Fisher Farms Gourmet Baked Rellenong Bangus for the Holidays

Move on over ham and lechon, our family enjoyed a healthier kind of Noche Buena this year as we shared with our loved ones this 1.3kg Gourmet Baked Rellenong Bangus created by celebrity chef and food expert Reggie Aspiras. 

The milkfish is stuffed with a savory filling of fish, sweet potato, bangus belly, shrimp and other premium and special ingredients that give a holiday twist to this traditional dish. Juicy and flavorful but not cloying like its fried counterparts, the Gourmet Baked Rellenong Bangus makes any celebration merry and healthy. 

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Manulife’s Bundle of Joy: A lasting gift for our young family’s future by Cheryl De Guia-Lim (Guest Post)

If there’s one thing I learned as a newbie parent, one should give what’s best for the child, especially for a newborn baby. Parents are expected to know how to feed, bathe, clothe, play with, and generally care for their baby – but babies don't come with instructions. And even if this isn't your first, you may still be trying to figure out how to deal with it physically, emotionally and financially.

The vast majority of newborns enter the world healthy but they are more vulnerable to germs than older babies because they simply haven't had time to build up defenses. Sometimes infants develop conditions that require medical tests and treatment. All signs and symptoms are of even greater concern if the baby is less than 3 months old.

We experienced this first hand as my husband Oliver and I found ourselves rushing to the emergency room at 2 a.m. due to the high fever of our newborn son. After a series of laboratory tests to rule out bigger complications, our little boy was diagnosed with Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Seven days and eighty thousand pesos later, we were discharged with our baby healthier and stronger.

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Krem-Top's Change for the Better Campaign

When else is it more apt to call on people towards progress and doing things better than the end of the year. While others might think the start of the year is better, this end of the year campaign also allows for us to celebrate the great accomplishments of the year that we are about to conclude.

Krem-Top has just spearheaded a national campaign towards "Change for the Better."  This started in 2012, as a call to action for people to commit and sustain the change to become better individuals.

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@LamidoPH Black Friday Sale

Buckle up and get ready for Lamido's Biggest Sale of the Year - The Black Friday Sale happening from Decenber 1 to 12, 2014. Blink lest you miss deals up to 80% off, with free shipping and cash on delivery options. 

 

Lamido buy and sell will also be conducting games for patrons and get a chance to win a free phones: a Lamido fashion item and other stuff that are up for grabs for only P12 at the 12/12 Flash Sale. 

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Lotus Biscoff is now available in local stores

Lotus Biscoff, which is known to jetsetters as the "in-flight treat" has arrived in Manila through Flying Ace Corporation. The cookie butter craze has dominated the market in this last couple of years and the only way consumers can buy it is through online sellers who also order from overseas. 

The newly acquired exclusively distributed brand by Flying Ace is going to make a lot of households happy now that Lotus Biscoff can be found in supermarkets nationwide. 

From top to bottom: Roquefort Salad with Biscoff, Crostini Biscoff Salpicao, Pumpkin Shooter with Biscoff and Fish Finger with Biscoff Crumbs 

When we attended the Grand Lotus Biscoff launch in Makati last week, it didn't occur to me the endless possibilities of Lotus Biscoff, whether it's the spread or the cookies themselves. Renowned French Chef Patrice of Society Lounge did a great job in coming up with such delicious array of Biscoff-infused (spread and biscuits) dishes. They all tasted so good, on a very first class level. We helped ourselves with more than a single helping. 

The concept of Biscoff (Biscuit + Coffee) isn't really the norm for us in the local scene. Yes, we have biscotti in coffee shops but there's really not so much to hype about. For some very gastronomic and palatable reason, the caramelized Biscoff goes well in perfect harmony with the taste of coffee. My wife and I agree that it's the ultimate coffee experience. We haven't enjoyed coffee as much as we do now. 

