Studded Slippers by Marc Ecko

I don't have a single pair of Havaianas or Ipanema slippers. It's not because I can't afford to buy one. It's just that too many people already sport those brands.

Anyway, my old pair of rubber slippers already retired. I told you guys I cannot wear studded shoes, so I'm very happy to have found these pair of studded slippers from Red by Marc Ecko 2 weeks ago. I bought it for P1,195 which is more or less $25. It's original price was P1,995, though.

These slippers matches all sorts of color 'cos it is black. Made from leather. With rubber sole. Heel height is only 3 inches. Comfortable. Stylish. Uh, so happy with my cheap buy!

Thanks..

Hubby finally joined me and my baby on our holiday vacation. He surprised us by arriving a day earlier than schedule and by bringing the laptop together with prepaid usb internet. At last, I can do blogging while away from home.

Oh, I can’t do bloghopping, though. My poor internet connection can only allow posting of a short blog and reading comments. I know I have to visit back lots of new people the moment I go back to Manila.

My scheduled post were published. Thanks for all the comments. I love reading them. To all spammers, I can’t publish your comments, but I will visit you back, too. Big thanks to those who dropped new entries for my First Giveaway. Yay, I'm excited to announce the winners.


Advance Happy New Year to all!

Beef Tapa

Here is something you can do to preserve your leftover meat after the holidays. This is typically done with beef, but also works well with pork. I know it from my grandpa in the province. He would always preserve beef and pork leftover meat after a big family occasion. Until these days.


Here's how:
Slice meat thinly. Season with salt, black pepper, and soy sauce. Marinate for an hour. Hang to air dry to come up with that juicy "tapa" similar to the picture. Or allow sun drying for a longer life.

Once dried, you may arrange the meat in an airtight container and put in the fridge. It is ready to cook. At anytime, you can slice the meat into bite-size pieces to fry.





*Best served with fried rice and omelet.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hi ladies! I hope everyone is having a real great time this season. I wish you all good health, love in the family, and wonderful career. I know this is not a lot, but have a Merry, Merry Christmas dearies. Happy New Year, too!

To Chie Wilks, sweetie, thanks for this tag*. I like making DIY holiday cards myself, so I hope you don't mind that I'm using a photo of a special card I made like 4 years ago.





*I'm passing this tag to all of my lovely sisters in the blogosphere esp. those who gave me some link love and button love.

Hula Girls and Pearly Shells

I once wore a hula girl costume just like my daughter's last Halloween. My mom rented a pink grass skirt and made me a pink set of flower garland, bracelet, and anklet to match. I was only six year old then and it was my graduation in kindergarten. Part of the commencement program was our Hawaiian dance in the tune of Pearly Shells. Good thing my mom was able to keep a picture of me as remembrance!

So, wanna teach your little girl some basic Pearly Shells dance steps? Here is a video tutorial with Mickey Mouse as a guest. The steps are very simple. Kids will be able to follow them easily. This can be a good number for a United Nations Day program at school.






*This is my 7th entry for the "I ♥ PINK" meme. To be a part of the pink fever, click the button shown at the sidebar.

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups oats
1 cup chopped raisins
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup softened butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Cooking Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together until fluffy. Stir in the flour mixture into the butter mixture, followed by oats and raisins. Mix thoroughly.

Drop a number of tablespoonfuls of dough in a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let cool and serve with your favorite drink.

Sbarro in the Philippines

I started eating too much pizza since I started dating my husband. We actually have a lot of memories over pizza dinners and from pizza parlors. We also like S&R's pizza, but SBARRO is the nearest to our place so..

Here's my hubby's favorite. The Angus Beef Pizza.

Here's mine-- Chicago White Deep Dish Pizza. YUM!



If you are just around Mandaluyong and you wish for a delivery, contact:

SM MEGAMALL
ORTIGAS CENTER
MANDALUYONG CITY
TEL. NOS. 633-1882/ 633-1883




You may also visit other stores here in the Philippines:

