A Reward for Myself

My daughters said they want to give me reward for being a great supermom. They know that I am not really into shopping and other material things. But I love going to spa and get myself some nice hair and skin treatment. Which lady would not want that? Since, we have other priorities and things to spend on, that's the last thing on my mind. But my daughters were thoughtful enough to give me gift certificates for microdermabrasion. Thanks girls!

Learning Habits of My Kids

My kids love studying. When they were younger, they voluntarily do their home works and study their lessons at night. As a mom, I make sure that they get proper lighting when they are reading so that it won't strain their eyes. A nice desk lamp would help them concentrate better. If you need discount lighting fixture, simply visit lightingshowplace.com, where you can get quality and affordable desk lamps and other lighting fixtures.

2009 Kid's Kitchen Camp

Do you want to instill the love of cooking to your kids? Then joining the San Miguel 2009 Kid's Kitchen Camp would be a good idea for your little boys and little girls. Check the poster below for more details:

Acne During Teenage Years

Severe acne breakouts during adolescent years can cause a great deal of embarrassment and stress. My daughters were lucky enough to not experience this but I know a daughter of my friend that suffered from acne. Acne is more common among teenagers, however, it can also affect people in their 20's. There are skin treatment and regimens recommended by dermatologist to cure acne. The root cause of acne is not fully known. However, it is often linked to factors such as genetics, stress and hormones. Remember that what works for others may not work for you. So, it's best to visit your dermatologist to help you with this skin problem.

May, a Month of Celebration

Next month, I have a lot of family and close friends that will be celebrating their birthdays. That would mean I would busy attending family gatherings. Being able to connect with family and close friends is something I truly enjoy. I come from a big family, so I would again see some of my nieces and nephews that I haven't seen for a while.I wonder what would be the wine of the month.

Bedwetting Solutions for Toddlers

Do you wake up at night and find that your toddler's baby bedding is wet? Bedwetting can be a source of frustration to both kids and parents alike. However, I do not think that it's proper to scold little kids over something that they cannot fully control. I control the amount of liquids I allow my kids to have after 6pm. I make sure to put them to potty before they go to bed. Also, don't go crazy about it. It's normal for toddlers. They just need to be trained.

Things My Kids Do That Make Me Happy

My kids makes me happy in a lot of simple ways. I am blessed to have good kids. They truly make motherhood a wonderful experience for me. Here are some of the things that my kids do that makes me happy.

- Telling me that I am such a great mom.
- My girls asking me to go shopping with them.
- Receiving a text from asking me how my day is going
- Helping with the household chores without being told
- Telling me to take a break and just relax
- Getting good grades at school
- Giving me compliments with my cooking
- Opening up to me about anything that bothers them
- Keeping me updated with what's happening in their own social circle
- Never failing to say I love you

I'm such a Happy Mom. ;)

Next Stop: Pagudpud

My family is planning to have a beach getaway. We agreed to go to Pagudpud. This place is a haven for tourists! Who can resist the gleaming white sand, clean water, and the beautiful sunset of Pagudpud?

The question is, are we going to drive on our own or take the bus (or plane )to Laoag from Manila. We are still on the planning the stage. Now that we have chosen the place, the next thing would be to consider the budget, plan how to get there and where to stay. I am hoping there would be some readers out there who would drop by my blog and give us some tips. How about tips on getting free hotel rooms? Now, that would be a super nice treat. :)

Weekend Malling

Here's some cool trivia: Three of ten the largest malls in the world are in the Philippines. Yes, malling is a part of the Filipino lifestyle. There are few malls that are situated a few minutes away from where we live.

Since it's very near, my family spends time at the mall mostly during weekends. The good thing about being a stay-at-home mom is that I have the chance to go to the mall on weekdays when there are less people. Crowded places drains my energy. When my kids are younger, I can't have a peace of mind bringing them to the mall when there's just too many people. Usually, there are more people on weekends and paydays. lol But of course it helps if I know that the mall has wireless security systems.

Comparison of Traditional and Progressive Education Models

Parents wants the best for their children especially when it comes to education. For those who are looking for answers whether their children is more suitable for traditional or progressive schools, here's a comparison chart of traditional and progressive school education models. Simply click on the table below:

source: http://www.edaction.org/2003/031121.htm

Summer Vacation

I think every kid loves summer vacation. Finally, it's summer here in the Philippines. Although it can be very hot, there are a lot of activities that family and family can do under the sun. Summer enrichment programs are also being offered at different school and other arts and sports center. But if your family can afford to spend their vacation in other countries, then why not try Vegas. As early as now, you should book your reservations online and choose from their affordable Vegas hotels.

Banner Maker

Blogger, gives you the option to customize your own header. That means, I can change my banner to my heart's desires. I am not good with html or css, however, I found the perfect tool for creating my own banner.

The Banner Maker I am referring to is free. When I cam across the site, I experimented making my own banner for this blog. This tool is very user friendly that it only took me few minutes to come up with a banner for "In Retrospect". You can visit the site, puresilvabannermaker.com, if you want to create a banner for your blog.

I am partial to green colors and I love flowers to be the theme of my blog. This is what I came up with.

With Puresilvabannermaker.com, you can easily create a unique banner. Their tool has different design and styling options that you can choose from. You can also readily place your blog title on the banner. You have the option to choose different fonts, colors and sizes. They also have varied backgrounds to choose from.

Gifts for Kids

What gifts do you usually give kids? Kids love toys. I think most kids appreciate toys more than anything else. However, it's a must that we should look into what kind of toys we give small children. It's a no-no for me to give kids toys that promotes violence. Although a toy gun and robots are for innocent leisure time, I don't really think that it's something that helps kids' developments.

For my nieces and nephews, I usually give Lego building blocks on special occasions. This toy brings out the creativity in children. With the lego pieces, they are able to come up with things of different shapes and sizes.I would go for toys that stimulate the mind of a kid to think , explore, and be more creative.

Teaching Kids to Care for the Environment

Do you teach kids to be environment-friendly? It's important that they learn to care for the environment at an early age. I tell them to not throw their litter just anywhere. Sometimes, it can be annoying to see some people throw their trash on the sidewalk. It's more than annoying to see people who just throw their trash away through the car window at the middle of the street.

At home, it's a nice activity to teach them how to plant. It would be nice for them to see their little seed grow into a big miracle. One time, I brought my kids to a store and let them choose seeds they want so that they can plant in on our backyard. I was wishing I could grow plum trees too!

Spending Time on Forums

Aside from blogging, I also spend time on forums to share ideas with fellow mommies about parenting stuff. Lately, I was looking for more topics about preschools. My interest with progressive preschools started when my niece sought my help to look for a preschool for her son. Luckily, she was able to find a good progressive preschool that's within their area. The name of the school is Pail and Shovel Integrated School. Well, another topic which I sometimes look into is about diet pill that works. Haha, well, that's not related to parenting stuff but sometimes, I can't help but get curious about it.

Where Will You Spend Your Holy Week?

Where Will You Spend Your Holy Week?

Although, some people would prefer to use this time to go on a vacation and spend time on the beach, I prefer that my family stays home this Holy Week and reflect about life and our relationship with God. I am not perfect. I have an enormous faith in God, but sometimes, I falter too. The important thing is that my family continually work on their relationship with God and that repenting for our sins should be coupled with sincerity.