Honor your father and your mother, so did the Fourth Commandment say.
Since it’s Fathers’ Day tomorrow, and to my child, he is the best father, it’s time to honor this man who was known as “Baton-ton.”
From pregnancy to birth, he made sure we’re both taken care of. He’s become a master of daughter-rearing, to think they were all boys in the family. He can do everything–feed, change diapers, give baths, spend the entire day alone with a very makulit preschooler. Except breastfeeding perhaps, but if only could, he definitely would.
The perfect latch. Not!
They love being together, even if they have misunderstandings sometimes. They love playing silly. Yes, they may be father-daughter, but they treasure each other. My child has grown to be very thoughtful and very caring of people around her.
Has the wife been forgotten? No, not at all! I am at my happiest because we still are the same silly people in love like we were first in love 14 years ago (yes, if you were a long-time friend of any of us then you’d know our love story!).
Lately, I often shed tears of joy during our prayer time. He would ask me why and I tell him that my heart is brimming with happiness–having a loving husband and daughter, being surrounded by love from our families and friends, and allowing God to use us to glorify Him.
And so, to my beloved husband, Ton, thank you for being the best father to our daughter. Thank you for being the best husband. Thank you for being a good son, brother, and friend. Thank you for giving love without asking in return. Thank you for knowing more about breastfeeding sometimes more than I do! Thank you for supporting my advocacies, projects, and dreams. Thank you for making us feel royals!
We are happy that you are doing well in your career and you’ve gone back to aikido again. Aria and I will be here for you always, praying for you and loving you. We love you to the moon and back!
~ Touringkitty
P.S.: Thank you for letting me sleep in sometimes and preparing breakfast for us. You are so amazing! =)
A few months back, I received a text message asking if our vocal group is available to sing for a wedding proposal. That was a first for me, since I have never had a client for that kind of event.
After some email exchanges with the contact person, finally, I got to meet her a month before the event. They have a videography service and they are set to capture the entire wedding proposal on video.
That is another first for me. I never encountered wedding proposal that will be videographed. That would be very special indeed.
I recall my husband’s proposal to me. Though we have been talking about getting married before he proposed, the actual proposal was still a surprise for me. We were on Doulos, a floating bookstore, then visiting the Philippines. We both love reading, and really, my husband knows me too well. It was just us, on one corner of the bookstore (it was where the cookbooks were, being foodies as well). He inserted a small paper with the question “Will you marry me?” on page 143. He showed the booked, I opened that bookmarked page, then he showed the ring and knelt. How could I say no to that!
Now we’re happily singing together forever in quite a number of events, including this wedding proposal gig. We were just four singers, a vocal group we call Perfect Blend.
The man for the hour was groom-to-be Stan and his girlfriend Rocel, who was totally clueless before that special day.
Two days before the actual proposal, the entire team met Stan for the first time. It was just email exchanges back then, as he is from India. With the help of the videography team and my singing team, we nailed the proposal the way he wanted. Stan specifically requested the song “Let it be me” by the Everly Brothers. I wrote a simple arrangement for back up quartet as Stan sings the solo.
Here’s how it went:
Thanks to Nicole Cruz and Bong Fernandez of Bong Videos (www.bongvideos.com).
Stan and Rocel, we wish you all the best as you prepare for your lifetime together!
Want a perfect blend for your next perfect event? Book Perfect Blend today! Email me at contact (at) touringkitty (dot) com or message me via Facebook.
As parents, healthcare is one of our top considerations when it comes to searching for quality yet affordable providers.
A new network of health care facilities in the country was introduced to mom bloggers a couple of weeks ago. Qualimed is set to fulfill the three As–Accessibility, Affordability, and Appropriateness–as they give the best service to its clients.
Qualimed has accessible locations all over the country. We visited one of their facilities inside the PGH compound.
Qualimed welcomed mommy bloggers to their event.UPMC or University Physicians Medical Center is now known as Qualimed.The building is declared a National Heritage Site, that’s why you can see the old structure outside and the modern facilities inside. Details, like this, are preserved.This was preserved as well.
