Lucido-l Hair Supplement (Not for Me)

I’m really not that aware of this product until I decided to let my curls grow ‘coz I always have rebonded maine since I was 18. That’s every year visit to a salon ‘coz I often do home treatment for my hair.

Just a side story, my gay friend is very vocal about how my hair looks – not so flattering then another gay supervisor asked me if I wanted to try other hair style. I often have my hair tied up like a “manang” in the office. So when I had enough (haha), I then decided to try other products that would tame my frizzy hair. By the way, I let it grew without any product application aside from my usual shampoo and conditioner, for nearly two years now. The old rebonded strands are still visible so I have this curly hair near my scalp then slight straight hair from my ear-level down.

I read a lot of products online but still undecided which one to try because I don’t want to have dry hair. My hair looks dry and weak but it’s not, as per the stylists I went to back on my rebonding days. I have too many thin strands which makes it “thick”. When I finally decided to get a hair wax or mousse, I ended up getting the Lucido-l bottle at SM Megamall (Watson’s store in Building B Department Store).

Lucido-l Hair Make Supplement (Styling Milk for wavy hair)

I asked the sales lady which is better -hair mousse or wax then she referred me this apple green bottle that costs P295.00. As per the texts, it’s a hair supplement, a styling milk for wavy hair which is what I have.  The sales lady even told me that it’s always out of stock since it’s very indemand among girls. When I got home, I read reviews online about it and from what I read, it looks promising. The only product that could really tame my hair is Argan Oil which is a bit costly for me but I’d still buy it whenever my bottle is emptied.

Going back to Lucido-l, I really don’t see much difference from the before and after effect. I’m not sure if I understand the instruction on how to use since the box says “apply onto damp hair” – should I comb it first or not? Hehehe. Should I buy it again? – Maybe I’ll try other product/s, probably mousse before I go back using my Argan Oil. ‘Will update for my photos.

Lucido-l box

Have you tried this one?

Caterer: Purpledish Food Tasting

This is actually our 4th FT since last year but I'm doing a review for this one because it's still fresh from my memory.

We had J and I had our FT yesterday at the Function Hall 1 of The Columns in Makati. We arrived earlier than expected since we traveled from Nueva Ecija,J's hometown. When we got there, Ms. Shayne (the AE) who answers my online queries was not present, only Ms. Rosselle (not sure if I spell it out correctly) can't find my name on the list. It's an FT with reservation plus 500 pesos fee for the couple. I was disappointed since we traveled from N. E. Ealier that day to attend their 6pm schedule. Thanks to Ms. Rosselle who's very accommodating and promised to provide seats for me and J. 

The FT started with cocktails served with refillable iced tea plus 3 kinds of pasta, 2 kinds of soup and vegetable salads. I wasn't able to take pictures coz I forgot to do so. Anyway, J and I rated the food from 1-5, 5 being the highest. Almost all thier appetizers are good. You can see our ratings below:

The most intriguing taste (positive one), was the Circulo Tofu 2.0. Both J and I liked it so much and were amazed how it was cooked. For the soup, J preferred French Onion and Cheese Soup while I liked Broccoli and Cheese Soup better. For the salad, we both agreed that Asian Chicken Salad is better than Mango Salsa Salad. Lastly for the pasta, we want Beef and veggie lasagna over Rigatoni Salcicia and Creamy Veggie Fusili (intended for vegetarians so don't expect much taste nor spices for this).

After this, Chef Velmor introduced himself then went on explaining each menu. There are lots of food to taste since most PD couples were present for their 2nd and last FT. He also addressed FAQs like the fee, suppliers meal, kiddie meal, buffer, etc. So the fee is mainly for couples' assurance that they'll attend the FT because before, PD cooks food enough for those who scheduled their FT but failed to show up so the food were sayang. They came up with the idea of the FT fee mainly for assurance that couples would really attend their FT. The talk last almost 2 hours which is a bit disappointing for us. We're not hungry but the day's stress was really consuming J and me.

We then had our main course and dessert. I'm not sure if it's just me but the  only menu i liked was their 10-hr roasted beef with 2 sauces- caldereta and mushroom-something. It's not written on the list so I'm not sure if I named it right. For the pork, i liked the honey Glazed BBQ Pork Spareribs and for the fish, it's a fish fillet with corn but can't remember if it's fish au gratin or margherita.

