Crocs Megasale 2013

Ohhh... I know you're waiting for this!


Well, my sister and I are, for sure.

Between Jenny and I, she's the bigger Crocs fan. I remember years ago, she would always use her Crocs flip flops and sandals. I on the other hand, is wearing a pair of Crocs black doll shoes - walking around the restaurant, I really needed a pair that is not only comfortable, but durable and safe to wear inside the slip-prone kitchen, and I trust Crocs.

Both of us are always looking forward to the Crocs Megasale since it started, but we always come out short - either we're not available that time, or we don't have enough money to splurge. Well, my current shoes are showing signs of wear and tear, and knowing that the Crocs Megasale is happening soon, now is my chance to replace my current one and maybe buy more pairs (if the budget allows). With 90% off on some footwear, I know I will buy more than one pair. :)

The Crocs Megasale 2013 is happening on 31 May til 02 June at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City. Based on the blogs I've read in the past sale events, it is really best to come early because the line will be very long. The earlier you come, the more time you spend checking the pairs.

CitiBank card holders can get in for free, but non-CitiBank users only has to pay 50 pesos entrance fee. There will be lots of pairs to choose from - for kids, teens, and adults (men and women), so be sure you have your shoe-hoarding face on when you come to the event.

See you there!

The Great Brazilian Madness Sale

February of 2012, my sister and I were at the right place at the right time and we were able to check the Great Brazilian Madness Sale at the activity center of Glorietta 3 (Makati). Since then, she and I would always check for updates when the next sale would be.

We have missed numerous sales after that, so last week, when I heard of another sale, I quickly shared the good news to my sister.


We decided to check the sale on the first day, just so there will be fresh pairs to choose from. My sister has to work at 3pm, giving us enough time to scan the racks and make our choices.


As always, they segregated the racks according to gender and sizes. The ones for males were at the top part (near the entrance), the ones for females were near the cashier booth, and those for kids are located at the side.

I was a little disappointed that there weren't enough styles to choose from the size 8 and 9 rack. I was hoping to buy a pair of Grendha flats, but there was only one design and size. I was also a little surprised that the footwear was very expensive compared to the sale we checked last year. I had a very limited budget, so I sure had a difficult time choosing which pair/s to buy.

Thankfully, they had the  Buy One, Take One rack. There were a lot of designs to choose from, but in order to get the buy one take one deal, one must choose the same brand. Meaning, one can go for different designs and sizes, but the brand has to be the same. Base price for the buy one, take one pairs were 700 and 800 pesos, and at first I wanted to go for the Grendha Jelly pairs, but sadly, I couldn't find a size 8 pair.


These were the initial four pairs I chose. The purple and orange pairs were part of the buy one, take one deal (bearing the Ipanema * Gisele Bundchen brand) at 700 pesos, the pure white pair was priced at 398 pesos, and the gray pair underneath was priced at 250 pesos. Contemplating about it, buy all these pairs would cost me 1348 pesos, and checking my wallet, if I go for this, I will be left with just enough money to pay for my bus fare going home.

I still haven't eaten anything for that day - I woke up late and I wasn't able to eat before leaving the house, so it would be absurd if I'd sacrifice both breakfast and lunch just so I could buy some footwear. I first let go of the gray pair (giving me 250 extra money), but in the end, I decided to let go of the white pair as well and just hope that the next sale, the design would be part of it.



In the end, I went for the buy one, take one deal. I changed the orange pair with the gold pair, just to have a little variety as I am not really into footwear with straps hugging my ankles. The purple pair was so comfortable to wear (I love jelly shoes), and I will sure use it for my holiday with K sometime this year.


My sister bought three pairs, but one of the pairs was for mom, which she wore right away so I wasn't able to photograph it. The orange pair was my first choice, but sister liked it, too, and since she also went for the size 8 pair, I made a decision to change my pair, simply because I can just borrow this pair from my sister if I want to. :) The one she bought for mom was the same design as the gold pair I bought, although the one for mom was purple (because it is her favorite color). The other pair sister bought - the purple Grendha sandals was priced 500 pesos. It's also a size 8... so I can also borrow it from her. Hahaha.

The Great Brazilian Madness is happening until Friday, 26 April 2013 at the activity center of Glorietta 3 - Makati City.

