The Off-Price Show vs. Charles Goodies Online Store

I was waiting for Sunday the whole week last week because of the Off-Price Show. Well, time seems to run more quickly when you're a mom (SRSLY), and before I knew it, Sunday na.

First, OOTD! It's been a long time since I've done this. Hayaan nyo na ako, blogaversary ko naman eh.

Plains and Prints top, boyfriend jeans bought from ukay-ukay, Zara Sandals
Yuri is wearing a Crib Couture shirt (I forgot the brand of his shorts and shoes hehe)

Trivia: I bought those jeans back in 2007, when I was still in college and working a part-time job in Kumon. George (my workmate) and I passed an ukay-ukay stall on our way back to our boarding house. This pair of jeans only costs P75, I kid you not. And it has great-quality denim that it's still very wearable now. The only difference is that super skinny jeans sya sa akin noon, ngayon boyfriend-jeans na. #yabang

Someone was not in the mood hehe

I forced my sister to take an OOTD shot, and she made a face at me.
Herbench turtleneck, skater skirt, my CLN flats

Would you believe me if I told you this was my skirt?
And that I had it when I was 6 years old? My mom had good taste.

My Parisian satchel as diaper bag. It really needs to retire na.

Sister dear insisted to take a photo of her hat, I mean clip

Okay, let's proceed. My mom actually wanted to go last Saturday night, but I begged off saying that Yuri might get sleepy na in the mall. His bedtime kasi is 8pm. So we went yesterday, the last day of the Off-Price Show.

Registration area

Registration machine? Chos

The grand entrance

It was overwhelming to see racks and racks of branded clothes and shoes. It truly was a sea of merchandise.

Lotsa shoes, with our friend at the back (we meet him at SM almost every week hehe)

And more shoes

I wanted to buy these Stradivarius shorts, but I didn't need them eh. Chos.

Piles of clothes

There were racks of children's clothes

Sayang, there were not many clothes for Yuri's size

I was able to pick out a pretty pair of River Island jeans (only P550) and headed straight to the children's clothes. I wasn't able to buy a lot because there were few 18-mo sizes. I bought a pair of Kids Basics shirt and shorts at P250 and a polo shirt at P100.

With my picks and a hyper Yuri in tow, I braved the ladies' racks. Again, there were sooo many clothes. However, even though I was able to pick some cheap tops, I had to return them. Why? I didn't want to pay for something I don't really like just because it's on sale. Natuto na ako. Chos.

But to be honest, I hope no one hates me for saying this, the overhyped sale is what it is - overhyped and overrated. I was sorely disappointed with the selection of clothes. They looked not like they were from last season's but from the last 3 or so years' collections. Plus may strong bodega smell. Hashtag alamna.

There were also so many Crocs shoes, but I wasn't in the mood to try one because my sandals were hard to remove. My feet were also already killing me because Yuri kept running around the place. Of course, I had to keep my gameface on for the fambam because I did drag them there. Nag-preregister pa kami sa Facebook. Ano ba.

I think the others shared the same sentiments, though, because even though there were a lot of people milling through, I did not see anyone leaving the premises with a lot of shopping bags. Paisa2 lang like us.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take photos of my loot. Like what I said, my feet were already killing me that morning. Then we did the grocery pa. I wanted to drop by Toy Kingdom, pero di na kaya. By the time we got home, my feet were literally swelling. Boohoo.

That's when it hit me. I can't go around wearing strappy sandals anymore. I need Crocs in my life and I need one fast.

Mama: Nge! Bat di ka pa namili kanina?
Me: Okay lang, tingnan ko nalang kung may Crocs pa si Ate Lorilie of Charles Goodies.

I immediately opened her page, and as luck would have it, she was having a bidding starting right on the time when I got online! And guess what's one of the items up for bidding? A pair of Crocs Carlie flats in my size! Talk about serendipity! I quickly message Ate Lorilie about my maximum bid hehe.

Photo from Charles Goodies

Well, guess who won? I got this for only P1200, I kid you not. These cost almost P3k in the Philippines.

Now, Yuri, mommy's ready to chase you. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Charot.

PS: If you're looking for American brands for you, your husband/wife, and your kids, please head on to Charles Goodies.

