I returned a dress

I was getting desperate. It was 8 days before the wedding we'll attend to and I still didn't have a dress. Tsk, ang hirap pala ng walang available-dress-to-wear sa closet. You see, I don't work and we seldom attend parties that require a dress kaya wala talaga akong mga ganyan. In fact, the last event na nag-dress ako was in November 2016 pa, sa wedding ng first cousin ko dito sa Surrey.Naisip ko nga na isuot na lang yung dress na sinuot ko noon kaso nang sinukat ko, ang sagwa. Ewan ko nga ba.

I have a weird body rin kasi kaya choosy ako sa dresses. I have big arms, huge boobs, and small hips. Tapos ang laki pa ng tummy ko. Ang hirap talagang humanap ng damit na bagay sa totoo lang.

Then last Friday, we passed by Hudson's Bay in Metrotown and I saw this dress (the light old rose at the back). Naisip ko, baka pwede na yun. I am sure na may size ako kaya hinanap ko. That's one thing I like here, "normal" lang ang size ko.

Pikit-mata, I bought it for $99.68, tax included. It was my most expensive clothes-purchase to date. And the worst part was, I didn't feel good pa wearing it. Parang lalo akong tumaba.

Pero objectively, sukat na sukat siya sa akin. Saka ang lakas maka-sosyal ng tela, wedding party-appropriate pa talaga. Saka may sleeves. Since I have big arms, never talaga ako nag-sleeveless. Biggest insecurity ko talaga yan eh.

Naisip ko na lang na bibilhin ko na lang tutal I can return it naman. Grabe, may "I-can-return-anyway" mentality na rin ako na parang taga-dito! Dati kasi pinagsasabihan ko si Ford na wag bili ng bili kapag hindi naman sure tapos ibabalik after. Bad habit kako yun.

Right after purchasing it, naisip ko na agad isoli haha. Imagine, I still would have to look for shoes/sandals at a formal bag to go with it. Again, wala akong mga formal accessories na ganyan. Very casual lang kasi talaga ang mga outfit ko in the past. Tapos I gained so much weight pa so I lost interest in dressing up.

Naghanap-hanap lang ako saglit ng shoes pero talagang alam ko na that I will return the dress lol. I really wasn't happy with it. Binili ko lang talaga as panigurado that I will have something to wear just in case wala na talaga akong mahanap. Kaso how can I wear it without shoes?

Thankfully, I found a short casual dress at guess what -- Walmart! Nadaanan ko lang tapos nakita kong may potential. I fitted it at ayon, ayos naman! At dahil Walmart, given na na mura siya at $22.37 (tax included).

When I told my husband that I will buy it for the wedding, he commented: "Ang pangit naman nyan." I justified that it's a lot better than the expensive dress that I bought in Hudson's Bay. Tapos hindi ko na kailangan ng new shoes kasi I have a black sandals na na bagay sa dress. I also assume na hindi naman ganun ka-formal ang wedding reception kaya pwede na siguro yun.

We returned the $100-dress yesterday and I was so happy! Parang may mabigat na nawala sa dibdib ko haha. Hanggang di kasi nasosoli eh dagdag pa siya sa isipin ko. Returning an item here is so easy, no questions asked. Basta may resibo, attached tag, at within the return-day policy pa, they will accept it. Dapat lang dala yung card na ginamit pambili.

So now my realization. Dapat mag-stock na talaga ng ako ng dresses and other formal accessories para kapag may mga ganitong event eh hindi na ako mangangarag. I am getting old na rin (I'll be 39 in a few days) kaya dapat medyo age-appropriate na rin ako magdress-up.

Php2,000-worth of boy's clothes

Ano ang mabibili ng Php2,000 mo na boy's clothes dito sa Canada?

