You’ve made it this far – good for you! It’s the last of the three-part series on living room savings and you’re about to see what my living room looks like now. (Check out the first and second parts of the series.) Excited?

Before I show you my living room, here are three more tips on how to save on living room furniture. Three more and you’ll see my living room!

Tip #6: If you can’t commit to an expensive couch (yet), settle for a less expensive settee.

A settee makes for a makeshift couch! It won’t cost as much as a sofa because it isn’t as long. But if you are determined to neither spend a lot on a quality couch norsettle for a substandard one that might droop after just a couple of months, a quality settee is a classy and affordable alternative!

The brand-new chaise longue I purchased cost me PhP12,500 – steep, given that it seats about two to three people. However, it’s made of quality foam and I expect it to last many years, not just a couple of months.

I expect this settee to stay with me for a long, long time. It’s better than a pricier yet more disposable sofa!

For me, buying it was better than spending the same amount of money on a cheap couch you usually see in the department store. Those aren’t made of quality foam, so they get deformed much faster. Prepare to bid your money farewell after just a few months of sitting on those cheap babies!

Tip #7: Substitute a single sofa with a cheap armchair.

A single sofa costs a whole lot more than an armchair. Although an armchair might not be as cushy, it’s not going to eat up your savings. It’s the perfect solution for the budget decorator!

This armchair was waiting for me under the sun, hoping I would notice it. I did! It now enjoys its second life as one of my favorite chairs, right beside my living room settee.

Just make sure the height of the armchair you’re eyeing is about the same height as your couch. Otherwise, it will feel out of place.

Tip #8: Can’t afford real windows? Fake them!

Not only could I not afford to have real windows installed, but I actually wasn’t allowed to because I was renting!

I needed the feel of windows. The solution: fake windows.

I bought these 13” x 38” mirrors for just PhP300 each!

I looked for cheap mirrors to install as fake windows and I found several at a hardware store for just PhP300 each. I painted their frames white and hung them on the wall. Voila, fake windows!

The space opened up because of the mirrors. It seemed brighter, too, what with the mirrors allowing the light to bounce around.

My Living Room: PhP29,000 Later

Finally, my living room is ready! Take a look at my living room and remember that everything you see cost me just PhP29,000. That’s less than half of what I thought I would be spending (PhP72,000)!

I saw the sharp spikes of the forged iron that crowned the eight-foot gates. I saw the barbed wire, strung in three parallel lines atop the high cement walls of the apartment building, then wound around in a horizontal spiral for good measure.

The apartment I wanted to rent felt like Fort Knox. I loved it.

I found the beautiful two-bedroom apartment with stone floors and a ceiling arch when I went house-hunting online. I remember crossing my fingers when I saw the ad, hoping the property provided enough security if I ever decided to rent it.

So, when I saw the almost-excessive way the property was protected against anybody who thought it was a good idea to jump over the walls, I knew it was “the one”. I signed the lease the very same day I went there for an ocular inspection.

Last night, a stranger banged on my door. I found out he was a burglar.

But four months later, a stranger banged loudly on my door, looking for a fictitious woman. (Is Jade here?) Based on the events that took place that night, it was easy for me to figure out one scary truth: The stranger who knocked on my door was scouting my new home for a potential home invasion.

“Knock-Knock Burglars”: The new modus operandi for akyat-bahay gangs

I was mad that the stranger even made it to my door in the first place. “This is the Fort Knox of apartments!” I thought. How did he manage to get inside the gates? (Answer: He rang the doorbell of the upstairs apartment and a clueless household helper opened the gate.)

You love your couch – it’s comfy and you can’t let it go. You see the thinning fabric and the sagging cushion, but you don’t have the heart (or the budget) to have it upholstered right now. I’ll let you in on a secret: There are 5 easy ways a cheap doormat can prettify an old or ugly couch!

I know, a doormat, of all things! But you’ll be surprised how it actually works.

