Miss Universe 2016 finally wrapped with the declaration of France as the eventual winner. Overall, I am personally with the result but I was a little bit disappointed that Brazil did not make it to the Top 6. Anyway, I love France and she's one of my European picks so all is well that ends well I suppose. 

Miss France is Iris Mittenaere, a dental student who loves to cook. She wore a very stunning golden gown at the coronation night and she deserved the crown. She looked like a vision in her gown matched with her pleasant aura and undeniable gift of gab. She spoke like a true beauty queen. This 23-year old beauty was crowned by Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach from the Philippines. 

Miss Haiti came in close as 1st runner-up followed by Colombia's Andrea Tovar as 2nd runner-up. Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines round up the Top 6 while USA, Mexico and Canada complete the Top 9. Peru, Panama, Indonesia and Brazil filled in the remaining spots to complete the Top 13. Thailand won the popular vote so the finalists were increased to 13 from only the original 12.

Congratulations to the Department of Tourism, ex-Governor Luis "Chavit' Singson and everyone who had a hand in making the Miss Universe 2016 a success. The beauty of the Philippines, as well as the warmth of the Filipino people, were truly showcased this year. 

May you have a wonderful reign Mademoiselle France! Toutes mes félicitations! 

PHOTO CREDITS: Miss Universe Facebook Page

I don't know where to begin today's blog post. Pretty much a heavy cloud is hanging on every shoulder in the family because of what happened to my sister and her baby earlier this week. It is sad to lose a family member especially a little being that we haven't really met yet. How can we be so attached to someone we just saw printed on the ultrasound paper? I know only families who lost someone to a miscarriage/stillbirth would understand what I am saying. 

Anyway, I hope and pray that my sister and her husband will be okay and for now I will let them grieve over their loss, our loss. I could not imagine what I would do if this would happen to me. I've seen my sister get up after every fall but by the looks of it, she's really torn and hurting and the only thing I can do now is to listen to her and to pray for her. I know healing would come eventually but she will never ever forget her precious little one. 

I will try to convince her to write about her story. I know writing is therapeutic for her and when she's ready to share I think she will. 

Poppy, you will always be remembered! Tita bought a Norfolk pine to memorialize your existence. You are and will always be a part of our family. We love you! We will see you in heaven one day. 

Read last week's spontaneous blabber here.

I had to sit down and reflect for a bit and ask myself if I am an Urban Jetsetter, a Modern Dapper, a Business Class, or a Sporty Hipster and I too was surprised because after carefully evaluating myself I turned out to be an Urban Jetsetter. I had to pinch myself a little bit though because I would not really consider myself a jetsetter - I had to meditate to come in to terms with it. What a realization! It took me 29  years. Hooray! 

WHAT IS AN URBAN JETSETTER? 

Well, an urban jetsetter is someone who loves travelling and who loves going out of town. To take that a notch higher, an urban jetsetter is someone who loves travelling and who loves going out of town complete with Urbanize gears - bags, totes, carry-on set, heck, even a travel French press system! It is such a good time to be alive yeah? 

Before we got married, my husband and I loved driving around town and cities nearby. We love exploring and discovering new places, new joints, new restaurants, new spots to conquer. We love the concrete jungle just as much as we love our developing town. We don't have skyscrapers yet and so we revel in the moment when we get lost inside the concrete jungle - the urban jungle. 

We enjoy exploring even the mundane, like the colorful "perya" in the middle of the concrete jungle.  I feel like I'm going around places as the horses gallop round the carousel. 

We travelled to different cities and provinces in the Philippines and I have a ton of pictures to look back to. I always find it heartwarming when I talk about my travels to other people. I take pride knowing that #IAmUrbanBrave to have explored the unknown and dip my foot into the wonderful world of travel. 

When I was a bit younger, I told myself that I would explore my country, venture into the big big  world, collect stamps for my passport, book  a two-way-ticket, see the world and go back to the welcoming arms of my beloved country - the Philippines where I would then spend some more days daydreaming and reminiscing my travels. 

