Xavi's Here + Win Newborn Must Haves from Mustela Philippines!

We are so thrilled to share with you that Xavi Dychiao is finally here! He arrived last July 18, 2012 and  has been keeping the entire family happily busy these past couple of days. And to celebrate his arrival, Mustela Philippines, Xavi and I are giving away three sets of Mustela's newborn MUST HAVES: Dermo-Cleansing wash, Foam Shampoo for newborns, Vitamin Barrier Cream and Dermo-Cleansing Wipes.

I have used these products religiously for Berry and will continue to use these for Xavi, and of course I would like for you to discover these for the "new arrivals" or "coming soons" in your family too!

By the way, Tammy Tancinco of Mustela Philippines shared that they recently had a price drop - so, it can be said that the Philippine retail price of Mustela is the 2nd cheapest in Asia and the Pacific! But of course, there's nothing like winning these products for the teeny tiny ones in your life!

So join now by using the Rafflecopter widget below :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest is open to all with a Philippine address. I will close the contest on August 10, 2012 and will announce three (3) winners on August 12, 2012. Prizes will be raffled off randomly. Good luck dear readers!

For more on Mustela Philippines:
- LIKE them on Facebook
- Visit www.mustela.ph

Rudy Project's Facebook Like & Win Contest

My friend Fifi asked me to share this with all of you!

Last week they announced the winner for the first month of their raffle promo:

Next month, it could be you! So LIKE Rudy Project Philippines' Facebook page and when you share, tag 3 of your friends who are not yet fans of Rudy Project Philippines! The more friends you tag, the higher the chances of winning! 

The Exchange Regency

The day after Berry's party, we spent our Sunday at The Exchange Regency in Ortigas, which is just across Benpres building. Benpres is right beside Tektite. Our friend Kat, whose family owns the hotel, asked us to try it out while it was still on dry run. Of course, we happily packed for an overnight stay and with eagle eyes, scrutinized everything, as she specifically asked, hehehe. 

So fun pala to have a job trying out and reviewing hotels no? Kat asked us to try out all the facilities, quiz the staff, and basically give them a hard time. Just kidding! We were nice no, and besides the staff at the hotel are all courteous and polite, so no complaints there. 

Plus, the lobby is so pretty:

Once we were led up to our two bedroom suite, Berry dived into the bed and scribbled on the notepad on the side table:

While I documented everything. This is the toilet - tiny, but clean and stocked with toiletries.

Here's the kitchenette and dining area. I think a suite like this would be perfect for staycations, or transiting balikbayan families or a group of friends from abroad who want to stay in Ortigas before heading out of town.

This is the living room, see the Benpres building behind the window?

This is at the 3rd floor, where the pool, jacuzzi, function room, gym, putting green and kids' play area are all located:

Of course, Berry had a grand time just going up and down and around the slides. That evening, Dada took her swimming and she had a blast!

The following morning, complimentary breakfast was served at Benassi. The cafe at the ground floor of  The Exchange Regency, right beside the soon to open Tully's. It's equally pretty and it has become a favorite breakfast destination. 

They serve Illy coffee as well as Saint Cinnamon buns...

And breakfast comfort food like pancakes (these were yum! A bit crunchy outside and fluffy inside. Especially yummy when paired with sausages)...

And beef tapa...

The last time we were there, at 8 am, the cafe was abuzz with the comings and goings of hotel residents as well as people from nearby offices having meetings over breakfast. Great atmosphere and energy, plus hearty breakfast dishes. A great way to spend a morning. And I am not even a morning person, haha!

My friend Pam also wrote about their stay at The Exchange Regency, HERE! And as part of her 1st year blog anniversary, one of her raffle prizes is a stay at The Exchange Regency! Bongga diba? Check out her blog, Run Around Girl!

Thanks for inviting us Kat! We enjoyed our stay! =)

For reservations and inquiries please call:

THE EXCHANGE REGENCY RESIDENCE HOTEL
Exchange Road corner Meralco Avenue
Ortigas Center, Pasig
Tel: (632) 998 0022
www.theexchangeregency.com

Ballerina Berry's Birthday Bash

With Xavi about to come out, Dada suggested that we throw Berry a small party for her 3rd birthday. While she is still the one and only center of attention, heehee! 

But since we are back home, small is really subjective. With immediate family and Berry's playmates alone, we ended up throwing some kind of a birthday bash, haha. Our official family party expert, Tita Nanette, my mom's cousin who I love to consult when it comes to parties, suggested that we make it a ballerina themed party since Berry loves ballet. And she volunteered to sponsor Berry's ballerina fairy princess costume (see above), and brought pink paper lanterns to jazz things up. She also took charge of buying pink accessories and making tutus for Berry's little girl guests, so they can also dress up fancy:

My friend Rochelle's twins Mikaela & Solana

If that sounded like a lot of work, wait, there's more!

I enlisted the help of The Red Chef, and chose kiddie party food for all. After all, who doesn't love eating kiddie spaghetti, mini burgers, chicken fingers, and french fries? I also bought Red Ribbon empanada and ordered Yellow Cab pizzas. Because my mom was afraid there might not be enough food daw. My mom is a believer that food has to be overflowing in parties, hahaha.

