Time and Space

I'm alive!

One of my favorite features in our October issue is "The Road to Wellness," wherein the members of Team GH tried different ways to help us hit the reset button. We all had such interesting experiences—so much so that we wrote well over our word count. As a result, our text had to be cut (A LOT). Below is mine in its entirety. I was lucky enough to be able to go on a wellness holiday at The Farm at San Benito. The others tried acupunture, pranic healing, even a high-tech oxygen machine.

Time and Space

Perpetually on hyper-drive and severely lacking in me-time, editor in chief Tisha Alvarez Angluben goes on a wellness holiday and rediscovers the joys of doing something just for herself

Chilling by my private pool

“Do you get enough sleep? Do you have a lot on your mind? Do you worry a lot?”

Do you have ESP? I thought.

I was sitting in Dr. Ferdinand Browner’s office at The Farm at San Benito, and he was giving me a live blood analysis—he had taken a drop of my blood, and we were now staring at my red blood cells, magnified on the screen in front of us. I expected mine to look very similar to the perfectly round, evenly spaced normal cells on the chart. Instead, I saw flower-shaped blobs (some stuck together) and little crystal particles floating about. The good doctor rattled off everything else that was wrong with me: I always have my phone and sit in front of a computer for extended periods, and am thus exposed to electromagnetic radiation (true), I love sugar (true, though in the last month, I had cut back. But it takes four months for RBCs to regenerate, so…), and I eat a lot of meat and junk (busted—I actually had a double cheeseburger on my way there). It felt like I was at confession, where all my deep, dark health sins were being revealed. He did say he thought I was in my 20s, so I must still be doing something right!

This was my first stop after checking into my luxurious Narra Villa at The Farm. On my four-day/three-night wellness holiday, I was to start things off with a consultation with one of The Farm’s licensed M.D.s, who would gauge where I was, health-wise, and suggest the treatments I needed to help me get back on track. During my consultation, Dr. Browner talked about how the body has been scientifically proven to regenerate—but, I suppose, with all the stress of everyday life, it’s harder to do these days. “Here at The Farm,” he said,  “we give the time and space for the body to heal itself.”

Time and space—these were things that seemed to be sorely lacking in my life. Even this trip, designed to help me relax, had gotten me anxious. I was worried about the work I had left behind. I was stressing over the work I had to do while I was there (the friendly front desk staff playfully tsk-tsked as I lugged my laptop, stack of magazines, and files). And most of all, I felt intensely guilty about leaving my son. As dusk set in, I got a wake-up call from GH art director, Kara: “Kung ako yan, i-e-enjoy ko ang me-time. Kailan pa ako makakahanap ng opportunity na mag-isa lang talaga ako?” she texted. She was right. I resolved to make the most of the experience. After all, the guilt was useless—I was already there.

Instead of focusing on my worries, I decided to be thankful for the experience instead. I had a fantastic villa with my own private pool, a tub, a huge bed, a forest for a backyard, and—much to my surprise—cable TV! (I hardly ever get to watch TV in Manila since my son is generally not allowed to.) I wanted to get my schedule to see what treatments Doc had prescribed, and what the healing sanctuary (aka their spa) thought I needed; I could then pencil in all the other activities I wanted to do (PX90! Yoga! Aqua aerobics!).

I had gotten really excited—until I found out that Doc had scheduled me for two colon irrigation treatments. “It’s all fun and games til they clean your colon,” I Vibered Team GH. This was what I was most nervous about—having someone stick a tube up my rear. (Assistant art director Theo’s Viber message: “Just no.”) Dr. Browner encouraged me to try it, saying that a lot of people get immense relief, sometimes finding that the physical process opened up emotional floodgates. “They end up talking to the therapist about what’s going on in their lives,” he said. We talked about how physical ailments are often rooted in something deeper. I decided to just be upfront about all the emotional turmoil I had been through in the past year (silently hoping he would give me a get-out-of-colon-cleanse-free card), to which he replied, “I think you should do it, because you have a lot of shit to let out.”

So, in the name of journalism, I underwent a colema and colonics on two consecutive days.

The first requires you to lie on a bed over a toilet. A pencil-thin tube is then inserted into your bum; through this tube, 20 liters of a coffee solution are quickly pumped into you, and you just push when you feel discomfort. This was, by far, the unsexiest thing I have ever had to do in my life—and I’ve given birth, so that’s really saying something. The second treatment requires a fatter tube and about 35 liters of water slowly pumped into you. This was much less icky, and I was also much less apprehensive, since I’d had my baptism by fire (or, more accurately, coffee) the previous day. I was obsessively weighing myself while I was there, and after two and a half days and two colon hydrotherapy sessions, I had amazingly lost two kilos.

