Make Brushing More Fun With The Minions

The most challenging part of parenting --other than making your kid eat vegetables-- is making him brush his teeth. Brushing is such a chore and a bore! Boo! No fun! Despicable!

Well, moms, you came to the right place. You have reached the fun time mecca for cleaning those cute little pearly whites --and your kids will love it! Count 'em. Three Fun Brushing Tips:

1. GET THEM INTO THE GAME.

Nothing thrills kids quite like getting their hands on things parents won't usually allow them to. So let him brush his teeth all by himself! Let him SQUEEZE the toothpaste, let him BRUSH like a boss, and let him RINSE like a hyper-pumped geyser. The more you make it a game, the less it becomes less a chore. Take it from my yellow friend here. He's got pearly whites to die for.

2. GET HIM HIS OWN FUN GEAR.

Since we're on the topic of giving your kid free reins of his brushing activity, heck, give him his personal tools to get the job done. No, not job. The FUN done!
Check out Colgate's Minions Toothbrush and Minions Toothpaste! Now we're talking. I mean, seriously, what kid does not ROFL on the Minions? This is the perfect pack to make him look forward to brushing all the time. And since it's from Colgate, you know you're getting a healthy quality toothpaste and a state-of-the-art, feast-for-the-eyes kiddie toothbrush. It's a win-win!
This special comes in a Colgate Minions Kids 2-5 Years Old (Junior) Oral Care Pack and a Colgate Minions Kids 5-9 Years Old (Youth) Oral Care Pack.

3. GET HIM ALL PACKED FOR FUN!

Well, don't stop there! Get him this fantabulous toohushing cabinet which he can call his own. It's a special number from Colgate featuring the Minions. It looks exactly like that adult medicine cabinet you have on top of your sink --except 500 times more fun!

It comes complete with Minion-decked swinging doors for privacy and joy.

Sliding see-through panels for your kid's toothbrush shelf and toothbrush shelf.

And those fun brushing instructions to boot!

It's kinda like a board game with all the pieces that will guarantee a bubbly kid from after dinner to bedtime.

If you're ready to put the fun into brushing, Colgate and the Minions got your back --aaand your kid's teeth, laughs, and giggles. Check out this Colgate special in your favorite supermarkets now!

Taking Gifting to the Next Level

Ah, Christmas. The time for well wishes, and the time for well-planned lists.
As usual, the length of my lists have spanned the entire Great Wall of China. But, with enough restraint, I managed to whittle the lists down to a manageable number --which I plan to share on this blog. :)

First, what do I want for myself?

You know what they say: As you grow older, you start wanting things that money can't buy? Well, I must be nearing that particular bracket because nowadays I'm yearning for Family and Togetherness. To prove that I'm still young though, I just had to squeeze in the idea of Travel in between those. Teehee. Bottomline: none of those material possessions this time around. All I want is to collect adventures and memories.

Of course, giving myself these girly Cupcake Treats from Watson at SM Supermalls isn't half bad either. Mmm…

Second, what do I want to give my loved ones?

Another game console? Another gadget? Another Lego set with pieces getting lost under the sofa, or finding their way stubbed against my big toe? Oh, not this year. This Christmas, I'm thinking of DIY Galore! I can be pretty artsy and crafty with my hands. Perhaps I can knit a beanie for the hubby. Carve a wooden train for the little boy. Craft a comic book for the bigger boy. Bake cookies! --which I haven't done to save my life, by the way.

Of course, taking my boys --hubby included-- to the SM Supermalls' Toy Fair is the neatest gift, too. I mean, toys on sale! Cartoon characters as guests! Meet and Greet the big man Santa himself! What more can a child --and a child at heart-- ask for?

Third, what do I want to give to my community?

Oh, we do this every year! It's a fun family project for us. We donate books to schools. We DIY toys for orphanages. Uhm… I can bake cookies again. Haha!

Or… I can send SM Supermarket gift baskets to families so they can bond together over Christmas dinner. The bigger Christmas baskets can even stretch to more dinners which only makes family bonding stronger. Yeah, that's a better idea!

