Merry Christmas!

May the miracle of Christmas fill your hearts with peace and love.

Merry Christmas to all!

Enjoy and God bless!

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Things To Do - List them First!

So many things to do right now and I need to make a list or else... nothing! Nothing will happen. Lol!

Me and the hubby talked about having a mini baby shower for our bundle of joy. Nothing grand, though. We just want to have a small gathering with close friends and family to celebrate the coming of our little girl. So I need to plan our menu, decorations for the house, and maybe a token for that day. And aside from this, we still need to buy more things for the baby since we already know her gender now - hello pink stuff! *waves*

Oh, and I almost forgot. I had to list down our things-to-bring for the delivery day! Plus, the Christmas gifts, some documents to change my marital status, and so much more! Whew!

You see, if you knew me well enough, you'd know that I'm a very organized person. It's just now, everything seems to be in a mess, clutter, and disorganized. Then I remember, I am (once) a master of creating a TO-DO-LIST!

So I grabbed my pen and paper and started writing things that needs to be done. And mind you, one paper is not enough. Oh well! Hope I'll finish everything before the holiday comes! *cross fingers*

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26 Weeks: It's a GIRL!

We're having a BABY GIRL!!! *happy dance*

I knew it! I just knew it's going to be a girl!

It's the best day ever and it's funny how the ultrasound went through. I was lying and relaxing on the bed while the doctor was gliding the transducer on my belly and tinkering on the machine at the same time. I was still talking and laughing with the hubby while we're looking at the monitor when the doctor suddenly blurted out "It's a girl!". LOL! We were surprised not only because we finally knew our baby's gender but we were also caught off guard! Lol! Doc, you  should've told us that we're on!

Then it sank in.

No words could ever explain the joy we have now. I saw my husband teary-eyed while watching the baby moved in the monitor. I will always adore that moment... the soft look in his eyes knowing he's going to have two lovely ladies in his life now. Priceless!

Now that we're a step closer to finally meeting our princess, the excitement grows too. I can’t wait to hold her in my arms, hear her cry, and see her smile. *smiles*

Okay, off to plan the baby shower now!!!

But wait, we have to think of a name first. LOL!

Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful gift!

Loving My Starbucks Coffee Planner 2010

I used to treat myself to Starbucks Coffee after a grueling day at work. My favorites are Java Chip and Caramel Frappuccino (Oh how I missed them!) I’m not really a coffee drinker, so this was my first time that I got a planner from them. As I remember, I want this planner to be a gift for myself and promised to claim this on Christmas Eve. I was so excited when I finally got this and was happy that I came home having this with me. 

This is the first time that I used a ring less planner and I'm a bit skeptical if I can keep up with this system. You see, ever since high school, I'm already a ring bound planner user. I love jotting down anything that I could think of, I keep my important lists in there, put my wallet-sized pictures of me and my friends. So having this type of planner now is something new for me.

Luckily, I fell in love with this planner. It's bigger than the usual personal-sized I used, but I'm really loving the space to write on.

Starbucks released 3 different cover designs for this year and I chose Espresso. Why? Just because! Kidding aside, I love how the design of the cover resembled the homey ambiance of their coffee shop, reminds me of the aroma that I always smell by the time I opened their door. Right then and there, you know that you're up for a relaxing and quiet moment.

And the bookmark, it's really one-of-a-kind that has a touch of Starbucks - the famous Coffee Bean. Very rustic and made of metal, this is probably one of the best bookmark charms I've ever seen.

The pages are visually unique in simplicity which I totally adore. The pages only come with weekly spread, which is I prefer the most when I'm listing my to-dos and happenings for a specific day. Though there are no several "notes" pages, it's still fine for me because the space for each day is already big enough for me to list down notes.

Of course, never forget the coupons! This planner has coupons included in it which gave discounts to all the coffee lovers.

Now, it’s been 3 weeks since Starbucks launched their 2011 Planner. I’m pregnant, and I’ve been staying away from caffeine for months already. So I know I won’t be getting this anymore. 

But, it’s ok! I’ve got more important things to look forward to in my life, more than just a planner and a coffee. But if there’s someone who’s kind enough to send me this as a gift, I will surely be happy to accept it. LOL!

A Friend's Gift

While going through my old stuff, I found this cute little figurine. This was given to me on my birthday by a very good friend I met back in college. I remember, this figurine has a story behind it and why it was given to me.

Her name is Marge, a smart and intellectual strong-willed woman. She's a trustworthy confidant, a good listener, a great adviser, and most of all she will never judge you no matter what. We've shared great wonderful and fun college years and just like any other friends we've had some tampuhans too. *smiles*

She's like a sister to me, we perfectly understood each other. Why? Because we had the same family situation and we're both an only child. I guess that's what bonded us together.

To my dear friend, thank you so much for everything, for your unending patience, and your undying support. You know that you will always be a part of my life and you will always have my back. Thank you for your gift! And just like the story behind it, our friendship will never ever drift away. Cheers to us!

