Discovery of the Week: Pure Lanolin

Magic in a Tube!

Pure Lanolin is used to heal and soothe dry and chapped nipples and dry skin/sore bum due to diaper rash. I had this annoying dry, sore, and cracked patch on my hand that won't go away despite the layers and layers of lotion and cream I slather on it. So last night, I thought why not try Pure Lanolin? If it's safe enough to be applied on nipples/ingested by babies, it's safe enough for my extremely sensitive skin, right?

The Wonders of Reading + Look It's About Me Review

Whisk me away to a magical dreamland!

I am a self-confessed book addict (veering away from the name "bookworm" so it doesn't sound too dorky. Hihi). I love books. I carry them anywhere, everywhere I go. I could literally sit on one corner for hours on end and finish a good book or two. See, I have always been fascinated by the wonders of books and reading. Books have this special power of taking you to places within and beyond your imagination (and sky is the limit if you let it be!). They capture a certain sense of adventure, magic, and wonder that nothing else can replace. 

With every book I read, I know that within every page is an adventure waiting to come alive, a story waiting to begin, and a mystery waiting to be unfolded! Books are just one of the greatest things in the world.

This is why at a very young age, I am determined to share my passion of books and reading with my son. I have loved Dr. Seuss all my life! His works were actually one of the first few books I got for my son. Read more about it here. 

Whenever things start to feel a bit gloomy, I always look to Dr. Seuss for some inspiring words of wisdom.

See, one of the things that made me love books and reading even more is that there is no age limit to it and you only need your eyes and your sense of imagination and wonder. Children are never too young and adults can never be too old to go on an adventure. These thin sheets of paper creates a wondrous portal that provides every reader a very unique experience.

Now, this is somewhere I wouldn't mind getting lost in!

Sniffles and Boogies: BabyComfyNose Review

J is and was never a sickly child. I owe it all to breastfeeding and I am so grateful that he's never been ill since birth—given a couple of fevers from his initial vaccinations. He never got fevers with the succeeding shots. 

Since he has started eating solids, I gave him a whole egg for breakfast and he developed allergic symptoms that night. He was feeling so uncomfortable and kept waking up in between quick snoozes. He finally got so frustrated  gave in, and cried. He was crying so bad due to sleepiness and the discomfort caused by the allergic reaction that his nose started to run. His runny nose added to the discomfort which caused him to get even more frustrated and cry—and so the cycle goes.

I have 2 bulb nasal aspirators—a regular one in grey that came with his Safety 1st First Aid and Grooming Kit and a white American Red Cross-certified aspirator with added features such as a safety stopper (to ensure that it doesn't slip through your child's nasal canal) and a draining chamber. I have tried using both and I must say it's quite annoying and frustrating to use. It doesn't effectively extract/suction out mucus.

Our Bulb Aspirators: Safety 1st (grey) and American Red Cross (white)

Give Your Kids an Amaize-ing Day of Play

Kids. They just love to play, sweat, and get gritty-nitty down right dirty. For them, playing is a form of learning—which I strongly believe in! They achieve holistic learning through the mental and physical stimulation of playing. They are like tiny sweat machines running on curiosity, excitement, imagination, and wonder. Play is such an amazing, magical, and wonderful part of a child's life. When I say "Play", I mean the kind of play we as kids enjoyed—playing in the streets, getting dirty, stinky, and sweaty—because every kid likes to play and they really love to sweat!

Sweat. It's every mother's worst enemy. Not only do you get dirty and stinky kids, there's also a chance of them acquiring coughs, colds, and skin diseases.Chuck away your "bimpos", "lampins", and wet wipes. You can now chill out and relax cause there's a new and Amaize-ing guy in town to put all your "sweat fears" to rest.

Post-Partum Hair Loss

Let's discuss something that most moms with babies as J's age experience- Post-Partum Hair Loss. Grrrr, it's annoying, disgusting, and scary, all at the same time! Imagine taking a bath one day and finding HUGE clumps of hair clogging up the drain. Think about brushing your hair and seeing a handful of hair stuck in between the bristles, with more hair falling off your shoulders and on the floor. Totally annoying and terrifying. I thought something was wrong with me or that perhaps my shampoo was too harsh.

