I Want: Dwell Studio Madison Bag!!!

OMG!

My heart silently screamed(!!!) when I saw this Dwell Studio Madison Bag on Jenni Epperson's blog. As Ms. Jenni would say, it's super kyooot!

Photo from here

It's like the LV Neverfull but much cuter! It has a changing pad and stroller attachments. And if Y's bigger na, I can still use it as my bag!

I have the Swallow printed pouch and I would love to get my hands on these but I can't decide which one to get! Waahhh.. I already told the BOS that I want one haha! I so want one! Plus the bag's name is the same as Y's second name!

My Top Two:

Photos from Google Images

Oh, I also want their weekender bag! So much cute baby stuff! Argh!

P.S. I'm secreting something. And if it happens, I'm so buying this diaper bag!

My First Breastfeeding Station Experience

Yesterday, me, BOS and Y went to SM San Lazaro for a quick (that turned into not so quick) trip to the department store to buy Y's stuff and for BOS to have his hair cut at Tony and Jackey. Then the BOS decided to have his hair colored! That's why we have to wait pa! We didn't bring a stroller so I carried Y for more than an hour! Parang nag work-out na din ako LOL! I really need to learn how to babywear.

Since we have to wait, I just window shopped with Y. Then came feeding time! I remembered SM San Lazaro has a breastfeeding station! (Power Plant, please provide a breastfeeding station/room!) I actually have used the Rustan's Breastfeeding Room but without Y and just my pump. Other times we used Zara's fitting room and The Picture Company's changing room to nurse. So this is the first time I was going to use a breastfeeding station for its purpose!

When we went in, it is a clinic/breastfeeding station. The breastfeeding room is inside the clinic. The woman in-charge there was nice, I told her I'm going to feed my baby, she said to go in to the room. She asked me to log in to the log book when we're finished. Inside, it's a small room with a bulletin board, a sofa, sink, changing area, and a play mat. There was also a wheelchair and gurney inside. There was another mom inside when we went in. Y is a distracted nurser so I can't really feed her when there's another person inside a room or when it's noisy because she really won't nurse. Chismosang bata! I had to try three times before she finally nursed.

 

Overall experience: It was a pleasant experience. The room is small, it can only accommodate two moms. It is fairly clean (from the looks of it), though the play mat needs cleaning! I really wish more malls would have a breastfeeding stations/rooms because it is very convenient. If you're not keen on breastfeeding in public, then a breastfeeding station/room is perfect!

Product Review: Tiny Buds Bottle & Utensil Wash

As a mom, I constantly look for new baby and mommy products to try. And one of them is Bottle/Nipple/Breast Pump Cleanser. I have used three brands of bottle cleaners since I started pumping and Y started bottle feeding.

I initially bought Cradle Bottle and Nipple Cleanser. It's made from natural and edible ingredients so it's very safe for babies. I bought the bottle with pump and just buy the refill pack when I used it up. It can also be used to wash fruits and veggies. I also have tried Pigeon Bottle Nipple and Vegetable Liquid Cleanser, I love this too! It's just more expensive than the Cradle. Just two to three pumps of Cradle or Pigeon on a liter or two of water, a few bottles, feeding utensils, breast pump, and you're good to go! Both are not 'mabula' but it cleans effectively! I like that it only has a mild scent.

The one I'm using now is Tiny Buds. I chanced upon this product from the last Expo Mom. I wanted to try another brand of bottle cleanser so when I saw this I bought it. It costs 250 pesos for 500ml. The lady selling the product told me that Tiny Buds Bottle Cleanser is a great product (sales talking me), it's more 'mabula' so one pump would be enough and it cleans more effectively. She said that their product will be available in Rustan's soon. They also have Rice Powder and Hand Sanitizer but I opted to buy this first to try out. It also has an apple scent like Cradle.

Twice the bubbles for deeper clean. Uhm, no it's not!

So when my yaya told me that the Cradle bottle is empty, I asked her to use the new Tiny Buds. I specifically told her to use one pump only as it is mabula daw. I never really checked the cleaned bottles before til the other day. While I was making breakfast, I notice my breast pump was blurry (malabo), some of the bottles were blurry and has a bit of milk residue. I thought my yaya was slacking off and not cleaning properly, so I told her about it. She said that she did what I told her to use one pump only, so I told her to make it two pumps. Now we're using three or four five pumps of Tiny Buds and it's still the same! It doesn't clean my bottles or pumps! "Hindi maganda yung bagong panlinis" she said. Sayang, I have high expectations pa naman from this product.

See those residue? Ugh.. 

I'm really really really disappointed! So, we're going back to Cradle. I just told her to finish the Tiny Buds bottle. 

Fellow mommies, what bottle cleanser do you use?

Eating My Words...