First order of the day was a tour of the facility:
Lobby waiting area.You get a number via their Smart Q machine. And you get to monitor your queue wherever you are, even in the cafeteria.
Their main service is providing quality primary care, but they have flagships in each of their facilities. In this case, the Manila branch’s flagship is their Surgery Center. The one opening in Iloilo will be a women and children’s center.
Here are some more facilities in the Manila branch:
Blood testing facility. The big one on the lift tests for thyroid problems. I used to have monthly blood tests for my hyperthyroid and they can be really expensive. Their price is a little lower compared to where I had my blood tests.
Dr. Edwin Mercado of Mercado General Hospital, talked about their partnership with the Ayala Land, Inc. Together, they will provide Qualimed facilities in the next five years in strategic locations all over the Philippines.
Dr. Edwin Mercado talks about their hospitals and their partnership with Ayala Land.
Aside from low prices, Qualimed is also accredited by most HMOs, a good news for employees.
How low are their prices? It’s this low!
With regard to the quality of service, Qualimed assures us that they have competent physicians, specialists, and nurses trained to provide appropriate prescriptions and sound medical advise to their patients.
Put them all together, and you will get quality healthcare service for you and your family.
Visit Qualimed facilities now and experience Alagang Abot-Kaya.
Operational Branches: Daniel O. Mercado Medical Center (Tanauan, Batangas) QualiMed Manila (Taft Avenue, Manila) QualiMed Clinic in TriNoma (North Avenue, Quezon City)
Future locations:
QualiMed Clinic in Fairview Terraces in Novaliches, Quezon City (opening in 3Q 2014) QualiMed Hospital in Iloilo (opening in 3Q 2014)
QualiMed Hospital in Sta. Rosa, Laguna (opening in 4Q 2015)
QualiMed Hospital in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan (opening in 4Q 2015)
I started blogging four years ago (July 2010 to be exact), with the sole purpose of creating an online journal of my pregnancy.
I thought that was it. But I discovered so much about blogging by attending workshops, interacting with bloggers, and being more active in social media. It has been such a great time, not to mention a great responsibility curating and creating content.
Are you interested in creating your own voice online? You might be interested to attend this workshop:
Bring out the storyteller in you.
Want to build a blog that you’ll love to create — and that others will find joy in reading? Then this workshop is for you.
Blissful Blogging 101 is a workshop on how to create a meaningful blog with a brand and a purpose. You will learn the key components that can help you —
Learn the art of “blissmaking” and writing in a way that attracts and engages readers while staying true to your beliefs;
Know and analyze the different types of blogs that are successful at getting readers & building a community;
Learn how to craft an Editorial Plan for at least a month to two months worth of blog posts, which will help guide you in creating the kinds of blog posts your blog will publish on a regular basis;
How to complete your blog-building through social media engagements, even your own events.
The Instructor:
Martine de Luna is the editor-in-chief and founder of the blog Makeitblissful.com (formerly DaintyMom.com). She has been blogging for five years, and has received awards for her blog ventures, including the 2011 Philippine Blog Award for Best Home & Parenting Blog, and the Little Steps Asia 2013 Best of Mom & Dad Blogs award from Little Steps Hong Kong. Today, Martine is also a freelance digital strategist who coaches women on how to position themselves authentically online, through blogging and social media.
Here’s what you’ll receive at the Workshop:
Worksheets, both printed & electronic versions
Workshop “editorialize your blog”: Create a blog mission, blog plan and offline strategy for your blog (Group work)
Food & drinks — Provided by Eats Happy! and The Juice Hut
Access to our exclusive Mastermind group on Facebook, where you can receive further tips on blogging and engage in a real community that will support your blog.
Schedule:
1:30 PM – Welcome & Overview of the workshop
2:00 – Talk: What is Blissful Blogging?
3 PM – Workshop: Become the Editor in Chief of Your Blog (interactive workshop and group work; presentation). Food will be served during the session.
TSAA is said to be the first school in the country to offer an Arts-Integrated Curriculum.
