Photo-A-Day June 2012: Last Week

Okay, it is officially mid-2012. June is over! When this happens, the days and month seem to just passed as quick as it can. All I can think of right now is Christmas!

How did our last week of June go?

Day 22 - From a high angle
From our balcony, you can clearly see how colorful Bangkok taxis are.

Day 23 - Movement
Everyone, meet my hyperactive two-year old son.

Day 24 - On my mind
A trip to the Filipino store only means one thing, we miss the Philippines.

Day 25 - Something cute
This is my toddler's hand touching another cute thing, the ladybug push pin.

Day 26 - Where I shop
Our family only goes to one store now and it is Uniqlo. We are taking advantage of the Spring/Summer collection.

Day 27 - Bathroom
The bathtub is for our little boy. 

Day 28 - On the shelf
My collection of Starbucks city mugs has taken over every available shelf in our home.

Day 29 - Soft
Babies have soft things. This blanket was given to Javi before he was born and he is still using it up to now.

Day 30 - A friend
Husband = Best friend

There goes the remaining week of this month. Extremely grateful for what God has been doing to our lives. 

How was your last week of June?

My Greatest Fear

My husband asked me a hypothetical question, "Would you be willing to go back to work?"

I couldn't give an answer. All these emotions were building inside me. 

My immediate answer was, "Absolutely not!"

When my little boy was less than six months and I was sleep-deprived, my answer would probably be yes. I longed for the time when Javi would be in school so I would at least have time for myself - to do the things I want to do. Now, the thought of sending him to school brings tears to my eyes. It means my little boy is growing up so fast.

After two and a half years of being a full-time mother, I cannot believe I can give this much love to my little boy. It is indescribable. Words simply escape me. 

My situation did not improve. Well, I am getting more sleep now but I am dealing with a hyperactive toddler who constantly seeks my attention. I can hardly finish a task without him interrupting me asking for a hug or something else. It is for this reason my blog entries are irregular. 

I found this quote from Rachel Jankovic - book author, blogger, wife and a mother. It is exactly how I feel about motherhood. 

"It is what God gave you time for."

Image source

God blessed me with a season where He allowed me to set aside work and be a mother to Javier. Not all mothers have the same privilege. The thought of having to go back to work and leave my child in the care of another person scares the wit out of me. And I cried my heart out to God and He definitely knows what is in my heart.

Eventually, I will go back to work or will explore the options of working from home. But in this crucial  time in my son's life, I'd rather he has my full attention than having to share it with demanding work or an unreasonable boss.

How about you? What is your greatest fear?

Photo-A-Day June 2012: Third Week

Third week of June creeped in very quickly. Did you feel it pass by?

We really need to cherish every minute.

My third week of June went by like this -- 

Day 15 - Yellow
My son's Crocs shoes. Only toddlers can pull off this bright color.

Day 16 - Out and about
It's Saturday, first agenda of the day was to buy groceries.
My dearest Neyza was visiting us so we spent some time at the nail salon then dinner at Dean & Deluca.

Day 17 - In my bag
It's Father's day. These are the things I brought to church and Father's day lunch.
Since I became a mom, I realized I don't need to bring too many things.
Yes, those are bottle caps inside the ziplock bag which we collected for Javi's friend.

Day 18 - Something you do not know about me.
My second least favorite chore is folding the laundry.
To make it more entertaining, I fold clothes while watching my favorite TV shows.

Day 19 - Imperfect
This is our photo wall at home. And I never bothered to fix those misaligned frames.

Day 20 - Fave photo I've taken
This is my recent favorite photo which I took of my brother - the groom - and my mother
in a light moment before the wedding ceremony.

Day 21 - Where I slept
I had a late evening. Our little boy was whining in the wee hours of the morning.
I transferred him in our bed. 

Half of the year is almost over. Since I started this monthly photo challenge, I realize the days are going by so fast. 

Do you feel the same way?

TGIF!

Image source

Even if I no longer have an office job, I still look forward to Fridays. It's the start of the weekend. I'm particularly in a good mood. I look forward to spending more time with my husband who works long hours. And I especially cannot wait for Jed and Javi to spend quality time. 

I get time off from house keeping. No chores during weekends. I also take a break from cooking. It's also the time I get a mani/pedi, waxing or eyebrow grooming. I am free to meet with people for coffee without bringing my toddler.

