Choco Na Gatas!

My kids love fresh milk. I found a milk distributor in our area who delivers fresh milk straight to our doorstep (will post about them soon). However, because of the intense heat, and because A stayed over at my parents' place for most of the summer, I've had to cancel my orders for fresh milk until the rainy and cooler season comes. The milk spoils fast in this heat, even inside the refrigerator.

But RL, who nursed 'til he was 2, isn't really fond of powdered milk. He has lost so much weight since I weaned him, because he didn't exactly like the taste of local milk. I've had to mix choco powder to plain, full cream powdered milk just so he'd drink it.

And because he loves chocolate milk, this was a welcome treat for him!

Special thanks to Bear Brand and Nuffnang Philippines!

We've been buying Bear Brand Choco from the office coop for over a year now. RL loves this, so Momma is happy to oblige when he tells me he no longer has his "Choco na Gatas, Gatas na Choco" as they so aptly coined in their product commercial.

A few weeks ago, Nuffnang Philippines sent me Bear Brand Choco's latest promo pack. In it was an 800g pack of Bear Brand Choco and a FREE Ice Shaker - perfect for the heat!

RL literally forced me to make him a glass right away. We still had an open pack so I used that instead of this brand new one. It's so easy to make a glass of ice-cold Bear Brand Choco using their shaker! Here's how:

1) Fill the glass with 180ml of water.

2) Scoop in 3 tablespoons of Bear Brand Choco.

3) Add 2-3 pieces of ice.

Now here comes the fun part!

4) Cover and shake!

5) Shake, shake, shake!

6) Shake some more! (RL loves this part)

7) Open and Enjoy!

Mmmmmmm... 

RL loves his Bear Brand Choco Shake!

You can enjoy this ice-cold drink without the shaker! Any glass or reusable water bottle with lid will do. But you can still catch the promo packs at leading supermarkets nationwide. It retails for P206.00 at Shopwise.

Thank you, Bear Brand!

We're Going On a Trip!

Not in our fave rocket ship, but you get the picture. LOL!

Yes, the kids and I are taking our annual trip to the homeland this week. Many of you have requested that I write about traveling with kids (especially toddlers) since I almost always do it as the lone adult. Well, this isn't going to be THAT blog. Haha!

If you've been wondering why we always go to Hong Kong in July, well that's because Hong Kong has its Annual Summer Shopping Festival on the months of July and August. This year, it started about two weeks early. Yes, it is SALE season in Hong Kong as we speak.

Last year, the kids and I didn't do much as HK was scorching hot AND totally humid. We spent half a day at Hong Kong Disneyland and the rest of the time (we stayed for almost a week), we wasted in the malls (to cool off mostly). Last year's SALE wasn't as great as the years before, so we did most of our shopping at IKEA and Disneyland (imagine that).

Remember this photo from last year? Evidence of shopping at HK Disney. LOL!

On a summer (June to August is summer in Hong Kong) trip once, when RL was about 7 months old, it was soooo hot in Hong Kong, I swear we all got a tan - darker than the tan we'd get on trips to the beach. My kids would get so hot and sticky and RL would get rashes from the heat.

This year, I promise things will go differently. Other than the fact that KY will be with us (Thank You, Lord! I have an assistant! KY, I didn't say yaya a!), I'm gonna come prepared!

A few weeks ago, I had received this from the nice folks of Johnson's Baby, c/o my friends from Nuffnang.

My secret weapon to combat hot, sticky and humid weather! Thank you, Johnson's Baby!

I was busy organizing things for my online garage sale when this awesome pack of products came, that I didn't notice the nanny putting it away. Alas, while looking for "ingredients" for a Baby Blooms order, I found the bag in the attic. Haay, yaya.

So yes, because our nanny left us for good Friday night (I had to let her go because she's giving birth), I had asked her to bring out the things we normally take on trips - black cosmetic bag, stroller organizer, water bottles, medicine and first aid kit, etc.

Weather Forecast
as checked Friday night

On previous trips, I had always thought I was pretty prepared. But see, in Hong Kong, the weather can change drastically. One day it's fine, then the next day, they'll declare a typhoon signal in the morning, a severe cyclone signal in the afternoon, etc. And then it gets all scorching hot again. Yes, it gets crazy like that. Especially in July. And it's wrong to assume that because this country is merely an hour and 45 minutes or so away, the weather could pretty much be the same as ours. True, it's the rainy season there, but it can get really, really hot. As in, extremely hot.

Weather Forecast
as checked today.
Bye, sunny day!
(Yea, right)

I checked the weather for this week. We head to the homeland on Thursday. Looks like rain. But see, just last Thursday, they had a signal 8 - that's cyclone material. Last time, A and I got caught in a cyclone 8 was back in August of 2007 and we were stuck at Central Station for a good 4 hours. Got ourselves on local TV, too. Prior to that day, it was very hot and humid. I swear, the weather can be crazy there.

