Category: #BagongNanayReviews

  • How an online workshop sparked my toddler’s interest in clay

    How an online workshop sparked my toddler’s interest in clay

    This is a long overdue blog post, but I really just want to share this, especially to nanays who are finding ways to entertain their little ones amid the pandemic.

    Last May, I was invited by a fellow Bagong Nanay (hello Mommy Tzarina!) to join an online workshop. Both our babies were barely two years old, and we thought it would be chaos to have them join one.

    It was for Mother’s month, so avail!
    Photo from Cascades International School Facebook page

    We chose the CLAY PORTRAIT OF MOM and PRINCESS PLAYTIME classes.

    It would be my toddler and I’s first time to join an online class with a legit teacher. We are just used to video calls with family and friends, or Zoom meetings where she’ll have a cameo appearance, lol.

    So Teacher Cath of Cascades International School sent via email the list of materials and some reminders for the class. My husband bought the materials, and we patiently waited for the big day.

    Husband bought two kinds of clay, but the BEST BUY brand is indeed the best buy! The Crayola brand is too sticky.

    It was my toddler’s first-ever online class! To be honest, I got a bit teary-eyed (lol) because she was behaved and attentive most of the time.

    I did all the work, don’t worry guys

    Clay portrait for mom

    I thought I already know what were going to do in the class, but I was amazed how Teacher Jeska used the clay to create an actual portrait! She was very patient, and her instructions were clear. We had a lot of fun!

    Yey! Our output

    Now the point of this blog post is to show the effect of joining that one online class to my toddler.

    After that class that she enjoyed, she looooooooved playing with clay, until this day.

    Here are some of our masterpieces!

    A breakfast for Barbie by nanay
    Clay balls by Nanay
    Clay flowers by Nanay, BUT arranged by Lia
    Lia, proud of our first collab art
    Also arranged by Lia
    Her idea to give the blue to Tatay, pink to Nanay, and yellow for her
    Ice cream!
    Her attempt to make her own clay designs
    THIS WAS JUST HER. Integrating clay to her real toys! This is Ice Bear with a party hat and cake made by Lia
    HER IDEA to copy a bear clay figure in her book
    And this was her last night – around 11pm. Busy making something…
    Then she said, “Nanay! Nanay!” SHE MADE HER OWN CLAY PORTRAIT OF NANAY!” (Can you see the singkit eyes? So accurate)

    My two cents

    If we say yes to new experiences for our kids like online workshops – and give access to materials – may it be clay or paint brush or piano – then we are opening them to a whole new world and endless possibilities.

    I’m so happy that I said yes on her behalf, because after that class, my husband and I agreed to expose our daughter to whatever hobby or activity she finds interesting, and then support her if she likes it. We’ll also not pressure her if she doesn’t like it! That’s how we’d like to be as her parents.

    Do you have online workshops that you would like to recommend for us to try? Comment below!


    Check out Cascades International School’s Instagram for details on upcoming classes and workshops. This is not a sponsored post.

  • #BagongNanayReviews: Hey Baby PH Personalized Books

    #BagongNanayReviews: Hey Baby PH Personalized Books

    When I was still pregnant, I received lots of preloved books from my friends – all of which are still loved and enjoyed by my almost 2 year old daughter today.

    More than the clothes and toys, I loved the books! I love reading as a child; I read encyclopedias and dictionaries, and then obsessed with Stephen King books when I became a teen.

    As a #BagongNanay, I came to love giving books as gifts to babies. I believe that a picture book is always age-appropriate. Babies will love looking at the pictures, then identifying them as toddlers, and then finally, reading the story when they become preschoolers. It’s a no-fail gift. After all, as my favorite author Stephen King said, “Books are a unique portable magic.”

    “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”

    Stephen King

    That’s why, my daughter and I were very giddy when we received a book last week, from one of her book fairy Titas. What’s more, it’s personalized! It’s the first time we ever got a personalized book!

    My daughter’s face when she got a new book!

    So I thought of sharing what my daughter and I love about Hey Baby PH’s personalized book.

