At Home With MrsC

Raising a family, making a home.

MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan

Hi, Hello, And How Do You Do?

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I’ve been away from this space for so long that I feel the need to introduce myself all over again before I post anything else. But I’m not gonna do that because that would be weird. And I shouldn’t need to do that because that’s what my About Page is for, right? (Please visit if you haven’t yet!)

Over the past months I have tried several times to write. On those days, I’d log in to WordPress and wait, hoping that inspiration of some sort would strike. When it didn’t, I’d exit and resolve to try again another day.

Well, as you can see, May, June, and July have gone by, and still no new posts. Until today. What was it that finally got me to write again? I have no idea. What I do know is that, while I sometimes feel like quitting this blog forever, I can never bring myself to kill it. Why? I know that I still have a lot to say, and that it’s really more for me than for anyone else.

And so I’m back from outer space (sing it with me!)

Today’s post is really nothing more than an announcement that I’m back, and I will try once more to be here to stay. My track record isn’t the best when it comes to that, but maybe this time will be different. I also know that I owe some people quite a few posts, and that some of those posts should have gone up months and months and months ago. I’ve not forgotten, and anyone who doubts that is free to message and nag me until I’ve been able to publish what I owe. Sounds good?

For now I will leave you with this quick hi, hello, and how do you do, and the promise of another new post (with more substance) in the next few days. 

To those who still check in from time to time, thanks for waiting for me. Those who don’t, maybe one day you’ll come back. To those who are new here, thank you for dropping by. And that’s enough drama for one day! 

What’s everyone else been up to while I’ve been away?

Sunday Seven: April’s Best

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Oh my goodness, another whole month has gone by. I barely even noticed because we’ve been very busy over here. My dad-in-law is in town, and stayed with us for a bit. Little MrC turned 11. Summer vacation is in full swing. With all that and everything in between, there hasn’t been much time for blogging. I do feel like this is a great time for me to revive my Sunday Seven series, though!

Sunday Seven is basically a roundup of any seven things I feel like writing about. This edition features all the fun stuff we did last April.

PapaBear’s Homecoming
 

Family lunch at #BambaBistro. Welcome home (and belated happy birthday) Papa Bear! 😁

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My FIL arrived at our home before dawn on April 1. That same day, the whole family got together for lunch at Bamba Bistro.

We love it there, and always leave feeling full and satisfied. This time around we tried the Le Cochon Sliders for the first time, and they were yummers! We also had old favorites, Steak Ala Manila and Pizzookie, and a whole lot of other things. Be sure to try all of these if you ever find yourself at Bamba!

Little MrC’s Birthday Playdate
 

Cousins are the best! #LittleMrC11th

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The little guy turned 11 this April, too. 11! Time has really flown by. 

This particular birthday celebration was extra special for him. This was the first time he had guests over, and all his cousins were there to play. We had pasta, pizza, chicken, mojos and brownies. The kids hung out all day, and all had an amazing time. They had so much fun that a bunch of them came over again a few days later. Success!

Visita Iglesia
 

5. St. James the Great Parish #visitaiglesia

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This past holy week, we did the Visita Iglesia for the first time. This is a Catholic practice where you visit seven churches on Maundy Thursday to pray. Typically, we choose to stay home all of holy week because we aren’t fans of crowds and traffic, but we thought to make an exception this year so that the kiddo could experience Visita Iglesia together with his lolo. 

We came up with a nice route involving churches in the south of Metro Manila. First was Presentation of the Child Jesus Paris, then Resurrection of our Lord Parish, both inside BF Homes. Our third church was the new Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Alabang Hills. Next were St. Jerome Emiliani and St. James the Great in Alabang. Finally, we visited St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori in Magallanes, and Sanctuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati.

Kiddie Crew
 

At your service! ☺ #mcdoph #kiddiecrew #LittleMrC

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The kiddo finally got to join the McDo Kiddie Crew this April, too. He’s been wanting to since last year. He learned a lot about working in the kitchen, and had an awesome time. He says he wants to go again next year, but something tells me he’s gonna change his mind. The maximum age to participate is 12, and at 11 he was already the oldest one there, and much bigger than the rest of the group. Lol.

