'Nay, magpapasukan na!

“Nay, masikip na ang palda ko.  Hindi na kasya sa baywang saka sagad na ang tahi sa laylayan.  Paano ‘yan?  Magpapatahi na ba tayo ng bago kong palda sa pasukan?”

“Pwede pa ‘yan.  Pagagawan natin ng paraan sa mananahi,” sagot ni Nanay.

Ha? Ano pa kayang paraan ang naiisip ni Nanay para magamit pa uli sa pasukan ang pinagkaliitan ko nang palda.  Nagsimula itong may malapad na tupi sa laylayan noong bagong tahi pa.  Taon-taon, inuurong ang tupi dahil tumatangkad ako.  Pero, katulad nga ng sabi ko, ngayon ay wala nang tuping pwedeng tastasin.

Kinuha ni Nanay ang aking palda at itinabi para dalhin sa kapitbahay naming mananahi.  Pagkatapos ay sinimulan na namin ang isa sa aming mga tradisyon tuwing bago magpasukan.

Tiningnan namin isa-isa ang mga kwaderno (o notebook) na ginamit ko at ng nakababata kong kapatid noong nakaraang pasukan.  Maingat naming tinanggal ang mga alambre (o spring).  Hiniwalay ang mga may sulat sa mga wala pang sulat.  Pagkatapos pinagsama-sama namin ang mga natirang mga pahina para bumuo ng mga bagong kwaderno.  Tinatahi ni Nanay isa-isa ang mga bagong kwaderno mula sa mga hindi nagamit noong nakaraang pasukan.  Tapos binabalutan ko naman ito ng mga pambalot ng regalo at plastik para magmukang bago at para hindi madaling madumihan o masira.

Bago rin magpasukan, iniinspekyon namin ang mga dati naming sapatos.  Kadalasan, wala kaming sapat na pera para bumili ng bago taon-taon. Kaya ang ginagawa ni Nanay dati, pinapapalitan lang niya ang swelas o ilalim dahil iyon naman ang madalas na unang nasisira.  Pinapalitan na lang ang sapatos namin kapag nasira na ang itaas, halimbawa ay nabiak na o nabutas.  Kaya palagi naming nililinis at pinakikintab ang sapatos namin para hindi madaling masira agad ang balat.

Isa pang paraan ng pagtitipid na ginagawa ni Nanay tuwing bago magpasukan noong elementarya pa kami ay maghanap ng mga lumang libro o second hand books mula sa mga mas nakatatandang estudyante sa aming paaralan, sa mga kapitbahay namin na mas nakatatanda o sa mga tindahan sa Recto.  Hangga’t maaari hindi kami bumibili ng bagong textbook kung mayroon naman kaming mahihiraman o mabibiling luma para mas makatipid.  Iyong mga workbook lang ang binibili ng bago dahil kailangan itong sagutan.

Mahigit dalawang dekada na ang nakaraan mula ng magtapos ako sa elementarya ngunit sariwang-sariwa pa rin sa aking alaala ang mga ginagawa naming paghahanda noong bata pa ako tuwing malapit na magpasukan.  Hindi ko mapigil na mangiti at matawa lalo na nang maalala ko kung paano ginawan ng paraan ni Nanay at ng kapitbahay naming mananahi ang akala ko ay hindi ko na maisusuot na palda. 

Dahil wala na ngang remedyong magagawa sa laylayan dahil sagad na ang tahi, dinugtungan ng mananahi sa baywang ang luma kong palda.  Ginawan niya ng bagong paha at dinugtungan ng halos kakulay na tela.  Iyong dating nasa baywang ay binawasan ng bahagya at napunta na sa may bandang balakang dahil sa ginawang dugtong.  Hindi naman daw halata kasi mahaba ang aking blusa!

Nakakabilib talaga si Nanay! Katulad ng maraming ina, tunay siyang maparaan!

Buti na lang maabilidad at maparaan si Nanay!  Dahil sa katangian niyang ito, nakapagtapos ako ng elementarya sa isang pribadong paaralan.  Ang kanyang halimbawa ng pagpupursige at sipag ay naging inspirasyon ko upang maging isang masikap, masipag at responsableng mag-aaral.  Tinuruan niya akong maniwala na hindi hadlang ang kahirapan upang makamit ang iyong mga pangarap.  Katulad nga ng sabi sa kasabihan, nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.  Ginawa ng aking mga magulang ang lahat ng kanilang makakaya upang mapagtapos ako ng pag-aaral.  Hindi naging madali para sa aming lahat ang mga taong iyon na nag-aaral pa ako. Maraming sinakripisyo ang aking mga magulang para matupad ang aming pangarap pero sulit naman lahat ng iyon tuwing aakyat kami sa entablado taon-taon para tanggapin ko ang aking medalya bilang Top 1 o First Honor at nang mag-gradweyt akong Valedictorian sa elementarya, nang ako’y makapagtapos sa high school sa isang paaralang ekslusibo para sa mga babae na may Academic Excellence Award, at higit sa lahat nang ako’y magtapos sa kolehiyo sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas sa Diliman.

