Food Guide to BF Homes

A friend shared this with me and if you're from the South like me or maybe looking for new places to try in this area, then I think you'll find this useful. :)

From the places listed, I've already been to the ff: Don Limone, Sam Won Garden, Tito Chef, and Larcy's Cupcakery. Nice to know I still have a lot of restos to try. Hmmm, I wonder where my next date with hubby will be? :)

Sabe's Monster Party featured in Kids Party Hub

A BIG thank you to Mommy Christine for featuring Sabe's Little Monster party over at Kids Party Hub. If you remember, she also featured Miley's Hello Kitty party a couple of months ago. I myself am such a fan of her creativity and DIY prowess so it means a lot to me to be featured in her blog. So again, thank you so much Christine for all the kind words. :)

Please check out the entire feature HERE and also check out Kids Party Hub for more ideas and themes for your next party. :)

Scenes from the weekend

Finally, we were able to go out last Saturday after all the rains and floods had subsided. The first thing we did was go have our measurements taken for the upcoming wedding of my friend. I'm going to be a bridesmaid and Miley will be a flowergirl. Miley was so excited since she thought we were going to fit her dress already hehe. But I saw the designs and it looks adorable! I can't wait to show you our dresses when they're done! :)

Another thing I had been wanting to do for the longest time was to give Sabe a haircut. His bangs had grown so long they were always in his eyes already. I had considered cutting his hair myself but Hubby forbade me since it didn't go so well last time haha! Anyway, off we went to Cuts 4 Tots in Glorietta where he got his previous haircuts (here and here).

I was already pretty nervous going in since I knew he didn't have the best experience the last time, especially with the razor. And I was right since he immediately remembered the place and didn't want to go in! After all the coaxing with toys and videos, he still kept saying NO. So we just said we'll come back after he falls asleep...

Once he fell asleep, we raced back to the salon but once Yaya carried him, he immediately woke up! But the barber started talking to him and saying "we'll just comb your hair ok?" and before we knew it, the barber started cutting away already! Plus, it was a good thing they had a Cars 2 DVD because it kept Sabe distracted pretty much the whole time. We asked not to use the razor anymore since it would scare him and the whole haircut went smoothly. We were all breathing a sigh of relief after since Sabe was such a good boy! I think he won't be scared anymore for his future haircuts. :)

Here's the BEFORE and AFTER look. And we all just love it!

Hope you're all enjoying the remainder of the long weekend as well! :)

DIY: Pearls as flower vase fillers

Back in January, I bought these faux flowers from Landmark (P170 each) which I cut and then did some impromptu flower arrangements (like sticking it in an empty tequila bottle) since I didn't have proper vases yet.

Anyway, I finally bought some glass vases from Landmark again (P120 each). Although they were now the perfect height, I definitely needed to fill the vase with something to hold the flower up.

I originally wanted to fill them with beans or rice for that organic look, but Hubby went against it saying it'll just attract ants. Luckily, I had all these old (fake) pearls from broken necklaces and bracelets which I never threw out (like I always say, being a hoarder does have its benefits!).

At first, I dumped all the pearls in then tried to stick the flower in, but then the stem wouldn't go through. So I found that holding the flower in place, then dropping the pearls in works better for the arrangement (it also keeps the flower centered).

Here's the finished product! I think the colors of the pearls match my black and white wall perfectly. And doesn't it look so elegant and classy? :)

Don Limone Grill in BF Paranaque

They say that rain on your birthday means good luck and a shower of blessings. But since it's been raining non-stop since my birthday last Sunday, I can say na binabagyo na ako ng biyaya! I'm very thankful that our area and home was not flooded, but let us all continue to pray for all those other people and families affected by typhoon Maring.

Now, on to brighter things, let me tell you about how I celebrated my birthday! I don't know about you, but I usually have such a hard time deciding where to eat especially when there are other people involved. The easiest thing to do would be to just eat in a buffet but we had just celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday at Buffet 101 a week earlier. So we decided to eat in the BF Homes area and if you're familiar with that place, then you know how many restaurants there are to choose from. One place I had been wanting to try out for the longest time was Don Limone Grill, a Mediterranean resto. I only found out about this place while googling for "good restaurants in BF" and saw a lot of good reviews. We always pass by Aguirre St. but never knew this place existed or even noticed it before because of its discreet facade.

Anyway, it was already raining super hard that afternoon, but we still decided to push through with dinner. There's an empty lot beside the restaurant which means lots of parking space, but I guess because of the weather, we were pretty much the only ones there (so parang private function lang haha!).

I loved how the interiors were very cozy and homey. Really perfect for a romantic date or intimate gatherings. There's also an al fesco dining area and a private room for more seating.

