Help, The Grinch Is Back!

The holiday season wasn’t the easiest. Not when the devil is lurking around making me feel sad and bad all the time.

We still have no nannies/househelp, I'm still not feeling well and miserable. Tapioca is working on New Year' Eve and I’m left alone with the kids. One of them, cranky and fussy because he’s teething and not feeling well, too. Once again, I felt like I failed motherhood. I failed my kids. But I refused to feel what I was feeling. I fought the Grinch trying to steal my happiness. I reminded myself that this season is not about me. Not about my feelings or about failing. I reminded myself of the true meaning of this season.

Let's count my blessings, shall we?

I'm thankful I’m home for the holidays. It’s not every year that happens. I’m thankful it was me who’s watching the kids and spending the holidays with them at home. Kebs if there’s no yaya. Kebs if the house is a mess. My kids couldn’t even care less for as long as mommy's there to take care of them and their needs.

Read more...

Surviving Christmas

This is probably one of the saddest Christmas of my life. Tapioca working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. No nannies around. No home cooked meals. No Noche Buena. No kids around. They were at my brothers’. Me all alone at home sick and feeling miserable.

I’m just glad I survived. I hibernated. I took all the rest I could and took all the meds I needed. I don't want to be sick until New Year’s. That’s gonna be really sad.

I looked at my social media feed and saw all those wonderful photos of friends and families all complete for the holidays. I can’t help but wonder. I asked myself “Do I feel jealous? Am I getting green with envy?” Hmmm maybe. Not. I have to double check. But seriously I wasn’t. In fact I was inspired.

Instead of sulking and being bitter and miserable I chose otherwise. I took all those happy photos as inspiration for our next Christmas. As a matter of fact, I already jotted down notes and made plans on how we will celebrate Christmas next year.

Because of this experience, I’ve learned something and realized that this quote is oh so true:

Happiness is a state of mind.

Happiness is a choice.

Read more...

Our Christmas Tree is Up

I finally decided to put up our Christmas tree last night. Unlike the past years, I somehow felt indifferent. It's like I wasn’t excited. Like I did not feel happy at all. It was strange. Setting up the tree has been a tradition that I look forward to. It always makes me happy and excited for the holidays.

However, it was different yesterday.

Munchkin was sick. She was not in the mood and didn’t feel like helping in putting the decors. She missed her class’ Christmas presentation. 

Yesterday was supposed to be the Christmas presentation before the school break. Tapioca didn't allow us to attend because Munchkin was still not feeling well. He said we needed to let her rest so as not to repeat what happened from her last school activity. You can read about it here.

Once again, I felt bad. This is the 2nd time she got sick when they were supposed to have a school program. Last time was during Linggo ng Wika. She was already high with fever but insisted on joining the program.

I was sad and disappointed. I mean, this was supposed to be another first for our Little Munchkin but what can I do? Who would have thought that this would happen again, being sick again before the school presentation? Am I being a bad Mom? Am I not taking care of her well? The stress and anxiety was killing me so I thought maybe putting up the Christmas tree would help.

Going back to my Christmas tree, I find the color theme and the floral decors boring. Or maybe the right words would be sad and depressing? I felt that it didn't spark joy. What do you think? 

I know my Christmas tree is fake and cheap but the decors did not help. It somehow made it look more cheap. It also felt lifeless.  I was so sorry it felt so fake. It just made me feel more sad than I already was.  

I swear, I'm going to get rid of those decors when Christmas is over. I wouldn't even think of recycling them. So sorry Mother Earth.

Read more...

Munchkin's First Field Trip

It’s Munchkin’s first field trip today. I’m so glad I insisted on Tapioca to join us.

When the school announced this year’s field trip, we were apprehensive of joining because of the steep price. Php 1,700 for kids and Php 1,800 for adults. Well it’s reasonable if it’s just Munchkin. But if all three of us join, that will be Php 5,300. If you think about it, we can spend that amount for an overnight trip out of town.

