km's thoughts for you

Believe In Greater Plans

2020-05-09T23:23:00.000+08:00

I am a mom to three angel babies. I am telling my story not for pity, but more for sharing, that there are a lot of women like me or couples like us who are experiencing the same thing. It can be isolating at times, for people do not typically share this type of experience. For me, I just want to have an outlet for my grief, and hopefully putting it into words will help me cope with it.

We got married early in 2014 and after 1.5 years I decided to see a doctor to check why I am not pregnant yet. She gave me instructions on how to track my cycle, know when I am ovulating, etc. It was a bit overwhelming so I did not put an effort to it. Funny thing is, after a few weeks, I got a positive pregnancy test. This was not an easy one. At around 9 weeks, I started to have spotting so the doctor advised me to just stay at home. After a week or so, the spotting did not stop so I stayed in the hospital for two nights for monitoring. The doctor found out that I have an infection that probably caused my spotting and just have to take antibiotics to fight it. My condition slightly improved and the spotting lessened. However, after maybe a few days more, I woke up in the middle of the night and felt warm liquid gush out of me. We went to the doctor in the morning and found that I lost amniotic fluid. I was put on strict bedrest and water therapy to get it back up. On the third day, as I went to pee, blood came out of me. As we were driving to the hospital, I already felt pain in my abdomen that only got worse as we got there. I was in so much pain that I do not know what the doctors were doing already. All I know is that I am losing a lot of blood as they were checking me and the baby still has a heartbeat. But things were not looking great. I asked to be sedated so I can rest. Morning came, baby has no heartbeat and the doctors performed a D&C. I remember slightly waking up in the OR and one of the doctors uttered the words “baby boy”. I know that to be true because a few days before, I woke up from a dream and baby boy was my first thought. I honestly didn’t know how to process all of these so I just bottled up all my emotions and tried to move on as quickly as I can. I think I just cried it out a few months after when I learned that someone we know was pregnant once again. I was questioning everything, why she was blessed with another baby when her family is struggling financially while me, when I know have some resource to give my baby a good life, but was sadly taken away from me at 13 weeks.

Three years after that, I woke up one day, got dressed to work out but for some reason, I have zero energy. So I took a pregnancy test and it turned out to be positive. We went for an ultrasound but the doctor said that I have to go back next week because the baby was small for a heartbeat to be detected. We went the following week and the doctor confirmed what I dreaded: the baby had no heartbeat. I cried in the clinic, I cried in the restaurant we went to after, I did not care. How can our lives be changed in just 11 days. Went to have a D&C once again the next day. I spent most of my maternity leave in a coffee shop near the house where I drew or read books and as I walk home, I would pass by a church. I would always light a candle for my babies and say a little prayer. I surrendered everything to Him and one day, I walked out of that church and felt all my sorrows lifted from my shoulders. I know that He healed me.

My third pregnancy came this year. I was preparing for our anniversary getaway but decided to take a pregnancy test just because. I cried when two lines appeared; I cannot believe I am pregnant again. It started pretty rocky as the baby’s heartbeat was very low and I was so afraid to miscarry once again. But my husband reminded me that we have to stay positive all the time. I was put on bedrest for a month until my next checkup. Baby’s heartbeat picked up, I did not have any morning sickness, and I got over a UTI. Doctor advised that I rest for another month, which I did, just to be sure. I was tracking how my belly was growing. My husband even bought our own doppler so we can hear the heartbeat as we cannot go to the clinic due to the lockdown. Everything was on track as I made it to 17 weeks. Or so I thought.

Early morning of easter Monday, I was woken up by the urge to pee. Frankly, I did not want to get up because I just wanted to sleep but you are not supposed to hold it in. As I stood up, a huge gush of warm liquid went out of me. My water bag broke. I woke my husband up and called my doctor. Thank goodness our neighbor’s driver was nearby and I was able to go to the hospital. I was already heavily bleeding when I got there. Blood gushed out of me as I stood up. I did not want to believe it but I am losing my baby once again. I was already dilated and at risk for infection and they have to take the baby out. No heartbeat with the second doppler check. They put me on strong medications and antibiotics to help deliver the baby. The hardest thing was, I have to do it alone since they saw something in my xray that can be related to Covid-19 (my swab test came out negative after a few days). I have to be put on isolation as my husband waited alone in the waiting room, amidst all the other fathers waiting for their babies to be born. I did not know how I was able to pass the 9 hour waiting period by myself, waiting for some sort of pain in my belly indicating that my baby is ready; ready to separate from me. I was wheeled in a very cold OR, which became even colder after the anesthesia. I was kept awake during the whole procedure so as not to put pressure on my lungs since I was a PUI. I was so thankful for my anesthesiologist since she held my hand the whole time and trying to calm me down. The OB and nurses were speaking on low voices so I did not hear anything. As I am being taken out of the OR, I asked for the baby’s gender. He was a boy. I fell asleep after that.

We were able to go home the next day after the anesthetic wore out. I tried to eat something after 36 hours, and tried to sleep once again. Woke up around lunch time to read some messages. It’s at that time that it hit me; we lost our baby. I bawled out and cried my eyes out. We did everything we could to keep our baby safe but it was still not meant to be. Some asked if we want to claim the fetus but I cannot bear to see my baby in a jar. I’ll just keep him perfect in my heart.

For the mothers our there who are now challenged by spending time with their kids 24/7, remember how lucky you are; that you have your child here on earth, that you can hear them call you “Mom”. How I long for that to happen to me.

My story is not just mine; it’s my husband’s, our families’, and close friends’ who only wants the best for the us. My doctor advised for me to get tested for APAS after my second pregnancy but I did not do it yet because we were not financially ready at that point. I do not know what our next steps will be, given that we are still on lockdown. For now, we are just trying to get our lives back on track.

PS: We are very thankful for all the friends and family who sent us care packages! Love you all!

Face Of The Day: Asia Shift

2016-11-05T01:11:00.000+08:00

I usually work on EMEA shift (or mid-shift), however, there are certain days of the month where I have to work on Asia shift (or the normal 9-5 schedule). On these days, I don't usually don't have enough time to do a whole face of makeup, but I don't want to go out without some color on my face either, ergo, my go to Asia shift look! PS: Never mind my shiny nose.

I used the following products for this makeup look:

1. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer to even out my skin tone.

2. MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Concealer to cover up my dark undereye circles.

3. Eye of Horus Ultimate Brow Define in Dynasty.

4. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara to make my eyes look more awake.

5. Used a bit of NARS Laguna Bronzer to warm up the face.

6. Inglot Blush in #126.

7. Pink Sugar Sugar Tint in Queen Bee for that pop of color.

Gotta Love: Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer

2016-10-21T20:49:00.000+08:00

Hello Guys! Quick intro since I've been away from this blog for soooo long, I've gone makeup crazy over the past couple of months and got a "few" items to include in my collection. I've had several quick reviews over my Instagram account (@kmcunanan), and hopefully, I'll be able to do better reviews over this blog.

