Fresh Milk
June 28, 2011 § 12 Comments
I have always loved drinking bottled milk and chocolate milk. I remember the taste of Chocolait when it was still called ChocoVim. (It tasted like cocoa of Happy Lemon)
When the kid’s pedia knew we were going to Australia she said naku ang sarap ng gatas doon. Hay true nga, I can drink a liter a day if I don’t stop myself. The milk supply of Jea & Josh was easily gone because of me (Sorry Sudarios!). When we came back I wanted Kite to drink fresh milk; our pedia also told us na me and Didda should drink a glass of non fat milk everyday. Also I want to let Laya taste fresh milk na din. So off I go in my search of milk that will be delivered to us regularly. I found 2 brands that has delivery in our area and tried them both.
First I tried was Milkman’s whole milk (P180/2 liter; service and response is quick which I appreciate so much) I like their milk. Next I tried Holly’s Milk – chocolate milk (P110/liter), whole milk (P100/liter) and non fat milk (P100/liter). I like Holly’s whole milk a bit better mas creamy eh, even their non fat tasted like fresh milk so happy ako, but Kite & I found their choco milk too sweet! Since I like their milk better I immediately re ordered for the next delivery. But I noticed the fresh milk has a tinge of sour taste a day or two after opening the bottle. So I reduce my next order to try it again. Sadly it is the same case. According to the distributor of Holly’s Milk we should put the milk in the coldest part not too near the ref door. So that’s what I did on their 2nd delivery but still there’s a tinge of sour taste the day after we opened a bottle which scares eh. I think maybe our ref is too small and too puno? This reminds me of why I stopped buying Hacienda Macalauan, it always spoils on me, even the small bottle, sometimes even when I consumed it the day I bought it 😦 of all the yogurt I tried theirs is the yummiest too.
I went back to Milkman and this time tried their choco milk too. Am happy that their choco milk is not as sweet and their whole milk doesn’t spoil so fast too. Problem now is their milk comes in 2 liter container which Kite can’t finish, which mean I cant order non fat for us or we’d have too much milk. Am now working out our consumption so I can place my weekly order. Another problem is I gained so much weigh since we started having fresh milk at home, but the good thing is Kite now drinks milk everyday.
For San Juan area delivery:
Holly’s Milk http://www.hollysmilk.com/
Romy & Marissa Montoya
571.2498 ; 0915.1948417
delivers every Thursday & Saturday (I dont like the schedule parang the gap from Sat to Thurs is too long)
Milkman https://www.facebook.com/Milkman888
0927.8335000
delivers every Wednesday and Sunday (I like their schedule)
Disclosure ulit: nothing to disclose. Paid for my milk in full and has nothing to do with the sellers. Warning lang: kakataba!
Gadgets ang gizmos aplenty…
June 27, 2011 § 9 Comments
I was thinking about this on and off for days (napapisip ako kasing bumili pero di ko alam magiging reaction ng asawa ko) and suddenly Tonet told me to blog this. Imagine my happiness and kilabot… feeling ko sign na bilhin ko na nga (mabasa sana ng asawa ko at umagree). Here goes…
do you know what this is?
Saw this at my friend’s house early this year. I found it cool and impractical kasi ang mahal (nasa P23,000 yan kasi large at Dyson ang tatak – weh ano ngayon kung Dyson ang tatak? apparently sikat yata yung Dyson.. oh well) at sa Singaporepa pa nila binili, but di ako interested curious lang so deadma lang. Mas interesado ako sa kanya as conversation piece kesa as fan, kaya nag mobile upload na lang ako see the discussion sa FB Thread on my wall re this. So I got na what I want, no reason to buy it anymore.
Fast forward to early this month. I saw a picture sa FB na may pre selling of something like this.
Uyy napatanong ako how much, wala lang not interested lang malaman how much (P3,000 daw pre selling nung June 2). Hmm it was not mura, but di na din sing mahal nung orig 15% na lang ang presyo eh. Different ang brand nito, di ako nag research about this kasi nga natuwa lang ako di naman akong interesado curious lang.
