Photo Story: What Christmas 2014 Was Like

Hello! How are you guys? I can't believe it's already the weekend after Christmas. Wasn't it just yesterday when we were scrambling for gifts for family and friends? Now, it's nearing New Year's Eve and we're gonna say goodbye to 2014! I'm not yet ready!

So, because I'm still in a Christmas mood (itis still Christmas, right?), as usual, in tradition of documenting my Christmases with Yuri (hopefully soon with Job!), here are photos to show how I spent my Christmas. I hope you could tell me about yours, too!

Christmas Decorations

New Generation of Samsung Digital Appliances offers Solutions for Energy Efficiency and Space

Last Tuesday, I was able to see a new lineup of envy-worthy appliances, thanks to Samsung!

I admit that I don't usually go to tech-related events (read: non-mommy!) but I couldn't not go because I like Samsung and because I also need to be on the lookout for new appliances in the market.

And it was totally worth it because I discovered a piece of kitchen appliance that I need in my life. I will tell you about that later!

Anyway, the event started with a game where our team won. Yay! If you're wondering what game I could possibly win, well, it was a quiz bee. Ano pa nga ba? Haha! That's what we call #nerdperks.

Then we were led into the showroom to see the new appliances in person. These are all digital so prepare to be amazed at what they can do. While I took mental notes and was seriously listening (I really do need to buy appliances), I think this press release by Samsung will do a better job at explaining the features of each amazing contraption - with my giddy side comments haha. Here it goes.

Technology is ever evolving, but it has always been aimed at aiding everyday tasks. Samsung has taken on the higher pursuit of offering people a better lifestyle. Thus, armed with state-of-the-art electronics and a passion for innovation, Samsung has come up with their new lineup of digital household appliances that will ensure a happy home.

I don't think I have ever used the a/c as often as I do now that I have a baby, and somehow, it achieved a "necessity" status in my life.

Air Conditioner With Triangle Design

Organizing Tips and Tricks for the Home

I re-discovered this gem of an organizing post over at Buzzfeed. I say "re-discovered" because I already read this post in the past; I just stumbled upon it again just earlier. Here are my favorite tips that I'll probably be applying sooner or later!

7. Utilize Wall Space to Hang Utensils

8. Use a Deep Kitchen Drawer to Store Utensils Vertically

23. Store Matching Sheets Inside of Their Pillowcases

33. Make a Pressing Surface to Replace Your Ironing Board

36. Hang a Ladder from the Ceiling for Air Drying Clothes

46. Label Your Cords

49. Mark and Label Everything!

*All photos are lifted from Buzzfeed; links to original sources are there.

There are dozens more of tips in the original post; if you want to learn more about those tips, just head over to the original Buzzfeed post! 

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Things I Wish My Yaya Would Stop Doing

So our yaya's here to stay, at least until the semester ends and until she's finally able to pay her debt in full. I explained last time that before, we decided to let her off the hook, but because of her "offenses," we decided to make her pay.

Unlike most of the comments I received, no we're not being too kind employers to let her stay. We just really don't have a choice for now.

And to be honest? I can see Honey's effort to improve herself. Who knows? It's not yet too late for her to change, diba?

Now, I always say that I'm very contented Honey as Yuri's yaya, Honey, and that's true. That's primarily because she really loves and adores Yuri as if he was her own brother. So I'm hoping she'd change the other flaws in her character.

Since it's possible that she'll be remaining with us until the end of the year or early next year, I want to make it as pleasant as possible. For that to happen, there are things I wish she'd stop doing. You must be wondering why I don't just go ahead and tell her. Simple. We tell her about these things many times but she doesn't really follow!

I wish she would stop:

Yaya Woes: Probably the Last Straw

Last week, I talked about how we got so mad at Honey, Yuri's yaya, for insisting to go home (even when she just went home several weeks before) and for insulting us.

Of course, when she got home Monday morning, we scolded her, and because she insulted us - my mom especially - we made the decision to just pull her out from school and let her go.

(What made her and her sister's remarks especially insulting was that we were planning to give her a graduation blowout and completely erase all of her debts. Tapos ganun pala ang sinasabi nila about our efforts?!)

But after seeing her cry, repent, and ask for one more chance (spot the movie lines), we decided to forgive her and let her continue schooling and working.

However, we wanted to talk to her sister and/or mother. But she cried again and begged us not to. Hmmm.

An Ikea Wishlist

I know many of you would probably agree with me: there should be an IKEA store in the Philippines!

