Christmas Gift Ideas for Dogs

Merry Christmas!  This Christmas don't forget to give your fur friends their presents too.  Although there's not much dog stores here in Manila.  I've tried my best to include dog gifts into my Christmas shopping itinerary. 

Santa Lychee

So here are my Christmas gift ideas for dogs.  I bought these stuff from Bow & Wow and Hobbes and Landes. 

 My maltese Lychee is a small dog and she's a treat lover.  I bought her lots of treats.  When choosing dog treats, I always go for the premium ones which are wheat-free.  

• Newman's Own Premium Dog Treats Cheese Flavor
•  If your familiar with Newman's Own organic product lines for humans, well they've ventured into dog snacks too.  Our seven dogs love the cheese flavor.  I bet your dog will like it too.
• Cloudstar Wag More Bark Less
• I chose Cloudstar Wag More Bark Less because they have peanut butter cookies.  Both humans and dogs can't resist the delicious taste of peanut butter so I'm sure my dogs will love them.

• Delicio Baked Pet Treats
• Delicio is a new brand for us.  Their products are very cheap so we decided to give it a try.

• Taste of the Wild
• Our dogs love Taste of the Wild but its too expensive here so they only have this for special occassions.  Their default dog food is Acana and Canidae.

• Nylabones
• We only trust nylabone as chew bones for our six Chinese sharpeis

How about your?  What did you get for your pets this Christmas?

Christmas Attractions in Metro Manila 2012

Christmas is one of my favorite seasons of the year.  Everywhere I go I could feel the beauty of Christmas attractions and the warmth of the people celebrating the joy of Christmas together.  

Makati

What I like about Christmas is that there are a lot of activities anyone can enjoy.  Like when I visited Symphony of Lights this year, just light I did last year... As expected, group of friends and families have flocked the area just to see the wonderful melody together with the blinking colorful lights.  Every night, the place would be filled with a different batch of people.  

Last year's Symphony of Lights were dominated by stars, this year it was colorful balls.  The brilliant twist with them is that they move up and down.

The music and lights this year is much more lively.  I guess it's keeping up with the times. =D

Overall, it's a must watch.

Christmas also has its solemn times.  Sometimes I just walk alone and appreciate the lights on the street.  After all, I could only do that during Christmas.

I guess I'm on of these people, who wants to sit on the floor sometimes and admire the Christmas lights on the tall buildings and streets of Makati.

Around the Ayala Triangle, there are also bazaars with cool Christmas gift ideas for the busy workers in Makati.

There's also a mini food market set up.  It was a bit crowded so I didn't stick too long.

Another great activity to do during Christmas is to go hotel hopping just to appreciate the Christmas attractions of hotels.

 

 

 

The most Christmas Tree decor I've seen is at Dusit Thani Hotel Makati.

In addition, they have a Santa and a sleigh.

Bonifacio High Street

Bonifacio High Street is also a great place for shopping or window shopping or maybe just strolling.

There's the annual Lego display.  This time there's a huge  R2D2 built in Lego.  Who doesn't love Star Wars right?

Kids can watch a FREE show in the big High Definition scene.  During my visit, they had Lion King on.  It's one of the best Disney movies ever so it's nice to watch some scenes from it again.

Luneta Park

There's a fair by Quirino Grand Stand where families and friends would just seat on the grass while some go for the rides.  

And, if the Ayala Triangle in Makati has a Symphony of Lights, Luneta Park has a light show by the fountain.  Although there's no music, it still has a lot of audience.  

The the fountain side, there's a lot of food stalls and random booths to cater to the large crowd.

How about you?  Where have you felt Christmas this year?

Kalikhasan: Eco-Friendly Gift Packages for Christmas

If you think this Christmas is the same as all the other years, well for me it isn't.  This year, I've decided to include the environment and the country in consideration when buying gifts for my loved ones.  Wouldn't it be  a good deed to do this Christmas?

