McDonald's Happy Meal Sanrio Stampers

Look at these cute little things! SANRIO stampers from McDonald's Happy Meal! Sanrio is celebrating their 50th anniversary and they came out with these super cute stampers! It comes with every order of a Happy Meal this month so collect them all now!

Being a die-hard Sanrio fan, I just got to make a post on this.

Honestly, I was the one who got really excited when I saw these a week after new year's.  My girl couldn't care less! The family was dining at McDonald's then and so I ordered two Happy Meals just to get my two favorite characters pronto -- Hello Kitty and My Melody.

I was actually choosing meals to order for my girl's simple birthday party in school, and I ended up ordering Happy Meals for her classmates as well so each one can bring home a stamper. :)))

Simply press the character down, slide up the base cover, and stamp! See the character pop up as soon as you stamp!

You can also use it as key chain or bag charm too --  well, that's for the kid's bag of course, it would be too funny if I hang it on my bag! (photo below is for illustration purposes only! :p )

I am hoping when I go back this week, they still have Cinnamoroll and Sugarbunnies stampers in stock so I can complete the collection. Wish me luck!

Did I mention I was a die-hard Sanrio fan? In case you missed the post, see my vintage Sanrio collection here.

P.S.
Finally, I got the Sugarbunnies stamper as of Feb. 1!  Now, if only I can pass by a branch that still carry the Cinnamoroll -- will update soon!

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Fave Finds at the Grand Baby Company Fair

All I can say is that this baby fair is truly grand -- a huge success with over 75 exhibitors and a throng of shoppers coming and going since it's opening day yesterday, and the long queue at the check-out lanes. 


This baby fair will run until tomorrow, January 30, so better hurry and avail of huge discounts to complete your shopping for babies and toddlers. 

I went with my girl yesterday and it was late in the day so, unfortunately, with the swelling crowd plus a restless girl in tow, I was not able get a closer look and take pictures at all the fabulous items on offer. Let me just tell you, this baby fair did not disappoint. With the widest range of merchandise from top bands in the baby industry, it would surely make your trip worth it, despite the discouraging long lines toward the counters.

Here she is standing at a distance from the Mimiflo bear mascot by the photo booth.

Just a few items I spied while walking around the booths:

A pregnant friend of mine asked me to find this First Years baby sleeper and luckily, they have the latest model, and it's also on sale! I told her the good news and she already went and got one today.

Since I don't have a baby anymore, I was just on the look-out for items that I can feature here, and maybe something for my four-year-old. As soon as we reached the Pigeon and Chicco booth, her eyes zoomed in on the shoes!!!

There she is again, this time, happily trying on the only "big-sized" girls' shoes which was a steal at P400! She wore it for the rest of the day. This was a no-brainer for me since I have been buying Chicco toddler shoes and sandals ever since my son could walk. He's now 7.

More styles available for the cutest stubby little feet.

After my girl was born, Playtex has been my preferred brand of baby bottles after using three other very popular brands I bought for my eldest. Their BPA-free VentAire bottles prevent bubbles and hiccups, and their DropIns Nurser bottle system with disposable milk liners are the best for me.

Toys, toys, toys! There were so many to choose from, and Fisher-Price has always been a top choice for most parents. I grew up with Fisher-Price and now my kids are enjoying their toys as well. I was very satisfied with our Fisher-Price baby bouncer and was happy to see that there are more designs to choose from compared to when I had my first baby seven years ago. Other personal favorites are Playgro, Tiny Love and V-Tech -- my kids all have toys from these durable and educational toy brands.

One of the more successful brands of all-natural baby care line is Indigo Baby. I love their massage oils and sprays. And now I found out they also have these baby-wearing gear for new moms. That's baby-wearing in style!

Of course, I also took home this value pack from Cetaphil, my daily facial cleanser for many years now. It's dermatologist-recommended, gentle, and hypo-allergenic. Perfect for all skin types. Which reminds me...I totally forgot to claim my free sampler after paying for this! :-(

I hope SM could add more cashier counters by tomorrow to accommodate hundreds, maybe thousands, of  shoppers and avoid the build-up of super long lines, making customers waste hours just lining up to pay.

