HARD DRIVE CRASHED AND ALL MY PC DATAS ARE GONE!

You might've noticed that I haven't posted anything since Satruday.. Well, here's what happened..

Last Saturday, as I turned on our desktop PC, something weird happened to the desktop PC I use for blogging. It just started with the HP logo turning on AND THEN.. it got stuck in the "loading" phase where the circle thingy were circling round and round. THEN.. the Blue Screen came with the random code 0xC0000blah blah blah. I'm like, WHAT.. THE.. ****?!?! And then the fear and realization came of the PC not being able to start up again..

I.. DON'T.. HAVE.. ANY BACK-UP!

I waited for hubby to come home to see if he CAN FIX THIS! And I desperately prayed that he could.. BUT.. it came down to he saying about how the hard drive has crashed (WHAT?!) and I was bartering pleading on how he can try to save all the photos and videos.. And it came to the point of the PC not working anymore not unless he reformatted it.. So...

The waves of despair and panic came to me..

All our family photos this past year are gone...

All my daughters' videos this past year are gone..

All our files are gone..

All the photos I'm supposed to post in my blog, which by the way I'm way behind since I'm clueless on how I can post my product reviews WITHOUT photos, are gone..

I know, it's my fault for not having any back-up.. And hubby sure pointed that out to me.. BUT, I didn't realize the hard drive would crash easily, not since our desktop PC is just less than a year old.

I'm now currently searching for ways to recover lost data from hard disk crashes and I REALLY hope I can recover all the photos and videos.. If not all, our family photos and videos would be really nice..

Since I have deadlines for my product reviews, this is a notice and an apology to some products I've tried which the photos/videos were affected..

For the future product review posts I'm going to post the next few days, or weeks, if there is no actual photo/video, then, I'm afraid the missing photos are part of the result of the hard drive crash.. I will try my VERY BEST to take photos again of products I can still reuse again. If not, I'll post a disclaimer or note.

I'm so very sorry.. It's my fault and this is a lesson that I will never forget..

ALWAYS HAVE A BACK-UP!

6 Things My Daughters Learned While Playing With Shopkins #Shopkins #spkfan

Shopkins is the new craze among children! I can attest to that because my 2 daughters, who are 3 and 6, SPECIALLY my younger one, LOVES Shopkins! Whenever we go to Target or Walmart, we would stop by the "Shopkins" aisle and see if they have the Shopkins Baskets and the 5 and 12-packs available so they can complete their Shopkins collection.

If you're not familiar with Shopkins, ask almost any kid and they'll tell you about it! LOL. Shopkins are these little figures which are really cute! Each Shopkins figure has a name and is classified into different categories like Fruits and Veggies, Bakery, etc. What my daughters really, really love (aside from they love everything Shopkins) is opening the blind bags because inside them are "surprise" Shopkins which range from the common ones to the Limited Edition ones. My daughters haven't gotten any Limited Edition Shopkins yet but they're still hoping!

Before, we only look for the Season 1 Shopkins (and boy, were they hard to find back then!), but now that the SHOPKINS SEASON 2 is already out in the market, my daughters can't contain their excitement about the newest Shopkins. I've found a Season 2 12-pack and some Baskets a few weeks before Christmas (and bought a few for them) BUT after that, they weren't available anymore. Amazon sells them for a much, much higher (DOUBLE?!) the price so I do not dare purchase Shopkins on Amazon.

Since my daughters LOVE Shopkins, I've decided to write a blog post on the 6 Things My Daughters Learned While Playing Shopkins.

1. SHOPKINS HELP IMPROVE MY DAUGHTERS' MEMORY

You might say WHAT?! But here's my explanation. I honestly don't know most of the Shopkins' names BUT my 3 year old daughter does! I am surprised that she knows almost all of the Shopkins' names. Each type of the Shopkins figure have 2 colors available and she knows almost every Shopkins in Season 1! I think this is amazing because she memorized their names in such a short period of time so for me, it helped improve her memory because she was able to memorize their names.

2. SHOPKINS IS GREAT FOR PRETEND AND CREATIVE PLAY

My daughters love giving life to their Shopkins. They would spend about an hour each day doing these silly voices for each Shopkins and doing pretend scenarios. I love watching them do these different tiny little voices and bobbing their Shopkins up and down like they were really talking. I love how they play pretend with the Shopkins because I believe pretend and creative play is healthy for a growing child. Pretend play for me, helps widen their imaginations.

3. SHOPKINS TAUGHT MY DAUGHTERS HOW TO BE ORGANIZED

Sooo, throughout the day, the toybox would become empty and most of my daughters' toys lie scattered on the floor after they play and clean-up time is the most hated part (for them) after playing. They would reason out that they're hungry, or they're tired or whatever reason they can give me when I say "CLEAN UP TIME". The word seems to create an automatic reaction from them to protest and complain (honestly, deep inside I think it's funny and cute, but I always show them a serious face and would firmly tell them to clean up). With the Shopkins, my daughters have a separate small plastic drawer for their Shopkins. I am super happy and proud that every time they've finished playing with their Shopkins, they would neatly arrange them again in their drawer. These are small figures so I am surprised that they still have all the Shopkins I bought for them. I don't need to tell them to clean up their Shopkins. They just do it willingly and on their own..

