char's blog

Yesterday, my 6-year-old daughter and I were invited to tryout The Learning Library at Gymboree Alabang.  When I checked out the website (www.learninglibraries.com), I was excited to find out about their borrowing privileges of over 4,000 books. One of the things I miss in the U.S. is the library (Char grew up in the States - Ed).  I would take the kids there almost every day.  You can borrow books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes and video games.

Congratulations to Tess Valencia for her winning entry in our Momme Planner Contest!

Tess will be receiving an email from us soon. Thanks so much to everyone for joining the contest!!

In my previous review, I mentioned that there are only two planners here in the Philippines that are made especially for moms. Here's the review of the second planner, the ultra-fab Momme Planner.
 

Things I Like

• Not only does this planner have space for my schedule and a designated space for my husband, it also has space for two children as well.
• It can be carried around like a bag/wallet since there are places to put cards (atms, credit cards, rewards cards, etc.), cash and receipts.
• A weekly meal page and a monthly grocery list before each month.
• The monthly overview calendars are placed at the beginning.
• The Document Tracker page is helpful since you can write down all of the expiry dates of important documents (passports, vehicle registrations, etc.).
• The Menstrual Tracker page isn't as detailed as the Belle de Jour’s planner, but it’s still a necessity for me.
• I like the fact that I can fold back the pages I don’t need while writing since it's spiral bound.

Things That Can Be Improved

• There are no dividers between each month so you have to flip through the planner to find the week you need. A bookmark is necessary.
• The paper used is too glossy. Ink tends to smear if it’s still wet.
• It’s a bit pricey for a planner. The prices range from P980 to P1280 depending on the style of the cover. Since you can replace the planner itself and keep the cover, it might be okay depending on the price of just the planner for the succeeding years.

This planner is perfect for fashionista moms who have hectic schedules.

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For our first contest for 2012, we're giving away a Luxe Style French Pochette in silver.

To win your own Momme Planner, please:

1. Like the Momme Planner Facebook page; and
2. Answer this question in the comments section: Why do you need a Momme Planner?

Contest runs until midnight of January 22, 2012 and is only open to Philippine residents. Good luck everyone!

*Winner will be drawn by electronic raffle.

**For orders or inquiries, please email Mira Ramirez at mommeplanner@gmail.com or send a message through the Momme Planner Facebook page.

Jan. 23 update: Winner announced!

my good friend, gail, tagged me a few days ago. =P here's a list of 10 things that maddie and i love, and i want to share the list with you:

1. the what to expect books
   like gail, i super looooove the what to expect series. it's not really breastfeeding friendly, so i don't read anything that has to do with nursing and weaning. =P everything else is very helpful. Ü i had the first three (what to eat when you're expecting, what to expect when you're expecting and what to expect the first year) during mick's time. i got the toddler one this year. Ü
2. medela harmony
   i exclusively pumped for the first 3 months thanks to the free harmony i got at the hospital. i never felt the need to get another pump since it worked soooo well for me. Ü and now, i hope it's working just as well for margot and baby julia. Ü
3. boppy pillow
   maddie used the boppy til she started crawling. =P actually, the boppy was mick's when he was a baby. Ü
4. l'ovedbaby nursing shawl
   i still use this. Ü it's one of the items i always have in my diaper bag.
5. britax roundabout
   maddie seems sooo comfy in her car seat. her head doesn't fall forward when she uses it. Ü plus, i looove the simplicity of it. it's sooo easy to put on her seat belt and the cover's super easy to take off and wash. Ü
6. maclaren quest mod
   her stroller was soooo handy in hong kong! i ♥ her stroller and so does she. Ü the rain cover worked perfectly. she had the driest and most comfortable seat while we were at ocean park. =P plus, it's really light and easy to steer. Ü
7. munchkin duck bathtub
   i either have her take a shower or bathe in her duck. =P the duck's nice and soft and quacks. =P
8. dvds and vhs tapes
   maddie's favorites are:
   • beauty and the beast (aka "beast")
   • the little mermaid ("mumaid")
   • curious george ("johj")
   • cinderella ("lellah")
   • baby einstein
9. baby carriers
   hmmm...the first one i had was the baby bjorn which was given to me by a close family friend. mick had one too when he was growing up. then camille gave me the new native carrier. i used it a few times, but never really felt comfy in it. then i bought a mei tai from ebay. Ü that was suuuuuuper comfy! i brought it with me to the philippines, but it seemed a bit too hot for me to use it there. so i got an r' jellybean baby sling. =P the ring sling is another item that's always in the diaper bag. Ü
10. the sneaky chef
    i just got this for maddie and i've only tried the puree for her mac and cheese. Ü she still looooves her "cheese" even if there's cauliflower and zucchini. =P can't wait to try the pizza recipe. Ü