Every mom has her own style of coping up with her kids’ mess, whether it’s an ice cream smeared on a newly washed white shirt or red crayons scrawled all over the wall. Some mothers can be so strict even up to the point that the kids can’t enjoy being at home anymore, while other moms don’t mind the mess at all. I know a mom who keeps her house spotlessly clean and even her décors, indoor plants, televisions, computers and other appliances can’t be moved or touched. So just imagine how her kids feel so restricted at home, they can’t move about or else her interior design arrangements will be ruined.

IMO, for responsible parents, it’s a matter of keeping a balance. While it’s okay to be tolerant with kids playing at home, it’s also essential to teach discipline and inculcating in them a sense of responsibility and respect for order at home and learning how to keep things tidy. One good idea is to teach them how to keep and store their play things after a game or how to fix and arrange the room. If a kid did something wrong, e.g. doodled on the wall, or poured some sticky liquid on the floor tiles, don’t blow off your top, but just point out their mistake and let them clean it up properly instead of doing it yourself.

I’ve not heard much news from my beloved home country lately, but the most shocking mass murders of the Maguindanao massacre has not escaped me. It saddens me to think that this can happen in our country. This must have affected much the concerned families and the government as well. Though this may have occurred in a far-away remote place, still they are a part of us, being one as a Filipino.
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I’m back! Actually I’m home from the hospital (just delivered my second baby!) since last week but haven’t been online as regularly as I can because of the myriad of tasks piling up at home plus I’m taking care of two kids now. So aside from energetic little C, we have a new addition to the family, baby A and we thank God for answering our prayer that it would be a boy this time.

Hmmm…I wonder how the other busy moms cope up with the household chores and caring for their kids. I bet there won’t be time for extra activities such as taking up medical coding training courses or learning a foreign language. Well, unless they’ve got some househelp or babysitter to take care of the kids while they’re studying. For now, I am just enjoying being a second-time mom.

Let’s say your friend’s baby shower party is almost here and you’re still thinking about what to give. Well, I didn’t have this dilemma because I was the one expecting a child and my friends organized the party for me.

Here are some suggestions from a second-time Mom:
Baby pillows, blankets, and beddings
Diaper cakes (yes, they’re not only practical but cute as well)
Baby bath products
Terry washcloths, cotton towels, and burp pads
Car seat
Bob stroller
Baby hats, gloves, socks and booties
Baby books and educational toys

There you go! Just take your pick and choose something that’s creatively designed and baby-friendly. Hmmm… anything else to add to the list?

My little girl is growing up fast! And she’s still as active as ever. There’s never a moment that you can see her stay put in one place, except when she’s sleeping of course. She loves to sing and dance along with kiddie songs while watching the video. She still enjoys flipping through pages of books or magazines as if reading them.
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On the first month of my pregnancy, I looked like this:

Last month, you can see that my face has already become round :

And because it was the Christmas season, we were feasting on high-calorie foods here and there. Also with my sister and her family here at home, every meal was like a party.  It’s nice to eat along with a bunch of eaters with hearty appetite; something I don’t get to enjoy when it’s just me and Caity at home.

I kept telling myself that I’ll stay away from sweets and fatty foods and eat only foods that burn fat but I still failed. I’ll confess I’ve been eating a small piece of chocolate almost everyday. Huhuhu! Let’s see after giving birth if I’ll be determined in eating healthy again.

There’s a funny TV ad about a techie grandma who’s very much into computers. There’s one episode where she talked to her nephew on a webcam and mentioning some social networking sites, another ad showed her playing computer war games, and an ad where she ordered some techie stuff on the phone while asking for senior citizen discount! Lol. Cool grandma huh. I bet she’s not a newbie to the Internet and we can even learn some website infos from her such as SEO, page rank, Adsense or directory submission services. It’s nice to see the older generation catching up with technology instead of the narrow-minded “I don’t need to learn that” attitude.

It does not only make dishes, soups and salads tastier, celery is also a good source of vitamins and minerals. It also contains active compounds known for cancer prevention and lowering bad cholesterol. Some might not like putting celery in their dishes but experienced cooks know how to mix it well with their recipes so that they come out tastier when this nutritious herb is included. For instance, my Aunt cooks yummy pork stew with cubes of carrots and bits of celery in it.
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What’s for breakfast? I had this question to my friends before and received a mix of responses – rice with viand, bread and butter, fruits, etc. Others don’t eat breakfast at all which, I tell you, is not a healthy way to lose weight. One of them answered oatmeal and coffee. Quite a combination, don’t you think so?
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Why not? This is the trend nowadays, for a busy employee or a working mom planning to go to college, getting an online degree is a good alternative for them instead of studying in a brick and mortar university. Aside from saving up on gas or hiring a babysitter, studying online is more flexible as you can do it anytime and anywhere.
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