At Home With MrsC

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Bingo Baon Boxes

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Preparing baon or packed lunches for your family can be extremely fulfilling, but at some point, it also gets a bit frustrating. It’s not always easy to come up with inventive ideas and ways to make the same food items more presentable, especially when you see the wonders that others have made with their bento boxes.

Sometimes the inspiration for these designs are hard to come by, and when you do get a brilliant idea, it’s not as easy to execute as you would hope. If you’re strapped for ideas for your next bento lunch, you could try to emulate one of the most classic games in the world to date: bingo. Bingo was popular in the 1950s, where there were thousands of bingo halls across the globe. Today, the BBC reports that many of these bingo halls have migrated online, with Free Bingo Hunter being able to catalogue hundreds of different online bingo portals that have been launched in the UK alone. The popularity of bingo has made it so its symbols have become recognizable icons no matter where in the world you may be.

Fun, festive bento boxes are great baon ideas for kids

It’s not hard to make a bingo bento box either. Just remember that there are three key elements to a bingo game: the bingo balls, the cards, and the markers. Try to find items that match the shapes and characteristics of these items and you’ll have a great bingo bento box. Here are some ideas:

The Card
For the card, you can build on a lump of cooked rice molded into a square. Arrange strips of nori, carrots, or cucumbers to create the grid of the card. You can use different vegetables to make the lunch box more appealing!

The Balls
As for the balls, you can go the easy way with meatballs, or build on the idea of a Tic-Tac-Toe bento box and create little cups of mixed vegetables, pasta, mashed potatoes and even sliced fruit and veggies!

The Markers
Bingo chips are probably the simplest. You can make them from sliced pieces of fruit like grapes or berries! Or you could use little Iced Gem biscuits, which are the perfect size for markers!

Have an Amazing Christmas with the Taiwan Excellence – Made to Enjoy Christmas Contest

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You know you’re Filipino when you are excited beyond comprehension about the coming of Christmas. Agree? 

I feel that Christmas really puts everyone in a giving mood, and that’s why most people continue to brave the holiday traffic and the crazy crowds just to find the perfect gifts to give their loved ones. I say ‘most people’ because I really am not one to subject myself to the Christmas rush. I honestly prefer to DIY, shop online or give gift cards. Regardless, though, if you are a Christmas shopaholic or an antisocial holiday shopper, the point is that we all want to give our dearest friends and family nothing but the best. 

Enter, Taiwan Excellence, a campaign organized by the Bureau of Foreign Trade of Taiwan together with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), a non-profit, semi-governmental trade promotion organization in Taiwan.

Check out all of these amazing products!
Check out all of these amazing products!

 

 

I recently wrote about this campaign, whichaims to recognize high-quality Taiwanese brands, thereby guaranteeing their superior quality and value. This was just introduced in the Philippines, featuring innovative products that help in simplifying everyday tasks at work and at home. In a way, it helps us Filipinos live excellent lifestyles by giving us access to these superior products. 

But wait, there’s more! (Lol, festive mode nga, diba?)

The Taiwan Excellence campaign has officially invaded Christmas in the Philippines in a really good way. The Taiwan Excellence – Made to Enjoy Christmas Contest is ready to help you grant your special someone’s Christmas wish. This special person could be your mom, your spouse or your child, basically anyone whom you would like to share the spirit of Christmas with. 

Taiwan Excellence - Made to enjoy Christmas
Taiwan Excellence – Made to enjoy Christmas

 

All you have to do is visit  www. M ade T o E njoy T he L ife.ph  to register, and select a Taiwan Excellence gift for your loved ones. No strings attached, no purchases required. Simply upload your photo, then say why you want to give that Taiwan Excellence gift to your selected recipient.

The Made to Enjoy Christmas Contest runs from September 28 until November 23, 2014. Ten winners will receive the chosen Taiwan Excellence product chosen for them this Christmas. One lucky winner will have the privilege of having the gift delivered by no less than Taiwan Excellence Celebrity Endorser for the Philippines, Iya Villania-Arellano. That’s almost like two gifts rolled into one!

So, go and spread Christmas cheer as early as now. You have until tomorrow to join the Taiwan Excellence – Made to Enjoy Christmas Contest, and (hopefully) make someone’s Christmas wish come true.

Taiwan Excellence: Excellent Lifestyles in the Philippines!

