Stay Cool and Hit The Street Running

I've been trying very hard to exercise lately. Schedule's been tight ever since the new school year started and I have lesser time in doing workouts now. Reasons in delaying exercises have been accumulating and I will include in the list that having no proper fitness apparel apart from the busy schedule is another huge factor. Being introduced to Paragon Sports is great as it opens my thoughts in getting a proper sportswear for myself.

Paragon Sports is known as the front-runner for sports equipment and clothing. For most sports enthusiasts around the world, Paragon Sports is considered the benchmark of quality for all types of sports equipment and clothing. Privately owned since 1908, they take pride in showcasing products from the brands you know and love as well as unique and exceptional brands that you may not be familiar with yet.

Since they have a lot of apparels to offer. From men and women apparel, the also sell running shoes, watches and so many other kinds of any sport-related stuff. Paragon Sports are committed to bring their customers the most innovative and technologically advanced products in the sports and outdoor field. It is their mission to provide a unique and fulfilling shopping experience to every customer, every time, by setting the standard in customer service and quality products.

You will find everything you need (and more) at Paragon Sports.com. They sell all the top quality sports equipment and clothing for every sport from A-Z from the top manufactures to the unique brands. Come and experience Paragon Sports.

Currently, Paragon Sports is having a Summer Sale. You can get so many equipment and clothing for 40% off right now! Choose from any outdoor, running, footwear and much more! I'm eyeing those tops and tights from Under Armour. It's time to visit Paragon Sports now and take advantage of the sale! 

So what are you waiting for? Don't think twice and click the purchase button because the 40% is already a huge deal off from the original price. Enjoy and happy shopping lovelies! XOXO ♥

Unravel the Natural Beauty of Your Skin

Your skin is one of your greatest assets that shows your true beauty. No amount of jewelry, make-up, or fancy clothes can ever cover up dull, dry, and blotchy skin. This is why it is essential to protect your skin and its natural glow.

You may feel the sun’s rays are weaker now that summer has ended. It makes you feel safe from the UV rays but just because the sun is not out as much doesn’t mean that it is less damaging. You need to take extra measures to protect your skin whether it’s cloudy, rainy or sunny from morning until the whole afternoon. Sun exposure causes skin dehydration, sunburn, and ageing. UV rays, summer season or not, can cause irreversible damage to your skin. The perfect match is a moisturizer and a lotion that contain the right UV blockers to keep your skin healthy and glowing.

Suncelle Sunblock Facial Moisturizer (SPF 40) and Body Lotion (SPF 30) are made to provide the ultimate protection your skin needs. Its sun protection factor shields the skin from harmful UV sunrays, making it perfect for outdoor pursuits such as swimming and biking, as well as other activities that require you to be out under the sun.

The Facial Moisturizer’s unique non-greasy matte finish formula moreover makes it a perfect make-up primer. It contains collagen and Vitamin E that protect and nourish the skin for a younger looking you! Suncelle is dermatologist-tested and is ideal for all skin types. It also comes in convenient packaging that you can bring anywhere and at all times.

Celebrate your natural beauty by grabbing Suncelle Sunblock Facial Moisturizer and Body Lotion, protecting your skin, and seeing the difference.

Protect your skin. Unravel your beauty. Let your skin glow!

Give Back and Get Ready to Transform

Whenever I have free time, I always make it a point to do some exercise or yoga to get me back into shape. It's always my go-to hobby whenever I want to de-stress from the busy lifestyle I had. Teaching, blogging and preparing for an upcoming wedding, I can say I'm just so totally busy right now. 

Right now, I am currently organizing my lifestyle and I also want to do yoga in a regular schedule. I admit, I only do this exercise whenever I have free time in my hands. I want to commit to it longer and so right now, I am currently checking fitness apparel shops that would suit my needs. 

I came across Gaiam - the leader in the fast-growing yoga, fitness, and wellness markets. With a wide distribution network that consists of approximately 38,000 retail doors and 17,000 stores within stores, Gaiam's digital reach and consumer engagement initiatives are at the center of our growth strategy. Gaiam is committed to helping grow a consumer brand that is synonymous with yoga. 