Magpapasukan na naman.  Hindi ko mapigil na hindi maalala ang mga magaganda at masasayang alaala ng aking pagkabata at buhay estudyante lalo na noong ako’y nasa elementarya pa.  Masaya ako noon kahit mulat ang aking mga mata sa kahirapan ng aming pamilya.  Masaya ako dahil itinataguyod ako ng aking mga magulang para magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan sa pamamagitan ng magandang edukasyon.  Masaya ako dahil mayroon akong mga kaibigan noon na hindi pansin kung bago ba o luma ang aking uniporme at sapatos.  Masaya ako noon dahil may mga guro akong naniniwala sa aking talino at kakayahan kahit na ako’y mahirap lang.

Pero mas masaya na ako ngayon dahil sa aking pagtityaga, disiplina, suporta ng mga taong nakapaligid sa akin at sa tulong ng Diyos, naabot ko ang bawat pangarap na pinangarap ko simula nang una akong natutong mangarap.

Magpapasukan na!  Dalangin kong mas marami pang batang mahirap ang matutong mangarap at mabiyayaan ng mga magulang na tulad ng mga magulang ko… lalo na ng tulad ng Nanay ko!  

Happy Birthday, 'Nay!

My Mom and I at Hotel Kimberly last year
where we had an advance Mother's Day celebration.

* This was first published at POC as a Mother's Day post.  

Earning While Homeschooling

We just had our first field trip for the school year! It's our way of kicking off the start of a brand new year in our homeschool adventure. 

We even bought Philippine-designed shirts for our field trip outfits! 

We gently began our school year last week by reviewing what the kids learned in the past year. Although we homeschool year-round, we officially start our school year in June. It's that time of the year when I (their main teacher) start becoming more intentional with our homeschool activities. I take into consideration where we left off before our summer activities, the kids' current interests and their respective levels. Together with my husband, we discuss and plan our learning goals for the year for each of our kids.  

But before we get serious, I thought that it would be a wonderful way to start our school year with a fun activity. This is one of the things I love about homeschooling. We design our schedule based on our goals, availability, resources, and the topics that we want to learn and cover. 

Since there are two major historical events that Filipinos celebrate in June (Independence Day on June 12 and Jose Rizal's birthday on June 19), I've decided to plan a field trip for our family this month. I initially planned to go to Jose Rizal's house and hometown in Calamba, Laguna and Fort Santiago in Manila where the Rizal Shrine is located to celebrate our National Hero's birthday. But I found out that the Rizal Shrine in Laguna is under renovation so we postponed our field trip there. We still went to Fort Santiago and Rizal Shrine in Intramuros last Sunday. Then, we went to Kawit, Cavite to see the house where the Philippines' independence was proclaimed. This was inspired by the news articles (this and this) I read about the video mapping done in the house as one of the ways to celebrate our Independence Day this year. 

Mga batang Rizal walking in the footsteps of
Jose Rizal at Fort Santiago. ;)

We had fun exploring Fort Santiago! It was the kids' first time to go there. It wasn't my first time there but I still learned new things and relearned old lessons while at the Rizal Shrine. It was also a memorable experience for us to all go to the Aguinaldo Shrine for the first time.

It was in this balcony that General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed
the independence of the Philippines from Spanish rule.

That's another beauty of homeschooling. Parents get to learn with their children while providing them with lots of opportunities to bond with each other.

Is homeschooling something that you want to do with your kids or feel that the Lord is calling you to do but you are afraid of the impact of your decision on your finances? Are you wondering if you can homeschool and still contribute to the family income? 

I have good news for you! I'm organizing a parenting summit called Hands-On Parents while Working on August 8, 2015. It's a whole day workshop on hands-on parenting and working smart in the new millenium where you can learn how to marry hands-on parenting with earning for the family.   

Click here to read more about the event and its speakers.

During the workshop, I will help you uncover your greatest motivation in wanting to become a hands-on parent. I will also help you come up with a clear and compelling vision for your kids and yourself. I will share tips that you can apply right away after you leave the event. I will share my 3-Step Success System that can enable you to be a H.O.P.E., a Hands-On Parent while Earning. 

Aside from these, you'll have an opportunity to learn from other speakers and guests. Some of our speakers are parents who also homeschool their kids. You can learn from the interactions and group discussions with other parents too.

I invite you to invest your time on this life-changing event! 

I encourage you to sign up now while you can still avail of the early bird rate. You also have a chance to win a free gift certificate from Kindermusik with Teacher Suzette and Friends if you are one of the first 10 parents to sign up and satisfy the requirements of our Facebook Contest.

You can find the mechanics here.

Click here to sign up now and be a step closer to fulfilling your dream of homeschooling your kids while earning! Join us also at the event's Facebook Page so you'd get updates about the event. See you on August 8!

All Set for the 35th Manila International Book Fair (#MIBF2014)

Today is the first day of the much-awaited yearly Manila International Book Fair. This is an event book lovers look forward to each year. Big discounts on books and other educational materials and toys, meet and greet activities with authors and illustrators, storytelling sessions, book launches, book signings, workshops, raffle prizes and giveaways are some of the things that people like me look forward to each year.

