Summer Trade Fair and Bazaar at The Filinvest Tent

My sister forwarded this email to me. It's tempting but I have no spare cash to splurge at the moment and I'm sticking to my promise to limit my shopping especially if not needed.

But that's just me, for people especially in the South you might want to drop by and check this bazaar...

Beat the summer heat by loading up with the coolest bazaar stuff at the Summer Trade Fair and Bazaar. Enjoy a bazaar all you can spree right at The Filinvest Tent. Organized by Ms. Tintin Bersola Babao & Mom Ching Bersola.

Dive into a variety of branded overrun bags, shoes, RTW, cosmetics, accessories and a whole lot more at the lowest prices.Swim right into the best deals our bazaaristas have for you.

TV 5 celebrity guests will provide afternoon entertainment for shoppers.

Surf's up from May 23 – 26, 2013 between 11 am – 9 pm. Pump up your summer and start shopping!

Protein Powder

My brother tried being a member in a gym near our area for a month. He was keen on building muscles and gaining weight as he starts being conscious about his looks. For a 5 foot eight inches tall weighing 54 kilos, he is indeed underweight.

My other brother who's older than him used to frequent the gym. I always saw him eating foods that are rich in protein like soya, raw egg, bananas and potatoes. I suggested that he do the same but so far his only drinking soya and he tried a cup of weight gainer in the gym. I gave him a warning not to just take any kind of liquid drink as it may have a side effect. I introduced him to proteinpulver which he can use as a source of protein. It is one of the many protein powders available in the market that is a dietary supplement and used for body building or if it's not your goal, simply use it as a protein shaker to help the body stabilize your blood sugar rest of the day. Just like fiber supplement, you can mix it on your drinks or even in food that you eat!

I know many of us are doubtful with a foreign powder mixing to our food or drinks as I have the same reaction. But this particular protein powder is made up of one or more of these ingredients -whey, egg, soy and rice which are processed into powder thus it won't affect the taste of anything edible you want to mix it with. Just by having this conversation with my brother, I'm kind curious of trying a protein powder myself especially Proteinpulver comes now in different flavors.

Pink Me Up Beauty (Nail and Dry Bar)

Hello everyone! How long I've been out of the loop? Sorry to keep you all waiting but just like before, I'm still adjusting with the fact that I have to take care of two canines. One adult and one puppy whom I compare to a two-year old boy. Terrible twos indeed! Because of the stress that is slowly consuming my body, I decided to schedule an appointment in Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Bar. I've been hearing a good feedback when I did a research about this place and just like a fairy godmother who heard my thoughts, a deal came up in Deal Grocer last February and I couldn't pass up the chance to check out the place.

Deal Grocer Deal of Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Bar.
I have to remove my name and the redemption code for security purposes.

Last Sunday was my scheduled appointment, my friend and I went to Pink Me Up located in Lee Gardens Condominium. I purchased two vouchers as I was thinking to share it with my sister but her schedule the last time she was here in Manila was hectic so I decided to share it with a friend instead. The building is right after the first Petron Station you will see on your right side if coming from Edsa. Below the building, there's Security Bank and Starbucks. It's only a 5-10 minutes jeepney ride from Starmall.

I read somewhere before that it's like a maze before you can find Pink Me Up on 2nd floor of Lee Gardens Condominium but now it was easy breezy as they decided to put up a stand-up tarp to show you the way to the nail spa bar.

There it is! Found it after a series of turns...

Now, I'll be posting some pictures inside this nail and dry bar. I was not able to get a picture of my own as there are customers when we went there and the lightning inside is a little dim with all the curtains drawn. Good thing I stumbled on the photos taken by Paolo Feliciano where he was able to capture the place all lit up.

Reception Area

They have a cushioned sofa which can seat 8 people comfortably.
Below each designated seat on the sofa, they have a sink which they used for soaking and rinsing your feet.
Now that's what I call, space efficiency!
You will notice that there's a vanity mirror and a chair on the left side of the picture,
this is the place for the hair dryer/blower service. Yup, they offer this service for as low as Php 280.

You will notice that there are cabinets on the far end of the picture, that is the pantry for the Pink Me Up staff.
The second curtain on the right side of this picture, has a massage chair.
I'm not sure how much they charge for  that service.

This is the focal point of the Pink Me Up. It's hard to miss this area as it screams,  girly and princess!
Would want this kind of office/study area in our home.

I forgot to wear shorts that day (stupid me) and instead I'm wearing my ever reliable comfy leggings. The staff was kind enough to offer me a towel which I have to wrap around my body during the foot spa and pedicure.

Time to soak our feet.
 See what I told you earlier, their sink is tucked securely and neatly below the cushioned sofa.

Our deal is the Red Wine Foot Spa with Pedicure and a Red Wine Hand Spa with Manicure. We started off by soaking our feet in warm water. I'm not sure how long it was soaked but definitely it will not go over 10 mins. Then the staff started scraping the bottom of my feet. I was not happy with the way she did the scraping to remove the excess skin on my sole. I felt that she was in a hurry and didn't bother to check every inch of my feet. Up to now I can still feel some hard portion of skin in my sole. Then a scrub was applied to my feet up to my knees. Again, the staff can't wait to be finish with me that I can't help but compared her to the attending staff (name tag says Melanie) of my friend whose very keen that every fingers on her foot should be scrubbed. I didn't get that kind of scrubbing thus I end up checking her name and taking note that I will never ever get her should I come back to Pink Me Up.

Our feet was rinsed from the scrub and a moisturizing mask was applied then we were wrapped like a ham or chicken...

