I'm a Christian and I Let My Child Go Trick-or-Treat

Yes, I let my toddler join our neighborhood trick-or-treat.

I remember that Halloween of last year, I was so excited to join the event, but we weren't able to attend because of the downpour. I was already Christian back then but I have been used to practicing secular things during that time, allowing me to forget some of the minor aspects of my belief.

You see, more than 4 years ago, when I decided to follow Christ, I let go not only of my vices (smoking and drinking) but also my guilty pleasure, which is all things "horror." That means I also stopped "celebrating" Halloween. (And we all know its pagan roots, right?)

Again, last year was a different case because I conveniently forgot this aspect of my faith. Now, this year, when I made the decision to strengthen my faith again (late last year actually), I have had mixed convictions regarding Halloween and, by extension, Trick-or-Treat.

But we went anyway. Here are my reasons:

1. First, my mother is a major officer in the village, and since the Trick-or-Treat is a village activity that they sponsored, we needed to show support.
2. Second, we've been cooped inside the house for quite a while now because of my work and the weather and we're itching to play with other kids and interact.
3. Third, there was never a time when I didn't like dressing up. I love costumes, and this was a good opportunity to dress Yuri in one (not me haha).

And I have to tell you that we had fun. Yuri got to see some of his friends again and I'm glad that 90% of them are in cute, completely wholesome costumes. (Yesterday, I posted photos of his friends in their cute Halloween costumes.)

Yuri's mood changed when some older kids whom we didn't know started arriving. They were dressed in gory, bloody costumes that bothered even me, an adult.

However, we tried to make the best out of the evening by eating, having fun, and getting as much candy as we can from generous neighbors.

But after coming home and eating some of our loot (and brushing our teeth with feelings), I laid awake because I was still confused. Have I done the right thing by joining Trick-or-Treat?

Snapshots from our First Trick-or-Treat

I'll be upfront and tell you I have mixed emotions about joining Trick-or-Treat. Even now that it's already over and done with, I'm still asking God if I did the right thing. I know dressing up in a costume (a wholesome costume) and getting free candy from the neighbors aren't inherently evil, but I can't help but think it's not the best practice to do for a Christian.

But I'll talk more about these convictions tomorrow. Today, I'm still sooo tired from last evening's activity, so I'll just show you photos from the neighborhood trick-or-treating!

THE COSTUMES

Pirate

DISCLAIMER: I didn't have a say about my sister's costume - in fact, I wanted us to come as sailors (sailorettes?) haha - but obviously that didn't win, so I just prayed a prayer of protection. Not because I think my sister is participating in something evil but because I don't want the devil to take advantage.

Lazada Fiasco Update: Lazada Steps Up

UPDATE AS OF JANUARY 27: No refund has been given to us nor is there apparent intent from them to do so. We'll charge this to experience.

I didn't expect my post describing our recent experience with Lazada to become that widely read. This is why I feel it is necessary to post an update (aside from the update I should provide in the post itself).

I honestly expected a canned response (again) to my email about the belt. Technically, I did because I received an email telling me the steps to follow in returning a product. No problem, we're going to do that right away.

Last night, just as I was about to print the return form, they sent us a message.

First, they offered to give us a refund and, at the same time, replace the item. I think that was a grab-worthy offer, but we declined it to avoid making the impression that we (I) complained just to get free stuff.

But I think they were truly sorry for the inconvenience the transaction caused us (no matter the item's cost) and didn't want us to go through the hassle of returning the belt (though for free). They insisted to give us a refund and let us keep the small belt instead.

So... is there anyone out there with a little waist looking for a free belt? I don't think I could use it even if I lose weight haha.

Seriously, though, I think it's rather admirable of Lazada to go through the extra mile when they could've just made us return the item and then give us a refund. I'm thinking, though, if the same thing would happen if I hadn't bogged about the incident.

