5 Pick-Me-Up Tips to Lift Up Your Spirits.

In an ideal world, things will always go your way. There will be no traffic jam, the train will never be late nor packed, you can always buy whatever you want, and you will never gain a pound or two despite indulging your sweet tooth. But alas, an ideal world doesn’t truly exist and our daily reality can sometimes be tougher to navigate than how we hope it to be.

The thing is, experiencing these little bumps doesn’t exactly make life bad. Instead, you can think of them as little bursts of flavor that make your adventure a little bit more interesting! The way that we take pitfalls in stride is what makes the world of difference in how we manage them and so is giving in sometimes to situations instead of fighting them off.

If you need a little refresher that feeling BAD is not really all that BAD, then here are a few daily reminders that will surely turn that frown into a smile.

1. The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude. – Dennis S. Brown

Could this be any more true? It may sound cliche or even too idealistic, but it is how we take and give in to things that change the way we view and feel them.

2. Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. -Robert Louis Stevenson

This is the perfect reminder to all of us who can be a little tough on ourselves when we fall short of our expectations. Sometimes you win. Other times you just get to be a step closer to your goal. Both are okay.

3. Sometimes you need those bad days, to help you appreciate the good ones. – Unknown

Read that again. If every day is perfect, then what makes a good day… good? Appreciating your wins is so much sweeter when you’ve experienced losses, too.

4. I am learning to trust the journey even when I do not understand it. – Mila Bron

Not ultimately knowing where you are going or what’s coming next may be one of the most terrifying things in life. But it’s the element of surprise and the way that we enjoy the ride that makes life all the more special.

5. If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Yes, flavor. All the limitations we put on ourselves to make sure everything goes our way are the roadblocks that can make life black and white. Live truly and honestly by going through flavors. Bitter, sweet, or both, all are important in the great recipe of life.

When was the last time you allowed yourself to just ‘give in?' When you feel like the day is tougher than usual, tap on your inner child and remember how you used to handle your big emotions. For a lot of us, it is simply allowing ourselves to FEEL. That, or a bite or two of simply good ice cream.

The next time you are feeling down, get yourself your favorite Nestlé Ice Cream cold treat. The leading ice cream brand has never failed to make anyone smile with its quality flavors, one bite of which can turn a bad day into a good one.

Being the true champ that it is, Nestlé Ice Cream is making everyone’s summer extra special with its Great Ice Cream Sale. The promo, which will run until June 30 gives big discounts to cult favorites like Nestlé Temptations (Strawberries & Cream, Almond Brownie Fudge, Double Dutch, Cookies & Cream, Rocky Road, Mocha & Cashew), Nestlé Drumstick (Double Choco Vanilla and Ube Cheesecake), and Nobrelli (Choco-Keso-Ube, Choco-Manga-Ube, Choco-Pandan-Ube). This special treat is available when you buy in all leading supermarkets and Nestlé Ice Cream’s official Lazada store: Ice Cream Party PH.

If that is not a good sign that it is time for you to give yourself a break, then we don’t know what is. After all, ice cream makes everything so much better—though should you really wait for a bad day to have some? Go ahead. Indulge.

To stay updated on other promos, follow Nestlé Ice Cream Philippines and Nestlé Temptations on Facebook. You can also follow Nestlé Temptations on Instagram to add a little sweetness to your feed.

Make Your Product Stand Out.

Whether you are serving frozen yogurt, ice cream, sorbet or gelato, you need a container that will make your product stand out. Gelato Products offers industry standard ice cream cups that will show off your product at affordable prices. They pride themselves on competitive prices and fast delivery -with top-notch customer service.

Ice creeeeeeaaaaammmm!

Choose from an assortment of attractive containers in an assortment of sizes, colors, and designs. You can even personalize the paper cups you put your fantastic product inside! If you are environmentally conscious, there are earth friendly plastic cups that can easily be recycled as well as earth friendly paper cups in 12 and 16 oz. sizes.

The company has one of the largest assortments of cup styles. Pick a style that fits your color scheme or your personal taste. They offer octagonal cups in 200cc and 150cc sizes in pink, blue, crystal and green. Emerald cups come in brilliant colors - neon orange(150cc.) , neon pink (200cc.) and neon yellow (90cc). The regular round "rotonda" cup comes in yellow (90cc.), pink (130cc.), green (170cc.) and blue (210cc.). The smaller diamond cup comes in blue(100cc., 130cc., and 220cc.). For larger portions, you'll have the green (130cc.) and red (220cc.) size. The elegant fruit cup design comes in 4, 5, 6, 8 12 and 16 oz. size.