But do you know what the best idea is?

Take your Christmas gift-giving to the next level by being part of SM Christmas Bears of Joy! No
hauling, no pasting, no baking (whew!). All you have to do is drop by SM Supermalls. For as little as P200, get two fluffy, cuddly, uber adorable bears from the SM Bears of Joy booth. One bear goes home with you while the other bear goes to another child in a charitable institution. It's so simple yet so poignant. THAT'S how you put meaning to the season.

I still plan to follow through with my lists of gifts. But I will add SM Bears of Joy as my grand finale. You should, too. While you're at it, SM takes your shopping to the next level, too, with these amazing Christmas sale ideas. Ah… Christmas. SM knows you so well.

*snap-snap* Found Project Pie on OpenSnap!

Grab your iPads, moms! It's time to take creative parenting into the delicious digital age!

Creative Parenting is all about feeding your kids' imagination so that it stretches far and wide --whether it be for art, science, even food. YES, FOOD!
And here is where a brilliant discovery on OpenSnap comes in.
With just a few taps on this Ultimate Photo Dining Guide App OpenSnap, I found the delectably creative mecca that is Project Pie!

Not your ordinary run-of-the-mill pizza place, Project Pie lets you customise your pizza the way you want it. By the photo uploads alone on OpenSnap, my kids and I got so pumped to run over to this particular pizzeria to cook up our own masterpieces.

Oh, I can see it now. My Teenage Cheese-Loving Son would go crazy with his mozzarella, feta, gorgonzola, ricotta, and parmesan combination. Heck, he might just throw in a dollop of sausage, chicken, bacon, and prosciutto for good measure. He'd make a classic work of art… but pushed to the hilt!

Meanwhile, my Younger Dine-Like-A-Daredevil Son would go nuts! Like, seriously. He'd whip up something as crazy as, say, a Banana Nutella Pizza. The pie that's good enough as a full meal --from dinner to dessert! This art piece would be something Van Gogh might make in the middle of an off-the-hook party. Hey, yeah!

Just thinking about the possibilities is making me drool. And I have the creative digital masterstroke OpenSnap to thank for that. Food tripping has never been worthwhile and this easy!

We're heading off to Project Pie in a bit. While we paint our pizzas red, yellow, green, and more… why don't you head on to OpenSnap? Let your fingers --or your children's-- discover food gallery upon food gallery in a snap.

For more restaurants and food finds, download OpenSnap app from App Store or Google Play.

Bel-Air Residences Lipa: A House, A Home, and A Lot More!

Who loves Batangas to bits?  Raise your hand!

That would be us. :P  My family has always been a big Batangas Baby.  Batangas is our instant run-to stop for any given longish holiday.  Batangas is our personal summer capital.  Batangas is our home away from home.
And now, we're about to feel at home more than ever.

Take a deep breath and feast your house-hunting eyes on Bel-Air residences in Lipa City, Batangas!  This project boasts of exceptional convenience, comfort, and modernity.  Everything you've always wanted in quality living.  It's our dream home (and life) finally come true.

Bel-Air Residences strategically aced the true test of an ideal real estate:  location, location, location.  Right smack at the center of one of the Philippines' best cities, it offers Lipa, Batangas as a social center, a professional hub, and a place to unwind for our entire lifetime.  It's got my approval right there. :)

Going in, the houses seem to read our weary minds.  Each spacious abode is designed to welcome everyone who's tired from school and work.  My husband and I love the Modern Zen style that's carried all throughout.  Specially Alexandra's.  Serenity.  Peace.  Ommm....

My kids and their dog, on the other hand, are more than OK the amenities.  Here, they have their own basketball court,  jogging path,  playground, barbeque area, their own choice from a number of parks.  There's also a pool, lanai, gazebo and a Club House for whatever get-together we would want to host.

But what really makes Bel-Air Residences rock for us is the fact that everything is within our reach.  It's near prestigious schools and established hospitals.  The village is a good walking distance from major malls and other leisure places.  Which includes great sites for even more swimming!

