My Online Shop

Cloth Diapering is just a wonder for a second-time mom like me. I keep asking myself why I haven't encountered Modern Cloth Nappying Pinays during my first pregnancy. I should have saved a lot.

I want to share the wonder of Cloth Nappying. 

I will be posting my take and journey in Cloth Diapering soon. 

You may also visit my website for affordable Cloth Diapers for starters. ;-)

https://www.facebook.com/AriellesTreasure

Andrea's Beauty Pageant Stint.. Ang gastos!

Pangarap ko ang mapasali sa mga Beauty Contest bata pa lang ako. Walang opportunity dahil walang pera ang parents ko noon. Yung para sa pambili or pang-rent ng gown, pambili na namin ng ulam sa maghapon. Or to mention my husbands comment. "Hindi ka rin naman kagandahan noon, Mommy) ;-)

When Andrea told me that she wanted to join the search for Miss Our Lady of Remedios Montessori School, I did not hesitate.

Here are the list of our gastos:

Pre-pageant:

• Dress and accessories - P850
• Make-up Artist - P250
• Pamasahe back and forth - P100
• Meryenda - P400

Contest / Coronation:

• Gown Rental - P500
• Dry Clean / Laundry - P400
• Gasolina P500
• Meryenda - P500
• Accessories / Props - P500
• Dress for Casual / Talent Portion - P1500

All in all, the damage has been P5500 more or less. And stress, which is priceless.

Pero sulit na yun. She won  the Most Articulate Award ;-) Plus the experience of showcasing her talent among her classmates, schoolmates, parents and teachers.

Happy Birthday to Me ;-)

Dear Lord,

In my 32 years of life, You have blessed me with wonderful presents... the gift of family (Mama, Papa, Bunso, Ima, Tang and my Bros and Sisses in law), gift of friends who are with me thru thick and thin, work, health, material things, almost everything. But of all the gifts I received from you, these three are my all-time favorites 

Thank you and I love you.

Love,
Nini

Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.)

It is my first time to join an online / photo-liking contest. We joined the contest because twelve (12) storybooks (free shipping) are at stake here. Mostly are Adarna books. My Favorite Adarna book was Si Pagong at si Matsing. I could still recall Kuya Bodjie's voice while reading this during the Batibot times. 

Of course, another reason for joining is I want my children to inherit my passion for books. 

Aside from the 52-weeks challenge, I want to read one book per week. For my children, three (3) story books everyday.

Since, i took the 52-week challenge, I will not by the book even if the impulsive buyer in me tells me so. 

In my opinion, I will save in other expenses but not in  books ;-) Hehehe.

Like the Caprichosa Page first. 

https://www.facebook.com/CaprichosaPH

Then, like Arielle and Aeric's entry.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=260594397432461&set=a.259876707504230.1073741867.119278074897428&type=1&theater

Hope we win the contest ;-)

S26 Gold is really Gold

As much as I want to exclusively breast feed my Alessandro, I can't because of my low supply of breast milk. I tried everything I could but my supply is really low. To keep him satisfied for the whole day, i give him 20 oz of formula milk and 10 oz of my breast milk. He can already consume four 400 grams of  S26 Gold four times a month. 

Gold it is. But it is alright, as long as my baby is happy and cutie ;-)   

My Failed Attempts in Saving

07 January 2014 (Late post)

I took a leave today for the following reasons; 1.) to meet my thesis adviser to have my proposed title approved; 2.) have my Buchok immunized for Rota Virus; 3.) errands.

In the morning, I went to CVSU Graduate school to inquire about my grades in Compre. My scores are: FinMan-92, Marketing-PASSED, HRM-83, Prod Mgt - No scores yet from my prof.