Accident by design and design by accident

I discovered this by accident. I went to visit a mall near my new apartment a couple of days ago and I decided to do a little shopping. I really couldn’t afford expensive furniture and décor, which was why I decorated my living room on a budget in the first place (Spoiler: I actually saved PhP40,000 while furnishing my living room).

That was why I was so happy when I saw a few doormats with fresh, interesting colors. I also loved how the material used was much softer than those used in many other doormats I’ve seen in the past. Here’s the clincher: They cost less than PhP140 (about $3) each!

This doormat is worth under PhP150 (less than $3). I just love its texture!

I purchased a couple of those doormats. I remember reading somewhere that when you find something you really like but you’ve got no place for it at home, buy it anyway. If you really love it, you’ll find a place for it soon enough.

To be honest, I didn’t know exactly where to put them at first. They didn’t have anti-slip backing – with my cat always running around the apartment, I couldn’t risk placing the doormats on the floor.

I remember reading somewhere that when you find something you really like but you’ve got no place for it at home, buy it anyway. If you really love it, you’ll find a place for it soon enough.

The epiphany came when I got home. I’ve actually been trying to find a sturdy material – a scarf, a small blanket, anything - to put over my couch because its fabric is starting to thin out. I could almost see the cushion through the fabric, thanks to my cat who always makes it a point to sharpen his claws on the couch.

You can tell what happened next. Let me show you the five ways you can use a cheap doormat to add texture, color, and protection to an ugly or old couch which you can’t part ways with just yet!

It's February once again, which means we’ll be witnessing an interesting Valentine’s Day phenomenon once very soon: that of the semi-confused, semi-anxious, flower-toting men. If you're one of these men, I'll let you in on a secret: smart guys take their Valentine's dates to Banzai, the famed Teppanyaki theater and Japanese buffet restaurant!

Good man, your search for the perfect restaurant this Valentine’s is over.

Find out why it’s a super-smart move to bring your date to Banzai on Valentine’s Day! (You can thank me later.)

Banzai Japanese Buffet: 5 Reasons You Should Celebrate Valentine's Day at the Great Teppanyaki Theater

Expect men to flood the streets, looking half-happy for having scored the date they want on the day of hearts, yet half-embarrassed for having to participate in a ritual that their friends will tease them for in the days to come. If you're part of the clueless statistic and you don't know which restaurant to choose for the perfect romantic experience (minus the gag factor of excessive pukey pink Valentine's decor, of course), I'm happy to put you out of your misery.

That is, I'm willing to tell you where exactly you can bring your date! On February 14, head over to Banzai, the Great Teppanyaki Theater and Japanese Buffet. Here's why it's going to be worth it.

1. Going to Banzai this Valentine's will give you and your date something new to experience together.

Have you ever had chefs juggling knives right in front of you? No? How about people in elaborate costumes entertaining you with a Kabuki performance, which happens to be a traditional Japanese sing-and-dance show? No?

Well, you can always opt to watch a movie together, but you can't really look each other in the eye and talk out loud in the cinemas, can you? Banzai brings you the best of both worlds: theatrics plus the chance to bond and chat!

Tell me, isn’t this teppanyaki theater a great icebreaker? Watch the video and just imagine how your date will react to it when she watches it with you this Valentine’s!

An "it's meant to be" spoiler: This year, Valentine's Day actually falls on a Saturday - that means you get to enjoy the teppanyaki theater! (It's available only during weekends.) You might say it's a lucky coincidence; I say it's a sign.

2. You can finally pull off saying this cheesy line: "The Japanese food we are about to eat is authentic… and so is my love for you!"

Wait, say what now? You can have a zero-burger breakfast at Teddy’s Bigger Burgers, which happens to be – and this one is obvious – a burger joint?

You read it right! I was surprised when I heard the news – in a good way, of course. I can’t remember ever having burgers for breakfast but I love the burgers at Teddy’s Bigger Burgers. In other words, the fact that I can enjoy breakfast without burgers in a place known for burgers equals the best of both worlds.

Breakfast at Teddy’s Bigger Burgers, anyone?

