• As a diaper rash cream. I swear this one’s super effective. Just apply generously on your baby’s bum and they’ll never get a diaper rash ever. Proven effective by this neophyte mum.
• As an insect relief. I grew up using petroleum jelly for our insect bites. It helps soothe the bite and make it less itchy.
• All in one moisturizer. Uhuh! I would slather some on my dry skin especially on super dry-prone areas like knees, elbows, even my nape.
• As a lip balm. Petroleum jelly is the best and the cheapest lip balm. I also use this to treat wind burns.
• As an anti-rash cream. We would use petroleum jelly on my minor rashes.
• As a sunburn relief. Again probably the cheapest treatment for sunburns. Proven effective by moi!
• As a foot moisturizer. My favorite use of the petroleum jelly! I would simply apply liberal amounts of petroleum jelly at night all over my feet. Concentrating on my toes and heels and those with callouses. Wear a thick cotton socks and voila! Instant pretty feet the next day. My sister suffers from super dry feet and this is what she does every single night. Pag hindi kasi nya to nagagawa, her foot would be super dry and flaky.
• Make-up remover. Again, the cheapest make up remover ever. Just get apply a small amount all over your face and lips and massage in circular motion concentrating on the areas where you applied heavy, waterproof make ups like the lashes, your brows and lips.
• Prolongs scent and perfume. This one I’m not sure if you know already but yes! It helps prolong scent on the body. Usually I would apply a small amount of petroleum jelly at the back of my ears and my neck then spray my favorite perfume. The scenat almost lasts the entire day. Yebah!

A couple of weeks back, Joie treated us for lunch at Ye Dang Korean Restaurant (Meralco Ave., Ortigas). It was supposed to be a Saturday bonding but our ever busy bestfriend, Erlie, is busy on that day so we (all of us minus Erlie) had a 2 day bonding instead. Saturday was eyeliner hunting day and Sunday, our lunch date (para kumpleto). I’ll tell you more about our eyeliner hunting day on a separate post okay?!

When Joie suggested Ye Dang on our group viber chat, I got excited. I’ve been to a couple of Korean resto but I honestly wanna try it with these girls.

You see, I am not a foodie. Yes, I love to eat but I am not that knowledgeable on food. I always end up ordering the “safe” dishes. Yung mga kaya kong i-spell at kaya kong i-pronounce. But these girls are the experts. Everytime we dine out, lagi akong nangongopya ng order nila or I allow them to order for me. It’s fun to go on a gastronomic adventure with friends who honestly know how. Visit my best friends blog - www.jerelltabenoja.com, to know what I’m talking about.

For this specific lunch date, we allow our resident K-pop friend, Erlie, to order for us.

So since she was the one who ordered, don’t ask me the name of the dishes okay?! Hahahaha! Actually, since hindi nga namin alam anong tawag dun sa mga food we ended up giving them nicknames. So we had torta, maling, dilis, tokwa at betamax/dinuguan. Na-shock nga si Erlie. Hindi daw sya aware na Filipino restaurant pala ang napuntahan namin. Bwahahahaha!

On a more serious note, I actually had fun in Ye Dang. All of the appetizers are good. Actually, dito lang ako nasarapan sa kimchi. I’m not a big fun kimchi you see. Lahat ng na-try ko, I don’t like. But Ye Dang’s kimchi is actually delicious. I also liked the maling (basta parang maling sya) and the rice cake ata (basta lasang bilo-bilo). Though this is the first Korean resto I’ve been to that doesn’t offer unlimited appetizers. You just pick 2 appetizer that they’ll refill only once. Tapos yun na yun. Sad. Sarap pa naman nung maling talaga. Hahahaha!

Erlie ordered 3 different soup. The one that stands out for me is the dinuguan/betamax. It’s actually pig blood. It’s yummy. Not too spicy. Perfect to warm up the tummy. We also had grilled chicken, pork and beef. All of them are tasty.

I honestly loved everything on our table. And the staff are all nice. Pawisin kasi ang ReigningPrincess so I asked na itutok ang e-fan sa bagets. And they are very attentive. They even helped on the grilling.

