It's potty time!

I planned to introduce R to the potty when he was 2.5 years old.  I initially thought it would be an easy one, having read that it can be done in just three days.  Lesson learned.  Do not believe everything that you read because each child is different.  While it is true that some kids are potty trained as early as 1.5 years old, there are some that are still holding on to diapers until 4 years of age.  There are some kids who will readily use the toilet, while some prefer to use potty trainers.  It all boils down to the kid's readiness.  Actually, the parents should also be prepared because it will be a dirty, tiring and sometimes long process. But once the child nails it, it will be such great relief!

As you know, R is my firstborn and I had no idea where to begin potty training.  I researched and asked some moms for pointers.  The best tip that I got which I used was from our longtime masseuse who has five kids.  She told me to bring R to toilet every 30 minutes, and then lengthen the time until he already knows how to control his pee.  At night, I made him pee before he went to bed and another one before I slept.   This took less than a week, but the mastery only came after a month and a half.  At the onset, I had no problems having R wear cotton training briefs. I guess he felt the difference.  He wore padded cotton training briefs during the day and diapers at night. Gradually, when I saw that he did not anymore wet his diapers at night, we finally said goodbye to diapers.  

I will say it again that each potty training experience is different.  My experience with R is in two phases: the pee phase and the poop phase.  He is now 2.7 years old and our potty success rate is at 60%. I say a little more than half because he just recently agreed to try to sit down on the toilet.  We are slowly inching up towards the goal.  We are still working on having him sit there and do the deed.  For now, I just remind him everyday "No poopoo on brief, only in the potty" which he actually recites when he feels like going.  By knowing that, he is aware where his poop should go. I also try to encourage him to try to sit on the toilet from time to time to get the hang of it.  Honestly, I am not rushing him (even if it means having to wash his soiled brief) because I know he is getting it and will suddenly do it once he is ready.

Here are some quick tips for you to get by:

1) Make potty training a good experience. Wait for queues that show readiness (Ex . Interest in wearing underwear and using the potty). Be creative if you wish.

2) Be prepared. Ask for tips and research if you want and tailor fit according to your child's personality and readiness.  Do not reprimand your kid when accidents happen.

3) Practice what you preach.  Show them how to do it. Be an example.

4) Buy pull up diapers and padded cotton underwear. Padded cotton underwear or training briefs are available locally at Mothercare, which is pretty expensive at around P800 for 3.  So if you have someone that can buy you from Walmart, it's way cheaper and better!

4) Buy a waterproof mattress protector.  

5) Buying a potty trainer is optional.  In our case we just bought a cheap potty trainer because we were not even sure if he would use it. True enough, it's just collecting dust in the bathroom. I find potty seats (the one that you attach to the toilet seat)  more useful.  

                      

            These are R's potty seats and potty trainer. The one that we find useful would be the potty seats (upper left and bottom pictures) which you can also bring when traveling.

There will be a lot of times when you will just feel like giving up, but just continue with your routine and soon you"ll be surprised that it's over.  

DIY monograms

In line with my quest to redecorate R's room, I am doing a take two on making monograms using scrap cardboards.  I am planning to cover these letters with washi tape and either mount it on canvass or just directly stick or hang it on one side of his room.  

I decided on going the DIY route because I couldn't seem to find enough letters to complete his name.  Besides, it's much more fun doing it on your own and definitely cheaper.  

All you need are the following:

- scrap cardboard from your child's toys

- glue gun or masking tape

- white glue

- water

- scissors, Xacto knife or box knife

- strips of newspapers

- mixing bowl

- cutting board

- washi tape

Here's how to make your own monogram:

- Pick a desired font, print in a board paper and cut.

- Trace the letter on a cardboard. You will need to do this twice for the front and back panel.

- Cut some strips of cardboard (I made mine an inch) which you will use to put together the front and back panel.

- You can either use a masking tape or glue gun to glue the pieces together. I used masking tape because I was too lazy to heat the glue gun.

- make your own Mod lodge. Mix 1 part water and 1part glue in a bowl.

- Dip strips of newspaper into the mixture and use these to cover the letter.

- I just wanted to cover the edges, but you may go ahead and cover everything if you desire.

- Let it dry for at least half a day.  I used a hair dryer to speed the drying process.

Easy detox

The era of juicing has truly arrived.  Suddenly there's a lot of people going on juice diets and a handful of people have also started capitalizing on the newest craze in town.  I think it is good kind of craze and it is a good sign that more people are becoming health conscious.  Juicers do not come cheap and "subscribing" to those detox diet are also quite expensive.  For now, those two are not an option since I am currently a momma on a tight budget.  Having said that, I scoured the internet for some DIY detox drink which will not hurt my budget.  I found this recipe by thedenverhousewife which is not only good to my wallet, but is also so easy to prepare.  All you need are lemons, cucumber, mint, water, and a pitcher!  Now, how hard is that?

Here is the recipe:
12 cups water
2 lemons, sliced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
10 mint leaves

Wash the lemons, cucumber and mint.  Thinly slice the cucumber and lemon.

Put everything in a pitcher.

Pour water and let it steep overnight. Enjoy your detox water the next day!

Happy detoxing!

Going back to basics.

