Domo Maguro Unlimited Tuna Sashimi!

My visit: April 22 and May 8, 2011

Domo Maguro
Tomas Morato cor Sct. Limbaga Sts.,
Sacred Heart, Quezon City
6972220   5031544

Domo Maguro is a fairly new restaurant in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. When my family and I had dinner last Good Friday, I was surprised to know that this Japanese restaurant is Korean owned. Another thing, it is open until 5 in the morning. If you are hungry in the middle of the night, you have another option aside from Jollibee and Mc Donald's haha

 yakiniku PhP150

We had a very late dinner and were still quite full from the late lunch we had in The Stock Market that's why we only ordered a few dishes from the menu. I like the way the yakiniku was cooked. We only ate half of the order and took home the rest. I ate this as a sandwich the next day and still love the yummy barbecue taste.

Yakiniku- bite sized grilled meat; Japanese Bulgogi style

MrsMartinez in Pond's Unbeaten Challenge shown in ETC

No excuse for this delayed post. I wish you can spot me here in this video haha This was shown every night earlier this month in ETC Vibe.

catch a glimpse of me

That's all for today folks! I am going to deliver the loots to my winners and then play badminton afterwards. I'm excited to play badminton again after a week of hiatus.

You can view the challenge microsite here, challenge entry here and the event night here.

Later!

FOTD: Pink and Gray

It's Monday! I have been very busy today. I just announced the winner in my very first major, major birthday blowout giveaway! Woot! I am sure the winners are very excited! Congratulations! And I wish to thank everyone who joined and celebrated my birthday with me. I hope next year will be as exciting as this one ; )

Ok, back to my FOTD...

face of the day: pink and gray

I love the color combination of pink and gray on my eyes! It brings out the color of my contact lens. I use the Hello Kitty H&M eye palette that my sister gave to me from Hong Kong and Avon Kicked Up Coral on my lips.

Ipanema Carnival Samba Parade 2011

My event: May 14, 2011

Step Into Style with Ipanema 

Philippine Fashion Week 2011

SMX Convention Center

Roxas Blvd., Manila

I heart Ipanema!  My first pair was a Gisele Bundchen edition. I bought it in March 2008. It is feathery light. It's like you are wearing nothing at all! And very stylish too! I have been a fan since then. 

The brand has been very supportive to my blog that's why when it needs my support, I try to be always present in their events! This May, for the duration of the Philippine Fashion Week 2011, Ipanema has a booth which showcased sandals, wedges and flip flops at the 2nd floor of SMX Convention Center. I was invited to witness and experience first hand Brazil's exotic and vibrant spirit!

Ipanema booth

Colorful sandals abound the stage area. I took a few photos and waited for the short program to start.

On display:

• Classica
• Anatomica
• Neo Anatomica
• Surf Temas
• Chic Fem
• Flora Fem
• Neo Apliques

The new designs are inspired by Brazil's exquisite sceneries and beaches. Each pair is made up of butter- soft materials with soles that are perfectly padded. At present, the brand has even come up with wedges if you want to go for a more glamorous look. 

Piolo Pascual, Me and New CLEAR Total 3

My event: May 12, 2011

Lunch at Clear Paris Institute

Midas Hotel

2702 Roxas Blvd.,

Manila

I normally decline events on Mondays and Thursdays due to the number coding on cars imposed by MMDA. But Franco was persistent. He went out of his way to have a driver and a van to pick me up just so I can attend the event. So how can I say no, di ba? 

The driver knew where he was going so I was able to attend the event on the dot. It was held at the luxurious Midas Hotel and casino. It was a shame that I was not able to take photos of the lobby because upon alighting the van, I was quickly ushered to a red carpet leading to an elevator going up to the penthouse. 

During the event, there I was, the only one who attended the New CLEAR Total 3 with Nutrium 10 launching in my bright colored summer wear amongst the sea of black outfits. Eeep! Even Tessa was in black! Darn, I misunderstood the dress code, Clubwear Glam, as outfits you would wear in a country club haha Eeer, sign of generation gap toink!

with Piolo Pascual who uses Cool Sport Menthol PhP119.75

I wish he was holding my hand in this photo. Look how orange-y Piolo was that day. Too much tan, I suppose? I even did a double take when he came out of the stage that noon. Papa Piolo, isdatchu? 

