Thank you 2010

2010 has indeed been a year of challenges, wonderful blessings and countless little miracles and moments of grace for our family. I feel we are so much blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people, family and friends who continue to share their love and prayers to us. I guess I'd like to take this time to write about the most significant things that happened to me and to my family this year... sort of looking back and to help me realize just how blessed I really am.... I promised myself that this coming 2011, I'd focus more on what I do have and all the good things/blessings in my life, and how I can be more of a blessing to others as well. It's a tough job order, I know, but I have to start somewhere.. right? :-)

HIGHLIGHTS OF MY YEAR 2010

Birth of our Baby Girl, Ysabella Lily, or "Belly" as we fondly call her.

Belly was born on May 3 at 11:54 am. Even though I tried to have her come out earlier (it was summer and I was very tired of being preggy already), she decided when she would come out.. at the perfect time. Did not give me a hard time at all and just had a total of 5 hours labor. She latched on right away. She was my 2nd little angel. :)






Santi's 32nd Birthday in Subic

This was our first out of town trip as a family (just our little family of four). It was the perfect time and place! Although Santino loved swimming in the pool, he didn't care much for the sand getting in his slippers and in between his toes (that's my OC kid for you, haha). We stayed at the lighthouse hotel (I would recommend this place!) and we were able to take the kids to Zoobic, to which we also enjoyed! But of course the train/tram outshone all the animals in Santino's eyes. He wouldn't get out of the tram even to see the lions or elephants!








Santino's 2nd Birthday

Our little boy is growing up so fast!! For Santino's 2nd birthday he got his long time and EVERYDAY wish.. to ride a choo-choo train! Thank God for my little boy's simple joys. So we took the whole family and both our parents and siblings (and families) for a free ride on the MRT line. Neat huh? He was in awe the whole time! Of course we had the whole THOMAS AND FRIENDS theme going on, from tattoos to party hats, balloons, cups, etc etc.











Boracay vacation

Our annual family vacation (My side) where our whole family gets to spend 3-4 blissful days doing nothing but lounging around. This year it was back to the wonderful island of Boracay. We stayed at the most awesome Discovery Shores (would so highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a beautiful place to stay in Borcay) and had the most amazing 4 days of fun in the sun. Although having 2 kids and no yayas is quite a feat, it was all worth it. Family bonding is priceless. On a lighter note, the moment we got home (in Manila) and saw our yayas, Santi said "Now my vacation can begin." LOL.

Belly's UTI diagnosis, DMSA, VCUG scan and positive results

I just realized that I have the most amazing, beautiful, special and brave daughter EVER. She had gone through so much for someone only few months old (see my pasts posts on Belly's UTI and procedure), but she still took it all in stride, and just like a real trooper, went through everything with a smile. I love my daughter so much and I am so grateful for her in my life.





Our 3rd year anniversary

Our wedding day with our entourage

Has it been 3 years already?? My time flies so fast, especially when you've already got 2 kids!! :-) Santi and I are so blessed to be given such great blessings so early on in our marriage. Sometimes it's a bit of a challenge, adjusting to married life AND being parents at the same time, but I don't think I would change anything. I'd like to think that these past 3 years together, and this past year in particular has really been such a turning point in my personal maturity as a wife, mother and partner in life. People speak the truth when they say that marriage is hard work, a real commitment, lots of love and even more prayers!! I thank God for my family and all our friends (especially fellow married friends) to whom we get to share our struggles and victories with, it really helps to have a support group of friends who also know what you are going through. It's only been 3 years and I look forward to many more years with Santi and our kids.... and more kids (well, maybe in 2 years or so ;-))






Thanks for taking the time to read this post... I had a blast reminiscing.
Merry Christmas everyone.. and wishing you the happiest and most wonderful 2011, from our family to yours. :-)

The Padilla-Edralin Family :)

Remembering Lolo Paddy (on his 100th year)

My Lolo, Ambrosio B. Padilla, or "Paddy" as family and friends would call him, celebrated his 100th birthday last December 7... and to commemorate his 100th year, the family had special centennial stamps made in his honor. They are real stamps, folks. As in you can actually buy them and put them on your snail mail. :) Awesome right?  To read more on the article by the Philippine Post on Lolo Paddy's stamp, click here.