And it wasn’t even because I was starving. Though friends joked that I would have to pick my own food, I thoroughly enjoyed what The Farm’s award-winning restaurant, Alive!, had to offer. Since I wasn’t on a detox cleanse, I had free rein over my meals, and could select anything from their menu. (I went nuts the first night and ordered their five-course special.) I thought I would be subsisting on salads and carrot sticks throughout my stay, but I was happy to be introduced to vegan cuisine done right: Paper-thin beets masqueraded as cannelloni, coconut meat had the texture of squid, and fresh, wholesome flavors exploded in my mouth. After my first two days, I thought, If this is what it’s like to be vegan, I could totally do this for life. And then I woke up on my third day with a raging craving for tocino. Still, the food far exceeded my expectations, and introduced me to a whole new way of eating.

After four days, I felt like I was cleansed, kneaded, and scrubbed into a rejuvenated Zen state. I had two massages (both of which lulled me into a nap), a skin kayud treatment (scraping using mother-of-pearl shells, followed by a coffee scrub, wrap, and soak in a tub of more java), and another scrub using coconut oil. I felt so polished and supple after all my spa treatments; a few people remarked that I looked so fresh, and even that my aura was different. 

  

Morning yoga 

Thinking back, this glow had less to do with all the treatments and more to do with actually just being at The Farm. Though there were other guests during my stay, it often felt like I had the sprawling, 10-hectare place to myself (well, shared with some peacocks freely roaming about). In between treatments, I was able to attend an intense fitness class at their gym and a morning yoga session outdoors. For the most part, I decided to just take it easy: lounge in a bed I didn’t have to share with anyone, read, watch TV, or take a dip in my own pool. I would float on my back and look up at the clouds (or stars), or swim to the edge and just stare off into the trees, my head going completely blank. For once, my mind was surprisingly, blissfully quiet.

Four days seemed like a long time to be away, but by the end of it, I didn’t want to go home. On day one, I dreaded being alone, but I soon learned to relish the solitude. It reminded me that no matter how hectic my life got, I also needed to pay attention to me—it’s not selfish; it’s only sane. Dr. Browner was right: The Farm really did give me the time and space I didn’t even know I needed. I thought about the changes I wanted to make in my diet, my schedule, my life. I thought—or didn’t think, if I didn’t want to—about all the things I had been through in the past year, and where I would go from there. I thought about how getting back on track didn’t happen overnight, how it was a process that required patience, a virtue that life tries to teach me again and again. My body—and my spirit—had begun to heal.

The Farm at San Benito is located at 119 Barangay Tipakan, 4217 Lipa City, Batangas; seasonal offers available. Call (632) 884-8074, (63918) 884-8080, email info@thefarm.com.ph, or visit thefarmatsanbenito.com for more details.

Life Pegs and the Myth of Perfection

Just wanted to share my editor's note from this month's issue of Good Housekeeping.

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We at the GH staff have what we call our “life pegs”—people with seemingly perfect lives that we want for our own. You know the type: They posts photos of their fabulous European getaways on Facebook, tweet about the many fabulous blessings they receive on a daily basis, and Instagram their fabulously made-up selves.

I used to look at all this evidence of perfection with envy. But recently, a friend told me about how she thought my life was perfect, and she enumerated all the things that made it so. “Some girls have all the luck!” she said. I was surprised and flattered, but inwardly, I chuckled. See, at that very moment, I was going through something major, but all she could see was what I chose to show the world.

That made me think about our life pegs—if I could be seen as having a perfect life at a time when it was so imperfect, then all these other women must have their own problems too; they just choose not to show it. It made me wonder about what was going on behind their beautiful selfies. And I was reminded of something we’ve been told over and over again: Nobody is perfect. No life is perfect.

I’ve thus decided to stop chasing after perfection. There are good lives, there are seemingly better lives, but we all have our struggles. Instead of making over every aspect of my life to make it just so, I’ve made over my mindset instead: Life doesn’t have to be perfect for me to be happy.

Before the Month Ends...

...do grab a copy of Good Housekeeping's very special 15th anniversary issue! Not only is it our thickest issue evur, it also has a brand new look. (Check out that logo!)

We took our cue from our 128-year-old big sister, US GH, and revamped the entire mag. And I must say, it's beautiful and much more fun! If you want to find out more about this massive undertaking, read this interview with the US bosses, this press release, and this blog entry by one of the people on the redesign team (our stalker-art director tells me he's Filipino).

So, how do we look? Let me know what you think of the new GH!

Work through the Eyes of Instagram

So this is what work looks like.

A cover shoot at a super cute store (more in a future post).

An outfit photo for our OOTD posts.

Lunch at a new restaurant.

Mad for Garlic, an Italian resto from Korea

A date with a star(fish).

Shocking pink nails from the launch of Orly's new line of polish.

 Hmm my phone didn't save the Instagram version. I thought this thing was supposed to be smart?

Invitations to events. "Special dessert buffet," you say?

 

...I'm there!

P.S. We got to take home six cupcakes of our choice!

A malunggay bouquet from our office security guard--he says he has an abundance of it at home and he thought I, being a nursing mother, would want some. Aww.

A sweet treat!

I can't see myself ever going back to a desk job.

Follow me on Instagram, @tishietishie.

Be-you-tiful!

