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awesome sunset at IGACOS...
On our way to Island Garden City of Samal!
Me (right), my officemate Rhea (left) and my Boss (center)..posing for a souvenir pic..hehe
the colorful me! haha
ready for parteeey!..where's the beer??
friends and beer!!
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 Sippy Cup Most, if not all toddlers, become attached to their feeding bottles. They have them all the time; besides fulfilling their hungry tummies and providing nourishment, bottles also signifies comfort and security to a child; a pacifier.
But it is important for parents to wean their toddler from bottles at the end or start of his first year because the more you delay the transition; the more they become attached to it. (and that's what happened to us) They said that if the child still uses feeding bottles until 3-5 years of age there is a possibility that he/she would have bad teeth formation (especially the front teeth) and is at risk of getting cavities. I don’t know personally if it is true but I will not risk my daughter having bad protruding teeth and cavities. Ewww. Some also said that prolong bottle usage would make the child “immature” and would probably be teased at school by classmates. It also delays the child’s speech learning development and has possibility to abnormal weight gain (obesity). As I said, I am not sure about those things to be true ( i never experienced it) but I will never risk my child being bullied at school just because she still have her feeding bottle nor will I risk my child’s speech development and health. My husband and I decided to wean her at age 1 and 8 months (yes, I know it’s late! But better late than never, remember?). And it wasn't an easy task for us. I said “Never give up hubby, Don’t be tricked by her cries!” hehe We hid all her feeding bottles to a place where she has no access to. (smart move! hehe) At first my child was having tantrums and irritabilities especially during the times when she is used to have her bottle. But I explained to her that big girls don’t need those bottles anymore. I invented a story that angels took all her bottles and gave them to poor little babies on the street (Surprisingly, it worked! hehe..I learned that my child is inborn charitable..wow) Sippy cup was a big help for me and for my child. Instead of glass I chose to use sippy cup as a replacement for her bottle. Eventually, she learned to appreciate it and it made the transition easy for her. Why? because she wasn't force to drink from a totally different thing. Sipping is nearly associated to sucking and that prevented shock of losing what she is used to. Easy transition for her. Now after one week, she’s able to move on and accept that she can no longer have her bottles. We encourage her to drink from glass/cup and she knows how to(old enough hehe). I was weaned from cleaning and sterilizing feeding bottles as well (yahoo!) I love it! Now, my active and happy child is totally back! And…her bottle? The angels took it maybe! :-) PS: I noticed that she is less gassy thus lessen her bloated-tummy moments the time she stopped using her bottle. Magnetic writing board is one of my daughter’s favorite playthings. She loves to write (can’t read what she write though hehe) and knows how to hold the pen right( see picture below). Her writing stroke is fine at her age (1 and 9 months). I bought this because I want my child to learn how to write and to have a nice penmanship when she grows up. (She’s a girl and for me it’s important for a girl to have a nice penmanship :-) hehe) Having a magnetic writing board for your child is a good venture if you are looking for a versatile writing board to use during your child’s playtime activity. It is less messy than using chalk board (FYI, chalk dust is considered a health hazard) and it is very easy to use (write and erase). This is not only for children but also for parents who love to write notes and reminders; bills, payments, schedules or even special greetings to family members. Why it’s educational? Because it promotes your child’s self expression and creativity, it also motivates your child to learn how to write. Exposure to writing at a very young age is a big help for your child to develop a good penmanship in the future. Handwriting requires the motor coordination of the multiple joints in the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder to form letters and arrange them. Your child is able to exercise those joints by constant contact to writing boards such as magnetic writing board. Why it’s safe? Because it will let your child play, explore and learn without getting ink stains and chalk dust. The pen of the magnetic writing board is not pointed or sharp (like those of the ball pen) which simply means that it has less likely to hurt your child. There are no small pieces which can act as a choking hazard (like the chalk itself). The magnetic writing board also serves as an instrument for me to bond with my daughter considering that I worked from 8am-5pm. I draw things or animals and I let her guess it, then I will congratulate her by clapping my hands and saying “Wow, very good.” if she guesses it right. Moms, try it! :)    Aside from my daughter’s dose of milk, I wanted to give her a healthy drink that would be a great match to her favorite snack. I decided to never bring in chocolate drinks as it has loads of sugar. A friend of mine told me to try Dutch Mill Yoghurt Drink and it wasn’t a hard job looking for it as it was super available. You could see it overflowing in supermarkets and even available in some sari-sari stores.
