Thanks to Mom Communities

One of the things that was brought up in the J&J event I attended was how new generation Moms are tech-savvy moms. We use gadgets and technology to make things easier for us as well as enrich our everyday lives. Part of this is getting connected to other mothers/parents through e-groups (I thank N@W for this), mom forums (I relied and shared heavily on Pinoyexchange and Gtalk) and mom blogs. Usually, you gravitate towards parents who share the same points of view and ideals, but sometimes, you're also intrigued by how passionate others can be in the choices they have made. Sometimes, you are drawn by celebrities, sometimes, by a voice that invokes a sense of authority.

Yes, sometimes, these moms get you shopping for things you don't really need... but they also remind you to take care of yourself.

Yes, sometimes, these moms get you questioning your parenting beliefs and styles... but they also remind you that the love, in however way it is expressed, is the same.

Yes, sometimes, these moms get you feeling guilty about your setup or choices you have made... but they also challenge you to imagine new possibilities and ways of life.

Sure, these moms sometimes just get you feeling envious of what they have or whatever is going on in their lives. Travels particularly get to me because I want to do more of that but I am limited by money (mostly). Still, these are the same moms who will also remind you how to save better, or where to get good deals.

Some of these moms make you feel ashamed for struggling every day in parenting, but they're also the first to remind you to aim at just being a good enough Mom. And you share your woes and battles and even scars... and learn from those with older ones.

What's funny is that these moms also get you wanting to have more babies when they have new ones, because that reminds you of how wonderful a gift it truly is to have a newborn. And you anticipate with them so you also sort of end up getting pregnant many times over, and giving birth a hundred times, and going through breastfeeding in the first weeks every month.

And yes, your heart also breaks each time there is a miscarriage... or a child lost. And the first thing you do is go to your child (who may or may not have annoyed you like crazy just a few minutes earlier) and hug that child, or tell that child he is loved.

Back in the day, it's a circle of female family members that served this purpose for a new mother... and it would only be great if all the ones in that circle are there out of nothing but love and a sense of duty. Unfortunately, there were enough meddling matriarchs back then that helped disempower a new mom. But not so much today... and new gen Moms like myself enjoy the choice of who to bond with, learn from, share with and grow with. The fact that we may never even meet in person does not deny us lasting friendships, and therein lies the magic.

Congrats Mommy Laya and Cristine

After much deliberation of the wonderful entries by the seven moms who joined my Mommy Me-Time Blog Contest, we have reached a verdict and the winner is Mommy Laya's Good Parenting is Being Good to Yourself entry :)

But because we also really loved her mashed lyrics, we're also giving Mommy Cristine a special prize. Congratulations to both moms and thanks again to Unilab for the prizes. I love your Lulur Whitening Body Scrub by the way, haha.

Now, I shall get back to checking spotting scopes just because I am considering new activities to do with Yakee. That, or I resume my Game of Thrones marathon.

Soyami with Yummy Mommies

I attended the Soyami Soya Chips mini launch at Active Fun last Friday with my friend Laya. So while our kiddos bonded (Oona and Yakee could be siblings, honestly!) at the playground that is Active Fun, we got to meet other moms and hear about the Soyami product.




the cutest girl ever, little Olly




Laya in a video shoot for Soyami (naks)


loved meeting Chats finally here (the lovely lady beside me)

Apple Morales, who owns the Active Fun branch in SM North and who thought of Soyami soya chips as a healthier food snack to offer their patrons, was a former UNICEF breastfeeding advocate. And I absolutely loved her and her tales about her son. I really hope they'd be blessed again soon!

Anyway, don't be surprised if you see a video of me in their site recommending their product. I do believe that it is a great alternative to the usual potato chip. And from the freebies we got, I can say that it's really made from soya since we've observed certain digestive/excretory benefits (to think we share a 50 gm. pack).

Soya supposedly helps in losing weight so dieters might want to consider Soyami for when they are craving for crunch. That surely beats having to determine diet pills that work, right? And soya is rich in protein and calcium.

I won't ever say to make Soyami a habit BUT if you are buying chips anyway, Soyami soya chips surely beats most junk food out there. The sodium content alone in the common brands are a killer, what more the msg.

Have I said that Soyami soya chips are certified Halal? Apples said that they import their soya beans which are certified GMO (organic). Soyami will start being sold in groceries this November and will cost P37/50 gram bag. Yes, it's a lot more expensive compared to other chips but you basically pay for healthier snacking.

