Escaping With A DOVE®



With my two little bosses on an afternoon out
at the Sunken Garden, UP Diliman.



My little girls are growing up strong, fast and furious.

Keeping up with them has been tough and quite the challenge I never dreamed it would be. Needless to say, I run out of time and energy to take care of myself. For moms like me not to lose our sanity and to remain efficient, it's really necessary to have some me-time  for a relaxing breather. Though few and far between, we learn to maximize these precious moments, be it the lull while the kids are napping or the quiet playtime when they're both preoccuppied and satisfied that I'm just within view.
My favorite time is during late afternoons while they're napping. We lie under thick blankets in bed, arms wrapped around eachother, listening to the quiet, steady hum of the AC and our soft, rythmic breathing. Oona finishes her bottle and Olly drifts off to sleep, feeding at my breast.  

That small window of time stretches infinite for me with the many possibilities I'm suddenly free to indulge in. Will I read? Watch a show? Will I surf the net? Do I nap too? Or, do I indulge myself with a nice, luscious treat?

Ahhh...breaking out a bar of DOVE® Dark Chocolate or DOVE® Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut, Almond &  Raisin while reading a book is my ultimate Me-Time Moment. I am in my own little world, lost in another dimension of adventure, taste and excitement, far removed from the everyday routine. One bar lasts me as long as my babies sleep and my energy reserves are replenished.

Sometimes though, they sleep longer than usual. So that leaves me free to have one more! :D   

Little glorious bars of silky, smooth DOVE® chocolates are designed to last and linger. Epitomizing precious, peaceful and personal Me-Time Moments that women on-the-run so often crave, DOVE® chocolates are packaged in a single serving bar to-go.

DOVE® is available at all local supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenience stores. retails at P45 and is available in:

DOVE® Milk Chocolate (43g): Enjoy a pure moment with silky smooth DOVE® Milk Chocolate.

DOVE® Dark Chocolate (43g): Yield to the devilishly dark DOVE® Chocolate.

DOVE® Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut, Almond & Raisin (43g): Get luxuriously indulgent with DOVE® Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut, Almonds and Raisins bar

DOVE® Chocolate with Crispy Rice (4og): Enjoy mouthful of surprises with DOVE® Chocolate with Crispy Rice

What's your favorite Me-Time Moment with your favorite DOVE® chocolate?

Getting Ready For The Season's Eating!

As of today I have lost 16lbs. since I started on my Luscious Dare. I plan to continue losing more with the proper diet and the exercise I have added to my daily routine. Moreover, I am unafraid and unfazed at the temptations I'd have to face with the upcoming holidays :D

It's important to stay fit ESPECIALLY during the holidays with its parties, holiday food and generous gifts of sweets and Holiday goodies. There's really no need to fast or keep yourself from enjoying what the season has to offer. What's important is only putting on your plate what you really want to eat and can finish. You can always go back for seconds anyway, but bear in mind that you should eat in moderation and only until you're full.

Also, don't let your exercise routine go on holiday either! From my friend Jessica at Gymsource, here are 10 Easy Exercises we can do to enjoy the holidays and not regret it after!

So, what's the best form of exercise? The one you'll actually do!

As long as your fitness program:

A. Raises your heart rate

B. Has a strength training component

C. And is done at least thirty minutes a day five days a week – you'll experience significant health benefits.

Variety is the spice of life; it keeps you motivated and works better for your body by working different muscle groups. You don't need to go to a gym and use fitness equipment. In fact, here are ten simple, yet effective exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home that can help prevent putting on holiday weight:

1. Take a Hike/Stroll

It's also simple, low-impact and easy on the joints – just put on a comfortable pair of shoes, step outside and walk at a fairly brisk pace around your neighborhood. It's a great way to clear the head and improve your mood – it may be cold, but will give you an opportunity to enjoy all the lights and decorations for the holiday season. 

If you have babies like I do, break out the stroller and push away at the nearest park. It'll give you the chance to show your kids what the world looks like during Christmas season. Just be sure to bundle up the little ones, pack biscuits and water, hand sanitizers and wipes. (Oh, diapers too!)

