Monday, December 18, 2017

Baked Treats and Goodies for the Holidays

For a few years now, our dining table and refrigerator, especially during the holidays, have been laden with baked goods and sweets, boxed or pre-packaged ones you would often see in bazaars or during Christmas gift giving at work.

My brother and his wife, their day jobs in the telecom industry notwithstanding, have been flexing their entrepreneurial muscles for some time now, reselling food items like chicharon (Chicharon capital Sta. Maria, Bulacan is just two municipalities over where we live.) and said baked goods and sweets. We are only too eager to taste test and provide feedback.

pines brownies butterscotch aizas marzipan lech flan chocovron polvoron
clockwise from left: Pines brownies, Aiza's Sweets marzipan, Pines butterscotch, Chocovron polvoron, leche flan
Aiza's Sweets Marzipans are yema bonbons with generous slivers of cashew nuts. This is my sister's bet. Because she is nutty. Kidding.

Chocovron Polvoron is actually a brand of  polvoron with inventive flavors like malunggay, sometimes coated in chocolate. They're really good.

I am not sure of the brand of the leche flan but this one's a winner. This milky creamy flan is coated in a generous caramel sauce. It does not have the gelatin-y taste some flans have. Said flans use gelatin to hold them upright and keep their structure. There have been flans with fancy flavors like strawberry cheesecake and cookies and cream which have come out but this simple unadulterated flan will remain as our favorite.

Monday, November 27, 2017

Herbs and Beauty Shampoo with Rose and Chamomile Calming Essence Review

Some time ago, after a nasty argument with a (ping) CSR over their system malfunctioning/getting hacked thus putting me and my family at risk and gleaning through our conversation that they have little love for people who join their online club/group and that they do not care at all about what you think about their products, given that they have no regard for reviews (I am beginning to suspect that their replies on their fb pages are canned), I felt like flushing all the (ping) products we have in the house in the toilet. Didn't go through with it. Used them to clean the toilet instead. To think their products were house staples. Well not anymore.

So since I am staying away from (ping) products forever, I've been on an adventure to try other products in the market.

Herbs and Beauty Shampoo

Herbs and Beauty Shampoo is a little known shampoo brand from Personal Collection, a direct selling company. It's not readily available in physical stores. I have a feeling though that this is where we are heading now. Due to traffic, people are finding it more convenient to buy stuff online, from neighborhood stores, people they know who also sell stuff or from people who visit their office or house.

Monday, November 20, 2017

Trip to Divisoria: Tips, Tricks, Hacks

It's that time of the year again when all roads lead to Divisoria, a shopping mecca in Manila, Philippines. For most, it's the place to go when you need budget-friendly gifts for inaanaks and Christmas decors. Most teachers and their families go to Divisoria to purchase items for the class Christmas party loot bags and prizes.

Here are some tips, tricks and hacks we have gathered from several trips to Divisoria over the years.

plastic sack eco bag
eco bags