Mabuhay Nadine & Naomi

Welcome to our blog

MabuhayNN Blog

We are a family living in Denmark who appreciates the beauty in Cultural Diversity. On our Blog and Youtube Vlog, we will share exciting stories about our dear o’life in Denmark, Philippines and everything under the sun, the moon and stars.




Amazing Denmark


Friday SweetsDenmark is ranked as one of the world's biggest candy eaters!

Danes eat more than twice as much candy per year as the average European, largely due to the association of sweets with the Danish concept of 'hygge' which basically means having a nice and cozy time. Friday night candy with the kids is such an ingrained concept that it has its own name: fredagsslik or Friday sweets and is ritually practiced in family homes nationwide.








We love candyWe started adopting the tradition when Nadine became aware of it at age 6, and of course Naomi automatically get to enjoy it in an even younger age - one of the perks of being a small sister! Nadine and Naomi associate Friday with sweets and treats, either we stay at home or we are invited at friends house, candies are ALWAYS available on the table after a yummy dinner.

The girls loves candies so they chose Fredag Slik as their first VLog on YouTube!


Click and Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwrpmBAkHKI&t=22s
(Links to their YouTube video)




Friday SweetsFredag Slik or Friday Sweets is a big tradition in Denmark. In general, Danish family eats healthily all week - that includes us (we’re trying but I guess we’ve failed miserably) And Friday marks the end of the week, the weekend of no work and no school. Danish peeps are among the most sweet-toothed nations worldwide, perhaps it is one of the reasons why the Danes are some of the happiest people in the world. It just goes to show that sweet treats are directly linked to happy times and celebratory part of our lives, we associate it with positivity, such as joy, comfort, love, friendship and family. The bottomline is Candy and Friday-Good-Times go hand in hand and it does wonders for our mind, body, mood and it added few extra kilos to Brian too. Opsie!






Amazing Denmark


Dreaming of a trip to Europe? Well, there’s a grand total of 48 countries and Denmark should be on your list!
The country is the epitome of small but terrible phrase as there’s absolutely plenty of flat-out gorgeous spot from the Charming City of Copenhagen to the Amazing Scenery of Skagen with crystal blue waters layered with colorful fishing boats and the most surreal sunsets. I’m grateful that we’re currently living in Denmark and it’d be a pleasure to visit the tourist spots for the nth time. It is an honor to Display Denmark on Nadine and Naomi’s YouTube channel and make it part of your future wanderlast!

As a Momma, I am very particular in checking out the area on the internet every time we go somewhere for a holiday or to visit a family/friend for a short vacay. These checklist’s are my priorities:

      ✓ Zoo and playground
      ✓ Amusement park
      ✓ Beach, lake, swimming pool or anywhere with water! Did you know that Nadine and Naomi are obsessed and sometimes
         possessed in playing with water? Yes they are, it’s the reason why I call them ‘badjao’, it means sea gypsies in the Philippines

We are so excited and we love to share Our Journey with you on MabuhayNN YouTube Vlog


Image gallery






WOW Philippines


Oh well dear (write, delete, drink, write, cry, write, delete, stop, write, drink, sigh)
We were in the Philippines last month and reminiscin’ is a no-go. I miss everybody, I miss home and… I don’t want to ruin my eye makeup so let’s just skip this blog for later.






Our Sunshine

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Nadine @8

8 Funny Convo with Nadine before she turned 8!

1. Papa is on diet

Nadine: why Papa?
Papa: I want to have a flat stomach before we travel to Philippines on July
Nadine: THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE PAPA!

Nadine 8years old


2. Empty house

If Brian and I get divorced the girls suggested that Brian and I should be neighbors so that it’s convenient for them to get their toys from either my place or Brians.

Nadine 8years old

Mama: Why me?! It should be Papa because he can carry heavy stuffs.
Nadine: Papa is not home yet but you are, he can just help you move out then.


