My Watsons Find: Cream Hand Soap

I have always been a big fan of hand washes. Whenever we go out and do the grocery, I always remind Allan if we're running out of hand wash at home. Well, eversince I can't remember, I have always liked washing my hands (who doesn't, anyway?). More now because as you know, I have a one year old son and of course, cleanliness is most important. I don't mind what brand the hand wash is as long as it's affordable and can keep me with clean hands, then I'm okay with that. Bath soap is okay with me, too! Hihi! But there's something about hand soap or hand wash that I like so much.

The other week (yes, this is a late post, hihi), we were strolling around SM when we passed by Watsons at the Annex. They were on sale! I wasn't actually interested in buying anything because all our toiletries are still complete at home. But the sales lady offered something that's so tempting and practical to buy. Yes, hand wash. LOL! :-) 

Watsons Cream Hand Soap. That's 2 for Ph99! :-)

We got it for only Ph99! Yes, that's a total of 1000 ml for just Ph99. It's a great buy indeed. Although, we still had a stock of hand wash at home, we still bought these two. Yes, it's a refill pack but I don't mind. I have an extra pump at home so I can just transfer the content in one of my extra pumps. (Practical Tip: Don't throw out your empty pump bottles, you never know when you'll need it.)

Today, our last stock of hand wash ran out already so I got one of these Watsons Hand Cream and opened the one with Honey and Milk Scent. My verdict? Well, the scent is not sweet but it's refreshing. In fact, I like the scent and I enjoy washing my hands with it. I have yet to try the Strawberry and Yoghurt Scent, I guess that smells sweet. 

Overall, I like it. But I guess, the review would be much better if it's anti-bacterial, hihi! Nonetheless, it's okay.

I just love Watsons. It's one of my happy places. You can find a lot of toiletry items with really reasonable and affordable prices, some are even on sale or sold as "Buy one, Take one". 

How about you? Share your Watsons finds! :-)

Update as of March 29 2013: I have now opened the other refill pack. And I like the scent too! Strawberry and Yoghurt Scent smells really sweet and nice. :-)

Trev's First Carousel Ride Experience (And A Short Blooper Kuwento)

I'm not sure why we were only able to bring Trev to ride the carousel just last weekend. We should have done it months ago. I don't know, it seems like there's always something else that we're supposed to do or supposed to go to whenever we go to SM so we haven't really gotten the chance to bring him to the carousel area of the mall. But, gladly we were able to do so. Last Sunday! 

We brought Trev at the carousel located inside SM North Edsa. You see, there's two carousels in that mall. One is located at the Sky Garden and one is inside the main mall. We checked out the guidelines posted on the teller's booth area. We found out that children 3 feet and below are free! The adult accompanying the child is the only one who needs to buy a ticket. We didn't know that! So, we got one ticket for Ph50. Well, actually it's a little expensive for a three minute ride, don't you think? But that's okay. At least, we could let Trev try it out. :-)

Allan and I thought Trev would cry if we ever make him ride one of the horses in the carousel, but no! He did not. In fact, I can say that he enjoyed the three minute ride! Allan said that he wanted to bring Trev there again next week. Haha! Nawili! 

I'll try to post the video on my next entry. For now, I'll show you some of our pictures from last weekend.

We had lunch at KFC first before heading our way to the carousel. Trev loves spaghetti!

My sneaky baby. Mukang takam na takam sa spaghetti. LOL! 

Feel na feel ang pagkakataas ng paa niya. Relak na relak ang peg! Hihi! :-D

After lunch, we had a quick stroll inside the mall, bought a few stuffs for Trev then off we went to the carousel. 

His first ever carousel ride. Don't be deceived by that "No Smile" look! He enjoyed the ride! :-)

After the ride, parang gusto pa niya umulit! :-)

I just want to show you guys this cute plush Cars stuffed toy we bought in SM Department Store for only Ph100! Trev likes to play with it! 

