A Few Weird Superstitions that Most Filipinos Believe

Filipinos are one of the most superstitious people in the planet. Perhaps it is because of our diverse culture. Despite living in the 21st century, most of us still adhere to superstitious beliefs.


Here are a list of some common Filipino superstitions:

• Never take a bath/shower or wash your hands after ironing clothes, else you will get the dreaded disease called, "pasma".  My dear friends, there's no such thing as "pasma". There's not even an equivalent medical term for it.
• There's milk spots on your nails? It means money is on it's way! Unfortunately, those white spots on your nails aren't a sign of money knocking on your doorstep. It's called Leukonychia.
• Spoon or fork fell from your dining table? Expect an uninvited guest. I tried dropping utensils when I was feeling lonely, no one came to visit.
• Fishbone stuck in your throat? Find a "suhi" (breech baby) to massage your neck and voila, no more "tinik" in your "lalamunan"! No "suhi" in the house? No problem. A cat can do the trick.
• Those with dark gums are greedy and selfish people.
• Never dust the house at night as it is bad luck. 
• Don't sleep when your hair is still wet or you'll go blind. 
• Avoid sleeping with your feet towards the door. You don't want a ghost to steal your soul.
• If you sleep hungry, your spirit will wake up at night to look for food and chances are, your soul will be trapped in a pot somewhere in the kitchen.
• Don't break that glass. It's 7 years bad luck. But I honestly believe the "joke" that a broken condom can be much worse.

There are a hundred more beliefs and the one I provided above are just the common ones.

Do you believe any of these superstitions? Do you have one that you'd like to share? I'd like to hear them. 😝

Cookie Monster Mode: [Easy] Coffee Flavoured Cookies

It only takes around 20 minutes to bake- 10 minutes to prepare and mix the ingredients and another 10 to bake the cookies. So if you want a quick snack, here's an easy cookie recipe that can go with your afternoon tea or coffee. Shout out to coffee addicts!

Coffee Flavoured Cookies

Cookie Monster Mode: [Easy] Red Velvet Cookies

It's the love month again and you can already smell chocolates, roses and wine in the air. The malls are filled with decorative hearts, cupids and red ribbons. Chocolates and scented candles are on sale. Flowers are 15% more expensive. Stuff toys, teddy bears and cute little giveaways are best sellers to the teens this month.

Sigh, I've been dreaming of a short mini-vacation with hubby and the kids- away from the hustle and bustle of the city... but our budget and schedules are not so friendly. :-(

Euan is celebrating his 5th birthday on the 17th. He's going to have a party at school (17th Feb) and again at home on the 20th. Oh, we're going on an out-of-town field trip on Sunday,  the 14th of Feb - yes, on Valentines day! So I guess, that's how I'm going to celebrate my "love month" this year.

To lift my mood of the coming busy days, I dived into my favorite hobby: food. What's better than to bake and eat, right? Since it's Valentines, here's a red velvet cookie recipe to celebrate L-0-V-E.

Red Velvet Cookies

Cookie Monster Mode: [Easy Recipe] White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Craving for something sweet? Do you have 20minutes? Let's bake!


White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies 

White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (and some Raisin Cookies on top)

Cookie Monster Mode: [Easy Recipe] White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies with Fruits and Nuts

To justify my cravings, I always find a reason to celebrate something. Since I've been gaining considerable amount of weight due to my non-stop cookie-eating, here's an easy cookie recipe to celebrate another 3lbs on the weighing scale. Happy end of January! :-D

Cravings solved!

White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies with Fruits and Nuts 

Euri and Euan's Studio Photos

Finally, I had the kids photos taken last week! Eugene was, as usual, against the idea of bringing the kids to a professional photo studio as it is expensive and in his own words, "not a necessity".  I agree that it's really not necessary but with the kids' birthday coming in a few weeks, I just couldn't resist having their pictures taken. In fact, I need a new set of photos to use for their birthday invitations.

Euan's birthday is on the 17th of February. My little prince is turning 5! My darling little angel is turning 1 on the 23rd of April. Their birthdays are only more than a month apart so I'm so excited doing the birthday planning and all. :-)

There are a lot of photo studios in Manila but I've been eyeing CamKids since I gave birth to Euri. Haha. Anyway, here are some of the photos from the photo shoot taken by CamKids Studio, Robinson's Magnolia.

