Face Mask

I am not very fond of spa facial because mainly I'm afraid of pricking. I know it sounds petty. And I don't want to spend an hour lying down and crying because of the pain. To compensate, I find face masks whenever I pass by Watsons. They have really affordable ones and I have a lot of options to choose from :) Last Saturday, I was buying my multivitamins when I saw that they have an offer for Beauty Buffet masks. Buy 2 face masks, take home 1 more. I know it's a good deal so I took 3 different kinds.

Yesterday I tried the Red Grapes Moisturising Facial Mask and I feel real good after. My skin is not so picky when it comes to mask so I'm happy that I could try every variant there is. I put mask because I feel relaxed and fresh after, I don't really go for the result because I don't apply everyday. After a day of taking care of Jaden and cleaning up after him, it's like a therapy to me.

This will be on my to-do list tonight after having my after dinner snacks :)

I'm not really into whitening products but it was one of the only three options I have so might as well try every one. Beauty Buffet facial masks are Made in Taiwan. The packaging is really cute and regular price is 44 Philippine Peso each or around a dollar. Very cheap, very cute and really relaxing too!

Jaden's Immunization

We went to our pediatrician today for Jaden's scheduled DPT booster vaccine or the 6-in-1 which consist of:

1. Tetanus
2. Diphtheria
3. Pertussis
4. Polio
5. Haemophilus Influenzae type B
6. Hepatitis B combined vaccine

DPT booster is given to toddlers who are 18 months old. Jaden's three DPT vaccines were given free by the government to our local health centers. It was a relief to be saved from paying so much for vaccines for our child's first year. After he turned one, we only receive Vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets from the health center. The rest of our immunizations are taken care of our private pediatrician. We changed our pedia by the way, the first one is always out of town and it's a hassle when you really needed advise or have your baby checked up by someone who knows his medical records well. I love our second pedia because she is really approachable. I text her and I get a reply within 5 minutes.

I know my child will create a scene today because he doesn't like injections, who does anyway? When he was still a baby, it was fine because he has no idea where he is or what the doctor is going to do to him. Now I can't even bribe him with anything. The moment we enter the clinic he knows and he cried loads! I talked to him days before the immunization and he was listening but I was not expecting anything, I know he will get a little bit scared. I made sure he sleeps before going so he'll be in a good mood. Upon entering the clinic, his eyebrows are very suspicious and when he saw his pedia, he cried instantly!!!

Every time we go see our doctor for his vaccines, she gives Jaden different kinds of toys and this time it was a horse :)

He doesn't want to be touched so he went hysteric when his doctor measured his head circumference, checked his ears and his mouth. After the check up, I calmed him down for awhile while his doctor prepares his injection. When I took off his pants he started crying again, when I put him down, he was bawling!!! It took four people to perform the injection: me, daddy, the doctor and her assistant. After, his doctor gave him a lolly and he was so silent in the car while sucking on his treat. I gave him Tempra Paracetamol for the pain.

We went to Robinsons Mall and we had our lunch at KFC. I bought a take-out fries for Jaden at Jollibee and he was so happy! After eating so much, we set out to find daddy a new shirt and we found one at Bench. The little boy loves the fitting room, actually, every fitting room he gets into. He was crawling in and out and seemed to have forgotten his 30 minutes of crying at the clinic.

We're going back for another shot on July. Wish me luck! :)

First Hero

Image Source: www.quotepictures.net

I remember seeing this in Facebook and I think to myself how true this statement is. I see my husband and my son and I know that it is true. I see how connected they are and how much they love each other. My husband works away from home and only get to be with Jaden for 3 days every week. The rest of the week, the little one will be shouting out Daddy! whenever he misses him.

I see them play and I see how my son adores his dad. That look of awe when he sees him doing great things that his little mind cannot comprehend. That look when he tries to copy what his daddy is doing and the big smile when he thinks he got it right. It is really important for a child to have a father figure that he can look up to. A father is an image of strength and greatness to them, a superhero comparable to Superman and Batman.

I smile whenever I see Jaden copying his dad and doing things his daddy does. He sees his dad exercise every time he is home and he is very eager to try too!

