What's in my Bag: Cheap Items for the Hygienic and On-the-Go Mom

I believe there's a fine line between losyang and dugyot. Nobody would like to be called like those. What I meant is there shouldn't be an excuse not to be presentable, especially with moms. It's not for other people to like us. It's not for our husbands to go crazy about us. Those are just bonuses. I believe that looking good means feeling great. At the end of the day, it all boils down to how we managed to keep our selves presentable given our motherly duties.
I'm also a mom. I don't have a nanny. My husband only goes home every weekends for his work errands. It means I handle these mommy tasks all by my self. But I keep my self pretty, still. And I really don't spend too much with all my kikay stuff. Here are some...

1. Herbench Tickled Pink moisturizing lotion- keeps my hands and body smooth! And you'll love the smell as much as I do. It smells like Bench's cologne.

2. Rexona women deo-lotion- for the mommy-on-the-go!

3. Ever Bilena lipstick- In red-orange shade to add oomph to my lips
4. Watson's lip gloss/ cheek tint- a multi-tasking product which is nice to bring while on a travel
5. Avon lip gloss- I'm a sucker for lip gloss. This one's really shiny and in nude color
6. Maybelline Baby Lips Color- my favorite brand and my favorite lip balm in one package.
7. Colgate Plax- no more bad breath!
8. San-San Liquid Foundation- I only wear this when I go outside. I don't wear makeup often. But I got this one as it fits Filipina skin-tone.
9. San-San concealer- I always use this before, that it's almost empty. When I used to work at the call center, a concealer was my best friend. It helped cover my dark under-eye area.
10. Allue eyeshadow- I just find this cute that I bought it. Now I gave it to my younger sister.
11. Skin White Face Cream powder- it has a pretty coverage. This is so far the only cream powder I've ever used for my face.

So there you go. You saw what's inside my kikay kit. I will update you next time! Ola!

Blogging 101: Why I Named My Blog After My Name

This story I'd like to share today is a bit of history. Don't worry, this is not about me. It's all about my blog. To start with, let me inform you that the original name of this blog was Sugar Plums and Lemon Drops. It was pretty, girly-like, and sounds really glam as if I'm hosting a fashion blog. But my blog will never be a place for fashion or beauty. Yes, I do review beauty products but I can't be a true-blooded beauty or fashion blogger. I'd rather be a mom blogger. That's something I'd fondly call my self. So I changed it to Super Mom when I become a mom. But then again, that name did not really fit me. Now it's just Mommy Nimfa, my name with a fancy "mommy" tag--the simplest I could ever think for a blog name. But I do this on a purpose, and that I'd like to share to you.

photo from chicagonow.com

First, I wanted to be clear and concise on what my blog is all about. I am a mom and this is a mommy blog. I want my readers to think of me whenever they'd think of a good mom blog. (I know I'm ambitious). With that, I created a list of my projects for this blog, that I'll be posting later on so watch out!

photo from trionaguidry.com

As you see, I stopped believing that I am a "Super Mom". That's something I'd like to achieve but I realized it will take decades before I proved to people or to my self that I am one super mama. So I just gave up that dream, at least for now. All I know is that I am happy and alive even if I'm not a living and breathing Super Mom in real life.
But the most important thing I'd like to work on right now is monetize my blog as a business. This time I want to bring it to a higher level. I got rid of writing for other people. It's not about the cheap budget. It's the credit they get out of my works. So I just realized I will stop from freelance writing for a while. I'll focus on my blog from hereon.

One Bra Fits All

This is cool, it looks very comfy and I like that it's in nude-color 'cause I only wear nude-colored bras. It's actually a new Avon-product worth P499! Must-try hihi

Life Minus Excuses

I'm a mom. I have these stretch marks all over my tummy, zits all around my face, dark circles under my eyes, and a little confidence to show off. Then I saw this picture of Maria Kang few days ago.

photo from Maria Kang's blog

I read the texts along with this picture from Maria's website. And I'm really, really confused why there are people who do not like it. Guess what? I was kind of jealous when I first saw this. I secretly wished I have this fabulous bod, or just her abs. But I didn't say anything bad about her. In fact I like her, that I badly want to be like her. I'd like to be as inspiring as Maria Kang. Now I ask my self, "what's your excuse, Nimfa?"

