Patty Laurel features a lot of exciting things in her blog which mostly complements my taste as well. A few months ago she posted Pretty Little Things and her list includes a contest giveaway of Lulu Swing shoes. Sadly, I didn't win the contest but just the same I just couldn't resist the charm of its shoe designs and finally gave in when the Cancan model came out.

I verified my size on their chart then placed my order. The next day I received confirmation about the availability of my order then I paid it via BPI deposit. I replied with a copy of my deposit slip to confirm my payment then a day after... I am now a certified Lulu Swing Shoes owner. Yay, whatta feat!

Unboxing my first Lulu Swing Shoes...so excited

I wore my first pair a couple of times already during this weekend and I find it to be lightweight considering it's leather. Comfy, pretty and makes me happy! Thanks to Isa and Team. (Heard the owner is a Christian too.)

Breaking in my Cancan during the Banapple Market Market Grand Opening

FROM http://www.luluswingshoes.com

It was a few months ago when we saw a tarpaulin covering an area between Breadtalk and Seattle's Best in Market Market that says "Banapple" coming soon...

Hubby and I looked forward to the day it will open. We first got introduce to Banapple pies through the seminars we attend to at our church, Victory Fort and we love it! Although my office is nearby their Ayala Triangle branch, I never got to dine there because of the long lines.

So imagine my excitement when Market Market confirmed through Twitter that they are finally opening, Sep 28 Friday. Yay!!! I am on the 2-11pm shift so I planned to have lunch there before going to work. So without further adieu... welcome to our new neighbor, BANAPPLE!

Located near the drop off area

I call this the 'Pink Room'

Interior of Banapple Kitchen (Market Market)

 

Lasagna with Penne Bread


Inside Banapple, you will also find their lil bro - SandwiCheese that serves you betcha - array of sandwiches.

SandwiCheese Stall

Promise I will be back soon with hubby who replied 'Wow, chalap' when I sent him these photos via our office email para inggitin sya. Hihihi. But I did bring home some Tuna Pie for him to enjoy that night.

FROM http://www.munchpunch.com:

**** UPDATE: October 2012 ****

Guess who finally joined me for lunch during his Friday off from work...Yey!



Hubby Jase's first time to dine

Another Sunday evening treat for me after Pinoy Explorer in TV5 is the 30-minute show in Lifestyle Network, channel 52 in Skycable hosted than no less than Amanda Griffin-Jacob: Amanda Loving Life!

Dubbed as the 'TV Show for the MODERN MOTHER' and invites us to 'join Amanda as she opens her doors to every parent and mother as she tackles the different challenges of Parenthood. Stay in top form as she shows you how to stay fit and healthy. Shop with her in seeking the latest trends on fashion and beauty. Travel with her to places yet to be discovered. Feast with her as she shows you the different cuisines or better yet prepare a sumptuous meal for your loved ones to enjoy. Join her as she embarks on a journey into the simple pleasures of life and.... the joys of motherhood.'

Last Sunday was their Beauty and Technology episode with DJ Delamar for Facial Care.

 And the epitome of Filipina, Ms. Dawn Zulueta-Lagdameo for Marie France.

Ms. Dawn is my all time peg, the big-dowed wide eyes and the wavy hair features that I share with her. But that just about it...hahaha!

Me circa 2009 Pre-Nup photo

After 3 months of run, this Sunday is already the season finale of Amanda Loving Life and base on their FB posting, the last episode is full packed with Nicole Hernandez, Giselle Toengi, Daphne Osena-Paez, Tweetie de Leon, Mikaela Lagdameo, Christine Jacob (Amanda's sis-in-law) and Maggie Wilson.

I am enjoying being a wife and praying for a little one not in the next couple of years. I just feel 32 y.o. feels right for me to have a bundle of joy of my own. Again, this is just for me and it was a desire imprinted in my heart at the beginning of our marriage during one of my quiet times and it hasn't changed since then. My hubby also doesn't mind being the baby of the house for now. He loves having all my attention all to his own but I know he wouldn't mind sharing in the future.

Just the same, I am learning much to those who are already on that stage especially that my own mom is no longer here on earth to help me out hands on. I know my MIL will support me but it is still different if my Nanay will be here, you know what I mean. So thanks Amanda Loving Life for shaping the future mommy in me. More power and till next season.

I have been a patron of Kainan sa Balsa in Bacoor Cavite since my gradeschool days together with my Ramos clan. Years had passed and it still kept it simple charms and I already rubbed it off to my hubby, hahaha.

