Monthly Archives: February 2012

Toddler game: Sockfuls of surprises

Want your toddler to stand still for twenty minutes? This is the game for you. It’s also the game to play when the weather’s grey outside and the toddler has gotten tired of all the things he can play with inside the house (this usually includes non-toys). It’s the WHAT’S IN THE SOCK? game!

All you’ll need is a bunch of clean socks and a couple of toys — one toy per sock. You then stuff each toy in a sock while the toddler’s not looking. That’s more difficult than you think!

When all six socks were stuffed, I gave them to the toddler to play with. He’s looking a bit wary in this picture. What Timmy did was he felt the sock first, trying to analyze why it’s bumpy and lumpy. When his curiosity got stronger, he put one hand inside a sock to feel the surprise. He had a lot of fun trying to peek into each sock before sticking his hand in. As each toy was revealed, he laughed and clapped his hands. It was like he had new presents!

While he was busy taking out toys from the socks, I gathered the toyless socks and re-stuffed them with toys I had hidden behind me. Keep the curiosity going and you’ll get a good twenty minutes of rest time while the toddler amuses himself with sockfuls of surprises.

Some surprise toys didn’t make him laugh. This was one of them. That’s Nico from Rio. When he saw the toy bird’s feet sticking out from the sock, he wasn’t too impressed. Okay, no more stuffing toys feet up from now on.

Keep the game going for as long as he’s amused! I was able to stuff other things like small books, a hair brush, a bottle of powder, a box of band-aids… It’s a lot of fun. We played this during a grey day last week, but we’ve been playing it everyday since then too. I’m running out of things to stuff the socks with!

The best thing about this game for Mommy is that the toddler stays still for those twenty minutes. That’s a huge relief. Timmy runs around A LOT. A WHOLE LOT. Twenty minutes of quiet time? That is most welcome! I better think of more things to stuff the socks with! Maybe you can give me ideas so I can stretch it to a whole hour of sock time. That’s wishful thinking, but hey, who knows what other surprises these socks can hold?

Lactacyd Baby Bath Baby Care Event coming up!

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My toddler’s been a Lactacyd user since he was born, so helping promote this awesome advocacy by Lactacyd is an honor. The Lactacyd Baby Bath Care Village is an event that promotes proper baby care and active parenting being key to a child’s holistic growth.

You’ve heard that “It takes a village to raise a child”, right? That’s what Lactacyd Baby Bath Baby Care believes in. For the past two years, the Baby Care Village Event reached key cities all over the country including Baguio, Pampanga, Davao, Cagayan De Oro, Cebu, Naga and different malls in Metro Manila. There are demonstrations on baby bathing techniques, talks on proper nutrition, breastfeeding and active parenting. There are also arts and music classes for children. The events take place at malls, villages and town halls.

YOU can be a part of it this weekend. This Sunday, February 26, the Lactacyd Baby Bath Baby Care Village will be at Robinson’s Place Manila Atrium.

Hey, maybe you’ll even run into these guys.

For more information, head on to Mums and Tubs Club, an online Mommy community that helps you learn more about the science of baby care.

Making Apple and Sage Pork Chops with a kit of dried herbs

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A set of pre-packed spices caught my eye at the supermarket a few weeks ago. McCormick’s Recipe Inspirations it was called. For Php 86.25, you get six kinds of pre-measured spices and a recipe. My sister and I picked the Apple & Sage Pork Chops set.

According to the package, that’s Rubbed Sage, Minced Garlic, Thyme Leaves, Ground Allspice and Paprika. You have to buy the rest of the ingredients for the dish. They’re conveniently listed at the back of the product.

What I really like about this product is that the dried herbs are pre-measured. I’ve had bottles of dried herbs go to waste because I’d end up forgetting about them being in the cupboard. Sometimes I’d have no recipe to use them for. This set of pre-measured herbs is super convenient for one who doesn’t want to go about measuring AND for one who wants to avoid ingredients going to waste.

What the hell is that?! That, my friends, is Apple & Sage Pork Chops. It’s a brown, brown, brown dish. Maybe some fresh herbs would have livened the plate up. Nonetheless, the dish was delicious. It was a good recipe!

We got this kit from Shopwise. My sister and I are thinking of getting the other McCormick’s sets and trying them out. Looks promising.

First a cupcake kit, now an herb kit for a pork chop dish. These kits are making kitchen work so much friendlier and more enjoyable, methinks!

Spiked tea on a rainy day

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A cloudy grey day calls for a cup of hot chocolate and an extra fuzzy blanket. Sometimes it shouts for a mug of steaming coffee. On some days like today, when the rain makes the air extra cold, there’s a drink that’s a far better match than chocolate and coffee. It’s tea. But not plain old tea. This one’s gotta be spiked. This day calls for a Hot Toddy.

How to make a Hot Toddy:
1. Steep tea bag in hot water for 5 minutes. Black tea is best. When done, take tea bag out.
2. Throw in two shots of brandy or whiskey.
3. Mix in a tablespoon of honey.
4. Optional: Add the juice of half a lemon. I didn’t have any lemons so I skipped this part! Maybe you can use black lemon tea too.
5. Stir well.

