Johann Wolfgang von Goethe says that “When a wife has a good husband it is easily seen in her face.” I believe the glow comes from loving herself first. Her contented and happy looks show because she learned to love herself first . When love overflows, there is much love to give and it will show in her actions.

My husband will never get to read this entry but I already thanked him for the small things in person:

1. for putting up with my erratic schedule.

2. for doing the groceries

3. for bringing me chocolates at my bedside table

4. for rubbing my back and neck during my breaks

5. for calling me “sexy” and meaning it.

6. for being proud of what I do even if it means late nights

7. for being the funniest, smartest person I know.

8. for not complaining that I have not cooked a special dish for quite some time

9. for trying to laugh at my jokes even if he doesn’t find it funny.

10. for not staying too long in his cave

Thank you my dear.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets.

How about visiting my daughter’s ukay-ukay blog at ukaymanila.com?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

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No, I do not indulge in retail therapy to de-stress myself. I shop because I need the stuff. They say that shopping is not just simply purchasing what we need anymore. Self-worth is sometimes measured with what we possess. Experts say, we are a potential shopaholic inside.

According to Thomas Hine, author of the book, I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers in shopping, we define ourselves through our relationships to things and to the meanings that our society attributes to them. He also said that, we try things on, and as we do so, we try on identities.

As long as we know our limits, shopping should be a pleasurable experience without going through buyer’s remorse. In my recent trip to Singapore, I already planned on buying an external hard drive with 1 terabyte capacity and a canon battery pack which I purchased at Sim Lim. A visit to Sephora at Ion Orchard and the duty free shops at the Changi Airport was at the behest of my daughter’s shopping list.

Lauren wanted me to buy her some make-up stuff from Urban Decay but apparently, the stock won’t be available until September. I asked if they had “Bobbi Brown” concealer since I ran out already. They didn’t have but the sales lady recommended the Makeup Forever Full cover concealer (number eight ) that covered my dark spots on the cheeks quite well. What a coincidence because Sophie recommended the same when she saw my photos at Sephora. I can’t remember the price now (was it $S 48) but I got a 5% discount since I brought my passport.

Buying skin care treatment was not a plan either but the attractive “Origins” display at the Changi airport piqued my curiosity. My supply of collagen eye patch from Etude House ran out and I needed some eye cream to treat puffiness. A recent TV guesting at Media in Focus revealed my eyebags from sleeping late.

I asked if they had any eye cream to de-puff. She recommended two treatments

1. No Puffery™, a Cooling mask for puffy eyes ($S 35.60) which claims to de-pouf puffs as it brightens the look of dark circles. The bag-banishing Yeast Extract (an insider beauty secret) de-poufs puffs as it brightens and lightens dark circles. And add the Hoelen Mushroom Extract that calms surrounding skin to help keep redness from settling in.

2. GinZing™ a refreshing eye cream to brighten and depuff ($S 53.00). The ingredients containing a complex of Caffeine from Coffee bean, Panax Ginseng, Magnolia Extract and natural optic brighteners says that it will rapidly wake up, refresh and restore radiance to my tired eyes.

What a way to pamper my tired peepers with this eye remedy. It’s been three days now and so far so good. I hope to watch those puffs go poof soon.

If that were not enough, I caught sight of the Starting Over™ Age-erasing moisturizer with Mimosa ($S81) since my Juice Beauty moisturizers were running out. If there is one beauty secret that Loida Lewis shared with me, it is this “use good moisturizers” on your face and neck.

Shopping was not yet done. I remembered that I am running out of my wine-colored lipstick shade. The shade I wanted (Hangup) was available. Thanks to the wide variety of MAC lipsticks. There goes another $ S 25. I felt happy with my purchases because I needed them.

I kid around that we need to indulge in a little “retail therapy” but not to the extent of using shopping to define oneself. An avid shopper has control over the urge to shop but a compulsive shopper is controlled by the urge to shop. The shopper loses control. Retail Therapy is a misnomer because it is really not a therapy. Real therapy should help you with your problem, relieve you of stress and not make it worse.

I shouldn’t be shopping anytime soon. I have all I need for the next few months.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets.

