On Teaching English or Tagalog

During one of our chika moments in the office, we talked about our kids' language. I haven't posted anything related to it so I thought about this post.

When I gave birth to Jami, I wasn't really thinking if I'll introduce him to English or Filipino (Tagalog) language until he was around 2 months old. I realized I was talking to him in Tagalog all along even when he was still in my womb. Just so to make it easier for me and for the people around us, I have decided that we'll speak Filipino (Tagalog).

I believe that kids/toddlers can easily get confused with the language that you'll be using kung paiba - iba. When you have decided to speak to them in English, you have to make sure that everyone that he'll meet will be speaking in English too. The more your kids get confused on different language that you're using, the more na mas matagal or mahihirapan silang magsalita. I don't have a scientific or medical basis on that, yan lang naman ang paniniwala ko.

I realized that since Nanay and my siblings will be speaking with Jami in Tagalog, we'll all speak tagalog to him. I also don't want him to be left behind by other kids who are all speaking in Tagalog in the community. One time, a friend witnessed how fast Jami can learn new words. Isang beses mo lang sabihin, he can say it near perfect and clearly so he said, bakit hindi ko na lang daw turuan ng English since he can pick up words very fast. I thought about it and that also made Daryl think, why not?

After some time, Daryl said we'll be speaking in English na daw.

Me: Okay fine!

Pero sya naman yung hindi maka keep up sa pag e- English ko! hahahaha.

What I don't like about the idea is that when you are going to speak English to your kids, it'll be better to make sure that you pronounce and use words correctly (use of past and present tense). You should also not forget about grammars diba? I am not telling naman na perfect ang English ko diba? Just make sure to teach them what's right lang, wag naman yung obvious talaga.

Like..

Lay down vs. Lie down.

Naiinis kasi ako sa mga ganyan eh. Yun bang just for the sake na nag eenglish sila pero mali naman?  

Jami knows a little English like finish, fish, cat, dog, balloon, etc. Basically, alam nya ang pangalan ng mga bagay sa paligid nya in English. I am really not pressured that Jami wasn't speaking straight English yet. People tend to find that kids who speaks in English are cute rather than those who speaks our own language. I am undergraduate of BSE Filipino and realized that a lot of people have grammar mistakes even in tagalog like the use of "sya" while they are referring to an object.

"Hindi ko sya mabuksan" vs. "Hindi ko ito mabuksan".

Well, I have already established Jami's first learned language and that was Filipino (Tagalog). I know we'll get there (in speaking in English) since he can pick up words so easily. Just so he won't get confused, he has to fully learn his first language then once he goes to school na, saka ko na tuturuan ng English. I just want to make sure though that he'll have at least one new word for quite some time para maging familiar lang.

There were also days na dalang-dala ako ng emotions ko then I would unconsciously say "Gago" (out of a very surprised or unexpected things happened), I'll hear him say "Bad yun!" Hehehe. Then I'll say sorry na lang and realized, hindi lang sya madaldal, nakakaintindi na sya ng mga bagay-bagay sa paligid nya.

Since we stick in one language all along, Jami can now speak clearly and is super duper madaldal talaga. Couple of nights ago, I was so sleepy but Jami kept on telling stories about Zombies and his Php100. I even posted this photo on that same night.

Ang madaldal kong Anak. Hindi matapos tapos ang kwento nya tungkol sa Zombie at sa 100 pesos only. Minsan gusto ko ng maasar sa dami ng sinasabi nya pero ang sabi nga, if you don't listen to them about little things, they wont trust you with the big ones later on. Kinig pa more!! ‪#‎imjparenting‬ ‪#‎Jamitoddler‬ ‪#‎motherhood‬

True diba? =)

I am so proud of Jami and I don't feel left behind with him speaking in our own language. I find it suitable for his personality. What's important naman is that he could speak and understand very well.

Kayo? Which language does your kids know?

Press Release: The Gruffalo – LIVE!

 The last time I had the chance to watch a theater play was during college. Being a future educator back then, we conducted theater shows although most of them, sa likod lang ako. Mainly, hindi ako ang bida because I was a freshman at the time. I could say that I missed being on a school organization that produces theater plays.

But worry no more..

