Having a male-dominated family means there are so many movements going on in our lives. That just means that we're always out and about.  We love the outdoors, we love traveling, we love activities, they love sports, and we love swimming. In short we love the SUN! But we all know that too much sun exposure is highly dangerous to our skins.  That's why it's important to always apply sunscreen that's safe for our skin and doesn't contain harmful ingredients as well.

Gladly, we discovered a brand that protects both the skin and the environment as well with Banana Boat Simply Protect.  It's now even better as it's available for babies, for kids, and adults as well.
Banana Boat, the brand synonymous to skin protection just elevated the playing field to a new level with this latest sunscreen lotion – the Banana Boat Simply Protect.

Banana Boat Simply Protect provides SPF50+ broad spectrum of UVA/UVB protection. It is made with 25% fewer ingredients making the phrase “Less is More“ literally appropriate for the product. It is very light on the skin because it is formulated with no additional fragrances and oils and stays on skin in 7 conditions – sun, heat, wind, pool water, ocean water, sweat, and sand.
Banana Boat Simply Protect also replaced Oxybenzone and Parabens – ingredients that are said to create cellular damage in coral reefs with natural ingredients that are safe and effective in filtering out the sun’s harmful rays but are environmentally friendly.  “ Banana Boat Simply Protect is a product that gives maximum sunscreen protection with very minimal ingredients, making it safe for everyone in the family. It is also micro-plastic free and does not contain Oxybenzone and Parabens making it safe for the environment as well “ said Maricel Quevedo, Banana Boat Brand Manager.

In the Philippines, Banana Boat Simply Protect comes in three (3) variants - the Simply Protect Sports, designed for those who enjoy the active outdoor lifestyles. Simply Protect Kids for kids 4 years old and above, Simply Protect Baby for babies 6 months to 3 years old. Both variants are sting-free and tear-free product made mild and gentle enough even for the most delicate and sensitive skin.
Simply Protect Sports and Simply Protect Kids are available in both Aerosol Spray and Lotion forms while Simply Protect Baby is available in the same lightweight lotion form.  Banana Boat Simply Protect is a product that it is highly recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundation when it comes to protection against harmful rays of the sun. Banana Boat Simply Protect is a global brand manufactured by Edgewell Personal Care and being imported, marketed and distributed in the Philippines by Getz Healthcare.

My happy and satisfied student with Coach Sonny Calingo of Ready Steady Go Kids Philippines

Damien is my youngest son who is almost three years of age.  He's in a stage when he's enjoying his independent exploration (or so he thought but my superMOMpower eyes and ears are all on him) and is very hyperactive.

Damien's first-ever mini obstacle course activity

Hop and move!  Finishing the activity during his first day

I really don't want him to go to a formal traditional/progressive/Montessori pre-school at an early stage because I really believe that toddlers should be free to play.  They learn a lot through play.  Play develops children's imaginations, socialization, motor skills, and even critical thinking. Play even teaches them the values of sharing, kindness, openness, and respect.

Until Ready Steady Go Kids (RSGK) Philippines was recommended to me.

Their Ready Steady Go class huddle

At first, I was hesitant but when I researched about RSGK, I was impressed with their program tailor-fit to pre-schoolers age 2.5 to 6yo.  It is a multi-sport and exercise program designed for pre-schoolers that complements academics through benefits derived from active learning.

With Day 1 of Damien's RSGK class, I was already extremely pleased with what both Damien and I discovered, mostly about him.  It's true when they say, never underestimate your children's capabilities even at such a young age.  I am guilty I did and Ready Steady Go Kids proved me wrong about my son's ability to follow other people's instructions.  My son participated, engaged, and followed instructions from the class' head coach, Coach Sonny.

