Mommy, wheshu heamdband?

Being a work at home mom, as I mentioned before, has its perks. However, it also has its  difficulties. I tried to have a separate place where I can work, but having a toddler stuck to my hip, there was no way.

Sofie is currently addicted to headbands. Yeah, a regular Blair Waldorf wannabe! She picked out this bunny/piglet ear headband last week and hasn’t stopped wearing it since. Well that is, until the other day, she began insisting I wear it, the.entire.day! 

Whenever I took it off, she’ll pounce on me and ask “Wheshu heamdband?” 

I was like, “Don’t know, it’s just there.” 

She’s like “Wheshu heamdband?” 

I was like "Mommy's working"

And she was all “Mommy, wheshu heamdband?!?” 

Then she makes a mess of everything, just to unearth the pink thing from where ever and put it back on my head.

It’s really quite hard to reprimand a child and be believable, when you look like this.

I Skyped my husband that I was loosing patience with Sofie. I needed someone to calm me, but he was in a meeting and did not reply. So I did what anyone in my position would do. 

I went all Hansel and Gretel  and  I.ATE.HER! 

Kidding! No, really I wanted to but she was too squirmy and a bit salty!

So we just played with "Mommy Lahtop". . . .

She won, I lost. . . .  

I had bunny/piggy ears and I lost!

But who wouldn't want to loose to her anyway!

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My Perfect Summer

Summer, more than surf and sand represents family bonding and ultimate rest. Some of the best summers we've had was when Sofie was born.

This was the first time we took her to the beach in Cebu, she was barely a year old and we were pretty sure she enjoyed herself, judging from how sore hubby and I felt all over. Hahaha!

This is one of my favorite mommy and baby moments.

The second time we went to Cebu, she was about to turn two. We stayed in a hotel where she took over the lobby swing, she would've slept in it too if we didn't bribe her.

We  were running after her the whole time, but we still played it cool. We still got it!

But still, one of the best summer outings we had was when it was just the two of us, alone for a weekend in this Balinese inspired B&B. 

Too bad summer is over :-(

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Wordless Wednesday

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Random Thought: Pieces of you

Sometimes you become everything to everyone and although it is not a bad thing most of the time, there are days when you look at yourself and see that pieces of you have been taken away. Do you welcome the new you? The one you do not recognize? The one who seems to be a less powerful version of your self? Or do you take a closer look and see that this is what being an adult is about?;

Weird Mommy = Weirder Kid

I was thinking of the weirdest and oddest things I did as a child, I couldn't come up with a lot. Most of the stuff I did, I only remember because my kid is doing them now. I don't know how that happened, but she does, and sometimes even better. 

When I was a kid, I walked around the house on my knees just so I could be like Thumbelina. Sofie did that for a time, but she was on her knees while doing everything, playing, eating, EVERYTHING! 

I remember, I also had this thing where I wanted all things to be symmetrical, like if I ate a sandwich, I would nibble on all four edges first until it gets smaller and smaller,keeping it square until the last bite. Whenever I ate rice, I shaped it on my plate with my spoon, usually a rectangle, before I took a bite. Of course, I talked to myself while I did this, usually there would be a story or two involved. Give me a break! I was like, 3 or 4 when I did this. All my siblings were off to school and I had no one to play with! 

Now, Sofie is taking it to the next level! Everything needs to be in order, except when she's the one doing the mess. Her socks needs to be the same length, she will not eat a broken cracker, she won't bite the same piece sausage or sandwich twice, she actually does this with almost anything she eats. I learned to cut up her food, in same sizes so she would eat everything. Oh, she doesn't just talk to herself, she sings!

One useful thing she's obsessed about, is the locking the doors in the cab. She could'nt sit still unless all the car doors are locked. I really don't know where she got that! Hubby says she takes after me, hmmmmm, if that's true and she's able to do things better, I have to get ready when she gets to high-school!