Australian Lamb Chops in Zucchini's Quezon City

My visit: May 2, 2011

Zucchini's

20 Scout Tuason corner Scout Castor Sts.,

Quezon City

4155533   3765896

I always wanted DH to surprise me whenever my birthday comes. And yes, I am usually surprised because he doesn't make any restaurant reservation haha 

We were supposed to dine in Lemuria in Horseshoe Drive but when DH called that day he found out that the restaurant is close every Monday. Lucky him because last I heard Lemuria is a pretty expensive restaurant hehe I was in fact shocked that he considered dining there.

Zucchini's Australian lamb chops with apple mashed potato and mint sauce PhP1350

We eventually ended up in Zucchin's. It was not our first time to dine in this restaurant. In fact, we were able to try out their steak back in their old location in Timog.

I like fine dining restaurants because of the ambiance. It's like having your own private nook even though just a few steps away from you there is another table.

Their Australian lamb chops is quite expensive. I would rather eat in Spiral, Sofitel Hotel. For a few peso more, I get unlimited serving of lamb chops and a buffet to boot. Or I can never ever forget my lamb chops in La Reserve, a French, air conditioned restaurant in Boracay. The lamb chops are succulent, juicy and yummy for just half the price.

I like the unique taste of apple mashed potato on the side though. Tiny bits of apple are mixed in with mashed potatoes. It's my first time to try it and I like the combination.  

Celeteque Advanced Anti- Aging Trio... an amazing discovery!

My event: May 11, 2011

Celeteque Advanced Blogger Meet Up

The Linden Suites

Roof Deck Tower 2

37 San Miguel Avenue

Ortigas Center 

Pasig City

This is what I like most about blogging, I get invited by the brands that I use. Take Celeteque for example, after blogging about how I love this brand, I got my first invite last May 11. Yes, the same date as my wedding anniversary hehe I took home a set of Celeteque Advanced Anti Aging Trio from the event. It turned out to be my anniversary present because DH didn't give me any ; ( waaaaaaaaah! Plus, I went home late after the event that we have to cancel our plan for the night. Boo hoo!

Ok, enough of the whining! 

I hitched with MyMomFriday because I know parking at Linden Suites would be daunting task. She has a very good driver hehe The invite said that the event will be on the roof deck where I imagined it to be an open air venue. Good thing, the event took place in a conference-like room and it's air conditioned. I can't believe the heat that day. You can see the rays of the sun peeking through the curtain at the background of dermatologist, Dr. Nenita Alberto whose skin I envy.

Dr. Nenita Alberto, The Medical City

She throughly discussed about skin aging and how to prevent it from happening too soon. 

Below are some of the key points to have a youthful looking skin:

• Avoid 10am-4pm sun
• Use sunscreen with at least SPF15
• Apply moisturizer to avoid water evaporation

Nivea Pure & Natural plus a giveaway!

I have great news for people who are into natural ingredients! Nivea, with its 100 years skin care expertise, recently introduced Pure & Natural line. This is for people who have sensitive skin and can get easily irritated with some artificial and chemical ingredients. 

 Nivea Pure & Natural range

Nivea's Pure & Natural products works for your skin! Take the Nivea Deo Pure &Natural Action, it contains powerful nature identical anti- bacterial active that ensures 24h intensive protection without clogging your pores. 

I gave the samples to my mom. As you all know, I don't use deodorant. She was delighted to see something new and with ingredients that doesn't cause white specks on your blouse or shirt, don't you just hate that ugly "hello-I'm-using-a-deodorant" mark?

Description:

• 0% Aluminum salts
• 0% parabens/ preservatives free
• Dermatologically tested

Available in 25ml roll on (PhP50), 50ml roll on (PhP89), 40ml stick (PhP155) and 150ml spray (PhP170)

Samsung Galaxy Tab Life 2.0 Brand Ambassadors

My event: May 11, 2011

Cantinetta

Powerplant Mall

I normally shy away from tech events but I am interested with what Samsung Galaxy Tab Life 2.0 has to offer. I am also kind of intrigue to see their new batch of brand ambassadors so I ended up attending this press launch.

