My THOUGHTS on the FIFTY SHADES TRILOGY!

Let me warn you that this post will definitely be shallow, if you are looking for a deep mind-boggling read then turn somewhere else :)

 

First let me start by saying that it has been awhile since I last read a book from cover to cover, the past years I’ve been reading mostly books on Beauty and Parenting. Last October Veegee and I went on a trip to visit my dear friend who lives abroad and just when we were about to head back home she hands me three books and then she whispered to me “READ THESE BOOKS!”then she shoves them into my hand carry! I’ve heard about the book FIFTY SHADES of GREY but I never truly listened as to what it was all about. So for three months the books sat on my reading table the whole time I was thinking it was similar to Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons both books which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It was the same friend who lent me those books too so I thought ok someday when I have the time. A few months ago I finally found the time! Yes it took me around eight weeks to finish the three books, I am a mother and a wife and a business owner so I tend to get distracted. :)

Now that I’ve finally finished all three books I am ready to give my honest, untainted and surely unsolicited review. I truly felt that the books were poorly written, definitely not because I’m an expert writer but because I’ve read enough Danielle Steel and Mills and Boon books in my late teens and early twenties that I feel are so much more well-written than the Fifty Shades trilogy. Maybe EL James was a fan of Danielle Steel that’s why Anastasia’s last name is “Steele!” There were times I felt the “encounters” were on replay mode, especially if you’ve read about Ana crashing into a million pieces countless times and Christian convulsing with pleasure as he calls out her name, and how the foil packets were ripped what seems like hundreds of times. How Ana or Christian is pressed against a wall somewhere, and how he wants Ana NOW with her lip-biting and eye rolling! Also what’s with the inner goddess and her subconscious doing all sorts of reactions and all possible dance moves??

But I do get it; they are truly, madly and deeply in love that’s why. EL JAMES had to make that clear in all the scenes where Ana is asked if she would ever leave, or if she would run or not. Even if it was“poorly” written the writer knew what the readers want and she hands it to them many many times in different ways imaginable. I guess that’s why the books are best sellers.

 I could go on and on but what I’m trying to say is that REPEATEDLY it gets old and dragging  that there were times I found myself skipping the Christian and Anna“encounters” since they were way too many and way too similar.

Also I would have appreciated it if they included pictures of the sex toys they mentioned on the book much like what DAN BROWN did with his ambigrams. So at least the reader had an idea of what they were talking about every time they were in the RED ROOM of PAIN.

What I loved about the book though was the two leading characters Christian and Ana; how perfect and how god-like they were and how they were truly made for each other. Ana for me is the ulta-modern Cinderellaall innocent and naïve. I loved how she was totally shocked when she is welcomed into the world of bondage, spanking and the “PLAYROOM.”  All she accepted with such poise! While the ever handsome and covetable Christian Grey is the alpha male Seattle billionaire hunk who’s hauling tons of emotional baggage from his abusive and dark childhood. Yet his soft, kind and loving side is awakened only when he realized that he is in love with Ana. I will stop here and not go into specifics and tell the story bit by bit as it unfolds. I will leave that to you to discover if ever you decide to read the three books.

My time reading the books didn’t entirely go to waste, as I’d like to share the THREE lessons I’ve learned from the Fifty Shades Trilogy:

30 Valuable Lessons I want to Teach my Sons :)

I often hear parents say they want to raise their kids this way or that way. Veegee and I never had a set of rules we follow when it came to raising our boys. Last night around 1am I thought of everything I wanted to teach my sons, so I made a list. That's how I came up with my "30 Valuable Lessons I want to Teach my Sons." These are guidelines I wish they could master. Again these are rules I've made up and I'm not sure if they will work BUT its worth a shot! I do pray and hope everyday that we are doing a good job at raising them, so here it goes:

1. Patience is a virtue, Good things come to those who wait.

2. Never touch anything that's not yours this applies to material things and other guy's girlfriends

3. When peeing always remember to lift the toilet seat, aim properly and remember to put the seat back down when you are done. Be considerate to girls who unlike you need to sit down to be able to pee.