 

 

I checked out the booths that I will prioritize to visit to save on energy and time. The event is usually held at the SMX and it's quite tiring to go around, booth to booth, given its massive size. I usually go to back to the fair after my first visit because I get tired navigating the maze of booths that sell books and various products. I also like taking my time when I check out the books and products sold so one day is not enough for me.

 

So far, here are the booths that I plan to visit first. Our first target destination is the Adarna House booth. I've been searching for a copy of the book Hating Kapatid since August but it was out of stock in the National Bookstore branches that we went to. Thus, I was happy to find out that this award-winning book will be available and will be on sale as part of a bundle at the 35th Manila International Book Fair. I was also happy to discover that the other award-winning books in the bundle are books that my kids would be interested to read. 

 

Another bundle that I'm excited to purchase is the Science bundle. These are topics that my eldest son has been asking in the past weeks since we started our lessons on the planet and weather. I'm sure that we would enjoy reading these books. These books are recommended for Grades 4-6 students but I think my son is ready for them.



I'm excited to have our new books signed by the authors
and to have pictures taken with them with my kids.

 

One of the next books
in the Jepoy Dyip Series.

The next booth that I want to check out is the Lampara Publishing House booth. We recently bought a copy of the book Si Jepoy Dyip and my kids are interested to get a copy of the next books in the series. (You may read about our reading experience with this book here.) I was very happy to discover that the author and illustrator of this said book will be conducting a Children's Storytelling and Art Workshop on Saturday. I'd like to grab this chance to ask him to sign our copy and have a photo taken with my boys. I want to attend his workshop, too. The great thing about it is that we simply need to buy a copy of one of his books and we can attend the workshop for free. Aside from buying a copy of the next books in the series, I also plan to get another copy of Si Jepoy Dyip so I can give it away as a Christmas gift. I think it would be a nice gift for a little boy because the book comes with a toy.

 

 

 

 

The other workshop that I discovered and that I'm excited to attend on Saturday is the Children's Story Book Writing Workshop. The workshop will be conducted by the author of the book My Daddy! My One and Only! Just like in the other workshop, we simply need to buy a copy of the author's book to attend the workshop for free. Since we don't have a copy of that book yet, I will buy a copy for the boys. Thus, I can attend the workshop for free as well.

 

Another booth I want to visit is the OMF booth. I have bought plenty of Christian books from OMF since I was single. So, I was delighted to read this article that enumerated the 13 reasons why I should check out their booth this year at the book fair. I'm excited to buy copies of the new books in their Wow, God! Series plus the another new book titled Bee Green. Aside from the wonderful stories in these new titles and the 30% discount on their launch price, I'm excited because every purchase of a newly-launched book from OMF entitles the customer to get a FREE EBOOK! Isn't that a great deal?

 

The other booths that I plan to visit are the following: Fully Booked (to check out if the various versions of The Very Hungry Caterpillar would be on sale), Heartshaper/Lighthouse (to say hi to the owner who is also a friend and to check what materials they have on sale), Scholastic (to see what Clifford and Spot books are on sale) and Filway Marketing. Moreover, I hope to find educational toys that are on sale that we can use in our homeschool.

 

I also checked the line up of activities again for the next four days and took note of the ones that I plan to attend. To get the detailed schedule of events and to see the list of exhibitors who will participate in this event, check out Manila International Book Fair's website or Facebook Page.

 

As for me, here are some of the activities I have noted in my planner:

 

DAY 3 - Friday, September 19, 2014

10:00 A.M. – 12:00 NN / Stage Area
Storytelling Session with Vibal Group – LG& M Chikiting Books, Vibal Publishing House, Inc.
 

1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. / OMF Booth Storytelling and Book Signing Session for Wow, God! Flaming Furnace, Fiery Faith, OMF Literature 

 

2:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. / Stage Area
Lampara Kids Event: Magbasa, Makisaya, Maging Batang Lampara, Precious Pages Corp.
 

On top of these, I plan to drop by the SVP and the CSM booths to say hi to my author friends who are launching their books at the fair and who will be signing books. There are also big discounts from these two publishers so make sure you check out their booths too. I will definitely check out Vibal's both as well to check books that are on sale. Two year's ago, we bought a copy of The Rain is Here from their booth. (Read my review of this book here.)

 

The entrance fee for the event is P20.00 for adults and P15.00 for students, teachers and senior citizens (ID should be presented though); but you can get free tickets through the various exhibitors. I just printed our tickets which I got from the Adarna House blog. You can also print the tickets from other exhibitors like OMF, Tahanan Books, Paulines and Jesuit Communications. Or if you are near a Fully Booked branch, you can get free tickets there.

 

So, when do you plan to head to SMX to go to this event? What books do you plan to buy at the MIBF?

Never too early to teach kids spending and buying values

Here's my latest article published at Mom's Corner of The Philippine Online Chronicles. These are money-saving back-to-school tips that parents can share with their kids as we begin another school year soon.

 

***********

 

Your kids' summer vacation is almost over and school is about to start again. Here are some tips that you can share with your kids so that they can help your family save during the school year.
  

Tip #1: “Use your allowance to buy only what you need.” For kids who are given allowances, this is an important reminder. Managing their allowance can teach them how to be responsible. Give them examples of needs and wants. Then, remind them to stick to their needs as much as possible so that they would not run out of funds in case of emergency.

