Suzi Entrata Abrera was absolutely right in saying that moms shouldn’t spend so much time cleaning the house. With all the other roles that moms play every single day—wife, friend, lover, house manager, chef, teacher, nurse, driver—she shouldn’t have to be scrubbing the floors or wiping windows all day.

It’s a good thing then that there are effective cleaners out in the market today like Cif Cream. A non-scratch surface cleaner, Cif Cream is effective in removing the most stubborn dirt and grime, and can be used in a variety of surfaces and household appliances including the exteriors of refrigerators, toasters, dishwashers, and ovens as well as pans and deep-fat fryers.

At their pre-Mother’s day luncheon event, moms and bloggers got a first-hand experience of Cif’s efficacy. Different types of stains were placed in different kinds of surfaces: coffee stain on glass, burnt adobo sauce on a ceramic tile, and pastel color on vinyl. A few drops of Cif Cream on a sponge were all it took for the stains to come right off—and with little effort too!

Suzi, Cif mom and brand ambassador, says she uses the product in the kitchen and bathroom, and she is happy that it takes little effort to make her home clean and beautiful.

For more information on Cif Cream, visit their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CifPhilippines?fref=ts

Of course, the piece de resistance came when the assemblers trooped inside the venue, and started piecing together the participants’ creations right before their eyes. The excitement was palpable as the assemblers made many a Havaianas dream combination come true! Dan Matutina’s glow-in-the-dark commemorative pair proved to be very popular. The Dan Matutina + Havaianas pair came in carbon blue sole, featuring spacemen with space markers connecting the stars to form images. A lot of the guests ended up getting more than one pair!

Tweetie de Leon Gonzales

Lexi and Georgia Schulze

Maxene and Pia Magalona

For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/havaianasphilippines?fref=ts.

Photos from Havaianas Philippines

A great many of today’s kids may be computer literate and Internet savvy, but unfortunately, some are sorely lacking in good manners. Some have even taken to calling their parents by their first names, which would have been unheard of a generation ago. Fortunately, there is now a program dedicated to teaching young children and teenagers about the importance of knowing good etiquette and practicing respectful behavior.

Starting out as a home-based business in the United States about three years ago, Molly Manners is a fun and interactive program that has since found its way to Canada, Australia, and Asia. Its curriculum teaches children proper manners while helping them develop communication skills.

The classes are age-specific starting out with “Macaroni and Please” for children three to five years old, and covers playdate and sleepover etiquette, phone manners, table setting practice, and good sportsmanship. For kids six to 12 years old, Molly Manners offers “Proud to be Polite,” and tackles posture and body language, table manners, talking about money, and setting goals. The “Young Sophisticate” class for teens from ages 13 to 16 includes such topics as building confidence, restaurant dining etiquette, listening and giving compliments, and texting courtesy.

For more information, visit www.mollymanners.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Molly-Manners-Philippines, email criselle@mollymanners.com, or call (0917) 899-9726.

Perhaps the worst part of being pregnant, well, at least for me, is the uncomfortable feeling my tummy gets whenever I smell something that I don’t particularly like or whenever I eat something that displeases my taste buds. This inevitably gets me running to the bathroom, throwing up everything I’ve consumed. Not a pretty sight!

Not knowing any better, I just let nature take its course on my first pregnancy, which means I was throwing up all the time. By the time I got around to my second pregnancy, however, I knew better. I learned that by eating small meals every few hours or so—instead of the banquet-like feasts I would indulge in before—I was able to hold off any urges to throw up.

Eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet is very important for pregnant moms, something that’s easy to forget when one is in the throes of nausea. Eating well while pregnant—which means taking in a variety of foods rich in protein, carbohydrate, and fats alongside substantial amounts of folate, iron, and calcium—is essential for one’s overall health as well as the proper development of baby.

