Topaz Mommy

In the blogging world, in the mommy world, in every aspect of life, when someone is doing better than we're doing, we feel envy. Well, I don't know about you, but I feel it. Very rarely but when it does happen, I feel it eating away at me.

Why is she succeeding? What is her secret? Why does she do it better when I'm better than her? Why does she make it look so easy? Why can't I do the same? Why am I stuck here? Why? Why? Why?

Envy is not my usual sin (it's pride, if you must know); so when I feel it, I don't know how to deal with it. It's unfamiliar and oh so very ugly. So when I read this devotion today, I just knew that God was speaking to me.

The way to deal with envy is:

Know my purpose. It makes me confident of my talents and abilities. It also assures me that wherever I am in my life and the progress of my work, that's exactly where I'm meant to be. This is my own unique journey! Focus! Focus!
Be humble. It's actually pride (aha, my familiar sin!) that makes us think we're better than others, that makes us feel threatened.
Love others. When I look at other people with God's eyes and His love, then it's very easy to celebrate their accomplishments. How do I know this? Because I'm a mommy and every little accomplishment of my children is a party in my heart. God is our Father! With His love as my model, then every blessing of His children is a cause for celebration for me, too.

Thank You, Lord, for talking to me today! I will be happy for all the mommies who are more stylish, cook better, are more organized, have nicer and cleaner homes, are more successful in their careers, have more awesome blogs, have little girls! I am blessed so much myself! I know that You have blessed me greatly and I am sorry for losing sight of that, and I am grateful for the amazing, beautiful life You've given me! Amen.

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Exactly one week ago, Pampers threw a most fabulous baby shower. I was enchanted when this invitation popped up in my email:

My Piero! Love at first sight talaga!!!

It was my very first time to get such a cute invitation, and I think it is the CUTEST invitation EVER and NOTHING will ever top it (pagbigyan niyo na ako!)! Pampers sure threw a big event! And I was so happy to be there with my mommy friends and fellow digital ambassadors—(see below, from left) Roxi Santiago of Mommy Roxi, Ginger Arboleda of Mommy Ginger, me, Jane Kingsu-Cheng of Flats & Stilletos, celebrity endorser Andi Manzano-Reyes, Shen Cala-or of Shen's Addiction, Nikki Tiu of AskMeWhats, and Martine de Luna of Make It Blissful.

We, plus other mom bloggers and media, were there to celebrate a baby shower for new Pampers brand ambassador Andi Manzano-Reyes, and to say hello to the two best diapers ever: the all new Pampers Baby-Dry and Premium Care.

The big function room at Active Fun at Bonifacio High Street was decked out in Pampers colors of aquamarine and yellow. Blooming paper lanterns, ribbons, white vases with bright yellow flowers everywhere! Such simple but happy decorations—everything beautiful but there was nothing too precious or delicate so there was nothing that mommies would have to worry about because we all brought our kids! Pampers was so nice to let the kids play at Active Fun while we found out about the new diapers and brand ambassador.

That dessert station is LOVE!

Just some of the fabulous and adorable goodies!

My Piero! So sarap to eat lunch when such a cute and happy baby is smiling at me!

Iñigo dancing, playing and fighting with the other kids while his baby brother's photo flashes on the screen behind him.

First, the brand ambassador, Andi Manzano-Reyes. She's a popular DJ, model, host, wife of businessman GP Reyes, and now first-time mommy to Pilar Olivia! She's so pretty and sweet and friendly and just oozing with kindness! Pampers definitely picked the right mommy! She was so heavily pregnant at the baby shower last week that we were assuring her na mabuti na lang there were two hospitals nearby. Congratulations on your new perfect baby girl, Andi!

Second, let's meet the two new diapers that Pampers is so proud of: Baby-Dry and Premium Care. Both variants are made of superior materials that, ehem, pamper baby's skin. They don't just promise but they also deliver up to 12 hours of baby being free from wetness, which means a whole night's sleep undisturbed by a full diaper, a leaky diaper, or a feeling of wetness and discomfort.

And, as I told you all before when I did a sleep series* sponsored by Pampers not too long ago, sleep is incredibly important to babies' development. Not only will they have bodies and brains that are well rested and ready to achieve more firsts, they'll also be happier and in better moods. And really, who doesn't love a happy baby?

Both are actually the same in performance but Premium Care is made of even softer material so that only the softest touches baby's bum-bum. It's crazy soft, moms. When Pampers called this sosyal diaper "premium care," they really meant it!

I'll talk about the diapers more in my next post. I'll even do a little experiment for you just so you can see how amazing they are, and why Pampers is the best choice for me and my babies! Abangan!

At the #FirstWithPampers event, a new online app was also revealed for moms to enjoy: the Pampers Firstbook! I'll tell you more about FirstBook in another post soon dahil medyo mahaba na ito, but if you want to check it out, click here!

*Check out my sleep articles sponsored by Pampers two years ago:
Top 5 reasons why babies wake up at night
Surprising effects of lack of sleep on babies

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For the first time ever, a guest post! My family was generously invited by the Singapore Tourism Board to check out their beautiful country. Since my baby Piero didn't have a passport yet and his vaccines weren't complete, we had to decline. Imagine my amazement when the Singapore Tourism Board extended their invitation to anyone I want to go! So I asked for volunteers and Kaye Estoista-Koo, an entertainment, lifestyle and travel writer, was the lucky pick! Kaye will regale us with her fab four-day trip, which I hope will encourage my readers to visit Singapore. I know I want to go! Enjoy!

Twenty-fifteen is an excellent year to take your family to Singapore for the first time or for the nth time. Why? It's SG@50 year, the diamond jubilee of our neighboring nation state.

Everyone, especially Sentosa Harbourfront Business Association (SHBA) is actively pushing that locals continue to enjoy Singapore, especially Sentosa Island, and that foreigners like us go to Sentosa Island in Singapore for the many things it can offer.

Philippines is very close geographically and, in Singapore, Pinoys never have to struggle with the language because everyone speaks English. It's a win-win. Add to that, the SHBA is very involved in coming up with weekend activities and packages centered on the family so your 4 days and 3 nights in Singapore, for example, can be spent just in Sentosa and you won't ever feel that you didn't do enough.

I, along with four other journalists from the Asian region got to experience a whole weekend of the best of Singapore. Over the next couple of blog posts on this #yoursingapore #thegreateggventure series, I'll take you through what we did (I'm planning your itinerary for you!) and where we ate (let me tell you, it was a food marathon like no other).

How to get there

For this trip, we flew on Philippine Airlines. Each of the local airlines carry excellent promo flight options all year round. And Air Asia, when you're already in any of their destination cities within South East Asia, offers really good budget flights to Singapore as well. Or you can choose Singapore Airlines. Our banks have regular promo tie-ups with the airlines, so make sure to check with your credit card provider when these come up.

Where to stay

We were billeted at the Shangrila Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa. The resort lies on Siloso Point, the farthest stop on the exclusive mono rail train that takes you from Singapore mainland to Sentosa Island. From the airport, the resort is less than 30 minutes away. In our case, we were picked up by the hotel service in an unmarked Mercedes Benz or you can request for free shuttle accommodation from the airport to the hotel.

