DIY Himalayan Pink Salt Body Scrub

Using a body scrub is a wonderful way to exfoliate and rejuvenate dull skin.  We are always tempted to buy the expensive ones sold at the mall when in fact we can easily make one ourselves.  Recently I bought Himalayan Pink Salt and found out it's the healthiest salt for your body and great for the skin because of it's rich mineral content that includes over 84 minerals and trace elements.  This salt is considered as the purest form of salt on Earth. The high mineral crystals range in color from sheer white, varying shades of pink, to deep reds, the result of high mineral and iron content.  It is mined from sea salt deposits from ancient sea beds and it does not contain any pollutants and chemicals that are present in today’s sea salt.  

With that being said, Himalayan Pink salt is great for this Body scrub project.  So here it is!

What you need:

• a cupful of Himalayan pink salt
• 3 - 5 drops of your favorite essential oil
• 4 tablespoons of Olive oil or Sweet Almond oil or Virgin Coconut oil
• mixing bowl
• small canning  jars

If the salts are pretty chunky like mine, this needs to be grounded up to make a finer consistency.

In a bowl add the Himalayan salt and 4 tablespoons of your choice of oil ( Sweet Almond, VCO or Olive Oil)  Next add about 3 - 5 drops of essential oil.

Stir well.  Then spoon mixture into your jar.

Use within 2 weeks.

Definitely will make your skin softer and smoother after just one use.

Makes a very nice gift and a great excuse to indulge yourself.  I hope you try this one.  Enjoy!

DIY Christmas Gifts in a Jar!

If you are running out of ideas on what to give this Christmas, here comes another fun project to make - Gifts in a Jar! It's great for everyone, the neighbors, teachers, coworkers, friends and relatives.  They are simply adorable and very easy to make.

After going over many Gifts in a Jar recipes online, here are some of the simplest ideas I found and from here make your own twist on things:

Hot Chocolate in a Jar

Layer the ingredients for homemade cocoa in a jar.  Pack each layer using back of a spoon.
Add your ribbon and a cute tag and voilà you have a simple but stylish gift. 

1 cup powdered milk

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

This mix will fill a 1-quart jar.  At the back of the tag write "Mix contents in a large bowl and stir in 4 cups boiling water.  Makes 4 - 5 cups of delicious hot choco."

Tip:  Feel free to add other ingredients that will make your hot choco extra unique, just remember you can NOT add liquid items here.  Some examples of items you CAN layer are crushed peppermint candies or a few tsps of cinnamon powder or espresso powder or some white chocolate chips .... go ahead experiment!  I even read a recipe for Spicy Choco drink, this is with cayenne pepper! 

If you are giving this to someone who is cutting on the fat and sugar, by all means substitute the refined sugar with the equivalent splenda granulated or Stevia powder ( a better alternative) and use non fat powder milk. 

DIY Christmas Gift Ideas

It's the season for giving...

And what better way to share the love?  Make your own home made gifts for the holidays! Not only is it practical, it's also quite fun ( esp for the crafty ones - like me!) and that labor of love really gives it a special touch.

I did some research online and did them myself.  Thus I chose these really simple and very easy to make Christmas gifts.  I hope you'll like them. Here they are:

Room and Linen Spray

Linen sprays are a bit of an indulgence but we all love using them.  I use this for rooms, inside closets, in my workspace and even in my car.

Not everyone knows how easy it is to make requiring only very few ingredients.  So let's begin....

Simply gather the following:

1 tsp. essential oil of your choice ( for this project best bet are lavender, chamomile, peppermint)
1/4 cup unflavored vodka
3 1/2 cups distilled water
an empty spray bottle




Use an empty spray bottle or rinse out an old bottle with hot water. In a small bowl, mix essential oil and vodka together. The alcohol works as an emulsifier, allowing the oil and water to mix evenly. Pour the lavender-vodka mix into the spray bottle, add the water, and shake. Make sure to shake well before each use.  Lastly, put your labels for giveaways.

