Breath... another perfect cake indeed! Yesterday my elder daughter turned 8. Yes we all celebrate our birthdays (the 4 of us) on the month of January. It was Winx Club cake for her. Tita Sharon and Ate Chloe sent a white cake with butterflies and flowers. Perfect for our Winx Club cut out and colorful candles...

We love you our dearest...

Happy 8th birthday

Part of our birthday celebration was taking the little girls to a play. Victor Hugo's Les Miserables by the Cre8tive Thespians Club, Inc. Today is their last day, if you haven't seen it yet, I recommend you catch their last gala performance tonight! My 5 and 7-year-old girls enjoyed the performance very much! And the tickets are very affordable.

After the finale and curtain call, the cast gathered for the last time to sing "One Day More". This time we were allowed to whip out our videos and cameras...

As you can see, we got good seats.

Daddy duties.

The eve before my 5-year-old's birthday, we panicked as we found the Tinkerbell figure (which was meant as the cake topper) with wings broken and no hair! Super glue is always daddy's best defense.

The hair was the tricky part. I glanced at my art box. 'Nothing there', I said to myself. I glanced at the kids' box. Found a container with yellow play-dough. Viola!!! Fortunately Tink's head was outlined where her hair was going to be. It was quick contouring the play-dough to the pattern. But it kept falling off, being soft, smooth and all.

Once again, daddy with the super glue to the rescue!

Thank you daddy!

Kids' birthdays are always a production. Although I always keep it simple. But sweet. Little kid woke up to this. She was just jumpy and cherry when she saw Tinkerbell everything.

Since the kids started school, they have decided they would rather have their parties with their classmates. Their school requires birthdays be a simple food-loot bag- birthday cake kinda party. So I always give emphasis on the birthday cake. This year, it's Tinkerbell. And Crema Homegrown Recipes. Remember them on one of my past entries? The kids insist they are going to have Auntie Sharon's delicious moist chocolate cake. Together with daughter, Chloe, a chocolate cake is not just a chocolate cake...

We just texted and chatted. Tinkerbell was going to be the theme. I remember my last words to Chloe was, "I leave all to you as to the decors. I trust all to you..." or something or that sort. Ahihi..

Imagine my feelings when they delivered this...

Beautiful, beautiful indeed... simple, elegant...beautiful. The perfect Tinkerbell cake!

(we added the Tink topper and colorful candles)

Thank you Auntie Sharon and Chloe! In the words of my daughter:"The cake makes my heart sing, mama..."

(I know right? Pressure is on all of us for my 8-year-old's birthday cake this Tuesday, ahihihi...)

I should be packing by now... or at least start with the checklist. Once again work warrants me to travel to Manila. Once again I leave my kids. It is always a heart wrenching moment the night before I travel as it is guaranteed my family would always be in my heart while away. The waiting game at the airport will play the cruel tricks of letting me hear every pitter-patter of a little girl behind me. The smell of baby shampoo. Laughter from a travelling family. Ahihihi...

But sometimes, mommies just gotta do what mommies gotta do, right? My travels are sweet. And the family calls me up anytime they want. Good thing my work allows me to put everything down just to answer the treasured phone calls.

Then there's the reason to give the kids why mommy has to leave for a few nights...

I used to say..."coz mommy has to..." That's it. But the kids have grown and are asking more complicated questions. "Why can't you just work here?" "Why do they have to send you?"

I had kept giving them my old answers...until I came up with a better one.

"Because they need me to take good pictures of them..."

"There are people who wants good picture, so I need to help them."

"So I could help people have beautiful photos they could put in their homes, just like us. Wouldn't that be awesome? ...to be able to help other people when we can?"

Personally, I believe that's a better answer that..."coz we need the money" or "so I will have money to buy you toys/cloths/food" ... It would be a shame if the kids would grow up thinking money is the only reason to work. Or reason for everything.

When I travel, I am always with this production team... (a photo of us during an event at San Lazaro, Manila)...

