Visita Iglesia: A Filipino Catholic Tradition

Holy Week, back when I was still single, was always a busy time for me because I was part of our parish's Music Ministry. Our schedules were always packed from Maundy Thursday until the midnight Easter Sunday Mass. I seldom joined my family in their Visita Iglesia trips. Now that I'm no longer part of the choir, I made it a point to introduce the age-old Catholic tradition to my son. We have been doing the Visita Iglesia with him since 2004 and it's automatic that he leads the prayers for the Stations of the Cross.

Visita Iglesia are Spanish words meaning "church visits." Filipinos traditionally visit fourteen churches in remembrance of the 14 stations of the cross. We, on the other hand, visit only 7 churches and pray 2 stations for each church. We do the Visita Iglesia after hearing the Last Supper mass which is usually held at 6 p.m. We pray the rosary at the seventh church, too. In the past years, we finished touring the seven churches by midnight. Tomorrow, we may just be visiting seven churches in Rizal and may have to start earlier than usual.

Are you also going on a Vista Iglesia trip tomorrow with your family? Here are a few things to remember:

• Do not forget to bring your Stations of The Cross booklets and rosaries. It's better to have a copy of the booklet for each member of the family. 
• Bring a penlight or a small flashlight for convenient reading of your prayer booklet. Most churches have their lights dimmed after the Last Supper Mass and only the tabernacle of the Holy Eucharist is lighted. Other churches also set up the Stations of the Cross outside the church where there is poorer lighting.
• Bring water, cold juices, and snacks especially if you are going to be visiting churches with the kids. But please, don't let the kids eat or drink inside the church. Snacking can be done while in the car.
• Charge your cellular phones. Let your kids have their cell phones in their pockets, too. That way, it will be easier to find each other in crowded places. However, put them on silent mode especially while inside the church. Guard your gadgets, too. My son's cell phone has a strap that I hook up to his belt hoop while the phone is kept in his pocket.
• Plot the churches that you will visit in a map or have an itinerary ready. It would also be best if you can find a place to have dinner in the middle of the tour.

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What Ketsana did to Reeboy

When Typhoon Ketsana (Philippine Name: Ondoy)hit the Philippines in September 26, 2009, the town of Cainta was instantly transformed into a sea of muddy water. While we were part of the few Cainta residents who were spared from the floods, my sister and parents were not. Proof of it is the damage that the typhoon had done to my parents' SUV.

My parents own a Toyota Hilux Surf that we fondly call Reeboy because its plate number starts with REE. It was a second-hand unit bought after my mother's retirement in 2006. After my father's stroke, the SUV was left to my sister and brother-in-law's care. Unfortunately, they live in Vista Verde which is one of the most badly hit areas in Cainta. The waters there rose to up to as high as 5 feet. If you look closely at the photo, you will see the muddy line on the carseat's headrests. This is how high the water has been that day considering that the garage is one foot above the street level.

This Holy Week, we will be missing Reeboy's company in our annual Visita Iglesia. The alternator still has to be fixed as well as its airconditioning unit. We are hoping that we'll be given more financial blessings for the repairs. It may not be as expensive as an rv repair job but we also have other priorities to take care of. Nevertheless, we are still thanking God every day that no one in our family was harmed by the flood. Material things are replaceable anyway.

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Nail-a-holics Nail Salon and Spa

I am diabetic so I am always concerned about foot care. I have a manipedi done regularly and footscrubs every now and then. However, being a diabetic also obligates me to be choosy when it comes to nail salons. I cannot afford to have a wound more so if it's on my foot. So far, my trusted nail technicians are from Nail-a-holics. By the way, this post is not Nail-a-holics sponsored. I just love this nail salon so much!

I have tried the services of the SM Megamall branch and the Robinson's Metroeast branch and I give both branches two thumbs up. Yesterday, at the height of the Magnitude 6 earthquake that hit Manila, I went in to have my regular manicure and footspa-pedicure in the SM Megamall branch. I told the receptionist that my legs have become extremely dry and itchy because of the summer weather. She recommended that I try the paraffin treatment.

It was my first paraffin foot treatment ever! First my feet were cleaned, scrubbed, and massaged. After the nails and the cuticles were trimmed, my feet were carefully dipped in a tub of paraffin wax one after the other. I availed of the extended treatment so melted paraffin wax was also poured from the knees down. Surprisingly, it wasn't painful at all. I also noticed a big difference on my skin. It was instant exfoliation and I am feeling better now. No more itchy legs.

I was tempted to have my arms and hands have the paraffin treatment, too. But I remembered that I have the laundry to take care of over the weekend. I dislike wearing rubber work gloves so I'll probably be back for the arm and hand paraffin treatment next time.

Nail-a-holics have branches over the Metro and South Luzon. Search Nailaholics on Facebook or visit Nailaholics.com to know more about their services.

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I'm never buying frameless eyeglasses again!

I bought these frameless eyeglasses in October last year after my quarterly eye check up. I wanted to have another pair of eyeglasses done rather than just changing the lenses of my old pair. It looks pretty, doesn't it? Not to mention that it really looked great on my round face. Sad to say, these pair has already suffered 2 accidents - one in January and the other just recently.

The first time I had the broken glass changed cost me 500 pesos. This time around, I decided to get a new pair instead. One that will be able to withstand my clumsiness. Yeah, 2,000 bucks down the drain. I learned my lesson well. I'm still keeping the frame, though. I might still need them someday. Who knows?

I am now on the lookout for discount prescription glasses that do not only look pretty but should have frames. I'm thinking of getting the ones made in plastic. Wish me luck in my quest!

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Living on a budget

I asked other mommy friends about how they handle their family's finances and I am amazed by the variety of responses. For instance, some moms prefer to their monthly budget and do the groceries only once a month plus short trips to the palengke weekly. Others, like me, have a monthly budget equally divided into 4 or 5 weeks for weekly groceries and marketing tasks.

Indeed, budgeting is part of a mom's responsibilities. Dads, admit it. Even when your wives are working full-time, the budgeting task is still left for them to manage. Back in 2006 when our home was still being built, I made a Microsoft Excel file where I religiously listed down our expenses versus the funds that came in. The ones listed under our expenses are not only the big ones like mortgage, house rental, weekly groceries, and payments to utilities. I also listed even the small things like the budget for trips to the mall, dvds, eat outs, and emergency funds. Since I stopped teaching for a year, I also gave a monthly budget for myself to cover my kikay activities like going to the salon and facial center and buying my diabetic medication and weight loss products. It looks kinda confusing, but no. Once I got the hang of it, it began to become an easy task. More of like a habit really.

For those of you who do not have time to make an Excel file for your budget, you can try researching online for budgeting worksheets. One worksheet I found is in Momsbudget.com. The site also has nice printables such as the Monthly Menu Planner, Freezer Contents Inventory, and the Grocery Price Log.

I hope you can share with us your budgeting tips, too!

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Could it be adolescent acne?

Last night, my husband noticed small rashes on my son's forehead and nose. I looked at the rashes closely and I saw small white spots at the center. Could it be adolescent acne? :(

I did not have pimples until I was thirteen. I was also lucky that I didn't have nasty acne breakouts. My pimples then were few small ones that can almost pass as bungang araw. My husband, on the other hand, shared that he had problems with acne during his teens. I'm guessing that our son inherited his oily troublesome adolescent skin, hehehe.

So last night, I asked my son to wash his face with my facial cleanser. I am sure it's the milder choice compared to having him wash his face with Safeguard. I'm going to bring him to his doctor over the weekend to seek medical advise before buying any acne medication. Hmmm... I suddenly remember seeing my mom use phisoderm before for her pimples. Still, I have to be sure that it's safe for adolescent skin.

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Combat Heat Stroke This Summer

Even without the El Niño phenomenon, summers here in the Philippines are notoriously hot! This hot weather brings about various heat related health concerns which include heat stroke. Contrary to what some other people think, heat stroke is a serious medical condition. It is even treated as an emergency case in hospitals as its complications may be life-threatening.

Heat stroke or hyperthemia happens when the body temperature elevates to unhealthy levels. The unusual body heat may be a result of the body's metabolism or dehydration. At risk of suffering from heat stroke are babies, the elderly, athletes, and outdoor workers.

Heat stroke often starts with heat exhaustion which has the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, muscle cramps, and headache. On the other hand, symptoms of heat stroke include high body temperature, absence of sweating, flushed skin, rapid pulse,difficulty in breathing, confusion, hallucinations, agitation, seizure, and coma.

To prevent heat stroke, always remember to hydrate with lots of fluids. You can keep yourself by drinking water, which is also the best diet aid, or eating watery fruits such as watermelons and turnips. Avoid hot places or being under direct sunlight. Wear light-colored and lightweight clothes that let your body breathe. If you are feeling heat exhaustion, take in sports drinks which are rich in electrolytes such as sodium.

Hope this information helps you in keeping your family cool this summer!


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Summer Discovery Adventures Expo at the NIDO Fortified Science Discovery Center

Just sharing this awesome event from our friends at the NIDO Fortified Science Discovery Center. Come and join us in the fun!

The Summer Discovery Adventures Expo is happening on Saturday, March 27, 2010 from 10:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the NIDO Fortified Science Discovery Center (NFSDC), SM Mall of Asia. This event will launch the Summer Discovery Adventures that NFSDC will be offering for kids this summer.

Enjoy an afternoon of fun as we give you a sampler of the various workshops available inside the NIDO FORTIFIED Science Discovery Center for your kids this summer. Our leisure affiliates like SM Storyland, Ice Skating and Bowling will showcase their activities lined-up for summer too.

Come April and May, NFSDC will be offering Summer Discovery Adventures a 2 hour/day; 3 days/ week summer workshop program. This promises a truly different & exciting summer for kids as they explore hands on science experiments, photography, scanography, science news writing and journalism, robotics and more in an age appropriate, creative, fun and interactive manner.

The above mentioned programs will be facilitated and moderated by expert activity partners such as Gakken Science Experiment Classroom, Probe Team Foundation, Canon, Tech4kids and Blue Cow for Private IRIS.

Even more thrilling, Summer Discovery Adventures will culminate in an educational trip to manufacturing plants to see “Science in Action” just like in the popular TV show “How Is It Made” on Discovery Channel.


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Do you have a beauty regimen?

Image Source: Scary facial mask on Flickr c/o Your Friendly Neigborhood Lorelei. Some Rights Reserved. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48494739@N00/3288421412/)
In an interview with US Magazine, pretty woman Julia Robert once said that a mom's beauty routine "kind of comes to a screeching halt". She got her hands full when her three kids came into her life. Is this true in your case?

It has been the opposite in mine. When I was younger, I only get to wash my face morning and evening with apricot facial scrub and moisturize with a non-greasy moisturizer. Heck, I didn't even wear sunblock! Thank God my young skin still had the power to resist wrinkles and fine lines.

Now, I have to devote thirty minutes of my time upon waking and before sleeping to wash my face with a special cleanser, wipe with a non-alcoholic toner, and put on day/night eye cream and facial cream. I become forced to use a mild acne cleanser when my hormones go rowdy and give me ugly acne breakouts. I stick to just one brand that I've been using for years now. I also don't wear heavy make-up except when events require me to. I have a facial done once a month and with that comes along eyebrow threading and a seaweed facial and neck mask.

I guess I got more concerned of skincare when I got older. I am scared to have premature wrinkles! I'd like to be like other women in their forties who still look like a decade younger. Wouldn't you want to be the same?


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Eh Kasi, Bata!

Have I told you about my blogging son? Rap has been blogging for almost 5 years now. He started when he was five, about the same time when I started to blog, too. Before, I let him write his thoughts on an old notebook which I type afterward. We were still on dial-up connection then and it would take tons of pre-paid internet cards for him to finish one post. The blog has gone through a couple of layout changes and the most recent was last night. I had to change the layout because he thought the old one was "lame." That's his favorite word nowadays to describe something which he thinks is corny or baduy.

The photo above is a screencap of his latest layout. That one passed his taste after hours of searching the web for kid layouts. I almost got a headache tweaking his blog because, for the first time in years, I finally had the time to change his blog from the old blogger layout style to the new xml platform. I think the hours of tweaking did wonders as he became interested in updating his blog more often. He wants to add widgets to his blog that's why. I have also recently taught him how to embed a YouTube video to his posts.

I hope you can have time to visit my son' s site, too. You can read about everyday kid stuff over there but don't forget to come back to learn more here about parenting stuff. His site, by the way, is ehkasibata.blogspot.com. Sorry for the shameless plug. Aren't we all stage mothers? :)


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The Wii Fit Challenge

A few days ago, I was tasked to write an article about Wii Fit for The Philippine Online Chronicles. Chats, my editor, probably thought that I'd be the best girl for the job since I own a Wii balance board. (Yep, the balance board is all mine but the Wii console is Rap's!)

So in the middle of my research, I came upon two awesome Wii Fit community sites that enticed me to exercise regularly again via the Wii Fit game. The first site, WiiMommies.com, is a community site that was started after Julie Maloney successfully lost weight after using Wii Fit for a year. The other site, WiiFitRoutine.com, is a good companion to getting fit with the Wii since it provides various routines.


I'm on my 2nd week of my personal Wii Fit challenge and I just lost a pound of fat. I'm still hopeful, though. I am aiming to reach my weight loss goal by the time I celebrate my birthday in June. I'd appreciate if you can share to me your tips on how to reduce stomach fat as it is really my problem area. I bet my arms and legs will be toned by next month and my belly will still be flabby. :( I hope the Super Hula-hoop I'm doing now can do the trick.


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