Enough intro and more writing! First stop is primer. I've never been big on primers to be honest. The only face primer that I've tried is Benefit's Porefessional. However, due to long hours in the office (~10 hours) I needed something to make my makeup last longer. So trusting my favorite beauty guru, Sharon Farrell, I bought the Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer. Video of her favorite primers here.

First thing that I would like to comment on is, even if this is supposed to be a drugstore product, it is still quite expensive. I think it retails for 995 pesos for a 30 ml and I bought it from the beauty section of SM Makati. Packaging is quite nice. It comes with in glass bottle with a pump that locks when rotated.

The actual product is white, although it did not have any effect in terms of color on my face. It is pretty easy to apply; I just use my fingers to work it in. I use about 1 and a half pumps to cover my entire face with this primer. It also has SPF 20. That's a huge plus! I still have to test though if it will cause any flashback.

I've been using this primer for about two weeks now and I can say I am really impressed. Performance is true to it's name. My makeup did last all through my long work days and it did not budge. Although I can't say that it mattifies the face that much and prevents oiliness. My tzone will still get oily though I noticed that it will take a much longer time for the oil to show up and I feel like blotting already as compared to not applying any primer on this area at all. All in all, it's still a pretty good product and worth trying out.

What other primers should you think I try out? Please leave a comment below :)

Hey There!

2016-02-18T02:33:00.001+08:00

Hey Guys! I haven't done any posts here for almost a year now. So much things happened to me in the past year and I can't even imagine how I went through all of those experiences. Some experiences are quite bad and emotionally challenging, but, most of the time, days went by that are good and things are looking up for me.

I'm not sure why I felt the urge to visit my blog again. Maybe it's because I'm looking for something else to do while waiting for my download to finish. Haha! But hey, I've discovered a lot of things in this past year that I feel like sharing again to the whole wide world (well to anyone who might stumble upon this blog, and for that I thank you for reading and going through my posts). It's been years since I first started writing as a product of boredom, and also because I wanted something to look back to when I'm older. Well yes, I'm older now, four years older since I started this blog. How time flies.

Looking back at my old posts, some make me go ewwww as to why I posted those (omg those old OOTDs! waaah! ewww to the highest level! hahaha!). For now, I'm not really sure if I'll be able to sustain this blog again, or if I would like to focus on a specific topic to write about. Let's just see what the next days would bring. Tata for now!

Gotta Love: Happy Skin Makeup Remover

2015-03-07T21:56:00.000+08:00

Hello Guys! OMG, I missed blogging so much! I've recently found inspiration to write again and hopefully this would continue. I can't believe it's almost been a year since my last post.

Anyway, enough intro and more chitchat. As my family and friends know, I super love Happy Skin Cosmetics. I go gaga over their products and I make sure I always keep up to date with the different products that they launch. I'm also guilty of entering their online contests. Hahaha!

The product that I am going to review today is Happy Skin's Make a Clean Sweep Revitalizing Micellar Make Up Cleanser (whew, that's a long name). Honestly, I couldn't care less about make up removers before. I just use a baby wipe or go straight in the shower to wash my face. I initially bought this product because of the brand. Little did I know that this will change my cleansing routine for the better.

First thing I liked about this product is it's water based. It does not feel sticky after use. And since it's soap-free, I don't have to rinse it immediately. The next thing I like about it is that it comes with a pump that dispenses the liquid in foam form. It easily controls the amount of product and I'll tell ya, a little goes a long way. I only needed about 4-5 pumps to soak the cotton pad and remove all of my make up. I've bought this bottle around August last year and I still have about 1/4 left.

Using make up cleanser helped make my skin look a whole lot better. I think that because of this extra step, I have fewer and smaller breakouts as compared to before. I super recommend this especially for girls who wear makeup everyday. I'll definitely gonna purchase this product again!

More on my night time routine in my next posts! See yah!

Gotta Love: Happy Skin Cosmetics Lippies

2014-04-02T18:54:00.001+08:00

I'm sure a lot of make up fans in the country already heard about Happy Skin Cosmetics. It is the brain child of Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez and Rissa Mananquil-Trillo, both known in their own industries. Who wouldn't trust these two when it comes to beauty, right?

I decided to check them out and they already have a website up. Based on the info, this is a beauty product that also cares for your skin. That got me because I easily break out when using a new product. I was sold and bought some lippies, foundation, and concealer.

I instantly fell in love with their lippies! I love how they easily glide on your lips, maybe due to the Shea Butter, and is heavily pigmented. A little goes a long way. It also lasts the whole day so you just need few touch ups. Because it is like a jumbo crayon, application is a breeze. And oh, I forgot to mention the line is called Shut Up and Kiss Me. That would definitely get your attention.

I already have three colors. The other shades are too light for my preference. These have been my go to lipsticks almost everyday and I'm excited to share with you the photos.

PS: Super gasgas na yung top kakagamit ko. Hehehe.

This red one is called My First Time. What I love about this shade is that it is just the right amount of red to be worn everyday. Not to dark and not to bright either.

Again, I'm not a fan of light colored lipsticks so I got Girls Night Out. It's a lovely shade of plum. And true to it's name, it's perfect for party time with the girls as it gives your lips a bit of omph and vamp. I usually use it when I want to feel extra glamorous or just want to pump up my outfit.

Valentine Kiss is the newest one. It is a limited-edition shade, which was a collaboration with Kris Aquino, inspired by her favorite pink color. I was actually surprised I liked this pink shade. It's so girly and sweet! Perfect when wearing pretty doll dresses.

So there you have it! A local brand that I think will fill up my make up drawer. Can't wait for their summer collection which launched today!!! OMG!!! Payday, come earlier please.

Happy Skin Cosmetics is available at Plains and Prints boutiques, Rustan's, and Beauty Bar (also at Beauty Bar online).

Gotta Love: Ingga Sandals

2014-03-24T18:24:00.001+08:00

The end of March usually signals the start of the summer in the country. Although it has been drizzling in the last couple of days, it's never too early to start planning for the warm, or should I say, hot days to come. Summer = sandals season!

I remembered my friend posted this interesting DIY sandals in Instagram and decided to check it out. It's called Ingga Sandals. And you know me, I love anything DIY! I was supposed to order one last year but at that time, they ran out of my size. Last week, I revisited their page and a day after my payment, got my sandals. Weeee!

When ordering, you will receive the sole plus three pairs of ties of your preference. I ordered two extra ties at 60 pesos each (because I can't choose of which three to get). You will also receive instructions on their basic designs but you can let your artistic side out. You can mix and match the ties, wrap it around your feet any way you want to. The possibilities are endless!

(c) KM Cunanan

I tried several of the designs and placed a spin on one of the basic ones. Please forgive my ugly feet but I was really proud of myself for the cute designs I tried. Hihihi!

