Saturday, May 18, 2013
Get ready for Museum Mile Festival
Save the date: JUNE 11, Tuesday from 6-9 pm is this year's Museum Mile Festival. Come on down and enjoy New York City's biggest block party! Fun and art rule the 23-car free blocks (5th Ave between 82nd to 105th St.) alongside live bands and entertainment. Admission to museums along the mile is free from 6pm to 9pm. This cultural event should not be missed!
Friday, January 20, 2012
2012 NY Winter Restaurant Week

Wednesday, January 14, 2009
NY Winter Restaurant Week
Lunch and dinner fares for a three-course, prix-fixe meals remain at $24.07 and $35 respectively. I learned that this year, for the first time, many participating restaurants are adding Sundays to this culinary event. It only gets better!!!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Download a free copy of Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan
If you would like to have a better sense of how to take control of your personal finance, enrich your financial knowledge and be more money savvy, download Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan now!!!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Beauti-Fall Weekend


Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Do unto others...

Tonight, the lady in front of me handed me a coupon for the popcorn that I had in my cart. Just like that. She also told me that today is a triple-your-coupon day. What a treat! I just thought it was sooo cool!
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. - Aesop
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Pearl of the Orient Seas
This visit was really just to be with family. We met up with dear friends as well. So much to do, so little time. We made sure Andrew had his taste of the Philippine scene. We did a pictorial in historic Intramuros. We took him to Manila Ocean Park, which was amazing. A family outing to Zoobic Safari was also arranged to celebrate two of his cousins' birthday. We also dropped by the 29th Manila International Book Fair, where I got him numerous bilingual (filipino-english) books. After a family day at the farm in Pao, we did a quick side trip to the Monasteryo de Tarlac in the Lubigan Eco-Tourism Park. The view was breathtaking! It. is. beautiful. up. there. You should visit!







Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Today's High: My Grocery Savings
So I wanted to talk about coupon power. It started out at BJ's where I used 10 coupons (manufacturer's and in-club) and saved $26.25! I had $5 off a box of Pampers baby dry, another $5 off Pampers wipes, $4 off Pampers cruisers, $4 off Tide and Downy, $2 off Nesquik, etc. Add $11 of instant rebates, and voila, a total of $37.25 extra savings! I'm a happy camper! This is the main reason why I selectively clip coupons to complement my shopping list, and very *seldom* leave home without it.
BJ's (and other warehouse club) prices are much less compared to regular grocery store prices because of bulk packaging. To lower the *lower* price is what I call savvy shopping. 'gotta trim our outlays.
Off to Waldbaum's next, viewed the circular and weekly specials, breezed through the aisles, picked this sale item and that, checked-out, used my valued shopper club card, and ka-ching, saved $40.75.
Last stop: CVS. 'needed Infant Motrin. 'shaved $1 off with my coupon, and somehow earned $1 of CVS money by using my Extra Care CVS card.
Truly, a great day of savings for me. No matter what other people say about loyalty club cards being a ruse and not really saving you money, I don't give a hoot. I know my products and how much they're worth, and I sure know when they are priced high, priced right, and priced-to-be-grabbed.
Hi! I'm Faye, and I shop smart.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Are you a fan of Rachael Ray?
('got this invite from one of my mommy groups.)
Send e-mail to:rrtickets@kingworld.com
You are invited to attend a special taping of the Rachael Ray Show!!!!
**THIS IS NOT A TICKET**
In celebration of Rachael's 40th birthday, we are having a special themed show and are inviting audience members who are turning 40 years of age to attend this special taping of the Rachael Ray show to help share Rachael's big day.
We are looking for Men and Women who are 39 years old (born in 1968) and /or turning 40 years of age between August- December only!
Please only reply back if you meet this requirement. Please note that this is a special one-time themed show to celebrate Rachael turning the big "4" "0". For this show ONLY, we will be admitting only those guests that meet the above requirement.
If you don't meet this requirement, we encourage you to apply to be a guest on another day, please visit our website at rachaelrayshow.com
Please reply with the following information:
Your name: ________________________________
Show Date: Thursday August 28th at 10:15 am
Number of tickets requested (4 is max): __________
Confirm that all guests meet this One-Time Age Requirement of being 39 years of age and/or turning 40 years old by the end of the year:___________________
(All guests must be 39 or turning 40 years old with valid identification for this special themed show. Photo ID's will be required for entry, No exceptions!)
Cell Phone/Daytime Phone: ____________________
Email: _____________________________________
Please include "RACHAEL RAY -"40th Birthday Show" in the subject line of your reply email.
We look forward to hearing from you soon and we are excited for you to be part of this special taping.
* After you reply, you will receive an email ticket for the showwith more information on Wednesday August 20th
PLEASE NOTE: This is a special taping for "Rachael's 40th Birthday" Only guests who are 39 years of age and/or turning 40 this year will be admitted. Even with confirmation, all Rachael Ray tapings are first come, first serve and admission is not guaranteed.
Rachael Ray
Audience Department
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
NY Restaurant Week is on until Labor Day
Here's what calmed our grumbly stomach:
For dessert, they had teeny-tiny offerings of a bite-size brownie and some candies. I don't know, for some reason, it screamed at us like "Come on, what would you expect? It's Restaurant Week, people!" We ordered tea and called it a day.
My friends rave about Morimoto ("five stars! five stars!"), but they were there for dinner and they ordered from the regular menu. I'm sure the food was excellent. As for their RW lunch fare, we've really had better.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Bronx Zoo's toyland
From August 18 to 24, Fisher-Price will be hosting Play Week at the Bronx Zoo from 11 am to 4 pm each day. It will feature a super-sized playpen with lots of toys, a driving track, a vanity station for some arts and crafts, and special appearances by costume characters. A free gift bag with activity booklet and the new Planet Heroes DVD awaits each child visiting the play area. We've now booked that weekend for a playdate. :P
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Live ...at the New York Hall of Science!
There were two television shoots over the weekend, and I can choose to attend one or attend both. On Saturday (7/19, 8:30-10am) CBS-TV will be filming live weather segments in the Science Playground while on Sunday (7/20, 5:45-9am), ABC-TV will do the same in the Hall's special exhibition, Magic: The Science of Illusion. I emailed Mary back to let her know that Andrew and I were interested in joining the Saturday shoot, and half an hour later, I received her confirmation. Mary also made a note to "dress your child in bright colored-clothing with no logos or words" and that "solid colors work best".
Albert has a scheduled eval and won't be able to join us, so I asked Mama if she'd come with us instead. The doting Lola, of course, is available.
July 18, 10pm. 'got the diaper bag ready. Still unsure which shirt Andrew should wear the next day. Tough call!!! All the brightly colored ones had logos in 'em. Would have loved for him to wear his orange or his blue Mets shirt. My other option was to have him wear a striped shirt. Would the yellow and blue stripes look better than the blue and pink stripes? Or would I settle for the soft lime green shirt? Man, I started to think how I'm making a big deal out of this. Fine, the green shirt it is (but I will bring the striped shirts, just in case...). Stars need a change of outfit after all, right? *lol*
July 19, 7am. I was up earlier than usual. On a Saturday! Hey, for the love of TV, hahaha. At 7:15, pupungas-pungas pa ang mag-ama. 'got myself ready, then I prepared Andrew's breakfast. He seemed to wonder why his morning routine is 1 1/2 hours off. Anyway, we were out the door by 8:05 and parking in the museum grounds by 8:20. We were ushered into the Science playground, where Mary welcomed us. Free breakfast for all attendees. Nice. Andrew was all set, but I needed my caffeine and I was not sure if Mama ate something before we left.
By 10am, it was a wrap. As soon as we got home, we reviewed the recording of the show and ta-dah... here's our few seconds of fame.
(to follow once Tatay has uploaded it on YouTube)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
It's time again for NY Restaurant Week!
Hot off the press tip from OpenTable.com!!!Mark your calendar for NYC Summer Restaurant Week 2008:
July 21 - 25 and July 28 - August 1
Eat and be very merry! Make your reservations early (I'm serious!). As soon as I saw the email, I tried booking a late lunch at Asiate but "no tables are available within 2 hours of my 2pm request." Whatev.
For two weeks, experience NYC's finest restaurants and pay only $24.07 for a three-course lunch (or $35 for dinner). IF you stick to the menu (and drink water instead of wine or some cocktail), even with tax and gratuity, you're still paying a fraction of the usual price. IF you lack self-control like we do ("Yes, I'll have a gewurztraminer and..."), you may see a spike in the bill. Nonetheless, I still love, love Restaurant Week because we get to try out dining hot spots that are usually out of our budget. We choose our picks based on these criteria:
> $$$$ price category (which means we wouldn't normally eat there unless it's restaurant week) > place comes highly recommended
> location (e.g. River Cafe) or history of the place (e.g. One if by Land, Two if by Sea)
> we know the chef (the chef doesn't necessarily know us)
RW could be a hit and miss. Since 2002, the restaurants we've tried had us feeling good and happy about the food and the service (except at Inagiku last year). We've had...
the best time at Terrace in the Sky
the most romantic date at Josephs Citarella
the best steak at Smith & Wollensky and Delmonico's (Restaurant week aside, our personal faves are Uncle Jack's and Peter Luger)
We'll see if Morimoto will be in this special list after July 24.
And feel free to share your RW picks with me.
Note: Learn more about the NY Restaurant Week.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Download a free copy of Women & Money by Suze Orman
You read that right! But hurry, you only have until 8/7c tonight!!!Download it here. *
Empower yourself and control your destiny! Have a great day!
*IF you missed the free download time period, email me at pambatangpinoy[at]gmail[dot]com. Ipapadala ko na lang as attachment and kopya ng aklat.
Note: Free download, courtesy of Oprah.com
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
New York Hall of Science review
I signed on as a member and for the next two years, we'll have:
> unlimited access to the Hall
> free parking in the on-site lot
> admission to more than 250 other museums worldwide
> borrowing privileges from the Science Technology Library, and
> discounts on subscriptions to FamilyFun and Disney Adventures magazines.
I think it's worth it.
Pros: friendly staff, interactive exhibits, indoor and outdoor cafe (you may bring food)
Cons: street parking if you are not a member (or pay $10 for parking), additional $4 to get in the science playground

