As I write this (hope to finish this post today), we're just one day away until our BIG DAY!  Many of my friends are saying that I should be relaxing this week so I would not look haggard on the wedding day.  Wait, what?  What relax?  Hahaha!  The only time I remembered relaxing was when I had my nails done for three hours the other night and when Macky had a Shiatsu massage.  It was too long that we ended at 12am.  At that time, I just wanted to go to bed,but I had no more time to had my nails done anymore.  Could you check if the blush shade is pretty or  should I change to white or ecru or add a glittery design?

One more day to go until I wear the second ring on my finger. By the way, I had a blush polished on my nails for the big day. Yay or Nay? Should I change it to white or ecru or french tip or put glittery design on it?

A photo posted by Louise Antonette Fandiño (@mommypracticality) on Nov 26, 2015 at 2:26pm PST

I'd like to think I am of Spanish descent because of my surname, Fandiño.   Hahaha!  Anything with Ñ to me most probably has a Spanish influence.  So, when Macky and I were invited to dine at Alquria Restaurante, I felt like, hey, this is my zone!  Kidding aside, I've always loved Spanish cuisine because it's very close to our own Filipino dishes like Afritada, Caldereta and even Lechon, which all have Spanish influences.  I remember my dear friend Tricia (of authentic Spanish-speaking family) who would always invite me to their home to try her homemade Spanish menu specialties like Churros con Chocolate and Croquettas.  Because of her almost weekly invitation, I've grown love for Spanish cuisines.

Who says motherhood is easy?  I think no one did.  It's a 24/7 job.  One has to always be on her toes to ensure her family is safe and happy.  One of her challenges is how to keep her kids away from harm at all times.  Personally, I know that accidents could always happen.  But I also believe that it could be prevented.

In an intimate gathering I attended together with my fellow Circle of Trust Moms, organized by Wilkins Distilled water, we learned some do-it-yourself safety hacks from other trusted expert moms using materials that are easily accessible from their own homes.  It was a fun afternoon of learning and sharing with other moms in the crowd.

Here are some of the tips shared during the Wilkins event which you could also try at home.

Scout the Territory. 
Take a child’s eye view of your home. Get down on your knees to see for yourself what’s within reach, what looks tempting, and what could be dangerous for your kids.

Cushion Sharp Edges and Soften Up Corners. 
Invest on furniture edge guards and corner protectors; foam pipe insulations for instance are easily available at hardware stores. When your child starts running around the house, you’ll be thankful you brought that extra protection.

Keep Window Cords Up High. 
Loop and tie window cords to keep them out of reach of children, but not too high that you can’t lower the shade all the way down.

Duct Tape on Power Outlets. 
Cover reachable openings with duct tape or band aid to avoid the risk of electrocution.  There are also readily available power outlet covers you could buy in DIY shops for less than one hundred pesos for 4 pieces.  I personally use these at home to keep my kids safe.

Wow!  I just turned another year older and hopefully wiser and better on a holistic approach.  I used to deny my real age because I guess I was insecure or in disbelief that I turned a year older each year and yet I felt like I didn't grow old.  You know what I mean?
But now, not that I am more confident and feeling super wise, I more comfortable telling people my age.  Loves, I just turned 37 years old.  I am way past mid-30s and a few years before the big 40! :)  So with a lot of thinking and reflecting these past few days, I want to share some of my learning and realizations about life, dreams, love, kids, and other people:

I'm glad there's one deodorant we all could trust in not only keeping our underarms odor-free but really takes care of it making it lighter and smoother.  Dove lessens underarm skin irritation with its unique 1/4 moisturizing cream.  It's the most recommended deodorant by dermatologists, as certified during a 2015 Philippine Dermatological Society convention survey.

I have been a Dove Deodorant user for years and totoo, my underarm skin's lighter and smoother.  This is Dove's commitment to women, to let our underarms experience real care so we could show them off confidently,no matter what the season may be.
And as Dove Deo takes care of women's underarms, Dove now wants to give girls everywhere a chance to experience real care through a relaxing getaway for two!  Yes!  A chance to win a trip for two to Maldives!   We all deserve a getaway especially us moms who are stressed at home at also at work.
And guess what, it's so easy to join!  Just purchase a Dove Deo box, available in major supermarkets and retail stores nationwide for the price  of your regular Dove roll-on (P89 for Dove Original, and P95 for Dove Ultimate White or Powder Soft, along with a FREE tote bag!)
Then by using the promo code found at the bottom of your Dove Deo Box, just text
The winner will be contacted directly by the Dove team.  Aren't you excited?!  Join the #DoveDeoGetaway and experience real care with Dove Deodorants loves.

Here are more photos from the campaign launch which I attended with some beauty, fashion, lifestyle and mom bloggers as well:

Food is L-O-V-E!!!

Patty Laurel-Filart hosts the event.  She's with Dove's Assistant Brand Manager Jam Muñasque

Selfie with Rina of Rina's Rainbow, while eating and making mommy chikas at the same time.

