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Happy Father's Day!

Today, the world honors the pillars of our lives by celebrating Father's Day and what better way to let them know how special and important they are to us than by simply letting them know.

Below is a compilation of compelling and moving letters written by some Cebu's top bloggers. If you haven't written your letter yet, fret not! There's plenty of time! Grab a pen and paper and just write your heart out. Wishing you all a lovely celebration!

Hi Pa, 

I'm writing to you not because it's an annual celebration for fathers but because you owe to know how much I love you. You've always been there for me even if you don't say too many words unlike mom. Your current achievements makes me very proud of you. You've always been an inspiration to me since then. I can still remember how you throw jokes just to make us laugh and that's something worth to be remembered for a lifetime. The way you decide and think of the future is so admirable. Balancing your time is also one thing I'm proud of. No wonder mom chose you among all her suitors. HAHA. I could already picture out how surprise you will be seeing this letter but that's totally fine. 

This year is extremely important for you since you'll be taking the BAR exam. You'll have to stay in Manila for few weeks which means miles apart from us. I think this is the longest time that you won't be with us but that's for a greater purpose. It's not an easy thing to do since you should dedicate more time in studying but I'm certain you'll handle it well. I may not show it every minute or every second but my support is always with you. No matter what happens, you'll always be the best father in the entire world, galaxy, universe or whatever they call it. I love you Papa Angelito and I always will. Thank you God for giving me a father like Papa Angelito.

Your only daugther,

Christy
Blogger - Talk About Cebu

Dear A, 

Our son and I are happy and blessed to have you. You're an awesome papa and husband too. The place that you hold in my mind is as big as the place that you hold in my heart. 

In case you don't know, there's another side of you that only shows when you are with our son. It's a side that I never realized I would be so happy to see. I know you only want the best for him. I understand that you only want him to experience the world, even though it's scary. It's okay if you think it's ridiculous for me to stop him from playing outside, for thinking he shouldn't have wounded knees, and for not letting him get a taste of a real childhood life. I now know you are right! 

No matter what we do, we can't stop our son from growing up. Thank you for helping me realize the bittersweet nature of parenthood and for sharing that bittersweetness with me all the time. 

They say nobody's perfect but to us you are the perfect papa, best friend, and playmate! Thank you for the love and care beyond compare. 

When our son was born, you were also born as a father - 5 years down, a lifetime to go! Every single day we celebrate your fatherhood. But today, let me just say Happy Father's Day! We love you and cheers to more years of being parents!

Rea
Blogger - Blissful Snapshots

Happy dada’s day! 

Did I ever tell you how grateful I am for having such a wonderful person such as you? I know I can get so short-tempered at times but know that deep inside, I am thankful that you do such a great job at taking care of me and our daughter. Times may be tough but I know that we can get through this together. It’s only just the beginning, after all. I love you so much and I look forward to more adventures (and more challenges) together. 


Pam
Blogger - Hey, Miss Adventures

My Tatay as I fondly call him

Being a Tatay's girl, I was blessed to have him as my father. He may not be perfect but he has certain qualities that make him stand out. 

He used to be a brigade commander of their High School's CAT Unit, and in fact, he was the most "hard headed" commander to note in their school's history. No wonder I got that head strong personality and sometimes, being stubborn from him. 

Also, only family members had the guts to call him "kugtong", a Cebuano term for a local endemic fish here in the Visayas area. He was of big built, and he was towering at 5'10". 

He was, together with his sister and brother, the original foodies. They greatly influenced my love for food, especially Spanish cuisine. He is the only one who can make me eat goat meat, which translates into Goat Kaldereta, and he is the only one who can make me eat Linarang na Pagi. Though rays are already banned from being consummed, at one point in my life, I was able to eat Stingray meat cooked Larang style. 

He actually has a special skill in knife and blade care. I got my affinity of knives, sharps and anything bladed from him. Though he does not approve of me handling sharps, I still pursue my passion for knife and blades.

