MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan

A BabiesToToddlers.com Giveaway

April 15, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 21 Comments

I remember setting up our baby registry for Little MrC a few years ago. I went through each and every item in my department store of choice, and hand picked everything I wanted for our special guy. I was really happy during our baby shower when I saw that we got almost everything on that list, plus a few handy items from the US that my grandparents-in-law sent over. As the months and years went by, I realized that while everything we got was useful, there were still a number of needs that weren’t addressed, and that the solution to these issues and concerns weren’t available in the market yet.

Then just recently, I stumbled upon Babies to Toddlers online, and I was pleasantly surprised to see all the amazing new stuff that are now available to parents here in the Philippines. Babies to Toddlers is an online retail shop that features hard-to-find items and products for infants through toddlers. The best part about this online store is that it is owned and run by a mother, Teresa Rufino who has two little boys, and and she picks out and uses the items herself. So you are sure that these hard to find items are of good quality and really work well. They have the mommy seal of approval, so to speak!

Teresa Rufino, owner of Babies to Toddlers

Preschool Homeschool: You Can Do It Too! by The Learning Basket

April 14, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

A few days ago at the WHAMderful Life Workshop, I was asked by one of the moms if I homeschool my son. I replied with my default answer – I don’t think I have the patience to homeschool. Then I got to thinking, am I really not patient enough to homeschool, or am I writing it off without even giving it a try? Of course, at this point my son is already in grade school and I won’t know the answer to this until a have another child, which isn’t any time soon.

How about you? Do you think you have what it takes to be a homeschooling mommy? Would you like to try? If your answer is yes, then you should check out The Learning Basket‘s Preschool Homeschool: You Can Do It Too! This much requested seminar will take place on April 20, 2013, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM at Madela House, New Manila, Quezon City. Learn about the what, why and how of homeschooling preschoolers from other parents.

PreschoolHomeschool4202013 Invitation Jpeg — Preschool Homeschool: You Can Do It Too!

To register, simply click on this link and fill out the form. The seminar fee is Php250.00, but if you purchase Php500.00 worth of books or toys from The Learning Basket Booth during the event, you can get in for free. The Learning Basket offers great books and educational toys that add quality to the homeschooling experience.

For inquiries, send an email to Mariel at mariel@thelearningbasket.com .

This post was written for The Learning Basket. Find them online at thelearningbasket.com.

Could You Be the Sakura Mommy of the Month?

April 11, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

The moment I became a mom, I understood what it meant to want to be the best mom you can possibly be for your kid. From that very first day until today (which, coincidentally is my son’s 7th birthday), I’ve folded, molded and reinvented myself in order to become the supermom I now believe myself to be. For me, the first step to achieving greatness is to believe that you can do it, and yes, I believe that I am a supermom. After all, I’ve managed to raise a smart, cute and funny 7-year old boy, right?

I’m sure you moms out there also feel super duper too each time you witness your child unlock those little and big life achievements. And you should! Those achievements are your feats too as moms! Now let me ask you this, what do you do to be the best mom you can be for your kids?

Would you like to share your mommy story to other moms out there? Yes? Perfect because Sakura would like to know what you’re like as a mom too. You just might be the Sakura Mommy of the Month that they’re looking for.

Here’s what you need to do to join this contest:

Like the Sakura page on Facebook (#/sakuraphilippines)
Follow the Sakura twitter account (www.twitter.com/blackbeauty_ph)
Submit a photo of yourself that best portrays you as a mother. You can send it via direct message to the Sakura Facebook account or through email at sakuraphilippines@gmail.com.
In 5-8 sentences, tell them: (1) why you should be the SAKURA Mommy of the Month and (2) how SAKURA products help you be the best mommy you can be.
Photo submissions will be accepted until May 9, 2013. Winner will be announced on May 11, 2013.

