Just Passing Thru: May 2013

The Aristocrat Restaurant - Making Kiddie Parties Happier

10:22 AM

A Boy at Thirteen - No Longer a Child But Not Yet a Man

9:03 PM

A boy at thirteen is no longer a child but not yet a man. He maintains dependence in some areas while trying to find his independence. To a loving mother though, he remains her child, her baby, if you may, no matter old he gets to be.

From Baby to Pre-Schooler

Children at this stage are characterized by complete physical and emotional dependence on their parents and caretakers. The initial bond between parent and child is developed at this time because this is a period of discovery for both. A parent will learn that each child is an individual being that will require his or her support, guidance, and respect.

Even when a child gains a certain degree of physical independence in toddler years, emotional dependence will continue. This is the stage where the parents words constitute the "truth" for their children. However, this is also the time when children learn to say "no" thus this is the proper time as well to teach children that others may say "no" to them as well.

From School Age to Tween

As children are exposed to other people, they develop the confidence to think and act on their own. Some develop new idols in the person of their teachers or other personalities they decide to emulate. They begin to experiment with limitations, rules, and standards.

Parents must take care to develop a behavioral code for their children early on which can guide them as they go out into the world. It will be the factor that can keep them in the right path even without the constant presence of parents. Tweens tend to prefer that parents adopt a low profile especially in front of their peers. Parents can do this without releasing control over their young children.

Teenage Life

Teenage life is said to be the most crucial since decisions made during this stage can have life-defining effects on adult life. Even when teenagers can physically pass-off as adults, this doesn't mean that they have gained emotional and psychological maturity. This is the stage where social pressures are the greatest but it is also the time where opportunities for self-development and fulfillment in preparation for the future are abundant.

Teenagers don't need their parents any less than infants. The only difference lies in where the support is needed. Children who have been guided by their parents in all phases usually turn out successful in adult life.

My Say

The physical changes came first and then the behavioral. The changes weren't sudden but I was taken aback just the same. My son was getting older and so was I and I don't know which bothered me more. All I knew is that there are going to be changes in our family routine very soon and I don't know how I'm going to fare this time around in handling it.

That said, it isn't as if I have not gone through this before. In fact, I have with my eldest daughter. Still, the road to independence of every child does not always follow a strict path. It is always as unique as every child in the family is.

family and parenting

Traditional and Non-Traditional Motherhood

2:22 PM

Both traditional and non-traditional motherhood generally maintain the same essence of caring for children. The difference may lie in the way motherly duties and functions are dispensed. What remains the same is the love in its purest form that shines through regardless of differing time and situations.

The Traditional Mother

My mother belonged to this category. For the most part of her motherhood, she took the supporting role behind my father. When my siblings and I cannot go straight to our father, she would be the go-between.

While my father was a disciplinarian, she would find ways to go around his rule to "help" us. She was the typical mother who would try to make the consequences of our actions that earned punishments, lighter. While trying to follow my father's decisions, she will always try to convince my father to reconsider. It usually works since behind my father's tough facade is a soft heart that only wants the best for his children.

Traditional mothers were usually dependent on their husbands financially or otherwise. Her presence at home is something constant. Decisions made without prior consultation with the husband are rare.

The Non-Traditional Mother

Forced by circumstances, I was a single mother when I was raising my eldest child. I felt I had no choice but to take over and "control" our destiny. It was a long battle with insecurity and fear made lighter by the presence of a child who depended solely on me. I was trying to work while taking care of my child.

In the eyes of my child, I was the heroine and the antagonist rolled into one. For 16 years, the responsibility of two parents fell squarely on my shoulders and I would be hypocrite to say that it was a breeze all the way. By the time my second child came 19 years after my first child, I had to relearn everything I knew.

Contrary to my mother's style however, I have always been at the forefront with regards to my children's affairs. I needed to remind myself every so often to "stand down" and defer to my husband's decisions when circumstances call for it. It was a reality I had to face after being accustomed to taking charge for so long.

Other Non-Traditional Mothers

Time and circumstances have given rise to other forms of non-traditional motherhood. There are the stepmothers who are no longer as "evil" as portrayed in fairy-tales. There are the long-distance mothers who try to rear their children from afar due to economic difficulties. There are also the surrogate mothers who give life to babies for women who are unable to bear children on their own. The grandmothers who found themselves extending their motherly duties to their grandchildren comprise an entirely different breed of mothers. There are many other women who find themselves in non-traditional situations but nevertheless are called mothers.

