WB to Me!

Welcome Back, Ayen! Hahaha! I've been gone for a looong time but I've always think about blogging. I try to make at least one entry per month but I have been preoccupied these past months that I neglected this blog.

 

August.

Our house were flooded. =( Good thing my husband and I were both on our restdays so we were able to save all our furniture unlike last year. Being flooded doesn't really happen in our town but most people here says it was because of global warming. I guess I can't argue with that. Anyway, cleaning and drying off our place was a big inconvenience and I also have a toddler who's like a ball of energy. It was too much. I just wanted to sleep and rest during my free time.

 

September.

I can't think of a significant moment that happened this month. I guess it was the crappy internet connection we've been getting so I decided to set aside blogging and just focus on teaching my little boy his ABCs, 123s, and sing Twinkle Twinkle. It was pure mommy and baby bonding time.

 

October.

My husband got promoted! Yey! But he had to transfer to Libis to get that promotion. The downside is that I get to do a lot of our household chores since the hubby spends more time at work and commute now than before. I experienced how it is to be a real "working mom" but my body felt like giving up. Good thing we were able to find a stay-out maid who significantly made our life easier to manage. I had to make up for all the lost hours of sleep so I still put off blogging.

 

 

As always, I'll try to find a few hours a month to maintain this blog. To be honest, I thought of just deleting my blog. I felt I won't be able to keep this up. I just don't want to be just another blogger who leaves their blog hanging. I hope it won't happen. I have a lot of memories stores in this small cyber space of mine.

Stressed-Out Working Mom

I love myself! In my own unique way, I know that I am beautiful. Part of that confidence is the fact that I always have clear skin. Sure, I had breakouts every now and then, but the as far as I can remember, three is the most number of pimples I had all at the same time. I am thankful for my genes and my daily routine.

Recently, I became more interested in beauty products and makeups since I do not want to look dull and old which I felt at some point after giving birth (post-partum depression?) I got a number of lipsticks and makeups in just a few months. I became obsessed with makeup and who frequently checked Sephora website for the hottest items and sales.

I had less time because of our schedule and I forgot about it for a while. Since my husband started getting morning shifts, I had a difficult time balancing being a mom, a wife, and an employee.  I am not complaining since I love spending time with my son. I am proud that my son learned a lot from me and not from other people (or worst, yaya!) I get to be a hands-on mom.

The only thing that bothered me is my face. Haha! I think being stressed out and tired affected my skin a lot. I developed acne! Yikes! It became evident on my forehead, cheeks, and chin. It doesn't help that my father keeps pointing out the "big pimples" and keep telling me to do sometime about it. As if I am not doing anything! My son also calls them  "moles" and would point and count every blemish on my face. That's a lot! I blamed my husband since I felt he don't help me enough in the house. Later on, I would feel guilty because he is actually doing as much as he can. I know he don't have a choice with his schedule and he urges me to stop doing everything by myself.  

picture from www.buyclearskincream.com

Eventually, I decided to stop thinking about these things. It really doesn't help. I don't stress too much now if our floor is not as shiny as it should be or if the throw pillows are not as neatly stacked on our couch. I am getting better now, I mean my face.  I also eat fruits and salads these days and refrain from eating chocolates. Healthy living muna. I still have four pimples to go (yeah I counted talaga!) but have a lot of pimple marks. Those dark spots that doesn't seem to go away. I'm planning to treat it chemically (diamond peel maybe?) next weekend to get a peace of mind. Hopefully it will clear up my skin and I'll feel confident and happy again.

Organize Freak

I'm back! Boy, did I miss blogging! I have a crappy internet connection at home so I'm testing the blogger apps I have on my iPhone. I like the idea of blogging on the go. I do enjoy facebook and instagram but blogger is still my favorite outlet. I may not be as articulate as I hope to be but nothing beats blogging as a way to express how you feel. That being said, I have been busy with my role as a working mom/wife. My baby is now a toddler. Some say it's the terrible twos, others terrific twos. But what I can say is that yes, it is a handful! Add to that, I need to make sure my family lives in a decent, neat, and functional house. 

