Smartphone Friendly Gloves

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It's winter. The temps are below zero and you have been waiting at the bus stop for more than fifteen minutes now. Your freezing cold. Thankfully, you didn't forget to wear your beanie and your gloves. Suddenly, your phone rings. You want to ignore but sees that it's an important call that you need to take. So you have no choice but to remove your gloves so you can answer your phone. The call takes about five minutes. After that, your hands are so cold and numb you can't feel them anymore. 

Familiar eh? Do you ever find it annoying whenever you have to remove your gloves just to answer a text message or a call from your smartphone? But there's now a solution to this dilemma: smartphone friendly gloves that allow you to use your smartphone without having to remove them. I found these really nice touchscreen friendly gloves at Esprit.de and I just thought: this would  be perfect for the husband.

And there's a pair that's perfect for women too:

I just love them! Too bad I won't be here when it really gets too cold as I'll be away in a sunny, warm and tropical place. :)

Shoes Are Boring. Wear Sneakers!

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The title may seem weird since sneakers are shoes but this advertising line from the classic and well-loved Converse All Stars brand just stuck to me. Now that winter is almost upon us, keeping our feet warm and dry must be a top priority. Catering to the young and the hip market, the new collection of winter sneakers from Converse is just, what can I say, COOL!

The good news is long out: the Chuck Taylor All Star Rock Craftmanship Collection for Autumn/Winter 2013 is out and good to keep you hip and cool during the cold season.

Choose from any of the following Chuck Taylor styles:

The Chuck Taylor All Star Collar Studs: with spikes, rivets and zippers - the perfect silhouette for those who want it a little bit higher.

The Chuck Taylor All Star Double Zip: it's got zippers on both sides of the shoe. The washed-out used look and  frayed edges gives it a worn feel and a rockin' touch.

The Chuck Taylor All Star Animal Prints Collection: a burst of colors and leopard prints.

The Chuck Taylor All Star Studded: also available in  washed-out used look. The rivets run around the back of the shoe and along the laces.

Which one is your favorite?

Photo credits (all photos): www.converse.de

Black and White Never Goes Out of Style

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Although the color of the season is GREEN, I can still see new styles in black and white gracing the windows of fashion shops in downtown Stuttgart.

I especially love Hallhuber's new winter collection: don the 60's look in graphic! These dresses from Hallhuber in Op-Art-prints, colorblocking and Jacquard design are simple and elegant and just eye-catching! I must have at least one (dreaming!) to update my winter wardrobe, which by the way, has become unwearable since I have gone maybe 2 sizes smaller. :D

Photos from Hallhuber.

So, which one is your favorite?

Get That Summer Barbeque Look

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My husband is going to be hysterical if he sees my online shopping bills. Ever since I got home from a very long vacation in my home country (imagine almost 6 months!) and has gotten a bit smaller, it's like I'm in an online shopping frenzy. Most probably because each time I order something online, I have the right to return the unused item and in original packaging within 14 - 100 days, depending on the online shop.

And since it is summer here and grill or barbeque parties in the garden or at the park are IN, it would be nice to come "dressed" for the occasion. Nothing fancy... just something that will make you feel comfy about yourself and allow you to move freely while at the same time looking trendy and classy.

I found this really nice dress, a striped classic poloshirt and white bermuda shorts from my favorite online shop that will go pretty well with my beige PabDer shoes. I can already imagine myself eating a stick of veggie-cues (>_<), spending lazy days at the park or those relaxing walks along the beach...

Lighting Always Does The Trick

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In whatever situation, lights will always play a vital role. Lighting has long been studied and used extensively in different fields: photography, film, arts, sciences, medical instrumentation. Aside from providing light at different intensities to serve its purpose, lighting is also important in creating that ambience and feel.

Next to home furnishings, indoor lighting is of paramount importance especially if you want to create different atmospheres at different parts of your home. Of course, you wouldn't want white glaring light in your bedroom or gloomy and dim lights in your work room, right? Everything has its proper order so to speak.

