Maybe...

This was one of those days that my daughter didnt want to do anything but sing. Once she's in the mood of singing I always grab my camera and take a video of her while she sings. She loves it when she sees a camera on my hand.

Tackling Motherhood...

School days are over and for my littleone who enjoys going to school, staying inside the house the whole day is not an option. Since the weather was'nt so good to play outside and she did'nt have a playdate for the day, we decided to spent our 2 1/2 hours at the library. She attended 2 story telling sessions. (usually she attends just the 4-5 age group)When we got home we did few more activities. There were times that I really feel guilty when I see my child playing by herself. So most of the time we play together leaving the housechores unattended. For me, motherhood is the toughest task ever. Mothers constantly thinking of everything that make their children happy,things that the kids enjoy. On top of all these, we always worry of their safety. But even if it is the hardest job I ever knew, the happiness I feel as a mother cannot be trade of anything. I gave up my full time job to be a full time mom. I love every minute of it. There are a lot of women with children who work either driven by economic necessity or by career desires. Those mothers deserve a big credit too. Its really hard for them to manage their time. Be at the daycare on time, being at home before bedtime and still attend to household chores. One thing is for sure, all the mothers have a choice of how we tackle motherhood. Making it work really depends in our family lifestyle, whatever it is, will sure lead us to happiness.
To end this post there is a job opening that you might be interested:
Wanted:
A female to cook, clean, drive, shop and worry, Skills in math, spelling and operating without sleep is helpful. Salary consists of hugs, kisses and an unforgettable feeling of love and comfort.

Oh well, Motherhood is indeed a 24/7 career of a lifetime.

Loving life???

Every morning or in the afternoon before sun down, my daughter and I go to the nearest park and walk for 1 1/2 hrs. I walk and she rides her bike. I feel so lucky that my 5yo girl really loves nature. It relaxes me just to be out walking, and talking to my child while doing it,Its priceless. A walk on a treadmill or a walk in the park will sure get you fit, but the walk in the park may make you feel a whole lot better! Research confirms it. Exercising in a green environment puts you in a better frame of mind than working out in a sterile gym. Go figure!!

Get started on your walking program:

Begin by doing 5 minutes of medium-paced walking, followed by a few stretches for your legs to increase the flexibility in your joints. Try these exercises:

Calf muscles stretch: Stand facing a wall and place your foot forward, approximately 12-16" from the wall. Now, stretch your arms forward, keeping your elbows straight and lean against the wall. Now, place your foot a little behind the front foot and flat on the floor. Lean forward and distribute your body weight between your front foot and arms. Continue until you feel a stretch in the calf muscles of your back leg. Remain in this position for 15-30 seconds and go back to your starting position and repeat.

Thigh stretch sitting: Sit at the edge of a strong chair and lower your knee on the floor and press it under the chair. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds and repeat with other leg. Do this exercise twice with each leg.
Alternate thigh muscles stretch: Stand in front of a wall and place one hand on it and with the other hand, reach behind you and hold the foot of the same side in your hand. Balance on one foot and slowly raise the foot up towards your lower back. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds and then come back to the starting position. Do this three times with each leg.

Benefits of walking:
It improves cardiovascular fitness by getting the heart to beat faster to send blood rich in oxygen from the lungs to the muscles. This makes the functioning of the heart and lungs more efficient, besides reducing blood pressure and the resting heart rate. Walking also helps one recover from a heart attack.

Walking also reduces the risk of getting a heart attack. If you are over 40 years old and have heart problems, pulse rate, weight, respiration, blood pressure, or cholesterol problems, speak to your doctor before walking.
It improves blood circulation to the arms and legs and gives a feeling of overall well-being.

It also relieves depression, stress and anxiety because it releases endorphins, the body’s natural tranquillizers.
A good brisk walk can also stimulate your thinking.
By walking, you can burn a higher percentage of body fat, increase your overall health and fitness and boost your energy levels.

Don’t wait for the right reason or season before you can go out walking. Seize the moment and go out now.

A father's Day celebration...

Fathers Day @ Bopmyspace.com

We were so blessed and fortunate to have a loving father just like our Tatay. Though, we didnt spend more time with him, those times spent were the precious time ever. He was strict just like other fathers when we were little but now I truly understand why. To you my dear Tatay, wherever you are, Happy Father's Day! I love you & miss you so much.

To my Father In Law: I really admire the way you raised your children and welcoming me to your family is really a great honor. I may not show my love and concern to you the way you want it, but deep in my heart I love you and I am so thankful to be a part of your family. To you Dad, Happy Father's day!

To my husband and a Dad to my 5 yo girl. A million thanks to you for being a wonderful Dad. You always make yourself available everytime our daughter needed you. You know how to make her happy. Since Joanne is so inquisitive for all the things around her, you always have an answer and I love how you explains things to her in detail. It makes a beautiful music to my ear everytime I hear both of you talking. To you my sweetheart, Happy Father's Day. You really deserved to be called a Daddy.

To All the Fathers, Happy father's day!!

Where flowers bloom so does hope.

