PSA: Ridin' on the SMILE TRAIN:)

This is a Public Service Announcement.

The world can be cruel for children born with cleft lip and palate, a type of congenital facial abnormality. 

Such was the case of Jhoanna who experienced being the object of ridicule in school due to her condition. The young girl's mother often fought with neighbors in defense of her daughter's cleft. Born to an impoverished family, an operation to correct her condition seemed to be a far-fetched dream.

But Jhoanna's ordeal was finally put to an end upon receiving a free cleft lip surgery thanks to Philippine Band of Mercy, one of the partners of SMILE TRAIN in the Philippines.

Photo courtesy of SMILE TRAIN PHILIPPINES

SMILE TRAIN is the leading cleft charity responsible for Jhoanna's life-changing "SMILEstone". Since its establishment in 1999, the organization has performed hundreds of thousands of free cleft lip surgery to poverty-stricken children around the globe.  [In fact, Jhoanna holds the record of being the 750,000th recipient of Smile Train's benevolent service.]

To quote Ms. Kimmy Flaviano, Country Manager for Smile Train in the Philippines:

“It only takes a very simple procedure, to change a child’s life.  It is sad that so many children in the Philippines, particularly those from poor families, do not have the means to correct this condition.  They have to go through life bearing the physical and health complications, as well as the shame and isolation.  This is why we, at Smile Train, are very passionate about carrying-out the organization’s mission to give an opportunity to every child with a cleft case to live a full and productive life.” 

Photo Courtesy of SMILE TRAIN PHILIPPINES

Jhoanna is truly a living testimony that there is hope for children born with cleft lip and palate. With Smile Train, such physical abnormality would never again hinder anyone from beaming oh-so-brightly to the whole wide world.

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Ride on the Smile Train! 

If you know anyone in the Philippines in need of FREE cleft lip and palate surgery, contact Smile Train Philippines by calling or sending a message to 0917-52-TRAIN (0917-52-87246). 

Photo courtesy of SMILE TRAIN PHILIPPINES

Misses Dressy

There's this site that I visit every now and then whenever I want to happily get lost in a world of gorgeous gowns and dazzling dresses. 

Introducing Misses Dressy, an online shop that carries a lavish collection of wedding and prom gowns, cocktail and evening dresses, plus shoes and other accessories.

Though the physical store of Misses Dressy is in New York, anybody in the world who is in that "I-want-a-gown-that-would-make-me-feel-oh-so-princess-y" state may order online in the comforts of home.^^

Shipping is free for orders $500 and up, even for international clients. If it ain't a perfect fit, the item may be returned within 7 days to get a full refund, with no questions asked (well, according to the website^^)! 

Here are some of the myriad designs which caught my attention. Take your pick!:)

Photos lifted from Misses Dressy website.

 

For more of the gorgeous gowns and dazzling dresses, visit Misses Dressy website.

aVeneto Pizzeria Ristorante - Pizza, Pasta, Hero!

Last Fri-"date" night, Hubby and I were supposed to join a some sort of Vegetarian Diners Club but certain circumstance led us instead to a restaurant which I first discovered through my dear friends from work.^^ Since it's located near the office, we just walked hand in hand to the place as the moon smiled and softly sighed, as if we're such lovely sight. Ooooops... the cheesiness ends right there LOL! ^^

Haha, sorry for that.^^ Anyway, the restaurant is called aVeneto Pizzeria Ristorante. 

The Italian-sounding name is very much telling of what the restaurant's specialties are - PIZZA, PASTA and HERO. Not convinced? Go check the signage on its facade haha.^^

Upon entering aVeneto, a waiter led us to a table and handed us the menu. I had a bit of dilemma as I wasn't really hungry yet, with my tummy feeling so full thanks to the two consecutive afternoon snacks (heavy mind you!) we had at the office. But my mind insisted that I cannot not miss any of the delicious offerings in the menu. Needless to say, my mind won over my tummy haha.:)

Mandatory "me" shot haha, while browsing through the menu.

It was actually the Hubby's first time to dine at aVeneto so I had a say on what to order. I purposely limited ourselves to three dishes so as not to tolerate the glutton in me haha.

These are what we "feasted" on for our dinner:

CHEDDAR MUNCHERS (10 pieces)
Php 165

I love anything that has cheese and potato so this appetizer should have been a perfect one. However, Hubby and I noticed that the potato overpowered the rest of the ingredients which made us wonder where the cheese went haha. The dish would have been more appropriately called Potato Munchers .^^ Anyway, I would still recommend it especially as a good alternative to fries. 

The tomato sauce, by the way, added a much needed twist to the usual "fried food" flavor. 

NUT PESTO WITH CHICKEN
Php 275

I remember having this for lunch with my work pals and since I enjoyed it, I had to let the Hubby have a taste of it too. As expected, he enjoyed it for various reasons.

"Pasta's firm, every strand is generously coated with pesto, it's not too oily and serving is good for 2-3 pax, or even more!", Hubby said.

When I asked him what he didn't like about the pasta, well, he merely continued munching with gusto haha.^^ 

No doubt about the Hubby's observation but so far, I still maintain that the best part of this pasta dish is ...(drum roll)...the fried (and I think herbed) chicken topping! It gives variety to the taste of the dish thus, ensuring that it does not become boring, so to speak. Moreover, I believe that it can be a stand-alone fare meant to be savored with or without the pasta. 

Last Friday, I tried dipping chicken pieces into the tomato sauce of the Cheddar Munchers. The experiment turned out to be a yummy one!^^

Concentrating on his meal. :)

CHICKEN WINGS (6 pieces)
Php 175

Of all that I have sampled in aVeneto, this one's gotta be my favorite! I have always loved how each chicken piece retains its crispiness on the outside (and the right tenderness on the inside!) even with the smothered sweet chili sauce. In the menu, it is placed under "Starter" but for just two people, I deem that it is enough to be considered a main course.

That particular Fri-"date" night though, I had a slightly different experience with the said dish. Halfway through the Cheese Munchers and Nut-Pesto Pasta, I thought that the waiting time for the Chicken Wings took longer than usual so I had a feeling that our order was forgotten. When I called a waiter's attention, he advised us that preparation will take a while since they're waiting for the oil to be very hot etc. etc. Just an excuse? Maybe, maybe not... LOL. To be fair though, he gave us an option to cancel the order but we were willing to wait at any rate.

When the order finally arrived, I told the Hubby that the crispiness was not the same as before. Probably due to rushed cooking? I dunno. Nevertheless, it was still an awesome gastronomic fare. 

Generally, it was a delightful Fri-"date" at aVeneto Pizzeria Ristorante. Once in a while, I would stop eating to relax my already loaded stomach. But I would resume because I just couldn't resist what's on our table. I realized then that it's not a good idea to dine at such restaurant with a full tummy to begin with because you won't be able to take as much food as your mind wants. Haha.^^

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A Veneto Pizzeria Ristorante is located at 23 Visayas Ave., Project 6, Quezon City; 

Phone Number: (+63 2) 454-2999

For other branches, click here.