Christmas Must Go On.

This is the first for our family. Every year we always have Noche Buena. But this year I don't feel like celebrating Christmas at all. No gifts  for my son to open. No new clothes to wear. No extra special things. I am sad actually. Last Friday, 4 days before Christmas, my tita who lived three doors away from us died. Unexpectedly. She was still alive when we went to market that afternoon. Then in the evening, she was rushed to the hospital because she suffered a stroke and was in comatose. The next day she was pronounced dead. Just like that.

When Paul Walker died, I don't feel sad. I was shocked after all he was just 40? But when someone I know personally died, that's a different story. The death is too real. One day they are here with us, and the next day they are gone. Forever. Sorry is not the hardest word to say. It's Goodbye. The memories are even harder to forget. It's easy to say that life goes on but if anyone from my family dies, I can't even describe the grief I will be feeling.

But that's the way it is. God will take what God has given. When or how only He knows. I was telling my mother when I die I don't want a long wake. Just two days and bury me. I also told her I want to be buried in a memorial park and not in Tawiran Cemetery. Haha. Morbid. But that's reality. I don't want a sudden death. I want time to say goodbye. I want to prepare myself. Sorry. It's not the proper way to write on a Christmas eve. But this is what I'm feeling right now. Maybe tomorrow, I'll feel a bit happier.

But no matter what, Christmas must go on. And please don't post your greetings and I love yous in Facebook. If you can tell them yourself face-to-face tell them! Life is too short.

How to Fix Tshirts That Are Too Tight

Do you have tshirts that are too tight or too small to you? It's either you got bigger or your shirts shrink. Either way, it's a disaster specially if you love that shirt! Well no worries there are plenty of ways to fix that!

Here is a tshirt of mine that gathers around my belly. Not flattering so I decided to give it a make over.

You need an old tshirt or any shirt for that matter. 

Unstitch the side seams like so

Then cut two triangle strips from your another tshirt.

Lastly stitch the triangles you cut to the side of your tshirt!

You can also put pockets to make it a little fun! 

5K Run Now, 10K Soon (or Later)!

Yesterday, I joined Milo marathon and ran with thousands of participants at the SM Mall of Asia, Seaside Blvd. What I love about Milo is that a portion of the money we pay in the registration will proceed to underprivileged Filipino children. Milo will give them shoes. Plus, Riley and I love jogging. When we are in the mood to go to our favorite park, we always jog our way there. To be on the safe side, I initially intended to run 3K but I found out that only 7 to 12 years old are accepted in that category. Dyahe naman tatakbo ako puro bata kasabay ko! So I chose the next category which is 5K.

Riley loves the free Milo drink!

My mother asked me why I wanted to run? Why would I want to subject myself to an exhausting 5 kilometer run when I can just exercise at the comfort of our home. I am not obsess with being fit, in fact I'm too lazy to exercise. But running is different. There is a different kind of high when you finished it. I won't lie that during the race, I wanted to give up! 5 kilometer is not a joke. I keep thinking, ayan malapit na ko matapos, only to find out nakaka 1 kilometer pa lang pala ako! haha. I will also admit that I ran maybe less than half of the race and walk the rest of it. But still, I kept going on, one step at a time. I want to finish it even if I'm the last one to cross the finish line. I wanted to prove that I can do this. When I saw the FINISH sign, my self esteem boosts. My spirit was lifted and my energy was revived. Konti na lang!

Nothing motivates a runner than seeing the word FINISH!

It's unfortunate I left my camera with my friend Nanang. That's why you won't see any photos of me running. Or photos of the surrounding while I'm running. Or fellow runners who took countless "selfies" every opportunity they had. Nanang, Riley's godmother, was the one who took care of him. So while mama is busy running and trying to stay motivated, Riley is having fun with his Ninang Nanang! 

If you remember my bucket list here, one of my to do list is to finish a 10K run. What the eff! Can I do it if 5K is already a challenge? Honestly, I don't know. That's why I have the utmost respect to those who finish 42K run! Seriously, how do you do that? SO now I have a problem. I wrote 10K in my list, so 10K I must do. But please don't judge me if I change my mind later. Hey, I am a woman, I have the right to change my mind! ;)

Can you tell by my smile how happy I am to finish the race?

I am not just happy! I feel a winner too!

