My Travel Planning Tools

My thoughts are occupied with our upcoming vacation end of next month. I am the travel/vacation planner in the family. It is something I enjoy doing and my husband tells me I am very good at it. Hmmm perhaps he is just relieved to offload this duty to me.

But truly I think I am actually good at it. Thus I would like to share the tools I use whenever I have to plan our vacation.

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Kikay Side of Google: Boutiques.com

Who says Google is just for the geeks? Last week it proved it cares for fashionistas too. Google launched a revolutionary online site featuring celebrities fashion and personal styling - Boutiques.com. Site visitors can explore boutiques to browse clothes and accessories by celebrity, designer, blogger, retailer, trend and styles. The products you see on Boutiques.com are sold by online retailers who submit their products to be listed on the site.

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I Heart ASQ Bride Musk

A Kuwaiti friend recommended the Bride Musk from Abdul Samad Al Qurashi (ASQ). She vowed that it was one, if not her most favourite scent. We went to an ASQ store (Arraya 2 Mall) near our office and she asked the guy who worked there to dab a drop of oil on my wrist. Oh my, I immediately became a fan. It really smelled good! So fresh, oh so clean. I honestly loved it! The beautiful scent lingered through the rest of that day. Hubby even noticed it when he picked me up from work.

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Chic Accessories by Jojo

I work for a major bank here in Kuwait. Every day during the morning rush, stylish female colleagues sashay into the elevators seemingly performing an impromptu fashion show. I enjoy observing them, admiring how lovely they all look. During my first few days at work, I had to control my eyes from popping out when I noticed the bags, scarves and accessories are mostly designer.

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Kikay At Heart

Staying at home for 3 months, trying my best but all the time failing to be a biddable housewife to my handsome husband, gave me the advantage to learn more about myself. I have realized without any doubt that truly I am kikay at heart.

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10 Items You Can Never Go Wrong With

I would like to share this very brilliant article from THE OPRAH MAGAZINE May 2010. I find this very helpful. I'm sure you will too :) Enjoy!

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1,000 Places Before I Die

A dear friend and an equally passionate traveller gave me an excellent travel guide to me as an advance birthday gift – 1,000 Places To See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz.

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Stores Specialists Inc. Offers 0% Interest

I found this gorgeous boot style shoes in Aerosoles that fit me like a glove. Of course, I had to buy it. I handed my Mabuhay Miles HSBC card to the cashier and was surprised when she asked me if I wanted to pay for it in installment for 3 months at 0% interest. Wow, I thought that's only for furnitures or appliances!

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My Jimmy Choo for H&M Haul

Barbs and I went to the H&M store at Oxford Street around 10AM. There was of course a queue at the doors but it wasn't too bad. We breezed through in just 10 minutes. Inside we were told that could we shop freely at the womenswear area but had to queue again inside to get into the shoes area.

Queue again? No worries. We were only there for the shoes after all. It's Jimmy Choo. Duh! On our way to the shoe area queue I grabbed for myself a sequined racer-back sleeveless top, slim fit trousers and some cool accessories. Barbs got her hands on an exquisite sequined dress and some accessories as well. 

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Jimmy Choo for H&M

Jimmy Choo is coming to H&M on Saturday, the 14th of November.

Yep, that’s tomorrow! And you now you have an idea where I will be tomorrow.

Gosh, Barbs and I are so excited! I still don’t have a bridal shoes, so really, I have to be there…

The uber high-end designer brand has teamed up with the affordable Swedish mega fashion store to bring their merchandise more accessible to the public. The Jimmy Choo for H&M collection includes womenswear, menswear and accessories, with prices starting at £14.99.

"It’s all about capturing the DNA for the H&M price point," H&M's Jen Uglialoro said.

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Must Have: Jeggings

I love leggings, especially jeggings a.ka. jean leggings (leggings that look like jeans). Jeggings are more comfortable than the real ones, skinny jeans. During my last visit to the Philippines I really enjoyed wearing my jeggings because they suited our hot, humid climate. It's more airy than denim, plus, a real space-saver too! You can just roll it and stuff it in your luggage.

I received my first pair of jeggings from a gorgeous friend in Tokyo. It's a bit faded now - proof that it has been used and washed dozens of times. So I need a new pair pronto.

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Must Have Girls' Gadgets

I finally received my long awaited Visa extension (yebah!) on Friday. So to celebrate, I went shopping yesterday. I found really good bargains in Debenhams that even the cashier expressed her envy of my finds and gushed that I am such a good bargain hunter (Grin. Pat me on the back.).

I was in such a grand celebratory mood that I grabbed not just one but two gadgets. Oh no not the Sony eBook Reader Touch that I yakked about in my previous post. Though I was in a big spender illusion I still could not afford that. Sigh. But nevertheless I am happy with my new gadgets - my first epilator and my first hair straightening iron!

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Sony Reader Touch: A Virtual Library Anywhere You Go

I love books. I don't travel without books. Oh not the techie, educational stuffs. I love fiction novels and I read almost all genres: Fantasy, suspense-thriller, chick lit (my current passion as I have just recently discovered how delightful Marian Keyes' books are), sci-fi and of course romance! Especially historical romance! Oh every once in a while I have to get a fix of a cheesy novel about feisty gorgeous heroines and their tall, dark, brooding men. A novel wherein I am not required to do much thinking. Just a lot of imagining about the tall, dark, brooding men.

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ASOS.com: UK's Largest Online Fashion Store

ASOS is the UK's largest online-based fashion and beauty store. It is a one-stop fashion store that sells not only lines from its own label but designer fashion goods as well. It features all the works - accessories, bags, shoes and clothes.

