Womanhood and Everything in Between

A while ago, habang busy ako sa pag bblog hop, my officemate approached me - Groupmate1: Abi, may sakit ako bukas ha? At biglang dumating si - Groupmate2: Ako din, next friday ako magkakasakit! Me: Ah ganun ba? Sige, baka sa wednesday na lang ako. Hehehe! Wala lang talaga kaming magawa sa office kundi iplano kung kelan ang sunod na pag aabsent. LOL!

As I was browsing my FB this morning, I noticed I have liked a lot of online shops na pala. As in pag nag refresh ako ng news feed, yung mga FB Pages ang winner sa updates. :) I started shopping online when I was pregnant with my second baby. Actually, I once tried buying online when I was still single but the seller was available for meet-ups kaya kinuha ko na lang sa kanya ng personal yung mga items. Ang verdict ko noon: FAIL! As in yung items eh malayo sa description nya sa net. Pero since hindi naman ako ma-judge na tao, hindi naman naapektuhan yung ibang mga online seller. :) Kung hindi mo pa nasusubukan, try it and I bet you'll get hooked just like me. Minsan nga kahit alam ko naman na wala pa akong cash in hand, check pa rin ako ng check ng mga items. Hehe. Pero syempre, whenever I get the chance, bumibili talaga ako.  After my first try to shop online, I told myself to buy from someone I really know or at least from someone I have a connection (connection talaga?! he...

Mommy Fleur featured my adorable kids in her This Kid Is It! section of her blog. Oh, I so love her! You can check it here . Feeling ko tuloy artista na ako, este yung mga anak ko pala! Nyehehehe! :) Thanks a lot, Mommy Fleur!

I first came across with The Little Bugger through Krisna's blog . She's giving away Manuela Doggy Backpack and Top Baby Headbands courtesy of TLB. (I did join and I have my fingers crossed hoping to win those fabulous items!) And while doing blog hopping earlier, I stumbled upon Bebengisms ' post and decided to window shop at TLB's Facebook page . And guess what? Now I want these dresses for my kids! Baby Aerin will love this! And I drool over this! Ang sosyal ng  lace. At ang chic ng flowery design ng skirt. I so want this for Angela! She loves dresses and this will fit her bubbly personality. Parang ang gaan gaan ng dating nung dress. Ito ang swak sa pagiging makulit at malikot ng mga bagets. Ang comfortable nya yet chuchal pa rin ang dating. I know I know, out of stock na malamang ang mga yan pero sana mag re-stock pa sila or maybe there's more lovely dresses pa to come. I can't shop pa kasi ngayon, medyo tight ang budget. Magastos ang maglip...

Before I spend my whole day reading all my favorite blogs (more like, stalk them. Lol) let me share to you how happy I am today because my mom decided to pay us a visit. She's coming tonight from Bicol! Yehey! :) As I write this post, she is actually waiting for the bus to arrive. Sana dumating na yung bus para maaga sya makarating dito. I've never been this excited before. Oooppsss, don't get me wrong. I always look forward to seeing my mom and spend time with her. Lalo na kasi Angela loves her so much. But this time, is a lot more different kasi I've been wanting her to come over to our new house and help me arrange our things. As in feeling ko, si Mama lang ang makakapag ayos ng todo ng bahay namin. She is meticulous when it comes to cleaning and organizing. And I badly needed a stern eye lately. Lagot na yung dalawang house help namin, hindi na sila makakaligtas kay Mama. Hehehe. Not that Mama will hurt them. But for sure, hindi na makakaligtas kay Mama yung katamar...