Isn't he cute?! :-)

Before I end this entry, I have a blooper kuwento lang. We went to the grocery after our carousel ride and bought some things for the kitchen and some toiletries. I told Allan that I wanted to buy a shampoo. You see, eversince I became a SAHM, I was constantly looking for quality products with affordable prices. I don't want Allan to spend much on me, I'm okay and content with whatever's available. Don't get me wrong, I know we're husband and wife and it's just normal for a husband to support his SAHM wife but of course, I want to help him by doing that. Well, it's just me, I may have a different view with others. :-)

Anyway, going back. So there, we were supposed to go and buy the usual shampoo that I have been using, but I thought maybe I could check out the other brands, I might find something more affordable. So, we did and we found one which was indeed more affordable. Or, so I thought. Later on that.

I was happy with my new affordable find. When we arrived home, we arranged the groceries and I checked my new shampoo again. I was laughing (and cursing myself too for not noticing! and was mentally banging my head on the wall too! argh! ) and told Allan about what I saw. It wasn't a shampoo after all! It was a conditioner! Toinks! Epic fail again! Lesson learned. Always make sure to read the label VERY carefully! Sigh. 

Honestly, I did read the label. But, I don't know. Maybe, I didn't. Or maybe I was just too concentrated on looking at the price tag rather than the label. Deep sigh again. 

Okay, that's it pansit! See you again soon!

Trev "Singing" Incy Wincy Spider - With Video

Trev was in one of his best moods last weekend while we were out eating lunch. Haha! We made him "sing" the Incy Wincy Spider song! Err, actually, he was not the one who sang, it was me, LOL! He did an amazing job with the actions though. One proud Nanay here!

Here it is. Enjoy watching! :-)

P. S. Please pardon my voice. Hihi!

Get Rewarded by Sharing! So Easy! :-)

You know what, as a stay at home wife and mom, surfing the world wide web became one of my hobbies. I get the chance to blog, check my other social media accounts, read articles here and there, and admit it, I get rewarded sometimes. Hihi!

I recently joined ChurpChurp and it's really a very nice community. What is ChurpChurp by the way? Based on their website: 

Churp Churp is a community for people who live and breathe social media, just like you!

Here are some of the things you can do at Churp Churp:
-Get cash rewards for sharing brand messages.
-Discover what people are reading or watching on the Internet.
-Be part of an awesome community and meet like-minded friends.

If you love sharing with your friends on the latest happenings, trends and brands that you like and love, then Churp Churp is definitely for you. Hop on board, and we'll make sure you never miss out on any updates; besides campaign updates and cool stories, there are always upcoming contests and events we hold exclusively for the Churp Churp community! Awesome, yes?

I find ChurpChurp very interesting because you not only earn rewards by sharing using your Facebook, Twitter or other social media, you also get the chance to know other people and read some cool and funny articles submitted by other fellow Churpers. I discovered a lot of interesting reads already and I'm hooked. 

Why not join us and let's all have fun.

Join ChurpChurp now! :) Get rewarded for your social networks! It's really cool!  

For those of you who are interested, you can click this link to register. It's absolutely free and everyone can join, regardless if you're working or stay at home like me! :-)

Womb Service???

I just can't help but share this with you guys, so cute! 
Credits given to the source: here and here. :-)

When I was pregnant, I really didn't go thru the whole process of "paglilihi", but there were a few episodes of cravings here and there, so I really find this funny and amusing! I can just imagine my little one doing the same thing inside my womb! LOL!

Twitter Newbie

I have a confession to make. I didn't know how to use Twitter. I know it was the talk of the town since years ago aside from Facebook and everybody was like signing up and raving about it everywhere. But... I don't know, I really didn't put interest in it before. I knoowww, maybe that time I was inside a cave or something! LOL!

Actually, I have signed up a few months ago simply because one of the websites I was trying to register to requires me to have a Twitter account. But I never really used it. You might call me stupid or ignorant but I simply found it very complicated. Poor me...

Well, not until now...

Yesterday, I signed up again using my Gmail address. And I have been learning a lot! Been navigating here and there and been following other people already. I'm still learning but this time, I'm very willing. I think, it's not as complicated as I thought it was the first time I signed up. In fact, I find it interesting and very engaging. I just need to explore all the links inside Twitter and I think I can learn this in no time. 

Yay! Funny because I feel like I'm the only one left behind. Seems like everyone has a Twitter account already and I'm the only one that's left. Well, I have started this blog anyway, so I guess it's just timely that I also try other social media too like Twitter, don't ya think?

