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So, I know, I’m supposed to be on a blog sabbatical but it doesn’t mean I don’t surf incognito Can’t help but introduce you to a book blog that, aside from Kristin Cashore’s, has kept me reading on for the latest about the books and bookie events that I love. You can go check it out at Sumthin Blue.To fellow bibliophiles out there, enjoy reading her posts!

So, I know, I’m supposed to be on a blog sabbatical but it doesn’t mean I don’t surf incognito But can’t help but introduce you to a book blog that, aside from Kristin Cashore’s, has kept me reading on for the latest about the books and bookie events that I love. You can go check it out at Sumthin Blue.To fellow bibliophiles out there, enjoy reading her posts!

Originally posted at Tanay Geographic.

Who ever thought that the love for coffee could give birth to an entrepreneurial opportunity? Well, such idea was conceptualized by Vista Barista owner Jasmine-Vista Catolos. Her famous local coffee shop, known as Vista Barista, has been the favorite café spot both by Tanay townsfolk and travelers. This café is the precious gourmet spot in the tranquil countryside of Rizal.

About the Cafe

Vista Barista is a surprise wonder hidden in the rustic and charming countryside of Manila East Road. With stretches of farm patches and rolling hills, it is quite a refreshing sight to find a modern alternative in the form of gourmet coffee. No wonder the residents from all over the province frequent this one-of-a-kind coffee shop.

This small café is located at the side of Manila East Road, near the bend leading to the Tanay town proper. It is easy to spot, being along the roadside. It stands beside the famous Halamanan, the restaurant owned by Jasmine’s family for more than twenty years.

The café is a world of its own. Once you enter its stone brick fence, it’s as if you are waltzed into another time—with an artesian well beckoning you at the center of the café porch and an old piano that could be traced way back a century ago. The café can only seat thirty people and its busiest days are Fridays until Sundays.

Not Your Usual Blend

Jasmine is also a three-time pastry chef winner in the annual cake decorating category of the Filipino-Chinese Bakery Association. Her passion for baking spawned not only the local taste but national recognition. A frequent participant in special events expos, Jasmine gained wide recognition for her premium custom made cakes. Inevitably, her fame brought on more loyal customers not just for her prized pastries (usually available in her café) but also her unique coffee blends.

While the café is best known for its to-die-for pastries, their gourmet coffee blends are such hits among the residents and travelers. The crowd favorite is the Vista Blend—an espresso shot with a sweetened blend of cream and ice with chocolate. The hot counterpart of this concoction is their very own Al Mocha—a blend of creamy espresso, dark chocolate, and ice topped with whipped cream, mallows, chocolate, and candy sprinkles.

The latest blend proves to be the best yet. Her Strawberry Kiss can seduce coffee connoisseurs to its warmth and strawberry aroma. This hot foamy strawberry of a coffee has a shot of creamy espresso, strawberry syrup, chocolate, and steamed milk. The Strawberry Kiss is a perfect blend for those looking for a new twist to gourmet coffee and for those who shy away from sweet beverages.

Menu

Although Jasmine’s expertise is for custom made cakes, her flair for good food cannot be ruled out. Coming from a lineage known for its love of great food, tradition, and service, Jasmine took her knowledge and experience from her roots and crafted masterpiece dishes that every diner would love.

The café offers complete courses—from light salads to hearty pastas and sandwiches while beverages vary with hot and ice blended mixes.

A must try is their creamy Carbonara. This linguine pasta dish with bacon strips, mushrooms, and parmesan is heavenly in each bite. You would be amazed how the flavors of the ingredients come altogether in your palate.

BepBep’s Club is the café’s version of the classic clubhouse sandwich. The tenderness of the chicken chunks is surprising in each bite. Sandwiched between crunchy lettuce, tomatoes, bacon strips, spread, the tenderness brought by the grilled chicken creates a perfect balance to all the elements of this classic club.