Recently, it announced a three-year partnership with the Give Back Yoga Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making yoga available to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to cultivate a regular practice- including at-risk youth and veterans with PTSD. With the goal of sharing and spreading the transformative benefits of yoga, the Give Back Yoga Foundation embodies Gaiam’s philosophy of providing “Yoga for Everyone.”

As part of the partnership, Gaiam is making a special financial contribution to the Give Back Yoga Foundation’s Light the Way for Heroes™ initiative, a campaign designed to provide the proper tools to veterans so they can practice and use yoga as a means of “navigating life after war” which will strengthen connections with loved ones and improve quality of life. With a goal of providing for 30,000 veterans, Gaiam and Give Back Yoga aim to empower veterans to use yoga as a means of living a peaceful, productive life.

Gaiam is also inviting their loyal online shoppers to support the cause by donating $2 specifically to Light the Way for Heroes with every purchase on Gaiam.com. The customer donations through Gaiam.com will help to provide veterans with therapeutic yoga toolkits, which offer resources including practice guides, meditation audio and Gaiam yoga mats that can help veterans experience how a personal yoga practice supports a calm and steady body and mind. One hundred percent of the donations collected are passed along to Give Back Yoga.

It's a win-win situation whenever you shop at Gaiam. Customers get to have a healthy lifestyle and in return they are also paying good deeds forward by helping others. Who would think twice in an online shop like them? I would definitely go and purchase my yoga apparels at them pronto! :)

Review: The Body Shop's Almond Hand and Nail Butter

If you have noticed yesterday, I didn't have my Manicure Monday post because I decided not to paint my nails and let it rest for a while. In the past couple of days, I noticed that my nails were cracking off! I was panicking when I first notice that my nails were acting that way. I'm not really sure as to why my nails were like that. I guess I lack calcium and other vitamins and not to mention other cuticle nourishment that I need to give on my nails.

So recently, I purchased the Hand and Nail Butter from The Body Shop together with other two products. I know I need to give life to my once nourished and well-maintained nails. All the stress were now reflecting on my nails and I know it's not good. I should need to take care of it while I can still can. I know it was exposed to lot of chemicals because of the nail polishes I use.

Since The Body Shop was known for it's natural and delicate products, I tried to get their Hand and Nail Butter cream in Almond. Since it has the "nail butter" name in it, I felt relieved that it targets both nails and hands at the same time. The Body Shop is known for their very effective skin care products so I know I'm in good hands.  

I love the scent of the butter since it both smells sweet and a little touch of the woody scent at the same time. I don't know. Should I say I was obsessed with the smell instead? I just love it sooo much! The texture is thick yet very thin when applied. It moisturizes so well you know it when you first put your hands on the tub to grab an amount of the product.

Since it's great for all skin types, anybody can use it. It claims to restore's skin's softness and I think the scent was just so great because of the sweet almond oil in it. Gah! I just love it so much that I almost want to use it all over my body. I know I need to restrain myself though because it's kinda expensive. :)

Yay for me! (｡◕‿◕｡)  

• It moisturizes the hands and conditions the nails so well. 
• It has sweet almond oil.
• Great for all skin types. 
• It restore's back skin's softness.
• The tub was very light and easy to open. 

Nay! (｡◕︵◕｡)

• Expensive for P650. Though for me, it's so worth it!
• Hope it has a mini-spoon to scoop the product for hygienic purposes but I won't bother. It's only me who uses it and I know I'm quite clean. Haha.

Price: P650.00

Bought from: The Body Shop (SM Clark)

 Size: 100 g.

Overall, I love the product for it moisturizes my hands and conditions my nails really well. I also feel my hand was soft all throughout the day. I always feel generous putting it despite it being pricey. That's how I like it! 

Have you tried this product or any hand/nail cream? I would love to hear more thought regarding those type of products. Drop by any comment. Would love to read them! 

All the love! XOXO ♥

Food Getaway: Bagnetified

Last weekend, Jaycee and I did some church-hopping and searched for some events-venue for December. We're really both excited! So every Saturday, we do some little things for the wedding so we won't cram when the date is near! When we had some time left throughout the day, we still go on quick dates together. Last Saturday, we had our lunch at Bagnetified at SM Pampanga before searching for the mentioned places. 