 

Tip #2:  “Don’t spend all your allowance. Make it a goal to save a portion of it.” It doesn’t mean that because they were given money, they need to spend all of it. Teach your kids the value of saving for the rainy days and investing their extra money by reminding them to always set aside a portion for savings. This can be good practice for later in life when they are already working. They can eventually develop the habit and discipline of setting aside some money for savings and investment, instead of spending all of their money.

 

Tip #3:  “Use your allowance wisely.” This is a bit similar to Tip #1 but this time the distinction should not only be between needs and wants. Before spending his/her allowance, help your child develop the habit of thinking first and asking questions like: “Should I really buy this or can I or my mom make this?” or “Where can I buy this at a lower price?” or “Do we have these items at home?” Your family can save a lot by going the DIY route a lot of times. One example for this is snacks or lunches for your kids. You can save a lot by making your own or planning ahead instead of just letting them buy from school during their break times. Check this article and this article for some “baon” ideas. Sometimes, you can save by simply checking prices at different stores before making a purchase. Or by buying generic items instead of branded items. Or do Tip #4.

 

Tip #5:  “Check supplies at home before buying something.” Ask your kids to check your supplies at home first before making purchases. There might be some items in your supplies cabinet or pantry that he/she needs. By doing this, you teach your kids not to be impulsive shoppers. This discipline will surely be of help when they start earning their keep.

 

Click here to continue reading.

 

'Nay, magpapasukan na!

Here's an article that I wrote a couple of years ago to honor my mom. I'm reposting it here on Mother's Day for I will always be grateful for the positive influences she had in my life.

 

 

***

 

“'Nay, masikip na ang palda ko. Hindi na kasya sa baywang saka sagad na ang tahi sa laylayan. Paano ‘yan? Magpapatahi na ba tayo ng bago kong palda sa pasukan?”

 

“Pwede pa ‘yan. Pagagawan natin ng paraan sa mananahi,” sagot ni Nanay.

 

Ha? Ano pa kayang paraan ang naiisip ni Nanay para magamit pa uli sa pasukan ang pinagkaliitan ko nang palda. Nagsimula itong may malapad na tupi sa laylayan noong bagong tahi pa. Taon-taon, inuurong ang tupi dahil tumatangkad ako. Pero, katulad nga ng sabi ko, ngayon ay wala nang tuping pwedeng tastasin.

 

Kinuha ni Nanay ang aking palda at itinabi para dalhin sa kapitbahay naming mananahi. Pagkatapos ay sinimulan na namin ang isa sa aming mga tradisyon tuwing bago magpasukan.
 

Tiningnan namin isa-isa ang mga kwaderno (o notebook) na ginamit ko at ng nakababata kong kapatid noong nakaraang pasukan. Maingat naming tinanggal ang mga alambre (o spring). Hiniwalay ang mga may sulat sa mga wala pang sulat. Pagkatapos pinagsama-sama namin ang mga natirang mga pahina para bumuo ng mga bagong kwaderno. Tinatahi ni Nanay isa-isa ang mga bagong kwaderno mula sa mga hindi nagamit noong nakaraang pasukan. Tapos binabalutan ko naman ito ng mga pambalot ng regalo at plastik para magmukhang bago at hindi madaling madumihan o masira.
 

Bago rin magpasukan, iniinspekyon namin ang mga dati naming sapatos. Kadalasan, wala kaming sapat na pera para bumili ng bago taun-taon. Kaya ang ginagawa ni Nanay dati, pinapapalitan lang niya ang suwelas o ilalim dahil iyon naman ang madalas na unang nasisira. Pinapalitan na lang ang sapatos namin kapag nasira na ang itaas, halimbawa ay nabiyak na o nabutas. Kaya palagi naming nililinis at pinakikintab ang sapatos namin para hindi madaling masira agad ang balat.

 

Isa pang paraan ng pagtitipid na ginagawa ni Nanay tuwing bago magpasukan noong elementarya pa kami ay maghanap ng mga lumang libro o secondhand books mula sa mga mas nakatatandang estudyante sa aming paaralan, sa mga kapitbahay namin na mas nakatatanda o sa mga tindahan sa Recto. Hangga’t maaari hindi kami bumibili ng bagong textbook kung mayroon naman kaming mahihiraman o mabibiling luma para mas makatipid. Iyong mga workbook lang ang binibili ng bago dahil kailangan itong sagutan.
 

Mahigit dalawang dekada na ang nakaraan mula ng magtapos ako sa elementarya ngunit sariwang-sariwa pa rin sa aking alaala ang mga ginagawa naming paghahanda noong bata pa ako tuwing malapit na magpasukan. Hindi ko mapigil na mangiti at matawa lalo na nang maalala ko kung paano ginawan ng paraan ni Nanay at ng kapitbahay naming mananahi ang akala ko ay hindi ko na maisusuot na palda.
 

Dahil wala na ngang remedyong magagawa sa laylayan at sagad na ang tahi, dinugtungan ng mananahi sa baywang ang luma kong palda. Ginawan niya ng bagong paha at dinugtungan ng halos kakulay na tela. Iyong dating nasa baywang ay binawasan nang bahagya at napunta na sa may bandang balakang dahil sa ginawang dugtong. Hindi naman daw halata kasi mahaba ang aking blusa!
 

