Category: Family

Knorr’s Homecoming Treat for OFWs this Christmas

Posted on by jane

I remember when I lived abroad for 2 years while working on my Master’s. I sorely missed home. Filipino friends always took opportunities to get together and partake of Filipino food. But despite those get-togethers, being away from home meant missing a lot of familiar stuff. I particularly missed Christmas, seeing our native parols, being with the family for Noche Buena, hearing the Filipino Christmas carols and even the local food – Chinese ham, queso de bola, spaghetti, and native delicacies like puto bumbong and bibingka during Simbang Gabi.

So can you imagine what it must be like for returning OFWs who have been away from the Philippines for many more years, even decades? Can you imagine what it must be like for them to see Philippine soil from the air, excitedly looking through the windows as the plane prepares to land? Can you imagine their hearts longing to see their dear ones even as they collect their baggages from the carousel? And can you imagine them planning exactly what Filipino food they will indulge in while they are in the country, especially those which may not always be available abroad?

Knorr recently treated returning OFWs to a heartwarming homecoming treat with the homecooked goodness of sinigang. Instead of the usual salubongs of Filipino music playing from bands at arrival areas, the “Knorr Sinigang’s Umuwi sa Sarap ng Sinigang” campaign added a flavorful twist. Arriving OFWs at NAIA Terminal 3 were invited to a cozy dining area and were fed Filipino food like fish, pork and shrimp sinigang.

 Some celebrities were at hand also to lend additional surprise. Singer Erik Santos gave his own rendition of “Pasko na Sinta Ko”. Marvin Agustin was also on hand as part of the cooking ensemble. And the OFWs were given special tokens and floral leis to complete the homecoming treat.
I think the gesture of Knorr meant a lot to those returning OFWs. After all, they are some of the heroes of this country. They sacrifice being away from loved ones, often live under very difficult circumstances, and send a significant part of their earnings home.
Tomorrow, my own daughter is coming home for the holidays. She has lived in a foreign land most of 2012 and will be with us just for 2 short weeks. But we intend to make the most of the time just being a family and bonding as much as we can – over food, of course. I also have my own homecoming treat for my girl which Knorr also sent over for me to try – several mixes including sinigang. She’ll have her share of native dishes, something she has not eaten since she left.
Finally, watch these videos of the actual Knorr Homecoming Treat right at the airport.

Beginnings: All-white baby clothes

Posted on by jane

Did you know that while department stores visibly display baby clothes in different colors, most Moms actually go for the whites?

This was the observation of Beginnings COO Govind Daswani as he recounted to a group of us how he and another person from their company spent days hanging around department stores, watching and observing Moms buy items from the baby section. He said that whites were often relegated to a corner of shelves and yet Moms filled their baskets with all-white baby clothes.

Curious, he got to interview some Moms and their answers were practical and made sense. Here are some reasons why Moms prefer all-white baby wear:

1. It’s easier to spot stains and dirt.
2. It’s easier to detect insects (dengue mosquitoes, most of all!)
3. It’s clean and cool to baby skin (nice in summer and on hot days, like nowadays!)
4. And, if I may add my own reason, white is unisex — easier on the budget, unlike the blues and pinks that can only look nice on a boy or girl, respectively.

Realizing that there was a nitch they could get into, Mr. Daswani quickly commissioned the designing of a complete line of baby wear – ALL IN WHITE!

Beginnings’ product line

All-white tops and bottoms

Nice white baby shoes!

Some samples we opened to touch and examine more closely

As a Mom, I know how other moms are very discriminating when it comes to their babies’ stuff. I know. Because I used to be OC about that. And anything that is worn by baby or applied on baby has to be free from any kind of harm or health risk. So I was glad that Mr. Daswani expounded on the meticulous care they gave to the production of their all-white baby line.

Take this baby shirt, for example.

