Refresh and Renew

So begins a new year of blogging for me.

I've been quite the busy bee so I fear this blog has gathered its share of cobwebs. So updates!


Motherhood

Little Peanut Pie turned out to be a girl. So her dad and I decided to name her Sophie Marie (Cinnamon). The Cinnamon is an unofficial name as her Nana (Caleb's mom) and her Mamina (Caleb's grandmother) both preferred Marie. So Marie she is!

So what's it like? It's like being on a roller coaster. A big chunk of the time, I feel crazy scared. I never really understood the phrase 'big, bad world' until the moment I held her in my arms. And speaking of fear, you don't know what the word means until you're faced with clipping teeny-tiny baby fingernails. I swear I still break out into cold sweat whenever I have to do it. On days when I feel I've hit a good groove, she throws a new thing into the loop. First, it was comfort nursing. Now, it's teething. Sometimes, it's like I'm underwater a lot of the time. Funny thing is, I love being underwater. At least, I'm in my natural element.

I've mostly been at home caring for her and at times, it can be pretty challenging. Long nights that are still disrupted when she has a bad dream. Early wake up calls too since she loves waking up with the dawn. Trying to figure out what she needs when she gets upset. It's not that hard, really. She's very easy to please. Just meet her needs and BAM! She's off flashing her gummy grins at you.

It's like playing Sims with no pause button, really.

Despite it all, I'm punch drunk in love with her. She can be quite the little doofus. She exhibits quite a strong will whenever she decides that she wants to do something. My heart just melts whenever I see father and daughter interacting with each other. She is such a daddy's girl! I don't mind in the least since I was one myself. I'm certainly thankful that my little girl is going to be swamped up to her eyeballs in love and affection.

Both mine and Caleb's families utterly adore her. One of my favorite memories to date would be my dad meeting Sophie for the first time. He wanted everything documented! During the Christmas lunch and dinner, he just hogged her to himself. Most of all, he wanted Sophie to call him with the name I used to call him when I was a little girl: Fudgee.

That tells me that my father loved that name as much as I did. There are no words to describe just how happy that makes me.

As I am Now

I'm a mombie (mom+zombie) mostly. My life revolves around sleeping, working, and caring for Sophie. It's tough but I love every moment of it. My friends visit me often and I really appreciate it. It's nice to know that when I'm unable to go and see my friends, they're more than willing to come to me.

Whenever Sophie sleeps and I have a moment to myself, I often think of my first daughter Magsie. I still mourn in my heart for her but I know she's in a better place. God always has a better plan for us no matter how bleak everything gets.

Anyway! I decided that after such a long hiatus, the blog could use some new things! So I got a little creative and made a new banner and a signature. Do you think it's okay? If any of you would like to know how I made it, feel free to leave a comment and I'll share the process.

So that's it for now!

Much love,

Hope

I suppose I can start with the usual I've-been-neglecting-this-blog line but that's already been the case since the previous posts. There's been too much going on, really. Sometimes, it seems way too much. Yet, what else can we expect out of life?

So really, what it boils down to is: where do I begin?

Name Switch

I decided to rename this blog since I don't really feel that 'anime-like-life' fits me quite as well as it used to. I have a lingering fondness for anime yet I no longer have the same need to view it or see it or know what's been going on. I'll leave that to Mattie (who seems to have gotten my old love for anime).

I used to look at my life based on it's sudden highs and just as sudden pitfalls. Pretty much like riding a roller-coaster. So all in all, it's just been constant transition for me. Hence the name (Yes, not particularly world-shattering. Better than nothing.)

Peanut Pie ♥

Prior to my vacation, my biggest worry was that I'd get -erm- lady troubles at the beach. As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about--or did I? The vacation was stressful, the travel was tiring, and I may have had a bit more than a half a glass of Tequila Sunrise. April had started and still no monthly flux. So it was time to go visit a doctor.

It was weird, I wasn't showing any symptoms at all. Quick trip to Asian, saw a new doctor since my old one was as useful as a fart in a bottle. I liked the new doctor, she paid attention to my concerns and she had a sense of humor. According to her calculations, I should have been around 6 weeks along. She referred us to the Women's Health Center at the other wing of Asian for an ultrasound. I was certainly relieved. The previous doctor had me go all the way to Festival Mall and the cost was waaaaay too high.

