My Holiday Recap (Part 5): Last One!

I thought before love month ends, I could at least be done sharing my memorable holidays.

So here it is. The last one of my Holiday Recap…

Dec 31 (Monday) New Years Eve:

We celebrated it in our little home here in Ohio. 🙂

Family from Houston, Canada, Indiana and Philippines came over to our place to celebrate New Year’s. We were 17 total! We had to set a schedule for shower to accommodate everyone. LOL!

New Years is usually the noisiest time of the year in the Philippines.  The same way Americans enjoy Fourth of July with fireworks, Filipinos go all out with the noise on New Year’s eve clanging pots and pans, blow party horns (torotot) and light up firecrackers. We do that in the belief to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck, fortune, and prosperity in the new year. Since we were here in the U.S. and fireworks are not allowed in our neighborhood, we are stuck with just party horns.

Like Christmas Eve, Filipinos celebrate New Years with a midnight feast too. We had roast pig (lechon) that night. It’s been a while since the last time I ate lechon. Good thing my husband was able to find a Filipino food store online based in Columbus, just 1 hour away from us. Their food is really good! So, if you guys are in for some Filipino dishes, check out their facebook page.

My husband and sister attacking the pig. 🙂

At the stroke of midnight, everyone greeted each other a Happy New Year

…and danced the night away.

everyone got too crazy… but fun crazy. lol!

New Year is not complete without a bottle of alcohol. It has become a tradition for us that whoever hosts the party should provide a bottle of Patron.

the unboxing

Cheers to 2013! 🙂

I was just so happy to be with my family to celebrate holidays.

sister, mom and me

My husband and I were overwhelmed with happiness.

Jan 2, 2013 (Wed):

With New Years resolutions starting, there was no better way to start the year of than with renewing your dedication to fitness! 🙂 To get my family motivated, my husband and I brought them to our favorite local specialty running store so they can get fitted correctly by experts and help them get the perfect workout shoes.

My sister plays volleyball so she was given Mizuno Women’s Wave Inspire 9.

My sister loved it and she said that it’s very soft, light and comfortable.

My mom does zumba most of the time so she was given Newtons Distance (same as my running shoes). 🙂

According to the staff that assisted her, Newton shoes are also great for zumba because they have those lugs for shock absorption when dancing (Interesting! I didn’t know that!). They’re light that makes it easier to move and glide across the floor but still supportive enough. She threw in some cushioned inserts as well for added comfort. My mom loved it because it’s very light and comfortable, and has bright colors which suits her style well. 🙂

Jan 4, 2013 (Friday): A day before they leave.

I was already starting to feel sad that day. We made the most out of their remaining hours. We all went out and gave my family a tour of beautiful Cincinnati. 🙂

Who doesn’t like outdoor ice skating to music that time of year? It’s beautiful!

My sister and I had to try it! We had a blast!

After a cold night walking around downtown, everyone got hungry and finally decided to eat dinner.

Everyone wanted some seafood for dinner, so we made a reservation at Mccormick and Schmicks.

I wasn’t too quick to take pictures of the oysters. It was gone in less than a minute. LOL!

my plate

It was a fun, nice and warm last dinner with my family.

January 5, 2013 (Sat): And then, they’re leaving? 😦

The day my family flew back to the Philippines.

It was hard for my husband and I to go back to reality when they left. Our house felt empty and so quiet. I don’t mind the chaos and the waiting in line to use the bathroom when everyone was here (LOL!). But we had to face reality that vacation was over and they had to go back to work and school. It was just sad when they left.

I’m so grateful this year that my family is healthy and able to travel to celebrate this special time of year with me and my husband.

I am really thankful that I was fortunate to have a very functional family growing up, and my parents set wonderful examples for my siblings and me. I’m very grateful for my husband, who is my best friend, and his parents for being the nicest parent-in-laws one could ever have! We had a lot of fun together. It truly was a wonderful Holiday Season for us.

‘Til the next time for us to see each other again. Maybe in a year or two we might be able to save enough to go home and share my experience with you guys Christmas in the Philippines. It’s nothing like you’ve ever seen before! If you’re a traveler at heart and happen to be in the Philippines around September to December, you will know what I mean. The loud Christmas songs everywhere, the colorful lanterns, joyful caroling of kids, and all-night-all-morning festivities up to Christmas day are things that I grew up experiencing. Still, I am very grateful to be alive and content where life has taken me. My husband and I may be alone here in Ohio but we’ve met so many kind people, friends who’ve already treated us like family and are very thoughtful to us. We definitely feel truly blessed.