Beginnings strictly follows US standards for baby clothes:
* They use only premium Shiny Cotton Thread to guarantee the durability of their products.
* To avoid loose or too-tightly sewn stitches, they follow a specific stitching distance so stitching is never twisted or wrinkled.
* Attachments on shoulders and sides are more durable for long-term use due to double stitching done by overlock machines.
* Cotton ties are easily adjustable and are used in place of buttons which are choking hazards for children 0-12 months.
* Special needles are used to avoid puckering that can cause unsightly needle holes and other defects such as open seams, raw edges and broken stitches. Regular needles create holes that make garments more prone to breakage and tear.
* They use special cotton garters with carefully studied, standard measurements required for maximum stretch so your baby does not get waistline marks and other irritations.
We were allowed to open a few of the items. I took time to touch the cloth of a tie-shirt and noticed how soft and smooth it was to the touch. True to their claim, the double stitching looked really well done. I have to say, Beginnings really pays attention to detail and quality.
I thought these were 100% cotton but Mr. Daswani said it was actually 65% cotton, 35% polyester. The rationale? Because 100% cotton loses its shape while the 65:35 ratio retains the shape while still keeping baby cool.
I just love their tagline: “Made with love and cotton”. Don’t you?
Beginnings is made for babies from 0-12 months only. Why not for older babies? Because he says that by that age, the babies are ready to move on to a more colorful wardrobe. Yes, we mommies like to dress our kids up, right?
Bloggers in white with COO Govind Daswani and CEO Kishu Daswani
Another surprising bit of information was that Beginnings is already present in the Visayas and it’s only now that they are bringing their product to Metro Manila. They wanted to grow in a less competitive environment till they were ready to join in. I guess this is their time to penetrate Metro Manila.
Like Beginnings on their Facebook Page: facebook.com/beginningsbaby. The About page gives a list of outlets where you can find Beginnings baby wear.

Johnson’s Innovates Baby Care for New Gen Moms

Posted on by jane

Even if all my kids are all grown up, I love attending baby events because I get to see all kinds of stuff I never had available when I was having my children. So many new items are making it more convenient for mothers these days.

When Johnson’s invited me to their Baby Innovations, I arranged my schedule to attend. After all, my kids grew up on No Tears Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and Baby Oil. I was very curious what innovations they would introduce this time.
BBDO Philippines General Manager Francine Khan-Gonzales first described to us what the New Gen Moms are all about. She’s one who is technology-enabled, most likely holds a job out of the home, takes a proactive role in the rearing of her kids, and does not hesitate to do her own internet research about a wide range of topics including healthy tips for her children and parenting approaches. Wait, that sounds like me, except that my kids are all grown already. Hahaha…

Well I wish I still had very young kids because the new Johnson’s products that were introduced really come a long way from the No Tears shampoo they used to have in my kids’ time.

Two new Johnson’s products were being launched but I had a chance to also check out the others they had.

Daily Sun Protection Lotion

This one I didn’t know till I heard it at this event: a baby’s skin is not fully developed yet to protect it from environmental stresses including the harsh rays of the sun. Their skin does not have enough melanin to fully protect them against UV rays. A baby’s skin will not show skin damage but the cumulative effect of that can result to wrinkles and sunspots down the road as well as possible melanoma, a type of skin cancer.

The Daily Sun Protection Lotion comes in 2 variants: SPF 15 100ml (SRP PhP 230) and SPF 30 50ml (SRP PhP 215). Its ingredients provide protection against UVA/UVB rays. It’s also light and non-greasy to keep your baby feeling comfortable.

Top-to-Toe Self Foaming Wash

This is my familiar Johnson’s No Tears Baby Shampoo that went through a major overhaul not just on the outside (packaging) but also on the inside. It’s one product you can use just like its older version but wait till you pump it out. It doesn’t come out as thick, heavy liquid like the shampoo I knew but rather in a light, frothy, fine and delicate foam. Rubbing it on baby gives a cushiony and silky feeling and because it’s foamy light, it’s that much easier to wash off. Putting it in a pump is a great idea too because unlike before when I had to snap open the top lid with one hand while holding the bottle with the other, this design allows mommy to pump with one hand and hold baby with the other.

