Showing newest 9 of 15 posts from February 2009. Show older posts

He is a heartthrob and she is a phenomenal star. They both live a toxic life in the local showbiz industry, with pictorials, press cons, interviews and tapings left and right. Relaxation and pampering help strike a balance in their active lifestyle. And so together, Piolo Pascual and Marian Rivera agreed to endorse Blue Water Day Spa, the spa haven for people who want to relax and be pampered.

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Superfriend and I were two of the 10 lucky bloggers who were given a chance to meet Piolo Pascual and Marian Rivera in person as they graced the opening of Blue Water Day Spa-Capitol Hills Branch last February 24 (Tuesday). The spa center is strategically located at the posh Capitol Hills and Golf Country Clubhouse.The view of the well-manicured lawn (golf course) and the surrounding greens from the spa lobby is relaxing enough, what more if you experience the various spa services that promise to rejuvenate your tired mind and body? The concept of relaxation has never been this awesome.

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ribbon cutting ceremony


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facade of Blue Water Day Spa-Capitol Hills


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Piolo Pascual inside the Foot Spa room


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Piolo Pascual and Marian Rivera with co-endorser Coach Al Francis Chua

Piolo Pascual and Marian Rivera are both gorgeous and nice in person. The other bloggers, such as Ms. Noemi of Aboutmyrecovery.com and Earth of Earthlingorgeous.com, were able to interview the two while I was busy taking photos of the event.

Piolo Pascual, Marian Rivera, Kapuso stars, Kapamilya stars

Piolo Pascual and Marian Rivera during the interview by an ABS-CBN reporter

Reading from their posts, I learned that Piolo brings a personal masseuse to the set to give him a soothing massage every time he feels exhausted.This hunk really knows how to take care of himself. Marian Rivera,on the other hand,used to be a chubby girl but challenged herself to be what she is now -- slim and beautiful! When asked why she looks great, she reveals that she uses all the products she endorses. Oh well, we cannot deny the fact that she's truly blessed. That, despite the web of controversies surrounding her and her somewhat negative relationship with the media. In fairness with Marian,I find her humble and bubbly.

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with Piolo Pascual


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with Marian Rivera

During the event also, BWDS Vice President Francis Simisim chatted with the bloggers. He revealed to us his other plans for the company, including the opening of their Spa Hotel in Tagaytay (watch out for that!).He was very optimistic about it and I couldn't help to get optimistic, too since he will be launching more spa-related online contests very soon.

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the view outside BWDS-Capitol Hills


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the Superfriends in front of Capitol Hills Commercial Center

Blue Water Day Spa-Capitol Hills
Capitol Greenstreet Commercial Center
Capitol Hills Golf Annex Bldg., Capitol Hills Drive
Old Balara Quezon City

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I've just finished adding text watermark to photos using my ever-dependable Photoshop 7.0. Adding text watermark to photos is one of the best ways to keep your photos safe and secure. I was clueless at first on how to do it. Then I thought of turning to Google for help. I was lucky to have found several posts that explain in detail how to add text watermark to photos. I twitched the instructions and came up with my own easy-to-follow steps in doing it:

1. Open a photo in Photoshop. Use the horizontal type tool (T) and set the color swatch to gray. (RGB should be 128-128-128.)

2. Add the text you want to use as watermark. The font I used for mine (as shown in the photo below) was Franklin Gothic Heavy.

3. When you're done, position the gray-colored text to your desired spot using the move tool. Use your desired size.

4. The text you just made has its own layer. Now, go to Layer (from the top Menu). Choose Layer Style. Choose Bevel and Emboss.

5. Go to the layer palette and double click on the circled f symbol.

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6. The layer style will appear. Arrange the settings based on this layer style:

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7. Save your work using the .psd file extension for easy editing.

8. Check if the text watermark you've just created is in any way similar to mine:

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original photo

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with text watermark


9. If it is, then your work is a success! You now have a text watermark which you can use in protecting your photos from web users who do not clearly understand the concepts of copyright and photo crediting.

Remember that you can experiment with fonts but make sure they are visible enough when put on photos. To add your text watermark to your other photos, just copy and paste the layer style from your original work (the one in .psd file extension) to them.

