10 things my mom taught me

Inspired by one of my favorite blogs, A Cup of Jo, am sharing with you 10 things I learned from my mom. My mom taught me...

1. To be nice to people who wait on me. She taught me to thank waiters for refilling my water glass in restos, to thank the elevator operator before stepping out and to thank the gasoline boy (with a tip of course) when he puts air in my car's tires. Growing up, I remember being introduced to the janitors and messengers in all the offices my mom has worked in over the years. I guess this is why I also have a special place in my heart for the janitor, mailroom manang, canteen cashier & waiter at my old office. They were in my Christmas list every year and each year, I was extra generous with their gifts - spending more on them (and my favorite guards at Isabella and Noah's schools) than my boss or even my bestfriends at work. I always figured they'd appreciate it more than my friends anyway.

2. To love life's little luxuries like books, a cup of Illy coffee, massages, horses, art (I spent my first big bonus on paintings instead of a purse or watch like most people I know) and dining out in nice places (with good table manners which she taught us too).

3. To take notice of how a person spells his name and spell it correctly in my correspondence with him. I guess because my mom gave me a name that's hard to spell, I am more conscious of others' uniquely-spelled names and nicknames (does it end with a y, ie, i or ee?).

4. That family traditions are important. Ours include annual family vacations (even if you have to save up all year for it), a drive to see the Ayala city lights during the Christmas season and Sundays (as my mom always said, "Sunday is family day"). To this day, the memories of these moments when I was a kid remain so vivid in my head.

5. To believe in myself. She wore (or pretended to wear) her mommy-goggles all the time, showering me with praises and raising my self-esteem. She made me feel I was special, giving me confidence in my strengths & abilities.

6. That packaging makes a world of difference. She would make sure I submitted my home ec projects nicely-packaged -- she suggested I put actual pencils in my capiz pencil holder project or candies in my crocheted pouches, instead of just submitting flat pouches piled on top of each other. I even remember covering up a weaving mistake (a big hole, eeep) in my macrame rug project with a butterfly decoration (those made with stocking material and wire). She might have been the one that taught me to find delight in pretty things!

7. To never tire of playing or being playful, no matter how old you are. When my brother and I were kids, my mom made a sort of tag game out of getting us to drink our vitamins. I love my mom's sense of humor, even her mischievousness. When a noisy kid sitting near us in church suddenly turns quiet, I know pinandilatan siya ng mom ko (that my mom shot her a scary look).

8. To always have savings set aside. She kept all the monetary gifts from various relatives while I was growing up in a bank account and gave it to me when I entered college. I remember thinking it was an exorbitant amount of money for a kid my age. But I guess I felt the sense of responsibility to keep the money intact, not wasted on frivolous teenage whims. I saved a portion of my college allowance and kept that account growing. Eventually, I carried this over when I started working so until now, I make sure there is money set aside for a rainy day. And of course I also save my kids' monetary gifts to also bequeath to them when they go to college.

9. That my dad loves me and that he is a wonderful person. My dad left us when I was 5 years old and we've had no contact with him since then. But my mom made it a point to tell me stories about him and the times he spent with me. Without any trace of bitterness, she also made it a point to tell us good things about him: how he was a fantastic piano player (widow daw) and that he was highly-creative, even invented some sort of engine. So I grew up without any ill feelings toward him and I know in my heart that he loves me.

10. That motherhood is about self-sacrifice and forgiveness. There's this quote from T. Jordan: "A mother is a person who, seeing there are only 4 pieces of pie for 5 people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." This is how my mom is. She puts me and my brother first, sacrificing anything and everything for us. She is why I've always been bothered by those airline safety videos that say you need to put on your oxygen mask before helping your child. I know that's the safer thing to do, but knowing my mom, in an emergency, I am certain she will not do the safer thing. And she is like this even when we do despicable things, ready to forgive and put aside how much we've hurt her in favor of her characteristic concern for and devotion to us.

Mommy, I know I don't say it anymore these days, but you are amazing and I love you very, very much! Happy, happy Mother's Day!

What about you? What did your mom teach you?

