Today's Word: Psalm 46:10

(Thank you, Digital Bible for this photo) 

Life sometimes is rosy, but other times, it could be hard. Everyone goes through phases. And each phase unfolds different circumstances that are either a breeze or painstaking. When we go through hardships, most of us tend to be anxious and worry too much. Though I'm a Christian, I sometimes fall into that trap. Thankfully, when I pray and read the word of God, He reminds me that He cares about everything 
that concerns me and that I can count on Him to help me in times
of trouble. I just have to remember that the Lord is in control!
I have to cast my cares upon Him and allow Him 
to teach me how to work out solutions. 
Sometimes, only God can resolve a problem so all we have to do is pray and let Him handle the situation. I remember one night some years ago, I was crying out to the Lord when He spoke to me through this verse: Psalm 46:10 which made me understand that I had to stop worrying and let Him handle 
what I was anxious about. I had to let God be God! 
If you're going through a difficult time right now, I want to tell you, God loves you and truly cares for you. Whatever it is that's weighing you down,
you can lean on our Lord and let Him help you. 
All glory and thanksgiving be unto God! 

Starbucks opens new branch in QC

Going to work hadn't exactly been something to look forward to in the mornings..Well, until Starbucks opened a new branch in our office neighborhood! My co-workers and I were filled with excitement the moment we learned a new store would be opening very near our building and more so when it actually flung its doors open last week. We wasted no time and went there at once to buy afternoon perk-me-ups. 

We were very impressed about how huge, spacious and elegant was this new Starbucks branch! Floor-to-ceiling glass walls, wood panels, high ceiling, ambiant lighting -- everything worked well to give the interiors a modern, 
chic and homey look and feel. 

But for me, what sets this branch apart is how friendly the crew are. They are welcoming, helpful, warm and cheerful. I must admit that I wasn't really a Starbucks fan but I recently became one. I still don't know much about their food and drinks, but the crew member at the counter was patient in helping me make a choice, as I explained that I wanted a drink that's fancy without being sweet. That could be a bit of a challenge, I know. Haha! Anyway, my choices during the last two occasions 
I was at this new branch were:

Thanksgiving Sandwich and Cappuccino

Cream Cheese Donut

Iced hibiscus tea with pomegranate pearls

In and around Starbucks-Visayas Ave. 

Starbucks on Visayas Ave. corner Road 10 in Barangay Vasra, Quezon City 

Starbucks is a much-welcome addition to the list of foodie places on Visayas Ave. For us who go to work here, it has made our every day a bit more exciting! Imagine going to Starbucks instead of the boring cafeteria for the lunch or afternoon break. A great stress-buster, that's what it is! I'll have more of you, 
Starbucks-Visayas Ave., and you, more of me!

Fulfill your dessert fantasies at The Lost Bread

My kids and I first went to The Lost Bread in 2015 when it started business as a stall at Streat food park on Maginhawa St. in Quezon City. It only offered desserts then (if my memory serves me right) -- those spectacular, IG-worthy milkshakes and soft-serve ice cream that were both beautiful and delicious. Now, just a few years later, The Lost Bread has 10 branches already and has more items in its menu. 
They now offer pasta, burgers and rice meals.

Recently, my two kids and I were at their SM Megamall store, where I got them dessert after having lunch at the nearby DC Super Heroes Cafe. 
Our orders:

White Chocolate Caramel Sub-Zero Soft-Serve Cup, P145.

There's caramel popcorn with "injectible" white chocolate syrup. If you ask 

for my opinion, it's a diabetic person's nightmare. Hahaha!

S'mores Sub-Zero Soft Serve Cup, P145.
This was the less-guilt dessert for me. There's graham crackers and a piece of marshmallow. Surprisingly, the soft-serve ice cream wasn't as sweet as I expected. I enjoyed a few spoonfuls of this then off I went for a cup of brewed coffee someplace.

Menu

The counter

Flavors to pick

Choose your toppings

The Lost Bread at the Fourth Floor, Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, 
Ortigas, Mandaluyong City

Go to The Lost Bread, guys, and feed both your tummy and Instagram page. It's where food and drinks are good taste-wise and aesthetics-wise, with reasonable prices, to beat. There's quite a lot of branches now so find one near you. 

Happy eating!

