Pensive Thoughts

Transform Yourself with Schick!

admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 22:53:35 +0000

Here’s a question from Schick Philippines and Nuffnang: “If you had the powers of MAN OF STEEL for one (1) week, how would you use it?”

If I had the powers of the MAN of STEEL for one (1) week, I would use it to remove all the nuclear reactors in the world to make our planet a better and safer place to live.

Would you like to win movie prizes and limited edition Superman premium items? Well, you can! All you need to do is buy any Superman-marked Schick razor packs to snag these cool treats! So what are you waiting for?

Schick. Free Your Skin.

Per DTI-NCR Permit No.1843 Series of 2013.

Nutramedica Introduces Novuhair 3-in-1 Pack

admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:12:57 +0000

I really wanted to attend this event because I’ve been using Novuhair 2-in-Pack for more than a month now, and it’s showing good results. The scar line on my head which was the result of an open-head surgery I had in 2004 and which had not grown hair for 9 years started growing hair. See my review of Novuhair 2-in-1 Pack. In that review, I expressed my hope for Nutramedica Inc. to come up with a Novuhair conditioner to complement their herbal shampoo and topical scalp lotion. Hurray, because I finally got my wish! They have finally launched their Novuhair 3-in-1 Pack!

Novuhair 3-in-1 Pack (Herbal Shampoo 200ml, Topical Scalp Lotion 200 ml and Herbal Conditioner 200 ml), SRP Php4,980 per pack
The product launch was held at Citybest Seafood Garden Restaurant in Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City last Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Present at the press conference were Dr. Rica Silva-Mallari, Dr. Eleuterio “Bunny” Bernardo, Ms. Mae Velilla, Ms. Gwendoline Ruais and Mr. Fanny Serrano.

Left to right: Gwendoline Ruais, Fanny Serrano, Mae Velilla, Dr. Rica Mallari, Dr. Bunny Bernardo
Dr. Rica Mallari talked about common hair problems, treatments and solutions, while Dr. Bunny Bernardo gave a brief talk on the history and evolution of Novuhair and the release of their new and improved Novuhair 3-in-1 Pack.

The Novuhair 3-in-1 Pack will now give Novuhair users the complete hair experience with a shampoo that nourishes the scalp and strengthens hair follicles, a conditioner that softens hair strands, and a topical scalp lotion that helps prevent hair loss by improving blood circulation to the scalp and increasing nutrients.

Fanny Serrano’s Experience with Novuhair

Fanny Serrano (more popularly known as “TF” in Philippine show business) vouches for the effectiveness of Novuhair. When he was 40 years old, he experienced a balding problem that affected his self-esteem. He tried different hair grower treatments and special shampoos (even the shampoo for the horse) and took hair grower capsules, but they didn’t work. He eventually had to wear wiglets/toppers to cover up his baldness until a friend recommended Novuhair.

After two months of using Novuhair, TF’s excessive hair fall stopped. He then called Nutramedica to tell them how pleased he was with their product. After 3 years of using Novuhair, he now has thick, soft and shiny hair.

Everyone had a fun time listening to TF’s testimonial as he gave a funny account of his serious hair loss problem using terms such “parang me nag-away na pusa” to refer to the many strands of hair on his pillow every time he gets up in the morning. TF strikes me as a genuine sincere person so I believed him when he said that Novuhair revived his crowning glory; that made me want to use Novuhair for a long time, too.

What Gwendoline Ruais Has to Say about Novuhair

Being a beauty queen, model and host, Gwendoline has to look her best all the time, and one of the things she has to do meet the demands of her projects is to change her hairstyle often which ultimately damaged her hair and scalp and caused her to have dry, limp and lifeless hair. Using a special shampoo and conditioner only worsened her hair condition until she learned about Novuhair from Ms. Cory Quirino. Gwendoline now enjoys the all-natural goodness of Novuhair and the tender loving care it gives her hair.

What Makes Novuhair 3-in-1 a Cut above the Rest

The effectiveness of Novuhair is backed up by a clinical trial conducted last year by renowned hair and scalp expert Dr. Rica Mallari. This study showed a 100% success rate among the volunteers. There was no progression of hair loss and no decrease in hair shedding in all subjects. None of them experienced side effects from using Novuhair, too.