The way I see it, I need to organize everything since our small family tends to get a lot of stuff. My husband and son are both messy while I'm a collector. Uhm, not a good combination. So you see, I have been frequent visitor of Ikea online and sm homeworld for the last few weeks. I also have this restless desire to visit Robinson Place Manila to check out Howard Storage. No matter how many storage boxes we buy, I end up needing more. I need boxes for Quino's toys (he gets more and more everyday), old clothes, towels, bedsheets, wedding gifts (we still don't get to use some of them). I'm also not satisfied with how we store our laundry stuff, DVDs, and (would you believe it) storage jars, etc. 

The pictures below are what I have in mind. If any of you saw some of these stuff, would you be kind enough to let me know? ;-)

Last Week...

Last week was mother's day and my birthday. Eversince I become a mom, I have been looking forward to mother's day. It has been my favorite occassion aside from Christmas and New Year. I actually consider it as a holiday so I make sure I'm always on leave on this day. My birthday also falls on the same month and week and I also love waking up on this speacial day. Not that they're not, but everyone are just extra happy and nice to me! :)

 

I admit, I love receiving gifts but I don't like being surprised. I mean I don't like the idea of people doing something/planning something I'm not part of. Yes, I am paranoid and a control freak. Anyway, I've read about Pandora bracelet before, at kikay.ph to be exact. But I though they're just bracelets with beads. I didn't know they have various charms until I saw my sister in law's and brother in law's wife's Pandora bracelets. I love that they get to choose charms. When I saw my friend's bracelet, I knew I just have to get one for myself. 

 

I have been telling stories to my husband about the Pandora charms, hoping he'll get the subtle hint that I want one for myself. When my husband asked where I wanted to celebrate mother's day, I told him I want to go to Newport Mall so we can check out Pandora. So we did. After spending a lot of time oogling and trying out bracelets and charms, my husband said I can get one as his mother's day gift. I was beyond excited!

 

 

A few days later, my birthday came. We decided earlier that we won't be traveling on this day like what we normally do since he won't be able to file for a leave. We'll just have a simple celebration and have a family dinner. Since he had a class, my son and I just met him at a mall. I saw him carrying a small paper bag and I knew it was a birthday gift. He gave me a perfume, Lanvin Eclat, the one I've been eyeing for a long time now.  Hay.. I love my husband. I love it more when he showers me with gifts. :)

Help

When I was single and living with my parents, we always have a helper at our beck and call. However, our parents always make sure we don't abuse them by asking them to get us a glass of water, close the door, etc. You know, simple things that we can do on our own. In short, they don't want us to be lazy. I know some people who treat their helpers like that. When I was living with my in laws, I learned that my husband was like that. Though he asked nicely, I think it made him lazy.

I do not want to depend too much on helpers. We had a few when we had a baby and living on our own, but they do not fit our lifestyles. We are on a nightshift most of the time, so we could not take care of their needs. The last yaya we had was the worst! She was nice. Very enthusiastic. Doesn't need a lot of directions. She is a widower with three sons, so I felt very sorry for her. I gave her some of the clothes and shoes my son got as presents and from my friend (hand-me-downs but still in good condition). The next night, she left us and said she could not bear how I'm mistreating my son. What?! Because she heard me raised my voice at my son who was playing with his spilled milk on the floor? It was a natural reaction coming from a person who got home from work at 4 AM and woke up at 7 AM. She waited until I went to work to pack her things up. When my husband return home from work, she told him she didn't want to work for us anymore. My husband didn't have a choice so paid her days work. He was quite upset hearing those things about me from her. I was fuming mad while at work. More so when I couldn't find some of my son's pajamas and t shirts. I shouldn't accuse someone of stealing, but all our just washed clothes were in her room. I looked everywhere, and I couldn't find them. My son and her youngest boy are almost the same age. So there, I housed an ingrate and thief.