Nevertheless, it's good to give the company the benefit of the doubt. But I don't think I will be buying anything from them for a long time soon. However, I will be going back to Lazada though if they achieve the following:

Why I'm Never Buying from Lazada Ever Again

UPDATE: Lazada offered to give us a full refund and, at the same time, replace the item. However, we declined the offer, so they are going to give us a full refund instead and let us keep the item. (More about this here)

UPDATE AS OF JANUARY 27: No refund has been given to us nor is there apparent intent from them to do so. We'll charge this to experience.

Good morning! I'm so tired, the happy kind of tired! We just arrived from a mini-adventure at Mt. Apo (well, one side) last night and my muscles are sore! I'll tell you about it soon.

For now, let's talk about this shopping website that stressed my poor Mama.

Source: imgkid.com

Two years ago, I discovered Lazada, and during that time, I just gave birth so online shopping was truly the way to go. I used to love it not only because of the free shipping (no minimum cost at that time) and the discount coupons (no minimum cost, too). I used to order to my heart's content.

It wasn't until last year when I noticed their services (at least to me) were becoming more and more flawed. In other words, palpak!

For example, one time, I ordered Tiny Buds supplies from them, and the liquid bath soap came to me leaking! As in natapon na yung ibang laman inside the package, which also damaged the packaging if the other content. I know it's not the courier's fault because the packaging should be overlooked by the seller to make sure di matatapon ang liquid. I order liquid stuff from Human Heart Nature all the time and walang natatapon because superb ang packaging. But I just let it go and charged it to experience.

Then, another time, I was still looking for a camera. I saw a camera that I really really like on Lazada, but since I have a question about it, I emailed the customer service representative first. I don't remember the first response I got, but it didn't have anything to do with my question. Yes, the problem with their CSR is that they only send canned responses (proven and tested). I emailed again and waited for a response. I got no response, and soon, the sale was over. Bumalik na sa original price ang camera so I was never able to buy it. (I just bought a Samsung WB150F instead.)

I don't remember the other experiences, but I have long decided that I will never order from Lazada again. However, last month, my mom made lambing to me because she wanted the Happy Call cooking pan. In hindsight, had I known it costs the same in other websites, I should have bought from them instead. But I didn't know that so I took another risk with Lazada.

GrabTaxi is Now in Davao: The Good, The Bad, and The Hungry

I'm a taxi girl.

I know folks from Manila or other places in the Philippines would be wary of riding cabs, but here, no one really hesitates to ride them (unless budget is the issue haha). That's because taxi drivers in Davao City are generally kind and courteous and honest.

H&M breton shirt | River Island jeans | CLN flats | Coach bag

I've been hailing cabs all my life. In fact, I began riding them on my own when I was 11 or 12. Again, nobody thinks twice about that here! Now, I'm generally comfortable with taxi cabs, but I'm always up for new services. You never know what you're missing, diba? That's why I immediately agreed to join the media launch of GrabTaxi last Wednesday at Saging Repablik.

I'll only be giving you a narration (chos) of my personal experience and insights about GrabTaxi. To be honest, I still haven't had the time to peruse the press kit since I've been so busy working, being a full-time yaya, and helping organize the village's Halloween party. Yada yada yada. I'm rambling na, so I'll go ahead before I ramble on some more.

Last Wednesday was a mixture of good, bad, and "hungry." Let's start with...

THE BAD

I am a Sanctimommy (or at least I used to be!)

Lately, as a stress-reliever, I would read posts on STFU Parents, and I encountered the term, "Sanctimommy." Apparently, it's an old term so I'm a late bloomer. For those of you who also don't know what it means, here's a definition:

Emphasis on the lack of humility people! Despite the negative connotation, I easily identified myself as a Sanctimommy. And I think some of you may agree with me! Right? Aminin! For example, I remember when the sister of my sorority sister gave birth. A week later, I saw a photo of the newborn baby drinking water! Water! I immediately messaged my sis and told her  why a newborn can't drink water. Take note that I do not even know her sister haha. It's a good thing my sis is good-natured or I could've received a mouthing right there and then!