Urbanize products were indeed made for urban adventure. It is made for urban dwellers like my sister, weekend warriors like my husband, the multitasking expert and urban jetsetter just like myself. Each and every product made and manufactured have fashion, function and style infused in it. Urbanize is like the skyscraper turned into a sturdy bag, a bridge turned into a functional everyday necessity, and the busy disctricts and metropolis transformed into the combination of colors and aesthetics. 

I'm glad to have stumbled upon Urbanize because I am able to choose the best products/gear to bring with me as I indulge my wandering feet and insatiable love for travel. What is on top of my list is the famous brand PACSAFE. I love the anti-theft technology. Pacsafe can take my money anytime! I'd love it to be my forever travel buddy. 

This bag will be perfect when I need to carry my gadgets with me when I travel including my laptop. Bonus that it comes in red too! 

This water bottle is a must-have! I would recommend it to anyone. I would actually buy my daughter this too as it would be perfect for any ages. Hydrate using a Hydrapak for a better lifestyle!

Visit Urbanize Stores to see the different products that you can equip your self as you fuel your wanderlust. 

Hello, everyone! Thank you for spending your precious time to visit my blog. While it is clear that I don't have much content yet, I am going to make a little promise that I intend to keep - I promise to update my blog as often as I can so I can grow my blog as I continue to find the balance of being a wife, a mother and a nurse. 

Today is the first day of this series that I am going to start. I've seen The Sunday Currently and Friday's 10 Happy Things and I want to start something and hopefully, you would join me. My goal is to share spontaneous things to you while eventually making this a link-up between bloggers especially working mothers like me. Of course, anybody is welcome to join.   I've never made something like this before so this will be a challenge that I hope I could fulfill. 

So essentially, this list will be a summary of what transpired during your week (Sunday to Friday), interesting articles you have read, noteworthy hacks or tricks of the trade you just found out and you want to share, random conversations with your toddler or husband and even your house help or coworkers for that matter, funny experiences, basically just about anything. You can share at least one up to 100 items or even more. Just be spontaneous! 

So, let me get the ball rolling: 

1. I finally overcame my fear and joined a blog contest. Check it out here and let me know what you think? Should I keep joining? 

2. It has been especially hard to wake Wooty up this past week. I guess we need to train her to sleep earlier. Or maybe she's just scared of a cold shower. We really need to get a heater methinks!

3. I joined The Misty Mom's Johnson's Bedtime Range Instagram giveaway last month and today she tagged me and that I am one of the winners. Wooot! This would be perfect to achieve my goal of improving Wooty's sleep routine. 

4. I am fixing my family's passport renewal requirements so we're ready when an opportunity to travel will come. We plan to renew at the DFA-General Santos City satellite office. I just need to determine the date and set up an appointment so the process could be seamless at least. 

5. I watched the inauguration coverage of the new POTUS and the formal introduction of the new FLOTUS and I think it was a well-organized event. I loved that Joe Biden went home to Delaware and took the train with his family. I didn't quite like the facial expressions of Michelle Obama though.  The POTUS sounded like he was still campaigning but nonetheless, I wish the citizens of the USA all the best. 

6. I read a meme going around which really made me laugh. I couldn't find it again so I'll attempt to write whatever I can remember. I may be butchering this so credits to the first person who came up with this funny fictional conversation: 

Joe Biden: "Barack, I will bring all the pens and I'm not leaving a single one when we leave the White House. "

Barack Obama: "Oh why so Joe?" 

Joe Biden: "Ahhh Trump, has his own Pence!"

7. My daughter imitates the Disney vlogger. She tries to copy the dialog, the mannerisms. Kids these days!

8. I'm still at a loss on how to convince my daughter to eat vegetables. She calls vegetables "flowers". LOL! Not even leaves or anything but flowers. I'll probably try feeding her blended vegetable soup. Good thing her weight is still within the acceptable range. 