Some Tips:

• For an alcohol-free mixture omit the vodka, but make sure to shake rigorously before spraying, since the oil and water will separate.
• You can combine 2 essential oils that smell great together like Lavender and Chamomile, or Lavender and Lemmon as long as they are in 50:50 ratio total of 1 tsp.  
• There are essential oils not good for pregnant women.  Please read here for detailed list.

Rose Water Face Spritz

Rose water has cleansing, hydrating and anti-aging benefits.  It was believed Cleopatra would douse her face with rose water to keep a flawless complexion.  And the smell is just refreshing especially for our humid hot summer days.

You can use rose water by itself as a toner (astringent) to tighten pores, rejuvenate stressed skin, or to refresh post-workout skin. It is also great as a soothing under eye treatment to get rid of dark eye circles or puffy eyes, and can even be applied on the scalp to reduce inflammation and promote healthy hair growth.  Which makes this a perfect Holiday gift as well.

Simply gather the following:

a dozen fresh roses
a perfume atomizer or spray bottle
a large stock pot 
 distilled water
Cheesecloth or strainer

Start by plucking the petals off all the roses. The more fragrant the roses are the more fragrant the rosewater will be.    Wash the petals thoroughly with distilled water. Place rose petals in a large pot. Pour in distilled water, just enough to cover the rose petals. Put the pot over low fire and heat (do not boil) until the rose petals lose their color. You'll notice that rose oil (essential oil) is skimming over the water surface. This process should take about 1 hour.  Allow the water to cool completely, then strain and collect your pure rose water.  Add 1 tablespoon alcohol such as vodka as preservative and mix well.
Put water in your atomizer or spritzer bottle and put your labels for giveaways.

Some Tips:

• The rose water will keep up to a month with the preservative.
• Store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
• So if this will be given as a gift, you can make them a few days before giving and put a tag with an expiration date and storage instructions.  If you choose not to put the preservative, it will last about 10 - 14 days, just make sure to store bottle in ref
• Roses need to be very fresh, in full bloom.  Always choose Roses with no pesticides or chemicals .

I hope these ideas will inspire you to start making your own Holiday gifts.  Not only do they save you on money, your friends and family will surely appreciate the effort.

Will be posting more DIY Christmas gift ideas after I experiment on some blends.  Coming up, All natural Body Butters and All natural Body scrub made of Himalayan Pink salts.

Chelsea Market Cafe Podium

I first heard of this restaurant back in 2009 when my hubby was raving about their Pasta Carbonara dish.  One of his foreigner clients brought him there.  He said it's the most delicious Fetuccine Carbonara he had ever tasted.  Chelsea Market Cafe's first branch was at Serendra and even if it was quite far from where we live, I didn't think twice and planned to go there the next chance we got which was a day or two later. :-) Indeed their dishes deserve all the praise.  Since then, Chelsea is our go to place when we find ourselves in Serendra with the urge to splurge.

After some years they have grown in number and last night hubby and I were at their Podium branch having a late dinner.  

 Bottomless Iced Tea 

 Truffled Green Pea and House-made Mushroom Ravioli  Php280 ++
Not everyone may be a fan of this one.  The truffle oil can be overpowering and masks the subtle flavor of the green peas.

Johnny Air Cargo Retail Padala

I read about Johnny Air Cargo's Retail Padala Service a few months ago and I was quite shocked to find out they have had this service for a number of years now.  Why the heck didn't I know about this sooner? Good thing someone blogged about it.  Now ordering online  is as easy as 1-2-3.

So after some thought I decided to try this out.  

First visit their website Johnny Air and follow the instructions which are simple and easy to understand.

Here it is, the how-to process:

SHIP A PACKAGE

Our service consists of shipping from the United States to any of our offices in the Philippines. When you buy online, we will only charge you the shipping rates from our office in Woodside, New York to any of our offices in the Philippines.  When you order online, please indicate the following when they ask for your shipping info:

Shipping Addresses

New York: Retail Padala / “your name”      69-04 Roosevelt Ave.  Woodside, NY 11377-2934	San Francisco:  Harry Jules Banzon/”your name” 55 Saint Francis Square Daly City, CA 94015 Telephone : (650) 991-7080
New Jersey (1)Retail Padala / “your name” 627 Summit Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07306	Los Angeles Rommel Villafranca/”your name” 153 South Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90004 Telephone : (213) 386-7080

     

After you order, kindly send me an email to let me know that you are expecting a package. This way, we will be able to send you your package without any delays. From experience, it takes about 5 to 8 days for your order to
reach our office in Woodside and 5 to 7 days from Woodside to Manila. When your package arrives in Manila, our branch there will call you to let you know that it is ready for pick up.Shipment fees will be due upon pick up of your package.

