iSTORYA.NET - Blogs - The Joys of Life by Galadriel https://www.istorya.net/forums/blog.php?13-The-Joys-of-Life en Sat, 16 May 2026 21:05:58 GMT vBulletin 300 https://www.istorya.net/forums/images/metro/blue/misc/rss.jpg iSTORYA.NET - Blogs - The Joys of Life by Galadriel https://www.istorya.net/forums/blog.php?13-The-Joys-of-Life Get to Know your Body https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2805-Get-to-Know-your-Body Wed, 30 Nov 2016 09:23:12 GMT Getting into the right clothes has been a struggle lately because of the pounds that piled up as the years came by. Before, fitting clothes was as easy as 1, 2, 3. But now, it is a different story. So many angles and measurements to look at, for it to be considered a perfect fit.

For a perfect fit one has to get to know your own body. How to do that? Easy! Get to the basics - know your measurements and based on that measurements you will get to know your body shape.

Take note of your biggest measurements that matters. For example, if hip measurement is a bit bigger compared to the waist line, then consider that (hip) measurement when buying pants or jeans.

Basic measurements to also take note of, most especially for petite women out there, the length of either the skirt or the pants. It is better to have a longer one because it can always be cut down to size compared to a shorter one which can prove to be a challenge when altering.

Always make sure sure that the fit is comfortable enough for you to move without risking a wardrobe malfunction.

Feel how the dress drapes along your body, how it flows, and lastly how confident you are with the look you see staring back at you from the mirror. If you like what you see, wear it with ease and confidence.

How about you, what is your story?

Share your story on the comment section.

#mystory #myistorya #LoveYourBody ]]> Galadriel https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2805-Get-to-Know-your-Body Sabores de Espaņa 2016 https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2643-Sabores-de-Espa%C3%B1a-2016 Sun, 10 Apr 2016 11:52:37 GMT Marco Polo Plaza's Culinary Journey took us to Spain and transported us to the flavors of the region.

The Flavors of Spain is served from April 1 to 10, 2016, on top of the international lunch and dinner buffet at Cafe Marco.

The Journey was officially opened by Ms Julie Najar, Marco Polo Cebu's General Manager.
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The guests were entertained with a dance number.
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Start with an appetizer like the Marinated Olives with Manchego Cheese.
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End the journey with something sweet.
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Cap it off with Spanish Coffee
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For inquiries and reservations, please call: Cebu (63 32) 253 1111 or Manila at (63 2) 887 1263. ]]> Galadriel https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2643-Sabores-de-Espa%C3%B1a-2016 Are you a Modern Mom? https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2396-Are-you-a-Modern-Mom Sun, 17 Aug 2014 01:30:00 GMT First, what is a modern mom?
A modern mom, is someone who juggles and multi-tasks between career & family. She can be also a mom who wears a lot of hats, she can be a driver by day because she brings her kids to school in the morning before going to work, a career woman after, a cook and tutor by night, a wife, a daughter to her parents and in-laws, a sister, a friend, a cousin. Lots of shoes to fill, in a way. A mom is a modern day leader too according to Amor Maclang of GeiserMaclang.

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Photo from Makingitallfit

So is a modern mom a super mom, a super woman?
Some would say yes, others would say no. The answer is subjective. For me, I would say yes. It is not easy to be a mom and doing all those juggling and multi-tasking takes a lot of hard work to get things done.


Can women have it all?
As what Indra Nooyi, CEO of Pepsi, said women can't have it all because at the end of the day when she gets home, she can not be a CEO in their house but be a wife to her husband, a mother to her kids and a daughter to her parents.

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Photo from Huffington Post

But according to Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and author of Lean in: Women, Work, and the Will to lead, women can have it all.


What does ALL mean?
ALL = being a wife + being a mother + having a career
ALL which results to having a happy spouse, a well-run and well-maintained household, children are raised well, a promising career and at the same time mainting one's self to look good.

Yesterday, I attended Modern Mamas Business Cafe Talk and the speakers talked about empowering moms and that moms should find balance in everything by getting a support system, spending quality time with their spouse and kids and having a work system that works, and lastly to eliminate guilt because it is a useless emotion according to Mutya Laxa-Buensuceso, Country Manager of Luxasia.

Moms should take care of themselves first before they can fully take care of their kids and their family, which means "me time" for mommies. "Me time" wherein moms pamper themselves by giving themselves a break, by reading a book, doing yoga or having mani & pedi for example. Anne Gretchen Choa-Uy, proprietor of Modern Mama, said A healthy and happy parent equates to a healthy and happy child.

Being a mom is a full-time job, 24/7/365, no days-off, no sick leave nor vacation leaves. Motherhood is a hard job but someone has to do it. A salute to all moms out there.

*Modern Mama is a mom and baby shop located at Banilad Town Center.
 ]]> Galadriel https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2396-Are-you-a-Modern-Mom Playing with Food https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2327-Playing-with-Food Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:34:01 GMT Yes! You read the title right, playing with food. Growing up we were taught to never play with our food. Why would this article be titled playing with food then? Playing with food is fun and we all know that...food fights surely come to mind or some other misadventures with food.

One can be creative on how to play with food, either clean fun or the messy and dirty kind (pie meets face, egg meets head, spaghetti slurping, etc.). Let's talk about the clean fun kind of playing with food.

Get your food and kitchen ready for a food fight.

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Ingredients:
Apples (Fuji apples were used in this recipe)
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Oatmeal 1/2 cup

Choice of: peanut butter, hazelnut spread
Options: chocolate chips, raisins, marshmallows, candy sprinkles

Let's begin...make sure you are ready to get messy and dirty.
1. Pour the oatmeal on a clean plate

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2. Core the apples
3. Slice the apples

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4. Rub a dash of cinnamon on the apples
5. Rub brown sugar on the apples

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6. Spread your choice of flavor on the apples (peanut butter, hazelnut spread, chocolate spread, etc.)
7. Top the apples with oatmeal
8. Be creative. Add your choice of toppings: chocolate chips, raisins, marshmallows or candy sprinkles.

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Enjoy your masterpiece. Remember to share it too.

This can also be enjoyed baked. Bake for 5-7 minutes in a 350°C oven. Let cool for a bit before eating your work of art.

If you have kids, this is a fun way to bond with them in the kitchen. Give them something to do this summer. Engage them in fun activities, creating magic and playing with food in the kitchen is one way of making fun memories with them.

Try this out and share how your fun turned out. ]]> Galadriel https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2327-Playing-with-Food Summer and Ice Cream https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2323-Summer-and-Ice-Cream Sat, 22 Mar 2014 01:30:00 GMT Summer is almost here or is it here already :) This is the season where we want to have something cold to munch on or something cold to drink or sip while we fan the heat away. Ice cream always comes to mind, most especially during summer and having one ready and waiting for you inside the freezer is something to look forward to at the end of a long, tiring and warm day. Here is an easy to whip-up ice cream that is kid-tested and kid-approved. Attachment 10384 (https://www.istorya.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10384) Ingredients: Bananas Honey Optional: a dash of Cinnamon Flavor: Pick your favorite: peanut butter, hazelnut spread, chocolate spread For this recipe, double hazelnut spread was used. Attachment 10385 (https://www.istorya.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10385) Kitchen tool to use: Immersion blender First thing to do is find your ice cream container, an old ice cream container can be used for this. The size of the container will determine how many bananas to use. Attachment 10386 (https://www.istorya.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10386) Procedure: 1. Peel 4 bananas (the most number of bananas the container can fit) 2. Add 1 tablespoonful of your flavor for each banana. (4 tablespoonfuls of double hazelnut spread was added) 3. Drizzle honey Attachment 10387 (https://www.istorya.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10387) 4. Add a dash of cinnamon (optional) Attachment 10388 (https://www.istorya.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10388)Attachment 10389 (https://www.istorya.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10389) 5. Blend all the ingredients until smooth. 6. Cover the container and put it in the freezer. 7. Wait for 2 or 3 hours and enjoy your homemade ice cream :) Try it out and share your ice cream experience here. Summer is almost here or is it here already :) This is the season where we want to have something cold to munch on or something cold to drink or sip while we fan the heat away.

Ice cream always comes to mind, most especially during summer and having one ready and waiting for you inside the freezer is something to look forward to at the end of a long, tiring and warm day.

Here is an easy to whip-up ice cream that is kid-tested and kid-approved.

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Ingredients:
Bananas
Honey

Optional: a dash of Cinnamon

Flavor:
Pick your favorite: peanut butter, hazelnut spread, chocolate spread

For this recipe, double hazelnut spread was used.

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Kitchen tool to use: Immersion blender

First thing to do is find your ice cream container, an old ice cream container can be used for this. The size of the container will determine how many bananas to use.

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Procedure:
1. Peel 4 bananas (the most number of bananas the container can fit)
2. Add 1 tablespoonful of your flavor for each banana. (4 tablespoonfuls of double hazelnut spread was added)
3. Drizzle honey

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4. Add a dash of cinnamon (optional)

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5. Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
6. Cover the container and put it in the freezer.
7. Wait for 2 or 3 hours and enjoy your homemade ice cream :)

Try it out and share your ice cream experience here. ]]> Galadriel https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2323-Summer-and-Ice-Cream The Cookie Butter Quest https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2231-The-Cookie-Butter-Quest Tue, 01 Oct 2013 02:05:28 GMT
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I admit, I joined the throng of people looking around for the best cookie butter deal. I never really intended (us/my family) to join the craze. All I wanted was, to know what the hype was all about and to let the kids know how each brand and variant tastes like. Curiosity got the best of me which lead me to scout for the best cookie butter price around. I searched instagram, facebook and the forum's buy and sell section. I read reviews on which brands were delicious.

My first 3 cookie butter purchases were from various instagram sellers. It took us months to be able to taste every available variety and brand there is. We first tasted the plain Trader Joe's cookie Butter which was ordered by my daughter from her friend. Online prices for cookie butter ranged from P350 to P450, exclusive of freight cost. Now, Trader Joe's Cookie Butter can sometimes be found on the shelves of Foodarama Mabolo with a price range of around P500 or at the BTC's Saturday Food Market. For Biscoff, it is available at Healthy Options Ayala for P375.

Cookie butter "Taste-Off" Results:

Jules Destrooper (bought from S&R)
Taste: sweet and creamy with a hint of cinnamon.
[IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SjK058OurVc/UDmRqR_bR7I/AAAAAAAABiY/8BCN_O-KWQg*******2stars.png[/IMG]

Jules Destrooper vs TJ's creamy
Taste: Jules Destrooper was too creamy compared to TJ's Cookie Butter which didn't suit well with our taste.
TJ's creamy wins
[IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwFELNy_V6U/TqF8ZWlZnII/AAAAAAAAAU4/6uhEnmFsVSI*******3+stars.jpg[/IMG]

TJ's creamy vs TJ's crunchy
Taste: The crunchiness added depth to the taste which made the creamy variant taste plain.
TJ's crunchy for the win
[IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwFELNy_V6U/TqF8ZWlZnII/AAAAAAAAAU4/6uhEnmFsVSI*******3+stars.jpg[/IMG]

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Biscoff creamy vs Biscoff crunchy
Taste: the crunch factor won us over
Biscoff crunchy wins
[IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwFELNy_V6U/TqF8ZWlZnII/AAAAAAAAAU4/6uhEnmFsVSI*******3+stars.jpg[/IMG]

TJ's crunchy vs Biscoff crunchy
Taste: though both had the hint of cinnamon, the taste of the Biscoff crunchy stood out over the TJ's Crunchy.
Biscoff it is




*Disclaimer - taste is subjective. Try it out for yourself and find out what suits your taste buds. :) Share your cookie butter quest. :) ]]> Galadriel https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2231-The-Cookie-Butter-Quest Not your Ordinary Food Market https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2230-Not-your-Ordinary-Food-Market Fri, 20 Sep 2013 01:00:00 GMT
What is a food market?
A food market in its simplest meaning can mean a grocery or a place where produce, meat and other grocery items are sold.

