Why We Need to Buckle Up Kids

Why We Need to Buckle Up Kids

I have a soon to be three years old son and my hubby and I are thinking of getting a car. One of the things that makes me not want to get a car is the cost of a child car seat, along with the soaring price of gas and the otherworldly traffic in Manila. I grew up sitting in the front passenger seat while my mom drove us to many destinations and we didn't get into accidents, so why bother with a car seat? And then I was invited to attend a meeting about Car Seat Safety by Buckle Up Kids PH. They are a group made up of representatives from Ideals Inc., Ateneo School of Government, Philippine Red Cross, NVAP, ImagineLaw, International Federation, and Global Road Safety Partnership.

They want to encourage parents to buy a child restraints system AKA child car seats and to see child car seats as a necessity and an investment for their children's safety. I was surprised to find out that car crashes are the leading cause of death in children 1-13 years old worldwide and the second leading cause of death in the Philippines for children 0-17 years old. In a country where the youth population is increasing, it is alarming to learn that the number of road crashes is also increasing. This makes the call for the bill regarding car seats to be passed very important indeed. The House of Representatives has already passed the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Bill and next month the same bill will be up for approval in the Senate.

What is the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Bill want people to do?

• Mandatory use of child seats for children 12 and below

When can a family forgo using car seats?

• During medical emergencies and if the child has a medical or developmental condition that prohibits the use of car seats

What are the penalties for not using car seats?

• There will be no jail time, but there will be fines and suspension of driver's licenses.

What else do we need to know about this bill?

• The bill is going to give a leeway of 6 months after it has been passed for families to get a car seat for their kids. 
• As of today, MMDAs are on notice to flag down drivers with a warning to use car seats. 
• The bill covers only private vehicles for now.
•  Grab and Uber were already contacted by the World Health Organization through a UP study and they are open to getting car seat options for the Philippines like in other countries.

As a parent, I was happy to hear that this might be a law in the near future. But also as a parent, I knew that there are Pros and Cons to it.

Cons:

• Pedias sometimes not care about car seats, so we don't have much knowledge about it after giving birth. I believe this information about car seats should be given to parents while the baby is still in mommy's tummy.
• Before, personal jeeps didn't have seatbelts until a law was passed that required them. This shows that most Filipinos will only follow this once the Bill is passed and not before.
• Car seats are too expensive. This is a known fact. The really good brands cost upward of P9,000 to P20,000 for a car seat. During the meeting, they said there are brands that cost only P3000 but for some families that is still too expensive.
• Too many kids. There are families with 4 children under 12 and they have only a sedan. How to fit 4 car seats in a sedan? That is the question.

Pros:

• Safety. This is an issue that is under-reported and underappreciated by many driving families. Many think that having a baby sitting on your lap is enough to keep them safe but this is untrue. This may cause more harm to you or the baby.
• Car seats are an investment. I remember when I bought a baby carrier that cost P8000 and people thought I was nuts. I kept saying "Why would I buy a cheap carrier that may cause harm to my son when I could buy an ergonomic carrier that was expensive but very safe for him?" This holds the same argument. 
• Seat belts are the number 1 collection of the MMDA. If we all follow this Bill, we don't have to worry about getting flagged down and penalized for it. Because come on, we all know there are some officers who like rule breakers because they benefit from it.
• The ICC stickers and PS mark will be regulated by the government so we don't have to worry about fakes or subpar car seats.

I know that this is all a lot to think of and my mind is going into overdrive with all the information, but let me leave you with a video that might push you into buying a car seat.

Buy a car seat for your kids today. Why? It's better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have one.

A Dance Class for Baby and Me

A Dance Class for Baby and Me

For those of you who don't know, I love to dance. When I was younger, I joined dance groups and cheerleading squads and danced the nights away in bars and clubs. When I became a mom, most of the dancing was saved for lulling the baby to sleep. I was glad when Lady Dazha from Silver Pod Studio approached me about a new class she was starting in her studio that featured moms and their kids called Baby and Me.

