How to Get Your NBI Clearance Online

Disclaimer: This photo is taken at Brokenshire Convention Center, the venue of our classes, not at NBI.

In my city, the words "NBI Clearance" are often met with dread. This is because the office always manages to be full every day, with people. The lines tend to spill on to the streets, and people begin lining up at 4am just to be first!

I haven't gone to NBI in, like, almost four years because there wasn't any need for me to go. But because I will be taking up a board exam this May, I have no choice but to get a clearance.

It's such a great thing that they have the online option now!

I didn't think much of it mainly because I was aware that you still have to go to the actual office to claim your clearance. However, when my schoolmate from UP, who is also my classmate in my real estate brokerage class, said that she used the online option and she needed to be at the office for only 5 minutes, I was sold. Since I know most are either not aware of this option or do not how it works, let me take this opportunity to be your guide. Let's begin!

Click here to know how to get your NBI clearance online.

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

How to Apply for a BPI More Fun Prepaid Card

This is part two of my post here.

And no, I am not paid to do this post. I am just amazed at this discovery and want to share it with you.

Before I begin, let me reiterate the difference between a prepaid card and a debit card. First, while you can use both cards for physical transactions, you can't use debit cards online (at least in my experience!). Usually, in online transactions, when they ask for credit card details, you can't input your debit card details. (An example is GoDaddy.)

Second, you can't withdraw your money from this prepaid card. So when you decide to get this, make sure you only deposit your "extra" cash.

Application

Click here to read more on how to apply for a BPI More Fun Prepaid Card.

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

Make Your Own Moon Sand in Minutes

Last summer, when we were at the beach, I discovered that my toddler absolutely loves the sand. He could play with it for hours and not even look up when we call him. I love it because sand is actually a sensory "toy" that's perfect for toddlers.

Unfortunately, we can't be in the beach everyday.

Fortunately, I came across "moon sand" when someone in my Instagram feed sold it. Living in the Philippines and in a city where the beach is minutes away, I thought, "I don't have to buy that. I'm sure I can make that."

So during our next beach trip, while I was nursing Yuri, I asked my cousins to get me sand!

Now, moon sand is more than just sand. Because of some added ingredients, it is actually more moldable and, therefore, more fun and educational!

I am aware that there's a commercial brand, Moon Sand, available and you can buy that, but if you have some minutes free, I really think you should make it instead.

Many versions call for flour and baby oil, but mine is more tropics-friendly and pantry-forgiving. This is because I use these ingredients:

What's Up Wednesday

Yes, I have chubby, baby hands. You can say it to me - just not to my face, okay?

If I were asked what my secondary needs are, I'd probably say the first is an internet connection. If you work from home like me, you understand why!

But I lost internet connection yesterday. And my backup internet, my SmartBro, was very weak and wasn't much of a help. So even though I wanted to work, I had to be absent yesterday.

Which actually turned out to be a good thing. Not the missing-work part but the away-from-the-laptop part! Because yesterday, I was able to do three things for the first time: make moonsand, play with Yuri, watch a fun movie, and attend a focused group discussion (the details of which I won't divulge).

When I realized the SmartBro wasn't getting me anywhere, I knew I had to miss work. So I turned the TV on and tried to "relax." But even though there was an interesting show, I couldn't sit still. In other words, aligaga. I wanted something to do and remembered the sand we collected from Samal last summer. I checked our pantry and saw cornstarch. I thought I'd finally do the project I've been meaning to do all summer.

And boy do I not regret it! The moonsand was very easy and fun to make and Yuri had a blast playing with it.

How to Make Your Own Cashew Milk

I love milk. All kinds of milk. Dairy milk (fresh or powdered), soy milk, almond milk.

My son loves milk, too. All kinds of milk I mentioned above, but his most favorite one remains to be breast milk. Hee hee

Enter cashew milk:

Pictured above are three bottles. I was able to make three full bottles of cashew milk; unfortunately, Yuri drank one up before I got the chance to take a photo!