It has something to do with my being a self-confessed know-it-all, my constant debates with my father at the dinner table growing up, and my dose of OC-ness that I had taken from him. I just can't stand it when things are incorrect; I literally feel itchy, promise! Maybe that's why I'm a teacher by passion and profession. But I'm getting way ahead of my story.

So yun na nga, I'm a Sanctimommy. A silently judging one. You're feeding your toddler junk food?! Oh the horror! You're letting her watch TV?! Shame on you! You're actually letting your baby use the iPad?! Don't you even care?!

And I dished out a lot of unsolicited pieces of advice, too! Oh yes, I am so annoying.

On the flipside, because I'm aware of this mentality, I would always try to choose the "good" choices: breastfeeding, homeschooling, organic, stainless steel, manipulative play, outdoor play... The list goes on, but I do these because I want to be the ultimate mom - whatever that is.

That used to be my lifestyle; "perfect mommy" used to be my peg - until I became yaya-less.

How to Prepare to be Yaya-less

My co-worker at home (that's not a functioning laptop; don't worry)

Yayas are not forever. Ideally, they would be here until the kids are old enough to take care of themselves, but what if yaya goes against the plan and leaves unannounced? What do you do?

I am not familiar with the WOHM (moms who work outside the home) setup, and I have only lived the SAHM lifestyle for the first few months of Yuri's life, so I will be talking about how to prepare to be yaya-less as a WAHM or a work-at-home mom.

The beauty of my work is that it is timed. Unlike other jobs, I can't just leave an essay if I need to do something else because I need to finish reviewing it in more or less 30 minutes. It's a little tough, and if your work has the same strict nature, don't worry. Here are my tips:

1. Prepare several months in advance.

As many of you know, our ex-yaya had a disgraceful exit last Thursday. I did say last weekend that we were able to immediately cope with the changes. Why? Because I already prepared to be yaya-less several months ago. I don't remember the exact month, but I remember preparing when I understood that the yaya was not sincere with her job. I knew that once she finds the opportunity, she would leave.

So I began taking care of Yuri in large chunks of time. Usually, the yaya would take care of him from 8:30 to 11:30 am and would resume at 1:30pm to 5. Cold turkey, I began being in charge of Yuri until 9:30am, and sometimes, 10am. Then after lunch, I would be in charge of putting him to sleep and will only give him to his yaya at 4pm. Sometimes, Yuri doesn't leave me at all.

That way, I already know what to do to work while Yuri is with me, so no one is shocked.

And in the case of household chores, nothing much changed since we all did our chores. We washed plates ourselves, laundered clothes ourselves (send them to the laundry shop), etc, while the ex-yaya was still here. In other words, be as less dependent on your yaya as you can starting today!

2. Begin disciplining your child early.

No Yaya, No Problem: Day 3

Hello! It's the third day since Honey (how can a girl with such a sour personality have a sweet name?) walked out of our house and out of our life for good.

He wanted to "work," too, so I gave him an old laptop that no longer functioned.

Yes, I'm still mad at her. It is a good thing her new "home," though near our house, is in another street so I don't have to see her face. I doubt she'll every pass by our house anyway. But I  want to let it go. Whatever hopes I once for her are now all gone, and I want to just stop caring. I just hope she can still do all the stuff she was privileged to do in our own home because I heard her new amo is suplada and strikta! Good luck!

Ay, by the way, my mother just told me of another thing she did in the police station. After hearing my mother's side of the story, he told Honey, "Day, gipaskwela man diay ka, ngano mag-ingon ana man ka?" [Girl, they sent you to school, didn't they? Why are you like that?]

And she responded by saying this:

Vocational ra man ilang gipaskwela sa ako, Sunday school!

[They only sent me to a vocational Sunday school!]

Naku!!! This is sooooo hard, Lord!

(I want to stop thinking about her ingratitude, but I do feel the need to keep defending my mother though. #EldestDaughterDuties)

So how was the past two days?

Good Riddance: Sending Yaya Away

It's final; we finally sent Honey away. But it wasn't the civil, peaceful sendoff I was hoping for. No, it was the kind of sendoff Honey wanted: dramatic and scandalous, the stuff telenovelas are made of, with matching police presence to boot.