Osh Kosh

Mountain Warehouse

Old Navy

Costco

Ang mura noh? $49.00 lang lahat yan o Php1,960.36. And take note, branded ang mga yan ha. Pero hindi pa rin yan yung masasabing super mura dito kasi mabilisan lang ang pagkabili namin niyan. Kailangan lang kasi ni Nathan ng new pairs of shorts for our forthcoming Edmonton trip kaya namili kami agad-agad. Normally kasi talagang naghahanap lang ako ng talagang sale kapag binibilhan ko siya mga damit.

That's one thing I like here in Canada, nasusuotan ko ng 'branded' clothes ang anak ko kahit para sa pang-araw-araw lang. Parang artista ba, laging maganda ang suot hehe. Kung sa Pinas kasi, I doubt kung mabibilhan ko siya ng Gap o Osh Kosh all the time. Baka kapag birthday lang o Pasko. Kuripot kasi ako sa damit haha, ayaw ko ng paulit-ulit lalo na kapag may picturan kaya nanghihinayang ako bumili ng mahal tapos isa o dalawang beses lang gagamitin. On the other hand, ayaw ko rin naman na Divisoria clothes lang ang ipapasuot ko sa only child ko haha. Ano ba talaga, ateng?  Problematic noh?

Sa SM Department Store pa lang kasi eh sobrang mahal na ng damit. Ang mga shorts, parang Php800 na. Ang mamahal din ng mga t-shirts na local brands lang din naman, tapos hindi pa ganun kaganda ang quality. Kaya kapag umuuwi kami sa Pinas, mga pajamas at pantulog shirts lang ang binibili ko kay Nathan. Nagdadala talaga ako ng maraming damit galing dito.

I'll post more of my cheap buys soon!

Welcome gifts for Nathan

As I have mentioned several times before, Ford and I do not have that much family and friends here in Edmonton. Hence, we never expected that our son would receive this much gifts from people who wish to welcome him in this world.

We are grateful, beyond grateful. Seeing our son being cared for and loved by people around us makes us feel wonderful and proud. We must have done something good to deserve this kindness and generosity from others.

Someday, I want Nathan to see the first gifts he has received in his life so I will be posting them all here (you see, I blog to document our life).

From Tita Joy 

November 15, 2014

 From Tita Mylene 

November 15, 2014

 From Tita Celina and Tito Lito 

November 16, 2014

From the Casanovas - Tito Aldo, Tita Marina, Ate Alyanna, Ate Cassandrea, and Ate Katrina

November 18, 2014

 From the Cuencas - Ninong Bal, Ninang Cecil, Ate Claire, and Mago (still on the tummy!)

November 21, 2014

From Lolo Jaime and Lola Elsie (before they went back to California)

December 2, 2014

From Ninang Balatski, Ninong Joel, Kuya Jethro, and Ate Jewel (shipped from UAE)

December 2, 2014

From Ford's officemates

December 8, 2014

Oops, before I forget, it's actually Lola Mamoosh who first gave tons of gifts for baby Nathan last June and August! And Tita Cil Cil too!

I know that a lot of our loved ones and friends from the US and Philippines will also be showering Nathan with presents when they see him and we are thanking them in advance. Our life is now Nathan-centered and anything that will make our son feel special is of course highly appreciated!

No to newborn clothes

I had to fix Chicklet's drawers yesterday. I removed all those clothes that no longer fit him.

I actually felt bad. These clothes were given to him by his Tita Cil Cil (Ford's sister). But they were all newborn sizes and he wasn't able to wear them even once. Sayang, sobrang cute pa naman.

Chicklet was a big baby when he was born -- 7 lbs 13 oz. Even before I gave birth, I already knew that I was having a big boy because of my weekly ultrasound. So when my mother-in-law handed to me those clothes that Cil Cil shopped for Chicklet, I instantly knew that they won't fit. I can't blame my sis-in-law though, it was her first time to buy clothes for babies. First time tita eh, hehe.

Chicklet also received one newborn-sized sleepsuit from Ate Celina (one of our new friends here in Edmonton) when we were still in the hospital. At first we thought it was sakto lang. But in less than two weeks, the baby have outgrown it. Buti napasuot pa namin once and nagamit for 'picture-taking.'

