Mommy Ginger
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How to Declutter your Home to Keep your Children Safe

I have been looking at my home since last week and I have really decided to, once and for all, declutter. The new year has got me thinking about my priorities and one of those on the top of my list is the safety of my daughter. She has been growing up to be a very active child and with that, I think it’s best if declutter and clean my home once and for all.

I think the new year is the perfect time to do spring cleaning. Why? We usher in the new year brimming with optimism. I, for one, have this renewed energy and spirit. Each new year seems to offer a clean slate, no matter what age or life situation you are in. Capitalize on that renewed sense of hope this year by setting aside a few days and do an annual check-up of your home, make sure to attend to repairs and maintenance needed to ensure your family’s safety.

I know that I have often times woke up bright and early, then I end up not being able to do anything. I get overwhelmed with the amount of work that needs to get done. Looking at the piles and piles of paper and the handful of big boxes that I have at home, I suddenly don’t know where to start. For those who want to keep their children safe and happy in their home, I have created a guide that you can follow when you want to declutter your home.

Exteriors

Roofing – If you live in a house, do check on your roofing often. We live in a country where typhoons come often, so it’s advisable to always check that your roof doesn’t have any holes. Check also for rust.

Drainage – When it rains, do puddles stay around your home for a few days? It might be time to clean your gutters. Investigate and see if simply cleaning the gutters will do the trick.

Interiors

Appliances – Check if your fridge is still keeping your food cold. Check also if the refrigerator door closes well. Is your oven door stuck? Set aside time to fix these. Now is also a good time to update the contact numbers of the nearest repair centers.

Plumbing – Check for any possible toilet and faucet leaks and prevent water waste.

Wilkins: Safely store water

 

Stored Food – Check the stock of food and water at home to make sure they’re all stored safely. For distilled water such as Wilkins, maintain its water quality by storing bottles in a dry place, out of direct light, rain, and heat sources. I store my Wilkins bottles also away from chemicals like household cleaners.

Produce such as vegetables, meanwhile, need to breathe. Store vegetables in mesh bags or plastic bags with holes. Keep them dry; dampness encourages bacteria growth.

Check the “use-by” dates of pre-packed foods, too. Discard any pack if the use-by date has already passed. Food that still smells and looks good may already be contaminated (and thus unsafe to eat) if it’s already past its use-by date.

These are some tips that you can start with first when you want to start decluttering your home and keeping it safe for your children. If you have other tips that you want to share, feel free to share that status in social media using #WilkinsCircleofTrust. I will be happy to re-share your tip! It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Fire Prevention Month

There have been a lot of frill drills in our area lately and this is actually something good. I love that our community thinks of these kinds of things. Our homes are our safe havens. They hold the people most precious to our hearts. That’s why it’s important to always be on top of the situation when it comes to keeping our homes safe and secure. Since March is Fire Prevention Month, it’s the perfect time to check our homes for any possible fire hazards.

Here are some basic tips that can help you attain the peace of mind of having a fire hazard-free home:

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  1. Prepare a family go-bag in case of fire/emergencies, including essentials like medicines, snacks and clothes. Of course bottled water is important. To be sure it’s clean and safe, go for distilled water like Wilkins. For emergencies, it’s best to go with trusted brands
  2. Remind kids about dangers of fire. – Keep matches and lighters stored and away from their prying hands and curious eyes. Help kids understand that if they play with fire, they might end up hurting themselves, other people, and destroy things and even homes besides.
  3. Keep your kitchen safe. – Talking about eyes, keep an eye on the grill or when cooking or frying anything using an open flame.
  4. Remove fire hazards. – Curtains, towels, and any furniture that can catch fire should ideally be 3 feet from heat sources.
  5. Invest in a fire extinguisher. – Especially if a significant part of your home is made up of wood. You can buy one at your friendly neighborhood home depot but do ask for assistance when buying one. You have to consider the type of fire extinguisher to buy, and you also have to know how to use it.
  6. Create a fire escape plan. – Let’s hope that it never happens, but if a fire does occur, everyone must know the fastest and easiest way to escape. This is important especially since, according to the American Red Cross, you may only have two minutes to escape should a fire break out.

 

Do you have any other fire prevention tips? Sharing these tips and talking about it will go a long way in keeping people safe and free from harm. We’d love to hear them at the Wilkins Facebook Page. Please don’t forget to use #WilkinsCircleofTrust so that we all can follow your amazing tips!