Look Sexy or Be Prudent?

Last Monday, just when I barely recovering (haha oa) from the blogger fiasco that happened last Sunday, I discovered another fiasco.

Itago na lang natin sya sa pangalang Honey.

Old readers would know who she is; for the new stumblers (hello!), Honey is Yuri's yaya.

Yes she's still here (here's the reason why). In fairness to her, other than her usual carelessness and "sabaw" moments, she hasn't done anything drastic since this experience.

Until last Sunday. Can you guess what happened?

I didn't want to write yet another yaya woe, but I'm seriously baffled with this case and I want to know your insights.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED.

Last Thursday, she asked me if I could lend her a dress. I asked, what for? She said it's for a cocktail party activity in school, where they are taught how to serve and etiquette I guess. Since it's for school, I immediately said yes. I have no other cocktail dress so I let her borrow this:

This is our batchbook from college; I'm the third one from the left (never mind that I'm the fattest). Now, take a good look at that dress and take note of the length, too. That's short, right?

Then the day after, she also asked to borrow a pair of shoes. The annoying part was that she had already chosen for herself the shoes she wanted before she asked me. But that's not the issue.

On Monday morning, I found out that she arrived home the night before (Sunday) at already 12 midnight. She's usually expected to arrive at before 9pm. What was the reason?

She skipped school and didn't attend her afternoon classes because she wanted to go home to her province in Davao del Norte. Nope she didn't tell us. We only found out when she got home.

Just a few months after we almost sent her away because she went home without asking for our permission and she did it again! Not to mention that she cut classes; nag-aaral kaya talaga to?

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE.

She arrived at our house at 12 midnight still wearing my short cocktail dress.

The Snubbed Blogger and Other Stories

My Sunday was a mixture of ups and downs, but thankfully, there were more good things than bad things. But before I talk about it, here's what we wore (hahaha):

Doesn't he look like a fashion blogger? What happened to my 2-year old?

On Mommy: Zara tunic | F21 jeans | CLN shoes

On Baby: Carters shirt | Baby Mossimo jeans | Elle/Chicco shoes

Yes I need to lose weight. Now, about our Sunday, there was only one bad thing, but it almost ruined my day. It was because I was a...

THE SNUBBED BLOGGER

A month ago, I was invited to attend this particular event of a huge company. I said yes. I was even required to wrote a pre-event post as a "partner blogger," the PR person's words, to invite participants.

The venue was an hour away from home. Since we had to go to church first, we had to wake up extra early. Also, we had to plan our day around this event so there were many changes in our usual, comfortable Sunday routine.

To say the event was a disappointment is an understatement.

New Generation of Samsung Digital Appliances offers Solutions for Energy Efficiency and Space

Last Tuesday, I was able to see a new lineup of envy-worthy appliances, thanks to Samsung!

I admit that I don't usually go to tech-related events (read: non-mommy!) but I couldn't not go because I like Samsung and because I also need to be on the lookout for new appliances in the market.

And it was totally worth it because I discovered a piece of kitchen appliance that I need in my life. I will tell you about that later!

Anyway, the event started with a game where our team won. Yay! If you're wondering what game I could possibly win, well, it was a quiz bee. Ano pa nga ba? Haha! That's what we call #nerdperks.

Then we were led into the showroom to see the new appliances in person. These are all digital so prepare to be amazed at what they can do. While I took mental notes and was seriously listening (I really do need to buy appliances), I think this press release by Samsung will do a better job at explaining the features of each amazing contraption - with my giddy side comments haha. Here it goes.

Technology is ever evolving, but it has always been aimed at aiding everyday tasks. Samsung has taken on the higher pursuit of offering people a better lifestyle. Thus, armed with state-of-the-art electronics and a passion for innovation, Samsung has come up with their new lineup of digital household appliances that will ensure a happy home.

I don't think I have ever used the a/c as often as I do now that I have a baby, and somehow, it achieved a "necessity" status in my life.

