I’ve always enjoyed spring-cleaning. Every time I do this, I end up giving up at least ten old clothes ready to be given to our ates (helpers), but it seems like whenever I try to clean up my closet, I end up putting back some clothes with unique prints and cuts, sparkly sequins or that magical ukay-ukay find that I’ve always been proud of because it was such a steal. I tell myself that “hey, I can still use this to a friend’s party, I have to keep it”- believe me, not happening anytime soon.
Yes,
you read that right. Balmain, a well-known French fashion
house developed by Pierre Balmain now brings in Balmain Paris Hair Couture. It
is the market leader in high-fashion hair additions and hair extensions. This
time, they’re bringing in their latest Luxury Care Collection consisting of a
Volume Line, Moisturizing Line and a Revitalizing Line.
Surprise, surprise! I’m getting married in two months. Yes
you read that right. I’m one of those moms who delayed marriage because babies
came in first without my consent (kidding!) Anyway, I’ve always believed in get
married when you’re ready not just because you’re about to have a baby. Ok, that may not be the case for everyone
especially in our country with conservative families. But hey, you only get to
marry the love of your life once so why not make it extra special? Not saying
that you have to throw N million for the ceremony and reception but just make
it more unforgettable for the couple and the guests right?
***
Ok brief background, I got engaged February 2015, yep it’s
a long engagement and in between planning I found out that I was pregnant with
Aloncito. Imagine all the emotions I was feeling that time- shocked, scared and
a bit sad because we were almost wrapping things up for our January 2017
wedding and now I have to start over again with breastfeeding101 because baby is
on his way! Anyway, the little boy is a blessing naman so we decided to move the date to the last quarter of this year. And
will you look at that, I only have a few weeks left to do some more preps.
Ang bilis ng panahon!
If you wanna be like me who has been super chill during the entire planning stage, here are tips to keep in mind to avoid turning into a
Bridezilla!
Know what you want
If you got engaged, chances are you’ve already made a mental
list of suppliers in your head. You’ve seen the works of the top photographers,
videographers and that dream dress made by the fashion designer you love. If you can’t sleep through it, BOOK them right away. I know, it’s easier said than done especially
when it comes to the wedding budget but trust me, you’ll be extra happy when
you’re comfortable that these suppliers will deliver a hundred percent on your
wedding day. Say my wedding stylist who happens to be a friend too, I just love her minimalist style which reflects my personality too so I asked if she can style my wedding. It’s her first time too so she was extra happy and pressured to make my peg come to life! She gave me a reasonable offer so yea, paid in full!
Do not waste time on Pinterest
Sure it’s one click away to finding all the things you need, you just have to type the word wedding. It’s also true that you need to compile pegs- the best silhouette
for your body type, the no makeup makeup look and the flower arrangements for
you and your girls. But Pinterest has a curse of putting you in an emotional rollercoaster. First, it’s gonna be exciting then you’ll feel overwhelmed
with the number of options to choose from and there comes frustration when you
think about “How the hell will I pull
this off?” Unless you have all the time to DIY or you’re willing to pay
whatever for the stylist, then why not? I’m just saying that keep your
Pinterest browsing in moderation to control your expectations too!
Ask for help
Everyone is BUSY. At
this stage in our lives, most of your friends are busy at work and they
couldn’t care less about your big day to be honest! Sure they are willing to help
but they have to attend to their deadlines too in the office and that means
they only got limited time to spare for you and the whole planning. Unless your
bridesmaid is a crazy rich Asian who can afford to sit around the whole day and
choose the perfect shade of blue for your table cloth, do not expect them to be there 24/7. For me, I made sure that my bridesmaids were given certain task that I know they’ll be able to accomplish without getting stressed. One bridesmaid was assigned to help me with the vows because she’s a good writer while another was asked to make the flowers for the entourage because she’s a designer and she has the style for anything posh! Another one was designated to help in choosing the wedding bands because she loves jewelry. Make sure that these friends know you well and your style so they can really give you the best product or advice!
Do not nag the guy
Believe me, whatever deadline you set or assignment you give them, they will do it when they have the time. My fiance is always hooked to his phone running errands and business transactions so I really had to make notes for him on what he needs to do. As much as I want everything settled a month before the wedding, I just had to leave it up to him and trust that he will be able to complete last minute agendas- such as finding the perfect pants and shoes or renting the tent (omg guys I didn’t know choosing tents will take up so much of our time!) or simply telling his guy friends that “Hey, you’re part of our entourage okay, prepare your most decent Barong Tagalog”. LOL.
