My New Blog Is Up!

Hi everyone! Please check my blog’s new address

Go! Jackie Go!.

Will be updating through this site from now on.

Also join my blog give away here:

Welcome To My New Blog! | Go! Jackie Go!.

This will be my last post in this blog. Goodbye My Nocturnal Journal! Thank you for the love 😀

And thank you everyone for sticking around!

See you in my new blog 😉

Today’s Outfitey: Cropped Pants 2

Yes, another laid back outfitey post. Since I’ve been very busy fixing our new home, I’ve been wearing comfortable outfiteys lately. As a mother sometimes when your day is full, you can’t help but throw in together a look that need no thinking. Like a shirt and shorts look, wherein anyone can get away with. As much as I wanted to do that I try to limit, I for one am doing this not just for myself but for you my dear readers as well. (But if you insist, I can also post a very very simple look, one that all of us have in our closets 😉 )

For today’s key piece, I give you another version of the cropped pants.

green is in! :p

Yes, I’m sporting my bangs! LOL

As you can see, my cropped pant’s material is a soft silky cotton (sorry, not really familiar with it) which is usually used if you want to look dressier  (if you’re channeling that corporate look). If you want your outfitey to look relaxed and casual, pair it like it I did (with a plain shit or tank top). If you find your look too boring, pair it with a printed shoes or sandals to give an instant “oomph” in it! heehee 😉

THE OUTFITEY:

Green V neck shirt: Forever 21

Gray bandeau: Regatta

Gray cropped pants: bought from a seller in Multiply, around P350?  (sorry I forgot her exact website :|) but I think I saw the exact pants over at Crossings Department store (but they’re selling it for P700+ yikes, double the original price)

Brown braided belt: Dorothy Perkins

Animal print sandals: Schu

That’s all!

Have a great weekend! 🙂

P.S.

Please check my new domain: Go! Jackie Go! |  and like my new Facebook Page Go! Jackie Go 

Thank you super! 😀

My New Baby Is Almost Ready!

My new baby is almost ready! But no, it’s not human. It’s my blog’s new home (domain). Yipeeeee!

oh baby!

3 more days til you get to see my new site. Well, nothing much will change except for my new domain and blog name. Easier to remember and very me. Go! Jackie Go! Because I’m just like that :p

So please, while you’re here, go check my new site Go! Jackie Go!  Go to http://gojackiego.com

Stay Mommy, Stay! (At Home With Me)

Raising a one year old kid is a tough job. It requires constant patience and understanding. You have to harness all your energy in trying to do so, and it helps to pray for guidance as well. Playing with a one year old person needs creativity and imagination, things that most people tend to overlook (believe me, it’s not easy to be creative at all times). One must be armed with stories, backed with colorful yet meaningful explanation of how the world is. Yes, this is what I deal with everyday, being a full-time stay at home mom is a commitment and it’s more than a title and a job, it’s a lifestyle.

Like I said before, in one of my post  “…everyone can be a child but not everyone can be a mother.”  Having said that shows that I have great respect for all mothers out there. Working, working at home, full-time, part-time (if there’s even such one), stay at home moms. I believe we have greatly sacrificed something in order to become mothers. Now looking back the year (and almost a half) that has passed, I couldn’t help but evaluate myself and my life. Questions started pouring in, just like the rain Manila (and other parts of the Philippines) have endured the past days.

Have I been a good mother? What have I learned from being one? Am I becoming like my mother? Am I the mother my Mom & Mama want me to be for their granddaughter? Am I raising my child well? The questions are endless and with that I am too tired even trying to think of the answers. I tried to calm myself.

An advice once told me by my mom and my mom-in-law diverted my attention to all the questions circling my head. That I am lucky I get to watch my daughter grow and that she was lucky I have time with her. That made sense. Then my evaluation of myself and my life came to a halt when I realized & accepted the fact that I am a proud stay at home mom. I may not be bombarded with household chores & tons of errands yet (since my mom-in-law helps me & trains me to be a full pledge housewife and stay at home mom) but I have come to embrace the fact that I really am one. Whenever people ask me about what keeps me busy, I always say I take care of Gabbie (my daughter) and that brings me contentment. I do projects now and then but like I always say family comes first.

bringing G with me to work

So upon checking My Mom-Friday‘s page on Facebook, I came across a link she posted about SAHM (stay at home moms) and immediately read it. Allow me to share it with you all. Here’s her article on The Philippine Star » Unblogged. Thank you My Mom-Friday for allowing me to repost this. 😀

Best and worst part of being a SAHM

Stay-at-home mom. Work-at-home mom. Full-time mom. Domestic diva. Whatever you call us, we’re all the same potato. For this instance, let’s stick with the term stay-at-home mom, or SAHM for short.