I Cried

I cried this morning. I just...missed my life.I feel crazy and desperate.  I sit here in front of my laptop, lifeless, uninspired, unmotivated. What's wrong with me? I said I'll never write if I don't feel well or if I'm sick. I wanted my blog to be a happy place. But look at me. I don't even look happy. How can I make my blog a happy place? I know right. I lost my mind and I really need motivation and that I don't know where to find. Is it reading a new book? A new magazine? Cuddle with my son? A cup of coffee. I just wanted to rest. My goodness. I can't even do all that stuff no matter how fun it sounds. I just want to sit here. Wait until I found that motivation and hopefully I'll do. My client at work was really demanding. They want me to revise that Ebook I wrote last week. I just don't want to write for these people anymore. Okay too much for these. I'll get back and write here once I  found that motivation I'm looking for.

Mommy Checklist: Baby-proofing a House

No house is entirely baby-proof. But as my son Jairus grows up, he's now more curious on things. He's not yet inclined to playing a real toy. He has a ball and lots of stuffed toys but he still likes playing with some things he sees in the house. As it's better to be safe than sorry, I exert an effort to keep our house child-friendly. Here are alternatives I do on baby-proofing a house.

Buy covers for electrical sockets. This is to prevent babies from inserting their fingers on it. But since we are using an extension, I place it underneath the TV rack so Jairus won't reach it when he tries to pull himself over. 

Block the way to the staircase. Place a safety gate at the top and bottom of the staircase. Climbing up is as harmful as falling from the top. But Jairus walks using his walker and his usual target is the telephone, so a safety gate won't be appropriate to use. Instead, I use a high chair that he can't easily move.

Install non-slip mats on bathroom, if you bathe your little one in the bathroom. What I do is bathe Jairus outside to avoid accidents on slippery floor.

Keep cords like window blinds and drapes out of reach. This is to prevent strangulation. He likes playing with cords, and he'll cry if I get it. So I just look after him to make sure he won't eat it or get caught with it.

Small kids like prying open drawers. Put a safety lock on kitchen cabinets. There you can keep all the cleaning agents as well as other hazardous chemicals. 

Add safety locks on drawers. Instead of screws, try using a strong adhesive to hold the safety locks in place. It’s also a good idea to secure latches on sliding doors to prevent young children from opening it. To prevent accidental burns, you may put a barrier on kitchen stoves. Though it's still best not to let baby go in the kitchen.

Tip:
No matter what safety measure you put in place, it’s still best to supervise a baby

my nine-month old son on his walker

Pregnant Again

For the first time, I'm sharing a big secret here on my blog. I'm honest about the things I write here but most of the things I've shared so far are not so secret at all. I want my blog to be a happy place so I usually write about my son, his father, my freelance career, and all other little stuff that matter to me.

Recently, I've been writing a book about Oprah's formula to success. While I'm writing this Ebook, I learned about Oprah's self-therapy. The queen of talk likes sharing what she's going through even if it sounds difficult to share to others. Oprah was brave for saying that she was raped, got pregnant at 14, and dated older boys as a teen. But look at her right now. She's one of the woman I look up to! Inspired by Oprah's mantra to finally breathe and let go of this feeling, I'd like to break the news that I am pregnant, again. It was only me and Jhe who knew about this.

My son is only turning nine months this Tuesday. We found out about my pregnancy last week of August, so we count that I am on my second month now. I had my last period on July, and due to my husband's comment on my growing belly and missed period, we did the home pregnancy test.

