Time For a Cool Change

When my sister woke up around lunch time (she's on graveyard shift), she made a sweet, childish request to accompany her at the mall because she has to send a payment to the watch she bought online. This prompted mom to want to come with us, so aside from doing her bank errand, mom and I did our own errands as well - pay bills, buy gift for mom's friend, and buy a closet door handle.

my sister ordered the sundae, btw.

Sister didn't want to travel back home only to travel back going to work, and since it was still early - just 3pm, we went to McDonald's for some snacks. I went to try their newest sandwich - the McSpicy, sister ordered the Big & Tasty burger, while we chose the Fillet o'Fish for mom. Mickey Ds currently promote the Smurfs 2 movie, and they have some Smurf related food items, which we ordered as well. My McFloat was upsized - there was a confusion, my sister upsized her Coke but we ended up getting regular sized Coke and large McFloat - but we decided not to bother with it anymore.

When someone walked near us carrying a box of J.Co Donuts, sister asked mom if she wanted to taste it. Mom didn't like Krispy Kreme when we bought some for her, so even if sister and I love J. Co Donuts, we couldn't buy in bulk.

i don't eat avocado, but this avocado dicaprio was surprisingly delish!

We decided to go for a donut each. Sister had her favorite Green Tease (green with floral swirls), I went for the Avocado DiCaprio (green with chocolate shavings), and we chose the Hi Lychee for mom, just to complete the green donut motif. We were so pleased when mom expressed how delicious the donuts were... so in the future, sister is thinking of buying the dozen box.

Obviously, mom and I didn't eat dinner anymore because we ate way too much already. While eating the donuts, us three girls made a pact to regulate our food intake starting tomorrow. I am very happy that we all see eye to eye this time - sister and I need to lose weight for a wedding come December and mom has to regulate her diet  as well, so with all of us having the same missions and goals, losing weight this time would be much easier.

I am going to plan the meals, measure the meals, and we will also exercise together, although sister would only join me in doing Hip Hop Abs cardio before she sleep. I don't know if mom would join us, but I am quite certain she will.

I am very much active on Instagram, and it's so amazing that some of the people I follow post things about juicing. I really want to incorporate juicing into my diet, but I don't know any combinations, so now that I know some, I am only hoping finding the ingredients would be easy. We don't have a juicer, but we do have a blender... I think it will do for now.

Expect me to be active in blogging here again starting tomorrow. A cool change is coming.

What Made Me Happy The Past Week

I don't get to update my blogs that much, but I am re-learning how to properly multitask, especially now that I am going back to my fitness routine come August.

Last week, I...


...had a hair cut after one and a half years. Not having good hair makes me not mind my hair that much. I do shampoo it, of course, but treatments and salon visits aren't my cup of tea. After a year and a half since my last haircut, I noticed split, dry, and coarse ends, and the better way to handle it is to cut it. I was a little upset that the hairdresser just cut my hair straight and blow dried it (I should've just asked my mom to do it), but I am happy to have it cut. I am thinking of having my hair treated soon, but maybe after we got home from Boracay.

...arranged the Boracay trip. When siblings and I attended the Enjoy Philippines mid-year party, sister and I won a GC each for a Boracay accommodations. Her GC will expire by the end of October, and because we will be traveling to La Union that time, we had to find a time before October to use it. She found an open time next month, and because it is a long weekend and that several people also won the same GCs and might use it at the same time, we had to reserve the rooms as early as now. I was able to reserve the rooms and was able to book our flights, but I stumbled a stupid mistake when I booked the flight. With several airlines to choose from and with a few attempts to book a flight, I got a little confused and entered my name instead of my mom's, so when I received the e-mail confirming our flight, I was shocked to see two passengers named Jennifer. I booked the flight at 9pm, and was thankful that the airlines' hotline was open 'til 10pm. I immediately brought up my concern, got scolded (a little) by the airline staff, but she corrected the mistake without any fee. What a sigh of relief! Boracay, here we come!


...I got to spend a day of coffee goodness with blogger friends! Last Saturday, I was invited to a Green Bean Organic Coffee tour, visiting their branches around the Metro. On our last stop, we were given a chance to taste the Civet Coffee, and I loved it! Not only that, we were also treated to an awesome lunch at dinner... and we all went home with fuller than full tummies!

Since I took a break from diet and exercise before my holiday with K, I have had so many food trips, and since my mom has already retired from work, being with her all day has prevented me from skipping meals. I didn't step on the scales since my break, and this morning, I was prepared to be shocked over the weight gain... but there must be some kind of a miracle - my weight is still the same. I am very grateful to know that!