Just to make it clear, we'll still gladly drink any forms of milk available. But ever since I read a blog post about homemade cashew milk way back last year, I've been itching to make one for myself Yuri. Unfortunately, it's hard to look for raw cashews in the city! All I can see are either salted cashews, roasted cashews, flavored cashews. So my project had to be placed on hold.

One day, though, my folks were at Victoria Plaza to buy some baking materials when they stumbled upon packets upon packets of, you guessed it, raw cashews! Yay!

How to Encourage your Toddler to Talk

Let me preface this post by saying I'm no expert-mom. I'm just a regular mom who happen to be a sharer (an oversharer?) of stories especially those fellow moms will find useful.

In my own words, I'm more of an aha-mom than an alpha-mom.

I consider myself blessed to have a kid who began talking early. 16 months may not be as early as other kids, but Yuri's verbal development was rapid. I don't believe it's a product of his IQ (as his dad and grandparents like mentioning) - although I do know he's smart like all children - but a product of the environment carefully created for the purpose.

For example, last year, if you've already been reading this blog then, you will see some monthly posts where I listed Yuri's new words. Aside from serving as milestone posts (I don't trust myself with a paper), they actually serve a real reason (which I will tell you later).

Before I tackle the "tips" or the ways I did to try to stimulate his language development, let me repeat that I'm no expert - just an ordinary mom who happens to love learning. I don't think it would harm anyone of you to read and try these tips but do manage your expectations! Hehehe.

Are you ready? Here they go:

1. As an entire household, don't have moments of silence. Don't stop talking.

We didn't have any problems with these because we all love talking. In fact, the only time our home fully quiets down is when Yuri is sleeping. I think it's crucial to let the child see and hear and be aware of talking, and we all know how babies love mimicking adults.

Tip: If you are a quiet person, make an effort to always talk. No quiet time (or worse, gadget time!) please! If you find it awkward, tell your child about the activities you do. For example, "I'm washing my hands!" Or "Gusto mo maghugas ng kamay?"

2. In connection to number 1, get a talkative yaya or caregiver.

My Toddler Beach Trip Checklist

I know it's the middle of May, and I know (if you're in Davao, too) that the weather has turned from ultra sunny to rainy-now-and-then, but in the Philippines, it's always summer so I'm gonna go ahead and post this checklist anyway.

Actually, I prepared this post a month ago but failed to write a draft due to #brownoutproblems. And sayang naman ang photos. And we're bound for another beach trip naman so...

Anyway, if you're Filipino like me, going to the beach is no alien task. That's because anywhere you go in the city, the nearest beach is just a few minutes away. I still could remember my high school and college days when we'd go off to a beach-trip when classes are cancelled or the professor/teacher is away. It's literally pack your bags and yourselves and go!

However, I found out (not in the hard way) that going to the beach with a toddler in tow is completely different. Before, I only needed my phone, a towel, and some extra clothes and I'm good to go. I didn't even bother bringing sunblock then (my negrita photos will prove it), and I didn't care.

Now, it took me a couple of shopping trips just to complete Yuri's stuff for his first trip to the beach - and it was just a daytrip! If I could pull off going to the beach bringing just myself, it wouldn't work with a toddler because there are so many possibilities to prepare for and risks to avoid.

If you're like me who have a toddler and want to pack everything but not overpack, I'll try to help you by showing the most essential stuff I brought to Yuri's first beach trip:

1. Sunblock

First is, of course, sunblock! Evidently, one sunblock isn't enough for our company of 5 1/2 (you know who the 1/2 is hehe). In fact, Yuri gets the biggest share of sunblock because he has the most sensitive skin among us.

At first, I wanted to buy organic sunblock, but I didn't pursue it because they usually are more expensive and they don't provide as much protection as the commercially-available ones. I know that SPF 15 blocks 94% of sunblock, but somehow, I can't imagine wearing SPF 60 on my skin and only SPF 15 on my son's. At the beach. In the Philippines. During the summer.

How about you? What brand of sunblock are you use for you and for your little ones?