Confession: In the weeks leading up to my maternity leave, I was so worried about leaving my staff. Not because they aren't a capable bunch, but because they're all so young! I just kept thinking about how they would manage without their mom around. 

Well, I shouldn't have worried. Behold the fashion and beauty issue they worked on while I was away (and not yet working from home):

A big big thank you to Yvette Fernandez of Town&Country for babysitting my girls!

I believe this is one of the most beautiful issues of GH ever! They sure showed me huh? What an incredibly talented, hardworking, fantastic team I've got! I thank God for them every single day.

Do grab a copy of this gorgeous issue. An interesting tidbit: The writer actually tried Botox for that story mentioned on the cover!

I Am Blessed

So, that's it. I'm saying goodbye to the office for about 76 days (although I'll be working from home for the second half of my maternity "leave"). It's a daunting thought. I have never been away from work for that long--in nearly ten years of my professional life, the longest I've gone on leave is about two weeks. I've been feeling very anxious, but there's one indisputable fact that helps me sleep at night: I'm leaving behind the most amazing team.

Every day, I thank my lucky stars that each and every one of the members of the GH staff is hardworking, talented, and extremely pleasant to work with. I've heard that editors tend to hire people who are like themselves--if that's true, then yay me! Haha. Allow me to introduce you to them, because I am just so proud of this bunch and so blessed to be given the chance to spend my everydays with them:

The GH team: Me, Elaine, Niña, Roselle, Kara, Pia, and Lola, with our Official Food Supplier, Jaykee

Niña is our bunso. She's the first employee I ever promoted--just this month, in fact! From editorial assistant, she is now our assistant fashion editor. She has such a great sense of style, and the best part is, the stuff she wears are usually P500 and below! What I love about her is that she doesn't get frazzled, no matter what you throw at her. Nins, can you give a talk in my place on Sunday? "Sure!" Can you write the cover story? Oh, and it's due tomorrow morning. "OK!" Can you pull out items for our gift list from 14 different stores? "Kakayanin." I have never heard her say, "I don't think I can do that." What a trooper! Which is why I was so eager to promote her. HR and I had a bit of a dilemma though, because Niña can go on so many different paths--she has the potential to be a staff writer, a managing editor, a fashion editor...But things worked out in such a way that she'll be given the chance to pursue fashion, which is really at the top of her list of interests.

Kara is our art director. She's always full of energy--when we had a dog around at our shoot, the dog just suddenly perked up because she was feeding off Kara's hyper-ness. I also love her sense of style: classic and polished and feminine and fun. It's reflected in her outfits, her home, and her design aesthetic. She and I seem to have the same vision for the mag; it's funny how she pitches a layout sometimes, and it's exactly what I had in mind. She comes in early, works late, works on weekends, and never, ever complains. (At least not to my face!) She seems to really love her job. I don't want her to burn out though (and I want her to be able to spend more time with her two-year-old), so we've been looking for an assistant for her. Really hope we find someone soon.

Pia. Oh, Pia. She is our beloved beauty and fashion editor. I call her our happy working elf, because she has the most positive vibe. Whenever Pia's around, there is the sound of laughter. (And a supply of food. Har.) She also really knows her stuff--years of working in beauty have made her a walking encyclopedia of anything related to skin care. Her fashion pages are also getting better and better. Sometimes I get all giddy when I see the results of her latest shoot!

Lola is our managing editor. She always, always has a smile on her face. She's soft-spoken and kind of demure, and has a way of coating stuff in honey, even when she's breathing down your neck about a deadline. She is loyal and efficient and very eager to learn. And, like the rest of the staff, extremely dedicated to her work--I can count the number of times that she went home before I did. It's like she won't leave until she knows I absolutely don't need anything anymore!

The one whom I believe has the best job among all of us is our associate food editor Roselle. As the girl in charge of our food section, she spends her days either at restaurant openings or at home in her kitchen testing recipes! Her love of food is palpable. When we were at Spiral for the reopening press conference, she was practically skipping around, all starry-eyed, giddily saying things like, "THEY HAVE A HAM AND CHEESE ROOM!!!" She has both a journalism and a culinary background (she's a legit chef), so it's the perfect mix for the job. Our US bosses were quite surprised when they met her because she manages to remain skinny despite the perks (pitfalls?) of her job. 

Our latest addition is Elaine, formerly of OK! Magazine. We've only been officially working with her for a couple of weeks, but already she's showing the kind of sipag, positivity, and passion that I love. Before it was even officially her first day, she already set up her cubicle so everything would be ready come Monday, cleaning up and posting a photo of a shirtless Zac Efron. (A photo of her fiance soon followed.) Her previous boss, Frances, gave her a perfect 100 (!) in her last couple of evaluations--I have never given, nor gotten, a 100 in my life. Like she once told Frances, she told me that she would like to be an editor in chief in the future. That's a big reason I hired her--I can finally retire. (Kidding.)   