Aside from the perfect food, we all had fun making chicka. Unli chismisan actually. Unli tawanan. I love spending time with these girls, and our plus ones. Well ako plus 2 na! Okay lang kasi wala pang plus one si Erlie eh. Hehehe…

Dress and Tights: Designers at Debenhams (hand me down from Tita Issa) | Headband: Baby Company (Tito Paolo’s gift)

Since it’s a lunch date with the Ninangs at a Korean resto, I made sure that the ReigningPrincess is dressed for the occasion. She’s so cute on her dress and tights. The Ninangs and the Ninongs had fun playing with the bungisngis baby.

And the best part? She slept the entire time that we’re eating. Promise! She’s just there sleeping on her stroller while Nanay and Tatay eats and bonds with the Ninangs. She was playing with her Ninangs and Ninongs while waiting for the food but the moment the food arrives, bagsak na sya. Very good baby!

Black Top: Vintage | Skirt: Divisoria | Flats: Divisoria | Diaper Bag: SM Department Store

And of course, Nanay also dressed up for the occasion. But have you noticed that I am wearing the same set of clothes? Hahahahha! Ang konti na nga lang ng OOTD ulit ulit pa. Ganyan talaga. I can’t wear 3/4 of the clothes in my closet. I only have a handful that actually looked good on me. :(

Oh well. That’s life. I’ll just have to make do on what I have. Ganyan talaga kaming mga fashionista. Kayang kayang maging fashyown kahit 4 lang ang damit. Nyahaha..

Have a great weekend guys!

Say hello to my new do! :) Bagay ba?! I had to cut my hair short in preparation for ze motherhood. Well, actually it was Mila who told me that I should cut it so I can freely move about. But MY reason is – naglalagas kasi. They say it’s part of all these pregnancy hiatus. But I guess its okay. I feel light anyway.

Black Top: Mango | Skirt: Maldita | Shoes: CMG | Necklace: random | Ring: Divisoria

Keeping this post short. I need to spend some quality time with the companion. I’m very sure that our lives would change once the lil’peanut is here. Baka mawalan na kami ng lambingan time. Kelangan sulitin!

xoxo,

Reigne

So yep. Here I am, blogging at 5 in the morning. And it’s so cold! 19°C baby! :)

I am so in love with Manila’s weather. I hope it stays this way all year long. #DreamOn

Anyway, I decided to post my old #OOTD which I saw on my hard drive recently. I was supposed to post this right away but I had issues with the lappy back then. And I can’t believe that my bump is still teeny tiny and that was only more than 2 months ago!

So here’s me at 22weeks 1day…

Oh bongga! Pa-virgin! Look at that cute bump. I miss that. Hahahahaha! Now the lil’peanut is heavy and big. Oh how fast time flies when you’re a mom. Kaya tama nga sila. Savor every moment. Kasi before you know it, they no longer are your baby…

Ay! Hindi din! Bakit ako?! Baby padin ni Mila. Hahahaha.. Maybe I’ll get a leaf out Mila’s book and make sure that I raise my child to be so close to me. So when the time comes that grow old, they’ll still be all sweet to me. At maka THEY naman daw ako?!! Hahahahaha! She pala! SHE’ll be sweet to me kahit malaki na!

Anyway, I am wearing an old dress here. A personal favorite. And I can’t believe that I was able to use it as maternity. It got a little shorter nga lang pero carry padin. Actually, I can still wear it now and I’m on my 8th month na. Hindi na nga lang sa office coz it has become too short for the Company Dress Code.

So here’s how I wore it last November 2012 (exactly a year before the above picture was taken)…

Parang walang difference no?!

Promise parang wala! Let’s take a look at the November 2013 me again…

Aside from the obvious fact that it got shorter at the front, no difference! Well maybe, I look a little more plump but that’s it! Harhar! And let me mention that I am 22weeks 1day pregnant! I told you I didn’t really gain that much weight  during the first 7 months of my pregnancy. Medyo bumawi lang lately. Hahahaha! But atleast I’ve already maintained my weight so even if I gained a little too much now, balance lang. Actually, I’m still on the lower bracket of the normal weight gain range for my age and height. I just have to mention that here on the blog for all my friends who kept on telling me to quit eating!

