A quick search through my inbox for a purchase confirmation of an ebook I remember purchasing led me down a rabbit hole of forgotten conversations and email threads. I saw an email response to a TinyLetter I sent out back in 2015 and I thought, "Wow, people used to subscribe to my thoughts and actually bother to send me emails to reply." I read through old blog posts and marveled at how I used to recount my day to day no matter how mundane, and now I regret not following through. A chunk of my late 20s and early 30s would have been fun to look back to when I get older. 

Writing is still my preferred method to express my thoughts but I don't have as much time to wax poetic about my everyday experience, and so I thought of turning to this current generation's platform of choice: video. My husband and I got a new Insta360 Go Ultra in the hopes of documenting our domestic bliss, and I am excited to bring it everywhere. 

Lately I had been feeling the need to reconnect with friends and create new connections. I am very happy with my husband and I never get bored with our little life, but I still feel that hankering for community. Here are the things I was up to in the last two weeks. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

Community Garden Club

One of the reasons why I love living here is the many activities the Property Management Office and residents come up with to engage the community. One of this is the Community Garden Club held two Saturdays ago to encourage plant-lovers and greens enthusiasts to plant herbs and vegetables in the community garden. 

We even got to go home with our chosen seeds to plant at home. I will plant these in our living room balcony when we move to our new home. 

Journal Club at The Beach House

My friends and I started doing this years ago (nine years, to be exact) but it became just another forgotten hobby. I am so happy we revived it! 

My Coconut Cream Cloud Matcha

I worked on a quick wedding spread ♡

The best thing about journalling with friends is all the yapping that comes with it

Our beautiful mess

I also donated stickers for the benefit of Cats of Kapitolyo. Here is Shelly, The Beach House's resident cat, as cat photo tax. When you visit The Beach House, please consider buying these stickers and/ or donating!

Watercolor date with sisters and friends old and new

It has been years since I picked up a brush but I had been on a roll with trying and reviving things so, why not? It was an impromptu invite to our wedding photographer turned friend Mykee of Willow, and I am so glad we got a lot of other friends to join! We held it at Seltsam last Saturday while it was raining hard outside, and the venue was perfect for some quiet and cozy painting time accompanied with sprinkles of girl talk.

Our beautiful watercolor creations

Mykee Thankful for ~work connections turned friends

Boba, Seltsam's resident cat

(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

All these and my other attempts at other things/ hobbies will be documented on my revived TikTok account, Krissy Tries. Please connect with me there if you feel inclined to do so. As always, thank you for your support, and I hope you are well. Please take care of your hearts. 

Hello, you. It's been a while. I hope you have been well. ♡

I have been too busy enjoying my wife era that I hadn't been able to blog as much I would have wanted, but hey, I'm still here. Domain's still being paid, et cetera, and I thought I'd drop by to say hi. 

So many things have happened. most notable of which is that my brother got married so I gained a new sister. 

It's my birthday month this month and my husband and I have two beach trips planned. My birthday trip was a bit spontaneous as I planned it while tossing and turning at 2am, suddenly getting the urge to go parasailing, while the other is a trip with our Man of Honor Ed and friend Myk. 

Things are looking up, and although there are a lot of things I still yearn for like an honest and effective government and an efficient transportation system, my heart is happy and content.

Happythankyoumoreplease. 

One of the coolest things in life is seeing your friend's dream come to life. I am honored and stoked to be there during the very early days of The Beach House and be privy to how my friend Sarah saw her vision through.

From planning to scouting the perfect spot in Kapitolyo,

to online window-shopping furniture and decor to early taste-tests,

to focus group discussions turned chika sessions --- what a beautiful process to witness!  

Congratulations, Sarah and team! My husband and I can't wait to visit again soon! ♡

Friends, if you are looking for a new café or a cool new spot to hang-out in, or if you are a WFH corporate slave like me who likes to work outside their home from time to time, come check out The Beach House. They are located in 11C East Capitol Drive, Pasig City, Philippines, or you may just look for The Beach House Kapitolyo in Waze. They are open every day from 9AM to 9PM. Aside from coffee and snacks, you may also get your favorite Beach Born products there or have your bottles refilled. There is also Monkey on 3rd at the third floor if you like your drinks a bit on the stronger side ;) 

Hope to bump into you at The Beach House one of these days!

 Major life update: I am moving to a bigger apartment with a much better view! 

J and I have started shopping for stuff for the new unit, and yesterday we put salt, sugar, and rice for good fortune. :)

I guess if it's meant to be then it won't be too challenging. My new landlord is so nice as well and allowed us to rip off the old wallpaper and replace it with new ones.

I can't wait to make more memories in this new space, and cook/ bake more goodies with the new huge kitchen counter space!