9. I was present at work all day this week! Pat on the back for me. Yay!

10. I'm also so proud that I made bento boxes using the Yumbox Framboise Pink for my daughter's nibble box at school. I plan to make better food choices moving forward and reduce the sweets and crackers. Wish me luck! 

I guess I'm blabbering so much already so I'll put a stop at 10 for now. I'll see you again next week for the next edition of Spontaneous Saturday Blabber. If you want to join, please leave your link in the comment box below so I can visit your blog as well. 

Enjoy the weekend with your family! 

Will you be watching the Miss Universe Coronation Night on January 30? I will sure will - maybe on live streaming only as I will be working. I hope it won't be a super busy month-end at the plant. I heard yesterday that the number of finalists will be reduced from 15 to 12 and then down to 6 and eventually 3. Oh dear! Such a difficult job for the judges to cut 86 to these numbers. 

I really love Thailand's beauty. She can pass as a Filipina I think. Overall, I can say that the Asian game is strong for this group of ladies. 

The other Asians in my list are: Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and China. Maybe even Japan could make it as a finalist. 

I also think the Latinas have another shot at winning the crown this year. I love Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Belize. 

I find these Europeans big contenders too: Netherlands, Ukraine, and France. 

May the best girl win and represent the Miss Universe Organization the best way possible. For sure, Pia Wurtzbach is a tough act to follow. 

#65thMissUniverse #MissUniverse2016 

Wow! I honestly don't even know how to begin this blog post. I'm just too caught up with the daily goings-on in my life that I feel I have fallen into a routine that has controlled my life already. I'm like preprogrammed and cruising at the same speed for the past couple of months or so. We just had a little bit of change when my daughter finally started attending a preschool which by the way she absolutely loves. 

I'm not complaining even a bit though because I am enjoying my life right now and I feel that I am productive at the end of the day and knowing that my family is happy makes me less guilty of not being able to devote 100% of my time for them. I have learned to accept that stability is healthy. Since the onset of 2016, I’ve had a solid routine that involves four main things: household chores that I delegate to our help sometimes, wife and mommy duties, company nurse duties,  and of course "me time".  It doesn't look one bit complicated but I'd wish for an hour or two more than 24 hours in order for me to accomplish my day satisfactorily. 

Come along as I take you with me to experience "a day in the life" of a wife, mother, and company nurse. 

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A WORKING MOM

I have been a mom for almost three years now and so far the motherhood journey has been amazing - something that I would not trade for anything in this world. I quit my job as a government nurse after I gave birth and I devoted the first year leading to the second year of my baby daughter. She will turn 3 in a couple of months. I started my new job early last year and so you could kind of tell how I am grasping for a sense of normalcy in our lives much less form a harmonious routine in our home. I am required to work Monday to Saturday so my only real rest day is a Sunday. But hey, I guess all the moms who read this may agree that there is really no such thing as a rest day for mothers because a mother's duty lasts 25 hours in a 24-hour day. I guess you know what I mean.

Motherhood is not an easy feat, in fact, it is hard! It is trying, exhausting, extra challenging. It can drain you yet it can energize you. It can surprise you and it can fulfill you at the same time. It is a constant second-guessing yet you are required to be steadfast, to be brave. It is truly the most amazing thing that ever happened to me ever!

Today, I am going to invite you to spend a day with me. I am writing this blog intro on a Thursday but I will be documenting my Friday to give you a peep to a day in my life - A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A WORKING MOTHER! 

My usual day starts before the neighbor's roosters sing in a chorus of cock-a-doodle-doos! In the province, you can be sure that the roosters would wake you up no matter if you haven't slept a wink. Sometimes I loathe it but most days I appreciate it because hey who doesn't love a free alarm clock just when you need it the most? 

I consider Friday to be my busiest day - so little time, so much to do! When everyone in the workforce probably keeps on chanting "TGIF, TGIF, Ahhhh Thank God it's Friday!", I'm left to asking myself "Is it only Friday?"

