September 2011 Monthly Roundup

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
- Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid
- What Alice Forgot
- Currently Reading Ken Follet's White Out
- Currently Reading The Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother

What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
- Harry Potter Part 5 and 6 and 7 part 1 & 2
- The Backup Plan

What special days did I celebrate and how?
- MY birthday. We had lunch at Shakey's and then had dinner at Prince Albert
- BIL's birthday celebrated at Yakimix
- Grandparent's Day at the in-laws'
- Nathan's (of Marcus) 7th Birthday at ActiveFun, SM North EDSA

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
- Toy for Nathan, chocolates for BIL

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
- I had colds! Even up to now, I still got it :(

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
- Went out twice with Hubby this month - ate dinner at Persian Square and Jalapeno Cantina Mexicana
- Had drinks with HH after Inner Healing talk at V8, Pasig
- Ate A continued her ballet class this month
- Redeemed BPI free food from Chowking to celebrate the Yaya's birthday
- Went to the mall to reward Ate A of her good 1st trimester grades

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
- Shakey's
- Prince Albert
- Ordered Brooklyn Pizza for household at home
- Yakimix
- Persian Square, Ortigas Home Depot
- Jalapeno Cantina Mexicana
- Activefun Party at SM North Edsa
- V8, Pasig City

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
- PB's for Christmas gifts
- Rapunzel plush toy for Andie's birthday
- Booked our hotel for our December trip :)

What were this month's disappointments?
- The home renovation but it was done after 2 weeks

What were my accomplishments this month?
- Home renovation is finally done! Thank you Lord!

I Couldn't Agree More!

Reading this is a perfect way to start my day!


Have a great Thursday everyone! (*wink*)

Wednesday Happy Thoughts

Happiness is...

1. Storm is almost over
2. We were safe and sound at home yesterday. Thank you Lord!
3. 2 to 3 hour nap
4. Bonding with Hubby and my girls
5. Instant Mami Noodles :)
6. I'm feeling better now
7. Dad is coming soon!
8. Party at ActiveFun, SM North Edsa
9. ChaTime's Roasted Milk Tea (too bad I missed ordering pearls!)
10. Popcorn :)

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

Trying Out Institut Santre for Facial

Another deal grocer find was my 1 hour intensive facial at Institut Santre last month. I'm so loving these deals lately because I can get it half the price. I haven't had facial for months so I decided to use the voucher the moment I had free time a few long weekends ago.

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I was a bit late for my appointment good thing they didn't have a lot of clients at that time so I was still accomodated after waiting for just 5 to 10 minutes. Their lounge felt comfortable so I didn't mind waiting at all.

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As I've said after 5 to 10 minutes I was asked to go to the locker room to change. Their robe was a bit different from the treatment centers that I go to.

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Surprisingly, it was comfy!

After I stayed at the lounge again for about 5 minutes, my therapist brought me to the treatment room. It took exactly an hour. I felt so refreshed afterwards.

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I told you, I haven't done this for months! So I'm going back again next month and have another treatment.

Institut Santre is located at the 2nd floor, 22 Jupiter st. cor. Galaxy st., Bel-air, 1210 Makati, Philippines

Clinic Hours are:
Mon - Fri: 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sat: 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

My Memorable Birthday Dinner at Prince Albert

Thanks to Deal Grocer, I was able to get a 50% off from my birthday dinner at Prince Albert. I bought the vouchers months before my birthday and I felt really excited about it. I knew it would be a memorable night!

We were so excited we arrived early, the restaurant was not even opened yet! So we just had our photos taken at the lobby.

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When it finally opened, I was relieved because after waiting at the lobby, the girls were getting cranky and hungry too!

When we were lead to our reserved table, I was surprised that they reserved a small room for us! They must have known that it was a special night. I was so giddy and excited. The girls felt the same way too.

