Baby Yoga: Would You Do This to Your Baby?

Okay, I don't think a lot of people have seen this video because it hasn't gone THAT viral in Facebook. But for those of you who watched Inside Edition the other night already saw this. I was able to catch the news and it was confirmed that Lena Fokina really does flip babies or as called "Baby Yoga."

As Fokina said, it was a normal practice in Russia so that they can make their babies "stronger." She even advised Americans should do this too to their babies because they are too lax with their children.

What are your thoughts?

Recipe #9: Hooray for Fried Oreos!

After eating in Holy Rice and trying out their Holy Oreos, I decided to look for my own recipe. I was disappointed with the restaurant because they used Hi-Ro cookies instead of oreos. But nevertheless, it was still yummy!

Fortunately, my insomniac behavior of watching late night TV shows and reruns led me to a recipe! I never knew I would get the recipe for Fried Oreos from America's Next Top Model. But during this cycle's recap of the show, Ann prepared Fried Oreos for everyone in the house. I got to copy the recipe and made one yesterday!

ANTM winner, Ann

Ingredients:

1 pack Oreos

1/2 box Hotcake Mix

1 Egg

1/4 cup Water

Directions:

1. Mix 1/2 of the powdered hotcake mix with the water.

2. Add the beaten egg to the mixture.

3. Dip each oreo in the batter and deep fry. 

4. Strain using paper towels and enjoy!

Very easy to make! Delicious and perfect snack to your little ones! Since I don't have any kids at home and am on a diet, I only tasted 2-3 and gave the rest to my sister's future in laws.

Fried Oreos

Blog Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of my first CBTL blog giveaway. Here are the winners, drawn through the use of Random.org:

3 Winners of Free CBTL Coffee (worth P150 each):

1. Adrian Cajayon
2. Angelyn Perante
3. Mike Maravillo

And to the lucky person who won P200 GC for the bonus question: "What are the URLs I used and changed from throughout the year 2010?" The lucky winner is: Jose Lorenzo Manongsong.

The answers to the bonus question:

1. Rise of the Pantyhose

2. Chronicles of a Gypsy

3. TheGypsyWrites

4. Ms. Single and the City

Kudos to Mike Maravillo who was able to answer all four! :) That proves... you're a stalker! hehehe joke lang :) thanks for being keeping up with my blog! :) 

Expect an email within today or tomorrow on details on how you can claim your prizes. :)

Blog Giveaway: Three Winners of Free CBTL Coffee + 1 Bonus Winner

Hey everyone!

Seeing that now I just changed my blog's name to Avec L'Amour, Trixie, I noticed that my most popular post was about the 2011 Giving Journal. In lieu of this, I'm here to give away 3 Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf drinks. If you're also a fan of their coffee, tea and delicious food, I thought it would be great to give away 3 of their drinks. In addition, it's my Christmas present to all those who actually read my blog. ^,^

Criteria:
1. Just go to my blog Avec L'Amour, Trixie.
2. Follow my blog either by Networked Blogs or Google Follow
3. Leave me a comment in this blog post with your:
     a. Full Name
     b. City you live in
     c. Blog/Website (Optional)
     d. Email Address
4. Share the URL of this blog post in your Facebook with the quote: "Trixie gives love through free CBTL coffee!"
5. That's it!

I will draw a raffle for the 3 lucky winners of free CBTL coffee on December 5, 2010; 12 o'clock noon.
Raffle will be drawn using Random.org. The first three names on the list will be the winners of the following:

1. Original Ice Blended drink
2. Tea Latte
3. Holiday Drinks

As a bonus: I will be giving away a free drink or food from Coffee Bean worth P200 for anyone who can answer this question:

"What are the URLs I used and changed from throughout the year 2010?"

It doesn't have to be in exact order. The winner for this bonus raffle will be drawn through Random.org. Only those who answered at least 3 out of 4 correctly will get to qualify in this bonus raffle.

Clue:

1. Rise of the ___________
2. _________ of a Gypsy
3. The ___________ Writes
4. ____. _________ and the City

Thanks for the continuous support everyone! And Good Luck!!! ^,^

* Additional Guidelines:

Only those residing in Metro Manila or are in Metro Manila between December 6-12, 2010 are qualified to join this contest.

Winners get to redeem their prize from me in a branch accessible to me (sorry guys, I'm still studying if there is a way I could talk to CBTL about this): Greenbelt, Residences, Convergys Ayala, Megamall, SM MoA. If it's really impossible to meet halfway, I'll coordinate with you regarding a date, time and CBTL branch we could meet.