In 2009, we were at Hong Kong Disneyland on a fine, July day. It was drizzling in the morning. After lunch, it reached the high 30s and I almost collapsed from heat exhaustion. I was still breastfeeding RL then, and I suppose I didn't think I'd get THAT dehydrated. Good thing we had our nanny with us.

In 2010, my kids and I got a bad tan at the park. Last year, I didn't think it would get as hot, as I had relied on the weekly weather forecast. Although the forecast was correct, the weather changed midday and we were sweating in fever-like weather.

So yes, this year, we are coming prepared.

Hot July visits to Hong Kong Disneyland.
From top left, clockwise: Exasperated look on RL's face, while watching a parade (July 2011).
This picture of A speaks for itself, LOL (July 2009).
18-month old RL with two stroller fans (July 2010).
A can't open her eyes for the picture, with the sun too bright (July 2010).
With PEx friends Zalvaje and Gasoline, see the tan line on my arm???!! (July 2010)
Sweaty RL with his stickers. (July 2011)

I am making sure I bring these with us to Hong Kong. Folks, allow me to present my artillery (LOL!):

These Johnson's Baby products have been designed to combat the consequences of staying under the sun!

JOHNSON'S BABY COOLING POWDER
RL is allergic to heat. LOL! Seriously, he gets really irritated when it's hot and sticky, and complains about "pawis". So Johnson's Baby Cooling Powder is an answered prayer. It keeps RL cool and keeps his back dry. What I like about this product? It cools the skin in less than a minute. Told you it was answered prayer. Hehe.

JOHNSON'S BABY SKIN PROTECTION POWDER
My kids are prone to heat rash and prickly heat, especially RL who has skin asthma. So this powder is a must! Especially around his neck area and the singit (hehe). I sometimes mix this with the Cooling Powder to give both RL and A double protection. Johnson's Baby Skin Protection Powder has Zinc Oxide that's a proven anti-bacterial agent. It also has magnesium stearate which repels wetness. Together, this main ingredients in this wonder powder helps fight rashes and prevents it from coming back.

JOHNSON'S BABY SUMMER PEACH BATH
I recently discovered this and we are currently using this for RL. It smells so good. Seriously, he doesn't smell like he's played outside all day when we use this for bath time. I'm tempted to have A use this for school days. She tends t be "amoy-araw" and "amoy-ewan", especially after a long day in school. I want my kids smelling fresh, even after a long, tiring, hot day at the park.

JOHNSON'S BABY COOLING BATH
Like the Cooling Powder, this baby bath aids in keeping baby fresh and cool all day. Wanna know a secret? I use this bath to cool and soak my kids' feet! Both of them tend to get really sweaty (and stinky!) feet. So this relaxes them and ensures that their feet come out smelling good after a long soak. LOL! Really, it works! I also like using this for their baths because they always come out cool and fresh.

JOHNSON'S BABY DAILY SUN PROTECTION LOTION
It isn't enough to protect a child from feeling sticky and hot, or from the perils of prickly heat and being "amoy-araw". Most parents forget to protect their child from the number one cause of skin disease - skin exposure to the sun. Check most baby bags, and you will hardly find a tube of sunblock. This is my favorite Johnson's Baby product ever, and I am happy this has been made available here. If you haven't tried it, go and get your kids one. It is light and non-greasy and has a very mild scent, unlike most sunblocks that are labeled "for kids". This being a Johnson's Baby product, you are sure that it has been tested safe to use for your little ones everyday. We haven't left home without one since we first tried it!

JOHNSON'S BABY COLOGNE
Out of all the variants available for Johnson's Baby Cologne, five scents are our favorites - Regular (I'm happy this is still available after all these years!), Summer Swing, Tumble, Bounce, and A's favorite, Slide. I grew up on Johnson's Baby Cologne, and it is the one thing that reminds me of summer days. Nothing like smelling like a baby, despite being under the sun all day. Johnson's Baby Cologne is a must for Play Days!

Thanks to Johnson's Baby, my Hong Kong survival kit's packed with the right stuff.

A Dip A Day...

...keeps the heat away! And that's exactly what my little boy has been up to. He's been swimming everyday, well almost. It started Holy Week when A was with my folks and sibs in Pampanga. RL and I stayed in Manila. It was so hot one day, I decided to take A's old pool down from the attic, cleaned it and filled it with nice, cool water for RL.

RL in A's old Barbie Heart Pool. Hehehe, who cares if it's pink when it's hot? LOL!

He's been taking a dip in it everyday since. Well, except for that weekend when my neighbors knocked down their old windows, and we couldn't use the courtyard because of the dust.

We actually have a big inflatable pool, but it's too big for the courtyard!

R (not in photo) took the kids swimming!

