I am a #SoMom!

As a mom, it's always fun to share experiences and ideas with other moms.  Usual topics vary from our top school picks to the latest fashion find.  Gather a group of fun moms together and you're in for a great time. That is what happened last June 15 during the general assembly of the Mommy Mundo SoMoms.

The Mommy Mundo SoMoms is a collective of moms who are active on social media and have unique voices and points of view that are relevant to moms. We come from different backgrounds and share different advocacies.  Yet one thing that we all believe in is becoming better versions of ourselves.  During the general assembly, the new campaign for #BetterMe was launched. Whether our goal is to be healthier or more financially savvy, we all want to level-up and be excellent role models to other women and, more importantly, to our children.

The event was held at the Winebar 1771 which is on the 2nd floor of Chateau 1771 in El Pueblo. Chateau has been an old favorite of mine. I love their cozy restaurants and the beautifully plated meals that they always served. I've never been to the Winebar prior to the event.  I've always thought Winebar only served drinks so i never bothered to check them out.

To get to the Winebar, you will need to pass through Chateau 1771 at the first floor.

Once you get to the 2nd floor, the ambiance instantly changes into something equally unique and tasteful. The 2nd floor holds two separate function rooms which seats about 25 people each. Each room has glass sliding doors which opens up into one big hall. The middle of these two rooms can also be converted into an extra dining space to accomodate more guests.

I was surprised to know that Winebar 1771 has its own food selection. The buffet that was served during our event was oh-so-good! I took some pictures but believe me, the photos don't justify how good they are truly are.

Salmon Lasagna

Chicken Piccata with Lemon Butter

Croque Monsieur

On my plate: Salad, Mini Pancake with Caramelized Banana and Candied Walnuts, Vegetable Fritata

During our formal meeting, each of us was asked to present our blog and our advocacy. On top of the individual presentations and endless chikahan, we also had a mini exclusive bazaar from the mompreneurs in the group.

Jenny or My Mommyology for MyTwo Tots

Tin of MFO for Thurston Hatchett

Neva of ManilaMommy for Manila Baby

Michelle of MyMomFriday for Green Sproutlets

Janice of MyMundo for Nurture Nook

Kris of OCMomInManila for Aquasana

Cai of applesanddumplings for PaperChic Studio

Patty of NonStopBabble for Yellowbirdshoes

Pam of RunaroundGirl for Willow Clothing

It's really an honor be part of this wonderful group of moms (and a dad). Here's to more adventures and shared experiences. Our journey has just begun.

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Blog Inspired: Writing Your Life Purpose

One Saturday in April, i found myself at the 3rd floor of Fully Booked in BGC with other women who are also passionate about writing. When i first heard about the Blog Inspired event from Martine, I became very curious. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from the talk but I was excited.
There was a good mix of fun activities, talks from different blog experts, and Q&A. One of my favorite part was when Jamie of Optimommy talked about writing your life purpose. Life often brings us a lot of surprises.  But when you have a clear vision of where to go, then it's easier to get to your goal. Here are some tips on writing your life purpose (reference: Arnold M. Patent, the author of You Can Have It All).

(1) List two of your uniqe qualities or talents (example: writing, dancing)
(2) List two ways you enjoy expressing those qualities when interacting with others. Basically, you need to think of two action words (example: encourage, inspire)
(3) What does your perfect world look like? How is everyone interacting with everyone else? (example: a world where there is sincere love of the Lord and everyone enjoys peace and contentment.)
(4) Combine items 1 to 3 to form a statement:

Life Purpose: I will use my passion for item 1 and item 1 to item 2 and item 2 and item 2 others to create item 3.

So for my examples above, it will look something like this:

Life Purpose: I will use my passion for writing and dancing to encourage and inspire others to create a world where there is sincere love of the Lord and everyone enjoys peace and contentment.

Once you've identified your life purpose, you can now create your blog purpose. More often that not, it is a subset of your life purpose.  Think of why you want to write in the first place. Once you've set your goal, then it will be easier for you to filter out posts that are not aligned with your blog's objective. All your posts should be anchored to the unified voice that you have set for your blog.