Balsa

Kainan sa Balsa was first of its kind when it was put up. A floating restaurant with cottages made of native materials that nestled on a private pond or palaisdaan. It serves Filipino dish and highlights on grilled foods - seafood and pork. The best part -- it is cheaper compared to other dining places that serves the same menu. A stick of barbeque go as low as Php 18.00 a stick.

Pork Barbeques with Rice & Sabaw

So yesterday, before going back to Makati we made a stop there for our dinner. Our budget Php 200.00 and we went home with happy tummies.



Burp!



Wearing my Suelas Flats Impresso Natural/Gold

Last January, I went to SSS Tagaytay office to replace my SSS ID for surname change due to marriage.  I knew what I was going into when I applied for this -- a loooong wait! So I actually did not put my expectations that high since base on my research, SSS has a major back log in producing the IDs and sending it out to the members.

Married Name

So it was just a delight that when I visited my in-laws place yesterday that I received a letter from SSS. Yay! Despite the not-so-flattering picture, I am happy that at least they were able to send it within the same year (7 months process). Also instead of the old blue-colored ID, I now own the new yellow-colored Philippine Unified Multi-Purpose ID which can be used in SSS for private sector/GSIS for government sector, PAGIBIG and Philhealth transactions.

Unified Multi-Purpose ID Back

Our Sunday Eve has been freed up lately that we are able to watch local channels. One of which that is starting to become hubby and I's favorite is TV5's Pinoy Explorer hosted by no other than Mr. Aga Muchlach.

Aga visits different places all over the world and for his birthday episode, he traveled locally to Bohol where he met up with Cesar Montano and was even sung to by the heavenly voices of Loboc Choir. Bohol was also memorable to us because it was the very first travel we took via airplane.

The following week he featured some of the best of past episodes like the Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi and for tonight the whole family will be joining Aga in his trip to Sydney.

Just making kulit though, their FB page posted this Aga-Charlene pic at pumepeg lang ang mga Yaps as Muchlachs hihihi ♥♥♥.

Well at least hubby got the dimples and I got the hair

Catch it with us every Sunday 6:30-7:30 pm at Channel 5. Happy Anniversary Pinoy Explorer!

As for us we tried to do our own share of exploration since we got married in 2009.

Budget travels that we have blessed to experience

This year we are booked to Coron Palawan for our 3rd wedding anniversary on December (Thanks to Cebu Pacific Piso Fare). It marks our 15 years together since we were boy/girlfriend for a dozen years before getting married.

Who knows we might win the contest to travel with Aga! Makulit din namang host din tong si hubby eh. Here is a video we took in Corregidor in 2010.

*** Updated October 30, 2012 ***

We have been wanting to send in photos to some of our travels and finally thank you to Aga for clarifying the mechanics via twitter. Yay!

Corregidor Island Entry

The medical adventure begins

This has been the longest time I was out in the office in my entire career of eight years...

Week 1: I was feeling my usual monthly flu-like feeling once again but worse. So I visited my highschool best friend who is now a doctor for consultation. I was advice to rest for 5 days and come back if the symptoms persist.

Week 2: The symptoms did persist! So with my second visit, we discussed what I was feeling much further. Even tracking back to the last 6 months to the last couple of years. 

My best friend is considering Chronic Fatigue for her diagnosis but I was advice to see an Internal Medicine specialist to run laboratory test before this could be finalized. But she urge that I immediately take a break from work before anything becomes worst. She said for the kind of beating my body has suffered for all these years, it is best to take 2-3 months rest. One month tops!

Of course, my head who is not very familiar to the idea of a long sabbath doesn't seem to agree on it plus the responsibilities on helping out pay the bills doesn't fit the timeline. But if only my body could speak up, I bet it would not just shout for ENOUGH but whack me in my head at the same time.

Week 3: Habagat strikes...  

Downloaded an app to help me monitor my meds

Week 4: Thanks to my Intellicare Medical Card, I visited one of their affiliated clinic which is Aventus Makati. A series of laboratory medical work up was requested through blood extraction.

I went back for the actual blood extraction after doing my 8-hour fast. The result is available the next day but the schedule of the Internal Medicine was a couple of days away.

I also saw an OB-Gynecologist in PULSE Clinic in Market Market since one of the major issues I have was my period which became irregular after actually I got married. My doctor was very thorough in explaining and hopeful after my Trans-V Ultrasound. She prescribed a pill that will help my cycle to become regular.

When I returned for my lab results to be read by the IM, the numbers were not good at all -- my glucose, bad cholesterol were high and my thyroid hormone was elevated. So I was endorsed to an Endocrinologist for more analysis on the thyroid result.

Week 5: I finally got to consult with THE Endocrinologist, who will change the course of my awareness regarding my body and put light on a very shady almost mysterious state that I am in for quite a while. The doctor asked me to take one more blood test before he gives his final diagnosis. But the result of that antibody blood test would come out a few weeks after but he already put me in a low dose of thyroid pill that will help balance my hormones and improve metabolism. The doctor emphasized the importance of doing a lifestyle change to help improve my health.

Week 6: Being in the IT industry, I could consider this "lifestyle change" to be a major upgrade on my legacy system... major enhancement... major release! So while waiting on the result of my last lab test, I had the task to find replacement to my former unhealthy food choices and re-program my sugar addiction to a more sophisticated good-for-the-body meals.

So the next grocery time with hubby was a series of reading the labels and experimenting if I could actually acquire a new tastebuds to these type of foods. I kept on asking God for wisdom for my daily choices and provision because the items on our shopping list do not come cheap.

Si Lord naman indi KJ, He even sent His Son to die for us so that we may live our lives to the FULL!!! Kaya thank you Lord for companies such as Nestle, Quaker, Growers and the makers of Nova.

And since I am limiting my rice intake, I just fell in love with the Gardenia Wheat Bread - Raisin and Cranberry Loaf. I don't feel I'm missing out on my carbohydrates because of it.

And of course, wala ng huhusay pa sa gumawa ng langit at lupa, prutas, lamang dagat, at sa nagbigay sa asawa ko ng talent sa pagluluto ng masasarap na seafood 'experiment' dishes.

Nestle Wellness

Staple snacks and Wheat Bread

Seafood helps with the thyroid function

and Mr. Crabs

Fruits, Fruits, and more Fruits

Week 7: This is finally it, the result of the antibody test is out and my doctor reads it... He then explained that base on the result, he is now able to say that I have nothing to worry about. The initial test which shows elevated TSH hormone (hormone produced by the pituary gland) can be categorized as subclinical hypothyroidism. This also affected my glucose so I am at risk to be pre-diabetic but this can be corrected with the meds he gave and you guess it right...la-la-la-lifestyle change! (I'll probably post another entry regarding my symptoms under subclinical hypothyroidism.)

After discussing my options on how conservative or aggressive we will address this, my doctor finally signed my Fit To Work Certificate... Praise God!

Fit to Work

Few days before I went back to work, I actually tried having a massage. It was my first to have someone non-related to me rub my back side while I am almost naked. I availed Olympic Manhattan Massage at the Big Apple Express Spa for only Php 99.00 (yes, less than 100 bucks) for 30 minutes and definitely it was the perfect culmination to my rest.

To beat that chronic fatigue

God is in control. With all things considered, even if in my eyes at first this experience was an inconvenience in my timeline, budget and career I trust God that He reigns over the situation. He revealed to me a lot of things during my quiet times in those 7 weeks. My relationship deepens even more with Him and I think He wanted that. For me to spend even more time with Him, listening to His voice minus the office deadlines. How He took care of me as I go through this valley in life and how His power of healing and wisdom manifested. Teaching me that the true sabbath is only found in Christ, our Lord. The Holy Spirit guiding me to bible verses that consoles me during the time of pain.

As I ended my "vacation", I wrote this in my journal to keep me focus in my journey:

Claiming this. Thank you Lord.

During my health hiatus last July to August, I saw 5 doctors from different specialty. All of them said 2 magic words even if we were still waiting on the results of my medical laboratory test. Those magic words are "LIFESTYLE CHANGE". It is bidding away from old bad habits of unhealthly food choices, sugar addiction and sedimentary lifestyle. So the choice had to be made! A 30-minute physical activity is enough to jumpstart this new life and enough to help improve my wellness. So last weekend, I dragged my hubby to a morning jog at Bonifacio Global City (BGC The Fort Taguig). We parked our car at Bonifacio High Street and walked towards Terra 28th park. According to this article:

Terra 28th is an 8,344-sqm park in 28th street which has picnic ground, open play fields, a dog park, a jogging path, interactive art installations, and a ‘Larong Pinoy’ area where families can revive old Pinoy games such as Piko, Holen, Patintero, Luksong Baka, and Habulang Taya.

The weather was perfect to our first day of jogging. The park frees you from worrying about the cars passing by or waiting for the signal lights to turn green before crossing the streets and lets you focus on your pacing... a pure bliss of jog on a weekend morning. It was totally a bonding time for us as well!