4. THEY LEARN HOW TO SHARE AND TAKE TURNS

My daughters have some favorite Shopkins and a few of those are both their favorites. I told them they can only keep 1 of each type of Shopkins so the doubles are kept somewhere else because it would make their drawer REALLY FULL. They sometimes almost always have a problem with sharing, specially my younger one. With the Shopkins, they learned how to share their favorites and to take turns playing with them.

5. SHOPKINS TAUGHT MY DAUGHTERS HOW TO BE ACCOUNTABLE (A BIT)

They may not know the word accountable yet but I noticed how they keep tabs on their Shopkins collection. My 3 year old daughter, who is the more Shopkins fanatic, knows EACH Shopkins she has. I would give her the "checklist flyer" (that's what she calls them) and she would check off every Shopkins she has. She knows when a Shopkins is missing and wouldn't stop until she finds it.

6. SHOPKINS ENCOURAGE GROUP PLAY AND FRIENDLINESS

Once we're at Starbucks and my daughters brought some of their Shopkins there. A little girl approached them and said "Ooohh. Are those Shopkins?". Then, they were playing like the 3 of them were good old friends. My 6 year old daughter is the friendly type while my 3 year old daughter is the shy type. In this situation, she immediately played with a new friend (which she doesn't do!) so for me, this promotes group play and friendliness.

I'm not a big fan of small toys because my daughters just tend to lose them but, Shopkins have impressed me a lot. My daughters would often lose interest in their toys a few days after they play with it but the Shopkins held (and is still holding) their interest, specially my 3 year old. For my 3 year old daughter who has a short attention span, these cute little Shopkins are still her favorite toy. :)

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT SHOPKINS? WHO IS YOUR OR YOUR CHILD'S FAVORITE SHOPKINS? 

Disclaimer: I didn't receive anything by posting this. All opinions are honest and expressed in my own opinion.

7 Reasons Why I Love To Use Mud Masks

Using the right kind of mud mask AND using it correctly have a lot of benefits that's why I have 7 reasons why I love using mud masks at least once a week.

1. Mud masks help make pores look smaller - I have a problem with visible pores so using a mud mask help me a lot. Appearance and larger size of pores are associated with genetics and age. Eliminating pores is not really possible but mud masks help make pores appear smaller by removing trapped dirt and oil inside them.

2.  Mud masks clarify and detoxify your skin - I tend to have acne breakouts specially at that time of the month. Using a mud mask minimizes my breakouts because it absorbs trapped dirt and oil inside the pores.

3. Mud masks helps in controlling oiliness - Aside from having larger than normal pores, I have an oily skin type. I may have a normal skin after I wash my face but an hour or 2 later, my face would have turned into a frying pan. Okay I just said that in exaggeration to make you laugh. :) My face DOES become oily and shiny after an hour or 2, specially when it's hot and humid, but not to the extent of looking like a human frying pan. Since mud masks absorb excess oil, this helps in making the skin less oilier. :)

4. Mud masks tighten your skin - If you've ever tried to use a mud mask, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't tried it, I'll explain the feeling. :) When the mud mask starts drying, it kind of gives a tightening, pressure-like feeling on the skin. Don't worry. It feels very nice and doesn't hurt at all. :) So after I wash out the dried mud mask, my skin feels tighter than usual for a few days but sad to say, it's not permanent. Because of the tightening feeling, we go to reason number 5. :)

5. Mud masks improve circulation in your skin - As I've said, it's because of the tightening feeling. :)

6. Mud masks make skin looking radiant - After washing off the mud mask, the skin instantly looks radiant and lively because of the improved circulation on the face.

7. Mud masks help you relax - Yes that 15 minutes of just lying down and waiting for the mud mask to dry gives a very relaxing and calm feeling.

So those are the reasons why I love using mud masks. It helps my skin a lot and choosing the right one for your skin type will definitely help your face look healthier, more radiant and younger. :)

Have you tried a mud mask before? Do you have a favorite brand? :)

If you want to try a mud mask or looking for a brand to try, check out my review of these mud masks:

Montagne Jeunesse Clay Infused Dead Sea Mud Masque

Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask

Adovia Dead Sea Mud Mask

Hip Hop Abs Workout Review

I've been loyal to Hip Hop Abs for almost 5 years now. Well not exactly 5 years of continuously doing the workout routine but more of the on and off type BUT it's the only workout DVD I own and bought because I loved it since the first time I saw my sister doing the routine. :)

I love Hip Hop Abs since I don't need to do crunches. I don't like doing crunches ever since I experienced back pain for almost 2 months about a year ago.

