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One month sick!

November 8, 2013, 3:00 pm
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Today, November 9, officially marks the day when I became the brand ambassador of Vicks with a fun media launch at Makati Shangri-la. Well, it was fun except that I was a bit distracted because my little boy Iñigo was home sick while I was at work. That's why I won't forget the exact day when our family became sick because it was the day of the Vicks launch!

First it was Iñigo who went down with a bad cold and fever (Oct 9), then Vito two days later (Oct 11), then Vince and me the week after (Oct 15). Then around Oct 23, our health improved a few days before we went to Hong Kong Disneyland! But as soon as we landed here in Manila (Oct 28), we got sick again! And now, we've been sick for 10 days! It's just a nasty cold, don't worry. We're not dying (nervous laughter) but this sure is a bummer.


Sigh! I'd do anything to get better! But a virus is a virus. There's nothing to do but let it run its agonizing course. But I did find this interesting:
On my last post about Vicks where I talked about taking care of our hubbies when they're sick (a.k.a. Manchild!), not a few readers shared with me that they one of their foolproof ways of taking care of their sick hubbies is by massaging Vicks on the soles of their feet then slipping on socks. They said that the next day, their hubbies always feel better!

Who else does this??? How did you learn about this Vicks-on-feet method? Because if this works for a lot of you, I'm going to do it on all of us!

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What your donation to UNICEF buys Yolanda's victims

November 13, 2013, 10:52 pm
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I'm sure everyone is doing their part to help the victims of the horrific Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda that obliterated Central Visayas and Palawan last weekend. I'm happy to report that all my cousins and aunts and uncles and their kids who live in Leyte (Tacloban, Palo and Tolosa) and Samar (Llorente) are alive. They have nothing left but we are just all so happy they are alive!

Anyway, like I said, I'm confident we are all doing our part to help our fellow Filipinos. It's encouraging to see people donating goods, volunteering to pack these goods, driving all the way to Leyte and other affected areas to distribute these goods, giving money to relief agencies, volunteering their services as doctor or nurse, spreading information. One of the many agencies I trust is UNICEF. Here's their update four days ago:

Therapeutic food for children, health kits, water and hygiene kits to support up to 3,000 families in the affected areas have already been mobilized from supplies available in the country, with distribution prioritized for the Tacloban area as soon as access is possible.

"We are rushing to get critical supplies to children who are bearing the brunt of this crisis,” said UNICEF Philippines Representative Tomoo Hozumi. “Reaching the worst affected areas is very difficult, with limited access due to the damage caused by the typhoon to infrastructure and communications. But we are working around the clock to find ways to get these supplies to children as quickly as conditions allow."

UNICEF’s warehouse in Copenhagen is airlifting US$1.3 million worth of additional supplies for another 10,000 families, including those affected by the recent earthquake in Bohol. The shipments contain water purification tablets, soap, medical kits, tarpaulins, and micronutrient supplements.

"As we get a better picture of the impact of this devastating crisis, it is clear that even more children are affected than first thought," said Mr. Hozumi. "UNICEF is doing all it can to reach these children, as quickly as possible with critical supplies, to protect their health, safety and wellbeing in the difficult days ahead."

Here's what a sample kit looks like:

Here's another more current report from UNICEF: "Aid is getting through." It details what happened in the first few days (blocked roads and floods prevented aid) but now that roads were finally cleared, they are now blocked by the survivors walking to look for aid. So aid is getting through! It's just chaotic now but our help is getting to the survivors! Don't lose hope! Let's keep on giving!


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Mommy blogger mojo going, going, going...

November 21, 2013, 6:56 am
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Hey mommies, I know I haven't blogged in a week. All the stuff that's been happening to our country has me really sad. I've been spending a lot of time online but mostly just reading everything about Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, the survivors, the dead, the corruption, the politics, the petty, the profound. So instead of blogging, I've been reading and spending a lot of time on Facebook.

Not to say that I've been depressed. Yes, some of the news are depressing. I also heard from a cousin that not everyone in our family (Beltran, Custodio, Advincula) survived the typhoon after all. The ones who did survive are either busy rebuilding or are here in Manila now. So life goes on. Even in the face of tragedy, life does go on. Some think that's a curse, but it is actually a grace. To be given another shot at seeing the beauty of life, even in minute moments, is a gift. Thank God for that.

Yep, life goes on. So I really do have to update this blog! And I have to make my newsletter! I have so many things happening in my life right now that I'm getting overwhelmed, each day I miss blogging means the news is getting stale! I might end up not telling you anything!

For example, in the midst of the sadness, an amazing happiness blossomed. I'll tell you about that soon. Right now, I'm too tired to go into all the marvelous details. Plus, I have a ton of sponsored posts to do for Vicks, SMART, NIVEA Baby and Green Cross! Plus, I have work! But I'm so tired and sleepy and nauseated and sleepy and tired and happy and sad and... Basta I'll blog this weekend!

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Don't stop giving!

November 21, 2013, 7:30 pm
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Today marks the second week since Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda obliterated Central Visayas. All the stories are gripping but the ones that hit me most are the stories of mothers losing their children, fathers desperate to protect and to provide for what remains of their family, parents burying their children, parents reuniting with children they had feared dead. I've been crying and praying and sad and happy from all the stories I'm reading!


One happy story is told by Gina Ladrera through CNN (click here for the article). Gina is a domestic helper in Hong Kong but she rushed home to Leyte—and how she got to her town Tanauan is a story of courage itself!—to find her family. Thank God they were all alive, her husband, their two kids, and her in-laws. Hers is a happy story but we don't know yet if it will have a happy ending since they are truly starting from nothing. That's where we come in. We have to continue helping our fellow Filipinos in Central Visayas!

There's a ton of ways to continue helping. I love how my Manila-based cousins, who speak Waray, are volunteers who greet the refugees arriving in Manila. Their ability to speak to the stricken people in their dialect comforts the survivors immensely. 

Tons of donation boxes are also at malls and other establishments just waiting for your nice clothes, good food, water and other items. Then, for those of us who are stuck at home here and all over the world, we can send airtime load through BayadLoad, a mobile money service of Smart Communications, Inc. 

