My Annual December Affair

Every December, I always make it a point to meet up with Yori who moved to Cebu years back. She usually comes here to visit her in laws every Christmas and we try to squeeze in some time to catch up. This year, we were able to meet up for dinner along with Mark, our other good friend/ex-Supervisor.

I was tasked to choose a restaurant for dinner and decided on Duo Steakhouse at Serendra since I haven't tried it yet. It was a pretty excellent choice and I must take Dan here next time.

delicious platters of pasta (pomodoro, penne cheese, and aglio olio) and wings and ribs

Face off 2004 versus 2013. I think the three of us are aging gracefully ;)

Til our Tagaytay trip next year ;)

Zoe's Happy Christmas

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Hi 5 House Party

Last Friday, we took Zoe to the HI-5 House Party show at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura. It was the 2nd show on their first day and we were quite dismayed at how disorganized the organizers (pardon the pun) were at the lobby. It was just a huge chaos, no visible lines,  and it was short of a stampede. Imagine, how uncomfortable it was for kids. Zoe was pretty stressed out and she wasn't already feeling well to begin with.

So the show was supposed to start at 4PM but we were allowed to get inside the theater at around 430PM. We were so disappointed that our seats (first row) had a make-shift tent covering the stage area. We literally couldn't see the center stage at all! Good thing we were in the first row and we were able to have Zoe go to the stage area to watch and to dance.

It was a pretty good show, although Mary wasn't there for some reason. She was replaced by Tamika (if that's even correct). I sort of missed the members I'm super familiar with (Tim, Fely, and Casey) but it was a good thing that they introduced the new members on TV a week before the show so the kids were already kind of familiar with them.

Zoe enjoyed 3/4s of the show but then got tired and was overcame with her fever towards the end that she chose to sit down with us after the 10-minute break. She even fell asleep at Aria where we had dinner after. Still, it was good to see her having so much fun and acting like a fan girl. Boy, did she start early. My first concert experience was in high school!

Overall, it was a good show and Zoe enjoyed it although she wouldve enjoyed even more if she was feeling well that day.

Beauche

I have no major complaints about my skin, especially my face. Recently though, I've noticed that my skin is starting to feel rough like it needs to peel. I wear make up to work everyday, but nothing too heavy, I don't use foundation at all just transluscent powder. I planned on getting a chemical peel but got scared of some reviews so I decided to research on other options. 

Super bare face

With make up (no foundation)

My colleague told me about Beauche and how it smoothened his (yes, his -- gay) face. After reading reviews and testimonials, I decided to finally give it a try.

So the kit includes 6 pieces which are to be used either night or day. Here is the regimen:

Night
1. Cleanse face and neck with toner.
2. Wash face and neck using the beauty bar soap.
3. Apply Clarifying solution on face and neck in upward motion.
4. Apply generous amount of exfoliating cream on face using circular motion.
5. Wait for 15 minutes and apply the rejuvenating cream.

Morning
1. Rub ice on face to tighten pores and lift dead skin.
2. Wash face with beauty bar soap.
3. Apply age eraser cream.

I have only started this regimen last night and so far, I haven't experienced any stinging whatsoever. Maybe my skin has grown too thick (thus the need to exfoliate):P I plan to use this for only a week since I don't want my face to be white and be like one of those people whose face look like it got mismatched to the wrong body. 

I'll post another review after 3 days :)

Nappy-Free!!

4 days ago, we reached yet another milestone in Zoe's toddler life. We finally freed ourselves from nappies! 

On Thursday, my husband texted me that Zoe was wearing her last piece of diaper. I honestly overlooked that bit, although I really wasn't planning on buying another pack anymore. I just didn't expect that the pack will run out sooner. Few days before that, I already started putting Zoe on naps without nappies on so I felt that we were ready for the next step. I just asked Dan to have Zoe pee on her potty trainer and tell her that she wouldn't be wearing nappies anymore. Therefore, if she peed on her bed, it would mean that our bed would get soaked. 

The first night was successful and so were the following nights. We congratulated Zoe and complimented her for a job well done. 

Hi 5 in Manila!

Finally!

We have been waiting for any announcement of Hi 5's visit to Manila just like last year. Today, my husband found out that they're coming back on December 13th-15th for another series of shows and we booked our tickets right away! Excited much? Yes. Zoe's so in love with Hi 5 and their songs and we just couldn't pass this chance.