Biscoff Cinammon Rolls

Biscoff cookies have been Europe’s coffee break favorite since 1932.  It is baked in the small Belgium town of Lembeke, in the same location where its founders, the Boone brothers, opened their first bakery. Once the cookies were packed, the brothers would drive around town in their trademark red truck to deliver these prized treats. Eight decades later and the recipe still remains. It was in the 1950s when Lotus introduced pairing these cookies with coffee, which then became a routine in Belgian hotels, restaurants, and coffee shops. Soon, Lotus Biscoff became “Europe’s Favorite Cookie with Coffee.” 

Lotus Biscoff is exclusively distributed by Fly Ace Corporation. 

Lotus Biscoff products available in supermarkets, restaurants and specialty stores: 

1. Lotus Biscoff Original Caramelized Biscuit in 125g, 250g, 1.875kg, 156g, 124g, 500g 

2. Lotus Biscoff Original Caramelized Biscuit Twinpack Innerbox 20x25g

3. Lotus Biscoff Spread Smooth 400g 

4. Lotus Biscoff SpreadCrunchy 380g 

For more on Lotus Biscoff, visit www.biscoff.com.

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Figaro's Yuletide Offerings

Figaro has recently launched their Yuletide Drinks through their Christmas flavors of Praline and Speculoos. 

Figaro Yuletide Drinks 

Praline Frost and Speculoos Frost - P145 (16oz.) and P165 (20pz.),  

Praline Latte and Speculoos Latte - P119 (8oz.)

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The Book of Revelation Made Clear Review

Lately, our household has had some interesting talks and questions about topic end times. This arose after watching a video about the blood moon and its possible connection with things prophesied in the book of Revelation and after the recent showing of the movie Left Behind.

Topics about prophecy and eschatology are difficult to discuss and teach about even as a man who has read and taught about it. Thanks to "The Book of Revelation Made Clear: A Down-to-Earth Guide to Understanding the Most Mysterious Book of the Bible" by Tim LaHaye and Timothy Parker, Revelation can now be understood easier.

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Kris Aquino is Chowking's Newest Franchisee

We could not have expected an event less grand than when Chowking officially welcomed Kris Aquino as their newest franchisee last week at White Space in Makati City. Although we had to wait a while, with a handful of bouncers all over the place, we kind of expected it to be well secured since the main person is a member of the first family. The members of the media were given Chinese treats as we waited for Kris.

A favorite from amongst the treats was the Chinese Calligraphy. Above is the actual video I took while the Chinese Calligrapher was skillfully drawing my wife's name on a xuan paper (or Shuen paper or rice paper, is a kind of paper originating in ancient China used for writing and painting).

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Beeffalo: Ribs and Steaks in Marikina City

If you are looking for a place in Marikina City or Rizal area where you can find tender and juicy Baby Back ribs or steaks that are grilled perfectly, then Beeffalo by Hot Rocks is the place to go. Years ago, my family frequented a place in Bagumbayan/Libis, Quezon City area called Hot Rocks, located inside the Club Six-Fifty parking compound. It was a discovery that changed our lunch habit every Sunday because it made us crave for their medium-rare Porterhouse steak. 

Beeffalo, all geared up for Halloween

Beeffalo's Baby Back Ribs is available with Java rice in Single (PHP 270) or Full order (PHP 740)

Beeffalo's Porterhouse steak, also available in two orders: 250 grams (PHP 385) and 450 grams (PHP 650)

You can use this guide below as to how you want your grilled steak:

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Rethink your drink: Hydration is key to a healthy, happy life

What we drink and how many times we drink is the key to a healthy and happy life. Too often, though, many of us think of only two elements as we go through our daily challenges in work or at home: food and fitness. It does not matter how many diet plans we missed or exercise regimens that we did not complete; at the back of our minds, we believe that it is essential to eat the right foods and perform physical activities regularly if we are to meet the demands in our personal and professional spheres.

All this is well and good, but it still lacks the third, and unfortunately often-ignored, aspect that is also important to our physical and mental well-being: hydration. In the medical sense, hydration means “adding water to our body.” To many of us, this means following the age-old rule taught to us since childhood that is to drink eight glasses of water a day. It is a healthy advice that we try to follow but often overlook. How many of us do make it a point to take that much amount of water intake? 

