Nurture Nook, Now Open!

Cousins Janice Villanueva aka Mommy Mundo and Candice Yaw recently opened Nurture Nook, the brick and mortar home to their maternity and nursing wear line Mommy Matters.

But apart from Mommy Matters, they also stock mommy and baby essentials from popular baby store brands like Next9 and Cycles to cult faves like Grandma's Secret line of products, Vapor Soove, Boogie Wipes and Paper Chic Studio, to up and coming must-have labels like Baby Jane, Babiators, Dolldalita and more.

Yes, Nurture Nook is more than just a store for mommies, babies and kids. It's a destination for anyone and everyone looking for anything from tried and tested products for daily use to something special and practical to give as gifts.

Mommy Hook, for moms on the go

Boogie Wipes

Vapor Soove for sniffles, Indigo first aid gel and healing balm for ouchies

Paper Chic Studio products, Dolldalita and Babiators

handmade felt owls and animals 

Cycles, ByNature products, the complete line of Grandma's Secret products, Piggy Paint

carriers and nursing covers from Next9, Saya, Indigo Baby and more

Baby Jane booties and bow ties with hair accessories from various brands

Fun stuff right? Nurture Nook is quite easy to find and you most likely have passed it on your way to EDSA from Rockwell. It's along that quaint strip mall on Estrella Street, across the Palm Village gate in Makati.Visit soon!

Nurture Nook
Unit D 78 Estrella St.
Bel-Air Village
1209 Makati
Tel: (02) 514 7173
Email: nurturenookph@gmail.com
Facebook: Nurture Nook Shop

Mommy Mundo Expo Kid 2013

Mudrabelles (ala Karotitay)! Watcha doin' this Saturday? I suggest you check out Mommy Mundo's Expo Kid Year 5 happening tomorrow at 500 Shaw Events Pavilion on Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong! (see map below for directions)

I am going to be there with Berry, because there's plenty of fun for kids in store. Xavi might pop in for a quick visit too! So we hope to see you there!

The event is open to the public with a minimal entrance fee of 20 pesos per person, but you may also get in free if you pre-register by emailing registration@mommymundo.com. Entrance fee proceeds will benefit MomShare outreach projects.

So what's in store for you when you go?

Expo Kid 2013 will feature major interactive activity areas for kids where they can try out crafting stations from Craft MNL, check out the fun learning modules on Jakenpoy.com, music, arts and sports activities from Kids Klub as well as Crayola. There are more booths from other activity providers from all over Metro Manila, as well as a shopping bazaar which is Mommy Mundo’s trademark mompreneur market featuring more than 40+ booths onsite (hint: Grandma's products, Vapor Soove, Aquasana and Boogie Wipes will be there), and more!

• Onstage program featuring the following: Talented performances and demos from Kids Klub such as Julie Borromeo Performing Arts, New York Musical Theater Lab by Miguel Braganza, My Talent by Audie Gemora, the Philippine Gymnastics Academy, Taekwondo by Coach Donnie Geisler, Mathemagis - Singapore Math, KidzArt, Aikido, and Kindermusik by Teacher Suzette & Friends. 
• A multi-arts show from My Masterpiece Movement 
• Informative talks for moms courtesy of the Learning Basket and Wonderworld Toys: Celebrating your child's milestones. 
• Fun and educational demos will be facilitated by Jakenpoy.com and CRAFT MNL featuring screen printing Demonstration and Heritage Craft.

Expo Kid 2013 is set to be a kids’ haven and a great way for parents and kids to discover what activities to get into this summer!

This event is produced by Mommy Mundo, the go-to resource for active and modern moms. Co-presented by PACE, Mommy Matters. In partnership with Jackenpoy.com, CRAFT MNL, Crayola& Kids Klub with the participation 500 Shaw Events Pavilion as our venue partner. Supported by Cycles&Cradle, Parteiziet and Crystal Clear. Media partners, Manila Bulletin, Sense & Style, Smart Parenting, the Style Weekend, Working Mom, Lifestyle Network, Urban Mom, www.mommypages.com.ph and Crossover 105.1 FM.

My Shoptalk Interview

Thanks Neva of Manila Mommy for spotting this!

Dear readers, here I am talking about the baby-safe, baby friendly products we brought in. Now you know how I talk, heehee!