Zoe's very happy to get her Hi5 tickets :)

Couple's Date Night

My husband and I had a 4-day weekend off work and boy was it packed! On Saturday, we decided to watch Thor 2: Dark World. Zoe was still awake when we left so you can just imagine the waterworks and drama. Good thing Thor 2 was pretty ok, otherwise, I would have been eaten by guilt again :P

Gymboree Pumpkin Patch 2013

My daughter joined Gymboree Eastwood's Pumpkin Patch party last October 31st. We had her dress in a cute ladybug costume as part of Gymboree's animal-themed party. Ok, I know that a lady bug isn't exactly an animal, it's an insect as a matter of fact, but they're all still part of the animal kingdom right? Besides, my daughter refused to try on the tiger and other animal costumes at the mall.

Gymboree had already finished two Pumpkin Patch parties over the weekend so this was the last one. Evidently, there were fewer kids who joined, they were probably around 8. It was ok for us though since they had more space to play. Last year's party was a little bit of a chaos because there were almost 20 kids (plus parents and yayas) in the branch. So anyway, they started the party with the usual play class. I noticed that my daughter was slightly disinterested on some of the play structures most probably because she really prefers singing and dancing. After their play class, they went around the 3rd floor for trick or treat.

Juicing Update

It's my 2nd full day of juicing and everything's good so far. I initially thought that the juices will be totally horrible but they honestly taste good, especially when chilled.

This has been my routine for the past two days:

Morning - drink calamansi + hot water

- drink a cup of juice

- work out

Lunch - full meal (no more than 400 calories)

- drink calamansi + hot water

PM snack - drink a cup of juice

Dinner - drink a cup of juice

- drink calamansi + hot water

I feel good so far and I have never experienced any headaches nor dizziness, not that I wish for those things to happen. I feel food that I have somehow included vegetables into my diet which I have never thought possible before. 

Hello, Juicing!

My recent string of (minor) illnesses prompted me to take a step back and look at my diet. I've never been a veggie eater (except for potatoes and munggo) and this has been nagging my conscience for the longest time. Right now, my idea of diet is calorie counting -- I try not to go beyond 1000 calories per day but it is a challenge of course simply because I don't get to make my own meals. Plus, I work at Bonifacio Global City where all these yummy restaurants are just wanting to be tried.

Sooo, my mother has recently purchased a juicer and this is now my chance to try my luck in JUICING. I've made a simple plan based on recipes and articles that I've read online.

Don't judge me yet, I'm a beginner at this (napaka-guilty naman). I'm starting out this weekend. I hope to succeed in this new health venture =)

Bottle Free After 3 Days

I am happy to report that my little project worked and we are now completely bottle free after 3 days! 

I predicted 3 days of agony for my little girl and I was right. On the 2nd day, she cried a little less than the first day. On the 3rd night, she didn't wake up at night anymore to ask for milk. I'm so proud of my baby girl.

Yes, I would have to admit that this actually made me happy but sad. I felt like crying while I was packing her bottles because it meant that my daughter isn't a baby anymore. I wanted to cry again when my husband told me that we should pack the sterilizer away. Yes, I'm a very emotional mommy. Don't you wish they can be babies forever? 

Of course, there's always a disadvantage to every situation. Now that my daughter doesn't drink milk from a bottle anymore, it proved my long-debated point that she is just a mere comfort nurser. You see, my husband was so against the idea of weaning her off the bottle because he was so worried that our daughter will get hungry. I kept on telling him that Zoe's just a comfort nurser. My problem now is that she rarely drinks milk from a cup. I still want her to drink 2-3 glasses of milk a day to help her bones develop but it seems that this is becoming a challenge for us now. Is yogurt milk an acceptable alternative? She seems to feast on her dutchmill drinks so much as if it's on buffet.

Bottle Weaning Day 1

Couple of months before Zoe turned three, we've been conditioning her mind that she won't be drinking milk from a bottle anymore because she's already a big girl. When she celebrated her 3rd birthday, we still couldn't get round to weaning her off the bottle because my husband felt really bad about it. 

