Product Review: Novelina Skin Care Line

Last week, one of my blogging communities, Filipino Bloggers Network celebrated its annual Christmas gathering.  There I was introduced to several products, some old and tested, others are fairly new.  One of those products is Novelina Skin Care Line.

Novelina Skin Care Line gave me some of their products to try.  I am not good at product review for skin care and cosmetics, but please let me try.  For a start, let me give you a background of my skin type.  I am blessed with a fair complexion, my skin moisture is in normal level, and overall, my skin is not delicate.

Novelina gave me three 3 products to try: Novelina Ultra Lightening Soap and Pollution Shield, Novelina High-Potency Anti-Aging Cream, and Novelina Instant Lightening Lotion and Pollution Shield. 

Novelina Ultra Lightening Soap has two powerful whitening ningredients – Gluthatione and Tres Blanche.  It also has snail serum and several natural ingredients.  After using the soap, I can say that overall, it just okay.  I cannot attest to the whitening effect, as my complexion is already fair.  It smells like Johnson and Johnson.  However, it feels dry after washing therefore putting moisturizer is advisable after use.

Novelina High-Potency Anti-Aging Cream contains 2 powerful ingredients: collagen and snail serum.  The serum doesn’t feel sticky and it has the sunblock feel when applied.  This may be because it also has SPF15 for optimum UVA and UVB protection.

Novelina Instant Lightening Lotion and Pollution Shield has the same lightening ingredient as the soap: Gluthatione and Tres Blanche.  It has the same non-sticky feeling as the serum.  It feels powdery overall and because of that, I could feel that it is low in moisturizer content.  Again, I cannot vouch on the lightening effect due to my skin complexion.

Those are the products Novelina Skin Care gave me to try. You can also try these products and see for yourself the effect it promises.

Paint. Sip. Laugh. at Sip and Gogh Century City Mall

Have you ever tried painting?  When I was younger, I thought painting is a hobby only for the talented ones.  Because how on earth will you be able to paint a beautiful piece if you’re not talented?  Luckily, now, you can paint even if you are not an artist. 

Last week, Sip and Gogh’s 6^th branch, located at Century City Mall in Makati, invited bloggers to experience what Sip and Gogh has to offer.  Sip and Gogh’s tagged line is: Paint. Sip. Laugh.  This is because, at a fee of Php 1,000 per session, you will paint, sip a glass of wine, and laugh at the experience.

Sip and Gogh provides all the materials needed for painting.  Canvas, easel, paint brushes, water-based paints, and the artist who will assist and guide you in creating your masterpiece.  Also, a glass of wine with a plate of cold cuts will be served to you so you get to enjoy painting.

Let's wait for the finish product.... 

What sets Sip and Gogh apart from all other activities you tried?

·         Sip and Gogh is perfect for dates.  Bring along your hubby or boyfriend and enjoy painting together.  This is perfect also for dates with girlfriends and dates with your kids.

·         Sip and Gogh can help nurture the artist in your kids.  What better way to enhance your kids’ talent than to let them try it.  

·         Sip and Gogh is a nice way to relax.  Painting or any form of art can be very relaxing.

·         Sip and Gogh lets you go home with a tangible memory of your experience.  You can hang your painting in your home to commemorate the memory.

Look at that masterpiece! hehe

So unleash your inner Van Gogh and book a session at Sip and Gogh.  Remember, everyone can be an artist J

A Day Of Fun At Sta. Elena Fun Farm

Last February, the Department of Education declared that Educational Tours (or Field Trips) are temporarily banned.  Following that decree, Neo’s school no longer scheduled an Educational Tour for the school year.   And since the school year is one activity down, the PTA (Parents and Teachers Association) decided to make an activity that would be memorable for the kids.  Enter the Family Camp.

The Family Camp is a fusion of the Educational Tour and Family Day.  Students, together with their parents, teachers, and school administrators went to Sta. Elena Fun Farm, where the Family Camp was held.  Sta. Elena Fun Farm is located inside Sta. Elena Golf Club at Cabuyao, Laguna. 

Sta. Elena Fun Farm is full of activities catered to kids.  There is an entrance fee of Php400 (both for kids and adults) good for 4 hours of stay at the Fun Farm.  This includes payment for usage of facilities, use of pavilion, and for trying different activities.  Two years old are free of charge.

Now, let me list down to you the different activities you and your kids can try at the Fun Farm.

There are different obstacle courses located at a huge area at the Fun Farm.  The kids and adults can have an enjoyable time finishing several obstacle courses.

