My Bedtime Ritual and What Helps Me Fall Asleep

I am not a morning person. My family and friends know that about me. I have been that way since I was still studying. Somehow, my productivity starts by mid-morning, peaks by late afternoon until way past my bedtime. But what's my bedtime? It got crazy especially after I had kids. I know I still need my 8 hours, coz if I don't, you'll be talking to a "zombie  mom" with memory gaps along the way, heehee!

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Fun Friday: Muzip Earphones GIVEAWAY

Third Friday of the month:  Recreation / Raffle

We just celebrated Chinese New Year yesterday, and I want to start the year of the Wooden Sheep with a treat. I'm hosting a giveaway courtesy of MUZIP earphones from Japan! First of all, let me tell you that I was not able to use the earphones long enough because the boy and the girl were already fighting over it the moment I showed them my gift.  Read more and see what I have in store for you. It's pretty cool!

"MUZIP Zipper Earphones is a leading brand of personal audio accessories from Japan.

MUZIP earphones boast of high quality in-ear speakers with advanced noise-reduction technology for today’s discerning music aficionado and video gaming enthusiasts."

SRP : PhP 2,699  (Introductory price = P1,999)

It's really cute and very cool! My girl got first dibs and claimed it as hers. We got this bright blue MUZIP earphones from the local distributor. After opening the pack, we chose the right size of ear bud for her. MUZIP conveniently comes with 4 different ear bud sizes. It also came with a plastic clip, but it broke as soon as we tried to attach it.  Well, it didn't really matter coz it's just an extra add-on feature that we can do without.

My husband and kids are the ones who often use earphones when using their gadgets, whether we're at home or traveling.  They each have basic earphones, which came free with when we bought our phones and tablets. It especially comes in handy when they use their gadgets all at the same time. I dread the noise pollution in our room every night once they start playing their videos, games, or shows!

MUZIP earphones feature the best of Japanese ingenuity with it's simple yet functional design.

What we like about MUZIP: 

• Patented zipper-type cord design makes it tangle-free, easy to use and store
• Zipper head slides smoothly, quick and easy to lengthen or shorten the slack of the cord
• Light and durable, made with high-grade plastic and military grade fibers running through the cord
• Superior sound quality in-ear speakers with noise isolation, professional quality, and great for gamers like my kids
• Built-in microphone allows clear and static-free phone conversations and quality voice recording
• Comfort-fitting angled ear bud shape
• 4 sizes of in-ear buds -- fits kids and adults
• Compatible with almost all types of smartphones and tablets like iPhone, iPad, Samsung - with 3.5 mm media jack 
• Comes in 9 fun colors: Pastel Green, Emerald Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple, Pink, Blue, Paste Blue, Red

So here's how they use the MUZIP earphones -- for iPad or laptop. Nakikihiram na lang si kuya minsan from the girl since it's officially hers na. When using earphones, just be sure to have clean ears before you put them on! Good thing, our MUZIP has 4 pairs of removable ear buds. =)

Available at selected ePhone branches: SM Megamall Cyberzone, Market Market - 4/F Unit 417, SM Fairview-3/F, SM San Lazaro-3/F, Ayala Town Centre-3/F Activity Centre

Buy online at www.lazada.com.ph/muzip. 

Or you can also order from their Facebook Page:  MUZIP Earphones on Facebook.

Now, here's the fun part.  Time for...

MUZIPxMomFriday Giveaway!

For instant entries, be sure to Like MUZIP on FB here,
My Mom-Friday here and on Instagram.
Then simply follow the steps in Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms:

1. Follow the simple steps via Rafflecopter.
2. Earn bonus entries if you do the extra steps, like sharing on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
3. Two (2) winners will be drawn the week after raffle closes.
4. Names will posted in this blog and will be notified thru email.
5. Winners are given ten (10) days to reply from date of email notification. If no reply or acknowledgement, another winner/s will be drawn.
6. Colors of the prizes may be different from what is pictured here.
7. MUZIP Philippines will ship prize to winners anywhere in the Philippines.

I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
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Fun Friday: What's Your Favorite Childhood Hobby?

