Brianna's First Haircut at Cuts 4 Tots

I know that it's been more than two weeks since Brianna got her first haircut but as we all say, better late than never!

I've decided long before Brianna was about to get her haircut that a professional would do it. The fact that she might have lesser hair than a usual one-year old didn't actually occur to me. Either way, I wasn't going to touch her hair anyway because I am one of those people who does not do well with scissors on her hand.

We visited Cuts 4 Tots at the SM Megamall Annex last July 2, 2012 for Brianna's haircut.

Last photos with Brianna's long(er) hair.

At first she was really calm and even played with the very patient employees but when she heard the snips of the scissors, she started panicking. She was crying the whole time - which was about 10 minutes, 15 maximum - and I was having a hard time trying to get her to sit on the car so I don't have photos while she was having the haircut.


I just had her buntot cut off because it looks really awful. Her bangs were cut, too. They just cut it straight so she'd look cuter. The result?

It doesn't look much in the photos but you'd know the difference when you see her in person.


Cuts 4 Tots also offer this Baby's First Cut Certificate and being the mom that I am, I availed it and after two weeks of processing from the haircut day itself, here's Brianna's certificate:

Everything cost me Php490. The certificate costs Php195 while the haircut cost Php295. Just enough for a kid's haircut if you ask me. It was worth it in my part, too, because Brianna was not really cooperating. I can't imagine doing everything on my own!


Children's haircut is not the only service they offer. They also offer adult haircut, bang trim, hot oil treatment and shampoo and blowdry. They also offer baby products like hand sanitizers, anti-bug sprays and styling gel for kids. Cuts 4 Tots is defintely a one-stop shop when it comes to all your baby's hair needs.

The Megamall Annex branch isn't the only branch that Cuts 4 Tots has. They have branches in Glorietta 4, SM Mall of Asia, V-Mall, Eastwood Mall, SM North EDSA, Trinoma and SM Pampanga.

Since Cuts 4 Tots are celebrating their 10th year this year, they are offering a 50% discount for their Baby's First Haircut Certificate. Just print the photo embedded below and present it to your Cuts 4 Tots employee to avail of the discount:

Coupon from Cuts 4 Tots website

You have three days left to avail of the discount so hurry now to the nearest Cuts 4 Tots branch and get your baby the haircut s/he so deserves.

Needed help. Got help.

(This is yet another reason for me to believe in the Law of Attraction.)

I needed help with the twins. Actually, I've been needing help with them since I got pregnant. My mom couldn't help me with them primarily because she's not a professional that could actually give me the greatest advice when it came to my milkmakers. My trip to Wacoal not only gave me much-needed help, they also gave me tips on how to actually wear a bra.

I believe in RawEmpowerment.ph's advocacy.

As a woman, and now a mom, I firmly believe that there is no such thing as a weaker gender. Women are just as strong, if not stronger, than men. The reason? Well, for one thing, women are given the task of taking care of a real person inside her body for 9 months. That in itself requires the strength of a hundred men. What more if you add building and nurturing for a family for the rest of her life while working a very demanding job, being a good daughter (and daughter-in-law) and still look like a beauty queen while juggling all of those things all at the same time?

If you believe in the strength of women and, like me, you'd want to let the whole world know how great it is being a woman, join the RawEmpowerment.Ph Faceboook page and break the barriers of marginalism by supporting their campaign.

Online store.

I am currently getting rid of some of the clutter in our room and I've found some things that we don't/won't use anymore and I've decided to sell them all online. If you are looking for super cheap breastmilk bags, running shoes and everything in between, I suggest you visit my online shop:

http://jellybeanness.multiply.com/

Just don't expect too much from it because everything is secondhand or just given to me that I don't use and will not use. It's nothing special, really.

Me Time.

Ever since Brianna came to my life, I've changed a couple of the routines that I do on a day-to-day basis. The one that has probably changed a lot since the baby came is "Me Time" and I am sure that all of us will agree on this one.