Novuhair is made with natural ingredients that do not have harmful side effects. Some of the active natural ingredients of Novuhair are as follows:

• Moringaoleifera or malunggay helps restore the skin’s condition and prevent falling hair.
• Prunusamygdalus or sweet almond oil easily penetrates the hair shaft and follicles, relieving hair dryness and itching and providing nourishment to the hair to promote hair growth.
• Panax ginseng improves blood circulation to the scalp.
• Ginger is also a hair bulb nutrient and stimulant.
• Aloe is an effective agent for hair growth and the prevention of falling hair.
• Lavender helps relieve itching.
• Rosemary contains properties that help combat dandruff and disinfects the scalp.
• Lemongrass helps clean the scalp’s pores.
• Peppermint slows the growth of bacteria and fungi, aside from having a relaxing effect on the muscles.

The Novuhair 3-in-1 Pack is available at all Mercury Drug and Watsons stores nationwide. Suggested retail price is P4,980. Call 413-6570 or 0922-883-0575 and visit www.novuhair.com for more details. Like them on Facebook: Novuhair Official or follow them on Twitter @NovuhairUpdates.

Lovely Pair of Sandals from Shoebox & ME

admin — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:10:59 +0000

I have been eyeing Shoebox & ME in Robinsons Galleria for a long time but never had the courage to enter the shop because I thought they are selling expensive shoes. I was content catching a quick glimpse of the items each time I pass by the store. I finally decided to get inside the store and try a few of their items last year because I badly needed new shoes to wear for an event I’d be attending the next day. I ended up buying a pair of stylish black wedges that I now wear to church every Sunday. Last April, I went there again to look for a new pair of sandals that I’d be using for our Davao trip, and here’s what I bought.

This green pair of Shoebox & ME sandals is fashionable, comfortable and light, and it’s priced at less than Php1,000. Upon closer inspection, I also noticed these sandals’ beautiful sole.

I love wearing these sandals because they look good on my feet and the color complements my skin tone. I actually think they make my feet look sexy.

I learned from talking to the staff that Shoebox & ME is a Filipino-owned company and that their shoes are made in Marikina. That made me want to buy more shoes from them. Next time, I’ll snag a chic pair of ballerina flats.

Shoebox & ME
3rd Level, Robinsons Galleria
Quezon City

Cif Cream Review and Giveaway!

admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:56:35 +0000

In a Mother’s Day event I attended last May 11, 2013, I learned more than 100 ways to use Cif Cream. Cif Cream is a revolutionary non-scratch surface cleaner that helps moms everywhere achieve clean, beautiful homes. They said it gets even the most stubborn dirt and stain out of practically any surface. All you need to do is pour a little amount of Cif Cream onto a sponge or directly onto the area you’re going to clean, rub gently and rinse or wipe the product off. That’s easy!

I wanted to see for myself how effective Cif Cream is using the free product samples they gave away to everyone present at the event. You see, we have an area in our kitchen that I’m not really proud to show to people who visit our home. The kitchen tiles beside our gas stove has accumulated splashes and grease stains over the years. Our helper made several attempts to clean the area using detergent powder and dishwashing liquid, but all her efforts failed. When she used Cif Cream, however, she was able to completely eliminate the stain on the kitchen tiles.

Imagine my happiness when I saw our kitchen tiles squeaky clean again! It took our helper less than 30 minutes to do the job!

The next day, I asked our helper to use Cif Cream again on our aircon grille using an old toothbrush, and lo and behold, our old aircon looked brand new again!

Notice how sparkling clean the grille of our 8-year-old aircon is!
Now, Pensive Thoughts’ readers will also get the chance to try the effectiveness of Cif Cream in their own homes because I’ll be giving away two gift packs containing several 250ml bottles of Cif Cream (Lemon variant).

