Day 21: Quarantine Life

How are you all keeping up? Day 21 and it seems unreal to be locked up at home for this long. I know it’s not the same for everybody; each one of us have battles and just winging it day by day.

“Mommy I miss swimming, I miss the beach” said Monica. So yesterday, I asked Beej to look for a small inflatable pool when he went to the grocery. I was hesitant at first because we have limited space but this lockdown has taught me to make use of what we have and appreciate even the smallest of things. For 21 days, our small balcony has been a source of sunshine, literally and figuratively. And now it has become an additional source of joy for my little girl.

Thank you Lord for the opportunity to see things differently through these challenging times

#LifeUpdate: Monica’s doing okay, even though she misses going outside, she has not thrown any tantrums yet. I’ve been really blessed to have her. She would just play all day; do some worksheets, read and draw, and of course watch Paw Patrol. She would hug us every now and then and will say I Love You out of the blue.

Beej has been really productive while working from home. I’ve seen a different aspect of him – he does his work really well! Not only that, he helps in the house chores, too aside from being the runner to the grocery. He does the sanitizing and the washing of his clothes every after supermarket trip. So far he still allows me to watch KDrama till dawn and even shares my kilig and happiness (until when kaya HAHA). Most importantly, he’s doing a good job in keeping us alive, well-fed, and happy. <3

As for me, my days seem to be the usual except that I don’t get to go out often. Most of my time is spent on binge-watching K-Dramas to be honest and that’s okay. It takes my mind away from worrying too much so why not, right? I’ve also come to appreciate Monica’s teachers even more. Everyday, she would ask for activities and I have no choice but indulge her interest in learning. Teaching is really a noble job! Mahirap ha! Haha. Thank you to the people who send out activities for her, it means a lot. At least I get to observe how she is learning and how much she enjoys it. I’ve been enjoying waking up at around 7-8am, going to the balcony with Monica and get some vitamin D while listening to Shout To the Lord worship song. It’s ironic that while things are chaotic outside, things are getting better inside our home. And it’s okay to think that way.

Every night I pray that this pandemic comes to an end soon. My heart breaks for the patients and their families; for the brave frontliners who keep the society going; for all of us who have been confined to this new season of normalcy. This, too, shall pass.

Keep safe and do your best to find happiness amidst sorrow. Donate and/or help if you are able. Post happy thoughts, happy photos. Share useful information. Speak what’s on your mind but please be careful with the intent. Lastly, do things that keep you sane, whatever floats your boat, I’d say. <3

Din

House Quarantine 101

This quarantine season is honestly not so new to us. Since I am a stay-at-home mom, I am with Monica 24/7; the only thing that changed is, she doesn’t have 2.5-hrs in school and we can’t just go outside to go to the mall or park.

I’ve been seeing so many kiddie activities from my mommy friends and I really admire them for the creativity and the will to spend quality time with their child/children. As for me, I don’t really have a set of activities planned out for Monica to be honest. I am not built for that, I dont have the creativity lol. But if I may share, here are the things that keep Monica busy (because these make her happy) and mommy, sane. Haha.?

▪️PLAY. I let her play all day. Since we are confined in a small condo unit, I allow her to play and make a mess. She can play with any toy she wants. I would often catch her making up stories and characters.

▪️DRAW AND COLOR. Monica’s pencils, crayons, and papers are all on her reach. I don’t give schedules but I would see her stop playing and go to her table to draw and color. All on her own. Most of the time she would draw what happened with her toys during her play (lately, it’s all about Paw Patrol). Or at times, she would draw something about a memorable experience, in our case, the recent travel to Cebu.

▪️WRITE. Another thing that she loves nowadays is to write. This is a sensitive period and a great opportunity to learn (as per teacher nanay Iam). I would ask her to write what’s on her mind, what she wants to do, who her friends are, what our menu for the week is, what color does she like, etc. Inventive spelling on the works and even though words are mispelled, I know that she is learning without force. I can see how much she is willing and how much she can comprehend, and that’s enough for me.

