The 17th of October was a very special event for me because it was our mom’s 70th birthday. I also took this opportunity to style here dessert table and her centerpieces.
It seems that event styling is slightly growing in me. I am no way an expert but I am now having a big appetite for it. I am offering it for family and friends. And I admit, I am really enjoying it.
We chose a romantic vintage vibe because it captures my mother’s life. She had lead a beautiful and colorful life with a big chunk of it spent of it travelling for work in university library.
Here is a photo walkthrough of her birthday:
Her simple dessert table.A mix and match of cupcake holders with books and square planters give a vintage unkempt vibe. The asters also makes it feel vintage.When a cake is beautifully made, it stands out despite all the other elements.The world is revolutionized by beautiful, dainty thingsRomanticism comes from deep connection with your creativityGrandeur of center pieces is not only when you put too many elements, it is how you combine to make a coherent theme.My sisters labor of love, a small token for our mom’s friends.She deserves this night and all the rest of the world’s happiness.My daughter is her best buddy right now.
Cakes: Zozo’s Cakes and Pastries, Venue and Food: Gazpacho’s Restobar, Entertainment: Timeless Acoustic, Dance Instructor: Allan
For almost two years now, my husband and I have shunned from travel and relaxation. We just got so busy with our daily lives, being new parents, exploring new jobs and generally adjusting to our new kind of life. I am honestly having some issues including health ones from not taking a break.
Finally, we have decided to take a weekend off. We picked somewhere near and have easy access because we have to be home by the time work starts. I was so excited and up for the slight planning of our trip but so shocked of how much we brought for our daughter. It ranges from the nappies, sterilizers, baby bottles, water bottles, her soap, her dishwashing cleanser, her brushes, vitamins, maintenance medications, etc. How much do toddlers actually need? I am hoping this is just a stage.
From our city in Iligan, my husband and daughter fetched me from work in Initao and had lunch in Panagatan, a seaside restaurant located in Opol, Misamis Oriental. She wanted to jump in the water and swim with the fishes, luckily, she got distracted by the food. I have never seen her so excited before. I mean we go to Cagayan de Oro a few times to do some errands but I think she can sense that this is a different kind of trip. Maybe she can sense that we are super excited, too.
Asking people for directions was the kind of thing my husband like. I am a little techy, so I used my phone’s GPS and he laughed so hard when it prompted him to turn left or right. He funnily joked around and said that it will somehow prompt him to go home while doing his happy hour.
It is a 40-minute drive from Cagayan de Oro although it is located in Bukidnon. You know when you drive from the city and it changes location to a province and the air changes, like it mellows down and became cooler although we can literally see the city behind. The drive felt like that. And I never felt like that for a long time.
I just wanted to pop out the car and take some picture, if not for my daughter who is sleeping beside and grabbing my hand. So I just enjoyed the greeneries and the bodies of water while I am holding her hand thinking how she have grown so big. I thanked the Father countless time for His glorious creations and for our lives.
We arrived but not without my heart pumping to the 1st gear only roads. Yes, it has been a long time since that sense of fear and excitement with the feeling of relief when you finally arrived. Fresh air, cool view and finally sometime to ourselves.
We reserved a double bed room. It was so simple but I liked their glass door installments. It made the room felt so big and I so loved that I can see the greeneries. Marley explored the room and she inexplicably loved it. She loved that she can climb up and down the bed. She owned the room like a boss.
We just slept for the afternoon and went strolling when the sun came down. My girl was ecstatic especially when she saw a pony. She laughed at how it neighed. She actually wants to pet it but we were afraid to touch it.
We had dinner at their restaurant and opted to do night swimming but it was too chilly and Marley was shivering so hard that upon 5 minutes of swimming we stopped and returned in the morning. This is the highlight of the resort, their infinity pool. It is relaxing overlooking Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon. Though the water is chlorinated, we did enjoy a lot and my daughter’s happiness while flapping in the water was something that money can’t buy.
For the rest of the morning we had breakfast, strolled around, met some new acquaintances and swam until she got to too tired to even climbed to bed. And from there, we ended our travel and head home. With our heart and soul recharged after a long time of a break-less-monotonous-life.
From this trip, I have relearned that sometimes taking a time-off and spending some money on a trip is not bad. We were different when we came back home. It felt like we reconnected and my daughter loved us even more. This is something she will definitely she will look back on. Hoping it will be one of the many.
