Mommy Practicality

Friday, October 12, 2018

#FamilyGhouls: No tricks, ALL Treats - Cocoon Boutique Hotel and Hive Hotel's First Halloween Party

Tuesday, October 09, 2018

#StepsBySteph's Home Party Hosting And Kitchen Tips With Sanicare

A few weeks ago, I was invited to an intimate lunch mommy meet up dubbed as #StepsBySteph hosted by Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi with the help of Sanicare. It was held in ultimately instagramable The Photo Kitchen at Poblacion, Makati.

As a stay-at-home mom without any helper, I've always been refusing to host lunches or dinners at home for family or friends and find myself volunteering other people's homes as an alternative venue. I feel overwhelmed instantly just thinking about the food I have to prepare, home set up or decor, tidying up the whole place and also the pressure of my guests' impressions about our home and the food served. These things stress me out.

So to be able to be present during the meet up was indeed a treat for me. I am thankful to be one of the selected moms to be there to learn, to dine, to connect with other moms through sharing of stories, tips and hacks, struggles, and the world of social media and how it affects kids these days.

Anyway, I am writing because I had a wonderful experience and I learned so much that day. I want to share them with you. I learned a lot from Stephanie about how entertaining guests at home could be a breeze, to preparing and selecting what food to serve, to cooking, to beautifying the home.

Here are my key takeaways:

Food Preparation, Cooking, and Serving

You just need 2 star recipes on your menu. You don't need to super impress guests by cooking too many, you own a home not a restaurant. Make sure these two or at least one recipe is your specialty or signature dish, which your guests will talk about.

When cooking, especially frying, put a hand towel over the arm you use to handle tongs or other cooking utensils. So you won't get burnt by hot cooking oil when frying when it accidentally pops out. Or be burnt by hot steam of boiling soup. This is also the reason why chefs wear long sleeved uniforms - for protection.

No to food wastes. Regularly check your ref for about to spoil vegetables. Take them out, chop in bit sizes (or however you want them) and put in a pot for a healthy vegetable soup. Up to you if you want it clear or creamy thick soup.

Herbs get longer ref shelf life if kitchen/paper towel is used to absorb moisture. Put in in a glass container too. Choose a product produced from safe materials such as Sanicare.

Use Sanicare kitchen towels or paper towels in absorbing excess oil of fried foods before serving them to your guests.

Wine is optional, but opt for it. It is best paired with your slow cooked chicken or tender steaks and ribs. There are many types of wines which are good and not too expensive.

Beautifying Your Homes

Have a signature scent so people will remember your homes well, the conversations and the experience. Your party will be one for the books.

Keep kitchen ALWAYS clean. Kitchen towels are very useful in doing this job well. Paper towels are convenient to pull, but kitchen towels are thicker and have better coverage. Make it a habit to always CLAYGO (Clean As You Go)

Be intentional in keeping your toilets lovely smelling and guests-friendly. You will have guests over and they will frequent the toilet. Be generous in having Sanicare paper towels, tissues, and toilet papers. Make sure you also stock on extra packs of these in the toilet. Also, put these other essentials too such as perfume, Sanicare foaming hand sanitizer, soap, powder, and lotion

The Experience
It was an amazing experience to be there in the meet up and join conversations with other moms who I discovered have the same struggles and triumphs as I do as a wife, a mother, and a homemaker. I had a short but meaningful me-time because

I savored every bite of the food Stephanie cooked for us
I learned so many home, kitchen, toilet, and party hacks with the help of Sanicare products.
I connected with both old and new mom friends I usually just see online.
I took home a bagful of Sanicare home and kitchen products for personal use. We've been using Sanicare at home so this was a big blessing to me. :)

Here's one exciting news, the intimate mom meet up will be featured in Stepahie Zubiri-Crespi's Feast With Me YouTube channel. I'll tell you all more about it when the video is out. Meanwhile, here are more photos from the lunch mommy gathering.