He can't lift an actual dumbbell so he's using the ab roller instead :)

And look at that pout. He's chanting HOO! HOO!

He loves the treadmill too!

I'm glad that he has someone he looks up to. I know they'll be best buddies forever :)

Stephen King's 11/22/63

I was reading Private Oz but I took a detour when I read Stephen King's 11/22/63. A first I was just curious because I have no inkling what took place on that certain date. I was born 1989 and a Filipino citizen so I have very little knowledge of American history. After reading the first chapter of 11/22/63, I got hooked and decided to finish it first and postpone Private Oz, not because it's boring but because 11/22/63's topic is new to me. It is a sort of time travel but only to the same place and time every time. I don't want to put any spoiler so you just have to pick up or download that book and read. Beware, it was not a light read, as most of King's book, 850 pages!!! It took me a week (I only get to read when Jaden is sleeping). The ending was something I have felt would happen but I was expecting something different at the same time. All in all, what I thought at first is that it will be about history and the magic of time travel, turns out to be love story, a sad, tragic one. In every story there's a love story somewhere no matter how insignificant and it brings a little joy to the story :) Enjoy your pound cake and dance because Dancing is Life!

Image Source: www.badassdigest.com

If you had the chance to change the course of history, would you? Would the consequences be what you hoped?

Jake Epping 35 teaches high school English in Lisbon Falls, Maine, and cries reading the brain-damaged janitor's story of childhood Halloween massacre by their drunken father. On his deathbed, pal Al divulges a secret portal to 1958 in his diner back pantry, and enlists Jake to prevent the 11/22/1963 Dallas assassination of American President John F. Kennedy. Under the alias George Amberson, our hero joins the cigarette-hazed full-flavored world of Elvis rock n roll, Negro discrimination, and freeway gas guzzlers without seat belts. Will Jake lurk in impoverished immigrant slums beside troubled loner Lee Harvey Oswald, or share small-town friendliness with beautiful high school librarian Sadie Dunhill, the love of his life?

Haircut Woes!

I woke up in a very hot Saturday morning, when I took Jaden outside I saw that it rained last night, so that's why it's effing hot. Around 8 A.M, I was giving little one a bath when the bathroom light went out. Jaden immediately shouted "Out!" meaning brownout. If you are a resident here in the good old Philippines, brownout is a common thing, sad but true. I understand that they have to do monthly maintenance but to turn off the town's power for almost 12 hours??? It was hellish.

After taking a bath, Jaden was sweating and his hair is so damp. He has very thick hair which he got from me and our last haircut was early January. Since it was Daddy's day-off we decided to go to SM City and have his hair cut. I am so not looking forward to going-to-the-barber moments. I know some of you moms could relate to this.

The first time we went to Jem's Salon for Kids, he loved everything he saw. They have this awesome cars for chair, a television with Barney on and lots of toys and stuffed toys. He was very eager to ride the car until his barber came forward to cover him with his "cape", he started crying. I only asked for a trim so the job was done fast with a scissors.

After his first haircut

The second time, I asked for a Mohawk style haircut and he cried the whole time. It was a lot harder to divert his attention, he was terrified of the electric shaver. He was hugging me and Daddy while the barber did his job well. The picture below clearly shows how depressed he was after.

After his 2nd haircut

Before we went inside the salon for his third haircut, I talked to him and I pointed out how other kids are behaving. He was very attentive and was very eager to go, I guess the toys was so attractive. He sat down and watched Barney. The trouble started when he saw the cape, I know, a child never forgets. He stand up and hugged me and dear me, he won't sit back down. I was carrying him while the barber was cutting his hair. This time he lets Jaden play with the shaver first before using it on his hair, it worked! I was carrying him and this time he was enjoying the shaver. His Daddy was busy entertaining him with stuffed toys (Pooh, Barney and McQueen). After the haircut, he cried out loud when he heard the hair dryer. Gosh! It took me minutes to hush him down. Hair was all over the two of us and he won't let the brush near him so I just wipe him down slowly.

After his 3rd haircut

The good thing about kids is that they don't hold grudges. After changing his clothes, he went out the salon and run around the mall. We rode the carousel which he loves so MUCH!

After the carousel, we ate at McDonald's and he had his favorite meal: Cheeseburger, french fries and pineapple juice. Look at how happy he is!