End of it all, I was 7 weeks and 2 days along. Expected month of arrival: November. I called my dad almost immediately afterwards. He was happy about it (he actually said he approved). Methinks, he's particularly fond of Caleb. After the check-up, it was time for the weekly family lunch with beloved's lola and his aunts. We told them the news and I swear, tears sprang up with the outpouring of congratulations and hugs.

Beloved and I decided to call the baby Peanut while we weren't sure if it was a boy or a girl.

As Things Are

I'm heading to six months this week. Peanut is super active with the little kicks that pepper my belly throughout the day. Peanut is particularly attached to its father. I'm fine with it (regardless of how I complain about it). I'm just ecstatic about this pregnancy. I was confined for around 4 days early this month though. Same thing as the previous pregnancy: Hypokalemia. Thankfully, I recovered faster than before and the baby wasn't affected in the least. No reduced heart rate. No need to be confined in the ICU section of the maternity ward.

If anything, Peanut is one aggro baby. Peanut likes to kick the doppler wand whenever they chance upon his/her location in the belly and then squirms off to a different location. Lots of blood tests. Arm looked like a pincushion. But I'm just...thankful. Caleb's lola called me her granddaughter.

I'm really looking forward to meeting this baby. I know Peanut's dad really can't wait either. Beloved just loves talking to the baby bump and the baby immediately responds with little kicks.

Lagu

Of all the things I bought for the beach, I was proudest of my purchase of my Lagu beach blanket. According to their website, Lagu is:

"Lagu is the first beach-friendly beach blanket. Unlike ordinary towels, Lagu repels sand, allowing you to lay with ease while also conserving the beach. Its unique linen blend is allergen-free and has quick-dry properties, keeping it fresh for repeated use."

I particularly loved the fact that it was proudly made in the Philippines. I had convinced Lucia to purchase one as well. I went with Naranja, while she went with Celeste.

I have to say, it lived up to its 'sand repellent' claim. Given, that the sand at Laiya was mostly crushed corals, it still did its job when I wanted to lay by the shore and just chill. I particularly loved how quickly it dried so there wasn't any risk of lugging a moist towel in my travel bag. I also happen to have sensitive skin, so I was really glad about the allergen-free variable to the concept.


I actually wanted to get Violeta but she wasn't out in stores yet. Well perhaps, one day I'll purchase one for myself and hand Naranja over to someone.

I was also quite impressed with how large it was. Two people could sit quite comfortably without having to bang elbows (for this time though, I had my beach blanket all to myself hehe). So, in the end, my friend and I are totally happy customers!

I definitely recommend Lagu for beach lovers everywhere.

Vacation

So Lucia and I got together around January and decided to use some well-deserved leave credits. I must say, this is one of the most testing events I've ever had to endure. For one thing, Lucia could not make up her mind at the start of things. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go. Every suggestion was met with a 'I don't know'. I was honestly on edge most of the time I was discussing things with her. When I did have certain details set, she suddenly announces that she wishes to go to the beach but under the strict provision that it was to be cheap.

Of course I would aim for an affordable vacation, there's no sense to throw so much money in the wind all for a few days' diversion. I tried to contact Coral Beach Club but they were unreachable. Seriously, what was up with that? I tried to email them, call them, send them FB messages, all to no avail. On further research, I discovered that their beach was ill kept. The plot of shore they had was not private. So I turned my attention to Laiya, Batangas. Yes, I did all the research for this trip as apparently my companion was as useful as a toothache when it came to planning.

La Luz Beach Resort was the best looking resort I saw from the plethora of websites I accessed. It also seemed to be the most affordable. I particularly liked how they forbade the presence of karaoke machines on the premises. In order to make trip even more affordable, we added another person into our party: Andrea.

La Luz was rather confusing to contend with regarding a deposit. So, keep in mind that when finished with your 50% deposit, be ready to have the deposit slip scanned and emailed to La Luz management. They'll reply as soon as they can with a confirmation e-mail. Then, be prepared to nurse that deposit slip because it needs to be presented along with a hard copy of the confirmation e-mail upon check in.

So there was a lot of things to be done, details to be finalized, and of course: SHOPPING! I'll be discussing some of the finds I got in a later post. When you're waiting for something, time seems to just crawl. Thankfully, the crawling stopped and the day for my vacation had arrived.

