In news as inconceivable as me finally eating and loving cheese , my OB has put me on a low-carb, less-sugar diet because I have gained 10 pounds within a month and it doesn't show. And for someone who has never been on a diet, IT IS SO DIFFICULT. We're scheduled for our last feta…

My armpits, although not perfect, is something I was not insecure about. I used to have fair armpits. It was not exactly flawless but it was enough for me to raise my arms confidently , until this pregnancy. I knew this is normal. But I also knew that having dark, unsightly underarms is…

I thought that my blogger duties were put on halt (if it is still not obvious, I haven't been Instagramming and blogging as regularly as I would have). For the past few days, all I did was literally eat and sleep the whole day, and Google about these aBsOLutEly HeLPfuL tHinGs iN LiFe…

If it wasn't for the blog contest entry that I posted a few days ago, you all would have assumed that I have been zapped into Uranus and never return. Well, to those who love hate-reading me, sucks to be you, I am still here! I kid about the haters, of course. I don't remember …

Following our marriage last year, we have fervently prayed for a baby because, I hate to admit it, we are already in our mid-30s. We cannot deny the fact that our bio clocks are ticking. Jan and I have always wanted our own. The sooner, the better. And it was December last year when our p…

Just when I thought I'm already done with video games , I find myself attacked by this:

Today, I woke up to Jan hugging me as he whispered, "May the 4th be with us." I gave out a smile. "What a silly way to greet Happy Anniversary, " I thought. But a warm feeling washed over me and suddenly, it didn’t feel silly anymore. I hugged back, kissed him on …

I cannot keep a job for more than 3 years and I do not know if that is a good or bad thing. Hopping from one job to another in a short span of time does not leave a good impression to most employers here. But my career has plateaued. If I am no longer growing and not getting any closer to…

I started blogging more than a decade ago but it was only in 2015 when I started to up the ante. I wrote a lot of helpful, inspiring, and relatable posts. I focused on evergreen content. And it definitely paid off. I was able to earn, rake in a few sponsorship, get invited to exclusive ev…

I bled yesterday. It wasn't periodic nor regular. It only happened once. It wasn't heavy, not even enough to soak a pad. But it was enough to freak the hell out of us. Jan drove me to the emergency room immediately and while on our way, I was frantically all over the internet in…

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, …

It has been 7 days since the last time I stepped out of our gate. I don't know what it's like to be outside anymore. This quarantine has gotten me hungrier and lazier by the hour. Definitely not the pregnancy journey I had in mind. Two months ago, I established a regular walking…

Hormones during first trimester pregnancy can be an absolute bitch. Not in my case though. And Jan must have been thankful for that or else he would have to endure a full-blown incomprehensible pregnant wife demands for the whole 9 months (the hormones are going to come back with vengeanc…

Now tell me what are the odds of getting stung by a honeybee inside our home while lounging on our bed?  I've been stung by bees and wasps countless of times. The most it gave me was an annoying localized itchiness and swelling. This time is a different story.

Warning: Too much information. Skip if you're easily offended or grossed out.

The nCoV (now COVID-19) outbreak was beginning to happen when we started planning this trip. But we still pushed through and simply scrapped out places that are definitely crowded, ditched the guided tours, and decided to go all-out DIY in this trip.

They say you have never been to South Korea if you have not visited Nami Island. But I have got to be honest here, Nami Island was a letdown. That's probably because we were there in the wrong season. I know Nami island in Spring is colorful and beautiful. It is undeniably breatht…

I never really liked fishes as pet. They are high maintenance, boring, and incapable of human interaction (duh). Not to mention, I can barely keep one alive for more than three days. But here I am, mindlessly watching our fishes swim for hours. These were actually my uncle's gift fo…

"What do you look for in a man?" one friend asked. "Syempre yung kaya akong buhayin," said another. Bigla akong napaisip. When Jan and I were still dating, it never occurred to me that one day I'll be marrying him because he can provide well for me. I CAN DO TH…

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think of going to South Korea for a honeymoon (it has always been Batanes). I mean, we did  plan  about it but that's only because we unexpectedly snagged round trip tickets for two for only Php 8,400+. But that plan to spend honeymoon in Korea i…

Jan and I, being complete newbies to true winter, spent our late honeymoon slash babymoon (never knew there is such thing) in South Korea, where the temperature dropped to -6°C. Although we were told that the current winter is warmer than usual, it is by far the coldest we have ever exper…

I got a call from Club Ultima that I won a 3D/2N stay at Crown Regency in Cebu. Honestly, this isn't new to me. I experienced it sometime two years ago with a competitor company when we were in Boracay. It is true when they say you can claim the gift certificate without financial ob…

"Such a precious moment." Those were Jan's exact words while he read the result for the nth time.

It's weekend and I still have a lot of incomplete tasks needed to be done at work but I'm still having a hangover from the holidays and I can hardly function. So before I totally ditch blogging about our year-end trip (like what I did to the other trips), I'll throw in a few s…

December kicked off sweetly and along with it came not just one but several good news! 1.) We finally got our passports with approved visas! We might fly to South Korea this winter so we can experience what's it like being bundled up in layers and still get frostbitten then agre…

If zombies were to chase me, I only have a 300-meter chance to run for my life. Anything farther than that does not guarantee my survival. Because I hate to admit this, I AM NO LONGER FIT AS I WAS BEFORE. How do you survive a zombie apocalypse?