We chose Bagnetified since it's a newly opened restaurant at the 2nd floor, SM Pampanga. We observed that it recenly opened 3 "new" branches here in the province and we want to know what the hype was all about so we tried it out. 

We tried the Kae-Kare Bagnetified and the Bagnetified Rice.

Since kare-kare was Jaycee's fave, we decided to try it first. Since the staff mentioned it's good for 2-3 servings, we just ordered one dish because if we ordered two, there will be a lot of leftover. 

We paired the kare-kare with Bagnetified Rice since Jaycee wants to try it out. I always prefer plain rice but every time we dine in at a new restaurant, it's always engaging to try their rice meals to see if I can copy the dish. This is good for 2-3 persons as well. I think it's good until 4. 

Jaycee's meal wouldn't be complete when we're dining at restaurant without iced tea. He always prefers bottomless ones. Contrary to him, I had water.

My feedback for their meal was not as special as the other restaurants where I've been. The Bagnetified Kare-Kare was too oily for me! There were only few lean meat and the rest were the part where you'll get cholesterol! The veggies were okay though. As for the rice, it looks old. The rice was not soft to chew. It only shows that it's not newly cooked and was plainly a leftover which they made into a fried rice. I can make the same and even better. It's also oily as well. 

As for the price range of the other dishes, I can say they're quite expensive. When I was browsing on their menu, most of their dishes were priced P200 and above. The only ones that were on the P100 range and below were the drinks and the rice. If I will compare it with the other restaurants where we dined, I think it's not worth our money. We had so many experiences with other restaurants with good food that gives options to meals around P180 and they were so great! So I guess my basis for my feedback with this restaurant was our past food getaway experiences. 

As to trying other dishes from them, I think I'm still open with it. But I don't think I will spend another penny in my pocket. Perhaps if friends or relatives will take me there, I will be glad to choose another food on their list.  

Have you tried Bagnetified? What are your thoughts? 

More food getaway soon! XOXO ♥ 

Cute and Dainty Travels to Bagac, Bataan!

I made a very quick decision to travel to Bataan last Independence Day. Jaycee was already there because he was one of the security during the APEC Summit and it was his free time in the morning of the 12th. He texted me saying he can't come home and since it was a holiday and my free day as well, he invited me to go there and I decided to travel by myself to meet him. Our agenda was just purely a joyride! 

I left home at 10:30 am and arrived at 12:30 at noontime. I had a long time in waiting jeepney and bus. Since I just reside at Pampanga, it's very near Bataan so it was just a bus away from the main city. I rode a bus with Mariveles, Bataan signage and alighted at Alauli. Then Jaycee picked me up there and we started touring the place with a motorcycle. Yeah, he actually brought his motorcycle at Bataan during his service at the APEC Summit. 

I took a shot of the place while riding the motorcycle and I adore all the green scenery. In Pampanga, I only see few greens now when they started cutting off the tress along McArthur Highway. I hate what they did to the province where I grew.

Then I first saw the cross at Mt. Samat and my nerves started to get excited. I asked Jaycee to drive me at Mt. Samat but it's so unfortunate of all days that it was close because the APEC delegates were there and the security decided to close it. We then decided to just head at the beach. 

Off we go at the beach and when I saw the glimpse of the waters from above, I felt disappointed of not bringing clothes. Our main agenda was just to ride the motorcycle and visit places. I didn't expect to see a beautiful beach nearby. So we went down and experienced the waters for a bit! 

And when we were at the bottom, I just can't help myself but appreciate the beauty of the greens and the water and since it's around noon time, there were almost no people at the beach. It was strikingly hot but that didn't stop us to walk around. 

I actually want to experience the coldness of water and it was so great so I chose to remove my shoes and enjoyed the water.  Despite not having extra clothes, I still let myself enjoy the moment. 

There's a hut in the area and we used it for some shade. The weather was so hot, yet the water was cold at the same time. If we were just there around late in the afternoon, I guess I'll have a difficult time of deciding not to dive in. 

