Shainne Hostalero

Photo from web It's been quite sometime since I shared a good read. I've been busy with a lot lately - family, motherhood, pregnancy, work, cooking, and studies. I'm currently finishing Crazy Rich Asians though which I'd like to share to you very very soon. Or perhaps share a new read that will benefit all of us. Talking Crazy: How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life (2015) by Mark Goulston is a very timely read today. We experience a lot of encounters towards irrational and impossible people that sometimes we cannot seem to quit because... 1.) they are our workmates/classmates/colleagues, 2.) they are family and/or acquaintance, and 3.) they simply exist for all valid reasons even though they are a bit off sometimes (or most of the time?) Sometimes, we are the ones who are irrational and impossible. I think we all have our 'days.' We are not always okay to be with. Yet, we (personally, I) strive to be okay which makes a lot of...

In a previous post, I've listed down few of the things to remember when doing your grocery shopping. After which, it will all boils down to... making your meal. I've become conscious about preparing food, storing them, products to choose, and the like. Since I've found my way to the kitchen, I started liking the 'cooking' experience and tweaking bit and pieces of different recipes in my own and my family's preferences, making it more personal and custom. I first thought cooking is hard and there's no way I would ever craft something from scratch aside from pre-heated and/or processed food - which I believe isn't healthy at all.  Reading is the answer. I think, I like reading more than watching, but if you prefer a quicker grasp of recipes from the internet, you can always resort to YouTube videos available. If you are a busy person like me (naks!), it pays to list down your menu before the week ends so you know what to buy. If amenabl...

Doing the grocery can be tasking yet relaxing for anyone most especially for mothers. If you are the head chef of the family (like me hahaha), you opt to buy ingredients you favor and you spend so much time picking the best and freshest ones. Going to the grocery is therapeutic. You can pacify your urge to shop, thus, you can also create such excitement of preparing a meal from scratch. Sometimes, when we get too excited (yes, it's true) to shop, we often forget what and why we are in the grocery for. Hehe. So for us to be more guided, here are some (obvious) things to remember when doing grocery shopping: Create a list To save time (and money), it pays to create a grocery shopping list. In this manner, you can only select what you really need for your home and kitchen. You can also save loads of money just by purchasing the most important and needed stuff only.  This is doable especially if you are working on a tight budget or trying to save more. Allot time ...

The reason why I put 'frustration' is because it is the package - the real deal. We might sometime wonder if what we are feeling is just frustration or already depression. Me, personally, it starts with the F and eventually falls on to the D. It's hard to differentiate, specifically when you are taking too much. No one would ever exactly understand what you are going through when you are suffering from depression. Your friends may tell you nice words to live by, though it may help your feelings to be a lighter yet the 'emptiness' you feel is not sure to go away. We can't tell those who are/were depressed don't/didn't try to get better. We can't say that they didn't do everything they can to understand what's going on around them. We can't factually discredit that they didn't approach the reasons why they are feeling what they are feeling now... because they did. They did all the best they can. But sometimes, the 'feel...

My very first kitchen essentials Truth be told, I'm a picky eater. I didn't like vegetables growing up and I always go for the usual - fast-food and lutong bahay  from the nearest carinderia. My lola, my mom, and my titas  are great cooks hence the pressure to know some of their recipe. And since I'm a picky eater, I tried cooking for myself (initially), from scratch, from ingredients I personally like. I grew up with my lola  acing the kitchen with her home-made dishes crafted from her inventions and experiments. I always watched her cooking but never really had the chance to navigate the kitchen until I went an independent living and... ahem. fell in love. Hahaha! I started from the most basic of all... frying! Of course, there goes the kids' favorite - hot dogs. Then it grew to luncheon meat, logganisa, tocino, and eggs. Hehe. When I was living solo, I tend to eat at fast-food restaurants or ~posh~ restaurants alone or with friends. I outgrew every little men...

Will always be my favorite set :) As every Sunday is a Sunday to remember. We all couch and get lazy at home and probably watch boxing matches on TV with Papa. Every weekend can be filled with ice cream or spaghetti, and of course, softdrinks - oh how can we forget? For the past 40 days, everything has been so different. We are still not used to the fact that you are not around, well physically. And more, we will not be used about it all. They say, time will heal all our wounds and our longing. It can be lighter sooner or later but I don't think it will be forever gone. You will always be part of us and will always be dear to our hearts. No matter what the season is. No matter where we are and will be. I opt not to speak during the time of your wake when it is our turn to give you a eulogy. Because first, I can't do it. I have little to nothing of strength to tell you how I feel; second, I should have told you this personally when I got the chance to do so; and thi...

The right time to update places I've been to is NOW. Hahaha! I've been slacking to post updates and reviews about provinces, sceneries, food, and other places I visited to this blog. I've been busy with my writing gigs, corporate jobs, and family life. But, it's never too late. Though this post won't make it for the summer cut, because it's now June and just a day left and it will finally be July, at least we can still book flights to Boracay without grilling ourselves too much. I visited Boracay for work. We had a photoshoot there when I was still connected with a hotel and it was during the Laboracay season. How pitiful coming to Boracay for work! Hahaha! But we did enjoy LaBoracay, of course! Since I'm a TITA, I was sleepy the whole night. Hahaha! I finally came to the acceptance that gone are the days when I can party all night and stay awake until 7 or 8 in the morning. For those of you who sort of 'feel' me in this case, you can st...