First Blog Award: The Liebster Award

I've only been a full-time blogger for just one and a half months, yet I have made lots of friends and new discoveries already. I started blogging because I needed to polish my writing for law school. :p But it became more than just that, it became an outlet for me to express my feelings through my writing and an avenue for me to meet new people who has the same passion as me. Joining and winning from blog giveaways is just an icing on the cake. :)

I was surprised when I was tagged by Shashi and Beij of Relax and Please Your Taste Buds with the Liebster Award, which actually means favorite in German. This award is actually given to bloggers with less than 200 followers. Once a blogger receives it, he or she needs to share at least 7 to 10 things about his/herself. Then tag 7 deserving bloggers and inform them that they have been tagged.

So here are some random facts about myself:

1. My nickname, Mish, was given to me by a classmate in high school. Before that I was often referred to as Mich. I like Mish more so I stuck with it.

2.  I am a pesco-vegetarian. I don't eat meat. Only seafood, tofu, veggie meat, and real veggies. I started becoming a vegetarian when I was in 3rd year high school.

3. I am(was) a CHEERLEADER! I was a member of the SSA Pep Squad in high school and we won in the national championships. However, I wasn't able to pursue cheerleading in college cause my school didn't have any. And yes, I can tumble, do splits, and fly in the air!

4. I was 15 when I first traveled abroad alone. I was picked up by my aunt at JFK in New York.

5. I have already attended 6 schools my entire existence: a progressive pre-school, an all girls catholic school, a co-ed catholic school, a non-sectarian school, and two state universities. I'm about to enter my 7th, San Beda College of Law. :)

6. I love sleeping! I'd rather sleep than eat. I could sleep for 15 hours straight. I haven't gone beyond that but I think I could beat my record. ;)

7. I have a four and a half month old baby named Zack. :) He's the most beautiful and precious thing I've got!

There you go! I am tagging:

Rae of Scatterbraintures
Nira of Style Kissed
Janus of Freya's Jewels
Lorsh of Middle Ground
Nikki of Chalks and Heels
Simply Morena
all about being pretty JHENZ is me!

XO, Mish

Z's Christening!

with Z's Ninongs and Ninangs

Z's baptism was held last Sunday at the Mary the Queen Parish Church in Fairview. I only had two weeks to plan everything, yet it was successfully pulled off! Z, together with 10 other babies, were baptized that day. Despite the number, the priest made the baptism ceremony really fast. He probably noticed that some babies are already cranky. Z was crying during the entire ceremony, otherwise he was eating his tiny knuckles. I brought his pacifier with me to keep him calm, but it did not work. I think he was overwhelmed with the number of people present in the church. I guess it's time to expose him to people.

Me, my boyfriend, and Baby Z

The reception was held at Dory's Restaurant at Novaliches. It was a very simple and intimate reception. I invited my close friends, relatives, and some family friends to the event. Few were not able to make it though. I made the table centerpieces myself and the people from the restaurant assembled them at the venue and they also mounted the tarpaulin. They were also the ones who provided the cake. It was at an extra cost but at least we won't be hassled with picking up the cake. The cake they got was from Merced. We weren't able to serve them to the guests so we took it home. I like the cake cause it tastes like a good home-baked cake. It was moist and not sweet at all! I wasn't able to enjoy the rest of the food, but I assume it was really good. Aside from being busy entertaining our guests, I don't eat meat and the food selection was entirely meat. 

My party planning skills were tested by this event and there are several things that I have learned. First is to get someone else or hire someone to take pictures even if you have a good DSLR. We were so busy that we were not able to take lots of pictures. My sisters left the reception early, so no one else was left to take photos. The photos of Z's clothes (clothes on bed ala wedding) was done when we got home after the baptism. Second is to keep your belongings in a safe place or entrust it with someone who's not busy. Unfortunately, I lost my phone during the reception. Anyone could have had it cause we were sharing the room with another party. But nonetheless, I had a blast cause I got to see my friends and relatives and they were able to see Z. I am also happy that Z is now baptized and now a member of the Church which is the real essence of this event. 