Written for 

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The Princess and the Kool Fever Patch

For the first time since she was born, Sofie had a flu. It came with cough and colds in the likes I have never seen her have, ever since she was a baby. She has always been a healthy baby and we are grateful for that. Last week though, after grocery shopping with hubby she ran a fever of  38.5 and later on a 39 which never happened before, even when she got her vaccines. Its funny how I was so in control when my brother and mom died, but I was so out of my element when my kid had a fever.  Hubby was very helpful, he left work for a day to spend time with us, in case things got worse. Which thankfully did not.

Getting her to drink her M-E-D-I-C-I-N-E was a battle. When we used a spoon she sent it flying across the room in seconds. We tried to use a dropper and syringe, forcing it down and blowing on her face to make her swallow. We even tried the surprise attack, my husband would distract her with a song, I'll come up from behind like a mugger. Not.a.very.good.scene! We finally resorted to using a bad college party trick - we spiked her drinks. Milk, fruit juice, water, you name it! It made us feel like hooligans, but it was the only way of making her drink her meds.

Oh and the sign that she is a true princess, she only puts on a Kool Fever patch if you tell her it's a crown.

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What's Cooking: Easy Shrimp and Sausage Something

Here's an easy recipe I whipped up one morning, made with shrimp and Cervelat sausage. You can actually substitute with any type of mild flavored sausage or even hot dogs. I don't really know what to call it, I was thinking along the lines of Cajun cooking but the spices and sausage I used didn't fit. So whatever, if you can think of a more exciting name, I'm open to suggestions. The main thing is, it's fast, easy and tastes absolutely awesome!

WhatYahNeed:

1/4 kilo shrimp
1 large sausage sliced
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic,chopped
1/2 tsp cumin (more or less)
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
3 tbsp water (more or less)
oil for sauteing
salt and pepper to taste

WhatYahGottaDo:

1. Clean the shrimp, make sure it is shelled and deveined. You can cheat like me and buy it all spiffed up by your fish monger. Frozen can also be good but I'm not such a big fan of frozen shrimp.

2. In a shallow pan, heat some oil and sauté the onions, once it turns pink add the garlic, sausage, shrimp,  and other spices. Sauté for like 3 minutes until the shrimp turns pink. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a little water to get all the spices to come together and form a thick sauce.

3. Simmer for a minute or so and serve hot with rice. 

**You can make it a little more spicy by adding cayenne pepper, best served with an ice cold beer!

Toodles!

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From SAHM to WAHM

When I was working I had what  I used to call, a "work-work" balance. At one point it got so bad Hubby and I spent our anniversary in the office, me in my cubicle him at the office kiosk. We worked for the same company, separate buildings. It would have been okay if we got to mess around a little, but we didn't. Not even a bit! When Hubby and I talked about being a WAHM (work at home mom) earlier this year, it seemed like the best of both worlds. I can balance out my life, being a wife, a mom and still help with our finances. My journey from being a working mom to a SAHM and now WAHM is not as smooth sailing but I wouldn't have it any other way.

After a few months of mourning my old lifestyle and a hair color change, I finally got around to working from home. I've only been doing it for a couple of weeks now and it isn't as easy as I thought. The job is relatively easy, having the discipline not.so.much!

I'm still trying to get my groove on and work around our daily schedule. Good thing Sofie thrives on routine and Hubby’s work schedule does not change so I get to do my thing while the baby is napping and Hubby’s off to work. I've also trained my kid to "not touch mommy's laptop" so even when she's sitting on my lap I could get things done while she pokes me everywhere!

There's still some stuff I miss about working in an office. One is my girls! I miss having a quick chat over lunch or coffee, and getting updated with the latest office gossip is really entertaining especially when it’s not about you. I also miss getting to wear my little outfits and my shoes, that's really trivial, but you got to admit, playing dress-up never gets old.

One of the best things about working at home though, is that you can wear anything to work. Whenever I feel a bit nostalgic and I miss wearing my shoes, I put them on even when I'm in my jammies and no one can say a darn thing about it!!!