The highlight of our quick trip to the baby fair was meeting the very charming Ms. Christine Bersola-Babao, the creator of online parenting show ParentinTV.  Her warmth and candor made her so endearing. It was such a pleasure to be able to chat with her and this brief and memorable encounter surely made my day!

She was one of the celebrity-mom guests during the parenting program, and you can still catch her tomorrow afternoon as she shares her experience with CordLife and cord blood banking. Incidentally, ParentinTV will be having an event entitled "I Love My Family" on February 6, 2:00 PM at The Podium mall in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

Go and shop at the Grand Baby Company Fair, SM Megatrade Hall 2 & 3, until January 30 only.

Click here to see the line-up of activities and program schedule.


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Mom-Finds: Giga and Ilog Maria Soaps

Last Friday of the month:  Mom-Finds


Imagine the cool, relaxing scent of mint wafting through the air...it's like you're walking into a spa.

That's how I felt after using this bath soap for the first time and it made me look forward to my daily showers after a tiring day.

I rarely splurge on beauty or personal care products, but from time to time, I like to buy myself a few things I can indulge in and which I know will make me feel good after using them. One of them is this nourishing bath soap. With it's natural ingredients and essential oils that soothes and refreshes, it was 'love at first bath' for me using GIGA Bath Botanics Aromatherapy Bath Bar in cooling Peppermint scent. I have tried the Lavender earlier, which is also wonderful, but this cool mint soap trumps all the other local soaps I've tried.

Promo:  5 bars for P280  /  P65@ 

The peppermint aromatherapy soap bar is aptly described as "stimulating, cooling, and relaxing", with a soothing scent that lingers. It contains olive oil, oatmeal and virgin coconut oil among others. The oatmeal bits serve as a mild body scrub and it just feels and smells oh so good!

Same goes for Ilog Maria's Spearmint Honey & Oatmeal Soap which I received as gift last Christmas. Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm produces the very popular, all-natural skin and hair care line made with their own honey-based products. The texture and scent of this soap is very similar to Giga's, and equally delivers a cool, minty and tingling sensation on the skin!

Both soaps are made with organic natural ingredients, and melt a lot faster than your regular bath soap, ergo more expensive. But the refreshing, invigorating feeling I get after every use makes me want to take longer showers. I am now addicted to these mint-scented soaps!


I buy our Giga products at their kiosk in Virra Mall, Greenhills.
Ilog Maria products are only available at their farm store and online.

Find a store near you, or order online:
EchoStore (Serendra and Podium branches) carries both brands.
GIGA Natural Products
Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm

Related post:
Giga insect repellent


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Shop at the 2011 Grand Baby Fair from Baby Company

I loved shopping at Baby Company when I was infanticipating several years ago. It's a one-stop shop for me and hubby as they carry a wide range of products that expectant parents need to complete their baby checklist. 

This weekend, I am happy to share that they will have their first ever, Grand Baby Fair this weekend at SM Megatrade Hall in Ortigas Center!

Aside from shopping with amazing discounts, the Grand Baby Company Fair has lined up exciting activities with baby experts and celebrity parents like Christine Jacob-Sandejas, Paolo Abrera, Tintin Bersola-Babao, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, among others.

Learn from their discussions on different topics each day for the 3-day affair, such as:

• Essentials of Newborn Care
• Milestones during the First Years
• Breastfeeding and Travel Safety
• Cord Banking
• Infant Feeding
• Baby Skin Care
• Baby Checklist

(source: Baby Company Facebook Page)

Incidentally, I have also compiled a Baby Checklist here to guide new parents on the essentials for newborns. I'm sure you can find everything you need at the fair while taking advantage of the big discounts.

This is one event that is truly worth a visit. Maybe I'll see you there :-)
Block your calendars! Happy shopping!!!


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Blogging with Integrity (?)

