Everything Else

Kid In A Toy Store

May 11, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

A few days before my kiddo’s 7th birthday, I won Toy Kingdom gift certificates from Breeze Philippines. Super giant YAY!

BreezePh BreezePh on Twitter — I almost never win anything, so this was just amazing!

The day that the gift cards arrived at our house, I asked Little MrC to think about what he wanted to get. He had his mind set on some Hexbugs and a new Hexbug Arena, plus whatever else he’d find interesting at the store. I wanted to get a board game too, but he actually received a lot of those as presents during his birthday party.

We were finally able to go on our shopping spree last Monday at MOA, after our passport renewal appointment at the DFA. We had lunch first at Holy Cow, which was pretty good and not too expensive. After that we headed to Toy Kingdom. I only had my camera phone with me so all of these photos are actually from my Instagram.

IMG_20130507_123810 — Yeah, Toy Kingdom!

IMG_20130507_124053 — He got a whole bag of goodies that day

IMG_20130507_140202 — We ended up buying a Hexbug Arena, Ninja Turtle Raphael gear, Word Factory (which was my request heehee) and a Hexbug Warrior

IMG_20130507_140811 — Trying on his Ninja Turtle stuff

We actually didn’t spend all of the gift cards yet, because he was already satisfied with his loot for the day. That means there will be more shopping in the near future, something we both can look forward to.

Thanks so much, Breeze, for giving me the ability to treat my son to a fabulous birthday shopping spree!

My Mother’s Day Gift Wishlist

May 9, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and well, a mom can dream. Here’s my gift wishlist (ahem-ahem!)

A Visit to the Beauty Parlor

This is something that is way overdue. I think the last time I got a hair treatment was the weekend before our wedding two years ago. I’m also pretty sure that the last time I had my hair cut was before my birthday last February. That was the day I got bangs. Well, now my bangs are growing out, my layers are uneven, and my hair is dry, dull and lifeless. I’d love to get it all soft and shiny, and maybe even colored!

Manicure, Pedicure and Foot Spa

Home service, please? 🙂 Seriously, my cuticles and callouses are crying out for help. If you listen closely, you will hear them!

ID-100139204 — Image courtesy of num_skyman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

FitFab Mom Project: The Ground Rules

April 29, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

It’s been a week since I announced that I am officially making an effort to become fit and fab, and to live a healthier lifestyle. Week one hasn’t been as challenging as I thought it would be, but that’s mostly because I decided not to be so hard on myself. Lol. I chose instead to observe myself more, and find out what works for me and what doesn’t. From there, I’ve developed five ground rules that I believe are absolutely vital to the success of this project.

1. Set a daily calorie limit.

I know, I know, I know, calorie counting can be a real drag. But with apps like My Fitness Pal, it’s actually become easier to monitor your daily calorie intake. So thanks to technology, we no longer have an excuse not to do this. I am a firm believer in calorie counting, mostly because it means I can still have a Big Mac when I want to (which I did last Thursday), as long as I make sure to use my remaining calories for the day wisely (which, unfortunately, I didn’t do last Thursday).

Of course, it’s better that you eat healthy, cut down on salt and sugar, and if possible, eliminate junk food, soda and fast food entirely, unless you’re going to a McDonalds children’s party. It’s all a matter of making the right food choices, eating the proper portions, and keeping things balanced.

This fresh salad from John and Yoko is one of my faves.

My Fabulously Fit Mommy Project

April 22, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 12 Comments

Before I begin, I want to make two things clear: (1) I am not “going on a diet”, and (2) I am not doing this so that I won’t be fat anymore.

Let me explain.

I am not going on a diet. What I intend to do is ease myself into a healthier lifestyle. This involves making better food choices and following the right proportions. It doesn’t mean that I am quitting carbs, because that would just make me miserable. In fact, I’m not quitting anything. I will continue to eat sweets, junk food, and fast food even, but in moderation. That means I can have the occasional bottle of beer or can of soda if I want to. Because really, nothing is more depressing than being on the beach and not being able to open a nice cold bottle of San Mig or Coke. Yes?

MrC agrees! Read about this fun Boracay day here.

I am also not doing this so that I won’t be fat anymore. You see, I like myself just the way I am. If you find that hard to believe then I’m sorry, but you need an attitude adjustment. I am not driven by the prospect of wearing a bikini on the beach (while I drink that ice cold beer, mind you). I tried that, and it didn’t work. Every time I try to lose weight to get thin, it never happens. Because I don’t need to be thin to be happy. I am already happy, and I seriously love myself.

How To Know When It’s Truly Time To Lose Weight

April 21, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 2 Comments

A sweet little 5-year old boy came up to me yesterday as I was talking to his mommy. He looked up at me, put a hand on my tummy, and asked ever-so-innocently, “Do you have a baby?”

I smiled down at him and answered, “No love, this is just food.”

I then pointed at little MrC and said, “There’s my baby. He’s big already, right?”

Yeah, time to lose weight. Tomorrow is day one. For real this time.

The little boy in the story is Henry. There he is with his Mama Ditas on the far right of the above photo. This was taken during the Blog Inspired workshop yesterday. This image belongs to Janice, who is on the left side of this photo with her Baby Z. Check out these mommies’ amazing blogs, Henry’s Mom Blogs for Ditas, and Roller Coaster Ride for Janice.

Maggi Magic Meals Chicken Afritada

April 16, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 4 Comments

The first time I saw the Maggi Magic Meals Bicol Express TVC, my curiosity was instantly sparked. Meal preparation would be such an easy process if all you had to do was dump all the ingredients for your main dish into a cooking bag, plop it on top of rice and water, then cook everything together in the rice cooker. If someone had told me that this was possible before I learned how to cook, my family would most likely be eating meals out of polyester bags almost every day. Note that these cooking bags are made of US/Europe FDA-approved food-safe PVC and not plastic. This method of cooking is actually called sous vide. A friend of mine pointed that out to me in a comment on one of my Instagram photos.

Since I’ve developed some skills in the kitchen, I couldn’t help but think that these Magic Meals were too good to be true. So of course, I just had to try them out for myself. I discovered in the grocery store that they have four different flavors – Chicken Afritada, Lechon Paksiw, Chicken Pastel and Bicol Expressssss! And yes, I bought them all. One lazy day, I decided to try one out for lunch. We didn’t have any pork in the freezer, so I decided to make the Chicken Afritada.