Cookie Monster Mode: [Easy] Colourful Raisin Cookies

Colourful Raisin Cookies (I added Cinnamon to other batch)

Been craving for cookies this past week. I've been baking cookies on a daily basis! Yes, I know it's bad for someone who's on the brink of diabetes, but when you're suffering from uncontrollable craving for sugar, there's no way to go but to give in.

I've taken into consideration that too much sweets will shorten my life span, so the cookies I baked a had less sugar than the ordinary cookies I bake. I even played with the recipes and turned them into my own cookie-experiments. I don't usually write down the recipe of my cooking/baking experiments, but since baking is more science (meaning it follows precise measurements unlike cooking), I know I needed to write it down or memorize it in order to make it perfect for next time.

Here's my latest "just got lucky" aka "tsamba" cookie recipe:

The Cookie Base and Easy Chocolate Flavoured Cookies

If you are like me who has this unstoppable cravings for sweets, I suggest you keep a cookie base mix in your cupboard so that when you have this sudden urge to eat something sweet, you can easily whip up a cookie or two.

Cookie Base (you can use this for at least 3 cookie recipe)


Mix the following ingredients:
5-6 cups of flour
1 cup of refined sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt

Here's a good and simple recipe to start:

Starbucks Free Lifetime Pass

You know you're a coffee addict when you jolt right out of bed upon reading a group message saying that if you share a link to your newsfeed and friends, you'll get a lifetime pass from the coffee expert, Starbucks.

The link says that if you share the link to your Facebook newsfeed and to five of your friends or groups, you'll get a lifetime pass to Starbucks. It's in "celebration" of the coffee shop's 44th year anniversary.

I was so excited that I immediately shared the link on my newsfeed and sent it to some of my friends. Then when the "Click Here To Get Your Lifetime Pass" button didn't work, I decided to check Google for more information.

Turns out, it's just a survey SCAM.

A lot of people fall victim to these kinds of scams and honestly, we can't blame them. Often, the offer is too tempting to pass.

Anyway, for me, it's a lesson learned. I'm so embarrassed when I told my friends to ignore my message. I also had to go to the group pages to delete my posts.

So from now on, believe what the wisemen say: if it's too good to be true, it probably is.


Want to know more about this scam? Read it here.

The Pros and Cons of Working from Home [by a Work from Home Mom]

I have been telecommuting since 2009 and a lot of people tell me that I'm so lucky to be working from home. I agree. There are so many reasons why I love working from home, but there are also moments when I feel like I just want to throw myself back to the days when I still worry about what to wear and getting stuck in traffic.

That's why there's what we call, Work-Life Balance.

Contrary to what most people think, working from home is not as awesome. There are also things we wish we can do, and things that we envy from people who work in an office. Here are just a few of the Pros and Cons of working from home.

Cover Up: My Dilemma of Breastfeeding in Public

Stuck in a semi-conservative era, folks here in the Philippines are still easily offended when seeing a mother pull her boobs out to feed her baby. Even abroad, I know there are still places where breastfeeding in public is forbidden.

To some mothers, public breastfeeding can sometimes cause embarrassment (especially here in the Philippines). Why? Well, let's start with the famous argument of "morality". If you're a breastfeeding mom who breastfeed in public without cover up, you know how easily you "attract" quick glances and sometimes stares from strangers. You know, those quick glances coupled with a smirk or [hungry] stares from maniacs waiting for you to show more flesh. Annoying, isn't it?

I have been breastfeeding my little Euri since day one. It is a very challenging task - constantly praying for her to latch well so my nipples won't hurt, waking up every 2 hours at night, pumping/milking my two melons to produce enough milk so my heavyweight champion won't go hungry.

At home, I couldn't care less if I walk around the bedroom with my boobs exposed. My nannies must be so used to seeing me hand-expressing that they just probably roll their eyes behind my back. But when we're out and about, my dilemma is always the moment when Euri cries for milk.

Baby Wearing: Ergobaby Carrier

Baby wearing is the new trend for Moms here in the Philippines. Aside from having our little angels being (literally) closer to our heart, it has so many benefits for the little ones. Investing in a baby carrier can be easier to the pocket too (depends on the type and brand of your carrier), compared to buying a stroller... though I still believe having a stroller has its own perks.

