Christmas Gift Idea: BUILT NY OVEN MITT

Because I cook A LOT,  I like things I can actually use in the kitchen.  

If you know someone like me, you may want to give him or her a colorful oven mitt by BUILT.  It's looks cool and modern.

Not like tela mitts. They look lola-ish and they stain easily!

Here's why I like this particular brand:

MADE FROM NEOPRENE

Neoprene isn't just for wetsuits. It protects against, spills, splashes, bumps, and drops, making it perfect for safeguarding the things you love.

MACHINE WASHABLE

Made a mess, no problem. Simply toss this product in the washing machine to make it look like new.

EFFECTIVE PROTECTION FROM HEAT

It’s as soft as a glove but protects like a mitt, shielding your fingers and hands from temperatures up to 500° F.

GOOD GRIP:

The textured neoprene handle helps prevent slipping, sliding and spilling.

AVAILABLE IN RUSTANS. I love shopping there. Ganda ng wrapper!

Happy Shopping,

L

I Hate End Of Christmas Breaks!!!!

The best time of the year is the week before the Christmas Break. Everyone in the office is so happy na! No one is actually working anymore.

The worst time is returning back to work! My gulay, I really hated it. Feeling ko my heart went down to all the way to my feet!

I think, this conditioning started when I also hated going back to school after the 2-3 weeks Christmas Break. Mas worst pa if may exam pag balik!

It didn't help that my mom had a song to taunt us..."Our vacation has passed. It is school time at last..." We hated it!

I wish my parents gave me new notebooks, new bags to mentally trick me into looking forward to resuming school. Unfortunately, they gave me a TV set which just made me want to stay home even more.

If you know a kid who is like me, you better buy them a new bag to mentally condition them! It sounds materialistic but I liked the start of the school year because I had new stuff that smelled really new!

Last week, I went to Rustans and I saw these cute bags by Beatrix. They were designed in New York and are now available in the Philippines. I like that they are machine-washable.

I like their trolleys too. Pwede for travel. Maybe I can also get for myself for hand carry.

Cute no?

I love the lunch boxes too. Dati baon ko iced milo. It would spill all over my bag and my mom would get upset. Wala pang pang tetrapack milo noon!!!! Oh gosh!!! Tandercats na ako!!!!

If medyo dalaga or yuppie na, I like BUILT. Also from New York and available in Rustans or online in Beautymnl.com and Ava.ph.

I like BUILT kasi it is lightweight and stretcheable. It is made of the same material used in wetsuits, so it's water resistant so bagay for those who commute. Water resistant ha, hindi water proof! Wag naman ilublob sa drum.

Ayyyyyy!!!! New ballpens and notebooks! I love the smell of new paper!  And feeling ko mas maganda handwriting ko if new ballpen. Chaarrrr.

Lapit na Christmas! Kaloka! Hindi pa ako nag shoshop!!!



Excited,

L





  

Filipino-Chinese Relationships: How to make his sisters like me?

A reader posted a question and I thought, it's best that my friends answer it instead of me,

Question:

Hi! I just would like to ask for suggestion. 

I have a fil chi boyfriend. His parents died and he is left with several sisters. 

I wonder how can I win his sisters view on me. 

Last time we met on a lunch date. None of them liked that I was there. It seemed that I ruined lunch.

I hope to handle this conflict better. 

Is it ok to go on marriage without their approval?

Answers:

Kaye:

Nako. (Yan lang sagot ko)

Audrey:

Hahahaa uhmmm just go on and make their lives living hell!!! Hahahahaah!!!!

Lawyer Cousin:

For as long as your bf is above 25 yrs of age,no need sang approval nila o guardians advice.

Ca:

In our case, kami yung mga evil sisters. Hahaha

Joanne: 

Ewan ko ba bakit may ganyan pa??!!

Andrew: 

May the odds be forever in your favor.

Didi:

Are you prepared to be feel judged and *unaccepted* your whole life?  If your answer is yes, go for it!