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My sister arrived on time. Just when the staff were serving the complimentary bread. As always Andie loved the bread and was busy munching it while she was sitting on her requested high chair. She was well-behaved the entire meal. I was so proud of her.

The vouchers that I bought include, Prime Rib Steak, Baked Potato and Steamed Vegetables. But the staff provided more! Aside from the complimentary bread, they served an appetizer and super yummy chocolates after our meal.

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Yummy bread and it's free!


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Free Appetizer from the Chef


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Look at all those fats! But it was yummy so I didn't care at all. LOL!


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Hubby ordered wine. And he fed the kids while I enjoyed my steak. Thanks Hon! It was a memorable night for all us.

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A perfect way to spend my birthday. We went home spent and happy.

Gift Suggestion for your Guy Friends

I don't know why, but it is really hard to give gifts to guys especially your guy friends. It would be either too expensive or they already have the thing that you're thinking of giving them. That's why when I found these funny guys t-shirts online, I decided to give these shirts this Christmas. The shirts I found were not too expensive, perfect for our Christmas budget. The site FoulMouthShirts.com seems reliable so I'm expecting a hassle free transactions with them.

You have no idea what to give to your guy friends too? Do check out FoulMouthShirts.com!

I so Want to Check this Out!

SM Mega's first ever food sale!


This is happening from September 23 to 25, 2011, 10:00am to 10:00pm. Take note that there are 91 Restaurants/Kiosks which will offer different types of promos! Like Dimsum all you can, Churros all you can, Burger all you can, Free desserts, and 70% off on special items and many many more.

Sounds interesting, right? Click here to read more about the food sale.

My Birthday Lunch at Shakey's

I'm happy that I'm finally done with my Cebu posts and now I can blog about my birthday lunch! No more back logs in the next few weeks. Yey!

Since we already went to Cebu last August, it was our sort of a joint celebration of my birthday and Hubby's. So I didn't plan on going out of town anymore last September 1. Besides, I didn't have the budget too! (*grin*)

I celebrated my birthday twice. First, I had a birthday lunch with Hubby and BIL at Shakey's. And then we had dinner at Prince Albert which I will blog after this.

No diet for me since I had a valid reason - it was my BIRTHDAY! So we had our usual order of spaghetti, fried chicken with mojos and pizza. It was a feast!


I was sooo full afterwards that I didn't have enough room for snacks. Good thing I didn't eat my snacks anymore since we were having a very heavy dinner by night time.

Shakey's is definitely LOVE!

Wednesday Happy Thoughts

Happiness is...

1. Ballet class for the little girl last Saturday
2. Impromptu dinner date with the Hubby last Friday
3. Inner Healing talk by Bob Serrano
4. Home renovation. Finally!
5. The little girls have good grades
6. More online tasks
7. Planning for our December trip ;)
8. Coffee!
9. Chicken Kebab
10.Planning on buying milk tea this weekend. The mere fact that I'm planning to go makes me giddy!

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

Looking for Nice Bed Linens Online

After looking for a contractor for months now, we were finally able to contact our old contractor and had our room renovated. Finally! The leaks in our room and in the family hall are giving us a headache already and it's been months since we've been worrying about it. After all, this is our home.

Now that we are currently renovating the house, we are also thinking of buying new stuff for the house. A couple of quilted bedspreads for the master's bedroom would be a good idea. We've been using our bedsheets for 4 years now. We've been using only 2 sets ever since so now, it's getting old already. New sets would be nice and I saw a couple of nice designs from Linens-N-More.


I can already imagine these cute linens in my bedroom. They would look lovely! I will check the site on how I can order and if they accept shipping to my place. If I show these photos to the Hubby, I'm positive that he will love these too.

Linens actually brighten up a room. When I think about it, our room is very bare. We planned on making it a minimalist thus we didn't buy a lot of stuff for the master's bedroom. That's why I would really love to buy from Linens-N-More for a different bedroom look.

