Father's Day and Green Balls

MAX befriending the goldfish @ Kaya, a Korean restaurant
along Jupiter Ave. in Makati

Phee's Father's Day celebration was eighty-sixed this year in favor of possible business opportunities with Korean associates who forgot what day it was. We're still lukewarm over the possibilities from the meeting, but one thing we got excited over was this product developed by Dr. Jeon of Biocera. It's called the Biocera Green Ball.

MAX, Phee, my mom and I, having lunch @ Kaya with The Biocera Green Ball inventor, Dr. Jeon and associate

I'm not in the habit of pimping stuff on TMW, but I do make exceptions for products that I believe in. As a mom, I worry about dirty laundry, germs and allergens on my family's skin, from clothes, not to mention the rising cost of laundry staples, electricity and water. On my spare time of worrying about these and other "mom" concerns, I also think about  Mother Earth and how she deserves a break, so it was kinda cool that we got to meet the guy who invented this product:

yep, NO SOAP NEEDED!

This plastic orb, which is roughly the size of a baseball can address those concerns of mine. Filled with antibacterial bio-ceramic filter balls, it not only cleans your laundry, it deodorizes, softens and acts as an antibacterial for it. Talk about all in one. 

I know I sound like an infomercial, but really! No buying detergent, bleach and fabric softener for 3 years (the lifespan of a green ball)?! I also buy a separate product for my youngest son's clothes since he's got sensitive skin, but with this ball, I don't have to worry about allergens or any harsh chemicals! I don't have to use the washing machine for long periods of time simply because I can just pop the ball and my laundry in the tub and let it soak. The longer it stays there, the cleaner our clothes get. One ball does the trick for a 6-8 kg load. The technology has been available since 1994, and I find it hard to believe that it's not in every household. (BTW, a practical application of those ceramic balls is that these are the very same component in your fridge that acts as a deodorizer. Think Nano-silver antibacterial deodorizers.)

Because it doesn't have all those surfactants, and other chemicals, the water drained from the washing machine is eco-friendly. Now isn't that the bomb?

We may not have had a traditional Father's Day celebration this year, but at least we got to discover this product that could address regular, everyday mom concerns and be eco-friendly at the same time. ( eating the delish Korean staples @ Kaya wasn't bad either - MAX hearts your Japchae!). Hope we get to find more of these products.

MAX scopes out Kaya's interior while mom and I go through the menu

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours.

CROCS HUNTING: Epic Fail!

Sunblock, food and drinks, umbrella, after sun gel, light cool clothing...
we were all set!

Phee's

The Philippine Crocs Mega Sale was one of the most awaited event in our household. Last year's sale yielded 13 pairs for our motley crew c";) alone, on top of the 6 pairs for my cousins and nephew.

my hoard

MAX's caymans

for MAX's kuyas

We went back to the 2010 venue twice, waiting in line for over an hour in the summer heat just to get in, another 2 to 3 hours to rummage through the items and an hour to pay for the treasured footwear.  The drive alone in that sale-induced congested area along Ortigas on top of finding ANY parking space was simply insane last year! But did we learn our lesson? Noooo! We came back, more determined than ever, to hoard more Crocs even if 18 pairs  may currently be found in our home!

the line 

The June 9-12, 2011 sale brought us down from the mountains of Baguio into the parking space heaven know as The Fort. The Megatent may have been bigger but the NBC Tent was a better location in terms of traffic avoidance and other concerns that last year's sale brought about.

lunch is served!

We were ready to line up for a full hour, anticipating the mob scene. We even bought food from the McDonald's , Mang Inasal and Yellow Cab crew who were peddling their wares from little thermal bags.

MAX decided to sleep (again) through the madness

Ten minutes under the sun, and 2 blocks away from the entrance, a very enterprising Filipino-Chinese woman befriended MAX, Phee and I, and moments later, one of the event's marshals.  The result? We were able to get inside the venue in the next 10 minutes.

Why were all the good buys taken? sniff  :(

We decided to go to the 2nd day of the sale, so yeah...we DID miss out on all the great deals. Unlike last year, things were much pricier. Maybe that was why there were less people in the much smaller venue. To sum it all up, we came out empty handed :(  The styles and corresponding prices we wanted were not available, and buying the remaining cheap items were just not worth it. Bummer!

pretty tame crowd compared to last year's mob

I can never hate Crocs though for not being able to buy anything from the 2011 megasale. These lightweight, durable and comfy shoes are tootsie staples in our home. They've come a long way from the clunky designs, and judging from the "cool" comments we get when people see the matching  Sta Cruz Crocs of Phee and MAX, Crocs will never go out of style. Here's looking forward to the 2012 Crocs Mega Sale!

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than mine :)

Here's A Toast To Being Pinoy

On this Independence Day, I would like to take a few moments of my time to introduce to you my paternal grandfather, Ildefonso Santos Sr.

Lolo Ponso was quite old when I met him. Actually, I met him a few months before his death at the age of 87. I was only six. You might now be asking at this point how Lolo Ponso and my somewhat nationalistic blog title is connected. Here's how:

Born in January 23, 1897, Lolo (grandpa in Filipino) was one of two sons to a humble tailor in Baritan, Malabon, Rizal. I remember my father telling me of his love for books, how he emphasized the value of education and how important the Filipino language was to him. In fact, after graduating from the National Teachers College, he became the schools first Professor in Pilipino. He was also credited together with Julian Cruz Balmaceda and Francisco Caballo for writing "O Sintang Lupa" (Beloved Land), the Tagalog translation of the Philippine's national anthem, a precursor to our current "Lupang Hinirang". It was also the official National Anthem in 1948.

For those who took up Philippine Lit at one point, you may also be familiar with some of his works (they tend to pop out every now and then in our Filipino textbooks. I'm not quite sure if he wrote some of these under his pen name Ilaw Silangan (source: Wikipedia):

• Tatlong Inakay (The Three Chicks or Three Young Fowls)
• Gabi (Night)
• Ang Guryon (The Kite)
• Sa Tabi ng Dagat (At The Seaside)
• Ulap at Mangingisda (Cloud and Fisherman) and even some translations of foreign works (the only one of his books that I have at home)
• Ang Rubaiyat ni Omar Khayyam.

It is through these works that I am inspired to write about my thoughts and present through my work, the beauty of the Philippines and how cool it is to be a Pinoy.

From TMW (The Mediocre Wanderer), may all your wanderings, be better than mine. Happy Independence day!

(Note: Lolo Ponso's namesake Ildefonso Paez Santos Jr.  -I.P. Santos for those in the know ( and my Dad's older bro) has been named, by the Philippine government, as one of the Philippines' National Artist in 2006 for his contributions to modern Filipino landscape architecture.)

BORA...Haaaaaaay! (The Ins and Outs of Travelling with a Toddler or an Infant)

View from the top

Our Boracay adventure has come and gone and with it, comes my commitment to blog about the experience. From a blog follower's standpoint, I honestly think that every blog about Boracay has been written. Articles about places to go, people to see, activities to do and meals to savor have been done for the nth time. This is why I have decided to talk about it from a mother's standpoint. Dear readers, may I now present my Do's and Don'ts of traveling with a toddler to Boracay.

a 3 year old and 2 bags in one hand
while holding on to a rail

wearing a lifevest is a must,
contrary to this picture

DON'T OVERPACK: As every seasoned traveler knows, packing lightly is the way to go. Bringing practical, multi-purpose, lightweight items is a must. However, since we're Mediocre Wanderers, we managed to slightly overpack. Boracay is an island that thrives on it's tourism industry. Having a porter carry your bags to and from your island transfers would cost you about 20 php a bag. Our luggage would have been acceptable for city travel (the 1 check in, 1 hand carry rule), but since it was an island destination, we should have tweaked our packing methods. For the 3 of us, we had 1 roller bag each, Phee's Titleist backpack (where all our electronic gadgets were stored), my Lacoste summer sailing bag (were our travel essentials were stored), and MAX's mini thermal bag which contains his yogurt drinks, yogurt cups and veggie juice. Stuffing things in a backpack is the easiest way to travel in this case.

