Blogger on iPhone

I don't know why I never bothered to find out before. I've had my iPhone 4s since December 2010 and I'm still in exploratory mode up to now. In fact, I've only installed a few apps, mostly out of necessity.

I'm a bit disappointed that the iPhone doesn't allow you to do multiple attachments on email messages. I've had to send photos individually or move them first to my external hard drive before posting them here.

With the Blogger for iPhone app, those days are over! Yes, I'm typing this entry from my iPhone 4s. The previous entry was my first attempt and it worked even with all those photos.

Hurray!!!

P.S.

The only thing that's missing on my iPhone entries are my signature. I'm gonna have to figure out how to make it appear everytime I blog from my phone.

First Time at Tea Tap

On our way home from a lunch gathering yesterday, I wanted to have something sweet. I had attempted to go to Tea Tap several times in the past but never got around to doing so. I finally made it yesterday.

I was surprised that the place was really big, contrary to what one would expect because from outside, it always looked small to me.

I really liked the stuff they had on their walls. They kept Sabine and I entertained while waiting for our number to be called out. I thought it was funny, however, that the place was still on holiday mode haha.

I opted for the Formosa Roast and got the Wintermelon Milk Tea for Sabine. They did not disappoint. I did notice that the pearls had a slight after-taste, but not funky enough for me to not go back. The prices are also quite competitive, despite the really spanking interiors.

I wish I had the appetite to try some of the food they serve. They looked so good in the photos. I'll definitely spend more time there on my next visit. I heard their pasta dishes are a must-try.

One of the reasons people hang out here is the free WIFI signal. I'm almost 100% certain of that!

I'm glad I was finally able to try their milk teas after planning on it for the longest time. Please don't ask me to rate all the different brands I've tried so far. It would be hard for me to say which one tops my list. (sorry but I just have to say again that Happy Lemon is not a consideration)

Tea Tap is located at P.Guevarra corner Wilson St in San Juan.

Day One : Snoe White No. 11 Rejuvenating Collagen Bar

Here we go!

I used this soap bar for the first time last night (after taking my eye make-up off with The Body Shop's Vitamin E Cream). Here's what the girls at Snoe Beauty Inc have to say about the product:

Most effective whitening and anti-aging soap. We dare you to compare.
Has collagen and fruit extracts to give skin its radiant and healthy glow to maintain a whiter, youthful look. 
Collagen is a natural protein that keeps skin smooth and firm, fresh and elastic.
Repairs aging skin.


Active Ingredients: Collagen Liquid, Papain Enzyme, Hyaluronic Acid, AHA, Vitamin E, C, high Grade Coconut Oil.


Confession : this is the first time ever that I'm using a bar of this kind on my face. Before last night, I was okay with Dove haha! But like I mentioned previously, I made a promise  and I really, really intend to keep it!

I followed the instructions on the sleeve to the letter. Wet my entire face first then got to work. What it says on the sleeve is true ... there was a slight sensation after I washed it all off. My skin felt prickly and tingly (those are the exact words on the back of the soap sleeve) but the feeling didn't last very long, so it's not a major issue for me.

(Note : I've been using Human Heart Nature's Sunflower Beauty Oil every night before going to bed but this time, I didn't want to push it. I skipped doing that because I was scared of how my skin might react.)

I stayed awake hours after I washed my face. Yup, I'm a very late sleeper. I kept feeling my face for any noticeable changes. Excited much? Maybe. But I did feel something different. The skin felt softer, like I applied the Sunflower Beauty Oil when I didn't. I thought maybe I was gravitating towards my thoughts because I wanted to be optimistic about the results, so I decided to sleep it off and check again when I wake up. Which I did.

And???

Sorry, I can't take a photo. I don't look my best in the mornings haha! But my skin still felt the same when I woke up. I mean, the softness was definitely still there. So I guess that's a clear sign that I should keep using this soap. I also don't have any breakouts so far. I'm hoping they won't decide to show up today or any day.

I don't know if I should be trying their other variants. I've read in some blogs that a lot of users like the Exfoliating Oatmeal Beauty Bar (above pic). I think I need this too. Maybe I'll ask one of the girls behind Snoe Beauty if it's okay to use these two alternately.