Let me begin by saying I WAS a working mom. I’ve been there and I enjoyed it immensely. It was one of the most gratifying experiences I’ve had that helped me become who I am today. I really have high respects for working moms.

I believe that being a SAHM is a privilege and a choice. I have friends who can well afford to just “stay home and do nothing” but still chose to work. Whatever we decide to do, and to be, has its own rewards and sacrifices. A stay-at-home mom is not any better, or any less, than a working mom and vice versa. We should learn to respect each other’s choices since all mothers are, in fact, super women!

I was working full-time in advertising and PR before I had my first child. Circumstances led me to wholeheartedly decide TO BE a SAHM. It was a decision that my husband and I made, and that is very important.

It’s not easy!

It’s challenging, indulgent, exhausting, and fulfilling all at the same time. It also breeds procrastination. My time revolves around the kids’ and my husband’s needs, home management like running errands, trip to the grocery, tutoring, cooking, household bookkeeping, unending organizing, and the list goes on, plus a bit of “me” time squeezed in between. Of course, there are days when I fail to accomplish some things that needed to be done. I’m not perfect. The key is really time management and knowing my priorities.

At times, I still reminisce about my working days and how I was then, but I can never regret choosing to be a SAHM. I remember being told by our doctor that a child’s first six years is the “golden years” in which they can be molded, and the home and the environment can make the most impact in their development and overall well-being. I’m really fortunate that I was there for my children every step of the way, that’s the best part. It’s priceless.

‘You’re just at home, you’re not doing anything.’ (I hate this)

There are numerous scenarios where I get this kind of retort. I can’t blame them since aside from “taking care of the kids,” they can’t really see the small stuff that “color” our daily lives. I’m actually busier than when I was working!

At this point, I’m content with doing small projects on the side to keep me sane, and maybe when the kids are older, I can take on bigger opportunities that might come my way.

So what’s the best and worst part of being a SAHM / WAHM (work-at-home mom)?

I asked these moms to share their sentiments. Be enlightened.

C: Best part of a SAHM is personally caring for my kids; worst is the guilt for not contributing financially.

J: It’s tougher because we become the disciplinarian and not all the time the kids listen. We can become “losyang” (frumpy) so better take care of ourselves too. The good thing is the kids are more secure knowing their parent is always around.

R: Best and worst is being with the kids. Next best thing – NO dress code!

J: Best: Flexi-time (errands on non-peak hours), more active in schools, less stress, cheaper (no office wear, less eating out); Worst: Office hours are undefined; it runs into long hours and weekends, kids see you at home and tend to interrupt “office time” at the wrong time.

N: Best part: I saw every stage of development since they were babies, teens until after college. Loved every minute of it. Downside: Gave up a career, lesser income but temporary. I got it all back and more after kids graduated from college.

M: Worst: With kids 24/7, tendency to procrastinate, work overlapping with kids. Best: Flexi-time, with the kids as they grow, make healthy meals my way.

B: I’m where my son needs me.

C: Best part of being a SAHM is being able to see the milestones of my kids life and developing a close relationship with them; Worst is when we can’t have much time for ourselves due to high demand of our attention and nonstop work between kids, chores.

T: I get to supervise what my son is doing the whole day. However, too much distractions at home. It takes great discipline to be able to finish work.

K: Best thing is being able to watch my son grow, never missing a milestone or achievement. I can proudly say that whatever he knows now, he learned it first from me (academically). Worst thing: there’s a common misconception: “Andyan ka lang sa bahay, wala ka naman ginagawa; sarap ng buhay, housewife…” (You’re just there at home, not doing anything; good life, a housewife). But in reality, it’s difficult to focus on the kid, add to that the issues with managing helpers, and it’s so hard to think of what food prepare everyday!

M: Best thing about a SAHM – being able to see your kids grow up, and just be there for them. Worst thing? The trade-off is you feel like you’re stagnating at home!

C: Best: Spending time with your kids and being able to influence them.

Worst: There’s also a strong tendency to take them for granted because we spend too much time together.

P: Best: Seeing your kids grow right before your eyes. And also, it’s okay not to take a bath for days! Worst: Separation anxiety, not for the kids but more on my side since I’m a SAHM, it’s hard for me to leave the kids even under the care of my mother. “Hindi tuloy maka-lakwatsa ng madalas!” (Can’t go out more often).

