Vote for your Best Mommy Blogger!

I just opened my Facebook a few minutes ago and little did I know that there's an ongoing Mommy Best Blogger contest courtesy of SmartParenting.com.ph and Sangobion. Isn't that beautiful?

50 Mommy blogs were narrowed down to 10 finalists . All of them have shown how it is to multitask - from handling their respective careers to managing the households and still full of energy to blog about their Mommy adventures! 

I am truly inspired and honored even if I'm not one of the finalists. It's humbling that social media recognize Mommies like us who definitely have the most fulfilling job in the world. 

Click on the picture and cast your votes now!

This also gives you a chance to meet you favorite Mommy bloggers and win raffle prizes at the awarding ceremonies on August 23rd. 

Much Love,

OneGutsyMom

Happy Friday!

It's weekend once again and I'm sure a lot of you are planning for some weekend gimmick with friends. Well, I already had mine yesterday but it's not the usual gimmick anyone can think of. It's been a stressful week for me at work and will be doubled come next week so I allotted another quick "me-time" just before saying hello to weekend. 

It's been a while since I checked out Red Mango and it still never failed me. A lot of toppings to choose from but my excitement didn't help as I can't decide what to pick. That is sometimes my issue, I easily get overwhelmed that I end up choosing nothing. The staff in front of me offered his help but really, my mind was preoccupied as I beam my smile on those toppings.

Well, here's a little help from Red Mango on what combinations to choose. Fruits, nuts, honey, chocolate - name it, they have it! Also, they recently introduced Yuzu Lemon frozen yogurt. TRIVIA: Yuzu is a sour citrus fruit which grows in tall trees commonly found in Japan. So there, expect a more citrus-y taste compared to original froyo especially if you pair it with fruit toppings.

Did you know that frozen yogurt contains yogurt's natural goodness like calcium and protein? Yummy and healthy, I just can't say no! ^^ They also serve waffles, smoothies, coffee and tea - everything you will like while enjoying some girl talk and meet ups with friends. Click here for their full menu.

Do you agree on that line below? I certainly do! You owe yourself a treat and pampering.

Remember, a healthy mind is equal to a healthy body. Kick those stress off even for just a short time!

So, here's my treat - Crunchy Lemon Craze! That's yuzu lemon froyo with sliced almonds, lemon bits and Cap'n Crunch. A medium cup costs me Php 170. I just love the combination of sweet and tangy taste. The almonds and crunch naturalized the sour taste of my froyo. 

Here's to share a wonderful surprise that greeted me in the office yesterday.
Forget-me-not and doodle notebooks from Belle de Jour! I LOVE!!!
Thank you, BDJ! I can't wait for next year's planner..

(all photos were taken using my Instagram)

I'm off from work today looking after my active baby as my Mom who's taking care of her is unwell. Baby's beside me while I'm typing this, guess she wants to become a blogger too someday. ^^
Hope you'll have a wonderful weekend!

Much Love,
OneGutsyMom

Family Bonding Times Three!

A very late post for a good reason.

I came from a small family, with my Mom beside me from four school graduations until I got married. For years, we didn't live near our closest relatives and for some odd reasons, I didn't get the chance to mingle with my half siblings. So technically, I was unconsciously molded to become independent at an early age. Strange things that you might consider about me - I barely fight or have confrontations and I speak softly because I was raised in a peaceful and quiet home, or shall we say "homes" as we change addresses from one to another. I don't recall having too much but I'm sure I've had enough of my needs even before I started earning - I know how it feels when it's overflowing and empty. I don't understand sibling rivalry and borrowing stuff from one another. I am sensitive to other people's words pertaining to myself because I'm only used to my Mom nagging at me. The list goes on if you ask me what makes my life different amongst the girls I became friends with. In short, I know there's something lacking but I didn't regret for I know that there's a purpose behind. And now that I am called a parent, I knew more of the things I'd like to fill in my own family. First of which is to allow my daughter to be more often surrounded  by people who cares for her just as much as I do. I want to instill in her heart that being with the family means love.

This is the main reason I compiled our photos last Mother's and Father's day, celebrated in three separate weekends. I find joy browsing these pictures and I hope I can keep it until digital cameras become obsolete.

Her Dad took this during our Father's day lunch at Burgoo, Greenhills.
She's now turning 1 year old 4 months.



Daphne with Mama and Daddy at Eastwood. She keeps jumping and screaming here, too excited to play with other kids in the playground.



With Mamang (hubby's Mom) and cousin Zach at Kenny Rogers, Galleria. Happy Lola!



Tita Gladys and I joined. Daphne looks behave but is somehow planning of what to do with the spoon. She grabs anything within reach in a split second.



She's not in the mood and keeps looking behind us where there were more kids around.
I think she's also not used to sitting on a high chair anymore.



