My Mundo

For most busy moms, “me time” is a rare, even elusive concept that exists only in the imagination, once in a blue moon, or can even be deemed an aspirational idea we think we will enjoy not now but in a few more years when the kids are a bit older.

But alloting time for yourself is more doable if for now you might consider transforming the 20 minutes we get to spend in the bathroom doing necessary tasks towards basic human hygiene into a special time of rejuvenation. This is something I was reminded of when I got this pretty gift basket from Glade.

In the little basket came all that was needed for a quick “scent-sational” pampering time for myself, just a door away from the children, but enough to whisk me away momentary, relaxing time of solitude. The basket contained a loofah mat, votive candle, cd with soothing music, bath products, tea packets… seeing all these already made me go, “ahhhhhh”, with all these tickling and relaxing my different senses-

[...]

I have a confession to make. I’m an addict. A school supplies addict. I believe I’m not alone in this addiction, and I know lots of women like me who can stay all day in a bookstore and just browse through the pens, paper, art supplies, till nightfall.

If people collect paintings, toys, designer bags, or pig figurines (my cousin does!), I collect unique office/school supplies. Indulge me in this post because as mundane as it may seem, it’s something that brings me much pleasure, and who knows, you might find it interesting too:)

So it all started with my maternal grandparents who were travelling all over the world and would bring home interesting pasalubongs for us grandkids. Because I grew up with my parents’ Printing Press business, the love for “paper and pen” was inborn, fueled by Lolo and Lola’s global finds, and later on, my own travels, I inevitably and unknowingly started and grew this collection.

Following were some of Lolo and Lola’s gifts. My cousins and I each had these and since we were all girls, (except for one cousin in our batch), we loooved them to death!

When I was around 10 years old maybe, they first gave us this little box of supplies called Team Demi:

The scissors and cutter are now missing but I can’t bear to get rid of this piece from my childhood.

They also gave us this pen, pencil and highlighter set:

Then later on they gave us these credit card size wonders: My Zebra Cardy 1: Pen and lead pencil, and a ruler on the side

*Photo taken from fountainpennetwork.com, because mine is hidden away in a baul now:)

My Zebra Cardy 2, which had a pair of scissors, single hole puncher and cutter. Still one of my faves unfortunately was stolen last 2011:(

**Im posting this here in case someone knows where I can get one. I found this online once and one of the pieces were in some sort of museum of vintage office supplies! (Photo from the web)

And something I still use today: my Factory, a swiss knife- inspired tool with scissors, one hole puncher, scotch tape, tape measure, cutter, magnifying glass:

Adding to these pieces, I’ve gotten around to finding more nifty gadgets which I carry around often depending on where I am going.

My foldable stapler by Uchida Yoko Japan:

Muji scissors and cutter, Scotch magic tape and binder clips

Assorted stuff from all over: Ikea scissors set, Muji mini coloring pens and stamp set, 3m Post-it notes from National Bookstore, Schneider markers from Office Warehouse, Pencils and Giant paper clips from Smiggles in Singapore. Now you know where to find me whether here or even abroad:)

Then I found these three babies in a store in The One mall in HK last year:

Scotch tape dispenser: open

Scissors: closed

open

Stapler: closed

open

I’m also ecstatic Dymo is back. I love it even more than my digital label printer.

Love this handy Slide Rule Cutter by Fiskars which i use when i make cards

and I still have my Dad’s old long arm stapler which I now use to make Reese’s handmade storybooks

Last Christmas, Gary gave me this Victorinox SwissCard lite. He sure knows how to make me happy:)

which has scissors, pocket knife, screwdriver tool, pen, magnifying glass, flashlight, tweezers and ruler.  It reminded me of my lost Cardy 2, but definitely an amped up version.

I love my collection as it is. But the added joy is knowing that it is all useful. I love wielding out my tools when they are needed most! Times like when my kids ask me to open a bag of chips or open tough toy packaging, or when I work on-the-go and need to staple documents together, or when, during an event a client wants something taped or cut, and voila, I have everything I (and they) need at hand!

That’s when I love my supplies even more, and the hunt for more interesting variations of my OC solutions goes on…

A few summers ago, Zach made a masterpiece.

