Summer is the best time of the year! The kids are out of school. In between work schedules for us parents and fun summer activities for the children, there’s more time for family bonding trips, travel adventures and some relaxation.

Here are some of Mommy Pages’ Top Product Picks for Summer:

SUN & SKIN PROTECTION:

1 & 2. Headware and Parakito

Headware is a must during getaways, a workout or bike ride, when you need to cover up under the sun, or when you just need to keep your hair in place, in a fun and cool summer way. Headware prints are fun and hip, the fabric is light and cool and it’s such a hip, easy, and an overall fun accessory to use.

Para’Kito bands are one the best products that can keep mosquitoes away this summer. If you want to give your kids a rest from topical applications, or when they are up for an active day, just strap on their Parakitos for round the clock protection.

3. UV Sense

UV Sense is a unique product from Hatch and Latch. The bracelet changes color (to light pink) to signify when it’s time to re-apply sunblock lotion on you and your kids. It also changes color (to pale yellow) to advise the wearer to cover up and get out of the sun. A great product to ensure we all have ample skin protection at the beach.

SUMMER FOOTWEAR!

4. Jelly Nelly Sandals

These colorful, fun plastic sandals came in kids and adult sizes. They’re easy to wear, lightweight and comfortable. Perfect for summer! Jelly Nelly sandals are available in Mothering Earthlings or Like the ” target=”_blank”>Jelly Nelly facebook page for more info.

5. Havaianas

Havaianas truly puts summer fashion at your feet. Havaianas flip flops have become a staple in footwear for all members of the family, even when it isn’t summer. No wonder Havaianas’ slogan is “With Havaianas, summer never has to end!” Join the Havaianas community, like the Havaianas Facebook page here.

6. San-Sun Salt Water sandals

The most comfy, durable and chic sandals you and your child can wear this summer. Available at Mothercare stores or like the San Sun Salt Water sandals page for more info.

More cool stuff below–

BATH STUFF:

7. Lactacyd Toddler Tubs

A must in your bath pouch this summer. Lactacyd Toddler Tubs is a wonderful wash to use after a swim in a chlorinated pool or a day under the sun and sand. Not only does it cleanse skin gently, it also keeps skin soft, moisturized and protected, plus it leaves a gentle scent. Like the Lactacyd Mums & Tubs Club page here.

8. Tiny Buds Rice Powder

Tiny Buds Rice Powder is hypoallergenic and made from 100% rice grain. It does not contain talc which can be harmful when accidentally ingested. Applying powder on the bodies of our kids keeps them dry from perspiration, and keeps them comfortable as well.

BEACH TOYS!

9. Scrunch Bucket

The coolest, ultimate modern mom bucket, the Scrunch Bucket is distributed by Wee+Mutsi. It’s an easy-to-pack pail, made of durable silicone rubber that keeps its shape even if you scrunch it. A bonus is that it comes in such cool, fun colors.

10. Green Toys Pail and Shovel Set

THE pail set for eco-conscious mommies, this award-winning Green Toys item is made from 100% recycled milk jugs. This sand play set is phthalate- and BPA-free. This is available at Numa.

11. SWIM WAYS SPRING FLOAT

You and your kids will absolutely love bringing this to the beach and pool! Super hassle free, portable, easy to use and pack away, plus it’s really fun to swim in. Check this out:

Closed–

Open–

Swim–

Carry–

This product is avaialable at SPF stores in Glorietta and Robinsons Galleria, and at Expo Mom on May 5-6.

CAR TRAVEL ESSENTIALS–

12. Spinkie My Favorite Blanket

Fun. Soft. Cuddly. A stylish and ultra soft baby blanket made of 100% designer print cotton fabric and minky on the flipside. Spinkie is known for its chic prints, it’s so hard to choose just one. Wish they’d make this in bigger sizes too!

13. Peapod Baby Art Bucket



Peapod Baby specializes in travel essentials for kids and this Art Bucket is our favorite. Bundle it with a pad of white paper and keep your child happy and busy for hours and hours, by the time he/she knows it, you’ve reached your destination:).

14. Personalized Aquazorb towels

Aquazorb towels are perfect to bring on swim trips and travels. They are light and compact, thus they don’t take too much space in a suitcase. They dry easily, as in really fast so when you pack up they won’t be soaking wet. What’s special with these Aquazorb towels from Aqualogic Swim Co, is that they can be personalized with your names for each member of the family and minimize losses and trading of towels!

15. Tagz Bag Tags (Design your own!)

Bag Tags are another mommy essential not only for school days but for travel time. Tagz allows you to submit your own design, or you can also send photos or elements then they design it for you. Check out this sample of a special Lego themed bag tag.

PHOTO SUBMITTED TO TAGZ:

THE FINISHED BAG TAG:

Hope you liked our Top 15 Summer Product Picks list! Wishing you all a great summer with your families!

