Selecta Blasts: Oreo and Mrs. Fields

My fridge is overflowing with ice cream, thanks to Selecta! Two weeks after my birthday, Selecta sent over not just one but 3 new ice cream flavors- Oreo Cookies & Cream, Mr. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie and Oreo Rocky Road.

Oreo Cookies & Cream, Mr. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie and Oreo Rocky Road

We opened Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream first, then Oreo Cookies and Cream and saved the best for last, the Oreo Rocky Road!

To know more about this Select Blasts 3 new flavors, read after the break...

Steveston Pizza opens in Quezon City

Steveston Pizza
186 Tomas Morato corner Scout de Guia,
Quezon City
9219898

Steveston Pizza dubbed as "The Best Pizza in Vancouver" is now in the Philippines! I want to taste for myself how good it is. Last Sunday, my family and I visited its first branch in Quezon City.

posted this photo in Instagram

Steveston Pizza comes only in one size- 12 inches. Price varies from as low as PhP 399 to as high as PhP 1,299.  Aside from pizza, there's also salads and chicken wings. Unfortunately, chicken wings were out of stock the day we went. I know, bummer, right?

You can view the pizza we chose after the break...

Enter Sofitel's Summer of Luxury Sweepstakes!

Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila is having an online promotion dubbed as "Summer Luxury Sweepstakes". Joining is as easy as 1-2-3!

Sofitel Manila website

Mechanics:

1. Like Sofitel Manila or Spiral Manila on FaceBook
2. Choose Enter To Win app
3. Click Join The Sweepstakes

That's it! For the list of prizes, read after the break...

Baby Proofing: Secure-A-Lock & Outlet Cover w/ Keys

Now that baby girl is able to crawl and walk with the help of a traditional walker called andador, it's about time that I child proof (aka as Baby Proofing 101) our home.

 peek-a-boo! baby opening and closing cabinet doors

A few days ago, I posted the photo above on Instagram. Yesterday, I was surprised that she was able to reach a bottle of Bactidol inside. In the process, the bottle was dropped on the floor. Yes, it was a messy crime scene. Thank God, she was safe!

Anyway, after cleaning up the pile of mess. I vow to find a suitable preventive measure to prevent her from opening cabinet doors. 

OOTD:

Carter Onesies with Daddy's Girl print

Read more after the break....

May Beauty Must-Have

I was so busy with my birthday parties (yes, plural kasi madami talagang parties lol) and the planning of my 10th wedding anniversary surprise party for DH that I forgot all about this month's beauty must-have ; (

I know many of you are itching to know the latest beauty loot that I bought or was sent over. Without further ado, here's this month's stash...

Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Antibacterial Bar, Human Heart Nature Hydrating Creamy Wash, H2O Plus Exclusive Beauty Bag, Indigo Jar of Hope First Aid Gel 30ml, Mustela bebe Agua de Colonia 200ml, Cure Natural Aqua Gel trial sachet

I have been using some of the products for almost a month now and I can say that I am very happy with the results. To know more about these latest beauty must-have, click read more after the break...

Win PhP 10,000 in Appebon Kid Mom's Grocery Blowout

Mga mommies, how's your Sunday? Here's another great news---> For the month of May, you can have a chance to win a PhP 10,000 worth of grocery shopping spree from Mom's Grocery Blowout Promo courtesy of Appebon Kid! What a treat!!!

 Appebon Kid Mom's Grocery Blowout

I just finished submitting my entry, I hope you can submit an entry by following these very simple steps after the break ; )

Baby Surprises: Green Sproutlets & Bvlgari (Bulgari)

Lately, I have been receiving a lot of gift packages for my baby girl. One of my favorite was from a blogger friend, My Mom-Friday. She sent over some limited edition organic clothing apparel from Green Sproutlets. I already wrote about the brand last year, you can read my post here.