He also instilled the value of environmental protection and being a responsible outdoor enthusiast since I was young. He exposed me early on in life to the wonders of being outdoors. I remember spending my childhood summers in our province in Aloguinsan, where I usually spend playing with my cousins at the ridge. We would see Mt. Kanlaon at an eye level distance, while enjoying the downhill race on coconut branches. It was him whom I got the passion to be a mountaineer. And FYI, he can still climb coconut trees even at his 50's! I remember back when I was young that he would always make me walk around 4K or so when we spend our summers at Aloguinsan. On top of that, I used to bring my bag with a load of 3-4 kg or so! IT is actually heavy for a young kid like me. Talk about early training for TREKKING! 

Since he is a foodie, he always finds an excuse for me to cook for him, though my cooking skills are not as stellar as his. He and his late sister, Mama Yonie, and his late brother, Tatay Elmo, would always request me to cook for them whenever we have the chance to have a get together at our grandparent's house. 

HE is quiet strict with my studies before, and when I found it difficult to study MATH, he was the only one who can make me study it with no excuses. 

Also, with all of these, he is an excessive water drinker! We can actually consume 6L or more of water each day individually! Imagine that. 

So with that, folks. My Tatay is a normal dude who got extraordinary talents. I am so blessed to have him as my father.

Jeane Louise
Blogger - Viajera Cebuana

Thank  you so much ladies for sharing your letters and well wishes with the rest of us!
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And of course, let us all light a candle in remembrance of the dads who are now in heaven.

My Facebook news feed is filled with photos of kids on their first day of school and I love it! I love seeing such happy posts! Children are reaching milestones this week! First time to go to school, moving up to a higher level, new friends and new environment!

However, it's not all fun. The first week is usually an adjustment period for kids and some of them may not be as excited about it as we are. Some can easily adjust while some might need a little time but that's okay, things will be just fine mama! As parents, what we can do is to help them transition smoothly as best as we can.  If your kid seems to be having a hard time adjusting and is always crying at school, here are some of the things that you can do.

1. Tears are okay! Don't beat yourself up if  your kid is THAT kid who cries in the corner of the class room or holds on to your arm for dear life. This is pretty normal especially for preschool children during their first few weeks. To them, you are the only familiar face in a sea of strangers in an unfamiliar environment. What you can do is to show them how to make friends and that it's going to be okay.

2. Re-introduce your kid to the teacher. If your kid has been crying since day one, re-introduce her to the teacher. Let your kid see that you trust the teacher and that she can too! Let your child hear you ask the teacher to watch over her/him and gush over how much fun they are going to have that day!

3. Get the names of one or two of his or her classmates and introduce them to each other. If your kid is the shy one, show him or her how to make friends. Say hello to his or her classmates and introduce them to each other. Showing your kid how easy it can be to start making friends will help make the transition easier. Plus, knowing someone else's name will give your kid a sense of familiarity and who knows, they might be excited to go back to school the following day because they will see their new friends again!

4. Don't betray their trust! Never try to trick them and dash for the exit as soon as their attention is somewhere else. It has to be clear to them that they can trust you and that you need to go BUT you will come back for them as soon as class is done. If you try to escape thinking that they will be able to adjust easier that way, the opposite can happen. They will now be more clingy because they don't want you to just suddenly disappear.

5. Make goodbyes quick. Once your kid is okay about you leaving for a few hours, leave as soon as you've said your goodbyes. Do not linger and peek through the windows! Most schools do not allow the parents to stay for a long time anyway. You want to make sure that your kid will now be able to focus on exploring their new environment and not to check if you are still there.

6. Be there as soon as school is out if possible. I know how hard this can be especially for us working moms. However, if work schedule will allow it, your kid will love it if they see you as soon as class ended. Nothing beats a welcoming hug from a familiar face after a day full of adjustments.

7. Talk to them about school when you get home. Ask about the exciting things that happened at school and sound excited! What you're trying to do here is to rub off that excitement on them.

8. Let the tears fall, mama. And I'm not talking about your kid's tears, I'm talking about the ones on the brink of jumping off from your eyes. I have to admit, I ugly-cried the first time my kids went to school. That's okay! This is a big achievement and you know how we parents can be so emotional seeing our kids grow up right before our eyes. First day of school is a milestone for both child and parents. Cry, give yourself a pat on the back and remind yourself how awesome you've been. You earned it!