    1. It’s thoughtfully created.

    2. The material and print is high-quality.

    3. It’s the perfect bedtime story.

    4. It’s created by parents – who are teachers!

    Each book is unique

    Just like how each of our babies is unique, so is every book from Hey Baby PH. From the cover to the inside pages, it is personalized with your baby’s name. The story character is also customized based on your child’s gender. Hooray for inclusion!

    When she wants to read this book, my 20-month-old tells me,
    “Read books, goo-night Lia!”

    Best part is – if you give it as a gift, you can add a personalized note! For sure, the receiver will remember you forever. It also comes in a sleek black packaging that is personalized too!

    Value for money

    For its price which is Php 425, you would expect a flimsy book. But no. Hey Baby PH’s book is printed on vivid lustre paper, making the illustrations and words stand out. The size is also just right for my toddler’s tiny hands. I love that the pages are thick, making it almost indestructible (for now).

    Material is tough enough to be flipped repeatedly by my little bookworm. Size is also just right for her cute little hands.

    Storyline is simple and relatable

    This rhyming bedtime story is so relatable. It starts of with a child who is not yet sleepy. So she drinks milk, brushes her teeth, and then ends up sleeping.

    When my daughter saw the book for the first time, she wanted to brush her teeth! She doesn’t like to brush, but the book made her do it! Magical, right?

    “Nanay, brush teeth!” she said, after seeing the other Lia brushing.

    Created by a #BagongNanay and a #BagongTatay who are teachers

    I learned from my friend that the creators of Hey Baby PH is a mom and dad duo who are teachers and first-time parents! It’s nice to know, and it inspires me to write a storybook too! I can imagine the love they put into this project. My child inspires me to do things I never thought I could do too.

    Personalized Hey Baby PH book for Lia! Thank you to Tita Cait, her book fairy tita for gifting it out of the blue. ☺

    I look forward to the books that they will create next!

    So if you are looking for a gift for pregnant moms, babies, or toddlers, I recommend getting a personalized book from Hey Baby PH!

    Check out their Instagram and Facebook page to order yours. It is available for pre-order, and they don’t accept rush orders.

    Again, this is not a sponsored post. I just love their product, and I wanted to help spread the word to more #BagongNanays like me.

    Nanay Judy

  • #BagongNanayReviews: Maximus Tabletop Dishwasher

    #BagongNanayReviews: Maximus Tabletop Dishwasher

    Washing the dishes is a chore that most Bagong Nanays loathe, but need to do. Makita mo palang yung gabundok na hugasin, parang pagod ka na. This year, I had a resolution to never leave dirty plates on the sink overnight.

    To keep myself inspired to wash the dishes at midnight, I then started “dish-watching.” I wash the dishes while watching K-drama on Netflix. For a while, it worked! I actually look forward to washing the dishes because that would mean I get to watch an episode of It’s Okay To Not Be Okay or Start-Up.

    Last Valentine’s Day, my husband surprised me with a very unexpected gift: a dishwasher. Yes. The one that we only see in movies and can only afford in The Sims. I was very shocked because I never asked for it.

    Unboxed Maximus Tabletop Dishwasher

    “How about my K-dramas now?” I asked him. “Then watch your K-dramas in peace!” he said.

    Why buy a dishwasher? Bakiiit?!

    As a #BagongNanay, I’d like to share my honest review of Maximus Tabletop Dishwasher. Washing the dishes takes up one to two hours of my time, depending on how much plates we used from lunch to dinner. With a dishwasher, I just need five minutes just load it up with the dirty plates, and I can spend the time doing the more important things. So it is worth it. That’s it. That’s the review.

    According to my husband, he read somewhere that there are only three kitchen appliances that are essential for any household: A refrigerator, a stove, and a dishwasher. Sana all. At first, I felt unworthy to use it. Haha. Ayoko sa kanya nung una kasi feeling ko useless na ako. Lol.

    Here are some of the questions that I had in my mind the moment I met Maximus:

    Does it really clean the plates?

    Yes. You’ll be surprised that it washes the dishes better than you. Just make sure to remove the leftover food so they won’t clog the dishwasher. No need to pre-rinse though, just scrape them from the plates.

