Oh dear! It’s been a while since my last blog post, almost a month! I really feel bad about leaving my blog unattended, however, I do have my reasons. I have recently made a life changing decision that will give me the opportunity to spend more time with my son. This April though I promise to blog more often as I will have a lot more time on my hands, unless my now 9 month old baby boy decides to keep me busy. I can’t wait to bring this blog back to life, so do stick around for that.
I can’t believe that January just went by so fast! We’re now at the month of love and I’m in such a wonderful mood right now because of my new schedule for February!
Since Valentine’s Day is drawing close I thought I’d share some ideas I gathered from Pinterest that I might try next week. Let’s admit it mommies, not all of us have cash to splurge on an expensive gift for le hubby! However let’s not forget that gestures can speak louder that gifts, so instead of buying something, we can make something special for husbands, friends and family. So now I’ll be listing a few sweet treats you can bake or make this Valentine’s Day,
Pink Cinnamon Rolls
These were originally intended for a cancer awareness event, however the beautiful pink color can represent Valentine’s Day, too. These are simply appetizing and I believe you can even change the color if you prefer to do so.
To view the recipe, click here.
P.S Okay, I just found a recipe for Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls! Gaaah! It’s worth checking out!
This is something I have to try! The recipe I found is detailed with pictures for each step.
To view the recipe, click here!
Strawberry Heart Oreos
Okay, the name may be misleading as these are not actual Oreo cookies, rather, they are homemade Oreos. However, it does not change the fact that they indeed look yummy and easy enough to make. Cookies definitely work well as gifts for various occasions. You can bake a batch to share with your family or family, or, you can pack about one to three cookies in a clear bag and make a gift tag and give them out as gifts to friends and co-workers.
To view the recipe, click here.
Heart-Shaped Cake
This is a no-brainer for those who love baking cakes. You can use your own cake recipe and just follow the diagram and voila! Your very own heart cake! The decorations can vary from cute to classy, it’s really up to you! It would also be a good idea to use a Red Velvet Cake recipe for this.
To view the recipe and instructions, click here.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cupcakes just scream Valentine’s! It has become a cupcake trend in the past year or so, and I find it to be one of the most sinful and decadent cupcake flavors. I remember coming across a good Red Velvet Cupcake recipe a few years ago, unfortunately, I don’t have the link anymore. It’s a shame because the recipe was very detailed and the cupcakes turned out delicious. I went through Pinterest instead and just clicked on the first detailed recipe I came across.
To view the recipe, click here.
There are TONS of Red Velvet Cupcake recipes on Pinterest so feel free to check them out. If you type Red Velvet in the search bar, you’ll be surprised to find so many Red Velvet recipes besides cupcakes, such as cakes, brownies, cookies, pancakes, cake pops, cake rolls, crinkles, cinnamon rolls, and moooore!
Okay, I’m going to have to stop now because all that food is making me hungry. I hope you enjoyed this post as I did writing it. Please feel free to share any ideas you might have!
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.
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| 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!
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| 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.
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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!
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.
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| 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.