Am I finally going to eat my words? I've said and mentioned so many times in this blog that as much as possible I don't want to mix feed Y. (The BOS and) I want her to be strictly and exclusively breastfed. But I'm tempted to buy a can of formula (again!). My yaya called me this afternoon at around 5PM telling me that Y has no milk na. Need to go back to my previous routine and can't leave the house earlier than I did today!

These past few days:

- I'm having my period (Sorry, TMI!)

- Y's milk intake increased but I'm having milk supply problems once again and Y's feedings has been erratic because of her teething.

- I've been pumping every two hours in the office. But my supply still won't improve.

- I'm taking malunggay supplements and drinking fresh malunggay tea. Still no effect.

I already bought a box of Mother's Milk Tea. I'm planning to take Calcium/Magnesium supplement and fenugreek capsules. I hope my milk supply will increase once my period is finished.

Hay.. I can't afford to take another leave. I don't want my boss to think I'm slacking. I can't always just take a leave when Y has no enough expressed milk or else my leaves will be used up.

Am I finally going to eat my words?

Fashionista Fortune Cookie x Chicify Giveaway!

Head over to Lloyda's blog cause she's having a blog giveaway sponsored by Chicify! Three lucky winners will get one of the items above!

Giveaway is open from May 23 until May 30. Open to all readers worldwide!

Winners will be chosen randomly.

Photo from Fashionista Fortune Cookie

Frustrations and Stressed-ations!!!

I wrote this post yesterday morning..


It's Monday again! Usually on Mondays, I'm lazy to work. Added to that, I'm a bit frustrated and stressed. Monday na Monday, stressed agad!

I drive to work everyday. I have been driving since college but only started driving everyday when I started working in 2007.

First, For a 45-minute drive to Makati or a 20-minute drive to U.N. Avenue, the most stressful traffic is in Binondo, Manila! The intersection of Recto and Abad Santos going to Reina Regente where 168 Mall is is driving me crazy everyday most especially when I go home at night!!! With the footbridge construction, pedestrians crossing, and freakin' jeeps! Ughhh... Why do people don't follow proper traffic rules and regulation? They just cross the street without looking! I just hope that the new footbridge would be effective and people would actually climb up and use it! Grrrr...

Second, parking space! My previous job provided parking space for employees who drives. If not, there's a pay parking that costs Php70 for the whole day. In my current job, our building has a parking lot, a valet parking that charges freakin' Php130 for a whole day's parking! It's burning a big whole in my pocket! Sometimes I park outside our building for Php50 a day. Cheaper right? The parking attendant/MTPB used to reserve a slot for me, but the past few weeks, he's not. Hay.. Now, I'm thinking of just commuting. I can save a lot by doing that but I lug around three bags a day: my bag, my cooler, my canvas bags that has my pump, lunch, and water jug. See what I mean? I can't ride a jeep, climb up, and ride the LRT with my bagS.

Third, I'm starting to not like my job. I want to quit my job but just can't quit yet. Dreams of becoming a stay-at-home mom is still quite far... How I wish it's sooner. I miss my baby when I'm at work. And so I won't have to worry about my expressed milk is enough for Y for the day..

End of the World?

I just read Topaz Mommy's post. Will it really happen?


I'm not afraid of death. I don't think the world will end today. Or if it will, I'm not afraid. I just feel sad that I won't be able to see my Y grow up.


I find the question "What will you do if you know today is the end of the world?" cliché. There are a lot of things I want to do and a day won't be enough. And you won't really know when will the world end. Diba?


Today, I'll do my errands. Play with Y. Cook dinner for BOS. And tomorrow will be another day.

Ice Ice Baby!

This is the first time I'm posting Y's video. Super kulit when dancing. I don't know how she learned to dance like that or shake her head. Cute! Never fail to make us laugh and shake our heads!

Get A Strike!

Get a strike with a fuzzy decorative dice!


Oh whatever...

A Sofitel Weekend

We had a very tiring but enjoyable stay at Sofitel last Sunday til Monday. I was excited because we're taking Y swimming and it's her first time! I spent weeks and weeks of searching for her swimsuit and swimming diapers! (I ended up buying disposable Huggies Swimmers and a cheap swimsuit at Php250 for Y!!! Super great deal! Since she's gonna use it once or twice only) And we bought her a cute baby float!

View from our room

I don't know what kind of room we got but we had the Bay View side. My sister and dad were the ones who checked in, the room was courtesy of the Accor Card. They can't stay overnight so we (BOS, me and Y) got to stay! Yay!

Spending overnight in a hotel with a baby is a production number like what my shobe would say. You bring everything!!! From toiletries, vitamins, baby food, her feeding utensils, changing mats.. good thing I'm breastfeeding so no need to bring bottles!

Still at home, waiting to leave.