With her Lola at Pancake House. Daphne felt like she owned this place.
She keeps pushing the chairs and peeping at the glass walls overlooking Eastwood.



Aaaww.. Lovely and candid!



With cousin Kyle and Tita Jopie. Where did the food go? ^^



Daddy's happy tummy and a baby girl who's uncomfy with her gums. More teeth to come!



With hubby's immediate family here in Manila.

 

I hope you all had meaningful celebrations with your Moms and Dads.
Treasure these moments while they are still at the best of health.


Much Love,
OneGutsyMom

MEGA Pinoy Pride: A Class Of Champions

After celebrating the country’s Independence Day, MEGA further stresses its nationalism through the recently held “A Class of Champions”.In its pursuit to look for the next new face in Filipino design, MEGA created the MEGA Young Designers Competition (YDC) in 1994 to gather the next best Filipino designers who could bring Filipino design to the runways of the world. Some notable designers started their careers through the competition, namely: Patrice Ramos-Diaz, Gian Romano, Ivarluski Aseron, Russell Villafuerte, Mich Dulce, Oj Hofer, Rajo Laurel and international designer Furne One among others.

I am amazed to have a glimpse of Furne One's creations!

 

 Fashion forward, indeed! So Gaga-ish right? Can't mess with someone wearing that!

 

Designs by Patrice Ramos - Diaz

 

 

I fell in love with this stylish white coat and skirt. 

 

 See how this gown was intricately created. I think my eyes and hands will surrender if I do this. 

 

“A Class of Champions”, held last night June 19, 2012 at The Podium, cited and awarded ten of the country’s top Filipino designers. The exhibit was a collection of different pieces taken from the creations of YDC alumni. Fresh from the MEGA Pinoy Pride Ball, iconic pieces by international Filipino designer Furne One was also on display. The thirty one pieces presented by Furne in the recently held MEGA Pinoy Pride Ball was said to be a multi-million peso worth collection.

It was a celebration of Filipino brilliance, acknowledging the achievements they’ve made and the future success that they will accomplish.

   

Cocktails were served to the stylish and chic crowd who gathered to view the fashion exhibit. I took a glass of red wine which I preferred light. Just as I was writing this post, I received a thank you message from Ralph's Wines and Spirits.

 

 

Did I read that right? CCA? Cool! That's my dream culinary school!

  

Met these young ladies and fashion bloggers: Carizza, Mich and Hazel. See you again soon! 

 

It's only Tuesday and I'm already booked for an event. 

Let's all have a productive week ahead! ^^

Much Love,

OneGutsyMom

 

Fashion Blog Attempt

Hep!

OK before you guys start to raise your eyebrows and bombard me with an hour of lecture on how fashion is accepted in this materialistic world, I just want to inform you that this is for the benefit of boosting my low self-esteem. There is always a first time for everything anyway. ^^

Kidding aside, I've stumbled on so many blogs recently that feature lifestyle and fashion and I really admire these authors who put so much effort to come up with colorful photos from their mixed and matched clothes and accessories. I sometimes wish that I have the same eye for design and creativity but it's a God-given talent that one who posses it should be thankful for. And what made it better is that social media helps everyone to master one's gift instead of just ignoring or hiding it and putting into waste. Agree?

As you all know, I have my struggles on losing weight which rather want me to mostly stay behind the camera. But for the sake of art and fun, here I am, attempting to try my very first ever "outfit" shot. 

This Celine handbag was given to me as a birthday present this year. Beige and gold (may it be bags, shoes or clothes) is always soothing for me and can be the best choice for an everyday formal wear in the office. It is classy in the sense that you can only pair it with a dress or skirt to maintain the bag's elegance. The metal logo is pretty catchy but it's quite heavy to support the bag closure.

I love the texture of this bag inside out as it was made of suede cloth. It's prone to stain though. Size also matters to me as I carry a lot of things everyday. This has three pockets inside where two are designed for mobile phones. Watch by Mango was given by hubby which made a good gold combo. I glitter in the dark, I know.

I got this dress from Apple and Eve when I was scouting for something to wear for my little girl's first birthday. As much as possible, I stick to small floral prints to avoid emphasis on my body volume and I'm more than thankful for the ruffled sleeves.

Do I look like I'm attending a meeting? ha ha! I actually came from the office that day and went straight to Fort Strip for a blogger's event. I was invited to attend WhenInManila.com's iBall at the Scarlet Lounge. Met Vince plus some senior and aspiring writers. 'Twas a fun evening meeting new people!

Hope this post is not an eyesore for you guys and thank you for lifting my spirits by reading this. Indeed, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but who can't say no to a smaller waistline right? So, I'm looking forward to that on my next post which will probably happen some time next year! Ha ha!