Hope you guys had a wonderful time reading my Holiday Recaps as much as I had fun sharing them to you guys!

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo.

Meet My New Love, ELLIE!

I have been stalking our mailbox for the past few days waiting for my first ever package from ELLIE!

…And here it is!!! =)

love letter from Ellie

Let’s see what my picks for this month look like… ***Drum roll*** 🙂

Outfit #1

• Top: Call Me Coy
• Bottom: Kiss Me Capri

I love this top! It’s very light weight. I didn’t notice it in their site but it is made of mesh fabric I have other workout tops that are made of this kind of material and I love how breathable they are when I do my runs outdoors. PERFECT!

I love the drapey effect at the back.

it was definitely a struggle to take this picture. lol.

My favorite part about this outfit is that pink color that’s peeking out on the capris. Isn’t that cute?!

It has this mesh overylay detail that makes these capris unique! I love a twist like that on clothes. 🙂
Outfit #2

• Top: Catch Me If You Can (turquoise)
• Bottom: My New Obsession Legging

First impression, this top is super soft! This will also be a perfect under layer when I do my runs in the cold winter months!

I love the thumbholes and the foldable hand covers to warm my fingers. Who ever invented this idea is a …GENIUS!

And for the leggings, love…love…love the details!

front details

back details (I struggled again to take this picture. LOL!)

side details

I had my husband turn to me when I walked right through him in our living room. He thinks the details were pretty cool. It’s a little strange because he was playing video games at that time and he never gets distracted that easily. Hmm… there’s something about these leggings. LOL! 🙂

The name says it, these leggings are now “my new obsession”. 🙂

Overall, I’m VERY satisfied! Both outfits are very comfortable and worth the price. Ellie exceeded beyond my expectations and I highly recommend their clothes.

I’m glad that they changed things up a little bit and put the option to choose which outfits you like. I definitely prefer it that way than surprising you with something that you might not like in the end. The clothes I got from the past few months when they were still Pv.body, some of them I can’t use for running. Now, with the option to choose, I was able to pick clothes that I can definitely use for any of my workouts. All of them are perfect for my outdoor runs, kickboxing, yoga, pilates or for lounging around the house.

I’m happy with the changes and looking forward for more from ELLIE! 🙂

So, if you like what you see, go join in and give ELLIE a try! 🙂

As an Ellie Ambassador, here’s a link for my readers, family and friends, that will give you 20% off when you sign up:

http://ellie.evyy.net/c/48907/58556/1664

This is how it works:

Have a great weekend everybody! 🙂 xoxo

My Last of Pv.Body but More of Ellie!!! :)

I am very sure a lot of you already know about this news from PV.body. Now, instead of paying $49.95 for brands like Lululemon, Nike, Nux, American Apparel, etc, you will be receiving clothes from the company’s new brand, Ellie. Of course, a lot of people reacted to it. Some people said that this was a classic example of a bait and switch. I’ve read posts of some bloggers ranting about the switch. Honestly, I don’t blame them for feeling that way but I needed to hear both sides first before I make my own judgement. I don’t like jumping into a conclusion without investigating. 🙂

So, instead of joining in the drama, I had to ask them myself what’s really going on. And here’s Hope’s from Pv.body/Ellie reply:

(please click photo to enlarge)

I waited for this issue to calm down a bit before I write my thoughts about it. First off, I have nothing against the company and I can’t say anything negative about them. I am saying this not only because I am personally receiving great service from them, but, I think their concept is still fantastic even with the switch. For me, the option for you to choose your own 2 pieces is way better than having to receive clothes you don’t like. Then the hassle of returning it and asking for a refund is just madness. I really have no problems of giving Ellie a try.

I haven’t tried their new line yet. It is on it’s way to me (yay!). So far, I’m reading positive reviews on their facebook page from people who have already gotten their clothes from Ellie.com. I’m getting excited to get mine! Maybe Ellie is going to be amazing and all the ranting and complaining weren’t necessary after all. 🙂

Before I move on to Ellie, I’d like to show you guys this last one package I got last month from PV.body. 🙂

of course their pink package still excites me. 🙂

I got this black racerback yoga cami from Beyond Yoga.

It is very basic but flattering. Because it’s partly made of cotton, I probably won’t wear this for running even though it says “Beyond Yoga” (haha) . Cotton fabrics will definitely absorb my sweat and that will be very uncomfortable. I’d stick to yoga when I wear this. I like it and I am keeping it.

For bottoms I got these gray leggings from American Apparel.