Let The Gruffalo introduce your little ones to the magic and wonder of world-class theatre! Showing at the RCBC Theatre from January 27 to 31, 2016, don’t miss out!

Join Mouse on an adventurous journey in Tall Stories’ magical, musical adaptation of the award-winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

“Irresistibly charming!” The Times, UK

“Monstrous fun!” Daily Mail, UK

Mouse sets off on a daring adventure through the deep dark wood in search of hazelnuts, meeting the cunning Fox, the eccentric old Owl and the party mad Snake on the way. Will the story of the fabled Gruffalo save Mouse from ending up as dinner for these wily woodland creatures? Armed with only a nut map and a little courage, Mouse must outwit them all, and after all, there’s no such thing as a Gruffalo – is there?

Songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged 3 and up and their adults, in a show that’s toured around Britain and the world. Let your imagination run wild!

“No. 1 Children’s Show!” The Independent, UK

“An altogether winning performance!” New York Times

The Gruffalo - LIVE has grown into one of the biggest and most anticipated live shows in Hong Kong and Singapore and Manila can finally welcome the production come 2016. The Gruffalo - LIVE 2016 will be performed by a professional theatre company from the United Kingdom.

“In its four years, The Gruffalo - LIVE has grown into a major family entertainment event in both Hong Kong and Singapore,” says Matthew Gregory, Executive Producer of Hong Kong-based ABA Productions. “This show will provide a fun and educational experience that the whole family can enjoy. I truly hope that this will give children an opportunity to experience the magic of live theatre and expand their knowledge of the art.”

Brought to Manila by Concertus Manila, in partnership with ABA Productions and Lunchbox Theatrical Productions. Special thanks to Nickelodeon. Book your tickets at TicketWorld. Call 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Production info:

Directed by Olivia Jacobs. Creative Producer Toby Mitchell. Designer Isla Shaw. Lighting by James Whiteside, music by JollyGoodTunes, and choreography Morag Cross.

Adapted from the book by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
Illustration © Axel Scheffler and Macmillan Children’s Books

Is Eating a Struggle?

I am a perfect example of this article as I have been battling with Jami's refusal in eating table food. It gets so frustrating every time we eat. As in super stressful. I have been bugging him to eat. I have done what I think will solve the issue - planning food ahead of time so when he wakes up in the morning, the food is ready and he can eat instead of drinking his milk.

Some days were positive while most of the time, I get negative feedback from Jami. I am so pissed I didn't realize that eating became a stressful moment for him too.

In past two weeks, I tried my best to serve him food that I know he loves to eat like Spaghetti and chicken. I also include potato as he calls it "gulay" and pretty much familiar with it. What I didn't realize is that, the more I pressure him to eat the food I prepared for him, the more it gets overwhelming for him. He doesn't totally eats them and wants milk instead, Parang nang-aasar talaga so there were days that I scold him while asking bakit ayaw nya kumain. Usually, it ends up him thinking I am joking around. Hayyy.. sobrang hirap talaga.

I took a moment and ask myself why I would make an impression to Jami that eating is something that he should avoid because it's stressful? I then realized that for the couple of days that we fight because he doesn't eat might cause more trouble in the future. I see some children who refuse to eat when they are in school age. That would bother me more since kids should be eating properly compare to his age now that milk is still his companion 70% of the time.

I then tried another approach of serving him his plate with the amount of food I think he eats. I will then ask Daryl that we'll eat all together. This happens every weekdays before I head to work. So far, I could see him eat little by little depending on how interesting the food is.

This photo was taken yesterday. While we were eating, I noticed that he was eating too although hindi nga lang sobrang dami talaga. He was eating mostly the ulam, not the rice. It was during our brunch where I realized that he eats more when I least ask him too. Not very stressful for him nor mine. I even asked him if he's done eating after some time pero sabi nya "Kain pa ko eeehhh." I let him eat on his own, yes. Nanay said I should assist him in eating. Subuan ko kung baga but then it causes more trouble for the both of us. I also doesn't like our plates to be removed from the table while he is still eating and someone should still be seated in the table with him. Although he didn't finish the food completely, I am somehow relieved that we are starting to get there.

I want to be able to establish the eating habits first to make sure that he has something to look forward to. Just like earlier when he saw me taking off the remaining rice from rice cooker, he thought we'll be eating na so he said "Kain ako, baw." while going towards the table. It's an indication that he is considering food compared to the time that I am pressuring him to eat.

At this age when our toddlers weren't that cooperative especially with food, it is imperative that we're giving them the vitamins and minerals that they need everyday. I am so glad I had the Nutri10 Plus that Jami was so "hiyang". Although he's not eating too much, he's active and bibo all the time. I always make sure that he's getting his daily dose of Nutri10 Plus that's packed with vitamins and minerals, not to mention the CGF (Chlorella Growth Factor, Taurine, Lysine, Vitamins A, D3, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C and Zinc). That explains why Jami don't catch a cold or cough since November when he started taking this.

I remember that there's no need for me to worry about him not eating too much because his weight says it all. I know we're getting closer to the days where eating is one less of a problem for us. So for Mommies who are on the same page as mine, don't loose hope. Try different approach as it's different for each kids. You should keep on trying, you'll never what you'll discover next. =)

Jami's Slightly Potty Trained

Potty training is one of the things that Jami learned at two years old. I am really proud of him as we were successful after almost 2 weeks. Although he's not completely trained (poop), I am still glad that we minimized the use of diapers. Kaching!! =)

As of the moment, Jami can say when he feels like urinating. He would say "wiwi" then will start taking off his shorts. We would go to the toilet then he'll pee (standing). After that, he'll splash water from where he peed on including his potoytoy. Yes, I made him wash his potoytoy after he peed. Sometimes included pati yung pwet nya. Hindi pa naman sya capable of cleaning himself so he'll just splash water all over his legs.

So how did we get to that at 2 years old? I'll give you pointers on what we did.

Jami at 2 months :)

1.) Since babies and toddlers aren't capable of controlling their bladder, they pee whenever, wherever they feel like doing it. After Jami's birthday, I suddenly want to take of his diaper in the morning when he wakes up. I'll make him wear shorts or briefs or even his pyjamas pa until he bathes at 11am.

2.) While taking off his pyjamas and soiled diaper, I always remind him to tell me when he's going to wiwi. "Sabihin mo kay Mommy pag wiwi ka ha?! Sabihin mo, Mommy Wiwi" repeat 20x in 30 minutes. hahahaha! I don't know if he understands me but I tell him anyway. I guess he doesn't kasi he would still pee on his shorts for the first 2-3 days.

3.) Since I can't be with Jami the whole day, weekend are for practice. I don't make him wear diapers even after he took a bath. I kept on reminding him to tell mommy when he wants to pee.

4.) Of course on the first couple of days, he forgets what he has to do, I often tell him "sabi ko sayo, sabihin mo kay Mommy pag wiwi eh." on a calm manner. Asar na asar si Nanay because ang daming labahan. Hahahah! But I am confident we'll learn in the coming days.

5.) Jami's so playful and he loves water a lot. To encourage him further, I would take him to our toilet, remove his shorts then would ask him to wiwi. He would pee ng konti lang then I will splash water from where he peed. He thinks we're playing so moving on, he wants to go pee every single time.

6.) Never doubt them. When they say they want to pee and you went with them tapos hindi naman, don't get mad. They might be feeling number 2 so you must read their actions too. Si Jami kasi, when he keeps on going sa toilet or he's touching his potoytoy ng kaka wiwi pa lang, malamang yan, na po poop na yan.

7.) Make your household aware that you're training your kids so you can be all in the same page. During these time na tinuturuan ko si Jami, Nanay would tell me na mag diaper na lang daw para di na umuhi sa higaan (on his afternoon nap) but then I tell her wag na lang. I would put a thick cloth or laundry clothes sa may bandang puwitan ni Jami when he sleeps in the afternoon in case he'll wiwi. After 2 hours, I'll wake him up and tell him we'll go wiwi na. I'll carry him to the toilet so he could wiwi then bring him back to bed. Pag sobrang antok pa yan, he would sleep again. I also asked Daryl not to make Jami wear diapers in the afternoon para masanay na din.

8.) There were also times that he'll see us pee. I let him watch while telling him "wiwi si Mommy eh". So he knows what I am doing.  He'll know that it's normal to pee in the toilet.


