Sale Alert : SM Kids' Fashion

Bacolod City, the place I've never been to..

I have been talking about Bacolod City eversince I have learned that we will be going there.  Click here and here.  Unfortunately, for some very personal reasons, we can't join them.  I'd really love to, but can't. :(  But still, as promised, I will be sharing with you some photos which I grabbed from my sister's camera.

heavenly, right? :)

The view from the plane.. I can say, they had a very nice flight. :)

My siblings and a very close friend.. Welcome to the City of Smiles! :)

What and where they ate? :)

Bob's Restaurant

Oh look, my sister Darla, is having a feast! :) Envious! :))

 I don't know if this is also from Bob's, but the Bangus looks really yummy! :)

the Cake, but I don't think if it's from Calea.. IDK :))

The places they've been to.. :) *bitter much here, LOL*

The Bacolod City Government Center - Meet my siblings! :)

Balay Negrense

From a certain Museum? :p

My brothers, Kenny & Stephen at The Ruins.

The Ruins :)

Sorry if I have chosen very few photos.  What I have realized is that, sometimes it's NOT really the place that you've been to, but the people who you were with.  Bacolod City, I hope that someday, you'll let me see how beautiful you are, how tasty your food is, how lovely your people were!  My fingers are crossed!  See you soon, City of Smiles! :) 

Bitter No More! :)

Sale Alert : Havaianas

I'm Back! :)

It's been months since my last post, and I feel guilty (somehow) since I have promised myself that I should write at least one (1) entry per month.  But for some reasons, I just really can't.  I don't even got to join my family in our supposedly trip to Bacolod City. :(  Which I will be explaining in my next post!  So for now, I am glad that I'm back! :)  Hope to see you here again! :)

Calea Cakes from Bacolod

Eversince I learned that we'll be going to Bacolod City next month, I hurriedly checked on the web on the possible places we could visit.  But what intrigued me is that, everytime I stumble upon a blog site that say a lot about the City of Smiles, the bloggers were also raving about their food.  They say that Bacolod has a lot of good ones.  Aside from their Inasal, which they are famous of, I have been reading too about the Calea Cakes.

I am into sweets too, but it came to the point when I no longer crave for such.  But I can still say that I can appreciate a very good dessert.  One of the best chocolate cakes I know of is Mer-Nel's Cake in Los Baños, Laguna.  Another favorite is the Mango Bravo of Conti's.  Purple Oven in Oranbo, Pasig City happens to have good cakes as well.

(Photo via http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1282031&page=1532)

(Photo via http://donskie24.blogspot.com/2011/07/caleas-cakes.html)

Upon seeing lots and lots of cakes from Calea, I have chosen three (3) desserts that I think I wanna try:

(1)  Cream Puffs (I really don't know if that's the name, LOL)

(via http://www.foodiemanila.com/2011/01/calea-bacolod/)

(2)  Strawberry Semi- Fredo

(via http://deathbypotatoes.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/calea/)

(3)  Fruity Cheesecake

(via http://deathbypotatoes.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/calea/)

How about you, have you tasted the cakes from Calea?  What is your favorite?  Please share your experiences, as well as the photos when you went there. :)

Bacolod City - Where to go?

I have been feeling lucky this days.  I received a phone call from my eldest sister asking for my husband's birth date as well as the kids.  I wonder, where are we going this time?  The last time she did that was when we went to Cagayan de Oro City & Bukidnon.

Our destination this time is to Bacolod City, she booked our flight and to my surprise, it'll be with the whole family.  Yey!  And so I searched on the net, looking for the possible places to visit and of course, the food to eat!  Read along, and let's see if I'll be able to visit this places next month! :)

 Ancestral House Complex

(via http://journeyingjames.com/)

Cinco de Noviembre Marker

(via http://journeyingjames.com/)

Balay Negrense

(via http://negros-occ.gov.ph/)

San Diego de Alcala Pro-Cathedral

(via http://www.markmaranga.com/san-diego-de-alcala-pro-cathedral-church/)

Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol

(via http://negros-occ.gov.ph/)

Bacolod City Government Center

(via http://7107islands.posterous.com/)

Bacolod Cathedral

(via http://heritageconservation.wordpress.com/2006/07/27/bacolod-cathedral/)

This were the places I am planning to visit when I get there.  Have you been to Bacolod City?  Can you suggest other places to visit while in there?  :)

What Facebook has taught me.

These are the random things I have learned while using Facebook.

