closet raider

i saw this shirt from my brother's closet and decided to wear it to work.

   

           

it has such a macho appeal to it that i opted to pair it with boots (those boots by the way, are from parisian). ;-)

i can't wait to raid my other brother's closet. or maybe it's time to scour sm's men's department. let's see if i can spot any fab finds there. race you to it!

no magic, just an illusion

i've been frequenting sm makati lately. there's the 2nd floor for their parisian shoes, the babies' department on the 3rd floor, there's also the surplus shop, and of course, the ladies' deparment. sm has a lot of good stuff nowadays -- and most of them at budget friendly prices.

take for example coco cabana. i know it's beach wear but they have pieces that can be worn somewhere else. and their prices are really good. look at one of my recent finds:

       

nope, it's not a skirt. i love the illusion of the skirt when it's actually a pair of shorts! bought it for only php399.75! the skirt effect gives it a girly feel without making me too conscious or anything. skirts make me iffy sometimes. you know, those skirts-tucked-in-panties moments? i've seen a lot of those in high school. eeep, don't want that to happen to me. that's why skirts make me nervous. but with this, i'm a free-spirit! dance. dance. dance. lol.

and guess what? i so love this skirt, that i also have it in olive.

(sorry for the pic. my camera's busted so i rely

on my laptop camera nowadays.)

love the military-ish color! manly-girly shorts. <3. <3. <3.

go. get yourself one. *wink*

it's here!

yehey, look what arrived today!

it's my new avent isis breast pump body and cover! nope, i didn't get it for free ( i wish). nonetheless, i'm so happy it's here. 

these are the parts of the old model.

the new one has a built-in bottle adapter and locking ring -- less parts, less hassle! 

i desperately need these replacement parts coz my current pump body now looks like this.

my old pump's neck (left) came loose and you cannot screw the adapter to it anymore. 

department stores that carry avent products do not have replacement parts. you need to call ljs (avent distributor) and order from them. the pump body costs php1,200. i had to buy a cover coz the old one won't fit the new pump body model and that costs php300. since their office is in sta. mesa, i added 100 bucks so they can send it to me via courier.

i deposited the payment to their bdo account and sent an email (with the scanned deposit slip) monday afternoon. the package arrived this morning. i was expecting it to arrive tomorrow since i was told it usually takes that long but i'm so glad i got it early. 

i heard that avent (u.s.) has great customer service. it's good to know ljs has the same!

if you need replacement parts, you may call (02)713-9438 and look for rachelle or rina of the avent department. they'll take care of your concerns, that's for sure.

thir-tween again

i've been looking for a cardigan ever since the somewhat-rainy season has started. too bad, i couldn't find something simple...and affordable. yes, if you're a single mom and on a budget, affordable is the name of the game.

so, i was in sm the other day looking for one. who would've thought i'd find one in the teens' department?

i got the gray cardigan for only php399.75. i paired it with my boots coz it was raining yesterday morning. i'm still thinking if i should get it in black. since it's made for teens, the sleeves are a bit tight on my arms. i opted for the gray one coz it has a more stretchy fabric than the black version. what do you think? good find, right?

hmmm, i think i should still get the black one. =D

the great aventure

happy breastfeeding awareness month!

i know, i know...i'm probably the only  mommy blogger out there who has not posted anything about this special month. but, better late than never, right? and besides, we still have a few more days to go. ;-)

you may not know it, but i am an advocate of breastmilk. uno was exclusively breastfed for 3 months.  the 1st 2 months were easy coz i was on mat leave -- we were practically together 24/7! the 3rd month was a bit difficult since i already had to go back to work. if only i could supply his demands, he wouldn't be taking any formula until his pedia tells me to do so. it just so happened that when he turned 3 months, "harvesting" at least 10 oz a day at work has been a challenge. 

still, i am happy to say that even when at work, i can breastfeed uno. and nope, i don't bring him to work. i can still provide him the breastmilk nutrition all thanks to my bffs (breast feeding friends).

and here they are...

 avent isis manual breast pump. never been used

hand me down from my sister. budget saver!

