Category Archives: Green

SaladStop! Eat Wide Awake, Live Wide Awake

By | Green, SSI Group Inc | No Comments

EAT WIDE AWAKE, LIVE WIDE AWAKE

SaladStop! spearheads healthy eating movement and eco-conscious food consumption

As the pioneering healthy food chain in Asia, SaladStop! continues to reinforce the significance of knowing what goes into the food we eat, how it is made, and understanding where it comes from. Asking these vital questions fueled the “Eat Wide Awake” movement – emphasizing on the importance that what goes into the body should not only be delicious, but also nutritious.

SaladStop! drums up its celebration of wellness with Eat Wide Awake, Live Wide Awake where people can understand that every bowl is the result and catalyst of a positive cycle of change. The movement relays the message that we compliment eating consciously by paying attention and giving consideration on the impact of everything we do that would help better the environment.SaladStop! in Central Square SaladStop! in One Palanca SaladStop! in Burgos Circle“Making a difference starts with each and every one of us. The biggest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. We are all responsible for our actions and we can all make a difference – so let’s start now and spread the message of living wide awake,” says Katherine Braha, Director and Co-founder of SaladStop!

Stop! And Get The New Seasonal Menu!

From August 13 to September 8, customers are in for a treat as SaladStop! presents the newest additions to their menu – Ahi Ono Grain Bowl and the Howdy! Salad and Wrap. Delightful and filling, the Ahi Ono Grain Bowl has Adlai which is a good substitute for rice, Baby Spinach, Seared Tuna, Roasted Mushrooms, Carrots, Edamame, Cherry Tomatoes, grated eggs, and Japanese Wafu Ginger Dressing. On the other hand, get a fill of your favorite greens with Howdy! Salad and Wrap which contains Romaine Lettuce, Cheddar Cheese, grated eggs, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onions, Oat-breaded chicken all mixed with Smokey Ranch dressing.Ahi Ono Grain Bowl with Japanese Wafu Ginger Dressing Ahi Ono Grain Bowl Howdy! Salad Howdy! Wrap Reusable Cutlery Set (2)

Say Bye Bye Plastic!

Everyone can become an instant eco-warrior just by choosing to use reusable items like steel straws and bamboo-made cutlery – and SaladStop! is giving everyone a chance to grab their own set. From August 13 to September 8, customers just need to collect 12 stamps from their purchase of a salad or wrap to get one reusable straw and cutlery set for free! Drop by any SaladStop! store and see posters for more details.

Support the environment in your own simple way and opt to use SaladStop!’s limited edition eco-tote—available for purchase at P220—and get P10 off for a minimum single receipt purchase of P250. This applies only for takeaway orders.

How do you Eat and Live Wide Awake?

Share your healthy and helpful tips on how you “Eat Wide Awake, Live Wide Awake” using the hashtags #SaladStopPH, #EatWideAwake2018, and #LiveWideAwake2018, and tag @SaladStopph.Reusable Cutlery Set (1) Reusable Cutlery Set (3)

“Going back to the source allows us to ask the right questions with regard to the food we serve. We need to be aware of our sources and preparation processes – spurring transparency in the food industry. This commitment is reflected in every step of our process and fuels us to serve our customers better as we open our salad counters every day,” shares Steven Sarmenta, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Specialty Food Retailers, Inc., which manages and operates SaladStop! in the Philippines.

Get started on your healthy journey to Eat Wide Awake, Live Wide Awake. Know more about SaladStop!and the nutritional information of your favorite salad bowl or wrap by visiting www.SaladStop.ph. Updates are also up on @SaladStopPH on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Specialty Food Retailers, Inc. (SFRI) is the exclusive franchise holder of SaladStop! in the Philippines. SFRI is a member of SSI Group, Inc.  SaladStop! is located at Central Square, Power Plant Mall, One Palanca Building in Legaspi Village, Greenhills, Glorietta 2, Ayala Tower One, Burgos Circle, Alabang Town Center, Salcedo Village, Ayala Center Cebu, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, and U.P. Town Center.