I was on time but the event started an hour or so late. I was seated only a table away from the host who was holding a Samsung Tab. It was within my reach but I was not lucky enough to touch it haha Maybe I can buy one for myself. With its impressive feature, how can anyone resist it.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3G and Wi-Fi feature:

• 7 inch TFT LCD touch screen made with impact resistant Corning Gorilla Glass
• 1024 x 600 WSVGA resolution
• 11.98 millimeter thin
• weighs 380g
• Sleek design with only 2 physical buttons- power and volume rocker
• 3.5 milimeter headphone jack
• mic
• speaker
• microSD card slot
• 2 cameras- rear-facing 3MP camera and camcorder and front-facing 1.3MP camera and camcorder 
• video chat capabilities
• powered by Google Android 2.2 (Froyo)
• supports Adobe Flash Player 10.1
• 16GB internal storage and can be expanded to 32 GB for additional storage
• super-sized 4,000mAH battery

That noon, the 14 different personalities gathered together share one thing in common, the Samsung Galaxy Tab and how their life has since been upgraded with Life 2.0. Samsung has selected such a diverse set of ambassadors who excel in their respected field.

Samsung's brand ambassadors holding Galaxy Tab

The Samsung 2011 brand ambassadors are:

• Jaymie Pizarro- editor and publisher, The Bull Runner Webmagzine
• JJ Yulo- business owner, Pinoy Eats World
• Aids Tecson- founder, Underground Logic
• Carlos Celdran- founder, Walk This Way
• Yael Yuzon- vocalist, Sponge Cola
• Laureen Uy- owner, Style Break
• Gang Badoy- founder, RockEd Philippines
• Ivan Acuna- painter
• Rosan Cruz- publicist
• Liza Ilarde- fashion editor, Style Weekend
• Dustin Andaya- owner, Island Rose
• Tippi Ocampo- designer
• Jowee Alviar and Mon Punzalan- owners, Team Manila

Valens Carnipure L-Carnitine

Commercial Break!

I was given two 500ml bottles of Carnipure by one of the Two Smart Guyz to try out. Carnipure- a 100% pure L- Carnitine no sugar added, is used as a supplement to help maintain health in times of stress and optimizes quality of life.

Did you know that L- Carnitine is part of our daily diet? Red meat like lamb and beef are rich in L- Carnitine. On average, we consume about 100- 300mg dietary L- Carnitine per day.

Valens Carnipure 500ml PhP2500

What L- Carnitine can do for you:

• nutrient that increases your energy
• aids in weight loss
• increases immune system
• lowers cholesterol & triglycerides

Living and Shining

This is a sponsored post for Shine on Sister...

I love life! I recently celebrated my 35th birthday. Yes, I am not ashamed to announce my age.  Didn’t your mama tell you that age is just a number?

dinner date on my birthday; with hubby

Every year, on May 2, I celebrate! I spend quality time with my husband, dine out with family and party with old & new friends. The celebration would last the whole month of May.

Anlene Concentrate

I just want to share with you what I am currently drinking here in the office. It's Anlene Concentrate in Chocolate flavor. The tetra pack is quite small at just 125 ml but packed with 650mg Calcium, 3.3ug Vitamin D, 68mg Magnesium and 3mg Zinc. 

Anlene Concentrate High Calcium Low Fat UHT milk drink box of 4 Php120

Anlene Concentrate contains:

• 4x Calcium than regular milk
• It has essential bone strengthening nutrients like Calcium, Vitamin D, Magnesum and Zinc
• It contains Vitamin D which supports effective absorption of Calcium

Birthday celebration at Classic Confections!

My visit: May 2, 2011

Classic Confections

2/F Greenbelt 5

Legaspi St., Legaspi Village

Makati

7299243

Franco and Cookie from Bridges, a PR company, treated me and Rowena for lunch on my birthday. Cyma was a unanimous choice for lunch. The Roka Salata is so good that we ended up ordering 2 haha After our hearty lunch, we went to Classic Confections because according to Franco I have to have a  birthday cake. A birthday will not be complete if I don't blow a candle. How sweet!

cheesecake PhP225

Yummy cheesecake as my birthday cake weeee! I should really lose some weight now haha

Weekend Home Cooking at Felicity Patisserie

My event: May 1, 2011

Felicity Patisserie

2nd floor Unit F Holy Spirit Drive cor. Don Matias St.,

Don Antonio Heights, Quezon City

across Cake To Go

09178531998

Felicity- intense happiness. 

