happy new year to one + all

happy new year everyone! 

2010 has been one heck of a year, my son turned one year old, thus i also celebrated my one year of mummyhood and what better way to celebrate that by starting my own blog!

jared's little corner of world... was initially set up to record my preparations and progress on jared's first birthday, but later on has been my venue to meeting other mummy bloggers, going to blogger events, getting freebies (which i totally lurve!), and joining contests (i won two this year, not bad for a rookie, ayt?).

alas, the year is a day's shy of being over and i didn't get around to posting what transpired on august 30 in full (but i pledge to do that before the year ends or if i am really pressed for time, before the first week of the new decade ends!)!

personally, it has been one amazing year, and i feel totally blessed! as a blogger, from being a bloggie-wannabe to having actually maintained this blog for over 4 months now, i say it was a mean feat considering i started out with nil knowledge on it, and now, 60 followers and counting! way to go!

thank-you's are in order: to my followers, to my e-mail subscribers, to you my reader, i thank you from the bottom of this sahm's heart!here is hoping for a longer and lasting blogging relationship, to more fun events in the coming year, more contests and freebies and hopefully more interesting and educating posts in 2011;

to my siblings, niece, nephew, cousin, and friends thanks for making my 2010 very interesting, enjoyable and worthwhile;

to daddy, i didn't think i told you, many thanks for allowing me to stay at home so i can take care of our son, it is the best job i've ever had, and i appreciate all your efforts...

to my beautiful son, jared, thanks for giving me the most wonderful gift of motherhood...i cannot say enough, i cannot thank you enough..you gave my life new meaning, you gave me a hundred reasons to wake up each day...you are my life, my everything...

to the all, you have been nothing but good to me no matter what happens...thanks..

sorry, this post turned out very mushy and long, i daresay, i do not want to keep you away from your new year's eve preparations for too long. so bye for now and see you again in 2011. 

on with the celebration! 

from my family to yours, happy new year!

my johnson's + johnson's bassinet

i receive a text message from ms. trixie of nuffnang last december 21 telling me that my johnson's and johnsons' bassinet is now available for pick up from their bonifacio high street office. i told daddy to get it the next day. and just in time for christmas, i got my loot from october's johnsons' product launch at intercontinental hotel in makati. 

the cute loot bassinet (which, by the way, we turned into a fruits' basket come noche buena (christmas eve feast) include top to toe wash, powder (which is quite a delight since jared's powder supply is running on empty and we were not able to take a trip to the grocers to replenish our stocks, read: the trip to the grocers is mainly for the noche buena and later for the media noche (new year's eve feast) items and goodies!) lotion and wipes (i just love wipes!).

my other blogger friend told me that a kodak disposable camera is also on its way to our households. johnson's baby product is having another promo on it...hopefully i am also included in it! another interesting reason to wait for the postman each day (keeping my fingers crossed^^)

have you received your j+j bassinet yet?

play your way to donate free rice

"About a billion people in the world are hungry...

This is one [problem] we 

absolutely have the wherewithal, 

the manpower, 

the food, 

the facilities 

to actually 

overcome."

     

      David Letterman

it is good to note that, for this year, the number of hungry people on earth went down for the first time in five years, but it is simply not good enough. still over 925 million of peoply, and it is sad to note that most of them are children, still go to bed hungry. 

the good part is that you can help end hunger in your own small way without even having to leave your doorsteps, and if you've got a little more time to spare this holiday season, why not try these activites and give the gift of food?

the world food programme has outlined some fun things you can do to help alleviate hunger in the world:

1. you can test your hunger IQ and feed a child in the process, challenge your friends and send them invites as well to help feed more children

2. simply click this link to world food programme on facebook and join them to show your support and be updated with their current efforts to end world hunger.

