A Mom's Perfect Day at Greenbelt

When my friend and fellow SoMom Jenny R. of My Mommyology told us that our little "mommy gang" aka The SoMoms were invited by Ayala Malls to celebrate Mothers Day at Greenbelt 5, my initial reaction was like, "Spend Mother's Day at the mall? But wouldn't that be so commercial?"

But well, we've been celebrating Mother's Day at home most of the time since I became a mom, and we'd usually eat out the day before to avoid the crowds, so I was up for something different this year. I mean, why not, diba?

Plus, there was this fun part where Jenny said we should wear matching "Mommy & Me" outfits. The kids get to wear clothes from Gingersnaps and us moms could wear anything as long as we found it in an Ayala Mall store. So the Friday before Mother's Day, Berry and I went to Greenbelt to shop.

We first went to Zara, and found plenty that I liked. But I wasn't sold yet. I wanted something really special for Mother's Day that I could also wear over and over. Plus, Berry was getting bored and wanted to go where the kids stuff were. So Berry & I went to Gingersnaps right after.

Shopping at Gingersnaps has got to be the most enjoyable thing for me and Berry. Because there are so many pretty clothes, the dilemma really boils down to choosing which items we love best. These are just but a few of the items Berry & I liked:

So cute no? I love how dainty and yet practical their clothes are. I ended up getting Berry a pair of blue & white shorts and a white eyelet top, to match Xavi's blue & white striped polo shirt and shorts. I also found cute shorts with pink flamingos for Xavi at the sale table, and a matching shirt at the little boys section.

With Berry content, I decided to go take a look at the wheat print dress that I saw at Tory Burch back in March. When I tried it on, eeeep! It fit like a glove! I posted this photo on Instagram and all my IG friends agreed I should get it. Ahihihi.

Btw, I just have to share with you the shorts I wore that day. This is from Zara. They're the coolest shorts ever. It's like an asymmetrical wrap skirt but they're actually shorts. I've been living in them since I got them, because the heat just calls for something that's simple, no-fuss, weather appropriate, but with loads of style.

When Sunday rolled around, Berry & I went to Greenbelt with our friends Jackie & Gabbie. It became a mommies day out! Or day off? Hahaha. Ayala Malls prepared high tea treats for the moms, catered by Bizu...

 

When Berry saw the tables laden with goodies, she immediately made a beeline for it. Here we are caught on camera, choosing pastries for Berry:

 

After getting our fill of sweet treats, Mench Dizon of Ayala Malls brought us to the Butterfly Garden:

 

The kids loved it! Berry was both thrilled and freaked out with the butterflies at the same time.

Behind the Butterfly Garden was a mani-pedi area which was free for Moms & their kids.

 

Mench said that the ongoing Mother's Day theme for all Ayala Malls was "Music & Memories" and they hired musicians to serenade the moms celebrating Mother's Day at their malls. I think the mall goers enjoyed it too because a lot of them would stop and rest at the gallery, listening to live music while nibbling on pastries and chocolates from the high tea buffet.

Of course, while at Greenbelt we had to pass by Gingersnaps to say thank you for generously dressing up the kids for Mother's Day.

Here are our girls decked out in Gingersnaps, all busy holding on to Mommy's phone:

 

Here's the requisite group shot. Heehee. Notice that most of the little girls' hair clips are by Celestina & Co, and their sandals are Salt-Waters. Like a uniform!

We were in for some beauty treats that day too. Lancome invited us over to their store...

And I think our budding beauty enthusiasts had fun inside as well:

 

They highlighted their new luxury cream, Absolue L'Extrait which has 2 million rose stem cells. Very exotic and luxurious! The price? Php20,000 thereabouts. But if it will make Mama look youthful, let her go ahead and indulge!

Kiehl's invited us over too...

They had wonderful Mother's Day gift suggestions, such as their new Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream, which is a treat any woman would love, mom or not. 

Soon after, my friend Tammy David, who was the official photographer for the day took our photo for posterity. Loved that Berry & I got to have a girls day out. Heehee.

Of course, Berry & I also enjoyed spending a portion of Mother's Day with our friends. We had a lot of fun, I actually wouldn't mind spending another special occasion at Greenbelt again!

*The high tea spread and all the Mom's Day events and activities such as the mani/pedi and entrance to the Butterfly Garden in Greenbelt was a special treat for all moms, not just us. Just reach the minimum required spend that day,  and qualified mall goers get the perks for the day.

All photos save for my IG photos are courtesy of photographer Tammy David

Berry Gets Glossy

Berry is my daughter, and an assistant editor here at MFO. Today, she shares her beauty secrets. Read on and learn from an expert.

On Berry: H&M top from Ninang Cathy & Ninong Jon Lim, Gingersnaps jeans from Ate Carissa Carale, 

Robeez shoes from Liam Palma  

Playing with: Dada's lens cover and a Christmas mitten for a Starbucks gift card - fits my hand perfectly!

Working for my Mom, I get a lot of beauty products. Or maybe it's not because of my work - a lot of the beauty products I've been using were received as gifts when I was born. Over time, I have continued to receive beauty products, which I use, of course.

I have been using Mustela ever since I was a newborn. When I was still in my Mommy's tummy, Tita Sarj pointed out Mustela to her, while they were browsing the aisles at Buy Buy Baby in Chelsea. She said it was the best for babies (hypoallergenic, non-irritating, fragrance-free, paraben-free and with no artificial colorants), so Mom added a starter set to her baby registry. Uncle Apoorv and Aunt Chinmayee got a set for me, and while those goodies have since run out, my Mom continues to buy Mustela bath products for me. I heard that its best to switch shampoos around, so I interchange my Mustela Baby Shampoo with Santa Maria Novella Girl's Mild Shampoo, a present from Tita Therese of Rustan's. I love the smell of Mustela 2-in-1 Hair & Body Wash, they say I smell like a baby because of this. Then again, Mom says I am still a baby. Well, whatever.

