Juicing BASICS for the Whole Family!

We've been officially JUICING for the past EIGHT MONTHS!! For someone who has tried various fad diets and has gone yoyo dieting for most of my life-- this for me is truly an achievement! I usually try something, get sick of it and eventually forget.

But with JUICING-- We've reached a point where my kids are asking me, "are we having juice tonight? or "hmmm Mama I can smell the juice from the kitchen!" For this I am very thankful! A few months back they wouldn't drink the actual juice even if I scare them! Now they are so used to it they are in the kitchen waiting for the juice so they can already drink a whole glass!       

I super like it when I see my boys drinking their juice and loving it! :)

What made me decide to actively make JUICING a part of our everyday life? Like most kids my boys don't eat vegetables. Yes, a sad reality that I had to accept; no matter how I tried to make them eat their veggies they end up resisting and hating them even more. But with JUICING they are unknowingly consuming: carrots, wheat grass, spinach, cucumber, celery and even kale! 

 What I did at first was have them consume juice that's mostly fruit based so they can get use to the taste of real fresh juice as opposed to the juice that comes in a tetra pack. I used mostly apples and oranges with a few leaves of spinach and some carrots. There was resistance at first and comments like "yuck it doesn't taste good at all!!" I never gave up, I even added honey so the juice would be a bit on the sweet side. After a few weeks of prodding and trying different ingredients they eventually loved it!

Miguel loved his juice after just a few days! He is now looking forward to a refreshing drink everyday!

JAIME finally came around and now loves to drink his JUICE! :)

For the adults in the household I figured we also needed the energy boost and health benefits we all know we can get from drinking fresh juice. My Mom loved the juice and she said she felt better than ever. After a few months she said her cholesterol levels improved and even her skin improved! She said she can sleep better and she feels she has more energy. 

MY Husband on the other hand, hated the JUICE! But like the good wife that I am, I FORCED HIM! He had to drink one glass of juice everyday whether he liked it or not! He would always say how come the juice for the kids tasted so much better than our juice. It was because our juice had less fruits and more vegetables and leaves. 

After months of resistance and complaining on social media; he would post pictures of my juice on his Instagram or Facebook and rant --- but he'd drink the juice anyway! Then after a few months his friends and family noticed he had better looking skin, a smaller tummy and an overall improved appearance! He admitted that it was because he was JUICING!!! :) 

One of Veegee's Instragram posts:

SO HOW DOES IT TASTE?? This is a question that is often asked and I would always honestly answer-- it doesn't taste amazing but it doesn't taste too awful either! I guess it's an acquired taste and you will eventually get used to it. What we do is chug it all down, sometimes Veegee and I would say "cheers" and drink it all at once.

SO WHAT'S THE FINAL RESULT FOR ME? I feel so much better and yes I have more energy every time I drink juice. We've been having less bouts with colds and flu and if ever we get sick  I feel we get better faster than before. NO I HAVEN'T LOST WEIGH because of juicing. I guess because I never tried juice as a meal replacement. We drink juice more of as a supplement and not as a meal replacement. 

I've noticed healthier looking skin and I am happy! :) Also going to the toilet has never been a problem for me since we started juicing. Must be all the fiber from the vegetables and fruits! I've had my routine blood chem test done a few weeks ago and I must say I passed with flying colors! My sugar, cholesterol and uric acid levels were perfect! I've never seen blood test results this great even when I was in my twenties! Again it must be the juice!! :)

SO HOW DO WE MAKE OUR JUICE:

JUICE FOR THE BOYS:We don't have a specific ingredients list for juicing. I think that's the reason why we were able to sustain daily juicing in our household. Because if you always follow a strict list of ingredients there will always be something missing and something you'll need to buy which will hinder you from juicing.

