where she attended a tattoo convention and learned about the basics of tattooing.
New Mom Blogger Steffi: Young, Tech Savvy, and Hardworking
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| Mommy blogger Steffi, hubby Jayson, and their little Holly |
Let me first introduce Steffi who, like me and Mommy Kelly, is also a stay-at-home mom. We actually met at a local online community for writers and although we may no longer be active in said community, our friendship remains. The bond of motherhood and the things we go through as online writers also have a lot to do with it. Steffi is mother to Holly, who will turn 1 next month, and happily married to Jayson.
Sunday afternoons should be spent at the park.
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| View of the Eco Park from the highest point (near the dam) |
Why You Should Take Your Family to See RPG Metanoia
If you have school age kids, siblings, nieces, or nephews, I highly recommend you take them to watch "RPG Metanoia," one of the entries to the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival. Not only does it make history as the country's first-ever full-length 3D-animated film, it also proves to be a one-of-a-kind and truly-Pinoy experience.
Manage Your Time Better in 2011
The holidays have come and gone and it's only now I was able to return to this blog. Sorry about that readers! I have yet to master the art of time management and yep, I've already made it one of my resolutions this year.
It's been over a year since I decided to quit my job in the corporate office and earn from home through writing, and if there is one thing I have learned this past year is that it is definitely not easy to fulfill the responsibilities of a mother, wife, and (less often now) sister and daughter and friend - while you try to keep your clients happy. But it's worth trying and I believe that it is not entirely impossible.
It's been over a year since I decided to quit my job in the corporate office and earn from home through writing, and if there is one thing I have learned this past year is that it is definitely not easy to fulfill the responsibilities of a mother, wife, and (less often now) sister and daughter and friend - while you try to keep your clients happy. But it's worth trying and I believe that it is not entirely impossible.
So to start the year off, I decided to post something about how to effectively manage time, with the help of a little research of course. With that, happy new year to all moms - moms in all shapes and sizes, moms young and old, and moms at heart - and may we all have a fruitful and productive 2011 ahead!
Cute Girls Haircuts for Your Little Princess
I am planning to take my daughter to the salon for a haircut. It's unbelievable how fast her hair grows! I cut her bangs myself from time to time but now she obviously needs a proper trim.
She does not want her hair too short so I was looking online for kids' haircuts and girls' haircuts that would be suitable for her taste and the cold December weather. One exciting thing about little girls is that there is so much you can do with their hair. Browse my own compilation of little girls' haircuts and you just might find something that perfectly fits the personality of your precious little princess.
Halloween Costume Ideas for Your Family
Some friends and I are planning on a private Halloween party at the end of the month, complete with costumes and maybe some scary decorations. This would be a first time for my daughter - and for our entire family to attend a real Halloween party with friends - so I am really excited about it.
I took the time to research on some family costume ideas that would not be too costly and complicated to do. In the end, my husband thought of something really cool and easy (It’s a surprise!) although we are probably no longer going in family-themed costumes since our little Nini wants to be nothing else but a fairy princess. I told her that it is much too common a costume already but well, what can I do? :)
I took the time to research on some family costume ideas that would not be too costly and complicated to do. In the end, my husband thought of something really cool and easy (It’s a surprise!) although we are probably no longer going in family-themed costumes since our little Nini wants to be nothing else but a fairy princess. I told her that it is much too common a costume already but well, what can I do? :)
In Favor of DepEd's 'No Weekend Homework' Policy
The Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) recently issued a memorandum that bans public elementary school teachers from giving their students homework on weekends. The move was of course, criticized by some, teacher's groups in particular, but I as a parent can't help but feel thankful for it. My daughter is studying in a private school so technically, they are not covered. But I am grateful simply because I believe it is a wise move. Keep on reading to find out why.
Children and Cell Phones
The first time I was given a cell phone by my parents was when I entered college at 18. Things have drastically changed since then, as you can imagine.
Within a span of a few years, our perception of technological gadgets has changed from being luxuries to bare necessities. Which teen today doesn't own an iPod, a PSP, and his own cellular phone? The cell phone alone has become an indispensable technological tool. Parents readily give their children their own units as a way to communicate and keep track of their whereabouts.
A Reason to Celebrate
Our young family rejoiced upon hearing that our little Nini ranked third in her class for the first quarter of the school year. This week hasn't exactly been a good one – as my fellow Filipinos would certainly agree – and the news did a lot to boost our spirits.
It was quite unexpected for me, thinking that certain adjustments with how we run things around here might be taking its toll on my daughter. Also, I guess I was constantly worried that my daughter may not be adapting well in school after her episodes during the first weeks of classes.
Idle Parenting Means Happy Children - Tom Hodgkinson
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| Hodgkinson authored 'The Idle Parent," among other titles. You may get a copy from Amazon.com. |
A Twitter acquaintance posted a 2008 Telegraph article by Tom Hodgkinson about "idle parenting" and how effective it is in raising happy children. By happy, Hodgkinson meant children who can make decisions for themselves; children who are self-reliant and not too dependent on their parents or other people to feel secure and content. Sounds exactly how you want your child to grow up to be right? So what exactly is "idle parenting"?