At Teddy’s Bigger Burgers, you can enjoy breakfast all you want… without taking a single bite of their burgers. You can if you want, of course, but we all know how Filipinos can be stubborn about their rice policy. “If there’s no rice, it’s not a meal!”

You can eat breakfast without ever having to touch a burger. Nada. Not a one.
As round a zero as this lifesaver thingy which I wanted to take home with me.

I know, I know, you aren’t a true-blue Filipino if you don’t enjoy the typical rice combo for breakfast. There’s a reason why we have gone as far as coining the terms cornsilog and baconsilog! We want our rice and we want our eggs, Pinoy-style!

Thank goodness a burger haven like Teddy’s Bigger Burgers – a popular diner which hails all the way from Hawaii, by the way – finally thought of giving us their own version of the Pinoy breakfast meals we can’t live without.

So, what’s for breakfast? All that is up next!

Nobody can say no to a bargain without feeling some degree of remorse. When you see the prices of those silk bed sheets get slashed (whoa, 50 percent off and they still cost a fortune), you feel a little pang of guilt when you decide not to buy it.

One good thing that comes out of being broke: I buy cheap stuff that looks great!

That probably explains why five years ago, I decided to buy a cabinet for PhP2,500, a cabinet made of laminated wood, which I had to assemble at home. The store was selling the already-assembled cabinet, but it would have cost me an extra PhP1,500.

Broke, Not Broken

I was broke and, trying to channel the cheapskate in me to survive life in the city, I opted for the yet-to-be-assembled purchase. Assembling some cabinet ain’t rocket science, right?

It wasn’t, but toes got injured. Fingers got cut. Things fell. To be more precise, things fell apart– until I got someone else to help (how did I know it was a two-man job?).

You can bet my cat got traumatized as he witnessed all the bloodbath.

Anyway, that was five years ago. This year, drum roll, please… I’m still buying cheap finds because yes, I’m still a little bit broke and I’m still decorating on a tight budget.

No thanks to the expensive tickets I had to buy so that I could ask someone to accompany me on an airplane trip which is actually the first one I would be taking (I know, I know, I live in the boondocks or something). No thanks to the fact that I had surgery a few months back and I’m still recovering – not from the procedure itself, but the fees I paid.

Reading about my being broke is probably bumming you out, but don’t be. There is an upside.

Home Improvement Ideas: Cheap Finds for Your Home

How could I protect my couch from fraying if I couldn’t afford slip covers? How could I get more storage room if I couldn’t afford cabinets? Where could I buy cheap lamps that didn’t look like they would short-circuit anytime soon?

Because of budget constraints, I had to get creative. Ah, finding the answers to those questions made being broke look good.

Now, it’s time for you to feel good about beautifying your home on a budget. It’s time for you to feel good about these cheap finds you can use for your home.

Cheap find number 1:

Microfiber mat as pile rug: PhP600

I bought a microfiber rug for PhP600 from the bathroom section and made it into an area rug. You can’t buy a pile rug at the carpet store for the same price. I swear; I looked.

I believe the rug was priced at around PhP1,000, but it was on sale when I got it. Lucky me!

Cheap find number 2:

Two storage boxes as side table: PhP600 each

I needed a side table that would hide all of the clutter I had lying around the living room. A foldable storage box I purchased not too long ago turned out to be my cat’s favorite scratching post, which meant it had to retire before it even came of age.

Since I didn’t want to waste money on some side table made of laminated wood that would warp in a couple of years, I decided to improvise. I remembered seeing beautiful boxes made of banig the last time I went to the mall and I knew that if I put them on top of each other, they’d make a pretty, makeshift side table.

When I went back to the mall, the boxes were on sale! They were at 50 percent off when I went back to take a look at them!

My prayers had been answered. My papers found a new home in them, too, by the way. Clutter problem, solved.

