Pages

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Thank you 2013, Welcome 2014!

Before I end this year, let me greet everyone a Happy Happy New Year! :)

Love you all!

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas 2013

This is my blog's first Christmas. Before the day ends, I just want to greet you my dear readers a Merry Merry Christmas! Thank you for patronizing and reading The Binondo Mommy's blog.

To be honest, it's quite hard to get some Me Time because my one year old is now an active explorer. She won't stop exploring on things, crawling faster, cruising by herself through leaning or clinging on to walls and furniture. I can't get my eyes off my baby.

Hoping for your understanding if I'm not able to blog that frequent but I do have lots of things to share. Can't wait to share the details of my baby's first birthday, how it went plus many more. Thank you for patiently waiting and for spending your precious time reading my blog posts.

If I may ask a favor if you could leave a short message or greeting for me so that I would know that you have read this post. Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and your family! God bless! :)


Mommy Sally

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Miracle Art Exhibit in Manila

Last Nov. 22, 2013, me and my friend K were supposed to meet up with our Hong Kong based college friend C who went here in Manila for a vacation. We have decided to tour her around Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo. And to make it more fun and exciting, I've thought of inviting them to visit the Miracle Art Exhibit inside the mall since it will only be there for a temporary period. I've been wanting to see the exhibit since the time it opened last Aug. 10 but couldn't find someone to accompany me. I love taking pictures, posing in front of the camera and doing creative shots that's why I'm so excited to visit the exhibit.

Me and my Friend K arrived early at Lucky Chinatown Mall on that day. Unfortunately, the meet-up with Friend C was cancelled thus leaving only the two of us to bond. Nevertheless, we've decided to go on with our plan of checking out the Miracle Art.

I am aware that the entrance fee has been discounted until end of the year, from the original price of P300 down to P198. But when we got there, I was surprised to know that the price has adjusted to P210 already. The ticket holders saw me got dismayed with the price changes and discreetly offered if we wanted to avail of their employee complimentary tickets for only P150. Why not? And we both paid for that price.

We were lucky that time because there were not much people inside. And because we were only two, we took turns taking our solo shots. We were each other's director and photographer. We did our poses as creatively as we can and took shots as clearly as possible to make our visit worthwhile.

Miracle Art, as defined, is the multi-dimensioned illusion pictures drawn by special technique where people are expressed as if they are integrated with picture when taking photographs. The exhibit shows incredible works of art that leads you to a world of fantasy. For me, it practices one's ability to interpret the painting and strike a post to create a realistic scene when photographed. There are also museums that are similar to Miracle Art in other countries such as the Trick Art Museum in Japan and Korea. I'm glad that Miracle Art visited in Manila as I haven't had the chance to go out of the country yet.

The Miracle Art Exhibit is showcased in ten different categories namely: Aquarium World, Animal World, Jurassic World, Cinema World, Fly World, Fantasy World, Masterpiece World, Romantic World, Flower World, and lastly the Mission World. Sometimes the images requires you to take a few seconds to understand and think of how to strike the pose to make the photograph meaningful and look realistic. It's good that there were sample poses displayed in each section for us to imitate and to give an idea on what the painting is all about.

We've actually completed snapping and posing with all the 80+ paintings but I would only attach two photos from each section here so that you still have something to look forward to.

Aquarium World


Feeding the dolphins.

Sucked by the hurricane.

Animal World


Feeding the camel.

Pouring Coke to the water bowl of the polar bear.


Jurassic World

Sshhh! I'm hiding from these hungry velociraptors.

Crossing and trying to balance on the piece of log.
Cinema World

I'm not sure from what movie is this. :)

One with UP the movie.

Fly World

Feathery creature from outer space.

Spread your wings and fly away!

Fantasy World

Cheers!

Wahhh!!!

Masterpiece World

Peeping through the telescope.

Blowing the pixels of the painting.

Romantic World

Enjoying the greenery.

Kissing the heartthrob Korean artist named Jo In-Sung from The Classic movie.

This is the actual screen shot from the Korean movie, The Classic. Great painting!
Flower World

Bading goodbye to the seven dwarves of Snow White.

Wishing by the fountain.