The class aims to teach moms (and dads!) with babies in baby carriers to dance. The dance instructor is professional dancer Ida Ramos, a member of The Metropolitan Theater Dance company and The Hotlegs dance company. She started dancing when she was 11 but stopped dancing for a while due to an injury. In 2016, she began to teach ballet, pop, and jazz. When I asked her why she chose to teach the Baby and Me class she shared:

In 2017, a good friend of mine got me to teach a baby-mama dance class for her and her friends who had babies. I had so much fun in that first class. That group continued a once a month class with me.

Eventually the babies in that group grew up so the mommies changed the class to just them dancing. When Silver Pod (Studio) asked me to teach a baby and mama dance class, I immediately said yes because I know it would be a happy experience for all the babies, moms and dads and even for me.

The trial class for Baby and Me happened last March 11,2018 at the Crossfit MNL compound where Silver Pod Studio is housed. The studio is very bright and child-friendly. It was an hour dance class with a 90's theme. Teacher Ida said that she sets a different theme for each class so that her students won't get bored. There were three other parent-baby pairs in attendance and they all said that they joined for the love of dance and for a new bonding experience with the baby.

We started slowly with lots of hand gestures and repetitive steps which were so effective in putting two of the babies to sleep! We had lots of breaks; after every two songs we would stop and check on the kids and drink water. At the end of the hour, we were all high with endorphins and happy with doing something new with our kids. The moms I danced with promised to enroll in the dance class once it pushes through.

I highly recommend this to moms everywhere, especially those wanting to shed weight like me. It's only an hour every Sunday morning and the time spent at the studio is worthwhile. Moms get the additional perk of socializing with other moms and even dads could join in on the fun. A baby carrier is necessary to dance along, but when the kids want to dance on their own, the moms have the option to set them on the floor as long as they are still supervised. For more information about the next Baby and Me dance class, check out their Facebook and Instagram.

Be Homewise with Shopwise!

Be Homewise with Shopwise!

I love grocery shopping whether alone or with my family. Browsing the aisles, checking for bargains and simply buying life's necessities makes me one happy momma. I also know a lot of moms who feel like the supermarket is their escape from life and simply makes their week complete. Shopwise is one of the big supermarket chains in the Philippines and is known to be one the most budget-friendly as well. They partnered up with Mommy Mundo to give moms a 2-day extravaganza called Shopwise Homewise Moms.

Shopwise Homewise Moms took place last March 3, 2018, at Shopwise Alabang and March 10, 2018, at Shopwise Cubao. Both events feature cooking demos with food tasting, games for the registered participants and a raffle at the end of the program. I was invited to the Shopwise Cubao event and was very happy to see the huge turnout! There were a lot of families who attended and some even had the grandmas and grandpas in tow. A huge perk of registering early is the free Shopwise Wise Card. Shoppers can get this for P50 or accumulated receipts worth P5000, but for the event, it was given out for free.

We started with the cooking demo by Chef Golda Liamzon. She made two dishes (recipes at the end of the blog) Lasagna Rolls and Tres Leches Cake. She showed us how easy it is to make good food that is fresh and delicious without breaking the bank. Her cake was moist and the three kinds of milk that were used really amped up the flavor of the sponge and fruit. Her Pizza and Margherita Lasagna Rolls looked super easy to make and I can't wait to try it out on my family.

The games portion of the day consisted of rounds of The Price is Right where contestants guessed the price of a Shopwise grocery item and if the nearest answer would bag them a surprise box of prizes. The other game was Jack en' Poy where 16 moms had to square off until there were only 2 in the end who got to take home Gift Certificates from Shopwise. It was all very fun and also amusing to watch as contestants tried so hard to win the coveted prizes.

Mommy Rochelle Rivera spoke about home-cleaning hacks next. She showed how using basic kitchen ingredients like baking soda and lemon can be used to clean the kitchen and other similar stuff. The day ended with a huge raffle draw where 10 lucky registrants got to take home huge gift packs from Shopwise. The other attendees who didn't win in the games and raffle also got to take home small gift packs from Shopwise that contained grocery items from the supermarket so everyone got to go home feeling like a winner.