With the series of strong earthquakes happening in our city, I thought I'd never go braless inside our home again. I hate bras not only because they are uncomfortable but I also had to deal with the trouble of trying to tug my boobies back into their proper positions as if they are al…

For more than a decade, I was okay with having jobs that can provide our needs, pay the bills, and splurge a bit. I have never been in debt. And that's pretty much an achievement, especially for a then single mom like me. BUT THAT WAS IT. I had no savings at all. I guess it&#…

It has been a week since  our wedding books arrived and I cannot get over it. I've already wasted hours flipping the pages and ogling at the same thing for days, and it still was not enough. I can't help it. Our wedding is no doubt one of the best days of my life and that i…

Korea is going to be our next destination. And honestly, I was not that interested. Especially after having been told quite a lot of times that Korea might be underwhelming for someone who has already visited Japan . Despite that, I have found myself binge-watching Korea travel vlog…

I couldn’t think of a better title but after posting my skincare routine , I was asked to try a line of whitening products in exchange for a promotion or a review. I politely declined. For the record, I have nothing against whitening products and people who want to whiten their skin. Do w…

I have always wanted my skin to look radiant and healthy but the idea of a 10-step skincare overwhelms me and I cannot be bothered to have such extensive routine because I do not have the time  I am lazy. When I started to look for products I could use, I realized that I had no idea…

I am getting addicted to boots. I find this funny, ridiculous, and stupid because I am living in a hot, humid, tropical country where boots are an abomination. And I got 3 pairs! But before you raise an eyebrow on me for having 3 freakin' pairs that is more useless than a white cr…

Oh Deer! If there's one thing I love about Japan, it is the people. They are the kindest, most disciplined, and most respectful people I have ever met. And quite surprisingly, the deer in Nara are just as polite as the locals. As a matter of fact, these critters are far more polite …

Davao City — Ever thought of trading the hustle and bustle city life for a day or two of unplugging without having to go too far? There’s no bad time for a relaxing escape to the Tengoku Japanese House . Situated not too far away from Eden Nature Park, this charming two-bedroom Japanese-…

Jan and I cried the other night. But that's because of a freakin onion that stings more than any of the hundreds of onions I've cut in my entire life. I have never been terrorized by anything, not even by my mom who recounted those embarrassing moments during my teen years in …

Robots. Sushi. Anime. Sakura. These are the first things that come to mind when I think of Japan. When we booked our flight to Japan, it just happened that we took advantage of a seat sale, chanced upon a very cheap flight to Narita, and booked it right away. Plus, the timing couldn&#…

Tokyo is currently my favorite city (next to Davao, of course). I'm not really huge on highly-urbanized cities. Skyscrapers and cityscapes don't fascinate me. But Tokyo offers more than the high tech toilets, electronics, Anime, and manga. It's where you get the best of modern…

We went to Japan for Jan's birthday which is just in time for spring. And since it was only the first official day of spring when we landed, the weather was still chilly and temperatures dropped to as low as 4°C. I actually thought that I was prepared for that. I had 3 layers of cloth…

When we went to Japan last March, it was transitioning from winter to spring. That means, we were able to experience both snow and sakura season at the same time. You see, even though the season was leaning toward spring, a deep-rooted fascination for snow has definitely gotten my mind …

I went to the  ukay-ukay the other day and scored this mint condition leather jacket that fits me perfectly for only eighty pesos. Eighty pesos! I proceeded to a nearby mini grocery afterwards to buy something and left the prized ukay-ukay at the baggage counter where you can just put …

"Have you had your dinner already?" Mama asked. "Yes," Red replied. "Was it delicious?" "Yes! Where did you buy it?" That would have been an insult. It certainly is my son's indirect way of saying that I cannot make something appetiz…

"How does it feel like?" "Nothing has really changed," I said flatly. "Wait until the honeymoon phase is over." I have been asked this question over and over again for weeks now and I have been repeating my answer with the same flat face. And it is not …

My heart had been broken terribly when the owl carrying my Hogwarts acceptance letter lost its way (must have been held up in Customs  😂 ). I thought I would never know my magical powers. But here I am, saved from eternal despair. For those who are still waiting for that letter, here i…

Right after the wedding, Jan and I started working our arses off (pitiful, I know). We were not able to plan a honeymoon because the Japan trip happened. And as much as we would have loved to make Batanes our honeymoon destination, we are holding that off. You see, I won a round trip dom…

When Jan and I planned our wedding, we agreed to keep it simple because it reflects who we are individually and as a couple. And also, truthfully, we're on a tight budget. But we all know that even the simplest weddings can burn a huge chunk of money—in a blink of an eye at that…

I just wish I have the makeup artist skills so I can transform my face into something better and more tolerable to look at every time I get fed up with my face that's as bland as the miso soup I made so I can leave my hair alone. Because, well, haircuts cannot be undone. You know ho…

When we went to Singapore the second time, we made sure we would avail of attractions that are fun, interesting, and most importantly, family-friendly. Attractions in Sentosa can be pretty pricey especially when you do multiple activities in a day. But you can book tickets online that off…

The last time my name was printed on a local newspaper was in high school (about 16 years ago) when my football team won against a college team and the two scorers' names were mentioned. That was a huge deal back then. Right now, where the generation is more fragile than a snowfla…