Toodles!

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Writer's Workshop: Paper Boats

In all my 30 years I have met good friends, some I am able to keep until now. Some, lost through time and relocation. I miss certain people and the kind of friend they were to me, I  also miss the kind of friend I was.

I'm a closet poet, I wrote this in my other blog shortly after graduating college.

the rhythm of the rain sings a sad lullaby,

on nights like these the wind brings

memories of the past back when we were children,

bathing naked, shamelessly parading in the pouring rain

running after paper boats we let float

on the flooded canals where we dip our feet,

the smell of the earth and rat piss emanating from its belly.

words were inconsequential

heaven's tears were drowned by our laughter

now we are no longer children

laughter drowns our tears

there are no more paper boats only flooded canals

and the stillness in the air.

for Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.

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Wordless Wednesday : Bagaholic!

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And you Thought I was Slacking!?

When I started this blog, I promised myself to write everyday. Okay, every-other-day, if  I'm really busy. Now it has been a few days since I last posted something. No, I didn't break my promise, not totally anyway! I was actually going crazy, doing some stuff  for my favorite mommies and blogger friends. 

First project is for my Blogs I Love Page! Yay! For those who I really love and did not have button, I created a link using a text from KevinandAmanda. It's cute, and it has a lot of  purple, and I made it ;-)

Click on the image below to teleport ( did I just write "teleport"?!!) 

Second project is my blog button, I really wanted to put one on my blog. Once I got started I had a hard time stopping myself and did a couple more. You can grab them, of course. Don't be shy now, you know you want to! Just click here to get the code.

I'm all new to this and I'd really appreciate if you let me know what you think. 

Comments make me happy! happy! happy!

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Off To School We Go!

When I was a little girl, play schools were non-existent; we did not have toddler schools or day care here in the Philippines. I'm not sure if the old stories were true, but they say one way to test a child for school readiness is to have him/her stand up, raise the right arm over his head and touch his left ear. If the kid can do that then off to school he goes!We have come a long way from the ear touching days, now we have a whole lot of options than we know what to do with.

Trying to decide between sending my 2 and a half year old to school or not, makes deciding which of the 16 NYFD dips should go with my fries (very difficult, mind you!) look easy!

This all started in January with a visit from to her doctor. We got a little worried about her socialization skills when her doctor's noticed that she was not very responsive and suggested that we have her tested. I know that she was showing genuine concern but really, Sofie's TWO! It takes her a while to warm up before she gets REALLY chatty. My kid knew her ABC's and 123's even before she turned two!

But we knew it wasn't a question of being smart or not. It gave hubby and I a scare, enough to make me quit my job and be a stay-at-home-mom. It turns out she just needs more exposure to other people and less exposure to Dora the Explorer. A little less of TV and a little more of ME!

She's doing great now but we still want her to be with other children. We live in the middle of QC, the closest thing to a park here is 45 minutes away, neighborhood kids not.really.the.best option unless I want her to learn curse words she can use to fend off boys!

Today were going to enroll her to music class at Gymboree, Trinoma. Sofie loves music and could use a few new songs to he repertoire.

Now the toughest thing we need to decide on -- What.To.Wear????

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Writer's Workshop: Mommy Wants a Time Out

It's late and I've been mulling over what prompt to choose for MamaKat's this week. Here are my options:

1.) If you could do it over again…
-I believe that things happen for a reason so I don't really have anything in life that I want to do over. I love my mistakes, love them!


2.) If you were put in “time out”, where would you want to be placed and why? 
This one I think I need! Have to be baaaaaaaaddddddddddd real faaaaaaaassssssssttttttt!


3.) Steppin' outside the box (describe a time when you went way out of your comfort zone)-Yeah, done that too too too many times!