My Say

With a very few exceptions, mothers do their best in whatever situation and time they find themselves in while taking care of their children. They will never be perfect but they will always have perfect intentions for their family. The face of motherhood has evolved through time but the basic essence of loving and supporting their children will never change.

That said, traditional and non-traditional mothers are bound by a single intent of giving their children the best they can provide. Each face their respective challenges. In the end, children reap the benefits of the successful efforts of motherhood.

home and living

Get a New Home Without the Hassle of Moving

10:44 AM

The cost of moving has reached an all time high, resulting in many simply being unable to afford to move home. Rather than relocate, many are choosing to spruce up their homes instead to have the feel of a new home minus the stress and cost of actually moving. There are multiple ways of making your home feel new and refreshed either with a few simple touches or a complete design overhaul. Re-decorating and re-designing are enjoyable and stress-free ways to achieve a completely new home look and feel.

There is really no time limit when choosing to redecorate. You can take your time, plan, shop around or even tackle each room one at a time to fit in with budget considerations and busy schedules. Everything can be completed at your own pace to ensure that you are happy with the end result and are able to create something that fulfills your needs and wants.

The purpose of re-decoration is to transform your home into a place exactly the way you've always imagined it to be. Each room can take on its own persona and can be designed to perfectly meet the needs of their respective occupants. Individualized redecorating of rooms can completely transform the look and feel of a home and give its owners more reason to enjoy and treasure it. .

Personal regeneration projects are the best kind, they can allow you to be free and creative and enable you to express your creative flair within an environment that is completely personal to you and an area that you can enjoy for many years to come. A complete overhaul of each room within a household can be costly and time consuming but there is no reason for this to prevent you from undertaking such a project. Clever buys, budgeting and thought can allow for all the necessary and desired changes to be made.

The home is considered a sanctuary. The escape from everyday life and pressures is sought for in homes. Its style and appearance need to reflect the preference of its owner. Owners need to feel happy in their home surroundings and interior design products can actually help in this area.

Many interior design experts are on hand to help you create the home of your dreams. Advice and support are often greatly appreciated when considering such a project. Sometimes, all it needs is a little push to bring out or unleash your creative flair. Creativity is best paired with the clear understanding of what is sought to be created.

One of the most important rooms within a home is without a doubt the bedroom. It is a place where peace and tranquility should reign and the most restful nights sleep is possible. It is an area where people can just rest or relax during the day.A bedroom overhaul can completely change your outlook in life. Someone who is well rested and wakes up in a peaceful place is understandably, better equipped to deal with the day ahead. There are so many ways in which a bedroom can be designed to ensure that your needs are met and that the perfect bedroom of your dreams is created.

About the Guest Author:

Debbie Fletcher is a freelance writer who loves to provide information for a wide variety of topics. She suggests looking into the Betta Living website for some ideas about redesigning bedrooms that can make you totally forget about moving.

Image: flickr.com/photos/39404185@N03/3621793700/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Always a Beautiful Ending

Always a Beautiful Ending with Cif - The Mother's Day Event

9:44 AM

Always a Beautiful Ending, so goes the tagline of Cif Cream Surface Cleaner...

Yesterday, Cif held its special Mother's Day Event at the Abe Restaurant in Serendra, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. The event aptly called "Beautiful Endings, Everyday with Cif" was an opportune time for all Cif moms and dads to meet, have lunch, and get to meet the newest Cif mom and brand ambassador,Ms. Suzi Entrata. The event marks the launch of its latest campaign "101 Beautiful Endings with Cif".

Beautiful Endings, Everyday with Cif Event

The event welcomed media people including bloggers, certified Cif moms and dads, as well as the winners from the Cif Mom Search. A short introduction was given by the event hosts and then everyone was treated to a sumptuous lunch. After which, Ms. Suzi Entrata was introduced and she talked about her personal experiences in trying to maintain a beautiful and clean home.

