Everyday Life

Anxious anticipation

February 16, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 3 Comments

Just as I expected, February 1 brought in a fresh wave of my annual birthday blues. Never fails, I am moody, excitable, lazy, proactive, wanting to move but wanting to sleep, all at the same time, just as I am every year. In short, I turn into one big walking contradiction once my birthday draws near.

This year, though, there’s something new. I add anxiously anticipating to my already long list of emotions heightened by birthday blues. I’ve asked the universe (and MrC hehehe) for quite a spectacular birthday present, and I’m just waiting to see if things will fall into place. Cross your fingers for me that they do, pretty please? 🙂

#Birthday #wishlist

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Feb 12, 2015 at 6:24pm PST

So this post is really nothing but a random brainfart just to let you guys know that I’m still here, hoping to write soon but being emo in the meantime. I have so much kwento to share, but my brain just can’t focus on organizing my thoughts just yet.

You guys make me kwento instead. What have you guys been up to lately? Any major goals, dreams and aspirations in sight this year? Tell me about it, and let’s hope, wish and pray for them all to come true together. 🙂

MrsC makes art

January 28, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 5 Comments

MrsC makes art. You read that right, people! Who woulda thought it was possible???

Let me explain. I am a self-proclaimed artistically challenged individual. Though, truth be told, my friends Dette and Racquel tell me otherwise, and that’s part of why I love them. Lol. These two ~~pressure~~ encourage me to doodle, explore and create. They know how much I love my pens, and they often remind me to do something with them. As in just go ahead make something.

mrspcuyugan — That fateful day in 2013 when I met my art friends – Dette, Racquel and Diane

Well, a couple of weeks ago I took a leap of faith in myself and my (still nonexistent, in my opinion) art skills. I decided to paint. Over the holidays my cousins and I decided to get together for an afternoon of art while the Pope was in Manila. What would we paint? The Pope, of course! And so we did.

So today my siblings, cousins and I decided to be artsy together. #OhanaMeansFamily

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Jan 15, 2015 at 9:23pm PST

Let it be known that this was the first time I’ve ever painted on canvas. Also, the last time I used acrylic was in grade school when we were asked to paint a clay vase as part of our Art Class in Zobel. That was more than 15 years ago, possibly even 20 years. I’ve never taken formal art lessons, and I think it shows. But to tell you the truth, I’m pretty proud of myself for my finished product. I think it’s pretty cute!

And here it is.

Diba it’s cute naman? I just really wanted to share this with you guys because being able to actually paint something was such a milestone first for me. Oh, and I wasn’t the only first time painter there. Little MrC joined in on the fun as well, but he chose to paint something other than the Pope.

Now, I thought I’d also share what I feel were the two best paintings that day. They win because they are the only two who really made an effort to paint the Pope, and also because they are actually really good. One is my brother’s (as in my ultimate source of art insecurity, next to my artistic mother), and the other belongs to his girlfriend, Mel.

We all had so much fun hanging out that day, and my cousins and I hope to get together again soon to make more fun things together. I’m actually quite excited to try painting something new, just so I can prove to myself that this wasn’t just a fluke, and I can actually create art.

How would you rate your artistic abilities? On a scale of preschooler to expert, where would you be? Tell me in the comments! 🙂

15 things for 2015

January 1, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 5 Comments

Happy new year, everyone!

By @polcuyugs “Happy New Year from us to you! #2015” via @PhotoRepost_app

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Dec 12, 2014 at 8:21am PST

It’s a lazy rainy day over here in Alabang, and the boys and I are spending it sitting around our dining table, each doing our own thing. I’m having my 2nd cup of coffee for the year, and my tummy is happily full from brunch, which was basically last night’s party leftovers. I really love slow days like today.

On the news a few nights ago, a Feng Shui expert said that 2015 is gonna be a good year for those born in the year of the pig. Yay for me! I thought I’d make the most out of the very promising forecast, and list my resolutions. I’ve not done this in a really long time, mostly because I didn’t feel like it. The super fun holidays have put me in a sunshiney optimistic mood, though. So yay, I’ve finally been able to make a list.

Here are my 15 things (aka resolutions, or promises to myself) for 2015, in no particular order.

In 2015, I promise myself I will…

1. Make time for exercise. I finally renewed my Gold’s Gym membership last December, after 3 years! I start on January 5, and I am nervous lol. Motivation and encouragement needed!

