21/52

"My daughter's photos, once a week, every week, in 2014."

This post is more than a week delayed, so I guess if you follow my husband on IG or you're friends with him on Facebook, you most probably have seen this photo. He took this photo while he was talking to some of his men and I was taking some rest at his room. We just arrived but my little I'm-so-energized-because-I-slept-at-the-car decided to immediately play and establish she's the camp princess. This pretty summed up Pia's week the week of May 18th-24th. We spent a few days at the camp, detaching ourselves from the tiring chores brought by the recent moving in. Btw, we're semi-broke now 'cause of that and her school fees but we still went to a nearby beach to relax. That deserves a separate post, though. So many realizations, I tell you! That's it. I can't wait how this project will turn out at the end of the year. I'm thinking of printing out all the photos and collate it an album or frame it and hang in the living room. Whatever I'll do with these by early next year, of course I'll share with all of you. xx

Moving On, Moved In

Oh, hello. I'm blogging.

I really didn't intend to take the blogcation that long but my life events overwhelmed me I just needed to. You see, I lost Pepper. She was the first pet that we took in our royal leased kingdom. I gave her a name, fed her, disciplined her, R bathed her whenever he can, Sophia played with her as if they were sisters. We loved her.

The only thing I regret was I put her in a cage and let her stay outside the house. I took the blame though no one ever said I should. My husband tried to find her, almost didn't sleep but he still failed. It was one of the saddest moments of our lives as a couple, as pet parents. Pia saw how I awfully un-managed the incident. I crushed. The woman she gets strength from every day was collapsing in front of her like a hollow pillar. And so it dawned on me... I needed to gather myself and move on.

R and I came to a mutual decision: We need to move out.

20/52

"My daughter's photos, once a week, every week, in 2014."

I tag her along with me to events I'm interested to attend to, whenever I can. For this brand's launch, we went to Philippines Educational Theater Association (PETA) in Quoezon City to watch a stage play entitled Hashtag Pimples Anonymous. It was full of acne-related hilarity that even if my little girl can't understand how ridiculous it must be to have pimples in front of your crush or on the day of your final school presentation, she laughed with us like a teenager. It made me realize that I'd like to bring her to stage plays, especially those that are more appropriate for her age. What actually was funnier that night was when the announcer's recorded voice was played (theater reminders, etc), she kept on making me stop taking photos. As in like a grumpy old maid! LOL. One of the reminders was to not take photos, but since it's a media launch, with all the huge cameras rolling, it's OK. See how obedient she could be to a recorded voice? I think I should just record mine. ;)

I ❤ Being a Mom Project at Nazareth Home

When Jen Gana of Wooden Kidikrafts and Jlofied.com told me that she's getting me as one of the mom ambassadors of her project with a women shelter in Quezon City, I didn't think twice about it. In the middle of product reviews, brand events, mom blogging communities and royal stories, I'd like my blog to be an instrument to greater goodness. I actually prayed for it on my birthday video message last year! Remember? So one day, despite my mind too preoccupied with our moving in to a new kingdom, my little girl and I went to Nazareth Home.

Nido Fortified's Mother's Day Surprise for the #1Moms

Yesterday was Mother's Day but unlike most moms in my cyberworld, I was not with my family dining out in some fancy schmancy restaurant or I didn't get an extravagantly-styled bouquet of flowers from my husband. I paid the bills, ate street food, packed endlessly, cleaned endlessly and was a forever parent. It's tiring and not as beautiful as others described it, scaring away my single friends to dive into what seemed to be a filthy, murky mud puddle that is motherhood. But hey, it has its rewards! They say it comes with unlimited subscription to baby bear hugs and sloppy kisses, others attest to how they felt more meaning in their lives when they gave birth, breastfed and used cloth diapers, and some are thankful enough to hear "thank you". As for me, I'm cool with everything. I don't demand gifts anymore, I demand time! Time for myself, 100% quality time with my husband and fun (yes it has to be) time with my kid.

I am one lucky momma to have been given the chance to have time for myself, with my husband and my kid all in one afternoon. 

19/52

"My daughter's photos once a week, every week, in 2014."

Last week was the start of this hectic schedule we are experiencing right now. We will move out of this two-storey apartment we lived in for more than a year and will move in to a cozy bungalow that's 4 years older than me. But that didn't stop me from attending some of the pre-mother's day events I was invited to for this blog. You see, I don't go to all blogging event invites that were sent my way. I only go to what I think will be something beneficial for me and you, my dear royal readers. I learned from some of you that you actually don't read posts flooded with press releases and event aftermaths that don't have story. 

Anyway, I went to one of the best blogging events two Sundays earlier and got this yellow blindfold (you must have seen the video already so you know what it was for). My preschool popstar immediately liked the idea of being blindfolded she thought of using it so "I can sleep better, 'Nay!" Hah! If only I knew she's gonna like this, I could have bought a dozen of this so there were no I-don't-want-to-sleep-yet-cause-I'm-jumpy-like-that bouts that happened before. 

Picadillo

I know it's three days late for Cinco de Mayo but I am sharing with you the recipe of one of my preschool popstar's favorites that has something to do with the celebration! Picadillo is a traditional dish in Spain and many Latin American countries that is similar to hash. It is made with ground beef, tomatoes, and other ingredients that vary by region. In the Philippines, it is commonly known as menudillo or the ground meat version of menudo.

 

But like what I said, since I cooked this for dinner on May 5th, I made it a bit Mexican. I love Mexican food ― burritos, nachos, tacos, empanada, etcetera! There's something about paprika, cayenne and chili that makes me want to eat it again and again. One spice that adds that certain Mexican oomph to my menudillo that can make it pass as picadillo is the cumin. I bought my McCormick ground cumin seeds ever since I knew how it would distinctively make my ground meat tastes so Mexican-ish. So do you want to try cooking Sophia's paboritong Picadillo? Here!