My Mommyology

May 19, 2013
by mymommyology
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25 Years of Great Food

For the first time ever since we got back to Manila, my husband and I left the house at night while the kids were still up. I actually bribed them with a new Hi-5 video to keep them entertained, and prayed to God that the yayas would be able to get them into bed without much of a fuss. It worked out okay (there was a bit of a fuss), but at least we were able to stay out for a decent amount of time. And it was all with good cause anyway.

Last night was Chateau 1771’s 25th anniversary. This group of restaurants has a very special place in my heart (and yes, in my tummy) because I grew up eating Chateau food. The dad of one of my best and long-time friends, Ricky Gutierrez owns the group, and he introduced us to its no borders cuisine at an early age. His partner Chef Vicky Pacheco has been feeding us all her yummy creations since the day they opened their first restaurant in Malate (now part of the “old” Manila). I remember the year; it was 1988 and we were in grade school. I remember feeling so grown-up eating at this really fancy restaurant with my other 10-year old friends, without our parents. Through the years as Tito Ricky saw us group up, he would always take us to dine there. We were invited to try out some new dishes and tell him what we thought about it. It was always good. Even on our own, we’d always go back for various occasions: to celebrate birthdays, to treat friends who were back from the States, or even just because we wanted to have some drinks and good old Coffee Pie!

We still do. When my friends and I get together, our default is to meet at of the 1771 restaurants — Chateau, Sentro, Sidebar, Winebar, or their most recent addition, Cafe 1771. The food never disappoints, and you know it is quality food because Tita Vicky invented these dishes herself. She and Tito Ricky spend a lot of time on food trips (literally), tasting, experimenting and determining what’s out there that they can bring to their concept restaurants. I had the privilege of chatting with Tita Vicky one time and I asked her how she came up with some of the Sentro dishes that we’ve come to love so much. Some were just an experiment because she didn’t want some leftovers to go to waste (and voila, look what they are now!). Others were derivatives of meals she’s had with family and friends all over the world. And so far she says, it has worked out pretty well. Over the years they’ve been able to build a whole base of regular and loyal customers that just keep coming back for more. I’d say that’s a testament to really good consistent quality food, wouldn’t you?

Last night at the Ayala Museum, the celebration was amongst close friends and loyal customers who have been with the group through its 25-year journey. As expected there were super delicious food stations, with cheese fondue, pasta and all sorts of carvings, representing the best of each of the restaurants. The baked scallops were one of my favorites too.

I can’t believe I didn’t take a shot of all the carvings! I was too busy eating them. 😉

The dessert buffet was TO DIE FOR! I have been trying to control the intake of my sweets over the last few weeks and I tell you, I took one look at some of my favorite desserts all within reach and I forgot about my diet plan. It was all worth it though! 😉

Right smack in the middle – COFFEE PIE!!!!

Then there was a Wine Bar and a “Side Bar”, both serving the kinds of drinks (wine and mixed cocktails respectively) that you’d find in each of the restaurants. I don’t know how many of each I tried. And in my alcoholic stupor, of course I forgot to take a photo! C’mon, how often do I get to go out and drink at night? 😉

The evening was capped off by the launch of the Chateau 1771 Commemorative Book, put together in large part by Tito Ricky’s lovely daughters, Geli and Katrina and the one person who taught me how to write, my very own Tita Maya Jacinto. The book contains the history of Chateau, it’s food and the stories that got them all to what we see and taste now. Tito Ricky and Tita Vicky were the stars of the evening, signing books away! Copies of this book will soon be sold in the restaurants for those that would to take Chateau home with them. I got mine (but still need to get it signed!) and it already has its spot in our living room for guests to browse through when they come by.

Don’t forget to ask to see a copy when you dine in one of the restaurants!

Tito Ricky’s long-standing, half meant joke, is that I am (one of) his adopted daughters, since he’s practically seen me grow up (He’s known me for over twenty-five years and has been there during all the major milestones in my life). It is in fact in his dedication to me in my copy of the book. I am quite happy to be that. My husband and I love his family, and we love being a part of the 1771 family too. Last night was a meaningful milestone for me, and I’m glad we’re an integral part of this journey.

