Maxi-Peel Project Renewal at GMA 7’s Marian Show

Improved and completely confident versions of Maxi-Peel girls, Belle, Crystal, and Shane were featured last November 29 at GMA 7’s Marian Show. They are the three lucky girls that were chosen by Marian Rivera and Maxi-Peel Skin Care to embark on a 30-day journey to self-renewal.

As a woman, I know it very well that it takes more than strength to accept a challenge like this as you need to reveal yourself as well as your skin problems to the general public. With the hope that Maxi-Peel is the answer to their skin and beauty problems, Belle, Crystal, and Shane took the 30-day challenge.

Taiwan Excellence- Mothers Know Best

My mother is a living proof that "Mother truly knows best". My Mom raised me on some amazingly good advice, though I never really went through a rebellious stage, I didn't completely appreciate those advice at the time. I am 28 now, when I look back, I realize how grateful I am for her insistence.

Raising me alone, my Mom is pretty much my everything – my first teacher, my nurse when I am sick, my lawyer when I get in trouble, and my superwoman. I am still amazed on how she juggles on her responsibilities masterfully, not only as a mother.

Growing up, Mom always makes sure that I get the best or we get the best things at home. Whenever she purchased something, she always checks the quality of the products and making sure that those products would last years. It’s probably because we can’t afford to buy new things all the time.

I am glad that Taiwan Excellence has launched a campaign in the Philippines that promotes high quality Taiwan-made products that meets the high expectations and requirements of the world’s most demanding consumer-- Mothers. Organized by Bureau of Foreign Trade of Taiwan (BOFT), and implemented by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), Taiwan Excellence campaign is bringing the best Taiwanese lifestyle brands with symbol of quality to the Philippines market. 

Dear, Mr. Gutierrez. Happy Birthday, SuperIronBatman!

Happy weekend and Thanksgiving week, everyone! It doesn’t really feel very festive for us, but more than ever, I feel like I have so much to be thankful for. Today is my wonderful husband’s birthday. Can I talk about this guy for a minute? Just for a minute, I promise. Lol

He's silly...funny...crazy...just like me.

I became friends with Mr. Gutierrez a little over 5 years ago. Just like any other social creatures, I also had deep underlying desire in finding that one perfect man to spend the rest of my life with. But I have never thought that he is that man. We were good friends. We have the same likes, and dislikes. He's just about as crazy as I am. I never believed in soul mate… well not…until I met him. 

        

“Thank you” is an understatement for how I truly feel. Throughout these years I have felt this profound sense of gratitude for being given the gift of this relationship with Daniel and his influence in my life. Though at times, I drive him bat-shit crazy, but despite that, he loves me unconditionally. He is a saint for putting up with me and loving me anyway.

Here’s my final shout out! Happy birthday, my SuperIronBatman! When you and I met 5 years ago, you really had no idea what you were getting into, did you? Sorry that you are stuck with me….forever! lol You are my favorite human being that has ever existed. I love you more than coffee (you know I can’t live without coffee!), more than books, more than pizza, and more than basically anything else. You believe in me, and you always see the best in me, and that is irreplaceable. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you. I love you. I adore you.

I'm seriously beyond glad that you were born and because of that I get to spend the rest of my life chasing after you. I miss you like crazy, Babe! 

Join “Made to Enjoy Christmas Contest” and get a chance to win Taiwan Excellence Products

Christmas is in the air once again. It’s the season of sharing and giving. As part of Taiwan Excellence Campaign, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) is bringing us “Made to Enjoy Christmas Contest”. Taiwan Excellence recognizes that Christmas is a special time for Filipinos and is helping fulfill our “Grown up Christmas list” by letting us wish for things for our loved ones. 

If you are 18 years old or above and a legal resident of the Philippines, here’s what you need to do to join the contest. No purchase is necessary to enter and/or win the contest. Just follow the simple and easy instructions below to win high-quality Taiwan Excellence product, the perfect choice to give your loved ones this Christmas.