My proud find this Christmas is Kalikhasan's  Eco-Friendly Gift Packages. Kalikhasan is an all Filipino small scale company that makes eco-friendly, organic and natural-based solutions.  What makes them different from other well-known brands is that their products are:

• Non-toxic
• Environmental-friendly
• Bio-degradable
• Non-pollutant
• Can act as a composter
• Helps repel disease-carrying insects
• BFAD approved
• Cost efficient

“Who’s Vain?" Gift Package (650 php)

Now, they offer a lot of gift packages but I feel that the “Who’s Vain?" Gift Package is the perfect gift for every woman.  It is a fact that every woman is vain.  Yes, I have one myself see. =D

The “Who’s Vain?" Gift Package is the key to a pampered Christmas.  The package contents are:

• 1 piece 100 ml GANDANG UMAGA or MADALING ARAW Cologne Spray

Whether you choose GANDANG UMAGA or MADALING ARAW for a Cologne Spray, you'll surely love the refreshing scent and feeling it gives you.  I've loved how the GANDANG UMAGA emanates the smell of ginger and grapefruit.  It's an nergizing scent but not overpowering.  Since this is chemical-free, this is also good and safe to use for kids.

• 1 piece 100 ml PARUPARO or SALAGUINTO or KULIGLIG or ALITAPTAP Room & Linen Spray

I've always been a workaholic.  Even if I want to, my mind just wonders off and doesn't seem to rest.  But, ever since I've used the SALAGUINTO, I've been having calm, relaxing and deep sleeps.  The spray this to your room, linen and even pillows and the effect is just magical.  The SALAGUINTO is a wonderful blend of chamomile and green tea essential oils.

• 1 piece 100 ml ULAP Massage Uplifting Massage Oil

The heavy traffic I've been encountering these past few days has made me more tired than usual.  You know what I do whenever I feel down and still need to study at home?  I just grab my bottle of ULAP Massage Uplifting Massage Oil and rub it on my sore parts.  And, its scent and effect on my skin just soothes me.  The ULAP Massage Uplifting Massage Oil contains A mixture of lavender, orange and lemon essential oils combined with virgin coconut oil, grape seed oil and vitamin E. The best part is that it has no harsh chemicals which is good for me because I have a very sensitive skin.

• 1 piece DALISAY Glycerin Soap

The DALISAY Glycerin Soap has a nice natural scent with moisturizing effects.  It has orange essential oils, virgin coconut oil, aloe vera and colloidal oatmeal.

If you're looking for other packages.  Kalikhasan also have these:


Mom Knows Best (1000 php)

• SAPA Handwashing Liquid (500 ml)
• LAWA Dishwashing Liquid (500 ml)
• BATIS Liquid Laundry Detergent (500 ml)
• AGOS Fabric Conditioner (500 ml)
• DAGAT All Purpose Cleaner (500 ml)
• DANAW Disinfectant (Kitchen/Bathroom Deodorizer) (500 ml)

The Mom Knows Best  Gift Package is useful for the household.  You know these products are amazing espcially if you don't want your hands to get rough because of the harsh chemicals.  These are just as effective but more eco-friendly and skin friendly too.

Itch Away (600 php)

• Clearzone 10 Non-Toxic Double Coils (20 pieces)
• Terracotta Coil Holder
• ALISAP Insect Repellent (100 ml )

With so many mosquitoes these days, I'm sure anybody would find the Itch Away as a necessity.

You Deserve It (550 php)

• Essential Oil of Your Choice (30 ml )
• Oil Burner
• ULAP Uplifting Massage Oil (100 ml)

The You Deserve It will grant you the uplifting you need after a hard days work.

Better Safe Than Sorry (350 php/200 php)

• ALISAP Insect Repellent (100 ml /50ml)  
• ULAN Hand Sanitizer (100 ml /50ml)  
• DANAW Disinfectant & Deodorizer (100 ml /50ml)  

The Better Safe Than Sorry is you're must-carry safety kit.  Protect yourself from disease-carrying insects and keep yourself and environment clean and safe.  

What To Expect From Your Event Management Company

To ensure your special celebration or corporate event will be a memorable occasion, with no obstacles along the way, you should consider engaging the services of an event management company. This way, you will enjoy an impeccable flawless event where the entire organisation will be taken care of. Planning any type of launch, ceremony or festivity can, in fact, be quite a stressful time for the novice organiser. An event management company specialises in all the organising and planning on your behalf.

They Will Listen to You

A good event management company will liaise closely with you and listen to what you expect from them. They will explain to you in full concise and clear details any restrictions they may have, what the costs will be and what resources will be needed to meet your requirements. Many clients can have particularly innovative ideas, but a good even management company will be up front at the outset to avoid any misunderstandings that may occur. You will, after all, be working in partnership with your event management company.