 

Let’s Celebrate Philippine Heart Month!

February is usually associated with hearts, lovers, and Valentine’s Day. It’s fitting, therefore, that February is also observed in many countries – including the Philippines – as Heart Month. In this month, where the aim is to promote heart disease awareness and overall wellness, let’s show some love in the home by taking care and preparing an important health tool: the family medicine kit.

Here are a few top tips:

Wilkins

1. Check all medications to ensure that they’re all still up-to-date and safe to consume. – Throw away those that have expired already. It might feel like a waste, but taking pills past their expiration dates is never a good idea. Set a regular schedule for doing this to prevent further wastage. Hey, doing this step also shows love to the family budget! 😉

2. Trust only medicine, food, or drink that are prescribed by your child’s pediatrician – It’s so tempting to self-medicate, what with all these information readily available at our fingertips (hello Google!). It’s still best to consult medical and nutrition matters with trusted experts, though. They know your child’s unique issues and can offer the best professional advice. For example, for food/medicine, our pediatrician advised… And for my kids’ water needs, we use only Wilkins distilled water because I keep me at ease and I know that the water she takes in is safe and clean. Feel free to ask them any concerns you might have about your child’s health as well.

3. Make sure you know how your child’s medications interact with each other. – Some kids need to take more several medications on a regular basis that it becomes hard to keep up with the dosages and indications of each. More so if new medications have been added to the mix. If this is the case with your child, then you might want to gather all his/her prescription medications, OTCs, and multivitamins in a bag to show during his/her next medical appointment. This will enable the healthcare professional to screen the medications for potential duplication of therapies, side effects, or interactions.

It pays to know what your body is absorbing. I am very particular about this and I really want my family to take only the safest and the trusted brands, like Wilkins for water. Do you have any other tips to share? Feel free to join us in our conversation at the Wilkins Facebook page. Talk to you there!

5 Things You Should Teach Your Kids about Fireworks Safety

We live in a condo unit and where we live is on one of the highest floors. My daughter loves it, especially during times when she sees fireworks in the sky. Living here made me realize how much Filipinos love fireworks. You know why? We see fireworks set off at least once a month. Obviously, during the months of December to February, we see a whole lot more because of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. I personally enjoy watching firework displays, too, but being a mom just made me extra careful though since I always want my daughter to be safe during this season or any day for that matter. For example, nowadays, you can’t be too sure about the water that you drink. In our home, having safe and clean water is essential that this why we only drink and serve our guests Wilkins Distilled Drinking Water.

Keeping Safe at Home with Wilkins - fireworks safety

It’s one thing to always keep our family safe on a daily basis by giving them Wilkins, thoroughly cooked meals (check out my post on food safety) and having them live in a clean and safe home, but it’s another thing to teach them about keeping safe during once a year occasions like these where fireworks (things that they are not used to) are present.

Fireworks can cause burns, eye injuries, etc. if not handled properly. I remember that my dad and uncles used to just lay fireworks anywhere around the house, but now, I make sure that my husband and family keeps fireworks out of reach. It is very important to make sure that everyone in your family, especially the kids (yes, they will understand), know about fireworks safety. Here are some safety tips that you can teach and tell them:

1. Tell your kids to never play with fireworks. I know you may say, “Of course, Ginger, who would do that?” but the sad truth is that there are still a lot of accidents during New Year, because children and even adults played with fireworks inside (yes, inside!) the house. The best way to protect your family is not use any fireworks inside your home. Firecrackers, sparklers and rockets are just too dangerous for your kids. If you think it’s okay for them to play with sparklers, just please make sure that they use it outside and guide them by keeping it away from their faces, hair and clothing.

2. Tell your kids (and even ‘adult’ friends and family) to never make their own fireworks. This is a definite no-no. Letting them play with the gunpowder or “pulbura” is very detrimental to their health and to their safety. Oh, please keep them away from the likes of watusi also. If they don’t wash their hands and accidentally, put their hands in their mouth, this will be harmful. Please buy legal fireworks which should include a label with the manufacturer’s name and clear instructions on how to use them. Do not forget to place them in a cool and dry place.

3. Tell your kids to use fireworks safely. Remind your children to always light one firework at a time – never in metal or glass containers. They should never relight a dud. Do not allow your kids to pick up pieces of fireworks after an event for some may still be ignited and can explode at any time.