With my “adopted dad”, Tito Ricky!

Congratulations to the 1771 Group of Restaurants and all the people who have carried it through to this day. I cannot wait for what’s to come in the next 25 (hundred!) years! 🙂

May 18, 2013
by mymommyology
8 Comments

Bunny Love

Officially, she is Jamie’s best friend.

This is Bunny. Her full name — according to Jamie — is Bunny Rabbit (or as her preschool teachers like to joke, as Jamie pronounces it: Banyabit). Yes, Jamie is sure: Bunny is a girl.

Jamie and Bunny met last Christmas when an uncle of hers gave her to my little girl as a gift. Since then, they’ve never parted. Jamie has always loved stuffed animals, but none as much as Bunny.

Everyone knows Bunny, because Bunny goes with her (us) everywhere; to school, to bed, to the bathroom. She’s at family gatherings, at birthday parties, at the beach and at playdates. Bunny has seen almost as much of the world as Jamie has because she rides planes with us and cars and boats and strollers. Bunny always has a special place in my bag, and there is no arguing it. Jamie will not go anywhere without her. All hell breaks loose when she’s forgotten, and it does my eardrums a world of good to just go return for the forgotten rabbit and be late for wherever it is we’re going, rather than leave Bunny in the comfort of our home.

Let’s play Spot-the-Bunny!

Jamie is pretty possessive of Bunny. When a classmate tries to reach for her friend and take her out of Jamie’s precious grasp, she screams bloody murder. Then again, Jamie is still in the process of learning how to share — but according to her teachers, she listens when she’s asked to share the toys she’s playing with. All except Bunny. That said, Jamie lets her teachers take Bunny from her so that she can explore, learn and perform during class hours, but Bunny has to be watching her. Even in Kindermusik when Jamie sits in the circle, she will hand Bunny quickly to me because she will not have anyone touch her precious stuffed animal.

In the middle of the night, I wake up in a panic because Jamie is screaming half awake. It appears she has “lost” Bunny and can’t find her. In my groggy state, I grope around and find Bunny centimeters away. Once Bunny is back in her grasp, Jamie falls back asleep almost instantly.

Bunny and Jamie also have conversations. “Are you scared of the thunder Bunny?” Jamie will ask while patting the furry head. “It’s okay, I’ll hug you.” Often enough, Jamie will come up to me with a frown and say, “Mom! Bunny’s not sharing!” Apparently, they fought over a toy. Or, I’ll hear Jamie exclaim, “Ow Bunny! You hurt me!” and this is quickly followed by, “Sorry Bunny. It’s okay.” I don’t know who is apologizing to whom, but it always works itself out in the end.

Jamie was once on the big kids’ swing with Bunny in one hand, and of course after a tiny push she lost her balance and fell forward — on top of Bunny. After she cried out her fall and was dusted off, she was overheard to have said, “I’m sorry Bunny are you hurt?” while hugging the doll that broke her fall.

Sometimes, Bunny is the reason that Jamie will show me she knows how to read. Funny enough, I cannot prove to people (including my own husband) that she can read, because Jamie will not “show off” for anyone. She’s very private about her talent. It’s very frustrating for me though because I can’t gauge the level of her reading ability. I got it in my head once to “ask Bunny to read with us”, and it was only then that Jamie complied and read a few words. She was quick to pick up on my ploy though, so a repeat was difficult.

A few months back, the pediatrician had a theory that Jamie’s colds were a result of an allergy to stuffed toys. He had us bag all her stuffed dolls and keep them away from her for a week. It felt like Jamie had lost her best friend. She wouldn’t sleep, she kept crying for Bunny (even in the middle of the night), and she was quieter than usual. To think: she already is a quiet observant little girl to begin with. The week after when it didn’t seem like the absence of the toys made a huge difference on her scratching and runny nose, I immediately put us all out of our misery and gave Bunny back to her. After that Bunny suddenly got glued to her side even more.

