Coley and Fi's Christmas 2015

I haven't been blogging as much as I normally would, with napping high on my agenda in between commitments this holiday season, but Christmas is always love, so here are our photos from this year's gatherings... before the year ends.

Christmas started early with the Annual Cliquish Christmas and Tim and Kim's Birthday Treat, in Cha and Man's new house.

RTM dinners are also known as little girls play date.

SEAA Girls x Couerls 

SEAA Christmas Lunch (and unplanned visit to the boss' weekend home)

Circle of Trust Dinner, with the most over-priced Grade 8 Ribeye Wagyu Steak Ever! It either wasn't Wagyu or it wasn't Ribeye. Service was quite good though, they gave us a discount we didn't ask for when we showed them the pictures of what they served us after we asked for the bill.

765 Christmas Reunion and early birthday celebration for Shobe Rachel

Christmas Eve with the Tansengcos, or should I say fourth generation Tansengco Kids

Christmas Turkey Dinner at home

Post Christmas Dinner with Jem and Tim and our special someones. 

And lastly, Post-Christmas brunch with my Londree loves.

I can proudly say that to all these Christmas Events, I wore my Wanderlust Sandals - Athinas Sandals prototypes. (starting with the RTM Dinner, which was the day I got them - and all through the new year I suppose!)

The Legendary Tansengco Clan Christmas 2015 Photo where you
can see my Wanderlust Athinas Sandals better than the people in the back.

Hope your Christmas was as Merry as ours, and hope your footwear was as stylish and as comfortable as mine... but there's always next year.  just saying.

Wanderlust Sandals

Instagram: @wanderlustsandals

Favorite Christmas Gifts 2014

Before the holidays end, let me thank everyone who gave us presents for Christmas 2014!

Totally inspired by Oprah's favorite things series, I've decided to create an annual tradition on my blog featuring my favorite gifts that I received last Christmas. This might come in handy for gift giving in Christmas 2015 if you shop the whole year like I do. Most of my pictures are grabbed from Instragram, since for most of the gifts that made it to the list, I posted something about them shortly after I received them in my excitement.

Here are my categories this year:

1. Best Coffee Nespresso Gifts

Nespresso's Special Reserve Maragogype from The Schaperos

Nespresso is marketing it as coffee so special, they say it's for connoisseurs.
Photo Credit: Nespresso Article

Focus on the teaspoon. I absolutely love the Nespresso Rituals teaspoons
that I asked Tim to tell Santa to get me. I'm glad Santa listened.
Nespresso Rituals Teaspoons

2. Best gift from an office mate

I was so happy with the Hydro Flask Karl gave us.
Can't wait to use my new tumbler that keeps water cold for 24 hours!
You can read my post on that here.

3. Best Food Gift

We got so many food gifts and all of them were good, but I really really loved
the Sandy's Homemade Marmalade from MSP.

The orange marmalade, which is never my choice of jam, was not sweet at all, nor was the orange rind bitter. In fact, it reminded me a lot of the tea they serve after you get a massage at Sonya's Bed and Breakfast that I tried it with tea and it tasted exactly the same! It came in a really nice airtight glass jar too!

3. Best Blogger Gift

I absolutely fell in love with this Just Sayin' Sticky Note pad from my sister's
friends Doc and Jenny! I traveled to Japan with both of them this year
and I can see why they are close friends of my sister, not to mention they
give really cool gifts! Hahaha. Oh, and they are loyal readers of this blog too.

4. Best Arts and Crafts Gift

I really loved the Stamp Set Peachy gave Sofia and me. OK, I admit,
we already have a lot of stamps, but it's the first time I saw stamp pads this
small, you could make multicolored stamps!

5. Best Office Supplies Gift

My brother isn't really known for his great gift giving talent, but I swear,
this year, he's outdone himself, both in not cramming, as well as the quality
of the gift. I really loved my bright pink Lamy fountain pen to match my
turquoise one, which I also got from him a few years back.

6. Best Gift Giver 

But despite all my favorite gifts, my favorite gift giver of all, is Sofia. I was so proud of her. This is the first Christmas that she made her own Christmas List, then I gave her a budget, and she bought all her Christmas presents for the family by herself, and we all got nice presents too... mostly within budget! 