Nakakaloka kasi, everytime they see me eating pagsasabihan ako agad. Eh hello?! I have a child to feed who constantly make me hungry. And besides, I monitor my food intake talaga. Unlike other preggy woman out there, I don’t go heavy on the rice. Normal padin like my pre-preggy self. I still maintain the 2-3 cups per day rice. Na medyo lugi pa nga kasi the 1 cup of rice at work is like half a cup only. Ang konti. I just eat more snacks which is what’s advisable coz I have gastritis. So I eat 1 pandesal or 1 small pack of cookies or oatmeal or fruits just to make sure that I don’t get hungry. I also go heavy on water. Medyo nawala lang ako sa wisyo nung December break. Hahahaha! But now I’m back on track.

Dress: Vintage | Gold Sandals: Payless | Pearl Earrings: Vintage | Ring: Divisoria

xoxo,

Reigne

I was whacking my brains for a blog-worthy Title but there’s only one word I could think of --- HUGE!

Look at me!! At 33 weeks and 3 days…

Look at that huge baby bump. Or should I say, ball?! Everyone’s telling me that I look like I’d pop anytime soon. Which by the way is not a great thing to say to a pregnant woman on her 8th month. Hello?! I don’t want a premmie. So please… Knock on wood! Hindi nakakatulong. Nakakaloka!

Anyway, I’m very proud to announce that even though I look like I’m carrying a huge watermelon and even if I gained a few pounds here and there, I am still on my pre-preggy clothes.

See how I styled the same tube top (worn as skirt) pre-pregnancy. Say hello to the October 2012 me!

I can’t believe that I can still wear it even if I have thunder thighs now. And huge belly. I guess that’s one great thing about having loads of stretchable items in your closet. And not to mention extra versatile pieces. This is one of favorites actually.

Anyway, if there’s one thing I super love about being pregnant is the pregnancy glow. You see, I’m not wearing make ups lately. First, because I am so tamad to even bother. Second, the companion has been telling me to give my skin a rest and not put anything else to avoid irritation. So imagine how happy I am when I did a selfie this morning and got this…

Pinkish cheeks. Glowing skin. Bare face. And a slightly swollen nose. Hahahahaha! And oh! Messy eyebrows! Ugh! But whatever. I have a glowing skin. Pang-ponds at Olay levels. Saya lang ng effortless beauty. Kaya napa-blog ako agad!!!

Top: Old | Tube Top Worn as Skirt: Old | Sandals: Payless | Earrings: Divisoria | Bangles: Divisoria

So sorry if I haven’t done an OOTD in a while. I realized that I still have a few on my hard drive which I can’t post because they are “old”. Baby bump is much smaller a couple of weeks back. Oh how I missed the days when I can have an old set photos and can still post them today. But well, I’m also enjoying this pregnancy and all the perks that goes with it. Like backaches and heartburns and sleepless nights and stretch marks. And of course, those little kicks and rolls and turns that my lil’peanut is doing inside which makes my heart expand with so much love.

I am one lucky lady.

xoxo,

Reigne

Hello!!!! You guys miss me?!! OMG! I do!!! And I miss my dear little laptop as well. It acted up early this week and I had it “quick fixed” so technically, I still need to really have it fixed this weekend. *Crossing my fingers*  It’s so hard to be away from ze lappy for such a long time. Ugh!

Anyway, the thing that I missed most is you guys. I miss blogging so much! I wasn’t able to these past few weeks because of the crazy schedule and that “bed rest” stint but I plan to make it up to you. Though we’ll have to take it easy coz I still wanna have this lappy fixed first. Para wala ng hassle. :)

Another thing I miss is doing my #OOTD. Di nyo ba na-miss ang maternity look ko?! And the baby bump? Which by the way doesn’t look so much of a bump now but rather a huge ball. But so much of that, let me keep you updated on the pregnancy on a separate post shall we??

So for starters, here’s what I wore on The Catching Fire date I had with the sister last month…

Been sporting a lot of leggings and long stretch tops lately. I find them most comfortable and flattering. Remember those days that I’ve been telling you guys that I’m not really gaining so much weight? Friends are actually even telling me that I look like I even lost some weight if not for the belly. Well, now I’m taking all those back. The chubby cheeks and huge arms are back with a vengeance!! I look like a freakin’ baby whale!!!!!

