Vancouver Vacation: Once Upon A Time in Storybrooke

Have you seen the show Once Upon A Time? In the story, the Evil Queen banishes every fairy tale character we’ve ever known to the sleepy town of Storybrooke, Maine. But in reality, they film the show in Vancouver, Canada!

Bubble Guppies

Remember Miley's addiction to Baby Einstein and the movie Despicable Me? Well, she has a new favorite nowadays and it's the Nickelodeon show Bubble Guppies!

I found this cartoon so cute the first time I saw it (in fact, it's the type of show I would have loved watching when I was a kid). Miley liked it too but she was more interested in Dora and Diego then. I think the turning point was when we watched the Bubble Guppies movie which featured fairytale characters and a witch who wanted to turn everyone into frogs. After that, Miley was hooked. Well, her lolo downloaded the entire series online, so we've been watching all the episodes over and over again.

I know, I know, kids shouldn't watch too much TV. But I think if you watch together with your kids and turn it into an learning experience, then it's fine. What I love about this show (aside from how cute the Bubble Guppies look) is that the story telling is very educational in a fun and interesting way. Miley has learned a lot of new things and it has encouraged her to be more imaginative as well. She loves acting out the different situations and she actually sounds like a Bubble Guppy herself haha! Plus, they have the catchiest songs! Me and Miley can't help but sing along and dance to the music. Her favorite character is Molly (the pink haired girl). She loves saying the line "Hi, it's me Molly!" probably because her name Miley sounds like it haha!

the Bubble Guppies at school with their teacher, Mr. Grouper

We've seen all the episodes but I never get bored repeating any of it. If Miley still likes this show by the time she turns 3, then I can already picture the theme of her next party: an underwater Bubble Guppies Fin-tastical Adventure! =)

What I'm Watching: Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Ok, I admit it. I LOVE the krazy Kardashians! I've been watching their reality show since season 1 and I just love all the drama (real or not). I actually watch all the other spin-offs too like Kourtney & Khloe take Miami, Kourtney & Kim take New York, Khloe & Lamar, and also the wedding specials (I think I watched Kim's wedding about 10 times haha)! Yes, yes, I told you I loved them! ;p

What makes the show great for me is that despite all the conflict, arguments, and controversy, at the end of the day they seem like a really close-knit family. Even though they bicker a lot and have tons of misunderstandings, these siblings will defend each other no matter what.

I think their mom Kris Jenner is a genius for being able to successfully launch the careers of her other children and effectively making their family a household name. When you think about it, these Kardashians are famous for being, well, themselves. What they lack in talent, they make up for in looking good haha!

Now the latest season (7) is finally showing starting today, 9pm at E! (channel 57 on Skycable). I'm sure it will be filled with the all the usual craziness that only the Kardashians can provide. I definitely can't wait! =)

Style Watch: The Girls of 90210

One of my guilty pleasures is watching 90210. I admit, I was a big fan of the original Beverly Hills 90210 series, so at first I just wanted to see how it would compare. Now, 4 seasons later, I'm terrible addicted to the show. ;p

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Part of it is also because I love seeing what the girls are wearing every episode. I super want their clothes and accessories! They are all gorgeous and have their own unique style, I can't decide who's my favorite character! They're all my girl crush! ;p

ANNIE (played by Shenae Grimes) moved to Beverly Hills from Kansas during the start of the series. So her style is a mix of laid-back Californian, midwestern girl and quintessential student. Her look used to be conservative and preppy (the typical girl-next-door) but her style has evolved as the show has progressed. She now wears more sophisticated outfits and isn't afraid to show some skin.

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NAOMI (played by AnnaLynne McCord) is the popular blonde bombshell and sexy vixen always trying to be the center of attention. She's usually in bondage dresses or bikinis to show off her figure. Lately though, her style has evolved to include more business-like attire, like pencil skirts and suits. Whatever she ends up wearing though, she always manages to look sleek, sophisticated and very expensive!

SILVER (played by Jessica Stroup) is funky and edgy (I mean, just look at her name). But she mixes it up with feminine pieces while always looking completely unique. Her style also includes menswear inspired pieces like blazers and vests. She likes mixing patterns and prints and always layers with tons of accessories.

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ADRIANNA (played by Jessica Lowndes) is an aspiring singer. Her style is very girly and sweet so she's always in dresses and skirts. She's also quite petite and curvy so this type of feminine look suits her. Personally, I think she is the prettiest out of all the girls. =)

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IVY (played by Gillian Zinsner) is the latest addition to the cast of girls. She's a surfer chick so she has a bohemian, laid-back, Californian style. Everything she wears just looks so cool and effortless. Kind of like she just threw on the first thing she saw and she still looks great. She finishes her look either with a hat or shades. And my favorite part about her look: her beachy waves!

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What's great about the fashion on this show is that you can totally recreate it. And it has style inspiration for anyone, whether you're going for the classic, sexy, edgy, girly, or bohemian look. =)

What I'm Watching: Tia & Tamera

Another show I love watching on E! is Tia and Tamera. The show follows former "Sister, Sister" stars and identical twin sisters Tamera as she plans for her wedding and Tia as she goes through her first pregnancy. 