How about visiting my daughter’s ukay-ukay blog at ukaymanila.com?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Singapore feels like my second home already. My sixth visit to Singapore in a span of three years and yet there are always new things to discover. My recent visit from July 15 till July 18 was upon the invitation of the Singapore Tourism Board to cover the Singapore Food Festival 2010. Wasn’t it just last year that I was in uniquely Singapore? What’s truly amazing are the changes that are taking place all the time. It is no wonder that the brand changed to Your Singapore just recently. Each traveler has their own reason for visiting Singapore year in and out. Mine is always a business trip, the preferred choice of venue for events. My daughter’s reason for travelling to Singapore is the Great Singapore Sale.

YourSingapore
YourSingapore takes over from where “Uniquely Singapore” left off. The focus is visitor-centricity, meaning the experiences are made wholesome and personal, drawing their allure from the breadth and richness of attractions many have grown to love here in Singapore. I believe shopping is one of the many reasons for visiting Singapore. Others visit for the arts, culture, the fun places, or business.

My tour guide, Wee Toon Hee brought me to the new malls (including a refurbished mall) along Orchard Road that wasn’t around since my last visit in October 2009 and other exciting sights as well.

Here is My Singapore, the sixth time around:

Orchard Malls

Ion Orchard

I enjoyed my shopping at the Sephora. It is the largest branch I have ever been to. Such a pleasure looking at all the makeup and skin care goodies. If you’re a tourist, there is a 5% discount but make sure to bring your passport.

Mandarin Gallery
Mandarin Gallery is actually a refurbished mall. I took my brunch at the “Wild Honey” where they serve a breakfast menu all day. It is like a home away from home.

313 Sommerset

Orchard Central
Orchard Central is Singapore’s tallest vertical mall.

Haji Lane

This is my daughter’s favorite place where she found some vintage accessories. This can be found at the Kampong Glam neighborhood of Singapore. A lot of the young kids frequent the shophouses along this lane for the independent fashion boutiques and Middle Eastern cafes.

Eating Shish Kebab at Cafe Le Claire at 39 Arab Street. The Cleopatra drink made of mango, pink guava, orange and sprite was quite refreshing.

I passed by the Silk Studio where I bought two dresses last year. This is quite near Haji Lane. I didn’t buy this year since I just shopped for new clothes.

Sky Park at the Marina Bay Sands

The Marina Bay Sands hotel was under construction last July while viewing this in the Singapore Flyer. The SkyPark was formally launched just last month and floats on top of the three Marina Bay Sands hotel towers, 200 meters in the sky. I got a good view of the Sky Park from my hotel window at the Mandarin Oriental.

And from the Sky Park, a view of my hotel, the Mandarin Oriental. How awesome is that.

A sparkling infinity pool lines the span of the three towers, allowing guests to admire the cityscape while they soak in the pool’s cool waters.

A perfect spot to relax at the end of the day, that is if I am a hotel guest here.

and for the business traveler like me, the best part is relaxing on the bed at the end of the day facing the harbor view from my hotel window at the Mandarin Oriental.

On my last night, my friend Louise and I had a blast chatting with my sister, Lorna via Skye and enjoying the city view. As an added bonus, there were rehearsals for the Asian Youth olympics on the stage right below the hotel.

My Singapore experience is never the same as the last even if it is a Singapore Food Festival. Your Singapore experience may not be the same as My Singapore experience but it is just as exciting and playful.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets.

How about visiting my daughter’s ukay-ukay blog at ukaymanila.com?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

You don’t need the mirror to tell you that you’re beautiful.

I took the challenge.

Last week, I got this invite for Dove 7-Day No Mirror Challenge! , as part of their global campaign to empower women to embrace their unique and individual beauty, takes one step further by liberating women from dependence on an everyday essential – the mirror.

Come to think of it, I often looked at the mirror as a growing teen-ager. I always thought I was an ugly kid just because my uncles teased that I was “dark”. Dove thinks that “as we gaze at our reflections in the mirror, we expect to see the physical ideal that we have been conditioned by society to accept. And when we do not, as is oftentimes the case, we are filled with a sense of self-loathing and dissatisfaction that cuts deep into our very selves.”