Our next project apart from the beddings would be the wooden blinds. I just hope we find the right supplier for these so we could start the installation right away.

I LOVE This!


Grabbed this from a friend in FB and I've posted it here to remind me of things that I SHOULD be thinking instead of "other" things. Life is indeed SHORT.

Loving the Photobooks from Artscow

Last month, I made a couple of photobooks and you wouldn't believed that I was able to make 13 photobooks since July...thanks to the Artscow promos!


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Here is the list of my PB's I made since July:
- Traveling to Tagaytay - Our trips to Tagaytay since 2007
- 2011 Boracay with Kids
- Hubby and Wifey Adventures (Palawan, Boracay, Bohol)
- Singapore/Indonesia 2010
- Cebu (August 2011)
- 8 PB's as Christmas Gifts

I'm sooo happy our photos are starting to get organized. Looking forward to more Artscow promos soon! (*wink*)

Planning on Making a Website for your Business?

Nowadays with the internet booming, a website is now a a need for every company. I remember when I just graduated from College and the internet has not yet boomed. Having a website used to be an expense. Dealing with mobile banking was risky and a scaring thing to do. Those were the days when Paypal doesn't exist. Everything was so simple then but I would say, boring.

Now, if you talk about your company, the secondary question that people would ask you is that, "What's your website?". It means, people are interested and will look your company up for more details. Creating a website for a company used to cost a lot good thing there is a free website builder available online. Intuit is the company that does this. They have more services which include: website services, quick books, payroll, payment processing, checks & suppliers, and small business success.

I remember I used to have a project that includes payment processing. I had a hard time looking for a reliable company that offers this type of solution. Security was still the issue during those days and I wanted to purchase a solution that will not give me a headache! We were dealing with clients purchasing through our website using a credit card and we wanted to make their transacation breeze and hassle free. I think I will find that kind of security from Intuit.

Happy at Shangrila's HAPPY HOUR!

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Well, I would say it was definitely a "HAPPY HOUR" for the Mommies. At around 5PM off we went to meet up at the Chill Out Bar for the happy hour!

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Thanks to the Buy 1, Take 1 drinks and the chikas we shared, we all had a blast!

Are you thinking where the kids were and what they were doing? They were at the play area playing mini golf and badminton, thanks to the Daddies for taking care of them! After that, they went to the bar to join us...

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It was indeed a happy afternoon for us! Chill Out Bar is something that I highly recommend!

Phone
(63 32) 231 8224

Hours
5pm - 1am (Sun-Thurs)
5pm - 2am (Fri and Sat)

Location
Beach Cove

Dress Code
Casual

Discovering MKM Customs

I haven't looked for car accessories for the past few months now since we've prioritized home renovation for now. But when I saw these cold air intake kits for the car, I can't help but show it to Hubby. I'm positive that he will be curious and would want to know more about it. If it works in our car or not, I will have to find out because Hubby would want to know too.

Although the options available at MKM Customs is for Ford only. But it still made me curios if it would work in our car. So I read more about it. I've read that a cold air intake is an aftermarket assembly of parts used to bring relatively cool air into a car's internal-combustion engine. Thanks to the internet, I was able to understand what is this for. You see, I'm not really into cars and car accessories that is why everytime I encounter these things, I would ask Hubby about it. In this case, the internet! Another reason to love the internet more! Everything is just there!

The options that I'm eyeing include: Ford Powerstroke 6.4L DSL Intake System08-10, K&N 57 Series Gen. II Air Iintake 08-10 Ford 6.4L Powerstroke, and AFE Air Filters Direct Fit Ford Trucks- 08-10 6.4L. These three are currently discounted. So I have to decide soon which one to get. I don't know when the sale would be over but I have a feeling that it will be in the next few days.

Enjoyed the Chinese Food at Tea of Spring

Even if our stay at Shangrila Mactan last August was my second time already, it was my first time to try Tea of Spring. I enjoyed the food immensely! It was a very sumptuous Chinese dinner. My friends were able to reserve a room for us which made our dinner more special.

