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.

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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. Another milestone for your child, the whole family which includes the lolos, lolas and even yayas. It’s one step closer to big school, which is why it is crucial to take it seriously too. Isn’t that kids are expected to just play and have fun in preschool? YES. Play is definitely part of it but there are some reminders we should take note of before they enter the preschool world.

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.