Having all these followed for weekends and morning of weekdays, we were able to establish a no-diaper-on-daytime na. I am so glad since we are now using only 2-3 diapers a day. That includes 1 diaper for bedtime and then the rest are for his poop. I tried bringing him sa toilet seat when I think he's going to poop na pero he'll say " wala naman.." but when you make him wear diapers, saka lang mag poop.

The key to make your toddler potty trained is being patient. Syempre hindi naman yan madali for them since they are learning a new habit diba? Tayo nga na adult, when we have to go through a change from what we are used to, nahihirapan din diba? You just have to be patient and no pressure syempre. I never actually think that I am training him so he'll be ahead of anyone or para mukang bibo. We have to lessen the diaper use and instead of using cloth, why not train them to be independent? At this stage, toddlers love to do things by themselves na and I saw it to Jami kaya I grabbed the opportunity for him to learn a thing or two.

I am looking forward that before he turns 3 years old, he'll learn to poop na on either the toilet bowl or on a potty. Seriously, hindi ko pa sya nabibilhan ng potty because I always forget to allot a budget for it. Nevertheless, I am so happy with this milestone. I am looking forward for more milestones to unlock in the future. =) (parang game level lang. Hahahah).

The Story of my P100 at KFC Southmall

On the last day of 2015, I was asked by Kuya to buy Leche Flan in SM Southmall. After we bought 3pcs, Daryl, Jami and I decided to eat at KFC for our lunch since wala pa kaming kain from breakfast.

As we were deciding what to order, I went near the counter just to check closely their menus. I was about to buy their P300 peso meal (forgot what it was called but it was with 2pc chicken and rice plus more). I went back to where Daryl was seated because I had a second thought. I told him iba na lang dahil masyadong madami yung food for us. However, after so much thinking, I have decided to push through with the original plan. I went back to the cashier na may hawak na Php200 plus my wallet. While I was standing sa cashier, I was looking up to read again what's included on our order at the same time, taking out another 100 pesos from my wallet. Suddenly, I felt na nabitawan ko slightly yung wallet (although I had the strap around my wrist) and because of that, nalaglag yung isang Php100 na nilalabas ko pa lang. When I checked on the counter top, wala yung pera. I looked around below to see if nahulog lang sa baba pero wala talaga. I was so surprised hindi ko alam kung saan napunta. I am positive na nilabas ko na yung money since bilang ko yung perang nasa loob ng wallet ko.

While I was struggling to look for that Php100 bill, Daryl went to me and asked why. Sabi ko nawawala yung pera ko so he handed some bills to me to add into my already Php200. I was still looking and even checked if nahulog pa towards the other side of the counter (where the lady cashier was standing) pero wala daw sabi nya. I was starting to doubt her kasi imposibleng mawala yung Php100 in just a matter of seconds. Wala din naman ibang tao sa likod ko na kukuha if nalaglag man.

I was still busy looking when the lady cashier said wala daw naman akong nailapag sa counter. I told her meron. I am 101% sure. I just heard her say "ni Ma'am" to one of their staff na katabi nya. So I asked "Ano yun?" I was thinking baka kinakausap nya ako but since I have my full attention in finding the money, hindi ko sya narinig ng maayos.

"Ipapareview ko po yung CCTV, Ma'am"

I said okay lang then ordered na while still looking around. Shet wala talaga! Naisip kong ano ba yan! Nawala pa yung pera sayang naman. Yeah, Php100 lang pero nakakapang hinayang. We could have used that to ride the carousel nearby.

I sat down na then told Daryl what happened. Hindi din sya positive na may inilabas din akong money pero nanindigan talaga akong meron. I know I was holding the Php200 bill with my wallet in one hand while taking out another Php100 by my other hand. I was checking the counter and saw that they are really reviewing the CCTV. I was touched to see that they were exerting an effort to look for my money kahit na sobrang liit lang naman. I realized nagkukumpulan na sila in front of the monitor. I told Daryl na maybe they saw something unusual or maybe found someone took my money when it fell. 