The only time we do become aware of the need to fill up our body with fluid is when we engage in physical activity. Thirty minutes of pounding the treadmill at the gym, whipping up a storm in dance class, or just a brisk walk around the neighborhood – the minute sweat breaks out of our body and the pangs of thirst set in, that’s when we tend to look for the nearest water cooler or, if we are smart, grab the thermos we brought with us.

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Tokyo Joe: The Newest Casual Japanese Restaurant in Town

A new Japanese fast food restaurant just opened in Spark Place along P. Tuazon, Cubao, Quezon City. It's not at all like the common fastfood restos around that serve chicken and burgers. Tokyo Joe is a casual Japanese restaurant which serves the Gyudon, the 100-year old Japanese recipe of rice topping, also known as the Beef Bowl Misono, with the option to enjoy complimentary items like drinks, California Maki, Age Gyoza, or other sidings  to go with it.

There are three upgrades available for a Donburi, Bento or Ramen:

1) Maki upgrade (PHP 65) - California, Beef, Chicken, Salmon or Super California Maki with regular iced tea

2) Sides upgrade (PHP 75) - 3-piece Gyoza, Yakimeshi, Ika Ring, Kani Salad or Fish Fingers and regular iced tea

3) Combo upgrade (PHP 125) - California Maki and 3-piece Gyoza, California Maki and Kani Salad, or Yakimeshi and 3-piece Gyoza with regular iced tea

Tokyo Joe's Beef Bowl Misono

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Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park: A Quick Getaway Near Metro Manila

In the first week of October, after not having visited the place for more that five years with my wife and other blogger friends, I was able to visit Island Cove again, this time, not just with my wife, but with our son as well. This was an answer to our prayers because the week prior to this, our son had his bubble popped after the fishing area in Eden Nature Park in Davao closed on us. It was such a blessing to have his fishing dream fulfilled, thank God for Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park.

Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park used the name "Covelandia Island Resort" back in 1976 until 1985 and the above photo is an aerial shot of the island back then

Located in Kawit, Cavite and only 15 minutes away from SM Mall of Asia via Cavitex, Island Cove is the nearest destination for every family, whether overnight or a quick day trip. No similar place is like it in terms of distance and amenities offered for visitors. For my family, it was an easy whole-day escape a few Saturdays ago. In less than an hour, we were getting off the van which we rode on from Makati Central Business District.

My wife, son and other bloggers getting on the van to Island Cove from 6750 Ayala.

After a quick meal in the van we were already on the bridge to Island Cove

As the one who drives in the family, I find this short travel for a getaway very appealing especially because taking a long drive to go to a vacation spot leaves everyone tired from the travel home. Imagine coming home from a trip - one to two hours on the plane and the drive home from the airport. It makes you want to just take another vacation when you get home.

Aside from its accessibility, there are a ton of things that every family can enjoy in Island Cove. For those who love nature and the sun, you have the Oceania Swim and Splash Park which has a new 350-square meter, child-friendly splash park with water-safe ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber flooring.

My son enjoying the feel of the splash park's rubber floor

The Oceania has a main pool which houses four giant slides and a huge inflatable slide. There are other pools -  a mini pool and the kiddie cove pool.

Paddle boats are available in the Kiddie Cove Pool for free.

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Jolly Cow is the Official Milk Sponsor for 2nd Philippine National Barista Challenge

Coffee is best with milk. The creamier the milk, the better. And the milk quality has to be the right kind that provides enough sweetness for really good coffee. I should know. My wife and I are now coffee drinkers. It took us a while as we only started drinking coffee when we visited the coffee country, Vietnam in 2012. There was no going back for the both of us. But I have to say, we are picky with our coffee. We discriminate, it must've something to do with our being late bloomers.

