Nail Spa: My Ultimate Me-Time Destination

While waiting for Don last night, I went to Nail Spa Shangri-la Mall for my much-awaited me-time.

I have been a client of Nail Spa since its pre-toile de juoy-accented interior days.  I go there 2-3 times a month, depending on my schedule.  It is also a preferred date venue for Don and I.

Exclusive area for Bliss service clients

The comforting bubble soak, the thorough scrubs, the relaxing massage, the wide selection of imported nail polishes and the free nail kits are not the only highlights of my visits at Nail Spa.  I have been a client since 2008 because:

• The receptionist recognizes me and greets me by my first name.  She is genuinely sorry  whenever I cannot be accommodated because they are fully booked.  But she would sometimes squeeze me in the schedule if I badly needed a pedicure.  (I suggest you call first and make an appointment.  They have a lot of regular clients with an appointment that makes walking-in during weekends and holidays next to impossible!)

• Belen knows exactly when to talk because I want to chat or when to shut up because I want to sleep.

• Belen is not on auto-pilot.  She is genuinely concerned about my nails!  She would advice me not to apply nail polish whenever my nails are dry and yellowish.  If I have a party or event to attend, she would remind me to remove it after.

• During my i-need-a-pedicure-right-now moments and Belen is on day-off, I am always confident that I get the same level of service from other nail technicians.

• I can sleep or declutter my mind without interruption because I don't have to worry about my nails getting "murdered".

• If Belen is busy with another client, other nail technicians assist me as I wear my sandals/slippers to make sure my nail polish doesn't get smudged.  

• I don't have to buy magazines because they have a wide selection of magazines.

• They have lots of pink nail polishes to choose from!

My hard-earned money deserves a quality product or service.  That's a given.  Therefore, loyalty is not built solely by consistently providing a quality product or service.  The client has to feel important and special ALL THE TIME.  

That is exactly how I feel every time I go to Nail Spa.

Menu of Services

5th Floor Shangri-La Mall

EDSA corner Shaw Boulevard

Mandaluyong City

687-4991

Unit 106 First Midland Building

109 Gamboa Street

Legaspi Village, Makati City

817-3128

5th Floor The Block

SM North Edsa

EDSA corner North Avenue

Quezon City

441-0323

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Must-Bring When Travelling with Julia

I don't travel light.  I'd pack clothes good for 6 days for a 2-day trip.  So, I absolutely understood Don's horrified look when I finally booked our ticket to Davao last year (we celebrated Christmas there).  He probably thought, Mommy + Julia = a lot of luggage! Literally and figuratively, ha!

For our Davao trip, he was extremely pleased when we did not exceed our 45 kilos baggage limit at Cebu Pacific.  But he frowned a bit when he saw our car trunk and front seat full of bags when we went to Tarlac to celebrate the new year.  Hey, there's no excess baggage to pay for, so I can bring more, right? ;-)

Believe me, I wanted to bring Julia's (and mine!) entire closet.  Aside from clothes, here are some essentials that we brought with us:

The upcoming weekend is another opportunity to bond with our family.  Any plans?  What important and convenient things should you bring when travelling with your baby?

Super Mom: Tin Torres of Sassy Hairsies

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.  (Philippians 4:13)

Being a mom, wife, daughter, and being able to work eight hours (or more!) a day in an office, maintain a household and still find time to do something you are passionate about is not easy.

As a first time mom, I am still adjusting to my new role.  Juggling it with all my other roles require discipline, commitment and A LOT of love!  The key, according to Stephen Covey, is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

Aside from reading parenting books and blogs, I get inspiration from super moms like Tin Torres.  Tin is the mom behind Sassy Hairsies, a brand of luxury headpieces handmade with love, care and attention to detail.

Visit my blog birthday giveaway and get the chance to win a Sassy Hairsies headpiece!

Belle:
What is a typical day for you?

Tin:
I'm a working mom.  And when I say "work", I don't mean Sassy Hairsies (Sassy Hairsies is F.U.N).  So on a regular day, I wake up early morning to spend time with Bea (and Harvey - the dog) and my husband.  We usually eat breakfast together as this is the only time during the weekdays that we get to spend time as a family.  Then I head off to my office where I spend about 12 hours a day in.  When I come home, Bea is usually asleep already.  That's my Sassy time.  I work on Sassy Hairsies every single night.  Be it working on an order or working on new stuff.  Then like clock work, Bea wakes up between 11pm - 1am and would insist we go to bed together.  And then come morning, we do it all over again.

Belle:
How do you find time to do everything that you do?  (your day job, sassy hairsies, being a mom, a wife)

Tin:
Hmm, tough question.  I'm a master at multi-tasking.

My day job, I have to make do.  It's still a significant portion of our income as a family.

Being a mom to a child and a dog is bittersweet.  I managed to squeeze taking care and spending time with them in my daily routine.  They're young and very dependent  on my husband and I so we do our best to be available for them.  Weekends are important.  We make sure to spend at least a day doing something fun.  We are regular visitors of Bonifacio High Street and we make it a point to visit the in laws in Eastwood as both are dog friendly places.  :-)

As for my duty as a wife, you'd probably notice the "out of towns".  Yes, those few days in every quarter we spend "alone time" away from everything.

As some of my Sassy moms know, I work alone with Sassy Hairsies.  From the design to the actual execution up to sending them out for delivery.  So you can imagine how long it takes me to release a certain collection.  When I get inspired, I create my prototype but I have to actually get used to making one on a daily basis so (1) hairsies will look a lot like the prototype and (2) minimal production time when orders come in.

