E R I K A

Before anything else I'd like to tell you what Omiyamairi means..

お宮参り (Omiyamairi) is a shortened word for Hatsumiyamairi which means 'first shrine visit'. It's a ceremony which we bring our Japanese baby to the Shinto Shrine one month after birth (31 days for boys and 33 days for girls) or before the babies' 100th day. Modern japanese parents usually bring their babies before or on the baby's exact 100th day anniversary to celebrate Omiyamairi and お食い初め (Okuizome) which means, 'baby's first meal' together. They either eat somewhere or get their babies photo taken at the studio. We ate at a restaurant nearby after his Omiyamairi and made Haru drink his first soup 'coz we can't actually feed him yet. In tradition, (according to my husband) the mother of the father of the baby will be the one to carry the baby throughout the ceremony. Everyone has to wear formal clothes because it's a ceremony. The ceremony is how the Japanese welcome the baby into the community. The monk prays for the babies health and happiness. After the ceremony the monk will give the baby a wood with an Omamori (Talisman or Charm) inside which will be the babies very own and the baby will carry this throught the his/her life. The temple charged us ¥10,000 'coz it's our first baby and our first time. You get a discount for the 2nd baby. Lol.

Now onto my story~

We've finally given Haru a proper Omiyamairi and a not so proper Okuizome ceremony! Lol. At first I was worried 'coz Haru is already pass 100. (He's 148 days now. Lol.) And my biggest concern if it's still okay for Haru to undergo the ceremony. We asked Studio Alice first if it's still okay even though Haru is already (almost) 5 months and they told us it's fine. They said that 3-5 months is okay but they're not sure about 6 month olds 'coz they're not sure if the kimono will still fit. So we were able to rent a kimono for Haru for free as long as we get Haru's picture taken afterwards at Studio Alice. Lol.

The temple we've made reservations to also told as that it's okay even if Haru's (almost) 5 months old so what a relief! We celebrated his Omiyamairi and his not so proper Okuizome!

「 Kimono Haru used for the ceremony 」

Why do I keep saying that we didn't give Haru a proper Okuizome celebration?

It's 'coz we didn't order the traditional foods you're supposed to make or order during an Okuizome ceremony. Instead, we ordered hamburger, salads, tonkatsu and etc. Lol.

「 Haru's first sip of soup 」

「 Our Family Photo 」

The only photo I get to download for free on their site. Jeez..

My husband told me that it's totally fine even if we didn't undergo a proper Omiyamairi. He just wanted to go to the temple, pray for Haru and leave! He's not a traditional type of guy.. He just want to get things over with. I, on the other hand wanted to give him a proper ceremony. If it wasn't for the internet and my mother in law. We wouldn't be able to make this possible so thanks to my convincing skills and research that I was able to give Haru the ceremony he deserves! Lol.

Although my husband told me that most Japanese people don't do it anymore.. and unlike in the past.. they're not that strict as long as you pay money at the temple. They won't complain you giving your son a late Omiyamairi ceremony as long as you pay! He says.

But in my opinion, I guess it's between 3-5 months 'coz at 6 months the kimono might not fit the baby anymore..

Japanese culture is confusing sometimes. 'Coz it's very different from the Philippine culture that I'm accustomed to. But I absolutely love it! And I'm loving that I'm learning more and more about Japanese culture with the help of my new family.

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My Diet 2015

diet Friday, June 12, 2015

I thought I'd share how I lose weight in this blog to keep me updated on my progress so far. This will be so embarassing for me as I will reveal my weight and everything and I've been denial for so long.. I considered myself 'The Queen of Illusion' 'coz I look slim in pics but I look like a ~~giant~~ marshmallow in real life! Anyways, might aswell come clean and share everything!

I was fat all my life. When I started going on a diet (jogging everynight & eating healthy) 2-3 years ago my 'slimmest' weight was 63kg, And then, I had a boyfriend! Lol. Which is my husband now. This is where I started to forget my diet and started growing and growing until I weighed 70kg. (Idk bout you guys but I ALWAYS gain weight when I'm with someone.. HAHA!) I got pregnant at this time and then grew up to 83kg. By the time Haru was born and I was breastfeeding.. I wasn't dieting or anything but in fact I am being told to eat a lot so I can make more breast milk for baby! Even though I'm not dieting I dropped to 73kg! I thought breastfeeding was helping me lose weight so I thought oh, I'm breastfeeding.. I can eat everything and still lose weight.. ~~NOT~~! I started gaining weight again plus taking contraceptive pills which also helped with my weight gain. But I couldn't solely blame it on the pills 'coz I was eating a LOT too!

I then reached 80kg! 80 ~~fucking~~ kilos wtf! I'm obese! It was alarming for me but everytime I would start going on a diet I kept saying maybe tomorrow and the next day.. and another day pass and I'm still not dieting!!! It wasn't until we have to go to Studio Alice to have Haru's photo taken for his late お宮参り Omiyamairi (It's like Christening here in Japan) and we have to wear formal clothes for the ceremony and picture taking. I don't have any formal dresses but I have suits! So when I was trying on my suits and it won't fucking fit! I started crying and I was really dissapointed in myself because I let myself turn out this way. And I was really dissapointed because if I can't wear my suits, we can't give Haru a proper Omiyamairi and we can't have a family picture. So by, June 3 I started taking my diet seriously. I would eat one cup of rice in a little Japanese bowl and some meat and veggies. I wouldn't eat anything after.. no dinner nor supper. So basically, I'm only eating once a day.. by lunch time! I do get hungry but I drink lots of water to keep me full. I also drink green tea 5 times a day or more.. it's just a normal green tea, not a diet tea. I read that it also helps you lose weight. My workouts include cleaning the house, watching workout vids on youtube and doing it and I sometimes workout with Haru (I saw some mommy & baby workout tips on TV). I can't lie but I do eat snacks sometimes. Like, if I lose a kilo today I would eat some chips as a reward and I wouldn't eat chips until I lose weight again.

I set goals to help me lose weight. And today, June 12 I lost a total of 4kg. It wasn't what I was expecting as I was expecting to lose 5kg today. But I still managed to lose 4kg which is okay!

By June 30 I want to lose a total of 10 kg. I just need to lose 6 more kilos to finally lose a total of 10 kilos in a month. My goal 'for now' is to reach 60kg. And by the time I reached 60kg I'll have another goal which is 55kg.

Oh and I almost forgot to mention, my suits fits me now! Haru's Omiyamairi and picture taking will be on June 14. And I'm so happy I lost the weight.. now we can give him a proper Omiyamairi and a family picture! I've been going on and off on losing weight for so long. I can only wish I can maintain it 'coz I need to reach atleast 55kg-50kg so I can fit on a wedding dress! Me and my hubs are planning to have a wedding ceremony and I hope I lose the weight so we can celebrate! Will update my progress again to keep me motivated.

Posted this pic to keep me motivated 'coz I was only 65kg on this pic. This was a year ago.

HUHU.. Even 65kg is considered fat here but at the time I could fit into medium sized clothes!

So yeah,

GOODLUCK TO ME AND TO ALL THE GIRLS

WHO ARE ALSO ON A DIET!!!

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Ruby Queen Gray Lens Review

circle lens Friday, May 22, 2015

「ＳＰＯＮＳＯＲＥＤ」

Heeey guys! Klenspop yet sent me 2 pairs of lens to review and I'm excited to review them for you because they're really neat and I'm sure you'll love 'em! The first lens I'm going to review are the Ruby Queen Gray lenses!

Lens info:

Brand: Neo Vision

Diameter: 14.0mm

Graphic Diameter: 13.8mm

Water Content: 38%

Base Curve: 8.6mm

Life Span: 1 year (Max)

Country of Origin: South Korea

Price: $21.00 (1 pair (2pcs) + lens case and tong)

[ It looks kinda green here! Cool!]

SELFIE TIME!

I think these lenses would really look good on people with light colored eyes.

But it still looked good on me right?? RIGHT??! Hahaha..

Design: ★★★★★

I personally love the design! They're like diamonds or shattered glass! I think it's pretty cool! Makes your eyes shine bright like a diamond~♪ ♫ ♬
(lol) It has a unique design so I love 'em!

Enlargement: ★★★★★

I think it makes my eyes look ginormous for 14.0mm lens! And I love it!
I personally prefer my lenses this way 'coz they don't go over my pupils!
It fits just right!

Comfort: ★★★★☆

It's a breeze to apply since it's only 14.0mm so it's not that big but I could only wear it for half a day (with drops) otherwise my eyes hurt.. but hey! For the sake of fashion! lol. But like I've mentioned before.. 'fashion' lenses should only be worn atleast 4 hours..
exceeding over 4 hours would definitely irritate your eyes.
Especially if you don't use eye drops!

Overall: ★★★★★

Did I already tell you how much I love these lenses??!
Well.. I'ma tell you guys again! I LOVE THESE LENSES!!! Haha!
I think it looks good on any make up style~
Even just with simple make up it can make your eyes really pop!
It doesn't look natural but it looks really pretty~♪
So the heck with natural! lol.

If you LOVE gray lenses like me, and want these particular type of lens don't forget to check out Klenspop site and get 'em HERE!

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Mama Rant!

mama rant Monday, May 04, 2015

First of all I would like to congratulate my cousin, who's now a papa and his wife Aya ❤

Welcome to the world our precious baby Remi! I'm really sorry I have to include you in this rant post.

So today we visited my cousin's wife, Aya at the hospital 'coz she just gave birth yesterday to my beautiful niece from cousin, Remi ❤

Ahh.. Remi.. my cute tiny niece! She's only 2,200+grams! So precious!

