All About Family...

Restaurants in Alabang Town Center

2012-02-11T13:09:00.002+08:00

Thank God its Saturday! Time to rest and at the same time enjoy the weekend. All of us in the office were so happy yesterday because we received a blessing! Mga mucho dinero :)

Today, hubby and i will be going to mall after his office. Don't get me wrong if we didn't bring our daughter because everytime hubby and i go for a date, we make sure that we also have time to our daughter like for example tomorrow, i scheduled to bring Tami to SM southmall so we can bond and she can play in Dave's Funhouse. Basta ill make sure that i have time for hubby, for my daughter and for myself. Mahirap talaga to divide the time especially if you're a working mom but im trying to balance all and so far im doing good.

Back to my topic, our date is just a simple lunch or dinner in any restaurants that we've never tried before. Alabang Town Center has lots of new restaurants and i wanna try all of it. I have tried almost all the restaurants in ATC except the following:

Bulgogi Brothers

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Crisostomo Restaurant (Filipino Cuisine)

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BonChon Chicken which i really look forward to everytime we're in ATC but its always full so we ended up looking for another place to eat.

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P.F. Chang's - the newest resto and the first in the Philippines. I can't wait to dine here.

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J. CO Donuts and Coffee

Who doesn't love doughnuts?

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Hay... i can't wait to try all those restaurants in ATC in the next few weeks or maybe months. But for now ill look forward to eat in Lugang Cafe or Buffet 101 later in MOA :)

John and Yoko, Alabang Town Center

2012-02-10T20:38:00.000+08:00

Last sunday, hubby and i went back to ATC because i have therapy but we were late and we never knew that therapists schedule is until 5pm only during Sundays so i missed my therapy, blame it to hubby!

To not feel guilty and para may magawa kami, we went to new wing and look for something to eat. Bulgogi Brothers had their opening offer and only guests are allowed to eat that day. Oye! we're not VIP's so we never had the chance to eat in Bulgogi, next week na lang :)

Across Bulgogi Brothers is John and Yoko, we're too early for dinner kaya wala pang tao so we decided to dine in there.

I already saw John and Yoko in Greenbelt and good thing they branched out here in South. The restaurant's interiors are exactly what's in their name: cosmopolitan. With the projector on the side wall, they show some Japanese film.

I find the plate cute with its design.

Here's our early dinner last Sunday

Seafood Ramen

Like what other Japanese restaurants, this Ramen was placed in a huge bowl and can feed 2 to 3 people.

Chicken Tempura

Instead of fish and chips, they offer Chicken Tempura. Hubby almost finished the entire food. He must be hungry then or the chicken tempura is delicious that he cant resist munching on it.

Tonkatsu Teppan for hubby

Well you can never go wrong with Tonkatsu and its the safest order for him. Hubby's not fond of raw foods, napipilitan lang syang samahan ako whenever i crave for some Japanese foods In the end it makes him full, i guess he's starting to love Japanese cuisine.

Getting ready to chow :)

Hubby took this photo. He's asking me how to use chapticks. I told him to practice with rice like what i did when i started using chapticks way back 90's :)

Our drinks

This time i ordered Watermelon shake while hubby chose soda.

Tempura Banana Split

For our dessert, we had this banana split. Combination of Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry ice cream with 2 Bananas in Tempura batter on the side.

Oooopppssss! Cherry's mine..

What i like with John and Yoko is the service and they're all attentive. Though the price is a little bit high compared to other Japanese resto, I wanna go back to try their makis and rolls.

See you soon, John and Yoko :)

Chatime, Alabang Town Center

2012-02-05T20:44:00.000+08:00

Before going to Tony Roma's, we walk around the new wing in ATC and we saw the newly opened Chatime. I told hubby that after we eat in Tony Roma's i wanna go back to buy Chatime. Syempre its my first time to try it kaya di ko talaga pinalampas.

Chatime store. Mejo maliit nga lang yung space nila.

Chatime was across the new Guess store in the second floor.

Picture on the Guess store.. Sarado pa nga lang. haha

Taken on the new wing... Parang Greenbelt no?

While waiting for my order, i took some pics around the store. The cashier handed me this device because it will serve as the signal if my drink is ready.

You'll know if your drink is ready if this device vibrates.

Chatime New Products.

...and i want to try all of these.

I ordered Pearl Milk Tea because its my first time.

I was given options like:

1. Extra toppings - Pearl, Jelly, Pudding, Coffee Jelly etc. I chose additional Coffee Jelly and add P20.00

2. Ice - No ice, Less ice, Normal ice, Extra Ice. I had Less ice on my drink.

3. Sugar Options - 0% sugar, Normal Sugar, Extra Sugar. I asked the cashier kung ano ang mare-recommend nya and she told me to get the Normal sugar.

Enjoying my Milk Tea while hubby smoke.

What's your fave drink in Chatime?

Post Birthday Celebration in Tony Roma's ATC

2012-02-05T20:16:00.000+08:00

Like what i've said in my previous post, i celebrated my birthday in Batangas with my team. Hubby said to go out the coming weekend to celebrate my birthday. It was supposed to be today but since i didn't go to work last friday, we decided to do it then after hubby's work.

I went early in ATC to see my therapist and have hand paraffin treatment while waiting for hubby. When he arrive in Healthway we walk around first and this lead us to ATC's new wing. If you're familiar with Daiso, there is new way there near Bon Chon and that long strip lead to new wing which looks like Greenbelt 5. Lots of new stores and restos sprouting in that area. After seeing the new wing, we went to Tony Roma's for our early dinner.

Tony Roma's

I heard a lot of positive feedback about this resto and i am wanting to try this for a long time, i didnt know that it will happen on my post birthday celebration :)

The complimentary bread with butter and pesto dip.

