Look Who Made It To Runner's World Magazine...

Look who made it to Runner's World Magazine (Philippines)! It's my running buddies Dennis (A.K.A. Running Fatboy) and Per! 

They ran the Disney Marathon in Florida, USA. That's one of my dream marathons to run. Dear Universe, now that I've crossed the Angkor Wat marathon off my list (Thank you!), can I start planning my next destination run? *wink, wink* ;)

Wreck It Ralph with Running Fatboy & Wife

Runner's World PH July-Sept 2014

A Box, A Dream, & A Wonderful Wish

"If there is one thing you could give to the Philippines, what is that gift?"

Now, my Ms. Universe answer would be 'World Peace', but then, I'm no Ms. Universe. Instead, I'm an artsy-fartsy-craftsy, tree-huggin', shoe-lovin' kind of girl with a bit of time on my hands.

So, if there was one thing I can give to my country, it would be to grant a lil' old box a wish. 

(Uh, say what?)

Yep, you read right. I would like to grant a box a wish. 

Now, this box is no ordinary box (well, actually, it used to be). This box has extraordinary dreams. It dreams of going to faraway places and putting smiles into people's faces. 

He is The Happy Kahon. 

And this is how The Happy Kahon came to be...

Once there was a little box,
With a pair of friends (and sometimes a sock).
His friends, Mr. Left & Mrs. Right, would often leave for hours. Or days. Or even a week or two.
They would always come home with tales that would make him go "Oooh".

Alas, after a few years or so,
This pair, his friends, they had to go.
For after much treading that caused turmoil to Mrs. Right,
Mr. Left just couldn't survive from her plight.

And so the little box was left all alone,
Tucked away in a dusty, old corner at home.
He thought to himself, "What am I to do? This void, this emptiness that I feel?
Is this the end? Is this for real?"

Months did pass with only dust mites as company,
He was sad. Forlorn. And as grumpy as can be.
For this little box missed all the stories, you see,
Of how big, how wonderful this world could be.

Then one day, he felt all the cobwebs scatter,
"What now?", he wondered, his heart all aflutter.
A hand dusted off the dirt on his head,
"You'll do just fine, you will", and off they sped.

The next thing he knew, as he felt a tickle on his head,
Little hands were carefully brushing-- something glittery, something red.
Fluffy pompoms adorned what was once a plain lid,
Polka dotted and cheery, he felt like a kid!

Then after some time, as he laid out to dry,
He met some new friends who came to say "Hi".
How exciting, he thought, wishes DO come true,
A toy, a pencil, a cookie, just to name a few.

"Well, hello there", they called, all cramped to the hip,
"Are you ready to go on this wonderful trip?"
A trip? A trip!!! Then the box realized,
Maybe that's why I am dressed to the nines!

So after a prayer, a song and a dance,
Two grubby tiny hands had gotten their chance.
"Salamat po!", he heard a grateful voice say,
And those two simple words just completed his day.

For the little empty box, once a desolate soul,
Is now a fulfilled and proud Happy Kahon. :)

Last Christmas, armed with glue, paint, and a bunch or arts & craft materials, my friends and I were able to grant The Happy Kahon's wish and made a few little kids (and big-hearted kids) mighty proud and crafty with backyard arts and crafts sessions. These boxes were filled with essentials like toothbrushes, towels, school supplies, and goodies like snacks and small toys. Then we trooped over to Concordia Children's Services orphanage and made even more kids happier by gifting them with these awesome Happy Kahons! (Actually, truth be told, it was the kids from Concordia who gave us the bigger dose of holiday happiness.)

Have a Jolly, Crafty Christmas

Starting 'em young! Crafting a Happy Kahon for a cause.

Happy Kahons all in a row. Ready to spread the love!

The Happy Kahons putting big smiles on these kids' faces
during the Christmas party and turnover to the kids from Concordia Children's Services.

