TCP Entry

 

I have come across this blog, and it asks about the favorite Robin Williams movie. I am a fan of Robin Williams, and I have seen most of his films. But what I enjoyed most was the movie Jumanji.

The adventure of the kids are so much fun to watch. Also, I like the part where Robin Williams came out of the Jumanji board after couple of decades. Only to realize that his parents are no longer around and so much time was wasted while he was inside the mysterious game. One great lesson of this movie was people are often afraid to face their fears. But we cannot always run away from the things or people that we are afraid of, there will come a point that we need to face them to be able to finish the game.

During bonding time with my family, we often watch movies together. Whether we do DVD m arathon or go to the movie house; watching movies with your loved ones can be a relaxing and fulfilling experience. I think it is much better than playing Plants and Zombies :)

Zombies are back

My three kids and my hubby are crazy about Plants vs. Zombies. Once they started the game; you can't take their concentration off the game (unless of course they start to hear the stop-it-or-else voice from me).  I asked them what is it about the game that they can't leave behind. My hubby answered that the game is more than the zombies eating the brains (eeww! kinda gross me out); it is about strategy. You cannot just plant everywhere; you have to know where to place the plant and what type of plant to use.

Honestly speaking, I have not tried the game yet. I am reluctant to start playing the game; because I may not be able to stop playing. My hands are full all the time and I may not be able to finish other tasks if I start playing this game. I have tons of writing assignments to finish.
So for now, I will just have to bear with occasional screaming from my kids. Also be patient whenever my hubby's attention are on the zombies. At least, this game keep my kids busy which means there are less mess to pick-up because they are busy in front of the computer.

Remembering Ondoy

One year after the devastation our country experience with typhoon Ondoy, I can say that a lot of the people who experienced the wrath of this typhoon have moved on. What happened last year was really unexpected; although we are already used to see our house flooded; that time was different.

Around lunchtime, the flood inside our house was already knee-deep. We thought that it was only because ours is a sunken living room. But within a couple of hours, the water level went higher. The once knee-deep flood was already up to the waist. We panicked, and immediately brought the kids out of the house as well as my hubby's grandma. After the kids were secured, it's time to secure our stuff. We helped one another in making sure that all clothes and appliances are unreachable by the flood.

By night time, the flood inside our house was already up to my shoulders ( I am 5'4" tall). It's a good thing that at the back of the house there was a second floor which looked like a nipa hut and was intended for family affairs. The kids are already up there safe and secured. We have placed all the things that we will be needing for the next couple of days until the flood subsides. Good thing though, electric power was not cut.

Early morning, our neighbor was shouting my hubby's name. He was informing him that the flood is still rising and it might reached the area of our computer shop. My hubby was reluctant to check because we know that the area where our computer shop is was never reached by flood. When we checked, to our disbelief it was only a couple of inches away from reaching the level of our computer tables. Our neighbors helped us to transfer our stuff in a much safer place. Checking inside the house, the water in the living area is already up to my neck. Totally unbelievable and really scary. The flood lasted for about 2-3 days. It was hard cleaning the entire house plus the computer shop after the flood has subsided. But we are thankful that no one was harmed. Nobody got sick and we were all safe. The typhoon Ondoy experience is something that I will always remember.

True Happiness

me and my family

For the past couple of days, I've been spending the whole day with my hubby . He is on a paid vacation leave and for the past three years that he has been working; this is the only time he was able to rest well. No phone calls or texts messages to take. When he was not around, I keep my eye on how much I eat. I have been trying to lose weight for the past couple of months. I was already on my way to achieving it; until he filed his vacation leave. Now, I am back to zero (OMG! all the hard work failed) But it's okay! I can also go back to losing weight when he gets back to work. And that is still a week away from now.

During the time he is here, I have come to realized that my hubby and my kids are the reason for my true happiness. Money can't buy you happiness. We live on paycheck to paycheck and most often we are having hard time to make ends meet. Money is scarce but our happiness is abundant. Enough to keep us going; and more than enough to give us good sleep at night.

I am lucky to have such understanding children. They don't expect too much material things from us (we are lucky to have Mamita to take care of this). Although most kids today are into gadgets; my kids enjoy the simple life that we have. At their young age; they are aware that happiness cannot be measured with the material possessions.

My hubby and my kids are my great source of happiness. My only source of true happiness.

Looking For Potential Writers

I feel blessed to be able to get a home based job. Thanks to my boss Fedhz for trusting me with a project. There are so many tasks to finish and a lot of deadlines to meet. At first, it was difficult to manage time; but since I have the gift to write (according to boss Fedhz.. hehe) I am able to meet the quota of four articles per day along side with an e-book project.

A lot of projects are coming in, and at present my hands are full. So Fedhz and I are in search for potential writers to become part of our team. It pays good and on a per project basis. It's difficult to look for writers, because writing will eat up a lot of your free time. But come to think of it, I think researching through Google is much better and productive rather than staying online in Facebook and updating your status every now and then.

On my part, I can still enjoy Facebook while researching. I would like to believe that I am an expert in multi-tasking. To those interested in earning extra income, especially now that Christmas is in the air. If interested, you can just leave your comments and I will be glad to tell you all the details.

Mead Johnson Nutrition clarifies issues on Philippine FDA order

Responding to an administrative recall order from the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove current supplies from distribution and sale, Mead Johnson Nutrition (MJN) Philippines assured consumers that there is no safety issue with the products Alactagrow® and Sustagen.

The Philippine FDA has issued a Class III order, the lowest level, which is used for products that have technical compliance issues. The regulatory definition of a Class III order specifically states that the use of or exposure to the product “is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.”

“Safety is Mead Johnson’s highest priority and the company spares no effort to comply with the laws of all of the countries in which it operates,” said Paul Richards, President and General Manager of Mead Johnson Nutrition Philippines. “All of the company’s products are produced in accordance with the CODEX Code of Hygienic Practice for Foods for Infants and Children.”

The Philippine FDA said it was issuing the order because the fat content in the products is below the new standard listed in the revised CODEX Standards for Follow-Up Formula, which it has recently adopted in the Philippines. 

Richards explained that when the Philippine FDA recently adopted additional CODEX regulations applying specifically to follow-up formulas, Mead Johnson proactively cooperated and has stayed in frequent communication with the Philippine FDA to ensure that Mead Johnson products would continue to be available for the families that use them, and in compliance with the new regulations. The process of reformulating the products so that they comply with the new CODEX regulations is elaborate and requires considerable time so Mead Johnson requested a renewed Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) prior to the end of the product’s term. CODEX is an international organization that develops and promotes food standards.

"Our company is committed to bringing safe, effective, nutritious and high quality products to meet the nutritional needs of the Philippines’ children," said Richards.

Richards said they were surprised by the recall orders, but said they are committed to resolving the issue with the Philippine FDA so that Mead Johnson can continue to offer the children in the Philippines the many nutritional benefits of Alactagrow and Sustagen Junior.

Mead Johnson stressed that all of their products currently sold in the Philippines, including Alactagrow and Sustagen Junior, have passed stringent Philippine FDA health and safety requirements and are considered to be safe for consumption and of high quality.  While the fat level requirement does not relate to the safety or quality of the product, Mead Johnson is taking steps to meet that requirement also.

Mead Johnson is launching today a reformulated version of Alactagrow that meets the new regulatory requirements.  Work is also underway to develop an updated version of Sustagen to meet the revised standards.

Richards emphasized that Mead Johnson is committed to its mission to nourish the world’s children for the best start in life. Mead Johnson is involved in efforts to address malnutrition through a country-wide feeding and growth-monitoring program called Feeding Hope in partnership with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the non-government organization Kabisig ng Kalahi. In addition, since 1991 Mead Johnson has provided sustained support to children afflicted with rare metabolic diseases.

Consumer health and collaboration with the government and the Food and Drug Administration are Mead Johnson’s top priorities. The company has been for some time and is currently in regular contact with the Philippine FDA regarding the recall and the Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) for the affected products.

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No Need to Worry Mommies

Mommies may have  been really worried when they heard the news about the milk products of Mead Johnson: Alactagrow and Sustagen Junior. The news said that the fat content of these products are not within the recommended value. In line with this; Mead Johnson issued statement to clarify the issue. Here is what Mead Johnson has to say about the issue:

“Safety is Mead Johnson’s highest priority and the company spares no effort to comply with the laws of all of the countries in which it operates,” said Paul Richards, President and General Manager of Mead Johnson Nutrition Philippines. “All of the company’s products are produced in accordance with the CODEX Code of Hygienic Practice for Foods for Infants and Children.”

The issue arise when the Philippine FDA has recently made changes in the CODEX regulations specifically on the follow-up formulas. CODEX is an international organization which aim to delvelop and promote food standards. The formulas in the market right now has passed the stringent rules of Philippine FDA. So the Mom's out there need not worry about buying  these two Mead Johnson milk products. At present Mead Johnson has launched the newly reformulated version of Alactagrow and Sustagen Junior.

"Our company is committed to bringing safe, effective, nutritious and high quality products to meet the nutritional needs of the Philippines’ children," said Richards.

Our community can still expect assistance from Mead Johnson most especially when it comes to feeding program. It will remain part of Feeding Hope program initiated by DSWD which aim to feed and monitor the growth so Filipino children.

To have a complete view of the press release statement of Mead Johnson; click here.

Sunday is Family Day

Woke up a little bit late, it's weekend we can stay up as late as we want to and there is no need to worry about not being to stand up when the alarm clock rings. (This is the major reason why I love the weekends!) Me, hubby and the kids went to Lola Naty's place; this is our routine every Sunday. We had our delicious lunch at their place; fried tilapia with raddish and tomatoes and also chicken asado (yummy! I forgot my diet again!). After lunch, we just lay around enjoying the lazy Sunday afternoon. The kids are inside the computer shop because it was hot and humid outside.

A little bit later, we had to attend a children's party; which means food, food and food again. (bye bye diet). During the party, Jeon was a bit shy to join the games. What my husband did was to convince him to join the game and promised that he will be there in front, cheering for him. Jeon join the game and he enjoyed it; the next game where kids and adults are needed to join the game. So hubby and Jeon were partners; and were part of the winning team. Then another game for adults was held, without batting an eyelash, hubby join the game again. Hubby enjoyed the party as much as the kids did. When its time to eat, my husband finished the entire meal served to him. Oh boy! he was really tired because of those games.

My boys are all tired, they did not even bother to eat dinner. Upon reaching home, they just relaxed a bit and hit the bed. When my boys (Jet, Gab, Jeon and my hubby Joey) are all asleep they all look so angelic. Tomorrow is another day to be thankful for, as of now, I am thanking the Almighty for giving me such wonderful children and a loving husband.

Check This Out

Payment received from blog advertisers. Not bad for a beginner like me. I hope there will be more advertisers to come. Still awaiting payout from other advertisers. You can start earning by practicing your writing skills. I am sure you will definitely enjoy it.

Homebased Job

Monday morning, 13th of September my boss Fedhz gave me the good news. She found a full-time home-based writing job for me. When she offered it to me, I agreed without hesitation. I need to help my hubby with our finances. I just couldn't pass on this opportunity.
Since then, my schedule became so hectic. I make sure that all household chores are done before 830 in the morning. Boss is expecting me to be online at that time until 530 in the afternoon. In between my writing job and research, I try to balance by being a mom to my kids. As much as possible I make sure that by the time they are home for lunch, food is prepared.
It's just a matter of time management, and in due time I will get used to it.

Is Your Child Gifted?

My little big boy, Jeon is very active and curious boy. He constantly ask questions and most of the times I ran out of sensible answers. His development milestones were unusual compare to other kids who are his age.

I've come across some reading materials which made me wonder whether my little big boy is simply bright or is he a gifted child? He is already 4-years old and is currently in Nursery level. Lately, he begins to enjoy school but during his first couple of weeks he always thought that his classmates are all babies.

How do we differentiate a bright child from a gifted child? Based  on my readings here are the difference between the two:

•  A bright child would typically know the answers to so many questions; on the other hand, a gifted child would continue to ask questions based on your answers.
• Bright kids enjoy the company of kids of the same age while the gifted children love the company of older kids and even the adults.
• Bright children would pay close attention on a particular object; gifted children are extremely observant of their surroundings and loves to get involved.
• A bright kid is a good listener thus he or she is able to follow instructions very well. Gifted kid would normally express and discuss their ideas and have the desire to work on their own.

Gifted children can be considered as bright kids too but not all bright kids are genius. Bright kids word hard to get good grades but gifted children can just play around yet achieve high scores on exams. However, gifted kids would not get good grades all the time too, since they are very critical of themselves and are highly perfectionists they would rather not submit a project if it did not pass their qualifications.

Whether your child is gifted or simply bright, you have to be thankful for it; show support in all the things that he would want to do. Guidance is also important, you are lucky to have one smart-pants in your family so enjoy it.

Home Alone

I can't actually remember the last time I was left home alone. The kids spent the weekends at their Lola Naty's place and hubby went out to attend his stated meeting with his Freemason brothers. So that left me alone in our home sweet home. I took the chance to finish household chores like clean our house. Although I know for a fact that the moment the kids step inside the house, everything will be topsy-turvy again. Messing up the house became a habit for them most especially to my youngest son.

I finished the laundry as well and did some writing assignments. I have updated my status in Facebook a lot of times too. Now here I am updating my blog, after this, what else am I going to do? OMG! I never thought that life can be so boring without hearing my kids whine over small things. I have gotten used to having them around, in fact I can even find time to take a nap despite their noise.

I have all the time in the palm of my hands right now, but I don't know what to do! I remember the story I have read long time ago; there were two moms complaining how rowdy their kids are and how messy their house is and then from behind them another mom shared her story. She said that she would not mind having to pick up her kids toys all the time; their house is filled with silence because a tragedy happened to their family that caused the lives of her children. This story left the two moms dumb-founded.

Truly you would never realize the value of a person until he or she is no longer at your beck-and-call. Mothers have the tendency to be too uptight without realizing that our kids are growing older and soon they will be entering their own world wherein you may not be  even allowed to enter.

It's nice to be on your own sometimes but I am sure most moms would agree with me, your kids voice shouting at the top of their lungs is actually a pleasing sound to a mother's ear.

Kudos to My Little Big Boy

Mommy and Jeon during Nutrition Month

Today we got the periodic report of grades for our little big boy, Jeon Aenied; his daddy and I are so proud of him because he ranked 5th among the 20 students in their class. This is not surprising though, because beauty and brains is in his genes. Do I sound like a stage mom?

Actually, during his first week in school we were very worried that he might not want to continue schooling. He did that the first time we enrolled him; he only spent three days in school at that time. But this time around, he is so eager in going to school. In fact at his age he is so independent, he no longer wants me to stay with him in school.

It is still a couple of months away before the school year ends but his dad and I are confident that he will finish the entire school year this time around. So to our son Jeon Aenied, your dad and I are so proud of you. Keep up the good work son.

Reducing Stretch Marks

Stretch marks or honorable badge never bothered me until I need to wear tank top again. If I have read this article long before my first child was born, then I would not be worrying about the stretch marks on my tummy. The article gave out tips on what to do to avoid or at least reduce the stretch marks that you may have during pregnancy.

Although I am not the type of person who would use cocoa butter scent for my lotion, I could have done it. I could have religiously done it at least I will not be very much bothered by it. The article mentioned that there is still a possibility to reduce the "honorable badge" on my tummy.

Since I knew that I was going to deliver my child via ceasarian section; I eat whatever I want to. I am not really looking for nutritional food to munch. All I know at that time is I want my baby to be as big as possible. If I have eaten nutritional food as the article suggested, then my stretch marks would not be this much.

If only I can turn back time, I would have done what this article suggested. Maybe my only worry at this time would be losing weight. It's much easier to lose weight rather than remove these stretch marks.

It's Grandparents Day

We have been used to celebrating Mother's Day as well as Father's Day; we even have what we call the Children's Day, thank goodness people have come to realized the importance of grandparents' role in our children's lives thus came the Grandparents Day.

Thank God we have grandparents to assist parents in raising their kids. Actually, grandparents are more of spoilers rather than disciplinarians. According to them, it's the parents job to discipline the kids and their roles are to be the kids' savior. My kids are very fortunate to have loving grandparents.

Their Lola Naty is the type of granny who would cook for them and make sure that they eat their meals on time. Lola's delicious cooking have been always compared to Mommy's newbie style of cooking. So whenever the kids crave for delicious food; off we go to Lola's place. It means day-off for Mommy too!

Mamita on the other hand is a real spoiler. Since she rarely sees the kids because she stays in Italy; whatever material wishes the kids would have, she would surely grant. Whenever she gets the chance to visit her grandchildren here in the Philippines, the kids are really excited about it.

Kudos also to Ima, who also treat my children as her own grandchildren. Since my mom can't be physically present for her grandchildren, she acts as their grandma. She also spoils my children and even helped me raised them during the tough times of my life. She loves my kids so much and she is very protective of them too.

I am very thankful that God has given my children loving grandparents. My husband and I could not replace the roles that they have in our children's lives. They help us instill values and build good character in our children. To Mamita, Ima and Lola Naty, Happy Grandsparents Day!

How to Solve Marital Issues

After you have gone through the honeymoon stage of marriage; most problems would come in. Since you are two different individuals, you have different styles on dealing with marital issues that you have. When you decided to get married, you have committed to become as one. So when a marital issue arise, you should view it in the same perspective. Here are few tips on how to solve marital issues as a couple:

• There should be a positive reason on why you want to solve the problem. It must be specific, for example you have problems with your finances; give a positive reason on why you want this specific problem to be solved. Tell your partner that you want to save up money for emergency situations that is why you need to check on how you both handle your finances.
• Avoid pointing fingers, bickering with each others faults would never result into something positive. Gently direct issues on why a certain problem would arise but never blame the other person for the problem. Remember it takes two to tango.
• Present possible solutions that are agreeable to both of you. Never present a solution that could only be beneficial to one person. It would not solve the problem but can further create trouble as well.
• Deal with the current issue, steer clear from going back to other problems that you have. If one person would tend to veer away from what is being resolved, gently remind the other person that it is not the current issue that you are trying to resolve.
• Once you have agreed upon a possible solution, stick to it. Then take the marital problem as case closed, don't bring it up again if in case another marital issue will arise.
• Learn to listen and compromise. From what I have read before it says that "it is okay to bend a little rather than to break"

No marriage is perfect, everyday you discover new things about your partner. These discoveries may not always be pleasing but learn how to accept it and deal with it. Open the lines of communication between you and your partner. It is always best that you speak what is inside your heart and your mind but remember that your partner has his or her own feelings to. Be considerate. Remember the love that you felt for your partner before the conflict arise. Make sure that you did everything that you can to save the marriage before deciding to go further like divorce.

Babysitter 101

Going through this article made me realize how lenient I am in choosing a babysitter. I remember a time trusting someone who just went to our house and applied to be a babysitter; only to realize later on that a lot of our things were stolen by her.
A trusted friend can be a good referral of a babysitter. But relying on the words of your friend alone is no longer sufficient. On your part, you need to require some police clearance and health clearance as well. Because we are actually entrusting the safety and welfare of our children to these babysitters. So we really need to be critical in choosing the right babysitter.
Although anyone can be a babysitter, like what the article mentioned finding a babysitter who is already matured in age can make you feel more comfortable than hiring a teenager. There are teenagers who are matured and responsible but they are still teenagers, and they still have the tendency to combine work and pleasure. This may result into something which is not good.
As mentioned again in the article, if you have no choice but to hire a teenage babysitter, it is best that you meet with the parents of the babysitter. At least the babysitter's folks would know that anything that may happen to the child while under the watch of the babysitter, it will be his or her responsibility.
Indeed, finding the right babysitter for your child can be difficult, but if you know the steps and guidelines in choosing one; then you can have a peace of mind while you are away from your child.

Off for Greener Pasture

It is a sad reality here in our country, that more and more families need to live apart because either parents would have to work overseas to earn greener pasture. If only our government could produce more jobs, then there is no need to work overseas.
If either parents would work abroad, the absence of one parent can have a real impact on the lives of the children. It can either for their betterment as individual or can destroy their future.
It can also have an effect on the relationship of the couple. They say that absence make the heart grows fonder but it can also cause to make the heart wander. Long distance relationship can result to infidelity by either party. If the foundation of the relationship is not strong, it can be totally destroyed by mere absence of their partner.
It is a big gamble to work overseas, you would never know what happen. But I believe that if your goal is clear; looking for greener pasture abroad could make lives more comfortable in the future.

A Get-well Wish

Get-well soon Uncle Co!

I heard the sad news from my cousin Sha that his dad had a mild stroke. It was a bit shocking because our Uncle Co had an active lifestyle. Although we know that it can happen because he is a chain smoker and would drink more than two bottles of beer a day.
The mild heart attack caused him to have difficulty in moving his left extremities. I know it would be very difficult for him to accept that. To think that he does almost all the household chores in their house. Have I mentioned that he is a great cook? Whenever we have the chance to visit them, he would always prepare delicious meals for us. My second child practically grew up with him.
I pray that we surpass this trial as a family. May this also serve amongst the family members that we should not take our health for granted. If we do not take care of our health, nobody else will do it for us.
I am looking forward to seeing him well and good. In God's time nothing is impossible. I claim his recovery. I know God will bring back his health in no time.

BC Blogger

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