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Here’s a question for you guys: What do you look for when you buy something? Does the brand matter? Do you check to see where the product was made? Do you count on referrals and recommendations from friends and family?

I have one simple standard when I choose to buy something. It must be of great quality. I’m not at all brand conscious. I am also not the type who only shops imported, after all not all imported products are of high quality. Instead, I go for what I know to be a good product that lasts long, and does what it’s supposed to do well. I count on recommendations, and those ever-so-important seals of excellence on the stuff that I buy.

Because I shop that way, you’ll see why I appreciate the campaign organized by Taiwan through its Bureau of Foreign Trade of Taiwan and Taiwan External Trade Development Council, which should help Filipino consumers identify the best from the rest. The campaign is called Taiwan Excellence, and it aims to recognize high-quality Taiwanese brands thereby guaranteeing their superior quality and value.

 

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It started out as part of the Ministry of Economic Affair’s 5-year plan in the 80’s to raise Taiwan’s international competitiveness by supporting its local brands. Then in 1992, under the Image Enhancement Plan, the Taiwan Excellence Award campaign was established. It was opened to all Taiwan-based brands under categories such as consumer and business, IT, fashion, sports, arts and culture, transportation, and education, among others.

Products go through an awarding process, where they are scored by an international panel of judges. Judging is based on the product’s R&D, design, quality and marketing efforts, and all aspects need to rank evenly. After careful evaluation, the selected brands and products are allowed to carry the Taiwan Excellence Seal, both locally and internationally.

Among the selected products, 30 finalists are selected. 10 of them will be given the Gold Award, and the other 20 will receive the Silver Award. Sounds like a tedious process, but it’s well worth it if it means highlighting only the best that Taiwan has to offer.

 

Excellent_Lifestyles_in_Philippines_logo_(V)
Taiwan Excellence: Excellent Lifestyles in the Philippines!

 

Taiwan Excellence was introduced to the Philippines for the first time in 2014, showcasing 56 top-quality brands, including Acer, Asus, HTC, KingCom, KW Trio, MSI, Transcend and BenQ. Aptly themed “Excellent Lifestyle”, the campaign features innovative products that help in simplifying everyday tasks at work and at home. This benefits us shoppers by allowing us to have an enjoyable shopping experience while discovering all of Taiwan’s best. 

To learn more about Taiwan Excellence, visit http://taiwanexcellence.ph and #/TaiwanExcellence.ph

Bend Accessories

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Okay, technically I didn’t find Bend Accessories at a bazaar. The owner’s sister is a work at home mom and they sent me a couple of bracelets and a nice personalized keychain a few weeks ago. But I did finally meet Francine, the owner and creator of these wonderful accessories at the Cuenca Bazaar (sorry, don’t ask me which one it was, they are all just “Cuenca Bazaars” to me) one Sunday.

 

I was walking around, waiting for the little boy’s soccer game to end. I remember I was alone because that was the day after MrC’s out of town bachelor party extravaganza, and so we left him at home to catch some extra Z’s. I saw the familiar Multifunctional Accessory Kit on display, and of course I just had to introduce myself to the unsuspecting Francine.

 

She and I talked for a pretty long time. I was excited to find out that she’s from Muntinlupa, and she makes everything herself by hand. I’ve already promised my sisters-in-law that I will get them Multifunctional Accessory Kits also, and I want to get more colors for myself. I swear, they are so nice and colorful, and easy to wear and versatile. Super perfect for someone like me who rarely accessorizes! Promise, look at my photos and you’ll see that I hardly have any bling on. These, I really like, though. They are so nice that I got a lot of compliments on my arm candy when I (finally) wore it last week at The Urban Food Collective!

 

Everything that Francine sells is super inexpensive, too. The Multifunctional Kit is PHP300. Keychains go for PHP50 – PHP100 depending on the design or engraving. She can also add charms for an additional PHP20 each. The Stretch Bracelets are only PHP130 – PHP180 each. All so affordable, and perfect to give out as Christmas gifts. Comes in a nice box with ribbon, too. See?

2Bend
Christmas gift idea!

 

THANK YOU, Francine and Faith for sending me these kikay goodies. I super appreciate it, and I really, really love them! Will be sending you my orders soon! 🙂

If you want to order, you can contact Francine of Bend Accessories at 0926-6212046, or email bendaccessories@gmail.com. Like BendAccessories on Facebook, and follow them on Instagram @bend_accessories to see what’s new.