PPS: No, I'm not paid to advertise. It's from the heart - chos! Seriously, all my transactions with Ate Lorilie are literally smooth and hassle-free. Ang daling kausap (wag lang abusuhin), and all of her items are store-bought and hand-picked in Canada. As in she shops for them. Wala akong mapintas sa quality. Plus affordable pa compared to other sellers.

PPPS: Sayang lang I can't buy from her more often because Yuri's size is not always available. Kung meron unahan pa talaga. Better luck next time. Tsaka sana may Crocs boatshoes; papa's looking for them. Chos lang ate haha. Hay, I choose this store over Off-Price Show anytime.

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Yuri-isms: New Antics and Words

I was supposed to write about this last week, but I lack photos. Over one week, awa ng Dyos, I was able to capture photos of Yuri's new antics using my erratic camera and the phones at home.

Words

I remember writing about how I wasn't even a little bit worried about Yuri talking - or not talking - at almost 16 months. May nabasa pa ako sa MomCenter group on Facebook how one mother was worried about her 13-month old son not talking. Hello???

I don't know. Maybe I have gotten used na to Yuri's pace. Unlike other super babies, Yuri took his first steps when he was already a little older than 13 months (see proud mommy post here). So when we already got walking down to pat, the next milestone to wait for was talking.

Again, I wasn't worried at all. I know that Yuri's gonna start talking sooner or later and according to his own pace. He just turned 16 months last July 26 without uttering a single word. However, a week after that, he began spouting word after word.

It's like Pandora's box has been opened. Seriously! :-)

His first word ever is car (or its equivalent). What's up with guys and cars? Hehehe. Currently, these are his words:

taw - car

su - shoes

s'nda - sandals or slippers (Is this guy going to be obsessed with footwear when he grows up? Oh dear.)

saidu - spider

didi - "dede"

sa-in - "saging"

tiwi - Jollibee 

iti - Mickey (Mickey Mouse)

inda - "dinda," which is what my sister wants Yuri to call her

toto - Coco, my sister's nickname

owa - lola

owo - lolo

siyow - hello

no - no

That's as many as I can remember. Quite a lot na no? It was literally like this: one minute he can't talk, the next minute he's a chatterbox! So to those mommies who are anxiously awaiting their babies' next milestones? Don't worry. Their time will come sooner or later. Enjoy your baby instead of feeling pressured. Like what I said in an old post, it's not a competition.

In other words, wag atat! Chill lang! :P

By the way, you read it right. 16 months and more than 10 words later, wala pa ring "mama"! He refuses to say it, promise! When I tell Yuri, "Say mama," he laughs! Swear!!!

Hide-and-seek

Aside from playing his toy cars, his favorite game is hide-and-seek. Well, not really hide-and-seek because he never seeks - he just hides! He hides here:

Watch me

He has this playmat that we fold up in one corner when not in use. So mukha syang portalet hahaha. Ayun, ginawang hiding place. Promise, he stays really quiet inside ha. Then he pounces on whoever walks by his hiding place! Boo!

Boo!

Footwear ... fetish?

And finally, still aside from cars, Yuri has also developed an obsession with footwear lately. When he's at home (which he always is), he demands for a footwear. Dati kasi, I implemented the "barefoot" rule. I thought it's best for Yuri to walk barefoot at home so that his foot develops.

But now, hindi! He points to the glass case that encloses his everyday shoes. And he chooses pa what he wants to wear! And he gets angry pag hindi sya nasunod. Kaloka!

These are some photos of what he wears - depending on his mood:

Our worn Champion sandals. I no longer let Yuri wear these because lampas na paa nya! :D

Our Oshkosh slippers bought from Charles Goodies shop :-)
(Sorry, this was taken at night using my phone)

Sometimes, chubby legs sneak under my table to get my slippers

More often than not, he prefers wearing his new shoes :D

But his most favorite remains to be lolo's slippers hehe

Yuri is just a baby, I know. But when I write about these things, I see how fast he's growing up. Oh Yuri, you're becoming less of a baby and more of a little boy. *sniffs*

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Good Vibes June

Aside from December, June must be my ultimate favorite month.

This is not only because it is my birthmonth (*ehem June 7 ehem*) but also because it's like the Wednesday of years. If Wednesday is the week's hump day, then June might me the hump month. You know the feeling that you have survived the first five months of the year (with only minor scrapes and bumps), and when you have goals, you know you still have another six to seven months to do them?

Oh, June. I know you'll be good to me. Good vibes!