2. Jump!

Act like your kids on Christmas morning! Jump up and down, or do some jumping jacks. They're a great way to get the heart pumping and the limbs loosened up. 15-20 repetitions with a minute or two of rest between sets for thirty minutes should be sufficient. This will increase endurance and work on toning your thighs.

Jump with your hyperactive toddler or let her do the counting with you. It's a great way to teach her how to count!

3. "Drop and Give Me 20, Soldier!" 

While the babies are playing on the floor, you can join them by having your own floor time workout.  

Push-ups confer all the same strength-training benefits of bench presses with barbells – without the risk of handling heavy weights and need for a "spotter." You can adjust the intensity by elevating your feet. Push-ups do more than work your arms, they are a total body workout.

4. Lift That Leg

This provides a strength training workout for the thighs and adductors (muscles that attach the upper leg to the hip). If you can't manage leg lifts with a straight leg, bend the knee. I actually do this while breastfeeding Olly, sitting in the rocking chair or lying on either side on the bed.

5. Washboard Abs?

You may not get "ripped" by doing crunches, but you'll definitely work your ab muscles – and this will award real benefits to your back as well, and you will see an improvement in toning your abs.

6. You Can Keep Running In Place...

...and you should. This is an exercise you can do while watching TV, making the "boob tube" actually good for something. You can also do it while stringing popcorn on the string for the tree.

7. The Squatters...

No, we don't mean settling land that isn't yours – it's what you do every time you sit in and get up from a chair. Just do it several times until you "feel the burn...", and for added weight training, you can do it while you carry the baby around. I do this every time with Olly and she falls asleep to the rhythmic motion.

8. Household Weight Equipment

Cans of food, milk and water jugs, sacks of flour (even the baby!) – you'd be amazed at how much weight training equipment is just sitting in your pantry or refrigerator. (Who knew your could actually lose weight with using your holiday baking ingredients?)

I actually use two cans of corned beef and a can of luncheon meat in a plastic bag as weights. They don't sound like much but after a few reps and sets, it's what my aching muscles would call a "heavy meal"!

9. Roll Up The Carpet

The latest craze is dancing off the weight, but not all of us can get to the classes when they are offered and the videos cost more than Christmas. Instead roll up the carpet, and crack up the tunes, whether it's Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas" or whatever is on the radio, dancing will increase your aerobic hear rate, and help with endurance training.

My three year old Oona is the best dancing partner anyone can ask for. She's just a bundle of infectious energy and joy that it's impossible to feel tired when you're dancing along with her. You keep laughing too so that's an added lung workout!

10. Steppin' Up

Finally, you don't have to buy a bench step and sign up for a step class to do step. Chances are you've got a step or two around your home. So while those cookies are in the oven, run the stairs a few times. The timers will make great intervals and keep you fit while baking!

Again, doing this with Olly every time. She's kept amused by Mommy bouncing up and down, I get added weight training, and Oona can play with her towers in peace (Olly loves toppling things now as much as Oona loves piling her blocks as high as they can go).

The fact of the matter is, that all of these are not difficult, and do not require patience, or a long drawn out explanation. They are simple and they WORK. So maybe you aren't getting fit on treadmills, or ellipticals, but the end result is the same and you will have a lot of extra cash to go and spend it on holiday gifts, or a treat for yourself!

There are really a lot of ways to fit getting fit into your schedule. It's really just up to you to decide what you want for yourself. I really want to be healthier and physically fit to enjoy my children's childhood with them, that's why I'm doing this. It's not an overnight thing, but keeping at it really works. That, for me, is the best holiday gift ever!

Happy FIT Holidays! ;D

Toddler Theatrics

And the Award for Best Actress
in a Dramatic Role goes to....

My three year old has decided that life is her stage and she is determined to throw herself into the ultimate performance of her young life. Watching her, I'd have to say that she really does have potential to be her generation's best dramatic actress! She immerses herself so totally in her role that she IS the role! Her method of portrayal, her characterization, is so complete that she convinces her audience and herself of the reality and depth of the performance. All in all a powerful, moving and disturbing thing to watch.