3. Mama VS Papa (phone fight)

Phone convoNadine: are you and papa fighting? When he arrives home he has to go directly in the bathroom and you have to finish your cooking fast coz you’re going in there too!
Naomi: or they can both stay outside and we feed them to the crocodile AtePhone convo
















4. Boobies story

Nadine: You have big boobies Mama
Mama: oh, do you think so?
Nadine: Yes! they’re bigger than Papa’s and they’re so soft! As soft as our playdough

Boobies story


5. NN dress up

Nadine: Mama, I want to have clothes like yours
Mama: What kind of clothes?
Nadine: I want to show off my shoulders too, like this (she pulled down her t-shirt to show off her shoulders)

NN Dress up


6. Following rules

It was raining cats and dogs so plastic foot socks were placed just upon entering Naomi’s kindergarten

Mama: we have to wear foot socks Ate
Nadine: I don't like it Mama
Mama: Ate, we have to follow the rules (Mama had goosebumps after)
Nadine: Since when?

Following rules


7. Nanay's House Rules

Nadine: I want to go back to Philippines!
Mama: why?
Nadine: Because Nanay don't have rules!

Nanay's house rules


8. Barbie show

Nadine: Mama, I want to watch Barbie show
Mama: Barbie is out of town
Nadine: how did you know?
Mama: She sms Mama
Nadine: Mama, turn on the TV!, Barbie is back in Denmark
Mama: how did you know???
Nadine: she sms me! (while showing her plastic mobile phone)

Barbie show





Our Sunshine

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How it started

Who are the people on screen and behind the scene

PAPA

My name is Brian. I’m the very proud papa of my two girls - Nadine & Naomi. When our eldest daughter Nadine had asked us that she wants to be a YouTuber – I call the shots!

Opsie ☺ Actually no! Mitzie did but it just sounds cool to claim it ☺ How did we pull it off? I’m very techie, my wife is the content creator …and we have The Girls who is always camera-ready (certified Asian girls, beat that!).

YouTube is here to stay and to keep the girls safe online, we don’t just have an open convo with them regularly but we explore YouTube videos together. Now, that they have their own channel it still feels surreal sometimes but it is absolutely a pleasure to introduce my girls to you guys!




MAMA

Hello, Mitzie here. I love my girls to the Philippines and back to Denmark! I am obsessed in creating fun memories for Nadine & Naomi which they’ll remember when they’re grown. But what I realized in the process is that “The Real Magic” happens when they are given the chance to just-be in each other’s presence and that fills me with joy as a Momma and every-second-of-crazy worth it!





Motherhood has made my life more colorful than I ever knew it could be. I never ran out of activities for the girls and I always let my creative heart goes gaga together with them- and if that includes Nadine’s wish to be a youtuber? I’m IN!

We know that she still needs to rely on our support and our guidance to keep her safe from exploitation, we are doing our best to be with her every step of our way. It is a fun project for the family (also hard work) and it can also be useful down the road, Nadine can easily learn some digital video skills from us. BUT…….. I do hope and pray she doesn’t change her mind tomowow, the next day after is negotiable though ☺

Naomi is the sweetest ball of energy at 5!

Sweet NaomiShe has a very infectious laugh and she can effortlessly portray different facial expressions.
She’s a poser, she is into make up and dress up, she loves to sing and dance, she is so charming - and she can be a drama queen too!
She is quick in understanding humor and at age 5 she can use wit and sarcasm. She mock me a lot and I enjoy every second of it (for now).

She blossom as an independent wannabe-big-girl at the kindergarten and start to make new friends of her own (aside from her Ate’s circle of friends).

She benefit immensely from the example of her big sister, it is unbelievable how they manage to have late-night talks together like teenagers – yeps, they share one bed (our daily scenario can either be sweet-giggles or showtime drama!) Nevertheless both play a very strong role to each other’s development.

Naomi adores her Ate Nadine and Nadine absolutely feels the same.

Naomi has the biggest heart! She loves to cuddle and give tender kisses from the moment she wakes up and yea, that’s until bedtime! Who can compete???





Nadine is our wannabe YouTuber girl at 7!

Youtuber NadineShe is an awesome big sister to Naomi and she takes very good care of her. She displays extraordinary bravery in the simple act of being in charge especially when it involves her little sister.