Come on, save your colons and kidneys. Try Soyami chips!

Unilab's Mommy's Day Out

Yesterday, I attended a Mommy's Day Out for mommy bloggers sponsored and organized by Unilab. I believe it was part of their "Discerning Mommy" campaign but this was more about taking care of oneself and feeling good. They invited only ten bloggers and only seven of us managed to make it. Still, the intimate gathering was so much fun.

Over lunch at the Sky Lounge of the Linden Suites, we talked about potty training woes, earning online (from paid links to customer service jobs from Odesk), pregnancy cravings, our decision to stay at home and the different blogger events we have attended.





The daddy blogger who welcomed us, Mr. Jack Orendain (Unilab Corporate Affairs) shared something which I loved. He talked briefly about an aunt and uncle who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary whom he asked for the secret of their happy marriage. The aunt supposedly said something like "marriage is quality time together, and quality time apart, and the quality of time apart from each other is something you also bring into your time together."

And then Ms. Marie Calica shared with us her beauty mantras:


~ Exfoliate
~ Moisturize
~ Don't forget the eyes and the neck
~ Make water your friend
~ Take Vitamin E
~ Get enough Sleep
~ Use sunblock all the time
~ Keep Yourself Clean
~ Make Beauty Products Available

After that, Ms. Angie Gogna taught us the basics of applying makeup and even demonstrated the how and why of each one.




High on makeup tips, we were then given beauty/hygiene products from Unilab and then ushered to Linden Suites' Mane Depot for some foot and hair spa.



I was the last customer out, which proved lucky as hubs was able to fetch me and we managed to squeeze in a dinner date at Gotti's in Mega Mall after.

And yes, I had such a lovely pampering day which made me feel good about being a Mom. It also strengthened my resolve not to let myself go anymore, and invest in not just makeup but also on nice clothes and other things that make me feel good.

Oh, and I've just increased my Mom network too!

All the pics I took are here.

The Painter's Wife Blog Contest

THREE GOODIE BAGS for mommies (especially breastfeeding ones) worth at least P3,000 each of fab products is up for grabs at the Painter's Wife's blog.

I would seriously be happy with any of these things (as I don't need stuff like rv insurance or LV bags anyway):

Goodie Bag #1:
PhP1,000.00 store credits from Swell Sweets
One (1) Sling from Next9
One (1) Onesie or T-Shirt from googoo&gaga

Goodie Bag #2:
PhP750.00 Gift Certificate from Chili Willy’s Texas Grill
PhP1,000.00 Store Credits from Babymama.ph
One (1) 3-Pc. Burp Cloth Set from Nursingmom

Goodie Bag #3:
Breastfeeding Accessories Set from Mama.Baby.Love (Jingle Jungle Sterilizer Bags, Jingle Jungle Breastmilk Storage Bags, Fabulous Mom Nursing Pads)
One (1) Nursing Cover and Pouch Set from Nursingmom
Five (5) Regular Servings of Caveman & Yeti Shaved Ice

You can join by blogging about it, tweeting about it, adding as Multiply friend, referring friends to the blog contest (so please, if you learned about the contest from me/here, don't forget to include my name "Mec Arevalo" as the one who referred you so I can get an extra entry point while you earn yours) or liking the sponsors' FB pages.

Just click on the photo above to take you to the Painter's Wife's contest page!

Now, let me just invoke the luck that they say preggos have, hehe.

Mommy Blogger

More and more mommy bloggers network are being established as more and more middle-income families have stay-at-home-moms and as more and more moms document their family life through blogs. Plus, blogs are one great way for us to recommend tried and tested products, or warn others about other things.

For some, it's also a great way to share the latest news and trends and studies, or just direct people to great sales and cute outfits (both for the mom and the kids).

I sure hope I can be more of a blogger, learn about SEO and web directory submission and increasing page ranks and feeds subscriptions. Maybe next year.

Mom Intentional

I registered at the Parentin.tv sitw with that name, and won an Off Lotion loot bag. And I have been toying with the idea of creating a new Mom blog, one just really invested on tips on newborn care, obstetric care and activities with your child. I'm thinking I would finally go Wordpress and avail of a web hosting service aside from the domain name. You know, it'd be more informational and objective, and less about my fears and my personal journey as a mom.

I am not sure though if I can still manage yet another blog, what with a baby coming in November. I still have a time management issue I haven't resolved, but maybe the second child will facilitate that?