Tapioca said one of us will have to stay and that’s gonna be him since he has work. I thought about it. If it’s just me and Munchkin, who’s gonna take our pictures? Who will watch over our stuff on the bus during the stopover? Or when we need to go to the loo? Who am I gonna talk to aside from Munchkin? I don’t know anyone there except from Munchkin’s teachers. I’m anti-social na kasi hahaha. So I insisted he join. This is our daughter’s first field trip. We should not miss it. Kebs na sa gastos. That’s why both of us are working so we can provide these experiences.

. . .  the little munchkin woke up early and excited for the day

eating instant noodles that daddy cooked for breakfast . . .

. . . slurp, slurp, slurp!!!

As I was saying, I’m glad Tapioca joined us. He woke up extra early today and made egg salad sandwiches which we will bring as baon. He also packed Munchkin’s stuff - extra clothes, snacks, towels, etc. When I woke up, he was cooking instant noodles for breakfast. All Munchkin and I had to do was eat, take a shower and get ready. Awesome, right? I didn't even ask him to do all these. Nagkusa ang lolo nyo.

Part of me wanted to scold myself. Because I’m the mother. I should be responsible for doing those things. I should be the one taking care of them.

Times like these, I really appreciate Tapioca. I’m thankful that I can always count on him. That he will step up when I’m slacking.     

Read more...

Weekend Is Over

I’m in the bed right now sandwiched by Munchkin and Pumpkin. Can’t sleep so I’m typing away on my phone.

Tapioca is also deep asleep on the couch in the living room. This is our setup every weekend. I wonder how long it’s gonna last. The Munchkin refuses to sleep in her bedroom when she knows Mommy is at home. The four of us couldn’t fit in our semi-double bed. Well right now, there's just the three of us. It’s still a small fit but we make do.

Every night, when the kids are fast asleep, I look at them with a smile on my face. They look so peaceful. Far from the naughty, kulit kids during the day. At night, they look like angels quietly and peacefully sleeping in bed with me.

I thank God and praise him for the wonderful weekend I get to spend with them. For giving them to us. For the experience of becoming a mother. For knowing how my heart can be so big that I can love not just one one but two kids. I can love them both at the same time. For knowing there’s always space in my heart to love another child. I’d like to think that my heart just got bigger and it got space for more hahaha!

Well, my heart is full. And I knew exactly what it means now.

Read more...

Forgetful Me

I thought I only forgot about Munchkin’s assignment. I also forgot Nanay’s death anniversary. If it wasn’t for my brother who sent me a message a day before, I could have totally forgotten about it. 

So my brother sent a message asking if I had any plans for Nanay’s death anniversary. I was dumbfounded after reading it. I almost freak out. Like what heck just happened to me? First, Munchkin’s assignment. Now, Nanay?

I’m so bad. Really really bad. I guess it’s the after-effect of anesthesia. I’m forgetting a lot of stuff lately. Important stuff that is. I can’t afford to be like this. You know, when you’re a Mom everything and everybody depends on you. I have to get my sh*t together or my family will crumble down. Tapioca is going to give me an earful and I am going to hate him for it. 

Sigh. 

Motherhood. Striving for perfection always when in reality perfect is not always what it is. Still we do what we have to do because no one else will do it for us. Even if you have house help. The decision, the planning, the execution, everything is always going to depend on me. Yes, me. Oh my life. Mommy life. 

Oh mother dear. I totally get you now. I really do. I miss you Nanay. I wish you were still here but I know you’re happy where you are. 

Read more...

New Reusable Plastic Food Containers

I've stopped buying disposable microwavable containers. I used to buy them a lot to store our leftovers. A long time ago (when they just started to appear in supermarket aisles) those clear plastic containers can last for months. Sometimes even years if you take good care of them. It would take a lot of usage and a lot of nuking in the microwave before it breaks and cracks. Sometimes they just start to disappear in the cupboard because we’re using it to store take away food for guests when hosting parties at home. 

But that has changed. I bought them. I used them. But it wouldn’t last anymore. I’m practically annoyed to find the lids barely closing to seal the food properly. And I don’t like it when it happens. Because it means one thing. Food spoilage. Food contamination. Uh-oh. Never a good thing. Not in my household. Even if I buy those with brand names, they are all the same. They just break so easily now. They are living on its name - disposable. 