Jaycee just enjoying the view! 

I believe Bataan has more beautiful and bluer water than Subic. It was actually great to explore the place since it was just near Pampanga and it's easily accessible to visit anytime. We actually already planned our next visit but we're planning to stay longer to enjoy the view and the moment! :) 

We just parked the motorcycle in the nearby resort but chose not to check in since we don't have any belongings but our self. We simply enjoy the time we had together. Travel is really best when shared with your loved ones. Wishing more travels with this guy soon! For the record, this is our first beach trip together so I really enjoyed the experience despite not being able to swim! :)

We both didn't had lunch so after 30 minutes of staying at the beach, we decided to have a quick meal before he send me off. His work starts at 7pm and I want him to rest for a few hours before his duty. We had our meal from Chocolate de Batirol back at Alauli where I alighted. I blogged on the food we had here. 

I so enjoyed the whole experience! My bus ride was P107 going to Alauli and another P107 back. I spent less than P300 going to Bataan and enjoying it's wonderful scenery. I wish to be back sooner and stay there longer! :) 

Have you been at Bataan? Send me your Bataan experiences and share me some tips. 

More trips soon! XOXO ♥

Food Getaway: Chocolate de Batirol

I went to Bataan after a few minutes of deciding if I will pursue it or not. I had 4 loooong days vacation from the 12th-15th. It so happened that the 12th of the month is a holiday as we celebrate Independence Day plus the 15th is another holiday here in our province in Pampanga. It's the Mt. Pinatubo anniversary and luckily, the governor declared it as a holiday. Got so many time to spare from my 'bitin' summer! This post is actually my late lunch with the fiance when we were in Bataan. (He's already at the place prior to my travel because they're guarding the delegates of the APEC Summit). 

Before he let me rode the bus back home, we ate our very late lunch at around 3 in the afternoon. I will explain in detail what happened in Bataan in another post.  For now, let me invite you to feast your eyes on what Chocolate de Batirol has to offer. 

We didn't had lunch because of the travel and we're not really hungry at all. Maybe because of the joy we experienced together. It's our first beach tour (literally) for only a limited time since we were just sneaking from his half-day off from work. He needs to be back by 7pm for his duty. He already sacrificed his sleep so we can do some joyride in his motorcycle. Oh, I'm telling everything already. Let's reserve that on the next post. 

I had palabok despite not having lunch. I didn't felt hungry at all. Just like him. He opted for a Suman sa Lihia as the perfect partner of the Batirol. Told you on most of my post that we're both huge eaters. On the contrary, we preferred small meal during this day as we were already satisfied with the adventure. We need Still need to put some energy inside our system before we head back to our own itinerary. 

Palabok - P80.00

Suman sa Lihia - P60.00

We both got ourselves the Batirol, of course. I had the Traditional Blend and Jaycee got the one in Cinnamon. It was very thick and very flavorful. Though it tasted a little sweet in my cup, I still love it! The cinnamon was just so good and smells so great! 

Chocolate de Batirol / Traditional Blend - P90.00
                         Cinnamon P100.00

After eating, Jaycee then drop me off on the highway where buses going to Pampanga were easily accessible. Will definitely go back to Bataan soon and would love to dine here again. Perhaps if we'll stay for more than a day, we'll be here during breakfast! 

Have you been at Chocolate de Batirol in any of their branches? You should try there sometime whenever you're around Bataan or Pampanga. This is my 2nd time and it's just my first time to blog about the resto. I'm not sure if the branch in Pampanga was still open since it's been ages since we last went there and the place was just so out of the way. 

Let me hear your thoughts about the place if you've been here and what do you think with their menu if you haven't. More thoughts on the blog soon! XOXO ♥

Open Rice Review Here

Review: The Body Shop Strawberry Body Mist

I've been hooked in purchasing items recently and when I attended an event last month, I dropped by at The Body Shop and unknowingly shed off a thousand bucks!!! Is it worth it? 