I can't help but feel a bit sad that Lolo never got to see me get married or meet my husband and my kids. He was a great, kind and loving man and it would have been wonderful for my family to know him. I also can't help but think back on memories with Lolo... although I'll admit that since it's been so man years since he passed, the memories are a bit fuzzy. The memories that DO stick to me though are those of Lolo teaching me how to swim. I remember very clearly how Lolo Paddy took the time and patience to teach me how. 

I also remember our family vacations with the whole Padilla clan.. one distinct memory was in Baguio. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE, HAD to wake up at like 7AM to join Lolo in the parking lot for his Tai-chi exercises. It was quite a sight. And the children and grandchildren did not disappoint. No matter how late you slept or partied the night before, everyone was up bright and early for Lolo's morning exercise. 

Another funny memory was that when Lolo would begin to give out gifts (Christmas, His bday, etc) for example, each grandchild had to line up to receive the gift, which was usually monetary, but then before you would get your gift, you had to say which number you were... this pertaining to your number in the fast-growing list of grandchildren. I think I was #21. But of course he still made it a point to say our names.. and with all those children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, you could say he had a pretty fantastic memory.

Lastly, I remember it was during the wake of Lola Lily (wife of Lolo Paddy, she had passed on a few years before him). Lolo was sitting in a corner during the wake all by himself. I went up to him and handed him an ensaymada (he loved sweets, but ate them in moderation due to his diabetes) and I asked him how he was. He just smiled his sweet and very boyish smile of his. I guess that was his way of saying he didn't know how on earth he was going to live without the love of his life by his side, but he was going to be OK. 

Lolo Paddy was really such an inspiration. I can only wish to be able to live up to the great legacy he had created and the wonderful memories he left us with.

Master of the Railway

Santino: The Master of the Railway.

My son Santino is sooo much into trains. I am not exaggerating. He is currently obsessed with Thomas and Friends... Meet Thomas and some of his friends...

Thomas the movie

Santino has this movie too and has watched this a gazillion times. He has a LOT of Thomas' friends and still counting! It's an obsession that is pretty persistent, not the same as his Barney or Veggie Tales phase... I wonder what is it with boys and trains? Is it the same as girls and barbies? He also currently discovered another train show... Chuggington!

It's a new obsession, but still TRAINS! He is so obsessed that he has a short, shorts, pants, cap, bag, snack bag, brief, hanky, chair .. all thomas! I hope he doesn't get sick of trains soon or else he'll have a really sucky wardrobe. Ok gotta go now, Santino saw me posting photos of his trains and is bugging me to "finish" so he can watch his shows! .....

Master of his railway :)

Eat, Pray, Love & the Assumptionists

RANDOM MUSING:
Can I just share? Here's a pic of me and my mini-me...

Belly and I are wearing my old Assumption neckties on our heads. I really can't wait until she starts school.. not because I want the kids out (haha), but because I am just so excited to see my little mini-me look just like how I was when I was young. Well, of course all our girls will be Assumptionistas! As for the boys.. uh, well that is still up for debate... I think. ha ha. Can't help but think back to my Assumption days (Grade school and High school), and there was nothing but really fun and great memories there... a lot of long lasting friendships. I am truly blessed to have such great friends around me.

Okay, enough of that random thought. ha ha.