▪️READ. Monica has started reading already, both sight words and phonetics. She would spend time reading her books or even the papers or receipts that she sees at home. She would ask us when she can’t seem to read anymore then will continue reading again.

▪️ WATCH TV. No iPad or cellphone, but she’s allowed to watch TV. She wouldn’t stay glued for a long time though, she will just watch for a few minutes then play. And watch again then play.

▪️CHORES. Let her help in the chores. In the photo above, I let her organize her books. She arranged via size. I had to help her in the end because matatabunan naman kami hahaha!

▪️EAT. Well, she snacks a lot nowadays haha.

▪️ Lots of hugs, kisses, I-love-yous, and argument in between.?

So what role do I play in all these? I OBSERVE. I will intervene if she wants and if she asks me to. I realize it works better for her when she has control on what she can do. She thinks on her own and acts on it. This way I can do chores and watch my KDrama hehe. #SaTrueLang.

This method has been working well for us. Sharing with you in case you also want to know. Stay safe, happy, and healthy! <3

“Anak, fight back.” When do we need to say that?

This question has been bugging me the whole day. So let me ask you, when do we urge our kids to fight back and how? I honestly don’t know. I want to raise a kind human being but I don’t want her to be a push-over. It’s so much easier said than done. How do we discern?

I attended a mom and baby event yesterday – kids playing everywhere. It was fun of course. But then, Monica cried twice. Yes twice, different kids but same scenario. Inagawan ng laruan si Monica.

I was just observing as always – I know I am not in the position to meddle. Bata yan, syempre mag-aagawan sila ng laruan. Very normal. But observing how my Monica helplessly cried that time was just heartbreaking. I heard her say “hey that’s mine. Hey, can you please give it back to me? I am still playing.” She kept begging the other kid. Nakakaawa tapos umiyak na sya at lumapit sa akin when she saw me looking at her.

I don’t blame the other kid, what do they know right? Well Monica, as far as I know, never pa nang-agaw ng ganon and never rin naman sya nanakit pag may ginagawang hindi maganda sa kanya. Pero syempre bata sila. Sisishin ko ba yung isang bata? Hindi, diba?

But on the second instance, nangyari ulit. She kept saying “please give it back to me, I am still playing” tapos naiyak na naman at lumapit sa’kin. I told her, “Monica, you already asked them nicely, this time, you get it from them. Get it, it’s yours!” Tama ba ako? Mali ba? I don’t know.

In my mind, I should teach her how to assert herself and that she shouldn’t let others make her cry like that. That she can fight if she must. BUT mabait syang bata. She would rather cry and go to me kesa lumaban or manakit or whatever. Hay.

What do you do, moms, dads? Haha. I honestly don’t know. I want her to fight but I don’t want her to think it’s always good to fight. She’s 3 years old and whatever I teach and show her, she easily absorbs so I am extra careful. I don’t want her to be the kid moms are worried about. Gets?

Am I right? What is the better way to deal with this?

Thanks in advance! <3

Monica as Blippi for Halloween 2019

Blippi has been Monica’s next most favorite human being (next to us) for the past two years. He has been instrumental as to why Monica has developed love for construction vehicles and fire trucks. Lol. At first I didn’t understand why Monica got so hooked but because of the countless times I have seen him sing and dance, I finally understood why. So safe to say, Beej and I love Blippi as well!

We never thought of dressing up Monica as Blippi for Halloween but when my good momma friend shared that she got a Blippi costume, I immediately asked if I can borrow even just for photoshoot. She generously said yes and it made Monica the happiest! THANKS ANGGE!!! Labyuuuuu <3

Little Blippi with the favorite, Excavator!

But wait there’s more! This Blippi costume prompted Beej to follow his dream of becoming…… BLIPPI as well. HAHAHAHAHAHA. He DIYed the cap and bought polo, suspenders, jeans, and glasses. Wahahahhaa. SULIT!

The LEGIT twins. HAY. Hahahaha

Ang kulet! But I love! <3

MisisLinis Professional Cleaning Services: Honest Review

Ang Linis na Pasado kay Misis.