Mozzarella Sticks

Our appetizer served with zesty marinara sauce. Really good.

Fresh Watermelon Shake for hubby.

I didn't order drink for me because im saving it for Chatime :) I had water only. I sipped from hubby's shake and boy it's really delicious. Its like they squeeze the super tamis na pakwan and with its price of P190.00 super sulit naman.

My fave Pumpkin Soup

Tenderloin Sliders for me

Thick cut and juicy beef tenderloin seasoned with Tony Roma's special blend of spices on three hand-sized soft rolls. Served with a tangy, mustard sauce and crisp lettuce.

Hubby's Combo Meal

Consists of Half-Slab pork ribs and BBQ chicken. Instead of having side dish, i requested 2 cups of rice for him because i know he's hungry that time.

Our picture before eating.

Parang sa outback lang no?

When you order Combo from their menu, you can get discount in Haagen-Dazs ice cream exclusive for Tony Roma's diners.

We ordered Belgian chocolate ice cream.. Panalo talaga ang Haagen Dazs :)

Syempre we didn't forget to bring something for our baby. We knew that she loves cheese and we ordered Mozzarella Cheese sticks for Tami. Each order consists of 6 pcs.

Last picture inside Tony Roma's restaurant. Kainis lang yung nag-picture, wala man lang paramdam kung ready na or hindi pa. Hmp!

Tony Roma's

2nd Floor, Expansion Wing
Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City
Philippines
Tel: (63-2) 771 1388
Fax (63-2) 771 1788
Email: tonyromas.alabang@mozcom.com

Team Dinner in Dampa Seaside Macapagal.

2012-02-05T01:44:00.001+08:00

Three days ago, our team went to Dampa Macapagal after office to have dinner. We leave the office past 3pm and since walang traffic, we arrive before 4pm. One of my colleagues (Mami Lyza) went there early to buy fresh seafoods in the market para pagdating namin lalafang na kami at kakanta na.

HongKong Lion Paluto Restobar and Grill

It was our second time in Hongkong Lion. We liked this place because they have some rooms that can accomodate groups and they offer 3hrs use of the room and free use of the videoke. Mami Lyza chose the room in the ground floor and perfect for us.

Matute colleague

Some of the team

Hindi nagpahuli sa biritan ang Matute. hehe.

Everytime we eat in Dampa its always the same choice of food. Ewan ko ba bat parang hindi nakakasawa ang luto dun.

Our choice of food:

Sinigang sa Miso

Buttered Shrimp

Chili Crabs

Calamares

And the super sarap and fresh na Baked Tahong.

Busog na naman ang team namin.

If you're thinking of the budget in Dampa and to know the price of the paluto. Here it is:

The receipt

The food is good for 12 people, may sobra pa nyan kahit marami kaming nakain. As you can see ang mahal ng rice kasi 1 bowl costs P120.00 and paluto charged almost the same price of the seafood per kilo in the market.

Ngayon ko lang na-realize na sobrang mahal din pala sa Dampa. Kala ko ang nagpapamahal is yung seafood lang, mahal din pla yung charge sa paluto.

Pero ok lang kung busog ka naman at masaya ka naman dba?

Hacienda Darasa in Batangas

2012-02-05T01:15:00.000+08:00

Last weekend (Jan28-29) our team went to Tanauan, Batangas and stayed overnight in Hacienda Darasa Garden Resort Hotel. My second time to celebrate my birthday without hubby and my daughter.

Hacienda Darasa Garden Resort Hotel sits on a lush 4-hectare plantation offering an exclusive location for that perfect bonding experience. Within rows of Mahogany trees and amid fruit-bearing trees like Mangoes, Durian, Rambutan, Avocado, and rare ornamental plants, the resort's natural surroundings provide the best backdrop for activities that bring you closer to the people important to you.

From a couple's intimate respite, to a convention of up to 500 people, Hacienda Darasa has the ambiance, activities, facilities and services to ensure a most memorable stay. Aware of your essential needs, its 'no-frills' amenities allow for affordable comfort while keeping that distinguishing traditional Filipino character as venue for your special interactions.

For your stay for business, tourism, or even for a comfortable stop-over before your next destination-

With colleagues – for Teambuilding Activities, Seminars, Conventions, Meetings, Product Launches, Outings, Retreats, other Events;

With friends and loved ones - for Birthdays, Weddings, Debuts, Graduations, Reunions, Parties, other Milestones-

At Hacienda Darasa Garden Resort Hotel, let Nature bring you closer together.

Kids pool

For sure all of kids will surely enjoy this pool because its so big.

Adult Pool

This was a hit from all of us.

During communication before the trip, they gave us the dormitory room but when we got there, they upgrade us to cabanas. The dormitory rooms were occupied by the ABS-CBN peeps, they shoot X-Factor in the garden area of the resort :)

This is the cabanas.

And our place in Darasa

The cabanas are so big. In their website, they offer this for 8 to 10 people pero kasya ang 15 people. Mind you were 15 pax pero maluwag pa rin kami sa unit. Unit is clean and well-maintained and i lurve their pillows.

View outside the cabanas units.

This area is for the teambuilding activities but we never dare try it kasi we prefer to swim and drink liquors. Upon settling to our place, we prepare ourselves to leave and go to Waltermart to eat and buy food. Waltermart is 5 to 10 minutes away from Hacienda Darasa.

Picture taking before leaving the resort.

Chucky and i are January birthday celebrant so we treat the team to dinner after doing the grocery. Restaurant choices in Waltermart are very few so we go with Mang Inasal. Gusto ko sana sa Jollibee para bago naman. haha

Early dinner in Mang Inasal. Akalain mo yun 2 tables lang kami.