Moms for Moms

Moms for Moms started out from Handy Dandy Diapers. Miss Rea Gomez Harrow's diaper business got her aware and touched by the plight of the babies born at Fabella Hospital. She decided to help and part of her earnings from her diaper business go to diaper donations for the babies born at Fabella's NICU.

Last October 06, I read Carlos Celdran's FB alert that volunteers are needed to help repack goods and the venue was only in Malate. I was itching to volunteer in repacking goods but didn't have the heart to go to far-flung places like QC so it was a perfect opportunity. We repacked goods good for 500 recipients, each bag containing baby food, formula, water, cereals, baby clothes, diapers, vitamins and common medicines and laundry detergent. The goods were for Montalban, Rizal evacuees.

I was glad to know that donations were pouring in at Moms for Moms for Ondoy victims. I was also glad to be of help and look forward to joining them at their trips to Fabella, where I can double as breastfeeding counselor as well.

BSP Milk Bank

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has always been one of the government institutions that's a little more progressive. Essentially, they have the funds to be so.

Anyway, I shall copy-paste the article here in its entirety:

Bangko Sentral puts up 'milk bank' for lactating mothers
By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated September 07, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - It’s a bank, but it doesn’t make loans or pay interest on deposits.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has added a new service, “milk banking,” that may not earn interest in the conventional sense but definitely yields high returns for its clients, mainly lactating female employees, officials said yesterday.

Monetary Board member Ignacio Bunye said BSP Deputy Governor Armando Suratos, who heads the Resource Management Sector, recently approved the construction and maintenance of a “milk bank” for BSP working mothers.

The milk bank or lactation room enables nursing mothers to express breast milk during office breaks, “deposit” them in the facility’s refrigerator and “withdraw” them at the end of the working day, he said.

“The BSP has taken on a new role aside from its traditional central banking activities – milk banking or the banking of milk of lactating mothers in the workplace,” Bunye said.

“Of course, the deposits do not earn any interest. But certainly, they yield high returns in terms of the improved health and general well-being of the mothers, their babies as well as improved employee morale,” he added.

Suratos, according to Bunye, said that the project is a special tribute to the unsung heroes of the workplace: “Women who choose to work to help ensure the future of their families and continue to care for their young ones at the same time.”

The recent BSP two-day “Breastfeeding Awareness Festival” has helped increase the appreciation of breastfeeding as a way of promoting a healthy life and also demonstrated that it is possible for mothers to provide the best nourishment to their children even after their maternity leaves end.

“Since she started working at the BSP last year, she has been expressing breast milk for her daughter Naima – who is now nearing two,” Bunye said, referring to his chief of staff, Jennifer Joy Ong.

Ong and Claire Mogol of the BSP’s Corporate Affairs Office, according to Bunye, have been instrumental in initiating awareness on the importance of breastfeeding at the BSP.

After getting the support of other young working mothers, the two approached Ada Cruz and Daisy Sanchez of the Human Resource Management Department’s Wellness Division and suggested the introduction of a breastfeeding awareness activity at the institution.

“Their advocacy paved the way for the approval and implementation of the milk banking project,” Bunye said.

“From the start, I had a fond preference for breastfeeding. My siblings and I were all breastfed by my mother. My mother, however, found me a little problematic. At birth, I already had two lower front milk teeth,” he said.

BSP International Sub-Sector managing director Wilhelmina Mañalac, a working mother at the BSP who fondly recalled having breastfed her three children, said in a speech during the festival that supporting breastfeeding in the workplace means supporting mothers and fathers in their goal of raising healthy, productive citizens.

“We must start giving our babies what is due them and we must help our mothers give only the best to their babies,” Mañalac said.

“The BSP official could not have said it better. Ensuring the future of these babies through breastfeeding also means ensuring our future as a society,” Bunye said. Source

The fabulous mom instrumental for this project, Jen Ong, also blogs and sells nursing accessories. Her husband runs The Stork Studio.

I read it from Tin

... that Pinoy Moms Network is up again, having just transferred to a new server.

I believe I wanted to join them last year (not sure if I have, and can I really blame anesthesia for this forgetfulness?) but wasn't sure if I could commit to their demands (one entry per week, which I didn't think I could handle then, hehe, maybe because I didn't know how consumed i'd be with motherhood just yet... but then again, I am really overwhelmed by it now and mis-managing my time generally... and I have got to stop rambling).

But anyway, I hope to join them (where else to find legions of fellow SAHMs?) finally and take advantage of the blog exposure they give to Mom Blogs. :)

What about you, care to join?