I’ve received same brand of leggings before from them (check out this post) but in a different color. I’ve worn these leggings several times already to kickboxing class. I like them. They look really good either working out or when going out with boots and long sweater.  I love that it has a thick waist band which makes it comfortable. My only problem I have for this is they can’t go in the dryer. It says in the tag, “hang to dry”, but not really a  big deal for me.

By the way, my mom already sent me a picture of herself happily wearing the top I got from my previous Pv.Body package. The top definitely looks better on her. Good thing I gave it to her. 🙂

Overall, I am satisfied again.

I’m glad I was able to maintain a positive attitude despite all the negative reaction about the switch. I really hope things will get better with the option to choose which pieces you like. I support new businesses and I think it’s normal to have few glitches in the first few months. I will continue my subscription with them and I look forward to what this new brand Ellie has in store for me.

So there you go with my HONEST thoughts. FYI: The company did not ask me to make this post. And for those who signed up through my link before and wasn’t happy with the change, I am honestly sorry. Anyway, if you don’t love their new line, You can cancel your membership at anytime. You were never obligated to remain a member.

But for those who wants to try their new line, here’s a link that will give you 20% when you sign up. Link: http://ellie.evyy.net/c/48907/58556/1664

P.S. Just a little thought before I end this post 🙂

“When we make judgements we’re inevitably acting on limited knowledge, isn’t it best to ask if we seek to understand, or simply let them be?” – Jay Woodman

Take care everyone! 🙂

My Holiday Recap (Part 4): My First Run in the Snow!

To continue my Holiday Recap…

Dec 31 (Monday): “My First Run in the Snow” day. 🙂

When I started running, I knew I would have to get used to running in various conditions. That day gave me a taste of running in the snow.

Early that morning, my dad, aunt, uncle, brother, sister and me decided to hit the trail for a run. We thought it was a good thing to do before we feast that night to welcome the new year

I was actually pretty excited. Finally, I will get to experience how it feels like running in the snow. It was in the low twenties and everything outside was covered in a soft blanket of snow. I layered myself up and put on my regular running shoes (Newtons Distance).

It looked so peaceful and the air was fresh. Once we entered the trail the snowy scenery was so beautiful. It looked like a complete different scenery at this time of the year compared to when we hit this trail during the summer and fall.

It was a mental battle to go out in the COLD but once we’re out and running it became fine.

me, my sister & aunt

my aunt, brother & sister

my dad & uncle

It was a fun 3-mile run for us (and walk for my dad haha).  Of course, with lots of stop overs in between to take pictures of the beautiful scenery.

I wore my regular running shoes and only to realize they don’t have much traction. I slipped countless times and fell but nothing serious. It was all good.

Then when I got home, I read about bindings that you can attach to your running shoes to add traction. Traction devices like YakTrax and STABILicers that can give you extra stability in the snow.

Has anyone tried those? How was it? I would love to hear your thoughts about them.

If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time then you know I’m crazy about the snow. There’s just something about snow that makes you feel like a kid again.

As the day went on, it got a little crazy . I don’t know what got into us but we all started doing yoga poses for pictures. Haha.

(and no words to explain for these, HAHA!)

I’m glad that I got to share this first time experience with my family. It couldn’t be any better.

It was so much fun and the memories with my brother and sister were priceless.

We had a little “Brother-Sister Quality Time” together that day and I’m missing them now as I create this post.

I remember the first time I ran in the rain, I felt pretty bad ass. Running in the snow is a different story. It does require more energy and I felt even more bad ass! 🙂

I hear some people absolutely love winter running. Now that I have tried running in the winter cold and snow, I’m growing to like it. I like running in the temperatures of Spring and Fall but Winter cold isn’t that bad at all. I’m used to the cold weather already and it is definitely much comfortable than running in the hot summer days. 

How about you? What’s your favorite season to run?

Do you have any other tips for running in the cold or snow? Do you love it or do you hate it?

Happy Running!

My Holiday Recap (Part 3)

HELLO EVERYONE!

Today, I am going to try to get caught up on everything that I was supposed to get to last month! It’s been crazy and very busy for us the past month. I think January is always a hard month for blogging. The rush of holidays and getting back to reality once again felt overwhelming. Whew!

But I can do it …I can do it …I can do it!

I’ll continue my holiday update. After all, Filipinos earned the distinction of celebrating the world’s longest Christmas season. The spirit continues until New Year’s, all the way to Three Kings (celebrated every first Sunday of the year) to Chinese New Year, which is still fast approaching. So this post is never too late. Anyway I still see houses in our neighborhood with their Christmas lights on and decorations still up. Who says holiday is over yet? Holiday spirit is still in the air. LOL! *wink *wink :))

continuation of My Holiday Recap (Part 2)…

Dec 24 (Monday): We arrived Indiana past noon. My aunt’s family was so excited to see my parents, my brother & sister.