  Green Sproutlets Retro-Polka Collection (clockwise from left): Green Sproutlets Girls Pink Polka Tee & Ruffled Pants, Orange Onesies, Organic Reversible Hooded Blanket and Girls Organic Burpie and Girls Onesies 

I am tickled pink! I only want the best for my baby and Green Sproutlets clothing is ultra-soft to touch- perfect for my baby's sensitive skin. It is made of high quality Certified Organic Cotton (30%) and Viscose from Bamboo (70%) and other sustainable fabrics like soy or hemp.

With its polka-print and solid combination, going green has never been this fashionable!

Read more after the break...

Newly Renovated Gloria Maris in Greenhills

May 12, 2013

Gloria Maris Restaurant
Greenhills Shopping Center
Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila
5700885   7159525   4661998

To officially celebrate my first official Mother's Day, we had dinner at the newly renovated Gloria Maris Restaurant in Greenhills. We invited my side of the family as well as my SIL to join and celebrate with us.

Assorted Combination 4 pax PhP 1750

We didn't expect the shabu-shabu area would be full at half past six in the evening.We also didn't have any reservation so we ended up waiting a good one and a half hour just to get a table. We opted for two tables positioned side by side unless we wanted to wait a bit longer for the people seated at the round table to check out, ok, not going to happen ; p

At around 8 in the evening, we were comfortably seated and ready to order with our happy, smiling faces : ) The picture shown above was the order of table #1 which consists of my parents and brother. They decided to order a set menu instead of ticking off ingredients one by one. 

In a large serving plate, there's chicken, pork and beef. That's not all, there's also squid, tiger prawn, meat balls and kani sticks.

On another large bowl were the other ingredients like tofu, veggies and noodles which completes their shabu-shabu experience, you can view the photo after the break....

Lalaloopsy: Cloud E. Sky and her pet Puffy Poodle

The entire content of this entry has been transferred in my new blog, xoxo MrsMartinez

Good news! After my desperate tweet and post in FaceBook, I was finally able to find the Lalaloopsy character that I was looking for in SM Sta. Mesa's Toy Kingdom Express. I think I bought the last piece available in the market lol Anyway, I am so happy that I got my hands on Cloud E. Sky.

 Lalaloopsy Cloud E. Sky PhP 1699.75 isn't she the cutest?

Thank you all to those who tweeted and texted me. You gave me all sorts of tips on where I can find the doll, I appreciate it. One of my friends who was in Target when I posted my status in FB, immediately sent me a private message if I wanted one. She could get it for me for only $23.99. I can't believe that it is so cheap there compared to its price here ; (

To read the full entry, visit Cloud E. Sky Lalaloopsy Doll

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Tully's Coffee in Robinsons Magnolia

May 7, 2013

Tully's Coffee
3/F Robinsons Magnolia
Aurora Blvd cor. Dona Hemady St.,
Quezon City
9615481

The first time I had a taste of Tully's Coffee was in Osaka, Japan last December. I was surprised to see that it has opened a branch in Robinsons Magnolia... yehey!  I really wanted to try it out but every time I passed by the coffee shop, it was always full... darn!

Matcha Bellaccino Tall PhP 165

I finally got the chance to try it earlier this month. I ordered a tall Matcha Bellaccino. I love blended drinks but this one was too sweet for my taste. I can't even finish the cup I ordered.

Matcha Bellaccino is also available in Grande PhP 175 and Veinte PhP 185. Other flavors available are Mocha, Cookies and Cream, Coffee, Caramel, Chocolate and Chai.

Read more after the break...

Solaire Resort & Casino Food Court

May 5, 2013

Solaire Resort & Casino
1 Solaire Boulevard
Entertainment City
Metro Manila
8888888

I have heard/read of so many outrageous stories about the prices on the menu of the fine dining restaurants found in Solaire. One even mentioned that he knows somebody who claimed to have paid PhP 250,000 just for dinner - they were a group of 10.

So, just to be on the safe side, we didn't bother to dine in one of the elegant restaurants when we visited Solaire for the first time. We looked for its Food Court instead ; p 

Sweet & Sour Pork PhP 200

The food court is divided into six sections: Sapporo (obviously, Japanese food), Pan Asian (SouthEast Asian cuisine), Hong Kong, Chicken Licken (I read it serves very good roasted chicken), Americano and Patisserie.

