the canDIshhh tales

Amnesia is just something that I read about and watch on TV shows and in movies.  But last Friday, a day before my birthday - it stared at me right in the face. Last Friday morning, I came to my mom's house with a strange and disturbing surprise.  When I got out from the car, my mom's helper told me ' Di, si Mommy mo, walang maalala !' (Di, your mom, she doesn't remember things!) she had this worried look on her face - it was a scary type of worried look.  I hurriedly went inside the house and found her sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed and she was teary eyed, she looked at me and said ' Di?  Anong nangyayari sa akin?  Bakit, wala akong maalala? ' (Di, what's wrong with me?  Why can't I remember things?').  I held her hand and asked her a few questions.  I asked her what her last memory was, and she said she doesn't have any.  I pulled Kailee towards her and asked if she knew who Kailee was - and she said yes.  She knew every...

My birthday is in a few days (literally) and I am so happy to announce that I am having a Birthday Giveaway!! Thank you so much to my sponsors for making this possible!! :)  I am overwhelmed with gratitude and humbled by your generosity.  I will forever be thankful to you guys! So to my readers - joining is fairly easy and so, just follow the conditions in the Rafflecopter box below.  I won't ask you to do more that what you have been doing for my previous giveaways. Again, THANK YOU so much for supporting my blog for the past years - I can't believe its been that long!  Thank you for eavesdropping on my whatever things.  Thank you for staying with me through the years.  Thank you for being there for me.  I promise to be a more engaging blogger and I will try my very best to post as often as I can. Oh, by the way - there will be a LOT of winners!  So please join and encourage friends and family to join!  A winner can only win once, a...

01/21/2014 Update:  Since I opened up my pump - I thought I had nothing to lose by turning it on - and it's ALIVE!!  It turned on and is working!! Hooray!  Maybe my pump just needed some cleaning.  Hahaha!!  Thank goodness, I didn't throw it out! ******** My Medela Freestyle pump konked out on me in Singapore.  Good thing I  brought my Medela Harmony pump with me.  Imagine the STRESS!!  I immediately sent an email to the customer service and got a reply to give the hotline a call.  So when I got home, I called Medela's customer service to ask for help.  I honestly wasn't expecting anything - I just needed help and comforting words.  But what I got was the exact opposite.  There was no sympathy.  I knew that my pump was way out of warranty, but I just needed to hear comforting words such as ' We'll see what we can do to help you ' lines like those with no definite answer.  You know - to empathize on what I was ...

I am not much of a local traveller, but what I am is a breakfast (buffet) addict.  I love going to hotels and restaurants to enjoy their breakfast offerings, especially buffets!  Ask my friend Kath, we've both enjoyed hours of eating and swapping stories over breakfast. So when my ever dearest Jane invited me to visit Alabang, and stay at The Bellevue Manila, I was thrilled!  First and foremost to meet her and I have to be honest - it was also because of the breakfast buffet.  Hahaha.. And so I went and drove to Alabang.  I enjoy driving - but don't tell my Panget ha - because when he learns of this, he will for sure make me drive places.  I honestly don't mind - but he's the 'boy' in the relationship, thus I have this standard that he still needs to drive me around - unless of course, he is indisposed - so I'd need to go solo and drive by myself. On that sunny Saturday morning, I drove to Alabang with my son Connor in tow.  The drive was really ...

Image grabbed from THIS site Yes, I am turning a year older this month.  And as a thank you to all of my readers (some 25 readers.. Hahaha!)  I am doing a Birthday Giveaway!  Yehey! :) I'm cooking up a Birthday Giveaway and I crossing my fingers that I will get the support that I need!  This is the first time ever that I am doing this - I'm so nervous!! :) Stay tuned!!