And of course, I am so excited to be doing it with J. :)

Instead of finishing the year strong, why don't we finish the year soft? Why don't we finish the year restful and grateful for making it through yet another crazy cycle on Earth?

I don't even know if people still read blogs nowadays, but as I have always maintained, I am writing for me, for something to look back to in the future, for something to make me smile at the good old days. I saw this quote as I was doom-scrolling the other day and it got me thinking that I haven't updated this blog in a while, and what could be a nice way to say hi than to list down some things I am grateful for? 

I am grateful for pretty little things and the purchasing power to buy them with.

Yes, it may sound shallow and materialistic, but it feels nice to reward myself after working hard. It's been a while since I got myself nice things, and these NARS makeup products feel like the perfect year-ender reward.

I got myself NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Starwoman, NARS Audacious Lipstick in Rita, and NARS Mini Blush in Orgasm

The POWER that a great red lipstick can wield. Intoxicating. This is NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Starwoman.

I am grateful for supportive workmates and an excellent go-getter team.

Clozette PH Heads

Clozette PH Campaigns team

Work gets stressful at times but I couldn't ask for a better team to handle it with. I couldn't be more proud.

I am grateful that our Networking Night went smoothly and everyone had a great time.

Me with queens Maxie, Eva Le Queen, and Turing

The way I audibly gasped the first time I saw Eva Le Queen. STUNNINGGG.

I ordered shoes AND backup shoes for the party but they both arrived on the day of the event after I had already left the house. J went to the party and brought my shoes so I was able to wear the cutest monochromatic pink outfit I envisioned. :)

Clozette's Drag, Dinner, and Drinks held at Clubhouse MNL set the standard and I am sure we''ll be talking about it in the years to come.

I am grateful for quiet moments.

Lunch at Your Local

Coffee at Yardstick

I guess it comes with age? Whereas before I used to seek adventure, nowadays I am perfectly happy to sit for a nice meal and coffee with people I love. Last Saturday I found out that Yardstick Coffee in Esteban Street, Makati is closing so J and I made a day out of it. We ate out at Your Local with his Mom and had a last coffee at Yardstick.

I am grateful for home.

Sometimes, home is a person.

I am grateful for those who cast light.

I started working with Clozette PH one year ago today.

I have a very solid team, everyone goes along well, and everyone functions independently with minimal supervision. My heart is grateful.

As I shared on my previous blog post, I was recently promoted so as a reward to myself, I got a Nintendo Switch OLED to make my Animal Crossing: New Horizons experience even better.

Borrowing J's Switch OLED was not enough, I needed to have my own HAH. 

This is a great update to the Nintendo Switch Lite that J gave me for our fifth anniversary, but I am also keeping that one because it was a gift.

I have more time these days, but not a lot of time for blogging that I seriously considered not renewing the domain anymore. However, this domain has been with me through various milestones and life stages so letting it go will be a waste.

Hope to get more energy to update here. :)

The pandemic has made me scared of huge crowds, and there was a time shortly before I got Covid for the second time when even going out of the house gave me anxiety, but I am pushing this anxiety away so I can go to PASIGlaban on Sunday for a Leni-Kiko rally.

Source: Tarantadong Kalbo

Seeing the turnout in the other parts of the Philippines gave me goosebumps, and I cannot wait to be part of the crowd and feel this electrifying energy!

We hesitated a bit because of the logistics, until we thought of booking a room in a hotel nearby so won't have problems going home, or even have issues with stuff to bring, or looking for a public comfort room if the need arises. I will also find time to bake tomorrow so I can distribute cookies at the rally. :)

As for our meals, I do not think we will have any challenges because it's nearby at least four different malls. Besides, foodpanda and Ayala Malls have started a joint initiative to offer hassle-free solutions and deals to their patrons through DriveBuy pickup stations.

Revisit familiar flavors and discover new faves at Ayala Malls, get in touch with your inner foodie and enjoy amazing eats while skipping the queues through PICKUP or staying within the safety and comfort of your home through DELIVERY. To make the most of it, synergize with foodpanda’s newest pal, Pau-Pau as he knows all the tricks of the trade.

foodpanda continues its joint initiative with Ayala Malls to minimize person-to-person contact and ensure everyone’s convenience and safety. Ayala Malls also has designated DriveBuy pickup stations and dedicated al fresco dining areas.

Looking to satisfy your cravings from a restaurant in an Ayala Mall? Get ₱100 OFF on top of existing deals when you order using the code AYALAMALLS100 for a minimum order of ₱399 on all food delivery and pick-up orders. The code is valid in 27 Ayala Malls branches nationwide until April 30, 2022.

Will you be joining PASIGlaban? See you there!

