Cutty

I've started buying Christmas gifts for friends.  I have randomly picked out items for people in my list.  I also made mental notes on what to get for the special persons on my list when my budget comes in.  In the process, I made my own list to give to myself. I've been thinking about getting new pair of sunglasses or enrolling in a short course on Pastry Arts or Bread Making. ... Or a pair of neutral travel flats ... or, maybe, a rotating waffle maker  Yup, nothing too lavish.  No bags this time around.   I know I am too old to be making wish lists.  But, it's done.

Travelling is my escape.  To some people, travel equals shopping.  Some equate it to a lifestyle brag-worthy on social media.  To me, it is a rejuvenating and an eye-opening experience.  It is my food for the soul.   It is my annual retreat. Unfortunately, with our present commitments and responsibilities plus children to consider, it has become difficult to orchestrate an escape. -------------------------- Ever since we entered the second quarter of the year, I've been hinting about going on a trip.   I saw that the coming months were quite demanding so I wanted to meet the demands with a calm and relaxed disposition.  The year is about to end and no trip took place.   Sadly, even our annual year-end trip isn't pushing through this time. Needless to say, I survived.  But, I am ThisCloseToLosingIt. One thing that is keeping me sane is the light at the end of the tunnel.  I am seeing two trips next year.  One to Japan with the kids, because we couldn't let the VISA g

I am a mother of 3 boys and 1 girl.  My little girl is now five years old.  She will soon move on to the big school.  I've had "where has the time gone" moments more often than usual.  Like most moms, I wish that my children wont grow up too fast. With that said, I try to dress my unica hija appropriately.  I let her choose her clothes and shoes.  I sometimes let her borrow my accessosories.  With my intervention, she knows when her attire is not appropriate for a certain event or function.  It means that play clothes are different from church clothes. This is why I am extremely bothered when parents do not dress their girls appropriately.  I found some images in Instagram that made me uneasy.  I do not know these children personally.  They seem to be enjoying playing dress-up.  However, some parents do not realize that they are promoting sexiness at such a young age.  They should be teaching their kids to dress for function not for exploitation.

"What goes around, comes around."  That is the simplest explanation I can think of. But, growing up, I used to think that Karma is only associated to bad things or negative forces.  Apparently, it is a Buddhist concept that refers to one's fate after re-birth.  If you did good things, good Karma and happiness will come to you.  Otherwise, expect bad Karma and suffering. I know, as a Catholic, I shouldn't believe in these things.  However, there are just circumstances that dictate that these are not mere coincidences. ============ Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to help out in a fund-raising activity for a Cancer patient .  It wasn't originally in my calendar.  But, because they needed more people to sing, I said yes.  I was too lazy to go.  It was such a bother to make changes on my busiest day of the week.  I had to cancel lunch with my parents.  We had to take separate cars.  When I first got there, I couldn't wait for the event to end. 

Two Saturdays ago, Vic left to accompany his Dad to a European Pilgrimage. I've been a single mom for more than a week now. If I was busy then, I doing double duty now. I was doing okay on the first few days. I figured how to adjust our routine making sure there was little disruption to our current routine.  You see, routines are important if you have young children.  Less disruption means less chaos. All was doing well until my one and only yaya got herself a sprained ankle. I guess we were still lucky that it wasn't fractured.  The swelling hasn't gone down but at least she is more mobile now. Superwoman, that's what I call myself when the going gets tough.  But, I couldn't be one if I didn't have an efficient support system. We've been staying with my parents since my yaya got injured.  My burdern has significantly decreased.  I no longer worry about meals. My mother helps giving baths and naps to Joaquin. They also help entertain the older kids s

I've heard good reviews about this new place called Books and Borders Cafe so I gave it a try.  My first visit was short but sweet that it required another visit. One thing I liked about the place is the ambiance.  The colorful chairs give a friendly, vibrant, " happy place"  vibe.  It felt like it encouraged people to linger, to read and to talk.   It was cool and comfortable enough. Menu.  The place offers BAD (breakfast all day) with a free serving of coffee.  It is varied enough with it's wide selection of cakes and meals.   Unlike the other book cafe , this menu is quite easy to read.  It was clear enough to know what you should expect from your order.   Unlike the other book cafe, when it says chocolate, it meant chocolate NOT cookies and cream. The menu items are reasonably priced, IMHO. In thise two visits, I tried the salted hot cholate, a caramel bar and bacon and eggs.  They all tasted good. I recommend the salted hot chocolate. It was thick and crea