Lucia and I will be coming from the Alabang area so we woke up extra early to catch a bus to San Juan, Batangas. As it turns out: THERE IS NO BUS FROM ALABANG TO SAN JUAN, BATANGAS. Don't be deceived as I was about the details listed on the ALPS website. They said they had a bus from Cubao that passes on through to Alabang then head to San Juan, Batangas and they didn't. So we had to take a regular Batangas bound bus that stopped at Tambo. The fare was 98 pesos. When we got to Tambo, the conductor directed us to this little green shed and said that a bus that goes directly to San Juan would be passing there. The manongs that were waiting there were very helpful and they were on the look-out for the bus that we needed.

We didn't wait too long, it was only around 15 minutes or so when the Alps bus passed by. The fare from Tambo to San Juan proper was 56 pesos. It was pretty smooth sailing. The bus was nearly empty and I was happily snacking on the sandwich that my boyfriend had lovingly made for me. Lucia was feeling a little queasy so I gave her some apple slices and that cured her right up!

When we got to San Juan, Batangas we were immediately accosted by a trike driver asking if we were headed to Laiya. Neither Lucia or myself had been there before so we said yes. He said he'd take us to our resort for 400 pesos. Can you believe that?! 400 bucks on a trike?! He says that was cheap since the original price was 600 and that the jeeps were on a strict schedule that wouldn't start until around 11 am. We were there around 9 am. So, unfortunately, I let our newness to the place overcome my sense of thrift and we agreed to let the man take us to the resort for a bartered price of 350 pesos. I still couldn't believe it. It certainly hit my wallet and it HURT.

In fairness, the trip to the resort was pretty far. When he dropped us off at La Luz, he was being pushy about picking us up when we were headed home. I just had to draw the line there and said NO. I was going to find another way home. The staff was very friendly. They helped carry our things up to the check-in area. I was rather upset at the time as the person who had the print out of the confirmation e-mail wasn't there yet despite promising that she'd be the earliest there since she was living relatively close. Good thing that I was the one with the deposit slip and all was good. The staff led us to one of the cabanas since the check-in time was at 1 pm. The view was enough to significantly lighten my disposition. The view was gorgeous!

The 2.5 days I spent there was well worth the hassle of planning and saving. The food was really good, I particularly enjoyed their 'make-your-own-omelette' thing at breakfast. If ever you're going to La Luz, be sure to pack aqua shoes. Their 'sand' is mostly rock and corals so they can be pretty painful to the feet. I know I'll be prepared the next time I visit this place.

Yakimixing It

So yes, I've been pretty much neglecting this blog and I have soooooo much to post about but I haven't all the time in the world, y'know? A girl's gotta make a living after all. So I've just been keeping my head down and working my tush off and what do I have to show for it? A happy home and an upcoming vacation haha!

But I'm getting ahead of myself. So let me write about something a little more recent, like today recent. Caleb and I tried out Sambokojin in SM Southmall around late last year and I fell in love with the place. Apparently, I can wolf down around 10 people's worth of Salmon Sashimi hehe. We heard about Yakimix opening up in ATC and we decided to give it a try.

Ambiance-wise, it's pretty chill. I like their overhead lights. I had to stare at them for a while, too. In my head, they were bubbles just itching to be popped (yes, I have a thing for popping those). SM's Sambo is larger but Yakimix has a cozier feel to it. We went there for the eat-and-drink-all-you-can for P520 each. Not bad, I must say.

What I didn't like was that their labeling of things to grill was kinda off. You're not really sure which one was which with the way they placed things. According to the boyfriend, the sushi was kinda dry. So that's disappointing. I made an immediate beeline for the Salmon Sashimi. Their mango juice is really refreshing! Great thing about it is that you can change your drink whenever you want. So, Caleb cycled through the red iced tea and root beer. I, on the other hand, was drowning in salad and hotdogs. Their grilled stuff is okay. Some are exceptionally delicious and others are WTH was that. I wish they had sauces to come with their grilled things. Instead, you have salt, pepper, and chili powder. I guess Sambo spoiled me.

Yakimix can, however, boast of their dessert selection. I was really happy when I learned they had a halo-halo section because that assures you of one thing: Leche Flan! I've been in love with the thing since grade school and I was pretty disappointed with Yakimix's try at it. It wasn't as creamy as I had hoped it would be and it was a bit over refrigerated. They made up for it with the chocolate cake, so that's fine.

Lucia joined us for lunch that day and she was starved! She totally made short work of the sisig, shrimp, rice, hotdogs, and several sushi that she had on her plate.