@8AM - I had a consultation with my thesis adviser. We had a brief discussion and gladly my proposed title was approved ;-) She advised me to go to the GS Office again to get a format of the thesis outline. I decided to have a copy of the whole outline. There is only one copier located at the basement of the GS building, the other one is outside the school premise which is cheaper by 50 cents for each copy. I chose the one at the basement which is more expensive. The damage was P56.00. Instead of saving P23.00, I chose the one nearer not for the convenience but to save... on time ;-) I failed again, this time.

cost me P56.00

I decided to go home after since I have few errands to do. I missed walking in this scenic road but there was a tricycle driver who called "Sakay na po Madam!" I failed again this time. Well, P10 was not bad. I rode a bus which cost me P25 instead of P20 of riding a jeep. I decided to postpone the immunization of my baby boy since it would be a hassle for me to bring my baby boy in Dasma Cavite for his rota virus . My last trip was to Puregold to buy onion leeks, breast fillet and giniling (ground pork).

Following are my total expenses for the day: P75-Fare, P56-copying materials, P120-giniling, breast fillet and onion leeks.

I took the 52-week challenge that's why I am so determined to save. But due to small temptations, I gace in and failed to save.

I will try again tomorrow ;-) 

The 2013 Highlights of my Life

I could not remember how many blogs I have started. As much as I want to maintain one, I don't know what kept me from continuing what I have started. When I reflect on what happened with my previous attempts, the only culprit to blame is my being Ningas-Kugon (Ang ningas kugon ay idioma na nangangahulugan ng mga gawain na sa una lang maganda o magaling. Ngunit kalaunan ay hindi na naitutuloy ang nasimulan)*. 

I guess it is but right that I give myself a moment to travel back in time. Here are the 2013 Highlights of my life:

1.) Pregnant with my second child. I was elated at the same time scared when we heard the news from the doctor. Since it was my second time, I knew already that this second pregnancy would not be so easy on us. By this period, the doctor told us that my pregnancy is very delicate. I have contracted a Sub-chronic Hemorrhage (SCH) or bleeding inside. I needed to take a 5-weeks leave at the office. 

2.) A not so wonderful event, Abel and Arielle got Varicella Virus also known as Chicken Pox. We all know that C. pox is very contagious and we were not aware that I was pregnant then. The doctor advised hubby to quarantine himself so he needed to stay with his parents in Tarlac.

3.) Andrea Marielle's Swimming Stunt - We enrolled Arielle to a 10-day swimming class at DLSU-D. She earned her first medal.

4.) First Day at School - First day at school is a one milestone achievement in one's life. I am proud momma saying that my Arielle is taking her first step to her journey one at a time.

4.) Alessandro Marius was Born - This brings over excitement to the family. I will share my Labor Story in a separate entry soon. Caring for the baby for the second time was as easy as breathing to me now. I can say that I am more mature and courageous to exercise my motherhood. 

5.) Due to my pregnancy, our trip to Boracay has been cancelled. No out of town trip for the family for the year 2013. But we have lots of side trips to the mall, to the grocery, to Tagaytay and everywhere.  These are all documented with the following photos:

 Arielle's first Hair Cut

Summer Lovin' @TGV House 

@Oasis Tanza 

Mall side trips 

Mother's Day Celebration@ Tagaytay

 Tagaytay Bonding

 Arielle joined her first Art Attack

Arielle's first Flores De Mayo as one of the Angels 

Play Station Bonding @Robinsons' Dasma

New Year's Celeb @Shakeys' NLEX

I am looking forward for a more productive, more happiness and family-bonding in 2014. My New Year's Resolutions are the following: 1.) Save! 2.) Blog! 3.) to be a more practical mother 4.) to learn how to drive 5.) to spend more quality time my boyfirend. 6.) lastly, to finish my MBA!

*Answer.com

My Second Trimester ;-) Light as a Breeze

As I write this entry, I have a 3-month old Baby Boy already. ;-) It was a late post due to post-partum adjustment and the busyness of caring for a new born.

After the ordeal I experienced during my first trimester, I enjoyed most of my second trimester light as a breeze. I did not feel the discomfort I have experienced during the first trimester.

The doctor permitted me to eat any food that I wanted (of course, in moderation). I enjoyed my bubble tea, water melon, pomelo, Mcdo French Fries, KFC, Barrio Fiesta Snacks to Sawa, and anything that tickled my taste buds. I also felt that my baby seemed to be so real , I felt his movement more often. Thonly problem that I encountered during this period was my irritated bladder. Oh I peed, a lot.

