Give Way To This Bento Momma!

Now that my son is already 2 years old, we're thinking of enrolling him to a summer class next year to see if he's gonna be ready for school. I honestly have mixed emotions about it. The thought of my kid going to school is a wake-up call that my kid is growing fast...too fast! 😂

Anyhoo! It's still a chapter in his life that I can't stop so the best way to deal with my upcoming sepanx is to prepare him delicious and creative lunch box meals. I never experience having a creative baon when I was a kid. So my mom goal is to for him to have this memory that he's excited about his baon and his mom was a badass bento maker making his meals awesome!

Since Rigel is too young, I don't have means to practice my bento meals so I told my husband I'll be preparing his lunch in bento-style. He can't complain. 😂

Most of the tools I bought were from Daiso and Japan Homes. It's pretty cheap compared to purchasing online (it depends what tool you're looking for though).

My basic tools are cookie-cutter, toast stamp, rice mold, nori puncher, food picks.

So what's my first bento creation? I can imagine myself cringing when I visit this post after a few months or years from now.

Share your first bento creation 😄

In My Womb 3D 4D Experience

When I learned I my baby's gender in my 5th month of pregnancy, I was lamenting over the idea of getting a 3D4D scan to take a sneak peak of my little bundle of joy. Due to budget constraints, we thought it would be practical for us to skip the 3D4D but when I changed my OB and hospital (this is saved for another post), I convinced my partner to have the scan since we will have extra funds then.

So I did my research and checked on reviews from forums and blogs and found out that In My Womb and W.O.M.B (World of My Baby) provides great service which is just located in the heart of Ortigas. I sent a private message to both facilities and both were professional and polite in answering my questions. However, I felt that WOMB needs extra personalized and rapport with possible customers. The answers that were given to me were kind of a template that it felt that they just want to end any inquiries asap unlike IMW, they offer suggestions what's the best package to avail etc.

WOMB is cheaper than IMW but with the customer service experience I had, I opted to pick In My Womb Megamall branch. Another factor that I considered when chose In My Womb was that they will allow copying the pictures and videos in a USB flash drive. I learned that you'll need to wait for at least 5-7 days to get the CD/DVD and if I provide a new flash drive, I should be able to get it within the day! WOMB on the other hand, doesn't allow flash drives.

I was able to set an appointment and it's a good thing I did because the time I finished my scan, the place was filled up with expecting parents. You'd be asked to empty your bladder before the procedure. The scan takes around 10-30 minutes depending on the position of the baby. My baby known to be shy type even on typical monthly checkups was not facing towards us so I had to change lying to my sides for him to get moving.

Our little bundle of joy

When I got my flash drive, it contained 64 files containing pictures and videos :) I'd say In My Womb Basic 3D4D package is totally worth it :)

Snug A Hug: A Pregnant's Bestfriend

Around my 4th month, I started having troubles sleeping on my back. For the life of me, finding the best position to sleep when you're pregnant was one of the most difficult task at night. I read that ideally, pregnant moms should lie on their left side for better blood circulation but I always get a ngalay feeling after a few hours and then I'd wake up with a sore shoulder.

That's when I learned that there's a pillow that's locally made and catered for pregnant women and can be used as a nursing pillow too! Nursing pillows are quite expensive so when I learned that Snug A Hug is suitable for prenatal/postnatal care, I knew I needed this.

I tried to order from their official page but it seems that if I wanted to have it shipped to my address which is outside MM, there's a possibility that I have to pick it up in the nearest postal office. I find it inconvenient so I tried my luck at Lazada. It costed me 2,300 (free shipping)

My experience with the delivery for this item is not pleasant but that's a different story. As for the product itself, I fell in love with it. It can support any position I want to the point I don't need my other pillows! It's firm yet comfortable!

If you're one of those who's having a hard time finding the best position to sleep, I strongly suggest you try this product out. No regrets!

First Trimester: Transvaginal Ultrasound

When I got pregnant, the first thing that I was excited to do was an ultrasound. I thought that all ultrasounds are done by just having this equipment that the OB uses to scan your abdomen but I was wrong. The transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) is not as comfortable as I expected. The OB will recommend a TVS to see if the embryo is attached securely to your uterus and since it's too small to detect, TVS is recommended.

I had my TVS performed as Taytay Doctors Multispecialty Hospital and it costs roughly 700+. It's way cheaper than those from other hospitals which range to 1k-2k+. Before the procedure, you'll be asked to urinate first to make sure your bladder is empty. I'm not sure why but maybe because the wand will be inserted into your vagina, it may make you pee?

