TOPAZ HORIZON

In our home, I cook and my husband does the dishes. This year, because I was juggling 3 jobs on top of motherhood, I've relied on a meal delivery service so I won't have to cook anymore. So I don't cook but my husband Vince still does the dishes hehe. So he's decreed that he wants to outsource dishwashing, too. He wants a dishwasher and I found him two!


I was at the opening of the BGC branch of MY MC Home last month and I literally stumbled onto the dishwasher. I was trying to get a photo of a beautiful dining table and backed up into the dishwasher. And it was like a scene from a movie. I turn to say, "Oops!" And then I saw the words TABLETOP DISHWASHER. And I breathed, "I've been looking for you!"

The little one and the full-sized one.

Since I was at an event, I didn't get to investigate so I went back this week to really learn more about it. Here's what I found:

1. Dishwashers wash at very hot temperatures killing bacteria. So it's more hygienic.

2. Because the dishes aren't held by soapy hands, they don't slip and break. So less breakage!

3. Dishwashers actually use less water than when you handwash plates. I had a hard time believing this but the designers said they made sure to use as little water as possible.

4. Best thing about dishwashers? They save you time and energy. We are a big family and my kids eat a LOT. And often. The sink is always full. Because Vince and I have work during the day, the dishes pile up and only after work can he wash up. He spends up to an hour or so washing dishes, pots, pans, utensils, glasses, cups, bowls, everything!

I should get this instead since our kitchen appliances are all stainless steel.

I also found out that MY MC Home is the only store in the Philippines that carries Maximus tabletop dishwashers. There are the big dishwashers available in other stores but we don't want to install those big machines. We don't want the hassle of destroying part of our kitchen, you know. A tabletop dishwasher just sits on the counter. You just plug in one tube to the faucet and let the other tube run down the sink and it's done.

The tabletop dishwasher can fit enough dishes used for one meal.

The big one can fit a lot more. Hmmm.

Maybe we should get the big one instead...

I LOVE IT!

It's a bit over my Christmas gift budget, though. So maybe if I buy this for Vince, I'll have to tell him it covers Christmas, Valentine's, birthday, anniversary, and Father's Day haha.


How about you? Would you like a tabletop dishwasher, too? Go check it out at MY MC Home!

MY MC Home has 3 branches: Level 3 MET LIVE Mall, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd, 1302 Pasay City, at MC Home Depot San Fernando Interchange, Jose Abad Santos Avenue, 2000 San Fernando, Pampanga, and at MC Home Depot BGC, Taguig. You may also find more furniture and promos on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/mymchome and Instagram www.instagram.com/mymchome.

Join the MC Home Depot Build & Drive Raffle where you can get a chance to win a Toyota HIACE GL Grandia. Just a P2000 single-receipt purchase earns you a raffle coupon. You have until December 31, 2019, to shop and join!

And that wise mama is me! I just couldn't resist the Shopwise 21-Tastic Anniversary Sale that started this weekend because of the sobrang grabeng okay na okay na deals and discounts. I'm a working mommy so, yes, may pera ako pero pinaghirapan ko ang pera na yan. Hindi naman sa nagtitipid; I just want my hard-earned money to work just as hard as I do. Gets yan ng lahat ng wise mamas! So when I found out I can get massive discounts and even freebies sa Shopwise 21st Anniversary sale, I was so there!

Make sure you get the 21Tastic Catalog so you know what the exclusive deals are!

But I had merienda first at Hungry Place because this was last Friday and I went straight to Shopwise from work and I truly was hungry. There's a lot of food options, too. There's cooked food, there's a deli, there's a whole roast chicken to bring home for the family if you're too tired na to cook. Lots of food. I fueled up for my shopping!


First stop: the fresh food section. I couldn't resist the "Buy 1 kg, Get 500g free" deal. My husband Vince cooked a big batch of spaghetti sauce this weekend and busog na busog kami, but there's still a lot of ground beef in the freezer! Hamburgers and mushroom-burger steak next!