Thank heavens for an all-black outfit such as this one. At least I look a bit decent on the pictures. Tsk! I’m sporting loads of black and dark colored outfits lately and just add color and fun via my accessories like what I did here with the blue necklace and blue bracelets. I don’t wanna look too boring yah know!

Black Top: BUM | Leggings: Divisoria | Flats: CMG | Bag: CLN | Necklace: Random | Bracelet: from Len

And flats are my bestfriend recently and I guess I’ll be keeping them for good from now on. Motherhood does that to you. Hehehehehe! So I’m building my stash of flats and cute sandals and loafers. Para naman after this pregnancy, I’m all set into being the gorgeous momma I’m aiming.

So there you go! I’ll try to blog as much as I can okay?

Let me end this post with the sister’s #OOTD...

Or rather, camwhoring with the Catching Fire cast posters. Hahahahaha!! Ang hot ni Peeta syet!!!!!

xoxo,

Reigne

Wore this to a casual day at the mall. I’m trying to ditch the dresses which I found myself frequently wearing lately for something more, well for the lack of a better term, me.

I miss wearing shorts and tank top. I miss how effortlessly chic they made me feel. So thank heavens I got this Mango tank a size bigger which made it perfect for the baby bump. It’s very roomy and comfy. I liked it very much.

And since i miss wearing blazers with my shorts, I wore this basic cardigan instead. Though not as defined as a blazer, it still gave me the silhouette that I am aiming for. Besides, I need the cardigan to warm me up coz The Companion and I watched a movie that time.

Way before the pregnancy, I have already started to ditch excessorizing. I’ve started to appreciate that you really don’t need to much, just enough to highlight or achieve a specific look. But eversince the pregnancy, I’ve really become a minimalist when it comes to accessories. I’d usually wear huge earrings or just bangles. And that’s it. Must be because I really don’t want anything to get in my way.

Anyway, sorry for the blogging hiatus. Super busy at work and the little peanut has been waking me up too early. Actually so early that I’ve been going to work as early as 7AM!  But I guess it’s okay because atleast I can leave work earlier as well. The traffic is horrible these days!!! Manila has become a huge parking lot. Every road is congested even if it’s not yet rush hour. Christmas is really just around the corner!!

So there. I’m already too sleepy. Promise to give a decent blog post soon. Pag nasa wisyo na ako. Right now, I am half sleeping already.

Ending this post with these photos of the companion. Mukhang tanga lang no?! Ganyan yan sa gitna ng mall. Basta nagpapicture na parang bata!!! Parang dalawa na sila ni baby na aalagaan ko in the future. Haist! But he never fails to make me happy. So I guess okay na din. Atleast hindi boring! Nyahahaha!!

Goodnight everyone!

Much love,

Reigne

I had this conversation with a pregnant friend last week. She said she’s been wearing her jeans till her 7th month without any problem. I, on the other hand, kept all my jeans at the back of my closet except the super soft skinny ones.

So inspired y her, I tried on this pair one Friday morning and voila! It still fits. I didn’t even use my maternity belt because it’s low rise. I just kept the buttons open. Paired it with this lose top for extra comfort and I’m all good.

I just had my closet cleaned last night trying to scrounge for more items I can use. Still refusing to buy new ones except the lose dresses that Mila kept on buying for me. I let her because I think I can still use those at home post pregnancy and they are very cheap anyway.

White Dress (worn as top): Random from US (also worn here and here) | Worn Out Jeans: Vintage | Gold Flats: Payless | Skull Earrings: Divisoria

I was thinking of starting this new thing on my blog where I’d show you how I used to wear a specific item pre-pregnancy. That’s for my non-pregnant readers which is like, most of you guys. Hehehe! It’ll also serve as my proof that I am indeed using old items in my closet. :)

That’s how I used to style this top. Paired it with a bodycon skirt for a more sophisticated look (left) and paired it with shorts and flipflops for a casual, easy-breezy look. :) Hope you liked it!!

xoxo,

Reigne