I know everyone’s doing the eco-friendly bit, right down to makeup and dishwashing liquid, but are the eco-friendly household cleaners any good? Somehow, all the chemically dangerous stuff that’s in the cleaners contribute to their dirt-busting, germ-killing efficiency. So for one month, I set aside all my Chemical Brothers-laden commercial cleaners and tried out one of the more famous eco lines, Messy Bessy products. Here’s my review of some of them:

Eucalyptus All-purpose Scrub, P250/P400: I think its basic ingredient here is baking soda, which we all know is a n effective household cleaning agent that can be found in any kitchen. The best part about it is its minty-fresh scent, and the coarseness of the baking soda makes it a good scrub, tho it sometimes leaves residue on ceramic surfaces.

Dishwashing Liquid, P130/P440: Not my favorite product, because you need a lot just to remove grease; so you actually spend more than you would if you buy _ _ _ dishwashing liquid. It smells amazing, though. Best used if you like washing dishes in the batis, so as not to poison the fishies.

Minty Orange Surface Cleaner, P240/P440:  This is my favorite—it’s actually effective. Disinfects and cleans grotty kitchen countertops, and most bathroom surfaces, plus it leaves a lovely orange-rind scent.

The Little Warrior, P70/500: Another good multi-tasking product. A favorite of the RL girls, and they use it as a hand sanitizer. Best part is it doesn’t dry out the skin.

There you go. Try out some of their products, to give your standard cleaners a break (and help out on the eco-bit, too). And maybe have your househelp give it a try, too.  Available at the Echostore at Serendra, The Podium, and Katipunan, or click here.  (photo by Jun Pinzon)

Watch our tour of this month’s Ultimate Makeover of the Baldevarona’s home on Urban Zone! Get to see up close the amazing “after” results of designers Jean Paul dela Rosa and Kristine Neri’s work.

Catch it on September 5, on ABS-CBN Channel 2, right after “Sunday’s Best.”

I wish all design schools looked like this! (And not that I’m complaining about UP—still love my school) It was designed by modernist architect Ed Calma, right at the height of his PRC licensure controversy (FYI it’s over, Calma is now a licensed Filipino architect). The deconstructivist/modernist building is an amazing example of how good design can make the most out of a tight, crowded area—in this case, right smack in the middle of downtown Manila. Upon approach, its facade’s sharp creases and folds open to reveal a dramatically airy space. And I like the fact that it’s peppered with amazing artwork in the lobby…

And the students’ exhibit of miniature chairs just took me right back to my college days!

To date, the college is beefing up its design programs, offering more intense courses on industrial and interior design, architecture, multimedia, filmmaking, even production design. Students are encouraged to take a more hands-on, experiential approach to learning, which is definitely good. For more information on the college, click here.

While we’re on the topic of design education, SOFA (School of Fashion and the Arts) recently opened its School of Interior Design, offering courses on Visual Editing, entertaining, and renovating on a budget among other things.  Interesting—but do take the basic design classes first! For more info, call the academic and marketing officer at (02) 892-8807.

Finally guys, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for—the Ultimate Makeover issue! I know everyone has been dying to know (or to be chosen!) who the Ultimate Makeover winner is (this winner got an almost P300,000 renovation!). Well, our lucky and kindhearted family are the Baldevaronas of Lagro, Quezon City, whose daughter Abby’s heartfelt wish was to bring back their home to its former glory. “It is sad that the home you loved and gave roof to others turned [out] to be so neglected, ugly, and barely standing still,” she wrote to us. Well, she got her wish, as her completely renovated, brand-new home by designers Jean Paul dela Rosa and Kristine Neri is now on the cover above!

But I won’t spoil the show and post the rest of the pictures—check it out yourself! And we have several makeovers in the mag. Instead, I’ll post all the “before” photos in this issue, starting with Miguel Nacianceno’s home…

…Marie Calica’s apartment…

and of course the Baldevarona’s. See all the amazing “after” photos in the September issue.

But aside from Makeovers, our September ish is chockfull of other interesting features as well, such as our lovely Breakfast Buffet party (styling by Cleone Baradas)…

…DIY decor extravaganza—these are all easy projects you can do on a weekend!

And I just looove the feature on Shopping at The Collective—look at all of these lovely alterna-stores like Sundae…

…and eco-boutique Ritual.

You can get the amazing, features-packed Real Living September 2010 issue for only P140 at newsstands and bookstores nationwide. (Photos by Vincent Coscolluela, At Maculangan, and Miguel Nacianceno)

Brother-and-sister tandem Elmer and Dorothy sign their works Erimon and Dorosera, as a symbol of brotherhood; these were the names the African kids in Rwanda called them way back 2005. Dorothy, in behalf of her brother Elmer who couldn’t make it to the event, briefed the press about their artworks.

I have never seen so many artworks inspired by Gautama under one roof! One can hear oohs and aahs as the visitors checked out the charming and blissful coffee tables. Out of all the coffee table designs, I certainly fell in love with this one:

The headboards were also one-of-a-kind; something you’d want hanging on your wall to assure you of a good night’s sleep. I, together with Ms. Betty Romero of Bohemian Nation and Lei who works for another glossy, had our photo taken with the Awakened one headboard.

