Wife

I would like to believe that I am a good wife and a friend to JP. I am nowhere saying I am a perfect one. I am so impartient & impulsive it must drive him nuts. I also wear my emotions in my sleeve. No holds barr. What you see is what you get.

A lot of times people say ang swerte ko. Mabait si JP. And he is. He is quiet and strong and efficient. He has a kind heart and it radiates. Everyone who meets him knows this.

Me, I am this noisy can of a person. I say the first thing that comes to mind. A lot of times my mouth is too quick for my mind. I finish other people's sentences a lot. This is irritatating you see? I am impulsive and loud and talkative.

But I would like to believe I am a good person. Within me, I know there's a person who sees the good in other people first before anything else. I make connections easily because I am a matcher. I can forget my own personality just so I can see things your way. It is not that obvious but I have changed a lot (for  the better) for my husband.

Tonight, I find it that I am hurt. I refuse ro be a victim of my emotions that's why I acknowldge that this is something that will pass.

But even if these feelings does not follow logic I say they are still valid. And that no one else can keep my heart calm than myself and although that "hey, you're not a perfect wife but allow yourself to get hurt and be difficult everynow and then". All this because while I love my husband no one else can love "me" more than myself.

Me, I am a wife, a mother, a friend, and an imperfect antagonist. All the same I accept me. Broken parts and all. 

Montemar Beach Club

I've lost my blogging mojo. (Urgh. Sorry for the late 90s reference. If I had been more creative I might have thought of another way to describe what I'm going through instead of using an old cliche: Which. Further. Illustrates. The Point.) 

(Note: picture formatting will be a little weird. Please bear with me as I am only blogging using my phone. If I blog using my laptop, it would require me to sit upright which I am just. too. lazy. to. do.)

Anyhoo putting my ennui aside it's been a rather pleasant couple of months. What do you know it's almost half a year into 2014. Which brings us summer! 

Hot humid lazy days. I used to equate summer with books. Because as a student I couldn't indulge to read the books that I truly like during school season. Summer was when I would read almost a book a day till my head hurts like crazy. But I am mom now. I can't just sit inside my room depriving my kids of the glorious weather. 

The first destination this summer is Montemar Beach Club in Bagac, Bataan. I Initially wanted to go south meaning Batangas. But all the resorts that I liked were fully booked. All things considered, I think it was a lucky thing that we ended up here. Let me give the pros to you in a bullet-ed format since I'm too lazy to construct full sentences (see first paragraph why). 

Pro:

- Road going to the resort was an easy drive (no rough roads)

- The beach was not crowded considering that it's peak season

- The sand was fine and did not hurt the feet (compared to some Laiya resorts I have been to)

- The resort was well maintained, clean, and the staff friendly 

- Another pro is that I couldn't really think of a con (haha!)

Ohbutwait, for those who are thinking of going here just be warned that bringing of food is not allowed. Mineral water is free and breakfast is already included when you pay for the accommodation. The rest have to be ordered through their kitchen. The meals cost around P200-400 per person. So budget will be a consideration if you plan to stay a bit longer. Plus there aren't really outside restaurants nearby so eating out might not be the best option too. 

So there, let me tell you about our stay through pictures. :D

Daddy and Sam tired after the trip

We requested 2 additional mattresses for the yayas

Our balcony view

Some pictures of the resort facade. I loved that there's so many greens and trees. Did that sentence make sense? Haha.

The beach. Oh the beach!

There are 3 pools at the resort. One was exclusive to the resort members (or what Jp and I call "the-haves" pool hehe). But we were more than happy already with the blue pool (otherwise known as "the have-nots pool :P). It was surrounded by trees which protected us from the sweltering sun as we swam. :)

Some collage of what the food/kitchen looks like.

Jp and I decided to have a few drinks by the beach. This is what the resort looks like at night.

Next day, there was mass celebrated at one of their function halls. It was one of the best homilies I have ever been to. Hats off to you father! :-)

This is afterall my blog. Hence, some family pictures.

See how clear the waters are:

My favorite picture of the entire quick vacation. Too adorable. :)

There, I almost didn't want to blog about this place as I want to keep it to myself. Haha! As if, that's possible (I am not even a member). Feeling. Seriously though, it's a good homey friendly place. Very ideal for family gatherings and nature-lovers. I'm already planning our return on January. This time with both of our extended families to celebrate our joint (Sam and myself) birthdays!

