Stripping diapers with Calgon

Calgon is used to soften water used to wash your diapers in areas with severely hard water. We don’t really have hard water, but I've used Calgon to strip my diapers recently because last time I stripped them was September last year! Stripping cloth diapers

I didn't really have any problems with the diapers; I just wanted to “freshen” them up a bit.

Detergents for Cloth Diapers

Here in the Philippines, there is no specific locally made detergent made for cloth diapers, so I made do with what was available. For the past 17 months, we've been using Cycles and Smart Steps to wash my baby's cloth diapers as well as her clothes.  These are two locally found detergents that I can vouch for that safely cleans your cloth diapers (as long as your baby isn't allergic to them).

Product Review: Popfish wet bags

Popfish Wet Bags

Made with PUL waterproof fabric

Zipper closure with handle.

Large (19 x 23 inches) - Holds 8-14 cloth diapers

Regular (12 x 15.5 inches) - Holds 4-6 cloth diapers

Product Review and Giveaway: Happy Flute and Popfish Diapers

I decided to do the review for both these diapers at the same time since they are so much similar to one another in both design and function.

Product Review: Cluebebe Cloth Diaper

I have 3 styles of the Cluebebe cloth diaper to review today. Classic pocket, Large pocket and the Cluebebe Pull ups.

Cluebebe is an Indonesian made series of cloth diapers. They're nicely made with cute little prints, they also come in solid colors.

Let's start with the Cluebebe pull ups.
It's a  one-size-fits-most (OSFM) diaper that's able to fit babies from 13-35lbs.
Dimensions of nappy: 12" in width (or 22" when stretched) x 12 1/2" in length (or 19 1/2 when stretched). Crotch 5 1/2".
Snap closure.
Has an inner flap style pocket opening located on the front instead of the back.
Has 4 snap settings (small, medium, large and extra large).

Roomy leg holes.

Habagat 2012

As I write this post, PAGASA claims a storm's-a-brewin'! Ok maybe they didn't say it quite like that, but a storm is a-comin', this afternoon, in fact. Tropical depression "HELEN" this is right on the heels of Habagat 2012 which submerged some 80 percent of Metro Manila. Are we ready for more rains?

Photo from:  http://archian.wordpress.com

Product Review: The Moon Walk baby walk assistant

The product description states that:
“The MOON WALK is a European crazy that has come to relieve American parents. The MOON WALK helps the child learn to walk in a secure way with the help of an adult. The MOON WALK helps with balance and confidence. For safety and care, hand wash, air dry and store out of reach of children. Always use MOON WALK in the presence of an adult. Do not leave children unattended while using MOON WALK."

a - Handle.

b - Adjustable to shorten and lengthen the Moon Walk to fit baby.

c - Locks and unlocks for easy wearing.

d - Belt for a more secure fit.

Product Review: Happy Bee Cloth Diaper

I was sent this cute little diaper for my daughter Ash's 1st birthday. Thanks so much to ThriftyMamaShop!

Happy Bee is a one-size hybrid diaper that comes with 1 soaker pad made of 100% cotton .
Fits most babies from 8-35lbs.
Outer made with waterproof TPU.
Inner is lined with stay-dry microfleece and has 2 snaps where the soaker is snapped into.

Shakey's party package

We celebrated Ashlin’s birthday a few days ago ay Shakey’s Magallanes branch. We chose the Justice League; Girl Power theme.

Product Review: Baby Wizard Diapers

The diaper brand, Baby Wizard, has 7 cloth diaper styles but I only chose 5 to review.

Product Review: Alvababy 4.0 OS Cloth Diaper

Here's my review for the Alvababy Cloth Diaper 4.0:

The difference between the Alvababy 4.0 to other Alvababy Cloth Diapers is the double gussets and the colorful snaps.

Alvababy 4.0 on my 20lbs baby.

Out and About with Cloth Diapers

This post is written for the Real Diaper Week Carnival with the theme "Real Simple. Real Diapers."  We aim to educate and advocate the use of cloth diapers in the Philippines.  Please scroll below to read the other carnival posts about cloth diaper styles, how to's or must haves. 

Whether it’s going to the grocery, mall, and doctor’s visit or even going out of town, I always over pack when it comes to cloth diapers.