No such thing happened to me. I saw a lovely girl, not the usual stereotype mestiza that was associated with “beautiful girls” back then in Cebu. I smiled and from then on, I believed I was beautiful. Now that I am 53 years old, I have never felt more beautiful inside and out. Even my high school or college friends swear that I look even more beautiful today than I was in my teen years. I believe it is confidence and belief that inner beauty brings out the real beauty in a person.

The challenge
The Dove 7-Day No Mirror Challenge requires me to avoid looking into any mirror for 7 days. I will wash my face with Dove beauty bar at least twice a day – once in the morning when I wake up and once in the evening before I sleep. After 7 days, I can resume gazing in the mirror.

This is the part where Dove promises beautifully moisturized skin that is soft, smooth and radiant. More importantly, the time spent away from the mirror will be liberating, helping us appreciate our real and true beauty, in whatever form that takes. Actually, I don’t need the mirror to tell me if I am beautiful or not but let’s see what happens.

What will I do?

The challenge starts July 14 and ends July 21. What makes it even more challenging is I leave for Singapore tomorrow for a Singapore Food festival and I will need to look presentable to meetings with the Singapore Tourism board and the other food spots that I am invited to. The challenge is also how to put on my makeup.

The kit contains two Dove beauty bars, a white Flip Cam, and a calendar

Day 1 July 14 at 7:20 AM
Taking a joy in living is a woman’s best cosmetic- Rosalind Russel

It is the day after Typhoon Basyang . There is still no power at home so here I am at the UCC Cafe using their fast wi-fi and having cereals and fruits for breakfast . The night before I got barely any sleep because my two girls moved to our bed. The howling wind was just too scary. It was just too early to get up but I was wide awake. I remembered the challenge so I rushed to my bathroom, set up my tripod and the Flip Camera and started soaping my face. It’s been awhile since I used Dove Beauty bar. It was a soap bar that we used as teens. The beauty bar is not as soft as it used to be. I remember it was harder to rinse off then. Here is a snapshot and my first video.

Afternoon was spent with DOT Secretary Bertie Lim and some travel bloggers. I didn’t bother to check my face but Melo Villareal swears I look good. Too bad my video wasn’t too focused but here it is.

(With travel bloggers with Tourism secretary Alberto Lim)

Today was my first day without a mirror. A mirror does not tell me that I am beautiful in mind, body and spirit.

Day 2: July 15, 2010
Beauty is how you feel inside and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical. Sophia Loren

(Shopping at the Sephora at Ion Orchard)

I had to wake up earlier than usual at 4:00 AM to get ready for the airport. I didn’t realize my bathroom door was open so after I was done with my beauty washing, my dear husband asked me why I was talking to myself. Showing him the Flip video cam, I announced that I joined the 7 day no mirror challenge. He was horrified that I would be showing myself to the public. I said not to worry and that only my hands and soapy hands will be shown. My husband always tells me I am beautiful. I believe him, of course after all he married me.

The last time I felt truly beautiful was on my 25th silver anniversary photo shoot at the university campus last March. It shows in the photos taken that day. It must have been the trials we have been to the past 25 years and the sense of fulfillment that we made it this far.

(Photo shoot at the UP Campus, March 2010)

Day 3 – July 16, 2010
Beauty is truth, truth beauty- that is all ye know Earth, and all you need to know- John Keats

There are just so many mirrors in my hotel bathroom. I just avoid if possible. There is a mirror at the bathroom door just before I enter. I turn left and I see a full length mirror across the bathroom and when I face the sink, there is a full mirror in front of me. Maybe the hotel wants to remind the person to take a look at their appearance before leaving the room.

(At the Opening ceremonies of the Singapore Food Festival at the Read Bridge, Clark Quay)

Day 4- July 17, 2010
Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.- Kahlil Gibran

(At the Sky park in Marina Bay Sands Hotel)

The ten things I like about myself:

1. My smile
2. My eyes
3. My being playful and naughty at times
4. My being smart and ability to learn new things
5. My lips
6. My loving and nurturing nature
7. My recovery as a work in progress
8. Being gentle to myself
9. My slim legs
10. My multi-tasking abilities

As you can see, four of the things I listed about myself are about my physical attributes.