Nadine has this EurAsian aura and gentle personality that makes her appealing to everyone. She’s a little shy but it always surprises us how goofy she can be. She does everything with gusto and her brain moves faster than her feet. She challenges us at every turn and she wants to do soooh many things at once. It makes me recite a prayer of thanks but it is also frightening that My Baby Nadine is slowly budding into a more mature little girl.

I can tell that she also begins to desire privacy and flip-flopping between self-confidence and self-doubt despite of the fact that she’s doing excellently in school.
She always display innate curiosity and excitement about everything. She’s a natural explorer and she takes pride in sharing her knowledge about the things she learned with Naomi or any activity that she mastered.

We do hope that she can experiment creatively as a YouTuber, express herself more and HAVE SO MUCH FUN TOGETHER WITH HER SISTER NAOMI!





WHY AND HOW IT STARTED?

Nadine and Naomi are YouTube fans; they love to explore different shows. Nadine in particular would always make jokes that she wanted to be a YouTuber, it didn’t come to me as a surprise because both Brian and I have passion for photography. They pretty much grow up with photoshoots and I have been constantly taking videos of them since their childhood and posted them on facebook which is exclusive for family members in the Philippines and to Brian’s parents who live 300km away from us. Thanks to the digital-era, social media, mobile phones and wifi!

Going back, yes it wasn’t a surprise to us but being out-there-in-public is a totally different world so I personally never really entertained the idea. Not until early this year, when I was applying for a dream job - dream job in the sense that it is purposeful and the day-to-day duties constantly revolve around interacting with people from various cultures and background. Logistics industry is new to me but new challenge has its charm, so I embrace my Dora ‘da explorer spirit again. Besides, in HR Department there can be drama but never a dull moment!

I thought of sending a video CV directly to the CEO of the company so I could literally mention what I could do to add value to the company. I asked Nadine and Naomi to help me cleaned up the home office table so I could start setting up the lamps and video cam. They watched the entire process of me memorizing my elevator pitch, rehearsing my Danish diction and proper pronounciation with Brian, choosing my clothes, putting my make up on etc.

They also watched me film myself and cringed watching myself on screen - yeyz they tried to hold back their laugh-and-all which was very understandable as it was definitely an awkward sight. But it wasn’t that bad after all because Nadine got soooh jealous or should I say motivated to really convince me to take a video of her while playing and demanded that I should post it on YouTube.

She exclaimed – “I want to be a YouTuber for real, Mama! Make it happen!”

So, I got the job and she got her YouTube channel ☺
Ain’t gonna get much better than this!




WHEN AND WHERE DO WE VLOG?

Whenever the girl’s are in the mood and if we have energy for it! Damn, it’s hard work but it definitely is fun. And at the end of the day over a cup of tea or a sip of rum, we’re absolutely in awe how we can pull it off as a family-project. I guess, the best part of this journey is we continue to discover the girls’ talent and what we are actually capable of.



We will only show few areas of the house where Nadine and Naomi can Vlog. I am Nadine’s #1 supporter but I’m also very aware of my role as a Mom to guide her on this endeavor. It is best for her to understand that building an online presence is ok but along with it is the responsibility of protecting themselves and acknowledging when to draw a line when it comes to maintaining privacy on the internet. I am most comfortable this way and it will remain as such - until they move-out!



WHAT DOES MABUHAYNN REPRESENTS


The Leaves:
      - It represents good vibe, inspiration, experience, opinion and even criticism within the followers of MabuhayNN Vlog
      - It represents the halfies kids in Denmark (half Danish, half Filipino)
      - It represents the Gen-zers or Generation Z who have not seen the world without technology
      - It represents the learning and discovery process within ourselves and as parents and as a family
      - It represents My Girls and how amazing they are!!!
The Branches:
The Merging of Filipino and Danish culture, tradition, DanFil languages are the foundation of MabuhayNN Vlog and Blog.

The Root:
PHILIPPINES & DENMARK





Our Sunshine

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I - smile

I SMILE

The girls’ are up at 6:00am (I wish!) JIT (Just In Time) for some goodbye kisses as Brian leaves for work around 6:40. And just like other kids they move at a snail’s pace and they are allergic to being told what to do. For some reason the more I request them to hurry up the slower their feet and hands are inclined to get dressed, eat and even walk. At times they even pull out the full stop and fall down, doing slow Mo and going ‘boneless’.