Blog with passion and integrity.
I believe this should be every blogger's mantra to maintain the authenticity and credibility of his or her blog. 

 

I am relatively new in the Philippine blogosphere, 20 months to be exact, and I am already saddened and frustrated by some unethical practices plaguing the community which I have observed and, unfortunately, have experienced first hand.

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Fun Friday: Collectible Toys for the (big) Boys

Third Friday of the month:  Hobbies / Toys / Recreation

Action figures, diecast models, character toys, cars and robots. Aside from electronic gadgets, these are just some of the toys that a lot of (men) big boys collect and drool over, my husband included.

Part of the Justice League action figures collection

Hubby's birthday is coming up soon so I thought I'd dedicated this Fun Friday to him, my first ever post for the big boys.

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Kid-Style: Funky Girls in Boots

So who said boots were made for cowboys?  Whether in suede or leather, low-cut to knee-high, these funky girls know how to strut their stuff, dress up in style to match their boots and express their individual styles. 

My girl inspired me on this post as she tirelessly asked for a pair of pink boots for months and finally getting her wish last Christmas when she received one as a gift from my mother.  My cute little niece got a pair too.  Now, she tries to wear this soft and comfy suede boots as often as she can, with anything she's wearing!

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Family Friday: Baby Sign, Baby Talk

Second Friday of the month:  Babies and Family

My baby is signing! Eat. Milk. More. Bird. Dog. 
It was such an amazing and gratifying experience for me and my children when they began to communicate through sign language during their pre-verbal stage. And this is something I have always encouraged my new mom-friends to try with their own babies.

The essential kit to begin signing with your baby

I learned about "baby signs" long before I had babies of my own. I was watching a show (forgot what it was) that featured an interview and demo video of renowned author and researcher Dr. Joseph Garcia, a certified interpreter. What fascinated me was seeing how babies and toddlers effectively communicated what they want and what they see to their parents, using simple ASL (American Sign Language) signs. The babies and parents were all so happy, with less frustrations and instant gratification. And they all say, the key to successful signing with baby is repetition.

Signing Chart of my boy, with dates of when he first used the sign he learned

After having a baby in 2003, and recording all his developmental milestones (as most first-time moms do!), I remembered seeing an article online about signing with baby. Then I remembered Dr. Garcia's video. So I quickly researched on it and eventually began an exciting stage with my then babbling baby boy. I purchased the kit above, plus some more DVDs to supplement and add variety.  And would  you believe I even considered taking the program to be a certified instructor?! I was an instant advocate.

 "...using signs as a method of early communication between (hearing) children and parents, and how signing affected the onset of expressive language in pre-verbal infants. With the help of the seventeen families in his study, he learned that babies who are exposed to signs regularly and consistently at six to seven months of age can begin using signs effectively by the eighth or ninth month." - Sign2Me.com

I officially introduced sign language to my boy when he turned 1. We watched the videos as instructed, setting a viewing schedule everyday while we apply it in our day to day routine. In a month's time, he was signing back and "communicating" his needs more often! Of course I also had to learn the basics, my husband, as well as the nanny had to watch with him too to be able to engage and effectively communicate with the baby. It is important that the people around the child learn to sign as well. With our second child, we also introduced her to sign language and the experience was just as rewarding.

Benefits of Signing with Your Baby (* with excerpts from Sign2Me.com)

•  Babies and toddler will have less frustrations when sending a message, with less crying, and helps eliminate the guessing game that usually happens when parents and the little ones try to communicate with each other

•  Allows parents and caregivers to encourage communication from the infants and toddlers and encourage self-expression

•  Signing empowers children because they can communicate successfully with those around them. This sense of empowerment significantly contributes to children's happiness *

•  Signing enhances early language skills because children can engage in two-way conversations with their teachers and their peers at an earlier age. *

•  Signing serves as a language bridge for children and staff (others) who speak different languages. The sign is the same for "eat" (English) as it is for "comer" (Spanish). *

•  Children learn to use signs to solve problems. "Stop" and "share" are commonly-used signs that help children learn to get along with one another. *

* Signing is appropriate for all preschool age groups (Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, and Pre-K)

The tutorial in this kit is just amazing. It's really very helpful for parents to understand the benefits of ASL and enlightened me too about a baby's innate intelligence even at a very early age. 

