Kids Archive

What my kids are like, and how to raise your child/children in this day and age.

Chico’s Birthday at TMC

Few days before his 6th birthday, he was admitted at TMC together with his Diko (Mico). It was a severe case of gastroenteritis and he was already prone to dehydration. Our pedia said to confine Mico too since his case is the same with Chico (although starting pa lang), sabi ni Pedia, isang alagaan na lang. At the ER, the diagnosis was not the same for both kids, ayaw nga kame payagan noong una na sa isang kwarto na lang.. turns out after a day, same nga sila ng case. The best talaga ang pedia namin dito. If you’re in Pasig, at naghahanap kayo ng pedia, try Dr Conde at De Castro.

We’re positive na makakauwi kame before his birthday, pero may lagnat pa din ang mga bagets, no choice but to celebrate his 6th birthday at the hospital.

O di ba, ang weekend getaway namin, nauwi sa TMC hahaha

Eh kilala nyo naman ako, hindi pwedeng basta cake lang kahit gaano ka simple ang birthday 🙂 dapat laging may touch ng DIY princess 🙂

So the day before his birthday, we went to Robinsons Galleria to shop for supplies and gifts for them. Tradisyon na yan na kahit sino ang may birthday, lahat sila may regalo. And because they recently watched Lego Movie, aba Lego ang gustong regalo at dapat daw tigdalawa sila!

Ay! jusme! mahalia jackson pala ang Lego!!!!!! Hindi keri ng budget to buy 8 sets, buti na lang I found a cheaper brand:

This is not a fake or copycat brand, Kre-O is a line of construction toys manufactured by Oxford and marketed by Hasbro. It fits perfectly with Lego and Mega Bloks. The little girl went for Hello Kitty Mega Bloks.

On the day of his birthday, Chico woke up to this:

Corrugated paper and double sided tape rocks!!! And the brown paper is a recycle from a brown paper bag 🙂 sumakit lang panga ko kaka ihip sa mga lobo na yan.

He seems very happy with the set up and happy with his cake too! That’s his favorite cake eh, Ube Macapuno from Max’s Corner Bakery.

Aside from our gifts, may gift din sya from TMC:

Now comes the most challenging part.. ang bauuin ang mga blocks nila!!!!

I guess he’ll remember this birthday the most.. it’s not very usual to spend your birthday at the hospital 🙂

Mukhang naman nag enjoy siya di ba? What do you think?

Baby On Board: Tips for Flying With A Baby

We love travelling but never tried flying, yet. I don’t think I can handle flying with 4 kids haha maybe a few more years from now,or maybe next year (*wink). For sure flying with an infant is a lot more difficult than flying with kids. So if you have plans on travelling by plane this summer or any time soon, this helpful tips from Mommy PRO can save you a lot! (Italics are my opinions)

1. Travel light.You’d be surprised at how laborious it will be to pass through security gates with a baby and heavy luggage in tow, especially if traveling without help. By packing lightly, your transitions from door-to-door or gate-to-gate can become breezier.

Travel light? with an infant? sound impossible no? When we travel, it helps that I am breastfeeding, we don’t have to bring cans of milk, feeding bottles and sterilizer. But for those on formula, limit your feeding bottle to 3 or 4, and use milk dispensers instead of bringing the whole. Bringing a few diaper change will also lessen your baggage, for sure you can more diapers to your area of destination.

2. Bring a travel and space-friendly baby stroller.Your top three considerations when buying one should be: portability, ease of folding, and storage space. If it ain’t all three, then re-consider bringing one.

My sister traveled with his a few years back, alone. I can’t imagine how she did it but she said that her portable and light weight stroller made it possible. I’d go for sling instead of stroller.

3. Always ask for help.Flight attendants are trained individuals and would be more than glad to help. Seeking assistance can range from having them help you with your hand-carry, grab something from your baby bag, or even carry/supervise your baby so you can take a bathroom break.

And ask nicely, having a cranky baby does not mean, you have a ticket to crankiness too.

3. Get breastfeeding information ahead.Inquire in advance on the breastfeeding policies of the airline you are taking. There never seems to be a consistent “policy” when it comes to breastfeeding even if it is generally allowed. Discussions remain torn on whether breastfeeding moms should apply full discretion or go about her nursing duties unabashedly. Wear clothes that make it extra easy for you to breastfeed (like buttoned or zipped blouses) or have a thin blanket to cover up if you are uncomfortable nursing in public.

