The World of Second Chances

Great Find: Gigi Amore Bra

November 28, 2011

Career, Finance & Product

My eyes and budget are fixated on Avon bra. It’s cheaper than the leading brand of bra in the Philippine market and quality-wise, I’m satisfied. I’ve been using Avon bra since I was in college. Life span of an Avon bra is 3-5 years.

I chanced upon a Gigi Amore bra last Saturday in Mall of Asia. I was supposed to buy Triumph bra, my second brand of preference but there was no available size for me. My husband suggested to buy a Wacoal but I don’t want lacy bras; the soft cottony one was out of stock. So I ended up examining the fabric, form and style of Gigi Amore bra. The padding was cottony soft and the strap was strong enough to support my breasts. I got the bra for only PhP 150, 50% discount! Normally, I would spend PhP500-800 per bra so Gigi Amore is a great find!

I will give feedback on Gigi Amore’s quality after six months. It’s too early to tell if it’s comparable to Avon or not. 😉

Update as of January 12, 2013:
After a year of using Gigi Amore bra, it’s still in good condition but the quality is not comparable to Avon bras. While the strap is still in good condition, the sides lost its elasticity so it rolled inward (imagine a 3 cm width strap that shrinked to 1.5 cm.). The cup padding became uneven after a mild machine wash so I recommend to just handwash it. But generally, the bra is still in wearable condition but the quality is not as good as Avon or Triumph.
Buzz Lightyear Toy

November 22, 2011

Life & Love

My toddler is an avid fan of Toy Story series. He is particularly interested on Buzz Lightyear. I got excited when I saw a Buzz Lightyear on the toy section of Landmark. The toy is about 5-inches tall and is said to be capable of speaking 12 sounds and phrases! I checked on the buttons to test how it functions and I was amazed because I felt like watching Buzz on Toy Story. I was about to put the toy in the shopping basket when my husband noticed the price. Hold on, the toy is priced at less than PhP 5,000! I have the tendency to spoil my kids but I wanted to be reasonable, too, for deciding not to buy my toddler an expensive toy.

My husband and I recalled the life span of Adi’s toys. One of the oldest toys that he still have is a Fischer-Price musical snail with star, triangle and flower-shaped holes. Fischer-Price is known for its durability. Some of Adi’s toy cars either have missing tires or detached body. My toddler belongs to the caterpillar room (refer to Toy Story) as he is still very passionate about playing and has a tendency to break his toys. One toy only lasted half an hour because he threw it in a fit of tantrum. Due to this, we decided not to buy the Buzz Lightyear since PhP 5,000 is a big amount of money to be wasted on a toy that is expected to have a life span of only one day in Adi’s hands.

We saw a miniature of Woody for only PhP 350 and we decided to buy it for Adi. The toddler was very happy with the toy! He even brought Woody to the church for last Sunday’s worship. I realize, does my son really want a Buzz Lightyear or is it us, his parents, who want an expensive toy for him? My son never complains about the price of toys that we get for him. Maybe, deep inside us, we want our son to experience how it is to have a toy as magnificent as a Buzz Lightyear.
Happy Birthday!

November 17, 2011

Life & Love

bday card

May you have good health, more success and happiness in life!

May you always have a positive disposition in life!

May you have many more birthdays to come!

Cheers to another year, I’m looking forward to celebrating your golden year!

Happy birthday!
Birthday On A Budget

November 15, 2011

Life & Love

With a new baby expected next year, we need to save again for his first birthday. The baby’s first birthday is celebrated with more extravagance than the succeeding birthdays. It is the parents’ way of thanking God for taking care of their baby for the most crucial part of his life: the first 12 months.
I am a practical person yet I don’t want to shortchange Adi’s first birthday. My husband and I initially thought of holding the party in Jollibee or Mc Donald’s but our guests would surely find it far. We don’t want our guests to have the alibi that they were not able to come to Adi’s party because Jollibee or Mc Donald’s is far from their place.
We have an acquiantance from the church who is a good cook. His former job was a cook at an international hotel in Makati. We decided to hold Adi’s party at home and stick to a budget.