Refashioning

Ever since I stumble upon Refashionista.net, I look at my clothes in a different way. Visit her site and I am 100% sure you'll never look at your wardrobe the same again. She bought her clothes from $1 store and turn them into something wearable and fun! Well, when we cleaned up our closets few weeks ago, I saw some clothes that have potential to be refashions or to be repair. I love this new hobby of mine because it makes me improve my sewing skills more! But what I love about this is it makes me save more. Who needs to buy new clothes when you you can sew it yourself! I encourage everyone to give sewing a try.

My first refashioning with the help of my mother!

More sewing project to come!

How to Tie Dye

This is my first time to dye anything! It is so easy and fun to do! If I had known it would be that easy, I would have done it sooner because Riley has a lot of white boring tshirts. Here's how the transformation began:

First, boil water. The direction on the back of the Venus dye that I use is not clear on how much water is needed. So I just fill the kettle. While you're waiting for the water to boil, lay your tshirt flat in a surface.

There are a lot of pattern you can make but I decided on a very basic design - spiral. Put your thumb and index finger in the center of the shirt. Hold it and begin moving them in a circular motion, spiraling the shirt around the center point. 

Put rubber bands to tie it to create the spiral design on the center. You can put more rubber bands for more intricate pattern.

Dissolve one sachet of Venus Dye in the hot water. Then soak the tshirt in. Here, I dyed another piece of fabric (another project in the making!) so you can do that as long as it is not overcrowded. When the water cools down, rinse your clothing with cold water without soap or detergent. 

Lastly, hang it to dry completely. I read in some tutorial that it should be iron before to wear it so the color won't fade easily. But Riley I was so excited to see how it looks on him so no ironing happened on his shirt!

Riley's happy with it! He didn't want to take the tshirt off. 

Next time I'll try horizontal lines tie-dying. :)

Big or Small, We All Can Help!

Have you watched Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho last Saturday? Their first story features people who are affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda. Yung mga tao nagsasabi kung ligtas sila o ilan sa kamag anak nila ang namatay. May isa na nagsabi na namatay yung 2 anak nya tapos ung isa yata nawawala pa. Their story made me cry. I wept with them. I feel their grief. I was silently wiping my tears away while watching that. More than the houses demolished, and fallen trees, and properties destroyed, what's really devastating about this sad catastrophe are the lives lost along the way. :(

After watching that, I felt helpless. Gusto ko tumulong pero pano? Hindi naman ako mayaman pra mgdonate ng malaki. I can't also volunteer since my son is too small to be left without my care. You know, I always tell myself, pag ako yumaman, tutulong ako sa nangangailangan. Pero kailan pa yun kung ngaun nila kailangan ng tulong? At paano kung hindi ako yumaman? Ibig sabihin hindi na rin ako tutulong sa kapwa ko? This made me think. And made me sadder. I know prayers can help too. So that's just what I did even now - PRAY for them. Then while watching 24 Oras last Monday, Mike Enriquez mentioned "Walang tulong na maliit!" Kahit ano, kahit 10 piso lng na donation basta taos sa puso ay pagtulong pa din. I also saw those kids selling lemonade to help Yolanda's victim. It made me realize na ang dami ko pwede gawin para tumulong. At nagsimula ako sa paglilinis ng aming cabinet...

We've already donated my son's clothes and milk bottles at Bethany last September

but I still managed to rummaged few of his clothes.

After cleaning up, we (janice, ina, at eddie-boy) came up with all these usable and good conditioned clothes.

Where to Donate?

We dropped it off at Basilica Minore o sa Malolos Cathedral this afternoon. They accept all sorts of donation - water, canned goods, whatever it is that you can contribute to help. Or you can also go to the nearest LBC. They'll ship it for free:

For monetary donations, you can send it thru Red Cross. Just text the following:

REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4143 (Smart)

Or thru G-Cash
Text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882

You can donate the following denominations:
Globe: 5, 25, 100, 300, 500 or 1000
Smart: 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 or 1000

Or you can deposits thru bank accounts. I think GMA Kapuso Foundation really steps up in their relief operations so here is the link on how to deposit money in their account.

It doesn't matter how small or how big your help is as long as you help from the bottom of your heart. I know our donation is not enough. So I'm still thinking of other ways to raise money. Helping them didn't make me feel better. What will make me feel better is that knowing one day, the victims of this super typhoon, will have peace and serenity in their hearts, to stand up again and to continue living. And I pray that the anguish and despair that they feel right now will make them even stronger. I know it won't be easy to rise up from this calamity. But one day, we will all get there.

Life goes on. 

Jollibee Halloween Fun!