Now for the food! You can check out their website for their menu, which we did, so we had originally planned to order mostly pizzas and pastas. But when we got there, the server showed us their specials and sharing platters which looked pretty good. So we decided to get the Mixed Espetada Royale (good for 4-5) for the main course plus an appetizer and a pizza (there were 6 of us).

This is their free bread which they give at the start of the meal and it is so SOOOO good! The bread was so soft and the dips were all yummy too (especially the middle one which is some kind of carrot flavored one). All their breads are homemade and you can buy them for take-out as well (sorry, I forgot the prices).

For our appetizer, we got the Hummus En Fuego (roasted garlic hummus topped with hot pepper XV olive oil, fresh herbs, olives, & cheese) since it was highly recommended in the reviews I read. It was just ok for me, probably since I was still drooling over their free bread which I liked better hehe!

Hummus En Fuego - P165

You can choose to go half-half with your pizza (they just divide the price of the 2 pizzas), so we got 

Funghi Fiorentino (pesto sauce, chicken, mushroom, mozzarella) & El Greco (extra virgin olive oil, feta cheese, pesto, cranberry, caramelized onion, fresh herbs, mozzarella). I personally liked the El Greco better.

Funghi Fiorentino - P365 & El Greco - P395

Now for the Mixed Espetada Royale, which is Lamb Shank, Chicken, Beef, Shrimp Espetadas, Moroccan Rice, Salad, & Roasted Potato. The plate was HUGE! They serve it in skewers then they remove the sticks while on the table. The meats were all tender and soft but we were all pretty stuffed already from the bread and pizza so we couldn't finish everything.

Mixed Espetada Royale - P1,895

removing the skewers

literally a BIG plate!

We were so full after but we had to try their cheescake since it seemed to be their specialty. They have so many other flavors to choose from like New York Cheesecake, Bailey’s Irish Cheesecake, Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake, Chocolate Supreme, Mango Melange, Kahlua Coffee Liquor, Amaretto Disaronno, Saffron and Dates, Limoncello Cheesecake, Blueberry White Cheesecake, and Pomegranate Raspberry. The server recommended the Tiramisu Cheesecake and I liked it since it wasn't so sweet. But we definitely have to come back to try some of the other flavors. :)

Tiramisu Cheesecake - P235

I'm so happy with how dinner turned out. Our total bill was about P3k (for 6pax) and it's not bad considering the quality of the food and the service as well. They say people from QC or Makati drive all the way to the South just to eat here so now I know what the hype is about. Will definitely come back again for more. :)


DON LIMONE GRILL
Address: #199 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Paranaque City
Phone Number: (02) 345-1803
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 5pm to 12am
Website: www.donlimone.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/donlimonegrill

Email: info@donlimone.com 

Another year older

Yahoo, today is my birthday! Haha, I wish I could be as excited as I was when I was a kid every time my birthday would come along. But as the years pass by, I honestly don't get as thrilled as I used to about growing older hehe. I keep joking with hubby that I've stopped counting my age last year when I turned 30. ;p Well, I'm 31 now and as they say, nasa kalendaryo pa naman ako e haha! And this will be my mantra from now on:

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Ladies, don't you agree? haha! ;p Anyway, here's some lines from a birthday poem someone sent me:

Another day older,

more pages added to my folder.

I'm glad of whom I am today,

I would not have myself any other way

So don't mind that I write my own birthday rhyme,

I've lived through my life up till this time.

I think it is safe to say,

that things will go as planned His way.

He's got more for me yet,

It'll be even better I bet.

Another year older,

and I am in His debt.

Seriously, I have so many things to be thankful for and I'm just so happy for all the blessings that I've received in my life. My 20's was great with me getting married and having kids but I can't wait for all the other things that my 30's has in store for me. Bring it on! :)

Photo of the Day: Here comes the bride...

Look who wants to get married already...

Uh-oh! Hahaha! I think she's just excited because she'll be a flower girl for 2 weddings in the coming months. :) Daddy is getting nervous already! Bawal na daw talaga magka-boyfriend until she turns 30 (as if!) hehe!

Go Gilas Pilipinas!

I really have no interest in sports like basketball. I think I only get a little bit excited when I'm cheering for DLSU vs. ATENEO during UAAP season haha! Well, I really had no idea what the FIBA Asia Championships were, aside from the fact that hubby kept watching basketball on TV everyday last week. Last Saturday, hubby invited me to come along for a dinner with his colleagues since all the wives were coming along too. :) Since it was apparently the semi-finals match between the Philippines and Korea, they decided to have the dinner in Overtime Sports Bar in BF so we could all watch the game.

