Our Afternoon at Adventure Zone in Shangri-La at the Fort

We decided to celebrate my birthday last December by having a staycation in Shangri-La at the Fort. One of the reasons why I chose this hotel was to check out Adventure Zone. 

Adventure Zone is a 1000-square meter indoor playground inside Shangri-la at the Fort that I thought Henry might enjoy. And, I was right!

As soon as we got there, his eyes sparkled with excitement. It’s a great place for toddlers, big kids and even for parents.

#5YearsLater : Life Goals Achieved

Happy New Year everyone! I have to admit that this blog has been neglected for a long period of time. I started this blog a long time ago when I was still a wee medical student and I wanted to document my life as I struggled between med school and motherhood. Looking at my sidebar profile, I realized that a lot has changed since then.  

For starters, I am not a twenty-something anymore. I now belong to the Thirtysomething Gang (Gilmore girl reference). Aside from my age, I hope that those added years gave me more wisdom.  

I’m proud to say that the lawyer-in-making has finally achieved his ultimate goal last year. The results of the bar exam came out on the 2nd quarter of last year and he passed it on his first take.  

And my little boy, well, he’s not so little anymore. He grew an average of 1/2 an inch per month in 2017.  

May 2017 when the husband signed the rolls of attorneys

December 2017

He’s turning 10 years old this month and almost a tween. From making homemade playdoh, he now loves playing Roblox on his laptop. But, he’s still as sweet and ever.
  

As for me, I am now licensed to heal. I passed the medical boards 3 years ago. It seems like only yesterday when I was picking out my clothes for my first day of internship. 

After the boards, I went straight into residency. This is why I haven't been updating the blog. I am now training to be an OB-GYN. I still have years left before I am done with it but I know that with the grace of God, he will allow me to finish this and guide me on this new journey. 

How has your life changed from 5 years ago? I would love to hear about your story in the comments section. 

Family Vacations without the Fuss {Guest Post}

Photo Credit: kennymatic via Compfight cc

Vacation time is approaching quickly.  For moms that often means added stress to an already hectic schedule.  But do not worry, you can travel with kids and reduce the hassle.  There are many things that can be done, so use these tips to help guide your next vacation.

1. Planning Makes Perfect

Where would a mom be without her lists?  I personally use lists for just about everything – and that certainly doesn’t stop with planning vacations.  There are a variety of things we often overlook when planning a vacation like stopping the mail or mowing the lawn.  Making a list well in advance will help you avoid doling out money on vacation for things you already have.  Give your list some attention and you’ll be more likely to be fully prepared.  Instead of grabbing a piece of scrap paper, buy a planner or customized notebook to keep in your purse.  That way you’re less apt to lose it and more likely to enjoy adding to it.  

2. Efficiency Travel

The most important thing that you need to do is figure out “the how”.  If flying, you should take the time to print out all of your boarding passes 24 hours in advance.  This is a great way to avoid wasting time in the check-in line.  You should also check with the hotel that you will be staying at to see if they have available shuttle service from the airport.  If you do decide to take a cab, try to order it before and contact the hotel to establish the going rate.  Most great hotels will give you all of the information you need to get this done easily.  It saves a lot of hassle and keeps children moving to avoid unnecessary waiting.

3. Your Pillow Away From Home

Deciding where to stay during your vacation is key.  While your accommodations may seem like merely a bed at first glance, they actually play a much larger role.  Having a fridge in your room allows you to bring healthy snacks like yogurt and fruit and prevents you from raiding the vending machine at 11pm.  For my kids, a microwave is excellent for heating up chicken nuggets in between meals.  A pool or playground can provide hours of safe entertainment for your little ones while allowing you to relax.  There are even 5 star hotels and resorts that offer specialized kids programs while still providing top notch dining and spa facilities.  Upon traveling to the Hawaiian Islands, my family stayed at a stunning top Honolulu hotel that provided a little something for every member of our family.  No matter your requirements, make sure you’re looking into your options before booking.  The right amenities at the right price make all the difference.

4. The Technology Solution

You may also want to think about bringing the technology with you.  The mobile games, audio books and other forms of media can keep everyone entertained during a long car ride, train ride or flight.  Of course you don’t want your children attached to their game boys or iPads while you’re touring the Grand Canyon, but allowing them during travel time will save you all a lot of headaches.  To limit the junk and keep them learning during summer break, look into fun, educational apps that you both will approve of.