I shall not post any photos of my hairbrush nor the clogged drain as they are too graphic. It would seem like "It" from the Addams Family resides in both. So anyway, as it turns out, post-partum hair fall or hair loss happens to all moms who have recently given birth and it goes on up until your child reaches the age of 1. One year old, seriously???

Things I Love: Summer Must-Haves

Summer is here! Get your skin prepped with these lovely, all-natural products for that healthy, glowing, beach-ready skin!

1. Nanny Rose's Sticks and Pulls All-natural Honey Wax Hair Remover: Get ready to put on that bikini you have been wanting to wear all year long! Remove those unsightly hairs in the bikini and underarm area the natural way with Nanny Rose's Sticks and Pulls Honey Wax.

2. Nanny Rose's After Wax Salve: Show your newly waxed skin some love and slather on some after wax salve with a delicious and nourishing concoction of calming and soothing Chamomile, Sweet Almond Oil, and refreshing Cucumber. 

3. Mir and Ryvi Organics Beauty Soaps: Get that beautiful and healthy glow from nourishing face and body bath soaps from Mir and Ryvi. Made from all-natural and organic ingredients that nourishes your skin. Each soap is formulated to suit specific needs. The Tomato Soap gets rid of those annoying face and back acne, Papaya Soap gives your skin that wonderful bright glow, while the Banana skin has skin lightening and anti-aging properties.

With these products at hand, you are sure to get that beach-ready healthy glowing skin!

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Su-su-su-sugar town!

24 hours in a day definitely isn't enough, especially for new moms like me. If we could only stretch the hours and make so we could have enough "me time" (SHOWER, get pampered, SLEEP) and "mommy duty time" (chores), we would. When you're a mom or someone who doesn't have enough time on their hands, it's so easy to neglect ourselves.

Let's Get Physical...in 30 minutes! Circuit Training

For as long as I can remember, I have always been such an active person. My mom told me stories of how I was like my super hyper little man when I was his age. At home and at school, I would race my friends and played all day long, with my high energy level never ceasing. In grade school and college, I played football and was a member of the Women's Varsity Football Team. We played against burly women who played the sport professionally, and against our very own Men's Team. I also played amongst a Men's Team at the University of the Philippines. I was so brimming with energy even during my pregnancy that I ended up in the hospital, twice. I was moving around too much that I had strong contractions and almost gave birth prematurely (good thing my doctor was very cautious and prevented it)! A few days after giving birth, I was already moving about, walking all the way from my hospital room to the car.

Medela Harmony Manual Breastpump Review

Medela is a brand well-known among breastfeeding mothers. It is one of the most widely used and most established brand of electric and manual breastpumps. The brand has also received numerous positive reviews . As a first-time mom, given the countless brands of breastpumps in the market, with price and quality in consideration, it was overwhelming to choose one that's best suited for my needs.

Medela pumps and/or most breastpumps, for that matter, can be quite expensive, with prices ranging from P3,000 up to as much as P100,000++, which is why it's very important to choose a pump that's best suited for your needs and will last a long time.

Gone Green for the Holidays: Charlie's Soap Review

Being a mom, I am always finding ways to improve my child's life and give him the healthiest and safest living environment. I want him to grow up in a world where he'll get to enjoy all the good things life has to offer. That's why in all the products I use, I make sure they are all baby-safe and eco-friendly. We easily over-look small things such as using eco-friendly laundry detergents. Detergents can easily pollute our water resources, which is why it's is very important to choose one that won't have any damaging effects on the environment.

The good news? We now have Charlie's Soap! A safe, non-toxic, biodegradable soap that's safe for babies, hypoallergenic, and best of all- ECONOMICAL! 

Charlie's Soap is an American brand that has been around since 1976. Their products are all made with coconut oil base and contain pure, highest grade, completely soluble, Green River, WY soda ash (washing soda). Their soap formulas have been fully tested for non-toxicity (Duke University) and biodegradability (Japan Food Research Labs) and effectiveness (SGS US Testing Labs).