If I would allow them, they can change clothes every second of a minute, every minute of an hour and every hour of the day so I prepare a set of their daily clothes from Monday-Friday. It’s already arranged and readied from top to bottom and that’s final! They only get to choose depending on their mood if they want jeans or girly-girl outfit.




They take FOREVER to eat their breakfast. They pour their own bowls of cereal. Their mornings are centered on high-fiber cereal, shredded wheat variety of oatmeal + cornflakes + mysli + milk or yoghurt. Nadine is a breakfast eater while Naomi seems to be on diet; only for breakfast though as she eat good amount during lunch and dinner. Oh well, it takes 48 years for them to finish but it is also a joy listening to them while they chit-chat about anything! so while they’re eating I also make their lunchboxes.



Preparing and planning their lunch for the week is a great way to save time and to ensure that they have a great amount of variety in their meals.

They are used of eating variety of foods as I love to try different foods and beverages so ‘variety’ is essential in their lunch box throughout the week since it ensures that they won't get bored or form fussy eating habits in the future!
rugbrød, egg, strawberry, agurk, tomatoes, grapes, skyflakes, raisins, peanuts





We’re out of the house around 7:00, I only work part time so I have the luxury (or the stress) to spend a bit more time with them in driving and picking them up. Doing groceries is not Nadine’s favorite but she obliged to participate in it, otherwise… Mama get… yah know ☺

I normally pre-cook or cook day before so when we arrive home they can eat dinner around 4:30 as we needed to head out again for the girls’ sports or play date. Nadine is the queen of inconsistency when it comes to food. One day she like Filipino food, the next she doen’t. This year, she like Danish food, next year she doen’t. She like veggies, she hate veggies. Naomi eat almost everything but both of them are like drunk fraternity members. They spill and knock everything down on the table and they are so-ready-to-do it-all-over-again-the-next entire-day!

By 6:30pm, while Brian and I eat dinner, they just eat cereals or fruits. It is also the time when they never stop asking questions! So for me to avoid them from asking how old I am, followed up by the next question why or why the people in Denmark called Danish and why fart is smelly - Aaaahhhlot of why’s and they are never satisfied with our answers. Ever. So, there’s no stopping it. Ever.

So, I decided to have this JAR instead which they eventually figured out questioning ‘why’ again.



As you can see the jar is beautifully painted by Nadine (in my eyes). It is placed on the dining table for easy access with pen and small sheets of paper inside. During dinner time I get to ask them today’s ‘highlight’ in school and kindergarten, it can be anything – what’s fun, what makes them giggle and laugh, what surprises ‘em, anything that makes them feel good, beautiful and thankful.



I must admit it is my favorite convo with them, knowing how their day went and they never fail to surprise me with their honest, naïve answer which is so heartwarming. It ALWAYS amazes me how their eyes sparkle, how they are can be very descriptive and hilarious! At times I can’t help but have an uncontrollable laughter and this piss them off. They are my teachers on this aspect to learn to treat life ‘just that’ – by being in the moment, carefree and happy, to always speak my truth, to believe in myself and use more of my imagination!

Bath time is at 7pm-ish. Naomi has to be in bed earlier as she needs more sleep hours; so, while I tuck her in bed, Brian helps Nadine on her school works, afterwards, they read a book. Her bedtime calls for 8:00pm. I usually have 1-2 hrs everynight to ‘get stuff done” (as I say!) and do whatever I want to (sort of). When they’re finally asleep that’s the time I/we do laundry, fold clothes, and clean up other lingering messes from the day. Now that we have the Vlog Brian and I are fixated in front of the computer before bedtime.



Dear Netflix, you may rest in peace.

ALARM RINGS!!!!

My question is, is there an easier way to surviving the morning routine????

Girls, it’s time to wake up!



YES… they don’t listen when you tell them it’s time to wake up and they don’t listen when it’s time to sleep.
They don’t listen when it’s bath time and when it’s time to finish their bath.
Listening and my girls don’t mix or maybe they thought I speak Mandarin so of course it’s pretty understandable why they totally ignore me.



