Hello, beautiful people of Davao! On March 30, 2023, Alsons Development officially launched the opening of its latest commercial project--CityMall Northtown! I'm simply delighted to share with all my Dabawenyo friends that we have a new place to hang out in and get supplies from. What I love about this project is the fact that it is geared towards serving the surrounding communities in Cabantian.

When projects like this gives accessibility to shopping and dining experience to areas farther away from the downtown area, it is a big deal for our growing city as it makes it easier and economical for those living there. They won't have to travel far as they will have access to what they need right in the heart of their community and this will also in turn decongest traffic as CityMall will be providing the residents a place nearby to shop. No need to travel far to get what you need if you live in that area.

Ribbon cutting ceremony with Darren Espanto. Image owned by CityMall Northtown

Excited shoppers waiting for CityMall Northtown to officially open. Image owned by CityMall

I'm personally excited to visit MerryMart because I honestly have never been to one. From what I've read about it so far, MerryMart Grocery is like your full sized supermarket that offers a both food and non-food products, it has a good selection of personal care products and it has a pharmaceutical section that makes it convenient to get everything they need in one place. It also offers competitive prices that consumers are surely going to appreciate. 

MerryMart image owned by CityMall Northtown

Another feature that CityMall has is Food World where you have brands like Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, and Mang Inasal all being served at one place. This means you have access to all your favorite Pinoy Food Brands and you don't have to line up in so many counters to order them.

You don't have to go to another restaurant when Food World gives you all these yummy choices in one place

Mix and match what you want

Now you don't need to go anywhere else to get all these yummy selections available in CityMall

So what are you guys waiting for? I'm excited to shop and dine at CityMall Northtown and I'm definitely gonna swing by soon. Hope you check it out and share your fabulous experience if you can. Go grocery shopping at MerryMart and don't forget mix and match food favorites at Food World. Thanks for dropping by, guys!

Hi, glamazons! I wanted to change my regular diet to include more healthy choices for my everyday meals around February because I’m honestly overweight and just turned 40. If you know me, you know I love eating good food. I’m a live-to-eat kinda gal that loves to cook and I am most happy feeding people meals I’ve prepared with my heart.

I’m approaching things differently these days and am more conscious about gut health, nutrition and  portion size for calorie intake. It would be nice to shed some weight and to get my body to a place that will be able to do more without asthma getting triggered or to simply go out without stomach issues bothering me. I’m trying to be careful this time around with myself.

In the past, when I was in my teens,I would go on crash diets, my goal was always to just lose weight which pushed me to develop an eating disorder that messed up how I viewed myself as a person. I would be 110 lbs and be so unhappy with myself. I would punish myself for a hotdog I ate (never mind that it was the only meal I had that day). Purging, diet pills, laxative teas, or starving myself and exercising like the demons from hell were after me, that was how I fit into 22-24 inch waisted clothes but it was never enough. It was a long journey and a lot of attitude change that came with so many pounds that got me to a place where I am ok with what I am. I am ok with how I look. The carefully built self-love was a long time coming and to this day, it still isn’t quite perfect. I doubt if it ever will be.

I still get upset sometimes when clothes don’t fit right or when stores don’t have my size. I still feel some kind of dread going on elevators and hearing that alarm. I’m afraid of one day not being allowed to go on rides for being too heavy. I don’t hate myself like I did before. I am afraid of disappointing my children if their classmates point out that I am fat. I still balk at how accepted it is in our country to neg you about your personal appearance and to flat out say how fat you are. Dude, that isn’t news to the person carrying the extra weight. They see and feel it more than anyone else. 

That being said, while I know I shouldn’t let other people hurt my soul, being on the heavy side will always hurt how active I can be with my kids. It’s just a fact. You can rock what you have while also acknowledging the fact that it is bad to carry your weight on your tummy and how obesity opens you up to a whole host of health conditions. 

I hate how hard it is to go up the stairs. I hate how hard it is to shop for clothes. I, however, noticed that nowadays, I hate the circumstances and the effects of being overweight but I can honestly say that a lot of the self-loathing I used to feel is no longer there. It may sound conceited but I think I’m pretty great. I tell myself the things I tell my kids everyday in essence— You are smart, you are beautiful inside and out, you are kind (sometimes), and on the days you are feeling extra, you are gorgeous and fabulous! Some days it takes a minute to get there but unless there are genuinely distressing instances in a day, I make an effort to get in that headspace.

