All posts by Reah Padla

Carabao Crafts: Real Leather Goods

Fashion, Raves

I’m a sucker for genuine leather goods. I’m addicted to the smell so I as much as possible I choose to buy bags with real leather. I had the Cambridge Satchel which my husband hated so I sold it for an even higher price. (Ha!) I have a couple of Rabeanco bags which I so love.

Locally, I adore Our Tribe and Fino Leatherware for their leather goods. I just love going inside their stores because of the smell. My husband finds it weird but I know some of you will understand.

Browsing through Zalora (for some window-shopping because my I’m sad my husband is going on a trip), I saw this gorgeous leather backpack:

I’m thinking of buying this one because I’ve been searching for a really nice leather backpack for myself and as an alternative to Noah’s diaper bag. It’s a bit pricey for a backpack but I know this will last me a lifetime. I’m still on a shopping diet but I haven’t gotten myself a present for our 5th Wedding Anniversary. (Haha!) It’s cheaper than the bag husband wants me to buy for him so I think I’ll wait until he comes back.

Carabao Crafts is a new brand by Carlo Garcia. He comes from a clan of shoemakers in Marikina. He’s the grandson of Vicente Samson (owner of OTTO, ITTI, Cardam’s, and Caterpillar). Having studied shoe and bag design from Ars Sutoria Milanofrom, Carlo Garcia hopes to continue the Samson family’s legacy by starting his own line. His creations are elegant and more durable because they are made from materials combining recycled airplane tires, abaca, coconut fibers, and carabao leather.

I’m glad that young fashion designers like Garcia chose to use Philippines’ very own. I hope more people will support such products. Enough of synthetic leather please. They won’t last long. Buy real leather to get your money’s worth.

Here are some of Carabao Crafts products:Carabao Crafts JUAN Shoes

 

 

carabao crafts juanita bag

 

Gorgeous!

Keeping Christ in Christmas: Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Faith, Family, God's Word, Motherhood

“I’m participating in the Keeping Christ in Christmas Blog Carnival, hosted by Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom, and Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families. We’ll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Jesus as the Reason for the Christmas season. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.”

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Majority of people around the world are counting the days ’til Christmas. Everyone I know is already on holiday mode, looking forward to last-minute shopping, wrapping gifts, doing the grocery, cooking, dressing up, and finally celebrating that  special day when everyone is expected to share more love than usual.

For us Christians, we know the reason for Christmas. That is–the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But do us people who can celebrate Christmas still think and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas? Admit it, most of us get excited about the coming holidays because of the 13th month pay, for some extra Christmas bonus, the thrill of decorating, the cool breeze, the chance to dress up, and a week-long vacation for some. Christmas has become too commercialized that even Christians take for granted the real meaning of the season. We know it, yes, but we do not make it a priority.

CHRIST is the Reason for This Season.

Christmas is a time of commemorating the birth of Christ. And who is this Christ? Jesus, the Messiah. The Savior and Lord of the fallen world. God, the Father, sent His one and only Son, to give us an everlasting life, because He loves us so much (John 3:16).

Jesus became man to do the Father’s will (John 6:38).   Christ came to this world to be our salvation. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Sin has its consequence and that is death but God loves us so much that He has given us eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Man has become separated from God but there is Jesus–the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:16). It is only through Jesus that we can come to the Father and be reunited with Him in heaven. It is by His grace that we have been saved, through faith, and not because of who we are or what we have done, but because it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Oh what a beautiful gift! The Gift of Salvation which started on a manger one holy night in Bethlehem. It may be hard to fathom that the King’s Son came to this world, born in manger, to a young but faithful and obedient couple, Mary and Joseph. But because God loves us, He offered Jesus to give us eternal life. God’s Plan of Salvation started on Christmas day.

Christmas is the time we can declare louder that “Jesus is Lord”. God’s plan of salvation calls us to believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead for us to be saved. Not by our good works or the amount of money we give to the church as offering, but our hearts who believe, and with our mouth that we profess our faith and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).

The essence of Christmas is CHRIST. Christianity is about being a follower of Jesus Christ. Him alone and no one else. Holidays may be the best time to preach this Good News–that a sinner can be made free and righteous through our faith in Jesus Christ. But really, we must make every season an opportunity to share His love not just to those who are closest to us, but also to those people we think are not deserving. God’s love is unconditional and that is the kind of love we should also be giving.