God is Good ;-) All The time. ;-)

I am having a Baby Boy! My family prayed for this and we are all answered prayer. Yey!

My First Trimester Adventure ;-)

It's me, I was 3 months preggy then ;-)

I decided to journal my second journey in pregnancy through blogging. This is a late post but I still believe in the old saying "Better Late than Never" ;-)

My first trimester was kinda difficult for me. I had experienced a lot of alien feelings that I have not felt with my first pregnancy. It was hard for me to cope up since my hubby needed to be away. He had contracted a contagious chicken pox virus hence, he needed to stay away from us. That situation made my first few weeks of pregnancy difficult. During my nights of cravings, my hubby was not around to satisfy them. I craved for the foods he used to cook and prepare for us. I also craved for fruits that were not in season. During that time, I had trouble of eating because I vomit most of the food that I ate. For me, the food was only Mangoes and KFC Hot and Crispy Chicken. Being away from hubby with these alien feelings made it harder. My daughter was my only inspiration, seeing her being excited for her upcoming baby brother / sister helped me endure my day to day calvary.

After my hubby, it was my daughter who got the chicken pox virus. I believe two weeks before hubby contracted the virus, my daughter already has it. Chicken pox or the so-called Varicella virus normally has two-weeks incubation period in one's body before it comes out as BLISTERS. My hubby needed to go home even if he still has some of the spots fresh. According to some, it is most contagious during this stage. The solution we had in mind during that time was to quarantine me. I was transferred to the adjacent room. There I would stay for 2-3 weeks. It must be a blessing that my daughter had the chicken pox for only a week.

Because of the early ordeal I had undergone or too much worrying, I was diagnosed with Sub-chronic Hemorrhage (SCH). I needed to take a 5-week bed rest making my first trimester my worst experience ever.  And I don't remember I had suffered this much during my first pregnancy.

Becoming a Mommy..... Again?

When I heard the news from the doctor that I am pregnant, I felt mixed emotions.  The thought elates me. I am happy! ;-)  Happy, yes, and at the same time, afraid... :-(  (Mood swings...)

Happy because my husband's love for me has given me another fruit of life. Happy for my little daughter who is very excited to cradle a baby brother or a sister. Happy for my hubby because i know God will give me the desire of my heart to have a Baby Boy whom we shall later on call Junior ;-).

However, I cannot avoid to feel anxious and afraid. I am afraid to feel all the pains attached with pregnancy. I had a not-so-good experience with my first born that I had dreaded from the moment I was informed I was pregnant. Anxious for the additional cost of having a baby, problems to face associated from Nannies from Hell, and so many negative things.

Such fears and anxiety associated with pregnancy are things that can be put aside. Pregnancy could be more enjoyable if one would learn to divert such mercurial feelings into something positive. Well, no one could blame raging hormones and all the queasiness you feel while pregnant.  And yes, it is not only the women that can feel that, also men. Daddy can have nausea too, he may even vomit.

For my second pregnancy, I am very glad that in my first trimester, I am yet to feel the negatives of being pregnant. I am more on the positive vibes. I believe that the baby in my tummy could also feel what I am feeling so I make sure to surround my environment with happy moods. So to all pregnant mommies out there,

I fell with GREY!

 

I couldn't believe I have already finished the trilogy. I, a self-proclaimed procrastinator, had the trilogy my best way of escaping my work assignments. ;-)

I admit, I was influenced by one of my friends who is so virginal and I couldn't accept the fact that she would be ahead of me especially with erotic novels. ;-) 

I fell with Grey. I cried with Anastasia. I am planning to make a self-review which should come out real soon. I could not finish it for now since I have so many lags due to consistent slacking and lips-biting. 

Gosh,  I am actually flushing. ;-)

   While drafting my reviews, I am now patiently waiting for the 50 Shades Trilogy movie. Uhmmm who could be the best Actor to portray Christian Grey? My inner goddess shouts Matt Bomer.

And for my Anastasia Steele, I am hoping it is Alex Bledel. ;-)

Yay, I can't wait.

