It’s been a while since I last doodle, well except for a few weeks ago while we waited for our turn at the scanner.. which resulted to this:

its fun to discover that I can still doodle! after all these years, so when I had the time (and the funds needed), I went straight to National Bookstore to buy the much needed toys, er, supplies:

I am not planning a mural or a landscape or a self portrait… not sure if I can do those things again.. just  a simple ABCDs and numbers for Sati and Chico, Holidays for the big boys and some other educational that we can place on their play area.

I first heard of this Physiogel last May when we toured the GSK plant in Cainta. Didn’t give it much thought about the product, in fact it has been sitting on our counter sink until, well, until I have learned (through my sister) the benefits of using Physiogel.

Last Thursday was Physiogel brand campaign launch at White Space, Makati, had to ask my sister to attend in behalf of me since my 2nd boy and my youngest both have fever. Good thing she was willing to do so. When she got home, she was excited telling me about the benefits of using Physiogel and all that there is in the brand. Good thing she took a lot of photos of teh presentation during the event so I can share it to you what she learned: (OK let’s all learn together, shall we?)

Dr Bernadette B. Arcilla, Dermatology Medical Affairs Director of Stiefel (a GSK Company) gave a short presentation about skin, skin care and of course Physiogel products. 

Skin Care is NOT pampering. It is a basic part of Self care basic hygiene and maintaining the skin barrier. 

The SKIN is the largest organ in the body. It acts as barrier, protecting the body from harsh external conditions. 

• The EPIDERMIS is the outer layer of the skin, average in thickness about the width of a sharp pencil (<1 mm). Role is to trap the moisture and prevent dry skin. 

Internal Causes of DRY SKIN are :

• genetics 
• Aging
• Hormonal Changes
• Systemic Diseases

External Causes of Dry Skin are:

• Chemical Solvents (soaps and detergents, alcohol preparation)
• Environmental (air conditioning, low humidity/dry weather, wind and sun exposure)
• Lifestyle (smoking, alcohol, stress)
• Others (Physical trauma, Drug Side Effects)

What Happens with a defective skin barrier? 

• may cause itch
• Increased allergen exposure
• Increased penetration of irritants
• Persistent dry skin cycle
• Increase water loss

Management of BARRIER DEFECT is to apply a cream or lotion similar to skin lipids.
Benefits of moisturizers: Repair of the skin barrier

• Restore skin lipids
• Regulate water and Ph Balance
• Reduce itch and redness
• repel allergens and irritants

Dry Skin Management:

1. Identify and address any contributing factors
2. Gentle Cleansing Routine Proper Use of Moisturizers
   • reduce bathing time
   • use lukewarm water
   • use a soap free cleanser
3. Proper Use of Moisturizer

Conventional Moisturizers may only temporarily replace skin moisture without repairing the lipid layers of damaged skin.
Soap Free Cleanser: No colorants, mild surfactant, non greasy, non comedogenic, pH similar to skin.
CONCLUDING REMARKS: When we repair and restore the skin lipid barrier with Physiogel: 

• reduce dryness and itch on skin
• has long lasting hydration effect

That’s what the presentation is all about (transcribe it from the photos sissy took)

Physiogel has product line that includes:

Physiogel Cleanser

• mild, hypoallergenic wash
• can be used daily with or without water
• excellent for removing make up
• gentleness next to water

Physiogel Cream

• has DMS technology that mimics the skin’s outer layer
• it doesn’t just moisturize the skin but also repairs skin barrier
• ideal for the face: non-comedogenic

Physiogel Lotion

• has DMS technology that mimics the skin’s outer layer
• it doesn’t just moisturize the skin but also repairs skin barrier
• for larger body surface areas but can also be used for the face
• light-weight feel

Physiogel AI Cream

• moisturize for those with dryness, itchiness and redness of the skin

Physiogel AI Sun Cream

• moisturize plus sun protection
• UVA/UVB protection (PA+++/ SPF 25)

It really pays to be grade conscious no? Well because I am not.. I am happy whatever grades my boys brought home.. well of course as long as it is not an F or a 75.. As long as I know they deserve the grade.. that’s all that matters. Say, my first born, I know he loves challenge and I know he strives hard to get high grades.. so I always expect him to bring home good grades. As for my second born who loves playing, I don’t bother much if he brings me grades lower than the usual. This school year was bit different though as my second boy’s grade was improving a lot, his report card is all 9! 

Come third grading and we saw a line of 8 in his card.. which I don’t mind.. but then my sister pointed out that the 8 on his card is an eyesore, considering that it’s the only 8 there.. and then I got so OC with it and had to recheck all his worksheets and textbooks. I noticed that he got perfect scores on most of the activities. And even if I am quite shy, I asked the teacher to recheck his activities.. turns out, the computation got mixed up and he’s actually a 9 on that subject..

so yes it pays to be a grade conscious mommy so from now on, I’ll try to check their worksheets from time to time and be more conscious on their academic standing

photo: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/clip/report2.html

call me a cry baby, but I really can’t help it…

when he was called as one of the students who will receive a recognition last 2010, I had a hard time keeping my tears back.. the same happened in 2011.. and every time they will have a performance I would fight my tears back.. and even when he blow his birthday cake during his birthday party on their school, I swallowed my tears..

And it’s true what they say about first born child.. they hold a special place in a mother’s heart. It’s not that my first born is my favorite among my kids.. I love them all just the same.. but you know, I can’t help but be sentimental when it comes to him. It must be because he is my first born, it was my first time to be a mother.. you know romanticizing all the firsts

Last Tuesday was no different.. it was their elimination round for their Choral Recitation (English Month Celebration) and yes I was there and is almost about to cry. I did not watch him perform, I watched him through my camera, because if I had an eye contact with him, I’d lose my mind and I know I will cry.. it was hard trying to fight back my tears.. hehe (I don’t show emotions as much as possible teehee)

So here’s the video: (first born is the one with eyeglasses)

After all the things that happened to me since December 27 (which I don’t have the strenght yet to blog about)… today was the last straw.. and since I felt like it’s judgement day today, I just thought of pampering myself..(no worries guys it’s not the end of me  hehe)

So here’s what I had today.. I did it all by myself and enjoy it that much. Times like this, I prefer pampering myself by myself, you know what I mean? no salons, no spa, just me.. it’s like being closer to myself.. OK I am not making any sense, so here we go:

I had Hot Oil first for my hair (of course) then body scrub… went to my doctor (for the check up.. yeah the feels like judgement day kind of appointment LOL) then had a foot spa and pedicure after.

For Hot Oil, I used Beauty Formula Avocado Oil that I bought from Hortaleza and of course for body scrub, I used Skin Cravings Scrub Me Pretty (which makes me feel pretty afterwards hehe)

For my foot spa, I used the Caronia foot products (that I also purchased from Hortaleza, I spend more than 2k PhP for vanity! LOL). There Caronia Revitalizing soak and wash, Caronia Renweing Scrub and Caronia Nourishing Creme.. makes my feet smoother and softer

I feel renewed with so much hope, oh well the visit to my doctor turns out good, not as scary as I though it would be.. but there’s another “big” day that’s about to come (all these big, judgement day talk involves my health).. so I am still a little nervous here and scared..makes me wonder what I can do tomorrow to make feel better..

oh I remember! my nails aren’t done yet! So I guess tomorrow would be mani-pedi day (will have to use a high power led for this one).. I haven’t used the Orly nail polish I bought from Baby Company Grand Baby Fair last week

Remember I was planning to give away my precious Mega Bloks collection? I am trying to clean the other room and make more space so we can use it as the boys’ bedroom. My sister object on the idea and said that the bloks got so much memories on it. I have to admit that she is right. It’s one of the first toy we got for our first born. From there our collection grew and the kids had so much fun building castles or robots or anything they fancy. Indeed those colorful bloks holds a lot of memories.

A great idea crossed my mind, why don’t I build a small cabinet using their mega bloks? I can use it to house their other Mega Bloks toys and some of their stuff too. Of course I will have to buy cabinet for their books and other personal belongings. As of now, they are sharing closets but that will have to change as soon as they have their own room. I will have to give them a cabinet of their own as well as a bed of their own too.

I realized that giving them their own cabinet (as well as their own bed) will teach them a lot about independence. It will also teach them how to respect the privacy of each other and respect our privacy too. It will also help them in being more responsible with their belongings.

written February 1, 10 PM

My day has been so good so far.. woke up at the right side of the bed. I actually only had 3 or 4 hours of sleep. Yes, I spent the first few hours of my birthday working. And I don’t complain, I always welcome opportunities that knock on my door, er, my email. I cooked spaghetti and chicken burger for lunch.

I just discovered that Timeline on FB is soon to be implemented, and knowing I have no choice but to change my profile, I just clicked publish and there. It was fun putting my chicken burger as my cover photo!

So aside from the changes in FB profile, my birthday today is a milestone.. oh gawd I just turned 30! I am sad and excited but I am not just over 20s! 29 is a howl lot different to saying, hey! I am 30! argh!

Setting aside my rants, I just realized this is the best time to invest on anti aging products or any products that will help me look I’m still on my twenties, even ten years from now. And then I remember this billboard I saw in C5:

I consider Gretchen Barreto as one of the most beautiful face in local showbiz and I admit that her billboards always get a second look from me.. but this one is different. I almost asked my husband to stopped when we pass by this billboard. Are those cleaners for real? then I realized it mus be part of the billboard and seeing it closely, yeah it is! (I have a zoom lens OK)

ERASE AGE MARKS..

just like how the cleaners do it on the billboard..