C: Best about being a SAHM: More time for family. Worst: I don’t get to dress up anymore.

A: Best thing about being a SAHM is the joy of seeing your kids grow every second of the day. Worst thing is that it’s a non-paying job.

Enough said.

Read the full article here.

I could only tweet her (@mymomfriday on Twitter) right after I fully read her article. Everything that was written there is true. It is pure joy for me being a stay at home mom but with all the “free time” there is, ironically one can have none yet one can have too many schedules at the same time. Free time in the sense that you can only plan based on your daughter’s or family’s needs. Too many schedule means adjusting to a series of unplanned events (sudden trip to the grocery, bank with a little amount of time, very much channeling Amazing Race here).You see, SAHM are like doctors or any other professionals who are always “on call” and works 24/7 and even on vacations. Like any other choice, SAHM has it’s pros and cons as shared by the mommies asked by My Mom Friday. No matter how much we weigh the pros & cons in our lives, it really wouldn’t matter. As long as we are dedicated and passionate about what we choose, it is more than enough.

I admit there were times I wonder what it would be like if I was working. I’ve been working even before I was in college (a talent for advertisings- “raket”; most of the time referred to as a “raketera/raketeer”  -wherein the work isn’t regular but pay is good). My rakets got me to send myself to college. I am obsessive-compulsive  and dedicated on the things I like doing (I was doing pretty well in school), so people assumed after I graduate that I would do well in the world of media & advertising. My family, my friends even my professors thought so, even I thought so myself. I know I would’ve done well. But life has shown me the other side of the fence and that’s what I chose. My then boyfriend (now husband) proposed, we got married and after six months of trying, we got pregnant. No matter how I think about finding a regular work, I just can’t seem to do so. I am too weak to even dare try, I was becoming too motherly and too adapt to go back to that track. Now I could say I am OC and dedicated on being a mom and a wife. And if life presents me the other side of the fence I didn’t choose, then maybe someday I might go out there and look around. But for now, I’m right where I wanted to be.

So, whenever people ask me who from the Desperate Housewives do I relate to the most, I always say it’s Gabrielle Solis (coincidentally she has the same name as my daughter). I may not live luxuriously like her (waaaaay not) but I identify with her in terms of choosing family over career. Just like her, I am still in the process of being fully domesticated but that doesn’t hinder me to become the best mom I can be for my daughter. Yes, just like Gabby Solis I wear my heels while I sterilize my daughter’s bottle and paint my nails after cleaning the toilet (yes I sometimes do that just because, heehee) You see, we SAHM are indeed busy, it has become our nature to multitask ya know *winks*. So please, spare us SAHM the notion that we are not busy because believe it or not we really are, promise! 🙂

I have so much to learn and so many things to do with so little time. But I know I can do it! Armed with a good pair of shoes and a nice well-groomed and shaped nails and eyebrows, I can go by motherhood with a smile make that a smile with a wink! 😉

Gabbie now at 1 year and 5 months old. Who could resist this cutie patootie?! 😀

Now that my little one is so used to spending time with her mommy, I couldn’t imagine not being by her side. What more if she learns to say  “stay mommy, stay!”. Uh-oh!

Thank you again My Mom-Friday , check out her website  My Mom-Friday. Follow her (@mymomfriday on Twitter

Happy Midweek everyone! Stay dry & safe! 😀

Whole Foods

The popularity of natural & organic foods has been inevitable these days mainly because people want to have a healthier lifestyle. According to OrganicFoodee.com, organic foods are more expensive than intensively farmed foods because they receive no subsidies at all compared to the latter.

Another crucial reason why organic food is more expensive to buy than intensively- farmed food is that agro chemicals are designed to make food cheaper to produce. Agro chemicals were not developed with nutrition, taste or the ecology in mind. The chemical designers’ remit was to make mass production of food cheaper. End of story.  Source: OrganicFoodee.com

Yes, there is a market for it and that market is growing over time. I myself am not getting any younger, being in the mid-20s can really make you paranoid about how the world is filled with anything & everything synthetic & chemically exposed thus being cautious with what you eat and how you eat can just be your best bet in living healthier and longer.

I, for one don’t really care much about exactly what kind of food I eat (meaning how it was processed) but after trying on a few organic & naturally grown produce, I could really tell there’s a HUGE difference. It’s tastier and more flavorful. Given that as a mother, I only want what’s best for my family (and with our impending move to our own place) it is only necessary that I open up to the idea of sticking back to what is more natural and healthier.