For sure, your sandals will be perfect for your next summer getaway. Don't forget to pair it with an awesome dress, shorts, even bikinis! Happy designing girls!

Our Perfect Day!

2014-03-19T20:34:00.000+08:00

Hi brides and grooms to be out there! As promised in my previous post, I will be writing about our wedding suppliers. I'm also excited to share that almost all of our suppliers have a connection with us in one way or another. I guess we were just meant to be :)

Church:

For the church, our first choice was Santisimo Rosario Parish Church in UST, being that both of us were Thomasians. It was not an easy feat booking UST as we have to wait for the school calendar to open. We actually booked a back up church, just in case our date would not get approved. Thank God that after months of waiting, our request was approved and we are finally booked!

Besides the church being meaningful for us, I also liked that it has a long aisle (Who wouldn't want a long one, right?). It is also air conditioned so no sweaty problems!

Reception:

Wedding preps and reception were held at Cocoon Boutique Hotel. I stumbled upon them via Deal Grocer. It got me interested as it was a fairly new hotel (you know me, I don't like anything mainstream). It was not that big, only about 50 rooms if I remember correctly. But oh my, they are not short on luxury and quality. I super loved the one bedroom suite; it was big enough to accommodate my suppliers. The bathroom was even bigger than my room back home.

Their function room can hold a maximum of 200 guests for comfortable seating, which was perfect for us because we were only aiming for about 160 guests. At first I was really nervous about their food as we did not do a food tasting before booking them. I've heard some hotels are not known for their food. But we were not disappointed. The food was superb, especially the baked salmon. Our guests were raving about it! Perfect food and venue: check!

Invitations:

Impress Prints was one of the only two suppliers I booked during a wedding fair. I really loved the samples that they presented during the fair, and their minimum number of prints met our needs. After paying the deposit, we did our discussion mostly via email but Ms. Jennifer was kind enough to meet us to finalize all the details, explaining to us the different kinds of paper and the effects it will have on the ink. She sent us different samples so we can decide on the best colors to use. After a few months of back and forth discussions, we finally got the invites. I chose a design that is simple but timeless. I want to be able to look back at these in 10 years and not hurl at myself from choosing a design because that was the trend.

(c) Osep and Mimi Photography

Make Up:

This one's crucial! After all, your make up artist should be able to bring out your inner beauty. I booked Makeup by Lian Capili at a wedding fair. What got my attention was the long line of girls waiting to get their trial. I did a quick search and found her Facebook page. The first photo I saw: Jesse Mendiola! Whoa! She did Jesse's make up for a magazine and other artists for a fashion show. Besides brides, Lian also did a whole lot of print ads. Needless to say, I was sold.

Our first (physical) meeting was actually at the day of my prenup shoot. I just loved Lian! We chatted for a while and it seemed like we have known each other already. She was so easy to work with. She easily got the look that I wanted. She has the lightest hand. When my make up was done, I felt and looked blooming :)

Nathan was my hair stylist and was part of Lian's team. He was so chatty; made me laugh the whole time. I loved all of the looks he made for me during the prenup and during the actual wedding. They really brought out the best in me.

Photographer:
This was one of the suppliers which really took a lot of time and research before we booked. I was really keen on how the photos are presented. I didn't want to much editing, too much sepia or other filters. Which made Osep and Mimi Photography perfect for me. I instantly fell in love with their photos. It was very natural and the colors are bright. Hindi ko talaga bet yung mashadong madrama. But that's just me :P

We got to meet Osep several times to discuss the details of our wedding as well as the prenup pictorial. He was very helpful and suggested a lot of good ideas. They were very easy to work with, which I'm really thankful for because I get awkward infront of the camera. Buti na lang, magaling magdirect si Osep. Made us look effortless with our poses.

And our connection? He was a Thomasian himself, one batch lower than us! He said he was excited to shoot at UST as it will be his first time to cover a wedding there. Here's the onsite video he presented during the reception.

Videographer:
I really can't remember how I got to J Franco Digital Films' page but I'm glad I did. Loved the quality of their work and their packages met the budget we allocated. We met with Fritz before the wedding and he provided a lot of good insights not only on the delivery of the videos but also for the wedding preps that we were doing. Too bad he was sick during the actual day of the wedding. He could have been reunited with my mother-in-law, who was his officemate before (small world, right?). But his back up Rence and the rest of the team did a great job with the coverage and the SDE. Click here to view the video.

Wedding Gown:
Ranier was recommended to us by one of our ninangs. He was her good friend and actually made her wedding gown before! He was previously based abroad but came back to the country and established Aviad Couture.

I met with Ranier and showed him the bridal gown peg that I wanted. He said he loved it himself and the rest was history! He designed all of the gowns of my entourage and was very hands on with every fitting. Initially, I did not want any bead work with my gown, only embroidery but he suggested we place a bit. Boy, my gown was perfect! It fit me like a glove and the bead work he did really brought out the beauty of the dress. Thank you so much Ranier! I felt like I was a princess.

During one of the fittings. I actually got teary eyed the first time I saw my gown's embroidery.

The front of the gown

Photobooth/Bridal Car
Clickers Photo Bar is owned by my sister's boyfriend so I'm biased with them. Hahaha! But if you really want quality prints, which do not fade even years after, go and get them! They also offer bridal car services for very affordable prices.

Music
I wanted a live ensemble for the reception. It was my hubby who found RSVP Strings. They are a group of very talented musicians. Our contact, sir Roberto Tarang actually played for the orchestra of Phantom of the Opera last year and was able to get in Wicked!. But what impressed us the most was that they were able to play back up for Lea Salonga in one function. Sold!

We opted to get a trio of keyboard, violin, and flute for the reception. They played our entrance music (Darth Vader theme!!!) and all the classic love songs of Martin Nievera (my fave) and Gary V (hubby's fave) while dinner is going on. They also played for the father-daughter dance. Needless to say, we were very satisfied with their services.

Bridal/Entourage Bouquets
I got a flyer of Angel of Hearts from a bridal fair but did not book them there since I have yet to do a research on their services at that time. I've read a lot of positive feedback from past couples and decided to check them out. I went to Dangwa where their main office was located and booked them there after seeing their sample work. Ate Cheryl asked me to email pegs of the flower arrangements that I wanted and went back there last November to do a mock up. It was done within minutes of finalizing the flowers I wanted to use! Ang galing! The flowers turned out great. I never thought that combining different colors of carnations and paper roses would be so beautiful.

Mock up of the entourage flowers

I did not see a mock up of my bridal bouquet before the wedding. I just told Ate Cheryl that I wanted all white flowers with green berries as accent. I loved how it turned out! She used really good quality Ecuadorian roses (those really big ones). It was so fresh and pretty, but boy was it heavy! Hahaha! Too bad they just wilted after a few days :( Thank goodness for this beautiful picture.