It was my first time ever to watch a game in a bar and let me tell you, the atmosphere and level of excitement is really different! At home, I'm sure I wouldn't even have batted an eyelash at the TV, but watching it with a crowd really gets your heart pumping. The crowd was cheering and shouting and jumping everytime the Philippine team made a shot. And I found myself cheering and shouting and jumping along with them too! It was really a well-deserved victory for the team. Before, I wouldn't have been able to tell you a single name of a basketball player but now, I know their names and faces already haha! I love Jimmy Alapag and Marc Pingris! Oh, and that #14 player from Korea is so cute hahaha! All the girls were gushing over him haha! ;p

Well, I have to say that after watching that match, I am now a certified Team Gilas fan! Hubby was able to watch the championship match live against Iran and I watched at home (kulang un ticket e haha!). And although they failed to win the championship, it's still an honor because they get to go to Spain in 2014 and play with the best in the world. So again congrats to Team Gilas! Laban Pilipinas! :)

DIY: Dressing up a paper lantern

I've been meaning to do more DIY projects but I somehow cannot find the time these days. I have so many arts & crafts supplies just sitting in my drawer gathering dust. :(

Case in point, I bought a couple of paper lanterns in Divisoria way back and I've been meaning to place them in the kids' room for the longest time. Now, I don't even know where they are (well, they're probably in the attic or something... I hope!). Well, in the meantime, here are some of the ideas I was planning to do with the lanterns to jazz them up:

1. Add a mini-bunting

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2. Cover it with tissue paper circles

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3. Cover it with flowers or pom poms

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4. Cover it with glitter

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5. Cover it with doilies

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Don't these ideas bring the plain paper lanterns to a whole new level? And they're so easy to do! I really hope I can finally get around to doing more of my DIY projects one of these days. I miss using my glue gun hehe! :)

The kids' new toy: Crayola's Magnetic Double Easel

Do you remember my problem about the kids writing all over our walls and furniture? Well, I think we've solved it for now... because we just bought this new magnetic double easel which the kids are crazy about! :)

P2,999.75 from Toys R Us

One side is a chalk board, then the other side doubles as a white board / magnetic board. I also bought coloring materials like chalk and markers. The chalk I got was "dustless" but there was still dust particles after writing. And the markers I bought couldn't be erased by the eraser that came with the package. I think you really need to buy white board markers. I had to use a damp cloth to clean the board. Good thing the markers are washable since they used it on the chalk board as well and I was still able to remove it. ;p

Look how serious the two are. My very own artists! :)

These are the magnetic letters and numbers that come with the set. Miley loves arranging them by color and then Sabe messes everything up hehe!

You can also attach paper to the large clips on top for drawing and painting...

I don't mind spending on stuff like these since it fosters their creativity as well. They're so happy with their new toy and we're happy too since they're not writing all over the house anymore... so far! ;)

Biogesic's Ingat na Damang-Dama Stories

If you've read my posts a couple of days ago, you know that everyone in our house has been sick these past few weeks. One of the things I've been thankful for is that our househelp have been holding up pretty well, especially since they're the ones taking care of the kids with me and hubby sick in bed all day. Well, they aren't superhuman and soon after, I noticed that our Yaya started to get the sniffles too. Hubby immediately gave her Biogesic to help with her headache and colds. He also keeps reminding them that "Dapat mag-ingat tayong lahat mas lalo na uso talaga ang sakit ngayon." One thing we have to remember is to take care not only of ourselves, but also our househelp since they do so much for us. And I'm happy to say that we've all been feeling so much better lately. :)

Do you have your own Ingat na Damang-Dama story to tell? Biogesic is currently running a promo wherein everyone is invited to send in their stories are about the people who took care of us or the people we extend our hands to with the help of Biogesic. You could win P5,000 or have your story made into a short film. For more information on this promo, check out John Lloyd's video below and also visit Biogesic's Facebook page. Ingat! :)

More features!

With Miley's 3rd birthday party being featured in Smart Parenting, I suddenly remembered that I have some other features before which I never got to post about. Better late than never right? ;p I know this isn't much compared to other bloggers, but I'm still so proud and kilig nonetheless. Thank you and I hope for more of these in the future. Keep 'em coming! :)

Kids Party Hub blog

AppLabs blog 

Nuffnang blog

How our bedroom really looks like...

You may think that my home looks perfectly kept together with some of the posts that I've done showing some areas of the house. You have to understand though that I've had to stage those shots so it looks really nice and post-worthy. I've always wondered if the homes I see in magazines and blogs really are so perfect and neat all the time. If ever they are, I guess the only explanation would be that they don't have children lol! ;p

THIS is how our bedroom looks like most of the time after my kids ransack the place. I've given up trying to clean up after them because no matter how much I do, they immediately mess up everything again.