2. Skin Protection Kit

3 Things (And More) You Can Do During Brownouts

If you guys are bemoaning the weather, we got one more reason to be twice as cranky: rotational brownouts!

We Davaoenos get really smug whenever we're asked about our beloved city. I know I'm guilty. In our defense, mapagmamayabang nga naman ang Davao City. Security, tourism, traffic, cleanliness, shopping destinations - you name it, we have it! It's truly close to perfect. Chos!

Seriously, though, I love living in my city. However, these past months, in sync with the extremely hot weather are, what else, rotational brownouts! Gah, just perfect!

It began as once-a-week 1-hour long brownouts. Then it became twice a week. Then it became 2-hours. Now it's 2 hours and 30 minutes of beautiful power interruption several times a week.

I work from home full-time so this is actually terrifying. It came as a double blow to me because my laptop's battery recently died on me, and I've been told my laptop's model has been already phased out, so chances of buying a new battery is close to zero. Ayayay!

Worse, we don't know when exactly our power would go off. We're given blocked scheduling, but we don't know the exact time of brownouts. There are even times when our power goes off beyond schedule. So basically, I'm like a mad woman saving her files every single minute.

But we do need to cope, right? I mean, we don't know until when this would last but we can't proclaim our hatred toward Davao Light on Facebook every single day (though I love reading funny rants - a nice breather from The Legal Wife reactions!).

So how do you cope? Let me tell you what I do to stay sane during the brownouts:

1. To-Do List: Brownout Edition

Since brownouts are bound to happen (in Mindanao anyway), prepare a list of things you need to do during one. For me, these are the household stuff that gets thrown to Priority: Low. Since my laptop completely turns off and I can't work at all, I have no choice but to tackle the chores during power interruption.

Just this morning, for example, we experienced a 3-hour brownout, so I finally got to do the laundry. So the next time you experience brownout, spend just a minute moaning over your unfinished work and get productive right away!

2. Smoothies, fruit juices, and ice cream are your friends.

Unlike the lucky ones, I cannot just eat ice cream whenever I want to. I need to watch my calorie intake. However, I can't survive this intense weather - tapos brownout pa - without a cold treat. That's why in my spare time, pag may kuryente, I make smoothies etc. so I'm ready for power interruption!

Papaya-prune-rolled oats smoothie in my new mason jar ;-) 

At least I can fight the heat and my hot head. And it's yummy.

3. If money allows it, buy a rechargeable electric fan - and a TV-phone if you must.

We already have a couple of emergency lights but light is not much of an issue for me. I can tolerate darkness. However, humidity is another thing! It's a terrible foe when you're alone so just imagine how it feels when you're sleeping with a pawisin toddler who absolutely hates humidity? Help me, Lord!

Thank goodness for rechargeable fans! I spotted a few people buying those USB electric fans, but they simply aren't fit for a toddler-mom like me. I need something like this:

Firefly rechargeable fan, Php 1700

The funny thing is that before, people here would just snub these stuff kasi walang panggagamitan. Brownouts used to be rare then. Malls would put them on sale at 50% off or buy 1-take 1, but dedma lang. Now, they're in demand! Nagkakaubusan ng stock!

Potty Training Yuri: The Success!

I was supposed to publish this yesterday but I had to deal with the bane of my existence: no internet connection.

It has been more than 4 weeks since Yuri has been relatively successful in using the potty during daytime.

I say "4 weeks" because Yuri had finally consistently used the potty chair a week before his 2nd birthday, which was 3 weeks ago.

Sorry for the foul language; I couldn't find one more accurate hahahaha!

Yes, I couldn't still believe it. My boy was daytime potty-trained before his second birthday, and, well, I did it single-handedly. Yeah!

*accepts medal of valor*

*accepts gentle but firm slap by the Holy Spirit and returns to seat*

Anyway, I say "relatively" because ther are still, as expected, accidents. Especially the time when he ate too many slices of watermelon during dinner. The next morning, there was poop everywhere! To give Yuri credit, though, he did say "potty" before he helplessly pooped down my shorts. And he looked more mortified than me! Poor boy!

