Noel <3 Via

Check out the cool Veet giftpack I won from Phoebe and GeiserMaclang !

There’s a transparent bluish spatula in the photo and only 2 tubes of cream with wheat germ & orchid as one went to my sister.

I tried the wax strips which warmed easily with rubbing in between my palms. It’s recommended for facial hair and did the job relatively easily but had a bit of an ouch factor. It wasn’t too messy either but the sticky residue was a bit difficult to remove afterwards. The wax strip pack comes with 2 moist towelettes that I could’ve used, but was saving. The redness on my upper lip alarmed me a bit but subsided after a minute or so with some cold water (as instructed in the back portion of the box). Shu Uemra cleansing oil also helped soothe the redness.

Next I decided to try the cream.

The chemical smell wasn’t too strong which was nice. I used to use Nair in the past and used to feel dizzy with the strong medicinal smell that seemed to burn my lungs while I waited out the 5-10minutes (in my tiny bathroom of my single days) needed for the stuff to work. I waited 7 minutes for one leg to absorb the cream, then used the plastic spatula to scrape off the unwanted fuzz. The hair just fell away but some stubborn ones came off more easily with the aid of a washcloth. (Which is what I did with the other leg) What did amaze me was the silky feeling afterwards as if I had moisturized at the same time! There’s none of the bumpy feeling one gets after using a razor or having endured a wax job gone awry. I guess the aloe in the formula really works. In fact, I’m kind of excited to try the in-shower hair removal cream now too! So thanks again for picking me as one of your winners, Phoebe! My legs thank you too!

Got this as a prize a couple of weeks after my birthday. These goodies come from Caryn and journeyed all the way from Tokyo! This is a knot bag and some cute little toys

from a Japanese company called Re-ment.
There were some Japanese snacks too which I shared with one of my cute Japanese students and there was a cute set of beads that I thought my Mom would enjoy more than me so it’s not in this photo.
Thanks again for the goodies Caryn!!

Start Time: Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 12:00pm
End Time: Monday, June 15, 2009 at 8:00pm

Buy your fave Tech Totes at sale prices at the Microwarehouse Sale in Silver City! (this is near Tiendesitas in Ortigas, Pasig City)
The sale ends at 8:00 pm tomorrow, Mon., 15 June 2009.
Just look for the MOBILE1 stand to snag your yummy Tech Totes discounted only till tomorrow.

I’ve been craving Thai food for a couple of weeks now. Luckily, a few Thai places have been mushrooming here and there. The latest one we tried was called 8 Spices. The ambience didn’t feel too Thai, save for the Thai silk inspired uniforms of the staff and a lone Buddha statue at one of the far corners of the restaurant.

You can download their menu here c/o ClicktheCity. I don’t recommend their Thai iced tea as it had a bit of sour sweetness to it that made my tummy curdle. The other dishes were ok though like the Chicken Pandan and Crabmeat Fried Rice. The crispy catfish and green mango salad was probably what we enjoyed the most, though this is meant to be shared by more than 2 people.

(It is also a bit pricey at PhP 385.00) Though this is the only place we’ve tried so far that separates the green mango from the crispy catfish, which keeps the catfish quite crispy. The search for a Thai resto that serves shrimp cakes rivaling that of Benjarong I previously thought had come to an end at 8 Spices. Though the presentation was different, it lacked the flavor and lightness of Benjarong’s.

But so far, this is the only other Thai resto (apart from the now defunct Sukothai) that serves shrimp cakes.

Overall, it is a bit too pricey for a regular meal. In spite of this, the place was close to packed! I don’t think it’s true that Filipinos don’t enjoy spicy food.

8Spices is located at the 2nd Floor of
Il Terrazzo Bldg.
Tomas Morato Ave. cor. Sct. Madrinan
Quezon City
Tel.: 3321896
Telefax: 3321897
Email: eightspices@yahoo.com

I did get the quiet birthday I had been wanting, dotted with nice surprises here and there. All we really had planned was dinner with the family for my birthday, so I was really surprised when I saw practically my whole family there, with cousins and my 95-year-old Abuelita in tow! (This after I was feeling pretty crummy when my cousins were making excuses about not being able to make it due to the rally, etc.) Before that, I got more surprises from my friends at work. A sweet friend even baked apple and mulberry crumble for me. A guy at that! And I received some of the most touching messages this year, all of which I’m still carrying around in my purse. My husband gave me the latest Paolo Coelho books (Brida and The Winner Stands Alone) and the beautiful raspberry tote I’d been eyeing for a while from The Gap. And he took me to Tagaytay to get away from the city. We stayed at THouse and had a nice massage at Nurture Spa. We had a pm snack at Yellow Cab (we’ve grown to love the thin crust rolled pizza called Dear Darla) and had a light dinner at Mano’s Greek Tavern. The gloomy rainy weather we’ve been having since last week cooperated on the day of my birthday all the way up to most of today too. So that was another nice surprise.