4.) A long drive…-when I was four, Mom & Dad and I would go out of town on weekends to look at real estate properties, Mom was a broker. (Work/family bonding time! Yay!) I loved going on those long drives, singing in the car and just looking up as the leaves form a green cloud.


5.) Describe the first date you went on in a boy’s car.-My kid is going to read this someday, so NO not gonna happen!

These prompts got me thinking, I never really got a time-out when I was little. I'm not kidding, no time out what-so-ever ever! I got acquainted with my mom's tsinelas (slippers) once when I was four, but that's it. I was a really good kid up until I wasn't anymore, by that time I was too old for a time-out! My sister would disagree but she needs to do that in her.own.blog. that I painstakingly.designed.for.her! Thank you very much!

Going back to my time out, if I was really nasty and had to be put in a time-out here's a few places I'd like to be.

A secluded and serene spot where I could "reflect" on my actions with maybe say, a bottle of wine?

This is uncomfortable and hot but something I've been wanting to try. 

Be punished and earn a buck or two, why not?!

Let's say I got really crazy and had to be placed in a padded room, I'd want to be with this girl! She cute, she's sassy, she's lovely and she's my new baby niece! Yay, Izzie!

What I really need is a "vacation alone". Say it with me mommies "vacation alone"!

Toodles! 

Always Crazy Mommy

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Blogger Tutorial: How to Add Custom "subscribe to" Buttons for Blogger

This post is born out of jealousy! Ha ha! I hate being jealous and I have to find a way to stop being jealous.

You know those nifty little "subscribe to" buttons you see in other blogs? You click on them then it takes you to Twitter, Facebook, Rss etc. where you can follow the blog.  I found an easy way to do it without really having to become an HTML guru! I tried to search the web for like 3 days and most of the tutorials out there are geared toward Wordpress. I found one for Blogger but it only showed how to add share buttons at the bottom of each post. Some are sooo freakin' technical I can't wrap my brain around it without getting a little cuckoo. So without going through so much pain - and I don't want you feeling jealous either - here's how to do it.

1. You need to find an icon or vector for whatever social media site you want. I found mine through Productivedreams, you can also go to  Tutorialfreakz and feast your eyes on 3000+  FREE buttons for virtually almost every social networking site. Luv them!

2. Once you're done feasting, choose a design set that you want and download them,save to your hard drive and upload the icons you want to a web album of your choice. This should be on .PNG format 'coz if it's in .JPG you can see the background and it's not so nice. I used Photobucket for my site. I tried to use Picasa but it did not work out. Don't ask me why 'coz I'm new to this, remember?

3. Now the tricky part! This will include a little HTML so hold your breath.

Step 1. Get the URL of the link you want, like your Twitter page. 

Ex. http://twitter.com/witchycrazymom

Step 2. Get the URL of the icon you saved on Photobucket. You want to copy the Direct link.

Step 3. Now you have both links you need to go to your Blogger Design section to get to the Page elements.

Step 4. Next, click on Add Gadget and choose HTML/JavaScript  to open an HTML box.

Step 5. Now the code part, you need to copy the code below on the HTML box

<h2 class='title'>Subscribe to</h2>

<div class='widget-content'>

<center><a href="YOUR URL HERE"><img border="0" alt="" 

src="YOUR IMAGE DIRECT LINK HERE" /></a>

Step 6. Make sure you copy the code exactly as it is shown and replace the purple text with your own URL for your link and image.  Like this example below:

<a href="http://twitter.com/witchycrazymom"><img border="0"

alt=""

src="http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af191/witchycrazymommy/twitter_64x64.png" /></a>

Note:
You can also change the word Subscribe to with your personal message.

If you want to add more links simply  copy  the code below and replace with your  link and image.

<a href="YOUR URL HERE"><img border="0" alt="" 

src="YOUR IMAGE DIRECT LINK HERE" /></a>

Make sure you save your work before viewing your blog and enjoying your nifty little buttons!

I hope this tutorial was helpful. Once you have your links up, kindly leave a comment here with your blog URL so I can visit you and follow you around too!

