The Wonderful Year That Was

Hey 2017, thank you. Can my family and I give you a big bear hug?

You see, we may have started on a different note - lost my regular homebased job the previous year that paid half of our bills - still, I'm glad you turned out and finished well. 

On January, not just making it as "eveyone's New Year's resolution" but truly doing it, I chose to have a more active lifestyle. I jogged in the morning and did HIITs as regular as I can. We also ate more nutritious food. The next month, I decided to go back to working away from home. I love my chill SAHM life but there are times that we just got to adult real hard. So on March 8th, I bravely headed the Marketing Department of an iconic clothing brand while mothering my gradeschool girl and managing our home. Our family was slowly adjusting to the changes, I was doing well at work but God, being the Alpha and the Omega, had other plans for us. I got pregnant on April. 

Mommy Mundo's Mom 24/7 Planner 2018

The coming year will be so much more exciting for this queen mama as I face the new season of motherhood - raising a tweenager and a baby! Yup, after 9 years of being a mom to an only child, I'll be multiplying my heart, soul and time into its superlatives so I can give equal attention to my two girls. I can't wait to experience all its highs and lows that will surely make me a better person. But as a military wife who has to manage our family time well just so my husband can still be included when he is not on duty, I got to have plans A to Z.

I'm so glad that Mommy Mundo never failed to gift me their much-loved Mom 24/7 planner! The latest edition has three modern and awesome designs that match the kind of mom that you are or at least hope to be. Each design has a name - Aria, Cadence and Erin. I chose Erin not only because I fancy its gold, mint and navy strokes but because it was specifically designed for mamas who strive for peace and mindfulness in their daily lives. Because a mindful mom gets the job done lovingly well.

Take a look at what's inside the planner!

Make Your Holidays Simple and Sweet with Whatta Tops Krismas Delight Box

Before I gave birth a week ago, I was almost sure of my decision of not giving anyone presents this coming Christmas. Budget and time were too tight for such. It all went to shopping for the new baby's stuff. Lo and behold! The gods of food (also gods of happiness, methinks) heard my silent plea - I was sent with boxes and boxes of sweet treats from Lemon Square! With my grateful heart, I made a mental note of who to give those to. My first in the list - the doctors, nurses and interns in the hospital where I gave birth.

In the box of my simple and sweet token of thank you were the usual #baonserye favorites - Cheesecake, assorted cupcakes and Whatta Tops. What made it a bit extra special was the Whatta Tops Krismas Delight box! 

It's a red Christmassy box with six pieces of limited edition Whatta Tops flavors - Mango and Tsokolate Espesyal.

My husband and I gave both flavors a taste test and according to my sweettooth guy, he found the mango flavor interesting. What's also interesting is its price! It's just 50 pesos, my dear fellow queens. Hindi pa hard-to-find 'cause it's readily available in supermarkets. So instead of candles, mugs or cheap home decors (lol) that become kalat eventually, why not try giving these away. Mura na, nakaka-happy pa! You can still make habol later for your last minute Christmas shopping. Gorabelles na!

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This post is sponsored by Lemon Square but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

My Husband's Tips on Buying Used Cars

It was in 2012 when my husband R bought our first family car, a pre-loved Toyota Vios. Sophia wasn't aware how important it was for us but I felt that she was happy that we didn't have to commute when we travel out of town. We rode in it during our frequent visit to Zambales, where R was assigned then. It also reached Baguio, Pangasinan and the entirety of Metro Manila. That gray Vios with fantastic sound system (kudos to my husband) served us well. We then sold it in 2016 when we acquired a brand-new Toyota Innova. 

R may not be a car expert, an enthusiast even, but when it comes to its practicalities, he got these tips for should you want to buy used cars in the future. 

Research the seller's credibility. This is very important as some used cars sold were previously stolen. I'm sure you don't want to end up in jail just because you bought a car. 

As much as possible, choose cars with low mileage. High mileage means the car has been used too often, which makes it more prone to defects eventually. 

Inspect the car thoroughly, best to bring along a trusted car mechanic. When we bought our Vios, one of my husband's staff, who knows car engines more than he does came with us.  