It all started with an app he enjoyed, and then I met potter and artist, Mia Casal (photo below shoes the real potter with the virtual potter)

So we enrolled Zach in a few sessions with Mia…

Zach on the wheel

Reese is “saling pusa”. She tries out the wheel, guided by teacher Mia. (Feeling “Ghost”…)

Who has not fantasized about doing pottery on a wheel?

The pots were left for a few weeks to dry and be baked. Then Zach went back for a lesson on glazing

[...]

“Mom, can you buy us some Nutella?”, my 13 year old asked one afternoon. I reminded him how I had bought Nutella before and they didn’t like it at all. Then his older brother chimes in and they say almost in unison, “But Nutella’s suuuuupper gooooood!!!” I knew they had been checking out this new social media platform called 9gag.com and mother’s instincts told me that had something to do with this sudden Nutella paradigm shift. We were faced with e a teachable moment…

I prodded them to tell me why they suddenly thought Nutella was “suuuuupper goooooood” when before they didn’t like the stuff. Sure enough they said they see it on 9gag and I asked them how they knew those posts were real and not “fed” into 9gag by the makers of Nutella  themselves. And their reply was both a revelation and a validation. “Nooooo Waaaay, Mom! That’s 9gag!”, as if to suggest that 9gag was the haven of authenticity.

As much as it was tempting to let them stay in the illusion that their world of social media were safe and secure from commercialism, I went on to give a mini orientation about how brands and advertisers purposely use social media to influence their thoughts and opinions, market their brands, and sell.

Some are direct to the point, some subliminal…

Some are creative and funny…but very influential I’d say. I myself can get hypnotized by this wicked witch…

The posts always look user-generated and never hard sell (of course! that’s where the ‘magic’ lies).

As I spoke, they looked shocked in disbelief, as if their online world had just been invaded by aliens. What more when I told them that our communications agency, Creative Juice, which does social media management for some companies, actually does this seeding of digital content for some corporate clients. By this time, their shock level had hit the roof.

Shortly after this experience with my boys, I was invited to speak before a group of high school student about responsible use of social media. As both a mom and a digital marketing practioner, I felt it was a perfect opportunity to speak to more teens, who, just like my own children, might think that their internet world is the “real world”, that social media is the best way to form and build relationships, that being “friends” on Facebook is the same as being friends in real life.

View from the podium facing the 400 junior and senior High School students of Montessori de Sagrada Familia [...]

March is International Women’s Month! As a woman with various important roles to play in life- wife, mom, daughter, sister…this is the perfect time to reflect on who you are, what you’ve achieved, where you are going! Well that’s what’s happened to me the past weeks and it has been wonderful knowing and getting validation that I am on the right track.

When I was first invited by the Lifestyle Network to be one of their featured women for their Women’s Month interstitials, little did I know that this experience would be one filled with realizations and introspection, as they asked me questions I’ve never been asked before and I was forced to look inside myself and take stock. Questions that touch on what motivates me to do my work at Mommy Mundo, what led me to where I am, the milestones and breakthroughs that I consider blessings, answering them has led me to really own up to my mantra- I’m a mom on a mission!

Watch out for my tv interview which is currently airing on the Lifestyle Network, or click on the link below:

The series featuring remarkable Filipina women is now airing on Lifestyle Network. The video interstitials are also posted on Lifestyle Network’s Facebook page.

Happy Women’s Month!
—

Some Behind the scenes photos from the shoot:

With the Lifestyle Network team: Marge Castillo Tabag, Jill Mojica, Gladys Mallillin and Barbie Lara

Thank you so much Lifestyle Network for making me part of this campaign. It is a true honor and privilege.:)

Having naturally wavy hair is an asset. That’s if you can manage it well. There are good hair days and bad hair days, and whether it is one or the other is usually dependent on hair care products, hormones, the weather, or my current work load. Going to the salon to have my hair JUST blow dried is something I have always LOVED! I remember when I was pregnant with R, and I could not have my hair straightened because of the chemicals, I would go to the salon almost every week to have my hair blow dried! If I didn’t I’d be a cranky, pregnant woman and that isn’t a good thing, right? Now when I need a quick pampering and I’m too busy or lazy to fix my hair myself, off to a blow dry I go.

Recently, the SoMoms got invited to the opening of Manila’s first blow dry bar called Blo Blow Dry Bar. Blo is the original blow dry bar in the US since it opened its first branch in 2007. It has 26 locations in the states and has now finally expanded to Asia, with its first ever branch in Manila!