Luv yah but I have  to go and be Mommy to my daughter now!

Toodles!

Trying-to-be-HTML Mommy

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Eastwood Mall's Mom's Purest Love Fair

I  just got back from Eastwood Mall with Sofie and found a bunch of great stuff. We went there to go to Gymboree for a little "P&R" (play&rough-housing) when we happened on a baby and mommy fair, Mom's Purest Love. No events were being held when we got there. Naturally Sofie made an event for herself, going from stall to stall pointing and naming objects. I made use of this opportunity and browsed around myself. Here are some of my favorite picks and their links!

Babyland - I love babyland! It's one of my favorite baby stores. You can snag the best bargains of high quality baby products here. They carry brands like Carter's and Chicco, they also carry a variety of lovely products for your baby's layette.They have nice cotton shirts going for Php75 to Php120 and they last forever! I even bought a pair of pants with adjustable waist band for Php175 that Sofie can wear well into her hopefully not-so-terrible-threes.

Kiddietunes  - This is a new idea not so common in the market, they actually put your kid's name in a song or video! Now who wouldn't want that! They have a nice selection of kiddie songs and videos that you can choose from. It's a bit pricey for Php850 per audio CD and Php1200 per video DVD, but it's great to give or get as a gift!(Hint! Hint! Ninongs and Ninangs)

Flashback: Remember that Umbrella song by Rihanna? My niece Ella actually thought that was "HER" song, I'm not gonna' argue with that!

Embodyment Organic Essentials - If your addicted to organic body products like me, you'll love them! Think "skin food" they have a wide range of body products with "flavors" like Succulent Watermelon & Honeydew and Carrot and Pineapple Blush.They have all-natural products often made with seasonal fruits. I got the Choco Vanilla Swirl Mood Elevating soap(Php75) and Caffeine Mint Fix Invigorating Balm(Php100). I have to say, it makes you smell good enough to eat! (wink! wink!) 

BabyCake - they have a great collection of diaper cakes, towel cakes, underwear roses and other baby shower favors. Just looking at them makes me want to get pregnant again so I can get them for my baby shower. . . or should I say the baby can get them for its shower. They are super super cute and they're offering a 10% discount if you order on or before August 8.

I saved my "bestest" & cutest pick for last!

Tot Couture - the cuteness factor of this store borders on the obscene! Seeing them just brings out the shoe fiend in me.Think red carpet baby shoes! They have itty-bitty baby shoes to match mommy's adorable and comfy ballet flats. It's really affordable too with prices starting at Php299 a pair. I would have bought ten pairs if Sofie was a little smaller. They only have sizes for 0 to 12 months and Sofie is a toddler with Godzilla-sized feet. Best of all this is a mommy-made product! I love,love,love it! I borrowed some of the pictures from their multiply site cause it makes me giddy just looking at them.

Note: I'm not getting paid to make these reviews but a freebie or two would be nice! LOL!

Toodles!

Shopaholic Mommy

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Hubby's Sumo Bento Box

I got a little Bento-crazy this morning and decided to go all out on making hubby's lunch. The result - a sumo-sized bento box. Cooking while hungry, a bad idea!

What exactly is a bento ? It's simply a Japanese lunch-box filled with rice, meat and veggies. It can be as simple as just packing the food like what I did in the picture or it can be as intricate as a kyaraben or a "character bento" made to look like anime characters. Another style oekakiben or a "picture bento" can be made to look  like virtually anything or anyone. You can see this done in Japanese or Korean drama where the girl prepares a bento box resembling the boys face. Cheesy, but it works! Here's a guy you may recognize if your a BOF fan.

A bento box is actually quite popular in different countries. Here in the Philippines we call it baon, in Korea its called Dosirak, in Taiwan it's biandang, in India it's tiffin, in my kitchen it's love in a box. (Mushy! Ick! Ick!)

You want to know what's in hubby's bento box? Click on the links below.

