Secret Recipe Restaurant Review

My husband and I tried this restaurant at the expansion wing of SM Megamall for the second time last weekend. The place was clean and quiet and good for those who want to enjoy a nice meal in peace. No crowds, no loud yelling of service crews, it is ideal for intimate talks.

We went back because we were satisfied with the food and service the first time we went there which I guess was almost a year ago. They had a combo meal back then for only Php250 which is really worth the price because it comes with a soup, chicken viand with rice and vegetable salad, drinks, and dessert. The serving was big then so we are so full and end up taking home the dessert.

I also like the service then, it felt like a real fine dining experience because the waiters would put the meals in order- soup first, then wait for us to finish then would add the main course, and so on. The spoon, fork and knives are also arranged in order. We did not experience this kind of service on our second try though the staff remains nice and friendly.

On our second visit, we ordered the following grilled mushroom chicken for Php 230, chicken cordon bleu for Php250, ice blended mocha for Php125, frosty lemon tea for Php90 and a slice of blueberry cheesecake for Php140. I really enjoyed the food and the drinks though the serving is not as big as before. Another good thing is that they have no service charge. Over all my rating for this resto is 8/10.

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What Every Credit Card Holder Should Know

I have been a credit card holder for years but I am proud to say that since then I have never paid any annual fee nor any interest and finance charges. A huge part of it is due to the fact that I strive to always pay in time and in full. Since I feel that I am such a good client, I think I can say that I have become a little demanding when I am dealing with them. I mean I treat them right so I think I deserve quality service. Along the way, I have discovered ways on how I can use credit card to my advantage. Let me share some of them now.

You can always find a way to waive your annual fee. That is if you are a good payer. Most credit cards waived the annual fee on your first year of being a member. But who said that it can’t be waived again next year. On my second year, Citibank waived it again as a reward for being a god customer. The third year, it was again waived with the condition that I received my billing statements via email. The fourth year, they waived it again because I was able to reach a certain amount of purchase.

You can waive your finance charges and late charges. Yes, you can request for a reversal of your charges. Again this is applicable the first time that you are unable to pay in full or in time.    

You can request for no interest. The sister of my officemate had a huge credit card bill when she unexpectedly lost her job. Worried that she would not have any money to pay for the bill, she called the card company to explain her situation. She asked if she could pay the amount in installment and if possible remove the charges to make it easier for her. The card company value her honesty and she got what she wanted.

Take advantage of the promos. Being a card older has its privileges and it pays to always be aware of them and how to avail it. I have enjoyed great freebies like 2 cute Mango watches from HSBC, a tall Starbucks treat from HSBC, movie discounts from Citibank, a manicure and foot spa with pedicure from East West Bank etc.

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Movie Review: Inception

When I came home from work one night, my sister told me that she saw the trailer of Inception and was really excited to see it because it seems to be such a good movie. I was intrigued so when my husband and I got a chance to watch a movie (yeah it’s so hard to find a time to go out these days), I suggested that we watch Inception. My husband wants to see Tekken but I got my way and was able to convince him to watch this Leonardo Dicaprio movie instead.

Well at first, I find it a little hard to understand the plot, probably because of the fact that I am really clueless about the story of the movie in the first place. When I finally got hold of the story, I was fascinated with the idea of the movie.

The story talks about how powerful one’s subconscious mind is and how active it is when one is dreaming. Of course almost all of the memorable scenes in the movie happened while the main characters are dreaming. The character of Leonardo and his team used Inception to enter the dream of a very powerful man and plant an idea in his mind. As they say in the movie, ideas are like virus so once it forms in one’s mind, it growth is unstoppable.

I find the story idea so unique and it made me remember philosophers such as Sigmund Freud. I really enjoyed it but you know what, my husband slept in the cinema and my sister who suggested it to me actually find the movie confusing. So this movie is probably not for everyone. It really is confusing; there are some scenes and characters in the movie I don’t quite get.  Actually, I did not understand the ending. Maybe I would appreciate it more if I can watch it again.

dtold me That is why

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Useful SEO Tool

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Aside from analytics, I discovered another google tool that can help one monitor his or her website- none other than Google Webmaster. Of course, it is again my boss who introduced me to it. I received an email from him with the instructions that I should monitor our various websites using the google webmaster tool.