For the first time in her life, our Oona has been afflicted with a mouth sore or singaw as we call it. And her 10 decibel pain, is my pain, is everybody's pain within a 3 mile radius.

She is The Pain.

We've all moved, as a family and as individuals, from various degrees of involvement and varying emotional reactions.

First, pity for the child who's never experienced the stinging pain of a mouth sore and its medications. Then, distress as she starts crying when it becomes unbearable for her to suffer in whimpering silence. Next, stress levels escalate in worry as nothing seems to soothe her anguish and a quick remedy isn't quick enough. Nerves begin to fray when one realizes that the child is playing it to the hilt. True it hurts but not enough to warrant full waterworks and each sentence to be punctuated by an empathic 'Owww!'. Extreme annoyance hits at this point when one realizes one has been had and the actress in question continues to ham it up for the audience that matters: Daddy (who gives in to demands to be carried around like a baby) and Grandpa (who hovers in worry, growling that his granddaughter is suffering and something MUST be done!).

Mommy and Grandma roll eyes and facepalms.

Normally when she does her whining and theater exercises, I run the gamut of talking to her through it, scolding, or ignoring it until she stops. On bad days when I'm running short on temper and she can't seem to stop, I get mad, we have a scream-fest and I ultimately send her to the corner. She usually stops, says she's sorry and says she's tired that's why she's starting to act up. We talk, make up and have quiet time or sleep.

This time, with the mouth sore, of course it's different.
Mouth sores are caused by bacteria and can happen to anyone. Oona bit her inner lip by accident and the little nip got infected. Falling asleep with her milk bottle still in her mouth and forgetting to brush her teeth did the rest. Yes, I do feel guilty for not being extra vigilant. Just this one time when I thought I could relax a little, the sore happens and we pay for it!

At first I made her gargle Bactidol, Listerine, and a salt and water solution. It was ok but then she seemed to get worse so we went to my dentist Aunt Grace who gave her an oral care gel. It seemed to work until night hit and her lip seemed to be swollen. By midnight, she couldn't fall asleep anymore as her mouth dried and as she yawned in sleep, the sore stretched and she kept waking up in pain. She even woke up Olly with her crying and as they both started crying, I wanted to cry too. It had been going on ALL DAY, the crying, whining, owww-ing...I was getting so irritated, I knew I'd reached my absolute limit. Poor RF woke up, dazed and tired because the little girls were crying and I was yelling for Oona to stop ("It's going to hurt you more!") but Oona was too far gone: really sleepy, tired, in pain, frustrated and unable to stop herself.

I wanted to go out in the middle of the night to try and find the new-fangled instant remedy that I saw at the drugstore earlier. I would have bought one right then just to give Oona some relief and us some peace, but it was out of stock. RF and I were looking at each other, my extreme annoyance breaking into exasperation and inexplicably, I felt a stupid smile on my face. The things they don't tell you about parenthood! Haha.

Desperate times. We decided for desperate measures.

I was hoping not to have to resort to the all-time favorite, old-skool remedy of putting ground tawas (alum) on the sore or gargling with it in salt and water. Hurts like h*ll but the sore would be banished in an instant. I was afraid it might further traumatize her, but in this case, prolonging the pain was probably worse. Plus, she woke up the whole household, growling Grandpa included ("Tell your Aunt to give her the strong medicine! It'll hurt once and then she'll be fine! Tawas doesn't work!").

Aunt Gly was thoughtful enough to give us a mixture already prepared with kalamansi. She squeezed kalamansi juice over ground alum and when it dried, it looked like golden brown sugar crystals. Oona was screaming, her theatrics turning into hysterics when I asked her to open her mouth for the medicine. I told her it was going to hurt but it would utlimately make her feel better.

Just a pinch but it *did* hurt like hell. And if she could swear, Oona would have put a sailor to shame and I would have grounded her for life for being a potty mouth. But all she bravely did was keep her mouth open like I asked her to while I put on the tawas, RF holding her while she cried and cried and cried :(

After a few moments, we had her gargle with water to wash out the alum. And almost instantly, the pain began to fade as her lip went numb. In a few minutes, she was quiet and when I asked her if she felt better, she was already able to reply (whimperingly) yes.