Mission World

Jesus' crucifixion.

Animals from the Noah's Ark.

As I browsed these pictures, some of them made me look like an idiot but it is when you strike your best pose that makes your picture comes alive and looks interesting. Thank you Friend K for your great directing skills and keen eye to photography. Looking at the photographs seemed as if they were done easily but not! You didn't know how tiring and exhausting it was to strike different poses for each paintings but we enjoyed it so much!

Have fun, express yourself and think out of the box!

Miracle Art Exhibition in Manila is located at
3/F Bldg. B, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Reina Regente St., Binondo
Contact #: 940-9152
Museum hours: 10am to 10pm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miracleartmanila

Mommy Sally

Canva: Become an Instant Graphic Designer

Only three days left before Christmas Day! At this point in time, people would probably be rushing to complete their Christmas shopping list, sending out gifts to their loved ones and of course their Christmas greetings. When I was young, I used to prepare greeting cards to my parents, siblings and friends. Either I buy from bookstores or design my own. As much as I love writing messages to people, I love receiving letters and greeting cards from my loved ones and close friends until now. However because of this technological age, people would rather send out their messages through emails, SMS, social networking sites since it's more faster and economical. And to make it more special and personal, I have come across this cool site that enables one to design their own Christmas Card by simply choosing from the wide selection of templates and graphics that best suits your personality. This site is called Canva, an Australian company.

Infographic about the Magic of Christmas Cards



MEDIA RELEASE


Put those postage stamps away: these Christmas cards deliver in style

Sydney, Australia — 2/12/13 — Each year Filipinos spend hours waiting in checkout lines, licking dozens of icky stamps and worrying that snail mail won’t get their holiday messages to friends and family in time. And all in the name of the humble Christmas card.

Perhaps that’s why less cards are being sent now than ever before. And sheeeesh, the decline isn’t slowing down: the number of greeting cards posted has dropped 24 percent in the past decade. But no surprises there — it’s often the last thing on our mind with countless family gatherings, presents to organise and the mad holiday shopping rush.

So what if you could say a heartfelt ‘Happy Holidays’ to the people you care about with a personal design that’s just as sentimental as a handwritten note, but super quick and simple to create? Forget the text message; hold that Facebook post. Heck, why not make this Christmas a bit more special…

Simple online design platform Canva has a cracker of a Christmas surprise this silly season. The folks at Canva believe they can make anyone a designer with their free drag-and-drop design tool. The company has today launched a collection of entirely customizable, beautifully designed Christmas cards. Want to know how to create a spectacular looking card with Canva? 

Here are the 3 easy steps:

1. Choose one of the 20 stunning hand-crafted designs

 

2. Customize the card however you like: add family photos, write a personal message, change the graphics, or create your own from scratch.
 
 

3. Pick who you want to send it to, and… badda bing -- you’re done!
 

 
Canva has been in exclusive closed beta for the past two-and-a-half months, but are now giving you the chance to join the more than 110,000 people who for the first time have been able to create their own designs without spending thousands of dollars on frustrating desktop software that takes years to learn. Hey, don’t take our word, here’s what others have said:

“Canva enables anyone to become a designer” — PSFK
“A graphic design platform anyone can use” — TechCrunch
“Canva could very well become an industry disrupting household name” — Web Appstorm
“The easiest to use design program in the world” — Netted by the Webbys

According to Canva CEO Melanie Perkins the company wants to make it easy for people to create and share their own designs with people they care about, and receiving personalized Christmas cards is something everyone appreciates.

“Together with the world’s best photographers, designers, and illustrators, we’ve set out to introduce beautiful design to everyone," she said. 

"This Christmas we want to give more people the ability to craft something special for family and friends. Designing with Canva is as simple as choosing a layout, searching our library of 1 million images and graphics, or uploading your own, then clicking ‘Publish’.”

Design is all around us. It lets us communicate, express our ideas, connect. Design says who you are. This is Canva. Create beautiful designs without ever leaving the web. All the tools you need in one place. Stunning graphics, professional photography and fonts. Simply search and drag. Easily work with others. Share and edit your designs with family, friends and co-workers. Canva - design reimagined.

