GottaLoveMom

Can we have it all? What exactly “having it all” means? Is it a sacrifice to be a stay-at-home mom? Last month, in an interview with BabyBableRadio.com , I was asked, “What is your biggest personal sacrifice when you decided to be a stay-at-home mom?   Did you regret not having it all?” What exactly “having it all” means? My “all” is definitely not the same as another person’s “all”. Maybe mine sounds simple because my “all” is making sure that my family is together, happy, healthy and loved. So is it possible to have it all? Maybe you can eventually have all that you sought out to have – in the course of your lifetime, but to have it all in every moment of the day? There are only 24 hours in a day. If you’re fortunate, 7 hours are spent sleeping, which leaves 17 hours of awake time. Let’s say it takes about 1 hour to get yourself ready in the morning, and another hour to get ready for bed. So you’re left with 15 hours. 15 hours seem a lot but ...

 Close your eyes. Think of who you are. What do you see? Is there something you want to change? Is there something you want to improve? Is there something you need motivation with? Do you want to live a healthy, happy, simple life? Now, open your eyes. Choosing to be healthy is a lifestyle.   It’s not a momentary change in the way you treat your mind, body and soul. It’s a long time commitment - an investment. Spring is here and isn’t it time to focus on YOU? That’s what I learned when I decided to invest in my well being. I realized I need to make TIME: 1)    T - Thankful . Practice gratitude every morning. Say your prayers, take time to meditate to quiet your mind, or say five things you’re thankful for. I noticed that doing this every morning ( or through out the day) helps me focus on the positive. 2)    I – Imagine what want your day to be like. Setting short term goals make life mor...

On my family’s first visit to the Philippines 10 years ago, my children had their first exposure to Original Pilipino Music (OPM) through the songs of Parokya ni Edgar. Their cousins introduced them to the distinct, story-telling style music of the four band members. Thus, my kids learned about the romantic courtship through “Harana,” and while they couldn’t understand what all the guffaw was about in “Please Don’t Touch My Birdie,” they danced up a storm with my Dad, their ‘lolo,’ in “Buloy.”

My youngest (nicknamed FOUR) has been the shortest in his class - ever since Pre-K. I don't really notice how tall his peers are until I see them at school events. For years we've consulted with an endocrinologist, monitored his bone age, weight and height growth. Everything’s normal. He’s growing as God intended him to grow. My son, THREE, was the shortest in his class until his junior year in High School. He said that it might seem that height doesn’t matter, but for teenage boys – it does – especially when girls in your class are a lot taller than you.

Menopause is a gift that keeps on giving. I was noticing a lot of hair on the carpet. I brought it up years ago but I was told that  we lose about 100 strands of hair every day - so there's nothing to worry about. Until one day while browsing through photographs from one of my book signing events, I noticed I have bald spots. Panic. Frustration. My husband suggested that I use Rogaine for Women ( with 5% Monoxidil). And as usual, my reaction was "I don't want to put anything that's not natural." and I got more upset when I read that one of the side effects is "weight gain".

There are two reasons why I shouldn't wear worn-out work-out clothes the entire day. Fitness In the winter time, I love to wear my yoga pants or work-out clothes because they're comfortable. It didn't matter if I got to work out that morning. However, I noticed that I don't realize how much weight I gain around the waist until around Spring time when I try to fit into my jeans. Marriage (as posted on March 2012: Marriage is a contract) A marriage proposal is indeed an intention to live as one, and once you say your "I do's", you promise to love and honor all the days of your lives - and as my husband says, to continue to physically take care of yourself -- just like when you started dating.  

 “Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good.”   - Malcom Galdwell, Outliers: The Story of Success At the March 7 Makilala TV taping of the episode on "Filipino American Wedding Trends and Tradition", my co-hosts and I had the pleasure of meeting three young and successful entrepreneurs: ·          Ivie Joy of Ivie Joy Floral Arts and Events ·          Glenn Maningas of MPW Media Group ·          Amable Yalong of Events by Amable Key Music Group and Y2 Collection (luxury clothing for men) The trio, who has been working as a team since 2009, are consistent Wedding Wire Bridal Choice awardees. We learned that to win the Wedding Wire Awards for five consecutive years means that your business has to be in the top 5 percent of wedding service providers in the c...

 “Can you fix me?  I’ve got 90 minutes.” For almost 20 years now, my family and I have been going to the same hair stylist, Pat.   And I must say I look forward to her inspirational stories behind the chair.  The life stories shared in her salon were so interesting that 10 years ago we drafted our book collaboration, "Behind the Chair." However, my life was faced with tragedy and drama and as a result "Behind the Chair" was put on hold. The conversations we had ranged from trivial to profound and covered an array of emotions: laughter, tears, joy, frustration and disappointments. My monthly hair appointments were something I looked forward to. There were times I'd walk into her salon feeling awful and uninspired but after 90 minutes of getting my hair done, I'd leave feeling confident, loved and ready to rule the world - and it wasn't about my hair! I’d whine about looking “ugly” (because I have issues) and...