Events like these are very good for moms who want an afternoon out at the grocery and still be productive and learn new things. Mommy Mundo and Shopwise have both said they will try to do more collaborations like this event so stay tuned to their social media pages for more information about future events! Check out the recipes at the bottom and let us know how you did at trying them out in the comments section of the blog.

Loving, Accepting and Pampering You: An Intimate Event

Loving, Accepting and Pampering You: An Intimate Event

There is this hidden gem of a salon in Makati called Elevation, named after the famous U2 song. A brainchild of 5 childhood friends turned businessmen, Elevation began in 2007 and aims to cater to the nearby exclusive villages such as Dasmariñas Village, Forbes Park, Urdaneta, San Lorenzo and Magallanes. Their clientele is mostly expats so their stylists are trained to handle both Asian and Caucasian hair. They have a variety of services and some of them include the Bosley product line.

Bosley is leading international brand regarding hair restoration and is available in over 40 countries. Bosley has been partners with Elevation Salon for 2 years now. Their products have initially been distributed to dermatologists only because they have oral supplements for the hair and minoxidil in the formulation. But they have started a hair care line that is solely for salon use. These products are organic and safe even for pregnant and lactating women. There was a small gathering to unveil them last February 28, 2018, at the Elevation Salon.

I am a working mom and have almost no time to pamper myself, so when I was invited for an exclusive morning of salon time, I went for it! I met with Carol Santos, Marketing Manager, and Toni Legare, Bosley Brand Manager, who showed me around Elevation Salon and set me on my path to beauty. Thomas Ellsworth, Head Stylist, also met with me to tell me the pampering routine I was to undergo. They checked my hair and concluded that though the color was beautiful, it was severely damaged and thin. With this diagnosis, I was told that I needed to undergo Microdermabrasion, put Strengthening Hair Mask on my damaged hair, and use a Volumizing & Thickening Nourishing Leave-In. All these plus a foot massage!

We started with the Bosley Renew Scalp Micro-Dermabrasion which is basically a facial for the scalp. This process removes dead skin and excess oil, and promotes regrowth and prevents hair fall. It contains Marula Oil aka "Africa's Miracle Oil", Burdock Root Oil and Argan Oil. Also found within the product is LifeXtend and ColorKeeper from Bosley. The product is brushed onto the hair and followed by an amazing head massage which actually removes the said dead skin and excess oil. The ingredients are all natural and as mentioned earlier, safe for pregnant women and diabetics. Microdermabrasion is also good for people with psoriasis as the treatment removes flakes and balances the PH of the scalp. I was told that it would take 6 treatments to fully normalize damaged hair but you can already see the change after 1 go.

The next part of my salon day was getting a hair mask. Bosley has two: a Strengthening Hair Masque and a Moisture Masque. The Moisture Masque was made for dull, dry and brittle hair to provide intense moisture and keep hair healthy, while the Strengthening Hair Masque helps prevent further hair fall and hair loss while adding moisture, strength, and volume to the hair. I was advised that due to the damage my hair has it would be advisable to get the Strengthening Hair Mask twice a month since the effects can be seen right after until 2 weeks.

After a quick rinse, my stylist Jose began to blow-dry my hair and created a soft fluffy cloud on my head. They ended with the Volumizing & Thickening Nourishing Leave-In which creates thicker and fuller hair. It has hydrolyzed vegetable proteins to help hair avoid tangles and creates shinier and smoother hair in seconds. Plus this product is alcohol-free and thermal-styling protective. A few spritz of this and I was all done. The foot massage by Nelda ended sometime in between transforming me from a bedraggled mom to a stylish power woman.

It felt so good to go out and have a salon day with some other busy women. I met some other moms and a few working ladies and we all had a good chat over the pamper sesh and late lunch. The food from the catering company called Cafe Ymari Food and Art was also divine. I would recommend going to Elevation Salon and trying other Bosley treatments and products especially if you're a very busy woman who has tended to neglect your hair. It may seem pricey, but in my honest opinion, our hair is our crowning glory and deserve every centavo it costs to keep it healthy. Us moms, especially, need to take better care of ourselves, and treating ourselves to a few hours in hair heaven is so worth it when it makes us happier and more excited to get back to the daily grind.