Anyway, the whole procedure is done in less than 10 mins. You'd be asked about your last menstruation period. If there's a heartbeat already, the OB should be able to see it. 

Here's a snapshot of my baby in his ultrasound via TVS. Overall, I had 3 TVS.

Tip: Ask your OB if you can record the whole procedure, it's a good keepsake :)

Sept 28: I learned I have a submucosal myoma, the darker circle is my baby

Oct 11 - We finally saw my baby has a heartbeat already :)

Nov 24 - My last TVS where we saw my baby is more than a dot already

Lollibooze: Alcosticks on the go

From childhood, we Pinoys were fond of cheap yet delicious foods. On a hot summer afternoon, the typical merienda or dessert would be ice candy in variant flavors - buko, mango, milo to name a few. You can typically buy ice candy from 2-5 pesos which kids can really afford.

Fast forward from your childhood, you became enlightened to enjoy to alcohol, beer, having good time with friends. Now, there is a product launching very soon that will bring out your childhood memories in a more adult way.

LIKR Creative Foods came up with a product bringing ice candy to a new level. Lollibooze is an alcostick that looks like your typical ice candy but gives you that kick of alcohol. It may take several Lollibooze to get you drunk though but hey, the flavors are made from authentic liqour and ingredients. The best part, they are super affordable with price ranging from 50-80 pesos! That's way cheaper that getting those shots from your favorite bartender. 

Lollibooze can be part of your party with friends or even a company event. You don't need to get everyone drunk but get that party going and bring some fun! If you're interested in ordering Lollibooze, send then an email to: likr.creativefoods@gmail.com

Lollibooze comes in 3 flavors - Mo hit me Mojito, Bae'lys, Jacoola. 

The week we found out we're pregnant

Since 2015, my partner and I have discussed plans of starting our own family. Honestly as a woman in my 30's, I was a bit pressured that I might not be able to conceive. I even had a half-meant joke "hinde na makakaantay egg cells ko" and of course there was my fear that I won't be able to bear my own child.

This 2016, since I moved in with my partner we've been constantly trying. He was working in a call center so our schedule and offs felt like we're living in the same house but different timezones. It's really challenging but then on my part I felt we shouldn't be panicking yet if we can't have a baby in our first year living together.

I made some research and took advice from friends,  I even looked for a specialist for reproductive health & infertility but when I was planning to visit the doctor, things got crazy with my personal life that I had to cancel my plans in visiting my doctor.

Then came the last week of September and my period was due. Normally, I would feel bloated along with back pains and a brown spotting but the day when I was supposed to have my 1st day, I didn't have it.

Deep inside I was praying "Sana po eto na" then I started researching what brand of pregnancy test I should use and when is the best day to test just to be. I've tested 3 times, yes 3 times because I'm that paranoid.

*Blue Cross*
I first stumbled upon Blue Cross Pregnancy Strip,it just costs 75 pesos. To use it, you just use the container that comes along with the package to catch your first morning urine and dip the strip. After seeing the result, I cried. I cried because I only saw 1 line but felt like I'm seeing 2 lines but the line is barely visible. I was thinking that my desire to have a child is too strong that I'm already imagining things. With my heart feeling defeated, I stared at the strip again and throw it in the trash bin.

*Medic*
After my PT that day, I still didn't have my period. This gave me hope that maybe just maybe, the first test was wrong or maybe I did it too early. I've read that it's advisable to try again a few days after missing your period and with a different brand just to be sure. So, I bought 2 Medic Pregnancy test kits that costs 110 each.

The next day, which is my 2nd day of missing my period. I ran a test again in the morning, this time the second line is much visible but still faint.

This time, I was positive that I'm 50% possibly pregnant. I started chatting with my closests female friends asking if the same thing happened with their tests. They were all positive and cheering that I'm probably pregnant and should wait another day to test.

I literally cried after seeing those 2 lines. When my partner came home, I told him the news and he's indeed happy.

I asked my partner to retrieve the Blue Cross so that I can have a remembrance :)

Mommy Gamer coming soon!

September 2010, that's the day that I finally decided to come up with my own blog. Finding the niche that I liked to tackle wasn't really that hard for me because I really love playing games and eating. However, at some point of my life I was really struggling to balance my work and personal life including blogging. I've attempted to go back from blogging last year but I failed.

So why come back? A life changing event came to me this September 2016 that motivated me to resurrect this blog, I learned that I'm pregnant. Join me in my new journey as I become a Mommy who still loves gaming aka Mommy Gamer. 

Healthy Living Week 5-6

My journey to weight loss continues. I have to admit that this is not as easy as everyone thinks of it I guess the key is consistency. 

