TOPAZ HORIZON

Nope, I'm not watching the new Spidey movie. I don't think the moviegoers will appreciate me sneaking a 7-week-old infant in the theater. Yep, my baby boy breastfeeds like crazy and so we're semi-permanently attached.

I wanted to watch it not because of the story (seriously, did it really need a retelling?) but because of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Here's why:

Patty and I like our men long and lean!

Oh well. Anyway, I just distracted myself with this fantabulous magazine:

To the amazing and super talented staff, you did one hell of a great job with this issue! Your gorgeous editor-in-chief (who, FYI to the mag's readers, was on maternity leave when this issue was produced) is very proud.

Hmm. I'm kinda feeling like I want Emma's hair here. But I'm 35 so maybe I'm too old for that look haha

I hope you guys grab a copy of the July issue of OK! magazine. You'll love it just as much as I did!

Posted this over at Twitter recently:

Yep, I'm still looking for health insurance! If you've been reading my blog long enough, I started looking for a private health plan for my family when the TMC disaster happened. By private, I mean it's a service that we pay for and not provided by the company I work for. Almost all of the recommendations I get from blog commenters and Twitter followers are the health plan providers that their company works with. The company I work for has health benefits, of course, but I'm looking for something more comprehensive and one that would cover all the members of my family, not just me.

So I've been researching and I've narrowed down my choices. I won't say what those are yet since I'll still give them a call and check them out. They might not look as good on paper, you know. What I'm really looking for is the kind of health plan my family got when my Mama was employed at Meralco. It's almost as good, if not better, than health plans in the US before the current health crisis. As a child, I was sick constantly. Like, I'd be confined at a hospital maybe 3-4 times a year. Not once did Mama have to take out her wallet to pay for my bills. Our dental needs were also completely covered, unlike today when only cleaning and temporary fillings are covered. Back then, we were assured that we can have everything from a filling to a root canal and not worry about the cost. Even cosmetic treatments (braces, bleaching, etc) were covered up to 25%. Absolutely frikkin' awesome. That's the kind of plan I want for my family!

Of course, that means I've been apprehensive about the cost of personal health plans, thinking that there's a reason why companies subsidize them. But I am happy to report that we actually have cheap health insurance here. My research shows that for just P10,000 a year, a family of four can get good coverage--private hospital room, good accredited hospitals, annual physical exams, dental check-ups. If you add another 5K-10K to that amount and you get absolutely fantastic coverage, the type that asks no questions, just pays your medical bill.

That plan, even if it may be P20,000 a year, I like very much. It's really not a lot of money. Just divide 20K by 4 (that's me and my three adorable boys!), and that's just 5K a family member for an entire year. That covers dental work, annual medical checks, and should someone get sick, great medical service and treatment. For peace of mind, 20K is nothing!

Someone told me, however, that the best health insurance is money in the bank. She doesn't believe in insurance, you see, thinking that it's all a scam. She said, "How many times does one get sick anyway? Once, twice? As long as you live a healthy lifestyle, you'll be fine. And for those times you do get sick, nothing beats cash." I do agree with her somewhat, especially since when I gave birth, both times were completely paid for by cold hard cash. There's a certain sense of pride knowing we were able to save up for a hospital like St. Luke's Global.

Still, if there's cheap health insurance available here anyway, I don't see why we shouldn't avail of it. What do you think? Should I or shouldn't I? Do you have personal health plans or is yours provided by your company?

... and Lucy loves me!


Lucy Torres Gomez reads my blogs! OMG! I am so thrilled! I can't even begin to describe how delighted I am right now. So I'll just pat myself on the back for a job well done. So stoked!

P.S. We're talking about the Ethan Allen design challenge, by the way. Lucy helped campaign for my bedroom (Thanks, Lucy!). Contest results will be announced tomorrow. I do hope I win it, but even if I don't, I'm cool. The consolation prizes are pretty amazing, too! Happy sunny Sunday!

P.P.S. Follow me and Congresswoman Lucy on Twitter!

April 3 UPDATE: I won!

Okay, okay, past few posts have been too heavy. Didn't I promise I ain't ever gonna do that?!

(Actually, I might still have a few serious posts coming. I'm kinda feeling serious lately!)

So anyway, let's get shallow again. And what could be more shallow than an outfit post? Here's what I wore recently:

That is one huge baby bump. And I'm only 6 months pregnant! I don't want to imagine what I'd look like 3 months from now.

Oh, that's a Tango dress. Tango is my best-kept shopping secret! That little shop is filled with racks upon racks of dresses that are so nice, comfy and inexpensive. I think this dress is only P1,200. I always buy 2 or 3 dresses when I'm there. And now you know my secret and now I'm going to regret this!

Anyway, sorry if I haven't been blogging. Been a bit sad so I've taken refuge over at Twitter where 140 characters forces me to focus my thoughts on more cheerful things. So I've been Tweeting outfit pics and happy stuff lately. Follow me!

