GottaLoveMom

  Happy New Year! Here are a few Filipino New Year's Eve traditions , folk beliefs or superstitions: For Good Fortune: Round things or shapes are a symbol of luck and good fortune. 1) Wear polka dots or clothing with circles or round shapes.  2) Put coins in the corners of your house 3) Fill your pockets with coins and money 4) Serve a variety of food and fruits that are round-shaped For Good Vibes 1) Clean/dust your home before ringing in the New Year 2) Open doors and windows and turn on the lights 3) Make a lot of noise to welcome the New Year: (You can bang on the pans and pots, or ring the bells) For Fun ( to grow taller and stronger) Jump as high as you can when the clock strikes 12. Enjoy your Media Noche ( New Year's Eve midnight dinner) with your loved one. Wishing you all peace, laughter, good health, joy and love in the New Year!

Philippines is known for its beautiful island resort and beautiful scenic provinces. My youngest brother, Benjie, recently got into hiking and it all started with his first solo trip to Batanes, Philippines. Batanes,  a province of the Philippines located at the Northernmost part of the country, is an isolated region, and the smallest both in population and land area. So what makes someone want to explore Batanes? For most, Batanes offers a peaceful place to unwind. It's a place where you can travel solo because it allows you to make time to learn more about yourself, to listen, and to explore. Although others prefer to travel in groups, travelling solo allows you to get the full experience of the ruminative ambiance of the place. When my brother visited Batanes, it was recently hit by typhoon, therefore, the was no internet, which gave him the chance to truly be unplugged, to reflect and to meditate. The plane ride from Manila to Batanes was about 1/2 hour. Ther...

By Flora El Don’t you just love October? October is the most colorful season. The warm sunny day creates an aura of positive energy and goodwill. The days and nights had been hectic since medical school started, and I felt drained. However, this Sunday I woke up with a positive attitude and I prepared myself physically and mentally to go out for a run. Maybe today seemed brighter than the other days. Maybe it’s because of the sunlight that reflected the green and light brown trees surrounding my huge bedroom windows. Maybe it’s the gold shining light that hit my eyes in the morning and for the first time in a while I woke up smiling instead of feeling grumpy that I needed to get up early in the morning. This sunny disposition was a feeling I wouldn’t exchange for anything -  I felt free of duties and responsibilities. I just knew that I had to love ME that day and so I did. I left my gorgeous, comfortable bed and had a good oatmeal breakfast ...

Almost all of us look forward to the weekend to relax, recharge and reconnect. Whether you’re someone who plans ahead or does things on-the-go, here are a few simple things I look forward to: READ.   If you haven’t picked out a book, go to your local library and pick one or revisit your own bookcase. Try reading a non-electronic book, it’ll help re-train your brain to focus and read every work without skimming.

Birthright Israel offers free life-challenging trips to Israel to young Jewish adults (ages of 18 to 26) around the world. Their mission is to give these young adults, especially the unaffiliated, the opportunity to visit Israel. Birthright Israel is the largest educational tourism organization in the world.   [ birthrightisrael.com ] Last December, my 3 rd child, Jonathon, was given the opportunity to be experience and discover Israel in 11 days through the Birthright program. He was the first one in our family to visit Israel.  Together with his grandparents, my husband and I were excited to get his daily updates. We couldn’t wait to see the photographs from his trip, and hear his stories. On the first day, he walked through the streets of Jerusalem.  We asked him to say prayer at the Wailing Wall.  He celebrated Shabbat with friends new and old.

You heard this before: Collect moments not things. Bonding time with your child doesn’t stop when your child starts driving, or when he goes away to college. A child, from infancy to adulthood need quality time with their parents. Experts say… Wait, forget about the studies. Just ask your grandma or your mom.  There’s no need to do an extensive research.  You just have to listen to the wisdom of the elders: a  parent’s goal is to raise a happy and well-adjusted child. As my mantra goes, “a happy simple life.”

When a child is on the road almost every single day, a mother worries and wonder. (Well, that's our job, we worry!) Thanks to technology and global access (mainly Facebook), I'm able to visualize where my child is at a given time (depending on what he/she decides to share).

CHIQUIT BORCE was born and raised in the Philippines, and lived in New Zealand. In 2005, along with her husband and son, she moved to Perth, Australia.  Chiquit is full of life and always loves a good laugh.  She is a pre-school teacher at Blue Gum Montessori School.

Have you ever wanted to do something but were afraid to do it? My children are very adventurous. Unlike me, they are confident swimmers. I was on a float in one of the beaches in the Philippines when I fell asleep. I was swept away into deep waters and was almost lost. Luckily someone spotted me and I got rescued. I was in my early teens. Since then, I am afraid of deep waters.

Growing up in the Philippines, Lenten Season was observed in its holiest tradition.

