TOPAZ HORIZON

Okay, I know I've not been blogging as often but that's because of my little critter, Vito. He's been demanding quite a lot of my time! I may not be writing but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading. So I just wanted to say that today is the last day to nominate blogs for this year's Emerging Influential Blogs and I am rushing to nominate these blogs to the honor roll simply because these blogs deserve some love!

1. Topaz Mommy - this is my brand new mommy blog! Of course I had to nominate it! I started it just last December when I confirmed the biggest surprise of my life--I was pregnant! I chronicle my super duper honest-to-goodness feelings about pregnancy, marriage and motherhood. And I was again surprised that so many people relate to my experiences. It's a true adventure and I'm so happy to find fellow travelers with me!

2. Christian Homeschooler - I've heard about homeschooling in other countries but never did I expect that my own childhood best friend Jennie Aspacio would grow up to homeschool her son, Jed! At first, I was skeptical but as I've watched Jed grow in intelligence, charm and confidence, I now think homeschooling is a wonderful option. Need to know more about homeschooling? Let Jennie tell you in her educational blog!

3. Lucky Janie - Jane Kingsu-Cheng is always on top of the city's hottest news and events, having been a former magazine editor and now holding a top spot in Forever 21 (she was responsible for the viral marketing of its launch and wasn't it the year's most exciting shopping event?!?). She's also a devoted wife and doting mommy. And she does this all while looking so glamorous and stylish all the time! She's truly lucky!

4. My Style Kit - This blog is also by Jane Kingsu-Cheng (yep, the same girl above) but this blog exclusively talks about all the beauty and fashion news any Manila girl needs to know! If you want to find out what's hot and stylish in the city, head on over to this blog!

5. The Painter's Wife - Yes, the beautiful painting on Eli Santiago-Ypon's banner was done by her husband, Orley Ypon. Eli says she's the reluctant muse of the man but what she's not at all reluctant about is sharing her insights on motherhood and marriage! Her blog is filled with her thoughts on breastfeeding, parenting and even reviews on products for the home and baby. Really good read for new mommies like me! 

6. Dainty Mom - Martine De Luna's personality shines through in her dainty blog. She's a sensitive soul who loves everything about her life--and it's a blessed one at that! She's a stay-at-home mom so she can be with her son, Vito (yes, our sons share the same name!), 24/7. She also earns through writing. Perfect life, if you ask me!

7. Here, Tishie, Tishie - New wife and new Good Housekeeping editor-in-chief Tisha Alvarez-Angluben is living the life! Her blog is filled with all sorts of fun stuff--dance, food, sports, prizes she won in raffles--reading Tisha's blog is like reading about the girl-next-door: familiar but she always seems to have more fun than you! 

8. Kat Dy Finds - This is the newest blog on my list and it's by my friend, former Cosmopolitan fashion editor Kat Dy, who's now a fashion merchandising student in New York City! Kat's new blog is about fashion (obviously!) but don't be intimidated! Just because she's in NYC, that doesn't mean she's forgotten her Pinoy cash smarts. Follow Kat's glamorous style adventures on a Pinoy budget in her fab new blog!

9. EMS-Express - It's funny that just very recently, Emily Sia-Koa was telling me about how reluctant she was to become a blogger. She said she was shy and asked, "What am I going to blog about?" Well, her new blog sure surprised me! In just a few short weeks, Emily has written quite a number of posts on fashion, beauty, events, celebs, and has even sponsored a contest!
 
10. Third World Nerd - Being married to a certified nerd, I am more than a wee familiar with tech stuff and gadget news. And you know what? I have not found a blog that talks about gadgets, games, apps, and what-have-you's quite like the Third World Nerd does! Vince Sales is the only one who can make techie sound fun, witty and clever! Hop on over to his blog to find out what I'm talking about!

There you have it! The new blogs I enjoy reading. I hope you check them out and begin to enjoy them, too. And I also hope that these blogs be included in the final list of the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs 2010. They truly do deserve it!

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You've got some stiff competition.

Really. Who can resist that face??? Love ya, Vito!

I just want to say to preggy mommies that you should add bottles filled with water or cold tea infusions to your hospital bag list. Spent the entire day at the hospital today. Thirsty. I had to keep asking for water from the nurses, who would comply with little paper cups of cold water that never quite quenched my thirst. So mental note: Bring your own water bottle! 

Yes. I am in the middle of labor as I type this. I swear the pain is driving me insane. Why am I still blogging? Because I'm waiting for the contractions to become 5 minutes apart--the OBG sent me home. Yes, after I spent the entire day at the hospital with too few and irregular contractions, she decided to send me home! Just my luck, this evening, the contractions are coming and they are fast. And they are painful!!!

It's 1:56 in the morning of Friday the 13th. I always believed Jelly Bean is a lucky child. I had told him to come out on the 9th (so that his birth date will be 08/09/10) or on the 15th (so that his birthday will always fall on a payday) but my son has other ideas and instead has chosen a most curious day to make his debut. Well, dear readers, wish us luck! Include us in your prayers!

Okay, contractions coming at 10 minutes apart. Time to fill that bottle... I don't know when I'll be back in the blogging world but I wish you all well and may the Force be with you!

