Krisha | Lifestyle + Thrift

Safe to say, I have top specifications for planners. Haha! First, it has to be in hardbound. I hate flimsy journals. I usually am compulsive when it comes to the physical attributes of anything that’s in my desk. Second, it should have an enough writing space. I do exhaust my planners and actually fill every page with scribbles, lists and what nots, so I make it a point to find one that has enough space for all my doodles and little notes. Third, I’m a firm believer of “signs” haha so motivational / inspirational quotes to keep me going would help me a lot discerning my consciousness.

Last weekend, I thought of bringing my CBTL Giving Journal to brunch so I can scan through what they have to offer this year :)

About The Giving Journal*

“We’re taking the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s tradition of handcrafted care and using it as the central theme of this edition. Every month, as seen through the illustrations of our iconic flavours, we’ve featured our various coffees, teas, and products. Yet, the purpose of this Giving Journal stays the same; to encourage each and every one of you to brew your best year and chronicle your journey moment by moment, day by day, one step at a time. And since giving back to others is another tradition that is kept at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, we’re working side by side with the Real Life Foundation for our Giving Journal, empowering scholars to reach their dreams by supporting their educational needs through it.”

Yes, you read that right. For every drink that we purchase in CBTL, they actually give back to the community. You go, CBTL!

About Brew Your Best Year*

“At The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, we’re driven by a simple brand philosophy — RELATIONSHIPS MATTER. Brew Your Best Year has become medium for us to connect with our customers in a very meaningful way. Whether it’s through www.brewyourbestyear.com, a community event, this Giving Journal, or our @brewph social media accounts, we hope to encourage you to be a part of our Brew Your Best Year Community — our Community for people who are living life to the fullest and generously sharing their positive experiences and blessings with others. Because you’ll realize that when you’re living a life that overflows, it’s easy to spill over goodness to others.”

How To Maximize The Giving Journal*

Monthly Themes - Power words to set the theme for each month and to encourage you to live a life that overflows. Weekly Pages - Horizontal space for each day of the week so that you can write down your meetings, tasks, and to-do lists in an organised manner. How Will You Brew Your Best Year? - An empty space with empty coffee cup for you to let your creativity flow. Draw or doodle how you can create 2016 your best year yet. Take your dreams to a whole new level and visualise your year’s masterpiece. What’s Your Overflows Story? - An empty space to write down your life mantra as a constant reminder of your vision for this year. Extra Shots - Few extra pages to make your journal a little more useful — blank pages for your notes and doodles, a vacation planner, a directory of emergency phone numbers and an events calendar, too! Also included are CBTL’s store locator and of course, discount and freebie coupons for you to enjoy when you visit the stores.

What I Love About The Giving Journal

1. High quality paper that’s calligraphy and brush lettering friendly! 2. Enough writing space perfect for my random whims and notes 3. Helpful month tabs along with motivational quotes on EVERY page 4. Super clean layout and typography with beautiful watercolor art 5. Little stickers perfect for the monthly pages 6. 12 discount coupons! YAY 7. And as mentioned above, for every drink and Giving Journal, CBTL gives to Real Life Foundation who helps give education to less fortunate children <3

It comes in macaron colors such as baby blue, mustard yellow, brown and purple. I got the purple one of course :)

To know more about on how to avail Coffee Bean & Tea Life Giving Journal 2016, please visit any CBTL’s branch nearest you or find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@cbtl and @brewph), and Subcribe to brewyourbestyear.com.

How did we plan our trip?

If you’re expecting for tips on how to travel to Batanes cheaply then you’re on the wrong blog, I couldn’t give you that. Probably because this trip was planned on the spur of the moment, and we didn’t have enough time to wait for seat sale promos. I spent days reading travel blogs though to make sure I’m writing the best itinerary for our 3-day trip.

However, you only need to remember two things: expensive airfare tickets and the best time to travel.

The easiest way to go there is by air for 1.5 hours via Philippine Airlines and Skyjet Air. Regular airfare going to Basco, Batanes is more expensive than going to any neighbouring Asian countries. Round-trip fare would cost up to Php18,000/person so you really have to plan ahead. The trick is either sign up for newsletters, go to travel-related expos or be in a group. Last August, I signed up on Skyscanner to monitor the ticket prices. It would notify me via e-mail everyday. The fare started at almost Php11,000/person, and then it finally dropped to Php8,000/person round-trip on the last week of August! That’s when we finally bought our round-trip tickets from Philippine Airlines through Skyscanner.

Philippine Airlines has only one flight to Basco everyday at 6:00AM and Basco to Manila is at 8:10AM. We booked the dates, Sept. 16-19, but technically, we were only there for two full days since our flight out on our third day is at 8:10AM. I made a mistake of not knowing the best months to go there but thank God, we’re very lucky to be welcomed with such nice weather. I remember reading cancelled flights just two weeks after we went there! Totally heartbreaking. Basco Airport is so small that only small planes could land. If the rain comes in, flights are automatically cancelled because of zero visibility. According to our tricycle driver slash tour guide, the best time to visit Batanes is during January to April when the nights are utterly cold and the worst would be May to July, October to December because of the rainy season.