With all things important within close proximity, we can breathe easy without halting our day-to day responsibilities.  Simply put, we would be living our regular lives while having a never-ending vacation.
If that isn't a banging good deal, I don't know what is!

So, if your child has ever asked you if he can stay forever at the resort your family lived in for the summer, you can say "Yes!" now.
Like us, call Bel-Air Residences today or check out its website or Facebook page.  Like us, it's time for you to breathe.  High five!


This is my official entry to Nuffnang and Bel-Air Residences' contest for a trip to Bohol.  Woot!

O, Wow, O, Yeah!

Psst... What's in the bag?

I attended the very first Nuffnang Blogopolis Summit last week and one of the biggest surprises they had for all the bloggers there was this mysterious, huge bag.
It says OISHI so you can somehow assume there's gotta be chips in there.  So no real surprise, huh?

Oh, yes, there is!  The big surprise was when the bag yielded a load of these similarly packaged yet undescribed chips.  Which now makes you think, "Oh, Wow.  What kind of chip is this?  A gazillion of this and I might not even like it."

Au Contraire, good reader!  Because that's the whole point.  You can't tell what kind of chip each pack opens to.  It can be anything, it can be intriguing, and it can be exciting.

So far, my husband has been pleasantly surprised opening up to O, Wow chicharon chips.  Our son, Miro, has ripped the pack to yummy potato chips.  And our son, Kenji, has happily discovered string chips and ridged chips on two separate occasions. 

We've started making a game out of it.  We take turns guessing which O, Wow chips we have in our packs.  For every correct guess, you get the option to swap your chips, or get another surprise pack for snacks later. :P  (Our family can cook up party games with almost anything.  Haha!)  With the wild guesses and fun surprises flying about, we've never had this much fun at snack time.

Ok, let's see what I got today.
Oh, Wow!  Cloved Fish Chips!

Our Best Food Forward 2012 Binge

So what does a new food bizman do on his spare time?  Research.
And what better place to do that but at the Best Food Froward 2012!  And thanks to Nuffnang, I have free tickets.  Woot!

I would've taken more food shots but it's just so hard to stuff your face with food and shoot, ya know.

There, I have never seen my husband so fueled for inspiration. There was just so many delectable goodness all around us.  So many great ideas for menu expansion.   If I had x-ray vision, I would certainly see the wheels in his brain turning at neck-breaking speed.

The event buzzed with the excitement of food tasting and the exhillirating success speeches from participating gastroentrepreneurs.

But still, Jing had to go around stall-hopping, harassing food merchants to spill the beans on good marinade, secret ingredients, and such.  Lol!  No one gave in though.  So he bought their food to 'study' and unlock their secrets when we get home.  Everything just has to be a spy game with this hubby of mine. :D

Overall, sweet (spicy, tangy, yummy, etc) event!  And successful, judging by the large turn-out of people and the goony smile on our fully-stuffed faces.

The Best Food Forward 2012 is still happening today, March 25, at the NBC Tent.  If you're a food entrep or just a plain lover of food, you'd be crazy to miss this food glorious food escapade.

Going Gaga Over Gargling

My husband and I --we're big on snuggles, cuddles, and smooches.  Even before we got married, and even now many years later.  Being emotionally and physically comfortable with one another has always been the strong foundation of our ultimately cheesy bond.

But, this almost got a little shaky ...on our Wedding Day.

Picture this:  It's the Big Day.  In between make-up, dressing up, prep pictorial, church, one more pictorial, reception, yes, another pictorial --when do we take a mouthwash gargle break?!

Turns out, we didn't need to.  With Colgate Plax!

Colgate Plax gives advanced anti-bacterial protection for longer lasting fresh breath.  How long?  12 HOURS!  With 99.9% of bacteria totally eliminated.  All it takes is one gargling at the start of the day, then it works its magic even when you're too busy 'til night time.  How convenient and comfortable is that!

With Colgate Plax, it would've been like we gargled all throughout our wedding day!  HA!

Ok, that's just a lame, homemade gif.  But the anytime-anywhere freshly-gargled feeling IS genuine.
You can test the real deal with your own photo using the Gloo-Gloo Animation App at the Colgate Plax website.

