Review of Boat Noodle Philippines in SM Mall of Asia

I recently dropped by Mall of Asia and was pleasantly surprised to see so many new additions to it regarding food. One of them was Boat Noodle Philippines.  

The place was actually pretty spacious. This was one of two locations they had, one being in SM Grand Central, which is way too far for me. 

I was intrigued by the name and even more so when I saw that they were serving their noodle in small bowls. This is why they have a signage outside that says "little bowls of happiness."

It seems that the idea stemmed from Thailand's boat noodles, where they serve guests small bowls filled with noodles, and guests would end up stacking them after eating. Below is a stock photo I grabbed online to give you an idea.  

Here's a copy of their menu. The price point is actually excellent. It's affordable, and though the bowls look small, they can be filling. 

I had the 4+1 sampler set. I got all 4 noodles plus the Thai Milk Tea. 

My favorite amongst the four was the AYUTTHAYA. I'd describe this as the soup you want if it's raining outside, you need comfort, you want to celebrate something, you're missing someone, or you just want a good bowl of noodles. 

It's comfort food for the soul. I think I can finish probably 4 bowls and still want more. 

The SANGKAYAA is so good, but you need to eat it as soon as they put it on your table. It will be piping hot but grab that moment, seize one cube, dip it in the pandan sauce, and have a bite. It will be hot, but it will also be blissful, and it will be worth it. 

The PORK and AYAM LEGEND are also must try's. This one is best served with rice, as you can easily wipe off an entire rice cooker with this grilled goodness. 

Overall, I love Boat Noodle Philippines. I know that Khali and B would definitely love this place as well. It's easy on the pocket, and the food tastes great. Definitely recommending this to family and friends. 

Husband loved it and you can see the evidence in the photo below. 

Boat Noodle Philippines is located on the 2nd Floor of the South Main Mall of Asia. 

42nd Birthday

I had a very simple celebration of my 42nd birthday. It was spent with family and family only. 

Soon as I woke up, I was surprised by my family. As you can see, I still had my eye cover on my head haha. The night before, I was feeling sensitive. I ended up picking a fight with my husband but thankfully, he's more patient than I ever will be and he didn't say anything back. Apparently, he had a surprise all this time. 

They even got me a cake! I was really surprised, to be honest. 

The pens are a gift from my eldest and the mic is a gift from my husband. Surprise, surprise indeed! I felt so loved. 

We ended up having dinner at Biwon with my Mom and sister. I chose the place because Khali can run around and they serve good food. 

It's the first time in almost 3 years that my Mom and my sister celebrated my birthday with me so this was pretty special. 

My husband also posted a lovely message for me online. Since it's rare, I made sure to take a snap of it. My Mom gave me pearl earrings. 

Some brands and PR also remembered my birthday, and I am genuinely grateful to them. Thank you so much to PRU Life, 5th Gear PR, CIR Communications, Lenovo, and Smart Communications. I am honored. 

I am so blessed and I know this which is why I constantly thank God for everything. My family and I were kept safe from the typhoon, we had a generator for back up when there were no lights, and we are all healthy and sound. 

Thank you Lord for the last 42 years and thank you to hopefully, 42 more. 

Review of the Starbucks 2023 Philiipine Planner

I have collected these planners since 2004 when they were first released. Every year, I would get at least 3, and this has become an annual thing. Ever since they decided to go for moleskin, I've used it less and less and just acquire it for the sake of acquiring it. 

I thought, "there's so little space to write on, I can't fit everything I have planned for a day."

This year, I still got the planner on the first day and as always, here's my review. 

The cover of the Starbucks 2023 Philippine Planner is smooth. I thought there would be a gritty feel toward it, but there's none. It's a smooth surface, and it's available in two colors, black and gold. 

The thickness of the planner is just right. It's not too thin but also not too thick. 

At first glance, my initial impression was that it was small but classy. It's definitely something that even a boss would bring around with her. 

The cover page of each month is the standard Starbucks design that we have all become familiar with. I won't say love because it's fairly common now. I wish they would tap new artists yearly on not to be scared to make some changes. A surprising design would actually be good. 

The Starbucks 2023 Philippine Planner comes with grid pages perfect for bullet journaling. 

What I truly dislike are the weekly pages. As you can see, the pages are already small and so the lines where you can jot down your plans for the day are even smaller. Seriously, this is not functional at all. 

The layout reminds me of those TN or Hobonichi. It's lengthwise and really minimalist. 

The Starbucks 2023 Philippine Planner also comes with a pen but there's nothing really outstanding about the pen. It's just your typical "Parker-ish" pen. 

One thing I do love about it aside from the leather cover is the pocket insert. It can hold small receipts, mementos, and the like. 

Would you get the Starbucks 2023 Philippine Planner? If yes, you just need to collect 18 stickers to get one. You can order any Tall Drink too so it's not too heavy on the budget. 