So I started a hobby (lolz) of buying different brands of plastic food containers to see which one would last. To find which I would be able to replace my disposable microwavable container with. After a couple of years of hunting and experimenting, I’m happy to report that I have found them. Yippee!!!

Behold my new containers . . .

 . . .  reusable plastic containers

stack 'em up . . .

Errr, I know they are pretty ordinary. But they serve the purpose. And most importantly, they are cheap. Php20 each from a local seller in the market. These are being sold at Robinson supermarket for Php28. That is a really big mark up, Robinsons!!! Imagine if I buy 10 pieces then that’s a Php80 difference! I guess the price can even be less if I buy in Divisoria or Baclaran (Update, update!!! I was wrong. It's still cheaper at the palengke). 

 . . .  brand spanking new

My point now is really, plastic is cheap. There is really no point in buying expensive plastic ware (Hello Lock&Lock!). Unless they’re on sale, then ibang usapan na yan because eventually they will all break. What I’m trying to say is you get what you pay for. I’m not expecting them to last forever. Duh, nothing lasts forever, okay? 

So let’s make a comparison: 

Microwaveable container 

Price: Varies depending on brand but average would be Php10 each. 

Life span: 1 month or less before the lid started to loosen up and crack.

High end containers 

Price: Varies depending on brand. But for the purpose of this blog post and me being the cheapskate, let's consider a higher end/branded container that was on sale. Probably between Php50-200.

Life span: After 2-3 months of usage, lids still intact and no crack but discoloration/scratches started to appear.

My new plastic container 

Price: Php20 for 250ml, Php30 for 500ml and Php40 for 1 Liter

Life span: After 2 months of usage, the lid is still intact with a little discoloration and scratches. Another 1 or 2 months of usage and some of the lids started to crack but still usable.

pile 'em up . . .

Can you see the difference?

With just a few more bucks from the disposable kinds, these are (if not) close to pwede na for our leftover storage containers. 

I guess those high end/branded plastic containers you pay for the design, quality and of course the name of the brand. Still, it’s not susceptible to breakage. 

In my opinion, these new containers I got were so sulit and I love them!

Read more...

Stress . . . Again and Again

Hello. Long time no post. Been very busy and stressed lately because of recent changes at home. How do I begin?

Last week, the Munchkin got sick. It started with bouts of cough, then colds, and a full blown fever that would shoot up in the middle of the night. Pumpkin caught the bug too but it subsided after constant breastfeeding (I love breastfeeding!). 

Munchkin had her school activity scheduled last Saturday. They were given costumes as Igorot. Then I borrowed some necklaces from the office. It was originally used as an accessory from an activity in our office called Junk to Funk. It was made from recycled materials and it matches Munchkin's costume which was awesome. 

As I was saying, Munchkin was not feeling well after days of dance rehearsal at school. She's been absent for a few days but come Saturday, the day of her school activity, her fever was gone. I was quite hesitant then whether I should bring her to school or not but since we're already prepared . . . you know, the costume and all. 

I also ordered kakanin (puto and biko) for that day. I told myself we will just drop  the food at the school and leave. 

. . . special biko made by the nanny

Then I figured if we were just dropping by, we might as well let Munchkin go with us in her costume. Sayang naman kasi her costume and the necklace that I borrowed. We can have some pictures taken as souvenirs for her very first Linggo ng Wika. Except we will not let her join the dancing activity. Tapioca and the Munchkin agreed. However, when we were at the venue, she got upset and insisted on joining her classmates. She terribly wanted to dance. She was so excited as if she was not sick at all. 

What happened next was not what I was expecting. We did not finish the program and headed home to change. Munchkin’s fever was back again. And it was even higher than the last time. We have to go to the hospital. Pronto.

me and the little munchkin in her costume . . . 

It was a payday weekend so traffic was terrible. Booking a Grab car was such a pain. Thankfully, her pedia accommodated us despite it was already his clinic's after-hours. After examining her, we were advised for confinement due to fever of 4 days and no improvement even when Munchkin was taking antibiotics. 

This was us over the weekend.

. . . at the hospital - parang staycation lang, huh? :)

snuggle time with mommy . . . 