There were several online contests held for the attendees which of course involved creating awareness for Cif through various social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. There was also an actual demonstration held for the correct use of Cif as shown below. The most exciting part is when Ms. Jinggay Iglesia, a guest of one of the bloggers seated with us went home with a TV for having the Best Mother's Day greetings. A very nice Mother's day surprise indeed! Incidentally, the winner of the Cif and Domex Overhaul Search was also recognized in the person of Ms. Cindy Dominguez. She submitted photos of the Quema Mansion Ancestral Home.

101 Beautiful Endings with Cif

This campaign essentially highlights a guide to 101 uses of Cif Cream Surface Cleaner. Cif helps mothers and homemakers deal with the most stubborn dirt while remaining gentle on surfaces. It can clean efficiently without scratching practically all kinds of surfaces.

Directions for Use:

1. Pour a small amount of Cif Cream onto a sponge or cleaning cloth or directly on the area

to be cleaned.

2. Rub gently then wipe with clean cloth or rinse.

3. Use sparingly for delicate and colored surfaces.

It can be used almost anywhere including the kitchen, the bathroom, indoors, outdoors, kiddies corner, and other areas that need cleaning.

Specific applications on kitchen areas include stained oven hobs and hotplates, tea stains on teapots and cups, sides of deep fat fryer, limescale build-up on tap joints and coffee percolator, and burnt saucepans. Bathroom applications include removal of dried on soap on soap dishes, toilet, shower curtains, yellowing tile grouting, and basins and baths heavily stained with limescale. Other home areas can also benefit from the use of Cif since it has many other uses such as cleaning telephones, plastic trays, door handles, vases, ashtrays, and even your favorite flip-flops.

The list goes on to include synthetic car seat covers, soles of trainers and rubber boots, plastic bibs, kiddie tricycles, and toys. Cif is also suitable for outdoor cleaning such as barbecue grills, garden furniture, sports equipment, as well as fences and gates of homes. The uses are just too many to list.

Using Cif results not only to a cleaner home but a fresher smelling home as well. Homemakers will definitely discover more uses for Cif as they go about their daily routine of maintaining the house. Certainly tough cleaning with minimum effort.

My Say

Cif has generously provided all bloggers with products which we can give away to our loyal readers. However, given the logistical cost of sending these products to individuals, I have decided to use what I got in a different way. I intend to share Cif with my friends in our community and ask them to share the results preferably through photos.

That said, I hope the plan works out fine so I can show my readers the results together with my own review of the product. To borrow Cif's line, this Mother's Day Event indeed had a beautiful ending.

AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT

Songs from the Jukebox - The AMBOS MUNDOS RESTAURANT Anecdotes - Fifth of a Series

7:17 AM

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

My nostalgic travel in time that started in the first of May continued when I spotted a jukebox standing on one corner of a business establishment a couple of days ago. I believe it wasn't working anymore but functioned more as a decorative item to represent a certain era when it was very popular. All too suddenly, I was brought back to a time in my childhood when my father would give me a handful of coins to while away my time while everyone in our restaurant was busy serving the customers. I listened to many songs from the jukebox in one corner of Ambos Mundos Restaurant.

In awe and In Wonder of the Jukebox

The intricacies of the workings of a jukebox captivated me from the moment I set eyes on this machine that produced music that filled the restaurant. I would peer through the jukebox glass as I wait for the clink of the coin I have dropped in the slot and see how a contraption similar to an arm would get a "45" vinyl single and play the music it contains. Song selection is done by pressing a certain combination.

People of today may not be familiar with a "45" or the "33 1/2" rpm gramophone records since they are very rarely used today except perhaps to represent a bygone era. These are actually the black-colored circular things with central spindle holes. A "45", which is the smaller one between the two would usually be the most popular song lifted from the "33 1/2" Long-Playing album.

Photo credit: arclients

Music and the Filipino Culture

Long before the karaoke and the videoke came and occupied the time of fun-loving and music-loving Filipinos, there was the jukebox. Unlike the karaoke and the videoke however which are now found even in private homes, the jukebox was generally found in commercial eating establishments like Ambos Mundos Restaurant. The singing along was done sans the microphone but still all the customers had to "suffer" through a personal song choice of one customer and wait for their turn.