Nakakabilib talaga si Nanay! Katulad ng maraming ina, tunay siyang maparaan!
 

Buti na lang maabilidad at maparaan si Nanay! Dahil sa katangian niyang ito, nakapagtapos ako ng elementarya sa isang pribadong paaralan. Ang kanyang halimbawa ng pagpupursige at sipag ay naging inspirasyon ko upang maging isang masikap, masipag at responsableng mag-aaral. Tinuruan niya akong maniwala na hindi hadlang ang kahirapan upang makamit ang iyong mga pangarap. Gaya nga ng sabi sa kasabihan, nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa. Ginawa ng aking mga magulang ang lahat ng kanilang makakaya upang mapagtapos ako ng pag-aaral. Hindi naging madali para sa aming lahat ang mga taong iyon na nag-aaral pa ako. Maraming sinakripisyo ang aking mga magulang para matupad ang aming pangarap pero sulit naman lahat ng iyon tuwing aakyat kami sa entablado taun-taon para tanggapin ko ang aking medalya bilang Top 1 at nang magtapos akong valedictorian sa elementarya, nang ako’y makapagtapos sa high school sa isang paaralang ekslusibo para sa mga babae, at higit sa lahat nang ako’y magtapos sa kolehiyo sa Pamantasan ng Pilipinas sa Diliman.
 

Magpapasukan na naman. Hindi ko mapigil na hindi maalala ang mga magaganda at masasayang alaala ng aking pagkabata at buhay estudyante lalo na noong ako’y nasa elementarya pa. Masaya ako noon kahit mulat ang aking mga mata sa kahirapan ng aming pamilya. Masaya ako dahil itinataguyod ako ng aking mga magulang para magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan sa pamamagitan ng magandang edukasyon. Masaya ako dahil mayroon akong mga kaibigan noon na hindi pansin kung bago ba o luma ang aking uniporme at sapatos. Masaya ako noon dahil may mga guro akong naniniwala sa aking talino at kakayahan kahit na ako’y mahirap lang.
 

Pero mas masaya na ako ngayon dahil sa aking pagtityaga, disiplina, suporta ng mga taong nakapaligid sa akin at sa tulong ng Diyos, naabot ko ang bawat pangarap na pinangarap ko simula nang una akong natutong mangarap.
 

Magpapasukan na! Dalangin kong mas marami pang batang mahirap ang matutong mangarap at mabiyayaan ng mga magulang na tulad ng mga magulang ko… lalo na ng tulad ng Nanay ko! Happy Mother’s Day, 'Nay!
 

* This was originally published in Buhay Pinoy of the Philippine Online Chronicles.

Save on Grocery by Making Homemade Baby Food

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that “infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods, while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years or more.” Some parents might be surprised to read this because some health care providers, including doctors, suggest that babies be introduced to solids as early as four months of age. This is the updated/latest directive not only from the World Health Organization but also from other trusted authorities such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, UNICEF and Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council among others. You may click here and here to read articles that summarize the benefits of delaying the introduction of solids to babies to six months of age at least.

 

Many parents however think that making homemade baby food is a lot of fuss so they simply buy baby foods from groceries which are packed in jars or in boxes. But these baby foods are quite expensive, aside from the fact that most of them are available in blended variants and flavors, not really ideal as baby’s first food. It is recommended by doctors that babies try out one kind of food at a time when they are already six months old.

 

We chose the path less travelled by parents. We have decided to give our second child homemade food instead of store-bought baby foods when he started to eat solid food. Let me share some of our reasons for making this choice.

 

We have greater control of our baby’s diet. We are able to plan our baby’s diet and implement it without being dependent on what is in stock in the grocery.

We know exactly what goes into the baby food.

We can make sure that our baby’s food does not lose its nutrients because we are the ones who prepare or cook the food.

We are sure that what our baby is eating is natural and fresh. We didn’t like to use preservatives or other artificial flavors on our baby’s food. We didn’t even put salt until he was one year old because we wanted him to be familiar with the natural flavor and tastes of foods.

We are able to save grocery money because it’s more economical.

Unlike what most people think, it’s convenient. We cook in batches so each batch can last up to 3-5 days. We simply store the baby food in ice cube trays with cover and freeze it. Then, we reheat just enough for each serving or meal.

Now that our baby is older, the baby gets to eat the same foods that the whole family eats so we are able to save much on groceries.

 

Here's a handy helper in making your baby food.

 

How do you make homemade baby food?

 

Click here to continue reading this article.  This was published today at The Philippine Online Chronicles.

Recipes for Meatless Fridays: Spanish Sardines Pasta

It's Friday once more and the second Friday of Lent.  Have you decided what to cook today?  Here's what's cooking in our kitchen.

 

 

It's another quick, easy and budget-friendly recipe you can try.  This one is based on one of my favorite foods - Spanish sardines.  I like making sandwich spreads from Spanish sardines.  I also like having it as viand when I'm too lazy or tired to whip up anything in the kitchen.  Thus, it's no surprise that I love it with my pasta, too.