I still struggle with working out as weight impacts your knees and back and a lot of times it would frustrate me how exertion would trigger my asthma. So I thought to myself, the one thing I do have control over is what I eat so that is what I want to work on for now. If I get discouraged for struggling with workout, I need to regain control over what I eat and stop letting it consume me as it did in the past. I would like to be mindful of what I eat without making the act of eating joyless. 

I’m not gonna beat myself up for not losing weight as aggressively but I figured I can still benefit from cutting back on the excess. I can help my gut health and maybe not make it so hard to go out for fear of upsetting my stomach. These days, I am very much into looking at nutrition, glycemic index, benefits of protein, healthier options and taking in only what I need. I have decided to keep the weekend meals normal where I can fully enjoy delicious meals with the kids and they see me enjoying meals with them. I still try to be mindful of portion control and swapping out rice for quinoa whenever I can. 

These days I usually have a healthy breakfast and lunch  of either overnight oats, chia pudding, or my meal replacement shakes with fruit and almond milk. I then have a normal dinner with my kids but instead of rice I will have 1 serving size of quinoa. If I’m still hungry, I’ll have some nuts or tuna. So far so good. I don’t have episodes of the upset stomach as much as before and my skin looks so much better. I find that while I do still have occasional cravings for chips or noodles, my cravings for sweets have mellowed down even more. I tried having instant pansit canton and  I think after a few bites the idea was better in my head. My tummy just wouldn’t take it. I’m consuming less of the decidedly naughty foods and trying to get more water,  protein and fiber in my diet and I think that is great in itself. However small the improvement, I will choose to celebrate it. Baby steps until you can take off running and challenge your body more is what I keep telling myself. It’s been a month and I feel so much better about myself.

My favorite breakfast these days is the Chia Seed Pudding. I’m ending this little novela with this recipe my daughter has been enjoying with me since I started. I skipped 2 days without it and I immediately felt the absence of its benefits for my tummy. I’ve had tummy problems since I gave birth to my second kid and so far this change has really helped me manage stomach upsets. 

Banana Nut Chia Seed Pudding 

• 2 Tbsp chia seeds (make sure they aren’t expired)
• 1/2 Cup almond milk or nonfat milk 
• 1/2 banana sliced
• 1 Tbsp mixed nuts (I prepared a mix of pumpkin and sunflower seed, walnuts, almonds and cashews that are roasted but unseasoned)
• 1 Tbsp of honey or packet of sweetener of choice

1. Place chia seeds in a small jar or bowl. Add the sweetener and almond milk. 
2. Mix well, cover and place in the fridge overnight.
3. Top with bananas and nuts and enjoy while drinking lots of water.

                    Chia Seed Pudding reminds me of tapioca pudding

Easy peasy, right? I hope you get to try it regardless of the journey you are on because it is absolutely delicious. It’s so good that even my 4 year old loves it.

I am not a nutritionist or health expert. I am simply trying to make better food choices for myself by eating what I need and increasing more of the good stuff available to me. It may not be the same experience for everyone. 

Going to a party? Or have some gathering with indulgent dishes? Eat and enjoy what is there. At the end of the day, the good changes you make on everyday meals is going to impact your life more than that one gathering.  I just wanted to share this journey with you guys because it scares me to share stuff like this and I wanted to put myself out there and do something out of the box for me.

Are you trying to improve some aspects of your life this year? I’d love to hear about it. Thank you for dropping by and may the glam be with you! 

 Hi, Glamazons! I've got another beauty product feature you might be interested in for Shopee's 11.11-12.12 Mega Pamasko Sale. These products are gonna blow your socks off. In fact, lots of beauty enthusiasts have been featuring this brand on their platforms as they are not only affordable but perform well and are of amazing quality.

I am personally prefer doing minimal makeup these days but the essentials never missing from my motd are brow makeup, powder, and lip color. I like the effortless beauty these 3 makeup items produce. I still wear a mask whenever I go out so I like having my brows on fleek as they are features I like to highlight and I feel that it adds character to your face. I also like using a nice face powder that will keep my oiliness at bay and provide a soft focus effect on my skin, and a lip color that will not move under a mask as well as complete my overall look.

So without further delay, here are three products from SACE I would urge you to look into:

1. SACE LADY Waterproof Eyebrow Gel- It is waterproof, sets and enhances your brows. It comes in 6 universally flattering shades that is gonna provide you pigment that lasts for hours. Define those arches and make an impression with this product without having to worry about disappearing brows because this stays on all day.

