Tuesday, November 29, 2016

MY DE'LONGHI CHRISTMAS WISHLIST!

2016 is a milestone year for our family.  This is the year that we have somehow started to eat healthy.  Salute to my husband who always go the extra mile to cook healthy meals for us.  As for me... I started my own organic garden, where we have access to organic herbs and veggies for cooking.  For us, health is wealth!  


But sadly ... I have to admit, 16 years married, but still I am no expert in the kitchen!  All I can do in “my husband’s turf” is reheat food and boil some eggs. That’s it!  So for this coming Christmas, I plan to:  Eat healthy, learn how to cook and prepare a noche buena feast for my family!

Christmas came early to us, when my husband and I were invited to the De’Longhi Multifry Workshop.  No amount of rain can stop us from heading to the Concept Specialist Showroom Inc. in Quezon City.  I was excited, at the same time very nervous to participate in the hands-on cooking workshop using the innovative cooking appliances by this major Italian small appliance manufacturer – De’Longhi! 
In line with our family's goal of eating healthy, the De'Longhi Multifry is a machine that enables you to rapidly fry tasty fresh potatoes in a healthier way with minimum oil and to prepare a variety of recipes:  from risottos, stews to ratatouilles.  Multifry even allows you to bake pizzas, cakes and pies.  

Cooking is made simple with this awesome kitchen appliance!





DE’LONGHI MULTRIFRY, LOW OIL FRYER  AND MULTICOOKER OUTSTANDING FEATURES:   
>> Excellent cooking performance.  Food is crispy outside and tasty and juicy inside
>> More recipes. You can actually download recipes using an application De’Longhi Recipe Book, available on the App Store and Google Play
>> Rapid Cooking.  Cooking time is reduced by the innovative construction of the two heating elements: they provide both radiant and convection heat for the perfect cooking process

>> High Food Capacity.  Imagine you can cook up to 1.7kg of fresh potatoes and 1.5kg of frozen ones, serve to up to 8 people

>> Adjustable thermostat

>> Lower heating element


Saturday, November 26, 2016

OPPO F1S SELFIE FILTER

There was a time when I thought my kids were weird for their “selfie obsession”. Their instagram accounts are flooded by hundreds of selfies.  But when I started my life as a blogger early this year... then I understood that this penchant for taking selfies is kindda important... especially for a blogger like me who is starting to build her brand.  



Most of my selfies are just hidden in my phone. Why?  I am just not that confident to show most of them to the blogging world!  I only post selfies that I have post processed via photoshop, or my favorite photo editing app on my phone – VSCO and PicsArt.  But the downside to this, it is tedious to do.  And as a blogger, there is an immediate need to post pictures right away, if I am attending an event or a media launch.  As the saying goes... if its not on social media... then it didn’t happen!  So I really NEED to post those selfies!

Good thing there are phones like the OPPO F1s that comes with built-in-filters.  There are seven awesome filters to choose from:

·      *  CAFE
·      *  BRIGHT
·      *  CANDY
·      *  SHINE
·      *  SOFT
·      *  FADE
·      *  MONO





Of the seven filters, I will use the MONO.  Why?  I love the subtlety of tones that black and white images can have. In a world that often boasts about how many millions of colors a TV or monitor is able to produce – I love that in ‘Mono’ there is such a variety of what can be achieved in a photo. Black and White sounds so boring – but the fact is that there are so many shades in between – I love the challenge of bringing them all out in an image!  Plus the fact that in “Mono” the fine lines are eliminated, and I become blemish free  :)

OPPO F1s is truly the “selfie expert”  because it has a superb 16-megapixel front camera.  It also has a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash.  So this is a the ideal phone for a blogger like me... who want to have high quality photo to be featured on the blog.  I can also imagine the limitless capability of the OPPO F1s if I bring it on our travels.  I can shoot selfies, groupies, landscapes and my favorite sunsets using this phone.  Yey! 












TECHNICAL SPECS OF THE OPPO F1S SELFIE FILTER:

  • ColorOS 3.0 based on Android 5.1
  • MT6750 Octa-core 64-bit
  • 3 GB RAM
  • 32 GB Internal Storage (expandable up to 128 GB)
  • 3075 mAh battery capacity
  • 16-megapixel front / 13-megapixel rear LED flash
  • 5.5 inches HD (1280 x 720 pixels)
  • Dual nano sim card slot.
Check out the newest limited edition of OPPO F1s!  



For more information you may visit  http://www.oppo.com/en/smartphone-f1s

Am now one with my millennial teens... officially joined the selfie generation with the OPPO F1s -- the Selfie Expert!






Tuesday, November 22, 2016

PRESS RELEASE: THE NORTHERN SPECTACLE AT SM CITY NORTH EDSA


Christmas is truly a magical time... to spend with your family!  And when you combine shopping and enjoying a Christmas spectacle, then the Holiday season becomes a memorable bonding experience!



