It's a Butt Day

So today, I managed to rip my pants while at work. It didn't rip at the seams, I didn't even hear nor feel anything weird 'til my happy undies waved back at me while I was checking myself out in the restroom (I check my own butt, so sue me). Naturally, when I got home, I told my siblings about it in our group chat. I was hoping to gain some sympathy but I think I might have just opened Pandora's box. Berry, Peachy and Orange are my older sisters--- one is a lawyer, one is a no-fuss kinda mom and the other helps manage my Dad's law firm, so I was expecting something more in line with a nurturing, caring reaction.
Pshhh. Yeah. Right.

This is sibling love, Exhibit A

Some words are in Filipino but you get the idea. To those who don't know, Shangi is my nickname only used by my family. Don't ask me how it evolved from Pears, it just did.

Exhibit B

I'm just thinking out loud... Is it right to say walked into that one instead of walked RIGHT into that one?

I got 99 problems and a pair of ripped pants is definitely one!

Toodles! :)

Dad.

If I was even half a decent writer, I would write an epic novel about my Dad and his real-life adventures. I mean, we're talking about spies, barons, dictators, castles---yes, castles!--- let's throw in the seven dwarfs for good measure and call it a party.

During the prime of his career, he missed out on some recitals and school presentations, but I never felt a tinge of neglect. He could be flying from two different cities in a day but still manage to get home just in time for dinner and be excited about the most mundane things like a new pair of socks that I just purchased in the mall. He never told me what to do but he always led by example---He showed me to be compassionate to those who needed it the most, to choose my battles (and weapons!) wisely, to never dignify pompous questions with an answer, to be passionate about doing the right thing even if it can be the most difficult thing to do, to be able to find humor amid grave predicaments, to turn to God for guidance and thanksgiving... and randomly, how to survive winter in Cambridge, Massachusetts (he went to Harvard Law right after I was born).

Happy Birthday to my first love and sometimes, my favorite frenemy. 

Check out all that sass!

Photo by Jon Tolentino Photography

Toodles!

The Reluctant Road Tripper: Day 1

DAY 1 California→Nevada→Utah→Colorado

I don’t seem to remember whose bright idea it was to do a road trip from California all the way to the East coast and how the heck I bought it because here I am, crammed in a huge SUV with excess luggage, plastic/paper bags of random stuff like toothpaste, plastic forks and phone chargers poking me on every part of my body. Mind you, this is the first real interstate road trip I’ve ever been on. Add that with my parents and two of my siblings joining in and well…let’s just say you will have to get creative to withstand the 15-hour drive per day.

In between bickering about who ordered the large fries with what in the drive-thru and listening to the same songs played over and over on the satellite radio, I promise to document as much as I can as I go along.

A 2-week long road trip diet consists of mostly one thing---big, bad junk food. Naturally, I am appointed to pick the junk food to carry for the trip---(tough job, I know).

Some of my faves from Trader Joe’s:

The must-try's are the Kettle Cooked Olive Oil potato chips, Sea Salt Butterscotch caramels and the Chocolate crisps.

Ready or not, here we come.

We headed out at 5 am in the morning and managed to cross from California to Nevada then to Arizona then to Utah and ended the day in Colorado. Take note that we left right after my little sister’s graduation so my family and I were totally beat without enough time to recuperate from all the craziness that comes with graduation ceremonies. We didn't have time to stop over the main cities of each state since we were literally just passing through but the scenery was still phenomenal. I took some naps in between but I tried to stay up and take some interesting photos. 

The ones that really caught my eye were of the natural rock formations as we crossed from one state to another.

You can easily spot high-end homes as well, just hanging right on cliffs and mountains.

The view from this house must be amazing...and the bathrooms too. Tee-hee. I think I spotted this house while we were passing through Utah.

A great scenic view here in Colorado.

Colorado is usually flocked by tourists and locals alike during winter season, having Aspen and Vail as the go-to spots especially for celebrities. I'm not really the outdoors type of person but I think it would still be fun to hang around these resorts whilst drinking hot chocolate, watching people get knocked off their @sses in the snow. Amen? Amen.

Due to higher elevation, the potato chips were all puffed up that one of 'em popped! So when you're traveling through the Colorado Rockies, make sure to secure your chips in a paper bag to save yourself from a messy situation.

With having to endure 24 hours of not being able to take a shower, a pair of sunglasses and some Dior lipstick will automatically be your best friends. OMG, I KNOW it’s gross but I just couldn't get myself to wake up and take a shower at the crack of dawn before we left for the trip! FYI, I showered right when we got to the hotel so I’m so fresh and so clean, clean whilst typing this post.