Day 5- July 18, 2010
Beauty … when you look into a woman’s eyes and see what is in her heart.- Nate Dircks

(Having brunch before my flight back to Manila)

I am not ashamed to say that my inner beauty shines brighter every day. It shows in my eyes and in my heart as I show my love to my husband and my family. Being back in Manila that night felt good.

Day 6 – July 19, 2010
I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful- Author unknown.

I just stayed home today to rest from the four day trip to SIngapore. If there are five ways, I can share to make you feel good about yourself ( not related to personal appearance), here it is:

1. Get a me day or “Pamper yourself” day at the salon
2. Get a therapist to give you a soothing massage at home.
3. Listen to music that reminds you of your carefree past and just be.
4. Offer help to a community or organization that needs your help.
5. Talk to or reach out to your sister, or best friend

That reminds me..I need to talk to an old friend soon.

Day 7- July 20, 2010

The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.- Hellen Keller

Nothing has changed actually. I still feel beautiful. The only thing that has changed is (if I can help it), is not staring at the mirror.

View the video playlist:

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets.

How about visiting my daughter’s ukay-ukay blog at ukaymanila.com?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

I believe in hard work. It keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit.
- Helena Rubinstein

I want to take a break and feel good about myself. I have been wanting to write about my “kikay” moments. I often receive comments in facebook that I look young for 53 years old. Not that I had plastic surgery, I explain that it is because I smile a lot. If I don’t wear a smile, I tend to look stern and serious. One can actually look younger in photos with the help of makeup and knowing how to smile for the camera. Here are my Tips on how to smile for a camera.

Some also ask me what beauty or anti-aging products I use. They say that one should keep beauty tips a secret. Well, I will share a few of them here.

See, I only started to become more conscious of my looks when I entered into blogging in 2006. I was then 48 years old. Every time I get invited to an event, there was always a photo session. I started to wear makeup just so I looked good in photos. You can say blogging made me even more vain. If I were not overweight for 13 years, perhaps my facial skin would have been tight. Yet I know it is never too late. Interest in hair, make-up, clothes and fashion peaked now that my kids are all independent. I don’t have the burden of worrying about spending for myself and feeling guilty of shopping expeditions. Caring about appearance, dressing in fashionable, flattering clothes, keeping healthy and active is one ways to pamper myself.

A lot of women are feeling fabulous at 50. Freed from the restraints of dependent, whiny children and the prospect of an end to monthly periods, I feel it is finally time to enjoy without the guilt trip. What is to stop me? Aside from monthly visits to my dermatologist sister at St Luke Dermatology Clinic, here are some of the products I buy :

For my skin care

It is “Age defying solutions” from Juice Beauty because it is mainly organic. I love the citrus-y smell whenever I use their products. This set costs 2,800 pesos at the Beauty Bar and lasts me for a month. The set comes with a cleanser, serum, daytime and night time moisturizer, and facial mask peel.

My dermatolgist-sister tells me that skin care for women over 50 should have a a bountiful blend of antioxidants, including alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, vitamin C and DMAE which I found in Juice Beauty. I have been using this for the past 7 months and loving the results.

For the eyes

I have been pampering my eyes since I was in my mid-twenties when a sales lady at Macy’s showed me their eye cream. I think it was the Estee Lauder brand then shifted to other brands as the years passed by. Now that I am over 50 years old, I love using the Clinique Anti-Gravity Firming Eye Lift Cream which builds cushion into my time-thinned skin. I forgot the cost of this cream because I bought mine at the airport duty-free shop in Singapore.

Collagen eye patch from Etude House in SM Megamall.

Eyebags are the result from working late at night. Before I sleep I apply this on my eye bags and sleep with it overnight. I find t quite soothing. Never mind that the instructions say 15 minutes only. This costs 78 pesos each and I use it three times a week. When I know I have a TV show or photo shoot, I use it daily.

for sun protection

My dermatologist recommended Cetaphil which is quite expensive. I am running out of it now. It has to be SPF 50 for maximum protection. I apply this first before my moisturizer.

For eyebag concealer

The use of the collagen eye patch minimizes the puffiness but I still have strays of it. I use the Rice powder company eye stick ( RC 604 yellow) to conceal a bit of the puffiness and lighten the eye bags. It costs around 500 pesos (forgot the price) at the Beauty Bar.