If you have seen my collective haul for May, you'll notice I got a lot of things I purchased with my own money, from my own pocket. I hate that the vacation that passed made me splurge more than I should have. I only realize it now and a little disappointed with myself.  I guess because I don't have anything to do that's why I turned to shopping as my escape. So yeah, I bought this Strawberry Body Mist from The Body Shop and kinda disappointed that I need to get this when I have bottles of mists which I got from a friend and from a brand. I can use those when I ran off my usual perfume now so yeah, I'm a little bit disappointed.   

Though I must say I love the scent of this mist. The scent keeps me alive and uplifting my energy whenever I apply it. The product is good but it doesn't last long enough. Of course, I know the difference of the perfume and the body mist and that is why I am disappointed. I have known that body mists act as lesser value than the perfume and I still got this one. 

Yay for me! (｡◕‿◕｡)  

• Bought it at 50% off. The second product and of lesser value is at 50%. Got the nail and hand butter as my first (which is almso more pricey than this one)
• It has a sweet smell but not over the top smell.
• Pretty packaging. 

Nay! (｡◕︵◕｡)

• The scent doesn't last long. 
• It's a bottle that breaks which I really don't like since it might break somehow. 

Price: 

Bought from: The Body Shop (SM Clark)

 Size: 100 ml.

I know this post sounds like a disappointed one. I am not really in a way too disappointed with the product. It's actually me who's feeling down with my impulsive behavior. I hope it doesn't sound like I hate the brand. Of course not! I love their nail and hand butter which I will review soon so watch out for that! 

Spreading more love and life and positivity! XOXO ♥

 

Review: Silka Skin Whitening Lotion Green Papaya

I won a giveaway few months ago and recently received the winnings. One of which is a lotion included. At first, I thought that it was expired but when I looked at it closely, it has a few months to go so I hurriedly used it than keeping it on my drawers. I have always kept what I receive from sponsors and always used the one with the near expiration date. Yeah, I have problems in keeping my stuff. Some actually expired without me knowing which is quite disappointing because I feel like I'm wasting stuff. So I need to consume this fast without further ado. Haha.   

It claims to whiten the skin as fast as 7 days and for me, it didn't do what it promised.  For lotions and soap, I guess it doesn't effect to me anymore or perhaps, I just didn't notice. I'm fair enough to see the difference and improvement. Unless if the change is really drastic.

Even if it didn't whiten my skin after using it for 2 weeks now, I still like the scent of it. I love products with very nice smell as it covers the disappointment I'm feeling with the product. I was actually thinking of giving it to my fiance and let him try it. It might work on him since he's a little darker than me because of sun exposure while driving in a motorcycle. 

So yeah, I think I might give it to him instead and will update you on this post if it worked on him. What do you think? It still has a lot left and I guess, he'll use it. Though I might say that I'm really confident that he will use it consecutively as he is sometimes lazy applying anything on his body. He's not even a dress-up kind of guy, he just puts on shirt, shorts and slippers and he's good to go. HAha. Those are the things I love about him. 

Anyway, here's some of the things I like and doesn't like about the product. 

Yay for me! (｡◕‿◕｡)  

• Received it as a winning.
• The scent is what I really like.
• It leaves the skin smooth and provides a radiant glow.
• Doesn't feel sticky. 
• Has a SPF10 and also enhanced with Vitamin E.

Nay! (｡◕︵◕｡)

• Guess the SPF was a little low. 
• Doesn't really whiten the skin for 7 days. Give it two weeks and you'll see some glow then. :)

Price: Got it for FREE!

Bought from: Got it for FREE!

 Size: 200 ml.

Have you used the same lotion? What do you think about the product? Would love to finish the whole bottle and update you if there are changes or would leave it to be consumed by fiance and let's see what happens. I hope after a while, there will be an update on this. 

'Till the next post guys and gals. Thanks for the support! XOXO ♥

 

Let it Last Forever

Life brings tears, smiles, and memories. The tears dry, the smiles fade but memories last forever. We all have our share of having wonderful memories with our loved ones be it with our families, relatives, friends, pets and even non-living things. I even have memories with my USB which died few days ago and I'm so sad that I kept it safe and didn't threw it in trash. Funny as it may sound but I guess there are also some who share the exact, same thing. 