When I was younger, I always had between a so-so skin. I didn’t have lots of breakouts and I don’t have lots of blemishes. For this reason, I didn’t develop a good skin care routine. In my late 20s, I noticed that I had wrinkles, uneven skintone and other problems so I resorted to just washing my face with a Dove Bar and bought day and night creams. Basically I was contented with it. But after giving birth, my skin was out of control that I needed to amp up my skin care routine.
I wash my face with Human Heart Nature’s Nourishing Facial Wash daily and 2-3 times a week I do scrub my face with Human Heart Nature’s Purifying Facial Scrub. After scrubbing my face, I usually apply Purederm’s Moisture Mask and Purederm’s Collagen Eye Zone Mask which I bought from our local drugstore.
Once I finish cleansing my face, I do use my Beauty Recipe Apple Pore Minimizing Toner. Then I treat myself with 2-3 pumps of Human Heart Nature’s newly launched Luxe Sunflower Beauty Oil. I apply to my face and neck before apply my cream moisturizers.
In the morning, I usually apply the Beauty Recipe’s DD Cream on my no makeup days and Avon’s Anew White CC cream when I want to wear make up. At night, I apply the Beauty Recipe’s Night Cream which I absolutely love.
My skin still has blemishes though but in this past few weeks, it has improved a lot. Drinking a lot of water helps a lot too. All I really need now to do is to eat more healthy and exercise. 😊
Because her father is not around for a seminar, I decided to take her around the city for some errands. And because it was almost lunch when we finished one of the tasks, I decided to take her to a newly opened diner, Burp Diner. It is located at the back the St. Michael’s Cathedral of Iligan City.
It has a mixed fairytale-like feel on the other side while it looks contemporary industrial on the other side. It would be lovely to have a coherent theme. And since the place is quite small, it will be much spacious if some sort of bar table is installed and attached to the wall with high chairs to save space.
The service was okay. It is important that the waiters are courteous and accommodating. Maybe because they just started, they scrambled around especially when a lot of customers came in. At the time that we came, the menu was still written in a chalk board. It would have been nice if they have a physical menu.
We ordered Tuna Carbonara Pasta, Yema Cake and a pink lemonade with it. The pasta was too sweet and creamy for me. Marley liked it though. I would appreciate if it had some herby taste, something that will make it fresh and a splash of lemon would be nice. The cake was too sweet that I felt nauseous after eating one slice and Marley can’t even take it. She had her pink lemonade for dessert instead. I will prefer if they have fresh juices, shakes and tea to offer
We may return after a month or two and we will see if there will be improvements but we enjoyed. The sugar made Marley too hyperactive though.
I found out that I can bring my daughter on dates a few months ago. She is like a proper child now. She will sit on chairs, appreciates good food, she interacts and asserts on what she wants. It can be tricky sometimes though, because children like to explore every nook and cranny. It can literally turn your life upside down too especially when most of our restaurants are not kid-friendly.
Iligan City, ever since I was born, has been flourishing with good restaurants and among the biggest is sunburst which has franchise all over the country. And today, the gastronomic feats have markedly improved with artsy, quaint and industrial restos. I would like to bring my daughter once in a while to these places so she will have lots of memories and experiences to look back on.
One of her instant favorite is Tedt’s. It has been around for a long time, I think I was still in high school when I knew it existed. Among our favorite are their pasta menu and scrumptious cupcakes.
Another dainty stop is Pinch aka ‘Duterte Café’. The interior basically screams quaint and artistic. It is one of the shabbiest chic place I have seen and the owners are lovely. She marveled at their interior and had the best laughs while eating. I love that they have unique meals, desserts and tea.
Another place that we have been to is another artsy coffee shop, The Homebrew Café. It is memorable to us because my husband and I took one of our engagement shoots here. And it is so wonderful that I am able to share this place to my daughter. I love their pizza and tea.
I want to document these moments, having our alone-time because I want to have a relationship with my daughter. I want her to treat me as a mother as well as her friend. I hope someday she will look at these as treasures.
Life is hard but not without happiness. Me, I find simple joys in life from my family to what I eat or just simply breathing fresh air.
Over a year of becoming a mother, my life changed completely. There are polar opposites of emotions. I find contentment and solace when I see my daughter’s smile. She is priceless, motherhood is priceless. It is forever in a lifetime and beyond but there will never always be enough time, enough tears or enough love.
I always cherish these moments. She is growing up so fast but if I can, I would like to extend these moment because she needs me and she will cry for me a lot. A thing that won’t last for long because everyone will eventually grow up. One of my purpose in life is being needed by her. And it makes me feel accomplished as a mother.
