One of the Happiest Weekends

Aloha everyone!

2017 has already kicked off to a great start. I am so blessed to be surrounded by love, laughter, and support. Sometimes it is easy to overlook the little things in life. I am really  hoping that this year, I can cherish the small moments as well as the big and to remember to always be grateful.

The first weekend of January, I had an opportunity for a whirlwind of social events that kept be busy, exhausting, yet all worth it. I was smiling from ear to ear the whole weekend. 

Here's how my weekend went down...in pictures...and of course, almost entirely food:

A chirashi bowl for me. Yes oh yes, please.

And my friend and her newborn <3

Uni

Ice cream flavors from all over the world - even the Philippines <3

Of course, I chose coffee. Country? I forgot :(

A reunion with my graduate school girls in a living room just talking.

Girl talk, pregnancies, engagements, marriages

Love, life, challenges

We talked about ERRRRRYTHANG

Sadly, I didn't get a chance to save my photos from Sunday. I Snapped the day, but did not save them. BOO! It was a lot of fun too.

I went to a Mexican bakery and purchased guava rolls. I love my Porto's Bakery, but the Mexican bakery totally beat Porto's because it was waaaayyyy less sweet.

I also went shoe shopping and bought Bobs. They were on sale. BOO YEAH. I bought a black pair with a leopard print lining. Fabulous <3

And you know what's awesome for my old lady feet? It has memory foam! It's like walking on pillows. Love. Love. Love. 

[ credit : www.zappos.com ]

[ credit : www.zappos.com ]

That was my weekend. And it was beautiful in all regards. I am so thankful for weekends like this. No major event. Just people who love each other, catching up, making memories.

<3<3<3

November Grateful Challenge Part 5

This is the final installment of my November Grateful Challenge. I'm a week behind with this but the end of November was crazy! There was Thanksgiving, Black Friday, pre-Black Friday, and post-Black Friday. It was just chaos!

1. Our First Thanksgiving. Ben and I celebrated our very first Thanksgiving together. We were both orphans. My parents were in the Philippines. He decided to not go to Vegas with my mom so that I would not be alone <3 We've always spent Thanksgiving apart until this year. It was special because it was our first. I wanted to have a mini celebration at home where we would make a little Thanksgiving feast, but Ben wanted to go out. We ended up going to Marie Calendar's where I had a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, string beans, and my favorites stuffing and candied yams! I am so sad I forgot to take a picture...but perhaps it was a good thing. I was living in the moment :)

2) Friends turned into Family. I have known Sophia and her family since I was 9. I've gotten to know not only her immediate family, but also her extended family and her in-laws-to-be. I have never really been so close to my own family, so it feels wonderful to be warmly welcomed and accepted by hers. I spent Thanksgiving morning and the Saturday after Thanksgiving with her family. As they say, family doesn't necessarily have to be blood. You can't control which family you're born into, but you can definitely choose the people you add to your family.

(Halloween era 2013)

3. I'm blessed. The biggest thing that I take from this Grateful Challenge is that I'm lucky for everything that I have. Being able to even post these blog entries shows what luxuries I have: a computer, internet, time to sit and type this up. I donated to my employer this past Tuesday for Giving Tuesday. An anonymous donor graciously offered to triple whatever amount donated. Donation allocations would go to haircuts for seniors, a holiday meal purchased, a gas card, books and toys for children, or movie tickets for teens. Simple pleasures that we find so accessible is a challenge for others to carry out. 

I am so lucky, so fortunate, and so blessed. 

Happy Holidays 

<3<3<3

November Grateful Challenge Part 4

This post is 3 days late! Got lost in the grind of life. Oops -_-

Last week has been a tough week for me. The silver lining to tough weeks are the blessings that come buried within the chaos.