I know some children deals with haircut in a much braver way but I don't mind hugging him while he is still getting used to it. Maybe on our next haircut or the one after the next, he'll be able to sit down on his own. I guess that's why we're here, the parents, to give a reassuring hug when their little hearts are afraid of scissors and shavers :)

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/7145679/?claim=27uaumyd7zr">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Here's to Women

I am a woman. I am proud to be a woman, a mother, a wife. I am proud that by being a woman, I have the power to create the future of this world.

Sometimes life gets you so down that you feel ugly, exhausted and unappreciated. As we get busy taking care of our child, cooking for our husband and cleaning the house, the world around us passes us by and we feel that we are out of touch.

Whether you are single or married, life is one constant battle for us woman. Life used to be about life, but now I see women all around and life for them is always making sure they are beautiful. Let me tell you this, YOU are BEAUTIFUL. You don't need all those make-ups, you don't need those fancy dresses and those expensive shoes. You were created beautiful. The belief that we are beautiful should come from us so others would view us the way we view ourselves.

Life used to be simple. Now we live in a world where we are judged by the brands of the clothes we wear, the make-up we used, the size of our waistline and our chest. The society painted this image of what is beautiful and if we don't belong in that category, we feel bad about ourselves. Either we alter ourselves to fit in or we hide in our shell.

Here's a video from Dove and I feel that every woman should see it.

I cried when I saw this video. Sometimes I feel ugly too but I'm thankful for my husband and my son for always reminding me that I am beautiful :)

Under the Weather and Orange Candle

Yesterday morning I started sneezing and I was very careful to cover my mouth every time because my little one is always beside me. I don't want him to catch whatever I have. More water and vitamin C was my first aid. In the afternoon I noticed my little one is sneezing more than usual so I made him take his medicine for allergy before going to bed to stop the sneezing and to stop it from getting worse. Last night my sneezing was not that often but I already have a clogged nose which is not a good sign, maybe because of the A/C. When I woke up, my voice does not sound so good and my nose is starting to get a little bit runny.

The only good news is that I don't feel any headache and I have no fever. I feel good except for my runny nose. I was searching for a good DIY air freshener to help me feel better when a friend shared this in Facebook.

Image Source: www.facebook.com/pages/Spice-Me-Up

Here's what to do:

• Just take an orange/lemon/grapefruit and cut in half
• Eat the middle portion but leave the center core-like stem intact.
• Pour a kitchen oil (veg oil, olive oil, etc.) into orange just below the top of the stem.
• Light stem. It will burn for hours and smell amazing.

Note: 

The orange has to be completely dry (air dry) if NOT it won't light at all.

The oil will affect the smell so use some aromatic oil if you want.

Precaution:

Don't leave the orange candle burning if you are going to sleep or stepping out of the room.

Place it in a crystal/glass stand, not wood and especially not paper or cardboard.

Fire in any forms is dangerous so always take great care.

I want to try this as soon as possible. It's also a good way to reuse those orange peel. What do you think? Let me know if you have tried this or if you tried before I did.

Say No to Diaper Rash

My son is turning 18 months on the 23rd of this month and I am proud to say that he never got any issues with rashes on his baby butt. And considering he has a very sensitive skin, that is quite awesome. I've been using Pampers diapers from Newborn size to Small to Medium to Large and now we are on Extra Large. I know it is quite pricey compared to other brands but after trying other brands, I got really disappointed of the usual leakage and the inside cotton of some easily disintegrates.

Photo taken when he was 6 months old.

So after every bath, here's what I do:

• I wipe his baby butt carefully and air dry them for 5-10 minutes.
• I apply BabyFlo Petroleum Jelly on the insides of his thigh and around the butt where the diaper lining is. I don't put so much especially when the weather is quite warm.
• I put on his diaper and I make sure the linings are on the right side so he won't feel itchy. What is good with Pampers is they have this inner lining and the outer lining with the ruffles to prevent leakage.
• One hour before his morning and night bath, I make sure to take off his diaper so his baby butt can have some air.

It is better to prevent diaper rash and spare our baby the pain of having rashes. 

Happy Wednesday!