Several Rope Course are located inside the Fun Farm.  This is a nice way to build those leg and arm muscles while having fun.

The Sand House is perfect for little kids who can’t participate in some activities.  Just be careful with the sand as it can be a bit rougher than the ordinary sand.

Relax around the Fun Farm while riding the Carabao-pulled cart.  We weren’t able to try this as the Carabao was eating during our time to try it.  No one should disturb meal times hahaha :D

You can also try Horseback riding inside the Fun Farm.  Their horses are huge but very tame and the caretakers are nice.

Be one with the animals by feeding them.  You can feed goats, rabbits, and guinea pigs.  The staffs will provide you with grass for thee goats, and carrots for the rabbits and guinea pigs.  They are generous in giving out grass and carrots for animal feeding.

The kids can enjoy the mini row-boating.  The mini boat will sail in a small pond that’s just perfect for kids to enjoy and for moms not to worry.

You can also try Mini Fishing.  They will provide you a fishing rod with worm as a bait.  The fishes are small and the ones you caught will be thrown back to the pond.  The kids will surely have a nice time here while they learn the art of patience.

Last but not the least, kids and parents can do a tandem zip line.  It was my and Neo’s first time to try the zip line.  It was honestly very low with the maximum height of 3 meter (perfect for kids), but was very fun for us.

That’s me and Neo after our zip line.

Those are the activities Sta. Elena Fun Farm offers.  But you need not be limited by those activities.  Since the place is so huge, you can create family bonding and team building activities.

Just some notes though.

·         Sta. Elena Fun Farm doesn’t have any restaurant so you need to bring your own food and drinks.  They sell drinks at the admin office and a drinking fountain is available at the Pavilion.

·         It is a private place inside Sta. Elena Golf Club and there is no public transportation available.  You need to hire a private transport to go here.

·         It is open for walk-ins but reservation is highly encouraged.

Sta. Elena Fun Farm is a very nice place for family bonding and team building.   The place is good for recreation and relaxation. With all the activities and facilities you get to enjoy, the fee (for me) is very cheap.  You get your money’s worth and more.

Sta. Elena Fun Farm is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 8AM – 4PM.

La Fiesta: A Filipino Buffet Experience

Eating will always be a part of any celebration for our family.  Since it was the hubby’s birthday last October, we decided to eat out at La Fiesta at SM Mall of Asia.  La Fiesta is located at SM by the Bay where most of the buffet restaurants are located.

We have tried some of the buffet restaurant at SM by the Bay: Vikings, Buffet 101, Movie Stars Cafe, and Four Seasons (you can click the link for reviews).  We wanted to try La Fiesta as it seems to have unique buffet offering.  We didn’t avail of their birthday promo but instead bought vouchers at Metrodeal. 

La Fiesta offers mostly Filipino foods.  They have the regular Filipino viands we cook at home like Pinakbet, Sisig, Kare-kare, etc.  The soups they offer are Bulalo and Sinigang.  The desserts are Halo-halo and Kakanin.  

Lechon, the star of the Filipino fiesta, is also available.  This made me very happy.  I love eating lechon J

Since most of the foods are Filipino inspired, there are street foods available too (which we didn’t try since we can try this on our own). 

There’s also a sorbetes (dirty ice cream) booth but I think it is empty and just for picture only.  But if you like to eat ice-cream, it is available at the dessert counter.

Even though La Fiesta has mostly Filipino foods, they also offer some international dishes like sushi and maki, steamed bun, pizzas, etc.

If you will be visiting La Fiesta, ask to be seated at the couch in front of the stage.  This is because La Fiesta has a small stage where performers sing while you eat.  There are cultural dances too during weekends. 

During our visit, La Fiesta has very few customers.  Maybe because it was weekday.  But compared to the other buffet restaurants are SM by the Bay, La Fiesta has fewer customers though they have a big area.  La Fiesta has fewer food choices too compared to the other buffet restaurants, though it is a little bit cheaper than the rest.

This little guy ate rice with Sinigang and ice cream only.  Not sulit for Php380 no?

Lunch at La Fiesta starts at 1130 AM.  Buffet cost Php630 for weekday lunch.  Children below 3.5 ft get to eat for free, while kids 3.5 to 4.5 ft (like Neo) pay Php380.  Go visit La Fiesta if you are craving for a Filipino fiesta like food and a celebratory vibe to go with it. 

Scott’s DHA Gummies For Your Child’s Brain Development

Little kids need all the nutrition they can get from food.  But we have to admit that not all kids love to eat all types of nutritious foods.  This is the reason why mommies (guided by pediatricians) give multivitamins to their kids. 

