TOPAZ HORIZON

No one can quite believe me when I said my favorite bag these days is a clutch. "How do you fit all your kikay stuff in a clutch?!" Well, I don't really need a lot of kikay stuff kasi. It's not because I'm so gorgeous, okay, it's really because I never stay out for long, just four hours max, so I don't need to bring a ton of stuff to retouch my makeup.

So here's what's inside my kikay kit:

In the last 7 years, I often get asked by people from the past (ah, Facebook, where people you don't care about pop up often) if I've had anything done to my face. You know, nose job, Botox, face lift, I dunno. That means said people think I now look great. That also means said people think I used to look like crap haha. When I say that I didn't have anything done at all just my teeth, they still can't believe me.

Teeth, my friends, say a whole lot about you. If you have bad teeth, people assume you were poor and couldn't afford braces and the countless visits to the dentist. And you all know naman that I grew up poor. We only went to the dentist when we had a toothache and talagang kailangan ikamamatay na yung pain bago pa kami dalhin sa dentist. That was how much we scrimped on money. There's an episode in 30 Rock where Jack Donaghy sizes up Liz Lemon and tells her that she can act all smart but he knows she's insecure because she grew up poor. Flabbergasted Liz asks how he knew that and Jack says her bad teeth gave her away.

It's true. Straight, perfect, white teeth is all you need to look polished, sophisticated and rich. You can be toting a designer bag but if your teeth are crooked, your whole look is ruined. On the other hand, you can be in a simple tee and jeans but flash a bright and beautiful smile and you instantly look like a million bucks. Observe:

For more examples of celebs who look loads better with better teeth, click here!

My turn:

I was going through my Facebook photos showing my kids what I looked like BEFORE I had them. This photo made the boys sit up. "Mama, click it, click it!" So I did.

Vito: Wow, Mama. Is that you?

Me: (very pleased at the awe in his voice) Yes, this was after I married Papa.

Vito: Woah. You're bigger now! Big bigger now!

Kainis.


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Now that I'm a full-time blogger, people ask me all the time how to get featured on my blogs, Topaz Horizon and Topaz Mommy. I'm lucky to have regular sponsored posts coming my way. If it were not for them, I won't be able to enjoy my current status of earning while being with my kids 24/7. Anyway, I welcome sponsored posts and, though I'm not pa-importante, I do have some criteria:

I'm mapili with brands I work with. The brand must be something I use or believe in, for starters. I'm okay with posting announcements and press releases and doing event coverage for free as long as the brand is aligned with my blogs and who I am (and if I have no kwento haha kasi ngayon na nasa bahay na ako palagi, it's not like my life is SO EXCITING!).

Helping promote Pampers sound sleep campaign

But if hindi ko type ang tono ng email, I say no. If the email starts with "Dear blogger/mom blogger/webmaster" and "To whom it may concern," I say no. If demanding si brand/PR ("Tell your readers to like/follow us, use all these hashtags and keywords, we want X number of posts plus social media campaign") at ang daming pinapagawa tapos "Thanks!" lang ang kapalit, I say no. I write well and I do spend time and effort, plus blogging time means time away from my kids so I do expect to be compensated. But that doesn't mean mukhang pera ako. For example, I can't resist small businesses, especially if they're run by mommies of small kids. Kahit walang bayad ang Ni-QUA and Elin sa akin, because natuwa ako sa mommy at sa business nila, game ako. Yes, even if I don't even use the product just as long as I believe in it, I support mompreneurs! Well, not ALL mompreneurs but basta bottom line pa rin is if I don't use/like/believe in the brand, it's really a no.

Being makulit with fellow Sangobion brand ambassador Cheska Garcia-Kramer

You know, I wish I could say yes to every proposal sent my way. If I did, mayaman na siguro ako. Kung pera lang ang criterion talaga, go lang nang go! But sa lagay, hindi pa rin ganon kalaki ang kita ko from blogging dahil feel na feel ko yang integrity ko!

I've heard that my being mapili has been misconstrued. You know, I'd rather be called a snob than be accused of compromising my integrity. Kasi in the end, my blogs reflect who I am and if it comes out na snob ako, well, kung ganyan kayo mag-isip eh di ganyan kayo mag-isip. Okay lang, kasi may pagka-maarte naman talaga ako minsan haha. Pero hindi ako fake at hindi ako sinungaling. Itaga niyo sa bato yan.

A video I did for NIVEA Baby's CSR efforts to help Fabella Hospital

Blogs are so tricky. Nung nasa magazines ako, tanggap lang nang tanggap kasi pera yun para sa company. So kahit na hindi bagay ang toilet cleaner and fungus medication sa glamorous Hollywood magazine, okay lang, i-feature asap! But blogs are an extension of the blogger. I seriously believe no amount of money should buy a blogger's integrity.

But I also won't judge bloggers who do it for the money. Hindi ko ever ma-gets yung mga blogger diyan na kung maka-judge ng mga bloggers who earn from their blogs, akala mo they poop gold dahil hindi raw for sale ang opinions nila. Well, good for you. Some of us need to make money, you know. We have bills to pay, mouths to feed. My opinion is never for sale, either. Nakahanap lang ako ng paraan para kumita ng pera in a clean and decent way. So to each his own. I live and let live and enjoy blogging!

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I want to plug this only because someone asked me recently, "So you don't do any work now at all?"

She looked really disappointed in me, too. Heehee. So I said, "Yeah. I don't do any work at all. I'm living the donya life!"

That is kinda true. I don't see my blogs as work. The writing I do for my blogs' partners is just so easy, I can't believe it sometimes. It's like being paid to eat candy! I'm grateful this is my life. I can be with my husband and kids full time and not be afraid of the future. But once in a while, I say yes to real writing jobs and this one is my favorite. Why? Because I love Duchess Kate!


For more on Kate, other chi-chi mommies, and the luxe lifestyle, grab this month's issue of HOLA! magazine!

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