As Christian parents, it is our responsibility to teach our children The Greatest Story Ever Told. Christmas is a perfect opportunity for us to teach our young ones our faith. As a mom to a 3-year old, I need to make sure that my son recognizes that we have Christ in our family. This year is his fourth Christmas but it’s only now that he can begin to understand what Christmas is all about.

And how do we that?

(1) We tell him The Story of Christmas. What better way to get him interested in listening to us tell the story of Jesus Birth than this LEGO Christmas Story book.

The Christmas Story: The Brick Bible for Kids

We’re not robbing him off the joy of getting to know Santa Claus but as early as now, we’re not teaching Noah that gifts come from Santa Claus. We’re not gonna lie to him about Santa Claus and we’re not gonna make him believe that he is real. Instead, we’re trying to teach him who Jesus is by reading him The Christmas Story and praying with him.

Our son may still not fully grasp the meaning of Christmas but it’s not too early to build a foundation of faith. The faith we have will be the greatest heritage we could leave him. It’s only by God’s grace that we can be the kind of parents God wants us to be.

(2) This is the first time we’ve set up a Belen at home. My mom gave me this wooden Nativity scene that was previously owned by my sister’s mom-in-law. More than the beauty of this wood sculpture is the story behind it– the birth of our Savior.

Displaying this Nativity scene is another opportunity where we can share the story of Christmas to our son.

(3) Simplifying Christmas is another way that we remain true to the Reason of the Season. We only have few decors this year at home and most of them are DIY Christmas Decors and because we decided on a Spend-less Holiday.I mentioned this already but  you see during Christmas time, people tend to be selfish and excited with the gifts that they would receive. Christmas isn’t about the “I” (that’s you and me) receiving gifts but it’s about celebrating the Real Reason for this Season– His name is JESUS.  This year, we’re going thrifty by not spending too much on gifts. Some of the gifts I prepared are even handmade and personalized. I think gifts become more special that way.

(4) Since Christmas is also a time of giving, we’ll be giving away Noah’s old but usable toys to other kids. I’ve already sorted his toys and clothes but haven’t decided on whom to give to or where to bring them. We also intend to give some of my and husband’s clothes to people who need them more. We both work from home so we don’t really need a lot of clothes.

(5) Kids are welcome. Christmas Caroling is one tradition of Filipinos during Christmas. Some cities in the metro may have banned Christmas carolers in the streets but I feel we need to keep this tradition especially for the kids. I am excited for Noah to be the one to give coins to the kids. We’ve started as early as the first week of December actually. I’ve prepared coins and some candies and chocolates to give. Kids are welcome to sing in front of our house but of course, I still have to be careful and wise in giving. As much as possible, I take note of the kids’ faces so we know we’re not being fooled. I know giving and sharing must be from the heart and without any questions but we still need to exercise wisdom. If other houses are shooing these kids away, our family will try our best to at least give them something. I’m not promising that we will give to every kid who comes our way but we will try our best to be more kind, loving, and understanding.

(6) For this month, our church pastor’s sermons are focused on Experiencing God. Last Sunday, our church choir gave a very beautiful musical presentation entitled “Experiencing God” by Gary Rhodes and Clare Cloninger  based on the Experiencing God book by Henry Blackaby. We wanted Noah to join the children’s choir but we weren’t able to bring him to the practices. We’ve been playing the song “My Abba’s Child” for him to sing along since September. He knows the song but it’s been a busy working December for my husband and I so we regret that we weren’t able to have him join. It would have been nice and heartwarming to see Noah up there like when his dad and I used to do when we were still part of the Children’s Church. He only got to join one practice but that was enough to make me cry.

Next year, we’ll see to it that he joins the presentation. By then, we hope that he understands that singing for God is one way of worshiping Him. For now, we’ll continue playing Christmas songs and letting him sing along with us.

(7) Christmas parties are inevitable. Others may get excited in all the food they can partake or all the booze they can finish but for us Christians, it’s important that we celebrate in more meaningful ways. Parties are opportunities to connect with friends and relatives. Use such time to relate with people on a more personal level. Do away with the gossip and senseless fun. Criticisms, hatred, and envy should have no place if you want to keep Christ this Christmas and every season of your life.

