[it's a Merry BUQO Christmas]

Voracious book & magazine readers will have a longer & merrier Christmas this year. 

BUQO, the premiere Filipino digital bookstore, newsstand & reader in one app, is generously giving away a  book or magazine EVERY SINGLE DAY for 36 straight days, starting 26 November up to 31 December 2014. A new item will be featured daily & will be completely FREE to download for 24 hours.

[spend Christmas THE MIND MUSEUM way]

Still clueless on how to spend Christmas this year or what to buy as gifts to family & friends? THE MIND MUSEUM has come up with 10 gift suggestions that will inspire learning & impart a whole new meaning to 'holiday gift-giving'.

1. Go on a Scientific Date with your loved ones and kids by getting an  All Day Pass or gift certificate worth Php 750.00 each & explore over 250 hands-on, minds-on exhibits & live experiment demonstrations on everything about living & non-living things.

[INA JARDIOLIN's 'STRIPPED']

I was in a recent media preview of an upcoming solo exhibit of a promising, young visual artist. 

[the NIPPON PAINT YOUNG DESIGNER AWARD 2014 launch]

Young Filipino design students, both in architecture & interior design, now stand a chance to showcase their talents through NIPPON PAINT's Young Designer Award.

Launched recently in Makati Shangrila, 

[store finds : GLASS CANISTERS & COFFEE MUGS]

Wake up, smell & drink your coffee in these mugs with pretty prints.

My picks are the owl

[store finds : PARTY SUPPLIES & CHALKBOARD STICKER LABELS]

We visited a  bookstore last weekend to buy some school stuff for my eldest. While waiting for the girls, I saw these displayed among the shelves.

*** Organize your pantry by using these chalkboard sticker labels on your jars of kitchen staples. For Php 37.00/pack, you get 6 in different shapes/designs.

[store finds : LAP DESKS, THROW PILLOWCASES & CANVAS WALL DECORS]

I am always on the lookout for nice things to buy for the house, so these items with pretty prints & graphics definitely caught my eye.

*** Be comfy while surfing the net or blogging with a LAP DESK. It comes with either a cushion (Php 600.00) or a wooden stand (Php 700.00).

[take the UMBRA shift]

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[my ZALORA.PH shopping experience]

I finally did some online shopping for my girls, who, since December, have been bugging me to buy some nice stuff they saw at ZALORA.  

Just last week, this parcel arrived 3 days from date of purchase. Super fast, with nary a hitch nor glitch. :)

[the LUXE & STYLE DESIGNER COLLECTION of AMERICAN STANDARD]

Designing spaces is what I love doing. For me, every room deserves to be showcased, even those areas other people consider too private, like the toilet & bathroom. It is important that t&b's are not only functional & efficient but eco-friendly & stylish, too. And this can only be achieved by choosing the right finishes & fixtures. I was then lucky to be re-acquainted with a brand that's a known leader in bathroom fixtures & fittings & trusted over the years - AMERICAN STANDARD.

Through an invite received from Lixil Corporation, I was among those who attended a blogger engagement in the Molito Lifestyle Building in Alabang last Saturday afternoon, July 19.

[store finds : FLOOR PILLOWS & CHAIR PADS]

A white-washed room can use a touch of blue on the floor with these pillows to make it pop out. 

[sexy CHICKEN meals]

Stay-at-home moms like me have the luxury of spending a little bit more time inside the  supermarket.  And almost always, a trip would yield me a new food item or two to try. And this is my latest find - canned chicken in 3 variants.

[the world's smallest & smartest kitchen : THERMOMIX TM 31]

We have an all-around helper in the house so I rarely cook. But lately, my husband & I have been talking about finding a smaller place to stay once my youngest starts college. By then, without a helper, I will go back to doing the chores myself, & that includes cooking.

Cooking can be tedious if you do it by yourself. The preps, the many implements to use, the washing afterwards. But all that will become a thing of the past once you get to know this 10-in-1 wonder machine.

I was among those shortlisted to attend the product presentation conducted by the people from MODERN INNOVATIONS ENTERPRISE, the licensed distributor of the THERMOMIX in the Philippines, who is in partnership with the Vorwerk group.