Checklist of Baby’s First Birthday Party:
1. Theme- Adi loves Mickey Mouse. We decided a Mickey theme for the party.
2. Venue- We held the party at the apartment. I had the garden meticulously cleaned. We rented a tent for PhP 1,500. Chairs, tables and catering utensils at PhP 7,500. Decoration is included except the tarpauline and balloons.
3. Tarpauline- I designed Adi’s tarpauline and had it printed for PhP 250.
4. Balloons- I bought 3 packs of big balloons (12 balloons per pack) and 1 pack of small balloons. Total price was PhP300.
5. Goldilock’s cake with Mickey Theme at PhP2,500.
6. Ice cream cart- rented the cart with 6 gallons of ice cream at PhP 2,500.
7. Cotton candy cart- at PhP 1,500.
8. Adi’s birthday clothes- with Mickey printing, all in all at PhP 600.
9. Food and Drinks budget- Four different viands, rice and dessert for adults and spaghetti, hotdog and brownies for kids- PhP12,000.
10. Give aways- 30 tokens worth 30 pesos each. All in all at PhP900.
11. Party hats good for 30 kids and other design materials- PhP 600.
12. Videoke- PhP 500

Adi’s first birthday party costed us around PhP 30,000+. We had 30 kids and around 70 adults who joined the fun. There was unlimited supply of ice cream and cotton candy. Everybody was happy. It was a joyful celebration.

I know that some caterers charge PhP 250 per head and given our 100 guests on Adi’s birthday party, that would have costed us PhP 25,000. But the venues that we have here are either too expensive (PhP 16,000 per day, no per hour rental) or too far (PhP 4,000 per day). Besides, I think it’s best to celebrate my baby’s first birthday with our neighbors since we consider them as family.
Celeteque Hydration Facial Moisturizer

November 14, 2011

Career, Finance & Product

If you’re suffering from dry skin due to the change in weather (it’s ber-month!) but can’t decide which facial moisturizer to choose from a variety of products available in the market, why don’t you try Celeteque Hydration facial moisturizer? It comes in gel form and is non-greasy. It is also hypo-allergenic and non-comedogenic.

I am on my 4th month of pregnancy. As much as I’m happy with Pond’s Age Miracle Daily Resurfacing cream, anti-ageing products are a no-no to pregnant women.

With Celeteque, my skin feels hydrated and supple. It is light and non-greasy; you don’t feel like wearing a moisturizer. 😉
Genelyn’s Worst Nightmare

November 12, 2011

Life & Love, That’s Entertainment

With her firstborn murdered last October 28 and her two children being dragged into the case, it’s no wonder why Genelyn Magsaysay’s emotions are in between depressed and angry. Before the controversial death of Ramgen Revilla, Genelyn kept a low profile as one of Ramon Revilla Sr.’s countless paramours. Genelyn was even mistaken as the Jenny Lyn of That’s Entertainment. Jenny Lyn was a pretty That’s Entertainment talent who is now based in the US according to German Moreno. Some reports say that Genelyn was an aspiring actress who got to appear in one of Ramon Sr’s movies. That was where their love story started. Her last name, Magsaysay, rings a bell. She is the daughter of former actress Ladelyn Madrigal and former senator Genaro Magsaysay, brother of ex-President Ramon Magsaysay.
I never knew that Ramgen tried showbiz as he was not given the chance to showcase his talent through meaty roles. After Ramon Sr., it is Bong Revilla who holds the crown for being the most successful Bautista/Revilla who tried showbiz. With Ramgen’s untimely demise, the people were made to know that he was the firstborn of Ramon Sr. with Genelyn. He was said to be one of the favorite children of Ramon Sr, too.

Genelyn, who is only in her early 40’s just like Bong and Lani, has nine children with Ramon Sr. Raising nine kids at this difficult time should never been an issue if your partner can very well provide for it. Unlike the Cojuangcos who are known landlords in Tarlac, not everyone knows about the Bautista’s family business. I guess, only the Cavitenos know that. When the report about Genelyn’s children’s dispute over the 1 million pesos monthly allowance provided by Ramon Sr, the public became interested. How much does Ramon Sr. worth then if he could provide 1 million pesos monthly allowance to Genelyn’s kids? What about his other kids? How much do they get?

The 1 million pesos allowance was said to be an unofficial figure; a “guesstimate” by some. In fact, if that 1 million pesos monthly allowance did really exist, then Genelyn could never have written her rants on Facebook about her financial status several weeks before Ramgen was murdered.

Some reports are saying that Genelyn used to be Ramon Sr’s favorite paramour. Her love for Ramon Sr was beyond what the former could offer. When Ramon Sr. suffered from stroke in 2008, his children with the late Asuzena Mortel Bautista were the ones who took care of him. I think it was not because Genelyn and his other paramours would not take the responsibility but because his children from Asuzena were also protective of Ramon Sr.