Happy Birthday to us Chucky... Cheers!

Our food

Di naman kami obvious na matakaw sa chichiria no?

Photos in Hacienda Darasa:

Ayan harutan na ng harutan.

This is the loft of the cabanas unit. Sarap mag-stay sa loob kasi ang lamig :)

We started to swim late in the afternoon till night.

Since kami lang ang tao sa pool, dun na kami uminom kasi ang lamig ng tubig. Actually bawal ang food and drinks in that area pero matigas ang ulo namin ska wala naman sumita eh... hehe

After swimming, we went back to our unit and continue the inuman session. Super saya lang namin nun.

Our overnight stay has a complimentary breakfast for 15 people.

Team Annabelle during breakfast.

My first time to try Kapeng Barako. I liked it but dissapointed with the food. I was expecting some bacon, hotdogs choz! choosy pa eh libre naman yun. hehe

Pictures taken at around 10am (Sunday) before leaving the place.

Teambuilding is really fun and i recommend Hacienda Darasa if you're looking for a place for team buildings, outings, or any occasion like weddings, birthdays etc.

Click here to view official website of Hacienda Darasa..

Addicted to Haribo.

2012-02-03T12:31:00.004+08:00

For sure you know Haribo and we are addicted to these candies.

Fruity Bears from Haribo

Ang super kunat na candy :)

Can someone bring this to Philippines... As of now, this can be bought in Singapore. And we have to ask friends or relatives to bring some here as their pasalubong.

We want Haribo!!!!

Oh i have to go now. Ill go to salon for my haircut, drop by in clinic for therapy then will go to ATC to have a date with my one and only love *wink*

New Find: Sunplay Sunblock SPF 130 PA+++

2012-02-03T10:50:00.001+08:00

Sa wakas nakapag-blog na ulit ako, i am really stressed this week and we had hectic sched with work at buti na lang pinayagan akong mag-leave today to attend my daughter's fair in school. Now im home na and will post this before leaving again.

Last last weekend, i was looking for a nice sunblock that i can use in our team building in Hacienda Darasa in Batangas. I was googling and found a lot of sunblocks like Neutrogena, VMV, Sunplay and Beach Hut. With all the reviews i read, i decided to go with Beach Hut because according to some beauty bloggers, it's really worth it.

Thursday after office i went to Watson's SM Center to buy Beach Hut for Body and Face but unfortunately isa lang ang meron kaya hindi ko na binili. Instead, i bought this:

Sunplay sunblock comes with watery liquid that's why its easily absorbed by the skin. Very light and non-greasy kaya super like ko sya. One more thing is pwede sya sa face and body. Bottle is really cute and can bring anywhere, just stash it in your makeup kit and you're ready to go. This particular bottle costs P399.00 in Watson's.

They come in 4 variants too:

1. Super Block Sunblock Lotion SPF 130 PA+++ (waterproof)

2. Watery Cool Sunblock Lotion with Menthol SPF 65 PA+++ (waterproof)

3. Powdery White Sunblock Lotion SPF 47 PA+++ (with Vit. C & E)

4. Clear Water Sunblock Lotion SPF 50 PA+++ (with Aloe extract)

I recommend this to those who plan of having outdoor activities for long hours and good for swimming too. Will try this in my CDO trip and we'll see kung magiging negra ba ko. Will also buy Beach Hut para may alternate kasi hindi ako pwedeng umitim dahil mag-aabay ako sa kasal ng pinsan ko sa March.

Weekend Trip in Hacienda Darasa

2012-01-27T21:51:00.001+08:00

Tomorrow, me and my officemates will go to Hacienda Darasa in Batangas and will be back on Sunday so im not celebrating my birthday with hubby and my daughter. This time ill be with my officemates.

Hubby and i plan of having post birthday celebration next weekend. Its not that grand, we're just having a birthday dinner/lunch date in some restaurants in mall.

Our motto for this year is "Tipidity is the best policy" hehe.. so when hubby asked what i want on my birthday, i only said "wala" because i want him to keep his money for the things needed in our house. :)

So, Happy Birthday to me na lang :)

Will be back very soon :)

My Spoiler

2012-01-26T20:31:00.000+08:00

While in the office this morning, i received a text from hubby. He says:

How can i achieve that sexy body if my spoiler kept of buying chocolates for me.

Ggggrrrrr..... I can't resist those chocolates...

Burp!

New Find: Neolia Olive Oil Lotion

2012-01-25T21:09:00.000+08:00

Last week, i dragged my officemates to eat lunch in SnR The Fort (my treat) because i was craving for Garlic Shrimp Pizza and i want to buy lotion. While they're ordering the food, i was inside the store checking some goods and getting Blue Bunny ice cream as my additional treat to my team aside from the pizza :)

I was about to get Aveeno when i saw this new product on the end of the shelf. It's name is Neolia. Its my first time to see this brand and i was intrigued and wanting to try this product. When it comes to lotions, im looking for some things like non-greasy feel, quick absorption, long lasting effects and ok for sensitive skins.

Neolia Body Lotion

Neolia's entire line features a 100% Italian extra Virgin Olive oil, vitamin E and Aloe Vera. This products are highly recommended especially to those who has skin asthma like me because this high quality ingredients are combined to heal, nourish and moisturize.

Perfect for me

After reading its benefits, i am convinced and bought 2 bottles of Neolia Lotion. I also bought Vaseline as my alternate lotion to Neolia.

You can buy this in SnR Membership Shopping, not sure kung meron na sa mall, ill check it in SM next time.

