Overtime Protection from Dengue with OFF!

Our household has been held hostage by dengue a total of three times na. In fact, in this photo, I am the only adult here who hasn’t had dengue. 

Dada had it, Ate Lizette had it, and Yaya Eden was our last dengue patient. Dengue is a drag, man.

All three of them exhibited the classic symptoms (for the full list, read the World Health Organization Fact Sheet): 

• high fever that wouldn’t go away 
• pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains 
• rashes 

Dada was the first to have it, and was hospitalized for 5 days. It was the most nerve-wracking 5 days of my life, with me having to look after him in the hospital while making sure the kids were ok at home. If only I could split myself because I was worrying double time over him and the kids! 

I felt so helpless and frustrated watching his platelet count go down while watching out for bleeding. Friends had to reassure me that they know someone who had a lower platelet count, just to keep me from worrying. Dengue is not for the faint of heart, especially when it happens for the first time. 

By the time Ate Lizette and Yaya Eden had Fit, we already knew what to expect and was able to handle things from a position of knowledge. While there is no specific cure for dengue, we’ve learned how to manage it. 

• Constant monitoring of blood platelet count 
• Drinking lots of liquids, making sure these are not dark liquids like grape juice or coffee because the doctors need to watch out for bleeding 
• Taking tea from tawa-tawa leaves and tawa-tawa drops from Echo Store 
• Juicing young papaya leaves, it’s bitter but it supposedly works - Ate Lizette ate a lot of kamote tops, she was told it helps 
• Lots of rest 

While we are lucky in the sense that the kids have never had dengue (thank God!) because I am really fanatical about having them apply insect repellents. After all, prevention really is so much better than cure! Just imagine the time, worry and money you put in when you get dengue!

I know first hand the stress of having someone in the family have it and that’s why I’ve made it a rule for the entire household, kids and adults alike, to use mosquito repellents, no ifs and buts about it.

I would recommend that you use this:

OFF! Overtime comes in three sizes, 6ml sachet (PHP 7), 50ml (PHP 89), 100ml (PHP 158) 

OFF! Overtime provides 8 hours of protection in repelling dengue carrying mosquitoes. So there’s no need to constantly reapply. The DermaCool formula, feels cool & light on the skin, so there’s no sticky after feel. It’s meant for daily use with a refreshing scent too, and is available at your favorite supermarkets, drugstores, grocery and sari-sari stores. 

That said, I’m giving away OFF! Gift packs and Sodexo GCs to 10 winners, so you can protect your family from that darn dengue too!

Keep the family protected indoors and outdoors with the OFF! Gift pack which includes a bottle each of OFF! Overtime, OFF! Clean Feel, OFF! for Kids, and OFF! Soft & Scented

Simply join via Twitter or Instagram, taking note of the mechanics below.

I’ll choose 10 of the most informative entries to win a gift pack. Simply leave a comment here or on my IG post!

OFF! Blogger Contest Mechanics 

QUALIFICATIONS/DISQUALIFICATIONS OF PARTICIPANTS: 

SC Johnson and Son, Inc., (the “organizers of the promotion”) and other official media partners and sponsors' employees are disqualified from joining. 

HOW TO JOIN & PARTICIPATE: 

1. Take a selfie/welfie with your kid/family using any variant of OFF! Insect Repellent Lotion 

2. Post it on Twitter/Instagram and caption what’s your favorite thing about OFF! Insect Repellent Lotion with the hashtags #OFFPeaceOfMind and tag me, @christinedychiao on Instagram and @cd_mfo on Twitter.  

3. Participants may send as many entries as they want

CONTEST DURATION: 
2 weeks from the contest announcement

CRITERIA TO WIN: 
1. 10 winners will be chosen via electronic raffle
2. Participant may only win once

PRIZES: 
1. OFF! Insect Repellent Lotion Gift Pack
2. P1,000 worth of Sodexo GC 


UPDATE: Congratulations to the winners of my OFF! Giveaway!

- Liza Parafina
- Muykel Camacho
- Jescilene Llantino
- Dhess Mercadero
- Arra Odeza
- Aileen Barcarse
- Christina Turner
- Kharize Bella
- Denice Reyes
- Nina Villanueva

Claiming of prizes will start October 31, Monday from 9 am to 5 pm only at:

PHD Head Office
10F Ayala Avenue
Makati City Philippines, 1226

Bugs Away + More, with Cycles Sensitive

After Dada's bout with dengue, nothing excites me more now than anti-mosquito patches and insect repellents.