Weights are not mandatory but you can use it for a higher intensity workout. In my case, I've bought 2 -1 lb. weights and use it whenever Shaun T uses it. They recommend weighted gloves but I think the weights are okay as well.There is also a work-out calendar you can follow but I really don't follow this and I can still see and feel the results.

You can opt to watch the Secret to Flat Abs video where Shaun T and his group will show you the basics for the different videos like how to tilt and tuck but for me, I didn't have to use this. I skipped right to the workout videos.

Okay this will be a bit long since Hip Hop Abs have 2 levels of intensity and each level has a couple of different workouts. Okay let's get started!

For Level 1, there are 4 different workouts I do:

Fat Burning Cardio:

I do this workout if I don't want to have sore muscles and just burn calories. I don't really dance but the first time I did the Fat Burning Cardio, I didn't have a hard time following the routine. I think the intensity for this routine would be depending on the exaggeration of your moves. I can do this routine without sweating and I can do this same routine ending up sweating like a pig. This workout is about 30 minutes including the warm-up and the cool-down.


Total Body Burn:

This would be the longest workout routine among the 4 Level 1 Hip Hop Abs workout. This runs for about 42 minutes and this makes my body a little bit sore afterwards. This requires weights for about half of the time but if you don't like weights, you can follow Tanya, the girl with bangs to the right of Shaun T. She always do the modified version (for all the Hip Hop Abs workouts) and you can follow her for a lower intensity workout.

Hips, Buns and Thighs:

I personally love the Hips, Buns and Thighs because in just 25 minutes, I feel that I've effectively lost calories. I did this for 1 week straight and I've seen a difference on my tummy. I love the squats and the glute trimmer at the end of the work-out.

Ab Sculpt:

I do Ab Sculpt after doing either the Hips, Buns and Thighs or the Fat Burning Cardio. This runs for about 24 minutes and for me, I use weights to intensify my workout.  I like the Ab Sculpt since I've proven that it did flatten my bulge a bit BUT I have yet to achieve the perfect abs I've been dreaming of. :P

For Level 2, there are just 3 different workouts included. The workout included are Fat Burning Cardio 2, Ab Sculpt 2 and the Total Body Burn 2.  I've done the Level 2 Workouts before and I can say they're really difficult. It made my body sore for days specially my thighs. I prefer the Level 1 Workouts since they are effective for me as of the moment. I will update my post if I have moved to Level 2 of Hip Hop Abs.

And to summarize my long review (I should've just done this right? :)):

Who it’s good for: The Level 1 workout is good for those who are just starting to exercise. There is a modified version for each workout (follow Tanya the Asian girl to the right of Shaun T) which is easier and targeted for beginners. Once you get accustomed to the routine, then you can switch to the normal workout. :). This is also good for those with back problems since you don't need to do crunches to flatten your tummy.

Who shouldn’t use it: I think everyone can use this as long as you can follow the video. Even my almost 3 and 5 year old daughters follow Shaun T and exercise with me once in a while. :)

Time needed: The different workouts require different times so it would be somewhere between 25 minutes to an hour (if you do the Total Body Burn + Abs Sculpt together) :)

Equipment needed: None. You can opt in to use weights or weighted gloves for a higher intensity workout though.

Insider tip: I suggest following the modified version first if you have just started exercising. Have fun! The music is really fun to dance to and Shaun T is very energetic.

Crane "Curtis the Cow" Cool Mist Humidifier Review

Recently, my 2 year old daughter had a super bad case of epistaxis or nose bleed (you can read my post here) that we decided to buy a humidifier.

I've seen the Crane humidifier even before in-store and I love the cute designs they offer.

I browsed at Walmart.com and saw that the Crane "Curtis the Cow" Cool Mist humidifier was on sale so I went ahead and purchased it and had it delivered to our home (since it's not available for pick-up at the Walmart near us).

When it came, my daughters saw the box and thought it was a toy. Of course seeing a picture of a cute cow on the box, it did look like a toy. :)

I removed the Crane humidifier and found it light and easy to carry.

I then read the instructions and followed it.

I filled the detachable water tank with cool water then placed the cover and closed it tightly. I then placed it back on the unit.

My daughter even volunteered to put in the cow head cover. :)

My 2 year old daughter (almost 3! :)) even posed beside the humidifier. :)

And they said they wanted to take a picture with the "fog". :)

My thoughts on the Crane "Curtis the Cow" Humidifier:

First, I like that it doesn't require a filter. Based on my experience, most things that need filters becomes more expensive in the long run because of the continuous need to purchase and replace the filter. So, since it's filter-free, I can say it's very affordable.

Next, I like that it is really quiet (since it's an ultrasonic humidifier). It doesn't really make irritating noises. It makes a very light whispering sound (and I can only hear it when the room is really quiet) but for me, the sound is soothing.