1. Ben. Three little letters that, when put together, mean so much to me! Last week was a challenging one. I was vulnerable, sad and had many a meltdowns. He picked me up each time. He listened and validated. He let me cry, rant, and whine, but he also stopped me from getting carried away in my emotions. He pushed me to pick myself up after the tears dried instead of letting me drown in them. In my moments of helplessness and vulnerability, he made me feel safe. It is no wonder I have loved this guy for nearly 3 years <3

2. Baby O. Big surprise, right?! I always talk about him. It's hard not to. this little guy has stolen my heart. I am very so grateful to have him in my life and to witness him grow. Last Saturday, we attended a children's event at Glendale Community College where they had ice snow (which was pretty hilarious as it was 80 something degrees), crafts, pictures with Elsa and Olaf, face painting and more! He spent nearly an hour just jumping in the icy puddles. The sparkle in his eyes when he got to sit in and on the firetruck just melted my heart <3

3. Seasonal treats. I am the biggest sucker for anything seasonal/limited edition. This time of year is my most favorite time at Starbucks. This year they came out with Chestnut Praline. YUMMMM. ANNNND they came out with a turkey, stuffing,gravy, cranberry panini. I am not a turkey person, but when you combine stuffing (my most favorite!!) into a Thanksgiving blend of cranberry and cravy, I cannot resist. If you have this at your Starbucks, you must try it. It would be a crime not to.

4. UCLA Runs LA. UCLA beat U$C in Los Angeles' biggest football game of the year. The two crosstown rivals have been going at it since their very existence. This year's victory marks UCLA's third consecutive year of victory. If you are unfamiliar with how monumental this is, UCLA has experienced an extensive dry spell/losing streak in previous years. This is so exciting for us Bruins (past, current and future) to stomp all over U$C again! GO BRUINS!!!

5. Health. I had so much negative energy within and around me last week. I decided to release that toxic energy into positive energy. I started working out (I haven't gotten to the gym since February, I know, I know.) in order to release all that bad aura. Sometimes I do get lazy to go, but so far I have gone everyday. I'm going to be real with myself and I know that I can't go every day forever. I'm aiming for 3x/week. I'll keep you posted! :) I did see the Instagram post below and it was a great pick-me-up. We only have one body for the rest of our lives so let's be kind to our bodies and treat them with the utmost care.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I know I have a lot to be grateful for. We all do. I hope that amidst our long table spread of a yummy Thanksgiving feast, we all find the time to reflect on our many blessings and fortunes. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

<3<3<3

November Grateful Challenge Part 3

Reflecting on the past week, there is always plenty to be grateful for. Let's get started :)

1. My little two year old nephew, Baby O. I totally adore this kid.  I spent all of last Monday with him. He's now taller, heavier, and just as cute! We were real Handy Mannys "fixing" things around the yard with his toy hammer. These baby toddler years go by fast. I am thankful I am able to share many moments with this little guy. 

(10/9/14)

2. Heavenly treats. I am a sucker for seasonal treats or any food/drinks that are limited edition. Those promos and gimmicks? They get me every time! DOH! 

(a) I found these Milano Pumpkin Spice cookies at Ralphs and bought one bag for my friend for us to munch on during our girls' night sleepover. DELICIOUS DOT COM. We went back the next day and bought 6. Granted, two were for me and of the 2, one was for my work party which they gobbled up! One coworker even "stole" the bag and brought it back to his office. LOL.  

(b) The Franken Frappuccino from Starbucks. This was a Halloween promo that I finally had last week. Oh my word, oh my word. This was definitely heaven in a cup, or rather diabetes in a cup. It definitely has a lot of sugar (Green tea frap, 3 pumps white mocha, 3 pumps  peppermint, java chips, whip cream, and mocha drizzle). I got the lighter version (green tea frap, 1 pump of each white mocha and peppermint, java chips, whip cream and light mocha drizzle). It was absolutely amazing!!!!! I will definitely order this again but with just 1 pump peppermint and java chips as a once in a while treat (and gulp a bottle of water after, lol). It tasted like mint chocolate chip heaven. YUM.

3. Friends that just get me... Self-explanatory. This has been a rough week. To top it off, I'm PMSing (TMI, sorry) so I'm more emotional. Stepping back, I feel so blessed to have people stand by my side through the storm. They get me, they feel me, and they love me anyway. 

4. Meeting Mindy Gledhill. I talk about it in detail in my post here but I feel so grateful to have been able to attend Mindy's concert. I adore her! I love her music, especially her albums Anchor and Winter Moon. She is definitely a true artist and one of my favorites.

