two for tonight

two thoughts, that is.

one: shopping is NOT my remedy for a bad mood. i realize that i can only spend when i'm in a great, giddy mood -- ready to fit clothes/shoes prior to purchase, willing to (patiently) wait and communicate with sales ladies, and able to analyse and weigh the costs of my potential purchases. otherwise, i will end up buying something i did not fully think about (because i wasn't in the mood to give the purchase much thought), only making myself feel worse later, because of the less-than-100%-satisfied purchase, and even worse, the wasted pesos. 

two: i love this site. and i loved it more when it came out with its own book. and now i love it even more because it's giving away a FREE copy of one of the book's chapters. and now i want a copy of the book even if i'm no designer. it's so amazing how pretty stuff...how FREE stuff....can affect a person and make one more than willing to spend. i guess, because LOGO.DESIGN.LOVE is giving me some love (thru its free book chapter), i just wanna give it some lovin' in return. hooray for free taste!

Missing UP (link)

Para sa aking mga kaibigan galing sa UP. 

Isang blog ng alumni tungkol sa pagka-miss niya sa UP. 

Nakita ko sa Facebook Fan page ng Chocolate Kiss. Gusto ko lang i-share. :-)

i spent! wholeheartedly!

arrived in my inbox, 7:57 AM:

Greetings from Amazon.com.

We thought you'd like to know that we shipped your items, and that this completes your order.  Your order is being shipped and cannot be changed by you or by our customer service department.

You can track the status of this order, and all your orders, online by visiting Your Account at http://www.amazon.com/gp/css/history/view.html

There you can:
       * Track your shipment
       * View the status of unshipped items
       * Cancel unshipped items
       * Return items
       * And do much more

The following items have been shipped to you by Amazon.com:

the countdown begins! :-D

sunbathing wisdom

i have been sunbathing for approximately eight years now. i think it might be because of the climbing/mountaineering/athletic folks i came across, all tanned and glowing. or it might be a simple case of "the grass is greener at the other side of the fence". 

regardless of reason, the point of this entry is that, despite of the sunbathing mileage i've collected year after year after year, i always seem to take a slip and get into a sunbathing mishap. just when i think i've got things down pat...even while my last booboo is still burning in my memory...i end up overlooking a crucial detail that causes me to burn again. literally.

so, to all aspiring sun-bathers out there, here's are a few tips and reminders before laying your back unto the beach towel:

1. apply sun protection. even if you say you'll get covered by shade at some points of the day, that doesn't mean the sun won't get to you. so no ifs and buts to this one. 
2. check the SPF. remember, the higher the SPF means the longer you can stay in the sun before burning. and choose a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation.
3. apply all over the body. some body parts i consciously apply on are: forehead, cheekbone area, ears, shoulders, and feet. these are areas we either (a) feel don't need sun protection, or (b) don't realize get hit by the sun a lot, therefore getting dark the fastest. as for me, i only realized this after seeing black, shriveled toes hugging my flipflops.
4. apply your sun protection evenly. unless you want a wash-out or gradient effect on your body. and i personally don't have taste for gradient effects.
5. in relation to the previous point, apply spray-on sunscreens with care. i think this one i learned from another person's experience, who ended up having round patches of white on the back after spraying the sunscreen by him/herself. unless you're sure you can spread your suncscreen evenly, even on your own back, then don't be shy to ask for a friend's helping hand. 
6. do it gradually. this was my major flaw...and still constantly commit. if i haven't sunbathed for a long time, and am so pale, i'm so determined to get dark in one day that i (almost consciously or clumsily) forego all aforementioned tips.
7. don't fall asleep (too soundly). the root of my downfall in 2007.
8. and last (for now) but definitely not the least....my freshest lesson and tip....*DRUMROLL, PLEASE*: check the sunscreen's expiration date. *APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE*

i. thenk. you.

bow.

Ayayayay. Nakaka-psyche.

“V16 is only a number. The more important thing is the progression it meant to myself in my climbing,” says Woods. “It’s cool to feel like I have established a climb that is pushing the limits for the sport of bouldering. Time will tell how hard it [The Game] actually is, but for now I feel like it is a new level boulder problem.”

These are exciting times for Daniel Woods, 20, America’s strongest rock climber. In the last week alone, he nabbed the first ascent of the country’s hardest boulder problem, won Nationals, and got engaged.

Taken from Rock & Ice Basecamp article, 'Stronger and stronger'. Read full article here.

think positib, walang aayaw!

my blog is my grateful journal :-)

1. goodbye puerto prinsesa; hello albay and tuguegarao!

2. steady, focused climbing, made possible by a gradually-recovering shoulder

3. gradually-recovering shoulder, made possible by a disciplined stretching and strengthening regimen (proud!)

4. my first 13k, accomplished spontaneously on one weekday evening. and my knee didn't bust!

5. happier loula, made possible by a gradually-recovering knee (left hind leg, from ACL surgery) and dislocated hip (right hind leg)

6. an intact boyfriend

7. broadway + disney soundtrack downloads: phantom of the opera, miss saigon, beauty & the beast, aladdin

8. thirteen years of chocolate kiss. join the celebration with our birthday dessert buffet and jam session this friday, feb 26, 6-9pm at the UP cafe!!!

good night!

why i love being at home

this is just one of the reasons: 

bottomless guinumis

guinumis (gee-nu-mis) is a mixture of crushed ice, sago and/or gulaman, pinipig, coconut milk, and sugar. the ingredients are simple enough, but the effect of the mixture makes for a perfectly refreshing dessert or merienda. if you're a gata lover, naku, this will bring you to heaven :-D 

personally, aside from the coconut milk flavor, what i love about guinumis is its wonderful mix of textures, what with the crushed ice (that eventually becomes water, so two-fold pa ang mouthfeel!), the crispy pinipig, and the chewy gelatine. then depending on your taste, you can pour in your preferred amount of gata and syrup, for that perfectly personal concoction.

my mom started "experimenting" on its preparation last year, and we (our family) have been hooked on mixing, serving, and devouring it ever since!

our modest ice shaver

first in: shaved ice in the bowl

gulaman, made using Megaliciois Mr. Gulaman jelly powder mix (who warns consumers to "beware of FAKE imitation")

pinipig

coconut cream in tetra, as alternative to fresh coconut milk that spoils very easily

coco syrup, made by melting coconut sugar in hot water

the mixture

now ready to eat!!!!

i had two bowls for dessert ;-)