Summer Road Trips

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stay·ca·tion.  noun \ˈstā-ˈkā-shən\

 A vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that home and one's home environs have to offer.

-Merriam-Webster Dictionary

If you do not have any plans of going out of the country this summer, why not take some time to discover the beauty of our own islands - take your brood for a staycation. 

For the circus that I call family, we go on staycations regularly, whenever there are long weekends/holidays that allow it.  Staycation ideas for families abound for us here in Manila; we are lucky to live in a country with diverse topography – all nearby.  There are road trips to do, mountains to climb, beaches to visit.  There are a number of attractions waiting to be explored. 

Take advantage of living in a tropical island and take a pick of any of our beaches.  Beaches feature a number of activities that the whole family can enjoy, such as kayaking, jet-skiing, snorkeling, etc.  Just imagine:  azure blue water, white sandy beach and verdant coconut trees…  

Slather on the sunscreen, put on those sunglasses and go out!

Here are some suggestions:
1.  Go on a Food Trip to Pampanga, the Culinary Capital of the Philippines. 

2.  Kids love to visit Ilog Maria Honey Bee Farm in Tagaytay

3. Tagaytay's Paradizoo is another must-visit place in Tagaytay

4. Tagaytay also offers a lot of restos, so you (and your pants) might as well squeeze in a Food Trip

 

5. Visit a Hydroponic Farm (in my post: Bees, Buddhas and Blackberries)

 

6.  Stop over at Nuvali on your way to any of the Southern destinations

7. Swim in the best infinity pool in Laiya, Batangas (Acuatico Resort)

8.  See Bataan in a whole new light by staying at Anvaya Cove Beach and Nature Resort 

 

9.  Subic in Zambales is a joy to visit now because of the SCTex.  Visit Ocean Adventure, enjoy the rustic stables of El Kabayo, or pay the wild animals a visit at Zoobic Safari.  We usually stay at the Subic Yatch Club, but you can also read Mom-Friday's post about her Subic accomodations.

scenic El Kabayo taken from my pre-blogging days

10. Villa Escudero, in the border between the provinces of Laguna and Quezon, is also another option for your wanderlust toes.  Admission fee already includes:
~Lunch with your legs halfway dipped in flowing water as the dining tables are situated right below the hydroelectric dam 
~A visit to the Escudero family museum which is housed inside the Villa Escudero church contains the family's private collections.  

~ go around the plantation on a carabao-driven cart

~Kayak on native bamboo rafts along the peaceful Libasin Lake, home of the country's first working hydroelectric plant.

I bet I have you packing already…

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This should be posted by the door of every club pool. :)

Ten Commandments for Swim Parents

by Rose Snyder (adapted from Ed Cledaniel’s "Ten Commandment for Little League Parents ")

1. Thou shalt not impose your ambitions on thy child. Remember that swimming is your child's activity.  Improvements and progress occur at different rates for each individual.  Don't judge your child's progress based on the performance of other athletes and don't push them based on what you think they should be doing.  The nice thing about swimming is every person can strive to do his or her personal best.

2.  Thou shalt be supportive no matter what. There is only one question to ask your child "Did you have fun?"  If meets and practices are not fun, your child should not be forced to participate.

3. Thou shalt not coach your child. You have taken your child to a professional coach.  Do not undermine that coach by trying to coach your child on the side.  You job is to support, love and hug your child no matter what.  The coach is responsible for the technical part of the job.  You should not offer advice on technique or race strategy.  That is not your area.  This will only serve to confuse your child and prevent that swimmer/coach bond from forming.

4. Thou shalt only have positive things to say at a swimming meet. If you are going to show up at a swimming meet, you should cheer and applaud, but never criticize your child or the coach.

5. Thou shalt acknowledge thy child's fears. A first swimming meet, 800 free or 400 IM can be a stressful situation. It is totally appropriate for your child to be scared. Don’t yell or belittle, just assure your child that the coach would not have suggested the event if your child was not ready to compete in it. Remember your job is to love and support your child through all of the swimming experience.

