Crochet Freak

Weirdly enough, I have found solace and quiet in crocheting. Unfortunately, such is the escape I get from it that I have been tuning the boys out. Haha.

As I got better at it, I got worse in my parenting. So... I am declaring some sort of hiatus.

 

Didn't edit the crappy composition anymore... but I crocheted this in one sitting... when I was getting stressed at the impending departure of my sister a month ago (used one of the craft balls in my stash as decor)

 

me practicing with flowers and bows coz a friend was asking if I want to tie up with her business

 

loved learning about flowers coz they're soooo easy to make and finish (better than hacky sacks!)

 

this is a water bottle holder gift to a goddaughter :)  I thought that one single flower was cute!

 

this was the glove that I tried shortscuts with... so it ended up with horrid-looking fingers :D have to completely remake!!!

 

my first official headband made

 

the second one :)

I haven't included here the scarves made from love and really achy fingers (4 in all, last Nov-Dec)... but see how my descent into madness resulted in pretty things? Haha. Ironic too that I am a mom of boys and don't really have use for these flowers.

Anyway... in my hiatus... I will happily await the arrival of these:

 

Haha.... I should have bought more solids than ombres

 

these... bought by my sister using coupons and a lot of love!

 

there was a Valentine sale at Knitpicks so these are all girly colors

Well... I figured, if I can make SOME money out of finding solace, why not?!

Sprucing Myself Up

Last Monday, I went to Divisoria and bought two new tops. I am recently having issues with most of my tops because they either don't fit me well or flatter me at all. Not that it's easy to flatter a rectangular shape, haha. Maybe I should get some brave belts to create the illusion of a waist.

I also just got a massage... and still owe myself a proper foot spa and pedicure. And a professional body scrub :)

I also recently bought new shorts and hair ties just because I realized my sons shouldn't grow up with a slob of a Mom as mother image.

Heaven bless them though, they love me to bits. Yakee would keep popping up when I'm sleeping (which is annoying, yes) just to tell me he loves me :D

I just hope I'd stop being sick now... sigh, so I can rock my new clothes in high heels this weekend.

Going on a Country Fair!

I got my hubby to be willing to drive to Bulacan next week for the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm Countryside Fair :)  I am beyond excited for my sons because they'd be roaming the outdoors... and I will be shopping.

I have often wanted to go to country fairs like they do abroad... with merchants utilizing trailer hitches for cars so they can just sell from their car whatever produce they have harvested or goods they have made. I have always wanted the kids to 'ooohh' and 'aaahhh' over different plants and animals for sale, and compare which stall has the biggest squash or the freshest melons, to sample toys and things and dips and whatever else... and maybe find something to truly spice up a wardrobe or home.

I cannot wait!!! :)

Yes... I don't know where to get money for it... hahaha... but I cannot wait to go!

Nails' Future Best Friend

Eczema on my hands meant brittle and uneven nails, even in the best of times. Sometimes, they wreak havoc to my clothes and other linen as they snag threads. They have also gotten quite thin in places that it's like clipping baby nails sometimes.

One thing that helps is filing them but the usual file that comes along with a nail cutter does not do the job well. For one thing, it is like too hard or something and I end up getting hurt, or with more uneven nails. Plus, yeah, I think nail filing is a skill that has to be mastered.

Now that we have been trapped inside the house and going online is harder to resist, I chanced upon a site called design-glassware.com and couldn't help but want some of the nail files they offer. The files are made from Czech glass, which is supposedly made to last (and service for) a lifetime.

Particularly amazing are the glass nail files and crystal nail files that are supposed to be really gentler on nails. I can't help but think right now of investing in one of their fab manicure sets... for my sister. She's the one girly enough to dig something that comes in pink leather. And, she has the nails that require regular filing.

If the rains do not stop soon, my fingers just might start ordering!

I Did Not Shop

An e-mail containing a list of sale scheduled last weekend was sent in our Yahoogroups. I checked it and bit my lip but willfully did not go to any. Even the one at my second home (Robinson's Ermita) where Accessorize was offering their cute accessories at 30% discount. I wasn't looking for transit token cufflinks or anything as fancy, just matching necklaces and earrings.

But my material whims have to wait till after I have spent on the birthday party and found money for the Waldorf crash course I want to take.

Heaven will provide and I am keeping the faith.

Besides, I still have all the fabric I bought to be turned into nice outfits!

Congrats Mommy Laya and Cristine

After much deliberation of the wonderful entries by the seven moms who joined my Mommy Me-Time Blog Contest, we have reached a verdict and the winner is Mommy Laya's Good Parenting is Being Good to Yourself entry :)

But because we also really loved her mashed lyrics, we're also giving Mommy Cristine a special prize. Congratulations to both moms and thanks again to Unilab for the prizes. I love your Lulur Whitening Body Scrub by the way, haha.

Now, I shall get back to checking spotting scopes just because I am considering new activities to do with Yakee. That, or I resume my Game of Thrones marathon.

Mommy and Me-Time: What Do You Do to Take Care of You?

If you're a mom, you probably wake up ahead of everybody else... and turn in the last. You're either creating makeshift princess beds or doing the school run. You're the go-to person for everyone: whether they need a shirt darned, an ouchie kissed, a lunch bag prepared. You're the main source of entertainment... starting with the kicks from inside by your precious.

Most times, you are worn and stretched and spread too thinly... and you start to feel insane! So, now, why not tell me what you do to take care of YOUR needs and wants. In a minimum of 50 words, post your answer in your blog.

And because it's the merry month of mothers, Unilab has been kind to provide a beauty bag as prize for the best blog post. We might also choose posts for minor prizes so make sure you join! And of course, please do not forget to include a link to my blog (Mec as Mom) and Unilab's Facebook Page in your blog post. Once you have blogged about your Mommy Me Time, leave a comment under this post so we'll know that you are joining the contest.

Blog entries will be judged according to the following:
Quality of blog post = 50%
Mec As Mom Fave = 30%
Unilab Fave = 20%

The contest will run from May 05 to May 30, 2011. And only one entry per Mom! :) Open to Philippine residents only.

Know that these can be yours if we choose your post!

I Need to Look Non-Matronic

Truth be told, I really cannot afford to pay someone who's undergone several personal trainer certification programs to help me shape up in time for my stint as primary sponsor in a wedding this June. And it is May already tomorrow! I am still saggy and flabby everywhere even though I have lost a lot of weight.

Sigh.

I am also having acne problems again in a major way but believe I shouldn't really put creams and stuff until Yamee is older and not as dependent anymore on my breast milk. Sigh, again.

I need to look my age, if not younger, at that wedding! I don't want to look worn and frumpy. Good luck to me.

Before and After Being a Mom

I made sure to look for pics where I'm wearing a similar top. And yes, generally, I look good in red with deep necklines. But more than 30 lbs. (and six years) separate these two pictures so I am, naturally, more endowed in the AFTER pic.

Some days, I feel I looked better before. No fats, no cellulite, no flab. So yeah, generally, the difference is just the amount of flesh in my frame. And because of the weight gain (which I really can't blame on motherhood... chocolates, cupcakes, cookies, rice, seafood, etc pa!), I now have to invest in a more expensive wardrobe to look good. Before, I could just buy off the rack and a P300-top is already expensive for me. Now, I don't look good anymore in any top for that amount. Unless maybe, we're talking about bras...

Before, I am DELISYUS because I was sexy. Now, I am delicious to whoever I am breastfeeding.

But look at my smile! :)

All I wanted was to be a Mom growing up. And despite the tears and battle scars, I am thankful I am one. And I really felt all kinds of sexy with my first pregnancy, in awe of just how much my body can change shape while affirming the female privilege of being able to grow someone inside.

And then, there's breastfeeding... which, eventhough it made me feel like a milking cow (which it shouldn't since lactation is not just specific to cows), was something so rewarding that it allowed me to reinvent myself. And reach out to other bewbs. I mean, mothers.

And there are my sons... who will always see me as the most beautiful woman in the world (until they get married, and even then, I won't be unseated, just qualified).

So, hello... definitely I am more beautiful now. Inside and Out. I may not have aged as healthily and gracefully as I wanted but the more important thing remains: I have more love in my life. :)


*~*

Official entry to the Facebook contest by Babymama.

Still Blooming

There was a time when felt I couldn't afford Body Shop products with tea tree oil for my acne. Now, I know I can afford them but because I've been having kids, don't really need them.

I still have a sort of pregnancy glow. My acne, when they come, don't stay long nor grow too big and ugly. I also think moisturizing helps, of course. So, I may be getting wrinkles from the stress of parenting but I, at least, can wear makeup now without it becoming cakey.

Now, I just hope I need not revisit acne cures again when my sons hit puberty. Even if they are boys, I'd still rather they don't become as pimply as I was.

Feeling Fab Momma

Shared this photo of me in Facebook and friends are teasing me that I was never pregnant in the first place and congratulating me for losing all the weight. Some are asking me what my secret is too. Well, I guess the strongest diet pills are nothing to breastfeeding and hormones, because they're really all I can credit with the 45+ pound-weight loss.

And it's not like I don't have appetite now because I actually feel faint if I don't eat meals and snacks.

Ahh... I must not get complacent though and start exercising and dieting. I need to be healthy, not just trim.

Salt and Water = Magic

And here I thought saline solution is only used for gargling or flushing one's nose. Having been an allergic rhinitis sufferer, I have made saline solution my friend. In fact, my family each has his own bottle of Salinase. And unfortunately, we are all using them now, what with the weather and Christmas merry making/candy compromising our immune system and subjecting us to sniffles and sneezes. Sigh.

But I digress.

I just found out that sterile saline solution for eyes. For example, a site like 1800Contacts offers preservative free saline solution which I feel allergic people with bad eye sight will really appreciate.

Cold weather, air conditioning, plane flights and even one's health can all dry up ones eyes. And it's really amazing that saline solution is the only thing one needs to make sure one's eyes are not irritated by contact lenses. Makes for longer contacts usage, for sure.

Plus, you don't want to end up like those commercials depicting a Mom feeding her dog by mistake due to poor eye sight and dry eyes, right? And with colored contacts all the rage for teens right now, at least one's violet eyes can stay on for hours longer.

Say it with me then, salt and water together creates magic! Or at least, healing.

165 Lbs

This is me now, slightly Photoshopped to lighten the bags under my eyes. But aren't my girls nice? hehe.

And isn't my smile radiant?

Anyway, I am posting this to remind me to be vigilant about my looks and to keep my promise that I will work on being fab and healthy. I am 165 lbs. now and don't have the voracious appetite of my pregnancy days anymore. My parents just arrived from the US, laden with chocolates, and I curb all my sweet tooth as much as I can. I also try to limit my rice now and ignore hunger pangs while I wait for morning to come when my infant is being well... an infant.

But my Mom is bent on cooking for me. Today she cooked crabs and kangkong in gata and it was really, really delicious. I guess I should pump more milk, despite the freezing issues, if only to burn more calories.

But anyway, the point is... as of this moment, I am still on my way to fab :D

*~*

Also got 3 sets of eye shadows... and I only have to eyes, and we're talking 28 different shades. Haha.

And some blue liner and finally, a MAC lipstick again!

Out and About

I arranged for today (well, technically, yesterday) to be a day for errands.

I finally collected cheque payments from Vibal and ABS-CBN, one of which ended up being stale so good luck asking for a replacement cheque.

Then I also applied for a replacement card for my EON debit card.

Then we went to MOA for the MDG-F Photo Exhibit that was co-sponsored by LATCH and also did some grocery shopping. Hubs, my cousin and I all took turns holding Yamee through the day that hubs asked why we didn't bring my sling. Truth is, even if I complain that Yamee is such a lazy nurser, he is thriving beautifully and can get quite burdensome in the arms already. At one point, I even wondered myself if we shouldn't get an ergo baby carrier there and then.

I just hope my antibodies are protecting my newborn because he sure was exposed to germs today.

Oh and it tickled me pink that people said I didn't look like I've just given birth. Hehe. And yes, I just bought another nursing top!

Makeover Madness

My Plurk friends and I are on a makeover madness. We're all moms who felt we forgot all about taking care of ourselves so now, we're making up for lost beauty and wellness.

We're always busy comparing makeup tips and products, asking questions like "do diet pills work?" or "how much carbs do we really need per day?" and going to specialists to care for our hair, skin and teeth.