A Special Day

This post is for my husband, Jay, who is celebrating his 24th birthday. Of all the blessings God has given me, my husband and my son are the best a woman could ever ask for. It is our 6th year together and I am so happy that God has blessed us with 6 happy and memorable years. Ours is not the perfect relationship but it is something I am proud of. We have had our fair share of ups and downs. We have almost reached the point where we decided to go separate ways but I guess it's true what they say, Love do conquers all.

We meet on 2006 and became officially together on February of 2007. I can't seem to find any photos from 2007 :(

2008 at Andok's

2009 Baguio City

2009 Manila Field Trip

2010 Baguio City

2010 Graduation Day

2011 Jo's Chicken Inato

2012 My Cousin's Wedding

2013 Ion Orchard, Singapore

We can't celebrate together today because he is working and will go home on Friday. If you are reading this, I Love You.

Thank you for everything good and bad. For being the best daddy for our son, for being a loving husband and for always being there.

The two of you are living reminders of how blessed I am.

Good For You: COFFEE

Image Source: www.fanpop.com

I started drinking coffee after giving birth. The stress of having a newborn and the all-nighter made me crave for it every morning. I don't know why I don't drink coffee before, I just can't be bother by mixing coffee, creamer and sugar into perfect mix. Now that the wonder of 3-in-1 coffees are so popular, I try every flavor available. I am breastfeeding so I researched before I started drinking coffee. For the first six months, I drink 2-3 cups a week. Now that he is 18 months old, I take my morning coffee and that's it for the whole day. If I feel like my body needed an extra sugar, I drink soda or juices. I know a lot of people consume much more than me. Coffee, if taken moderately, has a handful of health benefits.

• Coffee lowers the risk of having a Type II diabetes

• It can help prevent Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and dementia

• Lowers the risk of heart problems and stroke

• Coffee is good for your liver

• Coffee helps you to be mentally alert

For pregnant women, you may not be able to get through the day without coffee before but it is better to stop consuming coffee while pregnant because you may not be aware of its effect on the baby. For breastfeeding moms, it is better to observe your baby everytime you drink your coffee. If you think he/she has certain reactions (fussy, sleeping problems and the sort), then I think it would be better to stop taking coffee. If you are unsure, I found a very good website where you can check on how much caffeine you are taking and how much is good for the baby.

Drinking coffee is not bad but too much is not good as well. Drink moderately :)

Come Here...SOON!

How I wish we have as many stores and restaurants available like in Metro Manila. I don't wish to be in the BIG city, I just want more options but in a quieter environment. I love ILOILO, it is the City of Love as they say. It may not be as big a city but I love it because I grew up here and I came to know it as a home. Sometimes I just wish I could shop in a certain store or eat in a certain place but not every business ventures here. I made a list of shops I pray and hope would come here and SOON!

Image Source: www.facebook.com/CottonOnPh

Every time I visit Singapore, I always buy from Cotton On. The clothes are not only fashionable but affordable and really comfortable. There is no greater comfort than wearing cotton, is there? Cotton On is an Australian brand and last year, it opened branches in leading malls in Manila. I was so excited and I was hoping they will open up another one here soon. I love that they always have a SALE and marked down items. I will be the first to visit if ever they come here. Please!

Image Source: www.outletlocation.com

I love Forever 21 and that is reason enough for them to come here. Ha ha!

Image Source: www.facebook.com/ilovejellybean

Who doesn't love JellyBean? Their clothes are amazing and the colors are so gonna make you feel young, wild and free. I have yet to have one on my hands because I haven't been to any of their store. Please come to the city of love!

Image Source: www.facebook.com/tokyotokyophilippines

I love Japanese cuisine. I'm in love with their sushi (except raw). I've tried other Japanese restaurants but Tokyo Tokyo is the best for me. I especially love their bento. How I wish they would put up one here, I would surely visit the place every time I'm craving for something Japanese. Now I'm hungry.

Image Source: www.thesmartlocal.com

BreadTalk is a bakery founded in Singapore. It has many branches in Metro Manila and not one single branch here. It is not your typical bakery, every bread is unique and tasty. It is quite pricey but worth it. I love that you have so many options to choose from. Visit Iloilo soon!