Anyway, the minute I saw Sweet & Sour Pork on the menu, I told DH that's what I want. I can't think of anything else because it was already late in the afternoon and I was already very hungry- we went there right after we check-out from Sofitel.

It was not the best Sweet & Sour Pork that I have tasted, Ling Nam tasted better but it was good enough to satisfy my hunger pangs.

Read more after the break...

Have It Your Way at Achiote Taqueria Power Plant Mall

April 14, 2013

Achiote Taqueria Mexican Cuisine
R1 Level, Power Plant Mall
Rockwell, Makati City
8221242

Are a regular reader of my blog? Have you noticed that I often blog about Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisine? I know... sometimes it gets a little boring! So, when DH suggested that we dine in Achiote Taqueria, I didn't complain and just went along with his suggestion. I was really glad to try Mexican food for a change ; )

 Achiote Nachos PhP 395

Fresh crisp just-baked tortilla chips with black re-fried beans, pico de gallo, white Mexican cheese, topped with homemade sour cream and freshly made guacamole. 

Served with house salsa on the side.

First on our list of must-eat---> NACHOS! A trip to a Mexican restaurant will not be complete without one, agree? The tortilla chips remained crunchy despite the fact that it was overloaded with toppings! 

Hmmmm.... never mind that some of the chips were toasted/burnt as seen in the photo above ; p

Read more after the break...

MAPLE in Shangri-la East Wing

May 12, 2013

Maple
L/G Shangri-La Plaza, East Wing
EDSA corner Shaw Boulevard,
Mandaluyong City
6216211

PROMO!!!

Get HALF the price at Maple Shangri-La Plaza Mall East Wing branch when you charge a minimum bill of PhP 1,000 to your Citi Card. Enjoy a maximum discount of PhP 2, 500 per visit. Valid from May 20 to May 26, 2013. For inquiries calls 4778027 or 4777248.

Alas! After salivating from so many photos of Maple dishes taken by Instagram users that I follow, I was finally able to try it during Mother's Day ; )

The Maple Burger PhP 475

A juicy grilled patty, American cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, fried onion rings and maple glazed bacon

I will start with The Maple Burger, the patty was juicy. The melted cheese on top kept the burger compact even after slicing it into four for sharing ; p I noticed that the bun was small for its burger though. The bacon was cooked just the way I like it. How I wish there were several more onion rings on the side and not just three. After all, I am paying PhP 475 for this meal alone.

And, uh, I think the country fries do not belong with this order but in The Big Maple Breakfast ; p I don't know why it was served together with The Maple Burger. I just noticed it while writing this entry.

For other dishes on our table, read after the break...

Are You A NIDO Supermom?

There's a lot of exciting news this month of May! Good Housekeeping celebrates its 15th anniversary and in line with this, every copy of the magazine comes with a very special supplement- the Nido Supermom!

 Nido Supermom cover 

On the cover of this Mother's Day issue is none other than Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan. Other supermoms on the cover are prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, musician Barbie Almabis-Honasan, animal welfare advocate Tanya Guererro-Becker, and pastry chef Pixie Sevilla-Santos.

To find out who's on the cover of Good Housekeeping magazine, read after the break....

Go North and catch the Sponge!

Moms and dads! Here are the dates to remember for SpongeBob SquarePants Summer At The North:

1. May 18, 2013 - SpongeBob and Patrick Star Meet & Greet at The Block Atrium

• Get to Meet & Greet the beloved best friends. For every PhP 500 purchase of SpongeBob merchandise entitles you to spend time with the two fellows at 3pm or 5pm.

2. May 18 & 19, 2013 - Face Painting at The Block Atrium

• Kids and kids at heart can wear SpongeBob SquarePants' colors with pride at the Face Painting session from 3pm to 5pm.