To get updates from Stephanie's recipes, books, feasts, and even her fashion follow her on Instagram and subscribe to her YouTube channel as well.

For more info on Sanicare products like their Facebook page and follow them on Instagram

Tuesday, October 02, 2018

Why Active Kids Need A Pair Of Banana Peel Crewe Junkyard Flip-Flops

Tuesday, October 02, 2018

7 Healthy Habits Every Child Should Learn

Being a parent is a magical thing, but a saying you may well have heard before is very fitting here; with great power, comes great responsibility. Being a parent gives you chance to steer your children in the right direction and pass on good habits to the future generation.

Use these slices of advice to see your children adopt healthy habits for now and in the future.

1. Socialize with their friends

A study carried out by the Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review cites that having friends and making friendships are both essential elements of being a child and having a healthy development at school age.

You may remember, but the pastime of playing with friends gives children the chance to teach themselves how to behave and develop social skills including:

Communication
Cooperation
Problem-solving

Ideally, you should be encouraging your little ones to form an array of friendships and to also frequently play with their friends. It’s these skills they develop that they can use, develop and draw upon as they get older.

2. Make eating enjoyable

A great habit for you and your children to get into is to eat a vast range of colourful foods. The health benefits are plentiful when it comes to nutrition, meaning they will avoid the onset of illnesses and conditions related to poor food choices.

The British Heart Foundation offers a lovely breakdown of different coloured foods that you can incorporate into meals, helping to broaden horizons and expand young palates.

Don’t fret if you’re not the best chef ever and remember that you don’t have to provide a rainbow of foods on your kid’s plates each evening; it’s about moderation. By incorporating a range of fruits and vegetables, you’re heading in the right direction while also preventing eating becoming a chore.

3. Be active

It’s a fact that not all children fall in love with sport and physical activity. However, there’s likely to be some kind of activity out there that catches their eye. Once you know they’re enjoying whatever activity/sport this is, encourage them to stick with it; this will help them to find it easier to stay healthy and active.

Being regularly active also helps with sleep, and sleep gives children the chance to develop physically and mentally, forming a healthy trifecta that should be incorporated in every child’s life as they grow up.

This might not come until later in their childhood, so don’t force the issue, but be there to offer support and advice when the time comes. Do all you can do to expose your little ones and before you know it they’ll be asking for lifts to practice!

4. Don’t stand for a sedentary lifestyle

Tying in nicely with the last slice of advice, another healthy habit to get your children into is to not let them turn into couch potatoes. According to research by the Mayo Clinic, children who view in excess of two hours of TV per day are at higher risk of suffering a host of issues such as:

Obesity
Diminished performance in education
Troubles in dealing with emotional and social situations, as well as attention disorders
Disturbed sleep
Reduced time spent playing

5. Encourage daily reading

Developing strong reading skills as early as possible will stand your kids in great stead for the future. This is such a vital skill they will take with them throughout their lives, and despite all the tech out there these days, a classic paper book is the best way to learn.

Reading assists in encouraging self-esteem, relationships with family and friends, and is useful for overall success as your children grow up.

Bring reading in as part of an essential bedtime routine that will help them develop their skills and also send them to sleep effectively, allowing them to enjoy quality slumber too.

6. Have dinner as a family

This one can often come as a sticky wicket for many families due to the frantic demands bestowed upon parents these days. However, don’t let that stop you from trying to enjoy a family meal together as they hold much importance.

Sitting down to eat a family meal together, brings and creates tighter family bonds, helps children to become more well-adjusted, gives you the chance to ensure your little ones are eating nutritious meals and reduces the chances of obesity.

7. Stay positive

We’re finishing on a point that many of us could remember to feature in our lives. You will know perfectly well how easy it is to become disheartened at things in life when it’s not all going to plan.

As a parent though, you can show your children how effective being resilient can be and how staying positive will have the connotations that they will thrive on after initial setbacks.

Having a strong sense of self-esteem and an optimistic frame of mind comes by teaching your kids they are: