My junk food dreams are made of Indomie Instant Noodles.

It took me a while to be able to eat junk food again. Minor medical mishap. 🙃

Out of all the bawal stuff that the doctor listed, I missed eating instant noodles the most. With fried egg. And an ice cold bottle of Coke. Writing those words just made my mouth water.

Anyhoo, last week I dropped by the supermarket to get some junk food of course. I reached the instant noodles aisle and was about to get the all-time favorite Indomie mi goreng. However, there sitting right next to it is a pile of the premium flavor, Curry Salted Egg. Mas mahalia sya sa regular noodles. Like 2 or 3 times ata yung price.


Salted Egg flavored anything was a fad since last year. Not the healthiest flavor out there, but hey, it's good. I generally think what makes this so alluring to people is the elusiveness of the flavor. I figured if you only used the yolk of a salted egg, it's damn pretty expensive to make. Imagine going through a lot of eggs and only using the yolk. And curry leaves are not that easy to find.

I got a couple of packs and thought it would be a good weekend breakfast. Today was that day. As the noodles were cooking, I opened the seasoning packets. Instead of the usual powder seasoning, it came with a yellow powder which definitely hinted of salted egg and curry. Not sure if it's still ketchup sicam but it's slightly saltier than sweet.

On the first bite, it already had a kick of spiciness into it. Not for the faint of heart, if you ask me. But not yet to the hotness of those Samyang noodles.

You can very much note the spiciness is coming from curry. A few more bites and I can definitely tell you it's not your usual sweet mi goreng.

I made a small booboo of cooking two packs. I usually eat two packs of the regular ones for a late breakfast/brunch. Nakakaumay yung dalawang curry salted egg mi goreng, mga mumsh. Next time I'd probably do 1 salted egg and 1 regular one. For that reason alone, I'd give it a 3/5. Masarap naman sya kaso nakakaumay talaga. I'll probably do it again in a few weeks, and mix with the regular one.

Ps. Bought mine at SM Hypermarket at SM Makati.

In progress.

Every time life presents the slightest bit of chance go fulfill my heart's desire, I dare not take it.

I will always hold on to that moment when eveyrthing was just what I wanted and it's as if you can't see me.

Long-lasting Eyebrow Liner for Newbies

Over the holidays, I tried signing up on this new review site, Try and Review. So it's a site where you sign up to review products. Package will be delivered to you and you just have to try and submit a review. Easy-peasy. 

I signed up to review the Define and Blend brow pencil of Maybelline. Yes, I am going to review a beauty product. I still don't associate myself as kikay, however I do believe #kilayislife. So anyway, I got the product on the first week of 2019, albeit signing up around mid-December. 

Another great product from Maybelline! 

Upon receiving the package, I immediately noticed it was light. Literal na magaan, mga mumsh. That's a good sign for me since I can control the pressure when I apply it on myself. 

Maybelline Define and Blend brow pencil

But wait, there's more.

I did try applying it on. It was soooooo easy. However, I had to repeat some strokes since I found it too light on my skin. Baka sumobra lang ang moisturizer ko at naging oily na ako kaya ayaw kumapit. Will get back on that again next week.

The application was so easy. It was one of its product features anyway. Newbies and people who are scared of doing their brows will find this product perfect. It doesn't smudge easily, so when you overdo it, easy clean-up pa rin.

Trying the Define and Blend brow pencil

Price was okay for me. Eyebrow liners/pencils are something I don't usually splurge on. So I usually look for stuff that's below Php300. This product in particular is very pasok sa banga at Php249. How long it's going to last in my kit will be another post perhaps. 

This product is something I'd recommend. Easy to apply, keeps your brow natural-looking and affordable. With that I'd give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Shameless selfie.

In case you're wondering, here's the review I posted in the site. Look for it and rate it useful. (Please, pretty please with cherry on top.)

A lightweight brow liner that's so easy to apply! Perfect for newbies and women on the go, the application took me less than five minutes. There's nothing to be scared of, if you're not used to brow liners, this one's really easy to use. I mentioned it's lightweight - very easy to control the pressure of your hand when applying the product. The price is just right and totally worth it.