My girl, who was very verbal at 22 months, still liked doing her fave signs

Baby D, at 15 months, enjoys watching the video and showing off her skills

Learning and using ASL is a valuable skill and it's for everybody, with or without impairments, for babies and adults alike. I highly recommend that new parents try this method of early communication with your child. It's really an amazing feeling when you see your child full of wonderment, "talking" and responding to the people and the  environment around him through signs.

Aside from the kit I ordered, these are the actual video (DVD) materials I bought online which all proved effective, entertaining and very educational for the whole family.  After lending these to my friends, they are just raving about them and are so proud of their signing babies!  Of course the tots have their favorites and these are 'My Baby Can Talk' and Baby Eisntein's Baby Wordsworth. 

You too can learn sign language and bond with your babies at the comforts of your homes and reap the rewards of signing with baby. I did!

Resource:

Sign2Me.com

More posts on babies:
Baby Checklist
Baby Boom, Baby Love
To (Breast) Feed Or Not To (Breast) Feed
World Breastfeeding Week
Baby's First Foods


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2011 Resolutions? Pass The Message...

I have just read this wonderful post by Jenni Epperson, who also got this list from a friend. As I read through it, I really wish I could accomplish as many from this checklist, which I'm now sharing with you (unedited):

Setting our roles in print, his+hers humor tees we wore on new year's eve -- should've read: "I Spend" instead of Keep! :) 

Guidelines for a successful and wise 2011

Health
01. Drink plenty of water.
02. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper
03. Live with the 3 E’s: Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
04. Make time to pray.
05. Play more games.
06. Read more books than you did in 2010.
07. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
08. Sleep for 7 hours each day.
09. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality
10. Know your limits.
11. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
13. Dream more while you are awake.
14. Envy is a waste of time; you already have all you need.
15. Forget issues of the past don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
16. Life is too short to waste time hating others.
17. Make peace with your past and accept your mistakes. We’re only human.
18. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
19. Smile and laugh more often.
20. You don’t have to win every argument, agree to disagree.

Society
21. Call your family and friends more often.
22. Each day give something good to others.
23. Forgive everyone for everything, even thought it’s hard!
24. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
25. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
26. What other people think of you is none of your business. Who cares?

Life
27. Do the right thing!
28. TIME heals everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

Feel free to share and re-post.

Hope the list inspired you. As a follow-up to my first 2011 post -- begin, the rest is easy!

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Foodie Friday: Mom-Friday's Tiramisu

First Friday of the month:  Mom-Cook / Dessert

Today would be my first food post for 2011 and I'd like to kick off the year on a sweet note with this "pick-me-up" cake.  This is also my first attempt at making this sinful Italian dessert and I am delighted to say that my Tiramisu was a success!

After recently reviving a classic cheesecake recipe, here's another sure-fire hit especially for those with a sweet tooth. Well, Tiramisu is actually not as sweet as other cakes in my opinion. According to Wikipedia:

Tiramisu (Italian: tiramisù; Venetian: tiramesù [tirameˈsu]; literally "pull me up") is one of the most popular Italian cakes. It is made of biscuits (usually savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks and mascarpone, and flavored with liquor and cocoa. The recipe has been adapted into many varieties of puddings, cakes and other desserts.

I thought it would be complicated but it turned out to be pretty simple to make once you lay out everything you need. With many variations to this dreamy cake, I intended to be as true to the traditional recipe. However, with the risk of having salmonella* from raw eggs, I searched for other ways to do this. I ended up combining ingredients and methods from recipes I culled from three different sites, resulting in this caffeine-free, alcohol-free version I can proudly call Mom-Friday's Tiramisu!