Once upon a time, not too long ago  - and in fact, just a few days ago - I hopped on a train to New York to meet with friends and explore. The day started with a luncheon at Brother Jimmy's BBQ. I met my fellow co-hosts at Makila, the first Filipino American Television Talk Show in the New York metropolitan area. We ate, talked, laughed and put together a robust plan of action for the next 6 months. This coming Saturday marks a new milestone for the Makilala Team. We will be taping for the first time at our new home, Manhattan Neighborhood Network's El Barrio Firehouse. I'm the lead-host for our two (2), yes, you read it correctly, not one (1) but two (2) upcoming episodes. The first one is   "The road to pre-colonial Filipino ancestry paved in gold" . I've heard so much about the gold exhibit at Asia Society that I needed to see it myself. With the urging of my friend, I took the MTA Bus (M4). It was my first time to take the bus! All ...

" Life is too abrupt to take seriously." - J.M. Barrie, Finding Neverland Today started hectic - when is it not? I rushed to get the little guy ready for school and drove hubby to the train station.  I got my hair trimmed while my other son got his Cat Scan. Rushed home and made my son an IsaLean shake for breakfast before we both headed to NY - him to a convention at Javits Center and me? I was meeting my sister at Times Square. We got tickets to see Matthew Morrison and Kelsey Grammer in "Finding Neverland".

Fashion was the farthest thing on my mind as I was growing up in the Philippines. I wore a school uniform from Kindergarten to College.   My play clothes were shorts and t-shirt and my Sunday’s bests were mostly sewn and designed by my mother. I was thrilled to own jumpers made from chicken feed sack or rice sack fabrics. When I migrated in America in the 80’s, I was 20 years old but my clothes were a mishmash of designs, bargains and samples from my parents’ garment clothing company. When I got my first paycheck, upgrading my wardrobe wasn’t in the budget. Only recently did I show interest in browsing through fashion magazines.   Spring and summer seasons are easy to dress for because I enjoy wearing flip-flops. On the other hand, fall and winter seasons are a challenge because not every outfit goes with Uggs boots – and let’s face it, I need multiple layers of clothing from head to toe because it doesn’t matter that I’ve lived in New York/New Jersey for 30 ...

“Mom, come sit with us.”    “In 5 minutes, kids.” However, sometimes 5 minutes actually means 30 minutes or more. When was the last time you sat down on the couch with your children, and just that – sit? With everyone’s hectic schedule, it is so nice to take time to just sit next to each other – under a warm blanket. You will be surprised by the conversation that results from a simple act of snuggling with your kids. “Are you happy?” is the question I frequently ask my kids, and they reply with questions.   “Mom, how do you know that what you’re doing in life is making you happy?” “How old were you when you found happiness?” “Do you know what makes you happy?” “Mom, I am not sure if my job or career choice makes me happy. I can pay my bills, and buy "things" that make me happy. But, am I happy?

The Freedom Tower. NEW YORK. Need I say more? When people think of America, the first thing that comes to mind is New York City. Interestingly, when my train arrived at Penn Station New York, I was amazed at how many languages were spoken.  I passed 5 groups of people and none of them spoke English. It's the proof of the notion that New York City is America's melting pot. It was a beautiful autumn day when my husband and I decided to spend a day in New York. The City will always hold a special place in my heart because it's where we met and made our relationship official. We were excited to visit the World Trade District and witness the developments made to the Freedom Tower. News of the first tenants moving into the newly built One World Trade Center, 13 years after the September 11 attacks, gave us a little sense of pride and inspiration. Is the city ready to move forward?

Summer means family time and if you live in New Jersey chances are you and your family will spend a few days at the Jersey Shore . Last Friday was Day 1 of our family's Jersey Shore Summer Expedition. In preparing for a few hours at the beach, I packed the following: beach chairs, umbrella, towels, mat, sun block, insect repellant, water bottles, snacks, brim hat, change of clothes and a book. However, I forgot to pack the kids' boogie boards.

I have a very serious neuropathic sense of fear. Bad experiences leave a permanent imprint on my brain but being a mother of 4 leaves no room for being afraid. 16 years ago, my family and I went skiing. I don't like the cold weather. I hike mountains. I wear flip flops.

Photographer: Michael-Rex of Elaphance.com

It was one of those Friday nights when my youngest had a gymnastics practice -- an opportunity for an impromptu dinner date at a nearby restaurant. We've heard of the Ursino's restaurant since last year, but with the kids' hectic schedules, we never had a chance until last Friday.

Bali …more than I bargained for. (Sonia Lopez at a Yoga Retreat in Bali) by Sonia Lopez Simpson , CPC, ELI-MP (Mom, Wife & Certified Life Coach) Truth be told, Bali was never on my bucket list.  But the Universe always has bigger plans. I found a good deal for a Yoga retreat in Bali on Facebook (which I thought would be a great vacation) so instead of having a 40 th birthday party, I asked my husband for this trip as my gift.  There are no coincidences.