Nap Time Rocks!

right here, right now!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

Kids are notorious for having the ability to get what they want, whenever they want it. It was a struggle I had with Mia during her (thankfully brief) tantrum episodes. It was especially hard when it would be just the two of us in the car going somewhere.

One time this happened, she was sitting at the back and was probably very tired from all the walking we did at the mall. I knew Mia was already grumpy and wanted to take a nap so I tried distracting her by talking to her about what we just did that day.

Well, it wasn’t working. She saw the Toblerone bar in the front and naturally asked for it. I gave it to her with the condition that we would eat it at home (messy and all that, you know). And yeah, you guessed it right, she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

I tried going the these-are-the-consequences-if-you-don’t-stop-badgering-me-while-i’m-driving route and the mostly bad cop technique. It was wearing my patience down and it didn’t help that the traffic was heavy. A cranky toddler with chocolate plus a cranky mommy? Not a good combination.

I wished right then and there I had a portable LCD/DVD player like my cousin does (which she uses on Iya, my niece, who’s the same age as Mia. Rhymes, I know, haha). And that it would have a whole gazillion of movies in them (half of which would be Dora, The Backyardigans, and Word World), ready to play (and distract!).

Great no? That’s actually possible with Charter Digital, which has 6,000 movies and shows to watch, anytime you want them (learn more at charter.net/ondemand and get updates and fun extras on Charter’s Facebook page). How great would that be if we had that here?

So, to make the long story short, I ended up opening the Toblerone and a tear-streaked, chocolate-messy Mia.

More experiments [LP]

a new year sunset in Morong | 1/40sec | F4 | ISO 400 | no flash | unprocessed

i’ve decided. Facebook stifles my creativity! hehe. mashado kasing nagugugol sa harap ng laptop imbis na sa hobby.

kailangan pag punta ko sa KL sa February, makakuha ako ng maraming litrato gamit ang mga tips na nababasa ko sa mga photography groups/digest. kailangan may mai-produce akong kakaiba, labas sa usual kong kinukuha.

kailangan may photo project na ako ngayong taon.

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Litratong Pinoy this week: Balak

01012010 | Morong, Bataan | Canon EOS 400D Rebel Xti

mia, good. doctors, good?

NIGHT. INT. Bedroom

Mia: (rehashing what she just learned previously) tita det’s a doctor?

me: yup, she’s a doctor.

Mia: no, she’s not a doctor, she’s good na.

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i really regret bringing mia to World Citi to be confined (about 2 years ago). all her hands and feet got ‘experimented’ on because they couldn’t get the IV inserted right. i know it’s a challenge to do that to a crying baby but doctors at St. Luke’s weren’t as unsuccessful. at WC it was the nurse who did the insertion, and though i don’t want to discriminate, you get the picture.

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me: but doctors are good too!

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hay, trauma. she even remembers the ‘tusok’ (puncture) whenever we pass by the WC building which is near our house. she recounts, with matching facial expression, how she got injected on and all that.

the mini project

i’ve already promised to start a photo project this year. and inspired by the Lego man and Ickle & Lardee (go look up the sidebar for must sees), i must use whatever’s available.

like for example the unfinished miniature house my cousins and i made, one boring long break, that was supposed to be a gift to Mia. i say unfinished because with her ripping skills the cute little chairs that once stood are now all over the living room. the large LCD flat screen tv too, has been knocked off its base.

i really don’t mind since arts and crafts have always been my favorite subject. not that we had one in school. or did we?

anyway.

the view from not-above | used a 50mm prime lens

do let me know if you have ideas for this one.

roasted love [LP]

naging tradisyon na namin ng kapatid kong lalaki na maging assigned sa pagluluto tuwing bisperas ng pasko. isa sa mga deadly ingredients namin? secret.

it’s been the tradition of my brother and i to cook on Christmas eve. one of our deadly ingredients? that’s a secret.

don’t you just love the taste of roasted marshmallows? =)

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Litratong Pinoy theme this week: Magustuhan o maibigan… (to like or to love)

Dec 2009 | QC | Photoscape

Movie checklist 2010

i’ve started my movie year right, so far.

• Avatar (IMAX; James Cameron)

- rockin way to kick off 2010 movies. this movie absolutely falls under my hall of famers. the editing was great, the CGIs seamless, the storyline, well a bit predictable but i didn’t mind, and not boring.

