Something to cool you off in summer

Recently, there have been a lot of Facebook posts on this particular treat that I wanted to check it out myself.

Bingsu is a dessert made of shaved ice and condensed milk topped with ingredients from fruits to nuts to candies. It is a popular Korean snack especially during the summer season, similar to the Philippine’s halo-halo. On a hot and sunny afternoon, we finally got to try this frozen delight!

Because you are worth breaking an arm for…

It was little K’s last day of summer class today so Mr. G and I decided to treat her (and ourselves) to a sumptuous meal for a job well done. Together with father and mother-in-law, we had lunch at Applebee’s and went to the arcade center afterwards to have little K ride in those little moving cars and planes to her heart’s content. While she is having fun with the grandparents, we opted to play as well.

Family Dinner Dates at Balboa Restaurant

Last night, Mr.G, little K and I were invited by my in-laws for a family dinner at Balboa Restaurant located at 4^th Level, East Wing, Shangri-La Plaza Mall. It is an Italian-American restaurant whose name inspiration is Sylvester Stallone’s character in the film “Rocky Balboa”. We were already late for the appointment because little K had some sort of uh..business needed to be attended to first so anyway, when we arrived, the parentals have already ordered. The restaurant’s specialties are pastas, steaks and pizzas but they also serve burgers, sandwiches and salads.

Educational, Engaging and Easy to Learn Songs for Toddlers

You all know about our little K’s love for music, right? If you just started following my blog, you can read the story here. From 0 months, we started playing songs from the Fisher-Price Collection via their android app until I think she was 7 or 8 months. The collection is composed of basic, learning songs such as: ABC’s, 123’s, Colors and Shapes song and a few nursery rhymes. The songs were great but soon, she grew tired of listening to them, we knew we needed to refresh our repertoire. Insert Super Simple Songs.

Oh for the Love of Music!

I remember a time when Kara was 6 months old and I saw her shaking (or was she waving) her hands to the beat of the counting song we always play in the house. After that, everytime she hears music she just gets into the groove. Be it music from the car radio, ringtone of a cellphone or even a steady beat of a drum. The moment she learned how to stand, she began stomping her feet and then months later, she could memorize and do dance steps from a Hi-5 song. It might be because I played music to help Kara and I relax ever since we took her home from the hospital, or placing headphones over my pregnant belly to let my unborn baby listen to a soothing sound paid off, or maybe because Mr. G and I do music jams in the car everyday while on our way to work when I was pregnant. For whatever reason, it was then I realized Kara has a fondness to music.

A Guide on Answering the South Korean Visa Application Form

As of August 2015, the embassy of the Republic of Korea released a new visa application form. Unlike the previous form, this one does not come with detailed guidelines on how to answer it.

Applying for a South Korean Visa as a Family

South Korea has always been in the list of countries Mr. G and I wanted to go to even before we were married. Several korean dramas and promo airfares later, we gathered the courage to apply for a visa and thankfully, we (including Kara) were approved.

Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Summer here in the Philippines can be unbearably hot. It usually calls for a swim in the beach, a dip in the pool, turning on the AC unit for almost a day or ICE CREAM!

Mommy’s Powers

Mr. G told me he was feeling exhausted when he got home and by the look on his face as we were having dinner, I was sure we’ll be hitting the sack earlier than usual tonight. Sure enough, it’s lights out by 9:30pm. I am so thankful to finally lay my head on the pillow since I wasn’t getting enough sleep either and I was pretty sure Kara is sleepy as well, thanks to the afternoon nap she skipped earlier today. Ah, a nice long rest. Or, so I thought.

11:30pm: I was awakened by a kick on my back and found Kara restless. She kept on moving, probably trying to find the perfect position to sleep. I decided to leave her alone, thinking that she’ll eventually fall asleep so I turned my back on her and closed my eyes prepared to get back to sleep. She moved a few more times and then she cried, her hands reaching for me and forcing me to turn around.

I offered to nurse her to sleep but she refused. Instead, she reached for my hand and held it tight and amazingly, that was all it took for her to relax and slip off to dreamland.

While struggling to put myself to slumber, I came to a realization: how amazing a mother’s powers are! That just by holding hands, I helped my daughter relax and sleep.  I am thankful of mothers. Truly, mothers are blessings to all of us. They are our go-to when we want someone to listen to us, our private nurses when we get sick, our shoulder to cry on when we get hurt, our bodyguards that make us feel safe, our first best friends, our superheroes. And now I’m grateful to have joined their league.

So, I am sending a big shout out to all moms this coming Mother’s Day, whether you are a single mom, a working mom, or a stay at home mom:  Remember that YOU ARE LOVED and YOU ARE APPRECIATED! I know I am, just by holding Kara’s hands and looking at her face in awe as she sleeps.