A Sunshine Award for a Brighter Day!

This is indeed a perfect way to start the year as a blogger. I celebrated my blogiversary and now I was nominated by Natasha of Epic Mommy Adventures to receive a Sunshine Award. My first award as a blogger so far.


What is the Sunshine Award: I believe it was created by bloggers as a way to recognize each other’s work.


Rules of the award: Answer 11 questions with random facts about yourself asked by your nominee. Then forward the recognition by choosing 11 other blogs and ask the bloggers 11 questions about themselves.


So, here are the questions that Natasha want me to answer. When I saw it, I was excited to answer all the questions and so here they are:


1. As a parent, we tend to sacrifice many of the things that we previously enjoyed doing. However, it’s all worth it for your beautiful child! What are some things that you have given up to be a better parent?


Oh. I’ve given up a lot! I can no longer go home at 3 or 4 in the morning.lol I can’t spend a lot of time with my friends the way we used to. I also miss community events like gift giving, no more singing gigs, no more hosting events and I can’t travel anytime I want. But even if I sacrificed a lot, I still feel complete and happy because nothing compares to being a mother.


2. Many times, our child can drive us absolutely nuts – tantrums, demands, all those things that children do, whether they are 2 or 15. What are some of the things that your child does that drives you absolutely nuts?


My daughter thinks like a 12 year old. (Well, that could be an exaggeration.) But her reasoning and all doesn’t sound like coming from a two year old little lady. She have bizarre demands like she wants to ride an elephant, a zebra or she want us to buy her a helicopter or rocket. Her words and her dreams are totally bigger than her age! She says things you won’t expect her to say. Like when I asked her want she wants for snack one afternoon, she said, “Uhmmm…I want a party.” I was like, “Whaaattt??? I was just asking what she wants to eat for snacks and she wants a party?” Aside from that, she would have tantrums too. She’d cry and cry without any good reason at all. While crying, she kept on talking and she would say, “Say sorry to Mommy” over and over again.


3. What are your coping mechanisms when your child drives you absolutely nuts?


When she say crazy things, I just laugh at it and share it to hubby and other family members. But when her tantrums come, sometimes, I really don’t know what to do. It’s like I want to open the door and leave her the room so I won’t deal with her tantrums. But you know I can’t do that. So, I’d just hold her and tell her that things are okay and that she doesn’t have to cry. I’d even scare her that the monster will get her if she keep on crying. Well, sometimes, it works.


4. Sometimes when I have a day off from work, I still send my son to daycare to get a day all to my self. What do you enjoy doing when your child is not around? Share some of the juicy details!


My daughter is always around!lol There are instances when I am left alone in the room. So, I do my work. I could use it as an opportunity to work because no one is sitting on my lap or dragging me to play with her.


5. When we were younger, we all imagined that we would be in some profession when we got older. I wanted to be an accountant like my father! What did you want to be? How different is it from the profession you are currently in?


I always wanted to be a journalist. I saw myself running after huge events and reporting about it on print and on TV. I wrote for a local paper too. I am a licensed civil engineer but that doesn’t hinder my writing career. I may not be a journalist but at least, I can still write.


6. It’s a snow day! You’re home all day with your child(ren) and it’s a great time to cozy up on the sofa with a big blanket and some hot chocolate. What would you be doing with your child on a snow day?


There isn’t snow in our country but when it is raining hard and we could cozy up on the sofa, we would watch movies together while eating delicious snacks I made.


7. It’s Friday night and all the kids are asleep. What movie do you grab to watch?


Any movie I guess. Could be a romance or adventure or comedy or an animation or maybe I’d watch anything from Twilight again.lol


8. What topic do you enjoy blogging about most? How do your readers relate to posts on this topic?


I actually blog about just anything I can think of. There are so many things that run in my mind but I do not have enough time to write all about it.


9. What has been your best vacation? Where did you go? What did you do? What makes it the best?


Best vacation? For now, that would be a visit to Bacolod City with my best friends and soul sisters. Bella was just 7 months that time but we brought her with us. Although, I have been to the place before, it is just different to spend time with people you enjoy to be with.


10. Do you like to read? What kind of books? What’s the last thing you read?


Yes. I love reading books. But I have lost my books during the typhoon and I have to buy new ones for me and Bella. I read fiction and non-fiction books. I particularly like The Secret and those written by my fave authors Paolo Coehlo, Danielle Steel, John Grisham, Sidney Sheldon, and Nicholas Sparks. The last book I have read was the Twilight series. Can you imagine that? That was like two years ago! Ugh. I miss reading books and I intend to buy some this year.


11. Have you ever listened to a song or watched a movie and felt that it summed you up completely? What movie or song would that be for you?


Hmm.. I thought hard for this question but I can’t seem to find an answer.lol


And now here are my nominees for the Sunshine Award:


Amber from Adventures in Mindful Living
Brittnie from Homemaking With Style
Andrea from Tales of an Overstuffed Princess
Jahna from House of J
Renee from A Nanny’s Perspective
Bianca from The Pierogie Mama
Lisa from SquishableBaby
Jamie from Momma Without A Clue
Janis from The Vanilla Housewife
Glaiza from MoomyMusings
Courtney from Whats up With the Wilhelms


And here are my questions for them:


1. As a mother, how do you consider blogging? Is it a job, a hobby or a past time?


2. One challenging part of being a parent is to discipline the kids. How do you discipline your kids? Can you cite one example of a situation where you tried to teach them something?


3. Since you are occupied with so many Super Mom stuffs, what do you enjoy doing when your child is not around?


4. When you had kid/s, how did it affect your relationship with your husband, family and friends?


5. All of us have dreams and aspirations in life. Did you achieve yours? Or was it detoured when you had a child?


6. Are you a shoppaholic? What certain stuffs do you always get and can’t resist to buy? Did that change when you had a children?


7.  Did you look into maintaining a good figure, wearing makeup and fashionable clothes after giving birth?


8. What do you usually do when your child(ren) get tantrums? Do you yield to their demands or you impose discpline?


9. My daughter loves Lalaloopsy and we are supportive of that. But we don’t buy her every doll she wants. How do you spoil your kids while making sure that they will not get “totally spoiled”?


10. My daughter and I loves to eat ice cream a lot like everyday! What is one foodie that you and your kids love to eat together?


11. What are the crazy things you usually did when you were a teenager which you do not want your kids to do?