This year, my mantra is to go back to basics from my wardrobe to our bath essentials, and hopefully to my diet.  Modernization has indeed brought a lot of ideas and discoveries.  But sometimes with everything that's out there you just crave for what is simple and pure.  In short, you yearn for the basics.  

For the past few months, I have been suffering from major hair fall.  I am not sure if it was because I did not experience any hair fall after giving birth to my second boy, Vito nine months ago.  I have tried several commercial shampoos in the market claiming to reduce x% of hair fall to no avail.  Yes, I was desperate.  I realized that I should have listened to my mom who has been using natural and organic shampoos for the longest time and swear by it long ago.  After my epiphany I headed to the nearest Zen nutrients (lucky me they just opened a kiosk in SM Masinag) and Eco Store to buy my supply of these tried and tested products.  What I like about them is that they just smell so good,  not the artificial scent that I have been used to.  I always feel like I am at the spa whenever I use them.  These are actually the scents that I have been looking for all these years after my trip to The Mandala Spa in Boracay.  

I bought several shampoos because I read somewhere that you should change your shampoo every so often for maximum effect.  Two weeks into using Zen Nutrient's Gugo shampoo and conditioner and Ilog ni Maria, I have already seen great improvement I'm the amount of hair fall.  Yippee do!  

Now, I swear  I am never gonna get back to using commercial shampoo.

My natural and organic bath essentials.  From  L-R : Ilog ni Maria  P290, Zen nutrients 

    Gugo was around P215-P250 (sorry I forgot the exact price), Zen Nutreints Ylang Ylang Lemongrass body wash at P87 and Zen Nutreints Epsom salt with almonds at P110 at ZN's HQ inventory sale.

Of course, I also changed R shampoo and body wash.  Especially after I read that the brand that  we were using was caught in a controversy of 

               hiding harmful ingredients!  Human nature was also one of the pioneers that 

   Introduced natural products to the Philippine market.

Not part of my bath essential but this massage oil is the best smelling

 massage oil ever by Rituals!  Bought this from STU for only P210.

Photo by Seektheuniq.com

            

              

                          

                          

   

My Pinterest obsession.

Anyone addicted to Pinterest, raise your hand!   Pinterest for me is a life savior!  I refer to it for cooking, decorating, and dressing up.  I can spend hours pinning and salivating over  gorgeous home interiors and finding fashion inspiration.  

I dream of my own home someday.  As early as now, I have been collecting pegs for that.  If you check out my Home inspiration board, you will notice that I am partial to neutral and muted colors.  My sense of style is eclectic ranging from rustic, modern, shabby chic and Asian.  I love the mixture of different styles all rolled into one pretty space.  

Here are some of my favorite pegs:

     Living room pegs.  Neutrals with a punch of color and patterns.

              Prints and patterns. The possibilities are endless.

 I am obsessed with vignettes.  It just makes things more beautiful to look at.

I tell you, I can spend hours pinning.  I hope one day all these pegs will become a reality.

Starting the New year right.

 One of the things that I want to be consistent with beginning this year is to have a weekly meal plan.  We have attempted this several times last year and when we start to deviate from the 'plan,' we tend to slip off the track.  I also do not like it whenever our helper will ask us, "Ano ang  lulutuin? (What will I cook?)"  Clearly she has also ran out of things to cook and is asking for some reinforcement.  Sometimes, I would quickly scour the net for recipes when she asks, but most of the time, I would just ask her to cook what she knows, which is the usual (adobo, sinigang, paksiw, tinola, ihaw, fried, etc). 

Honestly, planning a meal is not easy.  You want a balanced meal throughout the week and definitely variety.  We are also cutting back on frying food and take out is the super last option.  

One of my aunts has been implementing this in her household and this gets rid of the stress of impromptu planning.  It also helps in budgeting and keeps grocery shopping organized.  Adding variety to your menu will also broaden your knowledge on the different recipes available.  In my case, all the cooking books will be out into good use.  I am also planning to enroll our helper and myself to several sessions at 25 Mushrooms kitchen in keeping with this goal.

To kick off this quest on having a weekly meal plan, I made a weekly calendar, a grocery list and a recipe keeper for easier reference.  Not at all difficult! What follows is the more tedious task of planning the week ahead!  Good luck to me and I sure need to work hard on keeping the ball rolling and make it part of my weekly routine.

               Weekly meal plan, grocery list and recipe keeper all done in a flash!

                                        My go to recipe books for this month.

I finally did it!

Thanks to the prodding and faith of my SIL.  I finally took the plunge and did my first (dummy) fondant cake for my adorable niece's first birthday party.  Wow that was two years in the making from the time that I attended lessons at Heny Sison which I posted here.  The reason why I have been avoiding making fondant is because it really is tedious and tiring to deal with.  But I have rediscovered the excitement of conceptualizing the design and seeing the finished product.  I definitely need more practice, but I give myself a pat on the back for finally taking the plunge.

I did the desserts buffet which consisted of Mini choc chip cookies, mallows, gummy hearts, cake pops and assorted candies.  All DIY!  Styling was by SanFo Treats. 

Dessert Buffet.

My cake pops!

I scoured for jars at home and only bought one apothecary jar.

Here is my pride and joy, hahah!