My Mommyology

Learning from Motherhood.

April 5, 2013
by mymommyology
1 Comment

Oh… But To Dream of Food…

I will admit I am hungry while I write this post.  I am scanning my kitchen for something that will satisfy my grumbling tummy.  Of course I scan Facebook too for ideas, and as if fate or serendipity would have it, I see this and my mouth begins to water:

I saw Nik and thought... Yum! ;)

I saw Nik and thought… Yum! 😉

Okay hang on… it’s not what you’re thinking.  I do not want to eat HIM.  That is my friend Nik Barancik, the husband of my very good (and golden) friend Cris.  They are the owners and creators of one of my favorite go-to-restaurants-to-satisfy-my-cravings in Manila, O’Sonho Portuguese Fusion RestoBar.   Apparently Nik was on ANC TV last night talking about his first baby O’Sonho (pronounced “O-son-yo”), and someone caught him and took a snapshot of the TV screen to post on Facebook at about the same time I decided to browse for food suggestions.  In a way, yes… I do associate Nik with yummy food, the one he and his wife serve at their restobar.

Cris and I go way, way, WAYYYYY… back.  I think we’ve known each other for about 25 years now.  I still remember the afternoons we’d spend writing all these crazy “books” about going into the future and attempting to cook Brownie Lasagna at her house (only people who belong in our past will understand what those two stories are about!).  Even then she did already have big dreams and grand plans.  She’s always loved good food too and as far as I can remember has been quite passionate about it from the get-go (the food we’d eat in her house was always yummy!).

We fast forward to the present where we are still very close friends and now even co-parents.  Cris married Nik a few years back and together they put up the first branch of O’Sonho on Jupiter street in Makati.  I remember when it first opened she invited us to come and try it out.  She placed a set of their signature dishes, such as the Peri-Peri Chicken (a MUST try when you go!), the Caldo Verde (it’s a green soup) and their now famous Coffee Marinated Roasted Pork in front of our group and I tell you, after trying a few bites of each I didn’t want to stop eating.  In fact I didn’t want to share.  I’d never tried Portuguese food before, and my goodness it was really really good!  It’s also one-of-a-kind because O’Sonho combines the distinct taste of Portuguese food with those of other countries such as Spain, Australia and of course, the Philippines.  Every mouthful bursts with flavor.  It’s hard not to want to go back again and again.  The true test in our family is my husband:  He’s a very picky eater (more than my girls), and yet after one visit to O’Sonho he’s still eager to go back for more.  We always order these three items when we go too!

Lately we’ve been fortunate enough to have eaten there more often than the usual and try more of their dishes.  O’Sonho catered for the baptismal party of one of my godsons and served some of their paellas.  I also attended a SoMoms #sessions talk with Coach Pia that was held at O’Sonho where lunch included some Salmon Puttanesca (a new favorite!) as well as the Stuffed Fish Fillet.  And again, as much as I loved the talk, I also did not want to stop eating!  I had to control myself.

Food shots courtesy of Nik and Cris Barancik

Food shots courtesy of Nik and Cris Barancik

The food is yummy and it’s affordable too.  Plus, the service and the ambiance is great.  Coming from a country that is an expert in customer service, I am now very much more attuned to this quality when eating out.  It is very clean (Cris is very OC about it so I know the place is impeccable),  well-maintained, and the staff are friendly and very attentive.  They get you whatever you want or need, and make sure that the quality of the food is always at its best.  The Coffee Marinated Roasted Pork for instance; it falls off the bone.  Nik and Cris are also always at the restaurant making sure everything runs smoothly, so you know that every needed attention to detail is there.  It is a dream come true to have a restaurant that has all of these qualities.

Knowing Cris (and recently I’ve been getting to know Nik too!), they make sure that the restobar lives up to its name.  O’sonho means “the dream” in Portuguese. They called it as such for several reasons.  The first is that it reflects the dream of having the ultimate dining experience (which is what I mentioned above).  Nik and Cris also say it’s been a long time dream of theirs to bring Portuguese food to Manila and sharing the experience with Manila’s diners. It was a risky move at first because of the uniqueness of the Portuguese flavor to the Filipino palette; but five years later today, it’s obvious that this risk has paid off.  O’Sonho is now one of the more popular dining choices in the Makati area and it is going strong.  Nik and Cris still continue to innovate and add new dishes as the years go along, so there is really always a reason to go back for more. 