But to be truthful - life is too short to spend time with people who make you feel shitty.

Oh sya, I'll go back to eating,

L

First Time We Talked

Today is the 4th anniversary of the first time my husband ever talked to me. 

He sent me a message via YM. 

You see, we were kai shiao-ed (introduced) by his cousin. We started talking online first. A month later, he flew to Iloilo to meet me in person. The following month, he flew to Singapore to officially "woo" me.

My husband remembers this story differently.

He said, I sent him the first message in YM. He even said I "poked" him in Facebook,

I don't know where he got his story. But I will let this one pass because I love love love my husband today. I don't love him everyday but I love him today. 

How about you? Do you remember the first time you talked/met your husband? 

Happy Sunday,

L

Wife of a Cheating Husband

Once in a while, I receive a comment that deserves to be a post of it's own. Here is one comment I received from a reader for my entry Thou Shall Not Covet Another Woman's Husband

It was honestly written by a wife, whose husband is a serial cheater. Sadly, It was signed as "anonymous". 

Whoever sent this, Thank You! 

Happy Sunday,

L

------------------------------------------

My husband has both emotional mistresses and physically involved ones. I lost track na how many. More than the fingers of my hand. It's like he can never be vacant. There always has to be 2 or 3 of us at the same time. Silly me it took 10 years before I found out.

The Little Prince Gift Ideas

Have you watched the movie na? This is actually one of my favorite books of all time. It's so simple and yet it's so profound!

I think these versions of The Little Prince Classic will make great gifts for Christmas!

The coloring book- 655 Php

(This is a big book! Nearly a foot in height!)

The graphic novel with glossy pages -499 php

And ofcourse...

The classic version in hard bound for 749 php

All available in www.milkandhoney.ph. They have lots of The Little Prince Books buy I think they ran out ever since the movie premiered.

Tired,

L

PS>If you are wondering why I always promote Milk and Honey (Instagram: @milkandhoney.ph), my sister in law owns it. She is in our office too. I see her stocks in the office, so I go through it when I'm bored. Minsan naman I have to give you content na hindi naman about me noh.

We Are Pregnant!

And God delivered his promise! Our God is a good God and He is true to the promises He made in the Bible...

 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many. The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord, Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing." 

Grabe, Naiiyak ako as I'm writing this entry. I have been dreaming of this day that I will write this post. Finally, the time came. It came in His perfect time.

I waited on The Lord and it honestly felt like an eternity.  There were times that I questioned myself. Kulang ba faith ko? When I felt weak, I kept reading Psalm 27 to keep me strong.

Alam nyo, I went to the doctor thinking that she is an IVF specialist. My friend had IVF and went to this doctor. Ayoko na kasi mag try and ma-frustrate every month. I'm not a patient person. I just wanted to "get it over and done with". So, the whole time I was getting blood tests, I thought the doctor was just doing due diligence to ensure a successful IVF. 

It was only now when I got pregnant that I found out that she is not an advocate of IVF because of all the wasted ovum, which to her is wasted life. She never does IVF pala. She just takes care of IVF patients because they are classified as high-risk. She told me that if my "problem" wasn't addressed, my IVF would have failed anyway.

How amazing is God? He knows me and He wants me to trust Him. All my life, I have trusted no one but myself.  He gave me a problem that money could not quickly fix. It was something out of my control. 

God wanted me to wait patiently on him.

I am crying as I type this entry on my Ipad. This journey, made me fall in love with The Lord. The whole time we were trying to conceive, there was nothing I could do but trust Him. It was not a matter of hard work or skill. 

This life inside me now is a miracle. From two cells, billions will be formed. Only God can create something this great. I did not conceive out of my own skill and talent. This is all God. I am only a vessel. I am only an canvas for God to paint his miracles.

Please pray for me as I embark on this journey. If you are also trying, do message me. I will pray with you. I can also send a rosary with a prayer.

Lastly... Isn't it ironic that Life Started While I Was On Pause?

