Wednesday, October 31, 2018

thoughts on my 38th birthday

I didn't have a lot of expectations on this day. I knew that we were celebrating it at home with family and that we would almost be complete. I expected that it would be just like the usual celebration of a birthday.

Apparently, I was wrong.

It didn't start out how I thought it would be. I woke up to an almost empty house. My siblings were outside and it was just my Mom and I at home. We had a great lunch and I was able to do a full shift at work.

My big sister finally arrived sans her husband who had allergies and she didn't bring the cake or gift she promised me. my little sister did not message me at all and even M was AWOL.

I was not pleased.


I thought to myself, this birthday sucked.

Finally, M came over late in the afternoon but by this time, I was seething. He told me his boss had asked him to send more work and I was just upset. When he finally forced me to go and buy some milk tea, I raged at him. When we got to the milk tea place, I gave him the silent treatment.

However, there were some inconsistencies that I noticed with my family.

1. My sister said she already had my gift then today, she told me that she hasn't bought it yet.

2. M was already off work so why would his boss suddenly make him pass some materials hours after?

3. My Mom was planning on leaving the house even when it was raining which she normally would never do.

4. M told me he would leave work early but didn't come over till late in the afternoon which did not make sense at all.

Apparently, these inconsistencies were all because of this.



They had a surprise party planned for me. Eeekkk. I've never had one for me. I've always been the one to plan the surprise for someone so this was really such a shock.


Apparently, these balloons were blown manually by my little sister. The EFFORT!


This birthday cake is from my brother in law. I'm so happy coz I finally got a Care Bear themed cake.


My family was almost complete.


My extended family was also almost complete.


These three were the perpetrators.


M was the one who took the brunt of the surprise though. I feel so lucky that he bore everything and just let me rage knowing that I would have the surprise of my life in just a few minutes.


It was the celebration that I wanted: spent with my family.



I also got a lot of really cool gifts.

Miss Jing 

from the Twins 

Add caption

from Cie, Perception, and someone awesome

from my Mom


from my little big sister 

from M 

This year, there were fewer cakes and gifts from brands and PR but there was a lot more love from family and friends.





I wouldn't have it any other way. Tonight, I sleep with a huge smile on my face knowing who truly loves me, cares for me, and matters to me.

Thank you, Universe for the last 37 years. I'm excited about the 38th. Let's make it even more awesome and travel-filled.

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Everything you need to Know about the Starbucks 2019 Planner

Yes, it's that time of the year where you will have mini-reunions and meet with long lost friends because you miss them and most importantly because you need the additional stickers. Real talk here guys, real talk.

So let's get down to business.

This year, there are 2 planner designs. However, there are also 2 travel organizers. YESSS! For the first time, there will be travel organizers and not just planners because Starbucks listened to the fans and they have come to realize that not everyone really maintains a planner but everyone loves to travel.


So let's talk about the planners. These are hardbound, not so thick, and has the standard pages of previous years. The design this timr around though is more of inspirational and content creator focused. It comes in milky and chocolate colors.


The travel organizer, on the other hand, reminds me of the Malaysian planner of 2018 but this one is a little smaller and more colorful. It comes in teal and tan. Inside, you can store MTR tickets, passports, and earphones.


Best news this year: You just need to buy at least a Tall drink of your choice to complete the 18 stickers. You don't need to buy the Christmas beverage. ANY tall drink from Starbucks. 1 Tall drink = 1 sticker.

Additional info. You can now have an e-card for your stickers. You just need to have the Starbucks Mobile App. Remember that back in April, they launch this. Download it and click on the join the planner program so you can collect your e-stickers.


So for the downside, because this will kill our wallers, there are also 4 cards that come with the planner and the organizer. It's 1 card PER planner and PER organizer and they are all fixed. You cannot choose the card that will go with the planner or organizer.

If you're a collector, start saving before this starts on November 2, 2018, and will end January 7, 2019.


So, shall we have coffee starting November 2, 2018?


Friday, October 26, 2018

Questions You Need to Ask When Dating

The idea of finally getting someone you can consider a potential life partner or soul mate in whatever kind of arrangement you have agreed upon is simply amazing. You will always be looking for ways to make your significant other feel happy, appreciated, and loved. Also, you will yearn to learn more about them and to understand them, whether you initially met one-on-one, through a mutual friend, or by connecting on one of the online dating sites, like https://www.happymatches.com/. You will do everything you can to understand your lover as much as possible.