Cheap find number 3:

Discounted lamp: PhP1000

Art and science – there always seems to be a line dividing the two. Anything that's both an art and a science is seen as a wonderful anomaly instead of the norm. This dichotomy is an oddity and, as the one-man exhibit of Angel Moreno at The Dark and Light Gallery proves, both art and science are particularly interested in one subject: light.

Moreno’s exhibit actually launched The Dark and Light Gallery on March 21, 2015. Moreno’s family aside, nobody has laid eyes on the collection before the unveiling!

Look at all the red fabric cloaking the paintings!

Remember the title of this blog post? I mentioned something about Angel Moreno fooling me. To be more accurate, it was his art that fooled me! You’ll find out exactly how soon enough.

Angel Moreno Pulls Off Optical Illusion Exhibit at The Dark and Light Gallery

While the world of physics uses the qualities of light – its speed being the fastest in the known universe, for instance – to solve complex equations, the world of art revels much in the many colors you find in light’s spectrum.

Come to think of it, color and light are inseparable. After all, our brains interpret the wavelengths of the visible electromagnetic spectrum in terms of color!

I know, I know, I'm going full nerd on you – sorry for digressing. But it's actually a great way for me to explain why the paintings of Angel Moreno make the perfect first exhibit for Dark and Light.

Dark and Light, Art and Science

Put simply, Moreno is mastering a technique that allows you to appreciate art whether the lights are on or off. Added bonus: His paintings even reveal different hues when you see them under the odd glow of black light!

Check out the above painting with the lights on. Now see it under black light below!

Whenever someone tries to peddle a weight loss diet that involves extreme deprivation or starvation, I balk. I’ve never been one to punish myself by putting my health at risk for vanity’s sake!

But I don’t want to be all preachy – pardon me for my brief bitch fit – so let’s move forward with 5 smart ways to eat healthy and lose weight. (Again, they’re supposed to go hand in hand every single time, but because our society doesn’t always think so, I have to append them to each other.)

5 Smart Ways to Lose Weight by Eating Healthy

Whenever I make a health-related choice, I don’t just think of the outcome. I also have to think of whether it’s a habit I can keep.

One of the things I always share with my friends: It’s not about getting a 24-inch waistline; it’s about developing the right habits to get there! Aim for health, not vanity.

It’s going to be tough for me to share every single tenet of healthy eating, so let’s start with five.

Smart tip number 1:

Start small and scale out

“We don't do [Baron method] full-blown. We do it slowly. Otherwise, people will say they won't do it. That's why the program takes six months,” said Harvie de Baron, who got his Sports Nutrition diploma via an online course from Oxford Learning College. (Check out Baron method– find out if it’s for you and contact them here.)

“Learn gradually, research, and grow your own treasure chest of recipes,” advised his wife, Eizza.

Contrary to popular belief, the couple doesn’t buy difficult-to-find ingredients. “We buy from the grocery.” Start with the supermarket nearest you and look for healthy alternatives to food items you usually buy!

I shared previously how my home started showing signs of weakness. It started leaking in not one, not two, but three different areas!

It was my fault. I wasn’t too smart about the decisions I made.

You don’t have to be in my shoes, however. Make these three smart decisions and I’m telling you, you will save on repairs in the years to come!

“Leaky pipes at home? It won’t happen to me”

You’re thinking, “Well, that’s not going to happen to me. I won’t have leaks in my own house!” How sure are you? Leaks are an age issue – they reveal themselves only when you’re so convinced your house is perfect.

If you’re renting, buying property, or having a new house built from scratch, here are a few things you should be hands-on about so that you don’t end up in my wet, water-clogged shoes.

You may feel secure inside your house, but how well do you really know this place you call home? Scary as it sounds, there are things we just never thought of asking about our home and our neighborhood.

About a week ago, I received a Viber message from my neighbor (we have a Viber group for emergency purposes) about how children are playing beside our water meter because it was leaking. My neighbor was wrong.

It wasn’t just leaking. It was spraying huge amounts of water, with the water forming a mini-bath a few feet high. It explained why the kids loved showering under it like it was the best thing that ever happened to them ever since DOTA.

