All-Around Pinay Mama

Chinese Cooking Made Simple with Easy Chinese Recipes by Bee Yinn Low

March 13, 2017

REVIEW: Emma Kali-kaliwete! Emma U-utal-utal! by Meanne Mabesa Mijares

December 16, 2016

Reading the first few pages of the story book for kids, Emma Kali-kaliwete! Emma U-utal-utal! by Meanne Mabesa Mijares, made me remember this quote:

Courtesy: Quotesgram

It is indeed difficult to live in a world that is full of standards. Those standards, sad to say, are based on what the majority thinks are appropriate based on how they see themselves. If we are not like them, most probably they think that we don't belong.

In the story, Emma, a young school-aged girl, is just average in physical attributes but she looks very pleasant. She is good and studious but she is left-handed and she stutters when she talks. Those traits of hers make her prone to bullying because some of her classmates feel that she is not normal as they are.

I received this book through mail last Wednesday from the award-winning author herself, Miss Meanne Mabesa Mijares. It was only yesterday that I was able to read her message at the last page of the book that made me feel better due to parenting issues. Thanks for pulling me back, Miss Meanne. Thanks for reminding me that I am a mom because I have a purpose. Thanks for encouraging my kids to be good. God bless you too and may you continuously be a blessing to your readers. . #allaroundpinaymama #aapmmusings #aapmfavorites #igersmanila #mommybloggersphilippines #momswhoblogph #certifiedbloggers #bookstagram #book #bookforkids #3december2016

A photo posted by SJ Valdez (@allaroundpinaymama) on Dec 2, 2016 at 10:14pm PST

Due to this predicament, Emma feels that she is inferior and doesn't belong which prompts her to write using her right hand instead. She also stops participating in recitations due fear of being teased. Her classmates make her feel that she's abnormal. What makes her situation difficult for her is that some of her relatives, teachers, and friends consider her abnormal and they don't even extend their efforts and patience to help her cope up.

Despite being treated differently, Emma chooses not to fight back. She does her very best to show her classmates that she is not ashamed of who she is. Her strong faith in the God and the belief that those challenges shall pass keep her moving forward.

When her teacher gives her a chance to be her class' representative for the spelling contest, some of her classmates show that they are not in favor of her. Their teacher defends Emma and encourages her that it's her chance to show everybody that she is a good student and she can succeed.

Emma does her very best. She studies very well as she prepares for the upcoming spelling contest with the support of her parents. She's able to win and she wins the hearts of those who treat her unkindly.

They ask forgiveness from Emma. Instead of getting getting angry and thinking of revenge, Emma forgives her classmates.

Emma has a good heart. This story proves that nobody can put a good person down and our greatest enemy is ourselves. Instead of channeling our energy to think of revenge, focusing on self -improvement together with prayer is one the best ways to conquer our fears and challenges. No matter what other people say about us, the acceptance and love of our family can keep us going against all odds.

Courtesy: im-just-a-girl.tumbler

Reading this book together with my Bunso who was diagnosed with mild autism two years ago made me relate it to his current situation. It is inevitable that not all people are going to understand his special needs. We can't shield him forever from people who don't understand and don't even bother to educate themselves that children with special needs may be different in our normal standards but they are unique in their own right and they see the world in a different perspective. We may be surprised that they see things differently and most of the time, it's amazing. It is only if we go inside their world that we can see how they think. They think better, love more, forgive easily, and show affection without hesitations or judgment and we should learn from them. What makes them different from our normal standards makes them more beautiful. If we only accept them the way we want others to accept us and if we only forgive the way they forgive, this world is going to be a better place.

Courtesy: picturequotes.com

I encourage you, dear parents, to get a copy of this book. It teaches so many values that your kids can imitate and they can pass those values to their children in the future. The book is filled with life's lessons about showing respect, treating others the way we want to be treated, conquering challenges and fears, strong relationship with God through prayer, being self-directed, honing God's given talents, being forgiving, and being beautiful inside out.

Courtesy: jarofquotes.com

Talking about quality, the book is made with high quality printing materials and surely, your kids can keep it, just make sure that it is handled and stored with care, until it's time for them to raise a family when they can read it again with their children.

Emma Kali-kaliwete! Emma U-utal-utal! by Meanne Mabesa Mijares is available in all St. Pauls Philippines branches. Grab a copy now and you'll love it too.

REVIEW: Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks

September 17, 2015

On the 31st of July, Miss Joyce Bautista, Scholastic Philippines' Trade Manager, invited me to Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks Trade Launch on August 22 at Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4, Makati City. I immediately said yes and asked if I could bring Kuya with me.

