FORTIFIED

The recent security breach of our home, and even the recent breaches within the village, forced us to reassess our home's safety. We just finished changing the locks of our doors and gates, which are now weather, cut and rust-proof. It burned a hole in our pocket but it is a small price to pay for our safety and peace of mind.

While at it, we are surveying the market for doorbells too, which, believe it or not, we have survived without, for the last six months that we've been living in our townhome. Hehehe!

I hope we can stumble upon doorbells like those shown at dimango.com, which has a wide selection of buzzers and ringers. I'm hoping that they'd be as affordable too!

HAT, HAT HOORAY!

Some of my fondest childhood memories were family meals spent at Shakey's. The famous pizza parlor was where I spent a number of birthdays--undoubtedly memorable ones, so much so that I used to put Shakey's as my BIRTHPLACE in elementary slumbooks. Hahaha!I remember watching in awe, through a big kitchen window, how a hand-tossed piece of dough was transformed into a culinary masterpiece. I also remember how happy I was to take home small matchboxes filled with candy plus that ever famous styrofoam hat--the Shakey's skimmer.

So imagine my delight when I discovered that the Shakey's skimmer was back to mark the pizza parlor's 35 years--eeekkk, not too far from how old I am. Hehehe!

The Shakey’s Skimmer Hat sells for only P35.00 at all Shakey’s outlets nationwide. It comes with a bounce-back coupon for a free Regular Hawaiian Delight Thin Crust pizza with a minimum purchase of P350.00. These hats will only be available from March 5 to May 16.

For more information, log on to http://shakeyspizza.com.ph.

SURF'S UP

Why not try Smart Bro's brand of "surfing"?

If your barkada is still dreaming of a grand getaway, the likes of a Branson vacation, look no further. Smart Bro presents Smart Bro Surf To Summer Promo: Win Barkada Summer Trips! To join, simply register the Smart Bro Prepaid Plug It which you purchased from National Book Store or NBS Book Express.

Text REGName/Address/Contact Number to 2200.

Example: REG Dory Castro/#1 Legazpi St. Makati City/09181234567

Prizes:
Get a chance to win a summer barkada trip for 4 to one of the following destinations:

# GRAND PRIZE – Trip to El Nido for 4
# 2nd PRIZE – Trip to Boracay for 4
# 3rd PRIZE – Trip to Bohol for 4

Promo Period: March 19 – May 3, 2010

Join now!!!

THE TOTE, AND NOTHING BUT THE TOTE

I am sucker for environment totes. My first bag was Anya Hindmarch's canvas tote. I have a hidden stash of Roototes. I have accumulated different models of the Envirosax. And I guess you know by now that I've a "harem" of Le Pliages. Hehehe!

Now, I am at it again. I just placed my order for this... This frugal tote from Nordstrom definitely ups the ante of promotional bags. Made from recycled water bottles, the Nordstrom Slouchy Tote easily folds to fit into a pouch, and comes in three colors--grey, yellow, and green. It would definitely make a fab bag for the summer or for a quick trip to the grocery.

Only $21.95 at Nordstrom.

RIP

Read as: Raspberry-Resting In Peace.

The latest life insurance rates for our favorite dessert, at this point, are all in naught. You see, Mcdo just pulled the plug on one the Raspberry Choco Sundae.
This delectable dessert is a lot like the commonplace Black Forrest cake, or even Fruits in Ice Cream's raspberry fix. But whichever dessert you choose to liken it to, the fact remains that it will sorely be missed.

My office buddies and I are in a state of mourning.

CLIMATE CHANGE FOR TWENTY NINE PESOS

The past weeks have bled my energy and pocket dry. Why? Well, because I've turned to food to help me get through the recent turn of life-changing events. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my recent food cravings--sweet cravings to be exact, would not take toll on my weight and complexion. But if at all, I am hoping the effects won't be so bad to require anything drastic like adult acne treatments.

But can you blame me if I turned to this familiar and comforting eat from my simple and worry-free childhood? Yes folks, thanks to Go 'Nuts, the Eskimo Roll kept me cool, figuratively and literally, at one of the lowest points of my life.

Only P29.00.

LUMIX IT IS!

I have finally decided on which camera to buy to replace my handy dandy Casio. I have temporarily put my survey on phones and computers on hold, to make way for this...
And I guess the temporary sacrifice is well worth it given these features:

* 10.1-megapixels which captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
* 2.5x wide-angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized zoom lens
* 3.0-inch high-resolution LCD screen; HD video capture
* Classic SLR-like manual operations include selectable AF spot/multi AF area, customization button, aperture, shutter, program and full manual mode.

And many, many more! I.Can't.Wait!!!

SHOW OFF YOUR MP PRIDE

Never mind if yesterday's bout was not as zzzzzzpectacular as all the other MP fights. The fact remains that our pound-for-pound champ gave us more reason to be proud of being Pinoys. And thanks to the best seo software, I was able to stumble upon the limited edition Manny Paquiao shirts that I have been looking for son long. So show off that Pinoy pride the Nike way...








I predict that the shirts will be gone any day now given the recent MP victory. So I am pleased to tell you that I will be giving away one limited edition MP shirt on the next Freebie Friday! I will be announcing the details at my other blog, soon!

P1,195 at selected Nike Outlets

NEED A JOB?

