Mom-Grocer Shops at SYSU Food Hub

I've always expressed how I enjoy grocery shopping. I consider it my me-time, and during those weekly rounds, I've discovered lots of good products that became our kitchen staples. Many of my favorite Mom-Grocer finds are from SYSU International, and it's not surprising. SYSU is a leading distributor of global brands that we have patronized for many years, such as San Remo, McCormick, Lee Kum Kee, Tabasco, and homegrown brand Clara Olé. And here's a new discovery that's worth sharing with all of you -- The Food Hub by SYSU, their retail store in Quezon City.

read more

My Introduction to Essential Oils

I have recently come to appreciate the wonders of essential oils after attending the Mod Moms event with Amara Lab. There, I was able to learn more about the e.o. varieties, its uses and benefits, and even made my first oil blends using Amara Oils. 

read more

Bento Your Gold Seas with Tuna Cakes

When I learned how to do bento several years ago, I've been on and off with my efforts to prepare bento-style baon for the kids. Well, the boy couldn't care less, haha, so no more bento for him. For the girl, it's only when I'm in the mood and have enough time to be more creative. I had the pleasure of attending yet another bento-making event that gave me fresh ideas to try. And this time, it's with our favorite ready-to-eat canned tuna -- Gold Seas Tuna Chunks.

read more

Raising the Barre at Physique 57 Manila

I am so into self care right now that I find myself trying all sorts of treatments and activities that come my way. What's funny is that I never thought about any of these beauty and fitness stuff when I was younger. At 45, I am more conscious now when it comes to overall wellness. I'm motivated more than ever to continue my fitness journey, for myself and for my family. And the latest workout I've tried was barre at the newly opened Physique 57 Manila.

read more

Up and Away on the Flying Trapeze

I never imagined I would be able to do flying trapeze. I wasn't even aware there's a rig here in the metro until recently. If I wasn't doing pilates, baka hindi ko kinaya ito, hehehe. But I did suspension pilates, and I know I can hang and do inversions, so I literally took the leap and went for it.  Together with my pilates buddies and our kids, we booked a private class last week and had a nerve-wracking and exhilarating experience.

read more

Pre-holiday Fete with Mothers Who Brunch and Uashmama

Whenever my friends Mish and Sab from Mothers Who Brunch (MWB) invite me to their events, I really make an effort to attend simply because I know they'll prepare something truly special, and we'll have a wonderful time together (aside from the fact that I'll discover amazing products from their presentations, and most importantly, they feed me well.... heeheehee). As expected, the recent MWB gathering was such a treat as I learned about this innovative Italian brand of washable paper products by Uashmama.

Brunch was held at the beautiful Viking Range Showroom in Alabang. I'll consider this my first holiday party this season kasi everything felt and looked so festive! The venue was transformed by the Badoy sisters of Boqueria Lifestyle Market, spruced up with an assortment of Uashmama paper bags that fit right into the different settings. This newest #MomFindsPH is so simple yet versatile. Stylish too! And did I mention they're completely washable?

Spot the paper bags on the table setting.

What is Uashmama?

Pronounced as "wash-mama", Uashmama was born in 2011 in the town of Montecatini in Tuscany, Italy, run by the Marconi family.  All of the products are 100% made in Italy. The family started out by producing traditional bread bags made of this new washable paper and sold it in their local community. With the versatility of the material and positive market feedback, they’ve grown the product range to include home, table, and fashion lines.

To this day, the iconic paper bag remains to be the best selling item across continents. Now, Uashmama is available in the Philippines, thanks to the official distributor, INEXPH Inc.

Uashmama paper bags are made with eco-friendly virgin cellulose fiber. They come in pretty colors and different sizes, used here as bread bag and countertop produce storage, as well as for fresh greens for our salad and even potted herbs and plants!

To add some excitement during the event, our hosts cooked up a creative challenge for us to style an area and showcase the use of Uashmama the best way possible. Winning group will receive Uashmama bags!

With my teammates Patty and Maget, we were assigned the coffee table and this was what we came up with.

Pwede na diba, kahit medyo naubusan na kami ng Uashmama bags and props to use. :D

The "bathroom group" won the challenge with their smart use of different bags around the space. Congratulations, ladies!

MWB will not be complete without good food, right? So, as expected, kitchen divas Mish and Sab prepared some delectable dishes like creamy polenta and the egg and mozzarella loaf using organic vegetables and pantry supplies from EarthOrigins Marketplace. They also presented ideas on how we can gather at home for the holidays using Severin kitchen appliances like the spiralizer (for the salad) and sous vide machines (for the steak). 