Eto na nga! Halloween na naman! And just like last year (and last last year) we celebrated it with Jollibee.

There's my son patiently waiting

This year, my son Riley is a Dracula. I only spent 25 Pesos for his cape since his white polo, black slacks and shoes were from his second year birthday. And may I just add that lollipops are better in making that blood effect on his lips. He is so adorable! But that's not how Halloween is supposed to be. He's supposed to be scary! I'll wait until he's older before I make costumes that is super scary for him. Yung tipong mga pugot ulo na puro dugo tpos my hawak na butcher's knife. Gnun! Para winner ka sa best in costume anak!

See how bitin his slacks are? Riley is getting taller and taller! :)

Nothing new to the programme. Kids and parents play games and kids showcasing their costume for a prize. Riley didn't participate in all of that. But that's fine! Because he only went for one person and one person only. Hulaan nyo kung sino.......

Siyempre si Jollibee!

Until next year Jollibee ^__^

Minion Beanie

I finished another crochet project! A minion beanie for a newly minion fan - my son! He loves it and it's perfect for the cold season. For this beanie, I watch this tutorial over at Youtube. I made some adjustments and modifications to fit it better for a 3 year old boy. It came out nicely and my son is happy with it.

I want to make a Totoro amigurumi next but I can't find a nice tutorial yet. But my next project would definitely be a 3D crochet!

The Right Way to Fly

They say the best things in life are free. Well, not always! One good example is travelling. Given the chance I would like to explore the 7, 107 islands and the 81 provinces of the Philippines. But such adventure needs money and a budget. The first thing we need to spend is for the transportation whether it be bus, or ship or airplane. Yes, the best things in life are not always free. But the second best thing in life is when you get affordable price for a good service that can take you to different places!

AirAsia, The World's Best Low Cost Airline, is partnering up with Zest Air. They are now called AirAsia Zest. This partnership or rebranding will prove to be a blessing to all travel bug out there! It means more choices, better value, and enhanced services for every Filipino. A value for our well earned money. Wait, there's more! AirAsia Zest is now moving to NAIA Terminal 4 for it's domestic and international flight. It means easier access for more passengers unlike before where you have to go at Clark, Pampanga. Now whether you chose to travel in the Philippines or to travel in Asia, AirAsia Zest will take very good care of you. You don't believe me? Check out their websites here. Planning a trip and taking a vacation couldn't be more easier than that. They already have the promos for the Holidays this early! Go book that flight before seats run out!

AirAsia Zest, The Right Way to Fly

Now we have our way of transportation, let's proceed to destination shall we? As I've said earlier, I would like to explore our beautiful country. AirAsia Zest offers flight to Cebu, Davao, Kalibo (Boracay), Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran, Cagayan De Oro, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Shanghai, Incheon. But if I were to chose only 5, my list would be Cebu, Davao, Cagayan De Oro, Boracay, and Puerto Princesa. Here's what I plan to do when I get there:

1. Cebu. I want to see the Magellan's Cross. This place is very historic as the cross signified the Spain's greatest influence in Filipinos - Christianity. 

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2. Davao. I'd like to witness Kadayawan Festival and to eat durian! 

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3. Cagayan De Oro. Whitewater rafting! I wouldn't pass the chance of experiencing it here! 

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4. Boracay. One of the world's best beaches. I will try some of the water sport that this place offer. Like banana boat, para sailing, snorkeling. The white sand and the pristine blue water is something not to be missed  for.

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5. Puerto Princesa, Palawan. I want to explore the Puerto Princesa Underground River! It makes me proud that it was included as one of The New 7 Wonders of the World. After seeing it, then I'll only have 6 Wonders of the World to visit! :)

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I'm excited to go to these places! Now all I need is a schedule and I'm off to my dream vacation! I know it's possible with AirAsia Zest, The Right Way To Fly!

20 Before 40

This is not planned. Not at all. I am searching for stuff that my son can do for our "mini school" tomorrow. But since I am awake I might as well greet myself first. "Happy Birthday to me!" There. It's not a secret anymore. I am officially not in the calendar. Yep! I am 32 years old right at this moment! :)

Being older is not something I look forward to but is something I have accepted and make peace with. We're all going to get old. But how did we live this one life God has given us is the BIG question. I have to confess that before Riley, I was a lost soul. Didn't know what to do with my life or what I want. If I had only known that he'll be mine to keep, I would have made better choices while I was younger. Like maybe took a college course that I am passionate about. Or took risk and pursue some dreams. Or be braver and not mind other people.Yeah, I have regrets in life. But my son made me believe that nothing is ever too late! I want to set new goals, dream new dreams, and live the life Riley and I deserve. And we're only just beginning.