All that cuteness.

Don't forget the spoons! They come in either matching colors or a collection of pastel shades.

Custom logos can be printed on cups using 1, 2, 3 or 4 colors. Personalized ice cream cups is a perfect way to move your advertising message out into the public. Using a custom cup design is a simple yet cost-effective way to market your business and serve delicious desserts using the best ice cream cups available in the marketplace today.

There are exclusive offer benefits such as no minimum orders, 24/7 online access to the vast inventory of gelato products and frozen yogurt supplies, and FREE domestic shipping within the continental United States. Make your ordering experience a good one. Plus you can be sure that you're getting high-quality products at affordable prices.

Foodie Goodie | Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Blizzard.

Upon learning that Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is Dairy Queen's Blizzard of the month, I made a mental note to give this flavor a try the next time I pass by Dairy Queen. The opportunity came yesterday, as my friends and I were in Manila to do some Christmas shopping. We were at the 168 Mall, which has not one, but two Dairy Queen stores.

Anything with Reese's PBC, I'm sold! :)

Smooth and creamy soft serve blended with chunks of my all-time favorite Reese's PBC, this Blizzard is the perfect indulgence and the best way to cap a day of walking, haggling, and shopping. Truly, this is heaven in a cup! :)

Chocolate Reese's - heaven in a cup! :)

Reese's PBC Blizzard comes in three flavors - Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry, and four different sizes - Mini (Php 59), Regular (Php 69), Medium (Php 79), and Large (Php 109).

Blizzard of the Month.

Have you tried the Reese's Blizzard? What's your favorite Dairy Queen ice cream? :)

Foodie Goodie | Binggrae Ice Cream.

From yesterday's 26 degrees Celsius, the temperature dropped to 24 degrees today making the cold winds even colder than the usual. But the chilly weather does not and will not stop me from enjoying my favorite ice cream. In fact, I did the grocery today and bought a few packs of my beloved Binggrae. Good thing they're in stock at the Puregold branch nearby! :)

Korea's #1 ice cream brand, Binggrae is currently being sold in various countries around the world, including the Philippines. There are several ice cream products under the Binggrae brand, which includes the ever-popular 'Melona' ice pops. Launched in 1992, these melon-flavored popsicles have the bragging rights as the best-selling popsicles in South Korea with more than 280 million bars sold since its debut.

Melona!

Aside from ice pops, Binggrae also has ice cream bars and ice cream sandwiches in their product line. Personally, I prefer the ice cream sandwiches over the bars and pops and these ones are my (our) favorites.

Samanco and Melona Ice Waffle.

Samanco Ice Cream Sandwich is a fish-shaped, waffle sandwich. Inside the fish is a creamy combination of vanilla ice cream and red bean paste. This ice cream is actually based off a popular street food called bungeobbang, which is actually Korea's version of Japan's taiyaki.

Here fishy fishy!

If the red bean thing isn't to your liking, you may opt for the chocolate or strawberry-flavored ones under the Melona brand. They sell for the same price as the Samanco one - Php 47 a pop.

Pangtoa, on the other hand, is ice cream sandwiched in soft chiffon cake. They sell for Php 55 each and comes in three different flavors, two of which I have tried. I like how these ice cream sandwiches have just the right sweetness - not too light, not cloying either. Personally, I prefer the Cookies and Cream variant over the Choco Chiffon, though my son thinks otherwise.

Pangtoa Cookies 'N Cream.

Soft and moist chiffon cake + cookies and cream.

Pangtoa Choco Chiffon.

Chocolate in chocolate.

Well, there goes my diet! Haha!
Have you tried these ice cream brands before? What's your favorite ice cream?

Foodie Goodie | Nestle KIMY Ice Cream.

A bagful of goodies from Nestle Ice Cream arrived at my doorstep today.

Thank you, Nestle Ice Cream! :)

And when I say 'bagful', I mean it literally. This insulated bag was filled to the brim with the all-new flavors of Nestle KIMY.

KIMY overload! :)

This ice cream range offers the benefit of being good for the kids' health as their products are compliant to nutrition recommendation. Meaning, these ice cream products contain adequate levels of sugar, fat, and sodium, and have no artificial flavors.

A closer look.

Aside from that, Nestle KIMY come in unique shapes, eye-catching colors, and yummy flavors that kids will surely love. Here's a rundown of the KIMY variants that I received:

Top to bottom: KIMY Jelly Tongue, KIMY Krazy Banana,
KIMY Lollifuns, KIMY Chill Blast, and KIMY Popstar.