So was it worth the money? I'd say yes. Caleb and Lucia were stuffed and I got to eat the things I wanted. If I don't sound entirely believable, blame my partiality for Sambokojin's wider range of deep fried section. I miss their Salmon Croquet. 

Target: 2015

The next two years will be the toughest years I'll have to endure. I'm going to have to kick everything up a hundredfold. I'm going to have to work harder and sacrifice more than I ever have.

Yet I know at the end of it all: It's all going to be worth it!

Skirts

I'm not really a skirt person. Well--way, way, way back then, I wasn't. Now, apparently, I cannot get enough of them!

This post is necessary because my second order from Zalora just came in! I ordered this skirt:

Pretty, isn't it? It was on sale and I just had to have it! I was really surprised since I wasn't expecting it to arrive until Monday (I placed the order late Friday night). Thank you for the infinite surprises, Zalora! You have yourself a new loyal customer! ♥

Color Me Crazy

I've been more girly again lately. My latest craze? Nail tints. I figured that I'd save up on salon expenditures and finally learn how to do my own nails. Plus, the colors available in the market now are super cute! Of course, being the cheapskate that I am, I don't really want to go and spend for the really expensive tints yet. Not until I finally learn how to color my nails properly. Honestly, with the way I'm going now, it looks better if I was doing the thing on a canvass. Talk about texture. *Le sigh*

Here are some of the tints that I grabbed:

Ignore the headband. I didn't realize it was tangled up in there. Anyway, for starters, I tried to use the plain black one. It was pretty okay. Being the beginner that I was, it was messy. I've been practicing and I think I'm getting better. Today, I'm rocking this color:

In case you're wondering why, I happen to like Salmon and it's because my favorite time of the year is upcoming. H-a-l-l-o-w-e-e-n!

I can't wait to try the other tints that I bought and many more! ♥

Online Shopping Success!

I've recently stumbled upon the slightly addicting world of Online Shopping. I decided to try out Zalora Philippines. I don't exactly remember how I got to their site but when I did, my eyes bugged out with the steals and deals available. I looked them up in Facebook and it was pretty awesome that they were having a flash offer for everyone. 10% off voucher for anyone who wanted to claim it. So who am I to argue with a discount?

I ordered myself some new tights, a camisole, and some new silver hoop earrings. I particularly liked how everything was shipped for free. I received the confirmation email and was told that my package would arrive in about 1-2 days. The best thing I liked about the whole thing was that it was Cash on Delivery. So you aren't really risking anything.

I ordered my things around Thursday night. And lo and behold, it arrived today! I totally felt like it was Christmas morning. The boyfriend said I had the biggest smile on my face.

I'm really impressed and I can't wait to send in my next order! ♥

Sisters ♥

I had a date with my sister, Lucia. We haven't seen each other in forever so we had agreed that today would be the day! On today's agenda was her post-birthday salon trip, dinner, and a movie.

I took her to the place where I got my hair cut the last time. Metro Salon. Ate Jessie was there again and she attended to me personally. I had spent the last few weeks convincing Lucia to get her hair layered. I've been lecturing her since college to not keep her hair up in a tight ponytail since it doesn't let her hair get any rest. Plus, her hairline has been severely pulled back. She had always been mercilessly teased about her forehead. And by gum, I wasn't gonna stand for that anymore.

I was so happy that she agreed. I was even happier when she loved the end result. Oh my end, I decided to cut my long hair to a shoulder-length one. I also missed having bangs so it was a done deal. I call it my 80's hair. The boyfriend loves the bangs so that's a definite plus. 

After we got our locks pampered, we agreed to watch Hotel Transylvania in Southmall. I must say I loved the plan since we'd be closer to home. Before the movie, we had dinner at Racks. I convinced her to try the ribs since, apparently, whenever she ate at Racks all she had was the fish! I know, crazy right? So she had the baby back ribs and I had the blue plate special. I really do love their chowder but I have to remember that my tummy and chowder don't like each other very much. 

Hotel Transylvania was a fun movie! Don't expect anything deep from it, but if you're after a good time, you should watch it! 

Lucia and I will definitely catch up again soon. ♥ 

Coloring + Burgoo

It's been really hectic but fun. Payday was yesterday so it was time to do groceries and a bit of spoil-age. After getting all the necessary things for the house, I realized that I haven't had a burger in months! Good thing that there was a Burgoo at the Food Strip. I really do like how they allow the customers to keep themselves occupied by coloring!