The Buddha Bliss Series will be featured August 18 onwards at Bohemian Nation, The Serenity Place. (Photos by Raf Jamolangue)

(The Serenity Place is located in Westgate Center, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City)

Yummy editor Becky invited me to Pinterest recently. At first it got buried underneath my pile of emails, but when I finally signed up, I was definitely hooked! So what’s Pinterest all about? In a nutshell, I’d like to call it a design networking site, sorta like Twitter and Tumblr, but with more stylish images, hardly any text, and no TMI factor. This is how it works:

1. You get invited by a friendly Pinterest “pinner.” 2. You catalogue your “boards” into categories you like. There are suggested categories, but you can create whatever category you want. Regular “pinners” usually veer into home and decor, industrial and product design, signage and fonts, and occasionally fashion. 3. Once you’ve created your boards, you start “pinning” from various design websites.

It sorta becomes like an online moodboard—you know how you get an idea from an online site, ingrain it into your short-term memory, and forget where you saw it the day after? Well, Pinterest can help even non-design people (art directors and designers are the frequent users, with a lot of design enthusiasts as well) especially homeowners, in getting their own pegs, “storing” them, and then going back to this site when you want to start your actual home renovation. This is how mine looks like (I tried to cover everything from home to parties to a bit of makeup packaging):

Hot on the heels of their “warehouse sale” last Summer, SM Homeworld is holding another sale, from now until August 31.

Up for grabs: Family Home bed linen (above) with discounts up to 30%, as well as reduced prices on selected Sunnex kitchenware, Hanabishi appliances (oh how very early 90s!), Biencarlo decor and more. Visit the Homeworld section of an SM Department store near you. (Photos by Jun Pinzon, pictorial direction by Coni Tejada)

Dapitan is a budget shopping area Real Living has revisited every year or so. Tucked in a quiet area within Quezon City (and near Manila), this covered palengke/tiangge of home finds always has new surprises whenever we come back. And people always flock to the place to score uber-cheap ceramic ware and plates. Like these found in the first stall up front—I was able to get the robins-egg-blue saucers here for about P20 apiece.

Amongst the stalls that sell faux leather storage bins (a must-have at only P500 a pop, compared to the usual P1,000 plus in the malls), there was this stall that sold raffia food covers for P120 apiece. They also carried these lovely bunches of faux roses (though you can get the real deal for much cheaper at Dangwa a few streets down).

And this Dapitan is the secret place to buy caterer’s gold Tiffany chairs! Though this classic stool would make a lovely seat for a girl’s boudoir.

And some of the best finds ever—these cool Fornasetti-style cups!

Find out where these stalls are located and learn more about Dapitan in the Shopping section of the August issue of Real Living, out now. (Photos by Jun Pinzon, pictorial direction by Coni Tejada)

Real Living’s August issue is out and it’s all about your second most favorite topic (we all know your absolute first is the Makeover!): Small Spaces. This month, we’ll show you how to live big, even if you have a teeny, tiny home! Case in point: these fab condo units by designer friends Jean Paul dela Rosa and Kristine Neri…

And creative director Gwyn Guanzon chooses the best multi-tasking furniture…

…plus a hot new trend—letters and script on furniture and accessories! These are amazing.

Assistant stylist Coni Tejada shows us 3 ways to display/store our flat screen TVs (no cabinets needed!). This one’s from Sharp, their new Quottron TV. (By the way, has anyone watched Salt yet?)

And in the Real Makeover, don’t miss how designer Hannah Acab-Faustino transformed this toy-strewn (stair rail-less!) family home!

Real Living’s August issue is out now at newsstands and bookstores nationwide for only P140. (Photos by Ocs Alvarez, Miguel Nacianeno, and Jun Pinzon)

For a measly 100-peso entrance fee, you’ll be able to get to chocolate and ice cream heaven! Gelato is my happy food, so I was thrilled when I saw these yummy flavors.

And and and, we enjoyed a cup for P50!

So we went around to check on the other exhibits and look at what we found, lovely frying pans and kitchenware that will surely prep up your kitchen! (Prices available at the exhibit booth)

Cakes by Chef Peachy Juban, who recently bagged a gold at the prestigious Food and Hotel Asia Singapore, were also showcased in the event.

We were also lucky to witness the third batch of the Chocolate Cake Battle Royale. Though still unfinished, this sure looks yum!

Then the judging of the third batch followed. Here, Chef Penk Ching of The Pastry Bin (she came up with Juday and Ryan Agoncillo’s wedding cake) takes a close look at this entry.

Here are the cakes from the previous batches.

And just before we left, we were given free Pistachio gelato by Technolux. You have to check out their Ice Cream machine!

Go experience your own taste of heaven! July 16, Friday is the last day Philippine Chocolate and Ice Cream Show so you better catch it before its gone.
(Photos by Hannah Dormido)