That time it takes from prototyping to releasing takes the longest time.  In some cases, I do have some stuff made for about 6 months before I upload them for grabs!  Yes, that long!  Anyway, I squeeze in doing crafts every night and during weekend when my babies are all asleep.  And here's my little secret:  I have Sassy Hairsies stuff in my bag everyday!  (usually materials for making Beatrix as that one takes a really long time to make) Also, for a while now, it has been my constant Friday night date.  Haha!

Belle:

What are some of your blessings that you are thankful for as you kick off your 2012?

Tin:

Sassy Hairsies speaking, I am so thankful for the success of Sassy Hairsies (I have orders placed before kicking off 2012 and that's really a huge deal for me!  Considering everyone's busy around that time).  I am so blessed to have such loyal sassy girls.  They are the best!

But most importantly, my family.  At the end of the day, it's the most important thing in the world.  As long as they're happy, fed and loved, I am contented.  The rest are just icing on the cake!  :-)

Check out Sassy Hairsies Spring-Summer 2012 Collection and other fabulous collections at http://sassyhairsies.multiply.com/. 

Julia's favorite Sassy Hairsies headbands.

Super Mom Photo from coolgraphic.org

Post-It®

I mentioned in my on-going blog giveaway that Post-It® is one of my favorite things.

Yes, I'd be lost without Post-It®.  That is not an exaggeration!  You see, I easily forget things.  And I can't blame the spinal anesthesia because even before my CS delivery, I always write my to-do, to-buy, to-discuss, to-announce, to-pay, to-pack, to-approve, to-clean lists so I won't forget!

In my job, I receive calls and emails, talk to my colleagues, get instructions from my boss and sometimes think of ideas while working on my laptop.  That is too much for my memory to handle! :-)


So, you will see Post-It® Notes scattered in my work area.

My laptop...

My phone...

My documents...

Of course, inside my drawer...

Aside from its functionality, I prefer using Post-It® because of the variety of colors and the reliability of the repositionable (I just call it "tanggal-able") adhesive.  According to their global website:

The Post-it® Note was invented as a solution without a problem: Dr. Spencer Silver developed a unique, repositionable adhesive, but the 3M scientist didn't know what to do with his discovery. Then, six years later, a colleague of Dr. Silver, Art Fry, remembered the light adhesive when he was daydreaming about a bookmark that would stay put in his church hymnal. The rest is history.

I use it at home, too... for phone messages, grocery list, labels for Julia's things, "Don't Forget" reminders, etc.  My box full of Post-it® has the size appropriate for every need and the color fit for every mood.

A box full of Post It® Notes, Flags and Arrows inside my cabinet at home.

This "invention by accident" is definitely a must-have for all busy moms like me.

Get the chance to win a Post-It® Gift pack... join my birthday giveaway now!

Check out the history and fun facts of Post-It®s.

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6 long weekends coming up!

Proclamation 295 by PNoy declares the regular holidays and special non-working days for 2012.

6 LONG WEEKENDS... S-I-X!  Yey!

Check it out!

Our Three-Fold Job Description As Parents

Don and I attended a Parenting Workshop at Victory Fort as a pre-requisite to Julia's Child Dedication last April 2011.  One of the highlights of the seminar is the discussion about our job description as parents.

Here's an excerpt from our Parenting 101:  Heart of Parenting handout:


THE THREE-FOLD JOB DESCRIPTION OF PARENTS:

1. Parents as builders.
• Parents are to:
• Build spiritual foundations - Parents must follow the biblical blueprint, not family or cultural traditions.
• Build relationships - Discipline and training are almost impossible without relationship.  Having a relationship built on trust and love helps our children open themselves up for training.
• Build character - Skills and talents are important,  but character will outrun them anytime of the day.  Building the character of our kids requires a regular commitment, especially from the fathers.
• Build good memories - Memories are like cement that hold a child's character together.  Good memories provide a healthy and positive outlook in life.
2. Parents as watchmen.
• Parents must be aware of dangerous influences and relationships that could harm their children.  Parents must be attentive and discerning, especially regarding friends, music and entertainment.
• Parents must watch and guard the hearts of their children.  Parents are to watch what our children:
• See (Friends, Relationships, Movies, Videos, Computer Games, Internet, etc.)
• Hear (Entertainment, Music, Influences)
• Say (Condition of their Heart)
3. Parents as providers.
• Parents should provide the following:
• Physical Needs (physically present)
• Emotional Needs (emotionally present)
• Spiritual Needs (spiritual leadership) 

This made me realize that my day job is a lot easier than being a parent.  Every single day I worry about Julia.  Will she be well-mannered?  Will she grow up to be a kind, humble, generous and caring person?  Where will she study?  Will she be good in math?  (Coz I'm not!)  I have a long list of worries.

I think as parents, it is normal to worry about our children.  So, every day, I remind myself of Don's reply to my worries:  "Let's do our best as parents and trust God that He will ALWAYS protect her."

My daughter will never sing Super Bass!

I was impressed that an 8-year-old girl can sing the Super Bass with attitude!  She can really sing and she memorized the lyrics!  I was impressed even more when Ellen gave her the opportunity to meet Nicki Minaj.  Her reaction was priceless!  With over 26 million views at You Tube, no wonder it ranked number 3 in the Clickiest Viral Videos of 2011.

When I read the lyrics of the song, I began to ponder on my role as a parent.  I began to worry about how I can be a positive influence to Julia.  How can I teach her to live in ways that please God when her environment teaches her otherwise.  The media and social media are fast challenging our role as parents.  Without noticing it, our kids are being influenced by the shows they watch on TV, songs they listen to, the games they play online or even fashion trends (Remember the "I'm too pretty to do my homework so my brother has to do it for me" shirt?).

As a mom, how do you build your child's character and spiritual foundation?

Share your thoughts and best practices.

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P.S.
Why my daughter will never sing Super Bass?  Well aside from the fact that she's only 11 months old... read the lyrics.  Check out the meaning.