(c) Osep and Mimi Photography

They also do event styling for churches and reception.

Wedding Cake
Our cake was a gift from our ninang. Her friend Ms. Mina of Mina's Kitchen makes the most delicious cakes. I've tried her products before when my Tita brought some samples home.

I really do not have any preference for a wedding cake. Ms. Mina recommended that we go for butter cream frosting instead of fondant because it tasted better if I'm not very particular about the design. I agreed since we will be serving the cake at the reception. I just asked her if she could pattern the design after our wedding invitations.

The cake was so yummy! As in! It was so moist and the frosting complemented the bread. Dessert heaven! Even our guests were raving about the cake.

For any inquiries, send me an email so I can give her contact details.

Besides the cake, my cousin who owns MRS Sweets also provided red velvet cupcakes. Sa sobrang sarap, muntik na maubos ng suppliers ko during lunch time at hindi man lang ako nakakain. Hahaha! Good thing we were able to save some which we gave out to the early bird guests. As for me, I ordered a dozen for myself after the wedding. YUMMY!!!

I also ordered cookies from her which I gave out as thank you to my suppliers.

(c) MRS Sweets

Event Coordination
Tin Aguda of Events by Tin, was hubby's previous officemate. I love Tin! She is so easy to get along with. At our first meeting we instantly clicked. Even though we only got her on-the-day service, she constantly checked up on us during the whole wedding preparations. She made sure that we get all the details that we needed. She shared a checklist so we would not forget anything. She also helped us conceptualize the reception program.

The whole wedding day was hassle free. Tin was on top of all the activities and was running the show. She made me feel relaxed and I was able to enjoy the day. Thanks Tin!

Whew!!! This is one long post. This made me miss planning my wedding even more. Yes, I miss the stress and decision making of it all. I enjoyed every moment of it, though not as much as our special day. Hihihi!

Hopefully, my supplier review helped a bride-to-be out there. If you have any more questions, please feel free to shoot me an email. I would gladly be of help! :)

Enjoy wedding preps!

I'm Back and Now a Missus!

2014-03-12T15:43:00.000+08:00

It feels good to be back! Finally found some time to visit my blog and write again. I've been extremely preoccupied with a lot of things in the last few months like wedding planning. Yes, I got married! Wohoo! Still can't believe it really happened. The day was such a blur, a really happy one at that. I was on cloud nine the whole day. Thank goodness for the photos and videos, I get to relive the day again and again.

While a lot of people would say that wedding planning is a nightmare, I enjoyed every moment of it. Maybe I'm just girly like that. I had this idea in my head, and I was just glad that it unfolded as the months pass by. Thank goodness my hubby was into the planning as much as I was and helped with the supplier hunting.

I has such joy planning my wedding that I just have to share my learnings with all the brides-to-be out there. So bear with me as I write this post and hope I could help in one way or another.

1. Set Your Budget

This would probably be the most important part of your planning. Do not only plan for your overall budget, but break it down into how much you will spend for each of your suppliers. Your budget will be your anchor; it will keep you grounded and prevent you from spending all your money in one supplier.

2. Guest List Rules

For me, this was the hardest one to finalize. There were a lot of questions to be answered. Who should we invite? Should we include all relatives and officemates? Baka naman magtampo si ganito kung di kasama. And the list goes on and on. However, what helped us trim the list down is to establish a rule. For us, we only invited those people that we have a direct relationship with. People who we know we will still be able to talk to in the near future. This is one factor that made our wedding special. We know that the people who attended the wedding loves us and cares for us and we love them a whole back!

3. Research Suppliers

A lot of known suppliers are there for a reason. They have provided quality products over the years. Tried and tested. However, with popularity comes high prices. If you can afford it, by all means, go and get them. But for us who were working on a budget, a lot of our suppliers were booked by researching. And you wouldn't believe how many talented photographers, videographers, and florists are out there. We researched first by going to wedding fairs, collecting a lot of flyers. We also relied to blogs and wedding websites until we found the suppliers whose work we really like.

And oh, do not book suppliers in wedding fairs just because they offer competitive prices. Remember my tip, fall in love with their work and you won't be disappointed.. You don't want to go wasting your money on reservation fees.

4. Define Non-negotiables

With all the details that you have to finish, once in a while your inner bridezilla is bound to come out. That's why you have to define your non negotiables early on so you can let go of other details. For us it is important to have good photos and videos. After all, at the end of the day, those photos and videos are all you're going to have to look back to. So we tried as much as we can to get the photograhers and videographers that we really like. We adjusted the budget allocated for them a bit.

5. Haggle

There's no harm in trying! Don't be intimidated with the initial price list your suppliers will present you. Of course, they will always give you the one with higher price for profit. But do not be afraid to customize packages or ask for a lower price. We got a lot of discounts because of my hubby's haggling skills. Yes, he haggles waaaaay better than me.

6. Personalize

This is the most fun part! Adding personal touches and DIY to your wedding preps. I did my entourage's boutonnieres, props for the reception games, and ring and arrhae pillows. I had so much fun doing everything! It was a good outlet to practice my artistic skills :P Here's a photo. Yeah, I'm proud of my work!

Copyright: KM Cunanan

Our emcees were also our brother and sister. Who knew us better than them, right? We got good feedback from our guests about our reception program because of those two. Everybody was laughing and having a good time. They were relaxed and felt included. So if you can get someone who can do that for you, I recommend doing so. And it saves you a lot of money from getting professional emcees.

There you have it! Hopefully, these will be very helpful in your wedding preparations. Share with me your thoughts by commenting below :)

PS: Suppliers review in my next post.

DIY: Depotting Your Favorite Lipstick

2013-06-03T19:16:00.002+08:00

Have you ever had that favorite lipstick that you just can't let go of even if it's all melted and the tube is broken already? If you're answer is yes, don't fret. Depotting is the key!

It's actually very easy to do. All you need is a spoon, candle, bbq stick, and a small container. The one shown below is like a contact lens case bought from Beabi.

What you do is to scoop out the lipstick using the bbq stick. Be sure to do it in small amounts to estimate if it will fit your container. Place it on the spoon and melt it using your candle. Do not leave out clumps. Once melted, carefully place it in the container. And voila, your lipstick is saved!

Depotting is very useful especially when you can't leave your precious lipsticks at home. This will help save a lot of space in your bag. Make up artists do this as well to save space.

Hope this quick tutorial helps!

Gotta Love: Red Lipsticks

2013-05-29T21:02:00.000+08:00

Finding the perfect lip color is like finding your bestfriend (hahaha!). For me, it came in the color red. I've been afraid to try bold lip colors so I always bought either pink or brown tones. I find it ok for me but these shades do not provide the coverage I wanted. I guess it's because my upper lip is a bit darker than my lower lip. Gaaah!