3. May 18-31, 2013 - Get Squared Photo Op at The Block Atrium and at the Skygarden


What are you waiting for? Let's all go North and catch the Sponge! See you there!

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SpongeBob SquarePants Summer at the North

Hello mommies and daddies! Don't miss out on all the fun this summer! SM City North EDSA and Nickelodeon bring you SpongeBob SquarePants Summer at the North!

 SpongeBobSquarePants mascot

Bring your kids and join the fun at The North. Catch SpongeBob and Patrick live, get a glimpse of Bikini Bottom, enjoy Face Painting session and Get Squared Photo Op at The Block Atrium. That's not all, you can also take a tour at SpongeBob's Pineapple House, you might even meet his pet snail, Gary!

 Read more after the break...

DIY Anniversary Surprise (Verleo Catering & Pastry Princess)

This 2013 marks my 10th year wedding anniversary with DH. Since I am the mushy one in our relationship, I want to make the celebration extra special for my best friend, my partner in crime and my soul mate so I surprised him with an elaborate dinner not just for two but for our entire family!

DH and I celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary

I planned the whole surprise 10th wedding anniversary in less than a week. Yes, from ordering a cake to calling a caterer. It really helps if you are "best friends" with the caterer lol I really wanted to bring over a priest to officiate/ bless us as a couple but I was out of luck. I guess I am pushing too hard already ; p

Anyway, read more after the break...

Lola Cafe + Bar in Quezon City

April 19, 2013

Lola Cafe Bar
99 Sct. Lozano St.,
Quezon City
5012620

Happy Mother's Day!

Quezon City never runs out of new restaurants and that's one of the reasons why I love living here. Last month, I tried this new restaurant called Lola Cafe + Bar with my girl friends. We sampled a few dishes, there are some hits and misses. I found out that the restaurant just opened a few months before and maybe it is still finding its identity and flavor. Well, there's always room for improvement.

Garden Salad PhP 280

Romaine, arugula, cucumber, parmesan with candied walnut, feta cheese, fresh tomato and greek vinaigrette

An order of Garden Salad is good for sharing. The vegetable were not wilted and the amount dressing was just right. I also loved the shaved parmesan, candied walnut and feta cheese. These ingredients reminded me of Cyma's Roka Salata.

For our other orders, read after the break...

Greenhills Uno Seafood Palace Birthday Celebration

May 5, 2013

Greenhills Uno Seafood Palace
43 Annapolis St., Greenhills, San Juan
7246192   7246193   7211995   7228743

My birthday is a monthlong celebration. After celebrating it with DH on my actual birthday, I celebrated it again with my family last Sunday in Greenhills Uno Seafood Palace. It is located where Annapolis Seafood Restaurant used to be.

birthday cake bought from Hizon's

My sister's birthday is actually 3 days after my birthday so this second party is a joint birthday celebration! We always buy cake from Hizon's, it's our favorite. The sweetness is just right and the cake is always moist, never dry.

We ordered from the restaurant's set menu. Read after the break for photos of the yummy dishes...

SM Accessories Cool School Must-Haves Coupons

Hello moms and dads! School opening is just around the corner. Are you done with your shopping? Well, I have great news!!! SM Accessories came out with a great compilation of school-must haves.

SM Accessories #FashionAuthority

What's more?! SM Accessories are coming out with coupons so you can get items like lunch kits, school bags, tumblers and socks at discounted prices.

To find out more about it, read after the break....

1 Peso Appetizer from Texas Roadhouse Grill Shangrila East Wing

May 2, 2013

Texas Roadhouse Grill
Level 6 East Wing
Shangri-La Plaza Mall
09174548681

DH and I were supposed to go to Solaire to celebrate my birthday but he went home late so we ended up in Shangri-la's East Wing. I was initially looking for this new restaurant called Maple but we were not able to locate it... bummer! We settled for Texas Roadhouse Grill instead because it is a lot like Chili's (It has fajitas!!!). I was craving for fajitas for days, finally, I get the chance to eat one on my birthday!

