Moved to The Sibs Blog!

Hi, internet friends 🙂

Haven’t posted in months (lol no one notices naman but anywaayy)! Sara, my sister, and I started our blog so I won’t publish here anymore.

http://thesibsblog.com/ is a lifestyle blog that hopefully pushes people to try and give a go at life. We will focus on local travel, fashion, and food (the weirder, the better!). It’s a work in progress but currently has 2 travel entries on there.

Going to Elyu soon? TRY THESE 5 LAIDBACK ACTIVITIES!! *click on photo:

We’re working on it though! Just finding more time to create quality content in between working, being lazy on weekends, and actually taking postable photos during our trips. Plus there’s this challenge where we still couldn’t enroll in Google Analytics that’s soooo irritating ._.

Bye to this blog that I started in college (for now)! Keeping my posts here so I can look back and cringe on whatever I wrote lol – especially my puns.

Chimara Feel Good Kitchen: The Healthy Buddy

How are you feeling today? Sarap sa feeling na may nagtatanong kung kamusta ka no? :”> anyway are you stressed? I am. Skin-tired? Me. Brain-drained? Yes, yes, yes! If you want to stop feeling any of the above, then let’s turn to our healthy buddy!

Sara says veggies can be fun and yum!

Chimara Kitchen (pronounced “kay-ma-ra”) is a health-oriented restaurant which has been serving good-for-you dishes since 2004. For a time, way back in college, I was all hyped up to lose my baby fat. *Plays flashbacks of night jogging and cardio afternoons*  Then Chimara opened at U.P. Town Center, an easy 5-minute walk from my dorm. It became my go-to meal spot for a while because choosing a nutritious meal from their menu was a no-brainer. Anything had a dose of body and mind benefits. I felt like anything they had was a guilt-free choice, but in moderation of course.

Pepper Maple Chicken Wrap (P220) and Tuna Wasabi Aioli (P220)

After a few months, I unfortunately returned to my unhealthy-college-dorm-food-lifestyle as acads consumed me. Fast forward to today, I found out they have a branch at Greenbelt 3! Never really noticed it before as I only had my eyes on Red Mango whenever at the G3 cinema. Turns out that it’s their first ever branch, the #OG. My sister and I spent lunch with the Chimara team and Ria over a sa-wrap meal 😉

#SibsTry: Gelato Sushi and a Magical Dessert at Gelatofix

Don’t get grossed out! Gelato Sushi is just 100% gelato shaped into sushi – sans vinegar and raw fish. This food hybrid was created by Master Chef Novelli and handcrafted at an Italian dessert lifestyle cafe in BGC, Gelatofix. As a person who’s game to try food that makes me either go heart-eyes-emoji or face-with-raised-eyebrow-emoji, I was all for it!

If you’re curious, join me and my sister in an Italian affair as we spoil ourselves with my favorite food that never fails to please… most of the time. Sibstry Vlog no. 5:

Craving for bomb ass gelato on a rainy afternoon (hey, any weather is ice cream weather), we dropped by the almost rustic cafe after learning about their world famous dessert. Turns out they had #MoreThanJustGelato. Tasty looking Italian-inspired comfort food piled up on tables of couples and young adults working on their laptops. But today Sara and I were only onto getting a frozen fix.

Can’t resist trying at least one flavor from this luscious and decadent display

We didn’t stop there! We read “Magic boxx” on the menu and just had to. A tower of thick toast cubes, pistachio cream & sauce, honey, mixed fruits, gianduia chocolate sauce, and (guess what) gelato, landed on our table and we went “aggggghhhh how do we start to eat this beautiful mess!!!!”

Just Indulge with Seattle’s Best Coffee’s Just Desserts Line

New Javakulas (L-R): Triple Chocolate, Campfire S’mores, and Hazelnut Cheesecake

I practice self-love by treating myself to my favorite food, which are most of the time a slice of dessert and good iced drinks. After rendering OT several days a week, I think I deserve a cheat day… or three!

Seattle’s Best Coffee is ready to reward us hustlers with their “SBC Just Desserts” line featuring three entirely new beverages to warm ourselves up or to celebrate a productive day! Any reason is valid  to indulge in these treats, available in hot mocha or ice-blended Javakula. Submitted your presentation on time? Treat yourself!

Chocolate powder to make it pretty~

At the launch, we were all eyes during the live demo of how these new drinks were crafted. Dispensing the cheesecake whipped cream needs some serious shaking and muscles! Then we wrapped our souls (and stomach) with all the delicious goodness only the best desserts can bring.

I grabbed the tempting Triple Chocolate because too much chocolate doesn’t scare me! Topped with  oreo chocolate sauce and a fudge bar, this was motherfudging delicious! My sister went for the Campfire S’mores because there’s no way to say no to this favorite dessert.

Final Seconds of Summer

Bid farewell to the sunflowers, vivid skies, and golden summer to welcome the “champorado weather” with open arms! To the people who tag it as cuddle weather, ipasok niyo muna sinampay! jokeee. Is it just me, or does gloomy and gray skies feel much more calming, more chill, and happier?Not gonna say bye to Gelato, because it’s Gelato weather any day. My sister and I tried a cute little shop along 11th Avenue BGC this afternoon. We also filmed here for another #SibsTry episode but not sure if she’ll upload it cos’ the audio was crappy.