So anyway, one afternoon, I find myself staring at Anne Curtis' Instagram account, and I said, hey why not try red? With the help of my friends on Facebook, almost everybody recommended I get Russian Red from MAC. After a bit of research and trusting their suggestion I bought one and yes, it was just perfect for me. Instant love! The shade provides the coverage I wanted. And it's matte too, which I really like, so it looks like my natural lip color.

No make up other than Russian Red lipstick selfie at 8 AM. Eyebags!

For this post, I'm featuring another red color but which I borrowed. It's my sister's Ronnie Red shade, from the MAC Archie's Collection. This color is brighter than Russian Red, more fun and flirty, just like it's namesake Veronica. Perfect for casual Fridays in the office. Totally in love with it too!

Ronnie Red on TGIF!

Russian Red vs Ronnie Red

Now I'm on a hunt for more. I actually preordered another set from a different brand, but it will be arriving sometime June. Can't wait but I promise to share it will y'all soon.

PS: Apologies for the selfies. Been too lazy to pick up my SLR lately. Camera phone is much more accessible :P

Yummy for the Tummy: Famous Belgian Waffles

2013-05-27T19:06:00.000+08:00

A new food cart franchise has been spurting out like mushrooms in different malls around the metro. It's called Famous Belgian Waffles; soft, fluffy waffle sandwiches with different fillings to choose from. I was so excited that we have this now in the country ever since I tried waffle sandwiches in Hong Kong.

What I super love about it is that the waffles are baked fresh, done right in front of you. And they're very generous with the fillings as well. Literally, a whole glob of cream cheese in one order! Yey!

They offer a lot of flavors in different combinations. Of course, I was psyched to learn they have a peanut butter (my ultimate favorite). I got the Banana Peanut Butter combination. Since the waffle is still hot from the waffle maker, the peanut butter will melt a bit, an ooze in every bite. Yum!

It's also very affordable. The plain is only 30 pesos each, the most expensive one is only 55 pesos. It's the perfect partner for movies, or just when you need a quick bite to eat. It will surely satisfy your comfort food craving.

Gotta Love: Sunflower Beauty Oil by Human Heart Nature

2013-05-23T12:23:00.000+08:00

A miracle oil as described by Human Heart Nature, a company known for providing organic products here in the Philippines. Why "miracle" you might ask? According to their website, this product provides the following benefits:

1. Softens and lightens underarms
2. Lightens dark under eye circles
3. Lightens dark spots and pimple marks
4. Under eye moisturizer
5. Prevents and diminishes the appearance of stretch marks
6. Softens feet soles, knees and elbows
7. Removes stubborn makeup
8. Overall body moisturizer
9. Moisturizes dry hair ends
10. Softens the cuticles
11. De-frizzes hair
12. Adds shine to dull hair
13. Relieves itching and inflammation caused by insect bites
14. Nourishes and conditions eyelashes
15. Lightens dark lips
16. Soothes skin after shaving
17. Relieves itchy scalp
18. Soothes skin damaged by sunburn
19. Smoothens skin from shaving
20. Helps soothe rashes
21. Helps heal skin infections
22. Hydrates dry patches
23. Helps lighten lesions and scars.

All of these benefits in a single product? Too good to be true right? But as I've come to see after weeks of using it almost everyday, I can testify the good effects of this product on me. I'm a total convert! I love it!

I stumbled upon this product while looking for a good beauty product to lighten my pimple marks. A lot of blogs have been talking about it, with high ratings at that so I gave it a try. Indeed, it helped lighten my dark spots faster! And the best part of all, I didn't experience any break out after (except right before my period starts, a regular thing for me) unlike the other commercial beauty products I've tried available in the market. Even though it's oil, it didn't clog my pores. I use it after my toner at night and I must say, my face looks more radiant in the morning when I wake up.

I also started to use it on my hair to tame and shape my digitally permed hair. It's non-greasy unlike the previous product I was using. I also use it as my body moisturizer which is better than lotion as it's more light. I also had this dry patch of skin at the back of my neck (which I didn't know where I got) and this oil helped a lot to diminish this rough patch. I will try to use it religiously on my underarms and let's see if it will lighten up. My first bottle is almost empty and I plan to buy the bigger one, just in time because Human Heart Nature has a promo to celebrate their most successful product.

I'm on a "chemical detox" now and I bought their strengthening shampoo and conditioner recently. You'll hear from me in a few weeks if this works as well.

Have a nice day everybody! :)

PS: All photos from Human Heart Nature website and Facebook Fan Page

Yummy for the Tummy: Mary Grace Cafe

2013-05-20T13:13:00.000+08:00

I may have found a new favorite. Mary Grace has been known for its cakes and bread, especially the cheese rolls. But when I decided to try their other food offerings in their cafe, I wasn't disappointed.

Before I dive into the food, let me talk about the place. I love it's homey ambiance. The place is full of little trinkets and hand written notes by the customers themselves. And it smells of freshly baked bread. It does make you feel like eating at home.

Ok, I cheated a little. I already ate here twice before posting my blog review. Thus, the two appetizers I'm featuring here. I love good bread and both of these come with it. I can't say which I liked better as both were satisfying and really delicious.

Grilled Kesong Puti

Cheddar Cheese with Tomatoes and Capers

For the main course, I tried their bestseller pasta which is called Smoked Salmon and Cream. It may be a bit pricey for pasta but you can't put a price on the quality. The smoky flavor of the fish complemented well with the cream. I finished my whole bowl by myself. The second time we ate, we ordered the Classic Carbonara but sorry I was not able to take a picture of it. Just like the first, it's delicious as well and has this distinct home made feel.

Smoked Salmon and Cream (again, that buttered bread, yummy!)

For the other main course, and which also I ordered the second time around, is from the breakfast menu, Pork Tocino. It comes with egg, garlic rosemary fried rice, tomato wansoy salsa, green mangoes, and spicy vinegar. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I know it looks different from the typical tocino but it sure tastes superb and has become my instant favorite.

Pork Tocino

My friends know that I do not drink milk tea. But I took a chance with their Wild Raspberry Fruit tea. And oh my, it's just so refreshing!

Wild Raspberry Homemade Iced Tea

Of course, no meal is complete without dessert. I got a slice of their famous Black Velvet cake, very moist chocolate cake layered with cream cheese. You can't get heaven anywhere else.

I think I have overused the word delicious in this post. But it's just what I was blurting out the whole time we were eating. Everything we got, was so satisfying and is worth every penny spent. This is a good place to bring your family or friends. I'm sure everybody will have a good time.

Dress Up 46 -- Kourtney

2013-05-09T13:47:00.000+08:00

Yes, I am a big Kardashian fan. More than the clothes, bags, and travels, I totally adore the relationship they have with each other. But yeah, it's the clothes. Hahaha!