 

 

My birthday usually falls within the season of Lent or during Holy Week.  Thus, pastas with seafood are what we usually prepare to celebrate my special day.  You need not worry if your birthday or the birthday of one of your family members falls on a Friday this Lent.  This recipe is an example of a yummy pasta you can prepare to celebrate your special day and still abstain from meat.

Below is my recipe:

Spanish Sardines Pasta


Ingredients:

your choice of pasta pasta (cooked according to package instructions)
1 bottle of Spanish sardines or 2 (155g) cans of Spanish sardines (I like it hot and spicy.)
3 T of olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 small bottle of sun-dried tomatoes (I'll update this post next time when I'm sure of the exact size of the bottle I use.)
a dash of basil or fresh basil leaves roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese
chopped parsley and chili flakes (optional)

Procedure:

1. Drain the Spanish sardines of oil.
2. Saute the onions in olive oil until transparent.
3. Add the garlic and saute until golden brown.
4. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.
5. Mix in the Spanish sardines and slightly flake as you saute it.
6. Add a dash of basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve hot on top of cooked pasta.
8. Top with grated cheese and chopped parsley.
9. You may sprinkle chili flakes if you want it extra hot and spicy.

There are times when I find it difficult to find sun-dried tomatoes in the grocery stores.  When this happens, I substitute it with big, ripe fresh tomatoes around 8-10 pieces and saute them in oilive oil


This much sauce is usually good for 400-500 grams of cooked pasta.  I use spaghetti most of the time.

 

 

Good luck and enjoy your lunch/dinner!

 

God Supplies

Our grocery supplies were running out.  It should not be a problem if the money in our bank account was not also running out.  There were things that we needed to pay the following week.  Can we delay payment for these?  I explored that option because if we choose to pay for all the things we needed to pay the following week, we might not have enough grocery money until my husband’s salary comes.  I had been thinking for hours how to further stretch our budget.  I felt worry and panic slowly creeping in.  I was surprised to find myself in that situation that day.  Then, I decided not to give in to worry or panic and told our maid to help me get the kids and our things ready because we’re attending The Feast in Sucat. 

 

Originally, it was our plan to attend Talk #1 of the new talk series in PICC.  But we missed it.  Good thing that there is already a Feast near our place in Sucat.  As I listened to Brother Adrian give Talk #1 of the Guaranteed Talk Series, which was about Supply, I realized why God allowed our family to miss the talk in PICC.  Hearing the powerful and encouraging message of Talk #1 of the series would have greater impact on me and my husband that day because that day we experienced a great need for God to supply for our needs.

 

Then, it was time to give our love offering.  My husband and I had been tithing since we were still single and we had been doing our best to be faithful in giving our tithes until now that we are married with two kids.  I was so inspired that night when we were reminded of the widow in the Bible who gave all that she had -- her two small coins.  I felt God remind me through the talk and especially through that passage that we should always give from our need and not our excess.  Part of me was tempted to entertain thoughts like “you already do not have enough grocery money for the coming weeks even if you don’t give tonight,” “you have already given 10% in tithes the last time you attended,” “how will you pay for the things that are due next week?”  Praise God for giving me and my husband the grace to still give that night out of faith that God will supply for our needs as we choose to support The Feast with whatever little that we have and trust in His love, mercy and provision.  What we gave that night was not big but we definitely gave from our need and not from our excess. 

 

And as we often say at our gatherings, God proved once more that He cannot be outdone in generosity.  We received a very pleasant surprise from God the following day!  We found a confirmed buyer for our car minutes after my husband and I agreed that we will tell (text) our friends and relatives that we are going to sell our car already so we can buy a bigger vehicle for our growing family.  Thus, the following day, God did not only give us what we need (grocery money) but also what we wanted and prayed for (additional money to pay for the bigger vehicle that we want)! 

 

“God has the power to provide you with every gracious gift in abundance, so that always in every way you will have all you need yourselves and be able to provide abundantly for every good cause.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (CJB) This verse was made real once more in our family that weekend.

 

That fateful Friday, God blessed me and my husband with spiritual blessings such as faith, courage, peace and hope.  The next day, God gave us financial blessings!    We were able to buy a nebulizer for our baby aside from finding a confirmed buyer for our car.  But God’s blessings and favors did not stop that day!  On Sunday, I sold a copy of my book and got additional orders.  I received inquiries and requests for viewing of the condo unit we were selling.  On Monday, I got an email from one of my potential clients asking me to send a formal proposal for the change management workshop they want me to conduct for their executives. This one was a surprise because I thought that this potential client already got a different facilitator because he told me before Christmas that he wants the workshop done on the third week of January.  Apparently, the target date for the workshop was moved and he was still considering me.  I got to pay our bills that were due that week.  A number of friends and contacts helped us get discounts and freebies for the new vehicle we wanted to buy.  I had a very productive week as a writer.  I was able to finish the Filipino translations of my reflections for Gabay.  I finished the article that was due that week and submitted it to my editor earlier than the deadline.  On top of that, I was able to write several entries for my blog and I was inspired to write another book review for one of the online publications where I’m a contributing writer.  Moreover, the articles I recently submitted to my editors were published right away that week.  I even had new inspirations for one of the book projects I’m working on.  Plus, the international publisher of the prayer book I edited last year paid me the long overdue balance of my editing fee.  What’s more, my family received a lot of gifts (including cash gift) from my godmother/ninang who arrived from Europe last week.  These are just a sample of the abundant blessings we received from God that week after we chose to give from our need and trust in His divine providence, believing that as we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first, everything else will follow.  This post would become too long if I choose to enumerate all the blessings God showered upon us that week and if I explain why they are each miracles from God and proofs of His timely and faithful provision.

