At Home With MrsC

Togetherness at Laiya Coco Grove

February 10, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 3 Comments

It’s been pretty quiet on the blog so far this month. That’s because I’ve been quite busy. Aside from the blessing of new clients and new projects I’ve also been spending a lot of time with family. My cousin and her husband and kids came home from the US for a few weeks, and all of us cousins have been getting together for fun Togetherness Sessions.

Last weekend was the big outing for the year, a trip to Laiya Coco Grove. Usually my cousins and their families go to Boracay over the holidays and we get left behind because of work or school and prior commitments. This year, since a lot of us are working, and since the trip got moved to January instead of the Christmas season, we opted for just an overnight beach getaway that didn’t involve flying.

After weeks of planning, we ended up at Laiya Coco Grove simply because the tree houses looked so cute on the website. Mr C and I went there about 8 years ago, and I remember the place being nice and quiet and quaint. You can tell from our old photos that the trip happened before we became parents, at a time when I actually had some sort of waistline. LOL.

Read about our first ever trip to Laiya Coco Grove

We drove to Batangas bright and early on a Saturday morning and arrived at the resort before noon. Our rooms were available early, which was great. We all got to settle down and freshen up before lunch. Mr C, the little boy and I shared a tree house with my mom, my sister and her boyfriend. I noticed as we walked from the reception area to our tree house that there were a lot of ongoing renovations in the resort.

Breakfast Food For Lunch at Early Bird Breakfast Club

February 5, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

The little guy went on his school friend trip today, so Mr C and I had the whole day to ourselves. We planned to sort of stalk the school bus convoy, which went from Museong Pambata to Seri Fantasy World in Manila Ocean Park, then Go Nuts Donuts in the Fort as a final stop. We ended up spending the morning at home since I had some work to finish and Mr C had not yet fully recovered from the nasty stomach flu that’s been going around our family.

We decided to just have lunch in BGC, check out the kids at Go Nuts, and then drop by a wake at Magallanes church on the way home. We ended up in Early Bird Breakfast Club, a place I’ve been reading about all over the internet. It was actually Anton Diaz’ post on Our Awesome Planet, and Patty Laurel’s post on her blog that sparked my interest in the place.

Image borrowed from the Early Bird Breakfast Club Facebook Page

Sun Protection: Beach Essentials for Parents and Kids

February 2, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 1 Comment

One of the best things about living in the Philippines is having beach weather almost every day of the year. I love the beach, and if I could only afford to go on an ocean getaway monthly, I totally would. Maybe then I’d have an amazing tan instead of my pasty Twilight-white skin. Either that or I’d be permanently lobster/lechon colored, like I usually am after a beach trip.

Yes, I burn easily, and so sun protection is a really big deal for me. Luckily, my boys brown nicely and don’t get sunburned as easily as I do. Still, I make sure to take three very important things with me on every beach trip.

1. Sunscreen

Exposure to the sun results in skin damage, and may lead to even bigger, badder things like skin cancer, premature aging and wrinkles. So remember to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun, especially if you like to tan like me.

I love using Nivea and Beach Hut because both are available in spray form, super easy to use and re-apply! I also pack an extra bottle of sunblock for kids for my face and for my little boy who has sensitive skin. Mustela is my brand of choice for kids’ sunscreen.

Mustela Sunblock — THE BEST sunscreen for sensitive skin. Promise!

Here’s a tip: Go for a high SPF and re-apply often. To tell you the truth, I don’t know how to compute for SPF effectiveness, and how long before you should put a new layer of protection. I just make it a point to put some on before going out into the sun, putting some again after swimming and after taking a break to eat or shop. I also usually apply a layer of sunscreen before I put tanning oil. I don’t really know if it makes a difference, but I hope it does.

If you don’t believe me on the sunscreen thing, listen to this guy.

2. After Sun Gel or Lotion

Nothing feels as good on your skin as a cooling gel or soothing lotion after a day out in the sun. Since I have extreme sunburn capabilities, I like to use Ocean Potion’s instant burn relief with Lidocaine. This saves me each and every time. I just wish it smelled better.

3. Hats and Sunglasses

A hat is something I know I should always have, but for some reason I keep forgetting to bring one. The boys, on the other hand, always make sure to have hats with them no matter where we’re going.

MrsPCuyugan Boracay — Hats and shades are on our list of beach essentials.

MrC and I both had prescription sunglasses made, and we always keep them in our bags. I never used to wear shades because I’d get headaches and bump into things, so God knows how thankful I am to finally have graded, tinted lenses. Pretty soon we’re gonna have to have a pair made for the kiddo, too.

Here I am with my Firmoo sunglasses in Boracay during our anniversary trip.

At the beach, I always make sure to have a water-resistant tote bag, an extra pair of flip-flops, a microfiber towel and a bottle of drinking water with me. I also pack mosquito patches, insect repellent, calamine lotion, Betadine, band aids, paracetamol and antihistamines.

It’s always best to be prepared, especially when you travel with kids! Don’t forget to leave room for books and a few magazines for those quiet moments, and of course a few toys for the little ones.

Do you go to the beach often? Which sun protection products do yo and your kids use?What are your beach must-haves? Let me know in the comments!

Fashion Friday: The Challenge of Finding Plus Size Swimwear

February 1, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 22 Comments

(11/10/15) UPDATE! KaiPlus has really nice plus size swimsuits! I bought one, and it was perfect! Happy shopping! 🙂

Why is it so hard to find plus size swimwear in Manila? Whyyyyy??? Or am I the only one having trouble finding cute bathing suits? I’m asking because I am headed for the beach this weekend with my cousins. That is if my little boy is already well by the weekend. We are currently battling what seems to be a stomach flu.

Anyway, back to bathing suits. Seriously, if there are any pretty plus-size ladies out there who are reading this, where do you shop for swimwear? I have gotten lucky a few times with a surplus shop in Alabang Town Center called Big Deals, which recently closed, much to my dismay. There’s also the ever-reliable Speedo, but only a few of their styles are flattering on full figured girls. Other than that, I don’t know where to go! I hear the Plump Pinay has some nice suits, but I don’t actually know where to find them.

On the upside, packing for the beach is quick and easy because I don’t have that many choices to begin with. Then again, I have a lot of summer dresses and cover-ups, and that’s basically what fills up my bag on beach trips.

This swimsuit is my current favorite, and it’s what I’m wearing at the beach this weekend. That’s my skinny sister next to me in the photo, and Mr C in a straw hat at the back. I love the polka dot print of this strapless swimsuit and the cutesy skirt that comes with it. I got this from Big Deals last summer. I’m really so sad that they closed.

beach-3 — This photo was taken in Zamabales during our family beach trip last summer.

I suppose it will be easier to go swimsuit shopping if I lose weight (groan!) And I am suddenly reminded of a post I wrote in 2011 about shrinking down to a much smaller size. Obviously, it hasn’t happened, but I’m not stressing over it because I love myself just the way I am. I’ve also chosen to celebrate my birthday on a mountain instead of a beach. Yes, things change over time. Lol.

That being the case, I’m calling out to all the plus size ladies out there. Where do you shop for swimsuits? Let me know so I can start preparing for summer!

Much love and happiness,

WAHM Playlist: My Top 5 Productivity-Inducing Songs For The Week

January 31, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Snow White’s Seven Dwarves whistle while they work. I, on the other hand, listen to music. Once upon I time I worked for an agency that focused on music marketing. I worked with great musicians, managers, producers and composers, legends in their own right in the music industry. My days with them were filled with fun times and great music. Because of this experience, I am used to having music playing in the background while I’m working. Although there are times when I appreciate silence more, I’ve noticed that music really helps get my creative juices flowing.

What I choose to listen to varies depending on my mood and the output that I have to churn out. These are the days when I’m glad I chose a 160GB iPod classic as my music player instead of an iPod touch or something with a smaller capacity. I can imagine how frustrated I would be if I wanted to listen to a particular song and I didn’t have it on me right then and there. My choices can be so diverse, that sometimes I amuse myself with my playlists for the week.

This week has been a full one for me as far as work goes. I’ve been writing a few AVP scripts, some speeches and a couple of event scripts. My saving grace in times like these is music. Music and coffee, actually. Coffee is consistent, and is usually a nice hot cup brewed at home with milk. Music varies, and this week so far has been filled with a rather mainstream mix of tunes. Here are the top five songs that sparked my creativity this week. [Read more…] about WAHM Playlist: My Top 5 Productivity-Inducing Songs For The Week

WAHMderful Life Workshop = I Am Now A Better WAHM

January 29, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 19 Comments

Have you ever walked into a room full of strangers and instantly felt like you were right where you were supposed to be? Well, that’s exactly how I felt when I arrived at Studio SnR last Saturday for the WAHMderful Life Workshop. Except, of course, that not all of the women in the room were strangers to me. In fact, many of them have become my friends online. It was the first time I was meeting them in person, and I was so excited about finally getting to hug each of them. And yes, I hugged most of them. I love hugs. Seriously, who doesn’t?

It was a rare Saturday where I woke up bright and early and headed north for something other than work. After I found out though that The Happy WAHM Marge, who was one of the resource speakers, actually rode a bus from Batangas to be at the venue before 9am, I decided that Alabang wasn’t so far away after all. Wow is all I can say. You can see right there the kind of dedication that these women have in what they do, and in their mission to reach out to other WAHMs. They work so hard to bring people together and create a sisterhood of support among this fabulous online circle of women. It’s amazingly comforting having these ladies in my life.

With my WAHMderful seatmates Janice, Ditas and Tina!

Because of what I learned from the workshop, I can say that I am a better WAHM. It’s been less than a week, but already I feel more in control, more empowered and more sure of myself. Let me tell you why. [Read more…] about WAHMderful Life Workshop = I Am Now A Better WAHM