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Wednesday 18 May 2016

The Stage Mommy Has Moved To A New Address

For a better and newer website experience, please click on the link to the new Stage Mommy

www.thestagemommy.com


Friday 8 April 2016

The New Stage Mommy


Please feel free to visit our new and better website on our new site address. Don't forget to subscribe so you can get new posts straight to your inbox.



Wednesday 6 April 2016

The Stage Mommy is Moving

Aside from our website overhaul, we are also moving to a new address. Please stay tuned and apologies for the lack of posts while we gear up for a newer and better Stage Mommy!

Thank you!

Monday 21 March 2016

Book Review: The Girl On The Train


I love to read so I think it is but appropriate to have a regular book review on this blog, a book club if you like. As much as I love to read, I have lost touch with the beauty of reading as life got in the way. In the last few months, I have started reading again. I have started reading real books, the one that you actually hold in your hands and be able to actually flip the pages. 

One of my new year's resolutions is to read at least one book a month (that might change haha) and post in here what I think about it. Beware of my disclaimer as I am not a literary critic so don’t expect New York Times bestseller type of reviews. I will review books the way I know how, the stage mommy way.

My first ever book review on the blog is The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins.

I am easily taken by thrillers and this particular book promises hair raising suspense. I swear I couldn’t put this  book down for the life of me. The main character's constant blackouts makes the story more confounding and I love how the author made three of the characters carry out the narration in the book. Knowing what the other characters are thinking during the course of the story makes it more interesting than it already is.

The main character, Rachel, is an alcoholic whose life went for the worse when her marriage collapsed. Her husband left her for another woman, Anna, whose character takes one of the three narrations in the story. Rachel takes the train to London daily and has been obsessed with a couple (whom she calls Jess and Jason) who sits on their balcony each morning and whom she sees from where she sits on the train. She develops a compulsive familiarity with the couple even though she only sees them from afar. On one of her daily commutes, she "witnessed" something odd about the couple. She learned a few days later that Jess, who is actually named Megan, who takes the third narration in the story, has been missing since that last particular day she saw them on the balcony. One puzzling thing is that she feels she holds the answer to the mystery of Megan's disappearance as she has been having flashbacks of herself walking along the street where Megan lives, injured and bloodied, on the night she disappeared. The story slowly unravels from there, out of the twists and turns that the author cleverly fabricated into the story.  We later on learn that each and every character in the story are somewhat interrelated with a very interesting back story in each of them.

The concept of what happened to Megan and how Rachel could hold the answer to the mystery of her disappearance as manifested by her flashbacks is the gripping component of this book. I just couldn't wait to finish it to know what actually happened to Megan and what was Rachel's connection to it.

I really enjoyed this book and if you are like me who loves the thrill of a suspense story then this book is for you.

The book is soon to be released on film by Dream Works with Emily Blunt as Rachel.






Saturday 19 March 2016

5 Best Things In Paris


Paris is hands down one of the best destinations in Europe. It is like a dream. To wake up to the heavenly smell of croissants with a view of the Eiffel tower is what every romantic’s dreams are made of. But Paris is not just all about romance. It caters to all. I made a list of the best things in the city of lights so you don’t have to.

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High on my list is a visit to Angelina’s Tea Room. The hot chocolate is not called the best hot chocolate in town for nothing. And if the decadence of the hot chocolate is not enough to lure you in, I am sure the opulence of the interior will. Coco Chanel was known to frequent the place.

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A walk through Tuileries Garden is a must when in Paris. Take the less beaten path and explore the beauty of this garden. Located between the Louvre museum and Place De La Concorde, there is so much to see and do here. You can grab a chair for free and enjoy its several fountains and sculptures aside from the beautiful flower display.

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A visit to the Louvre museum should not be missed. The  Louvre is one of the biggest museums in the world with Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo among its collections. I.M Pei’s pyramid on the courtyard is also an art to reckon with.

 What is missing from your view when you are at the top of the Eiffel tower? The Eiffel tower, of course. This is why going up the Arc de Triompe is as worth it as going up the Eiffel tower itself. The view of the Champs Elysees below is also one for the books. One of the most beautiful avenues in the world.



If seeing the Eiffel tower from the Arc De Triompe is really not enough and that you have to see the most famous structure in the world up close then beat the long lines by either taking the stairs rather than the elevator or book yourself a lovely meal in one of the restaurants at the top. Either way, going up the Eiffel tower is one of the best experiences any tourist could have.