Alin ang naiba? The pipe with a different color was recently repaired – it burst a few days ago.

Things about my house that I’m finding out just now

How convenient. Just two weeks ago, we started experiencing leaks in the ceiling of our laundry room. The leak soon spread to the ceiling of our bathroom.

Would you adopt a cat with cerebellar hypoplasia?

If you answer no, I understand. Hearing the words cerebellar hypoplasia for the first time can be very intimidating. However, that didn’t deter Anna Sumayod, the proud fur-mom of Makisig. Makisig has cerebellar hypoplasia, a condition that affects how he moves about.

“Maki came to us last April 7, 2014. We really thought he [would] die – actually, he looked dead when we saw him,” Anna shared with me how she found Makisig, whom she and her partner rescued.

“He and his 3 siblings were left hanging from [the spokes of our] gate.” Anna heard them meowing at two in the morning.

“He was breathing but he was definitely having a hard time. He looked like he was struggling for every breath.”

Conquering fear

The first time she saw Makisig and his siblings hanging from their gate, there were thin wire nooses around their necks. She suspected that whoever left them there had attempted to kill them.

Sadly, attempts to harm differently-abled animals are nothing new. While some do it out of pity (“He will just suffer if we let him live!”), others do it out of fear (“Do I have what it takes to care for him?”).

“I didn’t have second thoughts [about adopting Makisig and his siblings] but I was really scared,” Anna confessed. “All newborns… still unweaned!”

“Perhaps the speaker refused to answer your question because you’re young.”

My jaw dropped when the product manager offered that explanation. We were in a symposium and the European speaker her company invited had just answered my question in a vague, roundabout way. When I asked the product manager why the speaker behaved the way he did, I never expected her to answer the way she did!

I thought at first, maybe the speaker didn’t know the answer. However, a few minutes after I asked my question, another doctor – this time, an older male – repeated my query.

Surprise, surprise: The speaker was more than happy to answer in detail.

I bristled in my seat. Any other day, I would have smiled at the thought of being called young. But that day, I didn’t appreciate the apologist way the speaker’s behavior was rationalized by the product manager. After all, I will be forty in a few years, making me about a decade older than most of the doctors in the room.

I wondered, did the foreign doctor shrug me off because I was the only female who dared to speak? Or was there another reason?

Half-convinced that he was a chauvinist, I believed there was nothing I could have done to make him treat me differently. Then again, fate had a way of proving me wrong when I least expected it.

The very next day, I attended a post-graduate conference that gave me the epiphany of a lifetime: That exasperating man might have treated me the same way he did the other doctors… if only I wore a different outfit.

Dressing the Part: How a Doctor’s Attire Affects the Patient

Wait, what? That’s ridiculous, you might think. Did what I had to wear (which was appropriate – you can take my word for it) influence the speaker more than what I had to say?

The simple answer is yes.

“[…] Judgments about the cover are good proxies for judgments about the book – even after reading it,” said Dr. Geraldine Racaza, quoting a psychologist from Cornell University.

Dr Racaza talked about how doctors could dress to impress, addressing the Internal Medicine residents of Manila Doctors Hospital during the second day of the post-graduate course held at Diamond Hotel from June 18 to 19, 2015.

Here’s how doctors can dress to impress. Whether you like fashion or not, it doesn’t matter – using your daily attire to improve your relationship with your patients is simply smart thinking.

“Erwan who?” asked an ignorant voice in my head the first time I heard of him. It’s Erwan Heussaff, I found out, feeling like a complete dud. And if you’re as much of an ignoramus as me when it comes to ridiculously famous people, let me tell you a little bit about Erwan, the man who cooked for me – I mean, for all of us who came to the dinner he hosted.

Philips asked Erwan to cook for 15 guests– yours truly included – to highlight the healthy and energy-saving features of their Home Living appliance line. Serving and cooking on the spot a five-course meal, Erwan also answered questions while juggling pans, pots, mashed squash, and just about everything there is to juggle while cooking for 15 guests.

