TOPAZ HORIZON

I spent one of the long weekends of this month at new home store MY MC Home, looking for stuff for my home office. I also went there with a special mission from my mommy readers: report on good sofas that are perfect for a small condo. Here's what I found for you! 


I especially like this living room set for your home office, if you have one. Its gray color recalls the professionalism of the corporate environment but that gingham print definitely puts a playful and homey feel, right?


Here's another option that will do well in your living room and also your home office. I like the Scandinavian design of sleek lines and simple wooden frames. They're quite comfy, too! But they're not long enough to accommodate your whole body so you won't be tempted to lie down and nap.


If you do like taking naps in between work deadlines (I indulge in power naps a lot!), then fold-out sofa beds are also available at MY MC Home. I found a streamlined piece that will fit into a small room and then fold out into a comfortable bed. Great for you and for guests!


Here's a multi-functional piece, mamas! It's a desk and a bed! It has tons of space for storage, too. Here is a closed one...


... and here's what it looks like when opened! The desk is specially designed to stay level so that even when you pull down the bed, you can leave your laptop or notebooks on the desk and they won't fall off. Love it!


Speaking of desks, we all need organizers to make sense of the mess that inevitably piles up when work gets crazy. Here's a desk organizer I found. Lots of compartments for pens, highlighters, folders, paper clips, et al. I was hoping for more feminine variants, though, like florals or pink.


There are other desk organizers that aren't black, don't worry! They come in different materials, too, like faux leather, wood, and wicker.


Another fantastic find for the office (or your living room and bedroom) is this corner shelf. Definitely a great space filler and perfect for books, picture frames, and scented candles to calm your frazzled nerves.


Last but definitely will be the pièce de résistance of your home office—this unique bookshelf!

For more home and office finds, visit the store! MY MC Home has 2 branches: Level 3 MET LIVE Mall, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd, 1302 Pasay City, and at MC Home Depot San Fernando Interchange, Jose Abad Santos Avenue, 2000 San Fernando, Pampanga. You may also find more furniture and promos at their Facebook page www.facebook.com/mymchome and Instagram www.instagram.com/mymchome.

*This post is brought to you by My MC Home.

Everyone says Piero is my favorite. He's not. He's just my last. My last baby. That's really what it is. You push the first two out into the world. You hold back the last. It's a selfishness I relish while I still can. Sooner than I want, this littlest one will be launched into the world, too. And I'll be left behind. As I should. 


I mean, he just turned 5 last month! And in the one month since, he already thinks he's some hotshot conquering the world! This kid. Always hurrying up. Always thinks he's the biggest person in the room. Always thinks he knows best.


For his birthday, he wanted it at home. I insisted, "Don't you want to have a party at your preschool like your kuyas did?"

"Nope," he answered with derision. "Why would I spend my birthday with people I don't know?"

Why indeed.


He said he wanted an all-Oreo party because that's his name. "Don't you know my name, Mama?"

"I think I should know it given the fact that your Papa and I gave it to you."

"Well, it's not Piero. It's Pi-OREO!" Then he laughed at how clever he is. "I'm an Oreo Monster!"

So we had an Oreo ice cream cake, Oreos to eat with the cake, and Oreo ice cream sandwiches after! We had Oreos all frikkin' July because the Oreo Monster said so. And because he's my baby ("I'm not your baby anymore, Mama. I am FIVE!"), I buy him all the Oreos he wants. Every week.

(Send us Oreos please!)

For gifts, he didn't want a lot. Just some play clay and raccoon plushies. "That's also my name, Mama. Piero RACCOON Sales. Didn't you know?"

I didn't! What kind of a mother am I, I muse, as I take note that I have a wild animal as a son now. And just like a raccoon, Piero raids the ref and the cookie box all day long, he's aggressive, and he loves holing up in the dark like in his closet or in his pillow fortress with all his plushies.


Piero is, in many ways, the son who's exactly like his parents. It's fascinating—and worrying—how he has all our stubbornness, moodiness, and bad temper. But of course, right? He's our son. (How come the first two are also ours but aren't like us then?) I'm so glad Piero came to Vince and me because we know exactly how to deal with stubbornness, moodiness, and bad temper. Imagine if the stork had brought him to sweet and innocent parents??? He'd eat them alive. 