    We are using Corelle plates, and they are squeaky clean after the wash. It also saves more water than manual dishwashing. So yes. It gets the job done. It can fit a lot of plates, cutlery, mugs, and at least one pot or pan.

    Last night’s load

    How long does it take to wash one load?

    For this particular model, there are different options. But I always choose the ECO because it’s the most energy efficient.

    It takes three (3) hours and 15 minutes to wash a single load of dishes in the ECO cycle. There’s also rapid wash (30 mins), normal (2 hours), and intensive (2 hours and 30 mins) for pots and pans.

    In ECO mode

    What’s the catch?

    The only downside of getting a dishwasher is that you need to buy a specific brand of the dishwasher tablets, salt, and rinse aid from them. Magastos siya. You cannot use Joy or some cheap soap and table salt. So yes. You are paying for your precious time. You need to watch out when these items go on sale. They are available in Lazada and Shopee.

    This is where you put the dishwasher tablet and rinse aid

    What I do to save is I just use the dishwasher when I really have something important to do than washing the dishes. It enables me to rest after a long day of cooking and taking care of my child.

    How’s the electric bill?

    In terms of electricity, we didn’t see a spike in our electric bill so I guess it’s not costing us that much.

    Until now, it hasn’t sink in (pun intended) that we have a dishwasher at home. I’m a full-time mom and wife, so you would expect that I should just wash the dishes because I don’t have a job. But having a dishwasher is like having an extra hand, and it made me realize this:

    Life is short. Invest in things that help you spend your time and energy to do the more important things. If it’s going to help you save time, then it’s worth it. Get a dishwasher, Nanay!

    PS. This is not a sponsored post. But I hope they get to read this and give me some free dishwasher tablets. Lol.

    Nanay Judy

  • #BagongNanayReviews: Mega-Malunggay Capsules

    #BagongNanayReviews: Mega-Malunggay Capsules

    Are you also like me who is not fond of taking supplements in the form of capsules or tablets? I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the thought that I am taking medicines when I am perfectly fine. That’s why when I started breastfeeding, I prefer eating lactation treats or drinking malunggay as tea. You can read my review about my favorite malunggay tea here.

    But then there are days when I feel like my breasts are empty and my daughter’s about to feed, but I’m too tired or just too lazy to prepare a drink. That’s when – fine – these green, awkward-tasting malunggay capsules come handy.

    There are five reasons why I started taking Mega-Malunggay Capsules to help boost my breastmilk supply:

    1. It is widely used by moms.

    2. It doesn’t contain sugar.

    3. It is easy to take.

    4. It is cheap.

    5. It’s worth it.

    Not all hype

    A lot of celebrity moms and influencers have been promoting Mega-Malunggay capsules. I remember seeing a giant billboard of Bianca Gonzales promoting this VPharma product along EDSA.

    Photo credits: Bianca Gonzales’ Facebook account

    My favorite momma peg, Iya Villania-Arellano, also uses it, and promotes it on Instagram. I thought it was all hype, not until I used it myself.

    Photo from Iya Villania Arellano’s Instagram account

    Healthy option

    While it feels so good to give in to all the lactation treats available – tea, chocolate drink, coffee, cookies – name it, some moms just don’t like too much sugar. We Bagong Nanays are conscious about getting our prenatal body back. So a sugar-free lactation aid is always a good idea.

    Photo from VPharma’s Facebook page

    This is also the product preferred by pregnant moms who have been diagnosed to have gestational diabetes.

    No-frills malunggay

    Because of Mega-Malunggay, you don’t need to ask your husband to climb your malunggay tree, or ask your neighbor to spare you some leaves. You don’t need to go into the hassle of removing the malunggay leaves from the stems.

    Mega-Malunggay is made of pure malunggay leaves, and one capsule is already equivalent to 3/4 cup of malunggay leaves. You can also open the capsule up, and just sprinkle the malunggay powder to your food and drink!

    Photo from VPharma’s Facebook page

    Did you know that you can start taking Mega-Malunggay capsules on your 32nd week?