Hope you are having a great summer too. XOXO.

Contact

Montemar Beach Club Resort
Sitio Pasinay Brgy. Pag Asa Bagac, Bataan
http://www.montemar.com.ph/
Phone: (+632) 811-5496 
Email: mbci.online@gmail.com

What a week that i just had

See, I am no rockstar, or a reigning beauty queen, or a head of state. For me to have that much activity crammed in one week left me disoriented with the flurry of events. Now I will enumerate what I did last week below and you might tell yourself: "nah, that's a pretty standard week for me!"

Having implied at the beginning that I am a nobody an ordinary employed mother of two with routine like clockwork so these things events rarely align themselves in one week. Or perhaps I've had had other days with consecutive stuff happening but none as many awesome events as what I did last week. So yeah, you can pretty much deduce that my life's boring. But heck, I love how ordinary and simple things are in my life. I am in love with my life. Hence, I am blogging this away now to remind me that everynow and then I do get to be the rockstar that I truly am. :-)

Prepare to be bored because this is more for me than for you. =P

Right, let's start with Monday. Me and my teammates decided that it shall be a carbo loading day. We stuffed ourselves with pizza and pasta like there's no tomorrow. Normally, I am very conscious of my carbs intake however, we ate like hungry marathoners then. It was fun to let go just like that. Then that night the whole support group had a telepresence meeting with our boss' boss. Allan who is at New Jersey suited up and met with us to tell us about what has happened and what to expect in the coming months. He recognized our efforts as well as the exciting times ahead for all of us.

Tuesday is to be known as the day I spent in bed and our bathroom in equal parts of the day. Too graphic for me to expound so let's just leave it at that. Oh I got the chance to catch up on my reading though (was I bluer than blue? Not really ha!).

Wednesday was just a truly productive day. Learning-wise I was blown away with what coach Chot Reyes shared with us. One of the best learning sessions I attended in years! He left me totally awestruck. I even got to personally ask him a question. :) This was the day that I also attended a short briefing session because I was one of the few chosen employees (out of 2000) who will attend cocktales with the richest man in Canada. Our company chairman himself! Read below.

All right, then came Thursday which was like one of the highlights of my employment history in Thomson Reuters. Everyone suited up because our Chairman -- 3rd Baron of the Thomson Fleet, Lord David Thomson himself has graced us with a visit. There was an executive townhall attended by at least 700 employees. To say that everyone was moved, inspired, and proud after that event was an understatement. Then about 30-40 of us had the chance to personally meet him at a more relaxed and informal setting. There was good wine, food, laughter, so many group selfies, and even show stoping performances. Truly one of happiest parties I've been to lately.

Friday, was all day strategic planning with our Transactions team at the office. We were rewarded with a buffet at Spirals Sofitel for dinner. Too many food! There was an epic conversation with our Global Head to cap the day.

Saturday morning was spent with the kids at Gymboree, having lunch at Eastwood, then doing the grocery. This is a usual weekend routine. My officemate Mae brought her family at home for a much needed play/swim date. We had impromtu picnic/merienda. They brought so much food. I made egg salad while my sister bought Pancit from a well-known Chinese resto. After stuffing ourselves full it's now time to attend another party! After taking a bath and changing to party clothes we Mae & I headed to Tony Romas. It was another night of good food, wine, and laughter. Truly a time well-spent. After the party I had another few round of drinks with my husband at our favorite little bar called Black Olive.

Early Sunday was spent attending two consecutive masses just to make sure we had a good seat when his Emminence Louis Antionio Cardinal Tagle celebrated mass. It was the feast of Divine Mercy. We headed straight to my in-laws to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday. Another event with overflowing food! Haha. 

Afterlunch we were so beat that we were already tucked in as early as 8pm. What can I say, a rockstar's life is not easy. But amidst all, my heart is truly thankful. Moments like these validates how blessed I am to have my family, friends, collegues, in this journey. :)

On marriage and having kids

I have other more 'fun' blog posts in my drafts. Why did I choose to start my morning today on a rather contemplative mode?