Photos from sparklesandpretending, everythingfab, annnniegirl, i'mjustsaying and acupofjo.

P.S. No, my mom didn't teach me to wear rollers. I have no idea why I bookmarked so many photos with women with rollers! Oh and yes, that is Jackie O. And no, despite my mom's playfulness, she never spun me around like that, as I posted here.

Simple Trick: Traveling with the Fam

We're baaaaccckkk (our dog missed us so much!)! And from our 5-week vacay, I have gained a few tips & tricks for traveling with the family.

1. Before you fly out, make sure you have travel insurance. I got ACE insurance and their family rate is super affordable. Good thing we did coz 1 of our bags was missing when we landed in LA. It took our airline 3 days to deliver the bag. Also, Isabella contracted a severe eye infection that the doctor at the Urgent Care Clinic we went to strongly recommended we bring her to a children's hospital ER. The ER fee alone was over $700! Add to that the cost of antibiotics ($300) and the Urgent Care Clinic's fee ($300)! I also got sick and needed antibiotics so it was really a blessing that we were insured. Just make sure you are O.C. about keeping receipts and other documents to file a claim.

2. Prepare for filling out those Arrival/Departure Cards. Most likely, Mommy will have to fill up the immigration cards for the whole family. Flipping through passports is a hassle (especially for a mommy like me with motion sickness, filling out 4 cards on a tray table of a moving plane). So every time I travel with the fam, I bring my piece of paper with everyone's passport details. Include the passport number, date of issue and expiry (this is tricky coz countries write their dates differently - DDMMYY or MMDDYY, so you need to be alert when filling out this part.), place of issue (mostly Manila, but with the satellite DFAs cropping up these days, you might have an occasional NCR East if you got yours from DFA Megamall) and birthdates (assuming you don't know these by heart). Aside from passport details, I also note down our flight details (dates and flight numbers) and the address of the hotel or house we are staying in at our destination (you also need your PH address, assuming you don't know this by heart). Oh, and of course, bring a pen! If you have travel agency connections, try getting the immigration cards in advance so you don't need to fill them out in the plane or immigration line.

3. Choose the right luggage to bring. You already know from here how I feel about hard-case vs. soft-case top-open luggage (but maybe it's because I don't travel often enough to not need to fill my bags to the brim). You also already know from here that I noticed airport personnel in US domestic terminals are less strict with duffel bags vs. trolleys for carry-on. If you are taking a US domestic flight and are bringing a standard trolley bag as carry-on, make sure you don't fill it to the brim. When asked to check if your bag can fit in the airport's standard steel frame, make sure to slip your trolley in with the back of your bag facing you so it's easier to push the bag towards the back of the steel frame. The front of a trolley bag is typically softer so the front should contract for your trolley to fit into the frame. If your trolley is a standard-sized carry-on, it should fit even if eyeballing the frame makes you doubt it. And if you expect your child to pull one of your trolley bags, make sure you give him the 4-to-6-wheeled one because his shorter height will make it hard for him to lug around a 2-wheeled trolley.

4. Plan your itinerary well. You already know from here that you should avoid planning trips to theme parks during long holidays at your destination. I think Hurricane Sandy took away too many school days so Spring Break was different for every school this year. Thankfully, the crowd was manageable during our recent trip. 

But brace yourself if you're planning to move around a lot like we did: we visited a total of 7 states...

... and slept in a total of 10 houses/hotels. I felt like I was constantly packing (and unpacking) overnight bags for us! So try to make sure you spend more than 1 to 3 nights in every house/hotel. We went back to NYC from New Jersey 3 times in 2 weeks and commuting with a trolley bag wasn't fun at all. Had I planned our IT better, we could have spent one straight week in NYC rather than shuttling back and forth.