Fast forward again to a week ago. Si Laya girl naglalakad na since early this month, last month testing lang, but because di naman siya stable pa laging sinusundan ng nagbabantay, either si yayang bagong rebond na bagay sa kanya at P1200 or si didda, or ako or si achi Kite. BUT last week since stable na siya maglakad hinahayaan na namin siya pa lakad lakad sinusundan na lang ng tingin, now ko lang narealize nyeks delikado yung electric fan, diyos ko po, iniisip ko pa lang nagcri-cringe na ako. Hmm may sense yata yung Dyson na yan… hmm magkano nga ulit yung sabi nung seller dito sa Pinas (di ko maalala eh). Pero inisip ko lang naman di ko naman hinanap at di ko na din pinansin kasi tuwing nasa computer ako nawawala siya sa isip ko naaalala ko lang tuwing nagbabantay ako kay Laya sa sala.
Then FB ko kanina si Tonet, nabangit niya na naalala niya yung kakaibang klaseng fan, iblog ko daw. Aba tama gusto ko ngang hanapin ulit magkano, tama tama, gawin ko ngayon… sandali di ba sign siya na bilhin na nga (sign din kaya ito sa tingin ng asawa ko?) hmm… abangan natin ano magiging comment niya dito or better yet abangan ninyo kung ma update ko itong blog with a picture of OUR fan.
Yun lang, ginagamit ko lang yung blog na ito para magparinig sa asawa ko at pasayahin si Tonet *feeling hahaha* :)p
Kayo sang-ayon ba kayo na bumili kami ng fan para di maaksidente ang baby namin? Kesa sa ER ibayad eh di prevention na lang. *nanghihikayat ng buyo*
If di maapprove ng asawa I will need to dig the N@W archives re the electric fan cover… I tried finding it kanina di ko mahanap.. sign yata na di ko kailangan ng electric fan cover hahaha.
PS.
Nag PM ako sa seller kanina (para updated na info ang mabibigay ko) kung may stock, magkano etc, aba meron pa daw at may parating pang elliptical at P3600 at abangan na lang yung specs dito sa album at free shipping to Metro Manila pa din. Please direct inquiries to them ha, ayaw ko maging operator if ever. Dinagdag ko itong PS para makapag disclosure ako… I do not know the seller, haven’t met her, just met her thru FB and wala akong commission.
of Dogs & Sands
June 25, 2011 § 3 Comments
Two months ago, Laya is scared of dogs & hate sands. Now look at these pictures 🙂
Laya & Luna (that's Luna licking Laya)
playing with sands
When we went to Australia last summer, there’s a pet dog in the backyard of my sister in law Ellen’s house. Luna, the dog (more pigly than dogly though as he never barked but sometimes snorts) is Josh’s pet (Josh is Laya’s favorite cousin, right Josh?). Thinking Laya would be interested and that this is a good chance to teach her to say ‘aww aww aww’ I had her stay in the backyard with me but I think Luna was too enthusiastic and it scared Laya. For a long time she was really scared and would not even let Luna touch any part of her, not even her toes. And when Luna goes near the screen door she’d really go away, she doesnt even allow Luna to look at her hahaha exagg. Towards the end of our trip Didda tried to slowly make Laya and Luna friends and he was successful, how successful? Here check out this Laya & Luna album, you can see how comfortable Laya was, she was even allowing Luna to keep licking her face (a lot of times before John, Ellen’s hubby, got the camera and a lot more during). Ahh di naman bawal ito noh? baka ma TV Patrol kami. I was really grossed out but I figured letting Luna lick her face wont cause her harm but would in fact take her dog fear away. True enough, friends na sila, she would even say Luna-na-na-na na when we about to leave Oz na.
Next kwento Laya hated the sand, Boracay super fine white sands na yan. There goes my building sandcastle plans…
she do not like the sand at all
We kept trying, a month and a half after, we got this shot, she needs to be washed with water so sand wont stick to her hands and feet.
sand furniture
Last May we went to El Nido again she wouldnt want her feet touching the sand, except when the sand is hard na. Dunno how, but Didda, I think kept playing with her and the next time I saw them, she is playing with sands already.
Whenever I tell people Laya do not like sands I am always told that’s normal. I assumed that it is really normal but at the back of our head, we were kinda scared something is wrong. We know kasi somebody who was scared of sand yung pala she have sensory perception problem. Kaya for others sands was no big deal but for me it was kinda a yardstick and seeing her finally enjoy sand gave us a sigh of relief 🙂
Wala lang, share share lang. I think tama si Tiger Mom, you just need to push the kids and not protect them too much so they can soar. I believe how a child grows up to be rest solely on the way the parents brought them up.