As what I tweeted few days ago  before (yes, too obvious this is one of my back posts!), it is harder to live a healthy life if healthy food isn’t optional and worse more expensive than conventional food. So upon checking Whole Foods Market online, I was really inspired to prepare, cook & hunt for these organic & healthy foods.

spell freshness!

photo source

where all things good & green

photo source

juice-y goodness!

photo source

Dear businessmen in the Philippines, please bring  Whole Foods here if not I dare you conceptualize a market like this.  Kthanksbye.

This rainy day makes me think of food even more! And with the earthquake that hit Metro Manila plus the few road accidents that has happened today due to Typhoon Juaning, I hope everyone stay safe tonight. Prayers for those who were affected by Typhoon Juaning and praying for an earthquake-free night tonight.

P.S.

Please be alert! Charge all your necessary paraphernalia in case the storm cuts out the electricity. Get your emergency kits ready as well and keep your keys & phones on your bedside table for emergency (yes, this is my OC motherly instinct writing!).

*virtual hugs to everyone*

Today’s Outfitey: Leather Moccasins

Moccasins are back! (have they ever left in the first place?) I love how classic items are being reinvented, fashion indeed is evolving. For a shoe lover like me, I can honestly say there’s more to shoes than being just all pretty. And yes, sometimes I unconsciously judge a person based on his/her shoes. (Sorry naman, tao lang!) But seriously, there’s a lot to say about someone who has nice shoes. It may not be expensive but the style & heel are always important (okay, I will make a post about shoe 101 soon 😉 )

So for today’s key piece, I believe you already know what: Moccassin shoesay.

Mocca Moccasins! LOL

What’s good about this tan-colored moccasin is that you can actually pair it with anything! Bongga! 😉 Again, like I said, wearing shoes in tan, brown or nude makes your legs look longer (feeling taller naman ako! ;p). Since the shoe is simple, it’s nice to pair it with printed tops, dress of bottoms to give variety to your oufitey.

THE OUTFITEY:

Printed long-sleeved polyester dress: Una Rosa (ayan, this is another “chiffon” clothing)

Brown braided belt: Dorothy Perkins

Heeled tan leather moccasins:  Renegade Folk

Thanks again RF! Bongga talaga your shoesays!

See my other Renegade Folk shoes here.

Check out Renegade Folk’s collection at: http://renegadefolk.multiply.com

That’s all!

ooo,

J.

P.S.

Please like my new Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/gojackiego

Happy Monday! 😀

Yang Chow Restaurant

As you all know, Sunday is family day and I love to call it as Sunday’s Best. Food always brings people closer and it is one of the most practical & fun way to bond especially with your family. Of all the cuisines the world has to offer, I have always shown my love for American & Japanese cuisines  but if I’d have to say which one I always eat, it would have to be Chinese cuisine. Our love affair for siomai & siopao is evident and so are the thousands of Filipinos who line up at Chinese restaurants who show proof of their love for dimsums & dumplings.

One chinese restaurant that we’ve come to love is Yang Chow. Strategically located below a supermarket, one cannot resists the smell of congee & tofu steak as he passes by after doing his grocery.

the staff were very busy, too many orders eh?

If on an ordinary day, serving can take less than 15 minutes but if you plan on having dinner there on Sundays or even Saturdays I suggest you head there 15-30 minutes earlier so that you can get a good table.

check out their menu

They offer house tea (for free) and their entrées are usually good for 2-3 persons. Their prices are affordable and I can say there is value for your money.

Here’s what we ordered:

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Two things that make a good fried rice: the quality of the rice itself and the amount of ingredients in each serving. Yang Chow’s fried rice indeed is a good one, it deserves the name for itself.

Dimsum Platter

Like their fried rice, Yang Chow’s dimsum platter is filling and each one  full flavor. (kumbaga, hindi tinipid sa sahog :p)

Broccoli & Abalone

Broccoli cooked just right & the abalone tender & chewable.

Sweet & Sour Fish Fillet

The typical sweet & sour fish fillet, but the good thing about Yang Chow’s version is that the fish fillet is still crispy (freshly fried).

Hot Prawn Salad

 Their hot prawn salad is my favorite. There is enough shrimp in it and less of the fruits which gives value for your money.

P.S.

I’ve seen other reviews stating that they’ve been hassled by Yang Chow’s Manager (and staff) being rude. I for one have encountered their “no food & drinks allowed” policy and I happily obliged to it. Other than that I have not yet encountered direct rudeness from their staff nor the said manager. If that ever happens, I would update this post or create a new one, but I hope that won’t happen.

