Earth Hour Alert!

My daughter came down with roseola infantum last week. This is more commonly known as tigdas hangin. At first I thought her fever that night is just a sign that she’s coming  down with the flu. Her head was hot but her feet and hands weren’t. When she woke up that morning, I asked her if she was feeling any pain in her throat. There was none. I was a good thing that I didn’t let her go to school that day even if her fever had already subsided. I didn’t notice her rashes until around 11 am that day. If she had gone to school, she be sent home anyway.

I'm Wearing My Baby!

Babywearing is not a new phenomenon in the Philippines. In fact, I've seen many Igorot mothers wear their babies. I think most national minorities practice babywearing, waaay before it became a fad.

A man from the Bontoc tribe

A Kalinga woman

An Aeta mom

SavingTips for New Moms

Last time we had a baby, our biggest consideration was our emotional readiness. We were only a few months married and building a family is not on the top of our list at the time. We were still preoccupied with exploring the world as a married couple first. This time however, with the economic crunch and everything, a major consideration is the finances. You have to admit, having a baby is not really light on the budget. Here are some things we did to save on money.

Safe Cosleeping

Cosleeping is not a new concept, contrary to what most would think. In fact, in the Philippines, it is the norm here, where newborns sleep on the same bed or in the same room as their parents. Yes, sleeping in the same room counts as cosleeping. In western countries, I believe this was introduced only when Dr. Sears started the trend of attatchment parenting, and is only now gaining momentum.

In western countries, babies sleep in the nursery. They have their own rooms which is a luxury most Pinoys can’t afford, hence the cosleeping. Babies are monitored through a device called baby monitor, much like a walkie talkie with the PTT (Press To Talk) always on. When the baby makes a sound, cries, the baby monitor nearby picks this up and then transmits it to the other baby monitor in the parents room.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, Pinoys have been cosleeping with their newborns ever since. But that doesn’t mean that we’ve mastered the art of cosleeping. There is no abscence of reports involving sleeping babies. Some can be as tragic as the mom itself suffocating the baby to death. 

Here are some tips on how to keep cosleeping safe.

Extra-Challenge: The >15K Party PART 1 (Venue Hunting)

I was thinking of writing a couple of articles for my blog about Philhealth and how moms can save money even when they're having a baby, but I got sidetracked by another thing. This May, our eldest will be celebrating her 7th birthday and we were thinking of co-celebrating it with our son's christening. We are working on a very tight budget of 15k, or less, so that means no fancy parties. But we also wanted a hassle-free party, meaning, not one held at home where the after-party clean up is a gigantic endeavour.

I was considering SM Storyland's party package at first. I really think the kids would have fun using the Ride-All-You-Can tickets.

But since our son is still small and most of his guests would be grown-ups, while our daughter is already seven and would really enjoy it if her friends would be invited, the Storyland party would only be enjoyed by the kids, which is a minority.

I also read in a forum thread about Jollibee's Create Your Own Package. I created a package good for 60 people that would cost, more or less, only 10k! But this is only for an hour and I wanted something more than Jollibee-food.

Then, my mom had the wonderful idea of just hiring a private pool and holding the party there. Not a party really, just a very laid back outing with food catered, some nice games for the kids and unlimited videoke for the grown-ups.

One requirement though is that the place should be very accesible, preferably within Quezon City. Here are some very affordable private pools I stumbled upon online.

1. Private Pool in Casa Milan, Fairview
Rental: P3,500 - P5,000
Capacity: 15 pax
Contact Numbers: MS. BETH 09163916759 /09154079231



2. Private Pool of Chayno
OCTAGON VILLAGE, PHASE 3, BRGY DE LA PAZ, PASIG
Capacity: 200 pax
Rental : P8000 - P10,000
Contact Details: 0917-8424581



3. Aguirre Resort in Novaliches
Rental: P7000
Capacity: 50 pax (pero sabi ng isang events organizer, kaya 200 pax)
Contact Details: 4186858


4. Carlos-Suarez Resort in Novaliches
Rental: P6000
Capacity: 50 pax
Contact Details: 9375780/09186402476

5. Boyd's Oasis in Don Antonio
I found their contact details but the landlines are "not in service" and my text message has not yet been replied as if posting.

(UPDATE March 18, 2011, Boyd's Oasis is no more. It has been bought by Puregold.)

6. Nemo Haven
Rental: P4500 - P6500
Capacity: 30 pax
Contact Details: 997-4961/09087800864; email: nemohaven52@yahoo.com




We still haven't finalized which one we're taking. Maybe we'll do it after inquiring at Boyd's since this is the nearest our place.