my resuable shopping bag had all of MAX's  poo inducing needs (in a thermal bag) and a big bag of R Lapid's Chicharon

Reusable ice helped his drinks and yogurt stay a ok for the whole journey

DO bring FIBER: Your child's diet may have to be altered slightly and his usual food faves may not be readily available in your destination. This may cause constipation. On top of hydrating your child and trying to give them fish and veggies, yogurt products are quite helpful. Because of this, we have learned to bring certain food items for MAX's convenience (see contents of his mini thermal bag). We picked up the bag, which is roughly the size of a small Manila envelope at one of those japanese stores that sell eveything below 100 php. Phee bought online a product know as techni ice (reusuable ice packets that are as thin as corrugated cardboard sheets), and voila! an ultra light, non chunky mini cooler!

MAX enjoying the deep end of the pool

Aside from a swim vest, DON'T leave home without SWIM DIAPERS: based on one previous life altering lesson, we have learned never to go swimming with a toddler without a swim diaper. This applies to kids who have not been potty trained. This also gives you and  your child the freedom to enjoy the pool without fear, worry and possible shame (especially when a resort has to drain their pool because of a little "accident").

bought over ebay.ph, it's a poop and pool saver

DO Bring the other FEEDING essentials: if your child is still using a bottle, traveling with one bottle is just insane right? Solution? Bring disposable bottles. These are special bottles that have disposable liners that can be put in them. Not exactly new in the market, I've been bringing 2 of these in all of our out of town trips, together with a certain amount of liners (based on your child's consumption) alongside with 2 extra nipples. Not only are they light, they clean easily. Worried about sterilizing these things? Try Chicco's disinfectant for bottles and teats. A capful of it, mixed in a litre of water will disinfect your child's washed bottle. No boiling needed. In the case of the disposable bottles, you only need to rinse them as the nipples are the only ones that need soaping. And since you don't really need an entire litre of solution  for 2 bottles, packing just a small amount in a travel sized bottle can last you for a week.

On formula: If your child's milk is available in pouches, bring em (in cases where your kid's milk won't be available in your destination). If not, transfer them into zip lock bags (double sealed) to make em travel light. Canned formula may be kept in your checked in luggage, but then again, who needs all that extra weight?

Lastly, a spill proof sippy cup can do wonders in a long trip. MAX hasn't used a bib since he was a year old, and his insulated, unbreakable, spill proof sippy cup has made sure of it. It's just amazing!

bringing booties/ swim shoes at Shangri-la' Boracay's private beach  is recommended

KEEP COOL: aside from your complete line of toiletries and under the sun protection, one thing you must never forget (just in case you do forget to reapply the sunblock) is an after sun gel (the ones with aloe). It really cools the skin, keeps it moist and prevents it from peeling. Use it with or without a sunburn. A bottle of that, some zinc oxide, plus anti itch cream on top of my pack of bandages complete my travel first aid kit (not to mention the usual pills for a headache, diarrhea and allergies).

Seriously? An airport without AC?! Even the airport at Marinduque (that had a flight or 2 a day WAS airconditioned!)

The airport at Boracay is not air conditioned. Waiting for two hours in the heat was enough to start a chain reaction of crying, whining and complaining kids (not to mention a mob of irate adults). Applying some cooling gel really helps on top of drinking cool water. Keeping a pack of travel sized baby wipes in a freezer the night before a trip also gives you another option in cooling yourself and your child.

a view of the airport's boarding area..how come no one talks about it?!!

These are the top 5 tips that I've come up with,  specially for those parents like me and Phee who often travel without the help of a nanny.

The only thing I was stressed about in the whole trip was my body ache from too much fun in the pool with MAX and Phee. We really had a great time at the Boracay Regency and also at the beautiful Shangri-la Boracay.

MAX in his Body Glove swim wear at the Boracay Regency beach front

Traveling is always a tiring, yet rewarding experience especially when you get to share it with your kids. Take things in stride, learn to not sweat the small stuff, smile and enjoy without having to leave anyone behind!

At the lobby of Shangri-la (google the place up, it's  FAB!)

Hope this helps you and your family in your next vacation :)

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!!!