Incidentally, Jolly Cow has been one of the well-loved milk brands of coffee baristas in the country for its high quality milk froth which produces a distinctly creamy taste, complementing every cup of coffee. Allegro Beverage Corporation, organizer of the 2nd Philippine National Barista Challenge, has chosen Jolly Cow to be its Official Milk brand.

President and General Manager of Allegro Beverage Corporation Leo de Leon and Jolly Cow Senior Product Associate Ersanti Regi Santos discussed the qualities of a good cup of coffee while Kevin Israel Fortu, the reigning Philippine National Barista Champion, and Jonathan Choi, Champion of 8th Philippine Grand Barista Cup, demonstrated latte art using Jolly Cow during a roundtable discussion held Tuesday, October 7, 2014 at the Allegro Beverage Corporation headquarters.

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Manulife Advisers Achieve Golden Global Standard for Better Client Care

Manulife Philippines is celebrating its insurance advisers attaining an internationally-recognized standard for client care and service. More than 30 Metro Manila-based advisers were awarded the Registered Financial Consultant (RFC), a global certification set by the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants (IARFC), the worldwide association for financial planners, based in Ohio, U.S.A. 

The advisers studied for the qualification at the Manulife Learning and Development Center in Chatham House, Makati City. Key topics included financial planning, risk management, education and estate planning, retirement and tax planning. All courses are taught by RFC-certified faculty, following the rigorous international curricular program of the IARFC.

Mr. Ryan Charland (center, seated), President and Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Philippines, is joined by members of Manulife Philippines Agency Training and Development Department (ATDD) at the Manulife Philippines headquarters in Makati City. Others in photo are Ms. Rogie Bertol, Senior Assistant Vice President and Head of Training, Manulife Philippines ATDD (seated, 4th from left) and Mr. David Grant, Senior Vice President and Chief Agency Officer, Manulife Philippines (seated, 4th from right) 

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Quipper School Helps Raise NAT Scores

Quipper, an education technology company headquartered in London with offices in Manila, today announced that NAT scores at Valenzuela City Science High School have improved significantly as a result of using Quipper School in 2014, when compared to scores from the previous year.

Quipper School, an online education platform which connects teachers and students, was launched in January 2014 in the Philippines and is now being used by over 5,000 teachers across the country. Mr. Roderick Francisco, a teacher from Valenzuela Science City High School, used Quipper School in early 2014 to teach over 400 of his students in preparation for NAT 2014. As a result, Mr. Francisco has noted significant improvements, with an overall score improvements of 13%, and an outstanding result in English, where the scores rose by 25%.

Students from Valenzuela City Science High School use an online education platform, Quipper School to study and review topics from their subjects

Mr. Francisco is quoted as saying, 'We're extremely happy about the outcome. Quipper School offers a vast amount of K-12 aligned content, which students can access from wherever they want as long as they have internet connection. I assigned more than 500 questions to them, and most of my students have mastered them. I could also track those who hadn't done the assignment on Quipper School’s teacher portal, and gave timely reminders so that no one gets left behind.'

Mr. Francisco assigned Quipper School topics as part of 'clearance', meaning that students had to complete all their Quipper School assignments in order to get a report card.

Masayuki Watanabe, CEO of Quipper, stated, "We're proud that Quipper School has now become an integral part of teaching and learning for many classes. We'll keep improving our services so that Quipper School can empower students and teachers with digital technology".

Quipper School is also available in several other countries, including Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

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Eri Curry Officially Launches in SM Megamall

Two weeks ago, a new brand of Japanese restaurant, Eri Curry was officially launched. After a few weeks of soft opening at the third floor of SM Megamall Atrium, it has formally opened last September 10, 2014.

The opening program was held at the SM Megamall Atrium's event area

Geisha presenting a dance number

After a short opening program at the Atrium events area, we proceeded to the store for the blessing and ribbon cutting. The two special ladies among those who cut the ribbon were Ms. Pops Fernandez and Chef Erika of Eri Curry. The store was named after her I'm sure.

