My eldest son has always been a basketball fanatic.  I saw his love for basketball when he was as young as two years old.  He would shoot a ball to any hoop or ring he could see.  His most favorite hoop that time was the improvised one I made out of my loving arms.  Because each time he scores, the hoop transforms into a BIG HUG from mommy.

I supported him with his early love for basketball by enrolling him to MILO B.E.S.T. Center back in 2011.  He was still tiny that time and it was so much fun to watch him dribble and play basketball with kids of his age.  I continued exposing him to the sport by supporting him in his desire to be part of their school's basketball team.  I was the proudest mom when he, without telling me one afternoon that it was a try-out game, got in the team!
Nothing makes a child happier than knowing that his parents fully support him in his interests!  It boosts their self-esteem and their confidence as well.

That's why this summer, we decided to let him continue training in MILO B.E.S.T Center in Xavier School, to further his basketball drills and skills.  Thanks to MILO of course for making this happen!
Xavier School is not new to me because this was where we enrolled him the first time.  As usual, they had an orderly registration (where you fill-out a form and pay your clinic fee) and T-shirt distribution.  As expected too, their second batch of basketball clinic applicants was full.
The schedule of their training in MILO B.E.S.T Center is every Wednesday and Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM.  I appreciate that there are days in between for my son to rest and be involved in some other activities this summer.  I also think that the three-hour training is perfect for them to learn about ball handling, dribbling, and other basketball scientific lessons.

The first thing the coaches did was to group the kids by level and by age.  This will allow the kids to play ball fairly with the same age-group range and level of knowledge in the sport.
Don't all the kids look like they're very disciplined?  Now, they're ready to start stretching and do some serious basketball drills! :)
After their stretching and other forms of floor exercises, the kids were further categorized into smaller groups, specifically considering their age groups.  Dandre was grouped with Level 1, ages 9 to 10 years old.  I think the reason behind this is to ensure that the children keep up with the intensity of the training accurately given and tailor-fit to the physical strengths of their particular age group.
 The coach assigned to them talked to them about basic rules in their small group.  He tells them how important discipline is not only in basketball but in real life as well.
The kids were also arranged by height and further dissected into three smaller groups for their running, ball handling and dribbling exercises.
 Let the running exercises BEGIN! :)
I observed, that they take discipline here very seriously.  One cannot take breaks unless he is given permission to.  They are expected to follow all instructions correctly and quickly, otherwise, the kids would do a number of push-ups.  When playing basketball, shorts should be above the knee and their shoelaces tied tightly.  I'm happy that they instill this to the kids, that basketball is not only about playing with a ball and shooting it, but it takes a lot of patience, hardwork and discipline to be exceptional at it.

After Dandre's first day in MILO B.E.S.T Center in Xavier School, he was thrilled to inform me that he was appointed as their group's team captain!  Of course, that made me very proud and beaming with joy inside!  I am happy for him because he feels proud of himself too.  He was made to demonstrate in front of the group the ball handling and dribbling skills he already know and was being taught by their coach that time.
He's now on his fourth day of training and like his first MILO B.E.S.T Center experience, I am satisfied at how the basketball clinic has been helping him fine-tune his skills in the sport.  Compared to his school varsity practices which train them as a team, MILO B.E.S.T trains its basketball students' individual  skills in a scientific approach.  Plus they also instill character-building values which will make the young ones champions both in and out of the court.  You can see the training's results as days go by.  Both my son and I are happy with how he has improved some more.

If your child is inclined into basketball, you may want to try enrolling him to MILO B.E.S.T.  They have a year-round basketball clinics offered to both boys and girls every Saturday and Sunday from July to December.  For more details, please call (02) 353-6288, (02) 966-6333, and (0917) 589-9880.  You may also check their website: http://ww1.nestle.com.ph/milo/best/index.html, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Even if I am a full-time working mom, I find time to bond with my kids when I get home on weekdays or every weekends through simple activities such as playing with them, talking to my tween about how his day went, tickling their tummies, bathing the little one, singing songs, dancing or doing arts and crafts.

I used to think that parent-child bonding would entail expenses because we had to go out to malls, museums or parks just to achieve that quality time with the kids.  But as I mature as a parent, hindi naman pala kailangang gumastos nang malaki just to bond with them.  We could do simple activities together at home and precious bonding time is already created.

Last week, I got Breeze Philippines' #SigeSabado Box and I was super thrilled at how huge the box is!  I thought to myself, my kids' faces will surely lit up once they see this!
The little one got very curious about the Harlequin Mask that when he saw the box filled with arts and crafts materials, he picked up the blank mask and put it on right away.
The kids were at awe just looking at the box with different interesting craft materials.  I guess because I have boys, who are more into rough play and pretend play, this Sige Sabado Box really got them puzzled!