I have already embedded the Twitter button here in my blog. Check out my left side bar, it's just below my Facebook Fanpage box! (Segue: If you haven't yet, you can click the LIKE button of my FB Fan Page, too! *wink*, Thanks!) See it? Yes, that's the one! :-)

As of now, I still have no followers (insert sad face here)...

I hope you support me with my new found interest. :-)

You can follow me @MommyVannie or simply click the button at my side bar! Thanks so much! 

Home-Made Baby Food Series: Super Mac and Cheese

Here's another one pot wonder recipe that I have cooked for Trev when he was 11 months old. Presenting, Super Mac and Cheese! Maybe you're wondering why it's called "Super". Well, the simple reason is because the main ingredient in this recipe is Pumpkin! And Pumpkin is considered as one of the most powerful "Superfoods". It is abundant in fiber, Vitamins E and C, potassium and magnesium and a lot of other nutrients! Also, it has a great quantity of carotenoids which lower the risks of numerous cancers and heart disease. Indeed, this member of the gourd family is deserving to be called a "superfood"! Trivia: Pumpkin seeds are super nutritious too!

So, here's another recipe that I got from Nurturebaby. As usual, I made a few changes to suit my baby's needs. Instead of using canned pumpkin as what's written in the Nurturebaby's recipe, I used fresh pumpkin instead, and I just steamed it.

Ingredients:

Durum Semolina Macaroni Pasta
2 tbsp butter (preferably unsalted butter)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups warm milk (I used breastmilk)

½ cup steamed fresh pumpkin

1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
Pinch of nutmeg (optional) 

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in a sauce pan over low-medium heat.
3. Once melted, little by little add the flour. Mix with a whisk to prevent lumps. 
4. Cook for about 3 minutes but do not let it brown.
5. Remove from heat and slowly add milk while whisking until well-combined.
6. Return to the stove and cook for about 5 minutes. 
7. Wait until the sauce thickens and coats the back of the spoon. 
8. Add the pumpkin and nutmeg. 
9. Remove from heat and add the grated cheddar cheese. 
10. Stir until cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
11. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and mix well.

SuperMac and Cheese with sidings of mixed veggies. Yummy!

Try this out, I'm sure your baby will love it too! :-)

Til next time for more baby food recipes, only here at Simply Joys of a Wife and Mom!

See you again! :-)

Home-Made Baby Food Series: Microwave-Baked Potatoes with Tasty Tofu

I have already discussed in this blog my version of the basics of home-made baby food, now it's time for me to share with you guys the recipes I used to make baby food for my little one. 

I got the original recipe from Homemade Babyfood Recipes. I just made a little tinkering and modified it a bit. I made this for Trev when he was 11 months old but based on the website I mentioned, you can give this to your baby as early as 10 months old. 

Here's my modified recipe:

2 medium potatoes

1/2 cup silken tofu (See picture below for the brand I used)

2 tbsp milk (I used breastmilk)

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Nutmeg (Optional)

Note: We don't have a conventional or convection oven at home. So, I used our microwave oven to bake the potatoes. There are a lot of instructions on the web as to how you can bake potatoes using your microwave oven, but I found a good one here. You can google more instructions if this method doesn't work for you. :-)

Instructions:

1. Wash, scrub and prick the potatoes then bake until tender. 
2. Beat tofu until creamy.
3. Halve the baked potatoes and scoop out the pulp.
4. Add to the tofu then stir in with milk. 
5. Beat well then add most of the cheddar cheese. 
6. Return the potato mixture to the skins then top with the remaining cheese.
7. Return to the microwave oven and bake just until the cheese melts. 
8. Dust with a little nutmeg to taste. 

My version of Baked Potato with Tasty Tofu. Delish! :-)

Bought this from Healthy Options, SM North Edsa branch. I'm sorry I forgot how much this was, but I think it's more or less Ph200.

My baby loved it as much as I did! Hihi! Yeah, actually you can also make this for yourself or your husband, or your entire family! Just substitute the milk with non-fat or evaporated creamer, add seasoning like salt and pepper, granulated garlic or whatever that you want for your liking. It's a great and healthy snack for everyone! :-)

Have you made your own baked potato version yet? 