My brother left for Cagayan de Oro yesterday. He is now going to live there, so I now sleep in his room, clearing the living room of my mattress. I am sad that he is far from us now... but I am happy for him, wanting to take his relationship with his girlfriend to a deeper level. We are a family of hearty eaters, but I think my brother's the one with the biggest appetite among us, and now that is away, his absence would give a chance for the girls and I to regulate our food intake. "Dieting" will be easier for me now... and I am excited to go back on track again.

Enjoy Philippines Mid-Year Party

It is true that you realize the value of money when you start working hard to earn it. I know that I am a good child to my parents when I was still studying, but I do admit there were times that I would pull a "Puss in Boots" stare to my parents whenever I have some requests to them. When I started working - waking up very early, stressing myself the entire day, I became very appreciative of every centavo I receive whenever my payslip comes.

I try to save as much as I can so I have something to spend during the rainy days, but I do love to shop and dine out, as my way of rewarding myself for working very hard. Sometimes, I would spend senselessly, sometimes I would check group buying sites, but as much as I know buying deals on group buying sites saves me money, there are times that I couldn't avail of the deals because the terms won't jive with my schedule or simply, I don't have money that time.


Imagine my surprise when I received an invitation to the 2013 Mid-Year Party of Enjoy Philippines - the largest provider of discounts and coupons in the Philippines. Unlike group buying sites, Enjoy Philippines allow members to enjoy lots of perks - may it be discounts or freebies, without the time constraints. Each member is allowed to use their privilege anytime of the year. With over 250 brand partners around Metro Manila and some located in Cebu, Boracay, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao, and with savings and freebies worth at least 350,000 pesos... the annual membership fee of 1,995 pesos is really worth it.

Inside the Enjoy Philippines kit are two booklets - one with the list of partnering establishments in Metro Manila, the other lists the partners located in Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Davao. The booklets are divided into categories - dining, nightlife, shopping, travel, live & learn, and automotive. Also included in the kit is your own membership card - your passport to awesomeness. :)


The 2013 Enjoy Philippines Mid-Year Party took place at Rue Bourbon in Makati. I, together with my siblings and blogger friends, as well as members of Enjoy Philippines were treated to a night of food, drinks, and lots and lots prizes!

In the party, Enjoy Philippines launched a new booklet - containing more perks to more partnering establishments! The booklet acts as a guide, so members know what kind of perks they can get whenever they visit the establishments. Each partner also has a voucher to more perks, although this voucher can only be used once. Members have to present their card and the voucher if they want to avail it, or download the Enjoy Philippines app.


I won a Gift Certificate for a 3-days, 2-nights stay at The Tides in Boracay as part of their raffle prizes, while my sister Jenny won in one of their games. She also won a 3-days, 2-nights accommodation in Boracay... but at the Alta Vista de Boracay. We are planning to use it next month, never minding the distance between the resorts.

To know more about Enjoy Philippines, please call their hotline at (02) 478-8888 or visit their website - www.enjoythebest.com.ph.

NBA 3X Philippines - Event Schedule

Yesterday (25 July 2013), I was able to attend the Press Conference for NBA 3X Philippines spearheaded by NBA stars James Harden and Eric Gordon, together with the Indiana Pacers dancers and Grizz, the Memphis Grizzlies mascot.

The NBA 3X Philippines features a 3-on-3 tournament that provides players with an opportunity to hone their skills and compete amongst their peers. There are seven divisions to compete in - 4 for the boys and 3 for the girls. Divisions are divided into categories: U13 (10-12 years old), U16 (13-15 years old), U18 (16-17 years old) and the Open Division (18 years old and above). For the females, the competition groups are: U16 (13-15 years old), U18 (16-17 years old), and the Open Category (18 years old above). There will also be a Celebrity Division, which will feature media and entertainment personalities such as Rovilson Fernandez, Marco Alcaraz, Ervic Vijandre, Bobby Yan, Young JV, Mark Zambrano, Jace Flores, JC Tiuseco, Rio de la Cruz, TV sportscasters Dominic Uy, Jason Webb, Richard del Rosario, Mico Halili, TJ Manotoc, Marco Benitez, and Charles Tiu

NBA 3X Philippines tips off at 3pm later at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall, followed by a series of basketball events, which will run until Sunday. Winners will be entered into a special raffle wherein one lucky team will come away with 4 tickets to the NBA Global Games Philippines 2013 - the first ever NBA pre-season game in the Philippines - between the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers at the SM Mall of Asia arena on October 10, 2013.