5. Organize how you pack your bags. If you're also going on both West and East Coast legs of a US trip, I think it's still a good idea to segregate West-only, East-only and cross-country or East-&-West items, as I posted here. That way, you don't even need to open your East Coast bag in the West, and vice-versa. But I don't recommend combining your family's stuff in 1 bag like I did. I put all our West-Coast only things in one bag. Since our clothes were mixed up in that one bag, I needed to lay out the kids' clothes for the day everyday myself. It wore me out and didn't teach them to be more independent. It would be ideal if each family member had his own 3 bags of East, West and cross-country things. But since airlines typically allow only 2 check-in baggages per person, I suggest putting each family member's say, West-only stuff in a laundry bag (or even plastic/sando bag). This way, the clothes are still segregated per person even if they are together in one luggage. As long as the laundry/plastic bags are tied up, no amount of tossing and shaking will mix up the contents. 

Oh, and here's a list of things that you need to take with you during every leg of your trip (if you're like us who slept in 10 houses/hotels, you need to remember to pack these items at every leg): electronics' chargers, toiletries, slippers and emergency medicines. Click here for more tips on things to pack (including a bag of toys/books to keep your little one occupied in the plane).

Helps to have a small digital weighing scale. I got mine from Rustan's years ago. It's basically a 6in x 2.5in oblong handle with a tiny digital display and a short strap with clasps that go around the handle of your bag. I cannot travel without it!

6. Make copies of essential documents and cards. Thankfully, this didn't happen to us. But it is best to be prepared in case your purse or wallet gets stolen. Best to scan everyone's passports, visas, credit cards and ATM cards before printing. The printed copy should be packed in a separate bag from where the originals are. And on the off-chance that both bags get lost or stolen, you can request someone from home to email the scanned copies to you. So create a shortcut to these soft files on your desktop too before you leave.

7. Decide on your in-flight attire. You have to decide what's more important to you: comfort or minimizing baggage space. You can opt to wear slip-ons (for when you need to take off your shoes at the x-ray area) and comfortable clothes. Or you can choose to wear your bulkiest items - thickest jacket, knee-high boots. It all comes down to what's more important to you.

8. Shop online a week before your trip. If you're with your kids, chances are there will be limited shopping opportunities. So best to shop online and have it shipped to your first address at your destination. When you arrive, fit what you need to fit and schedule a return/exchange for those that don't cut it. The best part is there's a goodie package to greet you when you arrive!

9. When going out and about at your cold destination, bring a giant eco bag in your purse. It comes in handy it gets hot (say, in museums with heaters or at the theme park at noon) because you can dump all your jackets, scarves, hats and gloves in it. That way, you don't need to stuff them in your purse and carry multiple jackets on your arm. I got my giant Pockets eco bag from the St. James Bazaar years ago. It's about 24in x 18in. The first time I saw it, I remember exclaiming, "What would you need such a big bag for?!". The young woman selling it answered, "You'd be surprised!" And she was right! I use it to lug Christmas gifts, to carry shopping loot from a major shopping spree, even groceries and beach toys or winter wear during family trips. I actually used it as a carry-on going home to Manila for my 5 dozens of Porto's cheese rolls and guava & cheese strudels. :)

To be honest, I am still exhausted from our trip... So I hope these tips help minimize the exhaustion and stress during your family vacay! 

Hope all you're left with are the memorable, fun-filled family moments! Enjoy your family vacation!

Photos of the kids at the World War II Memorial in DC (edited via pixlr) are my own. The other photos are from acupofjo, imjustsaying and annnniegirl.

Click here for previous posts from the Simple Trick series.

kitchen counters that count

I don't cook so I've never needed a huge kitchen counter (is island more apt?). But after seeing how this family gathers around their kitchen counter - laughing, talking, sharing everyday precious moments, I am now re-thinking the need for such a counter. Maybe kitchen counters are not meant just for moms who cook, but also for families that share moments that count.

Photo from pinkwallpaper.

Click here for a previous post on my undomesticatedness.

my childhood playmates

I find this photo so adorable. I can so relate. I grew up with just my brother as my playmate. My grandmother (see previous posts about her here) didn't allow us to go outside & play with our kid-neighbors so we ended up pretending our stuffed toys were our playmates. My brother and I had 3 teddybears: a brown one named Wicket (yes, we are part of the Ewok generation), a chubby gray one named Wally with a tail that rattled, and a pink bear named Winnie. We would pretend we had a magic pill that allowed them to talk and join us on all our pretend adventures in our room. This is probably why I love Disney Junior's Doc McStuffins so much. I love the idea of having a magic stethoscope that makes her toys come alive and talk to her.

