DMCI Homes' Rhapsody Residences: A Heaven in Muntinlupa!

Three years ago if we knew about this place, I believe we would have gotten a place here.

          
           DMCI Homes Rhapsody Residences is a beautiful heaven in Muntinlupa where families
 or newlyweds can start a secure home and a happy life with the amenities of a mansion!


        Rhapsody Residences is a premier condo community project of DMCI Homes— a company of innovative builders and engineering experts that develops modern day living solutions for urban families. Each of its developments is built with world-standard craftsmanship borne from D.M. Consunji Inc.’s almost 60 years of expertise in the construction and development industry. Its corporate philosophy is anchored on a deep understanding that buying a home is more about investing in a better way of living.

       Thanks to feature-rich, ideally located communities, residents can finally enjoy a more comfortable and meaningful way of life where they can feel real good to be home.

My Final Baby & Family Expo Tweet n Treat: Gluta White & Firm Giveaway! (Winner announced!)

       As Baby & Family Expo 2013 will already be held this weekend, this is my final giveaway partnership with them. (Awwwwww...) But I would just like to say that it has been sweet! And I am so looking forward to attending the bazaar this weekend!

       For this final giveaway, Baby & Family Expo 2013 teamed up with Gluta White & Firm. I'm going to come out and admit that I for one, if given the chance, would choose to have fairer skin. Not that there's anything wrong with being brown.It's just my personal preference. But of course we're all beautiful in any skin color!

The Powers of a Smartphone!

Aaah smartphones...

       They do so many things nowadays that we almost can't live without them.I remember the days that every time a new game or a new feature was created, you'd need to buy the latest model. Now, all you need to do is download apps and add all the "features" you want in a phone. Need office stuff, download office apps. Can't live without checking your social networks? Download Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, what-have-yous. Love games? Download all the latest mobile games you can get addicted to. Love taking photos and adding filters? Download photo apps. You get the point...

       I have been without a decent-working smartphone for a long time. And for some time I have been carrying around our iPad 3 which is great, albeit heavy to carry around everyday in my bag. That's why I was relieved to finally get a new smartphone! (Thanks to Globe Rewards and to my hubby who made me use his reward points yahoooo! Merry Christmas!)

       But of course getting a smartphone would be more worth it if I could have unlimited internet. At least that's what I prefer. It really depends on a person's usage. But looking at my phone bill, I pay a lot mostly on text messages and calls with my husband and to Rain's Yaya whenever I check on her while I'm out on events. My calls to her are always the same: "How is she? Has she eaten? Is she good girl? Okay I'll just call back again later to check on her." Hehe.

Baby & Family Expo Press Conference

All set and ready to go! Thumbs up to Baby & Family Expo 2013!

        Only a few days away before the Baby and Family Expo 2013 begins!!! On December 6 to 8, Baby & Family Expo welcomes Life, Love and Care as they gather over 200 exhibitors offering up to 80% discount!

        The SMX Convention Center will be packed with tons of exhibitors! And learn a lot from top experts as they tackle pregnancy preparation, breastfeeding 101, responsible parenthood, mompreneurship and even a yaya academy!They will also be a talk regarding child education and special needs and more!

A Fun Cake-Decorating Activity for Kids by Goldilocks at Baby & Family Expo 2013!

       Just when you thought it couldn't get any better! Turns out that Baby Family & Expo 2013 will also be working with Goldilocks Bakeshop and add yet another exciting activity during this 3-day bazaar!

McDonald’s at the BABY & FAMILY EXPO 2013

       My most recent memory of a Happy Meal is when I was in high school and me, my sister, and my cousins were collecting (or at least were trying to collect) all 101 Dalmatians toy figurines. They were all so cute with different designs so it actually got frustrating that there were so many to collect hahaha! That was a long time ago and I actually almost forgot about the Happy Meal until they relaunched it a few weeks ago. Thanks McDonalds for bringing back this happy little box just in time that I now have my my own little bundle of joy!

Rain's First Haircut

       We were walking around at SM North checking out the food places there, (and by "checking out the food places" I mean stuffing our faces with delicious dimsum at Dimsum Break!) when we saw this hair cut place called Cute Barber for Kids & Up for kids. And so we decided to have Rain's hair cut for the first time! How exciting!