Oh and by the way, I haven't used the other product in the first pic yet. It's supposed to also double as a base for foundation. I need to go out of the house to road test it first.

The Snoe White Beauty Bars only cost Php 139.00 each.
Choose the one that's best for you! I think I just did!

More info on their products here


Catch y'all later!

Discovered : Snoe Beauty

I swear, spending too much time online has resulted in a very expensive habit for me. I see things I'd never even heard of before and I'm off to the mall to buy them.

This is exactly what happened when I saw Sophie's blog entry about Snoe Beauty's Intense Argan Oil Cleansing Conditioner from their Hair Heroes line. She raved about the product from start to finish, I just knew I had to grab my own bottle. I've been having my hair colored since I-don't-know-when. Plus maybe 2 years ago, I started having it rebonded as well. In short, my hair is abused. I don't believe in getting regular treatments at the salon because I'd rather do it myself at home, with products I can buy off the shelf at the supermarket (I've been using Pantene for quite sometime now, once a week).

I was at a meeting today and on my way home, I thought of dropping by Robinson's Galleria to buy a bottle. Beats having to order online which was my initial intention, because I hardly go to Galleria. The stall wasn't too difficult to find. I love that it's so attractive even from afar.

I immediately went straight to the shelf where the Intense Argan Oil Cleansing Conditioner was. This was my main reason for going and I wanted to make sure they had stocks. They did and they had a lot! Then I began to look at their soaps ... so many to choose from, I felt lost! I'm clueless about skincare remember? Thankfully, the girls manning the stall were really helpful without being over-the-top. They complimented me and told me how my skin looked good and that it didn't seem to them that I need to use too much product or spend too much time on my face. THANK YOU!

After listening to all of their suggestions, I zeroed in on what I wanted. Here's the humble loot from that unplanned and quickie trip.

Hair Heroes Intense Argan Oil Cleansing Conditioner, S Skin Stem Cell SPF 30 Cream and Rejuvenating Collagen Beauty Bar

I spent less than Php 1,000 for all three. Is that good or is that good?!

Thanks to these girls, Cyra (I hope I spelled that right) and Tess, for knowing what to recommend and not sales talking me into buying stuff I didn't really need.

(Thought bubble : OMG where did they have that cute signage made???)

Watch out for my individual entries on the products.

Visit Snoe Beauty Inc's website at http://snoebeauty.com
Like them on Facebook or
Follow them on Twitter @SnoeBeautyInc

The promise I made

At 43 years old, I have no daily skincare routine. Bad? Yes! I guess (and please, this is said in all honesty, no bragging) I took this for granted because I've never had any issues regarding my skin. I get a pimple, a really small one, like maybe 3-4 times in a year and mostly on my chin area. That's about it. The main problem I have with my skin would be the fact that it's oily. Then again, people say I should be thankful because oily skin is not prone to wrinkles.

This year, however, I made this promise to myself. I didn't broadcast it as a New Year's resolution because I don't really make resolutions. I told myself I would take better care of my skin from now on. Given that I'm in mid-life and for a lot of women out there, it's usually downhill from here onwards. Knock on wood!

Other than washing my face with soap and water before going to bed, I never did anything. This year so far, I've been religiously applying Human Heart Nature's Sunflower Beauty Oil every night before retiring (I'll save the story for a separate post).

Today, I purchased a few more items to help me fulfill this promise.

I'm really excited to blog about them!

Wish me luck!!!

Excited for these!

This is such a premature post, but I need to do it out of excitement!

These lippies have been ordered and I'm just waiting to receive them

NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Buttery Nude

NYX Lip Cream in Strawberry Jam

Sleek Pout Paint in Milkshake

Let's start with the first two. I've always liked NYX lip products. In fact, I have a few of the matte lip creams as well as the round lipsticks. The Xtreme Lip Creams are supposed to be highly-pigmented just like their matte ones, except these leave a glossy finish. I sometimes like applying gloss over my lipstick so this is perfect!

Out of all of the available shades below, I chose Buttery Nude and Strawberry Jam. I don't know how on earth I was able resist all the other colors. I'm sure I'll be going back for other shades after my first two arrive! (already have my eye on Candy Land and Absolutely Red)

I've a done a review on Sleek's True Color lipsticks here. I haven't outgrown them just yet but I just couldn't say no to Sleek's Pout Paints. Again, I don't know how I ended up ordering just ONE shade.