Coach Sonny personally trains these little athletes to finish the courses set for them each class

Damien following simple instructions and participating in his class

THE READY STEADY GO KIDS PROGRAMME:

• For pre-schoolers age 2.5 to 6 years old
• Multi-sport and exercise program
• 10 sessions of 45 to 50 minutes each
• 3 Class types:
• Ready (2 - 3yo)
• Steady (3 - 4yo)
• Go (4 - 6yo)
• Five sports to cover 10 sessions (Ex. Football, Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Athletics)
• Uses sporting equipment designed especially for pre-school aged children

Coach Sonny calls him Spidey, here he is doing his Spider-Man pose

FUN ACTIVITIES
Each class was a unique experience for Damien and the other toddlers.  Yes, different sports were taught in classes.  Basketball or throwing balls is something familiar to my son.  It was easy for him to get the ball, shoot it.  He also experienced golf in a make-up class he attended one time.  Catching rings was one of his favorites too.  But what was consistent in all classes was the mini obstacle course where the kids wait for turns and finish the course.  Physically, the course involved hopping, bending, balancing, use of the whole body (those cute and soft little hands, feet, and legs), and hand-feet-eye coordination.  Mentally, the course taught kids colors, counting, and shapes.

Basketball time.  Damien waiting for his turn.  He waited miraculously! :)

Again with his Spidey signature pose

Valle Verde make-up class where he experienced playing golf

VALUES-FORMING
I love that the classes made my son become familiarized about the environment and the other kids he socialized.  I love that he listened, participated, cooperated, waited for his turn (but honestly still has to be improved, after all, he's the youngest in his class) and finished tasks. I was surprised that he followed instructions, it was easy to teach him.  Damien developed camaraderie and be more helpful.  He was trained to help pack away toys and for any mom, that's an awesome thing to learn in classes such as this.  Life skills learning unfolded right before me!  He responds well to Coach Sonny and coach assistants because he felt safe with them.  He trusted Coach Sonny and I do too!

Let me smell those kili-kili love! :)

SAFETY
Safety is RSGK's priority.  The bunch of equipment they used was safe for preschool-aged children.  To give you a clearer idea, they made use of the following:

Usual sports equipment used in a RSGK class

• Balls (soft basketballs, tennis balls, and plastic golf balls)
• Hoops/rings
• Hurdles
• Silicone hand-shaped markers (as part of obstacle course tasks)
• Stuffed cloth,
• Cones

I am honored to once again participate in the Baby Dove photo shoot with two of my kids.  Hindi ko na pwede isama syempre ang teenager, because hindi na "baby" yun, pang men's na nga ang gamit niya.  I wasn't able to share on the blog about these photos but nevertheless, here it is.
The photo shoots were for Baby Dove's Mother's Day #RealMoms 2018 and 2019 campaigns.  I am really grateful and proud to be part of this project the first time around and also the second time!  I am happy because my little ones are authentic Baby Dove users especially my youngest so these shoots were memorable!

Locations were shot in beautiful houses with huge windows which helped photographers get bright photos of their subjects.  The setups in the houses were done by INCY ROOMS (you could find their pages here, here and here). All photos were captured by Little Heartbeat Photography.

SHOOTING WITH A TODDLER - An AWESOME Experience with Little Heartbeat Photography
Every Baby Dove shoots I had with my toddler was a #RealMom story..eeerr struggle.  All the photos were real!  Little Heartbeat Photography's team was AWESOME!  Hands down to their talented team for still capturing the beauty of motherhood amidst the chaos, the tantrums, and little cranks of my toddler.

Beyond the skills, it's the eye for a magical moment, for the outburst of joy, for the realness of the connection of their subjects that sets them apart.