I also enjoy the fact that I have a little human to go on dates with. It is so funny how she reacts when I give her a seat and let her pick her food. I plan to do these more often because I want her to live by the thought that she is important. I am toiling for her future but money will never equal the time that you spend with your family. It will never turn back time nor will it replace the feeling of hurt or neglect or worse the feeling of being unloved.
A little sweet and cheeky moments with my husband without my daughter is a relief. Having our daughter around is lovely but we do need our time together to reconnect. He is as important as my daughter and he must know that. I am a wife and as much as I want to drown in other priorities, my husband will always come on top. A good wife must take good care of her husband. It is has been known.
Today many couples separate because compromise and sacrifice is slowly growing extinct. Many are susceptible to that because life is becoming fast-paced, commercialized and monopolized by truth benders. Us, we are praying hard and working hard on our marriage.
What I missed is some me time and I cherish every moment of it. I used to “date” myself a lot and eat alone. I truly enjoy having to think and eat and read alone. And I especially enjoy now that Iligan has highly improved gastronomic feats.
Enjoying yourself is a key to self-preservation. Your life maybe tied to so many things including your family but it does not need to be dependent of those. Your outlook will change once you adjust to prioritizing yourself (not in a selfish way). Living life means you have to live yours where you potential is fulfilled and you are fulfilled yourself.
Rediscovering my love for reading novels has been a breath of fresh. I am once again transported to other realms. Happiness in the pages of a book is always a classic for me. These intricate words inscribed your heart forever, fueling your imagination and working your brain out just to live in that pages that will forever haunt you. You know your heart is set when the pages are calling you. Read. It makes so much difference.
I have rediscovered so many things that I love before. Pampering myself with yoga or rediscovering my love for make-up or being overjoyed with little accomplishment in writing journals makes me a little overwhelmed with happiness. So much has changed in my life but I discover that some of the simplest things that makes me happy before still makes me happy now. And I am so blessed because apart from the old ones new sources of happiness has also come.
Knowing this gets me going and makes me feel contented. Extravagance will give temporary satisfaction but the root that keeps you grounded, sane and full is the one that will give the romance of living.
Because I haven’t found a beauty regimen that is suitable for me, I am in a constant search for beauty products. While browsing my facebook, I stumbled upon the sponsored post of the Beauty Recipe Philippines. So I ordered their toner, day and night moisturizer.
It has been weeks since I have used it and here are my reviews on each.
General Review
It was taken by courier to my home. It came with a box and a rafia ribbon with a gratitude note. The toner was packed with a bubble wrap which I appreciate but the product had some spill.Each moisturizer had a separate box. The prints were adorable. I appreciate the details.
But the one I noticed is that it is bulky. When you need to bring it for traveling or an overnight, it consumes lots of space. It is also not flexible because you have to organize it properly in your regimen bag so that it won’t spill or cause a mess after opening.
APPLE PORE MINIMIZER TONER
From their facebook post
Photo from Beauty Recipe Philippines
Beauty Recipe’s Apple Pore Minimizer removes the deep seated dirt trapped inside pores. Let’s face it, your facial wash or face soap can only do so much. And when you don’t use a toner before going to bed, you’ll be spending the next 4 days with a bump on your face.
When used regularly, it can minimize pores and balance the skin’s PH level. If in case you snoozed through PH day in chemistry class, the ideal PH level is 5.5. If the skin’s PH level is far from 5.5, it will be dry or oily. This toner however, helps in making the skin’s PH as near to 5.5 as possible. YES! Balancing your skin’s PH is easier than balancing your life!
It also contains apple extract that is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C, both important properties in keeping the skin youtful and energized. Retail Price is P330 for a 250 ML bottle.
My Review
I love this product. Among the three I bought, this one is my favorite.
It can really clean your face even after washing.
It smells good.
It has some cooling effect when you apply it to your skin.
It doesn’t dry out your skin like other toners.
It was successful in minimizing my pores.
The drawback includes the packaging and the stinging that it leaves on certain areas of your face. The bottle is actually aesthetically pleasing but it is not handy and the bottle cap is prone for spillage.
TOMATO DD DAY CREAM WITH SPF 30
From their facebook post
Photo from The Beauty Recipe
Our revolutionary DD cream contains tomato extract and sunscreen – crucial ingredients needed to bring out your skin’s natural pinkish glow, hide blemishes and other imperfections while protecting your skin from intense sun damage. Its dewy finish makes it suitable for dry skin. DD cream blends well with any skin tone and can be used as an excellent make up base. 15 grams. Price: P340
My Review
This a very moisturizing product with a dewy finish. Dewy doesn’t sit well with my skin though because I am naturally oily.