Last weekend, Vince's sister and her family invited us to their fabulous new home for a housewarming party. I do want to respect their privacy so I'm just going to post a few photos here:
This is Anj and Lit Onrubia in their dining room. They now live in a spacious 3-bedroom apartment in a gated community, which will be great for raising their precocious son, the adorable Zo! While the place looks fantastic already, Lit says they're still not done. One of the things they're still looking for are good patio chairs.

The house was designed to look very Zen. Unlike what most people think, Zen doesn't mean as little furniture and as little design possible. Zen is peaceful, the sort of decor that won't invite clutter and stress. That's me and Vince's nephew Tom (who is love in a little package) and behind us is an indoor stone garden with a water feature. Quite relaxing!

We totally love the lighting! All our photos in this apartment turned out great! That's what Vince and I wish we had invested in--lighting. It really makes a ton of difference. It's just that it's soooo expensive! When we're very rich, we'll definitely plan some fab lighting!

Oops, PDA! After more than 11 years, we still can't keep our hands off each other. That's what got us pregnant!!! Sorry, Anj and Lit, for making out in your gorgeous living room!

I'm not supposed to write in Tagalog in this blog because I have an agreement with the paid blogging network I belong to to write only in English pero since wala namang paid link etong post na ito, I will exercise my freedom of speech, or at least, my freedom to speak in whatever language na feel ko. Kebs na kung kebs.

Okay, napansin ko lang na ang dami nang nang-aaway sa akin sa comments section. Heller. Reminder lang: Blog ko ito. Kung di niyo feel ang mga pinagsasabi ko, wag niyo basahin. Really. We don't need to aggravate each other. Win-win siya, mga sis (or bros, whatevs)--I don't get stressed, you don't get stressed. Masaya tayong lahat!

Kung hobby niyo ang mainis sa akin, well, thanks, that actually flatters me but ano buzz, maawa naman kayo sa akin ngayon kasi buntis ako and over sa exaj ang levels ng hormones ko so affected ako, ha, and baka affected na rin yung baby ko. If you won't do it for me, do it for my child. Please.

Anyhoot, I've tried na nga to make this blog as shallow and as silly as possible--no more controversial ek-ek from me, no more strong opinions, no more pa-smart chuva. Para masaya tayong lahat! Pero bakit meron pa rin kayong nahahanap na dahilan para mam-bwisit? Really. I am amazed. Where do you find the time? How come you can zero in on stuff to attack? Why are you so mean and nasty? How did your parents raise you?

Geez. Actually, di naman ako galit. Sabi nga ng isang friend ko, "Yan ang hirap sa mga blog-blog na yan. Samu't sari ang mga nagbabasa. Wala kang control." Well, to be honest, mas masahol pa yung mga natatanggap kong mail minsan about OK! magazine. Fans kasi get very... fanatical about their idols so let's say di nasama si RPattz dun sa Hottest Hunks list, naku, sigurado yan, hate mail to the max. So sanay na naman talaga ako. Siguro nga lang buntis ako ngayon kaya naiirita ako.

Oh well. My dear readers, put up na lang your own blogs if gusto niyo mang-away ng tao. Tulungan ko pa kayo mag-set up. And kind advice--blog because you want to do something productive. In my case, I blog because I not only like sharing my finds and fun life but also because I earn money from blogging. Pero kung puros nega stuff lang, haaaaaay. Ika nga ng mga parents natin, "Don't say anything if you have nothing nice to say."

And puh-leeeeze, wag naman anonymous comments. Attack mode na nga kayo, pero duwag naman mag-reveal ng identity. I'm nice naman. Pag-usapan na lang natin, ha?

Okay, back to regular programming.

Remember when I talked about missing my belly button?

Pinky is 34 weeks along while I'm 38 weeks!

Well, a couple of days ago, my dear old friend from Assumption, Pinky Jacob Ileto, kidnapped me so we can have a lovely mommy-to-be chat over dinner. She gave Jelly Bean a fabulous Darth Vader button-down shirt (to the immense delight of the baby daddy!) and then she dragged me around Rustan's Shang to shop for all things baby--bottles, nipples, baby clothes, etc!

Now, in our photo above, you can see that my 38-week-old pregnant belly is stretched to incredible proportions... but my belly button is nowhere to be seen.

Yep, folks, the button decided it won't become a third nipple. So despite the stretch marks, the huge bloated feet, the weird skin discolorations, and everything else happening to my body, I'm happy one part of me decided to behave itself. Thank you!

Last week, Rustan's Anna Go invited me and Nikki (and several other editors) to a lovely ladies' lunch at East Cafe. We were one of the lucky few to sample the new menu that features even more exquisite dishes inspired by the many flavors Asia has to offer. And you know how huge Asia is! So we just had to drop by and eat! These are just some of the dishes we tasted:


My favorite actually was dessert. I forget the name, though! Although it's called a maki-something, this dessert I love is very Pinoy--it's sticky rice rolled around a stick of rich chocolate and smothered in dulce de leche ice cream. It is to die for! I'm actually going to go back and order it again just before I give birth. I literally do dream about it! 

Anyway, do try out East's new offerings. I've always loved Asian fare--so rich and flavorful and every dish appeals to all our senses--sight, smell, touch, taste, emotion... So yummy! East is at the second floor of Rustan's Makati, that'll be the ladies' clothes and accessories floor. For reservations, call 812-0233. 

Thanks, Anna! I had such a lovely time with you and everyone else!