Kumakain na kami when the lady cashier went to our table and said na wala naman daw kaming naiwan talaga. I smiled and said it was fine. Jusko! Ayaw ko naman mag iskandalo para lang sa Php100. Hahaha! I said I'll let it go na. Kung nawala or namalikmata ako, or may nakakuha man then so be it. Wala na akong magagawa. I looked at the counter (we were seated across) when I realized they were still watching. I kept looking until I saw the lady cashier pulling up her monitor and saw my Php100 bill!!!! I overheard her telling his colleagues  

Cashier : "Nakita ko na kung nasaan, nasa ilalim pala!".

Me to Daryl: Sabi ko sayo babe eh! May hawak akong pera! 

The lady cashier went back to our table to tell me that she found my money. I told her, "sabi ko sayo ate eh!" 

The moral of the story? I was really glad about their effort. I wasn't expecting them to review the CCTV and help me resolve my issue. For me, it was beyond customer service. I am working in the same industry for so long. I spoke to so many irate callers all over U.S and U.K and being able to resolve one's concern feels like heaven. I know what she felt and that there's a confidence in that face. I loved that. I was checking how I could commend her for helping me out even after her timeline to serve me has ended from the moment I left the counter. I was looking around and in my receipt to check where I could send this story, basically to let her managers know that she exceeded what is expected of her pero I couldn't find one. I saw you could send your experience through www.mykfcexperience.com.ph but it needs an invite code to be able to send one and I don't have it on my receipt. Better yet, I blogged about the story. 

It was a small act that had a huge impact on how people will look at customer service and I am so glad to be able to experience it unexpectedly. 

Thank you Crisella Marie Caluya, as my receipt says, for the job well done. Keep doing that and it will take you a long way. =)

Jami at 2 years Old

I am really glad I was gifted with a beautiful, smart baby boy! I couldn't be more thankful that Jami's development were excellent. I am no expert anyway, I am the Mom so definitely, number 1 fan ako nyan.

At 2 years old, Jami can do all of these things..

• Potty Training -  After his 2nd birthday, we practiced him to say whenever he wants to pee. I think this deserves its own blogpost on how I trained Jami to pee. Having that said, nakakatipid na ako sa diapers since we don't need to make him wear diapers during the day. We use one at night or when he's going to poo poo. He's not that comfortable having number 2 sa toilet bowl so it has to be on a diaper pa. I have not been able to buy him a potty that's why we can't practice that part yet but the wee wee was for me, a great start. We could tell if he's going to poo poo when he kept on saying wee wee pero konti lang naman ang wee wee nya. Or sometimes, he keeps on touching his potoytoy. In that case, we have to offer diaper na para he can poo poo. 

• Talking Habit - Jami speaks a lot! Sobrang daldal and quite frankly can speak up to 3 words. He can somehow create a sentence of his own, you just have to be familiar with how he say things so you could understand him well. For instance, when they sent Daryl's cousin to a bus station in Pasay. When he got home to us, he kept on saying "Adeng, sakay bus.. Uwi na.." to Nanay. Yung tipong nagku kwento na ba. Minsan, he'll say "Mommy, kita mo? Payder (spider)". I am impressed that he started talking, take note: hindi bulol. Although there were some words that he finds a little complex pa, naja-jumble nya like "dalawa vs. dawala". Whenever people hear him talking, they often ask if how old he is. Then it'll give me some time to think.. Oo nga ano? He just turned 2 years old in October 2015. I am really thankful on how his development is going in terms of speaking since it's vital for the both of us and to other people around him to understand him better. 

•  Eating Habit - It was one of the problems I have as of the moment. I kept on telling you from my previous post that he doesn't like to eat all the time. There were days that he would eat but then 98% of the time, he won't. I am blaming myself for that since feeling ko, hindi ko natutukan ng husto yung pagkain nya, hindi tuloy sya nasanay. We practiced his walking, speech etc but his eating habit wasn't there so it's on my 2016 goals talaga. Just like earlier, I cooked Nilagang Baka since I think, kaya ayaw nya kumain dahil walang sabaw. When it was our time to eat, he sat down, took the spoon, sumubo ng isa then he played na. I tried my best to convince him to eat minsan na stress na talaga ako, napapagalitan ko sya. I kept on asking him, "Bakit ayaw mong kumain?" waley.. titingnan lang ako tapos tatawanan. He thinks nagjojoke talaga ako. Hayyy...