Melody and me at Central Park, NYC

My mom used to say that she and I were "partners in prayer and sanity." Melody, our associate publisher, is kind of my office version of that. She keeps me from going nuts, offers support, and plays a huge part in making sure that GH stays the number one family and home magazine! Even when her plate is full, she can't help but ask if other people need help. I don't know how she does it--she's so incredibly busy with all her responsibilities, she's a mom to a teenager, she finds time to work out, she's constantly traveling...she is truly living a full life. (P.S. Melody certainly lives up to her name--she's got a beautiful voice.)

And as proof that I really am working with a stellar team, we actually made it onto the company president's annual honor roll! Each year, she gives a speech at the office Christmas party, where she commends outstanding departments and individuals. Shock of my life (and kilig to death) when she mentioned Good Housekeeping! She said that our magazine and Smart Parenting have "made mommy magazines sexy, fresh, and sale-able." She even mentioned my name. And just that afternoon, I was telling everyone how in seven years with the company, my magazine had never made it to the honor roll. While others said it didn't matter because it didn't come with monetary rewards or anything, I joked, "But I thrive on praise. Compliments are my sunshine!" I was kidding, of course, but having my magazine and my fantastic team recognized--it really felt like sunshine.

Living on Less

Two years ago, we did a "Live on Less" story, featuring families who cut back on their spending for one reason or another. This year, we decided to do a similar feature, issuing a challenge to four women: Give up something you're "addicted" to for two weeks, and tell us all about it.

One woman gave up TV, another gave up Facebook, another gave up shopping, and another (namely, me. Haha) gave up buying lunch. (I normally buy my midday meal as we don't have household help, and I just don't have the energy to cook in the morning.) Art director Kara conceptualized a shoot with all white props against a brown setup. And because our editorial staff is also our shoot production staff, I got busy making the props!

Photo by Stanley Ong. Makeup by Cathy Bala-Pablo. Hair by Elaine Ganuelas.

I made a huge Facebook logo using foam board, painted boxes to make TVs (we just pasted on black-and-white printouts by Kara), and made all-white shopping bags. On the day of the shoot, the entire GH staff (yes, all six of us) plus a bored hair stylist who was also at the studio got their fingers numb folding dozens of takeout boxes.

The hardest part of the challenge was getting up in the morning to actually cook. At this point in my pregnancy, I was still feeling sluggish, and all I wanted to do was stay in bed. But I did learn a few things from my own personal Lent. You can read about this, and the other women's stories, in this month's issue of Good Housekeeping.

Photo by Stanley Ong. Makeup by Krist Bansuelo. Hair by Bonita.

It's a fantastic issue, so do grab a copy now. It features the stunning Vicky Morales on the cover (doesn't she look gorgeous? And her hair is so fab!), who brought these yummy cookies to the shoot that were gone in five minutes. She also told me I look like our August cover girl. Har.

Other features this month: 

• A "What's your money personality?" quiz, so you can figure out your saving and spending habits, and determine the best game plan to grow your money. (If you're married, you can ask your husband to take the test as well. A lot of marital problems stem from finances, and the quiz can help couples better understand each other's money habits.) 
• Healthy shortcuts--if you think all the health rules are impossible to follow (like drinking eight glasses of water a day, working out 30 minutes every day, and all that), we've got the cheats that can still keep you healthy without the hassle. 
• Meals that you can cook in 30 minutes or less--something that would have come in handy while I was doing the challenge! 
• And one of my favorites this month: our "10 Pieces, 25 Ways" fashion feature. I ended up buying a few pieces mentioned, and I think I now have six or seven out of the 10 pieces! They really do help you streeetch your wardrobe! Hmm, maybe I should do a related fashion post.

The issue will be out until next week, so do grab a copy. It's only a hundred bucks.:)

August Ish, Out Now!

It's out! It's out! Our first ever Anti-Aging Special! (And our first Hollywood cover in years!)

You might notice a few little changes--we've got a new art director on board. 
Welcome, Kara!

While many may be excited to see a fresh-faced Katie Holmes on the cover, I'm most excited about all our anti-aging stories. We show you which products can keep your skin nice and plump, how to update your wardrobe, and what you can do to keep your home from looking dated. We even give a rundown of the food that can keep you sprightly (and those that can age you prematurely--yikes!).  Plus, we have a fun little guessing game, where you can guess the age of the real women in one of our features. They even let us in on their beauty secrets. (One woman's must-have? Vitamin E. She must be doing something right because at nearly 70, she has never had to dye her still-black hair!) We also feature four lovely ladies in their 90s, who reveal how they manage to stay active and full of energy in their ripe old age--two of them still go ballroom dancing!

Aside from all that, we've got a bunch of new sections, including a page for the lazy woman's workout (a staff favorite). This month: how to get abs without getting off the couch.

Sooo many things to love in this month's issue of Good Housekeeping Philippines, and all for just a hundred bucks!

Passion and Happiness in the Month of May

In case you didn't know, I'm a Kylie fan. So this outtake from the May issue...

 

Photo by Carlo Ambrosio Lina

...was inspired by...

