The Feels of Phillypinas

The best discoveries are those you never really planned on discovering. Hubby and I were on a quest for a simple lunch at RCBC. A little walking and a lot of stomach growling finally brought us to a resto we never expected to find.
PHILLYPINAS!

Yes, yes… it's a clever name, but we were hit with nostalgia mostly. Back in the day, we used to go to this Philadelphia Cheesesteak place right after recording sessions. And now, more than 10 years later, we were right smack in the middle of another very rare cheesesteak place!
Needless to say, we scampered right into the little joint and immediately found metal grilled chairs with matching metal framed wooden tables to catch us. This was the exact ambience that old cheesesteak place we used to go to! Suh-weet!

Of course, we had to order the Original Philly Cheesesteak. AAGHH! EXTREME FLASHBAAACK!!! It was the same super tender strips of steak on a bed of crispy veggies, smothered in the creamiest of cheese, and hugged in the loving embrace of soft, crunchy baguette. This thing of beauty is a monstrosity at 9 inches. With a lovely helping of fries on the side. All for P230.

We had to get the Poutine as well. Because cheese. And because it was generous nom at P100.

Since we've gone ultra cheesy with our lunch, we decided to cap everything off with a little sweetness. I mean, why not? Presenting… Watermelon Fruit Freeze. IN A JAR! Love, love, love!

It was a good lunch peppered with good times.

But let's go back to the name. The cheesesteak resto is called Phillypinas as an ode to one unique item in their menu. The Phillipinoy! The Filipino version of the popular cheesesteak --with chorizo and eggs! Oooh, that's something interesting to order when we come back. And we definitely will.

But for now, let me munch on this Philly baby and dream.

Papier Macheniacs: Bad Piggy Minions!

Remember that time we made Bad Piggies' King Pig? Well, it was getting lonely at the top. So we decided to make the old, snorty royalty some faithful minions. And here they are.

You can make your band of mini piggies, too --as long as you have the balls for 'em.

No, seriously. You'll literally need balls.

In our case --and because the season kinda called for it-- we used these big Christmas balls.

Then, we sliced a long, empty tissue roll to make these cute snouts.

And glued on these cola caps for eyes. With some extra cardboard, we also added in some details. Like,  little ears and adorable headgear.

Regular Piggy Minion

Soldier Piggy Minion

Mechanic Piggy Minion

Papier mache time! You have no idea how relaxing it is to brush glue over tissue paper squares over a smooth orb. That sounds weird, but believe me, this exercise can be quite therapeutic. And cheaper than shopping. :)

Oh! We penned on features, too. Like that classic, toothy grin every Bad Piggy is known for. Well, when the Angry Birds aren't giving them a bad day, that is.

Before you know it, you got a litter of Bad Piggy minions at hand! Our King Pig has never felt more empowered! Neat, huh?

There are many different designs from the Bad Piggies game you can copy or draw inspiration from. Try making a couple. Heck, try making a bunch! It's pretty easy once you have the balls for it. :P

Taking Gifting to the Next Level

Ah, Christmas. The time for well wishes, and the time for well-planned lists.
As usual, the length of my lists have spanned the entire Great Wall of China. But, with enough restraint, I managed to whittle the lists down to a manageable number --which I plan to share on this blog. :)

First, what do I want for myself?

You know what they say: As you grow older, you start wanting things that money can't buy? Well, I must be nearing that particular bracket because nowadays I'm yearning for Family and Togetherness. To prove that I'm still young though, I just had to squeeze in the idea of Travel in between those. Teehee. Bottomline: none of those material possessions this time around. All I want is to collect adventures and memories.

Of course, giving myself these girly Cupcake Treats from Watson at SM Supermalls isn't half bad either. Mmm…

Second, what do I want to give my loved ones?

Another game console? Another gadget? Another Lego set with pieces getting lost under the sofa, or finding their way stubbed against my big toe? Oh, not this year. This Christmas, I'm thinking of DIY Galore! I can be pretty artsy and crafty with my hands. Perhaps I can knit a beanie for the hubby. Carve a wooden train for the little boy. Craft a comic book for the bigger boy. Bake cookies! --which I haven't done to save my life, by the way.

Of course, taking my boys --hubby included-- to the SM Supermalls' Toy Fair is the neatest gift, too. I mean, toys on sale! Cartoon characters as guests! Meet and Greet the big man Santa himself! What more can a child --and a child at heart-- ask for?

Third, what do I want to give to my community?

Oh, we do this every year! It's a fun family project for us. We donate books to schools. We DIY toys for orphanages. Uhm… I can bake cookies again. Haha!

Or… I can send SM Supermarket gift baskets to families so they can bond together over Christmas dinner. The bigger Christmas baskets can even stretch to more dinners which only makes family bonding stronger. Yeah, that's a better idea!

But do you know what the best idea is?

Take your Christmas gift-giving to the next level by being part of SM Christmas Bears of Joy! No
hauling, no pasting, no baking (whew!). All you have to do is drop by SM Supermalls. For as little as P200, get two fluffy, cuddly, uber adorable bears from the SM Bears of Joy booth. One bear goes home with you while the other bear goes to another child in a charitable institution. It's so simple yet so poignant. THAT'S how you put meaning to the season.

I still plan to follow through with my lists of gifts. But I will add SM Bears of Joy as my grand finale. You should, too. While you're at it, SM takes your shopping to the next level, too, with these amazing Christmas sale ideas. Ah… Christmas. SM knows you so well.