Last week, my daughter and I paid a visit to the The School of Academics and Arts. I was not able to make it to their bloggers’ event because I was out of town. I thank Ms. Dimples for arranging our visit.
We met Ms. Cherry Napala, the School Principal. I realized I was not able to take many photos, only because Ms. Cherry and I had so much to share about education and the arts! We talked while my daughter was outside with Cherry’s daughter, who was nice enough to play with the little one.
Aria spent much of her time in this playhouse.
Here are a few pictures that I took:
As soon as we entered a room, Aria would examine the toys she saw. This is the Kinder Room.One of the teachers decorates the bulletin board. The tree was handpainted by one of them, too.
Notice the shape of their tables?
The school, Ms. Cherry explains, believes that the arts is the best tool for learning. Unlike other schools which offer arts and music programs only after school hours or during summer, TSAA uses the Arts-Integrated Curriculum, a proven method backed by research used in other countries. The arts is used as a vehicle for learning, so that every day, there are activities in music, arts, dance, and others integrated with their lessons.
The school is the brainchild of Audie Gemora, a known theater and musical actor, director, and producer, who envisioned the school as a home for academically and artistically inclined students. Other partners of the school include UP’s Dr. Evalyn Hizon, and music teacher Emmy Cayabyab (wife of Ryan Cayabyab).
Here are some salient points that Cherry shared with me:
1. We have both left and right brains, so why not use both in learning? It’s not only the left brain we should nurture through memorization and drills, but the right brain as well by enhancing creativity and imagination. Contrary to the belief that artists are not smart, Ms. Cherry and I both agreed that this is not true. Artists can excel in academics as well.
2. Arts education should start at a young age. Kids need a good, solid, and proper arts education foundation. It’s much harder to correct bad practices later on.
3. Arts education should not only be done during lazy summers, but the whole year round. In TSAA, the kids will do lots of arts activities as they learn. Just like any other habit, arts should be done regularly. In the case of TSAA, the children experience arts every day.
4. Arts education entails a certain kind of discipline, which can be used as one learns academic subjects. One needs hours rehearsing a certain piano piece or song, and a lot of focus and concentration. I started playing piano at age four, and the discipline of practicing piano has given me the same concentration I needed to study other academic subjects.
5. As parents, we need to invest in arts education. TSAA may be a little expensive than others, but they make learning more fun with arts activities as they learn other academic subjects. Is it not that we learned our ABCs using songs? In the same way, learning about other subjects can be made more fun and in a more creative way.
The students will be happy to know that TSAA does not give assignments. They believe in work-life balance, which is essential for the holistic growth of a child or an individual. School work remains at school so that the students can have more time to rest and bond with their family. I wish it was like that in schools and the workplace!
Their class size is very small, at about 10 students per class, which ensures individualized learning.
As for exams and grades, Cherry said that they have a different system of grading through practical assessment. They follow the K-12 Curriculum and abide by the grading system of the DepEd, only their manner of grading is suited according to each student.
TSAA teachers are trained to integrate arts into their lessons. I have observed schools in other countries and they have a strong foundation in music and arts education. TSAA tries to follow that model.
If you want your kids to be future artists, they offer after-school activities, too. Cherry showed me their music studio rooms:
Rooms are sound-proofed.
I believe the arts is such a powerful tool for helping students to learn. With the ever dynamic world we have, families are looking for learning methods other than the traditional one for their children. TSAA is one option.
TSAA opened its doors in its new location at Davila Street, Makati City (near Shopwise Pasong Tamo). They offer programs for children as young as 1.8 years old. Visit their website, Facebook Page, email tsaa.makati(at)gmail(dot)com or call 0925.550.2766 to schedule a visit.
Planning a food trip anytime soon? Check out what’s on the menu even before stepping out of your home through Munchpunch!
Have you always took soooo much time just looking at the menu? I always have, and it can be a waste of precious time. Know what to order by looking at the menu ahead. Site visitors recommend which items they liked from a specific restaurant.