Jhanis V. - Top 10 Blogs Voice Boks Comedy Edition, featured on BlogHer.com, HumorWriters.org, Bloggys 2015 - Finalist, Family and Relationships Category. She blogs at The Vanilla Housewife and The Cebu Gazette.

As a mom who works in a call center, I know how hard it can be to juggle everything that needs to be done with the crazy schedule that we have. From making sure that the kids are eating right, down to making sure that homework are done on time while trying to force ourselves to stay awake Let's add to these the housework, errands plus parenting itself.

I don't know about you but there are days when all I wanna do when I get home home from work is plop on the bed put a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on my forehead and never get up until the following week. Wishful thinking. I can't even sneak in a nap most days!

Our lives generally revolve around family, kids and work that sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves until one day we realize we're in our 30's and we see fine lines around our eyes, we feel the creaky bones and simply just do not have the energy to do anything else aside from what's necessary.

Not good. Always remember that in order for us to give our best, we must take care of ourselves first.

This year has been life changing for me. I now go to the gym, I do yoga and I try to eat healthier foods. These are things that I said I will never do about 3 years ago. "NEVER! I do not have time for all these things!" Then I started getting sick, felt lethargic and grew eye bags as big as Mt. Everest. Then I changed my mantra to "I need to make time for these things!"

I admit, it can be hard at first but once you get the hang of it, it's not impossible. To help you jump start your own Operation: Love Yourself, I have listed a few tips below.

1. You have to want it

I don't think any amount of goading or invitation from friends who go to the gym will ever make you want to do it. Yes, you might want to join them for a session or two, but if your heart's not in it, there's a big chance that you will give up right away. You have to want to do it for yourself and not for anything or anybody else.

2. Little things count!

If you think that a 30-minute brisk walk is useless, think again! 30 minutes of exercise is better than zero! For now, a 45 minute run or walk on the treadmill 3-4 times a week is all I could afford and I'm fine with it! I go to the gym after shift and I never go beyond 45 minutes because as much as I want to work on my gluteus maximus (so I will look good in skinny jeans! LOL), I also want to be home at least a couple of hours before dinner so I can still talk or play with my kids.

3. Make exercise a family activity

I always feel guilty whenever I do something for myself so when I started doing yoga, it felt like I was cheating my family off of my time with them. Solution? Make them do YOGA too!

I used to go to a studio for yoga but because I don't like leaving the house more than necessary (MOM GUILT!), I decided to just do it at home. The good thing is that my 5-year-old daughter now does it with me. She loves our sessions so much that she would actually ask that we "excercise" whenever were not doing anything. I have to admit, I haven't convinced my son and my husband to do this yet but they are fun spectators! Best part is, I'm able to have quality bonding time with my daughter and there's zero guilt!

4. Motivate yourself

Look for the something that will push you to exercise. Be it a nice dress that you wanna wear on your wedding anniversary, getting your summer body ready for next year or simply just wanting to stay healthy so will live to see your kids graduate from college or get married. Personally, I want to set a healthy example for my kids. They are at that stage where they are forming their own personalities and habits and I want them to see that health is something that we do not take for granted. Plus, I want to fit into my old jeans again. ;)

Whatever it is that will drive you off the couch and get moving, focus on that.

5. Don't let work schedule discourage you

Working in a call center drives your body clock crazy because of the shifting schedules. When I was still an agent, I always had a hard time going to sleep during day time that I was literally running on coffee and 2-3 hours sleep each day. Wreaked havoc on my health! But there is still hope! If you are having a hard time falling asleep, there are many relaxation exercises or stretches that can help promote sleep! Just follow them and you will hit 2 birds with one stone! Your body gets the much needed exercise and it can help resolve sleeping problems.

Whenever I don't have time to go  to the gym because of work schedule, I do leg exercises and planking on the bed before I go to sleep or do squats in the shower. You can even do squats while cooking!

The hardest part of working out is how to start but there's no other way other than to just get up an do it.

For more tips, you can check out my 5 Easy Ways to Stay Fit for Working Moms.

* Disclaimer: I am not a professional health instructor. I am only sharing what works for me. Please consult your doctor prior to making any change related to health.