Third Friday of the month:  Hobbies / Recreation

I've been de-cluttering some parts of the house lately and in the process, I've unearthed so many of my old stuff which I brought with me after I got married.  I'm not so much of a pack rat, but rather more on sentimental, especially with things that reminded me of my younger years, who I was, what I did, what I liked then.  These hobbies really helped define who I am today, and how I influenced my children with their own interests.

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Fun Friday: Minecraft Meets Spongebob on the iPad

Third Friday of the month:  Hobbies / Recreation / Games

There's no denying the strong presence of tablets and laptops in our kids' generation.  Most of our children, even toddlers, are more tech-savvy than their grannies! It's no different in my household, having a techie husband and (slightly) techie kids.  Apps are part of their language now, and they know what they need and want to use on their iPads.  

The boy has a flair for iPad games and gadgets.  If he only put the same amount of effort in his homework as he does searching and seriously studying online game tutorials, then maybe I don't have to tutor him anymore! I've already shared our views here about studying and video games.

Writing this post last night...

with the iPad game still running on his lap!

Moving on to our guest post - the boy has been using this iPad app more often lately, and he's been sending us screen shots via email.  The "artwork" are funny and generally amusing.  It's actually nice to receive an email from him among the usual clutter.  Without further ado, here's the boy, sharing his latest form of entertainment.  I'm also learning about it here. =)
He typed half of his blog post, the rest he dictated to me.

App: Catcrafter

This is my funny pic!
Spongebob and Minecraft. I used the App: Catcrafter.
Spongebob and Patrick are in the Goofy Goober party hut and have different faces.
Steve joins them with his spider jockey pal.  Steve is from Minecraft.

What is Catcrafter, I asked:

Catcrafter lets you customize pictures.  I used screen shots from Spongebob movie and put Minecraft stuff on it.

(Check it here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/catcrafter-3d-for-minecraft)

Funny pics 2. Same app: Catcrafter.
That's King Neptune and a spider from Minecraft, which is attacking him!
He's yelling and made everyone on fire but the spider.

YES! YEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!
Yelling sponge! And he spit out a fire block on that fish person.  And Squidward got surprised, that's why he looks like that!

My pet wolf on Minecraft.  The wolf was made from Catcrafter.

Join the new realms for Minecraft and explore your survival!

***

Okay... I didn't get what he meant with that closing statement, hahaha...

His "creations" looked kinda weird at first, but at least now I understand what he's been doing! =)
So, what apps have you or your kids/siblings been using lately?

Check out Boy-Friday's first guest post: Game of Clash of Clans and Mine Craft.
Our take on Video Games and Spelling.

I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
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I try my best to reply and answer any questions you may have on each entry so check back if you've left one. Thank you and do visit again!
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Fun Friday: Game of Clash of Clans and Minecraft

Third Friday of the month:  Hobbies / Recreation / Games

After almost four years of blogging, this is the first time I'm allowing someone to take over my Friday feature.  I have a scheduled post for today but have not gotten around to final editing since I had been plagued by headaches and migraines this week.  I actually panicked 'coz I had no back-up post for today.  Thankfully, my boys here were playing their father-son game on the iPad last night and it gave me an idea.

This is an impromptu post which turned out to be a perfect opportunity to share one of my boy's many interests with you, and at the same time, allowed him to apply what he has learned in narrative writing from school.

Let me introduce to you my boy - please indulge him with his first official blog post. =)

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Family Friday: It's TV & Movie Time!

Second Friday of the month:  Parenthood / Kids

Every room in our house has a television. We even have a mini theater room made for my movie buff husband.  I'm sure many of you have raised their eyebrows after my first sentence. But it's true. I married into a family that can't live without it.

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Family Friday: Video Games and Spelling

Second Friday of the month:  Schooling / Kids / Parenting

iPad, Wii, XBox, DSi, and cartoon shows ...they did this to my boy...

This post will be all about the boy.

With this latest feat, it now became 1000x harder for me to deny the fact that playing lots (and I mean hours and hours) of video games and too much TV is not all that bad for kids. Well, in this case, for my kid. Obviously, his reading and spelling skills greatly improved due to iPad apps, games, etc. etc.

Don't get me wrong, he still reads books. And he asks a lot of "how do you spell..." questions. We also set time limits to his playing and TV watching, with parental guidance (or nanny guidance) all the time.