Last check in: Jan 26: 202.16 lbs/ 91.7 kgs

Feb 2: Having a busy schedule and this week was one of the hellish week, I didn't had time to weigh myself. Not an excuse. Not gonna happen again.

Feb 9: Since it was a hellish week 5 for me, I was back to my stress eating habits. I brought back rice to my diet - sometimes a cup. I knew this will add back to my weight so I said to myself this week I need to go back to Zumba at walking. 

Weight: 92.1 kgs / 203.046 lbs

Feb 11: 91.3 kgs/ 201.5 lbs

Imagining that I can lose almost 2 lbs in a day, I think exercising everyday will help. I guess I just really need some consistency. Even if I need to wake up at 3am to excercise. Damn. Consistency.

Metrodeal: The Amazing Shoe Rack for P299 instead of P1200 - Save 75%

Since I renovated my room, I had this motivation to keep my room clean and presentable. It was then that I realized that I had too many pair of shoes - mostly flats, sneakers, rubber shoes and the old shoe rack that I have cannot serve me anymore so I had to buy one.

Browsing Metrodeal, I saw they have this offer for a shoe rack that can fit 30 pairs of shoes just for Php 299. I checked the details and saw that it comes with a "Clear see-through cover" so I purchased it.

Lazada: Beauty Spa Portable Sauna

One late December afternoon while browsing channels in the TV, I saw a TV shopping channel featuring portable sauna which claims to help boost weight loss and detoxify the skin. I was amazed of course so I did some research whether this will indeed help. After browsing through forums, blogposts and reviews it was made clear that you cannot depend your weight loss by using sauna alone. So my expectations were made clear, the sauna will only help but excercise and diet is required.

It took me quite sometime before I decided to purchase a portable sauna. I've looked in OLX if it's much cheaper there but it's not since you still need to pay for the shipping fee so I decided to browse in Lazada. I was not disappointed because I was able to find several portable sauna in various prices and freebies. The transaction was smooth. After you make the payment you will be updated via email and text about your order. I was supposed to receive my order either Thursday or Friday but was able to receive it by Wednesday!

Metrodeal: Rejuvenating Facial Diamond Peel with Facial Massage, Cold Treatment & Mask at Dermabest for P149 instead of P1200

Last December 2014, I purchased a voucher from Metrodeal for a facial diamond peel.

The branch I availed was the one in Dermabest, Cainta Rizal. A day before my preferred date, I made a reservation for 1pm (1pm is the operating hour of this branch and if you want to leave quickly, being the first customer is the best). When making a reservation, just make sure you have the copy of your voucher since you will need to give the voucher and security code.

The day came and I was looking forward for the diamond peel. We were offered to have a facial cleaning + diamond peel (from the voucher) but we opted to stick to the voucher. The whole procedure lasted 45 mins, a bit short than I expected probably because there is no cleaning but so far Php 150 deal was worth it.

Healthy Living: Week 1-4

Biggest loser was our mini-fun game with my officemates, Our goal is just to lose weight and the prize - a healthier and fitter/sexier you! So every Monday we have a weigh-in - well it really depends if you want to check your weight everday but based on the blogs and articles I found on the net, at least having a specific date and time for checking your weight is ideal. Why? Our weight will vary eveyday and if you see that you gained some you'd feel bad about it so it's better to stick to a schedule.

Okay so here goes:

My starting weight: 208.33 lbs / 94.6kgs

Jan 5: 208.33 lbs / 94.6 kgs

Jan 12: 205.25 lbs / 93.1 kgs

Jan 19: 204.5 lbs / 92.8 kgs

Jan 26: 202.16 lbs/ 91.7 kgs (Yup just in 1 day after Zumba and walking)

So as of Jan 27 - 4 weeks after we started, I already lost 6.17 pounds

What sorcery is this?

1. I removed rice from my meals. I sometimes give in to cravings specially when it's Adobo, Sinigang but I make sure it's not more than 1/2 cup.
2. Do not starve yourself. This is a common mistake people who are desperate to lose weight. It just fcks up your metabolism.
3. Excercise. Due to my injury, my physical activities are limited to walking and light jogging. When I mean light, I have to stop in 10 secs because of my knee. I'm still heavy for my bones to carry my body weight.
4. Water. Lots of it. Avoid softdrinks and canned juices you'd be surprised how much calories it has
5. Use a calorie counter and link your fitness apps. I use My Fitness Pal, it's pretty good considering the amount of data they have in their database it even includes Pinoy dishes! Link Endomondo or Running Tracker to it. It can get you motivated.
6. Surround yourself with people who are willing to support you all the way to your journey.