The Body Shop's Cocoa Butter: My Stretch Marks Remedy

A friend of mine had her first born a few months ago and upon hearing that I'm pregnant she shared to me one pregnancy tip that might help me when it comes to stretch marks.

Stretch marks?!

Yeah, that didn't come into my mind. Perhaps I forgot about it because I'm too excited with my growing tummy. *hihi*

But then, it got me thinking. Will I get one?

While I'm completely aware that it's part of pregnancy, stretch marks vary on skin’s elasticity whether you'll get a few or none. I'm not obsessing at all, I just want to try if there are products that would help lessen, if not prevent, stretch marks from my pregnancy. Besides, wala naman mawawala 'pag susubukan, right?!

So I've searched for lotions and was recommended a body butter that it totally perfect for my concern.

The Body Shop's Cocoa Butter Body Butter

Oh, wow! A body butter!

My niece gave me The Body Shop's website so I could browse their products, especially the body butter variants. But this particular one, the Cocoa Butter, according to their site is best used for very dry skin (like mine!) and helps pregnant women in preventing stretch marks.

Jackpot!

So the very next day, I went to The Body Shop store at Market! Market! and bought one for me! Yay!

I did a little asking about the product as well. From what the sales lady told me, Cocoa Butter is their best-seller and most recommended for pregnant women because of its effectiveness. I was also told, that for those who has existing marks, the Shea Butter is perfect for treating them.

Alright, so Cocoa Butter for preventing and Shea Butter for treating. Got it!

Now let's talk about the product itself. Here are some thoughts I could share with you based on my 56-day use.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT:

I bought this at around Php800+. It's a little bit pricey for a 200ml lotion/moisturizer but I can attest that it is worth it, considering the benefits that I'm getting. I can also say that this body butter has a long way to go because of its thick texture. You only need a small amount each time you use it, so I'm guessing there will be more left after I give birth. Moisturizing-wise, the body butter is easily absorbed by the skin. It made my skin soft and the smoothness lasted the whole day even with just 1 application. For me, though, I use it twice a day because I love how it feels on my skin.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT:

Oh, there's only one - the scent! The Cocoa Butter has a nice chocolatey scent, but I'm not a fan of it at all. Don't get me wrong, I just don't fancy the scent as of now (blame it on the hormones), but the good news is, it's completely tolerable. So no worries on that. Besides, we have our own preferences, right?!

To sum it all, I highly recommend The Body Shop Cocoa Butter especially to the those who are expecting. I still cannot guarantee the effectiveness of this product YET since I'm only using this for 56 days now and has a long way to go. But for a 25th-week belly, there are no signs of stretch marks at all.

I have high hopes on this and see if it works. I'll update this post after giving birth! *wink*

**UPDATE**

Good news!!! This product is effective! My belly is clear with only minimal stretch marks and almost close to not having at all. I think what happened was I didn't put too much body butter on my lower belly and focused on the upper area instead. They appeared at the lower area along the linea nigra and the lower right-hand side or the appendix area. The stretch marks were not huge nor long and there were no discoloration or darkness, pretty much the same tone with my skin. Oh, and I still have body butter left and continuously using it! Yay!

Am I happy with the result? YES! 100%

Am I sad with the stretch marks? Of course not! I was actually excited seeing a few ones because it's like having a badge for an achievement I got. These are wonderful battle scars, a reminder that my body was able to 'house' a 7.8lbs baby girl and I'm proud of it!

Will I still use it? Definitely! I'd still use this product on my second pregnancy.

Thank you, The Body Shop! *smiles*

23 Weeks: Boy or Girl?

I’m on my 23rd week of pregnancy and still have no idea with my baby's gender, so I just need to hang on a little bit until my next ultrasound. Anyway, I think I'll play more gender guessing game with the hubby. LOL!

Anong gusto mo, babae or lalake? (What gender do you prefer, a girl or a boy?)

I've been asked this question for several times by friends and relatives.

Before, whenever me and hubby talk about having a family, we always had this friendly battle over the gender of our first born. Obviously, my husband wants a boy, and of course, I want to have a girl. 

That's how it typically goes, right?!

But now that we're facing the reality, THIS realization sets in - gender doesn't really play a big role in pregnancy, having a baby, and starting a new family. Instead, we just want to have a healthy baby - that is all that matters. Nothing else!

Now whenever I am asked, I always say..

"Whichever the Lord will give us, as long as the baby is healthy and normal, and we're both safe during the delivery. I couldn't ask for more."

There.

Though I still tease my husband that we're having a baby girl. Lol! I just can't help it, I really feel that my little swimmer is a girl. *grin*

We're really excited for the mystery to be revealed! 

Counting the days till our next appointment with the OB. *wink*

This is ME!

I draw.

I doodle.

I color.

I design.

I collect.

I love pictures.

I love pens.

I love beautiful things.

I love cute stuffs.

I am a wife.

I am a mother.

This is me!

This is my journey to motherhood while I make one creative mess at a time.

Welcome to my blog!


XOXO,
Ain