Last-Minute Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Him

Well, well isn't Valentine's Day creeping up on us? I've mentioned before that I have nothing planned but having a list of back up plans sounds like a great idea right now. We honestly don't make a huge thing about v-day but we make it a point to recognize it. So here is a short list of my most favorite ideas that I know and am sure that my dear husband would appreciate.

Busy, Busy, Busy

It has been a busy, busy holiday season for us. From our annual Christmas party with our friends whom we met from Ron's basketball leagues from years ago, to multiple parties with either of our families to an afternoon at Knott's Merry Farm to a quick trip to San Diego. I would love to share everything at once but I'm afraid that would be an overkill and will definitely slow down your computer as my post loads. With all that said, here are some tidbits!

12/19: Our 5th annual couple picture at our annual holiday party in Fontana. 

12/20: For the first time ever, we made an effort in setting the table for our family holiday dinner. :)

12/21: Doggies giving each other love as they rest and recover from the busy two days we just had.

12/24: They were confused as to why we had a rug in the middle of the house. 

12/25: A picture of one of Ron's tricky presents. I shake gifts too much that he felt obligated to do this.  

12/26: Taken in one of the little (overpriced) stores at Knott's Merry Farm.

Ron and I wish everyone had a busy yet fun holiday season with your loved ones and a fruitful new year as well!

Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving was a success! I did not prepare anything though so who am I to say that?! LOL I woke up with sore throat and a headache and was useless pretty much the whole day. Thank God for my sister and her fiance for helping Ron out. Ron went to a quick grocery store hopping trip during the morning to look for good stuff we can serve for lunch and dinner.

We also took some time to take family pictures during dinner. It was a little tough to keep the crowd focused when you have a dog who's in a humping mood. Hahaha! I hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving! :)

Tree is Up!

Sundays are made for family lunches and lazy days. After a great nap on Sunday afternoon and Ron's walk with the dogs, we finally got the courage to put up the tree. We did it in more or less an hour and that includes rearranging some furniture. (#recordtime) We tried not to make the tree look like it's vomiting ornaments and kept it minimal this year. It's still as pretty and it will for sure get anyone who comes to our home in the mood for the holidays.

The dogs were not as happy because we're not cuddling with them instead. Chippy was looking extra unhappy for being our little elf this year while Fox gave me a little pose...probably to show how thankful he is for not being this year's elf. Hahaha!

Holiday Wish List Idea

I have been spoiling myself as of late. In my mind, I have never had a normal job for so long that I need to make myself feel that I can again get what I want for myself. I am also in the process of breaking away for everything trendy and rebuilding my closet to what I feel comfortable wearing. I think I have had enough with buying statement tops and now aim to make every top a blank canvas. Yay for changes!

So back to my point. The holidays are here and for the first time ever, I don't have a loooong list and I really know what I want. Everything else I want, I have decided to get for myself which I think is fair that now, I am employed. So here goes.

Canon | Skagen Ditte | Sam Smith Vinyl | Parka

• My love for taking pictures is pretty intense right now and the moment I found out about the new lens Canon is releasing, I got super excited. It's gotten great reviews too!
• Skagen Ditte is a good replacement for DW watches. You get the same vibe for a (much) lower price. 
• Do I really have to explain why I love Sam Smith's album? #EARGASM
• I don't think I could go through another cold season without a parka. But I heard from a little (beautiful) birdie that she already ordered this for me. :D

What's in your wishlist for the Holidays?

Christmas Day

Considering the timing of this post, yesterday was a special day to a lot of people around the world. It's the day our Savior was born and because of that, we have a reason to celebrate.

This season is also all about family. This year is my first Christmas without any of my siblings. Ever. Luckily, I now have in-laws who I can have really loud conversations with  LOL The set up of both Ron's and my family this Christmas is very different. Ron's dad is in New Jersey while his mom, sister and nephew are flying home to Manila on Christmas day. On my side, my sister and her girlfriend flew to the Philippines to spend Christmas with family there. Despite that though, I feel very fortunate to have loved ones to spend Christmas eve and day with. I am nothing but thankful for everything this year. Honestly, unemployment sucks but knowing that we got through the holidays more than "just fine" is a huge blessing already. The cherry on top is that our loved ones are into the fact that it's the season for giving, because of that, we are even more than blessed than we were; knowing that we have them and of course, we got awesome presents.
My mom, Ron and I spent Christmas eve with Ron's family in San Bernardino and started our drive home at around 11pm. We spent the first hours of Christmas day doing the traditional gift giving. We don't do stockings so the stocking stuffers were wrapped as little presents with the other "bigger" gifts. This gift exchange took up an hour or two. We all have a very bad shopping problem during the holidays. Hahaha! It's always like, one present is not enough to show how much we love each other. I know, we are victims of consumerism, and as a result...

Before I let you go wander off in the other parts of the interwebs, please know that I truly hope you had a wonderful Christmas and may the spirit of giving and being thankful stick with you until the next holiday season.