2. SACE LADY Oil Control Face Powder- This provides you that blurring and smoothening effect, reduces shine and gives you a natural- looking matte that doesn't look cakey at all. It controls sebum production while providing a diminishing effect to your imperfections. With any makeup look you always want your skin to look fresh and you want to highlight your assets. This is a great addition to any glamazon's kit for beauty touch-ups.

3. SACE LADY Matte Lip Tint- This is a wonderful product for those that want a healthy dose of color on their lips and want that matte finish. This stain stays put on your lips for hours on end and that is great news for times when we need to wear face masks. You always want budge-proof staying power from your lip products while wearing protective gear over your face.

SACE LADY  has always prided itself in being a brand that is both affordable and impressive in terms of quality and what better time to stock up on your beauty essentials than to take advantage of the Mega Pamasko Promo from Shopee? 

You get so much savings when you buy all your essentials from your favorite brands at Shopee's  11.11-12.12 Mega Pamasko Sale. In fact, it's the perfect time to do your Christmas shopping to save on gifts for your loved ones. I personally love buying my beauty and skincare items from Shopee because I can avail of good deals, cashback and promos with the added convenience of not having to leave my home while I get what I need.

So what are you waiting for? Replenish your beauty essentials with these affordable yet high quality makeup items on SACE LADY's official store on Shopee. Avail of the Buy 2 and get 50% off plus an extra P100 voucher when you shop for these items during the promo period.

Time to go shopping, Glamazons. Thanks for dropping by and may the glam be with you always! :)

 Hi, Glamazons! You know these days I'm all about skincare and I have always loved and pushed for the patronage of local brands in the beauty industry. I'm quite excited to share about some products from Ellana Cosmetic's skincare line to my readers. For those of you wondering what my current skin woes are, I'm having trouble with hormonal acne as well as irritation from wearing face masks. My other problem is the dark marks left behind by my blemishes. So if you have the same problems, acne and dark spots, read on!

Makeup is wonderful and I will always enjoy putting it on and using it for self-expression and creativity. That being said, makeup looks and sits so much better on skin that is well taken care of. Beautiful skin provides the best base for motds. The better your skin condition, the less makeup you actually need to achieve that flawless look everybody wants.

First up on the Ellana Skincare items you need to try is the Ellana Stay Fresh Moisturizer. I typically use this after all my serums as it locks in the skin's much needed moisture. It takes care of pimple marks I have with its Niacinamide, one of my actual favorite ingredients in skincare. Centella Asiatica and Green Tea extracts help with ongoing blemishes while keeping your skin supple and moisturized for up to 72 hours. It's an interesting combination as most pimple fighting formulas actually dry out the skin. Now you can lock in that moisture while healing your skin but also making sure you aren't gonna go all oily. When your skin has the moisture it needs, you won't be producing excess sebum to compensate for dry skin.

image from ellanacosmetics.com

For serums I actually like Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid. In fact, I used to have to buy separate serums for this. With Ellana Glass-C Skin+Serum you get both of them in one product. Vitamin C further helps fading out dark spots and actually boosts sun protection while Hyaluronic Acid keeps your skin hydrated and gives you brighter, healthier looking skin. This serum also boosts collagen production resulting in youthful looking skin. At my age, keeping my skin hydrated and well cared for is the goal to delay skin aging and to look my best with or without makeup. I especially like using this serum in the morning right before my moisturizer and sunscreen.

image from ellanacosmetics.com

At night, after double cleansing and toning, one of the serums I have in my rotation is Ellana Clear Skin+ Serum which has a powerful blend of botanical actives and 10 %  Azeclair , which helps control sebum production and helps fight blemishes and evens out my complexion. Mascne is becoming a problem for me to be honest and I find that by simply adding this to my skincare routine, I am able to keep breakouts at bay or manage them and lighten the hyperpigmentation left behind by the pimples. 

image from ellanacosmetics.com

If you're interested in trying these products out, shop in their official Ellana Cosmetics store in Shopee. I prefer getting all my skincare needs from shopee because it is so much more convenient than going to physical stores. Shopee allows me to have worry-free shopping by minimizing my exposure by being able to make my purchases online and I am able to pay by using ShopeePay and enjoy free shipping. Buying them this way also lets me enjoy better deals and avail of promos on skincare and makeup essentials. You can enjoy up to 50% off on your Ellana skincare if you buy them off their official store in Shopee.

Get great deals on skincare now, glamazons! Thanks for droppping by and may the glam be with you always! :)