MFO Anniversary Blog Giveaway: Grandma's, BugBand & Vapor Soove

This giveaway is from my family to yours! I have put together 3 mini gift packs composed of 5 items each (to celebrate 5 years!) - 2 bottles Grandma's Secret Spot Remover, 2 BugBands, 1 Vapor Soove.  

Consider it a care package packed with plenty of thought for your family's welfare:

- Grandma's Secret Spot Remover is a biodegradable stain remover that will work on all your family's tough to remove stains. Perfect for stain magnets!

- BugBand, a DEET-free insect repellant that I just brought in, is perfect for the entire family (Dad can use it when he's out cycling/playing golf, Mommy can use it when she's out running, the kids can use it every time they are outdoors) and of course

- Vapor Soove (a camphor-free chest rub that is safe for babies 6 months old onwards) for the sniffles.

I swear, all these products work! I can't live without them, and I am sure, once you have tried these, you won't be able to think of life without these ESSENTIALS in your family's life! Seriously, I panic whenever I am about to run out of Grandma's. Berry does not play outdoors without BugBand wrapped around her ankle. Two days ago, Berry got a cold. She slept overnight with Vapor Soove rubbed on her back, chest and the soles of her feet, and she slept so well. The following day, tadaa! Cold was gone. Seriously. I credit it to lots of liquids, mommy's touch and Vapor Soove. (Oh and I use Vapor Soove too when I have the sniffles!)

I wish I can do an Oprah and give you all my readers a care pack each, but right now, we can only have 3 winners. If you've always wanted to try these products, or you just need to replenish your stocks, here's your chance!

Even if you've joined the other giveaways, you are still welcome to enter the Grandma's, BugBand and Vapor Soove Giveaway. If you would like to win this 5 product set, here's how:

1. Follow me @cd_mfo on Twitter

2. Like Thurston Hatchett, Inc. and Manila Fashion Observer on Facebook

3. Leave a comment* with your Twitter ID & email and share:

- Have you tried any of the 3 products above?
- What does your family do on weekends? Do you spend it outdoors? Indoor?
- What do you do when you or someone in your family has colds? 

- Where do you shop for baby/children's items - for yours or your nephews/nieces/godchildren?

*If you would prefer to enter the giveaway via private email to me, do all of the above and send an email to manilafashionobserver@gmail.com with the title: MFO Family Essentials Giveaway and leave a comment on this post saying, "MFO, I need this !"

General Rules:
- Shipping within the Philippines only
- Giveaway is for the whole month of August 2011
- Giveaway closes on 11:59 pm on August 31, 2011
- Winner will be announced by 1st week of September on MFO and via private e-mail
- Anyone can enter for a chance to win any of the Anniversary Blog Giveaway prizes, but can only win once

- No need to send multiple comments or emails per Anniversary Blog Giveaway prize. One entry per prize is sufficient

MFO Turns FIVE!

Well, in two weeks and I have a PERSONAL blog giveaway in the works ;) (Thank goodness the folks at DTI are more practical and rational about these things, unlike some self-styled "experts" and advocates diba?) 

Just my way of thanking you for reading my blog all these years (or months, or days, if you just happened to discover little old moi's site. Which begs the question, where have you been hiding? Just kidding! LOL!).

I have rounded up a couple of my favorite things with the help of my friends, so this is going to be a whole lot of fun for all. Whether you are single, engaged, newly wed, married for years, a new mom, or mom to a brood, you will find something you will like in my giveaway, so I hope you will join! =) 

Here's a preliminary list of my favorite things to be raffled off to my readers in 5,4,3,2...1:

5 Cambridge Satchels - in various sizes

4 Secret Items, to be disclosed in time...(para exciting!)

3 toddler/baby gift packs (which includes 2 bottles of Grandma's Secret Spot Remover, 2 BugBands, 1 bottle of Vapor Soove for a total of 5 items to commemorate 5 years)

Php2,000 GC from MYTH, enough to buy you a little something nice from the purveyor of world class Filipino designs

and drum roll please, 1 DwellStudio queen duvet set! This Hedgerow Persimmon design in particular:

Happy no?! 

I will tell you more about these products and why I love, love, love, love, love them, in posts to come. Of course, watch out for the mechanics on how you may win these prizes. Will be posting it here soon! ;)

Vapor Soove in The Philippines!

