International Women's Day

March is Women's Month and March 8 is International Women's Day! Be proud you are a woman!

Read related article here.

Bad Hair Day No More

Hair is every man's crowning glory, it is very important to have a beautiful hair to have the perfect physical appearance. Finding the right hair shampoo can be a challenge, and nobody wants to have a bad hair day literally speaking.
A revolutionary shampoo have been formulated to accelerate the growth of hair. Accelerate Emu oil shampoo contains ingredients that would help to attain healthy hair; free from breakages or split ends. It also prevents hair fall out and restores health and vibrant shine from dull and damaged hair. It contains black hair vitamins which is very suitable for Black and African hair.
The perfect mixture of vitamins, minerals, moisturizers and proteins makes this shampoo the right solution to kiss away bad hair day. There is no need to worry about brittle and frizzy hair because this emu oil shampoo is available at very affordable price to. Get discounts for buying more than one bottle.
Next time you get off your bed, it will be bad hair day no more.

Mommy and Me Monday: Baby Shower Party

For this week's Mommy and Me Monday, I will feature my cousin Pong who had a baby shower last Saturday. We are all very excited in the coming of the new addition in the family; what's good about is it is a baby Girl! Since I have three boys, it makes me more excited for the coming of the new baby. Very eager to welcome their new cousin AERITH FRANCIS BUSTOS MANALOTO.

Of course, our little boy Jeon was so happy and excited about the baby gifts brought by the guests. He handed each and every gift with a smile.

Congrats to Pong and Mark!

Since my little boy Jeon was well-behaved during the occasion, of course, he got a big hug from Mommy too!

tired from handing gifts to her Tita

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Mommy Moments: Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,
Words are not enough to express my gratitude for all that you have done for me and our family. I have seen how you worked hard to provide for your kids and to help out your family too. I pity those people who do not know the real you and lucky are those people who got the chance to know you. Most people misjudged you, but then again, no matter what they say, for me and the kids you are still always the best.

I would also like to thank you for making sure that the kids will always have good memories of their childhood by taking them to different places. You have been working hard, leaving home at 530am and arriving at 1030pm daily is no laughing matter. But still you opt to go home everyday (Pampanga to Ortigas vice-versa), because you prefer to sleep beside me every night and wake up with me by your side.

Thank you so much for all the effort you have exerted to keep our family intact. You have proven yourself a lot of times to be worthy of my love and trust (**wink**).  We have move forward and I guess, there is no one or nothing is stopping us.

We love you so much and  I am so proud to be your wife.

Ako pa rin ito at wala ng iba pa dapat!
LES

Wordless Wednesday: Yummy!

TCP Entry:TheTerminal

Wikipedia for the picture

The theme for this week's TCP is about Agape or Unconditional Love; for my entry it is another Tom Hanks movie entitled The Terminal. If it's a Tom Hanks movie then it must be a good one. Indeed he was able to portray very the part of easter immigrant named Novarski who was forced to stay inside the JFK Airport when war broke into his  country. All of a sudden he became a man without a country because of the war, US denied him of his entry. 

Here is the plot synopsis based on IMDB:

While Viktor Navorski is en route to the U.S. to fulfill a wish of his late father's, there is a coup in the Eastern European country in which he lives. When he lands at JFK, he learns that his country is no longer recognized by the U.S. so he cannot enter - and he can't go home either, because all planes to his country are canceled. While waiting in this limbo, Viktor takes up residence in JFK Terminal and learns another definition of home. 

During his stay at the airport,he met a lot of people who came to like him because he possess a very good heart. One very touching scene of the movie was when Novarski saw in TV the war that is happening in his country. He felt so helpless because he does not even know how to speak English. Yet despite the hardships he must undergo while staying at the airport he did not give up his dream of going to the US. He needs to get the autograph tenor saxophonist Benny Golson. His late father was a jazz enthusiast who had discovered the "Great Day in Harlem" photograph in a Hungarian newspaper in 1958, and vowed to get an autograph of all the 57 jazz musicians featured on the photograph.

For me it is one of those movies which showed unconditional love of a son to his dad. He is willing to undergo  struggles just to fulfill his father's dream.

Etiquette Baby Gifts

Diaper Cake thanks to Google

 It is always a pleasant feeling to receive gifts from loved ones, friends and co-workers. It gives the recipient a feeling of importance when you receive a gift that you truly like. However, there may be times wherein you will be receiving gifts which may cause embarrassment or may offend you.