It full name is really As Seen On Screen. Its intention is to supply the public with outfits similar to fashion icons or celebrities. I subscribe to ASOS Style Update emails because I look forward to their Look of the Week columns where they suggest how us regular gels can put together regular outfits to copy the styles of featured A-List celebrities.

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My First Art Investment

I have long wanted to collect art pieces and decided that now is the good time to start since I will be moving (looking forward indeed) into a permanent home next year. My days as a wandering adventurer (in Cebuano, laagan) are numbered.

My first art purchase is no other than by my future cousin-in-law, the uber talented Mall. Here it is. Ta da!

Provoking me by Mall

Okay it is still marked as reserved in her blog because I have not yet paid for it. LOL.

I am not biased. I honestly love her works. They are very uplifting. Every time I look at an art piece she has created I feel transported to a happy place, a fantasy land, somewhere like Little Prince's world. I plan to decorate our home with her artworks.

Actually it is an investment. Because I have a strong gut feeling, oh it’s a certainty really that she will be world famous someday. More famous than she currently is. She is continuing to gain admirers. In fact here is a link of Julius Babao's blog about Mall.

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Mango Outlet Online

Since I am saying goodbye to England in less than 2 months, I am starting to keep an online record of the good stuffs that I have discovered here during my 2 years stay. Who knows, I might have to come back here in the future.

I adore Mango fashion because its style is chic and sophisticated. But I rarely buy from the Mango store. (Okay "rarely" is subjective, but still...) Why? Because if I would just wait for styles that have caught my fancy to go out of season (I don't really care if what I'm wearing is so last season. Not that choosy. Besides I try to buy something that is wearable for all seasons.) I can purchase them at super discounted prices at the Mango Outlet Online store.

See that blazer, second row, rightmost? It's retail price of 69.90€ (4,797.90Php) has been reduced to 19.90€ (1,365.92Php). What a bargain!

I have purchased from Mango Outlet more than thrice and I have never been disappointed upon receiving my orders. The clothes are always packaged well. Usually they would give you a really big box that sometimes I would panic that maybe I had hit the Checkout button twice and all I had ordered are in that box in twos. Delicate dresses / blouses often come with specialty hangers. Too bad it's only available in European countries. I will truly miss this :( Perhaps I should make one bulk purchase before I leave England... hmmm?

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Holiday in Paris for 2,500Php Only

And you don't even have to win Project Runway :)

Visit L'Oreal Paris Exclusif for more details.

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Debenhams SALE: Excuse for early Christmas shopping

Debenhams is having a 4 day sale. Again. This started on Wednesday, so it is on its last day today. I went there this afternoon, just out of curiosity. I did not have high expectations about it since the posters just say up to 25% off all departments. But to my glee I did find some racks with items on sale up to 70%! It would be stupid of me to pass up the opportunity and start shopping Christmas presents for my gorgeous girlfriends, wouldn’t it? So definitely you can’t blame me for buying a basketful of really good bargains. Yeah I know. Credit crunch is not yet over. But the world economy is already on its way to recovery, right?

After having combed Debenhams to my heart’s content, I made a beeline to Dorothy Perkins just in case they also have a sale. Lo and behold I couldn’t be more right. (I think I have a sixth sense on these things or something like that). Although there are only a few racks of sale items, I was still able to pick up really lovely pieces discounted to as much as 70% too.

So today I have officially started my Christmas shopping. It’s already a “-ber” month after all.

Below are some photos of the haul I got. I hope the recipients of these will love them.  But I do hope more that I can resist from keeping them all to myself and part from them without bawling over. LOL.

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VMV Sale and Mandelic Acid

To all VMV Hypoallergenics users, VMV is offering 15% discount until tomorrow, 7 September 2009. Since they’re offering the discount online, I conclude that all their stores nationwide are offering it as well.

I am great fan of VMV because their Clindamycin toner is very effective for my acne. Oh yes I do suffer from adult acne regularly... whenever my irregular period nears. Or should I say “was effective” because it has been discontinued - a discovery that I just chanced upon when I browsed their website few weeks ago when I realized I was seriously running out of my Clindamycin stock. It has been replaced with Mandelic Acid Primer 2 toner and according to Wikipedia:

Its use as a skincare modality was pioneered by Dr James E. Fulton, who developed vitamin A acid (tretinoin, Retin A) in 1969. On the basis of this research, dermatologists now suggest mandelic acid as an appropriate treatment for a wide variety of skin concerns, from acne to wrinkles; it is especially good in the treatment of adult acne as it addresses both of these concerns. Mandelic acid is also recommended is a pre- and post-laser treatment, reducing the amount and length of irritation caused by laser resurfacing.

What a joy! Treatment for both acne and wrinkles? Hmmm this might be better than Clindamycin after all. I will take advantage of this 15% discount and try it myself. Also, my period is fast approaching. Sigh.

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YOOX - Posh for Less

While looking for the this-is-it bridal shoes, I accidentally googled this site - www.yoox.com. Go to the SALE tab and you will see drool-worthy, famous designer brands slashed off as much as 70%!

Still expensive? Well don't be disheartened. There are also items that are more affordable.

KENZO wedge from £149 to £45 only.

Claudio Fracassa from £214 to £65 only.

Aside from shoes www.yoox.com also offers fantastic deals on designer bags, clothes, accessories and many more.

I ordered a pair of shoes yesterday (just couldn't resist it! lol). I am excited, can't wait to receive my order :) Will update you if I will be satisfied or not with the product.

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