After giving birth, I only had two months of maternity leave and since we can't really afford to take a leave longer than the allowed leave (because #priorities) I immediately returned to work after two - months postpartum. And since I am an advocate of breastfeeding (Read: My Breastfeeding Journey and How I Increase My Milk Supply) I vowed to breastfeed Keia for at least the first year of her life. I can only do that if I pump and store milk so Keia can bottle-feed my milk even when I'm away.
Because August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month, I will be sharing with you my breastfeeding journey as a working mom. I will also be sharing some tips I learned on how to increase your milk supply and how I survived breastfeeding even when I'm working.
When Mike asked me where I wanted to spend Mother's Day, I immediately said I want to go out of the house. I've been on house arrest since Keia was born and for those two months that I stayed in our condo, I extremely felt depressed 😠good thing we were able to go out and travel to Tagaytay. I personally requested to have lunch at Marcia Adams Tuscany as I've been wanting to go back here since the first time Mike and I visited it 4 years ago. So Mike and I together with my parents had lunch in beautiful Tuscany.
I'm sure any mother would agree that giving birth is the most rewarding feeling ever (it is for me!) but let's be honest, it is also the most stressful job in the world! I didn't realize it until I became a mom myself. After giving birth I stayed in our house and in my parents' house for two months straight just taking care of Keia from day to night! And no matter how much I adore my little one, caring for your newborn can be so taxing, exhausting and yes, depressing.
One of the sweetest gifts I received on my first ever Mother's Day was a free photo session with my baby girl, Keia care of Baby Dove.
ChaMommy Diaries
Keia's Newborn Pictorial and What You Need to Know About Newborn Photography
Sunday, June 03, 2018
Newborn Photography is quite popular among millennial parents nowadays. It is a great way to welcome their little one into the world or should I say into the "social media" world where you see cute little beings sleeping on fluffy blankets or pose in baskets/buckets on your feed. These photos make a lasting impression on your little darlings, that is why my husband and I didn't let the opportunity pass without booking a session a few days after Keia was born. It was such a memorable experience for the three of us that I even got teary eyed when they presented us the end product.
#ChaMiKeia
After 9 months of carrying this little munchkin in my tummy, I am finally carrying Keia Lavender in my arms! Oh how amazing pregnancy and motherhood is! Hence the reason why I chose to share with you, my dear readers my pregnancy journey and how I gave birth. It is definitely not a travel post but this entry will serve as a transition post from a girl wanderer to a mother explorer. Because I'll be soon traveling as a mother, my succeeding travel posts will definitely include kid friendly destinations, family getaways and mom tips and struggles on traveling.
On one hand, you can be rest assured that you can
have a grand time in Boracay, especially if you’re a beach person. On the other
hand, bear in mind that there are a number of important things that you need to
consider before you pack your bags and head over to this one of a kind beach
destination. If you need help with this matter, then you
came to the right place since this write up is made up of tips that can help
achieve the beach vacation that you will certainly love.
· Going to Boracay
If your trip to
Boracay pushes through, take note that it is going to be more convenient and
faster if you go there via Caticlan. Yes, it can be quite costly, but you can
be rest assured that the extra pay is going to be well worth it. Flying via
Kalibo is indeed cheaper, but you are going to waste several hours on the road.
All in all, when going to Boracay, you need to decide before hand if budget is
more important than time.
Budget is more important
If budget is more
important to you, then you’d be happy to know that you can actually save big; that
is, if you travel by sea. With this method, you do not have to take the plane
to Kalibo or Caticlan; therefore allowing to gain savings that you can use on
your next vacation to Cebu’s Bantayan Island perhaps? To
travel by sea, you simply need to take a bus from Cubao to Batangas, then take
a roll on – roll off (RoRo) boat to Caticlan. As mentioned earlier, this costs
less and you’d be happy to know that your ticket comes with a complimentary
meal. The downside is your trip is going to be longer; in worst cases about 10
hours or more. Putting this factor into consideration, this option is not ideal
if you value your time. But if it’s the other way around, then you can give it
a try.
Where to eat
In general,
beachfront diners and restaurants are quite expensive. Yes, there are PHP 300
buffets along the white beach, but you may be disappointed with the taste of
the food. The good news is there is a number of mid-range food places that are
located farther that you can try if you want to save some cash without
compromising taste. If you are really concerned about prices, then you best
alternatives are the “turo-turo carinderias” that are situated in the inner
alleys and main roads. One popular choice is the D’Talipapa, a food strip where
you can purchase fresh seafood and have one of the surrounding diners prepare
them for a fee or even for free.
Calling Boracay
Calling Boracay
Remember, it’s
Boracay, not Bora and the locals are going to appreciate it if you address the
island by its rightful and befitting name. To add, it allows you to
differentiate the paradise island to Bora Bora, another vacation island that is
located northwest of Tahiti.
More to Boracay than advertised
There is more to
Boracay than wide sand beaches; it has a myriad of other beaches that are worth
visiting. The long list includes the Bulabog Beach, Diniwid Beach, Puka Beach,
and Ilig-Iligan Beach, among others. All of them boasts of their own
distinctive appeal that you’ love.
No smoking
Smoking is a big
no-no at Boracay’s white beach and violators are going to be fined of PHP
1,000.00. You can still smoke, but you have to do it in designated areas, which
are usually located a couple of meters away from the beachfront. In line with
this, locals want you to be informed of more serious matters that they are
facing such as environmental or socioeconomic issues.
Giving alms
Despite being a
vacation paradise, there is a sad truth that surrounds Boracay: there are a
myriad of children begging for alms. What’s worse, according to reports, a vast
majority of them were smuggled there by syndicates. With this mind, it is best
if you won’t give them money but rather report them to authorities. If you can’t
stop yourself, give them food, clothes, or drinks instead.