So far, these are the ones that have met my tipid requirement. Do you know of any other place which can accomodate 50-60 pax and the whole day rental is 8k and below?

Things Your Hospital Bag Should Have

As with life, having a baby is also full of surprises. Even if the baby is not expected until he completes his term, it wouldn’t hurt to have a hospital bag ready. It should be packed as early as the seventh month especially for those who are having a difficult pregnancy. Here’s a list I compiled of what you should bring to the hospital. This of course is based on the usual Philippine climate which is tropical, and on a 3-4 day stay in the hospital.

FOR THE BABY

2 pairs Long-sleeved tie-sides -- you won't need this much because the baby will be swaddled anyways so he won't be cold, but bring along some, just in case

3-5 pairs Short-sleeved tie-sides -- this I think is the best choice to clothe baby in, not too hot nor too cold. You can hold him even with no blanket on and won't have to worry he'll be cold.

1 flannel blanket -- for extra warmth in case needed.

3 swaddling blankets

2 pairs booties

3 pairs mittens

3 pairs pajamas

5 pcs burp cloths - a good old lampin would suffice

For his toiletries:

70% alcohol - for cleaning his cord stump, and for disinfecting your handscotton

baby wipes - or just just cotton balls and water

baby oil - a warming baby oil is nice, but i prefer the one with lavander essence

baby wash - pick one that has a no-tears formula and very mild.

Don't bother bringing baby powder. Although baby would smell better with powder, it is not encouraged anymore because the baby might inhale the powder's fine particles.

FOR MOMMY

a change of clothes plus extra underwear -- for going home

a nursing top - a hospital gown wasn't designed with breasfeeding moms in mind

your toiletries, especially a feminine wash

your bag which should contain all the necessary stuff like
wallet with money -plastic or real-

plus Identification Cards
prenatal book
health card and other pertinent documents

Maternity pads or overnight heavy duty napkins

abdominal binder - if you're staying in PGH (Philippine General Hospital) I suggest you get
the one being sold by the manangs changing the beddings or mopping the floor. It's made of
cheesecloth and not as bulky as the blue.

These are only the basic stuff you'll be needing. These are what I brought with me to the hospital the last time. If you think I missed something or you have a must-bring that I didn't list here, please do share it by commenting.

Father and Son Picture

This was taken by my seven year old daughter. Simply beautiful!

She actually takes beautiful pictures. She has an eye for photography, which makes me want to buy her her own toy camera, which are so cute.

Here are some other things she shot using a camera phone:

McDo Kiddie Crew Summer Workshop

I am thinking of enrolling my seven year old in McDonald's Kiddie Crew Workshop this summer.

The Kiddie Crew Workshop is an annual event that McDonald launches during summer to engage kids ages 6-12 in various activities in their participating outlets.

This aims to teach kids on the value of hardwork, discipline and teamwork through different fun activities. This is also a good opportunity for kids to make new friends.


How to Join

1. Fill out the Application Form available in their participating outlets.

2. Pay the Registration Fee of Php550 which is inclusive of Kiddie Crew t-shirts, cap, bag, I.D with lace, meals, workshop materials and graduation certificate

To know more about this, go to the official McDonald's website.

Get your Child to Eat Veggies

Children have a natural instinct to avoid vegetables. They seem to have grouped food into two categories, veggies and non-veggies, opting for non-veggies.

In my experience, they are especially inclined to eat eggs and meat. If this is the case, it is up to parents to introrduce their children to vegetables and its benefits.
Our daughter, thank goodness, eats her veggies. Actually, there are times when she likes it more than meat itself. Early on, we made sure that teach her to eat a variety of foods, including but not exclusively of vegetables. Let me share with you a few points we use.

1. Model Parent

Don’t preach and not follow-up on practice. Set an example. Let your child see you enjoying your bowl of veggies. Never let your child hear you say a nasty word about the taste of a vegetable. Never let them see you make face about it either. They imbibe this and file this in their minds for future reference.

2. Fun,Fun,Fun

We encourage our child to eat her veggies by setting up a mock game. We tell her that if she doesn’t eat her veggies now, no more will be left for her. Daddy will gobble it all up, no more tasty veggies for her to munch on. Other times we ask her which color she would like to eat, the green one (papaya or something else) or the orange (squash). Basically, we highlight the vegetable’s color and make it the jump off point.