Make time for other things
Dude, the wedding is just 10HOURS. You can’t live around the wedding preps if you also have other commitments. When you read on Wedding Timeline, you’ll feel pressured that “sh*t, wala pa akong ganito ganyan, I have to do it NOW!” the timeline is just a guide but it is still up to you, your running budget and the amount of time that you have in your hands. I’m SUPER busy with work right now but I make sure to give two days of preps every week. And because I also have Mama duties, I can’t just spend one whole day out just for the wedding. I promised myself that after this main event, I’ll give hundred percent of my focus back to the kids who are obviously chosen as our flower girl and ring bearer! Ameelia and Aloncito will be the cutest part of my entourage don’t you think?? :)
How about you, were you a Bridechilla or Bridezilla? What helped you handle the wedding preps ‘ stress? What other tips can you give brides-to-be so they can enjoy the whole planning stage?
Preschool is serious business
If
adults go to work, then the kids go to school also. That means waking up
earlier than 7AM, taking a bath, eating breakfast and packing school stuff from
Mondays to Fridays- no excuses, except when the child becomes sick cause we
don’t want other kids to get sick too!
C for Commitment
That
being said, it takes a lot of commitment to do this. Our children are not
always in the mood to wake up especially on bed weather or when they fell
asleep late. We need to practice being committed to a task such as waking up
1.5hrs before leaving the house, preparing their baon and ironing the clothes. When
they see us doing these chores early in the morning, they too will be pushed to
waking up and feeling giddy about going to school!
Friends are like family
In
play school, they get to meet their very first friends outside the home.
Nadine, Marianne, Angelique are some of the friends closest to my heart. From
prep until now, they remain my constant and they already became like part of my
growing family.
Big school ready
In
our country, it’s hard not to be competitive. Even if we know that preschool
was built for kids to play and build certain skills, parents are just too damn
pressured to let their children learn how to read, write and count early on to prepare
them for the big schools. As much as I hate the idea, I need to get my 3 year
old memorize the alphabet and trace letters, stat!
Life
is unfair, I know. But we really need to form habits and schedule for our
children if we want them to be competent and independent in the future. After
all, we were able to survive those years, I’m pretty sure this generation will
do better! Goodluck to you, Mom and Dad!
We’re finally bidding farewell to sunny and long days and
making way for the grey weather. Be armed with these rain-ready items you and your family need
to survive the unpredictable weather without having to sacrifice comfort and
style.
3 years already? I want to be honest with you. You’ve given me a lot heartaches and headaches over the past few months- having to deal with your predictable tantrums, keeping up with your play time energy and the never-ending arguments we have to go through every single day when you resist to take a dump or just take a bath.
Singapore, my second home. I always feel giddy whenever I get the chance to go back to this beloved country where I used to work as an English teacher. It always feels like my first time-new places to go to, new hawkers to try out and old faces to meet once again. This time, my father asked me to give my brother a tour before his school year starts. So where did I bring him?
First off, I’m not a beauty junkie. Haha! I don’t hoard the latest collection of lipsticks from X brand and swatch them on my arms afterwards. I haven’t tried a lot of makeup brands (really, like I don’t even know how to pronounce certain brand names lol) but I make sure to use only the most trusted ones out there. Today, I give you my everyday basics. The challenge is to come up with the best beauty items that won’t let me down BUT the REAL challenge is to be able to look decent after putting on makeup with a restless baby on one hand. Whew!
For a busy mom who does not have the time to get into the experimental phase, you need to find the makeup staples that will suit you as well as your budget. In my case, I hate splurging but I spend on products that are worth it. So how do I know? I read a lot of reviews, mostly from Filipina bloggers or Asians who has the same skin type as mine anddd I ask my trusted beauty experts like the Masking Mama and The Misty Mom. This saves me a lot of money and eliminates the trial and error stage. I think at the end of the day, it’s still skincare products that I should be investing on, yes? YES!
For a busy mom who does not have the time to get into the experimental phase, you need to find the makeup staples that will suit you as well as your budget. In my case, I hate splurging but I spend on products that are worth it. So how do I know? I read a lot of reviews, mostly from Filipina bloggers or Asians who has the same skin type as mine anddd I ask my trusted beauty experts like the Masking Mama and The Misty Mom. This saves me a lot of money and eliminates the trial and error stage. I think at the end of the day, it’s still skincare products that I should be investing on, yes? YES!
At 29, Aga, an entrepreneur juggling two different types of businesses, managing a restaurant and fixing cars with his automotive shop, ends his day with our toddler and 6-month old baby. “Honestly, I don’t have the time to plan my daily attire. I don’t even have time to shop for a new pair of pants,” he admitted. “My go-to clothes would be a shirt in a neutral color, shorts or jeans and rubber shoes. With my line of work, there’s no need to dress to impress but an overall comfortable look that I can pull off from day to night will do.”
