Moving Forward at 33

It is my birthday month.

In a few days, I will be celebrating my 33rd year...  and somehow I woke up this morning with a feeling that I need to take the time to reflect on my life and how I would move forward.

And so, I decided that I will bid goodbye to this URL for awhile so I could start on a new project. Thank you for taking this journey with me. It has been a pleasure posting for you.

God bless!

Succulents, The Fat Plants

I thought it would be nice to have a living thing inside the house as part of the decor but I did not want the usual fortune plants. So I started researching and found nice pegs all over the internet of the ornamental plant called succulents.

It was perfect for someone like me who do not have green thumb. It is very low maintenance as it stores water in its structure. 

I could not find online a store that sells it around the vicinity. I already asked hubby if there are any plans of us going to Tagaytay anytime soon. But I thought we could also swing by to some of the plant stores when we visit our folks in Cavite.

So we did! As a walk around the plant store I was a bit disappointed since I don't see one on display. But I showed this photo to the owner and asked just in case:

She happily said YES and ushered me to the areas of pots. I then saw a small part of the shelf containing a handful of succulents. I flashed husband a smile and declared that they have it! 

I bought just 3 types for Php 50 each and a couple of small pots. They transferred it from the plastic to the pots in no time. Yipee!!!

Mother Nature Enterprise

Magdiwang Highway Noveleta Cavite

Between Iglesia ni Cristo and Shell Gas Station

Deco Tile Inspired Print Out

Finally, I spotted wooden stand in Papelmelroti SM Southmall. I also learned from the attendant their product called deco tile. It has a typography printed on a smooth tile and looks really nice. Too bad there was no bible verse available.

So this weekend, I thought I could get my crafts on! I printed out some of my IG Pictures and it fit perfectly with the stand for display!

Wall Decals - Removable Vinyl Stickers by KT&T

In previous post, I mentioned about the verse under the clock which is called wall decal. A removable vinyl sticker that will not damage your wall (assuming the paint job is good).

So I followed several suppliers in FB but KT&T posted an update on their timeline so I decided to send them a message to inquire. After few exchanges -- design, payment and delivery, I got my order in practically couple of days. I wasn't sure how it will go so I just ordered more or less A4 size but I think if you own the house go big!

I unbox it and was pretty satisfied with its quality. But here comes the harder-than-I-thought part...installation! Well, the how-to videos on Youtube make it look easy (they also have one on their website). It was a bit tricky to make the design stick to the transfer paper so patience is a virtue but it was not impossible. But  once I had the design on the other side it was a breeze sticking it to the wall.

It looks like it was painted on the wall and kinda reminds me of my brother's black and white mural he did in the 90s for my dad's tailoring shop and up to this day it is still there.

KT&T DIY Creative Printers

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Project Stay Home Sassy, the Beginning

Our contract already ended in the apartment building and decided not to renew it anymore for the 30 sqm, one bedroom space we are renting. So we prayed for new one within the same vicinity and most especially with a secured garage within our budget.

God is truly faithful! Hubby took a turn in a different street within the village rather than our usual route going out and spotted a 'House-For-Rent' sign. Returning from our errand, we came back to the place to inquire. The last thing we did before going out of the car is to pray "God, hanggang Php x,000 lang po yung budget namin. May your will be done. Amen."

It was a newly renovated up and down house with garage. A floor area of 65 sqm at the ground floor and the same upstairs with veranda. The price is a little over the budget but we negotiated and the landlord agreed to the amount we prayed for. Hallelujah!!!

Two-weeks later we already moved and our used to be all-cramp-up furniture can now breath. So much so that there are still a lot of space but I am holding off to any plans on buying new ones. Thank you, Lord for the smooth transition.

So my hubby did his SOP for security and functionality which I truly appreciate, talagang man of the house yan! Sobra kong bless to have partnership with him, for me na walang alam sa maintenance ng bahay. Kabit ng double locks, sabitan at curtain rods.