6:00 AM: Flight from Manila to Basco via Philippine Airlines

The plane is so small. I think we were only fifty on board including the crew! I noticed that the passengers are mostly Ivatans and senior citizens. You can easily distinguish tourists. Hehe!

Martin took a nap on a vacant seat while I totally fangirled over this beauty

Told you the plane was so small! Thanks to Philippine Airlines for a relaxing flight.

7:45 AM: Basco Airport (!!!!!!) It’s so charming. I’m already starting to fall in love with this island. Sobrang turista lang ng monopod plz. Haha!

8:30 AM: Our hostel had free airport transfer so after getting our luggages, we were fetched and finally reached Octagon Bed & Dine.

Octagon Bed & Dine is situated at Sitio Disong, Brgy. Kaychanarianan, Basco Batanes, just about 10-minute car ride from the airport. Although this hostel is perfect for family/groups, we opted to stay here since we got a discounted price.

They have 3 rooms available with the capacity of 4 pax per room, 2 single beds and 1 double bed in each room. All rooms are located at the beachfront. They also serve free breakfast for two pax everyday. Free WiFi on restaurant premises, a TV with cable, air-conditioned room and a heater. Room rates is at Php4,500/day. Please visit their Facebook page for inquiries and reservations.

9:00 AM: YAAAY BREAKFAST! I had beef tapa while Martin had pork tocino. They also served us coffee. Also check out PAL’s snack — corned beef buns! Hehehe so good!

View from Octagon B&D’s restaurant and room front. Damnnnnn.

Since we didn’t avail any group tours, we asked around on how are we going to do our touring. If there’s one thing I really miss in Manila, it’s the people being nice to each other. Heeey, it takes Php0.00 to be nice, ya’ll! Anyway, since we were only two, they suggested that we avail of a tricycle tour and they even called one for us. <3 Kuya Edwin's our tricycle driver slash tour guide. I had my itinerary checked and our original plan was South Batan - Sabtang Island - North Batan. He told us to first tour North Batan since it'd only take for 4-5 hours then Sabtang Island the next day together with South Batan.

10:30 AM: We didn’t want to waste time so we decided to take photos by the beachfront. Kuya Edwin would meet us half an hour after and drive us to the marketplace to buy sunblock, bottled water and other necessities we forgot to bring. Hehe!

11:00 AM: Yes, this is how their marketplace looks like — clean, peaceful and by the streets. We were so surprised! We were dropped by a block and Kuya Edwin told us to walk around. He will be fetching us at the exact spot he left us.

12:00 NN: It was scorching hot so we decided to stay at Shanedel’s Inn & Cafe to rest and take more photos. It’s as hot as Manila’s weather but nights are really cold. My advice on clothing, don’t wear tight clothes. I had gross heat rashes which lasted for a week after this trip haha

1:00 PM: Basco is really small. The marketplace was just 5 minutes away from our hostel. I’ve totally memorised the route after two days of being on the island! Anyway, we were back to have lunch and we ordered comfort food such as sizzling hotdogs and sweet and sour chicken nuggets. The sizzling hotdogs were to die for!

Food tips: Meals are expensive in Batanes. Food supplies in the island are tough to get due to the relative distance of the island. I heard they get some ingredients and other supplies from Cagayan Valley through Skyjet. That being said, you can either cook your own food or request what you want for dinner or tomorrow’s lunch and dinner. The same day, we requested to have coconut crabs for dinner, a set meal for lunch in Sabtang Island, and lobsters for our last night’s dinner :)

MUST-SEE SPOTS: NORTH BATAN

North Batan is where the Basco airport, homestays and lodges are located. As mentioned, we availed of Kuya Edwin’s tricycle tour for around Php600, plus points as he doubles as a tour guide also so yay! Although if you have the stamina, you can rent a mountain bike for Php25/hour or Php500/day and tour by yourself.

MT. CARMEL CHAPEL / TUKON CHAPEL

2:00 PM: Kuya Edwin fetched us in our hostel to start our North Batan tour. We first headed to Mt. Carmel Chapel or most popularly known as Tukon Chapel. It was built in early 2000. Tukon is an Ivatan term for mountains.

Like the traditional Ivatan houses, the small chapel is made of stone where mass is held every second week of the month. It is owned and built by Abad Family, Batanes’ most influential family. Small as it is, the chapel is actually a favorite venue for intimate weddings. Interestingly, its ceiling is hand-panted with images of Batanes’ patron saints.

From the chapel, you can get a really breathtaking view of both the West Philippine Sea and Pacific Ocean. Mt. Iraya, a dormant volcano, can also be sighted on the opposite side.

DIPNAYSUHWAN JAPANESE TUNNEL

2:30 PM: Located at the hills of Tukon, we next passed by a Japanese Tunnel. Made up of five doors, the tunnel was built during the Japanese occupation serving as shelters for soldiers. It’s very dark inside and you have to bring a flashlight to be able to go through the tunnel and exit at the other end. There were also bats flying around! Kuya Edwin made sure we get our money’s worth so we explored the path going down, complete with crawling and trekking.

VALUGAN BOULDER BEACH IN CHADPIDAN

3:00 PM: The kilometer-long beach is full of boulders of different sizes. This photo doesn’t do justice on how beautiful the rock formation is.

