When Janice Villanueva and Candice Cu first put up Mommy Matters more than 10 years ago, they agreed on one important factor: their line of nursing wear must be something that real moms would want to wear. Many years later, the cousins have stayed true to their vision, creating clothes for breastfeeding mommies that are cozy yet stylish, comfortable and fuss-free.

Launching its newest collection, Mommy Matters enlisted the support of four of the most-followed moms in the blog and Twitter world. These are real moms who bare their lives, beliefs and opinions in their own online homes. They live busy and full lives, running their households and businesses, raising their children, all are even currently breastfeeding their babies. Real moms like them need wearable fashion, and the brand they wear celebrates the strength, independence and wisdom of moms of today. Meet the real women who wear the real fashion of Mommy Matters!

Paola Loot works at Mommy Treats from the comfort of her home. While her one-and-a half-year old daughter sleeps, Paola prepares orders for her nutrient-fortified cookies, which have helped many breastfeeding moms increase their milk supply.

A totally modern mom, Paola makes full use of her digital gadgets to help her track her life—from her baking schedule to her daughter’s doctor appointments. She is also not shy to step back and ask for help with her tasks to give her time to relax. Paola explains, “When I accepted that I needed help with my baking and that it’s okay to take some “me-time” away from my daughter, I became happier and calmer. By remembering my needs as a person, I have achieved some sort of balance in my life.”

For Paola, a real mom acknowledges her imperfections—and strives to do better. She says, “A real mom forgives herself. She knows that she can’t always do things perfectly. She’ll make mistakes along the way but she won’t let those mistakes define her. She’ll teach her kids, through example, that it’s not our mistakes in life that will define us, it’s what we do with it that will.”

On Saturdays, Kris de Guzman goes on a dinner-movie date with her husband. It’s a breather from the typical week that has them taking care of their two children’s needs while managing their professional lives. Kris is the mom behind the popular blog, OcMominManila. She is also a director at her marketing agency and runs a water filtration business.

For her, happiness is being able to work from home, with ample assistance from her household and her smart phone, which “has made me more sane, especially during hour-long breastfeeding sessions.”

But when it came time to teach her daughter one of the most significant development milestones in a child’s life, she turned to an age old contraption. Kris says, “An andador—that bamboo circular walker you can buy off the back of a white carabao—is the best and cheapest gadget to teach your baby to walk.”

Indeed, Kris is one mom who is not afraid to make her own rules when it comes to parenting. She says, “I parent according to my own rules based on what I feel is right and what I’m comfortable with, not because of what’s on trend or what’s expected of me.”

Because she doesn’t have a yaya—because she doesn’t want one—Martine de Luna does a lot of multitasking. While she has breakfast with her son, she answers her e-mail, responds to inquiries, and replies on comments on her blog, www.DaintyMom.com. A blog which she started right after coming from her maternity leave, it has become both a resource and a source of inspiration for work-at-home moms and mompreneurs.

She says, “Right now, I’m a wife, mom, and a homemaker who can work from home… I am passionate about all of these things, and the fact that I am living out all of these things.”

It helps that her husband works from home, too, and every week, they go out on weekly lunch dates. She says, “We like to stick to our favorite haunts, but once in a while we explore new places.”

For Martine, “A real mom is OK not being ‘supermom.’ She makes her own brand of motherhood work in a way that’s best for her family and not as the world dictates it… The important thing is that we’re happy learning together.”

Eliza Santiago Ypon is not, by a long shot, a perfectionist. Unlike her mom, who likes everything neatly arranged, Eli reveals, “I sometimes bring the pot to the table and serve from there, and I always have a pile of laundry. She [Eli’s mother] can’t live without household help, while I revel in the freedom of not having one. I’m glad she’s like that because her house is always my haven when I’ve come to the end of my wits. There’s always food on the table and extra hands to care for Basti! I’m so grateful for her.”

The mom behind www.painterswife.com, Eli also teaches classes at Gymboree, likes doing crafts projects, and occasionally serves as her artist husband’s representative. Her days are full, but happy. She says, “Happiness is not elation, it’s contentment. It’s knowing you’re where you’re supposed to be, and loving and accepting the good and bad of it.”

“I am a real mom because I made it a choice to be real,” says Eli. “A real mom is honest. Not just about what she is, but what she feels and what she needs. She has a brain, a soul, and a spirit big enough for a household and then some. Before we forget, she also has her own dreams and aspirations. Sometimes it’s not about all of you, but about her.”

Mommy Matters enjoins all moms to share their REAL MOM statements and stories. Follow Mommy Matters on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mommymatters and MommyMattersPH on Twitter, and tweet using the hashtag #RealMom. For product info, visit www.shopmommymatters.com. Also watch out for more Real Mom campaign stories through our Real Mom bloggers.

WHAT IS A REAL MOM?

A REAL MOM is an authentic, she feels empowered and fearless in making her own choices. She is able to give herself a pat on the back for a job well done, and stands up and dusts it off when she makes mistakes. She knows life is about easy choices and tough decisions but in the end, it’s about what makes her, her kids and her family happy.

A REAL MOM …

– is a mom who is authentic.She does what’s best for her children and not according to what others expect of her or how they will judge her. (Kris de Guzman) – is OK not being “supermom.” She but makes her own brand of motherhood work, in a way that’s best for her family and not as the world dictates it. (Martine de Luna) – is honest. Not just about what she is, but what she feels and what she needs. She may or may not take things in stride. She may be right sometimes and wrong too, at times, but while she calls the shots, she’s ALWAYS right :-P. She has a brain, a soul and a spirit big enough for a household and then some. Before we forget, she also has her own dreams and aspirations. Sometimes it’s not about all of you, but about her. (Eliza Ypon) – forgives herself. She knows that she can’t always do things perfectly. She’ll make mistakes along the way but she won’t let those mistakes define her. She’ll teach her kids, through example, that it’s not our mistakes in life that will define us, it’s what we do with it that will. (Paola Loot)

ABOUT MOMMY MATTERS

Mommy Matters celebrates motherhood with this continuation of its real mom campaign featuring four of the most followed personalities in the mom blogging scene.

Mommy Matters is one of the leading pioneer nursingwear brands in the Philippines. Its apparel is known for its high quality, wearable fashion and our constant innovations to answer our market’s needs and wants.

Mommy Matters’ design philosophy is to create stylish designs that take into account a modern mother’s lifestyle. Mommy Matters clothes are:

1) comfortable and fuss-free, for easy and discreet nursing; 2) versatile, allowing moms to create more looks with just a few pieces of nursingwear in their wardrobe. Our clothes are easy to mix and match and with the addition of a few accessories can be transformative; and 3) made with high quality fabrics but priced reasonably giving ‘value for mommy’.

Mommy Matters Nursingwear is available at HAB & more (formerly Havin’ A Baby) branches, the loungewear section of select Rustans Department Stores, Spoiled! Store at Robinsons Galleria, Beachmums at Mactan, Cebu, and online at www.shopmommymatters.com, www.motheringearthlings.com, www.indigomanila.multiply.com, and www.zalora.com.ph