This year though, The Happy Kahon is dreaming big! It wants to hold a bigger arts & crafts session with more friends, friends of friends, and soon-to-be friends alike. With rows and rows of shoe boxes and craft materials to keep busy with for hours of bonding fun, serenaded with live music to keep everyone in high spirits (and maybe a refreshing mojito or two. haha. Kidding, that's just me!). Then it wants to travel all the way to typhoon-ravaged Tacloban or Ormoc in Leyte to make even more kids happier. Or maybe the kids from hard hit Bohol might need some too. A new school year is coming up, and hundreds of Happy Kahons filled with school supplies and yummy snacks would be great! 

Oh, Happy Kahon, what big dreams you have! But with the help of #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014, maybe, just maybe, this dream of yours can come true.

What about you? Do you have any dreams for the Philippines this 2014? Drop me a line in the comments below, and who knows, your dream might just come true! Or maybe just get a super nice surprise! ;)

P.S. Dear Universe, I'll be crossing my fingers and toes for good measure!
P.P.S. Add The Happy Kahon on Facebook for updates! Click here.

Core Essentials (Electrolux HUSH Happier at Home)

{Core Essentials}
{Set Up for the Day}

There are marathons- the 42K kind, and there are marathons- the DVD kind. And since I just finished the former (read about it here), I think I'll be indulging in the latter one today. :)

Weekends just vegging out at home is something I've been looking forward to lately. Maybe it's the long hours spent in the office that you just terribly miss your home furniture, or maybe it's ~gasp!~ the ageing thing. haha. Nevertheless, bumming around in front of the TV doesn't mean you can't be productive, right?

So, how to be productive while watching TV? Work the core! No sense getting a guilt trip over the spoonfuls of Cookie Butter I've been downing since I woke up this morning, eh?

{DVD Marathon Buddy}

Why, hello, core ball and yoga mat! And hello... dust bunnies??? Looks like I'll be needing a housekeeping intermission before starting the program. Haaay, dirty workout place, hassle ka sa earth.

So much for spring cleaning though. I had to stop vacuuming because the noise cancelled out my first agenda (watching DVDs. haha). Not to mention how my "boss" kept giving me evil glances and running around barking because he hates the loud noise from the vacuum cleaner. I really need to get one of those silent vacuums (for science geeks, pun not intended). I hear Electrolux came out with the noiseless and eco-friendly, UltraSilencer Green. Hmm, I must put that on my Dear Universe wishlist!

{Imp, my favorite permanent fixture, hates loud noise!}

{Electrolux UltraSilencer Green}

Dear Universe, 

My inner domestic goddess NEEDS this vacuum cleaner. Why? Let me count the ways. 

1. It's silent yet deadly (on annoying dust bunnies!)

2. It's eco-friendly (it consumes less energy and is made from recycled plastic)

3. It's so sleek and designed really well.

4. I have a dog AND wall to wall carpeting AND a need to multi-task (Is it just me, or does the weekends seem to be getting shorter?)

Oh, and Universe, since we're on the topic, can you throw in the Electrolux PowerMix blender as well? I think my Cookie Butter addiction needs a healthier sidekick. Soy fruit smoothies, anyone? ;) 

{Electrolux PowerMix Silent Blender}

If you want to know more about these mean, clean and green machines, check out Electrolux Philippines' Official Website, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. 

Now, back to my eyeball... umm, abs roll exercises. ;)

Have a healthy weekend, guys! 

The Early Mornings After

Oh wow, it's been a week since the last FIFA football match, and I still haven't fully recovered from those vampirical hours (hmm, I wonder if Netherlands have "recovered" already?). Today, I tried to wake up for an early morning run (I need to get my groove back!), but my body just wouldn't cooperate. At all!

As much as I loved watching the World Cup, my body is now reminding me that with age comes wisdom... and a longer recovery period. Not to mention how lack of sleep really wreaks havoc to my complexion too! Sigh, learning the hard way always suck.