While human beings are complicated and are undoubtedly not easy to understand, you can learn a lot about a person with some effort and a keen eye. Additionally, asking both your significant other and yourself some questions about them and your relationship could help you to better understand them, as opposed to assuming things or interpreting things based on your view, which may lead to wrong conclusions.




The following are some crucial questions that you should ask yourself and your partner when dating:

Would I like to have the traits of this person?
In marriage, the involved persons rub off on each other a lot and slowly start taking the traits and characteristics of each other. It is more like playing with Play-Doh: The more the colors are mixed together, the more difficult it is to tell them apart. The big question, then, is if you get excited at the thought of becoming like the other person, or if you shudder at the thought of being like him or her. Why date that person if you would not want to be like them?

Am I genuinely attracted to this person (and does the attraction run deeper than looks)?
It is a big problem that many people have come to believe that attraction is all about appearance. You may be thinking that if your clothes, complexion, abs, and other aspects are not sufficiently attractive, he or she will run away from you. The reality is that attraction involves much more than outward appearances. For example, one's values, personality, faith, and other unseen aspects matter a great deal. So the question you need to ask yourself is what draws you to that person, other than their looks. You can also ask them about the things that attracted them to you.

Am I myself when I am with my date?
Do you like being yourself when in the company of your date? Could you possibly be trying to be someone else when you are with that other person, because in your view he or she would like you to be someone else? It is crucial you answer these questions in order to help you determine if you should be dating in the first place or not.

Do I like the way their family communicates?
The way we behave and communicate has a lot to do with the way we were brought up or taught to communicate, either directly or indirectly. It is difficult to undo a grown-up’s communication patterns and behavior. As such, if you are not comfortable with the way you see them communicate at home or when you are with them on dates, you should reconsider dating them.

How does the other person handle money?
You should not shy away from addressing financial matters. Seek to understand his or her ideas on how to earn money, spend it, and to set aside savings and make investment decisions. You should ask outright questions concerning the other person’s views on taking care of bills and other things. Also, you can observe how they handle money matters and then ask yourself some hard questions.
Conclusion
This list of questions that you should ask yourself and your partner is long, though not exhaustive. Above all else, it is crucial to seek answers to those things that really matter to you. However, there are common issues like finances and communication that all people who envision a future together should address.

Monday, October 22, 2018

Pizza Hut's Best Holiday Pizza EVER!

What can make a Hawaiian pizza better?

Well, it's the Meaty Hawaiian Supreme Sausage Stuffed Cheesy Crust Pizza of course! You not only get the pineapples and meat but you get the sausage stuffed crust part too! Egad!

DIET OVER.


Christmas is almost upon us with less than 70 days to go which means mini-reunions and get-togethers are definitely starting to pile up. Thinking of where to eat or what to bring to a potluck can be stressful which is why Pizza Hut wants to make things easier for you.

Each flavorful bite of this sausage-filled, cheddar cheese topped crust is guaranteed to be a winner in any gathering that you will have. Available in regular or large size, this pizza flavor is sure to be a hit when you bring it to any party.


We were able to try it at home today and just from looking at it, I knew that it would be a match made in heaven. The pizza + my tummy = HEAVEN.


Since we're a big family, we had 2 large pizzas. One bite and I wanted to eat at least 4 slices. The pineapple combines with beef, pork, ham, Italian sausage, and pepperoni topped with sweet pineapple glaze were just oh so good!


The Sausage Stuffed Cheesy Crust is available on any of your favorite Pizza Hut flavors. With the Meaty Hawaiian Supreme Sausage Stuffed Cheesy Crust Pizza, you can guarantee that any gathering you have this Christmas season will be filled with Holiday cheers. I definitely know that my Mom was over the moon soon as she saw these two beauties.

Ready to order? Call 911-11-11 or order online here.

Avon Fashions presents Designed by Angel

A few weeks ago, Avon launched the latest bags from the Avon line. This year, it is designed by no less than Angel Locsin herself.


First impressions: I loved that all of the bags looked really functional. It's something that a woman can wear on a daily basis, be it at work, bring the kids to school, to university, or even when you are traveling.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on these three bags so I decided to test it myself and see if it's durable, functional, and fashionable.



This brown tote may look small and flimsy but it's actually durable. I placed my laptop, charger, power bank, headset, notebooks, pencil case, eyeglass case, sunnies case, wallet, wet wipes, and tissue inside including my make up case and it held up.

