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How I Coped with My Self Doubts






Self doubt is a dangerous thing.

It has always been a struggle for me to face my choices with all the negative thoughts boggling my mind.

What if I'm not good enough? What if I made the wrong choice? What if I can't do it? What if I fail? What if..

All these what ifs that are holding me back is depressing.

Was depressing.

It took me a while, a looong while to not get past it but to live through it, with it. I know that there will be self doubts. It's constant, always reminding me of what I lack as if it's following me incessantly. But eventually, I learned to flow with it.

When self doubts start clogging your thoughts, learn to ignore it and focus on your goal. Always focus on what you want to accomplish and your plan to actually get through it. Afterall, your goal should not attain perfection because no one ever is, but to reach your realistic objective.

Do not make your mind your enemy. You are not your enemy.

Learn to live with your flaws with a smile just like I did and am doing. 

Plato Bar PH: Taft's Favorite Hangout Bar On Your Doorstep!



     As a Lasallian, aside from my everyday education hustle, my college days were filled with the busy street of Taft and the never ending confusion of what restaurant to satisfy my hungry stomach with. If you haven't been in the area, it's filled with tons of food outlets to choose from. And let's not forget the bars surrounding Taft for semi chill night hangouts. One of the best places to be in is Plato Bar in Sherwood, Taft.


       To be honest, I previously viewed the restaurant for just drinks and good music. I never really saw it as a place with scrumptiously delicious meals. But turns out? it does. Just a short background, it was established back in 2001 as a restaurant and was turned into a full service bar and restaurant in 2009. With it's mission "It's always a GREAT TIME", it surely has brought and is still bringing joy to customers immersed in the experience.


           What makes it a great experience? Why not? It opens at 11am daily so you can have your lunch in the restaurant and come back at night to go chill with your friends over drinks and a whole plate of their delicious dishes. EHEM. Sisig, Pizza, Salpicao, Fried Chicken and many more! and all of these are very affordable in prices starting 150 and up.


       What's more is they now have delivery! Although it's only within the area for now, however, you can still enjoy it if you're in your condo and lazy to go out. Just hit them up at 0917 17 PLATO (75286) for their mobile and 254 - 8955 for their landline.

They even have their own delivery promotions:
1. BOGO Pizza with Coke purchase
2. Accumulate 8 delivery orders worth 500 and get your free pizza on the 9th delivery order!
3. Delivery Bundle: Pizza BOGO, 12 wings, Pasta and Bottled Coke.

They even have a 30 minutes guaranteed delivery time which means food served hot and fresh on your front porch or door!


  Pictures are some of my favorite dishes they serve! Yup, I'm in love with Sisig!

What do you guys think?

Taste Cebu in Delectable Dishes at Hukad Philippines




          Last January 20, 2019, we celebrated an iconic and classic festival in Cebu. Pit Senyor, Sinulog, a joyous occasion filled with a vibrant parade, local booths, parties, large crowd and lastly a big F E A S T.  With the festivities in Sinulog past us, however, how can we feel the joy of the Pit Senyor celebration? Simple, just a quick trip to the nearest Hukad or Golden Cowrie Filipino Kitchen restaurant branch in your area. 

Hukad and Golden Cowrie Filipino Kitchen are home-grown Cebuano brands who serve fresh and delicious dishes - with every plate having distinct flavors of the city. Both restaurants have served families for 37 years and have opened 18 restaurants total in Metro Manila.

They have exquisite menu choices but here are my favorites:

1. Agua Fresca - Cucumber/ Watermelon

Before we go into meals, let's set the tone with a refreshing drink. Among all their choices (from softdrinks, fruit shakes, etc.), what I really loved was their Agua Fresca drinks, mainly, Cucumber and Watermelon.


Priced at Php 299 per pitcher, you can share this refreshing drink to 5-6 friends.

2. Bantayan Island Baked Scallops

Yes, I have a certain bias with seafood because I love the taste. Their scallops, however, are on some other level than what I tasted before. It has a creamy melted cheese on top which adds to the juicy flavor of the scallop. It's also seasoned very well which compliments the freshness of the dish.


It's priced at Php 265 per plate and you get all the creamy cheesy seafood goodness!

