Gift Guide: 13 Functional & Thoughtful Stocking Stuffer Ideas!

I know stocking stuffers may not be a thing in the Philippines, but it should be! And I know I have many readers that aren’t from Manila too (or you’re probably Filipino too from other countries! Hit me up on instagram!) so I’m sharing my ideas! It’s so easy to go the stocking stuffer route especially when you’re married – or is it just me/us? We’ve been together for quite a while even before we got married and we have probably gifted everything under the sun to each other (ofcourse nothing too fancy like cars or anything) so sometimes it’s just the little things we want and need that we ask for during the holidays. But also for other family members when you’ve run out of ideas, the little things can turn into one ‘big’ gift if in a festive Christmas stocking.

I’m giving my husband some shampoo, conditioner bars and soap as well. I slipped in a Detoxifying shampoo bar in peppermint and lavender which smells super relaxing and a conditioner bar from The Little Green Home.

A bar of Shea Butter soap from < Less for gentle cleaning for my very picky husband!

I’m also giving him Freshies toothpaste/mouthwash tablets – it’s a super cute sustainable product. It’s also a way to ease him into the idea of lessening our carbon footprint as a family. I don’t know if it’s just my husband but I’ve heard other wives like me with the same struggle. Men can really get comfortable with the same old brands they trust – I, on the other hand, love to experiment and try new things. It’s just a little sneaky way to have him give it a shot!

Another nice gift to give this Alman’s All Natural Leather Balm for their special occasion shoes. Since they’re not usually worn or even worn on the daily for work – both need this life saver! It shines and keeps your leather goods well-conditioned especially in our tropical heat. You can even use this for other SLG’s (small leather goods) like card holders or wallets and bags!

For the moms or any woman for that matter – the sugar scrub from The Little Green Home that smells like such a sweet treat! Especially for self-pampering after a run-down day. Moms deserve it!

Another one for women, especially if your mom is anything like mine – reusable facial pads! For the women with elaborate skin care routines day and night! These reusable pads from < Less are a dream to use on the face and are sturdy to endure the endless washing!

I’ve been obsessed with researching about sustainability and I’m trying to build on my foundation and a great stocking stuffer for kids are probably these (re)zip reusable ziplocks – even if they don’t understand the concept of it yet. I’m pretty sure it will come in handy so many times especially for snacks. It’s the safest for kids since it’s food-safe and BPA free, it’s even freezer safe! I even love that it stands on its own and is so versatile. It can also save you money not only from buying ziplocks (which I think is expensive here in Manila), but you can also buy snacks in bulk and just fill in this bag for each time you need snacks on the go which is always.

You could also throw in a baby spoon for the little one from Li’l Twinkies. It has an ultra soft and flexible tip, also ofcourse BPA free and sterilizer-friendly. It’s a perfect (and useful) little stocking stuffer!

For tiny little babes, a great idea is the Lulu Baby teether rings made from silicone and wood and their bibdanas. Especially if it’s their first Christmas, we all want to make it extra special, this is super aesthetic for photo ops! The bibdanas are great to go along with outfits when going out and you’ll never lose your teether or have to rummage through your purse for one (especially in those tantrum moments when out)! Useful as well and you know it can last them for months or a few years need be because of the sturdy materials!

The Li’l Twinkies bottle could also be an incredible stocking stuffer. It’s an unbelievable bottle! It’s not only great for toddlers trying to be more independent, it’s also very convenient for parents because of its all-angle feature. It comes with its own cleaner that totally satisfies my OCD tendencies when cleaning bottles (the brush gets into all the nooks and crannies)!

And even if it’s not exactly a stocking stuffer, you can put these alongside each one’s stocking or put them on the Christmas tree: these super cute personalized Christmas ornaments! You can have them personalized at I.Name! It’s a very thoughtful and personalized feel to your Christmas tree that can be used for years to come. It’s made from super sturdy gold acrylic!

And when giving away your gifts or when attending all our endless Christmas parties this month, I really wanna get into the vibe with this super cute personalized crocheted santa hat especially made by Hooks n’ Yarns! This was inspired by one of my favorites series: The Big Bang theory. I saw Penny wearing a hat like this in one of their Christmas episodes and I knew I just had to have this made! You can have ‘most everything under the sun personalized at Hooks n’ Yarns; I love their crocheted stuffed toys and baby things they’re too cute for my life! She makes really sturdy and good quality products and I know it will last in my washer!

These ideas are also good for gift baskets which is more common in our culture but that Christmas stocking gives a little bit more of a Fa la la and festive vibe. And a personalized stocking is already one of the cutest gifts you can give. It makes me more excited to give on Christmas! Happy holidays, everyone!

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How My Breast Pump Saved My Life

Breastfeeding (exclusively) and pumping saved my sanity. I really believe this helped me prevent or get through postpartum depression. Being a stay at home mom and going through all these changes (especially in my situation) can very lonely. Being at home all day when everyone else has somehow “gotten over” the baby fever and I’m left alone with him. But all this fulfillment I had was through ofcourse caring for him and being able to feed him completely. Motherhood and breastfeeding had given me purpose like nothing ever had.

It helped me chill on the expenses. As a stay at home mom and being out of work and income for a while now and giving birth and having my baby, it can be quite stressful to think of providing. When I gave birth my husband was also out of work and diapers can be quite expensive so we just felt so blessed that we didn’t have to buy formula. It eased my mind that I am doing my part and being able to provide in that way.

It’s a cure for anxiety: they say releasing breastmilk releases endorphins. Benefits of endorphins is boosting positive feelings and self-esteem which is ofcourse important at this stage. It’s also been found to help you lose weight because it regulates your appetite and lessens your eagerness to stuff your face by alleviating depression. 

Relaxation and less stress. Whenever I breastfed my son I thought it forced me to be in one place seated for hours on end. But when I changed my mindset – it made me be in the moment in this fast paced world. I watch my son feed, I love him and enjoy him – I could rest and just be.

Then I could also be a total couch potato and catch up on Netflix and be on my phone and relax. Our babies are connected to us and I do believe that they stay attached to us to keep us calm and find rest with them. And with that I learned the balance.

My first breastpump was a gift to me and it was very affordable too. It was the best breastpump for that time in my life when I was just trying out pumping first and see how I like it. But well after that phase, I tried investing on my Spectra S1 which is one of the most famous and highly recommended hospital grade breastpumps. It was quite pricey but it is definitely worth the investment because of how efficient it is, it saves me so much time and pumps out in about half the time I used to pump before so I get more time to do other things. It’s also rechargeable and portable so it didn’t have me stuck on a wall plug!

This thing also took out all my clogged ducts and saved me from fever and chills! It also helped me to save a ton of milk since it draws out milk so well!

Building up my milk stash also gave me time away for date nights, rest, and it bought me time to heal when I got a bleb!

Time management and discipline. It helped me become more organized. Before being a mom or a breastfeeding mom at that, I used to get things done here and there at my own pace and in my own time. But now, each time I set my baby down for a nap or for bedtime I knew my clock was ticking so I literally had to schedule each chore and anything I wanted to get done. At first I thought I was paralyzed and that I would never get to a place where I can balance it all but I got used to it and I got better at managing my time. Now, I get to take care of the ones I love and do what I love both at the same time.

Responsibility. Aside from being a mom, you also need to provide and make milk (this takes a lot of energy too, believe me), also prepare and secure it (pumping, ‘making’ a whole bottle, and making sure it’s stored safely and correctly).

Faith and Spirituality: it strengthened my faith and dependence on God in his miracles and provision everyday- you never know when you might dry up and everyday is a blessing- its beautiful and refreshing. It was so beautiful to see how God made a woman with purpose and how I felt that this is what I am made to do. I can nurture and nourish my child because of my body and his blessing.