So on the first Sunday of the month, we went to good-ole SM Lanang Premier just to stroll. I don't have extra money with me, but that's fine. One can have fun without having to buy stuff, right?

Here's what we wore:

Anak come here muna. Mama wants to have a photo!

Please pardon the different watermarks. I was in the middle of experimenting; I got scared by Marie's comment in my previous blog post hehe. #praning

Anak face the camera!

Ay let me carry you na lang. Solb!

Cardigan: Gaisano Mall Department Store
Romper: Papaya
Flats: SM Solemate

Romper: Carter's
Sandals: Champion

I love my rompers so much. They're so comfy! I got them from a seller over at Instagram. Here's a clearer photo without the cardi:

Black + white + floral + one piece = love!

And here's my favorite feature of all:

Front zipper! Perfect for breastfeeding! Front-zips are my best friend, did you know? :-)

I also met up with the brother of Ate Lorilie of Charles Goodies. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the random things I'm loving, and one of them is a pair of "big boy shoes" from Charles Goodies. Right then and there, after reading the post, Ate Lorilie messaged me on Facebook, telling me she wants to give Y the shoes.

For free!

Awesome!!! Thank you so much ate!!!

She also uploaded new batches of clothes, shoes, etc. on her page, and I ordered a shirt for Y. I was looking for something that can fit him (the rest are still too big), when I saw this Carter's shirt:

Too cute, isn't it??? It is still a little too big, so we'd have to wait a couple of months or so before we can wear it. And what about the shoes? Tah dah!

Yay!!! I actually gushed when I saw the shoes in person. Lakas maka-pogi! I love the color and the velcro straps - perfect for a new walker. They're a few sizes too large for Y currently, but he'll be wearing them in no time.

Thanks again, Ate! 

Guys, for good quality clothes and shoes (for adults, children, and babies!), kitchen tools, original Corelle plates, beauty products from Canada, please visit Charles Goodies page. You won't regret it, swear! Plus you'll meet one of the kindest sellers on Facebook. :-)

Finally, I also got Y a little something. I wrote another post a week ago about my cute finds for the month of May. One of those finds was a Winnie the Pooh album. It is really, really cute, but Y doesn't have anything Winnie the Pooh, kaya medyo out of place. I was meaning to look for a Mickey Mouse album (our party theme was Mickey Mouse), but, sadly, National Bookstore doesn't have one. 

Until I saw this in SM Lanang Premier:

It was a major oh-goodness-why??? moment. I didn't have extra money with me, and Y already had an album, so we didn't need to buy one. However, my dad convinced me to buy because after all, Mickey Mouse is Y's cartoon character. Sayang naman. Tutal 200 lang naman (discounted, galing P350).

Keribambini fight!

It was a good thing I did not open the Winnie the Pooh photo album yet. Thank goodness I didn't write anything in it pa. I'll give it to my godson, Andrei. Don't worry, George, it's good as new! Haha!

Happy June, everyone, and good vibes on you! :-)

PS: I have a public apology to make. Remember my giveaway? The sponsor will only give out prizes when the participants reach 50. However, I only had around 40+ participants. I'm really, really sorry. As much as I would like to just buy you a prize myself, our current finances don't allow it. I'm really, really sorry. 

UPDATE:

I decided to pick a winner anyway! I'm sure I can come up with a nice price to give, just to extend my gratitude to all who joined. And the winner is...

a Rafflecopter giveaway


OMG, I swear the picking of winner was totally random. Congratulations, George! Let's discuss what I will give you, awrkay? ;-)

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Y Can Walk! (And Other Updates)

If you are following this blog, you might have already known that Y just turned one last March 26. However, unlike most of us, Y was not yet walking on his first birthday. But it's okay because Y took his time learning.

You might also have read here and here that Y still uses the walker. But my newfound friend Ate Lorilie of Charles Goodies (another mention!) told me that walkers with wheels pala are banned in Canada. Really?! So I asked her what I can do to encourage Y to walk. She told me that manual training is still best.

That afternoon, since I'd be working, I told Honey, Y's yaya, and C, my sister, to train Y to balance on his own feet. Agad-agad! And you know what? He was able to stand on his own immediately! I was right; Y knew how to stand up on his own. He just wasn't confident enough.

After being able to stand up on his own, he tentatively took a few steps. Waaaahhhh! We were totally gushing (like piglets hahaha!). After 1 year and 1 month, Y can finally walk on his own! 