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Prevention is always better than cure. In the fight against cervical cancer, which is the second leading cause of death among Pinays, early detection and prevention are a must. This is what Bravehearts, Glaxo Smith Kline Pharmaceutical Co. (GSK) and Campaigns&Grey are advocating and to which bloggers and civilians alike should show full support.

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Last February 21, a group of bloggers got invited to a seminar on the fight against cervical cancer organized by Brave Hearts & GSK through Campigns&Grey. Yours truly got invited through my ever gracious blogger friend Abbie. It was held in Bizu, a restaurant in Greenbelt 5. Right after the informative talk given by Dr. Rebecca Singson, target shooting at Armscor Shooting Center at Makati Cinema Square ensued. It was an afternoon of learning and fun as the bloggers fired one bullet after another to symbolize the fight against the dreaded disease.

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PRESS RELEASE

Bravehearts is a multi-sectoral coalition led by the Cervical Cancer Prevention Network (CECAP) and the Cancer Institute Foundation (CIF). It is dedicated to raising awareness on cervical cancer prevention and is currently supported by a growing number of women, including prominent personalities such as Sen. Loren Legarda, Rina Jimenez-David, Ellen Tordesillas, Atty. Gaby Concepcion and Suzi Entrata.

Cervical Cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide, with 500,000 new cases and 250,000 deaths reported each year. Over 80% of cases occur in developing countries including the Philippines, where it is ranked as the second most common cancer afflicting Filipino women. Yet few women realize that cervical cancer is actually treatable if diagnosed early.

Three Types of Cervical Cancer Prevention:

Single Visit Approach(SVA). This combines both screening and treatment in one session. It uses an effective, low-resource screening method called the Visual Inspection using Acetic Acid (VIA), a simple technique that uses vinegar to detect precancerous lesions on the cervix and requires much less equipment and time investment than a PAP smear.

Cryotherapy. This is a process where the areas with lesions are frozen using a common liquid coolant like carbon dioxide, effectively eliminating the abnormality and preventing possible progression to cancer.

Vaccination. GSK's cervical cancer vaccine provides significant protection for women against the two most common cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) types (HPV types 16 and 18) for nearly six and a half years, the longest duration of protection reported to date. In fact, the GSK cervical cancer vaccine does not demonstrate, at the moment, the need for a booster shot even after six years of vaccination. HPV types 16 and 18, together, are responsible for over 70 percent of cervical cancer cases in Asia Pacific. GSK's cervical cancer vaccine has also shown efficacy against persistent infection caused by 12 other cancer-causing HPV types beyond HPV 16 and 18. Designed for both young and mature women, females from 10 years old onwards can be vaccinated using GSK's cervical cancer vaccine.

Health is wealth. Investing in our health should be a primary concern. Remember that the quality of life we've always wanted depends on it. And speaking of that, I guess I better start saving up for my long overdue general check-up. :)

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What's a better way to disseminate information than inside the train where millions of commuters ride on each day? PCSO has recently joined the bandwagon of advertising in public places to promote its very own Kaibigan ng PCSO program.

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The Kaibigan ng PCSO program is designed to mobilize an army of volunteers and donors for a historic Nationwide Medical Mission that aims to service the country's 42,000 barangays in time for PCSO's 75th Anniversary celebration in September 2009.

If you haven't signed up yet to become a Kaibigan ng PCSO, sign up NOW through the PCSO website. Let's spread the charity (love) virus!

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Yes, this is an invitation. To all Filipinos out there, it's your time to show that you care. It doesn't matter which class, sector or gender you belong to, as long as you have compassion and good will, you are very much qualified to become a Kaibigan ng PCSO (friend of PCSO).

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Last Friday night, upon invitation by Yehey.com, I went to the official launch of the Kaibigan ng PCSO held at the PCSO Grounds in Quezon City. It was a grand ceremony attended by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) officials and employees, PCSO volunteers, media, bloggers and people from the nearby communities. As part of the bloggers group, I got seated near the stage and was able to take good photos. But more importantly, I learned a lot about volunteerism in the Philippines and the expanse of charity works the PCSO is into.

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The Kaibigan ng PCSO program is designed to mobilize an army of volunteers and donors for a historic Nationwide Medical Mission that aims to service the country's 42,000 barangays in time for PCSO's 75th Anniversary celebration in September 2009.