Make this Christmas a little more special by heading to www.canva.com/christmas.

Watch this simple video on the Overview of Canva so you can visually understand it better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqYti78riU8

Aren't you excited about this new program? So, what are you waiting for? Create your own personalized and graphically appealing Christmas Card and unleash your creativity now! I'm so excited to try it!

As a special offer to all my blog readers, you are invited to try out their beta release by simply clicking through this link to get your VIP Access: bit.ly/1fuGhQd plus you'll get an instant $10 credit free!

In writing this press release, I'm also able to help the Yolanda victims because Canva has promised to donate $50 to any charitable organization of my choice, on my behalf. Thank you so much Canva for your generosity and thoughtfulness!

Emailed by Ms. Hazel Gascon as of Jan. 17, 2014.


Mommy Sally

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Happy 1st Birthday Baby A!

This is the day my baby officially turns one year old. Just want to greet you, Baby A, a very Happy Happy 1st Birthday! Welcome to the Christian world in three hours.

We'll blog more about the details soon after the event and celebration today. :)


Mommy Sally

Monday, December 2, 2013

It's Officially December + Announcement of Winners

Pardon for the delay in announcing the winners of my recently concluded giveaway. Ever since I became a mom, all my time just revolves around my baby. And see how time flies, it's barely 6 days left before her first birthday and party. And here I am, doing some last minute finalizing of party details! Wish me luck and hope my baby's party turns out to be a smashing success! :)
Getting back to the main motive of this blog post, let me first thank Sisters' Sweetness and Mutterliebe for allowing me to host this giveaway. I wish you a prosperous and fruitful business in the months and years ahead. Secondly, thank you for all the 74 individuals who took time and effort to participate in my giveaway. I was surprised to receive a whopping 3,231 entries for a month-long giveaway. Thank you for persistently sharing my giveaway in your Facebook and Twitter accounts not just once but almost everyday. You know who you are. Don't be sad if your name isn't picked because I'll be hosting more giveaways in the coming weeks! :)
And the two lucky winners are...

 

Here's a sample image of cupcakes from Sisters' Sweetness. Actual product may vary.



Here's a sample image of the Jar of Hope First Aid Gel from Mutterliebe.

Kindly send me your contact details and email address so I can forward them to Mommy Kandie as she'll be the one to instruct you on how to claim your prize. Hope you will like them! Let me know your feedback on your prizes by sharing your photos through The Binondo Mommy's Facebook wall.
It's officially December! Let me greet everyone an advance Merry Christmas! :)
Mommy Sally

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Superbook Fun Run 2013: Ready...Gizmo...Go!

It's very heart-warming to see that each one has been doing their part to help in the recent calamity that had struck the Leyte Province particularly Tacloban City last Nov. 8, 2013. The Super Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan was so hard that it left a vast number of people homeless and orphaned. People from all over the world offered a helping hand to give hope to the typhoon survivors. Some have been helping via relief operations, medical missions, giving donations, dining for a cause, and many more.
 
And now, your favorite TV show, Superbook, will be having a fun run for this cause too. If you haven't done any help yet, this would be a great opportunity to do your part. Not only will your participation fee help in the fund raising, it's one way to stay fit especially to those who haven't had any exercise for the past years, just like me. Reserve this date to bond with the whole family. For sure, the kids will love it!

If you are interested, kindly continue reading the press release and the registration details below. 

RUN AND BECOME “HEROES OF CHANGE” IN THE FIRST-EVER SUPERBOOK FUN RUN
RUN and help our kababayans in need with the first-ever Superbook benefit fun run dubbed “READY… GIZMO…GO!” happening on December 14, 2013 at the Bonifacio Global City. Warm up starts at 4:30 am and the official gun start for the 10K run is at 6:00 am. 
Join Gizmo, the Superbook agents and other Superbook lovers as they make “every kilometer count” and contribute in raising funds for the disaster relief operations of Operation Blessing, the humanitarian arm of CBN Asia. Various OB Teams have now set up a base camp in the most hard-hit areas of Super Typhoon Yolanda distributing relief goods, doing medical missions and trauma counseling.
This event will also benefit the CBN Asia Prayer Center, the Asian Center for Missions and the CBN Asia Media (The 700 Club Asia, Superbook and Tanikala).
 
