It's Halloween Trick or Treat time once again!  Don't we just love dressing up our kids in costumes?  Call me excited, but like what I did last year, I'm compiling a list of Halloween Trick or Treat events in Manila this 2013.


OCTOBER 24 - 25





OCTOBER 27


Resorts World Manila - Trick or Thrill
October 27, 2013 (Halloween Kiddie Fair)
For more information, visit Resorts World Manila website






OCTOBER 30 - 31
NOVEMBER 2 - 3

This event list will be updated as soon as I get information from other venues! :)  Advance Happy Halloween! :)

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• What To Do With All That Halloween Candies
• DIY Greek Goddess Costume For Halloween Events
• DIY Greek Goddess Costume Accessories for Halloween Events

Travelling with kids in tow could be really taxing and stressful at times, for some, if not for all, parents.  I remember posting a photo in my Instagram account showing how messy our room was while I was packing the clothes and all the other items we need to bring with us to our vacation in Boracay.
Now, what will lessen your anxiety is making sure you include in your packing list all the travel must-haves when vacationing with kids.  Bringing the essentials should not mean you should bring your whole house with you.  Remember you should also pack light to avoid paying extra for excess baggage.  To help you with that, I've compiled my packing list must-haves.  I actually have written a post in the past about what to pack when swimming with kids, but this new list will include more items which you will need when spending several nights away from home.

1. Dry and Wet Clothes - This accounts for swimwear, clothes for going out, clothes for changing and clothes for going home.  Plan your daily outfit if you can so you don't need to bring extra baggage.  But bringing a toddler with you spells the difference.   A toddler requires more clothes for changing for possible wetting of his pants/shorts.  His outfit changes should be planned as well.
• TIP#1: Bring powder detergent for emergency staining and should you fall short on clothes you brought for the trip or for extended days.
• TIP #2: Bring 3 Laundry Bags:
• For Dry Used Clothes (Colored)
• For Dry Used Clothes (White/Light colored)
• For Wet Used Clothes 
• Bring a shawl or jacket for unexpected cold nights/weather.
• Bring lightweight clothes to avoid heavy baggage.
2. Toiletries - Bath, after-bath and total hygiene toiletries shouldn't be left behind.  But make sure you bring sachets (for shampoos or toothpastes) or fill smaller containers/automizers instead of bringing the big bottles for your lotions or colognes.
• As much as possible put all the toiletries in one hanging kit.
• Bring Zip Lock bags- It's where I put used soap/wet containers when packing back home.
3. Milk/Bottles/Diapers - If you breastfeed, pack your breast pump with you and the milk bottles. If you don't, bring the milk in boxes or cans then emptied bottles.  Since I still have a toddler and to make the travel and sleeping time convenient and fuss-free I bring diapers with me.
• Don't fill all the packed milk bottles with water.  Just fill enough bottles for in-flight/day demand then fill the rest of the bottles when you reach your hotel. 
• Better bring your handy milk container for whole day pasyalan.
• Bring bottle cleaner brush and solution as well.
4. Inflatables/Beach Toys/Book - To keep the children entertained especially when there are waiting times (boarding the plane, dining at a restaurant, etc) bringing a couple or more pieces of toys in your handbag magically prevents tantrums or crankiness of your toddler.  Inflatables are important (especially the vests) for your toddler's safety when swimming in the pool.  Sand toys are also important to bring when going to the beach to encourage our children's creativity and motor skills.  Like what my Wessie kept on saying when we were playing by the shore, "It's so much fun Mommy!  It's so much fun Daddy!  It's so much fun Kuya Dandre!" 
• Safety Tip: Never ever leave children in the pool by themselves to avoid untoward events.  
• Wash the sand toys immediately after use to avoid bringing the sand with you in the hotel.
  
