dejavu

i had a dream

i was running late for some marathon that i think was sponsored by nike when i got a fit of rashes on my arms, much like what i had thursday last week (in real life*). i rushed back to the house to get some antihistamine, careful not to bump into my mom for fear that she'll notice my horrible rashes and stop me from joining the run. the end. haha

* thursday night i had a scary allergy attack. scary because my allergies usually just bring me to an indefinite wheeze fest to the point of my ribs aching, but never rashes. round red itchy spots, sprouting on all parts of my body, aching to be scratched. around 8pm that night i started getting itchy on my shoulders. when i went to the bathroom i realized my arms are already full of uninvited redness, and so are my thighs and torso. craaaaaap. >XS i got really scared and wondered what i could possibly have eaten that may have caused the outbreak.

it was really unusual because the only different thing i ate that day would be a cinnamon roll from starbucks, but i had it for breakfast so if i was allergic to it, that's quite a big delay for a reaction. plus, it's not my first time eating that. T__T the only other food item i ate is a homemade tuna sandwich, which is - again -, not new to me. i was wondering if i came in contact with some higad or something, or maybe it's just that my jacket hasn't been washed in 3 weeks na haha! ewan ko ba.

i wanted to rush to the ER but i have a ton of stuff to do (read: OT) and i might not be able to finish it on time if uhm, prioritize my health. #chos

ano raw? kala mo kung sinong workaholic and super dedicated employee eh no.

nope. don't put in that basket cos i'm hardly employee of the month material. haha i'm just concerned about my tasks, which should be finished a lot of days prior but then look at me! with no sense of urgency, and a habit of cramming, you'd really think i'm one big nominee for the most-dedicated-kahit-kinakati-na-sya award ON THAT DAY. the previous weeks were so blah i just want to get home and sleep.

which leads me to the real "dejavu"

Overtime and time again

i've been struggling to accept the "fact" that my job is really prone to OTs. around this time 2 years ago, it was also OT season for our team because we had to finish a development project. uhuh. sounds family diba. haha i don't really mind rendering over times, you get extra money for what it's worth, but you lose precious sleep. something my mom has been aggressively nagging me about most  specially when i decided to work for 15 straight hours, jog at the break of dawn, then head back to work for another 7 hours.

she was so mad, and i was so sorry. i was awake for some 30 hours total and honestly Starbucks' Cafe Americano did the most part in keeping my nerves up. it's a crazy upper. i love it. but i'm not taking it unless i really really need to stay awake for long hours. >XS that's a tip and a word of warning for you, so... you're welcome! haha

Time trial

5k group reprezent!

if i told anyone i was jogging after an almost double shift, they'd most probably think i'm stupid. and i would to. i knew i was being stupid by choosing to run despite an apparent lack of sleep. maybe that's what all nighters do to your brain, they suck out your reasoning and push you to do self destructive things. >XS

but i didn't regret it. i was so alive the entire run. i had a good 3k run around UMAK's oval (from qc to makati in the break of dawn! oyeah!), and the blasted drills worked me up big time. then there's our carbo loading party after that got me extremely elated because someone brought MAKI. trays full of maki. maki that i happily devoured. i was literally glued to the chair where the maki's are sitting. i was so happy. >XD the run was worth it. i didn't feel weak or anything... but i knew i still had to rest. of course. >XD

Soooooo...

that was last week! how was your week? :D

life lately

haller! this post has been sitting on my drafts for toooo long, all my chikas are so outdated na. :( anyway, here's what's up!

i jogged 2k straight! would you believe it?! >8D

i can't believe it too! last saturday was our 2nd LSD (long slow distance) training and i was able to jog the UP Oval straight (uhm, round?) without resting with a walk! that's kind of 2.2km you know! feels great! though my knee was nagiinarte nanaman after the run, i find it really really fulfilling! hahaha

book fair haul

no, not those! hahaha

i told you about the 35th MIBF right? IT WAS OZOM! it got me totally broke but i love love love all my purchases!

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i tried to get my hands on a lot of chinkee tan and bo sanchez and i frkn can't wait to read them all! even so, i had to PUT THEM ON SALE kasi aaaaaargh #money. the plan is to read them while no one's interested yet! haha

new nailz

before heading on to the book fair, terai and i got ourselves a nail pampering at Nail Cocktales Blue Bay Walk!

i got gold something and terai got the hot pink chuva. it was a pleasant experience! the ate assigned to  me was every bit helpful! she told me how there's square and round nail cuts and which cut is good for me. apparently, she squared me lol, aaaand it looks cool. sabi pa nya i should quit nail biting para hindi na kami tag tipid sa polish looooool. i was able to hold it for a good 2 weeks, mind you! now my nails are back to their same old horrible length. i'm so sorry. but my toe nails remain pretty and long naman. hahaha

i'm opening 2 new special blog post categories! Eats a Must! and Tara lets!