3. Ngohiong (Cebuano Lumpia- Vegetarian)

I normally don't order vegetable dishes because I'm just not into the taste. However, this one is an exception. You'll feel the crispiness of the Lumpia in every bite. It literally crunches whenever you cut it with a utensil and take a bite. Just a tip though, it tastes better when you dip it in the sauce provided. You'll spend Php 170 per plate.

4. Lechon Belly 
(1/4) P335.00
Who doesn't love Lechon? I mean, if you don't, why? WHY? Anyways, their Lechon belly is literally one of the best I've tried. And might I add, this comes directly from Cebu, where it's famous for this dish. Where do I start? the appearance is mouth-watering. The Lechon is fresh and juicy. You literally can see it oozing in every slice. The skin, on the other hand, is very crispy - just the way it should be.


Can you see how juicy it is? YUMM, right?

5. Sinigang Baby Prawns

A great way to start your meals is having a soup to warm your stomach. Sinigang Baby Prawns is the one for you if you love that sour Sinigang taste paired with fresh prawns. This one is priced at Php 335 and can serve up to 5 persons. Their prawns are fresh, so believe me, this one is worth a try!

 6. Halo Halomazing

After everything else, the last best thing everyone should do is have dessert. SWEETS. Hukad offers various desserts on their menu, but I think the highlight would be their classic Halo Halo, served with shaved ice, ube ice cream, monggo, rice crispies and more, it's a delectable epilogue to your experience.

What's better? For a minimum purchase of Php 1500, you can get one FREE Halo Halo valid til January 31, 2019. 

STORE LOCATIONS:
Ayala Malls Trinoma
Ayala Malls Mall of Asia
Ayala Malls Cloverleaf
Ayala Malls Feliz
SM San Lazaro
SM North Towers
SM Sucat
SM BF
SM Bacoor
SM Southmall
S-Maison - Golden Cowrie Filipino Kitchen
Podium - Golden Cowrie Filipino Kitchen

Menu Links:
HUKAD - https://www.zomato.com/manila/hukad-bagong-pag-asa-quezon-city/menu#tabtop/
Golden Cowrie - https://www.zomato.com/manila/golden-cowrie-filipino-kitchen-mall-of-asia-complex-pasay-city/menu#tabtop/


Betsubara MNL: This Might Be Your New Favorite Cheesecake!



Don't you just love the soft and airy feeling that bursts into your mouth when you bite into a delightful piece of cheesecake? Well, if you don't, then get off my page. Just kidding. Just give me 5 minutes of your time and I'll tell you why this cheesecake can change your life..or just your mood for the day or week.

Betsubara which translates to "there's always room for dessert" in Japanese, is a home based bakeshop offering cute quality dessert. It is a 2017 startup local bakery online shop which sells different kinds of cakes ranging from limited edition to customized ones. 



They have wide range of cakes to choose from even catering to customized cakes. Their bestseller, on the other hand is the Fuwa Fuwa cheesecake, a Japanese origin cheesecake which has a light and airy cotton-like feel.


Upon receiving the package, you could see that it was really prepared well with a cute note pasted on top. In addition, there is a little description of what a Fuwa Fuwa Cheesecake is. All in all, the packaging is perfect for gift giving. Plus, you can also ask for a name tag to put on top of the cake. 


The cake itself looks delicious! I personally love the top design which looks like a butterfly in what I would assume cocoa powder. It's very cute and adds to the originality of the cake. The appearance looks perfectly cooked with golden brown top and the sides white but still fluffy and soft outside. 


I'm a cheese lover so this cake is like my own little heaven. Upon taking a slice, my knife slides smoothly into the softness of this cake. It's like slicing into a very soft pillow. Be careful with your strength though because the cake leaves soft crumbs whenever its cut. 

(Watch this video if you want to know how soft it is!)


Let's get on the taste! (which is my favorite part, lol) When I first took a bite, the cheese taste exploded into my mouth. It's like I was immersed with cheesy goodness. I tasted cream cheese in it. I feel like the cake is rich with the soft taste of cream cheese. The texture is also very soft, it melts in your mouth easily. 