That’s exactly what I had in mind during the whole time that the cleaners from MisisLinis were general cleaning our humble unit. Our home never felt cleaner until they came. No kidding.

We have a small place, only 27sqm with balcony and one bedroom, BUT we have plenty of stuff because hello, Monica. I clean everyday but I have to admit not as thorough. We don’t have a helper so my daily routine is just make the bed, pack-away toys, sweep and wipe floor. That’s it. I clean the CR every week. But I never reached for the high areas, never really dusted corners, organized shelves and cabinets. I just don’t have time because for one, I am looking after a clingy kid so there’s no chance for me to really deep clean every now and then.

So when I learned about MisisLinis (thru Seyrah my friend) and they offered their services, I said yes right away! That time, I really just needed help to clean the whole place. I was like, “okay let me try, no harm trying it out anyway.” My priorities to be cleaned are the bathroom and the fridge plus I want our mattress to experience shampooing and steaming.

They arrived in our unit early and with a very light and positive aura. They sent three cleaners, Ate Len, Ate Honey, and Ate Rowena – all gave me a smile. If you know me, you’ll understand why a smile is important. It just makes things better. Anyhow, aside from their smiles, they brought A LOT OF CLEANING TOOLS. I was like, “hala ate lahat yan panlinis???” They said, “yes po ma’am, kumpleto po kami!” She was not kidding because from the Gruenheim machine up to the timba, they have. YES. They have their own pail which shocked me for real. Only because I never experienced this from the other professional cleaners I have worked with.

I let them eat first so they’ll have energy plus it’s around 1PM and they haven’t eaten yet. I gave food and asked questions that they willingly answered.

And so the work has begun. Ate Len was assigned to deep clean the room, Ate Honey was tasked to sanitize and clean the kitchen, and Ate Rowena scrubbed the bathroom while Monica and I stayed in the living room with all the other stuff. I observed how they cleaned and I was pretty amazed on how busisi they all were. Ate Len vacuumed and cleaned everything in the room. She even wiped all the books of Monica – something other cleaners probably forgot to do. She even wiped and vacuumed the blinds which again, others didn’t do. It felt like all dirt has been removed and things got brighter after. Soon after she’s done in the room, she started shampooing the mattress.

While Ate Len was busy transforming our room, Ate Honey was doing magic in the kitchen. Never, as in never did we experience a cleaner removing everything on the top shelf and cleaning it. For the first time in 4 years, the surface was dusted! She even organized the cupboards and disinfected everything. After that, she defrosted and cleaned the fridge as well.

And then Ate Rowena was also doing great in the bathroom especially organizing the cabinets inside. Again, something others have not done yet, not even myself. Lol. The whole CR was steamed, all moist and molds have been removed and brushed off.

I have experienced a lot of professional cleaners in the past and while I am satisfied with their work, I never thought I could be more satisfied. Thanks to MisisLinis, it just set a new standard in cleaning – at least in my case. It’s been a few days and our floor still feels so clean and our unit feels new, imagine that? I am not even exaggerating!

You can watch them in action in my IG stories here.

Here are the things I specifically love about them:

  1. Easy to talk to management
  2. Polite, happy, and efficient cleaners
  3. No time limit. Beat that!
  4. I was told that when it’s a general cleaning service, they usually send in 3 cleaners to thoroughly do the job.
  5. They organize.
  6. I felt relaxed and not worried that they are not cleaning properly, hence, I got time to sit and rest a bit with Monica.
  7. Complete cleaning materials. As in. They only asked for a replacement of trash bag. That’s it.
  8. Our unit felt really clean and sanitized after. 🙂
  9. Their rates are competitive with the type of service that they offer.
  10. I can go on and on but all I want to say is: I AM A VERY SATISFIED MISIS! <3

So to all momshies like me or even those who just want to go home to a clean house, check out MisisLinis and see for yourself. I vouch for them and if they fail your expectations, let me know. Well feeling ko hindi talaga ako mapapahiya. Such a life saver for a yayaless momma like me! Be a happy misis and avail MisisLinis!

PS: These are their rates but I strongly suggest you get in touch with them so they can give you a proper quotation.