Tuesday 15 March 2016

The Importance of Me Time


If truth be told, we ladies tend to overlook ourselves because we are always too busy taking care of our squad. Aside from running a household, we also bring home the bacon. Gone were the days when the lady of the house stays in the house. With the rise of girl power and feminism, we not only want to run our household, we also want to run the world. Nothing wrong with that. In fact everybody wins. Unfortunately, we forget ourselves in the long run. We get drained and eventually, our surroundings gets affected. 

Someone once said that we need to fill up our well to be able to pour out from it. This is why having that much needed time for ourselves is very important for us to be able to take care of others. 

Studies suggest that making time for ourselves and making ourselves a priority makes us happier and more able to take care of the people around us. Not only that, it also improves concentration making us more productive and strengthens our relationships. 

So how should we spend our me time? I for one believes in the power of me time. For me, it does not have to be elaborate. Doing the things I love always does the trick. I love to read so having a couple of hours reading a book or  browsing my favourite sites online is good for me. Watching my favourite series or programs uninterrupted is another thing. Spending time with a friend to catch up with things also counts for me. But my ultimate me time is being able to leisurely browse the shops in my own time whether it is actual shopping or window shopping. 

Schedule time for yourself regularly, be it for a 30 minute run or a nap, whatever it is, it is the best thing you can do for your family as you will be in your best form to take care of them.



Monday 14 March 2016

Five Faves


It has been awhile since I posted my last five favourites. Life got in the way and I haven't been very consistent with my posts. Without further adieu, here are my latest favourites.

1.Dyptique candle in Baies - Dyptique is the world's favourite candle and their Baies scent in particular has a cult following.  My first Dyptique was a gift from a friend (Mimosa scent) and I have to say, once you go luxe as far candles are concerned, you never go back. I used it sparingly so it lasted me forever. I burned it for the last time by the end of last year and decided to get a new one as a Christmas present for myself. Selfridges was having an online sale that time so I actually grabbed a bargain. I was tempted to get the Mimosa scent again which I love but at the last minute chose Baies as I was quite curious of its cult following. When I first lighted it, I knew why. It's scent is so heavenly like a bouquet of roses scented with blackcurrant leaves, exactly how the people at Dyptique describes it.

2. Beehive vase - my newfound love of flowers has a consequence, a newfound love of vases. I found this unusual one whilst browsing at The Range, a home store here in the UK. I love that the white and gold compliments any flower I place in it.

3. Clinique Color Pop Lipstick - I love my lipstick and nothing beats the exhilarating feeling of opening a new one. This particular new lipstick of mine is from Clinique. The reason I love this is the fact that it is very hydrating and very pigmented that even their nude ones (I've never been fan of nude) really pops on the lips. Exactly how the name suggests.

4.Statement Cushions - I have been meaning to get rid of my cushions as I have had them since we moved in the house, about 10 years! Cringe. I am drawn lately to cushions that has quotes and characters on them and I have been loving the alphabet cushions from Next. Very inexpensive but good quality.

5. Kate Spade watch - My sister in law introduced me to Kate Spade and since then I have been a fan. I particularly love their handbags and now their watches. This particular simple silver watch has that spade logo in pink, a flair Kate Spade is known for.

Saturday 5 March 2016

How To Get Published On The Huffington Post

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The Huffington Post is one of the biggest and multi awarded digital platforms in the world and the  first commercially run United States digital media enterprise to win a Pulitzer Prize (Wikipedia). To have your article published in it is such a privilege. There is no wonder a lot of aspiring writers are clamouring for that chance. I have been lucky enough to have my article accepted and published in January of this year.

I have heard of people sending their work and never hear anything but this did not stop me from trying. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? I have written a post about children and technology on this blog which I have always felt is a good post to be featured in the Parents section as it is about the struggles of parents in our digital time. I also know that this is one of the things that Arianna Huffington (founder and editor in chief) is passionate about, aside from sleep. If you have read her book Thrive, you would know what I’m talking about. 