Eats a Must! will be a subcategory of the food posts that i personally recommend! as with the pun, it's a must that you eat there because you're not going to regret it! >XD

Tara lets! on the other hand are for events i'm personally going to and not just promoting! i'll be there, so see you!

now i'm just looking to find the best place to position these links hehe

i keep on forgetting my tech-kit

which is really just a purse with my usb cable and earphones haha. it's quite a bummer, no Play FM and no juice!

facebook flagged my blog as spammy

but i swear this site is clean

i started noticing it around september 20something, in retrospect, i admit to being guilty about excessive linking, but i don't consider it as spamming because hell, i'm posting on my OWN fb page, and the only other pages i post on are blogger communities which are closed groups. i only share on closed groups because i don't want my posting activity to be visible to my friends. okay, i was linking excessively after all. >XS

lesson learned? i have to moderate my syndicating activities. unless someone intentionally marked my links as spam! aaargh! u cows! i feel horrible thinking about it (like i want to kill. #chos). 

anyway. i'm so curious about fb's security policy now that i'm being flagged. huhu. i wish they had given me a warning or a list of voilations you know. grrrrr

C the difference: Mega C Sodium Ascorbate vs. Ascorbic Acid

Ever wondered why there’s a sudden change in the way Vitamin C is being branded right now? Growing up, I have always known it to be Ascorbic Acid, so what’s up with this new variant popping up on billboards and flyers, giving Vitamin C a new face, and claiming to be the better brew?

What is Sodium Ascorbate and why is it rampantly subheading Vitamin C nowadays, overthrowing the good old Ascorbic Acid?

A quick research reveals why:

Vitamin C is available in a lot of forms and the most commonly known one would be Ascorbic Acid. It’s a water-soluble, acidic compound that can be found naturally in a variety of fruits and vegetables such as oranges, broccoli, and green leafy vegetables. Pharmaceutical companies manufacture it in forms such as tablets, powders, capsules, chewables, and syrups. It is widely used as a supplement and is effective in strengthening the immune system and preventing cough and colds, that and a ton of other benefits!

However, due to its acidity, Ascorbic Acid doesn’t jive well with people suffering from gastrointestinal issues and stomach irritation, leading to a need in prescribing a more alkaline alternative, which is (and you guessed it right!), Sodium Ascorbate!

Sodium Ascorbate, on the other hand, is a counterpart of Vitamin C which is simply Ascorbic Acid diluted with Sodium. What’s special about this mixture is that the Sodium acts as a buffer, lowering the acidity levels of the ascorbic acid, making it easier for our stomachs to handle.

While the acidity level is the only major difference between Sodium Ascorbate and Ascorbic Acid, it could easily become the major reason you should switch to using Sodium Ascorbate instead. A happy tummy is a healthy tummy and our friends from Mega C can very well vouch for that!

Mega C Health Ventures, a leading distributor of health and wellness products, has recently launched its own brand of Sodium Ascorbate, aptly called Mega C. Lifted from their website are 12 reasons why you should make the Mega switch to Mega C Sodium Ascorbate:

1. Mega C Sodium Ascorbate is non-acidic and has a pH range of 7.5 to 7.8 and it can be taken as much as preferred without the negative effects of other highly acidic Vitamin C tablets.
2. It helps fight stress by boosting your immune system to help prevent you from flu, cough, bronchitis, respiratory problems and other viral and bacterial infections.
3. It protects your cardiovascular system, particularly your heart from bad cholesterol.
4. It protects the body from carcinogens found in processed meats by blocking the reaction between nitrates and proteins.
5. Its direct effect on collagen has shown that it has the capacity to mend skin and bone injuries, and improve the quality of life of those who are suffering from disorders like multiple sclerosis and spondylitis.
6. It helps reduce the insulin requirement of those suffering from Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and spondylitis.
7. Its antihistamine function helps fight all forms of allergies, multiple sclerosis and spondylitis.
8. It enhances sexual performance by making the endurance glands perform at its peak level.
9. Its antioxidant properties prevent the weakening of the sperm cells.
10. It helps whiten your skin.
11. It prevents constipation and reduces the size of hemorrhoids.
12. It uses vegetable capsule, which are all natural and retain all the advantages of standard two-piece capsules.