2. Work outside of home at least once a week. In 2014, I fell into that WAHM/SAHM hermit-mode trap where I wouldn’t leave the house for days on end, except to pick up and drop off my kid from school. I know, though, that a change of scenery makes a world of difference when I’m trying to write well. So this year I will make more of an effort to get out of the house, park my butt somewhere else, and write from there.

3. Spend more time with friends. Hermit-mode for me meant missing out on a lot of social gatherings, too. I made an effort to change that already over the Christmas holidays, though, and I did a pretty good (and fun hehe) job of it. This year, I will really make time to see more friends more often. Promise yan!

I especially want to see these girls more often.

4. Eat less fast food. When I stress-eat, it usually involves french fries. This has been my thing every since high school, when we would convince our driver to take us to the drive through before bringing us home from school. It took a lot of nagging, kaya, because home is a lot closer to school than the drive through is! So anyway, I know that I will be sad if I have to say goodbye to my friends Ronald McDonald and Jollibee forever, so I promise to at least see them less frequently this year.

5. Stop drinking Coke. Coke gives me really bad gas, as in kabag galore! I keep telling myself to just stay away from the stuff, and I will be happier. So starting this year, bye bye Coke. And Royal also, coz the stuff gives me heartburn. At least I still have Sprite.

6. Consume less dairy. My uncle told me that it isn’t coffee with milk that I drink, it’s milk with coffee. This is ironic because too much dairy gives me gas, too. But still I eat cheese and ice cream to my heart’s content, and my morning coffee gets lighter and lighter colored by the day. Time to regulate. I will start cutting back on cheese after our Sofitel staycation na, though. Hello, cheese room!

7. Be more time conscious. I have always had issues with being on time. I don’t know why, but I simply lack the discipline for it. I promise myself year on year that I will change, but I still miss deadlines and leave the house an hour later than I say I will. Haynako. This year, I will really try harder.

8. Take more pictures. Instagram has really helped turn me into a life-documenting little big girl. The kiddo and I plan to take a photo together every day this year. I also want to do the same with MrC. I love having lots of photos to look back on, and I know that my old and grey self will thank my 30-something year old self for all the captured memories.

9. Blog regularly. I’m such a sporadic blogger. Some weeks you’ll see me post every day, then you won’t hear from me again for a week and a half. I know that I should be queuing and spacing out my posts better, so I will try to get my whole blog calendar straightened out and functioning better this year.

10. Read more. Since joining my book club, reading has become a lot more fun. This year I really hope to finish reading all of the assigned monthly books. I will also finish my carry over queue from last year, and get started on other books I’ve been meaning to read.

Book List — Books I want to go back to soon.

11. Crochet a little every day. Or at least a little every week. Just because it makes me happy.

12. Nag less. Little and big MrC will be happy.

13. Learn to cook new dishes. Because food is my love language.

14. Spend more time outdoors. I’ve been wanting to go on short walks with the kiddo so I can teach him how to make his way around our village. I also want to go with the boys when they spend time on the football field, even if I only end up sitting on a blanket in a corner. Dining alfresco counts, too. As long as it involves fresh air and sunlight, that qualifies as an outdoor activity.

15. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish. Because I know it’s good for me. Challenge accepted.

What are your 2015 resolutions? Make me kwento in the comments, and let’s help motivate each other to get them done!

6 Books On My ‘Read Again’ List

December 10, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 12 Comments

My book club friends and I have been busy preparing for our first ever Christmas party. One of the highlights is an exchange gift activity, and what else would we be exchanging but books, of course. Books for gifting would be something that has some sort of significance to each of us. It could be a book that was memorable, something by an author we love, or even a book we didn’t like. Basta may impact sa life somehow.

So, in order to decide what book I wanted to give, I went down memory lane with Joei over WhatsApp, looking back on the books I’ve loved reading. Sadly, they were all out of stock in both Powerbooks and Fully Booked Alabang. So not meant to be, right?

Seven seems to be my lucky number because my 7th choice was finally available. But argh, I really would have wanted to give one of my first 6 options to one lucky book clubber.

The good thing about this whole exchange gift planning is that I now have a short list of the books that I want to re-read someday. Unluckily for me, I only have 2 out of the 6 left in my library. I can’t even remember who borrowed the ones that have gone missing.

So, in case you guys are looking for something to read, and are up for the challenge of finding an apparently rare copy of a good book, you can check out one (or all) of the 6 books on my Read Again list.

1. The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

I love anything Winnie the Pooh. I once had a fairly large collection of Pooh stuffed toys that I had to give up once I became a mommy because they just collected too much dust. One of them was a Macarena-dancing Winnie the Pooh. Sadly, along with my stuffed bear collection, my The Tao of Pooh book is no longer in my life. The good news is that the life lessons I learned from reading the book still are.

2. The Nancy Drew Cookbook by Carolyn Keene

My lola loved books. She even had her own library at home. She also loved to give books, which was great for me because I have always loved receiving them. One of the most memorable book gifts from her was The Nancy Drew Cookbook . I had one, and so did my sister and our 2 female cousins. The books were hardbound, and each had a special note from Loli written inside the cover.

The first recipe I ever tried to prepare was from this book. They turned out to be completely disastrous, to tell you the truth, because I didn’t follow the instructions correctly. My copy, as well as my sister’s, has since gone missing. I feel my brother might have had something to do with their disappearance because he was the poor unfortunate soul who had to eat all of the Nancy Drew Potato Pancakes that I had so terribly botched.

3. Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt

Angela’s Ashes was another book that came from my Loli, but this one I took straight from her library. I lived with her during my college years and I remember seeing the sad looking kid on the cover every time I’d be in that room. I asked if I could borrow it and I just never gave it back. It had a really sad story, and I found myself weeping for this little boy and his mother several times. I also bought the sequel, ‘Tis, but I never got to finish it. Sad to say, it didn’t live up to my expectations after reading the first memoir.

4. Gump and Co. by Winston Groom

I bought Gump and Co. on sale at Powerbooks a long, long time ago for something like 95 Pesos. I’ve read it twice, and MrC has also finished the book. It’s a really nice follow-up story to Forrest Gump, and while I’ve never read the original Gump book, I loved the movie a lot. It was nice finding out what happened next.

5. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

I read the book, I saw the movie, and I remember the movie but not the book. Strange. There were a lot of memorable scenes for me in the movie, and that’s why I included this book on my list. Given the change, I would probably re-read The House of the Spirits first among the 6 I’ve mentioned. I also am interested to read other works by Isabel Allende,so if you’re looking for something to get me for the holidays, you know na. Hehe!

6. Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

When I was preggers, my first friend ever in the whole wide world, Chriselle, loaned me a few books to help me stay sane while I was stuck at home. Strange Pilgrims was one of them. I rarely read short stories, and I’m glad that I gave this one a chance. With each story, it felt like I was people-watching. It was so interesting getting a peek into the lives of the characters in each one. Too bad I had to return the book once I was done.

I’ll tell you about book #7 when I write about our Christmas get-together. Wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for whoever’s gonna get my gift after all. Oh, and I also want to thank Buqo for being one of our raffle sponsors. Thanks, Gabs! More about them, too, in my next book club post.

Have you read any of the books on my list? Did you like them enough to read them again?

Pampered at Piandre

December 5, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 13 Comments

I chose to get my hair cut at Piandre because they open early. True story.

Monday night, I asked my mom which among the many salons in Alabang open the earliest. She told me that Piandre accepts appointments as early as 7AM. Ayun na, we had a winner. Because it was exam week at school, I only had a small window of time in the morning to get my hair done. That’s why I needed to book before 10am, which is the time that most salons (particularly the mall-based ones) in the area open.

That same night, I visited Piandre’s website, and was pleasantly surprised to see that I could book my appointment online. I requested for an 8:30AM hair cut at the South Supermarket Alabang branch. Within an hour, I received a text message confirming my appointment, and informing me who my stylist would be. I lovette!

Super appreciate how easy it is to book an appointment at Piandre

Tuesday morning went as Tuesday mornings usually go, with brekfast and baon preps and sending the boys off for the day. I had a few minutes to have coffee and breakfast at home while reading our book club‘s August BOM (so delayed!). Super sarap to have mornings like that. So relaxing.

It took all of 10 minutes for me to get to Piandre and park. The nice thing about booking an early appointment is there aren’t that many people at South yet, and there’s so much parking available. Then, after you’re done getting pampered, you can make a quick grocery run, which is what I did because we were all out of coffee.