I've noticed myself changed a little these past weeks. I became too emotional and grouchy. Little things made me irritable and upset. I was beyond normal. And that ended me in an emergency room with a palpitating heart in the early hours of Monday. Rushing to the hospital was my 2 siblings who were supposed to be having fun but have to endure my nonsense issues. I love you both. :) I've been rushed to the hospitals with the same case for as long as I remember. I am a happy person. If you know me personally, you'll love my positive attitude towards everything. But strong I may seem to be, I am a human who has her own weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I really hate complaining. So if things don't come as I expect it to be, I just let it be. But it didn't do me any good. I always end up wanting to say a lot of things but choosing to keep everything unsaid. Yun malamang ang nagbibigay sakin ng palpitations. And this past week took me to the edge. I was too physically ...

It's already past 3 in the afternoon and the rain hasn't stopped yet. Sabi ko na nga ba eh, hindi na kasi dapat ako papasok ngayon. Ayan tuloy, ako lang mag isa dito sa work area. Hindi naman totally mag isa. Wala lang yung dalawang seatmate ko plus yung dalawa pa na nasa likod ko. Sad tuloy ang lunch ko. Ang problema ko ngayon, yung pauwi. Actually, I just talked to my sister and she invited us for dinner at MOA. My younger brother will arrive tonight from Oman (for M's wedding) so from the airport, they'll head straight to MOA for the family dinner. I've called na hubby to bring the two kids and our cousin tonight and dun na kami mag meet. Alam na alam naman natin ang traffic pag friday. Tapos umuulan pa. Goodluck na lang sakin mamaya. Pano nga ulit yung rain dance? Simulan ko na kaya? Lol. Or better yet, simulan na natin lahat para mas effective. Game? :)

I'm sorry for this post, I just can't help to be proud of my angels. My husband took all the photos yesterday while they are having afternoon siesta that ended up to be an afternoon of harutan . Hangkyoooottt! :) That's me, PROUD MOM! :)

I've posted last week my apprehensions on my sister's upcoming wedding but seeing the delight and glow on her eyes once the plane touched down our airport is more than enough to convince me that yes, there's no doubt that they love each other and they should marry each other. I have not seen it personally but the pictures told me everything. J surprised my sister with these! :) I grabbed this from sister's FB account and she put a caption that says: "so happy"... Forgive me my dear if I have doubted you two at first. I guess it's just the Ate in me that became so possessive and too careful for you. You know I love you so much and I want you to be happy. Now I can stop worrying because I'm pretty sure you found your perfect match. :) I love you, Ma! I can't contain my happiness for you. :) See you later!

This week has been the most stressful for me this 2013. My family moved in to our new house, and much to my surprise, we are not even half done with cleaning and unpacking. No, we don't have that much stuffs. But I'm doing de-cluttering while unpacking kaya it's taking more time than the usual. Hehe. Plus, we don't have wardrobe cabinets yet. It was supposedly part of our contract with the karpinteros but the kids can no longer take more dust. It's causing us allergies already. So we are planning to get modular cabinets this weekend. Adding more stress to me lately is my sideline. Hehe. I'm working on a raket and I've been wanting to get this project because certainly, this will be of great help to my family. I'm actually day-dreaming na of what will I get to my whole family as a gift kapag nakuha ko 'to. Excited lang. Hehe. I'm crossing my fingers at i-ccross ko na lahat ng pwedeng i-cross kung makakatulong. Lol! Anyways, please pray with m...

It's refreshing to see your two kids play and laugh. And it's delightful to watch them grow with full of love and care for each other. My Angela always remember her li'l sister . She always tells me to take good care of Baby Aerin and she never fails to shower her sister with hugs and kisses. Baby Aerin welcomes it with enchanting giggles. It's gratifying to see them young and vibrant and full of hope and life. Baby Aerin's playing with her Ate's headset Sweet! :) I wish that they will be forever like that with each other. I fear that they will have the normal sibling rivalry. I don't want that to happen to them. Because I love them both equally.

