8 Reasons Why You Should Go To The Artis-Artisan Fair This Sunday

Previously on this blog was the Handmade Soap Exhibit and Tea Party feature which many of you missed and so here is another chance to attend a very special event, an Artisan Fair in Antipolo. I've listed 8 reasons why you should GO!

#1 Revel in nature's charm. 

Taking the trek to Antipolo is worth it because you will get to breathe fresh air and have green views not common to the city of Manila anymore. The fair venue itself is the home of artisan builder, Vitty Gutierrez. According to his bio in his website, he likes to create homes that enhance the humanity and souls of those who see, visit and live in them. 

The BeeHouse in Antipolo by Vitty Gutierrez

"A home is not just a box that shelters us from the harsh environment, but a structure that creates excitement, allows us to experience and protects our physical and emotional being."

#2 Shop with a cause.

Emma Gutierrez handpainted these 2015 calendars available for sale this weekend. Her project will fund the building of a classroom for the affected Yolanda children. Read more about it on her blog here.

#3 Eat "Homebaked Treats by Chari"

You'll have to agree with me on this. There is nothing more yummy than homemade baked goods. Grab a cake or some other pastries and share with your family!

#4 Learn from the creators themselves.

Live demos all throughout the day with the handmade sellers themselves. Make sure to register with Marie!

Floral artwork by watercolor artist Arlene Sy

#5 Support Local Talent

Let's support homegrown artists by purchasing gifts that promote Filipino ingenuity.

Honeycomb Comics by husband and wife team, Lorra and Elbert

#6 These bags by ALF Scandinavian Novelties.

Frequent travelers will appreciate these bags. Definitely on my Christmas wishlist for myself and for my kids!

#7 Home Items by Luona

#8 Free outdoor Yoga by ME!

Please remember to register with Marie at 0917-6229795 and bring your own yoga mats!

Please see the map for directions. See you this Sunday! 

DIY Advent Calendar

It is December 2 and the countdown begins to Christmas! I should've posted this yesterday but I had just gotten back from a FLOW retreat so I had a pile of home errands to attend to. Oh, and let's not forget REST. We all need time to breathe and just be. In the midst of this season's chaotic buzz, this is what we need.

DIY Advent Calendar

A few days ago, I completed this personalized advent calendar using whatever I had at home. I had so much envelopes sitting on my desk 'for future re-use' and here is the perfect project for its rebirth! My son is learning numbers right now so it would be good to get to know each one as we countdown to one of his favorite holidays. I want him to associate this Advent season with special memories so inside each envelope is a piece of paper with activities for the family. Last night it said:

"Read the 1st story in "Light of the Lantern" while holding hands."

I patterned the Advent calendar to look like a tree and placed a gold star above which my son brought home from school one day. All materials were repurposed which I love because everything has a story. The door to the right side was painted black which I used as a blackboard for this week's advent verse. (I am supposed to light the first candle of the advent wreath which I have yet to get my hands on.)

The first Light of Advent It is the Light of stones:

The Light that shines in seashells In crystals and our bones.

I find it therapeutic to do crafts, even if it does not compare to what I see on Pinterest. What makes it special is - it was made by my hands so the energy is personal and that is what my kids appreciate.

Try making your own advent calendar using things that are in your home. Please share ideas as well!

Hillside Cafe + Juice Bar

Hillside Cafe and Juice Bar opened a week ago close to my son's Waldorf school and Beyond Yoga QC where I teach Yin Yoga every Wednesdays and Thursdays. Yay for another healthy place to eat and hang out! 

If you haven't heard of Cedar Hills on Mother Ignacia Street yet, you must pay this cool compound a visit. The cafe is tucked in lush greens which is quite pleasing to the eye!

We scheduled a FLOW meeting there to show our support to Noelle who is part owner of this fab new establishment. Denise and I navigated towards the juice bar (maybe the energy is strongest towards the freshest ingredients?) and got ourselves the BEET IT and CREAMY GREEN juices before ordering our meals. It's best to drink freshly pressed juice on an empty stomach for optimal absorption of nutrients. 

We wanted their tomato soup but it wasn't available so pumpkin soup it is! I love edible art. 

Noelle wanted us to try the Lentil Malunggay Hummus (175php). The crackers were light and crunchy and the dip is so healthy and filling. I highly recommend Malunggay to nursing mothers so if you're pregnant or nursing you MUST order this, ok?

We just had to request for a vegetarian pizza so we asked the kitchen to make a Four Cheese Pizza with Arugula (195php) which is not on the menu but yes you can order it, too! They make their own pizza crust, by the way. No MSG in this pizza. Yahoo!

Pasta-free Eggplant Parmigiana (195php) just layers of eggplant with cheese and tomato sauce & herbs. So, I suppose this is gluten-free for those of you following a GF diet!

Here's their menu for you to choose healthy eats from next time you're in the area!

I wasn't able to take a photo of the Chicken Tacos (165php) I ordered but make sure to try their chicken dishes because Backyard Farms supply the pasture raised, hormone free and antibiotic free chickens. I've stopped eating commercially grown chicken until Backyard Farms came along because I want to eat only clean good food for me and my family.

See you there one of these days! 

Hillside Cafe and Juice Bar

11am-10pm

Cedar Hilla Garden Center

57 Mother Ignacia St. QC

Follow them on IG @hillsidecafeph

A Tea Party and Handmade Soap Exhibit

One of my dear friends hosted a Tea Party themed Handmade Soap Exhibit and Bazaar in her charming home in Antipolo. Someone once told me that almost everyone in Antipolo makes their own stuff because they are so far up in the mountains that they had to learn how to be self sustaining. I mean, look at the Ifugaos and the Unesco Rice Terraces?! It is a prime example of how boredom creates genius! And such is Ana, although I would never call her bored because she tends to keep busy.