MOM-FRIDAY'S TIRAMISU

For the Zabaglione:
*6 egg yolks
1/2 cup white sugar
(Didn't add marsala wine)

For the filling:
500g (1 lb.) mascarpone cheese
1 cup all purpose cream or heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the cake base:
1 1/2 cups prepared instant decaffeinated coffee + 1 teaspoon sugar, cooled for dipping
(original recipe calls for espresso; I also skipped the rhum)
24 to 30 pieces ladyfingers / savoiardi

For garnish:
Bittersweet chocolate shavings
Unsweetened cocoa powder

To prepare zabaglione:
Heat a bain-marie, or use double boiler - use a stainless bowl set on top of a small pot half-filled with water, bring to a boil, then let it simmer.
In the hot bowl, beat egg yolks and gradually add sugar until thick using electric mixer. This will gradually cook the egg in the process, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat then set aside

To prepare filling:
In a bigger bowl, beat the cream and sugar until stiff.
Add the mascarpone cheese and vanilla, beat until smooth.
Pour in the zabaglione to the cheese mixture and beat until well blended.

To prepare cake base:
Pour cooled coffee in a shallow dish.
Dip each ladyfinger, top side only, for no more than 5 seconds (soaking too long will cause them to fall apart). Arrange soaked ladyfingers on the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish (or any preferred dish), breaking them if necessary, in order to fit the bottom.

To assemble:
After lining the bottom layer with ladyfingers, pour half of the filling and spread evenly.
Repeat process of dipping and arranging ladyfingers on the filling, be careful not to press down.
Pour the rest of the filling over the second layer.

Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Before serving, dust with cocoa powder and sprinkle chocolate shavings.

I served this subtly sweet tiramisu after our new year's eve family dinner. The cake drew encouraging feedback from my baker-mom, foodie sis-in-law, and cake-loving little girl. I knew then that this recipe is a keeper!


* Raw Egg Warning:
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. (Source: foodnetwork.com)
In Italy, Tiramisu is made using raw eggs. Today the danger of salmonella is always present, and we prefer to cook the yolks in a bain-marie, or double boiler, and substitute whipped cream for the egg whites. (Source: annamariavolpi.com)

You can get the different original recipes from these websites:
Food Network - Giada De Laurentis
Anna Maria Volpi
Folie A Deux


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Begin, The Rest is Easy

Happy New Year everyone!

It's the start of a new year and I would like to thank you all once again for following me on my online journal for the past year and a half. I borrowed the title above from a framed quote at my old office, and I thought it encapsulates my mindset at this moment. So where do I begin?

It took some time for me to write this first post for 2011 as I'm in the middle of sorting through more than 3,000 files (yikes!!!) for the past week now since most of my 2010 files got lost somewhere between transferring to and retrieving from an external hard drive. You could say I was in a state of shock for a day or two. Thankfully, my techie-hubby was able to find a way to recover them, even the super old deleted files! Suffice it to say, I'm still working on getting back to my 'regular programming'. Please bear with me. :)

Moving on, I'm sure I am not alone with the uncontrolled eating, drinking and merry-making in the past few weeks. Who can resist the abundance of food everywhere?!? And as we begin 2011, it may take a while to get back to our normal routine and start the year with a healthier, "greener" lifestyle for ourselves and for our families.

While I was sorting out my files and browsing through my old entries, I found myself reading my Health/Wellness posts which prompted me to share these with you, especially to those who just recently followed this blog. This 4-part series were based from the parenting seminar I've attended last year, conducted by health and nutrition experts. I guarantee you'll be enlightened and will surely learn something new especially about healthy eating.
Click on the titles to read each post in full.

I.
Wellness in our family

Learn to read labels and promote a balanced diet

II.
Nutrition in life cycles

Infants and young children clearly have different nutritional needs

III.
Healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition

Do a self-assessment and plan a diet that suits your needs

IV.
About Antioxidants and Tips to healthy eating

Use your fist to measure serving sizes of the food we eat

This special series on wellness and nutrition are really worth the read and I hope we could all begin the year right with a positive outlook and better health for the rest of the year.


Note:
Top photo from 123rf.com

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