It also helped that I was drinking lots of water—keeping me refreshed and hydrated—and taking in milk especially formulated for pregnant moms. I am happy to report that my milk is rich in folate, an absolute must among pregnant women. Folate is a B vitamin that helps in the development of baby’s neural tubes, preventing birth defects in baby’s brain and spinal cord.

All these ensured that I was able to provide my growing baby with the right amount of nutrients even as my body was experiencing all these challenging symptoms.

You see with my first pregnancy, I was so spent and exhausted from all those fits of vomiting that I got worried that I wasn’t giving my baby enough nutrients to help her develop properly. With my second pregnancy, I was not only eating right, I also had some insurance with my made-for-mommy milk. Practice thus indeed make perfect!

Photo from www.freedigitalphotos.net

Training our bodies to make it physically fit and agile is something that both kids and adults are encouraged to pursue. However, giving our brain a workout is not such a common concept. More than studying and reading, there are numerous other activities that can stimulate and strengthen brain connections, making it more efficient and effective than ever before. BrainFit Studio aims to give young children such robust mind workouts.

Because every individual is wired differently, BrainFit Studio initially gives an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of a child’s brain to determine which areas need a mental workout. When a child’s brain is fit in some areas, then he is most likely to excel in that particular skill. Some kids may be good in Math, for instance; others in English. Some may excel in public speaking while others may find solving puzzles a breeze. On the other hand, a weakness in a child’s listening abilities, for example, may lead his mind to wander when a lecture’s going on.

The programs are highly individualized; no two are alike in order to boost weak areas and further stimulate strong areas. Now that’s the kind of mental workout that every child needs and deserves!

For more information, call 725-8500 and 0917-5991992 or email brainfitph.crm@gmail.com.

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net

Fun and functional, Manyika features pieces that your little lady can easily incorporate into her wardrobe. Playful chiffon dresses, basic leggings and denim shorts, tank tops with ruffles, pleated tops, and tutu skirts are just some of Manyika’s offerings. Most pieces are made in cotton and complemented with muslin, tulle, and chiffon to keep things light and bright. By mixing and matching Manyika pieces, your daughter can create smashing looks for trips to the playground, merienda with her girlfriends, or a Sunday visit to lola’s house.

Because Manyika designers know how fast kids grow up, they have incorporated features like adjustable straps, inner waistband adjusters, and back garters for bottoms to make sure that your girls get the most out of their pretty clothes. Plus, the line is priced competitively—from P300 for tank tops to P500 for dresses—without sacrificing design and quality.

Manyika is now available at SM Makati, SM Marikina, and SM Megamall. For more information, go to http://www.facebook.com/manyikaclothing or call them at 809-7257 and (0917) 842-5272.

Although we have gallons and gallons of purified water at home, I always forget to place some on my water bottle to bring with me to interviews, shoots, or the dozen or so errands that I always have to accomplish before the end of every week. So I end up buying bottled water at a convenience store, spending money that I could have saved in the first place.

But when a dear friend gave me this sexy-looking Bobble Water Bottle, I knew that I just had to use it. It’s too pretty to leave in the cupboard. More importantly, there’s been a nice buzz going around about Bobble Water Bottle. I’ve heard that it’s recyclable, reusable, and BPA-free. Plus, it filters water as you drink through a cool-looking carbon filter at its neck. And the filter is good for up to 300 refills.

For the past few weeks, I’ve tucked that Bobble Water Bottle in my bag every morning. And not only have I chalked up some savings from not having to buy bottled water every day, I have also stayed properly hydrated throughout the day. When my water runs out, I only need to fill up my water bottle again, and I’m off! And guess what? The water tastes great too!

Activated carbon with a slight electro-positive charge is what drives Bobble Water Bottle’s filter. As water passes through it, organic contaminants are removed. Just be sure to change these colorful filters every two months in order to get best results. And of course, wash the bottle regularly.-Jing

Bobble Water Bottle is available at Aura Athletica, B2 Bonifacio High Street; Aura Athletica, R1 Power Plant Mall; Planet Sports, Power Plant Mall; Planet Sports, Shangri La Mall; Planet Sports, TriNoma; Reuse, G/F Alabang Town Center; Urban Ashram, Bonifacio Global City; and Urban Ashram, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. For more information, go to http://www.facebook.com/bobblePH/info or http://www.waterbobble.com/.