Carousel and Amusement Park Rides

        It all started with a Camaro...

Lost all photos from my iPad mishap so I'm using a screen shot hehe. Good thing I Instagramed it!

       It was a simple ride that just moves back and fourth. But she loved it! This was her first mechanical car ride. And now whenever we have time and we're at a mall, Richie and I make it a point to take her at the amusement area and let her ride these things :-)

4th Babypalooza Bazaar + A Giveaway!

Please forgive this selfie with my sleeping baby 2 years ago hehe

        I am all for breastfeeding. But ther's no doubt that it is not as easy. I for one had a hard time during my first few months. I wanted to give up. It was physically exhausting. And it becomes emotionally exhausting as well when you feel like you don't produce enough milk and your baby keeps crying because he/she wants more.

        That's why it's really good to invest in anything that can help a mom produce milk. Like malunggay tablets, slurping lots of soup, and of course, breast pumps. My very first breast pump didn't really last very long. Something in the motor broke and then I had it fixed then didn't last long and broke down again. I won't say the brand anymore. I've moved on... Hehehe...

        Are you with child? Is this your first pregnancy? I'm sure you're looking into buying a breastpump. An affordable one with great quality, right? Don't buy just yet! Because I, together with BabyPalooza Bazaar, am giving away one!!!

Kismet Christmas Giveaway! (WINNERS ANNOUNCED!)

     

       Rina's Rainbow is essentially a mommy / lifestyle blog.  But if you knew me well, you would know that I am actually also interested in gadgets, particularly smart phones. I might not know the nitty gritty details of the specs and all that, but there's something about smart phone stores that make me feel like a kid at a candy store. (Go figure) A normal woman walks into a mall and gets excited to window shop for shoes, I, on the other hand, get excited when I walk into a cellphone store / gadget department. Why exactly, I'm not really sure.

       And because I like looking at cellphones, any cellphone, and tinkling with it, it's needless to say that I also get the kick out of looking at cute cellphone cases. Dainty designs and the like. And lately I've been seeing some cellphone casing giveaway with a personalized touch. I've been wondering where I could buy those because it would be cool to put a photo of my little Rainbow there. Or a logo our bogs. And it would be an awesome personalized gift as well for Christmas!

       So it was the perfect timing that a recent acquaintance of mine told me that she actually had a cellphone printing business, Kismet's Trinkets ! Check out some of her samples! They're very attractive, cute designs, and a very good quality for an affordable price!

Another TWEET n TREAT from Baby & Family Expo Philippines 2013! (WINNERS ANNOUNCED!)

       

       Baby & Family Expo Philippines 2013 is just a few weeks away!!! Are you all excited?!? :-) I'm telling you moms, this is one of the biggest expo for all things baby and all things family!

Here's a quick refresher for this huge event (+ a new giveaway!!!)! :

Dine for a Cause! : #YolandaActionWeekened #ReliefPH

       There have been a lot of issues lately left and right. Political issues, blogging issues, and other personal issues. But this is the perfect time to drop everything and focus on more serious things that need more attention right now. And that's our suffering brothers and sisters in Tacloban who were badly hit by that stupid super typhoon Yolanda. The thing is, even if we're busy dealing with our own issues in life, there's actually a lot of ways we can help these victims get back on their feet without even knowing it. How?

Dine with a cause!!! 

#YolandaAcionWeekend #ReliefPH

Ways to Donate to Victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda

       I hardly get to follow the news because our TV is always locked on Sesame Street (because of my little boss here). But because of Facebook and other social media, I was able to see the sad sad situation that our brothers and sisters have experienced in Tacloban because of the super typhoon Yolanda. Bad news left and right. It's so depressing. Too depressing...

       One time I was able to watch a bit of Jessica Soho's coverage on the damage Yolanda has brought, and the victims on TV were asking for help. How a member of their family has passed away or is missing. I even saw a woman holding her less than a month old baby saying her husband has passed away :( My heart breaks for them :( But at the same time I was glad to see the baby had survived.

