Mommy Ginger
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Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags

Happy Monday everyone! I didn’t realize it is almost July. How can time fly so fast? And to add to that, Zeeka is growing up so fast. I used to just cradle her in my arms. I remember her being so tiny. Now she’s this bright and very active little lady. She just learned how to walk a week ago, and now, I need to follow her around the house. She loves exploring.

Zeeka when she was a baby!

Zeeka when she was a baby!

Zeeka, noiw a little lady!

Zeeka, noiw a little lady!

She is such a darling — and now that she discovered walking, she tries to be more independent! It’s so funny since she doesn’t want to hold my hands anymore, but you could see her still wobble when standing at times. As for eating, she eats anything. I try to stick to the healthy stuff though. I still get to nurse her once in a while, but she doesn’t look for me anymore (🙁). I used to think that I would not be able to breastfeed for a long time, but I surprised myself and I am still breastfeeding until now (Zeeka is now 15 months going on 16 months; I was exclusively breastfeeding for 12 months). For my mommy readers and mommy friends, just continue to breastfeed your child. You will miss it!

For breastfeeding, one of the tools that helped me a lot were breastmilk storage bags. If you plan to breastfeed for a long time, you need to realize that your production really just depends on how well you understand the law of supply and demand. When you create a demand, your body prepares and creates milk. If you think you’re not producing enough breastmilk, then have your baby latch more often. If you need to go to work, keep that steady supply of milk by expressing milk and storing it more often.

I’m not a ‘great’ breastmilk producer. I envy moms who can express more than 5 ounces of milk every time they pump. I never exceeded that amount and we’re talking about my production in total for each time that I sit. I know of a friend who produced around 16-22 ounces every time she expresses milk. If you are like her, good for you (and I envy you… hehe!).

Now going back, one of the tools that I love and had to buy every so often were Breastmilk Storage Bags. I recently found a brand that I would like to recommend to expecting mommies and first time parents out there. The brand is Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags. What do I like about it?

Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags

Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags

One is that it’s double zippered. That is one thing I really look for in a breastmilk storage bag. I know that the other brands with one zipper also guarantees freshness, but I think it’s my OC-ness that I’d like to be extra sure about where I store my liquid gold. Having two zippers makes me worry less about my milk leaking from the plastic.

Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags 2

Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags 3

And speaking of plastic, the material that Honeysuckle breastmilk storage bags is oxo-biodegradable and BPA free. How great is that that it’s green! The plastic is also thick and is strong (doesn’t tear easily). Also, I just have a small freezer so I really need to maximize the space so that I can get to store a lot of breastmilk. What I look for is that the storage bags should be flat so that I can place one plastic on top of the other. With this strategy, I get to store more breastmilk even if I have limited space.

Aside from that, when I heat breastmilk, I heat it from the plastic and transfer it after into a bottle. What I like about Honeysuckle Breastmilk storage bags is that it has a poour spout that eliminates spills.

Here are some handling and storage guidelines from Honeysuckle.

Honeysuckle Breastmilk bags

These are the features that I look for in breastmilk storage bag. Honeysuckle is one of the brands that I really recommend, since I love its features!

To know more about the product, please visit:
Website: www.honeysucklemoms.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HoneysucklePhilippines
Instagram: @honeysucklephils

You can purchase these Breastmilk Storage Bags from:

Mama.Baby.Love
https://www.facebook.com/MamaBabyLove

Babymama.Ph
http://babymama.ph/

Watch out for my next recommendation for pregnant and expecting couples — Belly Armor!

Belly Armor

Belly Armor

Bears for Haiyan: A DIY Caridad Charity Bear Workshop (July 19, 2014)

I woke up from bed this morning and what greeted me was one white skinned with brown patches, furry little creature that kept on saying “mooooo!”. No, I do not have a live cow at home, but it’s this stuff toy of Zeeka with an electronic thingamajig for him to make sounds. Notice the use of “him” instead of “it”. I have been dancing, playing, signing and have been having a dialogue with these guys for quite sometime now.