But after he was done, it was my turn to prettify our space making it cozy and homey for that wifey touch. So started researching for ideas and dami kong natutuhan sa contemporary home decor. 

Php 100.00 Throwpillow from Robinsons Department Store

Owl Figurines from Robinsons Department Store
Scented Candle from SM Home

St. Louise Curtain from Puregold Supermarket

I still have a lot of DIY projects in mind but for now, eto muna! I don't want to go overboard but it is making me excited but I am keeping in mind to be a wise spender.

Carpet Rug from SM Home
Chevron Throwpillow Cases from Robinsons Department Store

If you notice, there is a verse under the clock. It is a wall decal but I will blog about it the next time for details. 

We can now invite others for smallgroup (Bible study group) in our home. But more than the place, it is truly a vision for me. In our first night, we prayed our thanksgiving and was surprised that hubby mentioned that the place is suitable to grow a family.

I was overjoyed to hear it. You see, in my personal quiet time, I am seeking God for His will for us to have a child. Especially for me to have a healthy body to carry a baby and to be at rest in His promises. Talaga naman when I saw the second floor, it is suitable for us couple with a crib next to it.

Isaiah 54:2-3 

Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.

Mountain Lake Resort at Caliraya Springs Laguna

Second to the last week of August, hubby was projecting that he will be busy at work when Ber Months come in so pumondo na sya...he treated me to an out of town trip. It was 100+km away from our home going to the south.

This is the farthest we drove our Chevy Spark, Jarvis The Car, so we had to take a photo at Caliraya Springs' Entrance Gate. There was a zigzag part of the road so I commend hubby for getting us safe and sound. Good job, Beb!

We stayed there for overnight in a standard room with plated breakfast. We got the voucher from Living Social PH (also known as Ensogo) group buying site. It also included free use of other amenities. But the main offering of Caliraya Springs Laguna is its Golf and Country Club area with nature's cold breeze coming from the nearby mountain.

Surprisingly, I got so many likes in FB for this photo of mine holding (I assume a kid's) golf equipment. I have no idea how to play it so I just took a pix for my OOTD. Hehehe!

After having our lunch at their cafe and checking in, we changed to something more comfy to go see their activity area. We asked for a shuttle ride going there. Medyo mabato yung daan papunta but if you want to sweat a bit before hitting the pool pede din naman. 

It started to drizzle so were not able to try out the kayak, boat and zip line because it was slippery. This part can be used for team building and beside it are some Nipa huts that big groups can stay in. Pero ang setup nya is kutson sa floor. 

Beside the hanging bridge is you can also find the swimming pool. It was fun crossing the bridge lalo na kung takot ka malaglag. Pero medyo madulas nga sya kse umuulan so be careful if you have kids with you.

We explored a little bit and found the docking area. I believe the boats we found are for renting para iikot ang mga guest around the lake. It was under construction at that time, mukhang naaffect nung last typhoon. But I saw in the brochure, it was functional...I guess especially pagsummer and mas maraming guess.

The next morning we tried biking around the golf area using the resort's bike. It is not in tiptop shape so if you are a bike enthusiast better to bring your own gear pero kung bike-bike lang okay na rin.

I will be lying to you if I won't say that the Main Hall needs a major paint job. How do I put it... let us just say na mababanag mo talaga that before it used to be with grandeur and opulence. But it is something that can be easily addressed if the management would really like to.

Ang sa akin lang is, it is a looong drive especially if you are coming from Manila, say Cubao or QC and you will actually pass by a lot of other resorts before reaching Caliraya Springs. So sayang naman if you would end up in a so-so place. But like I said it can be addressed. But staff are friendly, attentive and hospitable so thumbs up for the people working there.

For us, the fresh breeze and the company of each other is enough to make our time worth while for this quick break.