Make that kid-friendly, natural and non-DEET at that, such as these new products from  Cycles Sensitive, also from EVEolution, Inc., the homegrown company that has also brought us Cycles Mild Laundry Detergent & Cradle Baby Bottle & Nipple Cleanser.

Cycles Sensitive completes their range of must-have products for mom, taking care of baby's skin needs by coming up with a head to toe wash, baby lotion, protective diaper cream and of course, the much touted insect repellents and citronella patches.

Cycles Sensitive is a dermatologist tested, fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and pareben-free line of baby skincare products, each product guaranteed to pass the standards of meticulous moms, very much like Cycles Sensitive endorser, celebrity mom Cheska Garcia-Kramer.

I attended the brand launch last week at Olive Tree Kitchen & Bar on Bonifacio High Street, where I had the pleasure of seeing Cheska again, and finally meeting her gorgeous, well-behaved Gavin. Cheska shared that she has always been a fan of Cycles & Cradle so when they reached out to tap her as an endorser, she was more than happy to come on board.

Natasha Reyes, the brand manager, gave a very in depth presentation on their new products while Cheska spoke from her experience as a mom caring for Gavin's sensitive skin.

Pediatric dermatologist Dr. Donna Marie Leelin-Sarrosa also shared some very insightful tips on caring for baby's sensitive skin, as well as debunking myths on the use of insect repellents!

What I learned:

- skin asthma is a term used to describe atopic dermatitis here in the Philippines and is not a medical term. Atopic dermatitis is the most common dermatitis in children
- caring for skin also means washing clothes thoroughly. In fact, did you know that you should thoroughly wash new clothes because it may contain formaldehyde which keeps it from wrinkling?
- we don't need to apply insect repellent all over, just to exposed areas because all it takes is the scent of it to repel a mosquito or bug
- do not soak skin with repellant, it is important that it gets washed off the skin
- never put insect repellent on the face, especially close to the eyes

I also learned that the couple behind Cycles & Cradle are Dada's batchmates from college in Ateneo!

It was such a pleasure meeting Dennis & Emily Balajadia, the husband & wife team/dad & mom of five kids, who have made it their mission to create products and brands borne out of their own need. They shared that Cycles actually started because they used to ship boxes of baby laundry detergent from abroad, until they realized, "Hey, why not make our own?"

That eureka moment in 2007 has led to an expanded line of baby care products today, and I can just imagine that with their ability to make things happen, we can expect Cycles, Cradle and Cycles Sensitive to give birth to more products and variants made with the most discerning of moms in mind.

Cycles Baby
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cyclesbaby
Twitter: @Cyclesbaby
Website: www.cycles-sensitive.com 

Affordable Luxury #2: Cadentia Colognes

Rica de Jesus, better known as Heart to Heart online, loves colognes, and it was for this reason that she & her husband James brought in a line of eau de cologne products from France that are as sweet smelling as they are delightfully affordable!

Clockwise from L, Row 2: Nature Fraicheur Intense 250 ml, Nature Fraicheur Lavande 500 ml, Eau de Cologne bebe, Eau des Collines, Nature Anti-Moustiques

These scents are from Laboratoires Cadentia, a French company that has been developing colognes in Aubagne, at the heart of Provence, since 1945. 

Known for their fresh & timeless fragrances that evoke wellness, relaxation and health, they continue to do so today by  only selecting natural essences of fruits, flowers, herbs and essential oils in their purest forms.

I splash Nature Lavande after a bath on myself and Berry and I just love how the scent lingers.

When I bury my face in Berry's neck, I am pleasantly surprised by her sweet baby girl scent, never mind that she's sweaty from running around.

A bottle of Nature Anti-Moustiques is a mommy essential. This is a bug repellant at its finest.

I spray it on liberally because it's practically cologne, a fresh smelling one made with tea & citronella, that also happens to repel mosquitos.

At Php375 for a 250 ml bottle, it not only makes a wonderful gift, it's practical to have a bottle in every room at home so you can spray whenever, wherever to keep mosquitos at bay, and gets you ready for a hug, any time of day.

Cadentia Colognes are available at:
Rustan's Supermarket
Rustan's Flower Shop and More
Shopwise
Robinsons Supermarket
Saddlebrown Manila Polo Club and Rockwell Club
Mpulse Makati Medical Center
St. Lukes Bonifacio Global City and Quezon City
Online: seektheuniq.com