HP7 at Resorts World.

It's the end of an era so it must NOT be a one-of-those-movie-dates feeling. It had to be special.
For that, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was seen at one of the newest cinemas in town... Newport in Resorts World.


It was my first time in the mall actually so I had to take a lot of pictures of the scenes inside.


This is so The Venetian in Las Vegas.
The cinema area has a nice The Venetian concept, too.  Lots of chandeliers and nice lounge chairs... but can feel a bit crowded because of the lack of space and low ceiling.
The best part about the Resortsworld cinema is their 24hr cinema (or was it just for HP7?!)...  Very suitable for my hubby's work schedule and our date time.


I was a bit teary-eyed at the last part of the movie because I will surely miss Harry, Ron, Hermione and everyone else.  The book (story) is an epic and so are the movies.  I don't think there will ever be another brilliant writer out there for very long time so I seriously felt the actual closing of the last book while seeing the credits of movie.


But it was a VERY GOOD Harry Potter date and a very nice cinema.  The night ended with a nice HP7 chat with hubby on the way home.


Harry, I will see you in Book 1 again soon.

Yakimix Birthday Treat!

Several times I had planned to eat at Yakimix with different sets of friends but none pushed through.

Thanks to girlfriend, Len... FINALLY, I got to dine at the famous eat-all-you-can Japanese Grill Restaurant (Trinoma branch).

It was a double birthday celebration -- Len and Alvin are both July 16 babies. Len recently went to the US for her honeymoon and got guilty because she did not have any pasalubong for us.  The birthday treat was in lieu of the pasalubong... yipee!

So I learned that the Yakimix gimmick is not your usual buffet setup.  To make the experience more fun, customers cook before they munch.  The buffet choices include a great deal of raw food.
In the middle of the table, there is a grill/skillet where diners cook the food.

Price per head is at Php590.  Refillable drinks at Php75.  If you want no fuss waiting, you need to reserve a table.  They do entertain walk-ins on a first-come, first served basis but during the weekends, you may have to cross your fingers.

Now, here are the eaters of the night.. Che, birthday girl, Len, and Faye.

The cookers (and eaters) of the night... Joy and birthday boy, Alvin.

Our busog look.  See all the plates and guess how much fun we had.

Happy birthday, Len and Alvin!  Until the next Yakimix date.

July Babies.

More... more birthdays in July.
Happy birthday to sister Zarina last July 12!


It was a fun month for my barkada.
Happy birthday, Grace... July 11.
Happy birthday, Lenlen and Alvin... July 16.


I wish you all the love and happiness in this world.

Change Venue.

Armed with my phone and its hotspot feature, I wrote my latest Saturday blog entry in our village clubhouse.  It was a windy and bright morning so it was a welcome venue change for me.
I do my writing during the evenings.  But mornings are not that bad especially if you are in place as bright and beautiful as this. 
So excited to move in soon.

Ultimate Thomas Gift.

I am pretty sure you remember BakeHappy and her wonderful cakes.

She read my post and was very happy about it (which really made me kilig because as I said she IS famous).  So the next Monday, I found this note on my office desk. 
With it was a box with THE ultimate Thomas and Friends gift for my little boy. 
 I was stunned. 
 Speechless.  And touched by her kindness.  She not only made Thomas (the blue train), James (red) and Percy (green), she also made tracks with grass.  She also made the sky via these stars.  My little boy loved them... and chose to eat Thomas first with the Thomas fork his Lola Racel gave him.  The chocolate cupcake was very good, my little boy kept saying, "This is my favorite!"  Then, he regretted eating Thomas after he took a bite of the face.  But he was just happy and perky all night... he could not forget his Thomas experience.

The rest of the week was filled with Thomas cupcake desserts.  Who can top that super special treat?!

Thanks, Tita Marie!  I am sure the little boy will remember that night for a very long time.

See her entry about the Thomas cupcakes here.

Lovin' the Lomo.

I am late again.


The whole social networking world has been into the Lomo thing for several months (or is it years?!?) already but it is only just last month that I have imbibed this new fad.


Thanks to my faster phone... I had more interest in downloading the latest apps -- Leme Leme is my Lomo app.  And I am taking a Lomo picture of practically everything I see.


My hand sanitizer collection... pasalubong from friends coming from the US.


My Rubbermaid water bottle which rivals the Kor with its nice colors but affordable price -- only Php75 in S&R.


Even my son has learned how to use it.

Hubby downloaded a Lomo app, too.  Now, everyone in the family is addicted.

July 7.

Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law, Bars!

Happy Baker.

We call her Marie in the office. 
She is one of the sunniest people I know.


She is a blogger just like me... but famous.


Now, this is her famous blog -- Bakehappy. 
As the name implies, her blog is all about baking and how her cupcakes make "the world beam with happiness".  


It indeed lives up to its names because as you go through the site, you can't help but feel all giddy and happy.  The cupcakes and cakes are from out of my world... because I still could not believe that people I know can do them. The photos are superb and the way she presents her works of art just certifies that she is ALL art.


Just so you can get a feel of what she manages to create, here is a screencap of her popular posts. 
So, if you are feeling down, or you need inspiration, or you just need to find a good baking recipe / instructional guide, please visit Bakehappy.  It is a great site to see.

More Than A Year.

It's been more than a year since I started blogging again.  I proved myself wrong because I thought this was just passing thing... me writing and finding time to do so.

It's probably because of the things I write, which is why I am still here.  They excite me.  Every Friday is a happy day... not only because it is the start of the weekend but also because I have something to write about again.  And it ain't a rant, or an oh-so-bad review, or a sad story.  It is about something positive, something bright and beautiful.  Hey, at least one good thing should happen in a week, right?

It's my wish that I would be able to continue this blog for a very long time... even if nobody reads it, even if life becomes too busy.  This is my contribution to making the world less ugly.


I know I am a little late... Happy Anniversary.

Fruit Salad.

One of the desserts quickest to prepare is the Fruit Salad.  I am, by the way, talking about the regular one not the espesyal that is usually prepared for parties and Christmas meals.


Here are the ingredients.


All Purpose Cream.  I tried the Magnolia Cream to be different.  It's a little more liquid than Nestle Cream. I used the whole pack.

From Digicam Shots

Condensed Milk.  I used around a half of the can. 

From Digicam Shots

Fruit Cocktail.  This makes the preparation easier since the fruits are all sliced and diced. Don't forget to drain the juice. 

From Digicam Shots

Cheese in cubes.  The not-so-ordinary ingredient.  Got this trick from Mom. Promise!  Makes the salad extra delish. 

From Digicam Shots

How to prepare:


1. After the fruit cocktail juice has been drained, pour the all-purpose cream.  Mix.  Some may want their fruit salad less soupy so feel free to put in less cream.

From Digicam Shots

2. Next is the condensed milk.  Mix in portions to acquire your desired sweetness. 

From Digicam Shots

3.  Add the cheese cubes last. 

From Digicam Shots

4.  Mix until evenly blended. 

From Digicam Shots

5. Freeze. 

From Digicam Shots

6. Around an hour before serving, remove the salad from the freezer and place in the ref to soften the salad a bit.


7. Serve cold and enjoy.