I love my friends, they are wonderful people.  It’s always fun and a ball of laughs when we’re together and I’m so glad that they form part of my little child-raising “village” now that we’re back home.  And thanks to them,  I know my kids will grow up with a richer palette.

Okay now I’m hungrier than ever.

***

O’Sonho is located at 20 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air Makati.  (896-3289, 5191148).  They’re open daily from 11AM – 11PM (closed in between lunch and dinner).  For more information, visit their website.

March 26, 2013
by mymommyology
1 Comment

Why We Let Kids Be Kids

***

Trivia:  The Filipino term “sige” takes its origins from the Spanish word seguir, which means “to follow.” 

The Filipino phrase “Sige Lang” (pronounced “cee-gue lāng”) is loosely used to mean, “go ahead” and “let (things) play out as they should”.  

***

I’ve recently discovered (or maybe the better term is “acknowledged”)  that I’m very paranoid when it comes to my kids’ well-being.  In Filipino the slang for it is praning ( prah-neeng),  and it actually sounds like a very apt description of my parenting style.  When the girls are sick, I lose sleep icing them down and checking to see if they’re still breathing.  If you recall, I had a scare with Sam over year ago, and Jamie actually ended up in the hospital, (can you blame me for being traumatized?).  When we’re at the mall, I hang on to both of them tightly because I fear they’ll run and I won’t be able to keep up.  There are so many kidnapping scares these days, you can never be too sure.  Sometimes we avoid the malls altogether.  On playgrounds, I’ve been known to call the attention of other caregivers and tell them their child is misbehaving (because they may have already or are about to cause harm to one of my own).  Yes, I can be very protective that way.

When the girls’ safety and health aren’t a concern however, I find I can take on a totally opposite demeanor (swinging my parenting style to the opposite spectrum).  For as long as they’re in a safe environment (school, home, a friend’s house…), I have no problems letting them explore and try new things.  If it builds imagination, creativity, confidence and problem-solving skills, then why not?

This is something Jamie’s and Sam’s teachers have talked to me about as well.  They’ve explained that the girls will inevitably get dirty and messy because they need to figure out how to complete the projects and exercises set out for them, and I do see how much they’ve grown developmentally because of it. (Side story: I remember a friend telling me that she sent her toddler to school and he’d come home looking quite untouched.  Even his projects looked very well-made, she couldn’t believe he’d made them himself.  One day she came in early for pick-up and saw that the kids were just placed in front of the TV!  She pulled him out the next day.)

A nostalgic photo: the kids splattering each other (and us) with paint in our old home...

A nostalgic photo: the kids splattering each other (and us) with paint in our old home…

I’ve tried to replicate this environment at home by having exploratory play-time with the kids.  We paint (a LOT!), play with play-doh, make things from scratch, and hit the nearest playgrounds when we can.  As our new Kindermusik teacher says, “Play provides a tool for discovery and it brings meaning to events in the life of a child.” 

Of course it goes without saying — when you have kids, it will get messy.  They’ll get sweaty and dirty.  There’s no way around it but to let it happen.  For as long as the girls have fun then there is no reason to do otherwise.  Besides… the mess, the dirt, the stains — they can all be washed away.  Literally!  It’s the philosophy behind the campaign of all-new Breeze with Activ Bleach.    They encourage moms to be Sige* Moms and say Sige Sa Mantsa! which essentially means, “Go ahead, let the stains happen.”  Breeze believes in the value of experiential learning, and has this at its core; so they encourage moms to let kids have their fun, explore the world, and pick up life lessons along the way. Anyway, Breeze is there to help clean up the mess (the stains) after.

In my past life, when I worked for the company and learned about this brand’s story, I couldn’t help but think it made a lot of sense.  Now that I’m a mom (and as such, the target market), I appreciate it more.  What I didn’t realize until recently though, was how much it needed to be said out loud.  A lot of moms and caregivers are so concerned with the consequences that follow –  more laundry, more things to clean up — that they oftentimes forget the importance  and the benefit the entire process brings.