They Will Organise Anything

Whether you are hosting product presentations, conferences, ceremonies or any form of celebration, an event management company can meet all your requests. If your target audience are from the corporate sector or mainly members of the public, event management companies will take all this into consideration when making arrangements.

How Do I Find One

Personal recommendations often work well, so ask around amongst your business colleagues or friends. Always research the company; have a look at their company profile online and read the testimonials to see who they have previously done work for. Have a look at any promotional material they have to gain a better understanding of exactly what services they offer.

Focus

If you are planning a corporate event, outdoor festival or party planning, an event management company will set organisation in place to ensure that guests will stay focused on the promotional products or entertainment before them. They will design a complete event concept, coordinating all technical and creative aspects, and this will be done in an enjoyable pleasant atmosphere catering to the tastes of yourself and your invitees. Event management is actually a strategic marketing tool used by both small and large companies to help further promotion and communication with clients. There are a number of event management companies to choose from, but make sure you engage one who will plan, organise and deliver. A good event management company will have worldwide contacts to enable them to get the best possible pricing and will also have access to difficult and unusual items that you may require to make your event a flawless and immaculate function that you will be able to enjoy. Let someone else do the hard work for a change! You can be assured that a good event management company will make sure you get the best value for money and will take care of all the details.

Hello Kitty Village at SM North Edsa The Block

Ever since we were babies, me and my three little sisters were huge fans of Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters.  Back then, we used to frequent Gift Gate.  We had so many Hello Kitty items from watch, tumblers, towel, bed linen, pillows, stuff toys and even stick collections.  

When I heard about Hello Kitty Village at SM North Edsa, I was excited to check it out.  I also invited my siblings but they requested that I blog about it first for them to see if the trip is worth it.  In the spirit of Christmas and since my little siblings are a bit spoiled, I passed by and took pictures just for them. >.<

Since its nearing christmas, SM North Edsa is very crowded.  The same applies to the Hello Kitty Village where everyone just wants to have their photos taken with Hello Kitty characters.  There's a stage where Hello Kitty mascots and activities appear.  Sorry I forgot to take note of the schedule. >.<

The village has its own gate with a golden Hello Kitty sign.  I love the Christmas decoration with a red bow similar to what Hello Kitty wears, colorful Christmas lights and other garnishment.

Of course, the village comprises of different buildings.  Let's start with the Main Hall where their is Hello Kitty's Papa, George White and Hello Kitty's Mama, Mary White.  I'm familiar with Hello Kitty's family because we used to watch their cartoon series when we were young.  As I recall, George White is an employee in a trading company which explains the attire.  While Mary White is a loving housewife who is great at cooking.  The inside of the Main Hall  looks like a house with a pink couch, pink bed with Hello Kitty stuff toys and a closet with a pink bathrobe.

Stationed at the Activity Hall is Hello Kitty's Grandpa, Anthony White, with Hello Kitty's Grandma, Margaret White between two beautiful Christmas trees.

By the side of the building, you can see the profiles of the Hello Kitty family.

Her'es Hello Kitty herself and her similarly cute twin sister Mimmy.  I assume that Hello Kitty is the one in pink because she always wears pink or red while Mimmy is always in yellow.  As the two are the best of friends, they are inseparable.

I'm not sure who this last character is.  Perhaps, he is Daniel, Hello Kitty's boyfriend.  I love this building because its got cute Sanrio cakes inside with a branding of "Bread Talk" too

Kawaii! Check it out and I'm sure whatever age you are, you'll enjoy this attraction.  According to the sign its available from November 10 to January 6.

Nail it!: Got My Nails Purple at Rockwell Business Center

The other day, the girls at The Foodies Circle invited me to go for a manicure at Nail it! at Rockwell Business Center in Ortigas, Pasig courtesy of Cha Life Milk Tea.  This is one of the many branches of Nail it! 

Nail it! is quite spacious and clean which you can already tell from the outside.  The place had a posh purple and white theme.  It gave a cozy feel so you can relax while being serviced.

From their slogan "Affordable Luxury", you can already tell that their services are budget friendly.  We availed of the manicure which only costs 120 php.  Some our friends availed of their foot spa, body massage and pedicure as well.  They also had some package offerings which entitles you to some savings.  And, they also sell gift certificates which I think is perfect for the upcoming Christmas season.

