How I Celebrated My 37th Birthday and Mother’s Day (And Some of the REALLY Nice Gifts I Received)

Few weeks ago, I got to celebrate Mother's Day. And, it all happened on my birthday too. With that luck, I probably should have bought myself twice as many gifts, but I didn't because I'm so kuripot (super stingy!) and I'd rather shop for my kids and buy them stuff before I buy a gift for myself.


Now that I'm in my late 30s, I feel like the older I get, the faster time flies... and that scares me a little. On the REAL real, I'm also grateful to have celebrated another birthday and love looking back over the last year at what I have achieved! This includes reaching x years of (consistent) blogging, winning a number of reputable blog writing contests, being included in the list of Top 100 Philippines Blog, and getting new partnerships, projects, "rakets" and campaigns with some of my most loved brands, which is why I blog and I am absolutely loving it.

I also like the fact that I had the most extra day because I got to celebrate Mother's Day and my birthday on the same weekend. (Mas tipid, besh!) I deserve a day off after the work I put in the last few weeks! Seriously. Being a work-at-home mom isn't an easy job where you got to lounge around all day watching TV and getting to poop in the privacy of your own bathroom. Can't forget those times I cried so much, mostly A LOT from breastfeeding when my nipple was bleeding, and it really hurt. Those times when I had a lot of guilt about being away from my kids, because I had to work and leave them with their yaya. Those moments when I was depressed and scared of being a bad mom because I stopped breastfeeding after a few months. But my mom told me it's okay and that she fed me formula, and I turned out fine. Umm..

Soooo... Nope, it hasn't been easy so far especially now that we don't have a yaya, but I'm praying for more energy, positivity and motivation to get things done. Especially since I am a blogger, I've got to find the motivation somewhere to be able to get it all done! Except, of course, when it's my birthday and I MUST have A WHOLE DAY OFF. All caps, para intense! 😊 Because at the end of the day, that is all a momma needs.

So how did I plan to celebrate my birthday this year?

Actually, I didn’t.

I didn’t plan anything for my birthday or Mother's Day, partly because I feel like it's just another ordinary day of doing the same thing I do every day. Besides, making a Mother’s Day celebration memorable and unique doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It could be as simple as having an uninterrupted sleep, eating my fave pistachio ice cream and drinking milktea (these would be my top 3 choices). But since God loves me so much, He didn’t allow me to not celebrate my special day, and I received a few surprise birthday treats from PRs and brands that I REALLY love the most.

My day started at the balcony of our room in Gramercy Residences where we stayed for the weekend and where I had a coffee with the view of Makati skyline. Booked this last minute (like the day before) via Zen Rooms because may 20% discount from Paymaya.Yey!


The stunning view from the 56th floor absolutely blew my mind and I couldn’t stop taking pictures. Even though it's not a five-star hotel, it turned out to be the perfect place to stay at considering the comfort, location and price. The kids REALLY love the pool! The room is spacious and has everything we need, and the services are excellent. The ZEN Home Gramercy Residences Makati staff were all so nice and helpful too, especially Gelyn. 24/7 customer service! How cool is that?

Best part? It is super affordable (less than 2k per night, may 20% discount pa via Paymaya) and so close to the mall, like literally next to it with exclusive access on the 2nd floor!


After that, we took a dip in the pool, and then went to the Mother's Day event at the 4th Level Events Place of Century City Mall, which is juuuust right beside the Gramercy Residences.


We enjoyed a sumptuous lunch buffet, a treat fit for the QUEENS slash MOMS! I really wish I had thought to take more photos, but I practically inhaled everything on my plate and indulged in the memories of thoroughly enjoying the food. (Ay wait, I have a video pala on my Instagram Events Highlights. Click here.)


It was a fun-filled day as the kids were all singing and dancing with the hit song "Baby Shark" while moms learned a few tips from different talks; Parenting 101 by Avent, Cooking Demo by Chef Edward of Philips Appliances and Bento Boxing by Bento Mommas.


Oh, and we got movie passes too! So BIG thanks to Century City Mall for making moms feel special on Mother's Day. ALL. THE. FEELS.


On top of this, my super sweet, thoughtful, and fairly small-framed (ten-year old) little girl surprised me with a rose from Century City Mall. Insert more REALLY big feels!


If that wasn’t enough calories for the day, I spent the rest of the afternoon with more food and went to Emborg's Amazing Moms event in Makati for more fun and pampering.


 Also, since I am (ahem) ‘aging’…a little bit of pampering is becoming a little more present in my life – so this back and foot massage is on point for me! Because momshies, we deserve it!  #Bliss

I may not have secured myself an exclusive invite to the Royal Wedding (I'm still waiting for an apology from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle), but I did get to enjoy the next best thing. For one fairy tale of a day, I didn't look (and feel) meh and felt a little more like a QUEEN.

And on this particular day, an invisible crown fit for a queen was to be worn by a commoner (yes, that's me!) with a long list of royal (mommy) duties and errands to run.


Of course, later in the day, I went to Starbucks to redeem my free birthday drink. Since it's ‘FREE’, I got the largest possible drink I could get. Ventiiiii! Also, I left a bigger-than-normal tip for the barista, because I was still intoxicated by my imaginary crown. Yasss! You have to think of the monetary value of the invisible crown jewels, momsh! I also fought off the urge to walk ala Queen Elizabeth and wave to my fellow customers (and loyal subjects) with elegance and grace.

Here are some snaps of the really nice (and thoughtful) gifts I received. I loved ALL of them. Also, I am overwhelmed and humbled by everyone's greetings. Thank you to all the brands and PRs for sending these birthday & Mother's Day gifts. Thank you OPPO, NIDO 3+, EON, Jollibee, Spark It fam, Stratworks, Promil, Red Ribbon, Robinsons, Dazz/ Lola Nidora, Gold Seas Tuna Chunks, PerkComm Inc., FirstTier, Ripple8, Greenbulb and McDonalds, 😘 and yun din pong mga nagsend ng gifts sa old address namin na di ko pa nakuha. Lol Thank you po. 😊



















Of course, I got the best gift of all. These two. Plus, I have some great memories (and fun stuff) to enjoy! I don’t remember the last time I smiled so much! My heart is full.  




My day ended exactly where my day started... at the balcony of our room in Gramercy Residences, with a spectacular IG-worthy view of Makati skyline. May candle blowing pa and a happy birthday song. Perf.


That was the end to an incredible birthday slash Mother's Day weekend.  Happy to report that I love how a day turned into one day of fun and adventure to some place special. Aside from that, I decided to commit 37 random acts of kindness on my 37th birthday. (Will share them in a separate blog post.) I honestly can’t recommend a better way to spend a birthday week/month than THIS. I just love the idea that it’s possible to touch a stranger’s life and make their day a wee bit better.

To be honest, the older I get, the less I care about what the world thinks and more about our Father, my family & friends who truly matter. Good health din, so I can take care of them and see them grow. When I was in my 20s, I often wish for more material things and rarely give thanks. But now, life is just less complicated, and leaning more about giving thanks and being happy for what I've already been blessed with.

Thanks din, guys for supporting my little blog. I hope I can give back in the loveliest I know how. That being said, hope you can all join #RockstarmommaBirthdayGiveaway 😊 ❤  and I hope you all had a lovely Mother’s Day too! 🙂

How did you celebrate Mother’s Day this year? I would love to hear about it, so please tell me in the comments below.

Until next time, live & love with kindness!

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