05 - 11 April 2013

This week is not so much a good week for me as far as fitness is concerned - there were days that I wasn't able to do my scheduled workouts, but food is still something I control. Clothes start to feel much better to wear, although of course, I still have a lot to lose.

Happies this week:


✩ A gift pack from Caronia.
The blog I share with my sister is still in its baby stages, and it's not the type of blog that attracts a whole lot of visitors, but when I started sharing swatches of the nail polishes I own, visit count also have started to to grow, though not much. I don't have the money to buy international brands, so I am thankful that local brands do produce gorgeous nail polishes, satisfying my budding addiction. Since the blog is still in its baby stages, it never occurred to me to receive a package from a nail polish manufacturer to sample their newest collection. I was surprised to receive such message, and last weekend, I received the package. Super duper thankful to this gift.


✩ Ampalaya plant growing just fine.
At first, I doubted the plants were ampalaya (for we never really planted one - we just saw some seedlings in the garden - neighbor must have thrown mature seeds in our garden), but mom and I still planted them and placed a twig to guide the growing vine. I am so pleased to see it grow from day to day... making me anticipate the day this one bear fruits.


✩ A new book to read.
From time to time, I am still tempted to read the eBooks on my phablet (I must admit I read a few pages of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky), but I told myself I must finish reading the books I borrowed from Uncle Pete, so I can return it in exchange for more books! :) I borrowed four James Patterson books, all featuring Alex Cross, and even if the books weren't in chronological order, I still wanted to read them chronologically. Last week I finished reading "London Bridges," the 10th Alex Cross book, and this week I started reading "Double Cross," the 13th Alex Cross book.


✩ Cooking some food for the guests.
Last Wednesday, mom hosted a little gathering here in the house and I decided to cook some sweet corn puto (using hotcake mix and corn kernels). I was in the kitchen all afternoon cooking these babies (for I only have 12 silicon muffin cups to hold the paper muffin cups), but it was all worth it, because mom said the guests loved it! I actually wasn't able to eat some of these, because the 8 remaining ones my sister brought to work.


✩ Pre-ordering the Hanson "Anthem" CD + DVD package.
There's no way to be sure if the Hanson's new studio album will be released here in the Philippines, so when news came out about the different packages for the new album, us Filipino fansons wanted to buy one. I am not a member of the official fan club, but some of my friends are... and when one suggested for us to buy Hanson merchandise as a group, I was itching to go for it. Well, normally, a CD here in the Philippines is about 450 to 500 pesos (10 to 12 usd), so it was a difficult for me to decide if I will go and buy this one, considering it is priced at 25usd, but because it's a CD + DVD package, I dived for it. My friend already placed the order... I will send my payment this weekend, and then wait for June for it to be delivered.

Happy birthday to me. :)

Crappies this week:


☂ This banner.
I love footwear... but I always wait for the sale to come because I really don't have that much money to burn. However, looks like I am going to miss this, because this just came at the wrong time - with me going to pay the Anthem CD+DVD package... and the router my sister and I plan to buy... I don't know if I still have enough to go to this sale. Although, there's still a little hope in me... and I have my eyes set on that Grendha closed shoes, which I plan to buy for my Aunt Julie, and another one for myself. 

☂ Not being able to follow my fitness schedule this week... but I only missed two days. 

☂ I still can't register for Kindle. I downloaded Kindle on my phablet because I found a website that has a lot of .mobi eBooks, which Aldiko can't read. Our neighbor's WiFi signal is way too weak, I can't register and download books yet.

☂ My cuticles are too dry this week. Swatching four nail polishes... drowning my cuticles in nail polish remover, my cuticles took a big blow this week.

☂ Just feeling low. I don't know why... I just do.

Yeah, I know... life goes round and round and round. I know next week will be a happy one for me.

End of Season Sale at SM City North EDSA

I don't know if you know this, but... the first month of the year is actually a good time to shop because of the many year-end sales happening. My sister Jessie said it might be because the stores are going to need some space for new stocks, so they are putting most items on sale to make way for the new items.

It's already the 7th of January now, but the End of Season Sale at SM City North EDSA is happening 'til the 13th, giving us more time to shop, shop, shop! SM City North EDSA is one of the biggest malls in Quezon City, and every floor has something to offers for us. Whether you're looking for a new pair of shoes, or beauty products to replace the ones you've emptied last month, you will find something you're looking for.