Well guess what. Yesterday, my bestfriend who lives in New Jersey messaged me with an idea on how to wean Zoe off the bottle. Before we took an afternoon nap, I told Zoe that we will go to the mall and buy any toy that she liked but we will have to use her milk bottles to pay for them. She pondered on it for a while and said 'I want to buy a xylophone'. We had a little talk about the consequences and she agreed. 

At the toy store, it took her almost 2 hours to decide on a Barbie piano, a Little Tikes xylophone, and a couple of Play Doh sets. In the end, we got her a mini-fridge Play Doh set, a cheaper xylophone, and a Disney Princess cup. I told her that it's very important to choose the right cup that we she will use to drink her milk from and we let her choose the cup that she liked. Before we went to the cashier, she opened the backpack to say goodbye to her bottles. It broke my heart but I knew we were doing the right thing. She counted all 13 bottles at the cashier and was very happy to get her toys. Of course she didn't know that her dad came back to get the bottles :P

At bedtime, she drank milk from her cup but when she was about to sleep, she suddenly blurted out 'I want..(milk)'. She literally stopped herself from finishing her sentence. She wailed for about 15 minutes before she finally fell asleep. At around 230AM, she woke up and asked for milk. We had to tell her that her bottles are gone and we asked if she wanted to drink it from her cup. She cried for about an hour and Dan had to carry her to comfort her. It was really heartbreaking to take something away from her but we felt that it was really time.

My baby fashionista

Gone are the days when babies and kids can only be dressed up in cheesy character outfits. Being a slave to style myself, I love dressing my little girl up. However, I still limit it to playful and young styles that are comfortable. I see a lot of kids nowadays who wear heels, see-blouses, sky-high dresses and skirts -- totally inappropriate and uncomfortable (tacky even)! I believe that kids should still look like kids but there's always a decent and classy way of dressing them up.

Here are some of my baby fashionista's outfits.

Zoe's 3rd Birthday Party - Supplier Review

Zoe celebrated her 3rd birthday last September 22nd at McDonald's Filinvest Marcos Highway. It was a relatively small and intimate party, we only invited her first cousins. 

In relation to that, here is my mini supplier review for her party.

Venue: McDonald's Filinvest Marcos Highway
Peso Power: P7,072 for 34 sets of Spaghetti and chicken, cheeseburger, fries, drinks, and sundae; P3,000 for 30 sets of lootbags and prizes, P500 1 hour extension
Review:
We reserved the venue back in June simply because I'm an overly excited parent who always wants things done ahead of time. Naturally, I was also expecting that if there were any kinks to the party, then I should be made aware AHEAD of time. This wasn't my first choice of venue, it was supposed to be McDonald's Libis but we settled for this branch because of our decision to have a short guest list. Let me enumerate the disastrous events that happened:

1. I pencil-booked September 22nd 2pm-4pm and was told that the slot won't be given to anyone else without informing us. This was back in May, I came back in June to make a deposit but was told that  somebody had booked the function room from 3:30PM-5PM on the said date. Fine, I adjusted and booked 12:30PM-3PM

2. They called me the NIGHT BEFORE my daughter's party to inform me that there were no Toy Story amenities available and they can only provide Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I didn't make any fuss since my daughter also likes MMC. Sure.

3. On the day of the party, they told me that there were no AVAILABLE LOOTBAGS and the party favors will only be distributed to the kids.This was when I lost my patience and almost ate the crew alive. WTF?! Even if this was just a small party, it deserved the respect deemed for all their other parties. They will hand out the party favors to the kids?? I booked and paid 3k in June, couldn't they have ordered their supplies then? Even if it was their supplier's fault, didn't they have MORE THAN AMPLE TIME to inform me so I could have at least bought themed lootbags?? Nakakabwisit! I went out of the party area and really shouted at the crew members. Kakabastos eh. They were frantic and they offered to put the party favors on McDonald's brown bags. Yes, the ones they use for take out food. Hinde ka ba maha-highblood nyan? San napunta 3k ko? Hay grabe. Super bwisit tong branch na to. Another thing, parang walang utak ang 2 hosts. Alam nilang 3-year old yung may birthday and the kids are also very young, yung games nila parang mga 10 steps yata kahaba ang instructions. Nag-react tuloy the parents of the kids. Bobo lang??

Lastly, Ronald McDonald decided to crash the event. OK lang sana, additional entertainment eh. Kaso he was so rude to plug his appearances in that branch ON OUR PARTY and stole the limelight by asking the guests to POSE with HIM FOR PHOTOS when my daughter was already seated in front and parang naiwan tuloy sya. I said talaga to the host and Ronald's assistant to get him out of our party
 area. 