Redemption period between Dec. 6-12, 2010 only. I have a scheduled flight for Dec. 14 and won't be back until the end of the month so I'm really looking forward to giving away the free drinks.

My card will be used to get the free sticker for the 2011 Giving Journal as well as the Swirl Card points. Sorry, that's the reason I'm giving away free drinks ^,^

As of Dec. 3, 2010 10:59 am, the qualified people are:


1. Smarla Angtuaco
2. Dash Estefani
3. Mike Maravillo
4. Mary Jomelle Briones
5. Vivian Aguilar
6. Jose Lorenzo Manongsong
7. Angelyn Perante
8. Rhosher Lynn Tan
9. Jeric Renz Roncal
10. Lourdes Jane Mahipus
11. Agnes Espino
12. Ellen Joy B. Santos
13. Sheila Marie Marcos
14. Melanie Magno
15. Marvin Jay Sulit
16. Mary Rose Magno
17. Raymond Ordonez
18. Katherine Castro
19. Marco Limlengco
20. Starrie Sun
21. Luningning Arabiran
22. Adrian Cajayon


ENTRIES FOR THE BONUS:
*if you win in both draws, you will be given the higher prize and your slot for the free CBTL coffee will be replaced. :)


1. Mike Maravillo
2. Vivian Aguilar
3. Jose Lorenzo Manongsong
4. Ellen Joy B. Santos
5. Melanie Magno
6. Marvin Jay Sulit
7. Mary Rose Magno
8. Katherine Castro
9. Marco Limlengco
10. Starrie Sun
11. Adrian Cajayon 

* GCs are with me already! :)

Who Says You Can't Teach Old Dogs New Tricks?

Yeah. Whoever said "you can't teach old dogs new tricks" was wrong! Take my 58-year old dad for example. I could still recall the day he would scold us for texting him a lot. He preferred receiving calls since he did not have the patience to learn how to text. But because we could not afford to call him (back then, there was no unlimited text/superduo), my sister and I would text him or give him a missed call. He hated it!

It still amazes me that my dad was able to sit us down one day and ask us to teach him how to text. Slowly, he was able to get it. I think he has been texting for 3-5 years now and he has learned the text lingo (no jejemon please). Now he can text me "Asan k n" without any difficulty!

What amazes me more is that he now knows how to use Twitter, Facebook and email. A few weeks ago, he surprised us by tweeting on his own while he was in Sipalay, Negros Oriental. There are days he would even tell me to blog about something.

He can play online games on his own without any trouble! He plays a lot of Airport Madness 2 and TU 95. We used to play TU 95 together but he finally figured out how to land the plane on his own. See, being a fighter pilot is one of his frustrations. With these games, he feels he is a real pilot. There was even a flight simulation game that was installed on his laptop. But he doesn't play a lot of it since it's really complicated.

A few weeks ago, my sister bought the new iTouch for herself (after seeing me play a lot of Angry Birds). My dad asked what the device was and immediately bought one for himself.

my dad and his gadgets

Now, I'm jealous of them 'cause I'm the only one who has an old Touch version. They have cameras and I don't. But it's okay since I rarely have time to tinker with my Touch now. Plus, I'm planning to get one for myself this Christmas. ^,^ *fingers crossed*

taking a breather

So now, I'm so pleased seeing my dad play Angry Birds. It takes away the stress he feels. 

my dad playing Angry Birds

Now, what was it about teaching old dogs new tricks?

busy... 

Move over Lola Techie 

Sparkazine is UP! Win P50,000 worth of shopping spree at Fred Perry!

After several months of being SPARK Magazine's first issue being launched, the next thing you have to look out for is the sparkazine website that we have all been working so hard on. I wrote several articles for the blog and I am very excited to see that some of them have already been posted.

You can now read articles I've written as well as see some of the pictures I took. Simply go to the website of the magazine! http://sparkazine.com.

Aside from reading my articles, make sure you click LIKE on SPARK's Facebook fan page. You get a chance to win something!

Win a P50,000.00 shopping spree at Fred Perry! Just click ‘Like’ on Spark Magazine’s Facebook page to join!

Let me know what you think of the articles! ^,^

Does It Still Count As Home?