Let's not forget that the true meaning of Christmas is really in the giving. I hope the presents I gave out also made it to the favorite gift list of my family and friends. just saying.

Taiwan Excellence Christmas Giveaway Contest

I was so excited two weeks back to get my first paid sponsored post assignment. Now, I feel even more excited because I was offered to do a (PAID) follow-up post on the same topic. I feel that I've made it (as a blogger)! Hahaha.  Exaggg much.

*This is a sponsored post.

In my first post about Taiwan Excellence, I shared my love for shopping in Taiwan and how glad I am that there's a Taiwan Excellence project in the Philippines which actually brings the fun of shopping in Taiwan to us here in the Philippines. You can read my post on that here.

One of the things that I really admired about Taiwan Excellence the first time I wrote about them was how it incorporates the Lifestyle angle because by giving products the "Taiwan Excellence Seal" they help improve the lives of the Filipinos by giving us products that have been tested to give us an "excellent lifestyle".

I am so excited about the second part of the Taiwan Excellence Campaign because it combines a lot of things I love. Christmas and gift-giving (I recently validated through the online test, that my Language of Love is giving gifts and I really like receiving gifts too), when you get a chance to give your love ones a gift for free if you win (thus my hashtag #suckerforafreebie) and the contest aspect really brings out the hopeful and competitiveness in me (in Singapore, I would join and win in quite a few of the magazine contests where you need to go to some god-forsaken place to pick up your prize. I've had my share of cabdrivers who've judged my SG$30+ cab bill to pick up a poster and goodie bag just because I won).

To celebrate the spirit of generosity that the Christmas season brings, Taiwan Excellence is helping Filipinos express their love and appreciation by letting Filipinos choose high-quality gifts, where ten winners will be receiving the chosen Taiwan Excellence product this Christmas, with one lucky winner will have the gift delivered no less than Taiwan Excellence Celebrity Endorser for the Philippines, Iya Villania-Arellano, to the person your selected recipient.

Imagine Christmas Shopping from items like these, and getting them for free.

Joining is so easy.

These are the easy steps you need to follow - and I know they're easy because I've already done it myself.
1. You just need to go to http://www.madetoenjoythelife.ph/.
2. Follow the Read, Register and Share instructions then press the Join Now button.
3. You just choose from 2 categories (Home Appliances or IT Stuff) - just like as if you were Christmas shopping online.
4. Then you fill out your details and the details of the person you want to give the gift too.
5. Then you just need to upload a photo of yourself and explain why you want to give that person a gift.
6. Then you get an email to confirm your entry.

So, what are you waiting for?
Join Now

The Made to Enjoy Christmas Contest runs from September 28, 2014 to November 23, 2014 so you have until tomorrow to join. 10 winners will be chosen, and 1 lucky winner will even get to meet Iya Villania-Arellano, the brand ambassador for Taiwan Excellence, to get his or her prize.

I hope I'm one of the lucky winners. Hahaha. just saying.

*everything in this font was quoted directly from the Press Kit

P365 TE Day 325

Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park

Travel Bite: European Christmas Markets are the best, but then that's my French-wannabe-self speaking. You can visit one for yourself at the Winter Wonderland which happens every year at Hyde Park. While there are many attractions like a skating rink, circus, rides, etc. I just love the food and drinks and crafts from all around Europe. I remember coming home with an original Russian Santa Clause Matroyshka doll because I simply could not resist.

Winter Wonderland this year is from 21 Nov 2014 to 4 Jan 2015, 10am to 10pm daily. You can visit the website here.

Location: London
Date Photo Taken: December 2010

P365 TE Points for today: 2 out of 3 (for now)
P365 TE Points from Audience Interaction as of Nov 15: 279

P365 TE Running Points: 884 out of 918 (as of posting)

You can read the background of Project 365 Travel Edition here.  

Feel free to come back everyday. just saying...

Taiwan Excellence and my love for Taiwan

*This is my first (PAID) sponsored post... HOORAY!!! hahaha.

I love Taiwan. Ever since we visited the country last year - through Cebu Pacific's piso fare promotions, it was a real eye opener for me, because not only was the food so great which I expected, shopping was good too. You can read my posts on Taiwan here so you can see why I love it so much.