Flush ceiling lights are perfect for areas requiring a good all around light because it sits completely cleanly to the ceiling. This type of lighting is recommended for bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens and offices. With so many designs to choose from in the market today, you can choose the ones that will suit your room. If you want to get more ideas on which design to choose, Searchlight Lighting offers a variety of styles and types.  

There are also spotlights, low or high ceiling lights, and even shades that you can mix and match to serve a certain function in your room. Rooms after all, are also sometimes multi-functional so you have to also plan what type of lighting will do just the trick for you. 

Pab Der... So Comfy and Light

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My happy feet are happier now that I discovered PabDer. PadDer is an Italian brand that has several branches in the Philippines. Unfortunately, they don't have one in Davao yet so I was able to buy my pair in Ayala Cebu. 

This cream-colored loafers are just so comfy I would walk for hours on end without complaining. They are hand-made and the material is from very soft lamb leather. I am so totally satisfied with my own pair... and because they also come in other colors, I am oh so tempted to get my own collection of PabDer shoes. But since I am not really imeldific, I think one pair will do... I know it will be years and years before I purchase another one. Because you know me.... I only buy something for myself when I really need it. :)

And just look at their logo of sheep dogs... Aren't they just cute?

 

The Right Time to Shop Is NOW!

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I am here vacationing with my daughter in the Philippines. I miss the hubby, who is now back in cold Germany. When it gets too hot here, I would somehow wish for the cold and snowy Stuttgart, of building snowmen and going sledding, of hot chocolates and just cuddling and hugging at the living room on most lazy days. Another thing I miss: the WSV or the Winterschlussverkauf (Winter clearance sale) which is still ongoing, I think.

Source: http://www.bz-berlin.de

With most winter items gone 50-70% off the tag price, it would really be difficult to say NO and not shop! I could even shop online and ask hubby to send the items for me. :) But seriously, if you haven't done so and you are in Germany, don't miss out on the WSV! I know I wouldn't! The WSV started last January 4th and will end at the end of February. Different stores and shops, of course, have different schedules so be sure to check your local newspapers for the latest updates. 

Summer Closing Sale

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Summer is almost over. I can already see shops displaying their Autumn and Winter collections. More importantly, end of summer sales abound. Are you planning on going on vacation to a tropical country to escape the cold, winter days? Then now is the perfect time to buy those trendy and chic summer outfits. Although the SSV is over, there are still some shops offering summer collections on sale for late shoppers. 

A shop's window enticing shoppers with their promotion... up to 50% off !

Here in Germany, the summer closing sale or Sommerschlussverkauf (SSV) takes place for 2 weeks, for a total of 12 days since shops are closed on Sundays. It would be very wise to save up your allowance and hit the shopping malls starting from the last week of July until the first week of August. Retail shops are offering up to 50-70% discount on summer collections. This is done to sell a huge part of the summer collections and to make room for the new winter collection.

According to German law, on sale goods during the SSV should only be seasonal items like textile, clothing items, footwear, leather goods and sports articles. Included in the textiles are not only clothing items, but also furniture coverings, carpets and mattresses which are manufactured using textile. Suitcases and handbags could also be included in the end-of-summer-season sale if they are made of leather or textiles. Not included in the assortment are glasswares, china and ceramics, electrical appliances, writing materials, etc.

I know I am too late for the SSV this year but there will always be other SSV in the years to come. I still have more summers ahead of me. It pays to do some research first.

 

Tempting Offers from O2

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Hear ye, all gadget fans of Germany. O2 has a very tempting offer for Smartphones. There is an ongoing special promotion for smartphones. You can now own the latest Smartphone of your choice without having to pay the entire smartphone price. O2 I think is the first to offer Ratenzahlung, making smartphones now more affordable to ordinary people like me.

You can own an Apple iPhone 4S 16GB for instance at €27.50 monthly for 24-month installment or €55.00 monthly for 12-month installment. You only need to pay downpayment of €19 to get the unit.

Or the new Samsung Galaxy Note (which I have been eyeing for quite sometime now, thanks to the latest Korean Drama, Rooftop Prince) at €22.50 monthly for 24-month installment or €45.00 for 12-month installment, with a downpayment of only €1.00.