Me Time has not only been changed but I also had to reduce it because I now need more sleep than I needed before. Anyway, Me Time consist of the following now:

• Updating offline and online resumes (JobsDB, Jobstreet, oDesk)
• Downloading and watching TV series (currently watching the whole As Told By Ginger series)
• Reading tweets (I should really stop doing this...)
• Cleaning the bedroom
• Fixing the closet
• Running errands
• Online shopping

A friend of mine told me that I should be taking a break every once in a while. Visit the salon, have a coffee or any other activity that requires me to leave the house but I get all guilty even just by thinking about it.

Is anyone else having the same problem as I do or is there anyone who have experienced it before? How are you handling it? How did you handle it?

Mommy Boobs.

I was never really proud of my boobs in the past. If anything, I think that they're the reason why I've had poor posture for the better part of my high school years. Come college, I realized how gifted I was and I've become confident and I have learned to flaunt what I've got without attracting negative attention to my "babies".

But now that I am a mom - a BREASTFEEDING mom at that - I am having a hard time, once again, with how my boobs look like. If you want to know how they look, well, that's kind of weird but here's a photo:

I want for them to look perky again but at the same time, not attract unwanted attention. It will also be great if the bras are comfortable enough for a nursing mom to wear, easy enough for me to access when I need to feed my baby and fashionable enough for me to wear them under whatever clothes I choose to wear, daytime or night time.

Another thing: if there's such a bra that helps you with your posture, that is going to be great, too. I mean, look at me. I seem to have gone back to my high school self-esteem with the way I stand. I am not, in any way, conscious about how "bigger" and saggier they've become. It's just that they became too "heavy" for my poor back to handle.

Wacoal has great kinds of bras that I can choose from and when I browsed through their website, I've seen some that fit all the requirements I want my bras to have.

This particular bra will most probably give the support my breasts need. Plus points for it being a sports bra because it will be able to help me perfectly with my goal for this year.

A maternity bra is still part of my wishlist because it seems that I still haven't found the perfect pair since I've given birth. I love this particular maternity bra because of its youthful design and it will provide great support to a breastfeeding mom.

All in all, I am really happy with how things turned out but I would love to be proactive with the things that I choose to change and I know that Wacoal will be able to help me with this small dilemma I have when it comes to underwear. For more information about their products, you can visit their website at http://www.wacoal.ph.

First ever outfit shot.

This will be the first time that I will be posting an outfit post but it's not mine. It's Brianna's. After I ran at the OROFOLS event by the De La Salle Alumni Association, we went to S&R in The Fort and this is what Brianna wore:

White top with silver flowers from Little Miss

Royal blue jeggings from Moose Girl

Dora the Explorer sandals from SM Character Shop

I love the Dora the Explorer sandals that my mom bought for Brianna. It's light but it actually is heavy duty plus it's really soft on the feet that it actually feels like it's a pair of Havaiannas. This is the perfect pair of slippers for Brianna. It won't hurt that much if she wears it out because it is not pricey.

The Moose Girl royal blue jeggings was an impulsive purchase. I was actually looking for a birthday gift for our cousin but I ended up grabbing this uber cute pair of jeggings for Brianna. It's really light so Brianna doesn't have a hard time walking while wearing it. Plus it is thin so she can wear it outside even if the sun is scorching hot.

She looks really chic with this, I would have to say. She looks fashionable without looking older than her actual age. I just wish she isn't uncomfortable wearing headbands because I have one in her closet that will look really good with this ensemble.

Proud Mom Post

Okay, I know that Brianna is waaaaaaaaaaaay too young to know what she's doing but I got so excited when I saw these photos in my phone.

(Note: I didn't edit anything except for the watermark.)

Enjoy my baby's work!

I'm sorry for the huge, unruly hair. Just woke up. I think I was changing her diaper here.

I love the effect of this photo, especially the 3-6-9 part.

I don't know how she took this. The phone she used was a C3 and we all know that it doesn't have a built in flash. What's more puzzling is she was "taking the photo" of the underside of the bed.