....a hot towel was wrapped on our feet afterwards to help absorption of the mask.

After 20-30 minutes, our feet was freed from all the towels and plastic. Imelda offered me a basket full of nail polish. I saw a lot of Orly and Essie with a few Ciate.

Imelda suggested I used the nude/beige color by Orly. Normally, I would choose red but since I can't find a suitable shade of red that I like, I agree with her in using the color on my nails.

Just like her previous acts, I felt that she wanted to get rid of me and attend to other customers or avail her much deserved break. It's not my fault that you scheduled us for 11am. After applying the nail polish on my feet, it was time to prep me up for the hand spa.

Waiting for my hand spa...and there's Imelda, the staff attending to me which I 'm not happy with her service....

Imelda cleaned my fingers by cutting the nails and filing it. Then Janice (another staff) came out to start the hand spa. My hands were soaked then a scrub was applied. She rinsed the scrub and applied a cream. She massages the visible part of my arms then wipe the cream with a wet towel. Then an oil was applied for moisture.Kudos to Janice as I never felt that she was beating a timer.

Imelda came back to apply the nail polish on my fingers. I say she will be a perfect candidate for the fastest staff in in Pink Me Up.

The effort I made to grown my nails....
Yeah, I know it's not super long like the others  but knowing me I have a habit of biting my nails so this is a milestone!

My nail polished nails. Notice that my nails are not thoroughly covered by the nail polish.

I know you were all thinking that since the package I got was a deal thus the service is not explicit as the paying customers will get but I beg to differ. Posting a deal in Groupon sites is one of many ways to market and advertise one's product and services so the service shouldn't be less equal. They even mentioned on the  voucher that you will get a "very thorough 2-hour Red Wine Foot and Hand Spa". It's not so thorough as they say that I can't help but compare my experience to the best foot spa and pedicure service that I got way back years ago in Let's Face It Greenbelt 1. My feet was scrubbed and scraped until I can't feel any hard layers of skin caused by constant walking and wearing heeled shoes. My feet was soft and smooth.

Here are some of their Nail Spa Services should you wish to visit them:

The price for the Pink Bubblegum Foot Spa with Pedicure for Kids is Php 380. 

I was able to email them before and made an inquiry for their Spa Party Packages. I hope that the prices are still the same since I made an inquiry with them last January.

Spa Party Packages for 8

Spa Party Packages for 10

Spa Party Packages for 12

Will I be back? Yes as long as another staff will attend to me like Janice or Melanie for the nail spa service.
I still do recommend the place since Pink Me Up Beauty is clean, chic and you can actually relax as they play music that is just so right for you to unwind. They're using Orly, Essie and Ciate Nail Polish plus, I love their spa party packages! Perfect for bridal shower, birthdays and girl bonding. Apart from that, some staff are attentive. Proof is the staff of Pink Me up whose manning the reception area that Sunday, sent me a SMS yesterday informing me that I can drop by the place anytime to get my missing USB. I sent them a text message late afternoon on Sunday that I probably left my USB on the couch. Good thing they found it stuck at the back of the sofa to where I was seated. I'm glad that I didn't totally lost it . So thank you so much for that.

I apologize to Imelda if I mentioned her name but I just want to point out the flaws and things to improve if you want a happy customer. Or maybe it's just me because I availed a discounted deal. If that's the case, it's kind of disappointing on my part as I've been one of the few thousands who patronize Groupon deals.


Pink Me Up Nail & Dry Bar
Unit 2D Lee Gardens Condominium
Shaw Boulevard corner Lee St. (near Old Wack Wack Road)
Mandaluyong City
Telephone Nos. (02) 358-24-12
               (0915) 1392234
               (0947) 9650507
Operating Hours: Daily 10am-9pm
Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Bar Facebook Page

The Invisible Mother

Dear All,

After reading this story, my very own mother came to my mind. After having 3 kids, she gave up her full-time job to take care of us. Right  now, she is still working hard to have an extra income. She is very hardworking and being lazy is not an option.

SALUTE to ALL MOTHERS! This one is especially for YOU ALL.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. 

Inside I'm thinking,'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this ? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduate d summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, de vour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you mak e every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!

Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know... I just did.

Throwback Thursday

Sorry for the lack of posts. It's been hectic the past few days in our home since the puppy's arrival. Will tell you more about him on a separate post but my friends in Facebook have already seen his pictures. I know it's not Thursday but when I was creating this post last night, my internet is acting up on me thus I have to wait for today to post this.

For now, let me share one of my very kept photos. It was revealed for public viewing during our reception on our wedding day. It was part of the Photo AVP arranged by Richel Mascarinas who happens to be a well-known photographer.

Yearbook Graduation Pic (1993)

How's that for a throwback?! This pic was taken 20 years ago (imagine that) in my elementary school, St.Mary's Academy in Pasay City. We were asked to wear our gala uniform which we normally wore during first Friday or any Catholic feast day celebrated by the school. The gala uniform is color white with matching white belt. It has little lace trimmings adorning the front of the uniform and the sleeves. To finish off the uniform we wore a blue ribbon. I feel like an angel when I'm wearing this uniform. This is the same uniform we wore during our graduation rites held at Sta. Clara Parish Church which is right across from St. Mary's.

Graduation Rites at Sta. Clara Parish Church. I'm wearing the gala uniform of SMA.

I've never set foot again to SMA. It's been a long time and I miss it. I miss the grade school library (which is huge!), the canteens (yes, they have two or three canteens inside the campus), the spacious quadrangle, the auditorium, the rooftop gym, the chapel where I had my first communion, my old classmates and batch mates. Ohh memories....