29 cheap thrills

I'm happy with little things that I seemed so programmed with all my life. Simple, simple things that I consider, that perhaps to some, a luxury. Let me just start so you'd have an idea...


1. Burts' Bees Colony Collapse Disorder Lipbalm classic - I don't like lipbalm growing up, because of the greasy petroleum jelly-like smell and feel on the lips. Like any normal experimenting girl, I'd track on Chapsticks and Carmex because everybody was using lip balm and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about, but I wasn't crazy about these two products when I met Burts' Bees. I had the perfect excuse using it because I was always in and out of air-conditioned places and I get cold sores. The best thing about it is, the peppermint tickle my lips way longer than I would expect! When I wake up in the morning, it does wonders on making the lips so soft! I made my friends try it and they've been loyal to it eversince.

2. Johnson's Baby Oil in Aloe Vera - every after bath I use this to get the moisture locked in my skin and to soothe tired muscles after a long tiring day at work. Body lotion just wouldn't do for me. Oil also doubles as a lasting stretch to my cologne. I would pat this behind my ears, wrists, at my nape and collarbones and layer it with cologne and presto! It lasts the whole day because of the concentration of oil and alcohol.

3.Rayon - my pillowcases and bedsheets are made of this fabric. Cheap fabric actually. What I love about it, is its smooth, almost slippery surface that makes me fall asleep, my hands and feet are always happy.

4.Dinners-out, Lunch-Out with friends or family - I consider eating out a luxury because of the time my friends or family and me put in on the weekends or a spontaneous weekday. I'm a big believer of get-togethers and the most important conversations are shared around food.

5. my shoebox - yes, it's real,lol! It's not only something virtual. Whenever we move houses, this is the first thing I rescue from getting lost. I have a shoebox full of memories of friends, ex-boyfriends, jewelries, tickets, keys, snippets, notes, trinkets, and doodles. I open this once in a while, when nostalgia seems to hit big. It reminds me where I came from and what I did to deserve such beautiful words and valuable things. I don't plan to scrapbook it since it would be easy access to people who will accidentally stumble on it. The only shoebox I'd share to the world are my blogs, and that's how public I can get.

6. Beach - every chance I get, this is the place I love running and escaping to. The best relaxation for the mind. It calms and invigorates my nerves and kill stress.

7. my playlists - during work, travels or when I have to catch up with doing a few stuff, music needs to surround me to keep me in the mood

8. FB and Twitter - I get excited when there is so much mail to read that friends from long ago have somehow find their way to find me! My social calendar has never been full!

9. Flavors - vanilla, coconut, butter, raw sugar, caramel, cheese, custard, soy milk, pomegranates, almond are my basic flavors of sweets, funny that I never developed a liking for chocolate, but these flavors give me a natural high

10. Comfort Food - hard-boiled eggs in sauteed tomatoes and onion sauce, turbo roasted ginger soy chicken, bicho-bicho, sapin-sapin, basasong and bangus are my ultimate comfort food. These foods are staple when we were growing up. Nothing beats the a good childhood memory eating these.

11. DEC - Sundays are filled with these. My favorite Chinese Deli in San Juan is my eyecandy for a lazy Sunday morning with Carmela and Kuya Sid. My basket full of Chicken pies, soymilk, taro, maki, squidballs, hakaw, chili sauce and meatballs makes a good foodtrip.

12.MakeUp - I've developed a fascination with color palettes, mascara and lipstick since I was 5 years old. I would sneak in my mom's room and put makeup all over my face and pretend I'm an actress. Fast forward today, I go out wearing my cream blush and lip tint on an ordinary day. But if I have to dress to the nines, I know my makeup geography exceptionally well. They always ask me what salon I go to. lol!

13.Don Henrico's in Session Road - nothing beats an original. Their interiors changed a little. But I wouldn't have it in any of their franchises in Manila because the food here stays the same. Their chicken schnitzel and hand-cut fries are my weaknesses and their tiramisu block is an absolute handsdown!

14. my favorite websites - philippine entertainment portal, sephora, eonline, spot, and gossip girl are the reasons I slave a few extra hours on the net. They are so addictive to visit!

15. my Red Nike Mary Janes - they're like sporty ballet flats and in cherry red! It emphasizes how white and smooth my feet are. This is my favorite pair because during weekdays, I always find myself waling and walking to meetings in heels and wedge pumps, they just relax my tootsies from the harsh elevation of standing all the time for nearly nine hours.

16. Lacoste sports bag in Pearl Grey - my bestfriend hand carried this from London that's why the sentimental value is like a million pesos to me. Always handy and they match perfectly well when I wanna feel classy when doing outdoors-y stuff.

17. Suzie red piggy bank - I bought this at Humor Post and I just fell in love when the little pig had heart-shaped polka dots all over its body with a slit on its back,since I find it a hassle to bring lots of coins. I feed Suzie so she's get full.

18. Bvlgari's Petit et Mamans, Polo Woman by Ralph Lauren, Clean Fresh Laundry, Baby Girl, Victoria's Secret Pink, Woman by Paul Smith, Clinique's Happy Heart and Liz Claiborne's Curve - I live by these tried and tested scents, my exes, friends know how familiar these scents are and they almost always associate it with me.If I had a favorite it would include all of them.

19. Monthly Specials - my loot of magazines are a heap. From YES!, OK, Yummy, Food, Preview, Mega and Candy, I read articles about food, makeup and fashion.

20. Dove - I think I've used up all their selections but my most favorite would definitely be the Dove bar in Olive oil, smells delightful and does all the work for my skin without me having to worry about a single thing.

21. Food Reviews - I base my food finds on food reviews and I find joy that people get to try and share what they think of the food. As much as possible, I don't like repeating the same restos unless it's really worth going back to, I feel there's so much that my palate has to try.

22. Taho - my love affair with soy milk started with Taho. I just loved it so much I would wake up at 5 am everyday during highschool just to wait for Mamang Taho to pass by.

23. Lush, Milk bar soaps - When I take long baths, I use at least 5-8 soaps. Lush was an obvious hangout to go, the scents of different soaps were just too hard to resist. It's so rich and luxurious. I love peppermint, and butter soymilk soaps. HUMAN also offers milk soaps and I like their version of Almond Soap,so I good I love to eat it, lol!

24. Abonn Milk Bath Salt - I placed the milk salt in a jar unlabeled and kept it inside my drawer, my male co-works rummaged through it and took a spoonful and chewed it regretfully. Hahaha. Anyway, the milk salts are that good to smell. Perfect for exfoliating.

25. iPod - I just need pocket music everywhere!

26. Pill kit - my need of my daily medication is so important and I didn't want to keep peeling medicines from its wrapper, so handy

27. Bench Hand Sanitizer in Kiwi - I unconsciously hold on to railings, pull out money, taxi doors and hold Theo. So I need a pocket size germ killer that makes my hands feel fresh and clean when water's not available.

28. Lock n' Lock - my perfect baon companion for soup lunches and sauces. spill-proof!

29. Rosary - prayer is so important. And my Rosary is my weapon when I feel down and out, or happy and thankful