In Awe of God's Goodness,

L

Muni Muni: A Second Chance

Grabe! Eto na ang hugot movie ng taon!! Wives, watch with your husbands! Hopefully after watching mag open up kayo ng feelings nyo sa isa't-isa. charot.

Relate ako sobra!!!

My husband doesn't share his stress and issues with me...willingly. Ofcourse, medyo heightened ang senses ko sa mga yan and I have a way of getting info through questions. Yan mga natutunan ko sa mga researcher friends ko sa industriya.

The way he sees it, he doesn't want me to worry. The way I see it, he just doesn't want to involve me because he doesn't value my opinions.

Thanksgiving 2015

Christmas music already fills the air and I am reminded of all the things I should be thankful for this year! 

One thing I am truly blessed with is my small kitchen because despite its size, it has everything I need to whip up a feast. 

Ever since I got married and regained access to a functional oven,  I have been more confident in throwing "intimate" dinners at home. Just like when I was still living  in Singapore! Ofcourse, it helps that my brother is a professional chef.  

The rare time I open my doors to a much bigger crowd, I always make sure that the spread is impressive. After all, with the traffic in Manila I need to make it worth the drive. 

This year both my parents and my husband's family  made it to our Thanksgiving Dinner. My parents flew in from Iloilo to witness my brother's culinary skills, the stuff he learned when he interned at the Ritz Carlton Florida. All of which are useless when it comes to preparing traditional a Filipino feast. A western menu is the best way to showcase his skills to my provincial parents.

My 2 closest friends also made it to dinner. So our small home was filled with people. Some had to sit on the floor.  YES! It is that small. It's the price of choosing to live in the middle of Makati! 

My brother single handedly prepared everything on that table, except for the Ube Cake. Joy got that for me. I love Ube!!!

Louie's preparation started the day before, when he brined the turkey over night. The trick to a flavorful turkey is to brine it for atleast 24 hours.

Then he seasoned and roasted the turkey for 6 hours, basting it every 30 mins. Indeed a labor of love.

The outcome was perfection.

He also prepared all the traditional sidings: Mix berry sauce, Gravy, Potatoes, Yams etc. We wanted our parents to experience how to be "Emericans". Copycats lang kami. We just started celebrating Thanksgiving last year. Blame it to too much Television.

I'm thankful my mom flew in because she cleaned up after dinner.  Bonggang-bonggang maid. My brother used A LOT of pots, pans and trays kasi. Kaloka. By 10 o'clock, our kitchen was meticulously clean, thanks to mama!

My friends and I had cake and coffee til midnight. It felt like Christmas!

What a wonderful dinner! Ubos lahat!

The next feast will be NOCHE BUENA and this time, It'll be my turn to cook for my family. Thank God, Filipino food is relatively easy to prepare.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Feeling "Emerican",

L

Help via Mail

I've been sad these past few days. First, I was stressed-courtesy of a cousin, who I have never ever talked to in nearly a decade. Then once the stress subsided, sadness seeped in.

Perhaps, God saw me in wallowing in misery again. When my husband arrived from work yesterday, he brought me a parcel. It was my my friend kaye, the other half of The Bento Mommas (Instragram) and author of nappykaye.blogspot.com.

The mail cheered me up! Because for one thing, I love getting SURPRISE stuff via snail mail. It reminds me of my penpal days in High School. And ofcourse, I smiled because the arrival of the gifts could have never been more more timely. 

Believe it not, I never mentioned to Kaye that I am sad, in fact, I only posted yesterday as well.

I got 3 DVDs of Louie Giglio's sermon. Kaye figured, I will like his talks because I am interested in astrophysics and biology. Louie Giglio uses the maginifcence of the universe and the human body to illustrate the greatness of our God.

Then, I got a compilation of Christian music and an album of Hillsong.

God delivers in His perfect time and through other people! Amazing! 

I think I will be back to normal programming in a few days. These things work as fast as the strongest antibiotics.

Thankful,

L