Today's Thought

Our Heavenly Father, life presents many challenges

and some events may shake and weaken my faith.

Help me that whatever experience I encounter, I know there is a purpose

and it may deepen my faith in Your love and kindness.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

A blessed week ahead to all!

Bittersweet Moment

I'm still trying to recover from yesterday's exhaustion, plus the mini-heartache we all experienced from losing the Champion title in the WNCAA 2012 Cheerdance Competition.

We were, of course, expecting to win back-to-back titles but we didn't. The girls went home with the 1st Runner Up trophy and individual medals. The routine was executed flawlessly. We were totally hyped because of this. We know how hard our girls have worked these past few weeks. I've dealt with Anissa's tired and cranky post-training episodes at home, a witness to her frustrations and stress-filled moments. I was so sure we would go home 100% happy.

BUT ... the girls didn't get what they hoped to bring home. I won't deny it. I'm a mother whose heart breaks each time my kids are disappointed and sad. My heart broke the minute the results were announced. Not that 1st Runner Up means nothing. After recovering from that brief moment of disbelief, I had no choice but to pick up the (tiny) pieces and put them back together for when I face my daughter. After all, as parents, we need to lead by example. The girls were crying on the floor as they stepped forward to accept their trophy and medals. Their reaction was expected, of course.

Moving forward though, I am even more proud of them for giving it their all and I can only hope that the lessons from this small defeat are processed well and used properly. Anissa says it still hurts and I can't help but hurt somehow. Hurt, in this case, is a good thing though. The pain of losing is making her look forward to their next big competition in March, with a more intense resolve to do well. THAT is what really counts.

NO TEARS

NO ROOM FOR SHAME

It's not whether you win the game so much as HOW you play it

Congratulations to the

SPCP High School Pep Varsity

1st Runner Up in the 2012 WNCAA Cheerdance Competition

Still a champion in my book!

WNCAA 2012 Cheerdance Competition

This time of the year is always the most stressful and exciting time for Anissa. The 2 big annual competitions happen in February and March. First up is the WNCAA Cheerdance Competition happening this afternoon! With less than 6 hours of sleep, I got up to make sure she was prepared to meet her 630am call time in school. The competition officially starts at 1pm but the team always has to do a tech run at the venue.

The rest of us are scheduled to follow at 11am, to make sure we secure the most convenient seats at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Today is also the anniversary of the EDSA Revolution and I'm so glad we're traveling in the opposite direction!

I shared this prayer to Anissa's coach this morning via SMS, hoping he can lead the team later in praying it ...

Lord Jesus, we welcome your presence here. Today, we gather

to represent our school. Share with us your spirit of peace

and love for one another. Bless us with a team spirit of good

will, both for ourselves and the teams we will face. Help us to be

the best we can possibly be, to strive not so much to win, as to play fairly and well.

Draw us close together as a team and a group of friends who reflect

your spirit of love. We ask this in your name, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Today's Thought

As we take the 40-day journey of Lent, may we realize the weakness of our body, the irrationality of our feelings, the folly of human pride, the ugliness of egoism, the vanity of ambition, the limitation of our wealth, the finiteness of our knowledge, and the shortness of our breath.

Only God can fill the emptiness in our lives. Let us return everything to God ---
with sorrow for our sins, holy fear, humility and with Easter hope and joy.

A Blessed Ash Wednesday to you all.

Essie French Affair

I chanced upon this at Digital Traincase one evening while I was browsing through Sol's extensive nail polish selection. Essie French Affair is part of the Essie French Affair 2011 Collection, which consists mostly of light and nude shades.

The first photo was taken under fluorescent lighting. The 2nd one under yellow lighting. Eitherway, the color looks really gorgeous. It's the kind of pink that almost crosses over into lilac, depending on the time of day or the kind of lighting you have. I just love how clean it makes my nails look. I'm so glad I got my own bottle!

Pinterest : better than Facebook or Twitter?

There's absolutely nothing about Pinterest that I don't like. It's like wasting your time but coming up productive. I didn't even know that was possible.

While I haven't actually done anything or put any ideas in action, I've gathered so many of them in the weeks since I signed up. It's like, there's always something new to look forward to.

Whether it's useful fashion-related tips like these

Ideas for home decorating and parties

Never-before seen ideas

Super cute posters

There is just so much to see! This site's entertainment value is high up there, for me.

If you're on Pinterest, too, follow me and I'll follow back

http://pinterest.com/pattyb00 (that's two zeros)

Today's Thought

Everyday, the first ever text message I get on my phone is always from dear Father Goose (my Dad, of course). In his circle, he is known to share these messages to everyone. I'll make a habit of sharing them here from now on ...

Let us all be reminded that earth is not our final home;

We were created for something much better;

Our eternal home is in Heaven.