Ribbon cutting ceremony during the official launch of Eri Curry

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Book Review of The Solomon Seduction: What You Can Learn from the Wisest Fool in the Bible by Mark Atteberry

Mark Atteberry was the same author who wrote The Samson Syndrome and his next offering is The Solomon Seduction: What You Can Learn from the Wisest Fool in the Bible.  This book is a look at King Solomon who was known to be the wisest person in history who ever lived. His wisdom was granted to him by God when he chose to ask God for a discerning heart to govern the Israelites and distinguish between right and wrong. Together with wisdom, God granted him riches and honor.

This did not guarantee, however, that Solomon would not get blinded and not see through Satan's deceptions. Mark Atteberry's The Solomon Seduction shares ten "wake-up calls" to rouse those who are falling into the enemy's enticement.

Here are the 10 Wake-Up Calls:

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The Fundamental Glue That Holds any Relationship Together is Trust | #iTrustUratex

The fundamental glue that holds any relationship together... is trust.

Back in 2009, one of the greatest challenges we faced as a family was the typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana). Continuous raining from Friday evening until Saturday night caused such disastrous flooding to many in our area. 

A lot of different calamities can hit any family and a typhoon is just one of them. Adversity may be financial, emotional or even relational. In any case, trust is the one thing that is challenged the most.

Typhoon Ondoy challenged the trustworthiness of material things - our car, the books in our library, clothes, and trivial things that we would sometimes fuss over among family members only to be literally washed away in just one day.

Below, is our car submerged the night Ondoy hit. Just imagine what it looked like inside the house.

After two days of letting the flood subside, we went back to our house and started separating what needed to be junked from what we could salvage.

We kept clothes that we could still use and other stuff still usable. Sadly, we had to let go of so many things. At first, we tried to salvage the mattresses we had. 

In the photos above and below, can be seen our Sleep Comfort Memory Foam Uratex mattress (the peach colored one) - our first choice when we purchased our bed for the new master's bedroom back in 2007 and placed in a bed box. 

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#GilasPilipinas Defeats Senegal in #FIBA World Cup #PusoToTheMax

Congratulations are in order for our very own Team Gilas Pilipinas for defeating Senegal last night in an overtime match. It is the Philippines' first victory at the FIBA World Cup in 40 years!

A representative from Malacanang Palace had this to say of Team Gilas: "Ikarangal natin ang tagumpay ng Gilas Pilipinas! Ipinakita ng ating mga manlalaro ang puso at hindi natitinag na determinasyong magwagi. Iyan din ang diwang nagtataguyod sa pag-unlad at pag-asenso ng ating bansa." 

It might have been a non-bearing game, but it was victory for us Filipinos, nonetheless! Thank you, Max's Restaurant for supporting Gilas Pilipinas through! Mabuhay ang bawat Pilipino at mabuhay ang Team Gilas Pilipinas!

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Rafael Rosell is Obra ni Juan's New Brand Ambassador

It was our first time to visit Date & Dine Resort last week for the unveiling of Obra ni Juan's brand new endorser. As we chatted away with the event organizers, we found out that the family behind Obra ni Juan is the same owner of this Date & Dine Resort in Taytay, Rizal. 

 

Before my wife and I went to the the venue, I googled the resort and was delighted to have nearby a lovely place to check out. The resort recently opened just a few months back and is already garnering quite good reports. I hope to bring my family there for a quick and not-so-far getaway sometime. :)

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Laundry Time Can Be a Family Bonding Moment

Tomorrow is a holiday, something I look forward to quite often. A non-working holiday means more time with my wife and son and more time for household chores. These can be coupled together and doing that can help maximize the time spent with family.

For Ninoy Aquino Day, aside from playing Monopoly together and going out, doing the laundry is part of our agenda. Doing the laundry together is a family bonding time.

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@ElectroluxPH Makes Saving and Sharing #DelightfulE Simple

Our family has always had this leaning towards simple things. Complex, for some reason, turn us off and if it is inevitable, we always do some workaround or something to make it doable or easier. Like most Filipino families, we are practical. We constantly try to find smarter and more efficient ways to do things because wasting precious time on something that can be done in a jiffy is out of the question.