Accommodations

Shangrila Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa or simply, Rasa Sentosa, is one of the most family-friendly hotel resorts I've been to. It flows and functions with the family moving through it in mind. The resort welcomes guests with 454 beautifully appointed guestrooms ranging from 31 to 150 sqm in size with ten different room types.

What's even better is that all room types come with an attached private balcony and a view of the hills, garden, pool or sea. You can literally take your pick.

Our room for the weekend! Inside the Panoramic Sea View Room is a huge king bed. In some rooms it comes with two single beds and an open concept bathroom with beautiful sea views and a standing shower.

The bath tub can be accessed from the bedroom area (those doors open and close) or through the room hallway.

The Panoramic Sea View Room will of course have this magnificent view. Our balcony looks out into the South China Sea.

Pools and gardens

The resort provides for many lounge chairs beside and off the main pool areas. As we went around, we saw many parents enjoying a book, sunbathing, or simply relaxing as kids of all ages enjoyed the pool.

The pools in Rasa Sentosa subscribe to the water safety standards of the Singapore government. The chlorine level is so low but the water is so clean, it's safe for even the youngest in your brood to stay and swim in all day.

Rasa Sentosa thinks of everything! Beside the pool areas, complimentary drinks are kept refilled and chilled throughout the day for all guests to enjoy.

This playground, off to the side of the kiddie pool has been designed as a safe space for toddler and infants to play in.

Along this path, you'll come along peacocks as they are one of 3 wildlife that Rasa Sentosa allows to roam freely on the grounds. If you're fortunate, you'll even catch a mother with her brood trailing behind her or in rare cases, the resort's resident albino peacock chicks.

Rasa Sentosa has many quiet spots like this where groups of friends, families or solo travelers can relax and watch the ocean soothe their nerves. Rasa Sentosa, even though it has big ships passing through its straits regularly (Singapore Harbour is just next door), has the cleanest waters in the whole of Singapore.

Solemnization ceremonies or garden weddings have been held in these areas located on the outer ring of the resort.

Cool Zone: Play and learn area for kids

Kids aged 5-12 can be left in this section of Cool Zone anytime of day starting at 930am and get picked up again as late as 9pm. The Cool Zone is free of charge and every hour of every day, kids will do a series of guided activities. For example on Survival Friday, they'll do castaway key, way out wildlife, boomerang boom, run for your lives, swamp survival, island escape, survivor's sanctuary, animal antics and ingenous ideas.

Everything in the Cool Zone, from the area of the giant tree with the colorful pit to the washrooms, is kid-specified so that kids can do what adults do in the washroom but sized down for their use. All the kids in the Cool Zone get to enjoy lunch and/or dinner. For free. And it's buffet!

This treehouse inside Cool Zone goes up three levels and kids of the appropriate height and age can use this to move between levels.

The Arts and Crafts room is for the younger set of kids but older kids can still join.

In this area of the Cool Zone called the Mini Toots Club, toddlers aged 4 and below can spend the day with parental or guardian supervision.

Relax and rejuvenate

The 24-hour gym caters to the kind of traveler who wants to work off a jet lag or the traveler who needs to stick to his exercise routine while on vacation.

The Chi Spa is the world-class signature spa of the Shangri-la group of hotels. In every Chi Spa around the world, be sure to try to signature massage of that country. Here, it's called Singapore Massage, a therapy that blends all three of Singapore's native cultures (Chinese, Malay and Indian) into one relieving and relaxing treatment.

The outdoor massage bed with matching waterfall sound effects (waterfall not included in picture). The blinds will be drawn down when treatment starts.

Rasa Sentosa boasts of an impressive garden where guests can ask for a guided tour to explain each and every plant or tree or DIY the tour. Here, plants, trees and herbs from across Asia are put on display to help educate guests on the different flora of the region.

More tomorrow on this eggciting Singapore series!

Kaye Estoista-Koo is a guest writer for Topaz Mommy specifically for this #yoursingapore #thegreateggventure series. Kaye is a lifestyle and features writer for the entertainment website pep.ph, a contributing writer for Manila Bulletin's lifestyle and travel section, a website content writer, an events script writer, and the go-to of a PR group that would like their various brands to be highlighted in a major TV station.

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You know you're in for a really good weekend when your first dinner in Singapore is at the Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora. Located to the left side of the S.E.A. Aquarium's main habitat, Ocean Restaurant is one of the best places to dine with fish, sharks, manta rays and more swimming lazily by.

Over dinner, we found out that Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew would spend hours here just to gaze at the ocean and feel relaxed. After five whole minutes of anticipating and guessing which of the 100,000 marine animals would swim by next, we all definitely felt the pull of the ocean.

But let's talk about the food first (I'll post later on exactly how much fun the S.E.A. Aquarium can be for you, hubby and your kids of all ages.) Cat Cora opened this restaurant along with Resorts World Sentosa. As soon as you walk in the door, the ocean just engulfs you but you instantly feel at ease. People come here dressed up and ready for a good time.

The menu is undeniably pricey but dining meters away from a zebra shark, a two-headed manta ray and fish that look just like Nemo and Dory is truly priceless and worth the pricetag. I went for the 6-course tasting-menu in order to fully appreciate the finest creations from the first female Iron Chef. I was not at all disappointed.

The names alone tell you you're in for a good time: like the 42-degree Celcius Sous Vide Salmon that came with a very light and fresh citrus minestrone. It came out so pretty and tasted oh-so-heavenly I was glad there weren't any salmon in the giant aquarium beside me.

My seatmate from Hong Kong already started on her Smoked Eel (she picked a 4-course tasting menu) so when mine arrived, I had already appreciated this dish's very unique presentation from checking out her plate. It is food architecture at its finest—layers of crisp sunchoke jelly in between duck liver terrine and the smoked eel. I actually felt bad about destroying such a masterful piece of culinary art but my stomach was very thankful I dug in.

Imagine a soup that you can smell and taste as soon as it comes near you and that's what I had when my multi-grain butternut soup came out. The heat and flavors were just right to prepare me for my entree, the pan seared toothfish a.k.a. Chilean sea bass.

I must confess, the moment I saw this item I knew I would order the 6-course tasting menu—even it meant being stuffed at the end of the meal. The sea bass was glorious and even without the lettuce, chorizo and passion fruit reduction on the side, I would have gobbled this up all by itself.

Noel Hawkes, the Executive Director of Sentosa Harbourfront Business Association, had already started on his beef wagyu ribeye rossini, and from across the table, I was salivating. The chefs had cooked it to the consistency I wanted (medium rare) so that when I started eating the seared duck foie gras along with the beef, the flavors just exploded in my mouth. And did I tell you it came with wild mushroom and confit potato with truffle on the side? That's like my favorite things all on one plate!

I thought I couldn't eat anymore but when the waiters mistakenly served my grapefruit panna cotta to Noel and served me a lemon kind of sorbet instead, I somehow managed to consume it all. The Ocean Restaurant thinks of everything, too. When they noticed my visible delight with each and every dish, a sommelier approached and recommended a white wine to go with the seabass.

Suffice it to say that the weekend trip to Singapore started off on a very, very high note in a place that felt like the bottom of the ocean but minus the icky decompression issues and only the best and most majestic floor-to-ceiling glass azure view of the aquarium. And if you're like us, you'll have eaten up substantial space on your smartphone as you don't just take pictures, but video any and all sightings of the giant manta rays (that looked like two dolphins side by side), schools of silvery fish and all the other interesting fish and marine life that glide by.