5. Stick to the Clock
Stay on schedule the best that you can.  You may have many things that you want to enjoy with your family, but if your child is accustomed to having a nap at a certain time, you really should try to get the nap in.  The child is more likely to become cranky and irritable without it, resulting in a meltdown no one will enjoy.  If many of your reservations fall during traditional naptime, try adjusting their sleep schedule in the weeks leading up to the trip.  Just moving naptime 15 minutes earlier or later in the weeks before your trip will help your small one adjust.

About the Author

Kendra Thorton is a 37-year old mother of 3. Before being promoted to the full time position of mom, she was the former Orbitz Director of Communications where she was able to travel around the world. Kendra has been to 28 countries on 6 continents, and have been quoted in the news about seasonal travel trends and destinations all over the United States. Follower her on Twitter (@KendraThorton).

Momtuition: Is it Real? {Expo Mom 2013 Press Release}

Mom knows best is an oft-repeated expression. That’s because moms, it seems, are equipped with the inherent ability to know when something’s going on with their loved ones without exactly knowing how they know. While mother’s intuition sometimes defies logical reasoning, the medical community is increasingly acknowledging its existence. There are countless instances of mothers asking doctors to take “another look” at their children because they know in their heart of hearts that something’s wrong. Mo ore often than not, the mothers were proved correct.

A research study published in The Lancet, one of the world’s oldest and most respected general medical journals, suggests that doctors should take mother’s instinct into serious consideration when treating sick kids. Judith Orloff, M.D., psychiatrist and author of the New York Times bestseller “Second Sight,” supports this statement and says that in her profession, she has seen intuition at work many times, especially among mothers. Intimately intertwined for nine months, mother and child form a unique bond, allowing the former to tap into the latter’s thoughts and feelings intuitively.

Mom bloggers, Jenny Infante-Reyes of mymommyology.com and Kris De Guzman of ocmominmanila.com, who both have two daughters, attest to this. Jenny shares that her daughter Jamie once had a bad cough and at one point she just had a nagging feeling that she should give this case more attention. Fortunately, she listened to her inner voice and took her daughter to the hospital and found out that Jamie had early stages of pneumonia. Kris shares similar experiences with her own daughters, and because of this has tried to become more attuned to her instincts as a mother. “I believe that mom intuition is real. I think every mom has a connection with her child, perhaps because we were bonded together in utero via the umbilical cord for 9 months, and now there is still that invisible bond. I call it a mom’s sixth sense”,says Kris.

Jenny and Kris

“Today’s moms have access to so many sources of information that we sometimes forget that we are gifted with a very powerful sense—our instinct. They say all women are born with such an instinct, but I believe that moms have a heightened sense since we give so much care and nurturing love to our family and children and are so connected to them. We want to remind moms about this “superpower” and this is why we chose ‘mothers’ instinct’ or we call it MOMTUITION as our theme for this year’s EXPO MOM,” says Janice Villanueva, founder of Mommy Mundo, organizers of Expo Mom, the definitive source of parenting-oriented trends, products, and information.

At Expo Mom 2013, moms will be reminded to trust their inner voice, listen to their guts, and realize ways of tuning in to this most precious gift as a way of celebrating it! It is the perfect venue for moms to connect with other moms about their intuitive experiences as Expo Mom 2013 will gather influencers to give testimony to the power of mom intuition. Experts will teach moms to develop this gift and take full advantage of it.

At Expo Mom’s trademark mompreneur market, a wide range of products and services, including the latest from fave mom and baby brands, will bring out the best in mommies. Mompreneur booths such as Nursing Mom, Mama Baby Love, Momtrepreneur Shop, Tot Couture, Indigo Baby and Nurture Nook. Expo Mom 2013 will also showcase of host of informative and entertaining workshops and activities. Created for moms and moms-to- be, Expo Mom also provides the necessary mom amenities such as a breastfeeding lounge, a diaper changing area, and a play area for young kids.

Mompreneurs at Expo Mom

On April 6 and 7 (Saturday & Sunday), visit Expo Mom 2013 at the Rockwell Tent, and find out why moms know best! Gates open at 10am. There is a minimal entrance fee of P30 per person, 100% of registration fees go to the MomShare outreach projects. To be updated on Expo Mom, LIKE the MOMMY MUNDO page on Facebook or visit www.mommymundo.com or www.expomom.com.

EXPO MOM 2013 is made possible by Shop Mommy Matters, Philippine Association of Childbirth Educators (PACE), Wilkins Distilled Water and Jakenpoy.com.Supported by: Johnson & Johnson, Cycles Mild Detergent, Cradle, Parteizeit and Bobble. Media Partners include Manila Bulletin, Sense & Style Magazine, Style Weekend, Working Mom Magazine, Lifestyle Network, Smart Parenting, Baby on Board,Crossover 105.1 FM, Ourawesomeplanet.com, Urban Mom Magazine and www.MommyPages.com.ph.