 

Photo from here

GH managing ed Lola and I were able to tap into our inner rock stars in between layouts for our main feature about moms who pursued their passion. The photo above was taken on the day we shot a mom who's also the lead singer of an indie band, as well as a mom to a 16-year-old who is a member of the Polecats! (Other featured moms: one who quit her job to raise her baby and concentrate on making chocolate, another who wrote a book after having a baby, and a lola who's a member of the women's national rugby team!)

There are a bunch of other great features in the May issue, including a feature on finding happiness now--whether you're a mom or a non-mom, you can definitely pick up a few tips.

And, oh, new mom Regine Velasquez is on the cover for the first time. Grab a copy now for just a hundred bucks.:)

P.S.
In an earlier version of this post, I mentioned that Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project column appears in this month's issue. Sorry about that--it will be debuting next month. Such is life in the magazine world--the months start blending into each other after a while!

Funny Girl

My all-time favorite Filipino comedy (or maybe even Filipino movie) is Kimmy Dora. It gave me one of the best laughs ever--the kind that makes your belly ache and your eyes tear up. (If you haven't seen it, go get a copy--a legit one!--now!) So I was very happy to meet the lead star, our March cover girl, Eugene Domingo.

"Best actresses are more fun in the Philippines!" says our creative director Carlo. Photo by Ocs Alvarez/ACME Innovatives, makeup by Tatin Yang, hair by Alee Benson, styling by Kity Dilao.

While she cracked us up during the shoot ("Si Oprah talaga, lahat na lang may lesson no?"), she also turned contemplative as she talked about her pursuit of happiness. Get to know a different side of Eugene in this issue.

One of my favorite features is our summer reading list (by contributor, Cosmo managing editor and Techy Romantics lead singer Camille Besinga), where we have book recommendations for kids and grownups (both men and women). In case y'all haven't noticed, I love reading, and so does the rest of the team--it's quite important for writers to be readers. This is our little way of sharing the love.

Since we didn't have time to go to the beach, we just bought some fine sand and pulled out seashells (yep, they're available in stores). Sssshhh.:)

My other favorite stories:

• "Help Your Kid Find Her Passion" (something I wish my parents had read to keep me from wasting all my time when I was a kid)
• "30 Ways to Make This Your Best Summer Ever" (30 ways to...make this your best. Summer. Evah!)
• "6 Summer Must-Haves" (how to dress up or dress down six great summer pieces so you get more mileage out of them. I especially love the crisp white coat!)
• And...well, I could go on. I love this issue.:) We've revamped a few pages so it's looking more dynamic.

It's just a hundred bucks, so do grab a copy. It's a great way to kick off the hot, hot summer!

A Quickie on V-Day

...A quickie meal, that is!

For an early Valentine celebration, I whipped up Good Housekeeping's "Fast Love" menu, published in the January-February 2012 issue. Our promise: "Rekindle the passion with these easy yet lovingly prepared dishes that don't require hours in the kitchen." I skipped making dessert since I still had red velvet cupcakes left over (and a bottle of wine and some cheese), but it took me just about an hour to make three courses: Chunky Tomato Sauce Dip with Kesong Puti, Mango Pasta with Tuna, and Pork Steak with Devil Sauce. (The original menu included Coco-Orange Dip--got to try it after the shoot, and it was really yummy!)

It's really easy to prepare so you can spend more hours on...other romantic pursuits.;) I'll just share one recipe--it's not too late to grab a copy of GH so you can get all the other recipes!

Pork Steak with Devil Sauce

Ingredients

2 pork steaks
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 beef bouillon cube, dissolved in 1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon diced tomato (I used an entire small tomato since my husband loves tomatoes)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Season pork steaks with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. In a frying pan over medium heat, heat oil and pan fry pork steaks until cooked through. Leave in the oven in low heat to keep warm.
3. In the same pan, pour off any excess fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Sweat the onions. Sprinkle in flour and cook before pouring in beef stock. Stir to dissolve any lumps and cook until mixture thickens. Add diced tomato, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper. Cook until heated through.
4. Remove from heat, pour over pork steaks. Serve immediately.

Happy Valentine's Day!

To Start the Year Off

Happy New Year!

The last couple of weeks were b-u-s-y (the things to blog about took a backseat to actual blogging), but now that we're easing out of holiday mode, I'm back! And to start the year off, let me present the January 2012 (!) issue of Good Housekeeping Philippines!

This is a first for GH Philippines, putting a "real person" on the cover. I put quotation marks because, well, celebs are real people too, but you know what I mean. Angela was one of the finalists on the first Biggest Loser: Pinoy Edition, and she wanted to lose weight so that she could try to have a baby. She looks fantastic, doesn't she? We also shot the other finalists for the cover story, and they were just inspiring. I have a hard enough time losing five pounds--they each pretty much lost the equivalent of an entire person! So, grab a copy of the mag and prepare to be amazed.