More after the jump!

smart yolanda
If you have a mobile phone (and millions of us in over 40 countries do!), we can directly donate to Haiyan/Yolanda relief efforts via HelpPh.


smart yolanda
If you're based in the Philippines and you're a SMART, Sun, and/or Talk 'N Text subscriber, text HelpPH to 5353.

If you're based abroad, all you have to do is dial +63-999-7-000-000. You can donate using the airtime top-up SOP of your particular mobile service provider. The maximum amount per day is USD 10. 

This fund-raising program will continue until December 31, 2013. 

Your donations via this mobile collection drive will go to the Philippine Red Cross, the United Nations Development Program, Caritas Manila, Philippine Business for Social Progress, Gawad Kalinga, the United States Agency for International Development, and the GSMA (the global association of the mobile phone industry). 

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The day I met the moms and babies at Fabella

November 24, 2013, 8:29 am
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Just before my birthday, NIVEA Baby took me and other mom bloggers Jackie Go of Go, Jackie Go!, Neva Santos of Manila Mommy, and Jemimah Mendoza of eSuperMommy, to Fabella Hospital. I confessed to you before in this blog post that I was afraid to go because I knew I was going to get my heart broken. But off we went on that early morning and I actually am glad I went.

At Fabella, we were told by NIVEA Baby not to cry or feel sad when we meet the moms. We can't make them feel like we're sorry for them. We should give them dignity. I didn't really feel sorry for them. In fact, I was surprised at how happy I felt when I saw the babies. They made me want to have more babies! I wanted to scoop them all up and inhale their newborn scent and just coo and gaze and kiss them. Mwah mwah mwah! Of course I didn't (I forgot to bring alcogel so I didn't want to spread my germs), although the moms were happy to share their babies.  

Okay, this is going to be a photo-heavy post so I'll just do captions!

Meeting the moms and babies
Very steep and high stairs! Imagine if you're heavily pregnant or you just gave birth! Well, there are a couple of elevators but those are mostly used for those in beds and wheelchairs.

Dark and sad hallways. This leads to a ward. Flickering lights, too. Very Silent Hill. Except it wasn't silent in this hospital! Why? Because it was filled to the rafters with moms and babies!

New moms lined up to have their babies checked. I know that this sight may induce feelings of sympathy but, dear readers, there were soooooo many babies, I could smell that fantastic newborn scent everywhere! The air was just redolent of new baby smell! I was so happy!

New mommies with new babies. Well, these aren't their first kids. More like their third or fourth or fifth. They confessed that they had no money and that life was hard but I love how they just smiled for the camera!

That's Mommy Jem with other new mommies. And all the moms were breastfeeding! Hooray!

Super young moms with their first babies. They were too in love with their newborns to talk to me!

Mothers and babies share beds, usually two moms in one bed so they mostly sit up so their babies can lie down.

Babies left on the bed by their moms during visiting hours. Visitors aren't allowed inside the maternity ward. Too crowded. And it's safer and more secure this way. But I just found it sad—for the moms, dads, babies!—that the moms have to leave their kids while they go out to entertain their visitors.

Lunch time! While the hospital provides three meals a day, visitors supply moms with much-needed water and snacks. Diapers and other essentials are passed on, too.

New arrivals! So many moms and babies are wheeled in! Like, there was a line!

Look! A family planning desk in the ward. The moms told us that they get counseling and are offered ligations.

Fabella Hospital has a good breastfeeding policy. It was so encouraging to see all the moms offering their breast to their newborns!


Things that still need improvement

See that big black speaker above the TV? Well, during visiting hours, the speaker blasts the announcement of the visitors. "Visitor for Bed 143! Visitor for Bed 246! Visitor for Bed 321!" Non-stop for two hours! They have to come up with a better way of announcing visitors! I was appalled for the poor moms and babies who are subjected to that booming voice every minute for two hours!!!

The moms need change of gowns. Many of them still walked around in bloody gowns (see mom at left). The hospital also needs more fans. Ventilation is one of the issues NIVEA Baby will address.

It's nice that there are trash receptacles at every corner. The problem is the ward is so crowded that these trash cans are right beside the beds. There are moms and babies sleeping on those beds!

Speaking of beds, the beds need to be replaced. They are rusty, with paint peeling off. I don't even know if that's lead-free paint. NIVEA Baby wants to replace the beds but Fabella says they have a budget for that. Hmmm.

Bathrooms need to be happier-looking. Okay, that's just me being spoiled but I need bathrooms to be a place I can be comfortable in naked, especially if I had just given birth and I'm bleeding everywhere. To be fair, the bathrooms smelled clean. I guess that's what really matters!

Screens need to be replaced. Mommies shouldn't have to worry about flies and mosquitoes bothering their babies!

This is their lunch. It's not much—just a cup of rice and a small piece of meat—but it smelled really good! I'd love for the moms to have soup, like malunggay soup, to warm up their tummies and stimulate milk production, and maybe a piece of fruit, too. The moms also told me that water is scarce. You have to buy water from the mineral water dispenser and it's P5 a drink!


What NIVEA Baby has done
This is the breastfeeding room. It's still being renovated but even in this state, it's already a vast improvement! NIVEA Baby will add a window to brighten up the place. There will also be more air conditioning units and nice comfy benches so that mommies can nurse happily.

The most important thing that NIVEA Baby accomplished is improving the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). They donated much-needed equipment, improved the sanitation areas, added storage, improved the ventilation.

There's still much that needs to be done! Here's one of the head nurses telling us that what they need is space, too. NICU babies should be about a meter apart. This is to prevent the spread of infection, but they have so little space and so few beds that what they do is if these two babies have pneumonia, they'll share one bed. It's heartbreaking.

What we moms can do
In my previous post about NIVEA Baby's project with Fabella Hospital, many of you asked how to help. Back then, NIVEA Baby told us that there's no need to purchase any of their products since they already have a budget for this project (although I would super encourage you to support NIVEA Baby just because of this amazing cause!). What they need from us is to spread awareness of the plight of our fellow moms and their newborns, and to donate items that the mothers, babies and even the hospital needs.

I don't yet have a list of these essentials, but I imagine them to be water, diapers, sanitary pads, toilet paper, cloth lampin, baby clothes, etc. NIVEA Baby hopes we can still find it in our hearts to dig deep into our closets and wallets to help give the moms and babies at Fabella a happy Christmas.

