"Mas mabudol pa kog Bandai kaysa Pop Mart." (I'm more likely to get suckered into buying Bandai than Pop Mart.) One of my Bandai collections. Black Beard vs Trafalgar Law Senkozekkei. Those are the exact words I told my tech geek friend while watching our other friends go ga…

As every parent knows, taking kids to the mall is rarely just a trip to the mall. You walk in with a budget and walk out spending more because your simple grocery run somehow turns into a negotiation over snacks and toys. I don't impulsively buy things at the mall (I usually look it u…

My Facebook wall is pretty much a collection of: 1. My travels 2. My greetings for select few (for birthdays and anniversaries) 3. Pickleball 4. Running 5. Brand collabs and events I've attended  I don't think I have posted anything outside of those (I might have shared some memes…

Yesterday, I had an emotional breakdown triggered by a teeny tiny rubber band. It was so awful that I would lose sleep over it.  Let me start by saying that I got a new pickleball paddle. It was not a cheap one, at least for me. I did not pay for it. But then again, I would never shell ou…

Back in 2023, I was one of the speakers at a blogging and grammar workshop, and one of my topics was the use of dashes in the English language. The dash, en dash, and em dash each have specific functions. And I remember sharing that the em dash is my favorite. Not just among the dashes, b…

I've been buying Christmas presents.  I know, it's only the middle of November. But hear me out. For the first time, we finally have a 7-foot Christmas tree! I’ve always wanted a big tree, but buying one from the malls was never an option. A tree that size costs around Php 10k. Th…

I remember back when I was at a fastfood resto with friends when, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone asking another person for a photo outside. I recognized the content creator right away. He doesn't come across my feed (thank heavens!) but the media pages I follow feature…

I love online shopping and traveling, that's why it is imperative that I return to work to continue funding my hobbies. So I looked into the job market, and I was mildly horrified. The last time I had a job interview was in 2016. That was eight freaking years ago. Plus, in my line of …

A few Sundays ago, I decided to hit the road to fetch Jan in General Santos City. Honestly, with the cost of fuel consistently going up where a 500-peso worth of gas won't get you anywhere, I could have just let him commute because that would have been obviously waaaay cheaper.  But a…

Two of my friends have had their photos used by imposters to scam people on Facebook just recently.  Friend #1 learned about her imposter when it tried to sell baby stuff on Facebook and her friend from another city saw the listing. The imposter's fake profile was reported and taken …

The past few days had been quite a challenge because I was left alone to deal with two wild toddlers and a teen with raging puberty hormones. And as I watched them destroy the house while I slowly sipped my coffee, feet up, I had been thinking about how I will be rewarded for being great …

And guess what? I did not leave with a basket full of bright, colorful, and aesthetically pleasing stuff that are absolutely unnecessary.  I could have done it, you know. The husband was a thousand miles away and no one else can dissuade me from buying whatever useless knickknack I fanc…

I don't really get my fingernails done.  My hands look too manly that no amount of hand spa and nail color can make it ladylike. My day to day activities are also not very friendly for long, prettyfied, manicured nails (I wash my children's bum, no thanks). So yeah, a trip to the …

I grew up in an era where the concept of Wishlist  did not exist. In those days, whenever there was an "exchange gifts" during Christmas parties, the giver carried the burden of gift-giving—one that I carried ever since I started high school.

Of course, the whole world has to know. Because I feel like a domestic goddess after doing such feat. And just in case it doesn't happen again. I don't know if there's a household chore more tedious than folding clothes. I would have seizures just thinking about it. Plus, it r…

I often find myself reminiscing about the old days. Those days when we get to eat out and go on spontaneous road trips every week. The time when we don't celebrate special occasions over food deliveries. The time when we conveniently fake fever to have an excuse for skipping work. Or …

I was mindlessly scrolling Facebook, when this appeared on my feed:

Two things. One. I am addicted to rolled oats soaked in plain Greek yogurt and cinnamon. I prepared one for the bunso but he doesn't seem to show interest in it. It was so good that I had to ask the husband to buy more for my own consumption. Whatever I eat, the baby eats anyway.  Tw…

Welcome to my new normal.

It's been what? day 14? 15? of community quarantine and at this point, even those who are so used to staying at home or maybe even the introverts who have been trained for this their entire life already feel uneasy. I thought the quarantine would be no different for me, but honestly, …