Sigh.

It took two more applications before the sore was gone completely. She still cried and groused about having to put medicine that she knew would hurt, but she was very brave and trusting enough to let me put it on her.

Writing this down now, I feel like I want to cry. It sometimes sucks to be the one to dole out the tough love. Deep down, even while she thrashed, yelled and cried, Oona trusted my word that what I would do would heal her even if it hurt her badly. Her faith in me makes me feel so small and humble. I'm sorry that it hurt or that she had to have that sore in the first place, but I'm sorrier I have to hurt her first to make her feel better.

Now she knows better than to go to bed with a bottle and without brushing. She drinks more water, especially after eating and drinking milk or juice. She says it's so her teeth will be happy and her mouth won't have germs anymore.

We now have some peace, of course and she's her sweet but spicy little self again as opposed to Olly's totally sweet nature. Her theatrics have gone back down to almost nil or only when she hasn't had her afternoon naps. What hasn't changed though, I've noticed, is that the theatrics come on when Daddy's around or Grandpa's eligible to be dragged outside to play.

Whenever that happens, I leave the menfolk to her "tender" mercies and I tune out to save my sanity! After all, that doesn't require tawas and Mommy's tough love to deal with.

Christmas Wishlist

Christmas is just around the corner and we at my mommy group were hankering for a partay! Of course the inevitable exchange gift was discussed and it put in mind what one would want for christmas aside from peace, love and hope for all mankind.

For myself I'd like:
A Laptop, capable of graphics work
Wacom pen tablet, the reliable graphire would do if they still make it!
A small, fast external portable hard drive, a terra most preferably!
A dslr with a tripod, macro and zoom lens, flash and hood.
Portable sewing machine, child and idiot proof!
An adjustable easel, since I gave mine away or it got lost.
Aquarelle watercolor since gouache is too heavy for me.
Nice, heavy textured watercolor paper and paper tape
Watercolor brushes, since i gave the good ones away and the ones i have left have given up the ghost.
Child-safe paints for mural painting with thick brushes for small hands.
Rembrandt chalk pastels in that nice wooden box and paper in eggshell and cream.

Makeup. By mac and nishido or mary kay.
Hair makeover with highlights.
Shoes in wedge and like espadrilles, with lots of ribbons for tying up. Think amazon goddess. Worship or die! Black betty boop pinup heels won't hurt either.
Frilly undergarments. I like frills.

Bikes for me, rf and oona with safety gear.
Skechers shape up rubber shoes for me.
Ab rocket. Haha.

*** will continue as the days unroll :D

Choosing A Holiday Ham: The Premium-Cut Ham

One of the most important food of the Noche Buena table is the holiday ham. While there are a number of meat brands everyone is familiar with, there are three things that makes the the premium-cut ham a cut above the rest.

First, the Holiday Ham should be made from one whole boneless meat from the hind leg, the best cut of pork for hams. Hind leg ham is tastier and meatier compared to the more common shaped hams. Shaped hams are already processed and although brands would use meat from the other parts of the pork, nothing can beat the goodness found only on the hind leg of pork.

Second, the net marks attests to a high-quality smoked ham. Only whole-meat hams can be smoked in ham nets because if it isn’t, pieces would fall off.

Lastly, no extenders. The appearance, taste and texture tell the truth. The ham is meat, juicy, and flavorful, and consumers really get the best value for money.

Learn more about Holiday Ham on http://holidayham.com.ph/ and ‘Like’ it on Facebook http://goo.gl/CAqCv.


Apple iPad up for grabs

To make the holidays a cut above the rest, Holiday Ham will be giving out an Apple iPad tablet computer. Interested parties need only to register with their name, Facebook page URL, mobile phone number, and email address. It’s that easy!

The registration is on the Holiday Ham website http://holidayham.com.ph/subpages/promo.aspx and is open until December 20, 2010.