So what are you waiting for? Make the mega switch to Mega C!

Mega C is available at all Mercury Drug and leading drugstores nationwide, and sells at only 5 pesos per capsule! A box of Mega C contains 100 capsules.

For more details, visit their website at www.mega-c.com.

Also, be sure to follow them on the web:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MEGA-C-Vitamin-C/685063438239076
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MegaCVitaminC
Instagram: http://instagram.com/megacvitaminc

Sources: [1, 2, 3, pictures are from Mega C fb page]

Ready your tastebuds for the Quezon City Food Festival!

On October 11, 2014 (Saturday), in celebration of  Quezon City's 75th anniversary, the entire stretch of Maginhawa St. will be closed for the first ever Quezon City Food Festival!

Be prepared because this is going to be a heaven for food lovers like us! the event will start at 9am and will be opened by a concert sponsored by San Miguel. culminating the fest will be a fireworks display at the strike of midnight! 

we all know that Maginhawa is home to a lot of great foodie finds, and with over 80 stores and over 120 exhibitors participating, i'm sure the air will be thick with foodgasms all day!

IT'S FREE! so just be there, and enjoy!

my boyfriend lives in Maginhawa so i was worried how the heck am i going to come to their place on that day, i'm expecting a lot of traffic, obstructions, and detours. this infographics from their facebook page surely helped me prep up for what's about to come, so read on and don't be lost!

excited yet? with all the craziness that's going to happen it's an absolute must to be always updated on your socials! fill your pages with #foodPorn posts because Smart has us covered with FREE WIFI all day! oh come on!

and finally, if you're an exhibitor and is still looking to reserve a slot at the much awaited fest, the next pic is for you:

that's about it! see you there!

Source (pics and info): https://www.facebook.com/qcfoodfest

[TARA LETS!] The N.E.W Fashion and Beauty Fair Year 2

Hey friends! Mark your calendars for this year's N.E.W. Fashion and Beauty Fair happening on November 14-16, 2014 at SM Megamall! 

I decided to support this event because i'm largely pro-negosyo and one day i want to be able to start a business where I can promote my products and at the same time empower others! Here's to dreaming big! >XD This 3-day fair will be filled with the best lifestyle manufacturers and retailers, plus a handful of talks and workshop that will surely inspire you! Join me and let's shop and learn! 

ADMISSION IS FREE!

Network for Enterprising Women (N.E.W.) is a local organization that empowers Filipinas through entrepreneurship. Since 2006, we have been guiding entrepreneurial Filipinas through workshops and seminars held by some of the country’s notable business gurus that provide them with the right mindset to develop, start, and sustain a business. Some of our successful members are Roseanne and Robina Ko of Status Hair Salon, Edilee Omoyon of Milea All Organics, and Judith Cinco of Imagere Watch Store to name a few. The following esteemed Filipina entrepreneurs are also members of N.E.W: Jen Gerodias- Diaz of Snoe Beauty Inc., Carla Cruz of Franck Provost and Center For Aesthetic Studies, Dr. Mary Jane Torres of Zen Institute, Carrie Rabat of Rieseling Boracay Resort, and Jennifer Tam- Yap of Pure Beauty and MUD.

Since 2008, N.E.W. has been staging bazaars to support our organization’s efforts and social initiatives. In 2013, we have succcessfully staged The N.E.W. Fashion and Beauty Fair Year 1 at Rockwell Tent and this year, Network for Enterprising Women (N.E.W.) together with its event partner MBCI, will stage The N.E.W. Fashion and Beauty Fair Year 2 on November 14 to 16, 2014 (Friday to Sunday) at the Megatrade Hall 3, 5/F Bldg. B, SM Megamall.

This 3-day sale event will gather the country’s top Fashion, Beauty, and Lifestyle manufacturers and retailers. Aside from the fashion and beauty expo, there will also be talks and makeover demos by notable fashion and image experts such as MAC Cosmetics, and local Fashion Designers and Fashion schools, plus a make-up competition featuring some of the country’s up-and-coming make-up artists. Admission is FREE so gather your friends and family, and shop for the best beauty and fashion finds while helping empower the nation one entrepreneurial Filipina at a time.

The three- day event will be covered by our Media sponsors: Lifestyle Network, Metro Magazine, Chalk Magazine, and Working Mom.

