Get a glimpse of a great ride. This is a journey of a Filipino mom living in Singapore. Sharing my experiences and learnings as I go thru this wonderful and sometimes bumpy ride called motherhood.
I'm here staring blankly at my monitor, thinking of what to write. Actually there are lot's of things that had happened and there are so many things goin' thru my mind. It's just that these past months I didn't have the time to write or I must say it correctly, I didn't make time to write and update this blog. I feel that I lost the 'fire' or the excitement in blogging. I told myself, maybe I'm just going thru a 'phase' (which has been going on for so many months now). I really wanted to be back and make this blog come back to life again. Yeah, I know that task falls into my hands =)
Just some updates about some major recent happenings, we moved to a new house still at Yishun just a few blocks away from our old house. Lance is now more active and keeping up with his kuya's 'likot'. Lyle is getting more and more talkative and he can now narrate stories - some he made up and some about things that already happened. He had lost his front tooth the other day, which is a memorable day because I played the role of a dentist.. hehe. We hired a yaya, whom I'm thankful because my kids didn't have a hard time adjusting. Thanks to my friend Cel who recommended her to us. So far so good, we had a good start for this new year. Praying and hoping for the best for the rest of the year and coming years!
Here's my babies' bedtime routine which I can say has been working effectively for them to have a goodnight sleep.
- Watch and sing supersimplesongs from youtube. Lyle and Lance loves these videos and we would sing and dance along as we watch the videos.
- Clean-up and wash time to make them feel fresh.
- Story time. I read a story from a book or I tell stories which just came out of my head =)
- Lyle will ask for his milk and Lance for his pacifier.
- Play some music (Connie Talbot's songs - Somewhere over the rainbow, What a wonderful world, Ben, Imagine
- Lights off then I'll kiss them goodnight.
The above steps doesn't have to be in these order and sometimes we skip some step(s). This bedtime routine isn't just important for my kids but for me as well because of the bonding and quality time we spend together.
Below is an article I found in Babycenter.com about bedtime routines.
Bedtime basics
If you haven't already, now is a great time to establish a bedtime routine for your toddler. When you follow a set pattern every night, he'll quickly come to appreciate the consistency and predictability and feel more relaxed. The more relaxed he is, the more likely he'll go to bed easily and fall asleep quickly. Stick to your routine as best you can even when you're not home - it can make it easier for your toddler to settle down in unfamiliar surroundings.
What you include in your ritual is up to you. There's the standard bath, putting on pyjamas, reading a story and having a cuddle or you can play a quiet game. Just make sure you choose something that helps calm your toddler, not gee him up.
And while you can certainly start your ritual in the bathroom or the living room, it should end in your toddler's bedroom. It's important to teach your toddler that his room is a nice place to be, not just where he's "banished" at bedtime. If he gets upset as he sees you walk out the door after you tuck him in, tell him you'll be back to check on him in a few minutes. In all likelihood, he'll be fast asleep by the time you return.
I subscribed to SimpleScrapper to receive emails about digital scrapbooking. Below is an email I would like to share about the essential supplies for digital scrapbooking.
10 Must-Haves for Digital Scrapbooking
1. Photos that speak to you
Without photos or at least a story in hand, your scrapbook page is simply a collage. Choose to keep your images organized to be able to honor your memories when the inspiration strikes.
2. A great handwriting font
Sometimes I’ll use a classic serif or sans serif font on a digital page, but most of the time I go for the semi-messy look of handwritten journaling. The Fonts for Peas collection from Kevin & Amanda is my go-to source for endless choices in fun, girly handwriting. If you want your own font, however, I will always recommend Darcy Baldwin at the Sweet Shoppe.
3. Neutral textured paper
If you didn’t paper scrapbook before coming to digital, you may not initially appreciate a perfect crisp solid card stock. While there are many options across the community, Katie Pertiet is known for her classic paper collection.
4. A classy alpha
Many digital kits come with customized alphas, but they are not always as timeless as say, Thickers are to a paper scrapbooker. Look for simple, neutral alphabets that are easily recolored, like these from Sahlin Studio.
5. Several fresh but timeless kits
I like to build my stash with colorful, well designed products in a range of themes. While I have many go-to designers, my never-fail sources for freshness are Sweet Shoppe Designs, The Digichick and The Lilypad. Look for funky collections that stretch your imagination as well as timeless basics you can use again and again!
I downloaded a free kit from shabbyprincess - In The Groove Album
This had made scrapbooking very easy because the layout and design is already there and all you have to do is resize, rotate and insert your pictures =) You may also click this link for the tutorial.
Here are some samples of piece-a-cake pages I made:
ShabbyPrincess website is my frequently visited site there many free kits for download and very helpful tutorials for beginners like me =)