As if I wasn’t already in a great mood, I walked into Piandre and there were Christmas songs playing, and a nice lighted tree in the middle of the room. I confirmed my appointment at the counter, got the WiFi password (yay for free WiFi) and settled into my seat. Then, they brought me coffee and cookies! Happy MrsC talaga.

Any place that gives me coffee while I wait gets an automatic +1. #Piandre #MeTime

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Dec 12, 2014 at 4:37pm PST

The rest, as you can see from my Instagram feed, is hair cut history. It’s day 4 of my short haired-ness, and I am happy that my cute, round bob really is wash and wear as stylist Erwin promised. For the price of PHP 640 (plus tips), I’d say my session at Piandre was worth it. I’d definitely choose Piandre again because:

It’s quiet. I really don’t like parlors with chatty staff. It doesn’t matter if they’re chatting with me or among themselves, I jut don’t like having to hear the latest chismis while I’m trying to relax.
Their ambient music is really pleasant. Sure, they were playing Christmas carols, but they were the nice ones. None of the disco dance-y, commercial jingle-like holiday tunes you hear at some parlors (or radio stations, for that matter).
They give you coffee while you wait. Or iced tea, if that’s what you prefer. I cannot stress enough how happy this makes me.
The stylist asks first before doing anything. In my case, Erwin asked if it would be okay to use a clipper on the really short parts of my hair. I appreciate him clearing this with me first because it gave me the chance to say that he could only clip up to this part, blah blah blah. Other stylists would have just gone ahead and shaved off the excessive baby hair on the back of my neck (yes, it has happened before!), which super sucks.
The aircon is cold enough without being too cold. Yes, this matters when you have to sit in the same spot for an hour or so.
The staff are all smiles. Yes, I notice when people look happy doing what they do.
The price is reasonable and they do good work. Believe me, my hair is so easy to maintain. Otherwise, you’d see me complain already on Facebook or Twitter.
Booking is quick and easy, which is important for people like me who are forgetful and lazy, and often don’t get to book until the very last minute.

Exam week OVER! Yay! #Weekend

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Dec 12, 2014 at 5:26pm PST

So there you go. Have you guys ever tried the services at Piandre? I’d love to know what else they do well, so I can plan (and start saving for) my next visit.

Embracing Change, One Hair Cut at a Time

December 3, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 11 Comments

Well, well, well, look who finally logged on to WordPress.

What’s up you guys? It’s exam week again for Little MrC and I (yes, I feel it, too) so I am without my usual long and leisurely working hour over the next few days. I also barely have time to get breakfast down in the mornings, let alone work. Blame it on these 3-hour school days.

So anyway, I figured it’d be a good time to blog.

I’ve been moody and slightly emotional as of late, largely due to hormones but also because the year is coming to a close. Ang bilis. One more year done.

As with the years that cam before it, 2014 has been filled with change, both good and bad, big and small. In these first three days of December alone, things have been significantly different.

This is officially the first blog post written at my new work space

December 1 was the first post-garage sale day, and I am still somewhat feeling the loss of all the stuff I had held on to for so many years. I finally let go, eyes closed, without looking back, and I think I’m still in shock. It’s nice that I’ve been able to clear space for a proper work area, though. Writing here has been good so far. So that’s a double yay.

On the subject of shock, I still feel disoriented at my new short hair. I keep reaching back as if to gather my hair into a ponytail. Of course, there is no more hair left to tie, and I end up just grabbing air.

So yeah, I woke up today and my hair's still short lol — So yeah, I woke up today and my hair’s still short lol

This time yesterday I had very long, mermaid-like hair, which I finally decided to go ahead and just cut. I had been saving it to donate for cancer in memory of a friend I recently lost (another change, a sad one). Now it’s in a ziploc bag waiting to be shipped out to Cuts for Cancer / Donate Your Hair Today.

This morning there was no milk in the fridge, and so I have been drinking my coffee black. So that’s gonna be today’s small but significant change. This is supposed to have zero calories right? Meaning if I keep doing this from now on I can have all the coffee I want and it won’t make me fat(ter). Sounds like a good idea already.

I’m not a fan of change. It makes me anxious and emotional. But it’s a constant part of life that I know I need to learn to deal with. So far, so good since Monday. I may even be looking forward to seeing more changes over the next days and months. Let’s see, let’s see.

So what’s been up with you guys lately? Any new changes in your lives?