Banana Peel Tea for Better Sleep

Chamomile is known to be the tea for a good-night sleep. But would you believe that banana peel can also be brewed for the same purpose? You could brew your banana peel instead of putting it in a trash bin, and you now have an alternative to chamomile tea! (Remember to wash the peels properly before brewing. Use of organic bananas is also recommended by Eliza Savage, RD.)

Bananas are full of nutrients which are responsible for one’s good-night sleep, and it is also rich in potassium and magnesium—which are natural muscle relaxants. It also contains the amino acid tryptophan, which is a precursor to melatonin (a sleep hormone) and to serotonin (a neurotransmitter which contributes to feelings of happiness and well-being).

Just put the banana peels in a sauce pan. Add enough water and make sure that the peels are submerged in it. You may add banana flesh to add more flavor to your brew. Let the water boil then reduce the heat and let the it brew for ten (10) minutes. Remove the banana peels and transfer the tea to your mug. You’re now ready to enjoy your good-night-sleep tea!

So, next time you need to sleep better, try brewing a banana peel tea. Or you may just eat a banana as a dessert or a midnight snack. This is a cheaper alternative to a box of chamomile tea.

National Heroes’ Day Mall-wide Sale at Paseo Sta. Rosa, Laguna

Here it is! This is the moment my family’s been waiting for….the National Heroes’ Day Mall-wide Sale at Paseo Sta. Rosa! It started this weekend (August 24, 2019), and it will be running until next weekend (September 1, 2019). The discount is up to 80% off! Isn’t that amazing?!

The boys need new shoes for their growing feet, and we promised we’ll buy them a new one when this mall-wide sale comes. That’s why they’re all so excited! Even me, I’m excited!

The two bubuts were able to buy their shoes in Fuzion. This is a shoe shop in Paseo, which carries brands such as Merrell, Skechers, Pony, Saucony, etc. Actually, I also bought a pair of white rubber shoes here 🙂

The next day when we went to Ayala Malls Solenad to buy things for the eldest bubut, we realized that they also have a mall-wide sale, just like in Paseo. My husband took this opportunity to himself a pair of new shoes, which he can use everyday when he goes to work. Kuya Bubut also bought his futsal shoes here at Olympic Village. He was not able to find the right size yesterday in Paseo. Hubby found a pair that he likes, but he hesitated due to the price; so he went back to Paseo to check the New Balance store there, which closed early yesterday. He was able to buy a very cool pair of blue New Balance shoes there.

Ate Bubut didn’t buy shoes this weekend because she has a lot of shoes which can still be used. She’s asking me if she can buy the Instax camera, but I told her think it through first since she’ll be using all of her savings for that. After giving it some thought, she decided not to buy it today. I know she’s still thinking of buying it though, but she said no for today. Hopefully, she won’t change her mind tomorrow. I find it quite expensive.

We’re all so happy with our new shoes. It’s a great feeling to be able to buy something at half its price or more!

This is another strategy of a frugal mom—-buy shoes when they’re on sale! You’ll have a lot of savings, especially when you have a big family.

Thank you, Lord, for this mall-wide sale! 🙂

The Bubuts’ Day Out in Makati

Last July 12, the Bubuts and I went to UCPB Makati. I decided to bring all of them with me so that they will get to experience how to commute going to Makati. We came from Carmona so my first instinct was to ride the bus going to Cubao outside Starmall Alabang because it will pass by Ayala MRT station. So that was just what we did.

Here’s a photo of us in a jeepney going to Alabang. The fare now is PhP26.00.

Here’s another photo of us inside the Cubao bus. The younger bubuts sat at the last row of seats, the older bubuts sat on the third-to-the-last row, and I sat on the metal floor of second-to-the-last row. Good thing, we were able to find seats. I thought we’ll be standing up for the rest of the trip because we were the last ones to enter, and we were a bit in a hurry. I was planning to arrive there right after lunchtime. Also, in my experience, most of the people riding these buses are willing to stand up to leave right away because they know there’s heavy traffic along the way.