The first test was confusing. The other line was not clearly seen. We tried another kit. And in just a minute, it showed two lines. We're positive! Silence filled the room for several minutes. Jhe's face was blank but I was sure he's nervous. I could feel tension and a roller-coaster of emotions between the two of us. I, on the other hand, was dramatic and awkward that moment. I cried. Jhe let me cry then comforted me afterwards while cheering me up.

In the end, we wanted this. It's just that it's not meant to have another child again. My mom could be angry, as well as my family. I knew they were just thinking about my good. But here in my belly is a life and a blessing. No matter what people will say, I'll love this baby as much as I love my first born.

A glowing, preggy me with my first baby

Getting Over Insecurities

Let me be honest about one thing I hate with myself. I am insecure. Ever since I gave birth, I started to feel losyang. Then when my husband talks about other ladies being beautiful, I start to become mad at myself. Mad that I cant be beautiful like them, sexy like them, or desirable like them. But after so many unwanted thoughts about my own self-esteem, I started to realize why...why I am feeling like this. What are missing? Why in the first place I became so insecure?

photo from nuttytimes.com

photo from Zaki Reza

Then I imagined how I like to compare things. This is better than that...this is worse than this and alas! I found the magic word. COMPARE. My insecurities came from too much comparing. Maybe those pretty girls my husband is seeing are truly more beautiful and sexier than reality. Wait let's revise. Those pretty girls are beautiful, and I am beautiful too in my own ways! If I am so ugly then in the first place he wouldn't want me to be his wife. I could remember him saying, "Kahit pangit ang ugali at katawan mo, mahal pa rin kita." (Even if you do have an ugly personality and ugly body I still love you.) That's hard! I understand him for saying this and I am sorry for all the hurting words I ever said to him. But these words are true, they might not be so sweet to hear. But he's just being true and that's what I like about him.

Top Five Things I Learned As A Call Center Agent

Health is wealth. That is the main reason why I left my previous job. My blood pressure went down to 70 over 50 from my normal 90/60 BP. Then I did have some serious issues with my cervix too. If only I haven't had all those complications, I won't leave. I enjoyed my call center experience but more than that, I am proud to say that I learned a lot of things. Here are some of them that I want to share to you guys.

photo from kalibrr.com

1. Multitasking is a sine qua non. A usual call center scenario? Queueing! I used to handle inbound calls wherein I just wait for a customer to call. It's way easier than outbound where you have to call an existing customer and mainly sell your product. But hey, I used to sell too! That's twice the stress. I was a technical support representative obliged to sell an extended warranty for the product I was handling.

photo from braingainmag.com

2. Accent is not that important. What matters most is what you say, obviously. Some call centers may be too strict when it comes to diction. But mind you, your slang might sound too good for you, but sounds like an alien to your customer. Not all customers are natives. They are in America but it does not mean that they speak pure American. Some of my customers were Indians, British, Japanese, and Filipinos. Too much accent will only have your customers asking to repeat what you've said. That makes the call longer and more complicated. Just speak naturally.

photo from 123rf.com

3. Befriend your team leader. Your team leader will be your saving grace from a million-dollar call. It means he will be there to help you if the call gets too hard to handle or if the customer simply wants a supervisor. But it does not mean that you just ignore your team mates. They can be your good friends too, in and outside the work premises.

photo from drlaman.com

4. Patience is a virtue, no matter what. Cliche right? But in the end, patience will save you from a bad call. When we say bad call, it's not just about a rude customer. It can be a very challenging call or nature's wrong timing (you're in the middle of a call when you feel your stomach gnawing or you feel like farting, etc.).

photo from rhresumes.com

5. Leave work-related issues in the work place. My break schedules were often inconstant. I used to have fifteen minute breaks wherein I would still go out and enjoy a cup of coffee. Then I was also given two days of rest a week. I spend that time enjoying my bed and dream land once in a while and of course bonding with my son.