Let’s Go To The Movies…Let’s Go See The Stars…

If you’re familiar with The Orphan Annie, you’d probably be humming the tune from that musical right after reading the title of this blog post.   My two preschoolers have seen Annie several times this summer and are familiar with the songs there. So when we told them that we’d be taking them to the cinemas, they expected it to be something like what Daddy Warbucks, Grace, and Annie went to.  And they were singing the song Let’s Go To The Movies on our way to the mall.

The kids were definitely excited to go to the cinema for the very first time but I was anxious about how they would behave inside the movie house.  I certainly wished we were going to watch in a state-of-the-art theater such as the Vue cinemas. So, how did we all fare on the kids first trip to watch on the “big scream” (as Jakei adamantly calls it)?

I can say that we managed fairly well albeit there was some fussiness halfway through the movie.  Both kids weren’t afraid of the dark nor were frightened by the loud sounds.  They did sit still for several minutes but lost interest in the movie when there was mostly conversations only.  Little Jakei would only watch with intent during action-packed scenes.  Then a little more than halfway through the movie, our little boy became really fussy.  He alternately wanted to go home, to go to the play yard, and to go eat something.  He didn’t throw a tantrum though nor raise his voice the tiniest bit and he did wait until the movie was over.  When I asked Jade how she found her first trip to the movie house, my four-year-old replied, “Uhm…I liked the movie but I just got a little bored.”  Then asked if they wanted to go watch a movie on the big screen again, both kids exclaimed, “Yes!” Well, we should probably choose animated movies or other family movies at Vue next time we take the little ones to the cinemas so they wouldn’t get “bored.” 😀

What have we learned from our first family trip to the cinema?

Still with the Spiderman fever after watching the movie. Hungry tots snacking on Spiderman themed doughnuts at Krispy Kreme

    1. Bring plenty of food! Popcorn and drinks would probably have kept the kids’ fussiness at bay.  We didn’t bring any snacks because we just had lunch and had full tummies.  I’m not going to ask anymore how two little ones could go hungry sitting and watching a movie for two hours, I’ll just make sure I have a full snack bag next time.
    2. Choose an animated movie.  Or maybe a musical. My kids love musicals and cartoons which would hold their attention more than action and adventure films.
    3. Put some pull up diapers on the lil ones. Oh, okay. So this is more for our convenience rather than a necessity. It’s a bit bothersome to keep on running to the potty every few minutes. But, yeah, that comes with having two preschoolers. 😀

 




Celebrating Health with the Genuine Thermos Brand

Indubitably, Thermos revolutionized hot and cold beverage storage around the world. From having introduced the world’s first stainless steel vacuum bottle, Thermos has continued to provide us with innovative products to ensure better living and good health.

To showcase their new products, the Genuine Thermos Brand together with Rustan’s Lifestyle Workshop organized a two-day event aptly named Celebrating Health.  The Thermos Premium Stainless Cookware was featured on the first day with Chef Nino Laus demonstrating how to cook his exclusive recipes using Thermos cookware. Since the second day of the event was targeted for moms and kids, I tagged my little girl along knowing that we would learn a thing or two about Growing Up Healthy from Dr. Corazon Carly-Santiago.

Dr. Corazon started her talk with tips on how to raise healthy eaters. Among her pointers are to introduce new food one at a time and in small amounts, to eat with your children, not to force-feed them, to set a good example and to make eating fun. It is also important to set a regular eating time and to minimize distractions at the table. This means strictly no television while eating. Oh, and she also suggests not offering dessert as a reward as this gives the impression that desserts are good and actually better than meals.

She then stressed the importance of proper food handling, preparation and storage. Food from unsafe sources, poor health and hygiene, contaminated utensils and equipment, improper cooking temperatures and improper holding temperatures of potentially hazardous food are some of the risk factors for food borne illnesses that she mentioned. These either carry or encourage growth of bacteria, virus, fungi, and parasites; any of which can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea or even food poisoning. Here are some of the tips she gave to ensure food safety:

  • Before preparing food, wash hands properly
  • Wash utensils thoroughly
  • Always cover the food
  • Keep food in airtight containers
  • Leftover food should be kept in refrigerator
  • Always wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly

She then discussed the importance of food storage to ensure food safety, prevent spoilage and preserve food quality.  Hand in hand with proper food storage is using containers that are free from harmful chemicals and that optimize food quality retention.  The most common food containers we find in the market are those made of plastic. Although those whose number labels are 1, 2, 4, and 5 are commonly used in food products, re-using them is strongly discouraged.  Number 7 plastics may be used for food storage and re-used as long as they are BPA-free.

A safer, and better, alternative to plastic containers are stainless steel ones. Stainless food containers provide the best temperature retention ensuring food safety and preserving taste.  They are quite easy to use and take care of. Other than that, they are also environment friendly and are more likely to stand the test of time than plastic ones.

Thermos, the brand we have trusted for generations, has provided us with food and beverage containers that are safe and made of high quality materials.  Their patented insulation technology, ThermaxTM, creates an airless vacuum space between two stainless steel walls that eliminates temperature change.  This ensures that your food and beverages stay cold or hot for hours.

Growing Up Healthy with Thermos Foogo and Funtainers

Aside from being the best in temperature retention, Thermos containers now also come in trendy designs.  Foogos and Funtainers come in kid proof designs that are sure to delight your little ones.  I’m certain they would also love the Hydration Bottles that change color and the snack jars that come in different colors.  Thermos lunch sets also come in different designs that would suit children, teens, women and men alike. With the many products and designs available, we are sure to find the perfect food and beverage container for each of us. However, do keep in mind that “It’s not Thermos if it is not the genuine Thermos brand.”