For the life of me, I cannot understand her attachment to this toy. Even before Bunny came along, Jamie had a favorite stuffed dog (with a very unique name: Doggie). He went everywhere with her too, but occasionally she’d trade him in for the company of another stuffed animal . He was a constant no doubt, but with Bunny it’s different. She wouldn’t have conversations with the other toys before this one. Before Bunny came into our home, Jamie would hug the rabbits in the toy stores and would make a big fuss when I’d ask her to leave them.

So what is it about rabbits that she loves so much? Could it be because she is a rabbit herself? What does she see in them? Could she be a Bunny whisperer in the making? Maybe there’s something about her personality that attracts them. Is she going to be a vet someday?

At the Farm, Sta. Elena. Could the real rabbits smell her love for bunnies?

Her teachers say it is all normal and that I shouldn’t be worried about it (I never had this attachment bit with Sam). Sometimes the way Jamie is with Bunny is the way Sam is to her. She’s just mimicking what she experiences to something smaller than herself. And it’s really also her personality to be attached to a “lovey”. It might have even helped her cope with our move here, as a constant presence in her daily life while everything and everyone around her was changing.

So far, no other stuffed toy has been able to replace Bunny. Jamie will play with the new ones and include them in her fold, but after all that’s said and done she still goes back to her treasured friend. Bunny seems to have found that special spot in Jamie’s heart (and arms), and from the looks of it, she’ll be around for quite a while. Well, for as long as she makes my own little bunny happy and helps her feel secure, then I think Bunny can stay as long as she wants. 🙂

Too cute for words, even for me. 🙂

May 14, 2013
by mymommyology
4 Comments

Mother’s Day in Manila

I just realized that it was officially my first Mother’s Day in Manila.

The last four celebrations I had in Chapel Hill were very low-key. Essentially, I got a “day off” from my duties from the household chores all the way down to dirty diaper changes. I did get flowers occasionally, and most of all, I loved it that I got to sleep in (well except for the Mother’s Day that coincided with my husband’s MBA program graduation, but it was good reason to get up early on that day!)!

This Mother’s Day was quite a different experience. I got relief from some of my duties (most importantly the dirty diaper one!), but I was able to spend it with other #SoMoms and our children in one of Manila’s premiere malls, Greenbelt. Malls are a big “attraction” here in Manila and it serves as a primary destination for a lot of people for practically anything and everything. For the many special occasions celebrated in this country, Greenbelt 5 and the rest of the Ayala Malls host a series of activities to attract more people to their locations on these days. It’s a very successful venture since many look for things that they can do with their loved ones. To participate and receive gifts, all one has to do is meet a minimum purchase in any of the mall’s merchants.

For this year’s Mother’s Day, the theme was Music and Memories, and the SoMoms and our children got a taste of it all firsthand. It began with a Mother’s Day “Mom and Me” shopping treat from Ayala Malls and Gingersnaps! The week before Mother’s Day, we were asked to find outfits for our kids and ourselves that matched or complemented each other. Now if you’ve read some of my previous posts, you’ll know fairly well what a fan I am of matching outfits. And apparently, close friends and family have observed that I (subconsciously) match my outfit of the day with what they’re wearing too (I swear, it’s subconscious). So this part wasn’t too difficult for me.

Of all the children’s clothing stores I like to shop in, Gingersnaps is a long-time favorite; and it worked out well because they gave us gift certificates for their Ayala Mall stores! Hurray! Their clothes are adorable, and so easy for the girls to wear in this hot weather. I ended up getting another set of matching dresses for a different occasion too. As for me, since their clothes had floral prints on them, I dressed myself in a plain version of the same color palette at Zara. In the end, what we wore wasn’t totally identical but they still looked like they’re all from the same family (These are some of the things you pick up from watching Project Runway all the time! ;) ).

Complementing outfits! 🙂

For the actual mother’s day, we all came dressed in our new attire to attend a high tea garden party at the Art Gallery of Greenbelt 5, with absolutely delicious treats from Bizu. Sam, in the tan floral outfit was my date for the afternoon as Jamie (although she had her outfit) was down with a virus so she stayed home. Sam loves these kinds of gatherings because she soaks every bit of the experience in. As if on cue as we walk into the reception area, Sam immediately spotted her favorite macaroons and chocolate truffle balls, so happiness was instant.

