The Arabian Bubble Celebration is coming to Dubai on the 19th to 21st of May at the Dubai World Trade Centre, with 12 shows that the entire family will surely enjoy.

Mark and I went on a special food tour around the world in celebration of the Dubai Food Festival at the all-new and revamped Global Village. Will do a separate post about the new Global Village, watch out for that. :)

Together with other foodies, we sampled unique and delicious offerings from participating food kiosks. We started off our gastronomic tour with fresh fruits at Thai Fruits. Having been born and raised in another South East Asian country, the Philippines, I grew up having almost all the fruits that Thai Fruits offer.

One fine night, Cat and I got to explore the best of American cuisine at the sundeck of Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Special thanks to Zomato and JBH, we got to indulge on food, drinks, and desserts especially made by no less than the American culinary legend and celebrity chef, Chef Sammy Demarco.

May the choicest blessings of Allah fill your lives with love, peace, joy, good health, success, and prosperity from today and always!

Along with a not-to-be-missed Iftar promotion at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, they have also created a special campaign for social media.

A few stuffed toy camels took a break from roaming the desert to join the sharing spirit of Ramadan. I received mine a couple of days back and named her Cammie. :)

Cinco de Mayo, is celebrated in the United States and in Mexico on May 5 and it is a significant breakthrough in Mexican history. It celebrates the Battle of Puebla, when a small contingent of Mexican soldiers, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated Napoleon III's formidable army.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo

Aside from it being a celebration of independence, it's also a great excuse to enjoy delicious Mexican food! :D Mark and I were invited to the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Rosa Mexicano, but since we couldn't make it on the day itself, we were given the chance to commemorate this special event the day after. :p

Hi everyone! I'm sharing this fund raising and fitness event organized my good friend since childhood, Majoy. She's now a dance fitness instructor (Zumba, Zumba Gold, Hip Hop, and JFH) in Sydney Australia. She will be in the Philippines next week and she's organizing a Zumba class for her birthday. Proceeds will go to a local charity, called Home of Love Orphanage, in our hometown in the Philippines.

Home of Love takes care of orphaned children and babies who were abandoned by their parents because of poverty, amongst other reasons. The funds will help them provide for these children as they solely depend on donations. This means that your dollar will help them buy milk and diapers for the babies, as well as clothing and books (and education!) for the older children.

For more details about the orphanage please visit http://graceybwebber.wix.com/home-of-love or https://www.facebook.com/HomeOfLoveOrphanageTheSionyFoundation?fref=ts

Details:

6th June 2015 - Saturday

3:00 to 3:50PM -1st class

4:10 to 5:00PM - 2nd class

Registration Fee:

PHP 100 per person

PHP 50 for Crestwood homeowners

(Crestwood Homeowners are kind enough to lend the venue for free)

What to wear: your usual workout clothes (or anything comfortable) and cross trainers

What to bring: water and towel

Where: Crestwood Clubhouse (please send Majoy a message if you need help with the direction)

WHY JOIN: this event will give you a fun cardio workout and at the same time the opportunity to help orphaned kids get a better life =)

If you are unable to attend but would like to donate, you may do so by doing a bank transfer (for those in the Philippines and in Australia) or by donating via GOFUNDME (for all other countries):

BANK TRANSFER: PHILIPPINE DONATIONS

BDO ACCOUNT

Mary Joyce Clemente

Account: 4030137760

BANK TRANSFER: AUSTRALIA DONATIONS

Mary Joyce Clemente

Commonwealth Bank of Australia- Victoria Ave. Chatswood

BSB: 062140

Account: 1095 0759

OR you may also donate online at http://www.gofundme.com/vtyjjg

Majoy is hoping to raise $800 from this event and she will update everyone with the total $$ donations. Let's all help her meet her goal and raise even more funds! Thanks everyone!!!

     sweetnothings.kriskamarie
       kriskamarie   kriskamarie

PRESS RELEASE

Pullman Dubai Deira City Centre is ready to nourish you and your loved ones with a variety of offers to enjoy this Holy month of Ramadan.