The food market I am talking/writing about is sort of something like that but a bit different.

What makes it different?
It is not your ordinary food market, it is a gastronomic experience for the adventurous, a haven for the hungry and a habit for the weekly foodie. A variety of goodies are there, from breads, to sweets, to street food and to healthy foods.
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We (hubby, kids & I) are a creature of habit, we visit the BTC food market almost every Saturday to get us our favorites: Greek Donuts & Baklava, Luigi's Rye bread and any of Moshi's Kale drinks.

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Last Saturday, our choices were the following: Tinumis from Kusina ni Nita, Paella from Dos Hermanos, Shrimps from Uchida, Siomai from Eat Street and gone before I had the chance to take a photo of, the mango with cheese ice cream.

Tinumis comes in two variants, the plain (ground pork only) or the one that is like dinuguan (pig's blood stew). If you want it spicy, you can ask for red chili to top your Tinumis. One can either order a bowlful of Tinumis or as a rice topping for P85, which is the one we got. One order of Tinumis rice topping is good for 2 people with small appetites. I love how it tastes like and how it is very different from dinuguan.

Paella according to Hubby is okay. The only definition for his taste is either okay and tasty or bleehh which means the taste did not agree with his taste buds. Hearing him say that the paella was okay meant that it passed his discriminating taste. :) Though one order was not enough for him which was good because I could barely finish my food and We ended up sharing the Tinumis.

The siomai & shrimp was okay for him too. One cup of shrimp has 3 shrimps and siomai can be ordered in the following quantities: 3 siomais, 5 siomais or 7 siomais.

Saturday is just around the corner and I am looking forward to try the Essen Manna, Vegan Burger, Fresh Salad & Tinumis (again, but this time without the pig's blood). This is going to be a string of Saturdays before I can say I have tried every dish available at the food market.

*BTC Food Market is every Saturdays from 10am to 9pm. ]]> Galadriel https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2230-Not-your-Ordinary-Food-Market <![CDATA[Of Salmon & Steak...]]> https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2229-Of-Salmon-Steak Thu, 19 Sep 2013 01:00:00 GMT These days a night out with hubby and friends is hard to come by. Hence, iSTORYA Diner's night is always something to look forward to every month.For the month of August, it has been agreed that we meet up at The Suite Room and try out their food.

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(*Photos from The Suite Room)

The suite Room is located at 69 Lim Tian Teng Street (right beside Casa Verde ) Ramos. Just get inside the gates of Casa Verde and it is right at the back. They open from Monday to Sunday from 11am to 10pm. It is advisable to call ahead for a table reservation, since the place is a bit small (good for intimate gatherings).

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Menu choices: either you go for the set menu or go ala carte.

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I went for the ala carte and ordered rib-eye steak (P450).

My scorecard:
Food - 3.5/5 salad was good. Though the beef was tender, I find the slice of the beef a bit thin.
Service - 5/5
Ambiance - 4.5/5 place is a bit cramped. Hubby and I both agree that the place is small, an estimate of around 12 diners can fit in the said room.
Price - 4/5 a bit pricey but meal was worth it.

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Hubby ordered the salmon set menu (P500). For the soup choices, its either pumpkin soup or mushroom soup. He got the mushroom soup, which we shared. Salmon for the main course, & caramel macchiato ice cream cake for dessert and an order of Coke for P50 for his drink.

His Scorecard:
Food - 3.5/5 salmon was a bit mushy, the slice of the ice cream cake was too thin for him (which prompted us to order a slice of Death by Chocolate from Casa Verde)
Service - 5/5
Ambiance - 4/5 place is a bit cramped
Price - 4/5 set menu is P500

Set menu inclusions:
- choice of soup or salad
- for the entree: choice of sandwich, pasta or main course
- dessert

Overall rating (Hubby's scorecard & my scorecard) - 4/5

For more details about iSTORYA Diners - http://www.istorya.net/forums/food-a...a-net-377.html*iSTORYA Diners meet up once a month.(All photos contained herein are all from the Author unless otherwise stated) ]]> Galadriel https://www.istorya.net/forums/entry.php?2229-Of-Salmon-Steak