Hmm..maybe it's the hormones? Maybe because a very good friend just woke me up to give me a surprising (and happy) news? Maybe it's the APO song playing on the background? 

For whatever reason it got me to thinking... Does having children define a great marriage? When I was in college (true story) I had my Values Education teacher walk out on us in class because I engaged her on a debate when she said that the sole purpose of marriage was pro-creation.

I am not trying to offend anyone. This is me thinking out loud. If you have your own set of beliefs which happens to be contrary to my own, I respect it. So I expect you to respect me by not taking anything that I say too seriously (haha!). I mean I am just rambling so if I happen to irritate you feel free to change the url with impunity. Hehe. :)

Alright, I got derailed again. My point is, for three and a half years we were trying to get pregnant. (I know I know 3.5 years is not a long time but if you know how impatient and baby crazy I am then you will understand that it IS a long time :))  I remember going to confession one time and I asked the priest how come hubby and I are still not blessed with a child yet. He said: "The happiest couples that I know don't even have children, my dear."

What followed after that conversation was acceptance. We realized, we'll do whatever means possible medically to get pregnant and if the Lord decides to bless us in another way then so be it. You see we were given less that 10% chances of having a baby by the very first doctor that we went to.

But that story is two parts: First was unwavering faith and acceptance. Second was a deliberate decision from us to take control of the situation and seek medical help. Just like with how everything that life has blessed me so far it's always two fold: The Lord's grace blessing me and my own will taking steps to get closer to what I want.

Now back to my question at the start. Do kids define a great marriage? Yes they can but ultimately they don't. 

They give meaning and test your partnership like no other life changing event in your life can. Kids have their own way of turning your world upside down! In a good way though. Totally perplexing and happy way! I can say marriage would require more effort since you don't want to just get stuck on the parenting aspect of your life. I say this because motherhood was very natural for me. Being a great wife, now that takes decision and commitment. But I what makes things easy (and realistic) for me is I don't try to be perfect at these roles. I am not a perfect wife nor mother but I'm sure as hell that I am a fun one! :)

I started picturing a childless marriage back then when we were still trying to concieve. And I was okay with it too. I was happy if things were to stay forever the same. That was weird for a baby-obsessed person like me. But here's how I came into acceptance: God gave me a wonderful life partner. Really, and that's what marriage should be about companionship. We are complete baby or no baby.

Marriage is an institution that should be defined by a mutual decision to accept things that life has to offer together with your partner. Marriage has struggles but don't forget it's supposed to be fun also. So just find the right partner (a faithful, kind, and funny one). And stay committed. :D

Mongolian Stir Fried Rice ala nanay Love

Okay let me blog this now before I forget. It's one of my cooking experiments that turned out pretty good! 

I wanted to cook something very savory since my two babies lost their appetite while they were sick with stomach flu (I mean who wouldn't?). Mongolian is just the right dish for that. They always seem to have entrees that seem to burst in your mouth and punch you in the face (oops maybe delete that second description :P).

What is it about Mongols that seems to err.. Be so feisty! Rawr! Genghis Khan! Rawr! Lands to conquer! Rawr! Spice! Extra rice pa! Rawr! Okay maybe you get the picture na. Heehee.

Let me go straight to the recipe before I get distracted again by my own wit and humor. Ahem! :)

Ingredients:

Around 4-5 cups of cooked rice

400 - 500g of good quality beef tenderloin strips (cut into bite sizes)

Red onions thinly sliced

Red bell pepper thinly sliced

Carrots thinly slided

1 can of corn kernels (I only put half of what's in the can since I ate the other half haha)

1 small can of button mushroom

1/4 cup: honey, oyster sauce, sweet chilli sauce

Cayanne pepper (optional)

Beef bullion

Salt & pepper to taste

Procedure:

1) Boil the beef in a small amount of water (just enough to slightly cover them - read: hindi naman pang nilaga levelz - just enough water para lang lumambot)

2) Let the water evaporate and add a bit of oil to brown the beef. Set aside.

3) Saute the red onion, carrots, and red bell pepper in the oil. Add the beef bullion 

4) Add the mushroom and corn kernels. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they get happy together. :)

5) Then add the equal parts: honey, oyster sauce, and sweet chilli sauce. Add a little bit of salt and pepper (para masaya!)

