CMK EATS : CAKE CUPS AT CUPCAKES BY SONJA (SERENDRA, FORT)

I'm sure you've heard of Cupcakes by Sonja at this day and age. They are one of the pioneers in our country's cupcake industry! I remember trying their cupcakes for the first time at Serendra, Christmas of 2010. Fast forward 2014, they are still here but with better offerings! Their latest? Cake Cups! I saw it first from Shop Talk (more show details HERE) and from then on, I listed eating one on my Happy To-Do List.

Some more raves below:

1. The Place. It's dainty and cupcake-house-worthy, if you know what I mean. Vintage pieces are sprawling all over coupled with soft lights and random rays of sunshine. They have soft music in the background making it an uber perfect place for dates or catch up session with your girls.

Truth to tell, I am not a cupcake girl. I am joining the bandwagon every once so often, but it's not really me. I prefer cheesecakes anytime. That's why it's such a good news to know they have another selection! HOWEVER, those strawberry cheesecake cupcakes above looks enticing. Ho-hmmmm..

2. Coffee Caramel Biscoff Crunch. One of their Cake Cups selection. They actually have three. The other two are: Tres Leches with Strawberries and Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline.  Can I confess something? Till now, I am torn whether what I got was the Coffee Caramel or Hazelnut Praline :)) Whatevs. It tastes oh-so-gewwwd!

 A

Only wishful thought is that it's too sweet if you try to gulp the whole cup in one go. I suggest that you take your own {sweet} time to marvel all the yum and sip water as necessary. Tub is quite huge for an average sweet tooth creature so rest assured that you'll get the bang for your Php 165 buck!

FASHION ALERT : THAT RED {VALENTINE} DRESS {SORT OF}

Are you one of the fews who vowed never to wear red on Valentine's day? I admit that I was once so consumed with the idea of being an anti-V-day advocate, but now, I am indifferent, honestly. Congratulate me as I've published my one and only POST about la-la-love matters. Haha! I don't know, maybe I'm not 'that' comfortable to expound on emo stuff but with a couple more posts, I'll prolly get used to it. For today, I'm back with an addition to our Fashion Alert series!

DETAILS:

Red Dress from Mango

Sandals from SM Department Store

Watch from Fossil
Bag from Aldo

Red dresses can be worn in so many ways. It is, by itself, a fashion statement. I love how Kate and Kim contrast the boldness of their dresses by pairing it with nude pumps. It can be worn in a formal event or a party {depending on the cut}.
a

Sweetheart dresses are slowly becoming an in-thing today!

SCRIBBLED NOTES #21: FIVE TIMELY THOUGHTS ABOUT LOVE (♥)

It's inevitable, people! Valentines Day is just around the corner. Whether we like it or not, LOVE themes abound this time of year. Humans are in a certain phase of their lives for a reason and so, we should make the most out of it. Sure, the path may sometimes be challenging, but cheer up! God has brought you this far! He has good plans for you! As for yours truly, here are some realizations I've come across the past weeks:

If you think you can control the path of love, think again. In this day and age, it's easy to be lured into thinking that love is like an instant noodle cup. You want some? Easy! Go somewhere, ask for it, and it's yours. But we can control this aspect only so much. Four wise words I've heard from an elderly: MANGYAYARI ANG DAPAT MANGYARI. There are things that are bound to happen. This is not to say that we're only a pawn in the universe's chess game, but admit it - you and your partner ended up together as if someone caused it. And up to some extent, we cannot control this. Mean while, we make the most out of life.

Are you the real 'you' when you're with him (or her)? They say it's best to be friends first before taking the relationship into the next level. Or maybe this is where this mantra is coming from: Marry your best friend. Why? It's because pretense can only last for so long. And a lifetime is too long a time to wear a mask. It would be very nice to spend the rest of your life with someone who accepts you, warts and all.

Love is a journey, not a destination. Cliche as it is, that's a yes! Do you see yourself waking up each morning with him (or her)? That's an important question to ask, and obviously, nobody can answer that question better than you. When you're tempted to say yes to just shoo away the pressure, find another thrill or just any other petty reason - please remember that there's only a few major decisions in this lifetime. Giving your heart to another, is one of those. 

CMK EATS : HYATT REGENCY HOTEL MARKET CAFE BUFFET

Eating is one of life's greatest inventions, don't you agree?! ☺Last year, I chanced upon a Deal Grocer coupon for Market Cafe at Hyatt Hotel. I seldom eat at a buffet setting but since it's a great way to bond with your family members, I thought I'd get 4. The buffet boasts of different type of cuisines ranging from Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Western arrays. My tummy thanked me big time due to a feast of superb flavors.