Admittedly it is extra work that you wish you could do without.  I used to groan about the dried mud that I had to get off Sam’s pants, or the sand and mulch that she’d “take home” from summer camp.  Thankfully (and luckily) enough, I was surrounded by a community of moms in Chapel Hill who had this exact philosophy at the heart of their child-rearing, and so I internalized it too.  I think it did us a lot of good because Sam would always come home with animated stories about her day in school.  And so because it was the way I learned to parent, It was easy for me to get on board and advocate as well.

I see how this part of my parenting style has helped my kids here in Manila.  Sam comes home from school in her P.E. uniform (which is white by the way!), with dirt on her knees or at the ends of her pants.  She always has a smile on her face — and a star on her hand — and says it’s because she “played the game well and got a prize”.  Jamie, comes home with paint on some part of her clothes 90% of the time and I can’t complain.  During our parent-teacher conference, I was told that while she is one of the younger students in her class, she is the most independent and can complete tasks by herself.  Jamie has in fact blossomed so much that I was told she is smart enough to skip a level for next school year.

Jamie's shirt is hungry for snow cones too...

Jamie’s shirt is hungry for strawberry snow cone too…

These days, Jamie is learning to feed herself and refuses to let us help her hold the spoon.  Sam engages in a lot of arts and crafts, and will oftentimes stand up in between her projects to change the paint and the water on the palette.  Neither has mastered their respective tasks, so you can imagine what our laundry pile looks like.  But what else is there to say… except sige lang. 🙂

Congratulations to Breeze for a great brand story, and thank you for making us a part of your return into the market. 🙂

March 22, 2013
by mymommyology
4 Comments

Nighttime with Jamie

Lately at night, with the lights out and the city sounds as our white noise; when only Jamie and myself are left awake and she’s done with the re-run of her day and her favorite songs.  After all the questions she had for me have been answered she suddenly gets quiet.  Usually her back is turned to me (it’s facing her favorite stuffed friends and the pillow) and I know she’s reaching the sleepy point, so I gently encourage her by patting her bum or rubbing her back.  I know that usually it’s best if they find a way to fall asleep themselves, but seeing as how I know I’m stuck there anyway, I figure the “damage” is minimal.  Plus — this is Jamie!  My sweet petite and adorable Jamie.  Of course I can’t help myself. 🙂

It’s then when she usually turns toward me and says, “Mommy to hug you”, several times.  It’s a question I ask her when I can see she can’t fall asleep or she looks like she needs some form of comfort.  I comply because I do want to snuggle up to her too.  Jamie has always been very clear about what she wants, when she wants it.  She is a little 2-yr old that says what she means, no beating around the bush.  I think that’s something that I should reward when I possibly can.

Then she inches closer until her nose touches mine and I can feel her breathing.  My eyes are often closed (because I’m really sleepy already too from waiting for her to fall asleep!), but occasionally I keep them open and I just look at her angelic face.  It really is angelic (considering I see the opposite of it when she’s not in the mood to be angelic!)  and I can’t help but smile.  Sometimes, she’ll open her eyes and say, “Mom?” as if she’s checking to see if I’m still awake.  She doesn’t stop asking until I respond.  When I do, she quiets down and closes her eyes again and she eventually falls asleep.  Sometimes the last of the days’ memories come crawling through her mind for one last hurrah, but her sentences are soft and they usually trail off.

It’s at that point when I think about everything that happened during that day.  Actually I think about a lot of things and how so much of it has changed for Jamie in the two years she’s been on this planet.  More and more I realize that I really am a different parent to Jamie.  It’s partly circumstance, partly birth order, and of course mostly it’s her personality and her strengths, but it is different just the same.   I feel guilty often that I don’t (can’t?) spend as much time with her as I’d like to, and I didn’t focus on her as much as I did with Sam.  But on the other hand, she also amazes me with how much she already knows and comprehends.  Maybe it’s a coping skill?  She could have picked it up from her sister?  I don’t know.  I’m glad she is able to keep up though and that’s a relief.

The little firecracker that she is, Jamie makes me go through a roller coaster of emotions on a regular basis and at the end I’m just filled with a lot of wonder… and exhaustion!  It’s like we go through this swinging pendulum of extreme feelings, and that’s all new to me!  For such a little person, she has a big, very independent and strong personality, and yet at times she is timid and clingy and needs constant reassurance that I’m there.  I know it’s all supposed to be normal for a 2-yr old, but she is teaching me a lot.  With every child, there’s always something that you learn for the first time.