My Loyal Readers know I have an Oreo Monster living in my house so I just had to grab this deal. By the way, the deal also applies to other Oreo flavors, hindi lang vanilla. My little Pi-Oreo was so thrilled when he saw my pasalubong. "Mama, look! It has chocolate MOO-lk!" Happiness is seeing your kids eat!


Syempre, dahil may schoolboys ako, I had to grab snacks for their baon, too. They now have Lotte Pepero for recess and a Lotte Koala for snacks sa school bus. Para hindi sila masyadong magutom sa traffic pauwi. My mommy heart is glad.


My sons and I love Fita crackers. Vito eats it with Nutella. He says he likes the sweet-salty combo. Iñigo and I eat it with everything, lalo na kung walang rice available at gutom na kami. And this deal is genius—Fita with sardinas! Omigas, that's my favorite snack. But I prefer spicy sardines with my Fita. Soooo good!


Speaking of snacks, these are Vito's favorite chips. The rest of the family, Lays, Pringles, Oishi. Si Vito Nova and Roller Coaster lang kinakain niyan! I really thought when I saw this deal, "Wow, this is for Vito exactly!" It's such a happy feeling when you get to buy your kid's favorite things to eat, diba?


Okay, enough crunchy stuff. Let's have some cake! I got the Black Forest Cake because of the P160 discount. Laki rin nun, diba. And it's a popular cake! I got the last one! Swerte talaga.


It's not all food on sale at Shopwise. There's a ton of deals on beauty products, appliances, and household goods. For example, that Spin Mop at the bottom of my cart? Buy 1 Get 1 FREE! I had 2 carts, if you're wondering where the other box is. Yes, mapapa-2 carts ka talaga when you shop at the Shopwise 21-Tastic Anniversary Sale!


Meron ding mga freebies! Like an extra roll of tissue sa Sanicare and hangers sa Surf. Daming deals! Check out the Facebook page of Shopwise for all the deals!


Happy mama me! Ang dami ko pang ibang binili actually. Just going down this aisle of deals and discounts at mapupuno talaga agad ang cart! So shop now at the Shopwise 21-tastic Anniversary Sale! It's ongoing till October 21, 2019. Masaya siya! I loved all the exclusive brands (like our favorite Sun Harvest cereals!), the freebies, and the sobrang panalo na Buy 1 Get 1 FREE! See you at Shopwise, mamas!

*This post is brought to you by Shopwise.

Look at Vito's first modeling gig!!! I'm so proud to say his first modeling job was about books. His most recent modeling job was about shopping for school supplies, so it's still connected to learning. Yes, piling-pili ang mga projects na lalabas ang mukha ng mga anak ko because I really wanted that even the work they do reflects what we hold dear. And books are definitely a big deal to me and my husband, Vince.

Ironically, my kids—the kids of writers, editors and book lovers!—didn't take to books right away. That broke our hearts. We did everything right: we had a library, the kids were surrounded by books since they were in my tummy, and we read to them at bedtime. Vince and I couldn't understand why our boys weren't bookworms like us!

After researching and talking with other more experienced parents (a.k.a. parents of adults), I found a few reasons why kids don't read:

1. There are too many distractions.
Toys, TV, gadgets, video games—yes, we vilify those as the top distractions taking our kids away from books. But in my house, these are also the culprits: their brothers to play with, friends who visit, arts and crafts projects, school, homework, piano, dancing, singing, rough and tumble play, cooking with Mama, movie-and-popcorn time with Papa, basically a ton of good things that are monumentally more fun to three wriggly little boys than sitting quietly with a book.

2. They think it's a chore.
If we force our kids to read books they're not interested in, then they're going to resent anything book-related.

3. They think it's boring.
For active little kids, what can be more dull than being asked to sit still, be quiet, and read?