Check the car's history. Ask for the warranty booklet and previous accidents. 

In the event that you fell in-love with a specific car that didn't pass the above criteria, prepare a larger amount of money. You will surely be using it for purchasing some parts that needed replacement.

If you need further reading on cars and its what-nots, Cars.com is an awesome resource!

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cars.com but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Truth About Baby Showers

When I was pregnant with Sophia, I threw myself a simple baby shower at home with a little help from a friend. Being young with no enough knowledge on proper etiquette and all, I did that for the gifts, apparently. As how we know it, "gifts are central to showers." That's the main reason why there is such to begin with.

My baby shower cake nine years ago

At the onset of my current pregnancy, I thought about it and discussed it with my husband. He said that no one will come to our baby shower anymore (should we have one) since most of the friends who attended the first are no longer in our circle. Even if it hurt me big time, I agreed with him. Sometimes, for one to finally accept the truth, it has to hurt first. I have moved on easily, though and gotten over it already. For me, growing up means losing some friends in the process.

Our Relationship Secrets: Revealed!

My husband and I were highschool classmates. No - we were never sweethearts. We didn't dance in our prom night, he didn't carry my heavy bag and books, he didn't look my way. Worst, we didn't even talk! There was one incident that I wanted to initiate a conversation, though. It was my chance, I had a slight crush on him when I was 14 eh. We were in the same jeepney on the way to school. Gahd, imagine my kilig when I saw him na sumabit bigla. You know, I wanted to hold his book for him kasi nga nakasabit siya then eventually when he's finally seated, we would talk and ililibre niya ako ng pamasahe but well, nag-123 pala siya that day so sorry, no cute puppy love story to tell, hahaha! But if you seriously want to know how we got to be where we are now, here's our funny, worthy of an MMK episode love story entitled - When Rhambo Met Bebeng.

Hello, this is us. Photo taken by our little girl, our #1 fan.

I love going back to how we began. In fact, I shared that with his mom and our daughter Sophia. Our girl was laughing the whole time I was telling our story. She loves it and gets kilig kasi when her father and I are being sweet to each other. Sinusulit ko na rin hanggat hindi pa siya grossed-out sa amin, hihi. Telling her how I met her father is important for us since we really pray that she will also have a happy marriage and family in the future. And in case she'll ask for tips and advice, we got these SECRETS TO A LONG-LASTING RELATIONSHIP that I will be sharing with you, too.

How We Finally Got Pregnant After 9 Years

That's a tough title to prove, I know. Also, I can just give a one-liner boompakganern to support it but I'm feeling a little chatty today (uhm, like I always do, by the way) soooo here it goes...

A revelation that some of you might not know yet - Sophia is a love child. I mean, every child must be made out of love but you call those that way when you got them out of wedlock. It was the holidays in 2007 when my ex-boyfriend (now the husband) R and I were left in their house. We were young, wild and free. Haha. OK, to stick to this blog's wholesome, God-centered, and family-oriented image, we were so in-love... that the minute I laid my eyes on him that one cold holiday evening with just the two of us, I saw him as the corny dad joker of my children. And the rest, as they say, was history.

Fast forward to 2012, my daughter Sophia was about to turn 4 when I felt an excruciating pain in my lower right abdomen. I'll save all the space here for happy thoughts so kindly click this link to know what happened - I got an ectopic pregnancy. We may be already married that time but that unborn baby could have been another love child. We didn't plan for that 6-week baby blood; we were fine with having one kid. After all, we knew our finances aren't fit for more. And that an active preschooler has made me not to wish for another of her kind, hahaha!

But as how God knows me well (a hard-headed child of His who loves surprises), He gave me this rainbow baby - the gift to welcome the new season of our lives. Up to this very day (I'm approaching my 31st week as of this post), I am still in awe. After 9 long years, I am now carrying a tiny human being, who's been a blessing to us ever since we knew about her. I may have quit my job for her but we still carry on as God promised us that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. My marriage with R is so much better, too; it's even at its best. Most of all, my dear darling Sophia will never be alone anymore.