I also like that the water tank can hold up to 1 gallon of water which is enough to run up to 24 hours. It can also effectively humidify rooms up to 250 sq. ft. and it has an auto shut-off sensor.

I really like the cow design since it's cute and fit for children.

The only thing I noticed is that I have to disinfect the humidifier once a week. Okay maybe I'm exaggerating since any object or thing needs to be cleaned once in a while right? :)

Here is a video of my daughters enjoying the Crane "Curtis the Cow" Cool Mist Humidifier:

So far, I am loving our new Crane Cool Mist Humidifier. I should've bought this way, way before because it really helped my 2 daughters' allergy symptoms.

We've only been using this for 5 days and I notice a big difference on my 2 daughters' allergies. They don't cough as much as before anymore and the cool mist cools down the room too. :)

You can visit the Crane Website to see more cute humidifier designs. :)

DISCLAIMER: I purchased the Crane "Curtis the Cow" Cool Mist Humidifier with our own money. All opinions are honest and my own and are not influenced in any way. I only recommend products I think are worth sharing. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.

My 2 year old daughter had a nosebleed (Epistaxis) for 30 minutes!

Last night, at 9:10 pm, we had the scare of our lives. My 2 year old daughter had a nosebleed (Epistaxis) for the first time and it scared us because for more than 20 minutes, blood just flowed down from her left nostril.

We tried to put ice and apply pressure but every time we try to look if the bleeding stopped, the blood would just flow down freely like there was an open faucet in her nose. At 9:30 pm, we decided to take her to an Urgent Care Center because we got really scared.

At the Urgent Care Center, the receptionist told me in a calm voice, "Don't worry she'll be fine". Okay. Maybe my hands were shaking while I was signing up my daughter's name and my voice was a bit shaky while I was talking to her that's why she told me that. I found it a bit irritating at the moment because I'm not the one to panic easily but at this moment, I am panicking.

We waited for about 10 minutes before she was seen by the doctor.

The doctor came in and looked at her nose. He removed the blood pooling at her nose and we were surprised of the super long and huge blood clot. It was formed, super long and very stretchy. I can't even imagine how that blood clot formed and fit inside my daughter's nose!

Her nose still bled a little after that and he lied her down. He made us press the bridge of her nose some more and came back with a prescription. We left and soon after my daughter's nose stopped bleeding.

My 5 year old daughter has occasional nosebleeds but it only last for less than 5 minutes. When I was about 8 years old, I used to have frequent nosebleeds too so at the back of my mind, maybe this was hereditary. Maybe they got it from me.

I practically know first aid on a nose bleed but seeing it this severe the first time made me research more about nose bleeding.

Here are some tips to treat nosebleeds in children:

1. Keep child in a sitting position and have him/her lean slightly forward.
2. Pinch the soft part of the nose to close the nostril and apply pressure to the vein as well.
3. Don't place anything inside the nose like tissue or gauze.
4. Hold for 5 minutes then check of bleeding has stopped. If not, then repeat step 2.

Ice can help stop nose bleeds (by constricting the blood vessels) but my daughter didn't like it. She squirmed and cried when we put the ice too long.

Has your child experience nosebleeds before? What did you do?

Week 2 Weigh-In - Fail! :(

Today, I was scared to check my weight on the scale. Why? Because the past week, I pigged out. I didn't even want to write this update because I felt ashamed BUT I need to write this down to remind myself that I need to control my coffee addiction.

So here is the recap on what I did this past week:

- I did Hip Hobs 5x this week.
- I am proud I didn't drink any soda this week BUT
- I drank Trenta Iced Coffee with breve and Toffee Nut Syrup from Starbucks almost everyday
- I ate white rice 2x a day everyday.
- I ate snacks about 3x a day

My tummy didn't change from last week's picture but my weight did.

That's about it. Here is my updated weight today:

Starting weight (01/13/14): 144.6 lbs
Week 1 (01/20/14): 143.8 lbs
Week 2 (01/27/14): 146.0 lbs

Oh yes I gained 2.2 lbs and guess what? My weight even surpassed my initial weight! That's how easy I gain weight.

I WILL do better next week and I did promise myself I will refrain myself from drinking Iced Coffee from now on and will cut back down on rice to once a day again.

4 New Songs By UK Artists Worth Listening To

I have always been a music lover. I've listened to A LOT of songs since I was in elementary school and have had my favorite artists as well.  Listening to music makes me concentrate more while studying. I always have music on when I study (when I was younger) and when I write on my blog (that's what I'm doing now. :))

I like hearing new songs and discovering new artists to listen to as well.

If you're looking for new songs or artists to listen to, then you've come to the right place. or post. or blog. Oh just read on because I've discovered 4 artists which are worth listening to. :)

McCrei - More Than Good Friends

McCrei is a sister duo from UK formed in the second half of 2012. Shannon and Leanne McCree were solo artists before they decided to team up together. The songs they write are from their own experiences and observations on life.