Our baby boy is now 25 days old and he's growing up so fast. The last time we weighed him, he was over 10 lbs already. I can feel that he's getting heavier every day. The pambahay clothes that he's wearing now were all padala by my mother from Pinas, some of which ay malapit na ring makaliitan. Ganun pala talaga ang baby, ang bilis lumaki. Lalo na kapag boy.

One good advice that was given to me when I was shopping for baby clothes wa to not buy too small sizes. Masasayang lang daw at puwedeng hindi na masuot. Noong huling month of pregnancy ko na, I was torn. I wanted to buy a few newborn clothing din kasi I wanted my son to have good-fitting outfits. Buti na lang hindi na ako nakabili.

I am now more convinced to not splurge on baby clothes anymore. Para ka lang palang nagtatapon ng pera pag ganun. So I guess kailangan na lang dalasan ni hubby ang paglalaba, lol!

I heart Old Navy

Old Navy is probably my favorite clothing store here in Edmonton. Eighty percent of my tops were bought from there, I guess.

I love shopping at Old Navy for a variety of reasons:

• Their clothes are my type of clothes. I also like the quality of their clothing.
• They have a variety of merchandise (clothes, footwear, accessories, bags, stuffed toys, etc.)
• Their clothes are relatively cheap as compared to other shops.
• They are always on sale (haha!).
• You can often times hit the jackpot on their clearance items.

Another thing, aside from the usual big discount (never ever buy full price, magse-sale din naman kasi later on), they always have this survey coupon pa (attached to the receipt) that can make you save another 15% on your next transaction.

I don't mind answering a 10-minute survey if that means additional discount for my succeeding purchases.

I discovered though that the codes given at the  end of survey are just the same (for a specific time frame, of course). I've answered two surveys, one week apart, and both have given me "sweaters" as code. I still have another survey coupon (I bought a sweater again yesterday) and I won't be answering the boring survey anymore. I'll just put the word "sweaters" na lang agad haha!

Post-pregnancy fashion sense change?

This is the first pair of footwear that I bought since I've gotten pregnant. It really isn't my style but now that it's getting colder, I need warm shoes that won't require wearing socks. Unfortunately, I can't bend anymore due to my bulging tummy.

I wonder how my fashion sense will change after giving birth. Or will I still have time to dress up? I haven't gained much weight in this pregnancy (because I have gestational diabetes and on controlled diet) so I am hoping that I could still fit in my old clothes later on. Gosh, I miss wearing maong pants!

I want to be a well-dressed momma. I still want to look good even if in the next coming years my destiny is to become a stay-at-home wife and mother. I was never a fashionista but I take pride in being a decent dresser. Hope it remains that way.

Forever 21 in Edmonton

Would you believe that there's only one Forever 21 store here in Edmonton? It's located near the ice skating rink of West Edmonton Mall.

I am not really a Forever 21 gal (I feel that I am too old for most of the stuff their selling) but every now and then, I would visit this store to look for some cheap (mostly 'on sale') clothing and accessories. Going there reminds me of home (i.e. the Philippines) because Forever 21 was my first stop whenever I would go to SM North EDSA. Aside from having financial 'autonomy,' I used to have a lot of gift certificates back then because of credit card promos.

I was feeling blue a few weeks ago and I wanted to buy something to appease myself. After my OB check-up, I went straight to Forever 21 only to find out that it's closed for renovation. I felt really bad because it's one of the few shops in WEM where I can really get a small something that will satisfy my itch to buy.

I searched for other Forever 21 branches and that's when I learned that there is indeed only one of this store in Edmonton. How could that be possible, I asked myself. Sa Pilipinas nga ang dami ng branches eh. I became thankful tuloy that we live in the west end, Forever 21 is accessible to me anytime.

The good thing though is that they put up a temporary store near one of the food courts. I entered but of course, the experience was not the same. It lacked 'glamour,' lol.