4. Always say please, sorry and thank you, they are and always will be the magic words.

5. Respect your elders, listen to their advice and always offer to help.

6. Always remember to clean up after your own mess, don't expect anyone to pickup after you.

7. If you want something done, do it yourself! Don't order anyone around as if somebody assigned you as the boss.

8. Learn to do household chores, clean up, cook and do laundry you are not sure if you will find a wife so make sure you know how to take care of yourself!

9.Take care of your face, your skin and your body. Don't let them go to waste, you are very handsome boys, believe me I'm your mother! :)

10. Respect girls and treat them as equals, we now live in a world where girls can do everything a man can, except pee standing up thus we have rule number 3!

11.Always be a gentleman, treat all girls like they are royalty and respect them as if they are fragile pieces of glass. If you do all these, trust me you will eventually get your way with them.

12.Good grooming is the secret to success . The guy who never got a haircut, had long unkept nails, had bad breath and body odor never got anywhere.

13. Don't court or have a relationship with a girl you don't intend to eventually marry. A girl's time is very precious we have a Biological clock, you don't!

14. Never start a fight, but if somebody hurts you, you need to defend yourself, fight back and aim to win! If you are faced with a weapon or outnumbered its ok to retreat!

Miguel Our Little Miracle Boy

I'm going to share with you Miguel's birth story and how we spent our first months with him in a whirlwind of emotions. I am writing this down too for Miguel so when he grows up he can read about how he was born. What he, Veegee and I went through and how brave he was even as an infant.

On April 2, 2008 around 5am in the morning, my husband Veegee and I were having one of our all-night-long chats which we often had even when we were just dating. We were talking about the future and how in about four weeks we will be new parents to a baby boy. I checked the time and saw that it was already 5am and we are still both wide awake. I told Veegee we should get some sleep and that the baby was awake and moving around in my tummy. I stood up wanting to go to the bathroom to pee and I felt a sharp kick from inside my tummy then my water broke! While warm water gushed to my legs I told Veegee "may water na!"(there's water!) He said "umaga na kasi eh" ( its because its morning already ) referring to the water shortage we had in our neighborhood back then. I told him "no ako may water na ( no from me, there's water coming out).. we need to go to the hospital!" He stood up shocked and wide-eyed, he said he will get our things and the car ready. I woke up my Mom and said that it was time, she said "diba next month pa??" ( Isn't it your due date is next month? ) I just told her that my water broke. I called our OB and she said we still had time since I wasn't having contractions yet. She told me I should take a bath and eat breakfast,  I did everything she said and in less than 30 minutes we were on our way to the hospital.

Veegee being the neat and meticulous person that he is had the car seat covered in very thick towels and blankets, I smiled thinking the way he wrapped the seats I could give birth inside the car and it will still be clean. When I stepped out of the car warm water gushed out once more as I walked to the Emergency Room at St. Luke's E. Rodriguez. I wore a loose shirt and denim pants which are now soaked. They made me sit in a wheel chair, I signed a few papers and they wheeled me into the Delivery Room.

Standard procedures were done and at around 8am I still wasn't having contractions, my fellow pregnant moms at the delivery waiting area were screaming all around me declaring they were in unbearable pain. This made me even more nervous, I asked an attending nurse if I could be transferred to a private area and she said there will be an hourly rate as I had to be transferred to the special care unit. I told her take me there now. When I was there at the High Risk Pregnancy Unit Veegee was allowed in and so was my mom and my sister which made a huge difference to me. I was calmer and very sleepy, my OB came and she said I will be given Oxytocin to speed up my contractions.

 

My sister Maita and Mama were there to help out every way they can. My in-laws were there too outside waiting for news and praying for a safe delivery. 

At 11am I was having contractions; I felt ok and I could handle them, the pain wasn't as much as I imagined it would be or maybe because I was too sleepy since I've been awake for more than 24 hours now. A resident came, did a very uncomfortable internal exam and said that it will take awhile and that I was just dilated at 3cm. After a few minutes the contractions came one after the other I didn't shout and I didn't complain my sister was there to help me ride out each and every contraction which she and Veegee monitored at the screen beside my bed.

 The monitor which predicted each and every contraction

 

 Mid-contractions I was still able to take calls from friends and relatives wishing me well, saying that in a few hours I will be a mom! I was huge when I was pregnant with Miguel I gained 40 pounds!