It’s first branch opened in one of my fave malls, Power Plant, Rockwell. Blo’s interiors are welcoming and sleek.

I specially liked the mosaic-tiled wall behind the wash station.

Looking through the Blo menu

[...]

Go on, take a swing at life.

Without inhibitions. Without fear. With a smile on your face.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a little push if you need one.

Push with all your might.

You might just be surprised

at how high you can fly 

amidst that beautiful sunset.

(Zach, Manila Bay, 2012)

If you asked me what are things I can’t live without, one answer would definitely be my gadgets. My laptop and smartphone, most specially. They help me maximize my time (Work on-the-go). It enables me to accomplish more (Multi-tasking for a multi-hyphenate). It helps me be in touch and accessible, wherever I may be (I must always be just a call or text away). As a mom and an entrepreneur, time management and accessibility throughout the day everyday is an absolute essential.

Since I’m on my gadget/s practically all of my waking hours (though I try to hold my husband’s hand just a few more minutes than my smartphone. haha.), i’d say I have 3 qualifications for my choices: 1) It must be easy to use 2) It should provide me with 100% connectivity and 3) Must be visually appealing. Yes I’m quite specific on the number 3, and I don’t mean that my gadgets should always be sleek, high tech and “pang porma.” What I value most is how the screen looks, how functions are accessed, the colors and brightness of the screen and images. Maybe because based on a Multiple Intelligence Test, I am a visual-spatial learner (seriously!) meaning I absorb information best by seeing and visualizing concepts. This I want my gadgets’ to look and feel “pretty.” No wonder I am more productive when I work with good looking people. Har har!

Late last year I had lunch with Mae Rivera-Moreno, Windows Client Business Lead for Microsoft Philippines, and she gave me a sneak preview on the then soon-to-be-launched Windows 8 OS. I was amazed to see (I told you, visual learner here!) a total facelift from past Windows OS versions. The new Windows 8 interface now came in a colorful LIVE TILES format, it looks alive and fun, and with my chosen desktop theme, it’s really beautiful. Mae showed me how easy it is to navigate through the tiles specially with new devices already on touchscreen. Swipe, slide…all very fluid and fast.

I am also a believer in the notion that work can be fun. Whatever will make work easier and will also “make work seem less like work”, and more fun, I will love. So when Mae invited me to become one of Windows 8 brand ambassadors, I was more than happy to accept. Mae went on to share with me the new innovations Microsoft has and will introduce, and I knew the world was in for something new and big from Microsoft come launch date and I felt honored to be part of it.

With my fellow Windows 8 brand ambassadors, Karen Pamintuan, Christian Bautista, Daphne Osena Paez, Coach Jim Saret, and myself. I am in the the company of these celebrities as I humbly represent fellow mompreneurs and moms:)

So now I am into the world of Windows 8, and I’m enjoying discovering something new almost everytime I’m on my device. With the launch of the new OS, Microsoft also launched its Windows Store where one can download or purchase a wide range of apps for work, efficiency and fun to use with Windows 8.

At the launch there was an exhibit of different brands of available devices that are bundled with Windows 8!

[...]

I grew up with three older brothers (Tan, Jude & Jons (L-R)). They were into a lot of things growing up, one being music. They had a record (aka LP!) collection, turntables, cassette decks and actual mixers in their bedroom. Because of their influence, I learned to appreciate music of the likes of Lee Ritenour, Sister Sledge, Robbie Dupree, Love Unlimited Orchestra, Perri, Rupert Holmes, Stephen Bishop, Michael Franks, and Tom Grant, even if I were some years younger than them.

Tan  even encouraged me to make my own compilations (aka mix tapes), taught me how to “mix” songs (as in full segue, with no leadings between songs ha!), and strongly advised me to use SAX-90 when we could afford it kasi “sulit”! Music was a bond, specially when I would get notes like this…

A letter from my audiophile Kuya, circa ’80s. HOOOSIGH, right?

There was music playing almost all the time at home, streaming from the bedroom the three of them shared on the third floor, the highest floor of the house. Whether they played music so loudly so my parents wouldn’t hear what they were up to (haha), or because they just really enjoyed that exact mix of treble and thumping, solid bass on the equalizer, my childhood memories now almost always come with matching soundtracks in my head.

