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 down before anyone could fall prey. 

As for Friend #2, it was already too late when she found out about it. She was getting virtually sucker-punched by angry and frustrated victims after realizing they had been duped into sending their hard-earned money for nothing. Her face was posted on different groups, labeled with the most demeaning words while the real perp got away with it.

Well, that's scary.

This is not the first time I've heard of it. It happens all the time and it could happen to anyone—especially us, ordinary people whose faces are not easily recognizable by a lot of people.

But you know what scares me more?

I still remember the last time I drew something. It was Valentine's Day four years ago when, like any other Valentine's, Jan and I had nothing better to do. It was a year before the pandemic but staying home was already a much better choice that day.

So Jan challenged me to draw something and I did.

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 at maintaining a healthy marriage by allowing the husband to go on a three-day trip because I believed he needed to have some fun too.

I mean, Solen Heussaff gave Nico Bolzico no more than 24 hours to fly to Davao to hike Mt. Apo and back, while Jan was granted 3 freakin' days. How lucky can he get? I suppose he must have thought of rewarding me with something I truly deserve like an ultimate steak night date or a Vespa. The latter is mostly preferred, thank you.

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 fancy. All I have to do is swipe this little devil. 

I have been here for about an hour now. 

While I try to make out what is being broadcasted over the speakers because I can only hear muffled and distorted sounds as if the announcer is gargling the microphone, I have been watching people. 

And so it occurred to me that airports are a home to intensified emotions. Excitement. Anxiety. Happiness. Sadness. Optimism. Fear. Awe. Disappointment. Gratitude. And possibly any emotion that you can think of.

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 nail salon is rather pointless.

But today, I went to get a manicure in preparation for an event this weekend. And while at it, I decided to have a softgel extension instead of a regular polish. Because why not? I will be free of kids and unwashed dishes for three days. Yay! 

Do you remember the time when I could not be bothered to look good because I paid so little attention to my outfits? Well, my blog does. 😅

Then I realized how making a simple upgrade to my style just made me feel better overall. It does feel empowering, you know. Every outfit that I chose to rock—despite getting shot at with those disapproving looks for not dressing "like a mom" because I love to flash my belly button out—is a reminder that I can be anything.

For this trip, I prepared about ten outfits. Yes, ten! However, our seven-day trip was unexpectedly cut short, so I only got to wear five. 

The idea was to wear something fresh and appropriate for a hot and humid country. 

I would have loved to put on some light layers just for the aesthetics, but I'm pretty sure my armpits will go on a wild and violent protest. I also thought about wearing a summer dress or that plaid top and mini skirt set I've been meaning to wear for a long time. But I'm afraid I will have that Marilyn Monroe moment while running after two hyperactive toddlers. Or one of them will lift the back of my skirt up and expose whatever horror has been kept hidden there. 😝

So after a few days of planning, I came up with outfits that will still show some skin to keep me cool from the sweltering heat without putting myself at risk for an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.

Yes, OOTD planning is one of my favorite parts about traveling. I like getting creative. But I am never really too eager to go overboard with the spending. So, here are the budget-friendly outfits that I wore in a fine, sophisticated, first-world country, Singapore:

Outfit #1

This is what I wore at the Singapore Zoo. The goal was to look like a zookeeper but make it stylish. 

Love the blazer and short set. Still thinking where else can I wear this.

Because I am sick and all of my fingers are broken. But if I'm not going to do it now, I'm not going to remember any of it and this will never be written at all. 

This is something that doesn't happen often. Thought about writing this to remind us that we survived this ordeal, we could get used to it, we could do better, and nothing can stop us from traveling (except funds or lack thereof). 

I can't promise that this is going to be a hopeful post or one that turns lemons to lemonades though. It's purely just one of those sh*t happens stories. 

Here goes.

There is a reason why I haven't been posting dancing content on TikTok lately, why my face is getting "rounder" each day, and why we have to hold off or probably let go of our plans to immigrate to Canada (cold weather is a huge trigger).

It's crazy how life can change in a heartbeat.

One minute I'm carrying and pushing around heavy furniture, the next minute I can no longer cut my own nails.

Got this from Kryz Uy's post. I find it a bit relatable (except the being wealthy part), so I thought I'd do the same.

4 years later...

Our marriage so far:

• bought a small home (applied in 2017 but it was turned over a few months after our wedding)
  
• traveled as married couple
• had a baby boy
• learned learning the ropes of parenting
• got a small lot in Samal Island (we'll probably build a little cottage there in the future)
• got one more house and lot
• had a baby girl
• traveled as family
• stayed in love

I have a new pair of shoes!

And it's one of the most beautiful shoes I've ever laid my eyes on.

I know I don't need another one. Call it absurd, a weakness, a toxic trait, or whatever. But shoes do make me happy. Probably because I may have been healing from my "past traumas". You know, the time when we couldn't afford such. Growing up, I've never really owned more than one pair at a time, and it is usually a tad bigger for my feet just so I can use it longer until it gets worn through the soles. 

When I started working, majority of my shoes were from ukay-ukay. I did "splurge" but I would still limit my choices only to the items displayed on the discounted rack and never bought anything more than Php1,000 because that was already a luxury for me.

Jan renewed his driver's license today. I already renewed mine last year so I shared with him my experience to set his expectations—the entire renewal process may take the entire day.

Since his license has already expired, I drove him to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the morning. His appointment was at 8am. I decided to leave the car keys with him because I reckon he would be done in the afternoon, and he could just fetch Rhett right after school. Then I took a jeepney on my way back.

I decided to eat breakfast the moment I got home, and just when I was about to take my first bite, I received a message from him.

Much has happened the past weeks. I don't even know where to begin. But I guess, I'll start with the news that we now have two feral toddlers to keep an eye on. 

Our little girl, Isabel, turned one this month. And I know I have already said that we won't be traveling until she turns two. But here I am, creating a toddler-friendly itinerary for our next out-of-the-country trip.

I am sure no one is going to disagree when I say that traveling with a toddler is a pain in the ass. I've seen it, experienced it, and proven it an understatement. Yet, we find ourselves turning a blind eye to the thought that with these feral two in tow, we may never be able to relax—which defeats the purpose of a vacation.