Lace and Pleats

Here's what I wore during Z's baptism! I just wore a dark gray cardigan over the dress when we were at the church to make it more church appropriate. I love my shoes sooooo much! My feet and legs looked amazing with these and my feet did not hurt! It's my sister's actually, but she suggested I wore it for the occasion. Anyway, this dress worked my body well! Everyone complimented me and told me that I don't look like I just had a baby. :)

Dress - Bangkok

Shoes - bought from High Style Fancy

Bracelet - Charriol (No other accessories cause I don't want to hurt Z)

DIY-ing for Z's Baptism

Z's baptism was successfully held yesterday. He's now a legit member of the Catholic Church! :) Anyway, I'll blog all about that later. For now, I would like to dedicate this blog post on some items that I made with love for Z's baptism.

Invitations:

I initially wanted a red, black, and white theme for Z's baptism but I saw this layout on the internet and I liked the design and the colors. I edited it using Photoshop, in which I'm no pro. I posted this in an event I made in Facebook.  I only had electronic invites through Facebook, which saved me lots of money from printing actual invites.

Tarpaulin:

I also saw this layout on the internet and edited it using Photoshop. I had it printed at the mall for only 180 pesos. If my memory serves me right, the size of the tarpaulin is 2x3 meters.

Candles:

the cast

tadaaah!

Of course, I wouldn't leave the candles bare! So I bought some black and blue ribbons from SM Department Store and wrapped them around the candles. They looked cute in an instant.

I also made the balloon centerpieces and the thank you cards for the guests. The blue, black, and white balloons for the centerpieces were bought at Divisoria, the ultimate party needs haven! Unfortunately, I cannot find a decent picture of those.

DIY-ing has saved us a lot on extra and avoidable costs. For example, making layout for the invitations and tarpaulins usually costs extra, so simply creating your own or getting a layout from the internet will help you save more. You could just have them printed at home or you could just send out e-invites, just like what I did. Simple balloon centerpieces are also expensive so I opted to made them myself. There are lots of tutorials in YouTube that you can learn from. I suggest though that you plan ahead of time for a party to have enough time to prepare and DIY (instead of cramming , which I did) to save lots of moolah! 

Garden Wedding

Swans in the background.

loving my necklace!

with Pretty Trisha. She did an act during the reception.  :)
Kinabog ako lol!

My mom and I attended a wedding of one of her clients at Fernwood Gardens yesterday. We were late for the wedding itself cause it was raining hard and we got lost. :| Nonetheless, the wedding was beautiful! :) Every wedding is actually beautiful. I guess it is the marriage part that's a lot of work lol. Anyway, I wasn't supposed to wear this but I spilled liquid foundation on my previous dress so I went back home and change clothes. But I loved this outfit more!

Dress - Norwegian brand

Cardigan - H&M

Necklace - Vice Versa

Bag - Mango
Shoes - Ninewest

UP Law Aptitude Examination 2012 Results

The following are qualified to enroll in the U. P. College of Law for AY 2012- 2013 subject to compliance with documentary and other requirements. Please check the website http://law.upd.edu.ph for further announcements. Please notify the Office of the College Secretary (OCS) in writing of your intention
to enroll on or before 12 April 2012, together with the payment of reservation fee of P 5,000.00, which shall be credited to the payment of your tuition fees. Also submit to the OCS the following: (1) Official Transcript of Records (OTR) with remarks of “Copy for University of the Philippines”; (2) Certificate of Graduation;
(3) NSO Birth Certificate (photocopy-Original to be presented); (4) Copy of NSO Marriage Certificate for married women (photocopy-Original to be presented); (5) 3 pcs. Passport size photos.