I tend to gravitate more to Kourtney's fashion sense. A boho chic, or sometimes, cool-mommy fashion. Because she is already a mom of two, she always wears comfy clothes like leggings and loose blouses but still looking fab at the same time.

Here's my interpretation of Kourt's fashion. Hope you like it! :)

PS: Stalker photos taken by my sister :P

Top: Mango Jeans
Leggings: Cotton On
Sandals: Forever 21
Bag: Bagfull Manila
Sunglasses: Fab Kikay

Gotta Love: EOS

2013-04-08T14:18:00.000+08:00

Photo grabbed from EOS Facebook Fan Page

You know those round, egg-shaped, cuteness overload? No, these are not easter eggs but lip balms! Introducing EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balms. And true to it's name, Evolution of Smooth, these little babies will keep your lips smooth and soft all day long. A lot of Hollywood celebrities are joining the "cult" like expectant mom Kim Kardashian.

Photo grabbed from EOS Facebook Fan Page

These lip balms will not affect her baby in anyway because it's 95% organic and 100% natural. It also contains shea butter and vitamin E.

And did I mention these are very yummy and sweet-smelling too? These come in a variety of flavors: Pomegranate Raspberry, Strawberry Sorbet, Summer Fruit, Honeysuckle Honeydew, Medicated Tangerine, Lemon Drop, and my favorite, Sweet Mint. It literally leaves a cooling sensation on my lips after applying.

But what sets this product apart from other lip balms is the shape. The sphere shape takes applying lip balms to a whole different experience. I swear I can apply these all day long. I always keep one within reach just in case my lips feel dry or if I just want to taste something sweet. Ginawang dessert :P

Aside from those mentioned above, they also have limited edition collection. This particular one is from Alice in Wonderland. It comes in a very cute pack, with hidden Mickeys to delight any Disney fan. It has three flavors not available in their regular line: Watermelon Wonderland, Sweet Vanilla Nonsense, and Blueberry Potion. Just perfect for summer!

For more information on EOS products, visit their website http://evolutionofsmooth.com/.

Happy lippies everyone! Mwah!

Gotta Love: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

2013-04-04T12:58:00.002+08:00

I have oily skin and it doesn't help that it is very humid here in the Philippines. Stepping out even for just a few minutes will definitely result to shine in my face. Just imagine how I look like after walk - fx ride - walk - mrt - walk - fx ride - overpass - office, my almost daily routine. Good thing I found the perfect face powder for me!

True to it's name, this face powder helps me stay oil free after my daily commute routine. I do not have to touch up immediately upon arriving. Just a quick pat with tissue and I'm good to go. I also love using it to set my foundation whenever I attend formal gatherings. The matte finish makes me photo-ready anytime.

What I also love about this is that I don't have to use so much. My first tub lasted for more than 6 months. This does not come with a sponge applicator so a face brush should be handy. But the brush is better though in spreading the product.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder comes in 6 colors: Transparent, Pink Blossom, Peach Glow, Silky Beige, Nude Beige, and Sandstorm (the one I use). Sadly, it's not available yet it malls. Thank God for online shops who imports these products! Feel free to contact me if you would like to know where I got mine :)

Dress Up 45 -- Go For Gold

2013-03-07T14:01:00.000+08:00

I'm baaaaaaack!!! I super missed blogging as I have been in hiding for the past couple of months. Super busy with other stuff but I finally told myself I have to do some posts. Anyway, what better way to kick things off with an outfit post.

I've mentioned before that I super love online shopping with all the convenience it brings. Not to mention, super fabulous finds you won't find in malls.

Fashion Galore is one of my favorite online shops I buy from. They offer great variety of clothes, from blouses to dresses, at very affordable prices. Not to mention very stylish and made with quality. I've featured some of them already before and I feel I'll keep coming back for more.

I'm into gold right now so this shirt is perfect. I also love the spike details on the sleeves which makes my outfit girly and edgy at the same time. My Mia Casa Love bracelet is making it's first post appearance as well (also bought online from Zalora) :)

Shirt: Fashion Galore
Shorts: Kamiseta
Sandals: Forever 21

And, thanks to my sister, I found some cool sunnies online as well. I really, really love big sunnies so this one is perfect! Visit @fabkikay on Instagram for more styles at affordable prices.

Online Shopping @ Zalora

2013-01-24T13:06:00.000+08:00

Online shopping has taken new heights in the Philippines. Lots of online shops boomed from nowhere, offering different and even more affordable products in the market. Some even offer customized ones to make yours unique and one of a kind. More and more people are enjoying hassle free, always on shopping, a convenience very much appreciated especially of employees like me who are working on European or North American shifts and malls are already closed after work.

But remember, we must be careful (with my heart. Hahaha! Sorry, watching the show while blogging) when choosing which shops to buy from. I abide by these rules when buying online: read first past testimonials of other customers regarding their service and make sure they offer bank payment options. Or better yet, choose online shops that are big and popular like Zalora.

I have been seeing their ads everywhere; from Facebook, other blogs, even TV. Their tote bags have been calling me, and since I need a laptop bag, decided to check out their website. And I can say, navigation is easy. There are lots of categories to filter out what you are really looking for. Product details and descriptions are also available. There was one product I was looking at that did not have enough info so I decided to call their hotline. The agent was very helpful and friendly, and was able to get the info I needed. Zalora also offers different payment terms like credit card, online banking, over the counter, even cash on delivery. Free delivery for total purchases amounting to 1000 pesos and above. And if after delivery, you are not satisfied with your product, they offer return policy within 30 days. What more can you ask for? :)

Sooooooo, I was really excited to get my package last Saturday (fast service as well since I ordered last Wednesday). Here are the pics. Enjoy and take advantage of their ongoing sale!

CLN Reversible Tote Bag (ok, not really gonna be used as the laptop bag I originally intended to buy, but this one is so pretty!)

Mia Casa LOVE bracelet

Yummy for the Tummy: The Burger Project

2013-01-14T22:57:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone! Happy 2013! I hope the new year has been treating you good. The past month has just been crazy for me. We had close a lot of work before our service shutdown for the holidays. And boy, was I glad for the holidays. I just couldn't wait to stay inside the house and just do nothing. Weird thing though. When I was in the house, I was so bored and would like to just get out! And so I asked my bf, sister, and her bf if we could go out and eat somewhere (coz that's what the holidays are for, right). I was in the mood to try something new so when my sister mentioned Maginhawa St. in Quezon City, it hit me. I said we have to go the The Burger Project. I've heard about this from my team mate and since bf is a big burger fan, I insisted we go.

The Burger Project is a quaint little shop along Maginhawa, a place well known for the different restaurants that line up the street. At this restaurant, you will be able to choose how you like your burger and what toppings you would like on it. Exciting, right?