       I'm sure all of you would love to help in any way possible. Small or big. Every effort counts. And so for this week, instead of posting mommy stuff and 2 giveaways I have lined up, me and my husband would like to take a moment and instead share some ways on how we can all help our devastated brothers and sisters in Tacloban .

Marriott Hotel Philippines Spreads The Spirit of Christmas!

       It's that time of the year once again! I can feel it in the air! Even in the afternoon, the breeze is getting quite cooler. I love the Holidays! I mean, sure, there's less Christmas magic when you're an adult dealing with adult stuff... but as a mother, I am excited about passing on the Christmas magic to my little Rainbow! Teach her about Jesus' birthday, Three Kings, the Christmas Star, and of course, introduce her to Santa Clause! Christmas indeed is such a magical time!

       It's just around a month to go before December and so now's the perfect time to be thinking about your Christmas preparations! If you don't have a clue, yet you want something beautifully presented, with excellent quality, and just has Christmas written all over it, then Marriott Hotel has got you covered!

Christmas with Seattle's Best (And the 2014 Dream Journal!)

       Christmas is such a magical time for a child. I vividly remember when I was about 4 years old I think. I woke up in the morning of December 24 and I was so excited. Still on my jammies, I was panicking, looking for my Christmas shoes already for our Christmas gathering. I don't know why I thought I was late or something when the party was happening at our house. (Just one of the bits and pieces I remember during my early years as a human being)

       I miss the days when I still believed in Santa Clause. My parents and relatives would have us believe that they had Santa Clause picked up from the airport where Santa parked his reindeer. Then all the kids would gather by the Christmas tree, my grandmother would start to play Christmas songs on the piano which signals that Santa Clause is very near. I can still remember my heart racing and my palms getting sweaty. And then we would hear someone ringing a bell. SANTA IS HERE!!!!!!!

       Just a few days ago, I recall having a conversation with a friend about how Christmas feels so different as an adult. There's not much magic anymore especially when we face adult challenges. It would be nice to be like a kid again during this time of year. And the smart marketing minds of Seattle's Best are doing something to pull us back to our carefree childhood mindsets!

       Seattle's Best Coffee is spreading the spirit of Christmas to us adults and make us feel like kids again!

OISHI JEEP O BLOG Giveaway!

       Every morning, Rain usually climbs on me or Richie to wake us up (I'm not a morning person so yes she's the one who wakes me up haha!) Then she gets off the bed, goes to her milk station, gets a bottle, gives it to me and says "MEK!" (translated as Milk). Then Richie prepares for work, goes to work, I take Rain downstairs to the living room, put out all her toys, put on Sesame Street, and have breakfast as well. She naps after lunch while I work. Then after she wakes up we go back down to the living room and she plays some more while I work at the dining table. It's not much of a routine. You might say it's ordinary. But naturally, my Little Rainbow's smile and little knowledge surprises everyday make every second extraordinary!

Rainbow's Birthday Giveaway: Mario's Sunday Lunch Buffet! (WINNER ANNOUNCED!)

       It's been a month since I last held a giveaway. And now's the perfect excuse to do a series of new ones! Yehey! Come and celebrate Rain's 2nd birthday with us by joining our giveaways!!!

A Simple But Rewarding October 17!

       October 17, 2013. Rain officially turns 2 years old! On the day of her birthday we didn't really have any huge party planned. Richie was supposed to be in Cebu but due to the earthquake that happened, the trip was of course cancelled. Let's continue praying for Cebu and Bohol! :-(

       On a lighter note, we decided to make the most out of Richie's leave by taking Rain out to lunch. We've been wanting to try The Creamery in SM Mall of Asia. (Our experience there soon at The Pickiest Eater!). Rain had fun with the fun set up for the place that's catered towards kids! 

Baby Girl Zamora: Rain's Birth Day!

       I know I was on a lot of amnesia during that time but I still remember it clearly like it was just yesterday. October 17 2011, was truly one of the best days of my life....

       Throughout my doctor's appointments, my OB-GYN kept telling me how smoothly my pregnancy was going. And that I could definitely be able to deliver normally. She also told me that from the looks of it, my little Rain was in the perfect delivery position already and i could give birth sooner than expected. I was scared but I was more excited at the same time. I couldn't wait to finally see my baby in living color. Not just through the black and white sonogram.