Little Heartbeat Photography is a young team with absolutely patient photographers.  They understand how short the attention span of little ones is.  They are quick to shoot.  They know what to capture.  They know how to make the subjects smile or laugh or be distracted.  They are also sensitive to the mommy subjects who may be feeling a bit frustrated with their kids who threw tantrums (that's me actually) and probably are a little bit embarrassed.  They make the moms feel comfortable (that's me again) and let them know that it's okay.
They have an eye for what's beautiful, in fact, all the moments captured even the not-so-beautiful scenarios were made beautiful in their lenses.  What magic is that?  Answer me Little Heartbeat Photography, please? :)
The crew was so friendly, always smiling (even if I know they're exhausted from whole day shoot and energies depleted from all the kids who also magically took the energies away from them), and warm.  A lot of help also came from the beauties from Bridges PR.
We had fun with the two shoots we did with Little Heartbeat Photography.  The photos were so wonderful! Thank you, guys! :)

#REALMOMS 
But that's what I love about the Baby Dove campaign.  The more real mom situations from not only me but other participating moms, the better.  Because their message is that there really aren't perfect moms, only real ones.  Social media photos with perfect smiles from kids and well-arranged houses could be deceiving or sometimes could put pressure on many moms like you and me.  It makes you think am I doing it right?  Am I doing enough?  Am I good enough?
YES MOMMY!  You are enough!  You do YOU!  You're the BEST MOM there is for your kids and no one could ever replace you.  Motherhood indeed has no manual, our kids are unique that's why our ways may not be compared with others.  Your children, your choice - how to parent them, how to discipline them, what and how to feed them.

THANK YOU!
Thanks Little Heartbeat Photography and Baby Dove PH for this campaign and for the wonderful gift you've given me as a mother - beautiful pictures capturing real moments of motherhood!  I hope to have more shoots with you!  I am grateful!

All moms have the same prayers for their families, to have a family that’s complete, safe from harm, and a family that’s healthy.  To live a highly comfortable life is secondary for those who know better.  When we talk about health, the first thing we think about is usually food, then hygiene.  We can make our husband and kids eat healthy food by following the food pyramid.  On hygiene, washing hands before and after eating or using the restroom make us less susceptible to sickness.  Good hygiene also includes regular bathing, brushing teeth, and sanitizing some body parts and even our surroundings.  Why do we do that?  Because we all believe that having a tip-top hygiene will save us from getting ill such as getting worms.
When I was younger, panakot ng parents ko sa akin ang worms when she would tell me to take a bath.  I would be really scared and get disgusted at the thought of crawling worms inside my body.  But now that I know better, I don’t use the same panakot to my kids.  Because I now know better that it’s a misconception that worms can only be obtained by having poor hygiene.  Guess what?  WORMS ARE EVERYWHERE!  Now that would be scarier to my kids if I use that line right?  Walang pinipili ang worms, kasi napapasa siya!

Bonding with your kids and creating happy childhood memories don't need to be expensive.  As simple as bringing them to the park, playing ball or dolls, or having picnic could result to a lasting memory they will cherish until they grow older.

My teenager constantly tells me how he remembers me bring him to the zoos, play cars and balls with him, sing and dance with him when he was younger.  He said he has always felt loved and complete.  I knew I was doing the right thing back then which I want to continue doing for my younger kids today.  So one day, we decided to bring them to Quezon Memorial Circle and have a picnic.

The Quezon Memorial Circle Monument, Quezon City

When I got there, I reminisced how it felt going there when I was a young child and as a teenager.  I had happy memories in that place and it made me think I did the right thing bringing them there last weekend.  I'm pleased to see that there are so much to do now in Quezon Memorial Circle for everyone in the family to enjoy and break away from the busyness of daily routines.  Sharing with you some:

1.  Picnic - Whether you go there early for breakfast picnic or late afternoon merienda, bring out those mats and food or use their picnic tables for free to share meals with your loved ones under the shadow of mature trees.  Enjoy meals and laughter with your family as you gaze your eyes upon smiles on other people's faces as they spend their times with their family and friends as well.

2.  Jog/Run/Zumba/Yoga - Jog or run around the elliptical area near the monument or just about around the whole circle to get fit and fab with your family or even with your running buddies for that health and wellness day.  Morning or late afternoon are the best times to go there for running.
3.  Workout using their manual equipment - there are several equipment available for use around the park near the picnic area.  Use them for free to keep your upper body, lower body muscles toned or defined (if done regularly) free of charge.  You just have to wait for your turn.  But don't worry, for sure you won't have to wait too long because there are many equipment there.