On Christmas Eve, we’ll celebrate just the three of us at home, just like Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We’ll use that time as another opportunity to experience God as a family who loves and worships the Lord. This is a tradition we intend to keep.

Here’s another song recorded by my husband:


What Child is This

What Child is this, who laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here,
The silent Word is pleading.
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Full Lyrics HERE

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
Philippians 2:8-10

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Here are the links to the other blog carnival participants. I hope you’ll take the time to visit them and leave a comment on their posts!  The list will be updated throughout the day, so please do come back and check on them. God bless us all!

O Holy Night

Faith, God's Word, Music

Christmas is just around the corner. However, not everyone now is looking forward to celebrating it.

Despite the atrocities we heard over the weekend, we believe that there is still a God. I am deeply saddened by the senseless killing of 20 innocent children and six adults in Connecticut. I’ve cried so much because I could feel the pain of the parents and I couldn’t imagine losing my own kid.

We ask “Why?”. We’ll never have our questions answered but all I know that my God is sovereign.

I know life must go on but I also believe major changes need to be made. I’m not giving any suggestions to the government and other parents but I’ll start with myself first by thinking more of the things that really matter.

May we not lose faith in God. May we not lose our hope in Jesus, Our Savior. As Christmas day approaches, may we remember the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died on the cross to save us from our sins.

Here’s another popular Christmas song my husband recorded a few years ago. I’m posting the lyrics here. Read the words and see the beauty of His coming to the world.

O Holy Night
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O’er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

The song talks about how the world has become sinful and our need for a Savior. God sent His Son to save us from our sins. Jesus who became man, understands how it is to be human. He feels our pain having suffered Himself on the way to the cross. He Himself faced rejection, hatred, and even experience physical pain many of us won’t even experience.

Now, we are called to live a life pleasing and holy to God and to love one another. It will be a life-long challenge but His grace will enable us.

For a child has been born—for us! the gift of a son—for us!
He’ll take over  the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor,  Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness.
Isaiah 9:6 (The Message)

Original Ink VS Ink Refill

Technology

I never liked the idea of using ink refills for my HP printer until last month when I had to buy new ink cartridges for Noah’s 3rd birthday. I knew I’d be printing a lot of stuff but I didn’t want to spend much. I decided to try ink refills and finally gave in to this cheap alternative.

The nearest refill kiosk in our place is Cartridge Land at the SM Hypermart. The blank ink refill cost only P200 while the color ink refill was P250. The P450 total price wasn’t bad compared to the P350 and P450 I’d have to pay for the original cartridges. I asked the staff if she could assure me that using refills are safe. Obviously, she answered yes. She gave me tips how to properly take care of the cartridges and reminded me that eventually, I’d have to buy new ones.

Using our HP 6070 All-in-One Printer, I photocopied (scanned and printed) one page from The Brick Bible New Testament.

Compare these two pages:

Original color page on the left; Printed page on the right
Left: Scanned and Printed | Right: Original
Scanned and printed using ink cartridge refill
Printed with ink refill

My verdict? Okay. Good. Pwede na. Not bad at all.

The colors weren’t as true to what I see on the screen and as expected but good enough for mass printing. Since I’m into DIYs and crafting, I use the printer more often now. I think I’ll use ink refills from now on since they’re cheaper but still offer (almost) the same print color quality. 🙂

How about you? Have you tried using ink refills on your printer?

DIY Candy Party Favor

Design, Living, Raves

I may not be the Queen of DIYs in the Philippines but I always surprise my friends and churchmates with the party favors I make. After all the LEGO party decors and favors for my son’s birthday last month, I made these candy favors for our church youth’s Back-to-School event.

I’ve been part of our Youth Group since I was 11 years old. I’m no longer active but I serve as their Ate, Mother, guardian, and sometimes sponsor. I always look for ways how to help them. A couple of weeks ago, I surprised the group with these:

Personalized Candy Party Souvenir

I already used this idea for the lego party. This time though, I bought pink candies. The candies are similar to Tic Tac but I forgot the brand. Each small container costs only P7.50 at SM Hypermart. I bought 30. I scaled down the event’s poster to fit one side and printed a few copies on a white sticker.