Stuffed Toys of Zeeka

Stuffed Toys of Zeeka

What a diverse set of toys, right? These stuffed toys always bring a smile to my Zeeka. She calls each one “baby”. These toys have that effect on children. So imagine if we can bring such sources of joy to the children of Tacloban. Typhoon Haiyan happened around a year ago, and people seem to have forgotten it’s effects. The people there still feel the effects of the devastation that happened. To ease that, continues efforts must be done to be able to wipe away the tears and replace them with happy thoughts – especially that of the children of Tacloban.

Manila Workshops Luna BEME DIY Bears for Haiyan Poster

Manila Workshops, together with Luna MNL and BEME are happy to be able to be an instrument in creating happy memories for these kids through our workshop entitled, Bears for Haiyan: A DIY Caridad Charity Bear Workshop. We are inviting you, both young and old, to learn, have fun and bring a smile to the face of one child.

In this workshop, you will learn how to make your own stuffed animals while being able share what you have. Part of the proceeds of the bears are for the benefit of the children affected by typhoon Haiyan.

Caridad: The Charity Bear

Caridad: The Charity Bear

About Luna MNL

Luna is an advocacy shop aiming to encourage the use of Filipino language and to ignite the genuine Filipino in each one of its followers and urge them to make a difference in the lives of their fellow countrymen. It was founded by Maria Couline Gloria who is on her last term at the De La Salle University. She will be graduating this October and is currently working in Gymboree as a pre-school teacher.

About BE ME

BE ME is an activity workshop/studio for both kids and adults ages 5 and above. It offers a wide range of constructive fun activities like woodwork, arts and crafts, and a whole lot more. If you want to learn more about crafting, this is definitely the place to be. They have 3 locations already: Manila Polo Club, Rockwell Clun and Sofitel Manila.

Bears for Haiyan: A DIY Caridad Charity Bear Workshop will be held on July 19, 2014 (Saturday) from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM at BE ME, Manila Polo Club, Makati City.

Workshop fees are as follows, and are inclusive of all of the materials and snacks:

• Early Bird Rate (paid by July 4, 2014): PHP 1,300
• Regular Rate (starts on July 5, 2014): PHP 1,600
• Group Rate (group of 3 participants): PHP 3,600

To register, please fill out the form below:

We really hope that you could attend this workshop! Let us continue to help the people in Tacloban.

Mompreneur Ruby Louise M. Quintal of Bee Happy Craft and Party Supplies

I super love this stamp that I bought from Bee Happy!

Cute Stamp!

Cute Stamp!

I love the stuff from Bee Happy because they really have unique and one of a kind things in this store. I also love partnering with Ruby for the projects of Manila Workshops. It’s not a surprise that her business is booming since she is such a supportive, easy-to-talk-to and generous lady. I’m glad that I got the chance to talk to her and interview her this month of June about her business.

Interview with Mompreneur Ruby Quintal of Bee Happy

Mompreneur Ruby

Mompreneur Ruby

Mommy Ruby of Bee Happy

Mommy Ruby of Bee Happy

Ginger: Hi Ruby! Can you please tell our readers a little bit about yourself?
Ruby: I’m Ruby, wife of JB and mom of Robyn. I’m a licensed real estate broker and real estate appraiser. I’m also the woman behind Bee Happy Craft and Party Supplies. Crafting was my first love. I’ve been creating stuff ever since I was in grade school. I’d use whatever was available, from NBA cards to liquid bleach to empty soda bottles, to create my projects. I am weird for a female. I can relate more with guys (except for crafts) because I like playing basketball, Magic the Gathering Cards and just recently, Hearthstone. I hate shopping and doing household chores. Haha!

To become an entrepreneur has always been my main career goal because I’ve always wanted to have control over my time. After college, I worked for a year abroad as an International Business Executive for a multinational company. When I decided to come back here, I focused all my time and resources on becoming an entrepreneur. I’ve had several endeavors before Bee Happy.

Ginger: Interesting story, mommy Ruby! So can you tell us more about Bee Happy Craft and Party Supplies?
Ruby: The brand is Bee Happy Crafts. We sell craft, party and DIY supplies. We’ve been in the business for almost 2 years.

Ginger: Who is your target market?
Ruby: Our market are women of all ages who love crafts and DIY projects.

