Mommy Plannerista

Planning. Passions. Parenthood.

#7DaysOfCetaphil: First Time Mom 101

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Last week, from August 20 – 26, 2018, Cetaphil had a week-long event celebrating healthy and beautiful #MyCetaphilSkin held at SM Makati. The  #7DaysOfCetaphil highlighted three prongs of holistic health through various discounts, promos for all Cetaphil products, as well as shared discussions and activities daily from 3:00 – 4:00 pm.

I was fortunate enough to have been invited to Day 5 of the event which was entitled First Time Mom 101. The event aimed to unite first time and experienced moms in giving their babies the utmost care with Cetaphil Baby.

The afternoon started with a talk by Dr. Donna Marie Leelin – Sarrosa. She taught us all about proper skin care for babies. Even though I have four kids now, I still learned a lot from her talk. I actually appreciate baby skin care knowledge more now that my youngest child happens to have very sensitive skin. One of the things I learned is that Cetaphil Baby is safe to use on babies even starting on day 1!

Cetaphil mom ambassador, Kaye Abad, also graced the occasion and shared with us her experiences as a first time mom to her son. It was interesting to learn that our experiences are similar although I’ve been a parent longer than her.

Dra. Leelin-Sarrosa, Kaye Abad and the Cetaphil team

It was definitely a fun learning session spent with my fellow mom bloggers. It was also great that there were promos that customers could take advantage of then. Some of the promos included a free sling bag for every purchase of P 1,000 worth of Cetaphil products, a free pouch when you buy 1 Cetaphil PRO wash and 1 PRO moisturizer, a free swaddle when you buy P 700 worth of Cetaphil Baby products, plus savings when you buy the 2+1 Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.

It’s just too bad I wasn’t able to attend the other 6 days because the topics were also interesting. The complete line up of topics were as follows:
Day # 1: Complete Your Health Routine with #MyCetaphilSkin
Day # 2: Skincare 101
Day # 3: How to Protect Atopic Skin
Day # 4: How to Achieve Glass Skin by Sarah Lahbati
Day # 5: First Time Mom 101
Day # 6: No to Oily Skin
Day # 7: Choose Your Cetaphil

To learn more about #7DaysofCetaphil, follow @cetaphilph on Instagram and like Cetaphil Philippines on Facebook.

Smart Parenting Convention 2018

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I believe that even though I’ve been a parent for many years now, there’s still so much for me to learn about parenting. There’s also much to learn about the many new products available these days for moms, dads, and kids. So, when I was invited to attend the Smart Parenting Convention 2018, I really took the time out to do so.

The event was held last July 21, 2018 at the Megatrade Hall at SM Megamall. It was a one-day event that started at 10 am and ended at 6 pm. Given that it was at SM Megamall, I knew we had to be there early to avoid the traffic and the parking difficulties. However, I got sick that morning and so we weren’t able to leave early. It was only after lunch when I began to feel better and decided to still go.

We (hubby and our two boys) ended up in line for parking for an hour before we were able to go in. By that time, it was already 4 pm and we had two hours left to explore the convention. Thankfully, we were still able to listen to two talks.

The Smart Parenting Convention actually scheduled several talks that whole day. There was a Pregnancy Block, a Baby and Toddler Block, and a Preschool and Family Block. There were a variety of topics discussed ranging from newborn care, toys, baby massage, road safety, schooling, and money matters.

We were only able to catch the last two talks. One was a talk by Say Alonzo was sponsored by Bambini and it was regarding the Difference Between Progressive and Traditional Schools.

The other one was sponsored by Insular Life wherein Cristine Tan talked about securing your child’s future with money saving strategies.

Both talks were informative and really helpful especially for newbie parents.

We also explored the booths of course. There were around 60 SP-approved merchants who showcased the latest products and services that every growing family needs. They all had their own promos, games and giveaways that day.

We weren’t able to visit all the booths but here are some of them.

