FRUTTI FROYO FROZEN YOGURT

While waiting for the long order queue in Army Navy, I can’t help but notice the colorful store right beside it – It says Frozen Yogurt. It sounds healthy and definitely looks yummy.  The long wait for our greasy burgers almost made me want to skip lunch and head right towards dessert!

We made it through lunch, and headed to Frutti Froyo to put our curiosity to an end.  The kids and I liked the store’s concept of “create your own yogurt serving.”  Everything is self-service, and you get to have fun, filling up your own cup. First, you get to choose your yogurt. There’s Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry to name a few. Then, you get to choose from the fruit selection. I was delighted to see some fresh strawberries and blueberries on the line up. Next to the fruits, is the syrup, which I skipped to cut back on calories. Then last but not the least, an array of toppings to choose from! There’s oreo, marshmallows, chocolate chips, peanut kisses, candy sprinkles and a variety of nuts to choose from.  After having fun putting all the goodies into our cups, we had our cups weighed, checked out, and enjoyed our personalized frozen yogurt.

                                                                                     A cupful of this yummy treat costs about 100 Php. You get your money’s worth because a cupful of this is already good for two.

For those of you who wish to sample Frutti Froyo Frozen Yogurt, their store is situated in Commerce Center Bldg., Filinvest Alabang, just right beside Army Navy.

TRICK OR TREAT

Come late 1990’s, the traditional  “Trick or Treat” from foreign countries have slowly invaded the metropolis.
 
I must admit that I used to be such a “sucker” for this event. Who could resist dressing up their little ones in all these fancy costumes? The bonding time spent with your kids scouting for Halloween stuff and the fun of being around them and all other kids dressed up in these neat little costumes is more than enough treat for us to relish through out the years.

One Halloween, I remember seeing a kid, trick or treating wearing nothing but underwear, and painted pitch black from head to toe! He definitely stood out amongst his cute fairy companions! And who would’ve thought that garbage bags stripped and woven in a wire frame could turn out to be a spectacular wings for a black fairy?  I remember seeing all of these in the annual Halloween Costume Contest organized by Festival Mall, Alabang. They just keep getting better with this every year!

This year, while scouting for some halloween great finds, the kids and I had a blast when we visited Toy Kingdom in Mall of Asia. Their Halloween items is the scariest amongst all the toy stores that we have checked out so far.

   

For those of you seeking for some thrills this Halloween , I have listed  a couple of Halloween Activities going around in the metro that the kids can engage in.

Festival Mall, Alabang

Under the Sea Halloween Costume Contest – Oct 31, 2010 1:00 PM

Trick or Treat Parade – Oct 31, 2010 – 5:00 PM

Alabang Town Center

Hoots and Howls Halloween Party – Oct 31, 2010 3:00 PM

Howl O Ween Pet Party – Oct 31 , 2010 4:00 PM

Greenbelt 5, Makati

Trick or Treat at select stores – October 31, 2010 5:00 PM

SM Mall of Asia

Nickelodeon Scarenival – October 31, 2010 3:00 PM

Market Market

Fang Tastic Halloween – October 31, 2010 1:00 PM

                                                                                                                  

TROLLS

A true child from the 80’s can identify with these dolls, what they stand for… and will definitely find these dolls cute.

When I brought my set of trolls home, my kids were initially disgusted and considered me weird for liking the dolls. Their cousins also had the same reaction and will not go near the dolls.  I have to explain to them that the doll brings good luck to those who stroke their colorful hair.

The genius behind Disney’s Toy Story creatively inserted the appearance of these dolls in a train, which basically appeals to the parents, more than anything, who are watching the movie with their kids. That scene tickled the fancy of my kids and eventually accepted my trolls a bit.

I did some research, and much to my surprise, Troll dolls actually originated in the 1950’s and was created by Thomas Dam. These dolls became a big hit in the late 1980’s and early 90’s.

I guess the troll’s popularity stopped in our era.  But then again, it has reclaimed itself by becoming an icon of the 80’s childhood memories!

HOW TO KEEP YOUR SANITY DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON

The Christmas count down begins!

Christmas has always been everybody’s favorite time of the year.  The only downside of this is that Christmas can also be the most toxic time of the year for most of us. Before you know it, your calendar is already swamped with Christmas parties, family get together and all sorts of activities.