The Macarons - zone in right and bottom.

The Macaroons – zone in right and bottom. Photo by Tammy David.

Then Mench Dizon of Ayala Malls took us to the butterfly house where Sam had the best time getting butterflies onto her body. It reminded her a lot of the Butterfly House back at the Life and Science Museum in Chapel Hill; a place we miss dearly. Sam would have loved to stay there the whole day, but we did have other things in store for us and it took some convincing for me to get her out of there. I promised we’d be back (and of course we were — several more times).

Sam and the Butterflies!
(right and bottom photo by Tammy David)

The SoMoms were treated to some Lancome Paris and Kiehl’s products when we visited each store. It feels like I got pampered with beauty things! I can’t wait to try them. 🙂

Thank you Khiel’s! Photo by Tammy David

It was a hot and tiring but fun experience. What was mostly exhausting was having to run after Sam and keep her from getting into trouble while we were going around. But then again, I can’t imagine a mother’s day celebration without being around my kids. They’re the ones who gave me the opportunity to celebrate it in the first place. And like any mother, my joy is to see that she’s having a grand time, which she really did. It was worth all the sweat that trickled down my body that entire afternoon!

I also realized I’d never really been around that part of the mall before and it was a great discovery. Sam and I even discovered a newly opened shop that gave away Cotton Candy for every purchase. Sam was sweet enough to take home one for herself and one for Jamie. I also felt a little bit of nostalgia as we went around, as Greenbelt was a mall that I would visit in my childhood, and now it look completely different. My how times have changed indeed.

Free Cotton Candy!

All in all, it was nice being around mommy friends on Mother’s Day. Moms appreciate other moms and we understand what it is we go through on a daily basis with kids and the home. The kids as well are more familiar with one another (since we see each other so often these days!) so they started to play together more, particularly the girls. Not to mention, they all looked so cute clumped together in their Gingersnaps outfits. As my friend Jackie of Go Jackie Go! said, it was quite amazing that none of the 12 kids had the same outfit. Everyone picked something different and it also showcased each of their budding personalities.

Photo by Tammy David at Gingersnaps Greenbelt

How did you celebrate your mother’s day? 🙂

May 6, 2013
by mymommyology
0 comments

Fresh-Smelling #Sensations

Our little family spent the weekend at Misibis Bay (thanks to my in laws for the special treat!). Normally on occasions such as this, we close off the entire apartment and send the maids on a little vacation of their own. We don’t take them along with us when we travel (when I finally get to crafting my yaya post I will talk more about this), so they’re free to get the weekend off and do as they please.

You can say we got used to traveling just the four of us, since it was what we did in Chapel Hill. We’d close of the apartment for a few days, we’d leave everything clean, and we’d come back to it still with the scent of an air freshener lingering as if it had been trapped there. It would smell clean and feel clean, and it most probably was. I’d always look forward to coming back home into a relaxing environment.

Here in Manila the story plays out quite differently (particularly in the summer months). Even as we are “closing off” our place, I’m already worried. When we finally walk back in, it feels like the dust has somehow crept through the cracks in the doors and the windows again. It just always seems a tad bit dirty, even if no one was there. There’s the musty feeling you get when you walk into a room that has humidity hanging in the air (it is a very humid country after all). And then, there’s the smell.

It normally comes from the bathroom drains, and it smells like Venice in the summer — as my husband so delicately puts it — which is not in any way a compliment. Apparently during this season in Europe, the heat and the canals don’t mix very well and so the rivers reek of the sewer. It’s about two notches higher than leaving something damp in a closed container for weeks. That’s the same case here in our apartment, only at a less glamorous level. The bathrooms smell, and it’s not very pleasant. Sam hates it. “Stinky mama! Ewww!” she says through a pinched nose.

I’ve tried everything to get the smell to wash through the pipes. We’ve poured all sorts of solutions and fragrances down to quell it. We even follow the advice of an uncle who builds houses and make water flow through them often (We’re told that constant running water will make it go away. It hasn’t happened to us yet!). Yet it persists and returns. We’ve opened packs of air fresheners to help try to mask it, but the mix of those odors will just cause one to lurch. But we try desperately anyway.

