GottaLoveMom

“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?

Can a squash taste like spaghetti? In the winter, my favorite Trader Joe's store carries spaghetti squash. The bright yellow color grabs your attention as you walk to the produce section of the store. I passed them a few times in the past, until last year when my curiosity got me to purchase one medium sized spaghetti squash. I wondered on the possibility of turning this neon yellow and oblong squash into spaghetti. Do I need a cantaloupe scraper, a grater or a special gadget? Will it really taste like spaghetti? The squash is as hard as a rock. At first, I thought it was a vegetable, but since it has seeds, it falls under the fruit category.  So another failed attempt on serving vegetables in the guise of a pasta. I searched online for recipes and they all required that I cut the squash in half before baking in the oven for an hour. BUT, the squash is as hard as the rock. I couldn't get the knife through without the thought of m...

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." ~ Martin Luther King At one of our family dinners, I mentioned that Manny Pacquiao  (MP) was expected to attend the Press Club Dinner Reception hosted by the Philippine Consulate General of New York, Mario de Leon, Jr. Manny Pacquiao was in New York to promote his film, "Manny", which premieres in New York on Friday, January 23.                       (L-R: Ambassador Mario de Leon, Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Eleanor de Leon)  To my surprise, my 13 year-old son was excited about the notion that I will be in the same room as the World Boxing Champion. "I didn't know you like Manny Pacquiao. Why? " I asked. (My 13 year-old at one of his gymnastics competition events) "Mom, the kids at gymnastics used to call me Manny Pacquiao," my son replied. "Mom, don't forget to ge...

What will it take to start all over? When do we say it's enough? Why is it difficult to break a bad habit? How do you say "yes" to a dream? One of the benefits of the New Year is that it gives us permission to start a new chapter. But starting isn't really that easy. The New Year provided a plethora of information that focusing on what to do first can be overwhelming which eventually turns excitement into fear or indifference. We've heard it plenty of times.   SETTING PRIORITIES What do we need to do to go from Point A to Point B of our lives? The answer ?   Make a list, and then prioritize. There are a lot of things on my list: family, health, faith, personal and career development. 2014 ended with a lot of challenges and opportunities that merely writing what I want to accomplish this year gives me anxiety -- but I believe that's a normal initial reaction. Once we get passed analyzing our list, the next step is to pick one goal and r...