The restaurants are categorized according to location and budget, which is very helpful. Since I live in Pasay and always frequent one mall on weekends, I can now see a restaurant’s menu, price, and recommendations.
Do people also love the food you will order? Find out in their recommendations!
See the VIP Menu on the right? You can try it as well, for free! Get a special code from Munchpunch and get discounts, special treats, and more from their partner restaurants. All you need to do is register via email or Facebook. Look for a specific item on the menu, click Get Code which will be sent to your phone, show it to the counter and voila!
I got these treats from Auntie Anne’s and Illy Coffee (click the links to see what I got!). And my VIP membership was extended, thanks to Mommy Bloggers Philippines.
You can also extend your memberships for P299 for 60 days! If you’re a certified foodie and would want to try new restaurants and go back to your favorites, then Munchpunch is definitely for you.
It’s almost the end of May, but of course this month would not be complete without a summer getaway!
The Schatzi family, plus my mom and sister, went on a weekend trip to Tagaytay.
Hotel Kimberly Tagaytay is located at Amadeo Road, where the coffee haven of Cavite is situated.
The hotel is accessible by public transportation. From Pasay-Buendia, we took a bus going to Nasugbu at DLTB along Taft Avenue, and you just get off NBI/Mahogany area, then take a tricycle to the hotel.
We actually went here last year already, but I knew I had to come back. And we did!
This was during last year’s trip, March 2013. Landscaping was just being done.Here it is last weekend, last weekend of May 2014. Same spot.My kid last year.Look how she’s grown in a year!
Just like last year, I purchased the overnight accommodation through a coupon company. I purchased this early this year, and found the last weekend of May free for the five of us. I got a Premiere Suite for four persons. Last year, the coupon was on sale for half the price. This year, it was less than 50% off, but since I really loved the place and the service, I really decided to purchase the coupon again for another trip this year.
This spacious lobby greets you as you enter the hotel.
I like Hotel Kimberly because you can:
Just stay inside your comfy room and watch TV. In this case, they have cable TV. AND they have Disney Junior!
The TV was especially helpful when nighttime comes and she’s feeling homesick. In this case, she did feel homesick, and did not want to sleep in the bed! So, I was carrying her the whole night.
Enjoy the view. This was our view though, the playground area. There was a company having their teambuilding activity.Take a dip on their pool. They have a kiddie pool (3 feet) and an adult pool (4 feet). My kid super enjoyed our time there, we swam on both days of our stay!
Or eat by the pool. They have Cafe by K which serves a variety of food.
Lounge in the pavilion. They have movie nights held here for the kids and kids at heart. This can be a good wedding reception venue. They have indoor function rooms as well.Try out the playground. Aria spent most of the afternoon here.And she conquered the big slide, yay!The path that leads to their farm! They have all sorts of plants and animals.Potted herbs. Apostrophe alert! The sell for at least P60.Daddy and Aria checking out the herbs.A piglet, feeding on the mommy pig.Rabbits.Chicken and ducks roaming around. I also saw some sheep and turkey.
If running around the farm and swimming on the pool isn’t enough, visit their game room where you can:
Burn some more calories in their exercise equipment.Play on their table games. There’s pool, table hockey, ping-pong, and fussball. You can borrow equipment for one hour from the reception lobby.
The hotel offers massage services. I joined their Facebook contest earlier this month, and I was able to avail their free one hour massage. Well, my mom did, I let her use the voucher which they emailed me. But she said I should try it, too, and so I did! Thanks, mom! Warning though: massages are done inside your own rooms.
We brought dinner food, actually we were stuffed during lunch, which we had at Skyranch. Will tell about it on the next post.
This buffet breakfast greeted us the next morning. My daughter woke up at 5:30AM! Too early, I know. But she had activities in mind already, like eating and swimming and playing. Who could prevent her from waking up?
Being first in line means having first touch on their food. Freshly prepared and yummy food. Yes, that’s squid you’re seeing!Cereals and soup station.Omelet and waffle station. Your call on what filling to include and they will make it for you.Bread and cheese station.
After breakfast, we swam, then ate, then swam again, before it was time to leave.