It was a challenge walking through the giant stones to get to the water but it is certainly one of the unique experiences you’ll take home from Batanes. Curious how these stones were formed? The stones were actually spewed from the eruption of Mt. Iraya long time ago.

STO. DOMINGO CHURCH (BASCO CATHEDRAL)

3:45 PM: After which, we passed by this church which is located at Basco town. It’s the first Catholic Church in the province. I really love how light and serene it looks. I also made sure to give thanks and say my wishes for every new church I visit.

VAYANG ROLLING HILLS

4:15 PM: Definitely one of the most recognizable spots in Basco and my favorite from this tour. It has the best spot to enjoy a spectacular view of the South China Sea and the Western part of Basco.

I’m not afraid of the heights but the wind was so strong, I felt unsafe for a second — and that’s when Kuya Edwin walked beside me. Hehe!

This cow’s life though

I couldn’t believe everything. I was surrounded by verdant Earth and endless waves of rolling hills. Jaw-dropping.

BASCO LIGHTHOUSE AT NAIDI HILLS

5:00 PM: Still overwhelmed by the stunning rolling hills’ view, we were once again greeted by another enchanting sight as we next climbed Naidi Hills were Basco Lighthouse is located. It’s actually my first time to see a lighthouse and I’m so glad it had to be in Batanes.

The lighthouse is composed of six levels. You can go in and take its narrow staircase to go to the fifth floor which has a viewing deck.

The best time to climb Naidi Hill is during sunset for a more undisturbed and dramatic atmosphere.

TOURING BASCO TOWN IN BIKES

5:30 PM: To end the day, we asked Kuya Edwin to drop us at the marketplace and we rented bikes going back to our hostel. Even if we were physically and mentally tired, we know we couldn’t miss witnessing sunset in Batanes.

WHAT YOU CAN’T MISS: SUNSET VIEWING & COCONUT CRABS

Coconut crabs from Octagon Bed & Dine. Best thing I have ever tasted. Writing this makes me crave for it already! I think this meal costs around Php900. It really depends on the availability.

6:30 PM: The view from where we are eating. Unbelievably beautiful. Batanes is a dream.

North Batan estimated tour expenses:

Php 650 - Smallest Nivea sunblock, two bottled water (lol, told you everything’s expensive in Batanes) Php 800 - Lunch consisted of  two orders of sizzling hotdogs, chicken nuggets and drinks Php 600 - Kuya Edwin’s day tour* Php 1,500 - Dinner consisted of coconut crabs and pork sinigang (good for family) Php 200 - Bike rental fee for two bikes, minimum of two hours Php 2,600/night - Octagon Bed & Dine (discounted price from Php4,500/night) *Kuya Edwin Ronino of BATODA

North Batan tour estimated time: 5 hours

Mt. Carmel Chapel - Dipnaysuhwan Japanese Tunnel - Valugan Boulder Beach - Basco Church - Vayang Rolling Hills - Basco Lighthouse at Naidi Hills - Basco Town Tour via bike.

Last month, the team behind Art of Scent stores and FReSH Fragrance Bar sent me products from Ciaté London — a new brand they’re carrying through their FReSH Fragrance Bar stores. Ciaté London may be incredibly well known for their innovative collections and ability to push the boundaries no matter what they do, but this year launched a treatment range that aims to give your nails a bit of a workout: Ciaté: The Treatment Collection! The nail treatment package includes: Nail Super Hero for bendy nails Nail Goddess for dried out and tired nails Speed Coat for unrivalled shine and super quick-dry finish Nail Quench for dehydrated, brittle nails Fragranced Nail Polish Remover in Orange Choc Pot Ciaté full sized Violet Vixen Paint Pot (double shade glitter) Ciaté sample sized Pool Party Paint Pot (deep azure blue) Holy sh. I hear my little nails rejoicing! Btw, can I just say — the packaging is genius — monochromatic little magnet lids with instructions, information and teeny tiny bows. So classy!

First up, Speed Coat. Speed Coat is an award winning Formaldehyde free top coat which guarantees touch dry nails in sixty seconds, locks in colour and can extend colour wear. Taking the nail industry by storm, this formula has won many industry awards since it’s 2008 launch — now with a fresh, new look, this gorgeous product delivers a perfect performance and provides a high, gloss, chip free finish for up to 10 days. Well, the waiting after a newly-polished nails kills me. I hate waiting for my nails to dry, I’m slightly clumsy and usually after having them painted I’ve ruined one within five minutes — so when a product like the Ciate Speed Coat comes along that guarantees touch dry nails in sixty seconds, you know that I’m all over it. Woot. Overall, it’s a great product that actually works and makes my life easier! With the downside that it takes a little longer than sixty seconds to dry. Hehee! Second on the list is the Nail Goddess which is incredibly perfect for dried out and tired nails. Want goddess worthy nails fast? Upgrade to divine status with a swipe of this super-powered Serum Elixer. Each bottle is packed with Pro vitamin B5 and deeply conditioning Marula oil for an on the go nail hero. Have your dried-out, tired nails nourish, hydrate and add a daily dose of durability with this one! Where have you been all my life? It’s a serum for nails and you know how much of a moisturizer whore I am! Fed up of weak bendy nails that peel and break? Nail Super Hero Super Strength base coat transports nails from knackered to nourished! Enriched with Caviar, Garlic and Chaulmoogra oil extract, this formula is proven to harden and strengthen nails. Nail Super Hero has been developed with Silicone for strength, and Marula Oil for instant nail nourishment. I can’t wait to grow my nails a little longer just so I could use this! I hate hate hate it when my nails crack on sides and my hair and even my clothes' loose threads get stuck in between and eventually makes my nail break! Eekkk!