My New Garden Buddies
 

Welcome home, little guy! #basil #herbsathome #urbangardening #athomewithmrsc #pleasedontdie

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Last year I bought a calamansi plant, and it died a sad and lonely death. I refuse to believe that I’m incapable of maintaining a garden. That would be embarrassing (and unacceptable!) given that my dad and grandmother are both botanists.

I recently took home two new garden buddies – two tomato plants and one basil plant. They’re all nice and healthy so far. I’ve even been able to harvest basil to make basil syrup for my tea! Yay!

National Museum
 

#littlemrc #spoliarium #nationalmuseum 🙌

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The last time I was at the National Museum was during our grade school field trip many, many years ago. So obviously I was excited to see the new and improved National Museum of the Philippines, which is now made up of several buildings in one compound.

We spent an entire morning checking out the stuff on display at the Museum of the Filipino People, and them crossed over to the Naional Museum of Fine Arts to see the famous Spoliarium. The boys and I are planning to come back soon to see everything we missed including the newly reopened Planetarium.

GOTG vol. 2 + Ice Cream House
 

Summer snacks! #bananasplit #icecreamhouseph #iscreamforicecream

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We capped off our amazing April with a movie. The boys and I have been eagerly waiting for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 to come out, and after seeing it we all thought that the movie was great. Afterwards, we went for ice cream at a nearby Ice Cream House. Banana split on a hot summer day! Hooray!

I love that we were able to make so many new memories in April. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us this May. 🙂

Make me kwento, what have you guys been up to?

A Movie A Day For Summer, Year 2

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It’s officially day two of summer vacation for us, and we are super excited! We started the school break on full-blast  with a year-end party for MrC’s class. We both had so much fun that we were among the last few to leave the party that day.

mrspcuyugan
Fun in the sun on the last day of school. Thanks for an awesome year, kids and moms of 5F!

MrC’s dad is arriving from the US in a few days, and will be staying with us for three whole weeks. That means the kiddo will have someone at home that he can bug all the time, and I know for sure that he is looking forward to it. Then, the birthdays of my two boys are coming up, and you all know how I feel about birthdays. Lol!

In between, we have museum visits, day trips, and play dates planned. Of course, me being me, I’ve also accounted for lazy days at home. Because, really, what school-aged kid doesn’t want to just spend time at home playing and watching TV during the summer? I know my siblings and I really enjoyed the do-nothing days when we were growing up. I’m excited for my kiddo to experience the same. 

(Can anyone recommend books for 11-year olds, too, please?)

As with last year, my boredom-busting plan for lazy days is to be ready with a new movie for Little MrC to watch. By new I mean a movie he hasn’t seen before, and not newly released. I’ve listed a bunch of my old favorites this year, like My Girl and The Karate Kid. He’s at that age where he understands and appreciates films better, which is why I am extra excited about our at-home movie dates.

Before writing this, I looked at my post from last year and saw that I was only able to list 10 of the movies we watched. Galing ‘no? This year, I will really make an effort to make note of them all. I know I should since it can help me make sure there are no duplicates when it’s time to plan for next year, and the year after that. Assuming the kiddo will still want to watch movies with me at home, that is. Huhuhu don’t they just grow up so fast??? *Sigh*

So anyway, here are the movies on our watchlist for this summer. I’ll be adding more as the days go by. You guys might want to check these films out, too. 🙂

  1. Ghostbusters (2016) – Rated PG-13, suitable for age 11+
  2. Ghostbusters (1984) – Rated PG, suitable for age 11+
  3. Ghostbusters II (1984) – Rated PG, suitable for age 8+
  4. The Last Airbender (2010) – Rated PG, suitable for age 9+
  5. Back to the Future (1985) – Rated PG, suitable for age 10+
  6. Back to the Future Part II (1989) – Rated PG, suitable for age 10+
  7. Back to the Future Part III (1990) – Rated PG, suitable for age 9+ 
  8. Star Trek (2009) – Rated PG-13, suitable for age 12+ 
  9. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) – Rated PG-13, suitable for age 12+ 
  10. Star Trek Beyond (2016) – Rated PG-13, suitable for age 12+ 
  11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) – Rated PG-13, suitable for age 12+ 
  12. My Girl (1991) – Rated PG, suitable for age 11+ 
  13. Speed Racer (2008) – Rated PG, suitable for age 8+ 
  14. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) – Rated PG-13, suitable for age 14+

Do any of you have recommendations for great family movies that we can watch? Please share in the comments? 🙂

A Year With Belo Baby

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Fact: Half of the things I use on myself are actually baby products. 