If you are still unsure, you can always call any of their branches or visit them and have one of their friendly staff personnel explain the process.

So what I did was basically this:

• Ordered the stuff I wanted online via Amazon.com 
• At the check out portion of Amazon.com, under SHIPPING Address, I used Johnny Air's New York office address.   Also before the address I placed the name of the contact person Analyn ( this I learned after reading blogs and forums which makes tracking and shipping easier)

                      Analyn /  "my name"
                      Johnny Air Retail Padala
                      69-04 Roosevelt Ave. 
                      Woodside, NY 11377-2934   

• Then I sent an email to Analyn Diego, with my personal details and told her of my orders.  I also mentioned that I wanted them picked up at their SM Megamall branch.
• Just to be sure I also called their Headofc in Makati and gave same details.
• At this point you have to monitor and track your package/s.  When I saw online that the packages have been delivered to NY ( which took only 2 days), I emailed Analyn with the tracking #s and confirmed if the packages are with them. She sent me back an email confirmation the next day.  
• Then wait for items to be shipped from New York to Manila.  
• Nov 23 was when I placed my order on Amazon.com, my package arrived at the Megamall branch on Dec. 4 after lunch.  I was informed via email by their Megamall br.

The stuff I ordered

I paid Johnny Air Php 1372 for the shipping and handling of my package.  It's a great service.  They are efficient and the staff is helpful.  Shopping online from US is now easy breezy!

For more details please visit their website or call any of their branches.

Beeswax : Waxing and Nail care from Nature

I was glad to discover BEESWAX Waxing and Nail care salon few days ago while I was doing my  grocery shopping at SM Hypermart in Pasig.  

                                         

This salon uses vegan and organic products to service their waxing and nail care of their customers.

Holiday Bazaars Part 4 @ Christkindlmarket

Christkindlmarket Manila, is inspired by the original Christkindlmarket in Nuremberg Germany.  The goal is to feature European traditions and goods to promote awareness and interest among Filipinos. 

If you are a lover of anything and everything sweet, Christkindlmarket is the place to be.  For an entrance fee of Php200, you can experience the unique taste of world class products that surely will send you to a different level of sugar high. 

Let the pictures speak for themselves.

Holiday Bazaars Part 3 @ Noel Bazaar (WTC)

The Noel Bazaar is one of those most anticipated Bazaars in the Metro every Holiday season.  Not only do they have so many booths featuring the best gift and personal items, Noel Bazaar continues to share their blessings to charity like the GMA Kapuso Foundation, the Bantayog ng mga Bayani and Associate Missionaries of Assumption Foundations, and the Sts. Peter & John Church and Noel P. Gozon Memorial Clinic.  

So a few days ago my friend and I decided to go to Noel Bazaar @ the World Trade Center to check out what's new and hopefully buy items for our long Christmas list.

Holiday Bazaars Part 2 @ BLUE MARKET

Saturday morning, me and my eldest went to Blue Market at Ateneo de Manila, a special fund raising weekend bazaar featuring booths that will delight any shopaholic and also food lovers out there.  Here are some pictures I took of the event.

A lot of Organic produce sold here.

 I love their Lemongrass drink.  Very refreshing during this very hot day!

 Food food glorious food!

More choices!!

Calling all meat lovers!

Paseo Uno

It's been a long time since we visited Paseo Uno.  Few years back hubby got the Membership for Mandarin Oriental which offers a lot of food vouchers with big discounts, freebies and accommodation discounts to all Mandarin Oriental Hotels worldwide.  We spent a good number of weekend getaways at the Mandarin and dinner at Paseo Uno was something we enjoyed.  ( We had vouchers for free dinners or 30% Off for members )We didn't renew the membership when it expired after a year because we got the one of Hotel Intercontinental instead to give it a try.  ( mainly also because Intercon has a bigger swimming pool which was also newly renovated ).