MOVIE REVIEW: EAT, PRAY, LOVE

So I just finished watching the much publicized movie of Julia Roberts, Eat. Pray. Love. I guess this was based on the book of the same title, but can't compare since I have not read the book yet. As for the movie... it felt like a B movie with A-list actors... very disappointing since the movie had great PR, Oscar winning actors and produced by Brad Pitt's production outlet (Plan B). I guess I was just expecting a bit more... more depth in the story since I didn't really get the whole process Julia Roberts' character was going through... the stories were not 'smooth' and complimentary. Characters were not built up well enough for me.. even Julia Roberts' character was blah. The countries featured was a saving grace since you'd tend to focus more on the scenery and the richness of the cultures rather than the story line. I would love to try Pizza in Naples, have a cappuccino in Italy, roam the temples in India and just relax and revel in the beauty of Bali. I'd surmise that those 3 countries represent feature the title, Eat (Italy), Pray (India), Love (Bali).  I'd much rather Eat, Pray and Love than watch this movie.

Sursi takes over the bazaar scene!

It was such an exhausting but very fulfilling weekend for me and for Sursi. I joined my first bazaar!! It cost an arm and a leg (on my money terms.. haha) for that slot in Cuenca, Alabang but it was well worth it. I got a booth with my friend Denice, and boy was it an experience! We were not 100% prepared but everything worked itself out, thank God! First off, we did not anticipate the long walk from the parking area to the booth area... thank God that our plastic boxes had wheels!! And also for good Samaritans who helped us get over the rough road. haha... then another surprise was that the spot assigned to us was in the covered area and along the main aisle!! PLUS the booth behind us brought their own rack/grill, so we were able to hang all our items!! PRAISE GOD talaga, this was the biggest blessing for us.

Mompreneurs :-) Sursi & Lilymoms

All in all, it was an awesome experience. Two whole days from 9am - 9pm. SOOO tiring but well worth it. And we are doing it again!! haha..

Catch us at our next bazaars:
November 21 @ Bel-Air Bazaar
December 4 @ Dasma Bazaar.

Here's a closer look at my Sursi products...

SURSI products

And a little pretty baby who came to visit and model for Lilymoms.. :) In fairness, she was able to effectively sell a few headbands just by being there. :)

Flower Baby Belly :)

Bazaar Fever

Will finally be joining the bazaar rush! I am sooo nervous. My first time to be face-to-face with potential clients/ buyers of my products! Thank God I won't be doing this alone. My good friend Denice, fellow mompreneur and owner of Lilymoms will be braving the two days of bazaar with me. Going to have to be there SUPER early to set up, so definitely a toffee nut frap is in order!! For those wondering, my products are basically uniforms for yayas or nannies, born out of my own need to find stylish, affordable and quality uniforms for my own nannies... and that's how Sursi came about. Here's a quick peek of my 2nd collection of Nanny Uniforms:

You can catch us this weekend, November 13 & 14 at the Cuenca Community Center in Ayala Alabang Village. We will be there from 9am-9pm!! Please come and support me!! :-) Will also be selling some other small stuff, like Bath & Body sprays, etc. Great for Christmas presents!! SEE YOU THERE!

Discovering my life verse

"I have the strength for everything through Him who empowers me."         Phil 4:13

Dress Makeover Attempt #1

I wonder if anyone has been monitoring this blog.. checking in from time to time if I already uploaded before and after pics of my attempt at re-vamping a piece of clothing... hmm... no one? anybody? anybody at all??

SO anyway, since you promised not to laugh, I am posting the before and after photos of the revamped clothing my friend and I did...

Blousy and matronly

Short and fab!

Duster-y and drab

Modern and fab!

Not bad for first timers, eh?
Remember though, we did all of these alterations BY HAND. Sigh. This will have to do for now.. rummaging through our existing clothes and picking out items which we can turn from drab to FAB!  Will post more once we find the time to make some more... we're busy moms ya know... oopss gave out part of my friends identity... haha :) I will just be content in dreaming of a portable sewing machine... then maybe I won't have to buy any new clothes for a year! yeah right... but then, who knows? Christmas gift, anyone?

Be Transformed with this cost-saving idea!

