At Home With MrsC

Raising a family, making a home.

Everyday Life

Fat Mom On The Go

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About a month ago, I blogged about my challenge to myself lose weight. Today’s progress report shows that I’ve not lost any weight. The good news is I haven’t gained weight either, and this is always a good thing. I spent the day thinking about why I had failed to take off on the whole healthy lifestyle thing I promised myself I would enter into. One very obvious and simple reason is the fact that I have yet to really commit myself to exercise. I honestly don’t understand why people enjoy it so much, like my sister who thrives on exercise, and chooses to jog to release stress. Maybe I’ve never committed to a workout routine long enough for me to feel the happy hormone effect of it all. I mean, even my mother-in-law who has recently turned into a Zumbaholic is now more radiant and glowing and slimmer than I’ve ever seen her, and I’m guessing it’s basically because she gets her blood pumping every day. Of course, my eternal excuse is that I’m a very busy person, and I can’t figure out how to squeeze exercise into my already full schedule. I know, it’s the oldest excuse in the book, and many others have already found a way around it, so why can’t I, right?

The good news is, I’ve managed to keep my eating in check, for the most part at least. My newfound friend is My Fitness Pal, which allows me to easily track my calorie intake, and eventually my exercise progress as well, once I get started. I like how it inputs your calories burned and subtracts them from your calories taken in, so you really feel that the effort is all worth it. It also let’s you make a nice weight tracker badge that you can add to your website. Here’s mine!

Created by MyFitnessPal – Nutrition Facts For Foods

 

Like I said in my post before, I have about 50lbs to go until my ideal weight. And my bet with Mr C still stands – by the time I lose the weight, he should already have quit smoking. So there.

I figure that I need a tangible exercise goal to get me started, ideally something with a concrete deadline. As fate would have it, 11.11.11 brought me just that. An opportunity arose today that will allow me to take on my first 5k with adequate time to condition myself. This is reminiscent of my Subic 3k stint a few years ago when I was still with Smart. That time however, laziness got the better of me and I put off training for the run so many times that i found myself totally unprepared on the morning of the event, and I ended up walking the whole 3k leisurely with my sister. And to think, that was only a 3k fun run. While I thoroughly enjoyed the view and the sunrise that morning, I refuse to cheat myself that way again. If my knees will let me, I plan to run at least half of that 5k next year. That means I need to start getting my legs used to it. That means I should start soon.

I have an optimistic outlook as far as this health and wellness endeavor is concerned, and for the first time in a long time, I really want to see this through. I want to succeed. This is a long overdue effort that I’m delving into not just for aesthetic reasons, but more importantly to be fit and well. That makes for a good start, as far as I’m concerned. I’m looking forward to sharing the journey, and I hope to give and receive inspiration as I go along. Wish me luck, yeah? 52lbs to go!

 

 

How Much of the Philippines Have You Visited?

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I was randomly browsing the net when I stumbled upon this website called Lakbayan. It’s a really cool site where you can map out the places you’ve visited in the Philippines. I’ve been to quite a few places around the country, but apparently my travels are only enough to give me a grade of C. The knowledge that there are so many places I’ve yet to visit just fueled my wanderlust even more. Gotta travel soon!

 
 
 
 
My Lakbayan grade is C!
How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!
Created by Eugene Villar.
 
 
 

Sweet Endings

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I usually end my days by 9:00 when my little boy goes off to sleep. Around that time, I turn out the lights and immerse myself in my online universe. After a couple of hours on the net, I get tired and cross-eyed, and I promptly drift off to lala land. Of course, my body clock didn’t always function that way. When I was younger and before I became a parent, at 9:00 the fun was just about to start. My friends and I would be up until the wee hours, and bedtime was only a few minutes shy of sunrise. I think it’s safe to say that I have mellowed over time, and motherhood played a big role in my lifestyle switch. Of course, since I work in events, late nights can’t be completely avoided, but more often than not they happen for business, rather than for pleasure. Nights out with friends and even date nights with the hubs are now rare occurrences.

Tonight was one of those rare occasions where I found myself ironing my hair at 8 in the evening, preparing to leave the house. I had gotten special invites to an evening event in Makati, and I decided to attend and drag Mr C along with me. A friend of mine had organized a special preview of Tango Fire for bloggers and VIP’s at Nuvo in Greenbelt 2. I’ll get into the full event details in another post, but for now I just have to say that everything about Tango Fire is just sizzling hot!

After the event, Mr C and I took a short walk around Greenbelt’s gardens, and we eventually decided to try the Drive Thru Starbucks at the Fort before heading home. I got a glimpse of the Christmas light along Ayala Avenue, something I looked forward to while I was still working in Makati. We also drove by the Ayala Triangle Gardens and saw the lively lights hanging from the trees. I hope to be able to take a walk there one evening before the holiday season is over.

The Starbucks Drive Thru at the Fort was something I’d been wanting to try for a while now. We actually attempted to go there a few months ago, but it was late and we had Tristan with us, and we couldn’t find the right street to turn into! So tonight I was excited to finally see the place, which turned out to be really cute. I hope they open a drive thru branch in the south too.

While Mr C ordered his usual Cafe Americano, I decided to sample the new Christmas drink, the Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha. A friend of mine said that it was extremely sweet, and she didn’t enjoy it much. I ordered  mine iced, and I think that was an excellent idea, because when the ice melted, the drink wasn’t so overwhelmingly sweet anymore. Of course, I also got a piece of my favorite Starbucks holiday treat, a nice big peppermint brownie.