Now we all know that our dads give us the best, and so we want what’s best for him too. He might not at all care about his daily look but vain or not, stylish or anti-fashion, everyone will agree that looking good always leads to feeling good. So why not make him feel his best? I, the doting wife, decided to give my husband a Daddy Makeover, just in time for Father’s Day. However, this makeover did not focus on the transformation, rather more on taking him out of his everyday routine-led choices. We all know this can be a drag and don’t we all need inspiration in our daily lives? I also gave him wardrobe options that he’d never thought of wearing or buying before this makeover, which looked really cool on him after all.
The result?
“At my age, it’s not too late to experiment with your look and all the outfits that I tried on today are workable. But I’d still go for the last look since it shows a bit of my personal taste,” said Aga.
Watch below and see what happened during our makeover day:
*This article was originally published for Taste Company website. Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there! :)
Oh
dear, I’m not complaining. If there’s one mom who is lucky to be able to work
and care for her kids at the same time, that would be me. In fact, I’m so happy
with how my personal business (which will turn a year old this June!) continues
to grow and I’m excited for the plans I have plotted for the next half of 2017. It’s
just that with my line of work, I feel the need to update myself with social
events around me which results to scrolling down my social media accounts
almost all the time. There’s a need to keep up or be knowledgeable on events,
new baby products, mommy workshops and teacher seminars around the metro! Whew!
I
feel guilty because the things that I do pull my attention away from the kids.
Instead of spending more hours in the morning singing nursery rhymes with Ate or giving the baby a bath before
lunch, I spend my time typing and researching topics for work. After that, I
have to prepare my learning materials for my students. It’s gasgas to say but “So many things to do,
so little time”.
Which
is why I promise to unplug every
Sundays (except for this post!). I promise to dedicate this day for rest, and
be a tambay at home. I have to stop
thinking about deadlines and just watch movies and series I’ve been planning to
see. I want to make healthy dishes for the family, or just sit down on our red
couch (which is the one always left unnoticed) and do NOTHING- no phone checking. I also
have to work on my reading habits, any suggested books? Lastly, I want to find
good music that will fill the soul (naks) and not just the same mainstream
Calvin Harris suggested on Spotify. The list goes on but will focus on these
first.
Moms,
and you, reading this..let’s just unplug, shall we?
Counting the days ‘til the start of the school year and it looks like you’re more excited and nervous than your child. Whether it’s his first year in preschool or moving up to big school, we listed down the major concerns of parents and asked for tips from teachers and experts to prepare your child, and even you as parents for the school year ahead.
"My son loves everything fried! I want to form a healthy eating habit by giving him some veggies for his baon, but I’m afraid he won’t touch it and will leave him hungry at school all day. What other alternatives can I give to make him like his food aside from the fried ones?"
-You can still have it fried but you need to change the usual meal preparation. Slicing, dicing and mincing the veggies is one way of hiding it. Try an omelet with carrots and onions, tortang talong, deep fried pizza roll, and a refreshing drink like shake with fruits tidbits.
"Since I started working, I've always left my child with her lola and ate (yaya). She doesn’t go out and mingle with children her age. Whenever we go out on play dates, she would instantly run to her lola. It’s her first year in preschool and I’m afraid that she will always look for lola when in school. Howcan she make new friends?”
-When faced with new people, environment, and situations, prepare your children with gentle coaching, and roleplaying. For example, you can visit school grounds together to become familiar with the place- because if she is, it's one less daunting obstacle to overcome. Another tip is by playing various situations using toys, and having guided questions such as- “Ano kaya gagawin ni (toy) kapag lumapit si (toy)? Ano kaya pwede niyang gawin para makapaglaro sila? Sa tingin mo, pwede kayang..? Maybe your child just needs to transition at her own pace and soon enough, she'll be running to her classmates already.
-When faced with new people, environment, and situations, prepare your children with gentle coaching, and roleplaying. For example, you can visit school grounds together to become familiar with the place- because if she is, it's one less daunting obstacle to overcome. Another tip is by playing various situations using toys, and having guided questions such as- “Ano kaya gagawin ni (toy) kapag lumapit si (toy)? Ano kaya pwede niyang gawin para makapaglaro sila? Sa tingin mo, pwede kayang..? Maybe your child just needs to transition at her own pace and soon enough, she'll be running to her classmates already.
"My child has a tendency to say “mine” to everything he holds! I worry about t when he goes to school. How do I teach him about personal belongings?”
-Labeling things as "mine" is your child's way of exercising his growing need for independence and ownership. To help him understand that not everything is his (and avoid possible future problems), you can practice at home by labeling other people's things. That some are Mommy's, Papa’s and some are his. It is important that adults model proper behavior in respecting other people's belongings. Show the correct way process of borrowing, returning, and waiting for your turn. Depending on the age, he would eventually outgrow it to become more inclusive of their peers.