FESTIVAL SUPER MALL
3FL ALABANG, MUNTINLUP
CITY, METRO MANILA

ROBINSONS PLACE BACOLOD
LEVEL 1
LACSON ST. MADALAGAN
BACOLOD CITY

ROBINSONS PLACE CEBU
LOWER GROUND FLOOR
FUENTE OSMENA, CEBU CITY

SM CEBU CITY
NORTH RECLAMATION AREA
CEBU CITY 6000

AYALA CENTRE, 2ND FLR
CEBU BUSINESS PARK
CEBU CITY 6000

SM CITY MANILA - 2ND FLOOR
ARROCEROS CORNER SAN MARCELINO ST.
BARANGY 659, ZONE 71
ERMITA MANILA

ROBINSONS PLACE LEDESMA
LEVEL 1, LEDESMA STREET
ILOILO CITY

MARKET MARKET
2ND LEVEL, MARKET! MARKET!
GLOBAL CITY, TAGUIG 1634

PAMPANGA, ANNEX 3
BARANGAY SAN JOSE
PAMPANGA

SM CITY CLARK
LEVEL 1, SPACE 114
CLARK FIELD, PAMPANGA

SM MALL OF ASIA
1000 BAY BOULEVARD
BAY CITY- PASAY

SM SHOEMART ILOILO
CORNER VALERIA-DELGADO
ILOILO CITY

SM CITY MALL ANNEX
NORTH EDSA AVE,
QUEZON CITY

SM CITY BAGUIO
2ND LEVEL, SM CITY
BAGUIO CITY

SM CITY
GROUND FLR
NORTH EDSA

GLORIETTA 2
2ND LEVEL
MAKATI CITY

ROBINSONS PLACE
3RD LEVEL, ERMITA
MANILA

SM SOUTHMALL
UPPER GROUND FLR., SM SOUTHMALL
LAS PINAS CITY

MALL OF ASIA
GROUND FLR., BAY BOULEVARD
PASAY CITY

TRINOMA MALL MANILA
SBARRO FRESH ITALIAN COOKING, LEVEL 2, TRINOMA,
QUEZON CITY

My Daughter and her Ansherina Dolls

Big girls. Small girls. Shy girls. Happy girls. All girls love dolls including my little one! In this photo, my daughter is holding two of her Ansherina dolls. Notice the third one left at the back. Oh, lonely doll. Why didn't you run for the picture taking?

I remember buying these dolls at the department store after learning that I was having a baby girl, which was like after my 2nd trimester of pregnancy. I gave each of these dolls a name. I named them after my baby!

The red doll is Aşkım. The light pink is Amy. And the fuchsia doll is Lita. If you are to put their names together, it will give you my daughter's name which is Aşkım Amelita.

Aşkım is a Turkish term of endearment that translates as "my love". It is pronounced as [Ash-kim]. Amelita, on the other hand, is my mother's name. It is a variant of Amelia and Emily. Some sources say that Amelita is an Italian name, but others say it is originally Latin. Amelita means "industrious, striving; work; rival; laborious; eager".





*This is my 6th entry for the "I ♥ PINK" meme. To be a part of the pink fever, click the button shown at the sidebar.

Studded Shoes by Steve Madden

Who wouldn't want to buckle up their ankles in these studded shoes? Like knee-high boots, studded shoes are also the trend of the season. Studded shoes together with studded shirts, bags, belts, cuffs, etc. are already flooding the stores.

While browsing through online stores today, I stumbled on these sale items from Steve Madden. They have lots of items up to 70% off! I don't know if they have the same sets of shoes on sale here in Manila. In case they're available, I think I could run to the nearest store. Grab them all. Take them home. Get a knife and cut 2 inches from each of those killer heel!


KERRIN
BEFORE: $99.95 NOW: $39.98




LUNNAR
BEFORE: $99.95 NOW: $49.98



TRUSST
BEFORE $99.95 NOW $41.97

I just can't walk around comfortably in a 5 inches shoes. I would always feel like stumbling to the ground everytime I try one. I hope one day, shoe companies will start selling items available not only in different colors or shoe sizes, but also heel height. Nice idea, right?

My Banana Bread Recipe

I don't like eating dry and "hard to swallow" banana bread. I also don't like too much sugar or butter for my bread. To come up with that moist, sticky sweet, but "no sugar" bread like that in the picture*, follow this recipe of mine.

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, softened
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 ripe banana, sliced into tidbits
1 large egg, beaten

Preparation:
Combine all purpose flour, rice flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Combine salt, butter, mashed bananas, banana tidbits, and egg. Add to the flour mixture. Stir until moist. Pour batter into a medium slightly-greased baking dish. Bake at 200° for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Remove from the oven. Let cool. Slice and serve.






*To get that look of a banana-shaped bread, I used a round baking dish.

The Benefits of Wearing Slippers Around the House

Do you wear slippers indoors? How often do you change your slippers? As for me, I usually buy a pair every 6 months. The ugg or fluffy ones are my favorite during the cold season. Hubby sometimes noticed my old pair and threw them before I could buy a new one. From then on, I knew I should get a replacement before the one I'm using gets too old to wear.



Home slippers are cheap. They only range from P15 to P350 here in Manila. Look at those new pink slippers we're wearing. I bought them from SM Department Store. My daughter loves her pair of cow slippers. She looks so funny and cute while dragging them around. Mine is simple, but very comfortable with its fluffy footbed. The print and pink lining gave them a pretty look.

Here are 7 Benefits of Wearing Slippers Around the House:
1. You won't get dry and chapped feet easily.
2. It will save you from the slippery surface of your house.
3. Your feet will be warmer and softer.
4. Changing into indoor slippers prevents the spread of dirt gathered by your outdoor footwear.
5. Indoor slippers don't leave scratches on the floor.
6. Slippers are more comfortable than shoes.
7. It will save you from punctures and cuts if you stepped on sharp objects.




*This is my 5th entry for the "I ♥ PINK" meme. To be a part of the pink fever, click the button shown at the sidebar.

Shopping for a Christmas Dress

I did some Christmas shopping last weekend together with hubby. We started with some gifts for friends and relatives in Romblon. To avoid a holiday spending hangover and to prevent paying so much for the shipping, I thought of giving just cash to those little cousins that we missed.