For brown spots

They say one has either wrinkles or dark spots. I have a few on my cheekbones which started to appear in my mid-forties. One can prevent his from happening by using a sunscreen. While you don’t have dark spots, try applying sun screen daily. To hide the spots, I alternate with the Bobbi Brown creamy (1,250 pesos at Rustans) for the spots or the Flebeaute Collagenic Skin Cover (around 1100 pesos at the Face shop) . The latter is actually a foundation but I only use it to conceal spots. The Bobbi Brown creamy does the job better though.

Powder and Foundation

I used MAC studio Fix 26 before but my skin became fairer and soon my daughter started using it. I am now using a Clinique Dermawhite (forgot the shade) Superbalanced foundation powder that has an SPF 29. You can only buy Clinique at Rustans. I first got introduced to the Clinique foundation through an event . When I ran out of the powder, I got a refill for 1,750 pesos.

When I have TV appearance or photo shoot, I use the Make Up Forever High Definition foundation for a flawless finish. I forgot the price because I bought this at Sephora in the USA.

Eye Makeup

I use to own one shade of eye shadows, mostly gray and brown shades. One day, my daughter bought me a makeup palette from Dollface Cosmetics in neutral matte colors, as a birthday present for my 53rd birthday. I noticed that my eyes lids are slowly sagging so I asked my daughter (check her fashion and beauty blog) to teach me how to apply eye shadows on my sagging eyelids. She taught me how to use a crease brush to darken the crease, which provides the illusion of firmer lids. That’s the trick. One thing to remember for my age group is never use frost eye shadows as it emphasizes fine lines.

Removing Makeup

And to remove makeup, I use Ponds’ cold cream. I also have an eye make up remover. I forgot the brand.

Vitamins and food supplements

Most importantly, vitamins. I take GNC Womens Ultra Mega Timed Release and Fish oils. They have womens’ vitamin for over 50 years old but I bought these so I could share with my two daughters. The fish oils is to help fight cholesterol. I take 3000 mgs daily.

So there, those are just a few of the beauty products I use. I hate it when my husband has to rush me to change and dress up. When time is of the essence, I just place my sunscreen and Juice Beauty moisturizer then pat the Clinique powder on my face.

There is more to looking and feeling good other than owning beauty products

Some reminders:

1. Love yourself.

I found out that nurturing is about how we show love for ourselves. I needed a loving relationship with myself that works so I can have a loving relationship with others that work.

2. You can’t own your beauty if you aren’t confident in your own skin

Faye Dunaway once said that “the best thing for beauty is just being happy.” You can be the most gorgeous woman in the world, but if you’re down on yourself you won’t look wonderful.

Owning your beauty means you accept and recognize the beautiful and characteristic traits that you already possess. It also means that you build upon that foundation, by enhancing and maximizing your best features first. Only after you’ve done that do you move on to tackling your weaknesses.

That’s why I maximize my beautiful traits like the way I smile or emphasizing my eyes.

3. Have a healthy lifestyle.

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables , oatmeal, and removing beef or pork in my diet. I also stay active by going to Fitness First three times a week. I have been a member since 2005 and I have lost 40 pounds.

See this was me borderline obese at 47 years old just before I went to the gym in 2005, and suffering from a heart condition.

I am the one in purple, and that’s my older sister, Lorna.

Yeah, so there is hope. It is never too late. At 53 years old, I am feeling good and having the time of my life. The best is yet to come.

Nope, this photo was not photo-shopped or altered. You can even ask Mike Yu of Blog na Pinoy.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets.

How about visiting my daughter’s ukay-ukay blog at ukaymanila.com?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

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A long marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the same time. ~Anne Taylor Fleming

The news did not surprise me , that James Yap will fight for his marriage and even tells Kris not to give up . He read his statement in Filipino and in a humble demeanor “I believe in the importance of having an intact family…That’s why I will fight to keep my family with Kris intact whatever happens.

“I know that every family encounters tests like these,” he continued. “Kris and I have made it through such tests before and I don’t think that this would be the right time for us to surrender [to such tests].”