Wicket, Wally and Winnie (same starting letter! so Pinoy!) have become the heads of our pretend horses (see related post here), bears in an imaginary jungle adventure and even the audience of a few concerts.

Though these teddybears were not real, to me, they were real playmates in a childhood filled with fun, imaginary adventures and happy memories.

Photos from annnniegirl and ikea.

Click here for previous nostalgic posts. Oh, and speaking of grandmothers, Happy Grandparents' Day to my mom and Lola!

freedom day

My Lola (my grandmother from here) used to tell us stories about the time of the Japanese. Her stories about the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines were not very pleasant. She told us about the time she had to hide inside a rolled-up banig (woven mat) so the Japanese wouldn't find her.

I realize that I take Independence Day for granted. I guess I don't realize what it means not to be free. But now that I think about it, it would be horrible to use a banig as a hiding place like my Lola did. I am certainly glad that I am free to have picnics with the kids. That is a way better use of a banig, don't you think?

Philippine independence from the Japanese (and Americans) came on July 4, 1946 when the Treaty of Manila was signed by the US and the Philippines. The treaty recognized the independence of the Republic of the Philippines and relinquished American sovereignty over the Philippine Islands. From 1946 to 1963, Independence Day was observed on July 4. In 1964, the date of Independence Day was changed to June 12 and July 4 was renamed as Philippine Republic Day.

Whether Independence Day is July 4 or June 12, what's important is that, thanks to my Lola, I now have a better appreciation of what freedom means. Maybe I should plan a picnic this weekend to celebrate our independence.

Photo from amischmashedlife. Philippine Independence Day information came from Wikipedia.

Summer

Summer is here! Time for the kids to play outdoors instead of being cooped up indoors playing Temple Run or Draw Something. Time to let them play, explore & learn.

We went on a picnic with friends in Ateneo last August and Noah tried to fly a kite. But it wasn't windy enough to keep his kite up in the air. He did have fun exploring nature and playing with friends; he even climbed a tree!

I love the Ateneo grounds. When Isabella was young, we would go on picnics in the High School field, the Bellarmine field or the place around the Meron Lagoon. This particular picnic with Noah was some other place in the Ateneo College grounds, but because of the new buildings, I'm not exactly sure where it is anymore. It was actually nice because there's parking, an open field and benches shaded by trees. We just brought some food and banig mats and we had an instant picnic! We always bring a kite, and sometimes even a bike, in case the wind doesn't cooperate.

I can't wait to try kite-flying again this summer!

I can already imagine the glee on Noah's face when he is finally able to keep his kite in flight.

So what outdoor activities do you have planned for your kids this summer? Are you planning some piko or hopscotch?

Or maybe just going to the playground to get on the swing?

Am thinking of trying this block of ice activity from nyctaughtme. I figure it would be a fun activity to cool down on a hot summer day (apart from maybe, Johnson's Baby Cooling Powder & Bath).

Armed with the new Johnson's baby daily sun protection lotion, I have no qualms letting Noah play and explore under the sun this summer!

It is going to be a fun, fun summer!

Photos are my own and from nyctaughtme. 

some polka dots i spotted...

I love the mishmash of chairs in this place Mikka of A Mischmashed Life once visited. The whimsical hodgepodge of chairs - polka-dotted, striped, solid-colored - is just delightful!

Just last week, I moved things around the house to break the matchy-matchiness of our bedroom. But let me start from the beginning: how we began furnishing our house when we first moved in. At that time, I just wanted clean, sleek, minimalist lines. If I had my way, our house would completely be in minimalist Zen. But remember here how the hubby wants things to have significance? Well, he grew up in a house with traditional Filipino furniture - with capiz windows and sulihiya recliners - so he wanted our home to be reminiscent of an old Vigan house.

