Flowers from Two Gentlemen

Dens has always given me flowers on Valentines' Day. He would always buy three bouquets on the special occassion. One for his mom, one for my mom, and one for me. It's been 13 years of the same routine that sometimes I forget to appreciate it as much as I should.

Flowers from Dens

Yesterday when I got home, Troy excitedly ran to me and handed me his own 'bouquet'. His yaya said he got it from my mom's house earlier that day. He held on to it all day and didn't want to throw it out saying it was a surprise for me.

Flowers from Troy. I placed it on the table together with the pearls that I was wearing yesterday and thought it looked picture-perfect together

I am pretty sure Troy got the idea from the flowers Dens gave me. I love that he adores Dens and models after his father. I hope it stays that way for a long long time.

Dear Love,

I know you read my blog everyday so you will see this when you get to the office. Thank you for being a wonderful mentor and role model to Troy. I will be the happiest mother in the world if he grows up to be the kind of man that you are. 

Excited to see you later,
fan


**NOTE: i just realized that this is my 100th published blog post! Am happy that it's very meaningful to me.

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Behind the Scenes at the Pinoy MasterChef Live Cook-off

Last February 9, i celebrated my inner 'chaka-ness' and went with my sister and some friends to the live taping of the MasterChef finale show.  I rarely watch television these days so I didn't even know there was a local franchise of the said show here in the Philippines.  My sister and I already scheduled something that day but when the marketing person of the show called her up to say they were giving her four (4) VIP seats, we willingly rearranged our schedule. Yes to 'star-sighting'!

The taping was scheduled to start at 9:30am. We were told that it's best to go early to get good seats. It was held at the SM Sky Dome near SM North Edsa. That was a good 30 to 40 minutes away from where we live but we were determined to go. We got to the taping before 8:00am and saw a bunch of people lined up with banners and balloons.

It took us a while to get in so I had a few minutes to go around the Sky Dome and see what it's like. The last time I was in SM North Edsa was back in high school. It's been a while and so much has changed.

My Instagram picture of the SM Sky Dome restaurants

There were various establishments from Starbucks to Gerry's Grill on the 2nd floor of the Sky Dome. It was a pretty nice place actually.

We were finally able to get in the theater around 9:15am and saw the lightsmen and production crew setting up the camera and other props on stage. By 9:30am, one of the crew members started prepping the crowd. They taught us cheers and dances that we will be doing during the show. I felt like i was on the Ellen Degeneres show! Okay, fine - it was very Wowowie!

me, my sister, and our friend, Yovi

The production crew having their picture taken with ABS-CBN's Director Lauren Dyogi

Front Act performance by Yeng Constantino

Judy Ann came out to start the show. I was never a fan and have always thought she looked quite chubby on screen even after she lost weight. But wow, the camera does add 10 lbs! She was very slim and pretty in person. I was very impressed.

Richard Gomez and Kris Aquino were the judges for the finale show. We were able to see Richard up close since Director Lauren Dyogi sat in front of us and he came to say hello.



Judy Ann announcing announce the Top 3

 

Judy Ann and the three other chefs (Judy Ann's 2nd outfit)

The top 3 contestants (JR, Carla, and Ivory) was tasked to prepare a dish within 30 minutes. Each contestant had their own cooking table and a variety of ingredients available to them. As soon as they started cooking, the entire auditorium started to smell like food. We were seriously starting to get really hungry. My mind was already wandering and thinking where to have lunch.

JR




Carla

Ivory (with Kris & Richard in the background)

Time's Up!

 

Carla won 2nd place (Judy Ann's 3rd outfit!)

 

JR won 1st place

It was a fun experience to see the stars and be part of this event. Here's to more 'tapings' in the future!

NOTE: Thanks to Maricar Camorongan for all the pictures taken during the show. She did a great job covering the event and captured the highlights beautifully. If you're looking for an event photographer that produces excellent pictures at really reasonable prices, do get in touch with her.

Maricar Camorongan -  0917-8015427

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My Babypalooza Experience

So last weekend was tiring but productive.  My friend Candy and i sold a lot of used/unused pre-loved items at the Babypalooza Bazaar. I got there around 9:00am and was done setting up before 9:30am. The bazaar officially opened at 10:00am.

Candy, our little seller Kimi, and me

The venue was at the 2nd floor of the Walter Hogan Hall within the Ateneo compound.  The bazaar was a mix of branded (new) items and pre-loved ones. I saw a lot of my online friends there and met some new ones too!

Here is a quick run down of the booths i've visited.

Tickled Moms sold some really nice mesh baby pouches. I like that the fabric is quick-drying and breathable. So perfect for a day in the beach with your little ones.

I saw Paola of MommyTreats there too! Paola makes the best brownies ever! All her treats are meant to increase milk supply for breastfeeding moms.  It's really so delicious that i'm pretty sure i will continue to order even when i've stopped breastfeeding my little girl. I got to try the peppermint brownies during the event and it was sooo good! You can check out Paola's site and order from her here.

