Back to Work

Arrived 6 p.m. last night...

It's good to be back home.  Got to spend time with the whole side of my family.  
Little J misses me a lot, says hubby.  And I missed them both, too :D

Will post pics when I can. Got tons of work waiting for me tomorrow :o

Hope you all had a great long weekend :D

Hot and Cold

I've been having upper back and shoulder muscle pains for the longest time.  I don't know if it's connected to stress, though I'm not THAT stressed :o  Been getting myself body/back massages, but all of the masseuses end up recommending that I get myself some "hilot" instead.  

Told my parents about it, and they sent me these for the meantime. 

 Aren't they the sweetest? :)

As of this moment, I have one stuck on my upper left back and the tingling mix of heat and cold really helps. Thanks, mom and dad :D

Anyways, it's the long weekend... what are your plans? Me? I'm off to an Asian destination with my mother dear for some bonding time via shopping and eating haha... ;) Happy looooong weekend and see you all next week!

Forever Loyal

Last week was an exciting one for the staff of Forever 21.  Too bad I wasn't there when it happened: Jinkee Pacquiao, a loyal customer of Forever 21, went to our store in SM Megamall last Wednesday. She's wearing a Forever 21 dress, too!  WOW!  

Sure wish I was there to assist her—would have been a memorable experience ;)

Blue Wigs

I was at Forever 21 over the weekend... and remembered that we are missing one person from the start-up team—our visual merchandiser Xie resigned last week.  In between changing the store displays (her one last hurrah), we played around with the blue wigs that were used for the window display:

Sure wish we could keep them haha...

All the best to you, Xie :) *hugs*

Pink Fun

It's been a while since I've had nail polish on my fingernails.

This time, I opted for something bright, like Orly's Blushing Duo.

I'm loving this shade, as it makes my hands look bright (and not dull) due to it's blue undertones. 

Of course, my Forever 21 Owl ring makes me feel young (at heart), too!

To read about my experience at Nail-a-holics, click on this link.

I'll be at the store today and tomorrow, 
so don't be shy to say "Hi" if you do see me there this weekend, k? :)

All About Babies

We got this Prince Lion Heart Diaper Depots organizer from our kumpare Dix and kumare Ria at our baby shower last year.  Thanks, Dix and Ria :) It really came in handy for us and the nanny:

We're really lucky to have products and accessories like these; and friends and family who are there to lend a helping hand.  Not to mention, organizations and support groups that help us in starting our new family, and retail stores that offer amazing products.

This month, Rustan's Shangri-la celebrates parenthood with their Baby Fair.  I got the announcement a bit late, and what's left of their month-long activities is the Baby Bonding session set on August 28.  Will try to join that session, as I am still at a lost on how to bond with little J.  He can hardly converse with me, so I still don't know how to "connect" with him.  Hopefully, the "Baby Bonding" session will help :)

Aside from that, you'll get a chance to win one of their three great baby showcases through a raffle.  One entry = a minimum purchase of P2,500.  Prizes up for grabs include: a Play/Swim showcase includes a Wet Set inflatable swimming pool complete with  Hallmark Babies infantswear, Baby Blanket and Mustela skin care products  and Munchkin toys!  The other set is all about Organizing which has the Dex Crib station, Skip-Hop Bin-to-go and a Prince Lion Heart Diaper Depots while the Health & Safety showcase carries the Safety 1^st safety gate, Combi stroller,  Walking Wings walking aid, Bumbo seat to name a few. 

I know this is a boring post for the non-moms out there, but if you do know anyone who's a parent... please do tell them about these fabulous showcases.  I'm pretty sure their eyes will lit up the way mine did ;) 

Double Date Part Deux

Dinner wasn't enough, obviously!  So we continued the feast at Chocolate Fire:

This is how it looks inside:

This is what greeted us—can you imagine a place full of chocolate concoctions? :P

So many to choose from, so little time.
This is what we ended up with:

Two chocolate-dipped Pringles (one milk, and one dark), and two chocolate-dipped honeycomb (one milk, and one dark), and cheesecake

The girls had hot chocolate :D It's a really big cup, FTW!

While hubby had their Chocolate Coffee. I'm not a coffee drinker, but hubby is; and for him, it's one of the best choco coffee he has ever had.

Their cheesecake was divine! Melts in your mouth ;P

I think this will be a staple.

If you love chocolates, I suggest you head out to Chocolate Fire.  
It's an experience you shouldn't miss.

Thanks, bro and Tippi, for taking us out for dinner and dessert ;)

Until the next one :D

Double Date

Hubby and I went out on a date with my younger brother, 

Jones, and his fiancee, Tippi, last Saturday.

  

My brother brought us to Gyumon restaurant in Mile Long, Makati (same row as Sango Burger).

It was pretty full...

... so we were lead upstairs to their "sister" restaurant, which serves almost the same food as Gyumon.

Jones' and Tippi's fave is the Gyu San Ten (3 kinds of beef), P850; 

but the resto upstairs didn't have that in their menu. 

So we ordered something similar, with it being priced a little big higher.

Isn't this cow adorable? :) There was one placed in every booth.

For starters, we were served a complimentary plate of shredded cabbage with sesame dressing. YUM!!!  

The boys had softdrinks, while the girls had complimentary house iced tea ;)

Let the grilling begin! 

The boys did the cooking...

The condiments ;) We love their staple sauce, mixed with minced garlic.

Tip: dip the cooked beef in the garlic sauce, and dip it after with sesame oil ;P

Our bill? A little over P1, 400. Not bad for imported beef and delicious Japanese rice ;)

FYI, "gyu" means beef, so the resto's specialty is beef—obviously!