Neolia 700ml = P799.95 per bottle

Vaseline 600ml = P399.00 per bottle

I've been using the Neolia lotion for almost a week now and i am loving it because its non-greasy and very light. I just dont like the smell, its not really bad naman kaya lang di ko type ang amoy ng olives eh but overall the product is good and its worth the money. It's getting more than what i paid for :) Naks parang si Kris Aquino lang no?)

I saw this in SnR online, they offer this Neolia for Metrobank cardholders, ewan ko lang kung hanggang kelan yung promo. Sayang nga eh wala akong kilala na may Metrobank card, naka-discount sana ng P400.00.

What are your new finds lately? Share naman!

Reason of Diet : Cousin's Wedding

2012-01-23T21:23:00.001+08:00

One of the major reason that i need to diet this 1st quarter of 2012 is because my cousin BJ and his wife will renew their marriage vows again in church and we are one of the secondary sponsors. Since they got married 9 years ago, all the secondary sponsors are couples too.

After the blessing, we all trooped to Pagsanjan, Laguna to see the designs of our gown and for them to get our body sizes.

My daughter as the flower girl together with my other niece CJ, the couples daughter.

Here, let me give you the sneek peak of our gowns:

Gowns of the secondary sponsors.

Mine's the second from left. Nag-request pa ko na kailangan meron sa part ng braso para matago ang mala-poste kong braso... haha

Tami's gown in Plum and Canary Yellow motiff...

This is the bride's gown:

Ganda no? This is similar to Kristine's Hermosa's gown na detachable yung ilalim...

Hubby's my partner in the wedding of course. The guys will wear coat and tie. I can't wait for this event kaya lang majuba pa ko eh... Need to lose weight pa kahit konting-konti lang... hehe

The wedding is on March. Kaya pa kaya na pumayat ako in 2 months? Or magpa-lipo na ko to achieve that sexy body in the sketch? Asa pa ko! Hmp!

Cousin's House Blessing

2012-01-23T20:33:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday, our family went to Laguna to witness and join the house blessing of my cousin's abode. The new house is situated beside their old house and in front of the Bahay-Kubo. Its like 1 compound in a more than 1 hectare property with 3 houses.

This is the new house owned by my cousin who recently graduated and passed the CE Licensure Exam.

Let me tour you to his new abode. The construction took only 4 months. The furnitures are mostly customized or pinasadya in tagalog.

This is the sala.

I like the curtains and all the blinds. Simple and elegant no?

The lights

Hubby was telling me if we could have this in our house. I asked Kuya Bing where they bought this and how much this lights cost. It's from Soler in Manila and this lights costs P42,000. WTF!

Dining and Kitchen

Another lights that hubby want. Costs P25,000 :(

I liked the house cooking station.. Parang nakapatong lang yung 3 burners sa marble top nung counter.

Kuya Bing as the interior designer.

Behind Kuya Bing (with the black and white tiles) was leading to the dirty kitchen. According to him, kulang pa yung display kaya medyo bare pa yung sa may kitchen and dining area..

Stockroom on the right side of Kuya Bing.

This is located outside the common cr.

Common CR.

On to Tta Babes room:

On the right side of this bed is a space for lazy boy chair then another door going to their walk-in closet and cr.

Tta Babes walk-in closet

On the second floor was Damvin's space.

The stairs with the pa-cute boy.. hehe

Damvin's Room:

I asked my cousin kung san nila pinagawa yung bed because we want also bed na pasadya.

It is customized in Laguna and made with Antique wood. Cost of the bed frame is P20k++ and the foam is P16k++. Parang gusto ko din ng lazy boy chair.. Pero saka na pag tumama ako sa jueteng! Nyahahaha...

The door on the right side is his walk-in closet and cr.

On the left side of the bed is his work station.

Like what i've said, that day was the blessing. The only visitors was only family and some close friends.

They also asked the priest to bless Tta Babes new car.

This is located behind the new house. The Bahay Kubo is located in front of the car (north side), on the right side is the parking area for their 4 vehicles. The left side is their another house. Damvin's eldest brother (BJ) now lives on the other house with his own family that's why Tta Babes and Uncle Joleng has their own room in Damvin's house.

After the blessing, we all stayed in Damvin's room on the second floor because of the wifi and we had facetime with the relatives in the US.

Mika showing the house to our relatives via Facetime.

In Damvin's room..

We also had some picture taking inside the house.

Hubby took this. Feeling ko lang maganda ko dito...

Damvin's house is really nice, all are customized pati mga doors, kaya lang it will cost us a lot kung magpapasadya din kami. We also love the curtains and blinds kaya lang ang mahal at P120k (dyusme kurtina pa lang at blinds yun nakakaloka na). Even the doors costs a lot.

Hay, sana makumpleto din namin ang mga gamit namin sa new house asap. **cross-finger**. For the meantime tataya muna ko sa jueteng at lotto, baka makatsamba :)

Food Cart: Pizza Pedricos

2012-01-22T06:04:00.000+08:00

If there's food cart that i would love to franchise, its Pizza Pedricos.

Why?

1. My daughter liked it.

2. Very affordable at P39.00 each
3. Delicioso

Before going home last monday, Tami was saying she wants pizza and pointing Pizza Pedricos near National Bookstore. My sister-in-law bought din pala for his son that day. Kaya pala gusto yun ni Tami because my SIL always bought that pizza as pasalubong to the kids. Personally i liked it also kasi masarap sya.

Have you tried the pizza here?

Tami's favorite is the Cheez and Cheez flavor.

At P39.00 for a small pizza, it can fill one's tummy, my daughter can finish 2 small pizzas here.

I bought 2 boxes of pizza so Tami can eat it in the car.

