No to Formula Donations Post Maring

This post might offend others even if my intention is for the greater good and there is no malice nor judgment involved in the writing of this quick blog post.

Hundreds of families will be finding themselves in temporary shelters and evacuation centers. Donations will be pouring in. One industry that is very quick to respond to this 'need' (or say, opportunity) is the milk company industry.

But please say it with me.... FOUL!

For one thing, breastfeeding missions we have conducted post-Ondoy showed us that many of the marginalized actually breastfeed to some extent (and let's face it, those from the middle class or upper class will have relatives to go to after losing their homes to flood). It is just a matter of empowering them to do it exclusively.

Breastfeeding is imperative during disasters and emergency situations, while donations of formula will undermine a mother's capability to provide a safe food for their infant (one that is sure to protect him from common illnesses they will inevitably pick up from those evac centers) and toddler/s. Plus, formula donations can pose real health risks in such situations wherein sterile water, equipment and enough formula will not be guaranteed. It is not a joke, evacuees have used portalet water, or gathered rain just to prepare formula. This is why an epidemic of diarrhea often follows such displacement.

If you really care about those people, do read this and be enlightened how to better help: Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies

Getting Kids Into Music

Yakee still has not had any formal training on an instrument yet. I want to adopt the Waldorf way of introducing that in First Grade, when he turns seven. And I will insist on a wind instrument for his lungs.

That does not mean, however, that we have not introduced him (or both boys) to musical instruments. Yakee has played with a recorder and harmonica, has broken enough drums, has a xylophone, broken two ukeleles, has played with a rainmaker and who knows what else.

These were hubs' gift to them from Malaysia... I love the marimba (the one the looks like the body of a guitar) and Yakee uses it to create background music when he feels there's a need for it. Yamee uses the drum as a drum, container for toys and step stool though. Haha.

So, in the years to come, I see our home playing host to guitars and bigger drums, maybe even a violin (I don't see Yakee playing it but can totally see Yamee doing so) or some Accordions at musician's friend for the two. Heaven knows he has expressed curiosity over harps and lyres as well.

Heaven help my ears! Haha.

City Gardener

Homeschooling and a pursuit of a healthier lifestyle has made me realize the necessity of having my own garden to pluck leaves and what-nots from.  I sometimes check out tips from the Soothing Company Blog or get helpful concoctions from Facebook sharings but I sometimes don't have ingredients handy or prefer something simpler.

Want to deodorize a house? Get free coffee grounds given away by Starbucks. And then sprinkle some on your pots so their acidity will make your plants thrive better. Include the neighbors' or the street's plants in the process.

Got the sniffles? Set up a steamer alongside your kids while they're having some tub time with some lagundi leaves (which I thank our neighbor for). And make your kid drink oregano tea (I literally bought a plant just to pluck leave from, much to Yakee's dismay), or a tablespoon of oregano extract (steam oregano some and just squeeze juice out of it).

I boil pandan leaves to perfume the house... and later on use the tea to calm me down, or flavor gelatin with. Mixed with lemongrass, it's even better tea. Mixed with kalamansi and honey and iced... it's the same iced tea now being sold by Gawad Kalinga. Haven't figured out how to make my pandan plant grow really long leaves though.

Other potential ailments can be helped by our asitava plant, and I am glad it doesn't taste awful so I guess I can season salads and soups with its chopped leaves. 

 I even use our basil plant to make basil tea...or really make pesto pasta fragrant :)

This week, I shall try to grow Kangkong Upland (because I have not been succesful with okra) from seeds. Good luck to me!

Oh, I have So Much to Say

... but since I am cramming and sleepy, let this suffice for now:

Arrived home from a date with hubs late Friday night to this:



Left my sons this the foolowing morning since I have a breastfeeding thingie:

MIL is Handy Womanny

MIL knows close to zilch about the net so she can't have possibly Googled things like  ceramic rings at LSPceramics.com to replace pump cylinders but she continues to amaze me about how Handy Manny-like she is. She can replace pumps, valves and whatever from water pumps to ovens. Her last project that bawled me over? Re-piping their entire house (she just hired me to drill the holes through the walls for her but she did all the sawing, measuring, designing and installation of  the pipes themselves) because she couldn't find which pipe is leaking. So now, every toilet in her house has a working bidet and all showers are working, and there are locks for each system should there be any repairs need to be done, thus eliminating the need to shut down the water supply in the entire house.

Brilliant eh?

I can only hope I will be half as service-able as she is. I have started with attempting to change gas tanks... haha. I have to do more and learn more because I need to set a good example for my own boys.

Hakab Na Posters

Just wanted to share the posters I made for the Hakab Na! event tomorrow at Rajah Sulayman Park. I will admit to not being very active in breastfeeding advocacy lately (missing the first ever Breastfeeding Congress even!), consumed as I am with homeschooling and better parenting.

Truth be told, I ended my day with my sons shouting... being sooo sleepy and both not settling down after almost an hour. Sigh. But I know it was my fault mostly... I have been preoccupied and not really present with them.

But I did talk to them about the event tomorrow... about being attentive to My and me so that they will not lose us, and we will not lose them. I prepped them to wearing these posters... and I had to make my own as well because they might not wear theirs if I didn't have any on.

There were also sooooo many things I wanted to say on these posters too... but ultimately, my favorite one was the one for Yakee because it is what I have always, always said: That the same God that allowed me to grow my children in my belly, then deliver them safely, has provided for me to grow them outside of me.

Happy Breastfeeding Awareness Month!

Dancing to 90's Hits

Some guy decided to go back down memory lane and record a video of himself dancing to 90's hits... which got my online community to come up with a dance number of a similar theme for our Christmas party. Haha. Because it was my idea, I was forcibly volunteered to join the dancers.

I decided to embrace it though because it could be something else for me to do to get exercise. Makes me wish I can do it facing a big, new TV on its own flat screen stand to really inspire me more! 

But I guess I will just do it with the kiddos :)  It will be our P.E. (because the arnis sticks have lost their charm a little).