• Give Respect. - Have you experienced seeing your News Feed flooded with your friend's status messages?  Well, I bet we have that one Facebook friend who loves updating their status 24/7.  When I experienced such, I was like, "Is this SPAM?", "Oh my, here s/he goes again!" and my eyes started to roll.. :))  But I came to realize that this person is just writing on"his/ her very own wall" and that was the time I started to not mind whenever they post anything. :) Facebook gave us two (2) options, to Hide ( a story or person) and to Delete (a friend).  Since I chose not to delete them, I opted to just hide them.  If something displeases you, just choose from the two or just let it be.  It is their wall anyway.. :)

• When Paranoia Attacks! - You've read a status message and it hits you.. Yeah! Right in the face!!! :))  But hey, it doesn't mean that that's you or that's for you!  Sometimes, we have some cases that we can relate to and we get paranoid!  It still happens to me, but I don't make "mega reactions' over it anymore, though sometimes I feel hurt (whether that's for me or not).. Just keep this in mind, "Do what makes you happy.. As long as you're NOT stepping on anyone's foot, I think you're doing fine.. Never mind what they say.. Gusto Ko, Happy Ka!"Just keep cool and calm down. :)  Believe me, it'll save you from a lot of trouble. :D

• Think before you post. - I know you have seen me write and post nasty remarks over someone or anything that has happened to me, and it became overly negative that made a lot of people got depressed, mad and pissed of me.  I didn't know I had such impact on this people and when someone took the courage to tell me about that, I tried my very best to change it.  Though sometimes, I still can't help it. LOL.

DISCLAIMER:

Contents were based solely on my experiences.  I don't intend to pin-point anyone in particular and I have tried my best to write it on a general form as to not hurt anyone who can relate on the topics I have stated.  My intention was just to write and express the things that this social networking site taught me, nothing more.  So please be kind with your comments (if there'll be)..

Sale Alert : Kamiseta

How-to: Make Custom Cupcake Toppers

Cupcake with toppers has been very popular lately, you can see it paired with customized cakes for weddings, birthdays, etc.  It gives the cake and its cupcakes the more personalized feel since themed birthdays are popular as well.  I will be giving you the step by step procedure as well as the materials on how to make Cupcake toppers. 

But first, you need to ask yourself what theme are you going to use for your event?  My upcoming event is a birthday party.  My son Raine is turning 5. He chose the Captain America Theme, it is his favorite at the moment. J

I searched on Google on what possible topper design I can make out of Captain America character, and I have chosen his shield.

Captain America Shield

Now that we have the topper design, here are the list of materials needed:

·         Photo Paper

·         Sticker Paper

·         Drinking Straw

·         Pair of Scissors

·         Printer

Procedures:

1.       I made the design on Microsoft Office Power Point so that I can save the file on a jpeg format.  I made it that way because I will have it printed as a photo (size 4R) using the photo paper.  I have them printed at Color Boy.

2.       Cut the shield into circles.

3.       Make another design for the back of the shield.  (I googled another design and found this)

   4.   I made it on Microsoft Office Power Point first, then transferred it to Microsoft Office Word (It is much easier to make designs on Power Point).  I have included the words “Thank You/ Raine @ 5”. (Note:  Back designs is just an option, if you opted not to put anything at the back of the topper, you can just cut the sticker paper into rectangles and stick it on the back.)

      5.       Print it on the sticker paper and cut it into circles. (Note:  Circles for the back SHOULD be smaller than the topper)

      6.  Peel off the sticker, stick it on the straw and place it at the back of the shield.  Try your best to place it on the center J

7.  Cut the straw of the topper into your desired height for the cupcake.  Place it on the middle and voila!...

Cake & Cupcakes by Mer-Nel's in Los Baños, Laguna

Have you tried making customized cupcake toppers? Please feel free to share your ideas! J

Sale Alert: Crocs MegaSale

Riane's Review: Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub

You may be asking me, why would I review something that has been reviewed a hundred times by other bloggers?  Well, my answer would be.. “Don’t you want to read what’s my take on it?  I blog/ I’ll blog about product/s that I believe in.” So, that’s it.. Read along! J

Product Description:

Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub is a beauty treatment inspired by the most luxurious Javanese ritual called Lulur. The ritual was originally intended for the bride-to-be in order to beautify, smoothen, and whiten her skin before her wedding day.

Lulur originated from the royal palaces of Java, Indonesia and products inspired by this traditional treatment are still used by Indonesian women today.

Asian Secrets Lulur Body Scrub Variants (Available in 250g and 135g)
-Green Tea and Vitamin E
-Licorice and Mulberry
-Seaweed and Vitamin E

How did I found out about this product? Well, let’s just say that I always pass along the streets surrounding UNILAB and all their gates were all covered with Solenn Heussaff endorsing this product plus the catch phrase, “Puting Walang Tinatago”. J Who wouldn’t want that, right? Lol

I am very excited to give it a try since summer left me with uneven skin tone on arms and legs, plus, I want to improve my overall complexion.

And so I searched the web for this and found lots and lots of reviews about it.  Some were even posted last 2010 and honestly, it gave me second thoughts if I should also write about it?  What’s nice about this is that it can be found almost anywhere, drugstores, supermarkets and the like.  I bought the Licorice and Mulberry variant in 250g.

The “How to use the product” says that it should be applied on a dry skin and so I did.  I applied it all over my body, starting from my feet upwards. It says that it can be applied in areas that are prone to darkening like the armpits, knees, elbows and skin between the thighs.  The beads were fine and I find it NOT too harsh on the skin, it is sweet smelling too.  I have used it for three (3) consecutive days, as it says that it is safe for daily use.  Washing it off takes some time, if you’re familiar with Dove’s effect on wet skin, I can resemble it to that and that’s fine with me. Oh, by the way, I leave it on my skin for about 2-3 mins before rinsing it off.  After bathing, my skin felt smooth but I still applied on my favorite Dove soap in regular and applied my lotion as well.

