Joei & Me

If you're like me who is still giving out gifts even if Christmas is over, you can check out these S&R December Deals which are good only until the end of the month!  

Remember those gift baskets I wrote about last month (read my blog post about S&R November Finds: Christmas Gifts and Decors)? Here are more choices.. The Houdini Gourmet Favorite (PhP2,599.95), the Houdini Bon Appetit (PhP3,499.95) which comes in 2 colors, and the Houdini The Executive (PhP7,999.95).  Like I said, you can give them to family friends (so you don't have to give each family member a gift) or your bosses.

Still on a hunt for a new planner to use next year? Check out Serenitea's 2016 Diary.  I have one and it's even prettier in person with the shiny gold dots contrasting with the craft paper-like cover.  You can get the planner for free (yes you read that right.. FREE!) by spending a minimum single receipt worth PhP1,200.  If you don't know what drinks to buy at one time, you can just purchase gift certificates instead.  The good thing about these GCs is that they have no expiry date so you can give them as gifts to your friends next Christmas or keep them for future Serenitea purchases.    Hurry because these planners are only available until January 15!

I know I said I'll veer away from writing about my personal life but I feel like the venues where I could post has become more and more limited.  Twitter only allows 140 characters, Instagram is better suited for photos, and Facebook.. Well, we all know what Facebook has become.

It's nothing serious really.  I just wanted to tell you about my Christmas wish list, or lack thereof.  When my sister asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I told her I had to think first.  And when T asked me last week, I couldn't give him an answer too.  For some reason, as I grew older, I had less and less material "wants" on my wish list.   I don't know why.  Maybe it's because of age or maybe because if I have a "want", I could buy it on my own anyway.  

As kids, we weren't really spoiled but we were not deprived either.  My dad wanted to buy us everything but my mom kept us grounded, which I understand now, because it taught us to appreciate both the little and big things in life.  My sister and I were only allowed to wish for toys on our birthdays and on Christmas.  Not that we didn't have new things the rest of the year but we could only ask for what we specifically wanted on those two occasions.  I guess that's why I could come up with a list every time when I was younger because I've been waiting one year to ask for it.   My old blog theme (maybe some of you can remember it) even has a wish list on the side where I cross items off when I receive them already.

Back to the question of what I want for Christmas this year.. 

Last week, T already got me an Acca Kappa brush from Rustan's because I mentioned to him that I damaged my old one. I thought that was a suitable Christmas gift already but he still told me, "Babe, wag mo na ako pahirapan, just tell me what you want."  So I tried browsing online shopping sites to see if there was anything that would catch my fancy.  There was none.  And that's when I remembered my wish last year and the years before that...

Here's my blog post on that plane ride everyone was asking me about after I posted photos on Facebook and Instagram.  Even if T and I didn't have much sleep because the Globe event finished late, we pushed through with our ultralight flying lessons with Angeles City Flying Club (ACFC).

After dinner, T and I head over to Bonifacio Global City for the iPhone 6s launch where Globe Telecom brand ambassadors, together with fifty preferred Globe customers, will officially get their hands on a new iPhone 6s ahead of everyone else in the Philippines.  

When we arrive, I am led to a registration area and given my first gift.. A Christmas Starbucks card!  I really appreciate this because it's something I collect and I always buy Starbucks coffee before going to work. After that, someone is introduced to me as my personal guide for the evening (hello Randy!) who then leads us to the area of the main event.  

Weeks before our anniversary, T asked me what I wanted to do.  It just so happens that the Globe iPhone 6s launch is on the same day so I asked him if we could just go there and celebrate our anniversary some other day.   Of course, it was totally fine with T but he still surprised me with dinner in Blackbird at the Nielson Tower before the event.

It's crunch time and we're all looking for gifts to give our relatives, friends, and co-workers this Christmas.   But instead of the usual fruit cake, check out these products from The Spice Lab PH.  Their sauces are healthy and spicy and are handcrafted out of the freshest ingredients with no added preservatives.

These products can be given even to people who don't cook, like me.  The other day, I added a spoonful of Seafood Chili Garlic with Sausage and Mushrooms, which The Spice Lab sent me, to my favorite Delimondo Corned Beef and voila.. Instant gourmet taste! 

I remember California Pizza Kitchen (or CPK) being one of the first restaurants in the then newly-expanded Alabang Town Center.  During my high school days, my family and I would eat there almost every week and more often than not, I would see my classmates dining in the restaurant with their families as well.

Throughout those 18 years, CPK has continuously reinvented their line up of dishes, and this month, there are a couple of new items on their menu you might want to check out for your Christmas dinners.


Salads

Fruit and Nut Salad (PhP275+)
A unique blend of mixed fruits, nuts, and avocado paired with CPK's fresh orange vinaigrette.

I love how summer never ends in the Philippines but one downside about the tropical weather is the humidity and how it drains my hair of its natural moisture, leaving it dry, dull, and frizzy.  I suddenly miss the dry weather of California.  Although my skin would suffer there, I love how my hair looks  and feels almost every day!

We all have our share of bad hair days and all we can do is tie our hair into a ponytail.  But sometimes even that won't solve our problem right?  Fortunately, Cream Silk came up with a Standout Straight Leave-On Cream, which is a hair polish and a leave-in conditioner in one!