MISIS LINIS: 09230834738 • misislinisph@gmail.com • IG @misislinis

XO,

Din

Bye Lamok? Buy Bug-A-Bye!

This news I read from Smart Parenting yesterday made me really panic, “DOH Declares a National Dengue Epidemic After Cases Reach Over 146,000.” Who wouldn’t? Sobrang nakaka-panic ‘to. Last week lang dinala namin si Monica sa ER kasi 3 days na on-off lagnat nya and kahit hindi ako yung tipo na praning, napraning talaga ako kaya sugod kami sa ER and we did some tests on her. Thank God it was just a bacterial infection and hindi Dengue.

I really despise mosquito bites. Kahit hindi Dengue season, super kaaway ko ang lamok. Nag-mana yata sa akin si Monica, mabilis kagatin ng lamok, and worse, nagsusugat agad sa kanya kaya hate na hate ko ang lamok.

We tried a lot of brands, types, name it. From the sticky lotion to the spray ones. Nothing really worked until I tried Bug-A-Bye from Faith Hope Love Skin Food. So happy that finally, an insect repellent that is really effective, safe, and affordable. I’ve been meaning to share one of my #trustedbrands for a long time now pero hindi ko nagagawa. Maybe this is the right time kasi nga, Dengue season is real and we cannot afford to be complacent. If we need to spray every 2 hours, why not? I’d rather do that than be sorry later.

What makes this Bug-A-Bye a winner? “It is a combination of citronella, lemongrass and peppermint essential oils. The mix of their scent are potent enough to deter harmful insects, most especially mosquitoes! Become worry-free with this product’s effectiveness and the absence of harsh chemicals. This is DEET free, and as faithful to our policy, organic, vegan, non-GMO and cruelty-free. ” Oh diba, bongga. Safe talaga sya. And I swear, the smell is not too strong! I’d say safe talaga sya because Monica has a sensitive skin pero hindi nagrereact kahit na super spray ako sa kanya. I spray it on her body, even dab a little on her face. If you don’t want to spray on the body, you can just do it sa clothes or even sa mga bag and it will work just the same. That’s how sure I am and I say this will all confidence because it worked for us. The only times that Monica got insect bites were the days na nakalimutan ko mag-spray. Mommybrain!

Image from FaithHopeLoveSkinFood Instagram
500ml – Php 740
100ml – Php 185
50ml – Php 100

Aminin, as a parent, pinaka-ayaw natin yung may sakit ang bagets. Simpleng lagnat or sipon/ubo nga lang, nasstress na tayo eh. Pano pa kung Dengue? We all know it can be fatal so we really have to act on it. Iniisip ko pa lang na macoconfine, naku naiiyak na’ko. I am sure you feel the same way.

Pero syempre, let us not all rely lang sa mga insect repellent. We still need to make sure na hindi mabubuhay ang mga lamok at all. What to do? We can read more about DOH’s initiative: “4S STRATEGY“.

I hope you learn something from this. Kaya natin to mga momsh. We hate lamok and we have to be stronger than them. Wag tayo pasakop! Hahaha.

Watch out for my give away on IG because sharing is caring! <3

Love,

Mommy Din

Parenting Tips and Tricks

Wow big words. Let me just put a disclaimer onset – I am, in NO way, an expert in parenting. I only have 3 years of solid experience plus I don’t think anyone can be called an expert because parenting is a life-long hit and miss. Always a work-in-progress.

So when Dette Zulueta, founder of @millennialmomsph, asked me to be one of the mommies who will share for the MMPH segment in #MommyMundoWorld3, I got so excited and nervous. Like, anong sasabihin ko diba? Aside sa shy type ako, hindi ko sure if may maii-share ba akong worthwhile. Haha.

I, together with Dette, Ley, Doc Gellina, and Kalai, wholeheartedly shared our tips and tricks about parenting. Such an honor to share the stage with all of them!

Photo Credit to: Alfie Saniel

So here’s what I talked about:

PARENTING HACK I SWEAR BY:

I answered just one but there’s actually two I want to share:

CHILL. Relax momma! Chill lang momshies. Hehe. I know it’s easier said than done and I don’t think moms can really chill, but hey, we need to breathe, too. Motherhood is already chaotic, will it help kung lagi tayong stressed?