 
 
Superbook takes the lead in the fun run with its phenomenal success in its first season drawing close to 20 million viewers.
And in this time when everyone is joining hands to help our kababayans in the Visayas, Superbook, through its “Bida ng Pagbabago Advocacy,” invites everyone, especially the kids to participate in this first ever “Ready… Gizmo… Go!” Fun Run and help raise funds for the CBN Asia Family of Ministries.
Superbook’s “Bida ng Pagbabago Advocacy” believes in empowering the children of today. As young as they are, they can already be of influence and become examples to their friends, families and community.
“The effect of Superbook on the family has been amazing. Through Superbook and the adventures of Gizmo, Chris and Joy, more and more children have developed the joy of Bible-reading and have become heroes of change by showing positive difference at home, in school and their community. Superbook also empowers parents to introduce positive values to their children in a fun way and it has become a catalyst for families to become closer and to grow in love and faith,” says Icko Gonzalez, Superbook Project Head in the Philippines.
 
How To Register
Participants may choose to join either of the following categories:

1K - fee P300 (inclusive of singlet, race bib, baller)
3K - fee P400 (inclusive of singlet, race bib, baller, medal)
5K - fee P500 (inclusive of singlet, race bib, baller, medal)
10K - fee P600 (inclusive of singlet, race bib, baller, medal and finisher's shirt)




Singlet design
 
 Exclusive Baller design
 Medal design

Map for 10K


Registration is now open until December 9 or until supplies last.

To join the “Ready… Gizmo… Go!” Fun Run, visit any of the following venues during office hours for registration and payment and immediately claim your specially-designed race kit:
·         CBN Asia Head Office Sagittarius Bldg., HV Dela Costa / Leviste St., Makati City
·         House of Praise (HOP) Robinsons Galleria and St. Francis Square, Ortigas
·         ADSTRATWORLD Holdings Inc. Head Office
·         Brooks SM North EDSA
·         Toby’s Sports Branches in Glorietta 2, Shangri-La Plaza and Trinoma
·         RUNNR Branches in Alabang Town Center and Bonifacio Global City
 
Do not miss this chance to be a part of the first Superbook Fun Run and make a difference in the lives of thousands this Christmas!
For more event details, please visit their event page at www.batangsuperbook.com/readygizmogo
For updates and announcements, please visit and like Batang Superbook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/batangsuperbook
For more information, please call:
Corporate Communications | (02) 812-4747
Local 424 (Edwin Arceo, edwin.arceo@cbnasia.org)
Local 408 (Len Tienzo, len.tienzo@cbnasia.org)

Hope to see you there!

Mommy Sally  

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Monday, November 4, 2013

Smash the Cake Pictorial + Giveaway

My baby's first birthday is coming up in just a month's time. I have been on a busy mode lately, putting up and preparing for Baby A's first birthday party. And prior to that, I have been wanting to have a formal or themed pictorial of baby. I have seen other moms having a Smash the Cake photo shoot with their babies and I find it very unique that's why I've decided to try it too with my baby.
First and foremost, looking for a photographer or studio on where to shoot is not an easy task especially for a budgeted mom like me. After allotting a certain budget for the photo shoot package that I have chosen, I still need to spend for a cake to smash. I just realized that being a "stage mom" is indeed very costly but the least that I can do is to scout for the most economical supplier that can deliver quality output. And this goes to all the party suppliers that I was able to finalized with.
Let me begin with the cake supplier for our Smash the Cake pictorial.
Just four days before our actual pictorial session, I inquired from my friend if they can do a giant cupcake for me even with the short notice. Starting price of their giant cupcakes is at P800 depending on the design and luckily it fits my budget because others would cost more than P1,500. This friend of mine is also a mommy herself to a one year old smart boy that's why I'm pretty sure that she can do it with utmost care. I just showed her some sample pegs and the design idea that I want. I entrusted her the output of the cake and only got to see the actual cake on the photo shoot day. And here is the output of the giant cupcake. So pinky wonderful!
Here's the giant cupcake I ordered from Sisters' Sweetness, not including the toy figures.

