Wifely Steps

1. Eat when you’re hungry.
2. When you’re cranky, take a nap. Things will be better upon waking up.
3. Don’t hold back excitement! Throw your hands up in the air and stomp your feet!
4. See the world from a different perspective by lying on the floor, or spinning around in many circles and then lying on the floor.
5. It’s more fun to eat with your hands.
6. Stop and smell the flowers, and pick up rocks, pull out grass, stomp in the mud…
7. Listen closely. You’ll hear the birds from a neighbor’s house singing and the silent humming of a plane from way up high.
8. Play pretend at least a couple of hours a day. To infinity and beyond!
9. Read a book upside down. Maybe it will tell a different story.
10. Play with your shadow.
11. Run barefoot as often as you can.
12. Stand your ground and say “NO!” (Not applicable in all situations. — Mommy’s note)
13. Never hold back laughter.
14. Don’t hold back your tears.
15. Go down slides more often, then go back up and slide down again.
16. Get off your butt — walk around more, explore more.
17. Clap your hands when good things come your way.
18. Don’t talk to people you don’t feel like talking to.
19. Bring a toy with you everywhere you go. You never know when you need to up your happy quotient.
20. Never leave home without snacks.

My toddler. My mentor.

What do you do when waiting for friends at a restaurant sitting on top of a gourmet shop? Why go shopping of course, then go snacking on your shopping finds.

I was waiting for two friends at Terry’s, ready for our lunch date (Read “Holiday lunch at Terry’s”). Since I was half an hour early, a trip to the gourmet shop was a worthwhile distraction. While there, I stumbled upon two chocolate bars that had HOLYFRIGGINGOODNESS emblazoned on them. Okay they didn’t. But dude, that could have been true. I mean, white chocolate with strawberries and dark chocolate with ginger? Come on!

Blanxard Chocolates. Handcrafted. WHUT? I’m not a fan of white chocolate but this bar called out to me. Don’t strawberries make anything more delicious? A friend raved about ginger chocolate before, so I had to try the other. Each bar cost around Php265.00 or Php275.00 (I forget). Since it was the holiday season, I decided to splurge. Sorry, waistline!

Classic white chocolate with strawberries is heavenly. This is the only white chocolate bar I’ve ever enjoyed. It was creamy and sweet, but not cloying. Perrrrfect.

I was a little more wary with this exotic chocolate. Ginger and chocolate is a new combination for me. I liked the kick that the ginger bits gave. It’s like the sweetness and bitterness of the chocolate would play in your tongue then WHACK! There comes the sting of the ginger. I liked it, but not as much as the white chocolate with strawberries.

In a nutshell: Blanxard’s Dark Chocolate with Ginger made me want to reach for a glass of red wine. Blanxard’s White Chocolate with Strawberries made me want to change into my pajamas.

Which one do you want to try first? I got these chocolates from Terry’s Selection in Pasong Tamo. Terry’s also has a gourmet shop and restaurant at Podium, Ortigas.

I’m a Windows girl. Yup. I admit it. I’ve been a PC girl my whole life and I don’t think that will change anytime soon. I’m happy with my Acer laptop, my Windows 7 and Microsoft Powerpoint. I have a Ph.D. in Microsoft Powerpoint. Seriously. Go ask my boss!

My three morning essentials: Coffee, pastry and my laptop

Microsoft products have made my life as a WAHM (work-at-home-Mom) a lot easier. My laptop and I are inseparable, whether at home or when I’m working at a virtual office (a.k.a. a coffee shop with no kids running around). Windows is a huge part of family life — from organizing documents to entertaining my kid. Office has been integral in helping manage my professional life – from freelance writing to consulting. I’m a bit OC (obsessive-compulsive) with the way I file my documents and prepare my presentations, so I think I’ve met my match with Office. I personally believe their technology can be empowering and is a great vehicle for channelling creativity. The greatest thing about it also is that it’s not that hard to learn That makes for better productivity and faster output. I get to spend more time with the baby. Yey!

My toddler watching family videos on my laptop

If you too have been looking for a vehicle that can help you manage your work load at the same time keep you entertained and connected, then now is a great time to buy a PC for you and the whole family!

I think it’s a great time to flex more WAHM muscle with a new Windows 7 PC. Go ahead and try it yourself.

*This is a sponsored post.

If you want to jazz up some plain chocolate cupcakes, here’s a quick and easy way to do it.

Split the cupcake into two layers. Smother the two lower layers with cream (you may opt to whip in sugar), then add a layer of strawberries. Put the middle layer on top of the bottom layer, then place back the cupcake top. To up its pretty quotient, sprinkle confectioner’s sugar (also called powder sugar or icing sugar) over the cupcakes. This is how my sister did it.