So when Glade asked me if I was willing to give their new bathroom gels a test run (Thank you Glade!), I enthusiastically shouted, “yes!” I’d do anything for a clean, fresh-smelling bathroom I tell you! And it’s Glade. They’re the market leader for a reason.

The product is called the Glade Sensations , a fragrance gel that specifically targets the odors that linger in the bathroom. There’s a starter pack that already contains one square of gel, and a holder with double-sided tape. You can stick it anywhere, then you peel off the back part of the gel and slide what remains into the holder. They claim it lasts 60 days. The gel slowly “evaporates” as the days pass to signal that it is indeed, working hard.

There are seven scents to choose from.

With Sam’s help, we opened the Lavender scent and gave it a whirl in our bathroom. I also opened the Morning Freshness Refill and stuck it in the most unused bathroom where the most pungent odor emanates from (Less use = less water flow = more stink). As it so happens, the refill packs can stand on their own without a holder, if you stretch out the base both ways to make it stand. That is very thoughtful packaging right there, and it’s about P28 cheaper than having to buy a new set with the holder. No electricity required. It’s not a plug-in, it’s just your regular stand-alone (still, keep it out of reach of children please!).

With the stand-alone refill base!

As of this writing it’s been up for 8 days, three of which included our “closed off” days, the true test for any air freshener in this home. When I tentatively walked into the apartment again, there was a bit of the dust, a lot of the musty humidity… but not much of the smell!!! The bathrooms with the Glade Sensations didn’t smell like Venice at all, and it was quite pleasant! Whatever odor had been masked completely, and it still is doing so in a very crisp, easy way. Whew!

It is now time to open more scents and put them around the house where there are drains still. The flower-y, semi-fruity Jasmine one near the girls’ room, and the typically powerful, citrus clean Lemon fragrance near the kitchen. Lemon is a scent I like in the kitchen — it just belongs there, is what I think. The other scents in the cupboard are Fruit Nectar, Ocean Escape and one called “I Love You”. Try giving them a sniff when you swing by the grocery this week and see which one fits your personality.

The claim is that it lasts 60 days, so off the bat it’s more economical on a per-day basis than some of the other air neutralizers and gels in the market. I remember we got some of the ones in our current bathrooms (at a more expensive price) at the beginning of April and it disappeared in three weeks. So that part still remains to be seen. If we make it to 60 days, I think I’ll definitely stick with Tune in to my Twitter in 52 days, I’ll let you know. 😉

May 3, 2013
by mymommyology
2 Comments

The Soles of Summer

The Manila Summer season is in full swing — you can tell by how hot it’s gotten. To celebrate, The #SoMoms went on an all-mommy night out. Kids, husbands, and pets were all left at home, and we dressed up, got pedicures, ate and drank to our heart’s content, and painted the town red.

Well, okay that’s not exactly how it happened, but can you blame me for having a vivid imagination? 😉 We did dress up. And we ate a few cupcakes (Fine. It was MORE than a few…;) ) and drank some cocktails laced with vodka. Our version of painting the town red was by excitedly creating our own pairs of Havaianas at the 8th Make Your Own Havaianas 2013 Media Launch. Our summer chic looks meant that we wore Havaianas to the event too (which I think is a cool idea!)

It’s a rare treat that I get to leave the house at 6pm for a night on the town with the girlfriends. I’m normally at home getting the kids through dinner and their bedtime routine (and then I fall asleep right after or I use the time to work and blog). Come to think of it, Jamie has not been put to sleep at night by anyone else but me her whole life. But from what I’ve heard over the last seven years, the #MYOH2013 was an event one wouldn’t want to miss. Yes, there is a first time for everything, and it all happened that Tuesday night. I went out, Jamie slept with her dad, and I attended my very first MYOH event.

It was quite the experience. I’ve always been a fan of Havaianas. They are hands down, comfortable, stylish, and sturdy . I’ve only had one pair collapse on me but it happened after years and years of using it on a more-than-average basis. And after that one night, I finally understand why it’s such a hit. We are a tropical country and we go anywhere in slippers. It’s the easiest thing to wear; so why not make it more than a casual choice of shoes? It’s a brilliant idea to get people to customize their own flip-flops. It becomes unique to the person and it speaks volumes about one’s personality.