By the way, after you soak in this surreal experience, you'll understand why not a shred of shark's fin is served in any Resorts World Sentosa restaurant. It's taken from an animal that is so endangered it would be inhumane to keep hunting it just for a bit of fin.

Are you a mom of kids of different ages, all with different tastes and whatnot? Are you always struggling to match their interests with the family vacation you're planning?

In this post, let me take you to an island that you may or may not have visited already and let's rediscover together how you and your family can have fun—all at the same time and all together!

If you've noticed, Sentosa Island has been the highlight of this #yoursingapore #thegreateggventure blog series. From taking you where to stay to what to eat (I know I made you hungry because I made myself salivate all over again just writing it!), we've given you a pretty comprehensive list of ideas.

Well, I'm gonna give you a few more reasons to visit one of our closest and most affluent neighbors. I wish I could give you 50 separate ones but for now let's look at this list of what's in store or what you and the family can do, especially if you visit Singapore this coming Easter weekend.

Singapore is celebrating its Jubilee year: that's 50 years since the founding of the modern city-state of Singapore. The Sentosa Harbourfront Business Association (SHBA), for the second year in a row, has come up with The Great Egg-Venture. It started March 21 but because of the death of their beloved first Prime Minister and founding father Lee Kwan Yew, it has been extended to April 12 instead of ending on April 5.

Mayor Low Yen Ling and SHBA representatives with the cutest newly hatched chicks ever!

Great Egg-Venture Hunt

We got to road-test the Great Egg-Venture for you and while we didn't find all of the 100 giant eggs they hid all over Sentosa, we got to experience first-hand the intention of this hunt: the giant eggs (you actually can't miss them, they are huge!) are all in strategic spots on Sentosa Island and as you do the hunt, you'll get to experience Sentosa in a whole new way.

Be sure to take selfies! If you join the hunt, you can upload your selfies via the app they created for this. Or do what we did as we took selfies when and where we could. The designs were all painted by local Singapore communities and groups except for the 8 eggs inside Universal Studios Singapore which had to pass Hollywood approval and standards! Sosyal!

Great Egg-Venture Auction
Aside from the fact that prizes are at stake, the Great Egg-Venture is also tied in with the SG@50 celebrations with an additional 50 normal-sized but still larger than actual chicken eggs. These 50 special eggs, all designed and painted by leading artists from the region, are up for auction to raise funds for Very Special Arts Singapore, a charity that provides people with disabilities access to arts in order to integrate them back into society.

Most of the eggs were designed in such a complicated manner but they all started with the same base. One artist chose to forego the base and carved these eggs from brass (he is a metal artist).

Sentosa 4D Adventureland

Sentosa 4D Adventureland is an area on Sentosa Island where your family can all agree to have fun together. Guaranteed. The Journey 2 The Mysterious Island 4D Experience, based on the movie starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, will appeal to your older kids, especially the boys. Us girls had fun here especially because the combined wind, water and other effects took us on a wild ride!

We also went on the Green Lantern Fight Against Fear ride, one of the newest rides in this section. If you've missed the Green Lantern franchise, you'll have your fill here with the out-of-this-world effects.

Aside from that, the 4D Virtual Simulation Ride called Extreme Log Ride and Desperados Interactive 4D Shoot-out Game are crowd-drawers all year round. Make sure you come here on a not-so-full stomach as all the rides are sure to take you up, down, sideways, diagonal and more.

The Skyline Luge Sentosa

The tagline says it all. Once is never enough.

I've always enjoyed this and I make sure to max out the three rides one ticket allows. You can get here via cable car or walk over to either the Imbiah or Beach entrance.

The luge is something kids of all sizes and adults, too, will enjoy. We had a wonderful time here, riding down carefree and fast, when we found out that there was a giant egg on the track. Because you have to hold your luge ride with both hands we were blown away when we found out the only guy in our group was able to take a selfie with the egg while maintaining his hold on the luge ride. Take note, the smallest kids won't be allowed down on their own, but they can ride in tandem with an adult.

Wings of Time
It had rained earlier in the day so I'm glad we were booked for the last show—revealing clear skies once again and an ocean as still as a pond.

Located on the Silosa Beach Walk, this attraction is perfect after a dinner at Coastes. We have nothing like it in the Philippines so be sure to include this in your trip. The basic framework is big panels where the whole history of the Earth is told through the journey of a phoenix and two kids. It uses watch-out technology but fused with water displays, laser and fire effects ending in a magnificent, really awesome fireworks display.

Last post on this eggciting Singapore series later!

For the first time ever, a guest post! My family was generously invited by the Singapore Tourism Board to check out their beautiful country. Since my baby Piero didn't have a passport yet and his vaccines weren't complete, we had to decline. Imagine my amazement when the Singapore Tourism Board extended their invitation to anyone I want to send! So I asked for volunteers and Kaye Estoista-Koo, an entertainment, lifestyle and travel writer, was the lucky pick! Kaye will regale us with her fab four-day trip, which I hope will encourage my readers to visit Singapore. I know I want to go! Enjoy!

Four days and three nights. It's the usual length of stay for a Filipino family especially for trips abroad. If you've been following this blog, you'll notice that lately, we've been posting a blog series (#yoursingapore #thegreateggventure) about Singapore, specifically, Sentosa Island.

Everything I've written about so far may seem like a lot, but let me tell you, we did all that in the four days and three nights we spent on Sentosa Island.

I hope that this blog series on all things Sentosa and Singapore has sufficiently whet your travel appetite and made you realize that actually, four days on Sentosa isn't enough. Or that you'll find more than enough to do on this island alone given the schedule.

Here's the last rundown of things we did and what you can do next time you're in the land of laksa and chilli crab. If you're wondering why chili is spelled like chilli, see our post on what we ate, chilli is not misspelled!

iFly Singapore
Most of us were scared of heights, so with trepidation we let go of our guide Azreen when she told us we had a 5:30 p.m. 'flight.' As soon as we entered the hangar chamber, we all felt like disembarking! But when the excitement of four young kids who were on the same flight as us bubbled over, we just let all our inhibitions go!

Our instructor Ian assured us he had more than enough actual outdoor skydiving experience to get us through two indoor skydives.

iFly is definitely something you should try at least once! And believe me, kids will be raring to go and even do more than two skydives. Imagine this: it's the act of skydiving but without the stomach-churning drop from the plane as you go straight into free fall and just fly.

A basic package at iFly Singapore lets you go for two skydives and if you decide to go for a third that day, you get this at 1/3 of the price of a new dive. Be sure to order your photo prints or video of your dives upon exiting. And smile... even if the wind in Singapore's finest indoor skydiving facility busts your cheeks to their limits!

Singapore Cable Car

Take the Singapore Cable Car to Faber Peak. This cable car is different from the one that takes you up and down the luge area. For one, it's enclosed with 360-degree panoramic windows. Two, it goes through office buildings and takes you all the way to Faber Peak, the last stop. It's one way you can cross from the main island into Sentosa and back. Three, you can even order dinner or lunch here! With four stops, you'll get a new course at each stop as you enjoy a bird's eye view of Singapore City, the harbour, and Sentosa. Fourth, there's an app that, as you take a selfie or photo inside depending on which cable car you rode, will show your picture with Superman, Batman, etc flying behind you.