My friend came across this amazing website called New Dress A Day. Basically it chronicles a young woman (she is 31) who spends $1 a day on a dress (either bought at a thrift store or garage sale, etc) and then using just her scissors and sewing machine, makes it into a totally new and very hip outfit. She started November or 2009 and will end this month (November 2010). So that's 365 dresses for $365. One fab formerly old and now new dress for each day of the year! She is amazing!! To see what I'm talking about, here are just some of what she's done...

BEFORE: Unflattering frocks                       AFTER: Amazing Dresses/Tops!

                    

 Aren't all those transformations super inspiring??
So anyway, my friend and I decided to give this idea a try. But instead of immediately heading to the ukay-ukay store, we decided to check out first what items we have in our own closets which we can revamp... after all we are also newbies and can't even stitch straight! (yes we will be doing our adjustments manually since we do not own any sewing machines... yet!)

But our love for fashion prevails, and since this endeavor won't cost us anything (but our pride? ha ha), we decided to give it a go! I have already picked my item of choice... a dress that I will not miss, even if I do mess this up, haha. Hoping for amazing results!! Keep you guys posted.... promise me though, no laughing OK? :)

The Right to Live

Abortion saddens me so much. As a mom of 2, wife and as a woman. I can't even imagine how a woman can come to the decision to abort a baby. I truly believe that, no matter what the circumstance of the pregnancy, every child deserves a right to live. There are a lot of other options out there (such as adoption) that women in a difficult situation can turn to. So many child-less couples are willing and very much able to welcome a child into their homes... to be given the love and care that they deserve.

Just want to share this link with you. It's written by a former abortion doctor, and is what inspired me to write this post. She describes (in detail) the procedure of abortion. Heart wrenching article that will surely bring tears to your eyes, as it did to mine.

Photo of a baby fetus at 8 weeks.

The battle of pro-life is far from over, with the media brainwashing young minds by distorting and redefining what is moral and good, disguising murder as freedom of choice. It sickens me. It offends me. It saddens me.

Another blow, but still strong... and fashionable :)

GREAT NEWS :)

We finally got the results from Belly's DMSA scan and everything is GOOD! PRAISE GOD!!!! There are no visible scarring and her kidneys are working fine and in the normal range. PRAISE GOD!!!! We just continue to pray that her Reflux will be healed entirely. According to our Pedia, the BEST ever Dra. Roxana Sison (who's dad, incidentally, was also my pedia! :)), kids with this condition usually outgrow it... she might have to have another VCUG procedure in a year or so though, to see if the reflux has healed.

ANOTHER BLOW, BUT STILL STRONG!

It's funny how you know when something unfortunate or something not great happens, and then it's as if everything else that can go wrong follow suit? It's quite funny actually. A day after Belly's DMSA scan, she started to get a low-grade fever. I was so worried that her UTI might be back or that it was a reaction from the scan. After 3 days of fever, rashes started to show. It started on her face, and eventually moved to her body. OMG so worried that I thought she had measles!! My poor baby.. or worse, Foot and Mouth disease!.. which is such a gross disease to have, if you ask me. I put our family on lock down for the whole day (Nov.1), praying that it was not measles.. since Belly had not yet been vaccinated for it and there are known to be complications or side effects to measles in babies, such as pneumonia. :((

Belly proved to be the strongest among all of us. Dada was so worried, and so was I of course. But Belly still managed a few of her sweet smiles for us. She was EMO and a bit cranky the rest of the time, but who could blame her? She probably was itching all over, poor baby. Yet GOD IS SO GOOD because it turns out that it's just a viral infection that caused the rashes and NOT Measles. THANK YOU GOD.

Here's my (currently) EMO but still fashionable daughter in her Pedia visit look. Trying to be incognito with her "I'm not feeling well so please leave me alone" stare:

Hat: Gap kids

Sweater: Gingersnaps

Top and bottom: SM dept. store

Photo credit: Mom :)

Happy Halloween! :)

Belly, My Little Fairy

SpiderBoy Santinoy!

