Author: Issa

  • An Afternoon at IL Corso: Exploring the STELLAR Fountain & More

    An Afternoon at IL Corso: Exploring the STELLAR Fountain & More

    Here’s a story about how IL Corso has quickly become one of my favorite spots.

  • Making It Through the First Year of Motherhood

    Making It Through the First Year of Motherhood

    In the calm, milky light of dawn, my newborn son nestled against me, and a maelstrom of emotions crashed over me. One moment, I’m drowning in a tidal wave of love for this perfect, fragile creature who’s burrowed into my very being. The next, I’m gasping for air, slammed by the reality of the decision…

  • Traveling With a Toddler: A Trip Back to Puerto Princesa

    Traveling With a Toddler: A Trip Back to Puerto Princesa

    The last thing I’d expect to see while getting a passport renewed is a view of a vast ocean replete with flourishing mangroves. But that is essentially what happened. When we checked Cebu’s online passport appointment, we realized that the next schedule was next year, so we decided to look into other options. There were many…

  • Best Quotes from “The Anthropocene Reviewed” by John Green

    Best Quotes from “The Anthropocene Reviewed” by John Green

    In his essay collection “The Anthropocene Reviewed,” John Green explores the human-centered planet through a series of stories ending in Yelp-like reviews. Green is best known for his YA novels, like “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Paper Towns” (both of which I read back to back) but in this collection, he takes on topics…

  • How to Create a Montessori-Inspired Nursery for Your Baby

    How to Create a Montessori-Inspired Nursery for Your Baby

    Many new mothers are overwhelmed with choices when designing a baby’s room. What type of crib should I buy? Should I have a changing table? What should I put on the walls? Do I need a rug? How will I know if I’m getting everything right? As you prepare for your baby’s arrival, you want…

  • 7 Reasons Why Traveling With Your Toddlers is Worth It

    7 Reasons Why Traveling With Your Toddlers is Worth It

    Could anything be more enjoyable than a trip with the whole family? Exploring new places and making memories that will last a lifetime—it’s definitely something special. And if you have a young child, there’s no need to miss out on the fun. In fact, traveling with toddlers can actually be a lot of fun.

  • 5 Things to Bring on a Flight With a Toddler to Make Life Easier!

    5 Things to Bring on a Flight With a Toddler to Make Life Easier!

    Traveling with toddlers can be an adventure – a rewarding one, but an adventure nonetheless. Car rides are one thing, but airplane journeys with a little one? That’s a whole different game, as I discovered on our first flight to Manila. My son, Cyd, was barely two, his vocabulary limited to adorable babbles, and his…

  • Baby Essentials: Surviving the First Weeks of Motherhood

    Baby Essentials: Surviving the First Weeks of Motherhood

    Exhaustion. Soreness. A constant, gnawing hunger that somehow coexists with the sleep deprivation. Motherhood, they say, is a beautiful journey. But let’s be honest, those first few weeks after bringing your newborn home feel more like a boot camp for sleep-deprived zombies. I naively thought pregnancy was the toughest part. Wrong. That was just the…

  • Join the Excitement: 5 Web3 Games to Try Now

    Join the Excitement: 5 Web3 Games to Try Now

    Axie Infinity is still popular among some scholars and content creators, but I never liked the inconvenience (not to mention the cost) involved in playing the game. I owned three teams, and, like most who joined late, I was burned. It hurt a bit, but I treated it like any other risky investment. As a…

  • Reversing Your BPI Credit Card Annual Membership Fee to Maximize Rewards

    Reversing Your BPI Credit Card Annual Membership Fee to Maximize Rewards

    You may have recently been charged an annual membership fee as a BPI Blue credit card holder, which is stipulated in the terms and conditions you agreed to when you applied for your credit card. Many cardholders choose a low credit limit (I did too) to avoid unnecessary, impulsive spending. But as a smart card…