Everyday Mom

On my way to fetch my son everyday from school is a new cute and dainty healthy bakery called Everyday Mom located in Scout Tuason QC. Of course I stopped by to check on their baked goods, asked what makes them healthy and try it out myself!

Pamela Lim, the "Everday Mom", has been baking since she was very young. She uses only natural ingredients (unbleached flour, aluminum-free baking soda and baking powder, sea salt and pure vanilla extract), doesn't add any preservatives, colorings or artificial sweeteners and bakes in non-toxic stainless steel pans. She also doesn't use butter and uses rice bran oil instead because it is unsaturated fat and has anti-oxidant benefits.

I asked if they use eggs and i was told that they do. It would be good to have egg-less options too (which I am sure they would be open to if you order in advance) for veggie friends and play date potlucks which I have a lot of! They have 3 variations for the brownies- Palawan Cashews, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip. I did try the chocolate chip brownie (P40) which is really good!

The poster says that they use premium dark chocolate so they definitely don't scrimp on good ingredients that make all the difference. (Well, cooking, baking or creating anything with pure intentions and love will make THE difference!)

Santi likes carrot cake so I bought him a carrot cupcake which he just had for dessert. The cream cheese icing is light and not too sweet which is a good sign! I also got a chocolate banana cupcake to try later tonight :)

Go ahead try healthy baked goods for your whole family!

Everyday Mom
Sct Tuason cor Alejandro Roces Ave. QC
Cel. 09224210466 Tel. 710-1254

A Reminder for Parents

Pistang Pilipino: Kolisko Waldorf School

located at Alabama cor E. Rodriguez, Quezon City

Last week, Santi's school conducted an event that highlights Filipino games for children. Here are some photos from Pistang Pilipino by Kolisko Waldorf School.

Rounding up the kids

 I join Santi for Sako (Sack) Race 

Santi gives a big smile before the Pabitin game

Pukpok Palayok or Hit the Claypot

Santi & Kai, the FLOW boys :)

Older children doing the Tiyakad

Fiesta Food! The noodles to the left is vegetarian from Mushroom House :)

Time to eat!

Labor & Art

There is a book entitled Birthin From Within written by Pam England that truly depicts labor and birth as a beautiful artful process women all over the world go through. Although I have not read the book myself, I've read her very interesting article on LabOrinth which can be found here

I love the fact that she infuses art into the concept of labor, making a wonderful new focal point in what has been deemed as the most painful moment in a woman's life.

Books for Baby

My college philosophy professor (who happens to be only a year older than me) just gave birth last month to a sweet little baby girl named Sophia. She was thoughtful enough to pass on to me two very useful books for my upcoming bundle of joy.

Baby-Gami is ADORABLE! Just looking at the photos of babies bundled up in various things such as cloth, towel, ribbons, and yes even a map! If you want to melt the heart of mother-to-be's --- this is a must-gift! I didn't even know that there was more than 1 way to wrap the little ones....

Origami meets the age-old art of swaddling. Easy to follow instructions, illustrated step-by-step diagrams and tips on baby-carrying.

And then there's The Baby Whisperer which swears by the simple rule of E.A.S.Y which means Eat. Activity. Sleep and You when handling a newborn. Other programs include:

The Know-Your-Baby quiz: is she an Angel, Textbook, Touchy, Spirited, or Grumpy? The WPQ: Wing it/Plan it Quotient. Once parents compare their baby's type with their own, they can make baby's life more predictable.

I sure do hope these last-minute reads help me especially during the wee hours of the night when everyone's asleep; when my little Santi decides on being naughty! :P

Beautiful Birth

As my D-day comes closer each day, I am glued to my laptop and internet; reading and researching as much as I can on labor and delivery. I play different scenarios in my head on how it will be for me when 'it is time'. Will my water break? Or will my mucus plug will fall into the toilet while I pee in the wee hours of the night? How will I be able to handle those contractions? (which up to now I haven't really felt)

Going through some videos in youtube, I stumbled upon a beautiful birth video which I want to share with you all. This is a short clip of an advocacy promoting natural birth --- going back to our roots and welcoming our babies into a world of love.



Even if I wanted for my birth to be this way -- I know no doctor would allow it.. not here in the Philippines. I even showed this video to my sister (who is currently interning as a nurse in a local hospital where she witnesses births almost everyday) for her comments. She agrees that this natural type of birth is so much more peaceful and prefers to give birth this way if only people here knew how to. My friend even tried to interview a midwife to do a home-based waterbirth but eventually gave birth in a hospital the 'standard medical way' since no one was supportive of her views. They all fear the unknown.

Oh midwives and doulas, come hither and educate!

The Brazilian Ouch

I am no fan of pain. However, the thought of some medical stranger shaving me down there prior to delivering my baby in a few weeks pushed me to do my first official brazilian wax. (My previous one was only partial)

I did expect the sensation of pain but I did not know the magnitude that a famous brazilian would bring. Believe me, it was pure T-O-R-T-U-R-E! It must've been because my skin is extra sensitive now that I am pregnant ( in my last trimester) ?!

Well...there goes my first..and last brazilian EVER.

In Due Time

For weeks, I have been complaining about the agony of the looooooong wait of my child's birth. Each time someone asks "How's your pregnancy?", I quickly reply "I can't wait anymore! I want to give birth today...NOW!" The transition from having a regular job to being a stay-at-home-mom adds to the stress of waiting because now, boredom hits me more often. Many times in a day, I would say to myself, "If only my baby were out already...I can play with him, breastfeed him, give him a bath..."

Thank God for this beautiful and wise piece sent to my mail from my good friend and fellow yummy-mummy-to-be, Denise.

Exploring Our Readiness
In-Between Times
It could be argued that life is more about the time spent waiting for something to happen than it is about something happening. What this means is that the big events in our lives are preceded by many days and nights of dreaming, planning, organizing, and waiting. The times of waiting in between the big events actually constitute the majority of our lives. These in-between times are anything but uneventful. In fact, they are rich with possibility and filled with opportunities for reflection and preparation. Like a pregnant woman awaiting the birth of her child, we have a finite period of time in which to prepare internally and externally for the upcoming event that will define a new chapter in our lives.

When we find ourselves in an in-between time, we often can't help but feel impatient for the impending event. We just want to get to the future and have the new baby, the new job, or the new house. And yet, there is a reason a pregnancy takes nine months to fulfill itself. Nature provides the expectant parents with this time so that they can prepare the nest. This preparation plays out on many levels. Materially, a space must be created in the home and resources must be set aside for the baby's future; psychologically, a shift must occur in which the psyches of both parents agree to be responsible for a new life in the world; and emotionally, the heart must open wider to embrace and fulfill a new love.

Whenever you find yourself in such a time of waiting, you might want spend time exploring your material, psychological, and emotional readiness. For example, if you are preparing to move to a new city, you could make a list of things you'd like to do in the city you will be leaving behind, and go to your favorite places and spend time with old friends. This way, you will remain fully engaged in the present as you await your future, savoring the in-between time as a vital experience in itself.

The underlying message here reminds me of the same ideals in the book entitled THE POWER OF NOW. May I learn to be patient and live each day truly in the present. My mantra for today is from Ecclesiastes:
"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the sun."
My baby will come...in due time ;)