DIY Candy Party Favor

Looks like I’ll be making these party favors more often as they’re cheap and very easy to do. 🙂

I’m currently searching the Internet for bridal party decor and favor ideas for my soon-to-be sis-in-law. I haven’t finalized the details yet but I’ thinking of hosting a spa party. We’ll see. 🙂

[LINK LOVE] The Spend-Less Holidays Blog Carnival 2012

Family, Green Living, Living, Motherhood, Raves, World Wide Web
Spend-Less Holiday Blog Carnival 2012

Sharing is caring. I’m not part of this Blog Carnival of the Work-At-Home-Moms group I’m a member of because I failed to write one and missed the deadline but I want to share the numerous great tips provided by the other mommies.

I shared with you my 12 Shopping Tips For a Merrier Christmas already and that DIY Christmas Decors. Here are more helpful tips for you to have a meaningful Christmas without having to spend a lot. Enjoy!

 Merry Blog-hopping this Christmas!

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21

12 Shopping Tips For a Merrier Christmas

Green Living, Living, Motherhood
Christmas shopping at Siam Paragon in Bangkok

Aaah, Christmas. It’s my favorite time of the year. The list as to why I love the holidays is endless but I’m not about to enumerate them.

Yes, we all know that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”. Still, some people get caught up in all the Christmas rush. You know, shopping, shopping, food, gifts, parties, and yeah, more shopping. Despite the stress, traffic jams, and overdrafts, people still fight their way to the malls and ‘tiangges’ to do their Christmas shopping.

Seriously, it’s one of my favorite activities in the world but because of the recession, I feel it’s time that I be more practical and spend wisely. Better yet, as my husband would put it, “Don’t spend”. But hey, I can’t just change overnight so instead, I made a list of tips on how to shop just a little more wisely this Christmas. Here they are:

1. Make a Christmas list. By this I mean a list of people you want to give gifts to and not your Wish List. There’s a huge difference between the two. The former is more important. Write down those very special people who are dear to you so you won’t miss anyone.

2. Set a budget. This one is also very important. You can’t risk going over your budget. Even if some people say it’s okay to splurge, don’t. Stick to your budget. If you can, pay in cash. Don’t just swipe, swipe, swipe. You don’t want to be paying for Christmas gifts until June, do you?

3. Brand matters-NOT. When buying gifts, don’t shop at designer stores or boutiques. Brand doesn’t matter, really. What’s important is the quality. There’s a better alternative to the malls too. Hello, Divisoria! (And Tutuban, Quiapo, Greenhills, etc…)

4. Buy in bulk. During Christmas, most stores offer promo packages. “Buy one-take one” or “3 for 100”. You’ll be amazed at how much you can save if you buy wholesale as compared to getting individual items.

5. SALE signs are not always godsends. Especially to the ladies – don’t be deceived by the big red signs hanging in the malls. Sure, Christmas is the only time you can justify splurging but remember that there are more important things in life than getting a new dress for you, your children, or whoever. Stick to your list; you don’t have to buy everything you see.

6. Plan your trip to the mall. I would suggest a one-time, intentionally planned ‘trip’ instead of several unplanned, last minute trips. It would be best if you go to the mall just one time and do all your shopping then. That way, you can save on transportation, food expenses, and avoid those terrible, terrible traffic jams.

7. Use recyclable bags. More shopping means more plastic bags which, we all know are harmful to the environment. You can do your share of saving our eco-system by bringing your own paper bags. Better yet, why not use eco-canvas bags? Or, if you have a large bag, use that instead. You can just put all your purchases inside that. After all, that’s what big bags and tote bags are for.

8. Stay safe. It’s no secret that more people get robbed and mobbed during December, especially in the Philippines. Make sure your money is safe. Belt bags are advisable to use when doing extreme shopping.

9. Shop during off-peak hours. Avoid the Christmas rush. Malls in the Philippines are usually crowded during the holidays especially after the 13th month pays and bonuses have been given. If you can, file for a one day leave so you can shop earlier in the day.

10. Shop online. Try eBay or consider the countless online shops in Multiply and eBay. If you’re feeling generous, you can buy from US-based websites and have them items shipped to Manila via Johnny Air. It’s hassle-free and some would even offer free gift wrapping. You can also save on shipping sometimes.