Di na pasko ah... Bakit box pa rin ng pang-xmas for January? Tipidity is the best policy... hehe

Eto na yung pizza.

Actually masarap sya when its hot but if not, its like you're eating cold and chewy bread so better eat it agad after buying.

Kahit malamig na sya, gusto pa rin namin ang Pizza Pedricos and we'll keep coming back there. They are open for franchise too and you might be interested. Just give them a ring, click here to see their contact details.

Dairy Queen's Black Forest & Mossimo

2012-01-21T18:39:00.000+08:00

While my daughter is playing in Dave's Funhouse for an unlimited time, hubby and I walked around the mall and went to DQ to buy ice cream, our usual habit while in the mall. Malayo pa lang nakita ko na ang Blizzard of the Month and i already knew that i want it.

DQ's Black Forest

Our Blizzard ice cream

Hubby chose the Rocky Road (left) and my Black Forest. After tasting Black Forest flavor, its now my new favorite from DQ. Taste was really good and i love the chewy brownies and cherry in the ice cream. If im going to Southmall again, for sure ill buy Black Forest again.

While walking around, we saw a nice polo in Mossimo for hubby. Perfect for office wear. It's also on sale at 30% so we grab it. Sayang eh.

Me while waiting for hubby fitting the polo.

Mossimo Polo

From P1,299 to P999 only. Really good buy.

DQ's Black Forest is a must try and you should try it too.

Frozen Yogurt - Tutti Frutti in Southmall

2012-01-21T08:17:00.001+08:00

Everytime we're in SM Southmall, we always pass by this Tutti Frutti cafe in the ground floor but never had the chance to try it. When we went to dentist last monday, she recommend giving my daughter an ice cream after her tooth extraction. Tutti Frutti is located near Dental Focus so it was my first choice. The ambiance of this cafe is really eye-catchy especially with kids.

image source

Tutti Frutti is a US based frozen yogurt chain. With frozen yogurt benefits, im sure all Filipinos would love to have this instead of ice cream.

Health Benefits of Fro-Yo

Probiotics, which means "for life," have been used for centuries as natural
components in health-promoting foods.

Potential Benefits

Strengthening the immune system preventing constipation, diarrhea, and bloating
Prevention of colon cancer
Lowering blood pressure
Lowering cholesterol
Improving immune function and preventing infections
Reducing inflammation
Improving mineral absorption
Prevents harmful bacterial
Growth under stress

Tutti Frutti comes in 3 sizes, you just have to choose and grab a tub.

This station has lots of toppings that kids will love including gummy bears, springkles, mallows etc.

I chose the small one for my daughter.

Since its a self-service yogurt, I allow her to choose what she wants.

They have 8 flavors of fro-yo and my daughter picked the strawberry flavor because its her favorite.

When i saw their official website, Tutti Frutti has around 50 flavors pala.

Toppings

I was looking for some fresh fruits as toppings pero wala but they have extensive kind of toppings.

After getting our fro-yo, we went to the cashier to weigh and pay. In every self-service yogurt, you pay by gram or ounce and in Tutti Frutti its P20 per ounce. A bit cheap compared to White Hat and Yogurt Nation.

My daughter's fro-yo with Sprinkles and Mallows.

My daughter is a picky eater and she seldom says na "Masarap yung food" but after having her first spoon of Tutti Frutti, she blurted "Ang Sarap". I tasted her fro-yo and im not impressed, its just like im eating a regular ice cream with toppings.

Hindi naman alam ng anak ko kung anong difference ng fro-yo and ice cream. But for me, i have things to consider:

Fro-yo : The smoothness of the yogurt. I like White Hat more because of its smooth and creamy yogurt.

Toppings: Fresh Fruits so i'll go with White Hat too :)

Location: Accessibility. Yogurt Nation because its walking distance to our office.

Price: Affordability. Tutti Frutti has the cheapest among all fro-yo that i've tried.

White Hat is really a winner to me but since my daughter likes Tutti Frutti, i guess will be back there and try different flavors. Next time i'll try Qoola in Greenbelt :)

What's your best Fro-yo?

Teaching my Kid to Save

2012-01-20T22:36:00.000+08:00

One of the traits that i learned from my parents, grandparents and other relatives is to be patient so when they taught me to save using piggy bank, i learned to wait hanggang sa mapuno yun then the money will go to my bank account or will buy what i want. Would you believe that my very first designer jeans was from my savings?

Short story:

When i was little, i am a Guess Kid... Lahat from tops to jeans etc... When i enter high school, i feel like im old enough for Guess kaya i started buying clothes in Quad (now Glorietta) and my very first designer jeans was a D&G pants that i bought from Linea Italia boutique. It was the exclusive distributor of D&G back then. Tinopak pa ko nun dahil kulang ang pera ko and ayaw dagdagan... But in the end, nabili ko rin :) That's when i started having designer clothes and things...

I also want my daughter to learn on how to save kaya ngayon pa lang tinuturuan ko na.

I requested this Hello Kitty Coinbank during our team christmas party last month and Tami loved it, i think she's motivated to save with her favorite Hello Kitty coinbank. Everytime hubby and i arrived from work, she always ask for some coins and she'll put it in her coinbank.

Last week, i talked to my daughter while she put the coins. Our conversation goes like this:

Me: Pag napuno yan, anong gusto mong gawin natin sa pera mo? Pupunta ulit tayo sa Disneyland?

Tami: Ayoko na sa Disneyland Mama... I want to have birthday party in Mcdo with my classmates.

Me: Ha? I thought you want Disneyland again. Cge mcdo na lang... Pano natin sila invite wala na kayong pasok sa birthday mo.

Tami: Hindi Mama. I asked them sino jo-join sa birthday party ko sa MCDO.