My sister, Tammy, of Spunkdesigns also had a booth there. Tammy sells the cutest little trinkets that are perfect as gifts to friends or giveaways during your events.  All the items are so cute you'd want to keep them for yourselves! You can visit her site here or like her facebook page to get regular updates here

I also met Helen of Hatch & Latch during the event. I've ordered the very effective More Milk Plus capsules from her before but we've never met in person.

I also came across Smart Steps during the bazaar. They sell detergent and bottle cleansers that are safe for babies. I personally haven't used it but some of you may be interested.

I actually got the mosquito patches since they have really unique designs that my kids love! I got baby avengers for Troy and Disney princess for Dawn.

There were so many stores selling adorable and affordable items. I had to stop myself from shopping those two days. I had to remind myself that i was there to dispose of old things and not hoard new ones.

Cute mommy & baby matching clothes



Babypalooza's Celeste and her husband



 Event styling by Red Riding Hood

Sole Gifts & Novelties

I initially felt that the traffic of people coming in was very slow.  But at the end of the first day, i was able to empty two out of three of our luggage-full-of-stuff already! And on the 2nd day, we were able to sell our stroller, car seat, and high chair plus another load of stuff. Since my mission was to free up storage space while making some money out of it, i believe it's safe to say that my weekend was truly very successful!

Not only is the event a good venue to sell your pre-loved items, it's also a great way to network with other entrepreneurs for your businesses.
I look forward to the next Babypalooza event and hope to still be able to join if my schedule permits. Hope to see you there too!

Happy week ahead, everyone!

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Beautiful Marriage Proposal

I saw this video a couple of years ago...i remembered it today and thought it's appropriate to share this with you on this wonderful day of love. I don't know Matt nor Ginny but i thought their proposal is the best i've seen to date. I love the humor, the preparation involved, and the fact that Matt asked Ginny's dad before he asked her.

Happy day of love, everyone!

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Our Fun Photo Shoot with Stan Ong

Last December, my dad was telling me that he wanted to send out a family Christmas card over the holidays. We had a few family photos but none that are truly holiday-card worthy. We decided that a studio session with a professional photographer was in order. 

We have already done a couple of photo shoots with the kids in the past. And although we do get a couple of good pictures afterwards, the photo shoot session can often be pretty stressful. You either get a cranky baby, an uncooperative toddler, or if you're lucky - both! Having a group shot with more than one child is another challenge altogether. Getting them to smile and look at the camera at the same time entails a lot of talent and patience.

I first saw Stan's work several years ago when he was still with Stork Studio. I was immediately drawn to the way he captured the moments beautifully. Stan has left Stork Studio over a year ago and has now created a self-named brand for himself. Stan normally does the photo shoots in parks, a rented studio, or a studio set up in the comforts of your own home. It really depends on the client. I really wanted an outdoor shoot but after weighing the pros and cons, we decided that a home shoot was the most relaxing way to go.

We initially scheduled our photo shoot on a Saturday morning. Mornings are very ideal for us since the kids are well rested and 'in the mood' most of the time. However, our schedule only allowed an afternoon shoot that week. So we had to move our photo shoot to 5pm on a weekday. That made me a little bit anxious since i know the kids can already be pretty tired by then.

Stan arrived on time with his team and they immediately started to set up the studio in our living room.

Stan had a way with the kids.  My children immediately felt comfortable with him.  Both of the kids enjoyed the shoot so much that my son was already asking me when Uncle Stan's next visit would be right after the shoot. They happily played with Stan all throughout our session and Stan was extremely patient with them.

The entire family had a fun time during the shoot. It wasn't stressful at all. No crying babies or uncooperative toddlers. The two kids were having a blast posing for the camera. They just felt like it was playtime.

One thing i love about Stan is that he doesn't rush his clients. Although his photo shoots are usually scheduled for an hour, he doesn't mind extending it to accommodate more shots until he is sure that the family is fully satisfied.

Here are some unedited shots that Stan sent to us. Can you believe all of these are untouched? The background and shots are so clean, it's so good as it is already!

Here's to more sessions, Stan. We look forward to the next one - an outdoor shoot, perhaps?

Know more about Stan by visiting his website - http://www.stanleyongphotography.com/  

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Babypalooza Bazaar 2013!

My friend Candy (TheCorporateHousewifeMom) and I are selling some new and pre-loved items at this year's Babypalooza Bazaar.

Multi-tasking moms can also attend parenting talks in between shopping time!

Topics/Schedule:

Childhood Happens Once (Play)
Tips on how to enrich playtime with your child.
Feb. 16, 2013 – Rm. 3, 12-1 p.m.,
Walter Hogan Conference Center, ADMU

Childhood Happens Once (Read) 
Ways on how to maximize reading sessions with your child.
Feb. 17, 2013 – Rm. 3, 12-1 p.m.,
Walter Hogan Conference Center, ADMU

*No entrance fees will be charged for these talks but pre-registration is highly encouraged. Limited seating capacity. Email babypalooza.info@gmail.com to reserve your seat.

We hope to see you there! You may visit http://www.babypalooza.com.ph/ to learn more about the event.

**Check out my review of the Babypalooza 2013 event here

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