Our parenting style may be frowned upon by some, but that's just us. We were never the "no-TV-no-gadgets-on-school days" type.  It simply would not work given the circumstances in our household. We compromise with the kids.  Study first before play/TV.

My confession:  I survived my student life studying while the TV and radio are on. Crazy as it sounds, it helped me focus better. And I never studied past midnight. So who am I to ban them from all these on school days?

While he continues to enjoy the mousey adventures of Geronimo Stilton, and finishes the required reading materials in school, he reads a ton of game instructions on his own everyday.  He also coaches his little sister, and even reads and seriously watches game cheats on YouTube, would you believe that?!

I guess what I'm trying to say here is...to each his own.  

My boy has his own style of learning and we recognize that. I believe all of us parents should recognize how our children learn best, and try to support that.

He's an audio-visual learner. He cannot sit through homework for long periods of time without brief breaks in between.  He tunes out and goes into his zone when focused on a task. He's a very fast learner, grasping concepts quickly.  We always knew art, math and science topics are the boy's strengths, so these achievements in reading and language surprised us.

Before his Spellbound qualifying certificate,
he got a Reading Award

My only credit here is that I did review him with the first batch of words provided for the initial round of their spelling bee. I was not aware of how big they will make Spellbound in school until he told me he got qualified in the Semi-finals, then this, for the Finals. Honestly, we did not have any expectations, and there was no pressure on his part as well. It has always been that way with us in terms of studies.  Therefore, this is all him. 

I thank God everyday for blessing us with an intelligent boy (who doesn't need much tutoring). I am a lousy tutor, I tell you, but I try my best with whatever patience I have at every session. With my level of tutoring, I am amazed that he gets me, and how I explain his lessons to him! :D  I have to admit, hubby is way better at this.

Be responsible. Do your best. No expectations. Reach for the top.
Daddy and mommy are so proud of you JT! :)



I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
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Family Friday: 6 Favorite Kiddie Pastime & Bonding Activities

Second Friday of the month:  Kids / Parenting


Everyday, my kids will have their 'cat & dog' fights, and some sweet moments in between.  It's inevitable among siblings.  It doesn't matter if they're all boys or all girls, or both... they will kick, push, scream and fight, hug, play and laugh together.

We're no exception.
The boy is in second grade while the girl is in junior kinder, technically preschool. With their gender difference and age gap, we'd often wonder what could they enjoy doing together especially at home.  I guess we're at this stage where they can get very physical with their quarrels (with some minor injuries here and there) yet still show affection towards each other without being too conscious about it.

Precious snapshot -- sharing and feeding each other potato strings!

My challenge is what (unisex) activities, aside from reading books and cooking, could I introduce that would appeal to both of them given their obvious differences, and encourage more interaction.  Well, good news for me, I think I don't need to try since they're doing quite well on their own these days -- with the power of imagination!  Barney would be so proud of them! LOL!

6 Favorite Kiddie Pastime & Bonding Activities


1. Dress-up and Pretend Play

With whatever toys and props they find in their room or around the house -- from kitchen tools, my scarves, old boxes and whatnots, conjuring up mythical characters, pretending to be animals, making up stories, and playing dress-up has been a regular scene around the house almost everyday. And they can play for hours!

Pretend play with using plush animals

2. Build and Create with Manipulative Toys

We have tubs and boxes of colorful blocks in different sizes like MegaBlocks and Lego, magnet balls and joints, Jenga, Jawbones and Zoob among others.  They love creating different shapes and characters with them, use for their "puppet show" or even create something pretty for mommy! These toys promote busy hands and creative minds. I love them all!

Zoob character creations

3. Gadget Games

I cannot deny the fact that my kids are tech-savvy, thanks to daddy. I have no contribution whatsoever when it comes to using their Nintendo DS, iPod Touch, and iPad.  They also, on occasion, invade our laptops/notebook. They have their favorite video games that they play regularly, and which we allow for as long as they are done with their school work.  I recognize that they do learn so much from these gadgets, like improved reading and comprehension, analytical thinking, and math application.

Hogging some computer time

4. Art and Drawing

Drawing is like a part of their daily routine already. If you've been following my blog, you'll know how much my kids enjoy drawing.