• Tantrums - Whenever Jami is at his Lola's house (Daryl's Mom), naku! ubod ng arte talaga! He would cry na alam kong fake. Why would I not know? Alam ko kung paano talaga sya umiyak. He tries his way to cry fake kasi ibibigay ang gusto nya. When he asks for milk, sisigaw yan.. "Man.. Man.. Isa pa man!!" I started telling him when the year started na bad ang sumigaw. I just realized lately na madalas na syang sumisigaw talaga so I keep in mind to tell him that shouting won't get him what he wants. I taught him to ask pleasantly like "Isa pa man, please." "Kuha po, please". "Water, please". I also taught him to use "Opo" when he's asked tapos sasagot lang ng pabalang. I kept on reminding him to use these words before I give what he wants and so far effective naman. As much as possible, ayaw ko ng mga tantrums kaya as early as now, hinaharap ko na lahat ng kaartihan nya. I am praying that I am doing what is right para lumaki sya ng maayos at mabuting tao. Please, Help me God! 

• Playing Behavior - Jami doesn't know how to share pa talaga. When his toys were taken by his cousin, Andy, he'll cry on top of his lungs na. I kept on telling him na "Share lang!". When we share a food or anything, ayaw nya and would take it from me. Sasabihin pa nyan "Ako na, Ako na!" but then, I tried my best to tell him to SHARE. I couldn't tell if it's really effective since most of the time, hindi nya talaga gets. I bet toddler goes thru this stage so I let it be - in moderation. 

• Sleeping Habit - Jami's schedule depends on what schedule I am on. Given we don't have a nanny to take care of him while I am away, kailangan nya talaga mag follow ng sleeping pattern ko din. I was really worried at first dahil he sleeps at 12 midnight na and wakes up at 10am. I just got used to it since it's really very hard to find a trustful nanny nowadays. I am hoping that soon, we can aide this problem so Jami will have his own routine na. He still gets his afternoon nap naman although it's around 4-6pm na dahil tanghali na din sya nagigising.

• Social Skills - I was really glad that Jami is so sociable. When we were in a place where there were kids, example in malls, he would smile at them and will start playing. When he sees a bigger kids girl/boy who's playing, he would like to join agad and play with them. There were times though especially with the kids of his same age, mejo hindi nya ineentertain. He prefers bigger kids na talaga eh. Maybe because he got used to Daryl's nephew na lagi nyang playmate dun sa bahay ng lola nya. If there's one thing he won't share, it's the toys pero kapag food, magbibigay talaga sya. When someone carries him, sasama din naman sya as long as nakikita nya kami around or kapag familiar face naman. 

Well, the list can go on and on pero hanggang jan muna. I wanted to make sure that I document this stage because it may be the small things that I may forget in the future. I am hoping someday, Jami will be able to read through it and find how adorable he is when he's 2 years old.

Kayo? How are your kids doing? =)

A Pledge to a Healthier Year in 2016

I have listed down my goals this year although I am still trying to internalize what else should I add on my goals. Some of those that I have written were continuation of my goals from 2015. Those that I wasn't able to fulfill made it to 2016 list.

One of the things that I'll include on my goals this year is to become a Healthy us. From myself, to Daryl and Jami. I was just eating all the Media Noche food leftover then I'll go Zumba na or jogging. Yes, hinahanda ko na ang isip ko jan although iniisip ko pa lang pagod na ako, just do it! =)

Also, this year, I'll do my best to write our meal plan for the week to avoid those days that we don't eat food on time. That contributed to Jami not liking the table food. I noticed that if he gets huungry, he'll rely on his milk. Bakit nga naman hindi? He knows that it can give him an instant boost. Yun nga lang, when it's time to eat table food, wala na.. Busog na kasi sya. That's one of the things that I want to do something about. I want to improve on that so it should be my priority everyday, kung anong kakainin namin. My solution was to plan the meal ahead to avoid the mental block of thinking what to eat on lunch or dinner.