Air Conditioner With Triangle Design

Cheesy Sweet Potato (Camote) Balls

I'm always up for a healthy, easy-to-make recipe for my picky toddler. I'm not sure how he had become picky, but since I'm sure he would outgrow it anyway, I just focus on letting him try new foods all the time.

I first learned about this recipe from the Facebook page for BLW or Baby-Led Weaning Philippines. Actually, the recipe called for potatoes, but since we also have sweet potatoes (camote), and they're much healthier anyway, I decided to use them. Here are the ingredients:

Hearty Finds at Got Heart Community Shop

When someone says "organic," what's the first thing that comes to your mind? Ako, it's "clean and good." As a mom, I'm tasked to raise Yuri by making sure his environment is "clean and good." Aside from that, I should also make sure that what goes inside his body is also "clean and good." Unfortunately, this is harder than making sure he doesn't sit on a dirty surface.

I often think that people who live in provinces are blessed because the easy fresh and almost always organic produce. Job, for example, had been staying full-time in their province for quite some time now and I'm jealous of all the organic fruits, veggies, even meats that he gets to eat!

Fortunately for those who live in the city, Davao City in particular, we can now get our share of organic, locally-made goodies in a store called Got Heart Community Shop.

Last Monday, I mentioned that I love this store because it has three things I believe in: health (through organic food), art, and recognition of local resources. That's right; it prides itself on offering organic products made by local communities in the Philippines and mostly in Mindanao! Since I didn't bring a decent camera last Sunday, here are some photos of the shop from their Facebook page:

New Shopping Finds, Birthday Parties, and Other Stories

Yesterday was a hectic but fun Sunday! And though I didn't even expect it to be, it was a welcome change in the monotony of a WAHM's life hehe. Anyway, let's begin with the story-telling, shall we?

1. Organic Finds at Got Heart Community Shop

I barely venture out to the central part of the city now (I'm always in my comfort zone: the north), but yesterday, I really needed to go to Gaisano Mall for banking and buying stuff. I also made it a point to go inside Got Heart Community Shop.I'm going to dedicate an entire blog post for the shop, but here's a photo of my finds:

Yes, I'm going to take a better photo using an actual camera; nagmamadali lang hehe.

Anyway, I've always been curious about this shop not only because I'm friends with the lovely manager (hihi) but also because it stands for many things I believe in: natural materials, health, art (real art), and local resources. If you noticed, I often feature some local finds like Kablon Farms jam,  Cacao de Davao, and Real Laundry Detergent. So imagine my delight to see these brands - and more - in the shop!

Photo: http://www.gotheartfoundation.org/

2. Dencio's Kamayan

Another reason why I wanted to go to Gaisano Mall that Sunday was because my dad and I wanted to eat at the newly opened Dencio's Kamayan (right beside Manang's Chicken). Filipino food is always our go-too comfort food, and it doesn't get any better than inihaw and barbecue (at least for us hehe). We got a "mini boodle fight," my own term because I forgot the name haha, which had grilled pork, chicken, chicken liver, baked mussels, and crunchy kangkong. It costs around 780 yata without rice and drinks. Sulit because there's so many food!

Sorry, I only had my phone with me, and I couldn't take a decent photo because Yuri was being malikot.

As for me, I ate a lot even if I was supposed to be on a diet because I haven't eaten pork for so long! Yuri also ate a lot! The best part here is the service: everyone in the staff is warm and bibo and courteous, and they almost always ask us if we need something even before we call them. Kudos to whoever trained the team!

3. I want to do the whole OOTD thing again.

But I'm fat and have no new clothes!

Android 4.4: Asus Zenfone 4

Image: ibtimes.com

A couple of days ago, I read that Android 4.4 (KitKat) update was already available for Asus Zenfone 4 users in certain countries. I forgot what countries in particular, but Philippines wasn't part of the first batch. I also don't know why the update was only available for Zenfone 4, but maybe it's now available for Zenfone 5 and 6?