My eldest brother Jons’ playlist would include songs like Living it Up by Ricky Peterson that he would play on our long trips to Baguio in our Club Wagon

Heatwave’s Mind Blowin’ Decisions, my brother Tan’s favorite. I still remember the day he got the record, he practically flew up the 2 flights of stairs up to their bedroom because he couldn’t wait to put the needle on it

And James Taylor’s Up On The Roof which inspired my daredevil brother Jude to literally go up on the roof of our house to sunbathe, beat boredom or just hang out

So as I grew up, I kept mixing tapes until it became obsolete. For myself, to accompany every occasion of my life, to play on my walkman during every long trip. I’d make tapes choosing songs that would flow smoothly from one to the next. I would choose songs with lyrics that spoke to me at moments in life. Even our relationship with then-boyfriend-now-hubby Gary had tapes for our pre-boyfriend-girlfriend days, tapes for our happy days, even our fights. heehee. [...]

Now that summer is coming (yaaay!!), I’ve decided to get going with my vacation posts that have been sitting in my drafts folder for months. It takes more time and effort for me to post about our travels because when the V’s go on vacation, we end up with thousands of photos, what with almost 3 cameras between Gary and I plus our trusty Flip cam for vids and on top of that add the mobile phones pics and videos too. So I have all  this experiences and images I want to share after every trip, then bam! reality hits and I get back to my busy mompreneur life…well, I offer no excuses for the delinquency. I’ll just get to work and share with you some of my vacation memories here in case it helps you guys plan out your coming family summer trips.

So we had the chance to take the kids to Puerto Princesa before it became listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.  The last time Gary and I were in Palawan was our trip to El Nido as a newly married couple which was more than 15 years ago! I’d have to say, it was one of the most memorable trips I’ve taken, ever. The awesome black rock formations jutting out of the dark bluegreen waters and seeing colorful marine life underwater during an intro dive at the resort, were images that never left my mind, and I had always wanted to go back since.

So almost 15 years later, now as a family of 5, we booked a trip to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and besides sharing with our kids the experiences of years ago, we set our sights on creating new memories: visiting the famous Puerto Princesa Underground River that was (then) hoping to be declared as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

We booked a stay at a highly recommended hotel within the city, Hotel Centro. It did not disappoint. It’s a mid-sized hotel in Puerto Princesa, it’s farely new so the rooms and facilities are quite modern and clean. As soon as we arrived, we went straight to the tour desk at the lobby and booked our tours with Amika Travel agency. For our 4-day stay, we scheduled the Honda Bay island hopping tour and the visit to the Underground river.

We were told by the tour desk that to enter the Underground River, we need to apply for entry permits. And since the River is a World Heritage site, DENR limits the traffic to only 900 visitors a day, and each one has get the required permits. We almost got a scare when she told us she would have to check if there are still available permits for the next two days to accommodate us. (meanwhile, our hearts were beating loudly…) Phew! She said that we can still apply but advised us to do the island hopping tour first the next day and visit the river the day after so she could work on the permits first. Yes! So that’s all set.

We then checked in the room for a while, with the boys checking out their beds and their, uhm, snorkeling gear. Then we headed out to the city for dinner. We decided to go to a well known restaurant called Kinabuchs and we had a delicious Pinoy dinner and a nice time under the stars of Puerto Princesa.

The next morning, our guide picked us up early at the hotel for our Honda Bay island-hopping tour. We took a van to the Honda Bay wharf.

We got us some pretty hats here:)

We got into the boat and were told that we were going to 3 islands and that the tour would last till mid-afternoon.

The first stop was Pambato Reef. Pambato Reef is actually a floating raft in the middle of the ocean. It is a marine sanctuary for coral, clams and different species of fish, and visitors are given the chance to do some snorkeling around this cordoned off area.

Since the waters here are only around 10feet deep and we were equipped with life jackets even R enjoyed the snorkeling.

Dad and C snorkeling

We went back into the boat and went on to our next stop which was Pandan Island. Our guide had prepared lunch for us in one of the rentable huts in this island. The island is still undeveloped with very few houses of locals in the area but it was comfortable enough for us to lounge around in the hut and enjoy the white sand and clear waters.

[...]