   
5. Vitamins/Important Medicines - Not because we're vacationing, our wellness should also take a break.  Bring the vitamins or medicines with you!  If in capsules or tablets, put them in a pill box or zip-lock bags.  If in syrup, bring the bottle with you but make sure you pack them neatly/tightly and in a protective case or wrap some clothes around it to avoid spillage and bottle breakage.
6. Sunblock Lotion for the face and body - I know there's nothing more fun than swimming in the beach or in the pool but going out there (the whole day pa!) without sun protection is a huge no-no!  We know how harmful the rays of the sun could be to our skin.  So make sure it's in your carry-all bag the whole day and apply on all parts of the body generously.  
• SUNBLOCK TIPS: You usually read SPF 30 or 50.  What does that mean?  Add Zero to the number and that's how many minutes you are protected.  For example, SPF 30 means 300 minutes of sun protection.
• Liquid/Spray Sunblocks is better for the face.
• While we use Sunblock lotion for the body.
7. Insect Repellent - My kids never go out without insect repellent.  Prevention is still better than cure.  You'll never know what these mosquitoes/other insects bring right.  Apply on yourself too to avoid scary Dengue or Malaria.           
8. First Aid Kit - I bring a small bottle of the following: alcohol, Agua Oxigenada, Providone Iodine for accidental cuts or wounds.  I also bring cotton and band-aids as well.
9. Extra Shopping/Eco-bags - In my carry-all handbag, I bring a piece or two foldable and re-usable eco-bags for those unexpected pasalubong shopping trips.
10. Foldable fans - You'll never know when it could get too hot, so always bring a fan with you to keep the children and your hubby/partner cool.
11. Umbrellas - Some find bringing umbrellas a hassle.  For me, it never will be a hassle especially if it will mean protection against the rain and even from the scorching heat of the sun.  When we were in Boracay, we experienced unexpected rainy nights.  We were out for dinner that time, good thing, I brought umbrellas with me and we didn't get stuck in one place waiting for the rain to stop unlike others.
12. Zip lock bags - When out for swimming and you can't help bring your phones and other gadgets with you, protect them by putting them in zip lock bags!  It's not practical to buy those fancy water resistant pouches sold on the streets, they are over-priced.  
    
13. Gadgets/chargers - Mobile phones are already a necessity for faster communication.  So don't forget to bring them and their chargers too.  If it's a must for you to bring other gadgets such as tablets or other game consoles, then pack it with you and their chargers.
• Safekeeping Tip: When in the hotel room, make use of safety deposit boxes (make sure you change the pin) to keep these gadgets when leaving them in your room.  We've heard a lot of horror stories about missing valuables in hotel rooms.
14. Cookies for Kids and Gum for You - Kids could get bored waiting and could get hungry too!  Pack cookies or their favorite snacks to nibble on anytime inside your carry-all bag.  Don't forget to also bring a gum for yourself and other adults.  Sometimes we're out all day, so pop a gum in your mouth after meals for that instant freshness of the breath.  Also, gums help in comforting stuffed ears during plane's take-off. 
15. Documents (plane tickets, IDs a notebook) -  As a mom, our role is to be the organizer, the keeper, the go-to-person when things are needed.  So documents such as plane tickets, IDs and a notebook should stay with you and never be forgotten at home or elsewhere.  To avoid getting it wet, I put ours in a zip lock bag too.  
• I bring a notebook to note the daily expenses to keep track of our spending.  
• Collect all the IDs with you prior to leaving the house for a smooth check-in for your flight and to avoid scrambling and searching your bag while in queue.
  

These are just basic travel tips.  You could always add what you think is necessary for you and your family.  For a safe travel, as a general rule, communicating with your family, especially your children, the ground rules and the to-do's in case something happens, before leaving home, is the key.

Travel safe and enjoy your trip! :)

Whether a woman is still in school, part of the work force or is a devoted homemaker, she is not immune to fatigue or sometimes a general feeling of being unwell. Chances are, she might not have enough iron to be as healthy, dynamic and fully functional as she can be.

Iron is a vital mineral. As part of all cells such as the protein hemoglobin, it carries oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. Iron is also a major component of many enzymes, which help the body digest food and aid in several important bodily functions. When the body lacks enough iron, functioning of several organs will be affected.

Iron deficiency is a condition that women don’t have the luxury to ignore. If one suffers from it, she tends to experience fatigue, which can greatly impair her ability to do physical work. If she’s pregnant, she has the increased risk for small or preterm babies. She will lack focus and concentration. She will look noticeably pale.

Who loves travelling?  I do!  Who loves budgeting?  I do too!   Having a family of my own means, I now do more of the latter, than the former.  But since I have the burning desire (lalim ng desire!) to conquer the Philippines and hopefully the rest of the world, I still do travel once in awhile, but this time, I travel on a budget.  I used to search on travel tipid tips online from moms like myself and I find just a few.  So I want to share with you my Mommy-Budget-Travel-Tips because I know that most moms want to have a family vacation but are worried about its price right?

