Food Trip Friday: A Filipino Feast

My apologies for my entry coming in late again. But I promised in my previous post that I will share the Filipino feast that we had last Saturday. So here they are:

Yup, that is a whole lechon! You can have also them here in Germany and I was sooo relieved! Of couse, a Filipino feast is not complete without the longganisa, pansit-canton, laing, menudo, afritada and adobong sitaw!

And with food like that, you will definitely forget about your diet! LOL! Want to see more mouth-watering stuff? Visit Food Trip Friday!

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Mommy Moments: Attack Of The Temper Tantrums

This week's theme for Mommy Moments is a great one! Why great? Because I get to learn from other Mommies how they handle their child's tantrums. I know each child is unique and have their own personalities, but when it comes to throwing tantrums, no mommy is exempted from the wailing, crying, yelling and throwing a fit.

I have had my share of Samantha's tantrums too. She would give it to me especially if she sees me sitting in front of the computer. This is the typical scenario: She would come inside the "office", pull my hand and lead me away from the computer. Most of the time, I would go and accompany her and ask what she needs, but sometimes when I am doing something "very" important, I would say "Please wait Sam." And that's when she would cry until she sees me stand up and takes her hand. So that explains why I don't get much time to blog or blog hop. Hehe!

She wanted to get the camera from me and I said No. So she gave me this:

There was a time though when she threw a very big one that I wanted to pull my hairs out! I tell you it was a lot of drama. I tried everything possible yet the cries and wails came. So I gave her a time out while I tried to vent out my anger. After that, we embraced each other and cried together. LOL!

But I guess at her age, it is her way of asking for attention and venting out her frustrations. It is just a stage though and I know she will soon outgrow them.

She is already tired and cranky after a day out, a signal that we need to go home. She slept as soon as we strapped her into her car seat.

Fortunately for me, handling her tantrums is not that difficult (except for the one I mentioned above) because Samantha, after all is a HAPPY child. I learned that scolding her would make things worse but that embracing her, talking to her softly and distracting her calms her down. I also make sure that we do things together during the day so that when I need to do my household chores, she could just play by herself or watch barney to entertain herself. She now knows that she has to take her naps in the afternoons and I see to it that she gets them. She would calmly oblige and sometimes, she is the one who will take me to the bedroom as a sign that she wants to take her nap. Isn't that cute?

So how to handle tantrums? Be consistent. Be patient. Parenting, after all is a never-ending classroom. And let's just be happy that they are growing up normally. Imagine a toddler who throws no tantrum. That is something to be worried about. Hehe!

How about you? How do you deal with them tantrums? Share it with us!

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Your Favorites Right At Your Fingertips

I have always loved movies. I would always be on the lookout for new film releases on the Internet and excitedly wait for them to come on the big screen. But ever since I had my baby, I have been missing a lot. Being a Mommy does change a lot of things. So to catch up, we rent DVDs online and wait for them to arrive in the mail. The only problem is that, you need to wait a few more days before you can actually watch them. By the time the DVD has arrived, I am either too tired to watch or my appetite has gone.

We do have cable tv at home but you would need to know the schedules firsthand so you won't miss them. And my little one loves to watch Spongebob, Dora and Diego on TV too. Sadly, they air too early and most of the time, she doesn't get to watch them. Then I heard about Charter Digital which allows you to watch these shows when you want them for FREE! It does sound interesting and exciting. That would mean less fighting with the daughter and less tantrums too. Charter Digital also does HD shows so that you don't need to have an HD TV in order to watch an HD show. Isn't that great? If you need more information, you can also learn more at charter.net/ondemand. You may also get updates and fun extras on Charter’s Facebook page. If you are a busy mom and wouldn't want to miss on your favorite shows and movies, then you should get Charter On Demand.

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Cold Remedies For Your Toddler

Samantha caught the colds, AGAIN! She doesn't have any fever though and I am thankful for that. She sneezes a lot, especially during the day, and she has a cough too. Her nose is very stuffy she finds it difficult to breath and sleep. Getting her to take naps in the afternoons and to bed in the evenings is quite a task. She would run and cry each time she sees me holding a wet tissue or wipes and heading in her direction. I am glad though that she does not resist drinking her medicine anymore.

-please click on photo to read the poem and see sam more clearly-

So what should one do to treat the cough and lessen the congestion? There are many home remedies available online and here are some of the tips that I have tried and/or willing to follow because they are safe enough:

1. Get your child off the milk and other dairy products for the time being as they can cause very thick mucus, which makes it difficult for your baby to clear. Tea and clear chicken broth will do the trick. To sooth irritated throats due to coughing, mix one part lemon juice and two parts honey in a little warm water.
2. Create your own steam room: let your shower run on hot and be sure to keep the bathroom door closed to keep the steam in. Sit with your little one inside the bathroom for 10-15 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day. This should help with the congestion.
3. Give your little one a vapor bath. Johnson and Johnson Soothing Baby Vapor Bath is very good.
4. Keep the room where your little one sleeps in moist to prevent the secretions from drying out. A cool mist humidifier will help. If there is none available, you can improvise by hanging wet, warm towels inside the room.
5. Apply some baby rub on your baby. Most use Baby Vicks but I use the one that the pharmacist recommended for toddlers. It does help Sam breath easier especially during bed time.

So there you are Mommies. I hope this will help you treat your little one's colds too! Cheers!

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