There is also the HTC One S at €25.00 monthly for 24-month installment of €50.00 for 12-month installment, with a downpayment of only €1.00.

You can find other smartphones on offer at the O2 website. These prices are without contracts. You can also choose from a variety of 24-month Postpaid plans. And for a limited time only, O2 is offering a 10% discount on the monthly tarif rates for the first 12 months of a 24-month contract and a free connection fee worth €29.99 for purchases made only until 27 June 2012.  Ain't it just great? I am even tempted to avail of this offer. So, should I still wait for my old cellphone to retire or should I go and get a new phone, a smartphone at that?

Keep Warm with Peak Performance!

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Winter is finally here... It snowed for the first time last Tuesday but only for a while. The rain that followed after the snow fall just melted all the snow away. Today, the sun is smiling and shining after three days of wet, humid days. But soon, I know that it will snow.. really snow.

The temperature is still mind. It hasn't dropped below zero yet, but still, it IS cold. One should not take any chances and should or better yet, MUST dress warmly especially when going out. This winter, we are ready. We purchased new winter jackets the last time Outlet City Metzingen had their Sonntagsöffener Tür.

We were just browsing through the different stores when we chanced upon Peak Performance. They have a special offer on that day and I fell in love with the off white down jacket. There's also the  purchased winter jackets from Peak Performance Outlet Store in Outlet City Metzingen at a very good price -- for 70% off to be exact.


I recently wore it this week and I don't need to wear layers and layers of clothes anymore! All I have to wear is a shirt inside and then the jacket and I didn't feel cold at all! It really kept me warm and comfortable the entire day, thanks to the high quality goose down and fine fabric that ensures good insulation properties.

More about the Brand:

Our origins – "Passion for sport and nature"

Peak performance was established in 1986 in the Swedish Åre by professional skiers with a passion for sports, design and natural adventure. Today, we are an established international brand, but our values are still the same as when the company was establishment - we live, gather inspiration and develop with the same passion, which remains unchanged. We sum this up with the expression: "Living the Brand".

On our journey we have learned everything about the requirements for the appearance and functionality of clothing and equipment for active people. This has helped to make Peak Performance what it is today.

A constantly growing brand with an international network of independent dealers, own stores, franchise shops and sales in over 25 countries. Whatever we do, Peak Performance's basis will always be the classical "Mountain resort" and associated lifestyle. And we shall continue applying the simple philosophy to our products, which we had when the company was established: to create products that we like and use ourselves.

Trolley Backpacks

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It is such an agony for me to carry my backpack. Why? Because it so heavy especially on days when I need to carry Vikki (my laptop) along with my lecture notes and packed lunch with me for my Thursday classes. It is literally backbreaking, my back and shoulder muscles are as tense and hard as a rock.

A friend recommended that I use trolley backpacks instead so that I could just drag it with me and my back won't have to always carry the burden. So I am searching for some good trolley backpacks online and here's some of those that I found:

Product Name: Wander-Full Laptop Backpack with Wheels
Brand/Make: Samsonite
Material: Polyester
Dimension: 38.0 x 25.0 x 50.0 cm
Max. laptop size: 37.0 x 27.0 x 4.0 cm
Volume: 31 L
Weight: 2.22 kg | 4.89 lbs
Handle: Lightweight mono tube handle
Others: Ergonomic shoulder straps, standard zippers, a large, zipped, organised front pocket, two bottle holders, with a limited 2 year global warranty

Product Name: JanSport Trolley Driver 8, 34 Liter
Brand/Make: Jansport
Material: 600 Denier Polyester / 420 Denier Velocity Nylon
Dimension: 21in h x 14in w x 10in d
Max. laptop size: 12in h x 10in w x 2.00in d
Volume: 34L
Weight: 2.2 kg (inclusive of packaging)
Handle: Retractable two-stage handle
Others: Tuck-away shoulder straps to convert to backpack, two large main compartments for versatile storage, padded sleeve fits 15" laptop, front utility pocket with organizer keeps essentials handy, fully padded back panel for cushioning comfort, 80 mm inline skate wheels for stable, controlled motion, front stash pocket, padded grab handle, side water bottle pocket