Yes, that is a roll of toilet paper in my hand. Staying classy.

By the way, it’s always a bad idea to bring Chinese food if you know you’re going to be on the road for the whole day. Lesson absolutely learned.

 a) You're going to stink up the car and b) something will act up---rhymes with towels.

Hello Panda!

I can’t resist but share this really amazing feature of our Ford Expedition rental:

A legit power socket! No more smashing your head against the dashboard for not remembering to bring the car charger! Of course, this was my first time to see such a thing on a vehicle so I was gawking at it like a cave woman. Oh and speaking of car features, make sure to get a rental that has a satellite radio or have a music device plugged in---you'll breeze through those long winding roads if you've got your fave songs on.

For accommodations, I greatly recommend the Marriott group. No matter where you are, the standards are pretty consistent and the rooms are clean and decent. They also tend to not be situated in shady areas, so that kinda gave me the peace of mind, especially that we're not familiar with the places that we're going to.

This was my room in Colorado. I forgot if this is in Courtyard or Residence Inn.

Anyhoo, I’ll keep mum about the final destination of this long excursion to myself until I get there. And no, you can’t really guess what it’s about because for the first time in history, it’s NOT about me. Just kidding. It’s always about me. Mwahahaha.

Toodles!

Easter Travels: Lake Arrowhead

Southern California is not only well-known for its mild weather year-round, it's also a great place to be in if you just want to quickly get out of the city and do a day trip excursion with your loved ones. The great thing about day trips is that you don't have to pack anything or worry about travel arrangements---You simply get in the car and go!

Being just about a 45-minute drive from my place (with light traffic, of course!), Lake Arrowhead is a great option if you don't want to go all the way to its bigger counterpart, Big Bear Lake. My favorite part about Lake Arrowhead is that they have a plaza right by the lake so you can enjoy a spectacular view while taking a stroll along the walkways.

Once you get there, you can choose between both indoor and outdoor parking spaces, it doesn't matter where you park---either spaces are free of charge. Retail shops and restaurants are scattered around the plaza and they are open most of the time, just like any other commercial plaza in your neighborhood---except for the patios, they are closed during winter season.

This is the by the entrance of the plaza.

I usually bee-line in here during winter time before my hiney freezes over to kingdom come.

Yep, they even got Coach up here.

The plaza is dog-friendly so don't forget to bring your furry babies during your visit!

You can ask for a patio seat so you can watch over your pet while you pig out grab a quick bite.

That grass is fake by the way...Do you hear the landscapers rejoicing?

Okay, so where the heck is that lake that I was talking about? Hold on... I see water.

And...Tada!

If you prefer exploring by water, you can join a boat tour. I think the boat leaves every 30 minutes or so.

It can be a bit windy up there, especially if you're by the docks so make sure to bring a light jacket or cardigan if you're the type to get cold easily. Also, make sure to wear something comfy so you can move around freely.

As for me, I went for the ultra comfy look to keep up with my nephews so I opted for a billowy top from H&M, cropped pants from Zara a.k.a. one of my fat pants and nude sandals by Franco Sarto. Notice how I wore black here? It's spring time and that's clearly not stopping me from wearing my fave color. The key is to know how to balance your outfit. If you've got a black top on already, don't pair it up with dark bottoms. Instead, opt for anything light wash to tame down the dark hue or go for bright colors for a little kick.

I love how my top has pleats all over with a lace hem.

Okay, moving on---before I bore your eyes out with fashion stuff

If you've got kids tagging along, like my hyper little nephews, they do have a little kiddie section complete with a carousel, bumper cars and even go-karts for your little speed racers!

My two little munchkins riding the go-karts for the first time, they could barely reach the pedal!

After go-karting, we went back to the store where we bought the go-kart tickets 'coz they wanted to add some sugar to their natural rush. Great idea, since I won't be riding back home with them. Mwahaha.

Funny how random that store was, it was filled with quirky little posters, quotes and signs like these:

And when you're done there, you can buy some duck feed to fatten up the Cole-Haan's paddling around the lake.

We did all these things in a span of about 3.5-4 hours. Not bad right? Plus my sibs were doing some shopping in between!

I had so much fun just watching the kids explore down to the docks, eat candy, chill underneath a tree's shade... it goes to show you don't have to travel so far or spend so much to enjoy your day. Sometimes I take for granted the fact that I live here in SoCal, where nature is so close and accessible (traffic is an utterly different story)!

The adventure doesn't stop here, find out soon where we went for Easter Sunday! :)

Toodles!