So I opened our account at webmaster, saw reports of crawl errors and the search queries and keywords that the search engines associate with our websites. Then because I am quite confused on how to use it, I choose to forget about it. Until almost all of the websites I am handling experienced a drop in traffic and my boss demands that I provide an explanation for it. 

 I cannot find any explanation on Google analytics so I checked on Goggle Webmaster and that’s when I saw that there are so many crawl errors in our sites already. This is because of the recent changes that we implemented that affected the search engines.  Crawl errors such as page not found and 404 errors can really jeopardize one’s seo target. I seek the developer of our programmer and not long after installing a remedy, the traffic went high again and the crawl errors disappeared. I now know the value of webmaster and so I check it from time to time.

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Simpy Sophie

My daughter is growing up so fast. She can now stand on her own and loves moving around. She’s not so fond of her crib now as she had discovered a much bigger playground outside it. At 10 months, she’s very active and wants to play all the time. She has funny gestures that would makes us all smile and laugh such as  pouting her lips as if she wants to kiss us. She also knows how to clap her hands now when I told her to. Sometimes she would make a sound as if she is singing and would wiggle her hand and body as if she is dancing whenever she hears nice music. 


One thing I would like to minimize about her is her fondness of television. It is obvious because she has favorite commercials. She would stop whatever she is doing (either crying or drinking milk) to watch, even smile and clap her hands whenever her favorite commercial airs.
We teased her about being a spoiled brat because she always demands that we give her what she wants. She usually gets her way by crying out loud. Of course, I can’t stand to see her crying so I am guilty of spoiling her.

Just the other night, while she was sleeping, I suddenly felt the urge to gently kiss her forehead. This is because I j just remembered a quote I once read in a magazine pertaining to this stage in one’s family life. The quote said--these are precious years, it will go by so fast. I just realized that I need to savor this moment with my child and to always be grateful for this wonderful blessing that God had given me. 

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How to Install Analytics In Your Site

My boss introduced me to Google Analytics years ago. It is very useful for webmaster and bloggers because it gives an in-dept report of your site’s traffic. I think every one who manages a website or is serious about building a high ranking blog must know Google analytics and what it is for. At first glance, analytics can be intimidating. The figures and the charts make it look so technical that one thinks it is hard to understand. In fact, it took me a while before I started to appreciate it. 


Google Analytics is very useful because it will let you know the number of people visiting your site, how long they stayed, where did they come from, the articles they browse, etc. Aside from that, you will also be able to monitor your site’s progress when it comes to traffic. In my opinion, it will pretty much tell you everything you need or want to know about the visitors of your site. 

Another nice thing about it is the fact that Google analytics is for free. To experience its benefits, all that you need to do is to sign up and install the analytics code in your site. Here’s a link to show you how to do it. 


Guide To Install Google Analytics in Your Site

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Ready in 10 Minutes

When I was still single, my standard preparation time in the morning is 1 hour- that is the quickest I guess. I don’t know why no matter how hard I try to move faster, it always takes me an hour to get ready. I just have so many essential things to do like blow drying my hair, putting on sunscreen, sometimes changing outfits until I find one that suits me the best.


It’s amazing how that one (1) hour was reduced to 10 minutes, even only 5 now that I am a wife and a mother. Yes, we are always on the rush in the morning and instead of fixing myself, I would be very busy washing the bottles and preparing the milk and food my daughter would need for the day. I sometimes complain that I want more time but I also don’t want to be late for work. Maybe I should wake up a little early but it can be so so hard.
 
Most of the time, I would fix myself up when I am already in the car and I would be satisfied with my look in less than 10 minutes. Oh on days when I am feeling like a rag, I console myself with the thought that this is part of my new life and I am not the only one who has experienced it. It is probably normal and a part of my adjustment period as a new working mom. So for single girls out there who still have the luxury of time in the morning to prepare herself up, all I can say is enjoy it!

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