Case in point. I remember Kite when she was little. She had tooth problem and after going to the dentist because her two front teeth hurt, we told her no more candies and for a year or two she didn’t have any, no struggle at all, she’d would not even take it if candy is offered. I was so proud of her and was thinking wow super galing pala ng daughter ko she knows naman what is right and wrong so I bought her sugar free lollipop from one of the health store… opps stupid me. She went back to eating candy after that, of course I explained sugar free candy but wala too late na I broke the bawal barrier and yun na the wall crumbled. Yes yes I know I know na so dumb of me… hay hindsight 20-20. Ayun that really confirms na mga bata at mga mali ng bata caused by parents yan.
Little Cutie Kite
June 24, 2011 § 4 Comments
- Didda’s signature for Kite
Was doing a mini cleaning last week and I came across a letter from Kite’s Kinder guidance counselor. Was just looking for one cute childhood picture of Kite but ended up getting so many. So please indulge me. I want to share din Kite’s childhood as Laya’s childhood is so exposed.
7 months old (photo by Child’s Play)
- 1 year old at her Up-Up-and-Away Party (photo by Fol Rana, Jr.; kite gown by Jontie Martinez)
2 years old (photo by Auey Santos)
3 years old
4 years old at her Barrio Fiesta Party (photo by Fol Rana, Jr.)
4 years old (photo by Mel Cortez)
5 years old
6 years old
7 years old at her ‘Down-the-Aisle’ Party (photo by Fol Rana, Jr.)
8 years old
9 years old (photo by The Picture Company)
10 years old (photo by Oly Ruiz of MetroPhoto)
When Kite was still in Kinder I’d drive her to school everyday and wait for her in school, naturally I’d ask how her day was after, she is madaldal and makulit but not makwento so it is hard to find out how she is at school. But one day she complained of some Kinder-Daisy girls (other classroom ito) who would go and pick her up every recess, they’d force her daw to play and join them. I was very concerned and was scared that this might lead to bullying so I told the guidance counselor to talk to Kite about it. She acted immediately on this and was able to send me this feedback in a week’s time. Galing noh? And I was also relieved and kilig, so I kept the letter.
(Why did I think of going to the guidance office? Because they have Kite’s trust. Kite would tell me na their guidance counselor said to go to them if they have problems in school and at home and even if the problem is the parent. I enthusiastically encouraged her coz I wanted her to have someone she can talk to without censor and fear.)
Yun lang. Gusto ko lang ipagyabang cute anak ko, at hindi lang sa paningin ko pati sa ibang tao 🙂
*stage mom*
Breastfeed Button Pins
June 23, 2011 § 15 Comments
I was able to sustain breastfeeding all these time because I am part of N@W and because I join breastfeeding support groups. One group I feel so at home with is La Leche League’s monthly meet by Abbie Yabot. I joined when I was having a lot of concerns and fears and issues with feeding Laya probably at 6 weeks and they witness me grow from a scared mom to an enthusiast, they saw me through my first pump and till I was able to store hundreds of ounces. I also met great friends in this meet. One time I realized that several of the N@Wies are also part of the meet by their postings in N@W (hehe am always late so I usually miss the intro part) it is so dyahe so I told Abbie let’s have name tags, but since it is a regular meet I figured button pin is a nicer option. So I asked Didda to design a button pin for the group. Here is what he came up with. Remember ‘got milk?’ ads way back?
Because I dont get to meet them some of the pins are still with me. So if you are breastfeeding or breastfed and your name is: Agnes, Christine, Cindy, Denise, Germaine, Gina, Jams, Jowan, Judy, Kara, Leslie, Lisa, Mari, Maria, Michelle, Nikki, Pat, Pia, Rachel, Sheryl, Tanya, Ting or Velvet. Send me a comment and I will email you to get your address, dont post your address in the comment unless you are comfortable (haha feeling ko sikat itong blog at madaming nakakabasa, well eventually it will or it might!) If you are attending the La Leche Leage meet this Sunday June 26 at 10:30am at Greenbelt 5 or to the Babywear Meet 2 on July 2 at 10am at Starbucks Fort Bonifacio I can bring it there too.
Find your name 🙂
If your name is not on the list and you want one please message me by June 29 so I can have one made in time for the Babywear Meet.
Ahh Didda might want to designed a Babywear Button Pin too, you want also? Very efficient talaga… naknangtokwa!
Aba may pang daddies pa!