Kidz Flea

Kidz Flea is outside the iFly Singapore entrance. Take your kids here as they will surely be inspired by the kiddie-preneurs, who for a very minimal rental fee, sell their wares all week long. What's amazing about this fair is that all the kids had to undergo training weeks before where they were taught about customer service, managing a business, customer management, and retail operations.

S.E.A. Aquarium

S.E.A. Aquarium is extremely kid-friendly. Every year, up to four times, the theme changes. This season it's all about jelly fish. The aim is to teach kids and even adults not to fear creatures of the sea and to better understand them. Also, it teaches the importance of preservation—and on this trip, we learned all about shark eggs.

There are kiddie-sized holes where kids can view a habitat of fish from a vantage point that works for them. And in the main aquarium, kids end their guided tour with activities and lesson plans handled by the instructors. All in all, I'm sure you and the kids will have an enjoyable time here and in some habitats, you actually won't want to leave!

By the way, the only way you enter the S.E.A. Aquarium is through the Typhoon Theater, where you're shown a story of sailors taking an ancient galley ship with valuable goods and finding themselves in the eye of a vicious storm. As you're seated on deck, you'll suddenly be brought down into the ocean and when the doors open again, you've actually descended one level into the S.E.A. Aquarium! Be sure to spot the precious cup in the first habitat where you find your shipwreck. Also, watch for the diving Easter Bunny. In every season, a diver dressed as Santa, Easter Bunny, Cupid or Halloween monster descends into the habitats for 20 minutes at a time.

Universal Studios Singapore

Sentosa is somewhat synonymous with Universal Studios Singapore and a trip without this in it is unlikely. If you're traveling with young kids, be sure to avail of the Universal Express pass for the day. Waiting time in line is virtually a breeze!

Also, be sure to spot the very thoughtful stroller parking areas and ample seating for your whole day in USS. Each of the 8 zones have these in abundance.

To maximize your time here, as soon as you get your USS guide map, check which rides have height requirements so you don't waste time in line. Also agree with the kids which street and stage shows you want to catch so you plan your rides accordingly.

If like us you got all fueled up at Hard Rock Cafe for lunch, you'll be set for the afternoon. But if yours is a hungry brood, worry not, each zone has multiple dining establishments with a lot of seating. For the Easter season, be sure to go to the Royal Lunch at Eggingham Gardens, an amusing and musical 20-minute show featuring the Egg Lord in an original USS production. It's on three times a day so you should have no problems catching this.

I hope that this #yoursingapore series has gotten you excited to immediately book your family's vacation in Singapore. Why not rediscover this wonderful city-state this coming long Holy Week? Sentosa Island will have everything you need for the week: a wonderful place to relax and chill, so many varied and diverse activities to keep you occupied, and of course food fit for kings and queens.

Kaye Estoista-Koo is a guest writer for Topaz Mommy specifically for this #yoursingapore #thegreateggventure series. Kaye is a lifestyle and features writer for the entertainment website pep.ph, a contributing writer for Manila Bulletin's lifestyle and travel section, a website content writer, an events script writer, and the go-to of a PR group that would like their various brands to be highlighted in a major TV station.

Thank you so much, Singapore Tourism Board and Sentosa Harbourfront Business Association for inviting Topaz Mommy to be part of your tourism efforts. Thank you also for taking care of my writer, Kaye. I loved her stories on her Singapore adventures and made me plan for a family vacation there! Especially now that Piero has his passport! Congratulations on your 50th year!

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There is a horrifying video spreading on Facebook. It is of a child who fell from his stroller while on an escalator. His fingers got caught, and his mother is there crouched over him. I shared it and said this.

If you want to watch the video (don't, mommies!), just search na lang for Blaise Roxas's account. The video is just a few seconds long but the screams, the wailing, the panic everywhere. And even though I can't see the mother's face, I know, I know her heart has stopped. Why? Well, as my status update there said, it happened to me. The difference is my child was saved by a seatbelt.

I don't know this mother but I know what it's like to try and try and try so damn hard to protect your child and then you slip, just once, because you're tired or distracted or you think you know better, and of course the unthinkable happens.

When we used the stroller on the escalator that time, it was because we were in a hurry. I have three kids. They were cranky. We parents were getting cranky. The mall was full. The elevators were always full and always slow. We just wanted to go home. So we decided on the escalator. It's fast, we'll get home faster, everyone happy! What could possibly go wrong? Well, as we were going down, the wheels got stuck. The escalator pushed me and the other people behind me forward, and we pushed the stroller forward but since the wheels were stuck, the stroller pitched over. My child would have fallen out of his seat were it not for the seatbelt. I cried for help. No one helped. No one knew what was happening. It was happening so quickly!

Someone finally pulled the stroller off the escalator. My heart started beating again. We were safe.

We were lucky. Not many of us get to walk away from the consequences of stupid decisions so lightly.

After that incident, we barely use the stroller na. I don't even remember the last time we used the stroller. It's not the fault of the stroller. Not the fault of the escalator. The fault of the parents, of course. Definitely I know it was my fault. I may have my reasons but those were and will never be good enough excuses to put my child in danger. I know better now. We all know better, right? We all know we should use a seatbelt and we all know we shouldn't use a stroller on the escalator.

But we all also know we get tired, we get stupid, we get distracted. So instead of judging this poor mother, let's pray for her and her baby. She's already going to feel guilty for the rest of her life for what happened to her child. Imagine every time she looks at her poor child's hands! What eternal punishment! Let's hope she and her child will be okay.

And remember: Always secure your child to the stroller with the seatbelt. Never use a stroller on the escalator.

God help us parents.

UPDATE!!! I am just waiting to verify this news but it seems like St. Luke's Global responded immediately and the child was rescued and is okay. If true, hooray!

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Today, Vito and Iñigo were so happy to be in Mama's Laboratory!

Today, being a nothing-to-do kinda day, we all decided to do a little experiment. We were going to put the new Pampers Baby Dry diaper to the test and see if it really keeps baby bums dry and comfy.

As a Pampers user (well, my kids use it, not me, although there was this one time...), I know full well that all the kinds of Pampers diapers do keep babies dry and comfortable. Magaling siya mag-absorb. Mabilis and it keeps the wetness away from the surface of the diaper, kahit na anong galaw at likot pa ni baby. I know this kasi tatlo na babies ko and all of them were driest and happiest with Pampers. Walang spillage, walang skin irritation. That's why we've been loyal Pampers users since 2010!

Anyway, I wanted to do this experiment because I missed it at the #FirstsWithPampers party. New ambassador Andi Manzano-Reyes (she's the lovely preggy woman) showed the mommies the Pampers magic but I didn't see it because I was busy breastfeeding my baby Piero.

So today, my boys and I took out a couple of diapers, made some colored water, and asked Blue Bear 1 and Blue Bear 2 to sacrifice their furry butts to science.

So are we ready?!?

I guess the boys are ready!

We started our experiment by filling two bottles with colored water: green for Pampers, blue for Brand X. This is for your benefit para makita niyo na inubos namin lahat ng 250ml of green water for Pampers and lahat din ng 250ml of blue water for Brand X. Hindi labis, hindi kulang, hindi halo!