It makes my skin very shiny even after I powdered.
It doesn’t have a good coverage, is not buildable and when I wear for the day, it makes my skin blotchy.
It gives me breakout.
The color is in the pinky tone and it is not flexible for other skin tones.
The packaging is nice but I would prefer a pump type because it is more hygenic and handy to bring.
MOISTURIZER WHITENING NIGHT CREAM
from their facebook post
Photo from the Beauty Recipe
OUR BESTSELLER!!! Beauty Recipe’s Whitening Night Cream Moisturizer hydrates and whitens skin while you sleep. It also tightens pores and nourishes dull and tired skin. Contains MELAWHITE, a safe and effective ingredient that moisturizes and lightens skin naturally. It visibly lessens fine lines and wrinkles and whitens skin through regular use.Smooth on face and neck after cleansing. Apply every night.30 grams. Retail Php 330
My Review
At night, no matter how oily I get through the day, my skin tend to dry out. This product might just the solution for me.
This is hydrating and moisturizing.
A small amount goes a long way.
It doesn’t give me breakouts.
It doesn’t have a greasy feel.
My pores has considerable minimized.
I haven’t noticed much if my skin has already whitened though.
The one drawback is again the packaging. It is really hygenic if they use the pump.
CONCLUSION
I really liked 2 out the 3 products that I have used. The DD cream just wasn’t for me.
For more details about their products, go to beautyrecipe.ph.
Last March, we spent our time preparing for my daughter’s first birthday. She is our first child and it is exciting for first-time parents to prepare for this kind of event.
First stop was here prebirthday photoshoot. I hired our wedding photographer, Ravie Wong, who loved shooting her. Ravie is a friend and wedding and lifestyle photographer. If you want to see her work, go to her website.
Next we hired our other suppliers. The venue and food was at MaRro’s Cocina who happen to have great food and services. Unfortunately, they have already closed down due to legal matters.
The host and entertainment from Dexter’s party labs. They provided the fun and games as well as a bubble show which the children enjoyed. They also have other services.
Marley’s cake and cupcakes was made by the very lovely Miss Karen Lucasan of Zozo’s. She made this intricate designs of flowers and grasses. Her cakes are to die for. I think she is the best there is in our town.
The decors and stuffs we made by me and my husband’s precious hands with things like here milk cartons, paper flowers, etc.
There is nothing more enjoyable than doing something special for your child. We are very thankful that my daughter celebrated her first birthday. She is truly a blessing and I thank God to fullest for her wonderful presence in our lives.
I was so happy when I stumbled upon bullet journaling a few days ago. For me using a premade planner is a little bit boring because you are stuck with what you have. But with the bullet journal, there are endless possibilities.
Although I enjoyed doing bullet journal, like any other, it has its pros and cons.
Pros
– It is crude and simple. Literally all you need is a pen and a notebook and then plan your task for the day or a week, finish it or migrate if you are unable to do so. Know more about the foundamentals of bullet journal, here.
– If you are creative and wants uninhibited form of planning, then this is for you. As I have said it has endless possibilities. Pinterest and instagram have boasted some of the most beautiful bujo spreads. People make different creative stuff and its redefining the world of planning.
*(Bujo is short for bullet journal)
– Making a bujo was really relaxing for me. It takes my mind off to the constant rumblings of the world. Its free-range form makes it therapeutic.
– It improves your handwriting skills. Because it is crude, meaning you have to make everything yourself, I, personally, make an effort to make everything understandable, readable and clean.
– It improves planning and organizational skills. Although the fundamentals of a bujo is very simple, but making it your own is strategic. You have to think as a maker and not a just a planner.
– You can control everything and you can make spreads that suit your life, personality and needs.
Cons
– It is time consuming because you have to make everything from scratch.
– It can be a two-way street for the perfectionist. While perfectionist spreads beautifully graces the pages of pinterest and instagram, a little smear can cause stress to these kinds of people. I have a friend who repeats everything from the beginning if she sees something wrong with her work.
– The idea of the planner is to make everything easier but with people posting super beautiful spreads in social media, some people gets insecure in starting one especially those doesn’t have good handwriting and doesn’t know how to doodle.
– Social media also sets an expensive trend, from the notebook to the pens they use.
Easy is the key to planning. Use the planner that is convenient for you. Don’t worry about the trends that is popping all over the internet. What is important is that you get the task done because you have planned.
Edgars Road 