Well, to be honest, there were a couple of years back then when Vince and I also thought we wouldn't get out of this alive. This Piero! Our feral child! With our first two boys, they loved us immediately. With this littlest one, I always felt we had to earn his love and approval. How weird is that!

But we did it. We became better at parenting and now we have the sweetest little boy—just like his kuyas! Happy, loving, affectionate. We survived!!! Four is actually my most favorite age. And last year was wonderful! That was when we finally knew how to dance around each other and when I said to myself, "After 4 years, I think we've finally earned his respect!"

So 5 is fantastic! Piero still has a lot of moments when he'd say, "Why are you in my room? I want to be alone, Mama." Darling, you're 5! Why do you want to be alone? But because Vince and I are also loners ourselves, we understand and back off. He's the one most like Vince and me! 

Happy birthday, my wild one. You are the one who humbled me, who keeps me on my toes! You are exactly what our family needed and I wish I could keep you little forever because one day I will need to unleash you into the big wide world and they will think you are too much. Too honest with your words and emotions, too brave, too smart, too independent, too self-assured. And that's you at 5! Imagine that. What will you be like at 10, 15, 20 and beyond? We are already so proud of what you'll become!

Welch’s is 150 years old this 2019 and we celebrated with a purple party last weekend! I'm so happy to tell you all that Welch's has partnered with my blog to help in their mission to "Share What’s Good." So that means you can expect me to write about healthier nutritional choices from now on, mamas!


The Philippine distributor of Welch's is Fly Ace Corporation—another company close to my heart! Remember when I was a Jolly Mommy a few years ago? So happy to see Fly Ace President Lucio 'Jun' Cochanco Jr. again at the Welch's party! Sir Jun said that they're proud to carry Welch’s as it's not only a heritage brand but also one that is popular among Filipino families. He said, "We celebrate with Welch’s as it marks 150 years. It is a product that we are proud of since it is well-loved because of its nutritional values and the natural goodness that it gives to consumers. Moving forward, we want more Filipinos to share in the joy of drinking Welch's together especially during special occasions and family moments."


At the event, I shared the stage with gorgeous and super fit and healthy mommy Aliza Apostol a.k.a. @mustlovemom on Instagram. She's really been drinking Welch's since she was a child, and since her husband is a chef, their meals are always fresh and healthy. She's such a good example to me! I was so inspired to work out after being in her presence!

Anyway, one concern of health-conscious mommies that Aliza raised was the sweetness of Welch's. Well, we need not worry at all. Unlike other beverages that contain huge amounts of sugar and artificial coloring, Welch’s is vitamin-packed and 100% natural. Scientific studies show that grape juice made from Concord grapes contain natural sugars but compared with other forms of sugar, sugars in grapes are considered to be low in the glycemic index. Thus, grape (or grape juice in this case) is unlikely to raise one’s blood sugar significantly.

Erika says, "Each bottle of Welch’s is made from Concord grapes, assuring moms that they give their kids a large, concentrated amount of polyphenols which a natural plant nutrient that plays a key role in supporting a healthy heart. These same polyphenols contribute to the antioxidant power of 100% grape juice."

Another thing Aliza and I love about Welch's is it's not owned by a conglomerate. It's lovingly harvested from over 900 family farmer-owned vineyards across America. They then use the entire Concord grape – skin, seeds and all – to release the plant’s true polyphenol power. In fact, at least 20 grapes are squeezed into each 4-ounce glass. Imagine the vitamins and minerals in each glass of Welch’s that has nurtured generations of families not only in the Philippines but all over the world!

Speaking of families, here are a few of my favorite mom influencers that attended the Welch's event:

The Casa Mamas

April of Daily Dose of Brie and Feliz of Today with the Lucas

Louise of Mommy Practicality and Ina of The Asian Parent

Of course, since we were talking about good nutrition, there was a cooking demo!


Chefs Peachy Mathay and Trisha Ocampo shared delicious recipes with us, all of which had Welch's 100% Grape Juice as an ingredient! We had an appetizer, salad, dessert, and sangria! But the recipe below is my favorite:


Grape Salsa with Goat Cheese Crostini

Yield: 6-8

Ingredients: