At Home With MrsC

Starbucks + Christmas = Whipped Cream Overload

November 8, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

So, the red cups are back at our local Starbucks, and that means all my favorite Christmas drinks have arrived. This is never a good thing for my waistline.

Over the years, I have noticed that the primary cause of holiday weight gain for me is my inability to say no to all the special Christmas drinks and pastries offered at ever imaginable coffee shop in the area. I kid you not. It doesn’t help that I have this annual desire to take home all the nice planners you get “for free” once you complete a booklet of stickers or stamps. One drink = one sticker/stamp. This year, you need 17 stickers from Starbucks to get the 2013 planner. 17 x whipped cream/sugar/chocolate = bad for my (I wish I could stick to it) diet.

But I do it anyway. As of today, I already have 5 stickers (yay!), and I’ve had each of the featured holiday drinks. Two in Frappuccino form, one hot. Maybe a bit of jogging is in order? Or rather, walking, since I don’t actually jog. Yikes!

#1 – Dark Cherry Mocha Frappuccino

#3 – Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino

What’s your favorite holiday treat?

Much love and happiness,

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Dresscode

November 7, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

I decided to make a quick errand run at the mall today, right after I dropped off my little guy at school. Since I wasn’t really planning on going out, I wasn’t actually dressed for the occasion. I had on a pair of baggy jeans, a really loose shirt and flipflops. And my hair was in a messy ponytail. Now that I’m describing what I was wearing, it kinda sounds like one of those celebrity outfit disaster pieces on E! or TMZ, only I’m no celeb. Anyway…

I was walking as fast as I could towards Starbucks when I found myself face to face with a guy I used to work with. I hadn’t seen him in over a year, which means the last time we met, I was in office clothes. And here I was in a cross between a frumpy and a grungy outfit, while he was all neat and tidy in his work outfit. Not that it matters anyway, he’s a friend and a really nice guy, and it was great running into him. Thing is, the encounter made me think about myself, how I never really paid much attention to my appearance before I became a WHAM, and how I pay even less attention to the way I look and dress now. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s never a good thing, at least as far as I can see.

I was never fashion-forward nor adventurous with my choice of clothes. I’d always choose to be comfortable over being chic. But at least I’d make an effort in the past to put on lip gloss, or wear nice shoes, or put on a top that wasn’t so baggy it could fit an extra person. Or if I did choose a top like that, I’d wear it with shorts or leggings and not with an equally baggy pair of jeans, folded at the hem. Yep it was that bad. All that was missing was a beanie. Oh dear me.

My mom-in-law always tells me that you feel better about yourself if you look good. Then there’s my mom who rarely leaves the house without first putting on pressed powder and red lipstick. Maybe I ought to take a cue from the moms in my life and start looking at myself in the mirror before I leave the house. Oh I would, if only I weren’t so lazy. Between errands, writing, and trying (but failing) to keep our room clean, I wonder if I will actually find time to think about fashion and beauty on ordinary days.

Please tell me I’m not the only mommy with this problem?

Surprisingly, the outfit looks better in this photo than it does in real life…

Frumpy meets Grungy OOTD
And yes, that is a Snoopy decal and those are rubber duckies stuck to my bathroom mirror.

Much love and happiness,

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Bonding Over Burgers at Dayrit’s

November 6, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

A few nights ago, over dinner, Mr C and I were debating over whether or not there was once a Dayrit’s branch in Alabang. Apparently, it did exist some time in the early 90’s. I can’t believe we didn’t know this!

Anyway, our argument made me remember that I never got around to blogging about our visit to the Magallanes branch of Dayrit’s after one of my events last May. If I remember correctly, that was my first event as a freelancer, and so it was sort of a significant occasion.

It was Mr C, my sister and I who were together for dinner that night, since we were all heading home from Makati at the same time. Mr C ordered the Roast Beef, while my sister and I shared a plate of fries plus a cheeseburger each. We also ordered iced tea to go with our meals.

Roast Beef & Mashed Potatoes

Burger1

Burger2

Fries!

And Iced Tea

THE UPS
FOOD
Everything I’ve ever had in Dayrit’s was good. I have yet to decide on my favorite item on the menu though, but the Roast Beef is a strong contender.

PLACE
It’s conveniently located in Paseo de Magallanes, which is on our way home from Makati.

SERVICE
They serve the food fast and hot. The servers are also more than willing to recommend dishes if you’re not sure what to order.

THE DOWNS
FOOD
No complaints so far!

PLACE
It’s always crowded when we go to Dayrit’s, which is actually not a bad thing for them. On the up side, the wait for a table has never really been too long. The area could be cleaner and brighter, though.

SERVICE
No complaints so far!

THE VERDICT
Nothing beats the homey, happy, I’m stuffed with comfort food feeling you get after dining at Dayrit’s. Except maybe a great meal prepared at home. But this is definitely one of the places we love to stop at on our way home after a long day. There’s no doubt we’ll go back there again one of these days if we can actually get our butts out of Alabang. We haven’t crossed the highway much ever since Mr C started his new job in this side of the world. Oh well, there’s always City Delivery!

DAYRIT’S BURGER AND ROASTBEEF HOUSE

Maga Center Building

Paseo de Magallanes, Makati

+632 854 9943

+632 8180168

Dayrit’s Facebook Page

Much love and happiness,

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Milk Tea, Pearls and More at Tokyo Bubble Tea Restaurant

November 4, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

I first heard that Tokyo Bubble Tea was opening a branch at Westgate Center earlier this year when I still worked at Filinvest. They finally opened at the beginning of October, and we finally had the chance to try out their food last Halloween. I was able to try their milk tea before at the Megamall branch when Mr C still worked there, and I remember I liked it a lot.

A Spooktacular Halloween At Westgate

November 3, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Since Mr C wasn’t able to go trick or treating with us, we decided to pass by Westgate Center in Filinvest for more Halloween fun after picking him up from work. When we arrived, there were a lot of kids standing in line for loot bags and at the photo booth area, and even more participating in the games. I was glad to see the place full since I really love going to Westgate, and I know how much work the Marketing Team puts into their activities.

We got there with just enough time for TLC to join some games before we had dinner. There were quick Q & A and simple trivia games, and a girls versus boys game where the kids acted out a scene dictated by the host, and a dance-off.

It was so nice seeing TLC interacting with the other kids. I forget sometimes that he’s almost 7 years old, and I get blown away at how much he’s grown and matured. My mom tells me that I now understand how she feels, that your kids will always be your babies no matter how old they are.

Boys vs Girls!

Acting out a scene from a cartoon. I think they are supposed to be animals.

Planning their next scene

Zombies!

Explaining what their group did

The boys win!

Spooky pose!

Halloween at Westgate is always fun. We’ll definitely visit again next year. They also have a lot of great activities coming up this November and December in time for the holidays. If you’re on the look out for a nice place to have dinner and enjoy the cool Christmas air while listening to great music, you might want to drop by Westgate for Sessions @ the Cul de Sac on Wednesdays and Fridays of November. We’re definitely going to the Cooky Chua / Color It Red show, so if you stop by, come and say hi!

Sessions @ Westgate Center Cul de Sac

After the activity, had dinner at Tokyo Bubble Tea, which opened in Westgate a few weeks ago. Yum, yum! You’ll be able to read about our first time there real soon. I hope you’re all enjoying the long weekend. We sure are!

Mr C and Me! LSP and Jake the Dog!

Much love and happiness,

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Halloween 2012: Finn and Jake Take Ayala Alabang

November 1, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

The plan was that Mr C would be Jake the Dog, TLC would be Finn the Human, and I’d get to be Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure Time for Halloween this year. But since Mr C had work and would be missing the trick or treat schedule in our village, we shuffled the roles around and enlisted the participation of my brother, TLC’s Ninong (Godfather) Boyong. Luckily, he loves the color purple and so he willingly took on the role of LSP. Meanwhile, I was able to put my yellow maxi dress to good use as Jake the Dog, and TLC still got to be Finn.