A year ago, I got to know the Belo Baby brand, and ever since then their products have been a staple on my room and bathroom shelves. I love them so much that I’ve shared them with others – My son, my mom, even an aunt in the US. I’ve also given the gift of Belo Baby a few times to my new goddaughter, Luna. It’s so nice having an actual baby to share baby products with! My kiddo kasi has recently moved up to the realm of big boy products already.

There are two things I absolutely love about the Belo Baby line – Everything smells so good, and the products are 100% all-natural, and contain zero harmful ingredients. Not necessarily in that order.

mrspcuyugan Belo Baby
Have you tried these yet? If not, you SHOULD!

The soap is super mild, and doesn’t at all leave skin feeling dry or itchy. The hair and body wash is really easy to rinse off, and actually works on both hair and body. I know, I tested it myself. Lol. We all agree at home that this is the best, best, best among the products in the Belo Baby bath line.

Bonus: Both the soap, and the hair and body wash produce a very light lather, which, I’ve noticed, is common in products that are made without harmful chemicals.

I use the lotion, too. Now believe me when I say I hate using lotion. I hate the sticky feeling it usually leaves on the skin. There’s none of that with Belo Baby lotion. Buti nalang because, as a fully-functioning housewife with chores like laundry and dish washing, I now need to use lotion on a regular basis.

mrspcuyugan belo baby
Sarap naman ng bagong ligong baby!! (Photo from Barbara De Jesus)

Their tagline says it all: “Crafted with care for the most delicate skin, for the most meticulous moms.”

I’m so sold on how good these baby bath products are. Not only are they gentle enough for the most sensitive skin, they’re also all-natural and safe to use at any age. Best of all, they smell awesome, exactly how I think a clean baby ought to smell.

I said earlier that I’ve shared these bath goodies with my two-month old niece, and now I can’t wait to see and sniff her after she’s freshly washed with Belo Baby.

So obviously I like to give the gift of Belo Baby. And because they are celebrating their first birthday this month, Belo Baby is gifting three of my readers (yes, you guys!) with a nice little baby bath care package . I’m so excited for you to try their soap, hair and body wash, and lotion on your little ones!

Here’s what you need to do to join:

  1. Follow me on Instagram because I will be announcing the winners there.
  2. Like and follow Belo Baby on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook since it’s their birthday. 
  3. In the comments section, greet Belo Baby a happy first birthday.

I will be drawing three random winners from all those who leave greetings. You can do so from today, March 17, until March 23. Winners will be announced next Friday, March 24 on my IG.

Good luck, guys! And happy first birthday, Belo Baby!

To learn more about the Belo Baby product line, visit their website at www.belobaby.ph.

No Spend March

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Hello, hello again, everyone! Can you believe it’s already March?! Is it just me who feels like 2017 is moving ahead at lightning speed?

Anyway, I was originally planning on making this a March goals sort of post, but to be honest I haven’t had time to set any goals because I’ve been too busy eating birthday cake. Lol. It sounds funny but it’s true.

mrspcuyugan birthday
A thoughtful surprise on the morning of my birthday, a fun day spent watching movies at home, dimsum all you can, two birthday cakes, and crinkles and brownies from Becky’s Kitchen. I could not ask for more on my 34th birthday.

So anyway, I find it serendipitous, that the first of March and Ash Wednesday fall on the same day. And so all of a sudden I know what I need to do.

I usually give up some sort of food item during Lent because, well, I love to eat. But this year, I want to do something different. I’ve been learning to live more intentionally, and be more mindful about how I spend my time, the things I have, and the things I do.

I know for sure that this benefits me, and my household, too. It’s helped us learn to enjoy the little things, and each others’ company. It has helped keep clutter at bay at home (though we honestly still have a long way to go as far as managing clutter is concerned). It allows us to waste less, and also spend less, which is always a good thing.

Mindfulness means understanding that the best things in life really are free. Like this super thoughtful gift that I received from a good friend a decade ago – A book she cherished, passed on to me.

So, for March and for Lent, I feel like I have the opportunity to take the whole mindfulness idea a step further by making this a no-spend month. This basically means that I won’t be spending on anything unnecessary or luxurious.