I'm back and there's a big change. Join me in my journey.

From such a long hiatus and a 360 degree overhaul in my personal life, I am now officially back on track. I no longer play Perfect World, I just got tired of the game. Perfect World PH is really slow in providing updates that long time gamers like me got bored eventually. I still play mobile and iPad games though but I may tackle a thing about it in the future.

This comeback post is about how a typical gamer like me woke up one day and realize that I need to take care of my health. Yes, I'm a chick on the heavy side (I prefer not to post pictures for now until the people around me sees the result). This has been my issue since I gained the fats due to an accident I had way back when I was in highschool. My left knee got dislocated (ACL) which prevented me to be as sporty than I used to before.

Now that I'm 31 yrs old, I'm still on the heavy side...make that heavier. From 50 kgs, I went to 94kgs. Damn. Like any fat girl, finding clothes for me is a challenge that's why I was never really fond of shopping for clothes. Finding a brassiere is also hard. I hate annual physical exams because I kept on hearing the same thing that I'm obese. Then I realized, I'm not getting any younger. If I want to have a family, get pregnant and live long for my family I need to take care of myself.

 They said it's easier and more fun to lose weight with friends. I'm glad I was able to finally find a group of people who are willing to support each other towards our healthy goal. Yes, we've heard jokes "sa umpisa lang yan" "diet diet sus!" but the good thing about is we don't mind it and take it as a challenge instead. So please, even it bores you for now and you don't have plans to get healthier yet feel free to read and follow my blog and join me in my healthy living journey or might as well share your adventures too!

Clan Headquarters: Clan Quiz Q&A

To be clear, most of the question and answers here are from PWI. Though they are similar, some names of places or items are different from what we know here. I'm still in the process of updating it to be applicable for Perfect World PH.

I've collated all the questions I encounter during the clan quiz. Most of the time, 4 out of 6 characters encounters the same question so I'm having a hard time updating this. If you encounter some questions which are not yet "translated" for PW PH, feel free to add it in the comments (adding your server and IGN is welcome for acknowledgment)

Faction Exam Questions and Answers for level 1 and 2 Clan HQ:

PW PH:

Clan Quiz Questions and Answers for level 1:

Q. Which is not a clan facility?
A. Hall of Brave


Q. What is the name of the point that a clan hq will earn whenever it gains a new level? the point used to increase the aspect levels of Clan HQ?

A. Technology Point

Q. Which of the conditions must you maintain every three days in order to prevent the destruction of the clan HQ?

A. Clan Health Points

Q. Players can obtain contribution by doing which quest?
A. Clan Quest

Hun Ling Pet: Avatar of the Chaos Bringer

When you thought getting Avatar of the Life Giver was challenging, here's another pain in the arse quest for Hun Ling's in Perfect World Philippines. When I reached level 59, I eagerly finished my esteem so I can get my Avatar of the Chaos Bringer. Avatar of the Chaos Bringer or CraggLord in PWI is the last pet or summon for the mystics. There have been several debates in PWI forums whether maxing out the level of this pet is worth it since he can only be used when you have 2 chis/sparks and can only last up to 20 secs. Personally, I think maxing it out is a good idea since at level 1 the damage is outrageous leaving all my doubts aside of leveling it up.

Getting this pet is like looking for a needle in a haystack but then you can burn the haystack right? So my loudspeaker came in handy and I would like to thank ROXY of Calamity Clan for giving out the most sensible answer to my question.

Hun Ling: Avatar of the Life Giver, I FINALLY Got You Now!

I love my Hun Ling ,™Kurenai™ even if I had to go through of doing quests from level 1, I must say it doesn't matter to me anymore not until yesterday. Getting my Avatar of the Life Giver or also known as Salvation was easy peasy when I played PWI, probably because everything was translated well but for the life of me, acquiring Avatar of the Life Giver wasn't an easy task for me to do in PWPH.

When I thought that Awakening of the Guardians was released with no flaws or at least near to perfection, we were bombarded with quests which are either not translated or can't be read in the quest log (literally).

For the benefit of my co-Hun Lings out there who hasn't received their Avatar of the Life Giver or currently doesn't know where to get it, here are some information that hopefully will save you from some pain in the arse.

Facebook Fan Pages Timeline: Tough Challenge in Running Promotions

Timeline. For the love of Internet, what came across Zuckerberg's mind to come up with this? Seriously, I don't like it applied to my personal page. Yes, the images are eye-catching but reading my wall or a friend's wall is nerve wracking. At one point the latest post will be on the left side, the next thing you know it's on the right column...WTF?

To add up on my rants, on March 30, 2012 all fan pages will automatically get the new design (Timeline). With this update, online marketers and some businesses who mainly use FB to promote their site and products might encounter some challenges in terms of running promotions.

Perfect World: Clan Headquarters

As mentioned in my previous post, one of the best feature that Awakening of the Guardians (AoG) expansion will bring is the Clan Headquarters. Since PWI already have this since last year (geez, we really had to wait that long), I assume that the guide I found will work for Perfect World PH (I've taken some notes from PW PH's Official Site). It would take me some time to customize this guide to fit for the local version, I have this feeling it's either the name of the places and stuffs will be Chinese related, so for now stick with me.

So what does a clan headquarter do for the players?

The features and benefits of a clan headquarters include providing quest, selling gears, items, and potions, providing helpful buffs and being the battlefield. Woohoo!

To Create a Clan Headquarter:

• Must be the Master of a Level 3 Clan. (Speak with the Clan Administrator at Dragon City (595 665) to raise your Clan Level if you have not yet done so)
• Must have 1 Clan Headquarters Deed in your inventory. You can purchase a Clan Headquarters Deed from the Clan HQ Administrator.

The Clan Headquarters Deed costs:

 • 500 Mysterious Chips (Obtained from Mysterious Chip Packs and various in-game events)
 • 20 Perfect Vouchers (Trade 10,000,000 Yuan for one Voucher at the Bank Owner)
 • 2,000 Thousand-Machine Parts (Crafted using 5 Polished Lumber, 5 Tempered Steel, 5 Grindstone Powder and 5 Anthracite)
• 500 Misty Emblems (Obtained from monsters in the Misty City)

Important note: The Clan Headquarters Deed cannot be traded, dropped or placed in Account Storage, so make sure that the Clan Master is the character who crafts the item.

Basic Clan Headquarters Information

1.) HQ Level and Construction – Shows the Clan HQ’s current level and the amount of construction points currently invested. Once enough construction points are donated, the Clan Master can click the Upgrade button to increase the Clan HQ’s level.

2.) Resource Count – Shows the amount of resources currently invested. Resources are used to construct and upgrade Clan facilities.

In a later patch, Clans can attack each others’ HQ in order to pillage the resources within.

3.) Clan Technology Levels – Shows the investment of technology points. Each facility has a Technology Aspect prerequisite. You will need to raise that Aspect in order to construct higher-level Facilities.

Upgrading Faction Structures

Awakening of the Guardians, Wake up Now!

I've been playing Perfect World for more than 3 years now and like any other game, Perfect World launched several awesome patches that makes the players enjoy and support the game even more. For the past few months, Level Up! Games have been promoting the new expansion "Awakening of the Guardians". In the Perfect World International version, it's known as "Genesis". Awakening of the Guardians (AoG) will feature a new race - Earthguard, two new classes: seeker and mystic. Several areas and dungeons will be opened and new gears and guild bases will be available for all the players.

My Mystic with my ever reliable pet that buffs increased defense and absorbs damage for its caster.

The Mystic or better known as Hun Ling (Druid) is a magic-user. She has the ability to cast nature-based auras and summon powerful entities to assist her in combat. She is adept at focusing nature’s nurturing energies to heal and assist her allies. Hun Ling’s can be male or female.

The Seeker or better known as Jian Ling (Blademaster) focuses natural energies through sword forms to become a versatile fighter. His weapon can be infused with various arcane powers, which, in combination with heavy armor, makes him a fearsome force on any battlefield. Jian Ling can be male or female.

"Awesome" BayanTel's Customer Service and Support, long gone?

I have been a subscriber of BayanTel since 2003, at that time I only got their landline subscription until 2008 I decided to avail their DSL bundle. Everything was promising, I had an awesome speed connection which catered my entertainment needs in terms of gaming, movie and music downloads.

But like any dream, I was visited by a terrible nightmare which came to life that a customer would like to be awakened of - BayanTel's service and support sucks. Last year, a week doesn't pass by without calling their technical support and all with the same problems - no internet and/or intermittent connection, no dial tone. They replaced my ZTE modem with an older looking version. It looks really old but it worked so it was fine with me so the BayanTel agents were spared by my rants and I got spared from their spiels and customized templates.

Until today, I had the same effin problem AGAIN. Before, whenever I had issues, a day won't pass by and my issue is quickly resolved. The technician will contact me for confirmation that he passed by the house and fixed it and this genuine awesome customer service is long gone.