Twenty-Five

So I turned 25 last week. Yeah, sure, it was fun; got a lot of greetings from people (which always makes me giddy!), but that was also the most expensive birthday that I ever had. Lol!

The celebration started the weekend before my actual birthday. And take note, I had eaten at buffet restaurants for 2 consecutive days! I know, right?

June 18, 2011
Yakimix, TriNoma

I was always curious why this restaurant is always full of people, that you must be there 30 minutes or an hour before 11 am if you don't want to wait for available seats. I'm also a fan of Japanese food so I decided to have my birthday celebration with my boyfriend here at Yakimix.

photos from http://patokplace.blogspot.com/

And I was in awe upon entering the restaurant. It was Japanese food heaven! I was overwhelmed with all the sushis and makis that I only got to try 5 kinds. I also didn't eat rice at all cos I want to enjoy all the other food that were served there.

I almost forgot to mention the dessert area. I had fun customizing my ice cream with chocolate sprinkle and gummy bears! It's like childhood all over again!

June 19, 2011
Kamay-Kainan, TriNoma

For a change, I want to treat my family this year cos normally, my mom would cook/buy food for us during our birthdays. And when I say family, I meant 10 people. Kamay-Kainan is one of the cheapest buffets in town so it's okay. I just had a round here since I was still full from yesterday's food escapade.

June 21, 2011
Amber's Restaurant, Makati

I celebrated my birthday at work. And being the generous cat that I am (no, not really!), I decided to treat my new officemates for lunch. I bought Amber's Pancit Malabon (good for 25 people), and of course, how can I miss their famous Pichi-Pichi!

Omnomnomnom!

Amber's still the best maker of pichi-pichi! It's a good thing that it's just near my new workplace. 

June 23, 2011:

Peanut Butter Company

I promised my good friend, Anthony, that I'll treat him for my birthday. We were supposed to watch Toy Story 3 (and that was supposed to be my treat) last year, but I ditched him for a date with my boyfriend. Lol.  And it was funny cos his work normally starts at 9 in the morning, but he was already in Makati 2 hours before just to have breakfast with me.

That's the Green Tea Vanilla Sandwich, and OMG, it was soooo good! It's kinda expensive, though. It already costs P70 for a half-sandwich while you can already buy 2 of that at The Sandwich Guy. Heh.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the Fish and Diablo pasta. I really like the spicy peanut butter twist! 

So that's my 25th birthday celebration, everyone! It was really a good thing that this new company pays so much better than my previous one! LOL. And I was lucky that I got my first month salary days before my birthday. Birthday gods had heard my plead. Haha.

P.S. I'm not really using my camera that much, so I just grabbed photos from the internet. And thank God for Instagram! 

Commuting Fiasco

a.k.a I really hate my current work location!

I left my previous employer (after 4 years!), and I ended up finding a new job in MAKATI.

My friends know that I hate that city. Not just Makati, but mostly the south part of the Metro. I was born and lived in QC all my life, and going to the south is such a burden for me. Yeah, sure, I had worked in Mandaluyong, but that is still tolerable (at least in my geographical standards). For the past year, I am just 10 minutes away from work, so imagine the adjustments I have to make when I started last month -- I have to leave the house 2 hours before my shift starts. I also never tried taking the bus again to get to work. You see, during my 2nd week at work, I was late for 1 fucking minute, and it's all because this stupid bus that kept on stopping in every waiting shed in EDSA. And also, I have a motion sickness that I can't tolerate long bus rides. For serious!

Anyway, for a month of 2-hour commuting (make that 4!) everyday, I had experienced a lot of funny, scary and gross stories that I would like to share with you, guys! Heh!

1. When I was 19, I experienced being mugged on my way home. Since then, whenever I see suspicious people, I'd transfer to another jeepney or bus, and I don't care if I already paid the fare. So anyway, I was on my way home, and I was standing on the aisle of the bus since there were no available seats. And then a guy offered his seat to me. Then this guy with iPhone was about to alight the bus, but can't freaking get out since there were a lot of people blocking his way. Then I suddenly saw that the guy who offered me his seat was pushing him real hard. And I also saw him getting something from the guy with iPhone's pocket. I was tempted to alert him, but was afraid that something might happen to me. So I decided to shut up and just get my boyfriend's attention who's seated behind me. Then a minute later, the guy with iPhone went back and asked the passengers to check if they saw his phone. There I knew that it was already snatched. The boyfriend noticed that he was playing with his phone so maybe, that caught the attention of the snatcher. So freakin' scary!

2. As I mentioned earlier, I can't tolerate long bus rides. That's the reason why I have to drink Bonamine if ever I have to go to a province riding a bus. So one night after work, I was already feeling dizzy inside the bus. And it was freaking cold, too! I felt that I was about to vomit anytime, so I decided to just close my eyes and rest. Then I reached my destination, and dropped by at a convenience store to buy Doritos. I was standing in line, when I felt that I can't contain it anymore and ran out of the store. I puked in front of that store, and the security guard asked me to puke somewhere else (fuck him!). I also caught people's attention, and perhaps they're thinking that I am just drunk. That was gross, I know!