Ever since I became a wife and mother, I'm just a sucker for shows that have to do with marriage and motherhood. And this show combines both! What's funny is that since Tamera is planning her wedding, she expects Tia to be there for her to help with all the preparations. But since Tia is very much pregnant, she tends to forget or miss out on the important details. They end up fighting about it, but I totally get where each sister is coming from. Of course when you're pregnant, you sometimes just want to rest or sleep instead of going out or doing anything. But if you're also getting married, you would want your best friend to be there for you to support and lend you a hand. The sisters are spunky and each have their own distinct personalities which makes it fun to see them bond and clash. I already finished the first season but I still watch the replays whenever I catch it on E! 

Btw, I read online that Tamera is now pregnant, so it will be her turn in the 2nd season to deal with pregnancy issues. Can't wait to watch that when it airs here. =)

What I'm Watching: Giuliana & Bill

One of the shows I'm currently watching now is the reality show Giuliana & Bill. I've always been a big fan of Giuliana from E! I think she's one of the best TV anchors out there. She's funny, smart, charming and super engaging. I've also watched Bill win the first season of The Apprentice, so I was happy when I found out that they were a couple. I even watched their wedding special and when they announced that they were coming out with a reality show, I was all in!

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What I love about their show is that you can tell that they are the real deal. They are so natural and you can see how much they love each other.

I've been following them since season 1 and let's just say that they've certainly had their ups and downs. The show started with them as newlyweds so ideally, we would have seen Giuliana get pregnant and eventually give birth then the show would be about how they raise their kid/s and be a family. But sadly, that is not how the show has progressed. Through the seasons, we've seen how the couple has struggled with infertility, a miscarriage, and failed IVF attempts. But through all these problems, they've managed to stay strong in supporting each other and coming out more in love than ever.

In the last season, the finale showed Giuliana & Bill going for their 3rd try at IVF. I was really hoping for the best and then news came out last year that Giuliana found out she had breast cancer while in the middle of treatment. I couldn't believe it. I was so invested in their story that this news just broke my heart. It's like they couldn't win. It would later be revealed that Giuliana decided to undergo a double mastectomy to completely remove the cancer.

Season 5, which is what I'm watching now at E!, chronicles how Giuliana found out about the cancer and the difficult decisions they had to make as a couple. With the development of the cancer, their plans to have a baby would be further put on hold. But I think their string of bad luck is finally over since they are now expecting their 1st child via gestational carrier later this year! I couldn't be happier for them. They seem like such a nice couple and I just wish them the best.

This show is heartbreaking to watch at times but it just makes me look at my life differently and be all the more thankful for the blessings I have received. I mean, I can't imagine dealing with even half the stuff they went through so far. In my own life, seeing my kids makes me think how lucky we are. Whenever I get frustrated when the house is a mess and the kids are out of control, I just remember that other people have far bigger problems than me.What's amazing about them is that instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they choose to look at the brighter side of things. Like they kept saying that maybe there was a bigger reason why IVF didn't work for them. And they were right since it was their last try at IVF that required Giuliana to get a mammogram (which she didn't want to do at first since she was just in her 30's). So they wouldn't even have found out about the cancer this early had they gotten pregnant before. They've been kicked down so many times but they just keep on getting up and moving on. They always laugh and still have fun. Their positive attitude and outlook is just so inspiring.

Watching Giuliana & Bill gives me hope that perseverance will pay off in the end. They never gave up in trying to have a baby despite all the challenges they faced and now they are finally getting there. This past year, I've also had friends have difficulty in getting pregnant while others have had miscarriages. These are sad stories to hear and all you can do is be there for them and pray, pray, pray that things will get better. As one of my friends always says: "in God's own time." And I really believe that God has a plan for all of us and in the end, everything will work out just fine. Now I can't wait to watch Giuliana & Bill as they welcome their first baby in a couple of months! They really deserve this and I'm sure they'll be fabulous parents. =)

Giuliana & Bill (Season 5) airs every Wednesday, 8PM at E! (channel 57 in Sky Cable)

My babies love Baby Einstein

When I was still pregnant with Miley, I wanted to implement the no TV rule from reading different articles about it. Like they say kids under 2 years old should not watch ANY TV since the first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. That TV can get in the way of interacting with others, exploring and playing. I figured I’d prefer for her to read books or to play with toys.

But who am I kidding? I’m a certified TV-holic myself. I watch every reality show and TV series there is (name it, I watch it!), I’m a certified Kapamilya, and just basically keep up with any showbiz related news out there. How can I apply that rule in a house that has a TV in every room?

So it’s no surprise that my kids love watching TV too! It started with commercials. When Miley was a baby, she’d stop whatever she was doing, whip her head towards the TV and stay still when her favorite commercials would play (like Surf, Tide, Colgate, and any shampoo brand). Her latest favorite was the Cornetto Disc ice cream (where they play the song Hey Daydreamer). We even watch it on Youtube! Now, even Sabre is the same way! They love watching Nickolodeon (Dora, Hi-5, Team Umizoomi, Yo Gabba Gabba) Disney (Upin & Ipin, Mr. Bean), and Baby TV!

But their favorite is the Baby Einstein videos! When Miley would stay with my in-laws, her lolo would always download all kinds of videos for her to watch. Whenever I’d check on her, I’d find her sitting quietly in her lolo’s lap, watching the computer screen intently with full concentration. When my in-laws went to the States for vacation, I decided to randomly copy whatever videos I could find on their computer and good thing I was able to copy the Baby Einstein ones.