One of my favorite shops in Taiwan is the stationery store.
They have really cool washi tape and decorated flags.

Even Sofia found a lot of knick knacks to buy in Taiwan. 

Another reason why we love Taiwan is it's proximity to the Philippines, and while a visa is required to enter, Filipinos are allowed to get a pass online as long as you hold a valid visa from other countries like Japan, US, UK and the Schengen countries, among others. You can read my post about it here.

However, if you can't find a piso fare, or you don't have any of the visas required to get an entry pass, you don't need to worry... because (yes... this is really the topic of the post) the Taiwan government is launching the Taiwan Excellence campaign in the Philippines. It is through this campaign that Taiwan can promote top quality Taiwanese brands and products among Filipinos.

This is the first time that the campaign will be launched in the Philippines which will give Filipinos the opportunity to discover a range of Taiwanese products with the seal of quality.

The campaign will bring in 56 top quality brands to the Philippine market. These brands will be bringing in 175 products which fall under different industries such as information and communications technologies (ICT), home and living, and sports & leisure. Examples of this brands include some we are already familiar with such as ACER and ASUS in the ICT front.

I think this is really important, because I can think of several instances when I've wanted to buy something, but because I am not familiar with them (such as the other 50+ brands Taiwan Excellence is bringing in), I am not sure if they stand for quality. This won't be a problem any longer because the Taiwan Excellence is a campaign that recognizes high-quality Taiwanese brands, guaranteeing their superior quality and value. To qualify for these awards, the products go through a rigorous screening process to ensure that they are of the highest standard and can proudly represent the unique and innovative culture of Taiwan.

The Taiwan Excellence campaign started as part of the Ministry of Economic Affair’s (MOEA) 5 year plan in the 1980’s to raise Taiwan’s international competitiveness by supporting its local brands. Under the Image Enhancement Plan, the Taiwan Excellence Award campaign was established in 1992.  The “Taiwan Excellence” was awarded to products based on R&D, design, quality, and marketing efforts. If selected, the brands and products were allowed to use the Taiwan Excellence Seal locally and internationally.  

All Taiwan based brands are eligible to be part of the campaign. Product categories include consumer and business IT, fashion, arts and culture, sports, education, transportation, and others.

Each product is scored based on its R&D, design, quality, and marketing by an international panel of judges. Each product must score evenly in all four categories. After careful evaluation, those selected are allowed to carry the Taiwan Excellence Seal.

In 2014, the campaign was introduced to the Philippines for the first time to benefit Filipino consumers who purchase products from Taiwan. The campaign carried the theme “Excellent Lifestyle” not just to showcase the 56 excellent brands under Taiwan Excellence, but to also let Filipinos recognize how these products enable them to enjoy an excellent lifestyle. Some of the brands under the campaign include Acer, Asus, HTC, Tatung, and BenQ.

For more information visit:

www.taiwanexcellence.ph

https://www.facebook.com/TaiwanExcellence.ph

The campaign is organized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA),
Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), R.O.C. Taiwan,
and implemented by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA).

This is something that would be really helpful to us, especially as we start shopping for our Christmas presents. I've visited their facebook page through the link above and I've already found a few things I want to buy. But then we all know I don't need more reasons to shop, but the Taiwan Excellence Seal sure sounds like a good excuse to me. just saying.

*everything in this font was quoted directly from the Press Kit

DIY Chalkboards Tags, Free Christmas Label Printable and Gift Wrapping Ideas

In the Philippines, Christmas season normally starts once the -ber months kick in. Call me a scrooge, but I get quite irritated when I hear Christmas carols play in stores come the first week of September because I think it's just a pathetic attempt to drive up sales by pressuring the shoppers that Christmas is fast approaching --- when in reality, it's not yet that near.

Based on my own personal timings, I start preparing for Christmas, right after Sofia's birthday (blog post to follow). Christmas shopping isn't stressful at all for me because I normally shop the whole year! Hahaha, especially when I am travelling, so normally, all I need to do is inventory my gift stash and match it with my updated Christmas Gift list.