Stay tuned!

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Topaz Mommy and other mom bloggers talk about Fabella Hospital

November 25, 2013, 8:50 am
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Yesterday, I told you about what I saw at Fabella Hospital. Today, I'll share with you NIVEA Baby's purpose for renovating the hospital: to give moms and babies a brighter experience.



Isn't this such a great cause? I'm so proud to be part of this campaign!

To know more about #CaringBeyondSkincare, please like the Facebook page of NIVEA Baby Philippines. I did! It's got a lot of useful tips for moms like us who care so much for our babies!

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Vito and Iñigo and Disneyland!

November 27, 2013, 8:56 am
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Exactly one month ago, our little family went on our first ever trip to Hong Kong Disneyland!!!

Thanks so much to Mom and Dad, the whole Sales family (Mom, Dad, their four children and spouses, and all eight grandchildren!) flew to Hong Kong, checked in at Disney's Hollywood Hotel, and just spent the next three days being happy!

Now, we have like a billion photos but I'm grabbing the ones that Vince posted on Facebook. So if you're friends with Vince, you've seen these. If you aren't friends with him, don't request him to add you haha. Also, I'm only posting photos of my boys since they aren't in school yet. Vito and Iñigo had such a great time with their cousins so too bad because they have such fun pics together! But I now have a policy of not posting photos of school-age kids on my blog (unless the kids have moms who are bloggers posting their kids' photos publicly).

Okay, here we go!
Here we are in the Cathay Pacific plane to Hong Kong. It's Iñigo's first ever flight, and first ever trip abroad! Vito's been on planes before (Cebu, Singapore, Bali before he was a year old) but I think he doesn't remember those trips, so this plane ride was exciting for him, too.

Here we are at Hollywood & Dine at our hotel. The diner was our first stop because we arrived at Hong Kong at around lunch time. Vito was sooo excited! Okay, I'm going to use "excited" a lot in this post!

The kid can't read yet but he perused that map like a pro anyway. He is sooo cute!

After lunch, our rooms still weren't ready so we roamed the huge gardens behind the hotel. There was a pool, a playground, lots of little hills that Vito loved to explore, and these cars that Iñigo posed on. He's sooo cute!

(Check out this video of my boys waiting at Hollywood Hotel's lobby!)

Okay! Rooms are ready! On our way up, Vito saw Mickey Mouse. He was sooo starstruck! He actually held his fist in his mouth to keep himself from shouting for joy! He also met Goofy. Okay, Mickey being the STAR, you'd need a ticket to get your photo with him. Goofy, being, well, Goofy, he just hangs out in some sunny corner and you can just sidle up to him and get your pic taken. Like so!


So we all settle in, rest a little, change into new clothes, then we all took the shuttle to Disneyland. We have really awesome photos of Vito telling Mickey Mouse to get down the fountain (here's a sample pic) because he didn't think it was safe haha. I'll dig them up later. In fact, I have no photos now of our first day at Disneyland! I'll put them in my next newsletter so I hope you subscribe now!

Anyway, we rode a lot of rides. Vito loved Autopia, both boys loved Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Iñigo loved Cinderella Carousel so much that he started shrieking when the ride was done and I had to prise his little chubby fingers from the post. Vito called Sleeping Beauty Castle, "Sofia the First Castle!" and then he promptly fell asleep in our stroller while we waited for the Halloween Parade. When it finally lumbered by, Iñigo didn't seem impressed haha. Then Vince and I went back to the hotel with the kids, while the rest of the family stayed till the fireworks show.

Good morning! Today's plan was to take the train to Toy Story Land and spend the entire day there. The boys LOVE Toy Story! We took the train, Vito saw Tinkerbell on the way and he was so starstruck, he blushed haha. Then when he saw Toy Story Land, he was just overwhelmed.

He's staring at his shadow, sorry! But he really was super excited!!! Vince and Vito rode the Slinky Dog Spin (Iñigo was asleep in his stroller), then they lined up for this monster: The Toy Soldier Parachute Drop!

It was really high! My mommy heart was both freaking out and proud! My three-year-old boy laughing with delight and dangling his feet while he went up and down that scary ride! He wasn't even scared. Such a brave boy!

We had a snack with Mom and Dad after this exhilarating ride, Iñigo woke up and wanted a toy so Lola gladly obliged him a Woody plushie. Thanks, Mom!

Then we rode Mystic Manor, which Vito did not like one bit. It wasn't really scary; I think he just didn't like the part when the cockroaches streamed out and then you get sprinkled with water. Iñigo didn't have an opinion haha.

After that, we all had lunch together. We did a bit of sightseeing then it was Vito's turn to nap in the stroller. While he napped, we shopped.  Check out my new favorite watch!

It looks like a Cartier tank watch haha. I wear it every time we go out now. It reminds me of our magical time together. Happy happy time!

About to watch "Festival of the Lion King." Great show! The kids loved it!

Then we met the rest of the family in front of Sofia the First's castle. I mean, Sleeping Beauty's castle haha. That's Iñigo's Ninang Anj, who blogs at From A, to Zo. I think they're looking at the birds or planes here.

We spent the late afternoon just resting our dead feet really. Even the boys! They're so happy and so cute. Vito looks sooo sleepy here. But when some kid tried to grab Iñigo's new Lightning McQueen toy, Vito stepped in. I love how protective he is of his brother!

Family pic! We're so happy! We're so tired!!!

But we had just enough energy for one more ride: Orbitron. There was no line, you see, so we figured we'd give it a whirl. But funny Iñigo. He nursed while we were spinning around and fell asleep! Silly baby!

So we went straight home to the hotel again while the rest of the clan went off to explore the other rides. We thought the kids would collapse in bed but noooo, they were business as usual: Disney Junior on TV, Power Rangers on iPad, toys on the bed. It was like we never left home! But fall asleep they finally did.

(If you follow me on Instagram, you'd have seen these pics and videos of our trip as they happened so follow me!)

Good morning! Today's plan was just to pack and go to the airport early and shop at Duty Free. So we had a huge buffet breakfast at Chef Mickey. Aww, I love this family photo. Look at Iñigo, still in his pyjamas haha. He is sooo cute!