I'm really happy 'coz we've been waiting forever for her to come out! Aya's due date was supposed to be on April 27. Since it's late she was induced 'coz the baby won't come out yet..

She's so tiny and fragile. Compared to Haru now who just had his 3 month check up now weighs 7.8kg!

Anyway, reason why I'm blogging about this it's 'coz I've had it with adults!

When we went to visit Aya, my aunt's (my cousin's mom) friends tagged along with us. (me, my husband, dad and lil' bro) One of my aunt's friend was excited I guess 'coz he haven't seen Haru yet. First reaction when they saw Haru. Omg he's big! lol. They carried him and told me he's heavy. (yes, coz his big desho?!) Asked me how much he weighs and I told them he's 7.8kg which is big I know but according to his baby book, his weight is normal. Then they told me I shouldn't feed him much 'coz he's so big. I literally cringed and thought? Wow! So what if he's hungry? Do I not feed him 'coz he's fat?! The fuck would I starve my child for?! He's a baby! Of course it's okay if he's fat! And duh.. Since he weighs 7.8kg he should be drinking atleast 200ml of milk but I only feed him 160ml when he's hungry 'coz that's just the amount of milk he can finish. I'm not over feeding him at all.

Let's see what my baby has to say..

See?! You made him cry!

Before heading to the hospital, Haru pooped so I changed his diaper but then he had a leak so I had to change his clothes too. I bought him an extra but they told me I should've brought more inside my bag. Omg we're only going to be out for a couple of hours?! What do want me to do bring his wardrobe?!!

When we arrived at the hospital.. Haru was fine. Dad insisted on carrying him so I let him. Now, Aya's room was hot. She said the aircondition was broke so we had to settle for fresh air coming from the window. Haru fell sleep but woke up later on so I took pics with him and Remi.

They're they are.. my two little precious ❤

Then dad went outside with Haru. I don't know what happened afterwards 'coz I was busy talking to Aya and taking Remi's pics. Dad went back to the room and I think my aunt's friend was carrying him. I really didn't notice. All I remember is that Haru suddenly bursted out crying and then dad was holding him trying to soothe him. I know Haru, he's easy to soothe! Even my dad can soothe him but this time it's different! He can't be soothed at all! And it was the first time I've seen Haru cry the longest and the loudest!

What pissed me the most is that I want my dad to give me Haru so I can soothe him but he insists that he can do it then my aunt's friends thinks they can too so Haru's was passed on from my dad to my aunt's friends! At the time they kept telling me maybe he's hungry? (but he just drank milk) maybe he's this and that and those! (lol) I was panicking I don't know what to do? Should I do this? That? Those? (lol) Then finally, my husband took Haru away from them and said we should go home. When we we're walking to the car, Haru wasn't crying as much. Then I knew what he's problem was. He's HOT! That's why he kept crying. Then my dad kept blaming my aunt's friend, said she was too loud that's why Haru got irritated. Now, I didn't really like my dad blaming it to other people 'coz it's not my aunt's friends' fault. It was the room's fault! 'Coz it's hot!

All I'm saying is.. can't people let me concentrate on what to do instead of telling me maybe he's this? And that?? Or WHATEVER!

Oh and I remember at the time my aunt's friend told me I should've brought some juice or water to feed Haru. Drinking too much milk isn't good for the baby. That's why Haru's fat! The fuck what?! He's 3 frickin' months! Omg!

I would rather believe what I read on babycenter than you're stupid advice!

I tried feeding my baby mugi cha for babies (tea) but he just doesn't like it so I'm sticking with milk!

ANYWAY..

I know they're just concern and all but trust me I know how to take care of my baby. I know I'm young but I'm not stupid. I know what I got myself into so I should learn what to do and what not to do. And I want to do my own rules when it comes to taking care of my OWN child.

This is why I don't judge mom's and tell them what to do and what not to do 'coz I don't want them having a problem with me. I don't mind what you do to your baby.. so don't mind what I do to my baby? Right? Except maybe when you're doing something really wrong and alarming for example, starving your child. Leaving your child alone in the house. THAT I would mind.

I don't mean for this blog to be offensive but I just want to vent 'coz I feel offended when other's think I'm not doing a good job when I know I am. I'm also sorry for the profanities I've mentioned 'coz I'm really pissed. We all have different ways to take care of our baby 'coz our babies are different. And I'd rather take babycenter or thebump's advice than yours. (not you but the people who pissed me off!) THANKS!

'Coz I'm your MAMA ! lol.

P.S.

He's got scratches on his face 'coz of his nails.

P.S.

I cut his nails.

P.S.

But sometimes those suckers just grow so fast!

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E R I K A

Haru's Photoshoot

♡晴輝のお宮参り♡ Haru's Omiyamairi

My Diet 2015

Ruby Queen Gray Lens Review

Mama Rant!

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