Sleek Pout Paint in Milkshake ... a really safe color, huh?

Just look at all the other pretty shades available

SIGH! I'm really loving the pinkish ones. I'm sure I'll go for them next.

How much? NYX Xtreme Lip Creams cost P290 (on sale at the moment) and Sleek Pout Paints are at P400. Very good deals you won't find elsewhere!

Where to buy?

Head on to Digital Traincase and/or Updated Trends before they run out. There are many other lipstick addicts out there so don't dilly dally!

Favorite color combinations

I always find myself drawn to the same color mixes when I look at pretty things, especially where home decorations are concerned. One day, I know I'll have the patience to re-do every room in the house using any of these 

Turquoise, Red, Taupe

Blue, Yellow, White

Green and Khaki

Black and White with a splash of something. In my case, it would have to be something like this ...

yellow or apple green! Happy, right?

Sigh. In the meantime, I'm gonna have to hang on to these photos for inspiration. Re-modeling is a huge task and I'm totally not ready for it right now. 

Claiming it!

Just having fun

I'm sure N will violently object

But what the heck!

Mood : Thankful

The year started out on a good note --- work wise. I don't work as hard as I used to. I don't want to belittle what I'm doing because that is just so wrong. What I do now compared to what I used to do is so small, but only in terms of scope. Maybe even in terms of stress levels. For so many years, my work life was hectic. I had to stop myself and breathe. It was so easy to drown in it, if I didn't make a conscious effort to take a break.

A few days into the new year, I sat down with a group of people to try and seal the deal for a project. Two hours later, I was texting the rest of my team mates about the meeting's success. I was beside myself with happiness and gratitude. It was a really good way to start things off.

Every night, I say the same things when I pray.

I start my bedtime prayer with

"Lord God, thank You for today's blessings"

I know I'm blessed every single day, with different things

Sometimes big, sometimes small

It doesn't really matter though, because what counts is I know God doesn't forget

Even when I feel I am most undeserving, He still manages to give me

something to be thankful for.

I don't mean to preach. But in my 43 years I've learned that mindset is really important.

I'm so sure there's more where the blessings are coming from.

Thank you, dear Lord, for everything!

Callie Bath and Body - my dynamic duo!

Amber Lights Laguna (ALL), known for their scented soy candles has expanded and now carries a bath and body line called CALLIE.

My good friend, the brains behind ALL gave me this for Christmas

I have been using them nonstop since the day I got them! They say layering is one of the best ways to sustain a scent. These are perfect for doing so. Even my 5-year old loves the way they smell. They're also great to give as gifts, just make sure you give them as a set because they really work best that way.

Other than ALL's signature candles, I'm also really fond of their reed diffuser. The scent I have in my bedroom now is Day at the Spa and I literally like I'm walking into a Balinese spa whenever I enter my room.

Photo above was taken from ALL's site. See all the other scents? I suggest you try them all!

Click on this to see their product list.

Desserts at Momo Cafe

My family has had dinner here a few times. I personally love their Filipino breakfast plate (that's not the exact name on the menu though), especially the Beef Tapa, which is what I always order! Last night, we decided to hangout here after dinner. I didn't stuff myself at BluFish so I had some room for dessert. Their offerings looked so tempting in the chiller, Anissa and I couldn't resist!

I ordered the Chocnut Sansrival and Anissa spotted Deep Fried Oreos in the dessert list so that's what she decided to get.

Here's my slice of the Chocnut Sansrival. It was good. However, I like my Sansrival sticky and semi-crunchy. Very old school, I know. But this is the kind f Sansrival I grew up loving. This was neither sticky, nor crunchy. But the chocnut flavor was not bad at all.

When Anissa's order arrived, she took one bite and immediately urged me to do the same.

So I did.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

I teased her about exchanging orders because this one tasted wayyyyyyy better than mine! It also helped that they used mini Oreos. They made it so much easier to eat. I don't know what they used but it was the breading (or coating, if that's a more correct term) that really did the job. Now I have one more reason to keep going back to Momo Cafe!

I wonder if they serve this in Chelsea (Serendra) as well. The same group owns it.

By the way, we always go to the branch in Eastwood Mall.

But a friend told me there's also one in the Ayala Triangle in Makati.