In Manila, there is a what I call  a Food Fad. There was a time when milk tea was the in thing. Then came the cupcake stand-alone shops. Then, there was the advent of the Japanese food shops. Everyone is flocking to try the best Katsu, the best ramen.... Now, I think is the time of the book cafes, a spin-off from coffee shops in bookstores (think Starbucks in B&N). To me, it is a library where you can enjoy drinks and meals. It is a place where you are actually encouraged to stay and read. It was good that it came when it did. People are not so encouraged to linger in coffee shops anymore. Electric plugs are being removed from coffee shops to discourage staying longer than usual.  We can no longer have decent conversations in coffee shops because it littered with noisy crowds. Have you been to a book cafe recently? You may have heard about Tweedle in Scout Gandia or Books and Borders in Tomas Morato. I've tried both. I will tell you more about Books and Borders in my ne

Since almost everyone I know visited Japan this summer, I would like re-live my visit this year through this post.  This time, I will focus on luxury bags. We've heard about the usual reseller shops that house these luxury brands.  The one I can remember now is Daikokuya. I must've visited almost all reseller shops I've seen on the road.  I've noticed that these shops carry the top 3 popular ones:  Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton.  There still are several pieces of Balenciaga, Valentino, Tory Burch, Celine, Gucci and Michael Kors but not as abundant as the top 3.  I guess what carries the most value are the three popular ones. If you are looking for cheap designer bags, I suggest checking out Don Quixote.  You will usually find on the topmost floors on Donki.  I think this is the one in Shinjuku. I am not so sure. You find them arranged like this or inside locked glass cabinets.  I'm sure the artisans who made these bags will turn in their graves seein

I've heard so much about the restaurants sprouting along Lilac St. in Marikina. Though it is just 10 minutes away from the place I grew up in, I never really had a chance to sample any of it, mainly because my mother always prepares food for us whenever we visit.  Except today. So, I took the opportunity to sample the food of Lilac Street.  My first choice was my friend Dang's take-out bar called OMOnok, that serves Korean-style fried chicken.  Unfortunately, it was closed during lunch today. I drove some more and found a bigger restaurant called Miguel and Maria. Unlike the other establishments, this one can accommodate 6 cars in the parking lot.  Based on my estimate, it can also seat around 60 diners at a time.  There are seats outside the main dining hall for smokers.  The main dining hall is divided into two sections.  The wooden doors and window plus marbled floors gave that homey feel.  I guess this was one of those old homes that were converted into a restaura

For the life of me, I can not imagine how some people can spend endlessly, as if they really pick money from the tree.   Do they really have deep pockets?  Do they have endless wealth?  Or, are they secretly drowning in debt? I guess, I was once like that.  Spending as if there is no tomorrow.  The desire to acquire was there.   The desire to have the best of life was there, at least, until life happened.  Now, there is the future to think about.  I am talking about educational plans, insurance payments, school fees, emergency funds to fill.   With four kids to think about, I can't spend a single hundred without assessing if it is a need or a want.  Sometimes, I forego of rewarding myself for the sake of this and that.  I have been doing this exercise for a couple of years now.  It was good for my EQ.  I am not heart-broken now that I don't have the latest "big" thing. I guess it is because I am more exposed to the less fortunate that I am more mindful

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Joaquin's birthday party.  This time, I'd like to show you pictures of the party taken through Ces Kasilag's eyes. Ces has been our default party photographer for our last 3 parties.  She knows our preferences and I am happy with her work. Here are the Elmo centerpieces, towers and lanterns by Polkadots Other party details

I was just telling my friends last week that I have no more planned trips for the year. Then,  something unfortunate happened that a trip to Baguio was in order.  Over the weekend, Vic and I made our way to the summer capital. It was an impromptu trip that we had no time to book our hotel for the weekend. Although it was a spur of the moment thing, everything else felt conveniently planned.  Travel was a breeze. Literally. Thanks to the interconnectivity of NLEX, SCTEX and TPLEX we made it to Baguio in 3.5 hours, two stops included. We got back  to Manila in 3 hours because no speed limit was imposed on the whole stretch of TPLEX.  Our usual hotel was fully booked but the alternative was good enough. We stayed at Chalet Hotel, owned and operated by the Dulcinea group. It is only 3 years old so facilities are quite new. It was adequate for our overnight stay.  In our short stay, we managed to try out 5 new restaurants. Yes, we were never hungry. Hehehe. Unfortunately, we didn't have