Nail Quench not only works as a vitamin packed restorative nail treatment including collagen and bamboo extract, but doubles as a protect base coat to give your manicure a glossy boost. The compact, purse friendly felt pen applicator makes it easy to ensure healthy, hydrated nails on the go. My ultimate favorite! It’s basically a base coat that conditions, protects and hydrates which I usually leave on overnight. Tbh, I’m fixated to the pen’s felt tip!

Fragranced Nail Polish Remover in Orange Choc Pot is a speedy polish remover, perfect for quick mani switch outs! Wonderfully nourishing and delicately sweet, the gentle formula swiftly removes polish in one swish leaving a delicious chocolatey aroma. The non-drying formulation is acetone free and enriched with intensely hydrating Marula Oil, Vitamin B5 and E to condition and care for nails while indulging your sweet tooth with its sugary cocoa scent. Yum! My other favorite. I never knew polish removers can be this fancy. LOL. Anyway, this remover dries on the fingers with a strong chemical smell just like any remover but once it dries up, it quickly switches to a sweet, orange chocolate-based fragrance. I found that the Orange Choc Pot removes regular polish fairly quick and with ease!

A full-sized Paint Pot in Violet Vixen and sample-sized Paint Pot in Pool Party let you mix and match your polish picks and create your very own bespoke nail looks. Inspired by mixing shades and textures together backstage at the runway, these nail polishes come in a range of hues — from pale pink to glittery shades — for layerable, customisable mani looks.

Although I haven’t had a chance to try all of these completely, my initial impressions are that this is an excellent range that I’m glad it landed on my desk. Haha! The overnight pen treatment is already a firm favourite, helping me awake with smoother and hydrated nails. There’s so much goodness to choose from this collection, but suffice to say that nail care has one again become a pleasure and something I’m happy to integrate into my routine. :)

You can avail of Ciaté London products at FReSH Fragrance Bar — the country’s first mainstream fragrance concept store aimed at empowering young perfume lovers to fulfill their perfume addiction. Now that they carry nail and skin care brands, FReSH Fragrance Bar will expand to a beauty store hopefully by next year. You guys have to watch out for that :)

The old Cherokee simply replied: “The one you feed the most.”

Whenever I find myself awfully mad or anxious about silly things, I go to a quiet corner, breath deep and remember the said passage. It helps a lot to restart my mind and judgment. Anyway, times are tough right now — physically, financially, mentally and career-wise, but with the help of my family and close friends, I know I can drift through it.

Come what may, I still have so many things to be happy about right now and these are my favorites:

1. It’s finally November! The first day of the month is always perceptible since Martin and I acknowledge our monthsary every first, so there’s no reason to welcome a new month looking sullen :) There’s just so many things that happened and will happen this month. First, we went to Valkyrie with our friends last weekend to celebrate Halloween and it’s first Halloween together! It was a last-minute decision so we just went as a “Netflix & Chill” couple (his idea!), but knowing me, I added a little flare and scrawny look so we won’t look like we just sported couple shirts, even if we all know how clingy we are. Haaaahaa!

Second, we’re going to celebrate our birthday together for the third time. Honestly, it still feels weird to celebrate our birthday on the same day and I don’t know if I can get used to it soon. It can be both a blessing and a curse. One time, I filed a leave for work to surprise him that day, but then he went to my house that morning and was supposed to give me gifts and a ride to work, but he was surprised that I was still in my pajamas. Sobrang kagulo lang!

Lastly, my mom’s celebrating her birthday also this month! Although she’s turning 48 years old, she still looks younger than ever. Everyone thinks my youngest sister is her only child. Unbelievable.

2. Potatoes If french fries, hash brown, boiled potatoes with four kinds of cheese inside, waffle-cut potatoes, mashed potatoes, deep fried balls of potato and cheese with bacon bits won’t make you euphoric, we can’t be friends.

3. I have finally learned to say NO Probably one of the most transformational skills in our careers and life is saying no to requests that do not truly support or inspire us. Sometimes I get gig and work offers that are overwhelming but since I don’t wanna burn bridges and look rude, I take it anyway, even if I know I won’t benefit anything from it. Now, I have learned how to say no indirectly with phrases like: “It’s not my priority / I can’t commit to this / Now’s not a good time / This doesn’t meet my needs now but I’ll be sure to keep you in mind.” No doesn’t easily mean rejection. When I got the hang of it, I got more time for myself, work and things that are most important to me, and I’m happy I started doing that :)

4. The Basics I’m alive and healthy. The people I love are alive and healthy. I have a roof under my duvet-wrapped bed. I can afford three or more meals a day. I drink safe, pure, clean drinking water. I’m committed to finding my passion and purpose in life. I stopped having unnecessary wants. I’m learning how to cook. Bear hugs with my siblings. Sunrise. Sunsets. Nutella. I was born a winner — beating out all the other spermsicles! Woot!