Patisserie- A shop where French pastries and cakes are sold. 

Felicity Patisserie is more than just a shop that sold cakes. Expect a taste of weekend home cooking when you dine here. This restaurant is operated by a husband and wife tandem and together they create flavorful dishes and cakes. 

Dory with Tomato-Pesto Confit PhP200

I am salivating as I am typing right now. Who wouldn't? Chunky fish meat topped with cherry tomato. Delish!

Confit means meat cooked slowly in its own fat. 

Enchanted Kingdom on Black Saturday

My visit: April 23, 2011

Enchanted Kingdom

San Lorenzo South City

Sta. Rosa, Laguna

5843535   5844326   8303535   8302112

I am alternating my posts between how I spent my Holy Week and my birthday.  I still have so much to share. It didn't help that blogger has gone bonkers yesterday. 

On Black Saturday, we travelled to south of Manila to Enchanted Kingdom where the magic stays with you hehe My sister is a fast driver. With no traffic, we reached the destination in less than an hour. 

my parents

I have been there several times so has my mom and my sister but it's my dad's first time. We wanted him to see the place. We are all scaredy cats so we opted to pay just the entrance fee or what they call the carousel ticket. Each ticket costs PhP150. Senior discount is applicable. Our tickets allowed us to roam around the park grounds and have unlimited access to Grand Carousel, Bumnling Boulders and Boulderville Express. Unfortunately, we were not able to ride Bumbling Boulders because it opens at 3pm. We were already on our way back to Manila then.

Relaxing Weekend in Quan Spa Marriott Hotel Manila

My event: May 1, 2011

Quan Spa

Marriott Hotel 

Manila

quanspamanila@mariott.com

9889999

This is my pre- birthday present from Pevonia Botanica. Quan Spa inside Marriott Hotel Manila is a relaxing retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. I am so happy that I get to share this experience with DH. 

Quan Spa

Quan literally means a source of pure water. It also refers to all things good and pure. At Quan Spa, the miracle of water lies ahead of you.

DH and I love spas! You can tell by my tweets and on my FB wall that we have weekly massages. We even recently discovered a home massage called Spa Amansala but that would be another post haha 

While Jen and I were direct messaging thru FaceBook about having Pevonia as one of my sponsor for my birthday blowout giveaway, topic about spas crop up. Apparently, Pevonia distributes organic spa products in prestigious spa like The Spa and Quan Spa. That's how DH and I were able to try Pevonia's Summer Temptation- a full body ritual that includes a body scrub, massage, 30 minute facial and bath soak. Tempting indeed!

Pharmaton and the wonders of Ginseng

Commercial muna!

Ginseng, according to the dictionary, is a plant tuber credited with various tonic and medicinal properties, esp. in the Far East. Ginseng G115, a standardized form of ginseng is proven to energized both mind and body.  I know ginseng, a natural herb extract,  have been used by my grandfather. He used to formulate Chinese traditional medicine when he was still alive. He operated a small Chinese drug store and used different herbs to treat different ailments. 

Pharmaton PhP 24.50 per capsule

Pharmaton is a multivitamin and mineral supplement that contains Ginseng G115. When taken regularly, it will increase levels of alertness and mental clarity aside from treating and reducing tiredness.


Read more after the break to view another contest...

My first yellow dress ever!

Plains & Prints 

L5 Shangri-la Plaza

Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City

6871393

Excited! That was how I felt while I was exchanging email messages with Theya So of Plains & Prints. She told me that I can choose any off the rack dress that I like for my birthday!

taken the night of my birthday with Apple and Precious

dress: Plains & Prints decaf perforated dress in yellow PhP1595
belt: Plains & Prints Cassey in brown/ black PhP450
earrings: Jewelmer
shoes: Aldo

Awesome Bargains at AyosDito.ph

I will be going to Boracay in a couple of weeks and I am looking for hassle free airport transfer from Caticlan airport to Boracay Island. A friend of mine recommended a website called AyosDito.ph- an online classified ads. I browsed through the site under Tours and Holidays for sale Western Visayas. I found my way through seamlessly and saw one with a comprehensive description of what their company is offering. I will make a mental note to call the company tomorrow morning to ask for its availability to pick my friend and I up on our scheduled trip. Weee! Keeping my fingers crossed.

screencap of the detailed description of the company's service

I was curious about what else this site has to offer. I found out that it is also for people who are interested  to buy used cars. I will recommend this site to my brother who is into buying and selling cars. He can easily sign up and post photos of the cars that he was selling. How hard can that be? Signing up is free plus the ad will run for 60 days. Isn't that a good deal?