Fellow Bloggers

Nail it! is well-equipped with lamps, couches, pillows, foot rest and even towels.  They had around 8 couches and two massage chairs.  Although their walls are white, they wave design made it look more elegant.

Nail it! had more than the sufficient number of staffs.  Each of them had their own kits so they were well prepared and quick to serve so the turnover was pretty reasonable.

Since they are near Medical City and business centers, their regular clients are mostly doctors and office workers.  Of course, they have walk-ins from time to time too.

Sumi of thePurpledoll.net for manicure

Berylle of itsberyllicious.com for manicure

Nail it! also offered a lot of nail art options for 25 php or nails.

Nail it! also uses modern technology rather than the traditional drying of nail polish.

My Nails

After being led to my seat, I was asked to choose my preferred nail polish color.  There were a lot of good options so it was difficult to choose.  In the end, I finally settled for a purple shade that matched their color scheme and my clothes.  I think it was called "Charged up".

I rarely get my nails done so they had to clean it first and shape it delicately.  Then, I was rubbed with some lotion on my hands and nails.

Sorry for the poor photo quality.  My nails were so shiny.  

They soon applied nail polish which I'm glad looked wonderfully on my nails.  Overall, I loved the service.

The staffs were not only well trained but they were very friendly and courteous too.  I'm glad I came because it was so much fun! 

National Geographic's First Doggy Day Camp

I was very excited when I saw the registration for the National Geographic's First Doggy Day Camp which was held at the Bonifacio Global City Ampitheatre. Although the online registration was closed, they had on-site registrations too.  

I was surprised at how many dog and dog owners present for the event.  I'v attended many dog events before.  But, this was the biggest one I've seen yet.

Although it begun at 1 p.m., I arrived fashionable late at around 3 p.m.  Upon taking the on-line express lane, i was given my map, a yellow dog bandana and a wooden dog tag.

We roamed around a bit supposedly to catch the Pet Parade but we didn't notice that it had already left.  We then decided to fall in line in the National Geographic booth because they gave out a cool campers bag  if you are able to guess how many Pedigree Dentastix is in the jar.  It was around 4 p.m. when we started lining up.  At around 4:50 p.m., we were told that they will have a short break of 15 minutes.  I guess it was quite reasonable that dog owners together with their dogs did not leave the line since no one expected the booth to resume its operations at around 5:30 p.m.  They then advised all those who are lining up that they don't have sufficient supply of the cool campers bag so everyone was asked to write down their guesses with their name in a small sheet of paper so they will raffle the bags later.  We never knew what happened with that since when we glanced after collecting our stamps, the booth was empty.

According to the map, there are benches for the kibble treats cafe but we didn't see any pets eating and instead it became resting place for humans so we didn't pay attention to this.  There was also a photo exhibit that featured ten of the best submitted heroic dogs.  I'm sure their owners are very proud of them.

After the dog parade, the hosts procedd with the rest of the program such as the introduction to the stars of GMA7’s primetime television show Aso ni San Roque, mini agility race by Urban Sports K9, games and lectures from  Ferdz Recio and Joy Uy.

The Pedrigree booth gave the dog owners and their best buddy a memorable experience by capsulating them into a professional photo.  In addition, they also gave some loot bags with Pedigree Dentastix.

Furrfect Grooming by The Dog Spa

My favorite and the best booth is The Dog Spa.  They were very sincere in offering their FREE services to as many campers as they can.  I was asked to choose the service I preferred: nail trimming, face trim, dry massage or ear cleaning.

Lychee's Face Trimming

I chose the Face Trimming for Lychee.  The Dog Spa's groomer is so professional.  He was able to handle Lychee easily and accomplished the task at hand quickly.  Seeing that Lychee lost her bow in the mass crowd, they gave her a FREE cute yellow plaid ribbon that matches her bandana.

Here's another dog having its nail trimmed.  The dog looks relaxed don't you think?

Although the agility course was supposedly not part of the attraction, it was opened to a limited number of people who wanted to try it out.

Although the program had the dog blessing which was the primary reason why we came, Lychee was too tired already so we decided to had for home.  Overall, we learned a lot from the talks and Lychee was pretty happy with her grooming.  I hope there will be another National Geographic's Doggy Day Camp next year!