Euri's been colicky since she turned 5 weeks. It was difficult to calm her down, especially when she finds it hard to burp. Feeding her would make her stop crying for a while, then she would spit up milk (a sign that she's overfed), then cry again. I would put on aceite de manzanilla (anti-flatulence) or give her Restime (simeticone drops, advised by Euri's pediatrician) hoping that it would stop her from being upset but it would take several minutes to an hour before the (already tired) baby starts to calm down and (finally) sleeps.

Now, though the colic episodes lessen, my just-turned-2-month-old little princess loves to be close to Mommy and still demands to be cuddled when we're out at the mall or even at bed time, hence, the crib/playpen ended up folded and kept in our storage room and the beautiful Capella stroller looking like new. The nanny and myself however, have started to develop dark circles around our eyes, coupled with firmer muscles on both arms -all thanks to my heavyweight bundle of joy.

To solve this problem, I decided to do my own little research on how to calm a colicky baby and how to lessen (if not avoid) her being carried around too much. Turns out, one way to calm a colicky baby is to swaddle and cuddle her close since they miss the warm temperature when they were still inside our tummy. So in short, we can't really avoid the almost 24/7 "karga-hele-sayaw" scenario.

Solution? A baby carrier that would free our hands even for just an hour, enough to do some household chores.

UTI Panic!

My lovely and brave little Euri at JDMH

Yesterday afternoon, after a week-long stay in the hospital, we finally got home just in time to celebrate our little princess Euri's 1st month birthday. The little girl got infected by UTI (urinary tract infection) and the doctors (and my ever beloved mom and mom-in-law) are blaming no one else but me. I was taking antibiotics for my UTI two days before giving birth, so Euri's pediatrician confirmed that although it should have manifested right at birth, there are instances that UTI manifest within month after birth (term: late onset).

It was Friday last week when I noticed that Euri stopped asking for milk every 2 hours. My chubby newborn feeds 2 ounces of milk every two hours, and for some reason, she had lost appetite and slept more. There was also a less need for diaper change which bothered me since I know babies should pee a lot. Then came Sunday afternoon when I noticed that Euri's skin color is a little too red and her temperature seems high. The nanny said that the baby's temperature is normal, but I trusted my instinct and took her temperature -- 38.3C

The Benefits of Breastfeeding and Getting a Lactation Consultant

When Euan was born, I did try to breastfeed, only to fail a few weeks later because I was discouraged with my milk supply. For almost a month of pumping and trying to latch my premature little boy, the most amount of milk I got from my useless 38C breasts is a disappointing 2oz. So for four years (until now), Euan drinks formula milk - an item in our grocery list that we could have avoided if only I continued breastfeeding.

So when I got pregnant with our second child Euri, my husband made me promise to give breastfeeding a second chance. I was more than eager to give it another try as budget is extremely tight, so it is only right to avoid additional expenses such as milk. Also, aside from saving a lot of money from buying expensive formula milk, breast milk has a lot of benefits for both mother and child.

Painting by Gioia Albano

Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding lowers your baby's risk of having asthma or allergies. Plus, babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. - www.webmd.com

Fruit Crepe Recipe

It's been exactly ten days since I gave birth to our little angel, Euri. The sacrifices of limited sweets, carbs and weekly getaways are all worth it. To celebrate our little angel's tenth day (and the end of my gestational diabetes), I cooked my favorite peach-mango crepe!

A photo of my peach crepe from last year... (Jan. 17, 2014)

Since I'm feeling generous today (as if crepe recipes aren't in any websites yet), here is my easy crepe recipe.

Giving Birth at Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital

Euri Dirwen, 23 April 2015 @ 8:29am, 9.9lbs

I finally gave birth to a bouncy 9.9lbs baby girl Thursday, the 23rd of April at 8:29am. The hospital stay was okay as it was much better than I expected, though the pain of giving birth the second time around was not as tolerable as the first.