My Top TEN CLASSIC Favorite Scents! :)

I'm not really a perfume wearing person, but I love light scents that feel fresh and are easy to wear on an everyday basis. When I discover something I like I usually stick to it and repurchase hence the term "CLASSIC scents" :)

Below are my top ten favorite CLASSIC scents, this list might change in a few months but these are what I've been currently reaching for these days.

Lanvin Eclat d'Arpège: This perfume is fruity, fresh and floral. It smells clean and refreshing, I love it because it brings back wonderful memories. I wore this perfume on my wedding day and the whole year before I got married. Seven years after I still reach for it, for days when I need a pick-me-up. :)

Elizabeth Arden Replenishing Body Spray: An invigorating body treatment spray to help defend your skin from environmental stress. Its a vitamin-enriched replenishing body treatment, infused with real green tea extract, helps to rescue and rehydrate the skin, while rejuvenating its appearance. Its perfume with added vitamins!

Paul Smith Floral: this is more zesty and fresh than 'floral' It always makes me smile when I put it on. This lasts a long time and leaves behind a sweet fresh scent on my clothes.

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey: It smells of freshly squeezed nectarines and peaches, then dries down to a sea of warm honey. This scent brightens my day! By the end of the day it smells like a warm and slightly woody honey that's delicious and sweet!

Pure Turquoise by Ralph Lauren: this scent is sexy, woodsy-floral and definitely exotic! A bit too heavy for daytime, it's the perfect combination of sweet and musky, It has a soft, clean, fresh scent, there's a tinge of similarity to the smell of 'freshly washed laundry" Plus I Love the real turquoise inlay in the cap!

Mid30smom Discovery: The Onestop Best Meatshop in Quezon City!

Meat shopping has been one of my least favorite chores when I became a wife and a mother. I always buy our meat and poultry supply at the grocery store since I do not have the courage to go to the wet market to buy fresh meat.

All this changed when my husband and I discovered My Own Meatshop along Panay Avenue. We buy our beef and pork supply there and we've been satisfied regular customers for over a year. The meat selection is awesome and they have  great quality beef and pork in various cuts and preparations. The price range per pack is also great for those on a budget. Their products are imported in good condition and quality from overseas suppliers from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Brazil and Vietnam.

The meat they sell are all vacuumed packed and frozen, which means you will need to adjust if you are used to buying fresh meat, but since we've tested the quality of their meats buying them frozen does not make a difference at all for us. When cooked the meat we get from them are as juicy and as fresh as ever. 

They also have a great selection of frozen fish and seafood as well as sausages and  frozen vegetables, fries and hash browns. The convenience of being able to purchase everything in one place combined with the friendly, knowledgeable service, high quality products and reasonable prices keeps  us coming back again and again!

Customer service at My Own Meatshop is wonderful; they know their customers by name, and all the staff are very friendly and helpful. Their freezers are immaculately clean and the shop itself is spotless. You really have to see for yourself and I'm sure like us you will be hooked! 

My Own Meatshop is located at 91 Panay Avenue Quezon City. Finding a parking spot is never a problem.

The store is fully-air-conditioned, clean and spacious! That's my husband Veegee trying to decide which cut of steak he will get for dinner!! :)

There are lots of storage freezers you can check-out and open to see which type of meat you want to purchase.

Fashion Week 3: A Week's worth of outfits by the Mid30smom :)

Over the past few months I've been taking pictures of my daily outfits on Instagram, it's a new hobby which inspire me to dress up for my day to day activities as well as special occasions .
I'm reposting them here at my blog so I can delete them from my phone. :) these pictures were taken at my sons playroom. Why there?? Because the only time I can take selfies are when my husband is in the bathroom getting ready too and when the kids are either getting dressed or eating :)

MID30sMOM NOTE: I intentionally don't mention the brands or where I got my clothes and accessories because I encourage all moms out there to buy their clothes based on their personal styles and wants and to not be dictated by brands and labels :)
But If you want to ask where I got something and what brand whatever it is I'm wearing I'd be more than happy to share, just post comments and questions below if ever :)