My main focus right now is weight loss, makeup and clothes. Looking fab, basically, while also going for a healthy weight. I have to start eating healthier though and that's easier said than done. After all, I am finishing off a huge slige of cake while typing this.

Ready to Pop

I am ready to pop now but I still insisted in being out for the weekend.

I attended a reunion of sorts with my former Grade 5 classmates and then Sunday, we went to the Global Pinoy Bazaar. This pic was taken after the reunion. I insist in wearing my Infinitude a different way each time. I couldn't wear it bacwards though because I cannot tie it around me anyymore due to my big belly. It sucks, really, since I can't wear it that way and still breastfeed once the baby is out. And yes, I look tired already here (twas past midnight when this was taken, I had to Photoshop some lipstick on me, haha) especially since all the cramming is making me lose sleep.

I bought a multi-wrap in cream from Laura's Shawl Couture and a mini-bento set in wine red from Eden at the bazaar. I am really crushing on the peach blush Infini (plus, it would bring some happy color to my wardrobe!) but I have to save up for it first. After all, I need nursing tanks more than I need shawls. The Multi-wrap was only P350 and I think I'd use it more than I ever will my boncho. Hehe.

Fab in Eden Again

I was fabulously sexy in my Eden outfit again.

It was even really laughable to have drivers of cars, jeeps, and even small trucks oggling me as I was hailing cabs yesterday. I think they couldn't miss my wide behind (which are perky nonetheless, thank you) and then would get surprised that I actually have a pregnancy bump. Then they'd see my wonderful cleavage. Haha.

The sake tank top is really flattering and comfy that I am not really bothered about losing weight fast post-pregnancy, outfits-wise. I mean, health-wise, of course, I really hope breastfeeding will help me drop the pounds.

And at the Active Fun event, I even demonstrated some of the ways you can wear the Infinitude, having brought mine to show my friend so she can make up her mind if it's a sound investment or not. I believe I was convincing (and dang Eden, you should really give me discounts already for how much I rave about your stuff, haha).

Oh and those who didn't know me will usually do a double take after realizing I was preggo because the tank top was just really so flattering, it can even sort of hide a bulge as big as a pregnancy bump. I tell you, it should do miracles for everyday flab, I swear!

Anyway, it's amazing to feel this fab when am just two weeks away or so from popping a baby out.

Gimik Tonight

Well, not really gimik as it's just a dinner something with my FSL friends. I thought it will be over a week before I go out again. At least I have a reason to put on my freshly-bought makeup!

A friend directed me to a site yesterday selling wraps that are like a cheaper version of the Infinitude. I really should be investing in them to jazz up everyday clothes and special occasion dresses. Oh and I really need more proper accessories (like earrings and necklaces). I doubt i'd ever be a scarf-donning chic though.

I am excited! I wonder if they'd all be signing so fast, I wouldn't be able to keep up, hehe.

Preggy Out and About

This is me at the Manila Ocean Park last Saturday where we celebrated my son's birthday with our families. I was still puffy and blah from my barfing episode. I'm wearing a Mamaway nursing top here (thus the openings) which would hopefully look like a tent on me after I give birth.

And yes, most of my tops are dark or outright black, which really makes me regret the ash-colored Infinitude and gap blue boncho. Howell.

But my bump isn't so big here right?

I just noticed though that I have varicose veins on my lower legs already meaning I am really getting too heavy for my well, veins. It will really be such a challenge to lose weight next year but hopefully, all the jogging hubs is doing will egg me on. Plus, I don't want all my investments to go to waste... I just cannot look frumpy and have two kids!

Mall Sales this Weekend

It's sale at Mega Mall and Robinson's Place Ermita this weekend, starting October 15. Hubs and I were at Mega Mall last Monday and were checking out the baby stuff there (lots of cute stuff, but I have already completed Yamee's layette). With just enough wishful thinking, we also checked out the toddler beds there. We know we still can't really buy Yakee a toddler bed for lack of space in our one-bedroom home. Maybe when we get our own house, we can make room for pine beds for our two boys and just cater to their childhood whims via character bedspreads and pillows.

And maybe a dinosaur and truck mural.

Maybe I'd go to Rob to invest in more makeup or get myself colorful and stretchy tank tops.