Dessert came but we were able to try only a few slices of cakes coz we're literally full and tired. I don't like their cream puff. I read online reviews about their raves on Bluer thsn Blueberry Cheesecake but for me, i liked Dark Forest and Pistachio Sansrival. Here the photo of their dessert table:

And here's the other:

The idea behind the slices of cake instead of small serving per dessert type is because most guests on weddings were getting more than what they can really consume so in the end, no enough dessert for late guests. This is better since one cannot consume everything on the table so they'll limit to what they really wanted to taste.

For the set-up, as per Chef Velmor, almost all their styling and designs on their Purpledish FB Account are basic styling by Stylento so couples can just tell their pegs and they'll decide if it's an upgrade or just basic. Sample design of the table:

What we don't like is they have special treatment to other couples like the one beside J and the actress- don't know her name but she was in Lobo with Angel Locsin before. They serve them food instead of going to the buffet table. 

Anyway, today they sent me an email regarding their 20% discount plus 14k-worth of freebies if we pay in full on or before March 31. I think we can't avail this since we also need the budget for the downpayment on our other suppliers. 

Here is Chef's photo:

If you have questions about PD that I know, just shoot me a message :-)
Sorry for my blurred captures.

Experiencing Panagbenga 2014

Panagbenga is pronounced as "panagbanga" which means " tagsibol" from local term as per our tour guide. It's the season when flowers bloom and you can see it anywhere in Baguio during this season - very relaxing.

My fiance's family planned going to Baguio since last year to experience Panagbenga so his dad already booked 2 rooms at Venis Hotel. It's a good experience though very tiring. When you're planning to experience this kind of local celebration, just hire a van with driver if you're a big group since reserving tickets or lining up on terminals is exhausting and time consuming.

We travelled to Muñoz Nueva Ecija and rode with his parents via a rented van which really saved us from traffic, long ques on bus terminals and still having comfy seats. We arrived early that day, around 9am though we're only able to watch the last street dancing participants on their parade. We stroll around the place then went to Lourdes Grotto which has more than 200 steps if  I'm not mistaken, Burnham Park where you can experience boat riding, tried strawberry ice cream, went to Camp John Hay, The Mansion which is the President's summer house, checked Mine's View Park which is jampacked of tourists and finally went up to buy Good Shepherds products.

We're a bit hesitant 'coz there were long lines for the GS products. Actually, anywhere you go in Baguio, you can see how crowded it was because of the event. Sadly, I no longer appreciate the place that much. There are numerous buildings which made the mountains looked distorted. It's actually my 2nd time to visit the place since 2008 if I remember it right. Before, there are less building structures in the area and you walk can around seeing the beauty of nature but now, everything looks similar with Manila. I just hope Baguio can still accommodate the growing number of structures and people living there. 

Here are some pictures of the floats we saw last Feb. 23, 2014. Some celebrities that joined the event were Marianne Rivera with Alden Richards in Carmela, Ogie Alcasid for ML Kuwarta Padala, Alodia Gosiengfiao, Ms. International candidate 2013 and Ms. Earth 2013. Pardon me for my blurred photos which were taken using my Iphone 5. :)

Carmela Float (Marian Rivera & Alden Richards)

Chinese-Styled Float

Ms. International Float

Jollibee Float

There were a total of 26 floats if I'm not mistaken. As per our tour guide, atleast 200,000 pesos is spent for each float. I forgot to ask what will they do to those flowers after the event 'coz if you saw it personally, you'd be thinking what's next for the flowers.

This short out of town event really helped my mind relax a bit from work and wedding preps and I guess i'll be needing this most of the time :-)

Pamamanhikan 2014

It's been more than a month since the Pamamanhikan happened but my fiancé and I are still having hangover with it. Both of us really enjoyed the moment and were surprised by how it turned out.

Pamamanhikan is a tradition that marks the beginning of a long preparation for a big celebration on lovers' life. Once it’s done, preps for the wedding will commence "legally" since all the planning will take place during this meeting of two families - for old timers. I guess our modern pamamanhikan no longer requires the guy's family to visit the girl's family house especially if in a distant place. This is one thing that my fiancé and I considered why we chose to have it here in Manila even if my parents live in Aurora province - a not so distant place. 

We considered renting a room to have the pamamanhikan since I live with my sister's family in a condo unit. And knowing its size, it surely cannot accommodate everyone and my fiancé also didn’t want me to look haggard preparing the food and venue (isn’t he so sweet?hehehe).