After thirty minutes, we arrived at the Ayala MRT station, and we started going up the stairs. This MRT station is connected to SM Makati, and from there you can go to The Landmark, Glorietta, and Greenbelt.

As we enter the SM mall, my youngest said he’s hungry when he saw Chowking. So we had our lunch first before we head out to look for the UCPB office.

After lunch, we started our walking journey by the help of Google Maps. Thank you, technology 🙂 As we were walking, I was telling the bubuts that before when Daddy and I were looking for a certain place in Makati, our only means was to ask the people around for directions. But now, we have Google Maps! 🙂

As we were walking, there was a girl who suddenly pull down her shorts and undergarment. She bent down and started peeing, while there were several people walking and motorists passing by. I was shocked! It was so open. She could have found a place quite hidden instead of peeing in a place that’s so open for everybody to see what she was doing. She looked okay (I mean without mental illness), and that place was very close to Greenbelt so she could have looked for a restroom. That’s why I can’t understand why she did that. I’d like to think she cannot hold it anymore.

After fifteen minutes of walking, we finally reached our destination. Then we looked for our contact person, and after a few minutes, we were able to get the documents we needed. Thank you, UCPB, for a smooth transaction. 🙂

On our way back to SM, we took some more photos of Makati to fully experience this part of the city.

The Bubuts at the Ayala Triangle Gardens 🙂
The Bubuts with the Gabriela Silang statue in Makati Ave. 🙂

I decided to bring them to Ayala Museum since it was along the way. I’ve looked it up, and I know that what they offer now is the Ayala Museum on the go because they’re undergoing a renovation of the site. By the way, the Ayala Museum entrance is free! 🙂

On this date, they have the “Contemporary Wood-carved Netsuke” display in Greenbelt 4 (July 1-21, 2019). The Bubuts enjoyed what they’ve seen there. They saw 65 works made by contemporary netsuke carvers and artists. According to the free booklet which we obtained there, a netsuke is a non-slip toggle that has been used since the Edo period (1603-1868) to secure the small personal items such as money pouches, medicine container, or tobacco containers worn suspended on cords from the obi (a sash worn with kimono). The crafts were so artistically done, and they were so charming. I was personally super amazed with their work that I want to buy one, but of course they’re not for sale.

The Bubuts in front of PLDT Makati and its shiny statues in front of their building 🙂

After visiting the Ayala Museum on the go, we crossed over to The Landmark, and they visited Toy Kingdom. Here’s a picture of the Bubuts with Iron Man.

After so much walking, they again asked for food and drinks….so McDonald’s to the rescue! 🙂

Finally, it was time to go home. We rode a bus to Alabang to meet my husband and mother-in-law there (who stayed with my sis-in-law and was about to go home, too). My youngest bubut was so tired that he fell asleep shortly after sitting down.

The Bubuts while walking to Festival Mall Alabang 🙂

It was a tiring but very fun day with the bubuts. When I asked them how was their experience, the younger ones agreed that it was very tiring. I pointed out that at least now they get to appreciate going there riding in our car and that the moral lesson here is to be more grateful everyday. I’m glad I brought them with me.

Thank you, Lord, for this trip and for a safe trip home. 🙂

The Landfill Harmonic Orchestra

Have you ever wondered what you can do with your empty tin cans, old strings, and wood?

Well, these kids from Cateura, Paraguay were successful in recycling those materials and coming up with cool and useful instruments for their orchestra. Of course, they’re guided by grown-ups who devoted their time and skills to make this a reality.

You may watch a very inspiring video of “The Landfill Harmonic Orchestra” in YouTube.