When we go out, I pack 2 pocket diapers in the diaper bag and an extra 2 diapers in the car; just in case.

Overstuffed diaper bag.

Run For Your Life!

http://outbreakmanila.com/

I don't run. I hardly ever exercise. But this made me want to get off my couch. This is the very first time I ever have (or ever will) join a marathon. The one run I do decide to join happens to be filled with zombies chasing you.

It's Outbreak Manila and we joined fellow runners at Nuvali, Santa Rosa Laguna last April 14, 2012 to get ready at the crack of dawn to be chased by flesh-eating Zombies. Well, more like flag-grabbing Zombies.

We're given 3 "life" flags which are attached to a belt around the waist and along the course of the run, Zombies are going to grab the flags while you try to dodge them. If you reach the finish line with no flags, you are considered "dead". Finish with at least 1 flag and you may still join the land of the living and maybe even win a prize (according to their website).

There's a few water stations scattered along the course so you can rest and re-hydrate which are also considered Safe Zones.

Me, my brother, my sister and my hubby finished "alive" with 1 or 2 flags still attached. There were a couple of times when I wanted to just quit, but I'm glad I endured because it really was so much fun.

Best.Run.Ever.

Though I have nothing else to compare it to, I still think it's the most fun anyone could ever have running.
I'm definitely joining the next one.

Earth Hour

UNITING PEOPLE TO PROTECT THE PLANET

EARTH HOUR 2012: SATURDAY, 31st MARCH, 8:30PM

I've committed myself in helping mother Earth as much as I can, and so this year it's no surprise that I'll be supporting Earth Hour. I hope you will too.

Stretch mark Home Remedies

Stretch marks, ugh!
That's what I thought when I developed the "stripes" around my 8th month of pregnancy. No matter how much cocoa butter, emu oil, lotion or whatever concoction I lathered ever since I got pregnant, I still got them which goes to show that genetics play a big part in this. Strangely enough my mother (who birthed 5 kids) does not have any to stretch marks. So unfair. I think my sisters and I got that from our father side (curses!)

I've found some home remedies that might help lighten the marks, though I haven't really tried them myself.

hello spring cash giveaway!

What better way to start spring than some cool $800?

To win that $800, just join the Hello Spring Cash Giveaway

Don't forget to post which blog you entered from.

Ash learns to undo Velcro

After her nap, I found Ash with one side of her Velcro nappy undone. This spells trouble for us since most of our nappy stash are Velcro or hook and loop closure type and only a handful are snaps. I don't think this would deter me from buying mostly Velcro nappies though since this gives Ash the best fit and it's the easiest to use for my mom and hubby. I only hope I can teach her NOT to undo them or would I one day be surprised to see her running around the house half naked?

Ash tumbles

A few days ago Ash fell off the bed during one of her naps. I was in the other room doing some online work when I heard a different cry from her usual mommy-I’m-awake-and-hungry cry. It was more like ouch-I’m-hurt-and-I-need-help cry. I’m not sure how to explain it really, it’s more of a feeling I think. Anyway, when she started rolling around on the bed, I was so scared that she’ll one day fall off the bed second I take my eyes off her, so I’ve barricaded the bed with pillows to prevent that. But unfortunately, that didn’t work.

Coolababy cloth diaper review

Between a snap diaper and a hook and loop diaper closure, I prefer the latter, since this gives my daughter a better fit compared to a snap closure. This is what led me to purchase some Coolababy cloth diaper with hook and loop closure.

comes with washing instructions.

This is a review for Coolababy pocket diapers in hook and loop closure. The inner lining is made with Bamboo Charcoal fleece. This is a one size diaper (supposed to fit babies from about 8-30lbs.) with a 4-step rise (small, medium, large and x-large) and crossover hook and loop tabs. Waterproof outer layer made with PUL.
They can be purchased through eBay or aliexpress and are available in either snaps or hook and loop. You have the choice between regular microfleece inner lining (white) or Bamboo Charcoal fleece (gray) which are both stay-dry. They also have them with double gussets but those only come in snaps.

Baby Jill Cloth Diaper Review 2

This review has been long overdue, mainly because I don’t use this diaper much.
First review Baby Jill Cloth Diaper Review 1.