Unlike most businesses who heavily invest in advertisements, Jasmine’s café thrived due to the loyalty of its customers. You can never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth promotions. Not sooner since its opening, neighboring towns learned of the coffee shop’s establishment and found themselves becoming loyal customers who go out of their way to have their favorite order from Vista Barista. Even travelers to Laguna en route Rizal deliberately stop over the café to have their favorite cakes and coffee to go. Because of the premium quality that Jasmine puts into every pastry, frequent visitors make it a point to place an advance order so they would not miss out on their favorite cakes.

What also made this café a hit among the visitors is its price. Even cafés and bistros in Manila could not beat the price that comes with generous servings of every dish. You should work up a hearty appetite before coming to this place because Vista Barista gives hefty helpings. Prices for the dishes range from P80-160 while coffee price can be as low as P35 up to P120.

Aside from the café menu, Jasmine also offers custom made cakes for every occasion. These are available by making advance orders.

Jasmine has no plans of expanding the café in the near future. She just enjoys the idea of having her loved gourmet coffee within arm’s reach and to share that love to her cherished province. Through the establishment of Vista Barista, Jasmine is paving way for the local’s reception of good food and fine living.

One of the most popular sites for this pursuit is Owl at Purdue. The Purdue Online Writing Lab is a vast resource for all writing information. The site can help you from brushing up on your grammar and tenses to giving you all forms of citations. You can learn styles and expressions–enriching you far more than you expect.

I suggest taking one lesson daily and apply it to your current writing projects. This practice will help you retain what you have learned for that day. Lessons will only take a few minutes of your time and remember–it’s FREE. So learn, improve, and be enriched.

Keep going. Perseverance as a key to your freelance writing success means you keep on going; keep on applying for job ads. But you have to play it smart. Many scheming people lurk behind seemingly promising job ads. Go to web sites with reputable job listings. Some of my favorite sites to check job leads are Freelance Writing Gigs by Debbie Ng, Freelance Job Openings, About Freelance Writing by Anne Wayman, and Online Writing Jobs. Another is a very recent discovery-Gumtree. This site provides job postings from UK clients.

Build your portfolio. Now is the best time to build your online portfolio. Most clients are looking for writing samples. You can provide a link to that through your cover letter. It is advisable to post in article directories and regularly contribute articles there. It would also help if you have a blog site and link your articles there as well. By writing regularly, you are increasing traffic to your site while building your reputation as a writer at the same time.

Apply right away. Do not procrastinate. If you think you fit the job description, immediately create a cover letter and provide a link to your resume. One of the strategies in landing a job is to submit your application right away. Write your cover letter and post your resume. You will have better chances of being prioritized for the job. The best time to check writing leads is in the morning. Allot an hour or so for searching leads and sending job applications. It pays to know different time zones so you will have an idea when the leads are usually posted. If you are in the United States, the earliest posting usually comes from the East Coast, leading down to the Pacific Coast.

Create a detailed and outstanding resume. Most clients prefer a hyperlink to an online copy of resume. You can post one in your weblog and provide a link for potential clients to view it. Prioritize writing experiences as you arrange your resume. Use active verbs while describing your job experience. That will leave an impact on potential clients.

Always include a cover letter in your application. Clients do not have much time to read job applications so make your cover letter short but impressive. Keep it to a few sentences. A cover letter is like packaging a product. You should appeal to the client and prod him or her to know you and your expertise more. So make your cover letter interesting. Better write a new cover letter each time you send one out. Different clients have different needs so match your cover letter to the job posting.

Follow instructions. Most clients complain about applicants who do not follow instructions stated in the job posting. So read the ad carefully before you send your letter of intent.

Repeat the first step and keep a positive attitude. Perseverance means you endure and keep going. You do not quit just because you could not land a single job. But that’s why you need to persevere. Almost all freelance writers go through this phase. But it pays off.  It is hard to wait but by persevering, you will grow as a person and you are setting yourself up for success.