Yun naman pala eh, nag-iinvite na anak ko ng classmates nya ng hindi pa namin alam ang plano nya. Do we have a choice pa ba? Kaloka! January pa lang nag-iinvite na anak ko sa birthday nya na April pa. Kaya pala lahat ng pera nya goes to her coinbank dahil para daw yun sa birthday nya :)

Yesterday, i asked her again about her birthday. I was giving her some choices like sa Jollibee that has Barbie theme and KFC with Spongebob theme which is all her favorite cartoon character but she was consistent with Mcdonalds. I was happy that another trait has developed in her, being consistent.

So the decision has been made. She will be celebrating her 6th birthday in Mcdonalds Las Pinas on April and im currently jotting down all the names of her classmates, relatives on both side of the family especially the kids.

Im posting the things that i need to do for her upcoming birthday:

1. Inquire, choose and reserve the place in Mcdo LasPinas.
2. Collating the names to be invited.
3. Will go to Divisoria to buy Hello Kitty stuff as additional game prizes and for the lootbags.

Will do this after our CDO-Camiguin-Bukidnon trip on February.

Any suggestions pa for her 6th birthday?

Appointment in Dental Focus Southmall

2012-01-19T21:45:00.000+08:00

Last Monday, we dont have work because of US holiday (Martin Luther's day) so we took the opportunity to have dental appointment. We went to Southmall as early as 10am so we can be the first patient in Dental Focus.

When we arrived in Southmall, we noticed the huge Chinese tree in the middle of the activity center and some lanterns in preparation for Chinese New Year.

Tami on the Chinese Tree

After taking Tami's photo, we went to Dental Focus. It is one of the accredited dental clinics in our healthcard and i love the place itself and the facilities. I recommend the place kasi super cozy and at the same time high tech ang facilities nila...

And we are the first patient that time.

We were supposed to have our semi-annual teeth cleaning but when they check hubby's teeth, i have to cancel my schedule para may kasama si Tami kasi aside from cleaning hubby's teeth, he has to add pasta (amalgam) sa bagang and they gave me an estimated time of 3 hrs bago matapos yung kay hubby.

Tami on the other hand will undergo tooth extraction and cleaning. I have to stay on Tami's side kasi baka matakot on her first tooth extraction.

And when they started the work, i sat behind the station.

View from where i sat. Hubby on the left station and Tami is in the right side.

Tami was so brave kasi hindi sya umiyak kahit topical cream lang ang nilagay sa gums nya.

The dentist told me to give Tami an ice cream kasi it helps na mag-stop yung bleeding and the prize for being brave is i let her play in Dave's Funhouse :)

We eat first in Tutti Frutti yogurt.

After eating fro-yo, we went to Dave's Funhouse and leave Tami there then bumalik naman ako sa Dental Focus to read magazines while waiting for hubby :)

Tami on Dave's Funhouse

They started working on hubby's teeth before lunch and ended at 3:00pm. Buti na lang we had our quick lunch at KFC before sila nag-start ng dental session.

Thanks to our Intellicare healthcard kasi wala kaming binayaran :)

Quiapo and 168 Mall on a Sunday

2012-01-18T21:05:00.001+08:00

Last Sunday, i decided to attend mass in Quiapo. I've mention here in my blog before that whenever i have problem i always go to Quiapo church for some reasons. This time i went there to say thank you because my worries are gone. I dont wanna go into details but as of now, i am thankful for everything and happy.

After attending the mass, i went to 168 mall to buy new blouses. hehe...

And accessories...

I can't resist this super cute earrings kaya binili ko na at P50.00 each :)

Hay... na-miss ko na ang Divisoria. After buying blouses and that accessories i went home na. It was super bilis. Im home already at around 2PM. Bilis no?

Laguna's Pride: Delicacies and Footwear

2012-01-18T20:45:00.000+08:00

Every travel or trip will not be complete if not buying their specialty or what the place has to offer. Laguna has so many things to offer and one of it is delicacies. If you've been in Laguna you know what im talking about but if not, scroll down and see what you can bring home from my hometown.

Part of my plan when we went to Liliw Laguna is to bring home some goodies aside from footwear. Prior to the trip, I already ask my brother to buy us Kesong Puti that we can bring home.

Some of my officemates while waiting for the other buying another set of slippers as pasalubong to her relatives.

Every part of Laguna has some stall offering Laguna delicacies and in Liliw you can find it too.

This stall across the Badong outlet offers all kinds of delicacies made from Laguna. Price ranges from P35 up to P100.

Here are some goodies that i bought from Laguna:

Pastries

Buko Pie

Espasol

My fave Puto Seko

Uraro

Another fave - Broas

And the famous Kesong Puti.

Footwear that i bought:

Flats in Silver

Another flats from Entrada

Ref Magnet

Sa tagal ko sa Laguna, ngayon lang ako nakakita ng ref magnet sa Liliw so i bought one for my collection.

Have you tasted any delicacies from Laguna?

Arabela Cafe in Liliw

2012-01-17T20:42:00.000+08:00

After doing our first round of footwear hunting and walking in that long street of Liliw, we found ourselves in the corner where Arabela Cafe is located. It was past 1pm then and we decided to eat in Arabela. It was my second time to dine in Arabela and i highly recommend it. They were excited to see this small cafe that offers good food in very affordable price.

When we arrived, the cafe is full so we have to wait outside. Arabela cafe has small space, only a few tables were inside, say 5 to 6 tables only. The ceiling is also low so you have to be very careful if you don't want your head to bump in some lights on the ceiling.

Mga pagod na teh?

We waited for almost 20 mins outside. Buti na lang the food is really worth the wait. The waitress called ur attention after 3 groups of diners leave the place.

