Because of the kids’ CHRISTmas gift for the family, (separate post to follow) we decided no more gift-giving for the season at baka magwala na ng tuluyan si Kap hehe. But I guess we are just givers by heart that we didn’t heed our own holiday rule & broke our compromise of no presents this year in exchange for travelling.
The kids are at an age where they prefer money over wrapped gifts & surprises, so I made sure to stuff their stockings with some pocket money for out-of-the-country spending. But I just can’t bear for them to not have anything to open on Christmas eve, I just can’t! I grew up not having a Christmas tree, presents, and yearly family tradition, so I made sure I made up for it with my own kids & give them treasured memories & a happy childhood as much as I can, for as long as I am able to.
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Now that they’re all grown up, it’s really hard to choose gifts to fit their discriminating taste! @_@
“Mommy ano daw hindi ko mabasa masyadong slanted ang sulat mo!” #reklamopamore 😐
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My language of love is gift-giving, so even though I wasn’t sure if they’d like the things I’d choose, I went ahead & got them secret presents anyway. I was nervous as to how Kap would react, but thankfully, he was in a jolly good mood, lol. Nakalusot ako! 😉
For my boy, I ordered a Playstation VR (virtual reality) & some games from Amazon. He actually has no time to play with his toys anymore now that he’s super busy in college, but it’s the latest gadget for gamers & something I was sure he would I like. Sapatos nga sana pero mahirap siyang bilhan, his taste varies, baka lang masayang.
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I was the one super excited for him to open his present. One week before Christmas my Bae had to restrain me time & again from ruining the surprise & spilling the beans. 😛
I’m glad he liked it. Mas tumatanda ang mga anak, mas mahirap bilhan ng regalo, hay naku! I hope something new comes out again in time for Christmas 2017!
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For my 2 girls, I asked my jeweller to make me custom-designed gold pieces which they can keep forever & maybe hand down to their own daughters someday..
A heart pendant in white gold for Ate. It’s not the usual <3-shape though coz I know it’s something she will definitely NOT appreciate. She’s complicated that way. Instead, I asked my jeweller to make a 2-D heart, an extraordinary heart pendant with veins, aorta & all for my extraordinary girl. ;P
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Ate is very hard to please so I was really worried about my choice of gift for her. She seemed to like it though. That, or she’s a great faker hehe.
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For my Bae, she loves our dear Lelly with a passion. As in everywhere we go she finds things that reminds her of our english bulldog. And she always rushes home to be with the not-so-little piglet. She is so attached to our joint-custody pet that I thought of asking my jeweller to make a yellow gold bulldog-shaped pendant with a south sea pearl for the tummy. That way she can always keep Lelly close to her heart, even in the years to come.
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Dear Ate. If there ever comes a day that we can’t be together, just keep me in your heart, I will stay there forever” – Jela <3
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For Kap, 3 Lacoste tennis shirts kasi feeling Roger Federer sya hahaha! Buti nga hindi ako na-sermonan at sinabihang madami nyan sa 168!
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And whadya know? He also got me pressies! <3 I braced myself coz I know we said no gift-giving this year so this was such a pleasant surprise. I’ve been using his super soft adidas slides so he got me my own pair, finally! Now we’re matching – solemates literally! 😉 I also got a reindeer pandora charm to add to my bracelet, and some clothes from M&S woohoo!!
My Pandora bracelet ends the year with a great big bang too! My new additions, a Santa in Sleigh charm from my OTL, and a Christmas Tree ornament from my kids. We were able to fill it up in a year, yehey! So happy to have little charms & trinkets from Kap my Kap and the giblings to remind me of the year that was. So many wonderful things I am beyond grateful for. 2016 was indeed a very magical year for the GOppets! <3
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Clothes as well for our dearest Lelly and the Lolas, also for my SIL and her fashionable kids. A gift basket for my brother, then a Gift Certificate to Cafe Ilang Ilang at Manila Hotel for my Kuya & his wife. And with that, my shopping list is complete. Benefit of a small family hehe. Less gastos! 😛
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Lelly really is Bae’s pet, more that her Ate‘s or Kuya‘s. She loves our princess with a passion. Super tiyaga. I can tell she’ll be a great mommy someday coz she is just so maternal. <3
Canine love: I won’t be your best friend for the rest of your life, because I don’t live that long. But I’ll be your best friend for the rest of MINE. <3 Huhu, if only dogs can live as long as their humans. :'(
Clearly this is not just any puppy love, this is TRUE LOVE! 😉
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Unbeknownst, my Bae was able to sneak off & also buy ME a secret present pala. Four presents to be exact, five if you include my Santa pack (which I really, really love btw! I’ve never had my own santa sack before, just the 3 kids which they’ve already outgrown. I will NEVER outgrow mine! <3 )
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My Bae who, can I just mention, has the SMALLEST allowance among the giblings, scrimped & saved to get me pressies to open coz she knows how much I love CHRISTmas & surprises. I absolutely love EVERYTHING she carefully thought of & chose, as you can see from the glow on mah fez. From my santa sack, to the heart picture frame with our family photos, to the pandora tree charm for my bracelet, to my new phone case, and last but not the least, my phone cable charger. Thank you my sweet Bae! :-*
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I’ve been wanting to buy a raclette cheese melter for the longest time but it was just so expensive that I kept holding off. Christmas is a season to indulge so I finally bought myself one as a gift & we got to enjoy cheese raclette for Noche Buena. Ganyan naman dapat ang regalo diba? Something that others can also enjoy.