 

Speedy and Tasty — Easy Meals From a Microwave

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All of us would like to make our kids a five course, healthy-as-can-be meal every time, but that’s just not possible. When you’re strapped for time — given the pace of life today, this could be quite often! — the microwave can be the perfect tool. Too often microwaves are relegated to reheating leftovers, but there’s so much more to them than that. You can invest in microwaves from Tesco or elsewhere and use this practical cooking technology to whip up simple meals. Here are some recipes to get you started.

Eggs

Breakfast

Scrambled eggs

Eggs are a part of a healthy diet, and scrambled eggs don’t come easier than this recipe. Crack some eggs into a bowl, scramble with a fork, and then microwave it for 30 second intervals, stirring at each interval. Voila, you’ve got scrambled eggs. Afterwards, add any veggies you see fit.

Bacon

While it may not be entirely healthy, bacon certainly is delicious. Cooking bacon in a microwave is as simple as putting a few pieces in between napkins and pressing start. For crispier bacon, heat the bacon on top of an overturned bowl. This way the fat drips off of the bacon and you get a crispy, healthier slice. Each slice of bacon takes about a minute in the microwave.

Vegetables

For a quick way to add vegetables to any meal, just steam them in the microwave! All you need is a microwave safe bowl with a cover. Plus, this way of cooking actually helps the veggies retain their nutrients, due to the shortened cooking time.

Corn on the Cob

This could be the most straightforward dish you’ll ever make in the microwave out of them all. Put an ear of corn in the microwave with its husks on. There’s no need to strip it or even put it on a plate, and just heat it up for 4 minutes. That’s it!

Chicken Fajitas

This is a staple at Mexican restaurants worldwide, and you can make it with only your microwave! Simply cut up some peppers and onions, add some cut up chicken, and mix them all together. Season with whatever spices you like, and then throw it in the microwave for 10 minutes. It’s as quick and as easy as all that.

As you can see, whether you’re using a microwave out of convenience or necessity, it’s simple to cook healthy meals using this versatile object. Just don’t forget the vegetables.

Cool and Clean with Priva Intimate Wash

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For as long as I can remember, pH Care has been my feminine wash of choice. I never liked the overly perfumed smell of other brands, nor do I like using those that smell like antiseptic. Lucky for me, my sensitive skin seems to agree with pH Care, and so I never had a problem with rashes or itching over the years. 

I recently had the opportunity to try a new intimate wash offering from Unilab, Priva Intimate Wash by pH Care. Normally, I don’t experiment with new commercial products, but because this particular one had the brands Unilab and pH Care tied to it, I knew that there was really no need to worry. And no, I’m not just saying that. These are really brands that I use and trust in real life. Hehe.

 

About Priva

Priva Intimate Wash has a pH-balanced formulation that gently cleanses and helps protect against itching and bad odors. It is also formulated to revitalize the delicate feminine area. It comes in two variants, Skin Firming and Skin Lightening, and both have a cooling effect. That cooling factor is a super plus for me. Ever since I discovered cooling feminine wash, I’ve been hooked. Something about it just makes me feel fresher and cleaner.

Priva Intimate Wash
Priva Intimate Wash

The Skin Firming and Cooling variant has collagen and natural extracts of Kwao Krua, an herbal root found in Thailand known to help improve skin elasticity and firmness. It also contains Witch Hazel extracts to help skin retain its natural moisture. 

The Skin Lightening and Cooling variant, on the other hand, is formulated with glutathione and natural strawberry extract that helps lighten darker skin areas. 

The cooling component they use for both variants of Priva is called RevitaCool, a gentle cooling ingredient that keeps you feeling cool and refreshed with every wash. Both have been clinically tested by obstetrician-gynecologists, and have been proven to deliver results and to be safe for daily use.

 

The Verdict

After using both variants for a little over a week (I alternate between the two with each bath), I can say that I am happy with both. I like the light flowery scent of the firming variant a bit more than I do the light fruity scent of the lightening one. At the same time, I can already see that the lightening taking effect, even after just a few days. As for the skin firming, I think I’ll need to give this a little more time before I see major results. 

I am happy to report that I have absolutely no rashes resulting from the use of both variants, which is both amazing and a really good thing given my sensitive skin. Unilab and pH Care have proven yet again why they are such trusted household names with Priva Intimate Wash. I am definitely going to continue on using this brand.

What feminine wash do you prefer? Have you tried using Priva?