Still Coping...

The last time I found myself in this very position was when my father-in-law passed away 6 years ago. It has been weeks since we lost one of our most treasured friend. Life had to continue as if nothing happened, my husband tries his best to proceed with his daily tasks at work even if he is grieving inside. It's hard, very hard... 

For us, we didn't lose a friend, but it feels like we lost a family member. 

There are moments when we look at old photos, we reminisce the old times, how this wonderful person has affected us through his principles in life... For some reason, the passing of this friend of ours was the hardest thing to accept. Maybe because it was very sudden and that until his time was about to end, he was still there thinking of our family's welfare and he stood strong being a mentor to my husband.

Maybe it will take a few more months to finally accept the reality that he is gone... but we will never forget the things that he has done for us...

This entry is going to be emotional...  for the first time I am pouring my thoughts and feelings out on this blog on how 2014 was made sad for me and my husband. Better this way, than writing about it when a new year is about to begin. 

It may look that I don't have friends or a "barkada" to hangout with... I do have friends and there's a handful whom I treasure simply because of their extraordinary way how to bring friendship a level higher than the usual. Same goes with my husband. 

We are surrounded by people who have accepted us for who we are, people who embrace every moment we spend with them, people who will never forget, kindhearted individuals that became family to us. I don't need to mention each one... We know how important we are to them and how special they are to us.

2014 began with the death of an old friend of mine. His passing was very sudden... I don't want to go into details, but few of us knew why and how his life was cut short. Second quarter came with the death of one of my husband's close workmate from a previous company. 

When I say close, even if they don't work under the same roof anymore, they still make it a point to keep in touch even with their busy lives. Knowing somebody is not just physical or through his/ her everyday life. We look deep inside on what makes up this kind person.

Following the losses was the passing of another... Mikah... 

It feels like for every quarter of this year, we lose somebody. We don't attend parties, we go to funerals instead...

And the latest news was the most devastating... Remember my post on owning a Volvo... Our friend who wanted to give us his car joined Our Creator last Friday... I haven't shed a single tear yet, though my heart's been crying since I found out about it... I'm still in shock, in denial... It feels like we lost a big brother. My husband's working off his feet just to be able to move on. I don't know how my eldest son will take it. My heart feels so heavy right now.

We owe our big brother so much... We wanted him see our new condo... he was a brother, a mentor, a friend... He is THE MAN! Nobody will ever take his place. He has always been there for us. He was the life of every party. He was the sunshine and rainbow in every gloomy heart.

It's such a great loss. The Holiday Season will never be the same again... our summer will never be as hot, fun and exciting... 

As his last words to my husband... "Whatever we have here on earth is temporary. Do or get whatever that will make you happy. At least when you go, you know that you enjoyed your stay, you made people happy, you're happy."

His life was very colorful. He lived a beautiful life. We know him for being happy, fun and adventurous. Now, life continues with him watching over us all the time. We move on as we carry his legacy to inspire others. Share his wisdom and inspirations, his love for gaming, his passion for work and his truthful side on being a good friend. 

Cheers to that!

We lost 4 of our good friends this year... I hope it stops there. Yes, we now know that we should give value to what we have in life and what matters are the moments we share with each other... but we pray Lord not to give us meaning by losing another good person again...

photo source

I Almost Owned A Volvo

That's right, I almost got a Volvo for my first car. Well, it's a second- hand car. The former owner is a friend of ours who loves European cars and all of his cars are well- maintained. So when the deal was offered to my husband he had a tough time weighing things out. 

Here's why. We just recently acquired our own condo. Next in our list is to get a second vehicle so both me and my husband will not have to wait on each other with 1 vehicle. Of course, the plan is to get a brand new car. Our minds were set for an SUV since we have kids and we like going on road trips. 

Then a sudden opportunity knocked and someone or let me say "an angel" gave us a ridiculously good deal on owning a Volvo. Come on guys, a Volvo is a Volvo. It's one of the best cars and not to forget, its safety engineering.  It's an ideal car for family adventures. 

Our friend who owns the Volvo mentioned that he chose to make the offer to my husband because he is a family man. Knowing our family, he trust that we will take good care of his car if we get it. So, my husband went for a test drive. True enough, it's a powerful car, very sleek and luxurious even if second- hand. Personally, my mind was made up to buy the car in cold cash, with my own money. I got overly excited and was easily persuaded.