As I write this, I'm still having a wonderful hangover from our recent family vacation to the island of Boracay where there were more Koreans than Filipinos at the time.  Not that I have anything against Koreans please, but it just felt awkward to be surrounded by more tourists than your kababayans.  It felt like we were the foreigners.  There was even a time when we ate at a restaurant, we were the only Filipino customers, all the rest were Koreans.

Anyway, going back to the subject, my Travel Tipid Tips, alam niyo po ba that apart from my slashie-roles, I also love travelling?!  Isa po akong Lakwatsera.  Layas. Kaladkarin.  Hihihi!  I love experiencing new places and meeting new people.  I love learning about different cultures from other cities or provinces.  I love the beach.  I get an overwhelming feeling whenever I step on a new town or a new country.  I love it more when I get to travel without spending too much!

Yes Muthers!  You can travel with your family and actually enjoy even when you have a right purse.
You just need a perfectly planned itinerary and the discipline to stick to your set budget.  To be more concrete on this, here are my travel tipid tips for you.
Travel Tipid Tips:

1. Book flights from Airfare Seat Sales. - Heard of the tagline Now Every-Juan Can Fly from Cebu Pacific?  They made budget airfares possible so we could be tour of our own country.  There's so much to explore in the Philippines my dears!  This was followed by PAL, Air Asia (formerly Zest Air), and SEAir too.  Watch for PISO or ZERO seat sales during holidays like Independence Day, Araw ng Kagitingan, etc.  From let's say P7,000.00 one way ticket price down to P1,000.00 per person, I guess that's a great deal right?
2. Travel Off-Season - Best time to travel when going to the beach like Boracay is during off-peak season.  You could save a lot on your hotel accommodation.  Most of the hotels there charge almost half their peak season's rates.
3. Travel light - Avoid paying for excess baggages.  Make sure you pack smartly and of course lightly.  Remember on your way home, you will still be bringing more baggages due to your pasalubongs.  If you can just handcarry your luggage or backpack, the better.  Saves time in waiting for your baggages to come out from the airplane too.
4. Scout for best hotel packages/compare prices - Since most of the budget fares become available few months before your actual travel, you still have more than enough time to search for the best hotel packages.  I suggest if bringing children with you, choose a hotel with swimming pool so they have something else to do in case they don't want to hit the beach.  Remember to compare prices of hotels.  You could get great deals if you're patient enough to do your research.  Go by the per night charging rather than per person charging.  Read rates carefully.  When booking, better to call their reservation office for clarifications.
5. Read and abide by hotel rules and regulations.  Almost all hotels charge for stained mattresses, pillows, towels and broken or lost items.  Take note of the check-in and check-out times.  You might pay additional if you checked-out late.
6. Plan activities ahead of time. - Research on what activities you could do in your travel destination.  Is it island hopping?  City tour?  Zip line, banana boat, Zorb, Paraw-sailing or anything?  Decide what you want to do or not want to do.  Know their approximate rates.  Ask yourself as well, are they worth it? Will you or your kids enjoy them?  Are they safe to do?  Do you have extra budget to do them?  If most of your answers to those are NO, then better not pay for these extras.  Sometimes it's also nice to take a quiet stroll on the beach, sit and read a book or just simply enjoy the water and commune with nature.
7. List down daily expenses to monitor your budget - Ever since I started travelling, I always bring a small notepad and a pen with me.  I list down ALL, as in to the very minute spending, expenses for the day.  This way, I would be conscious of my spending, how well I do in managing my budget, how much budget left, if there will be an extra, and in which expense type should I tame my spending.  I know OC noh?  But it really helps to track your expenses. 
8. Learn to haggle/negotiate - For item #6, should you opt to try any activities and talk to boat owners for island hopping or other agencies for the other activities, you should learn to haggle to get the best deal.  Sometimes they overprice their rates.  If you show them that you ask others for their rates, they compete with each other and so could get the best rate among them.  Just make sure, there are no hidden charges anymore.  When buying pasalubong from a local store, you can always haggle.  Pababaan na ng presyo to!  Tip, when they say P100 for a piece of shirt, haggle up to half its price!  OA lang diba?  They will still be able to give you a price lower than P100.  Nakatipid ka pa rin. 
9. Learn to commute around - If you really want to save, ride the tricycle or jeepney rather than a private multi-cab or van.  The former transpo modes are a lot cheaper.  Don't negotiate for airport transfers through a middleman, ask around, know how to get where you want to, so you don't have to pay for extra service or for convenience.  Pambili na rin ng 1 - 2 meals yun! :)
10. Research on inexpensive restaurants - In Boracay, I planned a day or two to eat at inexpensive restaurants such as Andok's, Mang Inasal's, McDonalds and nearby carinderia.  A special day or two (depending on your length of stay) at D'Talipapa where we market the meat and have it cooked by the "paluto" restaurant.  This way, you could stretch your budget wisely.
11. Refill your Water Bottle with hotel's supply. - It's important to hydrate yourself and your kids throughout the day.  Buying bottled water may be quite expensive in some stores, so why not bring a water container and refill it with the hotel's drinking water supply.  You save a lot of money just by doing that.
12. Ask friends for tips about your destination.- When in doubt, it's also best to ask friends for tips on where to go and what to do and also how to save on your trip.  Of course ask a reliable budget traveler friend, so you not only save on money but also on time.