I drool over many of the furniture pieces from IKEA, and I imagine that our house, when it finally gets built, would be fully decked out from top to bottom with IKEA pieces. You see, they are not only pretty but also space-efficient. And based on the US website, they are pretty affordable!

Image: http://www.ikea.com

That's why I was ecstatic when I found out that there was an IKEA reseller in Davao city with a pwesto just at Abreeza Mall. I checked their Facebook page beforehand and am happy to report that they carry almost everything I like. So last Sunday, I finally visited them to see the items in person.

Unfortunately, I saw that the items were overpriced. For example, the Mala Easel, which was really what I was planning to buy only costs around $15 in the website. That's just around P645. But in the store, it costs P3,500. Partida sale price pa yan. Original price is P4,100. I know they're adding the shipping costs and rental fees to the prices of the products, so it's understandable, but that doesn't mean I have no choice but to patronize them, right? I need to make the most out of my money!

When I got home, I computed how much it would cost if I order the easel directly from the website. Again, it's $15 or P645, right? I might have it shipped through, for example, My Shopping Box, which charge $2.99 per pound for sea freight. Since the easel weighs 14 pounds, I would have to pay $41.86 or roughly P1,800. In total, I would only have to pay P2445, and I don't have to get out of the house.

If no one talks me out of it, I might just do that! 

(There's one more big IKEA reseller in Davao City, and they have a real shop which is even nearer my home. I just sent them an inquiry, but they don't carry the Mala Easel huhu.)

Aside from the Mala Easel, I also drool over many other items from IKEA. Here's an early Christmas wishlist hahaha:

Lovely Kerosene Lamps

I mentioned last Wednesday that last Sunday, we "ventured" into the southern part of the city just to go to Book Sale.

Well, aside from Book Sale, we also discovered that NCCC Mall's grocery store is a lot bigger and grander now! The range of products is just awesome; as a grocery-loving family, we were like kids in Disneyland. I've never been to Target but I'm imagining that must be their peg.

I saw cool building toys (logs, not bricks) and dollhouses and toy kitchenettes. It's a shame that the kitchenette was pink; girls lang ba ang naglulutu-lutoan? But what really caught my attention was the whiteboard easel. I don't know what I was thinking and di ko kinuha ang price. Now I can't compare it with IKEA's Mala easel. If only I can show you the toys. I really regret not taking any photos!

Obviously, I didn't get any of those toys (aiming for that easel), at least not yet. Because I spent na for books and haven't paid my tithes and bills yet. So what I got was just this:

I know what you're thinking: in a world of LEDs and batteries, what am I gonna do with a kerosene lamp?

The Steady Weekend That Was

The past weekend was, you guessed it, a steady one. The days were smoother for me mainly because bati na kami ni Job. Actually, we didn't fight (ako lang nagtampo) so it's more accurate to say because I already forgave him.

Not forgiving someone is like letting him (or her?) steal our joy, no? And our peace, too. If you don't forgive, you're the loser!

This is my current favorite photo of Yuri. Doesn't it look very peaceful? And really cute? #fishing

So again, the past weekend was a smooth-sailing one for me. I'll let the photos do the talking na. Hee hee.

Friday means sugar indulgence!

Our tita (a neighbor who's very close to our family) recently came back from a trip to the States. She got back bearing pasalubong of course. Ano pa nga ba. I didn't care for the cosmetics and bags. I made a beeline for this:

Under the Weather Thursday

I'm very thankful that our weather has turned from smoldering hot (which caused the brownouts) to fair and rainy. However, a side-effect of the rapidly changing weather is sickness.

I actually started to get sick the other day, Wednesday, but still worked because, well, I didn't want to miss work. Then, yesterday, Honey (Yuri's yaya) had to go to school to get enrolled for the new school year, so I had no choice but to be absent. That was okay because I felt even sicker than I was the other day and I really wanted to rest.

However, as you mothers would know, there isn't really true "rest" for a toddler mom. So I tried to lay on the bed while my toddler ran around the room and only got up when the situation called for it.

Mom in the Disposable Mask

 Yuri entertained himself by playing by himself and with himself

He loved himself, too.

Then I let him watch some Instagram videos. He loves Vito's videos by Frances Sales

We ate a lot, too. We emptied the pantry again. My father often remarked that I'm the only one he knows who has a big appetite in the morning. Well, I have a slightly good appetite for a sick person, too!

 

I was just reminiscing the moments when I watched Disney Junior in the wee hours, and one of my favorite cartoons was Gaspard and Lisa. Then just yesterday, somebody gave us boxes of these chocolates! Thanks!