To make the long story short, we turned down the offer simply because we feel that it's not for us. If we're going to look at it, maintenance is going to be hell, especially we're not too familiar with European cars. Japanese or American cars we will surely take it... but something we are not familiar with... we'll have to pass. We believe that in buying a car, a buyer should also gauge his or her capability on maintaining a vehicle. It's useless if one has a car but doesn't know the rules of maintaining one.

Anyway, having a friend who can make such offer is already a blessing. Besides, he's also into American cars (wink!) maybe one day he might just let go of some.

I Like Mine #totesbig

Here I am from the other side of the world looking at a fun thing that has been circulating on Instagram. For tote bag lovers like me, it's Cath Kidston #totesbig or #totessmall campaign! It's a chance to be included in an exhibition to be featured at the Cath Kidston's flagship store and win a Cath Kidston tote. Ladies, all you need to do is to take a snap shot of your favorite bag (big tote or small) and its content, then submit it on Instagram with the #totesbig or #totessmall.

I didn't really know if I'm eligible to join, but I guess not, so I took mine over here to my blog just to share.  It was fun and exciting looking at entries which inspired me to post my personal choice.

I am a big tote person with or without my kid's stuff mixing with mine. Luckily, the "mommy bag" days just ended recently since my little boys can bring their own bags already. So whatever is on display here, they're all mine. 

I prefer to carry everything in one bag than divide stuff into small pouches and totes. My Cath Kidston Large Dot Zip Bag is considered as one of my everyday bag. Here's how I got it. 

It basically holds everything I need: my personal essentials, from gadgets, my vanity kit, a notebook, and even a cologne bottle. Name it, just throw it in you're good to go. Not to forget, it's waterproof. Here in the Philippines, most of the time it rains, and my Cath Kidston bag makes me feel secure knowing that my things will not easily get wet both from the outside and in. 

The cute dots, the unique shape of the bag and the attractive shade of red makes it eye- catching. A lady approached me once and asked where I got my Cath Kidston mini dots... So I told her, it was a gift and it was purchased directly from: http://www.cathkidston.com/

A new Cath Kidston bag is on its way... it may take long but it's worth the wait.

The 3 o'clock Habit Continues

When I came across this snippet on Pinterest, I was amused that a person randomly thought  about it.

 Our  3am routine didn't really stop. Apparently my husband continued work with a schedule when he comes home at around 2- 3 o'clock in the morning. If I'm sleeping, he wakes me up with our small kitchen table ready with food. Just recently, he bought pizza. Sometimes, we crave for dim sum and Kowloon which is open 24 hrs is our answer to that.

Like any of our 3am routine, we start our conversation with the unusual stuff we encounter everyday, what made headlines, then it will suddenly shift to anything: food, "kilig" moments, future plans, love, making jokes and plainly just about life.

This routine makes our married life more special. It feels like this whole set up was intentionally laid for us. It's an extraordinary way to add spark in a relationship and it works. No expensive stuff needed, just some time alone in our house, and it doesn't have to be everyday.

photo source

 I was humbled by this pin. It made me feel blessed and more grateful because I am actually living the words in this small box while others still dream of it. But it doesn't mean it will remain a dream or a wish... if it's meant for you, the flow will just take you there. A different set- up perhaps, also as interesting and colorful like a 3am habit.

By the way, if there's something to change here, that is the underwear part, because I wear pj's :D

My Vanity Essentials

I call it vanity kit because it holds the essentials that makes a woman more beautiful and confident. Let's face it, even the simplest person will still have this so- called beauty kit in her bag. Whether big or small, a woman must have one. 

I stay at home a lot, so consider that I'm sort of a low maintenance person. I seldom get treatments both for skin and hair. "As much as possible", it's something I want to take hold of, especially as a stay- at- home mom. Well, priority are my children, but it doesn't mean that I totally forget about what my body needs. 

For now, let's concentrate on what my kit contains. I bet some of you are itching to find out. First off, I just recently got a Tracy Reese for Clinique pouch packed with goodies,  it is now my new vanity holder. By the way, this is not a paid post.  For a certain amount of purchase from Clinique, you'll get this pouch as a bonus. As always, it's filled with great samples from Clinique.

Clinique is my most trusted brand when it comes to skin care and make- up. I have sensitive skin that's why I'm very careful with the stuff I put on my face. A small drop may cause an itch, a swipe of cream might lead to a red spot. The day my sister-in- law introduced me to this brand, it's like an answered prayer, it was the solution to my skin problems.