Market Cafe costs Php 1,800 approximately, however, I bought each at a little over a Php 1,000. You have to call the hotel to reserve you and your guests' seat. They will confirm via phone right away. Here's a bunch of photos, try not to drool :)

I particularly loved their oysters and mussels. You can get a handful and ask the lovely chef to cook it for you. They have different cooking template to choose from, I opt for the sweet and sour ones. Another favorite is their tempura and teppanyaki. It's not extra-ordinary to tell you honestly, but I love that it's served fresh and tender.

They also have salad and breads and cheeses.  I haven't had the "tummy space" to try them, unfortunately.


 My top pick for this buffet is their dessert bar! Hansel and Gretel would be famished when they saw a wide selection of candies and chocolates. I purposely skipped a hefty amount of carbs just to reserve a space for these yummy sugar rushes!

CMK TRAVELS : MY SINGAPORE CABLE CAR EXPERIENCE (SENTOSA)

One of the many joys of traveling is to experience something for the first time! Singapore Cable Car is one of my first times! I'm actually a second timer in Singapore since I've visited the place June of last year, however - this is my first time to explore their cable car.

How to get there?

In case you're taking their MRT, you have to alight to VIVO CITY station. This station has an exit to VIVO CITY Mall. Go up 4 floors and ride the Sentosa MRT, finally alight at IMBIAH Station where you can purchase your tickets and stroll around the place.

How much?

I'm guessing it's between Php 500 to Php 700. Be sure to pay in SGD. Conversion as of this writing is somewhat Php 35 = SGD 1. You also have to pay a minimum fare for the Sentosa MRT.

The Ride

It's a fairly short ride. It has 3 stops. You have the option on whether to alight on Station 1, 2 or 3. Like any other cable car - you'll see a good view from above. It's also air conditioned and clean {like everything else in Singapore}. You'll witness how a small country like SG can blossom into a magnanimous economy. "It's dubbed as the next Switzerland" my friend quipped. If you're wondering how big the cable car is, here's the size...

 

HOW TO RENEW YOUR PRC LICENSE AT SM MALLS (RENEWAL CENTERS)?

Most, if not all, licensed professions {aside from lawyers} are being regulated by Professional Regulation Commission (commonly known as PRC). 

Since some past years, I've had the privilege to renew my license as a Certified Public Accountant every 3 years. Expiration date will be on my every 3rd birthday.

Based on PRC pronouncement found HERE, most professionals can renew their license  at Business Center of any SM Mall. 

My last renewal happened at Professional Regulation Commission at Sampaloc, Manila. Needless to say, you have to allot one day to process such. Specially if you're living far from the area. In my case, I'm from far south so I did took a leave. I recall that the process took so long since you have to go from one window to the next, but it's possible to accomplish the task in one visit.


 HOW TO RENEW YOUR PRC LICENSE AT SM MALLS (RENEWAL CENTERS)?

1. Download the FORM and accomplish accordingly.
2. Photocopy of your old PRC ID (back to back).
3. Paste a picture on the form (picture should bear your full name, passport size).
4. Pass the requirements to SM Business Center.
5. They'll take a picture from their web cam.
6. Pay Php 500.00 and pick up your renewed license after 2 months.  

Some few tips after the jump!

MONEY MATTERS : 5 SIGNS THAT STOCK MARKET INVESTING IS FOR YOU

Stock Market. BIG WORD! Specially to those who get goosebumps when confronted by figures and numbers. However, there's more to stock market than meets the eye. It's as close to a logic that everybody needs money to survive. stock market investing, being a good wealth generator, can be an idea worth looking into.

Why? Probably because, you have goals, you need money and you can do it! However, it is NOT for everybody. Jumping into a bandwagon without considering important information can be a recipe for disaster. So be careful!

I've come up with this blog's MONEY MATTERS series because I desire to share what I know {and continuously learning} about financial literacy. If you want to add more money into your wallet, brace yourself and check these tell-tale signs.

5 SIGNS THAT STOCK MARKET INVESTING IS FOR YOU

1. You have goals.

Who doesn't? Right! It's best to associate your efforts with your goals. Ask yourself, what do I want to do 5 years from now? Travel. Study. Retire. Shop. Do Charity. Name it. Be specific as possible. When you do that, chances are, you'll ask another deal breaker question. What steps should I do to achieve these goals? Without the second question, rename everything. Those are not goals but only wishful thinking.

2. You have a steady stream of income.

Let's be clear on this. We are stock market investor not traders. We're investing our money to companies that will be here for the long haul. If your friend will borrow a money from you because he wants to do a restaurant business, you won't be asking him to pay you after 2 weeks time, right? That's also the picture of us investing in PLDT, Jollibee, etc.