       Days went by... Weeks went by... Before I knew it, Rain was past her due date. I tell you, those last few weeks of pregnancy are the loooooooooongest. You feel uncomfortable, heavy, and irritable. Why won't she come out already?!? In fact I hold a record with my OB-GYN because she says I'm the only overdue patient she had in a very long time.

       October 16, my sweet husband took me to a breakfast buffet. He knew how much I loved breakfast. I ate my heart out. But I had also already noticed that I was feeling mild contractions not too far apart from each other. But I was fine.

       That night, i slept very uncomfortably. Like I had menstruational cramps. But i was too exhausted to tell my husband. I would rather sleep it in. Around 6am, I felt the paid grow stronger. It was time.

       My calm husband rushed me to The Medical City after confirming with my doctor that I had I should check in already. This was finally the day I had been waiting for!

A Fun Cooking Class!: Knorr Kitchenhood Clinic

       I've never really been into cooking. One time I attempted making chicken stock for Rain but instead I ended up with a burnt pot of nothingness. So whenever I try to cook something decent, I need all the shortcuts I can get. That's when Knorr steps in. Knorr really makes cooking so much easier, especially for moms like me who don't know the difference between a red onion and a white onion. 

A Great Body Treatment for Tired Moms: KARADA Japanese Seitai Salon

       Being a stay-at-home mom may sound easy for other people. I admit even when I was still single, my dream was to be a stay-at-home mom, take care of the household, my husband, and my kids. I thought it was going to be easy and fun because after all I'll just be staying at home. But of course I was wrong. It's not always easy. Yes I'm just at home, working over the net and taking care of my toddler at the same time. Most of the time, I am only able to write one sentence before Rain pulls me away from the computer and wants to be carried or played with. And then when I give her a bath and put her down for a nap, I am only able to nap with her unintentionally for a maximum of 10 minutes while breastfeeding before I wake up and realize there's more work to be done.

       My left arm often feels very tired from carrying Rain. And sometimes I also feel back pains from working on the bed beside Rain while she sleeps at night. The computer table is in another room and Rain usually wakes up at night looking for me (and breast milk hehe) so I have to be beside her at night. There are no breaks for me. And it is physically exhausting, even when I am "JUST at home".

       That's why when the good people from Bistro Group invited some bloggers to this new salon, I couldn't say no. At first I thought was a massage place. I was wrong. In a way, it's better!

Beautiful Coffee Art by Hotel Celeste's Angelo Abordo

Angelo Abordo

       Meet Angelo Abordo. A passionate barista that we met during at a lovely dinner at Hotel Celeste Makati  (dinner post coming soon at The Pickiest Eater). A humble-looking guy with mad skills in coffee art! It was my first time to witness coffee art, actually. So needless to say I was really mesmerized!

       Oh, and he's not just a professional barista. He's currently a Management Trainee at The Cravings Group. I'm impressed! Check out these beautiful works of (coffee) art he did for us!

Hair Violins?!?: Cream Silk's Hair Sonata!

This is interesting!

       Cream Silk will stage a musical show that's one of a kind! It's the Cream Silk Hair Sonata. A star-studded night of beautiful music demonstrating hair strength! Literally! They will feature a 42-piece orchestra, plus a 10-member all-female ensemble all using HAIR BOWS! Unbelievable! This is going to be the World's 1st Ever Hair Symphony Orchestra! It's going to be held at the NBC Tent on October 17, 2013. 

       This is definitely something you wouldn't want to miss!

       Oh and one more thing... Cream Silk has another exciting announcement! Three lucky women can win a glamorous make over plus two exclusive invites to this enchanting event! See the mechanics below:

iPhone Pregnancy App: Baby Bump

       Fiddling an old phone proved to be good time spent because I was able to reminisce on apps I used before during my pregnancy days. I previously posted Pink Pad (an app I used when we were still trying to conceive) so now let me share with you this pregnancy app called Baby Bump!