At the airport. We had lunch at Pop-eye's. The boys ate so much chicken! Why do my kids eat so much???

Then Vince and I shopped. Vince doesn't like exchanging what's left of our HK dollars because lugi so he really makes it ubos. We bought candy and chocolates.

Vito whiled away an hour on the iPad then he went looking for the rest of the family.

He found Zo, the son of Anj. They really got along swimmingly on this trip!

Darling Iñigo watching TV at the Children's Lounge.

My boys. My joy. My heart.

Soon after this photo was taken, we flew home, which is, in my opinion, still the happiest place on earth!

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Skinny kid problems

December 9, 2013, 8:52 am
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My boys are blessed with the skinny genes of their parents. No matter what Vince and I eat, we never gain weight. I say it's a blessing because we enjoy our food so much and we can eat all day and never have food issues. It's the kind of thing you wish on everyone.

It's never been a problem to feed Iñigo. He eats anything. Except fruit. He doesn't like fruit. He got that from me, I think. I'm a veggie girl. Vince is the fruit guy. Other than fruit, Iñigo will gobble up anything. As you can see in these photos, he is a joy to feed!

But he's not gaining weight. He's getting taller, he's very active and energetic, he's super smart and funny, he's not moody or listless. That means he's well fed! But but but he's not gaining weight.

The pedia said it's great that Iñigo is not a picky eater. That's the problem of most parents of toddlers. We had that issue with Vito, for example. But the pedia said Iñigo needs to gain weight. She thinks my breast milk is drying up and he's not getting enough. She told me to pump milk so I can gauge just how much milk my breast produces in a feeding, but I already know in my heart that she's correct. My boobs have lost their fullness. I know there's hardly any milk in there.


So the pedia said we're to give him 6-8 oz of fresh milk every day. Give him multivitamins. Give him rich food like ice cream. Fry his veggies in butter. Feed him all the fatty food he can take!!! Then we'll see. The pedia says that if he's still 10 kgs after 3 months (he's been 10 kgs for 6 months now), we'll have to maybe switch him to a fatty formula. Good luck with that!

Iñigo can eat all day but when it comes to other milk, he's not so welcoming. He'll sip a bit of fresh milk and chocolate milk but he always wants my milk. I actually want to wean him already (I have a super valid reason but I'm keeping it a secret!) but because he loves to nurse, I just allow him. He's 19 months old now. I guess we can keep this up for 5 more months.

Except my breast milk is either not enough or not fatty enough. So maybe he is better off on other milk. Oh, the problems of being thin!


This reminds me of how our neighbors used to make fun of my parents. They said, "May laman nga utak ng mga anak nila, wala namang laman ang tiyan." All because my siblings and I were skinny kids. We never went hungry. We always had something to eat but people still thought my parents didn't feed us all because we didn't gain weight.

That made me so angry. It still makes me angry. I hope no one looks at my skinny kids and think we're not feeding them. Ha. In this country where everyone thinks fat kids are healthy? Tough luck.

Darling Iñigo, I don't want you to be a fat baby even though I'm going to feed you lots of bad food like ice cream and cake and cookies. I just need you to gain a bit of weight. I don't know how that's going to happen, given your skinny genetic makeup, but we have to make it happen! Good luck to us!

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Justin Bieber in Tacloban!

December 10, 2013, 8:07 am
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I've never had an opinion on Justin Bieber mostly because I don't listen to his music, although I did find "Baby" catchy.

As a former entertainment magazine editor, I was happy he was famous enough and dated someone famous, too (Selena Gomez, if you didn't know), to fill the pages of my magazine.

As someone who was bullied when I was a kid, I never approved of, joined in or thought it harmless that so many people all over the world loved to hate him.

As a mom, I definitely feel horrible that such a hardworking boy would inspire so much hatred from millions of people. He's a kid. Leave him alone.


And now, I think we should all just love the guy! I thought it was amazing he turned his focus on the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda with his #GiveBackPhilippines campaign. The campaign aims to raise funds for Yolanda's victims in Central Visayas. All you have to do is donate as little as USD 10. The more you donate, the more prizes you can win. Prizes? Yes! To encourage donations, Justin is giving away campaign shirts, signed lyric sheets, VIP tickets to his Believe movie premiere, and the grand prize of getting to spend the day with Justin at the studio as he records new songs. He says he'll fly the winner and a friend from anywhere in the world to L.A.!!!



"When I heard about the massive scale of the Typhoon Haiyan disaster, I wanted to help in any way I can," Justin said. "One of the best ways I can do that is to bring a major fundraising effort to my fans all around the world—especially via social media. Prizeo will make it easy for them to donate and to share information with all their friends, hopefully maximizing the funds we can raise for the relief efforts."

I'm now even more impressed that Justin Bieber actually took the time off his busy superstar schedule to make the long trip to Tacloban to help bring a little bit of sunshine to the survivors. When I was watching his little concert at a school on the evening news and saw how the girls swooned and the guys grinned, I just have to give it to Bieber: He sure made them happy!


To donate to #GiveBackPhilippines, CLICK HERE!!! It's an exciting page actually. Go check it out! Mommies with daughters who are Beliebers, you will want to support this!

Thanks, Justin!

And thanks so much to Smart, PLDT and TV5 for partnering with Justin Bieber to promote #GiveBackPhilippines. I'm so proud to be part of the Smart family!

The photos of Justin in Tacloban is from the Facebook page of Smart Communications. Click here to see the rest of the album.

P.S. Donate! Win a prize! Mwah!

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Happiness is one, two, three!

December 10, 2013, 6:36 pm
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Proud daddy Vince said, "Why are you still keeping it a secret?"

Why indeed? So here goes:

We're pregnant again! We are so thrilled and happy and so excited!

We've known since my birthday a little over a month ago so that was the best birthday gift. Then we waited for a new ultrasound to check if Baby Chicken has a heartbeat and, hooray, the baby's heart is beating strong so the baby is the best Christmas gift, too!

Baby Chicken is the nickname of the baby now. We named our baby-in-the-tummy after candy (Vito was Jelly Bean, Iñigo was Wiggle, you know, like the sour worms) so this third baby was supposed to be Gummi Bear. But Vito took one look at this, saw the egg shape, and promptly said, "Hi, Baby Chicken!"

Hi, Baby Chicken! We can't wait to meet you! Be strong and healthy in Mama's tummy! We love you!

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Iñigo's kisses

December 12, 2013, 7:15 am
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I know some of you don't have Instagram so I'm posting these videos for you. They're of our Iñigo's kisses!



Our little toddler is such a sweetie. He's the one full of hugs and kisses. He hugs and kisses so much, Vince and I are, like, "Little dude, that's full on make out. Control yourself!" Iñigo loves kisses! He'd kiss us a hundred times. He kisses anything and everything—Papa, Mama, Vito, his cars, his toys, his high chair, the rabbit!



He tries to kiss Vito but Vito hardly ever lets him. Poor Iñigo!


Darling Iñigo! Thank you for the kisses! We are savoring every big and little smack of love!

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Are you a "Yes!" parent?

December 12, 2013, 9:33 am
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I'm happy to announce that Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion is now a Topaz Mommy partner! I'm helping support their campaign called "Mommy PROs," because motherhood is a job and we are all professional mommies! In our case, however, it's always on-the-job training! Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion would like to help us on our motherhood career with tips and stories and shared mommy experiences on their Mommy PROs app on Facebook.

For our first topic, I'm going to talk about "yes parenting."

I find it interesting and even worrisome that parents are forbidden to say "no" these days. No spanking, no yelling, and now, no "no," too. Even when you say "no" to your child, you must always say so positively. For example, instead of "No, you cannot eat ice cream for breakfast," you say, "You can eat ice cream after you eat lunch."

I'm pretty much a chill mom. I say "yes" a lot. Yes to candy and ice cream and chocolates. Yes to iPad and TV. Yes to toys and playing with everything in the house. Everything in moderation, of course, but my husband and I don't see the point of being the happy police, and by that I mean we are controlling their happiness. If it makes them happy, let them enjoy it.

Yes to doughnuts! We get them these treats maybe once a month only.
Yes to iPad! Well, Vito's use is monitored but we really should say "no" more.
Yes to getting hands dirty!
Yes to crawling around a dirty floor and playing with animals!
Yes to toys on the dinner table!

Yep, we say "yes" a lot in this hosuehold, but are our kids spoiled brats? Not at all. They're very well behaved and good kids. That's because when we say "no," we say "no." We don't couch it in sweet comforting words. My kids know that when Mama says "no," she means "no." There is no negotiation.  I don't even say, "Please obey me. Please do this for Mama. Please and I'll give you candy?" Nope. No is no is no.

What do I say "no" to? Anything that is rude and disrespectful. Anything that will hurt others and themselves. Anything that destroys things, like books and furniture. Anything that is much too much, like another cup of ice cream.

Because my boys know my "no" is final, they respect it. Sure, there's whining and kid-nagging, a term I recently discovered for when your child wears you down till you say yes or lose your sanity. Like, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" or "Can I have candy? One candy? Please pretty please? How come I never get candy?" I'm sure you're familiar with that kind of nagging and it isn't cute!

Like I said, however, the boys know when "no" is "no." So I may be a "yes" parent but I'm also a "no" parent. What kind of parent are you? What do you say yes to and what's a definite no?

For more relevant and timely issues for professional moms like us, visit the Facebook page of Green Cross Mommy PROs today.


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Healing our country through music and prayer

December 14, 2013, 7:45 am
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It's almost Christmas and I'm sure us mommies are thinking about the families, the orphans, the homeless, the victims of the earthquake in October and super typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in November. They are still on a long road to recovery, that's why we just have to keep on giving!

Smart Music now offers a way for us to help and all we have to do is download the song, "The Prayer." Known as the song Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli sang together, it was sung by the Loboc Children's Choir in the rubble of earthquake-devastated Loboc, Bohol, a performance that quickly went viral. 

Ramon Chuaying of the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI) says, “These children may be from Bohol, but their innocent voices represent not just their home province but also earthquake-damaged Cebu, war-stricken Zamboanga, and typhoon-devastated Leyte, Samar and Iloilo—all of whom are praying for a miracle to allow them to rebuild their lives.” 

“We asked the help of various Filipino artists, to lend their voices, to represent our country and show the world that the Philippines has one voice, one prayer—that we work together to help our countrymen rebuild their lives brick by brick,” he added.

PARI, Universal Records, DDB Philippines and Smart Music now present to you "The Prayer" by the Loboc Children's Choir and 23 Filipino music artists:




Beautiful and haunting and inspiring! Ito Rapadas of Universal Records, says, “A couple of the popular artists who agreed to sing the song inquired why, instead of using a new and original Filipino song, we used a foreign song for this project. We said the project was started and inspired by the viral video of the Loboc Children's Choir singing in an impromptu manner in front of the rubble of the old church of Loboc after the earthquake. We highlighted the children’s choir and their choice of song which is 'The Prayer,' not only because they started the idea, but because they are survivors of a natural disaster and they represent the resiliency of all survivors of both the Bohol earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda."
 
The list of artists who sang "The Prayer"

The song was released a few days ago by Smart Music through its SPINNR digital music store (spinnr.ph) and all proceeds will go to the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation’s Help.PH initiative to help in the immediate relief and community rebuilding efforts in affected areas through resettlement, education and livelihood.

Mellissa Limcaoco of Smart Music says, “It’s a beautiful and inspiring version that we can all be proud of. This is probably the biggest gathering of today’s biggest music artists in a single song, and we are glad that these artists all responded to our call to help rebuild the lives of our countrymen by sharing their time and talent.”  

“Now we are encouraging everyone to please support the cause and help our fellow Filipinos rise again. By simply purchasing a copy of this song for only P10, not only are you helping spread the message of hope but you are directly contributing to the Help PH campaign of the PDRF,” she added.

Smart, Talk ‘N Text and Sun Cellular subscribers can purchase the song by visiting and registering their mobile phone numbers at spinnr.ph via web, mobile browser or the Spinnr mobile app for Android Smartphones. Payment will be deducted from the prepaid load or charged to the subscriber’s postpaid bill so a credit card is not needed to support this cause.

For more information about Help PH and the many ways you can send help wherever you are in the world, visit www.help.ph. 

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Conversations with Vito

December 14, 2013, 3:00 pm
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Just before bedtime.