Important:

• This giveaway is open to Metro Manila residents only.
• This giveaway starts today and ends on June 2, 2013, 12am, EST.
• The winners will be notified via email after the giveaway has ended. If the winners have not contacted us within 48 hours, then new winners will be drawn.
• Winners must come and meet me in Ortigas to claim their prizes.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mother’s Day Celebration at Burgoo

admin — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:43:16 +0000

After church last Sunday, we went to Burgoo at Robinsons Galleria to celebrate Mother’s Day. There were seven of us who went: my parents (Justin’s lolo and lola), my younger sister, Justin, me, hubby and our helper. Burgoo has an ongoing promo in partnership with BPI for which we got two free items (Gambas al Ajillo and Louisiana Pizza) for the following items that we ordered: Supreme Sampler, Linguini with Clams and Carbonara.

Happy Mother’s Day to Nanay and me!
Free Food!

Gambas al Ajillo
These are prawns sautéed with olive oil, garlic, tomato sauce, cilantro and chili flakes. This Gambas al Ajillo was quite different from what I’ve had in the past because this one’s saucy and had mushrooms. I love mushrooms, so I couldn’t complain, and the serving was huge, so everyone was able to taste this, except the little boy.

Louisiana Pizza
This is one of my favorites at Burgoo. Louisiana Pizza has grilled chicken cubes, red bell peppers and garlic slivers in white sauce. Everyone liked it. I couldn’t help but notice, though, how the pizza dough was thicker than usual and how it had lesser toppings, quite unlike the Louisinana Pizza we had last year during our graduation blowout at Burgoo for our son.

Our Orders

Supreme Sampler (Large), Php595.00
This Supreme Sampler was loaded! It had buffalo wings, cheddar cheese fries, mozzarella sticks and onion rings. Our son enjoyed the mozzarella sticks, while I had a grand time munching on the crunchy onion rings. The rest of the family was busy with the buffalo wings. I wasn’t able to try the cheddar cheese fries, though.

Linguini with Clams (Large), Php595.00
Linguini with Clams is linguini pasta with clams sautéed in olive oil and garlic and tossed in a special clam broth. According to my sister, this seemed tasteless at first, but its full flavor came out after she has eaten more. What an interesting description!

Carbonara (Large), Php595.00
I didn’t bother touching this anymore because I was already full. The little boy had a little of this, and he seemed to like it. His lolo, my Tatay, said both pasta dishes were okay.

Our Mother’s Day celebration at Burgoo was a Happy Burpday because every tummy was full and happy.

Burgoo American Bar & Restaurant
4th Level, Robinsons Galleria
Quezon City
Telephone No.: (02) 633-6256; (02) 633-9565

Review of Novuhair 2-in-1 (Herbal Shampoo and Topical Scalp Lotion)

admin — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:19:19 +0000

A Novuhair® 2-in-1 package was delivered to my doorstep last March for review. The package contained the Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo (200 ml) and the Novuhair® Topical Scalp Lotion (200ml).

According to their website, Novuhair® is “nature’s answer to hair loss.” I was excited to try these products because I have thin hair and I suffer from occasional hair fall, but I only started using the shampoo and scalp lotion last April 19.

Product Information

Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo contains pure botanical extracts that help promote healthy scalp and stronger hair follicles. Everyday use results in stronger hair roots and healthier hair. Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo should be used in combination with Novuhair® Topical Scalp Lotion.

Novuhair® Topical Scalp Lotion contains natural herbs, essential oils, and co-factor nutrients that moisturize the scalp, improve blood circulation in the scalp, strengthen hair follicles, stimulate hair growth, and prevent hair loss and premature graying of hair.

Directions for Use:

Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo: Wet hair and scalp, apply a small amount of shampoo, massage, then rinse.

Novuhair® Topical Scalp Lotion: After shampooing, apply topical lotion on the scalp twice daily (morning and night). Massage scalp gently for 5 to 10 minutes using finger pads. For best results, do no rinse.

How I Used Novuhair® 2-in-1

During the first week, I used the Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo twice a day and the Novuhair® Topical Scalp Lotion once a day. I use the herbal shampoo in the morning when I shower, apply the topical lotion on my scalp once a day (usually in the afternoon), and shampoo again at night.

Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo
However, during Week 2 and up to the present, I haven’t been applying the topical scalp lotion regularly and have been using the herbal shampoo only once a day because I’ve been really busy with my son’s summer class, enrolment and work. I also haven’t been using any conditioner after shampooing, too, since Day 1 because I wanted to experience the full effect of Novuhair®.

