30 April 2014

17/52

"My daughter's photos, once a week, every week, in 2014."

This was taken at Johnny Rockets in Eastwood during the Bloggers Day for Mommy Bloggers Philippines. It was two days after our sad pet story but I still decided to go. Attending events and just simply being out of the house could help us move on. My buddy didn't disappoint me, she cooperated and behaved like how I told her to be. It got better when one of the restaurant staff handed us a loot bag for kids. Inside it were popcorn, chocolate and an activity book with stickers! I think she liked the stickers. Don't you think? ;)

29 April 2014

Make Your Home Healthier and Safer with Lysol


So I’m a self-proclaimed domestic queen, right? So you must probably think I have the cleanest home, right? Yeah, yeah, it can be true. I hate dirt, I have OC tendencies and clutter turns me off big time! This is kinda cliché but I somehow believe in this: Cleanliness is next to godliness. I mean, sloth is one of the seven deadly sins. And having mess, garbage and germs in your body, home and surroundings are all results of laziness. Get the point? Wait, wait. I have my share of ‘organized clutter’, too, like lately (hihi) but I’m generally into cleaning. Come and visit my humble kingdom and you’ll see. I’m also glad my husband’s not that Mr. Scatter Everywhere kind of guy. His car’s interior’s the proof of it (kisses to you my Cpt R). 

But guess what? Cleanliness is not enough. In fact, according to Lysol, it’s just the first step.

27 April 2014

Blissmakers Tea Time at La Creperie, New Manila


I used to complain a lot about how things happened in my life. I used to rant almost every day in social media. I used to allow negative people to completely affect me. I used to block blessings because I was a bitch like that. All these had changed when I decided to make my real and royal life blissful. 

26 April 2014

16/52

"My daughter's photos, once a week, every week, in 2014."

This should have went live on Monday but because of a recent domestic (rather, animalistic) happening in our royal kingdom, I didn't have time time to post it and made kwento. Yep, we watched Rio 2 last weekend and since this is Pia's second movie in the cinema house, I tried to observe her behavior while enjoying the film. She was less jumpy and only changed seats once. She didn't eat the plain popcorn that I bought though as she wanted it cheese-flavored. Oops, I didn't keep what I've promised from her first movie experience! Well, I bought her Krispy Kreme donuts after to compensate and it instantly made her happy. For her, having her favorites makes the evening full and cool. Oh, something really bad happened to us on the way to the mall prior the movie date. Will tell you about that soon.  

I'm proud to have the world's toughest job!

It's almost 5am but I still don't want to sleep yet as I miss blogging and blog-hopping soooo much! I saw this video in Mommy Shorts (if you don't read her, I suggest you to 'cause she's the awesomest!) and it welled my eyes while watching it. It's just so timely that I've been having that urge to go back to the corporate arena because I want to help my husband in our finances, especially now that we're planning to buy a house. Being at home is great than being stuck in traffic, being with the kid 24/7 keeps me sane than having to call home from work almost every freaking hour; but being those means not being of any help with regard to the financial matters of the family. That makes me feel useless at times but after watching this video, I kinda felt like it pat my shoulder for having the world's toughest job. Ever. 


Sniff-sniff... Makes me miss Mama, too. Cheers to us, my fellow hardworking mommas! ♥

By the way single royalties, these are the requirements should you want to apply:

Life Goes On

So we lost our pet named Pepper.

I may look okay outside (though the huge pimples on my face are quite an evidence on how stressed I am lately), in truth, I'm totally crushed inside. I was doing two baskets full of laundry yesterday and whenever I'd glance at where our pup's cage used to be, I can feel a strong tug in my heart. I can't do anything with it anymore but to let out a heavy sigh. The Barangay Police did not respond to my complain. My co-pet parent, R, did his best to find our furbaby (in his very James Bond way) despite his busyness in military school. Sophia fervently prayed, and continues to do, that Pepper will come back. Unfortunately, all to no avail. 