My phone fell twice in the toilet last year so it's been dying on me. I've been asking people on Facebook what phone to get for months now. I always get very passionate answers on why I should get the phone they think I should get. I noticed that people in the creative fields (arts, publishing, etc) said, "iPhone!" and the rest of the world said, "BlackBerry!" Since I'm a magazine editor and a writer, the answer is obvious but I still hemmed and hawed.

Before I could decide on it, my office decided for me and gave me a BlackBerry. I think it was ready for pick up by November. But I only remembered to claim it last week. That's almost 2 months of forgetting I have a new phone. And now it's been an entire week since I got the phone. Finally, the Third World Nerd took it out of the box and charged the battery a few hours ago. I still haven't touched it.

It's not that I'm tech-challenged. Part of the reason is I'm really not a phone person. I have two phones--for my Globe (personal line that I've had since 2003) and for my Sun (free from my work). People who know me or work with me get exasperated with me because I seldom answer phone calls, I rarely reply to text messages and I always misplace my phones. For the entire month of November, I forgot to charge my Globe phone. Then I forgot where I kept it for the whole of December until Vince found it under a pile of papers last week.

My phones are almost always on silent so when I misplace them (which is often because my toddler plays with them!), I never could find the damn things. And I never feel the need to look for my phones when they're missing. And when they run out of battery power, I forget to charge them. On weekdays, I almost always ignore my phone after 6pm. On weekends, my phones are forgotten.

But now I have a new BlackBerry. And I am not excited to use it because everyone tells me, "You'll LOVE it! You'll be so ADDICTED to it! You CAN'T LIVE without it!" That enthusiasm makes me very apprehensive. And now I'll confess why.

Late last year, I became addicted to Twitter and Facebook. To my horror, I found that I spend 2-3 hours just refreshing for updates, replying, commenting, sharing, RTing. That's 2-3 hours every single day. That's 2-3 hours a day that I could've spent reading a book, reading the magazines (a year's subscription to Vanity Fair, Glamour and Allure!) my husband bought for me as a birthday gift, writing, blogging, cooking healthy meals, putting on lotion, deep conditioning my hair, doing my own mani-pedi, seeing friends, sleeping. Sleeping! I could use those extra 2-3 hours of sleep every day dammit! But no. I spend those precious hours on the social networks.


It would've been okay if I earned money from all the Tweeting and Facebooking. But I don't. If you noticed, I don't blog that often anymore. Blame my addiction to social networking. Blogging makes me money and I've neglected it just because I'm stalking people (really, that's what social networks are for). I have to stop. Obviously. I'm not disciplined enough and it's controlling my life.

So just as I resolved to wean myself from Tweets and FB updates, the BlackBerry arrives and everyone says I can now Tweet, update my FB, check my email anywhere and everywhere. "Isn't that so great?!" they trill. That's like giving a recovering alcoholic a free pass to a fully stocked bar.

I'm in trouble.

On the very last day of March, I saw a Tweet on my Twitter feed. It was asking anyone who saw that Tweet to help Anika heal her broken heart. I clicked on the link and saw a beautiful little girl. She had adorable ringlets and a sweet, shy smile.

Anika also has Single Ventricle Defect. Our hearts have two ventricles--one pumps blood into our lungs, the other pumps blood to the rest of our body. Anika only has one ventricle. She has literally just half a heart, and it's beating extra hard to keep this little four-year-old girl alive. She needs two expensive surgeries to fix this rare heart problem.

When I found out about Anika, my own heart broke because, for one painful minute, it was Vito I saw lying in that hospital bed. If only I had billions and billions, Anika! Instead, I blogged about her and Tweeted and re-Tweeted. I wanted Anika to live! She was born the day before my wedding, a fairy-tale day, and I want her and her parents to live happily ever after.

Today I heard the bestest news ever! Put on your gowns, ladies, and tie your bow ties, gents, while we bring out the champagne because Anika's got the most amazing birthday gift. But I won't tell you here. Let Anika tell you herself!

Thank you to everybody who re-Tweeted and spread the word about Anika. Thank you to the generous souls who contributed to her surgery fund. Thank you to everybody who stormed the gates of heaven. But we're just halfway there! Please keep spreading Anika's story and praying for her complete cure. God bless you!

So Vince ordered the Cambridge Satchel from chocolate schu bar for me. It was his Valentine's Day gift. I was over the moon, I tell ya! schu told us to expect the shipment by March but delays in shipping do happen--I know this because I shop online a lot so I didn't mind at all.

And then, last Friday evening, Ruby of schu DM'd me on Twitter:

I was sooo excited! I kept Tweeting my excitement!

However, I had to wait till today before we finally picked up my new bag. Apparently, I am patient after all!

Vince gives me the best gifts--Vito being the bestest!

Unwrapping!

Et voila!

Sunshine!