Thank you to everyone for making me feel extra special on my birthday! Pictures to follow.

is peace of mind. Anticipating my birthday is always tricky for me as I go through the whole range of emotions. Should I be excited? Expect good things? Not expect anything? And then I crash. So I decided to celebrate with a bang last year to embrace gratitude and share my blessings with others. Noel and my Mom-in-law had a lot to do with the success of last year’s party. That was the year I got really into ballroom dancing with the tango, rumba and foxtrot being my favorites. And I even had a tango number that I almost didn’t push through with. That was a great birthday!

So this year, it seems fitting to be a little quiet. I really just want to learn the art of letting go and trusting that good things are on their way though times are tough. To stop fighting tooth and nail that which seems inevitable, whatever that may be. To have the grace to accept and be grateful for what I have been given. But most of all, I pray and hope that Noel and I are on the right course and we find what we are looking for.

Got this Clinique Travel set (that comes with powder, blush, 4 eyeshadows, mascara and 5 shades of lipcolor) and Tommy Girl cologne from my Mom-in-law’s Hong Kong trip. Tommy Girl was one of my signatures scents in college so it brings back memories! Am so lucky that my Mom-in-law is as girly as me! Thanks again Mommy!

Got this Guerlain Mineral Eyeshadow that I double up as a bronzer which looks great on top of a tan! Thanks to sweet Mo for this

and this gorge Shu Uemra cream liner/shadow in a fun shade of green

Lovely shade of sheer nude by MAC in Hug Me.

Also got the semi-frosted version of the same shade called Relaxed. All because my dear friend shared her Back to MAC stash with me. So generous of her!

And this I couldn’t believe how I snapped it up!

It was the last lippy left from the much fussed over Hello Kitty Collection. It’s an odd shade called Fashion Mews (goes on very pale and is on the lilac side) but is perfect for doing a 60’s MOD look. Doesn’t the packaging just make you want to jump up and down with glee?

I’m so lucky that I have loved-ones who know my love for color and cosmetics! Thanks again guys! I am happier and brighter because of you all!

Check out the latest new home of the Tech Tote at Electronics Boutique!
(in addition to all Powerbooks stores and Ynzal Marketing)

Available at the following Electronics Boutique branches:

1. Shangri-la
GF Shangri-la Plaza Mall same level as foodcourt)
Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City
Tel 634-6800
Fax 634-8200

2. Festival Mall
Level 3 Festival Supermall
Muntinlupa City
Tel 842-8221
Fax 809-9100

3. Robinson’s Place Manila
Level 3 Pedro Gil Wing
Adriatico St., Malate, Manila
Tel 567-2654
Fax 567-2654

4. Eastwood Cybermall
Level 2 Eastwood Cybermall
Eastwood City Cyberpark, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave.
Bagumbayan, Quezon City
Tel 687-0556
Fax 687-7814

5. Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall
Level 3 Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall
cor. Marcos Highway
Cainta, Rizal
Tel 681-5424
Fax 681-5453

Check out www.ebonline.com.ph

Hop on over to Sing Sing Wellb(e)ing Korean Mart at
20D Timog Avenue, Quezon City
Tel.: 3765883

Branch featured here is the newest one at Capitol Hills, Q.C.
Capitol GreenStreet Annex Bldg. Capitol Golf & Country Clubhouse
Old Balara, Quezon City

Tels.: +632-435-0114 +632-473-0455
+63915-3940789 +63917-8133457
hours: Mon-Thu 2-11PM
Fri-Sun 11AM-12MN

Needing some kneading (pun intended!) to be done on our weary bodies after a lot of stress filled weeks, Noel and I decided to check out the fairly new Blue Water Day Spa that opened near us.

First thing we noticed was the out-of-town feel it had. Tucked under the Capitol Hills country club, surrounded by greens, one has to go down a few steps to get there.   I think I even remember hearing a few crickets singing! (of course this was at night) Upon entering the spa, instead of the usual strong eucalyptus scent wafting in the air, there seemed to be a hint of lavander. I wasn’t able to photograph the blue lighting in the hallway of the treatment rooms, giving it a bit of a sci-fi ultra modern feel.

We opted for a couple’s room which had its own lockers and shower.

The shower had a nice stone lined floor but was a bit cramped even for just one person. Noel noted that the sheets on the massage beds were a bit scratchy, but I didn’t seem to notice. Not being too familiar with their massage list, I chose a medium priced one called the Oriental Massage- which turned out to be a very good choice. Priced at PhP 750.00, you get 1.5 hours of long strokes that are alternated with herbal heated packs put on your body. They anticipate the heat and put an extra layer of blanket to absorb this. Both Noel and I drifted in and out of sleep, something we don’t normally experience during massages. I highly recommend this massage if you need to de-stress and have a lot of kinks in your upper back.  I would love to try their scrubs next time (they start at PhP 850.00), but I am especially intrigued by the chocolate slimming mud therapy.  Who doesn’t love chocolate??? It supposedly diminishes the look of cellulite and what better time to try it but this summer?  All Capitol Hills lacks is a large swimming pool to complete the feeling of being outside of the city.

Check out the different branches of Blue Water Day Spa at their website.
You might even win a free Swedish massage. Check out the details here.