Usapang Labada: Managing our Household Laundry

June 22, 2017 By Leave a Comment

I have my favorite clothes. Clothes, that no matter how many other clothes are in the closet, I always end up wearing. So when it looks worn out in just a few washes or worst kapag natalsikan ng bleach, gusto ko umiyak.

Plus, I’m not sure kung Amazona ang laundry woman namin because numinipis ang damit. And lastly, when I check my grocery list, a huge chunk of the budget goes into laundry items. I have a detergent bar, laundry powder for washing machine, laundry powder for general cleaning, bleach for whites, bleach for colored, fabric softener and dinagdagan pa ng ironing spray. Sandamakmak!

So when Tin of MFO invited me to an open table laundry exchange hosted by Perla, I thought I could use some advice.

Sharing with you some of the new things I discovered:

  1. Bleach is not always necessary. Dahil may love-hate relationship ako with bleach, I am excited to trade it with a product that will make me reduce if not totally stop using it. It has already ruined too many clothes in our household. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Home Living, Organizing the Home Tagged With: , , ,

Is a Postpaid Cellular Plan better than Prepaid?

June 19, 2017 By Leave a Comment

After decades and decades of having a pre-paid line,  I have now switched to Post-paid.  It took years because of 2 things: First I have this weird attachment to my first ever cellphone number.  Weird, right? Second, super tipid ako.  I always felt going pre-paid will be much cheaper.

However,  since I have embarked on a quest to reduce stress in my life,  I have taken the plunge and said goodbye to my good old cellphone number of more than 20 years!  I realised the stress of running out of load,  yes!!! nakakahiya! and carrying 2 phones is something I could do without.  Not to mention my 2nd phone, where I put my PLDT mobile landline is a dinosaur of a phone in terms of size and age!  Stress drilon when it rings in school or when I'm in a fancy place because even my driver's and yaya's phone looks better than it.  Kaya kapag nasa school ako and I'm using it,  I have to pretend to take out my "better looking" phone at baka isipin ng mga ma-mothers na naka-Bottega eh sobra akong ka-chipangahan.

I got the P 799 plan of Globe.  With P 799 a month, I get unlimited calls to Globe and Touchmobile, Unlimited Text to all networks, a globe duo number for landline calls and 3.5gb of data per month.  Not bad at all! It is liberating to use one phone for both my landline and cellphone calls not to mention my now unhurried calls since I'm unli anyway.

My friends, who often tease me that I'm the only person they know who uses pre-paid, congratulated me for finally making the switch.  And in the 2 weeks I have had it, I'm congratulating myself too.

TheGoMom

Filed Under: Home Finds, Home Living Tagged With:

Let your ”Little Stars” Shine Now!

April 23, 2017 By Leave a Comment

What do these kids have in common? All of them are now making their own names whether on print, TV, or other performing arts.

They all also have supportive parents who believe in their talent and decided to bring them into auditioning for SM Little Stars few years back.

The good news is: auditions for SM Little Stars 2017 are ongoing and our own budding little stars can have their chance, too!

Now on its 11th year anniversary and with its biggest prizes ever, SM Little Stars continues to help countless kids show off their talent, inspire new ones, and propel winners to their journey of becoming the next kid stars!

Parents of bright and talented kids, with ages 4 to 7 years old, are all invited to sign up in select SM Supermalls nationwide. Preliminary screenings is ongoing until May 28, 2017. Details here. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Kids' Activities, Parenting

Road Map to Perfect Moments

March 31, 2017 By Leave a Comment

With all those perfect feeds coming my way I sometimes lose it and start looking for perfection from myself and from my kids. And the more I seek perfection, the farther away it gets. So, when I do remember how heavy the road to perfection is, I just breathe and let moments unfold. And truly there are lots of those perfect moments along the way.  Umaapaw.

Road map to Perfect Moments.  Let go of perfection.

Filed Under: Mommy Tales & Thoughts, Motherhood

Review of DeLonghi MultiFry: More than just an Air Fryer

February 2, 2017 By Leave a Comment

I have been meaning to get an air fryer for the longest time but I want to make sure it serves its purpose of cutting down our oil use in the house. My husband argues that it’s just like a Turbo Broiler only in a better package.  True, one of the advantages of an air fryer is its cool, modern look but I’m more of a function person. I want to keep my kitchen stuff to a minimum therefore each piece of equipment and tool I buy must be used, and used often.

According to my research, my husband is quite right. Air fryers and Turbo Broilers don’t have much difference. Both use air as its primary heating element. However, air fryers are supposed to circulate hot air faster so it can cook, normally, deep fried food with less oil.

