Uber-ly Fantastic Ride Experience

My family and I are frequent taxi riders in the Metro, when Uber (despite its controversies and telenovela against the LTFRB) finally became available in the Philippines, my roommate (my husband, btw) and I downloaded it right away. Each of our phones has Uber just in case one's battery gets drained, which is usually mine unfortunately.

Downloading and Registering 
Downloading Uber was easy! All  we did was search for it in App Store or Google Play. After downloading Uber, we created a profile account and enrolled our credit card. Here we used our BPI VISA Amore card. Don't worry because Uber will only use your card you have availed of its service. In fact, my roommate didn't use Uber until after a month he had created his account.

Types of Uber 

There are two types of Ubers: UberX and Uber Black. UberX is the cheaper version of Uber cars as it uses regular cars like Vios and AUV's like Innova. According to UBER MNL Tips, UberX has a minimum and base fare of Php 40, just like our regular taxi cabs! However, it has a per minute rate of Php 2 and a per km rate of Php5.7.

Uber Black is the more high end type of Uber since it uses SUV's and according to some Uber drivers, luxury cars like Accord and some BMW's. Whoah! Its base fare is Php 90 and has a minimum fare of Php120.. It has per minute rate of Php 2.10 and a per km rate of Php 12.92.

I'm pretty sure, we're happy using just the UberX.

Requesting for your Uber
When we requested for our Uber,  we simply set our pickup location and destination. We have saved frequent places like "home" and "work" already. Before we tapped our request, we had the option to see the estimated fare so that at least we have an idea how much we would be paying. Afterwards, we confirmed our request, and soon we got a message saying that our Uber was on the way! This message included our driver's name, his contact number, his picture, the car's model, and plate number. It was that easy and convenient!

After a few minutes, if the driver found our place right away, we just hopped in and enjoyed our ride. It was like having our very own personal driver.

Pros
1) Safety - Since Uber provides details of your driver and picture, you can be sure of that he wouldn't do anything to you. Besides, you could report him right away.

2) Convenience - Seriously, no more lining up for the taxi and no more haggling and begging with kuya taxi driver  to take you from point A to point B especially during rush hours! You will just let your ride come to you as you wait in peace.

3) Cashless Transaction - Since you're using your credit card, no need to bring cash or several denominations just in case the driver doesn't have change. We all have experienced paying for more just because some taxi drivers "did not" have change for us. In Uber, you pay for your exact fare.

Cons
1) Credit Card - Well, since this is an online transaction, you first need a credit card. I don't know any other ways to pay your Uber since I think they only accept credit cards.

2) Online - You need to be online to request for an Uber, which could be a problem if you're not on PLAN. But then again, you could always ask for free wifi passwords of some establishments.

3) Surge - Ugh, when it's rush hour or if the demand for an Uber is high, Uber suddenly goes on a surge. This means that the normal fare is higher and is multiplied based on the current surge. This could go on from 1.5 to 4.5x. It could be a little expensive especially if it's traffic.
However, you do have an option to let it pass which usually happens after a couple of minutes.

Right now, we're so happy with the Uber service especially since we travel with Baby Charley.

No Yaya, No Problem

Baby Charley is 8 months old, and my roommate (my husband, btw) and I have been married for 32 months, so that means we have been together for that long without a helper around. We both grew up with one, so it's a big adjustment for us, for me mostly, when my roommate decided that we're gonna try to live here in the big city with just us. Yikes!

Many are surprised that we seem to be pulling it off just fine. Nobody could have believed that I would survive that long since I have zero (0) domestic skills. But we're fine. We're fine. 

Living without a yaya around could pose a big problem for many household, and we understand them really well. We're just very fortunate because our schedules are tailor-fit for our family.

No yaya? No problem! 

First, we do all the chores ourselves while rearing a baby who's fuelled with millions of energies, so that could be a little tiring. Nope, a LOT tiring at times. Imagine coming home deadtired from work and the traffic, and you still have to wash the dishes and put the baby to sleep. Of course, we still have to clean the flat, fix the bed, cook, and wash the clothes. Therefore, to minimize our chores, my roommate and I just send our dirty clothes (minus the undies and baby Charley's dresses) to the laundry and simply buy our meals from our friendly neighborhood carinderia (except baby Charley's meals, of course!) 

Second, our couple time sometimes mean couple + Charley time. It's hard to go on a date with just us because we just can't leave baby Charley alone in the house because it's illegal...and it's not safe. and it's illegal. Even if we wanna watch a movie or hangout with friends, we have to schedule it really really well because no one will be left with Charley, and there's NO WAY I'm gonna make her bilin to the kapitbahay. To solve this, we sometimes use "lola time" to get away, I mean to have a break from baby Charley. Recently, we went on an afternoon date and watched the "Love Affair" with just us. And boy, it feels good! 

aaaww, we've seen this little seed grow! 

Third, we're usually affected with a curfew, baby Charley's curfew. Whenever we go out with friends, we have to explain to them that we gotta end whatever date we're having at 6pm because Charley has to sleep at 6pm. Otherwise, she's gonna be grumpy and would turn exorcist mode. If only, we have a yaya around, we could have stayed a little bit longer and a few drinks more. 

Fourth, sometimes we're just being lazy or sleepy to move that it would be nice to have someone to take care of Charley especially when she wakes up at 4:30 in the morning. There's no doubt that baby Charley is a morning person because no matter what time she goes to sleep the night before, she's gonna be awake at 4:30 or 5:30am, and she'll be in full energy until around 10am for her morning 30 minute power nap. Unfortunately, my roommate and I love to sleep...at least an hour longer. However, because we dont have a yaya, we have to wake up with her and put her out of her crib; otherwise, every one who lives in the 4th floor will be awake because Charley would be talking and screaming nonstop. 

Although our lives would have been so much easier with a help around, I think there are also a number of advantages of not having a yaya. 

We're happy with just us! 

First, we know everything about Charley. Besides her schedule, we also know what Charley likes and hates to eat, her favorite toy, her poop schedule, and basically all about her. This has proven to be very helpful especially when we had to bring her to the doctor when she got sick. Because we're the ones taking care of her, we could tell and explain in details everything that has happened to Charley. Oh, not to mention, I'm super OC pa, so our beautiful pedia, Dra Pam Caedo of Makati Med, got surprised when I gave a tabulation of Charley's temperature, poop, and actions we took for a 24 hour period. Should we have a yaya, we would be getting these pa from her, and mommies, we could not be sure if she could record data as OC as we could. 

Second, we're raising baby Charley the way we want to. Gosh, we have received a number of advices on how to raise a child, and some have doubted the way we're taking care of and raising baby Charley, but she's our kid so it's okay if she doesn't co-sleep with us, thank you very much. Also, we're instilling in her the values we want her to grow with; for example, the mano po and praying before meals and before going to sleep. We read her books, talk, and play with her, and we make sure she'll get zero or at least minimal screen time (from gadgets and TV's). I've heard many horror stories about kids raised by yayas who grow up not the way their parents want them to be and kids who are glued to TVs with their yayas because that would keep them quiet. I'm not saying all, but let's be realistic, there are some. 

Third, we're not afraid to let Charley be Charley. Our child is a very curious persistent individual. There are no cabinets and drawers left unchecked and anything new must be inspected then chewed. We also allow her to crawl and cruise her way around the flat. Sometimes, she would bump her head or fall while trying to walk, but they're just fine with us. Because of these, I could say that as a baby, she's confident and is not afraid to try on new things and explore her world. The other baby I know, who's raised by his yaya, hasn't even learnt to crawl or stand up on his own yet. His yaya is afraid that if he gets bukol, she'd be scolded. Sadly, that's a reality for some. 

there are dishes to be done, but selfie first! 

Fourth, we are baby Charley's comfort zones. Oh it feels so good as a parent if you know that your child would run to you because he/she feels safe to be with you. Baby Charley is like this to us, and I'm happy that right now, we're number 1 to her (okay, prolly I'm # 2 next to her daddy); some kids kasi would prefer their yayas over their parents and I have seen this personally with some of our girls in school. 

Fifth, we only have to deal with three different personalities everyday. A yaya is another personality in the household, and since it's just us, we would only be dealing with each other. At least, we don't have to make pakisama with another person. It's liberating actually to be ourselves all the time in the flat. 

Sixth, it's cheaper. Yaya's service is quite expensive, and I'm a bit of a kuripot. Imagine paying Php 3,500 to Php 5,000 (+ PAGIBIG, SSS, Philhealth, etc.) to a yaya whose job is to feed Charley, give her a bath, change her diaper, and put her to sleep. Our flat is a small, so she won't be having difficulty cleaning it. She won't be cooking or doing the laundry as well. Thus, I don't think it's practical or economical to hire someone to do the things we enjoy doing...except the poop part. 

Finally, we literally see baby Charley grow right before our very eyes! My roommate and I have been pretty hands-on with Charley ever since she's born, so we have seen how she's grown from a tiny infant who couldn't move much to an active likot toddler she is now. We were there when Charley first said a word, (opo) till now that she won't just stop talking gibberish. We saw when she first made dapa on her own, when she first started crawling and standing up and when she first tried to walk on her own. We're there when she lost a few lbs when she got diarrhea and when she gained them all again and a few more in just days! And these things are priceless. 

Life without a yaya isn't for anyone. Some families can't live without one, and they have their own reasons. I'm just very happy that right now, we're good without one. :)

Hand-me-down, Baby

Baby Charley is the third apo (and girl) in my side and the eighth (fourth girl) in my roommate's (my husband's, btw) side. She's also the youngest of three apos born last year; her Kuya Joaqui was born April 12 while Ate Hailey was born three days after. This, of course, has several perks. One of which is we get a number of advices from my in-laws' first-hand experiences.

However, the biggest and the ultimate perk we have is receiving a lot (tons!!) of hand-me-downs because Baby Charley's cousins are basically 8 months older than her. Of course, their baby clothes won't fit them anymore.