I can't remember the last time I was in Bacolod for a long period of time. My visits this year only included days when I stayed in my hometown. It's not that I don't like it anymore. There's just something about Bacolod that doesn't feel like home anymore. Each time I visit, I feel like I am a stranger in my own city-- the place I have called home for the past 20 years of my existence. Even until today, I feel homesick and wish I could return to devour on all the things I have missed: Batchoy by Logro, Wimpy's Burger by Kuppa, Cream Puff by Calea, Blackout by Vienna Kaffehaus, The Gypsy Tea Room, Bob's, University Courtyard, Lopue's, and a lot more. These things are the only remnants I have left of Bacolod and when I do get to taste/visit them during my visits, they remind me that I am still home.

I am afraid though, that one day, everything will be new to me. Lopue's would undergo more renovation, The Gypsy Tea Room will move, Calea's cakes won't be taste the same. I am afraid that these too will vanish and become just a part of my past. These are the only things that make me look forward to my visits.

Even my friends have changed. Each time I go home, I have to set a schedule for them just so we could all meet. Although we keep constant communication through text and Facebook, there are times that when we are already beside each other, we cannot talk the same way we used to. They have new friends and lovers, new careers, children, husbands, wives, new homes, new surnames. Times have changed.

There are also some people that have impressed me. While I thought poorly of them back in college (either they were a dropout or a junkie), they have risen above everyone's expectations. I can name A LOT of these people but I do not wish to cause a ruckus. Through Facebook, I get to watch my previous acquaintances skills come to life, like I am part of his audience. I seldom forget that I have met them before and we have attended the same class in college.

Through all these changes, I still see strength and hope. I miss Bacolod and I hope my next trip home won't make me feel indifferent to the place I used to call home.

Here's a clip of Sugal. A 2010 Negros Summer Workshop film by Jan la Ó and Marianne Magalona, two true Bacolodnons. It also features other Bacolodnons such as Raffy Alonso, who is another acquaintance of mine.

PR Material: Salt

I'm sure you're all waiting for this!



Opening soon across the Philippines , “Salt” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and like the fanpage to get the latest movie news, video clips and contests.

Multiply Sellers Corner: Upper East Side

Because of an ugly experience with an online seller in Facebook, I became a bit conscious about my online purchases. Even if I have always been extra careful, this unnamed experience reminded me not to give a 100% trust to these sellers, especially the ones for pre-order.

No, it wasn't because I was scammed. The products did arrive on time but the quality of the clothes were far from the posted details. And when I sent a feedback, she blocked me from her friends list. It was pretty weird. I mean, I was only giving out my HONEST opinion. If she wasn't hiding anything, why would she block me right?!

So anyway, that was then.

Last night, I met up with an online seller from Multiply. I was pretty interested in her clothes as I've long been interested in vintage-y looking clothes. And true enough, her clothes are really vintage and have been purchased from abroad. What's best is they were on sale, despite the fact that they were already affordable!

I met up with the Upper East Side in Serendra last night. The seller, Michelle, was friendly as she accommodated me into the restroom and waited while I tried on the clothes. She even gave me some suggestions on how I could wear the clothes and the belt.

One of the items I purchased.

All in all, I purchased 3 items from her. And my total bill was only P880! Such a good buy! I can't wait for her next items. =)

Stories of Now- Northern Lights

Stories of Now

If you’re looking for a new song to include in your iTouch, you can check out Stories of Now. They have awesome songs such as their original hit single Northern Lights, Roadtrip, and Story.

Aside from these hit songs, they also play their own version of hit songs such as Sweet Disposition (Temper Trap), Closer (Ne-Yo), Pure Shores (All Saints), Use Somebody (Kings of Leon), and Sex On Fire (Kings of Leon).

(From L-R): Angelo, Shark, Marlon, Altair

Composed of 2 sets of brothers, I was lucky enough to interview these boys for SPARK. Watch out for my next update when their interview will be ready for viewing.

Fan girl moment with the boys

If you want to catch this band play live, here are their usual schedules:

Freedom Bar (Katipunan)- Thursdays

Il Ponticello (Makati)- Thursdays

Centerstage (Tomas Morato)- Saturdays

To get updates, here’s their Facebook page.

Listen to an original Stories of Now track by clicking this link: NORTHERN LIGHTS

Music: Esly Sings Fall in Love

With the advent of technology, I was able to get acquainted with one of the upcoming hit artists of our generation-- Esly. I first found her when I saw her Facebook account being promoted. I didn't know that clicking on that link would show me a different world in music.



The thing I like most about Esly (although I've never met her) is that she seems like such a young Korean girl ready to face the Western world and show them that she has real talent. She is beautiful, talented, and funny.





From what I've learned (through constant communication with DJ Lyon), Esly is still a student. And while I do believe the world is ready to be stunned by her powerful voice, I seriously hope she finishes her education before she pursues music.