6 Ways to Protect Yourself Against Rising Inflation Rates

One of the tell-tale signs of inflation is when you start paying a higher price for the same goods and services you used to afford at a lower cost. This is most evident in the prices of goods when you go to the supermarket. You may also experience a similar trend when you pay for gas, transportation, education, utilities, or medical bills.

As a result, you may have a lower disposable income and fewer funds to spend than you want or need. This situation can make fulfilling your more challenging even if you’re employed. In some cases, increasing your income or applying for quick cash loans Philippines lenders can approve will help keep you afloat, especially if the budget is tight. Still, this is a short-term fix for dealing with rising inflation rates. If you want a long-term solution, consider these six recommendations:

Assess Your Spending

One of the best ways you can manage the effects of inflation is by evaluating your spending and removing any unnecessary ones. For example, you can reduce your nonessential spendings, such as travel and entertainment. Even if you reduce these parts of your expenses by just 5%, it can positively impact your purchasing power. 

On the other hand, be sure to be strategic when it comes to your necessary expenses. Choose generic brand products and prescriptions when shopping. You can also use store loyalty programs or membership cards to trim your expenses and take advantage of special discounts or promos. 

Look for Opportunities to Save

Aside from evaluating your spending, you should also be more active in looking for ways you can save. This may mean waiving your credit card or bank account fees, like annual membership charges. As much as possible, withdraw money from your bank’s ATMs to avoid withdrawal fees. It also helps pay your credit card bills on time and in full to ensure you won’t be charged late fees or higher interest.

Another way you can save some money is by reducing the number of subscriptions you have. See which ones you don’t use as often and consider canceling them. Also, routinely audit your subscriptions, as some might sneak in a price increase after some time. While these little adjustments may feel like minor savings, you’ll realize their effects on your finances once they accumulate.

Put Your Money in the Bank

If you want to soften the blow of rising inflation rates, keeping your money in the bank rather than storing it in your closet or wallet is a good idea. Depending on your bank, your money has the potential to grow from 0.10% to 0.25% a year when you deposit it in a savings account. This allows the value of your money to continuously earn instead of remaining stagnant.

Additionally, maintaining a savings account can encourage you to keep pooling your income in one place. This way, you will worry less about funding emergencies like home repairs, hospital stays, or temporary loss of income.

Consider Learning High-Paying Skills

Another way you can protect yourself from inflation is to acquire skills that will keep you relevant. A skilled worker in an industry with high demand opens more job opportunities. It also allows you to negotiate a more competitive salary because the people in charge will put more value on your expertise. If you don’t know where to start, consider researching emerging fields and skills with growing demand, like programming or data analytics. There are also recession-proof skills like accounting or healthcare servicing.

Explore Other Sources of Income

Increasing your cash flow is an intelligent way to keep up with rising inflation rates. If you’re currently employed, it’s a good idea to seek additional sources of income. It can also serve as a safety net if you lose your job. You can look for a side hustle to help increase your earning potential. You can find part-time jobs, invest in stocks, or explore small business ideas.

Start Investing

If you have some funds saved up, consider protecting your wealth from rising inflation rates by investing it. Talk to a broker or financial advisor and find out how you can make your money work for you. Your financial advisor may suggest trading in stocks or investing in mutual funds, depending on your risk appetite. Alternatively, you can invest in companies that can keep up with inflation rates. Typically, these are companies in the healthcare and energy sectors.

Like most individuals, you’ll feel the effects of inflation through the higher costs of goods and services. Although you can’t control inflation, you can manage its effects on your finances through these recommendations. Aside from protecting your current funds, these suggestions can also help you prepare for further events affecting your purchasing power. 

4 Favorite Outfits from the SHEIN Launch

I recently attended the launch of Belle Mariano as SHEIN's first Philippine brand ambassador. It was filled with a lot of media and influencers all decked out in SHEIN outfits. I was too! 

I love that SHEIN has fashionable choices for plus-size women like myself. This is so important because it's tough to find pretty pieces for women who are not petite or slim. 

Here are 4 looks that I loved during the launch as well as the cute Belle Mariano!

It was so much fun seeing the women sashaying down the stage in their different SHEIN outfits. Next time, I hope that they will also feature plus sized girls. 

The SHEIN Pop-up store will be at Ayala Malls by the Bay Ground Floor until Sunday, October 22. Make sure to drop by and shop to your hearts content because that is instant gratification right at the tip of your hands. 

Disinfect and Defend with Solbac

A lot of people have become relaxed with the situation nowadays. However, I am not one of those people simply because I know and recognize that the virus still exists and can still affect people with comorbidities, seniors, or young ones at home. 

This is why I believe that we still need to disinfect and defend with Solbac. 

Solbac Disinfectant Spray keeps our home clean and smelling good with its 3-in-1 action. This kills 99% of germs and viruses. It's easy to keep any area of our home clean with the Fresh Linen variant. It provides a soft and velvety scent that brings back memories of freshness and comfort. I love it. 