1. Simply register at http://www.MadeToEnjoyTheLife.ph
2. Select a Taiwan Excellence gift for your loved ones
3. Upload your photo
4. And share why you want to give your Taiwan Excellence gift to your selected recipient.

Ten (10) winners will be receiving the chosen Taiwan Excellence product this Christmas, and one super lucky winner will have the gift delivered no less than Taiwan Excellence Celebrity Endorser for the Philippines, Iya Villania-Arellano, to your selected recipient. 

This contest runs from September 28, 2014 until November 23, 2014 only. The names of the Winners will be posted on the Website on or about December 10, 2014. 

Rekado Restaurant: Makati's new kid on the block.

I love Makati City. I love how this place is constantly changing, with new bars and restaurants popping up regularly, including Rekado. Rekado is the new kid on the block located at the Ground Floor of The Columns Tower 2, just across from RCBC Plaza.

In English, ‘rekado’ means ingredients. Yes, the place is so Filipino and that is why I am starting to love this restaurant. Their menu is in Tagalog, but no worries, they have menu in English, as well. Their menu has a pretty wide selection. For vegetarians, like Donna, they have seafood and veggie options. Basically, there is a little something for everyone.

Taiwan Excellence in the Philippines: Enabling Filipinos to enjoy an excellent lifestyle.

The Taiwan Government, through its Bureau of Foreign Trade of Taiwan (BOFT) and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), is launching the first-ever “Taiwan Excellence” campaign in the Philippines. The campaign is not only to showcase the superb Taiwanese brands, but also to raise brand awareness and to give Filipino consumers the opportunity to discover a range of Taiwanese products with the seal of quality.

Taiwan Excellence campaign will be bringing 56 top quality brands-175 products to the Philippine market, which fall under different industries such as information and communications technologies (ICT), home and living, and sports & leisure. Some of the brands under the campaign include Acer, Asus, BenQ, Draytek, HCG, KingCom, KW Trio, Kymco, MSI, Silicon Power, Sym, Transcend, and many more. 

Mom's Birthday Dinner @ Buddha Bar, Makati City

Dark, mysterious, sensuous and chic! Buddha Bar ticks every box in terms of interior decoration and high end food with Pacific Rim influences. With a giant Buddha as its centerpiece, dining here definitely creates the sense that you are in a different world, one that is glamorous, classy and sophisticated.

Located at Picar Place on Kalayaan Avenue, Buddha Bar is impressively spacious. The establishment has two floors, and outside terrace with a pool, numerous balconies where you can enjoy chilling with friends or family. Buddha-Bar Manila highlights refined and exotic cuisine with exciting mix of flavors and cultures. And I love how all the dishes are prepared to a family-style concept. It can be shared as it is served in large dishes rather than individual plates.

BORNGA Original Korean Taste in Makati City

With the onslaught of Korean dramas and K-Pop singers in Asia, it’s no surprise that a bunch of Korean restaurants sprouting all over the place. And I have no problem with that. I am a sucker to anything Korean, and it’s no secret that I’m in love with Korean food. *grin*

BORNGA is a stylishly elegant yet comfortable restaurant located on the 2nd floor of the sumptuous Alphaland Makati Place (this is their first branch in the Philippines). This place is the brainchild of the Korean celebrity Chef, Jong Won Paik, who has established 24 franchised food and beverage brands. He opened BORNGA in 1993 and it now has over a hundred branches in Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. Dining at BORNGA was a pretty faultless experience, and here’s why. 

Chocolate Hills in Bohol; One of Nature's Mysterious Creations

Located in Bohol Philippines, Chocolate Hills are the island's premier attraction. During summer, the grass-covered cone shaped hills dry up and turn chocolate brown, which transforms the area into seemingly endless rows of “chocolate kisses”. 

My Hubby on top of one of the hills back in 2010

There are over 1,270 similarly cone-shaped hills creating a sea of hills over 20 square miles (50 sq km) - scattered throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan in Bohol. Heights typically range from 98 to 160 feet (30 to 50 m) with the highest reaching 390 feet (120 m).