 

Vertical Gardens

By | Green | No Comments

Heart2Heart loves vertical gardens!!  I take photos of them every time I see them.  Here are some of which I collected the past few years

Camacho Residence
Camacho residence 1camaco residence 4camacho residence 2camacho residence 3Casa Bella Launchcasa bella launchCentury City Gramercy

Century City Gramercy_1
Century Properties Azure
Century Properties Azure
Ginza Tokyo
Ginza tokyoGinza tokyo 3Healthy Farm – GreenmeadowsHealthy FarmWHite plains healthy organicIncheon Airport
Incheon airportLondonLondon 2 London 7London Building
London buildingLululemon Westfield Malllululemon westfield mallMasters Courtyard Tallin Estonia
masters courtyard tallin estoniaMOMA SFOMOMA SFO1MOMA SFO 3MOMA SFO2Rustans Home Makati
Rustans home makatiSanctuary StoreSanctuary storeStandford Mall SF Stanford mall SF 2Stanford Mall SFTao Yuan International Airport
Tao Yuan International airport 2Tao Yuan International AirportTartufi and Friends Harrods London
tartufi and friends harrods londonVertical Garden Kerry Sports Shang Fort
vertical garden Kerry Sports Shang FortWestern Elm PhilippinesWEst Elm Philippines 2WEst Elm PhilippinesWhite Plains Healthy Organic

Kota Paradiso

By | Green, Nature, Proud to be Pinoy!, Travel | No Comments

Only two hours away from Makati. Kota Paradiso in Mabitac Laguna. Escape and enjoy nature in paradise.  It is still in its development stage but you can already dine in Cafe Paradiso, have a foot massage and stay in one of the houses 🙂

Contact Persons: Jhona 8487202? or 09178146089 Girmelyn 09166907130  #kotaparadiso #h2hkotaparadiso#itsmorefuninthephilippines
Kota Paradiso (2)Kota Paradiso (3)Kota Paradiso (4) Kota Paradiso (8)Kota Paradiso (9) Kota Paradiso (7) Kota Paradiso (6) Kota Paradiso (10)Kota Paradiso (13) Kota Paradiso (17) Kota Paradiso (20) Kota Paradiso (19) Kota Paradiso (18) Kota Paradiso (16) Kota Paradiso (15) Kota Paradiso (14)  I call her Farmer Caling Tanco Young @calingty I see her in Polo Club retro dancing and bumping into her in the ladies locker. She told me she used to manufacture socks, and today i found out she has farms. Beautiful farms

She shares with us her latest project – Kota Paradiso in Mabitac, Laguna. which she said she bought sight unseen then she noticed people buying parts of her farm because of the trees??So she bought them back and now she is developing the place and preserving the beautiful trees. She even told me that she used to cut trees for a living but now she is doing the opposite and appreciating them ? #kotaparadiso #h2hkotaparadiso #h2htreesKota Paradiso (54) Kota Paradiso (26) Kota Paradiso (25) Kota Paradiso (24) Kota Paradiso (23) Kota Paradiso (22) She has a coffee farm with 5,000 trees producing Robusta coffee for NescafeKota Paradiso (52)Kota Paradiso (53) Kota Paradiso (51)She grows many other things in her farm!!
Kota Paradiso (49) Kota Paradiso (47)  ChickensKota Paradiso (46)  Edible flowersKota Paradiso (37) Kota Paradiso (38) Kota Paradiso (39) Kota Paradiso (40) Kota Paradiso (41) Kota Paradiso (42) Kota Paradiso (43) Kota Paradiso (44) Kota Paradiso (45) Kota Paradiso (36) Kota Paradiso (35) Kota Paradiso (34) Kota Paradiso (33) Kota Paradiso (32) Kota Paradiso (31) Kota Paradiso (30) Kota Paradiso (29)Kota Paradiso (27) Kota Paradiso (12) Kota Paradiso (11)Click below to go to their Facebook page

Kota paradiso Facebook Page

Garden by Mikko Sison

By | Green, Homes and Interiors | No Comments

So happy to have special guests at Sunday family lunch yesterday. Our childhood and highschool barkada – Mikko Sison @momorojomaro who is not only an architect, interior designer, artist but also designs gardens! (0917-5262600 )  He helped my dad with his garden. I’m glad he explained it to me because my dad didnt tell us haha!! #h2hpeople #h2hgreens #h2hartist#h2hsundayfamilylunch

Garden by Mikko Sison (1) Garden by Mikko Sison (2) Garden by Mikko Sison (3) Garden by Mikko Sison (4) Garden by Mikko Sison (5)

Click below to go to his facebook page

Masszero project management mikko sison

Click below to go to his instagram for portraits

momorojomaro instagram mikko sison portraits

Hands On Manila Holiday Fund Raiser 2017

By | Giving Back, Green | No Comments

For our holiday fund raiser this year, Hands on Manila is selling grow-your-own plant kits

Really cute, ready to give boxed sets that have everything you need to grow your own herbs and flowers. And all for a good cause as the proceeds go towards helping the communities served by Hands On Manila volunteers.