Our fashion feature is also chock full of incredible weight-loss stories, including one woman who lost 220 pounds--no surgery! (Yes, you read that right. Two hundred twenty. You have to see the "before" and "after" photos to believe it. Even her own family doesn't recognize her!)

Other features:

• A diet plan that will help you lose 10 pounds in four weeks
• A bra guide--did you know that 7 out of 10 women are wearing the wrong size? Find out if you're one of them!
• Other bloggers! Topaz Horizon's Frances is in our "Multi-Hyphenate Moms" story, and The Drama Queen Can Tell Stories' Crickette wrote something for our Good Health section.
  
• New monthly sections: Man of the House and This Mom's Life, featuring celeb dads and moms (you'll see that they're real people too!)
• A quickie four-course Valentine meal you can prepare in a jiffy, so you'll still have time for, er, other romantic pursuits
  
• 10 tips to help you (finally) stick to your resolutions--because, if you're like me, you're probably just recycling past years' resolutions!

And many, many more. Still just a hundred bucks.:)

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, blessed 2012!

Gift Ideas for P49 and Up

Yup, you read it right--49 bucks!

Christmas started in the Philippines in September, but for me it started around August when I had to put together our gift guide for the November issue of Good Housekeeping.

This particular cover looks very US GH.

In previous years, the gift guide would appear in the December issue, but we figured that GH readers are girl scouts--they like to be prepared, so November's the best time to come out with a list. Last year, three of us put it together and, let me tell you, it wasn't easy. This year, I did it myself (with the pullout powers of our trusty EA), and I quite enjoyed it. There's a mix of super cheap finds, reasonably priced items, and blowout gifts for the ones you truly love! I especially liked putting together the food page (mostly because we got to eat everything after the shoot)...

The photo that didn't make it. By Ocs Alvarez. I originally intended to do setups for all categories, but dropouts seemed like the best way to go in the end. The space at the top portion and on the side was supposed to be for text.

The goodies pictured above are (from top): a cheesecake from new store Tous Les Jours (a Korean bakeshop officially opening on Friday), cookies from Luxe by Goldilocks, apple crumble pie from Secret Passion with a scoop of Fog City Creamery whild cherry vanilla ice cream (I love their salted caramel), Devil's Food Cake (and super cute Little Devils) from Chocolate Kiss, Pinoy chocolate from Theo & Philo, native tea from Kultura Filipino, and a red velvet cake by Bob's Red Velvet. Drooool.

Aside from the gift guide, we've got lots of other great features this month, making it by far one of my most favorite issues since I came on board:

• a cover story on Daphne Osena-Paez, whose list of jobs has me feeling out of breath. Ready? *deep breath* TV host, producer, furniture designer, jewelry designer, linen designer, blogger, UNICEF ambassador, wife, and mom of three! Phew!
• feeling sluggish? Bloated? Always cold? Our health feature tells you just what might be the cause.
• how to make better decisions. This article speaks to me because, well, I have a hard enough time deciding where to eat and what to order! Lots of women are indecisive. This helps you (and me) address that!
• a quiz to help you find your fragrance personality and the best scent for you.
  
• great kitchen tips from the Junior MasterChef judges, including their smart suggestions for dinner in a hurry.
• "Never Be Late Again"--tried and tested ways to get kids out of bed and out the door, on the dot! The tips can help you get to work on time too!
• recipes with a secret ingredient that makes every dish tastier!
• decorating rules for every room of the house (do you know how much space there should be between your sofa and coffee table?).

And loooots more. It's just a hundred bucks, so do grab a copy from the nearest bookstore, supermarket, newsstand, or wherever else magazines are sold.:)

Recipe: Buffalo Wings

This recipe is from the July issue of Good Housekeeping. It's a three-step process, (make bleu cheese dressing, make seasoned flour, make hot sauce glaze), and each step has its own sub-steps. I think next time, I'll just use store-bought coating instead of making my own to cut down on prep time. Enjoy!

Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

10 chicken wings
Oil for deep frying

For bleu cheese dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
50g bleu cheese

For seasoned flour:
1/3 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For hot sauce glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup hot chili sauce

1. Make bleu cheese dressing: In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients except cheese together. Crumble bleu cheese and whisk into dressing. Transfer to a container and let flavors develop overnight in the refrigerator. (I just left it in the fridge for about an hour and it was fine.)
2. Make seasoned flour: Mix all ingredients together. Coat chicken wings. Set aside 10 minutes. Toss in seasoned flour to coat wings again. (Husband took over as I was a little scared of the oil!) In a deep frying pan, heat oil. Deep fry chicken wings until juices run clear when pierced. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
3. Make hot sauce glaze: In another frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add Worcestershire sauce and chili sauce, and stir to mix. Add chicken wings and toss to coat. Serve with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side. (Note: The chili sauce I bought wasn't so spicy. Next time, I'll probably add loads of hot sauce as well as chopped siling labuyo.)
   

Guess Who Our September Cover Girl Is?

I'm a happy girl. For the all-important September issue, we were able to get this lovely lady to appear on our cover...

