TOPAZ HORIZON

Too many things have been happening these past few months (hence, the absence from the blog!) but one of the very best that happened was my Vito's birthday last August. Seven years old! Seven years of absolute joy, my friends. Absolute joy!


I won't share so much about my 7-year-old son. He's aware of social media and he's aware of his right to privacy (they discussed it in school). But he allows me to post his photos now and then, sometimes he even tells me to take his picture, checks it if it (and the caption haha) meets his approval, and then he tells me to show it to my friends on the internet. He told me recently we can share a few photos from his birthday because he wants the world to know he's 7.

Seven! Where did the time go? I grabbed him a few days after his birthday and gathered him into a tight hug. I didn't say anything but he hugged me back and said, "Don't worry, Mama. I'll be your baby forever."

This kid! He always knows how to squeeze my mama heart!


Okay, enough about him. I don't want to spill too much about what a wonderful boy he is and that he's doing so well in school, and he's such a good older brother, and that he's incredibly smart and talented, and that I wish I can tell you every single detail about how this boy makes me so proud!!!

Let's talk about his mini birthday party instead!


Vito wanted a rainbow cake from Red Ribbon. Every time the TV commercial went on, he yelled, "Mama, come and see my cake! This is the birthday cake I want!" So off went his Papa to the mall and got him a rainbow cake, which actually just had three colors, but the boys didn't mind at all. They liked that it had candy lollipops.


Vito also had a short list about the gifts he wanted. Minecraft was on top of his list. He's crazy good at building amazing worlds in Minecraft. He even built me a pink-and-orange house and a village, too, so I can shop. That kid, always thinking about me!


Anyway, we got him a Minecraft set and his cousin got him the exact same set so Vito had two. So, being the silly kids that they are, he and his brothers decided to make one set a cake topper.

We had cake then he opened the rest of his gifts. Then we went to Landers because we had to do the grocery, and Vito, always the good sport, didn't complain and instead rejoiced that he can have his favorite pizza (Landers has really good pizza and chicken). Then we went home so he could rest because he was still recovering from a really bad cough. He played his video games, played with his brothers and his new toys, and went to bed early, happy and content.

A sweet and simple day for such a wonderful boy!


I still don't know why God gave me such a perfect little son. Oh, he's not so little anymore. In fact, he's long and gangly, helping take care of his brothers, mostly getting bullied by his younger brothers. He has so many friends in school that the other moms call him Mr Popularity. My husband and I, we were never the popular kind so this is so strange to us. I guess it's a good thing. It's always a good thing to be loved, right?

My Vito. So loved. Thank You, God, for giving Vito to us and letting him show us how to love and how good it is to be loved. Reveal to him his purpose, let him grow in wisdom and compassion, and keep him safe and healthy always. I can never thank God enough for my Vito. Bless him all the days of his life!

I'm 40 years old and while I like to think I look good for a middle-aged mama, I know I definitely am a middle-aged mama. I like my laugh lines, how my eyes crinkle at the edges when I smile. What I don't like? My jowl. I now have a double chin!!! It comes with getting older, I know, I know, but I want my jaw back!

Funny because when I was super young and skinny, I also didn't like my jaw because I have a long face so some people called me "mukhang mangga." Coupled with my huge teeth, I was also called "mukhang kabayo." People are cruel, I've long accepted that.

As I grew older and put on weight, my face widened and so my face didn't look so elongated anymore. Plus, braces fixed my teeth so hindi na ako mukhang kabayo. Then I hit my 40s and my jaw softened, my chin doubled, and... Oh well. Ganyan talaga pag tumatanda. Collagen, which is what makes skin look plump and young, and elastin, which is what keeps skin nice and tight, these break down with age and that's why bumabagsak ang face and neck, boobs, tummy, basically lahat. Ganyan talaga!

As I hit my mid-30s, I started using anti-aging skin care. Now, it is always good to have a good skin care regimen, okay? But skin care products don't really get to the structure underneath. So at my ripe old age of 40 (hahaha), I began looking at treatments that will address that concern. Ayoko kasi magpa-face lift, no. So habang hindi pa bagsak ang fez ko, asikasuhin na natin ang potential/developing concerns!

So when I heard about the Thermolift therapy from Flawless, I looked it up. Thermolift is non-invasive radio-frequency heat therapy. That means no surgery, no injections. I like that very much! I'm so scared of surgery!

Thermolift uses radio frequency waves to penetrate deep into the layers of the skin. This heat stimulates and remodels collagen production, which results to firm and bouncy skin again and a contoured face. Hooray!

At the Megamall clinic of Flawless, I met with the resident dermatologist. She looked at my face and she said na okay pa naman ako. In fact, what she wanted to treat first was my acne scars. But since I was there to try Thermolift, she said that while my face was still young-looking for a 40-year-old woman, the skin on my cheeks and jaw area have started to sag. Started pa lang naman so hindi pa issue, but she agreed that prevention is better than cure so I was whisked off to a private room to get prepped for my first ever Thermolift therapy!

Grid lines are applied on the treatment areas to guide the doctor.

My eyes are red because I was crying na. It was painful! Next time I do this, I'm asking for topical anaesthesia.