First I called Mesa located at the 2nd level of Atrium of Megamall ((+63 2 470-4660) that serves Filipino dishes. We know they have function rooms for private meetings but as advised, they don’t reserve rooms on weekends (just a first come first serve basis). On top of that, they require 6,000 pesos worth of food which we believe is too much for 3hours. Tipid mode kame ni h2b. By the way, we chose Megamall since it's the nearest mall for both of us.

The next resto I called was Chef's Quarter in the same mall (+63 2 706-5336). They serve American dishes like pasta, pizza, etc. They require 12,000 worth of consumables which is also out of budget but they do reserve function rooms on weekends.

Then we saw Nipa Hut, a Filipino-Japanese Restaurant in Pasig. It’s along Capt. H.P. Javier St. Oranbo, Pasig City (Contact number is (632) 671-5321). I called them and reserved for 15 pax. The only available room was for 30pax with aircon. They required 3,000 pesos worth of food and 300 peso rent for the room for three hours which is not bad at all. 

Fast-forward, h2b family came first and already pre-ordered the foods -with his parents, two older sisters and their families and one yaya- total of 8. Mine was - my mom, brother and his girlfriend, my niece and 4 titas that totaled to 9.  Our bill reached around 8k as per h2b so I was like what???!! That much??!! What can I say, there are many left-over foods so they were able to take home almost all of it. The food was simple yet it satisfied everyone's hungry stomach.

Fast-forward again...h2b's dad was really accommodating. Ofcourse his mom also but his dad acted as a real host and always starts a good topic in all conversation. He offered free accommodation in Astoria which was great since we'll no longer spend some of our budget for that. Unlike the old pamamanhikan, the guy’s family will bring with them a mediator and offer something to the girl’s family before the wedding. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but that practice looks like they’re buying the girl from her parents. Anyway, we informed everyone about our plans and asked their opinions and suggestions. Some couples no longer do this tradition, they just tell their parents about their plans and that's it. But for h2b and I, we want to involve them since they are part of the family that we’ll be creating.

Pamamanhikan for me need not be formal, it’s just a way of knowing your partner’s family more and letting them mingle with yours. - just bonding of two families that will help you mold your future family better. Hope those B2Bs out there can find time to still practice pamamanhikan.

Booked: Wedding Church - Archbishop's Palace

Yey! We were able to booked our church for December ? and that’s a Monday. It’s not because we expect less number of guests but aside from being an auspicious date, we rather have it on a Monday than Wednesday (best day of the week as per beliefs) or Friday. It would only require me and my fiancé to file for leave atleast 2 days after the big day from our work. By the way, the price for weddings on December has the same rate for weekdays and weekends, and is the most expensive month in a year for this specific occasion, just FYI. Also, no afternoon weekend schedule is still available for all churches that we inquired.

Villa San Miguel or Archbishop’s Palace is located in Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong just beside Toyota. You need to access the 2nd gate (there are two gates in the Villa, one near the highway so just go to the upper gate) to ask the security guard for ocular inspection of the two chapels and talk to Brother Alex in the office. The office is open from 8-11:30am and 1:30-4:30pm Mondays-Fridays. You can check the chapels on weekdays and on Saturday until 11:30 am only.

I liked the altar of the small non-air-conditioned chapel which can accommodate 70 persons only. It is located at the right side once you enter the second gate. You need to go upstairs since the chapel is located in the second floor of that structure. I was not able to ask for the fee since we were targeting the bigger chapel.

The bigger air-conditioned chapel is worth 7,000 with 500 reservation fee which is not deductable to 7k. Then 1,000 pesos is required by the parish for the officiating priest’s stipend and another 1,500 should you prefer to have all seats covered with white linen. Of course you’d rather have it covered to look better in photos and in your actual ceremony. So total fee for the big chapel is 10,000 –there’s no priest, choir and flowers provided. The couple will shoulder these plus they allow simple flower arrangement (standees only). Rules are bit stricter compared to other churches including the clothing of guests and your entourage. Red carpet is included in your 7k fee. If you want a long aisle on your wedding march, you can ask them to extend it further with no extra charge. Inform the office, days before your wedding, that you will bring your flowers outside the villa after the ceremony (if you need it in your reception venue), since they will not allow it if you were not able to relay it to them.