This is how it looks like when applied to the skin.

My tub almost empty. 

I have observed that it is a non-drying type of scrub, which I love! J What I don’t like about it is that on my third day of use,  tiny red marks appeared on my right arm.  But hey, maybe I over-scrubbed a bit.  I asked Hubby, what can he say about my skin? Did it somehow lightened my skin?  He said that it is smooth and my overall complexion lightened for about 15%.  But since I cannot use it everyday because my skin tends to get red after using it daily then I am going to use it once or twice a week so that I could get rid of the impurities in my skin.

Will I be buying it again?  DEFINITELY.. For a price of P130 for a 250g, it is a steal!  The product really works specially on the smoothing part but the lightening, well, you really have to use it regularly to see its effect!

How about you, have you tried this scrub? Was it effective? Please feel free to share your experience. J

Of Damaged Hair and Reviving It Back

My recent trip to a local salon had been the main reason for my hair to be damaged.  I took their promo then, a P999.00 for a rebond of any length + hair cellophane.  After the treatment, my hair became brittle, thus causing it to break.  I had split ends and my hair became super dry and not smooth at all.  I have no choice but to cut it a little shorter.  It took me months before I realized that I think I should also change the hair products I’m using.  I bought Sunsilk Co-Creations Damage Repair Shampoo, Cream Silk reConstruct Damage Control Conditioner and Cream Silk Precision Repair Treatment (a weekly hair treatment), in hopes that I would be able to revive my hair back without having have to spend more.  

(This is me, look at the ends of my hair.. It looks dry & may resemble a broomstick. LOL)

I have learned my lesson and I think I need NOT state that anymore. J  I’ll keep you posted if all of the products I’ve stated were effective with my damaged hair.

How about you? Have you experienced the same? Please feel free to share yours and what did you do to revive it back?

Grace Island Resort, Occ. Mindoro

This’ll be my first blog ever and it’ll be about my recent travel to Occ. Mindoro last April 25-28, 2012.  This trip is actually all about business, since we facilitated a team building activity for a government office in San Jose.  We took a flight via Air Philippines 2P 0041 bound for San Jose at 5:20am on Wednesday/ April 25, 2012. Inside the plane, I couldn’t find myself to sleep even if we woke up at around 2am just to be at the NAIA Terminal 3 at least 2 hours before our scheduled flight. I peeked at the window’s plane, trying to figure out where we were. .  Are we on top of the Taal Lake? LOL.. That I don’t know.. But it seems that we were during this shot. ;)

We arrived at San Jose & were fetched by the office staff assigned.  

We stayed at Villa Paulina Garden Resort at Brgy. Bubog, San Jose.  The place is okay, since it is located along the shorelines.

 

We had a nice room, good air-conditioning, cabled channels – okay, but the water that runs through their faucets has this certain smell when you open it. Maybe because the water is somehow mixed with sea water? But after a few minutes of letting the water flow, the smell would definitely go away (or maybe you’re already immune to it? Lol)

They offer the regular breakfast, Tap-Si-Log [Tapa (beef) + Sinangag (Fried Rice) + Itlog (Fried Egg)], Bang-Si-Log [Bangus (Fried Boneless Milk Fish + Sinangag (Fried Rice) + Itlog (Fried Egg)], and the like, all served with your choice of coffee or tea.  The service is okay, the staffs are friendly & very accommodating.

For the whole solid two-days, we had full of activities that make us all tired by the end of the day. But I can say that we have learned lots of things while on it!  By Friday, we were all treated for an Island Adventure at the Grace Island Resort.  It is an hour boat ride from Aroma Beach.  

You will pass this small rock formation that has been used by the Grace Island Resort as their symbol.

When we arrived at the resort, we were greeted with a band playing diff. kinds of songs plus a cold drink (strawberry juice).  It was a very hot day.  

You can see cottages floating atop the sea water and beneath were different kinds of fishes.

Hubby & I got to roam around the whole island and what we surprised us is that there’s a sandbar.

They have mini zoo were you can see birds, alligators & monkeys.  Zip Line is also available.

The view from the top is more awesome.  The sea color had all shades of blue to bluish-green.  It is so nice that the sweat we’re having is almost forgotten.

We got to try the pedal boat and the kayak, which actually was my first! It was a nice experience.

It was all FUN! :D

If you'll plan to go here, I will be giving you some tips for you to have a more enjoyable stay here.

• Air Philippines, Philippine Airlines and Zest Air have regular flights from Manila (MNL) to San Jose (SJI).
• Check the website of the said resort for further info and if you're lucky, you might find discounts as well.
• Bring your own bottled/ mineral water.  FYI:  Grace Island Resort doesn't have there own source of fresh water in the island, all the water you'll be using were all brought to the island through containers.  So please, try to save water while in there.
• I couldn't think of anything more except for this last item I want you to NOT forget.  Bring your sunblock! :)
• And of course, ENJOY! :)