1 ABDON,REINIER JEFFREY,EPINO
2 ABEJO,LAURA JERMINA,REYES
3 ADORNA,FELIX JANSEN,CHAVEZ
4 AGBAYANI,JOHN GLENN JR,CABRERA
5 AGCAOILI,JORGE APOLLO JR,BASCONCILLO
6 AGUINALDO,MA JANELLI ERIKA,KABIGTING
7 ALAMPAY,MARY KATHERENE,B
8 ALBOS,SPENCER,MURILLO
9 ALBURO,ALZONCHE,USISON
10 ALCANTARA,AICEL MIOR,ONG
11 ALEGRE,JAN CATHERINE,IBANA
12 ALLERITE,JESSON,GONZAGA
13 ALZAGA,CHARLENE,CASTRO
14 AMANE,CHRISTIAN EDRIK,UYTIEPO
15 AMORIN,DANNIEL ROY,DURAN
16 ANASTACIO,ANGELA,PATRICIO
17 ANIT,EMERSON,MOROTA
18 ARANDIA,GIL ARVIN,CRUZ
19 ARTECHE,JASON RUDOLF,CO
20 ASUNCION,MIGUEL ENRICO,DE GUZMAN
21 AVANEZ,ANVICO JUNER,BAYOT
22 BACANI,CALUDINE ANGELA,COPIACO
23 BACUS,RAY MAYNARD,JAVIER
24 BAHJIN,ISHMAEL,IKBALA
25 BARTOLOME,ANTONIO MIGUEL,ANONUEVO
26 BAVIERA,DENISE CARLA,VILLAMORAN
27 BERNARDO,MARIA KARLA ROSITA,VISTAN
28 BRILLO,DAYSHEELYN ANNE,PAYACAG
29 BRIONES,ANA CLARIZA,PEREZ
30 BUENAVENTURA,MARIA VICTORIA,LUMBA
31 BUERGO,THERESE ANJELICA,MAGPANTAY
32 BUHANGIN,JOHN DOMINIC,TUZON
33 CADORNA,DIANNE IRISH,AMACIO
34 CALDERON,GERARD,LARRABASTER
35 CALLEJA,GABRIEL STEPHEN,REYES
36 CANTOS,JOANREINA,LITAN
37 CAPUCION,JADEA EZRA,MANALO
38 CASILA,MA ERIKA AMOR,DEVERATURDA
39 CASTELO,ANA ISABEL,FACTOR
40 CELZO,KATHRYNA YSSABEL,QUIAMBAO
41 CHUA,CARMELA,BALIN
42 COCABO,PATRICK VINCENT,GO
43 CONSIGNADO,PAOLO MIGUEL,SANDICHO
44 CONSTANTINO,ANA KATRINA,ONG
45 CONTI,LUIGI,CALINGASAN
46 CRISTOBAL,MELY ANN EMERIE,ARROYO
47 CRUZ,AILEEN CHARISSE,PROTASIO
48 CRUZ,JOHN NOWELL,REYES
49 CRUZ,JOSE RAFAEL,SANCHEZ
50 CUBILLAN,ABIGAIL THERESE,YU
51 DAMASING,RAMON ENRICO CUSTODIO,MABUNAY
52 DANTES,HANS JOSHUA,VILLAS
53 DE CASTRO,MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER,CHAVEZ
54 DE GUZMAN,MA CELINE ANGELA,KATIGBAK
55 DE GUZMAN,RICO MIGUEL,EVIDENTE
56 DE TORRES,ALENZ AVRIL,PE BENITO
57 DEL ROSARIO,RALPH GABRIELLE,DUNGO
58 DEVEYRA,JAMIEELISE,BALUMA
59 DIAZ,GERARDO JR,JIMENEZ
60 DILAG,JOCELISIDRO,SILVA
61 DINO,MEA FAYE,PINEDA
62 DOLOT,DIANE JANE,DENZON
63 DOMINGO,CALVIN PATRICK,PERALTA
64 DORIA,MCGYVER,LAURIO
65 DULAWAN,JADE LOU,DUPINGAY
66 ELAMPARO,KARLO,RAMOS
67 ENAD,JULIE ANN,MARCELO
68 ENTERIA,JYRINE MAIR,FRANDO
69 ESPANOLA,AMAPOLA,JINANG
70 ESPIRITU,ENRIQUE MIGUEL,VERDE
71 FALCONE,PIA MARIE,DALMAN
72 FERNANDEZ,GEMMO,BAUTISTA
73 FERNANDEZ,GRACIELLA,SANTOS
74 FRIAS,CHERRIE GEM,BONSOL
75 FUENTES,ERWIN ROMMEL,CHIONG
76 FULLECIDO,JOHN RAYMUND VINCENT,ALIANGAN
77 GALANG,LEO ARMAN,PANGAN
78 GALANG,MICHAEL,ORTIAGA
79 GALOPE,MARIA KATHERINA,MUFF
80 GAN,MARGARET,PERALTA
81 GANA,DOMINIQUE MARIE AKIO THERESE,PIMENTEL
82 GARCIA,ARNOLD LOUIE,COMILANG
83 GARCIA,ELEONOR DYAN,REYES
84 GARCIA,RANDALL,SABULARSE
85 GERALDEZ,AGUSTIN,PADILLA
86 GERALDEZ,PATRICIA,PADILLA
87 GERONIMO,GIANFRANCO ROGGIERO,CORDOVA
88 GO,CARLO MIGUEL ROMEO,SISON
89 GO,PAOLO ROMEO VALENTINO,SISON
90 GONZALES,ROSE ANN JOY,VENTURA
91 GREGORIO,JASPER JOHN,TEQUIL
92 GUIDOTE,ISABEL,LINDO
93 GUINTO,RUTH,BINAYUG
94 GUTIERREZ,RACHELLE ANNE,DE LEON
95 HAYNES,MIRANDA LEE,FERRER
96 HERMO,DEO PAOLO MARCIANO,VENIDA
97 HERMOSISIMA,CHRISTOPHER ALBERT,CAMPOS
98 HERNANDEZ,CARLOS JR,SENERES
99 HIPOLITO,MELISSA JEAN,GUILAS
100 IGNACIO,EUNICE ANNE,CAPANANG
101 IMPERIAL,JUAN PAOLO,JUAN
102 INOCENCIO,ALBERT DALE,BAULITA
103 INOFERIO,KATRINA SAMANTHA,ALCALA
104 JAO,STEFAN ANDREW,SY
105 JULIANO,HANSLEY,ADRIANO
106 KOON,JETHRO LAURENZ,ALFONSO
107 LAO,PERRY EVAN,CHIONG
108 LAPIDES,JOMEL,GARCIA
109 LARRACAS,RAISSA KATHERINE,RODRIGO
110 LAURORA,MARIA CECILIA,ORDONEZ
111 LAZATIN,RAPHAELA KERCEE VENDEL,PINEDA
112 LEYNES,EUGENIO,MACEDA
113 LEZAMA,KARLA KRYSTLE,WONG
114 LICAROS,ANDRES III,LUY
115 LIM,JORDAN ANDREW,QUE
116 LINA,BERTHA ANN,PACHECO
117 LIRIO,CHARMAINE,PINEDA
118 LOPEZ,JOSE LUIS ANTONIO,TANGHAL
119 LORA,SANTINA JOY,BALAYAN
120 MACARIOLA,PAOLO DOMINIC,GARRA
121 MAGAT,RUTH CHRISSA,GUANZON
122 MANALASTAS,MARIA CASSANDRA LOURDES CELERINA,RIVILLA
123 MANALO,LAWRENCE IVAN,LOZANO
124 MARIN,JOSE CARLOS,PASCUAL
125 MARTIJA,LEIRON CONRAD,TUAZON
126 MASACUPAN,DARWIN,MERCADO
127 MEDALLA,JOAN THERESE,CARAGAY
128 MERCADO,RAYMOND JOSEPH,VALMAYOR
129 MILLENA,CHRISTIAN JAY,MALLAPRE
130 MOLINA,MARITONI,BENAVIDES
131 MONFORT,FRANCIS MARION EDEL,VALENCIA
132 MORAN,ROMEO III,BASCON
133 NAMINGIT,AIZA LIZA,PUGONG
134 NUNEZ,MICHAEL TRANCE JOSEPH,MAMINTA
135 OCCENOLA,PAULINE GEL,CASTEL
136 ORDOYO,JUSTIN ARDIEL,ESPALDON
137 ORTIZ,LAWRENCE GERARD,TUASON
138 OSTERIA,MA CLARISSE,SANTOS
139 PABIONA,LAZARO KEVIN,GATCHALIAN
140 PAGDANGANAN,CARLOS LORENZO,BENGZON
141 PAJE,MARGARITA,SANTOS
142 PALACIOS,NIKKI CAREEN,ROLA
143 PALISOC,NINA KRISTINA,REYES
144 PANGANIBAN,MARIE-CHELLE,GERONA
145 PARAS,MARY THERESE APRILLE,YUMUL
146 PEREZ,TANYA MIA,DEOCAREZA
147 POBLADOR,CARLOS VIKTOR,OSORIO
148 PONO,KEZIAH IRENE,TAN
149 POON,PETERSON,UY
150 PROLLAMANTE,VICTOR ANGELO,MARBELLA
151 PUNZALAN,JOSE MARI,PRONTO
152 QUIAMBAO,LAURIE CHRISTINE,PUZON
153 QUILALA,PAOLO MIKAEL,E
154 RADOC,RAIZA ALEXIS,DY
155 RAMOS,ANDRE PHILIPPE,ESTENZO
156 RAMOS,FROILAN RICHARD,TIZON
157 RAYOS DEL SOL,ANGELO,SEE
158 RECTO,MARA KRISTINA,OROSA
159 REGALADO,FRANCO ANTONIO,FERNANDO
160 REODICA,RON ALDRICH,VIRTUSIO
161 REPOSAR,RICHARD DEAN,DASAL
162 RESURRECCION,EFREN II,RULLAN
163 REYES,MARIA GIANELLA,DIZON
164 REYNES,ANTONIO BONIFACIO,CRISTOBAL
165 ROBLES,KATHLEEN ANNE,MISON
166 ROMAN,CARLO AUGUSTINE,AGCAOILI
167 ROQUE,CHRISTIAN ARIEL,MEMORACION
168 ROXAS,MARK,CHUA
169 SALES,DENISE ANNE,VALDEZ
170 SAN JUAN,RONALD RAY,KATIGBAK
171 SANCHEZ,ROSALYNNE,LADORES
172 SANTIAGO,DIEGO LUIS,SISON
173 SANTOS,HANS CEDRIC,INTON
174 SANTOS,MARIA LOURDES,MORENO
175 SANTOS,PATRIXIA SHERLY,DELUMBAN
176 SATUMBAGA,DAWN IVA,PALEC
177 SEVILLA,MIGUEL,ROBLES
178 SIANG,REJYL,BACTONG
179 SOLLANO,FRANCIS,COLLAMAT
180 SORIANO,ENRIQUE JAIME,SEMBRANO
181 SUAREZ,LARISSA MAE,RAMIREZ
182 TALLEDO,DONNA,SILVERIO
183 TAMASE,PAOLO EMMANUEL,SALAS
184 TAN DE GUZMAN,JECHEL,LAO
185 TAN,ADRIAN JOSEPH,BAUTISTA
186 TAN,KATRINNA ANDRAE,MANIQUIZ
187 TANJANGCO,MARIA BEATRICE,DELFIN
188 TEJANO,JUAN CARLO,PE
189 TIANGCO,MA VICTORIA,ANGELES
190 TIONGCO,SANTIAGO III,ALAMO
191 TIU,ARTHUR ARCHIE,FORTUN
192 TUGADE,RUBY ROSSELLE,LORENZO
193 UGALINO,KATRINA,RAQUEPO
194 UY,ARVY BRIAN,MACLANG
195 VALDEZ,ERNEST AARON,PRING
196 VARGAS,PAOLA MARIE,BRINGAS
197 VILLAMIN,KATHLEEN MAE,MIRASOL
198 YANEZA,JEANE BENALDA RUTH,MANLANGIT
199 YANG,DARYL ANNE,ERASMO
200 YAP,DEWEY JOSEPH,GIDA