For all the ups and downs, the changes, and the unpredictable days I’ve had with Jamie in these first two years of her life, the end of our everyday is always a relief.  I’ve come to love this last quiet moment the most.  It feels like forever before we finally make it to this point (because it also takes forever!), but I’ve come to look forward to it.  The pillow talk that happens before it is the special time we have, which I can see us doing even as she gets older and sleeps in her own room.   It’s also how I feel we can stay connected and close despite how “at odds” we can be.  I like to think of it as our little thing.  So now that she’s officially two, my birthday wish is that I hope Jamie won’t ever get tired of asking me to hug her to sleep.  I hope she’ll always inch her nose closer to mine as she closes her eyes, because it is one of the best, most heartwarming feelings in the world.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little Jamie-boo. I am so lucky to be your mommy. 🙂

Thanks to Shiela Catilo for capturing this moment!

Thanks to Shiela Catilo for capturing this moment!

 

March 19, 2013
by mymommyology
4 Comments

Much Needed “Me-Time”

Jamie. Has. Weaned.  She weaned!  I’m in happy, bittersweet disbelief.

After months of sleepless nights and intermittent dream feeds, and another few more weeks of constant screaming and wailing for “mommy’s milk!”, Jamie has finally (FINALLY!) weaned.  Can you feel my relief coming through your computer screen?!  She completely stopped 8 days before her 2nd birthday which was really my original target date.  I’ve known for a while that she associates the breastmilk with sleep, and because she looks for it 2 or 3 times a night, I don’t get much sleep at all.  In fact there was a part in Elizabeth Pantley’s book that was spot on to my situation.  Was she in the room writing while it was happening to me?!

Contrary to the title of her book though (The No Cry Sleep Solution), there was a lot of crying for about three days (Although she did say to expect it given the tight association breastfeeding had with sleep).  It was 3 nights of very little sleep for me (And she did say to expect that as well).  Little is equivalent to minutes of shut-eye at a time, all adding up to about 2 hours in a span of three days.  I really don’t remember what happened during those days and nights, when one ended and the other begin; I may have used toothpaste on my hair without realizing it.  Well somehow we’re all alive; I didn’t kill anyone.  So… it couldn’t have been that bad?

I will say for the record that I accomplished this incredible weaning feat all on my own (I’m not trying to be a martyr, it’s just the way things happened!). And to stop myself from really going crazy (since I still couldn’t sleep because, as you very well know – a mother never gets enough sleep!), I decided to pamper myself.  Thankfully, I had a lot of help in getting some much deserved “me-time”.

They say that here in Manila, with all the other people in your child-raising village, a mom can definitely get time away to recuperate.  Since I’ve been back though, those moments have still been few and far between.  I still can’t get a full day (or half day) for the said time, so I’ve settled with breaking them into time slots over the course of several days.  It’s not perfect, but I’ll take what I can get, when I can get it right? 🙂

the blỗ menu... and the curls I had for the afternoon. ;)

the blỗ menu… and the curls I had for the afternoon. 😉

A visit to blo bar.  blo bar opened their second branch in Serendra 6 weeks ago and the Mommy Mundo SoMoms got invited to give it a go (or should I say a blo?!).  Now I will say that I never really style my hair or go to a parlor to get it done unless there’s a big occasion; That weekend of no sleep and eventual triumph?  That was a special occasion.  My husband couldn’t understand it, and said I was quite out of character.  I didn’t bother explaining it to him, I just went.  So there I was, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, and quite excited because I was SURE shampoo was going on my head this time.

blo bar has a menu of styles to choose from, and that’s all they do:  Wash – Blo – Go!  No haircuts, no hair color.  They work with what you already have and make it spectacular.  That day I agreed to some soft curls and a bohemian braid, to make the look a little bit more playful.  It took a while for me to get used to it but the entire process was quite therapeutic.  It’s not everyday after all that I just sit in a chair and voilá, I am “pretty-fied”!  I got a few compliments too (as I mentioned, I was out-of-character) and was told to do it more often (I’m actually concocting up a few good reasons to go back already! 😉).  Even Jamie loved my hair, and after that day, she’d always touch it and ask me to leave it down.

