How's Your Halloween?

When I was a kid, Halloween was a holiday that was largely unheard of in this country, or at least in the province where I live. I've only seen Halloween celebrations through cartoons and American TV shows, and have always thought how cool it was to be dressing up in fancy costumes and getting candies and chocolates in return.

Fast forward to more than twenty years later, Halloween has become an annual tradition in the Philippines, with parties and events to celebrate the spooks. Although I must admit, this holiday has become a tad too commercialized, and even I have fallen prey to it - lol.

For years, we'd celebrate Halloween by dressing up my son in a costume and taking him to the mall for some trick-or-treat-ing. Here are Yue's costumes through the years:

Halloween 2010.

Yue's first-ever Halloween costume (2010) was a pumpkin. He didn't go trick-or-treat-ing at the mall (he was only two years old then and I thought he would be too young to be doing so), but we did shower him with candies at home.

Halloween 2011.

The following year (2011), we went all-out with his costume and props, and he even entered a costume contest at the mall. His dinosaur get-up won him second place in the Cutest Costume category, by the way. :)

Halloween 2012.

2012 was a tough year for us. Yue got sick several times that year, and was hospitalized thrice between the months of October and November. But he was healthy and well come Halloween, and he dressed up as a Korean prince for the occasion.

Halloween 2014.

We skipped the Halloween festivities in 2013 because we had to attend my godson's birthday party that year. The following year (2014), Yue was back in the game and dressed up as a ninja, a costume that he chose for himself.

Halloween 2015.

In 2015, he went trick-or-treat-ing as Buzz Lightyear. But I'll let you in on a secret... he's not really wearing a costume. Those are PJs, actually, but Yue insisted on wearing them as his 'costume' anyway.

Halloween 2016.

It seemed like we saved the best for last in 2016. Yue dressed up as Darth Vader that year, which would turn out to be his last costume, at least for now. He refuses to wear a costume nowadays, but he still finds joy in trick-or-treating. After all, who would refuse free chocolates and candy?

What diet? Lol!

I was thinking of dressing him up as Finn Balor this year...

Demon King Finn Balor

Should I try this on my baby nephew instead? :)

So how about you, how's your Halloween? I hope your kids had a blast and got tons of candies!

Spotlight | Kabaya Collagen Gummy.

There is no end to this obsession with collagen supplements and collagen-infused skincare products. It's been almost a year since this craze of mine started, and I've always been on the look-out for collagen products that work.

Case in point - the Kabaya Collagen Gummy. This product is manufactured by Kabaya Foods Corporation, a popular Japanese confectionery company.

Kabaya Collagen Gummy.

Established in the 1960s, Kabaya became well-known for their candy toys - action figures and model kits that come with candies and chocolates. (Think Kinder Joy, Japanese version.) Kabaya expanded their product line through the years, and now they also manufacture cookies, biscuits, and pretzel sticks.

Kabaya contact information.

Now back to collagen. Kabaya Collagen Gummies are sold in foil pouches that weigh approximately 160 grams each. The gummies are individually-wrapped, and come in three flavors - Grape, Peach, and Lemon.

Grape, Peach, and Lemon flavors.

One pack contains 10000 mg of collagen (approximately 200 mg per gummy) and hyaluronic acid. The gummies are super soft and chewable, and taste really good. They have a nice, fruity scent, too. I take one gummy a day, usually in the morning. One foil pouch is good for one month, since it contains about 30+ gummy pieces.

Kabaya Grape Collagen Gummy.

I've been taking these gummies for about six months now, and so far so good! My husband, who is usually stingy with compliments, would often tease me that my skin looks like it's been filtered in real life, haha! My friends have also noticed how my skin looks smooth and 'stress-free', and how my cheeks seem to be plumper than before. :)

The only downside to this product? It's not available in local groceries or supermarkets. I order mine from OneStephStop, the same online store where I purchased my Shiseido Eyebrow Pencil and rare-flavored Pockys. Steph sells these gummies for Php 220 per bag. Pretty affordable, right? :)

Do you take collagen supplements, too? How was your experience?

Wordless Wednesday #107 | Little Ninja.

The little man dressed up as a ninja for Halloween.

And came home with a pumpkin filled to the brim!

Easter Fun Facts!

Happy White Day! 화이트데이

It's one sweet day in Korea as we celebrate 'White Day' 화이트데이 - the day when women get to receive gifts (chocolates, being the most popular) from the men.

You see, on Valentines Day, women are usually the ones who give gifts to the men. On White Day, which is observed exactly one month after Valentines Day, it's the men's turn to shower the women with love and affection.

First celebrated in Japan in 1978, White Day was initiated by the National Confectionery Industry Association as an "answer day" to Valentine's Day - that men should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts on Valentine's Day.

What began as 'Marshmallow Day' in March 14, 1977 (Ishimuramanseido, a Fukuoka-based confectionery company, marketed marshmallows to men on this fateful day) became a big hit in Japan and was later on adopted by other neighboring countries, including South Korea.

White Day goodies available at EMart! :)

Lollipops and candies are the most popular gift items on White Day, as you can see in this promotional poster from EMart Mall. Chocolates, cakes, and roses make great gifts, too, but I reckon stuff like these are for couples or for those who are 'in a relationship'.

White Day 2013! :)

Like mine, for instance. A pink ribbon cake from Tous Les Jours. Ah, my husband is the bestest! I even heard that he's getting me those sneakers that I've been pining for the longest time. Tee hee! :)

Anyhow, for my friends in South Korea, and my fellow Kpop fans all over the world (because we celebrate Korean holidays too, just so you know - haha), a very Happy White Day! Go easy on the sweets!

Baseball's Very Own Bubble Gum!

Rummaging through our stash of candies and chocolates from our last Duty Free shopping trip, I found this crammed underneath two huge bags of M&M's - a pack of Big League Chew Bubble Gum in Outta Here Original!

Photo credit: Hickorees

My grandmother, who lives in Florida and came to the the Philippines last year for a quick vacation, brought several 12-packs of these for my siblings and I (and our kids) to share. And just when I thought we've downed the last pack of the Wild Pick Watermelon flavor several months ago, I unearthen this! Today must be my lucky day! What joy!

Invented in the 1980s be major league baseball players Jim Bouton and Rob Nelson, Big League Chew was created as an alternative to tobacco, which baseball players used to chew back in the old days. The very first batch of these shredded chewing gums were actually handmade by Bouton himself - on a frying pan, in his very own kitchen.

Back then, gum companies were quite hesitant with the idea of manufacturing and marketing shredded chewing gum in foil packs, but they surprisingly sold well the first time they came out in the market. And for over thirty years, this brand remains the most popular chewing gum among baseball players and major league die-hards. It's like, part and parcel of baseball itself!