It was like being a child again. If I remember right, we decided to half a bacon cheeseburger since Burgoo portions are really big. They come with a side of fries so it's really filling. Don't take my word for it? Here are some pics:

Believe me now? It was totally worth the buck! ♥

Happiness

I couldn't resist. I just had to make a post. In a few days, we'll be celebrating our 1 month stay in our home. It's just been sublime. I sleep at a reasonable hour. I get up really early to his adorable sleeping face. I get to go down the stairs and prepare our breakfast. I get to watch him devour his portion of whatever I decide to whip up. I get to see his smiling face each day.

I get to listen to him say how much he loves me.

Life can only get better from here. ♥

Rockin' Today

Today was just amazing! Kail and I had agreed that today was going to be a thursdate. It was ideal since grocery needed to be done and hey, SM Southmall was quite close by. I must say, they did so much to Southmall to make it all sparkly again. I really enjoyed their Food Strip. They had restaurants that not even ATC has. (I'm sorry to be cheating on your ATC but I still love you! For realz.) Burgoo looked quite interesting. I'd want to eat there next.

For today, however, it was time for me to indulge my love for baby back ribs from Racks. I was in rib heaven! Oh! And in the middle of the food strip was a vintage car display! Celicas, Sprinters, Starlets and more! The movie that we were going to see wasn't until 4ish so we had quite a while to get to explore our new mall. Kail got a haircut at what appeared to be the only barber shop in the whole mall. At least I know now that if I wanted to get my nails or hair done, there would be a plethora of new places to go. Honestly though, how many salons does a mall need? Well, since they're all competing with each other, prices will drop; so: yay!

I loved the corner couch I saw at the department store. Too bad it was already sold. It was an entire set worth only 12K. No wonder it got sold fast. I'm sure the right couch will be come by our way eventually. But for now, it's time to fill the house with the little things like curtains, floor mats, dish rags, salad bowls, food containers, and the like. 

I am quite blown away at the cinema system that SM Southmall has. You get a card pass, you put it in a la MRT and you go through their gate. If you wanted to leave the cinema for any reason, you press your thumb on a screen and use the same thumb to go back in. Genius!

And that's not the most amazing part yet. L-A-Z-Y B-O-Y C-O-U-C-H-E-S as cinema seats!!! I'm not kidding. With the leg rests and everything!! I was totally in love. Oh did I mention that tickets in SM cost a little bit cheaper than ATC? (I'm sorry again, ATC. But I still really, really love you! Honest!)

Rock of Ages was just breathtaking. The music, the costumes, the acting was just...WOW! I teared up several times. I just couldn't help but be moved by the music and the scenes. Tom Cruise is an amazing actor! Sure, I may not like the guy all that much but I am at awe at how he acts. It's just...incredible. He shows so much emotion with every glance or shoulder movement. 

It was totally worth the buck! Tomorrow, we'll be going back to watch Snow White & The Huntsman. I've been dying to see that movie. 

Grocery shopping was pretty good. Got us a rice cooker! Woo! Now I can make full on meals for my beloved. After we got home, I whipped up some of my Mac and Cheese. He looked pretty happy with it. So I'm one happy chef! 

I'm already making plans to make Chicken Teriyaki and other stuff. I can't wait! ♥

Home

I've finally moved out! I found this wonderful up-and-down townhouse that's so within budget and that's close to the office. I just fell in love with how spacious it was. It's also so funny how it's deceptively small from the outside. So I totally feel at home.

I  was so excited that I managed to pack up all my stuff in just one afternoon. This is actually my third night and I've been able to get so much sleep. I just can't believe how well things fell into place.

Budget's gonna be a bit tight for a few weeks but hey, at least this time it's a partnership and not a worker-and-dependent type of setup.

So now, I'm updating this while Beloved's enjoying This Means War on his laptop.

This is it.

For always.

♥

Thrift Binge

I have found my new favorite tops and bags store! The little kiosk in Festival Mall called Riss. Kail's frustration with me is that I refuse to buy things for myself (that isn't food) that's more than 500 pesos. Hey, at least it's improved right? Around this time last year, I refused to buy anything for myself at all. Some icky baggage from the ex but whatevs!

I have bought from Riss before but I was on a serious budget so I wasn't able to look around so much. So yesterday, when we were looking for a data cable for Kail's iPhone, we happened to pass by Riss.

Oh. My. Goodness.