Product Name: JOSHBAG BoardPack ® Notebook / Laptop Wheeled Backpack

Brand/Make: JOSHBAG

Material: 100% Nylon

Dimension: height: 50 x width: 35 cm x depth: 23 cm

Max. laptop size: length: 39,5 cm x width: 30 cm x thickness: 5 cm

Volume: 35L

Weight: 2.7 kg (inclusive of packaging)

Handle: Retractable multi-stage handle

Others: two large main compartments with zipper, padded laptop sleeve with belt, inside: 2 accessories pockets, removable, optimally for power supply, large front utility pocket with organizer

These are just some of the trolley backpacks that I liked. Let's see what I will purchase in the days to come.

photos: amazon.de

Home Clean Home with Siemens Z6.0

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When we found out that my husband's worsening asthma is caused by house dust mites, we knew it was time to purchase a new vacuum cleaner. We didn't have a vacuum cleaner when we moved to our new apartment. Why? Because our previous apartment was fully furnished and when we found out that we would be staying here for good, we decided to move somewhere else and buy our own stuff.

It took some time for husband to learn that he has house dust mites allergy since it took some time also to get an appointment with a lung specialist. But as soon as we found out, we purchased a vacuum cleaner right away.

It's the newest and most energy efficient vacuum cleaner from Siemens Home Germany, the "Z 6.0 Extreme Green Power". It was fresh in the market and was on promo price when we purchased it. It cost more than our alloted budget for a vacuum cleaner but we bought it anyway. The sales representative made a very good job at demonstrating the product to us and showed us how much we can save on electricity. The product claims a 60% savings on energy costs but that we still have to see at the end of the year. So far, I am very happy and satisfied with this product. It has four modes and is not so very noisy compared to the one I was using before. And it has got a HEPA filter inside the unit that is washable so that you don't need to purchase a new one once it is exhausted. The dust bag is large too, at 5L capacity so I only change to a new one after a month or so of vacuum cleaning. Even my daughter loves to operate it and would insist on doing the vacuuming herself although she is a little too small for the device.

I must say husband's condition is getting better now, with his therapy and of course, a dust-free home thanks to "Z". We are even planning on buying two more units to be sent to our parents in the Philippines so that dust won't be a problem when we come home for a vacation. :D

My PF Sneakers

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I blogged about this new sneakers that I purchased a few weeks back and I was so excited for the day to come when I get it in my possession. Well, I actually got it eons ago. I just wasn't able to blog about it so much.

So how was it? It was really a great addition and a great alternative to my running shoes. But when I first wore it, it was an agony (as is usually the case when you wear new footwear)! Maybe my feet were not so used to wearing such flat sneakers. Thankfully though, the sole was soft and I didn't even get blisters on my feet, especially at the contour of my heels. I also have flat feet so I guess it wasn't such a brilliant idea to be wearing really flat shoes. But the next day, I wore it again and thankfully, my feet no longer felt uncomfortable. I guess the sneakers has adapted to the shape of my feet.

It is now one of my favorite pairs. It is very easy to wear, especially if I need to rush because I am already late for my lectures. Hehe! And in this warm weather, it is not a problem as the material does not feel warm.

Sneakers, See You Soon!

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I have been itching to buy me-self some much needed sneakers. My running shoes are not that very comfortable and not that very chic to wear to the university on a daily basis. As a rule, sneakers are for daily wear and running shoes are well, for running or any other sports activities. I would always get some "look" each time I am seen wearing one. There is nothing wrong really with a pair of running shoes but sneakers go better with those good old jeans, even skirts of shirt dresses.

So I decided to buy myself a new pair of sneakers. I initially wanted this white Lacoste Marcel low sneaker online but I just find it very pricey. A pair costs €79,99 at Zalando.de, with free shipping. So I searched some more and finally decided on this PF Flyers Center Low retro shoes which I found at Sneakerhead.com which costs €56,77 inclusive of international shipping. I am excited to receive it. I already received an confirmation email saying that I will receive it at the end of the day of May 30. I am uber excited! I just hope it fits perfectly. Mal sehen.