Pumpkin was left at home with the nannies. He was also feeling under the weather. Tapioca had to stay at the hospital while I went back and forth from the hospital to our home. I had to stay home because I needed to feed Pumpkin. 

. . . feeding the little guy

After spending so much time with her Daddy, the Munchkin started to miss me. One time she cried because she wanted to go home with me. Awww my heart melted. 

Then this week, Pumpkin’s nanny left. This has been planned in advance and we already got a replacement. But the timing was still off. I was running errands going back and forth to the hospital and I still had to train the new nanny. Not to mention Pumpkin still needs to warm up to her which will take some time.

So tell me, what is STRESS?  Life of a mom. My life. 

Read more...

Eatigo Is The Future

I was so happy with our dinner from Shi Lin last month that I decided to make a blog post about Eatigo.

. . .  congee with century egg - one of the many food items we ordered from shi lin

By the way, this is not a sponsored post. Just paying it forward because I was very satisfied with the app. Well, I’ve been a long time satisfied customer however I only get to realize that now. I am thankful because it made dining out possible for us with a tight budget.

I’d  like to share my thoughts about it and why I think this is our future - in dining out. 

I joined Eatigo last year upon seeing their ad on Instagram. What caught my eye was the 50% discount for my favorite restaurants like Ramen Nagi, Providore, some 5-Star hotel buffets, etc.

Another thing that enticed me to join is because it's free.

You might think this is too good to be true, right? So what’s the catch? Of course, there is a catch. The 50% discount offerings are available only during off peak hours. It means having meals at 3pm in the afternoon. Too early for dinner, too late for lunch. It is still possible to make reservations during peak hours but you will not be able to maximize the discounts. 

There were times though when they offered a 50% discount for the entire day which includes select partnered restaurants. However, that only happens every once in a while so you have to watch out and be updated on Eatigo’s promos.

So anyway, I gave Eatigo a try. I was curious on how it works and what it’s like. My first booking was at a restaurant called Smoking Joint. Thirty percent (30%) off for an early lunch at 11am. Our experience was pretty awesome. Tapioca loves barbecue and he loved everything we ordered. We enjoyed our meal and had a good time. There was no fee whatsoever collected and the promised discount was granted. 

the fambam at smoking joint . . . 

After that, I did not try to make another reservation. Don't get me wrong. It's not because I wasn’t satisfied. It’s just that some of the restaurants of our choice, those that were on our radar and been wanting to try so bad were not listed in the app. 

Our family loves going out to eat. We would like to go to different restaurants whenever our budget and time permit. Some people go on vacation to de-stress. Eating out is our way of relaxing and a family bonding time. We don’t mind paying full price for as long as the food is awesome, service is good and price is reasonable. 

The dining scene in Manila has gotten so huge there’s always new restaurants to try. So eventually, I have forgotten about Eatigo.

Now that our scenario has changed, so did our eating out habits. Before it was just me and Tapioca. Then it was me, Tapioca and the Munchkin. Later on, we started to bring with us Munchkin's nanny. Munchkin now orders her own food. And the most recent addition to the family is none other than the little Pumpkin who joins us along with his nanny. In short, our family got bigger and it means a bigger food bill when dining out.

You can just imagine how important it is for us to score a discount. It is such a big help. It minimizes our dining out budget and we get to save A LOT. Fifty percent is pretty much A BIG DEAL. 

Another thing that I only realized now is that it is also possible to try new restaurants through Eatigo. Trying new restaurants does not necessarily mean the hottest or more popular places. Would you believe that some of the restaurants we tried in Eatigo were like so off radar we didn’t know they existed? I mean, if it wasn’t for Eatigo, we wouldn’t know how good they truly are! I would love to blog about those restaurants if I get to it.

You may think everything about these would only benefit the consumers or the diners. What about the establishments, the restaurants, what do they get in return? 

Eatigo aims to help not just the consumers but food establishments as well. Restaurants get full during peak hours yet less people are dining in during off peak. The thing is, even if there are no diners, restaurant owners still have to pay their employees. They still have to pay rent, electricity and so on and so forth. They also keep perishable items that need to be consumed before they go bad.