I think I have managed to master multitasking to this day. So while waiting for the water to boil, I vacuum the floor and collect dirty clothes to put in the washer. While waiting for the rice to cook, I prep my daughter's bento box while at the same time listening to some music to perk up my sleepy nerves. While the oil is heating up, I prepare the table and when I'm done cooking the table is also set.  I try my best to not only be an effective mother but an efficient one as well. That makes me feel less guilty for leaving the house to spend most of my waking hours in the office. 

I start my day with a few good morning snuggles and kisses before I get up and prepare a cup of coffee. Those are my quick power boosters any day! Sometimes, my daughter squirms close to me hoping to get more snuggles as her eyes are still closed but today, I think she can feel that "Supermama" needs to get up and start hustling.

After enjoying my morning cup, I start preparing our breakfast and my daughter's bento box as well as clothes for school. I'd let her sleep in longer while I do all these so she won't wake up cranky. You don't want to mess with a cranky toddler early in the morning. You can trust me on that! 

I'll finish all my early morning mommy duties in about an hour ot two. I'm also done showering around that time frame but I feel like I'm super productive already and my day has only just begun. 

I allow my daughter to sleep a few more minutes longer while I arrange things inside our bedroom. I make sure that there is no sharp objects lying around and that every toy is in its proper storage. I'm not usually this obsessive-compulsive but today I feel like doing it. 

She woke up with a smile on her face today and so bathing her and changing to her school uniform is quite a breeze today. We make it a point to eat breakfast together so we can have a morning conversation before we all head out the door.

But first family picture...

Before we head out the door, we take a groufie! This is already a habit because I like looking at our photos when I am on break or when I start to get sappy and miss my husband and my daughter. We dropped my daughter to her preschool and then my husband drove me to work. It's a quick drive because traffic is not heavy in our municipality. The only traffic I encountered today was the herd of cows crossing from one palm plantation to another. Can you imagine how idyllic my workplace is? 

I was able to clock-in early today and I'm prepped up for work. I only have my positive thinking to rely on or else I'll have an unpleasant day ahead. I always psyche myself before I start on my day at work so I would not fall into any negativity. 

I devoted this time to updating my monthly reports. I don't want to procrastinate that's why. This is one of the reasons why I love monitoring what I do on a daily basis - I get a chance to check what my deliverables are and if I am on-track. 

Lunch Break - I'm not in the mood to nibble on anything so I decided to take a quick 30-minute nap and recharge a bit so I have energy for my rounds at the plant this afternoon. Oh yes, I don't ride a mini-golf cart when I do my rounds, I literally just walk around the plant and check on the employees. If I wake up hungry, then I'll probably just nibble on the cookie that I brought with me to work. 

After taking a quick power nap, I felt so rested and ready to face the afternoon work again. I freshened up, replied to emails, continued the draft of my project proposals and then had a little chat with the human resource ladies at work. I then prepared my prepares and tracking sheets to bring with me for the afternoon rounds. 

I schedule my rounds at the plant around this time so I can check on employee's blood pressure. I usually walk around with our Safety Officer to ensure that health and safety practices are implemented at the palm oil processing plant. I always bring along my Oppo phone with me so I can keep track of my time, log data on my notes file, call the main office in case I need some assistance or if I have questions and of course take photos when it isn't that busy. If there's a will, there's a way so they say. We have a very laidback environment and I know almost all the employees already.

I waited for my husband to pick me up at the plant. This is our daily routine. The guards clocked us out to ensure that no one cheats with time. Another day at the office is done. Whew! As soon as we reached home, I wore my "Supermama" cape again and prepared dinner and played a little bit with my daughter. I also took the clothes from the dryer and folded each one.

We ate dinner together with my parents-in-law. We had good conversation while having our meal. Sometimes we eat earlier but I had to do some chores and the food took longer than usual to cook thus the delay. I was not able to take a photo because everyone was so hungry that they dug in as soon as we blessed our food with prayer. No more time for pictures! Sigh! Then again, I was pretty hungry also so all is well. 