The big chapel can accommodate 150 persons while the villa as a whole can fit in 40 cars, the most. Expect no other crowd would crash your ceremony except for the invited ones so overall, it’s really yours – private and secured.

Next steps, venue and caterer hunting…

Caterer: Manila Catering - 2014 Wedding Package rate

Here is the 2014 Wedding Package rate of The Manila Catering Services as of October 16, 2013 communication:

Our Wedding Packages feature essential items for your dream wedding:

·               Food tasting for two (2)

 ·               Three-layered fondant cake

 ·               Cake table and gift table

 ·               Parasol for cake table and gift table

 ·               Signature frame or guest book

 ·               Sword or torch parade

 ·               Bubble machine for one (1) hour

 ·               Host or Bridal Car

 ·               Reception aisle red carpet

 ·               Refillable drinks

 ·               Purified drinking water and ice

Bride and Groom Table

·               Elevated, dressed with fine linens

 ·               Gazebo or Arch or Backdrop

 ·               Floral centerpiece

 ·               Tiffany chairs

 ·               Bottle of wine

 

Presidential Table (for 12 pax)

·               Place cards and menu cards

 ·               Floral centerpieces

 ·               Tiffany chairs

 

Guest Tables

·               Round table with floor-length linens with table runners

 ·               Tiffany chairs with seat covers

 ·               Floral centerpiece per table

 ·               Luminaries/votive candles per table

 Buffet Tables

·               Floral centerpiece/s

 ·               Luminaries/votive candles

  

Additional charge for out-of-town events (depending on how far will the event be)

Subject to change without prior notice.

  

Package A

Php 93,000.00 for 100pax

Php930/head in excess

VAT Exclusive

Choice of Two (2) Appetizers

Soup

Salad Station

One (1) Pasta Dish

One (1) Vegetable Dish

One (1) Fish Dish

One (1) Chicken Dish

One (1) Pork Dish

Steamed Rice

Choice of Two (2) Desserts

Choice of Two (2) Beverages

Coffee or Tea

Package B

Php 107,000.00 for 100pax

Php1,070/head in excess

VAT Exclusive

Choice of Two (2) Appetizers

Soup

Salad Station

Three (3) Pasta Dishes

One (1) Vegetable Dish

One (1) Fish Dish

One (1) Chicken Dish

One (1) Pork Dish

One (1) Beef Dish

Steamed Rice

Choice of Two (2) Desserts

Choice of Two (2) Beverages

Coffee or Tea

Package C

Php 150,000.00 for 100pax

Php1,500/head in excess

VAT Exclusive

Choice of Two (2) Appetizers

Soup

Salad Station

Three (3) Pasta Dishes

One (1) Vegetable Dish

One (1) Fish Dish

One (1) Chicken Dish

One (1) Pork Dish

One (1) Beef Dish

Carving Station

Steamed Rice

Choice of Two (2) Desserts or Crepe Station

Choice of Two (2) Beverages

Coffee or Tea

MENU CHOICES

APPETIZERS

·         Anchovy, Tomato & Mozzarella Crostini

·         Herbed Toast with Chicken Liver Pâte

·         Vegetable Sticks with Dip

·         Nachos with Fresh Salsa Dip

·         Baked Pita Triangles with Pesto Sauce

·         Herbed Potpourri Egg (Classic Deviled, Italian and Greek)

·         Lobster or Prawn Crackers with Tangy Dip

·         Pinsec Frito

·         Lumpiang Shanghai Bites

·         Spinach and Tofu Wonton

·         Spinach Fritters with Creamy Dip

SOUP

Served with soft dinner roll and butter

·        Consomme with Diced Vegetables

·        Clear Wild Mushroom Soup

 ·      Clear Potato Leek Soup

·        Clear Asparagus Soup

·        Egg Drop Soup

·        Cream of Pumpkin

Cream of Mushroom
Cream of Crab and Corn
Cream of Asparagus

SALAD

·        Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

·        Vegetable Fusilli or Farfalle with Grilled Chicken and Bell Peppers tossed in Vinaigrette

·        Diced Vegetable Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

·        Tossed Green Salad with Thousand Island, Ranch and Balsamic Vinaigrette

·        Creamy Potato Salad

·        Ensaladang Pinoy (Radish, Tomatoes, Green Mangoes, Onions, Boiled Eggplant, Shrimp Paste)