Bestfrenemies: The Julie Ann Rodelas Murder Case"

Picture Collage taken from www.tsapsuy.com. No copyright infringement intended.

Bestfrenemies: a word coined from "bestfriends" and "enemies". These are the words that would best describe the relationship of the alleged primary suspect Althea Altamirano and the victim Julie Ann "Jaja" Rodelas. They started as bestfriends and ended up as enemies. Athea used to support Jaja in her modelling career by lending her clothes and accessories. For Jaja, Althea was her idol. This could be attested by the pictures posted in their Facebook accounts.However, due to the alleged gossiping of Jaja, Althea, together with her boyfriend and other suspects, plotted to kill Jaja.

This entry would not elaborate on the facts of the crime committed by Althea since there are so many blogs already providing the details of the case. I would give my take on being "bestfrenemies".

 What it takes to become "best of friends"? It starts with the common interest that you both love and enjoy to do. The more things you are in common, the more possibilities of bonding and sharing. As the time flies, your best friend becomes the person that means so much to you.  You could no longer live without the other. You compliment one another. One suffices what is lacking with the other half. Sharing of the deepest secrets follow. You are bound to keep them because of the special bond you already have. You never tolerate the wrong doings of the other friend. One understands, the other forgives. 

There may be trying times that  would test your compatibility. May be because of the individual differences, both may feel the need to be recognized, to be ahead of the other. But because of the special bond, any issues could be easily patched up.

Althea and Jaja could be the best of friends one had wished for, like twin sisters others may say. But what could be the  missing piece in their relationship that later on turned them to become enemies? 

In my opinion, one has lack the "commitment" of being true and serious with the friendship. They had ended as enemies because one has broken the trust the other has founded in the relationship. Althea could be easily blinded by envy, hatred and anger. If they are true best friends, she could just have discuss the issues first with Jaja and patch things up. 

I am not to judge both of them. I just hope that we could learn some important things in their fate and try to apply it in our own lives.

Adventures and Misadventures of Parenting Journal #2: My take on Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a gift from God. In the Old Testament, a woman is considered blessed if she conceives a child in her womb. It is believed that God favored her, heard her prayers and gave her a child. Nowadays, there are women who are not blessed to have a child. Not because they are not being favored by the Lord but somehow could be attributed to some physical factors like stress, chemical changes in the body, infertility and the like (www.babyexpert.com).  

I had a very tough pregnancy. Since it was my first, I was very sensitive to the changes happening inside my body. The experience thrilled me and at the same time exhausted me. I traveled 2 hours everyday just to reach my workplace and it was not easy. My husband and I were also living faraway from our parents so we had to survive our daily tasks dependent on one another.

The greatest challenge we encountered during my pregnancy was when I had a preterm labor. My OB blamed my daily stressful travel for my preterm labor. ;-) While hubby gave the credit to my "Boss". ;-) I had no choice but to stay at home and wait for my due. My OB advised me to have a strict complete bed rest. I was not allowed to go to the bathroom, to take a bath on my own, to walk, to stand up, etc.etc. During that time, my hubby never left my side. Before going to his work, he made sure that all my necessities were beside me: book, vitamins, water, food. He would sneak out and check me during his break time. He made sure that pregnancy would still be a wondrous experience besides the misery of being confined in my bed the whole day. 

Thank you for being my best friend, my boyfriend. ;-)

Adventures and Misadventures in Parenting Journal#1

Becoming a mother for the first time is what I consider the most challenging yet nurturing gift I received from God. Parenting is demanding but fulfilling. It requires 101% dedication, perseverance and commitment. 

I once read an anecdote about GOD instructing an angel to create a MOTHER. The Lord God instructed the angel to give the mother a 360 degrees revolving head so the mother could keep track of her children at all times. The angel was also instructed to put four eyes so the mother could monitor her children. The angel was also told to include six arms to the mother to take hold of her active kids, a penetrating ear to hear conversations, etc. etc. Finally, to complete the package, God instructed to include a BIG HEART so the mother could love her children unconditionally.