I thought about my own blog. I write because I want to show people that God still sends us rainbows after the storm. Our dreams may have been shattered when we lost our first born, but God restored and gave us new hope. He blessed us with two beautiful children and I couldn't ask for more. I want our lives to be an encouragement to parents (and parents-to-be).  I want to let them know that life may not always be perfect but God is good. With Him there is hope.  We can always smile again.

Ready to create your life/blog purpose? Do share them with us!

Candy, me, Martine

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Yay! We Have Our Own Domain!

Breakfast with Tiffany now has its own domain! It took me so long to do it because I thought it would mean a lot of technical challenges. I didn't expect it to be so quick and easy! It's now easier to remember the site:

breakfastwithtiffany.com.ph

After 100 posts, this is my fun reward. If you'd like to create your own domain, I can help too! Just drop me a note below.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

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Are You Ready For Your Date?

When was the last time you went out on a date........with your kids?

Before I got married, I have read so many books saying couples tend to forget each other once the children are born.  The focus would normally shift from the spouse to the children and the schedule would usually revolve around them.  With that, Dens and I promised to have a date night every Friday to also make sure we have time for ourselves.

 

Last Saturday, i learned something new from our New Beginnings talk with Coach Pia. You will also need to schedule date nights with each of your child. Just like your spouse, you're together most of the time at home but the bonding is also different when you go out on dates and experience new things together.

 

Then I remembered seeing some parent-child date pictures on Facebook from my good friends Jackson and Ann.  Their date nights are particularly special because they have 7 kids! Imagine that! Joshua (11), Jericho (10), Ariana(9), Jacob (7), Jonah (6), Andrea (16 months), Angela (1 month). I truly admire how they have raised very behaved and well-mannered kids. Ann stays home to take care of the kids and tutor all of them. You would think their home would be chaotic but it's amazingly not. Both of them have done a wonderful job raising confident and happy kids.

I decided to interview Jack and get a dad's perspective on how he manages to let each child feel unique and loved.

 

How do you manage to provide individual attention to all 7 kids?

 

[Jackson] I make sure we have simple bonding moments after their school activities. Joshua has guitar and math classes, Jericho has student council meetings, and Ariana has piano classes every Saturday morning. I would pick them up and it would be a good opportunity to spend time with them.

 

Jacob and Jonah usually spend time with me a home, playing and enjoying games. Our favorite right now is working on our Lego collections and our "Tickle Time".  For Andrea and Angela, I make sure to provide time to bring them and Ann for a stroll during Sundays. 
 

I remember seeing pictures of your dates with your children, why did you think of having this?

[Jackson] Presence matters. What I have learned is that ordinary moments may become the biggest treasured memory for our children. Having one-on-one dates with our kids provide them our full attention which they so desire. This gives them a sense of security that they are important no matter what their place in the family. They know that you care for them and love spending time with them individually. 



Date with Joshua

Love for them is spelled as "Quality Time" and you cannot do that with all of them at the same time! It is during these one-on-one dates that we can fully understand their personalities, behaviors, and even their secrets.

As a father, you get to instill the right values in them. You get to talk about faith and help them have strong convictions when they grow older. You get to really know them and allow them to also get to know who their dad is.  But most of all, to plant in each one of them a strong family identity built around Christ. I want my sons to know they can approach me anytime they want, with full access and no inhibitions. I want my daughters to know that her first love is daddy, and that the word "I Love You" is spoken every time at home.

Besides getting to know them more, what other benefits do you see in spending individual time with each child?


Date with Jericho

[Jackson] Wow, the benefits are life changing! You begin to better understand the call for fatherhood.  I want to build a legacy based on my faith in God and His instructions.  Our kids will grow in confidence and in love. That will be their guide as they grow older. You put the matter of self-worth in its proper perspective - that is, Christ's great love for our sons and daughters. 