Anyways, we went back to Paseo Uno a few nights ago when we got stuck in Makati after our son's Foundation Program held at RCBC Plaza which lasted from 4pm - 9pm.  Famished and looking for a familiar place to eat, we decided to come back to Paseo Uno.

Awarded by Asia Tatler Dining as one of the Best Restaurants in 2012

Located at the Ground Flr of Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Paseo Uno gives a modern, sleek, elegant vibe as you enter.

Marks & Spencer Gift Ideas

Marks & Spencer's bath and body products are great gift ideas not only during Holidays but also for other occasions.  Aside from their regular scents Lavender, Magnolia, Rose, Iris and Lily of the Valley to name a few they have come up with new choices: Peach Almond, Fig & Orange Oil, Lemon Verbana , Cocoa Butter and a lot more.  My personal fave scent is Iris and Lavander.  They have lotions, body butter, talc powder, shower creme and shower gel for each of this scent.  It's a great gift to put together one set of the scent ideal for the person receiving it.

Holiday Bazaars Part 1 @ Eastwood

Yesterday at Eastwood Mall, I came upon a small bazaar of nice gift ideas.  Most of the stalls sell accessories which can be cute gifts for lady friends. 

Affordable trinkets which adds charm to any outfit.  Earrings range from Php100 -  250 depending on design.  Bracelets range from Php200 - 600, Rings for Php 150 - 500 and necklaces depending on length and pendants cost Php 250 - 800.

Kanzhu : Hand Pulled Noodles

A few weeks ago, my sister brought me and my mom to this place along Timog Ave to try their noodle dishes.  My mom was craving for soup at that time so we gave this place a try.

The name itself, Kanzhu is Chinese in origin and hand pulled noodles are a staple in Northern China.  As you enter, you'll notice a very casual ambiance with an open kitchen set-up for customers to view how their famous hand pulled noodles are made.

Mister Kebab

Back then, during my college days, our favorite go to, late night and early morning meal after our bar hops and disco dancing gimiks, ( sometimes tipsy) was and is until now one of my favorite places to eat......Mister Kebab!  

I remember some years ago when they just started, the place was very small with 2 Middle Eastern looking men taking the orders and doing the grilling themselves.  Eating here brings back fond memories. Mister Kebab has come a long way since then.

They used to be located at the corner of West Ave and Quezon Ave, which is now occupied by a new Shakey's resto.  They then moved just a few meters still along West Ave.  The place is now bigger and brighter.  I consider myself lucky for growing up, living near West Ave, about 10 mins away and discovering this place when only a few knew of it's existence.  

Through the years people from everywhere in the Metro come here to have a taste of their delicious Persian dishes.  My favorite, Chelo Kebab and Keema among the long list of other bestseller dishes.  Almost everyone I know have been here to eat and they all share the same opinion of how good the food is!  

The dishes are simple and straightforward.  The classic Double beef Chelo Kebab meal consists of grilled tomatoes, grilled ground beef and rice with butter.  What completes the dish is their white yogurt sauce.  They never fail to make my tummy happy everytime.  Many have tried to copy or imitate the taste of their food but I believe,  NO ONE has ever come close.  You just have to taste it to know what I mean.

Tender Bob's Shangri-la Mall

Tender Bob's is our go to place when my family is craving for that all american comfort food.  We love their bestseller steaks and chicken meals.  I personally like their dips and chowder dishes.  However last week's dining experience was just disappointing for me. 

Chubby Chicken

Goodness I'm back.  I've been gone for days .. been busy with a few things lately.  Anyway, now that I have some spare time in my hands let me just blog about another food find I discovered near our place.  

Sometimes I tell myself, how in the world will I get my dieting really serious with so many places to eat just a stone's throw away from where I live.  Well I just tell myself there's always tomorrow (lol).

A few weeks ago I met up with a friend to go around the metro with some errands I had to finish.  At the end of the day we had dinner at Chubby Chicken, a small student friendly restaurant near Ateneo University Katipunan.  