KIMY Chill Blast - The latest addition to the KIMY range, the Chill Blast is a refreshing, dual-layered, grape-flavored ice lollipop with a blast of cooling effect. One pack contains two lollies, with each lolly containing only 42 calories.

KIMY Popstar - Ice lolly with white chocolate coating and popping candies.

KIMY Krazy Banana - Vanilla ice cream covered with grape-flavored jelly peel.

KIMY Lollifuns - Multi-flavored ice pops that come in fun shapes and colors.

KIMY Jelly Tongue - Apple-flavored jelly pops.

My family and I enjoyed these fruit-flavored treats a lot. Even my grandmother, who usually stays away from overly sweet things, loved how these ice pops 'tasted like fruit, and had just the right sweetness'. But it was my niece who enjoyed the experience most of all. She had fun identifying the colors of the ice pops and eating them at the same time. Haha!

Many thanks to Nestle KIMY Philppines, and my friends from EON for these yummy gifts! :)

Little Miss Maggie and her 'gween' Lollifun.

Nestle KIMY products are available nationwide. They can also be ordered via Nestle's Party Package service if you want Nestle KIMY and other Nestle Ice Cream products delivered straight to your party or gathering. For more info, like Nestle KIMY's Facebook page or visit the Party Package website.

Foodie Goodie | Nestle Temptations Dutch Speculoos.

If I remember correctly, it was around this time last year when I first saw Flavors of the World in the ice cream section of the local supermarket. It's a range of premium ice cream under the Nestle Temptations line, with flavors featuring some of the best and most popular desserts around the world.

There are four different variants in the Nestle Temptations Flavors of the World line, including the newest addition - Dutch Speculoos. I had the chance to try this flavor, after receiving some samples from Nestle Ice Cream Philippines.

Goodies in the mail! :)

 They sent me two 800 mL tubs, plus an insulated messenger bag, and a post card.

Thank you, Nestle Philippines!

As the name implies, this variant features speculoos - spiced, shortcrust biscuits that originated from the Netherlands.

Dutch Speculoos.

Representing the Netherlands.

Tempting, indeed.

This speculoos-flavored ice cream is blended with ribbons of cookie butter ripple and cookie chunks. It's like your favorite cookie butter spread and cinnamon-spiced cookies rolled in a bed of creamy vanilla.

Cookie butter ripple smack dab in the middle. :)

It has a very creamy texture, with just the right amount of sweetness. Not over-the-top, not saccharine, and not cloying, either.

Ribbons and chunks.

Creamy! :)

So if you're doing the groceries this weekend, you might want to give this ice cream a try. It sells for Php 199 per tub, and is now available at leading supermarkets and convenience stores.

Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday.

Foodie Goodie | Olaf Ice Cream Dessert.

"Do you wanna build a snowman? Come on, let's go and play!" 
So goes the first two lines of the song 'Do You Wanna Build a Snowman' in the movie 'Frozen'. I took the little man to the movies yesterday, as a reward for acing all his quizzes for the past two weeks. We watched Frozen, of course, and it was really, really good. I say you go out and take your kids to see this movie over the weekend, too.

But before you head out the door, let me share with you this Frozen-inspired dessert which I found on Spoonful. It's a treat that's just too cute not to share with my readers. :)

Olaf Ice Cream Dessert

Ingredients:
White Chocolate Melts, about half a bag
Chocolate Candy Melts, at least 8 pieces
Pretzel sticks (for arms)
Orange Starbursts (1 per snowman)
Small candy eyes
Hershey's Kisses (or chocolate chips)
Edible food pens (blue and black)
Plastic squeeze bottle
Small craft/food brush (washed)
Parchment paper
Vanilla ice cream

Procedure:

1. Arrange all of your ingredients in bowls and plates for easy access.  On a flat working surface, such as a cutting board or flat plate, tape a large piece of parchment paper to the surface so it is flat and smooth and will not move while your work. If you are using chocolate kisses for the buttons, use a knife to shave down the sides.

2. Unwrap an orange Starburst and set it on the wrapper. Heat it in the microwave for 7 seconds. Take it out and allow it to cool- 15 seconds or more until it is cool enough to handle. Mold it into the shape of Olaf’s nose using your fingers. Set it aside.

3. Using a knife, splinter a few pretzel sticks to create Olaf’s hair.

4. Heat the white candy melts in a microwave safe bowl on 40% power for 25 seconds at a time until the candy is melted. Stir it and pour or spoon it into the cleaned and dried squeeze bottle.  Put the top on the bottle.

5. Squeeze out the white candy onto the parchment paper in the shape of Olaf’s head. You can use the food brush to smooth out the candy.