02. I can never be a girly girl, much more to own off-shoulder tops. Shameless, this was actually my sister’s! I never knew it can be very high-maintenance, not until I was having a hard time getting the sushi rolls I wanted from the buffet table, and this mutinous piece of clothing kept on going up my shoulders to my neck. Yup. True story!

03. Whenever I eye products I wanted to try, I always turn to Sample Room. They give you sample products to try for free! For this week, I received a big bottle of Palmolive Naturals White + Papaya body wash along with loofahs in troika which obviously have won me! I love the smell of papaya, next to watermelon and coconuts, and being under the sun for the past few weeks, this package was very timely! I suggest you head on over www.sampleroom.ph to get your free samples of products.

04. Donning monochromatic prints is what I’m becoming addicted to. Shirt dresses, leather sandals, denim skirts and loose tops to name a few as well. I love being casual on most days, throw an interesting pair of sandals and cutesy bowler hat and I’m off to go!

05. My boyfriend Martin has failed in giving me surprises numerous times (for some reason, I can always tell) but few days ago, he handed me this cute Totoro stuffed toy he got for free from one of his friend’s birthday dinner. We’re never into material stuff, he didn’t even know I fancy Totoro (albeit he didn’t even what/who Totoro is!) but now I can never go to bed without this by my side. Some things just feels like home.

06. Few weeks back, my family spent a weekend to Subic to unwind. It was my youngest sister’s first time to the beach and I was way too excited to spend the afternoon with her. It’s also my first time to try an AirBnB abode and the experience was beyond sublimity.

07. Sometimes I just wanna leave the metro and watch the coconut trees sway its leaves along the splashing sound of the seas upon the shore. With all these traffic, elections and in-general problems, I just wanna take a deep breathe away from the bustling city.

08. My current favorite sandals — it looks like an espadrille, but not really.

09. More surprises from Martin — along with a charming make-up themed cake and a bouquet of pink roses during our anniversary last month. This boy knows his thing.

follow me on instagram @krpayong

What I’ve Been Wearing & Eating Lately

01. As I’ve mentioned, the off-shoulder top is my sister’s, cropped pants are from Uniqlo Philippines and my snakeskin criss cross sandals are from Nomadic Way.

02. Here’s a closer look of the sandals Nomadic Way sent me. I originally wanted the plain white but they don’t have my size anymore. Bias aside, they’re very comfy, casual and stylish! Nomadic Way’s currently having an ongoing anniversary sale so you better head on their instagram account (@nomadicway) and check out their leather sandals.

03. Rompers are fun until you have a pee! Eek. Here I’m wearing a dark blue romper from Mango, one size bigger than me because I love everything loose, a snakeskin silk cover-up from Bayo, sling bag from Marc Jacobs and white sneakers because I thank Céline for making white sneakers wearable whenever.

04. I scanned my old Lookbook account and wondered why did I stop wearing colors? Haha, so here I paired another leather slippers from Nomadic Way with light-washed collared top and a lace shorts perfect for quick brunch with friends and running errands. Thank you, neighbours, for such pretty plants for backdrops. Heh.

05. To my surprise, I don’t own any casual slippers. I’m a flats person. So yay for this slippers by Nomadic Way yet again, I feel like a grown-up woman!

06. The Hype Manila, the brand who did my customized crewneck, has finally opened their headquarters in Quezon City! They can customize any apparel from you — I heard one of the cool things they do is on-the-spot printing. Cool, aye. Better follow @thehypemnl on Instagram and watch out for their sales, discount codes, and what nots.

07. My system is 80% sushi already. Even I’m fed up, I still eat ‘em. Oh the things I do to myself.. #hugot. Martin and I ate at Kettle and I had him ordered my all-time favourite Australian Lamb Adobo while I got this Smoked Salmon Salad goodness. Both were perfect.

08. This was my tiny platter of cuteness last night when my sister treated us for dinner at Omakase. Yummmm!

09. Last weekend, I had a lifestyle shoot for Kape Maria/Local Edition with Raniel and Ben (photographers), Reg and Bettina (stylists) and Nina being our stylist. Can’t wait for photos to come out!

Anyway, this month’s goals involve me doing things that fuel me, that help me slow down and enjoy the last few days of being twenty-three. Without further ado!

Declutter. I’ve accidentally deleted (or put on reset) all my bookmarks and reading lists on Safari while clearing the 30GB unknown files under “Other” of my laptop’s flash storage (seriously, how do you clear those up?!) so that gave me a heads up on finally organizing all the junk I have on my laptop.

Get back into a healthy diet. One of my resolutions when this year started was to prepare healthy meals thrice a week. I kinda stopped trying last summer! Now, I just wanna go back to my all greens, no rice diet. The boyfriend misses my healthy meals also. If only I have the budget for quinoa and other unreasonably expensive organic stuff though…

Launch Shop Nishka’s official online marketstore. I’m almost done editing the content and photos over my MyShopify account, and hopefully before I hit freakin’ twenty-four, it’s up already! The monthly due would be around 1,500Php though and that’s 18,000Php a year… so I’m really sketchy on this one.