Since I pledge to start the year healthy, with the kind of weather that we have, plus Jami resisting to eat his food, I badly need a companion to make ends meet. We can't get a guarantee that our kids get all the nutrients their body needs so having a good multivitamins can go a long way.

with Nanay's plant

Nutri10 Plus is packed with vitamins and minerals that our kids' body needs to be able to cope up. I always make sure Jami gets his daily dose of Nutri10 to at least catch up while I am working my way to make him like table food more than his milk. One of the things that I started doing was to make sure that there's a food when Jami wakes up in the morning. That is to avoid him consuming milk until it's lunch time. By then, I should have our lunch prepared so he could eat. I just wish I have all the time in the world to be consistent on that, or at least someone I can rely to to make sure he's eating right. I also want to introduce him to variety of fruit and veggies kaso sobrang hirap nga pakainin. I think I should start with food na may sabaw.

In fairness to Jami, he might not eat table food that much but he does drink his milk ng bongga. Dun bumabawi so buy lunch time, I make him drink his vitamins which for me is the best time. Jami doesn't get sick often like he used to and he's gaining weight and fat. Hindi pa nakain ng food ng lagay na yun but he weighs 14.5kgs the last time we checked (in December).

I also gave 2 bottles of Nutri10 Plus to my officemate who has 2 kids. One 2 years old daughter and a 4 years old son. She was so surprised that her kids loved the taste of Nutri10 plus. She said her kids wants to drink their vitamins early in the morning - even asking for 2 medicine cups!! She said her daughter doesn't like vitamins that much so she was surprised that baby girl loved it! I'll ask her how everything goes in a while. =)

Being a Mommy has never been easy but it is the best job of all time. With the right meal planning and Nutri10 Plus are Mommies' best friend in making kids Aktibo't Malakas!

My 2016 Goals

It's the first Monday of year 2016!!!

Back to school and work na! Honestly, ang dami kong back logs na dapat ng maipost nung December pa pero until now, I can't find the right timing to post each of them., Hayyy.. Hoping I could start with it this week.

Anyway, I have been seeing a lot of posts about their 2016 Goals! Syempre papahuli ba ako? Hahaha! I was looking thru my old posts if somehow, I blogged about my 2015 goals pero hindi ko mahanap at hindi ko maalala kung saang post ko isiningit so I can't say that it's my yearly thing. But then, hindi naman siguro huli ang lahat for that diba?

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I had my 2015 goals written at the back of my planner. I went back to it last night so I could see if I was able to fulfill each goal. It appeared to me that not all the goals were ticked that indicates na nagawa ko na but then, happy ako because there were some goals that I was able to accomplish! Yey for that! I reviewed the goals and I realized that I still want to go ahead with most of them. Most of the goals I have this year was a continuation of what I wrote last year naman.

I categorized my goal this year to make it easier for me to see my priority better.

Financially

• Savings - I basically want to go ahead with the same plan I had last year in achieving my financial goal. I would want to continue my 52 Weeks Money Challenge in the same format I had last year. As I said, it was customized on how I get paid so it'll be easier for me rather than following the usual increment. I am pursuing the 10 peso increment still which will leave me Php13,780 at the end of the challenge. 

Dates on the photo was for 2015 calendar

That was the old dates and template, I haven't been able to update it yet but it was how exactly it looks like. Bi-weekly, I will spare Php530 (alternate of high amount+lower amount e.g Feb 8 to Feb 14 (Php480) + Feb 15 to Feb 21 (Php60) = Php560). Although I have a different approach this year, I am hoping that I'll be able to finish it until the end of the year. I have the Php300 from the Php530 savings as a share to my 6 month long cooperative here in the office so that leaves me Php230 to spare every week. I think it'll be easier as I would see the coop share as a responsibility more than my will to save the money. Php230 is easier to spare than the whole Php530. Kind of the same pero with coop, I won't be the one holding the money that could save me a lot of stress for not buying anything unplanned plus the interest that my money will get.

• Junior Savings Account - Back in 2014, when Jami was 8 months old, I started a BDO Junior Savings account for him so I could save some money while he's growing up. I just then realized that I failed to update the account and I haven't been able to deposit any money since then. This year, I will spare Php300-Php500 every pay check to be deposited straight to Jami's bank account. Every money he'll get from our relatives and friends (birthdays Christmas or any occasion) should go here. 

• Loans - Back in 2012, I filled a loan from these 2 government agencies (Pag-Ibig and SSS) that up to know, hindi ko pa nababayaran. Imagine kung magkano na ang interes nito. When I went back to corporate na kasi, I was trying to have it deducted sa salary ko pero hindi na tinanggap because it's past the 2 years keme na daw. I have to go straight to their agencies to fix it so I'll try my best to find a way to go to their offices. I am planning to start from the lowest so I could tick it off once fully paid.