We prepared a loot bag filled with: Hello Panda, NIPS in colorful containers, Oreos, Marie biscuits (for Berry's baby guests), miniature Play Doh (thanks to Tita Dianne!) and a few more little things to make the goodie bag really a goodie bag:

Auntie Lorr baked these cute brownie pops, which along with cupcakes, chocolate balls, marshmallows and all sorts of treats, constituted the table centerpiece:

Of course, we had to prepare prizes for games! I found these cute tin cans at Gourdo's:

And filled it with Berry themed treats:

Then we prepared more party prizes, novelties like notebooks, water containers, notepads, pencil and eraser sets, drawing books with crayons and coin purses. I prefer giving these instead of plastic toys from China that will just turn up as house clutter, hehehe:

One of the highlights of Berry's party would have to be this pretty confection of a cake made by Tita Aisa Atilano (check out her site here: http://aisaatilano.com/) who makes the prettiest cakes and cupcakes! We just showed her Berry's invite (designed by Tita Richelle Macapagal) and she came up with this cake and cupcake extravaganza:

Of course, Berry loved it. She couldn't wait to eat her cake, which was not only pretty, but super yummy too. The cupcakes came in chocolate and red velvet. Both were really moist and not too sweet! If you'd like to get in touch with Aisa, just email her at inquiry@aisaatilano.com and she'll be happy to make something equally adorable for you!

After we sang Berry her birthday song, she distributed the goodie bags, she even went to Tita Alessa for the microphone and thanked everyone for coming! The consummate hostess!

Then, she invited Tita Nicole (wearing Tita Thea's tutu) to step outside the lawn so they can do an impromptu dance routine:

Tadaaaa! Happy 3rd Birthday to our dearest Ballerina Berry! We hope you grow up believing in the beauty of your dreams! Bow!

P.S.

I wrote a post for Manila Social Diary - Party Tips: How to Throw a Kiddie Party in Manila, and as you will see, my style is totally DIY! Hope you enjoy reading it! Meanwhile, just to make this post more informative, here's a checklist that you might want to go through for when you plan your child's kiddie party:

__ Budget: Personally we don't do extravagant parties, hence strictly sticking to budget = DIY

__ Theme

__ Venue

__ Decorations: enlist help of a printer or party planner if you want to go full blast on these

__ Balloons

__ Caterer: they also usually take care of tables, chairs & center pieces

__ Food booth

__ Cake

__ Giveaways & Souvenirs: loot bags, photo booths, etc.

__ Games & Party Prizes

__ Entertainment: magicians, clowns, balloon artists, paint tattoo artists, party booth

__ Sound system

__ The birthday celebrant's outfit!

You may also want to consider serving coffee & tea with dessert. I thought it would have been perfect if we had coffee & tea machines ala Nespresso or the CBTL Single Serve Beverage machine, thankfully, I was able to ask my caterer to bring along a hot water dispenser and I just served instant coffee & tea to guests. Which turned out to be a hit amongst the parents, who were feeling drowsy after a very filling lunch.

Olivia in Olive Green

Olive green = One of my favorite colors.
Olivia Palermo = One chic girl.

(Photo via vogue.co.uk)

Itsie-Bitsie Clearance Sale!

Hot deals are up this July as Itsie-bitsie Boutique brings you its much awaited CLEARANCE SALE!

All your must have pieces from exceptional brands such as Elie Tahari, Shoshanna, Graham and Spencer, Joie and so much more at low, low prices! 

Visit Itsie-Bitsie from now to July 22, 2012 and avail of discounts from 45%-90% on their exclusive and well-chosen collection. 

Itsie-Bitsie
RS 114 & 119 Joya Lofts & Towers
Joya Drive, Rockwell Center Makati
Mon-Sun, 10am-8pm

Navajo + Kandi Treats and a Giveaway!

I love wearing white denims. But when I first saw Geraldine Saglio wearing Isabel Marant's Navajo Renell jeans, I was like, "I am not crazy enough to spend a fortune on a pair of jeans everyone would know I've worn before." But man, these have been haunting me! It's a landmark piece. Good thing these are sold out everywhere: 

Speaking of Navajo, I received a goodie bag full of accessories from Kathy Amurao-Herrera of Kandi Treats, who makes accessories that are all proudly made in the Philippines. 

Apart from her signature product, the 10-in-1 Jelly Beans, an accessory made from fabric and hardware which you can use in 10 different ways -- as a headband, hair tie, necklace, armband, belt, bracelet, anklet, bag charm, bag strap and camera strap:

Kandi Treats also has a line of statement neck pieces as well as genuine leather reversible bracelets:

But my favorite piece from piece from Kandi Treats would have to be these Navajo gone glam earrings!

So very Dannijo, don't you think? And at just a fraction of the price too!

Dannijo Cecile

Dannijo Oksana

I thought you'd like a treat from Kandi Treats too, and so I am giving away two sets of surprise Kandi Treats to you my dear readers!

Simply join via Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Contest is open to all with a Philippine address. I will close the contest on July 12, 2012 and will announce two (2) winners on July 15, 2012. Prizes will be raffled off randomly. Good luck dear readers!