So, I came up with this list: 20 things I want to accomplish before I hit 40. Some are just downright OUTRAGEOUS! It's my birthday so I can write whatever I want to write, ok?! Haha. Okay, let's get down to it. This is in no particular order.

1. To have a house for me and my mother (and Riley of course!)
2. To experience a Mediterranean cruise.
3. To manage a tutorial service center together with my sister.
4. To be a certified CISCO Network Administrator.
5. To touch the snow at Mt. Ruapeho at New Zealand.
6. To watch a Mariah Carey's concert live.
7. To write an article in a magazine or newspaper or website tapos may nakalagay "written by Joyce Ann Magtanong." :p
8. To have my own car, a Volkswagen Beetle to be exact (and drive it!)
9. To see the cherry blossoms in Japan.
10. To be an active volunteer of Red Cross or World Vision.
11. To explore the Underground River at Palawan.
12. To eat a sumptuous meal while cruising the Loboc River in Bohol.
13. To finish a 10k run.
14. To walk while holding hands with Daddyfriend and Riley in Boracay.
15. To see the pyramids in Egypt.
16. To create an iPad apps (and hopefully my bumili so I can earn money from it.)
17. To have a business of my own.
18. To travel to Greece.
19. To have a stable and enjoyable job where I can use my creativeness.
20. To inspire, touch lives, and serve God.

Big dreams, HARD work. These are enough to keep me busy in the next eight years! We'll see how it will turn out. :)

The Joys of Crocheting

Seeing lots of beautiful crochet creations in Pinterest, triggers my interest into this craft. I woke up one day and decided, I wanna learn how to crochet. It is a simple and non expensive craft if you ask me. All you need is some yarn and a hook and you can create beautiful things with your hands. After searching and watching and absorbing the information in the internet on how to, I finally finished my first ever crochets!

The scarf is supposed to be for my son. But I ran out of orange yarn and can't find the exact color anywhere so I decided to just give it to his teddy bear. Then I made a headband with bow for my very pretty niece. I used single crochet SC in both which I learned from a tutorial online. I forgot the link though. If you like to try crocheting too, I'm sure you can find something just by searching for it.

I think I'm ready now for a beanie! :)

Second Year Adventure

In a couple of days, my son Riley would turn three. It's a bittersweet moment for me personally. I am happy in one side because his Lola Edith is now home and we are together again. On the other side, I am sad because we lost two of his grandparents this year. Riley's Lolo Boy and Lola Ising. They will be missed absolutely. I know they'll watch Riley from heaven.

But life must go on.

A lot of changes, a lot of memories that happened. Laughters and happiness that this year brings. Captured in some photo and locked safely in my heart forever. I'll let the pictures tell all about his adventure as he traversed this wonderful age that is TWO!

Starting off with his second bday party! (9.15.2012)

He was a Jedi last Halloween (10.29.2012)

The first time he met his first cousins! (10.30.2012)


His first time to ride an airplane. And mine too! (11.25.2012)

Meeting Minnie Mouse at Disneyland makes him sooo happy! (11.26.2012)

Celebrating Christmas and New Year with just the three of us (12.25.2012)

Start of an iPad obssession! (2.22.2013)

Summertime at Tanay, Rizal (4.22.2013)

A very helpful boy! (Brigada Eskwela 5.20.2013)

He loves animals.... (Virtual Zoo 4.4.2013)

....and dinosaur too! (The Mind Museum 5.25.2013)

I never knew someone who can watch a movie over and over and over again.

Except this guy. He super love Toy Story and his pal Woody! (6.23.2013)

Making funny faces. He loves to do that nowadays. (Lolo's Kubo 7.14.2013)

His favorite food this year: LM pancit canton. (8.6.2013)
He also loves sayote, siomai, adobo, seedless grapes.

Hyperactive! He loves physical games and wrestling me! (8.4.2013)

He is still as skinny as before.
But it's ok because his hugs fit perfectly to mine. (8.18.2013)

And the highlight of this year:
Reuniting again with his lola! (9.4.2013)

I think he had fun this year, as he always does. He'll turn three but he will always be a baby to my eyes! Oh, how time flies. Don't grow up too fast anak or mama won't catch up. I love you dear Riley!