Please visit again for more baby food recipes soon! :-)

When a Nursing Mom Gets Sick

Oh, well! I've been sick for almost one week now. Actually, I caught Trev's cough and colds. He's been suffering from colds for almost four weeks already. Blame it to the cold weather last month! When we first brought him to his pedia a few weeks ago to check his colds, his doctor said that water therapy and salinase will do. But he started coughing last week so we had to bring him again for another check up. It's the first time he's ever had cough eversince he was born! And he is now almost 16 months old. Sigh... Oh, my poor little baby! He cries at night most of the time because of clogged nose and coughing. He couldn't sleep. He was given cough drops and antibiotics. Still, no meds for his colds, just water therapy and salinase as needed. So far, he's not coughing as much as he was last week. And his colds is getting better too. Thank God! Hope he gets well real soon. 

But, unfortunately, I caught the virus too. :-(

I have been on water therapy for the past week but I'm still sick. I searched the net on what to do and so far, what I found always says that I need to just rest. Oh, my! Rest is verrry elusive for a stay at home wife and mom like me. Haha! So, I'm just sticking with water therapy for now hoping and praying that it would do me any good real soon.

Well, there are other natural remedies that a nursing mom could take based on Kellymom. Here's just a few:

1. Garlic eaten raw is good.
2. Fenugreek tea is good too. (Well, that's good news as fenugreek is a known galactagogue too!)
3. Apple cider vinegar and water, to be used as a gargle.
4. Lemonade with honey.
5. Vitamin C from fruits and other foods. (Actually, I've been eating Trev's oranges already. Hihi!)

As much as possible, I don't want to take in any medication because as you all know, I am a breastfeeding mom. Although, based on my research, if all else fail, there are medications which are generally regarded as safe for a nursing mom. 

Still on Kellymom, here's what I found out. You also need to follow certain guidelines when taking meds. Kellymom is really a very nice website and most of the things that I want to know about breastfeeding, I could find it there. Thanks to Kellymom!

Here's the guidelines I got from their website:

1. Avoid a combination medicine when a single one will do the job. Always treat only the symptoms you have.
2. Short-acting forms of drugs (6 hours or less) are generally better.
3. When possible, better to use nasal spray instead of oral medications.
4. Take any medication right AFTER you nurse and only as needed.

As for medications, here's what Kellymom have to say:

1. Lozenges are generally considered safe. Just avoid eating excessive amounts containing menthol because large amounts of menthol can reduce milk supply.
2. Guaifenesin is safer but Dextromethorphan is considered as the safest when it comes to cough medicine.

I found a very interesting read on Breastfeeding Basics' website, it said:

For coughs: Avoid products with an alcohol content of over 20%. Robitussin, Mucinex, Triaminic Expectorant, and Vicks Nyquil are not known to be harmful, but watch for infant drowsiness. Expectorants like Guaifenesin (the main ingredient in Mucinex, Robitussin, Benylin) don’t suppress coughs. They loosen up the mucus in the respiratory tract to make it easier to cough up. They haven’t been known to cause any adverse effects in nursing babies, but they also don’t seem to be very effective. Avoid multi-action formulas such as Tylenol Multi-Symptom Cough medication and Vicks Nyquil Liquid or Liquicaps.

Dextromethorphan is an antitussive/cough preparation that seems to work by elevating the cough threshold in the brain. It’s the main ingredient in Benylin and Robitussin DM. It’s considered to be the safest of the antitussives and the one least likely to transfer into milk. As with other cold meds, watch your baby for drowsiness.

So, there. I have learned so much again. If I'm still sick for the next few days and water therapy is not making me any better, that's the only time I will try to take any medication. I'll try to go natural for the meantime and pray hard that it will make me better soon. It's so hard when you're not feeling well and you're taking care of your baby who happens to be sick too. It breaks my heart seeing him feel bad and it's kind of frustrating that I couldn't give my 100% as of now because I'm sick too. :-(

Thank God my husband is very loving and caring, he helps me take care of Trev when he arrives from work despite the fact that I know he's tired too from working the whole day.  

Let me also mention that I did not wean my baby now that I am sick. I am continuously and will still continue to breastfeed him for as long as he wants. Many websites say that a nursing mom's body produces antibodies to the specific virus that is causing the infection, which are then passed on to the baby through her breastmilk. That could help protect the baby from any infection or sickness, or make him get well faster if he's ever gotten sick. And I believe that very well. :-)

 

Zenutrients' Stretch Marks - Free Mom

Look at what my husband brought home for me last Monday! 