So how did we achieve this relative success? Here are some tips I can give you:

1. Do not force the child.

My kid is used to schedules and routines because both I and his yaya are sticklers for routines. However, in the case of potty-training, I let him be mainly because I know Yuri can be easily discouraged. I just bought a potty chair and let him be familiar with it.

One thing I did which you shouldn't do is be visibly stressed around the child. Stress is contagious and he can easily see the act of pooping and peeing as incorrectly stressful.

Also, don't ever force the kid to sit on the potty chair. Gently guide him to it and encourage him to sit down but don't ever do what I once did which is physically restrain him to the seat. Choose your battles, momma!

2. Do not stress yourself about the 2-day or 3-day methods.

Like what I mentioned, Yuri is familiar with routines and is visibly becoming a schedule-person. However, these routines, like naptime and outdoors-time, were established over months. While I heard of 2 and 3 days methods, I know it wouldn't work for Yuri.

Why? Because it's pretty shocking. I mean, the boy was pooping and peeing in his diapers all his life! Suddenly making him do these stuff seated on a chair can be downright scary. It wouldn't be fair to make them shift into this new stage in life in just a couple of days.

Then again, some babies really do learn to potty in just a matter of days. If yours does, congratulations! If yours does not, high five!

--- Okay, what I gave you were more on mental and emotional tips. What about physical and material preparedness? Here are more of my tips:

3. Potty-training is most stress-free if the child can communicate.

I'm pretty blessed to have a talkative child, and to be honest, it made the process of potty-training a lot easier. This is because he can easily tell me if he needs to go potty.

I'm not talking about just verbal communication either. Some smart mommas teach their babies sign language which makes communication easy and efficient. Even if your child can't talk yet but can easily relay to you the poop and/or pee message, then I say go for it!

Not all will agree with me, but if you're not yet very comfortable about your child's communication skills - but he'll get there! - I really suggest you be patient. Save yourself and your child from the unnecesary stress. Again, choose your battles!

4. Choose the right potty chair.

Finance Friday: How to Budget Using the Envelope Method

Hi there! So last Friday, we talked about the basics of budgeting. Here's a recap:

Identify your source/s of income, identify whether it's fixed or not, list down the fixed non-negotiables, list down the fluid non-negotiables, list your debts, create flex, save for short-term stuff, allot for leisure, and make sure all of these are not more than what you make.

Easier said than done, right? Now, I hope you were able to get the basics of budgeting down to pat, but that's not the hardest part. Not even close. After you had made a budget, you need to implement it. In other words, you need to stick to it. How?

One of the easiest - and my favorite - methods of budgeting is the Envelope Method. It's really easy. The principle is to separate your money into different envelopes, which stand for the categories you had created. This way, you only spend what you allotted for each category.

For example, if you allotted P1000 for your leisure money, and you already spent P500 for a movie, it means you can only spend another P500 for leisure for the rest of the month. You cannot borrow from other envelopes. No cheating!

What I like about this method is that I can immediately see what's left of my allocations for my budget categories. It's different to see P6000 all bundled up together. I might be fooled into thinking I have budget for a cheap camera (which I really need). However, when the same amount of money was rightfully separated into envelopes, I would know that I still need to deposit half of that amount for stock investments, a fourth for groceries, and so on.

Plus, in the absence of a tracking app or a planner, envelopes can readily serve as money trackers. What I used to do before was each time I get money from a certain envelope, I write down the details on that envelope. I write the date, the amount I "withdrew," and the reason. This way, I wouldn't wonder where my money went!

Top 5 Christmas Gifts for Toddlers (At Least For Me!)

I have written a new list of gift ideas for the older toddler/young preschooler in mind. Here's a list of top gifts for older toddlers!

My golly banana! There are only 2 weeks remaining before Christmas! Have you done your Christmas shopping already? I should have begun my shopping months back, but I've always delayed it, thinking I'll see better deals come December. Now, I still have to buy a lot of gifts!