And so our living room became a fusion of clean Zen lines and traditional Filipino pieces. We had a Zen-themed sofa made - with built-in shelves and detachable cushions for easy laundering. The focal point of our 'sala' was a crushed bamboo armoire we had custom-made for our TV - in mixed wood finishes to tie everything together. Our Vigan-inspired pieces - our baul and even our narra bench outside - did not have the intricate curly-cue carvings to keep with my clean, minimalist aesthetic. We replaced the door-panel of our fuse box with a Vigan capiz window from Tiendesitas and it served as a wall panel, giving character to our foyer. We also got ottomans for added seating & storage - in wicker & rope for more native textures.

Our bedroom though was completely minimalist Zen. It was practically lifted from an Ethan Allen catalogue - with the Lotus bed, the big round mirror above the headboard and Lotus dressers as huge sidetables (you see, I'm obsessed with storage space). For a while now, I have been wanting to get new sidetables but I wasn't keen on spending when I had perfectly good ones - just lacking charm & character. Then it struck me to move things around the house. So one sidetable moved to the other end of the bedroom as a dresser, the other moved up to Isabella's room to hold her TV, my wicker ottomans moved up to the master's bedroom as sidetables and our narra bench from outside became part of our living room.

While it was really more of an accident - a compromise - that made us design our living room in an eclectic Asian minimalist aesthetic, I love how our living room has always had so much personality and meaning. And I love that years later, it continues to breathe life throughout our whole house - breaking the matchy-matchiness of our bedroom into a stylish mishmash with so much more character than before. 

Photos from amischmashedlife, here, here, here, here, here and here. Layouts are my own.

Click here for previous posts from the Some Polka Dots I Spotted series.

     

Today, I am loving...

I have been in love with the idea of wearing your children's initials around your neck since Katie Holmes kept sporting a Jennifer Meyer diamond-encrusted pendant of an "S" - for Suri - last year. She is rarely ever seen without it and even wore it on the cover of InStyle's August 2011 issue.

I could never afford the real thing at $1,500 a disc. So boy was I glad to find this hand-stamped initial set from Tea Party Jewelry on Etsy!

Then as I browsed through Tea Party Jewelry's shop, I fell in love with the idea of wearing my kids' names - rather than initials - on disc pendants.

So I asked Tea Party Jewelry to customize a set for me: 2 discs, hand-stamped with my kids' names, in this typewriter font that I was really smitten with. I asked them to put the silver spacer ball from the initial set to keep my discs apart. A tiny portion of the discs actually still overlap when I wear my necklace. Amusingly, whenever Isabella or Noah spy their sibling's disc on "top" of theirs on my collarbone, they switch the discs around so their name is more prominently seen. Oddly, they've never done it in front of the other so am not sure what drives them to do it every time. But I'm glad both of them do it because it affirms that I don't play favorites. Unlike them, I don't get to see their names when I have my necklace on. But I've picked up this habit of stroking the discs in the middle of my workday. And whenever I do that, I kind of feel warm all over and I can't help but smile to myself.

I still want an initial set though. And I just love Gwen Delicious Jewelry Designs' take on the initial pendant. I think the vintage typewriter keys give an initial charm a different character. Plus, it's perfect for a lover of pretty typography like me.

And instead of a spacer ball, I ordered a bronze ampersand to go in between my kids' initials (because, as you know, I love the ampersand).

Gwen Delicious has yet to finish casting my typewriter key pendants, but I can barely wait to stroke my kids' initials in the middle of my workday.

Today, I am loving... the sentimentality of wearing your children's names or initials around your neck. It is such a special and stylish way to always have a memento of the people you love so close by.

Photos from teapartyjewelry, gwendelicious and here. 

Some related links you might have missed:

• my pretend closet: J.Crew maritime dress
• the typography-initial trend
• my love for the ampersand (coincidentally, the ampersand letterpress necklace on this post is also from Gwen Delicious!)
• previous posts from the Today, I am loving... series.

And in case you're planning to purchase necklaces on Etsy or anywhere online, here's a great necklace-length reference from one of my favorite blogs, Playtime Break.

some polka dots i spotted...

Patricia of patricialoves is right! Washi tape is happiness. I was so thrilled when a friend of mine gave me a polka-dotted roll a few months ago. But I haven't used it because I'm afraid to use up my one and only roll.