 

Like doing the laundry, for instance. It is seen as a daunting task by most moms. It can be both time-consuming and costly especially if you don’t have the right laundry partner to help you out. “Electrolux understands that every peso and second counts,” said Andrea Pionilla, Marketing Manager of Electrolux Philippines. “This is the reason behind Delightful-E Simple. We want to help moms save not just money but also their precious time by making their everyday tasks delightfully simple and easy.” 

Savings Calculator

Your daily savings may seem small but when added in a year may give you just enough funds for a brand new smartphone. To keep you motivated on your savings journey, Electrolux developed the Savings Calculator. This easy-to-use Facebook app was designed to help you track your laundry expenses and savings. Know how much you can save when you choose smarter ways to take care of your laundry with the Electrolux Savings Calculator. Savings Calculator Facebook Contest To help you start your laundry savings, Electrolux is giving away the perfect laundry partner to four lucky users. Four Electrolux washing machines are up for grabs.

To join:
(1) like the Electrolux Little White Book Facebook page;
(2) calculate your laundry savings using the Savings Calculator;
(3) hit the share button found in the result page; and
(4) in the caption, tell us what you plan to buy using your laundry savings, include the hashtags #DelightfulE and #SimpleToSave and post it on your Facebook page.

The contest will run from August 11 to September 15, 2014.

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Try Max's Chicken with Three Dips and the Gilas Favorite Delivery Treat #PusoToTheMax

Last week, my family and I got the chance to try Max's Chicken with their three new dips - gravy, chili and Pinoy sarsa. I have always loved their fried chicken enjoyed it with their famous banana ketchup. I know other people who enjoy it with the ketchup, hot sauce and the Worcestershire sauce mixed together. This time, Max's fried chicken can be enjoyed with other dips, chili being my favorite.

Aside from this, Max's recently launched the "Gilas Favorite Delivery Treat," an offering of one whole Max's sarap to the bones fried chicken with a free bottle of banana catsup and a limited edition Gilas Pilipinas Eco Bag for only PhP299. This promo is valid until July 31, 2014 for both online and delivery transactions anywhere in the Philippines.

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Read "The Samson Syndrome:What You Can Learn From the Baddest Boy in the Bible" by Mark Atteberry - Are You Man Enough?

Can you learn from the life of an egotistic, immature playboy who wasted the talents, gifts and abilities that were given to him? Of course! Why then would God devote four chapters to the story of this man if there was nothing to learn from his life?

As I prepared sermons for more than ten years, I have had these thoughts about Samson in the book of Judges. I was surprised to read that Mark Atteberry, the author, had the same thoughts when he wrote “The Samson Syndrome: What You Can Learn From the Baddest Boy in the Bible”. This book, as I reviewed it, is a study of the life of Samson and it reveals twelve tendencies that he had which are also common to men of strength. Each tendency is explained as seen in the Bible character’s life, shown how they are each a common struggle for strong men. The best part is that helpful and realistic suggestions are provided for each predisposition.

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Loom Summer Craft-Craze at SM City Bicutan

My family have been loom-bonding these past few weeks. Our 9 year old son is so into it too that he's thinking of going on a looming business. He's been busy since and have sold quite a bunch already. My wife and I are happy that he's going entrepreneurial at his age. :-)

I made the above loom band ladder bracelet accented with crystals for my wife last week. :-)

Gospel Bracelet (Triple Fishtail)

It took a while before my wife and I got hold of black loom bands and made this as soon as I got my hands on them. I made this for myself but it ended up on our son's wrist. He loved it. I just wore the fishtail gospel bracelet that I made for my wife. She just made gospel bracelet (flower power design). 

