Quality of A Baby Formula Is Not Measured by the Popularity of Its Name (with $30 GC giveaway)

I remember those days when my daughter was a baby and how being a new mother, I was thrown into the arena of confusion on the many baby formulas that seem to magically appear in my doorstep. I was saturated with all sorts of popular brands claiming to be the best and enticing me with free samples. Although I chose to breastfed my child, I will admit, I found myself turning to baby formula when "I have no more to give" and my baby needed more - I'm sure you catch my drift - and had to come up with something substantial to meet her demand. With this little challenge in my hand, I went to town and shopped for baby formulas. But here's a caveat, you wouldn't have seen me in the popular baby formula aisle. Why? Why not.

A Smart Shopper's Back-To-School Last-Minute Shopping Survival Guide

For most schools, the new school year is already back in session. In my city, school starts in two weeks. My child did not want to be reminded, as do I - tough! -  but the "cycle of life" will heave forward like a wrecking ball whose only main goal is to destroy every attempt we do to ignore and deny it. We'll just sing Hakuna Matata! Maybe that will ease the "pain" as we embrace the reality of the impending arrival of the new school year and the challenge of surviving mass stampede inside the stores from frantic parents doing last-minute BTS shopping!

But you don't need to be included in the casualty list. Here's my trustworthy survival guide to make sure you don't end up the object of a shopping roadkill.

What Legacy Will I Leave my Child? #ShareYourLegacy with Disney and h20+ and Win!

Love this girl to the moon and back! / Photo +Maricris G 

I was watching my daughter walk ahead of me the other day when a sudden truth hit me. It was like being sucker punched in the tummy. Ouch! Reality sure hurts. There was no denying it - "My baby is growing up way too fast!". Then it so happened that my all-time favorite brand Disney asked me if I wanted to participate in a campaign to share "MY" legacy - my answer was a resounding YES! of course.


Because, hey it's Disney, and I also have my own story to tell and a legacy that I hope to instill in my daughter, and what the heck, possibly my future grandchildren as well. A legacy that I hope they'll always remember me for.

No Judgement Zone: How do You explain Caitlyn Jenner to Your Tween

Photo: Vanity Fair

If the world isn't already confusing enough to a maturing, hormone-charged, muddled brain of a pubescent tween, you have to add Caitlyn Jenner to the equation and upset any well-documented checklist of awkward, hush-hush topics to talk about with a confused tween. Thanks world! As a parent, you've got my work cut out for me. Punk!

So, how one begin to explain another "label" - for the lack of a better term - where even those themselves that is "afflicted" by it have no clear grasp of what they're going through? According to Bruce Jenner, now Caitlyn Jenner, "He will be learning a lot about himself as he continues his transition."- via Eonline 

If he is this confused, imagine the utter confusion of those around them who are not aware that they are transgendered.

I'm a classic example of the utterly confused. True story.

Parenthood: Reasons Why I Learned To Love My Child's Mess!

Got kids? Then you know it! Clutter, messy floor and the despicable messy room - they are the vain of your daily domestic existence! I get you. They're part of my "normal" for about 10 years now too. Never a fun moment there I tell you, but you know what? I just discovered an appreciation of all my unica iha's mess-es! I may have just fallen in love with them in a cuckoo, crazy, kind of way.

It all started with my daughter being on Summer Camp for a week. I thought, "Aaaah! What a relief!" A relief that washed over my entire being. Finally, a break. A break from motherhood. A break from all her "drive-me-crazy" mess. Period.

Can you relate?

Parenting Tips: 10 Ways to Empower Your Child with Financial Skills

Earning her first "business" profit

"You have the responsibility to educate your kin [children] about finance. If you don't, no one else will, and they will suffer for it. - Tom Dyson, The Greatest Financial Gift You Can Give to Your Children

I had a great opportunity to give my daughter a teachable moment in finance recently. I have to sell my jewelry creations at an event and she decided to do it with me selling her own creations. It gave her a hard look inside the world of retail and how it is to earn money on her own. My mom gave me this same privilege when I was young and I'm happy that I can do the same for my daughter.

A Child's First World Problem: "I have No Friends!"

I did not realize the full impact of our move until tonight when my daughter promptly but silently declared "I have no friends! I have no friends here..." walking away with tears falling from her eyes like waterfalls which she tried to hide from me. Her face painfully painted with sadness. I on the other hand, felt like a lightning struck me! Or someone punched me on the face or bonked me on the head. OUCH! My heart crumbled to pieces. My grand scheme backfired... I thought I was going to have a stroke.

The Business of Pottying: A Very Stinky Subject - Always!

I'm lovin' the current potty commercial produced by Clorox. Have you seen it yet? I'm not a loyal user of the product but their commercial captured the genuine essence of the crap-filled experiences we encounter during the potty-training years. I specially love the version where the little boy announced triumphantly "Mommy, mommy, I went potty!" then Mommy excitedly looked at the obvious destination of this potty and saw nothing and had to asked "Where?" -- You get the idea...

It never ceases to make me burst into laughters everytime. Yes, it is funny. But back then, Ah! goodness gracious -- it's another story. Back then the Censor Board would have slapped me with an R {Restricted} rating for potty-mouthing and violent, gory scenes with poopies in areas where they don't belong!

As a mom, I'd say Potty training is easily the ultimate challenge of parenthood. It's almost like training little cavemen. They're wild, barbaric and no toilet manners.

7 Things No One Told Me About Motherhood and More!

Whenever I see a mom with 3 or 5 or even {God help her} 6 children in tow and they're ganging up on her like a wild herd on a rampage, in public spaces no less, my head would literally go spinning to no end. I grew up in a big family and seeing this fucked-up poor mom reminds me of how crazy it had been for my mom! We were good kids {believe it or not}, all six of us, but we were also KIDS -- so heck yeah, we drove her ape shit insane!

7 Signs You're Raising Digital Kids

How My Daughter Made Me Roll a Huge Snowball Boulder

I finally got my wish. It snowed in Charlotte! Woot! Woot! And good for snowball-making-kind-of-snow too! It's been ages since we got this much. Obviously, this snow-starved gal was beyond ecstatic! Though its arrival totally un-glamorized the heck out of me.

Whizdom from My Kid: What is Super Bowl?