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Ginger: How did you come up with this idea? What made you decide to start this kind of business?
Ruby: I was actually checking specs of phones and tablets when I discovered electronic cutters. For a paper crafter like me, it was like discovering fire. It opened the possibility to all sorts of craft projects. After researching for a month, I decided to buy an electronic cutter. More research led me to discover Etsy. There, I discovered the washi tape craze but I thought that the prices were crazy. When I found a washi manufacturer, I quickly spotted an opportunity to sell washi tapes in Etsy. I placed an initial order but when my stocks arrived, I got cold feet. So instead of selling in Etsy, I decided to try selling here in the Philippines. To my surprise, a lot of Filipinos are also crazy about washi tapes! I bought other craft supplies that I needed for my projects and tried to sell them too. Fortunately, the feedback was good.

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Ginger: yeah, a lot of Filipinos are crazy about washi tapes! I for one have a lot at home, which I save for special DIY projects that I would like to do in the future. Now, as a mompreneur, there are usually obstacles that we encounter. Were there any obstacles that you faced when you decided to pursue becoming a Mompreneur and what are these?
Ruby: The hardest thing to do was to balance my time between my family, board exams and Bee Happy. Good thing my husband and my mother were very supportive and understanding.

Ginger: Yes, that’s the thing. We, mompreneurs, need to realize that we cannot do everything on our own. Thank you to Daddy JB for being very supportive to Ruby. I ask this everytime. What are three traits that you think a Mompreneur should have when starting their own business?
Ruby: Passion, resourcefulness, determination

Ginger: Any unforgettable moments or lessons that you learned as a Mompreneur?
Ruby: It’s hard to succeed at something that you’re not passionate about.

Ginger: And last but not the least, what advice can you give to other Mompreneurs?
Ruby: Don’t be afraid to fail. Learn from your mistakes. Make sure that you’re happy with what you do. Never stop learning.

Ginger: Very well said, Mommy Ruby! Thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed.

For those that are not familiar yet with Bee Happy Craft and Party Supplies, you may want to check them out. Here are the links below:

Bee Happy Craft and Party Supplies
Website: http://beehappyph.blogspot.com
Email address: beehappycrafts@yahoo.com
Mobile Number: Globe: 09175528441 Sun: 09339913049
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BeeHappyCrafts
Twitter account: BeeHappyPh
Pinterest: BeeHappyPh
Instagram: BeeHappyCrafts

PS. Please sign up for the Making Memories and Party Planning Workshop on June 28! Bee Happy is one of our sponsors!
EDITED-Project-49-First-Time-Parents-Making-Memories-and-Party-Planning_21
SIGN UP HERE!

The WAHMderful Life Community and The WAHM 101 Workshop

I just had a meeting with Sally of http://thebinondomommy.blogspot.com/ and i just learned that she just resigned from her job. I told her that I clearly remember the first few months that I resigned from my job to be a work-at-home-mom (WAHM as the online world calls me). I was really scared. I know that I have this aura that can fool a lot of people that I know what I’m doing and I always look as if I’m in control, but the truth was, I wasn’t. I wasn’t sure about what I leaped into. I wasn’t sure if I could bring in money to help my husband with the expenses. I wasn’t sure if my business would fly. I wasn’t sure about my capabilities and my skills. Every day, I doubted myself.

I always encourage others to try to make risk, but I really know that once your in THAT PARTICULAR SCENARIO, your knees would shake and you’d always feel like fainting just by thinking of that thought of not having a steady income when you go into business. It’s a tough world and venturing into business is a tough road, that’s why only a few take that path. But the rewards are great when you start seeing the fruits of your labor. The stakes are high, but once you stay on board, the benefits are numerous, too.

But during that time when I started, looking back, I know I couldn’t have done it without a group of people who supported me in each and every step of the way. Yes, I had my family, but more than that, I needed the support of individuals who could tell me that what I was going through was but normal and part of the big picture. I am thankful that I had the WAHMderful Life Community, a group of 1200+ (to date) ladies, mostly moms, who are all working from home or who have experienced how it is to work from home.

READ ABOUT ITS BEGINNINGS HERE…

No one really understands that invisible bond that this group has. We don’t all know each other personally. We don’t get to see each other often. We only get to see each other during workshops and events, but being a part of the group (even if we just get to interact through the Facebook group) made me stronger and assured me that I wasn’t alone… that I am not alone.