What's the relationship of this to our income? Well, because we need to eat and shop and take a bath. And we have to have a fixed resource to address our daily sustenance aside from our earnings in stock market. Studies show that by year 5, you'll be more likely to double your income when invested in good companies - BUT you need to eat in years 1 through 4. It's very important that you get this straight before moving forward.

3. You can put aside a chunk of your money for 5 years or more.

Very much related on Sign #2. Stock market investing is best if you'll let your money grow for 5 years or more. Fluctuations and other factors may affect your stock value on a short term horizon, but again, it's backed up by studies that 5 years is a good ball park figure to let your money earn. 

If you want to earn but are not comfortable with time horizon {say, you prefer to invest but only for 1,2 or maybe 3 years}, that's when savings, time deposits and bond funds come into play. Note though that the income from stock market yields the highest return. As they say, more risks, more returns. 

BIR REQUIREMENTS ON HOW TO REGISTER AS A FREELANCER OR PROFESSIONAL

I've always believed that blogging is sharing helpful information among friends (both real and virtual) and so I have prepared a write up about my experience on how to register as a freelancer or professional.

There are many reasons why we need to pay taxes amidst all the corruption issues going all over the country, but I'll leave that decision with you.

Obviously, this post is for those who are decided to register themselves as a freelancer or professional. This is based on my personal experience. 

FREELANCER/PROFESSIONAL WHO?

This represents you if you are not working for any specific company. Otherwise, your employer will file your taxes for you. These terms are often used interchangeably. Professional, freelancer, self employed. Bottom line is you are an individual practicing a craft or profession (on your own).

LET THE (REGISTRATION) PROCESS BEGIN:

UPDATE YOUR RDO, AS NECESSARY.

RDO means Revenue District Office. If you are working in Place A before, but now will be working in Place B. You need to update BIR with your new RDO. If you want to determine the nearest BIR RDO from your place, visit the complete list from BIR SITE.

Go to your old RDO (ask your previous employer where this is) and accomplish BIR FORM 1905 (Application for Registration Information Update). PDF sample HERE. In my case, I approached RDO Makati and Manong guard gave me 2 copies. I was given a stub and was asked to wait for my turn. After about 20 minutes, the officer stamped both of my forms and gave me one as my copy. ♣ TIP: Since the update might took 5-7 working days, it's best to go to your new RDO after a week.

COMPLETE THE REQUIREMENTS.

Requirements include:

1. BIR Form 1901 (Application for Registration)

Filling up this form is pretty straight forward. You may leave blank the boxes if you are not sure with the answer, once you go to your BIR RDO, you can ask the officer of the day what those boxes meant. You can also call your BIR RDO office. Ask them questions and list all the requirements they mentioned. You may ask for their full name nicely. If any conflicts arise, you can always refer to them and the info they provided.

2. BIR Form 0605 (Payment Form)

This is a bit tricky! I was under the impression that I can pay at the BIR cashier or any of that sort. Well I was wrong! So learn from me ☺I was advised to go back because of this! What is this annual fee? You need to pay Php 500 for an annual registration fee. Easiest way to pay is via Accredited Agent Bank (AAB). So the process is: Fill out Form 0605, then pay to the AAB near you. For a complete  list of AAB, click HERE.

♣ TIP: Before going to AAB, accomplish form 0605 in triplicate. They will stamp the forms and those are what you will present to BIR along with other documents. I've heard that some AAB requires taxpayers to have their TIN validated. If that's the case, you need to go to your BIR RDO and have your TIN validated.

SCRIBBLED NOTES #20: AN ODE TO MY FAVORITE COFFEE BEAN (CBTL) HOUSE

There's a ton of reason why people blog. They do it to launch product reviews, to share travel experiences or to simply let their feelings out. I'm doing this post for the last reason. Recently, I've been experiencing what they call a writer's block. "Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. Source: Wikipedia. I'm not claiming it though, I know it's just a phase.

Going back. One Saturday. I hibernated to my favorite CBTL branch (located at Greenbelt, beside Hermes). I carried a conversation with the barista that went like this:

Tin: You know what, mas gusto ko dito rather than sa other branch niyo...

CBTL Barista: Mam, di niyo po alam? Last day na namin tomorrow. We'll be closing down the store...

My heart sank :(

You may ask, how come this CBTL branch means a lot to me? Here's why:

♣ Most of my {early} career decisions were made here.

Ah, the joy of 20's. And the confusion that comes along with it. I recall CBTL was where I told myself that I won't be a super slave anymore. That enough is enough. And that I won't let people and professional trends dictate me where I wanna go. In retrospect, I'm glad I did the right things. Thank you, JESUS.

♣ My first date, happened here.

Geez. And why am I writing this one again? :) Well, yeah. The place is memorable due to it being a venue of my first date. You know me, I won't disclose anything so personal - but uhm, yeah {now you know that I'm under the writer's block spell indeed!}.