For media relations, publicity, product promotions, sponsorship opportunities, and booking info, you may contact 0917-5408697 / 0922-8821075 / 908-2558 or email info@new.com.ph. #newfashionandbeautyfair2

About NEW 

N.E.W. stands for Network for Enterprising Women. We are an organization with a heart to provide a venue for aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs to share their thoughts, their talents, their skills and their experiences towards one goal: SUCCESS! We believe that collective successes can also boost individual success with the practice of right business ethics and a strong support from fellow women entrepreneurs. N.E.W. believes that entrepreneurship is more than knowledge and skills, it is also an emotional venture making women the best candidates for entrepreneurship.

For more information, please visit NEW’s Facebook fan page (https://www.facebook.com/newphils) and Twitter account (https://twitter.com/newphils). Please follow us on Instagram (newphils) and visit our official website to know more about our organization. (http://new.com.ph)

[Review] Mad for Pizza: Toppings all you want!

a month back jeckie and i dined in this relatively new pizza parlour around Tomas Morato, which offers a very enticing option for food lovers and pizza lovers alike: CHOOSE YOUR OWN TOPPINGS. talk about Project Pie (which i haven't tried yet haha)! but it's not just that, it's TOPPINGS ALL YOU WANT too! and i meant standing in front of a buffet of toppings and commanding your personal pizza maker to put whatever you like, in whatever amount! cool beans.

aside for that signature offering they also serve an array of comfort foods like pasta, rice dishes, nachos, desserts, and drinks, so if you're not really into the entire DIY pizza craze, you can still enjoy the restaurant's other offerings. :)

Here's the menu :)

anyway, we came for the pizza so here it goes!

for only 285 pesos you get a customized 9 inch pizza with your choice of dough, sauce, and toppings! here's how our first visit went (yessss because i was craving so much for it that we had to try it for the second time haha!)

How to order your toppings all you want pizza!

3 steps only!

Step 1: Choose your dough

you start by ordering the type of thin crust dough you want, they have classic, herb, garlic parmesan, and spinach doughs.

Step 2: Choose your sauce

take your pick of the sauce. they serve house pizza, roasted garlic alfredo, frio diablo, and barbecue sauce. after deciding on those, they'll prepare your dough and sauce, then call you at the front to finally load your toppings on! :)

then comes the good part!

Step 3: Choose all the toppings you want!

They offer a super wide range of quality toppings, you'll go crazy about the possibilities!

on my first visit i chose garlic parmesan dough, and roasted garlic alfredo sauce. then i went crazy with the toppings!

i didn't take tabs on what i put in, but i asked for a lot of mozzarella, green and red bell peppers, all those sausages, chicken, garlic, beef, all the green herbs, olives, mushrooms, lots of tomatoes, bacon, parmesan, and another hefty loot of mozzarella. i had every intention to make this piece worthy of the restaurant's claim of toppings all you want so i didn't hold back! >XD

and voila! this was how my pizza looked before it was sent off to the oven. :)

and this one below was jeckie's pizza! 

he had more mozzarella, a handful of cream cheese, lots of beef, bacon, steak slices, sausages, tomatoes, etc. his pizza was almost all meat and no greens at all. a carnivore's heaven, yes. and i must admit, his pizza looks taller than mine! hahaha i was so impressed! he was the first one to be called in front so i watched him give orders on what to put, how much to put, and blah. you might think it's nakakahiya that we're putting so much on our doughs, but TIP #1: DON'T BE! the pizza makers were also very generous and obedient so there's no room for guilt! hahaha >XD 

we waited almost 30 minutes for our freshly baked oven pizza to arrive, but we didn't complain cos we knew we had to let every mass of that pizza cook evenly! and when it came...

foodgasm!

My pizzaaaaaaa

it smelled good, and the toppings towered over the crispy thin crust beautifully like some over garnished herb pizza! best of all, it also tasted awesome! >XD jeckie didn't like it though cos it's screaming herbs but i super duper love it! the smell of rosemary is intoxicating!

on the other hand, here was jeckie's super flavorful pizza!

