MOM 24/7 Planner Giveaway Winner! ^_^

Hey mommies! Here's the lucky mom who won Mommy Mundo's awesome planner for 2014 --

CONGRATULATIONS MOMMY CHERDEE! PM us your address asap so we can ship your lovely MOM 24/7 Planner before our cloth diaper store will close for the Christmas season :) To all the other moms, don't fret! We have another round of giveaways this January, hihi! So keep telling your cloth-diapering mommy friends to like our page ~ maybe we'll thrown in an extra special freebie when we reach 600 likes! ;-)

we have an online shop! :)

Mommy HQ Update: We are indefinitely closing our shop outside of Facebook. We are currently working on some improvements. The shop will be relaunched alongside our shiny new website. Until then, please check our Facebook page for updates.

Because we like to make shopping easier for mommies (like us), we've decided to setup a proper online shop! ^_^ We're still on soft opening, so we'd appreciate if you can give us feedback on your shopping experience.

Check out our shiny new store at http://www.mommyhq.ph/p/shop.html and go shop til you drop! Hihi!

And did we mention we're on SALE?! All our items are discounted and the all-out clearance sale is EXCLUSIVE to our online shop! Happy shopping and happy holidays everyone! :)

Mommy Testers Batch 2!

Hello MommyHQ mommies! The long wait is over, here's our new mommy testers who will receive FREE cloth diapers from us! Christmas sure came early for them, hihi! :) Mommy Maria Rubeny will receive a pink tutu cloth diaper, and mommy Joanna Lou will receive the adorable red Elmo cloth diaper! ^__^ PM us your shipping address mommies so we can send your free CDs asap. And don't forget, we're expecting your feedbacks on how the cloth diapers performed. Thanks mommies and happy cloth diapering!

Potty Training: Is My Child Ready?

At what age should we start to potty train our child? I often come across this question different forums. Mommy Issa's little girls (aged 3 and 19 months) are already potty trained. On the other hand, I have friends whose kids are older and yet they haven't started potty training. And then, there's also other cases like baby Izabella, who was potty trained as early as 6 months.

So, what's the ideal age to start potty training? The short answer is: it depends on your child's readiness.

When my son turned 18 months, I bought a musical potty. I got too excited and showed it to him, but to my dismay, he didn't like it. I tried to coax him to at least  sit on it, but no, the little king doesn't want to sit on his throne. I've decided to just put it away until he's ready.

How do I know he's ready? A quick google search will lead you to lots of helpful websites. I've decided to grab this image because it's easier to absorb-graphical information always is.

(Ironically, this is from a Huggies website - so moms who cloth diaper their babies, pasintabi po :) ) 

8 signs of readiness from pottytraining.co.uk

If the child is showing most of the signs, then it is safe to start potty training.

In my son's case, it's 4.5 out of 8. I haven't had a chance to observe if my son's poos are regular. And he isn't interested to use the potty. He can pull his pants down, but I haven't seen him pull it up.

I guess I should wait a little more. Forcing this on my toddler could have some psychological effects (hello Freud!)-which is something I don't want to happen.

Holding off  is good, since I don't have to dispose of the cloth diapers from our collection-not yet, anyway.

However, I have been slowly adding more training pants because my son is starting to prefer those over pull ups and cloth diapers.

I am mentally preparing myself for potty training, as well. Mommy Issa (whose two daughters are already potty  trained) had warned me: It's going to be messy...

I cringe at the thought.

Wish me luck, mommies!

How To Fold The Baby Chic Bamboo Trifold

Has anyone tried Baby Chic's Bamboo Cotton Trifolds? I'm a huge fan of the trifolds. For quite sometime, I have been convincing Mommy Issa to consider Baby Chic products for Mommy HQ. Last month, she agreed and the rest is history. :)

For those who aren't familiar with the product, this is what the trifold looks like:

Baby Chic Bamboo Trifold

The official description states:

The Stay Dry Bamboo Cotton Trifold features 2 layers of Bamboo and 1 layer of Stay Dry Microsuede. When folded twice, this offers a total of 9 layers of absorbency. The stay dry layer ensures that the baby remains dry and comfortable.

Me, I just put it this way: trifolds = <3 !

I pair it with Cluebebe covers as a night time solution and I'm quite happy with its performance. Even my son's yaya will sing praises for this insert. :)

One fine day, a mom who bought Baby Chic Bamboo trifolds from us asked for instructions on how to fold it. Easy peasy, I thought. So, I sent her a roughly edited photo with instructions and gave myself a pat on the back for a job well done.

