The Clueless Mom - Page 17 of 19 -

Keeping My Son Dengue-Free with Natural Products

January 23, 2014 19 Comments

Mosquitoes are everywhere.

Let’s face it, no matter how diligent you are in cleaning your house and spraying your rooms with some good ol’ Baygon, one or two mosquitoes somehow manage to leave an itchy surprise on your skin. Over the past few weeks I have noticed how much more frequently I’d spot a few mosquitoes, and I was really upset when I saw my son’s legs covered in mosquito bites! Not only are the red marks irritating to look at, but there is always the risk of encountering the dreaded “D” word – Dengue. I simply cannot afford to expose my son to such possibility, so I decided to take action.

I decided to buy two things to keep my son dengue-free: A natural and safe insect repellent and a balm for mosquito bites.

I really wanted to keep my son safe from mosquitoes and at the same time I wanted my son to be free of harmful chemicals. So I headed to Sesou, a store that carries natural products, in Alabang Town Center.

INSECT REPELLANT

There were a lot of good choices for insect repellants, but I narrowed down my choices to Human Nature’s 100% Natural Bug Shield DEET-Free Oil and GIGA’s Baby Insect Repellant Spray.

Photo grabbed from humanheartnature.com

I used to be a dealer of Human Nature products, so I was familiar with their Bug Shield Oil. This product is very effective in warding off mosquitoes, however, I find the scent too overpowering for a baby, and the consistency it quite thick. I’ll probably use this though when my son is a few years older.

I decided to purchase GIGA’s Baby Insect Repellant Spray instead. It has a mild scent and not only can you spray it on your baby’s skin, but you can also spray your room with it, which I find much preferable over Baygon and other chemical sprays. You can spray it on baby’s clothes too if you prefer not to spray it directly onto his/her skin.

This spray is effective. I spray our rooms and bed covers with this before we go to sleep. When my son is on the walker I spray the bottom of the walker with this, too. He still has a mosquito bite or two occasionally, but not like before when you could use a marker to connect all the red dots on his legs.

I got this for P185. It is a versatile product and I will definitely consider buying refills for this.

HEALING BALM

There weren’t many choices for baby healing balms, probably because I was looking for products specifically for mosquito bites. I was eyeing Indigo Baby’s Jar of Hope First Aid Gel instead of a balm as I read a lot of good reviews about it. However, I remember purchasing it before when I was about to have my first baby and I found it too expensive considering that it runs out easily with it’s watery consistency. This was a few years ago, though, so I’m not sure if they’ve made any changes to the product since then. This costs about P425 for 30ml. A lot of mommies swear by this product, so feel free to give it a try!

Photo grabbed from indigobabyshop.com

I could not find any other products similar to the Jar of Hope, but just when I was about to give up on finding a balm for mosquito bites, one of the salesladies recommended GIGA’s Tea Tree Cream.

As you can see on the cover, it is made of VCO, aloe vera and lavender – all known for healing and soothing properties. When I checked the back, though, it lists more ingredients: beeswax, tea tree oil and lemongrass oil. I decided to purchase this instead, I got it for P85.

This product is a godsend! My son’s mosquito bites were gone overnight, two days at the most, and it does not leave any marks or scars behind. Not only is it affordable, but with it’s consistency it can last quite long. Since baby’s mosquito bites are tiny, you will only need to use just a bit at a time. This is definitely a keeper, and I would not hesitate to purchase this again.

I hope you found this somewhat informative.There are many other natural products that offer protection for our babies from mosquitoes, so don’t hesitate to try them. I urge you mommies to use natural and safe products for your babies as it keeps them safe from harmful chemicals. If you cannot convert wholly to natural products that is perfectly fine. You can start gradually, with the little things, like these insect repellents. Eventually, you will grow to prefer natural products over chemical laden ones that lure you with their cheaper prices. If you’re not the type who wants to “go green for the environment”, then at least do it for your child.

Let’s keep our babies dengue free! Til my next post, mommies! My baby is starting to grab the laptop cables.. ack!

Clueless Moments

Happy Sunday!

January 5, 2014 No Comments

It’s the first Sunday of 2014.

That’s today’s breakfast right there. I’ve been craving pancakes for weeks! They don’t look as appetizing though because of the burnt sides and all, but they’re still as good. No smoothies for today because we forgot to buy fruits. Boo!

How will you be spending your Sunday? I’m going to have a nice day bonding with this little guy.

How can you not fall in love with him?

So anyway, I wish you all a blessed Sunday and a great week ahead! Let’s not forget to be thankful for the blessings we’ve received.

Clueless Moments, Food

Veggies: If You Can’t Eat Them, Drink Them!

January 4, 2014 No Comments

I do not eat veggies.

(from Google images)

You read that right. Ever since I was a kid I despised vegetables and their presence on my plate. I think most kids start that way, though. However, in my case, someone attempted to shove vegetables into my mouth out of frustration and I think that’s where my war with vegetables began (FYI, it wasn’t my parents). So I got away with not eating vegetables when they gave up on me. At first I felt that I wouldn’t need to eat them for the rest of my life and that it was a sweet triumph. Eventually, though, I started to see the disadvantages. I was always sick, my skin was a mess and I constantly gained weight. For some reason I still managed to convince myself that I did not need vegetables in my life and that carried on for a few years more.

I actually tried to eat vegetables a few times, however, I never liked the leafy and earthy taste, nor the crunch on some. Is “earthy” even a word? I’m not sure but I can’t find any other way to explain it. I guess that during those times my body was begging me to try to make a change. But I simply played deaf and here I am now, the fat, sickly, unhealthy me.