The other cool bit about blo bar is the brand’s personality.  The copy (although it borders on controversial) is very witty.  And everything is thought-through such that the brand’s powerful, friendly yet knowledgeable personality clearly comes out; even down to their replies on Twitter.  It makes you feel like you’re engaging with a style expert — and that is always a good thing!

I got a *wink*.  On a different day, I accepted another invitation from Brand Consultant Liz Lanuzo to try out a treatment at Wink, the newest laser and wax studio in town.  Together with some of the other SoMoms Tin and Cai, I met Wink’s youthful owner Holly Chang.  She told us about her inspiration for opening and operating a studio with affordable laser treatments, and a year later here she is.  We got to try any hair removal treatment of our choice, and I’d have to say I had quite the pleasant experience.

The beautiful hallway. Photo courtesy of Wink Studio

The beautiful hallway. Photo courtesy of Wink Studio

Everything about Wink is youthful and quirky, but it is still very (VERY!) hygienic and also professional.  I love the way the entire studio looks and smells.  Its main icon (and a big part of their interior design) is the asterisk (*) — which connotes the target of the laser.  I also asked Holly why she decided to call her studio Wink, and she said, “because you really don’t want to broadcast to the world that you’ve just gotten hair removed on that part of your body.  So it becomes your little secret and you can actually tell them with a wink.”  How true!

What I love about Wink, which I feel sets them apart, is that they focus a great deal on the after care.  Even before we started any treatment, I was given a handout by Lyn, my specialist for the afternoon.  She made sure I understood everything on the sheet, and repeated it to me again before I left.  She also sent me a text message two days later to check-in, and I truly appreciated that.  During our entire session Lyn constantly asked if I was comfortable, which is very reassuring because at least you know they’re conscious and concerned about your well-being and they can adjust accordingly.  I liked it too when Holly said they assign the same person to handle your treatments each time you visit (and you really would want to go back, I kid you not) because at least you build a bond with your therapist and she knows exactly what you need and how you need it done.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Wink’s treatments are the most affordable I’ve seen so far; and they offer long-term packages for both the wax and laser treatments.  That makes sense, since you need to come back several times for the laser treatment to last long-term.

So here I am, one hair style and one hair removal treatment later, feeling a little bit more refreshed.  I am once again ready to take on the next bought of sleepless nights (or so I think…).

Thank you Mommy Mundo, Blo, Liz, and Wink for helping to make me feel a little less like a zombie, and a little  more like a (well-kept) human being! 🙂

***

  • blo branches are at Powerplant (near parking entrance by True Value) and  at the 2/F of Serendra (near Global Art).  
  • Contact +63.917.6blodry (+63.917.6256379) to schedule your appointment.
  • Wink is located at Unit 315, C2 Building, 7th Avenue cor. 28th Street Bonifacio High Street Central. 
  • Contact +632.808.7258 +63917.303.WiNK or email hello@winkstudio.ph for more information.

 

March 14, 2013
by mymommyology
12 Comments

My Mommyology Loves: Maga’s Kitchen

It is women’s month after all, so why not honor the moms in our (my) life! 🙂

That's my mom! :)

That’s my mom! 🙂

Maga is my mom Lulu.

The name “Maga” came from Sam when she was learning how to read.  Sam would look at the word “gramma” and somehow she’d read it backwards.  My mom liked it so much the monicker stuck, and Maga it was.  She’d joke around with people, and say Maga was really short for maganda (in Filipino, “maah-gan-dah” means beautiful).   Well, isn’t it true? 😉  When Jamie was born, we just automatically taught her to say Maga and so now everyone just calls my mom that.

My mom has always loved food.  LOVES IT!  She’s passionate about it.  She brings new things for us to try and is always handing out food to my girls.  Our family grew up with a lot of parties in the house, and my Mama Mia would invite and showcase her cooking at these shindigs all the time! A lot of people raved about it a lot too, if you don’t mind me saying so (It’s okay, I didn’t inherit the cooking talent gene!).  Friends and family knew her for her signature lemon pie and would look forward to the Christmases when we’d give it away.  Otherwise they’d request for it.  My grandmother passed away three years ago, but occasionally the parties would still happen in the house and a few dishes would be still be served.