*saboy confetti*

All this happened on May 15, 2013 (so that I wouldn't forget). For documentation purposes, I grabbed the nearest camera and snapped a few shots:

Smile muna for the camera

Bwelo...

Stand up!

And step! Yes! 

But there's also something else that happened. The day after Y finally being able to walk on his own, we also celebrated Y's big boy-hood by giving him his very first haircut! Filipino tradition dictates that a baby should have his first haircut when he turns 1. Pero nasasayangan ako sa buhok nya eh. I wanted it to grow a little longer. Like this long:

What have you done to my son?!

On March 16, Y had his first haircut. And yes, we gave him his first haircut ourselves. Bakit ba, tagtipid eh. Haha! Again, for documentation purposes, we managed to snap a few shots of the event:

See how happy he is with his new haircut?

Don't worry anak; tutubo rin yan. Bwahaha!

That's it, pancit! 

Have a good week everyone and I proclaim good vibes and blessings upon all of you. :D

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Random Things I'm Loving

Hi! It's Sunday and I'm working. Sad, right? I know! As much as I would like to rest today and spend the day worshipping and cuddling with Y, I cannot because I have to make up for missed work. :-(

Anyway, to lighten up my mood and to brighten my day, I decided to do make a list of the random things I'm in love with right now.

1. Thudguard Helmet

Last Wednesday, May 15, Y was finally able to stand and make a few steps on his own! That's after 13 months of trying, so, yipee! Oops, I forgot to make a separate blog post for this milestone. We were happy, of course, but Y also had his first accident. He tried to run and fell down the floor, resulting to a bump on his head. I really wanted to buy this:

Photo credit: www.parentingclan.com

That's a Thudguard helmet. Brilliant, right? Only it costs P2,500. We cannot afford that for now. So this had a stamp of disapproval from the baby daddy.

2. Slide and playset

Not so long ago, I discovered the Familia Kiki blog and immediately fell in love with Maqui's writings. I also immediately fell in love with his son, Aki's slide and playset:

Photo credit: http://madammisismummy.wordpress.com/

After I saw Maqui's post about it, I immediately wanted to visit the local American surplus shop ASAP! The slide set can fit in my parents' house. Unfortunately, while this got J's seal of approval, I'm not so sure about the house we're paying for now. So I guess bike na lang. But still!

3. Random cute things like
a. Magnet board

I was reading Dainty Mom's blog (Ah! I must stop reading blogs!) when I discovered this:

b. Cork board

And this, too:

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/sittingpretty.ph

Both boards would make pretty and functional additions to a home office, don't you think? Both are from Sitting Pretty Crafts Studio, by the way.

c. Wooden hangers

Wooden hangers I have wanted ever since. I saw some in Gaisano Mall last Sunday, but they were too expensive at P165 per piece. I know, right? However, I saw some cheaper hangers online:

Photo credit: http://saversspot.sulit.com.ph/

Aren't uniform wooden hangers a lot better than plastic ones? The seller who owns the photo above sells hangers for only P50/piece and P500/dozen. 

d. Ball Mason jars

I discovered Ball Mason jars from Paper Chic. Unfortunately, they are out of stock now. When will you restock? Pretty please?

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/PaperChicStudio

4. Rubber shoes for Y

Now that Y has finally made an attempt at walking, I finally have a legitimate reason to buy him "big boy shoes." Who doesn't want to give her little man his very first Nikes? I'm setting my eye on this one from a seller in Facebook:

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/rosalyn.t.lopez.7

The pair above would be perfect because Y was born in the Year of the Dragon. It makes so much sense, doesn't it? Hahaha. However, I also like this handsome Oshkosh pair from Charles Goodies:

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charles-Goodies/136140603213604

5. Wooden furniture

When I'm not busy doing something, I find myself daydreaming about designing and decorating our future home. I would like to spruce it up with wooden furniture like these ones:

Photo credit: tastecentral.com

Photo credit: heimastore.com

Photo credit: heimastore.com

Wooden furniture cost much higher than ordinary furniture, but I guess I'm willing to save for it. Of course, knowing me and my love for all things el cheapo, I would probably just ask J's uncle, who owns a furniture shop, to make our wooden furniture. Bring it on!

How about you? What random things are you loving today? 

Have a special Sunday!

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