Zenutrients' Stretch Marks - Free Mom. All Natural

I didn't know what came into my loving husband's mind but I'm thankful for his thoughtfulness, hihi! He said that it was their Wellness Day at work last Monday and he saw this being sold there. He inquired and got me that cream. I have already mentioned in this blog that honestly, I am not at all bothered by my stretchies because for me, it's like battlescars and sign of my being a mother. But I won't refuse a little help if available. Hihi!

And since Allan got me this, I'm willing to try it. Besides, it says in the packaging that it's All-Natural. It also says that it contains White Vanilla, Green Papaya Extracts, Virgin Coconut Oil and Natural Cocoa Butter. Hmm, looks promising... 

I couldn't really say any review yet as I have only been using it for the past three days. I can only comment on its scent and consistency. Scent is okay, it smells nice, a little hint of vanilla. It smells more like cocoa butter. As for the consistency, it's good too. Not too heavy and not too greasy. In fact, I like the consistency. 

I checked the brochure that came with the item, Zenutrients also offers a wide array of other All-Natural products like herbal shampoos, body butter, foot lotion, etc. It says that their products have no harsh chemicals, no toxic ingredients such as synthetic preservatives and additives. 

I have tried googling it for more information and I found their website here. Turns out they have outlets in Pasig and Binondo and their products are all quite affordable. Hmm, interesting. Allan said he got the cream for only around Ph200 (100 grams).

Okay, so that's it for now. I'll try this product and let's see what it can do. 

How about you? Have you tried this Stretch Marks - Free Mom cream or any of Zenutrients' products? Feel free to share your experience! Thanks guys! :-)

My Sweet Valentine!

So far, this year is the sweetest Valentine's Day celebration I have ever experienced yet. I have a very loving husband and a cutie patootie son. Last year, Trev was such a tiny, tiny baby so he couldn't appreciate the flowers and stuffs yet but this year, he was the first one to check out on everything. Such a sweetie!

After lunch of February 14, someone knocked at our door. I wasn't expecting anyone. Any of our bills aren't due anytime yet, hihi! So, I thought, who could it be? I carried Trev and we went to open the door. To my surprise, I saw a delivery man almost covered with a garden of flowers! Joke! Haha! Yeah, I saw a tall man carrying a bouquet of flowers! I was like, wow! I instantly said, "Anak, flowers galing kay Tatay!" I immediately signed the paper from the delivery man and got back inside with the bouquet. Trev couldn't stop staring at the bouquet! So cute!

Look! Halos magka-height na si Trev and  yung bouquet! :-)

Trev couldn't get over the bouquet. It's the first time kasi that he's ever seen one. :-)

I immediately texted Allan and thanked him for the surprise. You see, my husband is not the type who always makes surprises, but when he does, he really succeeds. I'm such a mababaw person naman and these things really makes me very happy. I feel so loved! 

Later that afternoon, Trev and I went to SM to buy Allan our Heart's Day gift for him. We were actually supposed to go the day before Valentine's Day but Allan was at home that time so we ended up going on the 14th instead. We got him these gifts. Such simple gifts from Trev and I but it means so much. 

That's a Teddy with lots of chocolates, cupcakes from Cakes R' Us that says "Happy Hearts Day", a Valentine's Day Card and the one wrapped in polkadots is our framed family picture. :-)

When Allan arrived from work, we took turns in taking pictures of the gifts while Trev was busy playing with everything! Haha!

Look at Trev. He couldn't stop playing with the cup cakes! Before we even had the chance to eat it, almost everything was already smashed and smudged! Haha!

Family Picture on Heart's Day. Notice the get up? Haha, yes, Valentine's na Valentine's din ang peg! :-)

Trev helping Tatay open his gifts. :-)

Full of sweets on Valentine's Day. Actually, I have already eaten almost half of the chocolates before I even remember to take a picture of it. Yan na lang natira! Haha! :-)

Thank you so much, 'Tay for the bouquet! I hope you like the gifts Trev and I prepared for you too. We love you so much! 