So why was I not surprised? I have told you before that just like Kris, I too gave up on my marriage. Really, I would not have taken a second chance if my husband didn’t work things out. Uh, he literally wooed me back.

Five years ago, grief had overtaken us so much that we were virtually strangers to each other. Never in my wildest dream did I imagine myself with a broken ankle as I stepped inside my new pad. I had no choice but to live with him and work things out. Truly God works in mysterious ways. It was as if God said ” you can’t run away from your marriage. Try to fix it. Give it a second chance”.

I have written about it before, that second chances are possible if….

1. The person who has caused you hurt is willing to make amends and to sit down and compromise.

2. Boundaries are set. One can’t repeat the same mistake all over again but at the same time one must be aware that we should also give allowances for recovery to take place.

3. You love yourself. I’d like to believe that “You cannot give what you do not have.” I find that I am a better wife, a better mother, a more compassionate friend, after I have spent time nurturing myself.

4. You are open to the positive possibilities of the future instead of limiting the future by today’s feelings and circumstances.

5. You forgive. When we hold on to pain, old grudges, bitterness and even hatred, many aspects of our lives suffer. Through forgiveness, you choose to no longer define yourself as a victim.

I speak only for myself from lessons learned. The scar from the operation is a reminder that second chances are possible.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets.

How about visiting my daughter’s ukay-ukay blog at ukaymanila.com?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

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You know , I didn’t vote for Noynoy. During the campaign, I received some flack from rabid and irrational Noynoy supporters. It then came as a pleasant surprise when my request for Blog Watch media accreditation was granted. When Blog Watch started in September 2009, we were unknown to politicians. Most of us are not even political bloggers. A staff of a presidential candidate wanted to check our motives — ‘Do you have political motivations?’ Getting the candidates to take us seriously was a challenge. Credibility needed to be established. The faith in bloggers started when Vibal Foundation hosted us in their Philippine Online Chronicles. We appreciate their efforts in helping us attain our goals. We’ve been tenacious in getting candidates to be interviewed and succeeded in getting seven out of the nine presidential candidates. Pretty soon, media outfits, presidential candidates and supporters started to follow us on Twitter or Facebook. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) released a report, Online Coverage of 2010 Elections: Citizen journalists at work, which said: ‘Unprecedented in the country’s election history, bloggers and citizen journalists covering the 2010 elections were given media accreditation IDs by the Commission on Elections (Comelec)’. The accreditation affirms the work we have been doing for Blog Watch.

I am proud to be part of history as one of the first bloggers to officially cover the Inaugural from the Quirino Grandstand to Malacanang Palace.

Today is the first day of the new president. There will be no honeymoon period for me. My reasons for not voting him as my president still holds true today. But I love my country more. It is the choice of 40% of the people. It will not stop me from being vigilant. In fact, the new administration wants us to participate in good governance. The work of a president starts on day 1. I will be critical but fair . I will not rant without basis. I will acknowledge positive measures.

The mood was festive yesterday especially those dressed in yellow. I knew it would be a sea of yellow during the Inaugural so I decided to wear blue and purple as contrast. I did not really cover much of the Inaugural. I was busy interviewing the people and knowing their sentiments so I don’t have much photos of the day. Besides, the battery of the camera ran out on me. Let me share some of the awesome photos of Anton Sheker. He had to protect his turf and stay there for 7 hours. Kudos to Anton. (Please do not copy these photos. They are copyright to Blog Watch and Anton Sheker)

Click the thumbnails to enlarge

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets.

How about visiting my daughter’s ukay-ukay blog at ukaymanila.com?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

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“Remember that a successful marriage depends on two things: (1) finding the right person and (2) being the right person”

It must be hard being both public figures. Only Kris Aquino and James Yap know their situation. I cannot count the times I, too, gave up on our marriage. Butch never gave up even at the time I gave up on our marriage.

That’s how our married life is. bati, galit, bati, galit and probably will always be, hopefully more good days than bad. The reasons behind some of our spats are immaterial. I believe that more marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse is hurdled. Then, again coping mechanisms vary among couples.

I pray for all those in the same marital situation as Kris.

