How to Throw a Kick Ass Party in 48 Hours or Less

(Now, how about that for an article title?)


The holidays are just coming around the corner and they have no plans of slowing down! It’s deck the malls today, and you just can’t wait to go to all the parties which have been bleeding red on your planner! However, you won’t always be the visitor all the time. Sometimes, you also have to throw your own party—whether it’s by peer pressure or sheer gratitude—and boy, it ain’t that easy.

However, with everything that’s instant today, you can make do with a fabulous holiday party with a few quick and easy tips. Read on.

1. Set the mood. When people enter your place, or even as early as they are looking for a parking space in front of your home, they should already feel the Christmas spirit or the festivity brewing around the area. If you don’t have time to clean up the place, at least de-clutter. Fill the place with cheap (or not!) decoration and brighten up the place.

2. Spend a little time on making a playlist of upbeat and contemporary Christmas songs and when the party mellows down, switch to some piano and/or acoustic melodies. Working on this playlist will just take an hour tops. With fast internet today, all those downloading would be done in a jiffy.

3. Fake home cooking. A big chunk of what really makes a party cozy is the food. The truth is, you can make do with good old lechon manok (rotisserie chicken) and just put it in a nice looking plate. To make it look extra special, try to steam vegetables or put fried potatoes on the side. There’s also powdered gravy sold in the market. You can place that on the side for that extra gourmet feel. Sometimes the plate makes all the difference. Imagine takeout chopsuey, pansit and baby back ribs in a very regal looking plate. Imagine grilled meat on a banana leaf. Now THAT’s what I’m talking about.

4. For posh cocktails, don’t serve chips but instead, prepare cheese, little sandwiches, salami or even buttered French bread. Carrots, lettuce and cucumber also makes for a great salad, the “healthier” cocktail.

5. Serve champagne/ wine. Isn’t it good that you can purchase them now from convenience stores? They promise a lovely time and some space for great conversations in between. Unlike beer. But if the boys complain, then simply order beer from the sari-sari store at the corner! No sweat!

With these quick and easy throw-a-party tips, you won’t be left wondering what to do to make your party fabulous and memorable while on a very tight time schedule. Just remember that days before the party, you should organize your calendar well.

And don’t forget to take pictures! :) Email me other posh ideas at live_out_loud@ymail.com.

The New Zabadani Coffee Shop

I’ve been a long time visitor of Zabadani Coffee Shop when it was still a quaint little coffee shop in Rizal. I used to meet up with a lot of people there--people from the art circle (digital artists, film makers, photographers, writers, etc.), old friends, new friends, work mates-- and we end up spending a lot of time there not only because the place has such a unique interior design, but because the layered coffee is undoubtedly the best in town and the prices are great for “budgetarians”.

Back in Rizal, it was just a little place, with geographical descriptions of “just a door” when people new to it try to locate it. True enough, it sat beside Whaw Lechon House on Rizal st. and yes, it was just a door. This is because back then, Zabadani was located at the second floor of the block’s big structure and you can only access it through one front door. Then you ascend a small flight of staircase, and with the first tread, you will smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Instantly, you will know that you have come to the right place.

Aside from their wonderful reputation for really yummy treats, Zabadani also doubles as an internet café. They have computer units where you can surf the net for only P10 an hour. Personally, I liked going there to surf because the monitors were nice and the keyboards were soft. (How shallow.)

But of course, I loved the net surfing way later. Here’s the real kicker:

Zabadani coffee shop boasts of their extensive menu of layered coffee blends, tea varities and even flavored soda. If you’re in for a caffeine fix, some relaxing warmth or some sparkling sweetness, Zabadani is truly the place to go. Kuya Wadi (as he is fondly called), Zabadani’s owner, is a friend to many Zabadani patrons and he won’t let you down the beverages without something to munch on. Zabadani also offers chocolate and oatmeal cookies, a choco-mousse cake, blueberry cheesecake and their famous Bruschetta.

One very remarkable thing about Zabadani coffee shop that doesn’t involve your gastronomical affairs is that the place itself is very homey. There are lush carpets on the floor where you can sit and/ or lie down, soft lighting by the Moroccan lanterns and a mini library of (mostly) Islamic literature.

Today, the new Zabadani coffee shop stands at the heart of the city, at Ponciano Reyes st. Davao city. It is almost thrice the size of the old Zabadani, and its menu seemed to expand as large as the space! As I write, the newer PC units are coming in, more people enjoyed the large large carpeted platforms and there are more lanterns lighting up the place and giving my face a fake glow. Haha!

Now I will surely spend more time at the new Zabadani coffee shop. Just one year down and Zabadani’s thrice in size. I wonder what’s coming in for the next year. Hmm, I’d have more time to ponder on that. For now, let me finish this heavenly Mocacchino first.

What is Organic Skin Care?

A lot of us read the word “organic” in a lot of sources. We find it in the vegetable section of the grocery. We find it even in food packets. We also find it in the labels of the beauty products that we already use and the ones which we are considering of using, because of the “organic” claim.

However, do we really know what organic means? How does it make our skin care regimen a better one? What IS organic skin care?

First, to understand what “organic skin care” is, we’d have to get to know the word organic first. (As “skin care” is easier to understand.) Organic means, according to the Oxford dictionary, the “prodcuced and involving production without use of pesticides, artificial fertilizers or any form of synthetic chemicals”. With that definition, would it be possible to day that all the products which were labeled “organic” really hold that characteristic? I don’t think so.

A lot of marketing people in the skin care department simply use the word “organic” as a come-on for their products. Instantly, when you see the organic label, you sort of trust the product a little bit to do wonders for you. Also, another way of confusing consumers is by labeling their products as having “organic ingredients”. Then they will site a natural ingredient in its purest form. For example, olive oil or coconut oil. They may be organic but remember, there are other chemicals in that beauty product. And that is far from “organic”, mind you.

Organic skin care refers to a beauty regimen which uses only organic products for the pursuit of a healthier skin or the maintenance of healthy skin. For example, the usage of pure honey for your hands’ moisturizing and sugar for exfoliation. Both of these examples only use products which are natural and/ organic. They are safe and they are healthier since it’s nature’s powers working through your skin.

Also, if you want to buy developed beauty products which are preferably organic, simply look for the “certified organic” label along with the seal of a reputable drug association. Most likely, that product is really a certified organic product and it is safe to say that if you use that, you are religiously following an organic skin care routine. Remember, without the label which says “certified organic” whatever that’s labeled organic may be deemed simply meaningless.