Kris Aquino's Advice to Moms

I am not a fan of hers. Some people said I'm like her when this blog was called Bebengisms. Not sure if it was because I was featuring too many products here. Or was it because I was too full of myself then? I don't know about you but despite the many intrigues and controversies she has put herself into, she's an amazing media personality. Well, on TV. Hindi ko siya keri on the big screen eh. She's a good host kahit minsan hindi na niya pinagsaalita ang mga ini-interview niya but acting isn't for her, imho.

So, netizens were abuzz when photos of her in the GMA Network studio circulated around in the interwebs. Ayun nga, she guested on Yan Ang Morning, Marian Rivera's morning show on GMA 7 last week, July 1. Kibitzers said it was to make the rival network's show feel bad about themselves as it looked like they replaced Kris. It was just sabi-sabi. Kris said that she promised her "inaanak sa kasal", Marian that she would guest on her show once she's back from her vacation. 

And she kept her promise. 

How To Be Nadine Lustre: Be A Beautiful Alpha Female

A writer named Jacqueline Arias wrote an article for Preen about my current favorite local female celebrity - the other half of my most favorite love team - Nadine Lustre. The title was a total click-bait: How To Be Nadine Lustre. Of course, her younger supporters (those aged between 13-20) would most likely read it in the hopes to become as talented and successful as she is. As for us not so young ones, we read it because we love her. We want to know everything that's written about her. But no, it's nothing about her being a loving daughter or an awesome artist. 

The article was full of negative crap.

Did the writer know that Nadine navigated the drone used for the amazing top shots in On the Wings of Love when they were in Lake Tahoe? Has she seen the video N edited like a pro? Was she aware that N went straight to her mom in the hospital when she came back from the States? Did she know that N is also a budding fashion-preneur through Phosphene on Instagram?

I only knew about the article when her gorgeous and talented boyfriend, James Reid posted on Twitter about it. I rushed to Google to search for that one hell of a write-up that made this calm, suave guy tweet his frustration. At first, I thought to myself that maybe James and my fellow Jadines are just overreacting. As I went further the following paragraphs, though, I felt uneasy. It was such an awkward trying-hard piece of satire. It was not satire even - it was a direct attack to belittle Nadine's personality and achievement as if Arias felt she's god. With fangirl disappointment, my curiosity led me to "researching" how this writer looks like. In my head, I was like, "you better be prettier than N or else..." 

Bam - I saw her photos. Look for it yourselves and be the judge.

No Clever Title: An Opinion About Heneral Luna

I was supposed to fold the freshly-laundered clothes. This home-based, servantless working mama was supposed to finish cleaning up the kitchen. I was supposed to sleep because I still have work tomorrow (that's later). But here I am. I was resting my aching shoulders and back when I was on Twitter and saw this. It's a photo of Jim Paredes' news article. While I like that man's articulation and music artistry, I don't agree with everything he wrote there. Well, life's like that. Everyone can't agree on everything at the same time. But at least it ignited that fire that wanted to burn in my heart. Kalma lang, hindi ito kasing-lalim ng inaakala mo. Hindi mo ako kasing-talino. :p

Obviously, based on the title, this is about how the movie Heneral Luna affected me. 

The original Mr. Suave. // source

I love the movie! I can watch it over and over again. It's amazing how Director Jerrold Tarog can make history so funny. *Hello Captain Rusca! You want some ensaymada? Ibili kita sa Mylene's! Hihi.* And how puñeta can sound so - well - cool. It's art. The film is artistic -- cinematography, pacing, musical score, editing, the actors' blocking and all, the works -- the best! No matter how some said they already know their history kaya they don't need to watch it na and that it's hype lang daw. Come on, minsan lang tayo magkakaroon ng ganitong klase ng pelikula. If I should pay a thousand pesos just to watch it, ayos lang, promise. Kasi ang ganda! In fact, I was surprised when I knew that it was Php280 only (in the super sikip and hindi mabango na Robinson's MetroEast cinema house). 50% discount pa yung mga students. I assume that you know how the producers wanted to make the film (and the two other installments, hopefully) for whatever advocacy they have. But mehn, hanga ako sa passion (at yaman, hehe) nila to believe in this kind of movie at ipalabas sa klase ng mga manonood na meron tayo. Ano nga bang klase ng manonood meron ang 'Pinas? 

O sige, hanggang dun na lang muna ako. I'm not a movie critic. I enjoy Kalyeserye eh so I might not be intellectual enough for you. *winks* Let's just talk about why I am here, farting my thoughts away. 