Jhanis V. - Top 10 Blogs Voice Boks Comedy Edition, featured on BlogHer.com, HumorWriters.org, Bloggys 2015 - Finalist, Family and Relationships Category. She blogs at The Vanilla Housewife and The Cebu Gazette.

It's almost Father's Day! Here in the Philippines, we honor the pillars of our homes every third Sunday of June. Of course we honor, respect and love the dads in our lives every single day but we still set aside one special day for them each year to celebrate their existence in our lives.

Every year, I try to come up with ideas on how to surprise the father of my kids, nothing grand or fancy but something that will make him feel extra special and loved. If you need ideas that are fun yet affordable, I have listed a few things below to help you make this day memorable not just for the celebrant but for the entire family!

Write a letter
This one is easy to do and will cost you nothing. You can write a letter to remind your father or husband how much you appreciate him. You can even ask help from kids! If they do not know how to write yet, you can just hand them papers and crayons and ask them to draw something for dad. My kids do this for my husband and they paste it somewhere inside the house where my husband can easily find them when he gets home from work. A back rub while they read the letter will make this extra special!

Uninterrupted Me Time
We all know how hard parenting can be and lets add to that the stress from trying to make a living, making sure that the rent is paid and that there's food on the table. Giving them a much needed me-time will be very much appreciated.

Give them a DIY coupon that says "Free 4-hour pass to go play basketball." or "Get out of the house! Jog, play DOTA, or billiards. Just have fun and stay safe!".

While they're at it, try to avoid interrupting them with texts like "Be home by 10. Or else!" or "Please drop by at the supermarket and get a dozen of eggs and a bag of sugar before heading back home." Let them enjoy their free-time.

Picnic at the park.
Another thing that you can do is to celebrate the day with the whole family by going on a picnic. Go to Plaza Independencia, find a shaded area and set your picnic mat! Let the kids run wild and watch them have fun with your dear husband. You can even run along with them! For food, you can just bring chips, sandwiches and water. If you have extra cash, go inside Fort San Pedro. Entrance fee I think is less than 50 bucks and inside the museum-park, you will see historical artifacts from how the Philippines came to be the country that it is now. My family and I have done this a few times and we all enjoy it!

An afternoon at the beach!
There are many public beaches here in Cebu where you don't have to pay exorbitant entrance and cottage fees to enjoy the day. Just pack sandwiches, chips, lechon manok, puso, and you're good to go! Don't forget to bring a tent or large mats and just set these up under the shade of the trees if you do not want to spend for cottages. Public Beaches with no or minimal entrance fees: Vaño Beach and Hadsan Cove in Mactan/Lapu-Lapu area and Pooc Beach in Talisay. If you are okay spending for bus fare, there's Tingko Beach in Alcoy and Basdaku in Moalboal.  

Visit Cebu Zoo
Visit Cebu Zoo as a family and have your pictures taken with the wild animals. Great educational adventure and awesome way to bond with dad and the kids. What's more awesome is that the entrance fee is very minimal! When we went there, entrance fee for adults is 25PhP and 10Php for the kids.

Special dinner or lunch at home

When I say special, I do not mean expensive dishes. I mean, any food prepared with love and shared by the entire family. Use that special table cloth that you have in the cabinet meant for special occasions, bring out your nice plates and glasses and decorate the table with flowers picked from the yard. Even fried fish and pancit will do as long as there's love! Instruct the kids not to fight on the table just for this one day. You know what I mean, right? :) Say grace before the meal and make sure to thank the Lord for the wonderful family man in your presence.

Lastly, You will never go wrong with cake!
Greet the dads in your life with awesome personalized but affordable Father's Day cakes from Chedz! Dad's day is fast approaching so better place that order now!

I'm pretty sure that your husband or father will appreciate whatever plans you have for them on Father's Day. Remember, it's the thought that counts!

Enjoy!

Jhanis V. - Top 10 Blogs Voice Boks Comedy Edition, featured on BlogHer.com, HumorWriters.org, Bloggys 2015 - Finalist, Family and Relationships Category. She blogs at The Vanilla Housewife and The Cebu Gazette.