My Niece Toni's Pink Pirate Party, Ya'r

Just wanted to show you pics of my niece Toni's Pink Pirate Party. Like my sister's other parties, this was a labor of love. I was the event planner in the family, but I can tell that my IT professional sister also has the inclinations (and yes time management skills) to pull this off despite her full time job. We ordered the cake from my partner Maan. Her chocolate cake is simply delightful. Some cakes look good, some taste great, hers is a combination of looks and taste, definitely. 

We wanted to set up a snack buffet instead of the usual candy buffet, because the venue already had a candy buffet and we felt that the snacks here were more filling. My mom got the jars from Uniwide and we decorated it with the Pink Pirate logo.

My niece really enjoys loomband making and what better way to celebrate her birthday by letting her enjoy her favorite activities with friends. Due to limited time, we stuck with the fishtail and inverted fishtail during the party. But we were definitely sure that the guests continued to do more designs at home with their bigger looms.

My niece Ayla and son TJ. Sigh, they grow up so fast. They still enjoyed the party though.

The table centerpieces from our supplier Prints and Tokens. She was very enthusiastic (and kulit) but otherwise very good. :)

Tiny chests for the candy gifts. We are sure that the gold coins and candies were such hits. 

It's been a special tradition to showcase the celebrant's milestones through a memorabilia wall that my sis insists on calling "SEUM" after the name of her kid. So for this party, it was TONISEUM. Pretty creative huh? This wall includes the dresses worn during the baptism, the first birthday, the first onesie, and even the first newspaper article wherein my niece was featured along with my sis. This section also features the photo album painstakingly prepared by my sis. It also includes the various medals from school and other extra curricular activities.

Definitely, it was a fun, memorable party celebrated with good friends and family. Definitely one worth remembering. 'Til our next party!:)

Urban Farm: A Great Find

The most attractive thing that greeted us in the storefront is the set of white fence. I really love white fences gives establishments a homey feel.

    I have been intrigued by the place ever since it opened, ever since I became more health conscious. Upon entering the shop, we saw more cute display items. 

We ordered a few things and decided to share. Good thing we did because the servings were big! The potato balls were really divine, crunchy on the outside and really deliciously gooey. 

The salad was so sumptious. With the calamari, sauce, cherry tomatoes, grapes, alfalfa (without Darla)

 and other greens it was really one of the best salads I've ever had. It was good value for money. 3 people can actually share it! 

From the ambiance, to the service to the food and the prices, this restaurant is a real find!  And the good news is since they are still in their soft opening there is a 10% discount.

The only minor thing (not a flaw really), I saw that was the bamboo faucet that opens through a mechanism on the floor. I had a hard time finding out how to open it. Of course, the staff was quite helpful. I wasnt able to take pics of the faucet 

 because I was embarassed. Haha! Maybe a simple sign would do especially on a busy day. 

All in all, the restaurant was really a great respite from all the fast food. There are several items I still want to try. And I plan to go back, over and over. 

The Urban Farm is located in President's Avenue, BF Homes, Paranaque

Happy New Memories in Chez Karine :)

It was the Chinese New Year, I was on a diet, and had tons of deadlines, but when my friend asked me to come with her to Chez Karine’s newest branch in Megamall, I immediately said yes. I remember the first time we went, and a few times after in their Serendra branch, and just the thought of tasting those goodies sent me happy vibes.

At around 11AM, my friend and I arrived in Megamall. It was my first visit to Megamall in such a long time, and also my first time in the Fashion Wing. Just as we arrived, there was an ongoing fashion show, and they had a wonderful buffet set up. Of course, we didn’t crash the event but went straight to our little part of heaven.

The interiors of this branch was really very nice, warm. I especially like the artwork on the wall, and found the yoyo macaron irresistible. We tried 4 different desserts. It was a good thing that we shared those desserts, but nevertheless, I would have finished it even if I was alone. 


All of the desserts were light, tasty, and it did not use sweetness just to make sure it tastes well. It really did!I have been told that the 2 best ones were the Cotton Soft cheese cake and the Hokkaido cupcake, so I deliberately tried the first 2 other desserts. The Neopolitan cake, a mix- raspberry mousse, vanilla and chocolate bavarois with soft chocolate biscuit and almond joconde was very delightful, same goes with my almost namesake Mango Caramella, with its layers of fresh mango mousse, mango jelly,  caramel mousse and chocolate sponge cake. Lady finger and cashew   
I was really excited to try the Cotton Soft cheesecake, after all I was used to the cream with graham crust. I already love it, so the even better version is probably heavenly. And our friend Aya was right! It tasted so great! For a minute I thought of asking for another slice, and we even had to negotiate our “hating kapatid”

My neighbor, blog godmother hehe (and kahating kapatid)

My hands down favourite was the Hokkaido Cupcake, just the right amount of creaminess, foamy, light. It’s the type you know that its worth coming back for. Oh and to save the best for last are the different macaron with ice cream. The chocolate and salted caramel flavors were absolutely indescribable. I can't wait to try more...

I missed the horlicks drink that they had, but probably some flavours were only available in the other branch. Nevertheless, everything here was perfect!

One thing worth mentioning is the high tech water dispenser/machine. My friend Lara says that the water was delicious, I didn’t really taste the difference but having this machine sure beats carrying heavy water bottles .

The experience as usual was very fun. I mentioned during my second visit to their other branch that it was time to make new memories. Now, I can truly say, its not just memories, but a happy life experience to visit Chez Karine! 

Chez Karine is located at the new wing of SM Megamall and at Serendra Like their page for updates

A Letter to my 36 year old self (written on the last day as a 35).

A letter to my 36 year old self, written by my 35 and 364^th day self.

1.) Your birthday falls on the 31^st day of the year. It is the expiration of your driver’s license, good thing you renewed last October.  Be very aware of expiration dates, as your birthday falls on a holiday BE THANKFUL! Less budget needed for parties as the whole world is partying with you.

2.) You may still lament about the loss of friendships, but think of it this way, you can choose not to care and make space for new people in your life. More so, Peer pressure is something you don’t have to conform to.

3.) Trying to save money may actually cost you more money.  Having trouble with your multiple parties? Then hire more people to do the things you struggle with. The extra peso is worth the pain in your body now.

4.) Remember your bad hair days, and be thankful that you still have a lot of hair. In the meantime, you will be grateful for products that work and be sure to thank them over social media. Your similarly aged friends will appreciate it. Also, remember how you used to hate being mistaken for an applicant when you are a manager already, or being refused on casinos and movie houses? So  now you are flattered right?

6.) Try new things, splurge a little on experiences like vacations and dining experiences. They cannot be replaced. You can always make more money but you can’t always make experiences.

7.) Your past relationships make you who you are now. Be thankful for each and every one of them who chose to love you at that particular time. I am pretty sure they think about you every now and then and it helps to share the good vibes.

 8.) Forgive. Remember, the words uttered to you, is a reflection of themselves rather than of you. You don’t have to be friends with them to forgive them, but it makes you feel better.

9.) Forgive yourself. For past decisions, for past words uttered. Remember, your greatest mistake can be your greatest blessing.

10.) TJ is growing up, grow up with him. Savor each moment. You don’t actually mean you want him to go back to diapers right? In the end, raising him well is the best reward you can ever get. The best talking moments you have with him are actually right now when he is a small adult. You  get the best of both worlds in this point, when he is actually with you, yet makes his own decisions now.

11.) Remember to choose your battles carefully. You can never take back being mean to others.

12.) Doing a bike marathon is different from trying to take on as much work. Learn to delegate, learn to say no.

13.) Family is everything.

14.) Don’t forget sunscreen.

15.) Repair, re-use, organize. Pinterest is the bomb, use the ideas you found.

16.) Write as often as you can. The only award you ever got was for writing (and being a best employee writer) so make it worthwhile, it only has to be good for yourself.

17.) Don’t be afraid of techie stuff.

18.) Love is an open door. Applicable on 2015 J

Red China: Well Worth The Trip

With this unpredictable weather, few things would make me consider going all the way to travel to Quezon City. Armed with my big bag of camera, notebook and paper, I was glad I had a big serving of what I really needed to go to Red China, my appetite.