Confused.

Una, linawin mo muna kung ano ang nararamdaman mo.

Pangalawa, wag kang magover think.

Pangatlo, yung gusto mo ba, yung "siya" o yung "idea of him"?

Pangapat, huwag na huwag ka magcocompare. A) magreresult lang yan sa over thinking at b) unfair kay kuya na ang basis ng actions mo towards him ay yung mga naexperience mo sa ibang lalaki.

Panglima, mag-invest sa pagkilala sa tao. Kaya ka nacoconfuse, maraming apprehensions at nagoover think kasi hindi mo pa naman siya ganun kakilala. Making time and effort to know someone doesn't equate to you getting hurt in case things work out. Process yan. Hindi naman natin madedetermine kung nafall ka na ba o naaaliw ka lang sa attention na binibigay sa'yo ng ganun ganun lang. Bukod sa slambook questions, kilala mo na ba siya kung paano siya maghandle ng pressure? Ano ba yung driving force ng mga desisyon niya sa buhay?

Panganim. Huwag mo i-test. Again, kung interesado ang lalaki sayo, siya ang magkukusa. Hindi pabebe ang daan sa pagdetermine ng worth niya. Paano kung hindi siya palapatol sa pabebe kasi ang kinalakihan niya hindi dapat sensitive ang lalaki? Paano kung katulad sya ni tyang na ayaw ng pabebe hirit? Again, kilalanin mo sya. Huwag mo pahirapan o i-pressure to get the output you expect.

Pangpito, i-enjoy mo lang ang lahat at i-appreciate mo kung ano man yung effort na binibigay niya para makilala ka. Hindi biro sa isang lalaki na mag-stalk at umepal sa social media account ng isang babae. Kung ano man ang intention ni koya, hindi mo problema yun sa ngayon. Ang mahalaga, pwede namin ipalupot sa'yo yung buhok mo na umabot sa 18F ng building namin.

Pangwalo, hindi porke ineentertain mo sya, tinatalikuran mo ang family mo. Kausapin mo sila, maging open ka sa kanila pagdating sa usapang relationships. Anong klaseng partner ba ang gusto nila para sayo? Bakit ayaw nila sa sundalo? Dahil ba sa lifestyle? Tingin ba nila wala sa personality mo na maging partner ang sundalo? After all, parents mo ang pinakanakakakilala sayo. Hingan mo ng advice. Kahit pagsamasamahin mo lahat ng sinasabi namin dito, mas marami ka pang matututunan sa kanila.

Pangsiyam (juskolord), huwag ka na pumatol sa mga ganyang online tests. Anuna teh hayskul? Wala dyan ang sagot. Nasa pagbawas ng habit mo na kilatisin bawat kibot ni kuya.

Pangsampu, ipagpray mo lang ang lahat. Huwag mong hingin kay Lord na ibigay lang sa'yo basta ang isang partner. Ang ipagpray mo, yung habaan pa nya ang pasensya mo at iready ka ni Lord sa chapter ng buhay mo na maglalaan ka ng pagmamahal sa isang tao ng higit pa sa sarili mo.

Binge watching on 90s movies.

I don't mind spending Saturdays at home specially when I have a list of movies I want to watch.

Today's theme is (drumroll please) 90s movies!

Age reveal moment. Haha. I'll start with Sister Act.

By the way, did you know Sister Act is 25 years today?!?


There was a reunion number on The View a couple of days ago. Here's the video for you to watch. Enjoy!

The better you dress, the worse you can behave.

I never was fasyon. It could be because I'm not a fan of going with the flow, but most importantly, I am one who chooses comfort over style.

This little man, however, might be more fashionable than me. ❤️ The class that comes with preppy jackets. Tapos bigla syang nagtatakbo at naglaro na parang batang nakawala sa hawla. XD







Jacket and pants from H&M, shirt from Jockey, shoes from SM Dept. Store

What Would My Titas Say: Kita Kita Movie Review

Finally got to watch Kita Kita last week a few weeks ago.

Wasn't really planning on seeing this film as I was preparing myself for a movie marathon during the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino week. I realized I have missed a few good movies on the big screen lately so when a friend said she wanted to watch, I say why the hell not.

Traffic was so bad going to Town that we decided at the last minute to make a U-turn and watch in Festival Mall instead. Apparently, the cinemas there are almost a hundred pesos cheaper. (I have been watching movies lately in random Ayala Malls so I was surprised with the price difference. Turns out, Festival Mall was way cheaper because seats were really old, the floor for the cinemas was almost empty, and it's as if it was from a different mall, compared with the new wing.)

I like how the movie started with a light, clear storyline. The narrative of Lea's (Alessandra de Rossi) character was easy to digest in the first ten minutes. If they had made that longer, it would be borderline boring.



Cue lead actor. The introduction of Tonyo (Empoy Marquez) in the movie was written with lots of wit in mind. It seemed as if Empoy was just being himself.

Sigrid Andrea Bernado couldn't have pulled this movie off better as a writer and director. I loved how each angle and shot was well chosen for each scene. And all that happening in Japan! Sulit yung binayad namin sa sinehan!

Yes, this is me, giving this movie a thumbs up. On the other hand, I have way too many thoughts during and after the movie that I just have to let out here.

As a blind Filipina living alone in Japan, I couldn't imagine how will get through the day. Nakakakilig at nakakain love, sabi nila. But it all got too unreal for me when Tonyo narrated how he fit in Lea's life. At some level, it is stalker-ish. For me, it really knocked me back to reality upon learning Tonyo just broke up with his girlfriend, was trashy, followed Lea around and was instantly smitten with her kindness. If I were Lea, "Kuya, hindi ako rebound girl." I couldn't blame Lea though. She's a tourist guide for crying out loud, she's naturally a people person. But she broke up with that cheating boyfriend of hers, and loneliness was creeping its way up. The tita in me is screaming, just because you got cheated on, you shouldn't go for the next guy who's showing kindness to you. If she found out sooner she was stalked, I don't think she'd still like him that much.

Setting aside these comments, would I settle for a Tonyo? Probably not at this point. Maybe when loneliness eats me alive.

I recommend people watch this movie. Sulit. Then tell me watcha think. ;)

Ps. Masarap sya panoorin with Potato Corner fries. :D

Add a little sparkle.

With days and nights reaching almost-intolerable degrees of warmth, it is always nice to have something refreshing just about anywhere in this country. The Labor Day weekend gave a lot of urban peeps a chance to unwind and head to the beach to cool down, lucky for them. But if you're like me who'd rather stay in the metro and chill at the mall, there are other options.

*enter stage left*

Starbucks is yet introducing another "limited edition" drink for the summer, the sparkling lemonade drinks. I tried it out last Sunday and here are some thoughts of mine that you may or may not find amusing.

1. You can get it in green tea aka matcha or coffee. Coffee and lemonade, hello acidity. So yep, I chose the former.
2. In select stores (four, actually), they're having a buy 1 take 1 promo. I happen to live nearby in one of those stores, so I got two matcha lemonades.

3. I regret adding honey. It was too sweet after the honey addition. The honey was supposed to make my son like it. He didn't drink it at all because "Iced tea isn't green!"
3. Green tea sparkling lemonade looked like murky water. Or was it because of the honey?

4. Marketing for this new product was done almost 100% right. Creating a hype for a new product by saying it is limited edition will certainly get people to want to try it now and because we live in a likeable world, the need to share it on social media will definitely increase the chances of it being talked about. At least for the availability of the drink.
5. I assumed the drink has a short life span so I asked the barista if it will be available again. She thinks it's available til May 8th. But the B1T1 promo was for one day only.

I'm not sure if I outgrew green tea now. No, honestly, I like jasmine tea better. Or just plain black. Anyhow, it's a beautiful Tuesday morning and I'm considering giving the coffee lemonade a try.

Anyone else tried the Sparkling Lemonade drinks?

Rating: 3/5 stars. 