 Jesse James Sampler for only PhP 1 (originally PhP 465)

The PhP 1 Appetizer flyer was handed over to us before we were ushered to our table. We picked Jessie James Sampler because it was the priciest one ; p On my next visit, I will order Santa Fe Nachos (PhP 365) because it looks appetizing, I saw one being served on another table.

Read what else we ordered after the break....

Breakfast at Spiral

Our Club Millesime room came with a buffet breakfast for two. We have a choice to dine at the Lounge or at Spiral. We chose the latter. The buffet starts at 6:30 am so we woke up early the next day to enjoy the sumptuous cuisines the restaurant has to offer.

 Spiral Breakfast Buffet

The second we entered the restaurant, it was already bustling with diners. Most patrons were families and business executives having their morning cup of coffee. We were ushered to our table located near La Veranda.

Food photos after the break...

Club Millesime in Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila

I celebrated my birthday weekend in Sofitel Philippine Plaza, the finest luxury hotel in Manila. I booked it over a month ago. Upon arriving, we were quite surprised when the Sofitel Guest Services Team announced that we were selected to be the "Guest of the Day".

 birthday cake from Sofitel Manila

Instead of just an overnight stay in a Superior Room, we were upgraded to Sofitel Philippine Plaza's Luxury Room Club Millesime... yey!

Club Millesime Lounge is open from 6:00am to 10pm. Complimentary food and beverage services are good for 2 adults and 1 child below 12 years old.

Schedule:

• A la Carte Breakfast - 6:00 am - 10:00 am
• Afternoon Snack - 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
• Cocktails and Scheduled Wine Tasting - 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
• All Day Refreshments - 10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Other privileges/benefits as a Club Millesime guest can be found after the break....

Surprises on my Birthday!

This year, my birthday is extra special because I celebrated it for the first time with my daughter. Plus the fact that family, relatives, friends and readers from all over the world greeted me online via Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. I received a lot of SMS greetings too. I even got one from our ex-househelp who now works for my SIL ; p Some even attempted to call me on my phone but my cellphone is always on SILENT mode these days lol

People who are close to me know that celebrating my birthday is a big thing for me. Getting all the attention for one day has made me a very happy person so thank you all!

Dulcelin Mango Torte from my carebear friend, Leony

I just want to thank the following people who made my day extra special starting with my very good friend and elementary classmate, Leony. She never fails to deliver something special for my birthday. This year, she gave a very delicious Mango Torte from Dulcelin. I kept it frozen and only took it out for dessert after dinner last night ; p

Read the rest of the surprises after the break...

Chicco Jazzy in Red Wave

I was not able to blog yesterday because it was my birthday. I was out celebrating with my parents during lunch and with DH and baby during dinner. Anyway, more on that in my next post!

For today, I want to share my recent purchase for my baby girl, a new high chair! When I went to Rustan's, I didn't know that there are a lot to choose from. Prices also varies. Chicco brand won me over because I think it was the most stable among the bunch.

Chicco Jazzy in Red Wave PhP 5,995.75

Just a precaution, highchairs are for kids who are able to sit upright without any help from an adult. This is recommended for babies that are 6 months or older. With this type, I can use it for my baby until she turns 3 years old or weighs 15kg. 

For a closer look, read after the break...

Mr. Bean Fresh Soya Milk, Taho & Pancakes in Eastwood Mall

April 30, 2013

Mr. Bean
Ground Floor (near Activity area)
Eastwood Mall

Mr. Bean celebrates it's first birthday today and you are all invited! For the first 40 customers who visit Mr. Bean branches at Alabang Town Center, Eastwood Mall, JP Morgan Net Plaza Building and Lucky China Town Mall, you can get to win a free gift. That's not all, visit any of the stores and check out the price roll back!

 trying out Cheese Pancake PhP 60

Mr. Bean's pancake has siksik sa sarap pancake. Are you a cream cheese lover? Then this order is definitely for you. All that cream cheese goodness is right in the middle of the pancake ; )

Other variants to try are Peanut Butter and Chocolate.

Check out what else I ordered yesterday....