4.  Barbecue  - interestingly, we saw several barbecue grills/pits around the picnic area park for those who'd like to do a simple barbecue gathering or small party.  Enjoy fresh out of the grill pork or chicken skewers or pork chops or even grilled marinated steaks and barbecues while having a great time with family.

5. Bring kids to playground - Bring your kids to the enclosed outdoor playground area where you'll find a number of heavy-duty slide/swing/monkey bar sets.  Safe for kids because the whole playground area has a grass-like mat so kids don't easily get wounds should they tumble or trip or roll on the ground, like they always do when so engrossed with playing and running around.  Just make sure, you bring extra clothes for changing, towels to wipe their sweat, and water to hydrate because for sure, this is where the fun really is going to happen for them.

6.  Bazaar - While kids play in the playground, moms/dads could look around and score super tiangge prizes of clothes, footwear, cellphone/gadget accessories, and many more at the bazaar area found just outside the picnic and playground area where the oval is located.

7. Plant Shopping - I've seen celebrities and even my mom blogger/vlogger friends shop for their indoor and outdoor plants here.  You'll find so many succulents too which you could use as giveaways for parties/weddings or for your home decor too.  Sunflowers, Malaysian mums, and many more flowers are also available for sale.  You'll be able to purchase plants for as low as Php500 per pot here.  You'll also see pots and planting or gardening needs available in some stalls.  This is located near the bazaar area also outside the playground and picnic area.

8. Visit a Museum/Tomb of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon - If you're in for some historical experience, coming to the Quezon City Memorial Circle will give you that kind of experience too.  Near the parking area, you'll see some museums for your viewing pleasure.  If you're the type who wants to learn by looking at art and breathe in some historical facts, then you're in for a treat!

9.  Family Pictorial - Just like in any parks, as long as your pictorial will be for personal use, you may do so here freely.  Come with your photographer friends who like taking pictures/portraits, professionals or amateurs, and show those nice set of teeth or give the lenses different looks, moods or angles and you're definitely get good shots with trees, blue sky, grass, and wide space in the background.  Have your pictorial during the golden hours for good natural lighting.

10.  Scenic Viewing - If you just want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city life, come to Quezon City Memorial circle for that much needed break and feel free to breathe in deeply and breathe all the stress and pressure out of your system.  Find retreat and relaxation by coming here while the sun sets or the led lights upon the fountain or monument turns on and just enjoy the view and take your minds away from your stressful schedule or activities.  Meditate, breathe, and pray as you enjoy the fresh(er) breeze in the circle.
There are so much more you could do in QC Memorial Circle, which we saw but wasn't able to try.  These are:

• Biking/Go-Kart-Ride- you can actually rent a bike for 30 mins to 1 hour, such as in Baguio.
• Dancing Lights - Magnificent to watch especially at night.  You don't need to wait til Christmas to let your kids experience dancing lights show.
• Boating - Again like Burnham Park in Baguio, they also have a smaller man-made lake for that boating experience.

GETTING THERE:
It's easy to get here coming from Quezon Ave., North Ave., Commonwealth Ave., just drive until you reach the elliptical road where you'll spot right away the tall monument.  If you're bringing your car, entrance or parking is only Php15.00 and if commuting, just trust your Grab driver or tap your friendly app called Waze to guide you and the cab driver for easy navigation.  It's also accessible to jeepney and buses too.  You may also look for an apartment in Quezon City that's available for you to stay for a night or a longer basis, for better accessibility to Quezon Memoial Circle.

Again, making new memories with your family especially the children need not be expensive.  The important thing is to make time, to commit to the time, and be present (please use your phones only for taking photos, post later!) all the time.  Quezon Memorial Circle is just one of the places your family could go to without having to spend too much.

Keep creating great memories with your children, remember they all grow up faster than imagined.  Happy bonding everyone!  God bless you!