Image Source: www.contestsandpromos.com

Haagen-Dazs is an ice cream brand from New York and the best. Hear me, just a tiny little booth would be fine :)

It never hurts to dream because according to Beyonce, Life is but a DREAM!

PSY is Back!

After 9 months of being up in Youtube, Psy's Gangnam Style hit song has reached more than 1.5 billion views. The hit song Gangnam hits the world by storm last year. Every country despite the age dances the phenomenal Gangnam Style moves. My little one is a big fan of Gangnam Style until now, he never gets tired of watching the music video and dancing every time he hears the song.

Two months ago I heard "Harlem Shake" on Showtime, a noon time show, and my little one was dancing with the hosts. I searched the song through Youtube and saw one comment "R.I.P Gangnam Style". It got me thinking, will Psy's next hit song going to pass the 1.5 billion views in Youtube? Or was it a one time hit?

I was browsing in Youtube when I saw that Psy has released his new catchy song "Gentleman". I have to be honest, after listening to it, there was no spark. It was nowhere near Gangnam Style. It's not even the fact that I can't understand Korean, it's because the song did not made me sway.

It might get to me after hearing it on the radio, on tv and online a hundred times. Here's the audio if you want to check it out:

What do you think?

UPDATE! The official music video was posted yesterday 13/4/2013

I'm a 90's Kid!

Image Source: www.wallcoo.net

Is this a common sight in your household? Technology is good, it made life easier for everyone of us. It provides knowledge and answers on the tip of our fingers. With just a few taps, we could see other parts of the world, talk to people who are far from us and connect with people from around the world. But with every good things comes a bad effect.

I am a 90's kid. I grew up playing outdoor games and talking with other children. The first time I touched a computer is when I was in high school and the CPU was heavier than me. Internet was a stranger to me then and all I did was use the software Paint and play solitaire. I know.

Now I see kids so attached with technology. Either they are playing an ipad, psp or a touchphone, they seemed to be oblivious of the people around them. Can we still connect to them and teach them things FUN? Fun used to be playing outdoors, running around the yard, rolling in the mud, climbing trees and throwing icky stuff to each other. I feel sad that some kids don't get to experience this. It's our part as parents to make sure our kids remember happy memories from their childhood. High scores and Game overs are not happy memories.

I remember playing hopscotch, do you?

Image Source: www.trininista.blogspot.com

Jumping ropes are used for exercises now, it used to be a lot of fun.

Image Source: www.lsusd.net

The thrill of hiding....

Image Source: www.thealttab.com

Play money was not so famous then, we used candy wrappers as our money in our make believe games.

Image Source: www.stuffpoint.com

I remember my heart beating fast whenever I reach home because my Grandma will be wide-eyed with the state of my clothes. These are only some of the things I do when I was young. There are countless of things to do outdoors and I think we should not rob our kids the chance to experience being young and dirty :)

Good For You: YOGURT

Image Source: www.alittlebitfabulous.com

My little one loves to eat yogurt. He can finish one serving of his favorite fruit flavored yogurt. I even started giving him yogurt drink, he loves the strawberry-flavored best. I was really glad when I found out that he loves yogurt, it is not only delicious but very healthy. It always feels good knowing we give our kids healthy food. Yogurt is good for all ages and has many health benefits. Here are some really wonderful things yogurt can offer.

• Yogurt is rich in Calcium.
• Yogurt can boost your immunity.
• Yogurt helps your digestion.
• Yogurt reduces risk of high blood pressure.

Yogurt is not only healthy! I found online some interesting things yogurt can do for you.

Image Source: www.rewaj.pk

• Yogurt as a face mask. Here's a DIY from health.com: Mix 1 cup Greek yogurt with 2 to 3 drops of almond or olive oil and a tablespoon of honey; apply to face, leave on for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Result: more radiant skin.

Image Source: www.roseenterprisesindia.com

• Yogurt as a brass cleaner. Bond's cleaning technique: Go over each piece with a damp cloth, then scoop a few tablespoons of plain yogurt onto a clean rag and rub on until it's shiny. Wipe off excess yogurt, wash with soap and hot water, and buff with a clean rag to see some serious shine. Source: www.health.com