Its a very simple, no frills place which has free Wifi, smoking area and very reasonably priced meals.  Although there's nothing really extra special about their dishes, we still enjoyed the meals we had. 

Garlic Prawns

One very lazy Sunday afternoon we found ourselves hungry and an empty ref except for a kilo of prawns my hubby bought from a friend who just harvested from their prawn farm over the last week.  Already contemplating to get the Shakey's Delivery menu for some pizza when I felt the urge to try making Garlic Prawns.  And here it is...

My hubby loved it! It turned out pretty good... yummy and very tasty... just like the one served in the Dampa restaurants.

Cooking this is quite simple, will only take you about 10-20 mins.  The ingredients readily available in your pantry.  All you need are:

Red Garlic Restaurant

Saturday afternoon, being stuck in 3 hrs traffic coming back from the South, hubby and I were just exhausted.  In time to pick up our son from school we decided to have a very late lunch at Red Garlic Restaurant which was right beside the school.  Our first experience eating here was just so-so. This time we were very pleased and glad we made the right choice.  Their food is really good!

Katsu Cafe

Ever since we moved to Xavierville, Loyola Heights,  I have been amazed at the diversity of restaurants around the area.  I would walk the streets excited, always on the look out for new cafes, milk tea shops or eateries that may have sprung up.  This is attributed to 3 big colleges nearby and Restaurant owners know this is the ideal location to put up their business.

On my way home from the gym, I saw this new restaurant called Katsu Cafe and I had to try it.

Their menu is simple and offers Set meals, Ala carte, Curry and Donburi dishes.  This looks like a smaller version of the YABU restaurant I previously featured.

Jouir de Scents

I believe every lady constantly searches for that perfect signature scent for herself.  Lucky for those who have found the perfect one, since the search can be daunting.  One perfume can smell good on one and terrible on another.  It depends a lot on body chemistry to find out what scent is right for you.  And when you do find it, every spray makes you feel just like a sexy goddess.  

Well, this is my collection of favorite scents.  They all exude a mild and a bit on the floral scent.  They are not too strong nor overpowering, great for daytime use.  The lasting power may not be that long but I don't mind it at all.

Here they are:

• Tartine et Chocolat Ptisenbon - a floral green fragrance for women.  There's a gentle citrus and sweet smell. Gives me memories of my high school days. Just the right mildness and my most favorite of all
• Omnia Amethyste Bvlgari - mild floral scent, powdery, very feminine. 
• Petits et Mamans Bvlgari for women - aromatic and floral, is the first fragrance created for children.  It is alcohol free so very kid friendly.  Has soft citrus hints, but still more on powdery side. Very mild, calming and delicate. 
• Clinique Happy - this is a bit tricky because of it's unique scent.  Either you hate it or love it and of course I love it.  It has a combination of citrus and floral scents which compliments our tropical climate.
• 212 Carolina Herrera - nice floral, fresh and clean smell.  Elegant in a mellow way.  Again is a great choice for warm weather.

• Lavender Crabtree & Evelyn - an aromatic fragrance.  A mild lavender scent with a hint of lemon.  Calming and relaxing 
• White Moss by Acca Kappa -  an aromatic scent for women and men.  Smells very clean and fresh.  Perfect if you like that I-just-got-out-of-the-shower smell

And there you have it, my favorites.  Try searching for what may be your favorite scent and you could be surprised.

WAFU RESTAURANT

Sunday evening, we wanted to try out a new Japanese restaurant in Greenhills named WAFU  meaning "Japanese Style".  Been hearing a lot of positive feedback about this place so we were pretty excited to go there.

As you enter, immediately you'll notice the high ceiling, lotus pod shaped seating and overall contemporary feel of the restaurant.  There are shelves displaying bottles of sake and sake barrels.  Busy night and we had to wait a few minutes for a table.  The receptionists at the entrance were friendly however I hoped they were gracious enough to offer us a chair and the menu to check their selections while waiting.

