My Mommyology

Learning from Motherhood.

The ExpoMom #Momtuition Hangover

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Sam has not stopped talking about our weekend.  In the last few days, every other story that’s come out of her mouth has been “Mommy Mundo this” and “Mommy Mundo that“, and “when can we go back to Mommy Mundo mom!  It was so much fun!”  Obviously – she had a blast.  I’m really happy about that.  My wallet had a blast too (which is good for us girls, but I don’t know how great my husband will feel after he sees the credit card bills…).

It was ExpoMom’s 6th year and I heard from those who’ve gone to previous ones that this was the best one ever.  It was my very first time so I really have no comparison, but I will say that it did not disappoint.

The first bit of exciting activity was that Maga’s Kitchen made its debut at the SoMoms’ booth this weekend.  Apart from the bottled tuyo, my mom put out some Lemon Squares, Callos and Shredobo (our brand of shredded adobo) to sample out for future orders.  As it happened everyone was quite happy to order on the spot and they were willing to pay to take home in smaller containers.  It’s a good thing we brought rice too, because Maga’s Kitchen was instantly able to adjust and offer rice meals to the hungry.  While it was a busy two days we’re all very thankful that everyone loved the food and supported us then.  My mom is still fulfilling orders from that weekend — it’s all a good sign indeed!  The girls were very involved in all the preps and the set-up; Jamie even came along for the ingress and Sam said she’d be the dancer at the booth (of course we needed our own dancer!).

The Maga's Kitchen set-up

The Maga’s Kitchen set-up

Even I made my debut onstage that weekend.  Janice (Mommy Mundo herself!) asked me to join a panel along with my fellow SoMoms Neva and Tin to talk about the theme they picked for this year’s event, momtuition.  The host asked us to share our experiences with mother’s intuition, our take on momtuition versus a doctor’s advice, if we thought there was such a thing as “dad-tuition”, and tips we could offer other moms on the subject.  For those curious about what we said in the panel, here’s my brief take on it:

Here we are!

Here we are!

  • Momtuition is real, and it is something that a mother shouldn’t ignore.  It’s your best ally when it comes to your kids and you should listen and trust it.
  • It’s not always easy, because a lot of other people (who mean well), have a lot to say too and their opinions can confuse you.  But because of that special bond only a mother has with their child, then it is a valid voice that shouldn’t be ignored.  Managing all these other external forces is one thing, and it’s good to manage them properly, but practice listening to your intuition is another — because it does take practice.
  • It’s easier to accept the “mistakes” made as a result of listening to one’s momtuition, than those that are made because you ignored it and listened to someone else’s advice – especially if there is a medical aspect to it.  At the end of the day, you have yourself to reckon with and no one else.  You can’t fault anyone else on a bad decision you made for your child.
  • Some dads may have dad-tuition, but I believe that of mom is stronger.  And it’s just because.  It’s great if you can compliment each other, but more often than not, mom’s is the one to listen to.
  • Some tips?  You need to believe in your momtuition, have confidence in yourself and just tell other people that you as the mother have the final say.  I often use the phrase, “trust me, I know what I’m doing.

Sam wasn’t present for my panel talk but she saw the pictures and kept saying she wished she was on stage with me.  Of course, Sam was proud of me. 😉

As it so happened, Janice also makes little girls’ wishes come true (it’s her momtuition!).  The next day, I got a message from Janice asking if Sam wanted to join the kids’ fashion show.  We showed up just in time and when Sam learned she was going to wear a Dizzy Dress she was all in.  When her turn came she stepped on stage, twirled and smiled.  No shyness about her whatsoever.  She even wore a headpiece from Celestina & Co., and it’s been all about the clips since then.  We made a special pitstop at their booth that afternoon and Sam (and Jamie) went crazy picking the clips and bows and bands that they needed.  The girls even wear them to sleep!

After the fashion show, our friends from  My Masterpiece took the stage and as Anna, Rayyn and Cara did their demo, they asked for children to volunteer in the audience.  Of course Sam, on a high from all her fancy twirling, eagerly jumped back on stage to participate.  She loved it.  LOVED IT!  To this day she sings, “The Masterpiece in Me greets the Masterpiece in You, ” and puts her hands together and bows.

Then when that was done, we ran into our lovely Kindermusik teachers Jeannie and Maya.  As it turned out, they too were doing a segment on the stage, and when they came on, Sam hopped up again right with them.  Front and center too!  She danced like there was no tomorrow. 🙂

Clockwise: Sam in the Dizzy Dress she modeled; The girls with Teachers Jeannie and Maya; MMM Yoga and the girls' favorite booth for handmade stuffed name decals and dolls

Clockwise: Sam in the Dizzy Dress she modeled; The girls with Teachers Jeannie and Maya; MMM Yoga and the girls’ favorite booth for handmade stuffed name decals and dolls.

Sam took home so many little things from all these activities and she is still so proud of her accomplishments.  Everyone kept telling me how cute she was and how wonderful that she wasn’t shy to participate.  We also did a bit of shopping together and made some pretty cool discoveries.  The Paper Chic Studio booth was one with all their washi tape.  They also shared a booth that strung letters and cute stuffed dolls together, so Sam made one for herself and for Jamie.  Then we also bought one of the Might Mind shape puzzles, which is pretty cool, because it teaches the child to complete the puzzle by fitting different sized shapes together.  Even I am challenged.  They also have the option to magnetize the shapes so they don’t move when the kids play with them.

For me, the coolest part about ExpoMom was meeting and talking to all the moms there.  Some were old friends I hadn’t seen in ages (in our pre-mom days) and we got to talk a little and catch up.  Others were new mom friends and it was also wonderful to talk to them and learn about why they put up this business, or why they think this product is worth buying, and so on and so forth.  The one thing all moms have in common is that they can easily talk about their kids and share mom experiences that another mom can appreciate.  So it was a good environment to be in.

I think it was on Jenny Ong’s twitter that I read this statement: “ExpoMom is not just an event, it’s an experience”.  That is indeed spot on.  I’m so glad we immersed ourselves in this ExpoMom.  Sam is most definitely a fan, as am I.  It’s a bit of a wait for the next one, but it is all worth it.

 

Author: mymommyology

I am the mom that I am because of my two wonderful little girls. They teach me everyday.

3 Comments

  1. Feedback such as yours is what Mommy Mundo exists for, what we work hard for! Thank you so much for taking time to write about your Expo Mom experience, Jenny:) Just like Sam, im proud of you, too, for your onstage debut, your Maga’s experience and your day as a stage mom to your super cute Sam:) Mwah!

  2. Pingback: Celebrate The Masterpiece In Your Child | My Mommyology

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