My Sexy Revolution Starts Now

After I gave birth to my very pretty baby, I started looking for ways to lose weight. Yes, I lost 10 lbs. from breastfeeding but it got stagnant after that. A year after I gave birth, the total weight loss I had was just 20lbs. I wanted to lose 10 more so I can top my 2010, pre-pregnancy body but alas! After all the breastfeeding, running (once a month; not much, I know, but that's an achievement considering I don't exercise at all before I got post-pregnancy fats) and dieting, I think that I've now reached the plateau of my weight (and fats) loss.

I don't know what to do anymore. I wanted to run everyday but I have every excuse in the book to not do it. I may sound like a walking contradiction now, saying that I want to lose weight and the post-pregnancy fat but have all these excuses but the bottom line is I just want to achieve all of these hassle and worry-free. I have to admit that getting a non-invasive surgery to get rid of all these fats has been a constant thought in my head but being a mom, I have different priorities when it comes to expenses now. I cannot afford to lose another peso for my nonsense so I'd have to deal with it.

If given the chance, though, I would love to get these post-pregnancy flab on my belly and tighten all the loose skin I have everywhere...and I have a LOT. The tummy area, the side of the tummy, my arms, my thighs, my cheeks, my chin...everywhere! Actually, now that I think about it, the cheeks can stay but everything else should go.

After I get rid of all of those unwanted fats and flabs, I would want to keep everything that way by watching what I eat. I love to eat, I have to admit but it so isn't worth it especially when I see myself wearing my favorite pair of jeans. So if I were given the chance to lose all the fats, I would sure love to know what to do to maintain . I don't trust (most of what's) in the Internet anymore so I'd really want to be able to consult an expert.

If you need proof that I am desperate to lose fats and weight, here is a set of a before-and-after photos that I swear are both me:

So, this is me before I got pregnant. I swear, this is me. My arms were super skinny then and my legs aren't that big but they were big to start with so this will do. I wasn't sleeping. I was working. Just in case you wanted to know.

This is me, a month ago. I have no (good) words to describe this photo so I am moving on now...

Anyway, this Sexy Solutions ad looks really, really tempting (partly because Georgina Wilson is my girl crush):

but as I've previously said, the entire budget goes to the baby. I am not complaining, though. I just wish I have a few thousand pesos to spare to get some work done to my body...

Okay, Georgina's body is seriously distracting me from finishing this post so I'm just stopping now.

Trip to the NBI Clearance Center in Galleria

Last Wednesday I went to fix all my government papers in the Robinson's Galleria Lingkod Pinoy government centers just so I don't have to think about them anymore. My agenda for the day was:

1. Renew NBI Clearance
2. Renew license
3. Update SSS records (add beneficiaries and change employment to voluntary)
4. Become a Pag-IBIG Fund member

I have accomplished 2 out of 4 of my agenda that day. I got to update my SSS records and renew my NBI clearance.

Kat Valdez's Summer Accessories Overload Giveaway

I am not really a fashionable mom but I would love to think that I take good care of myself and the way I present myself to people. This summer has been especially hard for me for the simple reason that I still haven't toned my body. I lost the weight, alright, but the flabs have been squatting on my tummy and that is the reason why I can't flaunt my body still. So, to show everyone I am beach-ready, I just dress up in summer-y clothes and that includes accessorizing.

Kat Valdez, a fashion blogger is actually giving away some accessories from Pinkest Blue, Sugar Kissed and LovetoshopUK and it would be great if I got me some of those bracelets and neck pieces. After all, this is the only way I can show my summer spirit (as of now).

These pieces are up for grabs (photos borrowed from Kat Valdez's post):

You can still join her giveaway but it closes May 12th so get there now to get a chance to win these prizes!

Nanny Problems

Our nanny has been with us for almost 6 months now and ever since week 1, I've noticed some really problematic behavior that I cannot confront her with because of her inferiority complex. Well, you see, she cannot read and she cannot write. Yes, you would think that in this day and age, these kind of people doesn't exist anymore but they do...