In such cases, it is important that you talk to the giver of the gift about how you feel yet still recognize the effort done in preparing for the gift. There is some etiquette in gift giving particularly etiquette baby gifts.

In a baby shower and christening, unless you are personally close to the person,

·         It is not appropriate to give a book on dieting, or creams to remove stretch marks. It may cause embarrassment on the receiver. It is best to give these types of gift as personal gifts and not during baby showers.

·         In baby showers, stuff that the baby may need once he or she comes out is the most suitable gift. A book on baby care may also be useful especially to first time mothers.

·         During christening, however, a godparent can give a card thanking the parents for entrusting their child to him or her. It is best to insert a gift card on the thank you card. Parents will surely appreciate this more rather than the toys or clothes that the baby will not be using until he or she gets bigger.

Any gift will be appreciated as long as it is given sincerely and from the heart of the giver. This coming Saturday February 26, my cousin Pong will have her baby shower- I am not sure yet what gift to give for the additional little girl in the family.

Mommy and Me Monday: Thank God It's Saturday @ TGIF

My hubby was not feeling well last week, so when Saturday came and he was feeling a lot better; we decided to dine out. The kids were busy playing the PS2 when we told them to dress up. As expected, my toddler would have his tantrums saying that they are busy playing and they would rather stay home. But when his elder brothers started to get ready, the little boy had no choice but to comply.

We decided to visit Marquee Mall (the Ayala Mall in Angeles City); and check out the best place to dine. Then I told hubby to bring the kids to TGIF. I guess we made the right choice, because Jeon (our little boy) enjoyed the place and the food. In fact he was so awed we the place and he kept on saying the place looks good and he likes it.

Here are the pix of the pre-schooler who didn't want to leave his PS2 behind; you be the judge whether the kiddo enjoyed his stay at the mall and at the resto.

I guess the pix will speak for itself, the pre-schooler did have a great time, am I right?

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Wine Tips: Find the Perfect Wine for the Meal

 Wine connoisseurs would definitely know which wine is the perfect one for the meal. As I was checking out some wine offers on the internet and I saw gift set of 3 bottles of different luxury wines. The gift set of wines is definitely a perfect thing to give for a dining enthusiasts. It does not cost much, actually the average price per bottle of wine is around 15pounds per bottle. For the wine newbies like me, here are some useful tips to find the perfect wine to match your chosen meal:

• White wines are best served together with the appetizers.Chardonay is the best partner for strong cheese, oysters, grilled pork and chicken.
• Red wines are not served on the opening of the course because of its heaviness. This type of wine is best served for entrees' like pasta with red sauce and beef dishes.

The next time you and your partner go out on a special dinner date, you would already have an idea which wine to enjoy for each course of the meal.

Mommy Moments: Valentine's Day 2011

Since Valentine's Day fell on a Monday, I thought that it will be an ordinary day. We had a pre-valentine celebration February 13, so I was not expecting much on what will happen on the Love Day itself. But when hubby called and told me not to prepare anything for dinner because we will have our special date, I felt delighted.
We had a late dinner date and then we went to a coffee shop (our favorite one) afterwards. I was not able to take pictures of the chocolates hubby gave me. But they were a box of Ferrero (another favorite); my little boy gave a Valentine note to his Dad and gave me a bunch of kisses and hugs.

Overall, Valentine's Day was indeed a very special day for the entire family. I guess what's important is the fact that the kids see how their Dad loves Mommy; so that when they grow up they would know how it is to treat their special someone.

Learning at Landsdowne College

For over 25 years Landsdowne College have been running easter revision; it was able to help thousands of students realized their full academic potentials. This has enable the students to progress in their chosen area of studies.The Easter Revision course has extensive and comprehensive examination preparation that would surely equip the students with knowledge because they also have mock examinations to gauge the students' know-how.

Google for the photo

Landsdowne College believe that students are generally intelligent, however a particular study approach is not applicable to all students. Hence, the Easter revision course found ways to revised the traditional study techniques and has assured positive results on their examinations both in GCSE and A Level.

Household Cleaning: Removing Stains on Leather Sofa

For those moms who are having a hard time removing stains on the leather sofa; here are some useful household cleaning tips that you can apply for your leather furniture.

Tip #1 - to remove ink stains, all you need to do is to spray it with your hair spray then gently wipe it with clean cloth and that will do the trick.

Tip #2 - grease stains would not look good on the furniture, so to remove it apply talcum powder and corn starch. But remember do not rub it on the stain, just let it stay on top of the stain for couple of hours then wipe it using clean cloth. This will make your favorite furniture grease-free.

