the canDIshhh tales

Thank you #ToyKingdomPH for giving us Filipinos the opportunity to meet Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle! It was truly a dream come true for Kailee!  She was starstruck, she couldn't speak, she was in awe when she met them. Thank you to the most amazing toy store - #ToyKingdomPH Look at the smile on Kailee's face. That is pure joy and delight. You still have time! Catch them both tomorrow at the Main Mall Atrium of SM Mall of Asia! Read the mechanics HERE. NO PURCHASE required!  Just show up and line up!!

#PickYourPinesol - I pick LEMON! Yes, I associate citrusy scents with cleanliness.  I can't explain it but I find that when I smell something citrusy - it's automatically clean smelling.  Little did I know that in the Philippines, most people too associate cleanliness to the citrus smell. I have been a Pine-Sol user for years.  I switched to this brand because my friend Kath would tell me how effective it was.  One observation was that she had three (3) dogs in her home, and they stayed inside the house at night.  So if you can imagine, the scent of three dogs - but once you enter Kath's house.  There wasn't an ounce of any doggy smell, I was amazed.  In my house, I have 4 dogs - three of them stay outside and my garage reeks of dog smell.  I've tried Lysol, laundy detergent but ntohing happened - there was still the doggy smell.  One day, I told myself - why not try Pine-Sol, I mean there was nothing to lose!  On our next supermarket trip, my Panget and tri

Image grabbed from this site Everyone has them.  In our country, we have an extended family.  So mere friends of our parents, we call them  or refer to them as aunt and uncles.  There doesn't need to a blood relation for us to call them aunt, auntie, uncle, tita or tito. When I was young, I was taught to regard elders with Uncle and Auntie, Tito or Tita, Ahia, Kuya, Ate, Achi.  It was instilled in us that no matter the age - as long as they belong in the same generation - well, we need to call them such. My mom has cousins that are just a few years older than us.  Heck, she has cousins that were only months older than us!  Yet, we call them - Uncle - because they belong to the same generation of my mom.  We were taught to regard them as such and since I was taught that, I practice that.  I grew up with family members saying Achi this Ate this Ahia that Kuya that.  Uncle this Tito this, Auntie that Tita that - I was very familiar and very much comfortable throwing those *ti

I will get straight to the point. This is the Carnivore Lechon from Leonardo's Lechon: Yes, those are sausages - 3 kinds to be exact, hungarian, kielbasa and chorizo then bacon, garlic potatoes and herbs. Once the manong hacked the lechon open, the aroma of the sausages, herbs and lechon filled the room.  It was glorious - glorious because I closed my eyes and let the scent fill me and my imagination.  It was wonderful.  Imagine, the aroma of sausages add to that the aroma of herbs and the garlic potatoes and mix it with the delicious scent of roasted lechon skin.   The combination was deadly. Here's another look at the lechon cross-section.   I swear to you, you will NOT look at lechon the same way again, after seeing and tasting this.  I don't think I will want to eat the normal kind of lechon or a different kind of lechon.  THIS LECHON IS IT.  I confess that I am not fond of lechon and the only thing I eat of lechon is the skin - but this

Yes, you read that right - MEET and GREET Elsa and Anna of Arendelle! And its happening this weekend, Saturday AND Sunday (August 29 & 30) at the Main Mall Atrium of SM Mall of Asia!! Wonderful news right?? This is truly a once in a lifetime event from the well loved royals of Arendelle.  Let' give them a very warm welcome to the Philippines!  Yes, this is their first time to visit the Philippines!  I think I am more excited than Kailee!  Hahaha.. The event is totally FREE. Please read through the mechanics. This event is brought to you by Toy Kingdom!! Disney Frozen Forever Meet & Greet                                                                                                             Here's your chance to meet Princess Anna and Elsa of Arendelle on their visit to Manila and South East Asia! Date and Venue: August 29 to 31, 2015 – Main Mall Atrium, SM Mall of Asia *Queuing starts at 11:00 AM. Event ends at 7:00 PM. Mechan

I almost forgot about Ben's Cookies! My friend Tin told me to try them when I happen to see one.  I thought, ano kaya yon?  And while walking along Oxford Street after shopping in Primark, I suddenly saw Ben's Cookies!  I literally ran to the store which was across the street!  My Panget was confused, I think because I suddenly disappeared.  When I re-appeared, he looked surprised!  I'm sure he didn't know what happened.  But seeing that I was munching on a cookie - he knew why.  Katakawan.   Hahaha!! It was just a small store but the store smelled so delish!  They were baking fresh cookies.  I already forgot what flavor I picked but man was it good.  They hand you the cookie in a paper bag, it's still warm - you need to consume it immediately.  Well, that was what I was told by the staff.  And I did. It was love at first bite. The cookie was cooked through and it was chewy.  It was warm and it was very good.  I closed my eyes after taking the first bite.