Day one of diet was forgotten as soon as the soup was served. It had a unique, unforgettable taste. It was really not the usual Chinese soup that I have come to expect.  Before the scallop soup, worth mentioning is a tasty snack which was really the usual Chinese treat, just like the ones served in fastfood type of Chinese restaurants.

After getting some, we had a taste of what I know will be my reason to go back to Red China, aside from the other dishes.  The Bacon Wrapped shrimp.

Sumptuous. Not to be outdone, the Shrimp Paste Chicken Wings dish was very tasty.

We were told that Red China was a creation of foreign chefs. It was a combination of the well-known Chinese comfort food from other countries. It was a bit different from the usual Chinese dishes we normally have. But then again, that is what makes it all the more special. We were told that no two sauce were ever the same and it really shows.

Another interesting trivia that we learned was that Red China had smaller, more affordable servings of Super Bowl. All the staff were new, and were trained considering that the restaurant just opened a few days before. 

The Roast Pork Belly, Mala Roast Chicken all had distinct flavors that it was really good to alternate each with the fried rice. 

The Salted fish fried rice was served quite towards the end, and it was really good to the last bite. The Salted Egg shrimps were really different. I thought at the start it was cheese powder but I was told it was made of powdered egg yolk.  It really had a unique taste and because I couldn't quite get what the taste was, I had several servings. I appreciated the dish all the more when I took it home afterwards. 

Shrimp Paste Chicken Wings

Salted Egg Shrimps

Wow

We were also given a chance to try the noodles which was really super heavy but tasted really yummy.

Noodles

Diced Chicken with Salted Fish Fried Rice

I also liked the other soup which had  the sweetness of a soft apple of course because it had apple in it.

The whole meal was capped off with a dessert, egg tart. It was a perfect ending to a very nice meal. If only for this egg tart, this whole trip was really worth it!

All in all, I can say that everything in Red China was well worth the travel from the South to Quezon City. I have always been a Chinese food fan. Now I can say I truly am.

Happiness vs. "Luckyness"

I always see tons of people lining up in lotto. Before lotto, sweepstakes. I'm sure in the early times, even not being eaten by animals was some sort of luck :) Before I used to aspire to be lucky too. Long before people started calling me Jinks or Jinx as a shortcut to my nickname (as opposed to Jean Carmelle or even Jean Carmello as my old teacher called me) I thought I would create a blog that would contradict the sound of my name, and the opposite quality/characteristic which I long for. And so, Lucky Jinks was born.  Incidentally, Vilma Santos (who is a dead ringer for my singer mom or looks like her when she sings) also named her son Lucky and to which he is now the talented host that he is, is quite a good coincidence.

Yes, we all aspire to be lucky at some point in our lives. The luckiest thing that ever happened to me in terms of raffles was winning a cassette recorder at the onset of CD players. I also won a 30 minute free internet use in college. Back then, I could only email so 30 minutes was quite long. I was also lucky in terms of not getting along with former office bosses to find out what my true calling us. Most of all, I am a very lucky mom to a bright, love of my life.

That being said, I've had my share of not so lucky moments. Workwise, lovewise. I made certain decisions which mad me think that what I am today is a result of those. So I have no regrets.

But the thing is, I think that I do not aspire to be lucky anymore.  Maybe at some point, I would like to think that people who get to know me are the lucky ones hehehehe. That watching "The Lucky One" will not make me cringe with regret or jealousy. Or eating "Lucky Me" noodles will not be a staple because its bad for me. Maybe in some way, I do not wish to win the lotto anymore. I already have that with my life, with my circle of friends.

I think in some way, I am now HAPPY and that in itself is better than any form of LUCKY. Of course I still believe in my heart that my luck will always be in my own hands. That my life is now as lucky as it could get and I am truly happy.

I should be so LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY,LUCKY,  this was an 80's song that was irritating but last song syndrome quality to it.  When I first wrote this blog, I was claiming the LUCK part. I was really called JINX (or Jinks) as a short cut to Jinkee and although I was lucky in most ways, I've had my share of woes.  I still felt the Jinx part still had more bearing to me.  Lately though, after having been through something bad, after going through a lot of doubts, I feel like I just hit the jackpot. I feel like getting my groove back was what was meant to happen. And although there are still a lot of things I am hoping for, I know that I will never feel as LUCKY as I do now. I am very very thankful. :)