Happy Halloween!! :-)

I am a proud Momma! Say hello to my cutie pies... Belly the Fairy and Spiderboy Tinoy! Although Tinoy really wanted to be a Thomas from Thomas & Friends (but Mommy couldn't find a Thomas costume!), both kiddos enjoyed their Halloween! An Belly won best costume in the infants division in the village Halloween party!

I can't believe how much my kids have grown! I remember just 3 Halloweens ago I was going trick or Treating myself and partying like crazy.. but now, Halloweens are finding the best and cutest costume (Pressure!!) and going from house to house for just 2pcs of candy! My oh my how my life has changed! But am LOVIN' IT. Motherhood is the most rewarding role in the whole world, and seeing my kids smiling and happy is the best gift I can ever receive! :))

My Super Brave Baby Belly

Yesterday we took our 5-month old daughter, Ysabella Lily whom we fondly call "Belly" to St.Luke's Global City for her DMSA scan. This was the second and follow up test to her VCUG procedure which we had done when she was only 1-month old.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Belly, just a few weeks after she was born, started to get recurring very high fevers. After a lot of urine and blood tests, our Pedia discovered that she had a bad case of UTI or Urinary Track infection. We were then referred to a Urologist to find out why she was having all these recurring UTI infections at such a very young age. The Urologist recommended a VCUG test where we discovered she had Grade 4 Reflux. But since she was still so young when we figured this out, there is a big chance that there may just be very minimal or no scarring in her kidneys. She was then recommended for a DMSA scan which would show us the scarring, if ever there were any.

Thinking back to the time where we had to see the Urologist and him explaining all the "scenarios" to us, both severe and mild, still makes my head spin. Finding out that there may be something wrong with my months-old child really broke my heart. Now I know what fear and utter helplessness feels like all at the same time. We could do nothing but just pray and pray that there was no real damage to her kidneys.

PRAYERS, PRAYERS AND MORE PRAYERS

God really does hear our prayers. I am so blessed with my family and such loving friends. I do believe that prayers are really the best medicine. God is the ultimate healer and with Him all things (and miracles) are possible. Never ever lose faith in Him. My beautiful baby Belly was such a strong girl. She was so happy the whole time and did not give any of the staff a hard time during the whole procedure. She didn't even need to be sedated because she was such a model patient (not to mention she also saved mommy and daddy a lot of money by not needing an anesthesiologist!).

Everything looks positive. Thank God. We got the final results already and will have our Urologist interpret them, but hopefully (through God's grace) there is no scarring, her kidneys are well-functioning, and she will grow up to be a very lovable, happy and beautiful baby. :-) I will keep you updated through this blog. Thank you all for those who prayed with us and who continue to still pray for Belly. Here's a HUGE cyber***HUUUUGGGG*** :-)

The value of human life.

A few days ago, I woke up one morning to find this. My two babies were suddenly sleeping side by side (usually there's a pillow between them so Kuya won't accidentally kick Belly), Santino with his arms around Belly. How they got to this position, I do not know. Must have all been Santino's doing of course. He is super malambing to his baby sister. What made me laugh even more was the fact that Belly was awake but did not make any sound or complaint about her Kuya wrapping his arms around her.

What ever did I do to deserve such sweet kids? I am truly so lucky and very very blessed. My kids are my most precious gift from the Lord. Our (Santi and I) lives would be totally empty (and so quiet) without them.

What has alarmed me these past few weeks is the growing number of news reports on abandoned and aborted babies. From trash cans to airplane toilets... as a mom, it really breaks my heart. I am not once to judge the mother or parents of these abandoned or aborted kids, I am sure the have their own reasons (valid or otherwise) for doing such things... but is that something that we should just leave at that? It makes me think of the bigger issue here. What has our culture and society done as to make this even a viable option with regards to human life? Is it a lack of education and understanding of the value of life? Is it the lack of people and centers or places that women (and parents) can turn to when faced with such difficult situations? More importantly, what can be done about it?