What mommy wouldn't be longing for their little girls' smell every second of the day?

In a few days, I leave these little pretty chubby cheeks. Just for a night, ahihihi...

One of a mommy's duties is to guide the children walk on the righteous path... and in this area, I would like to believe I am succeeding. I hope you think so too.

Have a good and pleasant night, mommies!

Tell me what mother doesn't drool on those designed/painted sneakers. Whenever I pass by them at the mall I always touch them designs and drawings. It would be cool to pairs for my girls. What holds me back is always the bold print on the price tags. Hahahaha... as my own mother would say 'too much for a whistle'. Sighs... I really want them whistles. Last year

I was toying with the idea of splurging on 2 pairs for my girls' birthdays. Of course, my husband wouldn't approve. I don't practice the 'it's my money I can buy what I want' kinda thing so I took that non-approval thought to heart. But I just have to have those colorful sneakers for my girls.

Yes, it took a quiet trip back home for my to realize I have colorful fabric pens in my art supply box. So...why do I have an art supply box again? HAHAHAHA! Coz I do art, oh wow, that hit me like a cool wintry breeze coming into my friend's kitchen window in Hong Kong. Ahihihi... Off to the mall I went (yes, I just got home) and grabbed 2 pairs of affordable sneakers. This was going to be awesome!!!

It didn't even take long for me to decide on the designs. Little sister loves flowers, ladybugs and gardens.

Big sister is the rock star...

Hearts and red flowers!

I took my sweet time on each pair. I purposely gave myself one whole day just to cut the adrenaline I have invested in each design. To concentrate on the thought of each kid's personality. The little flower princess and the rock star. Two different souls. The only way I could put a connection on the designs is to put my swirly swirly dotted lines. They have seen it on my different drawings at home. They will recognize it on their shoes. That this work comes from the hearts of their parents.

I have fabric pens in my box because I've always been fond of writing and drawing on clothing (the cheaper ones, ahihihi). In Cebu, the colors are very limited (evidenced on my designs). I've read of people using Sharpies. But unfortunately, a popular bookstore only used to carry 2 colors. So any fabric pen is a good alternative. Remember ladies, don't use markers. They may give you cool lines but they will smear in time, even when the shoes are dry. Acrylic paint is also good. However I don't have that much practice (and talent) to be using acrylic paint. Even in college, pen and pencils were my best tools in drawing class.

I didn't break the bank with these gifts. I didn't even sweat (that's bragging, right? Please forgive me, I will get to a point, hehe). The ideas just flowed. Thinking of how my girls would just love the sneakers made me forget some amount of work had to be done.

Yes, awesome and wonderful things don't need to be expensive or hard to get. Breath...look around you. Ideas are everywhere. Most specially, it's in YOU!

You have treasures thrown all over your place. It's just a matter of knowing where to find them. You have the resources. Almost all the time.

And oh yes, when everything else fails, there's always the mall. Ahihihi...

It's that month of the year once again...

Our 2 girls will be celebrating their birthdays this January!

...which means, it's time to choose the cake designs.

Believe me, birthdays in this household used to be quite a production. Then came our journey to the path of simple indulgence. Simple does not always necessarily mean plain. Yes we ogle at them 3-tiered cakes with fairies and princesses at the mall. Who doesn't, right? And if you can afford, why not?

Last year the kids wanted only the chocolate cake their Tita Sharon makes. But with the colors they want. It wasn't just a lightbulb moment for us. It was a big big big lightbulb moment! Tita Sharon makes the meanest moist chocolate cake and that's important. For big sister who turned 7, she agreed with the chocolate cake "au naturalle" . Ahihihi. At P590, the cake didn't cost us an arm and a leg (finally!). We printed out a Ni-hao Kailan poster, put it on a board and anchored it with toothpicks right in the middle of the cake. Viola! We had the happiest 7-year-old on the block!

Ohhh little sister,4, was a bit tricky. It had to be a princess cake. Out of the blue, it occurred to us that a cake doesn't actually have to have a princess on it to be a princess cake. Ahihihi...