6) Add the rice and mash it with the sauce like there's no tomorrow! (My hubby kindly volunteer to pre-mash the rice prior to it being added to the pan - this is what you do to the rice when you prepare sinangag)

Note:

Mothers, another optional ingredient pala that I used is sesame oil. I used about a tablespoon of it mixed with a few drizzles of olive oil when I sauteed the veggies. The sesame oil adds that extra oomph. Although be careful not to use too much of it because it can be quite overppwering on the dish. :-)

Happiness yan friends. Trust me. Try na! Sorry I have no actual photo of the finished product. Na excite kameng lahat masyado to eat it. The rice just smelled so heavenly!

PS:

Why don't you cook this recipe and take a pic so I can add it to this blog entry. Hehe.

PPS:

I decided to make this dish again this weekend since hubby liked it so much. So I now have photos to show yah! :-)

Pictures below:

Some of the ingredients from my pantry- 

Finished product (it tastes better than it looks!)

Toodles! :D

For Sam

You know what if there's one person na lugi because I have not been blogging anymore... it's really Sam.

 

My always happy 2nd baby. This blog was started out of pure love slash obsession for our son Eli. I wanted an avenue where I can freely shout to the world how much that boy makes my heart melt.

 

And then I fell in love all over again when our "surprise" baby came into this world. And then life got so busy. And then I got lazy.

 

So lazy that I was content to just keep sharing my thoughts over facebook or instragram. But man! I'm missing out. Really the fact that I have not been recording my thoughts recently kinda makes me wish I can time travel and document everything right after they happened. Just because so many fun stuff happened last year. But yeah, I just became lazy.

 

But document now I will. There's me and hubby's 6th wedding anniversary. Sam's 1st birthday. So many wonderful ordinary days ought to be relieved and retold not for anyone else's benefit but just solely for me. Yes just me. (The cruel world does not care about the adventures of an ordinary mom but whatevs someday I know I will re-read my words with a smile.)

 

You see, another thing is I have not over expressed yet is my love to our baby daughter.

For Sam:

Hi anak. The moment I saw you I said to myself: Yes! May bago na akong best friend! Haha. You see your mom is a secret introvert. It's a secret since I'm loud so peope automatically assume that I make friends easy. On the contrary, I only have a few handful (really super great) people whom I consider true friends. They are the ones I truly trust. I don't have a big barkada or posse (or whatever you call them these days). 

So nung nakita kita alam ko na agad. Instantly sabi ko I've gained my lifelong bestfriend. You we're so cute with lips so lucious and red like a princess! You were the nicest baby. Motherhood is hard anak especially in beginning but you made the journey easy for me.

All you needed was to smell mommy, my milk, and you're a happy camper. Now, you just turned 1. You made life so happy for me, daddy, and your kuya. You can get a bit hard headed especially right before you go to sleep. Alam mo yun, papikit ka na and you will purposely shake yourself para mawala antok mo. Hay!

You have so many endearing qualities. Anyone who meets you immediately knows na you're a happy baby. You are very generous with your smile and laughter. Keep on growing lang baby. Never ever lose that spark. Never stop believing that this world is a paradise because whatever it is you decide to pursue we'll support you promise yan.

I love you Sam. I am so blessed to be your mommy.

Sunny Sunday at Milky & Sunny, Kapitolyo

Hehe, sorry for the lame post title. Totoo namang sunny e at Sunday din! #explain

Sharing lang ito friends not an actual review. I can't say I want to rave about the place but I will not discourage you either. I mean, this is just my experience. You could have a completely different experience or taste kaya if you're thinking of trying Milky & Sunny I would say today is as good as any day to try it out.

I gravitate toward restos that serves comfort and breakfast food. One of the restos na super binabalik balikan namin ni Jp is really Pancake House. We're easy to please. His is Salisbury Steak while mine is their pan fried chicken. We always (MUST) have their cheese waffle for dessert. Ayan staple na yan samin and we've been in the quest for more breakfast homey restos. While I am at it... Whatever happened to Heaven n' Eggs? That place used to be cool eh?