Think bigger. Way bigger. Figure out ways to help me think bigger. Talk to people who think bigger, who works bigger. Bigger.

Find a new food I like. As heartbreaking as this sounds, I think I’m already getting fed up with japanese food especially sushi and sashimi…. I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW IT STARTED.

Create a new spooky halloween special effects makeup look. In case you didn’t know, I do zombies on Halloween for fun! For this year, I kinda wanna go as “Dead Chanel #2” but I’m leaning towards bloody looks tryphobic people would hate me :P

Short but sweet. Do you have any goals set for October? Let me know and we can encourage each other!

1. First off, there are no hotels. No commercial places, fast food, coffee shops, restaurants, movie theatres, malls or places you can lounge, sip coffee and view a passing crowd. What you’ll see instead are small bed and dine restaurants and carinderias with a view of waves crashing under a pastel-hued skies, with a sighting of a lighthouse nearby.

2. If you intend to spend a day in the beach, prepare your girl/boy scout kits as there would be no comfort rooms and no rooms to stay. Have the untouched, pristine and untainted beach all by yourself. All by yourself. Spend a night, camp out and have a spectacular view of the stars.

3. Be afraid of the sun as there would be no taxis, no jeepneys, no cars. Tricycles, bicycles and motorcycles would be your bestfriend. And lots of trekking and power walking. Lather up on sunblock but it will leave you at awe how the locals have high respect on each other regarding traffic road signs — something you seem to never see it anymore in Manila.

4. For the scenery is just a small part of the island. Meet the people, see how courteous, accommodating and honest they are. On our second day, we decided to just leave our bags inside our tricycles, and just enjoy the view. That photo above was creatively taken by our friendly tricycle driver slash tour guide, Kuya Errol of Sabtang Island. Yup, no photo manipulations needed!

5. Signal is shit. If you’re used to a fast-paced life with a phone in your ear for hours every day, then this island isn’t for you. Batanes forces you to slow down everything. Sit for meals. Appreciate the scenery. The only thing fast here are 3-in-1 coffee and instant noodles. Everything else has to be done from scratch or ordered in advance. Yes, the saying “Hinuhuli pa ‘yung manok kaya matagal ‘yung pagkain.” would most likely to be true. But this time, lobsters and crabs!

6. Speaking of crabs, please don’t eat coconut crabs anymore. They’re close to being extinct. But they’re so freaking good. I’m being a hypocrite on this one because we had one meal on our last night, and just by typing it makes me crave. You can never taste coconut crabs anywhere else.

7. Everything is in slow motion — which is pretty bad for people who are competitive, time conscious, wants to do many things at a time, and feel guilty when relaxed and not doing anything. From meals, to roads as they are way too many cliff and cliff turns, from people crossing the streets and how the sun sets from where you are sitting, waiting for your meals.

8. Lastly, everyone was right — when the times comes that you have to leave Batanes, it will break your heart.

Abandoned Love Series by Peyton Fulford.

These portraits of “Flying Dogs” are utterly adorable!

Breakfast in Bed game has been changed.

Spectacular DIY hideaways around the world.

Classical Paintings with Hip Hop Lyrics

Breaking Bad-themed coffee shop in Pakistan

100 Years of Magazine Cover Evolution

Food Emojis Reproduced in Real Life

A Library-Abyss Under The Ground by Susanna Hesselberg

Cleanse: Clean & Clear Deep Action Cleanser This is my holy of all holy grail product. I’ve repurchased big bottles for about, what, fifty times? It all started one afternoon at a nearby drugstore where I used to go to work to. Out of curiosity, I bought a small bottle, used it religiously, and that’s when I knew — game has been changed. Haha! My former job requires me to wear makeup everyday, or at least look presentable enough to face, meet and present pitches to my clients. Full makeup + Metro Manila pollution & commute to and from = super gross. It made my face skin more supple, more hydrated and so much less oily. It has this tingly and soothing feeling every after washes. I think it’s the menthol. You can really feel that your skin has been cleaned thoroughly. Here’s a confession: I used to be so lazy to wash my face before I sleep. Ew, I know, just the thought of that makes me cringe! But this facial cleanser = total game changer. It can even remove ALL the makeup products on my face with two washes (when I’m extremely lazy and sleepy), but I do that rarely since two washes might be a little harsh and drying on my skin! It claims to be oil-free, can control oil and won’t clog pores — I definitely concur. Rarely that I get breakouts unlike using other facial cleansers. Been using this cleanser for about two years already and it can do no wrong. I’m pleased to say I’ve found The One! Haha

Tone: Céleteque Oil Control with Aloe Vera and Chamomile Extract If you’re a toner-noob like me, here’s a little preface: toners are formulate to remove sebum, oil and dirt from the pores. It helps clears the pores to minimize breakouts and blackheads. It also helps to balance the skin’s PH levels if your facial wash is too strong. The latter doesn’t apply to me, though. What I love about Céleteque product lines are that they are nothing fancy, just straightforward. This one has an “oil control” formula, and anything oil control is music to my ears. I apply toner every time I put makeup on. I don’t use it everyday as I don’t like the feeling of dry skin! Here’s a makeup guru’s secret I read somewhere: the secret to a flawless makeup base is a clean, toned and moisturised skin. That’d help the makeup lasts longer!