Mommy Kandie is one of the sisters behind Sisters' Sweetness Homemade Cakes and Pastries. Aside from baking cakes, they also bake revel bars, puto, empanada, cupcakes, cake pops, cookies and anything you need to sweeten up your special occasion. To give you a brief background, baking pastries used to be their mom's personal hobby. It later on turned into a business managed by the whole family in the comforts of their own home. As you look intently into the Sisters' Sweetness logo, the chain represents the closely-tied relationship of the people working behind this home-based cake & pastry shop. Their creations are done with passion and creativity.


themed pictorial by The Ruffles Studio

The result of the smash the cake? It wasn't that totally smashed maybe because the cake and icing itself were hard enough for baby to press. Hubby just helped baby smash the cake and even wiped the icing on some parts of her face! Haha! According to Mommy Kandie, it's because it's a pound cake and only that kind of cake could support a giant cupcake design. As a tip, it might not be a good idea to have a pound cake for smashing. From a smiling baby to a crying baby, I think because baby didn't want that sticky feel of the icing. I just found out that she's a neat freak too just like mommy! :)

After dipping baby's hands into the cake, she suddenly burst into a loud cry.

Too bad, baby wasn't able to dig inside the layers of cake so we just decided to remove a slice to see what's inside. And here it is, the rainbow cake colorfully decorated by Sisters' Sweetness using edible food coloring for cakes. In terms of the taste, I loved the sweet taste of the icing better because it's made from marshmallows. The cake was not that bad but I just didn't like the idea of eating with food coloring. And I understand that it's the only way to make a rainbow layered cake, as what I have instructed. I ate a few bites and shared the others to my family members so they could also partake baby's cake.
 
Giant cupcake outside, rainbow cake inside. It's actually a vanilla pound cake.

And because it's almost gift-giving season, we have an early Christmas treat for all of you! How sweet of Mommy Kandie to give away one dozen of Sisters' Sweetness Cupcakes to one lucky reader. Aren't you excited? Wait not only that, she's also giving away a Jar of Hope First Aid Gel to another lucky reader. According to her, it's Mutterliebe's best seller as it is an all-around aid that can heal baby's rashes, mosquito bites, pimples, wounds and many more. Oh by the way, she is the multi-tasking mom behind Mutterliebe online store. As a way of thanking her, kindly check out the other products that she's offering.

Connect with them here:
Cell number: 0922-8545997
Landline: 208-2823


Cake and pastries are definitely a great gift idea for any occasion whether for birthdays, parties, showers, potluck gatherings or even just for an after-meal dessert to satisfy your sweet cravings. What's good with Sisters' Sweetness is that they do free delivery within Metro Manila. So hurry and book your orders now before the peak season peaks in.

I won't let you wait too long, here you go. Just follow the steps and mechanics asked by the Rafflecopter below in order to qualify for the giveaway. This giveaway runs from Nov. 4 to 30, 2013 and is only open for those with Philippine addresses. Winners will be announced within the day of Dec. 1, 2013 (Sunday). I'll be forwarding the names of the two winners to Mommy Kandie and she'll be the one to instruct how you could claim your treat. Good luck and Happy Holidays!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mommy Sally

Note: All the photos used here are all taken by yours truly. :)
Thank you Mommy Kandie and to your mom for the giant cupcake gift to my Baby A. We really loved it! :)

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Birthday Party Planning

This is my official entry to Bebengisms' Wooden Kiddie Stools Giveaway.