-Labeling things as "mine" is your child's way of exercising his growing need for independence and ownership. To help him understand that not everything is his (and avoid possible future problems), you can practice at home by labeling other people's things. That some are Mommy's, Papa’s and some are his. It is important that adults model proper behavior in respecting other people's belongings. Show the correct way process of borrowing, returning, and waiting for your turn. Depending on the age, he would eventually outgrow it to become more inclusive of their peers.
Don’t blink or you might miss a moment- been telling this to myself ever since I became a
mom of two. Everything happened so fast. The payatot baby boy that came out
from my tummy is now a sumo wrestler. I’m not exaggerating but he gained so
much that my arms are challenged whenever I carry him. And it’s not just my little
boy, but also his ate. Ameelia now is really The Ate. She still
continues to adore Aloncito (thank God, no bickering yet!). I love that she has
become more malambing and madaldal at the same time, I think we
just graduated from the Terrible Twos phase. YAS.
June is also the month where
we introduce solids to Aloncito. Hooray! I’m so looking forward to this. I promise that I’ll be more cautious with what he eats and that he keeps a healthy diet for as long as I’m around. Because the dad likes giving McDo to our eldest hoho why!
Half of me rejoices because I don’t have to
pressure myself to produce a lot of milk but the other half feels like what
just happened, he was just glued to my boobs now he wants to stay his own plate
and utensils to eat? Actually, he want to eat everything he sees and holds with his very hard grip! Hay.
.
Although there are many highs for 2017, there are days when I feel dead tired and still wish for a sub. Like in the
middle of the night, when I’m having a good dream but then the baby suddenly
decides to cut the dream because he wants dede.
I want a sub, the same Mama Kat who can give 200% energy to give her kids and still be able to manage all work-related responsibilities. But
when I think about it, I don’t want another person to replace me, even just for
a while. Sounds selfish but I want my children all for myself. Why? Because in
just a few years, they will be doing things independently that I won’t hear the
demanding Mama,Mama! from them. For
now, I just want to save a mental picture (and of course, some real photos) to
remind me of how these human beings are taking over my life.. in a good way!
Sensitive skin runs in our family. My daughter’s skin was perfectly fine until she turned two. That was when she started having rashes and bumps all over her body which annoyed her (and me) most of the time. We could not pinpoint where and how it started and I know that there is no one culprit to this issue. It could be caused by the weather changes -if it’s too hot or too cold. Or when she started drinking formula milk (we tried a lot of brands already I tell you). Her diet also plays a big factor because she likes chicken and fish which are really malansa. Our pedia couldn’t tell us what was going on. Instead, she advised us to give her medication and skin care products to at least relieve her from the itchiness. I don’t like to say that it was unnecessary expense but whew the amount we shell out for her maintenance was quite big, if you know what I mean. So I promised that with baby #2, I will be more careful and make sure that he doesn’t have to go through all of these!
In my early twenties, my birthdays were celebrated with good food, drinks and great company. But as adulting and motherhood consumed me, all I wanted for this year was to get some good sleep. However, I was (again) surprised with a staycation at Shangri-la at the Fort Manila by my partner. I’ve already planted a me-time scenario in my mind but hey, it’s not everyday that we indulge in a 5-star service so why notttt.
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I finally gave in to a shorter hair cut, hair color and treatment shortly after having baby number two! I thought that maybe it’s something that would help me shoo the baby blues away. But just what I expected, I had to deal with some physical postpartum issues including hair fall. I tell you, it really bothered my daily routine especially while I breastfeed the baby. Hair was just everywhere! eeep!
My grandmother gave me this shampoo and conditioner set from New Zealand and it was ok for a while but come summer time, there it was, coming down the drain every time I take a bath. Not just a few strands, but 21879234205 hair strands. Exagge right? So I told myself, hey Kat, you know this is inevitable but you need to at least find a way to lessen your hair fall. You don’t wanna go bald in your twenties, right?
Zenutrient’s Gugo Shampoo (250ml), P249 Gugo Conditioner (200ml), P260
My lifesaver. The #GugoStrong Hair Care System from Zenutrients. I’m a newbie when it comes to all-natural hair products. I’ve been coloring my hair for like what, 15 years? The salon obviously always recommends products for chemically-treated hair so I had to avail those. This time around, I listened to my mama instinct and told myself to give Zenutrients a try.
What I noticed during the first two weeks? Less hair fall and stronger hair strands. Before, it used to be like 50 hair strands but now it’s down to just 20 (hah! as if I really did the counting!).
I like the scent of both the shampoo and conditioner, not too strong and is actually very calming.
The packaging was well-thought-of, proud that it is locally made and budget-friendly. Seriously, when you’re a mom you start not to notice what brand of shampoo you’ll be using for the next few years because priority now is the monthly check-up and diaper expenses, right?
The only downside I could think of is that I feel the need to put on more conditioner. My hair feels a bit dry and harder to comb since the ingredients are all natural. How about you, what hair products are you using and how did you deal with hair fall postpartum? :)
