A Prelude to my Preggy Diaries

Episode 2 : Stress - My Reproductive System’s Kryptonite

December to January 2014 was a busy season for me, not only because of the Holidays but also due to the demands of the office. I travelled and was on field for most of these months. Moreover I lacked sleep and was engaged in physical/mental activities which where needed for our assignment. My activities involved walking / standing/ running / counting /observing my mga elevations pa.  I woke up early then went to bed late on some occasions. These led my RS to go crazy again.

Come the Holidays of 2014, over 34 days without my period na . I was hopeful maybe this was already the blessing we have been longing for. That would be the best Christmas gift for us . I bought an over-the-counter PregTest on the 23^rd then tested on the morning of Christmas Eve. One line was clear and waiting for the other red to appear . ALAWS , kakadepress naman! Oh well nothing was cooking inside my oven. Naloloka nana man tong RS ko due to stress.

January hit and no extensions for my holiday vacations. I need to hit the travelling shoes for my work assignment with still no signs of my period and no baby onboard. Hai naku I was paranoid as hell na naman . What is it bha, cyst , myoma , ano nanaman ito? Its adding up sa stress ko.

The pope was due to arrive by January 15 and I was hoping for a blessing from His Holiness. That is to free me from anxiety due to my RS problems. Ganern ako ka paranoid pinagpray ko talaga ateng. By the 13^th – 2 days prior to His Holiness’ arrival , I had my period na. Hai ang laking ginhawa atleast nagnormalize na si RS ko after sa 54 days nyang pagloloka.

Lesson learned:

1.       Stress in general is a health threat not only on the RS but to the body as a whole. Try to manage it the best way possible. Looking back I should have taken breaks and treated myself to a relaxing time at the spa and had a well deserved massage. Or, if kulang sa budget , grabbed a scented candle for aroma therapy . Or if alaws talagang dada. Kick up your heels for a staycation at home para mapreno lang sa stress.

2.       Go to sleep as early as you can. I have a bad habit kasi na kahit pagod na pagod na ako I still watch the news on TV , check what shows are on upon arrival from work. Minsan chumichika pa sa mga gising sa FB or sa paligid . I need to discipline myself na if late na makauwi wash up and lights off and hands off na sa devices. I recently discovered , I sleep quickly with mellow music on low  yun na magiging pangpatulog ko.

3.        Watch what you eat /drink. Dahil nga stress napapasobra ng kain to fuel my tired body, kaso lnag its doing more harm than good. Preno on the caffeine, as in dapat a cup lang talaga per day. Tapos prefer fruits and veggies over carbs, sweets and fat. I was guilty of  goobling up hotcakes meats,eggs and chocolates during those busy months. Eto din yung food that disturbs our RS due to the Hormone disrupting contents nila. Yun stress, tumaba pa, Loka pa si RS ko.

Sha sha . hangang dito lang muna. Until next time .

 

-Lady V

Giveaway - 15% off coupon from Zalora

Just received my second batch of orders (which I will feature later on) from www.Zalora.com.ph and it came with a 15% off coupon for registering for their Brand Ambassaor Progam

 

I am giving away a Free 15% off coupon for all who are new to Zalora. Just use the coupon code below :

ZBAPZSBJ

 

Here are the advantages from shopping at Zalora 

1. Convenience - You no longer need to drive/commute to the mall, go thru a hundred of racks,line up at a fitting room , queue at the cashier . As my friend would say "Click to Win!"

2. Free Delivery or Low Delivery rates - Free delivery is offered for orders reaching P995 above . While the delivery rate is at P100.00 for orders below P995 , which in most cases , if you'd go malling you will end up spending more than that in transpo and snacks.

3.Payment Options - you can either pay thru card or Cash On Delivery. COD is especially convenient for those na walang CC or are anxious about their orders. You simply prepare the exact amount and pay when the item is already onhand. Tip for MasterCard CC holders - order on a Thursday to avail 7% off your total bill during Zalora's MasterCard Thursdays

4. Wide Range of Products - from shirts to watches , low end to high end , generic to branded . Zalora caters to a wide assortment of taste and budget.

5. Sales / Coupons/ Price Slash Galore - You will always find was to cut-down the original cost of your orders. Sample yan coupon code above.

6. Hassle free returns - If the item you ordered came damaged/ defective / in the wrong size or you are generally unsatisfied with the product quality , Zalora allows returns upto 30 days from receipt . It so convenient since you only need to drop-off the item at your nearest LBC or 2go branch.

FYI , they already have a CDO Hub so deliveries for Cagayan de Oro and neighboring areas will be faster.

Enjoy Shopping !!! Visit www.Zalora.com.ph now

Again just use the coupon code below :

ZBAPZSBJ

Sha Sha Until Next Time .


-Lady V

My First Zalora Philippines Experience

Father’s Day was fast approaching and yours truly is one thoughtful wife. I always made or bought hubby something for our life events. This year will be his first Fathers’ day celebration as a dad and I want it to be memorable despite that we are on a tight budget. Naku, ang habang storya nyang tight budget namin so I will spare you from the gruesome details.

June 16 , Tuesday – as usual,when I got to the office, I checked my emails (work and personal)  . And to my surprise I got a P500.00 Zalora coupon with no Minimum spend from BPI Credit Card. I am reaping the perks of my credit card .

