Have you heard of the old adage "It takes a village to raise a child."?  I believe in this 100% just as much as I believe in the saying that "No man is an island."  As a mom, I definitely have a lot to share to attest to this truth because I have two kids who are seven years apart.  Their gap, would you believe is already almost a generation apart.  One is a tween and the other is a pre-schooler and I've written in the past how difficult it is sometimes to raise children belonging to different stages.  I'd be honest, it drives me crazy and makes me think twice if I am doing it right or not.

As women age, like me who's already in the mid-30s, the skin looks dull, fatigued, and dehydrated.   It also becomes harder for the aging skin to absorb Skincare regimen unlike before.  Honestly, I may religiously follow a skincare routine, (cleanse, tone, and moisturize), but I've never really took a shot at any anti-aging regimen.  So it was a pleasure when I received the Olay Regenerist Miracle Duo to try!

OLAY Regenerist Miracle Duo: Miracle Boost Youth Pre-Essence and Micro-Sculpting Cream Moisturiser

It's happened a week ago but Mother's Day still feels fresh to me, in many different levels.  May is an emotional month because I am reminded of my mom so much.  She passed away last year, and memories of her are recalled so vividly, and of course, I miss her so much.   When she used to be here with us, we both celebrate Mother's Day.  But usually, we celebrate her birthday first, she would have been 71 last May 8, and lastly, celebrate their wedding anniversary. 

I love sponge cakes!  It’s super soft with the right level of sweetness.  But when I discovered Bulacan’s local pastry called INIPIT back when I was still in school, I had always looked for bakeshops in Manila selling them.  “Inipit” in its literary sense means pressed.  True to its Filipino translation, Inipit the pastry, is made up of two soft and yummy fluffly cakes with yummy spread “inipit” in the middle.  Good thing, I don’t have to travel far to find the unique taste which only Inipit in Bulacan could bring, because Lemon Square brought it to me, and made it readily available in the market!

Lemon Square Inipit

Lately, I've been really busy with work and a lot of other stuff at home and for the blog too, that I seriously didn't realize that Mother's Day is fast approaching, as in this Sunday, May 10 already!  Unlike in the past years, when it's two weeks prior to the BIG day for moms, we could visibly see the preparation of establishments for it, and in the end, we as moms become so psyched up about our big day.

Well, I posted on my FB Page a photo which Babble first posted on their page.  It shows the result of the survey wherein moms were asked what they really want for MOTHER's DAY and the top answer is:

There are things that I don't do everyday in a week like do a fitness regimen or write a fresh blog post.  I do these activities twice a week!  You know what else I do twice a week?  I make sure I get myself clean and protected down there, especially on red days, with BETADINE® Feminine Wash!  Clean is the New Sexy loves!

Could you feel the heat?  Yeah, it's definitely ON!  This Summer, SUN Prepaid subscribers Stand out and Shine with #SunSummerSikatPromo!

As if carrying our babies in our wombs isn't already hard enough, add on the labor pain and childbirth experience, the sleepless nights, the swollen breasts due to feeding and the physical toll on us mothers, Parenting the children is one big task which will be taking over most of their growing up years with our children.  That's why it's important to really be intentional and be in tune with our children, no matter how busy we could get.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining.  In fact, I'm humbled to be a mother of two boys with different personalities.  I am also proud to have undergone whatever I've experienced and still experiencing with the loves of my life.

My kids are seven years apart, 11 and 4 years old.  Sometimes, I'm like a yoyo when I hear myself disciplining the older one, then shifting to a gentler, higher- pitched (and always excited) voice to the little one, when he calls my attention.  Parenting two kids of different phases could go crazy.  But this time, I'd like to focus on my tween, Dandre who's undergoing some inevitable changes as he is soon to exit the later childhood stage and about to enter the adolescent stage.

My son has been playing basketball since he was six and that's all he wants to focus on until he grows older he said.  He studies in a private school and is enrolled in basketball clinics (since he was six) to support his interest in the sport.  We live in a residential area in Manila, in one of the busy and crazy barangays with a VERY diverse mix of people and economies.  If I keep him very sheltered, I might be depriving him of experiencing the REAL world and learning how to make friends with people from different walks of life.

Making Friends.
He's made friends within the neighborhood when I allowed him for the first time to join the barangay league last year.  But he was still too young for hardcore street basketball and didn't care much about fitting in the group.  But now he's almost 12, fitting in and being liked matter more.  Not that he's having a bad experience in this department, but as a parent, I felt the need to give him early warnings, tips, advice, and better understanding about the friendship topic.

I just want to share with you some advice I gave him during our talk

YOU DON'T NEED TO PRETEND TO BE SOMEONE ELSE TO FIT IN.  
I told my son that he is special and unique.  He is very talented and he's really kind.  I also told him the positive things my friends tell me about him when they get to talk to him.