I've tried to reply to a comment in one of my posts and I can't seem to publish it. Is this an error with Blogger? I've tried to publish my reply like 6 times pero wala talaga. Anyone here knows what to do? Help guys! Thanks! Mwahhh

Calling the management of this bus company, AAB BUS LINES, INC. As much as I wanted to start this letter with a "Thank You!" for making me and my fellow commuters feel comfortable and safe while aboard your bus, I just can't. :( Truth is, I (not counting most of your passengers) was so pissed off this morning while taking your bus from Lancaster Estates to Baclaran (hanggang Lawton yung byahe) because your konduktor kept ushering more and more passengers even if it was already obvious that the bus is MORE THAN FULL already. Sorry, I have to emphasize it. More than full na kasi literal na pwede nang magkapalit palit ng mukha yung mga pasahero. And please don't tell me that we, passengers, have to be solely blame kasi sakay pa rin kami ng sakay kahit alam na naming puno na. Let me tell you this, from a passenger's point of view, that whenever a bus opens a door (even if it's full already) it is tempting to still make our way inside kasi gusto rin namin makapa...

It definitely feels good. After 48 years, nakalipat na rin kami sa wakas! I have yet to share photos of our house, medyo busy pa si ako. And wala pa kaming internet connection sa bahay! (Sa office ako nag bblog. SShhhhhhh!) Ohemgeee! Wala pa atang internet provider na available sa area namin. Yes, nasa bundok kami. Ayy mali! Nasa kabukiran kami. Sorry po sa aming developer, nagsasabi lang ng totoo. Kelangan kong maghanap this weekend kasi kelangan rin ni husband sa work nya. Sana lang meron. And I've also noticed that my neighbors have Cignal as their cable provider. Ibig sabihin rin ba, walang ibang choices for us? Hmmm... Anyways, balik good vibes ako. :) The house radiates the simplicity of its owner. It is elegant on its own way. The bedrooms were painted with colors that fit each of our personalities. The bath have its artsy-outdoor feel. Feeling ko pwedeng tulugan yung 2 bathrooms. Hehe. Will post pictures soon, promise! :)

I was not surprised by my sister's announcement months ago (I forgot when was it. Lol) that she's going to tie the knot with her not-so-long-time boyfriend (again, I forgot how long they were going out). She's already 28 years old, I guess that's old enough to settle down. But I just can't get over it. I feel sad. I know I should be happy. It's just that...I can't see them mature enough for marriage. :( I'm sorry my dear sister. You know I love you. And I want only the best for you. But aren't you cramming into getting married? Why? What's wrong? Get to know each other. Enjoy each other. I mean, you haven't been with each other that long, right? I'm not saying I don't like him. I know he's a good man. I just want you two to take your time. Take it slow. Don't rush. Should I tell her my worries? Or should I just give them a chance? Hayyy...

Gong Cha Milk Winter Melon Tea with Pearls I had my first sip of MILK TEA in Malaysia. Though I am both tea (teabag) and coffee lover, I was never introduced to MILK TEA until I came to Malaysia. Being a British colony, you'll find Teh Tarik (hot milk tea) in all their restaurants instead of coffee. Brits are known to be a tea lover. Just as I was browsing the net a while ago (I was looking for a better picture of Gong Cha Milk Tea instead of what I captured using my phone, which in the end I still posted above), I came across UKTC , it's United Kingdom Tea Council. Yes! They have a Tea Council! Awesome, right? You will find on the upper right of the website a counter, a counter for cups of tea consumed in UK as to date. Imagine their passion for tea that they made a website to count the cups of tea being consumed by Brits. You can also find there the benefits of tea to those who produce, sell and consume teas. So.....going back to what my title suggests. Lol! (I noticed t...

Image Source Let's pause for a while and reflect.

