A Cozy New Look

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newdesign.jpgHow is the wide wide world of the blogosphere today? Good to hear that we all agree to disagree . While everyone was busy with a new soap opera in the blogosphere, I chose to putter around and fix my blog’s theme. Introducing my blog’s spanking new layout designed by Juan Karlo Licudine of pinoyblogero.com (of course I hired his services). My angel must have guided Karlo’s hands because the header design is awesome. My instructions for the drawing were “we’re a family . I am using my macbook and Luijoe is hovering nearby”. The header depicted the way I wanted it to be and even more. I love this Karlo! He made me virtually sexy. He even captured my husband’s white hair Haha.

I’m really happy with my blog’s cozy new look.

So yes, I’ve just been through a morass of feelings. I bet you did too. The good news is good feelings are here again. Actually good feelings can become a habitual part of our lives. I don’t have to allow others to make myself miserable and I dont have to make myself miserable. A good day does not have to be calm before the storm

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Showbiz Time For Happy Mommy Bloggers

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shoot4.jpg
While the rest of Philippine Blogosphere is rocking, let’s tune in to my dear friends , Cathy, Annamanila and myself. When I told Annamanila that we were invited for a MomWorks Special at the Lifestyle Channel (in Sky Cable) she balked. “Was this your idea?”

“Of course not!”, I answered back. I never got to ask the producers how they chose Cathy, Annamanila and myself. Cathy doesn’t know either so yes, Annamanila, it wasn’t a conspiracy.

I convinced her . “Treat it as an adventure, it’s something fun to do . Do something you’ve never done. Let’s inspire mommies to blog”.

Good thing Annamanila relented.

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Fam Pics: The Glossy Writing Table

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Every first monday of the month, Pinoy Moms Network members share photos through the Fam Pics project. This month’s theme is Glossy

writing tableA writing table for my adorable husband seemed like the perfect sanctuary for him at night. I wanted to situate it by the bay window in our bedroom so he can quietly surf with his laptop before he sleeps. My specification was Light walnut Flat finish. I paid the 50% downpayment of the list price which was 5,500 pesos at the Klapptstuhl, Inc. 3rd Level Market Market! Taguig City. The price is not bad at all. The quality of the furniture looked really fine even though I wasn’t sure if the wood is really hard wood. I could live with it though. My husband just needed a functional writing table in our bedroom.

Thirty days later, the writing table finally arrived.

I was horrified to see a glossy writing table. I demanded to know why they delivered a glossy table. The delivery man says “Madam, you said Not Flat”

“No I said Flat Finish. I find glossy finish so tacky. Let me look at the order form”

What do you know? The salesman noted my order like this:

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Staying Abreast: The Breastfeeding Filipina

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cross_stitch.jpgIf you visit my kitchen, the first thing you will see on my granite counter top is this green-lined frame with a cross-stitch design labeled “A Mother’s Heart is a Child’s Schoolroom”. I finished quite a collection of cross-stitch projects during those nurturing breastfeeding sessions with my babies. It stands there as a reminder to my children that I gave nothing but the best, that their first food was—breast milk. That memento rightfully belongs in my kitchen.

If I were a lactating mom in today’s hi-tech age, maybe I wouldn’t be cross-stitching. Perhaps I will be blogging on my macbook or designing breastfeeding advocacy websites. Breastfeeding was such a beautiful experience for me. During those breastfeeding times. I often caressed every single strand of my babies’ hair, each toe and finger. It’s a wonderful bonding moment that often took my breath away. I ignored my pediatrician when I refused the milk formula for Lauren. [tag]Breastfeeding[/tag] advocacy was not in place twenty years ago so our doctors often prescribed an infant formula before being discharged from the hospital. I held on to my belief that I could breastfeed. After all, breastfeeding is 90 % mental, emotional work and 10% physical. I focused on giving nothing but the best—breast milk.