Of course, my toddler is number 1 on my list, so I breathed a sigh of relief when I had finished ordering stuff for him last week. Ssshhh, don't tell anybody, but he's going to have full bookshelves after Christmas. I still have to wrap his gifts, which led me to think, what could other parents be giving their toddlers this year?

This, in turn, led me to create a list of the best gifts to give for toddlers. Thus, if you have a toddler child or a toddler niece or nephew or a toddler inaanak, this list is for you!

5. Clothes and/or Shoes
Clothes and shoes are always fun to buy (at least for me!), the fun multiplies by 10 when you're shopping for little ladies and gentlemen. Any parent would welcome an additional outfit to her child's closet! Also, a toddler's foot size grows so fast (I should know) that new shoes are always a necessity. Make sure that you know the child's size, though! To be safe, go for the bigger size.

Photo: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com

Bonus tip: Ask the toddler's parents if they're going somewhere for the summer vacation. You might want to give the child a rash guard if they're going to the beach or a cardigan if they're headed to Baguio!

4. Diapers
Some people may think of giving diapers as un-thoughtful or un-creative, but I beg to disagree. Puh-lease, I would welcome a free pack of diapers in my home any day! My toddler still uses 2-4 diapers per day, so that's still a pretty significant amount. In my opinion, no parent would refuse diapers!

Photo: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/

Bonus tip: Try giving the parents cloth diapers to save the environment. You get plus points by helping them save money, too!

3. Art Materials
Ah, the joy of a homeschooling mom. This sentiment also goes for future homeschooling moms, feeling homeschooling moms (like me), and even those who simply want their children to enjoy art at an early age. After all, who doesn't want to raise a future Picasso?

Photo: http://artfulparent.typepad.com

Bonus tip: You do need to look for toddler-specific and toxic-free art materials. Also, make sure they are easy to use. Great examples are jumbo crayons, non-toxic play-dough, and failproof Megasketcher!

2. Wooden Toys

Yogurt-Gelatin Pops!

Happy manic Monday!

I'm running on a kinda hectic busy schedule today (don't we all?), and I thank my lucky stars that I made a batch of easy-peasy yogurt-gelatin pops during my (one-day) vacay last week.

What are yogurt-gelatin pops? Basically, these are popsicles made from two ingredients: yogurt and gelatin! This dessert can be made breakfast because of its high nutritional value. Also, it's sugar-free! (You can add sugar if you want to, though). Plus, like the rest of my lazy recipes, it only takes minutes to make!

I actually copied the recipe from here, and since I wanted to make use of the unused popsicle mold in the kitchen, I made them into messy popsicles instead. First, the ingredients:

If you're wondering why the yogurt looks too big, that's actually a pack of 4 cups. I used two cups of yogurt and one pack of gelatin (the only "menudo" brand I can find in SM)

Just mix the two ingredients together!

Important: Mix the two ingredients in a microwaveable bowl because you have to microwave the mixture. After mixing, microwave on High for 2 minutes. Mix it again and microwave it for another 2-3 minutes. 

Freshly-sterilized popsicle molds!

The job is messy but fun!

Here it is! Not picture-perfect but delish nonetheless!

And that's it, folks! It looks like Jelly Tongue pala, no? Kid-friendly, nutritious, and easy-peasy! Messy but fun to eat! I even ate one haha!

PS: On hindsight, I should have used smooth yogurt rather than yogurt with fruit bits. On the other hand, Yuri likes eating the bits!

*Sorry, I had to use my cellphone's camera to take the photos (save for the last one).

PPS: I was finally able to take a decent photo!

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

Thursday Breakfast: Imbento Brownies

Cheers to poorly-edited photos done in PicMonkey! - said the girl who has no Photoshop in her laptop.

This morning, Yuri slept in again. Because of the lack of time to prepare breakfast, I only prepared cereal with bananas. (No milk, just the way he likes it).

Follow me on Instagram: @maanlaxa

This time, though, he asked for something else. While dutifully spooning cereal into his mouth, he said, "Cake." "Ano?" I asked. He repeated, "cake." Uh-oh. Who am I not to oblige?