A thrifty girl's paradise! The deals they have are so ludicrous that it's too good to be true. But it is true! I managed to get myself two new dresses and a big bag for a mere 550 pesos! I am definitely going back after every paycheck!

A lot of my stuff was destroyed or lost but that's already happened so there's no point in rehashing old wounds. I'm just reaching the realization phase of 'when you lose something old; get something new'! So I'm rebooting my shoe, wardrobe, and bag collection (again).

So much stuff to get! ♥

My Baby's Birthday

Yesterday was the day that I've been prepping stuff for! So let's see:

√ Haircut
√ Manicure
√ Pedicure
√ Brazilian Wax
√ Caleb's favorite outfit on me
√ Special Ordered Cupcakes
√ Confirmations for the birthday dinner

Weeeeee! I was so excited since Caleb never really made a big deal about his birthday. I totally wanted to change that! I'm happy that he got to play clix with his friends. He really should go play more often. He looks so happy with his hobbies.

One of the things that I'm very thankful for is that he can go do his thing, and I can do mine without him breathing down my neck (something that was a serious issue with the ex). My boyfriend is comfortable enough to let me do the things I want without freaking out that I may want to do things without him. Thank you, Kail!

So while he was doing his clix thing, I went back to TNW to go through their hand spa session. There, I met who appeared to be the branch manager. She was really friendly and helpful. I decided to change the nail polish  that I got last week. Change polish is around 100 pesos. Totally fair since they will clean up the area again.

Last week, I went for deep blues. This time, I wanted pinks! French Tip for the nails and Rosy colored tint for the toes. It was really cute. They really go well with the wedges that Kail got for me from Shoebox & Me.

It was pretty much an awesome thing. The massage that came with the hand spa was really good. I think I dozed off a bit. The ambiance of the place is that good! I have really found my place.

Dinner with Richard was fun. It was too bad that CJ couldn't make it but he promised to make it up to Kail so that's okay. Earl was having dinner with his dad and cousins so he wasn't able to join dinner but he did follow and hung out for the rest of the night. We laughed, took pics, and munched on cupcakes! Oh, Peewee showed up and hung out for a bit. So that was really fun. Richard was squeeing over the lens that Peewee had. It was fun to see.

So what things did I learn from this day and the previous ones?
-I have matured a lot more as a person. I no longer stress about stuff I hear or stuff I discover.
-If people take delight in things they say or hear about you it only means that their life sucks and that you still affect them.
-My life has honestly reached perfection. I finally got the love of my life. It honestly makes me tear up whenever I think of it. It truly is a humbling realization.
-I am finally the bigger person that I aimed to be. I'm honestly just too damn happy to bother stressing over the stupidity and pettiness of others.
-I may have a few friends I call my close friends, but those friends are gold.

Oh! Next month, I hope plans go through! Richard and Earl were going on about going to Pansol and renting out a house with a pool! That'll be OST's summer outing. Just a few close friends. Probably with Von and Crystal. I love those two. They're so adorable together! I can't wait! ♥

Hair-y Day

Summer is definitely in. The heat is honestly, excruciating. Now, more than ever, I feel the length and thickness of my tresses. I have always kept my hair long. I have just preferred it that way. I guess it also helps that I know that my guy loves my long hair. 

Aside from looking for a nail salon to go to, I've kept my eye out for a new hair salon that I could go to. The other ones I used to go to were in BF and given my current location, it's quite out of the way. So where does one go for a nice hair pampering in the Alabang area? Ate Jinky from Tints, Nails, and Waxing Spa suggested that I go to Metro Salon across the street. 

Why not? At least it was close by, right? 

The boyfriend dropped me off there and said that he'll just be waiting for me in Molito. He'll be getting his LoL on. He's so cute that way! So I was a bit curious as to what kind of people I was going to be meeting. Also, what kind of decor and service would they have. A polite man opened the door for me. I guess that was their doorman. I was immediately greeted by what appeared to be their manager. I got her name: Jessie. I told her that I wanted to layer my hair and shear it to at least shoulder length since my hair was already past my waist. Since it was Easter, there weren't a lot of people around so she said that she'd be attending to me personally. 

The other staff were really polite. They greet you with a big smile and suggest styles or procedures that they think would suit you. I understand that it could be part of their job but the two technicians that were slightly arguing about bangs or no bangs was really helpful. Kail loves bangs so I was definitely getting those.

The shampoo part of the service was really nice. The sun was really out and my scalp needed the cool down. I loved how they add a bit of mint to their shampoo. That really hits the spot!