The following are qualified for interview on a schedule to be announced. Please check the website for further announcements.

1 AFRICA, AMABEL KAY,LACSAMANA
2 AGDAMAG,ALTHEA SAMANTHA,CRUZ
3 AQUINO,MARIANNE,SENIN
4 BAG-AO,ANNIE,CAMAISA
5 BAHILLO,MARIE ALEXIS,GALAO
6 BALDONADO,KATHLYN NADIA,DIMAGIBA
7 BANTIGUE,AGNES MAY,BALATBAT
8 BANTUG,MARIANA,SANTIAGO
9 BELENO,IRIZ KAY DEZIREE,BALTAR
10 BENEMERITO,KRISTEL,AGRISOLA
11 BUENAGUA,JOSE BARTHOLOMEW,BOSITO
12 CAELIAN,ABRAMER,VALENCIA
13 CANLAS,JACQUELINE,ESCALANTE
14 CASTELO,ENRICO EDMUNDO II,DE BELEN
15 CASTILLO,JANNICA RUTH,LAGRIMAS
16 CASTRICIONES,MIGUEL IGNACIO MARIA,SEDANO
17 CHUA,PAM LOUIESE,MESINA
18 CIELO,BERNARDO II,CANJA
19 COLOBONG,ROYELYNNE JESSA KRIS,GARCIA
20 CONCEPCION,JOEL,MERCADO
21 CRUZ,KARL RAYMOND,DE JESUS
22 CRUZ,ROBELYNE APRIL,BALANDRA
23 DATINGUINOO,JUAN PAOLO,RAMOS
24 DE GUZMAN,JOYCE DIANNE,JOSE
25 DE LIMA,GREGORIO III,LEE
26 DEL VALLE,FRANCIS JULIUS ROMEO,DATO
27 DELMO,MARIA CHARMINA ALLEN,GERONA
28 DUENAS,DENISE JANE,BUSA
29 ESCALONA,NADINE ANNE,CONATO
30 FLORENTINO,JOAN MARIE,LEE
31 FLORES,ETHEL GILLIAN,DE RIVERA
32 FULGENCIO,TEDREE MAY,TAN
33 GALANG,DANILO JR,MUNIZ
34 GALANG,KARLA YSABEL,LOPEZ
35 GALAROSA,JAMES VINCENT,CANON
36 GAMONNAC,GERTRUDE JOY,DASAYON
37 GANA,ERICA MAY,ONATE
38 GARCIA,PAULA JOAN,PARAGAS
39 GRAMAJE,JUSTIN BRIAN,DEL CORRO
40 ICO,DESIREE,MARTIN
41 LAGMAY,MARTIN ALFREDO BENJAMIN,TOMELDEN
42 LAMARCA,POLA LIA CELINA,LLANES
43 LEE,PATRICK SHERWIN,LU
44 LIMPASAN,BENHAR JR,GANIH
45 MACABUHAY,JURIST CHRISTIANI,MILLO
46 MANCENIDO,RALPH CHRISTIAN,CANLAS
47 MARCELO,KARA CHRISELLE,SABINO
48 MARCELO,MARIA GEMMA,TADEO
49 MATBA,YMIL RJIV,DELA TORRE
50 MONZON,SAMANTHA ANNE,SCHUCK
51 MOPERA,LAURENCE,ASIS
52 NARVACAN,GLAIZA,FEROLINO
53 NUESTRO,REINERR JOHN,ARTUZ
54 NUQUI,ALYSSA HANNAH,RICAFORT
55 PABILLORE,JONATHAN,ACAYLAR
56 PANGALANGAN,RAPHAEL,AGUILING
57 PASCUA,ERIKA,DELA CRUZ
58 PEREZ,JOHANNA CLARISSE,BRILLO
59 PINEDA,ROLDAN,PANGANIBAN
60 RAMOS,ALEXIS JOHN,SAMSON
61 RAMOS,DAN CHRISTIAN,ESTENZO
62 RAMOS,ZION ROSE,OANDASAN
63 RANCES,KIM,LITERAL
64 ROA,CAMILO FRANCO III,DELA CRUZ
65 TANECA,JENNICA GRACE,SANTIAGO
66 TIMBOL,REGINA KLARISSE,JIMENO
67 TRINIDAD,SARAH ANGELA JOY,ENRIQUEZ
68 TUMBALI,JUAN PAOLO,BARIAS
69 UY,ALEXANDER CHARLES,LEGASPI
70 YAP,RAIZEL JANE,REAL