Hello Muthers!  We're back from our first family vacation with the little one!  I've waited for this for fou rlong years (including the time I was conceiving my Wessie.)  Yes, ganun katagal!  I really wanted to bring the little one with us to travel (eerr, budget travel, hehe!) and I thought he could very well appreciate and enjoy a trip when he's three.  What perfect timing it was to go out of town than my children's birthday month right?

Touchdown Caticlan!  The renovated Caticlan/Boracay airport

I also just realized that aside from Wes' first plane ride, it was also his first beach trip!  The motherhood feeling was overwhelming, a lot of milestones happening!  It was my Dandre's first snorkeling experience too.  I'm sure by now you could sense how elated I am while writing this "Welcome Back" blog post.

Wes' very first plane ride!  On our way, he just slept all throughout the trip.  These shots were Manila-bound flight.

Wes' first beach trip at three years old.  He can already appreciate all the new experiences and enjoy them.

I chose a hotel with a swimming pool so when they get tired from the beach, they could more safely play in the pool

I have so much to share with you muthers such as the following (need to list it baka magka-senior moment tayo):

• Budget Trip Tips and How To Enjoy It
• What To Pack When Going on a Family Trip
• Activities For Children In Boracay
• La Carmela de Boracay Resort Hotel
• D' Talipapa Boracay - Plato D' Boracay Resto and Pasalubong Area

Hello dears!  I missed you!  I missed writing!  My schedule's been erratic and super hectic both at work and home.  Last Friday, I actually got home super late, just so I could finish some of my deliverables because of my planned vacation to the island of pristine white and super fine sand, Boracay!

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Yes muthers,we are celebrating the boys' birthdays with a vacation.  It's really exciting because it will be my toddler's first plane ride!  With that, it also becomes my first time with a toddler.  I wonder how Boracay and the firsts would work!  I'm sure kagulowz!

Anyway, while packing I got so concerned!  Why kamo?  Because, as much as I want to pack light, you can't pala with a toddler in tow!  You've got to bring all his stuff completely.  There're his milk, feeding bottles, clothes, toys, vitamins, and what have yous!  So I went to Cebu Pacific's website and managed my booking to increase my baggage allowance.  Voila!  It was that easy.

So anyway mga muthers!  We will be gone for four days!  I can't wait to tell you all our experience and the fun activities to do there with kids.  Also how you could save on a family trip!

Hope for your prayers loves for our safe travel.  I'm going to miss you bunch loves!  :)

Ayan, first of all loves, I'd like to say my BIG THANKS to you for cheering me up the other day when I was so emote.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you may read it over here. Thank you most especially to Sarah, Marie, Nerisa, Sheena, Chin-Chin, and Lally for taking some time to leave your wonderful and encouraging messages to me!  Swear, pwede nang gawing one full post yung mga messages niyo! :)

And as fate would have it, when I was emoting, Fleur of Mommy Fleur posted on her blog, what I would like to call, a reply to my post.  Seriously, it felt like she was talking to me.  Thanks to Sheena, for sharing her post.  Read it here to also wake up to reality that no one really is a Super Mommy, to each his own talaga.

