Sign Up Your Kids to FitKids Dance and Yoga

FitKids believes in empowering our children to start living healthy lives as young as possible. There is no better way to introduce them to a healthy lifestyle than now, while they are still young and have not yet developed unhealthy habits.

Check out these dance and yoga classes coming up at Camp Start Mandaluyong and Playworks SM Aura this August and September. When you sign up your kids, you get special deals and treats from their partner brands like Pure Nectar by Fruit Magic, Onelife Studio and DelightPH. See details below.

1. Dance Classes at Camp Start:

- When: August 12, 19, 26, and September 2, 2017 (4 sessions, every Saturdays) 

- Time: 10:00 am to 11:00 am 

- Venue: Camp Start- Sikap Street, 614 Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong 

- For ages 2 to 7 

- Fee: P1,500.00 per child 

- Contact: 0917-5138377, Email: fitkidsph@gmail.com 

- In Partnership With: Pure Nectar (by Fruit Magic)

Treat: When you sign up, just mention my name and you get P200 worth of Pure Nectar Fruit Magic gift certificates. 

2. Yoga Classes at Playworks SM Aura

- When: September 16, 23, 30, October 7, 14, 21, November 4, 11, 2017 (8 sessions every Saturdays) - Time:1:00 pm to 2:00 pm 

- Venue: Playworks SM Aura Campus- 6/F SM Aura Tower 

- For ages 1.5 to 7 

- Fee: P5,000.00 per child 

- Contact: 0917-5138377, Email: fitkidsph@gmail.com 

- In Partnership With: Pure Nectar (by Fruit Magic), OneLife Studio, DelightPH

Treat: When you sign up, just mention my name and you get
- Php200 worth of Pure Nectar Fruit Magic gift certificates.  

- A free assessment at OneLife Studio and a 10% off on published rates (except for First Timer promos, Easypay packages, and cannot be used in conjunction with other promos) 

- 10% discount on any regular-sized bottle from DelightPH Homemade Dips (Facebook: /delightph, Instagram: @delightph) 

- First 5 enrolled Subscribers will get 5% off from total fee of yoga class (P4,750 instead of P5,000)

So fun! And hope my kids and I get to meet you in class!

New Discovery: Colgate Active Salt

My mom used to tell me that her grandparents brushed their teeth and gargled with salt in lieu of toothpaste and mouthwash, and so every time we had tonsillitis, lost a tooth, had a toothache or had extra molars pulled, she would make us gargle with sea salt diluted in warm water. She swears it kills bacteria.

It sounds like a cliche, but there really is wisdom in going back to basics. After all, our grandparents came from a time when most of the items they used for health and wellness were more natural. So it is just brilliant for Colgate to come out with Active Salt, its first toothpaste that contains the natural goodness of salt.

You read that right, salt. As in, asin.

I've tried it, I've made the kids tried it, and it is just like the usual minty Colgate, just a tad salty.

Colgate Active Salt formula combines salt with calcium and minerals and with regular brushing, helps fight germs for healthy gums and strong teeth.

Developed after extensive consumer research, Colgate Active Salt addresses most Filipinos’ pressing oral health concerns. Its refreshing minty taste infused with natural ingredient of salt brings a unique brushing experience.

“Filipinos have a strong affinity with the traditional benefits of salt for oral care. Colgate Active Salt combines this natural ingredient with Colgate’s trusted formula. It is a unique and effective toothpaste perfect for the whole family to use for healthy gums and strong teeth, with regular brushing” said Mr. Danai Sirisuvun, Senior Product Manager at Colgate-Palmolive Philippines.

Colgate Active Salt is now available in leading supermarkets and sari-sari stores nationwide.

It retails in three sizes and priced as follows: PHP105 for 180g, PHP85 for 132g, and PHP25 for 35g (based on suggested retail price).

MFO's Verdict On: The Kazam Balance Bike

I learned to ride a bike when I was 7, and remember that period in my life when I finally got to balance and pedal on two wheels as a time of great accomplishment. 

I practiced on the asphalt streets of our village, and I only remember two distinct emotions: pain - from all the scraped skin on my knees, legs and arms (this was prior to the time of helmets, elbow and knee shields) and exhilaration - when I finally could enjoy the wind on my face and my heart pumping with excitement at every pedal. 

Our kids are lucky that they can now learn how to ride a bike without those extreme lows and highs. Haha. Here's all you need to know about the Kazam Balance Bike, where learning how to ride a bike on two wheels can now be virtually pain free.

The Product: Kazam Balance Bike

The Promise: Say goodbye to training wheels and skinned knees! Designed (and patented!) with an easy step-in frame design with footrest, the KaZAM bike allows little riders to develop their balance before introducing pedaling — making the transition onto a pedaled bike seamless. After all, it’s the balance that’s the hard part ~ pedaling is easy!

Put to the Test:

Using it is really easy. As easy as 1, 2, 3 - see below!

It's really quite intuitive, even 2.5 year old Tepper could figure it out. He just sat on the molded seat and started walking around.

Because Berry was much bigger than the boys when Kazam came into our play scene, it was so much faster for her to learn how to balance using it.

I really saw the most progress with Xavi. He started out like Tepper, just tentatively pacing around to doing dare devil sort of stunts where he starts on a slope and slides down in a sort of delicate balancing act.

I wish I saved that video in my laptop, but you can still view it on Instagram, here.