I feel so lucky and blessed to have two wonderful boys in my life. My king and my prince. Allan and Trev, no words can ever describe how much I love you and how thankful I am for both of you. You two are my life... Thank you for loving me! Sweetest valentine's day celebration so far. More in all the coming years!

Simple Joys Photo: Si Trev Masipag :-)

Hay! Ayan na naman ang fascination niya sa mga panlinis! Haha! He saw this brush from our landlady's house! Allan said he cried when Allan refused to give it to him. So, he gave it and look at what Trev did! Of course, anu pa nga ba ang gagawin niya, eh di maglinis nang maglinis! Haha! Cutie! :-) Pawis na pawis na siya pero ayaw pa rin tumigil!

Infinite Possibilities With Infinite.ly!

Sponsored Post

As a newbie blogger like me, one of the things that I really wish to have is a personal domain that I own. Of course, Blogger provides me with all the things that I want to show my blog but having another that you own would be somewhat more fulfilling I think. But since I am still new in blogosphere, I still have a lot to learn and I know, that time will come. But one fine day, Infinite.ly made my one wish happened. Maybe you're asking, what is Infinite.ly? Read on.

I started blogging six years ago; I was using Wordpress back then. After a few posts, I stopped and left the blog world because I became too caught up with my job I couldn’t continue anymore. Fast forward 2011, I got married then eventually got pregnant. I so wanted to document my pregnancy so I went back into blogging again using my Multiply site as my domain. I was suffering from pregnancy – induced carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) that time so again, I was not able to continue after a few posts because the pain of CTS became unbearable. But blogging is fun so when I became a stay at home mom, I finally had more time so I went back to blogosphere using Blogger and I plan to stay. If you noticed, I have been in and out of blogosphere for quite some time now but actually been using free domains. 

Free domains are easy to use even if you have just seen it for the first time. However, some people find using free domains as somewhat informal. Well actually, I don’t and I am fine with a free domain. But that wish of having my own personal domain with a topic that I want, which is of course about my journey as a wife and mom, keeps coming back in my mind. 

I was so happy when I found out about Infinite.ly. They offer really affordable plans and once you get to know the ins and outs on how to navigate the system, you will end up with a really beautiful website. I have been working on my website powered by Infinite.ly for a few days now and I am still learning but so far, I’m getting there. 

Here's my new blog by Infinite.ly. Still raw but so far, so good! :-)

Hmm, I don't know, I guess it's just me, but, I have to be honest though that the system is not the same as Blogger or Wordpress, but I know that once I learn all its features, it’s going to be fun! For someone who isn’t very techie like me and for someone who is used to free domains with easy to navigate features, it might become a little confusing at first to use Infinite.ly but I tell you, once you get to know how to use its features, they will provide you with a really promising website! I have seen their gallery of finished websites and I must say that it’s really awesome! If you use Infinite.ly and finally learn how to use its features, once you finish your own website, it’s actually like you hired a professional to make it for you. Truly wonderful! And what I love about them is that they have Facebook, Twitter and other social media widgets that you can easily add to your website by just simply dragging and dropping it! Isn’t that great? You know how important social media is for bloggers like us! Of course, there’s their custom HTML widget where you can add your HTML codes for other features like videos, embed music or other things that will make your website more interesting. 

What’s ever more wonderful is that they also offer free hosting with a subdomain of http://myname.infinite.ly. If you want, you can then own that domain if you upgrade for a very minimal price yearly! To be honest, there are a few hiccups here and there when using their system, but in my personal experience of using it, it’s manageable. Besides, I believe that they are constantly releasing new features so I'm very excited!

True to what they say, Infinite.ly is the perfect page builder for products, events or personal profiles. If you want to try this awesome page builder, visit Infinite.ly and launch your site in JUST 60 seconds because Infinite.ly will handle everything for you!