We got there around 3:00PM. We rested for awhile, fed Y, and changed into our swimsuits. Y is super cute in her equally cute swimsuit with flowers! We waited until 4:00PM so it won't be so hot. Of course, we put sun block on Y, I bought the Indigo Baby sun block. Then off we go to the pool!

Gwakong playing with Y 

Down time at the room

"Mommy, I'm all set! Let's go swimming!"

Y enjoyed the water so much as much as she enjoy her bath time in her tub at home. She keeps on hitting the water with her hands, then smiles with her white caps hehe, she probably drank some drops of the water from the pool from the hitting she's doing. I'm so happy to see her enjoy the water because her dad is not a water person hehe.. I guess she took after her mommy! We stayed around twenty minutes in the pool. BOS noticed a red circle around Y's eye so he told us to get out the pool. Y didn't cry. I was afraid she will because that's what she does at home every time we take her out of her bath tub.

Me and my happy baby!

We went up to our room. Gave Y a bath, it was my first time to use a shower to bathe Y. Y wasn't used to it that she keeps on hugging me while we gave her a bath. I only notice the red circle around her eye, I think it got irritated by the pool water. It went away after thirty minutes so I was relieved! No more swimming the next day like we planned. Y was so tired by the end of the afternoon, she missed one of her usual three naps. My parents and siblings left us around 7PM, I fed Y and she fell asleep agad, woke up 1AM, played with her papa for an hour before going back to sleep again!

The overnight stay was supposed to be QT for us, the couple. We had Brother's Burger delivered to the hotel. Watched Disney Channel, haha! I was so sleepy by 9PM that I fell asleep while watching Sky High. I was super tired!

Next day, Y and I woke up around 6:15AM. We watched TV, woke up BOS, give Y a bath, I took a bath, BOS took a bath, fixed our things, ate breakfast and checked out. I didn't like their breakfast buffet :( But I would certainly go back again for their lunch or dinner buffet! Takaw.

Y playing and rolling on the bed

Since we didn't get to use the float again, I let her play with it on the bed haha!

It was a short short vacation and family bonding time but I enjoyed it! Next year, I hope we get to go on a family trip! :D

Baby, Party Venues, and Swimsuits

I had a busy week, hence the lack of post.


Today was a busy day. I went to World Trade Exchange, Home, SM San Lazaro, SM Mall of Asia, Along Came Baby, Home again, then Binondo! All in a span of eight hours!


This morning, BOS and I went to World Trade Exchange to check out a possible venue for Y's first birthday party. Since our first option was booked on our date, I have to look for another one. I want to check this out since it's near our house, it's in Manila, very convenient as most of our guest lives in Manila.


Verdict? Rizal Hall is pwede na. I can't vision our party in the venue. I don't like the marble floors (which won't be noticeable when tables are set-up already. I don't like the poste in the middle, but what I liked was the big windows, natural light! Great for pictures. 

The Juan Luna Hall, I like this more than the other but it's a bit masikip.

After viewing the venue, they gave us a photo album to browse other parties that were held there. I will call them when we're decided to hold our party there. Went back home. Then went to SM San Lazaro to have lunch with Amma. After our lunch, I went to straight to SM Mall of Asia.

 Went to Kamiseta first because I wanted to try their swimsuit. 

Sizing was off.

Nice design and color but the venus cut is not working for me

Outfit: H&M Floral Tank, U Wide Pants, Sanuk Flats

Posh Kamiseta Fitting Room

Since it was a fail at Kamiseta, I went to Bayo. I love their swimsuits! And I ended up with this. Yes, horizontal stripes will make me look fatter but I don't care anymore. Haha! I was in a hurry so I bought it na.

Love the color!

After Bayo, I went to Hypermart to buy some groceries. Then off I go. I was not supposed to go to the Along Came Baby bazaar but since it was on the way home and I've got some time to spare, I decided to drop by.

Photo from Google Images

I had high expectation of this event, I was looking forward to going to this but sadly I was bit disappointed. From the photos below, you'll probably know why. 

The place was so bare. Some booth's were just tables and chairs. Only a few have their own "booth". The few sellers (concessionaires?) I already saw them last week at Expo Mom so it took me fifteen minutes to browse the whole place. My thinking though is maybe because this is first Along Came Baby? Konting sponsors? I can't compare them to Expo Mom kasi wala talaga. I hope the next Along Came Baby will be better.

This is the only thing I'm happy about from the bazaar!

I will be enrolling Y soon in Gymboree so the voucher is great! But this is for Greenbelt 5 and Serenda only.

I went home and came in just in time for Y's meal time. After her meal, I took her with me to Binondo. Amma went to her mananahi to get her clothes. It was a long day. I also cooked dinner, weekends are the only time I can cook! Tonight's ulam is Green Chicken Curry! Yummy!

PS. Oh, if you're wondering what the swimsuit is for, it's for tomorrow. We will be staying at Sofitel until Monday and we will take Y swimming hence the swimsuit! :)