Anyway, the point here is that Eatigo is encouraging diners to take advantage of the discounts and make adjustments and plan ahead when dining out. This would help them regain their losses during off-peak hours.

Not only that but as you know, peak hours are the most stressful. Too many diners fighting to get a table. Servers busily running around to serve food. Sometimes food gets switched or quality gets compromised. I have lost count of the number of times I've been to a restaurant packed full of people where the stress level is high. Everyone is stressed. The servers, the staff in the kitchen and diners bitchin' around because they're tired, hungry and their food is taking too long to be served.

Of course, this is just my opinion. I know every restaurant would love to serve as many customers as they can. More customers means more profit. I get that. But as a consumer, I really hate fighting for my table or for my server's attention.

I am aware that this will take some getting used to. I know that there are times when you just want to have an impromptu lunch or dinner. Again this is a matter of planning ahead and getting used to a new dining habit.

This in my opinion works better for me and my family. As a diner, I often get turned off when I have to fall in line for my food. It's just not fun anymore. Maybe when I was younger, I would never think twice and wait patiently for the next hottest table in the city. But that has changed. Instead of lining up, I will move on to the next restaurant with tables readily available. People with young children will understand this. Kids don't have patience, therefore we do not have the patience as well.

To be honest, I'm quite surprised that we're actually able to enjoy dining out during off peak hours. This is now our preferred time when we're eating out. There are less people and we have all the attention of the staff. And best of all we can take advantage of the discount from Eatigo's partnered restaurants.

If those are not good enough reasons to convince you to join Eatigo, then I don't know what else to say. Balakayojan. LOLOLOLOL!!!

Read more...

The Highs and Lows of Breast Pumping

It’s my second week of pumping breast milk. In that short span of time, I get to experience the highs and lows of pumping breast milk.

Obviously the highs are the times when I'm getting so much milk from a good let down. The lows are when the milk is not coming out no matter how hard I try and even if I pump longer.

My first high came last Friday. I could not believe it happening. After testing my electric pump and trying to build a milk stash without success (yes, you read it right: unsuccessful) I was so high from happiness upon discovering that I was able to pump 5-6 oz of milk in just a single session. Finally, I said. I was so smug I thought I got this milk pumping business at hand.

5 oz!!! finally!!!

Since I thought I had enough stash for Monday, I stopped pumping during the weekend. I mean I will be at home all day. Pumpkin and I will do direct feeding. I get to rest my pump and the messy business of pumping, cleaning, washing and sanitizing feeding bottles and pump parts.

. . . pumping milk at the office

almost 6 oz this time! hooray!

Then came Monday. I was unable to get a successful let down. Oh -uh! That means we will have to supplement with formula. That thought wasn’t appealing but I would rather have Pumpkin had formula than for him to starve. There goes my pumping lows. It was so frustrating I wanted to quit.

But quitting is so easy to do. If I quit, that means we need to give more formula to Pumpkin. And I might lose my milk supply entirely. No more bonding time thru direct feeding because no more milk to supply. That’s not what I have set my heart for. That’s like throwing everything I have started and invested in. I am thankful I have a supportive husband. I am not quitting yet. Way too early.

I love breastfeeding. I love the fact that I can give my son the best milk even though I’m back to working again. So yeah, I am not quitting. The battle is not over. Not yet. I will keep on pumping even if there’s just too little milk coming out. Even if there’s no milk coming out. I will fight. For you my little Pumpkin. This is the sacrifice I make. The decision I made. The choice is always mine. And I choose what I believe what’s best for you and me.

. . . just look at that cutie pie, mommy will never give up.

Read more...

New Phone Cases I Got From Lazada

I got a new phone courtesy of Mama R! Well, it's not really new but a hand me down. So now I need a new phone casing that will suit my personality.
Lately, Tapioca has been enjoying online shopping much to my dismay. He knows I hate online shopping. The thought of getting low quality or worse counterfeited items scares the heck out of me. I mean, I am okay with online shopping especially for hard to find items. But then I noticed his shopping habits were going way too far. It's getting as far as buying stuff that can be found at the mall or getting unnecessary items for no reason at all. Just because he wanted it and he can afford to waste money on it. Why oh why?