—
GOOD NEWS!

You now have a chance to WIN some of MOMMY PAGES’ Top Summer Product Picks! Thanks to some of our chosen brands for being generous and treating Mommy Pages readers to your wonderful products! Here’s info on our contest:

10 WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN via raffle!

Prizes at stake:
(1) pair of Sun Saltwater Sandals
(1) pair of Havianas flip flops
(1) Swim Ways Spring float
(3) pieces of Headware
(1) Scrunch Bucket
(1) Green Toy Pail set
(1) Lactacyd Toddler Tubs gift pack
(1) UV Sense

HOW TO JOIN:
1) Like the MOMMY PAGES Facebook page
2) LIKE Mommy Mundo on Facebook page.
3) FOLLOW Mommy Mundo on Twitter. (for an extra raffle point)
4) Once you do all steps, post a summer comment or greeting below.
ex: I’m off to Boracay with my family! Have a happy summer!

All entries must be entered via Rafflecopter- just click on the widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TERMS:
1) This contest is open only to all with a Philippine address. Prize will be mailed to you.
2) Deadline of posts is on May 18.
3) Winners will be announced on May 25.
4) Winners will be notified through the Facebook account they submitted. If no reply is received within 60 days, the prize is forfeited.
5) Double entries will lead to automatic disqualification.

Join our Mommy Pages Summer giveaway now!:)

*The above products were hand picked by Mommy Mundo founder, Janice Villanueva. Want to read her personal reviews on our top summer picks? Check out her blog here.

Now here are the contact numbers for Milo Clinics in specific sports:

Badminton: 727-2386/726-9940

Basketball and Volleyball: BEST Center 372-3065 to 66/411-6260 

Bowling: SM Megamall 633-7051 to 52/SM City Fairview 939-5025/936-5523/SM Mall of Asia 556-1533 to 34/SM City Cebu (032) 231-3445/232-0292

Chess:  Metropolitan Chess Club 826-8560/(0916) 852-1069/(0916) 660-8712

Football:  First Touch Football 744-3745/(0927) 495-7825/(0918) 803-1258 or Xavier Football 723-0481 ext. 374

Gymnastics:  Club Gymnastica 635-2553/634-6713

Since Milo summer clinics are one of the most reliable and known summer programs offered, some of the programs, specially those on popular sports like basketball, have so many kids signed up the coach to student ratio isn’t ideal.  Make sure to check the class sizes before signing up. Remember to apply the same rules as you would choosing a preschool for your child- coach to student ratio is critical, not only in the attention your child would get from the coach, but also in his actual play time. 

Another thing to note is that these sports programs are usually offered in several modules within the summer months so it’s a good idea to ask your child if he/she wants to keep busy with a sport early in the summer or take a break first and join the later modules.

Summer is just around the corner, so we will be regularly posting announcements of summer activities here. There really is just so much to choose from!  I am thinking of signing up my boys in this one because i noticed they love making small little booklets using scrap paper or even comic strips showing stick figures or anime characters.  Workshops like these, offered by our favorite local book publisher, Adarna, could really enhance their interest and skills in writing, develop their imagination, and give them even more insights on creating books on their own.

For more information, call Ergoe at Adarna at 3723548 local 122.  

Do you have planned activities for your own kids already?

Getting our kids into art is a great way to encourage creativity, allow them to use their imagination while also learning actual art techniques.  For younger children, it is also a fun way that helps develop their fine motor skills and make them used to getting their hands dirty (literally).  Through the years,  I’ve discovered that not all art programs are alike, so it is also good to study what’s out there before signing up the kids specially this summer.

There are programs like Kids at Art which has been running for 16 years already and is very good in teaching kids different art techniques. Every session is dedicated to a different art form. One day, the kids will paint, then do clay sculptures the next, then paper mosaics on the third day.  The instructors are capable teachers who have good rapport with the kids as they are usually young students or graduates of the UP College of Fine Arts.  The program ends with an exhibit of the children’s work in a mall venue, which is always a nice experience for the kids (and a memorable one for the parents ).

Another program which is quite remarkable is offered by My Masterpiece, a school founded and run by Anna Escay-Cortez and her musician husband, Rayyn.  Theirs is a multi-arts program– art, music, performing arts and mac multimedia classes– all rolled into one term, so the kids get a well-rounded dose of arts in one enrollment. Anna says “ours is an after-school program that is run like a school,” so their programs actually follow a curriculum which is consistently taught through the different arts and throughout the term.  They run the school all throughout the year, not only during summer, and even have special schedules for children who study in the international schools.  This summer, the curriculum will be about the Renaissance period so this will be a wonderful opportunity for kids to learn the muti-arts while learning more about Da Vinci, Shakespeare and Galileo and other highlights of the period.