(sorry about the recycled photo from this post)

 avent via storage system

uno may not be feeding directly from me but my bffs have been a great help in my goal of breastfeeding him for as long as i can.

avent is just the best. i simply love it. they're like mommy's little helpers coz they make our lives easier and cost-efficient. see for yourself.

source: avent 2008 product catalogue from ljs.com.ph

awesome isn't it? i love the idea that a 4 oz feeding bottle can be changed to a sippy cup and a via cup can turn into a feeding bottle. bonkers! (sorry, just shallow like that and you know, still experiencing the 1st time-mom excitement)

what's even more awesome is that avent has a promotion this month!

source: ljs.com.ph

just to give you an idea...

this retails for php8,199.75

source: avent 2008 product catalogue from ljs.com.ph

now available for only php5,739. 

or how about this...

source: avent 2008 product catalogue from ljs.com.ph

for only php3,709?

if you've been eyeing an avent product for the longest time, i think now's the best time to grab it. *wink*

happy shopping! and again, happy breastfeeding!

tricks of the trade

finally!

if carrying proves to be exhausting at some point, there are other ways to help with baby's crying.

a mobile in a rocking playpen.

a baby hammock.

and lots, and lots of love (and patience).

the 3rd one is a given. we love our babies! but before you resort to the 1st two, check if:

1. your baby's hungry.

2. his diaper is soiled.

3. you didn't forget to burp him.

i hope this helps!

care to share more tricks of the trade?

the turn of the century

i was ecstatic the 1st time i saw him do it.

but i didn't see him do it again until the other night. i thought, maybe the bed's just not even. to my delight, this is now one of his favorite moves.

isn't this exciting?!

i've only seen him turn to the right and he likes sleeping in this position, just like me! actually, he can now get himself on his tummy but he can't pry his right arm loose. *scary* 

i'm still trying to figure out how to help him. any tips?

to havs and to hold

i think it's time to get a new pair...



...but not for me.

this is love.

i so want the havaianas baby whale and havaianas baby spiderweb for uno. who wouldn't want to see their babies wearing those? cuteness factor up by hundred points, don't you think? ;-)

my mini-collection has not seen a new pair for the longest time. i think a tiny collection is in order instead. can't wait to get his first pair! 

oh, what happy soles we will be! just like these vibrant pictures:

 

check out the havaianas special limited collection here. or why not change your profile pic (just like the ones above) by creating one here.

gotta havs a new pair...a.s.a.p.

sigh. love.

x rated

was only planning to stay at my mom's house until wednesday but decided to stay 'til the weekend. we're "testing" out the new nanny. ;-) i ran out of clothes to wear since i only brought 3 outfits with me. the pants are mine (luckily some of my laundry were already done), the white shirt is my sister's, and that xl sized gray thing i'm wearing is actually a hoodie. (sorry for the blue colored photo. took it inside the classroom while waiting for the trainees to finish their exam.)

anyway, don't you think my boobs are too big for me? (and they look like they're all over the place. yikes! better bra please!)  i've always complained about not having the right boob size and having a whole lotta booty. and now that i'm breastfeeding, my boobs are just way too big and my butt is now flat. life is indeed unfair. 

imagine being called a porn star. eep. no thanks. i'd rather have an ample behind than big bumpers. oh well. i guess when it comes to breastfeeding, the bigger, the better. 

p.s. i can't stop picturing this in my head: little red riding hood scene. "mommy, what big boobs you have!" "the better to feed you with, my dear." lol.

single mom style

i've been checking out a lot of fashion blogs lately and i can, without a doubt say i (seriously envy and) am inspired by a lot of looks. just because i'm a single mom on a budget, it doesn't mean i should not make an effort to dress up nicely, right?

i decided to recycle my leggings from my pregnant days. did you know that before i got pregnant, i didn't own a single pair of leggings? i only bought them coz i couldn't fit my jeans anymore. when i gave birth, i already had 5 in my closet -- 3 blacks, 1 brown, and 1 gray. believe me when i say, leggings are a pregnant lady's bestfriend.

the shirt is my dad's. i'm lovin' white shirts lately. ;-) i couldn't find any vintage items from my mom's closet, so i raided my dad's instead. the shirt is not vintage, but it's now mine! yay!