I love listening to Coach Pia speak.  It seems like she's the life troubleshooter!  I honestly feels like she has all the answers in the world when it comes to relationships.  And I will be forever thankful to these sessions to Kris.  I owe you big time! The session was all about building your kid's self esteem.  I honestly did not think that these kids need some ego boosting - but I was wrong.  I then realized that when I was younger, whenever my parents (and elders) dismissed what I was feeling at that time - I felt so bad.  It was as if what I was feeling wasn't real - well, it wasn't as affecting to the adults, but at that time - it was affecting me.  I guess as I grew older, the dismissed feelings were more of the norm for me.   The session opened my mind and heart to the reality that words are so powerful in rearing our kids.  I grew up with traditional parents who saw talking about their feelings as a weakn...

I fell in love with the Asian Dolce Latte when it was introduced to us March last year.  Being a fan of milk, this was the perfect mix of coffee and milk!  I loved the taste (because I'm a huge fan of milk!) and I'm so happy that its back!  PLUS, it now it has a frappuccino version!  Now, there's another way to drink the Asian Dolce Latte!  Yeyness!  Asian Dolce Latte (L-R)  Latte, Iced and Frappuccino Along with this, Starbucks is also introducing a new drink - the Chestnut Macchiato.  It has the flavor of roasted chestnuts with the signature macchiato recipe of Starbucks. Chestnut Macchiatto  (L-R)  Iced and Latte  To usher in the new year, Starbucks is offering the healthier alternative!  I was surprised to see oatmeal, veggie sticks and my favorite couscous in the menu!  Here's a preview: Veggie Sticks with Blue Cheese Dressing (P110.00) Couscous Salad with Smoked Tuna Spread a...

Red Ribbon has been my go to place for cakes.  I would remember going with my mom to buy the Sansrival, the Coffee Crunch and most especially the Mango Cream Pie!  When I was younger, I would remember seeing the Black Forest Cake every time there was a birthday or a family gathering.  It was the ' it ' cake at that time and so my aunt always serves it up to us.  I would even remember my aunt telling us (kids) to eat just a few bites because there was alcohol in it!  I honestly never knew if that was real or it was just a joke (for us kids to eat less = more for the adults!)  So we (the kids, then) would always marvel at the cake. This year, Red Ribbon has made the Black Forest even more enjoyable for both the adults and most especially the kids!  They have made it more chocolatier, more chocolate filling, more chocolate shavings, and of course - a chocolatier cake!   Now, who can resist a cake like that?! Regular Cake costs P550.00 ...

Serenitea is my first love when it comes to milk tea.  That's why I'm so happy to share that they have new food items this 2014! Their yummy Chicken Chops has new flavors! If you like spicy, then this is for you!  It truly captures the flavors of Thailand and I am such a critic of Thai food - and this one, passed with flying colors! The Western (onion and mustard) and the Formosa are a refreshing variant of the original.  My favorite among the three is the Formosa because I love tomatoes and basil!  These Chicken Chop Flavors are at P120.00 per order. Chicken Chops Formosa & Chicken Chops Western Have you seen their Shangri-La East Wing branch?  It's so pretty!  I love the comfy chairs and the inviting interiors!  Another thing to love about that branch is that it is only one of the two branches that serves their Premium cakes!  (The other branch being Congressional) This is their Mango Cheesecake!  If you remember wh...

I have been a lurker of Jane's blog for quite a while now.  I love visiting her blog because her happy-ness is contagious!  When I'm having a not so good day, I just type her URL and voila - a smile creeps up my fave.  My friend Kath loves her too and one of the reasons is that she's so fasyon and fabulous!  Read her posts and you'll see what I mean. So imagine my shock, kilig-ness and pure joy when she invited me to do a guest post.  I mean, ME?  Didi?  Was she serious?  I had to read her email THREE freaking times just to be able to absorb the reality that, she emailed me!  I was literally in shock - but mind you, I replied immediately.  So I guess, I must be speed reading at that!  Haha!! :)  You can read about my post here . I was still reeling with shock and delight and then I received another invitation to meet her.  Gosh, I was rolling all over the floor in happiness!  I was so kilig and over the moon....

Happy New Year!! :) 2013 was a challenge but it also brought me so many blessings.   THANK YOU!! :) I'm looking forward to more blessings this 2014! Happy Merry New Year!! :) Love, Didi