What I Like about Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo and Novuhair® Topical Scalp Lotion

• The herbal shampoo really cleans my hair and scalp.
• Both the shampoo and scalp lotion have cooling effects on the scalp.
• I have no dandruff since I started using both products.
• Both products are made with natural ingredients that do not have harmful side effects.

What I Don’t Like about Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo and Novuhair® Topical Scalp Lotion

• After using the herbal shampoo, my hair gets so tangled, and it takes me longer to finish combing my hair.
• The scalp lotion leaves stain on clothes, so I always place a towel or cloth around my neck to prevent drops of the scalp lotion from touching my shirt.

Effects of Novuhair Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo and Novuhair®Topical Scalp Lotion

After more than 3 weeks of using Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo and Novuhair® Topical Scalp Lotion, I see new hair growing on my scalp. See the small hair standing up on my head?

New hair growing! Look, they’re standing up!
I also have a long scar in my head which was the result of a surgery I had in 2004. No hair has grown on that scar for 9 years. However, my helper who was the one applying the topical lotion on my scalp excitedly told me that hair is growing on some parts of the scar.

The scar line on my head with a few growing hair
If Novuhair® was able to grow hair in the bald spot of my head that hasn’t grown hair for so long, then it must be effective! However, I still have a long way to go before I grow a lot of new hair, and that means I should use Novuhair® Herbal Shampoo and Novuhair®Topical Scalp Lotion regularly if I want to achieve better results.

Suggestions/Recommendations

• I wish they would come up with a conditioner, too, so that my hair doesn’t get tangled after shampooing.
• I also wish they could lower the price of their products. Novuhair 2-in-1 in Watsons is priced at almost Php4,000. If they reduce the price, then more people can afford to buy it.

Beautiful Endings, Everyday with Cif: A Mother’s Day Event!

admin — Mon, 13 May 2013 08:34:36 +0000

A lovely pre-Mother’s Day treat awaited mommies at Abe Restaurant in Serendra, Fort Bonifacio last Saturday, May 11, 2013 as the Cif event of the year was unveiled. Hosted by Tracy Abad, the event entitled “Beautiful Endings, Everyday with Cif,” presented 101 ways to keep our homes clean, beautiful, and fresh-smelling. It also introduced the new Cif mom and brand ambassador Suzi Entrata-Abrera.

Delicious Lunch

After a short welcome speech and a brief product introduction, a hearty lunch was served. Our table was overflowing with food because we got two servings of each dish, and to think that there were only six of us in that table. I wasn’t complaining, though. Lol!

After a delightful lunch, Suzi Entrata-Abrera shared her own experiences of using Cif Cream to maintain a beautiful home. She added that Cif Cream is her favorite household product because it has helped her solve tough cleaning problems in their home.

Prizes and Surprises

There were also fun games, prizes and surprises for everyone. Guests were asked to take a picture of themselves, of Cif Cream and of Suzi Entrata-Abrera and post them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to win exciting treats from Cif. The winners of these online contests have yet to be announced, but there were also event attendees who went home with their prizes, like Ms. Jinggay, for writing the most heartfelt Mother’s Day message to her mom.

Ms. Jinggay, Winner of a Sharp TV

Ms. Cindy Domiguez, winner of Domex Overhaul Search
Winners of the Cif Mom Search were also present to receive their prizes.

Product Demo

There was also a product demonstration showing how Cif Cream is better than its competitor.

Guests were also asked to try cleaning dirty surfaces with Cif Cream to see for themselves how effective this product is.

Before and after using Cif Cream
Cif Cream and Its Latest Campaign

Cif Cream is a revolutionary non-scratch surface cleaner that aims to help moms everywhere achieve beautiful homes. Its latest campaign, “101 Beautiful Endings with Cif” highlights the product’s effectiveness even with the most stubborn dirt and stain.

While Cif Cream is made for tough cleaning, it’s still gentle enough to use on practically any kind of surface. It comes in three variants: Original, Lemon and With Bleach. It can be used in the kitchen, the living room, the garden and even on dirty leather goods.