Below are the videos and the transcript of Kris Aquino’s interview on “The Buzz,” Sunday (June 27) where she disclosed that she has given up on her marriage to basketball star James Yap.

BOY ABUNDA: Krissy, maraming tanong, maraming opinyon, speculations. This is your chance. We will listen. What do you have to say?

KRIS AQUINO: First, I’m sorry about Tuesday [engagement in Cebu]. For so long, ilang buwan naman na nagampanan ko ang lahat ng tungkulin ko, lahat ng responsibilidad sa trabaho at sa kampanya kahit na mayroon kaming pinagdadaanan sa tahanan namin. It was a sign of weakness on my part not to show up, and I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry that you had to be the one to answer because you felt uncomfortable making up an excuse.

About what we’ve been through, I think naman Boy hindi lahat sikreto sa inyong lahat, kung ano ang mga napagdaanan namin in our married life. I think also the whole Philippines is fully aware na when my mom was alive and ngayon, my siblings have tried to bridge whatever gaps — and I mean gaps, marami na kasi. Tinry nila na tulungan kaming ayusin yung mga problema namin.

I have not sat down [with my siblings]…lahat through text — kay ate, kay Pinky. Through phone, nakausap ko si Viel. Nagtext din kami ni Noy. Siyempre sila lahat, gusto nila sana maayos pa.

I just want to say na whatever decision I have come to, it’s not a spur of the moment decision. Hindi ito nangyari na nagising lang ako isang araw at sinabi kong ayoko na. Matagal naming sinubukan. James and I both tried to really make this work.

On my part, what I’m comfortable saying is, with finality I can say, ako sumuko na.

Ang dami kong pinag-isipan kung paano ko maibabahagi sa lahat kung anong pinagdaanan namin without revealing anything painful. But there’s no way of doing that.

Last night, mga 4 in the morning, hindi ako makatulog pa. Katabi ko si Baby James, and I think he had a bad dream kasi he started to cry in his sleep. And that’s when it came to me, and I’m sure lahat ng mga nanay maiintindihan ako. Kung anuman ang dahilan why this marriage, on my part I’m saying, is over, the only person I will owe and explanation to, and the only person who can demand from me na bakit kayo naghiwalay, is my son.

And kagabi Boy, narealize ko, the worst thing I can do for Baby James is, when he’s 7 or 8 years old and mahanap niya sa YouTube yung explanation kung bakit naghiwalay ang nanay at tatay niya. He deserves much more than that. He deserves to hear it only from me and only from James. Because in any separation, there are 2 sides to the story. And we owe it to him, James will owe it to him, that I will owe it to him to explain to him.

But I’m sure you will all understand me. My decision to keep quiet is not because on June 30 magiging presidente si Noy. My decision to keep quiet is because I asked myself ‘Kapag inexplain ko kay Baby James, number one mauunawaan ba niya ako? Number 2, rerespetuhin pa ba niya ako? At number 3, mamahalin pa ba niya ako?’ At nasagot ko naman kagabi na ‘yes.’ I know my son will understand me, will respect me and still love me. And I feel that he will love me more, respect me more, and value me more if I keep quiet today.

I know that will leave so many unanswered questions, but those questions, only Baby James deserves to hear the answers to. Siguro Boy, this is part of growing up. It’s part of realizing that yes, I am public and I owe all of you an explanation, but apart from God, the only one I’m answerable to is kung di man mga kapatid ko eh ang anak ko.

So sana po, maiintindihan ninyo po ako na yung mga legal na aspeto ng pagsasama namin ni James, inuumpisahan na naming ayusin lahat yun. Kung anuman ang mga naging problema namin, kung anuman ang mga napag-awayan namin, kung anuman ang naganap sa tahanan namin, let it stay there. Because I’m doing this for my son, because he’s only 3 years old and he really doesn’t deserve na kung ano yung trials na pinagdaanan ng parents niya, kailangang ungkat-ungkatin at ulit-ulitin, wag na.

Kung this will mean na maraming hindi makakaintindi sa akin or sasabihin, ijujudge ako, then let it be. I don’t mind. The world can judge me. I just want my son to be able to respect me and respect his father. Because at the end of the day, ang utang namin sa kanya. Kasi ang pinakamaaapektuhan ng pangyayaring ito ang anak ko. To a certain extent, of course, it will affect Josh but it’s really Baby James who will really be affected.