Hi folks! If any of you are on the lookout for jobs in finance, corporate support, marketing, sales and customer care, do drop me a line. It may interest you to know that the following positions are up for grabs in our company:

A few years ago, after sticking it out in the banking industry for over a decade, I also found myself pursuing the long (and windang) road of job hunting. It was indeed a test of patience and guts. It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears, plus some leads and assistance from friends and family, for me to finally land my dream job.

So, as a way of paying it forward, I am extending the same leads and assistance to all of you. Do drop me a line at maver@wifespeaks.com.

Cheers!

BEACH BANE

I confess--I am no beach bum. I do not know how to swim. I am deathly afraid of the water. And I am no fan of sunshine, sunburns, freckles, age spots, age spot removals and all other stuff associated with Mr. Sun. Yes, call me a beach party pooper if you will.

This is the main reason why I am usually half-hearted when planning beach vacays for the family--be it be in Laiya, Boracay, Palawan, or even it a getaway as fab as Maldives. So since going to the beautiful paradise of Maldives is close to impossible. I will just have Maldives come to me...Hopefully soon :D

GLORIETTA GOES GREEK

The Haligi and I found ourselves within the premises of Glorietta Mall after months, maybe even years of being away from it. You see, Greenbelt Mall was more convenient for us (then) since it was a stone's throw away from the flat where we used to live. More importantly, we've been avoiding Glorietta like the plague after that shocking blast that shook the mall in 2007.

Anyways, what brought us back to this run-down (sorry, that's exactly how I saw it!!!) mall was the Haligi's quest for the cell mass supplements being discussed by his running buddies. I on the other hand, stumbled upon a great find of my own...Go Greek! is a stall in Food Choices serving affordable Mediterranean/Persian dishes. Food is yummy (think Cyma quality!!!). Servings are generous (rice+gyros+salad all for under 200 bucks!!!). And presentation (including the overall set-up of the stall), superb. I'd have to say that Go Greek ups the ante of what food stalls should be.

Go Greek!
Food Choices, Glorietta 4
Ayala Center, Makati City

THE HOUSE THAT HUNAN BUILT

More and more, I am beginning to believe that BACKWELL (a playful term referring to the area surrounding Rockwell) is a melting pot of the greatest culinary havens in the Metropolis.

It was in Backwell where I had a meet and greet with Thai paradise, Som's, and it was also in the vicinity that I experienced Korean wonders, Manna Restaurant and Manna Grocery. And, just a stone's throw away from these great holes-in-the-wall is an obscure restaurant that is home to the best chinese dishes I have ever tasted.

Named You Jie Xiao Chao in Chinese, or Top Spice in English, as its calling card suggests, this no-frills restaurant boasts of an extensive line-up of Hunan dishes. As good ole Wikipedia says, Hunan cuisine is known for its liberal use of chilli peppers, shallots, garlic, and oil, resulting in dishes with spicy hot flavor, fresh aroma and deep color. Common Hunan cooking techniques include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising, and smoking.

The restaurant has no pretentions (read as: zero ambience), existing sans a billboard, operating without the usual markings and table settings of chinese restos , and surviving with only a single set of menus comprised of 4R photos of dishes fastened together by ring binding. But believe me, all the dishes more than make up for what is lacking in this outlet's presentation.

Upon recommendation of our servers, we ordered the best sellers. The following pictures have been arranged according to my degree of liking...

Eggplant Hotpot--tender slivers of eggplant stewed in chili garlic sauce. This is my favorite dish even if, Lord forbid, it is a notorious gout catalyst.Braised shrimps--these poor headless shrimps are stir-fried with leeks, garlic, ginger and chili. Fresh, tasty, hot and definitely yummy!!!Vegetable Dumplings--reminds me a lot of the Japanese Gyoza or Chinese Potstickers. It is best eaten with the accompanying dark soy sauce that has a tinge of chili. You can have it served either steamed or fried. But we chose the latter, simply because, sabi nga nila, masarap ang bawal. Hehehe!Cold Beef--why it is called as such really escapes me. But this is definitely a must-try. Reminiscent of thinly sliced Pinoy Tapa, only stir-fried with leeks, ginger and garlic. Yum!A great palate cleanser, the Chinese Pizza is actually a scallion crepe which you can either eat as is, or dip into any of the dishes. Think rotti!
This was the only let down of the lot. The Hot and Spicy Spareribs were rather tough to eat especially with chopsticks. Such a shame. Loved the spicy batter, nonetheless.

Best of all, these dishes were eaten with bottomless plain rice for only P20.00/head. Final damage per plate=two hundred effin bucks only!!! I would definitely jump at a chance to get dibs at the other dishes anytime soon. :D Hope you get your chance too!

Top Spice Restaurant (You Jie Xiao Chao)
A: 6404 Camia St.,Makati (near Rockwell and Metroclub)
T: +63915.4252972 / +63927.7876999
Open Monday-Sunday, 10am-10pm
PM me at maver@wifespeaks.com"for directions

GEE, IT'S A G!

Ever since our firstborn arrived, we've been asked time and again if we plan to make a new set of baby announcements in the near future. Well, as luck would have it, my tried and tested combo of planning and prayers will enable me to make a birth announcement soon--an announcement on the arrival of this...
I've been in love with the Givenchy Nightingale for quite some time now. Simple and versatile, this classic piece is great to carry at work or at play. I am keeping my fingers crossed that THIS baby will land in my loving arms soon.