My Mommyology

Learning from Motherhood.

Little Secrets Revealed on a Thursday Night

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Last week some of the #SoMoms and I were wined and dined — in the most literal sense — by Aspen Philippines.

We had been invited to an evening at The Wine Museum Hotel and Resto on Aurora Boulevard, where we were treated to a mix of good Lebanese and Spanish food. I’d never been there before, and I didn’t even know that such a place existed.  We were also treated to a private lesson on wine by wine connoisseur and owner Ronald Lim Joseph.  Ronald and his brothers have run the Philippine Wine Merchants business since 1975 – so yes, it is safe to say they know their stuff!  His goal was that by the end of the night, we would learn the proper way to drink wine, and know the differences between them too.  He had a few secrets, tips and tricks that he wanted to share.

When I approached our table I was slightly intimidated.  I like wine, but I’ve never had to sit at a dinner table filled with different sized wine glasses.  In the background were some unopened wine cases, as well as some literature on the different kinds of grapes.  Who knew there was more to purple and green grapes right?

A preview of our dinner ambiance.  There are no space for plates on the table!

A preview of our dinner ambiance. There are no space for plates on the table!

I was telling my friends that when my husband and I got married and we were putting wedding gifts onto our registry, we couldn’t figure out why we needed more than one size.  Storage wise, keeping 8 of each wasn’t very practical (and you all know just how practical my husband is…)  I had later learned that it matters in allowing the wine to breathe.

As the appetizers and main courses rolled out, we were served the various wines and taught how to swirl, smell, and sip.  We took more than our fair share of sips, and sooner than later a few of the moms around the table started feeling the effects!

Here we have My Mom Friday sniffing a Merlot, and Mommy Fleur having just a bit too much bubbly! ;)

Here we have My Mom Friday sniffing a Merlot, and Mommy Fleur enjoying her whites.  😉

I took down some notes on the paper in front of me, and somehow through it all figured out that I like a Sauvignon Blanc over a Chardonnay, and a Merlot over a Pinot Noir.

The fun part was that I was surrounded by my fellow mom friends as we were going through this experience.  The wine and the food had us laughing about the most mundane topics of conversation.  Even over a fancy wine-tasting event, breastfeeding, sleepless nights, first birthday parties and epidurals made it over as dinner table conversation.  I guess that’s what it means to be a mom – you really take all the experiences with you in its entirety wherever you go.

Learning about Wine Legs.

Tin, Lara and Janice.  Here we are learning about wine legs.

Sipping and swirling (and sharing epidural and birthing stories) with us that evening was Beauty Queen and Actress Precious Lara Quigaman-Alcaraz.  Not knowing much about the local celebrity scene, I didn’t know that she was already married. You can imagine my surprise all the more when I found out she was already a mom to an 8-month old little boy!  Just by looking at her, Lara really doesn’t look like a mom.  I never would have guessed it either, had I not sat at the same table and listened to the conversation going around.

But the main reason that Lara was at this dinner was because she, together with the lovely people at Aspen, wanted to share their latest product in the market with us.

Introducing, Bio Oil.  A skin product from South Africa (where beautiful people come from!)

Introducing, Bio Oil. A skin product from South Africa (where beautiful people come from!)

Now I’ve heard a little bit about Bio Oil from some friends and all have had nothing but praise for the product.  I even looked it up on Amazon and saw that it also had some really good reviews.  I found out that night it’s the number one stretchmark lightening product in over 16 countries worldwide.

Bio Oil is a specialist skin care product from South Africa that claims to help reduce the appearance of scars, stretchmarks, uneven skin tone, ageing skin and dehydrated skin.  In every bottle is a mix of Calendula Oil, Lavender Oil, Rosemary Oil, Chamomile Oil, Vitamins A & E, all of which have beautifying skin properties.  It’s all suspended in an oil base, so that the extracts are allowed to maintain their potency.  The main breakthrough ingredient is PurCellin Oil.  It claims to reduce the thickness of the formulation, making it light, non-greasy and easy for the skin to absorb.

It’s true; when I tried the product my first reaction was that it was so light and non-greasy considering it’s an oil-based solution.  It smells really good too and leaves the skin feeling soft and supple.  I use it on my face; let’s see if I look less… aged. 😉

Lara mentioned that she started using the product regularly a few months ago on her stretchmarks and even her therapist at Marie France noticed the difference.  Her husband also started using it too for some uneven skin tone problem on his face and she noticed that it evened out considerably.  “You only need a few drops at a time massaged into the affected area twice a day, and results can be seen in as early as 6 weeks,” says Lara.  “A 60mL bottle retails for under P500 and it lasts me two months.” she adds.

Of course stretchmark prevention is always best, and the application of Bio Oil while pregnant from the 2nd trimester onwards helps minimize its appearance on your skin.

As the evening wore on (and we drank more wine!), I noticed everyone on their cellphones at one point in time.  I hypothesized that like me, we were checking in on the kids and the situation at home.  It’s funny how as moms, even when we get some much-needed “me time” away from the daily mommy grind, it’s still all we can think about.

Motherhood never leaves us, no matter where we are.  We live and breathe it, but we don’t necessarily have to look it.  Or at least, as the moms in today’s world, we can help re-shape the image of the mommy stereotype.  The flattering statements of “You don’t look like a mom!” and “I can’t believe you have x kids!” never get old.  And why not, right?  No one claims motherhood is an easy job.  But we can at least look like we’re having a good time working through it. 🙂

We don’t look like moms either, right? 😉  Photo credit: Michelle of My Mom Friday

Thank you Aspen Philippines for treating us to a relaxing and thoroughly entertaining evening. 

For more information on Bio Oil, email laraslittleskinsecret@yahoo.com.  Follow them on Facebook, Twitter (@BioOilPH) and You Tube.

Author: mymommyology

I am the mom that I am because of my two wonderful little girls. They teach me everyday.

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