Bag of Beans: A must-visit in Tagaytay City

I've been seeing Bag of Beans on the internet, posted by my friends on social media when they go to Tagaytay and I'd been jealous! The place is picture-perfect and definitely IG-worthy with its rustic interiors coupled with a lovely garden area.
Thankfully, I finally got to visit one of the five (I hope I'm not mistaken) Bag of Beans stores in Tagaytay last June when my family and I stayed overnight at this cool city in the province of Cavite. We'd just had breakfast at McDonald's when, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, proceeded to Bag of Beans to have dessert and coffee. 
We chose to sit at the al fresco area and enjoyed the greeneries and cool breeze, taking pictures here and there while we waited for our orders that consisted of:

Kids' ice cream sundae, P80.

Chocolate Mousse, P130.

Banana Split, P195.

Vanilla Milkshake, P195.

Iced coffee caramel, P150.

Iced coffee mocha, P150.

Iced coffee latte, P150.

Menu

The stories I'd been hearing were true: Bag of Beans serves superb coffee, which we enjoyed iced. Our desserts made us happy too and everything else -- the ambiance both inside and outside made our hearts full. 


Interiors

Al fresco area

Bag of Beans is truly a feast for the senses. There's good food, heavenly coffee and lovely ambiance to soak in. Especially when you sit in the al fresco part of 
the cafe, the cool Tagaytay breeze just embraces you and melts 
away all the cares of the busy city life. 
I hope to be back soon. If you haven't been to Bag of Beans, 
make a visit one of these days, guys.  

Quezon province's Niyogyugan Festival 2019

Stunning. Pulsating. Exhilarating. These words came to my mind as I recall 
the awesome experience my son and I had when we witnessed Quezon province's Niyogyugan Festival for the first time last Aug. 24-25. Indeed, it was the 
mother of all festivals in my lovely home province, celebrated yearly to pay tribute to the coconut, which is Quezon's lifeblood, being its top agricultural product.

Everything was grand - the float parade, agri-booth exposition, dance showdown, the Bb. Niyogyugan pageant, the delicious food, and the festive ambiance 
all around Lucena City, the capital of Quezon. 

We weren't able to witness all the events as one has to be in Lucena for the most part of the 10-day duration of the festival to be able to do so. We were only there for less than two days but the joy of the experience was already enough to warm our hearts  and give our minds a flood of memories to cherish. 

Here are the highlights of our Niyogyugan Festival 2019 experience :

Float parade and street dancing 

Each float comes after the town or city's banner.

There were so many other floats but sadly, we weren't able to see the others 
because my son was complaining about tired feet so we left about 
halfway through the parade to eat at Buddy's-Pacific Mall. 

Agri-booths

All of Quezon's 39 towns and two cities had a booth, to give you a hint of how grand and well-participated was this year's Niyogyugan. Each booth shows the incredible creativity and ingenuity of Quezonians. All are made out of indigenous and sustainable materials. Inside every one of them are the town's or city's products for sale to the visitors such as various foods and souvenir items. 

The town of Lucban is famous for its "pancit habhab" and Longganisang Lucban 
and people lined up to buy them at its booth. 

The booth below is my top favorite. Just take a closer look at what it's 
made of: dried fish and shells! Marvelous!

Some of the other products for sale at the different booths

The green boxes at the top of the shelf contain Infanta's sought-after "suman", which is the best-selling product during the entire festival. 

Tayabas town's famous Yema Cake and other sweets plus the delicious "sinantol" or ginataang santol which I bought.

Special "tikoy", sinantol and more at the Gumaca booth. 

"Kibit" or seafood chicharon

Fresh vegetables and fruits were also available in many of the agri-booths. 

Native kakanin on sale outside the booths

My son and mine's favorite - the heavenly "pilipit" 

It was a sad thing that we weren't able to finish the parade and see all the floats because we were already tired and our legs were aching. Before the parade started at SM Lucena, we had to walk the long stretch of Quezon Ave. going to the provincial capitol (where the booths were) because this main road was closed, being the route 
of the parade. And then we made the rounds 
of the booths so our feet were already screaming to be put up! 
We also missed the dance showdown that night. Sigh... 
Anyway, prizes were given away to the best agri-booth, float, and streetdance group. Infanta was the festival's overall champion. The town's "suman" was also the best-selling product in all the agri-booths with over P1.5 million total sales during the duration of the event. On the other hand, this year's Bb. Niyogyugan 
beauty pageant title was won by Atimonan. 
What a blast we had at this year's very memorable Niyogyugan Festival! 
I hope to witness it again next year!