6. Thou shalt not criticize the officials. If you do not have the time or the desire to volunteer as an official, don't criticize those who are doing the best they can.

7. Honor thy child's coach. The bond between coach and swimmer is a special one, and one that contributes to your child's success as well as fun.  Do not criticize the coach in the presence of your child, it will only serve to hurt your child's swimming.

8. Thou shalt not jump from team to team. The water isn't necessarily bluer at the other team's pool.  Every team has its own internal problems, even teams that build champions.  Children who switch from team to team are often ostracized for a long, long time by the teammates they leave behind.  Oftentimes, swimmers who do switch teams never do better than they did before they sought the bluer water.

9. Thy child shalt have goals besides winning. Giving an honest effort regardless of what the outcome is, is much more important than winning.  One Olympian said, "My goal was to set a world record.  Well, I did that, but someone else did it too, just a little faster than I did.  I achieved my goal and I lost.  This does not make me a failure, in fact, I am very proud of that swim."

10. Thou shalt not expect thy child to become an Olympian. There are over 300,000 athletes who swim.  There are only 52 spots available for the Olympic Team every four years.  Your child's odds of becoming an Olympian are 1 in about 5,000.  Swimming is much more than just the Olympics.  Ask your coach why they coach.  Chances are, he was not an Olympian, but still got enough out of swimming that they want to pass that love for the sport on to others.  Swimming teaches self-discipline and sportsmanship; it builds self-esteem and fitness; it provides lifelong friendships and much more.  Most Olympians will tell you that these intangibles far outweigh any medal they may have won.  Swimming builds good people and you should be happy that your child wants to participate.

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My Version Of Summer

It is right in the middle of summer already, so how is yours going along? 

I hope the earlier posts I shared on summer activities (taken from Smart Parenting) was useful.  It covered basically everything from culinary arts, to sports, to academic enrichment, and performing arts. Still, if you feel that you need more ideas, here is a compilation of the activities my kids have done in the summers past.

The idea of conducting my own summer camp for the kids initially stemmed out of a practical solution to avoid having to drive the kids all over town.  I have three kids and taking into consideration the multiple and varied interests each of my kids have, my mind cannot process and my body simply disagrees with the task of taking them everywhere all at the same time.  And the amount I spend paying for their summer activities alone could easily swell to an amount close to what I would pay for school tuition for one child.  And that is NOT an exaggeration. 

Here are some of the ways we have spent our summers, hopefully you can also enjoy the same with your kids!  You can click on the titles if you want to read more of that particular activity.

1.  ARTS and CRAFTS.  I enjoy drawing, painting, crafting, writing, baking, gardening.  Those areas are basically where I hold court, so summer mornings with my kids are, by and large, spent doing any of those cherished activities. 

Iron-On Shirts. 
Take your cue from your child and put out his/her favorite character into a shirt.  You can read the DIY instruction for IRON-ON SHIRTS here.

 Tie-Dye Shirts

Origami

Handmade Gift Tags

Sand Art

2.  CULINARY

Homemade Avocado Ice Cream

Click here to read more about making your own ice cream.

DIY Crepe Bar

DIY Pizza

Bake some CUPCAKES! Swirl or monogram your frosting.

Popsicle
Click here to read more about the different ways to enjoy summer fruits

3.  OUTDOORS

Ark Avilon Zoo

 

La Mesa Eco Park

Park

Camping:  Dad and Me Camp

 Read about their adventures on their first camping trip here; and the subsequent camp here.

 Gardening 

 

Picnic

 

Enjoy your Summer!

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Ateneo Aquathlon 2011

Like the previous year, J's swimming team supported this year's Ateneo Aquathlon as well.  But unlike last year, the 12 and under participants are to bear the brunt of the unforgiving summer sun, with their wave the last to start at 8:30am. 