Mountain Lake Resort

Caliraya Springs in Cavinti Laguna Philippines

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Bible Verses Captioned Thru InstaMark App

Been doing this on my IG and FB. Personal photos with Bible verses using InstaMark App custom feature.

LivingSocialPH: La Traviesa Resort Cavite Ensogo Voucher

After a few hiccups in life the past two months, my body was crying out to destress. So finally last July we pushed in redeeming the Ensogo Voucher I bought for an overnight stay for two in La Traviesa Hotel Resort in Gen. Trias Cavite.

Booking: I originally sched this on June, however, since Jarvis The Car was not available I had to moved it to the next month. I have to be honest though that contacting La Traviesa is not easy as 1-2-3 compared to other resorts -- they don't respond to emails and the mobile number is out of reach at times. So make sure to do your booking in advance. 

But once you get a hold of them, the staff are polite and accommodating. For me though, after my phone calls with them I would usually text to summarize our conversation and request for confirmation just to make sure. This I learned from past travels to have details in black and white.

It was also the weekend after Typhoon Glenda so I double-checked if they were affected and got a confirmation that the resort is operational so off we went.

Getting There: Although we are familiar with the area since my then-boyfriend-now-hubby used to drive there with our motorcycle back in the days, hubby still keyed in the destination in Google Map in his smartphone and turned on the navigation feature. So from Alabang we took Daang Hari turned left to Aguinaldo Highway. Turned right to Governor's Drive, passing by Lyceum and upon reaching Manggahan Junction where Baliwag, Municipal Hall and  Mcdo are, we turned right again... The navigation was actually spot on! La Traviesa Resort is on the left alongside the residential houses.

Check-in: We got there early, around 11 AM. I was hoping we could check in early but the staff-in-charge said that the room will be available at 2 PM. It was fine with us since we are still planning to have lunch anyway but I requested the staff if I could see the room first. She escorted me to the room facing the backyard, she was explaining that all rooms with garden view is already booked for the night's evening party. She also mentioned that they still have to dust out the room that is why we have to wait awhile. When she opened the door of Room 106, I was pretty happy with what I saw -- the room was spacious with 2 double beds with nice bedsheet. Yeah, I have a fetish for nice comforters hehehe!!!

I returned to the waiting area and reported to hubby na sulit ang voucher namin dahil pasado sa standards yung place. We then agreed to have lunch at their in-house dining area. Passed 1PM, we were notified that the room was already ready.

Accommodation: Beside the nice bedsheets, the ambiance has a feel of a Spanish-inspired villa with furnishing made out of capiz and hard wood. I am a frequent window-shopper at the mall in home decor section so I do appreciate that the tables and chairs inside are not the so-so type. Hindi naman high-end pero indi naman din sya mumurahin kaya I appreciate the effort.

You can cozy up comfortably inside the room because it has a split-type air condition unit, personal ref, 2 bottled water, electric kettle, Cignal cable TV and good functioning bathroom with free liquid body wash and shampoo. You can keep your belongings inside the big cabinet and some wooden hangers are available.

The room is as big as our apartment unit, so it was actually more than enough for the two of us. It can accommodate 5-8 pax at the most. But if you have that many people occupying the room, you might have some problem finding a spot to hang your wet clothes.

Food: You may bring in food inside as long as it does not require electricity to cook it. You may check with them if grilling is allowed. But for us, we just brought in chips and drinks to much on and just availed what they have in their menu -- lunch, snack, and dinner. While breakfast is free since it was part of the room rates already, we only paid a little over 1K for the food during check-out.

Recommendation: The place is really for private parties and small gatherings of family and friends. An option if you are looking to have a quick deep in the water and just have a breather. Aside from the pool area, there is a videoke and a spa area. We actually shared the poolside with Korean and Spanish family. I think they did not even checked in at all, just rented the cottage and took a swim. Perhaps they are living nearby since it is near Economic Zone where many companies owned by foreign investors.