I don’t blame you if you say that you had no milk during the first day. Perhaps, you were not aware that supply during the first few days after childbirth arrive in small quantities. It’s true, demand for breast milk is not that high yet for a newborn child. Our babies’ stomach is just as tiny as the tip of our thumb. The problem is the mom loses confidence and turns to the bottle. Naturally, any mom wouldn’t want their babies to starve. I don’t blame you. We didn’t know any better. Lack of awareness, family pressure, social taboos and popular misconceptions all contribute to why women are apprehensive to breastfeed.

Today, I heard the various breastfeeding advocacy groups in the The Barbizon Mommy Milkshake Marathon held at the Fort, Global City upon the invitation of GeiserMaclang. I had this warm fuzzy feeling as I witnessed the number of Breastfeeding advocacy groups that were present in today’s event. What a devoted group they are!

breastfeeding

““If you’re bottle-feeding with the excuse that you’re too busy and under the pretext that milk formulas have enough nutrients to produce the next Einstein anyway, think again.”

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How to Sustain the Filipina Woman’s Image Online Campaign

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filipinaHow to Reshape the Sexy Filipina Image campaign started a month ago. Around mid-July, my sister, Lorna, spoke up at WordPress’s WordCamp in San Francisco and told the 300-something participants about our campaign.

I told my fellow conference attendees about the google bombing campaign my sister, Noemi Dado, and her friends were undertaking to take back the word “[tag]Filipina[/tag]” online from its massive “dating and penpal websites” and put this word in a more balanced context. The loud applause caught me off-guard.

The bloggers liked the idea of the campaign and immediately approached my sister and chatted with her about taking back the word “Jew” online. (Google posted an explanation on the offensive results for the keyword Jew)

It’s inspiring other bloggers to start their own campaign. in the Philippines.

read more? (moved to its new domain, FilipinaImages.com)

Love & Relationship Advice

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keypalsTwelve- year old Lauren and a couple of her keypal friends started an advice column for their club members (Keypals Club) in 1997. I was looking at the now defunct site because Lauren told me to plug her new blog. I am sure that gives a clue to her new site. Before I plug it , let me show you that advice page which was started in 1997. Aww, her advice to this I have never had a boyfriend made me smile.

The age when you should start worrying about not having a boyfriend is when you’re 20. Now there’s a problem. Don’t mind those peeps that are shocked because you don’t have a boyfriend! Besides, if you have a boyfriend this young, chances are, you will have a million more boyfriends and getting married would be difficult because boys don’t like “playgirls” or a girl who has a billion boyfriends. Enjoy your youth.

That’s Lauren as a 12 year old. Almost ten years later, she worries that she will never find The One. Despite her fears, and a broken heart, she is using this humbling experience to help others in her new blog which she co-writes with her best friend, Kristel.

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Rehabilitation Activity Through Music and Dance: Philippines Thriller

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cebu thriller.jpgIf you’re a Filipino, you might have watched in amusement , This Youtube video of 1,500+ Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) inmates dancing to Thriller . When I asked my daughter if she’d seen it , her reply was “It’s so Pinoy”. Lorna, my sister thinks “Only in the Philippines” (read her entry ““Thriller!” – How Cebu’s CPDRC Inmates Rocked the World With An Awesome Rehabilitation Activity ). I am not surprised at this [tag]Thriller dance routine[/tag]. Maybe it’s Cebuano thing but I remember my parents always danced after dinner and we would dance along with them as well. Singing , Music and dance formed a huge part of my upbringing. I miss it so bad. Anyway, I digress.

The video reached more than a 2,300,000 views since uploaded by Byron Garcia ( Consultant on Security of the Cebu Provincial Government) on July 17, 2007 (originally uploaded last April) It’s so popular that ABC News picked up the story called Filipino Inmates do Thriller, Radio Gaga. The news covered reactions from Filipino-Americans as well as American counterparts in the criminal justice. One comment caught my eye:

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I Am Not Plastic

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not plastic project

I am not Plastic.

How dare I make such a bold statement when I just wrote about dedmahan in my last entry!