A prepared place for a prepared person.

And that is for us who live in God's word.

Have faith in Jesus and accept Him

as our Lord and Savior.

Have a good day.

Stage Mom Entry : Getting ready for WNCAA 2012

I can't remember why but I didn't get to see the performance last year. St. Paul College, Pasig's HS Pep Varsity was a first-time participant in the league's cheering competition and went home with the championship title. I do remember that my teenager didn't perform because I asked her to focus on her academics (particularly, Algebra). Here's last year's winning routine.

Only 6 days to go before the team goes back to Rizal Memorial Stadium to defend their title and I'm slowly becoming a nervous wreck! Anissa's been training so hard these past weeks and I can feel the pressure everytime she comes home dead tired.

I'm praying so hard for them to win a back-to-back title! But more importantly, I hope there will be no injuries for the girls ... major or minor.

God Bless the team!

Moroccan Bib Necklace : can't make up my mind!

Shallow thought.

I can't decide which color to get. I'm 100% sure I want this neck piece, but I don't need two of them. So hard to decide which color to get!

Blue green?

Orange/Coral?

The 2nd one is my first choice, also because it's the color of the season!

But the blue green one is also sooooo pretty!

They're priced at P450 each at Jean and Rosz. Cheap, I know! It actually wouldn't hurt so much to get both colors. I'm just trying my best to be practical LOL!

So ... which one??? 

The Vow ... after months of waiting

My teenager first told me about this movie before Christmas 2011. She showed me a short teaser and since then, I had been waiting for it to come out. Two Sundays ago, we made a date to watch it, just us two. I know that N wouldn't appreciate it as much, because it's really a chick flick. Plus we're at that stage where he no longer has to pretend to like something I like and vice versa. Besides, I rarely spend quality time with my soon-to-be 16-year old so this was something I was really looking forward to.

The movie didn't disappoint. We didn't cry too much, contrary to what I expected. But there was one part which made us both teary-eyed. Channing Tatum was perfect for the role. His character was so convincing, I felt bad for him most of the time. This movie made me think. It can happen to anyone, really. Waking up after a major car accident and not remembering a huge chunk of your life. It would be so difficult to deal with.

Would I watch this movie again? I think I would. If only to stare at Channing's face.

Chew your juice!

I first tried this drink a few months back and I loved it, but I totally forgot to stock-up (what I get for being 40 something, really). Then last week, I was in Bonchon Shang Mall with Pia to grab some takeout food for our weekly meeting and rediscovered it.

I haven't tried the two other flavors (Buco and something) but this one is just pure love! I love lychees, that's why. The bits of nata de coco give the drink a nice twist. My teenager hates to put add-ons in her milk tea, which I find really, really strange. I'm her exact opposite. I like milk tea with pearls ... lots of it! That's why I love Mogu Mogu. Without the Nata de Coco, I probably wouldn't pay any attention to it.

I haven't explored yet but I'm sure this costs a lot less in stores like 7-11. In Bonchon, I had to pay P45 a bottle ... aaaccckk!

Does anyone know how much it should REALLY cost?

New Week, New Look!

I was up so late last night, waiting for Sabine's temperature to go down a bit before going to sleep. I decided to be productive and was inspired by Melvel's Closet and her blog's new look. I'd been thinking about re-doing my blog's look for a while now but I just haven't had the time to do it. I did this myself (no, not the template --- it's free LOL). What I mean is, I didn't pay anyone to make a design for me. Oh but I'm so tempted to get the same girl who did Mel's site because her designs are so cute and unique! (See them at www.blesseddesignstudio.com)

Anyway, here's the new look I ended up with after scouring through about a dozen different sites that offer freebies for Blogger. I ended up going back to the same site from which I got my last layout/theme. I like this a lot better. It's cleaner and the colors are not too loud. I also love the "bunting" details. I'm definitely happy!

P.S.
It's a rainy, rainy Monday ... definitely not a good time to wake up to bed weather.
Monday and rain ... they don't go well together.

I hope you all stay safe and dry today!

Nail Polish Discovery : SpaRitual

A week ago when I was home alone and decided to spend a whole afternoon pampering myself, I went to Beauty and Butter in Megamall and got the works. A facial (yup, finally!) and a mani-pedi on a lazy Saturday sounded so good. I was pleasantly surprised by the nail polish selection at this place and my nail tech kinda sales talked me into choosing this particular brand, supposedly friendlier to the nails compared to all the others they had.

SPARITUAL nail lacquers are Vegan and don't contain DBP, Toulene, Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde Resin. I had to add P60 for hands and another P60 for the feet, this being a premium brand, but I was more than willing to put it to the test.

The shade I chose is called Shooting Star. I totally loved the way it looked even inside the bottle. There were other yummy-looking shades but I went for this first and swore to myself I would go back and try something else from the same brand next time.