Moisturize: Céleteque Facial Moisturizer for Hydration Another Céleteque product, but this one is for hydration. It’s only been a year that I found the power of moisturising. If you’re a woman on early 20’s, I suggest you start investing on moisturizers and eye creams! I use this every after I use my facial wash, and that’s every day and night. Don’t worry about looking like an egg can be cooked on your face, this moisturizer is water-based and it would look like you didn’t put anything on after it dries up.

Mask Treatment: GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment This was gifted to me by the kind and generous people behind Art of Scent stores. Been using this for almost two months — once in two weeks application, and so far, so good. I usually double up the formula on my nose and chin where I usually have breakouts. Positively, it had helped me solved my major skin issues which you can find the article here.

Exfoliate: Himalaya Herbals Gentle Exfoliating Walnut Scrub with Natural Antioxidants Quick tip: walnut combats freckles and wrinkles, anti-fungal and is a great source of omega 3. I’m already sold. This is another holy grail for me as the texture of the scrub is not too harsh. It claims to remove dead skin cells leaving skin squelchy! Exfoliating regulary is the key to deep cleansing so I use this every after two days. It also smells like cereals. Mmm!

Makeup Cleansers:

Estee Lauder Take It Away Gentle Cleansing Milk This is already my second bottle. Wee! I usually massage the inner corners of my eyes, under my lips, and nose with this product. I love that the formula is milk and the scent is not too strong. The only pitfall is that it can’t remove waterproof products, and that’s when my Sephora waterproof remover comes in.

Maybelline Makeup Remover Eye & Lip This product + liquid eyeliners = best friends! This is a very handy and affordable makeup remover that takes off eyeliner and mascara mishaps in a second, with the use of Q-tips!

Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover The only eye makeup remover I’m trusting my sensitive eyes with — as it is very suitable for contact lens wearers. I really hate it when I unknowingly scratch my eyes while removing mascara residues, but this product doesn’t make me do that! But what won me over is that it has a lash-strengthening complex that’s rich in flavonoids and olive wood extracts. It’s light, fast acting, gentle and while it does leave a slight amount of oil behind, I just dab it with tissue gently on the area and it’s gone!

With Sample Room, you don’t need to: 1. Take a risk at a full-sized product that may not work for you or may give you an allergic reaction. 2. Rely on reviews alone that might not jive with your skin type (as you get to try the product yourself). 3. Waste money on a product that might not work for you.

...and you will be able to: 1. Patch-test, and road-test the product you are interested in purchasing - if the product suits you and works well with your skin. 2. Experience the product, and decide after finishing a sample size if the product is right for you. 3. Read reviews from consumers who have the same skin type as yours. 4. Enjoy your purchase, as it is well-researched and well-informed purchase. Definitely value for your money!

How It Works

It’s that easy! Participate actively in Sample Room’s sampling/reviewing activity also let’s you gain the following treats: 1. Prizes and contests for active members. 2. Chance to be featured as the Sample Room’s member of the month and of course, you will be receiving amazing gifts from Sample Room!

What’s Inside My Sample Room Loot: 1. Palmolive Naturals Anti-Hair Fall Shampoo and Conditioner 2. Two 100ML bottles of Silka Premium Whitening Lotion in Green Papaya SPF 30 with Olive Oil 3. Calchews (7 Soft Chews) in Caramel and Chocolate 4. Olay Total Effects Pore Minimizing CC Cream in Light 5. Vitress Heat Protect Cuticle Coat

I personally can’t wait to try all the products they’ve sent me especially Olay Total Effects CC cream! It’s my first ever CC cream and I’ve been told that they color correct skin discolorations without caking. Hmm, interesting!

Finally, my wish has been granted by the gods of samplers! I’ll be no longer have to shell out big amount of money for something that I’m not sure of it will work for me. Not only that, Sample Room works locally. The reviews are easily relatable especially skin care and cosmetics on what effects a certain product may have on a hot and humid, tropical weather that we have. Again, sign up and be a member now and get your free 100 points to start your Sample Room adventure!

Storytell Prints is a new app (free on the App Store and Google Play) that allows you to creatively print photos from your Instagram, Facebook or camera roll from your mobile phone, and then have them delivered to your doorstep in 3-5 days!

Currently, they have three available options: classic prints, board prints (thicker paper like cintra board thick) and magnets. Other options such as photobook, grid poster, large format print, premium canvas wrap, playing cards, mugs and apparels will be available soon!

Storytell Prints was one of the sponsors last Gathergram event so I got to take home a small kit inclusive of the print and board samples and a Php 500 gift certificate to start with! Yay!

Left to right, top to bottom: Classic Prints Polastyle Classic Prints Mini Square Magnet Prints Square Board Prints Mini Polastyle

The app is very responsive and easy to use. Even my techy little sister can go through the ordering seamlessly! Now, let me show you how I ordered my prints!

Important: Please make sure you have a stable connection when you start and finalize your order!

Step one: Choose “Classic Prints in Polastyle” which costs Php 450 Thumbs up with the design for the options because it’s very easy to understand! I wanted to get the magnetic ones but they costs Php 600, my gift certificate won’t be enough! But I’d totally get magnetic ones this Christmas hehee

Step two: Choose between iPhone, Facebook, Instagram or Instagram Feed I think it’s either you choose between JUST your camera roll, Facebook, Instagram or Instagram Feed. Yep, you can print any photos from your feed. So cool, aye. I suggest though to save everything on your camera roll for easy browsing!

