coffee break: bikini babe

How does one have a vavavavoom body this beach season?

My answers are in three categories. Lose weight, keep those cellulites at bay, and on hitting the tempting beach itself.

A. You should probably started these as your new years resolution to see the results this summer:

1. Ditch your morning fat coffee for green tea. Have at least 2 cups a day to make it effective.
2. Squeeze lemon to your meal (rice or viand). The citrus boost help your body burn fat faster.
3. Workout is not over until you have done your sit ups.

B. After shedding off those excess pounds, keep your ideal weight by:
1. Not skipping breakfast.
2. Eat everything in moderation.

C. And just before hitting the beach:
1. Avoid buying swimsuit at the last minute. Give ample time to shop, browse, invest in your size.
2. Know what flatters your body type. Flaunt your boobies in a halter top, accentuate your hips with an itsy, bitsy string bikini, and if you must wear a one pice bathing suit, make sure, every detail is ineteresting: beads on decolletage, daring backside, or even belted for ala-Dynasty effect.
3. Practice, practice wearing it. Walk around your bathroom. Check yourself in the mirror. You should feel glorious. Confidence is the key to knocking out a bikini.
4. Gone are the days when jewelries are attractive only to sharks. Dip with your hoop earrings and huge sunglasses for the moviestar appeal. (though use only what you can afford to part with)
5. Lastly, do not swim if you are more comfortable lounging on the sun bed. Just make sure you have the tallest, most exotic beach cocktail drink available. Have fun!

coffee break # 14

Happy Thursday people! Andreas is watching a brilliant baby video while munching a piece of large peeled-apple. I grab the chance to join my other favorite meme. This week's Coffee Break asks

What are the simple things in life that make you smile?

I share with you my list.
1. my darling Ceasar
2. my big, big Andreas
3. Hubby and Andreas playing
4. a bottle of beer
5. a bubble bath
6. Christmas carols
7. a rainy day
8. Norah Jones' music
9. breakfast in bed
10. flowers in bloom

coffee break # 13

Since the BER months has arrived, this weeks coffee break asks

What do you love most about Christmas?

Ooh i can go on and on about this topic! I love Christmas and everything about it. I love shopping and wrapping gifts. I love decorating our home with ornaments and huge Christmas tree. I love the smell of a busy kitchen for the noche buena. It will be my son's first Christmas and i am excited how we are going to make it special for him.

And after Christmas, we still have something huge to celebrate because our Andreas is celebrating his first birthday on the 26! I can't wait hahaha. It is still three months away but i am now thinking and searching for the party venue.

coffee break #12

This week's coffee break asks

How will you keep yourself busy in the middle of a traffic jam?

We bring Andreas with us wherever we go so i guess the question is how do i keep my little darling from getting bored inside the car?

I bring his current favorite toy (which is a cuddly bulldog we bought from Ikea), and teether. We listen and sing along to his nursery rhymes. And now that his vision is as good as that of an adult, hubby and i tell Andreas what we see along the way. We explain to him the colors of the stoplight. When it turns green, we go. It is red now so we stop. We tell him the colors and size of the SUVs we see. Sometimes we even name the exotic cars we pass by hihi. We encourage him to enjoy the sight of the huge fountain at the roundabout. Sometimes he listens quietly, and sometimes he just sits silently enjoying the lights. Yes, he loves it especially when we travel at night.

All that keeps us busy and entertained in the roads of Dubai, where traffic is just as worse.

coffee break # 11

Reminiscing time on today's coffee break.

Back in high school, what were your usual worries and fears.

I had my secondary education at a public school called Batanes National High School (main). It is only a 10 minute walk from our house so i do not worry about fare and commuting. Instead, i worried about what to wear on Wednesdays because it is not a uniform day and i am bound to meet that senior crush in the corridor. Yay!

I feared flunking my chemistry because our teacher has a very soft voice and my bestfriend and i were seated far back of the class room because we were the tallest in class.

I worried about what college course to take. If i could turn back time, i should have insisted Hotel & Restaurant Management hihi.

I feared at the thought of being alone studying college in the city. I've always been safe and content in the province and the thought of riding the jeepneys alone in the streets of Manila was most unpleasant.

I worried about UPCAT. I didn't want to go to any other university. And it was only what my grandparents can afford.

And the thought of Bret Hart losing that WWF Championship belt was most fearsome.

Silly me.

coffee break # 10

Today's coffee break, think food quality, service, cleanliness, and price, and parking (in case you're in Dubai)

Name three restaurants you highly recommend.

Since we are talking about where to celebrate one's birthday, these are the restaurants I recommend here in Dooobye.

If you are a family, the following are kid friendly for a Friday brunch.

1. Planet Hollywood in Wafi City. For AED85, you have access on breakfast station, soups, salads, li9ve pasta and sea food cooking, roast carving station, international main courses, waffles, pancakes, and dessert selection. There is an entertainment area with fun games and activities while the parents stuff themselves. (Valet parking)

2. Red Table Restaurant. This is a popular Iranian restaurant located only in Deira and Al Dhiyafa Road. They serve buffet every lunch and dinner time for only AED43. The staff, mostly Filipinos are very friendly and accommodating. There is a fountain and an aquarium that will keep the kids entertained. That is why we choose this as the venue for Andreas' baptism celebration. (car park is just beside the restaurant)

3. Ponderosa & Caravan in Deira. International buffet for AED50 inclusive of drinks and dessert. There is a huge car park in front of the building.

Now if it's only a dinner date for two, these are the following i recommend.

1. Seville at Wafi City. This is a Spanish tapa restaurant where you can dine in al fresco under the stars and moonlight and enjoy music in EspaÑol. You can have sea food paella and a litre of red wine for AED 99. Their stuffed mushroom ad potato wedges are a must too. Don't forget to bring a boquet of flowers to complete the mood.

