Had a Blast With baby Blast 3

My younger daughter, Roey won in a magazine photo gallery/contest but we didn't get to call and pick up our prize. I wasn't able to grab a copy of the baby magazine March issue either.

It was also recently when I saw a post from one of the moms from a Facebook group (of moms) about Baby Blast 3 and I requested for Roey to be included in one of the kids to get a free fluoride application. I was glad to receive a confirmation letter from the organizers of Baby Blast 3 and had it printed so I can present it to them. 

 It was a hot Sunday last April 22 and I almost did not want to go out but thought about the kids. It's Ate K's school vacation yet she's mostly at the house (pretty much doing nothing - except play and fight with the younger sister) and the activity was intended for toddlers, Roey is a toddler who needs to have fun and learn at the same time... besides, the 3 of us haven't been out for sometime - so, I dressed up the kids and head on to trinoma. It was a good decision I guess, Baby Magazine is one of the sponsors of Baby Blast 3 and I got the chance to grab a copy of their March issue (plus one past issue) for less than the original price. It doesn't stop there, I got to talk to one of the ladies in their booth and allowed me to still claim Roey's prize just as long as I call before visiting their office. Yehey! 

We were late for the fluoride application but since I presented them the confirmation email, they handed me a gift pack instead. Woohoo! When I approached the Uratex booth, they gave me an Eco bag with microwaveable containers inside and had me join their Mother's Day FB photo contest too. LJ Moreno was there to host a part of the program. We didn't tire ourselves that long inside the Trinoma activity center anymore, bought some donuts and head to attend an early night mass at the church near us. 

the kids had a blast indeed! They got the chance to at least play and explore even for just a shirt time. I am looking forward to have more fun and quality time with them at least before summer ends. 

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Summer Time: Swim Time

Are your kids ready to hit the waters? 

As a Mom, or parent, we always make it a point to have everything ready for them before they dip in the pool or sea water. I am definite that your checklist includes:

• Swim suits
• Sunscreen
• Hats and sunglasses
• Towels
• Goggles
• Swimming rings and arm floaties
• Swimming Vest if needed
• Shampoo and soap

And the other items that should be in your bag if you are off to a swimming getaway are:

• Flip Flops
• underwear/diapers
• comb
• pocket money / coins
• snack
• baby powder
• insect repellent patches or lotion especially for overnight stay
• umbrella or kiddie tent
• plastic bags for wet items

And the list goes on but of course, we only bring what we really need. I have experienced to have packed a lot that there were items that shouldn't have been included and I end up exhausted carrying a heavy bag.

Yesterday, my daughters had fun "swimming" in a large basin. LOL!

The small inflatable pool we have won't keep the air that long anymore so they end up using the basin instead. My elder daughter is just so excited to hit a real pool saying they won't fit in just one basin. Ha! Ha!

I am planning to bring them to a resort near us instead, in case our friends won't have any plans for a summer outing again this year.

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Marian School's Parenting Seminar

I attended this year's parenting seminar at my daughter's school, Marian School of QC. I had to tag them along which made our travel to and from a bit tiring. Little toddler Roey kept asking me to carry her because   it was "init! init!" (hot) according to her.  We were a little late since I still have to finish some task before yesterday's cut off.  Even so, I still enjoyed the half part of the seminar itself and so as learned a lot too.

 I have been wondering how to properly address issues with my daughters. I suddenly find myself irritable especially when the 2 of them are present. Why? They just clash! I hate it when I start to nag, shout and feel angry about things they can't get along with together. The big sister has started to be annoyed by the little one's spontaneity and curiosity. They would fight because of the littlest things. These everyday hurdle is really unexpected as I was hopeful that the big sister will be very understanding of Roey. I guess it is really isn't advisable to have kids that has 7 years (or more) age gap. I started to feel guilt whenever I feel mad because  they both won't cooperate most of the time. It is even harder when they start to attack each other. I don't hit my kids. Spanking is the last option for me and it can be used when the kid can already understand but hubby's style is different and I think that's where they both got the idea of hitting each other. If you don't know my kids, you'd think I have boys but will be confused why they scream a lot too. Being a Mom is something that you can't just walk away from. I would never give up too, even it is definitely hard. These two mini mes are the most precious treasures I have. I am but glad to have attended this year's parenting seminar. I understood my kids and ME. I am now challenged to handle it better, and calmer.