No, he’s not just another pretty face. Erwan Heussaff took a hospitality & business management course in Paris-based Centre Management Hotelier (CMH) International Hospitality Management School. The founder of The Mothership F&B Group, he also takes care of the restaurant operations and creative growth of seven different establishments, one of which is The Red Light, which happens to be his.

Erwan Heussaff: The man behind the apron

I kept wondering why everyone was sweating – there was no air-conditioning and it was sweltering inside – while he literally kept his cool. Was there a drop of sweat on his handsome face? Nooo.

I asked him a few questions and he answered graciously. Here’s what went down.

Paging all self-confessed cat people: You really should join us – we’ve nicknamed ourselves the Sunday Park Day gang – at Ayala Triangle Park in Makati!

Every Sunday, cats and their respective fur-dads and meowmies convene at the park. It’s all good fun! There’s cat talk, a little gossip, and lunch afterward at a nearby spot where cats and other pets are welcome.

5 Reasons to Celebrate Sunday Park Day with Us

In case you haven’t seen us at the Ayala Triangle Park yet, we’ve been going there for about a year now! Yes, we celebrated our first anniversary on September 27, 2015. (I’m still a greenhorn, so to speak – I’ve been joining the gang for less than a year.)

I know you might be having second thoughts about joining us, so I hope these photos convince you.

People from the South, are you ready to go pink? They say breast cancer is here to stay. But I say there’s no stopping us from trying to kick it to the curb!

You’re probably wondering why there’s yet another breast cancer advocacy. But trust me, this is different for two reasons:

1. 1. It focuses on the south part of Manila (hello, people of Alabang!)
   2. It involves not just fighting cancer, but preventing it from overwhelming your entire life

So many breast cancer campaigns are about awareness drives for mammograms, self breast exam, and early diagnosis. Rarely do I hear of those that help empower patients by giving them a way to cope.

This is what makes me root for Stage Zero, a campaign started by Project Pink (I’ll talk about that more later). It just so happens that Project Pink is now one of the beneficiaries of Go Pink, a breast cancer movement started by Festival Mall.

Festival Mall Alabang wants us to Go Pink! When you buy this keychain, proceeds go to the three beneficiaries of the Go Pink initiative.

(If you have loved ones who have breast cancer, Project Pink’s Stage Zero is the kind of support program they should really try, I’m telling you! Here’s more info on Stage Zero by Project Pink.)

Go Pink!

Aside from Project Pink, Asian Hospital Charities and ICanServe Foundation  are also beneficiaries of Festival Malls’ Go Pink initiative.

Pardon me for blabbering, but I’m just absolutely blown away by the new phone that arrived in the mail today: the ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser! It’s gold, it’s sleek, and it definitely blows its competition out of the water.

I was going to review the ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser for Tech Envy and I thought it would end up receiving a blah rating – that is, until I started using it.

Priced at PhP7,295, I’ve detailed 5 important reasons why I think the ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser is rather underpriced. Plot twist: There’s more to the phone which I haven’t included in the Tech Envy review – and I’m sharing all of it with you below!

5 things about ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser that you didn’t know

Aside from the 5 features I mentioned in my Tech Envy review, here are a few more things everyone looking for a smartphone should know about the ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser.

Aster DM Healthcarerecently opened its first clinic in the Philippines. As a multinational healthcare company that built a medical city on an island, it certainly is news that turned the heads of many hospital executives.

Whoever said the youth was our future probably didn’t realize how right he was, economics-wise. The millennial boom is everything.

Millennials have taken over the world. I’m not just talking about selfies and hashtags, mind you. These millennial puppies are smarter (and richer) than you think. They comprise about 50 percent of Asia’s buying power.

In terms of healthcare, the millennials make the Philippines quite a potential investment destination.

Aster DM Healthcare says they want to give back. They say it is “entrepreneurial philanthropy” where you “grow a business by doing philanthropic activities”.

