Product Review: Sugar Scrub by Amethy

I love body wash and body scrub.  Using body scrub has been my weekly ritual.  It helps me get rid of dust and dirt accumulated weekly.  Much as I love to use body scrub daily, I don’t because I risk bruising myself due to thinning of skin.

Before 2016 arrived, a package was sent for me to try and review.  Sugar Scrub by Amethy.  I am so excited to try it since this is something new to me because I am used to salt as the main ingredient for body scrub. 

The flavor given for me to try was peppermint.   Main ingredients for the sugar scrub are sugar, peppermint oil, and Vitamin E. 

Shalene, the proprietor of Sugar Srubs by Amethy, also sent instructions on how to use it to gain the best result.

·         Dampen your skin in the shower OR after using your favorite soap, rinse, then slight towel dry your skin.

·         Shake the tub OR give your scrub a good stir using a wooden/plastic spoon before scooping out a generous amount on your palm.  Refrain from using your [wet] hands to avoid contamination.

·         You may [or may not] add a few drops of water to the scrub [on your palm] to make it smoother.

·         Gently scrub your body down with it in slow circular motions, using very light to moderate pressure.  DO NOT SCRUB TOO HARD OR TOO LONG.  Scrub until the sugar dissolves. 

·         Rinse clean and enjoy the refreshing feeling.

The instructions given by Shalene were what I normally do whenever I try body scrubs.  The sugar scrub was something new.  It is quite coarse in texture.  You will find that it is somewhat hard to the skin.  Also, after rinsing, you will feel the sugary stickiness.  You have to rinse well or wash with soap again, to ensure you don’t leave extract of sugar in your body.

What I did to augment this was combine the sugar scrub into my body wash – and the result was surprising.  Rubbing the sugar scrub + body wash in the skin makes the skin feeling rejuvenated.  It doesn’t hurt while scrubbing.  As with using any scrubs, you will feel the glow of your skin after using it.

For product orders and inquiry you can contact Shalene from the below accounts:

https://www.facebook.com/purplepieces/

https://www.instagram.com/Amethystine/

Celebrating My Birthday with a Cause

Some 10 years ago, I started writing down my goals and dreams.  Some would dub it as their bucket list.  I write this at the back of my yearly planner (and would re-write it yearly as I change planners).   As I grow old, I add more to this and tick off some.  One of those goals is to spend my birthday with less fortunate kids.  It is written under no. 39.

Mid of last year, I read this list again and decided to make it a reality this year.  Today I mark my 30^th year in this world.  I want it to be as memorable as I can.  Nothing too lavish (the economy is going down, I need to save, charot!) and nothing too plain.  This is when I (together with my hubby) decided to spend it by doing a small feeding program.

We scheduled it last January 16 at Rizal Park (commonly known as Luneta Park).  My officemate, Karen just celebrated her birthday start of the year and wanted to join our charity work.  We planned to give out sandwiches and juices for street children.  We divided the task: Karen was assigned for the juices and I, for the sandwiches.

Preparing the night before.

Night before January 16, our house was so busy.  We were preparing the egg sandwich spread.  The next day, we woke up early to prepare the sandwiches.  Before 8AM, we were already at my office (our meeting place).  Karen unfortunately wasn’t able to come due to migraine. L

But that didn’t stop us from pushing through.  We waited another couple of minutes for another friend and colleague, Des, who came with her boyfriend, PO1 Francis.  Together with Leo, Neo, Ate Espie, Des and Francis, off to Luneta we went.

However, Luneta Park no longer allows street children to sleep there.  We were able to give out sandwiches and juices to older people.  We still had a lot so we decided to walk outside of Luneta to Roxas Blvd Baywalk.  Baywalk is where the street children are.

After 1 hour, our sandwiches and juices were gone but our hearts are full.  We were tired from waking up early to prepare the sandwiches, we spent money to give food to people we don’t really know, we were tired giving out food during brunch time, and yet we feel fulfilled.  Giving has its way of warming our hearts.

With the people who helped me.

This is something I would like to do yearly.  Something I’d like my little boy to know how fortunate he is and how thankful we are that we are blessed.

PS:  My conversation with my little boy the night before:

Me:  Anak, sleep tayo ng early kasi naalala mo ung mga bata na walang bahay, walang damit, at walang food?

Neo: Opo.

Me: Bibigyan natin sila ng food bukas.

Neo: At bahay at damit?

Me: Ay hindi anak! Food lang! Wala pang ganun kadaming pera si Mama

Oh, how little minds work the most innocent of ways! J

Dining Experience at Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro

In the first two weeks of November 2015, I traveled to Iloilo, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro for work.   But since I traveled those places in 6 days only, giving me 2 days in each place, there was really no time for me to roam around.  My colleagues were kind enough to just treat me gastronomically J

Here are some of the places we ate at that you may want to try when you go to these places too. 

Dong Juan Restaurant, Iloilo

Dong Juan is your regular restaurant offering non-conventional delicious food.   We ordered salad, pizza, pasta, and baby back ribs. 

But what really stuck to me was this Calamansi blush.  It’s pure strawberry beneath and pure calamansi above.  Super refreshing. 

Breakthrough Restaurant, Iloilo

Who wouldn’t want to eat seafood with a view like this?

That’s Guimaras island viewed from The Breakthrough Restaurant at Iloilo.  The place is very cool even without air-conditioning.   I also tasted some really delicious seafood from there.

