GottaLoveMom

I’m a California girl at heart, whose soul now belongs to New York.   I’m a jaded, romantic, who believes in crazy-about-you love. I’m a daydreamer and goalkeeper. And I’m always planning my next adventure.  What’s your morning routine?   My weekday routine, during the school year may scare people away, so I’m going to tell you what a typical Sunday is like.  I’m the first to get up and my dog, Stella follows me downstairs. I love the quiet stillness in the morning in my kitchen, with the sun streaming in.  I start my day with a glass of warm lemon water – and coffee with almond milk and cinnamon.  Then I walk Stella.  We live on an acre of land and our backyard looks like a park.  It’s a nice meditative time with her, until she sees a rabbit or deer and then I have to chase her down. I have a nice breakfast, then it’s off to work out.  I’m currently obsessed with TRX/Spin fusion classes and Pilates. I work out at least 4 days a wee...

Whenever conversations mention "love",  few movies, books and television series come to mind: Princess Bride,   a romantic movie date, tells of the love story of Buttercup and Westley, who had a chaotic courtship but eventually lived happily ever after. In the movie, Westley was badly hurt, and he was brought to the healer, Miracle Max. Miracle Max asked a dying Westley.                  "What's so important? What do you got here that's worth living for?"                    Westley faintly replied, "True love". This is Us.   A television series on NBC about a family, 3 of whom share the same birthday. My favorite character is the father, Jack Pearson. His priorities begin and start with his wife and children. His love for his family reminds me so much more of my own father. In dealing with life's challenges, I find myself asking, "What would Dad...

I me t Amma , the Hugging Saint", five years ago at the Javits Center in New York.   and since then, I've carried or worn my mala beads. People from all over the world came to experience her embrace, which is known to give comfort. Her teachings encourage people to love, serve, conserve and practice -- all about peace and happiness.

Growing up in the Philippines, my mother raised me and my brothers to help with the household chores. Therefore, when I became a mother, I knew my children would be doing chores, too.  When my children were younger, they took turns vacuuming, mopping, folding the laundry, and dusting furniture. For some reason, dusting tchotchkes wasn't a popular task. They'd rather vacuum and mop than dust. My children weren't looking forward to doing the chores, but they all knew that they were all expected to help out. Getting my children to do their chores was easier when they were younger. Teenagers, I found out, love to negotiate. However, since my children were expected to participate and contribute around the house, getting them to help out wasn't as difficult. Together with my husband, we set some guidelines: Schedule a day when chores get done. Identify expectations. Be specific. Compromise, pick your battles. Express gratitude.  It is my hope th...

My husband and I rarely go out to eat but when we do, we always want the experience to be worthy of our time and money. Last summer, we discovered Seasons 52 by the Menlo Park Mall. We were greeted with a warm welcome when we walked in. We didn’t have reservations so we sat at one of the booths at the bar. Our waiter was very attentive.  The drinks, food and dessert didn’t disappoint. The tab was less than $100. We were so pleasantly surprised that we left a tip higher than the normal 20%. A few months later, we brought my daughter and son-in-law for her birthday – and the dining experience was another memorable one! A few months ago, we got together with 4 other couples, and again, we were pleased. If we had known ahead of time, we could have booked a  private room for our group, for a minimum tab of $500. However, what got my husband and I excited was the happy hour, also known as “Sunset at Seasons” , which is daily from 4pm to 6:30pm. Last ...