The 3-in-1 Action is:

• Kills bacteria and viruses
• Eliminates tough odor
• Instantly freshens air

This one is available in 300g and 400g. I prefer the 400g because it's more bang for the buck. 

I use Solbac mainly in the window curtains, kitchen, bathroom, garbage cans, door handles, floor mats, Khali's playpen, and bedrooms. I think it's important to keep these things clean and disinfected because these are where we stay most of the time. 

A new addition to my cart is the Solbac Surface Disinfectant Spray. This is your all-around home cleaner and disinfectant. 

I use this to clean my decor stand. I spray it and then wipe it, and it's all good and clean. 

One of the things I hate cleaning, though, is dried crumbs, dried jam, and anything sticky. A spray can't do the job, so I have to use a wet cloth, but then I'd have to disinfect afterward. Thankfully, Solbac also has disinfecting wipes. 

With the Solbac Disinfecting Wipes, there are fewer things to worry about when it comes to keeping hard surfaces clean with Solbac Disinfecting Wipes. Wipe away germs and viruses whether I'm home or on the go!

If you lived in a house with 4 men, you'd know that one of the hardest things to maintain would be the toilet. There's just something really vile about the smell of men's pee hahaha. This is why I have come to love the new Solbac Toilet Drops. It takes care of germs and viruses even in your sleep! 

Put on some drops, leave for a few minutes, and flush!

These days, masking up isn't enough. Aside from regular handwashing and alcohol, you also need to ensure that your surroundings are always clean to ensure there are no germs and viruses. 

You can purchase Solbac here. 

Everything You Need to Know about YouTube Handles

Finally, YouTube handle is here! I can actually use my original handle for YouTube now! 

YouTube will introduce handles to make it easier for community members to find and connect with each other. Your handle will be unique to your channel and will be how people mention you in comments, community posts, and more.

Here’s what you need to know:

YouTube is gradually rolling out the ability to choose a handle for all channels over the coming weeks. You will receive another email and a notification in YouTube Studio when you can choose yours. 

In most cases, if you already have a personalized URL for your channel, we’ve reserved this for you as your handle. If you want a different handle from the one we’ve reserved, you can change it. If you don’t already have a personalized URL today, you’ll also be able to choose a handle for your channel.

Starting on November 14, 2022, if you haven’t yet selected a handle for your channel, YouTube will automatically assign you a handle, which you can change in YouTube Studio if you'd like.

Where will my handle appear?

We’re rolling out handles gradually to all channels over the next few weeks. Once it has been rolled out to all users, your handle will begin appearing in a few places across YouTube, including:

• The Shorts tab

• Search results

• Comments and mentions

In some places, we will start showing your handle alongside your channel name, such as your channel page. In the future, you may see your handle shown in even more places across YouTube.

Why can’t I choose my preferred handle?

A handle may not be available for several reasons. In most cases, it's either because another channel already selected that handle or it did not meet our handle selection guidelines. You can select one of the automatically generated handles provided by YouTube or choose another available handle. 

I'm really hoping that I get to secure my standard handle. Fingers crossed!

3 Ways to Keep it Clean with BarenBliss Korean Makeup

Makeup is such a big part of our daily life. The one thing that I discovered early on is that I don't like makeup that has too many chemicals on it. This is why I love BarenBliss. 

BarenBliss has 3 ways to keep it clean with my makeup. 

• They avoid over 2000+ harmful ingredients to create clean and safe makeup for my skin. 
• They conduct skin irritation reduction research to avoid potential irritation of high functional ingredients, including human skin patch tests, microbe analysis, and packing material research. 
• They developed actual function formulation by having their RnD do research with the dermatology departments of hospitals. 

Barenbliss was created by Korean and Chinese makeup artist Jina Kim, who wanted to improve people's outward appearance. Together with her R&D team consisting of Dr. Yoon Myeong-Seok, Chief Skincare Scientist, and Dr. Kwak Noh Shin, Chief Skincare Product Officer, they came up with Barenbliss. 

Luckily, I was able to try some of the makeup and see for myself how it performed. 

I was able to try out the Peach Makes Perfect Lip Tint which is a 24 hour, moist, seamless, velvet finish. It had a very light scent which I loved and it didn't dry up my lips. 

I was also able to try out the Fine to Refine Compact Powder which provides high coverage and a flawless matte finish. I like that it was non-cakey and definitely not greasy. Most of all, I like that it felt like a combination of makeup and skin care coz it's easily absorbed by the skin. 

The product that I loved most though was the True Beauty Inside Cushion. This has medium high coverage with a breathable matte finish. It complements the skin easily that it honestly felt like I wasn't wearing anything on my face. 

This is how I looked in the morning wearing these. 

This is me 12 hours later, no touch ups because I forgot to do so.

I love that my makeup still looked fresh, nothing was cakey, and I just looked glowing. 

I can say that I would definitely recommend BarenBliss to anyone. It's available online and on Shopee.