Pigeon Silicone Nipple Shield Review

Baby Dragon turns 1 month today! Wow! How time flies! I have been exclusively breastfeeding him since Day 1 and I intend to keep at it. At day 3, baby was feeding so much that I suffered from extremely sore and cracked nipples. It breaks my heart to stop breastfeeding him just because of the pain, so I asked Daddy J to grab me some nipple shields. He got me some silicone nipple shields from Pigeon. I was so excited to test it out and had him sterilize it right away. As with everything that goes into your baby's mouth (especially newborns), you must thoroughly wash and sanitize them before every use.

Bonding with Baby

We're nearly there! As I'm working on managing contractions, I make sure I still get to bond with baby and monitor his health. I'm using this nifty little device to monitor baby's heartbeat while dealing with contractions. My very own Doppler! :)

Your Pregnant Body: Stretch marks and other oddities

Pregnancy causes such drastic and HUGE changes in your life- emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically. It's important for us moms (especially new ones like me!)  to understand that these changes are all parts of our journey through pregnancy, thus we must learn to fully embrace and welcome them into our lives. 

Nothing compares to the amazing feeling of bliss from having to share your life with someone wonderfully special. Giving life, growing, and nurturing that tiny little person inside you. Even until now, I am in such awe of how I was so blessed to be able to carry this handsome little monkey in my belly for 9 months! Isn't pregnancy such an amazingly wonderful adventure?

But mind you, it's not all pretty little butterflies and sweet little prairie flowers. Pregnancy is not an easy journey! Imagine walking around with an ever-growing watermelon in your belly, having to pee every half an hour, getting acne breakouts like it's middle school, middle of the night hunger pangs, insatiable cravings, bloatedness and gasiness, morning sickness, those sometimes awkward and weird emotional moments when you just feel like bawling for no reason, and the our biggest enemy: STRETCH MARKS! 

Oh, baby! Are we there yet???

Baby's Hospital Bag x Cycles and Cradle Giveaway

The fun and excitement just never stop! Less than 2 weeks until our little sunshine pops out! As I have mentioned in my recent post, so much preparations have been done these past few months for our little sunshine's arrival!

Prior to daddy and I's preparations for the Big Day, I've prepared baby's things that went into the hospital bag beforehand. I diligently checked and re-checked my lists to make sure we have everything baby will need upon delivery. I laid out all his clothes and layette sets, receiving blanket, going-home clothes, etc and prepared them for laundry, disinfecting, ironing, and further disinfecting. Yeah, by now you could clearly see how OC and extremely meticulous I am! I even hand-washed his clothes to make sure every nook and cranny is well accounted for.

Our prepared stash for the endless laundry and dishwashing duties ahead.

Since newborn skin is extremely sensitive, I used Cycles Mild Laundry Detergent to wash the little one's clothes, burp cloths, receiving blankets, and all his other stuff, which went in the bag. I really love how good it smells and how gentle it was not only on his clothes, but on my skin as well ( I have extremely sensitive skin). 

I also love that Cycles is made from environment-friendly, baby-safe, hypo-allergenic, phosphate-free, ultra mild ingredients and has anti-bacterial properties. It's specifically made for babies, so I am confident that Cycles will provide my baby's clothes and skin the same quality care it has provided thousands of Cycles babies and moms. As a first-time mom, I am very concerned about my child's health and his surroundings, as well. By using baby-safe and eco-friendly products like Cycles, I know that I am providing my baby and the environment with the best care a mother can give.

Available in 1.5L, 1kg, 800ml, 100g x 3, 250ml

Another thing about the brand which made me appreciate it more was that it was started by a mom, like me! Cycles is a brand started by mothers headed by Emily; a meticulous, loving and protective mom. Since mothers like her want to give the best personal care to their babies, Emily was prompted to form EVEolution, Inc. The company’s thrust is to become a reliable mommy partner because it understands the needs of mothers who continuously seek to provide safe, sensible and effective products to their precious little ones. Knowing that Cycles is made by moms for moms like you and I, is a very re-assuring thought.

They recently came out with a new Anti-bacterial Stain Soaker. It's color-safe and does not contain harsh chemical such as chlorine, optical brighteners, and dyes. It kills E.Coli, Staph, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (causes Respiratory Infections), and Salmonella. Perfect for soaking baby's stained bibs, burping cloths, and cloth diapers!