Laya’s Carseat Saga
June 23, 2011 § 10 Comments
Laya hated the carseat with passion. Unfortunately it is the law in Australia so we had no choice but to be subjected to her WAILING every time she is strapped to one while we were there.
She can go on crying, screaming for hours till she falls asleep, and then wakes up to continue her crying, screaming session. Kakaawa actually but no choice eh 😦
But smart hubby also thinks she wont cry if I am not there… surprise, surprise! She really didn’t! At least not a lot. (Don’t you hate it when hubby is always right?!)
with her favorite cousin Josh *so sweet noh?*
with her mate Gabe (Gabe lent us his carseat while we were there, thanks Gabe!)
Since we have this plan of going on a road trip to Melbourne to see the Great Ocean Road *dream dream* on our next visit, we figured we need to get Laya used to a carseat already.
Months before our Oz Trip we were actually scouting for carseats. I have seen my share, either they are too expensive or not to my liking so we never really found one I liked. Until Laya tried Charmaine’s Recaro carseat and was quite comfy in her 10 minute ride from Starbucks Fort to Serendra.
I wanted that one so I convinced hubby to check out the carseats. Recaro, being a popular brand when we were growing up, he liked it too. Price is also well within our budget, so I too am happy.
Here she is in her own carseat. She cried the first time and didn’t na afterwards, at least not because of the carseat now, when she does, which is rare, mostly because she is bored, sleepy or hungry.
First ride in her carseat
what? is that a smile?
Lakwatcha with Mimma alone
Sleeping while holding a flag
Sleeping holding spoons on both hands
Operation Carseat is now officially a SUCCESS. My baby is a first world baby now!
Discovery: We are happy with our Recaro Carseat, got it for P12,000, cushion is all over and is very soft. I tried those in the mall usually those that are this soft goes at more than P18,000-P35,000. Recaro is sold at Excellar Enterprises located at 73 N. Roxas corner Banawe Streets, Quezon City (across Serenitea). Phone numbers: 712-5373 to 74, 712-5379 to 80, 731-1224 to 25.
*disclosure (haha feeling blogger) we bought our carseat, and we do not have anything to do with the owners.
OUTTAKES
Sama ko na mga iba’t-ibang ‘carseats’ shots niya.
Nagpupumilit na carseat for Vespa
Shopping at Aldi's OZ
At OfficeWorks OZ
At Changi Airport
Didda Abet
June 18, 2011 § 11 Comments
Happy Father’s Day to…
our very own superhero
and superstar
no, you’re a rockstar!
You’re the best babysitter to the kids 
keeping them balanced…
Bathtime with Didda
and clean…
and so porma…
and safe…
yeah SAFE!
May you grow up faster than the kids…
yet remain as creative
and as nationalistic…
and cute
and daring…
yes DARING! (or shameless?)
May you always find time to always bond with the kids…
and to play with them and make our home so much more enjoyable.
Happy Father’s Day!
We love you!
Kite
June 16, 2011 § 5 Comments
I spent the afternoon cleaning my table and some drawers… and I came across this.
It is Kite’s 1st Birthday Party Souvenir. Am sharing the poem in the frame. We got it from my SIL (sister-in-law) Ellen, she shared it to us because we are naming our baby Kite.
Here goes:
I see children as kite. You spend a lifetime trying to get them off the ground. You run with them until you’re both breathless… they crash… they hit the roof… you patch and comfort, adjust and teach. You watch them lifted by the wind and assure them that someday they’ll fly. Finally they are airborne: they need more string and you keep letting it out.
But with each twish of the ball of twine, there is a sadness that goes with joy. The kite become more distant, and you know it won’t be long before that beautiful creature will snap the lifeline that binds you together and will soar as it is meant to soar, free and alone.
Only then do you know that you did you job.
-Emma Bombeck
kaka-Sad ba?
Pumping & Freezing Breast Milk
June 15, 2011 § 4 Comments
Last August, Jenny of Chronicles of a Nursing Mom asked me to submit an article on how I freeze my breastmilk and also on how to thaw frozen breastmilk. I guess it’s helpful since I’d get email re the post. I went to re read the article recently and I felt it was so gulo (sorry Jenny, I was rushing when I did it that time). Here’s my attempt in make it better.
My pumping history/routine/background:
I first pumped at 5 weeks but got around half an ounce and this scared me. Afraid it might affect my milk supply as I started doubting my output I stopped pumping first.