Oooh hello weekend, the day of rest after the hustle-bustle of the week, the break from the monotony of waking up early and no phone alarms.
Ops, where are the girls? Infront of the TV – yeps, weekend is the only time they are allowed to watch TV. Ipads? I can’t remember where I hide ‘em. Nadine and Naomi are playing so good together and they’re equally good in fighting too! That’s absolutely enough entertainment for them.



Weekend is the days of a carefree mess at home and my favorite days of the week!



Looong breakfast, ahhlot of tickle game, wrestle, back riding, throwing the girls upside down and just having fun with more love, more bonding, more closeness, more warmth, more laughs and more fights!
Our type of activities is just like any Danish families, it’s either we have cozy-crazy time at home by visiting or inviting friends over or we go somewhere fun.

So there you have it — a relatively realistic picture of how Nadine and Naomi days roll. It’s not a perfect system but it’s working (most of the time). And despite all their annoying tendencies, I wouldn’t change a thing because the truth is, annoying or not – Nadine and Naomi Are My Sunshine.



They are the reason why I S.M.I.L.E. and why I See Miracle In Life Everyday.
And may they be able to share that shine to give you inspiration and ideas to your own kiddos as you go along with their journey as YouTubers

Is it Monday already??? NOOOO!!!










WOW Philippines

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Brian's Bornday.



Convo with Nadine and Naomi week before Papa’s Birthday


Mama: It is Papa's birthday soon! Mama is so excited! Girls, let's make artwork and drawings later as our birthday gift’s to papa

Nadine: I'm excited to make drawing’s in school today Mama!

Naomi: I'm NOT excited!!!

Mama: Whaaat? but why?

Naomi: You said, it's soon! and Papa always wish a Lamborghini!
On Friday, I have a play date and we're always busy on weekends so I don’t have time to buy a Lambourghini to Papa!







Convo with Nadine and Naomi day before Papa’s Birthday



Mama: Girls, how about having pancakes for breakfast tomowow?

Nadine: Yea, good idea Mama! Let’s surprise Papa!

Naomi: …and let’s have Mama’s perfect pancake!

Nadine: Mama, don’t tell Papa but we like your pancake a lot better

Mama: What do you mean, Ate?

Nadine: your pancake taste better and the size are all the same! As Naomi said, they are simply perfect








WOW Philippines

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Fear? That is Brian’s problem, so just beYOUtiful.





Full session of 40 boudoir photos is the best gift you’ve given yourself @40.


The process is extensive, every bit is glamorous and it is indeed a beautiful piece of art.


And tell you what, it is so much more than photos Mitzie Anne,
It is about laughing your butt off, having fun and being silly with
your very talented photographer – Brian Nielsen.
It is about the transformation that takes place at this point of your life.
It is about your courage, excitement and it celebrates you!

Would you recommend a boudoir session to your girlfriends?





Abso-freakin-lutely! I would recommend boudoir photography for anyone
who's looking for a good dose of
self-empowerment and love.

Cheers to Forty MAO!





Let’s celebrate international relationship that appreciates each other’s heritage by welcoming new outlook to nourish the bond of couples while imparting to the children that there is Beauty and Strength in being diverse.



Our wedding January 26 2008After the ‘I dos’ my husband and I had chosen to live in Denmark and since then it has changed my life one way or another – forever. I experienced plenty of life-affirming moments that I will simply never forget. New dawns, new home, new jobs and new friends – I embraced ‘em all. Now, I feel myself as a local who adjusted to the new culture, language and surroundings, I learned that I can feel at home in Denmark too and it is indeed a wonderful lesson to learn because it opens up a new world of opportunities for me both in my personal and professional life. It is a thrill and I love being here while I am in touch and have a deep sense of being a Filipina.

Looking back, language barrier was never an issue for me and Brian as we only communicate in English and before we had the girls, the dynamic of our relationship was one big ‘hygge’. Motherhood opened the floodgates to a much greater realization for me to seize the moment and to take each day as an opportunity to Be Grateful.