The Aligue Rice (which I tried to make my own version at home).

Baked Oysters.  These oysters are so big (twice the size of what you can find at Manila). 

The Lato.  I like this food.  I think it’s an algae or something.  Very delicious and healthy.

High Ridge, Cagayan de Oro

If I’ll sum up this place into one word it would be awesome.  It was really hard to go there (especially because we went there during evening).  I think it was situated in a hill.  Going there was rough; you wouldn’t think you could find a very beautiful place up high.

It has a high rise view of Cagayan de Oro, very nice ambiance, and surprisingly affordable delicious food.

That’s CDO by night.

Dining up high.

Merry Christmas from the Bamboo Christmas Tree at High Ridge J

Seaside Restaurant, Cagayan de Oro

Okay, I admit, I forgot the name.  But it’s located within the seaside.  This is my view while eating.

We ate lots of delicious seafood which were cooked while we wait.  Look, the King Crab and the Lapu-lapu are still alive.

This is the place to be if you want to experience eating seafood at its best.  And no fly would ever dare enter this restaurant, thanks to the strong wind from the sea. 

Excuse the dark photo (I’m against the light).  I just like to share the wind blowing my hair.  I had to tie my hair in a ponytail while eating by hands. J

No food treat from Cebu as we went to the normal (Cnt and Larsian, my fave).  I’m such a lucky person having experienced all these gastronomic feasts that’s available in the Philippines. J

December 2015 Weddings

Who doesn’t love weddings?  For me, weddings are always beautiful.  It’s a mark of new beginnings.  Whenever I attend weddings, I always feel the love in the air and I would always reminisce the time my husband and I said I do to each other. 

The third week of December 2015, we were on a very hectic schedule.  With all the Christmas parties we have to attend, we were also invited to witness two weddings (in the same week, thankfully not the same day).  What’s with December that it’s now the fad for weddings?

Anyway, the first wedding we attended was of a very good friend, Anj.  She’s Neo’s godmother.  Anj wedded her boyfriend of 13 years, Von.  I am friends with Anj for more than 8 years already and I have witnessed how these two love birds are made of each other.  Their wedding was set at Silang, Cavite – both ceremony and reception.  We attended the ceremony, and drop by at the reception to give our gift, but didn’t stay long.  Unfortunately, I need to attend a Christmas party in the afternoon. 

Congrats, Anj and Von!

The next wedding we attended was of Papa Leo’s cousin, JR to his ladylove Nica, at Cagayan.  So a day after Anj and Von’s wedding, we were already traveling to Cagayan by land.  We can’t miss this wedding.  Because JR and Nica made Neo one of their ring bearers (they have two ring bearers), and I couldn’t be more thankful to them.  It must be every mom’s dream to see their son or daughter become a bearer or a flower girl.

The ring bearer waiting for his turn.

This is the first time I was able to attend a wedding at Cagayan.  It’s just like any other wedding, but more family-oriented.  Relatives from different parts of the province came to witness as JR and Nica exchanged vows. 

JR and Nica as they exchange rings. 

Side Note:  Because bearers are little boys who are quite restless and full of energy, some of them didn’t walk properly in the aisle.  When it was Neo’s turn, he walked with grace.  Everyone was so proud because he didn’t even attend the rehearsals and yet he was so good at his assigned job.  Turns out, his very resourceful Papa put my mobile phone inside of the pillow (where the ring was placed) and told his son to walk carefully so my phone won’t fall and be broken.  :P  

Family picture after the reception at Cagayan. 

Cheers!  Here’s a virtual toast to Anj and Von, JR and Nica for a lifelong of married bliss and blessedness!

MBP Christmas Party 2015

Christmas has always been a season of celebration.  It’s a time of giving and receiving gifts, eating delicious foods, raffling awesome prizes, and partying.  And that is what we all did when we celebrated Mommy Bloggers Philippines’ A Christmas to Remember Christmas Party.

Forty lovely mommies came to attend the event at The Sky Lounge, located at the top floor of The Linden Suites, where it was beautifully decorated by Amari Events.  Mesclun, the in-house restaurant of The Linden Suites, provided the mommies sumptuous lunch.  Photos of the event were taken by Casa Litrato.

The venue was beautifully decorated by Amari Events.

The program started by a prayer and opening remarks.  It was followed by simple introduction of all mommies.  

Introducing myself.

After that, prizes were raffled to lucky mommies.  The generous sponsors of prizes are Fujidenzo, Zojirushi, Jolly, Sun Villa Resort, Philips, FuentesManila, Hotel Quickly, National Bookstore, and Starbucks.

I won the raffle!

Then mommies played a game and lucky mommies won GCs from Rebisco Vita Cubes.

My tablemates who I get to play the game with.

Again, generous sponsors gave mommies reason to smile before going home.  All mommies get to take home Christmas loots from Lotus Biscoff, Frabelle, Robinsons Supermarket, Melawares, Wacoal, Cinnabon, Villa Del ConteChocolates, Red Ribbon, Shoppers Stop, and Chelsy & Casey.

It was indeed a Christmas to Remember. J

  

Welcome 2016!

Happy New Year!

Time flies so fast.  We are now saying goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016.  2015 has been another blessed and fruitful year for me and my family.  May 2016 bring all of us joy, peace, and abundant happiness.

Happy New Year from the Nunag Family!