PS
Ron's sister haven't posted pictures from our Christmas eve dinner yet so I have nothing to share...yet. :)

From Our Little Family to Yours

Fall to Winter

It's been quiet here on the blog but trust me when I tell ya, life has not been quiet. Although we're done holiday shopping, there is still some sort of holiday rush that we're feeling.

I've been trying to insert more exercise throughout our day, meaning Fox and I try to go for an extra midday walk especially when it's cold because the dog would rather sleep than do anything else. These walks made me love fall even more. We also found a new walk route that is a perfect setting for the season.

Then we headed out to Glendale.

While there, the water fountain dance along Christmas carols while little bubbles that looked like snow fell down to the ground. It was pretty. It was magical. And this is coming from a girl who has lived in snow-deprived places all her life. Everything there reminded me that winter is coming. We don't get tough winters here nor the country I came from so I'm for always dreaming of a white Christmas. Maybe soon, I'll act on this little dream.

I hope everyone's having a great holiday season already. But if not, I hope things get better soon. Sending you all lots of love. :)

Gifts for Mom

My Mom is the easiest person to buy gifts for. I like whatever she likes and I guess because she was there when I was growing up, I get and understand her style. Also, she likes my stuff. Even if we live miles from each other, we still manage to borrow each other's scarves. LOL

Scarves - I just said it, my mom likes scarves but who doesn't? They're comfy, you can hide your hands in them, you can wrap it around your head (and look silly) to warm up your ears, you can wrap it around you and of course, keep your neck and chest warm. My mom found that Macy's has a great selection. 

Coats - There are tons on the internet that you can find. It is best to pick ones made with wool or has thinsulate to make sure that the coat keeps her warm. Or at least be able to try them on so you know if the weight and the thickness of the coat is prefect for her. I'm a little picky about my coats that's why I only pick ones that are in my mom's closet. NOT KIDDING. I already have two and I plan on stealing acquiring more from my dear mother. If I could though, I would give my mom all the Olivia Pope coats I could find in the world...and then "borrow" them afterwards. LOL The ones above are from H&M.

Watches - I browsed Nordstrom for their best sellers and what I found were pretty much what I expected to see. Lots and lots of Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors. Make sure to pick one that's perfect for you mom, some moms like thicker watches with bigger dials and others, smaller dials and thinner chains. Does she like leather straps? Does she prefer to wear gold over silver? It can be a little intimidating but I'm sure you know your mom's style. :)

Jewelry - I think every girl needs a pair of diamond studs. Maybe that will be in my list next year. But seriously, I've been seeing diamond studs with screw backs everywhere I browse so if you have the money, get it for yo mama. Amazon has great deals for them and if you're a Prime member, lucky you, you can get them in 2 days after ordering.

Purses - Have you guys heard of MapleandWest.com? It's one of the best sites I found for purses. They also sell them at a discount and also sometimes have discount codes - best one I received in my email is a code for an additional 50% off. I think that was on Black Friday.

Gifts for Him

Ron is THE hardest person to get a present for because one, he has everything, two, the stuff he does not have are way too expensive for a currently unemployed wife. Actually, even when I had a job, it was still too expensive for me. More on what I am talking about in another post.

Watches  - You can never go wrong with a good watch just make sure it's his style. I found that Nordtsrom.com has a great variety of styles. If ever you decide to purchase though, make sure to check Amazon.com if they have the same watch available. Why? Because they usually sell watches at a cheaper price.

A Good Pair of Shoes - I married to a guy who has a thing for shoes. A big thing for shoes. I am pretty sure he has more pairs than I do considering I just purged my closet of old, unused shoes that I have no idea why I have been keeping. Anyway, I always find amazing shoes for guys at Gilt.com. The site recently held a sale for John Varvatos shoes and they were amazing!

Kindle Fire HD - I know, not everyone reads and almost everyone has a tablet but if your guy is a big reader, this little thing will be well appreciated. The capabilities of Kindles have evolved so much ever since it was first released so do not underestimate this little gadget. You can get them at Amazon.com or Best Buy if you will.

Cool iPhone Cases - There are tons at Fab.com that are beyond cool.

Bye, Bye, Mustache and Beard

On December 1st, Ron finally got rid of his facial hair. Contrary to everyone's reaction when seeing him, I really loved his scruffy look. It's actually one of the things I liked about him when we started doing our thing. We documented this day so we can see how different he looks with and without all the hair...and also keep the hairy memory forever.

Shaved or not, I love him either way.

PS
Christmas is in 20 days. :)

Bag Crush...or Whatever

We've hit November and during this time, I start "contemplating" on what I want for Christmas. A new purse is ALWAYS a part of my wishlist so while taking a break from looking for jobs online, I searched for satchels on Nordstrom.com. I kept on clicking the ones I like and noticed that I was clicking on a lot of items from MARC by MARC JACOBS collection. I chose my favorites, clipped them to my Polyvore items and put this set together. I love staring at it, and honestly, if I were to choose, I would pick the bottom left.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Satchel by janmiguel featuring a satchel bag

But then I found leather bags from Topshop and another set was born. They're very minimalist (I think?) but they are not too plain. The leather they used makes up for the lack of  (for lack of a better term) "major" details. The bottom middle and the bottom ones are my super favorites.