With some of her team-mates from CAL Swimming

Thank goodness!  She managed to remember to put herself in front of the crowd of swimmers...

She performed well in the water, and was the fifth girl out of the pool.  She is to face what is the hardest part of the race for her - the run leg.  I remember, I ran alongside her last year...

This year, I was contemplating on running with her again, but C put his foot down and decided that J should run her own race this year.

Heading straight to the official's table to check her time after crossing the finish line.  (Notice a veteran tri-kid with her own personailized tri-suit behind J)

For future reference, her race stats are:  400m swim: 6min 28 sec, 3km run: 19min 06sec, total race time:  25min 34sec. 

She is obviously pleased with her finish!

 

 Read how she handled her first aquathlon here.


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Tomatis Method: Good Learners Are Good Listeners

When I received an invitation for an exclusive educational presentation of the Tomatis Method, I was intrigued to know more about this technique which claims to help children achieve their maximum potential  by re-awakening their ear's natural ability to listen.

Tomatis may be a word that is unfamiliar to many, but I am sure most of us have heard of the term, Mozart Effect.  French Doctor Alfred Tomatis is the man whose research inspired the term 'Mozart Effect'. Dr. Tomatis noticed an increase in brain development that takes place in children as they listen to the music of Mozart and also noticed that Mozart created the greatest healing effect on the human body.

Dr. Tomatis’ discovery led to the realization that listening troubles are the root cause of many learning problems.  The Tomatis Method is non-invasive, drug-free and involves no tutoring or teaching.  It is an auditory stimulation program that is designed to re-awaken the ear’s natural ability to listen and ultimately stimulate the brain’s desire to communicate. 

The program addresses the needs of children with developmental delays/disorders by improving their listening skills.  It has been seen to benefit kids diagnosed with ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, autism, dyslexia, and other sensory integration problems. 

However, school children with no diagnosed disorder but need improved focus and listening can also benefit of the available standard program called Brain Gain.

The Tomatis Method also claims to have helped adults fight depression, learn foreign languages faster, develop better communication skills, and improve both creativity and on-the-job performance. Many musicians, singers and actors also found it helpful in fine-tuning their artistic skills. These clients include the opera singer Maria Callas, French actor Gerard Depardieu, and rock star Sting.

The kids are made to wear a specially designed headset while listening to electronically modified music and language to re-educate, stimulate and improve the way in which the mind process auditory information. 

 

 

The training is provided through a highly developed technical sound system known as the Electronic Ear. The training center is equipped with a special and proprietary listening equipment.  (Take note of the Tomatis logo on all of the equipment.)

Tomatis Philippines is the only accredited Tomatis Center in the whole of Asia.  The owners are all Tomatis accredited consultants. They share how they started Tomatis Philippines here.

Mom-Friday with Tomatis Owners Gem Manosa, Joanne Pedrosa and Ria Vecin.

A group photo courtesy of My Mom-Friday

The Tomatis Method could be the solution to your problem.  Book now for an assessment or like them on Facebook to get updates as they periodically give out FREE listening assessments.

Tomatis Philippines
http://www.tomatis.com.ph/

Alabang.  FLWI, DLSZ, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa 771.3579 loc 800

Fort. 2/F Kensington Place, 1st Avenue, Bonifacio Global City 856.7631

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Barcelona Chair ... Dreaming

Since the start of the year, I have developed an ardent fascination with the Barcelona Chair.  I love its simple design and timeless beauty, and how it can instantly add a seamless layer of chic to a room.  I love how it made tufting look so quiet and modern.   

The Barcelona Chair was designed by acclaimed German architect Mies Van der Rohe for the German Pavilion at the Barcelona World’s Fair in 1928.   Can you believe this chair was designed over 80 years ago?  The design still looks incredibly modern.  And if one is not aware of the lineage and history of this chair, it would be easy to think of it as a recent creation.  While the original design was made in stainless steel with ivory leather, the Barcelona Chair now has many variations and has inspired countless other furniture designs.  