I remember "fights" arising from the use of the jukebox similar to the common story we hear today about the curse in singing "My Way" in karaoke and videoke establishments. I am pretty sure though that the jukebox occurrences were much milder than what we often read in the newspapers today that sometimes lead to unnecessary deaths. These untoward incidents usually result from the deadly combination of music and too much liquor but I digress...

My Say

The jukebox represents a certain time which I associate with my childhood and Ambos Mundos Restaurant. To see one and hear music coming from one transports me to a time of innocence and dependence on my parents for everything I needed. Like in any other child, I wanted to grow up quickly so I can conquer my world, only to find out that I would be longing for the safety of childhood every so often in adulthood.

That said, some people may think that I am too sentimental for my own good and that is a possibility. Being sentimental is a part of me and I have learned to accept that in myself. My connection with my past stays and lingers. I tell stories of them to my children, hoping to give them a glimpse of how my childhood was like and how their grandparents were like. These stories are the stuff in which family legacies are made of and continued.

birthday pancit palabok

The Lucky Me Pancit Palabok Product Review - A Trip Down Memory Lane

8:55 PM

The Lucky Me Pancit Palabok Product review was supposed to be just like any other review but instead it took me to an unexpected trip down memory lane. Eating it brought back memories of early childhood especially when I chose to test the product today, my birthday. Before I realized it, I was reminiscing about the good old days and how pancit palabok was always and is still a part of my comfort food fare.

My Childhood and Pancit Palabok

I don't exactly remember when I started to like pancit palabok. My most vivid memories about it was when our family was still living in Pasay City. During that time, Cartimar was considered the premier shopping center in the area and this was where my mother would take us to buy our things.

More than the excitement of having new clothes, new shoes, and the imported chocolates and canned goods, I had one more reason to be excited about going to Cartimar. After shopping, we will always eat in a quaint and charming food shop managed by a bespectacled and strict-looking middle-age woman. In that little nook, I found my childish heaven in eating pancit palabok and halo-halo.

This would go on for several years until we had to transfer to another city. In time, the place became different and that food shop was nowhere to be found in the vicinity. I lost the place but I retained the memories and the love for pancit palabok and halo-halo.

Adulthood and Pancit Palabok

Since pancit palabok is not offered in our restaurant, I found ways of enjoying the food by ordering it in other places where it is sold. As sure as the sun rises, that is how sure my eating companions would be that I will order pancit palabok when I see it included in the menu. During college days, my friends and I will frequent a specific fast food establishment and there I ordered my favorite pancit palabok for about four years.

Although I fairly enjoy cooking, I found it quite tedious to prepare my own home-made palabok. This became especially so when I was working and had a family to attend to. Everything just had to be done more quickly.

Instant Pancit Palabok

The desire to enjoy eating pancit palabok did not wane through time. Even when trying to scrimp on family budget and time became a more priced commodity, some things like love for a certain food never goes away. Instant food offered a convenient way to do it in this fast-paced life.

Last week, a special package arrived at my doorstep. It was a "bilao" of uncooked Lucky Me Special Instant Pancit Palabok. Today, I tested it and here is what I think about it.

1. Lucky Me Special Instant Pancit Palabok is very easy to prepare. Each pack contains a pack of noodles, sauce, and garnish. Boiling water is simply added to the noodles and covered for 4 minutes. The sauce and garnish is added after draining the water from the noodles.

2. Lucky Me Special Instant Pancit Palabok packed enough flavor to make it a satisfying merienda treat as it came with real chicharon and calamansi flavored sauce. I would personally prefer more sauce though. To make my birthday pancit palabok extra special, I added in toasted tinapa flakes and sliced boiled eggs on top.

3. Lucky Me Special Instant Pancit Palabok is reasonably priced at about P 14.00 per pack. Satisfying merienda treats rarely come at this price. Quick and low-cost options like this are always welcome to consumers.

My Say

This special surprise couldn't have come at a better time. We always want to celebrate special days with special food since that is how Filipino families are. In this economically-difficult times, being able to do so without incurring extraordinarily high expenses is always preferred.

That said, I'm glad I was one of those chosen to receive this gift. I likewise received an extra unexpected gift basket containing all of the 17 Lucky Me Special Instant Noodle Product flavors because the first attempted delivery failed to find its way to me. This just gives me more reason to try their other products as well.