Capping Valentines Weekend with a Win

 

 

Last December, Between Bites, together with Minute Maid, hosted a contest on the site: Opening a Minute Maid: Experience the Natural Goodness.  There were two parts to that contest.  One would win the Blog section, while the other would win the Comment section.

 

Last February, right before Valentines weekend, Minute Maid has announced the Blog winner.  It was the entry of Kate who won.

 

http://meowbykate.blogspot.com/2010/01/time-for-orange-break.html

 

I requested Kate to share with us a few photos of her “prize” experience. 

 

“I am actually quite embarrassed because there are no pictures of me.  I took pics of the room, the food we ate and the complimentary wine service.  I also took a thank you shot for Minute Maid.  Btw, we didn’t get to avail of the massage yet because it was scheduled the next day, meaning we would have checked out na.  We decided that we’d just save it for our 7th Anniversary this April 🙂

 

Anyway, thank you so much for hosting this contest 🙂  It was a really tiring week for us, since we came all the way from Clark and then drove to Makati to get the voucher.  The hotel stay plus wonderful breakfast buffet was a perfect way to end our Valentine’s weekend.”   ~Kate

 

Sharing Kate’s photos from her EDSA Shangri-la stay.  No photos though of Kate herself but she did take a “thank you” shot for Minute Maid.

 

 

 

Thank You Minute Maid!

  

Thanks Kate for joining the contest! 🙂  I hope you enjoyed your EDSA Shangri-la Chi Spa Holiday Package. 😀

 

Related Post:

Opening a Minute Maid: Experience Natural Goodness

Last Call for Entries: Minute Maid

Minute Maid Refreshment Time Contest Blog Winner

Minute Maid Refreshment Time Contest Comment Winner

Minute Maid Comment Winner Soon

 

 

Minute Maid Contest “Comment” Winner

 

Finally, they’ve picked a Comment winner!!!

 

 

Congratulations…

 

Comment:

Christian Homeschooler

 

A regular day for me starts with me fixing up breakfast for my boys and getting ready for homeschool. While I won’t have it any other way, it can still be tiring at times. Because the truth of the matter is, my day do not stop at homeschooling. I then have to prepare lunch and zero in on my online job thereafter. It can be crazy, I kid you not. Especially now that I have ventured into yet another online job, as a virtual assistant. This requires me to be glued to my office until the wee hours of the morning.

 

I’ll have to admit that it’s not always bright and shiny everyday. But I cannot be more thankful that I have discovered a partner that melts away my stress. Even during my “walang tulugan moments,” I’d find myself grabbing a bottle of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange. It somehow perks me up, switching me back to the timezone that I needed to be at a given moment. (Boss’ time zone is UTC-7 hours)

 

Minute Maid Pulpy Orange refreshes me at random parts of my ever packed days (and nights) — yes, even way after the hubby has gone to dreamland. =)

 

You just won The Spa package worth Php5,000. 

 

Congratulations in winning the Comments category of the ‘Minute Maid Get Closer to Nature’ contest. 

 

An acknowledgment email will be sent to you shortly on how to claim your prize.

 

Thank you to everyone who joined the Minute Maid contest.

 

Watch out for more exciting contests soon!!! 😉

 

For the meantime, the Ovi contest is ongoing.  Check that out!  🙂

You might be the lucky weekly winner!

 

 

*Kindly requesting both winners, if it ain’t such an inconvenience, to send me a photo of their “prize” experience so I can share it with the other readers.  Much appreciated!  Congrats!

 

Last Call for Entries: The Minute Maid Contest

 

Hola Minute Maid Drinkers!!! 

 

 

I’ve received quite a number of entries.  It’s not too late to send in yours.  You have until TOMORROW to blog or comment and grab a chance to WIN the prizes below:

 

Prizes: 

BEST BLOG – 1 winner of a Shangri-La Chi Spa overnight holiday package worth Php20,000 (Good for 2:  Yin Yang Harmonising Massage at Chi Spa, overnight stay at Tower Wing Superior Room, Buffet breakfast at HEAT)

 

BEST COMMENT – 1 winner of The Spa package worth Php5,000 (Good for 2:  Executive Herbal body massage at The Spa Fort and dinner at CAV Wine Shop-Café Fort)

 

YOU may be indulging in your private retreat in the heart of the city.

