Feature : Future Fortified

I received this email from Kathryn on April 21st:

Hi Maria,

We love "Of Limes and Lemons" and wanted to reach out to you about a new Q&A series we're launching with our favorite mom bloggers called "Future Fortified Features: One Minute With Maria Camela Maghirang".

Future Fortified is a new campaign from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (G.A.I.N.), hoping to nourish 50 million moms and babies by 2015. In this special corresponding feature, we ask you three questions and include a link to your blog. This will appear in a recipe card format, which will be shared over our social networks and can be over yours, too (see attached example).

The campaign and issue are explained in our new infographic: http://futurefortified.org/node/297.

We would love to have you as a part of this series! Let us know if this is something that interests you.

Warmly,

Kathryn Moncur

kathryn moncur | outreach
www.lovesocial.org

I must admit, I was a bit hesitant at first since there is a surge of online scams nowadays and I just don't want to be a victim. I checked their site, upon learning about the advocacy behind the campaign I got interested and replied to her email. Who wouldn't want to be part of something good, right? We had email exchanges and after a few weeks, here's the final result  as shown on this page :

All about Future Fortified :

Future Fortified is a public awareness campaign of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). We enable individuals, businesses, and organizations to help millions of women and children around the world access to the essential nutrients they need to lead healthy, enriched lives.

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is driven by a vision of a world without malnutrition. GAIN supports public-private partnerships to increase access to the missing nutrients in diets necessary for people, communities and economies to be stronger and healthier. With a current reach of over 610 million people in more than 30 countries, GAIN's goal is to improve the lives of 1.5 billion people within the most vulnerable populations aroudn the world through access to sustainable nutrition solutions.

Good health and nutrition is something we moms all strive for not only for our children but for our whole family as well. When I encountered the facts that Future Fortified presented I somehow felt a little dismayed over the alarming state of malnutrition around the world. I also learned some very interesting facts about the First 1000 Days of a child-ensuring good nutrition starting from moms during the early stages of pregnancy and the child's until the he reaches the second year maximizes one's full potential. According to recent studies, during this 1000 day period good nutrition is important for brain development and physical growth, and any effect if ever detrimental is sadly irreversible.

The good thing is that Future Fortified focuses on long term and sustainable ways in treating these problems. The organization accepts donations in its philanthropic activities. Your contribution will be leveraged as an investment to increase the supply and availability of home nutrition packets, as well as educate families on the importance of nutrition and essential nutrients. With partners and programs around the world, GAIN and Future Fortified will focus on key countries to drive impact at scale.

If you're a mom and wanted to be part of something worthwhile, also if you wanted to take action and and be involved in a great cause check out Future Fortified's Facebook and Twitter Pages. You can also check their site Future Fortified for more relevant information and interesting facts.

happy new year!

It has been a week since my last post, Christmas Season with a baby is indeed no joke most specially now that she is beginning to walk by herself. At the end of the day, I am so (dead)tired to blog and to think that I am also breastfeeding during night feedings. 

I also got hooked up preparing for my daughter's first birthday party on January 6th, much to say, I can say I'm really excited and looking forward to it.

2011 in Recap

As I am saying, the year 2011 has been a good one for me. It made me a new person who is now called "Mommy"...It was one helluva ride being a new mom but I enjoyed every minute of it. The struggle with breastfeeding, the lack of sleep, the challenge of rearing our child single-handedly (for now), made it all worth it. Before the year ended (exact date : December 28) we received a very pleasant surprise, the one we (my husband and I) had been dreaming of for a long time and that's one reason why I am looking forward to 2012 with much delight. I know this surprise will definitely change our life and our future (will share more details of this surprise soon...)

For the meantime, I am looking forward to a better 2012, more posts to write, more friends to know here in the blogoshere. Happy New Year everyone and may we all start the year with a bang!

My Thanksgiving Christmas Giveaway-Prelude

It's the most wonderful time of the year, actually I Love Christmas because I like wrapping and giving gifts (I will not mention the part that I don't like about it-maybe on other posts,hehe)...

I have so many things to be thankful for this year, the first and foremost and also the best of all is the birth of my daughter early this year. She has completely changed everything about my life. She will be turning a year old on January 6th, I can't imagine how time really flies so fast. I have discovered the world of blogging because of her. During those sleepless nights and in between breastfeeding, I have turned to several mom blogs to find support for breastfeeding and first time moms like me, hence, I have known the blogoshere. 