The opening melody and the voice made me interested to listen to the song. It was so powerful and strong that it gave me the chills. :) The title itself depicts a friendship that should've been more than friends.  I like the song and I hope to hear more songs from McCrei.

Hear their song More Than Good Friends for yourself here https://soundcloud.com/mccrei/more-than-good-friends and tell me what you think.

You can learn more about McCrei by visiting their website at www.mccrei.com and for all other booking and general inquiries you can visit www.ard-uk.org.

Ollie Banks - Back To You

Ollie Banks is a 21 year-old singer/song writer. She has been singing since she was 9 years old and was trained in classical music until Grade 8 but knew that classical music wasn't her genre. At 17, she finally knew what kind of music she wanted to make - pop.

I love the upbeat and catchy melody of the song. The song Back To You somehow reminded me of Carly Rae Jepsen's - Call Me Maybe. They I think this song would be a great hit because the beat and melody fits perfectly for teenagers and young adults.

You can learn more about Ollie Banks by visiting her website at http://www.ard-uk.org/olliebanks.htm and for all other booking and general inquiries you can email andy.devaney@ard-uk.org or visit www.ard-uk.org.

London Roots - Seeds of Change

 London Roots aka Mr. Rootsy was a Live UK Nominee for Best Breakthrough Artist in 2013. He is the no. 1 downloaded urban artist for Twitmusic and number 1 in their Rap Charts.

Seeds of Change is a rap song with a melodic chorus. The lyrics of the song is very inspirational. For me, the song is about how your actions and decisions might affect other people's life.

You can learn about Mr. Rootsy's regular venue updates here http://www.mrrootsy.co.uk/

You can hear Mr. Rootsy's songs here https://soundcloud.com/dj_rootsy, you can also watch youtube music videos here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBOWIGw3L8Y.

You may also visit the website www.ard-uk.org  for booking and all general inquiries.

Kaleidophone - What You're Made Of

Kaleidophone is a band composed of 4 lads from South East of England. They write and perform upbeat indie/pop music, mixing disco drum beats, spiky guitars and deep, fuzzy base sounds and music. They were also dubbed by BBC Radio as the new Vampire weekend. Here are the band members:

Mark (Coxon) Wells - Lead Vocals & Guitar
Al (Hairyman) Holland - Vocals & Guitar
James (Baby-Face) Holland - Bass Guitar
Mark (Drummerboy) Thompson - Drums

What You're Made of is a rock/techno/pop song combined together. The song starts with a nice guitar/drums instrumental. The voice of the lead vocal is very deep and rich. The song is very catchy too. It really stuck to my head and I kept singing the "We Know What You're Made Of" part of the song the whole day. :)

You can learn more about them here http://www.kaleidophone.co.uk.

On February 28, they will be supporting 90's Legends Space when embark on their UK wide tour.

For booking and enquiries, you can contact andy.devaney@ard-uk.org or visit the site www.ard-uk.org


Did you listen to their songs? What do you think? :)


DISCLAIMER: I did not receive any compensation for this post. All opinions are honest and my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC 16 Part 255.

Week 1 Weigh-in, CHECK! :)

If you have read my post before, I finally told myself that I am going to start my resolution to lose weight now. If you haven't read it yet, you can read it here: Today, I'm REALLY starting my resolution to lose weight. 

Starting weight (January 13, 2014): 144.6 lbs. 
Week 1: 143.8 lbs

My weight didn't go down much but I felt the difference on my tummy. Here are the pictures.

I did the Hip Hop Abs' Hips Buns and Thighs Monday to Friday, the Hip Hop Abs' Ab Sculpt on Tuesday and Thursday and I did the Hip Hop Abs' Total Body Burn on Sunday.

I do not follow the workout plan that's included in the DVDs I bought. :) I just go with what I want to do.

My biggest challenge yet is to really cut back on rice, lattes, iced coffee with milk and syrup and soda. This week, I drank 3 lattes with the flan syrup from Starbucks and 3 cans of Cherry Coke. I know this is the reason for not losing that much weight but gradually, I'll cut it down to about 1 coffee and 1 soda a week. :)

So there. I may not have lost that much weight but I am glad that I can see a difference on my tummy specially on my side view. :) 

I'm going to post an update again next week. :)

My daughters sang what?!

Whenever we ride the car, I would turn on the radio and listen to music. Sometimes, the lyrics and/or words of the song might be similar to another word so it's not uncommon when I hear my daughters singing to the song but with the wrong lyrics.