While I was pregnant, this was one of the companies I tried to contact because I knew I wanted to cloth diaper my baby and I also wanted to use products made here in the Philippines.

Baby Jill’s was one of the few local companies I contacted. Since I was new to this cloth diaper world and I could not find any  reviews on their product, I had a lot of questions. Unfortunately, I felt that none of the answers they gave me were satisfactory.
So I moved on.

It’s only recently that I was able to finally order a few of their waterproof pocket diapers and try them for myself. Here’s my review:

Mama Patch Cloth Pads Review 2

Previous review here Mama Patch Cloth Pads Review 1

It's been over a year since I purchased these and I still use them. They've held up pretty well. There are some signs of wear (of course) but they still look good and more importantly, still functional.
They're made of soft cotton flannel and measure 2.5” x 6”  and the snaps are made of plastic but durable.
These are the everyday liners which are smaller and can only be used on days when you don't have a period.
It's not as hard to use as I thought. It's simple. It's economical and eco-friendly.

Dukan-inspired Diet UPDATE 2

So in my last post here  I said I would try for a week to have a PP day alternate with a PVBR day and see how it went. Unfortunately, aside from the 2 lbs I did lose last Tuesday, I didn't lose any more last week which I'm supposed to be losing a couple of pounds in a week.

I therefore conclude that this diet is not for me. *sad*

On the bright side, I am eating more veggies and the oatmeal/oat bran in my diet has given me better bowl movement (too graphic?) and I have been eating less since oatmeal fills you up and so does the brown rice.

I will still be continuing my oatmeal/oat bran in the morning and brown rice for lunch and totally cut down on the food intake. Hopefully, I'll (slowly) shed off the lbs.

Ang hirap magpapayat! 

Kawaii Baby Happy Leak-Free OS Diaper Cover Review

My first ever diaper covers. Kawaii Baby Happy Leak-Free OS Diaper Cover

CONS:

*Its says 8-36lbs but it didn't properly fit her until about 12lbs.

*I should have gotten the Velcro ones.

Ash at 8 months

Big changes this month. Two more teeth have erupted!
Her upper lateral incisors are out this month.
She's eating more varieties of solid food.
She can sit up so she's been playing in her walker sometimes.
She talks...a lot. Baby talk of course.
Her hair hasn't grown out much though. Should I be worried? I mean it's just hair, right?

The bed (she co-sleeps with us) is barricaded with pillows because I'm afraid she'll fall one of these days.
One morning I woke up and found her at the foot of the bed (that's where most of her toys were). She was playing and talking to herself (laughing too). Good thing she didn't fall.

She just rolls around though, not crawling at all. the Pedia says she might skip that stage. Did your baby skip crawling too?

Kawaii Baby Mom Label OS Minky Bamboo Review

So this is a long overdue review about my first cloth diaper: Kawaii Baby Mom Label OS Minky Bamboo.

Dukan-inspired Diet UPDATE

I just posted yesterday that I was quitting this diet and yet when I weighed myself this morning, I was down 2lbs! so I'm now 121lbs.

I think I get what this diet is about. I'm supposed to have 1 day of nothing but protein because that's what happened yesterday (not intentionally) I just didn't want to eat veggies or brown rice that day. So today I lost some lbs.

I think I'll try it one more week but this time I'll alternate days of pure protein (PP) and Protein, Veggie, Brown Rice (PVBR). Too much? We'll see.

Dukan-inspired Diet Cruise phase day 17

It’s diet day 20 and on my 17th day on the Cruise phase and it’s really getting to me. I haven’t lost any more weight since I finished my attack phase. No bread, no white rice, no sweets (no sugar), no pork and no happy momma! I’m at a standstill at 123lbs.

So I’m changing my diet. I don’t know which one yet but I’m not sticking to this one because I’m hungry all the time and craving sugar… a lot! Yet not losing more weight.

I’m not going to chronicle my last few days of my diet because it’s just no use. I think it was the brown rice though, because that’s the only thing I changed from the original Dukan Diet.

Well, 20days and 6lbs lighter isn’t too bad.

