Posted by Mommy Woobie on August 25th, 2008 in Baby Basics, Baby Quirks, Family Quirks, Kids' Imagination, Mommy Thoughts
We all know about princesses and little girls, don’t we? Now that I am a mom, I am convinced that ALL little girls dream of becoming a princess someday, or even now believe that they are princesses who deserve all pink and fluffy things.
There is a section in any mall that spells P.R.I.N.C.E.S.S. out loud in bold, pink letters. In this section, the department store manager and sales people team up to turn little girls into royal princesses who simply MUST have that small royal chariot or that glittery wand. One of the most expensive items are the BIG dollhouses where small but detailed mini-furnitures are artistically arranged. These are what the little girls want most.
I have a son, but what am I doing in the Princess section? Why looking for princess things too, of course. Some of these dreams never really die.
Posted by Mommy Woobie on August 25th, 2008 in Mom Entrepreneur, Mommy Alert, Mommy Thoughts
One of the most lucrative business right now all over the country is the internet shop. Everyone now goes to the internet for research, mail, connecting with friends and making even more friends. The wealth of information now being converted to electronic data is vast, and entrerprising moms can cash in to this growing trend.
Here are my ideas on how to put up an internet shop.
1. Basic knowledge of cable and LAN operations, including the concepts of networking, the purpose of CAT5e cables, and others, basically how a computer works individually and in a network with other PCs.
2. A budget for stall/store put up.
3. A budget for at least 8 computers in a network.
4 A business type internet connection (very fast)
5. Manpower to help run the shop when you’re not there.
Moms who have computer savvy kids can save even more in terms of employee pay. Their kids could check the network for them, install software and code their promotion website. This hobby should not be limited to those who were born after 1985. Anyone who has a good business sense can put up an internet shop and be among those who believe in the power of globalization through information dissemination.
Posted by Mommy Woobie on August 24th, 2008 in Philippines
One of the stumbling blocks to just travelling is the fear of different places. I have been asked numerous times, and now again as the travel season starts, to act as a tour guide all over Manila by friends from the province.
For example you are a tourist from Northern Luzon and you want an itinerary comprising a few nights in Manila before going off to your destination out of the country. Here is a guide that I prepared just in case I can’t be your guide during your brief Manila stay (because of family obligations).
Whether you are coming in locally or from abroad, it’s impossible to get lost in Manila because you can ask anything from anyone in English and you’ll get a relevant answer… also in English. If you are a foreigner and may need additional prodding to come to Manila, here is a reason… Manila’s spectacular sunsets…
For people coming in locally from Northern Philippines, the best way to start (if you don’t have relatives to drive you to the city) is to go by bus. The bus company of choice is Partas. They have luxury buses with seats as big as a regular Lazy Boy, and just as comfy. My tip is to bring a big bag, but mostly empty initially (besides your basics). Your travels will fill it up with mementos and knick-knacks you pick up along the way. Once you get to the bus terminal in Cubao (Quezon City) or Manila, you can ask a cab to bring you to a hotel of your choice.
For a weekend stay, the prices could be fixed for a weekend package (3 days and nights). My suggestion is to avail of reasonably priced rooms in 4 star manila hotels (excellently compared and contrasted by hotelscombned.com). Why? It’s relatively cheaper than the bigger hotels like Holiday Inn, and some of these hotels are very near the airport.
Cab drivers are the best source of info on nice places to go to. They vary in quality and it is best to find out how others rate these cab companies. You can do that on this practical tips to manila page.
Posted by Mommy Woobie on August 21st, 2008 in Mom Entrepreneur, Mommy Alert, Mommy Thoughts
As a stay at home mommy, going to the gym every once in a while is easier said than done. Sure, we don’t have to go to the office daily, and we have more time to sleep, but planning an exercise regimen could be one of the challenges facing us. If you have self control and won’t let the pillow talk to you and entice you to lie down again, planning an exercise routine should be easy. Running is one of the premier WAHM (work at home mom) exercises because…
You can do it while everyone else in your neighborhood is preparing for work (no lane competition)
You can do it before you prepare your baby’s breakfast (and even before he’s awake)
It’s free, no gym memberships
It’s an excuse to go out (you don’t really get to go out often as a WAHM eh?)
No expensive gym equipments, just a pair of good shoes (those Clarks shoes look good).
It’s better than sex (Ok, maybe not. lol.)
Have fun!
Posted by Mommy Woobie on August 19th, 2008 in Baby Basics, Baby Quirks, Family Quirks, Mom Entrepreneur, Mommy Alert, Mommy Thoughts, Proud Mommy
When I first decided to leave my job and be a work at home mom for real, I was very scared. There’s a part of me that’s doubting everything I was doing. Until I opened one of my pregnancy books and started a prayer written there. Here’s a part of that prayer:
God, please do not let me miss those moments that I could have spent with my child. Let me carry him more often and feel his tiny body gently wrapped in my loving arms. For someday I will not have the strength to pick him up anymore.
It’s the small things that I share with AJ everyday. It’s holding him when he’s trying to sleep. And, being with him when he feels too scared (usually when one of his favorite TV characters get blown off in a cannon)… I don’t want to be too stressed to be with him anymore.