Free Coupon

Yun lang pag click ko sa link this coupon can only be used on certain products which are mostly priced P 400.00 above. Initially, I check for a dress to accommodate my growing bump, but nothing was swak to my taste (CHAR!!) .Then I thought of hubby dearest and the upcoming Dads’ day this 21^st of June.

Snipped from Zalora Page

I found this Heather Polo Tee originally priced at P 799.00 but marked down to P 599.00 and with my coupon , I will only pay P99.00 . That’s around 88% savings (wahahahaha). Who doesn’t love saving a few (or many) bucks? Zalora’s Shipping rate is P 100.00 so all in all I paid P199.00 using my BPI Credit Card upon check out. Sulit pa rin ‘di ba? Charge ko nlng yun sa pamasahe ko when I go out shopping.

Total Payment upon Check-out

Zalora provided an Order ID via email and SMS, which I can look-up in their website for tracking.  It will then reflect status of the order with the courier tracking no. When you click the courier link it will automatically open a window for the courier’s tracking.

Zalora Order Tracking

 

Status Update



Live Tracking

I addressed the package to our office. I got it on June 19 , three days after I ordered . It was a fast delivery considering they noted that it will be 5 -7 days for provincial addresses (CDO). The item came in a Zalora Plastic Pouch and was properly sealed . Inside it was the Polo Shirt in its own sealed plastic pouch, complete with tag and a black envelope containing the billing, item and return details.

 

As per return details, Zalora accepts returns up to 30days from date of receipt due to the following reasons:

      Ø   Damage

Ø  Defective

Ø  Wrong item

Ø  Wrong size

Ø  Not as expected

As I remembered, depending on the reason, options are replacement or refund. You just need to fill up the form and drop the package to the nearest LBC branch.

Hooray for Zalora . I will definitely repurchase soon (hubby needs a new pair of kicks). I am happy with the quality of the item, fast delivery and convenient returns. They even offer free shipping for purchases worth P 995 up. For those who don’t have credit card you can avail of the Cash on Delivery as a payment option. Lots of coupons and discounts can be availed online. For more fab finds and savings do visit  www.zolara.com.ph .

P.S.

This was how hubby looked in the Shirt .

Sha sha, hangang ditto na muna. Until next time.

- Lady V.

For the Love of Food : Brian's Ribs of Casa Verde

I got a work assignment for Cebu City last May, and like any other work related travels of mine, I indulge myself in discovering food.



On the Menu

I decided to try out Casa Verde’s Brian’s Rib, as recommended by our Cebu based partner. According to her the ribs are big.A night prior to the trip, I googled about blogs/reviews to get a glimpse on what I am getting. These ribs seemed to impress dinners. Dubbed as  “ value for money “ and “best rack of ribs” by some food bloggers, I was more than convinced to try this baby out.

So there I was at the Ayala Terraces Cebu with Val (workmate) who showed me were the Restaurant was. It’s located at the 2^nd level of the Ayala Terraces fronting Dessert Factory. The place looked like a dinner/pub , beers , big plates of fish and chips and foreigners are all over the place. That night the restaurant was packed, according to a blogger this was how it is most nights. Since there was no vacant table inside I opt to occupy one of the tables on the lobby, anyway eat and run naman ito. Val cannot stay for dinner and had to go somewhere else, so I have the ribs to me, myself and I.

I ordered the ribs, drinks and dessert pero baka sayang at hindi ko na makain. I cancelled the drinks and dessert order na lang, then rethink if my stomach still have enough room after the ribs. Waiting time was around 20 mins. , bearable for me kasi hindi pa togums ang lola.



Brian's Ribs @ Casa Verde

Lo and behold the ribs were on the dinner table. It was freaking huge, served on an oval serving platter rather than your typical dinner plate. “ Dyosmiyo Marimar “,I thought to myself what did I get into. There was a cup of rice , a side of carrots and corn kernels which looked puny  in the photo due to the “mammoth” rack of ribs.

As for the taste, maybe dahil na rin tinaasan ko yung expectation ko , not bad and not that good either.So so lang kung baga. In addition, I found the racks a tad colder than what I expect from something just off the grill, maybe it sat too long on the service window. The ribs were smothered with a sweet tangy sauce, which for me lacked since I am into the spicier variety. As for its texture I loved the fall off the bone - melt in your mouth sensation, hehehe thumbs up tayo doon .  Rice was kinda mushy while corn and carrots were plain.

For me Brian’s ribs was not able to live up to the “Best rack of Ribs” label or the tagline “ Once you taste me, you’ll never forget me...” . Thou I can say that it is good value for money and the texture of the ribs was superb.  I recommend Brian’s Ribs to those who are really famished. Yung tipong rate PG “Patay Gutom” Mode ka. The plate is also recommended for sharing, especially by girls. I will definitely take my husband to Casa Verde; he will love the manly vibe and the manly food portions.

Summary

Brain’s Ribs

Casa Verde

American Style Casual Dining

Stall 304, 3rd level, The Terraces
Ayala Center Cebu, 
Cebu City

 

Taste: So so  

Ambience: Good ( Manly )

Service: So so

Cleanliness:  So so

Sya Sya ditto lang muna . Until next time .

-Lady V.