We arrived at the hospital Wednesday afternoon (April 22), so I can be admitted and have my scheduled CS operation by 8:00am the following day. By some weird kind of luck, ALL private rooms were fully booked, all wards were occupied and the only rooms available were two suite rooms which were thrice the price of the private rooms, and 2 remaining beds in the last available semi-private room. Out of practicality, we chose the semi-private room, hoping that there will be an available private room the next day.

Diaper Bag Choices

For months, I've been bugging my husband to "allow" me to buy a new diaper bag. The stingy husband refuses to buy a new one since the one that we have for four years is still okay apart from the rusty handle rings.

I am talking about the Carter's diaper bag we bought last 2011 that literally traveled with us everywhere. It's been to a lot of beaches, malls, out of towns, etc. This soldier is a "war veteran" already!

Carter's Everyday Tote Diaper Bag

The Carter's Everyday Tote diaper bag is very spacious. It has two front pockets, two side pockets and 1 back pocket where you can put the changing pad. The interior has pockets and lots of storage space, also included is a small transparent bag where you can put baby's small things.

The Carter's diaper bag is cheap compared to other branded bags and is easy to clean too. The only problem we had with this is it's heavy, but since it's very durable, it felt like the value of the bag is more than what we've paid for. :-)

Now, since baby Euri's arrival is just a few days away, and we unfortunately can not find the ever reliable four year old diaper bag, my husband FINALLY agreed to buy a new one to replace it. I've searched the internet tirelessly for a new diaper bag that looks fashionable, lightweight, spacious and of course, reasonably priced.

Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital vs Capitol Medical Center

At last, I am scheduled to give birth via C-section on the 23rd of April at Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital.  It took us months, to finally decide on the hospital. I was torn between Capitol Medical Center and JDMH, but chose the latter only yesterday.

For those of you who don't know, Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital is a " Level IV General Hospital" located in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. It used to be a maternity hospital, so it is small and still has very few doctors. Though customer feedback is high at 90% (according to their website), there are a few negative things I noticed in this hospital, including overall hygiene.

Photo Credit: from Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital

Choosing the Perfect Stroller

Goodbaby High Impact Stroller

Buying a stroller is one of the most difficult part of my nursery shopping. With so many strollers to choose from, it is harder to decide on the right wheels for the baby. I consider the stroller as an investment as it is one of the most important gear my husband and I will purchase for our little one. Our first born spent a relatively long time in a stroller, traveling from one place to another, using the stroller as a napping place and as a high chair etc, so it is important for us to choose the safest and most comfortable one that fits our budget.

So for fellow moms who are currently looking for the perfect stroller, here are the important things to assess before paying for your baby's four (or three) wheels:

• Capacity: The very first question I ask the salesman when buying a stroller: "What's the capacity?" We need to consider what age, weight and height the stroller can handle.
• Recline: Infants can't hold their head up or can not support their neck yet, so it is important that your stroller seat can fully recline. Also, even if the baby is a little older, they may want to fully recline their seat so that they can sleep or drink milk comfortably.
• Canopy: Most strollers have a canopy, but for me a stroller with full canopy is awesome, as it can shield the baby from light and other elements, and also work as a quick cover from sudden drizzle.
• Storage Basket: It is the basket just below the seat. For someone who travel and shops a lot, the bigger the storage basket, the better.
• Car Seat: Can the stroller accommodate or attach an infant car seat? It's a nice feature that allows you to move your baby from your car to the stroller, without having to remove (and wake) the baby from the car seat.
• Easy to Fold: This is a vital feature for parents who love to move quick and are prone to travel.

The important features of a reliable stroller. This one is the Capella Adonis series.

Easy Ice Scramble Recipe

Ice scramble is my favorite Filipino street food in the dessert category. It is the perfect and undeniably one of the cheapest desserts to beat the summer heat. The pink, sweet marshmallow-y goodness of this flavored crushed ice is a taste of heaven.

A few years ago, ice scrambled took the market by storm. I mean, you can see several stalls serving ice scrambles in big shopping malls! It's literally a dream come true, especially for me who needed to wait tirelessly for "manong" to pass by the front of our house so I can buy a cup of this thirst quencher. But then like any fad, the ice scramble stall business died. There were less stalls in malls, until there was none. :-(

Ice Scramble image from Pinterest

So to celebrate my birthday, I am treating myself to a homemade ice scramble! The recipe is very simple: