Ayala Malls Cloverleaf Balintawak- The Newest Lifestyle Destination in the North

Good news to people of the north! You just got lucky as Ayala Malls Cloverleaf finally opened its doors in Balintawak, Quezon City. The grand opening was held last October 25, 2017 wherein mall-goers were greeted by a festive marching band and treated to a day full of surprises.

Aside from several promos and amazing discounts offered by mall merchants and partners, special giveaways and gimmicks were also prepared by some of our favorite retail stores.

I was one of the people who got excited with Ayala Cloverleaf's opening, Finally, there's an Ayala mall that is closer to our office apart from Trinoma and Vertis North.

Ayala Malls Cloverleaf boasts a 100% lease occupancy for commercial spaces, and has an impressive 81% open merchants during its first day of operations.

Moving on with the mall tour, I'm pretty sure most of you are excited to know the different restaurants, retail stores, services, and lifestyle activities you can find in Ayala Malls Cloverleaf.

Here are some of the merchants and establishments at Ayala Malls Cloverleaf:

US Dehydrated Potato Recipe: Fried Cheesy US Mashed Po-Taco Wontons

I've talked about the health benefits and other importantthings you need to know about US Potatoes. Now, I would like to share a simple US potato recipe that you can easily make at home.

A few months ago, I came up with a healthy vegetarianpoutine recipe, using frozen US potato crinkle-cut fries. This time, I decided to use US Dehydrated Potatoes.

US dehydrated potatoes are high-quality US potatoes, with their water content removed. US dehydrated potato products deliver all the flavor, nutrition and versatility of potatoes in a more convenient package.

Using US dehydrated potatoes saves time and money as you can do away with the process of washing, peeling, and boiling potatoes. Plus, US dehydrated potatoes have a longer shelf life that can last for up to two years.

There are different types of dehydrated potato products that the US potato industry produces. Some of which are potato dices, slices, shreds, flakes, granules and flour.

Standard potato flakes are among the most common types available in the local market. They are made from premium US potatoes, with bright white color, and when reconstituted, have the dry, mealy texture and delicious flavor typical of freshly cooked mashed potatoes.

US Potato Facts: Important Things You Need To Know About US Potatoes

Did you know? The potato is the fourth largest food crop following rice, wheat, and corn. The famous tuber crop is widely cultivated and consumed around the world, making it one of the most important staple food and commodity.

US Potatoes are grown in all 50 states of the U.S. and in about 125 countries throughout the world. It remains to be America's favorite side dish because of its nutritional value and other health benefits.

 

While rice is still the staple food in the Philippines, you'll be surprised to know that Filipinos consume US Potatoes more often than any other crop there is. Why not? US Potatoes are delicious, nutritious, and sustainable to incorporate into your regular diet.

Light Up Your Christmas with Healthy Options 2017 Holiday Gift Collection

The season of giving is finally here, it's time once again to spread the holiday cheer! 

Christmas shopping, giving gifts and festive celebrations with friends and family, truly makes this the most wonderful time of the year. 

Have you prepared your Christmas shopping list yet? 

Healthy Options, the Philippines’ first and only retail store exclusively specializing in all-natural and organic products, finally comes out with their 2017 Holiday Gift Collection that will surely light up everyone's Christmas!

The Light Up Your Christmas theme from Healthy Options was inspired from the idea of sharing gifts that would benefit recipients beyond the material aspect. A way to naturally emanate light and love- through sharing gifts of health, beauty and wellness. 

Healthy Options is holding its annual gift show on Oct 20-22 at Healthy Options Shangri-La and Glorietta 2 branches, wherein Christmas shoppers can pre-order and avail of exclusive discounts and privileges. 

Incoco Nail Polish Applique- 100% Real Nail Polish in Minutes #IncocoRocks

Incoco Nail Polish Applique is your next generation nail polish that promises to give you that perfect "manicure in minutes" every single time.

For women who are always on the go, visiting the nail salon could be a considered a luxury of time. Aside from having to book appointments at your nearby salon especially during peak hours, it could also be costly and very time-consuming.  

I for instance, prefer to do my own nails at home. Working on an 8-hour office schedule, I'm lucky if I'd be able to hit the nail salon after work without being rejected because they are already fully booked for the night.

Another reason why I opt to do my own nails is because I love creating and experimenting on nail art designs depending on my mood.

Here are some nail art designs I've made before:

Plato Wraps Introduces New Exciting Flavors: Crabby Rappu & Per-Peri Latino Wrap

Plato Wraps celebrates its 16th year anniversary by rolling out fresh new additions to their menu. 

What started out as a labor of love in 2001 by husband and wife Tony and Kameela Seen, has now become one of the country's well-loved local snack brand. This time, mother and daughter tandem Kamela and Kreme Seen-Sumayo, comes out with two bold and exciting flavors to provide a fresh new taste and experience for their loyal customers.

Plato Wraps has been our go-to quick grub when strolling around malls and sometimes even during our movies dates. One is never enough that we always get our favorite classic flavors- Yummy Tuna, Chunky Chicken, and Ham & Cheese. 

Imagine my excitement when I learned about Plato Wraps two new and exciting flavors:
Peri-Peri Latino Wrap and Crabby Rappu.

CloseUp Fresh Attraction: Oxyrush and Artic Shock for Freshness Like Never Before

After introducing its new look this year, CloseUp Philippines comes out with two new flavors that continuously break barriers to bring people closer than ever. The all new CloseUp Fresh Attraction gel toothpaste, is powered with a rush of shocking menthol, to boost your confidence and let you experience freshness like you've never felt before.

CloseUp Fresh Attraction Oxyrush is formulated with a glacier fresh mouthwash and crystal clear frost with peppermint flavor + sandalwood and ylang-ylang. 

CloseUp Fresh Attraction Artic Shock is formulated with artic menthol mouthwash and ice crystal, with peppermint flavor + lemon and lychee.

Hop Inn Hotel Makati x Tralulu Presents: Poblacion Food and Art Hop Like No Other

I have joined several food tours and food crawls around the metro, but there was nothing like the food hop I experienced with Hop Inn Hotel last week. Seven months after opening its pioneering branch in Ermita, Hop Inn Hotel Makati Avenue opened its doors last August 2017.

Hop Inn Hotel, in partnership with Tralulu, hosted a walking food tour of Makati Avenue's budding food and art destination, that is Poblacion. While Poblacion is home to various historical sites, and recognized as Makati’s heritage district, it has slowly developed into a creative and modern community, featuring some exciting and innovative concepts that offer a glimpse of this unassuming but promising neighborhood.

5 Tips to Hosting an Awesome Dinner Party For Your Friends

A dinner party is a fun way to bring your friends together. While going out sounds like a fun thing to do, good food and loads of fun conversation is also an exciting thing to enjoy. While all these sound great, throwing a dinner party can be a little complicated and stressful if you don’t know what to do. You have to consider a lot of things such as making the house clean, planning what meals to serve, and so much more. But if you have a proper planning on these things, you can definitely have a fuss-free dinner party that you ever dreamt of.

Here are five tips on how to host a dinner party for your friends.

1. Properly plan.

Plan ahead on how you would want your party to be. Make a checklist so you will not forget anything. Consider the important matters such as where you are going to hold the party. If you are going to have it hosted in your home, plan ahead on which area you would want it to be in. You can either do it indoors or have a special spot in the garden. Plan what food you are going to prepare as well. Having a proper prior plan for your dinner party will prevent you from having any problems.