Vien started having Dutch Mill Yoghurt Drink when she turned 1. She loves it! I served the one in 90ml pack; once daily. I told you on my previous blog that I tend to worry too much especially if it includes my baby’s health and being, but glad to say that Dutch Mill never gave me worries. It never gave my daughter even the slightest cramp. I tasted it myself out of curiosity and was amazed that it was not too sweet; it’s creamy and very flavorful. It eventually became her favorite drink. If she finds it in the shopping bag or in the refrigerator she would excitedly grab it and ask someone to open it for her. It comes in many flavors like orange, strawberry, blueberry and mixed fruits; she drinks whatever flavor we serve her (hehe). Because it’s Yoghurt, I know and I am quite sure that I am giving my daughter a healthy drink. Some Interesting Facts: Dutch Mill is a wholesome drink from fresh cow’s milk and refined with lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus (Which means it is a probiotic drink.. Probiotic are live microorganism that is good for the health) . Dutch Mill Yoghurt Drink is cholesterol-free, rich in calcium, iron and protein. Mommies, if you are in search of a healthy and flavorful drink for your baby, then Dutch Mill Yoghurt Drink is best… J Motion sickness sucks! Yes, it does! Who would say it is fun? I suffered from motion sickness since childhood and sad to say, until now… :{{ I tend to puke all my guts out when I travel; may it be via van, bus, taxi, boat or plane. Glad that I overcame my travel sickness on jeepneys when I was on my teenage years.
What hurts me most is that I never enjoy the ride. I miss the things others enjoy while traveling, I envy them, you know being able to see the pleasurable side of roaming around, watching scenic places without feeling nauseated, without feeling sick. During elementary to college, I worried too much whenever our class would have a fieldtrip, workshops and outings that were to be held in far places! “I missed the fun!” Sometimes I chose not to join. “FYI, Puking on cellophane is a turn off” L “See how it affects my social life? Once you have it, you always carry it with you, what you can do is to prevent it or to puke it out.” I tried taking bonamine, an over-the-counter medicine for motion sickness, the time I went to Davao City for a 3-day seminar but sadly, it didn’t work. I still felt sick, I never puke though (but it was almost there!), and it gave me a terrible headache afterwards. I ended up sleeping in my room and missing the first part lecture. (Note: It will take 2 hours to travel from Digos City to Davao City) My father already performed an old way of preventing motion sickness in some of my travels but it didn’t work as well. So I arrived on making ways to somehow lessen the effect of motion sickness in me! (bright idea! Hehe) My Tipsy Tips! 1. If I travel on buses and vans or even taxi, I see to it that I am seated in front where I can see the way. If the front seats are already taken (bus or van), I sit near the window so I can have air and see some green trees and grasses. The aroma of fried spices from roadside houses makes me feel I’m home and amazingly it helps too! Seeing cattle in the roadside and hearing them bleat helps as well. :}} 2. I bring kalamansi with me. We called it lemonsito or if it is not available there in your place, a pomelo or mandarin will do. I never eat it; I just smell its citrus aroma by peeling its outer layer, it prevents me from smelling annoying odors that will worsen/trigger my sickness (eg. Cigarette smoke, perfume, and the bus’ air brake! And crude oil) 3. Candies help especially those minty ones. I always have snowbear or maxx or clorets (best) in my bag! Sometimes I bring salt too! Hehe if I feel my saliva starts to get sticky despite the candy, I put small amount of salt in my tongue. Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water! 4. I keep my mind busy. I think of the things that excite me, whatever it is! Hehe .. I will think of shopping, nice shoes and bags or I will think of the funny moments my family and I had shared, or simply scanning my cellular phone and watching my daughter’s pictures; it helps sometimes. :} 5. I wrap both my wrist with tight rubber bands or pantali sa buhok or anything that can wrap my wrist. I make sure it is tight enough but loose enough to allow blood flow. It is called acupressure, an old Chinese way of fighting motion sickness. They said it prevents the brain from receiving mix messages thus preventing motion sickness. I don’t know if Sea-Band is available in the Philippines, they say it works. 6. I always have with me my old-time friend (cellophane) in case my weapons and strategies will not conquer/beat my in-born tough enemy. I could attest that those things above help, at least to 7 out of 10 of my travels. I urge you to try it and tell me what you think! :}} Hope this blog helps!! PS: Someone told me to try Dizitab and I will tell you about it on my next blog :)  Vien playing with her Y-Pad :) Many of us parents are serious when it comes to our child. One of our many concerns is the choice of a right toy; we prefer educational toys, don't we? Well, I do!