 

“For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.” Hebrews 6:10 (NLT)

 

I’m still very much amazed until now as I recall all that God has blessed us after that talk about God supplying all our needs according to His riches.  I praise and thank God for allowing me and my family to experience the truth behind the talks in our Guaranteed Talk Series.  Today, I have greater conviction that God will indeed always supply all our needs, including what we need to make our dreams come true!

A Time to Bloom

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven

New International Version (©1984)
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

New Living Translation (©2007)
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

These are different versions of one of my favorite Bible verses, Ecclesiastes 3:1.  I was reminded of this verse last Sunday at The Feast as I listened to Bo Sanchez's talk in PICC.  It was talk number 2 in the Guaranteed talk series and he was talking about finding solutions to our problems.  He said that we need to be patient and not take matters into our own hands when we should be seeking long-term and God-solutions to our problems.  He said that sometimes in our desire to solve our problems right away, we create bigger problems.  But when we choose to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding, we eventually find God-solutions to our problems.

This teaching and reminder at The Feast last Sunday was further reinforced by God to me through my orchid, which I named Pinky.  If you have been following my blog, you would know by now that our orchid unexpectedly bore flowers again.  It's the second time that it did in a span of one year.  (Click here and here to read more about how God has spoken to me in the past through my wonderful orchid, Pinky.)  Pinky had six buds.  Each bud bloomed beautifully one or two at a time.  This week, the last two buds bloomed.  Pinky took my breathe away one morning as I looked outside my bedroom window and saw that all her flowers are finally in full bloom.

Our orchid, Pinky, in full bloom, set against the early evening sky.

That same day, two sisters who are potential buyers for the condominium unit we are selling viewed our unit.  I wished deep in my heart that they would be the buyers we had been waiting and praying for.  It has been a while, years in fact, that we had been trying to sell our condominium unit.  There are days when I feel impatient as well because I wanted to move to our new house as soon as possible.  That day, God reminded me to be still and remember that there is a time for everything and that He has appointed when all things will happen.  He reminded me that as I do my best to find a buyer for our remaining condominium unit, He will do the rest.  He will provide a God-solution, a long-term solution to my family's problem.

I still do not know who among the potential buyers who inquired about our condominium and viewed our unit these past days will be our final buyer.  But I choose to be patient and wait patiently for God's perfect plans to unfold before my eyes.  In the same way that it takes time for a plant to flower and for the buds of a flower to bloom, I recognize that sometimes it takes some time before our dreams and goals are fulfilled.  I will not take matters into my own hands.  I will wait on the Lord.  Thank God, He reminded me through Brother Bo's talk and through our orchid.  If I forced Pinky's buds to open because I can't wait for them to bloom in their own time, I would have destroyed it's flowers and maybe even the plant.  I don't want that to happen to our dream house.  Thus, I choose to be still while doing my best according to the abilities and gifts that God has given me to do my share to make my dreams come true and reach my goals.  I trust that in God's time, we will find the best buyer for our condominium and we would be able to move to our new house.

In the meantime, I gaze at Pinky's beautiful flowers in full bloom every day to remind myself of these lessons God taught/reminded me recently.  There is a time for everything... a time to bloom... a time to move... a time for our dreams to come true... a time for our prayers to be granted.  May God's promises to me unfold at the most perfect time.

Celebrating Life, Celebrating Without a Birthday Party


God gave me and my husband a miracle four years ago.  We fondly call our miracle YANTHY.  He came unexpectedly.  He came and God used him powerfully to teach me and my husband that He is in control and that everything happens at a time He chooses.  Through him, God showed us that as we put God first in our family and obey God's commands, God will provide for our needs and show us His graciousness. 



Yanthy at the nursery right after birth.

It has been four years already.  But I continue to be amazed and feel so loved everytime I ponder on this miracle that God has blessed us with.  I thank the Lord for giving me this child.  I thank God for each day in this child's life that He has allowed me to witness and have an active part.  I thank God for the many lessons He has taught me through the years as I took care of him.  Caring for him and raising him is a privilege I will always cherish.  May God continue to direct my steps and empower me so I could be the best mom my son could ever have.

 

Yanthy's first birthday party at Congo Grille, El Pueblo.

We celebrated Yanthy's birthday this year differently.  No birthday party just like in the past three years.  But we're celebrating it for the entire month.  I planned to buy him a toy he likes every week and some books that he likes and needs.  During the first week, I bought him a doctor play set which he can use for his pretend plays.  The next toy I will buy him on the third week of the month is a grocery push cart and some plastic grocery items, fruits and vegetables.  One of his favorite pretend plays is playing store/grocery.