Dukan-inspired Diet = FAIL

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My baby "drinks" her food

That's my daughter "sipping" her Cerelac. 

My mom thought it would be easier (and less messy) to just add more water to her Cerelac and have her drink it through a straw. 

We tried it. 

She loved it.

She still eats her rice and veggies with a spoon though. So I think we can get away with giving her her Cerelac  (and water) through a straw. 

Dukan-inspired Diet Cruise phase day 8

It’s diet day 11 and on my 8^th day on the Cruise phase but I haven’t lost any additional weight  since my last weigh in. L it’s a bit discouraging. Could it be the brown rice?

  

Cruise Phase Day 3: NVBR
Breakfast	2 tbs. oat bran
	2 pcs tuna hotdog
	1 cup coffee
Lunch	½ cup Brown rice (heavy on the tummy!)
	Fish, fried (Dory)
Dinner	½ cup B. rice
	Adobong chicken breast with hardboiled egg

Cruise Phase Day 4: VNBR
Breakfast	2 tbs. oat bran (felt like 3tbs!)
	1 cup coffee
Lunch	Chicken breast, adobo
	1 boiled egg
Dinner	Omelette with ground beef and onions

Dukan-inspired Diet Day 5

So it's been day 5 and I've lost 6 pounds! Well, it's probably just water weight but it's still something =)

From 129lbs down to 123lbs.

Attack Phase

The Pure Protein part of the diet. I'm supposed to be on the Attack Phase for 3 days. Food choices are: (I have altered the list a little to fit my lifestyle. This is not in exact to the real Dukan Diet)

• Lean beef, veal or rabbit (mince under 10%, avoid ribs)

• Chicken and turkey (except skin and outside part of the wings)

• Ham (low fat and lean)

• Beef, veal, or chicken liver

• Any fish (except canned in oil or sauce)

• Shellfish and crustaceans

• Eggs (up to two per day, unlimited egg whites but watch the yolks if you have high cholesterol)

• Dairy products (low fat, below 5% fat) skimmed milk

• Limited amount of sugar per day (except fructose based), vinegar, mustard, spices, herbs, garlic, onion (as spice), lemon juice (only as spice, not for drinking), sugar free natural ketchup (in moderation), sugar free chewing gum

• Oat bran 1.5 tbsp./day 

• Exercise 20mins/day 

Dukan-inspired Diet

This is D day! Meaning Diet Day! I’m starting my Dukan-inspired diet. If you’re not familiar with the Dukan Diet, it’s the diet from France that’s better known as the diet that gave J-lo that body after the twins. Also Kate Middleton followed this diet before the big Royal wedding.

So anyway, this Dukan diet is made up of 4 phases. The attack phase, cruise phase, consolidation phase and permanent stabilization phase. The attack phase will make you consume pure protein, fish, eggs and meat but with a bit of oat bran. The cruise phase will introduce you to vegetables and you’ll have to alternate days of pure protein and days of protein and veggies. And more oat bran.  This phase will take you to your True Weight. 

I forgot, you have to calculate your true weight  before the beginning of the diet. 

Bamboo Charcoal Inserts

Bamboo Charcoal Inserts

First of all, they're gray (yay no stains!) 

2 layers of Charcoal Bamboo Fleece covering both sides and

3 layers of Microfiber inside.

13" x 5"

Babyland Diaper Review Part 2

Read my first review here Babyland Diaper Review Part 1

Sorry, out of focus.

Ash at 7 months

She's really active nowadays and she's starting to show stranger anxiety. She can sit up without much help. She grabs everything she can reach and puts it in her mouth.

She has 4 teeth visible. 2 upper central and 2 lower central and she's showing symptoms of teething again!
1. Feeding less frequently and amount.
2. Crying and whining a lot more when she's normally a happy baby.
3. Fever-like temperature.
4. More drool.

Xylogel: A bubble-gum flavored natural teething oral gel with 5% xylitol.

Xylogel, unfortunately, did not help. It doesn't seem to alleviate any pain or discomfort she might be feeling. The only thing that does help is breastfeeding often, I think it hurts a lot less than sucking on a silicone nipple and I think she's comfort nursing as well. Paracetamol for infants also helped, I give it to her before bed so she can sleep without waking up crying every now and then.