A Hardworking mother is redundant.

A Hardworking mother is redundant. Running a household, taking care of kids and looking out for a husband requires a lot of multi-tasking and a lot of patience. :-) I am grateful for a husband who (most of the time) appreciates my efforts and is also very hands-on with our kids. Nothing can ever replace the fact that you are there for your kids when you need them, that you share those milestone moments, and even little, everyday moments...

Being a parent is no easy task. Don't get me wrong, the rewards of seeing your child laugh and make-lambing are priceless, but I can't help but think... am I raising my child up in the right way? Am I being a good enough example to my children?

They say you can determine a lot about a parent and person by the way their children act. I can't help but look and observe my 2 kids and smile... I think we have done a pretty good job (so far). My heart overflows and I always feel the urge to cry whenever I think of my kids... is this normal? I want to help provide for the family but at the same time, I also want to be around my kids all the time... to be there when they wake up in the mornings or when it's time for their afternoon nap... or just to spend those precious moments with my son, we sit and talk about Thomas and Friends, or drown myself in the generous smiles of my 5-month old daughter.

I am still very much a work in progress. Finding that balance between my kids, husband, our home and work is something that I struggle with everyday. Some days are challenging and other days can be a breeze. I still have a lot of dreams and goals for myself and our family. I just hope and pray that sooner than later, those dreams and goals will indeed become a reality.

Sometimes, you just have to just ask.

Ask and you shall receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

[Luke 11:9-10]

How many times have we heard this phrase? It's also mentioned in today's reading and is a favorite among people who are asking and wanting something in their lives. I am one of those people. I often turn to this verse and think, "Oh dear God, I really really want this to happen in my life." I patiently wait.. and wait.. and wait... and in some things, I am still waiting! But often times we do ask, but after we wait... we forget... to ask again!

Sometimes we just really need to ask like children. I remember my son, Santino... he is 2 years old and at that stage wherein he wants what he wants and will do anything to get his way! When he

wants to watch his favorite dvd series on the tv, he asks and asks.. he hangs by my desk and begs me.. if I don't budge, he goes to his dad to start pulling him to the direction of the tv... if that doesn't work he asks his yaya... he shouts and makes drama and says "spongebob" or "choo-choo train" over and over... until one of us gives in. Ang kulit, diba?

It's the same when we are asking for something from God... we have to be makulit. After all, if we really really want and desire it, we won't ever forget it until we get it, right? I believe that God wants to give us the desire's of our heart, He's just waiting for the right time to give it... just like a loving, doting parent who loves us so much, who just wants whats best for us.

Photo: Santino forcing me to "mama.. listen." He always makes sure I understand what he wants! ha ha.

To the first man I ever loved.

To the first man I ever loved...

Thank you for 28 years of unconditional love and support for me and everything that I do. For loving me despite my very strong and opinionated personality... Although the burden is off you now since Santi is now the one bearing it. hihihi.

Thanks Dad for being the most humble servant in our community. Always patient and fair (although sometimes I know people can be SOOOO difficult to deal with) and constantly reminding us how we should be and what we should strive and fight for.

Thanks Doodie for being such a loving husband to Mom, no one else does this job (and no one else will do this job? haha kidding, Mother ;-)) better than you.

I know material gifts don't matter to you, so we will just be celebrating by saying a prayer for you-- constant happiness, to be surrounded by love from family and friends and many more years on this earth since we would be lost without you. :)

Happy happy Birthday Doodie. :-)

Marriage: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I’ve heard this line for many years now but never really experienced it until these past few days. Santi (my hubby) was gone for 2 days to attend a wedding of a friend in Cebu while the kids and I stayed home. Just my luck that the morning that Santi left I started to get a bad, itchy cough, runny nose and my asthma slowly kicking in. To cap it all of, that evening I got a 38 fever.