So after he finished breakfast and made some cuddle-time with me (I know, I know), and while he and his yaya were playing outside, I quickly surveyed the kitchen to see what I could come up with.

Since we already ran out of baking powder, a real cake was out of the question. Fortunately, we did have cocoa powder and the remains of a giant Beryl's Gourmet chocolate bar (yes, we regularly have those things), so I figured I could make some brownies. And hope for the best.

Like with all trying-hard recipes I post, this only took around 15 minutes and a microwave. Perfect for the lazy baker.

What you need:

Around 3 teaspoons melted butter

A chunk of dark chocolate, melted to look like this:

Melted chocolate. Mainit pa.

Around 2 tablespoons cream

4 tablespoons flour. Note to self: Buy mom decent flour canister. One we would actually use.

4 tablespoons Dutch Cocoa (or whichever you have)

We ran out of sugar na pala, so I used honey. 4 tablespoons

And poured the remaining of the milk. Around 3 tablespoons

I wanted to use vanilla, too, but I can't figure out where it is. That's always the problem whenever we do general cleaning. Di ko na makita yung mga gamit! Haha!

Anyway, like with all microwave-cake recipes, just mix them all into a batter. Then, I popped it into the microwave. High setting, 2 minutes. Here's a poorly-photographed slice from the brownie:

To my defense, I could not take a decent photograph because Yuri was already grabbing at my shirt to have a bite. I know it doesn't look much, and it doesn't even look appetizing, but trust me, they taste delish!

PS: All of the chocolates used in this recipe are dark. If you want something sweeter, feel free to choose your own kind of chocolates. Dance to your own tune. :-)

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

Healthy Breakfast for the Lazy!

This morning, Yuri slept in and did not wake up until a little after than 7. Uh-oh. We usually got out of the bedroom at around 6:30, which gives me ample time to prepare his breakfast. My own breakfast was already prepared; it's just Yuri's that I need to take care of.

Oh dear, where did the time go? You don't fit into the frame anymore!

Then I remembered I fixed a batch of cookies using the recipe provided in the video here. Whew! I swear it only took me all of 5 minutes. It was so easy and so cheap, and they did not taste bad either! Best of all, they were healthy and sugar-free! 

I wasn't able to take photos of the process because it is messy, but here are some of the cookies:

Moist banana-oatmeal cookies

Like in the video, I just got two medium-sized bananas and poured oats over them. Then, I mashed like there was no tomorrow. You need to do it; it's very therapeutic! Nakakawala ng stress. And I could not resist adding some chocolate chips into them. Yum!

After that, I popped them into the microwave on a High setting for 1 minute. I made a mistake on my second batch. I tried to extend the time to 2 minutes, so they came out with hard parts. Nevertheless, they were still yum.

Now that I know Yuri's breakfast was already ready, all I needed to do was whip up dessert. Since we still had some bananas and a basket of papayas (there's no shortage of tropical fruits in our household), I decided to make banana-papaya smoothie. 

Only 3 ingredients: Papayas, bananas, and cream

(I would have preferred yogurt, but we did not have any.)

I used three medium-sized bananas and a whole solo papaya (small). I don't know exactly how much cream I used; I only added along to suit my taste, but it wasn't more than three tablespoons.

So smooth!

Finished product

I poured some into Yuri's cup and the rest into a container I use for my homemade ice cream. I placed it into the freezer so we would have healthy shmealthy ice cream laterz!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, takes care of our breakfast, dessert, and afternoon snack. What a breeze!

PS: I did not take a photo of our breakfast table because it was unsightly. Crumbs everywhere, milk everywhere. Also, Yuri's sippy cup is not exactly Pinterest-worthy. I should get myself a couple of Bell Mason jars for Christmas.

PPS: Since the first time I made my own healthy, banana-based ice cream, I have already made two more. I found out that it is best to use cream over milk. I used fresh milk once, and the ice cream turned really hard, not like the texture of commercial ice cream. It still tastes good, but I had to thaw it in the microwave before serving. Yes, it's that hard.

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.