by Leonie Pisco-Cuerbo We are all in a hurry during the holidays! So—here are some fun and time saving tips for planning your holiday dinner. Plan your recipes now. Make assignments as to who will do the buying, and the cooking as early as possible. Prepare some food early. Some dishes can be prepared one or two weeks in advance and stored in the freezer. Stuffing for meat like onions, garlic and ...[Read More]
Get Ready for Christmas Dinner
Christmas in My Heart: A story of a mom who looked for happiness and found it.
I always resented Christmas. In my view, it was a tiring, routine occasion that you just had to get through—give gifts, spend a lot, attend parties, prepare food…It was especially stressful if you didn’t have much money. At Christmastime, I really just focused on getting my bonus and worrying about how much it amounted to. I looked at my life in a negative way as well. Growing up with violence and ...[Read More]
We can’t give new things to my kids this Christmas.
Just Asking with Peter Banzon Q: Every Christmas, I buy my children new clothes and toys. This year, our Christmas will be difficult because my husband was laid off, and has just taken a new job. How can I lift my kids’ spirits and help them not to be ashamed of not having new things this Christmas? A: Since your children are used to having new things during Christmas, they will be disappointe ...[Read More]
Decorating Your Home Inexpensively for Christmas
Article and recipe by Nina Sheryll Palad Creating a Christmas-y theme and seeing it come to fruition in our homes are easy if we have a huge living space and a budget to go with our ideas. However, for us who are working on either a tight budget or none at all, and a living area that would explode at the hint of one more ornament, transforming our space to match the season can be a major challeng ...[Read More]
Giving with the Heart
By Rose Osete-Lee Gifts never fail to put a smile on my face. It is just so exciting to open them and discover what’s inside. Gifts are synonymous with the holiday season. In the past, I gave gifts because it was expected of me. I attended the wedding of a business friend a few years ago, and I gave cash as gift. I had difficulty deciding on the amount because I felt obliged to give a certain ...[Read More]
What Kids Think about CHRISTMAS
“Masaya dahil may regalo.” – Angelito, 6 years old “Masaya kasi magkakapera po.” – Mary Joy, 5 years old “May regalo galing kay ninong.” – Nicole, 7 years old “May mga regalo, magkakaroon ng pera.” – Angela, 8 years old “Masaya dahil po maraming natatanggap na regalo.” – Carlo, 10 years old “Natutuwa po kasi may regalo.” – Melanie, 9 years old “Nagbibigay si God ng blessings gaya ng regalo, ...[Read More]
Celebrating Christ in Christmas
By A.M. Bernal-dela Rosa We have a colorful and unique Christmas season in the Philippines. We celebrate this holiday longer than any other country in the world! Among the many distinctly Filipino Christmas traditions in the Simbang Gabi or the dawn masses attended by churchgoers for the nine mornings before December 25. Cultural historian and former Education Secretary, Alejandro Roces, noted t ...[Read More]