Our family photo! My sister, my mom, my daughter, me, and my husband. It was a fun trip with you guys again! Where to next?
You can request for a car to service you going to the bus stops.
Service! This took us to the Junction where we had lunch and took the bus going home.
Thank you, Hotel Kimberly, for making our stay super fun and safe. Your staff are truly friendly and helpful. The guests, even if they are strangers, gain friends among other guests because of your nice service.
Am I coming back next year? Let’s see if there will be another coupon deal selling.
How did your summer go? Do you know of any places in Tagaytay or a nearby province which might have these facilities as well?
One of the things I really am happy about, now that I am a stay-at-home mom, is that my daughter, at 3 years 9 months, is fully toilet trained.
That was one of my goals this year. I gave this stern warning to her two months ago that she should not be wearing any more diapers when she turns four in August. She quickly obeyed.
Prior to toilet training, she was super constipated. Either that, or she was just controlling the urge to poop. Crossing her legs, pooping only with diapers on, and almost passing out because she was just having a difficult time. Anyway, I thought it was the best time to toilet train.
I have set one day in March to deliberately start toilet training. Even if against her will, I immediately put her on her potty the moment I sensed she’s about to go. But after that one day, she has not had a hard time passing out poop, and has done it in our toilet everyday.
I consulted this to her doctor because she’s had this problem despite being fully breastfed. At first, I though she was just grunting as a baby, but the grunting became super difficult for her that she’d spend most of her day just trying to pass out poop. To the dismay of whoever is in charge of her, and to my anxiety when I’m away from her. But now that she’s learned to actually sit down while doing the thing, it was easy peasy for her, and she does this in the morning regularly. She is eating well, even the foods she disliked before, like grape juice.
Likewise, we had her two front teeth fixed with baby caps and her molars had fillings as well. So she has been eating super well. She’s got weak teeth, that’s why we are super careful not to give her chocolates and too much sweets, though sometimes just a little treat would be fine as long as she brushes thoroughly and drinks water or milk afterwards.
Goodbye diapers! You have served us well the past almost four years. We are still using sometimes though, when we go out of the house, but I know sooner we shall give you up totally.
Brave New Worlds: My Utopia in Your Dystopia
Contemporary art exhibit
April 26 to June 12, MET Tall Galleries, Metropolitan Museum of Manila
A collection of 50 artworks by 24 European and Filipino artists, this exhibit showcases the parallelism of practice among Filipino and European artists, and how they create art in the verge of cultural breakdown. Painter Manuel Ocampo curated the exhibit. The exhibit opened April 26 and will run until June 12, as the country celebrates Independence Day.
In line with the exhibit, French artist Fabrice Hybert will be coming to Manila for a meet-and-greet session at the MET on May 21. French video and film screenings will also happen in May at the METlab. Sign up for the meet and greet here. I’ll be there so I hope to see you there, too!
Visit the MET at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila. Museum hours are from 10am to 5:30pm, Monday to Saturday; and closed on Sundays and holidays. For more Email info@metmuseum.ph, Facebook page: www.facebook.com/metmanila, Website: www.metmuseum.ph
Pockemon Hip Hop Dance Concert
May 28, Samsung Hall, SM Aura Premier
The Pockemon Crew pays tribute to cinema and the origins of hip-hop in New York during
the 1940s through an electrifying dance performance.
Launch of “Photographing Heritage”
June 9, Alliance française de Manille
Renowned French photographer Ferrante Ferranti will be visiting the Philippines in June to photograph the UNESCO World Heritage declared Baroque Churches of the Philippines in Intramuros, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Iloilo. To raise awareness on the issues of the preservation of heritage and climate change, he will also be visiting Bohol, Cebu and Samar, areas affected by the supertyphoon and earthquake last year. Ferrante will be leading a
series of conferences in the country about ‘Photographing Heritage’.
French Film Festival
June 9 to 15, Greenbelt 3 cinemas
Bringing the best of French cinema to Filipino audiences for almost 20 years already, this year’s much awaited French Film Festival is set on June 9-15.