Hope you will get motivated to create something like their instruments 🙂

(Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay)

Harry and Meghan welcomes Baby “Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor”

The baby made his debut behind closed doors, with a small press pool of only one reporter, one photographer. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/AFP/Getty Images

The royal baby is here! Welcome to the world, Archie Harrison!

Time flies so fast. It’s like their royal wedding just happened recently, and now they have a baby boy!

Harry and Meghan both look so happy to be first-time parents. You may read the whole article about the royal couple’s baby here.


The royals and their new baby

Our Tie-dyed Shirts for Learning Links Academy’s Music Recital 2018

It’s Wednesday, and my kiddos need their tie-dyed shirt on Friday. The crammer in me is awoken. I need to finish dyeing their shirts, or else we’ll not have enough time for them to dry.

Loaded up on coffee…as my husband said, “Procaffeinating.”

Finally, I gathered the strength and willpower to start working on it. As always, that’s the hard thing to do. My husband said why should it take time to start on it if I want to do it. Well, there are house chores to do. Good thing, he washed the dishes along with his usual laundry duty. Thank you, Lord, for giving me a husband who’s willing to help me.

I would like to document and write a blog on the steps that I did for future reference.

Here they are.

Step 1: Wash the white shirt with detergent and water. Rinse thoroughly and remove excess water.

Step 2: Lay it on a flat surface.

 

Step 3: Twirl it at the middle using your fingers until you form a circular bun.

Step 4: Put a rubber band. In my case, I did it vertically. You may do it horizontally.  

Step 5: Then put another rubber band in a perpendicular direction.

Step 6: Put the third rubber band in a way that you form a pattern similar to a pizza.

Step 7: Prepare the dyes. Dilute them according to the instructions.

In my case, I was able to buy Venus red and green fast dyes. We call it “jobus” here in the Philippines. I bought each of them for only fives pesos in the Carmona marketplace. Talk about cheap, huh?

Step 8: After placing my dyes in a squeeze bottle, I placed my twirled shirt in a plastic basin. You may use a metal rack if you have one. (I was afraid there’s no squeeze bottle in the house because I gave them away last year. Thankfully, I remembered that I have salinase drops, and those are the ones I used.)  

Step 9: I put my dyes alternately, red-green-red, until I cover the entire top part.

Step 10: I turned the twirled bun over to put dyes at the other side.

Charaaaann!!! Here’s my completely colored twirled bun! 🙂

Then I covered it with plastic wrap for 6 hours.

When Number Three woke up, I asked him to hold it up for the camera.
My husband will wash it again later, and he’ll let it dry to be ready for tomorrow, Friday, for Learning Links Academy‘s Music Recital 2018.
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your guidance on this project. 🙂

Our Church Wedding at St. Benedict Parish, Ayala Westgrove Heights, Philippines

Earlier today, we had our church wedding at St. Benedict Parish, Ayala Westgrove. It was a mass wedding organized by Father Conrad and his staff. We were 5 pairs so it’s a small size for a mass wedding. We didn’t pay for anything, except for the P750 donation asked by Father Conrad. He asked for this so that we could say to ourselves that we donated something to our church. That’s a really good thought. 🙂
Lucky for us, we were the earliest pair. That’s why we were able to take photos of our family small and nuclear family. Mom and my sis-in-law came early, too, but my mom and brothers weren’t able to arrive early. So we took pictures with them after the ceremony.
Here are some of our before-the ceremony wedding photos 🙂

Here are some of our after-ceremony wedding photos. Thank you, Our Lady of the Rosary 🙂

By the way, thank you, Ms. Malou, of Flowerpots for our flowers! 🙂
As we went out of the church, the restored combi van was there again! Well, to be honest, I was expecting that because when we had Kuya’s first communion the other day, it was there. So we took the opportunity to have our photos taken with the really cool van, and it looked like it was our wedding car 🙂 Thank you, Brother! 🙂