Along with that it helped me appreciate the female body. I used to think women are weak and its just biologically how we were created. But it was just realization upon realization on how much women can endure. We cannot deny the strength of a man but its just that women’s strength is of a different kind. It may not be as strong, but it endures, it perseveres. It helped me pride in myself on what my body can handle, how it restores and replenishes.

It brought out the researcher in me. it made me a herbal hippie freak who just rubs breastmilk on everything. I also read so much about its uses and its miracles in every drop.

It made me think healthier, take care of myself along with the baby because I knew what I ate and my whole well-being also affects my breastmilk production. This is is such a great benefit to me since it keeps me strong enough to endure the sleepless nights and also possibly lose the baby weight or even more.

It made me be one with community: with other moms, stay at home moms and pumping moms, etc. And mind you, that is so not me. But it made me really believe on that quote that no man is an island and mothers bear lots of responsibilities and honestly I would not have made it on my own without other moms on social media who are so nice! They honestly respond to comments on Instagram, Youtuber moms. There is this mom world and community that is so loving and accepting.

It made me want to mother every other child out there. I felt that there was so much love to give. I read about this journey of women in tribes who breastfeed each other’s babies as if they were their own hence the quote “It takes a village”. I felt that I was so blessed everyday and I wanted to share that with other people so I joined a Facebook group with moms with premature babies asking for some breastmilk donations. I just think that being able to exclusively breastfeed my son and pump on top of that is already astounding and its a blessing meant to be shared.

It revealed my commitment, dedication, love and passion that I never knew existed in me. I have never had such a strong belief and principle in something such as promoting breastfeeding, normalizing it, and spreading education about it which I continually do to this day after 18 months of breastfeeding. I post, blog and answer anyone’s questions about breastfeeding and anything I can do to help to spread knowledge to everyone. It needs to be everyone to normalize it and knowledge so they would understand why.

Girls, women, mothers and future mothers need the education that I never had before having my son. Men need to know in order to not take it maliciously and thus, normalize it. This is not to accept ‘nudity’ but accept it as a natural thing simply because it is. Boys, men and future fathers should also be educated so they would support their wives in their breastfeeding journey because it really is hard.

And for the public, for elders, people who choose not to have children and the like; even if it doesn’t affect your personal life, it’s still important to know about it so you would be more open to see it in public places. For elder men or women who never breastfed or maybe you are just more conservative – yes, I get that. But in my experience my son hated a breastfeeding cover and it was never my choice but my son’s. It’s also very hard to breastfeed in public while handling a child and maybe I can never actually truly explain that, but all I ask is empathy for mothers like me and know that its honestly never the intention to offend you or ‘flash‘ you. And besides, why would we?

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What’s in my diaper bag? Birthday gift too!

I chose a mommy bag over jewelry or anything else for my birthday. Well, because, mom life! And besides, I always have to lug it around everywhere – its essentially my bag too. Hence, ‘mom bag’ instead of ‘baby bag’ (Plus I’m just more practical that way). I always end up thinking its not my style nor does it go with my outfit and I’m guessing the sleekness of this Paul Frank backpack would be much more suitable for me aside from quality-wise.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my first baby bag! I think at that time it was the best decision I would have made since I exclusively breastfed my son, we always needed a cooler to keep the temperature of his milk when we go out. It was quite sturdy since this bag has been ripped to shreds. Its been thrown, it’s been wet, soaked with breastmilk, and it has certainly been places! For the price, the quality and the sleek look – it’s definitely worth it but its also already served its purpose.

My previous bag was branded Colorland which is all over Lazada when you look up baby or mommy bags (insulated/thermal backpacks). Their bags are often insulated and come with its own changing pad too! You can use it as a pumping bag as well, it can fit quite a ton of pumping supplies, no doubt!

I used to put my son’s breastmilk in the cooler, some baby food and a sippy cup. At the top, I can fit 2 burp cloths, a change of clothes, 4 diapers, my mommy things in the zipper, snacks, his sandals (in a drawstring bag) comfortably. If I needed to I can still fit quite a few stuff like a breastfeeding cover, a toy, and even an umbrella – yes, an umbrella. With just a bit of packing tips to ram all those things in that backpack, I’d turn you into Mary Poppins!

Now lets talk about my pretty new member! I love the color, the design, the material of the zippers and metals. I chose this gray color so it’s unisex for my husband (there was another color option which was pink) and my previous bag was already black. There is a big back pocket where I can keep my mommy stuff like my wallet, cellphone and etc where they are really safe and I can be more carefree. I love that it has a tissue/wet wipe holder, it just makes on the go diaper changing a breeze.

It has one insulated cup holder which is fine with me – I only bring 1 bottle of breastmilk anyway, sometimes I don’t and just breastfeed him directly! I’m sure with how I pack my bag, I can fit his sippy cup just right and snug (his sippy cup is non-spill and insulated anyway). I would have preferred probably two thermal bottle holders and that would be enough now that my son is bigger and eats solids. A sippy cup and one bottle of breastmilk (plus snacks) and his little tummy is happy. It doesn’t comes with a changing pad, but my old one had one so I just transferred it. I love the separate compartments (no need for a bag organizer!) and the “wet pocket” as I like to call it where I put anything that can spill like alcohol and baby oil to avoid any messes. I use the middle compartment for diapering like his changing pad, diapers and wipes which makes it such a breeze for changing time!

 

I essentially pack the same old things, just in a different order and its definitely more spacious without the cooler bit of it. And super duper cute! I used to pack my mom stuff in the front pocket but I have to check it often if anything goes missing, especially from thieves, a backpack isn’t as safe as I would want it – but it’s the only easiest way to go out with a toddler. But hey, with this backpack’s mommy pocket is at the bag and essentially not visible when worn so I can keep all my valuables there! I really love backpack baby bags, I really do suggest it, if you go out with your toddler alone often or you are a single mom. Really love this new purchase/gift! Happy birthday to me!

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11 Reasons to Have a Freezer Stash (of Breastmilk)

1. For when you get sick.

Ofcourse its best to really take care of yourself as a mom, as a breastfeeding mom (yes, I meant to put those on separately), and having just been pregnant and in your postpartum phase – we should all take care of ourselves. But unforeseen circumstances still occur and we may need to take antibiotics and I have heard tons of stories about this. Sometimes you wouldn’t able to breastfeed because the medicines are too strong. An ideal way to deal with this is to continue to pump (if you still want to continue to breastfeed once you get better) and dump or use it as a milk bath for your baby (or even for you, actually).

2. When you get your period.

Oftentimes our milk supply dips when we get our monthly visitor, so its just best to be prepared.

3. Growth spurts.

They drink more milk during growth spurts and if you want to go along your business like chores, or your prepared bottles while you’re away at work might not be enough. So it’s best to have some extra milk in the fridge or freezer so you wouldn’t be too worried that he’s hungry and the babysitter can tap into the stash.

4. When you have to go away.

For work or just for you, in general. Just a breather a short vacation or even just a day trip, maybe a second honeymoon with the husband.

5. Date night!

You are parents now but you are still a couple and don’t lose touch or sight on that.

6. When you have to step out and do some errands and need your hands free.

And lets face it we just get more things done when were alone.

7. For baby’s bonding time with dad.

8. For baby’s bonding time with others, grandparents, godparents, etc

9. On special occassions.

On a wedding when your gown isn’t breastfeeding friendly, or even when you just want to get dressed or wear a dress or something that isnt breastfeeding friendly for a change. Nothing’s wrong with getting in touch with your old self.

10. When going back to work from maternity leave.

They say you would only need enough milk for a day or the time that you are away. But when you’re back to work, you would never have the time like you have on your leave to build your stash. So why not? But you don’t have to stress over having that stash, but a couple of bottles wouldn’t be so bad to have as a back up, right?