Fantastic boots for the Fall season at Alloy.com

Alloy.com is one of the newest and hottest teen online stores that offers teens the latest fashion items of the season as well as news on entertainment, tips, and tricks that every girl should know about being hip and fabulous the whole year round. The clothing line includes a wide selection of trendy outfits that any girl can mix and match in any season. Their most popular products now are the rugby sweaters and knee-high suede boots, in sync to the latest Fall fashion. To get the best price for every purchase, avail of the Alloy coupon or promo code available online at UltimateCoupons.com. Visit this site first to get the list of Alloy coupon codes that you can use since some items at Alloy.com require coupon codes for before purchase. Just write down these promo codes. Once you shop online at Alloy.com and see items that require a coupon code, simply enter the code that you wrote on the space provided once you are done shopping and before you check out. You can check your order status online by clicking the Order Status link and place the order number you received in your email and your zip code. You will then see the order and processing details of your purchase. Should you be unsatisfied with any purchased item, Alloy.com allows a return policy within 60 days from the shipment date and the staff will send an item exchange, credit your account, or give you a refund for the item.

Baked goodies from Cafe Mary Grace

If you want to take refuge from the shopping madness and all the hustles and bustles that Manila is known for, then you can seek that solitude at Café Mary Grace.

Café Mary Grace is a quaint little coffee shop known for its to-die-for pastries. Once inside the café, it’s as if you are warped into another place, where the cozy warmth of the host is felt in the every ala gourmet dishes served. The dishes are few but are carefully selected, intended to be simple yet rich in the palate. Their Spicy Shrimp Scampi in Linguine is a favorite among frequent visitors. No other food establishment prepares that dish as great except this café alone. Other dishes worth trying are their gourmet sandwiches and pasta with meatballs in red sauce.  You are enticed to eat—happily and heartily whether alone or in the company of friends. Every bite is savory and memorable—leaving you asking for more. But make sure you have room enough for dessert because no visit at Café Mary Grace is complete without sampling their best and decadent cakes and pastries. All their offerings are outstanding but you should have a taste of their chocolate cake—a smooth and indulgent chocolate-y sponge cake with a layer of caramel sauce in the middle, and a simple chocolate frosting on top. This cake is perfect for those who are not much of a sweet-tooth since the sweetness of the cake is balanced with the chocolate flavor and tastes just right.

Café Mary Grace now has four branches in the metropolis—Trinoma, Serendra, Robinson’s Ermita, and Alabang Town Center. Make sure that you visit this café soon. Once you‘ve tried it, thoughts of the café will definitely bring happy memories and an inevitable smile, with enough comfort and warmth to make you come back for another visit.

Photo courtesy of: Cafe Mary Grace

Doctor of chiropractic logo

Chiropractors are licensed doctors who specialize in the manipulation of the spinal cord and this treatment not only alleviates physical pain but promotes the body’s overall well-being. They are licensed to treat in all 50 states. If you prefer chiropractic treatment, you do not have to travel far to receive the best care possible because for all you know, a very competent and reliable chiropractor can just be within your reach. Having a local chiropractor is like having a best friend—someone who can be there for you whenever you need one. Here are several reasons why:

1. Accessibility. Having a local chiropractor will save you time, effort, and money. The closer proximity of a local chiropractor can provide you more advantages like instant consultation and receiving immediate treatment. A local chiropractor will have sufficient familiarity with your body’s condition and he can make periodic assessments and keep a record of it. This way, you are spared from unnecessary cordialities and repetitive explanations regarding your physical condition in every appointment. You can also make quick visits to your local chiropractor for regular spinal alignments. This will facilitate your body’s ability to heal itself and prevent the degeneration of your spine.
2. Alternatives. Chiropractic treatment is a better and non-invasive alternative to medical treatment. Chiropractors provide primary treatment to physical ailments, especially when you experience pain. This means you can do away with unnecessary medical treatment, like being administered with medications and undergoing unwanted and costly surgery. Your local chiropractor can also rehabilitate your body organs so you would not need frequent medical consultation.
3. Applicability. Your local chiropractor is licensed not only to treat adults but their non-invasive method makes treatment of children possible. This way, your local chiropractor can become your family’s medical consultant and you would not need to get a separate pediatrician for your children. Now, you and your family can visit your local chiropractor for periodic spinal alignments any time of every day.

The benefits from having a local chiropractor are priceless. You are spared from longer and costly travels to the doctor. These are reasons why your local chiropractor is your best friend and these are the same reasons why you should engage the services of one in your locality today.

Photo source: chiropracticbydesign from zazzle.com