Being a work-at-home mom myself, I still find it challenging to balance work load and time for baby. One reason is because I chose to exclusively breastfeed Baby A, making her become more clingy to me but that's what I wanted it to be. I am happy for being with her as she goes through her developmental milestones. From being a swaddled newborn, to achieving her neck support, to her first roll-over, to crawling, to sitting upright unsupported and now trying to stand on her own. A little more than a month left, my baby will become one year old already. Time to celebrate her first birthday.
And because I am such a busy person, I was able to start planning for my baby's birthday party I think last two months ago only. But it doesn't mean that I don't give importance to it. Of course I do, that's why I am taking it slowly and carefully because I want it to be a very special one since it's also her baptismal day. And you know what made it more special? Her birthday this year falls on a Sunday. I really love that day!
First few things that I was able to finalize were the church, the venue and the catering. Then others came next such as photographer, videographer, and photo booth. I actually just made down-payments to them just last two weeks ago. And guess what, Wooden Kiddie Stools was also included in my supplier list. I came to learn about them just early this month after having attended a first birthday party and got a wooden kiddie stool as their souvenir. I find it very practical, customizable and useful. I immediately thought of having these kind of souvenirs to make my planning less tedious. Instead of buying things to fill up a loot bag, this wooden handicraft will do. And to make it different from my friend's party giveaway, I chose wooden mini baskets and I have actually ordered 60 pieces of them. Oh no, I have spoiled the surprise. Haha!
Baby A with her yummy wooden kiddie stool.
Thanks to Mommy G and Baby M!
And coincidentally, Bebengisms is having a giveaway from Wooden Kiddie Stools. Wow! They are giving away 30 pieces of Wooden Baskets according to the party's theme. I really hope to win. It could save me half of the total price that I will be spending. I can already feel the sting on my pocket because of the payments I made this month. Actually, my hubby just wanted a conservative and simple party and me on the other hand wanted to make it more colorful and memorable. And because of that, we have decided to split the expenses where he takes care of only the catering and me for the rest of the party details. Gulp! 
Let's just see how my baby's party would go. I haven't finalized the cake, candy buffet and event stylist yet. I don't have yet a sound system and I know rental fees are very expensive that's why I will try to borrow from someone else. I'll surely blog about all my party details soon. Stay tuned!
Happy 4th Anniversary to Wooden Kiddie Stools and a lot more! Congrats Ms. Jennifer Lopez-Gana! I hope my order will be nicely done. :) 
Mommy Sally  

Friday, October 25, 2013

Baby A's Ear Piercing Experience



Last Oct. 18, 2013, we went to her pedia just to get baby's ears pierced. I was so excited and at the same time afraid that baby would get hurt. First, pedia asked me to choose which earrings I want for baby, either with a birthstone, gold, white gold, or with pearl. I just chose the color pink but actually it's an October's birthstone because December is color blue.



Pedia told me to hold baby's body and limbs tightly as she marked baby's ears with a dot using a pentel pen as a guide before she did the actual thing. My baby was already crying so loud because she didn't want being swaddled or restricted. Then here comes the pedia holding the gun and ready to pierce baby's left ears. You can watch the video HERE. It's my habit to take videos during vaccinations that's why I was also able to capture this video with the help of our maid.

To cut the long story short, as soon as I heard the BANG! of the gun, my baby went on a loud cry. I thought it's part of the process but when I looked into her ears, OH MY! A portion of her left cheek near the left ear got stuck by the gun. I panicked and almost cried as I can feel the pain my baby is going through. Good thing, the cut was not deep, just the outer skin as the pedia immediately removed/retracted the gun from her ear and just manually inserted the earrings lock. For the right ear, I let the maid hold baby already and it was done smoothly in just a split second.

This was one of the very few times baby cried out this loud. I hurriedly carried her and good thing she calmed down in a few minutes because she knew that she is now safe in mommy's arms. This was the most traumatizing experience of me with baby so far. I don't dare to recall or watch the video again as it is really heart-breaking. It was a life-changing day for me because that's when I realized how much I love Baby A. From this day on, I promised myself to protect her, to be with her and spend more time with her. I don't want anything like this to happen again to my baby. Instead of feeling furious and angry with the pedia and the incident, I just diverted my feelings towards loving baby more.

It was a fateful Friday. I didn't voiced out my anger to the public because I don't want to say something bad that I might later regret. I waited for one week which is today to calm myself down and partly forget the incident. Good news, baby's wound had dried up, partially healed and the dried skin cells were peeled off already. On the spot, the pedia applied Betadine and at home, I just applied drops of breastmilk. I am just worried and hoping it won't leave a scar on her cheek.

Thank God for baby's speedy healing of the wound. I love you my Baby A! Mwah! :)

Left side shows the freshly cut wounds. Right side shows the wound about to heal.