I wonder when will the renovation be over (they didn't specify the date of re-opening eh). I hope soon. I am excited about the changes they will make. I hope they'll include a plus size section because I don't know what my size will be after giving birth.

Bought another cardigan. 

All for Chicklet now!

Ford is such a good dad. When he sold his old tires last Friday, his first reaction upon receiving the "extra" cash was: "Kailangan may mabili ako para kay Chicklet!"

Haha, dati-rati lahat para sa akin! Ngayon kay Chicklet na. $10 na lang daw ang balato niya sa akin kaloka!

Last Saturday (Sept 13), we went to South Edmonton Common to finally buy that "something-for-Chicklet." We agreed on buying some Gap clothes for the baby. We were even aiming to buy Chicklet's first ever Christmas outfit na. Pero nabigo kami, wala kaming nakitang maganda. We were just able to buy one Gap Baby Blanket.

The distressed Dad was not happy. He has to spend his money daw for Chicklet talaga. Then we saw the OshKosh Shop.

For the first time, he excitedly entered a clothes store. You see, Ford is never into clothes. Whenever I would enter a baby shop that sells clothes, he would just wait for me outside. He said it's my territory.

Daddy was willing to really splurge for Baby Chicklet this time but nabigo uli siya. Wala siyang makitang type niya.

Thankfully, we saw this clearance rack haha!

We were so happy kasi ang cheap. We bought four pairs of clothing for the baby. Yung pang-six months ang kinuha namin. Very timely kasi by the time six months na si Chicklet, nasa Pilipinas kami. He'll be needing 'summer clothes' there.

Drowning in the sea of baby clothes!

Don't worry, Dad. We'll find that perfect Christmas outfit for Chicklet soon!

Ford still wants to go back. He has lots of money pa raw. And hindi lang pala balato ang gusto niyang ibigay for Chicklet, he wants to spend all the money for him (minus my $10)! So all is for Chicklet now! Poor Mom, naagawan na sa affection and money ni Dad lol!

Ooops by the way, now that winter is approaching, it's best to buy out-of-season items na - like summer clothes. Hope we could find more good deals. =)

Confessions of a non-glamorous pregnant woman

I made this my profile picture in Facebook yesterday and I received a lot of compliments from family and friends. I am a pretty buntis daw, blooming, fresh, etc. etc.

Top: Forever21

Cardigan: Forever21

Leggings: Uniqlo

Sandals: Grendha

Bag: Longchamp

Watch: Fossil

Bracelets: Old Navy

But you see, I have a confession to make (thank goodness none of my FB contacts reads this blog!). I don't usually look this "nice" nowadays.

The truth of the matter is:

• I am so tamad "pumorma" because of this pregnancy. Heck, I am even so lazy to take a bath (but I still do once a day haha! sorry too much info!)!
• I don't buy maternity clothes because I am just at home 95% of the time. I make do with what I already have in my closet. 
• At home, I look like a witch in pajamas and hubby's t-shirts. I seldom comb my hair.
• When there is no "audience," I would just go out in jogging pants and again, in hubby's t-shirts.
• I don't even care for my skin nowadays - no lotion, no other regimen. I am thankful though that I don't have that much pimple breakouts.

In the picture above, I just exerted extra efforts in my looks because there's an occasion and I want to have a good picture of my pregnant self for Baby Chicklet to see someday. But yeah, I have to admit that dressing up made me feel good. I've been confined in the house for the past six months and it kinda lowered my self-esteem. I felt envious of those people in the mall who look very cool in their summer outfits.

I will be a mom in a few weeks and I don't know what will my body be like after giving birth. I also am not sure if I'll still have the energy to dress up. But I'll try. I don't want to lose myself in this transition to motherhood. I want to look and feel good for my husband and son. Goodluck to me!


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NOTE: I am planning to do an OOTD segment here in my blog to force myself into dressing up haha!