When Miss Joyce said yes that I could bring Kuya to the launch, I immediately marked his calendar for him to see. He was in school then. I wanted to witness his reaction after taking a glance. He was surprised. It never failed to give him so much joy and excitement! Having the notion of being one of the first kids to see the newest Geronimo Stilton book series made him jump for joy!

Kuya's an avid reader of Geronimo Stilton Series, the fondness which he shares with his cousin, Kate. Whenever we go to any bookstore or book fair, he always asks me if he can check out Geronimo Stilton. He's also thinking of Kate during those times because Geronimo Stilton is always her request as "pasalubong" everytime we go for a visit to the province.

On the day of launch itself, the weather was not in favor of us. It was stormy that prompted us to cancel our attendance two hours before the start of the event. What made us cancel that late was we kept on hoping that the rain would stop. I had no choice but to do it despite of thinking that it was very unprofessional. Our home was far away from the venue, we would commute, and my primary concern was Kuya's safety. I really felt relieved when Miss Joyce sent a text message stating that she sincerely understood.

Kuya was very sad and disappointed. I was so sad too because a promise was broken. As a consolation, I assured him that once the books were out in the nearby National Bookstore, we would get copies for him and Kate. That premise still didn't work to take away his weariness. Imagine, it took him until the next day to accept the reality that we weren't able to make it.

Miss Joyce was very thoughtful. She informed me that she would send us copies of Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks which I didn't tell Kuya right away. I wanted to surprise him again. I wanted to make amends because we were not able to attend the book launch.

When the parcel arrived, Papa and I had a connivance. I told him to let Kuya pick it up and let him open it for me. By the way, we observe privacy at home. We don't open other family member's mail or parcel unless we're authorized to do so.

Kuya was tired from school and he decided to open it in front of us after resting a bit. Then when he did, he was speechless! His eyes literally popped with so much delight! He couldn't contain his happiness. He thanked me but I said he should thank Miss Joyce for thinking of us.

Look what I got in the mail on August 27! I was #kiligtothebones when I received the complete set of the recently launched Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks. The books came with badges and plastic folder pa (Kuya brought it to school due to too much excitement. LOL!) ! Thank you so much, Scholastic Philippines! I missed the book launched but still you sent me copies! Kuya and my niece, Kate, are big fans of Geronimo Stilton and they are going to enjoy answering them!

He hurriedly opened and answered one of the Pawbooks. He's being voracious reader of Geronimo Stilton made him read and answer the activities with ease.

Before I go further and tell you more about Kuya's learning experience, let me give you some facts about Geronimo Stilton.

Who is Geronimo Stilton?

According to Wikipedia, in the series, Geronimo Stilton, the title character is a talking mouse who lives in New Mouse City on Mouse Island. He is a best selling author that works as a journalist and editor for the fictional newspaper The Rodent's Gazette.

He has a younger sister named Thea Stilton, a cousin named Trap Stilton, and a favorite little nephew, nine-year-old Benjamin Stilton. Geronimo is a nervous, mild-mannered mouse who likes nothing better than to live a quiet life. But he keeps getting involved in far-away adventures with Thea, Trap, and Benjamin, and sometimes Aunt Sweetfur.

More about Geronimo Stilton and the complete list of books HERE.

What is his philosophy?

I've found some facts that I've adapted about Geronimo Stilton at www.geronimostilton.com that can make you understand his character more. You can read here that Geronimo Stilton teaches children not just to be cognitively smart but to become well-rounded persons with good hearts as well.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND HIS MOTIVATIONS

The weaknesses of Geronimo Stilton make him even more likeable: you feel sorry for him, you laugh with him and you celebrate with him at the end, because all of his defeats become successes.

With his actions and his ability to laugh at himself, Geronimo Stilton conveys ever present values: the importance of family, the capacity to overcome your fears, the acceptance of other peoples faults, the importance of education, consistency, approachability, open mindedness towards other cultures, curiosity about what you don't know, the knowledge that teamwork is more successful than acting as an individual, world peace, friendship, love. Further to that, solidarity, honesty, loyalty, sincerity, respect for the elderly, and those with lesser abilities.

Geronimo Stilton's stories are adventurous and full of surprises but are not exaggerated or use vulgarity. In his stories there are no weapons, violence, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, hunting, violation of laws or rude words, behaviour with a disregard for safety, racism, magic, astrology, or deviant behaviour.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND THE UNIVERSAL VALUES OF LIFE

Geronimo Stilton's behaviour is based on universal ethical values, like being approachable for others, the desire to do good, the commitment to grow and improve oneself. Additionally, Geronimo is brought to life with a healthy optimism: he is never discouraged in negative situations. At that moment, he may become depressed, even practically inconsolable. However, this state of mind never lasts long and is replaced by positive action.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND EQUALITY