[TOM DIXON's FAN family SALE at MOs DESIGN]

I love to spend my leisure time around home or furniture stores whenever I have the chance. Not actually into shopping because it has been six years since we purchased the sectional sofa & the dining chairs for our new house then. It's now more on getting some interior inspirations. One of my go-to places is that 3-storey building in Bonifacio High Street, the MOs Design. This specialty store carries various  imported furniture brands. The last time I went there with friends, these pendant lamps & mini soft chairs caught my eye.

[store finds : PARTY NEEDS]

Prettify your party set-up with these.

*table napkins in various colors & designs

[a Korean foodie haven: LEANN'S TEA HOUSE]

Our family will always be drawn to anything Korean, especially the cuisine. The ban chan or side dishes, the grilled meat or galbi & the spicy soups are our usual orders whenever the cravings come.

A couple of weeks ago, I got another shot at trying Korean fare at LEANN'S TEA HOUSE, this time with some new mommy blogger friends. I just couldn't pass up on this chance for another dining experience, even if it meant taking the taxi from a mall where I parked my car which was under the number-coding scheme that day. The love for Korean food just beckoned. :)

I arrived at the restaurant & caught some of the ladies already enjoying some barley tea time. I liked the simple dining area set-up on the second floor with the drop lanterns, dark-colored booth seats & Asian bric-a-brac providing the cozy ambience.

[store finds : FRAMED TYPOGRAPHY & CITYSCAPES]

Dress up your blank walls with these nice framed typography & cityscapes.

chalkboard

[learning the basics of food styling at THE MAYA KITCHEN]

Don't you just love looking at food that is so picture-pretty in glossy magazines? Well, I do. :)

Though I know how to cook simple dishes, with pasta meals & desserts being my forte, it's the food presentation that piques my interest. Just like interior styling, I love picking out items, getting them all together & capturing the overall look. :)

Aside from doing interiors, food photography & food styling are what I have been meaning to study & do. In fact, I almost signed up in a workshop last year but never got around to doing it.

But a chance came up two Saturdays ago. I got signed up in such a class at The Maya Kitchen thru an opportunity sent our way by Mommy Bloggers Philippines.

The Maya Kitchen  is located at Level 8 of the Liberty Building in Makati City.

I was one of the early birds so I had time to take photos of the venue.

[A PLDT HOME DSL movie treat - the Amazing Spiderman 2]

For 2 weeks in a row, Friday nights have been fun times for the family. Especially the recent one, when the girls got so excited when I told them, we got free tickets to THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 movie. This came on the heels of that other movie we watched & loved. Super thanks to PLDT Home DSL for both treats! :)

The gist of the movie.

1. We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. It's great to be Spider-Man. For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen. But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro, Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn, returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

And the reasons for my girls' giddiness.

Andrew Garfield aka Peter Parker 

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& Dane De Haan aka Harry Osborn.

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Two of the Ledesmas were there - Mommy Lara & Diego.

They gave away cute SPIDEY plush toys to lucky moviegoers.

And while waiting for the movie to start, my girls uploaded photos in IG with the hastag #PLDTHOMEDSL

& minutes later, got their photo printed out from a booth nearby.

Before screening time, Mommy Lara & Diego shared how PLDT Home DSL's "limitless sharing with the strong reliable family-sized connection" helps them do so many things online using multiple gadgets simultaneously - researching topics for school assignments, updating social media accounts, music & video streaming, looking for recipes to try, or answering questions posted in the little one's ASK DIEGO FB page. 

The whole fambam enjoyed watching the action-packed movie & swooned over the romantic moments of reel & real life celebrity couple, Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) & Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker/Spiderman)

while snacking on our hotdog sandwiches, tubs of popcorn & tumblers of iced tea. :)

*Check out Ask Diego on facebook.com/Ask Diego.

*To sign up for your strong, reliable family-sized connection of PLDT HOME DSL, visit pldthome.com

['Is Heaven for Real?' #LETSASKDIEGO]

Is heaven for real?

This question was answered in the movie our family was invited to watch in Newport Cinema, courtesy of PLDT HOME DSL. 

"Heaven Is For Real" is about Colton, the four-year-old son of Pastor Todd Burpo, who survived an emergency surgery of an infected appendix and later told his family that he went to Heaven. He described seeing Jesus, the angels, his miscarried sister & his great grandfather who died before he was born. Doubts were cast on his story, owing to the child's vivid imagination & his close association to his pastor-father. But in the end, his story was corroborated by another person, a girl, who had the same experience & even drew images of the things she saw when she went to heaven.