Since I'm around 95% done with my Christmas shopping, I started surfing the web for "Gift wrapping ideas without box" and one of the cooler ideas I came across was using Chalkboard Tags as the gift tag. DIY instructions were a bit complicated though because it involved using chipboard and painting it with chalkboard paint so I got the brilliant idea of making it with illustration board.

I wasn't sure it would work, so I immediately went to the mall yesterday to buy the materials for the project. I was so happy with the result, I decided to blog about it so others can also use the idea for their presents this Christmas.


Super Easy DIY Chalkboard Tags

Materials Required:

Craft Twine or Jute String (available at DIY or Japan Home P66 for 4 rolls)

Illustration Board (P8.25 for 1/8 size from Office Warehouse makes 25)
Scissors, Puncher and Chalk (with Blackboard eraser)

Instructions:
1. Cut your illustration board into the desire tag size. I used the 10"x15" illustration board so I just cut the board into 25 tags that's 2"x3" in size.
2. Take the illustration board tag and punch a hole on one of the shorter sides.

The beauty of a DIY Craftsy Project is you don't
really need to be precise on the measurements.

Then just snip off the corners of the side with a hole,
to make it look like the shape of a tag.
Or course, you can also make different shapes.

5. Lastly, just cut off your desired length of twine, to hang the tag.

Voila!!!

Christmas Tags FREE PRINTABLE

I was thinking how to creatively use the Chalkboard tags for wrapping our Christmas presents, and I decided that I wanted to make stickers with our Christmas Greeting, so the tag would only have the recipients name on it. 

Here's what I came up with. A Christmas Tag with me and Sofia,
as well as tick boxes to indicate who the gift is from.

You can download and edit the labels I made here. Just use google images to search for stick people that look like you and your family, and edit the names accordingly.


Gift Wrapping Ideas

I normally choose a simple pattern for my gift wrapper. This year, I opted to go for red and shades of green dotted gift wrapper.

Simple Gift Wrapping Idea for Smaller gifts:

For smaller gifts, you can just stick on the tags using the
Christmas labels.

Here's a sample of how I tailored the gift tags.

The illustration board worked perfectly as a chalk board.
It's so easy to erase if you make a mistake, or if you change your mind
on who is getting what gift. No more throwaway tags or torn wrappers.

After erasing, the Chalkboard tag is as good as new!

This is the first batch of gifts I wrapped because I wanted to try out my idea.
Cha!!! I didn't forget you, iba lang gift mo!

Optional Step:

Since I'm not really sure how well the chalk will hold up, since the gifts will
still be stored and will be subjected to Under the Christmas Tree Chaos,
I labeled the gifts at the back of the tag, so I can figure out who owns what
if the chalk writing gets erased. Or you can write on the white part. Hahaha.

Another Gift Wrapping Idea:

You can also use the twine in the same way you
use a ribbon.

Another Gift Tag Idea:

I'm sure you can also decorate your tags with washi tape. I was just too lazy to do it.

Now I can't wait to wrap the rest of my gifts. just saying.

Celebrating Christmas 2013

Christmas in the Philippines is really something special. It's the time for getting together with friends and family, especially the people you really don't get to see in the normal course of things within the year. But no matter who you are meeting up with, it's always the same. There's always an abundance of food, and it always seems as if it was just yesterday when you last saw each other, except in gatherings where kids are included, because the kids always look so much bigger than the last time you saw them.

This year, Sofia caught a really bad cough the week before Christmas. She got a viral infection that manifested itself through fever in the middle of the night for several nights, so I let her stay at home to rest so she missed most of the Christmas gatherings, but she got well enough to be able to celebrate Christmas Eve with the family.

Some Christmas celebrations were also more simple this year because of the unfortunate calamities that hit the Philippines in the last quarter of the year. There was a strong earthquake that hit the cities of Cebu and Bohol, and a few weeks after that, Super Typhoon Yolanda (Typhoon Haiyan) hit more provinces in the Visayas that brought on unbelievable destruction. While we were lucky enough to stay dry in Manila, Manila did not stay unaffected. A lot of the companies I know, including the company I work for, opted to forego or scale down their annual Christmas parties so that the funds can be donated to help the people affected by the typhoon. Even our own barkada, opted to have a simpler Christmas celebration with a KFC party, that was so much fun, we are considering doing it as a new Christmas tradition.