After the mass, we headed to Café Arabelle for a simple lunch. Before the wedding, we were choosing between Classic Savory, Via Mare, and Café Arabelle. I personally love Café Arabelle because this was the place where we celebrated our anniversary last July, but I was vying for Via Mare because there’s a TV there. We visited Classic Savory first and asked if they could reserve a table for us for the 20th of October, but they turned us down, stating that this day is a Saturday and there are lots of people eating there on weekends. So—no, not Classic Savory. Next, we went to Via Mare. The manager was kind enough to entertain us, and he said that he could reserve the middle table for us on the 20th, but only for 15 minutes….During that time, it was okay for me because I really like to try that place and I like the TV so I could play the AVP that I prepared. When hubby and I looked at their group meals, it looked expensive for our group. Well, the price was reasonable, but hubby was hesitant about the serving. He’s not quite sure if the total amount will be enough for the rest of the group. I cannot sleep that night so I kept on browsing the net for classy but affordable restaurants in Solenad. Then I stumbled upon a review on Café Arabelle’s Squad Meal. And that’s it! I said I’d like to visit it tomorrow to reserve the table with TV. Unfortunately, I had to go to work the next day so I asked hubby to call for a table reservation for the 20th. Voila! They said yes to our request! Thank you, Lord, for that reservation.
The day of our lunch wedding came, and I was amazed by Café Arabelle’s service. I was also really satisfied with their Squad Meal, which is composed of Vegetable Kare-Kare, Lechon Kawali, and Filipino-style Fried Chicken. This meal includes rice and iced tea, which is good for 4 persons. My whole family enjoyed their meal, and they even allowed us to bring in Ninong Darwin’s pinindot without any corkage fee! Thank you, Café Arabelle, for making our wedding truly special! 🙂

A super thank you to Father Conrad, Father Herald, Ate Irene, Ate Ne, our whole family, and of course, to our Almighty Father for making this church wedding possible and very memorable! 🙂

Kuya’s First Communion :)

Earlier today, we spent the morning at St. Benedict Parish, Ayala Westgrove for my Number Two’s First Holy Communion.

Number One and Three weren’t able to join us because they cannot skip school 🙁
We were there early. So we had time to take some photos at the entrance before lining up for the entrance of the students to the church.

Kuya was the one assigned for the First Reading. He did good. 🙂
Then the ceremony went as scheduled. Here are some of the photos for the whole mass.

Then they took a picture with Father Conrad. 

Then he posed with his friends. 
We had a picture with his souvenir and certificate.
When we went outside, there was a combi van, which was owned by one of the brothers. He allowed the kids and parents to take pictures with his van. A really generous act!

After the picture-taking, we went to McDo for lunch. Kuya requested for this, though Number Four wanted to eat at BonChon. Of course, it’s Kuya’s day so we followed his request.

Celebrating this day with my hubby and two babies. How I wish the other two were there. Oh well, we’ll be celebrating together this Saturday anyway. So, no worries! 🙂
Thank you, Lord, for Kuya’s First Holy Communion! 🙂 Please bless him all the way.

My Mumuso Stash :)

Today, we bought BB cream and KISS red lipstick from Mumuso in Solenad 3, Nuvali.

I need these two for Saturday as I don’t have my NuSkin tinted moisturizer and I want a red lipstick for our special day.

When I opened the KISS red glossy lipstick, I found it so cute due to the heart-shaped form of the lipstick. It’s super adorable! When I tried it, I feel satisfied with its effect on my lips. I moisturizes my lips, and it gives a super red color that’s so long-lasting! I wiped it with tissue after testing it, but it won’t be removed. I just waited for it to lighten until the evening. I think it lasted for 7 hours!

The BB cream is okay too, but of course it’s not comparable to NuSkin tinted moisturizer. With NuSkin, a little amount covers my face and neck. With this Mumuso BB cream, I needed to get 8 times from the container to fully cover my face. You get what you pay for 🙂 But I know the Mumuso BB cream will do its job for Saturday 🙂