Available in 500g containers and Stain Pretreater Pen

I also used Cradle Baby Bottle and Nipple Cleanser for the breast pump, breast milk containers, and baby bottles. My hands get so irritated, sore, and dries out with household dishwashing liquid. Cradle was gentle enough on my hands, so I know it'll the same on my breastfeeding essentials. It's made from natural and edible ingredients found in plant extracts. Safe yet highly effective in removing tough milk and residues, and in getting rid of foul odors from feeding bottles, bottle nipples and other accessories. Cradle is so safe, you can even use it to wash fruit and vegetables.

Available in 700ml and 200ml Travel size Bottles, 500ml and 150ml Refill Packs

Win P 1,000 worth of Baby Products from Cycles and Cradle!

To share the same gentle care Cycles and Cradle provides my little one and thousands of other Cycles and Cradle babies, I am giving away a Gift Pack from Cycles and Cradle which contains the following:

Cycles Stain Soaker (500g)

Cycles Laundry Detergent Powder (1kg)

Cradle Toy and Surface Spray Cleanser (500ml)

Cradle Baby Bottle and Nipple Cleanser (700ml)

Just follow the steps on Rafflecopter below and get to experience the same gentle and motherly care Cycles and Cradle provides us Cycles and Cradle babies and moms.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cycles and Cradle are available at the following:

Luzon: Alabang Supermarket Babyland Baby & Co. / Nursery Care Cash & Carry Dept Store Cash & Carry Supermarket HB1 Landmark Dept Store Landmark Supermarket Robinsons Supermarket * Savemore * SM Supermarket * Shopwise S&R Super SM Hypermarket Rustans Dept Store Rustans Supermarket Unimart Waltermart * CVC Cainta, Malinta, Valenzuela, Caloocan Infanticipation Filinvest Alabang Jumbo Jenre DAU Pampanga NE Pacific - Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija Pioneer Superstore Mandaluyong South Supermarket Alabang Sta. Lucia Department Store Cainta Sta. Lucia Supermarket Cainta * selected branches only

Visayas: Metro Gaisano Gaisano Grand Foodah Park Mall Island City Mall Bohol Lee Plaza Dumaguete Mindanao: Gaisano Mall Victoria Plaza Department Store Chimes NCCC Mall KCC Mall

Have a Happy Mommy Day!

 ❤

Happy Mommy

Product Review: Bite Block Insect Repellent Lotion

Bite Block Insect Repellent Lotion

Rainy Season means Dengue Fever Season. A big Red Flag for an expectant mom like me. I would not risk suffering from any form of illness at this stage, which is why I'm extremely cautious with my health and well-being (well, minus the sleeplessness and uncontrollable workaholic urge). I have been diligently cleaning and emptying any potential nesting grounds for mosquito eggs and replacing water in my plant vases. But lately, I've been getting so many insect bites wherever I go. So, I've decided to arm myself against these nasty bugs.

Second Adventure: A late post

June 19, 2012

Third Trimester!
I'm now 20 weeks and 3days. (22 weeks According to LMP)
Baby is even more active than ever!
Movements and kicks are even more pronounced! I can see my belly move and raise up whenever baby kicks. Baby's kicking harder and I get startled and get woken up at times.
I've been playing intrusmental and classical music for baby at 2 months. Baby responds to music even more now and I think baby has already picked a few favorites from the playlist I made.

Halfway through my pregnancy and I'm just so excited to see my little angel.

I'll have my 3rd ultrasound at 26 weeks. I'll need another CAS again because baby was too young at that time. We will also find out baby's gender! Ooooh, I can't wait! I've been trying to get some gender "predictions" using tests with scientific studies and the Chinese Calendar.

CHINESE GENDER CHART
Click Image to Enlarge.

At 28 weeks, I'll have my TDAP vaccines. TDAP stands for Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis
By getting a TDAP Vaccine during pregnancy, you'll be able to transfer the antibodies to your newborn, which will help protect your baby from TDAP until he or she can be vaccinated. The TDAP Vaccine is P1,700 at St. Luke's Medical Center, to be administered by your OB-GYN.