Some of the INGREDIENTS we MIX and USE just for the BOYS: 

AS FRUIT BASE: For the kids we use two to three fruits at a time:

APPLES 

ORANGES

PINEAPPLE

PEARS

ADD SOME: Spinach

                       Wheat Grass

                       Carrots

                       Cucumber

                       Malunggay-- not too much it can be a bit overwhelming and too "spicy" for kids

Some of the INGREDIENTS we MIX and USE just for ADULTS:

JUST use one or two of the following: not too much; so sugar levels won't be affected

APPLES 

ORANGES

FRESH PINEAPPLE

PEARS

GRAPES

MORE OF : Spinach

           Celery

           Wheat Grass

           Carrots

           Kale

           Parsley

           Cucumber 

           Lemons/ Kalamansi

           Malunggay-- not too much it can be a bit overwhelming and too "spicy"  

           Beets --- not so good but we sometimes just tolerate it!

           Cabbage-- totally weird tasting and smells awful so we avoid this if we can! 

OUR BASIC JUICE INGREDIENTS: spinach, carrots and parsley!

FRUIT INGREDIENTS: Apples and Oranges! :) Not too much fruit for the adults or daily juicing can be counter productive and raise sugar levels! :)

JUICE with fresh yellow Mangoes!

Juice with more leaves than fruits! This is for me and my husband!

After THREE MONTHS of juicing with a Blade/ Centrifugal type of Juicer we finally decided to invest in a Cold Pressed/ Masticating Juicer-- we got the MATSTONE LOW SPEED MULTI-Purpose Juicer. It can make pasta, almond milk, smoothies, salad dressings and so much more! I LOVE IT!!

My old KOII centrifugal/ blade based juicer. I read somewhere that essential enzymes are killed when they pass through blades at certain speeds and the pulp I get from this juicer is still wet and I really feel much of the fruits and vegetables go to waste because it's not pressed/ juiced the right way. 

My MATSTONE LOW speed Multipurpose JUICER! 

DRY PULP!! With a Masticating Juicer I know every bit of the fruit and vegetables has been pressed and squeezed!

More fruits for the kids and less for the adults! :)

IMPORTANT JUICING TIP: Since I can't always buy all ORGANIC fruits and vegetables what I do is clean the fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water and soak them on a big bowl. Then  add three tablespoons of ORGANIC APPLE CIDER VINEGAR and soak for around ten minutes. To make sure all insecticides, dirt and bacteria are gone.


Goodluck and Happy Juicing!! :)

YUMMY JUICE!! :)

HE LOVES JUICE at last!!! :)

The one piece of clothing everyone should own now!

The Essential Denim Shirt! The one and only shirt that you can wear to work, during daytime as well as night-outs. The denim shirt worn with the right bottoms will always make you look chic and stylish. This shirt along with the crisp white shirt and the little black dress are my best classics! Whenever I have a fashion dilemma and don't know what to wear I turn to these three items and I almost always think of something great to wear.

Below are pictures of how I would usually wear my denim shirts! :)

The Denim shirt paired with colored pants always look fresh and unexpected :)

The denim shirt paired with a skirt instantly makes it party ready and less casual :)

The Chicken that made my life easier!

I've only been a wife and a mother for almost six years, along the way I've picked up a few tips here and there on how I can be a better homemaker. One of my task is to plan meals for the whole family which I've realized the past years is not easy. Since I am not an expert cook its a challenge to come up with meal plans that will make everyone in the household happy. The other thing that made my task harder was that we are a family that loved chicken, pork and beef aren't hit makers in the Cabugao household. This made meal planning even more challenging for me.

Then I discovered Bounty Fresh Chicken!! They have this vacuum packed whole chicken which they call Bounty Fresh Chicken Cuisine, at just P150 for one whole chicken that's already marinated the price point isn't bad at all!! They have lots of flavors to choose from and we've tried all of them!! Our favorites are Honey Butter, Sweet and Spicy and Pepper Lime. You can cook the chicken in a broiler and for a twist sometimes we cook it inside a pressure cooker and the juice of the chicken turns into a flavorful sauce. This chicken has pleased a lot of house guests and yet its so easy to prepare!!