First thing to do when entering is to get your order form at the counter. After filing up the form, proceed to the counter to pay and wait for your name to be called. And then, enjoy your burger :)

They not only have a variety of toppings, but have different choices for burger patty as well. You can choose from 100% Angus, 100% beef, chori, chicken, or tofu. They also have different types of bun (sesame seed, potato, oatmeal, or brioche). Next comes the cheese, premium toppings like bacon and onion rings, basic toppings like lettuce and tomatoes. You can even choose to have different sauces on your burger. If you don't feel like choosing for your own, you can try their different predesigned burgers.

For my order, I got the following: 100% beef in sesame seed bun, topped with egg, lettuce, bacon, and cheese sauce, with a side order of onion rings. I named my burger "First Time" since it was my first time to go there. We had heaps of laughter when the server called out the name of our burgers! Totally unexpected!

"First Time"

I super loved the burger I created. The patty was juicy, grilled just right. The toppings that I choose also complemented each other. The saltiness of the cheese sauce provided enough kick to get my taste buds going. Really, really, delicious. And the onion rings are just divine as well as the fries.

"Burjer": Potato bun, 100% Beef, Chili, Lettuce, Caramelized Onions, Jalapeno, Garlic Cream Cheese

"Libre": Sesame seed bun, 100% Beef, Onions, Lettuce, Cheese, Egg, BBQ sauce

"Try Try Lang": Sesame seed bun, 100% beef, Garlic cream cheese, Pesto, Jalapeno, Egg, Bacon

One burger would cost about 200 pesos on average but the price is dependent on the number of toppings you will choose but I guarantee, it's so worth it. I highly recommend this place, not only for burger lovers, but for everyone. The experience was such a treat! Definitely going back to whip up something new and maybe I'll call it "Second Time", "Third Time", "Fourth Time"...

Destination: Universal Studios Singapore

2012-12-14T17:40:00.000+08:00

How often do you get to see you favorite movies come to life? In what way will you be able to see, touch, and hug some of the most famous characters in the world? In Universal Studios, this is a definitely possibility. The park boasts that everyone will be able to "Ride the Movies" and I can't wait to do so.

We rode the MRT Purple Line to Harbourfront station (you can also ride the Yellow Line). From there, we went to the third level of Vivo City where the Sentosa Express can be found. If I remember correctly, fare is about USD 3.50. Go down Waterfront Station and walk your way to USS.

At the entrance, a big giant rotating globe greeted us. Of course, we have to take our obligatory pictures :)

Hollywood Boulevard will immediately transport you to another world. With this long strip, you will see different types of buildings which houses the souvenir shops. The street is lined up with palm trees and the Walk of Fame. This is also where most of the character meet ups happen. But more on that later. BF and I were on a mission. To get to the Transformers Ride as early as possible.

I've heard so much rave about this ride. All of my friends who have been there told me never, ever miss out this one. And this was the reason why we went to the park early as the waiting time can take up to an hour or so. The way to ride was very long, but along the way, you will be entertained with different videos explaining the background of the ride. This made us even more excited. Finally, after just about 15 minutes of waiting, it was our time to ride. And really, it was the best ride ever! The combination of the 3D screens with the actual ride movement was just beyond amazing! My words are not enough to describe how awesome it was! Mission 1 accomplished!

After the ride, we went back to New York (we passed by this going to Sci-Fi City). We went to Lights, Camera, Action!, a show hosted by Steven Spielberg. Here you will be able to experience how different lights and sound effects were being created. Movie magic at its best.

All around the park, there are lots of street shows. We stumbled upon The Rockafellas, a group of B-boy dancers. They were really good, showing off different. They also interacted with audience. One of the members was Pinoy and looked like a member of the Streetboys (not sure :P).

It was already around noon and we passed by Sci-Fi City again. According to the schedule, there will be some meet and greet there. And lo and behold, Optimus Prime!

One of the main attractions in Sci-Fi City was Battlestar Galactica. I'm not a big fan of roller coasters, and never in my life will I ever try this ride, so I just settled for a picture. Yeah, I'm a big sissy. Hahaha!

Ancient Egypt comes next. One of the attractions here is Revenge of the Mummy, an indoor roller coaster. I think I can ride this however the waiting time was too long.

Next comes The Lost World. There are a lot of rides here that the kids will definitely enjoy. We just opted to roam around. But the highlight for me here is the Waterworld show. I haven't watched the actual movie yet but I was given a quick intro by my bf. It is a futuristic movie, where the ice caps melted and most of the Earth is already underwater. A mariner then helps a woman to find dry land. Well, you get the idea. For this show, there are three "soak zones" where you can sit. For the one nearest the stage, you will definitely get soaked, the middle one, possible splashes. Before the actual show started, some of the cast members interacted with the audience, depending on what zone they were sitting on. Lots of kids and adults enjoyed getting dumped on with buckets of water. Some tried to hide under umbrellas, but they too got wet. Fun! The actual show was amazing as well. I felt like I was watching a big play from Broadway. There were lots of visual and sound effects. This is one show you shouldn't miss.

Our big breakfast was already wearing off. We opted to eat at Friars, located in Far Far Away. We got chicken and chips, and fish and chips. We also got some mashed potatoes and corn dog from the stall outside. One of the more interesting food that we got was this noodle dog. The hotdog was good, but I don't get the noodles. Not sure why it was combined.

It was drizzling already after our lunch. Good thing that Shrek's castle was just across Friars, so we opted to see Shrek's 4D Adventure. The show was ok, more for kids though.

The last part of the part that we went to was Madagascar. We rode Madagascar: A Crate Adventure, a river ride showing the adventures of the four main characters. This ride can be compared to It's a Small World in Disneyland. It was a cute and chill ride.

We went full circle already and was back at Hollywood again. As we were tired already, we just did some souvenir shopping.

But actually, we had an agenda in mind. We have to have more pictures with the characters. After just a few minutes, Po arrived! We were up immediately on our feet. We need to have that picture. Mission number 2 accomplished! Look how happy Po was seeing himself on my bf's tshirt.

More character sightings. Weee!

The last show that we went to was the Monster Rock concert. Here we saw popular villains like Dracula, Mummy, Banshee, Frankenstein, and The Phantom perform to legendary rock songs. The Phantom made the most appeal to me. Why, oh why, Phantom? I won't tell you why so I won't spoil you. Make sure to watch the show to find out. There are several show schedules within the day.

I really don't know how to end this post but I just would like to stress out how much fun I had in this place. You will truly feel the movies coming to life right in front of your eyes. This will be something that you will carry with you as you go home, with happiness in your heart and big smiles on your faces.

Dress Up 44 -- Cotton On

2012-11-29T23:39:00.000+08:00

I don't know about you but I was a bit disappointed when I first visited the Cotton On branch in Megamall. It was a bit small, with only a few items to choose from. MOA is so far away from where I live and I don't want to travel that far just to check out what they have, not really sure if I will be able to buy something I would like even though I've heard so many good reviews.