Calculated Risk

Running through your head
Over and over and over again
Toss and turn on the bed
Consume your soul without end

Strip off your worries
It'll make for good stories
Don't look back, jump in
Let go of your fears from within

Toss Coin.

If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?

People will say whatever they feel in the moment. Appropriate or not, it's what they're feeling. You can't judge them for that or make them accountable for what was swimming in their heads at that moment.

It's only good as the moment you're in.

I'll believe you when my heart tells me to. It will pass, and soon be a memory.

But maybe, just maybe, you're nothing but that. Maybe.

Monsters In Your Head

Unsteady waters. Strong current. How do you stay afloat?

When your heart knows what it wants but the circumstances shows you a different direction, where do you go?

When the fear is bigger than the dream, how do you draw up courage from within?

When nothing else seems to be right, is it okay not to be okay?

Oreo Cheescake Cookies

Christmas is just around the corner! WOOOOOT!

That means I get to spend more time in the kitchen. LOL. Nothing beats baking and making money out of it. 

One of my best sellers are Oreo Cheesecake Cookies. I've found a good recipe on the internet but I've tweaked it a bit to suit my taste and my market. What I'll be sharing is the original recipe I found. Feel free to adjust/change according to your preference.


Oreo Cheesecake Cookies (yields 12-15 cookies)

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3.5 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
10 pieces Oreo cookies, crushed

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.
2. Crush Oreo cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor. 
3. In a bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese until combined.
4. Add sugar and vanilla extract and mix until well incorporated.
5. Gradually mix in the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Using a medium sized cookie scoop, scoop dough and form a ball with your hands.Roll on crushed
Oreo cookies.
7. Place on cookie sheet, 1 inch apart.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes. When you see the edges starting to brown, it's time to take them out.
9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack.
10. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.


There. It takes about 35 minutes to get a batch done. I suggest you make double or even triple of the batch. One batch usually doesn't last long. Enjoy! :)

Outside is Free.

Goofing around before church on Sunday. I thought he'd never let go of the tablet but to my surprise, his enthusiasm and joy is bigger than digital.

Keep playing outside, anak. Especially now while most plants are still bigger than you. LOL












































On Javier: shirt and polo from Robinson's Department Store, shorts and sneakers from H & M.

posted from Bloggeroid

DIY Handprint Canvas Art

I've always wanted to do a keepsake for Javier. You know, first time mom stuff to remind you of milestones and whatnots your child goes/will go through. I saw a handprint canvas kit in 2012 at Rustans, but they were just too pricey. I made a promise to myself I'd save up for it but never got around to doing that.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to head to National Bookstore and check out the price of a canvas. It was cheaper than I thought so I bought one. I figured I could just DIY the whole thing. There's only one problem though, DIYs and I are not friends. Either I get too ambitious with it or it gets too boring to finish. So yeah, I spent 30 minutes at the bookstore deciding whether or not I would do it.

This is probably one of the easiest and cheapest DIYs I have ever conquered. And yes, I'm pretty happy with the results. For anyone else who wanted to do the same, here's a short tutorial how to pull it off.


What you'll need:
-canvas, size of your choice - I got an 8 inch by10 inch
-acrylic paint of your choice - if you're happy with a white canvas, just buy 1 tub. If you want to change the color, like I did, get two tubs of paint in contrasting shades.
-paint brush





1. Lay the canvas on a flat surface. (If you prefer to do the handprint on a white canvas, skip this and proceed to number 4) Be sure to cover the surface with old newspaper or whatever protective material you can find against your floor or surface. Acrylic paint isn't washable so take extra caution when using it.
2. Start painting your canvas. All of it including the sides. I didn't expect my brown paint to be light so I applied another coat. According to my tub, it says wait for 30 minutes before applying another coat. Check your brand's/tub's instructions.



3. Let dry for at least 24 hours before you proceed with the handprints.
4. Pour your other acrylic paint on a small dish (preferably where you can fit your child's hand).
5. For really young children/toddlers, it's recommended to practice this step on paper or other material. Dip hand/s on the paint. Press evenly on surface/canvas. Release after a few seconds.
6. Let dry. Once dried, hang on your wall or display in your mantle or table.