The haircut was fast and efficient. Oh! Special mention to the fact that they weren't like regular salons when it came to their entertainment. They weren't watching a day time show or listening to an obnoxious radio program. Instead, they were watching The History Channel in their flat screen TV. I was so happy about that! Beautification outside while getting brain nourishment as well! I was definitely won over.

The haircut cost me about 250 pesos so I was really happy about that too. I got Ate Jessie's card and I told her that I would definitely be going back there. So on to Molito I went. It was time to face the other hair related thing in my agenda. 

A Brazilian Wax.

I have gotten waxed before but I always went the cold wax way. I was going to TNW to get my first ever hot wax. Sure, I was a bit nervous as I had done a lot of research about it. Lots of varying reactions from 'OMG that was horribly painful' to 'Meh'. So how else was I going to find out if I didn't do it myself, right?

The waxing technician was named Ate Ruth. She led me to the back part where there were little rooms where massages and waxes were done. She gave me a bit of privacy to get ready and lay on the table. She was very helpful in getting me to loosen up since I told her I was nervous about the hot wax. She laughed away my concerns and assured me I had nothing to worry about.

Honestly, she was right. Fear is the mind killer. The hot wax wasn't hot at all. It was warm but nothing to make you go 'ouch'. The process was very fast and there is a bit of tolerable pain but all you have to do is relax and do your breathing. Admittedly, the tweezing part of the service was a bit fraying on the nerves since, really, do you ever pluck down there? I think not.

So the process was around 20-45 minutes. Ate Ruth and I were just talking as she was giving me tips on how to do post-brazilian skin care. Do not wet the area for about 4 hours after the procedure. After the first hot wax session, the hairs will grow a bit faster than other wax sessions as the skin is still adjusting.

Oh, and in case you get any hair-brained ideas about which way the wax is pulled, they are supposed to wax against the grain. Sheesh. Lots of debate about that one before.

To avoid ingrown hair, gently exfoliate the area a day or two after the procedure.

I was very happy with all of it. It cost me around 500-600 but I'd do it again given that it's just every 3-6 weeks.

And honestly, just being able to see the reaction on the boyfriend's face after I told him what procedure I got was worth the tweezing. ♥

Nails And Things

Today, I dragged the boyfriend to my new favorite Nail Salon. I've been on the look out for a new place that I can go, relax, and be a girl. Being a self-supported young adult meant that it had to be relatively close by and didn't break the bank. At the Molito Complex, there's this little salon called Tints, Nails, and Waxing Spa. From the outside, it doesn't look very big but the place always struck my curiosity.

Kail and I had always passed by for our Sunday Chicboy tradition and one day, I couldn't stand it anymore. It was perfect though, given that it was around a week or so before his birthday. I had asked him if he had ever gotten a foot spa or a pedicure before and he had said no.That was a definite no-brainer! His cute butt was so getting dragged to TNW!

But first, a quick trip to Puregold to buy flipflops! We were in closed shoes and since we were getting pedicures, it's best to let the feet breathe afterwards. My love for Banana Peel was reinforced with their cute designs and affordable prices. Kail got himself a pair of green and black flops with an Aries design. I got red and black flops with a Scorpio design to it. They were really cute and comfy!

So anyway, given that it was his first ever pedi and foot spa ever, I had to make sure to instruct the technician to be gentle. Good thing that Ate Jinky was really efficient and she understood perfectly what I had wanted her to do. It was really cute to see how my beloved was so nervous but he quickly relaxed as he dipped his feet into the warm and bubbly water.

The massage was excellent. I really loved the peppermint scrub that they used. My technician, Ate Lucy, was really thorough.  All in all, I loved the experience and their nail polish selection was diverse and really pretty! All in all, the foot spa/pedicure combo was around 430 pesos and it was so worth every penny.

The ambiance of TNW was really cozy. Their furniture was really comfortable. I also loved the fact that they weren't like other nail salons with their obnoxious radios. The moment that there were customers about, they would immediately put in mellow instrumental and acapella music. I'm guessing that helps relax all their customers.

The technicians were very friendly and not at all snoopy. I'm definitely going back and I'm aiming to try their other services.

It was a really lovely day. ♥

Being Real

It's been a while since I've posted on here. Life's been lovably hectic. Too many good things, too little time to write them down. I'm taking the day off from work since I need to not move (read that as cramping). Ugh. Lady troubles.