How about you? Have you tried it?

Let me know what you think ;)

All You Need is Dove

For those who watch TV on a regular basis (lucky you!), you should be familiar with Dove's 7-day challenge campaign.  Now, what does that got to do with me?  I was invited to join in on the fun! :) Along with the kit, I received a Flip video recorder which I used to record myself for 7 days—showing me wash my face with Dove without the use of a mirror and how I go about my daily routine without a mirror as well. 

Actually, when schoolmate Nicole Jacinto of Bridgesss PR called me up for this "gig," I didn't panic.  The no-mirror routine was easy for me, as I am used to leaving the house without looking at the mirror.  I also only put on makeup when needed, so I really didn't have to check my face in the morning.  


And ever since I got pregnant, I haven't gone back to my old skincare regimen which consisted of a lot of beauty products.  I got too lazy.  So when I was given Dove soaps, I was more than willing to try.  If I can get softer, smoother and glowing skin with just 1 soap vs. 5 skincare products, that would be awesome!  


After taking on the challenge, I was invited to meet with other media people and personalities who tried Dove as well.  To find out who these people are, click on this link.  All of us agreed that our skin appeared to be softer, smoother and glowing than before. That's because 1/4 of a Dove soap consists of hydrating milk that moisturizes our skin.


We are more than happy with the results.  Dove sure made things easier for me, and it does bring out the inner beauty in you by making you feel comfy in your "smoother, softer and more radiant" skin ;)  Another thing got me all giddy too—Raya showing off her Forever 21 bag.  Yay!  

Come and visit us this weekend at Forever 21 
in SM Megamall Building A ;)

At the Republiq

Last Saturday, hubby's best man and little J's ninong celebrated his birthday at Republiq.  We've been invited a few times to go to the "new" club, even for their grand opening.  But last Saturday was the first time we've set foot there.

Here I am with the girls :)

... and we had a lot of these french fries with truffle oil dip—yummy, while we talked about our children, breastfeeding, and everything in between :D

... while the boys drank...

Hubby and I are allergic to alcohol, but he drank a bit anyway. 

It's been quite sometime since we went out, and we both enjoyed the night at Republiq. And we both found it pretty cool for the club to hire a singer to sing live for some of the classic songs from our time ;)  
I'm also loving my new red-lip look, courtesy of Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited in RD165 (a universal red in warm undertone)—it's my first time to wear really bright red lip gloss :D

SMILE!

We trust our nanny when it comes to little J's outfits.  So far, so good :) For yesterday, she decided to dictate my outfit, too! Haha... This is what the mother/son tandem wore to Greenbelt:

My mom bought these for us from one of her HK trips.  
They're from Bossini. I wish we have more of these here in Manila :)

I love you, my little JJ :D

Here's to a great Monday! Cheers!

Saliva Play

Received a Flip video recorder recently, thanks to the Dove team and Bridges PR group—that's another post for next week ;)  I gave it to little J's yaya (our nanny), so she can record all of little J's milestones while hubby and I are out at work.  Here's one that she took with the Flip cam, hope it'll also put a smile on your faces...

Although it has a small screen, I was quite surprised to find out how good its resolution is.   It can also record up to a total of 30 minutes, and comes with a usb port for quick uploads. Pretty amazing what this small video recorder can do, right? 

Have a great weekend :D

Hollywood Updates

Fellow blogger and journalist Frances Amper-Sales is the editor-in-chief of OK! mag, and her team recently sent me a copy of their August issue :) Thank you for the complimentary copy :D

It's been a while since I've read any showbiz/hollywood magazine, and I am very much excited to read this current issue. Why? Because they talk about Hollywood celebs and their kids. I was able to leaf through the pages, and found mom and daughter/son celeb pics and how to get their look. So excited to try those with little J ;)

There are regular sections that I love checking out, like beauty features on celebs, and which celeb wore it better. Those are definitely fun reads. Oh, and I think I would also enjoy reading up on the Lost characters—though I haven't had the chance to watch the finale season. Oh well, will definitely try to watch it before the year ends hehe... *keeping fingers crossed*

*OK! magazine is now available in newstands, bookstores and supermarkets nationwide for only P140. Be a fan of OK! on Facebook by visiting this link and follow them on twitter by clicking on this link.

Comfort High

I dropped by Rockwell tent last Saturday for two reasons: (1.) to cover it for Manila Bulletin and (2.) to check out good finds.

And I was able to do both, and not overspend, too!  The only stall that really got me overly excited was Soule Phenomenon by Nicole Puentavella.  I came out with this fabulous platform wedges:

It was raining by the time I came out of the tent, so it was a good thing that I bought these shoes or else my other expensive espadrille wedges might have been possibly ruined by the strong downpour. Whew!

This is what I wore on my way to Rockwell. Below is a photo of me in my new shoes, which I changed into immediately after buying them ;) LOVE!

Amazing how a pair of shoes can create a totally different look, don't you agree?  
And isn't it obvious that I am super happy with these? :D

Find out more about the brand by clicking on this link.

Little J's New 'Do

Little J's bangs have grown, and fall past his eye level already.  We've postponed going to my dad for his haircut twice already and I couldn't wait any longer, since I see him struggling with his long set of bangs.  So, yesterday morning, I chopped them off.  Here is the result:

Hubby didn't like what I did, and suggested to shave off all his hair—yikes! I fixed his hair this way and showed hubby, and he was satisfied—whew!

The nanny said little J still looks like a girl. Does he? :(

Anyways, I'd like to end this post with a video 
of little J (pre-haircut days). 
Hope you'll enjoy listening to his baby talk as much as I did :D

Have a great week ahead, everyone :D