One of the grandest hand-me-down we got was the crib - in fact, we received two of them! One is a wooden white crib, which we left in Batangas so Charley could sleep there while we're there. The other is a spacious Baby 1st red crib, which we have here in Makati. Charley loves both cribs, but she has outgrown the white one already. Good thing, we could still use her red crib. It has a diaper changing deck with a middle deck for infant. Since Charley could stand up and climb out of her crib already, she's using the lowest deck. Pretty soon, she's gonna graduate from that, too! Oh no!

Besides the cribs, we also received a high chair, also from Baby 1st, and Charley loved it a bit until she realised she hated being confined while eating. We still put her in her high when she's in the mood though because we still wanna teach her to eat independently.

Also, Charley receives a number of pillows, toys, and rattles, which she started to enjoy when she was 4 months already. So you can say we have a cat, duck/chick, and cow pillows with 4 sets of hotdog pillows.

However, the biggest and largest in number we received are clothes and shoes! 99% of Charley's clothes and shoes are all hand-me-downs! The remaining 1% are gifts from friends. These clothes include white baby sandos and pj's, socks, onesies, jackets, shirts, dresses, and shoes! And these came from top brands like Polo, H & M, Gymboree, Guess, Ginger Snap, Baby Gap, Osh Kosh, Carter's, Ipanema, Nike, Converse, and shoes from Baby Couture. I think, we have only bought six pieces of dresses for her.

Here are several disadvantages of receiving hand-me-downs:

• You can't choose the design or the color. 
• You're not sure whether it'll fit your baby. Charley grows insanely fast and she's a little chubbier than her 16month old cousin, so there are clothes that are a little too sikip na for her. 
• You've seen the clothes worn in pictures already. 

However, the advantages we get from hand-me-downs are astonishing and not to mention, outdo all the disadvantages: 

• It's the ultimate tipid tip. Baby things are expensive, and we have saved millions! (okay, prolly not) from hand-me-downs. We could use the saved money for her monthly check-up and other necessities - milk, diaper, vitamins. 
• Babies grow fast, and they usually wear their clothes just once or twice. Before you know it, they wont fit them anymore. 
• We can't afford to buy those expensive branded shoes and clothes on our own, but we have them! 
• It teaches our family to humble and to be gracious all the time. We have set our pride aside, and receiving hand-me-downs make us simple, humble, and generous for all our blessings.

What we have saved based on the prices from Lazada.com
Baby 1st Baby Crib - Php 5,999
Baby 1st high Chair - Php 4,000
Ipanema - Php 700
Carter's dresses and onesies - Php 1,000 - Php 2,500
H & M pants and dresses - Php 400 - Php 1,000

Charley's Mommy Hack: Avoiding Becoming Mombies and Zomdads

For first time moms, actually for all mommies, sleep is very essential; especially if you have work the following day. Unfortunately though, "sleep" is a foreign word to most babies especially during the early months.

I remember how Baby Charley transformed my room mate (my hubby, btw) and me into Mombies and Zomdads (mommy and daddy zombies). We literally survive on caffeine since we barely got enough sleep. Heck, a straight 30 minutes is already a gift.

However, that was 3 months ago. Thankfully, Baby Charley's sleeping pattern has improved (a little) so we could actually (finally!) enjoy 6 hour straight of uninterrupted sleep. Sometimes.

There is a Mommy Hack though that we use to make sure I get enough sleep.

Charley's Mommy Hack # 1: Make the Baby and the Daddy fall in-love with each other 

Since Day 1, my roommate and our daughter already shared an inseparable special bond. Baby Charley would melt into her father's arms, and the sight is just lovely.

Don't get jealous, Mommies, when this happens because that means that Baby Charley prefers her Dad to rock her to sleep. When she cries at night, my roommate is the first one to get up to pick her up; Baby Charley wants it that way, anyway, so I'm not actually complaining here.

Yes, so that means I could sleep a little longer.

Okay, a LOT longer.

Okay, so maybe this is a selfish hack, but it did get me MY sleep which prevented me from killing people the following day. I teach, so imagine the number of possible casualties If I am sleep-deprived.

Yikes!

However, on a serious note....

Charley's Mommy Hack # 2: Delegation 

Sad to say, my roommate needs to sleep, too, so I could not be the only one enjoying some Zzz's. What works for my roommate and me is task delegation. We follow a certain routine of putting Baby Charley to sleep that usually starts at around 6pm.

My roommate gives Charley her evening bath while I dry and dress her. Anyway, I'm the one who is a little picky on what she wears. That also means I put on her diaper while he cleans the mess - dirty diapers and laundry, too.

I would then prepare her evening vitamins that my husband would give her. Afterwards,  I would breastfeed her until hopefully, she sleeps. However, on occasions that she does not sleep right away, my roommate would rock her to sleep. When she finally goes to sleep, we will then have our dinner. I'll set the table while he cleans up afterwards, unless BAby Charley suddenly wakes up.

When Baby Charley wakes up in the wee hours of the night, my roommate would get her and give her to me to be fed. He would then continue his sleep until I wake him up to put Charley to sleep.




I am very fortunate because I have a very supportive husband who is also very hands-on with raising Baby Charley; with him, life is a bliss.ü