What I meant by chill is, let’s try not to over-worry or over-think. Pero syempre, if being an “OA Mom” does not stress you out, that’s completely fine. On the other hand, if thinking too much about, let’s say the food that your kid should eat, the toys your kids should play, etc, brings out the monster in you, then time to pause and think. Time to chill. Are you the type who can’t let go? Like palagi kang nakabantay sa anak mo? I am not. Are you the type na palaging punas sa katawan at kamay? Or sanitizer every minute? Or linis every hour? Haha. I am definitely not like that. Simply because, it stresses me out. And when I am stressed, it’s gonna be worse than the effect of Monica eating dirt. Lol.

Plus a mom has already 100000 things on her plate each day, so we deserve to have a breather every now and then. If have to check on every little thing, mabubuang tayo. Remember, our child needs a happy mom the most. <3

WAIT FOR YOUR CHILD, STILL, CHILL. FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF YOUR CHILD. I always keep in mind that I should follow her interests and not mine, wait for her time and not get pressured. Follow what she wants and not what I want. Haha. Hindi ba obvious that all I want is to chill? 😛 What do I mean by this?

I mean, just stay put and let your child be a child, a baby. Don’t rush things. They are only little once and it won’t help if we will insist things to happen our way. Iba-iba naman ang bata. Hindi porke’t nangyari sa anak ng kaibigan natin at a certain age, ganon rin ang anak natin. Syempre wala namang bata ang parehas. Like my story on Potty Training . I just waited for Monica to be ready and then when it happened, it’s better than what I expected. Normal lang naman na umasa of course, pero what I find not helping is, if we pressure ourselves and our kids just so we can say that we are on time or even ahead. Stress yun.

Another story I wanna share is, yung pagsusulat ni Monica. I actually felt she’s a bit late in writing. After all, hindi naman sya super galing kumain and hindi rin BLW so I know hirap sya how to hold a pencil or crayon and doodle. I thought oh no, late sya. But then I didn’t let that thought get into me. And hello, 3years old lang sya. Hindi naman pwedeng hindi sya matututong magsulat lol. So I waited. Few weeks ago, she started showing interests in doodling so I just gave her materials so she can practice. One day, I witnessed her drawing a person, not the stick version like what I do haha! With eyes, nose, etc. Imagine my surprise and happiness! I thought to myself, had I forced her to write, I wouldn’t probably feel that delighted and she would not have enjoyed the process as much as she did.

I swear and stand by my hack: Just chill. Parenthood is chaotic and messy, but it is also beautiful so let’s all enjoy it. <3

CHALLENGES I FACE AS A PARENT

Every day is a challenge to be a better mother. There are days when you just wish you are not one. That’s true. No matter how much I love being a mother, there are still days that I wish I am still my old self. But then reality kicks in and I am a mom who is privileged to raise a kid.

In my 3 years as a parent, with no helper and no relatives nearby, I have encountered countless challenges already. Feeding Monica, putting her to sleep, cleaning the house, sickness, and many more. Those are valid ones and it really happens every day.

But there’s one thing I consider the most challenging. How to toughen up Monica. I guess all parents want all things beautiful for their child. Who does not want the best life, right? While I see nothing wrong with that, I think it’s a potential downside in the future. In the video clip below, I explained how we, as parents, only want good things for our children. Pero syempre, we cannot always do things for them. Even if we want to make things easy and simple for them para hindi sila mahirapan, we can’t and we shouldn’t do it. Otherwise we are not helping them at all.

https://www.facebook.com/Mommy-Din-2551228561767723/?modal=admin_todo_tour

In this generation, it’s a challenge for us parents to make sure we raise strong and kind individuals. After all, sila ang mahihirapan pag wala na tayo diba? And I don’t want Monica to be sheltered. I don’t want things all easy for her. She won’t learn from it. If that is not challenging enough, ewan ko na lang.