I always found joy in the novelty of my Tatay being born on Valentine's Day, thus his name Valentino. I always quip this as an unsolicited fun fact whenever I get asked for my parents' name or when conversations veer towards names as topic. I do not exactly know where I am named after (although my Mama always claims it's because the name Kris was popular in 1986 because of the People Power Revolution (for non-Filipino readers of this post, the youngest daughter of the late President Cory Aquino who overthrew the Marcos dictatorship is named Kris). 

Anyway, this past Valentine's Day is probably the saddest Valentine's Day for me yet, because it's the first Valentine's Day that my Tatay is not here to celebrate his birthday with us.

Happy birthday, Tatay. Hope you're having a blast up there.

We love you and we miss you so much.

I was beating myself up for the past couple of days because I was dreading having to write my traditional year-end blog post. Writing this today is already a day late, as I was used to publishing it on the last day of the year, but I figured no one else may care anyway.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And so here comes my end of 2021 blog post, one of the most difficult I have had to write, for one of the - if not the - most difficult and challenging year I have had. 

I lost my Tatay in June of this year, and even after six months I can't say I have grieved completely. Sometimes I am busy with something and suddenly remember, and it's whiplash all over again. I still get crying spells sometimes, and they get triggered by various things. I still can't bring myself to open our text messages and Messenger thread again.

It's uncanny how news of the death of Hollywood legend Betty White somehow gave me comfort today, because of what she said in an old interview.

In a 2012 TimesTalks conversation with New York Times columnist Frank Bruni, White said she found "nothing" difficult about getting older, citing her mother's own optimistic approach to death.

"My mother had a wonderful approach to death," White said. "She always thought of it as — she said, 'We know we have managed to find out almost anything that exists, but nobody knows ... what happens at that moment when it's over.'

She continued: "And she said, 'It's the one secret that we don't know.' So whenever we would lose somebody very close and very dear, she would always say, 'Well, now he knows the secret.' And it took the curse off of it somehow."

Thank you, Betty White. ♡ 

“Never. We never lose our loved ones. They accompany us; they don’t disappear from our lives. We are merely in different rooms.” - Paulo Coelho

My Tatay's death felt to me like Comet Dibiasky from the movie Don't Look Up, but the other big things that happened to me deserve to be mentioned as well.

This year I:

• moved out. I started living independently more than ten years ago, but this was the first time I truly felt like I live in an adult apartment
• quit my old job. After another day of working until past 1AM, I threw caution to the wind and sent in my resignation letter even without a new job waiting for me. I figured it was time I say yes to myself.
• proved that big risks offer big rewards. A new job snapped me up right away and I've never been happier and more fulfilled in my professional career.
• learned how to cook and bake. As I said, I started living independently more than ten years ago but I only learned how to cook and bake recently. I started learning in 2020, but my repertoire vastly improved this year. Thanks to my oven and my cooking bestie, my Instant Pot.

For Christmas I wanted a bigger kitchen space so I can move around more when I'm cooking or baking, but because it's impossible to wrap that, I guess I'd go for an espresso machine instead. And that's exactly what I got!

J gave me a Baumann Living One-Touch Café Express in white for Christmas.

Baumann Living One-Touch Café Express fresh out of the box

I was excited to get it out of the box but it took me one day before I primed and used it because I was so intimidated. (Heck I still haven't used J's anniversary gift to me which is the Baumann Living Breadmaker, heh.) (God knows it also took me a while before I opened and used my Instant Pot, but now it's my cooking bestie.)

Anyway, I was looking for reviews of this machine but couldn't find any so I figured I would just go ahead and write one.

SPOILER ALERT. I loved it.

Making my [first] cup of coffee in the morning is one of my favorite parts of my day, and the One Touch Café Express just made it more enjoyable. For one, instead of my regular brewed coffee from my old handy-dandy coffeemaker, I can now enjoy either espresso, Americano, latte, or cappuccino. All I need is freshly finely ground beans, milk optional.

The first drink I prepared with my new machine is a latte. It's soooo easy! One touch, indeed!

What I love about this machine is that I do not need to tinker with a lot of buttons and settings to prepare my chosen drink. All it needs is a touch (or two) of a button, and it does its magic. I only pressed the Latte button twice for this much latte as I had a big mug, but for a smaller cup, one press is enough.

The compartments for milk and water are also easy to take out to refill and clean and snap back in again, so crafting multiple drinks in one go shouldn't be a problem. 

You can also customize how foamy you want your milk to be. :) Do I add latte art to my [never-ending] list of hobbies?

I guess my only gripe about this machine is that because there are some plastic parts, it could feel a little flimsy, but not to the point that it looks easily breakable. I just need to be more delicate with it than say, a Breville or a De'Longhi, but for the price point, it definitely serves its purpose.

I got my Benguet coffee beans from Cafe Le Bearded Dogué. :)

A couple of years ago I got a coffee recipe book. It's in the condo somewhere, I better read up because I am excited to craft more drinks with this toy. Thanks, J!