This is why we do not have a househelper or a yaya. Being a family of just three, we do not think we really need one. At least not yet. My husband and I now divide our household chores and taking care of our son between ourselves. It is challenging specially since both of us are working. It is hard, but we are coping. I get to be a housewife and a mother. This fulfills me. I am also grateful that my mother takes care of our son while we are at work in the evening. My mother in law also helps us with our son when my mother can't. Now it is easier for my mother to do it most of the time since she has a helper. Although we don't, she certainly needs one. So who says I'm not dependent on them then?

Mommy Paranoia

As a mom, I cannot think of anything that I wouldn't do for my son. I'll shower him with all the love, affection I can give. I'll sacrifice my career and myself to ensure his well-being. I'll do overtime and work my ass off to send him to the best school and provide the best of everything for him. Bottomline, my son is one of the two most important people in my life.

I'm sure you've heard the news lately. Cases of missing children. Malls, church, and even within your own neighborhood, children are being kidnapped. I don't know if it is just an urban legend, but I kept hearing of people in a white van who kidnaps children and sells their organs in the black market. I also heard that these heartless criminals would force their victims to beg for money or worse, prostitution. The latest buzz I've been hearing is that a high-ranking policeman is involved with these disappearances. Hence, news blackout are being implemented.

Who wouldn't be disturbed with these news? Specially for a first time mom like me, who wouldn't be paranoid? If it's just up to me, I will immediately resign from work, take care of my son, and never to leave the house forever. Hahaha! But seriously, I really can't help myself from worrying. Every time our family goes to the mall, I make sure I carry my child even though he's heavy and moves like a kitikiti. Most of the times, I also let him wear a harness. I don't care if people think I'm handling my son like a dog on a leash, better safe than sorry. I also get upset with my husband every time he lets our son run freely in a crowded area. What if he gets distracted? We often argue about this but like what I said, better safe and paranoid than sorry.

My friend shared these pictures in Facebook. If any of you have seen these kids, please please do contact their family. My heart goes to the parents and relatives of these children. I cannot imagine what they've been going through but I hope these kids have been found and safe within their loved ones.

Mommies, let us all be alert at all times. Be in the look out for suspicious behaviours around you.  Keep your eyes to your child at all times. Remember, it is always better safe than sorry.

Dear Lord,

We ask of you,

keep these children safe and sound,
let no harm come before they are found.
They are lost from their family,
from the ones they love,
return them home,
and protect them from above.
Place your loving arms around them today,
guide them safely back home,
to You this we pray.

My Five Favorite Things: March 2013

I have been blogging for a few years now and just realize that I have not done some of the common blog posts that I've enjoyed reading from other blogs. These are "What's inside your bag, kikay kit, etc," "Things that I can't live without," "Bucket lists." There are obviously a lot of topics to post about and one of my favorites is the "My favorite things of the month." So I hope you guys don't mind if I start posting my own version.

BOOK: Requiem. The third and final book of the Delirium Trilogy. I only like this trilogy. I'm not as crazy with it like The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instrument but it's a nice book to read. I didn't like the ending since I prefer a different guy for the girl to end up with, but at least I get to finish this book and check it out of my books to read.

MAKEUP: Shu Uemura. One of my current lemmings! I used to think of cleansing oil and eyelash curler when this brand comes up(and the only 2 products I have from them). I am now obsessing with their makeup line especially with the face architect powder foundation and glow ons.  I think I might get myself one soon!

FASHION: Longsleeves. It's summer in the Philippines but I have been buying a lot of long-sleeve shirts lately. I got a few from Gap, Uniqlo, and Forever21. What's happening to me? I'm not sick with Malaria but I like to wear these to the office. Saves me from bringing a jacket, blazer, or shawl.

GAMES: Candy Crush. Waaahh! So many sleepless nights! I'm on level 45 as of this writing.

TV: The Walking Dead. My favorite show! I cried a lot this third season. I also felt sad with the last episode (This Sorrowful Life). Can't wait for the season finale on Sunday (Monday in the PH)!

Lippies

If there is one product I cannot leave home with, it has to be any lip product. I am such fan! I love lipbalms, lipgloss and lipsticks! I always need one since my lips tend to get dry, especially in the office. I don't think I owe I lot though. In denial? Nope. I just know it's manageable.