Geronimo Stilton lives in a multi-cultural society, based on the principles of respecting diversity. Furthermore, Geronimo is very aware of the theme of equality between males and females both in a social and working sense.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND LIFE

Sometimes Geronimo feels like as though he's the victim of the unfortunate circumstances he finds himself in. His job absorbs him completely and he feels suffocated by his responsibility to his co-workers, his friends and his family. But at the end of every adventure Geronimo has the feeling of being in complete harmony with himself and the world, because life is beautiful and he is happy to have so many friends and a family as special as his.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND HAPPINESS

Geronimo teaches that real happiness is not wanting what you don't have, but appreciating that which you do have. Attention should be focused on the positive aspects of existence and not on the what is missing. True gratification isn't tied to fleeting and occasional pleasures, but derives from putting your energy towards positive purposes.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND PEACE

In his adventures, Geronimo Stilton always highlights the horrors of war, enhancing the importance of peace. His books want to be reassuring: you have to remember that the future awaiting us is beautiful. His motto is: 'Instead of being against war, support peace!'

*GERONIMO STILTON AND COURAGE

Geronimo teaches that confronting your fears is the simplest and most effective way of overcoming them. The best experiences require more effort but make you grow, stimulating you to develop new capabilities. Real courage is not being without fear, but confronting it whilst being aware of your limits and trying to overcome them.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND FAMILY

For Geronimo Stilton, family and loved ones are fundamental: they are the backbone of his whole life.

Family represents the caress on your heart that can brighten even the darkest of days.
Disagreements between relatives and friends that can't be resolved don't exist, nor do problems that can't be sorted out.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND FRIENDSHIP

For Geronimo friendship is a fundamental value and he is ready to put all his fears aside and to face up to any difficulties in order to preserve it. Geronimo often takes the role of the 'chance hero', who confronts danger in the name of friendship.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND WORK

Geronimo loves his job and always says: 'Oh, how I love books! I like reading them, flicking through them, smelling them: I love the smell of fresh ink on freshly printed pages! How wonderful it is to be a publisher!'.

Geronimo works a lot and is always very busy. But he does it with joy, because working is his life and he feels privileged to be able to do a job that he likes so much.

Geronimo approaches his work in a deeply ethical way: he puts his heart into every story that he writes, to inspire courage, optimism and energy.

A book written from the heart is different from others: it's more beautiful, more real, better!

*GERONIMO STILTON AND HIS ADVERSARIES

Geronimo's attitude when facing his adversaries is never one of violent confrontation but always of competition with fair play, in the sense of civility and respect for others. He often considers the teasing from his enemies as an opportunity to practice his patience.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND FANTASY

The word Fantasy derives from the Greek work "phaino", meaning to show. It is the ability of the mind to invent stories or imaginary situations (without ties to reality, lived situations or concrete references).

It's fantasy that stimulates playing, to 'make believe', in the sense of creating big, exciting adventures with your playmates. It must not be an escape from the real world, but a sort of trip from which you return having grown. Creative people see the world through different eyes and can see what other people can't, they are able to solve problems looking at them from another point of view using creativity, initiative and optimism.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND IMAGINATION

The term 'imagination' derives from the Latin words 'imaginatio , imaginari' (imagine). It is the capacity to visualize things or situations based on the stimulus of everyday life. For example, if you read a book or watch a film, you can imagine you are the protagonist of the book or film. Imagination is a quality that, if used in the right way, can also be very useful to surpass various difficulties and fears like exams, sporting competitions or public speaking... Imagining yourself in a positive situation helps you to become more trusting and optimistic and leads to the realization of dreams!

*GERONIMO STILTON AND MAGIC

Magic is just a negative illusion! A magic wand is not enough to change reality or to transform things that we don't want to accept. Since the dawn of time man has tried to find help in magic to resolve problems... but magic doesn't exist!

Magic amulets are useless, magic spells don't work...and witches, wizards, fairies, elves, gnomes, ogres and giants only exist in fairy tales and we can only accept them as protagonists of imaginative stories.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND NEGATIVE CHARACTERS

In the world of fantasy, negative characters also exist, like ogres and witches. They are represented as evil and unkind characters, not to be imitated, because they are losers and unhappy. Good always triumphs over Evil, even if it's not immediately verifiable.

*GERONIMO STILTON AND HAPPY ENDINGS

Geronimo isn't a hero, he's not sporty nor muscular and is afraid of practically everything. But withstanding this, at the end he is always able to win, to obtain his goals and to resolve difficult situations. This is thanks to his humour, his capacity to see the positive side of everything and, above all, to the help of his friends.

If you identify yourself with him for his weaknesses, you feel reassured: if that blunderer Geronimo can do it... you will be able to beat your fears and overcome your difficulties!
In this sense you can say that happy endings aren't an illusion but a message of hope, because Geronimo teaches us to have faith in the future, not to be discouraged during difficult times and to build a better future.