Tips for your enjoyment, and the difference with our SECOND VISIT

i already gave you Tip #1 above which basically means don't be shy if you think you're putting too much on your dough. as long as you believe it's going to make your pizza experience more awesome, then go for it!

here's my Tip #2, and i realized this during our second visit. if you can, always request to do your pizza hands-on. that way you get to experience what we did, which is to choose all the toppings we want, in WHATEVER AMOUNT. #sugapaLungs

on our second visit which was 2 weeks after our first , we noticed they're giving out a checklist of toppings to customers. you can still opt to check everything you want, but by submitting to the checklist mode, you lose your chance to control the amount of your toppings on your pizza haha. this may be convenient to those who didn't want to stand up though! but i think it's their way of controlling their toppings inventory, and also to save preparation time.

sooo, if you're not really hungrybods like us. the checklist will still give you an equally great experience!

so on that day, we were offered the checklist but we declined and asked if we could still go in front to choose our toppings live, and we did! so there you go! what i'm telling is, they now offer 2 ways to prepare your pizza, via checklist and via uhm, live selection of toppings?

the difference...

i have pretty much the same preference in toppings so i picked the same stuff, but i noticed that they were really controlling the portions now. i asked for the usual rounds of mozzarella but my pizza maker remarked that it's going to be too salty already! aw! but that didn't stop me, sabi ko na lang, i like it salty! hahaha >XD

My verdict

even with their apparent efforts in controlling their inventory of toppings, i would say it's still worth the 285 pesos we paid for! i don't want them to go out of business just because some people couldn't control their hungry eyes (takaw tingin represent!) or simply wanted to stretch their marketing claim *ouch*. i have yet to bring my sister here cos this is her kind of food coma! >XD

magka-ganun man. YOU SHOULD TRY THIS OUT. i'm putting this review under the Must Try! category because that's where i put my awesome food finds!

Location, contact, and stuff

Mad for Pizza

2nd floor, Il Terrazzo Building

305 Tomas Morato Ave., corner Scout Madrinan St.

Quezon City

Hours: Mon-Sun 11:00 am to 11:00 pm

Facebook: http://fb.com/MadForPizzaPh

Twitter: @MadForPizza

Instagram: @MadForPizza

FYI Coming to Asia in Fall 2014

A+E Networks Asia Rebrands BIO Changel to FYI in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan

SINGAPORE, August 27, 2014 – On October 6, BIO™ Channel will rebrand to FYI™, a contemporary lifestyle network reflecting how people live their lives today, across Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Pacific Islands, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. The announcement was made today by Alan Hodges, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, A+E Networks.

BIO was also rebranded to FYI in the US on July 8th.

For your inspiration, for your imagination or for your innovation, FYI will be a personalized experience for each viewer. The network embraces the way audiences really live their lives – proudly-hyphenated and not constrained by one passion or interest. Never an instruction manual and always an inspiration engine, FYI offers viewers a more adventurous, personalized and non-prescriptive approach to programming with a range of stories that reflect how people actually live their lives today, not defined by just one passion or interest.

“FYI’s mission is to inspire personal creativity that emphasizes improvised living, while reflecting our authentic slate of programming,” says Michele Schofield, Senior VP, Programming & Marketing at A+E Networks Asia. “And with its rich mix of inspirational content, the new channel’s Asian premiere is sure to bring its viewers a season of quality entertainment.”

FYI will feature over 300 hours of original content each year across four programming genres - taste, space, look, and journey. FYI will include locally-commissioned productions and local acquisitions.

FYI’s primetime premiere line-up in Asia includes:

• In Tiny House Nation, renovation experts and hosts, John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin, travel across America to show off ingenious small spaces and the inventive people who live in them. They also help families design, construct and prepare to downsize into their own mini-dream homes no larger than 300 square feet!

• Rowhouse Showdown featuring renovation expert, Carter Oosterhouse as he leads three teams who battle it out to transform dilapidated homes. The team that increases the appeal of their home the most, wins the grand prize of $50,000.

• Destination Flavour: Japan: From the frozen ponds of Hokkaido in the north to the southern multicultural island of Okinawa, we savour the cuisine from local legends and master chefs while watching Adam Liaw immerse himself in a vibrant food culture that embraces innovation and cherishes tradition.

• Destination Flavour: Down Under: Host Adam Liaw continues to unearth hidden flavours, this time those nestled in the Australian and New Zealand landscapes.

• Travels with the Bondi Vet features Dr. Chris Brown, a charismatic vet who leaves his practice in Sydney to begin his exploration of the world’s most beautiful and bizarre places, cultures and animals!

About A+E Networks Asia

A+E Networks™ Asia is owned by the award-winning, global media content company, A+E Networks™, which is dedicated to offering consumers a diverse communications environment ranging from television networks to websites, to home videos/DVDs to gaming and educational software. A+E Networks Asia is comprised of Lifetime®, HISTORY®, FYI™ (formerly bio.®), H2™ and Crime & Investigation™. A+E Networks Asia operates and distributes its portfolio in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Fiji, Macau, Taiwan, Korea, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Globally, A+E Networks’ channels and branded programming reach more than 330 million households in over 160 countries.