I had been inclined to joining online contests and giveaways in Facebook as a form of leisure activity for me, I was indeed lucky to have won several contests and that's where it all started. I formally started with blogging on August of this year, with the main purpose of documenting things that interest me the most, then I discovered that there's more to blogging. I never knew then of PR rating, of Alexa stats, of linking, of memes, of Google Analytics, of meeting virtual friends. I find blogging therapeutic, a stress reliever for a full time (breastfeeding) mom like me. With that I wanted to give back what blogging has shared with me, I am sponsoring a Christmas Giveaway as a thanksgiving for my 120 plus (and counting) GFC followers and for the success of this endeavor. I hope to bring some smile to other bloggers like me who loves to join contests. 

help CDO and ILIGAN!

I saw the news tonight and I was really fighting tears seeing our fellowmen from Iligan and CDO face devastation. It seems my heart was coming out of my chest to see babies being evacuated despite the rain and cold, wrapped in blankets. I can almost see my own daughter (who is sleeping peacefully beside me now as I am writing this) in them, to think that it is also almost Christmas. Earlier today, I was planning of going to the mall tomorrow to buy some stuff for Ceana, but felt so unfair to do so because of the havoc that our fellowmen experienced. 

As I searched the internet for readings, I saw this heartbreaking picture of a father holding the dead body of her daughter and I can't help the tears. You can feel the agony and grief of a parent, it's beyond any words can describe. You can also notice that no smile can be seen from the other people in the background. Indeed you cannot smile during times like this...this is just of of the many snapshots of the wreck caused by Sendong.

I AM CALLING THE ATTENTION OF ALL BLOGGERS, if you want to donate, you can do so by sending CASH thru Paypal, (I did) using ILIGAN BLOGGERS SOCIETY , feel free to donate a dollar (or more) by using THIS LINK and you can confirm your donation by clicking THIS. The only email address they use for Paypal is singcol.inquisitor@gmail.com. For donation drops, please read this DOCUMENT for more information. 


thru CDO BLOGGERS : Paypal donations are accepted through Cagayan de Oro Bloggers, the email is : francis.siason@gmail.com

LBC also accepts donations-bottled water, food, blankets, clothes, medicines, etc. They will ship it for FREE and distribute to the cities that need assistance. Just go to your nearest branch and bring in your stuff. {I guess this will be our itinerary for tomorrow-I will bring some of Ceana's clothes and mine too to donate plus I am going to ask for some other family members}.

I guess these two ways will do for now. 

Let's make this season more meaningful by sharing our blessings, being thankful that we still have our families and loved ones with us this Holiday season. 

where'd our money go?

2011 started with a blast on our expenses, I delivered via C-section (no need to tell you how much it cost us!) and as they all say "the expenses came one after the other after the baby came". 

Thanks to breastfeeding (and I really mean it!) because we were able to save a lot  as compared to using formula, instead the budget was allocated for other needs like diaper, vaccines, monthly check ups, vitamins, baby's other needs-clothing, her food (fruits, cookies, water) etc. I've hired a househelp until May until she left and I did not bother to get another one after her because it gave me so much headache and stress. I am a full time (stay at home) mom, so in short I really don't have any source of income until I started blogging in August. I got paid for some posts I wrote but this is not a regular one (YET-I hope it will be soon). Aside from that, I engaged in some buy and sell transactions of Victoria's Secret products which came from a friend's Balikbayan Box (this is also to help her out liquidate the good for her family's needs) but then again this is seasonal.

Part of the monthly remittance I received from my husband goes out to food and contribution to the house needs as we are living with my parents.

Aside from the things mentioned above, we also spent for Ceana's Christening way back in April and now we are preparing for her First Birthday In January. So I guess when everything's done we will be able to save up a little bit more by next year. I hope to be able to look for additional sources of income and more paid posts to do.

Hope we''ll all have a prosperous year next year!

Sharing for

Breastfeeding Gifts

Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (December). For this month, we want to honor breastfeeding for having enriched our lives and blessed us, may be even empowered us, in a way that only breastfeeding can. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants.

Breastfeeding had been a pre-planned pursuit at the onset of my pregnancy. Having known and read the importance and good benefits of breastfeeding makes me yearn for the day when I can finally do it. When my daughter was placed in my arms for feeding after recovery from my C-section, I realized that it was not an easy task to do after all. I did not attend breastfeeding classes nor asked for guidance of some expert. All I did was some reading online on whatever possible information I can get. And I thought I was ready...The nurse taught me to just place my baby on my breast and she will eventually seek my breast  and suck, that's what I did...everything went as natural as it was supposed to be and that was the start of my breastfeeding journey.

