A Wonderful Staycation

Summer vacation is here and it’s a very wonderful time for us to go out and have a wonderful trip out of town. Maybe not for all of us. Some of us would rather stay at home where we don’t have to go too far, tire ourselves, or spend too much and spend the same quality time for ourselves and our family. Looks like we can see few moms raising their hands already.

No packing and you get to stay at the comfort of your own home or anywhere that’s not out of town at least. Maybe that’s why some of us choose not to have a vacation, but rather have a wonderful staycation with our family.

Go to a mall or a park

Particularly one that you haven’t been to yet so that everything in your sight is new. You may see the same shops, but the interior is always different and there’s always something unique about every mall and park you visit. After all, it’s also a new sight for your kids.

Play board games

Grab that old Scrabble or Snakes and Ladders. You can introduce these fun board games to your kids and let them experience the same games we used to play. It’s fun and it’s also a nice way to get them off from screens and still have fun.

Eat like it’s a Holiday

Mark a specific date on your calendar and pretend it’s a Holiday. Holidays are usually great times for the family to eat and be happy together, so why not make your own Holiday?

Make it educational

Visit a museum or teach your kids new things they don’t teach in school. Make it fun, memorable, and most especially a time for your kids to learn something new.

Exercise

You can also use your free time to exercise and make a good balance between rest and all the activities you’ve planned. Exercise also makes a person happy!

Relax

You don’t really have to spend every minute of your staycation. Find the time to relax, have time for yourself, and think of other things than just activities to do on your staycation. Read a book, drink some tea or coffee, and just find the time to relax.

What are your plans this summer vacation? Are you going on a trip out of town, or are you having a staycation as well? Share your staycation tips and stories with us.

A Quick Grab-n-Go Getaway

Do you have a Grab-n-go bag this summer ready?

We love Summer! Is your summer jam-packed with activities and plans for travel? Trips to the beach and jumping in to the pool, joining sporting events, vacation…vacation…vacations and loooong weekends… all of these does require us to pack our supplies in something. Things get to be left at home or missed out if we always have to start from scratch each time. Our solution? have those Grab-n-Go bags! Here are some ideas of Grab-n-Go bags for this summer:

Swimming Bag: We are sure your kids have swimming lessons this summer every day or every week. And weekend trips to the beach. One will need a swimming bag packed and ready almost constantly. Try leaving this bag by your main entry door packed with towels, suits, cover-ups, sunscreen, and all other necessary items. Replenish those supplies every time you get home and on your next swim trip it’s ready to go whenever you are.

Reading Book Bag: Encouraging reading everywhere year-round gets our kids the habit of reading more rather than playing games on our iPad or tablets. With a long drive to the beach idle time for the kids on the road increase in the summer. Have a reading book bag compact enough to transport only those books. Your kids can fill it with books they would like you to read with them or read by themselves, making it easy to grab on our way out the door.

Sports Bag: If your family is involved in a lot of sports, have a “sports” bag ready to go any time. Fill it with your camera, snacks, water, bug spray, towel, a set of clothes to change and a travel blanket for sitting on the grass or field. Having some folding chairs in the back of the car might come in handy too.

Toiletry Bag and for us Moms Beauty Bag: More weekend trips this summer right? - visiting your parents or taking a trip up to Tagaytay at our sister’s rest house - basically visiting family so the kids / cousins get to spend time together. Packing toiletries each time can be a hassle. Keep a toiletry bag stocked with all the essentials so getting ready to go is easy and relaxed. And it prevents us moms from forgetting a much needed beauty care item.

This last Grab-n-Go bag idea we have is a little out-of-the-box, but we felt needed.

Stock-up the Pantry: Summer is the season of a lot of activities and our kids bring over a lot of friends. And these kids are just bottomless food pits when they are hungry! Stock your pantry with disposable plates, cups, spoons and forks. Easy and healthy ready-to-eat, just heat and serve dishes or meal stocked up in the freezer (like frozen pizza dough easy to take out put some cheese - a lot of cheese! and bake in the oven). You can do this by preparing a head of time. Dishes that taste better the longer they stay in the fridge are good to keep (like Adobo). Healthy crackers, fruit yogurts and cereals and a lot of fresh fruits are good things to stock as well. Preparing for your next kitchen raid by your kids will be much easier and more enjoyable because everything is just ready to eat! In summary - Grab-n-Go bags are a great way to keep your summer organized. Just remember to always restock your goodies and you will be ready for your next

Live In The Moment

Sharing a precious moment right away on social media has become essential. As much as we don't want to use that word, that's the current and true situation for some of us. We often scold our kids for too much screen time mainly because they're not "living in the moment", not noticing this is also what's happening to us whenever we decide to oblige ourselves to immediately share our experiences online.