Happy weekend!

Much love,
OneGutsyMom

Akiba Cafe

Have you heard of the name lately? Yes, it sounds new to me as well and I was pretty much surprised when I saw the exact location of this shop which is just at the heart of SM Megamall Bldg. A 2nd floor. You might notice that I'm glued to Megamall lately, I guess I'm becoming practical on places I go especially if it's near my home and work place. 

Anyways, this oriental cafe was established in 2011 and currently, this is the first and only branch they serve. They do have limited seats but is eye-catchy to passersby considering that it is open-spaced. Curiosity led me to search what Akiba meant so here's what I got:

Akiba-kei or Akiba-chan is a Japanese slang term similar in meaning to otaku. Akiba-kei literally means "Akihabara style," referring to a district in Tokyo filled with stores selling electronics, manga, anime merchandise, and other products designed to appeal to the otaku subculture.

It sounds odd to me but looking at this cafe is not weird at all so I think it's worth a try. I was accompanied by my colleague that day (who also happens to be my tag partner on the iButterfly event where I won this GC), and we have no idea of what to order that time. The staff gave us a brief introduction of their menu, seems like he really knew the product so well. It was kinda warm in Manila that day so we tried the Iced Kohi drinks. 

This glass display of cakes is so inviting you to give into your sweet tooth. The banoffee pie looks good and it's overflowing for the price Php85 only. (Sad to say but I did pass that day)

This one below is quite pricey and looks too sweet because of the icing? Are those lines Hello Kitty whiskers? ^^

So here's what we got. We chose Iced Macadamia and Iced Mochaccino. Tood bad, they ran out of whipped cream so it's just purely iced coffee. 

The glass is so tall that it made me finish it for more than 30 minutes. It's good that even if it's an iced coffee, it wasn't that cold at the bottom so I didn't get brain-freeze. The coffee was just about right, doesn't have a strong aroma and neither chocolatey. I'd probably enjoy it more if it was creamier. I heard that their Triffle teas are commonly known so I still look forward to trying them one of these days. 

They really have a friendly staff to take a pose for me. Even the guy who took our order is full of good vibes.

This is a nice place to hang out with friends and taste the desserts so I hope they can find a cozier and bigger place in the mall. Somewhere a little bit private, I guess. Their drinks aren't that expensive either so it's highly recommended to try. 

Sharing my IG photo. ^^

Much Love,

OneGutyMom

The 6th MAFBEX: Back to Basics

This is the biggest and most anticipated food event of the year which will be held at the World Trade Center on June 13 to 17, 2012 from 10am to 8pm. Let's witness this five day expo with the country's culinary experts, learn from the seminars hosted by the industry's bests and try all sorts of international cuisines from renowned local and international chefs. 

MAFBEX is organized by the country’s leading exhibition and trade show organizer today, Worldbex Services International (WSI), in cooperation with the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), and for the benefit of the ABS-CBN Foundation.

There will be 500 booths showcasing their delicacies and I'm so happy to experience it myself for the first time. 

Special thanks to Ms. Jenni Epperson for my tickets on this event!

You may want to click this for further details. See you all there!

Much Love,

OneGutsyMom

One Sunday at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Mom and I usually take late lunches whenever we're out to the mall but we were still full at this hour so we decided to just settle for something cold and sweet. I suddenly thought of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf which is just within the Atrium area. Two reasons that made me decide - it is not crowded so sure seats are available for a quick rest and I'm always in love with their ambiance. This is truly one of my favorite coffee spots. Also, I am particular on shops I visit when I'm with my little one as I don't want to stress her with a big group of strangers. She has this tendency to freak out when faces close to her don't seem familiar.

So there, we ordered White Chocolate Dream and Pure Chocolate ice blended drinks. I also added Tomato and Herb Linguine and Chocolate Fudge Cake on the side. Notice that they do have a variety of cheesecakes.

I admire coffee shops with neat counters. I easily get turned off with disorganized ones.

A pleasant smile should be natural in this area. 

1963 is when Coffee Bean started to give their customers the best coffee and tea available.

Mom was just 6 years old by then.

Here is where the waiting game starts. The staff is courteous enough though to serve our orders to our table. I forgot to read what those laptop locks are for.

  

Espresso machine. One touch, one perfect cup.

Who doesn't want to have this at home? 

Pasta al dente. I always welcome herbs and fresh tomatoes in my pasta.  

This guiltless Chocolate Fudge is best when re-heated so you can feel the moist.

Not a cheat day for me. 

I am now refreshed. This is also my first time to see my daughter enjoy sipping a drink, she tried the White Choco Dream. Looks like it's time for sippy cups. 

  

Hope you had a joyful Sunday!

Much Love,

OneGutsyMom