With the magic of the internet in this time and age, it would be a breeze to search for any cake design. And so Tita Sharon made us this...

The crown is an ordinary toy crown we bought for P25 at a party supply shop. Isn't it beautiful? And princessy?

I have just talked with my niece Chloe (Tita Sharon's daughter) about next week's cakes (the girls' birthdays are 4 days apart). All set! Their parties will be in school therefore it's important I follow the girls' specifications (to some acceptable extent.). No sense giving them something they, or their classmates, would not like. Two cakes at P590 each (more or less), character figurine P70 and printing at P35... we are well way within the budget! Yey! (Ok, don't freak out Chloe, my P590 is just an estimate, hahaha).

Yes no need to break your budget over them expensive cakes. With a little more brainstorming and creativity, the simple cakes can be very delicious and pretty. So excited for next week's cakes. It's gonna be awesome!

This is Tita Sharon's shop.

Follow the smell of them mango cream pies at the back of Cebu Doctor's Hospital. You can call ahead at 417-4945 or 538-2039.

What time of the day exactly does mommy duties start? I know some mothers who wake up as early as 3.30 in the morning to prepare their kids for school.

In this household, it sometimes begin where it (never actually) ended.

Topic for the day? Co-sleeping, with the kids.

How many of you still let your kids sleep on your bed? Let me the first to raise my hand. 8 years into the marriage before we had our first baby. As you might have guessed, we never ever let a second go by without touching our little girl. We marveled at the sweet smell of her skin. At night she would be in between us ( her baby carrier-bed) as hubby and I took turns in giving her milk during the night. 3 years later, the 2nd baby arrived and big sister was still sleeping on our bed. The vacant room is just waiting to be turned into a little girls' room. But no, apparently not one of us is ready to cut the bond. Ahihihi...

Our 4 and 7-year-old girls still sleep on our bed. Some say co-sleeping can impose some adverse effects on the children's behavior. They may not learn independence. Maybe true in some cases. But not in this household. My kids are very independent. They can fend for themselves when the needs arise. They are outspoken. They have not asked for their own room. Hubby and I have considered the change though. The only downside I see in our practice of co-sleeping is that I sometimes do not get the rest I need. Sometimes. I have not shed the habit of waking up in the middle of the night to check if the night was too cold or if the kids have not kicked their blankets off or if the pillows still in place or if they were breathing properly. Although the past years I have learned the trick of being half awake half asleep while feeling around for the blanket at the foot of the bed in the dark. Next thing I know, the 6 o'clock alarm is ringing in my ears. The kids love it when even in their sleep they can feel the heat of my arm or the smell of my hair (big sister said so...). They say they love it when we are the first people they see when they wake up. And we all know that getting the kids to get up during school days are just the hardest! So making a game out of opening their eyes and actually getting up saves us a lot of energy. It's the "who wants to hold mommy's hands while squirming out of bed like a worm and go get breakfast" kinda game. In order to do that, both kids need to move it! We just love that! Of course, soon enough they sense the trick. Sometimes it's the "guess which kid mommy's gonna hug and tickle first?" --- of course, I hug and tickle them both. But they have to open their eyes to see where I go. Believe me, it is just a lot of fun! There are grumpy mornings. Just no sense beating myself up about that and go away angry. Mommy grumpy pajamas with the wet kisses takes over. Ahihihi...

Although we are very well aware that someday the kids will have to have their own room. Someday. In the distant future.

Happy kids is my coffee. (I take my coffee at night to help me sleep. Now that's another blog entry... hehehe).

Have a pleasant day mommies!!!

Introductions in order...

I bring you into my life this day on.

Being a mother of 2 very young girls.

At the age of 43.

I conceived my first child 8 years into the marriage. 3 years later, we were blessed with another bundle of prettiness, hihihi...

Our mantra: "Simple indulgence."

I live each day learning about life and love.

Welcome to my days.

Welcome to...

Mommy's duties.