DeLonghi blew my mind away last Christmas 2016 when they gifted me with a MultiFry! Smile from ear to ear with a clap, sabay talon! Napakasaya!!!!! Here is my full review. Please note that though I was given a DeLonghi Multi-Fry, the review and opinion expressed here remains to be my own. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Finds, Home Living Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Are your Kids Ready for Mars? (Talk Points with Kids on this Epic Mission)

January 29, 2017 By Leave a Comment

The start of the interviews for applicants, for the one-way journey to Mars, has my 13 year old daughter all excited.  "Imagine!  A life in space.  What can be more awesome than that? "

The thought of humans establishing a permanent colony in Mars is just as my daughter said, mind-blowing! Since I was a kid, [Read more...]

Filed Under: Kids' Activities, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

“Our” Baby turned 1!

January 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment

"Our" little baby turned 1!  Nope I didn’t give birth. Although my tummy looks like I just did. 1 year ago, our helper gave birth in our house! in the bathroom! We decided to let mother and daughter stay in the house for a little while, and that while turned to a year. My helper asked me to be the one to pick the name and I named her Gianna, meaning God is good. And God, is indeed good!

I wasn’t able to put up a post last year of our wonderful experience so I thought it is fitting to put it up on her birth month…  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Living, Household Help

7 Reasons to Visit Taiwan: Asian Traveller Edition

December 23, 2016 By Leave a Comment

When one thinks of Taiwan they think of rows and rows of factories with little albeit no tourist areas to boast of. I had no intention of visiting the place but since my husband is currently Taipei based I had the pleasure of calling “Ilha Formosa,” the beautiful island, our second home.

Here are my top 7 reasons why you should visit Taipei: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Family Travel and Eats

Probiotic: Buzzword in my Mommy Circles

December 17, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Probiotic is the buzzword nowadays in mommy circles when it comes to tummy care for our little ones.  I have mommy groups and when we compare notes, some are into it already, some are getting into it and others are reading up already about it.

When my teen son went on a 6 week trip to China for school purposes, most of the moms sent probiotic as supplement.  When there was a spread of diarrhea cases for my kindergartner, a number of moms commented they give probiotics to their kids to protect their kids from any tummy related problems.

So, what is probiotic exactly?
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Parent & Kid Finds, Parenting Tagged With: , , , , ,

Review of Awilihan Private Resort: A Charming, Provincial Home

December 14, 2016 By Leave a Comment

My family often takes trips with family friends and of course our extended family.  It is nice to see the kids develop friendships with the children of my siblings, cousins and good friends.  It brings extra warmth and fun to the trip.  And what would be a better destination for such a big group but a whole resort to ourselves!

Last weekend,  we had our family reunion (4 families) at Awilihan Private Resort in Tanauan, Batangas. It is just an hour's drive away from Makati even on a December weekend!  I have attended an overnight birthday party of a friend here last year and fell in love with the place.  I wouldn't exactly call it a resort because resorts sound grand and commercial.  Awilihan is more like a provincial home, charming and modest.It enjoys the view of [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family Travel and Eats, Luzon Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Different Parenting Styles, One Goal

December 7, 2016 By Leave a Comment

child-playing-in-playgroundWe hear everyone dropping the word every time. Progressive school, progressive style, progressive parenting. I tried checking the internet and everyone has their own take on what it is. In a nutshell, among the articles I have read, it is parenting through modelling instead of exacting discipline measures on children. I would not exactly say I am a progressive parent because I do exact discipline measures but I try to walk the talk so I guess I’m half and half.

One thing is for sure, whatever parenting style we practice, however differently we do it, the intention is always to help our children become adults who are balanced, responsible, kind and all the other wonderful characters a human should embody.

And as much thought we give on our parenting style, so it goes for our child’s nutrition. Because every child is a complete package we have to nourish inside. Thanks to the internet we have access to tons of information and can make better choices, from the toys that will help in their brain development to the milk that would provide the proper nutrition for our child.

Friso Four’s brand heritage that marries Nature and Science advocates a GRASS-to-GLASS single process treatment of milk to preserve milk protein closer to its natural structure. Friso Four, through its LockNutri process, makes it easy to digest. Moreover, because it has undergone minimal processing, our kids can get the full nutritive value of milk.

friso-four

Find Friso Four at selected Mercury Drugstores in GMA, Luzon, and Cebu. You can also visit them on FB: https://www.facebook.com/FrisoPhilippines/ and their website: https://friso.com.ph/

With the nutritional needs of our children down pat, we can focus on helping our kids grow up to be happy, wonderful people.

thegomom-signature

 

 

Disclosure: Thanks to Friso Four for sponsoring this post.