Peppermint Brownie!
Looks a little messy coz some of the chocolate frosting stuck to the wax paper.

I’m just so giddy about being able to attend an event as a guest for a change, and actually just being able to go out in general, even if it was just for a few hours. I really should be getting some sleep soon, tomorrow is sure to be another long day at the office. Glad I got to escape my routine tonight, and on a work night no less! Seems rather risque in a grandmotherly sort of way.

 

 

Work-Life Balance + Healthy Living 101

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There are just so many things I want to do, but with my erratic schedule, it gets hard figuring out how to squeeze everything in. Yes, that is the perfect excuse, if I do say so myself.

Looking at it from a broader perspective, I actually have a better work-life balance now than I did at the beginning of this year. I am able to do more leisure activities, spend more time with family, I get to write more, and I get to sleep better. Eventually, when my leave credits come in, I know I’ll get to go on a vacation, something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now. But despite all my new found free time, I still feel like there are more things I’ve yet to be able to do for myself.

Maybe the essential problem is not lack of time, but improper schedule management. I figure if I did manage my time well, I wouldn’t be late for work in the morning. I’d find time to prepare packed lunch, and even squeeze in an early morning walk. I’d have time to do homework with the kiddo before dinner. I’d be able to sleep earlier too. It’s the same scenario as my wanting to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle – I know what the problem is, I know how to fix it, I just can’t seem to get around to doing it. Maybe I need to commit to the idea of a complete lifestyle change more. Maybe I’m just to lazy to get moving. Maybe I don’t want it enough. But I really think I should get started soon, on the lifestyle change I mean. Maybe I lack motivation.

What motivates you to keep your schedule in check, to manage your time well? How do you make the most out of your day? And what do you do to live a healthier life? I’d love to hear from you. Maybe I’ll learn a thing or two.

 

 

Tech Envy, Year Four

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So I’m thinking of changing my phone again. I have a serious case of tech envy. Every time something new comes along I want it, specially if a lot of my friends are starting to have it. It all began with the Nokia 5110. Back in the day, it was absolutely the hottest mobile phone with its slim body and colorful Xpress On Covers. I got one right when it was at its most popular, a birthday gift from my dad. In less than six months, It got stolen from my bag due to my own carelessness. Cue momentary depression, followed shortly by the desire for a new phone.  In the years that followed, I’ve gone through countless handsets. For a long time, I was loyal to Nokia, upgrading from a 3210 to a 3310, and eventually moving up to the 8250, the first phone with a blue light, which I also tragically lost in less than 6 months. After that I tried out the shockproof, orange lighted 5210,  fell in love with my first camera phone, the 7650, downgraded to the 6100, then inherited my dad’s 6630.

When I started working in Smart, my tech envy got worse, since I always had to be aware of the latest mobile phone releases.  In 2008, my second year in the telco business, I bought myself my first hard-earned unit, the Nokia 6680 in a limited edition black finish. The discovery of vanity colors made upgrading my handset even more exciting, and since then I made an effort to pursue the special edition colors, even if it meant the unit would cost a little bit more. If I’m not mistaken, the 6680 is my longest surviving handset. In fact, I still use it now for my secondary line.

I got a taste of my first smartphone in 2009 when Mr C got me a Nokia E66 for Christmas, and all of a sudden my standards went up. I just loved how it could do so much! The bar had been raised as far as functionality and style were concerned, and I was not turning back ever. I just had to keep moving forward and upgrading. Well, I didn’t actually have to, but I wanted to, more than ever before.

The Christmas after that, I got my first Android Smartphone, my HTC Wildfire from my favorite mobile phone distributor Yogi. Of course, he found me a limited edition red colored unit. I was perfectly content with my Android phone, enjoying my games and apps, until the day I noticed that everyone seemed to be on BBM. It’s only been a year since I got the Wildfire, and this is causing me to have guilty feelings about wanting to replace it already. But while the whole touch screen concept was fun at first, I am now wanting a physical keypad again. I actually had a chance to test an HTC Snap for a time while my Wildfire’s LCD screen was being repaired, and I actually liked the feel of qwerty.

BBM + qwerty keypad = I want a Blackberry too!

I’ve been debating with myself about getting a new handset for about a month now. If not for my present lack of funds and extreme self control, I’d probably be BBM-ing away with the rest of them already. I’m also deciding if it will be better to get a tablet rather than a new phone, but that doesn’t really satisfy my qwerty + BBM curiosity. At the same time, looking back at the past few years, it seems that I practically change my phone annually. That means getting a new handset on my current phone’s first anniversary is nothing new. Yes, it is pretty extravagant, but nothing new. The decision of whether or not it’s time to get a new phone is a tough one to make. At the end of the day, i don’t need a new phone but I want a Blackberry. And yes, I can be spoiled sometimes. That’s why I was extremely happy when earlier today, Mr C gave me the answer to my dilemma – he said he’d get me a Blackberry for Christmas! Aren’t I the luckiest wife ever?

So now I’m stuck in another dilemma – which model do I get?

It never ends!

 

 

The Red Cup Is Back!

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It’s Christmas time again in Starbucks! Finally saw the 2012 planner, and I’m happy that there are more sheets now dedicated for notes. I also like that it’s smaller than the current planner.

Started my morning extra early today, and so I found an excuse to treat myself to my first Toffee Nut Latte of the season. Yay!

*Chumsy*

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