Another test is FBS (fasting Blood Sugar Test).
Pregnant women, especially asians, are prone to Diabetes, due to our carbohydrate-rich diet (rice, noodles,etc).

I've started slathering that cocoa butter cream to "prevent" stretch marks and to relieve that weird ithcy feeling. My doctor said stretch marks are inevetable and serves as a pregnancy "battle scar"/"proof". Everyone who's gotten pregnant gets them. I beg to differ so I religously maintain my morning and everning ritual.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Massage Cream for Stretch Marks P495 is available at Watson's and Rustan's.  I like how it smells like vanilla and chocolate. The smell is relaxing and soothing. It's a thick cream that glides on wonderfully, a bit greasy for me, though. There's another brand called No Stretch Marks Lotion by J. Thomas. Its around P550 at Watson's. I haven't tried it nor have seen any reviews about it.

I've also started looking into Prepared Birthing Classes. I'm still undecided between Lamaze and Bradley Method. I've been reading a lot about other mom's experience with Lamaze under Rome Kanapi. All the feedbacks I've read were positive, plus Rome also holds classes at the Mayo Clinic in Ateneo.

Also been thinking about Cord Blood Banking. Considering the high costs versus the benefits for my child. Cordlife Philippines offers Cord Blood Banking Services. P40,000 fee upon enrollment and P8000 annual fee. StemCord Philippines, the country's pioneer in cord blood banking, costs around P55,000 upon enrollment and an P8,000 annual fee. Conveniently, StemCord has an office at St. Luke's Medical Center. I'm having mixed feelings on this matter.

In the meantime, I shall relish every single moment the joys of pregnancy gives me.

Til my next post.

Have a Happy Mommy Day!

Prenatal Massage Review: Zen Asia Spa

I wrote about Prenatal Massage as a way to soothe pregnancy aches and pains in one of my previous posts. Read about it at  http://happymommyadventures.blogspot.com/2012/07/soothing-pregnancy-aches-and-pains-pre.html

One of the Spas I've featured on that post was Zen Asia Spa located at 25 Timog Avenue, 2nd Floor Riviera Filipino Bldg, Quezon City. One Sunday Afternoon, Daddy and I decided to try out their Prenatal Massage services. 

Waiting Area

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the receptionist and were asked to fill out our names on a log book. We got the Couples Room, Prenatal Massage for mommy and Shiatsu Massage for daddy. After several minutes, our massage therapist asked us to proceed to the massage area and change into our robes.

The massage area was a dim narrow hallway, with curtains separating each area or "room". There weren't any massage beds, but they had massage mattresses on platforms. What I didn't like about it was that the curtains didn't provide much privacy and relaxation. You could hear footsteps, other people coming and going, and talking. During our therapy session, someone suddenly opened the curtain. Good thing there weren't other people at the hallway at the time or we would have been "exposed".

Hallway. Curtains separate each massage area.

The Prenatal Massage.

It was okay, considering it only costed 300. The therapist was very careful and gentle, I even had to ask her to knead harder. It wasn't as relaxing as I thought it would be but she was able to relieve me of the shoulder pains. She had to avoid the hands and feet as these areas/points are not supposed to be touched to avoid contractions on a pregnant woman. 

My Verdict: It was okay- I wasn't really happy and fully satisfied. The place isn't pregnant-friendly, to be honest. The floors were slippery with oil, they also did not provide non-slip slippers. These are major hazards for Pregnant Women.

Daddy's Verdict: He didn't enjoy it. His therapist's kneading felt uncomfortable and "sharp".

Zen Asia Spa is located at  25 Timog Avenue, 2nd Floor Riviera Filipino Bldg, Quezon City. 

Prenatal Massage rate is 300 per hour.
*photos from Zen Asia Spa's website: www.zenasiaspa.com

Dry Skin during Pregnancy and Product Review: Celeteque Dermoscience+ Hydration Facial Moisturizer

To some women, pregnancy causes dry skin due to the hormonal changes in the body. Hormonal changes in the body rob skin of elasticity (hello, stretch marks!) and oil and skin turns flaky, ashy, and itchy. The best way to avoid this is through proper hydration. By drinking and ingesting the recommended amount of fluids for pregnant women and applying lotions and moisturizers that are safe for pregnant women.