 

Filed Under: Parent & Kid Finds, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

Parents as Digital Home Managers: 10 Practical Parenting Tips in this Wired World

November 18, 2016 By Leave a Comment

pldt-mommy-day-out-cover

We worry about it yet we can’t live without it. How do I manage the kids’ gadget use? Is it turning them into little monsters? What to do when they complain “I’m bored 10 minutes after you take the gadget away?”

A few days back, PLDT Home organized a “Mommy Day Out.” Celebrity moms, Denise Laurel and Isabel Oli Prats in the presence of Camille Prats and Issa Litton engaged the moms in an afternoon of chika about Parenting in the Digital World. Psychologist, guidance counselor and co-author of Growing Up Wired, Michele Alignay also gave a talk on the role of parents in managing the whole family’s use of technology ergo the term Digital Manager, or if I may alter it a bit, Digital Home Manager.

pldt-mommy-day-out-group-shot

Michele was such a delightful speaker as she shared very practical tips on how to be a good Digital Home Manager. She said, statistics shows that kids who are unmonitored in their gadget use are easily bored, exhibit information overload and have a harder time controlling their emotions. Sharing with you her 10 tips.

1.Develop external regulations.

We have to provide kids external regulations in terms of length of usage time, content they view and appropriate use, etc.   Once you have set the rules and discussed these with the kids, it should strictly be followed.

As for usage time, you can use the recommendations of American Association of Pediatrics as a guide. It is good for kids to share one device, they learn to share while limiting their electronic time since they only have one.

Set a gadget-free time and gadget-free zone. All moms agree that meal times and dining areas should be gadget-free and that rule should be extended to parents as well. Some implement ‘no-gadgets’ during vacations. While other parents allow limited gadget use on school days others strictly enforce the ‘zero-gadget’ rule. Determine which works best for your child.

Agree on a device curfew at night, yes, even on weekends. Some parents turn off the wifi at a certain hour of the night. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Child Behaviour & Discipline, Parenting Tagged With: , , , , ,

5 Things to Consider in making a DIY Costume for your Child

November 8, 2016 By Leave a Comment

starfish costumeToday is Word-Robe day in my son's school. Kids come in DIY costumes of their assigned word. My son’s assigned word is easy, starfish.  Others were assigned to be a bison or a mollusk so a starfish is a no brainer, or so I thought.

I just used a good quality cartolina to make his costume and it looked great! Unfortunately, it did not hold up and it was broken even before he reached his classroom. As his classmates paraded with their hand sewn costumes and some heavy duty board costumes, his broke into pieces. The garter on the head piece came off and the cartolina tore! Widening his eyes to fight off the tears, he exclaimed, “mommy it’s broken.” I wanted to cry, too.

Another one of those bad mommy moments that made me feel so awful because I knew I could have done it better.

Sharing with you my learnings in today’s DIY costume experience:

  1. Consider Structure and Design. I was all design, without considering structure and durability of the costume. Cartolina does not hold and won’t make for a sturdy costume. You have to back it up with a thick carton at the back. Cartolina is just for the design element but not for structure.
  2. Consider how you connect parts of the costume. Tape, even the sturdiest one, doesn’t hold garters well. I just used garters to hold the costume, my son wore the head piece and the garter came off immediately. He wore the leg and the garter didn’t hold up and it kept on falling down. Next time I’ll sew the garter. Or I can put holes on the thick carton and insert the garters from there.
  3. Consider maneuverability. Make sure your kid can sit with the costume. I didn’t think of that. He needs to remove his costume if he wants to sit because he can’t bend his knee.
  4. Test the costume at home. Make sure it can withstand not just standing but also walking, sitting, sit to stand and the playful pokes from eager classmates. By testing at home, I could have found out it won’t hold up and made adjustments.
  5. Don’t cram the DIY. I crammed and made the costume just yesterday! Well, because we just got back from a 6 day vacation, so I didn’t have time to make it better or even test the costume! Excuses! Excuses!

In addition, if the child can already help, let him help in making the costume. My son helped in sticking the yellow suctions and helped cut some of the fringes on the side. He enjoyed it and he was happy to say that he helped make it.

5 lessons to be used in the next DIY. Thank God! there is another one next year! Next year, it will be better.

thegomom-signature

Filed Under: Kids' Activities, Parenting Tagged With: ,

Safeguard Moisture Shield: Keeping the Colds Away

October 28, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Safeguard Body Wash Manila Launch

The Exploreum in Mall of Asia was in a flurry of activity a few weeks back as Safeguard launched the Safeguard Body Wash. Celebrities, from Aubrey Miles to social media icons like Christine Dychiao were there with their kiddos.