After the movie, on the way home, my husband and I still can't believe that Heneral Luna was thaaaaat good. But honestly, I was not like most of the people on my feed na nagalit, bumigat ang loob at nawalan ng pag-asa sa Pilipinas. Siguro, dahil matagal ko ng alam yun? O tinanggap ko agad yun? I guess, I am a man that way. Yung madaling maka-move on, har har. When I married my military husband, our situation opened my myopic eyes to the chaotic country that I missed to see because what I knew was not the whole story. You see, I graduated college at Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Aware naman siguro kayo na highly opinionated ang mga estudyante dito? Nakakalungkot isipin, maraming magulang ang ayaw pag-aralin ang mga anak nila dito dahil sa katotohanan na yan. Hindi ko tuloy alam kung malulungkot ako para sa mga bata na hindi mabibigyan ng kalayaan na makapagsalita dahil sa magulang na meron sila o maaawa ako sa mga magulang na iyon kasi mamamatay silang may takot sa dibdib na harapin ang katotohanan. Medyo malalim na ba? Sorry, it's 1:30am here at the side of my world.

Let's go back.

I didn't feel bad, I was not in pain. I felt no burden after I watched the film. I just told R of my personal theory why I think war happens, why peace is elusive in this country. Oo, ang kapal ng mukha ko to blog about it. If you agreed, stop here. Hindi na kita binibigyan ng karapatan na basahin ito. Hindi lang din tayo magkakaintindihan. Thank you.

ALDub It

So Ms. Daphne Paez wrote about the AlDub fever (read it first then come back here, will ya?) and I just have to agree with everything she said, including those from the commenters of the post. I mean, come on, so if you call yourself a person with substance or class just because you don't watch noontime shows or the segment where the ALDub couple is, what do you call Mrs. Paez then? 

This has nothing to do with your profession, nothing to do with how much you have in your bank account, nothing to do with the size of your brain. AlDub and the kalyeserye segment are purely for entertainment. Some said it's inspiring. What, with Lola Nidora and her sisters' words of wisdom, one can surely get a quotable quote that can be her "life goal". Yes, it can teach its viewers a thing or two about life, love and the young generation's way of courtship, but for me, it's my source of entertainment. It's the most fun and entertaining segment created in the history of noontime TV. 

I love laughing. 

I love watching shows that are meant to make people laugh. I love seeing people, who have natural talent in releasing punchlines perfectly, laugh at each other. The Kalyeserye segment of Eat Bulaga has all of it. They can keep me laughing, kilig and entertained for like 30 minutes or so. 30 minutes of not thinking of sleep deprivation, work, housework, business, and my daughter's school tuition among others. My favorite is Lola Tidora, how Alden looks at Maine (sorry, I'm such a romantic), their fansigns, and TVJ's reactions. And then I'd go back to whatever I was doing before that when the segment ends. Okay, I'll read tweets. I sometimes tweet, too. This phenomenon is crazy and I'm glad I can be a part of it by tweeting my brain farts. 

Alright, this millennial mom needs her 4 hours of sleep. I'll see the dabarkads later. Follow me on Twitter, if you want: @deniserayala. 

P.S.

One of my secret dreams when I was younger was to play any musical instrument (I can play basic guitar) in front of my crush. Maine Mendoza played drums and Alden saw it with his mesmerized eyes. #somuchfeels

Why I Think It's OK Not to be Skinny

I used to weigh 110 pounds 8 years ago; for my height, 5 feet 4 inches, it's normal. When I got pregnant, on my 3rd trimester, during my last weigh in, I saw a whopping 175 pounds in the weighing scale. I was not even the slightest disappointed 'cause I thought it was due to my pregnancy. I sure did feel disappointed when I knew that my baby only weighed 5.94 pounds when I gave birth to her. Tsk, tsk. The rest of the 175 was all me. Whew, numbers and Math, it make me sweat. Haha! If only losing weight is as easy as calculating basic Math problems, I could have gone back to my pre-pregnancy body in a jiffy. It's just that I feel like I just can't do it yet; especially now that I'm passionately cooking for my husband, kid and blog. Ugh, excuses. I have to have plans for my body. La-dee-da.

Oh, I actually have!

Really, I have plans for my body. I have practical and realistic plans for it. I'm not going to lie, I'm still not sure if I can do it but I think, the moment I believe I can't is the moment I quit. So I'd like to believe that I can, even if I know that it's gonna be a tough journey.

The Kid President

I first learned about the adorable and smart 10-year-old Robby Novak when Thammie Sy posted one of his videos on her blog. It's entitled "An Open Letter to Moms from Kid President". Robby Novak, as from what I have Googled, is an American comedian, motivational speaker, TED speaker, and a YouTube sensation, interviewing Beyoncé, Andrew WK, Pen Ward, Rainn Wilson, Ban Ki-Moon, and others. 

What You Read is What You Get

That's me. But first, allow me to tell you more about why I said that.

I remember my sister N and I had a text-versation few days ago about the bag she bought from an online store on Instagram. She said that she originally ordered red but what was delivered to her was pink and that the one who received her order was not accommodating. I told her she should have written that in her caption to serve as a warning to other people who might order from them in the future. She said that she doesn't like doing that. I didn't argue with her. I thought it's really her personality ever since - keeping mum to avoid arguments - a personality I will never ever have. 

source

I can be a tactless b*tch; my family and close friends know that. I just learned to mellow down a bit when I already had a child, who looks up to me. I want her to be the girl I was not. There are times, though that I just can't help it. I really speak up when I think I should. 