Anyway, to give you an update, right after Dandre came home from school that day, he called me in the office to tell me that he did well that day and that he was already doing his assignments.  When I arrived home, he was already asleep in his room with his school books still open.  At least I know he's trying to be better.  We talked the the next day and I told him that I'm going to change the way we do things.  That meant that I am going to commit more time for them and probably, lessen some of my time in some slashie areas of my life.

On the lighter side of life, here's something exciting that's going to happen next week.
It's going to be a grand September holiday for my family.  As part of the boys' birthday celebration, we are going to Boracay next week! :)  It's going to be my toddler's first airplane ride!  It's Dandre's second and my nth time (I keep on coming back due to work.)  So that is something to look forward to next week.

Ngayon, ngaragan portion naman in terms of preparation.  Hope I don't forget to bring important stuff like: tickets, money, milk and diaper for Wes, beach toys, blanket, etc.  Waahh!  I will start penning my OC list soon.  Maybe you could remind me of what to bring as well!  Tips na rin where to go and what to do with kids! :)

Have a great weekend ahead loves!  Thanks once again! :) Huugs!

Hello Loves!  Few weeks ago, I was invited to the exclusive Instameet Preview, to witness the launch of Da Vinci- The Genius at The Mind Museum in Taguig.

Myself with an Illuminati

There was a fun activity which attendees all participated.  We explored and captured the masterpieces through our Instagram photos all the exhibited works of the multi-faceted genius of all time - Leonardo da Vinci, using the hashtag #DaVinciTheGeniusPH (if you do have an Instagram account, search for the hashtag to view all the wonderful photos.)

Here are some of the photos I took during the Instameet Preview:

An Illuminati guards Da Vinci's masterpiece as an Engineer

Warning:  This is an emote post.  Please bear with me.

Hello Muthers, how’s your day doing so far?  If you would ask me, I’m not having a great morning, not feeling well too (physically and emotionally.)

Why you may I ask, because of the following reasons:

1. I’m having a terrible migraine.
2. I reprimanded my Dandre this morning before going to school, a day after his birthday.
3. I’m filing a half-day SL again and they are near depletion already.
4. I had a feat with my crying (make that nagwawala with matching hampas sa door) toddler because he doesn’t want me to go to work.

Source

So there goes my Wednesday morning.  Alam niyo, I do not like the feeling of getting mad at my kids for something they didn’t do well.  I love them with all my heart and everything I have seriously.   If you’re also a parent you’d know that part of loving them is teaching them well.  Teaching them sometimes involve reprimanding them for not doing what they’re supposed to do.

I feel so guilty for getting mad at him the day after his birthday.  I think that’s the reason why I am super heartbroken, which also caused my migraine.  I feel so bad because I had to do it and that he cried because he disappointed me.

I want to give him a good future and a quality education, that’s why I sent him to a good school.   Sometimes we get frustrated at things when it’s not going our way.  But I know that it’s also not correct to expect too much when you know for yourself that you work Mondays to Fridays and come home late.

Now that’s where my guilt kicked in.  I expect him to do really well in school but yet, I’m not physically always there to guide him and tutor him with his studies.  Yes I may have set him study guidelines, but it’s different when you are actually there right?  I just feel so bad right now.  My heart is crying in pain.

I sometimes am envious of mommies who work from home because apart from generating an income for the family, they get to be with their kids at home.  But for now, our situation is telling me that that’s not an option, maybe in the future.  I’m heavily contemplating on that lately.

Family comes first yes, but I sacrifice that part at times, because I had to leave the house everyday for work.  Not that I am complaining, I’m blessed to have the job I have and the benefits that come with it.  But my heart is unnaturally conditioned to suck the separation anxiety all in, especially with my smart and sweet toddler.  If I could have it my way, I would want to bring him to work every day.  Or, if I am the company owner, I would build a huge play area for my parent-employees who want to bring their kids to work.  This way, my employees would no longer leave home with a heavy heart.   But Louise, only in your perfect world.

Source

Anyway, I know I have to make a more efficient study routine and guidelines for my big boy and a better Mommy’s-Now’Going-To-Work-Bye-Baby technique (without bribing ha!)

Would you recommend any Super Mommy Power pill to me?  If you know any, hit it at the comments below please?  Tomorrow’s going to be better I know.  K, Thanks, Bai.

P.S. Pasensya na sa emote ko Muthers, minsan lang yan.  Alam niyo yan. :)