After pouring all of the contents of their bottles onto the diapers, they got their Blue Bears and pressed the butts of said furry creatures onto the full diapers.

Then Vito applied mega pressure.

And now our findings:

Pampers absorbed the liquid faster than Brand X. This means baby pee will have less contact with baby's skin!
Both surfaces felt dry. That's great!
When pressure was applied, the butt of Blue Bear 2 (which tested Brand X) became moist. This means when baby is carried or when he's malikot or sits up or falls on his butt, pee will come out of the diaper and wet baby's skin again!
Wetness indicator of Brand X did not activate. This is because it's just a little spot on the back of the diaper so kung hindi siya mabasa, it won't alert the parents. The wetness activator of Pampers is a yellow line that runs throughout the length of the diaper so whether mabasa ang harap (pag boy) or yung likod (pag girl), parents can tell agad!

The winner for me (as always!) is Pampers Baby Dry!

Watch more fab reasons why Pampers Baby Dry is THE BEST DIAPER!!!

It absorbs a large amount of pee even though it's such a small diaper because of its Magic Gel. (watch video)
It keeps baby dry for up to 12 hours. (watch video)
It has stretchy sides so that diaper stays on and baby stays comfy even if malikot at busog! (watch video)

Be a Pampers Mommy na rin like Topaz Mommy! Mwah!

The new Pampers Baby Dry is available at supermarkets and drugstores nationwide.

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I have a personal rule that I have to be home every day by 5 P.M. Because our kids have no yayas, they are used to their Mama and Papa eating every meal with them, and we do all the bedtime rituals like bath time and brush-teeth time and story time and sleepy time together.

This rule makes it easy for me to decline events. Yes, even the most fabulous events. I always miss the most fabulous events because these are always scheduled from 5 P.M. onwards. I feel a twinge of I don't know what whenever I scroll down my Instagram and see my friends all dolled up for a night out, but then I see myself in bed, sandwiched by babies, and I look outside and see the horrific traffic on EDSA and I know I made the better decision. Hehe.

I like my rule. It's a rule that reminds me how lucky I am even though we aren't swimming in money. I mean, seriously now, I can dictate my hours and say no to lucrative projects and profile-raising events so I can be with my kids. How lucky am I?!

I had to break this rule a few times recently, however, because I've been busy with work (you might've noticed my absence from blogging!). The rule-breaking was unintended because they resulted from poor decisions really. First, I was exploring a project with a potential blog sponsor but after I got home at past 9 that night, I knew I couldn't go through with it. Then for two straight days this week, I got home at around 7, because I had photo shoots for Baby Magazine, and shoots can drag on for hours. I knew that so I should've scheduled the shoots earlier but I didn't so my bad. So I broke my promise (and my rule) to be home before the sun sets. The kids weren't happy with that!

My smart and silly Iñigo!

So anyway, today, I had to go out again. Just for a few hours to return the products I borrowed from Mothercare and Rustan's that I shot for the magazine. Iñigo, my almost three-year-old sweetheart, saw me dressing up and said, "Where you going again today, Mama?"

"I'm going to work, sweetie."

"Again?!?"

My inner self wanted to say, "Little dude, I work out of home maybe two days a week so don't use that tone on me," but of course he's a baby and any time away from me must be eternity for him. So I reply, "Yes, Mama has to work again, but I won't be too long out today."

Iñigo frowned. "Why you have to work, Mama?"

"Well, people give me money in exchange for the work that I do for them. We need money to buy your toys and your clothes, to pay for the electricity for the TV and iPads, to buy food. Don't you like all those things?"

"Yes."

"Then Mama needs to work so you can have all those things."

"But I don't want toys and clothes and iPad and TV."

"Oh wow, really?" Really?! I should've recorded this! "Well, we'll still need to buy food. You know what will happen if we don't eat?"

"We'll die."

"Yes! So Mama needs to work so we can eat because I don't want us to die."

"Mama, it's okay. We can die together."

Hmm. Next time, I'll have to tell my little guy that I work because I like to work. This working-for-money thing just isn't going to cut it!

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I love this video of an experiment involving blindfolded kids picking out their moms in a lineup. Using just touch and smell, the kids all accurately picked out their mamas.

I remembered this documentary I watched a long time ago, on emperor penguins coming back from the ocean, their tummies full of fish. On a vast expanse of ice, thousands of baby penguins wait, and they're all the same kind of fluffy and white, and I thought there's just no way the parents can find their baby. But they do, they do. They find their very own!

I love how special each mommy felt. How unique and how loved!

But did you also feel each mommy's apprehension that their child won't recognize them? I did. I felt the real fear behind the worry. How many of us moms think that we're all taken for granted, pushed to the side, hidden in the background, always in the supporting role, forgotten, unappreciated, unseen?

I feel that sometimes! But that's silly really. I must never forget that I'll always be incredibly special to three little boys and their Papa. And that's more than enough for me. Really. That's more than I deserve, and I am grateful.

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I hate that I can't find the original article, but I read online today that studies have shown that kids who co-sleep with parents have a higher chance of having troubled sleep. This is because they depend on their parents to sleep, compared to kids who learn to sleep on their own. Kids who fell asleep with parents and then woke up in the middle of the night without mommy get discombobulated and so cry for mommy to put them back to sleep.

Something like that. I really wish I had the original article but when I turned to Google for help, all I found was this: Study finds that children who share bed with parents likely suffer disrupted sleep.

Okay, I don't want this to be a debate because I believe in whatever works for the family. I co-sleep safely with my kids and we love it. It works for us. I have friends who put their babies in a crib in the same bedroom. That works for them. I have friends whose kids slept in their own bed in their own room from birth. That works for them.

I do believe in science, however, and if research has pointed out that the baby sleeps better on his own then I ought to pay attention. (And then there's this: Bad news for dads: Babies "should share mother's bed until age three" because it's good for their hearts. Ano ba talaga?!)

In our case, my kids—all three of them—always slept through the night by the time they were 2 to 3 months old. I attributed that to our co-sleeping arrangement and my breastfeeding them. But as they got older, past the age of 7 months, I noticed that they wake up after 4 or 5 hours. They stay awake for maybe 10-15 minutes before I nurse them back to sleep.

Vito and Iñigo don't do that anymore now that they're 4 and almost-3 respectively, but, like his brothers before him, 9-month-old Piero wakes up intermittently now. It's not because of his diaper (he uses Pampers, which has magic gel that absorbs lots of pee, and can last up to 12 hours! He really does stay dry and comfy all night! But I'll talk about the wonderful features of Pampers in another post.). I think it's really because of what the article pointed out: he fell asleep because of me, I left the bed to work or be with Vince, and he felt my absence and woke up.

That's one major reason I didn't include in a previous blog post on interrupted sleep (Top 5 reasons why babies wake up at night: startle reflex, hunger, illness, light, discomfort). Well, at least I know that Piero doesn't have his sleep interrupted by hunger, illness or discomfort. I breastfeed him at night. He's healthy. And I use Pampers, the best diaper ever! Still, he does wake up because I'm not beside him. I don't know what to do! What do you do to make sure your babies sleep through the night, mommies?