I'm Beautiful and I Know It

These thoughts have been in the deepest corner of my brain that eventually traveled to my heart so I'm letting it all off through this post. Uunahan na kita ha, if you are a hater in disguise and plans to roll eyes the entire time reading this eh tigil na. Click the x now. Exit. Shoo-shoo, bawal ang nega vibes sa aking palasyo.

Alright, game.

There are times when I'm #GGSS; for my non-nakikiuso readers, it's gandang-gandang sa sarili. It usually happens when I'm freshly showered and fascinatingly admiring my face in the mirror. Hehe. Aminin niyo, you have reached that point in your lives din minsan. Yung iba nga madalas eh: may isang album sa Facebook ng selfies. Haha! Iiwasan ko na silang i-judge, promise. Pero nawiwindang talaga ako sa mga kabataan ngayon. Kahit saan masandal eh aanggulo at magse-selfie with super duper pa-cute face. Oh well, dumaan din ako sa ganung stage --- even in my late 20s. Eto ang ilan.

Hey, banyo shot! May batang tulog pa sa background. Lol.

Three Requests for the People Behind Press Releases

The blog looks updated but I feel I am so detached from it lately. Is that what they call "losing the blogging mojo"? I'm not sure but I think I need to let it all out. 

Well, it looks updated because of my press releases and current giveaways. I have it on my drafts folder and just schedule it apart from the same breed so it won't crowd. It's what I do, especially if it's a press release that doesn't require much of my time and creative juice. You only need to copy the text, reformat according to your OC-ness and publish it on your chosen date and time. I do the copy-text style for PRs, not because I'm lazy to share my own point of view but sometimes, the PR is lengthy enough that I might bore my readers if I'd add my own slew of words. In fact, my journalistic blood rushing through my veins sometimes abhor the sight of my home page full of press releases. There's nothing wrong about that, IMHO. Other bloggers have their own take about this though (read some here). It's one way of helping the brands (and agencies!) spread whatever news they want the netizens to know. BUT. It could sometimes hurt any blog's content. I, for one, could not publish just any PR. I am a mommy blogger. The PRs that I have published and will publish are those I think I would personally use/support. 

Hey momma, we are all WORKING!

I decided to write this post not to pick a fight with my fellow mommies who work away from home, but to try to shed a light on some mommy matters I consider trivial, but very controversial.

RESPECT. 

Recently, there has been a buzz that somebody raised an argument that modern moms MUST get a job to be able to provide for the family and not just be contented on waiting for their husband's salary. At first, what I saw in that post was not the ridiculous character of the author, but the wrong usage of words and/or grammar. Hehe. I thought it was too embarrassing to rant and have said it in such a lousy way. I hoped that the person just wrote it in Filipino. Anyway, I was not affected at all; not until some mommy friends gave me their opinions on this. Says Camille of Lollies and Lipsticks, "iba-iba tayo ng household and the way we do things might not work with other people. Respect na lang, tutal being a housewife is a decision made not by moms alone. I believe our partners agreed..." 

I felt that I needed to make other mommies aware, especially those who might be thinking the same way like the "assaulter", that our decision to be at home with our children doesn't mean we are just pigs waiting to be fed and bathed. Like what Vivian's (aka D of The Soshal Network) favorite quote by Jane Sellman said, "The phrase working mother is redundant." True. A mother works, regardless if she's at home taking care of the kids or away to earn extra money for the family. 

Ballad of a Politician

Halalan 2013 is almost over. The partial and unofficial results of the senatorial bid disappointed most of us; including me, a non-voter. Nancy Binay got in. 

photo source

Ma'am, since you will be declared a Senator soon, I hope you won't waste the trust the people who voted you into darkness (no pun intended). And please, please attend the future senate hearings and face Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago should she has questions for you. It will delight your supporters (and shock your detractors) if you CAN answer her with grace. Emotional outburst at first may be called stage fright but a second time is definitely called cowardice. We don't want to use harsher words for that.

Halalan 2013

Sadly, I am not a voter in this year's election. I am lazy forgot chose not to register. Sometimes, my deviant self will reason out that my vote will lose its value because the one who wins actually doesn't deserve it. But hey, I am in no position to complain because I'm a stubborn citizen of the country. :/

Bebeng in 2004 with Tanay kids.

So, there. For those who will be going out to vote today --- I hope you'll choose those you feel and think who really, really deserve it. We don't know yet if they can help the country; but great mommies have great instincts. Do not vote for them not because they were being endorsed by a hottie artista or their commercial jingle is LSS-worthy; vote for them because their qualifications are enough for the position.