Quick and easy right? Now, here’s what’s in store for the winning mom:

1 SAKURA gift pack
1 hair and beauty makeover
1 personal shopping experience
1 fabulous outfit worth 4,500
1 photo shoot
Media mileage for your blog (if you have one)

Plus, two runners-up will be chosen, and they will each be receiving a Sakura gift pack.

Entries will be judge by the panels based on (50%) Essay content and (50%) photo that best portrays you as a mother.

TrickArt-1 — So how do I see myself as a mom? Like this – fun-loving, and a friend to my little boy. With slight control freak tendencies. Lol!

Momies, it’s your time to shine! Go ahead and share your mommy stories with Sakura!

This post is brought to you by Sakura Philippines. Visit them online at http://www.sakuralifestyle.ph.

Post Pregnancy Weight Loss

April 8, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 2 Comments

After giving it a lot of thought, I have decided that it is time for me to start taking serious steps towards losing my post-baby belly. I can give you three very good reasons why.

I just turned 30, and I feel that it’s a good time to reboot myself, so to speak. Time to live a healthier, more active lifestyle.
I saw the orthopedic doctor yesterday by chance, and he said that the joints in my knees are grinding against each other because of the excess weight. That’s bad news because that means my cartilage is either very thin or no longer there. So while my blood test results all show normal numbers, my body is slowly but surely telling me that it’s time to lose weight.
My son is turning seven in a few days, and as far as post-baby weight loss is concerned, well, there hasn’t really been any. What exactly do I mean by “there hasn’t been any?” Well, just think of it this way, today I weigh the same today as I did on my last day as a pregnant woman.

See? I was about five months along in this photo, and it looks just like me now. — See? I was about five months along in this photo, and it kinda looks just like me now.

Mom Tips For Surviving the Summer

April 6, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 1 Comment

Let me just clarify that by “Surviving the Summer,” I don’t exactly mean the summer heat or sunburn. I actually mean summer boredom, which apparently a lot of kids go through. It was something I don’t really remember experiencing when I was a kid, but then again I had two siblings to waste time with. My little boy, on the other hand, being an only child, is often bursting with unused energy and unsure exactly what to do with it. This is my first summer at home as a WAHM, so I am relatively new to the idea of keeping the kid entertained sans his regular school schedule, homework and outdoor play with classmates.

It’s been about three weeks since the end of the school year. So far, we’ve had quite a number of activities, with the holy week and Easter holidays, our short and unexpected visit to the hospital, visits to Fishville, etc, etc, etc. But to be honest, I’ve pretty much run out of ideas for the coming weeks, and we still have about two months of vacation left! I was planning on enrolling Little MrC in soccer camp, but since he is still recovering from his infection, and on home treatment, he won’t make it to the start of the classes. I figure I’ll just enroll him in soccer next summer, and have him take swim classes this year. But that’s not happening until mid-May. So there, I still have about a month’s worth of kid-friendly fun to plan.

Oh dear.

Our Unexpected Easter Staycation at St Luke’s Medical Center

April 2, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 2 Comments

Our family celebrated Easter weekend with an unexpected staycation at St Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City. We had to rush to the ER at 1:00 AM on Black Saturday due to intense swelling and numbness in the little boy’s left hand. If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen my play-by-play photos from right before we left for the ER until we finally were discharged three days later.

The swelling actually started on Thursday morning, while we were in Fishville. It was his right pinkie finger that started to balloon first, and on the first day he said it was really painful. Thank goodness for my doctor dad who told us what to do and what medicines to make Little MrC take while we were at the beach. That day, MrC and I went home ahead of the rest of the family because it was my girly time of the month and I was already uncomfortable to the point of crankiness. The little guy stayed behind with his grandparents and my siblings.

We originally suspected it to be a bug bite on his finger that was causing the swelling. He is allergic to mosquito bites, and gets really huge, nasty red spots each time he gets bitten. Friday morning, dad posted this photo on Facebook. See how puffy the little guy’s fingers were?