Whenever I go out and hear babies wail, whenever I walk down the supermarket aisles with shelves and shelves of formula milk and diapers, I heave a sigh of relief that I am through with the stage where my kids would cry and I had to look for clues pointing me to the culprit. These days, I know what's bothering them because they could verbalize it, even my youngest. Whenever I go out and see chubby babies whose necks are hidden by their pudgy cheeks, whenever I see photos online of toothless … [Read more...]
Nickerbacher, The Funniest Dragon by Terry John Barto, Cymplified!
Nickerbacher, The Funniest Dragon had all the elements of a fairytale: a tower, a princess, a prince, and a dragon. The main character, however, was the dragon. Not just any dragon, but, a funny one. Who ever heard of a funny dragon, right? That's what Nickerbacher's father thought. Dragons were supposed to do their duty. For a moment, I was transported into my younger self, struggling with the need to make my own choices versus the expectations of my parents. But, then, I returned to my … [Read more...]
Family Getaway: Hotel Kimberly Tagaytay Hits & Misses, Cymplified!
After lunch and a brief meeting, we headed to Hotel Kimberly Tagaytay in our family car filled with bags and excitement. I was waiting for this day for ages! The anticipation didn't prevent the kids from dropping off to sleep, though. They did wake up upon nearing the venue. Since we used a Deal Grocer coupon, the check-in was a breeze. Hotel Kimberly was a bright four-storey hotel decked out in indigenous design materials and furniture. It's not the city-type hotel that's a skyscraper, … [Read more...]
The Master and Her Piece: Tippy Go of The Googly Gooeys, Cymplified!
Welcome to my new blog feature called The Master and her Piece! It's an interview I do with women who inspire me and others to live and create better. I ask questions about their masterpieces or their works, their inspiration and ideas, their motivation, their challenges and their advice; to hopefully encourage my readers, too. The first lady I want to put under the spotlight in Cymplified is 1/2 of The Googly Gooeys, Tippy Go. She's the artist behind this gem of a blog, this … [Read more...]
Guest Post: How To Creatively Manage The Household Budget, Cymplified!
This guest post on How To Creatively Manage The Household Budget is brought to you by Hilary Smith. Every mother has heard these dreaded words, “I'm bored” from their kids during summer vacation and “stick to the budget” almost every day from either her spouse or herself. The first one is easy enough to solve with a new toy or a treat for a restless child, but that can make the second scenario even more agonizing. Balancing a budget often means going without those little extra treats, like … [Read more...]
Create Your Masterpiece: Busy Hands, Cymplified!
Proverbs 10:4 (NIV) 4 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. Ecclesiastes 11:6 (NIV) 6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. "Always be creating!" That is letterer Abbey Sy's motto, I believe. Note to self: buy her book, The ABC's of Hand Lettering. Anyway... Our hands have purposes. They were meant to do something beautiful, … [Read more...]
How Life Is Like A Watercolor, Cymplified!
Life is like a watercolor. The process of painting a watercolor is like living. How? Gather our materials. Pencil, eraser, paper, paintbrushes, glass or jar of water, palette, watercolor paint, scratch paper and tissue paper. In life: We are equipped with these "materials" to make the kind of "watercolor painting" or life we want. Sketch our picture. Maybe even recreate our inspirational source such as a photo of a sunset. Use our pencils to draw with the end result in mind. In life: Here, we … [Read more...]
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