Of course, I was disappointed that I did not pass the exam. Not really because I wanted to study at UP College of Law, but because studying in a school far from home would lessen my time for Z.  But I am still thankful that I got into San Beda College of Law as I have written on an earlier post. I definitely won't consider getting a place to stay near the U-Belt area cause I won't compromise the time I spend with Z with my studies. I'd travel an hour and a half to school everyday and vice versa if I needed to, just like what I have been doing when I was in college. Z is still my priority above anything else.

Tangerine

There's my baby sleeping in the background. :)

Sorry for my ugly hand and for the ugly shot. :p

I saw this cardigan hiding in one of our cabinets. :| Poor thing! It is too pretty not be worn so I gave this a go when I went to the mall a couple of days ago to buy some things for Z's baptism. Tangerine is the color of the year (as told by my mom) so I'd be pretty much wearing this one all year round. :)

Tank top - Gap

Cardigan - H&M

Shorts (which actually used to be a pants) - Wrangler

Shoes - Cloud 9 by Ninewest

Ring - Aldo Accessories

Missing Those Days!

RANDOM POST. :)

CHEERLEADING AND GYMNASTICS

UPLB DAYS

TAFT. LOL!

HMM. I'm not really sure if I'm missing this. But I do miss my friends!

Concrete jungle, where dreams are made of. (NY 09)

TRIPS ABROAD! (Guam 09)

My semi-skinny body! But I still love my body now. :)

Product Review: Manual Breastpumps

When I was pregnant, I made a pledge to myself that I will breastfeed my baby no matter what. Unfortunately when I gave birth to my baby, I had some physiological issues which prevented me to direct feed my baby. When I was already able to direct feed Z (a few weeks after giving birth), he refused because he was already settled with using a bottle. So I relied on using a breast pump to express milk for my baby boy. I tried several brands of manual breast pump which disappointed and pleased me. I did not bother to try an electric one cause it's expensive and I have the time to pump.

