My top 3 hair products

Here are three hair products that I super love!

The Gliss Kur hair repair by Schwarzkopf  was a pasalubong (gift) from my sister in law last month when she went Europe and I swear it's the best ever!  I have tried other leave in conditioners similar to it, but this one leaves my hair really soft. I also love the scent and it won't weigh down your hair.   I usually spray this on my towel dried hair and spray a little more once my hair is dry. I am truly a convert!  I'm just not sure if this is available here, though.  Gotta do my research on this.

Lumi Oil Oil by L'oreal has been a staple in my dresser for the longest time.  One pump goes a long way!  I cannot even remember when I bought this bottle.  I usually use this after I blow dry my hair, which does not happen quite often now a days having to take of a very active toddler.

Volume Essence by Natubea is a Korean brand.  I bought this after I had a digiperm at Tony and Jackey. This was one of the products that my Korean hairdresser recommended to have long lasting curls.  I must say she was correct. It enhances the curls and won't damage your hair.  I squeeze in a pea size of this product and scrunch it on towel dried hair and I'm good to go for the day!

      

So there goes my top three hair products! Care to share yours?

Make up lessons at Shu Uemura

One of the things in my bucket list is to be able to take up personal make up lessons.  I am no make up junkie but I just want to learn the basics and be able to do my make up during special occasions or events.  I have been seeing Shu Uemura make up courses in Deal Grocer for the longest time, but I never have gotten around and purchase any deal.  It was only after Vito's passing that I finally took the plunge and I am so happy that I did!

I picked the 3 day course which was for P5,000.  Each session lasted for 3 hours everyday from 1pm-4pm.  Normally, there would only be one instructor throughout the duration with three participants.  However, during my class, we had three different instructors (Rizza, Hannah and John) and we were only two in the class which was awesome!  John (Pagaduan) was the main instructor, however, he had scheduled photo shoots on Day 1 and 2.  We (my classmate Bea and I) kinda wished that we didn't have to change teachers everyday, but we just tried to look at the advantages and make the most out of the sessions.  It was so much fun because we got to use and try all Shu Uemura products in the store (I especially love the Tsuya mousse primer and Tsuya skin), there was a 10% discount on their products if you make a purchase on the day of the class and a Shu Fanatic Membership Card!

I learned a lot from those three days and it was more than enough to kick off my renewed interest for make up and start establishing a skincare routine.  Our instructors always reminded us that beautiful make up starts with beautiful skin, which is so true!  I felt ashamed that when I was asked what my skincare regimen was, all I could say was that I just wash my face with Cetaphil or Argan soap and that's it!  Well, I used to have a skincare regimen.  I used the Obagi Nu Derm line and frequented my dermatologist before I got married, but that stopped when I got pregnant, gave birth and got engulfed with raising Rocco (and got pregnant again after a year).  I need to establish a skincare routine soon since I am also not getting any younger.

Anyway, here is my certificate of completion, yey!  I would love to post pictures, but I'm still not comfortable looking at my super fat self, hahah!  So I guess the certificate will suffice at the moment :)

 

Daphne's home scent

I am a fan of Daphne Osena - from her style, her chairs, linens and necklaces!   I have been meaning to try her home scent line from Bench for quite sometime and was only able to buy one .  I bought the Mint Jasmine and am already itching to buy the Homemade Lemon tart on my next trip to the mall.  These are also ideal as gifts and are priced reasonably for P348 only.  Not bad, but I wish they can improve on the sticker label though (the one I bought seemed like the one who placed the sticker was in a hurry - Hindi pantay!). But that's just me.

Vito's story and the lessons he taught me

Sometimes I wish that the clock stopped on March 30, 2013 when everything was ok - normal and happy.  We got to spend  quality time as a family.  We had a good dinner at Chili's on Holy Thursday.  My brother and his family was also with us during the holiday.  We were complete and I was happy and content.  But there was a sudden turn of events come Easter Sunday.  I did not feel Vito  move in my tummy.  All my attempts to wake him failed.  Even before rushing to the hospital, I somewhat knew that my 33 week old son was gone.  I was unusually calm throughout, which was weird.  

Lying in the labor room for 24 hours, enduring contractions, and getting an epidural felt so surreal.  I was waiting for nothing .  I would never hear my son's cry.  I was just staring blankly on the pink walls of my small cubicle, silently praying for some miracle and hoping that someone would wake me up from this nightmare.  But no one came to say " We got a heartbeat!" or " Happy April fool's day!"  

A little after 6pm, I gave birth to Vito.  I still wished he'd move when he was placed on top of my stomach, but he didn't.  I silently wept and wondered how he looked like until the nurse asked if I wanted to see my little bean, and there he was looking so much like my older son, but a little bigger.  I would never know how different and alike they would be and would never see them wear matching pajamas, share toys and love each other as I pictured them.  I touched his faced, his lips, hands and feet.  I examined his whole face.  My little boy looked very peaceful.  It was as if he was telling me that he was ok, and everything's gonna be ok.

The day of his cremation, which was the following day,  was the hardest.  That was the time that everything sank in.   That was the day when I wept.  I felt so helpless.  

It wasn't an easy pregnancy compared to my first, but all the sacrifices were worth it whenever I felt his somersaults and all tests would show negative.  That's why everyone was bewildered as to what could have happened.  

The results showed that Vito's cause of death was Utero Placental Insufficiency.  There was lack of oxygen supply in the placenta.  Why it happened, no one could tell.  As mentioned we passed all tests with flying colors.  I forced myself to go back to the previous days trying to remember what happened.  But everything was normal.  Vito was his usual active self.  

Almost two months after that tragic incident, I could say that I have accepted Vito's fate. I have never questioned why it happened and never blamed anyone for his loss.   However,  I could never really say that I will ever recover.  The pain of losing a child will never go away.  I wouldn't say that his death has brought something good, but rather it has made me realize that all of us are just living on borrowed time.  Death can come anytime, regardless if you are prepared or not.   It can slowly creep in times when everything seems to be going the way as planned.  

To my son, I would have loved to hold you in my arms everyday, but I am thankful that even if we only had a brief encounter, you taught me to value life, take it one day at a time, value the relationships that I have and spend time with people that matter.  I love you and one day I will be able to hold you and embrace you forever.  

Ode to my mother

Happy Mother's Day To the woman who gave me life, whom endured carrying me and kuya at the same time going down the stairs every morning, who taught me how to cook rice without using a rice cooker (without getting 'tutong'), who patiently taught me early in the morning before class how to multiply, who taught me how to bake those yummy ala Mrs. Fields cookies, who peeled shrimps for me, who made the best 'floating island,' who brought and fetched me in the office even during the wee hours of the morning, who willingly plays and take care of my son, who taught me to treat people equally and with respect and who continues to remind me to have faith in God.   There are a lot of things about you that I may have not covered and it will take several posts to just simply show the world what an awesome woman you are. I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done and continuing to be doing for us.  I pray that God continues to bless you with good health so that my children will be able to experience how lucky they are to have Mamita.

I know that I am not as strong (physically and at times emotionally) as you are, but all that i hope for is toI be like you or at least half of what you have achieved as a Mother.  I love you, Mom.  Always.