Topshop Satchels by janmiguel featuring leather handbags

I also made a set for my other finds. I'll be honest though, two of the brands below are super new to me - Liebeskind (I need help pronouncing it, so help please?) and Elliot Lucca. I know I say I love fashion but I'm not THAT into it to know all of the brands in the world.

Satchel Galore by janmiguel featuring a leather satchel

In case you think I'm too into Christmas already and Thanksgiving hasn't even passed yet - I didn't grow up celebrating Thanksgiving because I did not grow up here in the US. Oh and Christmas really is a huge thing for me and Ron. It's our most favorite holiday and it's right after our anniversaries (BF/GF and wedding). Wait, did I really have to explain myself? LOL

Alright, gotta go and set up our Christmas tree. Yes, I just said Christmas tree. Then we'll take pictures and send holiday cards. :)

Happy weekend!

Winter is Too Cold to Have the Flu

Leggings: Forever21
Necklace: Chictopia
Booties: Old Navy
Purse: Lacoste
Scarf: UO
Sweater: HELP ME?

I'm kind of into the burgundy fever. I never bought colored bottoms but for some reason, burgundy feels right. I also bought yellow mustard pants and leggings recently because they too feel right. That sweater up there is the sweater I wish I have. Everything else I already got... I just don't know where to find an affordable one. Does anybody know where?

Between my sisters and I, I've always been the one who gets sick... ALL THE TIME. As I type, this, I am having baby coughs that people usually say sound fake. Yes, my cough sounds fake. Very fake that my Uncle got mad at me when I was little [Hahahaha!]. But no I'm not faking it, my cough hurts my throat a lot, a lot. Hopefully I feel a lot better soon so I can do outfit posts again.

Santa Claus Came to Town!

Last Saturday, we headed to our friends in the Inland Empire for our annual Christmas party - it's the third one! Woohoo! We ate, played CLR, White Elephant and had a gift raffle that also turned into a White Elephant. Hahaha! We got pretty awesome gifts and I also found out that their first impression of me was that I'm a snob. Yeah, I used to have thinner eyebrows and maybe that was it. I swear, the first time I met our friends, I was shy as hell that I was so uncomfortable because I'm a socially awkward person who could not start a conversation to save my life. I always just smile and say hi and that was it. But of course, as the years went on, we became more comfortable around each other.

Our Christmas Eve was surprisingly busy. We had some unexpected visitors (it reminded me of OTH's Thanksgiving episode where everyone goes to Hailey and Nate's), thanks to my cousin who forgot to tell us that she invited some of our friends over to our house. Haha! My plan for a quiet Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas turned to a party right when our friends got to our house. Thank God we made more food than four ladies and one guy could consume!
At twelve midnight, we cheered holiday greetings and hugged and kissed each other. I (of course) started giving out gifts because I'm always excited to see everyone's reaction when they see what Ron and I picked out for them. At this point, my limb muscles were starting to ache and even had to ask my mom to please stop touching me when she laughs (you know that little harmless punch when they laugh? That kind.). I knew it was the flu and it was already that bad but I cannot imagine leaving Ron alone to entertain people on the first Christmas we ever hosted.

The aftermath of the opening of presents was too much for me to look at considering how little our house is... before I had a panic attack, Ron came to the rescue and started to pick trash up. Oh my darling ;)
My cousin and a couple more friends came over after midnight and the party continued on until 5 am. Let me just tell you this: it was so much fun, one of our friends fell off a stool. Hahaha!

I am now back at work after battling with the flu for 3 days. Yes, only three days (I usually need 4-5 days). Thank you to Tylenol Cold & Flu Sever and Coldeeze. If you have not tried Coldeeze, you have to give it a try, it works way better than Zicam.

It's my first day back at work form Christmas break and my last work day of 2012 and I'm already excited for the New Year break! All the (paid) days off I get from here makes me feel so blessed, happy and giddy.

How was your Christmas break? What did you get? :D

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Success

Thanksgiving was a success! Ron and I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for the first time - I was a little nervous about burning stuff I'm making or not having enough time but starting around 2-3 was perfect. We did not have the typical American Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, ham, stuffing and mashed potatoes. We went the Filipino way because... well, we're Filipinos. LOL Mommy, my sister, sister-in-law and her brother came over and helped us clean out the serving plates ;)

Hours later, we headed to Target to get the stools we wanted (and luckily was a part of their Black Friday deals) and found out that if we get them between 4am-12noon, we get a $10 gift card... so we hid the stools and decided to go back later in the day. LOL

Like Thanksgiving, our Black Friday shopping was a success! Here's our haul...

Cotton On - 50% Off Everything
J. Crew - 50% Off Everything
Stools - 50% off (Normally $100 a box)
Lacoste - 30% Off Everything
Target and Best Buy - Random Good Deals

Also, in this house, we take Christmas seriously. VERY seriously.

We're almost done with gift shopping, a few more presents to go and we can have peace of mind :)

How's your Thanksgiving weekend going?

Have you entered the Thanksgiving Giveaway? It ends soon!