Pancake House: Fluffy Pancakes, Waffles and More

I browsed my files, I have more photos of food than anything else, but it didn't surprise me. I have always been a self-confessed food and eating addict with an unquenchable appetite. Ha-ha! I think I should probably have a food blog – a separate site where I can talk about stuffing my face all over town. Lol

As for today’s post, I’ll talk about one of my favorite restaurants in the metro, Pancake House. I realized I haven’t posted anything about this place as of yet. I have been eating at Pancake House for a long as I remember. For over 5 years, this place has been my “go to” place for my type of comfort food. Here are some photos of what you can find on their menu.

Mehmet’s Turkish Restaurant in Makati City

Mehmet’s Kebab House is the brainchild of Mr. Mehmet Temizyurek, a Turkish man with over 20 years of experience in making Turkish bread. He amazingly turned his home garage into a cozy Turkish themed lounge. Definitely a good place to dine and chill. 

Located along Matilde Street in Barangay Poblacion, this place is one of the few authentic Turkish restaurants in Makati City. I’d say dining here was quite a treat - it was actually love at first taste. 

We kicked off with some Baklava (Php150.00) together with Italian Wine (Php300.00 per glass). This tasty popular Turkish food is highly recommended to be served as a companion with black tea or coffee as I heard (but it does taste good with wine too). No Mid East feast is complete without this great baklava food.

Iskender Kebab (Php500.00). Its slices of beef on top of diced bread with tomato sauce with a bit of butter. It had a very beefy and juicy taste. I personally like this one and would highly recommend for everyone to give it a try.

Beef Kebab on Pasta (Php250.00). Deliciously seasoned and spiced pure ground beef topped, comes with Fettuccini. This is a bit spicy and tastes really good.

Shawarma Plate with Rice (Php450.00). I actually would like to order the same since this is what I've been craving for but I just couldn't because I was on diet. Haha!

All of which were superb. We were full up; I enjoyed every bite of the food. The prices were pretty decent. In terms of the ambiance, it was well decorated with many different fine details. The dim lighting seemed to create an intimate and romantic atmosphere. And Turkish music is played, while you eat or wait for your order. I love this place and I cannot wait to go back.

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Location and Contact Information: 

Mehmet's Kebab House / Combo’s Bread Company 

5911-B Matilde St, Bgy Poblacion, 

Makati Cit, Philippines

Phone: +63 2 5533371

Open Daily from 1pm to 1am

Seafood Feast at Seaside Dampa Macapagal Boulevard

Finger-licking good! If you are exploring on Filipino cuisine, this is a go-to place for you. Conveniently located along Macapagal Highway, right in between SM Mall of Asia and CCP Complex, Seaside Dampa is definitely a treasure trove for seafood lovers like me. There are a number of dining options in here, one of which is Cuzina Seafood Haus.

Unlike the other typical restaurants, they do have a different concept in Dampa, and the call it “Paluto”. It’s a concept of buying seafood from the Seaside market, take it to the restaurant of your choice (there are over 10 restaurants to choose from) and have them cook it for you. But if you are too lazy to do that, you can also just order from the menu and they’ll do everything for you. Here’s what we had at Cuzina Seafood Haus.

Janice Murphy, an old friend from Guam, paid a total of Php3000-plus for this quick seafood feast. I guess we would have spent the same amount if we had dined in a much expensive restaurant, and we got double the amount of food.

I’d say, dining here is one of the best restaurant-experiences I have. You’d be extremely impressed with the quality of the cooking here, which would actually put the expensive ones to shame. The shrimp and the crab alone are worth every centavo you’ll pay. The service was respectable, and with such reasonable prices it was really hard not to like these humble restaurants in Dampa. It proved itself to be really great value and Cuzina Seafood Haus is a restaurant I would definitely visit again.

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Location and Contact Information: 

Cuzina Seafood Haus

Lot 5A Seaside Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 76, Pasay, Metro Manila

Seaside Dampa Macapagal Boulevard

Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City 1309

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co Restaurant at Hong Kong's Peak Tower

If you have seen the 1994 movie, Forrest Gump (one of my favorite movies of all time), you would probably remember when Forrest and Bubba talked about opening their own restaurant. And ultimately, in the movie, Forrest pursued the idea of opening a shrimp restaurant after Bubba’s death in the Vietnam war. This restaurant is named after the iconic Forrest Gump movie characters, Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue and Forrest Gump. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. & Restaurant, established in California in 1996, remains the first and only theme restaurant chain based on a motion picture.