Anyway, here are some of her problematic behaviors:

1. She cries. All the time. I might be strict and I usually use a high tone of voice whenever I talk but that is not the reason why she cries. Actually, she cries when we all laugh at the same time and she cries when it's time for dinner and...well, she just cries all the time. It's becoming really annoying that I pretend to not notice her when she is crying because I might just end up screaming at her.
2. She is really forgetful. I don't know why this is the case but she really is. I would always tell her to bring a towel because Brianna tend to sweat a lot. I'd always tell her to bring Brianna's anti-mosquito band. I'd always tell her to refrain from carrying Brianna all the time (since we wanted her to walk). I don't know if that's being forgetful or she just doesn't care. I mean, if it's that much important to you, you won't forget.
3. She always tells someone that she's going to leave. If she wanted to leave, she should just tell it to my face.
4. She always borrows/asks for money and stuff from people in our house and from our neighbors. She would borrow money from my mom or she'd ask for chips from the store next door. I don't know why she does it. She asks stuff from me, too, and I would occasionally give her things but not all the time because I wouldn't want to encourage this behavior.

I'm sorry if I sound so mean and rude but I couldn't help myself. I am a mom who wants the best for my baby. I have only one solution to this problem of a nanny but I cannot, for the life of me, fire her because, well, she's the one person who her family turns to when it comes to money.

Somebody. Help?

Finally!

After one year and three months (and three months of that were spent worrying and being all paranoid), my baby is finally walking! I was so worried about Brianna walking but she finally does it on her own now.

Actually, the thing that I am worried about is the fact that I cannot, for the life of me, teach Brianna how to walk. I mean, how do you actually do that? Right? How do you teach someone to walk? At that time, my babydaddy gave me this video material that they shot in one of the PSI seminars during their anniversary and that video made me understand how children - especially small ones - can actually teach themselves with what they need to learn. There is no need for me to force her to learn whatever it is she needs to learn. I just need to support her while she learns stuff on her own.

So now, I am the happiest mommy, going around following her, getting things out of her way and out of her reach. This is going to be really challenging and not to mention, it will help me lose more weight. Yay for walking baby!

What were your experiences when your baby started walking? Please do tell. Tips will be highly appreciated, too!

All About Jellybean to Supermommy Chronicles

Say goodbye to ol' All About Jellybean (you will be missed!) and say hello to Supermommy Chronicles!

I had a change of heart just yesterday because as I stared at my mommy blog, I figured that most of what is in here is about Brianna (naturally) but there are some posts that pertain to how I am feeling or what I would love to do as a mom. So I figured that the blog name (and URL) All About Jellybean didn't really capture the entirety of the blog (I've been doing some studying on URLs, blog names and what nots for work) and that is the only reason I changed the name.

I've changed the look of the blog just for the sake of having a different look for the new name. I will probably revert it back to its old layout after a few weeks. I find this new look cluttered.

Anyway, welcome to my new and improved mommy blog!

Expo Mom 2012

Going to bazaars started giving me a sense of glee just last year. I don't know if it is because of Brianna or I've finally become a "lady" but going through countless racks of clothes and dozens of accessories has finally become a necessity for me. Lucky for me, Mommy Mundo usually have bazaars that are meant for moms and moms-to-be and for their second bazaar this year, they will be holding the Expo Mom 2012 on May 5-6, 2012 at the Rockwell Tent.

To add more fun to the Expo Mom 2012 event, Mommy Mundo has an exciting theme for the 5th year of their flagship event: MODERN MOTHERHOOD. Their website and Facebook page have provided its subscribers of different kinds of modern moms. You can visit their sites to know what kind of mom you are.

As for me,

Well, actually, according to the descriptions posted in their sites, I am a mixture of a breastfeeding mom, a hands-on mom and a tech mom. I am a breastfeeding mom because, well, I still breastfeed despite the fact that Brianna is already a year, 2 months old. I am a hands-on mom because all of Brianna's experiences, I want to be a part of and that is the reason why I chose to work from home. Tech mom because as I've said, I'm a work-at-home mom who uses the power of technology for my freelance writer job.