Gather your family around the table and relish the Ramadan feast for Iftar and Suhoor prepared by Executive Chef Andreas and Chef Mama’s pan-Arabian delights, traditional sweets and savoury delicacies with a Moroccan twist. With its mouth-watering buffet and best family- friendly setting in town, Medley is the ideal place of choice to experience the true spirit of the month.

Prolong your experience at Pullman Dubai Deira City Centre’s Azure lounge by choosing your favorite flavour of Shisha from 13 different options while gazing over Old Dubai’s skyline.

Thought only Oktoberfest existed? Well, I thought so too. While many are familiar with the German festival of Oktoberfest, which we celebrate in the Philippines too, the spring offering of Maifest is lesser known to me, but it is apparently celebrated in much the same way.

Maifest is the traditional German celebration that marks the arrival of spring and Mark and I got to experience it when it came back at Grand Hyatt Dubai for a third year running, last April 29, just as summer in Dubai has officially started.

Although it was cut short, Mark and I enjoyed our #AGCDubFest experience.
So when I got an invite for another event in Al Ghurair Centre, I was more than excited to experience another showcase of talents.

STREETCON (Street Art Connection) is an Urban Art Festival organized by Al Ghurair Centre which kicked off last 23rd of April and spans to the 2nd of May 2015. Just like the Dub Fest, #AGCStreetCon is one of Al Ghurair Centre's signature events that happens annually and celebrates art, music and culture.

The bloggers meet was once again held at Paul, Al Ghurair Centre, where we were served with a delectable array of canapés, juices, and coffee. And just like before, it again was a great way to jump-start a fun day.

PRESS RELEASE

Bring the whole family down to the event of this ART SEASON - StreetCon 2015!

Date: April 23 to May 2, 2015
Location: Al Ghurair Centre, Deira

Outshone by the bigger malls in Dubai, Al Ghurair Centre was never known to me until one instance when Mark badly needed to pee and the restroom in the mall was the closest remedy. We got into the part of the mall where it's a bit dark and uninviting, so the mall didn't really appeal to me.

Apparently, Al Ghurair Centre has taken on a new persona with its tagline ‘Soul of the City' and has undergone renovations to become at par with the fast-developing Dubai. They've expanded physically and added new fashion brands and conducted events to cater to families in Dubai--locals, tourists, and expats alike.

One of which is Al Ghurair Centre's Dub Fest 2015, which I got invited to last Friday to mark the start of the fest.

The bloggers meet was held at Paul, Al Ghurair Centre, where we were served with a delectable array of cocktail food, juices, and coffee. I tagged Mark along and we both had great day. :)

Just like in every fast-growing nations, life in Dubai also seems to be fast-paced. Living here for more than half a year now, I observed that most of the people, locals and expats alike, tend to be too preoccupied with work that they almost forget to unwind, spend quality time with their families, and "live life".

And I think it's a great idea for The Westin Dubai to try to get people back to "living life" with its Saturday "Pik-Nik".


The Westin Dubai, Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, announced its new Saturday "Pik-Nik", which launched last Saturday, March 7, 2015. Mark and I were lucky to be part of the launch along with other families. Seeing the place immediately made me feel as if we were transported to a different site, far from the hustle and bustle of the city life.

PRESS RELEASE

- Final line-up of restaurants and celebrity chefs confirmed including ‘Retro Feasts’ mastermind Luke Thomas

- Tickets still available for the long-awaited al fresco food, drink, and music festival from www.tasteofdubaifestival.com

The much-awaited Taste of Dubai is all set to sizzle from tomorrow, Thursday (12 March), with the annual three-day extravaganza of food, music, attractions, and celebrity personalities ready to ignite a memorable weekend for the whole family.


Now in its 8th year, Taste of Dubai is a food lovers' fantasy, packed with exclusive new restaurants, world class chefs, cooking classes, world class entertainment, and tantalizing fresh features. No restaurant lover should miss this tasty event which has already become a firm fixture in the Dubai social calendar!