Our loom-loving family is joining SM Bicutan's Loom Summer Craft-Craze. This is happening from May 23 to 25 at SM Bicutan Building B Atrium at 4pm. Register and let's get our looming digits on. :-)

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Peppermill Restaurant and Mixology Bar in Katipunan Extension: Peppermill Caterer's Best Menu

If you've heard of Peppermill Caterers, a catering business which started in 2007 which became popular among celebrities and politicians, then you'd be glad to hear that Vince Rodriguez, its Chef and Owner, opened his own restaurant last March 2014 along Katipuan Ave. extension in Quezon City - Peppermill Restaurant and Mixology Bar.

This new restaurant in Katipunan Ave. extension boasts of dishes with flavorful home cooking which Vince hesistantly labels as new American - a mixture of Mexican and old traditional American. Some of their offerings my family and I have tried are their Fried Mac & Cheese - macaroni, cheddar cheese, mozzarella, peppermill dressing with an option to have bolognese as add on.

I would also recommend their Fire Cracker - California roll with U.S. scallops, shrimp and kani.

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Book Review: "No Cape Required" by Kirsten Parrish

This 52-day devotional which is appropriate for children, teens and fun adults, “No Cape Required: 52 Ways to Unleash Your Inner Hero”, is well loved by my eight-year-old son. Each daily devotional cites a hero from a popular movie as an example for the character trait and the Bible passage to be read. 

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Drum Basics for My Son

I am so proud of my son for so many reasons. He is gifted with keen ears for music and rhythm. Ever since I have tried playing the guitar to accompany him, he has always sang along in the right pitch. For not being tone deaf, I am already amazed. In fact, we, together with my wife, have done a recording of the song "In Me" by Casting Crowns and he didn't have a problem with singing his parts

All these have encouraged me to expose him to music more and more. We have had him go through piano and voice lessons. I have also bought him a junior guitar so I can get a chance to get him interested with it. Sometimes, we even play rhythmic drum patterns with him while at the dinner table or while doing household chores. One of my hopes is to be able to invest in a drum set with hammerax cymbals or even with ordinary cymbal sets available locally so I can start to teach him basics of drums playing. I think his interest with rhythm has been awakened and I would want to take advantage of that while it's there.

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Renewal of Vows Preparations

As my wife and I approach our 13th year of marriage this coming December, we are plan to have a renewal of vows ceremony. We haven't set a final date yet but we have both agreed to have the celebration this year. Having it on the same day of our wedding is ideal but we've already booked our flight to and from Singapore as part of our yearly wedding anniversary plans. 

Part of the planning is looking for a venue for the celebration and ceremony. Like our wedding in 2001, we both agree that we should have both the ceremony and the reception in one place. Another part of the preparation is looking for a new design for a new set of wedding bands. We hope that renewal of vows will keep our marriage and relationship fresh.

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A Look at Group D in the FIFA World Cup 2014 Brasil

Two special teams stand out for me in Group D of the FIFA World Cup. Italy and England. With the higher level of football program and active football leagues from these two countries, it will not be a surprise if these two teams make it on top of their group and through to the next stage.

However, I don't necessarily predict a finals appearance for both teams so I don't think that there will be musical instruments playing italia at musicians friend or hooligans cheering their national teams during the finals of the World Cup 2014 Brasil.  I just wanted to single them out and say that in this group, it is pretty much clear who will get through the group stage (no offense to Uruguay and Costa Rica) based on World Cup history statistics. But, as they say, the ball is round, so there's no telling what might happen.

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Who Will Reach the FIFA World Cup 2014 Brasil Finals?

A few months from now the FIFA World Cup 2014 will kick off. The world's most popular sport and tournament will run from June 12 to July 13, 2014 and will be hosted by five-time World Cup champions Brazil.

Brazil, being known for samba, its music and its rhythm, will again be loud and proud for their national team. Vuvuzelas will play, horns will be blown, drums beaten so loud that even the best dj headphones can keep you from hearing the sounds. I am still in the process of choosing my two teams for the finals from the list of 32 national teams below.

Group A - Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B - Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C - Colombia, Greece, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Japan
Group D - Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E - Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F - Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G - Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H - Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic

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