BLOG BREAK

My apologies. Please visit again when September ends.

PS.
Pray for me!!!

TipidTip # 34 - Remove excess weight from your car.

The trend nowadays is to go for fuel economy. Well, that's more of a necessity than a trend but i checked dictionary.com and trend means "the general course or prevailing tendency" so i rest my case. :)

Anyway, the point I wanted to make is that excess weight in your car translates to more energy consumed. I researched online and a lot of articles say that you will consume an extra 2% of fuel for every one hundred pounds of excess weight in your vehicle. So, to save on gas money, clean out your trunk and remove unnecessary stuff. This is especially applicable to girls who make their cars their home sweet home.

Now, excuse me while I take out my law books galore (100 pounds agad!) and my boxes of shoes stacked in my trunk for those emergency moments that *eeeep!* I was wearing the wrong shoes to match my outfit pala!

Tipidtip # 33 - Charge your cellphone at Burger King.

Yup, you read it right. I wouldn't have believed it myself if I didn't see it tonight. :)

Burger King in Alabang Town Center was just recently renovated. It now has small pseudo-couches for group lunches. Flat screen televisions all over provide non-stop entertainment showcasing a tasteful selection of music videos. Best addition though is the FREE charging station for all kinds of cellphones.

I wonder how that fits in the whole picture. But when I run out of battery while shopping, I know where to go. :)

PS. They have a great value meal offer too! For P99, you get a Whopper JR, french fries, drink and a FREE sundae! Mas-masarap talaga pag libre! ^_^

TipidTip # 32 - Remember that baking soda is not just for baking.

I know that toothpastes with baking soda are marketed for its whitening effect. So it should be pretty elementary that baking soda indeed has whitening properties. But since I have graduated eons ago from grade school, this bit of information was lost on me. :)

Having chanced upon a magazine article on teeth-whitening, I saw that baking soda is a TipidTip to make your teeth pearly white. A pack costs about P15 in major grocery stores. Sure beats the BriteSmile procedure I have been fantasizing about for quite some time now.

Here's how:
Clean your toothbrush with running water and tap dry. Put some baking soda in a small bowl or cup or the palm of your hand. Dip your toothbrush in it covering all the bristles. Brush your teeth in a circular motion. Be sure to scrub all sides, like what the father told the kid in the Colgate commercial, when they were painting the fence. (Pag may na-miss kang small spot..) Spit and gargle water to thoroughly wash off all remnants of baking soda. Brush your teeth again, this time using toothpaste. Do this every time you brush your teeth. Then smile. :)

pic from From Nature With Love

TipidTip # 31 - Browse fashion blogs.

To be very updated with the latest looks and trends doesn't mean buying every magazine in the planet. Magazines are actually prepared about a month or two in advance so to have a real-time account of what's in fashion, checking up fashion websites/blogs regularly is the Tipidtip way to go.

Here are some sites I visit:
the sartorialist
fashionhunter
vogue
vogue UK
elle magazine
elle girl
i am fashion
manila fashion observer
about.com on fashion

I know.. I cheated.. :) Most of these are online versions of glossy magazines. But what can we do? They're still, after all, the guru in fashion.

pic from Time Magazine

TipidTip # 30 - Wax at home using Epilin.

I've been using this for years, thanks to my Ate who discovered it. It works like any other wax that salons use, but comes at a cheaper price. A pan costs like P150 and it can last you up to six months. In my old boarding house, every two months or so, a housemate is assigned to buy one to be used by everybody. It's that economical. :)

It can be used for legs, armpits, upper lip, bikini line. You don't need a cloth to strip it off with. It just dries after several minutes and turns crispy so you can just peel it off without so much hassle. Just make sure you put the pan over low heat so that it melts gradually, hence it cools gradually as well. So that it won't turn solid so fast.

When you peel it off, it looks yucky with all the hair stuck in it. Kinda reminds me of the skin of a roasted pig (lechon), when the hair isn't very well scrubbed off. Hahaha :) I'm sure you'll never look at the lechon balat the same way again.

TipidTip # 29 - Wear your jeans at least twice before sending them to the laundry.

It shouldn't sound as ick-y as that. :)

Jeans are made of durable and thick material so one pair can withstand multiple uses without washing. They were made for miners first, remember? Since most of us don't roll around in the mud or get dumped in a quagmire in a normal day, the thickness of the fabric can be a shield for dust for around 2 uses. But if you get the bottoms wet because of flood water, get them washed, pronto! Your health shouldn't suffer.

Jeans are pretty hard to wash and take up most of the detergent and fabric conditioner. Maximize them before washing. Just hang them after using so that they can be aired out. And it's not noticeable to be wearing the same denims in one week. After all, it's just our trusty maong, albeit in a skinnier form. :)

*pic from http://www.momist.com/blog/uploaded_images/jbran1000215386_347x683f-.jpg

TipidTip # 28 - Be like Tyra Banks and embrace the wonders of petroleum jelly. Just not too much. :P

I made recent dash to Shopwise to stock up on eyeliners galore (cheapy cheap ones so stock up as in all sorts of colors). I was browsing through the aisles and saw a small pot of Apollo petroleum jelly. I snapped it up, having no use of it in mind. Since it was around P24 only, it wasn't really a think-twice moment.

But it turned out to be a really great purchase!