• Sherlock Holmes (Guy Ritchie)

- Jude Law = adorable (but that’s just me), the perfect englishman who kicks arse (say it with an accent now). RDJ = brilliant. their partnership = perfect. it’s one of those movies that did great because of its cast (and no horrible accents).

• Clash of the Titans (Louis Leterrier) opening March 26

- the trailer made it look really interesting. CGIs keep getting better don’t they?

• Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Chris Columbus) opening February 12

- i don’t know about you, but movie titles with colons (“:”) on them have a way of being spectacular series. well, so far.

• Eclipse (David Slade)  June 2010

- oh yes, the 3rd Twilight installment. most intriguing how they will pull off a rather predictable and uncomfortably cheesy love story. it’s just my opinion but i think the latter Twilight books have been trying too hard to be adult-like.

• The Lovely Bones (Peter Jackson) January 2010

- i haven’t read the book yet, so i’ll let the movie convince me, what with Peter Jackson (of The Lord of the Rings fame) directing it.

• Legion (Scott Stewart) Jan 22

- aren’t we all tired of vampires yet?

• Tooth Fairy (Micheal Lembeck)  Jan 22

- i will definitely need a break from all that.

• Valentine’s Day (Gary Marshall) Feb 12
  

- it’s like Love Actually all over again!

• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Terry Gilliam) January 2009

- it’s the last (albeit unfinished) film of Heath Ledger. it’s with a circus setting. it’s magically realist. it has all of colin farrell, johnny depp, and heath ledger. all of my requirements met

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how about you, which movies made it in your 2010 movie checklist?

Ito naman, manipis [LP]

ito naman, i’m sure alam mo na kung ano

katulad nung isang linggo, hindi yung subject ang gumalaw para lumabas ang ganitong effect. so, sure ka nang alam mo kung ano to?

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Canon EOS400D Rebel Xti | 010110 | Bataan

My little outlaw

no this won’t be about her recent development of tantrums. though i’d love to wail about that one. (by the way, what do you do with tantrums?!?)

before drifting off to sleep, we had one of our interesting conversations again:

Mia: Tita Det’s a doctor.

me: Yes, she’s a doctor.

Mia: Tita Khay’s a doctor?

me: Nope, she’s a lawyer. say, ‘lawyer’.

Mia: lo-yo.

me: good, lawyer.

Mia: can I have a lawyer?

wth!?

Ito, makapal [LP]

na-figure out mo na kung ano to?

ang kasunod sa susunod na linggo na theme

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Dec 31 09 | Bataan

Mia’s last quarter Firsts!

Mia had a lot going in 2009. growing up to be even more beautiful and smarter is one; getting some of her firsts is another:

her first photo with Jollibee!

(well, technically because during the first Jollibee birthday party she attended we only got a video of Mia dancing somewhere in the corner of it, nearly getting sideswiped by the large bug).

this was at Rinnah’s first birthday. i don’t know why, but it seems monumental for a kid to have a memory of Jollibee etched somewhere in the form of a photograph. or else. i didn’t get to have one myself, so there goes my frustration #1 passed on.

her first Barbie doll!

from me, of course =) i regret decapitating, hairstyling, and “couture-” designing my first Barbie dolls. mia hasn’t started that phase yet, but she’s already lost the only pair of Princess Jasmine-something-or-other’s high heeled shoes, so…

and her first flower girl stint

i couldn’t have been a prouder stage mom. she walked down (or up the bridge and down again) the aisle with no problem at all. except that before that she was running all around the venue with her 2nd cousins, her hairdo was nearly falling apart just before she was to march, and that i was running after her for fear of having a soaking, dripping flower girl walk the aisle.

my cousin’s wedding was at The Butterfly Farm; go figure why.

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come to think of it, Mia’s firsts were mine too. thank goodness for digital cameras too. hehe.

how about it, what were your favorite firsts (either as a mom or your own when you were a kid)?

Starbeckz planners

We’re selling 2 Starbucks (PhP1,000) planners =) I already love my TeNeus planner and my cousin has an extra one so sayang naman if we let it go to waste. It’s this design:

Send me an email (iris at gmail [dot] com) or text me thru 09228118200 (para mas mabilis) ONLY IF YOU’RE GETTING IT PLEASE. They’re still in their boxes too (and I only opened mine to have a look at it).

I’m sending it through courier only, most likely through 2GO (click to check the rates; most likely to fall under the 0.5kg cat). I’ll send you the payment details (through Smart Money and BDO only) once you confirm.

(I will also update this post to let you know if they’re still available. Oh, and pardon my slang. hehe).