Make It Meaningful

Make a conversation meaningful. Social media is slowly stealing away meaningful face-to-face conversations. Yes, you can answer a friend while scrolling through your feed but attention makes a conversation meaningful.

Stories Worth Sharing
"Why do I want to share this?" Always see the value of what you're sharing. Share a precious moment to inspire, to enrich other people's lives, or simply because that moment is truly important to you.

Your Kids Do What You Do
Set a good example by teaching them the proper time to use your phone or when is it really necessary to share information, especially when lots of people (even strangers) can read about it. It matters that we choose the things we want to share to the public, and which ones we want to keep personal.

Live The Moment

You'll be glad you played with your kids and not fifty percent of your playtime was spent taking that perfect photo to share on Instagram, and twenty five percent of it thinking about the perfect hashtag to use. Be in that moment, and if that moment is really precious to you then take some time to appreciate it and see its value before sharing it.

Beat the Heat: Keeping Kids and Babies Safe This Summer

Summer is already greeting us with a huge and scorching hello, and we're only talking about the start of this hot season. PAGASA says we should expect a mild El Nino this March. This isn't good news for any of us, especially to our kids and babies.

Keep Them Cool

It's important that we watch over our kids during a hot weather, because they quickly lose fluids leading to dehydration. Kids can also be very active and play a lot outside during summer, so make sure they drink lots of water and play at a right amount of time to avoid heat exhaustion, heatstroke, or sunburn.

If you are breastfeeding, make sure you drink lots of cool drinks yourself. Your baby may want to breastfeed more than usual. Kids can be given regular drinks. Water is still your best friend, but kids may get bored of it so you can prepare fun juice drinks too.

You also might want to consider dressing your kids with light and comfortable clothing. Avoid direct sunlight as much as possible, as babies don't really have much melanin to protect themselves from the sun. You can do this by putting stroller shields such as wide cloths. Swaddling blankets work well too. You can also apply SPF30 for spectrum protection. We recommend using organic skincare products so it's safe to use both for moms and babies. You can also give kids caps/hats so their faces are protected from the sun. You should also want to time your outdoor activities wisely.

When Putting Them Into Sleep

Giving your kids a cool bath before bedtime can be beneficial.

Make sure the room where they are sleeping is cool, and air can circulate well. When they sweat, their clothes and the sheets absorb it and may cause prickly heat rash. Fans are recommended but don't face it directly to your child.

Valentine’s Day Photo Shoot Ideas - For Kids

If you’re one of the many lurkers in Pinterest (just like us!), then you’ve probably scrolled along some of the most creative and inspiring photo sessions for kids. As Pinterest lovers ourselves, we can’t help but endlessly scroll through those photos too.

We also made a Valentine round up of simple photo shoot inspirations you can do with your kids. Have a sweet and happy photo session, moms!

Go outside and play

Take advantage of natural light, grass, and skies! They always make photos look nice. We love this photo session by Grey Likes Baby, because of its rustic theme and cute smiles on these babies faces

Turn Your Room Into A Studio

Hang some hearts on a string, and voila - just like a setup in the studios! Check out how I Heart Faces made this simple setup. You can also get creative and put more decorations in your room. This can also be a great time for you and your kids to have a productive and creative bonding time.

Use The Bed or Floor As A Backdrop

Who would’ve thought bed sheets make good backdrops? Have your kids lie on the bed, looking straight at the camera so it captures more emotions. White, pastel, and patterned bed sheets usually work best. Sarah West of Captivating Photography did a great job in making this captivating photo.

Play With Balloons

Make your photos festive. Something your kids will love to smile at when they grow up. Photo by Meagan Ready.

Spell “Love”

Play with words. You can also spell out your child’s name or their favorite word. 3D letter blocks are such a huge trend nowadays, and they also make good props for photo sessions. Photo by Andrea Geldres.

Got more ideas for a Valentine’s Day shoot? Share it with us!

5 Sweet Ideas To Do With Your Kids On Valentine’s Day

Photo by Theresa Martell

Valentine’s Day isn’t always about sweet couples and exchanging of I love you’s with people. It can also be a great opportunity to spend more time with your kids, and most especially teach your kids about love and compassion.

Here’s a couple of suggestions to make your Valentine’s Day with your kids sweet!

Photo by Stacie

Home “sweet” home

Start with your home. Craft together and decorate. What could be better than making the little ones feel more loved at home when they see all the hearts and decorations in every corner? Our friends from Oh Joy! & Co. has a lot of crafting ideas to share, and they’re also starting to post craft ideas for Valentine’s Day.