Upon arriving at the dorm, I read the fine print on the pot and saw its many uses. And I quote --
* moisturizes dry skin overnight
* soothes chapped skin and lips
* soothes minor burns
* helps prevent diaper rash
* soothes minor scrapes
* removes eye makeup

The last one really got me. So apparently there was, in my subconscious, a reason why I picked it up from the aisle at the time when I was buying eyeliners -- so I have something to remove it with. Galeng, God works in mysterious ways. :)

I tried it and it's really effective. I wiped it off with Giggles Baby Wipes and my face became free of gunk. Baby wipes or a warm damp washcloth (bimpo) work also sans petroleum jelly but the latter removes the eye stuff easily, with no damage to the sensitive skin around your eyes.

See for yourself how Tyra Banks went crazy over petroleum jelly. As in crazy. Like "Are you out of your head and into the outer space?" crazy. Hahaha.

(the nicer video's no longer available. hmph.)
or try this sketch parody:

TipidTip # 27 - Buy key designer pieces.

If you want to get a sosy look for less, I have a not so tipid Tipidtip for you. :) Not so tipid because it would still require you to shell out a huge chunk of money. But if you look at it as an investment, it's really value for money.

Buy designer sunglasses.

Yep, Tipidtips girl just recommended you to buy something branded. Let's face it, shades are the only attainable thing we can purchase from designer houses. (Well, at least I'm speaking for myself.) Moreover, we can wear it everyday and it wouldn't matter. It's not like people would whisper that you *eep* repeated the same sunglasses two days in a row. After all, who doesn't need protection from the UV rays of the sun, right? So for a fashion savvy girl (or guy) who's very practical, it's really the best buy.

Another thing to buy from well-known brands are watches. Like sunglasses, these are investments. It's actually not expected of most people to change watches everyday, right? And if you choose a classic style, it can be worn with most of your outfits. More of a practicality than a fashion luxury, watches are timeless (oh, the irony) pieces which you can even pass on to your daughters and granddaughters.

Save up and move up!

Just be careful not to lose them!

TipidTip # 26 - Check out org-sponsored sales in your campus.

If you're from UP Diliman, you know what I'm talking about. :)

Being part of an organization is a must in this campus. As a loyal member, you would go to all lengths raising funds for your org's parties, out-of-town trips, an occasional symposium and sige na nga, charitable causes. A lot of orgs sponsor movie showings in the Film Center. But in the recent years, branded clothes sale is where the action is. At student-friendly prices, these sales are worth checking out.

Ride the Ikot jeep and you would notice the colored papers pasted everywhere screaming "SALE." Jag and Lee sales are staples. There's Adidas too. Sometimes, Penshoppe, Memo and all other local brands join the bandwagon. This week, July 9-13, Mango, Zara etc will be on sale too! Every week, Vinzon's Hall is booked for sales such as these. Just hang-out in that area (with all the yumminess of fishballs and cheese sticks) and you'll see what I'm talking about.

I'm sure other schools also have org-sponsored sales. For instance, I am updated about sales in Ateneo (and other goings-on there) just by looking at their huge board with the blue flourescent eagle. And Monster Radio RX 93.1 also sends shout-outs regarding these things. School fairs are a good bet so you can check them out as well.

*thx jill!

TipidTip # 25 - Use cushioned plasters as foot cushions.

I got this brilliant TipidTip from Iya, my sorority sister. I was marveling at her cute metallic flats and asked her to take it off so I can see the in-soles. (I'm weird that way.) Upon holding it in my hand, I guess a confused look registered on my face thus her need to explain immediately to me why her shoes had plasters. And then I saw the light.

Cushioned plasters from Watson's = Super Tipid Foot Cushions

Cushioned plasters available from Watson's cost only P29/box. One box contains 10 pieces which are soft and waterproof. Some people (like roommie Jillsabs) put Band-aids in their feet when wearing closed shoes to prevent chafing. This means stocking up on the Band-aids and buying a lot. With Iya's idea, it's a one-time big-time purchase as you put the plasters on the shoe itself! It's not at all yucky because the plaster is water-proof so it doesn't absorb your foot sweat and it doesn't come off on its own.

You know that part of your feet which gets most of the damage upon wearing brand new shoes? That's the heel bone (calcaneus). You put the cushioned plaster on the part of the shoe which touches this (around 2pcs of plaster for one shoe) and TADA! a much cheaper alternative to Foot Petals or Dr. Scholls Cushions. It protects your feet from the inevitable kalyo (callus) brought about by wearing new shoes and allows you to wear slippers without worrying about what other people might say. (A lot of people have foot fetishes, mind you.)

You can put this in other parts of your shoe or in whatever kind of shoe, be it a closed pair or sandals. One plaster can go to the part where the ball of your foot rests for added comfort. Or you can place one on that part above your toes to protect your toenails. If you can stick it that far. :)

TipidTip # 24 - Go for the store brand.

When I go grocery shopping, I take time to choose between any three (to ten!) variants of an item -- like tissue paper, plastic cups, sugar, cooking oil etc. And almost all the time, I go for the store brand as it's undeniably the cheapest.

In Makro, there is Aro.
In SM, there's SM Bonus.
In Rustan's Supermarket, there's Sure Buy.
In Robinsons Supermarket, there's Supersavers.
In Uniwide Sales Warehouse Club, there's President's Preference.
In Ever Gotesco, there's Ever Savers.

There's a P2-P10 savings for most food items. I think quality's okay. It's not as if I would notice which sugar brand is the better one as they will all taste sweet to me. :)

Add it all up and it would make a huge difference.