3. And this one.

I'm yet to find a place near Makati, and actually, I am beginning to get used working in this city. But ~the QC~ is still the best city ever!

Pizza All You Can

So last weekend, this happened:

My boyfriend and I decided to drop by SM San Lazaro and saw this ad. We immediately looked for Chef d' Angelo since it's almost dinner time, too. And we were taken by surprise to see the number of people inside the restaurant. It's a good thing we found a seat after a couple of minutes of waiting. I tried the salad first since the pizza was nowhere to be found. Lol, cos the moment they put the pizza on the table, it was already gone in just a matter of seconds. (I'm not kidding).

So anyway, here's what we got:

Sorry for the resolution, all we've got is Instagram. Lol!

It's just for P150 so don't expect a superb food quality. I only tried the pasta once since it's just a plain pasta. Like, sauce and noodles. No meat, etc. But I kept on getting the Four Cheese pizza! It was delicious! And the salad, too! 

So the next time I'll try this, I'll just choose the pizza and salad. I was really disappointed with their pasta. Really.

Cheapskate!

I've always been the low-maintenance type (lol?). You'll never see me buy an expensive brand if I can get a cheaper item that will give me the same (or almost the same) results. Heh. My boyfriend once asked me why haven't I purchased a ~*Starbucks*~  tumbler (bleurgh!), and I've been working in a call cennar for quite some time. I was like, "What the hell? Is that required?!". I could buy a lot of kikay stuff, (or books!) for P500+, right? I could just buy a tumbler that's just worth P100 and it will still serve the same purpose. Lol, that's why he had given me a Starbucks tumbler for my birthday last year.Yay?

So anyway, here are the cheap items I'd just discovered during the past few months.

1. E.L.F Tinted Moisturizer

I was supposed to buy Myra E's Tinted moisturizer, but I came across E.L.F stall (in Watson's), and was amazed by all the cheap stuff they're offering. The tinted moisturizer is just for P125, (well, almost all of their items), and it's so worth it! I haven't had any breakouts, and I've been using this for almost 3 weeks now. I might hoard their items come payday (waterproof eyeliner pen, shimmering facial whip, eyebrow kit!). It's even cheaper in the US. Their price ranges from $1 to $3. OMG, right?

2. Human Heart Nature Balancing Facial Wash and Toner

I've always been the zit-free type ever since I could remember, Yes, there are occasional zits every now and then, but it was late last year when I've had the worst breakout ever! Facial treatment helped me get through that phase, but I don't wanna it all the time, just occasional trip to a facial center, I guess.

I was fond of reading beauty blogs / online forums, and read a lot of raves about Human Heart Nature products, so I decided to give it a try. Bought their facial wash and toner, and OMG, it worked perfectly for my skin. Lol, I maybe exaggerating here, but it took me forever to find the perfect facial wash and toner for my skin. It's organic, and cheap, too! I might as well buy their Sunflower Beauty Oil, since I read that it's a good make-up remover and moisturizer.

3.San San Mousse Blush in Mocha

I never really liked blushes in pink shade; it  just never suits my complexion. Anyway, I never intended to buy this since I always prefer the powder blush. It's so easy to apply, and I think this will last me for a couple of months. Again, NO BREAKOUTS! Heh.

4. Lewis & Pearl Body and Face Powder (Pink)

I've been using Maybelline's Clear Smooth Face Powder (in Honey) for a year now. I never really had any serious breakout using that face powder, but I dunno, since I'm already using a tinted moisturizer, I just wanted to skip the compact face powder. Yes, this is me trying to avoid zits. Anyway, I read in Girltalk! that this is really a good face powder. At first, I didn't see that as an option, cos you know, I think baby powders are just for high school students. Lol. I even started using a compact face powder in HS. But hey, I never expected that this will give me a good coverage after the tinted moisturizer. It's really light and good for everyday use. For real! But I might go back to Maybelline one of these days. Or maybe not. Heh. 

Thanks to these products, I really have a good skin right now.I will stick to this regimen for a long time. :P

So Much For My ~Resolution~

Or maybe it's not that late? It's just March, right? Lol.

So my last post here says that I wanna lose weight before my 25th birthday, and read 100 books this year. Heh. A lot of things had happened last month that stopped me from pursuing those things. I was off to a good start last January. I was really motivated to lose weight. Lol, I even had some exercise routine before going to work. And I bought a lot of books that I wanna include in my to-read list.

Then a break-up ruined it all.

Fun fact! Yes, when I'm depressed, I tend to eat A LOT. And yeah, I gained weight, and people had noticed it! It's that obvious!

I was also stuck in reading Love The One You're With for like, 3 weeks?! (I know, right?). It was just hard for me to finish it at that moment. So to sum it up, February was such a blur. A lot of things had happened, a lot of lessons learned.