11. Save receipts. Don’t just throw them away as they are the best way to keep track of your holiday expenses. Also, you never know if you might need to return some items.

12. Don’t wait until the last minute. It’s never too early to shop. Avoid the Christmas rush. Prepare weeks before, not the day before. This way, you’ll be more than prepared, you won’t have to fight crowds, wait in long lines, or have to settle for the leftover, limited merchandise. Avoid stress.

So there you have it – Christmas shopping tips for 2012. Remember though that while shopping can be therapeutic (especially during these hard times), the Season is not all about that at all. Remember that the best gift you can give to anyone is still your LOVE.

Merry Christmas Shopping to you!

*wrote this article 4 years ago

The Brick Bible: Noah’s Ark Book Review

Faith, God's Word, Noah's Ark

I purchased The Brick Bible’s Noah’s Ark book early last month from Amazon together with the New Testament and Old Testament of The Brick Bible by Brendan Powell Smith. I was too excited to get a hold of the books but wasn’t able to find time to make a proper review. A number of friends told me to be wary of the books because of the numerous bad reviews specifically on the LEGO Bible: it’s very graphic, violent, and blasphemous. Because of the many mixed reviews, I became more curious since it’s another version of the Bible and upon reading a few pages of the New and Old Testament LEGO books, I discovered that some pictures are really not appropriate for kids. What is appropriate or not may be subjective but as a mother of a 3-year old, there are photos in the book I wouldn’t want him to see just yet.

The Brick Bible is absolutely a new “spin” on the Bible stories written. It’s a graphic illustration of the many Bible stories that we have learned traditionally, with the use of LEGO bricks and mini figures.  I haven’t finished reading the Old and New LEGO books because I gave my copy of The New Testament and the story of Noah’s Ark to my nephew (through his parents). The New Testament is for his parents’ review but the Noah’s Ark, I gave it to him directly as a birthday gift.

I’ll focus on reviewing the Noah’s Ark Lego book first since it’s the only one I’ve finished reading so far.

The Brick Bible: Noah’s Ark

The Noah’s Ark book was Smith’s first published LEGO book.  This one is kid-friendly—it’s a children’s book. I can say that this book is safe for the kids to read simply because it’s the famous story of Noah and the Great Flood. Anyone who grew up playing with LEGO bricks would appreciate Smith’s storytelling with the use of building blocks. What a great way to get the kids to read this Bible story.

Rev. Wanda M. Lundy, Director, Doctor of Ministry Program at New York Theological Seminary wrote the foreword as a letter to the parents. I like the fact that Rev. Lundy explained the realities of life and that how the book could possibly make children ask many Why’s in the story. “Why did God make the people drown?” “Why would God kill people?” etc. If discerning adults could ask the same questions and are having a hard time answering them, surely, the kids will also have a hard time understanding the story. Parents have the tendency to shield their children from pain, hurt, and tragedy but while it is normal and the right thing to do, parents are also called to embrace the realities of life’s many joys and pains and be able to explain them to their kids.

Rev. Lundy suggested many ways on how to read the book with children and use the time to communicate with them. Kids may have questions on the more difficult areas but it’s up to the parents to choose what to focus on. She further recommended that reading the book could be a good time to assure the kids that their parents will be there through bad times.

The Letter to Parents’ page explains why and how The Brick Bible’s Noah’s Ark is appropriate for kids, contrary to some reviews and feedbacks. In my opinion, it’s up to the parents how to guide their children and be prepared to be asked many questions.

I don’t know what else to say about this book but while I was reading, I could not stop saying “cute! cute!” because the illustrations are too cute. I guess it’s the novelty of the famous bricks being used to tell a story. Who doesn’t love LEGOs?

Noah's Ark The Brick Bible
Front cover of the Noah’s Ark book in hardbound
Noah's Ark The Brick Bible
Colors are very vivid
Noah's Ark The Brick Bible
You can see that Brendan Powell Smith worked hard on this
Noah's Ark The Brick Bible
An activity page at the back
Noah's Ark The Brick Bible
Back Cover

PRICE: $12.95
SHOP: The Brick Bible Website | Amazon

Available in the Philippines at Hobbes and Landes for P1,200

You can buy directly from Brendan Powell Smith to get a signed copy of the book.

READ OTHER REVIEWS:

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“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Genesis 8:22