This family friendly restaurant has now over 30 locations worldwide including Hong Kong's Peak Tower. The Hong Kong branch is located at Shop 304 & 305, Level 3, The Peak Tower - which offers the most spectacular and breath-taking view of the entire Victoria harbor. 

IHOP Philippines in Bonifacio Global City

On February of 2013, the United States-based restaurant chain IHOP, also known as International House of Pancakes, opened its first branch in the Philippines (which also happened to be their first branch in the Asia-Pacific Region). This all-day breakfast place is conveniently located near the corner of 30th and 9th Avenue along Bonifacio High Street, beside P.F. Chang's and California Pizza Kitchen.

The queues on its opening attest to its popularity. It may have been late-night when Len and I went, but we were still required to wait over an hour for a table. By the time we were seated, not only was I starving, I was also a little irritable after having stood for so long. But eating at IHOP made it all worthwhile. Here’s our first IHOP experience – and yes – these photos were taken a year ago. lol

I ordered Big Steak Omelette (Php290.18). It has tender and tasty strips of steak, hash browns, fresh green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and Cheddar cheese. It was good. I am thinking of trying to make my own version of this for my hubby. hehe

This is actually included in the Big Steak Omelette meal that I ordered. I added Php44.64 to change it from original pancakes to New York Cheesecake Pancakes. This has two pancakes with cheesecake pieces and topped with strawberries, powdered sugar and whipped topping. I super love this one. I can pretty much eat pancake the whole day.

Elenil ordered Breakfast Sampler (Php352.68). This comes with two eggs, two crispy bacon strips, two pork sausage links, and two pieces of ham, two fluffy buttermilk pancakes and our golden hash browns. And Len added rice to go along with it. Too Filipino, I know! Lol

Instead of sticking to the original pancake, Len changed her order to Double Blueberry Pancakes. This is also included in her Breakfast Sampler order. We also added Php44.64. This comes with two buttermilk pancakes filled with blueberries, topped with blueberry compote and whipped topping.

IHOP have a variety of hot and cold drinks to enjoy. I order French Vanilla and Len ordered something else but they were completely out of those. We end up getting Lemonade (Php156.25 each serving but it's bottomless) instead which is also good. But the good thing about, it's bottomless.

I love that they have four different types of Pancake Syrups to choose from: Old Fashioned, Butter Pecan, Blueberry and Strawberry. And of course, I tried them all.

Interior wise, it's simple but looks very comfortable. The place was too crowded, I wasn't able to take a photo of the whole place.

How can anyone not like IHOP? Great food, great service! A bit pricey compared to the local breakfast-restaurants, but worth it. Needless to say, I cannot wait to go back!

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Location and Contact Information: 
IHOP Philippines
W Global Center, 30th St. corner 9th Ave.BGC,
The Fort, Taguig City Philippines
Phone Number: 687-5611IHOP
Website: http://www.ihop.com/ 
IHOP Philippines Facebook Page

Ramen Nagi Manila at SM Aura Premier

Ramen noodles are all the rage at the moment. I am a little embarrassed to be just now trying Ramen Nagi, and 2014 is almost over. I’ve read rave reviews of this place so I’ve been dying to get a taste of what made these people go “gaga”. Pun intended.

Anyway, my Mom and I checked it out. It’s a no reservation restaurant and luckily there were no queues when we popped along on Tuesday morning. I can honestly say this is one of the best ramen I’ve ever had. It’s as good as what I had in Hong Kong. I am happy that I don’t need to pay an expensive airfare just to get my Ramen fix.

Once seated, an attentive staff gave us a sheet of paper and a red pen so we can customize our ramen order to our liking. I don’t want to take chances; I decided to just order their Chef recommendations. Mom had Original King (Butao) (Php390.00). Mom loved it. It’s the same of what I had in Hong Kong.