It shows you exactly how Colgate Plax works for you.  Plus, it's super funny and super share-worthy!  

Just like this crazy gif of 2 freshly-Gloo-Glooed smoochers.  LMAO!

COIgratulations!

YAY!  We finally have a winner for JOHNSON'S My Kid's Growing Up So Fast Caption Contest on this blog!

Easily topping the criteria of...

Creativity of Caption:   50%

  -  Cuteness of title

  -  Unique play of words

Relevance to article:   50%

... let's all give a maddeningly loud round of applause to COI CASTILLO!  You have given my son's photo the 'winning-est' witty words!

And for that, Coi will be receiving a Johnson's Milk Bath gift pack from moi.  Because even as her baby, niece or nephew is changing before her very eyes, his or her skin is still like a baby's.  This child will still need the gentle care of JOHNSON'S Baby Milk Bath, with Vitamins A & E, and 100% more milk to nourish developing skin.
Or, Coi can use these Johnson's goodies herself.  Hey, Johnson's Milk Bath is an all powerful good on adult skin, too.

Thanks to those who joined my Caption Contest.  And, on behalf of Johnson's Milk Bath, a healthy, smooth cheer to the winner!

My Blog-a-Blogs for Blog Day!

What better way to celebrate the 6th International Blog Day than to let you have a peep into the real me!

Hmm... not interested, huh?

Oooohkaay.  What better way than to let you have a peep into the real me by sharing with you my own favorite blogs!

Better?

Good!  Here goes.  

Earth Mama Doula

One of my faves is a blog by a wonderful mother who is an exact opposite of wonderful me.  I gave birth to both boys, CS.  I never went into labor.  I never pushed.  I was never able to give them breastmilk.  Then along comes this blog that talks about everything natural --from childbirth to weaning to parenting.  A magnificent read that tells me that no matter how good a life I give my boys, there will always be something I missed.

Kitchen Kitchie Koo

I love to cook but it's always a hit or miss with me.  I'm confident that I can never put up a food blog with confidence.  And that's why I love this blog.  It inspires me.  And no doubt, it hungers me.  Maybe someday, I will have the strength to put up a food blog myself.  Maaay-be.

Green Tea Design

If the day wore me out and I want to see something beautiful for a change, this is the blog I turn to.  It's cyber retail therapy.  Or, for the lack of funds, blissful eye candy.  I learn about lovely trinkets, unique home decor, fantabulous furniture I never even knew existed.  It designs the rest of my day beautifully.  See how the word 'shop' is eternally highlighted there?

Let's Cosplay!

Surprise, surprise!  I'm a geek mom!  But really, if you've been reading my blog, you'd know that I'm addicted to DIY.  Whether it be for my children's Halloween costumes, or our dog's.  This blog is the perfect tutorial for me.  It lays out costume-making, step by step.  It may not be the exact same costumes I make and it's not even that close to our homemade family projects.  But the blog does show me that with the right amount of talent, resources, and crazy hands... anything is possible.

The Superficial

Oh, who doesn't love hearing dirt about those uber perfect Hollywood stars, eh?  I do!  Again, it's therapy.  The mean kind.  But it does make me smile.  This blog is written in such a way that I can laugh at supposedly super awesome people and feel good about myself.  It's sad, I know.  But still, it's fun.  Oh, click the link --you'll know what I mean!

RaketChick

I speak sarcasm very fluently in a variety of accents.  But in a parenting blog, you can't rant and rave and dish it out that freely.  Specially it it's about work that has very little to do with being a mom.  This is why this blog speaks to me.  Or should I say, speaks for me.  It talks about the ups and downs and the survival of a freelance writer.  In colorful sketches, in a colorful language.

So that's who this mother blogger is.  Oops!  I mean, so that's what this mother blogger reads.
Check them out and maybe you'll also find that other side of you that's bolder, funnier, naughtier, zanier.  You are what you read.  And this blogger reads... and IS... a delicious buffet.

Happy 6th International Blog Day, everyone!