BABY BLAST 4: Discover. Create. Imagine. Explore!

       

Kids nowadays are spending less and less time outdoors, having been exposed to gadgets and other forms of technology even as infants. But recent studies show that children, especially those aged 3 and below, who play outdoors regularly grow up happier, healthier, and stronger!

Outbox Media Production Agency once again invites you to the grandest family event of the year! Now on its 4th year, BABY BLAST, an annual event focusing on the importance of Early Head Start (EHS) Education, continues to bring together EHS advocates, teachers, doctors, parents and kids, through a fun-filled family event happening at the Trinoma Activity Center on April 14, 2013, from 10am-7pm!

Our Post- Valentine's Date at the Mind Museum

When the Mind Museum tweeted that they were giving away 2 tickets to MindBurst: A Science Love A'Fair, I immediately when on a Twitter rampage. We haven't been to The Mind Museum yet so I thought this was the perfect time to do so, for free! They wanted geeky pick up lines, and who knows geeky picky lines better than a med student, right? 

Would you be our date this Feb24? Tweet us your #GEEKYPICKUPLINES to win 2 tickets to MINDBURST on Sunday. twitter.com/themindmuseum/…

— themindmuseum (@themindmuseum) February 19, 2013

Below were my tweets that got RT'ed by The Mind Museum. Yes, they were corny I know. But, I found them cute as well. And, they were enough to score me 2 tickets. So, yay!!

Whenever I am near you, I undergo anaerobic respiration because you take my breath away. @themindmuseum #GEEKYPICKUPLINES

— Ditas Aldover-Chu (@_HenrysMom) February 19, 2013

You give me more jolt than a mitochondria! @themindmuseum #GEEKYPICKUPLINES

— Ditas Aldover-Chu (@_HenrysMom) February 19, 2013

I love you with all my hypothalamus. @themindmuseum #GEEKYPICKUPLINES

— Ditas Aldover-Chu (@_HenrysMom) February 19, 2013

Before I tell you all about our experience, let me tell you about MindBurst first. MindBurst is a monthly event held at The Mind Museum. They have different themes each month. And there are exhibits, interesting talks and fun activities during the MindBurst. 

Too bad the hubby had classes that day. But, I was happy that I got to drag my mother-in-law with me. I only had 2 tickets, so I had to pay an extra P150 for Henry. 

When we arrived, the lecture on how the hormone Oxytocin affects love was about to start. The Mind Museum's curator was the one who gave the talk. Hopefully I get to write about it soon. 

But what we really came for were the fun experiments that they were tweeting about. The Mind Movers (their resident scientists) had prepared a bunch of experiments that appealed not only to the kids who were there, but to the adults as well.

Once it started, Henry got very excited and eagerly volunteered to help. 

For the first experiment, the Mind Mover taught us how to make slime. I didn't know how easy it was to make slime. You just need to mix equal parts of water, glue and borax. (But where do i get borax?)

Here's Henry mixing all the ingredients to make slime. 

Henry's Birthday Party in School

It's almost March! Can you believe it? Time really flies so fast. It's been almost a month since we celebrated Henry's 5th birthday.

Aside from our simple celebration at home, we also planned a class party so Henry can celebrate with all his friends. As much as i wanted to DIY everything, The only thing I got to do myself were the invitations.

Of course, the theme was still Toy Story (his favorite). So, I made a Woody-inspired western cowboy invitation. I'm still thinking if I should offer this design in Party Impressions.

My DIY Cowboy Invitation

 To match his invitation, I ordered a Woody-inspired cake from Happy Endings. I was so glad that they accepted my order even with only a 3-day notice. Henry loved his cake. And, it was yummy.

Cake by Happy Endings

Close up of Woody

For the food, party favors and hosting, we opted to avail of a McDonald's take out party. Henry chose them since they had a Toy Story theme party. Although, they had set meals, they also gave me the option to create my own meal. I love how they offered to change the sodas into fruit juices since they will be serving little kids. There were no additional fees for take out parties. But, we did give them money for transport.

My birthday boy with the game prizes and favors from McDonald's

I noticed that they had a different program for school parties compared to their in-house parties. For starters, the candle blowing was in the beginning of the party.

View more pictures after the jump.

Wordless Wednesday: Random Family Picture

Sharing with you all a random family picture taken this week. This was all Henry's idea. He asked mom and dad to go under the sheets for a photo op. Sorry for the poor front camera picture quality.