love Archives - Mommy Ginger

Last year, I was on an emotional roller coaster. Some days were filled with joy and happiness and some days were just bad. In some days, I felt as if I were on top of the world, while on other days, I felt like quitting. I thought that being busy would make me NOT think about things, but it actually made things worst. My emotions rose and dipped at extreme levels.

Welcoming the New Year wasn’t easy for me either. This is the reason why this (first blog of the year) came in pretty late in January. By the way, I can’t believe that it’s almost the 15th of the month. Anyway, going back to my story, it wasn’t a “happy” new year for me. First of all, joy wasn’t in the air when I noticed that my blog was hacked by some random hacker. This made my host take down my blog for almost a month.

Next, the yaya that we had for almost 5 years just didn’t return after going on vacation. I was furious! It wasn’t so much that she was gone, but it was more of that she didn’t have the decency to tell us that she wasn’t coming back.

And then, the worst thing that happened, was that Zeeka got sick. It’s the worst feeling in the world for a parent to have to bring her kid to the emergency room (again — twice within a month) after having intermittent fever for 5 days. Oh myyy!

But then, that’s life right?

You might be wondering, “then why the heck is her one word JOY after having a few episodes of unfortunate and definitely, sad circumstances?”

I really thought about this for a long time. For the past few days, this sat as a draft in my blog. I wasn’t too sure about the word either, until…

Until one day, I listened to the blink on Blinkist of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s all Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. That’s when I realized that being happy or joyful is a choice that we need to make. And I also realized that the things that we deem to be urgent, important and life changing or threatening aren’t always such a big deal.

Maliit na bagay lang pala.

There are things that we don’t have control over. There are things that happen to us that we obviously didn’t wish for, but what we can control is how we react.

So, what I did FIRST was I analyzed why I felt the way that I felt. What I found out was that…

1) Hacking incident – I felt so sad that people would waste time hacking into other random sites of strangers. I was feeling that way because I didn’t know if we would be able to restore it (which we did! Yey!)

2) Yaya Incident – I felt furious because I hated adjusting again to a new rhythm and new way of doing things again, especially that I have a ton of things to do.

3) Zeeka’s sickness – I felt like I didn’t pay much attention to Zeeka last year and I felt like I wasn’t a good mom. That made me hate myself.

So there. I analysed why I was feeling this way, and it was because of things that I could actually control. So what if my blog was down? I could converse with my readers via social media. So what if I had to adjust to a new way of doing things again? It’s not as if I didn’t have new things and ideas every time. Haha! So what was the difference, really? So what if I failed last year at being a mom? I still have a lot of time fixing my mistakes and focusing more on Zeeka this year. Maybe this scenario of being yaya-less is actually a blessing!

So this is why I chose the word Joy. I need to find those little things that I can be grateful for. This word that I have chosen will constantly remind me that life is great. Living is great. Even with the many challenges that I face, I know that I’m strong and I know that I will make the most out of it.

Living a life with no regrets will bring Joy. Saying I have loved will bring Joy. Striving to be the best that I can be will make me happy. Picking myself up after failure will make me love life more.

How about you?

Are you happy? Is you life filled with Joy?

Happy February, everyone! My next favorite month to December, and oh, October (since that’s my birth month), is February. I love February, because during this month, you can clearly see the honest-to-goodness feelings of people. A lot of extreme emotions this month will come into play. There will be a lot of love, lust (yup, just had to say that…haha!), pain, loneliness (love even when it hurts), finding new love, longing for past loves, and a whole lot more!

We have all expressed and felt all of these different emotions. When we were young and care-free, we couldn’t care less. We would love whoever we want to love and we would break-up with whoever we want to break-up with. Most of us didn’t see the “bigger picture”. We didn’t see who it was that we were hurting, because of our actions. We often didn’t see the repercussions of the great love that we wanted to express. And love to us when we were young, was confined into that realm of romantic love.

But now that we are all #adulting, we see different kinds of love. We see that love isn’t just about the love that you have for one special human being, whom you consider your soulmate. Love can mean love for one’s self. Love can mean loving your parents. Love can mean loving your sibling, relatives, a son, a daughter. Love can mean loving a friend, a business partner, a mentor, a co-worker. Love can also mean loving someone whom you have lost, or literally someone who is no longer with us.