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Posted by Mommy Woobie on August 12th, 2008 in Mommy Thoughts, Pregnancy, Proud Mommy
In another life, I was carefree and relaxed. No one could tell me what to do. I was a brazen lady willing to take on anything, go wherever I wanted. I didn’t have toys thrown at me, before being begged to fix them one by one. In another life, I was myself in another skin.
Then one day, God said, “you deserve better” and I got pregnant.
My hair was no longer perfect, my butt grew bigger and I forgot that I wasn’t wearing lip gloss for the day. I’d lie exhausted in bed, with no time even to have sleep-induced dreams. Now I learned who chip was and who dale was… and that Donald Duck was not really a cartoon hero but a villain. I learned that swimming through life wouldn’t be too difficult if I wasn’t swimming for my life, but floating leisurely on my back towards contentment with my child on piggy back.
I no longer had the leisure to pursue endless trails of pixie dust, but now I’m quite sure those pixie dust thingies won’t measure up to the reality of spilled milk on my spotless floor.
The Big Guy upstairs knew his thing… this is way better.
Posted by Mommy Woobie on August 12th, 2008 in Mommy Thoughts, Philippines
I was researching a sponsor’s (Shasta Pools ) promotion when I chanced upon the businesses of my neighbors in the yellow pages. They own mini-resorts, which in our community, simply means more affluent families in the neighborhood renting out their pools and gardens to other families who don’t want to rush to the over crowded beaches to take a dip. They charge per head and the rates are higher for adults than kids in the past. Lately, however, the rates have balanced out because they decided to sell kid friendly supplies inside their mini resorts…. ice cream, kiddie sunscreen and kid’s sunglasses.
In the Philippine suburbs, neighborhood based businesses are not uncommon. Here and there you will see small stores being put up and maintained. Lawns converted into eating places and picnic spots. Those who have pools definitely have the monopoly of neighborhood business, but I can’t imagine the amount of cleaning and maintenance they have to put up with during off season.
Some more enterprising families hold swimming lessons during off season, and these work great. Some even have olympic gold medalists or known swimmers giving a short speech to encourage kids to swim competitively… putting star mom lights in moms’ eyes. Maybe their initiative and willingness to take on such youth friendly endeavors will inspire more moms to do their share of empowering these kids.
Posted by Mommy Woobie on August 12th, 2008 in Pregnancy, Proud Mommy
One of the things that scare a prospective new mom away is the pain of childbirth. My own best friend keeps asking me this despite the fact that she has asked me several times already. Did she really think the answer will change?
Yes, it is painful. Yes, it is bearable. No, it will not traumatize you too much that you will never make love anymore. Yes, it will make you feel more like a woman.
Yes, it will change you.
In silent moments of self-examination, I realize that most moms are kept serene during the whole of pregnancy and childbirth by the spirit of their unborn baby. What is absolutely terrifying becomes more of a lull during a busy day.
You become protected from the pain because your child’s will to live lifts you up beyond it.
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Mommy Thought: Maybe I will invest more on real lamps for bedlights, for the times when my son will keep a book to read way beyond bedtime. If he is anything like me, he will, for sure. And, I’m afraid that like me he will need to wear eyeglasses for the rest of his life.
Posted by Mommy Woobie on August 10th, 2008 in Baby Basics, Baby Quirks, Mommy Thoughts, New Mom Tips, Proud Mommy
I’ve been reading some mom’s magazines and stumbled on an article on self soothing. I had to smile and remember how AJ does it, only I never knew that there was such a term as self soothing.
When we go to parties and he feels so sleepy, I noticed that he pats his legs more often than when we’re at home. At home, he scratches his tummy when he wants to sleep but can’t because there’s a Karaoke party next door and people were carefreely blasting other neighbors away with songs like “My Way”.
It is by no means involuntary. I think babies find ways to calm themselves, and these movements or gestures are weirdly similar to how his mom does it. I would pat him on the leg most of the time when he’s sleepy but can’t sleep and I’m beside him coaxing him to just close his eyes.
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Thought for the Day
I’ve used diet pills in the past ’til it drains my diet budget. It did encourage me not to eat sweets anymore because I couldn’t afford both!
Posted by Mommy Woobie on August 10th, 2008 in Baby Basics, Baby Quirks, Mommy Thoughts, New Mom Tips
You don’t have to be a gourmet cook to prepare your child’s first food. As a working mom, I have relied on the formulae of cerelac or the other powdered baby foodstuffs, but with a twist. I add his milk formula instead of water and grate some cooked (blanched) veggies on top of the prepared baby food.
Some things I learned while cooking AJ’s meals starting from 5 months onwards:
- Some vegetables and fruits are better mashed than others (carrots, apples, bananas), and I learned never to peel sayote (chayote) too thinly because the fibrous outer part remains even when boiled. Boil bananas even if they seem soft as is, boiling for a few minutes won’t take away too much nutrients and it will greatly soften the fruit for consumption.
- What is “warm” to adults may still seem to hot for baby’s taste buds. Let the warm food become lukewarm according to your perception first before feeding to the baby.
- 2 hour intervals between milk drinking and food is enough, more than that and he will get too hungry and not eat because of too much crying.
- Intervals for feeding at 5-8 months should be around 4 hours max. Sometimes a baby eats 5 very small meals a day while he is adjusting.
Happy feeding, Mommies!
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Think About It Thought for the day
A diet pill could just be an alibi for not wanting to exercise.
