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.

Hello loves!  I feel guilty for not updating my blog with personal stories in past couple of weeks because of my tight wedding preps and everything else in between.  I've been busy as always with work, as I've recently launched a nationwide promo.  Of course, my affairs of my heart and at home will perpetually be my life's priorities, suffice to say, medyo inuna ko mga matters about these areas.  I actually miss blogging about reflections and personal mommy stuff.  Soon yan mga loves!  I'll be soooo back!

Well, how's my matter of the heart?  Imperfect but awesome.  Like any couple, of course we argue, we kiss and make up (a lot!  that's the best part), we agree to disagree, and we work hard to keep the fire burning.  It's burning so alive and high right now, nakakapaso.  The couple's retreat I wrote about it the past really helped a lot.

The kids, they are growing up pretty fast and sometimes I fear I couldn't keep up.  My panganay who's already 12 is much taller than I am already and have some issues about his peers and love life.  I am also learning this new parenting style as he is learning his to go through the loops of his early adolescent life as well.  Hirap mga muthers!  Kakaloka!  I have to maintain being a mom/parent but at the same time be a friend and making sure the line's not being crossed.  In short, parang loka-loka na I discipline him and tell him what to do and not to do in situations, then convince him to tell me everything and ask anything he's not sure about.

The little one is a lot more clingy now than ever!  He sometimes even get jealous of his dad when he sees us hugging.  He would ask, "What about me?  No one's hugging me!"  So of course I have to explain that Daddy also needs a hug from me.  We just hug him together and sandwich him with a kiss from both of us on each of his cheeks.  Do you also experience this with your child/children who's at around the age of four to five?

Oh!  Let me update you about the wedding preps too!  It's officially 22 more days until the BIG DAY!  How do I feel?  I don't feel any preyshoore right now!! Waaaaahh!! Nakakangatog actually! I'm not very stressed... siguro soon, kapag one week before na lang.  When I think of the things I need to finalize.. ayan na, nasstress na ako.  But when I think of the things and items that I already have and already accomplished, medyo I feel relieved in a way.  I have a dress na pala loves!   I just bought an RTW gown para #KitchieNadalPeg and dating.  The boys are also going shopping this weekend for their wedding attire.  Besides, I swear it's more practical than have it made.

I already booked our photographer, my videographer, rings (gawa na sila!), the wedding and reception venue, caterer, the officiator, invitation artist, invitation printer, cake, entertainment, and my OTD coordinator.  The only things I need to finalize are the following: Florist, Stylist, Giveaways, and Program.  Other than these things, Macky and I will be DIYing stuff a week prior to our wedding day!  For your visual idea of how I envision our Rustic themed wedding to be, you may check out my PINTEREST Wedding Inspiration Board. Exciting days ahead!

So there loves.  Kayo kamusta?  How's life and do you have any advice for me about the wedding?  Thanks and until my next personal post (when things are back to normal!)!  Have a wonderful day!

Why?  Why haven’t I been writing for quite a while and if I would, the posts would be about an event or a product discovery or a sponsored one.  When I read my own blog the other day, I asked those questions myself.  As I examined and critiqued my own digital home, I wasn’t happy about it too.  I lost connection to my inner core; the heart of my blog was missing.

So what’s the reason?  We were too busy about the wedding preparations that we have been forgetting to prepare OURSELVES for the true marriage.  Just like any couple, it's normal for us to go through quarrels, disagreements, arguments, and whatever there is that's not synonymous to a smooth sailing relationship.  We were so caught up with the stresses that we forgot to take care our our hearts and our relationship.  There were pains which we caused each other along the process.

I personally coped with the help of friends, with a few diversions, with a lot of escaping and just focused on work, and he by turning to his mobile phone (COC actually) and going out with friends occasionally.  It temporarily eased the burden, but I still went back to the pain, to the hating, to speaking hurtful words, and to sobbing.  I thought solving the problem ourselves would do the trick.  But it didn’t.

Do you honestly let your kids consume enough fruits and vegetables in a day?  Let's at least talk about you, do you consciously ensure you get the recommended servings of fruits daily?  Personally, we have enough vegetable servings at home.  But fruits, not as much as we should, until quite recently.

To give you a background, I think I've mentioned this in my previous post before that my dad, who's 75 years old, has daily servings of vegetable and fruits.  He cannot live without fruits in his diet and seeing how healthy he is now, made me realize more the effects of making fruits an integral part of one's diet.  Since I was a child, I've learned to eat fruits and one of my favorites is pineapples, which is also my dad's favorite.  So having said this, and consciously teaching by example, I've passed on the love of pineapples to my kids.

We had an awesome awesome time (as always) last Sunday at Spectrum with Fairmont Makati's second series of the Awesome Sunday Brunch.  What made it more awesome are the LEGO-made Philippine landmarks which we all marveled at.

Recognize this?  It's the Rizal Shrine in Luneta, Manila

The Banawe Rice Terraces