       I don't know how I could have mentally survived my 9 months of pregnancy without this app. As a first time mom, I was the curious type. And I'm a visual type of person. I wanted needed to know and visualize a sperm's journey so I can visualize myself conceiving. (Yes I can be very weird). So of course I also needed to know exactly how my baby looked like as it develops from a single-celled organism to a healthy human. And this app was the perfect tool! (And yes it's free from the Apple App Store!)

Trying-To-Conceive Apps: Pink Pad

WARNING! This post is about girl stuff. Guys, move along! Nothing to see here! Except when you're trying to conceive with your partner for the first time :-)

       Time really does fly when you're a first time mom. I can't believe it's already Rain's birth month and that she's turning 2 in a few days. Seems like only yesterday when I would feel a bit bitter towards couples who would send out pregnancy announcements before me ahahahaha... (sarcastic laughter).

       I was fiddling with my old iPhone 3G when I saw my pregnancy apps. Yep. I downloaded pregnancy apps. Thank you technology! I'm not kidding these apps helped me big time! Back when we were still trying to conceive, I came across this app called Pink Pad.

Simpler And Cleaner Rina's Rainbow

I've always been torn between a super colorful and girly blog design and a white and clean one. In the end, I got tired of too much purple and so I made a simpler one. But yeah I still love purple so the text and tabs are still shades of purple. No web developer hired! Just me! hehehe (Pat on the back). It's just a matter of fiddling with the templates :-)

Eden Christmas Commercial: Paskong Damang-Dama

Just wanted to share this!

This has got to be one of the most heart-warming Christmas TVCs I have ever watched. Even just replaying it in my head, makes me cry :') Truly a mother's love is amazingly unconditional! Way to go Eden!!! Thanks to my good friend Melay for sharing this video!

PS: Prepare tissues. You'll thank me later.

Baby Vision Monitor Installation: Moms Can Do it!

       I am eternally grateful for Baby Vision for picking Rina's Rainbow as one of their Blogger Ambassadors! (Yay! Pat on the back) And as a not-so-simple thank you, they have given us our very own Baby Vision unit!!!

       I got mixed feelings when I received mine. I was happy of course because I believed in this product. And I'm not just saying that because I'm one of their ambassadors. Really. I think it's such a practical and essential gadget to have in the house for lots of obvious and important reasons. But at the same time, I felt a tinge of nervousness. I wasn't sure if I could assemble it by myself. I might end up breaking it. Richie was at work at that time. And I was way too excited to wait for him to arrive. So I shook off all my doubts and went ahead and opened the box...Here we go! Wish me luck!

Another Fun Weekend at F1 Hotel Manila!

       Being a work-at-home-mom may look easy from the outside looking in. After all, we're just home all day. Don't need to get up hours earlier to prepare for work. We can take quick naps in the middle of the day if we wanted. We can just watch our favorite TV programs while working. We're just a few steps away from our fridge. You get the picture. But I wish it was that easy. Truth is, I don't event have time to do other important things like play Plants Vs. Zombies except at night when everyone's asleep hahaha!

Excited to check in!

       That's why whenever my little family (no pun intended) gets a chance to have a staycation, my answer is always a big HELL YEAH!!! This means relax time for Mommy Rina! And this time we're lucky to be invited back for a second staycation at F1 Hotel Manila! (See our awesome first staycation here).

A Cool Party Planning Tool!: Red Ribbon Budget Planner!

During Rain's 1st Birthday :-)

It's October!!!

       No I'm not excited about Halloween (Okay maybe I am a little bit) but what I'm most excited about is my little Rainbow's 2nd birthday! This little rambunctions toddler is turning 2 years old! Oh my how time flies! Seemed like only yesterday that we celebrated her first birthday! I'm so excited! But...

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf : 26th St. Bistro

       (Thursday last week) I just dropped off Richie at Market Market to catch a cab while I find a place to park somewhere in The Fort Strip and kill time until event I have to attend to at Aracama starts. I was supposed to look for a McDonalds to have a quick affordable breakfast when I realized there was none nearby. I didn't want to be late so I looked for something that was just close to Arcama and saw A Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf shop just across. Okay so I guess I'll just have coffee (Deep inside I was happy. I love their White Chocolate Dream). And plus, the inside looks cozy and cool so I couldn't resist.