Being a modern mom is fun and exciting. Being with people who share the same experiences as you will make it more fun. Join Mommy Mundo's Expo Mom 2012 event on May 5-6, 2012 at the Rockwell Tent and share your experiences with other modern moms and shop 'til you drop from the booths momprenuers have put up just for that event.

Let's go swimming, swimming, swimming...

So I bought Brianna this mini pool last Sunday and we broke it in yesterday. The pool was not yet even halfway full when she got in. Excited much?

I'm glad she's having fun with it. She was in there again a while ago and didn't want to leave anymore. We convinced her, though... I wanted to go in there, too, to be honest. Mukhang masarap e. :)

Summertime.

Summertime has come upon us, people of the Philippines, and we all know what that means: BEACH TIME! There is only one way to hide your eyes from the brightness of the sun while looking like the supermodel mom that you are: Sunglasses.

Where is the best place to get your sunglasses, you ask? Firmoo.com. That's where I got my sunglasses and they just came in the mail today.

Firmoo.com offers sunglasses, eyeglasses, goggles and all other eyewear you could possibly want. You know what's better, though? If you don't have the 20-20 vision you once had like me, you can just send your doctor's prescription to them and they will gladly put the corrective lenses on your chosen eyeglasses. You can even have them UV protected. You just have to pay for additional fees. Once your glasses are done, they'll be sending your glasses via courier.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit Firmoo's website, www.firmoo.com and purchase your eyewear now!

One year and one month.

I am now getting really worried because Brianna still hasn't started walking. I know this is still within normal but I am not feeling really comfortable with knowing that she still can't walk. She can't even stand up on her own yet. In fact, she can't make herself stand up yet.

I am really bothered by this. Can somebody help me encourage her? I don't know what to do anymore. I just get even more and more frustrated by the day. :|

Expo Kid Year 4

Hey there, mommies! Here's another bazaar all of you wouldn't want to miss before the summer vacation kicks in: The Expo Kid Year 4!

The Expo Kid Year 4 will be happening at the Rockwell Tent on March 10, Saturday. There are activity areas meant for the moms and kids alike and shops that will be selling high quality products that are both mom and kid-friendly. There are also food booths to help you re-energize if ever you feel a wee bit tired from all the shopping and while you eat, your kids can play at the inflatable play area courtesy of Fun Ranch. There is a breastfeeding lounge for nursing moms, too!

Entrance fee for the Expo Kid Year 4 is Php 25 per head. Kids below 12 years old don't need to pay the entrance fee and those who have the Mommy Mundo passport, you can enter for free when you present your Mommy Mundo passport. All registration fees will go to MomShare outreach activities.

For more details, you can visit the Mommy Mundo website at http://mommymundo.com.

The Expo Kid Year 4. Rockwell Tent. March 10. See you there!

There's no harm in trying...

How does getting rewarded through sharing sounds like to you? Join #phchurpchurp today and bring more friends to the community!

Brianna's 1st birthday in photos.

So, I know posting the 1st birthday photos will be late now but I sure want it to be here for documentation purposes.

So... This is awkward....

I just got Brianna's 1st birthday photos yesterday and I still have to resize them so I'm gonna have to postpone the blog entry again...

Jellybean's first time at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2012

Irritation

I bought this water-based bug spray for Brianna to use because recently, mosquitoes have been common visitors in our house. I got this from a Multiply shop site that caters specifically to babies. I was too excited to use it and when it came in the mail, I immediately sprayed it on my hands and rubbed it on Brianna's skin. A few seconds into it, Brianna started crying and her skin turned tomato red that I had to wipe the liquid off of her. She was either allergic to one of the ingredients or her skin was that sensitive.

I researched the ingredients of the spray which were lemongrass distillate and oil, citronella oil and eucalyptus oil and saw that none of these would cause harm to a baby. I don't really know what happened but I didn't and will not repeat it again because I don't like the way she cried when I first put it on her.

What kind of mom are you?