It means no buying of junk food or takeout meals. It means no shopping for things we don’t really need. It means finding ways for us to spend quality time together as a family without spending anything. It sounds like a real challenge, but it also sounds like a potentially fun undertaking.

I don’t know how big of a sacrifice this whole idea of not spending really is, truth be told. But I do know that it presents a good learning opportunity, not just for me but also for my family. I’m excited to discover how we will choose to spend our time together, and how I will choose to spend my own personal time as well.

I’m up for the challenge of making do with what we have, too. I plan on only spending for what is necessary – food, gasoline, our house payments, credit card payments, and tuition – for a month and a half, until Lent is over. And maybe even beyond that, who knows?

Take note, I am assuming MrC will be on-board with the while thing, because he is usually supportive of me and my crazy ideas. Lol.

Oh, I do have one exception. I have yet to go and buy my parents’ birthday gift to me (I have the money and I know what I want, I just need to go and do it,) and won’t get to do that until this weekend. It could count as something necessary, technically, because it involves our drinking water, but I’ll count it as an exception either way. I’m excited for this, and can’t wait to write about it once it’s here.

And that’s what’s up ahead for me this March, and for Lent. Wish me luck? And follow along on Instagram to see what I’m up to? 🙂

So make me kwento. What are your goals for March? And what are you giving up for Lent? 

It’s My Birthday And I’ll Blog If I Want To

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Another trip around the sun. And now I’m 34.

Hey guys, it’s been a while since I last posted. There is no real reason for my absence, just that I didn’t feel like writing at all these past few months. But, as always, the hiatus has proven to be good for me. Here I am, back again, with a million and one stories swimming in my head, just waiting to be shared.

I figured this would be the perfect day to start posting again, after all it is my day.

 

Birthday weekend coming up, which means 🎂🎂🎂!!! #alittlebitolderalittlebitwiser

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I guess the best place to start would be to bring you all up to speed on where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing since my last entry in December.

Basically, I’ve been at home. The whole of 2016 I felt really compelled to work on making our house a real home, from establishing routines to making sure that everything we have in it are things that we use or really, really love. I’ve continued to feel this way well into the new year, and so that’s what I’ve been up to in these first few weeks of 2017, too. 

mrspcuyuan christmas
Christmas 2016 in Alabang, Cainta and Parañaque!

Last year ended just the way I like it, surrounded by family and friends who truly matter. My MIL came home for the holidays last December, and it was the first time in 8 years that we got to spend Christmas with her. We also welcomed Little MrC’s first, first cousin on the Cuyugan side, baby Luna. And, of course, my loyal band of girlfriends were part of my holiday fun too, just has they’ve been for the last 20 years. 

So far in 2017, we’ve had a wedding (which, sadly, the boys and I missed) and a baptism, welcomed home several balikbayans, and celebrated a few birthdays and ordinary days with countless food-filled family gatherings.

mrspcuyugan new year
2017 New Year’s Celebration

The kiddo will soon say goodbye to the fifth grade, and has a newfound obsession with growing his hair. I have come to terms that I will have a teenager soon. One who asks that I not write about him so much, and that I stop posting photos of him with funny Snapchat filters. 

As a family, we’ve started cleaning out my Loli’s closets, which is a several-years-overdue project for the family. MrC and I have also been carefully removing things we no longer need from our house, and happily bringing in new things thanks to the generosity of our loved ones.

I’ve been cooking a lot for my family, and the feedback has been amazing. I baked my first loaf of gluten-free bread, and learned how to make champorado from scratch. I’ve managed to overhaul our fridge and pantry quite a bit to make room for my kiddo’s gluten-free needs, and it’s been a good change for all of us over here.

I’m lucky to have a husband who supports my quirks and goes with the endless changes I try to make at home. Lately I’ve been obsessing over my kitchen, from wanting to lessen our use of plastic to trying to go paperless as much as we can. I have this newfound love for cloth napkins, and I’m happy to say that my collection is growing thanks to our Loli closet cleanup.

Life over here has been hectic but good. I’m happy to report that I didn’t go through my usual birthday blues this year, likely because I am exactly where I want to be in life right now. I’m loving every moment, from the quiet ones to the very loud ones. If only I could get myself motivated enough to write about them all. Right? 

Hopefully, this is the start of that. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

So make me kwento, what’s been up with you guys so far this year? 🙂