With his legitimate children now in acting capacity in behalf of Ramon Sr., that was when the problem probably started. Maybe funds were lessened and priorities were changed. Some of Genelyn’s Facebook shout outs were about her financial hardships and her feud with an unnamed Bautista. But how much is enough or not enough for a family of 10? If somebody from the Bautistas is making her finances difficult, then how could she explain the beautiful house made for her by Ramon Sr, her older children’s vehicles and her younger children’s good schools? How much is really enough for a family of 10?

Among the legitimate children of Ramon Sr., it was Bong Revilla who has been visible from the time that Mara was supposed to be taken by the killer. In one news report on TV, Bong can be seen comforting the obviously disoriented Mara. Bong asked for a speedy investigation and even raised a PhP500,000 reward money for those who can tell who the killer is. But it was a reward money that backfired not only to Bong but to Genelyn’s family, as well. Circumstances and the hired killers’ testimony were all pointing to Genelyn’s two children as the ones who plot the murder against Ramgen. Maria Ramona (Mara) and Ramon Joseph (RJ) vehemently denied the accusations. Ramgen’s girlfriend, Janelle Manahan, survived the killing. Did Mara leave Janelle and Ramgen to die or did she leave to save herself from the killer? Why did she change her original statement? Was she confused or she simply was not telling the truth from the start? People were comparing this story to the biblical characters “Cain and Abel.” But wait, Eve did not conspire with Cain to murder Abel. Some reports are suggesting that Genelyn also had a hand in Ramgen’s murder.
This could have been Genelyn’s worst nightmare: Ramgen’s death.

Ramgen was Ramon Sr.’s favorite son. If there’s anyone from her brood of nine that she must protect, it must be Ramon Sr’s favorite. With the favorite son around, Genelyn could use Ramgen as the strong tie that would continue to bond her and Ramon Sr. Another thing, Ramgen was said to be close to Bong and his kids. Even if there was animosity between Genelyn and Bong, having Ramgen around would be Genelyn’s way of connecting with the Bautistas. Why start a war with the legitimate Bautistas anyway? What’s there to gain? With that level of closeness between Ramgen and Bong and between Ramgen and Bong’s kids, I don’t think Bong is capable of doing harm to Ramgen as what some people are thinking. Correct my impression but I don’t think Bong will harm any person that will result to death or disability. We all know that he is a playboy just like Ramon Sr. but to inflict harm on another person? I don’t think so!
Assuming that Genelyn knew about Mara and RJ’s plot to have their Kuya Ramgen killed, still, having Ramgen alive and around would be her advantage. Having him dead would still be her worst nightmare. If and only if she consented to the murder plan out of rage (Ramgen told Ramon Sr. about Genelyn’s PhP2.3M credit card debt), then it was a decision that was not only poor but irrelevant.

This is a family drama that the people love to analyze and follow through. More muds are being thrown at each others’ camp. We may be forgetting that the real victims here are Janelle and Ramgen.
Ikaw Ang Pag-Ibig, Movie

October 31, 2011

That’s Entertainment

A family’s faith is tested when the eldest child, who is a priest, is diagnosed with leukemia. Ina Feleo plays the role of a career-driven woman (Vangie) who is unmarried to the father of her child. Jomari Yllana plays the role of the patient and loving boyfriend (Joey)who is an OB-Gyne. Vangie’s parents are not in good terms at the start of the movie. As Johnny’s (Marvin Agustin) illness progresses, the family’s faith in God is put into test.

When nothing materially is left of them to support Johnny’s medication, they realize that more than money, family and faith in God is more important. Vangie’s parents reconciled. She faced her dark past and finally acquired the courage to accept Joey’s marriage proposal.

The film is a tribute to Our Lady of Penafrancia. Some of the film settings are in Bicol. The Bicolano dialect is sparingly used in some scenes.

Ina Feleo is an underated actress. Being the daughter of Laurice Guillen and the late Johnny Delgado, you know where her acting genes are coming from. She has a unique style in acting; deep and empathizing.
Jomari Yllana played his role well as a supportive boyfriend to Ina but there is obviously no screen chemistry on them. I would have loved to pair Ina with TJ Trinidad instead.

Noni Buencamino and Sharmaine Centenera are also good. Sharmaine excels in her breakdown scene at the hospital chapel when she questioned God about her favorite child’s illness.