But then, I realized something wasn't right. If only I that remote control from Click is real, I'd push PAUSE and REWIND in a heartbeat.

I panicked and turned to Helene, the owner of Baby Chic. She said what I'm doing is fine, but I wouldn't be able to take advantage of the stay dry feature. She was kind enough to send me a picture of how to properly fold it.

So now, I have two ways to fold the trifold:

My Way

1. Lay the trifold flat. Please note that the trifold used is from an old batch. The logo is sewn on the microsuede layer. Also, this has two sets of snaps.
2. Optional. Place an insert in the middle part.
3. Fold the left side.
4. Fold the right side. The snaps are now at the top layer.
5. Turn it over to snap the insert on the Baby Chic cover. 

The Baby Chic Way

This is the recommended configuration if you wish to take advantage of the stay dry feature. Helene sent me this picture:

S-Shaped

I tried to replicate it with the old trifold, but quickly found out this works well with the new ones (the ones we have on hand). Thank goodness, I bought extra.

1. Lay the trifold flat. The microsuede layer (the smooth side) should be on top. Please note that for the new batch of trifolds, the logo is sewn on the bottom layer (bamboo).
2. Fold the left side, around 2/3 horizontally.
3. Fold it again towards the left to form the s-shape fold.
4. Optional. Insert a booster.

And that's it, pancit!

Another cloth diaper adventure for me. :)

The 2nd Mompreneur Summit: My Key Takeaways

The 2nd Mompreneur Summit was my very first attempt at "networking". I was happy to find out about it. For me, it's a great opportunity to meet fellow mompreneurs here in Metro Manila. I was also hoping to draw inspiration from them. And perhaps, find out if I'm ready to leave behind the corporate world to focus on Mommy HQ's world domination. Perhaps not.

I almost decided to let it pass. As an introvert, the thought of going to an event ALONE is enough to make me say NO. I would love to have Mommy Issa join me, but that's not possible since she's based in Davao City. I didn't want to drag my husband, either, since it's a girl thing.

photo via mompreneurmanila.com

But for the love of Mommy HQ, I've decided to give it a go. And yes... I'm thankful I made that decision. :)

Three weeks have passed since the Mompreneur Summit and I still get excited over the things that I learned. Since Mommy Issa wasn't able to join the event, I was more than happy to email her a comprehensive report. Don't worry, I won't share the same novella here.-_-

To keep things short and simple, here are the key things that I learned from the summit, and most of them are related to building your brand:

Know thyself.

If you're thinking about starting your own business, be it part-time or full time, take time to reflect (with or without a magic mirror). What are you passionate about? That could be your starting point. List the things you would LOVE to do, even if you're not being paid to do it. And then, know your strengths - because sometimes, passion may not be enough to turn you into a successful entrepreneur.

Know thy purpose.

What's your goal? What problem will you be solving with your service or product? Who will benefit from it? The answers to these questions will serve as a guide when making plans for your business.

Focus,focus.

I asked Anne Arcenas-Gonzalez the first step when building your brand (or something about the most important thing when building your brand- I can't recall which one since I was too nervous that time). I guess, I asked the latter because the answer I remembered was "FOCUS". To build a good brand, concentrate your efforts on becoming the big fish in the small pond. Find that niche market and focus on being the best.

Consistency is a must.

Whatever decisions you make, you have to make sure it is consistent with your brand. From your packaging, down to the background of your social media accounts, it has to be consistent. Otherwise, people will get confused.

The ONLY picture I managed to take before the iPad dozed off...

Be prepared. Always.

Okay, I have to include this one. If I were to do it all over again, I'd do two things differently:
First, make sure the camera/iPad is fully charged. Second, bring business cards to a networking event.

I hope to join the event next year, and who knows, Mommy HQ will be a bigger fish by then. *Fingers crossed! * ;)

Let it ECHO's Garage Sale

Moms and dads based in Cebu, are you willing to help out little heart warriors? If you answered a big YES, then here's a weekend activity for you:

Let it ECHO, a non profit organization in Cebu, will hold garage sales every Sundays of September.Their aim is to raise funds for little children with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Who (or what) is Let it ECHO?

This is a non-profit organization dedicated to help sick kids with congenital heart defect/s. The people behind it are heart parents and individuals who have gone through the ordeal of having children with congenital heart defect/s.

