A Day In The Life Of Cat Arambulo-Antonio
Against all odds, Cat Arambulo-Antonio is living her life to the fullest
The past year has been a huge adjustment for everyone, but for Cat Arambulo-Antonio, the events that unfolded, as the COVID pandemic swept the nation, turned out to be life changing. She went AWOL on social media, started classes in yoga certification, and amped up charitable efforts in a major way. Learning from the chaos and the hate that was hurled in her direction, she had to dig deep and fully embrace a renewed sense of purpose.
Days at home
A life with intention is one that begins at 5am. By the time she steps out of her room at 7am, Cat starts her day ready to face anything and anyone. Her therapy, as of late, has been time spent training and taking care of her pups, which is first on her list every morning. She then catches up with the kids over breakfast, hangs out with her husband, Carlo, and begins work at around 9am.
On most days, she makes time for a 45 minute workout, which also counts as her alone time. Cat will find pockets in her schedule to squeeze that in, and will also go back to minding her fur babies a few more times as the day goes by. Like any busy mother, she juggles it all, and being at home 100% of the time, since lockdown began, is just another thing that makes up their new normal.
Moving with purpose
A lot of her time is spent working on Cat Arambulo Studio Cares, physically preparing care packages for various charities and organisations, and making arrangements for missions or other relief efforts for communities in need. The months she spent reflecting and being still opened up so many doors directing her to what now feels like her life’s calling— helping others.
Even her kids get in on the action, helping her with labels and packaging for goods to be sent out, or even preparing the food themselves. Within the confined walls of their home, the buzz hardly ever settles as they keep busy with tasks that keep the cogwheels of her mission on a constant grind.
Cat’s Little Tribe
Aside from CAS Cares efforts, Cat’s days are also filled with caring for her new babies — Samadhi, Yogi and Luna, her toy pomeranians, and of course the OG, Hugs the coton de tulear. During lockdown, Cat diligently researched everything there is to know about these dogs, from reputable breeders all the way to proper care and maintenance. “These guys are keeping us sane during this lockdown. And it’s a great way to teach the kids responsibility and time management,” Cat quips. You will see more of Cat’s pups on her Instagram stories these days than anyone or anything. She is a very hands-on momma to her fur babies and she does all the training, feeding, even bathing. Heck, she even knows how to groom them. There is not a shadow of a doubt that Hugs, Samadhi, Yogi and Luna are very lucky to be part of the Antonio family.
The Super Modern Mom
When it comes to parenting, Cat says, “I’m fun, brutally blunt, honest, and strict within reason. I’m very open with my kids and I don’t lie to them. I don’t believe in sugar coating or downplaying things either.” She adds, “Everyday, my greatest challenge is to raise kids that are true to themselves, kind to others, and resilient enough to deal with our very unpredictable and ever-changing world.”
Cat’s eldest daughter Danielle is headed to college in the U.S. and at such a young age has already accomplished so much. “She is nothing like me, especially when I was that age. I was all over the place, my priorities were messed up, but Danielle — she really has her life together.” Cat continues to tell us that she often jokes and asks herself “Who is this girl?” Well, Cat has yet to realize that apples don’t fall far from its tree.
Although the Antonio family, their pets and their helpers have been at home, strictly quarantined together since the beginning of March last year, Cat still looks forward to family weekends. Time spent as a family is always a priority, whether it be meals at the dining table, or helping the kids get through online learning. It’s really the the simplest of things that matter most. She is also very grateful for her loyal and hardworking staff for going above and beyond, and for really being a huge part of running their household as smoothly as they have — major relief operations, pet training, online learning, working from home and everything in between.
Always being mindful of keeping her cup full, this super mom of three says it’s crucial that she sets aside some time for herself. “I can’t give what I don’t have!” says Cat.
Well, that’s just another page we can all take from her book.