A week later today, my nails have grown slightly but the nail polish is 95% in tact.

There's the trade-off right there!

You can buy SPARITUAL nail polish from Beauty and Butter at P800 for the regular bottle and P300 plus for the mini version. I heard Rustan's carries the brand, too.

Farewell, Whitney...

Sad news broke out on my Twitter timeline today

Whitney Houston is gone at 48 years old

I'm really itching to know why

The timing is just so off because the Grammy Awards is happening tomorrow

One of the best singers my generation has produced

Powerful, real and iconic

Rest in peace, Whitney Houston

Your music will live on in the hearts of many

Follow-up post : Hair Heroes Intense Argan Oil

I failed to post photos of my hair the last time I blogged about Hair Heroes Intense Argan Oil. But I think that despite the absence of photos, I was able to convince a handful of readers to try the product out. This time I have photos to show! These were taken yesterday when I stepped out for some meetings. On regular days, I no longer blow dry my hair. Especially when I'm just going somewhere near like the grocery or the mall to grab something quickly. I made an exception yesterday because I wanted my hair to look extra nice.

I hope the photos do my hair some justice. It's definitely a lot silkier and bouncier now that I'm using Hair Heroes on a regular basis. I'm going to have to find the time to run to Robinson's Galleria for another bottle (I keep procrastinating about it!).

And while I was on a roll, I decided to visit my favorite Watercolors at Shang Mall
to finally have my eyebrows "cleaned up"

Nobody does my eyebrows the way the girls at Watercolors do
This is also where I get my make-up done whenever I have weddings or formal
parties to go to.

Watercolors is at the 5th Level of Shangri-la Mall, outside Clarity.

Valentine Food at Milky and Sunny

Is Valentine's Day overrated? I would have to say yes AND no. Yes, because I'm not a hopelessly romantic person. No, because I'm still after all a girl (okay, woman) and I want to be wined and dined on special occasions such as V-Day. I just don't like Valentine promos that are too "cheesy" and predictable. Some promos are just so "in your face" and that's what I don't like.

Look at Milky and Sunny's Valentine set-up

And that's about it. Really simple and sweet but straightforward. Just the way I like it.

Here are their offerings for the month of February

Just like their set-up, these treats are not over-the-top and the presentation is exactly the way you see it in the photo, which is a huge plus for me. (I just hate it when the food looks so good on the menu and then a lot less appetizing when it's actually in front of you) On the right is the Strawberry Pancake with Toblerone Sauce (P180.00) and on the left, Mozzarella and Strawberry French Toast (P160.00).

Here are my own photos, just to show you what they actually look like on the plate. Not bad huh??

I tried both yesterday but had more of the Mozzarella and Strawberry French Toast. Both are highly-recommended! I was trying to imagine what mozzarella and strawberries would taste like together. I thought the combination was kind of strange at first but it surely didn't disappoint. Too bad these are only available this month.

Come dinner time (yes, our gang hangs out here a lot and for long periods LOL!), I made a huge leap. From my usual Beef Tapa, one of their best-sellers and my super duper favorite, this time I had Tocino. My friends have been raving about it so without thinking about it much, it's what I had for a change.

Two thumbs up!!! I would have to say, I will alternate these two from now on. I can't ever completely turn my back on the Beef Tapa because that's to die for too.

Run over to Milky and Sunny at #9 East Capitol Drive Kapitolyo, Pasig

They're open from Monday to Sunday, 7am to 10pm

Have a restful weekend, everyone!!!

Separation Anxiety

From the very start, I knew I couldn't go to Vietnam with N and Sabine to visit my sister-in-law who was recently assigned to work there. I had work commitments plus, Anissa has intense daily training sessions for her upcoming cheering competitions. I didn't have much choice but to pass up on the chance to go. N persisted up to the very last minute in trying to convince me to join them, saying that I'd be gone only for 2 working days. But I don't like the thought of leaving Anissa behind (even if our trusted Yayay of almost 16 yrs can very well care for her). He was so sure he wanted to bring Sabine with him. I didn't take him seriously at first. In the first place, he's not your typical hands-on Dad. I always handle the dirty work when it comes to the kids (not complaining ... well, maybe slightly complaining hehe but I've really come to terms with this already). So I asked him ...

Are you going to feed her?

Wash her?

Bathe her?

His reply, of course, to all of the questions was a definite YES. I even went to the extent of conniving with my sister-in-law in Vietnam and told her not to help out, to let him experience all these things for a change. She laughed. Didn't believe he wouldn't enlist her assistance, but noted my little request. *insert evil smirk here*

But that's deviating from the topic ...