Photos from Bobble Water Bottle

Specially-made Cupcakes by Sonja Flower Pot made with real cupcakes!

This Mother’s Day, nothing expresses your love and gratitude for mom than a specially-made cupcake flower pot and Mother’s Day-inspired cupcake toppers from Cupcakes by Sonja.

Assorted mom-inspired Cupcakes Toppers

Get a 10% discount voucher for every purchase of a box of 6 cupcakes, valid for redemption on Mother’s Day.

For the most spectacular women in our lives, give them nothing but the best this Mother’s Day— give them Cupcakes by Sonja.

Get your cupcakes fix at these Cupcakes by Sonja branches:

Serendra: 1C 03 Serendra Piazza, Bonifacio Global City, 1634 Taguig

Glorietta: 2/f Bridgeway Glorietta 2 Ayala Center, Makati City

Cupcakes by Sonja is now at your fingertips!

FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/CupcakesBySonjaOfficial
TWITTER http://twitter.com/CUPCAKESBYSONJA
INSTAGRAM http://instagram.com/CUPCAKESBYSONJA
PINTEREST http://pinterest.com/cupcakesbysonja
TUMBLR http://cupcakesbysonja.tumblr.com/

It takes a mom to know exactly what other moms want and need; that’s the story behind Paper Chic Studio. Like most moms, Cai Sio likes the idea of putting together happy celebrations for her loved ones. When she was planning her daughter’s first birthday, she got so pumped up with the many DIY projects she saw online that Cai ended up doing most of the party favors herself. While she was more than happy to have channeled the craftster in her, Cai was disappointed at the gnawing lack of pretty, environment-friendly DIY supplies locally.

Knowing that there are surely other moms just like her, Cai decided to start Paper Chic Studio. Bent on inspiring party-loving moms with eco-friendly party solutions, Paper Chic Studio offers a good variety of pretty goodies that will make one swoon in delight. Some of their party paraphernalia include washi tapes in colorful designs and patterns, candy cups in stripes and polka dots, paper bags in chevron pattern, and paper drinking straws printed with certified food-grade soy ink as well as candy cups and wax-lined cups. What’s more, all the goodies are eco-friendly and biodegradable.

For more information, contact (02) 710-0793, email info@paperchicstudio.com, visit www.paperchicstudio.com

While giving our babies the best nourishment through milk, as of course, breastfeeding is best for babies up to two years of age and beyond, it’s important to pick their first foods wisely. Supplements really shouldn’t replace a child’s milk input/diet, but when they’re good and ready for solids (typically around 6 months old), we have to be sure that what we give them will not give them life-long health and dietary problems or trigger genetic allergies. Although organic is truly good for our babies, sometimes cost and convenience is an issue for busy parents.

So what to do if you really want to avoid the often salty, sugary and preservative-laden baby foods?

Luckily, NurturMe is ready to provide modern, health-conscious parents with nutritious, convenient and earth-friendly alternatives to conventional baby foods. NurturMe Organic Dry Baby Food Pouches carry the first and only certified-organic, gluten-free dried fruits and veggies created for children from 4 months to 4 years. Moms can prepare it for infants by stirring in breast milk, formula or water the same way rice cereal is mixed. One pouch yields approximately 2.5 oz of prepared food. To give toddlers a nutrient-boost, you can add in NurturMe fruits and veggies in their favorite foods like pastas, yogurt and pancakes for healthier meals.

Available through Quirks Marketing and at their FB page, the light NurturMe pouches are packed in recyclable materials made with wind energy so each pack not only nourishes our babies, but also helps care for the future of the planet.