I personally know a couple of co-founders, so I can assure you this is a legitimate foundation. As an introduction, I have written a post about it them in my personal blog.

How can I help?

There are a lot of ways to help:

• Buy. If you are a bargain hunter, then this a perfect venue for you. All items must go, because to the organizers, every peso counts.
• Donate. If you have pre-loved items to give, they'll be happy to accept. If you wish to donate new and unused items, even better.
• Spread the Love. Tell your friends about it. Share the information through social media sites.

Where will the proceeds go?

The funds raised will go to the foundation's beneficiaries-children who had recent surgeries or those who have a definite schedule and are still in need of funds.

We at Mommy HQ would like to help with their project. Aside from spreading the word, we will also hold our own online garage sale.

This Sunday, we will be posting pictures of items to be sold in our Facebook page. ALL sales will go to the foundation, so we hope to have your support on this. Details to follow, so stay tuned.

Free Parenting Pals Workshop (by Manila Workshops)

Are you a first time parent? Are you based in Metro Manila? If your answered YES to both questions, then you might be interested in this workshop:

My husband and I are both first time parents, and we both agree that there are tons of things we need to learn to be able to cope with the demands of raising a child. Aside from our mothers (who both live miles away from us), we turn to online research to find parenting tips.

But the learning never ends, so we continue to look for workshops or seminars that would provide is with useful information.

I would love to attend this, but we also signed up for another workshop on the same day (Manila Workshop's Okay Ka, Yaya Ko). I hope our schedule would allow us to attend future sessions on parenting.

If you would like to know more, click here.

And did I mention it's free?  Slots are limited, so hurry and reserve one! :)

Our Christmas Gifts List / Budget Tracker

image from all-free-download.com

It's already September 1st - which means, in this side of the planet, it's the start of the Christmas season. Hooray!

September is also the month I start planning for the holiday expenses. As a spendthrift on rehab, planning the expenses is a must. A few years ago, I didn't care about budgeting for the holidays-always thinking that I have my 13th month pay to cover that. When January came, along came the realization that not only was my bonus gone- I also incurred credit card debts. What a way to start a new year, right?

Nah, this wasn't intended to dampen your Christmas spirit. ;) I'm just trying to help you prevent that all too familiar post-Christmas headaches. In my experience, one of the causes of those headaches is the huge amount spent on Christmas gifts.

Why I Use A Budget Tracker

Just like Santa, I keep a list of recipients. At first, it was just a simple list. When I got married, my list doubled since I had to take into account my husband's (nonexistent) list. Because the list became longer, I was forced to create a budget for the expenses. So, the budget tracker was born.

Survey Results Snapshot: The Infographic

And just when you thought we're done, here's a little bonus for you. -_-

I have been losing sleep worrying over how to present the data we gathered in a better way. Sure, we have cool charts. But when I showed it to my husband, he didn't appreciate the beauty of the data - all he could see are numbers and percentages.

Well, he has a point. I, too, will have headaches when I look at a lot of numbers. Good thing there's another way to show that stats are sexy - using infographics!

There are a lot of sites that allow you to create infographics. I chose piktochart to generate this:

In my opinion, this could also be helpful for mompreneurs. An infographic can be a powerful marketing tool. ;)

Survey Results Snapshot: The Favorites

And we're down to the last stretch!

I was creating the charts when I realized I needed to place a disclaimer:

• This is just an informal survey. This is not sanctioned by any group.
• Mommy HQ store carries some of the brands mentioned in the survey. To be fair, we did not seek help from any of our suppliers in promoting our survey

The Survey Questions

In my opinion, this is the highlight of the survey. This is the part where we aim to find out the favorite brands of the cloth diapering parents.

Survey Results Snapshot: Building The Stash

I'm baaaacckkk!

I know, it's been a while since I last wrote about the cloth diaper survey. I have been distracted by a lot of things. And today, is no exception - well,except I needed to distract myself from the wrath of 'Maring'. So, in order to make myself productive, I looked at my to-do list and viola!, everything just fell into place.

This is the third installment- which means, we're almost done. In this post, I will present to you the data gathered from the third page of the survey.

The Survey Questions

Before that, here's a quick recap of the survey results:

• The basic profile of the respondents
• A glimpse at their current stash

As cloth diaper retailers, we want to have an overview of the buyers' preferences. Specifically, we want to know two things: what are their considerations when purchasing a cloth diaper, and if most people are open to buying pre-owned items.