That’s a very interesting ad.. kudos to the brains behind it, now you got my attention.

So what any curious cat would do? of course as soon as I got home, I Googled the product and here’s what I have learned so far:

IVI is a Premium Collagen Drink, which contains high grade premium collagen made to transform skin back to its youthful grow. IVI premium collagen drink has Marine Collagen Peptide that moisturizes and plumps human skin cells. It has Salmon Ovary Peptide that detoxifies the skin. It also has Hyaluronic Acid which helps with tissue healing and repair. The Coenzyme on it increases oxygen utilization in our body. IVI Premium Collagen Drink also has Vitamin C, a vitamins that is required for growth and repair of tissues in our body.

Other ingredient of IVI Premium Collage Drink:

• L-Cystine, helps in the healing of damaged skin
• Thiamine Mononitrate, keeps membranes healthy
• Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, helps brain function
• Cyanocobalamin, produces healthy red blood cells
• Selenium, an anti oxidant that works with Vitamin C and E in keeping skin healthy
• Glycine, improves absorption

The article/ review below is a guest post: 

Before any family can officially welcome their little bundle of joy into this world they have to make a number of preparations to ensure that they provide a safe and comfortable environment for their baby. Most parents will go ahead and purchase the fancy furniture and equipment for their precious little bundle of joy. Although there are a number of essential items that parents need for their child, a baby monitor is one of the most important items.

Baby monitors are a device that allow you to monitor the activities of your baby while you are working on other tasks in the home. There are a number of styles of baby monitors on the market; below is my review of the different styles available, with pros and cons listed.

Audio Monitors – An audio monitor will allow you to hear your baby the instant they start to cry or whenever they are waking up. They typically come with a receiver and a transmitter.
Advantages:
o They are inexpensive
o They allow you to listen to your child’s activities
Drawbacks: They do not allow you to see what is happening in your baby’s room.

Video Monitors – This type of monitor allows you to not only hear the activities in your baby’s room, it also allows you to see what is happening in there as well. The camera on this type of monitor works like a web cam, capturing the images and sending it to the receiver.
Advantages:
o Lets you see and hear what is happening in your baby’s room
o Some video monitors can be connected to a computer so that images may be viewed at a later date
Drawbacks: The audio/video monitors are the priciest of the three styles.

Motion Sensor Monitors – This type of monitors detects the movement of your child; if your child stops moving you will receive an alert, indicating that you need to check on your baby.
Advantages:
o Alerts you to when your infant stops moving
o The least expensive of the three styles
Drawbacks: Not as versatile as a video or even the audio monitor

Conclusion
In my opinion, the best style of baby monitor is the audio/video style. This style offers the best of both worlds, the ability to see and hear the activities of your child. With the advances in technology you can monitor your child with video monitors from any location, for example while you are at the office. If price is an issue for you, start saving for this style of monitor as soon as you know that you are going to be blessed with a child.

In the middle of the night, I suddenly had the urge to listen to my favorite songs.. and since it is in the middle of the night, I cannot turn the volume high enough for me to hear it. I got the nearest headphones (I wish I had a dre headphones with me) and put it on my ears and started listening to my play list. This was the first song that played.. and I so love this song.. it makes me feel I’m home..

Natatandaan mo pa ba

Nang tayong dal’wa ang unang nagkita?

Panahon ng kamusmusan

Sa piling ng mga bulaklak at halaman

Doon tayong nagsimulang

Mangarap at tumula

Natatandaan mo pa ba

Inukit kong puso sa punong mangga

At ang inalay kong gumamela

Magkahawak-kamay sa dalampasigan

Malayang tulad ng mga ibon

Ang gunita ng ating kahapon

It’s nice travelling down memory lane.. and this song is the perfect company

Care to share your senti song?

Kipling was founded in 1987, inspired by the author of The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling. A collection of bags that not only provides high quality back packs but bags that suits every lifestyle. Here are some Kipling Collections that you may be familiar with:

Palmbeach and Siras

 Creativity L Sweet Stuff purse and Freedom Sweet Stuff pen case

Now this Vakentine’s, the biggest bag brand in Belgium will give us all a Belgian treat!

Enjoy a Belgian Valentine as Kipling gives away a box of premium, limited edition Belgian chocolates for a minimum single-receipt purchase of Kipling bags, luggage and accessories worth P4,000 from now until February 14, 2012.  Simply present the original receipt at the store where the purchase was made to avail of the free chocolates.

Experience a Belgian Valentine by visiting any of the following Kipling stores: SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, SM Bacolod, SM Iloilo, SM Davao, SM Cebu, Robinsons Place Ermita, Rustan’s Alabang Town Center, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Rustan’s Gateway, Landmark Makati and TriNoma.