Me: Okay, all the boys have taken a bath! Papa, Vito, Iñigo. I'm the only one who hasn't taken a bath. And I'm the girl!

Vito: Whaaaaat?! You're a girl?!


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When we announced the pregnancy to the boys.

Me: Vito, Iñigo! Mama has a new baby in her tummy!

Vito: Whaaaaat?! Baby again?!


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One afternoon while Vince and Iñigo were napping after lunch.

Me: I'm so hungry. Baby Chicken makes me hungry all the time.

Vito: You want rice, Mama?

Me: No.

Vito: You want bread?

Me: No.

Vito: You want pizza? I make pizza!

Me: Oh, sweetheart, thank you but I don't want to eat pizza.

Vito: Ummm... Chicken? Cake? Cookie?

Me: No. It's okay, baby.

Vito: Mama, you need to eat! Come! (Brings me to kitchen) Eat!

Me: What Mama wants isn't here.

Vito: What does Mama want?

Me: Empanada dipped in vinegar.

Vito: Whaaaaat?! Paaaaaa-pa! Wake up, Papa!


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One morning when Vito was feeling bored.

Me: Vito, why don't you talk to Baby Chicken?

Vito: (leans close to my tummy) Bok! Bok! Bok! Bo-ok!


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A lesson at the playground

December 29, 2013, 10:08 pm
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At the playground some time ago, my three-year-old boy wanted the slide all to himself. He had been playing there for a good 10 minutes all on his own when a couple of kids joined him. I told him to share, then stood back to see what he'd do.

He did not feel like sharing.

He barred the way up the slide. He shouted, "No! My slide! Go away!"

The little girl he shouted at got angry. She stomped her foot, and with one stern finger pointing at Vito's face, she snapped, "You are a very bad boy!"

My Vito looked like he'd been slapped. He ran to me and pointed to the girl, who looked at me in alarm. I said, "Well, Vito, you didn't share the slide. You shouted at them. That's not what a good boy does. She's right. That was very bad what you did."

Vito and the girl looked shocked. Vito's eyes welled up with tears, but I didn't say or do anything. When he realized he wasn't going to get any sympathy from me, he sat quietly beside me. The little girl and her sister played on the slide happily. A few minutes later, Vito stood up, looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, Mama." I hugged him, a big quick hug, nothing too special. "I'm glad you want to play nice. Now go and play." He went to the little girl and said, "Sorry!" And she smiled and then they all played together.

Since that day, we have never had problems with Vito not sharing or not playing nice. He's always been a good boy but he's a kid and he does naughty, selfish, stupid things once in a while. We're pretty relaxed parents but when our kids do bad things, we are quick to correct them. We never let bad behavior slide. We're aware that if you allow just one whine, one mean word, one rude expression, then it's back to square one and sooner than you think, you have a monster living in your house. It's exhausting, this constant vigilance!

You always have to stand up for what is right, even if it means standing up against your own kid.

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A fond farewell

December 31, 2013, 9:25 am
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The babies are asleep. I've put polish on my nails (OPI Glitzerland on my fingers, Dazzle Dry Evening Song on my toesies) and now I'm rushing this post because in an hour the fireworks will begin in earnest and the kids will wake up.

I'm happy. I want the kids to wake up because though they tire me out all day, I miss them when they're asleep. That's why I can't find the time to blog anymore. Blogging requires sitting down. I don't sit down. I lie down hehe. It's the pregnancy. I've been rendered useless. I'm so grateful that Vince is really doing everything (thanks, babe!). I know he has other more important things to do than cleaning the house—that's why we desperately need a kasambahay—but as of now, he's the main man of the house, doing absolutely everything except cook. I enter my second trimester this week so I am hoping I'd feel better. I'm oh so ready for 2014!

So the year in review:
1. We got to travel a lot! We went to Tagaytay often. We went to Batangas. We went to Hong Kong, and we're flying to Cebu this week. When I was working, I was so busy, I never went anywhere!

2. We lost our household help but this has resulted to so many wonders. I knew my husband has always been in love with his kids, but when the maids left, he's sooo good with kids pala! He's an expert diaper changer, babysitter, teacher, playmate.

Many moms tell me their husbands are useless when it comes to childcare. Well, let your husbands be fathers, too! Let them wipe the poop, mop up the pee, feed the kids, read to the kids, discipline the kids as well as play with them. Let your husband spend more than a few minutes with his kids! Don't allow him to give you the baby once the baby poops or cries. Most of us wives don't let our husbands get involved because we think our hubbies are already tired from work and should be spared from the less fun aspects of fatherhood. I say you're cheating them out of fatherhood when you do that!

3. We made our second investment. Financially, we're really okay, which strikes people as so strange since technically, both Vince and I are unemployed. Sound money decisions in the past years have led to our early retirement. Now, we're not rich at all. In fact, I know our families are worried for us (hehe) but we're working very hard on writing projects, which help with the daily expenses. Then we'll (maybe) look for jobs when the kids go to school because education can be expensive. But, for now, we're happy with what we have.

4. Because of the yaya/maid-less situation, I've had to put work in the back burner. I really thought I'd only rest for six months then look for work again by June. I've had many amazing job offers, too. But the lack of domestic help made a new career impossible.

Well, not really. My mommy blogging career took off. I was asked to be digital brand ambassador for Sangobion, Lotte Xylitol, Vicks, Pampers and Smart. I never thought that would happen, seriously. I'm, like, old and flabby. And I'm not a celebrity! So I'm grateful that I was asked to be a brand ambassador because I'm a mom that people trust, not because I'm gorgeous or hot or famous. I'm just me!

5. Our family is getting bigger! I got pregnant again! We're so thrilled really. I want four kids but Vince said three is good. He's hoping for a girl, I'm hoping for another boy, but we're both praying for a healthy kid who's as cute and as smart and as affectionate as Vito and Iñigo.

Our sons are really our source of joy, Vince and I. Our marriage has been immensely blessed by our two boys. Their wonder at life, the way they laugh and play, their funniness and playfulness, even drama sometimes, make every single day a joy to live. Today, the boys kept running to our arms to kiss and huggle. They loved it. We loved it. Vince said, "When my life flashes before my eyes, I want this to be one of the memories."