The Huffington Post has an article submission form but when I was doing my research online, I found out that this is not the best way. Most people who got published emailed their work to the editors themselves and some to Arianna Huffington herself. I emailed my article to one of the editors from the Parents section but after a week of not hearing from them, I decided to email Arianna Huffington herself. She replied exactly a week after. She wrote in her email that they are interested in running my piece and that she will get one of the editors to get in touch with me. This was in November of last year and by December, no editor has contacted me. It was the Christmas rush and life got in the way so I put it in the back burner. After the Christmas season, I decided to email one of the UK editors as I’m based in the UK. I forwarded Arianna’s email to them saying I have not heard from any editor. I got a reply just a few minutes after sending the email and was set up with a blogger account in the next 24 hours. I submitted my article a few days later and it went live  in less than 24 hours. You can read it here.

To summarize, here is a step by step way of how to go about making your dream of being published on the Huffington Post finally come true.

FIRST:
Write an article that you are passionate about. Something that is written from the heart resonates better compared to something that is written only because it is a popular topic. of course, it has be a topic about something that is in consonance with the times. You could also use an article that you have already posted on your blog. The Huffington Post is fine with this as long as it is an original.

SECOND:
Edit. edit. edit. I heard the editors at the Huffington Post are really busy that they don’t have time to heavily edit articles. A well edited piece has a better chance of being published. I read and re-read my article a hundred times. I also asked a friend who used to be my associate editor in our school paper to read and edit it for me. You might not see any more grammatical error but someone with fresh eyes might do. He did find a couple of sentences that needs rewording.

THIRD:
Once you are happy with your article, it is time to think of a good pitch. They receive thousands of pitch emails and you need something that will really catch their eye.  This is how I worded mine.


Some people say it is best to include your head shot. I did but once I got my account, I don’t think it matters as it is you who is going to place your head shot in your profile but please do include a short bio.

FOURTH:

Email it to the editor whom you think is appropriate for your topic or to Arianna herself. Their email addresses are available on the HuffPost website or google like I did. 

FIFTH:

Sit back and relax now that you have done the hard part. If you haven't heard in 2 weeks, follow up and if you still haven't heard, don't lose hope and try again.

Good luck.


Friday 1 January 2016

The Stage Mommy In 2015: The Highlights

2015 was the year that we travelled the most, which makes travel the highlight of our year. We love to travel as a family but 2015 saw us travelling to places we have never even dreamed of.


The first quarter of the year had us travelling across the pond. America has always been a dream destination and in 2015 we decided to take the plunge. I started planning our itinerary towards the end of 2014 and contacted friends and family for meet ups. Little did we know that a suggestion from a friend would lead us to a road trip to Canada and have the opportunity to see in awe the magnificent Niagara Falls which we are very grateful for. Seeing the Statue of Liberty, the White House and going up to the 87th floor of the Empire State Building also was something to be grateful for.



The second quarter had us travelling to Norway to visit family in Oslo. Norway is not on our travel wish list and I am glad that the presence of family lured us there because we fell in love with its natural beauty and very ancient history. No wonder parts of it was the inspiration for the Disney movie Frozen. We have yet to see the fjords and the Northern lights. Norway, we are not done with you.


On the last quarter of 2015, we found ourselves on our way to Asia specifically Singapore then the Philippines. Singapore is one of our favourite places in the world. This was already our third time there but still we were full of excitement to see this Lion city again. We stayed at the Marina Bay Sands hotel which deserves its own post and had fun swimming in the world's highest infinity pool on its roof top. After a calming stay in Singapore, it was time to head to Cebu to attend a special occasion, my brother's wedding. Being in December, we had the chance to spend Christmas with family back home. It was hectic to try to fit everything in but totally worth it.


Being foodies, 2015 also was a year of firsts on the culinary side. We enjoyed our first spoonful of halal meat gyro and rice from the world's most famous food cart located in Manhattan, savored our first sip of the pork broth on our tonkutsu in London hesistantly tried our first sushi, had for the first time the cloud-like softness of the delicious cakes in Oslo and their fresh seafood, excitedly tried the famous and hyped Cronuts in NYC and the world's best cookie from Levain. We also tried for the first time in Singapore some delicious Nasi Lemak and Laksa on room service and although we've had it before, we also enjoyed some delicious chili crab and Hainanese chicken, something you have to have when in Singapore.



Those, my friends, are the highlights of our 2015 and here's hoping for more culinary experiences and more travel in 2016.

Happy New Year to all!!!