Do check and try it out if you haven't, its very highly recommended by a non-cooking mom like me hehe!! :)

We usually buy our Bounty Chicken stash at SnR or Landmark Trinoma grocery :)

So many flavors to choose from!! :)

Sold at just P150 each, it's already marinated and ready to cook!

What's inside your purse NOW?!? :)

Many years ago when I was still single my purse and everything in it was stolen. I cried buckets of tears before I realized that I was just crying over material things that I can never get back for sure. I guess that's when I started getting curious about women and the contents of their bags. I love reading blog entries and articles on what's inside a person's purse, their makeup kits and things they can't leave home without. I feel the contents of a woman's purse tells so much about who they are.

In here I'd like to share the contents of my own purse. I tried to stay true to the what's in your bag now concept and I didn't add or edit the stuff that's currently inside my purse, the pictures were taken about the same time I thought of this post :) So here it goes:

My current purse is a black leather Givenchy Nightingale: the contents (from L to R )
* My TINY TOTS FOLD-IT bag goes with me everywhere in case I need a bigger bag to put anything and everything in.
* My Iphone which keeps me connected wherever I go, this device made my life so much easier since I can go online anywhere! The built in iphone camera is also great that's why I no longer bring a point and shoot camera.
* My trusty Blackberry Bold 9780 which I use to keep connected with all the TINY TOTS mommies, threaded texts made everything so much easier for me.
* My 4th gen I POD Touch which stores all my music and other important files
* My 8 year-old Prada makeup kit which also serves as my coin purse, this pouch is so light and sturdy I think it will last a few more years. ( see next picture for what's inside my make-up kit )
* Wet wipes and tissues
* Mini Snicker bar for my sugar fix :)
* Extra Strength Hand Sanitizer which I refill with regular 70% Rubbing Alcohol, I won't settle for anything weaker, sometimes I mix  in a little cologne to keep things interesting :)
* My clear plastic pens made from recycled water bottles which are great.. I've already reordered some from mygoodiebag.ph
* My favorite Prada Sunglasses with polarized lens which are great at reducing glare, it took me awhile to find a perfect frame that looked good on me :)
* My rose petal Rosary with the image of Pope John Paul II on the case which an uncle brought home from a visit to Rome
* The pearl earrings I was wearing the night before :) 
* My tape measure
* My mini calculator
* And my 9 year-old Louis Vuitton wallet

That's it the contents of my purse!! If you want to see the contents of my make-up kit read on.. this is the makeup kit I bring with me everywhere but not the makeup kit I use everyday.. will post my daily make-up kit here soon too :)

INSIDE my MAKE-UP KIT: ( From UPPER L to R):
* My MAC NC25 Studio Fix Powder Foundation
* Celeteque Suncare Lip Balm
* Mini cologne sprayer with Mustela Agua de Colonia sin Alcohol for me and the boys, this smells like a bunch of freshly bathe babies!! :) We love it!
* Burt's Bees Rejuvenating LIP BALM
* Keys to the workshop :) with VG's very old car keychain
* The pearls earrings I was wearing the night before
* Tonymoly Mineral Skinfit Snow Blusher, great for touch-ups :)
* MAC Amplified Craving Lipstick.. wonderful for sudden night-outs
* My daytime lippie : Shu Uemura  Rouge Unlimited BG 965
* If I want something different I use my Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited WN 295 for that unexpected Wine tinted lips :)
* The best mascara ever! Majolica Majorca Lash King in Brown
* Cut out squares of Super Moleskin bandage which I use if I'm wearing shoes that hurt my feet to avoid blisters
*Kleenex Blotting paper, the perfect facial blotting paper ever! Gatsby works well too!
* Small vials of Jo Malone Cologne in Lime Basil and Mandarin and White Jasmin and Mint and another vial of Acca Kappa Cologne
* TINY TOTS business cards
* and a LED Light flashlight from my husband which is very useful!