 

To be fair to all who joined, I will round up a panel that consists of 5 judges (Jane not included) who will determine the winner based on the scores they will give on the criteria below.  GOODLUCK mates!!! 😉

 

***UPDATE (Feb 3, 2010)*** Minute Maid will choose the Blog and Comment winners.

 

Contest Link

 

 ———————————-

Short Recap

 

“When do you refresh with Minute Maid Pulpy Orange?” CONTEST ALERT

 

Hear Ye!  Hear Ye!  Between Bites readers and fellow bloggers in the community!  Share your refreshing stories with Minute Maid and stand to win amazing prizes!   Awesome, huh?  Simple, too.

 

Blog Entry:

The contest is open to all Philippine resident bloggers.

Blog about, “When do you refresh with Minute Maid Pulpy Orange?”

You may include photos and/or videos.

Publish your blog post and e-mail the blog entry URL with your name, address, mobile number, and e-mail address to betweenbites@gmail.com

 

Comment Entry:

The contest is open to all Philippine resident readers of ‘Between Bites’.

Post your suggestion on when to refresh with Minute Maid Pulpy Orange.

Leave your real name (first name will do) and register a valid e-mail address on the Comments section of ‘Between Bites,’ particularly under this entry.

 

Judging Criteria:

 

                Creativity (50%)

                Relevance to the theme – “Refreshment time” (50%)

 

Contest Duration: December 28, 2009 – January 29, 2010

 

For more details:  CLICK HERE

 

 

December 2009 Holidays

 

 

Is it a long Christmas break for you? 🙂  I sure hope so.

 

I’ve already filed a leave for Dec. 23, 28 and 29 :p

 

 

December 2009 Holidays

 

Dec. 24, 2009

Special Holiday

Christmas Eve -Proclamation No. 1699

 

Dec. 25                  

Regular Holiday                  

Christmas Day -Executive Order No. 203

 

Dec. 30                  

Regular Holiday                  

Rizal Day -Executive Order No. 203

 

Dec. 31  

Special Holiday

Last Day of the Year -Executive Order No. 203

 

Jan. 1, 2010           

Regular Holiday                  

New Year’s Day -Executive Order No. 203

 

Where are you off to this Christmas break? 

 

 

I think employees who are assigned to work on these days will be given premium pay in accordance with their existing company policies.

 

 

 

Palace Retracts November 27-28 Holiday, Except in ARMM

 

 

November 27-28, 2009 is no longer a national/regular holiday.  Malacañang has issued Proclamation No. 1808-A on October 26, 2009 declaring Feast of Eid’l Adha as Regional Holiday in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao only.  This means business as usual in Metro Manila.

 

People in the Metro who have booked flights/vacation on that supposedly long weekend holiday must be really upset with the holiday “retraction” in Metro Manila.  Businessmen must be pretty pleased about it (quite understandable).  I almost booked a flight.

 

Image Source: coolrain44.wordpress.com

 

(I know someone who works in Singapore and is coming home that weekend to spend time with family during the long holiday  in Manila, only to find out that they are supposed to go to work.)

 

“We apologize for those who have been inconvenienced by the change. Trade Secretary [Peter] Favila and the Department of Trade and Industry appealed for the change in behalf of the business community to limit the nonworking holiday to the ARMM because of the number of holidays declared for November plus the fact that we are still recovering from the twin tragedies of Ondoy and Pepeng that hit Metro Manila and Luzon,” Remonde

 

Palace Sorry for Changing Nov 27-28 Holiday Link

 

Michael Jackson’s This Is It Docu Film

 

 

Sony Pictures reports that hundreds of show times have sold out since tickets went on sale on Sunday for “Michael Jackson: This Is It”.  It opens Oct. 28 in the US for a two-week limited run.  The movie is based on more than 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the late King of Pop’s planned concert series at the O2 Arena in London.

 

Advance shows in some markets the night before also are selling out. All 3,000 tickets for screenings at a Los Angeles cinema were snapped up in two hours, with some fans queuing to buy tickets up for nearly three days.

 

Sony said 30,000 tickets were sold in the first 24 hours in London, while £630,000 worth of tickets were sold in Japan within the same time period.

 

The film’s world gala will be in Los Angeles at the Nokia Theatre on the evening of October 27.

 

The event will kick off a series of more than 25 premieres around the globe.

 

Jackson died in June aged 50, just weeks before the huge string of London comeback concerts titled This Is It were due to get under way.