6. Use the edible blue and black pens to outline Olaf's eyes.

7. Squeeze out a second layer of candy over Olaf’s head, building up the candy near the top. Use the brush to smooth the candy then place 2-3 pretzel slivers for the hair and two candy eyes.

8. Squeeze out more melted candy under the eyes. Place a nose just under and between the eyes. Squeeze out more melted candy around the nose, using the brush to smooth. Allow the candy to fully dry.

9. Melt the chocolate candy melts in a small microwave safe bowl on 40% power for 45 seconds. Stir the candy until smooth. Clean and dry your food brush then use it to paint on Olaf’s mouth using the melted chocolate candy. Allow time to dry.

10. Clean and dry the food brush. Open the squeeze bottle and dip your brush into the white candy. Paint Olaf’s tooth in the top center of the mouth. Allow time to dry.

11. Scoop out two scoops of vanilla ice cream into a small bowl (stacked). Give Olaf three chocolate kiss or chocolate chip buttons and two pretzel stick arms. Peal Olaf’s head from the parchment paper and stick it on top of the ice cream. Serve immediately.

Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday. :)

Fruttare | It's All Good!

Today has been pretty awesome. I got paid for last month's writing gigs, worked on three new paid posts, received several event invites, did an interview for a Mother's Day feature article (thanks, Kumi!), and best of all, became Brand Ambassador for Fruttare!

It's All Good!

Made from real fruit and creamy milk, Fruttare is bound to be your best buddy during the hot summer months. Its vibrant colors, rich taste, and cold touch makes it the ultimate refresher. And it's all natural, too - no artificial colors, no artificial flavors. Just the goodness of milk and the colors of fruit blending deliciously in every Fruttare bar.

There are eight flavors to choose from: Mango, Strawberry, Lime, Orange, Strawberry & Milk, Coconut & Milk, Peach & Milk, and Banana & Milk. And would you believe that there's less than 60 calories in every Fruttare bar? Yep, you can indulge and it's all good. :)

Yummy flavors!

And in celebration of Fruttare's debut in the US, Grammy-Award winning superstar Ne-Yo and platinum-selling artist Cher Lloyd have teamed up to create an original song for the brand. The good part? Us fans are being given this rare opportunity to help create this song!  By simply sharing your 'it's all good' moments in Fruttare's Facebook Page, your happy thoughts and pretty pictures could very well be the inspiration for Ne-Yo and Cher Lloyd's song!

Car won't start? Ride a bike to work and get some exercise while you're at it! #itsallgood
Stuck in horrible traffic? Play games on your smartphone while you wait! #itsallgood
Significant other working overseas? Then what are video calls and messaging apps for? #itsallgood

These are just some of my #itsallgood moments. You know what I always say - imbibe postivity! Make the most out of a bad situation. Never let negativity bring you down. Make lemonade out of life's lemons!

How about you? Care to share your #itsallgood moments? :)

Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday. 

Foodie Goodie | Reese's PBC Ice Cream!

Who needs Magnum

when you have this?

Sharing the munchies on Food Friday, Food Trip Friday, and Yummy Sunday.

Tales from The Fridge.

The weather was totally unforgiving today. With the outdoor temperature rising to a staggering 37 degrees Celsius, I might as well be in the flaming tombs of Dante's Inferno.

Under the blazing sun.

The little man, seeing how irritable I was with the heat, the dust, the perspiration, and everything that has to do with summer, stepped out of the house and sat on one of the chairs in our garden.

Sitting handsome. :)

"Mommy, halika dito! Malamig dito!" (Mommy, come here! It's cool here!) he called out.

Ever so sprightly!

"Pag dumaan yung Mamang ice cream, ibibili kita," he offered. (I'll buy you ice cream once the ice cream man passes by.) But the ice cream man never came. Perhaps he chose not to brave the scorching sun.

Not wanting to let my son's big little heart down, we made a quick trip to the nearest supermarket just to score this.

My new favorite ice cream, next to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Anything with caramel, I love. Yue, on the other hand, likes this because it's named Bumble Bee.

Caramel is love!

Oh, those heavenly swirls of caramel! There are no words to describe how delectable this treat is!

Yue and I could have finished the entire tub in one sitting if we wanted to. But we saved some for tomorrow, lest the temperature goes up to 38 degrees. If that happens, the little man and I will just spend the entire day at the mall. Free airconditioning, no extra charge on my electric bill. Haha!

Sharing with Food Friday, Food Trip Friday, Yummy Sunday, Photo Story Friday, Shadow Shot Sunday, and Mommy Moments. (whew!)