Do we share the same thoughts? 🙂

Hope you learn something from this. Super thank you to the amazing #MommyMundo team for coming up with events like this. Truly #TheUltimateMomResourceDestination <3

SPECIAL MENTION TO MY FRIENDS WHO CAME AND SUPPORTED, EVEN DOCUMENTED OUR TALK – Shella, Akira, Seyrah, Alfie, Vianne, Miles, Cherry in spirit, Irene, Iam, and Lara, and the whole mommy community who cheered us on!!! Love you all!!!!! <3 #NAKS

Hassle-free Potty Training

Found this image online. Credits to the owner! mastergolflivestream.com

Monica got potty-trained overnight. Well almost. For real.

Ever since Monica turned 2, I’ve been hearing comments saying that “oh naka-diaper pa rin ba sya? 2yo na ah. Dapat hindi na.” To which I will always answer with “Okay lang, ayoko mastress kami parehas.” My mom was one of those who kept on insisting that 2-year-olds should be potty trained already. I get it, she meant well for sure. Haha. But lagi ko sinasabi kay Mommy na antayin ko na lang maging ready si Monica.

Back in the day, kids get potty-trained pretty early just so they can save on diapers. Ngayon, because of Lazada sale (LOL), hindi namin issue ang Pampers. I’d rather spend than get stressed everyday. #SaTrueLang haha. You all know that we don’t have a helper nor yaya, Beej works almost the whole day, so that only means na ako lahat maglilinis at maglalaba kung ma-wiwi or ma-poops si Monica sa bed or floor diba? In short, I don’t like another chore. Ang convenient ng diaper, especially Pampers, very hiyang si Monica dun, bakit ako magdadagdag ng sakit ng ulo ko diba? Haha. I know my temper, it might get in the way and ma-trauma si Monica. Haha. So I stood firm and did not let the comments pressure me to train her.

So I just kept on waiting, I would tell her “Oh let mommy know if you want to wiwi okay?” or “So here’s where we pee and poop” but never really taught nor trained her. In my mind I know she will do it when she’s ready. Then the morning of April 19, Monica woke up not wanting to wear her diaper anymore. She immediately asked me to remove it and peed in the toilet. She’s 2 years and 9 months then. All of a sudden, she’s almost fully potty trained and it was me who’s left shocked and not ready. As in ako ang hindi ready. I was like, huh are you sure? Nakuu baka magkalat sa bed.

That day, we went to a party and I insisted to put a nappy on. She agreed though hesitant. While she was playing, dancing, she went to me and said she wants to pee. I told her she can pee in her diaper. She said “No mommy, I want to pee in the toilet,” OMG. Okay so I brought her to the toilet and she peed. The night came and I was still worried she will pee in bed so I had to put another nappy. The next day, she woke up with a dry nappy, no trace of pee and then she went to the bathroom and peed in her potty trainer (a gift given by my mom looooong time ago).

That’s the second day, totally diaper-free the whole day. On the 3rd day, I bravely decided not to put on diapers. She peed in bed around 12mn – I was like, okay not so bad. Not bad at all. On the fourth day, she said she wanted to poop and there she went, pooped in the toilet!

That day I decided to bring her to the mall, just the two of us. I wanted to see how it will go kung wala syang diaper. I brought a nappy with me in case need arises. Haha. So in the middle of fitting clothes, window shopping, twice sya nagsabi na maiihi sya. Yun ang stressful part – yung feel na feel mo na magsukat at bumili pero kailangan nyo maghanap ng CR! Kaloka. Pero to cut it short, it was a success! Whew. Good job anak!

Then for two weeks, I will wake up around 12:00-12:30 am just so I can bring her to the toilet. For two weeks, there’s a hit and miss and that’s normal. Puyat nga lang ako but then after two weeks of her being nappy-free, she learned how to control her bladder, it got more stabilized as days passed by.

So what did I do? NOTHING. See, wala akong ginawa, I just waited for her to be ready. That’s it. She did it all on her own. She even goes to her potty trainer and pee, she will wash her hands after, and wear her panty – again, sya lang mag-isa without me teaching her.