Do yourselves a favor and order this on your next visit!

P.S.

I took these photos using my iPhone 4s (loooooove the camera!) and enhanced them using the

BeFunkyFX app. Cool!

A follow up post

It's been weeks since I made that big jump from a Blackberry to an iPhone 4s. So how am I doing?

Other than the fact that I still keep waiting for my BBM message alert to go off, I think I'm okay. Friends who have been on the iPhone from day one told me I'll get used to it and I guess I have. My main beef with the iPhone was the touchscreen. This was the primary reason I refused to switch. I loved the tactile sound of the keys on my Blackberry. Which is why my keyboard sound is turned ON. It's shallow, I know hahaha!

So yes, I really sometimes pine for a Blackberry still. Most especially whenever I'm reminded that my friends are all on BBM and I'm the only one who isn't. I'm a total outcast!

If anyone's interested, here's what my iPhone 4s looks like right now

This is my 2nd cover. The first one was a Kate Spade, which happily sits inside my dresser drawer right now hehe! I love the design on that but it's kinda bulky. I'm thinking of getting the silicone version next time. This one, is a Tokidoki case which I got from Power Mac. I got it because Cactus Girl is just so adorable!

And guess what ... my current wallpaper is even more juvenile!

The wallpaper app I downloaded is filled with so many nice ones. I actually have a few Hello Kitty wallpapers already stored in an album, so I can change the look of my homescreen depending on my mood. Check out 10,000+ wallpaper app in the app store and have fun with all the fun options it has!

I wonder when Siri will begin to recognize the Philippine map though? I haven't made use of her much, except when the kids are bored in the car and start asking her all sorts of funny questions.

My kind of weather!

I woke up to bed weather. Isn't that so ironic?

I wanted to stay in bed but the little girl started blabbing to me as soon as we both woke up. There was a slight drizzle outside ... perfect to go with my morning cup of Batangas Barako coffee.

The downside is that we have been looking forward to this day because we're planning to take Aldo with us to Eastwood. If it continues to rain, that means we'll be restricted to the mall area where it's covered. We won't be able to walk him around in the open area.

Hope you're all having a very relaxing Sunday.

Back to work tomorrow!

It's More Fun In The Philippines

I went into a 2-hour meeting yesterday (not a boring one, mind you) and when I checked my Twitter timeline, it was flooded with tweets about the Dept. of Tourism's new slogan.

There was a mixture of reactions from everyone. I, however, will have to say that I totally agree. You see, I've seen relatives and close family members leave the homeland in search of greener pastures abroad since I was a little girl. My earliest memory of people packing their bags is that of my Mom's eldest sister. This was sometime in the 1970s (I think). I can still see myself standing in my grandfather's huge garage, near the swimming pool, saying goodbye to her, my uncle and their daughters who were both in my age range. They lived in Bulacan since the girls were born and decided to migrate to California. They've been there eversince and haven't looked back, not once. Since then, all of my Mom's 8 siblings have moved. We were the only ones who stayed put. Except for a handful of cousins who were already overaged and couldn't move together with the rest of their families, we were the only ones here. It was really sad, seeing my first-degree cousins go. I grew up with them and we spent many weekends and summers together. Even my one and only first cousin on my Dad's side decided to pack her bags sometime during her college education here, married and gave birth to my niece in the US.

I guess you could say I was fortunate that my family didn't have any reason to move out. But still, it was sad. Everytime I went to visit them, it would break my heart each time I had to say goodbye and fly back home. It was only when I got older and after seeing them regularly that I realized ... I would never want to leave the Philippines. My decision to stay where I am stands to this day. Not even when I'm constantly disappointed by people in government, or even if I have to spend hours sitting in the car in terrible traffic. Really, there is no place like this one.

I still get asked sometimes if we have any plans of living elsewhere. My standard answer is NO. But I change my mind somehow if it's one of my Singapore-based friends who ask me. I love Singapore and I love the thought of raising kids in a disciplined and super clean (almost antiseptic!) environment. Then again, I have no reason to think about doing it. I'm happy where I am and I would never ever trade the perks of living here.

Where else can I get 2-hour home service massages at only P250 an hour?

Or a full makeover for the price of just a haircut in the States?