Photo by Melissa

Better than lunchbox notes

More than just preparing a note, you can also prepare a sweet box of desserts in the form of hearts, not just for your kids but also for them to share with their classmates. It doesn’t just make your son/daughter feel loved, but also teaches them the importance of letting everyone else feel they’re loved as well. You can also browse through our fun-to-cook recipes here.

Photo by Morgan

Movie night!

Kids love watching movies, especially ones from Disney! You can also turn it into a Valentine-themed movie night Choose from watching the unconditional love of Beauty and the Beast, the forever cute love that was formed between Wall-E and Eve, or how Frozen made a twist in the concept of a “true love’s kiss.”

Photo by Beth

Capture love

Take photos of your kids on Valentine’s Day. You can go through a list of creative photo session ideas, and Pinterest is your best friend! Or take the photos in advance, print them, and turn them into greeting cards to give out to your relatives.

Photo by Suzanne LaGasa

Share the love

Make greeting cards and ask your little one to give it to the people who he/she thinks will be happy if they received it. It’s important that we teach our kids how nice it feels to always feel loved by someone, and how it feels to be appreciated.

More than these suggestions, it’s important that we always take the opportunity to teach our kids about appreciating others, and how they can make everybody’s days brighter not just on Valentine’s Day.

Nutrients You Need: The Three That Should Be In Your diet

 

 Photo from PopSugar

Whenever we have questions about how to stay healthy, exercise comes as our first answer. While exercise is actually nice and definitely helpful, a well-rounded diet is also one of the simplest ways to stay healthy. So here are three nutrients you need to include in your diet.

1. Stay strong with Iron

There's always so much to get done throughout the day. Strength is important. Iron helps oxygen get through your body to maintain healthy muscles. Low iron can leave you anemic and feeling run down.

How much you need: Women need 18 mg of iron daily, 27 mg if pregnant, or 9 mg if nursing.

What to eat: Fortified cereals often provide 100% of your daily iron needs. You can also try lean beef or turkey, beans, or spinach. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron, so add an orange at breakfast.

2. Bone up with Calcium

We always think our kids need calcium, but we often forget we need it too. Calcium helps you build strong bones, teeth, helps the brain, nerves, and muscles. Low calcium increases risks of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

How much you need: At least 1,000 mg a day.

What to eat: Low-fat dairy, leafy greens, canned salmon, and fortified cereals and juices are good calcium sources. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, so have low-fat milk on cereal.

3. Build cells with Folate

Folate or folic acid is a vitamin B that helps the body produce healthy cells. It’s important to get enough folate before you’re pregnant to help prevent birth defects of the brain and spine.

How much you need: Women should get at least 400 mcg of folate a day, or 500 mcg while nursing. Ask your doctor if you need a supplement.

What to eat: Leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, whole grains, and enriched pastasand cereals are good sources of folate.

Article based on Healthy Woman's "Nutrients You Need"

4 Yoga Moves To Try

For everyone who's been wanting to try out Yoga, but not really sure where or how to start, here are four beginner-friendly poses to help you build more strength, balance and flexibility.

Mountain Pose - Strengthens spine and improves posture.

Stand tall on mat or towel with feet together and weight evenly distributed on both feet. Let arms hang down at sides, pull belly in, and breath steadily. With heels planted, lift toes upward. Lower toes and place them on floor one at a time, then stand tall on feet again.

 

Tree Pose - Stretches hips and improves balance.

From mountain pose, shift weight to left foot, and bend right knee. With right hand, clasp angle and bring toward left leg. Rest right sole against left inner thigh or calf, if easier. Keep right knee pointed to right side. Bring hands together in front of chest. Hold for five breaths, then switch legs.

 

Cat-cow Pose - Stretches and strengthens core.
1. Kneel on all fours with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
2. Exhale, and round spine up toward ceiling and gently curl head down. Inhale, and reverse the motion.
3. Lift chest and tailbone up toward ceiling, and let the belly sink down toward the floor so that back is gently arched. Lift head to look straight ahead. Do this rounding and arching sequence 10 to 20 times.

Resting Pose - Calms nervous system.
Lie on back with hands about six inches away from body and palms up toward the ceiling. If you feel discomfort, place a rolled-up towel under your head or knees. Close eyes and breath naturally. Let whole body relax. Stay this way for 5 minutes, then come out of pose gently. Roll to right side, press hands against the floor, and lift torso to sit up.

Article based on Healthy Woman's 4 Yoga Moves To Try.
Photos from Yoga Basics and Yoga Outlet.