I finally felt that I need to do what I should do. And that is to let go, get over it and move on. After all, life goes on.

20 April 2014

We love David's Salon in Marikina!


When Pia had her first haircut done in a salon, I was so disappointed! The salon's airconditioner wasn't working well, the staff weren't accommodating and my girl's haircut looked awful. So when my husband and I tried out David's Salon and realized how good they were, we went back and this time, as a family.

They Deserve My Time

I didn't blog for six days for nothing. It's not like I was in an 'emotional break' like I used to, I was actually high in happiness. And no, thankfully, I have not lost my blogging mojo, yet. I simply wanted to devote a large amount of my time for and with some important people of my life. When I took Gary Chapman's Love Language Test, it resulted that my love language is Quality Time. According to 5lovelanguages.com, this language is all about giving the other person your undivided attention. Sure - I browse Facebook, check e-mails and post on Instagram, but I always do my best not to let my social media life eat me. I resist the temptation of taking photos of each and every waking hour with my husband and daughter and eventually post it on Instagram. I decided to savor the quality of the moment than stare at a shallow quantity in my social media platforms.

Oh well! You'll see updates one after another this week since I know this'll be a busy one! I have a few blogging events to attend to so I guess I'd be breaking that 'preachy' statement I made. *wink*

The main reason why I did some 'art of unblogging' that started on Tuesday was because of my husband's Lenten break. He came home and was ours since then until earlier today. We went to Trinoma in Quezon City and used our free cinema tickets that I got from one of the media events I went to and watched Rio 2. We all had a blast! We, my husband and I, unanimously thought that it's better than its prequel. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you to please do. So many LOL moments, really. Especially those turtles doing Capoeira moves. Oops, sorry for that little spoiler there. 


14 April 2014

15/52

"My daughter's photos, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Last week was one of my laziest days. I was a slob, I ate too much unhealthy stuff and I was not in tune to my routine. That was me. My daughter, on the other hand, was extra helpful but extra hyper, too. So, to avoid yell fest again, I let her do tasks with me. Here she is, sorting out malunggay's small leaves for TInolang Manok (Filipino style chicken stew). She's so adorable! Since this moment, whenever I'll be at my royal kitchen, she'd ask me if I'd need her help. Even if I know that allowing her to give me a hand equates to me, needing extra patience in guiding her what to do, I just let her be. It is through experiences that she learns best. ♡

11 April 2014

My Little Popstar's 2nd Moving Up


My 5-year old tall little popstar officially ended her second school year last April 4th. Contrary to what most moms of incoming 6-year olds have experienced lately, Pia has not graduated from preschool yet. I have explained the reason why here. So this school year's Recognition Program was another Moving Up Day (MUD) for my babe. Unlike last year's MUD, the soldier dad didn't make it to the event. I was really in a somber mood when we woke up but I never made the kid felt that 'cause I want her to have a sunshiny disposition that day. I knew that it will end on a happy note still, 'cause she'd perform on stage with her classmates as community helpers. Watch the video here! True enough, aside from her excitement to see her girlfriends again after days of not being with them, I was one of the proud parents who went out of the venue. My little popstar got Music and Movement Award and an Academic Excellence in Science Merit. 

10 April 2014

Finally, a movie date after three years!


OK. Forgive me for some virtual flirting today, but I have a confession to make. I'm in-love with another man, another soldier, another captain! Oh yes, of course, the photo says it all. It's Steve Rogers aka Captain America! Gosh Chris Evans, you don't know what my husband and I went through to watch your movie. Really.

09 April 2014

Classic Pork Adobo

I strongly believe that you're not truly Pinoy if you don't eat adobo. Others say you're not a true Filipino wife if you don't know how to cook it. Well, I know a lot of Filipinas who cook it but admit that they honestly know it's not that good. So I don't think that there's truth in that statement. However... as a self-proclaimed kitchen goddess, I think I have already mastered the art of cooking adobo. So I'd like to help you out by sharing with you my Classic Pork Adobo recipe.