I met the creator of this special Martha Stewartish event, Ana Niguidula during an AWCP bazaar back in 2009 when I was selling for INDIGObaby with co-yummymummy, Denise. She was there with her son, Jacob (the only one back then) and was also selling for her booth, BodyFood. We ended up chatting because of common interests and became friends instantly. Over the years we get together at Sunday markets, her own home fairs or food and play dates. I always look forward to my visits to her because I am confident my son gets to do "real play" with her children in the yard (without me having to worry about TV or iPads!) It is a relief for moms when you find other people with similar parenting style and values.

Ana is the school head of HedCen (Holistic Education and Development Center) while her mother, Emma, is the school director. If my son didn't go to a Waldorf school, I would choose HedCen as a second home for him. I'm a biggie on systems that honor and nurture the soul of the child.

Below is a showcase of different variants of her soaps together with photos of her three adorable sons ;)

All of Ana's ingredients are sourced from the finest suppliers she can find. I know for a fact that she grows some of the herbs herself in her backyard. She says her products are organic because they are without use of synthetic chemicals in growing, producing or processing. Thumbs up to that!

"I call things I make BodyFood because I want people to know that these products are safe, like good food. That you do not put anything on your skin that would be dangerous to ingest in the first place. It's still our body after all", says Ana.

Who loves Tablea? I do!!!

I'm a sucker for peppermint. I bought the pure peppermint soap which is heavenly. I cannot wait for my soap to cure so I can use it already!

Ana also has a green thumb so I'm not surprised she made "Herb Garden" soap.

Look at the pop up workshop on display for guests to see the process of her lovingly made soaps. 

My kids like being out in the garden a lot plus we frequent beach trips so my family requires products like this handy bug bite balm. So very travel-friendly, too.

Soap logs being cut as people bought pieces for gifts. If you are a friend of mine, these are the kind of gifts I'd like to get ok? Handmade, homemade and organic. Seriously, what's not to love?!

The bottom soap log with multiply layers, I absolutely adore! That beautiful creation is the Rose Vanilla Lavender Butter Biscuit Soap. The name itself will give you the sweetest dreams. I admit that I hardly buy anything online because I shop with my senses. I have to see, feel, smell, taste (if possible) and when my hand picked up the soap sample and something glorious oozed out from the balm layer, it just called onto me. If I didn't buy this it would haunt me forever. And so, I did!

The tea party themed soap exhibit seamlessly transitioned to a real tea party! Ana collects cute little tea sets as you can see. She must have been British in her past? :) For today's spread, she asked some of her home-baker friends to bring their cake creations to the taste test. And they were oh so delicious!

More sweets and eats over here! I had my fill and wasn't able to try the chocolate cake anymore. Never mind I'm sure to be back for more goods real soon :) 

Noelle samples the natural iced teas. The reddish-purple one is Roselle which she grows in her garden. 

I scream for healthy(er) chocolate homemade ice cream!!!!

Are you bummed to have missed this bazaar? Have no fear! Come to the next Artisan Bazaar in Antipolo on Dec 7,Sunday 10am onwards! Meet and greet some of these amazing 'creators'.  The Flow Shop will represent and I'll be giving a free Pop Up Yoga session so remember to bring your mats.

See you there!

Martinmas Festival

The Kolisko Waldorf School celebrated Martinmas by inviting the parents and children on a lantern walk activity. We listened to a verse, heard the children sing and watched with delight the lighting of the lanterns, handmade by each child. 

The Martinmas Festival in the mid-point of Michaelmas and Christmas. Note that Martinmas, Diwali, Channukah, and Advent all occur in the same time of the year. It is a reminder to carry the light, the warmth within us as we journey deeper into the colder months of the year when the days get longer and the nights tend to be colder and darker. On a deeper level, it really is all about our inner light which we should shine upon others this season just as St. Martin did in his life.

"One bitterly cold winter evening, the young Martin rode through the gates of Amiens on his fine, proud horse. He was dressed in the regalia of his military unit: gleaming armor, a bright helmet and a beautiful white cloak, lined with lambs wool. It was nearly freezing outside, but his thick cloak kept him warm. He was hardly aware of the cold.

But then, as he approached the gates of the town, he saw a poor man, a beggar, dressed with clothes so ragged that he was practically bare. The man was shaking and blue with cold, but no one reached out to help him. People would pass through the gates, looking straight ahead, so their eyes would not meet with those of the poor, desperate man.

Martin, seeing this, was overcome with compassion. He rode straight to poor man and took off his white cloak. And with one stroke of his sword he tore the lovely mantle in two. He wrapped half of the cloak around the freezing man and the other half around his own shoulders.

The people nearby watched in amazement. To see a fine military officer do such a lowly thing was a ridiculous site to many, but others were touched by the goodness that Martin showed.

That night, as Martin slept, he had a dream. A man appear to him who looked so familiar, and he was wearing the half of the cloak Martin had given to the poor beggar. And then, Martin saw in the eyes of this man, the light of the Divine which we each carry within us."

There are no words to describe how solemn this festival is. See photos from last night's festivities and see if it sparks something in your soul.

Photo by Edber Mamisao

Photo by Jonathan Roxas

Photo by Goldie Miranda, processing by me

As above, so below.

“I’m walking with my lantern, my lantern walks with me,
Above the stars are shining bright, down here on Earth shine we."

Happy Martinmas to you! May the divine light in your soul shine bright!

Kolisko Waldorf School
Rest Haven, Project 7, Quezon City, Metro Manila
(02) 921-3974