How to Use Cif Cream

Using Cif Cream is really simple. You only need to do three things, namely:

1. Pour a little amount of Cif Cream onto a sponge or directly onto the area to be cleaned.
2. Rub the dirty surface gently.
3. Rinse or wipe the product off.

Where to Use Cif Cream

Cif Cream can be used in the kitchen, bathroom, indoors, the kiddies corner, outdoors and many more.

• The kitchen – Use Cif Cream Original to remove stains on oven hobs and hotplates, get rid of limescale build-up around tap joints or inside the coffee percolator, clean the fridge and burnt saucepan or deep fat fryer and to remove stains from teapots and cups.

• The bathroom – Use Cif Cream with Bleach to remove dried-on soap from the ridges of soap dishes, to make your tile grouts look new again, to get rid of heavy stains from basins/taps/baths and to clean your shower curtain and the sliding doors of the shower.

• Indoors – Use Cif Cream Lemon to clean your telephone/vases/door handles/flip-flops, get rid of tobacco smell from ashtrays and remove food and drink stains from your plastic trays.

• Kiddies corner – Use Cif Cream (without bleach) to clean tricycles and baby’s car seat and remove paints from the walls. Use Cif Cream with Bleach to clean plastic bibs, plastic toys and the soles of trainers, rubber boots or waterproof leather.

• Outdoors – Use Cif Cream to clean your barbecue grill, garden furniture and tools, sports equipment, camping gear and the shutters, fences, railings and gates of your home.

As you can see, you can clean practically everything in your home using Cif Cream. There really are beautiful endings with Cif!

I will try Cif Cream in our home, too, and will let you know the results in a few days. Watch out for that Cif Cream product review and giveaway from this blog soon!

Ready for School with His Personalized Navy Apple Mint Medium Backpack

admin — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:07:03 +0000

After buying his books and school supplies last week, my almost 7-year-old son told me he didn’t want to use his stroller school bag anymore because he said he is no longer a little boy. He actually wants a backpack to use when school opens again in June. Indeed, my boy has grown up so fast! His shirts have gotten tighter, and just the other night, he complained that his pajama trousers have gotten shorter. I’m left with no choice but to buy him new things, and I would have to start looking for a good-quality school backpack.

A friend recommended Posy Lane for personalized backpacks, and that’s where I went first. It wasn’t easy deciding which backpack to choose for my son because Posy Lane has a wide collection of backpacks from toddlers to older boys and girls. Of course, I consulted my son on what color and style he likes. After an hour of debate, we finally agreed to have the Navy Apple Mint Medium Backpack.

Front and back views of the Navy Apple Mint Medium Backpack
Created with colorful border designs, the Navy Apple Mint Medium Backpack ($23.25) measures 15” x 13.5”. The size is perfect because my son has more books this school year. We put his 8 new books, but there’s still a lot of space to fill, so we placed some clothes inside, too, just to see how much stuff this backpack can accommodate. Amazing! This backpack can carry a lot!

Trying on his new Navy Apple Mint Medium Backpack
This backpack is also versatile and multifunctional; it can be used as a school bag or a camping bag. It’s made of sturdy nylon, too, so I’m assured that it will last long. It can also be personalized with your son’s or daughter’s name. I had my son’s name sewn onto the upper front portion of the backpack so that there’s no chance of others mistaking this bag for their own.

I’m sure my son will enjoy going to school more because he’s now the proud owner of this Navy Apple Mint Medium Backpack. That’s one task done, and two to go! Now, I’m going to look for personalized lunch totes and bigger pajama pants for my boy. Wish me luck!

Microsoft and McDonald’s ‘Paint and Celebrate’ Promo for Mother’s Day

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:16:31 +0000

Microsoft Philippines partners with McDonald’s Philippines to enable kids to use technology to express their love and gratitude to their moms this Mother’s Day by launching a promo called ‘Paint and Celebrate’. The event was held today at McDonald’s Greenbelt 1 Store.

According to Mae Rivera Moreno, Windows Business Lead of Microsoft Philippines, “The touch devices and apps we use and access nowadays can be a tool for parents and their kids to learn more, bond, and share fun moments together. We are delighted that McDonald’s is a partner in making Mother’s Day celebration more special by bringing out the creativity of our kids through Windows 8.”