Oh well, but I digress. Long story short, although I cleaned my plate I don't think we're coming back anytime soon. Okay naman sya, but just okay. Yah know what I mean? It just didn't blow me away. Or maybe we just ordered the wrong food? But anyway, I have a funny story later in the middle so please read on.

After ng Mass, we got super hungry. We were contemplating on going to IHOP but realized it's too far from PICC where we heard Mass. Since we live near Kapitolyo and after me reading some stunning reviews about this resto whilst the hubby was driving we decided to give it a try.

This sign will great you.

And here's me (sans make up - bagong gising effect) and hubby na kakulay ng pader.

Here's the funny story: hubby's order was the big breakfast where you can choose 3 from any of the following - bacon, sausage, hotdog, spam, and corned beef. He wanted sausage sana kaso out of stock daw. So he contemplated on getting the corned beef. I asked ate waitress: "Ate what kind of corned beef do you use?" I mean I don't know what I was expecting right? Well, siguro naisip ko baka homemade or  "Batangas cow po, tapos we make in house" yung tipong ganun. Ate answered: "Yung Purefoods po sa lata." Hehe. She was so honest. I love it. 

K fine. Di ka natawa? Ok lang. Hehe. :P

Anyway moving on. Hubby chose: hotdog, spam, and bacon. The big breakfast platter has hashbrown, egg (choice of sunny side up or scrambled), garlic rice (which you can either have toast or bagel). Cost: P270. I tasted everything on his plate. I love the hashbrown. :-)

I got their Hamonado Longganisa (P130) with garlic rice and egg (again you can either choose scrambled or sunny side up). Their longganisa was delicious! Plus the egg was nice and fluffy.

Sweets. Strawberry Milkshake (P140). Yummy also. Sorry I know I should be more creative in describing this. Hmm... It tastes more like a sherbet than a shake. Which is a good thing actually. Very strawberry tasting.

Strawberry cream cheese pancake (P170). Their pancake is thick and fluffy. Mas fluffy nga sa pancake ng Pancake House. But I can't say that I liked this better. We didn't even finish this. Bihira lang yan ha usually PG kami when it comes to dessert. Naumay ako sa sobrang dami ng heavy strawberry syrup. It would be better if they just use real strawberries.

The service was quite slow. Maybe they were understaffed but there were only a few of us eating that time so I'm not sure why. But I liked the ambiance of the place. I took more photos below. Try it out if you're fond of breakfast food. Skip the pancake and maybe just order the chicken & waffles. :-)

Milky & SunnyPasig

9 East Capitol DrKapitolyo, Pasig(02) 654-2049

Challenge Completed: Ultimate Wingsanity

This is one proud wife moment. My husband has conquered Ultimate Wingsanity 2.0 challenge! Haha!

Okay I need to give a little back story here. Sorry masyado lang na excite. Hehe. Okay the hubby is obsessed with all things spicy. The hell-hath-no-fury-spiciness level. He likes hurting himself that way. He came across a blog post bragging about conquering the Ultimate Wingsanity challenge by Buffalo Wings n' Things.

So off we trekked to Ortigas home depot so hubby can try apparently the spiciest wings in the metro. Me, I am happy to settle with a basket of fries and the kid-friendly garlic Parmesan wings. Which were yummy by the way. Oh but let me tell you about the evil spicy wings.

The Ultimate Wingsanity wings meal is under the "Waiver Required" section of the menu. You literally have to sign a waiver before you can consume the wings. The flavors Gangnam Style, Total Wingsanity, and Ultimate Wingsanity have a Scoville Heat Unit measurement of 650k, 750k, and 850k, respectively! It is likened to eating one tablespoon of siling labuyo - raw. All spicy evil goodness - if you dare.

The challenge is to consume the Ultimate Wingsanity in five minutes without drinks or ice cream. Once completed you will be given a certificate of recognition. Plus they will put your picture on their 'Wall of Fame'.

Okay so eto na, as a form of motivation I was psyching the hubby: 

Me: Bee, meron sa wall of fame mga babae. Quite a few of them. (Actually isa lang). Tapos bee, meron din dun Grade 6 lang! (In reality I'm not even sure kung Grade 6 sya or maybe payat lang sya at mukhang bata hehe)

Okay so anyway I think it worked because hubby put his game face on and thought of a strategy na. He separated the bones from the meat before starting. This would mean faster consumption and lesser time for the spice to spread in his mouth. Also, he ate the meat part first before the skin which is where the concentration of the hotness is located.

