Reunited, and it feels so good

About two months ago, my trusty Canon Ixus camera died on me.  Well, it was still working, only when you don't need a flash.  When my brother, Jones, saw what happened to my camere, he lent me his Ricoh—nice, right? :D  And had my camera fixed.

Heard it was shipped all over Asia, because each destination/country declared that they didn't have the parts.  I don't know exactly where it was fixed, but it's back :D  Better than buying a new one...  Oh, and my bro gave me a crumpler camera case.  He felt so bad for my all-scratched-up camera hihi...

Brother dear didn't let me pay for the repairs. Though, I'm wondering how much it cost him.  Now, ain't it cool to have a brother who loves gadgets? :D  Thanks, bro!

JJ tags along

A few weeks back, hubby and little J picked me up from work.  Here he is with my colleague, Lui.  I only realized how big little J was until she carried him :o  Look at Lui's smile, seems like she was having a hard time carrying little J hehe...


Lui and our other colleague, Vicky, have been waiting for me to bring little J again to work. I found the opportunity today when my parents gave me the driver (and their car) for the week. So, this morning, little J went on a joy ride with me.


He also picked me up from work, and got to hang with Vicky today. Both Vicky and Lui love little J to pieces, and even carried him around the office. :D


I got dizzy taking care of little J during our ride back home. He's quite the active boy, and I had to give him to yaya (nanny) for a few minutes so I can take a breather.


I'll see if little J can tag along again tomorrow. It's great to spend a few more minutes with him on the road :)

Big Boy

Woke up extra early to bring little J to the clinic for his monthly check-up, and guess what? He weighs 12kg (that's 26.2 lbs.) now! The average weight of a 1 year old is 9 kg :o He's a very big boy ;)

... and a brave one at that! He only cried for two seconds when he had his flu shot earlier today. *clap clap*

The Chengs are Up!

Little J is our alarm clock.  He wakes us up by 6:30 a.m. on the dot!  It took me a while to get used to waking up that early again.  I'm grateful that he wakes me up at that time, so I can play with him before I head out for work.  

In case you're wondering, I'm a very light sleeper (unless I was really tired from last night's activities).  So, I get to have a short solo times with him before he crawls to "dada' to wake him up.  Hubby's quite the sleeper so it takes a lot, like little J shouting/shrieking and continuous patting/slapping. Haha...

Here we are, on our way to work yesterday.  With little J, in between his breakfast meal.  All "simangot" (frowning) because we're leaving him behind :( awww....

Little J (with yaya carrying him) walks us out to our cars every morning. Leaving for work is always hard for us. That's mostly the reason why we end up a few minutes late at work.

Ear Candy

You might have noticed my smashing new earphones in yesterday's post. Well, they're not really mine. They're hubby's. Now, hubby's quite the destroyer when it comes to his stuff. The MAC earphones died on us, so I suggested he use something bigger and more sturdy. Hence, Skull Candy headphones :)

Find it cool that it comes with a matching bandana. Although I won't use it as a bandana, I'll figure something out soon :D

What we both like about this particular Skull Candy model is that it's not so big, unlike the others. Sound quality is good, and we're also loving the coated cords, which makes it more durable—perfect for hubby.

Blogging Inspirations

I'm a fairly new blogger.  I actually got into blogging, because I was sooooo bored.  I was more than 8 months pregnant, and stuck at home most of the time—making my accessories, organizing the house, and writing my weekly broadsheet column.  

Reading blogs quickly became part of my daily routine.  Most of them became an inspiration for me to start my own.  I'd like to share with you my personal list of local must-reads:

FASHION and BEAUTY
thebaghag
thefashpack
beautyforaliving
thebeautycoach

PERSONAL

chuvaness

topazhorizon
daphneosena
topazmommy
nyminutenow

Ok, I'm a bit biased when it comes to local bloggers. I read most of them because they're by my friends.  I want to be updated with what's happening with them, even if we don't get to talk much now.  But I'm open to checking out new blogs, so if you have recos, please do leave a comment in this post :D

A special shout out goes to Frances Amper-Sales of topazhorizon/topazmommy/beautyforaliving for sharing with me a wonderful link on how to spruce up my blog.  She found shabbyblogs.com and I fell in love with the designs. Thanks, F!

Have a great week ahead, everyone!

Happy Shoe Camper!

Had to attend an event at Glorietta yesterday morning, per boss' orders. On my way up from the parking level, I passed by CMG and found out that they are on sale.


They've been having sales recently, but only a handful of good quality shoes were on sale. Except for this one in Glorietta, where they had about 4 racks full of shoes on sale! Of course, I couldn't resist checking the store out after "work," so I passed by the store on my way down to the escalator.