And that's it!

posted from Bloggeroid

Sup, Homies?

It was a cold weekend (Thanks, #LandoPH) and as Elsa would put it, "the wind is howling like this swirling storm inside."

Ergo, we took out our raincoats, umbrellas and hoodies. Javier is so in love with his Star Wars Lego raincoat that I totally forgot I bought him a hoodie before the rainy season started.

Not to waste another OOTD opportunity, here's how Javier rocks a hoodie.














On Javier: shirt from a tiangge in Starmall Alabang, hoodie from Metro Department Store

posted from Bloggeroid

These Shoes.

Second attempt at putting up Javier's OOTD... So far, so good, no tantrums, no major disagreements. Except when I was about to put on his white Converse. He got up and took a different set of shoes. He's prolly subtly telling me it's still his body after all. Lol.

Let me know what you think. ;)










Polo from Napoleon (Robinson's Department Store), shorts and shoes from H&M

posted from Bloggeroid

Let's Play Dress Up.

I have a confession to make. I'm not as adventurous and confident with my day-to-day outfits. God forbid, I can even go out without any make-up on. In other words, I'm not as fasyon as some women are out there. I just put on whatever basic clothes I have that suits my mood but nothing bold enough beyond the current trend.

I thought it was a relief to have a boy as my child. Less frills and outfit choices. I mean who could go wrong with shorts and shirts, right? Wrong. As I watch my child grow each day, I realize he could wear something beyond staples and that little girls shouldn't always have the fun. Ergo today's first shot at putting together Javier's first official #OOTD.









On Javier: Polo Shirt from Terranova, Undershirt from Jockey, Pants from Robinson's Department Store, Atwood Vans in Chili Pepper.

posted from Bloggeroid

Milestones and Memories.

When you become a parent, life is sort of split into two parts: milestones and road blocks. While the road blocks can make you hate everything, the milestones are there to remind you that it is all worth it.

Javier started school this year as a Nursery student. I couldn't find a budget-friendly playhouse/eduplay so I opted for a pre-school. There is singing, dancing, writing and lots and lots of colors. I could say for now he is enjoying school. He now knows how to play well with other kids and can understand simple instructions.

I could say it's one of the things added to my plate that made me a tad more busy. It's full of exciting firsts, as well as scary challenges. Do all parents share the same sentiment?

Apparently, this year, Javier's school is on its 10th year. They celebrated the foundation day yesterday. All the kids, staff and even parents prepared short presentations. It was fun though.

I could go on and on about Javier and his first four months in school but that's another story. I'm just too giddy and proud about Javier not being afraid of the stage. (We'll work on actually performing on stage later. Playshop summer na ito! Calling Chevy and Teacher Robi. Lol.) Videos are below. Enjoy. :)

Nostalgia and #Squadgoals.

When you're starting to feel old, you can't help but look back at what happened in your life. You smile when you come across good memories and even at some that reminds you how young and carefree you were then. Then you remember the bad times and how you got through them, telling yourself that you know better today.

The rain probably gave me the nostalgic feels tonight. Plus seeing my News Feed flooded with batch reunion pictures (which I failed to attend) sort of made me look back at what life was like ten years ago.

Ten years ago, I struggled to make new friends in college. I was like a fish out of water trying to figure out how to get by. I started a new chapter of life and along the way met people I could find comfort in.

I don't want to write a sappy post. Haha. (Hindi na ako 17 year old online emotera.) I'm a grown up, dude!

To people who made life interesting when I was 17, thanks. Life's full of drama when you're a teenager. But most importantly, life's better when you've got friends you can trust your life with. Hell, you'd even trust them with your child's life. Oo, ikaw yun, Carmina Mones.




Happy birthday, Mina! :)

posted from Bloggeroid

When You See It.

From one mother to another mother:


"Mabait ang anak mo. Madali alagaan. Mabuti kang ina."






Life ironically brings you the best things in life when you least expect it.

posted from Bloggeroid