I ordered Black King (Kuroo) (Php410.00). It has such curious flavor – boasted of a good intense flavor. They do have condiments on top of the table (like fresh garlic) that you can use to enhance the flavor of your ramen.

The place is a lovely little space with modern and comfortable Japanese thoughtful touches. The cooking was yummy, and the service was efficient and friendly. There’s not much variety on their menu though. I wish they would add more in the future.

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Location and Contact Information: 

Ramen Nagi Manila - SM Aura Premier 

Fifth Floor, SM Aura Premier, C5 Road Corner 26th Street,

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Phone: 828-6793

My Hubby's Habitat for Humanity Experience

Daniel and I have volunteered with many different organizations over the years, to give back to our community. That is something that we have in common. And I am proud that I married a man who is also willing to do something that could help others just as much as I do. So, I thought I’d share his experience while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity, by the way, is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization building simple, decent, affordable housing in partnership with people in need. Their main goal is making dreams become reality while providing families with the chance to build something up from nothing. Helping others build their dream homes may get you little dusty or little dirty in the process, but they’d appreciate it and you’ll be better for it. When you see the smiles on the faces of homeowners, it makes everything worthwhile.

I am proud of my Husband for being able to volunteer here. Habitat is a wonderful organization with outlets for people of all walks and backgrounds to help the community. I’d say that my involvement with Habitat when I was in college has shaped me to be a better person. I have appreciated my blessings even more, and made me even closer to the community and have a stronger desire to help others. Knowing that our time and effort is given for a great and noble cause is rewarding. I can't wait to do something like this again in the future. I know both Daniel and I would do this in a heartbeat.

Papa John’s Pizza: Savory Crust and Garlic Dipping Sauce!

Papa John’s Pizza, the fourth largest pizza restaurant chain in the United States, is one of our favorite pizza sanctuaries. Yes, they do have branches here in the Philippines. Daniel and I both love their special garlic sauce, and I think I could practically drink that stuff! Been in their Jupiter Street Branch a couple of times and realize I haven’t posted anything about this place yet. So, here it is.

Cream of Mushroom (Php49.00): It’s a classic cream of mushroom with mushroom chunks and croutons. Some of you probably already know that I usually start my meal with a soup, whenever it is available. This one is quite good.

Cheesesticks (Php99.00): Fresh dough covered with special garlic sauce topped with mozzarella cheese. These cheese sticks were just so heavenly, I couldn't stay away.

The Hawaiian (Php265.00 regular, Php395.00 family, Php475.00 party): We chose to order the 14 inches party size because Daniel and I both love Hawaiian pizza and the smaller size won’t be enough for the two of us. Haha! This pizza is loaded with ham, sweet and juicy pineapple combined with an extra helping of mozzarella cheese. So yummy!

Super Papa (Php340.00 regular, Php470.00 family, Php575.00 party): Rex chose to order this one, but only the regular size. No regrets, it was really good. You can taste the ultimate combination of tasty pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, freshly sliced mushrooms, onions, green peppers and black olives.

Carbonara (Php180.00): Spaghetti with bacon, fresh mushroom and mozzarella cheese in carbonara sause with grated parmesan cheese. It was reasonably tasty.

Caesar Salad (Php99.00): It’s a mix of romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing topped with bacon croutons and grated Parmesan cheese. I love the taste of the fresh-sliced veggies.

Sundae Triple Scoop (Php89.00): Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry ice cream topped with whipped cream with cherry on top.

I love the relaxed and chilled vibe, and the thought that they are using fresh ingredients. You can also expect a general level of consistency in the food no matter which branch you visit. And best of all the food is really reasonably priced. Service is also good.

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Location and Contact Information: 

Papa John’s Pizza - Jupiter Branch

102 Jupiter St., Makati City Philippines

Phone Number: 887-7272

Store Hours: Mon-Sun: 10:00 am-5:00 am 

Delivery Hours: Mon-Sun: 10:00 am-5:00 am