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The Mommies


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And the Daddies


The tables were beautifully setup. And so are the nice vases at the walls. Loved it!

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The food arrived on time since the kids were getting hungry. Loved everything we ordered - Yang Chow Fried Rice, Dimsum, Chicken with Pecans, Noodles, and Sweet & Sour Pork. It was so far the best Chinese food I've ever had in years!

That's why I'm so glad we had lunch again at Tea of Spring before our flight to Manila.

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We love Tea of Spring! You should try it too! ;)

I Want to Win a Book!

That's why I'm joining my friend, Suzanne's blog contest here sponsored by the OMF Literature.

Do you want to win a book too? Here are the mechanics just in case you're interested:

- This contest is for residents of the Philippines only.

- Leave a comment below telling me: If you are going to choose just one book for a very loooooong trip, what book would it be? (OK. I just want to know your MOST FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME. :) You can also tell me why. Don’t be shy!)

- Increase your chances of winning by tweeting about this post through Twitter and blogging about this with a link to this entry.

- Remember to include OMF Literature’s website which is www.omflit.com in your post. You may also like them on Facebook (omfliterature) and follow them on Twitter (omflit).

- Do not forget to come back and leave a comment with your tweet/ blog post to earn additional entries.

- Winners will be selected using Random.org. Announcement will be on September 21, 2011. Cost of shipping of the prizes to the respective winners will be shouldered by my husband. Hahaha! Prizes at not convertible to cash.

- Not a blogger? No Twitter account? It’s OK! You can still join as long as you answer my question.

Join us here! Have fun!!!

Programs for the Employees

Hubby and I were discussing our next projects the other day and we were thinking of what program to prioritize. I came across the Employee Purchase Program Event and I'm thinking of suggesting it to Hubby, who is currently my boss. (*wink*) I've researched on how it actually works but not enough information were available online so I need to contact more people to know how this works. As far as I've researched, this one can be used as an employees' benefits. Adding a purchase program that entails discounts on clothes, food, medicines, and more. I hope I read the right information. But when I contact the people who makes these types of programs, I'm sure that I will get the right information.

S&R Membership Shopping Sale!

This is so tempting!


Now that I've heard from friends that the deals were really good. I want to renew my membership and go there the soonest! Here are more details:

- S&R Members Treat is from September 14 to 18, 2011.
- Shopping Hours: 8:00am to 9:00pm
- Up to 50% OFF on selected items, Buy-One Take-One Deals and Specials.
- Items on Sale: Housewares, Groceries, Furnitures, Imported Goods and many more.
- Happening at Bonifacio Global City, Congressional, Alabang and Baclaran.
- S&R Cebu Sale will be from September 21 to 25, 2011.

Should I go or not!? Nuninuninuuu...

Hubby's Talent in Video Editing and Production

I didn't know that Hubby got a talent in video editing. He said that he used it when he was in College. I haven't seen his work of art yet but I bet it's really nice. I sort of remember this talent of his because I was browsing online and came across Nebraska video production. They specializes in video production and cover Network News, Sports, Medical and Corporate events. Now, I'm curious if Hubby can checkout his video editing skills and make a video production out of our kids' videos.

Mason Video’s Nebraska video production team and the Iowa video production team can help creating a top quality video. They seem to be very good at this since they've already worked with NBC, ABC, CBS Network News, CNN, ESPN, History Channel, Discovery, Berkshire Hathaway, John Deere, American Gramaphone, HDNet, NASCAR, ConAgra and others. They've even won a couple of awards on the following:

• NATAS Emmy "Climbing Mt. Rainier" 1986
• NY International Festival "Columbus Has Landed" 1991
• NY International Film Festival "Sikkim Adventure" 2002
• US International Film Festival/WorldFest "G.A.P. Tours: Peru" 2004
• AVA Gold Award "Ladakh: Nubra Valley Trek" 2009

Amazing isn't it? I'm actually inspired by them and now wants to convince Hubby to take a course and pursue his ambition and prone his skills in video editing. It takes a lot patience to do it actually and since Hubby got that trait, I'm sure he will do well. Now, the concern I'm thinking of is that will he be able to have time for this? I sure do hope so!