The derma used setting #3 on me. A higher setting of 4 and above will give you more visible results but the derma said it's my first time so she wanted to know what my pain threshold is. Also, hindi pa naman daw masyado slackened ang jaw and chin ko so kaya pa ng lower setting. So ang ginawa na lang niya is lower setting but she passed the Thermolift wand several times.

Masakit siya huhu as in umiyak ako sa sakit. As in, after she did one side, I wanted to go home! But after she did one side, I really felt my chin and cheek tightened. I FELT IT! So the nurse brought out a mirror so I can see for myself. See above. Jaw bone now visible. Cheek tightened. As you can see, I'm also red, but that's all the redness that will happen. Hindi ka masusunog. After my session, nag-shopping pa nga ako sa Megamall!

So let's look at my face immediately after my Thermolift! Here's the before-and-after photos:

Kita niyo ba ang difference??? I know it's ever so slight. That's because I don't really have a huge problem yet with sagging cheeks, slackened jaw and double chin. But, ako mismo, nakita ko and naramdaman ko na may difference talaga.

And here's what I look like now:

Sharper jawline

No double chin

It's been a month after my Thermolift and I can say that it really works. I want to do this every 6 months!!! Thermolift starts at P14,000, though, so dapat may budget. The fee will also be determined by how large the area to be treated is. So in my case, jawline lang. Next time, I want to include my cheeks, mouth area, and neck.

If you want to try Thermolift at Flawless, the treatment is available only at the Megamall and Eastwood clinics. Also, it will be good to set an appointment first so that the dermatologist can look at your face and see if it's Thermolift you really need. Kasi may ibang treatments pa ang Flawless that address sagging skin (like Acculift), so you want to explore your options first. In my case, I know Thermolift is my preferred skin-lifting and facial-contouring treatment!

I'm so happy I chose Flawless to take care of my skin. For more promos and information, visit the Flawless website, like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram (@myflawless).

This post is brought to you by Flawless Face & Body Clinic. 

It was my first time to visit a Metro Department Store ever and, boy oh boy, did I find a lot of goodies!

I was at BGC yesterday to get a check and because it's payday Friday pala (when you're a freelancer, you forget kinsenas), ang traffic! So nagpalamig muna ako ng ulo sa Market! Market! and sa kakaikot ko, naakit ako ng mga posters that said there's a big Sidewalk Sale sa Metro Department Store. I'm so lucky, mamas, because apparently Metro Malls all over the country have this sale once a year only and I happened to drop by on the first day!

Ang dami kong gustong bilhin, mamas!!! Look look look!

For the mama looking to spruce up her home:

Kitchen and storage stuff!

Bedsheets and towels and linens!

P2,099 for the biggest tree! What!

These are absolutely gorgeous colored vases and jars.

If you don't like colored glass, here's a collection for you.

This is the most beautiful thing and it's only P500!

I really really REALLY want these garden stools...

... especially these two!

Two-in-one: a divider and a shelf. Yes, you can remove the shelves!

For the mamas who want to update their wardrobe:

And because I'm a mama who needs to shop for new clothes for my boys because they are growing up so fast!

For their newfound interest in swimming

Shorts and shirts and pants!

Also, these super fun play tents for a steal!

Coloring sets that come out at P74.50 each!

A bike for Piero for only P2,800!

Because my family loves Adventure Time

The latest trend in athleisure shoes - woven material - for matching parent-and-kid OOTDs

And my most favorite must-buy: superhero-themed shoes!

Gosh, I miss doing posts like this! Just me taking random pics and writing random stuff and you and me having silly fun. But silly or not, blogging takes time. There was once a time when I had time, you know? Now, my days are a blur of fixing breakfast, preparing baon, doing the laundry, helping with homework, fixing lunch, attending meetings, meeting (missing) deadlines, picking up the boys from school, more homework, more meal preparation, bedtime stories (or bedtime tantrums from me), then exhausted sleep.

I'm not complaining, mamas. Now that the kids are in big school, I have found pockets of time for a mani-pedi, a haircut, a massage, and books. I'm finally coming up for air, and it is glorious. I am too near the infant-and-toddler years to miss those heart-warming yet soul-sapping and mind-numbing years. Right now I'm just excited about the hour or two I find for myself.


And yesterday, because of the traffic and the impossibility of getting a cab and an Uber, I found two hours to while away at window shopping. I had fun! I'm going back this morning because my husband approved of some of my picks for the kids and so I'm shopping today!!! Why??? Because I just found out from another mommy who was also at Metro yesterday that there is a BIG RAFFLE OF APPLE GADGETS!!! Because I need a new phone, I hope I win one of the six 32gb iPhone 7 phones they're giving away, although I'll also be happy if I win one of the six 32gb Apple TV, too!

If you're near a Metro Mall, drop by for their fabulous Sidewalk Sale! Everything is on sale and only this weekend! Up to 50% off, mamas! And hindi lang sa department store—pati yung supermarket on sale din pala so grocery items are now even more affordable! Me, I'm going there for the kiddie stuff talaga. I'll do another blog post showing you what I got. So if you see me, say hi!

For more cheese recipes and information on California cheese, like the Real California Milk Philippines Facebook page, and follow the hashtags #ReturnToReal and #LookForTheSeal on Instagram. You can also check out the website of Real California Milk. Hope you like our Inside Out Broccoli and Cheese Pizza, mamas!