There you go! Now that you know the basics about Geronimo Stilton, let's proceed to the Pawbooks.

Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks are based on the best-selling children's book series. These books are activity based that motivates learners to read, develop their comprehension skills, enrich their vocabulary and knowledge in English language, and learn the basics of writing.

The following are the skill focus of the different Pawbooks and where the feature excerpts are coming from:

PAWBOOK 1

Skills Focus: predicting, inferring, sequencing, comparing and contrasting, recalling details and main ideas

Feature Excerpts from:
#57 The Stinky Cheese Vacation
#46 The Haunted Castle
#43 I'm Not a Supermouse
#42 The Peculiar Pumpkin Thief

PAWBOOK 2

Skills Focus: Additional skills such as drawing conclusions and summarizing

Feature Excerpts from:
#44 The Giant Diamond Robbery
#48 The Mystery in Venice
#51 The Enormous Pearl Heist
#55 The Golden Statue Plot

PAWBOOK 3

Skills Focus: Additional skills such as giving reasons, stating opinions and point of view

Feature Excepts from:
#50 This Hotel is Haunted
#45 Save the White Whale
#56 Flight of the Red Bandit
#52 Mouse in Space

Here are the strengths of the Pawbooks that Kuya and I have observed:

1 Excerpts and colorful texts and illustrations are developmentally appropriate. The fonts that are used conforms with the reading capacity of younger kids.

2 Presence of English parts of speech helps children in their command of the language.

3 Whilst-reading questions stimulate learners to interact with the text.

4 Comprehension questions develop literal, inferential, and higher order thinking skills.

5 Graphic activities develop learners' visual text comprehension.

Parents, I encourage you to teach your children the love of reading and learning and strengthen their values through Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbook Series. Remember, it is research proven that children even adults learn when they are engaged and motivated. This series has been developed to build on children's interest in Geronimo Stilton to enhance their literary skills by doing a series of guided and structured exercises.

Even without a prior knowledge and experience in reading Geronimo Stilton story books, parents and children can catch up and understand what the character stands for due to the chosen excerpts written on the Pawbooks. However, I advise you, dear parents, to let your children read the story books prior to answering the Pawbook activities to make it more fun and engaging for them. I assure you that you and your children are going to love doing both.

All Geronimo Stilton books are available at National Bookstore, Powerbooks, and other leading bookstores nationwide.

lt's All About Love: Working Mom Magazine February 2015

February 18, 2015

Grabbing and reading a copy of Working Mom Magazine February 2015 issue definitely made me so excited. Many insights were given about nurturing and treasuring love in all forms not just for the love month but everyday as well. The tips found on this mag could fit different lifestyles and personalities.

Here's the sneak peek on what's in store for moms this month:

On Romantic Love...

- Working Mom planned the perfect date options and matched them with the latest trends in fashion (An Affair to Remember, page 25).

- There are doable tips for us, moms, to keep ourselves in tiptop and desirable shape with energy levels soaring high (9 Easy Energy Boosters, page 30).

- Couples can get a dose of libido-boosting foods and get ready for a romantic night at home (Spice Up Things, page 31).

- Maybe we're too shy to ask about certain things about sex. Working Mom has the answers (10 Questions You are Shy to Ask, page 34).

- Giving chocolates is sweet but using it to make a feast is sweeter (You Can Have Chocolate in Your Salad, page 78).

- Planning a quick getaway with hubby is easy with Working Mom's best options (Romantic Escapades, page 82).

- Bringing sexy back in our bedroom can turn our hubbies on for some lovin' (Bedroom Bliss, page 87)!

- Richard and Lucy Gomez inspires married couples to stay bonded and happily married for years (Love Story, page 40).

On Family Love...

- We can help our kids nurture good relationships among themselves (Strengthen Sibling Love, page 61).

- It takes an effort to build a strong mom and son relationship (It's A Date!, page 64).

- It is a must to understand securing our family's future (Operation: Invest, page 56).

- We can prepare fun and healthy bento meals for the kids not just on Valentine's Day but everyday (Love at First Bite, page 63).

- Spreading sweetness to our friends and loved ones with homemade cake pops is fun, fun fun (Make it Pop, page 77)!

On Loving God...

Pope Francis teaches us the true meaning of Christian faith (Faith in Action, page 72).

Mommies, get your copy now from your favorite newsstands and bookstores! You'll enjoy and learn so many things from it aside from the ones mentioned above, promise! There's so much in store for us!

For more Working Mom Magazine updates, you may go to these websites:

https://www.facebook.com/WorkingMom.Magazine

http://twitter.com/workingmommag

http://instagram.com/workingmommag