Here are some of the songs they sing but with the wrong lyrics:

1. Song: Secrets
    Artist: One Republic
    Supposed to be: I'm gonna give all my secrets away
    My 5 year old daughter: I'm gonna give all my sisters away

2. Song: Holy Grail
    Artist: Jay-Z
    Supposed to be: Holy Grail!
    My 5 year old daughter: Holy Gram!

3. Song: Just Give Me a Reason
    Artist: Pink
    Supposed to be: Right from the start, you were a thief
    My 5 year old daughter: Ready from the start, you were a thief


I will update and add on to this post if I hear them singing songs with the wrong lyrics. :)

Today, I'm REALLY starting my resolution to lose weight

You know when every New Year's Eve you make a resolution, do it a couple of weeks and then forget about it? That's exactly what I've been through for 3 years now.

I was 135 lbs when I got pregnant with my 2nd daughter. I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight after 3 months because I breastfed her exclusively. I kept putting off exercising because I kept telling myself to let my C-Section scar heal first. That was 2011.

2012, I made a resolution that I'll start exercising because my C-Section scar has healed. I was at 135 lbs. and I wanted to lose about 10 more lbs at least. I started doing the Hip Hop Abs workout for about a month and my weight dropped to 132 lbs. After a month, I stopped doing Hip Hop Abs.

2013, I made another resolution that I'll REALLY start exercising. I gradually gained weight throughout 2012 but I evaded the weighing scale and even if I KNOW and FEEL that I've gained weight, I didn't step on the scale until the end of December 2012. I weighed 140 lbs then. I failed my resolution again.

2014, Now I am making another resolution. That I'll really stick to my Hip Hop Abs workout. I am currently at 144.6 lbs. For 3 years I've been making the resolution to lose weight and this year, I plan to reach my goal.

I will try hard to cut down the food (sweets and chips) and drinks (Starbucks and Soda) I love little by little.

I am writing this so that everyone can see my journey to reach my goal and to get support from my readers and to other people as well.

I am writing this so I have a reminder not to slack off and discontinue my resolution.

I am writing this for myself.
 

Here are photos of me on my 1st week to losing weight. I am 5'2" and currently weigh 144.6 lbs. I will write a post every Monday to update you on my weight loss journey.

Do you have any New Year's Eve Resolution? Share yours too. :)

Gallstones while pregnant and Gallbladder removal at 20?!

My 1st pregnancy with my daughter who is 5 years old now was a very complicated one. I was 20 then but until now, I can still remember the pain I've gone through with my 1st pregnancy.

My 1st trimester was very hard for me because every night, I would have super painful cramps in my abdomen. This happened every single night. It would last until about 5 in the morning and for the whole day I'll be fine. I will have to tell this story in another post since it's a pretty long one.

The abdominal cramps gradually decreased and on my 3rd month of pregnancy, the pain finally subsided. IT STOPPED. Just like that.

I started eating and before I know it, I am "naglilihi" (a word in Tagalog which means craving for a specific food while you're pregnant). Do you know what that specific food is? BACON. Oh yes. Sweet, sweet bacon. I craved for bacon and satisfied my cravings because if I didn't I felt bad for myself.

5th month into my 1st pregnancy with hubby

In the beginning of my 3rd trimester, I started having stomach aches. I thought my "gastritis" was acting up again (I've had it since I was in highschool). I drank Maalox and then I noticed that sometimes it worked and a lot of times it didn't. After a week, I would throw up everything I ate. When there's nothing more to throw up, I would throw up green-colored liquid. Sometimes the pain subsided but a lot of times it was there. We went to my doctor and she referred us to her husband who is a GI specialist. That's when he told me I have gallstones and one of them was impacted on my common bile duct. That's causing my pain. I was like WHAT?! I can't believe it. They can't remove it since I was in my early third trimester already. If I was diagnosed when I was in my second trimester, they could've removed it.

I was admitted for 2 days and given a Demerol shot round the clock for the pain. I craved for the shot of Demerol. The shot brought me pure bliss. No pain. I felt guilty. Like an addict I waited for the Demerol shot. I was worried for my baby on what the effect for her will be but it's just so painful.

I got admitted 2x during my 3rd trimester due to the pain and on the 3rd time, the doctor decided to place a tube on my gallbladder to drain out the bile. I came out of the hospital with a big tummy and a tube hanging down my stomach. A disposable latex rubber glove was attached to the outside tube to hold out the bile drainage (he improvised a bit and told me to use the gloves for the bile).

The pain from the impacted gallbladder was gone but the tube felt uncomfortable for the first few days. It sometimes hurt specially when I lean a bit on my right (that's where the tube is) but my muscles seem to adjust a few days after.

I've had to change the gloves about 6 times a day! I can't believe my gallbladder produces THAT MUCH bile in a day! The bile is dark green, a bit slimy and has a bit of a slimy smell. I've learned to live with the tube and the gloves for about 3 weeks. After about 3 weeks, the bile just stopped coming out. I found out that it got dislocated. So the doctor went ahead and pulled the tube out. Don't worry it didn't hurt a bit. :)

My due date is coming out so my doctor (the OB-GYNE one) went ahead and scheduled my C-Section. I gave birth to my daughter on July 28, 2008. I was so happy and thankful for such a beautiful little girl. :)

My gallbladder removal or "cholecystectomy" in medical terms was scheduled in a month. I was too afraid to have an impacted gallbladder again and feel the pain that I ate like a bird. I ate so little food that after a month, I weigh less than my pre-pregnancy weight. I know it's not healthy but my fear of the pain is greater than my desire to eat. That's how painful it is.