Simple Joys Photo: Trev and Mrs. Kitty

That's our landlady's pet. He also likes playing with the cat's little kitten, not in pic. We just make sure that we're keeping a real close watch whenever he's near the cats. :-)

Home-Made Baby Food Series: The Basics

Hi there! Okay, so I haven't been able to continue with this plan that I started last month. You see, it's quite hard finding time to write nowadays because Trev has been battling with cough and colds the past few days and I have been busy with my very first sponsored post (which I will post not later than next week so watch out for that because I'm really excited!), so my hands are really full with so many things. But don't get me wrong, I don't feel bad about those things, in fact, I am thankful. Except of course about Trev's cough and colds, I don't want that and I hope he gets better soon. It's the first time he's ever had cough and the second time he got colds. Tsk tsk. Sad. :-(

But, I am really very eager to share this with you guys so I still want to continue with this. Just please bear with me if I'm not really up to date. :-)

So, first, I want to write about the basics when I started with this journey. And oh, just to give you a disclaimer (haha! dapat may ganun?), these are just based on my own personal research okay? There could still be others which are better. Making home made baby food also doesn't apply to everyone. It's all just a matter of preference. Some prefer to be more adventurous when it comes to feeding their kids. Whatever you prefer, it's all good. What matters is baby is healthy and happy, right? But anyhow, I hope I could give a little help. :-)

Actually, when I say, the basics, it is really BASIC. When Trev was still starting with solid food, everything that I gave him were steamed fruits and vegetables. Here's what I did:

1. Choose what fruit or vegetable to give your baby based on his age. You may check out Wholesome Babyfood about what fruit or veggie you can give. You can't really serve your baby ANY fruit or vegetable just yet. It should be appropriate for his age.

2. Wash the fruit or vegetable thoroughly. 

• I personally use Cradle Bottle and Nipple Cleanser to wash fruits and vegetables like potatoes and apples because it's made from natural and edible ingredients. 

3. Peel.

4. Slice into small cubes.

5. Steam. Based on research that I read, steaming can preserve a lot of nutrients from the food you're cooking.

• I use the steamer that came with our rice cooker.

6. Mash or puree.

• I use the Bebeta Food maker set or our blender, depends on what kind of food I prepared. You see, it's hard to mash cauliflower or broccoli using the Bebeta food maker set so I have to use the blender. 

 7.  Let cool as fast as possible. You can store it inside the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. If you prepared too many, you can freeze the remaining using the ice cube method. Ice cube method simply means that you just pour the puree in an ice cube tray, preferably with a cover like the one I bought which I mentioned here. Once frozen, you can simply put it in a zip lock freezer bag so you can use your ice cube tray again. Then, you can just get one or two food cubes, depends on how many your baby can consume, one food cube is approximately 1 oz. Thaw the cube/s and feed your baby. You can add breastmilk to the food cube once thawed to give it a familiar taste for your baby and of course, to give the food that extra boost. :-)

•  Personally, I let my baby consume the food I stored inside the fridge within 24 hours only. Regarding the frozen food, I freeze pureed food good for one week only.

Here's an example of the ice method I just mentioned. The box labeled "Glad" in the pic is actually the zip lock plastic bag where I put the frozen cubes so it's easier to get one cube for thawing.

Here's an example of what I basically do. These is actually mixed fruits and veggies already. I can't seem to find a picture that shows only one type of food. But anyway, it's just the same principle. Just make it one type of food at first. :-)

So, basically, that's it. Very easy, isn't it? Don't forget the 4-day wait rule when introducing new food to your baby, okay? 4-day wait rule means that you have to feed your baby one type of food for four consecutive days and observe any reactions like allergies. If he has none, then you can continue and serve him another type after 4 days. And so on. However, what I did was to serve one type of food to him for one whole week just to be sure, before I introduced another type. After a few weeks of doing that, then I reduced it to four days. 

Trev has tried the following fruits and vegetables when he was still starting with solid food. The list actually goes on but these are just a few of the first foods that he had.

1. Marble potatoes
2. Sweet potatoes
3. Squash
4. Carrots
5. Sayote
6. Ripe papaya
7. Avocado
8. Pears
9. Fuji apples
10. Red lentils or Red Munggo
11. Senyorita and lakatan banana
12. Broccoli
13. Cauliflower 
14. Green beans

Trev, when he was 6 months old. His first taste of solid food. I gave him one piece of small marble potato and he likes it! :-) I never really had a hard time feeding him and introducing different types of food to him because he eats just almost anything that we give him.

There you go! Stay tuned for more on this series. I will try my best to feature the recipes I used when I started giving him mixed food already. :-)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. You can either drop a comment below or email me. :-)