Photography: For Keeps Photography
Peso Power: P3,500 (4 hours of coverage, 40 5R prints, and DVD of edited photos)
Review:
I found out about For Keeps through GT. They have so many good reviews and their photos are so nice talaga. When I contacted them back in June, they didn't even require a deposit so mejo nagulat ako. 
On the day of the party, I texted David to remind him that the party will start at 12:30PM. Lo and behold, ang alam nya pala was 2PM because I gave him the details of our pencil-booking with McDo so when I adjusted the time because we were bumped off, I forgot to inform him. I got surprised pa when I got a text from him saying that I told him the party was at 2PM. When I checked my email, that was what I told him nga. I already accepted that he will be late because it was my fault. I was super amazed when he got to the venue way BEFORE it started. 

David was a joy to work with. He never stopped taking photos, he had a lot of nice ideas for poses, and he had good camaraderie with the guests. In two days time, he already had Zoe's teaser photos uploaded in his FB site and Weebly site (zoebday.weebly.com). I highly recommed For Keeps.

Cake: Swirls n Sprinkles (Nadine Abraham)
Peso Power: P2,000 for a 9" cake with 12 free cupcakes
Review:
Nadine has always been my cake supplier from Zoe's christening to birth month celebrations to birthdays. I've also recommended her to friends in and out of GT and they all had good things to say about her. 




















For Zoe's 3rd birthday, I decided to order just slightly bigger cake than her 1st birthday cus I wasn't planning on getting cupcakes anymore. However, Nadine gave Zoe 12 cupcakes as her birthday gift. I was super happy =). My husband and I asked Zoe what cake design she liked and since she chose Toy Story as her McDonald's party theme, she also said she wanted Toy Story for her birthday cake. HOWEVER, she changed her mind about a week before her party and said she wanted a Doc McStuffins cake instead. It's a good thing that nadine still had time to come up with a design. 

Nadine delivered the cake for free, ang hilig sa free ng babaeng to, ako na nahihiya hahaha. The cake was delivered even before we got there. When Zoe saw it, she was just enamored. I think we could've gotten away with not pushing through with the party basta katabi nya lang her cake :P I gave the cupcakes to the kids after the party and we kept the cake. It was too beautiful to eat, honestly. It broke my heart when we cut a slice to give to my brother and my nephews. 

Zoe's outfit: Peach dress from Gingersnaps and gold studded T-strap shoes from Marie Antoinette Baby 
Peso Power: P800++ for the dress and P650 for the shoes
Review:
I tried almost all the clothes in Gingersnaps cus I was unecided on the look that I wanted for Zoe. I didn't want it to be too dressy cus it was a simple McDo party and I wanted her to be able to move around without dress constraints. I thought of a shorts ensemble, pants ensemble, several dresses, jumpsuits, the works. I finally settled on the peach dress that I've seen couple of store visits ago and sure enough, it was the winner. I also bought another top as an alternate but she didn't get to wear it anymore.

I had been wanting to buy the shoes from MABC for Zoe but kept on holding it off cus the first pair that I bought for her wasn't very comfortable and she ended up only wearing it twice. This pair however is not only very pretty but quite comfy too (according to Zoe). My only comment is that the shoes had a different hook; I thought it was like most kids' shoes that comes with a 'belt-like' strap that you can close securely. It came with that design but it wasn't made to be closed like that, you simply hook the strap to an L-shaped metal. For kids who like to jump and run, the shoes can easily unhook itself. 


Overall, it was still a nice and fun party. It rained non-stop on that day and it was a good thing that the venue is just across our village. That was the only good thing about that McDonald's branch, really, and we got them for that reason alone. I'm still waiting for final photos from For Keeps but here are some shots that David uploaded in Zoe's site (zoebday.weebly.com). 

With Dan's family

The Manila-Dys

With cousins from Manila and Dy sides

It was good thing that my cousin, Sugar, was able to join this party before flying to Germany with her two daughters

Piñata 

Zoe with Tita Mye and Tito Mark, Jessalyn, Cacai, Russell, and Mama Lola

with achie Meg and baby Zara

Ang saya naman ni Mama Lola ;D