A month after I gave birth to my daughter. A few days before my supposed to be laparoscopy surgery turned to laparotomy surgery.

On the day of my gallbladder removal, my doctor said that it's only going to be a simple laparoscopy surgery. That means I can go home the next day because he'll only cut 3 small incisions on my stomach. When I woke up from the general anesthesia, I panicked because I felt pain. IT HURTS. I soon learned that the doctor had to do a traditional laparotomy surgery because he couldn't get 1 gallstone out. It had lodged in my common bile duct and he had to cut me open to get it. I had to stay in the hospital for 3 days and again, I went out of the hospital with a second tube in my stomach. Just to make sure everything is alright. The doctor removed 7 gallstones in total. After 3 days, I went back to the doctor and he removed the tube.

I wish I could have taken pictures when I had the tube but it was too painful and gross to see that I didn't do it. I am thankful for my supportive husband who was there for me through my worst pains and for my mom who helped me a lot too.

I call my gallbladder-related scars my "battle scars" and they are a reminder to me that I should be conscious of my health because no matter how young or healthy I am, anything can happen.

 

 

My 1st tube scar when I was pregnant

My laparotomy surgery scar (the line) and the scar from my 2nd tube (scar below)

I am now gallbladder-free and had my 2nd daughter almost 3 years ago. I had gained weight since then but I will never forget my 1st pregnancy. I am very thankful for my daughter and how everything turned out to be alright. All the pain I went through is very worth it when I see her smile and laugh.

Trying out the new Starbucks Via Vanilla Latte Instant Coffee for $1

I've always been a Starbucks fan ever since I was in highschool. My friends and I would often go to Starbucks after watching movies for Frappuccinos and to just hangout. When I was in 4th year college, I had my medical technology internship and this would mean 16-hour laboratory duties so I gradually transitioned from Frappuccinos to Lattes. Starbucks became my bestfriend to help me stay awake and alert. When we came here to the U.S., I was excited because Starbucks here offered the Toffee Nut syrup all year round while in the Philippines, it's a holiday drink and is only available during the Christmas season.

I also got excited because here, there's a program called Starbuck's Rewards where I earn stars and in just a short time, I got the gold status and the gold card.

Recently, I went to Starbucks and found this Starbucks Via Vanilla Latte on display. I asked the barista if this was an instant coffee and said yes. I only need hot water and voila. It's ready. I also found it cheap and affordable for a dollar (according to her, the 4-pack would cost about $6+). I immediately bought one to try.

There's a short instruction at the back. There are no words just pictures but it's easy to understand. Just put it in a cup and add 8 oz. of hot water.

There's also a coupon at the back for a $1 off Starbucks Via Lattee (4-pack or larger)

I immediately smelled the aroma of the latte and it smelled nice.

In less than a minute, it was ready! :) I was so excited to try it that I burned my tongue. LOL. So I think this tasted great. Not the same as the latte they sell in store but better than other instant coffee brands I've tried. For me, it is too sweet for just 8 oz. of water so I added a little bit more to suit my taste. For a $1, this is a great deal. I would definitely pick up more. Plus, there is also a Mocha flavor available but I'm not into mocha lattes much so I only bought this one.

Have you tried this? What are your thoughts? :)

My daughter is 33 months old and she's still nursing!

In a few days, my daughter will be 34 months old already but she still hasn't stopped nursing! Since birth, she has been fully breastfed unlike my 5 year old daughter who was formula-fed when she was a baby due to a complicated pregnancy with her. I'll skip that part of the story since this about my younger daughter who still hasn't stopped nursing and how I survived nursing her exclusively.

I had 2 C-Sections already and my older daughter was born in the Philippines while my younger daughter was born here in California. In the Philippines, they didn't support breastfeeding much and my older daughter was immediately fed formula milk. She stayed in the nursery until it was time for us to go home. For my younger daughter, it was different. She was roomed in and they didn't give her bottled formula when she was born.

For the first few days, I didn't produce milk. My daughter just kept nursing but no milk came out. I was about to give up breastfeeding since my nipple hurts already due to the constant nursing. The nurses advised me to be more patient because sometimes, milk will only be produced after a few days and my daughter is getting the colostrum so she's good. True to her word, my breastmilk started to come out (and it was a LOT) when we got home.

My daughter nursed every 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I tried mixed-feeding her but she didn't like the bottle or the formula. Since I am a stay-at-home mom, I exclusively nursed her and she only drank breastmilk until she turned 1. She nursed in the house, at the mall, at McDonald's, on the bus, while at Church, and a lot more places! I used a blanket to cover her up but even though, I was a bit worried that other people are bothered by my daughter nursing in public but I can't help it. When she cried, my first instinct was to nurse her.