Left the store with this :o I had a packed and semi-stressful week, so I thought I deserve a little prize ;) And I've been eyeing this pair for quite some time now. Clogs are back, courtesy of Chanel Spring/Summer 2010 collection.  But I haven't seen much of this style in the stores... Let's wait and see if it will be a hit here.

Original price: P1,499

Sale price: P999

FTW!

Missing My Gua-ma

Two years have passed since my gua-ma (mom of my mom) passed away. There are so many "what if" questions in my head... if only she did this and she did that... she might have made it to my wedding day. But there's no point dwelling in the past. Like what one of my good friends told me: "At least now you have another angel beside you." I cried when I heard those lines, but it felt good. And I do feel that she's just around.


I was raised by my grandma. My mom had to work back in the '80s, like most moms did. So, grandma and I were really close. People up until now would always tell me how I was her favorite. When I learned how to drive, my mom and I would pick up my grandma every Saturday and we would mostly hang out in the mall, or at a restaurant. I guess, you could say, that I don't feel as sad as I should, because I know I've spent a lot of my free time with her.

So there, two years have passed, and yesterday was her death anniversary.  Hubby and I took the morning off and spent it at Narra Temple near Recto (Chinatown) with relatives and grandma's closest friends. Most of my Sundays were spent there with my parents and grandma, joining the chants. This time, we were there to pray for her.

Blessed candies, coins, and flowers were thrown across the room by the monks.

Here we are packing goodies for the attendees. This was after the two-hour prayer session:

Then, my parents treated everyone to a sumptuous lunch at President restaurant in Chinatown:

I went straight to the office after lunch—swamped with work :o I only got to take out my "loot" when I got home:

Didn't want to throw away the cut roses, so I placed them in a water-filled cookie jar.

Just wanted to share this light bulb idea. 

Makes for a great table centerpiece, right? :)

How about you? What would you have done with these cut flowers?

Father and Son Shoes

Spent a good amount of time looking at these shoes, and taking photos of them over the weekend :)

We had the Tip Toey Joey's for quite some time now, but hubby just got his barefoot shoes last week. I totally forgot about little J's pair until I saw hubby's :o Good thing I remembered! Whew!

I got all giddy when I found out we have almost-matching shoes for hubby and JJ. How cute, right? :)

Here are two shots of them in their new shoes, taken last Sunday at Power Plant Mall:

I wanted to take a shot of them both standing, but JJ was not cooperating. This is my best shot, with his tummy out in the open hihi...

Our verdict? Hubby's very picky when it comes to shoes. He loves his crocs; he wears them whenever and wherever. So I was quite happy that these barefoot sneakers are added to his list of regular shoes—they're very soft and comfy. As for JJ? We love that the back of the shoe is garterized, making it harder for the babies to take them off.

* For more information on Tip Toey Joey, you can click here.

* barefoot store is located at the 2nd Level South Entertainment Mall at the SM Mall of Asia.

Hair Rewards

I miss my long straight locks. I had them chopped off when I was seven months pregnant—got so bored and it was the only thing I could do with my hair at that time. A year has passed since then, and my hair is still short! Well, it's now resting on my shoulders. It's still THAT short since I've had my hair cut thrice within that year.  

The first one was for a feature that went haywire, so I had to go to my favorite stylist Louis Kee to have it fixed (that was the second time). The third was for a salon feature and they insisted on trimming my hair. I didn't want to, but I finally gave in. I had to, since I was doing a story on their salon services. So, there, after the third cut (which was last February), I made a promise to myself that I won't have it cut anymore :( But the last cut wasn't so good either, my hair was flipping out. It wasn't as tamed as it used to be when I had long hair. Maybe it's the cut, maybe it's because I'm growing it long again, maybe, maybe, maybe...

So, dear readers, don't think we, editors/writers, got it made just because we get salon freebies. We're your guinea pigs. We road test each product and service and give you the full report so you won't have to go through the same bad experience like we did; or you'll get the same fabulous experience like we did ;)

But, anyways, I won't give in to another haircut. I will patiently wait for my next session with Louis Kee :D Something to be excited about hehe... And while I'm waiting, I got myself to a L'Oreal Hair Spa treatment at Alcutraz Salon (Metrowalk) last Sunday.

Sigh! How I wish my hair was like this everyday... I know it will... in due time ;) Have a great week ahead, everyone!

New Moon

Did anyone see the moon last night? I couldn't see it from our area :( But there were a lot of bright stars :D

From what I've gathered in Twitter, it's a "crescent-shaped moon with the North Star (or is it Venus? can someone confirm please?) on top of it." Nights like these reminds me of the times when I was still single and "young." My mom, my youngest brother and I would stationed ourselves at the our patio and lie down on a mat to watch shooting stars/meteor showers. It would have been nice if I could have done that tonight with hubby :D

How about you? Were you able to see it? :)

Heels Make The Woman

I love heels!  That is, until I got pregnant.  All my high heels were left untouched at that time, and even after I gave birth to little J.  I only renewed my love for these "boosters" when I discovered House of High Heels.  You could say that they re-introduced me to the wonderful world of high heels ;)

Here I am, at the Hermes launch, wearing purple platforms.  

