GIVEAWAY ALERT: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 DVDs

Do you remember how much I raved about "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" after watching it in the cinemas? If you haven't read my review on the movie, then you can check it out here.

Without a doubt, "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" is the best movie out of the entire "Twilight" series. While that may not be saying much if you used to hate "Twilight" as much as I did, real Twi-hards prolly can't wait to get their hands on the DVD of this gem. Am I right?

Well, today is your lucky day! Coz, thanks to C-Interactive, I will be giving away a copy of the Breaking Dawn Single-Disc Edition DVD. :D

Here's how you can join:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you are a huge Twi-hard, though, then you might want to know that "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" is actually also available on Special Edition Blu-ray Disc at Php1,495;  2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD at Php1,195; and 2-Disc Special Edition DVD at Php895.

All of the special DVDs feature hours of extensive bonus features, so real Twi-hards should definitely look into at least one of them!

For more updates, you can visit the official C-Interactive website here and join the Twilight Barkada on Facebook. :)

It's Time for Ensembles’ Wear My Design Competition Year 2!

Remember last year's winners of Ensembles' Wear My Design Competition? Well, Ensembles is at it again and is once again calling all aspiring designers to join Ensembles' Wear My Design Competition Year 2!

So, if you have ever dreamed of having your designs sold in Ensembles stores nationwide, then don't miss this year's installation, running from May 1 to June 30, 2013! This would be perfect for you if you are creative and have an eye for fashion! :)

All you have to do is submit a dress prototype of your design along with the necessary application form, and your entry will be uploaded onto Ensembles' Facebook page for public voting. The winning entries will then be featured in the Ensembles' Spring Dresses 2014 Collection.

There won't just be 1 winner, either, but 8 grand winners who will receive cash, gift packs and gift certificates, as well as one produced dress of their design. How great is that?

To find out more about the mechanics and rules for the contest, like Ensembles on Facebook, follow them on Twitter or visit their official website here. :)

Let Nestea RTD Help You Cool Down This Summer

It is definitely, clearly and without a doubt-ly, one of the hottest summers in the Metro right now. If given the chance, I'd fill up a bathtub with ice and just lay in it right now. But, seeing how hot it is, the ice will prolly just melt before I even get in. Sigh. #mysuperheroproblems

So, what I do instead is this: I buy Nestea Ready-to-Drink, pour it into an ice cube tray, freeze it and bam! Nestea ice cubes to suck on when the heat is getting to me.

Yes, heat brings out the creativity in me.

Of course, you can just buy Nestea RTD and drink it as is, too. Whether while traveling, hanging out with friends or after an intense workout, Nestea RTD will revitalize and refresh  you despite the summer heat.

Packed in 500ml bottles that are easy to carry around, Nestea RTD is the best companion this summer. There are three flavors available right now: original lemon, cool lemon ice and refreshing apple. Yum!

So, don't let the heat get you down and plunge anywhere with Nestea RTD! :)

For more information, like Nestea Philippines on Facebook and follow them on Twitter! :)

Bulgogi Brothers: The Best Place for Quality Korean Food

My love for Korean food started in Bangkok about a decade ago when my dad would bring back bottled kimchi from the Korean ambassador to Thailand. Since we moved here, though, I have moved way past the kimchi phase and into a lot of other Korean dishes.

As such, it should make complete sense that I couldn't wait to try out Bulgogi Brothers when it opened in the new wing in Alabang Town Center.

Well, that is exactly where we went for a huge dinner after a day of fitness, courtesy of barre3, the walk for TOMS' One Day without Shoes and some good ol' Dance Dance Revolution at Timezone. :p

Despite my immense love for Korean food, it was actually my first time at Bulgogi Brothers, though. See, I live in BF Homes - the capital of Korean restaurants (and Korean grocery stores and Korean billiard hotels, etc.) in the Metro. But since we were in ATC already, I took the chance to finally try out this much talked about restaurant by the Bistro Group.

#funfact

To start, we were served this platter of sweet potato, corn and quail eggs. To be honest, that platter in itself already made my day.

And what would a Korean feast be without some hot tea?

The appetizers were great. We had some fried goodness in the form of Haemul Gunjung Mandu (beware the veggies in the middle, though - they are extremely spicy!!!).

And my favorite dish of the night: Dubu Steak. I absolutely looove tofu in every form, so I will definitely order this again and again every time I'm at Bulgogi Brothers.

For the drinks, we were served some lime juice and raspberry juice. The raspberry juice was far too sweet for my taste, to be honest, but nothing a lil watering down couldn't handle. (The good news is that watering down drinks also gives you  more to drink in the end. Haha!)

We also had some Haemul Bibimbap, which was great with the sauce that it came with, and some Kimchi-Jjigae. I wasn't able to take a picture of the soup, though. Coz, as mentioned earlier, I'm a sucker for kimchi, so... I ate without thinking. :( #badblogger

For our "barbecue", we had the Bulgogi Brothers Special, which was apparently good for 2-3 persons. With all of the other things that we had to eat, though, this was a lot (it included the pictures above and below this paragraph).