And maybe, yung sinasabi ng mom ko sa akin parati na ‘Krissy, love is bringing out the best in each other.’ Maybe Baby James is really bringing out the best in me. And that’s it, Boy. I really hope they understand that this is for my son.

BOY: Naiintindihan ko. Maraming salamat, Krissy.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets.

How about visiting my daughter’s ukay-ukay blog at ukaymanila.com?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

I cringe every time someone outside the blogging world, asks me “what exactly do you do? or How long do you spend at your computer?” Well, let me just say, that we, mom Bloggers are not frumpy women that hang out with our computers all day. There’s more to being a mom blogger than one might think. Some of us are former career women, and professionals who decided to spend more time with our kids and blog because we are passionate about something and not as our primary job.

We also know when to have fun, to take time away from our kids and to take care of ourselves. When someone feels rotten about their day or asks me “what should I do? we had a fight” , I often say “take care of yourself first. Love yourself. ”

A famous Dalai Lama quote says it all “If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others.” I believe one cannot give what one does not have.

People who love themselves are truly able to love others and let others love them. People who love themselves and hold themselves in high esteem are those who give the most, contribute the most and love the most

I know it isn’t easy to have a “me day” especially with growing kids but I knew having a photo shoot for the Blog na Pinoy is a wonderful break from our usual routine. As Anna Manila aptly said “Only for that day, they will play dress up to the nines. The moms who blog and lunch and farmtown together, who whisper deep dark secrets to each other, and attend each other’s kids birthday bashes. Only for that one day, they won’t be drudges nor grunges but rather hot mommas on cam.”

Perhaps for Anna Manila, this is one of the late-life adventures she subliminally foresaw when she wishfully subtitled her ode20ld blogsite “THE BEST IS YET TO BE.”

Only for that day, mom bloggers reveal our inner diva.

And only for that day that we dare to show you how wacky we can be.

Thank you Mike Yu for the photo shoot. We look so glam.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets.

How about visiting my daughter’s ukay-ukay blog at ukaymanila.com?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

A Jewish proverb says “No matter what happens, travel gives you a story to tell. ” I just came from my husband’s hometown for a Father’s day weekend. It might just be an ordinary place to travel for most of you but see, there is a story to tell. Since we moved to our new home in Pasig in 2007, my husband felt our new home was the ultimate vacation destination. Except for a brief trip to Singapore, we never traveled within the Philippines as we used to in the past. I nagged him to take us back to his birthplace because the kids missed travelling with us. Unfortunately, only one daughter could join us as the second daughter couldn’t leave work. Being in a different place is always an opportunity to take a break from the computer, bond with my husband and daughter. This is just the beginning of a series of travel in the Philippines and elsewhere for the year 2010. Of course, a travel is never complete without photos and I took lots of them. Above are just a few.

I am back in Manila and eager to start work when I saw this email in my inbox. The sender, the awareness campaign of National Geographic and Energizer who asked me if I was interested to share the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest with my readers. The thought of travelling to the Greek Isles will surely interest everyone. I thought you might be interested in this unique opportunity which is now in its third year so I am sharing it with you.

What is it about? (EDIT: Found out the contest rules are “open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old “)

1. Send in your best photos – in categories like Animals/Wildlife, Travel and Weather – for a chance to win a National Geographic Expeditions trip for two to the Greek isles and a featured in an Energizer ad in the December issue of National Geographic magazine.

2. Entry is open until June 30th at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pictela. National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson serves as a contest judge, and will also be doling out photography tips and participating in a Q&A session on the contest website.

3. ALL photography skill levels are encouraged to enter – one of last year’s winners was shot by a zoo employee on a regular point-and-shoot camera!

The deadline is next week, June 30. Send your photos here at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pictela

Check this slideshow where you will find the incredible gallery of finalists from last year’s Energizer Ultimate Photography Contest.

I will start looking for my photos to see if I can join this too. Send your photos here at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pictela

More details here:

Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest Press Release ——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets.

How about visiting my daughter’s ukay-ukay blog at ukaymanila.com?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado