Just before school started, my family and I had a much-needed out of town staycation at Kasa Luntian in Tagaytay City.  I readily said yes to this invitation especially after finding out that it's managed and operated by Hospitality Innovators, Inc. (HII) who also manages KL Serviced Residences and Y2 Residences Hotel - both of which I've already stayed in and had good experiences.

The Serviced Residences at Kasa Luntian boasts of their cascading pools.

Kasa Luntian is located along Tagaytay-Calamba Road which is about 1.5 to 2 hours away from Manila via Nuvali, Sta. Rosa.  We checked in earlier than 2 pm because to avoid rush hour traffic in Manila.  I know Kasa Luntian from the photos on their social media and website but I didn't expect what my family and I saw upon entering the gate.  It's true what they said in their website that it's a tranquil escape from the busy life in the urban city.  I know we're in Tagaytay, but it felt different being there.  It seemed as if we were farther from where we actually are, could pass being transported in another country.  I love the fresh air and cool breeze, well-planned landscape, large space for recreation, and smiles from the people we meet - all these and more, we experienced at Kasa Luntian.

CHECKING IN
Okay, first and foremost, check-in time.  We arrived at around 1pm, we were supposed to check in at 2pm just like how it is in all hotels, but we were allowed an early check in to our 1BR Suite.  At this time, super excited na kami ng family to see our room.  Oh by the way I loved the reception of the front desk staff when we arrived, even manong guards, they were warm and efficient.

Reception pa lang already looked so relaxing because of the "green" wall.  This made us even more excited to see their nature-inspired room.  Upon our swift check-in which didn't take longer than 10 minutes, we were given two key cards, our WiFi details, and breakfast stubs.
 Upon entering our One (1) Bedroom Suite, this surprised us:

Lounge chair by the balcony and faux grassy floor mat

Clean sheets and soft pillows

Which my Damien readily posed on with his swim trunks!

Hurray for a beautiful day!  Sun is out time to swim!

While kids are out to swim, we bonded over NETFLIX in the unit!

This boy swam with his brothers right away!

Nice view of the buildings/towers and one of the pools on a sunny afternoon.  Imagine while staying out in the sun, I didn't feel skin irritability, Tagaytay breeze - thank you!  Kasa Luntian, what an energizing sight!  Blues and Greens!

Crispy Tawilis is best with vinegar and steamed rice.  Don't forget to leave space for Senorita bananas as panghimagas!  Oh, and a cup of Kape Barako is FREE for every guest who would request for one.  Food is Happiness!  Happiness is Life!

Bbbuuuuurrrp!  We came back to Kasa Luntian to freshen up, dim the lights and NETFLIX all the waaaay! Good night!

GOOD MORNING!
Instead of going to Taza Mia, the cafe which breakfast will be served, we got the other option to have ours delivered so we could really just sit back, relax and enjoy the remaining hours we have at Kasa Luntian.

Meanwhile...

Wes busied himself with drawing while waiting for our breakfast. I make sure to bring his drawing and coloring materials whenever we have a staycation to keep themselves from saying I am bored.  Though we also brought his tablet, but its use is regulated.

It's our Damien's turn to test drive the outdoor playground.  The sun is good for our bodies and children get little good sun exposure these days!  I am a believer of the health benefits of the morning sun, so out we went!

Our Little Explorer

Our legit "We Woke Up Like This" family portrait!  Haha!

I won't check out without taking a dip in their main attraction their cascading pool!  I am such a water baby and the pool experience won't have a chance to escape me. :)
The Serviced Residences at Kasa Luntian
Tagaytay-Calamba Road, Tagaytay City
046.412.1323 / 046.412.1324 / +63 917 807 0445
www.kasaluntianservicedresidences.com
Facebook: @kasaluntianhii/ | Instagram: @kasaluntianhii/

I am a mother of three boys, a teenager, a school-aged, and a toddler.  Three childhood stages, different parenting styles, different identities, personalities, characters, likes, hobbies - each of them are unique.  But if there's one thing in common among my children is they all LOVE playing.
My teenager vividly recalls up to this day how happy he was during his childhood because he remembers all the times we played together.  Those were his HAPPY times.  That's why I repeated this with my second and now enjoying play time with my toddler.

Play is important in my children's lives.  It's when they are happiest.  It's when they are most imaginative.  It's when they all learn and discover things around them.  Play is the time when they develop not only their motor skills but also their critical thinking and creativity.  I highly believe that pre-school PLAY with their loved ones plays an important role in developing their social skills, intellectual capabilities, and self-expression.
I learned from a few parenting workshops I've attended before that kids should be given time to have unstructured play - this means letting them play on their own.  What then is our role as parents during this?  Of course it doesn't mean that we let them play unsupervised.  As parents we need to ensure that they play autonomously in a safe and stimulating environment to make learning through play successful.

Damien loves singing, dancing, running, hopping, exploring and of course playing.  He needs all the support and unrestrained play time he needs as a toddler.  Here are some tips on how play time could be successful for your little ones.
How Can Kids Learn Through Play Successfully:
1. Provide a safe play area.  We don't want a wet floor our little ones could slip and bump heads.  We don't want glass home decors to be around when they play and broken to pieces which could cut them nor sharp table edges which could possible cause injuries on our little ones.  Make sure we keep the play are dry and cushioned.  You may use play mats available in stores and online.  Reserve those glass home decors for some other years ahead or areas out of their reach. Cover table edges with tapes or foams (if DIY) or purchase online for table edge safety covers.  Keep sharp and small objects away to prevent injuries or accidental swallowing or insertion in their noses, ears, etc.  Electric fan blades could cause accidental injury, purchase a fan cover as well.  Keep the area fit for uninterrupted play.

2. Give age-appropriate toys.  Two early childhood development experts who spoke during the workshops I attended both said that kids should be provided with toys which will challenge them but not too much to frustrate them nor discourage them.  That's why it's important to check the age appropriateness labels on the toy packages when you purchase toys.  Experts also shared that it's important not to present over-stimulating toys to children.  Expose toddlers to 4-6 toys at a time.

3. Encourage Dramatic/Pretend Play.  Experts say, dramatic or pretend plays is important in the social or emotional and physical development of the child.  It is when they make sense of the world when they act out and copy what they see around them.  My eldest and I used to do role playing by pretending he's my dad and I was his baby.  He copies how I care for him and it's a really good exercise also for parents to see how our children see us as their parents.

4. Wear clothes and diaper which don't restrain movements.  The last thing we want to happen during their play is to get interrupted just because their movements are restrained due to their clothes or the diaper that they use.  For diaper, my toddler uses Pampers Baby Dry because it's Less Lawlaw with its new and improved magic gel channels which quickly absorbs wee-wee and distributed evenly.  When our little ones are uncomfortable because of a diaper's poor absorption quality, they become irritable and their movements are restricted.  This then results to lesser happy play time and lesser time to learn.  With Pampers Baby Dry, Damien is comfortable and happy, making movements during singing and dancing more active, so Go Galaw lang si baby.  When go galaw ang baby, more fun and more learning!
5. Always be present during play.  It's easy to say na nakakapag-bonding tayo with our little ones just because we are physically with them.  But when we say "present" dapat tayo din unrestrained play time with our kids.  Set aside work, keep your mobile phones and social media away.  Our kids need quality time with us, real play time with us.  I know you may be excited to post a snippet of your play time with your kids on either FB or IG, delay that and enjoy your play time (as in down on your knees kind of play with a red cape around your neck, a mask on your face or a crown on your head pa!).
With all these things, apart from their learning, your little one will surely remember how fun and happy their childhood was because you let them play and be kids at the time they need to be.  As parents, let's give importance to unrestrained physical play because it's through play that they learn a lot and develop skills they need to be equipped as they grow up.


*This blog is in partnership with Pampers. All shared insights are my own.

Among my three boys, my youngest Damien is the most active, most naughty in a cute way, and his likes are combination of his two elder brothers.  In short, he's the too-much-to-handle, the patience-meter-testing and energized-to-the-max toddler.  He will turn two soon and NO he's not terrible but YES he is terribly cute and parang kiti-kiti especially when we are out.

Damien can stay in the playground almost the whole day, sliding and climbing on repeat!