Cover photo by Ocs Alvarez. Makeup by Omar Ermita. Hair by Bea Misa. Styling by Pia Rojas. Set styling by Jean Paul dela Rosa.

Hurray, Jinkee Pacquiao! This also marks the first time I did a cover story for GH. It had been a while since I last wrote about a person (for years, I was writing mostly about houses, and had a monthly career column in Marie Claire), so I was a tad nervous. But Jinkee was incredibly easy to talk to. She doesn't hold back and she doesn't BS you. So refreshing!

A barely made-up me with a milky white Jinkee. This photo made me understand why makeup artists always fill in my eyebrows!

So she talks about their houses (sooo many houses...during the time of the interview, they had just purchased their Forbes Park home), her kids, Manny, money. Ah, to have that much money!

While we're on the topic of, the September ish is our money issue. We've got money secrets from successful entreps, experts, and GH moms; tips for sticky utang situations (like, should you lend money to a friend?); and loads of finds for P500 and under. (Yes, even jeans!) Plus other cool stuff like how to soothe your foot aches (from suffering in sky-high heels) to recipes using five ingredients or less. That last one has such gorgeous photos...

You got that right: Just five ingredients! (Well, not including water, salt, and pepper!) Pork Sausage and Bean Stew, and Baked Eggplant and Rice Casserole. Click on photos to enlarge and fully appreciate just how mouthwatering they are! Photos by Ocs Alvarez. Recipes by Roselle Miranda. Styling by Bel Alvarez.

Do grab a copy! Available at supermarkets, newsstands, bookstores for just P100!

Weekend Warrior

In my past life (meaning, pre-GH), I spent a lot of my weekends working on rakets. At Summit, we have what we call the Golden Rocket Awards, given to the top-performing magazines each year. Some people used to joke that I could win the Golden Raket Award. I would contrib to Candy, Seventeen, Yummy, Men's Health, Marie Claire, Cosmo, Total Girl, Martha Stewart Weddings, even GH. It was tiring, but I enjoyed it--boredom is not a great color on me. Plus, all the extra moolah paid for my trips (both in and out of the country) and my wedding. This, of course, was before I had to pay for things like rent, utilities, and my own toilet paper.

I don't raket as much as I used to (truth be told, I miss it), but after a looong while, I felt what it was like to have a packed weekend again! It started with Saturday. My first stop was a baptism, where I served as ninang to this little bundle of joy...

My goddaughter with her proud parents

After a quick lunch (I couldn't possibly say no to the Officers' Club fried chicken, so I really stayed to eat!), I had to rush to Timezone for another godkid's birthday. Here I am with my kumare, her second son, and my TF (true friend) Mona.

Former SGV co-workers, friends for life

And then, I had to make my way to Megamall for a GH event where I had to give the opening remarks. Horrors! You can make me dance in front of a crowd or teach a class, but I hate hate hate giving speeches.

With my no. 1 fan (it's a tossup between her and Hamil)

Afterwards, Mumsy was nice enough to give me a ride to disc training. And after that, my teammates and I hung out at a friend's new condo, where we loaded up on carbs.

I finished a 22-oz Big Gulp Gatorade from 7-Eleven before chowing down!

Not shown: The macadamia nut sansrival which was delish! But after two slices, my teeth started to hurt!

The following day was the start of the Malakas at Maganda league, which is the all-male/all-female league. Imagine the fun I had considering we only had a total of nine players, while our three opponents each had two lines. I didn't sub for back-to-back games.

Which brings us to Monday, when I could barely walk! Oh, to have more weekends like this. But with more QT with the hubby!

My First Anniversary Issue

...is out now! And it features first-time GH cover girl Judy Ann Santos!

Here we are at the cover shoot...

(From left) Photog Lilen Uy, hairstylist Dave Grona, me, Juday, makeup artist Juan Sarte, and creative director Carlo Vergara

Juday was such a pro and so down to earth! Read about her life as a mom and wifey in the August issue of Good Housekeeping. Other stuff in the mag:

• Your Self-Check Guide to Bumps and Lumps - We have a quick reference chart for those bumps, lumps, moles, etc. that you may find on your body. Find out if it's something you should or shouldn't be alarmed about.
• The 18 Symptoms You Should Never Ignore - Do you know what it means when you're excessively thirsty all the time? If your man's always snoring? If you're tired all the frickin' time? Find out!
• Do More in Less Time - Find out how to streamline that seemingly never-ending to-do list!
• Our 1-Week Plan to a Great Night's Sleep - Do you miss getting a good night's sleep? The type that has you waking up in the morning feeling absolutely refreshed? We tell you what could be causing your less-than-deep sleep, and how to remedy it so you can finally get a great night's rest!
• 8 Pieces, 30 Ways - With just eight pieces in your wardrobe, you can come up with a month's worth of outfits!
• Under-400-calorie Recipes - High-in-flavor, low-in-calorie meals.
• ...and so much more!

Available at newsstands, supermarkets, bookstores for only P100!

Can You Believe It's July?