It is best to enjoy this spiked tea steaming hot. This tea is delicious, comforting and all kinds of lovely. The first time I tasted a Hot Toddy was back in 2008. I was nursing a very clogged nose and a Hot Toddy soothed me really well.

You can get hooked on this! The comfort level is wonderful, especially on gray rainy days like today. It makes for a great companion at my worktable too.

It’s so dark today. I’m tempted to make another cup. Maybe I should have another rendezvous with Hot Toddy, what do you think?

How a cupcake kit banishes baking blues and fears

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This is the cure for my lost baking mojo. Oh yes, I think I found it. Turns out that what I needed was a baking kit. Bright Bakers‘ tagline is “Banish baking blues” so isn’t that perfectly apt for a lost baking mojo? So apt, very apt. Baking intimidates me so that I still had to get the help of my baker sister to try this product out. Nonetheless, my confidence level got a little boost because of this experience. Thank you Bright Bakers for sending me this kit! Banishing baking blues? More like banishing baking fears!

Bright Bakers is a gourmet cupcake kit. It’s got most of the dry ingredients you’ll need for your recipe. I think this is great for baking amateurs like me. No need to agonize in the grocery over what kind of flour to buy or what to do with leftover flour! The ingredients are pre-measured and pre-packed. This kit is like your sous chef!

My cupcake kit was for the Warm Cinapple recipe. The recipe called for wet ingredients and apples, which you have to provide for yourself.

Apple cinnamon cupcakes are delicious, don’t you agree? I couldn’t wait to find out how the recipe would turn out.

I’ve always been pretty skeptical about packaged kits like this. But hey, the proof is in the taste of the cupcakes! I wanted to find out if the cupcakes would be good.

Ready to go in the oven now! Our only source of confusion was how hot the oven should be. The recipe says 175 degrees Celsius, but at home we think in Fahrenheit. After my sister did some recomputing, into the oven the cupcakes went for forty minutes.

We followed the recipe to the letter. What we didn’t follow was the frosting recipe. We’re a bit iffy about using egg whites from unpasteurized eggs in frosting, so my sister decided to do a glaze instead.

They’re not as pretty as frosted cupcakes, but what did I say about my skepticism on baking kits? The proof is in the taste. You want proof? I’ll try to give you proof!

The cupcakes were incredibly moist and delicious. I really enjoyed them! I would’ve enjoyed them without the frosting or the glaze. They’re that yummy.

Bright Bakers has two more flavors: Choco Blast (Moist Chocolate Cupcakes) and Going Bananuts (Banana Walnut Cupcakes). I know I’m trying Banana Walnut next!

Each cupcake kit comes with:
- Ingredients for a batch of 9 cupcakes
- A reusable box for your finished cupcakes (should you choose to present them as a gift or in our case, use them as storage in the refrigerator)
- Icing Ingredients
- Cupcake Liners
- A cupcake baking handbook
- A cupcake insert

Each box is sold at Php 350 but this Valentine’s season it’s at Php 300 per kit. If you order 3 kits, you can get them for only Php 750.

I super recommend this baking kit for:
(a) baking beginners (any age!)
(b) baking with kids
(c) those who don’t bake regularly (ex. if you don’t use flour or powdered sugar regularly, best to use these pre-packaged ones insted of buying a whole box and letting it go to waste)
(d) those who’ve lost their baking mojo (a.k.a. folks like me)

I’m not blue about baking but I am afraid of it. What I like best about this kit is that it takes the intimidation out of baking. Baking mojo — we meet again!

Do you want your own cupcake kit or want to learn more about Bright Bakers? Head on over to their Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/brightbakers) or follow them at Twitter (@BrightBakers). You can also order cupcake kits by emailing brightbakers@gmail.com.

Proof that Pinterest makes you productive

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If you’ve been on Pinterest, you know it’s a complete time suck. You’re giddy at all the pretty images you find for your future home or wedding, then panic later when the ten minutes you said you’d allot for Pinterest surfing has turned into a whole hour. Sometimes even more. I don’t blame you. Pinterest is addicting.

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. I liken it to Tumblr except this is more organized. I always have a fuzzy feeling when I’m on Pinterest. You gotta admit though, it doesn’t help make procrastination any easier to get over!

But here’s proof that Pinterest makes you productive. My sister was so inspired by a pin she saw that she just had to do it herself. RISE AND SHINE FELLAS!

Aren’t they cute? Bacon and eggs! But they’re not bacon and eggs… they’re white chocolate, yellow Nips and pretzels.

Cuteness! They were pretty yummy too. The saltiness of the pretzels is a great match with the sweetness of the chocolates.

See? Pinterest inspired her to get those creative juices flowing. Meanwhile, are you on Pinterest? Let me know!