His favorite site to shop right now is none other than ta-dah! LAZADA.

I know, not so surprising at all. Lazada is getting all the rage these days and I'm the only one who cannot comprehend. Truth be told, there were those times when I was actually surprised on how Tapioca was able to shop for hard to find items at a cheaper price.

Not to mention, it’s very convenient. Just a few clicks on your phone and wait for the delivery guy to show up at your doorstep. Delivery fee is also reasonable.

With all the pros I still find online shopping not for me. I like to see, feel and touch the items I wanted to purchase before handing out my money.

But then this new phone came. I needed a new phone casing ASAP. With a new baby who’s exclusively being breastfed, I find it difficult to go to the mall and shop around since I need to lug my little pumpkin with me all the time wherever I go.
And this is how I came to understand the hype on Lazada. Convenience is what exactly I needed. Tapioca showed me all the phone cases available online and I just went gaga! I wanted all of them! There were so many cool and gorgeous designs to choose from. And the prices, the prices! Really cheap!

Uh-oh there comes the magic word. CHEAP.

Read: China made. Quality might be compromised. Suddenly I got cold feet.

Tapioca assured me that there is still legit merchandise online and that we just have to check reviews. Anyway, it’s cheap and I have nothing to lose. So I gave online shopping a try.

. . . here's the lazada package!

packed so well  . . . 

They're individually packed and come with foams and bubble wraps. I love how they were handled so well! I’m happy to report that I'm very satisfied with my purchase. Check these babies out!

. . .  my new phone cases!!! they're soooo ME!!!!

I actually wanted to get 5 of them but my conscience was telling me that I was being unreasonable. If I really wanted to get all of them then I needed to earn some moolah first. So I settled into 2 phone cases. These were my top picks. Once I returned to work and started getting my paycheck then I could go back to Lazada and buy the rest (which of course did not happen hahaha!). Yeah, yeah. There goes my Mommy guilty conscience. Motherhood certainly has this effect of making you feel guilty every single time. Wala na akong ginawang tama. Bwahahaha! That's crazy me talking.

Read more...

Shi Lin - Greenbelt

It's almost over. My 105-day maternity leave. We are still looking for a new nanny so good luck to us. Our funds are depleting but I told myself I deserve a good meal. Something I did not prepare or cook. This is how I de-stress. Food binge.

I know it's not right and very unhealthy, especially when you're getting old and all. But my mental health is more important right now. Healthy eating can wait.

To lessen the guilt of spending too much money on food, we availed of a discount from Eatigo. Hooray! I think Eatigo and I will be good pals from now on.

We made a reservation at Shi Lin. Tapioca was so looking forward to it because it's Chinese, his favorite.

. . . the facade

We were a few minutes early for our reservation but they accommodated us right away. Although the restaurant was not full, they made all dining customers gather in this area close to the window. It's as if they wanted to say to everyone who passes by "Hey, look here! We're a full house coz our food is awesome!" They wouldn't let us transfer to another table considering we have a baby and a stroller.

If it wasn't for the Eatigo discount, I would have walked away. Like seriously! I guess this is the downside of dining when you do not pay full price. Luckily, the table behind us cleared out and I finally had room to walk and rock Pumpkin to sleep. Also, I was thankful they did not seat anybody at that table until we finished our meal. It's because they finally opened the area where we wanted to be seated originally.

Anyway, so much for that. Let's move on to the food. First to arrive on the table:

xiao long bao . . .

Tapioca approved. And so did the nanny. Though I must say, the skin was a little too thick to my liking.

. . . braised beef noodle soup

This was the nanny's order. It was super huge! We didn't expect it to be good for sharing. Tapioca liked the noodles. The beef pieces were freakin' soft and oh so tender! But then the soup was the total let down. It was on the sweet side. Also, it was served lukewarm. Unforch, we are not fans of sweet soup. But if you like the sweet kind like sukiyaki, then this one's for you.

hakaw . . .

This was just okay. Actually, I can't recall how it was. Perhaps I was busy taking care of Pumpkin when I ate them? I guess that's how forgettable these babies are. And that's bad considering I love hakaw.