La Traviesa Resort

Gov. Ferrer's Drive Gen. Trias Cavite

That Night at BF Homes Paranaque

A few months ago, we learned about the BF Homes route near the subdivision gate via Alabang-Zapote road. We were excited about it because a lot have been said regarding the Aguirre St. for its line-up of home grown establishment within the area. For foodie like us, it was an alternative choice from the usual dining at the mall.

One weekend in June, we came back from Makati and decided to grab a quick dinner there before heading home. It was only our 3rd time to explore the area when the unfortunate incident happened...

My usual double-lock-and-check-kinda-hubby became quite complacent seeing that the village have several guards around the vicinity -- from the different gate points, going around and in most establishment. Our chosen resto had full parking already so we parked just a little few steps away at the side street. After our 45-minute dinner, sarap pa ng tawanan namin pabalik ng car. 

Upon riding the car, hubby immediately noticed something odd at the passenger's seat. I looked at his worried face and asked why -- "Basag yung salamin natin sa likod... at nawawala yung bag ko!"

He was referring to the camera bag, which he usually puts at the trunk but that time he didn't, containing his DSLR camera, iPad2, lens, SD Cards and card reader. It was black and discreetly hidden under my seat and not too exposed. Two-years-worth of gadgets na gifts and pag-iipon. But to cut the story short, we had the presence of mind to report it immediately to the Village Security Staff who assisted us in the process and escorted us to the police station in the next days. 

We were carless for a month as we wait for the insurance claim to get approved and for the casa to make the repair. Lesson-learned (an expensive one) from our end. On the same night, while hubby is filing the reports, I was already busy changing passwords of the accounts in the iPad2.

Thank God it is over! I am happy that we survived it without any scratch and our teamwork just got stronger minus the blame game. Now, when hubby enters the village and gives his name the guards they would reply --- "Ah, yung BASAG-KOTSE"

Ingat po palagi...

The Happy Diet: Taste of the World in a Brown Bag

So last month I went to a new OB and was asked to take some lab exams -- just SOP so she could have a baseline. One of which is checking my blood sugar and it was a few points above the high range. Well having a sweet tooth, I knew deep down that it is finally time to buckle up and be adult with my eating habits. Enough with the excuses but I honestly don't know where to start...

I have been seeing several healthy food deliveries in IG so I decided to try one that caters here in Alabang. The Happy Diet offers 1200 calories/day that includes 3 meals with 2 snacks per day.

Week 2 Menu

I didn't take as many photos of each meal but I got to tell you, I enjoy mostly the different rice mixes even the plain brown rice. I also got some sweet fix, thanks to their Sweet Potato, Brownies and Chocolate Pancakes. 

From the usual American-Size of fast food chains, I slowly got used to the portion because of the rich flavors. Although the pasta, oatmeal and barley cake is something getting used to but the rest of it was deli!!! What was interesting is they whip cuisines from different countries -- Japanese, Mexican, Spanish, Singapore, African and the likes.

By the end of the second week, I was feeling a whole better compared to  my usual lethargic self and I lost 1.5" off my waist!

PLDT Techpad, Enhancing Services on the Field

All is not lost with PLDT... Yes, it is a dream come true!

I know, i know I am being melodramatic but I have limited connection at home through mobile data plan since we moved here in the south and it so happen that the exact location of our apartment has weak signal. So this took a lot of patience for a techie gurl like me.

When our landlord spotted the PLDT crew installing in another tenant, they called us up to follow up ours. I explained to the crew our predicament. Yes, it was already a predicament and I couln't figure out what in the world is happening to our application -- TWICE.

Milan Garcia, who embodies his title as a Customer Service Specialist, was quick to apologize. He responded right there and there deciding to redo my application on the spot. He took out the Techpad using their own product PLDT Telpad from their van and got my information details and processed my application electronically on-site. After clicking submit button in his Techpad, I refreshed the email inbox on my phone and saw that I got a copy of my application. He excused himself for a moment to call up their operations office to verify they received the application and requested to expedite my request.