Take Care of You (Simple Remedies for Stress)

It’s 2015, and it will make the year extra great if we are able to take care of ourselves and get rid of stress. If you can’t remember what it’s like to feel relaxed and refreshed, then you’re overdue for some “me time.” Stress can weaken your immune system, and create sleep and digestive problems.

 

(Photo from Huffington Post)

Creating a little “me time” isn’t much of a difficult new year’s resolution and it will also help you with good health and manage stress. Here are some strategies you can start off with:

Meditate in the morning. “If you hit the ground running, you’re going to start off the day stressed,” says Barb Schmidt. Take at least five minutes in the morning to meditate, sit and focus. This helps you respond positively to stressful situations.

Eat regular, well-balanced meals. A lot of tasks and time constraints shouldn’t be an excuse for you to skip a meal. This causes low blood sugar and irritability. Eating regularly at the right time is most especially important when you are pregnant or if you have diabetes. Always have healthy and handy snacks at your desk.

Be where you are. Multitasking sure sounds great, but it actually reduces productivity and creates stress. Focus on the present moment and enjoy without worrying about your to do list.

Based on the article “Take Care of You” from Healthy Woman.

Celebrate 2015 with a Sweet Treat!

Another year is about to start, and it only means it's another year to make better and tastier treats. A sweet treat to go along welcoming 2015 would also be a great idea.

You can never go wrong preparing a bunch of cookies to share with your family. It'll be great to share and eat with them while waiting for new year to come.

Imagine a good bite of a homemade chocolate chip cookie while watching colorful fireworks with your friends and family, and with that bite we can declare "Yes! 2015 is going to be a sweet year for me."

Have a happy new year everyone! Let's celebrate 2015 with a sweet treat!

The Joy In Holiday Baking

If you've stumbled upon this post, then we probably share the same thoughts right now: Baking during the Holidays makes baking even more fun! Probably because of the fact that you're preparing treats for a very merry occasion and you get to share sweet treats to your friends and family, which is the point of this season after all.

It's also the season we either scroll through recipes and baking ideas. Pinterest, most likely, also becomes an instant best friend! Or we repeat a recipe that's become a tradition and has been loved by your family.

And once they're ready and out of the oven, you become overly excited because you can finally start decorating your cookies. It's also the part when the little ones in the family can have fun putting color on the cookies!

And we guess baking can never be as fun than preparing colorful and  delicious treats for your loved ones, especially during the holidays! Have fun baking! Have a merry Christmas and a happy, happy new year!

Make It Spectacular: All Things Shiny and Sweet

There’s one thing us Pinoys cannot deny, and it’s the fact that our Christmas table-scape shouldn’t just be wonderfully and happily decorated but should also be filled with a lot of food. And we mean “a lot.” We came up with something (literally) shiny, spectacular and munchy too.

Here’s a creative idea from WeLuvMoms and Oh Joy! & Co. on easily preparing (and not spend too much for) a Christmas table-scape.

Reindeer Christmas Tree ornaments arranged into an elegant Reindeer sleigh. Reindeers looking like ice sculptures in the snow.

Candles. Simple Tea light holders line up the table adds sparkle to any table-scape.

You may have already noticed that the reindeers are pulling a sleigh filled with goodies, but to give you a closer look, they’re pulling chocolates! Yes. Simple store-bought chocolates decorate the table-scape. Guests and family members can just help themselves during the party.

Let’s add more shine! We used inexpensive gold plate charges topped with a simple glass plate. Our table is covered with gold and red, matched with a tinted brown glassware and red flute glassware makes an elegant yet simple table-scape.

Welcome guests with a Christmas cookie (store-bought or home made).

Tip: The plate charges were hand crafted by Oh Joy & Co by adding the stencil print on them, turning a simple and plain plate charger into something spectacular.

Cookies, cookies, cookies! Check out all these delicious Christmas treats. We made colorful Christmas cookies and plated out more store-bought chocolates. Don’t they look adorable? (How to make Christmas cookies tutorial coming soon!) We placed the cookies and chocolates on a cake/dessert stand (A simple white or transparent glass plate can also be used). Guests will definitely feast their eyes on these.

Have some fresh fruits that are in season to add to the festive feel.

Make Food the star of the show in your Christmas table! And what we love about this is that a lot of us can save ourselves from spending too much buying decorations. Instead of buying, use Christmas ornaments you have available, DIY, craft and use store bought food to brighten up your table-scape.

You can also save a lot of time cleaning up the table, because as guests eat up and help themselves, the less cleaning up as well. Enjoy planning your holiday table-scape this Christmas and hope we are able to inspire you!

This holiday project is a collaboration between WeLuvMoms and Oh Joy! & Co. Event styling was done by Oh Joy! & Co.