Since June started, my daily schedule has been so hectic, I haven’t got any time left for myself. The whole day routine usually comprises of the following: prepare breakfast, homeschool my 4th grader while prepping for lunch, online work/blogging in the afternoon til 9 pm while squeezing dinner at 7, if there’s any unfinished work that has to be submitted by the end of the day, I extend before I finally call it a night. I usually hit the sack around midnight. The schedule is disrupted when I have to cover events. I feel I sometimes have to go out to keep my sanity intact, lol. That’s why I’m so thankful to Sun Life Philippines for arranging a Mom’s Day Out pampering session at I’M Hotel coz I was able to mix work and pleasure that day (80% pleasure, lol).
I just wanna say to mommies out there, that no matter how busy your life is, you shouldn’t take your “ME” time for granted. It’s one way to recharge your energy so that you will have renewed and fresh spirit to take on the new challenges and have more patience and clear understanding of your life.
And so, I will take you on a not so usual Mom’s Day Out at I’M Hotel, that I may somehow appease your tired mind and body as I am sure you are working hard like the image above. That you can have your own day out too. So that you may eventually realize that your life needs balance and harmony, that a mom like you deserves some “Self Care”.
I know it’s kinda a long read, but you’ll definitely learn something PLUS, there’s a surprise at the bottom of this post!
The first agenda of that day was to treat our batch of mommy bloggers to a hearty lunch buffet at I’M Hotel’s Bloom Restaurant. It’s a cozy hotel resto with a wide selection of dishes that will surely satisfy one’s cravings. Let me show you select photos of the food and dining area so that when you visit, you’ll have an idea somehow.
Bread Station
All Meat Pizza and Fried Chicken
Japanese cuisine
Dessert Section
The dining area is huge coz this photo (above) was taken alongside the dessert section at the back. The main dining area was where I got to relax, dine and exchanged news bits with my co-bloggers and mommies Lhyzie and Armi.
After the sumptuous meal, we were then taken to the I’M Hotel I’M Onsen Spa for a well-deserved massage. I chose their Signature Massage – “a therapeutic and ultimately unique combination of techniques created exclusively by I’M ONSEN SPA to bring about utmost relaxation, concentration, and rejuvenation.”
But first, a short tour. It was spacious, service was great, staff were so courteous and felt like I was in an exclusive membership club!
Waiting area
Adjacent sitting room so you won’t have to stand waiting for the elevator going to the main spa floor.
I wasn’t able to take a photo of the main room where it was divided into many massage areas because the camera man was taking a video of our grand entrance, lol
But this was where I was brought. Simple set-up yet relaxed ambiance. It was so quiet and peaceful and you won’t hear any chit-chats, you’d even barely hear their sound system.
My therapist did an awesome job because I actually fell asleep (for the first time) while having my back massage hahaha. I wanted to take a photo while she’s massaging my back, but I don’t wanna disrupt her so these two shots are all I have. First time too that I didn’t experience any body aches the next day!
Okay, so I was well relaxed and my mind was alive than ever, thus was ready for the last leg of our Mom’s Day Out – the talks about self-care and money management with Sun Life Philippines. After all, this day wouldn’t be complete if moms like me won’t learn how to include balance in our lives.
An equally important agenda of the day was the talk on how moms can have a well-balanced motherhood. Ms. Michele Alignay discussed how stress and problems can create an imbalance in our system (mind and body) which can lead to an internal knot. In order to untie this knot, we need to bring back harmony within.
One needs to be aware of the problems or those which cause stress, act on it and be open to any changes necessary.
I usually make a note and list down my problems, just so I have a visual. Then I would list down possible scenarios, what I have to do, what I can do, and what I actually want to do. It’s not always that I end up doing the right thing, thus causing some sort of a “knot” in the process. But, if I can still amend, I ultimately get the job done.
Though I think I was on the right path, Ms. Michele made me realize that my life is still imbalanced. Honestly, during her talk, I felt that way. Came to a realization that I’m missing something and I was just pretending to be okay when actually I’m not. I ended up thinking about “ME”, that I miss “ME”. Motherhood and marriage have taken over my life and all along I thought it was okay, that it was the proper thing to do. I am already nearing 50 years old, have a 17-year old special child, a 10-year old homeschooler, sits on the computer working steadily, rests for a few minutes, mind empty while sitting in the loo…..
I’ve forgotten to take care of “ME”.
No wonder I’m grumpy at times! I need to do some “Self Care” so that when I attend to my family, work etc, I am fully re-energized!
I’ve learned so much that afternoon and it was awesome of Sun Life Philippines to include the lunch and spa treatment, fits perfectly to jumpstart my “Self Care” program!
Lastly, Ms. Mylene Segismundo showed us “How to Build an Educational Fund”. Basically, it aims at investing in one so that in the future, we won’t have to deal with high costs of college education. Since at the early stage, if you think of getting an educational fund for your child, you have money stashed away in a safe place like Sun Life Financial Philippines. It coincides with what Ms. Michele talked about – you have educational money “problems”, then “deal with it” and “be open” to investing your hard earned money so that when the time comes, you have something to use, problem solved.
I know as a mom you’d done it all to make things normal, easy and happy for your family. I know too that you would do anything and everything for the sake of your child. So, watch this short video below of the new Sun Short film “She Said, She Said.”. You will be able to relate somehow, as I did (sniff, sniff while watching).
The hardship of a mom to raise her child, going crazy multi-tasking, thinking if she did the right thing and will she be able to support. A very busy life for a mom who only wants the best for her daughter. On the other side of the coin, her daughter missing her mom’s presence and shower of love, with ocassional spats. But she realizes her mom is doing everything to make her life easier and for her future. With full understanding and love, one of her greatest gifts to her mom, she finishes school and graduates. A wonderful feeling indeed!
Now here’s the great news! You can JOIN the next Mom’s Day Out events this July 1st and July 15th at I’M Hotel. We know that like the mom in the Sun Short film “She Said, She Said”, you need a break too! Now you can experience the same thing and enjoy a whole day of fun, relaxation and learning just as I did!
All you need to do is register at http://www.sunshorts2.com/. Please don’t miss this so you can re-balance, re-fresh and re-charge your life plus learn how to manage your money for your family’s better future!
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