Friday, October 03, 2014

What a September!

There's a lot of blog neglect going on lately. Just when I'm overflowing with stories! I have so many exciting things happening, dearest readers. I could barely wrap my head around them and catch my breath! I looked through my Instagram account so I can give you a summary:

I collaborated with Ni-QUA to come out with my line of clutches. Buy one please! I have pink and tan, too!!!

I started work as Baby Magazine's Market Editor. My friend says it's the Town & Country of parenting magazines since it features a lot of upper crust moms. Well, I'm just glad I have work! It's very light since Baby Magazine comes out every two months. So I still work from home. Best of both worlds!

Here's a few shots from the fashion editorial shoot we did at Makati Shangri-la. That was sooo cute! In case you're wondering, my work as Market Editor is all about featuring products and services for babies, little kids, moms and families. So that's like a beauty/fashion/lifestyle editor. In other words, I get the fun part of making the magazine! If you have a product and service for babies, little kids, moms and families, tell me!

I also joined BDJ Box Beauty Ministry to dish beauty advice, tips and reviews. Check out my articles! I just started so I don't have a lot yet, but my fellow ministers have dozens of beauty reviews and tips you'll love!

Anyway, the BDJ post also means attending events and meetings! A very big one was at the Beauty Social mid-September. Here's a photo of me and Kate Alvarez backstage. Those bags behind us are hundreds of goody bags for all the girls who attended. Wow, there are soooo many BDJ Box subscribers! And it was so nice to meet you!

By the way, my articles came out in Smart Parenting's September issue. I hope you got a copy! These are possibly my last articles to come out in magazines this year because I'll be focusing on Baby Magazine now.

Then I got sick for a whole week. Asthma attacks for the first time in years! My kids got sick, too. My husband and I were worried about Vito and Iñigo. But they got better soon enough. Iñigo now is on the last legs of his horrible cold. But we're just happy they're healthy again.

And I was busy with the blogs. Here I am on my way to yet another meeting! And Piero is always with me since he breastfeeds. I know you're not seeing any action online but I've been going to meetings with people who want to work with me. Some didn't work out, some did. I'm just grateful for everything! Blogging has been such a big blessing!

That's why I'm back! I have to blog. I know I've been away. That's because life is exciting! Let's not forget to live! Still, I don't want to lose you, my dearest readers. So I'm going to try to blog here on Topaz Horizon twice a week. I also blog over at Topaz Mommy, in case you miss me. And if you reeeeeeally miss me, I'm very active on Instagram and Facebook. On IG, I post a lot about my everyday life. On FB, I share a lot of links to interesting and helpful stories I found on the web.

So I promise to blog more often and regularly! I'm thinking Mondays and Fridays. See you next week! Happy weekend!

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Friday, September 26, 2014

Fashion Friday Find: The best Instagram account on #OOTD!

I just discovered what is perhaps the best account on Instagram that's all about style, glamour, shopping and travel!

Folks, follow Barbie's Instagram account!
Selfie!

Outfit posts!

Travel pics!

A day in the life of a working woman!

Incredible fashion from top designers and stylists!

It's very new. Just one month old but Barbie is so delighted that she already has 300,000+ followers. I can only dream of 300,000 followers. Fashion IG accounts seem to be very popular and I'd do OOTDs but, with my current job description (mom of three little boys), good luck to any outfit surviving a day without getting barfed/vomited/wiped/smeared on!

How about you? Who's your favorite fashion Instagrammer?

*photos from Barbie's Instagram account

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Friday, September 19, 2014

How to really give baby a no-more-tears bath

I think Johnson's Baby has put a trademark on "No more tears" because of their baby wash. So when Nuffnang told me that Johnson's Baby wanted to visit me and my new baby boy Piero and show me how to care for his skin, I thought, "Oh, they'll just tell me about their famous no-more-tears formula." 

As a mom of three little boys, I didn't think there was anything I needed to know about taking care of babies. I considered myself a mommy pro, ya know! But I did have questions on sun exposure since the pediatrician recommended sunbathing Piero. I was concerned about sun damage. Since Johnson's Baby said they will talk about skin care, I figured my concern qualified as a skincare issue so I invited them over.

I'm so glad I did! Johnson's Baby brought Merna, a midwife from the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines, and she showed me how to give Piero a stress-free bath. Now, if you're a mommy of newborns, you'd be familiar with how they absolutely hate baths. The pregnancy and baby bible What to Expect said newborns hate to be naked. They feel cold and insecure. They need to be held and tucked into a ball, and baths just don't have a part in that picture. So I usually rush through bath times with my kids. They scream like they're being tortured, you see, no matter how nice and warm the water is or what soothing song I sing. Everyone's upset! They only start enjoying their bath when they're around 4 to 6 months old. 

So how do we give newborns and infants a real no-more-tears bath? With Swaddle Bathing!

The video showed the baby wrapped in a towel but Merna used a lampin with her demo doll. I think that a lampin (or muslin) is also more advisable because a towel will soak up too much water and be heavy. You don't want to be handling unwieldy things when you're bathing an infant.

After the bath demo, Merna showed me how to... 
  • dry baby (pat, pat, and make sure all folds are wiped, too!) and apply lotion
  • put on a diaper (fold the top of diapers outward to prevent it from scratching baby's skin)
  • massage baby to promote growth and relieve stress.
All of these tutorials are in the new microsite of Johnson's Baby. It's a cute website that helps us moms care for our baby's skin. As the first barrier against infection and germs, skin has to be healthy. Yes, more than being soft and touchable, what really matters is our skin's good health, especially our baby's skin. Johnson's Baby has made it their mission to be moms' partner in baby's healthy skin development. They assure us moms that their products — recommended by the World Infant Care Authority, and rituals – developed in partnership with the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, and the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines — are safe, mild and effective.

I used the Swaddle Bathing tip when I bathed Piero after the Johnson's Baby visit. True enough, Piero wasn't scared, stressed, and he didn't cry! It works! We're so happy! So, mommies, make sure you study the swaddling video so that you and baby will have a real no-more-tears bath!