I was surprised to find out how comfy they are, and how flattering they are, too!

*photo courtesy of Style Bible*

In photo: wearing Ronaldo Arnaldo dress, and Chanel clutch

Here's a close-up shot of these babies:

If you love heels as much as I do—who doesn't?—click on this link. It will bring you to their facebook page, where they have two albums with shoes that are on sale, at 50% off! So, hurry! ;)

Baby Mats

Little J has been very active for the past few months; crawling everywhere!  To protect him from getting bruises and scratches, and germs or dirt on him, we got him these mats:

Alphabet mats that hubby got from 168 mall.  He installed them on his own, but we had to dismantle it (a bit) and air them out because they had quite a strong rubber scent to them which we think might be harmful for little J.  The stores sell a pack of these for about P500-600.  From what I remember, hubby bought it for about P300.  Yes, that big a price diff right?  And about the strong rubber scent, I think those that are being sold in the stores have that, too!

Winnie-the-Pooh roll-on mat, which my Auntie Ana (my dad's sister) gave me... way before little J was born.  She got it in Tutuban Mall for about P1,200.  Isn't it cute?  We use this downstairs when we want little J to hang out with us while we watch TV.  I recently went to 168 mall and saw a store selling this in a Hello Kitty print.  Still the same price at P1,200.

My Auntie Ana is such a nice lady.  She loves buying gifts for everyone.  Thanks, Auntie Ana, for the mat ;)

Oh, for those who have hubbies who are into basketball, I think you'd be interested in what little J is wearing.  I got this from the SM Department Store for about P130—sorry, I'm not exactly sure with the price.  But they're on sale now at 20% off ;)

Ice Cold Munchies

Got a box of Nestle Pops a few weeks back:

Nestle Pops isn't new to me. It's a fave cold snack for my family. It kinda reminds us of Duty Free Phil's Snickers Ice Cream bar, back in the '90s. Brings back ol' memories :)  Don't be fooled by it's container. A little one of these goes a long way! I had mine in 3 servings, which I finished in day ;P As to how I eat them? I love how the thin chocolate layer melts in my mouth. I don't take bites, I just let them sit in my mouth until the whole thing melts hehe... How do you take yours?

D-Day

I woke up yesterday with twitter and facebook updates regarding the long lines just to cast your vote.  I didn't know what to expect, but we armed ourselves with water and fan, and got to the area around 11 a.m. 

Parking was ok at Xavier School (hubby's alma mater).  As soon as we entered the high school covered courts, we were greeted by a table full of students, ready to help.  We weren't able to receive our voter's pass, and we had to get ours from these volunteers.  It was pretty fast :)

Here's what it looked like around 11 a.m.

We thought it was going to be a breeze, but checked out our line:

... and the other lines—Oh, wait! They have shorter lines :o

Grrrr.... Everyone was complaining and getting impatient. Now, I don't really mind the wait, but it's different when it's just our "cluster" that's taking up so long. By the time we got to the table to get our ballots, the volunteers explained that our clusters is the most populated. Thus, the long line and wait.

I honestly do not believe them, but at least we're done—after 3 hours! :o My parents and my brothers decided to have lunch, and went back around 4 p.m. It took them 15 minutes to finish the whole process! Double grrrr... Oh well, now we know what to do the next time ;)

Check out the tag line below:

Iba.na.ngayon

It's better automated!

Really now? I do hope Comelec fixes the problem for the next election season.

Anyways, I heard the turnout of voters this time is really high. About 80-85%. Feels like US "Obama" fever to me. Everyone just wants CHANGE; we all do! And if my presidential choice doesn't win, it's okay. I'll still support the one who does. We all should. For our country and for our children.

My Best Bud's Farm

I had one of the loveliest wedding bouquets ever, thanks to one of my best-est childhood friends She and her parents who are coincidentally our principal sponsors as well :D

They have a farm that grows these wonderful cattleyas, orchids and organic veggies.  We're really lucky to get some of these every now and then.

She posted the photos above in Facebook, and quite a few of our friends have been inquiring about the flowers. Some even want them for Mother's Day—what a great idea! You can click on this link to view more of her farm and what they have to offer. Just send her a message her if you're interested in ordering.

Speaking of Mother's Day, what are your plans? I'm booking a 3-bedroom unit at Oakwood Ortigas (overnight stay), and we'll spend dinner with my hubby's clan after (we're hosting it at our place so it's going to be a very busy weekend for me). My parents love staying in hotels, and I feel that this is a better gift than just buying them things. After all, they can afford to buy anything they want. What's more precious is time well spent together ;) How about you?