My mom however being the early riser that she is, decided that breakfast gatherings were easier on the digestive system than the usual heavy dinner feasts; and at one point, she decided to serve homemade tuyo (dried herring).  Normally, we buy this already bottled up and ready to serve, but my mom and her desire to try it at home (alongside the tools she had in the kitchen) decided to give it a go.  As it turned out, the visitors liked it a lot.  She served it at several more breakfast parties (to different people), and eventually she started getting order requests for it. 🙂

I first tried my mom’s homemade tuyo when she brought some bottles to Chapel Hill on a visit last year.  I had some friends over and she was in charge of breakfast that morning, so she served it with rice and scrambled egg.  The ravings were consistent; very tasty, with a slight hint of spice but nothing overpowering.  When she got back from the trip she and an uncle of ours decided to produce the bottled tuyo in larger quantities and distribute it locally.  By the time Christmas came around, my mom had produced and sold over 500 bottles!  Her darling cousins (over at Two Tots) were very supportive and they included the tuyo as part of the products they sold at their last open house.  They even designed a logo and printed a label to put on it!   I bought and gave away a few bottles myself, and received calls after that from recipients asking me where they could get more.  Many were pleasantly surprised that the gifts were made out of the kitchen in my mom’s home.

Somewhere in between, my mom would bring different other dishes to potluck lunches and dinners.  She’d bring old family favorites, such as callos, and homemade brownies (I remember smelling them all the time when I was growing up!) and yes, the occasional lemon pie.  To a few very good friends, she’d already accept orders for these other dishes as they wanted to serve it at their parties as well.  Being the food-lover that she is, she’d even experiment on other dishes that we’d discover on our food trips, and it was then when we (my mom’s children and child-in-law) seriously sat down and thought:  why don’t we make this a viable business?  It seemed to have all the right ingredients to begin with: a food lover at the helm and absolutely delectable food as the output.  All we needed was a name, a logo and of course a little marketing.

Things seemed to fall into place because my siblings, my husband and I filled the gaps quite nicely.  My sister (who made the super cute  My Mommyology logo) revised the original Maga’s Kitchen logo (so that it was more versatile and could be used beyond dried herring) , my brother fixed the strategy, I put in the marketing, and my husband looked at it all from an operations perspective.

Tah-dah! :)

Tah-dah! 🙂

So that’s how Maga’s Kitchen came to be! So far, the underlying common thread between all the dishes that we serve, is the fact that we grew up with them as favorites in our home.  It’s simple really, but at least we know that it’s something we can share with much gusto.  Right now, it’s really just the tuyo that is in production (ready to be picked up or delivered to you in a day’s notice!).  We’ve been told though, that it tastes better if you let the tuyo sit for a week before popping it open.  A bottle goes for P195, which is fairly good value considering that it is jam-packed with rows of dried herring.

A sample of our first label!

A sample of our first label!

Maga’s Kitchen does take orders for callos (half-gallon per order) as well.  Please be sure to give us ample time to make it (as mom believes, it’s much better when freshly made).  Other dishes are in the works, and we’ll definitely let you know when they’re ready for orders.

I’m actually quite pleased with our little project.  And to think it started as a discussion over food (It’s not surprising, Filipinos always gather and build ideas when there is food!).  Somehow I feel like we really can’t go wrong, if only because there’s a lot of love that’s going around for this venture of ours.  Everyone loves my mom (she is very lovable after all – and that is a fact!) and they know that she serves quality food.  This entire endeavor is also a labor of love for us children for our mom too.  It’s sort of our way of saying “thanks for taking care of us, and now it’s our turn to take care of you!”  Hopefully, it’s something my girls can grow up with and appreciate too.  After all, they did give my mom her brand name! 🙂

Follow Maga’s Kitchen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@magaskitchen). 

You'll find us at the SoMoms booth! :)

You’ll find us at the SoMoms’ booth! 🙂

Maga’s Kitchen will be at the upcoming Mommy Mundo ExpoMom Bazaar.  We’ll bring bottles of tuyo and we’ll also take orders for Callos, and possibly some other dishes and desserts too, so see you there!

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