I tried it again after two weeks when I was more confident, still I got only around half an ounce to 1 ounce the first few times but it steadily increased, I was determined as I know I can’t go out if I don’t have stored milk at home. I figured an ounce a day will still be 7 ounce in a week which is still 4 hours worth of time out of the house. I would pump as soon as I wake up (I pass baby Laya to yaya when Laya is awake anytime between 6am-10am and then sleep til around 11am-1pm) this session is when I get the most milk (averaging 3-4oz); again I pump in the afternoon before dinner or when Laya is asleep around 2-4am. If I go out then I pump every 3-5 hours. As out put increased my aim was to get at least 5 oz saved each day. This went on from the time Laya was 2 months to maybe 5 months old, I stopped and just pumped once a day when my frozen milk reached more than 300 oz already and I didn’t have freezer space anymore and even my friend’s freezer were full na. Am sharing this because seeing them packed so nicely encourages me to pump and save. It is also easier for everybody when it is time for baby to use the milk. I love counting how much milk I have, that was one of my motivation for pumping. I was thinking I could go out for a few days vacation and leave baby behind if I want to.
How do I pack and freeze my milk.
I repack milk for freezing whenever I have the chance which is usually at 6 oz to 14 oz roughly every 2-3 days. I try to leave expressed milk in the ref for Laya to use (milk heirarchy is direct is best, next is newly expressed milk, refrigerated one then last is frozen ones) but I also do not wait till there is a lot before I freeze as the more bags I freeze the longer it takes them to get frozen, besides I do not have a lot of flat space in our freezer.
First I would calculate how many bags I would need and write the date on the bags (I pack 2 oz of milk in each 8 oz bag – I tried using 4 oz bag but it wont go flat, I need them to be as flat as possible because I dont have storage space, also Laya consumes 2-4 oz at that time) *note: I learned about freezing it this way from Dee, a N@Wie mom who donated her milk to me when I was prohibited by my OB to breastfeed due to high blood pressure
Next I would measure 2 oz of milk in a feeding bottle and then pour it to the bag, I try to draw out as much air as I can so there wont be air bubble. Then I seal it with a sealer. I leave them upright by leaning it on something so the milk wont come to contact with the sealed area which is hot/warm for a few seconds.
After sealing I now place them in a flat surface and leave to freeze. It freezes normally after a day, sometimes over a couple of days if our freezer is full or if I am packing a lot of bags.
Once frozen I place them is a ziplock bag, I put 25 bags (or 50 oz.) per ziplock bag. And line them according to date. I also date the ziplock bag so we’d know which bag to use first. I make sure the milk are consumed within three months.
Here are the things I used:
I use Playtex Liner 8 oz, this around P450 per box of 125 pcs. available in all leading department store
I bought my sealer from Office Warehouse at P690, the same model at National Bookstore is P1190
I use Glad Freezer Ziplock Bags – 26.8cm x 27.3 cm 15pcs per box, I forgot how much will check when I go to the supermarket not more than P500 (available at all leading supermarket I got mine at SM Hypermart)
Hope this helped!
Am now back to pumping once a day (after stopping for 2 months where Laya was with me almost 24 hours because we were out of the country and because her yaya was away when we came back). Laya also tasted fresh cow’s milk, I just want her accustomed to the taste.
🙂
MimmaBenz [dot] com
June 14, 2011 § 14 Comments
Yoohoo! I have my own domain name now!
Been thinking for the past few days on what I want my blog title to be, it took me days still I came up with nothing (am not the creative one in the fam!) so I told hubby about my name problem and he asked what will my topic be, I said anything I want lang, am guessing it will probably be about motherhood and traveling, he said eh di use benzrana na lang, am not solved but it made sense besides I wanna get started already and see if I will be interested in this blogging thing for long or will it be just a passing fancy. Anyway this morning I created benzrana dot wordpress dot com. It was just ok but am not too excited with the name, am just happy am moving forward. While I was away he texted if I’d like MimmaBenz [dot] com, I DID! I told you am not the creative one in the fam, he is! So now I have my domain name yehey. Thanks Didda! (Haha you can also guess who came up with the names Mimma & Didda huh) And I am pretty sure before I know it, I’d have my avatar, my page masthead and everything else pretty *either I know him well or I am throwing hints* you decide. And he also did the masthead and my blog icon 🙂 Yippee! All set for the public now.
MimmaBenz.com 