Hey, George!

It's always a nice surprise to bump into friends when you're out.  This happened to me the other day, after my meeting with Runway Productions for a launch project we're working on.  Vita Fede's local distributor and food lover/connoiseur/stylist, Sharlene Tan arrived at M cafe in Greenbelt, armed with her usual paper bag full of accessory goodies.  I quickly gave her a wave, and told her that I'll move to her table once I'm done with my meeting. 

As soon as I ended my meeting, guess who came?  Bench baby, Channel V, and super smart girl Georgina Wilson!  I had a great afternoon catching up with her and Sharlene.  Georgina's first cover and modeling stint was with Pink magazine, which I was part of before.  "George" always mentions that whenever she can—always thoughtful and appreciative.  She's so down-to-earth, too!


For those of you who don't know, she graduated with a double degree in Finance and Accounting in Australia.  And she finished it in four years, instead of five!  Wow, right?  This girl loves numbers, so I wasn't surprised she took degrees that have a lot of numbers in it.  Before she left Manila, she was enrolled in Ateneo with a Management Engineering degree.  Not surprising at all...


For now, she's taking her time before she joins the work force as a TV and event host.  Here she is, choosing Vita Fede stuff to wear to her tapings:

I couldn't resist not trying on what seems to be George's and my favorite, a leather cuff with "Balenciaga" studs on it ;) We were also eyeing other pieces. I'll post those next time in my other blog.

For those of you who don't know, Vita Fede is a US brand that's boasts of Italian materials and craftsmanship. They're quite known for supplying accessories to luxury brands such as Gucci, Tod's, and Balenciaga. I'll post more photos of their fabulous accessories, but for now, you can click on this link to get to know more about the brand.

No More Milk

A moment of silence please... 
I have officially stopped pumping out milk today ;(  

I feel a bit sad and guilty, but I have given little J all I could give.  I had to cut down on my pumping sessions as soon as I accepted the job offer.  I had no choice.  But I still pump once every morning before going to work.  It's been more than a month since I've done this, and my body has already been giving me signals to stop.  For the past week, I've only pumped out .5oz a day.  So little, but just enough to mix with his food.  Hubby has been bugging me to stop also.  He said there's no point in pumping it out when there's so little left.  I guess I kept on doing it for over a month just to console and convince myself that I can still give him milk.  Oh well, all things must come to an end.  We have to move forward :)


Besides, I think that's one of the reasons why I got sick.  Most probably because I had to wake up extra early to pump, so I lack sleep and rest.  So, yes, it is time...


On another note, I should be happy I made it this far.  I pray little J grows to be a very healthy boy ;) 

Can't Believe Campaign Season is Almost Over!

Hubby's very good childhood friend, Francis Zamora, and his wife, Keri Zamora (of Kira Plastinina) invited us over to their house last Friday.  Fondly called "Zam" by his friends, he has been out and about campaigning non-stop—rain or shine!  He even got home one time with super-drenched jeans, and it wasn't even from the rain :o It was filled with his sweat!  Now, that's what you call dedication!  I truly believe that he will have the same amount of passion (to help the city and our country a better place to live in) when he wins the San Juan Vice Mayor position, which we're pretty sure he will ;)

As soon as we went inside their house, we saw a few sacks (what remains of it) of his campaign shirts.  Hubby and I quickly got one each ;)  Who doesn't want a free shirt?  All the more when you can help!

For those who are registered in San Juan, hope you'll vote for Francis Zamora ;)  I won't reveal who my Presidential/Vice Presidential bets are—I don't want to crowd this fashion/lifestyle blog about that.  Too messy for that here ;)  Let's just respect each other's choices.  After all, we all want the same thing right?  And that's for a better Philippines!

Good luck, and may God guide us in making the right choices this May 10.

Fun Times

My parents "kidnapped" little J yesterday, and checked in at EDSA Shang Hotel.  We picked him up after work.  The traffic was horrible :(

Anyways, I also checked in with little J and my mom the weekend before I started working.  I was reminiscing yesterday how fun it was.  Here are some photos:

Little J getting busy on the desk

I never really thought much about the swimming pool whenever we check in, until now. Wasn't able to bring swimsuits, so we just got our legs wet

after the dip, looking all so fluffy and like an angel :D

looking at what my brother is doing. My family loves gadgets. I wonder what little J's first gadget will be and when.

Was too full from the breakfast buffet, so settled with dimsum at Shang Palace. We love their Asado Pie.

Their mango pudding (with lots of milk) is the bomb!

just want to share one of my fave videos :) wawa lang 'coz he bumped his forehead towards the end

Sigh! I have work today. Bummer! But this video helps make this working Saturday a bit better. Hope everyone's enjoying the long weekend :) What are your plans?