So if ever you lost a loved one (human or pet) and would like to create a lasting memory then Perfect Memorials is the perfect memorial product keeper for you. What is Perfect Memorials anyway? It is the largest online selection of memorial products; including keepsake jewelry, pet memorials, markers, and comfort products. Unique memorial products from wearable jewelry to outdoor memorials. Many of the memorial products are uniquely crafted by skilled artisans representing the uniqueness of our loved ones.

We know that some memories can never be replaced with anything. And the best thing about memories is keeping them. Since 2001 families have chosen Perfect Memorials for their unique memorial products. Year after year loyal customer and many referrals helped Perfect Memorials to grow to be one of the most well-known companies for memorial products. If you're looking to create a lasting memory, look to Perfect Memorials. With hundreds of products, free ground shipping and personalization available, Perfect Memorials is the perfect choice.

So if you want to experience Perfect Memorials, they are currently having  a contest for a chance to win a Trail to My Heart Stainless Steel Cremation Necklace. It will be a pretty pendant that you can keep and treasure for so many years. 

To win one of these keepsake pendants that holds a small portion of cremated remains, a lock of hair or dried ceremonial flowers, simply click the link below. These beautiful pendants where created and designed by a professional jeweler and can easily be worn or displayed making them a treasured memorial for years to come. Simply click the link below to enter to win one of these keepsakes. Or copy/paste this link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9c8e9e7e44/?

Check out Perfect Memorials for hundreds of choices for memorial products!

Here's to remembering the moments and let them stay in our hearts forever. Always turn to Perfect Memories for all of your unique memorial products.

Manicure Monday: Indian Red

It's an extended long weekend for us since we don't have classes last Fri and event today. Today marks Mt. Pinatubo's anniversary and our governor declared it a s holiday. Good thing because I wasn't able to paint my nails yesterday and just finished this earlier. 

I was actually looking for simple nail art to do but failed since I am seeing complicated ones and I can't allot more time in painting my nails because I have this huge paperwork going on so I just grabbed this glitter polish from OMG's Gems Collection which I have bought and swatched months ago. It's nice and lively and I feel that the color helps me work fast. I'm kind of cramming for the paperwork actually plus I have a lot of blog posts to finish. 

I swatched it twice and it gives off a redish look. It's actually more close to a mauve color I think. I topped it off with a top coat to avoid it chipping, I've blogged before that my sister was complaining on the pink shade on this collection as it chips after a day even with a top coat. Let's see what happens with this on my nails. By the way, this was also shot after I immediately finished painting my nails.   

I'm not really sure why there's a hint of the "Indian" word on it's name. I guess it has something to do with their culture, color, or some historical event. Anyway, I love how the look was on my nails. It's almost the third week of school so I am slowly showing my students some colors. I guess, the next few weeks will be a puzzle for them on what color will I wear next. :) 

What do you think of the color? I hope this will last for a long time and it won't chipped easily. If it does, then I have reason to also rest my nails for a few days and keep it nourish. 

Suggest more colors you want me to polish on my nails next. Would love to hear your thoughts always! XOXO ♥

Sun Life Wealth and Health Expo

For all soon to be married couples like me (ahem), to moms and dads and everyone who are looking for ways in managing their finances including their wealth and health status, this is the event for you. 

Sun Life of Canada (Philippines), Inc declares June as Independence Month. In line with this, Sun Life prepared a line up of activities to educate and urge Filipinos to prioritize preparedness for their health needs and employ more appropriate ways of preparing financially for their other needs. 

In cooperation with Manila Workshops, Sun Life brings us Wealth and Health Expo on June 20, 2015 at the SMX Convention Center SM Mall of Asia. Hear from the experts on how to be #Fit2Live for FREE. Celebrity speakers, entrepreneurs and bloggers will be there to share their insights and inspire attendees. Rikka Redrico, a bloggger and Workshop Director for Manila Workshops will be part of the program and will be briefing hundred of attendees on how to create a vision board. People will be creating a vision boards when they go home and for those who share it, Sun Life will choose winner of a huge and special prize.

Admission is Free. Register at Brighterlife.com.ph