SM City North EDSA, in partnership with Epson, lights up the sky for the most dazzling season of the year. Unravel an enchanting experience as the night sky is filled with sensational gleams and shimmer.

The sparkle of Christmas comes alive as the façade of the City Center illuminates with the Northern Spectacle. The 60-second video mapping show highlights fantastic holiday icons of snowflakes, gifts, colorful parols, and so much more! Also, don’t forget to whisper your wishes to Santa Paws themselves!




Sunday, November 13, 2016

LAUNCH YOUR CREATIVITY... DESIGN YOUR OWN SHIRT VIA FUNDR BY CUSTOMTHREAD!



Last week I discovered a new concept.  And I have three words for it:  EXCITING, INNOVATIVE, CREATIVE!  Let me introduce you to Fundr.  


Fundr is an all-in-one online platform for a hassle free no capital apparel fundraising!  All you need to do is promote your designs to your supporters and Fundr handles the production, payments, and even the delivery.

So if you are an aspiring artist who wants to promote your art by printing it on a T-shirt... or an entrepreneur who dreams of building your own clothing brand... or just like me... always tinkering with different ideas to promote my blog and give what my readers want, at the same time, dreams of having my own business without having to shell out a BIG investment... then Fundr is definitely for US!  

HOW IT WORKS

Visit their website https://fundr.customthread.com/ and sign up.  You can use your facebook, twitter or google+ accounts. 


After signing up, you can now upload your logo or artwork and see how it looks on a T-shirt of jacket, or start creating a piece from scratch using our tools.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

5 ADRENALINE PUMPING ACITIVIES FOR FAMILIES WITH TEENS TO EXPERIENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES


As a family we’ve been to several destinations in the Philippines. We started our annual adventure when the children were just ten years old.  I think that is the best age to start traveling with them.  They are old enough to appreciate and remember the sights.  No challenges of diaper changing or bottle feeding. At age 10, the children can keep up with an adult itinerary. 

Six years after, and we are still at it.  We now call ourselves the “Backpack Squad” because we now teach the teens to fix their own backpacks, and learn to travel light for easy mobility in our adventures! 

It is always on top of our list to find suitable family-friendly accommodations in the Philippines for our annual trips. We look online for great deals using flight and booking sites such as Traveloka because, more often than not, they have discounts. Since we’re traveling as a family, we have to make each peso count. Now that we travel with teens, we always look for hotels that have a strong wifi connection.  It should also have a decent restaurant or cafe where we can have a complete and healthy breakfast before we proceed to our daily adventures.  Lastly, location of the hotel is also very important.  We want to be in proximity to public transportations so that it will be easy for us to explore the place. We completed this list in our memorable stay in Puerto Princesa, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio and Bohol.

The thought of spending our vacations just lazing down by the poolside make my family cringe.  We have nothing against a little relaxation, but the “Backpack Squad” is a little more adventurous, motivated, eager for adrenaline-pumping activities.  So here are five activities that we recommend for families who have tweens and teens to experience in their next vacation in the Philippines. 


1.  Ugong Rock Zipline in Puerto Princesa.  Ugong Rock is a 75 feet karst limestone formation that stands like the guardian of the vast rice fields in the vicinity.  The zipline is 1.3 kilometers long and a palpitating and very fast 20 seconds ride.  What made this zipline interesting was the fact that it is not a straight line. You will literally fall down on the side of the cliff, before it propels you to full speed to the other end.  And I tell you, the initial motion of “falling down” can make you scream for your dear life!


2.  Brave the waves of Palaui Island to get to Cape Engano Lighthouse. Can you imagine yourselves riding a medium sized boat, that will set you to open sea, with waves that can go high as two meters? We did that, and the travel took 45 minutes.  It was scary, at some point I felt dizzy.  But the teens... they were all smiles as if enjoying a roller-coaster ride in a theme park!  When you survive the waves, you will be rewarded with the magnificent Cape Engano experience!

For  video of how rough the waves are click here


Wednesday, November 2, 2016

7 FLAVORS BUFFET AND ALA CARTE REVIEW



As a TV/events writer of 20+ years  (please don't calculate my age hahaha!), I never go into an assignment without doing prior research.  With information nowadays is just a click away... I literally "stalked" the restaurant that I was suppose to food blog.  And this is what I learned about 7 FLAVORS BUFFET AND ALA CARTE from the net!


FROM RESEARCH:

1.  they serve the most delicious tacos in town
2.  because they serve International Cuisine, I am excited to get a taste of Mexican, Italian, 
     Japanese and Filipino dishes
3.  I don't think I can commute going A. Mabini, hubby and I brought the car.  Parking will 
     not be a problem, based on the pictures of their large parking area.

With these things in mind -- off we go to 7 Flavors Buffet and Ala Carte!


FIRST IMPRESSION

The first thing that I saw when I arrived, was the huge parking area.  Surely, parking will never be a problem for the diners.  I also liked the resto's facade.  Very modern.   




THE HUGE DOOR THAT GREETS YOU UPON ARRIVAL