As soon as we arrived, we started preparing our food for Christmas Eve. A Philippine tradition that every Filipino family looks forward to is the Noche Buena. It is the grand family dinner after the midnight mass.

As we prepared dinner, my cousins started making their gingerbread house with my sister and brother.

Before we attended midnight mass, we went sightseeing to check out neighborhood Christmas lights and decorations.
One of the houses we saw, their lights were synchronized with music. It’s so cool.

Christmas Eve. After Midnight mass, we headed home right away for Noche Buena. We saved our appetite the whole day for this feast.

This festive meal was followed by exchange of gifts. For Filipinos, we don’t wait for Christmas morning to open our gifts. We do it on Christmas Eve! 🙂

Everyone was happy with their presents, especially me! My mom knew about my running addiction so I got more running clothes from her from the Philippines!

I got my parents workout clothes for Christmas so they’ll get motivated to exercise. I am encouraging them start living healthy by being active. They’re not getting any younger and I want them to take care of themselves. I’m glad they got the point. I love you Mom and Dad! 🙂

It is also a Filipino tradition to receive an aguinaldo from grandparents during Christmas. It is a money gift placed inside an envelope or chinese red envelope given by grandparents and parents to the younger generation. Even though our grandma celebrated Christmas in the Philippines this year, she never failed to send our aguinaldo. Thank you Grandma!

After opening gifts, we got hungry again, ate some more, did a little chitchatting and took lots of pictures before everyone called it a day.

Dec 25 (Tuesday): Christmas morning. In the Philippines, Christmas day is the time for visiting relatives and receive their aguinaldo and gifts from godfathers and godmothers. But for us this year in the US, we just stayed home, relaxed and did a lot of catching up with family.

We drove back to Ohio later that day.

Dec 26 (Wednesday): It was supposed to be shopping day for us for this day but a blizzard warning was issued in our area and driving was not advisable. Good thing we have a good place to sled close to where we live. It was a perfect day to go sledding!

Since we don’t have snow in the Philippines, my family took advantage of the snow brought in from the blizzard. We managed to have fun despite the bad weather forecast.

Later that day, we accumulated a few inches of snow and my brother volunteered to shovel our drive way. He said he wanted to try. Well, I said, “Go ahead! Be my guest!” 🙂

It seemed he enjoyed it! 🙂 I was teasing him and told him we’d love for him to stay forever so someone could do the shoveling for us. LOL! 🙂

Dec 27 (Thursday): Shopping Day! I drove my family to the Cincinnati Outlet Mall. We did a lot of crazy shopping and took advantage of the “After Christmas Sale”.

Dec 28 (Friday): My husband’s parents from Houston, Texas and relatives from Toronto, Canada arrived in Ohio. Our home was packed. We were 18 total in our mini home. Imagine that! 🙂

It was crazy snowing up to this day. While some were dreading the weather …

…my dad, who’s from Philippines and my husband’s dad, from Texas, loved it. Haha! 🙂

They were young “ones” …once again. LOL!

Dec 29 (Saturday): SNOWBOARDING …AGAIN!

As we were preparing to head out, my sister was enjoying herself scraping off the snow from my aunts car. It was something different again for her. 🙂

My brother and sister’s goal was to be good at snowboarding before they leave. They really learned it fast as if they’ve done it before. It’s like they’re born to be snowboarders. I’m really proud of them.

Second time in the slopes and my brother dared to hit the black diamond with us! That’s how awesome he became at snowboarding.

Now that my brother and sister are hooked, they look forward to spending Christmas again here in the US with us. 🙂

After all the teasing, my dad and my husband’s dad gave in. They finally tried hitting the slopes too.

My dad tried snowboarding.

My husband’s dad tried skiing.

Remember, you’re never too old to try something new. 🙂

We had to let them join in the free lessons group. My husband and I thought we wouldn’t be successful with them. So we decided to leave them under close supervision of a more professional instructor. LOL!

We checked up on them at the lesson area from time to time. We were glad to see that they were having a great time. At least they can now say to everyone that they’ve tried to ski and snowboard!

It was a fun day again for all of us in the slopes.

What better way to end a tiring day than to eat some good Japanese food! After spending the whole day in the slopes, we headed to this Japanese place that me and my husband usually go for some good sushi & hibachi.

Hibachi is always very entertaining. The chef put on a great show that entertained us very much.

It was actually a very nice way to cap off our day. 🙂

Stay tuned for my New Years celebration recap! 🙂 Have a great weekend everyone!