At Home With MrsC

Building Family Traditions: Sunday Fun Day

June 10, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 18 Comments

Ours is a small family, and young too, with many fond memories behind us, and a lot more just waiting to take place. Things go by so swiftly these days, and every once in a while I stop and realize how much time has passed, how much my son has grown, and how busy my husband and I have become. I have to remind myself sometimes to stop and savor the moment, to live in the now and to detach from responsibility and stress and just spend quality time with my boys.

I decided today that, from now on, that’s what Sundays will be for. From here on out, Sunday will be Fun Day, a chance for us to bond, to spend time together as a family and enjoy each others’ company. Whether it’s going out to see a movie, having a meal at our favorite restaurant, attending a party, or going on a road trip, we will choose to do something meaningful and worthwhile every Sunday, and we will do it together. It will be a great way to prepare for all the crazy Mondays that lie ahead.

Looking back at the past few weekends, I’m happy to share that we’ve actually had a series of meaningful family Sundays, and so my Sunday Fun Day tradition is actually off to a great start. Fortunately, I’ve captured several great moments from the past weeks, and I’m glad I get to share these family Sunday memories with all of you.

Mr C's Mexican Birthday Lunch — Mr C’s Mexican Birthday Lunch

Adventure Fair (Ok, this was technically taken on a Saturday, but we continued our Adventure Fair experience the following day. I just don't have any Sunday photos.) — Adventure Fair
Okay, this was technically taken on a Saturday, but we continued our Adventure Fair experience the following day. I just don’t have any Sunday photos.

I am really looking forward to spending family fun Sundays with the boys. Can’t wait to share all our adventures with you guys.

Happy to be linking this post up with Alison and Galit for this month’s Memories Captured.

Busting Back to School Blues with Working Mom Magazine

June 7, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 2 Comments

Hiyee, Mommies! Have your kiddos gone back to school yet? Little MrC’s classes start on the 17th, and I’ve been suffering from major back to school blues. Yup, I’m the one who’s really anxious about the start of classes because we’re going to be facing a lot of changes this year.

For the first time, his class starts early in the morning. We’ve always chosen to put him in the afternoon sections because we aren’t really morning people in this family, but it looks like things are gonna have to change real soon. Also, this is the first time that he will need to pack lunch since he is now on a semi-whole day schedule, and his dismissal time is in the mid-afternoon. He is also now officially in grade school, and that means that the lessons are gonna be tougher and the load a lot heavier. I hope that he and I are prepared for this.

So yes, I’ve been freaking out a little bit. I’ve been setting my alarm really early since Monday, but so far I’ve only managed to wake up between 8 and 9 am every day since then. That’s not very good. I only have a little over a week left to adjust.

In 10 days, I’ll have to make sure that I get up by 5:30 am to prepare breakfast, pack lunch and snacks, then take a shower. I need to wake my kid and make sure he eats, takes a bath and gets dressed. And then I need to drive him to school (which is technically 5 minutes away, but the trip takes 20 minutes at best because of traffic), and get him into his classroom with all of the things that he needs for the day before 8 o’clock in the morning. I really need to get my act together.

I’m still not quite sure where to start. Thankfully, the lovely people over at Working Mom Magazine sent a copy of their June issue to my house a few days ago, and lo and behold it is loaded with over a hundred strategies for panicky moms like myself to have a calmer, smarter school year. Check out this TVC for a sneak peek of what’s inside their back to school issue.

I love how the back to school issue of Working Mom has lunch and snack box recipes that are quick and easy to make, cute outfit ideas for days when mommy needs to make an appearance in school (which, for me, is every day), and tips on how to stay organized and make mornings less-stressful. It’s a great read for all moms, whether you’re a working mom, a WAHM or a SAHM.

Check out Working Mom’s Facebook page as well for more tips and tricks for busy moms like us.