Survey Results Snapshot: The Current Cloth Diaper Stash

In the previous post, we've looked at the profile of a cloth diapering parent in the Philippines. Now, it's their cloth diaper stash in the spotlight.

The Survey Questions

Survey Results Snapshot: The Basic Profile of A Cloth Diapering Parent

We had initially planned to close our online survey last July 18. However, we got a bit greedy with data so we decided to proceed with the raffle draw and keep the survey open.

As of today, we have a grand total of 45 respondents. Mommy Issa and I believe that this is just a small percentage of the total number of cloth diapering parents here in the Philippines (based on the total members of MCNP Facebook group). We’re planning to have another raffle draw to get more people to answer the survey. Yay!

And if you’re one of them who haven’t heard of our survey until now, can you please share with us your thoughts? Pretty please...

To answer our online survey, click here.

And because I’m a little low on EQ, I’ll share with you a snapshot of the survey results summary through a series of posts. -_-

The Survey Questions

We wanted to know the basic profile of parents who made the switch (and when we say cloth diaper, we actually mean modern cloth diaper):

• Their age range
• Their location

It was only after I published the form when I realized I made a mistake: I did not ask for the gender of the respondent. Most likely, I thought that only moms will take the survey. But really, a survey shouldn't be biased. Baaaaad Jinky.

Anyway, here’s a snapshot of our survey form’s Basic Info page:

Survey form created using Google Drive

Our Products :)

Hello mommies and dear readers! Before July ends, we would like to show you Mommy HQ's products. We are currently in the business of selling cloth diapers and other baby items but believe me when I tell you that our future plans for Mommy HQ is waaayyy more than that! ^__^ Our entire product range can be found HERE.

Our "flagship" product: CLUEBEBE ~ they have the best cloth diaper cover and insert set in the world! :) It's made in Indonesia and use natural dyes for printing their unique designs.

SUNBABY Size 2 cloth diapers ~ best for chunky babies!

AlvaBaby ~ the affordable cloth diaper brand that made cloth diapering popular :)

Carter's Teething Bibs! Made up of 2 layers to prevent baby's drool from seeping to baby's clothes.

Create an Online Survey Using Google Drive

When we launched Mommy HQ last May, Mommy Issa and I were excited to promote and sell cloth diapers online. For the first month, it was so quiet, you could hear the crickets. Later on,  questions (and orders!) started to trickle in.

Apart from the sales, we find joy in answering the queries and researching the trends.  And we also have questions of our own that only other people can answer. We really needed  to do market research – having knowledge of what your customer wants lowers our risk of running around like headless chickens. *I could just imagine the faces of our husbands while reading this…* 

Anyway, a  few days  ago, we decided to conduct an online survey to have an idea on what cloth diapering parents really prefer.

First, we formulated the questions based on the things that we wanted to find out:

• Basic profile of a cloth diapering parent
• What types and brands of cloth diapers they have tried so far
• What type and brands they prefer

Next, we have to find the best online application to use. The first thing that came into mind was surveymonkey. It’s been a while since I last looked it up, and I was delighted to find out that you can create free surveys. Even better, you can add it as a custom tab in you Facebook page.

The only thing that prevented us from using it is that the free survey can only have 10 questions.

Fortunately for us, there’s Google Drive.

Back to Basics: Modern Cloth Diapers

I once came across this joke online:

Q. How can you tell if a mom cloth diapers?

A. Don’t worry, she’ll tell you.

And tell you, I shall! ;-) To be specific, I'll share everything I know (so far) about modern cloth diapers.

It’s lampin, with a modern twist.

Mommy Issa and I are huge fans of modern cloth diapers. We believe it is beneficial to modern parents that’s why we are actively promoting its use. These past few months, we noticed that more and more parents are getting interested about it and are asking lots of questions. We feel happy (more like giddy with excitement! hehe) whenever we hear parents say they've decided to give it a try.

To help you decide whether you should make the big switch to cloth for your darling baby, you can read my thoughts on cloth diapering and my experiences with it below. Yes, I’ve compiled my previously written posts so I can convince you, dear parents, to make the switch! :)

image from www.inhabitots.com

Welcome

Hi mommies!

Welcome to our virtual HQ. In the next few weeks, Mommy Issa and I will slowly fill up this blog with love.

- Mommy Jinx