Progress really depends on how fast they practice and the child's level of confidence.

Passing the Verdict: It is a BUY! You won't look at training bikes with training wheels the same way again.

Practical Tip: Best to learn riding the Kazam Balance Bike between ages 2 ½ years and up. To be used only in flat surfaces. For more about this bike, read the Kazam Story, FAQs and safety details.

Price: Php4,995 for the v2e and Php5,600 for the v2s

Point of Sale: Online at www.kazamkids.com and at the following stores

1) Cycle Shack
- LG, Megamall A, SM Megamall, EDSA, Mandaluyong City; Tel. +63 2 910 6628
- Robinsons Place Imus Aguinaldo Highway, Imus, Cavite; Tel. +63 46 474 0329

2) Fort Spalding
- 488 Quezon Boulevard, Quiapo, Manila; Tel. +63 2 736 0165

3) Fort Bicol
- 644 Quezon Boulevard, Quiapo, Manila; Tel. +63 2 745 0072

Making Yum Memories with Alaska

Bed time is when we really get to spend quality time with Berry, Xavi and Tepper. 

Our routine usually goes like this: they take a bath after dinner, we read books or watch a show on TV before bed, they drink a glass of milk each, brush their teeth and then we say our evening prayers. This is also the time when they get to share with us the things they are grateful for that day. 

It is also usually sumbungan time amongst them - who annoyed who, who tried to grab someone's book or toy, and all the other highlights of the day.

Luckily, there are days when I get pockets of time where I have no meetings or errands scheduled, and I get to supervise their activities myself. Like when we get to do arts and crafts with them. 

A couple of days back, Alaska Milk sent us an art kit with tumblers and some art supplies. I got Berry and the boys to paint a personalized tumbler. 

Watch this video and see how Berry craftily spent one lazy summer afternoon. Not only did she get entertained, she felt so accomplished with her work, she wanted to use her tumbler and drink milk right away, and it was not even bed time yet. 

 

Days earlier, the boys got to do their own tumblers as well. So fun!

Here's Tepper proudly showing off his finished work!

Xavi is the biggest milk drinker among our kids. He loves milk not just because it's nutritious and will make him grow tall, he actually thinks it's delicious! That's Alaska Powdered Milk, of course ;)

For more about Alaska Powdered Milk, visit their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/alaskamilkphilippines.

Must Buy: Tulip Portable Water Filters

When our friends first told us about their Tulip portable water filter, I was thinking we needed at least one, in case The Big One strikes. After all, the first thing one needs in the event of a disaster is clean water, and then food and other basic supplies.

The Tulip water filter can filter: tap water, deep well water, rainwater, and water from rivers, lakes and ponds. It can even make Pasig River water potable. 

But the selling point for Dada was the price. He did the math.

He figured drinking water via a Tulip costs Php0.34 per liter whereas, we've been spending about Php19.17/liter on distilled drinking water. 

The water filter can filter up to 7,000 liters which is about an entire year's supply for the entire family. When it's time to change the filter, the cost per liter drops down considerably to just about Php0.03. 

"Hindi lang pang disaster, let's use everyday na!" he said excitedly.

Especially because we've had instances when water from the refilling station tasted soapy, and then we started thinking about it seriously, like, "How clean is this really?" and "Is the plastic BPA-free?".  Plus, given that we don't really see the process behind how the containers are washed and how water is filtered when it gets delivered to the house, we realized we really can't be 100% sure of the purification process all the time unless we go to the station and watch them refill our containers ourselves.

So we've been using this filter for about 3 months already, just filling the filter with water from the tap and I'm happy to share we've never had any issues with drinking Tulip filtered tap water. 

The taste is comparable to distilled water, and because it's so affordable, I use it to wash our vegetables and fruits as well.  I actually like splashing my face with water from it too, because I figured, it's filtered anyway!

The portable water filter containers are made from BPA-free plastic and the filter is Dutch-designed

Tulip Technology

Tulip is a Dutch-designed filter technology, made of diatomaceous earth, treated with nano silver to avoid growth of algae and to avoid recontamination of the filtered water. The filter element contains activated carbon to remove color and improve taste. This combination ensures that even turbid and highly contaminated water becomes safe to drink. 

It removes 99.995% of harmful bacteria, 99.995% of protozoa, and 99% turbidity. This also helps prevent water borne diseases like diarrhea, cholera, giardia, cryptosporidiosis, typhus and schistosomiasis.

I was so impressed with how effective and cost-efficient it is, how easy it is to use, not to mention portable and requires no electricity and running water, that when the crisis in Marawi happened, I thought of how useful this would be there. So our group started sending filters there. Especially because I heard that diseases were spreading given the dire conditions on the ground.

Turns out, these water filters made it to Tacloban already, back in 2014, when these were distributed to the families displaced by Typhoon Haiyan.

Back then, it was brought in by the Dutch manufacturer, Basic Water Needs, together with organizations like Connect International, Safe Water International and several Rotary Clubs. 

Today, it is now readily available locally. In fact, if you'd like to order for personal use, for donation, or for future use in the event of a calamity, you may order from Lazada or email waterfilterph@gmail.com for inquiries.

Given these uncertain times, it just makes sense to really have one at home. Of course, the cost savings is a no brainer too. This is a product that has so many benefits for families, both in the cities and rural areas, it just has to be shared.