If you plan on going with 2-3 persons, you might just want to order this and nothing else. But if there are more of you, order this and some of the other things I mentioned above. :)

My favorite part of the meal was the fact that all of the hamburger patties were shaped like hearts. Piella, our waitress for the night - love her, by the way! - said that this tradition started when a random guy in Korea asked a restaurant if he could get special heart-shaped patties to surprise his girlfriend with. Awwwww!

Of course, dessert couldn't be left out. I am a huge fan of Korean ice cream and buy most of the Korean popsicles at our nearby Korean grocery store in BF, so I was sooo happy to see that they served different kinds at Bulgogi Brothers.

It was my first time to try this Ice Sandwich with Cookie and I like it even more than the Melona popsicles, if that's even possible.

Now, my biggest problem in reviewing restaurants is that, when I visit it as a review, the food is always awesome. But then, the next time I go, it's not so great anymore.

I actually went back to Bulgogi Brothers a week after we went to ATC for dinner, though, and I am so happy to announce that Bulgogi Brothers tastes amazing, whether they know you will be writing about them or not and regardless of which branch you go to (I went to MOA the second time around).

Great food. Great service. You can't go wrong. Bulgogi Brothers is now officially my second favorite "Brothers"... after Super Mario. :p

Don't forget to like Bulgogi Brothers Philippines on Facebook! :)

Happiness.

What makes you happy? :)

Right now, the simple things have been keeping me happy. Surprises from Gerd, genuine laughter from Syrena, days without deadlines, and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Ultimate Vanilla Ice Blended beverage, for instance.

Happiness is subjective.

Even if it is, though, I have realized that it is absolutely vital to constantly work for it, strive for it and insist upon it. In some cases, you might even have to roam the ends of the world just to keep it.

Fortunately, for me, all that happiness entails is giving my daughter some candy, getting surprised with movie tickets (even if it is to a horror movie) and visiting Coffee Bean.

Here's what I wore to our "Evil Dead" movie date a few days ago:

Photos by Gerd Perez.

denim top from Folded and Hung

coffee from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

vintage necklace from Bangkok

studded geometric ring from The Little Things She Needs

grey silk shorts from ForMe

brown suede heels from SM Parisian Shoes and Bags

My new favorite heels!!! Granted, it took me forever to get used to walking in them, but with enough patience - and with a snail's pace - I eventually got the walking down pat, so I no longer look like I am using stilts just to be taller than my poor 5'1"-ness.

So, there you have it. My happiness in a nutshell. :)

As mentioned earlier, though, no matter how happy you might be at a certain time, you should never stop working at maintaining that happiness. While it may take a huge effort to keep it at times, it is definitely always worth it to fly high in la-la land before going to bed every night. Trust me. :)

T.G.I. Friday's: The Best Place to Kick Off Summer!

Hey, hey, hey! Despite the random drizzles here and there, summer is clearly officially upon us. And for my fellow alcoholics alcohol enthusiasts out there, this means the switch to more refreshing alcoholic beverages that won't leave us dehydrated or begging for water. 

Parental Advisory:

Drinking water between alcoholic drinks would always be a good idea to avoid a potential hangover the morning after!

Anyway, because of this need for refreshing alcohol, T.G.I. Friday's has launched a whole new bar menu, which includes various affordable drinks, such as the following:

Electric Lemonade

Flings

Long Island Iced Tea and ... wait for it ... Refillable Mojito! The refillable mojito is available every day for only Php295!

As you can see, the new bar menu features drinks that will fit every bar personality, from the life of the party to the fellow winding down after work.

Aside from that, the T.G.I. Friday's Red Card is now available, as well:

In a nutshell, the T.G.I. Friday's Red Card serves as a passport for buy one, take one cocktails every Thursday. And you can get yours completely free of charge just by dining at any T.G.I. Friday's branch. How great is that?

Things don't stop there, either. Adding to all of this excitement is the first leg of the "Stars Behind the Bar" tour:

During this tour, celebrity bartenders will show off bar stunts, give away free drinks and teach people how to make basic flairs and cocktails.

For complete dates and more information on the tour, like T.G.I. Friday's on Facebook and follow them on Twitter! You may also visit their official website here! :)

DVD Review: Rise of the Guardians (GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!)

Did you see "Rise of the Guardians" when it came out in the cinemas? If so, then you will be happy to hear that the DVD is just as magical, just as awe-inspiring and just as touching as the big-screen version. :)

What makes the DVD better than its movie counterpart, though, is the fact that you get to go behind the scenes and see the actors voice their respective characters.

I don't know about you, but I first fell in love with the special features of DVDs after watching "The Prince of Egypt" on DVD back in 1999. As such, I couldn't wait to watch bits and pieces of Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law getting into voice-character.