 

 

Restoring Hope for the Nation: NoyNoy Aquino to Run for 2010 Presidency

 

Manila News Today: 09-09-09

 

Restoring Hope for the Nation

 

Sen. Benigno Aquino III, known to many as “NoyNoy”, the only son of former President Cory Aquino and national hero, Ninoy Aquino, officially announced this morning his acceptance of the people’s call for him to run for president in 2010.

 

 

Sen. Aquino made the announcement of his candidacy at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City –the very same site where former President Aquino took her oath as president in 1986.  It was also the same venue where Sen. Mar Roxas held a press conference to announce that he is making the ultimate sacrifice to give way to Sen. Aquino. September 9, 2009, is also the 40th day after the death of his late mother, the icon of faith and democracy.

 

 

Sen. Aquino, who looked calm and strong-willed, declared that he is accepting the voice of the people and will continue his parents’ fight to restore “real” democracy in the country.  He accepts the challenge to lead in this fight by running in the coming elections.

 

NoyNoy’s sisters, Ballsy, Pinky, Viel and Kris along with their families were present during the announcement, a strong sign of their full pledge support for NoyNoy’s decision.  

 

 

Liberal Party members Senators Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, Francis Pangilinan, former Sen. Franklin Drilon, Quezon Representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, former congressmen Florencio “Butch” Abad and Nereus Acosta, former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz and Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement were also present.

 

 

Sen. Aquino generously welcomed a few questions from the media, to which he answered fearlessly and with conviction.  He also mentioned that he has offered Sen. Roxas to be his vice-presidential running mate and is only awaiting the latter’s decision on the matter.  Other items he mentioned that he will look at is education and the repetitive traditional books we feed the youth, re-establishing the justice system across all classes (poking at the current justice structure for the rich and well-connected) and restoring hope for the nation.

 

 

Manila News Today: Sept. 4, 2009

 

 

Presidential Race to the Altar?

 

Senator Manuel Roxas II has sacrificed his presidential bid for 2010 to give way to fellow Liberal Party member, Senator Benigno “Noy Noy” Aquino III, who is currently away in Zamboanga to seek spiritual guidance.  He will be back on Monday but will probably reveal his decision on whether or not to run for president after September 9, the 40th mourning day of his mother, former President Cory Aquino.

 

 

During his speech at Club Filipino, the same venue where President Cory Aquino took her oath as the first woman president, he urged people to pray with him to assess people’s readiness to accompany him in this fight. 

 

Meanwhile, Noy Noy’s sister, celebrity host Kris Aquino said in her show, Showbix News Ngayon, that she is giving 100 percent support to her brother in case he decides to run a presidential campaign.  She further declared on Wednesday night that she requested Noy Noy to remain single for the meantime since he already has enough big decisions on his plate as it is.

 

 

People tend to speculate that Kris might have reservations about the current girlfriend of Noy Noy, Shalani Soledad, a councilor of Valenzuela’s 2nd district.

 

Kris retracts her statement Thursday evening on SNN and apologized for meddling in her brother’s love life.  She again promised not to talk about Noy Noy’s affairs of the heart.

 

(Photo Source: http://www.liberalparty.ph)

Michael Jackson’s Death is a Homicide

 

 

The LA County coroner is supposed to release the final toxicology report on Michael Jackson’s death.  The coroner’s office ruled the June 25 demise of MJ as a homicide due to a combination of drugs, anesthetic propofol mixed with two sedatives, lorazepam and midazolam.  A designation of homicide means that Jackson died at the hands of another, but does not necessarily mean a crime was committed.

 

The forensic test findings will strengthen criminal charges that are to be filed against Dr. Conrad Murray, the Las Vegas cardiologist who was with the King of Pop when he died in his rented Los Angeles mansion.

 

 

LAPD has been closely investigating the doctor who only became Jackson’s personal physician weeks before his death.  Murray disclosed that he’d been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks with 50 milligrams of propofol every night via an intravenous drip.  Propofol is normally used in operations.  He claims that Jackson was forming an addiction to the anesthetic.

 

Murray reveals that around 1:30 a.m. on June 25, he tried a series of drugs instead of propofol to make Jackson sleep including 10 milligrams of Valium and injections of two milligrams of lorazepam and two milligrams of midazolam.  Jackson supposedly demanded for propofol, which the singer referred to as his “milk.” 