Don't look at me. It's the boy's doing. He licked the chocolates while I ate the almonds haha.

Of course, the sticker is mine!

When we finally finished the box (errmmm), we opened a tub of peanut butter. Hey, no judging! Yuri ate the most of it!

Then I went back to lazing in bed  and Yuri played hide-and-seek...

...with himself. Kawawa! :-)

While I enjoyed watching movies like Click and The Book of Eli. And the walang kamatayang...

I woke up feeling a lot better today - but the bad news is that my Yuri has fever! Poor Yuri wasn't in the mood to eat anything - not even peanut butter! But the good news is that he's more active now and even ate three pieces of toasted mamon. I hope the fever will be completely gone before the day ends.

How about you? How are you doing? I sure hope you're doing better than we are!

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What is a good mom?

Yuri's "gift" to me. A "basket" daw with "bananas."

Hallmark doesn't make any money from me because I don't celebrate holidays except for Christmas, Easter, and birthdays. I looove these major holidays, but I see the "rest of 'em" as just ordinary days.

I don't even celebrate Valentine's Day, much less Mother's Day.

I guess that's just how we were raised. My family is not big on celebrating birthdays na nga, Mother's Day pa? The same can be said for Job, although he tries to send me simple "special" messages on those occasions (but I love the just-because messages more...)

But there's one person who never fails to send me heartfelt greetings on Mother's Day. That's Honey, Yuri's ate or yaya.

Although I'd never admit it to her face (sorry, I was never the expressive type), I feel blessed that God sent her to us to help me take care of Yuri. That's even though she makes me want to scream sometimes, okay, many times. I mean, ako yung may event pero 10 minutes nalang ako nakapaghanda kasi she took 40 minutes to get dressed? Mga ganun.

But that's off-topic hehe. Really, I feel blessed because in spite of her kaartehans and, sometimes, disobedience, I believe in my heart that she truly loves Yuri. I think that's the most important trait you would ever need to find in a yaya.

Going back to Mother's Day, that early morning, while Yuri was still sleeping and I was laughing over a joke Job cracked, I received this text message:

Of course I was touched. Who wouldn't? I don't think all household have helpers who are as thoughtful as Honey. But never being the emotional type, I immediately thought, "Oh no, she thinks so highly of me. Whatever have I done to deserve that?"

First of all, I'm far from the alpha-perfect mom image. I let my child eat sweets and processed foods. I don't really care when he touches something dirty. Sometimes I give him what he wants when he throws tantrums. There have been times when I want Yuri to go away because I'm busy or stressed at work - though I will never have the heart to tell him that.

I am not "the best mom ever." I let Yuri watch TV and play with gadgets so that I can rest after working. I sometimes tell him to pee in his diaper because I'm too sleepy or lazy to get up and accompany him to the potty. Sometimes I let him bite on a toy that I know is dirty. One time, I even let him eat a lollipop.

Overheard from the Daycare Center that was our House

Okay, our house is no daycare center, but it surely looks like one these summer days!

The days are longer during summer, and since the sun's so incredibly powerful these days (ganito ba last year??), we stay inside the house until at least 5pm. There are days when it still feels like high noon at 5:30!
But when the sun finally calms down, that's when a few kids from the neighborhood begin coming over, one by one.

This doesn't include the group of the older kids.

I love it because as a child, I lived farthest from where my friends lived. Ergo, play dates almost never happened in our house. Aside from the location, they were also afraid of my father who used to have a large, booming voice. I swear, I used to know where my father was just by listening to how loud or weak his voice was.

Anyway, I'm getting off track. Our current house, because of its location on the main road, became the meeting place of kids. It's also because all lots surrounding our house are empty, and we know kids love empty lots! So in the afternoon, our house becomes like a mini-daycare center with several kids and a handful of yayas. As much as I would like to join the fun, I'm still working during that time!

As for me, I like having many kids in the house not only because the house becomes livelier but also because Yuri gets to practice his socialization skills. Despite being the youngest (all the other kids are about 3 and older), he knows almost each kid by name.

So far, there's not been an issue with sharing, too. Way to go, kids!

Another thing that I like about having many people around are the conversations I get to eavesdrop to unintentionally hear. Here are a few I remember:

Honey, Yuri's yaya to a 6-year old boy, MJ

Honey: MJ, diba kayo yung may prosti?
(My eyes widened when I heard this.)
MJ: Ano yan?
Honey: Prosti gud. Diba may prosti kayo sa bahay nyo?
MJ: Anong prosti?
Honey: Yung benta nyo gud?
MJ: Ah, ice candy

Photo: http://www.dmc.com.ph/ 

Honey: Oo yun. Prosti man tawag dun.