·        Cucumber with Tangy Dressing

·        Ampalaya (Bitter Melon) with Fresh Shrimps

·        Heart of Palm Salad with Mushrooms and Bell Peppers tossed in French Dressing

FISH ENTRÉE

·        Fish Fillet with Tartar or Mayo Wasabi Dip

·        Fillet of Fish ala Pobre with Lemon Butter Sauce

·        Pan-grilled Blackened Fillet of Cream Dory with Lime Sauce

·        Fish Fillet with Green Goddess Sauce

·        Baked Fish with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

·        Pan-fried Fillet of Fish with Tofu and Black Fermented Beans

·        Steamed Fish with Onion Leeks and Fried Garlic

·        Fish Fillet in Sweet and Sour Sauce

·        Pan-fried Fish with Mango Salsa Sauce

·        Fish Croquettes

·        Rellenong Bangus

CHICKEN ENTRÉE

·        Chicken Satay Skewers

·        Baked Garlic Chicken

·        Chicken Relleno or Chicken Galantina

·        Roast Chicken with Rosemary

·        Chicken ala Kiev

·        Chicken Cordon Bleu

·        Parmesan Chicken

·        Rolled Chicken with Spinach and Pine Nuts

·        Chicken Teriyaki

·        Honey Chicken Barbeque

·        Chicken with Cashew

·        Oriental Chicken Barbecue Skewers

·        Chicken Pandan

PORK ENTRÉE

·        Pot Roast with Mushroom Gravy Sauce

·        Pork Tonkatsu

·        Pork Strips Teriyaki garnished with Leeks and Sesame Seeds

·        Roast Porkloin de Manille

·        Grilled Hawaiian Pork Steak garnished with Pineapples and Candied Cherries

·        Spicy Pork Spareribs with Fermented Black Bean Sauce

·        Grilled Pork Bacon Belly with Asian Sauce garnished with Chives

·        Pork Kebabs with Vegetables

·        Spareribs Barbeque with Asian Sauce

·        Barbequed Liempo Spareribs

BEEF ENTRÉE

·        Flank Steak with Mushroom Gravy Sauce

·        Korean Beef Stew

·        Beef with Mushrooms and Bell Peppers in Oyster Sauce

·        Beef Teriyaki

·        Lengua con Champignon

·        Lengua Estofado

PASTA DISH

·        Fettuccine Carbonara

·        Penne Italiana

·        Angel Hair with Puttanesca Sauce

·        Tri-colored Fusilli with Basilico Sauce

·        Spaghetti with Tomato Meat Sauce

·        Pasta Pomodoro

·        Fettucine with Creamy Pesto Sauce

·        Penne Arrabiata

VEGETABLES

·        Buttered Vegetables with Sweet Corn

·        Diced Steamed Green Peas, Corn and Carrots

·        Mashed Potato

·        Vegetable Medley

·        Southern Style Roasted Potato Wedges

·        Kakiage

·        Fresh or Fried Lumpiang Gulay

DESSERTS

·        Carrot Cake Bars

·        White Pebbles & Black Stones

·        Fudgy Brownie Bar

·        Flavored Sylvanna Balls

·        Cream Puff

·        Chocolate Éclair

·        Paris Brest

·        Fruits in Shooters

·        Panna Cotta in Shooters

·        Leche Flan

·        Buco Gelatin with Cream

·        Fruit Salad

BEVERAGE

·        Choice of Lemon, Raspberry or Peach Iced Tea

·        Assorted Soda

·        Four Seasons

·        Mango Juice

SPECIAL ADDITIONAL MENU CHOICES FOR PACKAGE C:

Fish Dish

·        Salmon with Pesto Pomodoro Sauce

·        Grilled Blue Marlin with Lemon Butter Sauce

Chicken Dish

·        Chicken Pastel

·        Roast Chicken with Two Mushroom Burgundy Sauce

Beef Dish

·        USDA Roast Prime Rib (Carving Station)

Dessert

·        Crepe Station

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Disclaimer: The information above is copied from the attachment sent to me by The Manila Catering Services (manilacatering@gmail.com).

For more info, kindly contact them directly:

Sales & Marketing Office: 47 Examiner St., West Avenue, Quezon City
Tel: (63 2) 355 5755 or (63 2) 355 3279
Fax: (63 2) 355 3279 loc 124
Website: www.manilacatering.com.ph