The Italian-inspired brunch was catered by Joy of Yogi Brunch, who lovingly made the vegetarian menu. Well, we really felt and tasted the love, Joy, because everything was superb! My favorites were truffled butter spread on toast, arugula-basil pesto and roasted garlic aioli with pasta. I even bought a jar of pesto to bring home. Grabe sa sarap -- I never expected na wala palang meat dish sa buffet! The sous vide steak was perfectly cooked by Nino, the better half of Mish.

Aside from our happy tummies, awesome prizes from the sponsors were raffled off as well, kaya mas masaya pa! =)

Hooray! I was one of the lucky few to win a Uashmama purse (which my girl sequestered when I showed it to her)! Of course, I was not able to restrain myself from shopping that day, so I got myself this lighweight Uashmama Otti Metallic handbag with detachable shoulder strap. I've been using it everyday since.

Thank you, MWBxUashmama for the lovely brunch and all the amazing goodies for us to enjoy! I was in very good company that day which made the trip all the more memorable. What a way to usher in the holiday season!

Learn more about MWB at Facebook.com/MothersWhoBrunch
Follow Instagram @motherswhobrunch
Check out Uashmama and shop online at Facebook.com/uashmamaph
Follow Instagram @uashmama_ph

Note:
All unmarked photos provided by Mothers Who Brunch.

***

Take a look at my first holiday gathering with MWB: Mothers Who Brunch Holiday Potluck Party

I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
Get instant updates:
My Mom-Friday on Facebook
Follow @mymomfriday on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat
Also on Google Friend Connect, or Subscribe Via Email.
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!
(Comments with links will automatically be flagged by Disqus.)

read more

2 Easy Recipes with Healthy Chunky Tuna

As a home cook feeding a family with different preferences and diet needs, I want to serve meals that can be prepared and cooked within 30 minutes or less. It's a challenge. I want things tasty yet simple.

Admittedly, I am a lazy cook. I don't enjoy cooking as much as I enjoy eating, hahaha... but I think normal naman yun no? Moreover, I like the ingredients to be practical and easy to find. One staple food in my panty is the versatile canned tuna. Several months ago, I saw this new blue can of premium tuna on the grocery shelf and decided to try it. Gold Seas was a delicious discovery of healthy chunky goodness. Siksik talaga and walang lansa! Weeks after, I was surprised with a package carrying samples of Gold Seas Tuna Chunks and got to try their other variants. I became a convert to Gold Seas.

read more

What's New at Toast Asian Kitchen?

We love Asian food and there are many dining places that we go to for specific cravings, be it Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or Filipino. For Asian fusion, there's only a handful, and TOAST Asian Kitchen & Tasting Room is up on my list of must-visit. 

I've shared in detail how I enjoyed my first visit to TOAST here just weeks after they opened. Masarap kasi talaga yung food nila. I was immediately impressed by their well-thought out menu which made for a pleasurable get-together with a couple of my blogger friends. A few weeks later, I even brought my whole family there to celebrate my birthday. This just goes to show how happy and satisfied I was with TOAST.

read more

Me and My #TeamMom

This may sound cliché, but I do feel blessed to have groups of friends, old and new, that act as my support group and cheering squad in different aspects of my life. They are my #TeamMoms. And just like me, we all have own victories and challenges to share and learn from while we grow as individuals and enter different phases of motherhood.

(L-R) Cai, Jackie, Chessy, me

read more

Senti Summer

Earlier today, we took out M's old Instax to check if the films are still usable. I got to take selfies with each one and got the prints immediately. Iba yung feeling na hawak mo na yung picture compared to scrolling through files and photos from albums in our phones or computer. It's been years since I had our digital photos printed. Holding and looking at these prints brought me back to their toddler years. Ewan ko ba kung anong nakain ko at bigla ako naging senti today. Hence, I blog.

read more

Toast To Good Food at Toast Asian Kitchen & Tasting Room

Foodie Friday:  Restaurant / Dining

My usual Thursdays with my boy is to accompany him to his M.A.PE classes (music, art, PE) that starts with swimming in the morning, then drums and painting after lunch. Yesterday's schedule was light. He's done with first sem drums and art, so our afternoon freed up. This invitation to lunch came at a right time and the venue was conveniently located, kaya after his swimming class, we went straight to the newly opened Toast Asian Kitchen & Tasting Room in Ayala Mall the 30th in Pasig.