The single plant kit comes in BASIL or SUNFLOWER.

The garden kit is comes with 4 plant sets. The PIZZA garden kit has: basil, tomato, hot pepper and arugula. The FLOWER garden kit has: sunflower, zinnia, marigold and dwarf sunflower.

Everyone asks if the seeds will really sprout – yes they do! The box comes with easy to follow instructions to help bring out your inner green thumb. They work for condo dwellers too – just put the pots by a sunny window sill or a balcony, if you have one.

Hope you enjoy these! For orders call +63 917 855 8514 or 843 7044

Happy Holidays from all of us at Hands On Manila!

Hands On Manila holiday fund raiser 2017 (1) Hands On Manila holiday fund raiser 2017 (2) Hands On Manila holiday fund raiser 2017 (3)

LUSH Holiday 2017

By | Christmas, Green, SSI Group Inc | No Comments

A LUSH CHRISTMAS

Christmas is just around the corner, and everyone’s preparing—or have already started—buying presents for their favorite crowd. With the holiday shopping rush, LUSH is sure to win you over as they deliver the best treats and options for your lengthy list of what-to-buys.Zero Waste christmas (1)

THE NAKED LINE

A highlight of LUSH’s collection for Holiday 2017 is the Naked line that features its “bare-all” packaging approach, in which 80% of the seasonal range are offered in solid form without the use of plastic bottles or any packaging; thus, also called the naked alternative. Zero Waste christmas (6)Not using expensive packaging gives big savings that LUSH can invest into more team members and training. Products from the Naked line like body butters are formulated with little to no water and are therefore often innately self-preserving. This line aims to be a support for a better planet, too!Zero Waste christmas (13)Zero Waste christmas (4)LUSH Holiday 2017 Launch Post (14)

SSI’s Michael Huang, LUSH Philippines Brand Manager Ida Nones, LUSH International Business Development Manager Lauren Savage, and Haribon Foundation’s Arlie Endonila

LUSH Holiday 2017 Launch Post (15)Stores Specialists, Inc. Head of Marketing Communications Michelle Suarez, LUSH International Business Development Manager Lauren Savage, LUSH Philippines Brand Manager Ida Nones, and SSI’s Michael Huang

LUSH Holiday 2017 Launch Post (16)

Janeena Chan, LUSH Philippines Senior Marketing Officer Kesh Tatlonghari and Associate Merchandise Manager Celine de Jesus, Pia Padre, LUSH International Business Development Manager Lauren Savage, and SSI’s Michael Huang

LUSH Holiday 2017 Launch Post (17)LUSH Philippines Senior Marketing Officer Kesh Tatlonghari, Associate Merchandise Manager Celine de Jesus, Brand Manager Ida Nones, and LUSH International Business Development Manager Lauren Savage

LUSH Holiday 2017 Launch Post (18)Zero Waste christmas (7)

Bath Bombs

New bath bombs are in this season. Sail away on a bubble gum sea of candy floss and fairy dust with the Snow Fairy bath bomb, or take a fizzy bath as you drop the hot and spicy Christmas Sweater bomb that contains Sicilian lemon oil, and powders of mustard and ginger to ease your muscles and warm you up after a busy day. Try out other bath bombs such as Shoot For The Stars with Brazilian orange and bergamot oils, Luxury Lush Pud which has ylang ylang oil and warming benzoin resinoid, and Butterbear that holds softening Fair Trade cocoa butter with creamy vanilla scent.Zero Waste christmas (10)

 
Bubble Bars

Welcome the main celebration of the season with Christmas Eve bubble bar. Take in the fruity scent when you have a go with Plum Snow that whips up a flurry of plum and Sicilian mandarin, or burst the Christmas Cracker bubble bar with uplifting lemon myrtle and lime essential oils. More options are in stores as LUSH also introduces The Snowman bubble bar with silky cocoa and Fair Traide shea butters for smooth and moisturized skin; or maybe test out the reusable ones like the Magic of Christmas made with cinnamon sticks and Fair Trade organic clove, and Magic Wand that creates clouds of pink, candy floss bubbles.

Shower Gels

Part of the Naked  line are shower gels offering a variety of scents, such as rose absolute and rose oil from damask roses for Rose Jam, wonderland of cranberry infusion and fresh blueberry juice for Berry Berry Christmas, and  malty blend of tonka and lavender for Twilight shower gel.

LUSH Holiday 2017 Launch Post (1)

Body Conditioners

Enjoy your bath time with some of the Naked body conditioners. Peppermint and menthol crystals of Christingle help awaken and stimulate the body; Brazilian orange and lime oils of Buck’s Fizz lifts your mood while murumuru and shea butters of this body conditioner helps moisturize; and Fair Traide cocoa, avocado, and mango butters of Snow Fairy that are magically blended together to flutter your skin.

LUSH Holiday 2017 Launch Post (6)

Do away with packaging as LUSH brings you lip tints and lip scrubs from the naked line, that are sure to become your soon-to-be staples. The Sugar Plum Fairy Naked lip tint—also available in lip scrub—gives the super soft Christmas kisses with its Kalahari melon and organic jojoba oils, plus sweet wild orange oil to give you a happy lift. Sweep the Santa Baby lip scrub over your lips for a kissable pout as it’s packed with murumuru and illipe butter and accompanied by coconut and jojoba oils. You can also have this in lip tint.

 KNOT WRAPS FOR PRESENTS

With the approach of continuing to focus on packaging that goes for less and finds more use for recycled materials, LUSH is proud to introduce its much larger Knot Wrap collection. The wraps are made from recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton, and each of the reusable fabric comes in different sizes—great for wrapping all sorts of presents.

LUSH, in no doubt, helps shopping for the holidays easier. You can buy gift sets that will woo the person you’re giving it. Among others, they have Sweet Christmas (Candy Mountain bubble bar and Think Pink bath bomb), The Night Before Christmas (Shoot For The Starts bath bomb and Christmas Eve bubble bar), Rosy Christmas (Rose Jam naked shower gel, Rose Jam bubbleroon), Starry Night (Twilight sparkle jar and Twilight naked shower gel), and Christmas Bathtime Favourites (Golden Wonder bath bomb, Shoot for the Stars bath bomb, Never Mind the Ballistics bath bomb, Luxury Lush Pud Christmas Sweater bath bomb, Sherbet Dip bath bomb, Thundersnow bath bomb, and Butterbear bath bomb).

LUSH Holiday 2017 Launch Post (5)Zero Waste christmas (5)Zero Waste christmas (9)

With these new treats courtesy of LUSH, forget about worrying what to buy for the person you picked for the Kris Kringle or thinking what to get for your loved ones. Swing by the nearest LUSH store and take your pick!

In the Philippines, Lush is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and is located atAlabang Town Center, Bonifacio High Street, Estancia in Capitol Commons, Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Robinsons Magnolia, and Shangri-La Plaza, SM Mall of Asia, and TriNoma Mall. Visitfacebook.com/LushPhilippines or follow @lushcosmeticsph or follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.

WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner

By | Foodie, Green | No Comments

 Congratulations to the WWF Team @wwfphilippines   Gigi Montinola , Joel Palma and Vince Perez and the rest of the Philippine team. It’s now up to all of us to implement and follow their lead for a sustainable future  #sustainablefoodsustainablefuture#wwfphilippines #h2hgreen #h2hgivingbackth_hearts_22thumbnail.jpg

The changing climate and the uncontrolled and wasteful consumption have resulted in concerns on how to continue feeding the planet today and in the future.

This is why the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines, with the mission of “Transforming Lives,” has gathered food connoisseurs and environmental advocates to support Sustainable Food Sustainable Future, a benefit dinner created to educate Filipinos on the importance of sustainable consumption and supporting our local farmers and fishermen by eating local.

Proceeds of the Sustainable Food, Sustainable Future dinner will go to WWF-Philippines’ campaigns and efforts to secure food sources of the future, aid the livelihood of local farmers and fishermen, and promote eco-friendly means of food production and consumption.

Sustainable food consumption and production involves looking at how resources are used in growing food and taking into account their impact on the environment and the community. This not only results in environmental benefits but also social and economic support such as increased competitiveness of local products, increased employment, and consequently reduced poverty. For consumers, it can mean fresher food with less chemicals and improved health.

WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (16)
WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (27) WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

WWF-Philippines has been successfully implementing various conservation projects to help protect some of the most biologically-significant ecosystems in Asia since its establishment as the 26th national organization of the WWF network in 1997.

WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (18)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (17)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (19)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (20)  WWF’s Hand Line Yellowfin Tuna initiatives in Occidental Mindoro, Camarines Sur and Albay are examples of WWF’s work in this area. Hand line fishing initiatives provide an avenue to supply selectively-caught yellow fin tuna to market actors, environmentally conscious consumers and give local fisher folk a source of livelihood.

WWF President and CEO Joel Palma shared how food consumption affects not only the environment but the welfare and livelihood of the people and communities who work on food production, like farmers and fisher folk.

We would like to emphasize that the footprint of the produce not only contributes to climate change and threaten our planet’s future but can also negatively affect the future of those who grow or produce our food. We want to make sure resources are protected and sustained so that they can continue to be the source of livelihood for generations to come.”Joel Palma WWF sustainable benefit dinner WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (33) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (32) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (31) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (30) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (29) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (28) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (36) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (35) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (1) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (2) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (21) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (8)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (11)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (43)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (22) Meanwhile, Chef Nicco Santos of Hey Handsome talked about how he partnered up with local fishermen and farmers who inspired his restaurant’s menu.  “One of the biggest reasons why I shifted my cooking style is because of sustainability. For me, personally, I find it more meaningful and more fulfilling if I know who’s growing the ingredients. Aside from it tasting better because it’s direct from the source, it’s fresher,”Santos stated.

“Aside from us feeling better about ourselves, it’s more fulfilling that it’s not about us. It’s always about someone else’s lives that we’re helping out. It’s fulfilling when you find that your truest purpose is to really help someone else to make a difference.”

WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (3)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (15)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (24)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (14)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (12)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (13)  As Chefs are the primary influencers of food cultures and diets, their participation in developing sustainable food habits and produce consumption is a huge help on promoting food security.

“I think apart from just cooking for people as a profession, chefs of today really need to advocate the science of sustainability and using ingredients that help keep the planet sustainable and the environment clean because in the end, whatever we do is dependent on the produce,” quipped Chef Maragarita Forés emphasizing on the role of chefs and restaurateurs in the campaign to help the environment.

WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (37) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (40) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (41) WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (34)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (42)WWF Sustainable Food Sustainable Future Benefit Dinner (39) Held at the Rizal Ballroom A of Makati Shangri-La, Manila on September 6, 2017, the benefit dinner featured delicious dishes from eight of the country’s top chefs. Chef Eric Weidmann (Sage), Chef Nicco Santos (Hey Handsome), Chef Chele Gonzalez (Gallery Vask), Chef Patrick Go (Black Sheep), Chef Sunshine Puey (Gourmandise), Chef Miko Aspiras (The Workshop), Chef Josh Boutwood (The Test Kitchen) and, Asia’s Best Female Chef of 2016 Margarita Forés (Grace Park), came together to show diners how local produce can result in flavorful creations that can help communities and the environment.

Four glorious pass around canapés paired kicked off the cocktails while the five-course dinner was started off with Weidmann’s Northern Guimaras Strait Blue Crab with Smoked Tanigue Tartare. This was followed by Santos’ Northern Guimaras Strait Blue Crab and Lemongrass Salad on Coconut-fermented Santol Crab Cracker, Gonzalez’and Go’s Yellowfin Tuna Belly with Szechuan and Adlai, Etag, Seaweed and Shiitake Congee, and Forés’and Boutwood’s Aleli’s Pork Loin, Headcheese, Sweet Potato, Humba Pineapple Glaze and Guava Gel, which is an homage to Daila Farm’s Aleli Crespo who sposored the night’s black pigs. The delectable dinner was perfectly capped off by Puey’s and Aspiras’ 64% Davao Dark Chocolate and Over-ripened Mangoes with Auro providing the chocolates used. Wines that complemented the courses were courtesy of one of the event co-presenters, Bacchus.

Makati Shangri-La Manila, another co-presenter, has showed its all-out support for this WWF-Philippines fundraiser as it very much aligned with the Shangri-La group’s “Rooted in Nature” philosophy and corporate social responsibility for a sustainable future in the Philippines, which is a manifestation of the group’s commitment to promoting greater traceability and transparency of food sources by working with local and sustainable providers. By 2020, the group’s goal is to serve 75 per cent more sustainably sourced food on their menus and through the “Rooted in Nature” dining experience, guests are enjoined in embracing and celebrating the benefits that sustainable food brings.

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