I’ve also done this before with mamon (Filipino spongecake). In the absence of chiffon cake, mamon is a quick way to make a delicious strawberry shortcake too! You know what will make that mamon strawberry shortcake even yummier? Freeze it a little bit before eating. It’s sinfully indulgent.

This is a quick way to make plain cupcakes and spongecakes exciting. It’s a great go-to dessert when you have surprise guests over. Instead of serving them the same old cupcakes or the same old mamon, try this instead. Don’t forget the confectioner’s sugar. It makes any dessert look even yummier!

How would you give chocolate cupcakes a second life?

We met in 1994. Squatted in the college quad our freshman year till we established our own hangout place under a huge tree surrounded by benches. We may have carved our group name’s initials on that tree. When it rained, our spot was the second set of steps by the library. Thesis and projects (maybe a relationship or two) would make one of us disappear for a couple of weeks, but we’d always resurface at those same spots. We experienced a lot of firsts with one another, including stepping on a snail while drunk (it was an accident!).

17 years ago, we were all hanging out under that tree (and may have experienced a fallen higad or two). We’d be cramming for tests, singing to whoever’s on the guitar (or with whoever wanted to sing acapella), doodling in our barkada’s logbook (a real live group blog!), arguing (sometimes), and laughing (lots of times). Unlike relationships with then-boyfriends and then-girlfriends, we stuck to one another all throughout college, and way after college.

It’s 2012, definitely way after college. The bonds stay present, the bonds stay strong. I don’t know if that tree or the steps are still there. We don’t need that tree or the steps to make us feel like we’re still in college anyway. Put us anywhere together and it’ll be the same old us (give or take a couple of pounds).

Rowie. Amy (Ordo’s wife). Ordo. Me. Raffy. Anj. Bok. Caths (Ganns’ wife). Ganns. Karen. Not in the picture: Chiqui (New York). Erik (Baguio). Jonas.

I wanted to end this blog entry with some cheesy friendship quote, but I couldn’t find a saccharine one that captured our group’s relationship. I found this instead:

“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.” — Bernard Meltzer

You don’t get to 17 years without a couple of cracks. Heck, even if one of us eggs breaks we’ll stick by one another. Check us out in 17 years and I just know we’ll still be together, cracks and all. Yep, my friends are a bunch of good eggs. They’re the best eggs I know. <3

Are you a salmon and tuna sashimi lover? You gotta try this bowl from Kimono Ken — the Tekka Shakedon. Mmmmm.

For Php300, you get a bowl of steamed rice topped with six delicious slices of salmon sashimi, six yummy slices of tuna sashimi, a dollop of wasabi and pickled radishes. It is yummeh. I couldn’t finish the whole thing thing though. This also comes with a bowl of Miso soup.

You can opt to have it all salmon or all tuna sashimi; I just can’t remember if there’s a price difference. Next time I’ll get all salmon. Finish this off with a cup of hot house tea and you’ll be one satisfied eater. Burp!

Check out Kimono Ken’s list of branches at munchpunch.

If you’re a cereal lover, you just might fall in love with this ice cream. Tasting like the milk left over from a bowl of cereal (complete with matching crunchy and soggy cornflakes), this CornFlake Milk ice cream from Sebastian’s is delicious. It did make me feel like I was eating breakfast. Get me the morning paper, some coffee, let me wear my pajamas and yup, it whisks me back to breakfast time.

The CornFlake Milk ice cream tastes exactly like the milk in a bowl of cornflakes after they’ve been swimming for a couple of minutes. As my sister pointed out, it does not taste like milk ice cream with cereal bits. Nosiree. It really did taste like a bowl of cornflakes. The ice cream becomes even more like breakfast because there are crunchy bits of cornflakes in a scoop. “Crunchy cornflakes steeped in milk” is how Sebastian’s describes this ice cream. We’re a family of cereal lovers, so tasting this ice cream made our toes curl.

According to Sebastian’s, this flavor was inspired by a visit to the Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City. (Ah New York, you beckon me again.) Looking at their menu, I saw that they sold soft-serve cereal milk and cereal milk by the jug. Yum. Thank you Sebastian’s for bringing this flavor to Manila!

Guess who else enjoyed this ice cream?

White spoon at the center — mine. Orange spoon — the toddler’s. Pink spoon — my sister’s. Yup, the three of us dove into a single scoop. Guess who ate most of it? If you picked the one with the orange spoon, you got it right.