Though I've been wanting to "waste" them on this adorable DIY racetrack.

It would be perfect for family vacations (like the one I was just on, hence the absence of posts the past week) so I don't need to pack Noah's whole toychest! Just a couple of toycars & these Japanese tapes and I can transform our hotel room into a playplace for hours of fun! 

Patricia was just partially right. One washi tape is not enough. Loads of them would be utter happiness! Thanks to Patricia, I discovered Hey Kessy, a site that puts these happiness tapes within reach in Manila! Now I can stop wishing I knew someone from Japan. I can hardly wait to get my rolls of the chalkboard numbers, the gingham ones and of course, the dotted ones! 

Soon, I can use them for anything. To adorn wooden clothespins or boxes or jars. To make pretty flags with a toothpick to decorate cupcakes or dress up twist ties to package baked goodies like eyecandy suggests. Click on the many photo sources of this previous post on washi tapes for photos of these washi tape uses. 

Or make pretty invitations - and without the need for glue at that!

And if I'm too busy (or lazy) for all the crafty possibilities, I can use different tapes to quickly personalize water goblets or wine glasses during dinner parties at home. Even easier to do than attach those tiny wineglass rings. Or I can use them to color/pattern-code my kids things. Blue washi tapes for Noah's pens & crayons and pink for Isabella's. No need to write or type their names anymore since as long as they know their color, they won't end up using their sibling's things. Or simply just use them to tack things prettily on the wall!

I am soooo excited to get my hands on bundles of these happy tapes!

Photos from patricialoves, acupofjo and here. My source of this last photo should be found on my first washi tape post here.

Click here for previous posts from the Some Polka Dots I Spotted series. Click here for previous posts on washi tapes and here for previous posts on chalkboard things.

Color Obsession: gold

I was always a silver rather than gold kind of gal. I had always thought gold was tacky. But I realize that lately, I've been drawn to gold. I still prefer rose gold, bronze & antique gold over yellow gold, but I've certainly been wearing gold jewelry more these days (especially my 90-year-old Lola's vintage jewelry which are all sorts of gold).

There is definitely an air of opulence to gold. Particularly on the dinnertable. Don't these gold chargers make this table quite elegant? Especially with the crisp, black napkins!

I'm totally charmed by this gold silverware (Ironic, right?).

I love the contemporary style of this silverware. Imagine if these gold utensils had those ornate curly-cue carvings? They wouldn't be fit for home-use - unless the Queen of England came to visit! This sleek deco design makes them appropriate for dinner parties at home.

On the other hand, this ornate front facade wouldn't be the same without the elaborate gold curly-cues. Now isn't this the most regal-looking city hall?

I also love the gold and navy combination. Isn't this gold tray set off perfectly by the striped navy bedlinens? Is there anything more chic?

Even when worn, navy tones down gold and gives this sparkly skirt a stylish but effortless look. 

Yes, gold... paired with black or navy... is worth obsessing about. After all, everyday should be filled with effortless elegance.

Photos from annnniegirl, everythingfab, frommetoyou and Zara.

Click here for previous posts from the Color Obsession series. 

Santa Proof!

Sharing some proof for the little ones that Santa exists... First, get your child a personalized video from Santa here (discovered via Playtime Break here). You just need to upload some photos and answer some questions. Best of all, it's free! I tried this this year and found it so cool! Santa said Noah's name a couple of times, featured Noah's photo, even said something about him and promised him a gift! You just need to make sure to close the video as soon as it reaches the end because if you don't, a tab to Create a video will appear and that made Noah doubt if the video was really from Santa.

You can also track Santa's gift-delivery progress here. You can track where he is beginning December 24 because the Santa tracker does not go live until then. Have never tried this but one of my facebook friends posted status updates of where Santa was last Christmas, so I might try out this tracker too on facebook here tomorrow night.

You can also upload a photo of your living room here (discovered via A Cup of Jo here) and add a stock image of Santa into the scene so your kids see Santa placing his gifts under your tree.

How's that for proof that Santa does exist?

Photos from here, here and here.