Event Schedule:

Friday, 26 July
3:00 pm - NBA 3X Opening Ceremony at the Center Court
3:40 pm - Adidas Skills Challenge at the Center Court
5:00 pm - Basketball Clinic with the Philippine Women's National Basketball Team at the Center Court and at the Sprite Court

Saturday, 27 July
1:00 pm - Sprite Basketball Clinic at the Center Court and at the Sprite Court
2:00 pm - NBA 3X Half-Time at the Center Court and at the Sprite Court
2:40 pm - KFC Bucket 3-Point Shootout at the Center Court
5:40 pm - Phoenix Fast Feet Challenge at the Center Court
6:00 pm - Dance Team Performance at the Center Court

Sunday, 28 July
12:40 pm - NBA Cares - Special Olympics at the Center Court
1:20 pm - Celebrity Division (Finals) at the Center Court
2:00 pm - NBA 3X Half-Time at the Center Court
2:40 pm - Sprite Slam Dunk Contest at the Center Court
4:20 pm - Women's U16 Final at the Center Court
4:40 pm - Men's U13 Final at the Center Court
5:00 pm - Women's U18 Final at the Center Court
5:20 pm - Men's U16 Final at the Center Court
5:40 pm - Women's Open Final at the Center Court
6:00 pm - Men's U18 Final at the Center Court
6:20 pm - Men's Open Final at the Center Court

The NBA 3X Philippines is presented by Sprite, with partners including Adidas, KFC, and Phoenix Petroleum.

Effie Trinket Inspired Nail Art

I had the chance to watch the special screening of "The Hunger Games" back then, but I wasn't able to attend it. A few months ago, I decided to read the book, and right after reading it, I watched the movie adaptation. This post isn't going to talk about the book nor the movie...

...but Effie Trinket's nails!

It looks very simple, but it was so striking that every lady who watched the movie sure have noticed how beautiful it is!

Anyway, upon creating my first franken nail polish, I decided to copy her nail art:



Very far from her nail art, but I guess this will pass a similar look for it. For the tips, I combined three nail polishes:

• Gold Digger by Klik
• Goldrush by Caronia
• Mint Daquiri by Bobbie

The mix had more Gold Digger than the other two nail polishes because it was the darkest of the three. To apply, I just used the sponge - dabbing method.

I did love the combination of colors - purplish and goldish. I don't know if Effie Trinket will show a different kind of nail art once "Catching Fire" hits the theaters on November, but I am hoping she will! :)

Hanson Happiness!

If you recall last May, us friends made a collective order for some Hanson merchandise. The band recently made their newest studio album "Anthem" available for pre-order, and because it is very possible that the CD won't be released here in the Philippines, the only way we could get ahold of it was to order directly to the hanson website.

The package arrived mid-June. Technically, we were one of the fans who had the CD before it was released to the market. However, because it was a group order and that we had to settle the shipping bill at Johnny Air Cargo, finding a day for all of us to be available was the most difficult thing to settle. Actually, we were supposed to meet two Sundays ago, but it was cancelled because a few of us had last minute plans.


We were supposed to meet on the 28th, but with so many fans posting about all things Anthem, Anne's sister Jo decided we should meet so we could start enjoying our items. Not all of us were there, but the people who couldn't come just sent their share of the shipping fee so we could collect the package.



Our order was over $300, so like the previous group order they had last year, there was a freebie. Taking aside all the items ordered, the freebie turned out to be the Shout it Out fabric bag. Inside the box were six Anthem deluxe packages, two Anthem silver packages, a Macbook sticker, clothespins... and the Hansonopoly board game, something that made me drool because I also want to have one, but it was expensive. I'd rather save up for the 5 of 5 DVD set.


I ordered for the Anthem deluxe package worth $25. It includes the Anthem audio CD and the De Constructed Anthem DVD, a video featuring the band performing seven of the thirteen songs from the album. This is the band's 8th studio album, and yes, I do own all. :)


Since there is only one freebie, it was decided to be raffled off. The people who weren't there to collect their items weren't included in the raffle, so only three of us were part of it. From the get go, upon knowing what the freebie was, I told them that I want and I will win it... and the universe aligned to my advantage again because I won! Friends were surprised that I won, but they were more surprised at how lucky I am with raffles, because a year ago, I won a ticket to Hanson's concert.

I am super duper grateful for winning the bag. In a way, it was some sort of a consolation because I didn't win the iPad mini at the Pancake House raffle (that's a different story), but I guess I am not meant to win the gadget because I was meant to win this.

The bag is so precious that I don't know if I am going to use it. Well, it's been raining every now and then, and this being a fabric bag, I think it is much better to keep this and use it on a sunny day.

All images were taken and edited using the Cymera app. It's one of my favorite photography apps!