One of the initial and MAJOR problem I have encountered is wrong latch, because of my ignorance as to how properly do it, I thought it was also going to be the end of it all. I suffered from sore nipples until there was a time that I feel as if breastfeeding is like another form of masochism, a means of hurting myself.  Despite these dilemma, I survived and here I am still breastfeeding my 11-month old daughter and enjoying it as a bonding time for both of us.

Breastfeeding gifts

Aside from the fact that I triumphed over the hardships I encountered in the early days of breastfeeding, it also reaffirmed my worth as a woman, as a person. The fact and idea that there'll be no other person who can nurture my child is a big esteem booster for me. Honestly, I have felt low during the first few weeks after giving birth, not having my husband with me when I gave birth added to my desolation. But breastfeeding no matter how it hurt me at first became the sole refuge I turned to, an affirmation that I am a woman and I am capable. More than the monetary worth (let's face it we really save a lot because of breastfeeding) it enhanced my self worth and made me feel the true essence of being a mother. I have nothing against moms who chose not to breastfeed, I believe we all have a choice on the path we take towards motherhood and this is the one I chose to take. I get encouragement from people who praise my undertaking and consider some people as challenges-those who don't understand and mistakenly think that the only reason why I am doing this is to save up financially. But no matter what other people may think, I know that breastfeeding has been the best intangible gift I have given my child and at the same time a great gift given to me as well. More than anything else it serve the purpose of the set of tits placed in front of my body and with that I cannot be more than happy.

Please do check out other moms and their posts who joined this Carnival : 

Shaps- Beyond Being Thin

Gretchen - Breastfeeding Gifts for Christmas

Carol - The Gift of Miracle

Jenny O.- The 

Gifts of Breastfeeding

Anne - The Gift

of Breastfeeding

Nats - We Wish

You Merry Nursing

Jenny R. - If the Magi Were

Queens

Em - The "Breast" Gift

Isis- Got Milk?

Armi - Breastfeeding

Gifts

Liv - My Breastfeeding

Journey

Laya - Time in a Drop of

Milk

Mec - The Gift of a Changed Man

Marnellie - From a Donee to a Donor

my heart bleeds as a Mom...

I just want to pour this out, for two days last week (around Friday and Saturday) I 've been disturbed and affected by another news that made UPLB (University of the Philippines Los Banos) popular again. It is though for a very sad reason, because of another heinous crime committed against a UPLB student, Given Grace Cebanico.
Let's go a little trip down memory lane...

When I entered the same University approximately 17years ago, it was the height time of the Eileen Sarmenta-Allan Gomez case, in which a female student (Eileen), was raped and  together with her friend and fraternity brother (Allan) they were both abducted first then killed. The culprit behind was then Calauan Mayor Armand Sanchez,which I would like to believe is still suffering in prison now. He was actually convicted in 1994, that is a year after it happened. The University was still in mourning when I started as a freshie and I saw the palm trees in Royal Palm Drive dressed in black ribbons.

Royal Palm Drive, UPLB

This year it happened again because of Given's death. I was really disturbed and affected with what happened to her, maybe because this time I am no freshie anymore but a new mom. I can feel the anguish of Given's parents especially her mom's. Having raised your daughter for 19 years only for some people to take her away from you forever. Given Grace was abducted on night of October 10, 2011, was raped, nabbed then shot on the forehead. Her mouth was tied not only with a hanky but of masking tape. Her body was found on an isolated area of the University. These are such evil doings no one can easily fathom.

You see Given is a DOST Scholar, a College Scholar ( which means she has good grades), she is already on her third year and hopes to graduate next year, dreams of helping out her pastor dad, her teacher mom and 12 year old brother.  Those dreams can't be fulfilled anymore, her precious life has ended caused by some cruel criminals. She is a sweet girl, a church song leader and a good friend. Good that after two days, the suspects were already apprehended and hopefully will pay for their wrongdoings in jail.
However which way, justice may have prevailed but Given cannot return anymore, and my heart bleeds as a mom. As parents we all have good things planned for our children-a good future, a good life. Looking at my daughter as I put her to sleep and thinking of it all-that something as cruel will happen to her is unimaginable, unthinkable! I will die!
I may not know their family personally but I have been praying for them ever since, for peace and acceptance. I have worn this as profile picture in my Facebook account for a few days as support for Given, her family and to the UPLB community.

mommy moments - mommy's favorite products

I discovered these products in 2009, I wasn't really aware of all the 'bad and harmful' chemicals in the everyday products that we use until I found out about Human Nature.  Since then I became more conscious of the ingredients a product contains and has also started to READ the LABELS. 