Tip #3 - water stains get into the furniture because of improper way of cleaning it, so to remove the stains use leather conditioner and allow it to dry up.

Dream Vacation

School is almost over; and we can already feel the summer heat. My children are excited to go on summer vacation and their dream destination would be Hongkong Disneyland (awts! that means I need to double time in order to save up). 

But if you will ask my hubby; he would rather save up to watch the next World Cup or experience watching Formula 1 races and have a feel of staying at any Monacograndprixhospitality.  In fact he already did some researches on the best place to enjoy watching the race. He is so excited about a champagne toast to the winner of the Grand Prix race which is included in the booking package. In order to experience our dream vacation it means working overtime in my writing assignments; I think it will be a 24/7 writing jobs to save up the money we need for the dream vacation.

Wordless Wednesday: Solve na Solve

Definitely solved!

Parenting Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers

3 Muskiteros na Kulitos

I have to admit, I am a nagging and yelling mom most especially if I have told my kids to stop horsing around and yet they would not heed to my call. Sometimes my patience grow thin even when dealing with my pre-schooler (Jeon). I especially hate it when he wakes up in the morning to go to school and he whines a lot. I know that I should not react to his actions, but sometimes I can't help but yell back at my pre-schooler child. Then I came across some parenting forum on ways to stop yelling and nagging. I know these tips can be helpful to moms with toddlers and pre-schooler kids.

1. Tune in to yourself; there are days when moms patience seem to be very thin most especially if it is the time of the month. In days like these, find something relaxing to do first before dealing with your children. This could somehow set your mood and there is no need to yell when disciplining the children.
2. Remember they are kids, so it is better to treat them as kids and not adults. Admit it or not, we often utter words like "You're no longer a baby, you should know how to do it".  We should lower our expectations to our toddlers and pre-schoolers, learn about the developmental stage of the kids and we would know what is appropriate to their age.
3. Do the reverse, if the little kids would not listen to you even if you are shouting at the top of your lungs; then whisper everything. In this manner they will be curious on what you have to say to them; the challenge now lies on how you can speak softly even if you are angry.

These are some of the things that moms (and dads) should remember when parenting toddlers and pre-schoolers; it worked for other parents I guess there is no harm of giving it a shot. Who know it might work and it will spare us from the sore throat we get when we often yell. Parenting toddlers and pre-schoolers can be less stressful if we know how to deal with our little ones.

16th Hotair Balloon Festival

Despite our toddler's tantrum on early Sunday morning; we have managed to attend the 16th Hotair Balloon Festival at Clarkfiel Pampanga. It was a post birthday celebration of hubby and a pre-valentine celebration with my cousins (Sha and soon-to-be-mom Pong). I had to wake up everyone as early as 5am; and guess what, they are all complaining because it's a Sunday and they are not supposed to wake up early. I can't understand children's behavior; they were too lazy to rise from the beds but when I told them it's okay they can go back to their sleep we would not proceed anymore; they immediately fixed themselves (but not their beds-duh!)
Here is the compilation of some of the photos hubby took during the festival using a regular point-and-shoot camera; (no budget yet to buy DSLR).



High from les pangilinan on Vimeo.
Next year we will go to this event at nightime and be amazed on how these hotair balloons look in the dark. i hope by that time we were able to buy our DSLR to capture the photos vividly.
One important MommyLESson learned in this event, family bonding is very important in order to understand the children's behavior much better.

Valentine's Day Greetings

My Partner and My True Romance

My True Romance from les pangilinan on Vimeo.

To my best half, happy birthday and advanced happy valentines.

Mommy Moments: Love Notes for My Tres Muskiteros

Valentines Day are not just for lovers; mommies can also celebrate this special event their kids. For this week's Mommy Moments theme, it is about love notes for their children. I am a very sentimental person, in fact I am weak when it comes to my children. But I have this belief that I should not show my weakness to my children because they depend on my strength. So for my Tres Muskiteros, here is mommy's special love note:

Jeon, Kuya Gab, Kuya Jet

Dear Kuya Jet,

I would like you to know that I love you very much. You are my first baby and you will always be special to me. You have witnessed my struggles in life and during those times, you never left my side. You have seen me cry for so many reasons, and yet you never questioned any of my wrong decisions. Now that you are growing up to be a young man, I hope that I have inculcated good values in your life that may come in handy as you begin your own journey in life. Remember that  I may not show it often, but I love you and I am proud to be your mom.