I wouldn't recommend always placing heavy stuff in it though to lengthen its life.


This red sling bag is a dream for travelers and people on the go. It's slim and small but it actually contains 3 sections which allow you to have partitions and separate your stuff. This one is my favorite among the three because it's small but actually big when it comes to storage.


This black piece can be worn in two ways: one as a backpack and the other as a shoulder bag. If you're going to bring heavy stuff, use it as a backpack. If it's light, then you can use it as a shoulder bag.


All three bags are easy to clean and store. You just wipe it with a semi-damp cloth and you're good to go. This is something that I really like about Avon. They think of their customers. Everything they produce is pretty, useful and easy to manage.

You can buy your very own bag designed by Angel Locsin here.

Lifestyle Review of the ASUS VivoBook S15 S530UN

Icicle Gold, Gun Metal, Silver Blue, Star Grey, Firmament Green

You know that when something comes in multiple colors, it will definitely attract my attention so when I first saw the ASUS Vivobook S15 series, my interest was definitely piqued.


The ASUS Vivobook S15 series is colorful, compact, and looks pretty powerful at first glance. Having used it for the last 2 weeks, I was able to play, test, and see if it's as powerful as it looked.



For the specs, you may refer here.


Unlike the Zenbook, this one comes with two USB port so if you're a student or a yuppie, this would work to your advantage. One of my peeves with the Zenbook was the fact that it could only accommodate one USB at a time. With the Vivobook S15 series, this is definitely not going to be a problem.

Weight wise, the Vivobook S15 is a little heavier than my Zenbook but it's still not as heavy as other laptops and definitely lighter than the ROG laptop. It's doable for a daily commute, just not one with a lot of walking.

Memory wise, you have options. You can go from 4GB to 12GB depending on your needs and usage so make sure to choose wisely. I personally like the fact that you have options so that you won't need to waste space or keep upgrading. If you're getting a laptop for the first time, middle ground or maximum is always the best option.

I also love the display because it's 15 inch which is big enough for series bingeing time but it also comes with eye care technology which provides 30% blue light reduction which causes strain to the eyes. It may seem like a simple thing but it has a huge effect on the eyes. I binge watched at night till early morning and did not feel the usual strain on my eyes.

The Windows 10 system is already up to date and the i7 processor is more than enough for an average user. There shouldn't be any lagging unless you maximize your hard drive storage which is not recommended. I used this to have all my sites up and I never had a single problem in the last 2 weeks.


One feature that they brought back is the microSD card reader. YEY! I love this since I still use the microSD card reader. Definitely a plus point in my book.


The ASUS Vivobook is perfect for students, yuppies, bloggers, and influencers. It's the type of laptop you can show off but at the same time, be guaranteed that you are gettingyour money's worth. It's fashionable, sleek, a classic, and for something small, packs quite a punch.


The adapter for charging can easily charge the laptop from 3% to 60% in less than an hour. This matters to me because I just don't have the patience to wait for hours and hours on end just to have my laptop charged.

The graphics card, audio, and webcam are more than enough for any vlogging and writing needs. These days, almost everyone is either blogging or vlogging so this matters as well.


If you are looking for a laptop that won't break your back and your budget, I'd definitely recommend the Vivobook S15. In fact, I'm already thinking of getting one for my sister and my son this Christmas. It's everything that it needs to be to function well but at the same time, it's hip and fashionable to be part of anyone's #DOTD, #OOTD and #FOTD.

That's desk of the day, outfit ofthe day, and fashion of the day for you. What more can you ask for?

Saturday, October 20, 2018

Saboten Express

I finally had the chance to try out Saboten Express which is located in a really fancy food court on the top floor of Mega Fashion Hall.


I really like that they have an area at the food court because it makes it more accessible to people who just want to have really good Japanese food but are in a rush.


I ordered the Tenderloin Katsu Set for M and I had the Traditional Chicken Katsudon. I also go the Crab Cream Croquette, Agedashi Tofu, and Coffee Jelly.


The Tenderloin Katsu had no fats and was all meat. It was really tasty and not oily which is great because it's really disgusting when you have katsu with so much oil on it.


The chicken katsudon was really good too. I could eat two bowls of this in one sitting. Egad. I'm a glutton for really good food.


The Agedashi Tofu was also cooked right and was not too soft.


M and I had a wonderful date at Saboten Express. It was quick but it was definitely filling.