3. Decisions, Decisions

There are also times we let her decide for herself. We ask her which vegetable she would like to eat, the okra or tha kankong in the sinigang. this tactic never fails. It’s a win-win solution. She eats what she likes, and you made her eat her veggies.

4. Variety

Nobody, even adults, is safe from the sawa factor. To avoid this, we buy a variety of vegetables and cook it in various ways. Careful and thoughtful menu planning comes in. This not only ensures that children are introduced to different vegetables but also balances their nutritional intake.

5. Baby Food vs. Adult Food

Children are often treated as babies. Parents often set a aside a special food for them as opposed to adult food. Adults think that their food is much more complicated than baby food and therefore assume that children wouldn’t like it. So parents, in a bid to be on the “safe side” cook meat viands, or in some cases, allow children to make use of soy sauce, sugar, chocolate powder or even ketchup as ulam. This in fact is a terrible practice. It robs the children of the nutrition they should be getting. Once, we served lumpiang togue with a meat viand, interestingly, our daughter chose to eat the lumpiang togue, completely ignoring the other viand. From then on, we decided that we will serve only adult food, as much as possible. Whatever we’re having, she’s also having.

We can always rant that our children are such picky eaters. We can always blame others for influencing our children’s eating habits. We can always point the finger to grandparents who spoil them to death. But ultimately, we’ve got ourselves to blame.

Parents cannot always underestimate their children’s abilities, including food choices. Considering in other factors, parents still play a majoy role in shaping the child’s outlook on vegetables. It is our responsibility after all to make sure that they are given every opportunity to grow healthy, mentally, emotionally and physically. And good eating habits is just one of the many things that contribute to their bright futures.

Five Easy Steps to Get your Child to Drink his Medicine

I have to admit that I didn’t have a good experience with medicines when I was young. Antibiotics and anti-pyretics didn’t use to taste or smell as wonderfully as they do now. I remember medicine time as a time of endless struggle and bargaining, which usually ends with me losing the battle. How I hated the smell of medicines, especially those bitter, clear cough syrups. I thanked the heavens for pills and tablets which made life easier for me, and my parents, when I came of age.

Recently, we made another trip to the hospital. My four-year old was confined , luckily, only for a day. But of course she had to take some medicines at home to ensure her full recovery. I made sure she won’t hate taking madicines like I did when I was her age. I have to say that there was practically no problem with her drinking her meds. We must have done something right in her training. So, I would like to share with fellow parents the tricks of the trade that we have learned.

1. Pick a fruit. Any Fruit.

Let them pick which flavor they would like to drink. This makes them feel empowered. They don’t feel pushed into drinking something that they don’t like at all. Also it ensures to some extent that your child will offer the least resistance because they actually like the flavor. Nowadays, companies are offering paracetamol and antibiotics for kids that are in very fruity flavors like strawberry, orange, banana, tutti-frutti and others.

2. Juicy Meds

When my daughter was younger, we used to mix her meds with juice of similar taste.

At the tender age of 1 ½, when she contracted pneumonia and almost always ran a fever because of tonsillitis (she drinks very little water ), we used this approach. We let her pick which juice she would like to drink, offering her a choice of either orange or strawberry. Note that these are the most common flavors used in kid’s medicines. We mix her meds with a half a cup of juice. Remember, the aim is to make her think she’s merely drinking juice. Half a cup of juice ensures that the meds don’t taste as strongly AND that the child can drink all of it so she still gets the right dosage.

3. FUN Inc.

My husband and I work as a team, especially when our daughter is sick. We make it a point to lessen her stress over drinking her medicine. To do this, we incorporate various things. Before, when our daughter was still at the Juicy Meds stage, we let her use a drinking straw when she is taking her medicine. We refrain from telling her that she is actually drinking her meds as she obviously would like to pretend that she is only sipping her favorite juice from her favorite character cup. Today that she’s bigger, this has changed of course. She now takes her medicine straight up.

4. Drinking Readiness

We never force our daughter to drink her medicine. We take time to explain to her why she must drink it. When she is still not ready to drink her meds, we tell her it’s okey but that she has to take it after 5 minutes (sometimes, she bargains for 10 minutes). Another way to prepare her, is we tell her what time she is supposed to drink her meds, like before or after breakfast or lunch. This way, we allow her time to come to terms with drinking it at her own pace. When the 5 minutes is up, we encounter no more problems. She drinks her meds peaceably.