Ang ending: Cool na cool lang si hubby. Akala mo cotton candy lang kinakain e! Haha. Exxag. But really true talaga promise si ate waitress kept exclaiming: "Si sir parang wala lang! Cool na cool lang si sir!"

This further boosted hubby's ego at pinanindigan nya na ang pagiging cool as a cucumber nya. Binuhos pa nya yung mga natirang dripping ng sauce from his plate to ensure na matikmam nya yung todong anghang. Here he is: 

Ayan sya sinisimulan na ang kalbaryo nya.

He separated the meat from the bones and consumed all the white meat first.

Finishing the last few morsels na nakadikit sa bones. Exterior cool na cool. Internally, ayan o, labas na ugat sa noo! Lol.

Ayan! Challenge completed! Pulang pula. 

Kering keri lang daw hee hee.

Here he is getting his picture taken after consuming half a pound of wings with 800,500 Scoville Heat Units! Yey baby!

PS: This New York Cheesecake ice cream is the best! Plus it is perfect for those who just finished consuming the wings from hell. Haha. 

Go na try mo narin!

Buffalo Wings n' Things

Food Street, Ortigas Home Depot, Pasig City

451-1260

Thoughts on Social Media

Three people influenced me to write this post. My husband, Topaz Horizon (a blog I frequently read), and a friend in Facebook.

Let me tell you first what each of them thinks before I tell my thoughts around this. Hubby is ever so worried about the culture around Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc and that it perpetuates materialism and vanity and that it might ultimately rub off on our kids as they grow up. He asked me if we should "ban" our kids from creating a facebook account all through out their highschool life? Would this be fair to them? Would this stop some of the possibly negative effects that social media has to influence them? 

Topaz Horizon fears that social media makes you crave for attention. It's like you have to ask people to like you. And how sometimes it affects your self-esteem negatively of nobody "liked" your posts. How it makes you want to beg people to like your choices in food, clothes, travel destination, and so on. Will it make your choices less enjoyable if no one else think that they "like" the food you're eating at the moment?

A friend posted in Facebook said that social media promotes a culture where we all feel like celebrities, "me-attitude", disregarding the opinion of others or even those who are currently in an unfortunate situation. She also states the issue of lack of privacy which used to be treated as a vital aspect of a person's life.

These are only three perspective from three different people. I'm sure you have a say around this topic also and I'm sure  it is equally important. I am not here to address any of the points above. To me all of them made a valid point. But will that stop me from engaging in social media activity? No. This blog alone is a testament that I like to share. For whatever purpose I do so is something I need not make anyone understand. What I do through various social media vehicles is something that I do just because. If you interpret it as being materialistic, boastful, shallow it is up to you. On the otherhand, if it made you smile, say my picture of freshly baked cake or cookie inspired you to bake as well then it's all good.

I have the capacity to always embrace change. I have long accepted that social media has forever changed the dynamics of people's relationship and our culture. My husband's concern is perhaps something that rings closest to my heart because it involves my kids. But you know what regardless of the choices they make, I trust in the kind of person that they are. That regardless on how the world sees their actions deep within I know they will be good people. Social media or not good parenting is still the best tool against any changing times.

Parenting and letting them know God. That in the grand scheme of things we are who we are because of God's love.

I guess my message is that of acceptance. Even if a person shares so many things through social media I still believe that that is merely a tip of who they are so let's not judge and just enjoy the ride. 

Anyway that's what "hide in newsfeed" or "unfollow" feature is for. :-)

Sana Dati: Not a Movie Review

Hi my name is Love. And movie dates for me are composed of eating out at any new resto in town plus seeing a Hollywood blockbuster film or sometimes (super rare) the husband gives in to a Star Cinema formulaic rom-com (konting konti lang yang napanood naming Philippine movie around 3 or 4 and no hindi ako nagpapaka defensive lol).

Anyhoo, wala pa as in wala pa akong napanood na Star Cinema movie na hindi bumaba ang IQ ko after watching it (except OTJ but then again that's not rom-com). No offense (pero alam naman nating ma-o-offend parin ang mga Star Cinema die-hards haha) - oh well. Blog ko to. So shoo. The Mistress tried. Tried but still failed. I mean who the F says those lines in real life? Tapos John Lloyd delivering lines in straight English pero halatang minemorize. Oh shucks. I must shut up. This blog entry is not for those rants. Pero eto na last na talaga. Yang My Amnesia Girl. Pinuno ng Post-It ang buong kwarto. First thing that came to mind was shet sayang sa trees! Stalker ang peg! Sinong maglilinis?! Who the hell has that free time? If that was me hindi ako kikiligin baka nag walk out ako at pabayaran ko sa kanya yung pag papa repaint ng kwarto ko e. LOL 

What I hate is how rom coms screw up real everyday love. That there always has to be grand gestures just to show someone you love them. Na dapat mang-hassle ka ng mga kabarkada mo or people at the airport just so you can have one brave declaration of love. Hindi ka ba mapupulmunya nun pag nagsayaw ka sa ulan?

Love in reality is found in the ordinariness and being able to stand by your decision to exercise constant small acts of kindness no matter how simple they may be. That conflicts and deep hurts are not resolved through one big dramatic confrontation and shouting match. It is through constancy and companionship. Your decision to be steadfast amidst some challenges along the way. 

For Jp and I, love is through the quiet conversations that we have before sleeping on how our day went. It is through marvelling how God has been so good to us. And in sometimes me choosing not to say something anymore because I know it will be hurtful to my husband. Or my husband's patience when I am just about to loose it.

Don't get me wrong. Love is still supposed to be fun. No issue being romantic loveydovey but really why does it have to be glorified in the movies all the time?

So now to my topic. The credits were already rolling. And snoot and silent tears were still pouring like buckets. Never has a movie affected me this much. Not because the actors were in tears urging me to cry with them. It tugged me in a powerful way because of the deeper layer that the movie communicated to my heart. The smallness of the emotions. That emotions are not meant to be found in just poetic loud dramatic confrontations. That love expressed through tentative gestures and open abandon are still equally evocative.

The movie is perfectly cast and acted out. The soundtrack is amazeballs. I shall stop talking about it now because it is quite obvious that I do not know how to do a proper review. But go watch it. This moview is a rarity.

A rarity that we must support to somehow make a statement. That this movie is an art. It hides more than it reveals. But you'll see yourself one way or another through one of the characters. And what it hides and reveals is something really really beautiful.

Celebrations: Sam is 9 months

Exactly 3 months from now Sam will turn 1. Grabe talaga ang first year ng baby. It flies by so fast. Kasi each month is such an adventure. To say they grow up really fast is an understatement.

I am in awe watching my kids grow. It doesn't matter that Sam is already my second. Everything still feels like the first time. Different child different adventure believe me.

I feel guilty that I haven't written much about Sam in this little blog that I have. Oh but let me tell you, I fell in love (so deep) with this little baby. She is such an absolute joy. A happy baby so easily contended.

Really. She's the easiest, happiest, and sweetest baby there is. Never naging maselan. She's breastfed and now she eats anything we give her. Veggies, fruits, bread, anything. My MIL said try daw namin pakainin next week ng alimango kung hindi parin tatanggi. Haha. I bet you she'll eat those as well.

She adores her kuya so much and follows him around wherever he goes. To her kuya Eli is the most interesting person there is. Even more interesting than dad or mom. Her eyes are always fixed at kuya and she tries to imitate mostly what kuya is doing. Kaya ang drama nila ngayon is agawan ng toys hehe.

For Sam's 9th month birthday, kiddie party ang peg ng handa ko: spaghetti bolognese, pork bbq, my famous moist chocolate cake, and mama's sumptuous caldereta. 

Here are some pictures of Sam's 9th month celebration.

The Cake. This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe that does not use egg. The frosting is buttercream with cocoa powder with whipped cream (to make it light and less sweet - recipe from my bestfriend Joy). It tastes much better than it looks promise.

The spaghetti and bbq.

Here we are with Sammy baby. She so precious. We just love her so much. :-)

Ain't she the cutest? :-)

No Such Thing As Supermom

Or superkids either.