So anyway, I got to thinking as I was browsing around for my boyfriend's birthday gift. How far have I come? Have I managed to settle emotions within me? I am VERY happy. Each day is just something infinitely precious and new. I have honestly never ever been this happy. It's pretty scary at times. Of course tears are always just seem to be a few millimeters away from the surface of my eyes whether it be due to joy or sadness, but it's just an amazing roller coaster ride.

This is what I always thought love should be like. It should be crazy, with it's ups and down (but mostly ups!). Of course with the high comes the lows. I am happy to say though, that the lows have nothing to do with my current relationship.

Annoyingly, it seems to stem from this rage I have inside me. Repressed, I think. I'm sure that enough time has passed for me be able to unzip my trap.

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My not dear ex,

How you been? I'm pretty sure that someday you'll come across this because I know you. Letting go of grudges has never been your strong point. Thank you. We did have good times, didn't we? Ride outs (just the experience of it), Parties (you're surrounded by interesting people), and others.

So basically what this thing is leading to is that I want you to know that I shall be irrevocably scarred by what you have done to me. I truly hate the person that I became when I was with you. The lies that I had to tell people just to salvage your pride, the details that I had to keep to myself so you won't go cry yourself into a corner, constantly having to pinch pennies and allot 80% of my paycheck for you and your needs. All of those things? Those will always stay with me in the back of my mind.

I would like to think that I'll be getting past that little by little but I know myself well enough to know that they'll never truly leave me. I will always remember how you never once stood up for me when it came to the battering ram that was your psychotic ex and remained silent when she was trashing my reputation. I will always remember when we suspected that I was pregnant what you said was: "Isn't there something you can do about it?". I will always remember how scared I was whenever you'd push me or twist my arm or force me to look at you. I will always remember how terrified I was when you chased me down to my apartment door and forced yourself inside even when I told you I didn't want you there. I will always remember how you always said you didn't know how to deal damage. Well I'm telling you: you have every ammunition needed to hurt. You just refuse to take responsibility. That's been pretty much the root of it all, isn't it?

I did learn a lot from you too. I learned to just keep laughing at the bad things even if laughing wasn't appropriate anymore. I learned to run away from things that hurt or things that were difficult. I learned that wanting things for myself was a crime.

I really don't understand it. You seemed like such a nice guy. I know that you are a nice guy. It's just that I should have seen you for what you are at the very beginning: a kid. A big kid with his pouts and tantrums and cry spells.

I did try to make it work. And as you can see, I failed. But you said you were happy now right? Good for you! I do hope that you're happy. I really, honestly, truly do. I just hope that the next one that comes your way will be treated with more finesse than how I was treated.

Oh, I will forever be grateful for my daughter. Even if it was just with me for 6 months.

One day I hope that rage and the trauma within me will subside. I hope that I'll be able to fully let go of the things that I'm sure you don't even lose a wink of sleep about. Even if it seems a bit weird, I'd like to thank you for the bad memories. They ingrained into me that the little things should be taken with joy. Thank you for showing me how bad it gets so now I can appreciate how amazing my life is (despite the male bovine excrement).

Once yours,

-me

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That felt nice. Really nice. Sana magtuloy-tuloy na. :)

The New Year

So it's time to reflect back on the year that's been and look forward to the things that have yet come to pass. Or something like that.

2011 was pretty life changing. I guess that's the easiest way to describe it. Not just for me; it's also for the people that I've affected with my decisions and actions. I don't regret anything. Consequences are a given. There's always some form of fallout for anything that doesn't seem to be the popular course of action.

My new years was pretty fun. I spent it with the Josue's (Beloved's cousins). I sort of 'met' his family again through Skype. I was kinda nervous but mostly shy. I guess I'm no good when the person I'm interacting with isn't directly in front of me. It's difficult to get a reading on how they feel or what they think, I guess.

Oh, I've been having some odd dreams again. Last time I had such a dream I ended up finding [insert name here] internet nothings. I had another one again and ended up with a different [insert name here]'s internet nothings.

Have to say I'm pretty disappointed but I was pretty much expecting it. People say whatever they can to make their lives bearable. So I'm just going to say what I had to say when it came to your ex. If lying about it is all you can do to be able to live with things, I pity you.

You can never really expect people to extend the same courtesy that you're giving them. That's the bitch about free will. Oh well. I got better things to do. More wonderful things to think about. :)

I love you, Kail. I can't wait for our Fridate! ♥