Time to read a book with my daughter until she dozes off to sleep. We also played a little game of Tickle Me Silly and she loved it. 

By this time, my body battery signals that I am almost drained and that I need to get some rest already. There are times that I feel that I belong to the #TitasOfProbinsya already because my Friday's are spent doing the same routine that I do daily. There's no more party on a Friday night in my book. I'm way past that stage. I've embraced the fact that priorities indeed change when you become a mother. This is when I try to strike another conversation with my husband before I drag myself to bed and fall asleep. This is when an "I love you" from my husband is enough to reward me for my efforts today! This is when a stolen kiss from my snoring little baby makes me feel giddy and blessed. This is when I feel that I've won another day, I've faced another battle of being a working mother. There are days that I feel I'm "Supermama" and today is one of those. My Friday is done ladies and gentlemen and I am mighty proud to say that the hugs and kisses from my family melt my guilty feelings slowly. I assure myself that as long as I balance my work and family life then it should be all good.

This is also when I squeeze in a little bit of me-time. Either I blog, I read a book, catch up on pre-recorded "teleserye" or watch the news. Tonight, I am going to finish this blog in the hopes that I encourage working moms to feel a lot less guilty for working hard for their family. Cheer up mommies! We're the new breed of "superheroes".

Tomorrow is a new day! One last day at work before I spend more time with my family on Sunday.

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL

The struggle is indeed real for working moms like me. We feel guilty that we don't spend enough time with our family especially our children but we don't have a choice. If only money grows on trees then I would prefer to just harvest every day so I can sustain the daily needs of my family. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy my work because I try to always see the positive in all the things I do. That is the only way that I think would get me by every single day. Accepting the reality of my life, loving my family even though I am not with them most of the day, and doing my best at work keep me sane and grounded.

Being a full-time working mother can lead to feelings of guilt and stress because of divided attention between work and family. The key is to focus on a plan, get organized, and find the right balance between profession and parenthood.

MY OPPO PHONE AND I

Did you notice how prominent selfies and groufies are in my life? I'm a proud user of Oppo F1s and the feature that I think I need in my everyday adventure as a "Supermama" to my family is it's 16MP front camera and 13MP rear camera.

As a super busy mama, I make it a point to capture as many photos as I can every single day so I can look back and appreciate the tasks that I was able to accomplish during the day as well as reminisce the wonderful feeling that I feel when I'm around my family and friends. The phone perfectly captures photos in daylight, low-light, backlight, or even night time - thus it always provides crisp photos I take from the moment I wake up until I retire to bed.

For all the selfie-lovers who are reading my blog, trust me when I say that the Oppo F1s front camera is something that you will love. It has the Beautify 4.0 function that reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, pimples and other facial blemishes. For a busy mom like me, sometimes I forget to put on make-up or I just don't have time to spare to color my face and that's when Beautify 4.0 comes to the rescue. The wonderful camera of the Oppo F1s plus the addition of the filters make it a phone that would put other phones in the similar range to the curb.

Mobile photography will never be the same again after you try this wonderful mobile phone. I've had this phone for almost 3 months already and it's the fruit of my labor for being awarded as the Most Outstanding Employee. As soon as I received my bonus, I knew I had to have it so I bought it without even thinking hard. I'm sold knowing that its camera will provide me photos that are crisp, clear, sharp and vibrant.

To read more about the other features of the amazing Oppo F1s, please visit the Oppo microsite.




DISCLOSURE: This is my entry to the Nuffnang PH and Oppo F1s: Day In the Life blog contest. I was not influenced nor paid by any of the brands mentioned above to write favorably about any of the brands. I'm already a "Supermama and super happy user" of the Oppo F1s. If I win this blog contest, I will give the phone as a gift to my husband so he can replace his "ancient-looking" pre-smartphone era phone.