P.P.S.

To the owners of Yang Chow Restaurant, please be very mindful in training your staff. Service is just as important as the quality of food. So if you have poor service, no matter how good your food is people won’t go back for it. Thanks.

Yang Chow Restaurant is located at:

G/F Shopwise Center, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Bagumbayan

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 470-1251

Optimist Prime or Negatron?

People who really know me know that I speak & understand beckimese (gay lingo). It’s something that seems and feels natural to me and gay people are close to my heart. Maybe I was one in my past life? Who knows. Anyway, I love how through gay lingo, (most of the time) thoughts and ideas are conveyed on a lighter note but with a deep subliminal meaning.So in fairness, smart talaga ang mga beckies! *cheers* (for those of you who wants to learn beckimese, I shall gather my becky friends and post a beckimese 101 guide 🙂 )

Finally, after 2 weeks I able to watch Transformers: Dark of the Moon and I was somewhat paranoid (you know I’m a Com student and given I’ve learned how a movie is made, I still get affected watching movies :|). What if “aliens” really attack our planet one day? and what if that one day is soon? like the day after tomorrow? Eeeeeps! *head spinning slowly* I cut myself after even attempting to figure out the answers. I then heard myself say “stop being a Negatron” and then I just started smiling *big grin*. So I’ve learned that a gloomy moment can really be altered to an all out laughing trip, thanks to beckimese language LOL.

The next day as I was online and doing my usual thing, when I decided to write about these thoughts in my head (this was supposed to be a Transformers 3 post and my story about aliens :p) so I researched and I stumbled upon this illustration:

Optimist Prime vs. Negatron

OW. EM. GEEna Alajar! (gets nyo?!) Perfect! It’s like Google read my mind & conspired with the universe! I love, love, love it! (in a becky spelling, ay lav et! 😉 ) Truly, I’m an Optimist Prime (kampi ako kay Optimist este Optimus Prime syempre!), I believe (beauty queen answer?) negativity won’t bring you anywhere and that it is a complete waste of energy. Life really is too short and the world is too small to be hating on other people and to be spreading on bad vibes as well. Deadmatology na lang dapat! It is the key to a negatron-free life, I thank you! *bow*

So who created this? I have learned that the creator/illustrator is someone I have worked with before. He was my director for a Telecom TV commercial back in 2007 (see it here). He is none other than Avid Liongoren, truly he is a visual artist extraordinaire. He has done numerous multi-media works that challenged the mind’s creativity. Pasok sa banga ang creative skills niya. Very much alien lang siya na tumambay dito sa planet Earth!

If you want to check out more of his creations visit his online gallery, you can also purchase the Optimist Prime & Negatron illustration for printing.

P.S.

Hi, direk! 🙂

P.P.S.

Here’s the video of the Telecom TVC I did back in 2007. Spottan nyo ko! ;p

P.P.P.S.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Oh and please like my new blog page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gojackiego

Today’s Outfitey: Tan Blazer

A person seen wearing this emulates he’s cool & he knows how to carry himself, that’s what wearing a blazer can do. Hollywood stars pair it with almost anything and still they can get away with it. Korean fashion have played around with it adding different designs, colors, accessories even textures to it. Indeed blazer is an outfitey key piece, it is part of every person’s wardrobe. It is essential when one has to immediately look polished without trying to look too polished. Get what I mean? A Blazer can spice up any outfit and you can wear it from a casual setting to an evening affair. That’s why I’ve gotten to love this key piece as well.

blah-zer

This is one of those quick pulled-together outfitey that can really work. If you’re in a rush and need to dress up but you’re too lazy to mix and match then wearing a blazer is the way to go! This is one of those days that I am terribly lazy and eating out in a (not at all) fancy restaurant need not a well-thought outfitey.

THE OUTFITEY

Black tent top: Maldita

Tan blazer: Emporio Armani (from Ebay!)

Gray shorts: Old Navy (Greenhills Tiangge, woot!)

Leopard sandals: Schu (currently my fave)

That’s all!

ooo,

J.

P.S.

10 days to go before I launch my new blog domain. Please join me! ;D thank you! oh and in the meantime, please like my blog’s new page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gojackiego

5/30 Day Song Challenge

Day 5 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

A song that reminds you of someone

Reminds me of a friend, who dedicated this song to her love. Now every time I hear this, reminds me so much of her. Theme song kung theme song talaga! :p