“With our partnership with Microsoft Philippines, we are giving families more reasons to celebrate at McDonald’s. We are very happy to offer our bright and creative kiddie customers a fantastic new experience in our stores,” said Rommel Ong, McDonald’s Philippines Marketing Director.

‘Paint and Celebrate’

‘Paint and Celebrate’ allows kids to access the Windows 8 app called “Fresh Paint” that will help them create cute greeting cards for their moms. Below are some of the masterpieces of the kids who tried Fresh Paint.

‘Paint and Celebrate’ also gives children the opportunity to enjoy and bond through an exciting McCelebration party.

How to Join ‘Paint and Celebrate’ Promo

Joining the ‘Paint and Celebrate’ promo is easy. Parents and kids can simply visit selected McDonald’s stores in Metro Manila all weekends of May from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and avail of any value meal and a Happy Meal. Kids will then be given a coupon with instructions to go to the Windows 8 station to create their masterpieces. By the end of May, 60 winners will each take home a McCelebration party worth Php5,000, and for the grand draw, one lucky kid will win a brand new Acer Windows 8 device. All winners will be determined through an electronic raffle. The artworks of all the winners will be posted as well in the Facebook pages of Microsoft Philippines and McDonald’s Philippines.

Advantages of Windows 8

Parents will surely like Windows 8 because it has integrated Family Safety features which allow parents to keep track of when and how their children use their Windows devices and to set limits on which websites, apps, and games the kids are allowed to use. Parents will also get an activity report from Family Safety that summarizes how much time the child spent on the PC, the websites they visited and the games or apps they used.

Learn more about the ‘Paint and Celebrate’ promo and list of participating stores by visiting Windows and McDonald’s Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/windows and www.facebook.com/McDo.ph.

New NESCAFE 3in1 Original: Review and Mini Giveaway!

admin — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:11:16 +0000

My 61-year-old mom whom we fondly call “Nanay” makes perfect coffee. She knows the right amount of coffee, sugar and creamer to make a steaming cup of one of the best-tasting coffee I’ve had, and as far as I know, she used only one coffee brand: NESCAFE. I forgot my love of coffee during the first few months of my marriage because I simply couldn’t replicate my Nanay’s coffee. It’s either I put too much coffee which made it bitter or I put too much sugar which made it too sweet. My love affair with coffee was revived when I saw NESCAFE 3in1 Original in the grocery aisle one weekend. I tried it, and I loved it! It was as good as Nanay’s coffee! I thought nothing could be better than that, but I was wrong!

When I bought several packs of NESCAFE 3in1 Original at the grocery store last year, I noticed the word “New” in their packaging. I was delighted to see that they’ve increased the gram size to 20g, meaning it’s now 20% more! What’s more, the new NESCAFE 3in1 Original now has “smooth foam.” I wasted no time in trying out the new NESCAFE 3in1 Original and found out that it has outdone itself in terms of taste, consistency and price. It tastes so much better! For only Php6.00 per sachet, I get to enjoy the richer coffee taste and smooth foam of the new NESCAFE 3in1 Original.

Their TV commercial entitled “Akala,” featuring Parokya ni Edgar and Zendee Rose Tenerife (the discovered karaoke girl), says it all: The new NESCAFE 3in1 Original is bigger, bolder, and more delicious!

They also have a new viral video featuring Ramon Bautista and Parokya ni Edgar. Let’s watch it!

Now, here’s the exciting part! Five lucky readers of Pensive Thoughts will each get a gift pack containing 10 sachets of NESCAFE 3in1 Original and 1 NESCAFE T-shirt. Here’s how the T-shirt looks like:

All you need to do to win this giveaway is guess this “mystery sound.”

Hint: Kids love shaking this, especially when it’s full! Adults like giving this thing to kids as a gift to teach them the value of saving money.

This mini giveaway is open to Philippine residents only. This giveaway starts today and ends on May 15, 2013, 12am, EST. The winners will be notified via email after the giveaway has ended. If the winners have not contacted us within 48 hours, then new winners will be drawn.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!