read more

BLISS BOWLS, Deliciously Healthy Smoothie Bowls

First Friday of the month: Foodie Finds / Healthy Food

I love fruit smoothies. My favorites are blended frozen strawberry-banana, ripe mango, and mango-banana combos. Sometimes, I add chia seeds and honey in the mix. When juicing and green smoothies became a fad, I never got into it mainly because I didn't like the idea of drinking and mixing raw veggies in my fruit shakes. Hindi lang ako sanay na iniinom ang gulay unless it's in soup form. But I know they're healthy. Then came these power breakfast smoothie bowls that I see posted on Instagram. It got me curious but have never tried one before until BLISS BOWLS opened.

read more

5 Favorite Makan Lunch Meals at Makansutra Hawkers

"Makansutra, founded by entrepreneur-photojournalist KF Seetoh, celebrates the best of Asian Food Culture and Lifestyle. KF Seetoh, the Guru of Grub, has been championing street food culture in many ways. He was accorded and recognised as Singapore’s Food Ambassador by then President Mr SR Nathan. After a decade in the media industry, Seetoh put a lucrative photography business aside and founded Makansutra in 1997." - www.makansutra.com

read more

My First Cookie Swap Party

First Friday of the month: Food / Baking

Happy New Year, everyone! =)

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break filled with memorable feasts. May we all crave for more epicurean delights and share new foodie discoveries this year. This is my first blog feature for 2017 and it happens to be Foodie Friday, so let's start with something festive and delicious to welcome the new year, shall we?

read more

Sparty at The Beauty & Wellness Lounge

Before the holiday rush, I was thankful to have some pampering session with my mom friends at our own private sparty hosted by The Beauty & Wellness Lounge along Wackwack. It was nice to welcome December with a happy and positive vibe, and reward fellow busy mamas even with a quick break from their daily hustle.

read more

How We Can Be a Wall Against Dengue

I have relatives and friends who suffered from dengue and were hospitalized. I can only imagine how scary and traumatic it was for their loved ones. It is something I pray will never happen to me and my family. To be honest, I'm still not that familiar with the symptoms and effects of this disease. As a parent, I know it is my responsibility to educate myself and take necessary preventive measures to protect us. Recently, I agreed to take part in an advocacy to raise awareness against the disease because dengue cases in the Philippines continue to rise in recent years. As one of the moms against dengue, I will share as much information as I can so all of us can be a wall against dengue.

read more

Foodie Friday: Titas Brunch at Toast Manila

First Friday of the month: Dining / Restaurant

I'm not a morning person. It's so difficult for me to get up earlier than 6 am (unless we need to travel). That is why I like brunch time better than an early breakfast, kasi hindi na ako antok and I can take my sweet time to savor my meal compared to a few rushed bites while I prepare breakfast and baon for the kids and bring them to school. I enjoy this mid-morning meal when I'm alone or have a casual brunch date with friends. The most recent was with fellow titas hosted by Toast Manila in San Juan.

 

read more

Island-inspired L’Indochine X Anina Rubio Lifestyle Collection

I am half way through my Christmas gift list (luckily, I have a short one) but I am still hunting for beautiful and unique items for friends and loved ones. Here's another Mom-Finds feature that could not wait 'til the end of the month to be shared here. What makes these items unique is the design itself 'coz you can only find these limited artist collection from L'Indochine lifestyle store.

read more

Fun Friday: Mothers Who Brunch, Shop, and Get Pampered

The title said it all. One fine Saturday, I had the pleasure of being treated to a day of pampering, shopping, and dining at Discovery Primea Hotel in Makati. The Mothers Who Brunch (MWB), led by my friends Mish and Sab, organized this intimate gathering. I know they always prepare something special for their guests at every event, so I was really looking forward to this weekend "me time" treat for us moms!

read more

Create and Broadcast YouTube Videos from SMART Launchpad Upload Stations

"I want to be a famous YouTuber."  That's what my son tells me. Aside from wanting to be an artist when he grows up, he also wants to create his own video games and share them online. But he still needs to learn how to create better-quality content and learn coding. Even the girl is into YouTube tutorials and toy shows. Nung panahon ko, TV is our main medium when it comes to entertainment and information. Nowadays, YouTube and other social media channels rule. Good thing, SMART recognizes the creativity of the Filipino youth kaya they recently unveiled #OwnIt -- a campaign to empower the youth to pursue their passions, channel their creativity, and broadcast their talents to the world via SMART Launchpad.

With fellow #SMARTmoms @mommyfleur, @mommymundo, @manilamommy

read more