2. Japengo at Madinat. We like anything Japanese so there is not much to say. I only recommend the one in Madinat because of the ambiance. Think dining in Venice with gondolas passing by.

3. Spice Island at Rennaisance Hotel in Deira. Name any liquor and they have it. With five live cooking stations for international buffet and sumptuous dessert selection, this is a must visit restaurant. Not to mention that they have been awarded several times.

coffee break # 8

A bright Tuesday morning everyone!

I am trying to make up for my missed coffee break sessions so bear with me for another entry. Andreas will wake up anytime now for his next feeding so i don't have enough time for another meme to break the posts.

I guess it's innate for us to somehow have a liking for songs that speak so much of love, whether it's returned or unrequited. Let's talk baduy in this week's coffee break!

What baduy love song do you like listening to?

Hehehe. Nice topic. I still have to meet a girl who doesn't like a song lamenting on relationships. I i like any heartbreak song no matter what genre. Yes, even Dixie Chicks' You Were Mine hahaha!!!

My all time favorite album is Come Away With Me by Norah Jones and all the songs are about loving and letting go. But that is a jazz/pop album so perhaps it is not baduy enough. That leaves me to pick one from OPM. My choices include Akap by Imago, Torete by Moonstar88, or Ikaw Lang by South Border (the soundtrack of Mulawin). But i guess nothing comes close to the first heartbreak song that struck me in high school. My friends then were going gaga over Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls and i was stuck with a casette tape of Color It Red. In between watching Bret Hart and his pink tanks on World Wrestling Federation, i was listening to Cookie Chua's Paglisan. Yay! And yes i still love hearing and singing the song to this day. Click the video below and join me for some karaoke time.

Join us for a weekly Coffee Break. Visit Jan's Bits and Pieces for more info. Till next entry!

coffee break # 7

While eating is something we all do, cooking definitely is a different matter. Some enjoy doing it. While some would prefer to simply eat. They say you have to be gifted to be able to cook great meals. So this week coffee break asks

What dish have you been dreaming to prepare?

Sushi. I would really love to know how to make one. Hubby and i love anything Japanese but boy they are so expensive and many times we have talked about preparing our own sushi that we even bought a sushi mat. Maybe when we get the chance, we will pick up japanese rice, avocado, crab meet, seaweeds, and just roll em all in the kitchen and hope it will end up like these...

Before i sign out, for those Japanese foodie addict like us, there is a nice little Jap restaurant called Ichiban in Bank Street (very near ABN AMRO building). You can choose from their sumptuous authentic Japanese menu and pay AED35 including a miso and iced tea (don't cringe, it doesn't taste like Lipton so you can bet it is Twinings haha). I say authentic because when we visited last Friday, there were a couple of Jap customers too enjoying their meal hehe.

If you wish to Join Coffee Break, head on to Jan's Bits & Pieces. Thanks for the continued visit. Ciao!

coffee break #6

This week's coffee break tackles about how one make ends meet with the soaring prices of commodities.

What is your budgeting secret?

Yay! I think hubby and i fall short on this haha. But since the baby arrived (that was four months ago) we made it a priority to save. When the paycheck arrives and before paying any bills, hubby drop us off to National Bank of Dubai to deposit. Our savings is divided into three: for Andre's education, and for a house, and a car when we go home to the Philippines.

As for our groceries, we do eat simply. We prefer steamed or sauteed vegetables. It is easy to prepare and healthy too. Perhaps, if we can no longer afford to buy rice, we will have potatoes and arabic bread. Or pasta. We both enjoy lamb chops which can be very expensive so we buy the meat and grill at home. Just rub it with salt, pepper and grill it along with lemon and onion and presto, it is not much different dining al fresco at the Palm Grill. If we must throw parties, we always opt for restaurants that offer buffet. We can invite as many people as we like and I know ahead how much it costs and how much more to spend for party favors.

For our clothes, i scour the shopping malls for S-A-L-E. You can buy polo shirt or dresses for as low as 35 dirham on high street stores like Zara, Mango, Debenhams, and H&M. I do the laundry on washing machine so we need cloth of good quality. Carrefour too and Hyperpanda offers great clothes of the season at a much cheaper price. As for Andre, his clothes, toys, and the rest of his stuff like like swing and walker mostly came from our friends. Also, I breastfeed him exclusively so we save much that way.

But here is one thing i learned from hubby. It is nice to save when you are capable of, but do not forget to help others too. Because when you do, you will never ran out of things to share. Giving means receiving further graces. Save a little for ourselves but do not forget to share your blessing to other people.

To sum up all of that means 1. Know your priority. 2 Learn your favorite recipe. 3. Give to receive.

If you wish to join coffee break, head on to Jan's Bits and Pieces. Thanks again for the visit!

coffee break #5

We are talking health this week on coffee break.

How committed are you to health and fitness?

Yay! My hubby is super disciplined on everything including what he eats. He eats anything and everything in moderation. Just don't hand him any junk food because they taste poison to him haha. As for me, I am a junk and fast food addict. I guess things just change for me when we got married and got pregnant. I had to eat vegetables, lots of fruits and everything healthy for my baby. Of course, i also want to live long enough to see my grand children so sweets and french fries (and anything else that feed the cancer cells) can reach my mouth only on weekends. Plus, alcohol maybe has got to go because a recent US study published says there is a huge link on alcohol consumption and breast cancer. I am still not drinking though because i am breastfeeding Andre but boy, i have looked forward to a drinking binge with my friends. I guess that plan has got to go. I have a family to take care of and i got two new bathing suits waiting on my closet.

Ciao everyone and thank you for dropping by. Visit Jan's Bits and Pieces if you wish to join our weekly Coffee Break.