Bolstering the celebrity chef line-up is fresh-faced Luke Thomas, founder of Retro Feasts – Dubai’s newest foodie hotspot. At the forefront of revolutionising the UK’s culinary scene and dubbed ‘Britain’s youngest head chef’, the 20-year-old promises an eclectic new experience for Dubai diners.


Thomas joins a fiery-hot line-up of international heavy-weights set to wow crowds with live demonstrations and classes including Jean-Christophe Novelli, Atul Kochhar, Tim Anderson, Andy Bates, Jose Pizarro, Dhruv Baker and Bader Al Awadhi.

Guaranteeing food-filled fun for the whole family, the Kids Interactive Zone, organised by Funky Monkeys, will roll out a daily schedule of creative, lively activities. Tiny tots will enjoy children’s mani-pedis, cookie and cupcake-decorating, pizza making and a bouncy castle.


Guests will also enjoy a variety of musical treats from leading Bon Jovi Tribute Band, as well as local favourites Adam Baluch, The Boxtones and DJ Jonny Dub. Female festival-goers will receive two complimentary drinks on Thursday in celebration of Taste of Dubai’s first ever Ladies Evening.

Taste of Dubai will showcase a tantalising array of flavours from Dubai’s cosmopolitan gastro-scene, featuring more than 100 dishes from more new restaurants than ever before.

Confirmed restaurants include: Aseelah, Burj Al Hamam, China Club, Eataly, Gaucho, Joe's, Katsuya, The Noodle House, Patiala, Perry & Blackwelder’s Original Smokehouse, PF Chang's, Royal Orchid, Shang Palace, Sonamu, The Act, The Cheese Cake Factory, The Gramercy, The Scene, Tresind and Vida Food Truck.


Showcasing the best food offerings in the city, Taste of Dubai takes place at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre from Thursday (12 March) to Saturday (14 March). The festival will run from 4pm – 12am on Thursday, 12pm – 12am on Friday and 12pm – 11pm on Saturday.

Advance tickets are available now from www.tasteofdubaifestival.com, starting from as little as AED 75 AED.

For updates about Taste of Dubai, you can visit and like them on Facebook: facebook.com/tasteofdubai, or follow them on Twitter: @TasteofDubai, and on Instagram: tasteofdubai. You can also visit their website at www.tasteofdubaifestival.com

     sweetnothings.kriskamarie
       kriskamarie   kriskamarie

I know I made this blog as a venue for happy thoughts and positive vibes, and as much as I want to keep it from all the negatives, I just can't help but publish this post. So please forgive me for this rant...

I got another email invite for an opening of a Korean restaurant in Robinsons Magnolia. And because everything was confirmed, that I'm allowed to bring companions with me, together with my mom and baby brother, we headed to Robinsons Magnolia earlier today for the opening of Chef's Noodle.

Photo taken from HERE

We got to the restaurant, I went to the registration area and signed right across my name and blog url, and then we went in. We were already inside when a lady (one of the organizers, different from the one in the registration, who didn't introduce herself and which name I forgot to ask) called my attention and asked me if I've already registered. So I went back to the entrance where the registration sheet was located and pointed to my signature. Then the unexpected thing happened.

Had a very fun and enjoyable time with my family last Sunday as we experienced an afternoon of culinary feast at the recently concluded Flavorful Fete at Eton Centris Walk.


Before the program started, we got to roam around and check the booths surrounding the area. There were a lot of exciting booths which were specially-prepared for moms and families. There's the Faber Castel booth were kids got to enjoy some coloring books and coloring pens for free.

I really love to cook! By now you may have noticed that I've started to post recipes of the dishes that I myself got to cook. My love for cooking doesn't just end at the kitchen. I also enjoy watching cooking shows on food channels.


So when I got an email of an invitation for a Culinary Open House at The Academy for International Culinary Arts (A.I.C.A.), I really got excited and immediately marked my calendar! :p