Patch it up!

Speaking of pasalubong...

The limited edition Oreo x Sour Patch Kids collab is now here!

Actually, Ate Lissa sent 3 packs, but there are only 2 in the photo because we already finished one pack.

Yup, it's THAT good!

I’m Fine(ry)

Today is a fine day.

Thanks to these!

My Fine'ry loot has arrived. Thanks to Ate Lissa who bought it at Target, and Kuya Marv who brought it from TX!

The "Without a Trace" smells so good! It's a fine scent that I'm going to be using quite often.

Tokyo Treats

Thanks to Mark, I have a big bunch of chocolates from Tokyo!

Sweet!

That’s Fresh

When Bath and Body Works launched "White T-Shirt," it was part of a collection that included 2 more scents. The 1st was "Fresh Getaway" and the 2nd was "Fresh Cotton and Coconut."

Thankfully, Gary brought a pair of that other scent from the US when he came home for Christmas! Woot!

Like its name, the scent is very fresh and is similar to "White T-Shirt." But it has a hint of coconut that gives it a tropical vibe.

It'll be good to have something fresh to rotate the White T-shirt with.

This is Bananas!

Back in the early 2000s, a trip to Tokyo wouldn't be complete without bringing home the ubiquitous pasalubong - Tokyo Banana Cake.

This was a must for every Tokyo traveler and my family and friends would eagerly anticipate this confection whenever I'd come home. They'd look forward to the soft, spongy banana chiffon with the creamy, banana flavoured filling. 

As years progressed, Tokyo Banana Cake was slowly replaced by other Japanese pasalubongs. These include Ginza Strawberry Cake, Royce Chocolates, Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory cookies and the Tiramisu Chocolate from Donki.

The list continues to grow as trips to Tokyo become more frequent, and people discover more unique food items from Japan.

But for me, the OG would still be those little gems wrapped in a yellow box.

The good news is, I can now have a taste of this classic cake without even riding a plane! 

Woohoo! THE Tokyo Banana Cake is finally in MNL!

I'm going bananas over this. Seriously.

Keep in Mine

Javier is a Minecraft freak. Last week, I bought him a Minecraft stuffed toy, and the moment I showed it to him, his eyes lit up and shrieked:

"Stevie!!!!!!"

And when I showed him the other toy I bought, his eyes lit up again and he shrieked:

"Ocelot!!!!!!"

That's why when I saw this toy during my lunch break, I knew I had to buy it!

 It's an action figure set, and it has some of Javier's favorite Minecraft characters. That includes Stevie, Armor Stevie, Zombie Stevie, Enderman and Creeper.

As expected, Javi was thrilled when he saw this toy. He immediately asked me to open it so he could start playing.

Now I know what to get Javi as pasalubong.

Double Ds

Most people are wary about wearing denim on denim. The most common worry is that they'll look like an Western-film extra or that they just stepped out of a saloon.

Personally, I think denim-on-denim is cool. Especially when done right. That's why when I was looking for a gift for my niece, Kai-Kai, I gravitated towards this denim combination.

It's a Derek Heart denim dress coupled with a Derek Heart cropped vest. The materials of both items are soft denim, and I've decided to mix light and dark denim.

The combination is very youthful, which fits my 15-year old niece. And it still has a touch of edge because of the denim combination.

Now I don't think this ensemble reads western or saloon at all.

This is sitsiriya!

In preparation for my Tokyo trip, one of the things that Mark asked me to buy was pasalubong for some of his senseis. He asked me to look for this brand of snacks called "Sitsirya" from SM, so I went to Kultura Pilipino to look for it.

Gosh! It turned out that Sitsirya was a line of products that was uber fun to shop for! They had everything from Mamon Tostado to Pusit to Pastillas to Chicharon. I think I spent a good 30 minutes just mulling around the shelves and choosing from the wide array of goodies that they have.

I think I found my new favorite pasalubong!

Cannibalism

My cousins from Barcelona brought along with them a big stash of our favorite Spanish treats. Among them were Turones de Jijona, Jamon Serrano, anchovy stuffed olives, and this:

Yes, my cousins have a sense of humor.

I wonder if eating these Filipinos constitute cannibalism?

Raspberry nice

Thanks to Alfie, aka Ms. Knee high boots, I was able to try M&Ms Raspberry!

This combination is perfect since it has two of the things that I like a lot - dark chocolate and berries.

After trying a few pieces, I must say that it's chocolate perfection!

Fat Albert

Whenever I was in the Benelux area, one of my favorite destinations was Albert Heijn. I'm a supermarket junkie, and this was THE supermarket to go to whenever you're in Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxemborg. 

I still remember how I'd enjoy going through each shelf to try and find something interesting and unique to buy. My favorites back then were the raisin bun and the Spa Blau. 

It's been years since I've been to Albert Heijn. But as the saying goes: "If Mohammed can't come to the mountain, let the mountain come to Mohammed." 

So, Albert Heijn comes to me. In the form of these two goodies!

First, there's the calorrific Stroopwafels! I swear, each piece of this must contain a gazillion calories! And of course, Belgian chocolates. Still the best in the world.

Thank goodness for pasalubongs from Albert Heijn. Even the ones designed to make you fat.

Double Chex

Yes! I am a happy snacker! 

Karina told me that her hubby would be in town from Guam, and she sent me a couple of packs of Chex Mix! (Can I hear a whoop! whoop!) She knows that Chex Mix is one of my ultimate favorite snackers, and it's very rare that I find Chex Mix in Manila. (And if they do have it, it's usually the plain variant.)

Was able to pick up her pasalubong yesterday, and here they are! 

It's double the snacking pleasure because she sent me my 2 favorite variants - Trail Mix and Dark Chocolate. Joy, oh joy indeed.

I'm almost halfway through one bag, and I know I should be saving it because I don't know when I'll get my hands again on these goodies.

Must. Pace. Myself.