. . . mapo tofu

Tapioca's choice. This was good but we had better.

shrimp and pork shaomai . . .

Aren't they pretty? I think they're the prettiest shaomai I've ever laid my eyes on. These were kinda big so you cannot eat them in one go. It had some soup inside just like xiao long bao. But, between the two? I'd still prefer the xiao long bao.

. . . salt and pepper squid

I'm not sure what happened to me but I have turned into a squid person. Every time I see squid/calamari on the menu, I just have to order it. Good thing it did not disappoint. I think it's better with fried rice but we didn't order any.

pork, salted egg & chorizo bun . . .

. . . the innards

This was super yummy. I'm not really into the bola-bola type of siopao but this was not your typical bola-bola. The meat filling was very flavorful and juicy. The salted egg wasn't overpowering. This kinda reminded me of the pan fried siopao we had from Lugang Cafe. It was Nanay's favorite so it goes to say that it reminded me of Nanay, too.

congee . . .

Jellybean's choice. This was the last to arrive. We thought they forgot about it. Once again, it came in a humongous bowl. Prolly good for 2-3 pax. No matter how good it was I knew for sure I wouldn't be able to finish it with all the other food we ordered.

Overall, we enjoyed our meal. So sulit the discount at half the price excluding drinks. It's just saddening that we can't take home the leftovers (Eatigo's terms and conditions). Well, technically we can. But if we take the leftovers home then we will have to pay them in full price. And that defeats the purpose of the discount.

I wish the waitstaff could have set our expectations. But oh well, we know better. Next time.

Or, could it be that they intentionally didn't really tell us? So we would feel guilty of having way too much uneaten food? Then we would have the urge to take it home instead and pay the full price? Whatever. Prolly just my mind playing what ifs. Lolz!!!!

Read more...

Wanted: Nanny

I've been unable to blog again in weeks despite me being at home all the time. It was because I was not in the mood to write. My mind was all over the place. My stress level was over the roof. I was restless and unable to sleep. It has been a month.

No, it’s not postpartum depression. I really don’t think so. It was because of our financial situation. I was out of money and I was worried about our pay. The bills, the rent, pumpkin’s vaccination, etc. They're all pilling up. It did not help that my maternity benefit got delayed. I cannot imagine what will happen to us if Meralco suddenly cuts off our electricity.

Sad to say but I was not able to enjoy the last month of my maternity leave because of money problems.

. . . photo from https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortinbras/220338247

Well, the good news is I finally received my maternity benefit so I’m here back again writing. That is something to ease my worries. But the bad news is, there's really no end to worries. Money problem was somewhat solved. I’m going to work soon. Then my expected nanny suddenly backed out. We are once again back to looking for a nanny. It's so frustrating. I guess there is really no end to challenges in life.

I am fervently praying that we get a nanny for Pumpkin soon. Please pray for us.

Read more...

Vocabulary Improvement

. . . photo from wired.com

I’ve been trying to write blog posts again since I'm on maternity leave. Most of the time I had a hard time writing primarily for lack of time. When I finally have that precious time to compose my thoughts and start writing, I just find myself lost.

Lost in space, lost in my thoughts like there are one hundred and one things I wanted to share but don’t even know how or where to begin. I have created a few blog posts here and there and realized that I kept using the same words over and over again.

And it hit me. I’m having a hard time writing because my vocabulary SUCKS.

Come to think of it. When was the last time I read a novel? What was the last book I read? Hmmm, sad to say but I cannot remember. Was it prolly the Crazy Rich Asian or Fifty Shades of Gray? OMG. I think it was all the way from the time I was still pregnant with Munchkin. Five years ago. Half a decade ago. Such a long time indeed.

I guess it’s time to go back to reading books again, huh? I know I abandoned reading when I became a mom. It just frustrates me when it takes forever to finish a book. So for the longest time my reading materials were usually blogs who by the way are getting extinct by now. Sometimes news articles online and other times I read through threads from forums about parenting.

I really think it's about time to go back to my books. But the real question is, do I really have time to read? And if I do, I want it to be worthwhile. So the next question is, what can you guys recommend or suggest?


xjellybean74170

Read more...