Nori Hugs Tamago 

Sort of California Maki

Chickie-Veggie Yakisoba 

Oriental Tofu Steak

Toodles! 

Sumo Mommy

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What's Cooking: Chickie-Veggie Yakisoba

If you are following my Hubby's Sumo-Bento lunch series, you will now have a bunch of sliced carrots and zucchini. Here's a simple noodle dish that you can whip up with those.


WhatYahNeed:


100 grams cooked fresh egg noodles
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
2 tbsp chopped basil (because I love basil)
1 stalk celery chopped ( because I have them and don't know what to do with 'em)
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 onion chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
cooked left over chicken
lots of ground black pepper (this really depends on you)
oil for  stir frying


WhatYahGottaDo:

1. Heat some oil in a wok or any large pan. Saute onion, garlic and chicken. Put "lots" of ground black pepper and pour in the soy sauce and simmer.

2. Add the veggies, noodles and herbs. Stir-fry for about a minute, don't overcook the veggies.

3. Plate, dish out and enjoy!

Now, I'm hungry! 

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What's Cooking: Sort of California Maki

 

If you have been following my recipes, you should know by now that I don't really follow recipes.Crazy, right?! Here's my take on the California Maki. This is usually done inside out, with the rice exposed and nori wrapped around the veggies but you need to cut me some slack since it's my first time making this.

WhatYahNeed:

2 cups cooked Japanese rice (you can substitute with any white rice mixed with glutinous rice)

4 strips tamago

4 sticks Kani Crab (I used Sea Styx, Php59 in Shopwise)

4 strips thinly sliced ripe mango

4 strips thinly sliced carrot

4 strips thinly sliced zucchini ( around Php10 a piece in Shopwise)

2 sheets Nori

Mayonnaise 

sushi/bamboo mat 

cling wrap or plastic sheet 

WhatYahGottaDo:

1. Blanch carrot and zucchini in boiling water for 30 seconds. Set aside.

2. Lay nori sheet over your plastic covered bamboo mat. Spread a thin layer of rice. Emphasis on the "thin". I made a mistake of putting too much rice and ended up with a sumo-sized make.

3. Spread a little mayo on top of the rice, arrange the half of the tamago, crab, mango, carrot and zucchini on one side and gently roll until it forms a log. Hubby called it a giant "embutido" hhmmmp!

4. Slice with a wet sharp knife and serve with Kikkoman and wasabe.

* This makes 2 jumbo logs.







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What's Cooking: Nori Hugs Tamago

A tamago is Japanese for sweet egg omelet. I tweaked  the recipe a little and added sesame oil. Traditionally, this is cooked in a tamago pan, a small rectangular pan solely made for this dish. Yeah, like I have that hanging around! You can use any non-stick pan.

WhatYahNeed:
2 large eggs
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp water
1 tsp soy sauce
3-4 drops sesame oil
strips of nori (Japanese seaweed)
Butter & Oil for frying


WhatYahGottaDo:
1. Whisk the eggs, sugar, water, soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl until all the everything is mixed well. 
2. Heat your non-stick pan, melt some butter add a a little oil to prevent butter from burning. Keep stove in low heat.
3. Pour the egg mixture, once the edges form fold the sides together with a spatula. Imagine forming a square. Let the runny parts cover the sides of the pan to cook through.
4. Slice tamago into desired size and cut enough nori strips to wrap around the egg. You can be creative and make it look like anything you want. 




*This dish can be used in different sushi dishes.
** This is a kid-friendly recipe too!;

Random Thought: Children

Grown-ups often say that kids do the darnest things, the silliest, most meaningless of things like talking to flowers, playing with stuffed animals or making up silly songs. Grown ups often prefer listening to the news, worrying about appearances, about politics or having more wealth. 

Well I for one, find talking to flowers more productive, playing with stuffed animals more exhilarating, and making up silly songs meaningful and far less tainted with deceit.

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