If you think charity work or volunteerism, for that matter, is boring, you're mistaken. Being a Kaibigan ng PCSO has some perks. Aside from travel opportunities, you'll be eligible for a PCSO Health Card which will include you to the priority list of PCSO for medical asisstance. (PCSO , as well all know, is the leading government agency for charity works.)

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with Sire and Superf (Thanks to Az for the photo!)

To become a Kaibigan ng PCSO, one must sign up through the PCSO website.

[EDIT: You can also enlist through PCSO regional offices and lotto outlets.]

I think it's about time Filipinos work together in spreading the charity virus to help our less fortunate countrymen in improving their lives. Touching lives has never been this fulfilling. I should be part of this laudable endeavor. I really think I should. :)

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Quote of the Day  

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"If you're giving anything to a select few, do it discreetly so that the others won't notice. Otherwise, you'll end up hurting their ego badly." ~Flugramus

Have a wonderful weekend, people! :)

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My Favorite Blue Water Day Spa Treatment  

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Update: This post won me a chance to meet Piolo Pascual and Marian Rivera in person at an exclusive Blue Water Day Spa event! They are the newest endorsers of Blue Water Day Spa.

When I was a kid, my mom would bring me to the manghihilot whenever I didn't feel well or I needed a massage to treat an aching body part.The manghihilots are our traditional masseuses and masseurs back then as they helped people relieve stress and heal their aching bodies. Fast forward to the present,the masseuses and masseurs are now found in modern spa places. Most of the time, they are professionals who have undergone training to master the different massage techniques to be able to provide world-class spa treatments to clients.

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reception area at Blue Water Day Spa-Ortigas Avenue Branch



Blue Water Day Spa is one of the modern-day spa places that offer world-class spa treatments, facilities and innovations. My favorite among them is the traditional Filipino massage(the therapeutic Filipino massage technique that’s internationally-known because of its calm and tender strokes). Not only does it brings back memories of childhood (my moments with our favorite manghihilot) but it also soothes my body like no other spa treatment can. The calm and tender strokes are like pills that make me daydream or sleep in no time. It must be the familiarity (the massage is very similar to that of the manghihilot from my childhood years) and the homey feeling that never fails to warm my heart.

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my Blue Water Day Spa masseuse


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the relaxing hallway at Blue Water Day Spa-Ortigas Avenue Branch

At P950, the traditional Filipino massage from Blue Water Day Spa is affordable. It's the same cost when you get a 4gb USB, a nice dress, a decent meal in a casual dining resto or a hot oil treatment from your favorite salon. There's nothing to regret as the positive effects it can give your body is priceless.

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me inside Blue Water Day Spa's spa movie theatre, the first in the world!

And what's a better way to tell my loved ones, friends and office mates about it than to bring them to the spa itself? If my online earnings continue to soar, I think I can treat them to Blue Water Day Spa on my birthday!

I'm also firm believer of the marketing strategy called "word of mouth." In this modern age, beauty and wellness are the usual topics in online and offline conversations. I can easily introduce the spa to them over coffee, through a chatty e-mail, an informative blog post, an inviting plurk or a Facebook announcement. To cap it all off, and to give them a clearer idea of what they can expect from Blue Water Day Spa, I'll show them the video below which I got from the vice president of Blue Water Day Spa himself, the very accommodating Mr. Francis Simisim:





Start living a healthy life NOW. Have a relaxing Friday, people! :)

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These days, I'm into DVD marathon. I don't go to bed without watching a DVD or two. During weekends, I get to watch more. Somehow, DVDs serve as my stress booster. I enjoy watching films in various genres, especially if the plot intrigues me. I hate plots that are predictable or have resemblance to some movie I've watched eons ago. Wanna take a look at the list of DVDs I've watched recently?

dvds, cds, vcds, movies


To make things a bit interesting, I'll grade each one to give you some movie suggestions. But then, I won't tell the reasons for my grades. It's for you to find out. Let me tell you though that I'm partial to action movies (i.e. futuristic and martial arts), especially if they're starred by my favorite actors. Enjoy!

PREVIOUSLY:

The Reader (Light Drama: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes).
In this award-winning movie, Winslet is at her best. I hate her character in the movie, though. Hanna Schmidtz has a pride the size of an elephant which deprives her of real happiness and acceptance. The Reader is set in the 1950's. Expect some sexy scenes.