Thanks to the Great Miles Getaway, I was able to score roundtrip business class tickets for Haneda.  We took the PAL red-eye flight from Manila and arrived in Haneda around Midnight. This was a DIY trip with my husband, whose last visit to Japan was more than a decade ago.  You can just imagine his excitement.  I just secured the tickets and left him to make all the other arrangements.  He did the research about airport transfers, booked our hotel and AirBnB accommodations and figured out our stops.  He got a reservation for his Kobe Beef birthday dinner at one of the leading restaurants in town.   This was my third visit to Japan.  First was the Tokyo with the ACS.  Next was Sapporo for the second round of THREE.  This time, with Vic, I was able to explore and familiarize myself with this lovely Japanese city.  Most of my previous trips were spent inside rehearsal rooms so I was glad for the opportunity to come back. I'd like to share with you my observations.  It may help

Back when Vic and I were still a young couple, I felt that Valentine's Day was a big deal.  I don't mind if I don't receive flowers.  But, there has to be a special dinner.  Now that we have celebrations like annniversaries and birthdays too close to Valentine's Day, I felt it unnecessary and bothersome to celebrate.  With the cheesiness I see on TV and FB, it is starting to get very corny. Honestly, I feel that Mother's Day should be given more importance.  Hehehe.  Well, as we mature, our priorities change.  We became pratical too. Vic and I went on a pre-VDay night out with friends.  It was spent singing, drinking and catching up with friends.  It was a good night that lasted till the wee hours of the following day. On Valentine's Day, I did my usual thing.  I paid the spa a visit after an early morning singing engagement.  We brought the car in for some repairs.  After getting things in order, we shared a special meal that comprised of steak and salad.

My husband is excited about our upcoming trip this weekend. He will be celebrating his birthday in Japan. This trip is actually a 3-in-1 gift to both of us. This covers our wedding anniversary and both our birthdays. It really is a cheap gift if you ask me. We got our plane tickets from our Mabuhay Miles credits.   This is Vic's second trip to Japan. The first one was nearly two decades ago. This is my third though I feel like this is my first time. My previous visits were not leisure trips so I really haven't had the chance to explore and enjoy the sights. I am currently working on an itinerary because I don't know where to go. We are not going to the Tokyo Disneysea or any other theme park because we are not traveling with our kids. I am trying to recall the highlights of my first Tokyo visit. I do remember the "death march" to Harajuku St., Asakusa, St. Francis chapel, the complicated train system, various milk teas, the convenience stores, seei

It is my second visit to this small cafe. It right across my son's school so I find it convenient to come back again.  It offers drinks different from the mainstream cafes. It has a varied selection of hot chocolate drinks that come in fragile cups like this.  This is a serving of Hot Chocolate infused with Cinnamon. For P160, it is kinda hefty.  My first experience of Tweedle hot cocoa was the Dark Chocolate variant.   I found it too pure, I had to ask for two helpings of syrup. The server was right that I may find it too bitter.  Their hot cocoa selection comes from TCC. I am not familiar with the brand.  From what I've seen, it looks like it's Philippine-made. It tastes of the premium kind. But, it still hasn't come up to my Top 3.  Honestly, I find everything on the menu on the expensive side too.  I  guess I am paying for the ambience. Like me, m ost of the people who hang out here just enjoy the cool A/C and the peace and quiet offered by this cafe. Along with a s

Our youngest, Joaquin Lorenzo, turned 1 last Saturday.  It wasn't a big production like the other first birthdays I orchestrated.  This time, it was a DIY party in our own backyard.  I had two weeks to prepare. As soon as I got back from our Dubai trip, I got hold of suppliers. I got a supplier from Etsy to do the invites: I got Jhoanne of Polkadots to do the decors.  Here are the Elmo lanterns.  I also had ELMO pillars and centerpieces made. Ces Kasilag covered the event.  She and Jhoanne have been helping me over the years.  They both got the shock of their lives to see my kids grown up. Kuya Boyette took care of the tarp design.  You can see it in the photo above.  I ordered food from Hearty Onion.  They weren't availble to cater, even if they were available, I couldn't afford them.  I got the Stuffed Hoisin-Glazed Chicken, Pandan-Wrapped Salmon and Beef Tapa. I made Inihaw na Liempo, sandwiches, green-leafy salad and desserts.  My dessert table ha