I am now reflecting if I receive all the gifts God instructed the angel. Hehe ;-)

Anyhoo, I am a working mother. I juggle time for work and my family. Andrea Marielle is my topmost priority (and hubby of course). One of the greatest challenges I am trying to solve now is on how I could home-school her especially that she would be entering preschool next year. I try to download some of the ready / custom made activity sheets. I also find time to follow the blogs of my fellow working mothers.

I want to keep her abreast of the lessons appropriate for her age. I am worried sometimes I introduces activities and exercises not fit for her. So I call upon my fellow working moms, if you have some comments and suggestions, please feel free to contact me. I would appreciate that very much.

Birthday Impromptu

I hope that I could return once to being an innocent child.

No tract of time. Always, happy. No inhibition. Tactless. Opinion of others are not important.

I am happy that my Little Mermaid, Arielle, is enjoying the gift of being a child. 

She approached my husband one day and asked him to buy her a cake. My husband obeyed and bought her one. Arielle even asked him to sing the Birthday Song for her. Then, she blew the cake.

It was 04 October 2012. Arielle birthday is every 23rd of February. ;-)

My Second Chance ;-)

It was year 2008 when I quit my MBA due to untimely pregnancy. I stopped since my pregnancy was considered high-risk so I really had no choice but to quit. One of my batch mates and best MBA buddy, Ate Myrna opted to continue, Rigor and Ate Lolit also stopped.

It was last year then when I decided to continue. I wrote a letter to the Dean of Graduate School and I was lucky to be given another chance. Since it has been almost five years when i quit, i was asked to take three (3) subjects as a refresher course. Luckily, again, the offered courses for the first semester (2012-2013) were the required refresher subjects for the Comprehensive Exam.

Upon enrollment, I met a new friend, Ms. Amor Vida, unfortunately, she stopped on the first few weeks.

On my first day of school, I met my new set of classmates. I had a not-so-good impression with them because they were cool but a bit noisy. I said to myself, how could I get serious with my studies if I would spend the rest of my MBA days with them.

I must admit that first impressions never really last or at some point there are still exemptions to the rule. As months passed, I enjoyed learning with them. They were not that "pasaway" but were even dedicated to their studies. I had my fair share of kakulitan and I credit it to them.

I hope to bumped into them on the next semester. ;-) I will miss you all.

Hopin' that you'll miss me, too Guys! (and gays)

"Procrastination"

One habit that I am struggling to avoid is PROCRASTINATION. It is avoiding difficult tasks and deliberately look for distractions.  Nowadays, it is easy to procrastinate because of increasingly available distractions -- Internet, Movie, TV, online games and the like.

Everyone procrastinates. A lady that needs to exercise and refrain from eating junks would easily shrug the idea away and say "I will thread the mill tomorrow...". A student whose finals will be on the next day would say "I still have lots of time to study tomorrow...". A worker that would enjoy the sunshine first before hitting the brick would say "There's more time before sun down..". A office clerk that would file the documents away would comment "I am soooo good in cramming.."

Procrastinators (including me) may say they perform better under pressure, but more often than not that's their way of justifying putting things off.

Well, how to avoid procrastination? This is something I bumped into and I would like to share this to you peeps:

1. Stop thinking. Start doing.

“To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.” - Eva Young

2. Don’t blow a task out of proportion.

”Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible.” - George Claude Lorimer

 

3. Just take the first step.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

4. Start with the hardest task of your day.

“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” - Dale Carnegie

5. Just make a decision. Any decision.

“In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” - Theodore Roosevelt

6. Face your fear.

“Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.” - Denis Waitley

7. Finish it.

“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task” - William James

So true. I hope I could apply all the tips mentioned above the soonest.

I am procrastinating while writing this article. i should be preparing for my finals on Saturday. Today is Thursday and I am telling to myself, "I still have the whole day tomorrow to squeezed 10 chapters in my mind...."

I would end with Hermione Granger's quote:

"If you don't do this today, you will perish tomorrow!"

Source:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/procrastination
http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2009/04/23/how-to-stop-procrastinating-7-timeless-tips/