When Neo was still a baby, his pedia prescribed him two types of vitamins: one solely focused on vitamin C, and another one for multivitamins.  As Neo grew older, we have retained the brand with vitamin C but we have tried different brands for the multivitamins.  You will ask, why though?  This is because as my little boy age, his needs changes.

Neo is now a first grader at five years old.  Yes, too early for grade school right?  We are happy that he is not having a hard time understanding his daily lessons.  In fact, he sometimes excels at school.  But just like any other mom, I would give anything to make sure he would find learning an easy task.

Recently, I have been introduced to Scott’s DHA Gummies.  DHA helps in your child’s brain development.   Research shows that at age 6, a child’s brain by weight is 90% developed.  Therefore, it is important for brain development to be aided by fatty acids called DHA.  Scott’s DHA Gummies is a rich source of DHA.  It is in gummy form which is easy to chew and fun to take.  It also comes in two sweet flavors that kids love: Strawberry and Orange. 

Neo takes 3 gummies a day, the recommended dosage, to help him in his daily activities.  His assessment exams are coming and I’m confident that he will do well thanks to Scott’s DHA Gummies.

An Overnight Stay at Midas Hotel’s Deluxe Room

One very busy Saturday of August, I find myself staying in the office past midnight and I need a place to stay overnight as I need to be back at the office again come morning.  There are a lot of hotels near my workplace.  These hotels vary from 5-stars to 1-star.  As I need only need a place to stay overnight (not really overnight but only a few hours), I don’t think it’s practical to book a 5-star hotel; however, I don’t want to stay overnight in a motel as well.

Midas Hotel is not so close my workplace but I find its rate cheaper than those close to my office.  It’s a 4-star hotel and casino located along Roxas Boulevard close to SM Mall of Asia and Baclaran.

The hotel lobby is small but grand with high ceilings and has a lot of decorations of various luxury brand boxes (Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Channel, and a lot more).  The lobby of the hotel is where the reception is located.  Also located in the lobby is the 2702 Lounge area.

We didn’t have a hard time checking in the hotel.  The receptionists are nice and welcome drinks were offered to us while waiting.  A security deposit of Php3000 was required from us.  I find this quite high (as some hotels I stayed at only required Php1000 – Php1500).  This must be because Midas Hotel has a casino – and guests might spend there.

The room given to us was at the fifth floor.  It is a deluxe room with a view of EDSA.  Let me give you some of my takeaways and review of our overnight stay at Midas Hotel’s deluxe room.

Room – 4 out of 5.  The deluxe room given to us has twin beds with a small area of approximately 33sqm.  It has a small balcony with a view of EDSA.  It has an LED TV, air-conditioning unit, cabinets with bathrobes and slippers, extra pillows, in-room safe, and a mini bar complete with snacks and drinks.  The bathroom has a bathtub (I really love hotel rooms with bathtub J) and complete set of toiletries (shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, dental kit, and a small vanity kit) .  The room was clean and the pillows in the bed are very soft.  Everything was perfect even though the deluxe room was quite small.  What I don’t find okay was the balcony area.  It was quite dirty.  I understand that it was outside and close to EDSA with all the dirt and pollution – but I would have appreciated it if it was cleaned especially the seats and flooring.

Amenities – 3 out of 5.  Midas Hotel is nice but for a 4-star hotel, I find its amenities lacking.  The parking area is at the back of the hotel.  You will have to walk quite far just to go the reception.  There’s a valet parking but we haven’t tried it.  Midas Hotel has no swimming pool and no play area for kids.  So for those who are planning a staycation here, I don’t recommend it.  I wasn’t able to ask if they have a spa area – but they do offer in-room massages.  Midas Hotel has no recreational activities save for the casino.  So I think, it was really meant for casino goers and business men.

Staff – 4.5 out of 5.  Hotel staffs are nice.  They greet you along the way. They are helpful when asked for directions.  They also offer to carry bags (even small ones) to help.  The hotel receptionists are nice – but they don’t smile often.  When asked, they respond nicely but stiff.  I wish they would smile more.  Smiling to guests gives off a nice hotel ambiance.

Food – 4 out of 5.  Midas Hotel’s complimentary breakfast is located at the hotel’s 2^nd floor.  Midas Café has a big area and thus is not crowded.  It is overlooking Roxas Boulevard. They have few food choices (regular breakfast menu, pancakes, breads, salads, coffee, and drinks)  – not as much choices as with Century Park Hotel and Crown Regency Cebu (both hotel’s has my thumbs up for buffet breakfast).  Buffet breakfast price is at Php950 per person.