Anyway, moving forward, we got back together, and things are now A-OK! So, since March had already started, I wanna try my luck again on these resolutions. Like, I am again motivating myself to lose weight. That is, and will always be a forever dilemma. Lol. But  I managed to do that last year, so I am crossing my fingers on this!

As for the book reading challenge? I am on my 6th (yeah, sore loser!) and hoping to triple the number by the end of the month! Heh.

Wish me luck!

Probably A Little Too Late For A Year-Ender Post

16 days had passed since 2011 had started, and yes, I'm just about to write my ~hopes~ and ~resolutions~ for 2011.

2009 sucked. 2010 was the exact opposite.

You see, everything went well last year. I got promoted (finally!) at work and I was transferred to UP Technohub which is like, 10 minutes away from home. I also met my boyfriend this year. :) We've also had less family problems as compared to 2009, so I guess, 2010 is really a good year for me.

So here comes 2011.

I wanted to do a Reading Challenge for 2011. I've been buying A LOT of books, but I barely read them. You know the giddy feeling of adding something to your collection, but due to lack of time, they are just piled under my To-Read books. If some are doing 100 Movies for 2011, I'd do 100 books instead. I am already on my 2nd book, (and with my pace right now, I probably won't make it). I finished Pam Pastor's Paper Cuts in 1 day. I am now halfway through Emily Giffin's Love The One You're With. I'm reading it for almost 2 weeks now, but I still haven't finished it. WHY OH WHY. Oh well, I'll try to squeeze it in so that I can finally start with Jessica Zafra's Twisted 9 (I know, I should have started with this one, IT'S JESSICA ZAFRA!)

It was also last year when I had a drastic weight loss that made everyone wonder what the hell did I do to achieve that. I dunno how many pounds I lost (since I'm not checking the weighing scale), but I know it was a lot since a lot of people were asking me what happened. Lol. It started when we had our Puerto Galera summer getaway, and upon looking on my photos, I realized that it's time to start losing weight. It went on for months, then I gained it all back since my boyfriend and I keeps on eating every time we're together. Sad, isn't? That realization suddenly occurred to me again yesterday, upon looking on my December photos. Wish me luck, I guess?

So there. I finally had time to do this since I've been thinking of writing this for days now. Heh!

Cheap Thrills

Wow, it's been two months since I've last updated this blog. Well, I barely have time for blogging nowadays. My Tumblr was even abandoned for some time.

So anyway, let me just share some of my cheap finds recently. I'm a cheapskate, so these things make me happy!

1. Mini Stop's Fried Chicken

I'm a fried chicken lover (Chicken Joy in particular!), and I always wanted to try Mini Stop's Fried Chicken. There will always be a long queue of lines in Mini Stop during lunch time, and it's all because of this. So when I've had a chance last week, I finally grabbed one for lunch, and OMG, it sure tastes good! There's also a free refill for their gravy! AND IT'S JUST FOR P55! Btw, the photo above is not true, cos  there are no Lipton Iced Tea that comes with this meal! Or maybe, just in the Technohub branch? Heh.

2. Asian Secrets Lulur 

I read about this some time last week, and when I got a chance to pass by at Watson's (it's only available there), I bought the smaller tub, just to give it a try. And just like everyone else, I am happy with the results of this body scrub! First of all, it smells good and it'll stay even after a couple of hours! I really don't have to apply lotion that much every time I use this! And yes, it's so cheap for a body scrub. Small tub will cost you at around P80, while the bigger one is just for P130+! This is a must try, I tell you!

3. Latagan Sa Cubao Expo 

Last November 20, I was strolling around Araneta Center, and  decided to drop by Cubao X to check on some shoes. I had no clue about this bazaar, and I was in awe with all of the selections that were on sale! Cheap clothes, artsy stuff, books, shoes, etc! I was tired from buying stuff from SM Cubao, so I only grabbed a couple of things here. Several clothes, a bag, and a pair of shoes for just P385! Huzzah! They'll have another on the 4th, but I don't think I can make it since it's our company's Christmas party. Sigh. Or maybe not. Lol.

4. Cental BBQ Boy Grill!

"Where Everyday is a Weekend!"

I celebrated my 24th birthday  in their Makati branch (where I got so drunk that a friend even have to bring me home lol). I suggested this to my boyfriend when we're thinking of a place to drink on his birthday a couple of weeks ago. They sell cheap food and drinks, that's why they are always filled with people even on a weekday! A plate full of Nachos for just 135? Buffalo chicken wings for P95? Yay, right? My favorite would be their best seller drink which is called "Bad Trip". It's a mix of gin, rhum, pineapple juice and Absolut, I think! It will just cost you P199 per pitcher, and they also have a promo of Buy 2, Take 1 on their mixed cocktails every weekdays! We've been to their Central branch every week since November had started. Lol.

Well, there you go! Isn't it nice to find stuff that won't make you really spend that much? Heh.