What makes me so happy is that we didn’t have to be stressed about it. We didn’t even have to buy fancy potty-training tools to entice her. If I wanted it my way, I could have forced her and that will probably leave her traumatized or worse, will hold her pee and that’s not okay! It really pays to wait for your child when he or she will be ready. Kids have their own pace and we all should consider and respect that. It will save us some stress and trouble.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to wait for the kids to be ready. They know better and if we do it that way, it will be easier. It will also make them confident and feel that they have autonomy over their body and their feelings. Who would want to be forced anyway, right? I have nothing against parents who want to potty-train early – that’s perfectly okay. It’s just that, in our case, the other way worked just fine.

Here are the things that we’ve been doing now that she’s nappy-free already:

  1. I time her liquid intake, usually she will pee after an hour (at least on the first weeks). So I make sure I time it and remind her if she wants to pee. Normally I do this but at times, she will tell me when she wants to pee or poo. Nowadays, she can control her bladder already and pee every 3-4hrs, except pag nag-buko juice! Haha
  2. At first, I joined her in peeing and made the pee sound. But now when she wants to go to the CR on her own, I let her. I just remind her to be careful especially when floor is wet.
  3. I affirm her, I validate her actions. Her face lights up when I do that. It’s such a feat for them and they deserve such recognition!
  4. Try going out without a nappy on, it will test the both of you. Don’t be scared. I swear. Only then you will both know what to do next. We traveled to and from Batangas via bus, without nappy on. Imagine my stress but then again, I trusted her and pull it through. No wiwi accidents! Hahaha

To this day, June 14, almost 3 months of zero diaper, and I can say things are so much better. We only had less than 10 accidents total and it’s all because we let Monica take her own sweet time. <3

What is your potty-training story? I hope our story helps! 🙂

Love,

Mommy Din

My love for Millennial Moms PH

Millennial Moms PH is a community every mom needs – it’s a safe, non-judgmental, non-partisan, happy, and helpful place for all of us moms.
We all know that motherhood is very much overwhelming. Yes, we love our little ones to death, but it’s also accurate that there are days when we just want to get out of the house and run. There are days when insecurity and guilt will eat you up. There are days you feel inadequate as a mother. And that’s why a group like Millennial Moms PH is such an amazing room for a breather.

I learned about this community when, Dette Zulueta, founder of Millennial Moms Ph, followed me on Instagram. Out of curiosity, I checked it out and followed back. In an instant, I knew it’s something I am comfortable in joining in. As days go by, I see positive posts, engaging topics, and most importantly, I gained new IG friends. What’s good about MMPh is, they don’t choose who the members are, they do not just adhere to only one parenting style. You will not feel attacked nor judged just because of the parenting decisions you make. This community will only support and never make you feel less about how you raise your child.
Aside from tips, advices, product reviews, this group also holds regular #MomTribeMeetUp wherein mommies are invited to join and participate. Different topics are discussed every Meet-Up and it feels so refreshing to finally see the moms you normally just see online. I will never forget my first ever MomTribe Meet-Up as it opened my vulnerability. It was a topic by the power couple Omni & Bryce about Parenting Shared and we all learned a lot. I was also given a chance to share my own experience and shout to the world how blessed I am to have a husband like Beejay. Not only did we take home fun and laughter from the event, our hands were also filled with goodies from the very generous sponsors. What else would you look for, right? You come in with hope to learn something and you go with almost everything you need and more. What a joy to be part of Millennial Moms Ph!!!

I am so proud of Dette and her team for the amazing work they’ve been doing since Day 1. All these are moms who just want to share their love to the whole mommy community. They are doing the best they can to make each mom feel they are valued and not alone. If there’s one gift I can give to every mom I would meet, that is to inform them of this group and ask them to join. <3

In this generation where everything is posted online and your every move is almost always calculated, it’s refreshing to find a safe place you can just lounge in. Moms who don’t judge other moms. It’s very important that we respect each other and never impose what we know to another.
PS: Big thanks to their powerful and generous sponsors also! All of us appreciate everything given to us.