Furthermore, do not let them hold fireworks using their hands or have any part of their bodies while lighting. Let them wear some sort of eye protection. Then, prepare a bucket of water and a hose nearby in case of accidents. Lastly, soak all fireworks in a bucket of water before throwing them in the trash bin.

4. Tell your kids to be very responsible in using fireworks. Remind them that they should never point or throw fireworks at someone even in jest. You can never be sure when it comes to Fireworks; some can be faulty. Always tell them to point fireworks away from homes, brush, leaves and flammable substances. Lastly, they should avoid carrying fireworks in their pockets.

5. Tell your kids to think about their pets’ safety. Animals are a little more sensitive than us. They can be extremely frightened or stressed whenever they hear the sounds of the firecrackers. Hence, keep the pets indoors to reduce the risk that they’ll get injured or run loose.

If (knock on wood) your child gets injured by fireworks, remove the clothing from the burnt area and run cool water over the burn. If it’s an eye injury, never allow you kid to touch or rub it as it may exacerbate it or cause even more damage. Also, do not attempt to flush the eye out with water or self-medicate and put any ointment. Please go to the doctor or hospital immediately.

Fireworks are meant to be enjoyed and you will enjoy them more knowing your family is safe. Hence, always take extra precautions to enjoy your holidays! For more fireworks safety tips, check the Wilkins Distilled Water facebook page and check out the tips shared by the Wilkins Circle of Trust. If you have tips to share, please do join in the conversation! Stay safe!

Wilkins Circle of Trust Intimate Get Together

I think when I became part of  the Wilkins Circle of Trust, I feel like I became a more “intentional” mom. When I became a mom, I was so careful with every thing. I would see to it that she only uses clean “everything’. I exclusively breastfed her. I saw to it that she she slept, crawled and walked was clean and safe.

Then the time came when I got used to bumps here and there, insect bites here and there. I thought to myself, this isn’t so bad. Then I sort of just let go. Being in this circle of trust made me realize that there can be balance between being so paranoid and being so lax. We can actually keep our children safe while still enjoying motherhood. During the Wilkins Circle of Trust brunch that we had a few weeks back, the ladies and I got to talk about some mommy hacks that we can do to keep our children safe.

Wilkins COT

Wilkins Safety Hacks for Moms

It helps to know some Safety Hacks!

Let me share with you some of my personal favorites from the Mommy Safety Hack tips that were shared. Some of these hacks are things that I really do:

  • Toddlers love running around already and sometimes, they won’t take off their socks. What I do is that if she wants to keep it on, she needs to wear her “special socks”. Her special pair has her initials written below it using fabric paint that feels like rubber when it dries up.
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    Zeeka's Special Sock
  • We bought those soft cushion edges for sharp corners. They sell it in hardware stores. What I learned from the brunch from other moms is that you can us foam pipe insulation also.
  •  Our curtains are the ones with those long cords. I noticed that my daughter loves pulling it, and so what I did is that I tie it into a knot so that she isn’t able to reach it.
  • We also bought those plastic covers for the outlets. Ours came with plastic keys also so that you get to take it out of the outlet — and it’s the only way to take it out. If you have duct tape at home, this would be an alternative too.
Moms sharing their hacks at the Wilkins Circle of Trust Brunch

Moms sharing their hacks at the Wilkins Circle of Trust Brunch

Wilkins circle of trust brunch 2

  • She loves opening the refrigerator so I always check the refrigerator and keep the things that I don’t want her to reach out for. What is accessible to her are the bottle of Wilkins that she can reach out for and food like bread and fruits. Also, all breakable things in the kitchen are kept from her.
  • I post a list of emergency numbers on the fridge, so that everyone in the house will have access to it. Part of the list are also people whom I trust (my own Circle of Trust) which includes her grandparents, her titas and titos, yaya, pediatricians, OB/GYNS and teachers.
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Yours truly with my friend Lourdes, who is part of my own Circle of Trust 🙂 She makes great looking bento boxes!

 

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Yours truly with Mommy Gerilen, who is one of my blog readers! 🙂 She has her own blog too!

I had fun sharing tips and learning new things from my fellow mommies and safety advocates! hihi!

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I super love these ladies! 🙂 With Mommy Louise of MommyPracticality.com and Mommy Jackie of GoJackieGo.com 🙂

For more info on how to keep your family safe, visit the Wilkins Facebook page at facebook.com/WilkinsDistilledDrinkingWater today.