Being sick and having to take care of yourself sucks. There’s nothing like some TLC from your mom when you’re sick, but this time I didn’t have that since now, I WAS the mom. I was the one that everyone would run to and ask for help with when it came to my family. They all depended on me, be it for items around the house, or preparing meals (and also being the meal— Belly is still breastfeeding ;-)) and being that focal point where everything and everyone in the house would naturally converge.

But this time, I was the one who needed the TLC… Even in my feverish state of exhaustion, I still had to breastfeed, reply to some work emails, entertain the kids and put them to bed. Those 2 short days seemed like forever without Santi. It made me appreciate my husband and the things (even though how small) that he would do for me…. like always asking how I was, or putting Santino to sleep and being the one to mix his milk in the middle of the night… or how I could get little back rubs or a simple hug for the stress or bad feelings to melt away.

The past 2 days made me realize just how lucky I am in the husband department. Sure, there were times where I would want to ask for a full-refund or maybe a swap? But then the NO RETURN, NO EXCHANGE policy also applies in marriage, and I’m glad it does… because where would I be if I could just easily give up when faced with the tiniest hardship? Marriage IS hard work. SO MUCH HARD WORK… but when you communicate and make it work (compromise, love, patience, respect, faith) … you are very happy and at peace. :-)

Divisoria and Motherhood

(Imported from my tumblr blog, dated Sept 29, 2010)

Went to Divisoria today to buy more material for my small business. Yes, you read it right. I started designing and making nanny uniforms… born out of my frustration in searching for uniforms for my yayas which weren’t too scrubs-type (let’s keep those in the Medical profession, please) and too common or boring. I call my brand SURSI, which is an Ilonggo word meaning “to stitch.”

Pretty cool, huh? Let me know if you or any of your friends want to order… :-)

Anyway, back to my day… so I get to Divisoria with 2 missions: buy tela for my business and maybe some cute tops and things for myself. I completed mission 1 and maybe like 2pcs of mission 2.. and the rest of my budget? Why went all to my kids and husband of course! Now why is that? How come when I am all set to spend for MYSELF, I end up buying more for my family. I just love the feeling I get when I find something really cute… for my 2yr-old son or 4 month old daughter… I was never like this. It was always for myself, but ever since getting married and becoming a mother it has been for THEM.

I wish everyone could experience the joys of motherhood, because let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like it. It’s a roller coaster of emotions (and dress sizes!). Sometimes I can’t even believed that I popped out these 2 little (for now) and soooo amazingly lovable people. I guess motherhood does bring out the best in every woman. Our kids (and husband) make us the best woman we can be and we get the most irreplaceable gift along with it… their unconditional love.

So now, whenever I go shopping… I must make sure my budget is for 4! :-)

Cleaning out my closet

(Blog post imported from my tumblr blog, dated Sept 27, 2010)

I spent the afternoon cleaning out 20+ years worth of stuff today. I found a lot of items that were just rotting for sentimental value’s sake, items that would be of better use if given to other people and some great finds that would be great to finally be put to use.

This made me think. Cleaning out a closet can be related with how you can “clean up” your life. You take a step back and examine what’s inside. You proceed to make piles for dispose - donate - use/keep. Just like in our lives, there are people, issues, hurts, memories and whatever emotional baggage you have that you just have to decide to which pile to categorize it in. Dispose of negative vibes (and negative people— well maybe “keep away” is a better term :) ) that will only weigh you down. Donate is equivalent to sharing. Some things are just better when shared with family and good friends. Keep the good memories and the people that matter and know you the most closest to your heart.

Life is too short (and closet/storage space is too precious) to keep stressing on unnecessary things and people. When was the last time you cleaned out your closet?

Quote from a wise man

A very wise man once said...

"In order to have a happy life, you must have a happy wife."