Watsons Finds

We found this funky wallet at Watsons. All leather.

Hello iOS7!

                                 

Yay! I feel like I have a new iPad!

I've said this numerous times before and I'll say it again... I'm fond of gadgets. Mobile phones particularly. Anything new, be it high tech or old school, excites me. And today is a happy day for me because I finally downloaded the iOS7! I feel like I have a new toy!

Throwback Thursday: A Childhood Toy

       I couldn't believe what I saw from Rain's stuff. I think it was from one of the loot bags she got from a party (sorry I can't remember from who's party it may have been) But when I saw this I got so excited! Childhood memories immediately came rushing back! I haven't seen this toy in years! PLASTIC BALLOON!!!!

Village Tavern Favorites!

     

       Okay so this is really a delayed post. In fact it's 8 months delayed hehe. Just wanted to share with you one of our favorite restaurants in the Metro. Village Tavern by Bistro Group. It was love at first bite. (Read about my hubby's review here). After tasting their delicious menu, we knew it was going to be the start of something good! So anyway, we love Village Tavern so much that Richie and I decided to take my sister there as a birthday dinner with my Dad and of course the little Rainbow.

Davao's SM Lanang

       Before we went to Davao, I used to think SM Baguio was the only unique SM I have seen. It was so different from the usual big concrete box exterior design that I always see in all the SMs in Manila. They had a huge alfresco balcony thingy where you can take a whiff of Baguio's fresh pine scented air and enjoy a fresh green view of The City of Pines. But Davao proved me wrong.

       

        Despite having that big concrete box exterior, the inside of SM Lanang is huge and pretty. You'll see what I mean in th next photo...

3rd Rockwell Ultimate Taste Test 2013! Tickets Now Available!

  

Seems like only yesterday when Richie and I were going around at the Rockwell tent with score sheets and food trays on our hands (plus a huge camera for me hehe). It was the 2nd Ultimate Taste Test by Our Awesome Planet and we were having the time of our lives tasting amazing food, both savory and sweet.

Skin Care for Me and My Rainbow: Physiogel

      I have always had oily skin. And I always found it as a curse. I've had a lot of photos with my face shinier than a diamond (eew). That’s why when I heard about Physiogel at first I thought it was something that I wouldn't need because it was marked as a "moisturizer". And the last thing that I needed was to extract more oil into my already pimply face. But obviously I don’t know much about skin care. And it was during the Physiogel event that I learned a great deal about how this product works.

If I Were a Millionaire...

I'm actually having second thoughts about writing this because you might all think I'm materialistic. Well, maybe in some level I am. But really...aren't we all? Even just a tinge? Personally I think there's nothing wrong about dreaming of material things from time to time, right? Things we see in the mall, on television, etc. Just keeping it real.

That's why I thought of writing this blog post to write about what Richie and I would do if we were millionaires. Hold on... hmmmm.... since we're dreaming and all, might as well change that to Billionaire. Hehehe. We love playing this game! We always play this game in the car during traffic. "Game! What do we do first when we win the lottery?".  Things we want to spend on when we have lots of money. (I keep saying WHEN instead of IF so I can attract it! ;-) One has to always assume a happy ending!

...pay off all credit cards
Image source

Pamulak Kadayawan 2013: The Parade

   My province is Bangued, Abra. And as far as I know, there aren't really any fiestas there. I only remember the annual Procession wherein statues of saints parade around the whole town. I enjoyed every minute of it when I was small. We would choose which saint to follow and then parade with them with candles. It was always a fun experience. But it was my first time ever to see a parade with dance presentations and flower floats in Davao during the Kadayawan Festival last August 16-18. And that's all thanks to Marco Polo Hotel Davao for sponsoring a blogger's weekend there. That was some pampering! 

      We were lucky to have had a sneak peek on how the floats are made (which I recently blogged about here). We saw two amazing floats being made and so I was so excited to see the other participating floats the following morning on the parade at around 8AM.

     Come the next morning, it was only 7:30 when we heard some drumming from outside. I was half asleep. So I got up and saw that it had already started! I quickly washed up and told Richie I would rush downstairs. I grabbed Nikki (my camera), and my phone, totally forgetting to put on sunblock. But it was all good because Marco Polo set up a covered stage where their guests can sit and watch the parade. So my nognog-ness was not THAT bad. 