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We were able to try raclette in Switzerland & since then I’d been dreaming of having my own. And now I finally have it, yehey!! \m/
As always, my Bae, the most domesticated among us all hehe, prepared our food. Oh sweetheart, whatever will Mommy ever do without you??
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We were scheduled to fly out on Christmas day itself, so I just picked up a Roast Turkey from my favorite resto in the south, Neil’s Kitchen, for lunch.
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No fuss, and it gives our helpers the chance to relax & enjoy the holidays and not slave over the kitchen cooking up a storm. I also liked the moist red velvet cupcakes from Ate’s birthday by Bakermom Specialty Cakes so I made sure I ordered a cake in advance for our dessert.
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The GOppets wish you another year filled with joy, hope, and love. Fulfilled wishes & unbroken dreams! <3
Roast Turkey 795/kilo minimum of 5 kilos. Includes chestnut stuffing, mashed potato, mushroom gravy, and cranberry sauce. Naked Red Velvet Cake only 1k php. Swearer! Simpleng handa lang, what’s important is you are surrounded by people dearest to your heart. <3
The kids love my Kuya because they see how so malaga & loving he is towards us. And he spoils them like crazy too! Just look at those smiles while holding up their ang-paos hahaha!
The surgeon & the surgeon general (aka the doktor-doktoran & the kundoktor, lolz) How nice to see the grannies laughing heartily. <3 Holidays is about spreading joy, love, and cheer!
How can you tell if the Turkey is good? Kapag ganyang ubos. 5 kilos, gone in 60 seconds. 🙂 We made sure to share with our entire household. Even dear Lelly enjoyed the turkey, BURP.
Make a wish, girls! <3
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December 25 also happens to be the birthday of our dearest Princess, Jelatine – Jela Kristine, or Lelly as we fondly call her, came into our lives as a birthday gift to me from the fambam. CLICK HERE to backread on how she came into our lives four years ago & captured our hearts & healed our broken souls from the demise of our previous pet princess, Virginia “Jinia”. <3
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My Bae spoils our dear Lelly rotten. She feeds her & plays with her all the time. She’d take Lelly everywhere if she can. That’s how much she loves her pooch.
Everyone dotes on dear Lelly, she is just SO loved & cherished, grabe. The joy she brings to our family is really immeasurable. <3 The most malambing dog ever, even her Kuya is putty in her hands.. er, paws! 😉
Our birthday wish for our mid-life girl is more healthy & happy years to spend with us. Thank you Jesus for this family, MY family. <3 <3 <3
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And how was YOUR Christmas? Remember, it’s not how much the presents cost, or how many gifts are placed under the tree, but the thought that went into choosing a gift that counts. And family. Being with the family is what’s most important. <3 I hope you all had a good one. :-*
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Words of love & affirmation. A promise of hope & a beautiful future. <3 Best give any mother could ever have. Thank you so much my Bae for your thoughtfulness. I appreciate all that you are, and all that you do for me. Those are plenty enough gifts that I receive on a daily basis. I love you! :-*
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10 Comments
The family and Lellys picture.. Awwww!!! who’s your alahera? ang ganda ng gawa nya! awww again for Jena’s gift to you! she is really sweet. Bunso talaga pinaka malambing (ahem!) hihi
January 9, 2017 at 8:22 amI’m not very happy with my alahera taga maningil. Hirap pa hagilapin hay naku. When I find a better one I will share with you. 🙂
January 9, 2017 at 11:27 amYou and your family are truly blessed.Not just with material possessions but more so with genuine love for each other.I am so touched by the way you treat your kasambahays too.Ordering food for Xmas, instead of asking them to cook,so they can also enjoy the holidays is a statement to the kind of boss you are Ms.Jane!In some other blogs the writers even try to make fun of their helpers ? and it makes me cringe when I stumble upon that.But you,bless your soul,never had a bad thing to say about them.May you be blessed even more this 2017 and on the years to come.
January 10, 2017 at 1:45 amAwwww thank you for your usual & kind words Donna. <3 I truly appreciate how supportive of me you are. Having readers like you is such a blessing. Thank you for always lifting up my spirits. :-*
January 10, 2017 at 7:24 amOverload sweetness na naman ang Goppets! Truly inspiring!
On anothere, nakakaloka ang subtitles ng videos! Hahaha
January 10, 2017 at 8:02 amA fruitful & blessed 2017 to you dear Candy!! :-*
January 10, 2017 at 9:58 amCAN YOU ADOPT ME, PLEASE?!?
Happy birthday to the most mabango & well-groomed Lelly!!!
January 11, 2017 at 1:08 pmKami nga magpa-adopt sayo wala sa vocabulary nyo ang “tipid” hahaha! :-*
January 11, 2017 at 3:34 pmHi Jane – loved reading about how your family spent Christmas and most especially the love shared between you, Kap & the Goppets. Super nakakatuwa – I’m a fan of Jena, simply because she is such a sweet child. 🙂
January 24, 2017 at 2:00 pmAwwww. <3 Yes our baby Jena is indeed the sweetest among all the GOppets. Thank you for loving her, she is tickled pink! :-*
January 24, 2017 at 4:15 pm