Anyway, yesterday afternoon, I finally received a notification alerting me that the update was already available for my phone, so if course, I immediately complied.

I waited for maybe around 30 minutes to download the update and another 10 to install it; it was quite heavy at around almost 600mb? I excitedly looked at my phone to see the difference...

... Which was almost none. Haha! Well, there were slight differences such as the color. For example, the color tones were cooler as opposed to the original warm tones. The status bar also became transparent. Or maybe I just didn't see any big difference because I was using a Go Launcher theme?

Aside from that, I also noticed new Asus apps installed in my phone such as Data-to-Data Transfer and PC Link. If I read the descriptions correctly, virtual connections can be made between machines, which can be really useful in presentations. Of course, new apps are also accessible from the Play Store such as the Google and Nexus cameras.

But the biggest, most important change the update brought to me is this: longer battery life! I swear I didn't even see that coming. I read in some forums some speculations about the improvement of Asus Zenfone 4's battery life (which can be ridiculously short), but those are just speculations. But I noticed that my battery life improved a LOT and I didn't even have to use my battery-saving app. For example, by 11PM, I usually am prepared to call it a night because my battery is already dying, but look at this screenshot:

And I didn't change a single thing in my usage. Amazing! Now it's already 12 midnight, and I still have 46% battery: a far cry from before. Just because of this reason alone, I'm already living Android Kitkat!

What about you? Have you updated to Android 4.4? What are your thoughts on it?

PS: I noticed pala one more cute change. The emojis are now colored! :D

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What is "Rich"?

You must have have heard of this advice a million times already, but I'm going to repeat it to annoy you drive the point: Live within your means. Do not buy something you can't afford with cash.

With this in mind, what do you think first when you hear the word "rich"? I used to think that being rich is an unattainable status. Growing up in a middle-class family, I was raised to think that it was virtually impossible to be rich and that only a few "chosen" people can be rich.

However, as I grow up, I began to discover a new definition of being rich. Unfortunately, this definition still entails hard work, the same hard work required by my old definition of "rich. Fortunately, though, I discovered that the mindset that it was impossible to be rich is untrue. In my opinion, everyone can be rich in life.

Photo credit: www.tourism.gov.ph

So what do I mean when I say "rich"?

Hello, It's October

Image: http://www.wallpapersandimages.com/

(I am fully aware that October began yesterday; I do have a calendar hee hee.)

I like October for three reasons: the beginning of the cooler weather (which, I notice, begins near the end of September), the Trick-or-treating (if only because of the costumes and the chocolates), and the countdown to Christmas. Yay!

I didn't enjoy September much. I read some people say that some particular months were not "kind" to them as though months had some control on us, and I do not subscribe to such thought. In my case, September was a trying month mainly because I had a weak prayer life, which affected my faith. I'm glad I learned my lesson right away.

This month, I want to start (or regain) a better lifestyle and outlook by doing the following things:

1. Read the Bible and pray more sincerely.

Because I learned that my prayer life makes such a great impact on my life in general. I still read the Bible but lately, I've been scheming through the chapters because I only feel obliged to read them. It was a far cry from my Bible sessions earlier this year when I found myself reading more resources to learn more about what I just read.

As for my prayers, I'm not proud to say that I couldn't count the number of nights I slept without uttering a prayer. And when I did, most were not heartfelt. As a result, I found it easier to sin. *shudders*

2. Think before I speak.

An Afternoon at Cafe Annabelle's

Credits to Christine Mata

I've been noticing Cafe Annabelle's for a while now. It's this quaint and dainty cafe right in front of Ayala Abreeza mall's Robinsons grocery; it's hard to miss it in its pink and white glory!

I'm not sure when it opened exactly since I rarely grocery-shop at Abreeza, but the first time I saw the cafe, I knew I had to try it sometime! You know naman, anything cute and pretty with food thrown into the mix piques my curiosity. :-)

Finally, I was able to try Cafe Annabelle's last Sunday with my super-friends.

Read my review of Cafe Annabelle's here.

_________________________________________________________________

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