I am pleased to share with you that Vapor Soove, an all natural chest rub made from a blend of essential oils sourced from Europe is now in the Philippines and available in Manila, Cebu, Davao & soon in Leyte!

Because Berry has been breastfed since birth, she never really got colds until she was 1.5 years old. At that time, we had just come back from our Christmas holiday in Manila and she came down with a bug as soon we arrived in Singapore. I didn't know how else to soothe her and I remembered watching a Vapor Rub commercial in the Philippines to soothe colds.

However, while researching for chest rubs, I discovered that it wasn't safe to use adult vapor rubs because it contained camphor, which may cause seizures on young children. Thankfully the next day, our pediatrician recommended Vapor Soove, which is made by Heritage Singapore, a traditional herbal pharmacy that dates back to the 1930s.

I used it on Berry as a tummy and chest rub. I also rubbed Vapor Soove onto the soles of her feet and made her wear socks. It has a delicate menthol smell, so soothing that Berry and I finally got our much needed sleep. 

Apart from the fact that it does not contain camphor, has a delicate menthol smell, is non-greasy and safe to use for infants 6 months onwards, it also comes packaged in a glass jar, so you can be sure it's phthalate free (apparently, phthalate exposure may cause conduct or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders. Infants are more vulnerable to phthalates given their immature metabolic systems - source: Inskin Magazine Fall 2011). 

(Vapor Soove glass jar, cute photo by Manila Mommy)

Needless to say, I was so impressed that I decided it was worth bringing to Manila. I could just imagine the number of mommies worried about their sniffling & coughing kids, going through the same thing I did, wondering what to give to bring comfort to the little one.

Currently, Vapor Soove is available online via Shopspot and at the ff baby stores: Momtrepreneur in Shangri-la, Baby & Beyond in San Juan, Cribz in Cebu, Quirks at Robinson's Abreeza and Baby Spice in Davao, and coming soon to Pacey's in Leyte.

To read the reviews on Vapor Soove by other relieved moms, visit:

- Kris of OC Mom in Manila
- Neva of Manila Mommy

ABOUT VAPOR SOOVE:

Vapor Soove is a proprietary blend of essentials oils that creates a soothing vapour and calming effect. It provides gentle and effective relief for stuffy noses and coughs and, is suitable for babies and children from 6 months onwards.

Vapor Soove does NOT contain Camphor like many other popular chest rubs. There have reports that camphor which may cause seizures in small children.

HOW TO USE:

As a chest rub: Gently rub a small amount onto the child's chest, neck and back as often as required

As an inhalation: Add one tsp of Vapor Soove to a basin of hot water and inhale the soothing vapour

As a massage ointment: This non-greasy ointment is suitable for gentle full-body baby massage

CONTENTS:

Eucalyptus: help clear a stuffy nose & loosen mucus, prevents infection & fight general respiratory problems
Lavender: calming, soothe irritability, aid sleep, relieve colic
Menthol: relieve dry coughs, ease sinus & chest congestion
Thyme: fortify lungs to resist infection, expectorant in a non-greasy ointment base

PRECAUTIONS:

Do not apply onto broken skin or into the nostrils

WHERE TO BUY:

ONLINE:
- Shopspot
  Email: shopspotmail@gmail.com

METRO MANILA:
- Momtrepreneur Shop
 4th Level
 Shangril-la Mall (beside FIC)
 Email: momtrepreneur1@yahoo.com

- Baby & Beyond
  G2 Strata Suites 300
  P. Guevarra Street, San Juan

- Pedia clinic in a private hospital
  Trinoma & Ortigas areas
  Look for Angeline at 63917-5242410

CEBU:
- Cribz
   The Maze, 3/F Ayala Center
   Cebu City

DAVAO:
- Quirks Philippines
   Robinsons Dept. Store, Abreeza Mall
   Davao City

- Baby Spice
   2F Gaisano Mall,
   JP Laurel Ave.,Bajada Davao City

LEYTE:
- Pacey's
  #3 Arradaza St.
  Ormoc City, Leyte
  Tel: 053 2552556

In the Philippines, Vapor Soove is exclusively distributed by Thurston Hatchett, Inc.

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!