At the Rockwell Tent (MYOH’s venue), you’ll find walls of soles and straps (the regular, the metallic and the thins) which you can mix and match to your liking. Then there’s a menu of pins that you can dress it up with — as many as you want. After the friendly assemblers are done, voíla. Suddenly it’s more than just a pair of flip-flops, it’s your own fashionably styled shoes that can be used to dress up, dress down, and go all around! It’s had quite the following over the last few years; and I’ve heard of people who hail from different cities travel 2 or 3 hours at 430AM to get in line just to make their own pairs.

For my part, I was lost and thrilled at the same time. Lost because there was so much to choose from, I had to pause, breathe, and rationalize just how many pairs I really needed (and how many I could come home with that my husband wouldn’t flip!). I was thrilled because it was going to be just the way I wanted it to be. The other SoMoms and I were some of the first in line and when the raw materials started to come to the table, you could tell who owned which pair. I ended up with this as my final output:

Pool Green sole, white slim strap, green crystals and three-star pins.

I used it on a trip, with my new favorite green top that some of my SoMom shopping buddies helped me pick out:

Spot the volcano in the background. And how my flip-flops compliment my color choice today! 😉

Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself. The next morning I had to explain to my girls why I didn’t make it home in time for our bedtime routine. Sam, my crafty daughter, loved the idea of designing her own slippers, that she wore mine around the house for a while. The next thing I knew, one of the star pins had cracked (what do you expect from a toddler in shoes that are thrice her foot size!).

I returned a few days later after a meeting I had in the area, and Customer Care took care of me. I love it that they have this as an integral part of the event. My triple stars were replaced and my slippers were brand new again. The Havaianas assemblers even replaced the other star pin (which was still intact), because she said she noticed that there was a crack on it.

And so – since I found myself once again in this tent of imagination… I decided, why not, I’d go for another pair. Except this time, I got one for Sam. The thing is, MYOH is only an event for adult sizes, so I took Janice’s and Eli’s suggestions of getting a pair for the kids to grow into, and got Sam the smallest adult size of Havaianas. I got her the Commemorative 2013 design done by Filipino Dan Matutina (@twistedfork). This year Havaianas decided to collaborate with one of our own for the special edition flip-flops. It is the first “glow-in-the dark” pair with carbon blue sole. It features two spacemen with space markers connecting the stars to form images. It represents how Havaianas invites each and everyone to let their creativity loose. This pair is only available during the May 2-5 run (in other words, by the time you read this, you have two days left so hurry on over!).

For Sam, I added as pins the hot air balloon and the astronaut. I got the hot air balloon because Sam loved the larger than life sized version of it made entirely out of Havaianas. We’d take strolls down Bonifacio High Street and visit it often (Apparently Tin’s little Berry loved it too!). I added the astronaut because Sam is my little explorer. She’s forever curious about things and also brave enough to take that “first step” outside her little world to discover more. I wanted to add the rocket ship too but I was told that they were low on stock. Of course, it was also a pair to remind her of Mommy’s first MYOH event. That’s a lot of meaning for a pair of slippers, wouldn’t you say? 🙂

Sam’s commemorative pair. 🙂

She loved the pair so much (That’s my Sam, so easy to please and so filled with heartfelt gratitude for things we give her), she wears them at home. Even if they are 4 sizes too big for her. Maybe even five!

The added pleasant surprise to my 2nd MYOH visit for the season was that I paid P0.50 for Sam’s pair. There’s an ongoing Citibank promo where you get 10% off your Havaianas purchases when you use your card — AND you can opt to use your points to pay for them too. (Note: I never use my points, or my miles, so I felt it was put to good use).

Kudos to the Havaianas team for such a successful activity. The core of the idea is so simple but so on-point, it will never go out of style.

My Mommyology

Learning from Motherhood.

25 Years of Great Food

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Bunny Love

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Mother’s Day in Manila

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Fresh-Smelling #Sensations

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The Soles of Summer

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