I am a bit particular in choosing toys for my 21 months old child. “What will she learn if I buy this one? Will this be helpful for her learning or just a waste of money?” I tend to ask these questions hehehe. I am very particular with the hazards as well; I see to it that a certain toy is safe and at the same time educational. Toys, especially the educational ones, are very helpful to children even at a very young age. It provides right stimulation and learning to children and it helps them develop a certain skill. I recently purchased y-pad for our daughter at 450Php and glad I did. (Though it’s a little expensive hehe) This thing works on children 3 years old and up but since our kid is so responsive and eager (not to mention smart!J), my husband and I decided to buy this for her. At first, she was attracted to the colorful illustration that she hugged it the time she set her eyes on it, and then she eventually learned to manipulate the thing since it is very easy (user-friendly hehe) just a gentle touch and it will respond saying “A” or “Apple” depending on your choice of mode. There are 4 different modes to choose namely, Letter Mode w/c says the letter itself (eg. “A”), Word Mode w/c says the word that matches the letter (eg. “Apple” for A, “Bear” for B), Spell Mode w/c spells the word (eg. A-P-P-L-E, Apple), Asking Mode w/c asks the child to locate letters (eg: “Where is the Q?” and if the child presses the right letter it will say “Good” and if not it will say “Try again!” It’s very cute and challenging at the same time! :}}), it also has Demo w/c sings “ABC” and “123”. (it makes Vien dance!) Displayed on top are numbers 1-10 which also has an equivalent piano sounds. The batteries (3 “AA”) are locked at the back and you need a screw driver to open it. Safe! It comes in 2 colors; pink and blue. It’s worth the money! Trust me...  Dengue carrying mosquito is everywhere, and as a mom, it scares me to death.
I immediately started my quest for mosquito repellent even my baby was just 6 months old (the time dengue was a widespread in our place). And because she was too young for such tough lotions my quest turned out to be a very challenging task. I set my mind then: I wanted a repellent that’s tough and safe at the same time considering that it was for my little child. I asked a friend and she suggested that I should choose a deet-free repellent because it’s safe for babies. She never suggested any product or brand though but I was very thankful for her advise. According to my internet research: Deet Free means there is NO N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide in the product. DEET is the most common active ingredient for mosquito/insect repellants. As a precaution, makers advised that it should not be used underclothing or on damage skin because it CAN act as an irritant, and in rare cases, can cause harsh epidermal reactions. Then I found Biteblock Insect Repellent for kids. What struck me most was that biteblock is deet free, not hot on skin, non-greasy and has nice powder scent, and most importantly, tested safe for babies 6 months and up (mild and hypoallergenic). Wow! I bought one for only 78 pesos, the one in 50ml tube. At first, I was still a little hesitant to apply it on my baby’s skin despite the promising words on its label, perhaps it is just normal for mom’s to worry, right? But I also didn’t want to risk my child on having dengue (knock on wood); so I put it on her and was happy that it didn’t bother her. Plus it provides longer protection up to 8 hours! Just amazing. I super love Biteblock for my baby. She is now 21months old and is still using the same brand of insect repellent. So mommies choose DEET-free repellents for your babies, choose Biteblock! :-)  It's me eating durian :P When I was in my elementary years, I hated durian because of its smell and more because of its taste. I wondered then why other people liked it so much! I find it awful.
Of course that was when I was still a poor ignorant kid who lacked the talent of appreciating things.. (hehe) yes, ignorant! I started loving this fruit when my cousins teased me “ignorant”. That was also the same accusation coming from my very own family when I hesitated to eat durian every time there was a family gathering- “ignorant”…I was challenged enough to refuse the dare. My cousins all laughed at me and were trying to make fun of me. (argh!) I tried to muster all my bravery (haha, I know it’s exaggerated but I really did) and at last I took a bite and to my amazement, it was wow! Why I never liked this delicious fruit before! Thinking of the times I missed eating such a creamy flavorful durian made me very remorseful. (haha) Now, whenever I have the money and durian is super available, I will make sure that I will never miss a thing! Here in our place the price varies from 30Php/kilo to 50Php/kilo and durian can weigh from 3 kilos to maybe 10 kilos the highest? Hehe I am not so sure ‘coz I am used to buy durian which is less than 5 kilos hehehe. Yes. It’s a little expensive but it worth the money! Durian is available in different types/breeds. I am not very particular with it but there varieties that is more juicy and yummy than the other. Health facts: Durian fruit contains high amount of sugar, potassium, vitamin C and amino acids. It is also a good source of carbohydrates, fats and protein. The fruit serves as a remedy for fever by boiling its roots or leaf and drink the decoction. Durian is considered as a high-glycemic food (Foods that raise glucose to varying levels) thus, recommending minimal consumption. As said, too much is bad for the health. So, eat wise! :P | AuthorCall me "Girl" . I am a 26 years old woman, a Filipina who loves to write and say something about things :D ArchivesCategoriesAll |
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