Understanding love isn’t confined to the people to whom it is given. How it is given, when it is given, in what form it is given are interesting to see and look at, too. There are some people who find love and are lucky to have found them. There are some who give love, and feel great pain when they lose it. But we should love even when it hurts.

Why? Because…

Love helps you understand yourself more.

When you get to experience truly loving someone, it inspires you to go beyond what you are usually capable of. Sometimes, you might even surprise yourself.

Love makes you stronger.

You know that ultimately, everything will be okay. You have gone lengths to express and give love. Even if unreciprocated, you know that at least on your end, you have shown how valuable the other person is. You know that you’re not on the losing end.

Love fuels everything, even if it’s not explicitly mentioned or seen.

The decisions that we make, as we normally say, is for someone else’s good or for your own good. That decision is fueled by love for others or love for yourself. Love is the flame that lights the world on fire.

There are more reasons why you should love even when it hurts. Hope you can share your thoughts on this!

I end this article with a quote:

Love myself I do. Not everything, but I love the good as well as the bad. I love my crazy lifestyle, and I love my hard discipline. I love my freedom of speech and the way my eyes get dark when I’m tired. I love that I have learned to trust people with my heart, even if it will get broken. I am proud of everything that I am and will become.

– Johnny Weir

This month is about all forms and types of love. Keep on loving!

I’ve been so busy lately that I have felt so guilty. We have been so focused on growing our tech startup business that we have spent less time with Zeeka. But even if we have spent less time with her these past few days, we make sure that we show our daughter that we love her.

Children always want to feel that they are loved by their parents. It has been extra difficult for us recently with our daughter since she has become extra clingy. I guess this is what happens when they are already old enough to say what and how they are feeling. She has become extra vocal in telling us not to work or not to go to the office.

There are a lot of ways to show your love for your child apart from the material things. The following are good ideas to consider doing to show love to your child:

Spend quality time with your child
My daughter loves going to the mall. She loves trying on clothes. This has become a thing that we enjoy together. We would visit stores and buy Mommy and Me outfits! Haha!

Quality time does not depend on the length of time that you bond with your child. It only has to be meaningful both to you as a parent and the child, where both focus on building the relationship. It means giving your full attention to your child (no checking of gadgets, etc.) What you can do is set aside that time which is only for your children — a day at the mall, a simple story time, etc. means a lot to a child more than you would know.

Be a good example

When you want them to be an obedient, generous, kind-hearted individual, then lead by example. This is the best way to teach a child about love and respect. Be kind to others and respect others. This is what they will see and this is what they will emulate.

Teach them discipline

Many children associate being disciplined as an act of “hate”. What we do as a couple is that we explain to our daughter why we get mad or why we discipline her. We explain to her that it’s because we love her and because we don’t want her to get hurt.

Be there when you are needed and Keep promises

I think that what kids really want is security. Since they are still young and unsure about a lot of things, they need to know that you will be there for them. There will be times when your child needs someone he or she could lean on so be sure to be with him or her during those times. Also, always keep your promises. These children need to see that they can trust and rely on you to keep your word.

Be sweet

Our daughter is a very sweet and caring child, and I attribute it to the fact that my husband is very caring and sweet to me. Haha! I think she always sees us hugging each other at home and putting one over the other in terms of needs, so she’s that way, too. She’ll always tell me, “Mommy, are you sad? Please don’t be sad,” when she sees me stressed out. I believe that even at a young age, a child can be very observant and critical of so many things. Show your child affection and you overtly show him or her love. Simple hugs and kisses on the cheek will mean a lot to them.

Act as your child’s protector

Sometimes, as parents, our “disciplinary” role is our automatic go-to-role. When we see another child crying beside our child, we automatically think our child did something wrong, and we “automatically” scold them without analyzing the situation. As parents, there are a lot of times when we need to be logical. We need to analyze then act accordingly. You would then see that there are a lot of times when we should have been our child’s protector even.

This happened to us. Our daughter is a meek and quiet child in front of other children. She would allow other children to take her toys and grab it away from her. We need to keep in mind that our children are weak and could not fend off for themselves. There are times when we need to tell them that they need to step up and fend for themselves. There are even times when we, as parents, need to step up, too, to act as our child’s protector especially when their security and safety is a concern.