For Mommy Moments this week, which features Mommy's Favorite Products, I am sharing various Human nature products. These products are staples in my everyday ritual. I really do not have a beauty regimen, and they say that women should start caring for their skin during their mid-twenties(sigh!). All I do is clean, exfoliate 3-4 times a week and that's it, no toner, no moisturizer (yeah I know I should!), that is why I am planning to improve my so called rituals. Before we move on, here are my personal favorites...

1.) Human Nature Hydrating Facial Wash (with moringa and aloe vera- I use for cleansing, though the scent isn't much of a winner but the effects are great for me)

2.) Human Nature Exfoliating Facial Scrub ( uses coffee as exfoliating beads, as compared to commercial scrubs, it has no yummy sweet scent that makes it more natural)

3.) Human Nature Natural Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner ( this one has a citrus scent that makes your hair smell so fresh)

I will share some more about Human Nature in future posts and why I decided to become an organic/natural product advocate. Well, there you go for my favorite things...

written for :

It's a Big World by renee and jeremy

My daughter has been addicted to this video lately. Whenever I will play it in youtube, she stops whatever she is doing and watches. She doesn't blink,haha  And I just want to share it with you :

As a parent I also like the video. It comes with a very simple but colorful animation that will capture the attention of a child (my daughter for is an example). The music/song is also quite relaxing and gives an LSS (Last Song Syndrome) whenever I will listed to it. I also love their song "Night Mantra" which is very soothing, call it modern lullabye. 

I just saw this from one of the blogs I read, (I am sorry if I forgot where) it is collaboration of parents/ husband&wife Renee & Jeremy  who loves music and they make children's music that children and people of all ages enjoy.  You an actually download some free songs on their site, including the one above. You just need to subscribe to their email. I just did. You can visit reneeandjeremy.com to view andbuy their song and look in to for more details. 

hairless Ceana

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Pause muna for contest blogs, let's get more personal this time...

taken Sept 6, 2011-her 8th month birthday

I was thinking if I will post my daughter's pictures here in my blog. Actually I have mentioned and discussed her and my husband in my other blog which I chose to be more personal. For some reasons, I was just contemplating if in some ways I will be violating her privacy in doing so. 

However, I have read and followed some blogs which features their children and I said " Why not?di naman ako artista?"hahaha

So there you go... and in fact it is really a mom's joy to share to the world her daughter...

this is me when I was almost the same age

Well my (now 8month-old) daughter Ceana is still hairless. Well not REALLY bald but she has thin hair. 

It may be due to genes, because both my husband and I were hairless when we were babies. 

But many say that eventually(when?) her hair will grow, so no fears, no worries for me.

As much as I wanted to buy her clips and accessories, I became limited to headbands. I am doing this because for the times that she is not wearing one she was mistaken to be a boy even if she's wearing a dress already!

 I don't feel bad, but it's natural to sometimes feel awkward to get questions like "boy or girl?" or "girl sya?" even if she's wearing pink or red!(eyes rolling!) 

To my consolation, a highschool batchmate who's based in Canada whom I get to interact with on Facebook also share the same experiences with her daughter. And so I think, it is not really the culture but 'how really the way things are'. So be it.

Bunny Baby, her Dad's favorite

Through time I got used to the comments and I'm not bothered anymore (actually I was never bothered, I was just surprised). So here now I just wanted to share my favorites-headpieces of Ceana (a.k.a. her headbands).

Ceana and her bandanna with long curly hair

I call her Baby Girl Swee'Pea, (Popeye's original Swee'Pea's a male)...

Of Limes and Lemons

Welcome to my personal sanctuary!

Perhaps you may ask, why Limes and Lemons? It is simple, My favorite color is green and next to it, the color yellow. I am quite fascinated with green and yellow combination, in fact I used these colors for my motif during my wedding. I find these two colors very refreshing. And most of all it reminds me of summer which is my favorite season of all.

Now on the other hand, LIMES and LEMONS are both egg to oval shaped, that can be either sour or sweet depending on variety. They both have unique flavonoid compound which are anti-oxidants and contain anti-cancer properties. they are good sources of Vitamin C and best of all above other uses, they are also considered to be powerhouses and used when we want to bring out the best flavor in foods (source : http://www.whfoods.com ).

And there you go, just like LIMES AND LEMONS this is exactly what I have planned for this blog to be: a source of entertainment (anti-oxidant) and information (whether sweet or sour) to anyone who will be able to read this blog, equipped with information so as to be of inspiration and help to others, and just like a powerhouse to bring out the best in every person who will be touched by my words.

And I guess that's all about it. Mind you, I will still need to learn using hyperlinks, in order for me to have this blog get going.

Click here for more reading pleasures.