I spoke to Sabine next. She became clingy eversince I left the corporate circuit. Needs me to do things with her all the time. Even simple tasks like waiting for her to finish her business in the bathroom. I told her I couldn't go to Vietnam with them. She wondered at first, but accepted it quite well. HUH? Where was the reaction I had expected to get? There were no questions from her, not even a "But Mommy, I want you to go. You have to go!" I thought it was a fluke. Turns out it wasn't.

This morning, I woke her and N up at 2am so we could all leave for the airport at 3. Normally, she'd ask for a few more minutes to sleep. This time, she quite quickly got out of bed and asked me to freshen her up. In the car on the way to NAIA Terminal 2, she kept asking how much longer it would be before we got there. I was convinced my baby girl was okay about my not going on this trip with her. Naturally, I felt a slight pinch. This was the first time ever that she's going somewhere without me. And for FOUR DAYS. I don't know what I'm more nervous about ... the fact that I won't see her for 96 hours or the fact that her Dad is clueless about how to take care of her LOL!

This is what she looked like en route to the airport

Wide awake and bright-eyed at 3 something in the morning

When we got to the departure area, she kissed me, hugged me then walked toward the entrance holding her Dad's hand ... not once looking back to see if I was still there. Was it painful for me to see this big change in her? A little. But what really dawned on me was this ...

I AM THE ONE who will miss her more

I AM THE ONE who will worry no end about how she's doing while she's away

(not to completely disregard the fact that she's with her own father)

I AM THE ONE who needs to know that I'll be okay

As far as she's concerned, she's already said it to me before she left

"Mommy, I'm leaving for Vietnam with Dada tomorrow. Awwwww I'm really going to miss you but I'll be fine."

I can't help but marvel at how much she has changed. I'm sure that if she were less excited about something, she wouldn't be able to let go of me so easily. But the fact that she was able to still amazes me. She's 5 years old. I was an extremely clingy child until right about before I hit my teenage years. But really, despite that pinch (which I am still feeling, by the way) I am so proud of her. Hooray for baby steps to independence!

In the meantime, I'm swamped with work today. All the better. Plus, I'm looking forward to some really precious bonding time with my teenager.

Thank God for technology, I have a Facetime nightly appointment with my "mag-ama" starting later. I can't wait to hear stories of how their first day went!

On picking your battles

Tonight, my teenager asked for some advice (rare, huh? I totally cherish these moments!). She's attending a Cheering Camp this weekend and is a bit worried about seeing some girls from another school, who ganged up on her on Twitter some months ago. She's never seen these girls in person and is almost sure they will be in the same event. Her questions were, "What if we're asked to introduce ourselves and they recognize me? What if they remind me about what happened on Twitter?"

My answer was straightforward and simple.

She asked me to explain further and so I did.

(Note that I can be a total b*tch when the situation calls for it,

especially where my kids are involved.)

I simply told her ... if they recognize you but don't say anything --- don't say anything.

If they recognize you, approach you and initiate a discussion about what happened before, tell them yes, that was you and no, you don't want to revive the issue because it's been long dead. If they want to dwell on it, just say they can do it themselves because you won't be part of it.

I've told her over and over again that I never want her to start a fight with anyone. Not even if she feels that person deserves it. BUT. I also tell her to never ever back out of one, especially when she knows she's right and has to speak up.

However, the bottomline here is ... if you don't really care about the person, if he/she means nothing to you and if you can live without him/her/them, then they're not worth the effort. There will be no need to explain or defend yourself, because what they think

of you shouldn't matter at all.

It took years for me to process this. I've had my share of petty fights and arguments that I now look back on as an absolute waste of time. I hope to God my daughters won't have to deal so much with difficult people as they grow up. But that's beyond my control, and I can only be around to make sure they're properly equipped to handle tough situations.

It's tough holding back and allowing our kids to pick and fight their own battles. But I'd rather do this than raise clueless and defenseless children.

God bless mine.

Best Eyeliner Review I've Seen

Now I'm so excited to get my K-Palette Eyeliner (an unexpected/surprise gift) later. Watch this review to see how it's able to withstand several tests!

A Daily Dose of Anything.: Eyeliner Review Test ( K Palette, Kate, Maybelline...:

Second Childhood

I can't believe how long it's been since I was last in Antipolo. I don't have any family members living in the area at all. In fact, I only have 2 friends who stay there and they're always in the lowlands. Yesterday was the first time after so long. We had work to do. Well, sorta.

So we spent the afternoon at Pia's house and she took us around the village to see all the other cute houses. Our walk took us to a playground where we spent a few minutes being kids again.

(I really hate that this poncho made me look a few pounds heavier)

The air was so cool even in the early afternoon, it was like being in Tagaytay. I broke into a very light sweat only while walking around, even when we had to go uphill most of the time.

For a moment there, I kinda wished I lived somewhere far from the city where it's so quiet and peaceful.

Some people need to be reminded...