Since the little one was attracted most to the mask, we decided to do the Harlequin Mask Decorating Activity.  The Breeze #SigeSabado Playbox has a detailed activity instruction which could be followed in a BREEZE! :)

Let me take you through the easy peasy Harlequin Mask Decorating Activity we did last Saturday.  First, prepare all the materials.  For this activity, we will need the following:
   - Blank Mask
   - Felt Paper
   - Glue
   - Lace or Ribbon or Glitters
   - A pair of Scissors
   - Old Newspaper
Here are the steps to creating the unique Harlequin Mask:
1. Spread out the old newspaper on the table where you are comfortable to work on.

2. You may cut the felt paper to be glued snugly onto the mask.  But you may also cut smaller pieces to decorate the mask.  We chose to cut diamond-shaped pieces of the felt paper to make a pattern on the mask.

3. Glue the felt paper pieces on to the mask.
If your son is too young to hold the scissors, that's the time where Mommy or Daddy's help is needed!  I did the irregular-shaped-diamonds which my son glued on to the mask.
Here's my older son gluing the pieces of felt paper on the Harlequin Mask to create his unique masterpiece for his brother! :)
4. To add some embellishments on the mask, you may cut pieces of laces/ribbons and glue it on to the mask.  You may also glue some swirl patterns on the white spaces of the mask and sprinkle it with glitter.  After the glue had dried up, shake off the excess glitters.

5. Cut holes on the two ends of the mask.  Insert the lace to both holes to secure the mask on the head of your child when he wears it.

6.  NOW, you have your very own unique decorated Harlequin Mask which you and your kids could use on Halloween or anytime you want to pretend play! :)

Here's our finished product: TADAH!
Now, if I could just tell you how excited my toddler got upon seeing the decorated mask, you would probable cover your ears for he was screaming out of glee!  I told him to take a photo with the mask, but he opted to put the mask on instead! :)

She wakes up earlier than everyone and prepares meals up to six times a day for the family.  She bathes and dresses up the little ones.  She becomes an interior decorator when she makes a home and also washes and irons clothes.  Most of the time, even if she works full-time or she has a helper, she still occupies her mind with home and children matters.  She constantly checks on the kids and makes sure they are okay.  She also becomes a stylist when she picks clothes for her children, just making sure they are well-dressed, neat and coordinated.  Frequently, she forgets herself and put her children first.  She fulfills her role 24/7 and almost every night, lack some sound sleep.  She multi-tasks by doing so many things at the same time.  She enables herself to learn and do man-stuff, when no one is available to fix a broken door or a loose faucet.  She's always tired but she does not mind, because she's happy and very fulfilled.  She is a MOTHER.

Without a doubt, I can say that the most difficult but most fulfilling job in the whole world is being a MOTHER!  So to honor mothers, like you and me, this Mother's Day, I am launching a Special Mother's Day Giveaway! :)  The prizes were carefully selected to ensure that the most important woman in the world to her kids, will be well-pampered and treated specially.

Presenting, Mommy Practicality's Special Mother's Day Giveaway!!!

But first, I would like to thank my sponsors for making this possible:
So now, let me not excite you further, here are the mechanics to Mommy Practicality's Special Mother's Day Giveaway! :)

Full Mechanics:

1. Open to all willing to pick up their prizes in Makati City.
2. Follow the Rafflecopter tasks in the widget below.
3. Post a photo of you with your child/ren on Mommy Practicality's Facebook Page and for your caption, kindly answer this question: "What to you is most fulfilling part of being a mother?" Include this hashtag #MPMothersDayGiveaway  after your answer.
4. Share the giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter accounts.  Copy and paste this on your status: Join @MommyPracticality 's Special Mother's Day Giveaway.  Earn entries here: #MPmothersdaygiveaway
5. On the comment form below, write your Full Name, Email Address and LINK to your Facebook Photo Entry.
6. Giveaway runs from May 10 to May 24, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer is a season when kids are out of school and either stay at home to play game consoles or are enrolled in summer workshops to keep them busy and make the school break less boring.  But admit it loves, most of the summer activities are quite expensive.  One more thing is, yes, they stay home but when they are always glued to the television or to the computer or tablets which worries me knowing that studies had shown the negative effects of these technologies to their brain development and attention span.  Sadly, both summer activities are things they do on their own, not as a family.

Buti na lang, I recently discovered an activity that we could engage our kids in to keep them busy, one that will also nurture creativity, one that is fun and the best thing is, it could be a home family bonding activity!  It's called the Mamon-It-Yourself (MIY), a Mamon Decorating activity popularized by Monde Special Mamon!  It's a great family bonding experience and for me, a healthier and more practical way to keep our kids busy this summer.  I'm happy to be one of the first few who witnessed how fun and interactive the Mamon-It-Yourself family-bonding activity is by Monde last April 5 at the Yardstick Coffee shop in Makati City.
The event was hosted by the witty and lovely Delamar Arias, co-hosted by her cute son Cooper! :)  Del (feeling close!) recalled how she's always been interested in baking or cooking with her mom when she was younger and that the Mamon-It-Yourself activity is something that our kids could remember as a bonding activity in the kitchen.
One of the most sought-after and in-demand chefs in the country, Chef Mitchie Sison demonstrated how mommies like us could easily prepare frostings which we could put on top of our Monde Special Mamons for our MIY activity.  Most of the time, we're intimidated at the sound of butter or royal frostings right?  She demonstrated not just one, but three frosting recipes such as: Cream Cheese with Bacon, Swiss Butter Cream and Cookies and Cream.  She even gave tips on baking which we could try at home plus how to artistically pipe the frosting onto our mamon.
It was also very interesting to see Grace of the blog The Spoiled Mummy to share her three MIY recipes!  They were all nutritious and delish!  But my favorite of all was her The Spoiled Mamon recipe which is composed of all her favorites: Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Strawberry!
When my son and I tried the Mamon-It-Yourself decorating activity, we were both thrilled at how easy and fun it was!  I thought to myself, it's definitely an activity that SHOULD replace the computer or X-box games he usually does at home.  Also, the most fun part of the activity was eating these soft and yummy Monde Special Mamons, plain or decorated ones!  It's definitely delicious because Monde Special Mamon is made with real fresh eggs, imported wheat flour, and milk.

We took home a huge Monde Nissin Mamon-It-Yourself (MIY) activity kit and needless to say, the following day, we did the Monde Summer MIY as our special family bonding.  Want to know how easy and fun to do it?  Here's a no-frill step-by-step video on how to MIY! :)

Isn't that fun and easy to do?  Doing the Monde Nissin MIY, is one of the most practical and enjoyable family bonding we could all do this summer!  So, start getting creative, get your Monde Special Mamon, Mamon-It-Yourself too!  Visit the Monde website (http://bit.ly/Mamon-It-Yourself) for more Mamon topping ideas.  Show your kids you're proud of their mamon creations!  Why not take a photo of your decorated mamon and post on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #MamonItYourself!  Have a Happy Mamon-It-Yourself day loves! :)

Home-cooked meals, let's talk about it.  Do you also sometimes experience a menu-planning-mental-block when thinking about what to cook for the family?  I do!  Sometimes, out of convenience, or maybe I just forget, I repeat the same menu twice a week!  That's a disaster because when that happens, my hubby and kids say "Yan na naman po?"

Good thing, I found out in the event I attended last week that there's a new portal and mobile app launched by San Miguel Pure Foods called "My Great Food".  The portal provides moms and food lovers (both like me!) new and interesting recipes that anyone can do easily at home.
The "My Great Food" launch was held at Marmalade Kitchen in Forum BGC which was excitedly witnessed by members of the media and bloggers too.  Ms. Christine Jacob-Sandejas hosted the wonderful brunch event which made it all the more special.
The participants were divided into teams for an activity where we had to solve the case of the missing ingredients.  In order for us to solve the challenges, we need to download the "My Great Food" mobile application on our devices and search the menus in the application.  While we engage ourselves in navigating the mobile app, my teammates and I were pleased to see how helpful it could be for moms like us.
One of the activities done before lunch time was a cooking demo done by Chef Aileen Anastacio, owner of Marmalade Kitchen.  Three recipes were done in a breeze and were shown how actually easy they were to do!  The intimidating Eggs Benedict, Foolproof Hollandaise and Iced Coffee were surprisingly easy to prepare pala!  No need to dine in expensive breakfast restaurants or our favorite coffee shops just to have them, we could actually easily do them at home!  And, these recipes are all available at the "My Great Food" website and mobile application.  Knowing through the demo that those #lakasmakayaman recipes may be done at home is #lakasmakaPracticality, so two thumbs up!

Chef Aileen demonstrating how to make Eggs Benedict

Fullproof Hollandaise

Almond Roca Frappucino

My kids still love the soup based menu, so I just added more water into what I cooked.  Here's the finished dish:
The "My Great Food" mobile application has the following helpful features: Grocery List, Meal Plans, Recipes, Recipe Basket, Videos and News & Updates.
But first, in order for you to fully enjoy the app, you have to register your email address and other important details plus assign a password. An email notification will be sent to confirm your successful registration.
One of my favorite features is the Meal Plans where you may create your own or make the app suggest a meal plan for you.  With this feature, the disaster of repeating the same dish twice a week will be far from happening to me again!  They have over 1,000 tested recipes so definitely one will never run out of menu ideas for everyday meals and even for special occasions too.
So if like me, you don't want to repeat meals in a week or is in search for new recipes to try, download the app today.  "My Great Food" mobile application is downloadable via Play Store or Apple Store.  You may also visit www.mygreatfood.com and register as a member to get updates on special events and recipe ideas.  It also has a social networking feature that allows its members to share their experiences and make new friends too!