February Faves

Fuwa Fuwa: Loaf, Chocolate Roll, Custard Bun

Their chocolate roll and custard buns are definitely a crowd-pleaser! They’re so decadent, soft and luscious! My son particularly loved the chocolate roll and it’s now a staple in our home that he snacks on. It’s also a great baon or packed lunch idea for the kids. I love their bread loaf it’s so soft and thick. It’s also very dense and it gets me full real quick even with just one slice! So just one loaf goes a looong way in this household.

Euky Bear Humidifier from Koofty EnterprisesRelaxing and very chill mist and not overwhelming at all. Even if the mist is very light and perfect for little babies, it still can fill our whole room with that very calming scent of the essential oil of your choice. We got this bad boy when there was a flu going around the house and we all definitely were thankful and needed it a lot! Now I know what the fuss is about humidifiers! I realized how helpful it is to ease out a clogged nose not just with me but with my son as well. I also love that it’s very easy to pull apart and fill or even clean out – very user-friendly! Euky Bear also carries their own kind and blend of essential oils that specifically say that it’s for use with steam inhalation which is really great for infants. The humidifier also came with cleaning tablets that maintain your humidifier. I’ve had other humidifiers that don’t even mist or after a few uses just broke on me and after using this one for a couple of months, it has really stood the test of time, especially with these tablets!

Delmont Cleaning: Mattress and Sofa CleaningThis is one of the things every mom should be doing regularly especially with babies or even toddlers around. You could do it every 6 months or as regularly as you can! Delmont Cleaning actually even has the whole package so you can do all your cleaning in one day – it saves you from talking to different cleaners: they do house/condominium cleaning, pest control, and furniture cleaning and steaming. My mattress and sofa desperately needed some deep cleaning because even if I’m a stay at home mom and I can clean regularly – there are still “unwipeable” particles especially from baby snacks, spills, sticky hands, and everything in between! Our couch and mattress take the most beating from accidents and I would definitely prioritize these. Delmont Cleaning deep cleans with three processes with different machines like a different vacuum and a different steamer so you know they mean business! After the process, they showed me just how much gunk was in our furniture and it truly is disgusting. Thankfully I finally had this done and will definitely do it more regularly because I just couldn’t believe we kept lounging in that couch with that much dirt seeping in it!

Veezees Clothing’s TernoProducts from Veezees store are of such great quality which is a trial and error when shopping online – and it’s great that I get to test out the market and shops out there for you! I love these top and bottom PJ’s that are so versatile – I picked this camo terno since I think I can mix and match it that he can pull it off when we go out even just to get some groceries.

Veezees Cloth DiapersThe cloth diaper is of top quality as well! I got some dirt cheap cloth diapers online that came from China they were only about 60 bucks each – yes, you can – BUT I wouldn’t really recommend it. They work but once I got my hands on really good quality diapers like this one from Veezees, I kind of regret purchasing them since I got like about 7 of them. This cloth diaper is suuper cute and the insert is very absorbent! The cloth diapers I have are also already on the last few buttons for my son and this one fits him perfectly with extra! I know it’s going to fit him for longer which is amazing. It has tons more buttons for sizing up without sagging!

Veezees Clothing: Milk CatcherI have had a trial and error with milk catchers. I bought one in the department store when I didn’t know any better and I didn’t want to invest in the Haakaa but it ended up being so painful to use and it wouldn’t even attach to the boob on its own! I was also gifted the Haakaa so I could really compare that one with the Haakaa and the milk catcher from Veezees. And I must say the Haakaa and this milk catcher from Veezees are honestly the same quality! They’re almost twins! I would highly recommend getting one from Veezees and avoid the trial and error and also save a lot of money compared to purchasing the Haakaa. It’s great that I got to try it out first for all of you guys to save you from the hassle and wasted money!

That’s all for now, folks! I have so many exciting stuff coming your way – stay tuned! And follow me on Instagram to see my unboxings and features that are coming soon on the blog!

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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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Birthday Festivities

I decided to have an all-nighter with my girlfriends. I rarely see my friends nowadays since they’re all working and Im always with the little babe at home, momming and wifing. So in these rare occasions, it was great to have kind of a slumber party. As a stay at home mom, I don’t have the luxury to go out much anymore – and so I chose to have my birthday at home. Staying in is much more intimate and I could have my son and my husband with me – sleeping in the next room. Its easier that way since I would be right there if they needed me. Super great idea for clingy moms out there! I also prefer a chill night: we’re all exhausted with our own lives as it is and I know they’re all thanking me for it!

A simple, quite and intimate wine night, pigging out, listening to music. All the ninangs can play with their godson too! And breakfast or probably brunch with your ladies! You can even just cook up some waffles for brunch – And left overs. Mimosas, maybe?

I thawed and heated up breastmilk for the little man and this probably would be best if you would really want the time solely for girlfriends. But you cant help your baby every once in a while trying to get your attention and latch, which did happen a couple of times! But its nice to have daddy take care of everything for now.