Finding this site is so timely since DH is planning on selling our car. He could post an ad in the classifieds section. I would encourage you to post in this site too because I know there are a lot of people relying on this site. And what have you got to lose, right?

For those of you want to buy a used car, I found another site on how to buy used car. With this site, you don't have to worry about buying a lemon. It's like a manual. So, you might want to check it out before buying one. 

I hope everything will go well with my inquiry tomorrow. I want my vacation to be worry free. Wish me luck!

The Stock Market in Bonifacio High Street

My visit: April 22, 2011

The Stock Market

B1/B3 Bonifacio High Street

Taguig City

8566300 to 01

I first saw this restaurant when I was still joining fun run. Hmmm, I can't tell you how long ago it was haha But I can tell you this, I am back running, on the thread mill this time!

It was Good Friday, after checking out at EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, my family and I went to Bonifacio High Street expecting the place to be deserted. To our surprise, many people didn't leave Manila at all. 

Most of the restaurants are open. The Stock Market is one of them. We roamed around the area and found out that not all shops were open. As we walked along the rows and rows of restaurants and shops, we saw Bonifacio High Street's version of Station of the Cross. I saw people literally carrying the cross. I was just wasn't in the mood to take a photo of it because I am starving.

 Stock Market Harvest Salad PhP325

I find the serving a bit small for PhP325. Slices of pineapple are on one side and cut veggies with bananas, grapes, apples and nuts on the other side. Pepper and vinaigrette are on top of the salad. 

Jacob's Shawarma

My visit: April 18, 2011

Unit 115 AIC Grande Tower 

Garnet & Sapphire Road

2277686   2121212

I have been meaning to try this restaurant for quite some time. I usually saw its sign on my way to Robinson's Galleria. At last, I was able to eat at Jacob's Shawarma with my parents when I went to visit my cousin's shop. DH needed a tailor made barong. 

my mom eating chicken shawarma pita 8" PhP95

My mom can't stop raving about how good the chicken shawarma is. She kept saying "Hmmm... sarap!" lol The wrap may be thin but it was certainly filling. I love it especially when I put lemon sauce on top. It gives off a tangy taste to balance the sweet taste of tomatoes and onions. 

MrsMartinez' Birthday Blowout giveaway!

Hello! This is the birthday girl speaking haha I am back! As promised, this is going to be a major, major giveaway! Over PhP40, 000 worth of prizes to be given away to not just one but FIVE (5) winners! The following prizes are from brands that I use and love. I want you to enjoy it so what are you waiting for. Scroll down to see what are up for grabs!

prizes to be won in MrsMartinez' birthday blowout

Prizes at stake:

• Obagi Professional-C Serum 15% Vitamin C Serum PhP4, 850
• Obagi-C RX System C- Cleansing Gel with Vitamin C PhP3, 740
• Obagi Signature Treatment PhP3, 500
• Pevonia Botanica Dry Oil Body Moisturizer PhP3, 120
• Carmex Moisturizing Lip Balm PhP99.25
• Ramen Bar PhP5, 000
• Plains & Prints PhP5, 000
• Serenitea PhP1,000
• Jewelmer Flow Magazine with Mother of Pearl Bookmark
• Jewelmer The Ultimate Orient Coffee Table Book
• Jewelmer Mother of Pearl Bookmark that can double as necklace
• Pure White Facial Foam 50g PhP82.75
• Flawless White Spot Blocking Serum PhP485
• Flawless White Day Cream PhP159
• A set Age Miracle gift pack (facial foam PhP219.75, day cream PhP593.75 and night cream PhP643.75) 
• Ipanema gift certificates