Lipbalms. I have at least one each on my bag, side drawer, office station, kikay kit, dresser. I tend to for forget where I put them so I make it a point I always have one within reach.

l to r: eos, lipsmacker, vmv armada, carmex, bathology, body shop

I have another tube from maybelline and godiva that I wasn't able to include because I can't seem to find them. They'll resurface somehow.

Lipgloss. Oh I only have 1 pala. Nars super orgasm.

Lipsticks. Red is my everyday lipstick color. I use Revlon True Red but I alternate it with Mac Rubywoo at times. When I'm feeling lazy, I use a brown shade one. For some reasons, I don't think I look good with a pink lipstick, but I'm liking Nicki Minaj's signature pink lips. I'm now looking for something pink and I am hoping I'll rock this look.

l to r: nyx thalia, revlon true red, vmv girl next door (got it from glamourbox), nars mindgame, mac rubywoo

The good thing about my lippies, is that I use them frequently and in rotation. That's why I actually want to add more. I want more variety. I'm thinking of getting Nars schiap or Mac candy yum yum or pink nouveau.  I cannot think of any lipbalm to add to my collection since I think I have enough, plus I already found mg HF lipblam which is the vmv armada.

Do you have any suggestions for a lip product I can try? Best lipstick shades or brands?

Suesh Makeup Brushes and Workshop

I've always like reading makeup and fashion blogs and magazines since it brings out the girl in me. I don't wear a lot of makeup. My makeup routine is a face powder foundation, a bit of blush every now and then, a mascara, and my red lipstick. This doesn't mean though, that I don't know how to put eyeshadow and eyeliner. I know how but I don't use one.

Being an only girl, my mama would hand me makeups, colognes, nail polish, and other girly stuff that she receives from her friends. She doesn't use and need one because she's always at home and busy with our store. One thing I don't have and always wanted to have are makeup brushes. I've been bugging some of my friends to attend a makeup workshop at Suesh since we'll get to buy discounted brushes. Of course they declined. Until last month, my coworkers discovered their inner makeup junkies and asked me to attend the workshop with them. I was more than willing to join them.

The workshop was help at Suesh boutique in Alabang Town Center by one of its owner, Suzanne Tan. I though our instructor was bored when we first saw her. Or maybe she was tired? She was knowledgeable alright but she sure wasn't that enthusiastic. She smiled just a few times but she did assist every one of us individually.

I didn't bring my makeup because I though we'll be provided one. We were actually provided one and our 6-person workshop shared the palettes. For hygienic purposes I don't like sharing makeups with people I don't know so it was a mistake in my part. Good thing I get to immediately use my 7 pieces brushes. These are so soft and doesn't shed. I can't compare with other brands though since these are my first makeup brushes.

Overall, I liked the experience and I learned something new. Since I know a thing or two on putting on makeups, this basic workshop is not really that helpful to me. Now, they also offer Advance workshop, which I am more interest in attending. Now, I'll just have to look for a companion...

I Just Don't Have Time

It sound negative but it's not. I am going to make it my mantra. Things that I want to change in myself. I don't want to make a set of New Year's Resolution but as you age, you just realize that time is really precious. I regret the times I worried and thought of stupid things that didn't really matter.

google search.. pic by ngagerboi

I JUST DON'T HAVE TIME....

To be conscious of my waistline... Atleast I eat more than 3 times a day.

To be embarrassed of my strechmarks... I'm a mom. It happens.

To be bothered by gray hair... I get old because I'm alive.

To complain about taking care of my uber kulit na toddler ... I got pregnant when others cannot.

To feel insecure of my son's physical qualities.... Every kid is unique, and they develop differently.

To feel envious of husbands who give their wives LVs and Tiffanys... I have someone who comes home everyday who helps me with everything.

To complain about my parents who acts like THE parent of my child... Loving my child more than they love me is a blessing.

To complain about my inlaws who insist on us visiting them weekly... how can I complain about the attention and overflowing love my little boy is receiving from his relatives?