We headed to the women's wear after buying some stuff from the toy and children's clothes section. I bought a navy blue blouse for my aunt with a slashed price of P350. Hubby spotted that red Alexane dress (that I'm wearing in the picture) for P1,399.75.





At first, I was hesitant in trying the red dress because of its color. We looked around for more choices, then found that white Vivant dress with thin black stripes for P1,299.75 right away. And, while on the way to the mall's dressing room, I saw this maroon Vice Versa dress with belt for P1,099.75.

As you can see, the red dress was a perfect fit. All dresses were in S or SMALL size, but the white one didn't even make it through my hips! Obviously, no picture was taken while fitting that piece. The maroon dress also gave me a funny look with or without the belt. Still no need to take a photo of that.

Chicken and Vegetable Meat Loaf

I had the idea of cooking this meatloaf from a can packaging of mushrooms that I bought from the grocery. I didn't use the mushroom for this recipe, though. To make it a little sweet and healthier, I used grated squash instead. Yes.. squash!

You will need:
100 grams ground chicken
1/2 cup squash, grated
1 red bell pepper, chopped finely
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 medium-sized onion, chopped finely
1/4 cup grated cheese
2 tsp Mama Sita's Pang-Gisa
salt and black pepper to taste

Here's how:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients.
Press the mixture in medium non-stick loaf pan.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
Set aside to cool down. Slice and serve with and Spanish Rice.

Giveaway Tag

So far, already a dozen of beautiful ladies joined ♥My First Giveaway♥. It's kind of hard to promote it, so big thanks to the following who successfully made it to the first 12:

♥Hyanne
♥Chie Wilks
♥Shy Dub
♥Sweet Mom
♥Bambie Dear
♥Dhemz
♥Seiko
♥Liz
♥Yami
♥Sherry
♥Mel Cole
♥Clarissa

To get more people to join this fun, I created this Giveaway Tag. The rules are simple:

1. Join the contest
2. Tag a dozen or a half of your blogger friends

I'm tagging the following ladies to join:
♥Nicquee♥
♥Shie♥
♥Anna♥
♥Sassy Chick♥
♥Yuuki♥
♥Tey♥

The more the merrier. Let's give and receive this holiday season, so hurry before this contest ends. We have 29 days to go!

That Pink Barbie Bag

My little one is fond of putting toys in any bag she could grab and carry them around, so I thought of buying a small backpack for her. I actually had so many options when I went to the store. There was that small, but very expensive Hello Kitty bag. I also saw cheaper Dora, and Pooh, and many more character bags in all sort of colors. In the end, only this Barbie bag caught my attention with its lightweight canvass and plastic material, cute print, and pink color.



Aşkım likes her new pink bag so much. These photos were taken last month. We went to the roof deck of the building to look around. My little one was enjoying her Barbie bag while in pink ruffled skirt or tutu, pink slippers, pink hairclip, and white blouse with pink edging. I was wearing my favorite pair of ripped jeans, a pink headband, and a pink shirt too!







*This is my 4th entry for the "I ♥ PINK" meme. To be a part of the pink fever, click the button shown at the sidebar.

Adsense

Google Adsense is my single source of revenue for this site. I believe it is the best-paying online advertiser in the world for beginners and even big-time bloggers.


This website is turning two soon and since its launching in January 2009, I already did countless trips to the Western Union to receive my payment. I know am nothing compared to REALLY famous bloggers out there. In fact, I consider traffic building still my biggest challenge. For me, it's not that easy to write topics that doesn't go out of style easily, do some promotions, visit other blogs and drop some lines, etc. etc.

As you can see, my website doesn't have thousands of followers, high page rank, and high-paying advertisers. I don't even have a fan page in any social networking sites. Check and you'll notice that I only have three Adsense widgets. Yes, just three! However, paying my internet and phone, electric, and water bills with the money from Mr. G. is just as flattering as winning a Grammy. Aside from paying the bills, I also get extra to pay for seasonal trips and shopping. Those things make me feel lucky enough because I know several people out there who are trying a lot just to earn a penny.

For you fellow bloggers out there, enough of that pay per post or pay per review drama. You don't have to wait a decade before you could reach that minimum pay. Here are some points to consider why you should pick Adsense as your number one stream of income.

Why choose Google Adsense for your blog?
1. Signing up is free!
2. Adsense application is pretty easy and simple.
3. They give you fairly what you deserve.
4. Adsense is not a copycat.
5. Other sites are fake, Adsense is for real!
6. With Adsense, it is possible to choose different types of ads.
7. They display ads related to your tags, keywords, & page content.
8. Choices of getting paid is not limited to one or two.
9. They make sure that your earning reaches your pocket in due time.
10. They can pay you conveniently regardless of your location.


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I'm not sure it this could add a new meaning to my blogging career, but as my way of giving thanks to all of my readers and visitors, I announced my ♥My First Giveaway♥ last month. It is closing before the New Year, so keep joining everyone. You might be the winner of the Most Favorite Blog, Most Creative Post, or Coolest Commenter. Who knows?