Grabe ka competitive ang buhay ngayon. There's natural parenting. Homeschooling. Breastfeeding beyond 2yo. Baby wearing. Cloth diapering. Madami pa actually. Sometimes I think some parenting police is out to get me because there are days when I let Eli watch something as mundane and nonsense as Spongebob. When I let Sammy eat ice cream. When the kids stay up too late. Etc. etc.

Any moment now I feel the judging stares of the supermoms out there. And then it hit me. Sino ba ang perpektong magulang?

At our core (struggling good parents I mean) we all just want the same basic things for our children. That they find contentment on the kind of person that they chose to be.

I cannot promise to raise the most talented or smartest kids there are. However, I promise to love them unconditionally and accept them for who they are. Super cliche ba? Yes well, I just need to remind myself that.

Hindi importante kung ako ba ang pinaka magaling na nanay there is. Hindi importante na una sa lahat ng bagay ang mga anak ko. But when it comes to compassion, becoming a positive person and self-reliant while respecting others dyan sila mgangunguna.

Dito ako masaya sa pagiging imperfect kong nanay. Because everyday I am learning. Everyday there's a sense of wonder. And everyday I am ever so thankful that hubby and I were blessed with the children that we have.

:-)

Yedang: underrated and awesome

I have become lazy. So lazy that I cannot even get up from my bed and type on my laptop anymore. Smartphones and tablets further perpetuated this cycle of sloth (wake up, check fone, feel sleepy, sleep, repeat step 1).

Anyhoo, why am I blogging again? 2 reasons completely unrrelated.

1) A friend asked me via facebook why I wasn't blogging anymore. And my thought bubble was like: "Really? Someone reads my blog?" So now I am sure I have 3 readership ha! (Hello husband, sister, and friend. Hee hee) Sure it is fun to write. But knowing that someone reads my nonsensical thoughts gives me "kilig" to no end. Lols.

2) I realized I can blog using my iPhone. That means no need to get up from the bed anymore just to blog. Yey! What did I tell you? Lazy. Lazy. Lazy.

With that I officially end my blogging break. Fireworks. None? K. Fine. :-)

So last Friday was a special day because it was Kyle's 1st birthday (my friend Mae's baby boy). We spent the afternoon with the kids at Virlanie foundation. I baked about ten thousand chocolate cupcakes see below (of course I exaggerate  haha it was around 50pcs). 

I gained raving fans again for my heavenly cupcakes (I like to toot my own horn - obviously). But seriously, though my chocolate cupcakes have some kind of a cult following already. By cult I mean a group of random kids somewhere across the metro raving that my cupcakes are the best they've tasted. Haha!

Okay, so where was I? It was a super fun and tiring day. So the hubby and I decided to go on a date. I suggested Yedang because it's been a long time since we last ate there. For me it is one of the most underrated but good resto around town. And cheap too. Also, I think another reason why their meat tastes good after cooking is that they use good old uling. For some reason mas masarap ang bbq na cooked through charcoal kesa electric grills. Agree? Tapos you can bet that is authentic because its owner is Korean.

But again the food. The food and service are both excellent. Each table has its own exhaust (para di ka amoy bbq after heehee). Let me show you pictures.

Free appetizers. (Dito palang solve na ehehe)

This was my favorite among the 8 or 9 free appetizers which was served. This, and the kimchi of course. ;-)

Someone will assist you in cooking the meat. 

Once cooked you wrap the meat in a lettuce (it was fresh and crisp) put some chilli sauce and spiced olive oil some onions and garlic then, viola! One of the most enjoyable food I've ever eaten. (I mean you know you're eating meat but then again it is wrapped in lettuce so that kind of takes away the guilt right? Right?)

And this OMG. Their beef soup. Is. To. Die. For.

Yey, and there's a free pineapple for dessert.

Our meal was around P900 only. Sulit. Plus I loved their pandan water. 

Yedang Korean BBQ Restaurant

88 Meralco Ave., Pasig City

telephone: 636-1461

PS: Sorry for the poor quality of pictures. Or maybe not. I'm not sure whether they are okay or awful.  I want to put a #nofilter on every photo just to explain haha. I am still a bit rusty trying out this blogging thing from my phone. Cheers. Till my next post! :-)