Bonifacio Global City and Las Pinas/Alabang Crew (R-L) Jhun Abella Field Service Engr; Milan Garcia, CS Specialist and Eric Edralin, Field Service Engr

Milan and Eric are actually from BGC area where the Techpad gadget was initially launched . They were currently training the Las Pinas-Alabang crew headed by Jhun on the said tool. So simply put I was their guinea pig, hahahaha!!! 

Basically the Techpad is designed to actually help out the crew when they are doing field work. Containing apps for their field crew to have consumer information on their products and operations capabilities. At downtime, it can also serve as gaming and entertainment console. They were also excited to use it right in front of me to test it out. Hubby actually took a quick video of it while they explain it to to me but you have to forgive my kadugyutan as I was in my pambahay mode so early in the morning.

To cut the long story short, they installed in our home 3 days later and I am now blogging using my PLDT Connection. Yay! Thanks, Sir Milan for redeeming my faith in your company after all the bruhahahaha. Kudos!!!

Catch Up with Dra. BFF

Hallelujah!!!

Yes, this one is for the books -- my highschool BFF and I met up 2x in a span of one month this year. A milestone in our long distance friendship because the last time we caught up was more than a year ago. Even though we are both inside the radius of Metro Manila, still our schedules were bit of hectic especially on her end. Think: Grey's Anatomy kabusyhan!

Last June, I suggested to meet up at the newly-opened Century City Mall and try out Early Bird Breakfast Club.  Naturally, one sit-down meal is not enough for us to catch up so we moved to a coffee house where she introduced hubby and me to her current younger circle of support system. 

But with a lot of stuff going on, we had to meet again mano-a-mano for some girl talk. We set up another meeting to a more familiar place but totally revamped SM Southmall. Sobrang habang kwentuhan that we shared 3 meals together -- Lunch, Coffee and Dinner. Hubby had to join in at dinner kse I was out of the house the whole day na and misses me hahaha. Echos lang!

Keep Calm and Watch Movies

In IG, I already shared that just recently I have redeemed our accumulated Globe points to watch a movie for 2 ... in 3D! Yeap, folks Hubby and I got treated to a free movie screening of Captain America in Alabang Town Center last March just because we have our Globe Rewards points.

 

 

 

Well with vast line up of coming soon movies this year then this is something you want to download into your smartphones -- The GMovies App! Available in Google Play or App Store for FREE, it is the ultimate pocket app for Globe loyals and movie goers just me-self.

 

 

 

 

I don't exactly remember if it was the first movie I saw in the movie theather but it was definitely the first movie I could remember that I saw back in the 80s.

 

Staring Maricel Soriano and Aiza Seguerra, a comedy family movie entitled Super Inday and the Golden Bibe. Di pa ko masyadong nakakapag English nun kaya bentang-benta sa akin ang mga kembot ni Maria and of course ang duck walk ni Aiza.

 

 

 

In my pre-teens, Tatay accompanied me to watch Casper in Harrison Plaza. Come to think of it, it was a perfect father-daughter movie date featuring Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci.

 

Truthfully, I held my breath at the end of the movie when Casper started descending from the stairs in his human form played by Devon Sawa. I just died there at the theater!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, this one nailed it and made me into a movie lover -- a combination of action and a love story with a thrilling plot line starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Speed! It wasn't just a hit but it also started a trend in Hollywood and made the actors as the stars that they are now today.

 

 

 

Here ye! Here ye!!! Get free movie tickets for you and a friend. Just make a comment in this post below by answering the question

"What made you fall in love with watching movies?"

 

Yes, it is that easy courtesy of Globe. If they pick this post, they will also pick one of the commenters. Just make sure to leave some contact details as well.

 

 

Fully enjoy the GMovies experience by following our social pages:

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