the canDIshhh tales

I am not an out of town person. Well, I used to be - but since having kids, well - I have to admit, the novelty of going out of town was gone.  I disliked the packing and unpacking - and since kids need more stuff, and I'm a trooper of always being *prepared* - I get a bit cuckoo. But then I realized, time away from the city and the comforts of home, going some place outside of town is - wonderful and re-energizing.  The bonding is more natural, it makes me appreciate what I have.  I get to see my kids in a whole new light and enjoy their company without distractions.  I now finally understand the meaning of the saying *Stop and smell the roses*. Last week was our first time to visit the Fun Farm at Sta. Elena.  I was skeptical at first since I'm not what you call an outdoor-sy mom.  Thankfully - the weather was perfect, it was not as hot and the wind was cool - I was amazed at the size, it was huuuuuge!  I was half expecting it to be small, but ...

For the past year or so, I have been seeing so many bento meals for kids in my social media feeds.  I know for a fact that bento is something Japanese but it has evolved now to what I know - as a creative way to make a kid's meal more fun! Last month, Kailee and I attended a Bento workshop by The Bento Mommas and Oreos.  I swear, I have a new found respect for mommies/daddies making bento meals for their kids.  It's not an easy task - I mean, you have to have (major) creativity and ingenuity and patience and lots and lots of time. I initially thought that it was easy, well - do this and that - voila, a bento.  But it's more than that - one should be able to plan what kind of bento to prepare, the available ingredients, tools to use.  During the workshop - I've a gained an admiration for the parents who make bento.  It takes a lot of getting used to .  The cutting, the preparing, the molding and the presentation.  The meal planning too! ...