5. My parents are off to the Philippines. They left today! They will be gone for a little less than 14 days. I'm not so much celebrating their departure. I'm celebrating their return to their motherland. My dad hasn't been to the Philippines since he came to the US in the late 1970s. My mom hasn't visited since 2007. The occasion for their return is not happy as they are visiting my Lola Mommy's grave. My Lola Mommy (my grandmother) passed away in August. I feel eternally grateful that I was able to see her in April before she got really sick. Although their return will be sad, I am sure my parents will be so happy to be back home to see family (well, my dad's family are all here in the US). 

May you all have a beautiful week <3

<3<3<3

November Grateful Challenge Part 2

Here is part 2 of my November Grateful Challenge! Check out part 1 and why I'm doing this challenge here.

So far, this experience has been a great one! We don't really realize (until we really think about it) how blessed we are. 

Let's get started!

1. EMPLOYMENT. I love what I do and I love my employer. I have been so blessed to have been able to make and keep the friends I have made in all my jobs. My current employer is a wonderful place to be. It definitely feels like a second home. This week we celebrated my office "roomie's" birthday. She received a heart bouquet of flowers from a secret sender ;) We have an inkling of who it may be. The smile on her face was priceless. 

2. MY HEALTH & STEPPING OUT OF MY LUPUS SHELL. My health is not in the greatest shape due to my  diagnosis, but I am thankful that it is at a manageable level. I am living and functioning like any other "normal" person. There are struggles, but there are also triumphs and still a feeling of normalcy. In the 4 years of having Lupus, I finally attended my first (well second if you count a Lupus walk as my first) Lupus fundraiser. It was an event held at the Sofitel Hotel's Riviera 31 Bar & Lounge in Beverly Hills where, oddly enough, my high school prom was held. Ohhh the nostalgia!

The Purple Carpet

Channeling my bae, Queen Bey

3. FRIENDSHIP. I've known this girl since I was 9. Nearly 20 years of friendship! She was my date to the Lupus fundraiser event. We had so much fun looking at all the celebrity lookalikes. Without my glasses, I saw people that looked like Kobe Bryant, Chris Brown (with tats and all!), Common and Nicki Minaj. I was in faux celebrity heaven. My friend's vision is 20/20 so she was quick to burst my celebrity fantasy bubble. Haha. I love this girl!

Lupus Awareness Fundraiser

An unflattering photo of us laughing at something! Makes me smile anyway :)

4. CHILAQUILES. My most favorite Mexican breakfast ever!! I've tried many a places that serve chilaquiles. This is from Casa Chocolate in Arlington Heights in Los Angeles. BEST I'VE EVER HAD (cue Drake's Best I Ever Had)

May you all have a beautiful beautiful weekend <3

<3<3<3

The November Grateful Challenge! Part 1

Living the hustle and bustle of life makes it easy to forget our many blessings. We get caught up in life and we do really forget to stop and smell the roses.

I've decided to take part in the November Grateful Challenge! The November Grateful Challenge (or 30 Day Grateful Challenge, whichever or whatever you want to call it) is about taking the time to recognize what you are grateful for each day in November.

I will do weekly compilations instead as they give me an opportunity to really reflect on the past week instead of rushing to post something daily. It's just easier for me. You may choose your own execution! :)

Let's begin! :)

1. Welcome to the world, Baby J. You came two weeks early!  I am so happy you're healthy and that you gave your mom (one of my closest friends from high school) an easy time with the delivery! :) You are immensely loved <3

2. I came across this photo last week on Pinterest. Just looking at this little guy makes me happy. I had dinner  and went shopping with Ben last night and I must say, this is how he makes me feel :) (*Cue the cheesy "awwww"s)

(Original picture source: unknown)

3. This Mickey/Minnie Mouse hooded sweatshirt from Uniqlo. It's just a sweater you may say, but there's so many things about it that make me feel so happy and blessed!

a) It was on sale from $29.90 to $19.90! 

b) Who doesn't love Mickey and Minnie?? 

c) I write a lot about my little nephew. He loves Mickey whom he calls "Baka" (I'm not sure how he got that! LOL). I knew that him seeing me in this sweater would make him oh so happy! A smile and sparkle in his eye are things that warm my heart immensely. 

(Here's a mini sneak peak of my hair chop! Read why I did it here)

What are you are grateful for this week?

<3<3<3