Well and good. I’m not one to take things at face value, but I’m not going to shoot down a multinational company’s efforts at bringing better healthcare to our country. God knows we need their help.

It all starts on a whim

“Dr. Sanjiv Malik and [Aster DM Healthcare Director] Alisha Moopen came to the Philippines in 2013 despite their busy schedules,” said Joyce Socao-Alumno, Country Manager of Aster DM Healthcare. After a quick tour of a government ward, they couldn’t help but reach out to the Filipino children suffering from congenital heart disease (CHD).

That was how Save the Little Hearts Program started: on a whim. Through the program, Aster DM Healthcare has helped 23 children with CHD.

Mobile healthcare

By mobile, I don’t mean cellphones and apps. I’m talking about ambulatory clinics, each of which is fully staffed with a doctor, nurse, radiologist, and med tech.

Imagine a clinic that goes from one place to another, bringing with it the equipment you’ll need for basic lab tests, plus a core health team to see to your needs. It may be a small effort by a foreign company to elevate us from our dreadful healthcare roots, but it’s a good start.

“No,” Aster DM Healthcare Director Alisha Moopen said when I asked her if the mobile clinic is all that the company will be setting up in the country. “Capital investment is not an issue,” she clarified.

However, they plan on starting small, she said. “We need more specialty hospitals to start with. The right expertise is what we need. Once we build that network with the doctors, we can give that kind of care.

“If you can bring back the doctors who migrated to other countries, then that would be great. We have to familiarize ourselves with the structure and the regulatory boards and build a network of doctors. From there, it’s easier to scale up.”

Should hospitals start looking at Aster DM Healthcare as competition? Alumno says that’s misguided. “A foreign healthcare conglomerate has entered the PH market. The intent is not to compete, but to collaborate.”

Aster DM Healthcare plans on giving us the right price for excellent services. I shall look forward to that. Meanwhile, Aster DM Healthcare has to answer a few questions we were itching to ask.

Part 3:
Aster DM Healthcare answers critical questions

Good news to every fur-parent out there! I just figured out how to solve a common problem we all have whenever we leave our cats and dogs alone at home. It involves a purchase you get on a discount, plus you get a fraction of your cash back!

Caveat: The deal is available only until March 18, 2016, so hurry!!!

I’m talking about this automatic pet feeder. I’m about to teach you how to get it for just over P1000! Compared to its original price tag of PhP4,000, it’s definitely a bargain.

We know sleep is potent yet we deprive ourselves of it, anyway. It’s something all of us are guilty of – even some doctors know very little about sleep!

This pillow from Uratex keeps your neck cool – it absorbs heat from your body through the Hydragel technology.

You might have read about my chat with Dindo Medina, corporate sales director of Uratex, about the technology behind the perfect mattress. It’s now time we focused on the different elements of a good mattress.

They say you either love or hate ballet and perhaps they were right: I knew exactly which performances I wanted to watch after I saw a preview by Ballet Manila – The Swan, The Fairy, and The Princess, to be exact!

Getting invited to the preview of Revenge of the Classics was such a treat for me. After all, Ballet Manila, the name we all remember when we talk about a Philippine ballet, has been giving us great performances for twenty-one seasons (and counting).

“I am proud to say that Ballet Manila does not simplify the choreography for classical ballet. We stay true to the original choreography from a hundred years ago,” said Macuja-Elizalde during the press preview.

“It is hard to cheat in classical ballet. If you make a mistake, everyone will see it.”

When Miss Lisa Macuja-Elizalde said Ballet Manila didn't do away with the difficult parts of known acts, I knew what she meant. I had goosebumps all over when I saw Princess Odette, the white swan (of Swan Lake), dancing onstage!

But as much as I enjoyed watching ballet, would I have enjoyed it as much if I had to dance it?

To help answer my question, I asked Miss Macuja-Elizalde what she had to say about her injuries, how to dance ballet safely, and what injuries she dreaded the most.

Free classes at Ballet Manila for one month!

Want free classes at Ballet Manila for one whole month? Here’s how to join the giveaway.