So, in lieu of my endorphin fix, I want to try Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate because it would be hitting two birds with one stone. Sleep early = Run more. Gorgeous complexion = Well, gorgeous complexion! I mean, what more is there to say? An athletic lifestyle (and apparently, an athletic supporter's. haha) can expose you to all those harsh elements. We pamper our bodies, we indulge in new gear, we eat the right supplements, so who's to say that a drop or two of vanity can't go a long way?

And since I've been making deals with the Universe already, what's one more plea, eh? (Especially when my Dear-Universe-Please-let-Spain-win shtick worked amazingly well.) So, here goes... Dear Universe, I hope I win my very own bottle of Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate from Beauty For A Living! ;)

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{BEFORE PHOTO: Pre-FIFA Nights}

{AFTER PHOTO: Unpublishable}

Adiós, el Fútbol. Hola de Nuevo, Correr!

Adiós, FIFA. Voy a verlo en Brasil el año 2014.

(Goodbye, FIFA World Cup. I shall see you in Brazil in 2014)

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To those who didn't know, the FIFA World Cup 2010 finals boiled down to the orange team (Team Oranje) against the red furies (La Furia Roja). Netherlands V Spain.

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To add more excitement to the championships, I made a deal with the Universe. If Netherlands come out victorious, I run in the Amsterdam Marathon (October). If Spain wins, I go on a sabbatical and do artsy-fartsy stuff in Barcelona.

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2010 FIFA World Champions- Spain! Hmm, I guess I can squeeze in the Barcelona Marathon (March) as well. ;) How's that for a win-win situation? Channeling "The Secret"...

.And now that the month long football fever is over, we can hopefully go back to our regular programming- running!

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Hello again, my friend. I missed you terribly.

One Caffeinated Christmas Wishlist

I have to make a wishlist for a Yuletide Ball Kris Kringle this weekend. That being said, I was also asked what my New Year's resolution would be. It got me thinking back to the sacrifice I did for lent. Give up coffee for 40 days and 40 nights. And since I've been so well-behaved then (that excludes being little miss crankypants, by the way), it's only fair that I ask for a few caffeine-infused gifts on my wishlist, dontchathink? ;)

1. The One At The Office Canteen

Is it so weird that I want one of these beside my bed? You know, like a personal fridge? My 2 week old discovery-- the Nescafe vendo machine. I'm absolutely addicted to it. For a vending machine spit-out, the cappuccino and latte are surprisingly good. And unlike that other coin-eating machine, you'll always leave the slots with a perk!

2. The One That Looks Like An Apple

Keurig Mini Brewer

My friend, Bernie*, has one. It's so cool. The coffee comes in easy-to-use single serve pods which makes it so convenient and economical. I want one on my work table. Besides, it matches my Mac already.

Step 1: Open lid

Step 2: Insert pod

Step 3: Pour H2O

Step 4: Push BREW

(Wait 3 minutes)

Step 5: Experience pure bliss...

3. The One That Makes Me Go Ooooh~

Alessi's Geo-Proust Drip Coffee Maker

I am irrevocably in love, love, love with this. I've decided I want mine in mosaic (there's a shiny black one). I press my nose up to Alessi's window every time I walk by. Sometimes, when no one is looking, I even drool.

4. The One That Isn't A Knock-Off

I've been using the regular almond essence (that comes in that tiny green bottle) to flavor my coffee, and it works just fine. Still, it's nice to indulge in authentic barista mode every now and then. One soy latte with almond, please!

Orgeat (OHR-ZHAT) is an old English word related to the Italian "orzata", meaning almond.

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And last but not the least...

5. The One With Good Times With F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
A daily dose that keeps me sane. Good friends, good times.
* The one as the Caramel Macchiato with whipped cream on top (See #2).
I hope everyone gets to cross something off their Christmas lists. Happy holidays, readers!
P.S. Here's hoping I win in next year's costume party (just like I did Halloween 2008). In the meantime, winning a Starbucks treat from NomNomClub.com would be an awesome filler.