Grant wishes

Kids wish for a lot of things and I think that sometimes, we need to grant them. Parents are so afraid that they would grow up as spoiled brats, but I believe that if you grant wishes in moderation, this will make them feel appreciated and loved. Don’t be too scared!

Compliments and praises

We never fail to give our daughter compliments and praises and we do it by being very specific about what she did well. I read somewhere that being specific makes everything clear and they would most likely do it again since they understand.

See, showing your child that you love them is not that hard. We don’t have to overthink. We just need to feel and trust that they will grow up to be Great Kids!

How do show your children that you love them? 🙂 Share a tip on Facebook and / or Instagram and tag @GreatKidsPH and @MommyGinger

Here are the mechanics:

a. A Mommy and Me set will be given to the chosen mom who shares the best tip on what they do to show their child their love on facebook and/or Instagram:)
b. Share your tip using #GreatKidsPH and #MommyGingerFinds so that we can monitor the entries
c. Contest will run from June 10 to July 1. The more posts, the more chances of winning.
d. On July 2, 9am, the winner will be announced via the Mommy Ginger Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mommyginger/
e. The winner must be willing to claim the prize from any of the branches:

Pois Belly & Kids BOUTIQUES:
– TriNoma: Ground Floor near Activity Center
– SM Megamall: Level 5 The Atrium
– Shangri-la Plaza: Level 4 Main Bldg
– Alabang Town Center: Level 2 Expansion Bldg
– SM Mall Of Asia: Ground Floor in front of Kids Universe
– SM City Cebu: Level 2, Main Mall
– SM City Iloilo: Upper Ground Floor
– SM Lanang Premier Davao: Level 2
– Ayala Center Cebu: Level 3

f. You must be able to show a valid ID upon pick up of the prize 🙂

Post away and good luck!

When I was young, not to brag, I never had a hard time looking for love. My family and friends would say that I was the “ligawin” type. Although, I am a bit naive and dense when it comes to knowing though if a person likes me. It may be that or probably the fact that when I set my eyes on someone, he becomes my whole world. Anyway, this isn’t about my love story with EJ, but it’s a story about searching — searching though for the thing that you love doing.

I wasn’t that lucky though in searching for that one thing that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. When I was younger, I used to admire my friends who landed their first job / business and loved immediately and wholeheartedly. Until now, most of them are still in that same company, doing the same profession, and still managing their businesses. During those years, I was pretty envious. They were so successful already, earning probably millions of pesos and I was stuck with the feeling that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be.

I kept on searching and kept having an open mind. I have gone through a lot of businesses and side jobs, and believe me, when I say a lot — I mean A LOT!

Then the time came when I was creating events for Manila Workshops as a side business. I wanted to set up events so that I could use it as a tool to look for the business that I would eventually start. After a few runs, I realized that this (creating events) was the thing that I loved doing and it was there all along. It was right under my nose and I failed to notice it!

Fast forward to today, 3 years after, we are incorporating the business (from being a sole proprietorship). Also, I just came from Davao to conduct an onboarding session for my team there. I still couldn’t believe that I expanded the company from just me and my husband doing all the legwork for Manila Workshops to a team of 30 people now, helping out cascade the vision of Manila Workshops to our countrymen here in the Philippines.

Looking back, there are so many things that I have learned and that I am grateful for, which I hope will help you also.

1) Never just settle. Settling is having that feeling that you know that one thing isn’t right for you, but you just “go with the flow” since it’s comfortable. It has to be something that makes you incessantly and ridiculously happy.

2) Love and believe in yourself. You deserve more than this comme ci-comme ca life. Believe that you got what it takes. All you need is to love yourself enough!

3) In searching, listen to the voice within. Listen to what other people say, consider what they say, but follow your heart. You know what’s best for you. You know what will make you happy. You know what will make you sleep well at night.

And the last thing that I learned is that the search for that thing that you love doing may seem like forever, but be patient. Be positive that you will find it. It may come early or late in life, but at least you get or will get to experience doing that thing that will make your heart leap every single day!

Loving and caring for you,

Mommy Ginger

PS. Happy Valentines Day! 🙂

PPS. Please support the EUREKA Collection of @flufflypwets FPx Ginger which inspires children to go for what they want to be! Click on the image below to purchase this diaper or shirt!