This dish is one of my daughter's favorites; it never failed to make her eat a lot of rice when this is what I serve her. If you don't eat pork, you can try my Hawaiian Chicken Adobo with Sesame Seeds recipe instead. You have the option to remove the sesame seeds though, you'd know why when you read the post. Anyway, here's the recipe of my Classic Pork Adobo, y'all.

08 April 2014

Dasoland Family Adventure Park's Mini Zoo


In my previous post, I showed you photos of what you can see and do at Dasoland Family Adventure Park located in Barangay San Vicente Dasol, Pangasinan. I said that the Mini Zoo photos will be on a separate post because for me, it was the highlight of our trip. You know, a ram ran after us! LOL.

07 April 2014

Our Dasoland Adventure

It's summer! And what else should we do this season but go out, have fun and do things with the fam bam. Right? Heeeep, our financial mom-nager instinct is telling us to stay, try to have fun and just watch movies with the kids at home. Although it's a picturesque idea to book a hotel on a beach front so you could sip your expensive fruit shake while watching your already-tanned children build their sand castles, you honestly know it will break your and your husband's bank account should you do that unplanned.


So when unplanned trips happen, we savor it.

Sophia and I usually spend the holidays with my husband R at the camp. One sunny day in December, bored and armed with some extra cash from the Christmas budget, we drove to Dasol, Pangasinan and explored the non-mainstream theme park situated in a vast and remote mango plantation in Barangay San Vicente that is the Dasoland Adventure Park

14/52

"My daughter's photos, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Her school's 13th Moving Up Day was definitely last week's highlight! If you've been following my posts on Instagram and Twitter, you all know by now that she bagged the Music and Movement Award and the Academic Excellence Merit for Science. The latter was a very big surprise! I never thought that my child will have fun studying that difficult subject I once dread as a student. Sure, I trust her intelligence but I was not expecting that it will be far different and kinda the opposite of something she is already good at ― music [and movement]. I have one person to really thank for: Teacher Sam! I'm glad that my little popstar princess adores him. This photo is enough evidence, isn't it? ♡

02 April 2014

Choco Lava


When I first bought my oven, an Imarflex 3-in-1 electric oven-turbo broiler-rotisserie kind, I was on baking high. I baked the basics: chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crinkles and banana bread. Those were the easiest to bake. When I have mustered enough courage to face my measuring cups and whisk,  I tried baking classic chocolate cake and cupcakes for my husband's birthday small party here at home. It was okay and edible but not fab. I thought I'm not gonna be good in baking anymore. I just resorted to making pizzas and baked pasta dishes so that my oven will serve its purpose. One day, while browsing Facebook, I saw Junior Master Chef Louise's post: a photo of a drool-worthy choco lava! I scanned the ingredients and got excited that I have most of it in my kitchen. I don't have Nutella and white sugar though but I have Nesquik chocolate syrup and powdered sugar! I baked again and let the whole house steamed like a dry sauna room and that even if I'm beginning to miss the cool air of January because of the summer heat, I didn't care. My hormones were telling me to patiently wait for this fattening friend. OK, enough of the ramblings. Ready for the recipe?

01 April 2014

Four Tips for New and Aspiring Bloggers

One day, my cousin Camille of Lollies and Lipsticks told me she'll seriously blog. I can't remember how it started but we just found ourselves in the park of their neighborhood and doing a pseudo-blog mentoring. Since it was technically my first, I was random and rambling and well, real. I told her how I felt about other mommy bloggers, why I sometimes don't blog, what makes me want to go to blog events and what kept me going. If you religiously read my isms, I'm sure you'll be a bit shocked to know that some of the revelations that I disclosed during that time are hidden on my posts. You see, this may be a virtual representation of my passions, life and how I live it, but really, it's not the end all and be all of who I really am. There are things I think are better left unsaid as it can break me or other people. Like what I always say, it's just a quark of my royal universe. 


Wait. Where is this going?