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Like Colton Burpo, there's another boy who is at the center of his family's love & attention, Diego Ledesma. The bright, handsome & witty young boy was recently launched in a brand new PLDT HOME DSL tv commercial on Eat Bulaga.

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The Ledesma family's claim to fame began when the seven-year-old boy Diego started an advice column on Facebook with the help of his parents, Paolo & Lara & his older sibling, Ate Trish. He earned tens of thousands of fans because of his answers to questions ranging on love, studies, bullying, vacation & even business ideas. His Facebook page is constantly monitored by his parents because values is of prime importance in the Ledesma household. Questions with offensive content are deleted first by his parents before Diego sees them. They even help him type out his answers or how to spell words. 

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From their minds, Colton & Diego churn out stories which reflect their entertaining innocence & how they view the world. Likewise for their families, the BURPOS & the LEDESMAS are so tight-knit that they need to constantly connect with each other. And in this high-tech age wherein most, if not, all members of the family have their own internet-connected device, it is important to have a strong & reliable internet connection.

Here's where PLDT HOME DSL comes in. It provides "limitless sharing with the strong reliable family-sized connection". "Limitless Family Sharing" refers to the many activities the family can do together within the home, while "Family-sized connection" points to the simultaneous ONLINE use of multiple gadgets as powered by PLDT HOME DSL.  The group’s focus on family values and connection through limitless sharing truly spell the difference. The Anna Banana & Ask Diego campaigns have proven that. 

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Now, to go back to the question, "Is heaven for real?", #letsaskdiego. :)

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*Check out Ask Diego on facebook.com/Ask Diego.

*To sign up for your strong, reliable family-sized connection of PLDT HOME DSL, visit pldthome.com

[SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH & MANILA CATHEDRAL revisited]

Our 'visita iglesia' this year took us not down south but in Manila & QC.

We have been to these two old churches countless times before, back when we were still living in Manila. In fact, some cousins also got married here.  We had the chance to revisit the place  during the holy week respite.

San Agustin Church is one of four Philippine churches built during the Spanish colonial period designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

This Baroque church

[restaurant finds in KAPITOLYO: NOMAMA & EPIC CAFE]

I have heard so much about KAPITOLYO being a haven of restaurants. We had the chance to dine in a couple of them two Sundays ago while my eldest was at her close friend's birthday lunch. 

Our first stop was NOMAMA Artisanal Ramen in Capitol Commons.

[Sam Concepcion for CHEF'S NOODLE]

My family is big on Korean food. Whenever & wherever there is a new Korean restaurant in town, we always go there to try it out.  Chef's Noodle is next on our list.

At the media launch of its newest celebrity endorser (after Lloyd & Shamcey Lee & Grace Lee), 

[swipe your MAYBANK credit card, get a WENDY's treat for free]

Good news to all Maybank credit card holders & Wendy's burger lovers! 

[her date on the ICE with friends]

I tried ice skating before. I think it was a few months before getting hitched to my hubby now. I went with friends to check out SM skating rink, still relatively new then, at the basement level. It was a rather short stint, just a couple of hours of getting used to the shoes, finding that balance & finally getting the skating groove on. ;) Despite the first-time jitters, I thought it was a fun experience worth taking. ;)

Now, it's Jill's turn. On the last day of her final exams, she went ice-skating with her friends. Her dad & I took her to the newly-reopened Olympic-sized skating rink, now located at the top level of the SM Megamall Fashion Hall.

To get in, we paid Php 300.00/head for unlimited use/open skating because that was Thursday but if you're going on a weekend, you shell out Php 390.00/head. The girls also got a locker for Php 30.00 to store their things.

Here is where they got the ice skates they used, included in the fee.

Here is one side of the gallery where companions or bystanders get to watch the skaters.

Because the girls were still trying to find their way around the rink, a mommy friend & I got assistant coaches for them. It cost us Php 150.00/coach/head for half an hour of training.

Before long, they got the hang of it  

& at last enjoyed their time on the ice.

Meanwhile, hubby & I spent the hours waiting in a nearby cafe, 

drinking cafe americano & green moroccan tea & sharing a piece of delicious chocolate cream puff. :)

***SM SKATING RINK & LUCCA BAKERY PIZZERIA

5F SM Megamall, Building D

EDSA corner J. Vargas Avenue,  

Mandaluyong City, MM