We were ushered to this table.

If you will see the place, all the display from that small cafe were obviously from abroad and it looks like the owner of the cafe is a previous chef from a luxury cruise. #guessing

Cake

It's not from Arabela. I bought this in Liliw Bakeshop because i want them to try this pastry. Everytime we go to Liliw, we always buy this from the Bakeshop as our take home from Liliw.

While waiting for our orders, we munch on the cake then kwentuhan again. After tasting the pastry, they find it good and thinking of buying some as their take home too. Sa Liliw lang kasi may ganyan :)

Our orders:

Pesto Al Telfono for me (P170.00)

Consists of Penne Pasta in Creamy tomatoes and Kesong Puti. Very yummy!

Beef Lasagna (P95.00 per order)

All of them ordered this one. According to them, its really good and it has lots of mozzarella cheese.

My favorite Latte Arabica

Would you believe that this tall glass costs only P60.00? Yes its true.

Large De Luxe Pizza (PhP300.00)

Picture muna before lumafang. hihi

After eating our pastas and munching on the cake, we didn't finish the pizza because we're so full already.

Nagkahiyaan pa sa 2 slices of pizza.

Arabela Cafe didn't dissapoint for the second time. Food are really good that you'll keep coming back whenever you're in Liliw. Sana lang mas lumaki pa yung space to accomodate all. The servers were really attentive and kind. Thumbs up to them **wink**

If you're planning to go in Liliw, don't forget to try Arabela.

Arabela Bakehouse and Coffee Shop

503 Rizal Street, Liliw, Laguna

Contact Numbers: +6349.5632495 / +63917.204.1447

Day Trip in Liliw

2012-01-16T19:42:00.000+08:00

Last week in our office, we've been talking of going to Liliw Laguna on a weekend to buy footwear and at the same time makagala na din. It was pushed through last Saturday but before going to Liliw, we went first to our house in Laguna to have our brunch. It was also my sister's birthday and Lola cooked something for us.

With my officemates in our house in Laguna

Liliw Laguna is a mere 30 to 40 minutes drive from our place so we have ample time to stay in our house. After eating brunch and rest for a couple of minutes, we went to Liliw and arrived around 11am. Saturday weather is sunny but we never felt the scorching heat because of the cool wind. I think Liliw is part of the mountain kaya ganun.

Upon arriving, our first stop was the Liliw church. We have to pay a visit in the town's old church and pray, then we took some photos outside.

With some of my travel buddies.

Solo Pic

We started footwear hunting after the picture taking.

Taken in one of the stall.

The footwear stores is located in one of the long street in the town of Liliw, so easy to find but finding a nice pair is not that easy.. hehe. You have to go in every store to check if there's any fab find.

Here are some footwear photos from every stores so if you're planning to go in Liliw, you'll have an idea of what you're going to see. These are only few.

Lots of slippers

Clogs

Slippers for men

Flats

I love this one.

Lots of fab shoes in Entrada

Entrada is the chic outlet in Liliw. Most of people didnt forget to dropby in Entrada because for sure you can find something that you want.

Colorful flats in Entrada

Shoes in Entrada ranges from P200 to 350, you can haggle too :)

My officemates looking for something that will catch their interests.

One of them found something that she want kaya kami wait lang inside the store.

I enjoyed our trip in Liliw. Lots of laughing moments because of my jolly officemates. Sana maulit ulit:)

3D2N CDO-Camiguin-Bukidnon Package

2012-01-15T20:00:00.001+08:00

Come February, Me, Hubby together with his 6 officemates will go to CDO to try water rafting. Thanks to Cebu Pacific's promo because we scored a P1,200 roundtrip ticket each few months ago. Most of hubby's officemates will be their first time to go an out of town trip and first time to ride the plane kaya mga excited. They were expecting me to be the one who will organize the itinerary. Being a traveler for a long time, i always go with the travel package that travel agencies offers lalo na pag mga relatives ang kasama ko unless kasama ko mga officemates ko, dun i learn to travel the budgeted way or sometimes Do-it-yourself trip.

Hubby warns me not to get the expensive package kasi i have to consider daw his officemates, baka di daw magsamahan pag mahal. With this tour, nahihirapan ako kasi di ko alam kung yung ipapakita ko sa kanila na package ay ok ba sa knila or hindi. Ayoko naman mag-DIY kasi mga first time nga nila at for sure ako lang ang mapapagod once na nag-DIY kami kasi i have to think always kung ano ba ang mas ok or mas mura etc...

One of my teammates went to CDO last year and availed the E-Philippines package which is P4,926 each inclusive of all the tours except meals, entrance fees in every tourist spots and the fare to ferry going to Camiguin, according to her it is the cheapest package that she saw online. I checked it kaya lang i read the reviews of the accomodation in CDO kaya na-dissapoint ako but i love the inclusions of the package.

Here are my choices from 2 travel agencies:

E-Philippines Travel

Travelers Pod: P5,197 per person
N Hotel: P5,628 per person

Package Inclusions:

Overnight standard aircon accommodation in Cagayan de Oro - twin, triple and triple sharing
Overnight aircon accommodation in Paras Beach Resort/ Camiguin - 2 Family Lofts
daily breakfast
Whitewater rafting adventure with lunch ( Beginners course)
Dahilayan Adventure Park/ Forest Park/ Del Monte Plantation/ Gardens of Malasag
Camiguin Countryside tour- aircon
White Island boat trip
Roundtrip complete land transfers (CDO/ Camiguin/ Dahilayan Adventure Park)

Camiguin Countryside Tour includes:

Ardent Hot Springs/ Katibawasan Falls/ Macao Cold Spring/ Taguines Lagoon/ Santo Niño Cold Spring/ Tausan Falls/ Gui-ob Church Ruins/ Sunken Cemetery/ Vulcan Daan/ Tangub Hot Spring
* actual sites to be visited will be dependent on schedule and route.