Quatuor Parisii String Quartet Concert
June 10, Samsung Hall, SM Aura Premier
Classical music lovers will be treated to a concert by Quatuor Parisii String Quartet on June
10 at the SM Aura Premier Samsung Hall. The string quartet, composed of top prizewinners in instrument and chamber music, was formed in 1981 and is extensively touring the world, bringing both classical and contemporary repertoire to many audiences. This will be their first concert in our country.
Fete de la Musique
June 21, A-Venue Open Parking Area in Makati and Plaza Maestranza, Intramuros
Fete de la Musique is a much anticipated event in France. I remember passing by one event during one of our concert tours with the Madz. This year, watch out as two venues play host for this rocking event.
Tete d’enfant Modern Circus Show
October 7, CCP Little Theater
Finally, this will push through! I heard about this project last year when I was still working at the CCP. Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino would be an interesting venue for this circus act.
Semaine du Goût – French Gastronomy Week
October 16 to 24, Manila and Cebu
French and Filipinos speak the same language–that is, food. “Gastronomique”, the two-week Semaine du Goût, or French “Week of Taste” will be celebrated in Manila and Cebu from October 16 to 24 to promote the art of choosing, cooking and eating good food in the Philippines through a series of seminars, workshops, dinners, and food markets. Renowned experts in winemaking and gastronomy will grace the festival.
So, mark your calendars! And share this with your friends and family, too. Activities like these open doors to different cultures without the need to travel abroad.
For further information about the events: Sabrina Durand, Cultural Coordinator Alliance française de Manille 0917 892 8986 / 895 7585 sabrina@alliance.ph www.alliance.ph
I spent the whole of March searching for my daughter’s preschool. Though I thought it was still too early, I already started because time indeed flies so fast. My daughter’s turning four in August, and I want to keep options as open and as varied as possible.
Currently, we’re taking it slow on homeschooling, as you could follow my Instagram posts (Follow me!). We’re following an online program for math and reading and basically filling her day with coloring, tracing, and more reading. She loves to sing and dance and make music.
I checked on the following schools and systems and here’s what I have gathered:
1. Gymboree Preschool at Sofitel. Aria has been attending Gymboree classes since she turned one, though not regularly. We make sure we get coupons online or wait for discounts in their branch. We attended their open house and that was the first time Aria was left alone with a class and a teacher whom she was not familiar with. Tears well up both our eyes as we parted ways–I was just at the next room where the orientation took place. The teacher brought her to me and showed a well written worksheet of the letter A (note that she does not write yet). I was proud. But I knew it was not for us. It was just waaaaaay expensive. We enrolled her in their classes because I got another discount from them.
2. Catholic Filipino Academy. I attended their orientation and was inspired by the other parents there. I think I was the only one who attended alone, and the only one who had a preschooler. All of the others attended with their spouses, some even brought their children in tow, some are in highschool already. They have a preschool program which I can enrol Aria in and a reading program wherein you just follow a set of worksheets and activities without enrolling the child to a regular homeschool program.
3. Preschool homeschool workshop by The Learning Basket. This I have been doing for a couple of years already, and my daughter reaped its benefits. Especially that I stay at home most of the time, I get to supervise what should be taught, what interests her in a specific day, and what materials at home I can use. We do not have a specific program, but as much as I can, I try to put a little structure to her day, so eventually she will get the hang of a regular school, whether homeschool or brick and mortar school. It was fun meeting moms, dads, and kids that day, and ideas really can be endless.
4. Brick and mortar school. I was able to visit one in Taguig, a Catholic International school. And is the first of its kind in the country. I liked how the school is so small that everyone knows each other. It feels safe and secure. But then, they do not have preschool yet. They offer K-9 levels this year. I must check out other preschools then.
So, have we enrolled Aria? Technically, no. But she studies, at home, with me as her teacher. We will carry on with homeschooling her. As long as she is well fed, well loved, and growing up with the proper values, we are fine. She will go to school in the proper time. Try asking Aria if she goes to school. You’d be happy to know what her answer will be.
