Our friends tied the knot last June 2017. I was about four months pregnant at the time, and needed a dress that was elegant and formal enough, yet also stretchy enough to accommodate my growing tummy. Here’s to two years of wedded bliss! #throwback

The Geiranger fjord is one of the famous, if not the most, fjords here in Norway. There’s a ferry ride that’s dedicated to just circling this wonderful creation and you get to experience it’s wonder. The ride takes about an hour to finish, and gets you from one end to the other. Usually, it’s windy and cooler than usual, but a warm jacket, and a beanie, is all that is needed. Since it might get wet during the ride, dainty shoes are not advised. The trip I took was extra wonderful since I was with family. 😊

Whenever my husband has a free weekend from work, we usually want to go driving somewhere new or spend some time with our friends who live about 2 and a half hours away from us (by car). Their place isn’t bad at all, it has all the makings of a picturesque little town, complete with green mountains during the summer, and a waterfall not too far away. It’s a relaxing place one likes to go to, to get away from the hustle and bustle of a big city. Although, we don’t live in a big city, we still need a breather every now and then.

When we had our honeymoon in Rome last 2017, I was excited for the sightseeing, as well the outfits I get to wear, while in the (arguably) most instagrammable city in the world..and don’t even have instagram. 😂 The place, which was warm at the that time, called for a comfy walking-around type of clothes. So, I wore my signature floral crop top, black high waist skinnies, a black cardigan and my Coach sneakers.

There’s a saying here in Norway that I have come to follow, because I believe it just makes sense. “Ut på tur, aldri sur!”. In translation, it means, “Out on a walk, never angry!”. That basically just means, if you’re constantly out, walking and immersing yourself in nature, you will always have a good mood. It’s fun, it’s healthy, and let’s face it, who doesn’t enjoy a good view, right? When half of the year, night time is longer than day time, and it’s either raining or snowing, who wouldn’t grab the opportunity for some sun??? When I first arrived here, I didn’t really enjoy walking and hiking about, especially when the sun is shining. There’s a lot of sun to be had in the Philippines. 😂 Be that as it may, when I finally experienced winter for the first time, and it was rare that the sun came out shining, I gradually adjusted. I look forward to days when I know it won’t be cloudy, snowing, or raining. I wanted to go out, walk and take in the fresh air. Let’s not forget the wonderful views as we go walking. If Rome has a lot of instagrammable corners, Norway has many “walkable/hikable” locations. My in-laws once said that, maybe when God created the world, he gave a lot of thought about Norway and spent much of His blessings here. 🤔

Norway never fails to amaze..and never runs out of picturesque spots to visit. This is the skodje bridge, a well-known, antique bridge in Norway which is now replaced by a modern one nearby. For a cold, sunny day, the best way to go on a little walk is a thick jacket, a girly scarf (mustn’t lose touch), a white beany (just in case), pink sneakers and cool-girl aviators. 😊

When we went to Oslo last September, we opted to go around the different tourist spots. One of the places we went to was the Royal Palace, where the Norwegian royal family lives. Since it was a sunny day, with a little bit of wind, and the forecast was a cool evening, I wore a white crop top, high waist skinny jeans and suede ballet flats. With this ensemble, I added a black swing coat and a boxy sling bag.

When our family became a little bigger with Dominic’s arrival, we were beyond thrilled. We were very happy, and grateful for him. He wasn’t planned, but he surely is a blessing.

Now, with all of that out of the way, my husband and I have no opportunity for a date night. I really believe it’s vital to a relationship, to be able to nurture it. I absolutely think, that for a family to prosper, the parents need to have a strong relationship. That’s why date nights are so important. It’s a way for parents to focus on themselves and their relationship. However, it’s so difficult to find the chance. It’s not like we’re in the Philippines, where we can either leave him with any of our families, or with the hired help. Here, we only have ourselves. Sure, we can ask a favor from our friends, to watch over our son, while we go out, but I’m not exactly comfortable with that yet. It’s different when it’s family, I guess. Our date nights for now, are family nights. We bring Dominic with us, always. It’s still fun, especially when he’s asleep, that way we can stay longer inside the coffee shops and talk more. However, it’s not the same. Maybe when we have our vacation in the Philippines, we can have our date night. The only thing I’m worried about, is that we might not enjoy it as much because we are too used to having Dom with us. 😬 That is a very huge possibility.

My husband always laughs at me whenever we go out to get groceries. He thinks I look like I’m going to a party. He doesn’t understand, though, that I have this built in philosophy since I was in my mid-twenties. I once read a popular advice written by my favorite newspaper columnist. She wrote in the fashion/beauty section in our local newspaper back home. She said that every woman should dress up everyday as if she would run into her ex-boyfriend and his hot new model girlfriend. This means that, if possible, every woman should look her best every single time she goes out of the house. I mean, let’s face it, if you’re competing with a hot, young model, you’d pretty do everything, right? 😂 For when the temperature climbs high on a winter afternoon, this is what I’ve decided on. It looks like an autumn/spring outfit, I think, but not quite. 😬

Last January 25, my husband celebrated his 32nd birthday. We went out for dinner. We had sushi buffet, my favorite! To celebrate my better half’s special day, I wore the new boots he gave me for slippery, snowy days. I paired it with a pink off shoulder crop top, pink sling bag (also from him) and black pants.😊