On the lighter side of things, another Christmas challenge for me was how to celebrate with all the food, and yet still comply with the diet program that I'm on. My self control sort of failed me at this point and I ended up losing some of the headway I've gained, which is incentive enough to make sure I comply through the New Year Celebrations coming up.

Here are some snapshots of the friends and family that made Christmas 2013 special for us.

Office Christmas Party

Team picture at the office Christmas Party

My #TRA compliant lunch
Pear, Veggies from the Palabok, Rice, and lots of Cebu Lechon 

ACLC Alumni and Applicant(s) Reunion

After dinner party at Chek and Aimee's

Home Care Christmas Dinners

Home Care Christmas dinner at Main Street

Team Christmas Dinner that tripled as Noel's Birthday and Farewell Parties

Yummy Potluck Buffet at the posh Yes na Yes Home

Thanks for all the lovely gifts!

Christmas with Jem and Tim

We ended up hanging out at home with Sofia because she was still sick, but because we were all low EQ, gift giving came before our Christmas dinner.

Sof was so happy with her new mini-me Onitsuka sneakers from Ninong.

Thanks for the Beach-ready and Cold-weather ready gifts.

We ended up playing a few rounds of Creationary.
(Lego version of Pictionary that's a lot of fun!)

Our Christmas dinner came 2 days later at Old Swiss Inn. Yummy goulash,
Raclette, Angus Prime Rib and Angus Rice, and Zurich Geschnitzels.
This was sort of compliant.

The chocolate fondue, may have been more than the
OK sign.

Cliquish Gives Back - KFC Christmas Party

We normally have exchange gifts with a specified budget and a gift wish list, but this year, all of us decided to donate that to the Yolanda Victims. Then the ber-month celebrants normally "sponsor" our Christmas dinner - so this year, when we decided to go simpler, the extra budget of the celebrants also got donated. 

It was a win for everyone (except maybe my diet) because we all love KFC.

We had our own function room, so we all brought white elephant prizes,
where we had some sort of raffle, as well as games for the kids.

Ashi won the Sodexho GC Grand Prize.

Me and Tians with the little kiddos who are turning 1 soon.

Thanks for organizing Vice, and  thanks Chips, Man, Tim and Kim
for the yummy eat all you can birthday treat.

Lunch with my some of my closest friends at work

We missed you Karl Cotaoco!

Sofia's date with Ninong Tim to watch Frozen

This was at Christmas Eve, when she finally got well.

Christmas with the Family

We normally have dinner with the Tansengco Clan in Angkong's house on Christmas Eve, then we spend time in the area so we can welcome Christmas together for Noche Buena.

Sofia with Ninong Jacob at their flat, where we normally love to hang out
before midnight.

We normally have Noche Buena before picture taking and gift giving.
Sofia with mom, Taikong, Taima, and Auntie Stell (aka Mrs Santa).

Sofia is such an adorable Santa's helper.

Tansengco Family Picture, with my mom (home sick with Sofia's virus)
 and my dad, and Ria all missing this year.

Since we get home so tired from Makati, Christmas normally starts at our house after breakfast on Christmas Day when we all gather around the tree for our annual Christmas picture before we start giving out and opening the gifts under our tree.

Christmas 2013

Sofia always gets the biggest pile of presents!
Thanks everyone for your gifts.

The hits this year were Timmy's Ukelele from the parents,
and Sofia's Bad Badtz Maru bag NOT AVAILABLE in Japan,
but easily available at Gift Gate in Megamall. Go figure.

Ma got an empty Mobile Phone box from Pa and a promisory note
to get her any phone of her choice. 

Sof loved her realistic 7-11 toy with barcode scanner and real
cash register which I bought her from Japan.

She also attempted to cook pasta for Christmas Dinner using
Mario Battali's recipe.

But it was sort of too tough that even truffle oil had a hard time redeeming it.

Good thing we still had the Traditional Christmas Turkey.

Sof gave out prizes to the brave souls who tried her cooking. Hahaha.
This was her own idea, i swear!

I hope your Christmas was as much fun and as filled with love as ours was! just saying.