 

Doesn’t the other child feel jealous when it’s the turn of his/her siblings?

[Jackson] There are sibling rivalries once in awhile.  But as long as we explain that everyone gets a chance to be with daddy, everything turns out to be okay, I guess (hahaha).  Ann is doing a great job educating them about time sharing.  They get to do fun things while their brother or sister spends time with me. 

Any other tips on giving attention to kids?

[Jackson] Share A Hobby! We love Lego's! And this is where we get to spend time together.  We also use it as a teaching tool for kids!

Thank you, Jack, for sharing your fatherhood experiences. 

I personally like what Jack shared about self-worth. I find this especially true when dads go on dates with the little girls. By the time our daughters grows up, she will already know how a lady should be treated on a date because her dad has set the benchmark. She will have more self worth and not be attracted to guys who disrespect her. Sometimes, uncles or grandfathers can also step in as the father-figure when the father is not present. (Think Rory of Gilmore Girls).

Here are some additional tips i have learned from our New Beginnings talk with Coach Pia:

• It should be one-on-one. This means that either Mom with child or Dad with child. If both parents go, the tendency is for the parents to talk most of the time so the value of the date with the child is diminished.
• Let the child make the agenda for the date.  Ask them what they want to do and where they wan to go.
• Start your dates when the child knows how to communicate already. This is usually around 1.5 to 2.5 years old.
• Don't use the dates as a bargaining tool for discipline. Some parents might say 'If you do not do your homework, we will not go out on the date!'. The child has to know that this is something that you personally look forward to and are not just doing it for them. It's better to say 'Please finish your assignments already. Mommy will be so sad if we can't go out on our date tonight'.
• Label It! Let the child know that this is a 'date'. If you don't tell them, they might not recognize that it's a date with them.
• Finally, thank them for the date when you get home! You can say 'You know I really had fun tonight.  Thank you for going out on a date with Mommy'.

So what are we waiting for? Start scheduling your week and planning your dates with your children. I know it takes some effort to consistently do it but i can assure you that it's tremendously rewarding.

Happy Dating!
 

 

 

 

 

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What Is Your Faith Story?

A couple of weeks ago, i received a text from our Pastor's wife with the following verse:

Exodus 13:8
"On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt."

I opened my Bible to get a better background of that verse. It was Moses speaking to the Israelites and reminding them to tell of God's faithfulness to their children - specifically during the time God lead them out of Egypt and into the promise land.  The Israelites witnessed countless miracles during the exodus, the most famous of which was crossing the Red Sea.   

What about you? What is your faith story?

I will never forget how God has healed me emotionally after we lost Tyler...how He blessed us with two beautiful children after being told that i may never conceive again...how He has always given me peace that transcends all understanding throughout these tough times.

I will never forget. And i will share these stories with my children and let them know that they are a product of God's goodness and grace. I don't deserve it but God loves me beyond my wildest comprehension. How awesome is He?

Think of all the times God has amazingly touched your lives.  Share your faith stories with your chidren. Strengthen their faith and remind them how much God loves them too! Make that your legacy.

Deuteronomy 7:9
"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments."

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Happy Blog Anniversary

I started blogging in 2007 after we lost our first baby Tyler. I decided to write about what we went through and all of God's wonderful blessings after that. My blog then was limited to family and friends since I did not think others will be interested in what I have to say if they do not know me personally.

Some speaking engagements later, I decided to 'go public' and share Tyler's testimony to others. I started this new blog in August of 2011 and shared our family's journey as they unfold. I blog because I want people to see that there is truly hope after a storm. I want people to see God's goodness and that our family's story did not end after losing Tyler. God has been wonderful and my heart overflows with gratitude.

I have received so many thoughtful letters and tweets from people I don't even know. From the person who said reading about our story restored her faith in God to the mom who said that God comforted her through the blog after she miscarried her first baby - you are why I write.  I am further inspired to share our family's testimony as I witness how our loss has helped others.

It has been a year and we have an exciting journey ahead. Thank you for sticking around. God bless.

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