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I've long thought of holding workshops for my readers but my workshops will be different: I'm going to learn WITH you! As a writer and magazine editor, I feel like the only workshop I can do where I have enough credentials to share knowledge is a writing workshop. For that, I am very confident and I will charge people to attend because that's what I do for a living—I write! And one day, I will definitely offer writing workshops and I promise you my writing workshops will be awesome! As for the other aspects of my life, I feel my experiences are still inadequate so I decided that instead of teaching you, I will learn with you! Hence, my new project: the Topaz Learning Workshops!

For my very first Topaz Learning Workshop, I partnered with a respected name in the beauty industry: Bobbi Brown. Bobbi Brown! This is sooo exciting!! I'm so excited for you and me!!!

Why did I choose Bobbi Brown? Here are my reasons:
1. Bobbi Brown is a respected name in the makeup industry. She's one of the elite makeup artists trusted by celebrities, fashion houses and magazines. She practically invented the no-makeup makeup look!
2. I learned to apply makeup in my mid-30s. Yes, just a few years ago. I learned from Bobbi's books. Then I went to the Bobbi Brown counter in Rustan's Makati where a makeup artist taught me the 10-Step Makeup Lesson (click here for a menu of lessons). I also found out what my colors and shades are (foundation: Beige 3, lip: Sandwash Pink, bronzer: Natural 1).
3. Back to the no-makeup makeup look. As a mom who stays home most of the time, I don't really need a full face. I just need enough to make me look like me, but prettier. So that my husband and kids will think I'm pretty; so that when guests come unannounced, I'll be ready; and so when I suddenly need to run errands, I won't get lazy because my face is already decent enough to face the world! Bobbi Brown is the master of the natural look, so who else to teach me and fellow moms the way to do it?

The workshop is on May 9, Saturday, at 11 a.m. at SM Megamall. There are 5 slots available for my readers for free! We'll meet each other, have a little chat, learn about skin and makeup, eat lunch provided by Eats Happy, and hopefully win the raffle!!! It's going to be a fun workshop!

Want to join? Here's how:

1. You have to be a mom. First and most important requirement. You can be an old reader of Topaz Mommy or a new reader, but you have to be a mommy!
2. On the comments below, tell me which Topaz Mommy blog post inspired you to be a better mommy. I won't publish the answers till end of contest para walang gayahan hehe. Make sure you tell me your Facebook name or Twitter name so I know how to contact you!
3. Share this blog post on your Facebook page or on your Twitter feed. Use this photo on Instagram and tag me (@FrancesASales). Use the hashtag #TopazMommyxBobbiBrown so I can find your post.

That's it! You don't even have to like my Facebook page because I'm sure you already do (and if you haven't, you should because I will communicate with the winners via my FB page!).

Contest ends on Friday, May 1. Good luck!!!

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This post is brought to you by the all new Pampers Baby Dry.

I got free diapers! Again! I love that Pampers loves my kids so much that they send over diapers regularly. From the moment Vito was born in 2010! These gifts have freed up a chunk of my grocery budget to buy other goodies for the boys. Thanks so much, Pampers!

The delivery early last year. We haven't used it all up yet!

My boys use the Active Baby diaper because, well, my boys are active babies. But for my latest delivery from Pampers, they sent me their latest, newest and best diaper—the Pampers Baby Dry. Here's my review!

What I liked:
If you've been reading my blog for a good long while, you'd know I have sung praises many times for Pampers diapers. My reasons for loving the diapers before are still my reasons now:

Pampers guarantees dryness that lasts for up to 12 hours. This is true. You know when I said in the above photo that we haven't used up our delivery from last year? That's because we really do just have two diaper changes a day! (My friend, fellow mom and blogger Lee Shen Cala-or of Shen's Addictions said that you can't do that with girl babies because they get UTI.)
The diapers are imbued with moisturizing properties. My babies' butts are soft and smooth. H
Softness like cotton. The new diaper is softer!
Breathable cover. It keeps wetness in but lets air in and out. My boys' skin, both Iñigo and Piero, their skin is hindi parang babad sa moisture or pawis. Alaga!
Comfy fit. The fit is made even better now with the stretchy tape. This tape is stronger and even more flexible. It moves with the baby, kahit anong likot at galaw. It stays stuck, too. I can't stand tape that gets detached!

It stretches at the sides so it expands with baby's movements.

What I didn't like:
Nothing! It's a better and improved version! And I'm not saying this just because this is actually a sponsored review; I'm saying this because it's a fact. I really truly love the new Pampers Baby Dry. I urge my mommy readers to try this new diaper on your babies and toddlers!

I'm not the only one who got free diapers, by the way. I'll tell you all about the great big diaper giveaway Pampers had for moms all over the Philippines in my next post!

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On my last Pampers post, I talked about getting a big delivery of the all new Pampers Baby Dry diapers for my Iñigo and Piero. As you can see from this photo, my kids were so excited! Thanks, Pampers and Fuentes PR!

I'm not the only mommy to be so lucky. All over the country, first-time moms were surprised by Pampers in a nationwide gift-giving project called Celebration of Firsts! Over 1,600 mommies and their newborn babies from Bacolod, Baguio, Bataan, Batangas, Bicol, Bulacan, Butuan, Cagayan, Cavite, CDO, Cebu, Davao, Gen San, Iligan, Ilocos, Iloilo, La Union, Zamboanga and many more were surprised by Pampers. In Manila, moms giving birth at Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center, Philippine General Hospital, and St. Luke’s Medical Center, Global City got a big delivery of Pampers Baby Dry, too.

Ivy Lou Cantilan in Davao welcomed her daughter into the world in a festive room!

At Marikina Valley Medical Center as with all the other hospitals, Pampers Baby Wellness Specialists delivered the diapers.

Mr and Ms Lendio listen to the innovative properties of the new Pampers Baby Dry—
magic gel, stretchy tape and superior softness!

Mr and Ms Sevilles know that their baby girl will get the best and driest diaper!

This is such a HUGE blessing! As a mom of three, I count free diapers as one of the biggest blessings I have gotten as a mom blogger. Pampers has been taking care of my kids' diaper needs since they were born. From Vito to Piero! I know that fellow moms will understand what that means—comfy dryness for my kids, and more budget for other needs for my family! What a fantastic surprise! Thanks so much, Pampers!

Actually, Pampers gave me (and many other moms) so much diapers that we gave them away to friends. I gave mine to my friend, Elaine, who is giving birth to a baby boy any day now, and to an Instagram follower, Ellen, who is expecting twin boys. She asked for the Pampers Baby Dry that was delivered to me when she saw the photo on IG and so I said, "Come and get it!" And she did!

It was sooo nice meeting you, Ellen! Thanks for the breakfast, the letters, the blessings and the piaya! God bless you even more—twin boys! Truly two gifts to celebrate!

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I still remember when a blog reader pointed out from a photo she saw on this blog that my kids (back then, my kids were just Vito and Iñigo) were sleeping with too many pillows and blankets around them. "That's not safe," she said. "They are in danger of getting suffocated or strangled."

Thankfully, that never happened. But point taken! So when my third baby, darling Piero, came around, I was ready with the Halo SleepSack Swaddle blankie.

Baby P fresh at our hospital room! He wears the SleepSack Swaddle with his arms free.

Here's Piero with his arms all tucked in to prevent the startle reflex that wakes babies up.