Our Videoke Night at Shang Mactan

One memorable night that we had at Shangrila Mactan was our videoke night! I never thought it would be so MUCH fun! Everyone was "game" and showed their hidden talents. It was definitely unforgettable!

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The moment we entered the videoke room, we were impressed by how big it was! It probably was the reason why everyone suddenly felt at home and started to have a great time.

Even if some of the kids (like Ate A) fell asleep in the middle of our videoke session, we still pushed through with it and finished by 12 midnight.

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Looking forward to another videoke sessions with the MBAPs soooon! (*wink*)

Maintaining the Roof over your Head

Your Massachusetts homeowners insurance requires you to keep your home in good repair; assessment of an insurance claim will be affected if damage to your home is considered to be normal wear and tear, or to have been caused due to your failure to repair or maintain the property. For that reason, ongoing maintenance of the roof is important.

A roof can deteriorate quickly in severe weather, so it’s important to inspect it, or have it inspected, regularly; have any repairs done quickly so that a small problem does not escalate into a major fault. Check roof tiles for cracks, chips or signs of movement, and look for any rust spots on a metal roof. Metal flashings need to be inspected for signs of wear and rust. Gutters and downpipes should also be checked: make sure that they are firmly fixed in place, and look out for signs of damage and corrosion. Leaves or moss blocking the gutters should be removed, and you may want to consider fitting gutter leaf guards to avoid further blockages.

If you do climb up to check the roof and guttering yourself, be very conscious of your personal safety. It’s dangerous to climb on a wet roof, and it’s quite easy to damage roof coverings or tiles by walking on them. Never climb a long ladder unless you have someone to help you, and if you don’t feel confident or comfortable working at heights, it’s best to have a roofing specialist check the roof for you. Your Massachusetts homeowners insurance can cover the cost of repairing storm damage to your roof, but it won’t be much help at all if you fall and break a limb or two!

Wednesday Happy Thoughts

Happiness is...

1. Had a relaxing weekend
2. The Ate is getting better. But she still has cough and fever.
3. Had half cup of coffee this morning
4. Reading "What Alice Forgot". Such a nice read!
5. Checking out our travel photos and reminiscing
6. House renovation, finally!
7. More online tasks. Thank you Lord!
8. Blogging and saving memories
9. Facebook :)
10. Done with photobooks, I'm taking a break before I make a new one.

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

Checking Out Wholesale Insurance

I had lots of time in my hands last night so I decided to check out the Wholesale Insurance that I've been eyeing for months now. I now remember that at WholesaleInsurance.net, they compare term life insurance quotes and rates from all of the top companies. This is very helpful since I find it hard to get quotes and rates from those top companies. I couldn't imagine getting it one by one. At least with WholesaleInsurance.net, I can compare instantly by entering my height and weight and birthdate. Yup, that's it. These are the only details that WholesaleInsurance.net needs to compare the rates of the top insurance companies and then I can get all the quotes I want. That easy! Thanks to WholesaleInsurance.net, I had spare time to surf the internet after doing the insurance errand that I've been putting off for months!

Trying Out Acqua in Shangrila Mactan

Hubby and I have always loved Itallian food - pasta and pizza. We can eat this everyday! That's why we were ecstatic when my friends and I decided to have lunch in Acqua in Shangrila Mactan on our second day.

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We ordered three kinds of pasta (carbonara, bolognese, and marghar ) and two kinds of pizza

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We love, love the food and truly enjoyed our lunch. I highly recommend that you dine here if ever you visit Shangrila Mactan. Here are more details about Acqua.