So before you find yourself drowning from the overwhelming Christmas intoxication, here’s a few tips to keep your sanity during this season:

1. Create a Christmas Calendar of Activities. You need to start with your prep schedule as early as Sept and no later than October. Rather than cramming it all up in just one day, break it up into several days. It will be less tiring for you and you will enjoy the activity in the process.  Posted below is a sample calendar that you can follow.

TARGET DATE	TIME	ACTIVITY	STATUS
30-Oct	7:00 PM	KID'S TRICK OR TREAT
31-Oct	8:00 PM	GO TO CEMETERY
1-Nov		SET UP TREE
13-Nov		BUY GIFTS FOR KIDS
20-Nov		BUY GIFTS FOR RELATIVES
26-Nov		BUY GIFTS FOR FRIENDS AND OFFICEMATES
27-Nov		WRAP GIFTS
28-Nov		SET UP CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
4-Dec		SHOP FOR KIDS' CLOTHES
18-Dec		SHOP FOR CHRISTMAS MEAL

2. Create a Christmas list. You might want to include the budget that you have for each individual on your list and stick to that budget when you shop. I have repeatedly gone overboard with my budget by adding little knick knacks to my gifts. You will really save a lot by sticking to your list.

Take note of the interests of the people on your list. And categorize them.  By doing so, you can plan your trip to the mall accordingly.

Also, if you are keeping a list, you will be able to buy items in bulk, and as the case in most “tiangge”, you can get bigger discounts for that. The amount saved for these could go to your gift packaging.

FAMILY MEMBERS	AGE	BUDGET	INTERESTS
FRIENDS
KIDS
OFFICEMATES

3.Do take time to wrap your gifts nicely. Instead of wrapping the gifts one by one, I normally get a gift bag. This way, I just need to put in the item, seal and tag.         

       

I like Ayala Mall’s free gift bags promo every December. I try to dine and get my groceries and other stuff as much as possible from Ayala Malls during this time. This way, I get to collect as many free bags for my gifts.

With this simple preparation, you will be able to save yourself from all the stress, and enjoy the season with your loved ones.

WINE LESSONS 101

Why drink beer and liquor when you can have the health benefits from drinking wine? 

 My high school chum’s first business venture compelled me to try wines. It was my first time to have gone to a wine bar. Much to my surprise, I actually liked the concept.

I always thought that the wine glass that we use is shaped differently for aesthetic purposes. Little did I know that it was shaped and designed as such to compliment the wine’s flavor.

Red wine’s glass is supposed to have a broader bowl to increase the oxidation and subtly alter the wine’s flavor and aroma.

White wine on the other hand is best served slightly oxidized so as not to mask its delicate quality. The glass bowl for this will be less broad.

Champaign is best served using a glass called Champaign Flutes. The glass bowl is slimmer than that of the red and white wine to allow the bubbles to travel further making it more appealing.

I also noted that the reason why wine glasses are designed to have a stem,  not only does the stem make the glass easier to hold, but it is designed mainly to avoid finger tips on the bowl. It is said that body heat also affects the wine’s taste.

The probable reason why wines can be quite pricey compared to other beverages, is its delicate handling. In order to preserve and optimize the flavor, it requires a certain temperature. The wine bottle needs to be piled up in a slanted position so that the flavor will not stock up at the bottom of the glass.

After my brief wine orientation, I am now ready for some action in GESTIX wine bar. 

  

For a novice, I find red wine too strong. I guess it pays to have a "wine connoisseur" around to help you with your selection.  I finally settled to a light and sparkling bottle of Soleil Sparkling Rose.

The food line up compliments the wine selection. The menu list is very interesting and the food are plated attractively…I felt so happy just looking at it… and was more delighted when it met the standards of my discriminating taste buds.



CHICKEN WINGS

                                                

Bruscheta de Mare





CHERRY TOMATOES

The combination of mood music subtly playing in the background well lit dining and well designed seating areas makes GESTIX wine bar a definite must try. The cozy ambiance provides great venue for conversations because it allows you to talk without having to compete with the surrounding noise.



For those of you who wish to try GESTIX wine bar, it is located at the 2F of Citylite Place Bldg Ortigas Home Depot Complex 1 Julia Vargas Ave Cor Meralco Ave.