Remembering Minnie

It is never easy to say goodbye to one of our own, more so when that one touched so many lives in many different ways.  In March 2021 the Mommy Mundo community had to say goodbye to Minnie Jumaquio, the mompreneur behind the very popular and proudly local brand, the SnugaHug multi use pillow, which helped many moms get through pregnancy and breastfeeding with greater ease. Her other brands are Wallaby Mommy and Stampin Tots. With these she was a regular at the ExpoMom and other Mommy Mundo events since 2014.

While the entire community will miss her, she will be missed the most by her family and her “Superfriends,” a group of mompreneurs whose friendship began and grew deeper as they were all mompreneur exhibitors at our Mommy Mundo events.  This is our simple tribute to her, in the words of  her closest mompreneur friends, we asked what they’ll remember most about our dearest Minnie.

Above: The Superfriends for ExpoMom 2016’s #TeamMom campaign.

She would always tell it how it is, no filter and no B.S. What you see is what you get. She was very straightforward when it came to business, family life, and friendship. As a mompreneur, she always considered the customer when conceptualizing new products. It would take a lot of time, research and several testing phases before she launched something. She was very meticulous in that sense. Minnie was also a creative spirit and I think that was one of her biggest strengths. She always thought out of the box and viewed things differently than most. – Geraldyn Perez

She created a name for herself and her brands by working hard, providing great quality products, and being an old-school entrepreneur, one of pure class. “I met her at an HSBC bazaar back in 2014 I think. I approached her and asked about the luggage organizers kasi I was planning to use some for our travel. Sabi ko I’ll buy after the bazaar kasi I need to make money muna. But nakalimutan ko bumalik sa booth nya kasi I went out to pick up Sjöfn from school. Pagbalik ko, two booths nalang natitira, and she and Jason were gone na. But you know what? She left the luggage organizer sa booth ko before she left. Didn’t ask for payment and just trusted me to pay her eventually. She’s that kind of person. So trusting and pure. Always sees the best in someone. And to be around that beautiful energy is so uplifting.” – Paola Loot Bronfman

Above: The Superfriends at ExpoMom Glorietta Holiday 2015.

Everywhere she went she carried positive energy.  She is remembered to always have a smile on her face, and her inner light shining through.  “Good listener. Rational thinker. Mature. Unbiased. Super creative,” shares Meryll Dy.  “She always saw the good in everything and she always had her creative juices flowing and shared her unique ideas,” adds Kim Solon Dy

The Superfriends!

Above and clockwise from top left: Joy Lim-Astilla (@urbanessentialsinc), Minnie, Kim Solon-Dy (@vpharmaph), Meryll Dy-Lim (@mightybabyph), Tiffany Tuazon (@thenestattachmentparentinghub), Ge Perez-Chua (@babyhubph), Paola Loot-Bronfman (@mommytreats), and Janice Villanuenva in the middle.

Through it all her biggest strength was that she told it like it is, and all her friends remember her no-filter, straight talk as one of her best traits. “She is the kind of person who will tell to your face na mali yang ginagawa mo, pangit yan, hindi tama yan. Kahit nakakainis at masasaktan ka, she will be honest.  That is just one of the things I appreciated and loved about Minnie.  She was a true friend. Walang kyeme at walang halong bola. She will always have something to advise or to teach you and I am so happy and lucky that we became friends/sisters even for a while.” – Joy Astilla-Lim

Minnie was also a dear friend to our founder and CEO, Janice Villanueva. 

Above: Janice and Minnie at ExpoMom South 2019.

Minnie was one of the first mompreneurs I became very close with, and eventually had the honor of calling my “good friend”, and I attribute that to Minnie’s warm and caring personality. I remember the first time she joined Expo Mom and I saw her and her husband Jason setting up. I approached them and made a casual comment that maybe they both had experience in advertising, and they said they did! That’s because from the get go, Snug A Hug was such a strong and distinct brand, with a clear purpose. Not to mention high quality! You know that the creator or people behind the brand had attention to detail and took extra care with every single aspect.  From design to quality control on sewing, material sourcing, customer service, Minnie was hands on and passionate, and she put her heart into everything she did, her 3 brands, also her friendships, and most specially her family, Jason and Nina.

I will never forget Minnie, for who she was, reflected in what her superfriends have said here, for her saying yes to my challenges for her when I’d ask her to speak on stage, for always being expressive and appreciative, for being true, and for being thoughtful and loving.  

The Mommy Mundo community will miss you a lot Minnie. Though we all wish we had more time together, it has been a true honor and blessing to have had you with us. 

Above: With her Superfriends at ExpoMom 2017

The Mommy Mundo community is incredibly grateful for the many events Minnie participated in which she was able to share her passions and tips with the community. Some of these meaningful moments were captured on video.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF MINNIE JUMAQUIO

December 9, 1973 – March 14, 2021