This isn't even the worst our bedroom has looked since they usually dump more toys (and food!) on the floor, which they get from their room (which is also a mess). Once they're done with our room, they move on to the next area which is usually the dining room, then the living room. I absolutely hate clutter but I think I've gotten immune to it already haha! I can totally sleep at night with all their mess around me. Sometimes, I'll just be surprised to find a random toy or even a cracker under the sheets! haha! ;p

Well, I can't really take all their toys away or forbid them from playing. They're kids after all and we didn't get them all those toys just to store them away or just to look at them. I just have to accept the fact that I'll probably have an organized and uncluttered home in around 10 years? ;p

Miley's Hello Kitty party is featured in Smart Parenting!

August is turning out to be such an awesome month! First, I shared how my mom's living room was chosen in the makeover contest for Real Living's August issue. Second, it's my birthday in a couple of weeks. And now, Miley's 3rd birthday party is featured in this month's issue of Smart Parenting! Yahoooo! :)

The article is all about DIY parties and I'm so happy Miley's Hello Kitty Valentine celebration made it to the list! Thank you as well to Katherine Lopez for the interview. The whole issue is actually packed with fun and creative ideas for your parties so grab the latest copy now. :)

We won a REAL LIVING makeover!

Ok, just to clarify, the makeover wasn't done in MY house. Rather, my sister and I won the monthly makeover contest of Real Living magazine for my mom's living room area which you can read all about in the AUGUST 2013 issue. :)

Just to give you a background, I've been reading Real Living for so many years already. It has been like a bible of mine on how to achieve having a stylish, affordable space. I especially love their makeover section where you can see how they can really transform a room or even an entire house into something you wouldn't even dream possible.

I've always thought of joining that contest back when I was still living at my mom's house, but it seemed like such a long shot. My sister and I always dreamed of giving back to my mom, and one of the things we had always wanted to do was fix up her living area. It used to be such a nice sala when we were younger and back when my lola was still alive. But then through the years, it has become such an eyesore already with our dog Rusty literally taking over the space. Budget for improvements went to other areas of the house like the kitchen, and that's where everybody would just hang out and watch TV. So the kitchen/dining room sort of became the living room as well and this space just became a storage area. In the rightmost picture below, you can see a bulky wooden cabinet that my mom had made to house some of our wedding gifts, among other things. And the rattan sofa and table beside it used to part of a complete set, but somehow that is where our dog sleeps now.

I don't know why, but my sister and I decided to join the Real Living Makeover contest last year. It was exactly a year ago on July 2012 when my sister sent in the entry to Real Living. My mom had no idea and we kept it a secret since there was no guarantee we would get chosen anyway.

Fast forward many months later... It was last February when my sister got a text message from Real Living saying that we were one of the finalists chosen (this was supposed to be for the MAY issue) and they needed to do an ocular on the space. It was really unbelievable because it had been more than 6 months since we had sent that entry and we almost forgot about it already! We just couldn't believe it! Well, we had to tell my mom already and of course we were all praying and hoping that we would win. The ocular went really well but unfortunately, they decided to go with another finalist. Of course, we were disappointed but the representative from Real Living said that there might be a chance we could still get chosen in the coming months. We honestly thought they were saying that to make us feel better. But they called again last May to say that yes, we were finally the ones chosen for the AUGUST issue! Thank you Lord!

Everything went really fast from there. They started working on the space around mid-June and I believe everything just took about a week or more. It was too bad I never got the chance to be there during all the oculars, renovation, photoshoots, interview, etc. but I felt like I was there every step of the way. And when I saw the space for the first time after it was done, I was simply amazed. I felt like I was in a different house! :)

Dreams do definitely come true because now the living room looks FABULOUS! I still can't believe they fixed everything up and furnished the space completely. It's really such a blessing. Check out the photos from the magazine below :)

I wish I could have met the interior designer Catherine Cena because she did an amazing job. I love all the furnishings, decors, accent pieces she used. It's just the stuff I would buy for myself. And the color combo of orange and blue is something I've been dying to do (remember my post about ideas for my son's room?). Now I can just raid my mom's living room haha! I love that she did a study area as well so the space is more functional. If you noticed, they also changed the flooring and fixed the lighting as well. I just love, love, LOVE everything about this space! It looks so young, modern, and fresh! :)

But seriously, we can't thank Real Living enough for choosing my sister's entry. We never knew anyone personally who had won before and we thought that they would only choose houses that had been struck by floods or something. But now, we can say that yes, this makeover is real and anyone can really win. We'd jokingly say that "grabe, ganyan pala kapangit un space natin, imagine napili tayo?" hahaha! I guess it's really God's will and in His time that all of this happened. Our mom is so happy and now can't wait to invite people over to check out her new living room. ;p

So please grabe a copy of Real Living's AUGUST 2013 issue if you want to read the entire article. And don't hesitate to join their monthly makeover contest. Who knows, your space could be next! :)