Mommy Mundo Bazaar 2013

Christmas is less than a month away, are you done with your Christmas shopping?  If you still have a few inaanaks and pamangkins that you have to buy gifts for, then you shouldn't miss the second leg of the Mommy Mundo Bazaar happening on December 8, 2013, from 10am to 8pm at the Rockwell Tent.

I attended the first Mommy Mundo Bazaar last November 10, and I was able score the best shopping deals from some of my favorite vendors.

Our Family Photo Shoot at The Picture Company + FREE Family PortraitSession!

Growing up, one of my dad's favorite thing to do during the holidays was to gather everyone in front of the Christmas tree for our annual family photo. He'd set up his SLR on a tripod and put it on self-timer mode. My parents would then send out this holiday photo cards complete with greetings to their friends.

Even if I love taking photos, I did not carry on with this tradition on to my own family. There are several occasions where I bravely took on the role of the family photographer, and let me just say that it is a task that is not for the faint-hearted.:)

So when The Picture Company invited me to come in for a family portrait shoot, I immediately said yes!  If you want a nice family picture to treasure, but none of the hassle, then I suggest you go to a professional studio like The Picture Company.

The Picture Company is good at what they do that all you and your family really have to do is just show up at any of their stores.  We chose The Picture Company in Boni High Street for our photo shoot as it is one of the branches which offers outdoor shoots.  We booked an indoor shoot in the morning, had lunch within the area, and came back at 2:30pm for our outdoor session.

Human Nature

All my three kids have very sensitive skin, and suffer from varying degrees of eczema. So I am very choosy when it comes to their body wash, shampoo, lotion, and even the laundry soap… basically everything that comes into contact with their skin.

But one of the brands that I trust for my kids is Human Nature. Human Nature is the Philippines’ largest brand of natural personal care products, which are 100% made in the Philippines and 100% free from harmful chemicals. I regularly stock up on Human Nature’s Kids Natural Shampoo & Body Wash in Ocean Apple for my daughters and Tangerine Thunder for my son. Because they are 96.4% Natural and 100% free from harmful chemicals they are gentle enough on my kids’ eczema prone skin.

Kids Natural Shampoo & Body Wash

(Php44.75 50ml; Php129.75 200ml; 289.75 500ml)

So when Human Heart founder, Anna Meloto-Wilk, invited the SoMoms for an intimate brunch to introduce the new and improved baby products of Human Nature, I just had to say yes because I wanted to meet the amazing lady behind the brand.

Counterflow: Raising Successful Kids In Today's World

Have you often wondered if you are doing things right, as far as parenting your kid is concerned?  I always have that question at the back of my mind.  No, I actually have a LOT of questions in my head!

The Bible is the greatest greatest resource/book to read on the topic of parenting; with documented examples on how God has been generous with his provision and grace for all His children; how He has been our deliverer, source of strength and stronghold in times of trouble; how He forgives us every time we ask for forgiveness, and how our redemption is made complete because His forgiveness of our sins is not dependent on how sorry we are but on His never-ending mercy and love.

If you want your parenting questions answered, attend Counterfow! Counterflow is a 1-day parenting conference (8am-5pm) to be held on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013 at the CCF Center Main Auditorium, Frontera Verde, Ortigas Avenue corner C5 Road, Pasig City

 

Although I have attended several parenting seminars in the past, I am looking forward to this one because two of the persons I admire will be speaking.

#YolandaPH: One Woman's Journey to Save Her Family

A week after Super-typhoon Yolanda devastated Eastern Visayas, people all over the world are still talking about it. The people directly affected by it are still largely suffering from its devastation.
In the midst of all this, I just want to share this uplifting story that is full of courage and filial piety. This woman’s story is about how she pulled herself out of the comfort and safety of Manila to rescue stranded relatives in her hometown, Tacloban.

Hers is a story that is meant to be shared for it is driven by personal courage that goes beyond duty. But, hers is also a request... a request for people to stop criticizing the government because it is amplifying the problem.

I have known Gigi Wong since our daughters started nursery eight years ago. I’ve always known her to be gutsy, outspoken, and full of exuberance. Even then, she has always been big-hearted, always opening up her home for playdates between both our daughters.

A few days after the typhoon made landfall, her FB wall was full of impassioned pleas about any information about the whereabouts of her relatives in Tacloban. We exchanged a few PM's as my husband also has relatives in Tacloban. I shared with her how some of our family members went to Tacloban to retrieve trapped family members also.  The next message I got from her, I found out that she hitched a plane ride to Tacloban. 

Here is her story in her own words: (I am compiling and summarizing her FB notes into one narrative)

My name is Geraldine Uy Wong and I am a private citizen who had just arrived from Tacloban after I successfully pulled out my relatives. Now safely back in Manila, I read and hear comments criticizing the DSWD and I feel that this is quite unfair. We are all guilty of judging the government, but I was there in Tacloban to see for myself how the people of DSWD work. Beside her in the command post, I witnessed how Sec. Dinky Soliman marshalled her task force to address the enormous job ahead that even my mind cannot grasp. Tirelessly, she champions everyone to keep going even as the morale is evidently low, as she herself goes through her never-ending list of to-do's, 24 hours being not enough for the enormous task that still lies ahead. Yet she is gracious, her presence is reassuring, and she has the steady look and smile that tells you one thing : we will not stop working because many people need our help. I ask everyone to please give the government a chance. If you receive a message, an email, or a post criticizing this government agency or even other departments, please think twice before you share or like. Instead, I ask you to go to the nearest DSWD relief center to deliver your donations. While you are there, you might as well volunteer to do even just an hour of volunteer repacking work. The government is really doing its best. It will be even more efficient if the private sector pools its resources to support the entire national operation - that of helping our fellow countrymen in this worst calamity ever imaginable. I hope you can share this message, even by word of mouth, so that people are not discouraged to help. I am afraid that others will tend to believe the false things that they hear and will be disheartened to help because they think it is useless.

Here is a group photo of the family members she rescued:

Gigi Wong, in the middle with outstretched hands, with all her family members safe and accounted for!

Bizu's Brie Flambee {Recipe-Hack}

I had brunch with a group of friends in the early days of October. The "ber" months only mean that there are many more get-togethers to follow. Afterall, the holidays is fast creeping up on us; and one of the things I love most about this season is that I get the chance to meet up with different groups of friends. Catching-up over brunch with long-time friends is definitely one of my favorite things to do.

This particular group of moms I’ve been with since about 8 years ago, when our kids were just about upto our waists. Now our girls are all taller than us.:) We’ve all seen our kids grow up, and have similar problems dealing with teenage daughters. But I still walk away from every get-together learning a lot from our shared parenting experiences.

Halloween 2013

A late post on Halloween, but I just wanted to share with you how my kids did Halloween this year. We are not really big on celebrating this, and costumes are usually just limited to the DIY type.  I love doing it with the kids, and I enjoy all their gushing when they see the costumes finally come together. 

This year their swim team decided that it would be fun to go to training wearing costumes.And so the kids were required to don costumes for two training days. First day sporty costumes, and you can see how FIERCELY the coaches posed for their Halloween #OOTD (outfit of the day):

As Coach Rio and an aerobic instructor