A few months ago, however, I found my motivation and my reason to change my lifestyle and start eating healthier – a toothless, diaper wearing, nine kilo (to date) motivation.

My son.

He was my motivation for two reasons.

1. I wanted to give him healthy breastmilk.
2. My husband always argued that I have to set a good example to our son when he grows up. If he notices how I avoid vegetables, then he might make that a reason not to eat them.

One of my first attempts to appreciating vegetable was celery sticks and I have no idea why I thought it would turn out well. I researched online and a lot of people were saying that celery sticks with peanut butter were “delicious”. Cue the “wrong answer” buzzer. One bite and I hated it! Out of frustration I threw the celery stick out the window, that was how upset I was.

Then I remembered how one of my bosses from Canada told me before that making green smoothies was a good way to start. Around this time I also came across the Detoxify Bar on Instagram and found how celebrities were into their healthy juices made from fruits and vegetables. I was still unsure if I wanted to make juices or smoothies, but I thought that “drinking vegetables” would be my square one. Coincidentally, my father bought a brand new juicer, so I decided to start there.

I originally planned to order from the Detoxify Bar and have the juices delivered to my office in Makati. Unfortunately, they only deliver at night and I was on the morning shift that time so it wouldn’t work. Since we now had a juicer I decided to make my own. The Detoxify Bar has an array of juices which consist of different fruits and vegetables.

Screenshot from Detoxify Bar’s website

I was really dying to try these! Anyway, I decided to make my own juices from the fruits and vegetables listed on each of their juices.

My first juice

It sucked. Haha.

But I could easily experiment and adjust the ingredients, plus I found it tolerable and I preferred it over chewing vegetables. After concocting my juices, I decided to do a three day detox.

The three day detox involves drinking only these juices throughout the day, and of course, water. No solid food! I found it very doable, even though my family ordered pizza on my first day. It was hard but I managed. On the first day I realized the juices weren’t to my liking and there was this after taste that I hated. It turns out to be the cucumber. I hate cucumbers, even the smell irritates me. So on the next day I tried the juices without the cucumber but I still hated the taste. I managed to find a list of juice recipes on Pinterest (thank God for Pinterest!) and decided to try them on my third day. These tasted a lot better so I stuck with these and completed the detox without gagging or cringing on the last day. In case you’re interested, here is the link to the pin for the recipes:

Mad World: DIY Juice Detox

Many people say that a detox would make you feel lighter and that you may even lose weight. I did not feel lighter but I lost five pounds, only to gain them back two days after even with a no rice diet. That was annoying.

I figured juicing was a no go. It was indeed healthy but I couldn’t stand having to drink those everyday. So I did more research and I stumbled upon The Superfood Grocer on Instagram.

Screenshot from the Superfood Grocer website

The Superfood Grocer sells a variety of superfoods that you can add to a smoothie for added benefits. Maca powder, spirulina, chia seeds are a few to be named. I was so curious about this so I decided to check their site and found that they offered a free Starter Guide. They do not only focus on selling these Superfoods but they also advocate raw vegan diets and hold workshops. I was not ready for that though so I stuck with the smoothies.

The basic smoothie recipe consists of ripe lacatan bananas, a handful of green leafy vegetables (the greener, the better), additional fruits of your choice and the superfoods, all mixed in a blender. I ordered their Starter Pack and tried my first smoothie and it was delicious. I repeat, delicious! Not “okay”, not “tolerable”. I loved it. It consisted of kale, bananas, pineapples and maca powder.

Though juices allow better absorption of nutrients, I find that smoothies make you feel fuller and are way more delicious. I have experimented with various recipes and my current favorite is a banana berry smoothie. I just throw in a handful of greens and my favorite superfoods for added benefits.

I’d rather not go into detail about their products but you can check their website for detailed information. You’ll find way more information there that is bound to get you motivated to blend your first smoothie. I swear by their Maca Powder. I gives me extra energy for work, exercise and taking care of my baby.

I just realized how long this post has become. Oops!

Anyway, whether it’s juicing or blending, I’m pretty sure both are good for you. It’s just a matter of preference, I suppose. For me, taste was a huge factor as I wanted to enjoy the experience of incorporating vegetables into my daily diet and that’s exactly what I found in green smoothies. I can’t wait for my son to try his own when he is old enough.

I can’t say that green smoothies will be my ultimate solution to my vegetable dilemma, but let’s just say it’s the ceasefire to my self-declared war. I find that drinking green smoothies make me crave better, healthier food for some reason and I would still eventually like to try eating vegetables. I still have a loooooong way to go, but I think I’m making good progress. I’m sure I will see and feel more benefits as I continue.

So there you have it. I really hope you found this useful and informative in some way.

Thanks for dropping by!

Links:

Detoxify Bar

The Superfood Grocer

Food

Fruit Smoothie on a Friday Morning!

January 3, 2014 No Comments

Just got back from work and now enjoying a delicious banana blueberry smoothie. It’s supercharged with Maca Power and Chia Seeds. Not sure what I’m talking about? Then look forward to my next post! I will be glad to share how I began incorporating fruits and vegetables to my everyday diet and ended up enjoying every bit of it.

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend ahead of you!

Reviews

Our Son’s Baptism at Santuario de San Antonio

December 26, 2013 15 Comments

Now that I’m on holiday break I finally have the time to blog about our son’s baptism at Santuario de San Antonio and our supplier reviews.

I know many mom’s consider other people’s reviews and experiences when choosing suppliers, so I’d be glad to share mine and I hope that this post would prove to be useful to some of you moms out there. I’ll be writing a separate post about the actual event soon.