Nadine and Naomi continue to amaze, inspire and drive us crazy day in and day out. As they grow up, Brian and I started discussing how to raise the two girls and what we want their future to be like. Part of it is the language we use at home, I want them to learn tagalog and Brian want them to be fluent in danish so we had both agreed that we pushed beyond our comfort zones. We were not entirely sure when and how to introduce the so-called ‘fruit-salad-parenting’, so we just let things be and trust the core of our marriage – which is LoVe, then the rest follows.

I would always talk to the girls in Filipino and my husband would have his own ways of using endearment words in danish. So from english, we added tagalog and danish as a form of communication, we simply do what feels intimate and fun - these 3 languages has magically a life of its own at home. Isn’t it cool?

However, there were times when some family and friends questioned how unrighteous it is that we expose the girls in simultaneously learning 3 languages; tagalog, danish and english. It had been a discussion but I’m glad that we stood firm on our decision.

It is scary whenever I meet people who have absolutely no connection to their roots. I refuse to allow my girls not to acknowledge my heritage. I don’t want them to grow up completely out of place whenever we are together with our folks in the Philippines, being unable to adjust to different situations, or being the type of kids who complain when they are put in a social situation they are not used to. I want to keep them linked enough to the Filipino culture – AFTERALL, PHILIPPINES IS HOME TOO.

Yes, I am a proud Filipina Momma, the formation years of Nadine and Naomi’s lives are amazing and it is a pleasure to witness that they are constantly curious in learning more about the Philippines.



The idea of my girls not knowing the uniqueness of street food called turo-turo and tusok-tusok food in the Philippines is disappointing, especially that it’s one of my favorite! Not knowing the pride of wearing barong- tagalog or filipiniana dress is a shame. By the way, Brian look damn handsome in his barong, isn’t he?

They may not be able to speak my mother-tongue Masbatenyo but at least they understand Tagalog, they are used of eating Filipino food, they understand social cues and they are taught of giving filial respect to elders like calling Ate, Kuya, Tita, Tito, Lolo, Lola, etc. They know Chambe, Vice Ganda and Boy Abunda. They understand that if they hear me saying “hay nako”, it means “Mama is pissed!” and when they hear “isa… dalawa… tatlo…”, it’s a cue that they had to do things right at once. Bottomline, I want them to be able to do at least as much as that and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

No culture is perfect. That’s given. As much as I value the Filipino culture, I am also aware that there are practices that are best forgotten. So is with the Danish culture that is why we want them to know about the pros and cons of their Danish and Filipino heritages. We want them to know the good parts of it by choosing the best bits from both (ikke så dårligt..) while being informed about the imperfections that also exists.



Most of our circle of friends is from different parts of the world, our girls are growing up surrounded with people who have a variety of beliefs and backgrounds.

We cannot expect them to be kind, tolerant and open-minded about different cultures and even religions if we don’t practice what we preach. We want to show them how to embrace diversity through our actions and our language by avoiding stereotypes, treating everyone with respect, and approaching new experiences with an open mind. We encourage them to be emphatic and understand what is unique while recognizing common ground.

By doing so, it’ll be easier for them to be grateful for the experiences like a citizen of the world wherein the possibilities for the future are endless. As parents, it is our desire that the exposure will give them a sense of being at home anywhere and they can choose to be whoever they want wherever they go. They are free to identify and relate with whatever they please without having to pick one and without having to be bound by the rigidity of a single culture. Besides, travelling is a normal phenomenon nowadays that it brings a great dimension to one’s personality – and being able to adapt to multiple cultures and fit in well in more than just one is a gift.

The Mabuhay NN Vlog celebrates cultural diversity and also acknowledging that in many ways, we’re all the same - we want to be accepted and we want to be happy.

What we realized as a couple is that it is incredibly freeing to accept that there are different successful pathways in raising children. The diversity of ideas, values, upbringing and language should be liberating, not stress-inducing. We are absolutely learning and it gave us space to let our girls be who they are – HAPPY GIRLS, and let them grow into that. This is how we want to raise them and this is how we want to live and broaden our family’s understanding of the world.





MabuhayNN

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