A Weekend Spent at Home

Well, technically, we didn't spend the entire weekend at home since we went to the mall yesterday to buy some beach toys for the little boy. And some sleeveless shirts AKA sando. And ate some ice cream to beat the hot weather.

For a grand total of 3 hours.

That was because I was in a hurry to go back home because I needed to work. So I guess it totally didn't count hehe.

Anyway, I had to work yesterday morning and evening because I took a "forced" leave last Saturday. You see, Yuri's yaya is a college student (Sunday school) and had to take care of some requirements, I guess, to complete this academic year. Since the offices are closed on Sundays, she had to go on a Saturday. Basically, we switched day-offs.

My parents were also somewhere in Davao Oriental, enjoying a company outing, so it was just me and Yuri - plus my sister, who was in her own world reading a book in the tablet, so it was just really me and Yuri. It was a good thing because I really, really love to bond with this kid, especially now that he's more fun to be with!

No offense to infant Yuri but toddler Yuri is really better company. Hahaha!

It was very hot that day so we didn't dare play outside. Instead, we turned the AC on, grabbed the blanket, and made a mini fort slash tent! It was fun. I think I had more fun than Yuri...

No, Yuri! You can't enter the teeent!

Hello? Iya? Yayu? We have a problem here. Mama's driving me crazy!

We ate homemade turon, too. Ours have strawberry jam and pineapple jam in them. Yum!

The little boy is also getting into a habit of choosing the books he likes. After thumbing through them for a few minutes or so, he gets his favorite car and totally ignores the books. Boys! (Pictured above are Dr. Seuss' Ten Apples Up on Top and Janell Canon's Stellaluna.)

I'm gonna do what I want, Mama!

More eating ensues. I mean, food is the only way I get a hyperactive toddler to stay still - and I know the sugar makes him even more active, so I know I don't make any sense. It's okay; I have the license to be illogical. I'm a woman. Hehehe peace. (On hindsight, I would get really fat if I become a full-time SAHM.)

Hello? Iya? Yayu? Um, Mama's making me eat junk food...

In my defense, ngayon lang naman eh! :-P

My favorite time of the day: naptime! Bwahahaha.

Kids now come over to the house every day. That day, Princess came over, and they played "angel-angel." As for the peace sign? I don't know. Go figure. Maybe they were actually playing "hippie-hippie."

I stayed at home while the parents enjoyed this little piece of paradise. Beach, I'm coming! Wait for meeee!

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It's Back to Work Monday!!!

Image from Google

Wow, it's Monday! Gah! Did you also have a long vacation? How did you spend it? Mine was spent just at home. We didn't go anywhere because of my father's arthritis, so I have nothing exciting to share. But I will still blog because it's been days since I have last written!

Like you, office-going folks, I also had a three-day vacation last week. It's actually unplanned, and I would still work if I could, but the yaya requested for a vacay so...

Her vacation started on early morning of Friday and I was excited to be a full-time mom to Yuri of course. She was to return on Sunday evening.However, she did not go back last night. She actually sent us a message asking if she could return on Monday instead, but we firmly said no because we know Monday's going to be hectic. I expected her to follow our instructions, but she did not. Instead, she disobediently returned just this morning.

Actually, she even requested to go home on Thursday afternoon. Hay naku, ano ba?

It's just sad that even though she had a long vacation, she was not grateful to have it, and she even went against our request. By the way, just to show you that we're not super strict employers, she already had a 4-day vacation last January. The law states that they're entitled to 5-day vacation leaves per year. Plus, she always uses her day-offs (Sundays) to the max as she doesn't go home until around midnight.

Hay.

It just made this Monday, when I have too much to do, more stressful. But I can manage with God's grace. Thank you, Jesus! And thank you for conquering death and sin more than 2000 years ago. Victory was, is, and will always be yours! You've never been dead since then; you are alive and I proclaim you the Son of God, the true Christ! I will always be singing you praises!

PS: I have sooo much blogging to do! Hopefully, I can publish all of my pending drafts as soon as possible.

PPS: Have you seen the movie, Son of God? I saw it last Thursday, and so far, it's my most favorite film about Jesus. It may not be 100% accurate, as all movies are, but I like it because it gave the message that the Resurrection is not the end of Jesus' mission but only the beginning. Isn't that just wonderful?

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