Here’s a tip: Wear a tube inside your blouse, it makes breastfeeding easier without exposing too much (specially the tummy area).

4. Bring a pacifier.With the root word being “pacify,” they are perfect when it comes to avoiding that dreaded crying fit inside the plane. They minimize the pressure in the ears, too, which could be bothersome for infants (and we don’t want bothersome!) during take off and landing.

I don’t use pacifier, never tried using it but it works to some, so go ahead bring one (as I have mentioned before, I breastfeed, that’s a good “pacifier” too)

5. Choose front seats.You can request for front seats when you check-in at the airport. You and your baby might move a lot during the trip – shifting positions to be more comfortable, standing up to reach the overhead cabin, and rummaging through the baby bag. Having ample space to stir around will give you less stress during the flight.

I don’t know you can request for a front seat but I am sure when nicely asked, a airline attendant will gladly oblige.

Have you tried flying with an infant? How do you prepare for the flight? How was the flight? Please do share your expereince with us so we can learn a thing or two from you. 🙂

From Grass To Glass: Alaska On How They Produce The Best Quality Milk

If there is one milk that is consistently present on our grocery cart, that would be our favorite Alaska Evaporated and Condensed Milk. Leche flan, sopas, macaroni salad, these are some of our favorite food that uses Alaska. For 40 years, Alaska maintained its quality, best quality milk, may I add. Have you ever wondered why? Here’s something from our friends at Royal FrieslandCampina’s (RFC) on how they maintained the best quality milk, a meticulous processes from the grass to our glasses:

Not all milk is created equal.

Not all milk is produced the same way, and not all milk companies go through the same meticulous processes and thorough methods to produce the best quality milk.

For instance, the Royal FrieslandCampina’s (RFC) group of companies upholds all the wonderful goodness of gifts of nature and combines these with the most modern of technologies to produce nutritious milk.

RFC is a global top 5 dairy company with over 130 years of experience in producing milk. The 11.1 billion Euro company is composed of dairy cooperatives with about 19,224 member-farmers from The Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. The farmers are rewarded based on their system and on the quality and safety of their milk. Every milk delivery is tested and farmers are paid according to composition, safety and quality, and system, leading to improvement of quality and safety metrics over time.

Believing that there are no shortcuts to producing good milk, RFC’s Grass to
Glass process carries with it the gold standard in milk production – from farming, milking, collecting, processing, packaging and all the way to distributing – putting special emphasis on food safety, quality, labor safety, and the environment.

Cows Treated Like Royalty

Known for its green meadows, blue skies, and pristine lakes, the RFC farms located across Europe are havens for cows that are practically treated like royalty. They graze on nothing but the freshest, cleanest grass across farmlands six hours a day, 120 days a year. In some farms, the water is analyzed more frequently but the minimum requirement is, at least, once a year to ensure that there are no contaminants or water-borne diseases the animals could catch.

Because healthy cows mean premium, quality milk, each cow has a code attached to the collar to help veterinarians track the animal’s health regularly.

While traditional farming is still practiced, RFC transits farmers in the best technologies to ensure that benefits generated from modern dairy farming are optimized. The milking equipment are also checked regularly to ensure they are in tip-top shape.

Complete Confidence

After milking, eight quality parameters must be fulfilled to ensure adherence
to RFC’s standards of quality. Among these parameters are temperature and color, bacterial count, antibiotics, etc.

Once they pass these parameters, the milk is assigned a code for easier monitoring during the entire process before it is transported to high-tech factories across Europe and Asia and exported to over 100 countries all over the world to more than a billion consumers.

Before leaving the factories, the milk is tested to ensure its safety and quality and is, then, assigned a final code before being used for its products that are exported to over 100 countries all over the world and used by over a billion consumers.

Rich analyses, protocols – all these careful processes are carried out to ensure that RFC produces impeccable products. Thus, mothers all over the world who prepare milk for their children can be confident that they are providing the best for their families.

In the Philippines, RFC has entered into a solid partnership with Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC), whose 40 years in the Philippine market has made it a leading milk brand in the country.

PRESS RELEASE