Do you also have a toddler?  Don't they move non-stop the minute they open their eyes in the morning?  And especially when they experience going out and seeing the world outside the home.  Oh my, it's always like the first time that they've been out right?  Super explore.  Non-stop walking.  Non-stop jumping.  Non-stop running - as in pahabol levels.  Kaya when we're out, there are five things that I make sure we do, sharing them with you

Event day with Damien

5 Important Things To Do:
1.  Dress toddler comfortably and appropriately. 
Personally, when I choose clothes to wear when going out, I go for comfort then style.  Same with my toddler, I make sure his movements won't be restricted or be restrained with the clothes he wears.  Make sure his clothes won't be too thick which can make him feel too hot nor to thin which will make him feel cold especially when going to the mall. Check the weather and dress your child appropriately.

Speaking of wearing comfort over style, make sure you make him wear a snug-fit, leak-free, and won't sag or less law-law diaper.  Damien uses Pampers Baby Dry.  Because of its magic gel channels which helps in absorbing the liquid faster and evenly kaya no saggy diapers.  Less lawlaw diaper means Damien could move around better, comfortably, and happily.  Less law-law also means less cranky and irritable toddler.

2.  Fill diaper bag with essentials.
When going out with your toddler for a day, pack practically.  Don't over-stuff your diaper bag with items which aren't needed for a day.  Just pack the essentials such as extra clothes, bib, hand or face towel, few pieces of Pampers Baby Dry diapers (I just pack 2 to 3 for a day's worth which we don't end up finishing because super absorbent and matipid sa gamit one can actually last the whole day), wipes, bug repellent, travel-sized toiletries (cologne, alcohol, sanitizer, liquid soap), and changing pad.  Never forget to bring snacks (and his milk if he bottle-feeds) and up to two toys or books.

3.  Apply insect repellent.
Never leave the house without applying insect repellent.  You'll never know what kind of insect may bite.  Prevention is always better than cure.  Re-apply after 4 hours or depending on the longevity of your repellent's effectiveness.

4.  Pack lots of energy and give full attention
I know moms of toddlers would agree, walang katapusan na habulan when you're out with your child.  Damien has been happily exploring places and things around him.  Fear is out of his vocabulary I guess.  Feeling niya he's older than he really is.  I guess that's the beauty of having older brothers around.  He likes to run around, jump when there are steps, and even play hide and seek.  When he does that he's really happy because I am the type of mom that when I feel his environment is safe naman, I let him go go galaw.  Kaya it's important to make him wear a Pampers Baby Dry for comfortable and unrestrained movement when we're out.  Actually, ako ang natatakot baka sa sobrang likot saan mag-hide hindi ko na ma-seek.  That's why it's important to give your full attention to your toddler when you're out.

Here are some of the places we've been for a day:

Snacking with Kuya Wes in the columbary during a visit to his Lola

Mini carousel in the mall's amusement center

Just like his Kuya Dandre, he likes basketball

Dining out with the one alone.  Date kami.

He also loves cars like his Kuyas Dandre and Wes

Museum and posing for an OOTD shot with Kuya Dandre.

Going Out Is Good For Young Children
Some parents with toddlers dahil sa kalikutan ng bata at their age would rather stay at home so they won't have to deal with the child's (sometimes if not most of the time) uncontrollable kalikutan.  But mommies, alam niyo ba, going out with your toddler helps develop social or emotional skills, motor or physical skills/abilities, and boosts self-esteem.  According to experts toddlers need to be active (as in moving around) at least 180 minutes a day.  Let your toddler walk and move around when out with them instead of being carried or in a stroller most of the time.  Limit use of handheld gadgets (better if none) because early child development experts say it's really not good for your children and may affect their brain development.  Go out and be active together, it's an enjoyable bonding time with your child.

Unrestrained movement is highly recommended for toddlers to keep them healthy and active.  Remember to use Pampers Baby Dry for that comfortable dry feeling and less law law, snug fit so toddler can move around as much as he can happily.

Oh what do you know, it's already 11:00am and it's the first time I sat for more than five minutes.  I haven't done this in a while (sit, face my laptop in peace, and write/blog - for as long as I can without interruption).  Welcome to my new normal.