Haggle first
Make sure to haggle before paying up. Yes, there is a set price on scuba diving, parasailing, and other related activities, but you can still negotiate bargain prices, especially for group activities such as island hoping, boat riding, and scuba diving. Alternatively, you can check the accommodation facility where you stay if they offer the aforementioned activities. Some have in-house tour companies or partner companies that offer competitive rates. Plus, it’s more convenient and time-saving since you can make arrangements at your hotel’s or transient house’s front desk.
Also, don’t purchase any commodity from vendors who approach you. This is because sometimes, they are travel agents or personnel of travel agents who add extra on set charges. Visit direct providers instead.
Summing up
If you want to make sure that your Boracay escapade is as fun and exciting as advertised, then it is best if you arm yourself with the right information. So do your homework first and plan ahead so that you can achieve a one of kind beach vacation that is memorable, stress-free, and everything in between. It is not as difficult as it seems and you already have a head start with the pointers in this write up.
Do you find this article informative? Do you have other tips and pointers? Feel free to give me a shout on my comments page. We’d love to hear from you.
Haggle first
Make sure to haggle before paying up. Yes, there is a set price on scuba diving, parasailing, and other related activities, but you can still negotiate bargain prices, especially for group activities such as island hoping, boat riding, and scuba diving. Alternatively, you can check the accommodation facility where you stay if they offer the aforementioned activities. Some have in-house tour companies or partner companies that offer competitive rates. Plus, it’s more convenient and time-saving since you can make arrangements at your hotel’s or transient house’s front desk.
Also, don’t purchase any commodity from vendors who approach you. This is because sometimes, they are travel agents or personnel of travel agents who add extra on set charges. Visit direct providers instead.
Summing up
If you want to make sure that your Boracay escapade is as fun and exciting as advertised, then it is best if you arm yourself with the right information. So do your homework first and plan ahead so that you can achieve a one of kind beach vacation that is memorable, stress-free, and everything in between. It is not as difficult as it seems and you already have a head start with the pointers in this write up.
Do you find this article informative? Do you have other tips and pointers? Feel free to give me a shout on my comments page. We’d love to hear from you.
#ChaMikeBabyShower
Showering our baby with LOVE!
#WalkwithChaMikeinTaiwan #ChaMikeBabymoon
Don't you just love it when someone takes your photos in a foreign country especially if it's a professional photographer? I do! More so that I was 30 weeks pregnant. Maternity pictorial is a nice remembrance for expectant mothers and their husbands, a beautiful proof of the amazing things your body is going through which also serves as precious keepsakes for your child one day. Good thing we found a Pinoy/Taiwanese Photographer who takes photos of not just maternity but other photo shoots as well like engagement sessions, family portraits and newborn photography.
#WalkwithChaMikeinTaiwan #ChaMikeBabymoon
Another popular city in Taiwan aside from Taipei is Taichung. Located in the west-central part of the island of Taiwan, Taichung City can be reached in about an hour via High Speed Rail. There are a number of things to see in Taichung like hot springs, night markets, temples and parks but what I was more excited to see were the flowers at Houli Flower Garden.
#WalkwithChaMikeinTaiwan #ChaMikeBabymoon
Taiwan has become a popular destination among tourists because of the numerous attractions it offers and some of these attractions are - Yehliu, Shifen & Jiufen. Located in the northern part of Taiwan, these spots can be visited in one day. Mike and I usually travel via public transportation because it's cheaper and at the same time we want to experience how most of the locals do it. But our Taiwan tour was an exception, since I was 30 weeks pregnant and wanted a stress-free travel (we didn't want to experience any complications!) we opted to rent a private car for the whole day. Luckily, a friend of mine who lives in Taiwan knows a Pinoy car owner who does these kinds of tours on a very affordable rate. I'm really lucky I have friends in the right parts of the world!
#WalkwithChaMikeinTaiwan #ChaMikeBabymoon
Finally, Taiwan! Mike and I had planned for this trip since last year. Yes, we even bought airfare tickets and booked a hotel on the same month last 2016, but unfortunately our plans didn't push through because we had work (good thing we were blessed enough to refund ALL of our expenses because of a change of flight schedule from the airlines' end 🙌)
Because everything happened so fast (getting married and having a baby!) we figured that Mike and I might have to sacrifice most of our future travel plans as we need to focus more on our baby so we really made this trip happen while the baby is still in my tummy and while I am still safe to travel (I was 29-30 weeks pregnant). This would be our last travel without a baby on board.
So after 1 year, our Taiwan dream came into reality. Our last out of the country trip for the year 2017 and our first for 2018.
Because everything happened so fast (getting married and having a baby!) we figured that Mike and I might have to sacrifice most of our future travel plans as we need to focus more on our baby so we really made this trip happen while the baby is still in my tummy and while I am still safe to travel (I was 29-30 weeks pregnant). This would be our last travel without a baby on board.
So after 1 year, our Taiwan dream came into reality. Our last out of the country trip for the year 2017 and our first for 2018.
For those of you who have been following me on my social media sites, you probably know that I am pregnant and already on my third trimester. Yes, it has been that fast! So here's a little rewind during my birthday last year. Luckily, my birthday fell on the start of my second trimester, which means I was allowed to travel again. Hurraah!!! And because we didn't want to experience any complications, Mike and I decided to have a quick staycation near Metro Manila where we didn't need to travel via air. We also wanted a peaceful atmosphere where I can swim and be one with nature. The Farm at San Benito was the perfect venue for my birthday and babymoon celebration.