Of course, your child may also have a learning disability and parents constantly breathing down their neck to "READ A BOOK!" may make them dislike books even more. I mention that because it's a legitimate reason but I can't recommend any expert course of action since I'm not a literacy expert. That's why I'm going to a literacy workshop by ReadPro Philippines on Oct. 19, Saturday, at Fully Booked. Come attend with me, mamas!


Can't wait to attend this ReadPro workshop! I really want my boys to grow up loving reading and learning. Why do some people love reading? A recent article in The Atlantic, "Why Some People Become Lifelong Readers,"  explored it and gave this list of what predetermines the creation of bookworms:
1. The more educated you are, the more you'll love reading.
2. People who live in the city are more likely to love books than those raised in rural places.
3. The more money you have means you can afford to buy books, and have the time to read.
4. Gender factors in, too. Girls read earlier, more, and way longer into adulthood than boys do.
5. Introverts are more likely to love books.

Attention, homemakers in BGC, Taguig, Makati, Mandaluyong, and Pasig! MY MC Home just opened its third branch at Bonifacio Global City and it's worth a visit!


My home may be 12 years old, I may not be newly married, and neither am I a new mommy, but any mom knows that a family is always going through new beginnings. When my husband and I lost our jobs as magazine editors and started working from home, that was a new beginning as we had to create a home office. When the kids got out of babyhood and we couldn't co-sleep anymore, we had to convert our home office into their bedroom. Now that they're all school kids, we created a new space where they can dump their bags and projects and do their homework. It seems like every couple of years means a new beginning for our family!


This means, of course, that home stores are always in our radar. There's always something we need to buy for our ever-evolving home! Just look at those lamps! I think the yellow one will look great as an accent piece in my sons' blue room.


I love these Zuny animals! They're not toys. They're functional furniture, the large ones acting as doorstops or footstools while the small pieces can be used as bookends and paperweights. Or you can just use them as quirky decor.

Love this chest of drawers! Solid and well made, none of that cheap nonsense at mall home stores. I like that the drawers don't slam shut. Perfect for homes that have occupants with little fingers!


I had to pose with these jars and vases so you can see the scale. They're large! They'd make perfect decorative pieces at your entry hall or to fill up empty corners. If you plan to put them outside, make sure to drill a hole at the bottom so that water won't pool inside and become breeding ground for mosquitos.


I love these lamps!!! I just know my kids will draw faces on them haha


And here's a perfect little kitten to add color to your desk or bookshelves! It's from Art 24 Inc that's based in Angono, Rizal.


I am soooo in love with this dining set! I've gone back to MY MC Home and when I saw this again, I still felt love for its clean and efficient design and its perfect wood grain. The wood also feels warm. I don't know why! It just feels alive still. It's very mid-century modern. I wish I had the space for it because I want this in my home!


You can also find beds, mattresses, pillows, and beddings at MY MC Home, mamas! These are very simple pieces. I found that the Pasay branch has more interesting beds when it comes to design.

There are more furniture and home essentials you can find at MY MC Home BGC! Just drop by and make sure you join the MC Home Depot Build & Drive Raffle where you can get a chance to win a Toyota HIACE GL Grandia. Just a P2000 single-receipt purchase earns you a raffle coupon. You have until December 31, 2019, to shop and join!

For more home and office finds, visit the new BGC branch! MY MC Home has 3 branches: Level 3 MET LIVE Mall, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd, 1302 Pasay City, at MC Home Depot San Fernando Interchange, Jose Abad Santos Avenue, 2000 San Fernando, Pampanga, and now at MC Home Depot BGC, Taguig. You may also find more furniture and promos at their Facebook page www.facebook.com/mymchome and Instagram www.instagram.com/mymchome.

*This post is brought to you by My MC Home.

All over the world, Heart Health Month is February. Now, I know it's September but Welch's 100% Grape Juice asked me to share with you, mamas, some tips that I do for a healthy heart.

Healthy snack while putting away the laundry: tomato, lettuce and cheese on whole-wheat bread. And Welchs'!

Simple, delicious, nutritious!

Fish and Welch's again! Must start eating brown rice, though.