Beautiful Lips: I don't wear "make-up", I rely on pressed powder and stuff for my lips. That's why part of my kit are lipsticks and lip glosses. It may look a lot but those colorful sticks you see is composed of 1 Clinique sample, 1 Careline Magic lipstick, 2 lip glosses, 2 lip balms. I make it a point to have at least 2 shades of lipstick in my bag so when an occasion calls, I have something to put on anytime. 

• For an ordinary trip to the mall, I use Clinique's Chubby Stick in Mega Melon. It is a moisturizing lip colour balm, keeps lips soft and smooth and it makes lips look like it has lipstick on. It has a natural effect with bit of color.
• For a day time event or gathering Clinique's Long Last Glosswear with SPF15 is perfect. Like the Chubby Stick, the shade is close to natural but this has an extra gloss which gives that "plumped lip" effect.
• For night time or for an occasion that requires me to dress up, I rely on a real lipstick. The beauty of "samples", you get to see and experience if a certain shade of lipstick suits you. I fell in love with Clinique's A Different Grape in an instant. It may look dark, but once applied, it settles between a lighter shade of burgundy and rose. Not only for night, I've been using this a lot lately.
• When it comes to lip gloss, I have 2 choices. On a more affordable side, Nivea Fruity Shine and for the real deal, Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm. Both serve the same purpose: color and care but Burt's Bees is more organic.  I've run out of Burt's so I shifted to Nivea for the mean time until I can buy the other one.
• Careline Magic Lipstick. Take it from the label, it does magic. Also perfect for regular use. I use my Nivea lip gloss over it, love the effect.
• Lastly, EOS in Summer Fruit. This is all about treatment. If my lips goes super dry, I just apply EOS and I'm good.

Crazy Eyes:
Not much of an eye make-up person, but I still have a few ready in my bag.

• Avon eye-liner
• Ever Bilena eyebrow pencil (which I need to replace soon). I have thin and short eyebrows, this is the only eyebrow pencil I use, gives great result.
• A sharpener
• Eyelash curler
• Mascara
• and tweezers
  

Health Care: They're all in small containers. With hand sanitizers, I'm after the scent, but when it comes to protection, I use alcohol with moisturizer. Hand cream is essential because I work and wet my hands most of the time with chores and handling my children. A throat spray... My husband's aunt gave this to me. Ilog Ni Maria Farms throat spray is the most effective of all the treatments I've used. Relieves pain and itchiness in minutes.

Others: Still considered as essentials. These are more of quick solutions on certain situations. For example, a button from a shirt fell and we're not at home, a safety pin will temporarily put things back together.  A phone cord hair grip is my basic hair accessory, my hair remains smooth and it doesn't let the hair get tangled. My pressed powder and lenses for my phone and iPod are just extras.

Before I came up with the theme for this post, I was actually pondering of sharing the stuff "inside my everyday bag". The things that I didn't include here is my wallet, a tiny coin purse, my phone and iPod, a medicine pouch and Kleenex wipes which are found separately in my tote bag.

The main essentials which the Tracy Reese pouch carries will do. It is a big pouch, that I don't need a bag organizer, these items are small in size by the way. Everything can magically fit without making the main bag feel heavy.

I hope, with the details I've shared, it is going to be useful and helpful for the ladies out there.  At least as added options to your kit.

A Mother's Thoughts

Quite a while since I've made updates for all my blogs. It's been a very busy 3 months since school started. Having kids brings me back to my younger days, especially when it comes to school issues. 

My eldest is already a 3rd Grader. He's 9 years old and he is at an age for us parents should make our children feel that we're there for them 100%. A stage to give more patience and understanding. At this point, I look back at my childhood when I was once my son's age. It's amusing at times, because I get to reminisce, it is also a bit of a challenge when my son asks me questions which is obviously inspired by the things he sees everyday or stuff  he rarely encounter. 

Questions of why? how? I personally handle it by relating my answers with what's really happening in reality. The practical side of the reasons why & how we do things in life. That's my approach, it makes things easier to explain and for the kid to understand.

In a few years, I will have a teenager to look after. Those innocent questions out curiosity will expand deeper as he age in towards adulthood. I trust that my husband and I are going to be able to guide and teach our children (both boys) to goodness, and that includes never to make a girl cry or be the cause of a broken heart. Always make people happy, to be more of an inspiration to others.

 

photo source