3. you can also go to free rice and play their english vocabulary game and donate 10 grains of rice for each answer you get correctly. you can also download the free rice toolbar and learn other ways to earn more rice for donation.

there are other fun and easy way to help alleviate and totally erase hunger from our world. i dream that one day when my son is older, no man, woman, or child will go to bed hungry...

what are you waiting for, head on to their site and start earning those rice for donations, i sure am!

buzz away anti-mosquito patch

i bought a pack of this mosquito patch (5 individually wrapped patches in a pack for Php 150.00) from the last expomom bazaar. now that the terrors of dengue is abound, i'd like to make sure my son has all the protection he needed to shoo away those pesky mosquitoes!

this product in a nutshell:

• i love the fact that it is safe to use even for babies since it has no harmful chemicals
• it has no skin contact - all i have to do is attach the patch to my baby's crib or the edge of the bed to protect us during the night
• it is very portable and can be used outdoors too, simply put the patch to the edge of your baby's clothes during play outside or to his stroller when you go out in the neighborhood or the nearest park
• it is deet-free and contains high quality citronella oil which is an effective, natural insect repellant
• it last up to 12 hours!

if you want to try it, you can visit proud mama store in multiply to order. 

note: i did not receive any compensation, either in kind or monetary, for this post. am simply reviewing this product to hopefully help other mums like me in their never-ending quest to find the best and safest products for their babies.

meet me on monday - 28th edition

Questions:

1.  What are your New Year's Eve plans?

2.  How tall are you?

3.  What is your favorite pudding flavor?

4.  What room of the house do you blog the most in?

5.  What is your best physical feature?

my answes:

1. having a household with four struggling cooks can be quite a hassle especially on occasions  such as the new year's eve and whipping up a feast can be quite a daunting task. i terribly miss the good ol' days when mama would cook up a fiesta all by herself, with little (e.g. chopping, stirring) or no assistance from me. i miss those days when all i have to do is clean the dishes after stuffing myself with all the scrumptious meals my mum had prepared...oh well, some things never change, i still end up doing the dishes anyway. so this year, to enjoy the new year's eve with my son, i intend to order takeaway, less hassle and hopefully lesser dishes to wash.

2. i am 5 feet 4 inches tall.

3. it's hands down to chocolate pudding but i'd love to try other flavors, too!

4. for now i am stationery, meaning bound to my ever-reliable desktop which holds house in my son's room. so you can only imagine jared's protest whenever i go online or try to blog during playtime or when he is watching his favorite pocoyo or barney vid. my attempt is normally greeted with tugs and pulls at my shirt or is sometimes thwarted with a quick stubby finger to the power button...hopefully i can earn or save enough to buy meself a laptop soon...hmm, maybe in 2011!

5. i'd have to say my dimples and my smile!

that's me all smiles after watching an incubus concert...

note: this post is several days delayed, pardon me!

music monday - Everything by lifehouse

Find Me Here

Speak To Me

I want to feel you

I need to hear you

You are the light

That's leading me

To the place where I find peace again.

You are the strength, that keeps me walking.

You are the hope, that keeps me trusting.

You are the light to my soul.

You are my purpose...you're everything.

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms, and you give me rest.

You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall.

You steal my heart, and you take my breath away.

Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Cause you're all I want, You're all I need

You're everything,everything

You're all I want your all I need

You're everything, everything.

You're all I want you're all I need.

You're everything, everything

You're all I want you're all I need, you're everything, everything.

And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

this is one of my all-time favorite songs, very inspirational, touching and moving. i listen to this song whenever my soul needs some uplifting....it is like my prayer..now it has turned into the tune where i glorify my parents...it is also the best song for my son, i use to sing this to him as a lullaby.

my entry to..

enjoy!

the new sesame street magazine is up for free download (in pdf format). just click here so you and your child can enjoy games, activities, colorful array of stories and join him as he explores winter wonderland and find new ways and reasons to enjoy and celebrate the holiday season.

happy reading and enjoy mommies!

merry christmas to one and all!

amidst the gift-buying, bonus-giving, the good food, the merriment and all the festivities that surround this much-anticipated of holidays, stop and reflect that the true meaning of christmas is the hope of the birth of christ and spending it with the people you love....

a happy christmas and a meaningful holiday to us all!

be wickedly fresh for a wickedly fresh moment!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Toms of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine.