@pldthome, @tempraph, @eastwoodmall_ and @richmonde_erh. The major sponsors are: @absolutedistilled, @atlanticdelightsph, @beginningsbaby, @nestle_wellness #Cerelac, @kindercareph, @megamalunggay, @megamangosteen, @pampersph, @profreeze.ph, @vpharmaph and @mommysmartsteps @123babyph, @aveenoph, @babycompanyph, @babydovecare, @belobabylove, @berzbabyph, @betadinephils, @betadinefreshblissph, @botanicals_inbloom, @brightbrands.ph, @caprichosapambahays, #CeconPlus, @ceoemporium, @cleverish.ph, @cusinahome, @faithhopeloveskinfood

KinderCare Ultra-safe Baby Wipes – Really the SAFEST!

I never had to really focus on baby wipes until I became a mother. Pre-baby, wipes are something I can totally live without haha. Post-baby, OMG, wipes are something I should not leave the house without. For real. When you have a baby, you can go and do whatever if you have it in your bag. It’s basically, an answer to anything! From an infant who pooped, a toddler who touched anything she sees, a sweaty child, nasty little face, hands, unsanitary high chair and table, to a stressed parent who has dirt all over because of his/her kid! Haha.

It’s a given, we NEED it. But do we settle with just knowing how important it is? No right? As a mom, especially when it comes to your baby, there should be no compromise, as they say.

I am not a meticulous mom, well, at least not yet. Probably because I am not a maselan type of person. But of course as a mommy, all I want is what’s best for my baby. So whenever I see a baby product that says organic or natural, it would be instinct to get whatever that is.

For a loooong time, we’ve been hoarding an organic type of baby wipes, thinking that it’s safe and natural. And boy we were wrong! It really pays to read the label!

Thanks to KinderCare Ultra-safe Baby Wipes! I learned that products that say “natural” don’t mean 100% natural. It still has chemicals that can be harmful to us and and our little ones. What we have to check is the tag “All Natural” because that one is guaranteed to be really legit.

With KinderCare Ultra-safe Baby Wipes, the tag line “All Natural” holds true as they have ZERO harmful chemicals: zero parabens, zero phenoxyethanol, zero methylisothiazolinone, zero synthetic fragrances, zero lanolin, zero SLS/SLES and zero alcohol.
Wow big words. I know. To those who know me, you will say, ako ba’to? Am I really that particular? With this one, I’d say yes. Especially now that Monica is a toddler already. I remember seeing a viral post on Facebook about a kid who suffered severe rashes on face and body because of baby wipes – that alone terrified me, verified incident or not. So better be safe than sorry, right?
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Why settle for anything less when the best is just within reach? I strongly urge my fellow parents to try this out! <3

For those asking, here’s the price range and the stores we can get this from (I know I know, if there’s one thing we can complain about this brand – SANA NATIONWIDE, ALL LEADING SUPERMARKET AND DRUG STORE AVAILABLE, right? Haha. But in the meantime, here’s what they’ve got:

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Kc-324 wet wipes 25’s – Php 69.90
Kc-325 80’s – Php 129.90
Kc-326 w/ plastic cover – Php 139.90
Kc-327 w/ tub – Php 219.90
Kc-328 10’s – Php24.90
Online exclusive of a pack of 6 80’s wipes – Php715 plus shipping fee.
Shipping fee: Flatrate of Php 180 for Metro Manila and Php200 for provincial.
Here are the list of stores where KinderCare is available in Metro Manila:
Robinson’s Department Store Ermita
Robinson’s Supermarket Ermita
Robinson’s Supermarket Otis
Robinson’s Supermarket 168
Robinson’s Supermarket Cloverleaf
Robinson’s Supermarket Pioneer
Mart One North Edsa
Metro Market Market
Ever Commonwealth
M1 Guadalupe
Sta. Lucia Department Store
 
NOTE: I AM NOT IN ANY WAY AFFILIATED WITH THEM, JUST ONE MOMMY HELPING OUT ANOTHER. I AM SO GRATEFUL TO BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE MAKERS AND I WAS SOLD. REALLY. THANK YOU KINDERCARE!