Weekends are when we dine properly in a nice restaurant. Sunday mornings are for church. If we get lucky, Jed and I can even watch a movie while Javi naps. We also hold movie nights. Or sometimes, we just stay at home and take things easy and relax.  Work days are especially taxing for my husband so when possible, he relaxes and not think about anything during the weekend.  

Friday is here. And I'm in love. Yes, that's a song from The Cure.

How will you spend your weekend?

Photo-A-Day June 2012: Second Week

Well hello there second week of June. You have been very kind to me.

My second week of June goes like this --

Day 8 - Six o'clockIt's Friday 6PM and traffic is building up as people get off from work. I was also cooking dinner then.

Day 9 - My view today
I have a visitor and it's my favorite former co-worker, Bob. We met for brunch at Dean & Deluca.

Day 10 - Best bit of my weekend
Watching my two boys bond is my favorite part of every weekend.

Day 11 - Door
The tale of Javi and his newfound love with the revolving door.

Day 12 - From a low angle
My little boy and I took a walk, and we passed by this City Walk which connects the BTS Skytrain
to the BRT bus line.

Day 13 - Art
It's Father day on Sunday so it's time to display this subway art.

Day 14 - Time
I look forward to seeing 0:00 on my Run 5K app. 

Looking forward to another great week!

How did your week go?

How I Pack my Starbucks City Mugs?

An essential skill to learn when one enters the world of mug collection/trading is packing ceramic mugs. I definitely want my mugs to reach its new owners in one piece. And I would want to receive mugs in their perfect condition. No broken handles, nor broken in two. 

So far I have sent almost a hundred mugs out and not one was broken. Crossing my fingers, knocking on wood and whispering a prayer the good streak continues.  

My packing skills definitely improved over the past few months since my very first trade. Now, wrapping those mugs in bubble wrap can be therapeutic. I have established a system which was based on this web page, Tips for Packing Mugs.

So how do I pack my mugs?

What I use --

Step 1 - Cut the bubble wrap (approximately 12in x 36 in) and craft board (approximately 6in x 24 in) enough to cover one mug . I use two pieces of bubble wrap and one craft board.

Steps 2 and 3 - Wrap one piece of bubble wrap around one mug (with or without the protective paper from Starbucks). Place a piece of clear tape on the edges.

Step 4 - Wrap one piece of craft paper around the mug with bubble wrap and seal it with a clear tape.

Step 5 - Last step is to wrap the the mug in craft paper and bubble wrap around the second piece of bubble wrap. Secure the edges with clear tape.

Voila! The finished products.

I absolutely love the boxes from Thailand Post. They are cheap and sturdy. 

How do I arrange the mugs inside the boxes?

For two mugs --

For five mugs --

It is important that the mugs do not have space to move inside the box. Fill the spaces with more bubble wrap or any other filler you have to keep the mugs snuggled. 

I like adding post cards and some local treat together with the mugs. I hope to find more cute items that can easily be included in the package. 

If you have other packing tips, please share them with me. There are so many broken mugs in the collectors' world and I hope to avoid this by sharing the right way to pack them.

Enjoy collecting!

Photo-A-Day June 2012: First Week

June is here whether we like it or not. In the Philippines, I dread this month when I was a student - the start of a school year.

Now, it doesn't really matter. June now signals the beginning of the rainy season. Being here in Bangkok does not change that. I do love rain but not too much, okay.

This is my fourth month joining Fat Mum Slim's Photo A Day Challenge.

My first week of June went like this --

Day 1 - Morning
In the hopes of losing weight and staying healthy, I exercise in the morning when my mind still has no idea what it's doing.

Day 2 - Empty 
My empty cup of coffee. I have this every single morning.

Day 3 - On my plate
One of my favorite pasta is carbonara.
I ordered this for lunch earlier at The Fifth International Food of MBK Mall.

Day 4 - Close up
My new key chain from a fellow Starbucks collector.
Loving the charms - coffee, frappuccino and Starbucks VIA.

Day 5 - Sign
A sign from the Post Office. Something that I do not understand again.

Day 6 - Hat
My little boy and his fedora hat. He loves putting on this hat given by his Auntie Tammy.

Day 7 - Drink
To make sure I drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, I track it.

May we enjoy the month of June. For now, let us all enjoy the weekend!

How did your first week go?