We had:

These Hillgrown Mushrooms perf for a movie snack and healthy too. We had them along with some beer and wine for a guiltless pleasure and pulutan. We kept passing these bags back and forth to each other since all flavors were good and we couldn’t believe they were just mushrooms! Why have we been eating junk food all our lives when there’s a perfectly healthy snack such as this out there? I even had a couple of DM’s on my Instagram asking where I got these from so check them out here!

Cake for breakfast. I enjoyed the second layer of this cake with my girls and evenhad it for breakfast ala Kate Spade!

Thank you Mrs. Z’s Treats and Pastries for this gorgeous two-layer luscious chocolate naked cake. Boy, is it a sight for sore eyes! It’s truly a work of art. It made me feel super extra special. You can even have this as a wedding cake! Check out Anne Curtis’ naked wedding cake!

Along with the cake, I got to channel my inner Marie Antoinette with these brazo cupcakes from Sweet Love Cakes and Pastries with some freshly brewed tea. It makes you feel like you’re in the streets of Paris enjoying a pastry, Filipino-style!

Duchess Dips has such smooth and delicious dips! They’re so easy to prepare and is perfect for any kind of chip that needs a make over or a little oomph in your snack spread. Super easy to just pop in the microwave and voila you have such an herby well-made cheese dip and salsa that can make you dance just like the emoji does!

This kilo of roast beef certainly does not disappoint! I had a couple of thin but hungry beavers with me and they certainly did not grow hungry at any point of the night! The meat is so tender and I like that it’s just easy to heat back up again because of its container. Having such a spread easily becomes a star of the show at dinner time. Maechibog has lots more platters to choose from and super easy to order for your next gathering, especially with the holiday season coming up!

 

 

And on the lighter side of things, Harmony Cantonese Kitchen‘s Almond Jelly Float was a good and light dessert after a scrumptious and savory meal. Not too heavy or filling – just that thing that hits the spot when you’re belly’s so full but want that touch of sweetness to cap it off! It’s super light and I like that the syrup is separate and you can add some to your liking. It’s great for the oldies who can’t have heavy sweets too!

Also special thanks to: Pomona Spreads and Luntilikha.

From big and crazy birthday shindigs to mellow home-cooked meals with the old folks. My actual birthday was last August 7th and I celebrated with the girls that weekend (which was a long weeked) on August 11th. On the day itself, we had cake graciously sponsored by Mrs. Z’s Treats and Pastries, a very gorgeous two-layer naked chocolate cake with fresh flowers on top and home-cooked pasta. It was a fun and precious time with family and this cake upped the ante and made me feel even more special on my day! But for such a small family, I took out the top layer for us and saved the bottom for my friends for the weekend (Hacks!).

After dinner, my sister and I were talking about birthdays and how “festive” it was to cap off the night with a glass of wine while washing the dishes. She mentioned how it was called “aging” and I just refuse to call it that, but instead call it simply “adulting” – and my sister says: “Or both!”. Ha! You mature more to reasonable birthday celebrations that you actually enjoy and do what you actually want and not what would make others happy. There was nothing I wanted more than my husband making my favorite pasta for everyone, a quiet night with my loved ones, and a wine night to catch up with my friends. There were no worries since I was just at home and I could see the little babe whenever I wanted to and I didn’t spend much, either! Instead of wasting away money or your health getting drunk – losing your shoe, and ending the night with a completely, unplanned, and unbudgeted bill at the bar.

Shout out to my husband who took this picture, cooked the pasta and entertained my friends, took care of the baby, and sponsored the drinks and etc! Love you!

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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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Don’t panic, it’s organic

Here are my suggestions with what I mentioned earlier for your baby to eat fresh and organic rather than pre-packaged or instant baby food;

One first suggestion is you don’t need a baby food processor or a food processor for that matter. If you already have one, then that’s great! But a blender would work just as fine.

• blended ground oats
• avocados
• bananas
• ripe yellow mangoes
• papayas
• peaches
• pumpkins
• carrots
• peas
• sweet potatoes
• potato
• melons
• apples
• chickpeas
• beans
• tomatoes
• yogurt (optional, use with caution to prevent poopies!)
• boiled eggs
• celery
• spinach
• chicken broth, actual boiled chicken not instant, please!
• Soups from home cooking like tinola, sinigang, etc.
• lentils
• soft tofu
• cauliflower

You can mix these up as you please, especially those that don’t particularly taste good alone. But I recommend you try it first if baby likes it

For older babies who can chew solids already or could be for teething;

• Prunes (minimal, or for those constipated)
• carrots (in strips)
• celery
• kamias 
• indian mango
• green mango
• potatoes/ french fries
• apples
• oranges
• broccoli
• oatmeal
• cereal with milk
• saging na saba
• ginataang mais 
• pineapples
• banana pancake/waffle
• popcorn
• corn on a cob

There are lots more! Be creative! And mommies, breast feed for as long as you can!

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