Being a mom is the greatest profession of all times. It's not as easy as ABC. There are lots of struggles and pains. From conception to giving birth. From nursing a baby to sending him/her to school. From teaching ABCs to algebra. Our kids milestone can bring us to heaven. And their mishaps can bring tears in our eyes. We work hard for their future. We wouldn't want them to feel hungry or feel sad. Their smiles are precious to us. And their tears always break our hearts. And being a mom also makes us miss a lot. Those days when we were being careless, our "me" time, our night-outs, our dates with friends, and even our dates with our husbands. Our kids become our first priority. I never heard a mother says the other way around. They are always our main concern. And we don't complain. Because we'd rather miss those things than to miss our kids' first step, first word, first tooth, first crush, first boyfriend, first heartache and a long list to go. We actual...

My on-the-go snacks I hate the feeling of hunger. As in takot akong magutom. That's why I make sure that I have some biscuits or cookies in my bag whenever I go out. Para in case I get stuck in traffic, I wouldn't mind at all kasi I have something to chew. When I was in Malaysia, I was so addicted to energy bars or granola bars. Oh, I loved Nature's Valley Fruit and Nut! Past tense na yung "loved" kasi nagsawa rin ako. :) Nakita ko naman kasi sa 7-11 one time yung Quaker Oat Cookies kaya yun naman ang new addiction ko. I love the texture of their cookies. These cookies are made from whole grain quaker oats that make it a healthy snack. You can never go wrong with their flavors. What I love the most is yung Honey Nuts. So, now I make sure that we don't run out of these cookies. My whole family love it! :)

I actually dream of one bonggang bonggang birthday party for my youngest daughter. I missed Angela's 1st birthday kaya feeling ko kelangan kong makabawi ngayon kay Aerin. Kaya I super dream of a huge party. But I have a tight budget to keep in mind. Ok fine! I'll just prepare a small and intimate party for her birthday. But I still want it to have lots and lots of balloons. I've read from Mommy Fleur's blog that there is so much in Divisoria when it comes to DIY-ing a party. So off to Divi ang mommy pag malapit na ang party. Sa May 29 pa naman kasi ang birthday nya. And for the foods, I think I have to make the list na ASAP para malaman ko na kung may marunong mag prepare within the family or if I have to get a caterer. I'm just so excited. :) (I'm actually trying to kill the bad vibes that had me earlier)

WARNING: Full-Text Ahead! I just have to vent out my anger. Sorry guys. :( I was crying so hard in the car this morning while my husband sends me to the shuttle's terminal, it's because I feel so bad and sad. When I got home last night from work, my cousin was crying while telling me that my younger daughter had so many rashes earlier. (I was touched actually kasi I felt her love for my daughter. Thanks, Shiella!) She said they noticed it when my daughter woke up from her afternoon nap. The rashes spread on her two inner arms and on both cheeks. Talaga daw nag panic sila kasi sobrang mapula. I asked them where did they put her to sleep and told me that she was on her crib. So I assumed it must be because of alikabok. I am super sensitive din kasi sa alikabok so she must have the allergy like me. I let it passed. I told them it's ok and they just have to make sure na mapunasan ng mabuti yung crib and ibang gamit ni Baby. Akala ko OK na. Come evening, when I was about to ma...

May this new year bring prosperity and more blessings to all of us! To all of my Fil-Chinese and Chinese friends, Happy Happy New Year! :)

In a week, we will be moving out from Papa's house to our "smaller-version" of a dream house (because yes, there will be definitely a larger dream house). We are staying with him now after our contract with our rented apartment ended. I decided to write him a letter to say thank you, para mas dramatic. Lol! And I want to share it with you. So here it goes: Thank you, Papa! Thanks for letting us stay (over-stayed J ) with you for more than a month. We will surely miss waking up with you on your jogging outfits but you seldom really run. I will miss coming home from the office with you sitting on your usual spot and typing away on your old laptop. I will miss you calling me ABEGAIL when I have a nickname. I will miss watching you drink your GREEN juices or whatever herbal thing it is. I will miss your LOUD TV at night which I’m sure all the neighbors can hear as well. I will miss missing you every weekend because you decided to sleepover just like what teenagers...