    Value for money

    For only 9.50php per capsule, it gives you the peace of mind that you can produce enough milk for your baby. Its effect varies per person, but based on my experience, taking Mega-Malunggay before bedtime gives me enough milk to put my baby to sleep. That’s of course complemented with unli-latch and enough rest and sleep.

    Mega-Malunggay has no approved therapeutic claims. But it is Halal-Certified and FDA-approved safe.

    Best in the market

    I used to take Natalac because it was readily available in drugstores. However, it only has 250g of malunggay. That’s why Mega-Malunggay is mega – it has the highest milligram available of malunggay plus 100mg of vitamin C.

    Photo: bagongnanay

    It works for me, and I hope it works for you too, Bagong Nanay. Would you like to try Mega-Malunggay? Comment below and I will give you a discount on your first order. You can also order your stocks at The Bagong Nanay Shop. Get it today.

  • #BagongNanayReviews: Beginnings Baby

    #BagongNanayReviews: Beginnings Baby

    #BagongNanayReviews: Beginnings Baby

    #BagongNanay, how was your experience shopping for newborn essentials?

    When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was both anxious and excited to complete THE list. My fellow #BagongNanay friend Rej shared an Excel file of baby stuff with me! It’s better than those available online because she vetted the checklist based on what’s really essential based on her experience. I had a phase wherein I would obsess on the list. I would ask my husband to go to the mall so we can buy this and that.

    Want the full list? Comment below or email me at bagongnanayshop@gmail.com and I can share it to you!

    I will always remember that moment when we finally went to the Baby Section in SM. We went straight to where the white stuff are. We were both shy at first to ask the saleslady what we need. We both teared up a little when it dawned upon us that legit – we’ll be having a baby! We got a set of tie-sides – sleeveless, short sleeves, and long sleeves. Towels, bibs, and blankets.

    It was all fun until – we couldn’t find a set of mittens of the same brand. Of course, we’d want the complete set for our baby! Sadly, the saleslady said “Out of stock po ang mittens, Ma’am.” Noooooo! My pregnancy hormones went wild.

    So we weren’t able to buy a set of mittens and booties yet. “Hanap nalang tayo sa ibang SM.” It took us a few trips to different SM stores – but we ended up buying mittens and booties from a different brand or else my baby will have none.

    Why did we scrimp on our baby’s first clothes anyway? Why did we settle for what’s in the mall? I realized just now. If I could turn back time, I would have looked for a better brand where I can buy the complete newborn stuff set, and spare me the headache and anxiety.

    Last month, I was lucky to receive a free gift from a mom I met in a mommy group im Viber. She is giving away a batch of Beginnings Baby gift sets! I know every #BagongNanay loves to receive freebies – especially if it’s a twinning mommy and baby shirt!

    Beginnings Baby is an all-white infant apparel brand, created specifically for babies 0-12 months. It carries a full range of baby apparel needs! Tie-sides, shorts, pajamas, bibs, and yes, mittens and booties!!! What’s best is you can buy individually or the complete set – ONLINE.

    Order by the bundle from their website!

    Yes. No need to go to the mall and look for the stuff yourself. Especially in this time of pandemic, a #BagongNanay needs to stay home. Don’t be shocked with the price of their bundles though – I don’t want to spoil it for you but – baby’s clothes are more expensive than our clothes!

    They didn’t ask me to write a review here in my blog, but the free stuff they gave me – a mommy shirt and a pack of sando for my baby – were the coolest stuff we’ve worn! I had to write about it!

    Super soft fabric!

    The fabric is cool because it’s soft and breathable. I’m actually wearing it right now. I feel like I’m a baby too.

    Hands down comfy

    The size is also comfy for both of us! So comfy and breathable that my toddler wants to go inside my shirt to breastfeed!

    I love it! I’d definitely get my next baby’s stuff from them! (Hopefully after three years!)

    Head on to their website beginningsbaby.com and check out their all-white baby stuff. Start your baby right. You can thank me later. :)

    Have you tried Beginnings Baby? What can you say about it? Comment below!