In the E-Philippines offer, i love the inclusions of the package but i dont like the accomodation on the cheapest package. I chose another accomodation (Traveller's POD) in CDO and the price will be P5,197 per head kaya lang the rooms doesn't have their own CR's and it's a big No No for me. I always want the room with its own cr.. If i were to choose, ill go with N Hotel at P5,628 per person, very minimal difference at least we're all comfortable. Sana lang ok sa kanila yung P5,628 **wishing**.

La Montana Tours and Travel offer:

For a group of 8pax, our package rate is P5,800 per person - inclusive of the following:

Land (Aircon Van) Transportation for 3 Whole Days
Round Trip Sea Transfers (Barge) to Camiguin
One (1) Night Aircon 1-Star Class Homestay/Inn Room(s) in Camiguin (*see site for choices)
One (1) Night Aircon 1-Star Class Hotel/Inn Room(s) in Cagayan de Oro City (*see site for choices)
Zipline Bundle Fees with Certificates @ Zip Zone Dahilayan Adventure Park
White Water Rafting (Basic Course) Fees with Pictures @ Kagay White Water Rafting (*Note: To upgrade to the Advance Course, just add P300 per person.)
Guided Tours of Camiguin and Bukidnon
All Entrance Fees, Shed Rental and Banca Rental Fees
No Meals

The difference with La Montana Tours is that they have a tour guide. The package includes all the entrance fees and the fare to Camiguin. The downside of the package is the accommodation also.

Still don't know what to get kasi i have to show it pa to hubby's officemates but for me sobrang mura na nito. Ewan ko na lang kung mamahalan pa sila d2. If they'll allow me to decide ill get the E-Philippines offer with N Hotel accomodation. I told hubby to explain to his officemates that this package does not include all the expenses in the trip and that they have to prepare at least P10,000 each. We'll see kung anong sagot.

Im excited :)

Medicine for Asthma and Chocolates

2012-01-10T14:20:00.000+08:00

Its my second day that im sick. Im having asthma, cough, colds and fever. I have nothing to do here in the house but sleep, reading a book, goes online etc... all about rest because of this stupid asthma. Kasi naman eh...

Hubby's on a graveyard shift now and i texted him to buy me Asthma Meds on Mercury before going home. He feels so sorry for me kasi nagiging sakitin ako this past few weeks, eh wala naman syang magawa. I always told him not to worry and i know what's good for me during this times... nagpahabol pa ko ng "Don't worry kasi pag namatay ako anytime, You and tami will be financially secured... joke" Konti lang naman haha...

Anyway, sa taranta ng asawa ko nagmamadaling umuwi para ibili ako ng gamot dahil naubusan ako.

My asthma meds:

Bricanyl 2.5mg tablet

Ventolin 2mg tablet

You were wondering why i have two meds for asthma? Since i was hospitalized when i was a kid i used to drink the Bricanyl kasi it helps na makahinga ako ng maluwag, yun nga lang ang side effect nya is nanginginig ako like yung mga hands ko etc..

The ventolin naman was used when i go to sleep, yun ang iniinom ko para lang makatulog ako.

Ventolin Nebule

This was used for my nebulizer pag inaatake aketch ng asthma..

Another thing that hubby bought me is this:

Chocolates

Parang gusto na yata ko patayin ng asawa ko, alam na may hika ako papakainin pa ko ng chocolate tsk. tsk..

Alam daw kasi nya na gusto ko ng chocolate kaya naisipan akong ibili while paying on the counter. Sana naman Cadbury ang binili, mamamatay na lang ako syempre yung masarap na kakainin ko, dba? Buti na lang masarap yung Kitkat. Period.

Still thanking hubby kasi naisipin nya pa rin ako ibili ng gusto ko. And im currently eating the Kitkat chunky now while blogging. After this magnebulize na ko para makapasok na ko bukas. Miss ko na kasi ang work ko. Choz! hehe

My nebulizer is now waiting for me... hehe

Alam nyo ba na ang tagal na nito?

Dala ko pa rin hanggang nag-asawa ako.. Sana naman pag na-tsugi na ko wala ng magmana nito. hehe

Steak Unlimited in SM Center

2012-01-10T05:40:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday, hubby accompany me in SM Center to buy new headset for my ipod nano. Tagal ko na kasing hindi nagagamit so its time to use it again. We went to Games and Gadgets to buy the original Apple Headset but its out of stock so i bought this Phillips headset na lang.

The new headset... Pangit nga lang ng color pero eto na yung medyo ok na nakita namin na headset.

After buying the headset, we look for something to eat and try this Steak Unlimited. With its name and restaurant's facade nakaka-engganyong kumain.

Menu Board

I was looking at the menu board and thinking kung totoo ba yung price, kasi sobrang mura considering its a steak.

Here's our order:

Asparagus Soup

Not that bad kaya lang di ko malasahan yung Asparagus, its more of a mushroom soup. I asked the server kung Asparagus soup ba talaga yun and he nodded.

Our drinks

Beef Salpicao for me

Para lang syang adobo.. hehe

T-Bone Steak for hubby

Its like pork chop with gravy. Pwede na rin. hehe. Choosy pa ba kami eh ang mura ng food dba?

Medyo nakakahiya lang kumain kasi the servers are roaming around and looking at you, joking with each other and there's this one guy na server na nag-tu-toothpick sa harap namin. Grabe kulang sa restaurant etiquette.

We'll not go back again in Steak Unlimited.