The Cheap

Image retrieved from Google Images

I asked my sister to buy me a breast pump after I gave birth cause I still didn't have milk and Z won't latch. She saw this one at a drugstore and purchased it immediately cause it only costs less than a hundred pesos. I didn't have milk until 3 days after I gave birth and I could positively say that this breast pump was able to bring out the milk. (See my relactation journey here) However, using it was quite uncomfortable and painful because the suction was too strong. Also, it cannot be used to store milk. I just used this to encourage a let down, then I'll hand express into a bottle after, which is more efficient than using this pump. The parts also come off easily. Once its parts came off, it is already hard to use. Anyway, I was washing my Babyflo breast pump one time and the glass funnel came off. I did not repurchase another one after that incident.

The Moderate

Image retrieved from The First Years' site

Lucky me! Or not. A friend let me borrow her The First Years Manual breast pump which she only used twice or thrice, so it was almost new. This one retails for 1,200 pesos in malls. This product is also BPA-Free. I tried using it with my Avent bottles but, unfortunately, they did not fit. What I did was use the bottles that came with it, then transfer the milk to my baby's Avent bottles just right before consuming it. This product actually looks like an Avent Manual Pump. The bad thing with this product is that I was only able to use this for a very short time because it lost its suction so quickly. Also, I could only get 1 to 2 oz per session when I used this because of its weak suction. I was only able to use it for a week or two before it gave up on me and I was back to hand expressing again. The only thing I am using up to now are the storage bottles that came with it. Also, I find the product hard to assemble, even with the instruction guide, because there are many parts. If I purchased the product myself, I would say that it was not worth the price.

The High End

Image retrieved from Medela's site

When I saw positive results with my relactation, I decided that it is time to buy a high quality pump. I've read reviews that Medela has the best breast pumps and I could not agree more. The suction of the Medela Harmony Breast pump was great and it was not painful to use at all. It has definitely helped to increase my supply. It was easy to clean and assemble. It is BPA-Free and lightweight. I always bring this whenever I go out. I have actually used it in a car and at a mall already. The downside to this product is that it is very pricey. It retails for around 5,000 pesos in malls, but you could get it at a cheaper price from online shops (at around half the price). But, it is definitely worth the price.

Of course, your hands will get hurt from all the pumping, just like with any other manual pumps. If you have issues with your hands hurting while pumping, I suggest you get an electric pump. When purchasing a manual pump, it is still best to buy the ones which are already tried and tested and came from reputable companies, even if they are pricey. One, because it is easier to look for spare parts for these and second, because you might never need to purchase spare parts ever! If you plan to buy cheap manual pumps, I suggest that you don't and learn how to hand express instead.

Happy pumping! :)

Updates: Party/Baptism Planning

I have posted a few weeks ago about planning for my baby boy's baptism. So here is a list of what I have accomplished and things that I still have to do:

1. We have finally decided to hold Z's baptism at Mary the Queen Parish Church in Fairview and have Dory's Restaurant for the reception.

2. The guest list and the list of god parents are all settled. I have chosen 25 people to be his god parents, 5 of which are based abroad. We're expecting a total of 80 people, but I have still to confirm if they're really coming. I don't want to make excess reservations with the restaurant of course.

3. I have already bought clothes for Z (reception clothes only) and me. Of course, the mommy also deserves to look pretty! I still have to buy the actual clothes for Z's christening because one of his god parents who came home from Norway yesterday pledged to buy one for him. The polo and pants that he gave him are so cute! Unfortunately, it was too big!

4. I have already sent out e-invites on Facebook and have the tarpaulin printed out already.

5. I bought balloons from Divisoria yesterday cause I'll be the one to make the centerpieces. I also bought the giveaways there. I still have to make a layout for the thank you card and have it printed.

6. I have already bought the candles and I'll just decorate it with ribbons to make it look more attractive.

6. The restaurant will be the one to produce a cake for us. Of course, at an extra cost. They will be the one to do the set up of the venue. My mom called the owner and asked if they will do the setup. The owner told my mom that they will do a pink set-up on the venue! She thought Z was a girl! :| Good thing my mom called to have that issue resolve.