5. A star, a hug and a lollipop

There are times when the above barely works, especially when you bought a medicine in a flavor that she hates. This happens rarely to us but when it does, it makes you want to run back to the pharmacy and have the product exchanged for one she would certainly, surely, 100 percent drink. However, we manage to get around this problem using the reward system. To get her to drink her meds, believe it or not, we bargain. She usually wants a lollipop or bubblegum. And we relent to this, only if we secure a promise that she would eat it AFTER drinking her meds. We do this so she won’t throw up after, therefore wasting the medicine and putting her through another grueling episode fo drinking it. You can also give other rewards to your child, like a high-five, a kiss, a hug, a star and many others.

Now, medicine time is a breeze, which leaves her more time to play and explore.

Breastmilk Ice Cream Anyone?

I just saw a weird article on the internet. Just wanna share it with you! :D Let me know what you think.

Reposted from Only Ice Cream

A specialist ice cream parlour plans to serve up breast milk ice cream and says people should think of it as an organic, free-range treat. The breast milk concoction, called the "Baby Gaga," will be available from Friday at the Icecreamists restaurant in London's Covent Garden.

Icecreamists founder Matt O'Connor was confident his take on the "miracle of motherhood" and priced at a hefty £14 ($22) a serving will go down a treat with the paying public. The breast milk was provided by mothers who answered an advertisement on online mothers' forum Mumsnet. Victoria Hiley, 35, from London was one of 15 women who donated milk to the restaurant after seeing the advert.

Hiley works with women who have problems breast-feeding their babies. She said she believes that if adults realised how tasty breast milk actually is, then new mothers would be more willing to breast-feed their own newborns. "What could be more natural than fresh, free-range mother's milk in an ice cream? And for me it's a recession beater too - what's the harm in using my assets for a bit of extra cash," Hiley said in a statement.

"I tried the product for the first time today - it's very nice, it really melts in the mouth."The Baby Gaga recipe blends breast milk with Madagascan vanilla pods and lemon zest, which is then churned into ice cream.

O'Connor said the Baby Gaga was just one of a dozen radical new flavors at the shop. "Some people will hear about it and go, 'yuck' but actually it's pure, organic, free-range and totally natural," he said. "I had a Baby Gaga just this morning and I feel great."

My Daughter's Journey Towards the Top of Her Class

Reposted from Kaututang-Dila

My daughter is one very active child. She can go on and on just like the Energizer Bunny as long as people around her give off the same amount of energy that she does. And at seven years old, this hyperactivity can have undesirable effects on her study habits. To work around and with this, I utilize her interest in a wide variety of things to educate her.

She is currently in grade one at a private catholic school. My mother transferred her there after a year in kindergarten in a public school. This I think is one cost-saving measure of middle-income families. Enroll your kid in a public school for kindergarten education which costs considerably less and then transfer them to a private school for elementary. It only cost us about two thousand pesos for her books and notebooks, excluding other expenses like uniforms, which is not mandatory in public schools.

Having high expectations of my daughter and wanting to provide her with quality education, I wanted her to take an exam in UP Integrated School, but she didn’t reach the age cut-off yet. UPIS is accepting only kids that would be 5.5 by school opening. My daughter will only turn five that summer. Fearing that she will be late in entering school, I enrolled her in the kindergarten program of a public school near our home. This I think would be dual in purpose. For one she would be learning the basic skills needed for the big school and for another, this would help her have an advantage over the other kids taking the UPIS qualifying exam next year because she has already attended school.

First day of school

I was away during the greater part of her kindergarten years. It was my mom who stood as her guardian and attended the school activities in my place. She was so happy with my daughter because she always brings home a star, stamped on her hand. Her exam papers were also very high. Most of them were perfect and with “Very Good!” remarks written in her teacher’s legible handwriting. By the end of school year, they were informed that my daughter is among those who would receive a silver medal. That was a happy day!

My daughter in one of their school activities

Another "Very Good!"

But it was shortlived. After graduation, my mom found out that my daughter still couldn’t read and can barely write her own name right. How could this have happened if my daughter received a silver medal on her graduation, symbolizing in the least, that she has learned the basic stuff of A-BA-KA-DA reading and writing her own name completely, if not excelled in the class? We were disappointed. Please, understand, that this is blog is in no way written to put down public schools per se. I am only sharing what happened to my daughter.

That summer, my mom decided to move her to the private school she is attending now. The guidance counsellor who administered the entrance exam told my mom that my daughter had difficulty answering the questions. She even found the Alphabet confusing! To make the long story short, she passed the entrance but only with great difficulty.