Looks very modern, the lotus pod seats are ideal for dates or small group of friends.  There is a second floor which will be the future Teppanyaki area. This we've got to try once they have their Grand opening very soon.  They also have a room on the 2nd flr, for private parties of 10-15 persons.

Product Review: Browlash Ex Water Strong Liquid Eyeliner

When I was at the 4th Mega Brands Sale, I checked out the make-up stalls hoping for good finds.  And find I did!!

Smile, the name of the owner of one of the stalls, was very accommodating and friendly.  I got the Konjac Sponges from her.  Then this caught my eye.  It's an eyeliner made in Japan.  Having really oily eyelids, I need an eyeliner that glides smoothly with just a swipe, dries up fast to avoid smudging and would last long.  So I took the Browlash Ex and did a test on my eyelids and I got so excited!

This product is really good.  It has a felt tip, is very easy to put on and dries up very fast.  One swipe gave me a smooth line. Staying power is also good.  From shopping at the mall until I got home (which was about 6 hrs), it was still very much intact and not a smudge in sight.  

Thanks Smile for introducing me to this product.

So for those with oily eyelids like mine, this is a great buy!  

My YABU Experience

There has been so many blogs and reviews about this restaurant with such positive feedback one can not help but really try it.  I think , this is one of the Katsu houses in the Philippines (correct me if Im wrong) that has captured the stomachs of so many food lovers.

4th MEGA BRANDS SALE and my HAUL

Yesterday I went to Megamall's 4th Mega Brands Sale to check if there was anything I can splurge on.  This event showcases some major brands in the market , anything to apparels, shoes, make-up, bags, kids toys, baby stuff to home appliances, electronics and so much more at discounted prices.  I was so delighted to see some of my favorite brands giving big discounts.  So I am featuring my haul for this event.  Here are some pictures I took.

These colorful lanterns are just so cute.  Lampshades cost about Php 650 and the bigger ones cost Php 800 - Php 1000. Amazing discounts on Laptop bags and pouches as well.  Men's apparels like shirts and polos were everywhere.

5 Amazing Uses of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oils described as ‘virgin’ are those that have been obtained from the original fruit without having been synthetically treated.

Olive oil has a large proportion of vitamins A, D, and K, as well as vitamin E, which is a key source of protein needed in the fight against free radicals. 

That is why EVOO ( as Rachel Ray calls it) have so many benefits and can be used in so many ways.

Here are 5 uses of EVOO which I would like to share

This is a new one I just found out recently.  Throw away those shaving cream with nasty chemicals and use EVOO instead. It leaves the skin soft and supple.

Since I walk barefoot most of the time at home, use flipflops when I'm outside, my feet really tend to dry up and even look nasty at times. EVOO again to the rescue.  Just massage all over the feet and this will soften the rough dry skin leaving it very silky smooth.  Do this every after taking a shower and at night before going to bed.

Tormented by dry nails and cuticles? Keep them moisturized by using EVOO. For those cracked nails, the oil can also strengthen it with regular use. Just massage EVOO on the nails which will keep them hydrated as well.  Can be used every morning and at night before sleeping.

Another great use for EVOO is for chapped lips. Just take a few drops of the oil and using your ring finger gently pat it on your lips as you would a lip balm.  This will make your lips really soft. Want to take it up a knotch? Mix a small amount of fine sugar with a little EVOO and use this as a lip scrub.  Scrub your lips before applying lipstick for an even finish. ( Don't forget to rinse the lips after scrubbing) This is a sure winner!

Lastly and my favorite of all is making use of EVOO for a home made body scrub. If you head to the spa these days for a body scrub or buy a fancy scrub at a beauty store, it will burn a hole in your wallet. Now the home made stuff is a lot cheaper, more eco friendly and chemical free.  Need I say more?

What you need to do is mix sugar and oil in the ratio of 2 parts sugar to 1 part Extra Virgin Olive oil.  Mix them together using a spoon in a clean plastic or glass container. If you want your scrub to smell amazing add a few drops of your favorite essential oils into the mixture and viola! There you have it, home made and ready to use.  

Now having smooth skin need not be too expensive anymore.  Try them and I'm sure you'll love it.  A certain delight for yourself!