Nivea Baby booth

 

Toys r’ Us booth

 

Smart Steps booth

 

Fun Nest booth

 

Bambini booth

 

Mom and Little booth

 

Nosh booth

 

i-Angel and EcoMom booth

We didn’t really shop though because our kids were not in need of stuff right now. But I did score a really nice nursing top from Kaypee Baby.

At the end of the event, there were lots of raffle prizes given away. Too bad we didn’t win any though. But that’s okay, we enjoyed our stay there and look forward to attending the next one.

For those of you who wish to attend next time too, I advise you to go there right when the mall opens so that you don’t have to endure the horrendous traffic and parking. Also, find out the schedule of talks in advance so that you won’t miss those that you want.

For more information, visit www.smartparenting.com.ph.

 

Connect with Teens Digitally Through Parental Control App!

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Teens today live in a digital world. A world that moves at the speed of light and a place where risks are high and privileges are many.  One thing is for sure – teens enjoy this digital environment.

Teens feel more comfortable in their online space rather than in the real world. One major reason behind their cyber priority is the freedom that they enjoy there. The freedom to become the person they want. The freedom to become friend with anybody they like, the freedom to say whatever they want. But is not safe for them. Posing themselves as a person who they are really not can make them live in their fantasy world that is far beyond the reality. Also, becoming friends with just anybody can expose them to online predators which can land them into serious problems. Last but not the least, saying anything online can destroy their digital reputation.

Most teens aren’t mature enough to realize that what they post today can affect their reputation tomorrow and beyond. Hence, it is really important for parents to check on what their teens do online. To keep a close check on them, parents can use a parental control app such as FamilyTime. Using the app, they can not only connect with their teens’ digital world but also control what they can and can’t do. Here is what the app offers:

  • Monitor the web browsing history of your teen with the details of URL and the time of visit, etc.
  • View the list of bookmarks and favorites saved on their devices
  • Monitor the list of apps installed on their devices
  • Check the details of the app installed, such as date of installation, version of the app being used and the category the app falls in, etc.
  • Analyze the time spent on each application
  • Blacklist unwanted or inappropriate apps from their app list.
  • Have a look at the contact book and their additional details saved in it, such as email address, home address, date of birth, relation and organization, etc.
  • Check call logs with the complete information of dialed, received and missed calls, etc.
  • Monitor SMS history and see who your kid talks to and what do they talk about
  • Watchlist suspicious contacts and get notified every time the contact is made between your kid and the watchlisted contact either through a call or via SMS.
  • If you find your teen using the devices during odd hours, especially at night or while having lunch, you can put auto-screen locks on their devices and schedule it on a daily basis for specific time intervals, say from 9 pm to 6 am etc.
  • You can also put locks to restrict the use of the device immediately using the remote lock feature of the app.

There are a bundle of other features too. To explore them yourself, give this app a try for free. To download this app on your phone, go now to Google Play Store on your phone.

Monitor Teens To Set Them Free!

Give your teen what they demand most – Freedom, with the help of the parental control app such as FamilyTime that lets you monitor your teens from a distance.

So take the digital route now and ease parenting!

How To Build & Strengthen Your Relationship With Your Child

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Although the media may have us believe otherwise, not all parents find it easy to bond with their children. This might just be a natural feeling, but it could also be through fear or inexperience, or perhaps just because their lives are busy and it’s hard to find the time. If you feel that your bond should be strengthened, here are some ways to get started.

Say I Love You
This is perhaps the simplest yet one of the most effective ways of having a great bond with your children – tell them that you love them as much as you can. It shouldn’t matter what gender or how old they are, you should tell them that you love them every day. This allows them to know that you love them unconditionally, and that you’ll always be there for them. Even when they are going through difficult times, hearing that their parent loves them can be enough to make them feel so much better. This is what is known as a cornerstone of attachment parenting.

Play With Them
Playing isn’t just a useful developmental tool for children; it’s also the ideal way to bond with them. Get down on the floor so you’re at their level and just enjoy the playtime whether it’s with dolls, board games, cars, or just playing make believe. Allow your children to see that you can be playful and silly and far from losing respect for you, you’ll find that their bond with you increases in strength.