As a mom, it’s just great to have various options for our children. Whether you want straightforward art lessons for your kids to just keep them busy for summer, or if you prefer an enhanced program where they can learn not only about the multi-arts but also history, the world and more, know what’s out there and then decide which would best be a fit for your kids.

For more info on Kids at Art, log on to www.kidsatart.net.  My Masterpiece is now accepting enrollees for Summer.  Summer Workshop starts after Holy Week (April 15 – May 30, 2009).  Avail of early bird discounts: less 10% until Jan 30.  For reservations, call or text Teacher Anna, at 0915-4327439, or email mymasterpiece@mac.com.  Multi-Arts Classes are now held in Valle Verde, Pasig.    

Got this email from Trina Zafra of Dance Basics Studio:

Dance Basics is set to begin its 5th Summer Ballet Workshop. Classes will be held every Saturday, starting March 28, 2009 and will culminate with a grand recital on Saturday, May 30, 2009 at the AFP Theater, Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.Dance Basics is has staged four summer recitals since it began in the Summer of 2004: Toy Shop (2005), Once upon a Princess (2006), Summer Dance-Off (2007) and A Disney Princess Recital (2008).

For more information on the Summer Workshop and dance classes, please call Trina Zafra at 0920-9381619 or Amy Tanyag at 671-2409.  Dance Basics is located at 72 San Rafael Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig, inside the Aheadstart Child Development Center.

Visit http://www.dancebasics.net for more details.

I was never a Girl Scout in school so i was secretly envious when my youngest son had a camping activity last February. We helped him pitch his tent, packed up a knapsack-full of light clothing, snacks, and drinks then left him with his teachers and friends for an overnight adventure on school grounds. When he came home the next day and shared with his Dad and I stories about sleeping in the tent, activities around the bonfire, even going ghost hunting, I said to myself that we should go camping as a family one of these days.

So it was truly wonderful news to get this invitation from Maricel and Anthony Pangilinan’s The Parenting Company. While me and my family will have to wait for the next one due to previous engagements, maybe you and your family would want to sign up for this unique bonding experience.

—–

Dear Friends,

Greetings from The Parenting Company, Inc.!

We would like to invite you to join us in our upcoming Summer Camp on April 19, 2008 (Saturday) at Mt. Purro Nature Camp at Antipolo City. This is a one of a kind bonding experience for families, presented by The Parenting Company and Camp Explore. Enjoy the Ropes Courses (rapelling, slide for life, rope bridge and catwalk), Arts and Crafts Sessions, Environmental Education Games and other exciting activities. Amenities: Swimming pool, Game Room and Cottages for overnight stay). Invite your family, friends, officemates, etc.

Day Camp Rates:
P1,000 per Adult/Teen (inclusive of Lunch and Dinner)
P 750 per kid (12 years old and below; inclusive if Lunch and Dinner)

Overnight Stay:
P1,200 per Adult/Teen (inclusive of Lunch, Dinner and Breakfast)
P1,000 per kid (12 years old and below; inclusive of Lunch, Dinner and Breakfast)

Note: Limited rooms available for the overnight stay. First come, first serve basis. Register now!!!

For Registration and Inquiries Contact:

Kit Malvar Llamas
Camp Director
Mobile: 0918-2793799 / 0917-8982155

Landline: +63 (2) 721 3619
Mobile: +63 (917) 898 2155 (Manila)
+63 (918) 279 3799 (Campsite)
Website: www.mycampexplore.com

(Sgd) Albert Salazar
The Parenting Company

When I was young I used to love summer breaks because this would be the time for me to discover new talents and indulge in my interests. I remember taking up so many different lessons and activities, usually with my cousins, sometimes even alone. As far as I remember, I spent the summers of my youth taking up swimming and golf lessons in Wack Wack, piano and voice lessons at Yamaha, Reading Dynamics with Dra. Aurora Roldan, even Tahitian dance lessons with the Aldeguer sisters (now with this run down, I think I’ve given away my age! haha). Even if I never really got to master any of these, I do believe the adventure of trying out different things, meeting and being with different people, really opened up my world and helped developed my personality. So, a big THANKS to my Dad and Mom who always supported me. Now they’ve earned themselves a jill-of-all-trades daughter!

Nowadays, our kids are even more blessed to have tons of options for their own summer adventures. It does entail additional budget so it is a good idea to involve your child in choosing which activities to join so that you’d be sure he/she would at least be interested and happy while you shell out the extra cash.

For more info, you can check out the Mommy Pages directory (under Resources, look for the classification: Lessons and Activities for Kids) for listings of providers of all sorts of classes you can enrol your kids in. In the coming days, I will also be featuring invitations to upcoming activities so make sure to visit us often! Have a happy summer with your kids!