I was in the shower a few minutes ago and I was thinking about business, relationships and breakups. I was thinking about it since me and my single friends were talking about it last night. It has been years since my last break-up and I must say, all of my break-ups were uneventful, except probably the first one. For those of you who know me or for those of you who constantly read my blog, you would probably know that I’m not really that emotional about stuff anymore. Don’t get me wrong. I used to be super emotional. My sister would call me the drama queen, since my life was one big drama.

I don’t know. I guess things changed. Now, my life is all about business and helping other people. I guess, I just got sick and tired of all the drama in my life.

Now, a while ago, weird as it may sound, I was thinking of some analogies of business and relationships. In my head, I was looking at different types of people and I was going through different scenarios and thinking of how business and relationships are alike in many ways.

Types of People

Analogy #1:
Business: There are people who invest so much into a business and get super disappointed when there is little return on investment or no return at all.

Relationships: There are people who invest so much into relationships and get disappointed when they give more into the relationship than their partners.

Analogy #2:
Business: There are people who start out super excited with a business idea and concept and give it all they have got. But somewhere along the way, they realize that it’s not something that they want to do anymore.

Relationships: There are people who fall head over heels in-love and the first few years are like heaven on earth. But somewhere along the way, they realize that what they felt was just infatuation and that they were just in love with the idea of love.

Analogy #3:
Business: There are people who just want to keep on doing the things that they are doing and just don’t want to start their own business. They are happy that way.

Relationships: There are people who decide that they don’t want to go into any kind of relationship, even marriage. They are just happy being single.

Analogy #4:
Business: There are people who are happy with the business that they have started even if they have bumps and a lot of huge challenges along the way. They just get through it and deal with it. Lucky bastards!

Relationships: There are people who are happy with the relationship or marriage that they have. They may encounter a lot of little and even huge challenges, but in the end, they still survive, make it work and are happy with their decision.

Analogy #5:
Business: There are people who are stuck in a business because they have already signed the SEC and legal documents. They just pretend and work half-heartedly to make the business work and survive just to get by.

Relationships: There are people who have decided to settle down and stand path with the decision to marry that they made since they know it’s a commitment. Even if they aren’t happy anymore, what can they do, right?

Analogy #6:
Business: There are people who just created a business, but feel like something is missing or they feel impatient waiting for their ROI. They then tend to dabble into other different businesses just to see if they can get something out from those other endeavors.

Relationships: There are people who are in current relationships, but who feel that something is missing or that they can’t wait for marriage anymore. They then feel that they need to still look around and play the field, just in case there is someone out there who’s a better match for them.

Scenarios:

Ang pag-ibig parang negosyo…

– Minsan alam mo na ngang charity work, gusto mo paring i-pursue.
– Kumakapit ka lang as business idea mo kasi natatakot kang wala ka nang maisip na iba.
– Alam mo na ngang lugi ka, pero ayaw mong bitawan kasi mawawalan ka na ng negosyo at akalain ng tao, petiks ka nalang.
– Alam mo na ngang mali yung business idea mo at di ka kikita pero go lang kasi masaya ka naman.
– Alam mo na ngang mali yung pinili mong business partner, pero di ka na umatras kasi may SEC registration na at pumirma na sya.
– Alam mo na ngang gusto ng potential partner mo bumalik sa corporate world, pilit ka parin ng pilit na magnegosyo kayo together.
– Alam mo na ngang malulugi ka, umiyak ka parin at di ginawan ng paraan.
– Alam mo na ngang di maganda yung dynamics nyo ng business partner mo, niyaya mo parin sya sa bagong negosyo mo.
– Dasal ka ng dasal na sana magwork ang business mo pero di ka naman nagwo-work. Haller?
– Nagtitiis ka i-figure out kung paano mag-flafly yung business mo, kasi maganda sa papel at pitch deck (gusto mo talaga syang gawin), kaso wala talagang market.
– Gustong gusto mo yung business idea, kaso may nakagawa na… awww.

Haha! Sharing some #hugotsss lang this Monday afternoon 🙂

Do you want to share more #hugots? Pwede naman. Haha!

My ONE WORD for 2018 — JOY

Why We Should Love Even when It Hurts — Sometimes.

10 Things to Show Love for your Great Kids

Search for that thing that you Love Doing

That Thing Called Pagibig… That Thing Called Negosyo

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