My husband and I agreed that we will not organize a birthday party anymore for our eldest son this year.  We instead had a simple birthday lunch with his grandparents (my parents) and my brother last Sunday, the day before his birthday.  A couple of months ago, I asked my son where he'd like to celebrate his birthday and he said that he wants to spend it in San Mateo with my parents and brother.  So we granted his request.  We also spent the afternoon that same day shopping for the things that he needs and likes.  Instead of spending our money on a birthday party, we spent our alloted budget for his birthday celebration on clothes, toys, books and other things that he needs and likes at this time.  This is also timely since his younger brother will be celebrating his first birthday next month.

 

Family lunch at Max's Restaurant, San Mateo, Rizal on the day before Yanthy's 4th birthday.

  

The following day, on the day of his birthday, he woke up with me, his Dad and his baby brother singing the birthday song to him.  We had late breakfast as a family after the birthday boy had some time to open and enjoy his gifts and new toys.  We then had late lunch at Congo Grille.  It's the same restaurant where we celebrated his first birthday but not the same branch.  I would have wanted to bring him to the branch where we had it three years ago but it's quite far from where we live right now and we woke up late that day so we simply went to the branch nearest our place.  I think it was a blessing in disguise that we were near this branch because it was like we reserved the place.  There was only one table occupied when we ate at the restaurant.  We shared with Yanthy that we had his first birthday party at Congo Grille also but in a different branch.  It made him happy and he said that next time/next year, he wants to eat in the branch where we had his first birthday party.  We had our pictures taken inside the restaurant and outside. 

Family lunch at Congo Grille, Walter Mart, Sucat on Yanthy's birthday.

Then, we proceeded to The Fort to grant another wish of our birthday celebrator.

  

Yanthy loves playing at play centers.  He enjoys playing, running, bouncing and sliding in these play areas for hours.  We decided that he will have hours of playtime at Active Fun (The Fort branch) on his birthday.  We got him an unlimited play ticket and allowed him to play for the afternoon.  He started playing at around 3:30 PM.  By 6 PM, his Dad called him and asked him to go out already.  He stayed for a few more minutes before finally going out.  I think it was already 6:15 PM when he finally stopped playing.  The last time we were there, he played until closing time!  

 

While Yanthy was playing at Active Fun, I went around (together with Mateo in our Ergobaby carrier) the Toys R Us branch in the same building.  I bought him a toy he liked so much -- a trumpet!  I had it gift-wrapped.  Later after he played, we told him it's his baby brother's birthday gift for him. 

Yanthy at 1 year old
and his birthday cake.

We went to Mass at 7 PM at the Greenbelt chapel.  This is one of our family traditions during birthdays, going to Mass as a family. 

We had dinner at Red Ribbon, SM Sucat where Yanthy got to blow candles on his birthday cake (another tradition we started or our kids' birthdays) before going home.
 

4 year old Yanthy blowing the candles on his cake.



 

Yanthy opened Mateo's gift when we got home.  He tried it right away!

  

Yanthy shows off Mateo's gift to him.

 

Let me summarize and enumerate some ideas for a simple but fun birthday celebration minus the birthday party:

 

1. Celebrate with a simple family lunch or dinner.  You can also choose to have your lunch or dinner at the same restaurant where your child had his/her first birthday or baptismal reception. You can relive the memories by telling stories to your child of what happened during his/her first birthday party.

 

2. Involve your child in planning the family activities on his/her special day.  Let the child choose from among parent-approved choices. ;)  In our case, we let our son play at Active Fun and visit my parents and brother in san Mateo.

 

3. Use part of your budget for your child's birthday celebration to buy things that he/she likes. Some parents let their kids choose between having a party and letting the child spend a budget on things the child wants to buy.  Of course, we limit our kid's choices to those toys which are within our budget and those that we think are age-appropriate.  From there, we let him choose.

 

4. Buy things that the child needs as gifts.  An example of this is the new water bottle we bought our son with Cars design.  His old bottle has plenty of scratches already.  We retired it a few months back but did not replace right away to teach him a lesson on taking care of his things.  We wanted to reinforce the lesson that he should take care of his things so that he can use them longer. Thus, when his bottle got broken, we delayed buying him a new one.  We also bought him new shirts and socks to replace those he outgrew.  The other things we will buy for him this month are the books that he needs and we will use in homeschooling him.

 

5. Give your child the gift of your time and undivided attention.  Our days can be so hurried everyday.  It could happen that there are days when parents hardly have time to listen to their children's stories, play with them or eat/share meals with them.  We can take this opportunities to make our children feel loved and important by setting aside this day, their birthday, to celebrate God's gift of life to them.

 

 

Birthday celebrations need not be expensive all the time.  I believe that what is important is that we are able to give thanks as a family for God's gift of life.  Simple birthday celebrations teach our kids (and remind us parents) to be thankful for our blessings, big and small alike.  They also teach us that quality time spent with our families are far more important than big and expensive parties (where we usually spend only a few minutes with our guests and kids because there are so many guests to entertain) and toys.  Lastly, these can be opportunities to teach our kids about money and how to wisely spend it.  To read more on how to teach kids to be thankful, I recommend that you click here.

 

Happy Birthday once more to my dearest Yanthy!  I'm glad that you were very happy on your birthday and in the past days even though you did not have a birthday party this year.