Verdict:
As a cheese lover, I will say that this is gold! I love this cake and it's perfectly soft and airy, just like the description. The size is also perfect (6 inch) because too much of something might make you fed up which goes for all food you will try. Just a tip: pair it up with a nice blend coffee and you're good to go! For the price ,on the other hand, Php 650 pesos for 6 inch is worth the buy for the taste, packaging and overall cheesy goodness.

How to Order:
1. Hit them up on Instagram and Facebook @BetsubaraMnl
2. For regular cakes - 2-3 days lead time. For customized cake - 2 weeks lead time. They need to know the orders before hand because they serve fresh everytime.
3. Payment BDO Deposit. (Full payment for regular orders, half payment for bulk - 4 orders and up)
4. Delivery can be on Lalamove. Meetup or Pickup available at SM Bicutan, BGC or Glorietta. 

I hope you guys like this review!

My Top 5 Picks On Belle De Jour 2019 Collection




 2019 is fast approaching and before we know it, it's a whole new year already. The good thing is, fortunately, most of us know how to prepare for new goals and experiences for the upcoming year. How? Simple, get your planners, jot down your resolutions and take note of all your schedules.

 And the best thing is, as early as right now, you can start planning your 2019 by purchasing a planner from Belle De Jour's 2019 Collection. Last weekend, they released their 2019 collection in a very interactive two-day event that was totally worth going to. Now, their products are not limited to planners only but they also have a wide range of choices for designing and planning your goals to achieve the success you've always wanted.

On this article, however, I will only be featuring my top 5 favorites on their collection. To be honest, I've looked into everything they have to offer and I loved them all. (P.S. If you're like me who tends to hoard on notebooks, artsy pens, stickers and the like then you're going to L O V E their products.)

1. Belle De Jour 2019 Classic Planner

 My first favorite isn't a surprise since this is one of their power planners and the one that I will be using for 2019. Their power planners come in three variations - Classic planner, limited edition, leather and discbound. If you don't prefer the feminine design of this one then you can opt to choose the leather or discbound. Personally, I'm in love with my Classic Planner because of its feminine design which truly matches my personality.

It's priced at Php 598 - a bit pricey for a planner. BUT, totally worth it. This planner comes with a separate booklet of discount coupons on Parisian, Mcdonald's, Browhaus, Revlon, Coffee Bean and many, many more. Just rip the coupons and you're good to go with their partner brands. Another thing that stood out was their menstrual tracker (for us ladies). I love how I can use this planner in various ways. Instead of looking at my app to track my period, I can do it with this planner instead.
The next best thing is the design - very cute and feminine. Perfect for every kikay girls out there! The month dividers on this planner is also interactive that it can get you inspired every month. Last but not the least, can you see several dividers provided? Two string bookmarks and a magnet fox designed bookmark which makes it easier to take note of important things you need to remember.

2. The Navi 2019 Planner

 The first thing that caught my eye on this planner was the design. It's minimal but at the same time it's perfect for the overall theme which is "Travel". This is a unisex planner so all our traveler friends can enjoy sporting this one.

Just like the classic planner, this also comes with a small coupon book (although less coupons than before ) which features almost the same brands that the previous has. This is also priced at Php 598. But with its design and coupon tracker, it's also worth it.
The travel checklists and every details about all you need to know about traveling makes this planner a necessity if you're going to be traveling a lot next year. The month dividers are also very informative with all the festivals they feature.

3. Essentials Notebook

 Let's breathe out of planners for a while and head on to their notebook collection. I personally am a hoarder of notebooks even though I don't know what I'm going to write on it. Nevertheless, their essentials notebook are just that, essential. Not over exaggerating but the design is so classic and elegant that you will not regret carrying it everywhere you go.
The insides differ per color of the notebook - Black cover with blank inside, brown cover with dotted inside, and gray cover with grid inside pages. These notebooks are priced at Php 240 each.

4. 2019 Essentials Planner
Designed like the previous essentials notebook, this planner offers minimal design and portability. Priced at Php 380, it's affordable and simple - perfect for every age and gender. 


Their pages however is designed by weeks as seen on the picture above which lets you freely design each week.
5. Game Plan
Their Game Plan collection consists of four different variation - Create your own sparkle (pink), Go For it (purple), Be Fearless (Blue), and Conquer From Within (Green). This is an undated planner which is good for 3 months of use. 
I love how this acts like a workshop for "planner beginners". Basically their Game Plan planners lets the user focus on their time management everyday with its hourly feature. If you are still deciding if it's worth buying a year-round planner then start with this one instead. After all, it's only priced at Php 180 each. 

So that's it.

The ones mentioned here are only five of their magical collection so if you want to check more then visit http://shop.ilovebdj.com. They're having a sale right now, too. 

P.S. What's your personal favorite?

My Best Christmas Gift Ideas





It's a very strange thing - time. It's the change that we don't expect the most, flies fast in our good times and drags ever so slowly whenever we're down. And even though it's like this, a lot still values this the most. And yet it's funny how it goes, the time we hold dear moves on even if we're still stuck in the moment.

 It seems like yesterday, we're still hungover the residual happiness of the Holidays from the year before.

And now, it's fast approaching, less than 100 days from now, we will feel the jolly clink of our spoons and the loud laughter of our peers.


Just like Game of Thrones, we can say that Winter is coming , or rather, Christmas is coming.

Besides the cold breeze, shining lights and upbeat music, gift giving is one of the thing we, Filipinos, love the most. It's the joy we get whenever we see our loved ones happy with what we give and it's the ba-dump sound of our heartbeat in the moment of opening the mystery they give us that makes this so special.

For this article, I thought of my top three best gift ideas for our loved ones. Unique, fun and just pure pleasant surprise. Before I start though, let me just say that gift giving is easier with GC Regalo and Sodexo Gift Certificate because what's better when we're shopping? It's when you don't feel it as a hassle. With just one gift certificate, you can buy a ton of things!


For the first one, it's everything that could make your dinner table classy, beautiful and welcoming. May it be red and golden table cover, cute place mats, fancy spoons, China plates and everything that would suit the theme of your choice for the holidays.


The second one would be abundance of food. Chicken, cake, pies, HAM! buy every favorite dish of your loved ones! Make it a feast they would remember. After all, you can still eat them all tomorrow.


Lastly, your presence. No kidding. Promise.

Material things come and go. It expires, corrodes and become worn out but memories don't. The best Christmas gift you can give is a memory your loved ones will remember forever. The memory that would make your 85 year old self smile reminiscing to. So don't sweat shopping for out of this world gifts but think about how the item will be of help in creating an unforgettable moment in their lives.

With this said, May you have extraordinarily, special moments this year.

Advance Merry Christmas!

Careline Kiss Sticks Product Review


It's been a while since I posted a product review, hope this article helps for you! (I can't believe that one rhymed, lol)


Anyways, the product that I would be reviewing today is the very popular new-ish release of Careline which is their Kiss Sticks line. It's a lipstick line where in they designed it as a pen type product. But what makes it so popular and special?

First is the availability of this product, we all know Careline is in almost all department stores nationwide. And recently, they are also in partnership with Beauty Mnl which is a well-known and reliable online shop here in the Philippines. All of these makes Careline Kiss Sticks convenient and available for purchase in just the tip of your hand. In addition, they offer 12 shades which almost ranges to all your needs - from nude to red and even green and purple.


The packaging, on the other hand, is a normal pen type lipstick with the brand logo and the very unique and I must say the one I like the most is their tagline which is "Better than basic". At first glance, you will only see the normal pen type pencil but when you pull the top tip of the lippie, you will see their built-in sharpener. I'm shookt. Literally. I didn't expect a sharpener because you can twist it to have more product unlike other lippies which needs it. But, if you prefer a sharp pointed lippie and not the rounded one, then the built-in sharpener gives you a choice.


Let's get on the most awaited part which is the product itself. For me, it lives up to its claim that it glides smoothly on the lips because you wouldn't feel dryness once applied. Plus, the pigmentation is really great because one swipe and you'll see the vibrant color of the lipstick. Although, you will need to exfoliate your lips before applying it because the product will highlight the dryness of your lips. For those looking for kissproof lipsticks, well, this is not for you because it transfers.


Overall, I like this product very much. It's affordable with only P175 pesos each and Careline didn't sacrifice the quality of the product. It transfers but it is very lightweight so retouch isn't a hassle. What do you guys think of this product?
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