The speaker, Mrs. P. Nieto with my daughters

We were given hand outs about the seminar itself and I would like to share it with everyone too. It was as if the topic was picked perfectly for me. About stubborn and argumentative teens/kids.

First, why are they feeling angry?

They are battling with daily difficulties and is trying to make sense of emotional issues such as:

• Changes in their bodies
• Dealing with friends
• Positive and negative peer pressure
• Separation/disagreement of parents
• Being treated unfairly
• Taking too many activities
• Chronic illness or death of a loved one

It was highlighted in the seminar that parents are often caught by surprise and react by either yelling or arguing back their kids for showing their anger. In fact, teens have poor coping skills and getting angry is the only way they know on how to avoid feeling hurt or afraid. There were options to help the teens/kids cope up with their frustrations and they are:

• Listen to your kids
• Focus on his/her feelings
• Ask them about unresolved conflict they might be facing
• Help your teen work towards a solution
• Understand the situation fro your teen's perspective
• Show that you care

There are still plenty of info I would share on my next posts about what I have learned about the seminar. For now, I am but glad to have spent the time because I got to think about what I have said and done in the past couple of days - they weren't helpful to my kids nor to me as a parent. Strategies from now on will be re-evaluated and approach will be redefined. 

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We Were Invited!

I am currently in the look for cute invitations and cake designs - in preparation for my toddler's 3rd birthday perhaps?

My kids and I were invited to Miggi's 3rd birthday party last February. It was well attended by kids and kids at heart alike. The cake, cupcakes, loots, gifts, balloons, food and games made everything about the said event fun. My dear friend Jo requested for me to create the party invitations for Miggi and I gladly did. Of course, I am no pro in Photoshop and all but I tried my best and glad that she liked the tarpaulin and invitation I made for Miggi.

Of course, for better and professional party invitations , there are people, companies and websites you can go to. I only made one for Miggi as my gift to him. For me to be able to create one, I had to browse the net and be inspired from various party invitations I saw from InvitationBox's collection. I would like to jump for joy and celebrate after I have finished making the party invitation and so as the tarpaulin. 

As we all know, life is a celebration. Issues come and go and at the end of the day, there are still a lot to be thankful for and celebrate. Every life's event is something to look forward to and be happy about. Just like birthdays - be it themed or just a simple one. Any party will never be without an invitation of course! Making your party invitations chic, lovely, unique, artistic and out of the ordinary is really up to you. These event invitations serves as a hint to your guests on how lovely and fun the party would be and who doesn't like to be in a fun-filled party after all? Kids and the old ones will definitely be happy to celebrate with you. So, if you are planning to have a memorable party for yourself, someone special, a relative or a friend, it is really best to start with planning - theme, party invitations, venue, food, games, and favors too! Starting with a very  nice theme and invitations will serve as your sparklers and will keep the ball rolling. You don't need to be a pro in organizing a party yourself but if you would like to save all the energy and avoid all the hassle, there's a lot in the web to do it for you. 

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Roey's Summer Starts Now!

Even before March has started, the temperature has soared high here in the Philippines. And besides the fact that March is the "Fire Prevention Month", it is also the start of summer. My toddler Roey's very active and perspires a lot too. 

Summer doesn't only means hot temperature, it also brings forth harmful UV rays. The UV Rays of course is harmful to our skin and especially to the kids. Since skin diseases are very much common during summer, we have to be cautious and protect our kids. Wearing comfy and cotton made garments are the best for our kids.  Applying sunscreen is really important. It's as if sunscreen has become a magical tool especially during summer. There are different types of sunscreen to use for children 6years and younger and older too. We just have to be sure that we get the ones with the highest SPF for kids especially if they're to spend hours under the sun. Re-applying sunscreen every 3 hours is most advisable.

Choosing the right shampoo and soap is very important too. What I have for Roey is the Johnson's baby soft & shiny shampoo and Ate K picked the Palmolive Naturals' Fashion Girl shampoo & conditioner.

 Ate K was still at school the other day when I had Roey wear a hand me down swim suit and let her do her "smimming" in a large basin that I use for the laundry. It was less than 30 minutes but she totally had fun.

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