It’s been a while, friends. So many things are happening in my personal life all at the same time. Busy would be an understatement. But it’s all good in the ‘hood, as they say. Always thankful, always grateful to the one above who gives me life every day and to the people who make living this life meaningful and worthwhile. So, what makes me busy these days? Work and motherhood, mostly. Oh, and how time really flies! Our baby NJ is now a preschooler! (Guess I need to practice omitting the “baby” after her name now.) She joined a summer camp last month and started attending summer class last Mo ..read more

Last year was full of pleasant surprises, happy memories, and great luck. Personally, I think it was one of my best years. As a family of three, we ended 2022 on a good note and welcomed 2023 with open arms! Our family life is okay and we have God to thank for that. Baby NJ, who is not so baby anymore, continues to brighten our days. May she remain as smart and funny and sweet and carefree! Here’s our “official” photo last New Year’s eve: Work, on the other hand, was definitely busy during the second half of the year. It was transition period in the office and we had a new set of bosses. But ..read more

I’ve been neglecting this blog. I’ve been preoccupied with work and lazy with anything that is not work-related. But today, I felt like I needed to share some life updates that I could look back on in the future. So, here are some things that happened to me and my little family since my last blog post: 1. One weekend in April, I invited over my friends way back during my Jollibee days (circa 2000s) back when I was still a working student in college. It was a reunion of sorts and I was happy they took time to be with me and my little family. We had a Korean dinner courtesy of Than’s samgyupsal ..read more

The hubby and I got married on March 17, 2012. It’s been 10 years since that life-changing day and look where we are now, we’re still deeply, madly in love with each other. Hahaha. Kidding aside, we just love each other to the extent that we continue to choose to be together in spite of and despite of. Our marriage is not a walk in the park but it continues to work and it continues to make us want to stay married, so I guess we’re doing just fine. When Pippo (our little angel in heaven) and NJ (our rainbow baby who’s a cheerful toddler now) came into our lives, our life together became happier ..read more

Our rainbow baby’s second birthday last Monday (February 7th) was celebrated simply and without fanfare. The hubby and I had a limited budget and we never really wanted to spend so much for it in the first place. I think what’s more important is that we made her happy with the few gifts she received and the unlimited supply of love and warmth from all of us at home. To brighten up our house on our daughter’s special day, I just bought some balloons for decoration and had food ordered in advance from this caterer I trust. Okay, I must admit I splurged a bit on her birthday cake. I got introduce ..read more

Last New year weekend was as bright and loud as it could be for us. It was our first time to celebrate it outside our residence. Where else, but at our condo! Team Techo and Team Mabalay went there for Media Noche and the condo’s balcony serve as our stage where we watched the cityscape get illuminated by fireworks. Baby NJ was in for a spectacular show but because she was already in dreamland when the clock struck 12, our poor, half-awake toddler (we sort of woke her up!) only enjoyed it for a few seconds. Here are some photos from our New Year family celebration: charcuterie boards by yours ..read more

Last Christmas weekend was a blast. Because she’s a toddler now, baby NJ was more interactive and fun to be with this time around as compared to when she was still literally a baby. As usual, we spent our Christmas with my side of the family (a.k.a the house nextdoor). While waiting for Noche Buena, we hung out at the living room and watched as our beloved toddler opened her gifts one by one. It was such a delight to witness as she was more responsive and talkative now. Christmas always brings out the sentimental in me. I’m just so grateful to the one above my family is doing fine. It’s never ..read more

During last year’s Halloween, we thought baby NJ was too young to appreciate the event so we didn’t bother to introduce it to her. This year, though, was different. Her Tita Ninang Jodie bought some candies and chocolates and got her a Disney princess costume on Shopee. So, we agreed to dress her up for Halloween and let her experience trick-or-treating for the first time. It was a good thing our condo suddenly announced they would be having a trick-or-treat activity for the kids but they would be doing it the “new normal” style. By that, they meant delivering the “treats” to our doorstep inst ..read more

Last weekend was special because the hubby and I, along with my sister Nyam, got to celebrate our birthdays together. It was purely family, of course, because we were still under MECQ in Bacoor. For our convenience, we just had cakes and some dishes ordered, except for the lasagna that my sister Jodie took the time and effort to make for us (thanks again, sestra!). Our baby NJ is now the official candle blower in the family. Whenever we buy a cake either for a birthday or some other occasion, we make sure to include a candle or two for her to blow. The excitement on her face whenever she blows ..read more

Many people believe the pandemic has unleashed the spendthrift in us. I’m one of them. The savings I thought I would accumulate because of the past lockdowns and the work from home (WFH) setup I enjoyed (and continue to enjoy at present) didn’t materialize. Why? Because I spent a lot on food deliveries and online shopping. I dunno with you but I found it too easy to burn cash while stuck at home overthinking about the COVID-19 situation and its implications to my and my family’s future. But hey, I’m not here to regret my purchases or berate myself for my lack of financial discipline because tr ..read more