I am really excited for Z's Christening cause, finally, he'll become a member of the Catholic Church. I am also excited cause I'll get to see my friends and they'll also be able to see my baby. I just hope that things work out well on the day itself. :)

Oatmeal Cookies x 1st Blog Monthsary!

Here I am again manning the kitchen and attempting not to make a mess. Lol! Kidding aside, I made oatmeal cookies the other day because my dad bought a large bag of Quaker Oats. Unfortunately, he forgot that it contains a high amount of uric acid which is a no-no for him, so he gave the whole bag for me to consume. Instead of eating it the usual way, I decided to allot some for making oatmeal cookies.I just recently started baking as I stated on a previous post, so please bear with me! :)

I forgot where I got my recipe but I think it was from the Joy of Baking.

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used butter)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water (I used milk. I don't know if that's ok but my cookies tasted great.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour (I added another 1/4 cup because the mixture I made seemed too runny)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

the cast!

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Beat brown sugar, shortening, and granulated sugar

I don't have an electric mixer so I let the butter soften first so I could easily incorporate the ingredients.

• Add egg, water, and vanilla

• Add combined oats, flour, salt, and baking soda

• Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until edges have become golden brown

Tadaaaa!

PS: I might have to limit my baking/experimenting to twice a month only because it consumes so much gas and LPG has just increased prices lol.

PPS: Today is my blog's 1st monthsary! Yay! :)

Happy 4th Month Baby Z! :)

It's been 4 months since I gave birth to my little boy. He's grown so much in such a short time! What more if he's already a year old? He only weighed 2.28 kilos when he was born. He was so tiny and fragile that my sisters were scared to carry him.

Mommy loves you Z! :)

Now, he's lean and tall. I guess he got that from his dad. He's also very friendly and charming. He smiles at everyone, unless he's cranky because he's sleepy or hungry. He can support his head now. Sometimes he doesn't like to lean on the person carrying him, he'd rather sit upright by himself! He likes playing with his hands and he likes eating them lol. So we make sure they're always clean. He's also very malikot (even when he's asleep) and talkative! He loves eavesdropping on people's conversations and he'd actually sometimes butt in with his baby talk. He sometimes even talks to the characters of Sesame Street while watching on TV. Here's a video of him talking. :) (It is very short because he stopped talking when he realized that he was being filmed)

Make-up Essentials

Preparing before going out has become more difficult for me now with Z. I have to give my baby a bath, dress my baby, and dress myself in the little amount of time that was left. This leaves me with little or no time for make-up. I might have all the time in the world when I had no baby, but I still have a hard time in doing my make up. I sometimes do my make up in the car, which mind you, is very tricky. So I decided to pick out what's important and what's not so that I could save up time.

For the face:

First on my list is sunblock. It is very important to put on sunblock, most especially in a tropical country like ours, to prevent damage in our skin caused by the sun and also to lessen skin darkening. It sometimes also doubles as a moisturizer. The one I am using is Nivea Sun Whitening Face Fluid with SPF 50.

Having a baby has given me restless nights, dark undereyes, and eyebags. To help conceal my dreaded undereyes and other blemishes, I use Mary Kay's Medium Coverage Foundation in Beige. It makes my skin picture-perfect! And to smoothen everything, I use Clinique's Almost Powder Makeup in Neutral. I sometimes skip this and use a baby powder instead. I find it too hot when I have too much make-up on.

For the eyes:

I'd say the most important part of a person's face is the eyes so I make sure that mine look presentable all the time. To fill in my brows, I use the darkest shade of my Revlon Colorstay 12 Hour Eyeshadow Quad in Coffee Bean . When I have time, I use the remaining 3 shades on my lids. Then, I use Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara in Brown Black to emphasize my lashes. I have really flat lashes so I make sure that I always have them permed whenever I could (will blog on that soon.)

For the cheeks:

I always use blush whenever I could because I look so pale without it. I use a very subtle color to prevent from my face from looking clown-ish. I currently use Mary Kay's Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush. It is a very light shade and shines in the sun. :)

For the lips:

I am no fan of lipsticks. I'd actually rather use petroleum jelly on my lips or a colorless lip balm. But whenever I step out, I make sure there's a little color on my lips. I use Clinique's Lipstick and Lipgloss Duo in Think Bronze and Air Kiss. It leaves my lips moisturized with the right amount of color.

I sometimes skip one or two when I don't feel like it. Sometimes I don't wear make-up at all, just my good old sunblock. But what is important is that with or without make up, we look presentable at all times. :)

my lazy make up look :)