A single scoop is Php100, double scoop is Php180. I enjoyed this so much I’m definitely going back to Sebastian’s to order not just a scoop or two but a whole pint. This is a keeper in the freezer! That is till my sister and toddler discover it. Let’s keep this secret between us.

Sebastian’s can be located at Podium Mall (4th floor), The Block (3rd floor) and COLD COMFORT Ice Cream Parlor (SM Mall of Asia, New Entertainment Mall, 2nd Floor). Check out their Facebook page here.

Food is yummier to eat when it looks cute. Then again, it could be too cute to eat. I guess it would depend on how much rumbling your tummy is doing!

Happy Sunday!

Sources: Pinterest. Observando. littlebearawr. hallucinate. an_pics. justbesplendid. justbesplendid. huffmans. inku-loves-you. observando. i-whipmyhair.

“You’d be surprised how many ways I change on different colored days!”

Choosing colors is one way to explain feelings and moods with little ones. Dr. Seuss’ “My Many Colored Days” is one of my favorite concept books to read with my toddler. This book assigns colors to moods, complemented by catchy rhymes.

“There comes a Yellow Day. / and weeeee / I am a busy, buzzy bee.” As you turn each page, you’ll be delighted by gorgeous paintings and whimsical lyrics.

I love that the book acknowledges that there are good days and there are lousy days. Whatever you’re feeling on any day, there’s a color to capture your emotions.

Can you guess what emotion green stands for? This is my toddler’s favorite page. He loves the big green fish! As for me, busybee Mommy loves the yellow page! If only I could blow up that spread and paste that image above my workspace.

You can use this book to ask your child what color he is today. You can also ask him if there are any colors that are not in the book. It’s amazing how these lighthearted illustrations are a great springboard for creative discussion.

The board book has very sturdy pages. Get this one for younger kids! The images are so colorful and playful that they would want to touch the pictures again and again.

“My Many Colored Days” is for kids ages 2 and up. My son has been going through this book since he was seven months though! He’s two years old now and still gets engaged every time he reads it. It’s definitely one of our favorite family books.

This book is a beautiful celebration of colors and feelings. It teaches kids of all ages that there may be days when we’re grey with boredom or down and brown, but there are also days when we’re buzzy yellows and free-thinking pinks! Then there are days when you can be a jumble of colors! No worries though because “it all turns out all right, you see. And I go back to being . . . me.”

What’s your color today?

Thank you Little Steps Hong Kong for handpicking Wifely Steps to be one of their Top Mom/Dad Blogs in Asia! When I got the heads up from Shea Stanley, founder of Little Steps Hong Kong, I was over the moon! It’s this blog’s second time to be on Little Steps’ Top Parenting Blogs list, so I feel doubly blessed. The husband is particularly proud, and the toddler gave me a reward by not putting up a fuss before bedtime. Whew.

“Little Steps is thrilled to announce our 2012 Regional Blog Partners! These in-the-know Moms and Dads have been handpicked by Little Steps as Top Mom & Dad Bloggers offering regional insight into parenting and playing with kids from Hong Kong to Australia and beyond. Meet them, read them, and welcome them to our ever-expanding community of go-to parents.”
- Little Steps Hong Kong

I’m mighty proud to be on this list of awesome blogging Moms and Dads! Click on the links to get to their blogs:

RAWTHENTIC FOODS: Hong Kong, China SAR

GLAMOMAMAS: The Philippines & Regional

BABY LOVES TO TRAVEL: Dubai, UAE and Global

LITTLE NOMADS: Australia (Daddy Blogger!)

BBBABYBUNDLES: Hong Kong, China SAR

A MATTER OF TASTE: Bangkok, Thailand

OUR EVERYDAY THINGS: Singapore

THE SAVVY MUMMY: Singapore

MUMMY IN A STRANGE LAND: Hong Kong, China SAR

MOTHERINC.ORG: Singapore

MAMAPUMPKIN: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

CHILDHOOD 101: Australia

PLANNING WITH KIDS: Melbourne, Australia

THE ROCK MOM: Hong Kong, China SAR

EDUNLOADED: Singapore (Daddy Blogger!)

THE J BABIES: Singapore

NUTRITIOUS N’ DELICIOUS: Hong Kong, China SAR

DADDY NIVLEK: Singapore (Daddy blogger!)

Little Steps is a free email newsletter and website that is devoted to delivering the inside scoop on what to do, buy, and discover in Hong Kong and beyond. I’m honored that they once again chose Wifely Steps to be part of their amazing list of bloggers. Thank you Little Steps!