•  Additional Income - I am planning to find a business I could get into for a purpose of an additional income. I was once told by a friend that and swerte ko daw sa business so I have to consider this. When I get to think about business, nanghihinayang ako with my online business that I closed down dahil nga sa hirap pagsabayin ang full time work then online business. Nawawalan ako ng time kay Jami.

Family

• Staycation - Since last year, I want to at least have one staycation for the 3 of us where we could just lounge and take a rest while staying in the city. This didn't go ahead last year since it was replaced by our Photoshoot. 

• Travel - it was also a continuation of my goal last year. I would like to go to Boracay which I think is the best when you have a toddler in tow. Alam mo yun, yung makapag relax lang talaga. We don't have to take all the activities because we have Jami but the thought of setting foot on the powdery sand and the beach.. hayyyy... Missing the old days na kasagsagan ng travel. I was suppose to book a flight during a sale seat pero male late na ako sa work so hindi ako nakapag pay over the counter. =( Sana matuloy na this year!! I also want to have another summer getaway either with my side of the family or just the 3 of us. I was in-charge kasi to plan the family reunion this year pero wala pa akong nauumpisahan.

• Househelp - I badly want to get a nanny for Jami so someone could watch over him while Daryl and I go to work. I also want to have someone in-charge of Jami's eating habit para masanay na sya to eat table food. Yan kasi yung dapat talaga namin pagtuunan ng pansin. House chores naman I can do every weekends. Mejo maselan naman din ako sa paglalaba so mostly, si Nanay ang naglalaba eh. Hehe or if she's not around, ako na talaga.

• Daryl's Passport - I have been bugging him on getting his passport so if we'll get a chance to book a cheaper flight then we could always push through with it. I planned to get one for him during Jami's application pero hindi naman complete yung requirements nya. Nyek! sabi ko nga sa kanya, kapag nagkaroon ng Zombie outbreak at required ang passport para makaalis dito sa Pinas eh maiiwan sya. 

Daryl: Papakain na lang ako sa Zombie!

• Family Photo - I am so mad at myself hindi kami nakapag Family picture 2 consecutive New Year na. hayy naku! I want this to become our yearly thing na din eh. Nice kasi you can always compare yearly of how your family's growing diba? =) 

BLOG

• Renew blog domain - It is due to expire this January na so I have to make sure I'll update it. =) 

• Blog Event - I am looking forward to attend more Blog event this year so I could meet more Mommies. You'll never know whom you'll be friends with! Ang sarap maging friends ng mga Mommy Blogger sa MBP, Promise! =) Attending more relevant event is definitely a dream come true for me from this blog no! kala ko kasi talaga dati, wala ng mararating ang blog na ito eh. It opened a lot of opportunities for me.

•  Earning - The least I could expect from my blog is to earn money. Anything that I earn from it (small lang naman syempre), goes to this blog. If it's monetary, I always make sure that I'll invest it on this blog like the domain name. When I get more monetary benefit from it, I'll have a theme custom made for this blog so it'll be more appealing to all of you. =)

• Projects - I was so lucky to be part of Mommy Bloggers Philippines where I first got the longest project I had so far. It's still ongoing and I am looking forward for more this year. =) 

• Giveaway - I have been blogging for almost 2 years na since the re-birth of this blog in March 2014 but until now, I never hosted a giveaway pa. I am planning for one pero wala pang budget. Alam nyo na, wala naman akong sponsor so I have to get everything out of pocket. Hopefully on the 2nd Anniversary of It's Mommy Jen blog, makapag giveaway ako as a thankful token for those people who have been reading my blog. 

• Improve Blog Photos - Sabi ng troll/basher ko, improve ko daw yung photos ko. Wala kasi akong matinong camera that I could use to take photos. Hopefully this year, magawan ko na ng paraan para wala ng masabi ang dakila kong basher. 

Well, I still have some goals pero small personal wants lang naman like shopping of clothes for me etc. I am thinking of setting up a timeline for each of these goals to make it realistic. I have yet to create a timeline for it. Once finished, I'll show them to you too. =)