There were many obstacles during my 1st year of nursing. Thrice my milk ducts got clogged and IT HURTS A LOT. It took days and sometimes more than a week before my breast became unclogged and one time, I got a fever because of it. I made my daughter nurse on the clogged breast more so that it can help and put a warm compress too but still, it lasted for days. There were also times when my nipples bleed a little because of constant nursing. Good thing the Lanolin cream worked. I do not discourage nursing or breastfeeding. Even though I experienced all these while breastfeeding, I kept thinking my daughter gets the best nutrition she needs and it's very rewarding.

I tried to introduce her to cow's milk when she turned 1 so I can stop nursing already but still, she wouldn't drink it. She still nursed a lot. I tried pumping out breastmilk so she can get used to a bottle or a sippy cup but nothing came out and it hurts.

When she turned 2, she already knows the rule that she can only nurse at home. She still doesn't like cow's milk but she drinks about half a cup everyday. I still produce breastmilk but the amount has lessened already. My hubby and mom told me that she's already big and that I should stop nursing her already. They suggested putting chilli pepper on my breast so she would stop (my hubby's mom did this to stop them from nursing) but I can't bring myself to do it. I want to stop nursing her already but for me, she still isn't ready emotionally. 

Right now, she's 33 months old and she will be 3 years old in 2 months. She's almost 2 years overdue on my previous plan to exclusively breastfeed her (since I planned only until she turned 1). She still nurses before she sleeps and about 3 to 4 times the whole morning and afternoon. She calms down when she nurses. It also soothes her specially when she gets upset. I think she's almost done nursing and I am hoping she will be fully weaned on her 3rd birthday. :)

How long did you or are you planning to nurse your baby? How did you wean your baby from breastfeeding?

Both my daughters have double cowlicks/hair whorls!

I think I haven't told you yet but we're originally from the Philippines. In our country, there is a belief that when your child has 2 hair whorls or cowlicks, they will give you a headache when they're growing up. Guess what? My 2 daughters both have 2 hair whorls!

The first picture would be my 5 year old daughter and the 2nd picture would be my 2 1/2 year old daughter. As you can see, both of them have 2 hair whorls each.

Their hair whorls are a bit different. My 5 year old daughter's hair whorls both go in a clockwise direction while my 2 year old daughter's hair whorls go in a clockwise (left) and counter-clockwise (right) direction.

I'm not sure if having 2 hair whorls are genetic but me and my hubby only have 1 hair whorl each so I guess it isn't. :)

Both my daughters aren't the ones to just sit and behave when I tell them to. They have their own minds and they blurt out EVERYTHING on their minds even in public. They are the ones who run around most of the time and the only time they'll be quiet would be when they're sleeping. My mom told me that my 2 girls are VERY different than me and my sister when we were growing up. I agree with her since I remember being a quiet and shy girl when I was younger and I would just sit on a chair and read books. 

I sometimes question myself why my daughters aren't behaving like little girls should behave. Maybe the times have changed and kids these days are likely to do whatever they like to do. Or maybe because they have 2 hair whorls?! LOL. :) Well, even if my daughters are not demure, quiet and shy girls, I still love them and I am thankful to have two beautiful, bright and smart girls. :) They have their own personalities so I love them no matter what.

So is the belief in our country true that having a child with 2 hair whorls will give you a headache when they're growing up?

My answer would be: It might be true. I may never prove this but both my daughters definitely do what they like to do and they're not the traditional quiet little girls that my sister and I used to be.

Does your child/ren have more than 1 hair whorl too? What do you think of our belief? :)

My 33 month old daughter finally told me she wanted to go potty!

2 weeks ago, my 33 month old daughter finally told me she wanted to go potty! I panicked and ran and brought her to the bathroom and helped her sit on the toilet (with her Dora potty seat) and then finally! She made "weewee" (our term for peeing :))

Just a flashback.. A few months ago, I was trying to potty-train her and I would make her sit on the toilet for about 5 minutes but wouldn't go "weewee". When I put on her diapers, she would immediately go "weewee". I didn't push her to learn how to make "weewee" on the toilet and decided to wait for a couple of months before I try again.

2 weeks ago, I was surprised because she ran to me and told me in a tiny voice "I'm making 'weewee'!". So imagine me getting her, running to the bathroom and then fumbled to get her to the potty fast! LOL. And then she looked at me and smiled and finally she did it! :) She even volunteered to flush the toilet by herself! :)

I was so happy and contented that she wanted to go potty on the toilet on her own. She doesn't want to go #2 yet and I won't force her. I'm just happy she made progress on wanting to go "weewee" on the potty. That means, less diapers!! :)

How did you potty train your child/ren and at what age did they learn to use the potty?