Nescafe Candle Holder

I made candle holders for our anniversary dinner date. I just love custom touches and details.

An empty Nescafe bottle turned into candle holder.

You can use clean empty bottle you might have at home, put you any desirable picture inside or simple embellishments and voila you've got yourself a customized candle holder.

Can't wait to share our anniversary photos.

You can use your creative hands to make beautiful candle holders.

A gift becomes precious when it is wrapped in love and offered with the gift of self. - Didache, April 11, 2012

DIY Personalized Napkin Ring

This month we're celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary and we are planning to have a simple dinner date at home.

I made these napkin rings that will somehow create a loving anniversary spirit.

You need:

- lace or any fabric covering

- scissors

- glue and glue stick

- paper towel holder

- magazine/newspaper cut-out letters

• Cut the paper towel holder at any desired size.
• Attach your name at the middle portion of the cardboard using magazine or newspaper cut-out letters. This is optional.
• Cut the lace (just enough to cover the cardboard).
• Wrap the lace around the cardboard and glue it inside the ring.
• Insert napkin

You too can make your anniversary special when there is practically no budget in sight.

a simple and  eco-friendly personalized napkin ring

We have life after life, we will see Him as He promised. - Didache, April 9, 2012

DIY Masquerade Mask

I've been spending more time in the last three weeks nursing Lukas and I hardly pay particular notice to Dayne's needs. Yesterday, I've decided to spend more time with her. I felt like I'm missing a lot of updates in her schooling.
I absolutely love it when I get that helpful husband who nurses Lukas for awhile.

At school, she was selected to be the narrator of the play Romeo and Juliet and she was also asked to make her own masquerade mask using only a cardboard. Doing DIY projects is seemingly a perfect situation to create a  bonding time.

Cardboard

Lace or any fabric coverings

Barbeque stick

Ribbons

Glue sticks/ tape

Scissors

Embellishments such as rhinestones, feathers, glitters, etc.

Dayne wearing her masquerade mask.

Mother-daughter bonding time is the greatest!

Lord, I entrust my whole life to Your loving hands. Restore me and bless me so I can glorify You more. - Didache, April 1, 2012

Have a blessed Palm Sunday!

DIY: Floral Embellished Tank Top

This is my old spaghetti strap tank top and those colorful floral designs were taken from my old denim skirt.

Purple is Dayne's favorite color

Embellishing basics can turn them into unique and vibrant clothing. All you need is a needle and thread! and of course patience!

Dayne's new purple tank top! Simply just lovely and timely for spring.

Our yearning for something greater means there is something else out there that can fulfill us, and that is God. - Didache, 23 March 2012

Lukas

The birth of Lukas was one of the most amazing things we have ever experienced. March 11, 2012 at 0744hrs embarked our second baby adventure. The day was very significant to us as two of our beloveds were born on the same day, Baby Liam and Baby Shan-shan.

I didn't experience heavy labor. I decided to have it at home instead of staying in the hospital and wait for my delivery. Thanks to my friend Dhel who advised me of that.
 And thanks to my cousin Kuya Dondon who woke up early and willingly offered a chauffeur service. I guess I'm just too comfortable to trouble him at any given  time of the day.

When we reached the hospital, I was 8cm dilated. Nurses did series of blood sugar testing due to my gestational diabetes and I was hooked up on IV Penicillin as I was GBS+. Everything else went smoothly. Archie and Dayne stood calmly beside me as I strongly pushed Lukas out of that small hole. 

I am so sleep deprived but I just love to feed, diaper, deal with his crying and cuddle him endlessly.

On the second day, I was able to get him latched easily because he was rooting round for the nipple. Just thankful enough I didn't have any problems in nursing and breastfeeding. There's no need for me to consider taking la leche league programs.

On the same day, Lukas started on phototherapy. He has high bilirubin count despite of his good feeding and defecating. This is probably because he was only 37 weeks or it may also be due to the difference of our blood type.

On Tuesday, March 13, 2012 we were finally discharged.

Credit to Smilebox

Thanks to Tita Ces, Tito Ramon and Daine who visited us and brought us fruits and home cooked food. Tita Cez gave us a lift home and she made sure everything was ok. They were so kind and generous! I love the Nambios!

We are truly thankful to Him for allowing these people to be part of our lives especially now that we are away from our families.

 Thanks to Kuya Jonjie, Ate Mariel and Jillian who visited us on my fourth postpartum day. Ate Mariel's Carbonara is beyond compare!

Thanks to Lisa and Paula who visited us during my fifth postpartum day. The Chinese food they brought us made us miss Singapore more. We had a glorious lunch!

Thanks to Kuya Toto, Ate Joy, Marzia and Mikkus who visited us yesterday with chocolate ice cream cake. That was heavenly! They never cease to amaze us with continuous blessings.

Thank you for all your prayers!

We thank you Lord for the wonderful son you've blessed us with.

Faith goes beyond the visible. If you are able to see it then it's not faith anymore. - Didache, 11th March 2012

 Happy birthday to my lovely sister Ann Chriselle!

St. Patrick's Lunchdate

I love Saturdays! It is the only time I can focus on chronicling the special moments of our life, doing DIY projects that I find interesting at Pinterest or any other activity that strikes my fancy. This is my first blog after giving birth to a beautiful baby boy named Lukas. Thank God I have an amazing husband who always help me with half of the household chores so I can have my me time.

green fruits on a stick adorned with green ribbon

 Today, I'm on my sixth postpartum day and thank God again I didn't experience postnatal depression. This is what the doctor repeatedly discussed with me during my 3-day stay at the maternity hospital. Well, I don't think Filipino women are prone to that. We always see pregnancy not only as a great blessing but as a glory as well.
I'm also happy that my bleeding had dramatically decreased after I've expelled a fist size portion of the placenta post twenty four hours of delivery. Imagine that!

 And because I just gave birth, Archie did the grocery shopping this morning. I was so impressed that he was able to follow the grocery list and he was able to maximize our weekly grocery budget.
We planned for a simple lunchdate to celebrate the feast of St. Patrick. Of course, Ate Dayne dressed in something so fresh and green.

We might consider participating the Vancouver Celticfest tomorrow. Ate Dayne would love see stilt walkers and acrobats, live music and street market.

Ate Dayne enjoying Pritong Isda and Nilagang Monggo with Ampalaya

She wants a chocolate dipping sauce. Next time anak!

Wishing my dear friend in Dublin, Dhel and her daughter JT a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Often we are more concerned about the facade rather than the interior. We seek man's approval more rather than God's, since men are the ones who criticize us or applaud us. But only God can determine everything. It all depends on the condition of our heart. Everything else is cosmetics.

St. Patrick, bishop, patron of Ireland and Nigeria, pray for us. - Didache, March 17, 2012

Paper Rosette

Gift from the Estaris family

Instead of discarding the gift wrapper I cut and pleated them resembling small roses (not my original idea).

 

You can gather them and put them in a wine glass to make a candle holder.

or you can hang it anywhere you wish!

God loves a cheerful giver. - Didache, March 5, 2012

Happy birthday to my sister in law Kareen!