Have Bedtime Rituals
Bedtime rituals are lovely ways to encourage bonding. These are the special kinds of memories that will stay with a child for a lifetime, and all it takes is 10 minutes to read a chapter of a book together, or make up a silly story, or say your prayers. Come up with a special way of saying goodnight that you do each evening, and this ritual will help your child go off to sleep happily and contentedly.

Have One On One Time
Whether you have one child or many, taking the time to be with them is important. It’s even better if you can schedule one on one time, so that each child gets your undivided attention. Because everyone is different, you may do different things with each child. One may like to check out captainhunter.com and go out into the woods to hunt, another may prefer a trip to the theater, or perhaps they want to learn how to ride a bike and they want you to teach them. Whatever it is, this one on one time is precious and you should really focus on it rather than being distracted by anything else that is going on in your life.

Eat Together
Eating together is a hugely important thing to do that offers an excellent way to bond with your children. When you’re all eating together around the table with no distractions such as TV or electronic devices, you can really talk and listen to one another. Discuss your day and enjoy one another’s successes. If there are problems, this is the time to air them and to work out solutions.

The Top 3 Things I Never Scrimp on When It Comes to My Kids

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Are you a protective mom? I am because I want to prevent anything that may cause harm to my kids or put them at risk.  With that said, there are three things that I never scrimp on when it comes to my kids.

Education

I really believe that good education is one of the best things that parents can give their kids. They need to learn values as well as practical lessons that they can use to become happy, functional, and successful adults who contribute positively to society.

I am presently homeschooling my seven-year-old, Ziggy. We’re entering our third year of homeschooling and so far, he’s really doing great. Hubby and I decided to homeschool him because we truly believe that it is the best way that we can impart not just academics but most importantly, practical life lessons.

Not that we’re against regular schooling though. In fact, our two older girls are enrolled in one of the best private schools in Manila. We couldn’t homeschool them, so we just made sure that they go to a school that is known for giving great quality education.

Time

As a blended family, time together as a complete family of 6 is hard to come by. Our girls only get to come to us every other weekend, during vacations and special occasions. That is why whenever they are with us, time spent as a family is a must.

Family time is also one of the main reasons why I never went back to working full time out of the house. When I was working full time, the only real quality time I got to spend with my kids were during weekends. I decided to change that by working from home instead so that I can be super hands on in raising our kids, especially our two young boys, who are still dependent on me.

Health

Health is wealth, especially these days when a doctor’s check-up will already cost you around Php 600. What more for the medicines and tests that your kids will need if they get sick, right?

That is why I make sure that I prepare healthy balanced meals for our family. Active kids need to take in important vitamins and minerals daily for their brain and body to function well. Plus, being healthy keeps them from getting sick. Sick kids miss out on so much. As a mom, of course I don’t want that.

But I also know that no matter how much planning I do and no matter how prepared I may be, I can’t be there for my kids 24/7. It’s impossible for me to see everything.

That is why I now give my kids FERN-C kidz. FERN-C kidz is a Sodium Ascorbate syrup for kids with the same vitamin C used in FERN-C, the #1 Sodium Ascorbate vitamin C.

Not all vitamin C supplements are the same though. So, we moms should be vigilant in choosing the best one. Silipin ang C, mommies! Moms should always check on the quality of vitamin C they give to their kids.

Well, you’d be happy to know that FERN-C kidz has a Quali-C seal that ensures quality. So, you know you’re giving your kids safe and effective vitamin C. Plus, it has zinc and is non-acidic too! Since kids do a lot of physical activities, it’s important to keep their bones healthy. They need Vitamin C and zinc because it promotes the formation of collagen which helps keep their bones strong. So, giving them FERN-C kidz can help them enjoy their childhood even more.

 

With FERN-C kidz I know that I can make sure my kids won’t miss out on anything, with either family time or school, because they’ll be healthy.

Know more about how FERN-C kidz can help you protect your kids by visiting their Facebook page now.

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