     The front of the hotel was the most perfect spot to watch the Kadayawan presentations and parades. Front row, baby! So event if I totally forgot to recharge my camera's battery the night before (I only had 2 bars left), and also forgot to dump photos (I only had 20+ photo space), I was able to get pretty okay shots using my iPad. I'm telling you, if you want to go to Davao for the Kadayawan Festival, Marco Polo is the way to go.  

    So anyway I won't keep you waiting! Let the Pamulak Kadayawan parade begin!          

Small but pretty fishy!

Pamulak Kadayawan 2013: Making Floral Floats

  

         My Davao trip has been a lot of firsts for me. As I mentioned in my earlier post, it was my first time to visit Davao, my first time to experience a fiesta, and thus it was also my first time to see a floral float being made! It was so awesome! It was for the floral float parade called Pamulak Kadayawan that was going to happen that following morning (August 18). I would have totally volunteered to help if I could! In a way I kind of envied all of them staying up all night with a group of fun people and working together to create something special! And special it was! 

Baby Expo Philippines 2013 (Giveawa Winners Announced!)

        Some two years ago, I was a desperate wife trying to get pregnant. My husband and I were trying everything we can to conceive. I was sooooo ready to be a mom. I just needed a baby. (More on our experience on conceiving in a separate post). But as everything happens in God's time, on the month of February 2011, that white pregnancy test kit finally showed two lines! I couldn't be happier! 

        Soon after double confirming with the doctor and announcing to our families the great news, a big realization hit me...

I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT TAKING CARE OF BABIES!

        Panic mode! I have never had to take care of an infant (be it a sibling or niece or nephew) in my life. This would be the first time. Luckily I have 2 wonderful sister-in-laws who are already moms and of course my Mother-in-law who are readily available to give me tips.

        But I felt I still had to be on the look-out for places where I can buy stuff  for babies and moms to be. As a first-time clueless mom, it was important for me to be able to go to one place where I can already see all the latest must-haves that I could possibly need. So every time there was a baby bazaar I made sure I would attend.

Rina's Rainbow is a Partner! :-)

Colors and Smiles of Davao - Indak Indak sa Kadalanan 2013

              

             It was my first time in beautiful city of Davao and what perfect timing to spend my first time there than witness the lively and colorful Kadayawan Festival! Not only was it my first time in Davao but it was also my first time to experience a festival as well! 

            The Indak Indak sa Kadalanan (which was a cultural street dancing show) happened on the 17th of August with it's route starting from Claveria, and then Roxas, Ponciano, and then San Pedro). Although I wasn't familiar with the whole story of the Kadayawan festival, I noticed that each presentation consisted of the same thing: crop offerings, a queen, a king, an infant, diwatas (fairies), and a bad element. Bad tries to ruin the party but in the end the good prevails. You can learn more about the roots of the Kadayawan Festival here. 

             See these amazing participants (mostly students) as they dance and sing their hearts out through my photos below. (In order of appearance hehe). The beat of the huge drums, the lavish costumes, and the lively choreography all added up to a fantastic festival. But if you ask me, there was one key ingredient that really completed the wonderful experience, and that is to see the beautiful smiles of the Davaoeños! 

Better Me Session: Building Healthier Relationships with your Children

Ongoing while I’m typing this blog post:

Rain pointing at random things...

Rain: HU DAT?

Me: Cookie Monster

Rain:  HU DAT?

Me: Rosita

Rain:  HU DAT?

Me: Grover

Rain:  HU DAT?

Me: Telly

Rain:  HU DAT?

Me: A chair

Rain:  HU DAT? HU DAT? HU DAT?

         This HU DAT started a few weeks ago and you can only imagine how thrilled I was that she was starting to really communicate... or in this case, ask questions. Curiosity stage has begun thus the birth of Little Miss Curious George here.