11. For providing breastmilk longer than what you would like.

If and when you’re already planning to stop breastfeeding, it’s nice to still have a stash so you can still give your little one breastmilk even when you have weaned off the boob! Free milk? Who can say no to that? And extended ‘breastfeeding’ has tons of benefits too – even if it is from the bottle – it’s the best thing for your little babe.

Tips

• If you have a small freezer,to optimize your space, it’s best to use breastmilk bags. And use one that is trusty and sturdy! You wouldn’t want a bag breaking on you – first of all, it would be a hot mess and second of all, it would really make you tear up! I know it’s happened to me once or twice and it was horrible! Pumping a full bag of milk is a lot of work that is why I suggest using Orange and Peach‘s breastmilk bags. They have a couple of bags with different measurements for when your baby is younger or just simply eats less. It’s nice to have an exact amount of what baby eats in a bag so you wouldn’t waste any milk!
• Be prepared with contact numbers of dry ice deliveries in your area in case of power outtages. Its always best to have a back up plan when storing such precious liquid gold!

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Motherhacker

Babies consume milk starting from 4 ounces onto 9 ounces. In order to save up and not waste any bottles you purchase, it is best to buy what’s in between. You could purchase 6 ounce bottles and just don’t fill them all the way up when feeding you baby. Like I said in previous blogs, I love Avent’s transition cup since you can use it for a far longer time. I love long term things. It has an adaptor wherein you can have your baby get used to a sippy cup. This is also great to just try sometimes and if he still can’t do it, you can just switch the adaptor to the nipple again.

To elaborate on the bottle topic, you could also choose 9 ounce bottles off the bat, but I think it might smother your baby so much. And by the way! Purchase these online. Avent bottles are really pricey in malls.

Portable changing pads. If you are interested in this, like I was, I recommend it. I really wanted one of these when I saw them online ’cause it’s so mom savvy! However, I just opt for regular baby towels/burp towels/ baby blankets to change baby when we’re out.

Speaking of baby towels, like I’ve mentioned before, anything that says baby on it prices shoot up instantly! A cheap trick is to purchase or use what I call ‘head towels’ back at home. They’re the medium sized towels just right for baby. Atleast it could be used by you when baby outgrows them. I have the Aquazorb ones, they’re great! They have the same – or even better – texture like baby towels. It’s a good investment for you and baby!

To save up on having to wash mattresses and etc constantly when baby has accidents (yes, I’ve mentioned this before). I just want to reiterate, waterproof everything! And you can also do this for your stroller just to be safe when baby spills.

On the stroller side, just a segue, always research and ask. You should be sure you could strip your stroller’s cloth so if you can machine wash them. And ask how to strip them off to avoid damaging it (especially in our case when we only opt to buy one stroller until baby grows).

Toys. Another advice on toys, being the thrifty and eco-freak that I am. Please use good old fashioned wind up toys and music boxes! We all had them when we were younger, right? To save up on battery consumption or electricity, these are great. Wind up music boxes are great for lullabies for baby at night to help her fall asleep.

Using a needle syringe for giving medicine, if you have any lying around. Sometimes you can take some from the hospital. Of course make sure they’re clean and they were used on you. haha! And without stating the obvious, throw away the needle of course.

Radiation. Not good for the baby! Whether she’s still in your womb or out, it’s actually not healthy for anyone to always be exposed to radiation. The number 1 culprit? Cellphones. But then again how do we function these days without them right? For those who opt to use their phones for lullabies for baby, that’s okay, there’s a solution. Aside from getting a music box, you could always get a radiation bag. But for me, being the thrifty mom, just turn on your airplane setting! It blocks the radiation. The downside to all of this is that, if you get a radiation bag or if you turn on your airplane settings, you won’t have any signal therefore can’t receive or send messages. So if you really must, then just opt for a music box, it’s cute and nostalgic.

Penny for your thoughts?

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