But the Vivo City branch in Singapore rejuvenated me. I literally went gaga over the wide selection of clothes, shoes, and accessories that they have. I think I stayed a little over an hour and spent most of my budget there. Hahaha! I particularly went crazy over this dress that I bought. I loved how it fit me and let me tell you, that is hard to find with my size. I loved the dress so much that I actually bought it in two colors. Weeee!

Since the dress is black, I can pair it with anything. I decided to match it with some cute green ballet flats, just to break the monotony of the color. I also added a simple green belt to cinch my waist a bit and give me more shape.

I looked cute in this outfit, don't you think? :) Next time, I'll play it up to look more classy and sophisticated.

And so with this new excitement that I experienced, I think I just might find the energy to go to MOA and check other fab finds. Anybody like to come with me for a shopping day? :)

Destination: Singapore

2012-11-23T15:24:00.002+08:00

Singapore has always been, and will always be, a special country for me. It was my destination for my first ever out of the country/business trip back in 2008 but due to work schedule, I was not able to go around that much and since that day, I always wanted to go back. After four years, I was finally able to do so. This time I went home with more memories, more laughter, and more love.

BF and I got the 6:25 AM flight since travel will be about three and a half hours and I wanted to make the most of our first day. We met with our friend upon arriving and dropped off our things at her place. After that, we met with another friend for lunch which I posted about here.

5J 801

MRT ride

After lunch, we did some of the "touristy" stuff that makes this place popular. We rode the MRT to Promenade station (Circle Line, CC4), intending to go to the Singapore flyer. However, it was raining when we went out of the station and we forgot to take our umbrellas with us. Good thing there was a mall near the station and we decided to have some coffee to wake us up while waiting for the rain to stop (no planner stickers here. boohoo).

Singapore flyer was just a five minute walk from MRT. It is like a giant Ferris wheel which will give you the best view of Singapore's skyline. One ride, which will take about 30 minutes to complete costs 33 SGD. Before actually riding the flyer, we passed by Journey of Dreams, a small interactive museum describing the history of the city and the iconic flyer. After that, you can have your pictures taken and have it printed after the ride.

At last it was time to ride! I was so excited at first, taking in how beautiful the city was viewing it from such a height. However, when I realized how high we were, my knees wobbled a bit. Hahaha!

After buying some souvenir items, we decided to go to the Merlion Park. Tourists should have their pictures taken here. It's like a rite of passage :). It was already dark when we arrived but I think it was prettier at night since all the buildings were lit up.

The iconic Marina Bay Sands

We decided to go home early to rest and prepare for the next day. We had so much fun walking around looking for the nearest train station. We ended up passing by this hotel where an actual string quartet was playing in the lobby! We thought it was recorded. Awesome experience to end day 1. Stay tuned for my next post! :)

Yummy for the Tummy: Din Tai Fung (Singapore)

2012-11-15T12:27:00.000+08:00

I was supposed to do a collaboration of all the places we ate in Singapore, like the one I did for Hong Kong food trip. However, there were a lot of restaurants/food joints that we tried that I felt deserved individual blog posts.

We met with an old friend near Singapore Post Office and rode the free shuttle to 112 Katong (yes, free shuttle service!). Located in this mall was Din Tai Fung, a restaurant known for it's wide selection of dumplings and tasty, authentic Chinese food. Most popular for it's xia long bao or steamed soup dumpling, this restaurant can be seen around the world. From Singapore, to Taiwan, to USA. It's really topnotch with the cuisine they serve.

Although traditional food is being served, modernity is incorporated in it's ambiance. The room is cozy, with tables that can accommodate small or big groups. I was warned that they easily fill up with customers during lunch and dinner. Good thing we went there after lunch and there were few diners. We were ushered to our seats and was offered a basket to place all our bags. Yey! No more placing bags on the floor. We were also immediately offered hot tea as we scan the menu. We left it to Henson to choose the yummy ones.

Here's what we devoured that day:

Of course, the xia long bao. I was very excited to try this one! Although I was able to try one during our Binondo food trip (which I have to tell you about, by the way), it's their bestseller so it has to be good. Since it's served really hot and there is soup inside, I had to poke it with my chopstick to create a small hole and release some steam. When I felt it cooled enough, I took my first bite. Any my oh my, the soup burst into my mouth and it was the most delicious dumpling I ever tasted!

I think this one's called shrimp cake. We also ordered some spring rolls and thin slices of beef which are served cold. Not sure why, but it's delicious as well. Of course, fried rice wouldn't be out of the picture.

The iced tea that we ordered amused me so much! See that big ball of ice inside? It's actually frozen iced tea. As it melts, it keeps your drink cool but at the same time keeps the flavor. Smart! :)

I was so full after. We ordered a lot and had to "take away" the rest of what was left. It was one of the best places to eat. We also had lots of laugh as BF and Henson caught up with each other. Good food plus good company, the best combination one could ever have. Thanks again Henson!

Dress Up 43 -- Travel

2012-11-12T23:42:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! I've been on a blogging hiatus lately as I have been (and still is) swamped with work. Anyway, I found some time now and I have so many stories to tell.

I celebrated my birthday over the weekend and I treated myself to a vacation in Singapore. I have been planning this trip for months now, bought the tickets early this year during a seat sale. Finally, the day came and I was very excited to take a break. But more on that vacation on another post. For this one, I would like to share with you some tips on what outfit to wear when travelling, may it be domestic or international travel.

I always consider these 5 things.

1. Check the weather of the place you would go to. This is very important so that you wear the right things. You wouldn't want to look sweaty all through out the day or be shivering due to the cold. This is also applicable to the clothes that you will be packing and taking with you.

2. Wear something comfortable. You might be sitting on a plane, bus, or boat for hours. You would like to be able to move around and be relaxed.

3. Bring a jacket or blazer. Airports and planes can be too cold sometimes. Plus, it adds a little bit of oomph and makes your outfit more interesting.

4. Love your feet. This is the most important of all! If you will be walking around most of the time, better stay clear of high heels. There are a lot of affordable but cute ballet flats available that can match your outfit.

and last but not the least

5. Bag for your essentials. Be sure to bring a bag big enough to hold your essentials (passport, camera, cellphone, kikay kit, etc).

With that said, here's what I wore on that first day, applying the tips that I mentioned above.

Polka dot blouse: Forever 21
Shorts: Kamiseta
Blazer: customized

Ballet flats: Solemate

As you can see from the photos above, I chose to wear a loose fitting blouse with light material and shorts since Singapore's weather is not that different from the Philippines. I also wore ballet flats since I'll be walking around the city the whole day. I especially love the bag because it's made of nylon and can be used in any weather. It was raining during the afternoons and my bag kept my things dry. But most importantly, it was big enough to hold all of my things!

Hope you find my tips helpful and find yourself travelling in style! If you have other tips to share, please do not hesitate to comment below. :)