       But after a while, it can get tiring. Especially when I’m trying to finish work. But of course, as tiring as it may be, I still have to put on a smile and answer each and every HU DAT question that comes my way so she will always feel like she can come to me for anything. And I know this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Better Me Session: Building Healthier Relationships with your Partner

                                

      

A perfect picture: Daddy works, gets home, child runs and hugs the dad, Mom happily prepares a meal, everyone gathers around the dining table to say what a great day they had.

This is a perfect picture of a perfect family with healthy relationships. But of course, with all of us being students of this subject called LIFE, we all know that not everything is rainbows and butterflies. One hopes for this perfect picture, (not the Braidy Bunch type though). But of course perfect relationships don’t come in a box that you just order online. It should be constantly worked on especially by us parents. And this is pretty much the gist of what I learned from a #BetterMe session by Certified Life Coach, Pia Acevedo organized by Mommy Mundo’s SoMoms.

Chris "Ashton" Kutcher and Steve Jobs: Speeches that Move Me

           I honestly have never really been an Apple / MAC person. At least not until the ground-breaking iPhone came to life. I was so amazed with the technology (and quite frankly because I can be so mainstream haha) But I did believe in the product. There's no denying that it it's own way, it changed the world of smart phones. 

My old iPhone 3G

            And sadly, it wasn't until he passed away 2 years ago that I got to find out about his legacy in life which really gave me goosebumps. One of his quotes that really hit me every time I complain about my work was during his commencement speech at Stanford University:

My Flash Broke Down :(

Niki is lonesome tonight and for a few more nights :(

          Who's Niki? She's my trusty Nikon D80. She's responsible for taking all the food shots for The Pickiest Eater as well as capturing happy family memories for this humble blog. And she's lonely because she misses her best friend. the one that gives light to her life. it's my bounce flash SB 600 which broke down in the middle of taking photos during an event about a week ago :-(

                                   

   

Family Lunch at RACKS (and a Giveaway!) - WINNER ANNOUNCED!

            I love weekends! Sure I'm a stay-at-home-mom and I spend almost every waking moment with Rain, but during the weekends, we're all in relax mode and I get to really spend time with my little family (no pun intended)

            And I don't know about you, but my ideal activity for spending the weekend with my family is to EAT OUT. I'm sorry, that's PIG OUT hahaha! And you can never go wrong with American comfort food. No fancy schmacy whatever. Just good old can-be-messy food! And that makes RACKS a good contender.

Rain the Builder! (And the toy I want for her!)

          Lately, Rain has been getting the hang of playing with building toys like her KIMY stix and some building blocks I got for her months ago. And it's fascinating to watch her connect the pieces (and cute to see her frustrated sometimes when she just can't get it to stick together hehe)

See her here playing with her blocks

A Mompreneur's Time to Shine!

        To be totally honest, I don’t think I could ever be an entrepreneur. Or at least not just yet. I already find the daily tasks of a mom quite overwhelming. That’s why whenever I see mompreneurs, I always get amazed. They can take care of their children, the household, and their own business all at the same time. How the hell do they do it?!? Is there like a super mom vitamin out in the market I don’t know about? Anyway hopefully in the future I can find out their secret. In the meantime, I hope you don’t judge me if I’m very much contented in staying at home with Rain, writing and doing some other part-time home-based work hehehe.

         How about you? Are you a super mom with a business? Then you might consider yourself a Mompreneur! (I salute you by the way. How do you do it?!?) You might be interested to know that the 2^nd Mompreneur Summit is happening on September 14, 2013 from 9am to 4pm at The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion, Mckinley Hill, Bonifacio Global City. I really think, for a mom with her own business such as yourself, that this is one event you shouldn’t miss.

Way to Go CHAMPS!!!!!

          Wow!!! Confettis and trumpets to CCM International Philippines' CHAMPS Chewable Vitamins for winning the Guardian Customer's Choice Award 2013! They won under the Kids Supplement Category! That is awesome!!!

           Way to go CHAMPS! 

Playing in the background:

Weeeee are the CHAMPions.. My frieeeeeend

And we'll keep on fighting 'till the end!

Weeeeee are the CHAMPions...

Weeeeee are the CHAMPions...

Noooooo time for loooooosers

'Coz weeeee are the CHAAAAAMPioooooons...

Of the woooooooooooooorld!!!!