How timely that Johnson's Baby has introduced a new product to keep babies' skin protected during the hot, summer months. Yes, the NEW! Johnson's® Baby Daily Sun Protection Lotion (currently my fave baby product) is finally out in the Philippine market! Woot! Finally! A mild sun block that's safe for RL's sensitive skin. Thank goodness for this, my kids can have SAFE fun under the sun.

~~~

NEW! Johnson’s® Baby Daily Sun Protection Lotion

Introducing Johnson’s® baby Daily Sun Protection Lotion, a first from Johnson’s – this product makes sure baby’s skin stays protected, even when mom thinks they've got it all covered.

Baby’s skin is still developing so it is not yet fully capable of protecting him against environmental stresses like the sun’s harsh rays. It also has less melanin, which acts as natural protection against UV rays, making him more susceptible to sun damage. While his skin might not be showing signs of sun damage now, excessive sun exposure can build up over time and can result in wrinkles, sunspots, and even melanoma, a type of skin cancer.

Johnson’s® baby Daily Sun Protection Lotion contains special ingredients that can block as much as 90% of the sun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays, offering wide sun protection. Its clinically-proven mild formula is light and non-greasy, making it safe and comfortable for everyday use. This new product is safe to use for babies 6 months and up!

Johnson’s® baby Daily Sun Protection Lotion is available at Mercury Drug, Baby Company, Watsons and selected supermarkets near you. Available in SPF15 100ml (P230.00 SRP) and SPF30 50ml (P215.00 SRP).


To know more about Johnson’s ® baby Daily Sun Protection Lotion, visit: www.babycenter.com.ph/sunprotection

New Gen Care for the New Gen Mom

Are you a New Gen Mom?

After attending a talk hosted by Johnson's Baby a few Saturdays back, I have been asking myself this: Am I a New Generation Mom? I mean, being a mom today takes a lot of perseverance and hard work (what more being a single mom?). But as moms, we are also hounded by naysayers (who always think they know better) and traditional folks (especially here in the Philippines) that sometimes, being a mom of this generation takes a lot more determination.

A recent study conducted by BBDO Philippines, in partnership with Johnson's® Baby, shows that the New Generation Mom can be characterized according to five remarkable traits...

1. ACTIVE SEEKER – She actively seeks new and improved ways to care for her children. She reads about the latest in nutrition, educational systems and baby products to ensure that her children always receive what’s best. She’s not afraid of challenging the traditional and is first to adopt what’s new if it is more beneficial for her family.

2. MULTI-ROLE MANAGER – She knows that there’s more to life than being a Mom. That’s why she happily juggles her other roles like wife, entrepreneur, friend, fashionista and adventurer. She maintains her individuality while keeping in mind that her family is top priority.

3. EFFICIENT SUPPORT SYSTEM – She lives by the saying that “It takes a village to raise a child.” She relies on her support system to help care for her kids from her hands-on hubby, helpful Lolas and efficient Yaya. She does not, however, surrender all her duties and rather relies on such support to allow her to be the kind of Mom she wishes to be.

4. EMPOWERED BY TECHNOLOGY – She uses technology as both a resource and a tool. She’s constantly on Babycenter.com.ph to search for new vegetable recipes or arts and crafts ideas. She shares the same information with her fellow Moms on Facebook or Pinterest. Her IPAD is loaded with videos and games to keep her kids entertained.

5. HIGHLY EXPRESSIVE ORIGINATORS – She takes pride in being the “first to know” and the “first to share.” She is quite discerning in her discoveries and choices for herself and her family. And when she has a great, new find, she shares with her fellow Moms, who love hearing about this.

Many of you know I work full-time. Add that to a double full-time career in single parenting, and a part-time one in diaper-cake making, blogging, teaching, etc. Woosah! Life is FULL. But I don't mind. With parenting partners like Johnson’s® baby, a new generation mom like me has all the help she can get.

I am glad Johnson’s® Baby continues to evolve as well in order to address every mom and baby’s changing needs. As explained by Johnson’s® Baby Associate Marketing Director Rezel Aquino, “We stay true to our commitment to partner with every mom to give her baby only the best from Day One to Everyday. That’s why we proudly launch New Generation Care for New Generation Moms, a new line of product innovations that will empower the moms of today to care for their babies in a new gen way.”

Indeed, this is testament to Johnson’s baby’s vision to care for generation after generation of Moms and babies from 100 years back, today and into the future.

http://facebook.com/JohnsonsBabyPhilippines

Touch.

I miss Jack Bauer. *sniff* I was planning on watching a marathon of 24 because I miss him so. So when Kiefer Sutherland came out on Ellen back in January to announce he signed up to do a new series called Touch, I was more than ecstatic.

Last night, I watched the premiere of Touch on Jack TV. Did you get to catch it too? I can tell you now, I am gonna love this series!