For Anyone Who’s Ever Had Any Doubts

June 2, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 1 Comment

Photography Practice at Baban+Cy’s Prenup Shoot

May 29, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 5 Comments

I know that I am better at expressing myself with words than with images. But I also know that I am capable of taking a pretty photograph if I want to. It just takes a little more effort and a little bit of post-processing. I did study photography as part of my course in college after all, and I passed too! I wasn’t the best in class, but I don’t think I was the worst either. Practice makes perfect, and I’m pretty sure I lack practice. I do have a DSLR, but I often am too lazy to take it with me because it’s heavy and bulky. Besides, our waterproof camera is a lot more fun to bring along, and it’s easy to see why.

Thank God it's waterproof! — Thank God it’s waterproof!

This year, though, one of my blogging goals is to take better photos, and that means that it’s time to reunite with my trusty D3000. Now, let me make one thing clear. I believe that a beautiful picture is dependent on actual talent and not on one’s gadgets. I just had to say that because a lot of people think they are photographers, and good ones at that, just because they own a DSLR. Hang on for a moment while I roll my eyes.

Anyway, common sense will tell you that a better camera will give you better photo quality overall. That’s how it is with digital. And you really can do so much more with an SLR than with a point and shoot cam, given that you actually know how to work the camera. So I’ve decided that I want to challenge myself, my knowledge of my camera and my retention of the things I learned years ago in college by taking photos using my DSLR as often as I can.

I started last weekend during our trip to Las Casas for my sister-in-law, Baban’s prenup shoot with her fiancee, Cy. I figured that they would all be so busy posing that no one would really be able to focus on taking behind the scenes pictures, and so that’s what I assigned myself to do that day. Like I always say, I’m a behind the scenes person, and I know that I’m more effective shooting photos than posing for them, even though I am certainly not an expert photographer.

My goal was to capture moments, and of course, provide the couple with some behind the scenes shots that they can keep to remember the day by. I’d like to think I did a pretty good job of it. But that’s just me. One thing’s for sure, the bride to be looks happy and in love. That’s good enough, right?

Opinions are super welcome, okay? Brace yourself now because a minor photo dump is coming up in 3… 2… 1…

Las Casas 1-9 — Instant tourist attraction

It was a really fun day, and the bride and groom were really happy with the photos that their supplier, FilterPan took. Can’t wait to see the official photos. Meanwhile, what do you think of these behind the scenes shots?

May Crochet Roundup

May 28, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

I haven’t done much crocheting this month because I’ve been busy with other things like work, reading and playing Sim City. Heehee! I did manage to get started on two new projects that have yet to see progress, and I also continued on a camisole that I started crocheting in April.

Here’s a photo of the camisole, which is 50% complete, and here is the link to the pattern on Ravelry. I say it’s 50% done because I’m completely done with the back portion. Thing is, I ran out of white thread, and that’s why I’ve come to a halt with this project. Must remember to buy more when I go out.

IMG_20130501_123328 — Getting started. Using white Baguio yarn for this one.

IMG_20130503_124437 — Completed bottom-back portion 🙂

I also started on a purple scarf that I’m supposed to give to a friend as a present. I liked the pattern in the beginning, but as I started adding rows, I wasn’t so sure anymore. It’s supposed to have beads inserted in some portions, and I’m not too fond of beads so I decided to forego them. But now the scarf looks a little blah. I dunno, what do you guys think of this? It’s a ~~Beaded~~ Cobweb Lace Scarf, and I also found the pattern on Ravelry.

IMG_20130511_165336 — Getting started. This was also done in Baguio yarn.

IMG_20130511_190225 — Three rows of the motif done, and suddenly I don’t like the pattern anymore. Toink!

So, since I got bored with the scarf, I decided to let that one sit first and started on a new project. My family in the US sent me three giant balls of Caron One Pound Yarn (yay!), and so I decided that I would make myself a bag. What better way to showcase my love for crochet, right? I found this really basic pattern on Ravelry for a Chunky Button Bag, which is perfect because I’ll get to reuse the big buttons I bought for the Munchkin Costume I made for Little MrC’s moving up day.

That’s about it for my crochet projects in May. What have you guys been making these past few weeks?

Inspiration for the Week Ahead

May 26, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 4 Comments

Have a fab Sunday, everyone!