..the famous Boracay Island

Last summer my family and friends had fun at the famous Boracay Island. We were so amazed of the powdery white sand beach and crystal clear water. Aside from swimming there are other activities you can do. Like island hopping, helmet diving, snorkeling, parasailing, kite boarding, and a ride on an ATV (all terrain vehicle). Also we did not miss the famous fire dancer at night.

Though during our trip there were some rain but still my kids enjoyed swimming.

We were on our way to island hopping.

My friends went on a helmet diving.

This is the famous fire dancing at night.

The kids want to go back next summer. Let's see:)

Want more..the more the merrier

My 2 kids are both girls and hubby wants a boy. My eldest daughter is now 12 years old and the youngest daughter is turning 6 this coming February 4. Me and hubby are thinking if its about time to have a new baby at the same time if we are ready financially. Is it really true that "the more the merrier".

Right now we are considering factors like children's needs, financial concerns, my health, and career stability.

Having a baby requires extra care and attention. But I guess it won't be a big problem to us since my youngest daughter is turning 6 years old. Getting pregnant and having a baby is sure punch a hole in our pocket. We asked ourselves if we are ready financially, we have savings but we are preparing for my youngest daughter's third eye operation next year. With regards to my health, I have not experienced any serious illness for the past 6 years. But I have talked to a pediatrician and she advised me that incase I plan to have another baby I need to have a Rubella vaccine months before getting pregnant. This is to protect the baby from congenital cataract like what happened to my youngest daughter.

I guess more conversation between me and hubby before we can finally decide. We need to carefully plan everything.

One weekend at The Manila Ocean Park

My kids unlike other children does not enjoy going to the mall. They prefer going to the park, museums or to the beach. So one weekend, we decided to go to the Manila Ocean Park. The Manila Ocean Park is an oceanariumin in Manila behind Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park.

The oceanarium was divided into different sections:

Agos (Flow) - freshwater fishes can be found

Bahura (The Reef) - features the very colorful Philippine underwater rainforest

Laot (Fishing ground) - big fish and Eagle-spotted rays can be found

Buhay n Karagatan (Living Ocean) - is a 25-meter long walkway tunnel with 220-degree curved acrylic walls. It is where we see how marine animals interact with each other in their natural habitat.

Pagi and Pating (Stingray and Shark) - variety of rays and several species of sharks

We all enjoyed because this is the first state-of-the-art oceanarium in the Philippines. It's really educational, kids were able to see different kinds of sea creatures in different aquarium. Each aquarium has a label of its english and tagalog name. We were amazed of the sharks and stingrays, before we only see them in movies. We also enjoyed the Mermaid show, mermaids dance while stingrays and sharks swim in the water.

The kids also had fun with there Fish Spa where spectacular species of fish commonly known as Doctor Fish, named for the wonders they have been known to do for people with skin related diseases, nibble away only affected and dead areas of the skin leaving your healthy skin to grow.

Family Day!

Since last week the kids we're asking to watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but I was sick so they don't have a choice but to just stay at home last weekends. Until last night after my work, we (hubby, me, and the kids) went out to have dinner then watched Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen at SM San Lazaro. The kids enjoyed the movie, that's how simple we celebrate Family Day. What's important is the kids had fun.

Excited for summer..Ready to be exposed

Here in Philippines summer starts during the month of March up to May. As a family we always plan ahead our summer outings, we love swimming and enjoy the beach.

Sun, sand, sea these are the elements that makes a fun-filled summer but they can also lead to sunburn. Applying sunblock is important, it should be applied 30 min going out under the sun and must be reapplied regularly.

When you start to feel really hot and your skin is hot to touch chances are you've already got sunborn. Burning continues even after you've gotten out of the sun. There are things in our pantry that we can grab for a quick sunborn relief.

Cucumber - known for its cooling and soothing properties. Slices of cucumber can help alleviate discomfort from extra hot skin or anything cold for thart matter will serve the same purpose like a slice of watermelon.

Guava leaves - they've been used as cure-all. Boil some in water and let the tea cool, apply on the sunburned area using a compress.

Oatmeal - is extremely soothing as long as its mixed in with bath water, not rubbed or scrubbed on the skin. It is recommended even for babies. Cornstarch or baking soda can work too.

Milk - cool off with a cold glass of milk. Soak a facecloth in equal parts cold milk and cool water, then gently press it on the affected area.

How much do we care about our health?

Wealth doesn't only mean how many house and lot a person has or how many luxury cars he has. We all grew up on a saying 'Health is Wealth'.

As parents being financially stable does not assure that we can give a brighter future to our children. Aside from teaching them good values, staying healthy is the most important. Children doesnt only need good education they also need someone who will guide them. Not only until they finish their studies but until they have their own family and that's us.

In recent study, people who had healthy habits lived an average of 14 years longer than people who didn't. With these simple steps we can add up years to our lives.

1. Eat fruits and vegetables - they provide fiber and minerals that help lower down blood pressure. Help lower LDL cholesterol by replacing food high in saturated fat. Soluble fiber may also block absorption of cholesterol from other food.

2. Exercise regularly - lowers blood pressure by 10 points in as little as three to four weeks, raises HDL and lowers LDL, and stimulates bone growth.

3. Don't smoke - prevents exposure to damaging health effects of smoking such as: temporarily increased blood pressure, narrowing of blood vessels which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, and diminished bone mineral density.

4. Lose extra pounds - lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of developing hypertension. It can reverse prediabetes, in some cases with as little as 5 percent loss of body weight. It also increases HDL while reducing LDL and total cholesterol.

By adding years to our lives we will not only be seeing our children's success but also our grandchildren.