Dear Kuya Gab,

You may think that I don't love you as much as I love your brothers; but that is definitely not true. I love you with all my heart, and it pains me to see you grow without confidence. You are special to me and you are well-loved by your brothers, Tito Joey and the rest of the family. Do not think that you are inferior because all of us are special in God's eyes. I hope that you get over this awkward phase in your life. Remember that life is not always fair and good; as much as I want to protect you from all harm I cannot to do so. That is why it is important that you learn to take care of yourself and be strong. It is a tough world out there, there is no place for the weak and that is a harsh reality. I want you to grow up confident and secure of yourself. I love you so much and I am proud of you.

Dear Bunso Jeon,

I am so thankful that God has given you to me and your Dad; you made our lives complete and you remain to be the string that binds us together. You may be young but you are one smart little boy. You have so many questions and you are very curious about what's happening. You smile brightens the entire home;and you love your brothers so dearly. At an early age you have displayed how you value your family, I hope that as you grow old you would still have that kind of attitude. Just like your kuyas, I love you too with all my heart.

Happy Valentines Day to you my Tres musketeros and I always pray to God that He would allow me to live longer to watch you grow. I am afraid to leave this world without knowing that you have achieved your dreams. If that time arrives earlier that what we hoped for, I hope that you will still love one another. Mommy may always nag or may sound unappreciative, but deep in my heart I only want the best for you. I love you so much and again, Happy Valentines Day.

Kids and School

Although within a couple of months now, school year is about to end. I am already making a list of the things I need to buy for the coming school year. Aside from sparing myself with the back-to-school rush; I would be saving a lot of money if I buy school stuff this early.

personalized duffel bag of posylane

 The first thing I have in mind is to find the perfect school bags for my kids. This year they have broken around three bags because they need to bring a lot of books in schools. I am thinking of getting  personalized duffel bags to make sure all the books would fit it. Since duffel bags are spacious and sturdy, there would be no problem about bringing a lot of books in school. Having it personalized would make is much easier for them to identify their own stuff. There are also personalized designs to choose from to suit the child's personality.

posylane kids backpack

 As for my little boy, he wishes to have a bag with trolley but I think that will be too big for him. I think I would still stick to using kids backpack for him to use in school. Since he does not need to bring a lot of books, it would be more convenient to use backpack bags instead of trolley bags. Most of these backpacks have colorful designs that my little boy would love.

If I am very much concern about my kids' bags it is because I want to give them the best stuff that I can afford. I wish their school would do the same, especially when maintaining their manicured school lawns. But I believe the school administrators are also doing their best to provide the best school ambiance to their students; if only they can hire people from Dallas lawn maintenance I am definitely sure they will. Because they are also after the welfare of their students.

Home Improvement

We have been staying in our home for about eight months now, and little by little we are doing home improvements depending on the budget (of course also depending on Mamita's generosity). What we have done is to complete and upgrade our appliances first and furniture.

So far we have managed to improve the house facade by having it landscaped. By summer vacation, we plan to have it repainted ; Jeon wants it color yellow. I guess it is a nice color because it will  bring sunshine inside the house. We also plan to check out the best Residential flooring, we plan to convert the back door area into a kitchen.

We have so many plans for our home sweet home; but with budget constraints we cannot go full blast yet. However, we are not in a hurry to make a grand home improvement. It is nice to see fruits of hard work being converted into something tangible like seeing home improvements.

Wordless Wednesday: DadEngr @ Work

Do not disturb, Engineer at work!
My handyman :)

TCP Entry: Reality Bites

This week's theme for TCP is about Friendship Love; and the first movie that comes to my mind regarding friendship is my all-time favorite "Reality Bites". This film was shown in the 90's era, the year of Generation X as it was known. It starred my favorite actress Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke plays the male lead actor; and it also starred Ben Stiller. This is the film that popularized the "My Sharona" song.

Here is the story line as summarized by IMDb:

"In this study of Generation X manners, Lelaina, the valedictorian of her college class, camcords her friends in a mock documentary of posteducation life. Troy is her best friend, a perpetually unemployed musical slacker. Vickie is a manager at the Gap who worries about the results of an AIDS test, while Sammy has problems grappling with his sexuality. When Lelaina meets Michael, an earnest video executive who takes her homemade video to his MTV-like station, she must decide what she values--the materialism of yuppie Michael or the philosophical musings of Troy"

The struggle of friends after earning their college diploma as they continue to search for the perfect employment opportunities. How these young people try to maintain their friendship despite the odds they face.

Mommy and Me Monday

Mommy and Me Monday, with my youngest son Jeon at Mariott Hotel. Little boy making funny face again.


Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?