    Nanay Judy

  • #BagongNanayReviews: M2 Malunggay Tea

    #BagongNanayReviews: M2 Malunggay Tea

    As a #BagongNanay, one of our greatest concerns post-partum is our ability to feed and nourish our child.

    In my experience, I attended seminars when I was still pregnant, and I was fully committed to breastfeeding my child. But sometimes, no matter how prepared we are, we become faced with challenges that would alter our plans and test our faith.

    As for me, I gave birth six weeks earlier than expected. I didn’t know what went wrong: I had complete check-ups, took my vitamins, and ate healthy. But then it happened. My water bag broke when my baby was still 33 weeks and 5 days in my womb.

    Thus, I had to undergo an emergency C-section. This caused my first breastmilk to only come out after three days of trying and pumping. You can read the full story here.

    I’m happy that I didn’t give up, and I am still breastfeeding until today. My daughter is almost two years old. One of the things that helped me through my breastfeeding journey is the first product I would write about here in #BagongNanayReviews.

    Breastfeeding is not easy. It is wonderful, but sometimes we could use some help.

    Here’s why Bagong Nanay highly recommends the M2 Malunggay Tea:

    1. It is healthy.

    2. It is delicious.

    3. It is very convenient.

    4. It is affordable.

    5. It works.

    Healthy beverage

    First things first – M2 Malunggay Tea is FDA-approved as a nutritional beverage, unlike other supplements that have no approved therapeutic claims. Thus, you are sure that it is genuinely healthy, and not just a placebo.

    M2 Malunggay Okra Luya Tea is a product of NaturEarth Corporation. Visit their website here: naturearthph.com

    Just read up on the nutrient content of malunggay, then look up okra and ginger. You can thank me later.

    It’s not only good for lactating moms, but also for husbands and kids 1 year old and up.

    Surprisingly delicious

    I won’t judge you if at first you would hesitate to try this tea simply because you read that it’s made from malunggay, okra, and ginger.

    Okra is one of the vegetables that most people don’t like to eat because of its texture. But surprisingly, the M2 Malunggay Tea tastes like the house-blend iced tea of some popular fastfood and restaurants.

    Pro tip: Squeeze a slice of lemon or calamansi to make it more refreshing.

    I love my M2 Malunggay Tea iced and with lemon.

    Easy to prepare

    If, like me, you are not that lucky to have a malunggay tree in your backyard, you would know that malunggay is a rare item in supermarkets.

    And how many times would you cook tinolang manok just to use up all the malunggay leaves that you bought? Not to mention how daunting it is to remove the malunggay leaves (my husband is very particular, and doesn’t like to see stems in his tinola).

    Imagine the time and effort saved by just drinking M2 – pour a little of the concentrate on your tumbler, add water, pop some ice cubes, and you’re ready to go!

    Very affordable

    When you are a breastfeeding mom, there is nothing more stressful than thinking that your breastmilk supply is not enough for your child.

    If you buy a one liter concentrate of M2 Malunggay Tea at 280php, you can already use it to prepare up to 17 glasses of tea. That’s approximately 16php per serving. As for me, I drink two servings per day – one during lunch and then one during dinner.

    M2 Malunggay Iced Tea and Lumpiang Togue for merienda!

    For only 32php a day, you can already see the results. You would feel your breasts welling up milk, and you will be more confident that your child will have enough breastmilk for the day.

    Proven effective

    I can only speak from experience. I am breastfeeding my child for almost 19 months now. I attribute this success to the following factors: letting her latch whenever she wants, getting six to eight hours of sleep, and drinking M2 Malunggay Tea.

    Yes, I believe that this product has greatly helped me in my breastfeeding journey that it is as important as unli-latch and sleep. I believe in it so much that I became an authorized reseller of the product since August 2020. Since then, I’ve been helping other Bagong Nanays in their breastfeeding journey as well – all thanks to M2.

    M2 works for this mommy too! Happy to help.

    If you want to try this product, send me a message here, and tell me that you found out about it by reading this blog. I will give you a discount on your first order. :)

    So that’s it for the first of many #BagongNanayReviews! Comment down if you have anything to say about M2 Malunggay Tea too!

    Nanay Judy