I'm so blessed. Some people say I shouldn't say I'm so blessed. In fact, on my birthday a few weeks ago, someone actually said he wished me less happiness because too much happiness makes people forget the important things in life. I was really upset with that "wish." I'm happy because my life is focused on what truly matters: my husband, my children, my relationships. My career isn't even important anymore, neither is my looks (I'm fat now!!!) nor my material possessions. I'm just happy to spend the days with my boys. Why would anyone wish me less of my boys? I immediately prayed that God will block the curse this person placed on me!

If there's anything this year has taught me, it's that letting go of many urgent things allows more of the important things to come in. In many ways, my life was emptied out this year, but my life has never been so full! My word for 2013 was "simplify" and when I simplified my life, it became more great. How amazing is that!

My God, I am in awe of Your goodness and grace! I deserve none of this goodness because I've been so evil for so long, and yet, because I asked You to be in my life, You have truly fulfilled Your promise to give me life and for me to live life abundantly!

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." 
- Jesus Christ (John 10:10)

This 2014, I resolved to let God use my writing to bless my readers with His Word as I have been blessed. Don't worry! My blogs will still be super fun. But I realize that I've been keeping my source of joy, comfort and strength from you all by not talking to you about my God. So all you see is the product (the happiness) but you don't see the fountain and the foundation (my Lord and Savior).

For 2014, my word will be "family." This year showed me that I am still so far away from being the wife and mother God wants me to be. I mean, I'm okay. I think I'm doing a good job. In fact, I've always thought I've been doing a good job, until I started studying "Power of a Praying Wife" and "Power of a Praying Parent," then my eyes were opened to all that I still need to do and be so that I can be a true servant to my family. So this 2014, I want to be a better wife and a better mother, a woman who is happy to be of service, to give all the love I could give every day of my life for as long as I live. And it starts today, January 1, 2014.

Happy New Year! God bless you all with abundance in love, friendship, laughter, good health and wealth!

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The Chinese calendar says my third baby will be a...

January 5, 2014, 7:30 am
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BOY!

I was just about to celebrate my 37th birthday on November when I found out I was pregnant so that makes the month of conception October. According to the Chinese calendar, that means I'm having a boy again.

I don't really believe these things but it's been correct so far. Plus, my OBG took one look at my face, noted all the pimples sprouting and said, "Looks like a boy again. Your pimples say there's lots of testosterone in your system."

If Baby Chicken is another boy, wow oh wow, I got my wish! But I know Vince wants a girl this time (although he'd totally love another son, too!) so I'd be happy with a girl. Although I seriously wouldn't know what to do with a daughter. I never got along well with girls till I hit my 30s really. I once told Vince, "I'm so glad I'm a girl. Imagine if I were a boy and had to marry a girl. Why would anyone want to do that?!"

Well, if I have a girl then, it's great I had her in my late 30s because we'd have a better chance at this girly relationship thing. Still, since she's my child, I'd love her as fiercely as I do her brothers. Plus, I'll raise her no different from how I raise my sons. I hope she grows up to be just like me—no nonsense, no drama, no frivolity, no arte, no crazy shopping. But if she does turn out to be dainty or feminine or inane or a damsel in distress or boy-crazy, I'd love her anyway!

Still, I'm hoping for a boy. Let's see if the Chinese calandar is still accurate with this prediction!

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The scene in How I Met Your Mother that made me cry

January 5, 2014, 9:25 am
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Lily: Sometimes I wish I wasn't a mom. Sometimes I want to pack my bags and leave in the middle of the night and never come back.

Ted: Are you serious?

Lily: I don't know. I mean, I love being a mom. I love Marvin so much. But you remember when I wanted to be an artist? Art was my whole life and now it's been months since I've picked up a brush. I spend the whole day taking care of kids at my job and when I come home, it's more of the same. It never lets up. It's just really, really hard.

Wow, that honesty just blew me away because I don't think mothers (or fathers, for that matter) are allowed to be honest with how they truly feel about being a parent. Even I get scared sometimes to talk about how I feel about motherhood, especially with the advent of all these mommy blogs professing how perfect their mommy lives are. Seriously, sometimes I read all these blogs and all I can sense is a defensiveness: "Yes, my life revolves around my children and I love it!!! There's no other life like this! Mothers are the best human beings! I make the perfect soufflé and have little decor vignettes scattered around my tastefully decorated home and I throw fabulous tea parties with matching monogrammed napkins!!! And what's your life like? Oh. You have a career. No kids? How interesting."

Then here I am, also a happy mother but just also an extremely overwhelmed one. I feel this huge pressure to be perfect, too, to whip up that soufflé and decorate my home and have monogrammed napkins and do all of that in high heels with a child balanced on my hip, and sometimes I succeed (mostly at the balancing the kid on my hip with heels on because I really find cooking and decorating boring) but mostly I'm just busy watching my kids and making sure they're fed and safe and alive to even care about my house. I mean, really, at the end of the day, isn't it enough my kids are fed and happy and tucked in bed??? Do I have to make sure they're fed with organic food that I cooked myself and that they have to be tucked into beds with crisp sheets with a thousand thread count?

But I'm scared to talk about it because all I'm supposed to feel is blessed and grateful. And I am blessed and I am grateful but I also am human, and birthing a child didn't magically make me a superhuman. I'm still woefully weak. I get tired, I get cranky, I get sad, I get mad, I get selfish, I get lazy.

It never lets up. It really never does. Sigh.

I always get asked what is it about motherhood that I find difficult and I always say, "The constant vigilance." You really can't rest because it's always that one time you looked away, that one time you were stressed out, that one time you got distracted, that's the one time your child gets into an accident. Constant vigilance!

And then I also get asked what surprised me the most about motherhood. I always say, "The love. I never thought I'd be capable of so much love." And that, my friends, is what makes the constant vigilance bearable, even okay. After all, what could be so bad about watching your kid? Love makes it a privilege.

I'm blessed and I'm grateful. How can I be otherwise?
Unlike Lily, I never wish I wasn't a mom. I guess I wished it out of me for 33 years! I also never wish to leave my kids. I can't even leave them for more than two hours! I just wish I had more time to sleep. I wish I didn't have to breastfeed because I really don't like it. I wish my kids can just eat junk food all day every day and be healthy because I don't enjoy cooking. But I don't sleep, I still nurse Iñigo, and I still cook anyway.