One more week and we will be moving in to our very OWN house! How's that to start the year? (Applause!) It is every couples' dream to own a house and call it HOME. And we are just so lucky that at a young age, we were able to save up for our dream house. (Good job for us, Bhe!)  I will be sharing the pictures here someday. I should be proud of it. The house is literally built with love. My husband worked his ass day and night to supervise his workers and sometimes sya na talaga ang gagawa. He's a Civil Engineer by the way. So he knows talaga kung anong ginagawa nya at kung anong gusto nyang mangyari sa bahay nya.  Our two kids are just as excited as me. I'll invite everyone sa house blessing. Lol!

I'm an avid fan of Cetaphil. Eversince high school I've been using this. I was a regular teenager then. Hindi rin ako nakaligtas sa mga pimples na 'yan. And having a mom na talaga namang very conscious sa hitsura naming dalawa, I've been in and out of dermatologists clinic. And they give me the same advise over and over. I should shift daw to a mild cleanser (bago ko kasi nadiscover 'to, fanatic naman ako ng mabubulang cleanser lol). And hindi naman ako binigo ng Cetaphil. With regular use, nag improve naman talaga yung face ko. Very mild talaga sya. It's like washing your face only with water. Hindi kasi sya mabula and fragrance free din. Pero kung hindi ka sanay na walang bula yung facial cleanser mo, iisipin mong walang kwenta yung facial wash mo. But seriously, it works magic! So ngayon, I share this to my kids na. They are using this for their whole body kaya medyo magastos kaming maligo mag iina. Image Source But every now and then, I indulge din to f...

I have an 8-month old baby girl. She is most-of-the-time a happy baby. Pero since normal naman talaga sa mga bata ang iyakin, hindi rin kami ligtas sa mga crying moments nya. And even if she cries almost every night before going to sleep, I still find it hard to pacify her or to understand her. Minsan iba iba ang trip nya. Kelangan talaga sa mga mommies i-extend ng todo ang patience. Hehe. I'm lucky to come across this article about the 7 reasons why our babies cry and ways to soothe them. Mommies, try to read the whole article kasi we can really learn a lot from it. To read the complete article, please click here . Why do babies cry? 1. I'm hungry Hunger is one of the most common reasons that your newborn baby will cry. The younger your baby is, the more likely it is that she's hungry 2. I just feel like crying If your baby is younger than about five months old, she may cry in the late afternoon and evenings. This is normal, and doesn't mean there's...

It's every parent's dream to see their children walk up the stage and claim their diplomas. And it's a euphoric moment for us to see them graduate with honors. I know it's too soon for me to feel this way especially since Angela is only in her Pre-School. But, what can I do? I'm just a PROUD MOM! Third Quarter Periodical Test Yehey! Clap! Clap! Clap! Congrats, Anak! Ehem, mana mana lang 'yan.. :) Dad and I are so proud of you!

I passed by Healthy Options in Shangri-La last week and I decided to try their organic products for my baby. She lost weight kasi when she was hospitalized because of Pneumonia kaya I was a little pressured on giving her more healthy foods para maibalik agad yung weight nya. Mukha lang akong nagpanic buying kasi andami ko pa lang nabili for her. I just realized it when I was paying na. Buti na lang payday nun so deadma na lang ako. Hehe. Here are some of them: Organic food from Healthy Options She already tried PEARS, naubos nya naman pero parang hindi nya type. However, yung multigrain super greens na nasa pouch eh mukhang hopeless na maubos nya. When I tried it, para syang mga green peas with rice na blended tapos walang timpla. So, bland yung lasa nya. I'm thinking of adding a little milk para magkaron ng konting lasa. Maybe I'll it tomorrow. May nabili pa akong Brown Rice Cereals and yun mukhang patok sa panlasa nya. I really hope my baby will gain back the weight sh...

Ang cute ng bag ko, 'no? :) Thanks, Marilyn for this bag! Marilyn is my dad's assistant. :)