Given some downtime during the day, either they grab the iPad or bring out pencils and clean sheets paper.  Big brother has been a positive influence on the little girl in this area, so when the boy sits down and starts sketching, the girl will not be far behind.  And they both love to show off their 'works of art', even asking me to take photos like this one here!

Showing off her 'Simon' chipmunk sketch

5. Outdoor Play

Swings and slides. They won't refuse an invitation to go to a park or playground, and they don't wanna leave! We have a slide, but we don't have enough outdoor space for them to play and run, so I try to bring them to the nearby village park if time permits.  Running in the open field, climbing and swinging helps release their energy and allows them to get in touch with (a little bit) nature.  They even get a thrill from poking ant hills, and picking tiny berries from the aratilis tree!

6. Taekwondo / Sports

It's been a little over a year since we introduced this sport to our kids. Since summer of 2010, my boy started attending Taekwondo lessons, and recently, my girl has been joining big brother twice weekly.  It is so sweet to hear my boy's request for his little sis to always join him, and vice versa.  They even practice sparring at home, even though it sometimes lead to serious rough play which we have to referee! I just hope they can keep this up and move to the next level.

With all the toys, gadgets, and recreational materials we've provided, I believe they are more resourceful now on how to make use of what they have. Since they have found some favorite pastime, I am not one to stand in their way, and will just continue to show support and encouragement.  I wonder how long before the next wave of special interests?

See what the kids had been up to:
Art of Plants vs. Zombies
Taekwondo Classes for Kids
Draw Insects
Bonding over Zoob

Do you have kids? What's their favorite pastime? Do share! :)


I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
Get instant updates:
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Express Service from McDonald's McDelivery Online

"McDonald's!" That's the default answer I'd get when I ask what the family likes for (fast food) delivery.  It's getting to be a "tradition" of bonding over burgers and fries! 


I know, I know, it's bad.  I try really hard to limit our fast food consumption to twice a month. It's usually either a tub of Jollibee Chicken Joy or McDonald's hamburger meals for delivery. Okay, someone will shoot me for using those two burger joints in one sentence! (LOL!) But it's true, those are our usual orders.

Last weekend, even with the phone just a few feet way, hubby decided to check McDonald's online from his iPad and bingo!  McDelivery Online. Dinner solved.

McDelivery Online - Register here

3 quick and easy steps and you're done!

What amazed us was the fact that after just about 2 minutes from completing our online order, we got a call from McDonald's to confirm our orders. And within 20 minutes, our burgers and fries arrived at our doorstep! Dinner is served.

Email confirmation of orders too!

It was such a coincidence that I got this email a day before so I thought I'd share these tips from McDonald's and Nuffnang for all you folks taking a road trip. Great ideas for those traveling with kids too this summer break!  
Keep your journey fun and exciting with these creative things to do:

• Play the car plate game  - See how creative your friends are by giving meanings to the alphabets written on the plate of the car in front of you (i.e. WLS 123 = Women Love Shopping)
• Count cars - Make your friends choose a car make/brand. Once everyone has chosen a brand, try to compete with each other by counting the number of cars of your choice that pass by.
• Take Pictures - To keep your travel journal more interesting, try to take pictures of funny signages, fascinating people and breathtaking view.
• Play What's Next - Pick an interesting topic (i.e. animals with 2 legs).  Then take turns naming one thing/animal/person that belongs to the group/topic. Person who couldn't answer loses.
• Spot the yellow car - Keep your kids on the lookout by spotting yellow cars. The one who spots the most number of yellow cars in 3 minutes wins.
• Keep quiet - Try to find out how patient your kids are by being mum for several minutes. The one who utters a word first loses. (We call this the "Quiet Game" and have the kids play this when they're getting too loud and distracting to the driver.)
• Alphabet game - Take turns naming a country, animal, or city that begins with the letter "A" followed by "B" and so on.
• Eat - Playing all those fun games can make you really hungry.

Turning 7 years old last November, he only requested to dine at McDonald's to eat cheeseburger and fries!

Let me just say this is not a sponsored post! :) We're just regular happy customers, whether dine-in, drive-thru, or via delivery, McDo is top-of-mind, especially for the kids.


Thank you for dropping by. 

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