From FOX.com:

We are all interconnected. Our lives are invisibly tied to those whose destinies touch ours.

This is the hopeful premise of the new drama TOUCH from creator and writer Tim Kring (“Heroes,” “Crossing Jordan”) and executive producers Peter Chernin (NEW GIRL, TERRA NOVA) and Katherine Pope (NEW GIRL, TERRA NOVA).

Blending science, spirituality and emotion, the series will follow seemingly unrelated people all over the world whose lives affect each other in ways seen and unseen, known and unknown. At the story’s center is MARTIN BOHM (Kiefer Sutherland), a widower and single father, haunted by an inability to connect to his emotionally challenged 11-year-old son, JAKE (David Mazouz). Caring, intelligent and thoughtful, Martin has tried everything to reach his son. But Jake never speaks, shows little emotion, and never allows himself to be touched by anyone, including Martin. Jake is obsessed with numbers—writing long strings of them in his ever-present notebooks—and with discarded cell phones.

Social worker CLEA HOPKINS (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) believes that Jake’s needs are too serious for Martin to handle. She sees a man whose life has become dominated by a child he can no longer control. She believes that it’s time for the state to intervene. So Jake is placed in foster care, despite Martin’s desperate objections.

But everything changes after Martin meets ARTHUR TELLER (Danny Glover), a professor and an expert on children who possess special gifts when it comes to numbers. Martin learns that Jake possesses an extraordinary gift—the ability to perceive the seemingly hidden patterns that connect every life on the planet. While Martin wants nothing more than to communicate directly with his son, Jake connects to his father through numbers, not words. Martin realizes that it’s his job to decipher these numbers and recognize their meaning. As he puts the pieces together, he will help people across the world connect as their lives intersect according to the patterns Jake has foreseen.

Martin’s quest to connect with his son will shape humanity’s destiny.

TOUCH is a production of Chernin Entertainment and Tailwind Productions, in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Tim Kring created the series and wrote the pilot. Kring, Francis Lawrence (“Water for Elephants”), Peter Chernin, Katherine Pope, Kiefer Sutherland, Suzan Bymel (“The War at Home”) and Carol Barbee (“Jericho”) are executive producers. Lawrence directed the pilot.

http://www.fox.com/touch/ 


Catch TOUCH locally every Sunday, 9pm on Jack TV (Philippines).

The Itch to Blog and My Net Provider

So I was trying to edit my S&R blog post Saturday evening when I got home to dead service. No landline. No broadband. I desperately tried to edit via Mobile, but waaah, my mobile provider's signal sucks in my side of town. I tried calling for technical assistance, but alas, they've cut costs and customer service is no longer 24/7. So I gave up on that and went to bed.

At 3am, I woke up remembering I had a Smart Bro plug-in and a 300-peso card I haven't used! Yes, folks, that was how urgent it was for me to edit my previous post.

What could be more pressing than news on shopping? Ha! I realized while shopping at S&R Fort that I posted the wrong price for those yummy Oreo Funstix! And I wanted to edit to let the whole blogging world know that I also got what I wanted and it was on sale. Nyaha!

(photo credit: Sterilite) These sorting hampers were on sale for P349.95 each!

Sidenote: I spotted Lorna T. shopping at the Fort branch and she wanted my sorting hamper (last piece, sorry po!). She had a personal S&R shopper with her (supervisor) and purchased 4 pallets of stuff! Crazy.

So my net service has been dead since Saturday evening, and I've called my provider 3x since. I've had pretty much bad experience from them. They always tell me that the technical people will come at a certain time only to have me waiting forever for Godot.

Thank goodness for SmartBro, I was able to edit my post. Seriously, all the down time with my other provider is giving me second thoughts about staying loyal. I'm a couple of months away from tie-in expiry and I can't wait to give my loyalty to a better provider.

But hey, why live with the hassle? Now is the best time for me (and you!) to get a new Broadband provider with SmartBro's Broadbandest Blowout! SmartBro's UNLIMITED Broadband Plans go for as low as P999/ month and they're hassle-free. What's more is if you sign up now, you get fabulous freebies - a FREE all-in-one HP printer, FREE Calls & Texts with SMART Gold Lite Plan 300 for 6 months subscription, and 1 month FREE broadband subscription! Crazy deal, too, huh?!

This offer is a once-in-a-Supermoon opportunity! Imagine, consistent surf speed and stable signal. Man, this is the broadband service of my blogging dreams!

Seriously, who needs the hassle when SmartBro is quick to the rescue? I am visiting a Smart Wireless Center tomorrow!

SmartBro's Broadbandest (Once-in-a-Supermoon) Blowout Promo is currently ongoing, until June 4, 2011. Choose from Plan 999 or Plan 1995. Visit your nearest Smart Wireless Center or any SmartBro accredited agent to avail of this great and fab deal.

Check out Smart Communications on Facebook here.