Took home a lovely tote bag of Dove products with a pretty personalized bag tag.

For more information, go to http://www.dovedeo.ph/,  like Dove on Facebook, follow them on Instagram (@doveph), and follow them on Twitter .

#DoveDeoGetaway

I enrolled myself in a gym a few weeks ago to officially start my health and fitness journey.  I was encouraged by one of my dearest friends to commit to a lifestyle changing routine for my own benefit.  So, after three sessions with a personal trainer, these were some of the facts that I discovered about health and myself as well:

• I am bordering obese. – YES.  I couldn’t believe it myself and I felt a little bad for allowing this to happen.  My body fat index comprises of 37% and at my age and height, it should only be at around 20 – 25%.  It’s sad, but at least I have a baseline and that I know what to target with my fitness journey
• That while cardio exercises may shed off fat, there’s a constant need to build muscles to achieve a fit physique, protein is needed for muscle building which comes from meat and vegetables
• Weight loss is achievable with ratio of 80:20, the former being food intake and latter from exercise.  So which means, I have to choose healthier meals.

Having these realizations made me decide to eat healthier to be able to achieve my fitness goals.  I now eat more vegetables and healthy meats and less of carbo food.  In my lookout for healthy food I could practically and conveniently bring to work as baon or eat at home without the hassle of long preps or cooking, I discovered San Marino Tuna Laing.  
Tuna has always been the food I turn to when dieting, not starving ha, and at the same time enjoying delicious food.  San Marino has always come up with delicious variety of products for health-conscious individuals like me.

What I like about the San Marino Tuna Laing is that it’s so convenient to bring to work because of its easy-open can and it’s ready-to-eat, perfect for people always on the go.
Since I’ve been told by my trainer to eat more of the good stuff like fish and vegetables, San Marino Tuna Laing is a good choice because it’s made of real taro leaves, coconut milk and of course, tuna flakes.  Parang kumain ka talaga ng lutong bahay when you taste it because it’s flavorful plus it’s healthy.

Perfect choice for my dieting phase because I get the nutrition I need without the extra calories.  The taro leaves naturally has Vitamins A, C, Fiber, and Protein, plus it’s good for the heart because of the Omega-3 in tuna.  San Marino Tuna Laing is great for my workout and dieting needs.
Now, there’s another alternative to our healthy food choices, apart from the usual San Marino tuna variants we buy.  We could enjoy another delicious and healthy treat from San Marino, the new San Marino tuna Laing.  It’s only Php32.00 per can of 180g.
If like me, you also are into your health and fitness journey or the more popular Balik-Alindog-Program, I encourage you to choose healthier food alternatives such as San Marino Tuna Laing.  Like the San Marino Corned Tuna’s Facebook Page to know more about San Marino Tuna Laing. #SanMarinoTunaLaing #SanMarino

I'm excited to share with you the good news from McDonald's!  Once again, two of the world’s most loved companies go hand-in-hand to serve more smiles and everyday happiness to customers through the 2015 Coca-Cola Glass Collection.

Recently, more and more diseases are virally spreading.  As a full-time working mom, I cannot afford to get sick because I have big responsibilities at home and at work.  Apart from those already busy roles, I have other personal things I’m passionate about like blogging and achieving my fitness goals, so I am very conscious with my well-being.  I also get paranoid when it comes to the health of the rest of the family.  I don’t want my kids to catch common colds, cough or worse flu, because I don’t want him to miss out on school days and the opportunity to learn and have fun with other kids.  For hubby, he runs a team and his role is crucial at work, so his health couldn’t be compromised.  That’s why I make sure we’re protected by taking the needed vitamins and minerals to boost our immune system.

How?  By making sure I incorporate fruits and vegetables in our daily food intake and by also taking our daily dose of Vitamin C.  When it comes to Vitamin C, I trust FERN-C which is a non-acidic Vitamin C.  What I like about this is that it can be taken with an empty stomach so I don’t have to worry with tummy aches I usually experience taking Ascorbic Acid.

It's a very rare chance for me to meet people online and instantly feel connected by reading about their life story, challenges, and triumphs.  There's one particular life and love story that I stumbled upon a few months ago while researching about destination weddings.  When I read her story, I literally cried.  I was deeply touched by her story of how she shared that God gives everyone second chances and His timing is always perfect.  This story was of Arlene Hidalgo-Briones.

At that time of reading and researching, I was also looking for a photographer for our wedding.  God talaga is always so good!  It was not an accident that I read her story.  God led me to her because she was appointed to be our wedding photographer!  I cried the first time I read her story.  I cried the first time I received a reply from her through email, and I just held back my tears the first time we met personally.  Galing talaga ni God!

Arlene Hidalgo-Briones is the owner of The Perfect Grey Photography (which I will be writing lengthily about in one of my post-wedding posts) and is also one of the co-founders of The Boudoir Dolls, together with Shayla Sanchez and Madoka Tomas.