Aside from the support, I got to gain friends, business partners, really great suppliers, acquaintances, blog readers, etc. that helped me make my life and businesses easier. Yes, working from home doesn’t make you a loner (I think I even know more people and my network grew exponentially when I worked from home and had my own business).

For those thinking of working from home or starting your own business, whether married, married with children, or single, I highly recommend that you join us on June 28, 2014 for the WAHM 101. You will learn a lot of things from the speakers or even just from the people who will be attending as participants, too. You will get to network, get to validate your business idea or even share a tip or two to people who will become your friends (probably forever).

WAHMderful Workshops 101 - 2014

Speakers
So please do sign up and spread the word. BTW, we would like to thank Insular Life, 88DB.com and Unilab, our co-presentors for making this event possible!

I’d love to meet you and talk to you! Feel free to approach me!

Love lots, your WAHMderful Life Sister,

An Afternoon with Carrie Lupoli and Fisher Price

I’m so thrilled. Last year, I attended this workshop of my parenting idol, Carrie Lupoli aka Chief Mum, which was presented by Fisher Price. Here is the link to that workshop: http://mommyginger.com/2013/06/how-we-spent-dads-day.html. But today, I really got the chance to sit down with her and to discuss a lot of things from parenting (of course!) to selfies to work-outs.

with Chief Mum Carrie Lupoli!

with Chief Mum Carrie Lupoli!

Carrie is a child development consultant who has more than 17 years of international experience as a special education teacher, school administrator, executive director and educational consultant. With her years of experience, it is but right that she’s the spokesperson and “Chief Mum” for Mattel Fisher Price and www.mumcentre.com. She also continues to work as an educational diagnostician, while overseeing Live and Learn, an organization in Singapore that provided essential services for children with learning challenges in their mainstream settings, from her home in the US.

With all of these impressive things about Carrie, I admire how she can still be so down to earth and so easy to talk to. Talking to her was like talking to a mom-friend whom I have known for years! This little session set up by Fisher Price (http://richwell.net/) came at a perfect time when I am actually at a lost at what to do with things happening with Zeeka, my daughter. Indeed, it is true that babies grow up so fast!

There were so many things that I asked for advice on and so many things that Carrie shed light to. For the past few days, I have been doubting my parenting style and she reminded me that it all boils down to what your parenting objective is. She reminded me of what she discussed during the last workshop and that put me back on track. With everything going on and with everything that you hear from other people, as a parent, you tend to doubt yourself, especially when you are uncertain about things happening to your child (a lot of milestones in such short span of time!). But being sure of what you want to achieve for your child will put you back on track. If you want to learn more about what this ‘parenting objective’ is, I suggest that you attend the Fisher Price Play IQ workshop on Saturday.

Another thing that I was reminded of was the power of play. She mentioned that there are three pillars of development, which were Physical, Cognitive and Social/Emotional aspect. From the ages 0-5, these are the most crucial years in child development. Each of these areas can be developed through play, and the great news that she shared was that Fisher Price came up with Play IQ.

Play IQ is a personalized measure of a child’s development through a series of simple questions that are answered or will be answered by the parents. By quantifying the child’s development and providing advice on what activities to do for your child to progress, it clearly links developmental milestones, styles of play and the kind of Fisher Price product that you can use.

Also, on June 7, this Saturday, Carrie will be conducting the Fisher Price Play IQ Workshop at the Glorietta Activity Center, Palm Drive. This will be from 11am to 1pm. Registration is free so parents can just drop by and attend the workshop.

Lovely afternoon that brought so much clarity!

Lovely afternoon that brought so much clarity!

In this day an age, we need all the help that we need when it comes to parenting. Carrie mentioned that it was actually only in the ’70s that “parenting” became a verb. To be honest with you, as a first time parent, “parenting” becomes so stressful at times especially if you don’t know what you’re doing, but Carrie says that being stressed about it is normal. Going through rough times is normal (in fact our ice breaker for todays session was sharing our worst and best parenting experience, where I learned that all of us moms really went through tough times). We just need to be the best parent that we can be and fill our boxes with the values that we want our children to have in the future.

If you have questions about your child’s development or questions about parenting, I highly suggest that you go to the Fisher Price Play IQ workshop and ask Carrie Lupoli. I hope to see you there!