I wasn't able to really shop last Christmas season, so I might take this time to shop. On my list include: a dress (something I could wear for my cousin's wedding), a small handbag or clutch (as I own mostly cross-over bags), some cosmetics, and a cell phone as my current cell phone is showing signs of retiring. I know I might not be able to buy all on my list given the tight budget I have, but checking the sale might be a good avenue to find the one suited for me.

With items marked as much as 70% off, this surely is one sale we should check out.

Rags2Riches by Aranaz | Nudos Holiday Collection 2012

Payatas in Quezon City is one of the Philippines' largest dumpsites and home to some 12,000 families. Some people living in area make a living by collecting garbage and rug-making using scrap fabrics. As difficult as their life situation can be, it became more difficult for the women of Payatas when their situation got exploited by some middlemen controlling the supply of scrap fabrics and their access to market (to sell their goods).

In 2007, Rags2Riches was created to provide equal opportunities for the women as well as giving them chance to showcase their inner artistry. R2R is a for-profit social enterprise based in Manila that creates eco-ethical fashion and home accessories out of indigenous, organic, and upscaled scrap cloth. Partnering with top Filipino fashion designers - Rajo Laurel, Amina Aranaz-Alunan, and Oliver Tolentino, their visions helped in turning scrap materials into fashion items.


Just last week, I was able to attend the launch of Amina Aranaz-Alunan's new collection - Nudos. Spanish for "knots," the inspiration for this collection came from Ms. Aranaz-Alunan's book about making knots.


I just loved how the bags and accessories look like, very stylish and very modern. More than that, knowing the history behind Rags2Riches, I know each of these pieces were handcrafted with (as cheesy as it might sound) love. :)


Presenting the R2R by Aranaz Nudos Holiday Collection 2012:

Top Left - Cartera Bag
Top Right - Lazo Necklace; Amara Bag
Middle Left - Lazo Necklace; Sobre Bag
Middle Right - Pulsera Bracelet; Lazada Bag
Bottom Picture - Ms. Amina Aranaz-Alunan with the Models


More details about the bags and accessories -

• Cartera (Bag) - Purse in knitted cotton x-small basket weave; knotted braid accent with magnetic snap and knotted ball puller; cotton lining with interior pocket. Dimensions - W 10" x H 5" x D 1.25"
• Pulsera (Bracelet) - Cuff bracelet with knotted braid accent; vachetta leather with golden snap enclosure
• Amara (Bag) - Braided clutch with wooden frame accent; removable antique chain strap and magnetic closure; cotton lining with interior pocket. Dimensions - W 9.5" x H 7.5" x D 2.75" | Chain 25"
• Cuadrada (Bag) - Molded clutch in abaca with knotted ball accent; quilted cotton lining, magnetic closure. Dimensions - W 6" x H 4.25" x D 2.25"
• Lazada (Bag) - Molded clutch in abaca with braided trim detail; knotted cotton flap with magnetic closure; quilted cotton lining. Dimensions - W 7.5" x H 4.75" x D 2.5"
• Sobre (Bag) - Envelope clutch in x-small basket weave; jute flap with magnetic closure and knotted braid accent; cotton lining with interior pocket. Dimensions - W 13.5" x H 8.5" x D 1.25"
• Lazo (Necklace) - Necklace with three cotton knot pendants; braided cotton strap with braided string, antique chain and suede string accents.
• Cuello (Necklace) - Knotted cotton braid choker; braided string, antique chain, and suede string strap.

As I have said, each of the pieces were beautiful, but if I am to pick a favorite it would have to be the Cuadrada bag. I love the feel when holding it; the size was just right to be used at a formal event - and it can hold the basics items needed when attending a formal event (lipstick, foundation, blusher, even a cellphone). Two of cousins are set to get married early next year, and I guess seeing this bag signals that I have to save up for it. Well, the bags and accessories aren't that expensive, but I still have to save up.

If you're interested in any of pieces from the Nudos Holiday Collection 2012, you can visit the Rags2Riches outlet at Unit 3B, Cubao Expo - General Romulo Avenue, Araneta Center Cubao, Quezon City or call them at +63 (02)913-5760. For more information, you can check out their website - www.rags2riches.ph or email them at info@rags2riches.ph.