I was curious to know what kind of mom to Brianna I am so I took this test that's powered by OFF! Lotion in the Top Moms Facebook page. This is the result I got:

I would really want to believe that I am a discerning mom. :)

If you want to know what kind of mom you are, you can take the test by liking the Top Moms Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/topmoms or you can visit their website at http://topmoms.net/. They are giving away prizes to lucky moms who take the test. I am fortunate enough to get a prize from Top Moms. I will be claiming it one of these days and I'm going to post the prize here.

To the prettiest and smartest wittle baby...

Happy birthday, Honey! :) Mom and Dad love you so much! :)

Weird fascination

I don't really think that my baby's fascination is really that weird but if you still don't know by now, my baby is a girl.

Brianna is so fond of cars. Whenever she hears an engine rev, she runs to the door and points to the direction of the car. When we are in a car, she wants to sit up front. Mind you, not on the passenger seat. On the driver's seat. When we're standing next to a car, she won't stop crying until she touches it.

We were at the SM Megamall Cyberzone, looking for a laptop I could use for work. This shot was taken at one computer shop where they had a Samsung race car thing was installed. Naturally, we brought Brianna there because she was really heavy, we cannot carry her anymore. When she saw the car setup, she started reaching for it and waddling her feet. We let her play there for a couple of minutes (30 minutes) and when it was time to go, she started crying and insisted we stay.

I don't know where she got this weird fascination with cars. I do remember myself being crazy over cars (designs, parts and how everything works) a few years back but it (kinda) ended before I got pregnant with her. Her dad isn't much of a car enthusiast either. He just likes some car models he sees but that's about it. Wherever she got it, I am thankful. I might have a future Danica Patrick right here.

I want these...

In line with Brianna's first birthday party theme, it would really be awesome if someone got me this:

ZAP Headband, Comic Book, Yellow and Royal Blue

It's only available here. It's only $23 with a shipping fee of $5.50 for the Philippines.

First ever Grand Baby Fair experience

So I didn't get to attend the members only soft opening of the Grand Baby Fair at the SM Megamall Mega Trade Hall as well as the first two days as I would have liked but I did attend the last day. It's my first time ever to have attended such a fair that caters exclusively to the babies and it is my first time ever to have attended the Grand Baby Fair because I was admitted to The Medical City during the last Grand Baby Fair.

Anyway, I didn't know what to expect and was originally going to buy just a bag of diapers and those goodie bags they give out but when I got there, it was like a mommy's shopping haven! Despite the overwhelming number of attendees, I got to enjoy myself and I'm pretty sure Brianna had a fun time, too, with all those people she saw there.

Here are the items we got the baby girl from the Grand Baby Fair:

We got her this Evenflo BabyGo Travel seat that can be folded and be brought anywhere you want to bring it. It is extremely light weight and portable because it has an integrated carrying bag that will make it easier for the one who's carrying it. When I first saw it, I couldn't let it go (there were limited stocks) and I just had to get one. I asked the guy who works for the event to get be a much bigger cart - I only got those ones that hold two shopping baskets - so it could accommodate this. I asked for the grandparents to pay for it as their gift for the little girl. They agreed to it. Hee.

I also got her this cute and adorable drawer which now holds her clothes. Of course, not all of her clothes fit there so I still had that separate plastic organizer with all her other clothes. This was the last stock in the Owen stall during the last day of the Grand Baby Fair so naturally, I had to get it.

My mom also got this all-too-adorable Kiddy Bin-Stool by Kids Kit from one of the stalls in the Grand Baby Fair. It is a chair, a stepping stool and a storage bin all rolled into one. It's currently storing some of Brianna's toys and is happily sitting in our family room.

These were the only ones I was originally gonna get from the Grand Baby Fair but what can I say? It is hard to control yourself when everything is 70% off!

This is the best bargain of all for me, though:

The goodie bag full of, well, goodies! I got two bags because my parents had to pay for the Evenflo BabyGo Travel seat and I paid for the rest so some of the items in the goodie bag came in two. I always feel this rush when I get loot bags. A bag probably have PHP500 worth of goodies in them and everything's for free! I love it. My ultimate favorite goody is the Avent VIA Cup.

I would love to experience that again and again and again. I am definitely looking forward to the next Grand Baby Fair! Hope we see you there!