 

 

Murray remained with the sedated Jackson for about 10 minutes, then left for the bathroom. No more than two minutes later, he returned — and found Jackson had stopped breathing.

 

 

When he died, Jackson was skinny but not overly withered, and his body had bedsores.  The singer is believed to have developed bed sores in the months following his 2005 acquittal of child molestation charges, when he went into seclusion and spent long stretches in bed.

 

Murray has spoken to police and last week released a YouTube video saying he “told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail.”

 

Related Post

Michael Jackson Doctor Investigated

Michael Jackson Movie

Michael Jackson Memorial Most Touching Moment

Michael Jackson Public Memorial Live on CNN

Returning to Neverland

The Man in the Mirror

A Very Touching Story of Michael Jackson while in the Philippines

Michael Jackson Memorial Coverage on SKY Cable

The Battle for Michael Jackson’s Estate Continues 

 

American Idol Season 8 Finale

 

 

There is a new American Idol and it’s Kris Allen.  KRIS ALLEN, ladies and gentlemen.

 

Gotta give props to Adam Lambert because he was really a superstar all throughout the competition and he brought AI to a whole new level –singing and stage presence –wise.

 

Image Source: watchingamericanidol.com

Image Source: watchingamericanidol.com

 

Kris Allen despite missing some key notes in Kara DioGuardi’s written song, No Boundaries, triumphs as the last man standing in Season 8 of American Idol.  Even if Adam did a better performance hitting the notes, I feel that Kris’ acoustic rock voice suits the song better than Adam’s mellow Aerosmith voice.

 

 

Image Source: watchingamericanidol.com

Image Source: watchingamericanidol.com

 

 

Other than the star-studded guest list that includes Kiss and Queen, Kara DioGuardi made the season finale more memorable with an epic showdown between her and “bikini girl” Katrina Darrell.  Not so long ago during the auditions, Kara pointed out that Katrina didn’t hit the right notes.  Katrina made a sarcastic rebuttal that distressed Kara to showing her how it’s properly done.

Image Source: Fox and Huffintonpost.com

Image Source: Fox and Huffintonpost.com

At the end of the singing duel, Kara unveiled her bikini body by unbuttoning her trench dress to flash a black string bikini she had on underneath.  Ryan commented that by flashing the world at the end of the song, Kara won a bet and a donation to charity.

Image Source: Fox and huffingtonpost.com

Image Source: Fox and huffingtonpost.com

 

In other news, Hayden Christensen (no, not the infamous local doctor with scandalous videos) and Djimon Honsou stars in Mandrake the Magician adaptation.  Anakin Skywalker of Star Wars is supposed to do the lead role in the film “Mandrake.”  MTV news however reports that a representative from Hayden’s camp denies that he has anything to do with the film. 

 

The movie co-star Djimon Honsou will follow Hayden’s character, an “underground magician and escapologist” who is approached by the CIA to do some work after “a daring escape from an SUV that has been dropped out of an plane at the Burning Man Festival.  Hounsou will presumably be taking on the role of Mandrake’s assistant, Lothar.  I love Djimon Honsou in Blood Diamond and I cannot wait to see another film with him in it.

 

The Zeitgeist and Moon movies are the two movies I want to watch soon.  Have you seen Zeitgeist?

 

 

World Asia Cafe Season 2 Opens with Manila EP

WCA will feature Philippines on its Season 2 Premiere!

The Marketing Manager for Discovery Networks Asia confirms that World Cafe Asia 2 is airing this Monday (March 23, 10PM) and Manila episode is the first ep  🙂

 

Related Post:

World Café Asia 2: Manila

MarketManila.com World Café Asia Manila Monday, 23 March 2009??

Marketman’s Day with Bobby Chinn of WCA

 

Ateneo Blue Eagles: Champions of UAAP ’71

Congrats to Ateneo Blue Eagles for winning the UAAP Season ‘71 basketball championship!!!

 

Hats off to you guys for your team play, defense game, passion and poise.  15-1 is a great record and what a sweet victory to win against your archrivals.  Kudos to Coach Norman Black!  I’ve always liked your style of coaching since San Mig days.

 

Casio, good job!  There’s next year, eye on the target.  (Maierhofer… zipping my lips…  sigh, lay off a little on the arrogance pill –sorry I can’t help it.)  Keep up the Animo spirit Green Archers!