A SleepSack is a wearable blanket and it's designed in such a way that baby is swaddled in it and will never get entangled, strangled or suffocated (if wrapped correctly, of course). It's nice and soft, warm but not too warm. It's snug but adjustable so it grows with baby. It also helps that these SleepSacks come in the cutest designs. Not too cute, just classic. I highly recommend getting one (or two!) for your friends (or for yourself!) who are expecting bundles of joy.

I really love the Halo SleepSack so much that it's my Number 1 gift to expecting moms. I made sure I gave one to my friend Elaine, who is about to pop this month. I had to because her husband is a nurse and he insisted to me back when I was the pregnant one that Halo SleepSacks are approved by pediatric doctors and nurses. So of course I gave his wife a Halo SleepSack!

I also featured it in Baby Magazine:

Okay, I'm writing this review and recommendation because people ask me all the time for gift ideas for baby showers. While I always say the usual (baby grooming products, diapers, onesies), these suggestions sometimes aren't hiyang to baby's skin (or to mommy's taste haha). A Halo SleepSack, however, is always a welcome gift because it's not just something cute, it's also a safety device. And what parent can say no to something that will keep their babies safe, snug and sleeping well? If you're having a baby, you have a baby, or you know someone expecting a baby, give the gift of safe sleep!

I buy the Halo SleepSack at Mothercare and from their website (shop here). Like their Facebook page to find out more.

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Last month, Piero was baptized. We had a lovely time with just family, celebrating this milestone in our baby boy's life. I have a lot of photos to share and I will share them with you soon! But here's a sneak peek of the online photo album I'm currently making:

Yes, Pampers! Pampers has an app on their Facebook page called Baby Book. You can find it on the tabs right under the cover photo. I'm in the middle of making the photo album but I wanted to just tell you about this app as I'm doing it kasi syempre I won't be able to share with you the album kasi we'll have to be Facebook friends hehe.

But don't worry! I'll still blog about Piero's baptism naman but hindi ko na isasama photos ng mga cousins nila.

So anyway. Which cover photo for the album should I use: the one above or the one below:

It's a simple-enough-to-use app. Just upload your photos and write about them! If you use photos from your Facebook albums, comments will appear agad when you share the Baby Book with your FB friends.

Woah. Wait. I just realized that I'm doing my album wrong!

Hehe I am obviously blogging and then Facebooking at the same time.

Anyway! I can't use it pala for just one event kasi one photo equals one story.

So I should name the album, "Piero's Life" and then I could do a monthly photo series, or his milestones. Or maybe the album should be called "The SalesVIPs!" and then just post all the photos of all three brothers! That'll be my perfect Mother's Day gift to myself!

Okay, so I have stuff to do now! I'll go na to Facebook and finish my Baby Book! If you want to try it out, just go to the Pampers Facebook page now. Have fun, mommies!

P.S. Piero's baptism soon!

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Iñigo, my second son, turned 3 today. It was a most happy day!

He's a chatty one and learned to talk far earlier than Vito did, to our surprise. He's also a quiet kid because he only talks when he feels like it. That makes him just like his Papa. Vince comes across as really shy but he's not. He's super funny and smart and talkative, but only if he likes the person in front of him. That's Vince. That's Iñigo.

Look at him when he was just three months old!

I can't believe he's 3!

Iñigo's birthday started with me waking up at 4 to put up the festive decor. Regular readers are familiar with our party paraphernalia—it's the same Disney Pixar Cars ones we bought two years ago. I love those things. So many happy memories! I strung them all up then waited for the birthday boy to wake up.

He finally did wake up at 7 and was surprised when Vito and I greeted him with a loud birthday song as he groggily walked into the living room. His face just went all bright and his big eyes got bigger and his frown (he's like me, I wake up frowning) turned into a wide smile. He was so happy!

When the mall next door opened, Vince and I took Iñigo out to buy his cake. We walked under the hot sun and my little boy giggled in his Papa's arms. Vince carried him all the way to the mall! Poor Papa! Then we bought Lightning McQueen slippers for him and Batman slippers for Vito. We bought his cake at Red Ribbon, had a little lunch at Tokyo Tokyo, then—because the noon sun was terrible—we flagged down a tricycle and vroomed home. Iñigo stuck his fingers in his ears throughout the ride. He didn't approve!

At home, Vince prepared the cake. It was simple and it was fabulous. Iñigo loved it!

Then he opened his many presents with the help of Vito. I can't even begin to talk about how happy Iñigo was with all his Lightning McQueen gifts and one Iron Man gift! He and Vito played all afternoon and evening and right past bedtime.

Finally, Vito went to bed. Without a playmate, Iñigo quietly played with his new toys. He was very sleepy. It was waaaaay past his bedtime. Then, giving up, he crawled into bed, between his brothers and carefully placed Lego Lightning under his pillow.

"Mama," he said. "I don't want to pack away today. It's a so happy day." And he finally fell asleep.

My darling three-year-old Iñigo, I don't want to pack away any day that has you in it. Happy birthday! May all your days be full of love, friendship, laughter, good health, wisdom and purpose. We're so happy you're happy. We love you forever and ever!

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This post is brought to you by Clara Olé.

Clara Olé is not an auntie or grandma of my three-year-old boy. Clara Olé is a food company specializing in pasta sauces, meat marinades, dips for chips and veggies, salad dressings, rice mixes, and syrups, jams and jellies. I'm a Clara Olé fan because I don't have lots of time to cook. But now I just open a pack of Clara Olé pasta sauce and I have spaghetti for my kids or pesto for me. My husband loves the pork barbecue cooked with the hickory marinade. Clara Olé is my cooking partner!

So when Clara Olé said they'll throw a birthday party for Iñigo plus a Mother's Day food workshop for my mommy friends, I just had to say yes! This party is part of their fun summer campaign, Potluck Foodfest. I'm so happy they picked me to be part of it!

Since it's Iñigo's party, the theme was Disney Pixar Cars, his favorite movie (just like his Kuya Vito when Vito was 2!). The function rooms at our condo were decorated to look like a race track. So fun!

All the drinks, dishes and desserts at this Foodfest birthday/Mother's Day party were made with Clara Olé products. Take the pancake and waffle station, for example. Waffles drizzled with Clara Olé Truly Fruity syrups and topped with candy and Clara Olé Maraschino Cherries!

I'll list all the dishes served in another post and provide you with recipes! For this post, let me tell you about the fun party. We started off with some games. Clara Olé's Johanna Juban was our host and she asked my mommy friends for their #DiskarTIPS.

With Claire.

With Cathee and her son, Ivan.

With Dada, a.k.a. Bouncy House provider!

Yes, the birthday boy was asleep on my shoulder throughout the program. Ang bigat grabe!

Next, Kaye Sy-Catral of BentoMommas dropped by to show us moms how to create fun baon for our kids. Very useful tips lalo na't pasukan na soon!

That's a checkered apple, chicken nuggets, spaghetti with Clara Olé pasta sauce, and a flat
ham and cheese sandwich shaped like Lightning McQueen.

It wasn't all talks and games. My family and friends had time to catch up with each other while the kids played in the inflatable house (thanks, Dada!!!).

With Maan and her daughter, Eliana.

Bouncing boys.

Even little Piero couldn't resist the bouncy house.