If you were on my position, how would you react on this?
Any tips on how to avoid getting scars?
At what age did you had your baby's ears pierced?
When do you think is the best time/age to do it?

Mommy Sally

Baby A at Ten Months

Baby's 10th month birthday cake.

Time flies so fast. My baby girl is now 10 months but still showed no signs of teething yet. She also has a thin/few hair but it's okay, most probably she got it from me. Sometimes, these things got me worried but I know I should not be because every child's development varies. I would just accept how she is and how she brings happiness to our lives.

Baby standing up holding unto the crib ledge.

At this age, she loves to move around and explore on things. She learned to stand up on her own by clinging onto the crib ledge. Then she would walk around the corners of the crib, proudly smiling and babbling, throwing her books and toys out of the crib as if seeking for attention. She now crawls so fast that we really need to be all eyes on where she is heading. She even learned to climb a step from bed to sofa. We started sleeping on the floor bed when she was 4 months old where our bed is connected to the room sofa which then served as her climbing course.

Baby climbing up the sofa.

I also want to celebrate our 10 months of breastfeeding journey where we strictly direct feed throughout the night. It was an amazing sight to see the many acrobatic poses my baby does while breastfeeding. Before, we only feed on a side-lying position. Now, she would feed on top of me, sometimes with her little butt up, trying to get milk while standing, kneeling or even sitting down. I have also tried to feed baby in public and be confident in not bringing a bottle when we go out with baby. It's really hassle-free with breastfeeding. I'm proud of myself to have reached this mark and be successful in breastfeeding. The journey was not an easy-breezy but through determination and commitment, it feels good to arrive at where we are now. Still looking forward. counting the days and years how far our breastfeeding journey would go. I have yet to see it myself the many benefits and miracles that breastfeeding could give to my baby.

Breastfeeding lying down position.

People would always give a side comment that having a baby would mean having increased expenses. But with breastfeeding, we were able to save a lot because we never had to buy any formula/powdered milk for our baby's daily needs. Aside from that, we also saved on buying disposable diapers because we use reusable cloth diapers. Cloth diapers are indeed expensive but in the long run, it will be worth it plus you help save the environment from garbage disposals. I think the last time I bought a pack of disposable diapers was when baby was 4 months.


Baby on a cloth diaper.
We also practiced baby-led weaning starting 6months, with help and support from the Facebook group called Baby Led Weaning Philippines where we feed only local produce such as steamed sayote, broccoli, cauliflower, papaya, avocado, banana, etc. We never fed her with jarred processed/pureed/blended food.
Baby eating steamed carrots.
From the savings that I got from breastfeeding, cloth diapering and baby-led weaning, I used them instead to buy books. I don't even buy my baby nice dresses or expensive toys because luckily my family and friends have been very generous to provide baby those things. What I regret the most with myself is not loving books and I don't want my baby to be like me. It would look exaggerating, but I buy children's books almost every week or at least every month to build up the library of my baby. Every time I would pass by a Book Sale, I would surely go in and search for good/famous books or cheap and worthy books.

At BOOKSALE Waltermart, E. Rodriguez branch.


Baby reading books while sitting.

Baby reading books while standing.

I never imagined that I am capable of sacrificing and loving someone this much. Every single moment with baby brings joy and excitement to my everyday life. And as a "stage mom", I would give whatever is best for my baby, inside and out. And as part of having a baby girl, it is a mom's responsibility to make her daughter look beautiful and presentable.

Baby's birthday is almost coming up in less than 2 months, I have been very busy preparing for her baptismal and birthday party. Part of the prepping up is to have my baby's ears pierced so she can wear earrings and make her look more girly and people would surely not mistaken her as a boy. Some babies had their ears pierced when they were just few days old, while some do it at a later age. Both has its pros and cons. Either doing it below 6 months old when baby is still easy to handle but prone to infection or just before one year old when baby's ears are more firm but very playful already. For me, the younger the better so that they won't remember the painful experience.

Want to know how the ear piercing experience of my baby went? I invite you to continue reading onto my next blog post. Warning, it's a heavy one.

Mommy Sally