I'm a member of the Chic Moms Club

While bloghopping, I stumbled upon a site called Chic Moms Club by Bounty Fresh. Because I'm familiar with the brand and because their Chooks-to-Go is becoming a staple in the household, I registered for the club.

The Chic Moms Club homepage

One thing that attracted me was the promo for the Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags. Why not, right? But aside from that, they have member perks like Php10 off per chicken in Chooks-to-Go, recipes sent thru email, newsletters, event invites, and exclusive raffles and freebies.

Speaking of exclusives, as I've said they're giving away Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags to the top 5 referrers. And to be the top referrer, all you have to do is earn points per referral. Registration is free and simple, so I encourage you to join.

And even if I don't win, there are still a lot of exclusives to anticipate in the coming months. Plus there's the recipes, too. So I still get some stuff from them. :)

I guess my only gripe is the usability of the site itself. Navigation is quite limited. Hopefully, this will improve.

But anyhoo, this seems to be an exciting venture. So if you want to register, just click here to access the Chic Moms Club registration form and let's all be Chic Moms!

Pondering on Tron: Legacy

Got a chance to watch Tron: Legacy in 3D last night. My husband wanted to see it as he was a fan of the original Tron movie back in the 1980s. I only got to watch the first one just last year. It was a story about a programmer who was sucked into the computer world and who searched for a way out with the help of a program named Tron.

The movie poster of the 1982 Tron

I must admit, I kinda forgot some of the details, though what I know is that Tron is a name of a program, or in the world of The Grid, a sort-of character in a sort-of video game. And I believe, that is also the name of the arcade game Jeff Bridges' character created.

So when Tron: Legacy trailers and posters came out, I was pretty curious as to how it will attack the story done decades ago. The poster was kinda cute, though, a homage to the original:

Tron: Legacy official poster

And because our curiosities were piqued, hubby and I went to the theaters to catch it before the MMFF season bumps it off the cinema skeds.

While Tron: Legacy was a visual feast, a true eye-candy with modern CG enhancing the lightcycle and disc battles first seen in 1982, the story itself was kinda lacking. There's the story of the elder and younger Flynn and them in The Grid... which at some point became too predictable. And of course, there's the cute chick, a staple in every geeky movie, whom you know the dude gets in the end, albeit implied by the movie.

As the credits rolled, I was left wondering in my seat: 1) Why it was named Tron, 2) Why Tron was made into a minor character, and 3) What the heck just happened?

Yeah I get it, the first movie was entitled so, but somehow the main essence of the name was absent in the movie.

Soundtrack by Daft Punk was also nice (I think I saw them there in the movie), it sounded like I was brought back to the cyberpunk era of the 80s, but it wasn't like the soundtrack of the first Matrix movie, which was utterly cool and very memorable, and which also enhanced the emotion needed in the scene. I was looking for something that will make me bob my head, but it was only the songs of Journey and Eurythmics that did.

One thing I noticed, though, is that Tron: Legacy had underlying biblical and scientific themes: creation, perfection, war, evolution. But my head is still swimming in questions that I don't know if that's just unintentional.

For those considering catching the movie, I'll just warn you that you can expect less from the storyline itself. Visual effects -- yeah, they're worth seeing in 3D. That and the story combined, I give it a 3 out of 5.

The toys fare better in my rating:

Sam Flynn in his suit

My Christmas wish this year: a Nokia C7

You know, as a casual observer, I appreciate how Facebook and Twitter allows me to relay my thoughts and observations easily to my friends. And it's easy, too: I just have to log in on my laptop in the office or on the desktop at home and Status Updated.

But sometimes, when I'm outside, like in the mall or something, this scenario happens:

Perhaps out of boredom as I wait for my husband to meet me at a certain place and time or just because I like looking at my surroundings, an idea pops into my head. It's something I just have to share to my friends.

But then...

Without a laptop in tow (too heavy) or a Wi-Fi capable phone (too expensive), here is the only place I can write my thoughts into: my notebook.

I pretend my notebook is a device that can connect me to my fave social sites. It goes as far as to pretend it has a QWERTY keyboard in it.

And that's why when Nuffnang offered bloggers a chance to win the Nokia C7 this Christmas, I knew I just had to have one. Directly from the phone, I can instantly update my friends on a funny thing I heard as I was going around the mall.

Not another minute wasted, not an idea forgotten in the depths and crevices of my brain. With the Nokia C7, I can tweet my friends or put up a Facebook status right then and there, as something awesome or shocking is happening in front of me.

So Nuffnang aka Santa, I hope you get to read this, because I'd really want a Nokia C7 for Christmas.

But if you're feeling generous, make that 2 Nokia C7s, one for me and one for my friend who is the human incarnation of Ranma 1/2's Ryoga (read: has absolutely no sense of direction).

The Ovi maps and GPS navigation will surely help him arrive at our Christmas party on time.

See, I'm a good girl, too. So I do hope Nuffnang grants me my Christmas wish. :)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: A week-late review

Wow, I've been so busy that I failed to make a review of the first half of the Deathly Hallows movie right after watching it. But anyways, here's my take on Harry Potter's final grudge match with You-Know-Who...

I've read the book upon its release 2 years ago and I still can remember how the story goes in general (that's why I don't get why there's a Dobby + sad face icon spreading in Twitter, hehe!). Going more into the more technical stuff, I believe there are a few bits from the book that should've been shown in the movie, especially the part where the Dursleys were leaving. That, for me, was a touching moment in the book that should've been included. But Hermione's story was fine.

After 6 HP movies (I missed HBP because I just gave birth that time), it was only here that I realized how good Daniel Radcliffe is as an actor. The Polyjuice Potion scene proved that, when he had to act as Fleur Delacour posing as Harry Potter. That was really funny.

I also like how David Yates, the director, made this more dark and brooding. The book had a serious tone, as this features the final battle of Harry Potter and Voldemort. I like how the first scene, with the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters, set the mood for the first half of the last installment. So for those who think that this is still the Harry Potter movie from years ago, I'm telling you it's not. Definitely not. And it's a good thing, because you'd expect the kids who read Book 1 when it was first released in early 2000 would have grown up and understand that this would be somewhat "mature."

But no worries, nothing in here that would be too gross or morbid to see. Well, in my opinion...

I also liked how the first part ended, as a prelude to what you can expect next year, when the second half of the Deathly Hallows movie comes out. It made me anticipate on how they will bring the next scenes of the book to life.

It's not yet late to catch this in the cinemas (please note that this is NOT in 3D, but Part 2 is). I feel this movie will be as good as Prisoner of Azkaban (which was the best of the lot for me). Well, we'll have to wait for 2011 before I can give a final verdict.

Manny Pacquiao does it again

Manny Pacquiao proves once again that he is, indeed, the world's pound-for-pound king.

He won the WBC Super Welterweight Championship after winning against Mexico's Antonio Margarito via unanimous decision.

This just proves that even if the opponent may be bigger in size, the one who has the biggest heart wins.

It would've been more exciting, I guess, if Pacquiao won by knockout. But Margarito also has something to prove -- he needed to win to redeem himself from the past issues that hounded him before.

Then again, he is no match for the small but terrible Pacman.

Congratulations, Pacquiao, on your latest victory. And for once again bringing a day of complete peace and unity in the Philippines.

Joining the Ensembles Show Your Style Contest

In relation to my last post...

Yes, I'm joining the Ensembles Show Your Style contest. And without Photoshop in this computer (I used an open-source program similar to Photoshop called Gimpshop), it took me a while before I created my Ensembles look ala-Polyvore. Here it is:

The Ensembles by Louis Claparols Holiday Sleeveless Overlap Empire Dress with Line Detail and the items I'm matching it with.

From the collection, the Sleeveless Overlap Empire Dress with Line Detail caught my attention. Probably because of the purple and red combination. And I have just a couple of dresses in my closet so I wanted a new dress as an addition. I'm matching this with a pair of black tights with little embellishments and a pair of purple ankle boots. For the accessories, I'm going with red and gold earrings and bracelets to match the accents on the dress. I'm bringing a purple and gold clutch bag along. And because the weather can get kinda cold in the evenings, I'm bringing a gray knitted jacket along. For this ensemble, I'll be tying my hair in a neat ponytail and would put on a bit of make-up, too.

Hope you like how I mixed and matched the items with the dress. If you do, please vote for my look over at Ensembles' Facebook page. I think you'd have to Like their Facebook page first before you can Like my entry.

Hope you can support me in this contest. Thanks a bunch!

Ensembles invites you to Show Your Style

Bloggers! It's time to show your fashionista side with this promo by Ensembles. All you have to do is pick one of the items in their Louis Claparols collection and show what you're gonna mix it with. Post your Polyvore-style creation on their Facebook page and you'll get a chance to win your favorite Louis Claparols piece! Isn't that cool?

So if you want to have your very own Louis Claparols piece, join this contest now! And invite your friends to like your creation, too. :)

A weekend at Chateau Royale Sports and Country Club

This is such an overdue post, but hey, better late than never right?

You see, it's been a couple of weeks since my hubby tagged me along for their office teambuilding activity. It was held at Chateau Royale Sports and Country Club in Batulao, Batangas.

The facade

For those curious, it's not a seaside hotel. Rather, it's located high in the mountains, so what surrounds the place are trees and greens.

From the gates alone, I saw that this is a relatively high-end hotel. The reception area was pretty airy and elegant.

The reception area

I just noticed that it had an eclectic mix of decors: a Balinese gold artwork behind the reception desk, Victorian-era paintings, Southern-style furnishings, and contemporary furnitures like the egg seats below:

That's hubby sitting in one of the egg chairs outside the reception area

Across the reception desk is one of the hotel's restaurants. We ate our buffet breakfast there the following day.

The lobby eatery

They have 2 other restaurants: the Veranda Cafe, where we had our dinner, and the Floating Restaurant.

The organizers of the teambuilding did a great job in choosing Chateau Royale for their venue. They have wide spaces that are perfect for team exercises. If you want to relax, they have facilities like a billiards hall, swimming pool, spa, kids' playground, wall climbing facility, and fishing area.

The swimming pool

Chateau Royale also has a ballroom that looks like it can fit 300 guests dinner-style, a mini-theater, and a souvenir shop. And they also have greenhouses where they grow their own vegetables.

The mini-theater

They have tons of greenhouses where they grow the veggies they serve for our meals

The rooms are located a bit far from the reception area that riding their jeepney shuttle would be very useful. Along the way, you'll find quite a number of Buddha statues lined along the pavement, in a fountain, and on the stone walls by the rooms.

That's me and one of the many Buddha statues

Hubby and one of the Balinese artworks found at the hotel premises

Chateau Royale's accommodations consist of log cabins and rooms. We stayed in one of the standard rooms with a queen-size bed, flat-screen cable TV, and air-conditioning. The room has a hot and cold shower, and soap and toothpaste was provided for us as well.

Our room

It was quite spacious. It also had a wooden sala set, a desk, phone, and loads of cabinets and cupboards. I don't know why there were too many cabinets and drawers.

While we were kinda confused as to what was really the theme of the hotel (European? Asian? Country?), I must admit I'm in awe of the place. Even if it was beside a highway, it was relatively peaceful and comfortable. I guess the only thing that I won't give them high marks is the food. It was pretty so-so, not really what I expect for a hotel of their kind.

But nevertheless, Chateau Royale Sports and Country Club is a great place to unwind for the weekend. If you want to check them out, you can visit their website here.

Award!

Was checking out my shoutbox and got surprised to find that I received a blog award.Thanks to PinayMomOnline for this one. I'm grateful to have earned, albeit slowly, a few readers for this blog. I'd like to give this award to you, too. :)

I'm also passing this award to a few bloggers I've met along the way. For those who want to pass this on as well, here are the rules of the tag:

1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.

3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they've been chosen.

And with that, I'm giving this award to the following (I got most of you from my shoutbox and Google Followers gadget, hehe!):

Cresca
gingerSnap
Leah
rosey
aboynamedxander
Pinx
Jennifer
sweetdet
kayce
Jappy
Elvz
FaYe
veroniz
ModernPinayWife
hahpiness

Starbucks gets ready for Christmas

... and you know what that means.

The above photo is their teaser, but the Starbucks 2011 Planners are here! It's that time of the year when collectors can start accumulating stickers to get these limited edition planners.

I got a chance to take a closer look (unfortunately didn't get a chance to take a photo of the inside pages). The cover features a stencil of a man enjoying a cup of coffee by a window. The planners come in a size similar to the present planners, and they also have different textures: the red has a velvety touch, the steel gray has a smooth finish, and the brown one looks like wood.

The inside pages show some bits about the brand. I thumbed through the pages and, to my delight, saw that the spaces for each date have lines. YES! That means I can write in a straight line much easier. Whoohoo!

I actually like these designs more than the 2010 planners. That's why I've bought my first Starbucks Christmas drink today.

Cute cup, eh?

Yup, the Christmas variants are back: Praline Mocha, Toffee Nut Latte, and Peppermint Mocha. I forgot that I was ordering the hot version -- I should've gotten the Toffee Nut Latte instead of Peppermint Mocha. The latter's better iced or as a frap. Both Praline and Toffee Nut are great hot.

15 stickers to go before I pick either the red or the silver planner. It's time to get your Starbucks Planner now, too!

** Thanks to Mich for the planner photos.

Oh, Baby! All Natural Baby Food

I attended a press conference yesterday at Je Suis Gourmand at The Fort for the Oh, Baby! All Natural Baby Food Press Launch. You can read the details of the event here.

So what is Oh, Baby! All Natural Baby Food? As the name suggests, it's baby food that's made from fresh, natural ingredients. It's packed with the vitamins and minerals your toddler needs -- and without any preservatives, additives, or other stuff that can be unhealthy for kids. They are created by chefs Tina Trillana-Lagdameo and Rebecca Disini-Gomez who, as moms, wanted to give their kids healthier food options than those currently found in supermarkets.

Mommy chefs Rebecca Disini-Gomez and Tina Trillana-Lagdameo with kids

The product line consists of Stage 1 and Stage 2 food. Stage 1 is for babies 6 to 9 months old and are just starting on solids. The Stage 1 food of Oh, Baby! are more like pureed vegetables stored in glass jars. You can feed it as is or mix it with other vegetables or fruits for added flavor.

Potato and Apple, Stage 1 food (6-9 months)

The Stage 2 food has more texture, great for toddlers 9 months onwards. Items included in this line, aside from the jarred variants, are teething biscuits and cookies.

Banana Grow and Go Cookies, Stage 2 food (9-12 months)

Aside from being nutritious, their prices are friendly on the pocket. The jarred food costs Php70.00 and the biscuits and cookies are priced at Php90.00.

As a reminder, though, the Oh, Baby! All Natural Baby Food line is to be consumed immediately. Because it has no preservatives, it has a relatively short life. If unopened, it can last for about a month. But when opened, they should be consumed in about 2 days and stored in the refrigerator. But I don't think you'll have a problem feeding these to your kids, because these are delicious -- I've actually tasted the Tomato variant and it's great when mixed with meat and other veggies.

If you want to know more about Oh, Baby! All Natural Baby Food, you can visit their official website.

Ensembles: Louis Claparols Holiday Collection

You know, even this early, it's a good time to think about what to wear for the myriad Christmas parties that you'll be attending. And it's a good thing that Ensembles is armed and ready to get you dressed for those Yuletide gatherings with the latest Holiday Collection featuring designs by Louis Claparols.

Drawing inspiration "from architecture to graphic art to [his] favorite movies," the renowned designer, who is also the president of the Young Designers Guild (YDG), utilizes lines, geometric shapes, and swirls on colorful stretch fabrics to create a look that's chic, preppy, and absolutely feminine. Just look how gorgeous these pieces are, as worn by Ensembles endorser Carmina Villaroel:

Ranging from tops, bottoms, and dresses, the items in the Louis Claparols Holiday Collection is such a joy to mix and match. You can pair the dress with tights, or wear the tunic over an undershirt, or even put on the trench dress over your t-shirt and skinny jeans outfit, just like how it's done in these runway looks:

So if you're still searching for something to wear for the upcoming Christmas gatherings and reunions, check out this cool collection from Ensembles. You can also check out their offerings via their official website at www.ensembles.com.ph. And to get the latest updates from Ensembles, add them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

euphonious flavoured crisps, with real euphonious pieces

Something just to claim my blog.

Again: euphonious flavoured crisps, with real euphonious pieces.

Whatever that meant. :P

Glee Season 2 kicks off

Before I write about the particular subject, I'd like to give a shout out to Google. Hey, my blog, Inspired Weddings, is NOT a spam blog. You know why it's got links there? It's because I want to help readers to get more information on something that might interest them. I don't earn from those links; I do this because I'd like to help other people plan their big day. So there. I'd done all the verification stuff and am waiting for your reply. Hopefully I can get back my access to my blog in 2 days, as you have promised.

Whew!

--------

Back to topic...

I almost failed to watch the first episode of Glee's Season 2. Good thing ETC had a rerun of the said episode at 9PM (it was shown 4PM yesterday, also on JackTV).

The McKinley High Glee Club is back, and even after losing to Vocal Adrenaline in the Regionals, they couldn't care much less. But with the loss of 1 member, Matt (Dijon Talton,whom I still have no idea why he's not on the show anymore), New Directions needed to recruit more members for the Nationals.

They almost lost hope, until Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Sunshine (Charice) come along. But will they be on New Directions? The 1st episode did show that one won't be in the team because of, er, "bribes."

Another new face appears also on this episode: new football coach Bieste (Dot Jones). And because she's cut the Cheerios' budget, she's Sue Sylvester's new archenemy! I want to see how the show will tackle the Sylvester-Bieste rivalry and if Dot Jones will get cool lines like Jane Lynch does.

Of course, Pinoys have long anticipated Glee's Season 2, not only because their favorite show is back, but because a Filipina is getting a break on a well-loved show.

Charice can definitely rival Lea Michele's vocals, though during her "audition" piece, Listen, I was kinda distracted by her arms flailing about everywhere. She looked more theatrical that Lea does (her facial expressions when singing were bordering OA to me). Well, here's hoping her character will be trained to lessen the arm-jerking actions a bit.

Overall, the premiere episode of Glee's Season 2 was okay. I hope they stick more to the plot than let the story be run by the songs. Let's see what happens in the coming weeks.

Falling for the Harumika Mannequin

I've been ranting at hubby about wanting to have a hobby. Lately, I've been feeling a bit stressed that I needed an outlet. He has his gaming consoles and toys. I wanted something other than taking care of the baby.

Making chocolates would be one, but then a trip to Toys R Us gave me another idea.

Since I was a kid, I've been a fan of Barbie. Nowadays, it seems to have a rival to my attention: Harumika.

It's like dressing up a doll, but instead you're actually creating clothing from pieces of fabric. And the best part, there's no sewing needed! All you need to do is secure the cloth on the back of the plastic body form and you're all set. Great for people like me who almost failed to pass Home Economics because the sewing machine and I can't get along.

The Harumika Starter Set

They also sell just the pieces of cloth, no body form. So if you already have the Starter Set, you can just buy the Accents.

I forgot their prices, but I'm pretty sure they won't be hitting Php1K.

But this one I really like:

Harumika Mannequin

It's not a body form -- it's almost a doll! This one's priced at Php1.4K (a bit expensive), but because it comes with a head and limbs, I want it.

Starting today, I'll be saving up for the Harumika Mannequin and its accents. Well, you know, I got a kid and lots of responsibilities, so this one has to wait a bit...

Question now is, if I get to buy it, where will I put it...?

The Payless Megamall experience

Ever since I heard that Payless ShoeSource was opening outlets here in Manila, I was really looking forward to the day that I would be going in the store and coming out of it with a box of shoes in my hand. That came into fruition last weekend when my husband and I dropped by Payless ShoeSource in SM Megamall.

The Payless Megamall facade, taken with hubby's camera phone

I always thought that I had to wait for the Shangri-La branch to open, since they put up their billboard for everyone to see. Was surprised to find out Megamall was the 2nd branch to open (next to Festival Mall -- if I'm not mistaken) because they weren't advertising it. Or so it seems -- the Payless billboard was placed INSIDE the mall, covering the elevator area, which was under construction.

Anyway, we failed to get a picture of the interior because we might be reprimanded for it. But to give you a taste of what to expect, here's a rundown of my own observation:

1. It's not as big as Forever 21, nor near is it half its size. I think the store that occupied this before was Celine, so it's pretty wide but the depth of the store is not that, er, deep.

2. Aisles are arranged by shoe size. And they have half sizes! Wee! Good for people like me who's not really a 5 but not quite a 6. The aisles, though, are a bit narrow, so if you're in the aisle with co-sized people, it'll probably get a bit crampped up.

3. Speaking of shoes, one thing I observed is that bigger sized shoes have more styles compared to the ones with smaller sizes. This observation goes with the women's sizes, though. I saw a pretty pair of yellow ballet flats at size 8 but didn't see the same at the size 5 aisle. There was also a pair of red ballet flats that I kinda liked, but it was in size 6. But not to fret, kindred ones, because even the smaller sizes have really pretty designs. I had a hard time choosing what I actually wanted that day.

4. Probably because it's new, the ventilation wasn't really okay. It was pretty hot inside, with the narrow aisles and the number of people inside (it was a weekend afternoon, so there was an influx of shoppers). The salespeople can feel it, too. I saw some at the inner end of the store fanning himself because it was humid. I guess that's something to improve.

5. Of course, I'd have to somehow touch on the price. Going by the name "Payless" and branding itself as a discount shoe store in the US, you'd probably want to know if it really offers shoes at lower prices. To give you an idea, here's our loot for that afternoon:

State Street leather shoes for him, priced at around Php1,250.

Predictions sling-back peep-toe wedges for her, priced at Php995.

I would say that for an imported brand, it's priced fairly. We also looked at the Airwalk shoes sold in Payless and compared the price of the same brand and similar style sold in department stores. It seems like the one sold in Payless is less expensive, by about a few hundred pesos. So yeah, I would say the store lives up to its name.

All in all, the Payless ShoeSource experience was a great one for me. For "Imeldifics" and fashionistas, here's a new store to go to. They'll be opening more branches soon, so watch out, there may be one near you.

The Expendables: Same can be said about the plot...

Yeah, it's a pretty late review. I only saw this a couple of days ago because I heard lukewarm reviews about it from others. If not for the free passes that were given to me and my husband, we would've waited for this on DVD.

Most of you already know the plot: a group of mercenaries, led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), hired to take out people that other people don't like. For their latest mission, the task is go to Vilena, an island off South America to assassinate the dictator. But when Ross and Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) go there for reconaissance, they learn that the one they're really supposed to take out is a rogue CIA agent who's controlling the whole island.

From the cast alone, you know it's going to be an all-out action movie. As one of the producers, Stallone did want this to be a bad-ass action flick, the kind of movie that would remind you of the golden days of action, complete with blood, broken bones, dismembered body parts, and lots of explosions and fireworks. I think he enjoyed doing the latest Rambo movie that he wanted to do the whole action bit again.

But with his age, I guess he knew he couldn't do much of the action sequences required. And that's why Statham really shined in the stunts department in this movie. It's almost like he did Stallone's "dirty job."

The problem, though, with having a huge ensemble packed in one movie is that one, or some, may have less highlights than the other. For example, Jet Li's moment was when he kicked Dolph Lundgren's butt. Dolph Lundgren's moment was when he kicked Jet Li's butt. Same goes with Randy Couture and Stone Cold Steve Austin (MMA wins over WWE?). Terry Crews' moment was... probably beating the lights out of all the minor characters. Mickey Rourke -- well, he had a moment, and a dramatic one at that. Complete with blue lighting. Hmm, still making a killing out of your Oscar nomination?

But one high point for this movie is that after watching all the action sequences and explosions, you'll be going out of the cinema feeling super macho, reminiscent of the feeling the movie 300 gives you minus the "Awoo!" yell. If only for that, you have a reason to go and see this movie. Never mind the plot -- too superficial, one thing that's probably "expendable" about the whole movie. But it's still entertaining. Just keep in mind to not mind the plot and concentrate on the action itself.

Signing up for Tomoson.com

I received an email yesterday, inviting me to sign up for a site called Tomoson.com. It's still in Beta, but they've been open for registration for bloggers who want to earn by reviewing products.

Registering is free and easy, you just have to provide some information like your name, email, blog URL, and the address where they'll be shipping the product to be reviewed. According to the site, Tomoson will send the products for free, though I think the shipping fee will be handled by the blogger/ reviewer.

On the site, you'll see a list of products that are ready for review. When you click on the hyperlink, you'll see the details of the product and the duration of the application for review. You can click on "Apply To Review Product" when you like to give your own opinions on it.

I've just registered but haven't chosen a product to review. The site needs a little more details on the FAQ (though they look legit because from their Facebook page, it says they're based in Minnesota). Well, I'll see in a few days if there are more updates for the site.

Till then, I encourage you to check out Tomoson. Who knows, this may be a great opportunity for us.

Mexico wins Miss Universe 2010 crown

Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrette

Yeah, I know I'm no model employee for getting online updates for the Miss Universe 2010. But I can't help it.

And after some hours of checking Tweets and updates from friends, I got the news: 22year-old Jimena Navarrette, Mexico's representative for this year's Miss Universe, won the much coveted crown.

The runner-ups are:

1st runner up: Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillips
2nd runner up: Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell
3rd runner up: Miss Ukraine Anna Poslavskaya
4th runner up: Miss Philippines Maria Venus Raj

Go, Venus!

Venus, even if you didn't get the crown, you're still a winner. You made it that far, so congratulations!

Got my EON Card today

Yep, exactly a week after applying, I got my EON Card from Unionbank. I've also enrolled an online account so I'd be able to check the funds I have in my EON.

Thing is, I haven't put money in my EON account. So that means I can't link it to my Paypal yet. I believe that the EON Card should have some money in it before I can link it to Paypal. Oh well, guess that would have to wait until Monday.

After that, I'll be able to lift the limitations of my Paypal account. Woohoo!

PS: That's not my actual card. Got that one from the Unionbank site.

Applying for an EON Card

I guess I've been putting this off for quite some time (yeah right, it's actually been months), but I felt I needed to do this to lift the limitations of my Paypal account.

Yep, I have applied for an EON Cyber Account in Unionbank. Good thing there was a branch a few buildings away from where I'm working. It only took me about 30 minutes to fill up the form. The preggy lady in the customer service said that I'll be getting my card after 5 working days. By that time I'll also have to pay Php350 for the annual fee.

So I guess that's on top of the amount I need for Paypal, right?

Anyways, I was told that with the EON card, I am given 2 free withdrawals every month. If ever I withdraw for a 3rd time within a month, they'll charge me for that. I don't know why there is such limitation, but thinking that I"ll be using that to withdraw Paypal funds, then I'd probably need to withdraw just once a month (or even less).

Prior to my application, I've heard stories about Unionbank's not-so-helpful customer service. I've had a not-so-good experience with them, too, a couple of years ago when I had to transact with Unionbank to pay for NSO-related stuff over the counter. The service at the main branch in Ortigas was irritatingly slow. Comparing it with BPI, BDO, and HSBC (which has, by far, the quickest and best over-the-counter service in my opinion), Unionbank's was running at a snail's pace.

I kinda consider myself lucky that the application here in the Unionbank branch near the office was quite a breeze. They only had a few customers, and that was probably because it was just 1:00 PM. Anyways, I hope the activation of my card will be smooth.

We'll see when I get my card next week.

Trying out Infolinks

Most bloggers want to earn through their blogs, right? I'm no exception. So when I stumbled upon Infolinks while browsing the Web, I decided to give it a try.

So what is Infolinks? Basically it's a site that allows you to earn money through in-text ads. These ads appear in the content of a website, usually marked with a double underline. When a reader hovers above the in-text ad and clicks it, you earn from it.

Registering for Infolinks is quite a breeze. And it's free, too. All you have to do is to put the Infolinks code they will give you in the HTML of your blog and that's it. You can earn when your readers click on the in-text ads.

By signing up for Infolinks, you are allowing the site to review your blog or page. Then they will send you an email telling you if your blog or site has been approved or not. I got the notification email just last night, and it has been approved by Infolinks. So starting today, you will see some hyperlinks in my blog posts.

I guess to earn here, it would help if you have high readership for your blog. Well, I'm hoping I do and I hope that also earn from Infolinks. I have no disillusion, though, that I will rake in big money in just a month's time. Realistically speaking, the money I earn through blogging is just an addition to my regular income.

Well, signing up for Infolinks is part of my quest to earn online. Hopefully this will be something good for my blog. Will update you soon.

Team Carnival asks: What's my best blog post?

For this round of the carnival, the bloggers were asked to revisit their old posts and share what they consider their best.

I've been blogging for more than 5 years now. But I've never really thought of looking back at my posts until Team Carnival said so.

Well, I won't consider this my best blog post ever because it was written compellingly and with absolutely flawless grammar. I make mistakes once in a while, I admit. But I consider this post one that has made an impact in me because it added by knowledge in what we call search engine optimization.

My blog post on the Valley Golf incident, of which the names Pangandaman and Dela Paz became well-known (or infamous, perhaps?), was a testament on the power of links and SEO. In this post, I linked to news reports and other blogs that stated their story. Apparently, days after I posted this, I saw my URL on the first page of Google Search Results for the terms "valley golf" and "nasser pangandaman." My readership also increased by then, though I was also actively exchanging links with other bloggers that time. But the surge in readership, as attested by the analytics in Wordpress, was something that caught me by surprise. People were reading my blog! Yay!

The same thing also happened in other posts like the one about the Jejemon. A day after, I saw a great increase in readership. My blog link also appeared as a related topic on Chico Garcia's blog once. Even Global Voices quoted a portion of my blog. Wow!

From those posts, I learned that linking and tagging is a powerful tool in blogging. Of course, having keyword-rich posts (and original, mind you) also helps in promoting your blog in Google. That's what makes them my best posts for the past years I've been blogging. And they push me to write better, too.

Emma Watson's new pixie 'do

Fans of the Harry Potter franchise will forever remember her as the smart Muggle Hermione Granger. We've seen her when she was still a little girl starting out her first year at Hogwarts with Ron Weasley and, of course, The Boy Who Lived. We've seen her evolve to a pretty young lady who's got a great sense of fashion.

She's reinvented her look via a hair cut. A really short one, in fact.

Her pixie hairdo has sure earned mix reactions. But personally, I like the hair cut. It shows more of her pretty face. And I admire her adventurous and edgy take in fashion and beauty as well. With this kind of look, it paves the way for her to get out of the goody-two-shoes roles and into meatier, spunkier, and more mature personas (which I think she should have, with her age). So to Emma, you go girl!

How about you, what can you say about her new look?