Step three: Select the photos you want to be printed Originally, everything I selected was from my camera roll and not Instagram. For the Classic Prints Polastyle, you don’t have to select 32 photos all in all. The quantity depends on the size you’re ordering.

Step four: Once you’re done selecting the photos, the app will let you edit and crop the photos, and put handwritten captions! Crop tool is for when your photos aren’t square, editing tools includes basic editing and filters, caption box and number of prints you’re getting for photo. The latter is quite important — example, if you plan to have two or more copies of one photo, you can adjust the quantity per photo, which is super cool right. Just as long as you complete the number of photos required per style option.

Step five: Checkout Cart You may now checkout your cart once you’re done with the step above! Also, it’s pretty cool that you can always shop and customise for more style packages — this part won’t cancel anything from your cart unless you delete them (swipe left) or check everything out.

Step six: Another cool thing alert: You can either send them to yourself or surprise someone with it! “Yes, Storytell Prints, I’d like to order a bunch of polastyle selfies. Please send them over my boyfriend’s house. Thx.”

Step seven: Double Check Order Summary You know what’s another cool thing? THEY OFFER FREE SHIPPING NATIONWIDE! Grabe, so cool these guys from Storytell Prints. Hehe!

Finally! Step eight: Pay via Bank Deposit or Paypal You’re done! Just pay for your orders and sit, binge-watch your favorite series and wait for 3-5 days for your orders! I placed my order on Wednesday night and got them by Saturday :)

Storytell Prints has definitely become one of my favorites! The quality of the print is good, a little desaturated but still an ace! The boards are sturdy and can’t be fold easily, which I love the most. There’s just so many things I can do with my Storytell Prints — write on the photo, hang them on my wall, they also make pretty flatlay photos hehe, and send them to my family and friends! I love ‘em. Definitely ordering soon for magnets ;)

Classic Prints in Polastyle - 32 pcs, 3” x 4” for Php 450

Anyway, here’s this week’s mood-upper:

1. Kygo’s music <3 Don’t get me wrong, I don’t don’t like EDM, sometimes they’re cute to listen, sometimes, they’re plain noisy haha! 2. Getting myself my dose of tuna tartare, philly cheesesteak and miso soup! Ahhh, writing that just made me crave for another set! 3. Receiving a new batch of goodies from my Straightforward Clothing family! I haven’t finished shooting the previous ones they gave me (weather please cooperate) but they’re definitely going to be on my closet staples. 4. Martin went to my house yesterday to fetch me and bring me to dinner and movies after his work — that’s a 2-hr drive probably because of Manila + rain traffic. I offered to meet halfway but he still fetched me at home. Insert heart eyes all over here. 5. Receiving my Storytell Prints orders I have yet to write about. So happy with my Polastyle prints! Thank you for my P500 GC. Hehee! 6. One random afternoon, my sister tried hacking Yabu’s staple meal — menchi katsu set — and was successful doing it. YAAAY! I gave up rice already but that day was an exception. Haha! 7. All these “good morning/night love” messages from this person I’m celebrating second year with. <3 HE NEVER MISSED A DAY. 8. Waking up to really good grilled BBQ chicken swimming in BBQ sauce by mom. I love foooood. I love anything grilled and BBQ so much. 9. Seeing Zac Efron’s face at We Are Your Friends <3 and Inside Out’s Bing Bongggg!! 10. Two more weeks before our Batanes trip! Can’t wait. No day passes by without me daydreaming about it.

Started this long weekend accompanying my boyfriend Martin to his coaching job at his high school. I spent three hours reading ‘Gone Girl’ in his car and taking naps in between, hehe! We then headed to Mall of Asia to have dinner at Tajimaya Charcoal Grill (their lettuce-wrapped beef are the best!) then just walked around window shopped for our upcoming anniversary trip! I found this really nice cropped denim jacket at Forever21 at even half the price but didn’t buy it ‘cause Martin offered to buy it for me, so nope. Haha

My college friends and I love to cling so much! We always have these game nights but last Saturday was a little different! We reserved a slot at Mystery Manila days before and chose to play Rebecca’s Revenge. It was all our first time so we didn’t have any idea of what will happen and what to do. After an hour of mind-boggling conundrum, we finally solved the mystery! I’d say we’d talk about it while having early dinner at Bigoli and coffee at Costa in Eastwood. So much squabble that we’ve decided to try another game house — Breakout Philippines! We called an hour after and was lucky enough to get the last slot — but the most difficult one, Adarna’s Lair! After 45 minutes, we were only 70% done, boo! Diane and Maiko decided to go home already while me, Tiki and Ange spent a little more time at Starbucks Metropoli. It was such a fun night :)

Sunday was such a breeze. I had a full ten hours of sleep! <3 It was just in time for my boyfriend to fetch me and watch his younger brother’s basketball game at Chang Kai Shek College, and then had dinner at Domo Maguro Japanese Restaurant with his family. When I get home, I spent the night with my mom and little sister over tea at home.

How was your weekend? :)