But I’m posting our Summer to Rainy day OOTDs because it’s been awhile, blog! To the one person who reads my blog AKA my mommy,  hello! wuvyuEasy tip: For one side of a jacket to stay down, do not align the buttons. Go a notch or two higher when buttoning up. Good style for our bipolar weather.Signs of summer still show with florals but a dusty, neutral pallet make it more appropriate, I think.

81 SeiHai Sushi Lounge: Rolling out soon at Timog, QC!

Wasaaa, bae? I learned a new word today!

“Omotenashi” is the Japanese concept of providing the best service without expecting any reward. This is probably why tipping in Japan is not practiced?  “Omote” means public face that is an image one would wish to present when outside the confines of his or her home, and “Nashi” means nothing. Together, it means that service is from the bottom of the heart – honest, no hiding, and no pretentions.

This kind of wholehearted hospitality (along with sticky onigiri, fluffy tamago, and sparkling bento boxes) is what I look for when dining in Japanese restos. If you want to experience Omotenashi, 81 SEIHAI Sushi Lounge, a new Fusion Japanese Sushi Lounge, will roll out in April and serve you much more than that. Here are some things I can’t wait to SAY HI to:

Their Version of Omotenashi

Hospitality is said to be taken a notch higher at 81 SEIHAI. In addition to the usual greetings like “irasshaimase” (welcome/ come in) or “ohayo gozaimasu” (Good morning), there are hospitality gestures unique to the restaurant making each customer feel at home.  This extends to how the fusion sushi dishes are prepared.

6 Most Popular Tourist Activities to Enjoy in the Ilocos Region

The province of Ilocos is a popular tourist destination because of its rich food and even richer history. The stiff-neck-causing 9-hour ride from Manila to the northernmost tip of mainland Luzon was well worth it as the surroundings transitioned from a grey cityscape to vibrant greenery and deep blue rolling beaches. (Plus hoards of ice scramble vendors too!)

Hitch hiker spotted at Patapat Viaduct

Here’s a list of some popular tourist activities that you should try when in Ilocos:

6) Make Wishes at Paoay Church, Laoag

It’s Filipino tradition to make a wish in a church that you visited for the first time. How magical it was to hope it would come true in this beautiful baroque church designated as a national cultural treasure and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Btw, my wish was to have the super ability to turn back time and change some stuff loljk but have you ever wished for the same?

7 Favorite Diner Dishes that are So Fast-Good!

Have you ever played “Diner Dash”? I remember looking for game cracks for hours on my computer so I could watch what happens in Flo’s story next, as my Big Fish Games free trial had just expired #11YearOldProbs.

My favorite parts were (1) decorating my diner and (2) watching the color-coded customers finish their plates of burgers, steak, fries and other appetizing comfort food. To fill hearts of impatient guests, diner dishes are the best to offer as they’re prepared quick and easy to serve food fast – good for those who are in a hurry, and apropos to label these kinds of meals as ‘fast-good’.  Below are 7 Favorite Diner Dishes that are So Fast-Good:

Silog Meals

First up is the Filipino fave -silog. Almost any viand goes well with a runny egg and cups of the garlic-heavy sinangag or fried rice. Daing? Dasilog. Maling? Masilog. Longganisa and tapa? With two eggs, please.

Crispy Calamari

Anything deep-fried can easily be found at a diner, just like the golden Crispy Calamari! Crispy Calamari is squid drenched in flour and peppered with lots of flavor. Paired best with lots of marinara sauce, this appetizer invigorates diners for a full meal ahead!

Fall/Winter 2017 Fashion Trends

Brrr~ the cold season is here and I love how it’s been chilly! Well, not always. Some days, it still feels like summer with buckets of sweat dripping off my skin just minutes after taking a shower. But that’s tropical weather for you. Heaven for foreigners, hell for commuters.

Video from Sara Paredes’s facebook page:

 

For Fall/Winter 2017, trends have made a comeback from retro polkadots to the mid-80s grunge. My sister, Sara, and I had so much fun playing around with this season’s hottest trends! We curated 5 everyday looks that everyone can wear. Here are three of my favorites:

Grunge Treatment

Gingham and Flashes of Skin

Feminine Frocks and Preppy Pastel

My sister and I bond over fashion (and chocolate) so it was super fun to shoot this lookbook! All awkward moments were cut out, and there were a lot!!! She has a legit blog now too! Check out saraparedes.com  for style, travel, and lots of abs! 😉

Shot at @dulomnl events space.

 

Flowers in the Fields of Tagaytay

I’ve been poor at publishing posts because this fresh graduate (naks naman!) has been busy being a bum (not so naks). The real naks are mid-bearing and high waist outfits which have been my go-tos lately just like this floral one with pops of pink all over.

I wore this tropical set over a month ago for an overnight grad celebration at Tagaytay Tropical Greens with friends. #ThrowbackTuesday

“Nakasuot ka na ng pang-swimming!?” (You’re wearing your swimwear already!?) my friend quizically asked when we met up at Jollibee.