Phone
(63 32) 231 8224

Hours
Breakfast: 6am – 10.30am
Lunch: noon – 2:30pm
Dinner: 6pm – 10pm

Location
Poolside Ocean Wing

Dress Code
Smart casual

Smoking Policy
Acqua has separate smoking and non-smoking areas.

LeapFrog's LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet

Oh wow! I want one...for myself! (*grin*)



I instantly fell in love with LeapFrog's LeapPad Explorer the moment I saw it from Amazon.

Isn't it cute? My kids would surely love this! Here are the features of this nice toy:

- A broad curriculum that goes beyond school skills
- A built-in camera and video recorder
- Skill levels that automatically adjust to each child's pace
- 100+ games and activities (works with all Leapster Explorer games and apps)
- Appropriate for children ages 4 to 9 years

For $99.00 I think this is a good buy!

Inner Healing Talk by Bob Serrano

I would like to invite you all to a very inspiring talk by Bob Serrano. On Friday, September 16, Bro. Bob Serrano, together with the 29AD Musicionaries, will be giving a talk, "Inner Healing" at the Christ the King Lower Chapel. While 29AD is widely known for their music, they have actually adopted the charism of healing as part of their mission work. After the talk, they will pray over all of us.

So if you need physical, emotional, spiritual, or relationship healing, this is your night. If you think you don't need healing, then you can be an intercessor of healing thru your prayers. Let us all experience God's amazing grace of healing... let us believe in it, let us claim it on Sept 16!

See you there! (*wink*)

We DID It!

...the CFC Ancop's 5K Walkathon that is!

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Honestly, I never thought I'd finished the 5K walk. I never tried it until a few weeks ago. It felt really good after the walk and Hubby and I were truly inspired. We decided to do it again at least every weekends. We may not be able to reach 5K but at least we're getting there.

It was a memorable experience and hopefully we get to do it again next year! (*wink*)

Philippine Ballet Theatre's Cinderella

I wonder if this is worth watching...



This well-loved rags-to-riches story mirrors every person’s dream to find true love, long-lasting happiness and a better life. Cinderella teaches children and adults alike that dreams can come true and that happiness is not in material wealth but in the heart that is pure.

The timeless tale of Cinderella captivates audiences everywhere.

I think my little girl would love to watch this! Here are more details...

Venue: Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)
Time: 3:00pm - 8:00pm
Cost: Gala and evening shows: Php1000,Php800,Php600,Php300
Matinee shows: Php600,Php400,Php300
Date: 16th Sep 2011 to 18th Sep 2011

Wednesday Happy Thoughts

Happiness is...

1. My birthday! Thank you Lord for giving me another year!
2. Dinner at Prince Albert
3. Shakey's!
4. My PB's arrived this week
5. Angus Steak with steamed vegetables and baked potato. YUM!
6. Chocolates
7. The kids' surprise
8. Harry Potter 5 and 6
9. More ebooks!
10. Work :)

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

The Little Girl's First Mini Golf

When we were in Cebu a couple of weeks ago, we tried everything including the mini golf where the Ate had so much fun playing! She couldn't forget it and had been bragging for days, even after we left Cebu.




It just shows how much she enjoyed the game! I'm glad these girls decided to play and thanks to the Daddies for playing with them. (*wink*)

The Hunger Games Movie Trailer

Oh wow. This actually gave me goosebumps!


I can't believed I still have 6 months to wait for this movie! Aaaargh!

What did we do in our 2nd Day in Cebu? Swim!

I'm sure you won't be surprised when you read that what we did on our 2nd day in Cebu was to swim at the beach and the pool. We are beach lovers after all!




The kids had a grand time playing with their friends first at the beach then we transferred at the pool. The Daddies grabbed the opportunity to play basketball while us Mommies played with the kids in the pool. It was indeed a wonderful morning!