being a full time mom, not only requires me to be 100 percent alert and attentive, but also to be 100 percent wickedly fresh while i do my child minding duties. i worry about my son's permanent teeth and is in stress over his oral hygiene as early as now! i would like him to use only products with natural ingredients and would like to steer  clear of chemicals and their potential hazards.

then i came across Tom's Of Maine and it's wonderful all-natural oral products, while facebooking my down time away.  this company has been around since 1970 and has long been producing not only earth-friendly products, but also products with conscience, taking into consideration the environmental and even the moral impact they will have in the society. their toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, deodorant and soap contains natural and safe ingredients, with no animal testing done. they also have environmentally sensitive facilities, technologies and recycling efforts. now that is the kind of company and products i would like to support and buy for personal use, don't you think? but don't just take my word for it, find out for  yourself by heading on to their site and don't forget to like them on facebook and join That's Wicked Fresh contest page to win exciting prizes!

i only wish they are available here in my corner of the world...

meet me on monday 27th edition

Questions:

1.  What will your Christmas dinner consist of?
2.  Do you watch commercials or flip through the channels?
3.  How long will you leave your Christmas decorations up?
4.  What movie makes you cry every time you watch it?
5.  Do you have a Facebook?

my answers:

1. well, hopefully lots of food!the task of creating a decent noche buena (that is christmas eve feast in our vernacular) is quite daunting for us non-cooks! i remember when i tried to cook pasta with tuna and white sauce two christmases ago and the sauce turned into this paste-like, glue-like substance and everyone else refuses to eat more than a single helping. i vowed not to cook again. but of course, things changed when i had my baby, with cooking prowess or not, i must learn at least the rudiments to be able to provide healthy and hopefully delicious meals to my growing baby boy. now back to this year's feast, we will be having the usual staples: pasta, barbeque, maybe potato salad, clubhouse sandwich, grilled hotdogs, my birthday boy bro is requesting for grilled prawns and other seafoods, so we will see how the feast turn out this year. plus we also have to include soup for the little boy.

2. normally i just can't stand the ads and am a flipping-channel maniac that my father used to be very annoyed when we watched television shows together. but jared has taken quite a liking to shampoo ads that i can't flip through the channels like a rabid and have to wait till those commercials are over.

3. just until the first week of january, then it's boxing time for the lovely tree and i'll try to store the trimmings in an organized fashion so i won't have a hard time locating them next year...

4. i am really such a cry baby that a lot of movies i've seen either moved me to tears or actually made me cry, the latest of which was harry potter and the deathly hallows, especially that part when dobby die. i was sobbing so hard my friend has to ask me if i was fine....

5. yes, i've been on facebook for more than a year now, and i am online almost everyday. i was particularly addicted to cafeworld and is currently at work with my treat for kids catering task, anyone willing to give me mini santa's?

my entry to this edition of meet me on monday....post yours now^^!

A Perfect Christmas By: Jose Mari Chan (With Lyrics)

this is one of my most favorite christmas songs of all time. it reminds me of my parents when they were still around...my papa has a cassette tape (yeah, that old school!) of all his favorite christmas carols which he would play as early as the first day of december arrives...this will be the fourth year that we will be spending the holidays without my parents, i miss them more each year..how i wish they were able to see my son....it will be a perfect christmas if we can spend it with them...

my entry to 

a bdo junior savings account for jared

i have been planning to open an account for jared since day one but haven't got the time to visit the nearest bank so i put it on hold for the longest time, but still the top priority in my things to do list. luckily last week, i've finally managed to do so. with nothing to do at home, we trekked downtown to pay for the internet bill and open jared's junior savings account, so that is kinda hitting two birds with one stone. i was originally planning to open at rcbc savings bank since they offer one year insurance to a kid member and his guardian plus they've got discount cards to several child-friendly establishments but since we are pressed for time and i am going to bdo anyway, i decided to just open a bank account for him there, too.

the requirements:

• baby's birth certificate
• valid id of guardian (e.g. sss id, postal id, or passport)
• 1x1 photo of guardian
• Php 500.00 minimum deposit amount

the welcome letter arrived a few days after. (sorry for the bad pic, my digicam is bailing out on me again!)

another great christmas gift idea if you ask me. teaching our children the value of saving will do them good when they get older. plus it will be added security on your part knowing you will be setting aside a portion of your earnings for your children's future. as for me, a whole year's worth of savings goes to my son's trust, before i  go spending it on holiday splurges!

mommy moments: give love on christmas day

is it a blessing or a curse that jared is not big enough to tell me what he wants for christmas? i know that these days are numbered and i might as well cherish and relish them while they are here. and though i will have to be creative yet again to find the most suitable gift for my son and hopefully the one he will enjoy the most, i will know by his giggles and by him having a grand time playing with his new toy that i have found the perfect one. 

photos from learning is fun site

i wanted to buy him something educational since we will be starting with his learning activities next year so i got these set of brainy baby board books for him to read, browse and of course, seems to me his most favorite thing to do with his books, chew! and i throw in these nice flash cards for additional learning and fun.

photo from indigo baby

i also wanted to buy him these eco-friendly toy ever since i saw it from indigo baby's site but this one's good for kids three years and up so i still have two more years before i can finally purchase it for my son, good for me so i can have more time to save for it.

lovelies from amazon

i also wanted to get him some of these stackable toys. he is beginning to take interest in assembling parts of things and he was using his powder container, cotton buds cup as guinea pigs and i noticed he really digs this activity. 

i still have a few more days to go and a few more trips to the mall so we'll see, if i see something that catches my eye and my son's fancy, and if the purse will permit it, i might buy him something else.

and yes, lastly, i vow to give my undivided attention as a gift to my son for the incoming year, i know that mum has been preoccupied with blogging, the home chores and whatnot, and her ever demanding cafeworld game on facebook, but the growing baby needs much more attention in the future and i will be up to the task.

                               my entry to this week's 

friday fill-ins

i've lost count of all the friday fill-ins i made, surely there weren't that many yet. but here is my take for this week's edition (note: am skipping the christmas songs acronym, i'm going loco trying to figure out the puzzle you see^^)

here goes:

1. What in the world can we do to make this place a better and saner place for our children.
2. my little bundle of joy will be less cranky and more of an angel if well fed.

3. Go dream and reach for the stars.

4. yesterday i sent the christmas card i bought for my good friend, beejay, which i managed to write on in between diaper change and bottlefeeding my ever growing baby boy.

5. I keep one of my favorite traditions, that is letter-writing, alive, at least once or twice a year.

6. i may risk the trouble of going citybound tomorrow to bring jared to the cpkids christmas party or not.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to just turning in early to cuddle with my son, tomorrow my plans include scouring the mall to look for jared's pants or shorts or finally use my big & small co. gc's and Sunday, I want to go to de casia memorial park, it has been ages since i went to visit my parents!

jared's very first table premium item from eq dry diapers arrived last monday, finally! my first choice was the tiger table but they probably ran out of stock so they send me the green frog which is my second choice (now that i think about it, this is serendipitous, since the green frog can easily blend well with my son's room colors. as for the orange tiger one, oohh, total clash really!)

the table is made up of eva foam material, it is fairly easy to assemble (imagine putting the pieces of a puzzle mat together and make it three-dimensional) and easy to clean too. all you have to do is wipe it with cloth soaked in soap or detergent, rinse, pat dry with a towel and your toddler can use it again. easy-peasy!

the cute little window on the side is ideal for stowing baby's little trinkets like rattles and balls.  the table top, i am using to organize jared's growing collection of books.

my only concern is that since it is made of foam, it isn't sturdy enough to support the weight of my baby. am only too glad i didn't request for a chair pair, jared might fall off of it! so mummies make sure to supervise your babies while playing with table. 

i like the freebie, albeit late. thanks so much eq dry. will be looking forward to great giveaways like this in the future so i am stashing away all my wrappers to be sure i can join in a breeze the next time a contest is announced. i suggest you do the same.