So half a year has gone by and what have I got to show for it? I went to Seoul and Shanghai for the first time, stayed at a luxurious villa in Cebu, ran a half marathon, went on a quickie Boracay trip, competed in my first international tournament, watched Janet Jackson live, got a promotion (sort of), had a few TV appearances and radio tours, got my first call from a headhunter...hmm, I wonder what the second half of the year has in store for me? And what's it got in store for you?

Well, this is what you're getting, for this month at least!

Did you read that explosive cover story in Yes! Magazine last month? Well, Jennylyn Mercado is our cover girl this month. If you did get to read Yes!, you'll know everything that this girl has gone through. Now how does she handle all that and still go through life with that lovely smile on her face? We found out, and we're sharing her secret weapon against all that stress!

A few of my favorite features, as seen on the cover:

Restaurant Copycats - Our associate food editor, Roselle, tried to replicate some restaurant faves. We don't name 'em in the mag, but we have tofu sisig (inspired by a certain chicken place), Kung Pao spaghetti (inspired by a pizza chain), and corn muffins (inspired by another chicken place), among others. I got to try some of the dishes and they really do taste like the restaurant versions!

"I Lost My Husband and My Daughter to Cancer" - Can you even imagine what this woman had to go through?! Such heartbreak! To lose two of your nearest and dearest--and within one year of each other! But the thing about this story is, the five women I interviewed went through so much, yet they turned all the difficulties into something positive. Amazing! Find out how this particular woman used her experience for good.

Other women in this feature: a woman who gave up her day job so she could spend more time with her kids (she ended up joining Avon and making MILLIONS), a woman who found out she had lupus, one who got an annulment, and another who "always felt like something was missing." Such interesting, inspiring stories!

How to Get Angry Effectively - We have a four-pager on learning how to manage your anger. I have a pretty quick temper so this was very helpful. I'm sure a lot of people have a hard time getting a hold on their rage, especially in this day and age when there are so many triggers--shorter attention spans, more horrendous traffic jams, and techno-stress!

Sooo many other features! Plus this month, GH is bundled with...

Get both magazines for just P125!

And have a great second half, everyone! Let's finish strong!

A Li'l Something for Newlyweds

Our June issue is out now, and it's got loads and loads of tips for newlyweds! We thought of this issue because a lot of info in GH is actually useful for newbie homemakers (cleaning, cooking, budgeting, etc.). This ish includes features on easing the transition from being single to married--how to deal with in-laws, finances, and even decor ("We don't have money for new furniture!" "Help! My wife wants me to sleep in a pink bedroom!").

I do want to write a bit about our newlywed cover stars, Oyo Sotto and Kristine Hermosa. I've gotta say that this was perhaps the most kilig GH shoot ever! To be honest, I didn't recognize Oyo's appeal until I met him. Mygad, that boy is just oozing with Vic Sotto charm! Our contrib (who owns the place where we had the shoot) remarked, "Nung kinausap na niya ako, sabi ko, 'Bakit ako kinikilig?'" ("When he spoke to me, I wondered, 'Why am I getting all giddy?'") And the way he looks at his wife--sigh. It's like he's ready to commit bloody murder just to protect her. He's so completely in love. I can't describe it fully--it's not cheesy at all, since he's still so manly. Haha. And Kristine...wow. She's breathtaking. She looks like a doll! It was hard not to stare. They make such a beautiful couple!

We've still got lots for our long-time readers. If you've got a school-age kid, you might want to start thinking about his or her high school options--there's more to high school in the Philippines than public schools and the typical private Catholic school. (I'm not knockin' em--I'm a product of an all-girls' Catholic school. But there are other options.) Administrators and alumni of different types of schools give the low-down on what it's like to go to a science high school, an arts high school (yes, there is such a thing), a multiple-intelligence school, an international school, a special education school. We even feature home-schooling.

And because Father's Day is coming up, we also have a few gift ideas for the special guy in your life.

Sooo many other features, and all for just a hundred bucks! Grab a copy now!:)

Wardrobe Update

This week has just been about work, work, work, and disc, disc, disc. (In true last-minute kaladkarin fashion, I decided to join my first international tournament, and am just cramming as much training as I can into five weeks.) Worked til midnight one day, did a radio tour, and had to give some welcome remarks at a Marionnaud event at the Mall of Asia.

With the Marionnaud reps, my friend Macky (Isabel) Roces, Maritoni Fernandez, Jackilou Blanco, and Maricel Laxa

For said event, I was asked to wear something floral. This, and the royal wedding viewing party, made me realize that I need a more well-rounded wardrobe. I don't have anything that's garden party- and tea party-appropriate! So, in line with GH's "Keep? Toss? Buy?" feature this month, I'm trying to figure out what items I need to purchase. My list so far:

• Nude wedges
• An LBD (I have a lot of black dresses, but none of them look cocktail-y)
• TV guesting-worthy dresses
• More flats! My poor Celine ones are suffering from overuse. (Try spending a day at a shoot in four-inch heels.)

What do you need to complete your wardrobe?