Personally I love them in white Italian full grain aniline leather. I would love for this modern classic to find a place in my living room.  I want it in pairs - with matching ottomans.  How glorious, di ba!

But since we live in Manila where air pollution is at a very notorious level, maybe black Italian full grain aniline leather would be a more reasonable option.  I think it would survive better.

 

I am saving up for my Barcelona.  In the meantime I find myself going to my digital album of Barcelona chairs.... patiently waiting...

How about you, what color do you like? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this...

image credits:  all images taken from various sources.  Sorry, did not note down sources as it was just primarily intended to be for my private digital album.

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Sophisticated Provisions For A Li'l Girl's Birthday

Over the weekend, I was busy inside my head thinking up a storm on what to do with smoked salmon.  Our little diva daughter wanted smoked salmon to be the theme for her birthday dinner as we celebrated her turning eight.  She wrote down her suggested dinner menu as such:  "creamy salmon pasta, pasta with salmon and olive oil, cheese pizza with REAL mozzarella."  Yes, with ALL CAPS on the REAL... scared that I might substitute with quick melt cheese.  Hahaha!  

 

The moment in her young life when she started to realize that there’s more to food than rice and porkchop is really exciting.  I always feel sorry for kids who are fussy eaters, who stick to the safe and easy choices, because they’re missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures.  The key to developing a propensity to take on a better appreciation for a variety of taste lies in part on the encouragement of parents to experiment with an assortment of wonderful cuisine.

Yep, my li'l B certainly knows the Good Stuff!  Her palate is continuously developing a taste for  sophisticated gastronomy, and that will only mean our grocery and restaurant bill will start growing as well.

To prepare for that smoked salmon dinner....

A quick trip to our favorite delicatessen and I am all set...

Smoked Salmon is quite expensive, but I have found that S&R sells them at the most reasonable price.  And also, the fish is very flavorful in itself, so a little goes a long way.  It is best to buy them pre-sliced, and to just separate the delicate thin slices as you unwrap the fish.

I thought of starting the night with some Smoked Salmon Crostini.  It is a very simple hors doeuvres to make since most of the ingredients can be prepared before hand, and the assembly done right before serving.

I also want to share with you a kitchen tip which I got from my sister... I learned from her that you can use any bread to make crostini.  Yes, even the lowly pandesal! :)

The usual bread of choice for a crostini, for most of us is a baguette, but if you are not very particular and do not mind that your crostini are not the same size, then go ahead and follow what I did...

simply cut up those Gardenia Pandesal into thin slices and bake in a 350-degree oven for 5-7 minutes or until they are golden.

 

Doesn't look like Pandesal once it's all dressed up, eh?

As what the Birthday Girl requested, I also prepared linguini with smoked salmon, arugula and capers. My sister made a creamy salmon pasta which was a welcome addition on the dining table... but since I was too busy putting food on the table, I was not able to take a photo of it. 

 

And for dessert, because I know my li'l girl has a predilection for sophisticated provisions, I decided to indulge her by serving her namesake cheese, Brie En Croute. Brie En Croute is just a fancy name for Brie cheese wrapped in phyllo pastry.  Despite its complicated name, it is on the contrary quite easy to prepare.

First, just peel off the cover 

Then, cut the wheel in half like so

Cut the phyllo sheets to size and brush cooled, melted butter on each sheet.

Place Brie cut side up in the middle of the sheet and top with 1/8 cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 cup roasted, chopped walnuts

Top with remaining Brie cheese.  Brush sides of phyllo sheets with egg wash and seal to close.

Brush the edges of the dough

Turn around and you can put some design, but it is optional

Brush with eggwash all over.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree celsius oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve with slivers of apple and pear, or toast.

 

The Birthday Girl enjoyed her dinner celebration!  

I hope you are inspired to recreate the recipes I have shared here.  Enjoy!

 

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