I have a small garden in our yard that gives me a reason to wake up early morning to water and weed. Gardening has a calming influence. It helps me relax, unwind, smile and enjoy the moments of leisure in my busy life. It always reminds me that miracle do happen, everytime I see those tiny seeds sprouted into a beautiful plants. How can I resist looking at those radiant beauties in our garden?
Some of the early flowers:

Bleeding heart


Irises


Iris


Mountain Laurel


Peony

Virus Alert!!!

I received this message via e-mail from a friend. I dont know how true this one is, but it is good to be informed.

You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD,' regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer.

This virus will be re ceived from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this
e-mail to all your contacts It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered
by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus.

This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.

Sun Screens!!

It is now well known that exposure to sun puts people at risk for skin cancer and premature aging and that most of that exposure comes during childhood (80% of a person's lifetime sun exposure occurs before they are 21). Regular use of sunscreen in children can lower their risk of skin cancer by almost 78%.
There are many sunscreens available for safe use in children over six months old. Pick one that offers UVA and UVB protection and that has a SPF of 15 or higher (especially if your child has light skin). Apply the sunscreen in a thick coat at least 30-45 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours (or more often in he is swimming or perspiring heavily).

Here are some other tips to protect your child from the damaging effects of the sun.

Wear protective clothing, including a hat and long sleeve shirt and long pants. Keep in mind that most clothing only has a SPF of 5-9, so you can still get sun damage with a shirt on.

Limit exposure to the sun when it is at its strongest (10am-4pm).
Protect your child's eyes with sunglasses that protect against UVA and UVB radiation.

Use sunscreen daily, even if it is cloudy, since most of the sun's radiation penetrates clouds and can still cause sunburn.

Consider using a sunscreen with ingredients (such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) that physically block the sun's radiation if your child has sensitive skin.

Deet lowers the effectiveness of sunscreens, so use a higher SPF if you are using a combination product that has both a sunscreen and an insect repellent.

Our Trip To The Philippines...

We've been back for a month now but the fun, the excitement and just being with my family still lingers on. So I decided to write it down just to let them know how I truly miss them.

My daughter and I traveled from Boston - LA -Hong Kong-Manila. It was a longer route for us since we are from the East Coast but because my brother and his family live in Los Angeles we decided to take this route so we can get a chance to see them. It was really worth a trip.

Joanne found everything exciting, from riding the plane ( even if it's not her first), meeting her relatives, the weather (she had a little complain about it) and all other things that was new to her. I let her experienced riding different types of public transportations. Communicating with her cousins her age wasn't an issue at all. Playing and hugging was really a beautiful sight . We spent most of the time with my family. It was almost impossible for us to be together at the same time 'coz everyone is so engrossed in their own world. We decided to rent a private pool in Antipolo Rizal so everybody can relax and be together. It was a successful idea since most of us gave their precious time just to be there. We spent 3 days in Mindoro to visit my parents grave and have some time at the beach. Meeting my grade school classmates was exciting too. That was a 3 weeks full of fun & excitement with my family and friends. Love it!

USE IT OR LOSE IT...

Cluttered fridge? This can be very annoying when you open your refrigerator with a lot of expired food in there. You might clear it out by getting rid of stuff that's been hanging around too long. It's time to toss after:

BABY FOOD - 2 days
EGGS - 3-5 weeks
BUTTER - 1-3 months
MAYONNAISE - 2 months
SALAD DRESSING -3 months
TOMATO KETCHUP -6 months
SOY SAUCE -6-9 months.

(source: the food marketing Institute)

Another Beautiful Day!!

Summer is finally here in the North East. It is only 8:00AM and the temperature is already 80 degrees. Since it is still a school day, we really don't have a plan where to go, except after school I probably bring her to the library, stay there for an hour and bring her at the park when the temperature goes down a little bit. This is the time of the year when kids really want to be out all the time.

reDESIGN...

TO CARLOTA:



Ever since I started this hobby I wanted my home to have a look that suits my personality but since I am not a techie person, I really need a big help from somebody. Soon enough a woman with a Big Heart granted me a new layout. She is very knowledgeable in this field and so easy to talk to. If you are in need of a make over you can visit her at www.myweb-blog.com.
Again, Maraming Salamat!!

Wanna be entertained? Check this out!!

My little girl singing "Sa Ugoy ng Duyan"

Food Dyes and Behavior...

I was reading the news last night and this one caught my attention:
" A consumer advocacy group called on the Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of eight artificial colorings in food because they have been linked to hyperactivity and behavior problems in children. The colorings the center seeks to ban are : Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3, and Yellow 6. Dyes are used in countless foods are sometimes used to simulate the color of fruits and vegetables. The additives are prevalent in the cereals, candies, sodas, and snack foods." (source: health news story-WCVB Boston)
Everytime I give cereals or snacks to my daughter, I always check the sugar content of it. I never thought that those colors that kids attracted to can give so much problem with their health. It was easy for me to avoid foods that I thought not good for her when she was under 3 years old, but now that she goes with me at the grocery stores, goes to school, asks for the snacks she wants, How can I get rid all of those? I dont know. (Anyways, it is good to be aware & avoid those foods as much as I can than feeling sorry later on.)

A Big Thank You...

I would like to say thank you to everybody who voted for my entry "To Inay, Happy Birthday! " I won third place and will get a free layout from Carlota. A big thank you to her too,the contest was a huge success. To Mira , maraming salamat sa mga boto. To all the visitors, thank you.