Top-to-Toe Self Foaming Wash comes in a 400ml bottle (SRP PhP 407). This June, Johnson’s will come up with a 350ml bottle (SRP PhP 323.40).

Top-to-Toe also comes in a regular wash version in 2 different sizes: 200m and 500ml.

Now here are a few more products that I decided to use myself. Why? I just love the powdery scent. It beats perfume, at least for me.

Baby Skincare Wipes

I use wipes all the time — traveling, freshening up before and after yoga, and in this heat, just about any time of the day. This Baby Skincare Wipes smells of baby powder and is not alcohol-based. It’s just so perfect for me. I’m hoping they create  a more portable version I can drop into my yoga bags, not something this heavy.

The NATURALCALM line

For the longest time when I was growing up, Johnson’s Baby Powder was just one kind. The ordinary powdery kind. When I was having kids, they already had the Cornstarch Powder variant which I preferred on my kids who were prone to asthma. Imagine seeing now their NATURALCALM line —  bedtime powder, bedtime lotion and bedtime bath products — that are infused with a naturally calming scent so that baby falls asleep easily and better. Who says only baby can use it? I intend to use these myself alternately with lavender (relaxing aromatherapy) scents sprayed on my pillows and sheets.

Johnson’s & Johnson’s has not stopped innovating, as shown by their constantly evolving products to suit today’s baby and Mom. Makes you wonder what more they can come up with for the discriminating parent….
Bring Back Family Day Night with Hasbro

Bring Back Family Day Night with Hasbro

Posted on by jane

My parents brought us up on board games. I remember playing all sorts: Snakes and Ladders, Scrabble, Monopoly, Cluedo, UNO, Game of the Generals, Mastermind, Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit, Boggle etc. Those were the days when the internet was nonexistent, TV did not have cable yet, and life was simpler. It was a time when family bonding happened around the four corners of a table with family members hunched over a board, intent on making a move, then bursting out in laughter or in groans depending on who was winning. Those were the days…

Nowadays, games have grown terribly sophisticated and individualistic. Almost all popular games are on the computer, played alone or with others on a network. Handheld devices lead to people sitting by themselves in corners, intently maneuvering their PSP, iPod Touch or iPhone buttons. Family bonding is all but an afterthought during brownouts or in places where internet signals are nil.

Hasbro, an edutainment company, thinks that board games are not passe. In fact, there are many reasons why families should continue playing board games:

1. Family bonding – Game play allows kids to learn from you and from each other, encouraging a sense of connectedness and respect among family members.

2. Learning – Deductive reasoning, strategy, importance of money management, simple math are all built into different games

3. Life skills – Games teach kids a lot of important life skills such as patience, teamwork and perseverance. It even teaches them how to take losing and how to win graciously.

4. Laughter – Board games elicit a lot of innocent ribbing, giggles and outright laughter. That’s a lot of endorphins that are not just healthy but also breed good, positive feelings among everyone.

If it’s been a while since you’ve bonded as a family over board games, this coming Christmas is a good way to revive it. They say that one of the best things you can give children are loads of good memories. You can always give them money but when they grow up, that is not what they’ll remember. They will remember those days when, as kids, the family played exciting board games. For sure they would remember what some would think trivial at the time but which sticks to their memories until they themselves are adults.

Recently, we were introduced to some of Hasbro’s board games as well as to their newest release, the FurReal Snuggimals. These Snuggimals look almost like the real thing, but tiny. They respond to your touch, wagging their tails and nodding their heads when touched on the back. I tried touching a brown puppy FurReal Snuggimal and he looked so cute wagging and nodding. This is a great gift for little kids who cannot still have a real pet of their own.

(FurReal Snuggimals, 4-12 yrs, SRP: P429.75)

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