Now, although I can't give you a baby tooth or a human version of Jack Frost, I can give you the third best thing: a DVD of the movie courtesy of Magnavision! :)

So, if you want to share this movie with the family or just relive your childhood in a whole new way, just fill up this Rafflecopter form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Content Kind of Good.

I'm the type of person who doesn't really care very much about plans. I can be just as happy watching DVDs from the comforts of home as I would be taking an all-expense-paid trip to Paris. And that's the truth.

It's all about who I spend my day with. Besides, I can still live vicariously through others through social media anyway. I could be missing out on something downright legendary, but I won't really care much at the end of the day as long as I'm surrounded by people that I love. :)

A couple of weeks ago, Gerd accompanied me to do some errands in the Fort. We didn't do much. We had some coffee. Took some pictures. But it was good. The content kind of good. I love that kind of good.

Here's what I wore:

purple pants from Kids of Bayo

When Kids of Bayo sent me this pair around Christmas time, I couldn't fit my legs into it. The fact that it actually fits me now was worth celebrating in my head and I felt that the best way to do so would be to don them in public. Yup, it was my first time to wear colored pants. The bright kind anyway. What do you think? :) 

It was also my first time to don a braid in public again after 13 years. See, when I was a freshman in high school, I got cornrows done and everyone called me Iverson for the day. That was enough to make me swear off braids for good, but I think I'm warming up to the idea of them again, especially coz of the hot weather we've been having in Manila lately.

I just need to grow out my layers, so that my hair doesn't fall out of it like this. Spot my new Goody ouchless elastic band! :D My hair ties usually slide off my hair, but this one actually stays in place! Love it!

pocket watch necklace - gift from Gerd

Gerd loves to give me the gift of time coz we love to spend time, not money. :)

red boots from Chick Flick Collection

I instantly fell in love with these boots when I spotted them at Chick Flick; so, naturally, I impulse-bought them despite the fact that their one size bigger than my actual size. Totes worth it, though! Don't you think? :)

striped top from Forever 21

And, coz you guys always put up with me and my weirdness, say hello to the uber weird side of me...

XD

Peace out, homes!

I'm in Love with the Keds x Taylor Swift Collection

What happens when you put together one of my favorite singers and one of my favorite shoe brands? In a nutshell, this:

I have always loved Taylor Swift. I have loved her before I even knew what she looked like (don't hate... her songs are incredibly catchy, okay?).

So, when I heard that Keds was collaborating with this seven-time Grammy winning, multi-platinum singer-songwriter, I couldn't wait to see what they had in store. Especially because I looooove Taylor Swift's style as a whole!

The collection re-imagines the classic Keds Champion sneaker in 12 fresh new ways. The colors are bright and bold with a special charm in one of two styles: a silver heart featuring Taylor's favorite number (13) or a guitar pick with Taylor's Logo inscribed in it.

Check out some of my favorite patterns:

These mini guitar patterns are so Taylor!

These polka dot sneakers will never go out of style!

I NEED TO HAVE THESE. NOW.

I am absolutely in love with this nautical inspired anchor and stars pair, too, though. Ack! I can't decide!

"Taylor's style is effortless and always perfectly pulled together. This collection really reflects her fresh approach to fashion," said Keds' President, Rick Blackshaw.

I can't wait to get a pair of my own. They look like they'd be so fun to wear!

For more informaton and updates, please don't forget to like Keds Philippines on Facebook and follow them on Twitter! :)

Movie Review: Iron Man 3

I'm not gonna lie. I'm not a big Iron Man fan. In fact, when the trailer of "Thor: The Dark World" came on-screen, I whispered to Gerd, "I bet you this trailer is awesome-r than the movie we're about to see." I was wrong. They were equally awesome.

Yes, ladies and gents. Unlike Iron Man 2, I actually enjoyed Iron Man 3. Immensely. Even though I predicted most of the movie, Iron Man 3 did not have a single boring bone in its body.

via Collider

It is action-packed from start to finish. It's witty, as Tony Spark Stark always is. The cast is great (watch out for that young boy!). You get to see a ton of eye-candy, especially in Gwyneth Paltrow's abs. And you get to flaunt those Iron Man t-shirts that you just bought at Folded & Hung at the same time. (On that note, thank you so much, Folded & Hung, for the tickets to the premiere! :D)

via All Voices

On the geekier side, I love that this served to be more of a follow-up to the Avengers movie rather than the Iron Man 2 movie, which - let's face it - sucked big-time. I guess it helps that I've never been a fan of Iron Man, so I don't actually know if they're following any comic book stories or not. I was just able to enjoy the movie for what it is: an action-filled spectacle of awesomeness. XD

via AWN

4 stars out of 5. Applause for you, Shane Black. Applause. Now go see it and find out why everyone's been tweeting about it left and right! :)