mirror room & bubble fun in the hall

preschool place
preschool place
Friday, May 30, 2008
Oh yes, The Years Are Short
'saw this video here. It's by Gretchen Rubin, a NY-based writer. Check out her blog and embark on a happiness project of your own.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Here Kitty Kitty!
Kitty party... Paluwagan... Jam-ia... Sou sou. Whichever way it is called, it's a means to save money. Here's more:
Kitty, in India (and this is according to Tarun), means a pot of money. The Dictionary of Indian English has this meaning:
kitty party: n. a meeting of women where chits are arranged or gossip is exchanged.
chit: n. a financial scheme in which a group of people put in a fixed amount every day/week/month and one of them gets to collect the entire amount by lucky draw each time.
Note: There's 10 of us in the group. 8 women and 3 men. The promoter (and promotor) coined it kitty party...as per Tarun. So yeah, technically, it's supposed to be a meeting of women. But hey, we're all women! Chits are exchanged. Check. Gossip is exchanged. Check. Unique drawings are held. Check. Kitty party all the way!
My mom has something similar in their school, and they call it Sou sou. I went, "su... what??" :P
Fine, count me in. :) The more "diversified" I am in my savings, the better. The Urban Dictionary has this to say:
Sou Sou
A savings arrangement where a group of people each pool an equal amount of money for a period time (month, two weeks, etc) and after that time is up, one person in the group gets all that money. They keep doing this till everyone gets their turn and receives that full lump sum at least once. It's not a pyramid scheme, no one loses as long as everyone's trustworthy and puts in their share. It's just a way to hang on to money by putting tying it up into something else temporary. This is popular with 1st-gen Carribbeans, South Americans, Africans, and maybe someother people. Just a way to save money up if you can't get a small savings account, aren't in a credit union, or don't want Tha Man all up in your business.
Note: My mom's group draws the monthly "winner" in the beginning of the Sou Sou. You'll know when to expect your share. You can also request (or switch) for a slot, if let's say you need the money by a certain month. With mom's help, I got the March money pool (I needed it for Andrew's birthday party). Aren't they great?
On to our Filipino version, the Paluwagan. I say, who hasn't joined one??? Same premise: contribute money to a pool on a monthly basis, and the lucky member for the month gets to enjoy the money. It's repeated until all the members get their fair share. I was teasing a friend of mine who didn't know about the paluwagan (or is it more like, patago) that was so "in" during our elementary and high school days. I told her, she probably didn't need to do it anyway. Meanwhile, there I was... often a part of the class savings program. I even got assigned the responsibility of keeping the money safe (which, let me tell you, now that I look back at it, was difficult to do during those years). Look, you got extra cash in your possession... you're young... wouldn't it be convenient to borrow some of it to buy stationery for your collection, or to get yourself a bottle of Denenes? You tell me! Nah. Let me pat myself on the back... good thing I was the responsible class VP and I was also a legionary... no hanky panky.
Okay. So back to my win. What do you say I now do with the money?
Monday, May 5, 2008
Tea... and the Kitty Primary!
4th Kitty Party was held at Sarabeth's. The thought of 'afternoon tea' thrilled the kitty hopefuls. I long wanted to experience a full tea service, not the typical before or after-meal tea in Chau Zhou or Silver Pond. You know what I mean... When Kathy voiced out the plan, I was looking forward to this monthly meet and then thought about the dress code. Darn, would dressing up be part of the plan? We were all relieved to know that it's going to be a casual afternoon tea treat. No white gloves. No chic hats. No lace and frills. Come as you wish. For April, incoming host Mel planned an elaborate Kitty Primary. Yup, check out the theme from this avid Hillary follower:
1. Brunch or Dinner?2. April 12 or 19?
Your votes must be received by March 31 or else your vote will not count.
Senator Rommel
Here is the result:
It will be dinner on April 19, 2008.
Hill Country30 W 26th St between 6th Ave/Broadway
The convention will be at:
Hill Country30 W 26th St between 6th Ave/Broadway
If you want to check their website: http://www.hillcountryny.com.
(Ashton Kutcher and company had their after party here)
Senator Rommel
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Funny, I get it!
Another email from A. Subject of the forwarded message was "New York is in the building." --I wonder why? :PYOU KNOW WHAT A 'REGULAR' COFFEE IS.
IT'S NOT MANHATTAN...IT'S THE 'CITY.'
YOU MOVE 3,000 MILES AWAY, SPEND 10 YEARS LEARNING THE LOCAL LANGUAGE AND PEOPLE STILL KNOW YOU'RE FROM BROOKLYN, LONG ISLAND OR THE BRONX THE MINUTE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH.