That's love for you. Love really truly does make everything okay.

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My mommy resolution for 2014

January 8, 2014, 7:05 am
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I wasn't going to talk about my resolutions as a mother because resolutions tend to reveal one's weaknesses. As a mother, I do have tons of things to improve—most are kinda silly, like, I hope to be a hot momma by Christmas next year haha—but listing them down makes me sad and guilty. But my blog sponsor Green Cross asked me to talk about what I need to change this year and so I sat down and really thought about it. After a few seconds (and mostly because Vince just got mad at me for this), I instantly knew what needed to change. Here it is:

Vito's really into saying "I love you" these days. He'd suddenly hug Vince or me and say, "I love you, Mama," or "I love you, Papa." And when we tell him we love him, he'd quickly reply, "I love you, too!"

Vince told him one day, "I'm going to keep telling you I love you, Vito. If there's one thing I learned from your Mama, it's to always tell the person you love that you love them."

Between the two of us, Vince is the one who's reserved with verbalizing his affections. Meanwhile, I say how I feel all the time. "You look great,""You're so hot,""I miss you,""I want a hug,""Let's kiss,""I love you," are words that pour out of my mouth daily.

Vince is better at showing his love. He makes sure life is easy for me, he takes care of me, he takes care of the kids when I'm too tired, he takes care of our house when there's a leak, a frame that needs to be put up, a loose tile, a spot on the couch. He supports my every good decision and steers me into the right ones when I'm being stupid. He is constant in showing his love; I'm not so consistent with the showy part of loving as a wife and as a mother. While some people find it difficult to confess their feelings, I find it easy. It's the proving by deed that I find hard.

That's why I hope to be a better servant this year because true love demands service, and serving others is not really my specialty. Okay, it's not as bad as it sounds. Like, I don't make my kids do the chores while I sit and watch TV, or I don't let Vince do everything. I enjoy being a mother and a wife and it's a joy for me to make my family happy, but there are also lots of times I'm just too tired and I get short with them or yell at the kids or ignore my husband or feel sorry for myself when I've only had 4 hours of sleep. Those times, I really don't feel very loving.

They are the ones I love most in the world so I should serve them!

Which makes me feel horrible when people tell me I'm such an amazing mother. I hear it all the time and of course I say, "Thanks!" I don't know if it's because people think I "gave up" my career for my kids (I didn't, really), or because I don't have a yaya or maid, or because I talk about my happiness all the time. But, look, if you had my husband and my kids, you'd be happy, too. They make marriage and motherhood so easy.

That's why when I'm being lazy, I am filled with guilt. Sometimes I pray, "Father God, I don't deserve my husband and children and yet You have blessed me with them. Please give me Your wisdom and patience and love so that I may be worthy of the trust You gave me when You gave me Vince, Vito and Iñigo."

This year, my mommy resolution is to truly serve my husband and kids. That's the real proof of love and I want my family to not just hear me tell them I love them, I want them to experience it, too. Every moment of every single day. That will take superhuman effort! That's why I need God to give His super love powers!

How about you, mommy? What's your resolution? Happy New Year! May God help us mommies be the best mommies to our beloved kiddies!


For more articles and thoughts on motherhood, check out the Facebook app of Green Cross Mommy PROs now. 

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Health priority of the year: dental wellness

January 12, 2014, 7:00 pm
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After all the candies and chocolates and desserts and ice cream and general carbo-and-sugar loading that happened in the last month, I'm feeling really gross!

So our first health checkup of the year is with the dentist. We're trying out MetroDental this year since the dentist we like—this guy with the lightest hands in the world—moved his clinic to we don't know where. Anyway, I had my teeth checked and my X-rays done before I got pregnant and, while my teeth are nice and strong and clean, I was told I needed to have a wisdom tooth removed (uh oh) and braces put in because my teeth have all moved. I actually didn't need a dental expert to tell me that. I know my teeth have moved. I see gaps between my teeth and they are widening. But since I'm pregnant, I'll have to have all these procedures done later this year. Sigh!

Vince is going tomorrow and then we'll bring the kiddies a bit later. According to Dr. Fina Lopez, the dentist who spoke at the last Xylitol event I attended as a brand ambassador, we parents should bring our kids to the dentist when there are no problems yet. That way, our kids will see the dentist as a friend. Usually, parents go when their kids' teeth are teeming with cavities and so of course the dentist goes in there and drills holes and slaps cement on and basically gives our kids nightmares. That is not a good way for the dentist-patient relationship to start!

When did you bring your kids to the dentist? I haven't brought mine although teeth experts say to bring them as soon as the first few teeth erupt.

My boys, three-year-old Vito and 20-month-old Iñigo, have nice teeth. They absolutely love brushing their teeth so we have no problems with tooth decay... so far. That's why I was delaying a visit to the dentist but this is the year we go because my boys like sweets a wee bit too much! Wish us luck!

Anyway, Lotte Xylitol, the yummy dental gum, provided us mommies a handy set of forms to help us keep track of the dental wellness of our kids' teeth. There are four downloadable forms:
1. The Teeth Care Chart is a weekly checklist that can help you track and ensure that your child gets to daily brush his teeth, floss and take Lotte Xylitol.
2. The Primary Teeth Tracker lets you monitor and record when your kid's baby teeth erupt and then subsequently lose.
3. The Permanent Teeth Tracker lets you monitor and record when your kid's permanent teeth start showing.
4. The Dentist Appointment form helps you organize and record your child's visits to the dentist, which at the minimum should be twice a year.

Here are the forms I already downloaded and will print:
My babies can't chew gum yet, though! But their toothpaste has Xylitol.



You can get Lotte Xylitol's Dental Baby Downloads from this link: http://lottexylitolgum.com/download/ 

Have a great new year of healthy smiles!

Lotte Xylitol dental health gum is available in bottles and blister packs, and comes in three exciting flavors: Blueberry Mint, Fresh Mint, and Lime Mint. Lotte Xylitol is reasonably priced and can be found in leading supermarkets and drugstores across the Philippines. For more information, visithttp://www.lottexylitolgum.com/.

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