I don't go to the salon for hair cuts. My hair grows at an incredibly, snail-pacingly slow pace, so I don't see a need for that yet. Last I had a hair cut, I cried and cried. My Mom cut my hair, and when my Aunt Lorraine couldn't keep me from squirming, they exchanged places and Mom hugged me while Auntie finished the job. My Dada says I look beautiful with a pixie cut, and Mom and Dada call me Berry Mulligan.

My Auntie Brenda works at L'Oreal so I got a lot of Kiehl's from her too. I love Kiehl's Baby Foaming Hair & Body Wash, but we've run out of that and it's so expensive here in Singapore. So much cheaper in the US, promise! I still use Kiehl's Vital Sun Protection, Diaper Rash Ointment and Nurturing Baby Cream for Face & Body. I also use Kiehl's Baby Lip Balm (because I love using my Mom's lip balms and poking my finger into it until they get mushed, so she says I should have my own lip balm).

After I take a bath, I powder with Burt's Bees Baby Bee Dusting Powder or Santa Maria Novella's Talbomentolo. I like the latter because it smells soooo good! I switch my powders around too, depending on what my mom wants to use on me. For my boo boos, I use Grandma Minnie's Boo Boo Balm from Tita Marie of VMV. One of my first words was "boo boo", and every time I see a pot of Grandma Minnie's Boo Boo Balm, I point to my knee and say boo boo, even if there's no boo boo there. Old habits die hard.

Which reminds me, Grandma Minnie also has the Monolaurin Hand Sanitizer which is fantastic! My mom is sort of obsessed with sanitizers, we use that a lot. There was a time though that I caught a bug and got colds. My pediatrician here in Singapore introduced Vapor Soove to us, she says this is safer to use - it doesn't contain camphor unlike regular Vapor Rub which may cause seizures on children, for serious. My Mom and I love Vapor Soove so much that we are bringing these to Manila! I like it as a tummy and chest rub, and when I had cough & colds, Mom would also rub these onto the soles of my feet and make me wear socks. My mom is talking to her friend Tita Angel who is a pediatrician, and she will be carrying these in her clinic. We are also looking into having these sold online, in baby stores, and drugstores. So watch out for this!

Now, when it comes to scents, my mom sprays a bit of Tartine et Chocolat on me, this was a gift from my Tita Trina, Mom's sister. I really consider myself lucky and so blessed because I get to try all these wonderful, amazing beauty products courtesy of my generous benefactors!

- as told to ITG, according to Mommy

UPDATE: OMG! Emily of Into The Gloss / @IntoTheGloss read Berry's post and re-tweeted it too! Thanks Emily! Yay Berry!

A Summer of Soy Milk & Swimsuits

The weather is getting so much nicer these days! I can't wait for SUMMER! I finally got myself a maillot (the one I've always wanted from OndadeMar! On major sale at Anthropologie too! Long story short, I put it in my cart, got sold out, decided to buy my second choice months later and when I checked out, Voila! this one I really wanted magically appeared! Shopping serendipity! Cue angels singing!)...

...and I've started scrubbing the winter skin away with Kiehl's Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish! Such a great start to welcome sunny days ahead!

Can I just share? Kiehl's makes the best body scrub, ever!!! I got it from my cousin Brenda, and now I'm hooked! Brenda, if you're reading this, you've made me a customer for life! It smells so good, very tropical! I know it's made from soy & honey but it has that summery-y smell of coconuts somehow. I feel like I'm transported to a palm tree lined beach, the sun warming my skin, waves softly rolling into the powdery white sand...ok Tin, snap out of it!

Berry is ready for summer too! We got her this majorly preppy red & white striped one-piece swimsuit (Dada says no bikinis for babies, hahaha!) from Ralph Lauren, we can't wait for her to wear it for splashing in the pool! Dada deserves a new pair of swim trunks! Too bad I missed the Vilebrequin sale at Gilt! Boo!

Thank You Time! Part 5: Berry's Beauty Secrets

Want to know the secret to Berry's smooth, baby soft skin? Well, it's because she is a baby! Heehee!



But before I disclose the real secret, I want to THANK!:

Abby
Saj & Maya G.
Donna W.
Melizza F.
Me-an A.
Pilar Z.

For contacting me and pledging/donating blankets for the babies in Fabella! I will be sending them all to Cecile and Ingrid once I've filled a box and I will let you all know once its received! Thanks so much for your generosity! =)

Ok, now thank you time! I know Berry is such a lucky baby for receiving so many things from all of you! She is really blessed!

Thanks Tita Marie for these Grandma Minnie's products from VMV! I personally love the Boo Boo Balm and the Hand Sanitizer! (Not to mention the packaging is super nice! And it's proudly made in the Philippines too!) Thanks so much!!!



Aunt Brenda of L'Oreal NYC, thanks so much for the Kiehl's Baby products! Berry used to have very dry skin (Turns out letting her stay in warm water longer than 7 minutes is not recommended because it dries out baby skin fast! But it's so hard to take her out because she loves taking a bath, sigh!) and Baby Kiehl's Cleansing Milk and Nurturing Baby Cream were the products that restored her skin back to it's original softness and smoothness!



Oh! And the Kiehl's logo tee that came with her Baby Kiehl's gift pack, (which is made by American Apparel btw) is gonna look so cute with jeans! Heehee!


More thank yous to come! =)