My Rating:4 stars

Shaolin Girl. This movie proves that you can only achieve something if you're in control of yourself and that kung fu is more than just mastering fighting skills. Unbelievable showcase of martial arts. If you've never seen a fight on top of the water, you'll finally see one here with matching wave-like energies emitting from the bodies of the protagonist and the antagonist.

May Rating: 3 stars

Gene Generation (Action: Bai Ling). Futuristic and sci-fi themed as it is, this movie will give you an idea of how messy and chaotic our world can be years from now. Here, the love of a sister to her brother will triumph over evil.

May Rating: 3 stars

Death Race (Action: Jason Statham). Hard-core action is the strength of this movie. Expect a lot of violence, blood and sexy ladies. Jason Statham is my man! He drives like crazy and will drive you crazy with his charms, too.

My Rating:4 stars

The House Bunny (Comedy: Ana Farris). Even house bunnies can champion a good cause. Ana Farris of Scary Movie fame will prove just that to you in this sexy comedy that's full of teenagers and high school activities.

My Rating:2 stars

18-year Old Virgin (Comedy: ) Riotous and funny. A girl's journey to losing her virginity on the eve of her graduation. Raging hormones + booze = good sex. Good intentions + true love = great sex. Enough said.

My Rating:2 stars

MOST RECENT:

Thick Thieves (Action-Suspense: Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas). If it's a Morgan Freeman, then the movie has a say. A good combination of trust, betrayal, friendship and robbery also makes this movie a must-see.

My Rating:4 stars

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Light Drama: Penelope Cruz, Scarlet Johansson, Javier Bordem). Love has different meanings to different people. In this movie, you'll know the signs of an abusive and volatile relationship and how faith or love can be shaken by a mere unmindful act. Highly recommended for romantics with open minds. It has very few characters but very rich story. Love this movie!

My Rating:4 stars

Underworld 3. This prequel to the previous two Underworld movies presents a good take on the origin of the unending war between vampires and werewolves. I expected violence and more blood and I didn't get disappointed.

May Rating: 3 stars

Wicked Lake (Horror: ). It's a low-budgeted movie that's shallow and...never mind.

My Rating: 1 star

TO WATCH LIST:

Rachel Getting Married (Romantic Comedy: Anne Hathaway)

Revolutionary Road (Light Drama, Romance: Kate Winslet, Leonardo di Caprio)

Get Smart (Action-Comedy: Anne Hathaway, Steve Carell)

Marley and Me (Romantic-Comedy: Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson)

Australia (Romantic Drama: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman)

Edwin and I regularly go to our favorite DVD place (you know where!) to get new supplies. Usually, it's me who gets to finish watching all the DVDs we bought because my boyfriend is busy playing PSP and online games. Now I'm thinking if I should put up a blog solely dedicated to DVDs and movie reviews. Do you think it's a good idea? Oh well, I guess I should try to fix my schedule first. :)


Photo Credit: http://lifehacker.com

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A Relaxing Evening at Blue Water Day Spa  

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Last night was spent inside Blue Water Day Spa-Ortigas Avenue Branch's spa movie theatre. Superfriend and I, along with other bloggers, were welcomed by Mr. Francis Simisim, the statuesque president of Blue Water Day Spa and given a relaxing foot spa (with back, shoulders and head massages) through his pool of masseuses (clad in stewardess-like uniform) while watching Kung Fu Panda from a huge projector. It was one of those times when I felt like royalty, pampered and luxurious.

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me inside the homey spa movie theatre


My first Blue Water Day Spa experience was the prize I received after joining and winning their online contest. I was part of the lucky 28 bloggers who were able to enjoy the best offering of the spa. Aside from the free pampering, yours truly was able to meet new bloggers (some of them I have seen already in past events but never got around to chat with until last night).

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reception area at Blue Water Day Spa-Ortigas Avenue Branch


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the relaxing hallway


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Maricel, the masseuse who gave me a relaxing foot spa...thanks again!


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one of the locker rooms


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the huge projector inside the spa movie theatre (only blue ray movies)


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lazy boy seats in the spa movie theatre


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the intimate couple's room

From the tour of the place and the snacks to the photo-op and the massage itself, everything was pretty organized. I have to give it to the Blue Water Day Spa people for pulling off such a super fun night. Thank you very much, good luck and more power to you, guys! :)

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