TOPAZ HORIZON

My longtime readers know I love shopping online. But, ladies, since having three kids, my body has changed dramatically. I now need to fit the clothes first before I buy them. In days of long ago, I was a size 2 to a size 4. Now? Now??? I'm anywhere from a size 8 to a size 12. It's crazy! I really need to fit the clothes first now. Hence, if in the past couple of years you seem to see a lot of posts of me shopping in Mango, that's because, yes, I shop a lot at Mango!

And lucky me, Mango is on sale! Up to 50% off! It's their End of Season Sale so expect to see all their spring and summer collections with prices slashed. The sale started last week. I checked out the sale last weekend and here's what I saw:

Dozens upon dozens of shirts and blouses.

Trousers and culottes start at P795!

Skinny jeans! I didn't fit in any of them, though. Sigh!

Boyfriend jeans and distressed jeans!

Yes, there were lots of dresses, too.

These off-shoulder dresses were on sale.

Shoes and bags everywhere!

Accessories, too!

While there was a lot of stuff to love, I found myself drawn to everything stripes! These are my favorites:

I love stripes. Stripes and polka dots actually, but I love stripes super duper. So I spent an hour picking out and trying on the striped outfits:

My picks hanging on the dressing room wall.

Check out my new Mango dress:

It's not halata in this photo but this is a ribbed dress so it's striped!

The Mango End of Season Sale also applies to Mango Man, Mango Kids, Mango Touch (shoes, bags and accessories) and Mango Sport & Intimates. So when you're done shopping for yourself, hop on over to the other Mango shops and buy more stuff for your friends and family!

But I've been receiving lots of stuff from nice brands (thank you all so very much!) and I guess I should do a few reviews. I'm not very big on doing reviews, to be honest. Three reasons:

1. Reviewing products takes so much time and effort! Like weeks and weeks. I don't know how beauty bloggers do it. You ladies have my respect.
2. Reviews are so personal. My experience may not be the same as yours. So something that I loved or hated may be something you hated or loved.
3. Some readers can be so hateful when I do reviews. Like, they tried a product or service based on my review, and they didn't get the same result. Like that time I reviewed Foot Appeal and I was so happy that my feet peeled so disgustingly to reveal perfectly baby-soft feet. Naku, si complainant, hindi raw nangyari sa paa niya so nagalit siya sa akin. As in.

That's why I'm hesitant to do reviews on my blog now.

But I did recently do a product review for the P&G community website, Everydayme.com.ph. I did it because P&G said I'll be called one of their "Family Life Experts." Naks. Thanks! I confess that "family life expert" conjures up images of perfect housewifery. Everyday me, I must admit, is still struggling with home management. As I said before, I'm a fantabulous career woman but home manager? I'm terrible at it. But I think that doesn't invalidate me as a mother and as a woman. I'm an expert at loving my husband and children. I bet my whole life no one else in the entire world can love my husband and kids like I do. That's the only qualification one needs to be a Family Life Expert!

So back to my Everydayme review. Spoiler: I love the Oral-B Ultra Thin Toothbrush with Green Tea (my review here). I need to replace it na actually—every three months, diba?—but I can't find it in the grocery stores I shop at. It's that in-demand!

Anyway, I will be doing a couple of reviews soon on my blog. Yes, even though I'm now hesitant to do reviews. Why? Because I've really been using a lot of amazing new stuff and I want to share with my dear Loyal Readers! Plus, this happened on my Facebook page:

Click here for full comments.

So now I have to review that lash serum!

Do you like reviews, dear Loyal Readers? Is that one of the reasons why you read my blog? I'm in the process of evaluating this blogging thing I do. What should I write about, how often, stuff like that. If you have any suggestions, I hope you can tell me! Thanks so much!

These photos are from Vince's birthday last February. He really doesn't like being celebrated so he gets all bothered on his birthday or Father's Day. Vince thinks it's all one big hullaballoo over something so common (because everyone has a birthday) or over something all fathers should be and do (fathering should be normal, not extraordinary).

But I like to celebrate him anyway, us and the kids, because we love him so very much. We would be absolutely nothing without him. He's a great husband and such an amazing father. He's the fun parent, the smart parent, the cultured parent on top of being a hands-on parent, too. My boys are the fun-loving, happy, intelligent, endlessly curious, and even sophisticated boys that they are because of their Papa. They're exact replicas of him!

I knew I was lucky when this guy fell in love with me and insisted on marrying me. But when we had kids, I was off-the-charts amazed with him. I've been with him 11 years before we became parents so I knew him pretty well, but when we had kids, I saw even more love, wisdom, patience, gentleness and compassion from Vince. He is a better man every day, and every day I fall more in love with him.

Our boys can't get enough of him, too! Their whole world is all about making their Papa proud and happy. They jump on him, clamber all over him, compete and demand for his attention and approval. They're just all over themselves. It makes my mama heart swell with happiness.

We're so lucky to have this man in our lives! What a gift, a blessing, and a treasure. I love him so very much!

Happy Father's Day, Vince. God bless you and God keep you. My heart is overjoyed that you love me! And I'm beyond grateful you gave me children and that you love and care for them 24/7. Parenting is a hard job but I'm having the adventure of a lifetime because I have a true partner in raising our kids. Thank you for being there!