Unfortunately, my 5 year old couldn’t make it that day because he was nursing a cold. Maybe if we were more diligent in ensuring cleanliness he would have been able to join me.   Ever since my kid started pre-school and now that he is in big school, colds has been a constant visitor in our household. In school, they are exposed to other kids who may be nursing a cold. And we know kids, they touch everything! That is why personal hygiene, at this time when viruses are extra potent, is getting more and more important.

Safeguard, the brand we are sooo familiar with (“Ako ang iyong konsensya” Oh no! Did I just date myself?), introduces Safeguard Body Wash to protect our big kids. Safeguard Body Wash comes with the same 99.9% germ protection but is gentle enough for our kids’ young skin, as it has the same PH level as that of water.

Safeguard Body Wash also maintains our skin’s moisture to protect us from germs.

Trivia (I love Trivia!):

Did you know that your skin, and its natural moisture shield are your body’s barrier to the outside world? When a person’s skin is dry, it is a sign that this moisture shield has been damaged. Invisible to the naked eye, this dry and cracked skin makes it easier for harmful germs to attach to your skin more easily.

I didn’t know that! Now, that gives moisturizing a deeper meaning;-)  I tried the Safeguard Body Wash myself and it builds up a very nice lather paired with my loofah.  And plus since it is Safeguard,  I get that feeling na I'm Spartan clean after.

Safeguard bodywash

Try Safeguard Body Wash it provides extra germ protection with moisture shield especially during this “colds” season.

Disclosure: Thanks to Safeguard for inviting TheGoMom to Exploreum and for sponsoring this post.   The views and opinions expressed are solely from TheGoMom.

thegomom-signature

Filed Under: Parent & Kid Finds, Parenting Tagged With: ,

Yummy Home Cooked Meals = Comfort Food

October 13, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Fried Purefoods Corned Beef

When I think of comfort food I think of home cooked meals that brings me joy.

I remember waking up to Purefoods corned beef with steaming rice on Saturday mornings. I remember my brothers and I fighting over who gets the most Purefoods bacon. Bacon is relatively expensive and since budget was tight then, the rarity of a bacon serving and the squabble that comes with it, made it even more yummier.

There were times when my mom, would serve us another brand and we would eat, yes, but nothing spells special than the classic taste of Purefoods. It’s like those givens, pencil is to Mongol as corned beef and bacon is to Purefoods.

My husband on one hand introduced me to Purefoods Vienna Sausage. He grew up to spaghetti with Purefoods Vienna Sausage on it and wants us to do the same. My kids have not had spaghetti without it.

It’s funny how we pass on to our kids the comforts and happy memories of our childhood. It brings a warm smile to our hearts as our past and present comes into one joyful contact.

A few weeks back, Purefoods Blue Line invited bloggers to a delightful afternoon of Art at Sip and Gogh, Pasig.

Sip and Gogh

I was a little bit worried at first because art is not really one of my talents. I can’t even draw a straight line! As in may ruler na, tabingi pa rin. I was quite surprised because it is not as hard as it seems.

#LoveMarie artist herself, Heart Evangelista, was there to help us out in our creations. She is soooo pretty!

Heart Evangelista Painting

It is nice to know a celebrity like her shares the same breakfast comfort food I grew up with.

Heart Evangelista

Camille, from the funny trio of TheSoshalNetwork got lucky when Heart added a painting of lovers on her canvass.

I’m quite pleased with my artwork as well. Everyone was guided to paint their own rendition of “Down the Blue Lane.” I decided to add what brings me joy, my family.

TheGoMom

In a way, painting is just like cooking. Both entails art and love. I’m not a natural artist nor cook. But I like beautiful things and I like good food. When we try our hand at it, both are not as daunting as it seems. It is relaxing and it warms the heart.

Please do visit and like Purefoods Blueline Facebook page and share with others your comfort food.   Purefoods Blueline has more than the Classic Corned Beef and Vienna Sausage, they also have premium line of Luncheon Meat, Liver Spread, Chorizo de Bilbao and Spaghetti Meat Sauce.   Something to try and start adding to our joyful list of comfort food.

Purefoods Corned Beef

Go, Create Happy Food Memories with the Fam!

 

TheGoMom signature

 

 

 

Disclosure: Thanks to Purefoods Blue Line for introducing me to the joy of art and for sponsoring this post.

 

 

Filed Under: Home Finds, Home Living Tagged With: , , ,