And now for the part where our birthday boy blows out his candle:

Clara Olé made sure to be super generous with all the mommies who attended our Foodfest by filling up big storage boxes with Clara Olé products. My sister-in-law, Lizelle, was amazed! Even I was shocked. Thanks so much, Clara Olé, for being good to me and to my loved ones!

Iñigo had such a great time! Here he is showing off his butt-butt to the cameras. It's his thing. Toddlers and toilet humor talaga! But he won't be a toddler for long so I'm going to relish this.

Showing his Kuya Vito some love.

Thank you so much, Clara Olé, for the amazing birthday party! Thanks for holding it at our condo so we felt at home. Thanks for the fabulous Cars theme that Iñigo so loved (he was part of the approval process haha). Thanks for the informative games and workshop. Thanks for the gifts for every single family on our guest list. And thanks for creating delicious and healthy and convenient products that families can enjoy!

Most of all, thank you for making my little boy happy. That's all a mommy wants and I definitely got that. Thank you, Clara Olé!

Your parties can be easy, too. Whip up easy but delicious dishes that will amaze your guests with Clara Olé! For more ideas, like their Facebook page. Yum!

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That big birthday party was uncharacteristic of my family. I know. I'm very happy we did it but, boy, a big party is a big job! Plus, it was a party to celebrate my mommy friends, too, so Vince and I decided that Iñigo's real birthday should be celebrated on the day itself (the big party was the day after) with how we usually do it—small, just us, but big on fun and style!

Admiring his cake.

Vince decorated the cake with Legos. Labor of love!

Working on his blow-out-the-candle skills

Kuya Vito not much help hehe

Hooray!

And the first thing he grabs is the Lego Lightning McQueen on top of his cake!

Happiness, part 1.

Happiness, part 2.

Happiness, part 3.

While Iñigo and Vito were opening gifts, Papa, Mama and Piero were taking pictures of ourselves.

It wasn't all Lightning McQueen. May pahabol pa na Iron Man! Happiness, part 4!

Packing away his many new toys! What a happy little boy!

Yep, big on fun and lotsa love! Happy birthday, darling Iñigo! We love you forever and ever!

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Two weeks ago, a few of my readers joined me for a fun session learning makeup from Bobbi Brown's absolutely gorgeous makeup artists. It was my Mother's Day gift for me and my readers (and two bloggy friends, Martine and Ginger) and, boy, did we have tons of fun!

The workshop was held at Bobbi Brown's biggest boutique and training facility at Megamall.

It was outfitted like a huge classroom, with makeup stations, large well-lit mirrors plus swing mirrors for close-ups, and high chairs for comfortable makeup application.

Each makeup station was stocked with delicious palettes, bottles, tubes and pots of Bobbi Brown makeup.

All of us mommies arrived with bare faces. As in walang-walang makeup! After all, it was a makeup lesson so we bravely left our homes without a pat of tinted foundation man lang!

I liked it, come to think of it. I liked that for my very first Topaz Learning Workshop, my very first event where I met my readers, I was as honest as possible and my readers were just as honest with me—bare, naked, flaws all out in the open, and yet we were not concerned with those flaws. In fact, walang nakapansin. Feeling namin lahat na ang ganda-ganda namin!

After our workshop, we were even more gorgeous! But I like it that at the very start, we were already comfortable in our own skin.

The workshop started with all of us swatching our jawline for the perfect foundation shade. Here is Sheng Marasigan, very on trend in denim.

After we figured out our foundation shade, we were all ushered in to Bobbi Brown's classroom. Yes, there is a classroom in the store! We did not know that! A secret wall slides open and—tada!—classroom!

The very first Topaz Learning Workshop class! From left: (front row) Sheng Marasigan, Celerhina Aubrey, (middle row) Kaity Bato, Ginger Arboleda, (last row) me, Martine de Luna with her baby Krista, Love del Rosario and Mafeth Molina.

We're just about to start our lesson here. Barefaced beauties, diba? Bobbi Brown's makeup trainer Tamara Pineda led the workshop.

I met Tamara at a photo shoot for BABY Magazine when
she did the makeup of our mom model, Marilen Montenegro.

Tamara clearly understood what mommies need: makeup that won't take up too much time and counter space and is simple to apply. Mommies also are concerned with budgets and Bobbi Brown isn't cheap but Tamara addressed that issue by saying that multi-purpose products cut down on application time and double your money's worth. She gave as example the Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation which isn't just a foundation, but also acts as sunscreen, anti-aging serum, and moisturizer!

After the lessons, we had lunch specially prepared by my favorite bento box maker, Eats Happy! Just look at this special lunch box:

That's a tin of lasagna topped by a yummy "eyeshadow palette" and "lipstick", flat mini sandwiches spelling MOM resting on veggies, cordon bleu bites, and a chocolate cupcake. Sooo delicious! Super favorite ko talaga ang Eats Happy!!! Thanks so much, Eats Happy! More on them in another blog post soon.

After lunch, all the mommies went to their makeup stations and applied what they learned from Tamara. Makeup artists assisted each and everyone. I love how helpful Bobbi Brown's MUAs are!

Kaity

Mafeth

Ginger

Martine and Krista

While everyone was getting dolled up, I was busy giving away prizes! Every mom went home with sample sizes of Soothing Cleansing Oil, Extra Bright Advanced Serum, and a tube of lip gloss. Since it was a class and I wanted the moms to jot down notes, all the moms and the Bobbi Brown girls received Leuchhturm1917 journals in my favorite color, orange. I love these journals! A review on Topaz Horizon soon. Thank you so much, National Book Store!

Plus, we raffled off Bobbi Brown's latest book, Everything Eyes, and a pot of Longwear Gel Eyeliner.

Kaity and Sheng were the lucky winners!

And here we all are after our basic makeup application lesson—Pretty Powerful, as Bobbi Brown loves to say!

Simple and fabulous! Every woman, mothers especially, should feel that way! We do so much and give so much to everyone and everything that we forget to care for ourselves. In my experience, when I'm not looking my best, my attitude is affected, my spirit is low, and I feel pity for myself, sadness and envy. Wala tayong panahon para diyan! Gamitin na lang ang time na yan for prettifying!

This workshop was free because Bobbi Brown really does offer makeup lessons for free. All you need to do is stroll in and ask for the resident makeup artist for help. There are several short lessons you can take right there at the store, and most don't need a purchase requirement. So drop by soonest and learn how to be Pretty Powerful!

Thanks again, Bobbi Brown, for making my mommy readers' Mother's Day beautiful! Let's do a workshop again soon!
Like their Facebook page: Bobbi Brown Philippines
Follow them on Instagram: @BobbiBrownPH

Thanks so much, Eats Happy, for feeding us mommies and Bobbi Brown's girls, too, with such a pretty lunch!
Like their Facebook page: Eats Happy
Follow them on Instagram: @EatsHappyFood

Thanks super lots, National Book Store, for gifting us all with Leuchhturm1917 journals, which is my favorite thing to write in now.
Like their Facebook page: National Book Store
Follow them on Instagram: @NBSalert

Lastly, please check out what the mommies felt about the Bobbi Brown workshop (because their blog posts are waaaaaay better than my kwento!):
Ginger Arboleda of Mommy Ginger
Celerhina Aubrey of Reigning Still
Martine de Luna of Make It Blissful
Sheng Marasigan of Writing is My Happy Place

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