It’s true though, I am not plastic. My two daughters taught me about biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste segregation when they were about 4 years old. Remember how M cried when her ball rolled to the sewer? Thanks to Miriam’s College’ educational thrust on proper disposal of waste. So when Cathy invited me to her new business venture, I was excited for her and the business itself.

1. I am proud that she is a risk taker , venturing on a business that revolves around her bag passion. I am a believer of income diversification within limits. I mean one can’t just go to every single profitable venture. Financial independence is a long range goal to strive for. Go Cathy!

2. I love the catchy concept of “I am not Plastic”. Together with her two partners, their goal is to get Filipino shoppers into the habit of refusing plastic bags when they shop.

3. Lastly, this bag was sewn by marginalized women from Tandang Sora, Quezon City. By purchasing this bag for only 350 pesos ($8.00), one contributes to their livelihood.

I choose to make Make Mother Earth as part of my personal style . If you’re like me, you might want to know more about these bags at Cathy’s I am Not Plastic Bag entry .

The last few days has been one big adventure . I am lazy to write (but plan to write soon) some of these events so here are photos.

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Coming of Age Party

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rose_petals.jpg“Do you have rose petals?” The florist sounded a bit too excited when he asked “For your bed?”. I could have smacked the nosy florist but I took everything in stride. “No, it’s for my daughter’s hoity-toity grown-up party”. The nosy florist continued ” Oh she is scattering petals on the stairs”. Maybe this florist asks every customer what they do with their rose petals. He proceeded to narrate how a wife preferred rose petals strewn all over her house, over the thorny rose flower. Enough , enough. I need the petals now. The rose petals will serve as as floral decoration for the party tables. I patiently explained to the florist. For 100 pesos ($2.00) I got a sizeable amount of rose petals.

As usual, the stage mother in me was tasked to procure those rose petals while the daughter basked in the soothing wonders of the beauty salon. Not only is my daughter a creative writer, she is also a creative party events person. I bet she can make a career out of it.

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I remember how Lauren planned her 18th Debut party that was centered around a medieval theme. Even her 18th birthday invitation card exuded words that could make you chuckle. Most of all her debut didn’t cost us an arm and a leg . You will be surprised at the savings as compared to most debutante parties. What is most amazing is that the keyword “18th birthday party“, “18th birthday cake “, “18th debut” is sought most often from Google searches. It is no wonder the Google Adsense income has more than paid us back for the expenses. Isn’t that cool?

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Grief Counselling for Harry Potter Readers and Fans?

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I have not read [tag]Harry Potter Book 7[/tag] ( [tag]Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows[/tag] ).

There are rumors suggesting that one or more main characters will die. A grief counsellor claims that these deaths could cause a serious impact on children.

a “certified grief counselor” is using the release of Harry Potter’s final book to pimp herself to the media, under the guise of helping parents and children deal with grief over the death of fictional characters. Because deaths are rumored to happen in Book 7, the press release states “This could have a serious impact on children, millions of whom have grown up reading, watching and profoundly enjoying the characters and storylines of the Harry Potter series.”

Source: via Harry Potter Grief Counseling?

and this bit of news from the UK

Meanwhile, parents in Britain have been told to prepare for grief counselling. The media is warning that for many young readers, Harry’s death could be as devastating as the death of a best friend, pet or even a relative. The Daily Telegraph reported last week that even child psychologists are getting into the act. It cited American child psychologist Michael Brody who has come up with a three-point bereavement plan to help parents comfort their mourning children.

Source: Will Harry Potter live or die?

Really now? I read the news out loud to M and she just laughed. “Mom, I cried when the mommy dinosaur died in The Land Before Time movie. I was way younger . I turned out fine.”

I can only roll my eyes at the obvious marketing ploy of some enterprising grief counsellors. Children are very resilient. Children who have gone as far as Book 7 know the characters are just make-believe. They can re-read the book over and over again to digest the loss of their favorite character .

The question is when does a child need a grief counsellor or any kind of professional help? or what are the signs that a parent need to watch over their child when they are faced with a loss of a favorite story character, a pet or a friend or family member?

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