Healthy eating tips you can learn from a toddler

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1. Eat only when you’re hungry.
2. Stop eating when you’re full.
3. Eat a lot of small servings a.k.a. eating the pica-pica way.
4. Don’t eat with the TV on.
5. No soda or sweet drinks.
6. Don’t stay seated too long at the table.
7. Chew your food very well before swallowing.
8. No junkfood.

Simple rules, right? Oh sometimes a crayon makes its way into my son’s diet or even a couple of Cheerios he found squeezed between cushions. Not counting those whammies, we can learn a thing or two about healthy eating from these kids. I sure fail on all 8! Which rule do you find hardest to follow?

Does motherhood stop you from fulfilling your dreams?

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A week ago, someone told me, “You can’t live your dream because you’re only a Mom.” My initial reaction was anger, then fury, then feeling peeved. After calming down, I realized that statement could be taken positively or negatively. It really depends on what your perspective is but for sure your reaction would depend on how the statement was delivered. In my case, it was the middle of a heated discussion and the other person was putting me down. I was deeply offended and wanted to lash out at him. All the witty comebacks I should have said came 24 hours after our conversation (don’t you hate it when that happens?!). I’m just glad I didn’t stick a fork in his eye.

It was superbly irritating, but frankly I thank him now for saying that. It just solidified my dream of being a mother. I thank him for saying that statement with such disdain, because it further crystallized my priorities. I dream big dreams for myself. But for now, I dream bigger dreams for my son. I know I will fulfill my own dreams someday, but for now, my son is number one.

Being a Mom does not mean I’ve lost sight of my personal dreams. I’ve parked them. They’re in the backburner. I will take them out when the time is right. I will live them and I will live them LARGE. For now, I choose to temper those dreams because I have another dream: to raise my son as hands-on as I can, while I can. I have other dreams: To be a career woman again. To travel. To establish a business. To publish a book. I have many, many, many more. Don’t put me down just because I’m not living those dreams today. Besides, who says I’m not paving the way for those dreams right now? I’m taking little steps towards achieving those dreams. You just don’t see it because I’m actualizing the biggest dream I have: to be that Mom who doesn’t miss on toddler milestones. This is MY dream. Don’t judge me or other mothers by the number of their dreams unfulfilled.

“You can’t live your dream because you’re only a Mom.” I’m convincing myself that it came from concern, but it was delivered with such vehemence that I felt so offended. DUDE. Why don’t you take care of an active toddler the whole day, burn the midnight oil till dawn arrives trying to augment your family’s income, catch an hour of sleep then live the day again? I’m sure you’ll fold. It looks a little crazy but I LOVE this life I’m living. I’m cherishing it for as long as I can because soon my son will go to school. Soon, he’ll be a teenager and won’t want to spend time with me. Soon, he won’t need me and I’ll have so much free time for myself I can actualize my other dreams. It’s called prioritizing. It’s called focus.

I have a lot of dreams, but the most important one is the dream I dreamed since I was a kid: To be a Mom. Being a mother means putting your kids’ needs before yourself. Being a mother entails sacrifice. Being a great mother means empowering your kids while not losing sight of how you can empower yourself. I think I’m doing a pretty good job at that. But I do need the support of good friends for being a mother is tough, very tough. Mothers source their strength not just from their little ones, but from the genuine support of good friends and family.

“You can’t live your dream because you’re only a Mom.” Is motherhood a barrier to my personal dreams? On a certain plane, it could look like motherhood holds women back from fulfilling their own dreams. That is if you want to look at it that way, if you choose to see it that way. I don’t see it that way. True, I’ve passed on socials because there’s nobody else to babysit my son. I’ve passed on work opportunities because it doesn’t fit my work-at-home lifestyle. When you become a mother, you learn how to say “yes” and “no” to certain events, certain socials, certain opportunities. One could interpret this as giving up, thus feeling defeated. Don’t. You’re worth more than that. Hold on to those dreams because who knows, they just might come true. Most times, you’ll have to adjust your sails because of changing opportunities, but that doesn’t mean you should stop being a dreamer. Have faith in yourself.

I’ve fallen off my horse a lot of times. I’ve sunk into a depression because the day-to-day gets overwhelming that it seems to squash all dreams. It’s nothing a good cry, a change in perspective and a warm hug from my husband couldn’t fix though. Today, I see my motherhood as the dream of all my dreams. All other elements in my life will have to adjust because this is the dream I dream. Don’t put me and my dreams down because I’m “only a Mom.”

I am a Mom. But I’m also not just a Mom – I am a woman with dreams, motherhood being the star of it all. I am proud to be where I am. I am proud of where I am going. Motherhood isn’t stopping me from fulfilling all the other dreams I have. Those dreams seem dormant, but they are silently taking shape. Let me surprise you someday. Motherhood is my enabler. Motherhood is fuel for all my dreams coming true.

Me and my toddler taking a leisurely stroll on a weekday morning. Dream come true!

Notes:
1. This isn’t the same friend who told me “You don’t do much all day, do you?” when he learned I was a stay-at-home Mom. Hmm. Maybe I should assess who I’m hanging out with.
2. I want to hear from you. How was motherhood held you back or propelled you towards realizing your dreams?