This year, I had limited out-of town engagements, so I was able to personally monitor her progress. I am not really a strict mom when it comes to her study habits. I do not force her to study when she is not in the mood to do so because I think that would only be futile. But I do take advantage of the times when she is more than ready to listen and study her lessons.



As part of her learning experience, we take her to libraries, particularly The Children’s Library, where there are lots of activities for kids. There she can play with educational games on the computer, browse various books, listen to a storytelling and interact with other kids.

I am also quite lenient when she asks us to buy her a book. As long as the book has a good theme, fits her age and learning requirements, and is reasonably priced, I buy it for her.




I also encourage her to utilize the internet for her learning needs. There are lots of educational sites that provide online exercises on reading and activity sheets for free.

During the first quarter of the schoolyear, she pulled a decent average of 83%. Although we are still struggling with her reading in Filipino, her highest grades were in math and science, while the lowest were in religion and english.

The english language is her waterloo, I must say. She is having trouble with phonetics, interchanging it with how the Filipino language is written and read. Her grade in religion is not a surprise either. I am not an active Catholic and she only has the her formal class in school to teach her this. But the math and science, I must say, surprised me. She must have taken after her dad, who is more analytically inclined.




By the start of second grading, she has already mastered reading in Filipino and is excited to be finally able to. “Ang sarap palang magbasa!”, she exclaimed. I was happy too, for that meant that the books she keeps on asking us to read to her she can already read by herself.

She is also showing a keen interest in science and math, more than in any other subject. She loves watching the science videos in Encarta, especially the one about the migrating salmons. I also bought her a visual encyclopedia at a bargain price of Php 100 in a bookstore sale! It wasn’t the latest edition of course, it was already a year behind, but I thought, she could still learn a lot from it.

Watching her Encarta science videos

Her studies though are not limited to academics only. I also encourage in the arts. She loves to sing and dance and to draw stuff too! My mom gave her a homemade sketchpad, made up of regular bond paper pasted together, for her to draw in. She also likes to dabble in watercoloring and clay sculpting.

One of her artistic endeavours

Last October she joined in a drawing competition sponsored by the Citizens Disaster Response Center. It was open for children aged 6-12 and had two categories. She joined Category A and drew about earthquakes. I am mighty proud of her because she did the drawing all by herself, from the concept until the execution. She didn’t place as a major winner in her category but she did land as one of the finalists, one for each of the twelve disaster in their catergory. She is the contest’s youngest winner!

My daughter is the first one from left, the smallest one, with her winning "obra maestra".
Oh, and yes! The one in far right is Maverick Legaspi. :)

Her obra maestra that will be showcased in CDRC's 2011 calendar

Now for the entire second grading, although her english plunged by 4 points her science shot up 7 points! Overall, her average went up from 83% to 84%. It wasn’t bad, not bad at all.

All these time, one thing that I ensure is that she studies only when she is ready to, at her own pace and time. I am never one to force someone into doing something they are not ready or do not want to do. That has not been my attitude towards by study and towards life itself, so I take care to teach this to my daughter too.

Doing her homework while I work in the kitchen.

This week, from December 12-16, is their third grading examination. I am confident that she will do better this time. She is not exactly at the top of her class (yet!) but she has surely come a very long way

What to do if your NB has Sticky Eyes

A few hours after our baby was brought to us from the nursery, we noticed that his right eye seems to secrete more mucous that his left. We thought nothing of it, just the normal "muta" any baby would have especially after crying. After a couple of days, it seemed to worsen. He could barely open his right eye, the lashes clamped together by the sticky mucous. He has the Case of the Sticky Eyes.

The baby doesn't seem bothered by it, but I am of course. I consulted a book for common illnesses in babies and children. That's how I knew that it's the sticky eyes and that it was a normal condition for babies, especially newborns.

What to do?

1. Clean the area with sterile water and cotton balls. Wipe it away gently. Some advice to use sterile salt water, like the ones used for cleaning contact lenses, others say cooled boild water is enough. I used the cooled boiled water.

The secretions are very sticky indeed, so you might need to wipe the eye area two or three times. I usually do this during bathtimes. In between it, I try to wipe away the mucus as soon as I see it.

2. Keep his blanket/ wipe cloth exclusively his. Just for hygiene purposes.

3. If the other eye becomes infected too, or the infected eye worsens over time, see your doctor.

My baby's sticky eyes resolved by itself by his third week, without any need for medication, just constant cleaning.