A closer look :) My kids are my wall paper! :)

What's inside my MAKE-UP kit which I carry with me everywhere! :)

A closer shot of my kikay stuff!'

TOP 10 Beauty Products I can't live without! :)

I am not a make-up expert but I am a make-up fanatic. I've tried so much products and I'd like to think that at least I have mastered my own face enough that I can confidently apply my own make-up for special events I need to go to. The best time for me to try something new is when I know I will just be staying home or when I'm at the workshop the whole day. My husband, my sewers and the household help are used to seeing my made-up face, I don't think they even notice anymore :)

The best look that I try to achieve everyday is my "no make-up but made up look" did you get it? This means I try my best to achieve the natural no make-up look even if I have piled on all the products that I own on my face. :) To do this I am sharing my TOP 10 Beauty Products that I cannot live without. These are my go to beauty and make-up products. My favorite skin care products are not included on this list, those I will try to feature some other time :)

 Here it goes: I love all these products equally they come in no special order :)

CLINIQUE Age Defense BB Cream SPF30: This all in one BB Cream offers SPF protection and antioxidants for wrinkle prevention, plus enough coverage to banish imperfections. It conceals, hydrates, and reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Its also a great primer to help the rest of your make-up stay on all day long! This is my second tube as the first one got swiped by my Mom that's how good it is! :) I use this daily instead of foundation. :)

SHU UEMURA Rouge Unlimited Lipsticks: I love this range!! Its formulated with revolutionary hybrid pigments for pure color pay-off. It has perfect coverage and texture, lasts a long time, moisturizing and does not bleed. Its a bit pricey but one tube will definitely last a long time so test, test, test before you buy as there are 50 shades to choose from :)

My basic eye essentials: I couldn't choose just one so I included them all here :) The best mascara ever for me is Majolica Majorca's Lash King in Brown. It enhances my semi-thick lashes and keeps the curl in  place as well as lengthen and thicken them just enough that I'd still look like me and not a Barbie doll :) Next would be Tonymoly's Party Lover Auto Eyeliner also in Brown, this stays put the whole day and conceals my uneven eye lids!! It looks natural and provides just the right effect so that I look wide eyed and rested even if I've only had a few hours of sleep the night before. Last would be the best eyelash curler ever!! Shu Uemura eyelash curler is the best and the easiest lash curler there is! :) It grabs all my eyelashes and gives me the perfect curl each and every time I use it.

BENEFIT Dandelion Pink Pressed Highlighting Powder: This sheer light pink finishing powder with subtle shimmer will instantly make you look awake and glowing! I lightly dust it all over my face and it brightens up my skin! I also use it as a very subtle blush for those days when I want a simple and clean face look.

Finally!! Affordable Shoe Storage Boxes! :)

I've always been on the look out for affordable shoe storage boxes! I've seen a lot but they are all very unreasonably priced. Usually ranging from P350 to P700 each which for me is too much, simply for storing my everyday shoes. I found some P100 per storage box but when I checked the bottom part they are not made to be piled up, one on top of the other which for me defeats the purpose because I plan to save space that's why I was on the look out for shoe storage boxes.

When we went on an unplanned grocery trip a few months ago at Rustan's Rockwell branch I saw these Shoe Storage Boxes, they were marked as Multi-Purpose boxes and sold for just P99 for three pieces!! I told my husband.. "wow these are cheap at just P33 per box!!" I went ahead and bought 5 sets I figured I will try them out first.

These boxes are amazing! They are big enough to fit two sandals or one pair of high heels shoes or wedges. You can pile them up as high as you want and the cover has tiny holes which I poke with the tip of a big needle so they become a bit bigger. These holes are great at letting air in so my shoes won't turn brittle because they are enclosed in an airtight container.

Over the past months I've bought around 15 sets!! I love, love these storage boxes because they are so durable and affordable!! :)

The size is perfect, not too big not too small! My high heels shoes fit perfectly inside the box :)