Nevertheless, I think her fans from all over the world (currently over 12,000 in Facebook, 3,000 of which are from the Philippines) will understand the reason why this artist still cannot go on tour. But I do hope that when she does, she will visit our country as well. And despite the fact that I am agoraphobic, I will really be first in line to get to her concert! She just might be the first concert I ever go to. :)





Some of Esly's songs include Night and Day and Unfair (original), Fall In Love (Estelle), and Like A Star (Corinne Bailey Rae). All I can say is: I can't get enough of her awesome voice! MORE!!! :)



Listen to an original mp3 track I got thanks to DJ Lyon: Fall In Love by Esly.



Add Esly's Facebook Page

We <3>Facebook Group



*Photos and MP3 used in this post have been supplied by DJ Lyon.

Fitness First Cut The Fat Challenge

Fitness First- Cut the Fat Challenge

Since January of this year, I have been engrossed in a new Facebook Application that has taken my mind off a few things, including work! The Fitness First- Cut the Fat Challenge is an interesting Facebook game which is sort of like The Biggest Loser. Only this time, it's your fingers that are doing all the hard work.

You start with 300 pounds and work your way through every 1 pound you lose. This means you need energy to workout. And in order to have energy, you have to eat. In order to eat, you need money. You can get more money every workout you get. And this is a cycle which goes on and on. In order to lose 1 pound, you have to get rid of all the fat. Once you do, you lose one pound and you get another set of fat which you need to lose.

While this may seem like such a boring game, there is a catch that will tickle your fancy. The biggest loser of this game will win a 1 year membership at Fitness First and an iPod Touch. Up for grabs are also SGD money (paid through PayPal), Fitness First 6 months membership, Fitness First Free 7 Days, and a Fitness First Bottle.

Try it. You might join the crew in trying to beat one another. The game ended last January 31, 2010 but has yet began another round for February. Hurry! The biggest loser right now only weighs 128 lbs!

Ponzi, Inc.

I must admit, I have gotten hooked to one Facebook game application which has caught my fancy. Ponzi, Inc. is not your typical game like Farm Town or Restaurant City. Unlike other games, Ponzi, Inc. allows you to do your normal routine while still enjoying the game when you get back to it.

In Restaurant City or in Cafe World, when you are away and do not get back in time after your task has been done, the food spoils and you lose money. You need to log back in after a specific number of minutes so that you can still keep playing the game efficiently. But with Ponzi, Inc., you don't need to. Even if there is still a disadvantage of having tasks expire in Ponzi, Inc., they're not like the other two games where they are more frequent.



I have been playing Ponzi, Inc. for about three weeks now and I am enjoying every minute of it. I have reached a high rank already and currently am in Level 21. This morning I just discovered I can earn a portion of my friends' earnings by setting them up on a pyramid.

With Ponzi, Inc., you are your own boss and you are running your business. You choose which tasks you do and you do them depending on when you want to. Ponzi, Inc. has earned 5 stars from me and I will keep playing it until I don't get bored.

MyFoodTrip.com

Have you ever experienced an instance wherein you want to eat something yet you don’t know if that place is good or not? Or even an instance where you are stuck in the middle of some place and would like to know if you can trust one restaurant will be good value for your money? If this is you and you have a laptop and internet connection, then head on over to MyFoodTrip.

There are now several online directories of restaurants you find in Metro Manila. And sometimes, you can even find listings of some restaurants you can find all the way south! But what makes MyFoodTrip different from the rest of those websites is that you can always trust the write-ups in the website. This is because they have been written by well versed bloggers enough to make your next trip memorable. In addition, you can find all sorts of information about a certain restaurant and pictures of the food in the site.

As a blogger, I believe that we are the people who are “in the know” of things. We know when something is going to happen, what is happening, and where it is happening before other people even do. And because of this knowledge and this opportunity to be the first on the scene, bloggers have a role to let other people know about them. They express it through videos, photos, or even words.

With MyFoodTrip, all the best food critics and bloggers can be found discussing all their favourite restaurants and even some of the worst you can find. You can trust that these are all honest opinions and real experiences because bloggers do not get paid for giving a good review of a restaurant. So there is no way bloggers will fool anybody by saying they had the best meal if in fact, they had the worst.

And because MyFoodTrip is only providing links to the best bloggers in town, you can be sure you can rely on the bloggers to tell you about the food quality of a certain restaurant. Remember, we don’t get paid. So why would we lie?

Umm.. Where’s my free food? [jk!!!]

Visit http://www.myfoodtrip.com/ now. They even have their own Facebook account.