Location – 5 out of 5.  Midas Hotel is strategically located.  It is so close to SM Mall of Asia and Baclaran.  It is also close to the airport.  This hotel is a nice option for those who have an early flight.

Value for Money – 4 out of 5.  We booked Midas Hotel’s deluxe room at Php4000 overnight with breakfast buffet for 2.  I find it a good (not best) value for your money if you don’t have staycation plans and you need a very nice place to stay overnight.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.  All opinions are mine.

Online Shopping At HeyMom

Online shopping has become a trend in the past years.  It gives the shopper a lot of convenience.  There will be no time wasted as you can do your online shopping anywhere, anytime.  Online shopping is a treat to busy moms like me.

However, there are a lot of horror stories when you shop online.  Sometimes, the product you buy online can be broken, sometimes you pay more online that the price from the physical store, or sometimes the product delivered to you are fake.

Therefore buying medicines and vitamins online can be so much a risk than a convenience.  As a mom, we want to be sure we don’t give fake medicines or vitamins to our kids.  Good thing, United Laboratories, or UniLab, has given a thought of how busy moms like me feel – and has launched www.heymom.com.ph  .

Hey Mom! is a website dedicated to moms.  It is a fusion of some of the digital needs of moms like me – a community, a forum, different news, and an online shop.  Hey Mom!’s online shop is the legit store of UniLab products. 

And because I love online shopping, I decided to give Hey Mom! online store a try.  And this is what happened.

·         I registered online and chose the cash on delivery (COD) option.  COD option is what most online shoppers want nowadays to avoid credit card skimming.

·         No more than an hour after I placed my order online, a representative of Hey Mom! called me to verify my order and gave me a timeline on when to expect my product delivery. 

·         The next day, the delivery man texted me as early as 6AM to inform me that he will deliver my product that day.  I was out of the office (I had it delivered in my office), and just texted the instructions to the delivery man. 

·         When I came back to the office, the package was there.  I was completely amused as I only texted the instructions once and the delivery man got it perfectly.

·         The package was well-wrapped.  It was in a box, covered tightly in a bubble wrap. 

·         I am one happy online shopper of Hey Mom!

Busy moms like me can now have a peace of mind while shopping for vitamins and medicines.  No need to worry that we would be buying fake ones.  Thanks to Hey Mom!

These Ceelin vitamins were delivered to my office! Talk about convenience. J

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  However, all opinions are mine.

Villa Excellance Resort at Tanza Cavite

We are a family who bonds mostly through eating and swimming.  If there’s an occasion, we either eat out or go on a swimming escapade or both.  Father’s Day this year was no exception.  So even though it was already the rainy season, we decided to go swimming to celebrate Father’s Day.  We initially planned to go to Pansol, a famous place in Laguna for hotspring resorts.  But due to some minor issues, we decided to just celebrate at a resort in Cavite.   We found ourselves at Villa Excellance Resort at Tanza.

Villa Excellance Resort is a big resort with several swimming pools and a beach area.  It has a lot of day tour cottages that can cater several guests.  Overnight accommodations are also available for night swimmers.   Prices vary depending on the size of cottage you will rent.

The wave pool is the highlight of Villa Excellance swimming area.  During our stay, the wave pool generates waves more than 3 times and as long as almost 30 minutes per wave batch.  The wave pool is enjoyable but there are areas in the flooring that is quite rough. 

There’s also a small kids’ water-park at the swimming area.  Neo had so much fun in this area.  I think we all had. J

There’s also a small Jacuzzi-like area, a small lazy-river, and a small pool that is 5 feet deep.

Entrance to the beach area is Php75 per person, while entrance to swimming pool area with access to the beach area is Php250.  

There is nothing to rave about the beach area.  Tanza beach is along the same shoreline as Manila Bay.  The sand is black, the water isn’t clear, and the beach area is not so clean.  So I suggest you pay for the swimming pool area with access to the beach. 

There are cooking and grilling areas (because grilled foods are the best during swimming outing).  The comfort rooms and shower areas are clean too.

Our experience at Villa Excellance is a nice one.  The swimming pools are all nice and clean.  The entrance fee is not too high.  Cottage fees are not too pricey as well. What makes this swimming outing nicer is that we went there during the start of the rainy season; therefore, the place was not too crowded.  So for your next outing, you may want to try Villa Excellance if you want to stay close to the metro.

PS:  This is not a sponsored post.  All opinions are mine.