Woohoo!! * I need to make a part two because my post will be soooo lengthy!  You know how I am when I *kwento* Hahaha!! * KidZania is here!  To tell you the truth, I had no idea what KidZania is all about.  I had to google it when I head about it through friends last year.  I thought the concept was really nice and I was sure to try it once it opened. KidZania Manila recently opened its doors and everyone was excited.  I was included.  Hahaha!  The thing was - I had no idea when I would visit, but I was sure that I would.  My friend Kath, sent me a message inviting me to go with her since she bought her kids tickets.  I went online and bought for Kailee and Connor on the same dates.  Since we went on a *holiday* the rate was the same with that of the *weekend* rate which was a but more expensive with less time.  We chose the 1st slot - 9:00AM to 2:00PM.  I assumed that we wound be done by 1:00PM tops. A few days ago, my Panget decided that he wanted to tag along.  Unfortunately

Since I am a pen addict, I think it is but right that I share my *pen* to a lucky reader.  Yes, you read that right - I am doing a giveaway!  I'm giving away a Stabilo Easy Gel Right handed Pen!! :) I wrote about being impressed that Stabilo has a pen specially for Lefties - and since I am a Rightie, well - I thought it would be nice to give away a Rightie pen! Joining is very easy. Just leave the following details on the comment section: a)  Full Name (the same name on your valid ID) b)  Email address (one that you open often or regularly) *One entry per person!! There is one condition though, you MUST be able to pick up the pen in Quezon City.  Nope, I'm sorry but I won't be entertaining requests of shipping.  What I will allow is for a representative to pick up on your behalf.  Just make sure to have an authorization letter. Got it? Go! I will pick the winner via Random.org You have until Sunday (August 23, 2015 11:59PM) to join!

I used to hate chocolates.  The was a time in the not so distant past that I disliked anything chocolate.  I refused to eat desserts with chocolate drizzles, ice cream and anything with chocolate on it.  I was a choco racist.  I did not understand friends who adored chocolates.  But it all changed when I got pregnant.  I suddenly had this unimaginable craving for chocolates.  Since then, I've a better understanding of why people like love chocolates. While my Panget and I were planning our Paris trip.  We read blogs ( Jin's actually) , travel sites, IG (Marbee!) and reviews.  We always encountered Angelina as a place to visit.  My friend Kath also sent me a list that included Angelina.  So I guess, they all really wanted us to try Angelina. After our failed Louvre visit (well, it was a Friday and we planned to visit the museum at night (Wednesday and Fridays had night viewing), but at that particular Friday - they closed early for something) so we headed out the *compound*

Hong Kong will forever be a favorite food destination for me.  It will forever be #1 in my list for quick getaways.  I like it because I am familiar with it.  I can be adventurous and try new restaurants or I can trust the ones that I've been to and liked all these years.  I particularly love Chinese food.  Yes, I'm boring that way.  I find comfort in eating Chinese fare - I was asked by a cousin in law why I want to keep eating Chinese food.  Hong Kong, she says is a melting pot of cuisines all over the world - well, I particularly like Chinese food.  I just love it!  Hahaha.. A dear friend took us to Jade Garden in Causeway Bay.  It was my first time to go the Causeway Bay Plaza 2!  I mean I've passed by it a couple of times, but I never really went in.  The place is quite big and it was bustling when we got there. I didn't get to take pictures of the food because I was seriously too hungry.  But there was one picture, the lone picture of the meal and it was the c

There's a fad going on that I wasn't aware of - the Disney Princess Magic Clip Dresses.  During the recent trip, Kailee was screaming and jumping like crazy when she saw the clip dresses.  I thought she was just excited to see them - I didn't know that she has been watching youtube videos of those toys!  When I posted the picture on IG - friends commented telling me that a collection was in order, that I would like to be able to buy all the princesses in the clip dress series.  I took in passing, dismissing their *claims*.  Two days after, I was surprised to find out that my Panget was wanting to *collect* all for Kailee and that he bought all that he saw on display.  So I guess, it was my Panget who bit the bug.  Hahaha!! Life was not the same.  I would try my luck in local toy stores for those princess that we don't have yet - specifically, Aurora of Sleeping Beauty.  It slipped my mind that there were other *princesses* Mulan, Pocahontas, Merida, and Jasmine! A f

I am a pen addict.  I scour stationary shops and bookstores of pens that I like(and their refills) when I travel.  I had this notion that my kids are all right handed.  So when I noticed Kailee using her left hand - well, I was disappointed because I have leftie friends who say that it's so hard for them, that the universe is so biased for right handed people. A friend of mine taught me to look for and buy the triangular pencils and crayons.  That way - the kids will be able to handle pens and crayons comfortably.  So I bought some, and I must say - it's very effective.  Then last summer, I was invited to a Stabilo: Free Your True Colors event.  What I discovered there was so freeing and unbelievable (based on my standards) It was there that I learned that - there really is a science behind lefties and righties.  I was so happy to see and hear from the videos that there are pens made specially for lefties.  It was like, I was there with Kailee for a reason - it was so meant