I love it!!! Will post a detailed bag feature on Beauty For A Living soon! Sigh. Happy Valentine's Day! Thanks, Vince!

I've been feeling a bit down recently. Not exactly sad, just... I dunno... weird. Part of it is the Japan tragedy, part of it is my realization I've been a bad friend. Part of it is the fact that we spent a lot of money lately because the insurance for the apartment and the car had to be paid (know any cheap car insurance, by the way?). Lastly, part of it is the fact I was on vacation leave last week but I still went to work every day. Like, what is up with that?

So there I was not feeling very happy with myself when this arrived for me:
It's the Swatch Lady Collection in Honey Melon!

I had Tweeted some time ago that I wanted one. It was just a silly Tweet that I forgot about pretty soon after. But a follower--a very important woman who doesn't want to be named--decided to surprise me by sending me the Swatch. And not just any random watch--it's in my favorite color, too! Orange!

Thanks, G, for thinking of me and brightening my day. I feel like the world is a better place because of generous souls like you. Actually, it is a better world because of people like you and the causes you support and the people you help. God bless you!

P.S. Obviously, because of this, I love Twitter! Follow me!

But let me start at the very beginning.

Since Mulberry designed a bag for It Girl Alexa Chung, I've always wanted to get my hands on the Alexa.

My friend Nikki proposed to buy one for me last Christmas when she and her family went to Hong Kong. But it's USD 1150. That's quite a bit of money, that Alexa, so I said, "Thanks but (sob) no thanks!" Then I figured I'm sure to find a similar shape here somewhere.

And I did find one in Aldo. It's the same shape and I was actually about to buy but I got very sick and so stayed home to work (Yes! No rest for the weary!) I also had my browser open to Twitter. One Tweet from fashion designer Rajo Laurel intrigued me. He tweeted that he just had the most lovely thing with a link to his blog on Stylebible (click here).

Which is how I discovered the Cambridge satchel! Rajo described it so lovingly and with such delight that I wanted one!
But I thought, "When will I go to London? With an infant in my life, not for a long while!" A few minutes later, Schu tweeted that they are the official distributors here in the Philippines! Schu's Ruby Gan sent me their Facebook album and... Ladies and gentlemen, I'm in love. With the yellow bag and the price!

My only problem with the yellow is if I have my initials stamped in gold, the letters will disappear. So I'm thinking of getting red. But my heart belongs to the yellow! Maybe no initials na lang. Still thinking about those initials. Maybe I shouldn't personalize so I can pass it down to Vito or a daughter one day.

Grabe, this Twitter, ha. Parang mapapa-gastos ako nang di oras with all the stuff I find (follow me!). Anyway, if you want to order your very own Cambridge satchel, visit Schu's Facebook page for details.

Opened my mail this morning to see this:

I literally squealed inside! I am such a fan of Don Draper, even though he's a huge jerk. He's just so... manly!
I've been missing Mad Men since the season ended. That season was intense! Don had to struggle with his divorce and custody arrangements, a rebellious pre-teen Sally, the death of his closest friend, mentoring the brilliant Peggy, surviving advertising and all this while going through a  rapid opiate detox!

Mad Men is still the best TV drama, even though Boardwalk Empire dethroned it in the recent Golden Globes. I like Boardwalk, too, but it's too soon. Mad Men was at its best the past season. I can't wait for the next season!!!

Meanwhile, since Don's following my Tweets, why don't you do the same?

I am not as clever as I thought!

Alas, I didn't invent the word 'tweetheart'! It says so here.

I'm on Twitter! Well, I've been a Twit for sometime now but haven't really been Tweeting. Tweeting is best done from a mobile phone but since I am not a mobile phone person (people hate that I don't answer calls and texts. And if I do, it takes me hours or even days to reply!), the Tweeting isn't that easy.

Well, since I'm in front of the computer most times, I realized I can make this Tweeting work! Follow my Tweets, my friends! I'm kinda getting the hang of it.

The times, they are a-changin'. Used to be we looked to newspapers and television for what's happening in the world. Now, we turn to our blogs, mobile phones, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other live chat software. It's back to the old ways of spreading the news--word of mouth. Citizen journalism is very democratic. And fast. It has its problems, too, like some of the news can't be confirmed to be true. But, for now, I'm going to think of it as a blessing.

For me, it started with Michael Jackson's death. For others, with Obama's rise to the US presidency. And for the rest of the Filipinos affected by Typhoon Ondoy, this new way of spreading the news was so true during the height and the aftermath of the storm.

And then there's the uplifting messages we get that we no longer seem to get from TV and newspapers. These are inspiring stories of people we'd never have heard of because there are so many of them out there but there's only so much space on paper and airtime on TV. With YouTube and blogs and the worldwide web, we get to learn about wonderful people like Logan.

This gets me every time. Every time. Especially now when I've lost a mother, I'm losing my beloved pet wabbit, and I see suffering everywhere. God understands. He will always understand. God bless you, people.