What about household help? My relatives have had to import theirs from here and pay them tons in basic salaries, or hire other nationalities to clean and maintain their homes on a weekly basis. There is nothing like local household help, especially the loyal ones like mine (she's been with us for almost 16 years).

Most of all, I can't bear the thought of taking my kids away from my parents who adore them to death. While the prospect of being so much more financially capable is always attached to the idea of living in another country, I don't think it can ever compensate for the absence of immediate family. That's really what the Pinoy is all about, right?

So ... BBDO, I think you guys have come up with a really appropriate slogan for the country. Atleast that's how I feel about it. We may be 3rd world in the eyes of many foreign nationals. That's their opinion and they're entitled to it. I really could care less.

Fully Groomed!

The day after he arrived, we decided to take Aldo to Vets In Practice for the works! He badly needed a bath but we chose the full package which also included nail cutting, ear cleaning and what have you. He was at the vet for over 2 hours. We were disappointed when we got a call and were told that they might have to cut more than the usual amount of hair. We asked if they could at least do a summer cut and thankfully, they agreed!

Here he is, the new and improved Aldo!

Props to Vets In Practice for doing a great job! Not bad for P600.

Happy that the clinic is just a 10-minute drive from the house.

We highly recommend the place!

Our surprise New Year's gift

N knows I am not particularly fond of dogs. Not that I don't like them, because whenever we're in Serendra/Boni High Street or Eastwood, I can appreciate the many dogs I always see walking around with their owners. It's just that I never had enough patience to take care of one and I was too busy working to find the time to learn to train one. We've had 2 dogs in the past : a boxer and a long-haired dachsund. The boxer eventually passed away from an illness and the dachsund was handed over to N's aunt who's a dog lover. The girls have been badgering us about getting one for the longest time, but since they both suffer from allergic rhinitis, I used that as a reason to decline their request.

Then the other night, on our way home from a dinner, N dropped an unexpected surprise on them and on ME. He proudly announced that we were getting a dog the next day. THE NEXT DAY! While the girls squealed and bounced around in the car out of sheer ecstasy, I sat frozen and in shock. I knew that N purposely didn't consult me about this because I would say "no". This time, I had absolutely no choice but to go along with the idea because I didn't have the heart to pop the girls' balloons. The rest of the evening was spent thinking of names, I had to force the girls to sleep because they were too excited thinking about his arrival.

Yesterday, January 4, 2012 at approximately 9am ... we officially became a family of 5

This handsome 8-month old baby boy cocker spaniel is ALDO. It is so funny that I - the only person in this household who was strongly against the idea - am the one who named him. Nope, his name has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a shoe hag LOL. I just love the way the name sounds and when I saw him for the first time up close, I knew it would be a good fit.

He's 8 months old because we didn't buy him from the store or from someone who breeds. He was offered first to my cousin who had to say "no" because already has 2 dogs. My cousin asked N and the rest is history.

Seriously, this dog has captured the hearts of all of the members of his new household. The kids are beside themselves with happiness that I finally agreed (errrr was coerced) to getting them a pet. We immediately shopped for his essentials yesterday afternoon.

I found myself inside Bow and Wow in Shangri-la Mall last night, looking at dog beds and I found this

Don't ask me how much this cost! Let's just say, I'm going to have to postpone my planned visit to the salon this week to get my hair color retouched. No regrets though! Well, maybe a little. :))

Next up ... full grooming this morning!

More updates on Aldo in the next few days!

Heaven in a Box : Nathaniel's Buko Pandan

My Tita who resides in San Fernando, Pampanga brought this over during our 4-day stay in Subic. It used to be that one would have to go all the way to Pampanga just to buy this. If you were pregnant (or the husband of a pregnant woman) with an intense craving for this, that would've been a real challenge for you!

Thankfully, they've decided to bring this to the Metro and have opened shop in Quezon City. A friend of mine also informed me that this is now sold in SM Hypermart (not sure if all branches have it though).

It's best served chilled, not frozen, contrary to popular belief. I have no idea how much this costs today but I'm pretty sure it won't do much damage. It's a perfect potluck party item, if you ask me, because I don't think I know anyone who doesn't like it.

Nathaniel's is at ITC Commercial Complex

Panay Avenue cor. Timog Avenue

Quezon City

I'm craving for it again!