What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
- Prized (Book 2 of Birthmarked Series) by Caragh M. O'Brien
- Promised (Book 3 of Birthmarked Series) by Caragh M. O'Brien
- November 9 by Colleen Hoover
- After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Morighan (A Novella) by Mary E. Pearson
- The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson ♥♥♥
- Happy Again (a Novella) by Jennifer E. Smith (super loved this short sequel!)
What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
- Train to Busan
- Once Upon a Time Season 4
- Captain America: Civil War
- Dave
What special days did I celebrate and how?
- MY Birthday
- Mom's Birthday
- Family Day for BIL's birthday
What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
- I had a couple of headaches due to sinusitis but other than that, the whole family this month was fine. Thank God!
What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
- Met up with my Mom and brother in Beijing, China to celebrate my Mom's birthday
- Went to my Annika's 7th birthday party
- Met up with College friends to celebrate our birthdays
- Met up with Higschool friends to celebrate our birthdays
What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
- Abe
- UCC for Coffee and Drinks
What special or unusual purchases did I make?
- I bought a pair of earrings made of Jade ♥
What have you learned this month?
- From the Daily Reflection today: "The fast-paced world we live in today often tells us to plan our lives around making money, achieving success, becoming famous, etc. The world also encourages us to follow all our desires and believes that, if we follow what we want, we will be happy.
We go to church every Sunday to attend Mass and even pray but we must not forget that many of the things around us can take us far away from God. The readings from the prophet Job reminds us to allow God to do His will in our lives. We are invited to trust in God’s wisdom above our own. Man, no matter what he has achieved in his life, cannot surpass the wisdom of God so he must bow down before the all-knowing and all-seeing God of goodness and light.
In today’s world of the internet and almost immediate communication and sharing of ideas, Jesus invites us to share the Good News with others. We have the opportunity to share the Good News of our Lord at home, in the workplace, in the university, etc. to everyone – family, friends, strangers and even non-Christians.
Though many may not be receptive to our good intentions, we must not lose heart because it is not us they reject but the Lord himself. We let God judge them for their refusal to believe. On our part, we must stay firm and do our duty as workers in the Lord’s vineyard. Then at harvest time, we will reap the fruits of our labor. "
1. Happy Weekend with friends and family
2. Naps
3. Long Breakfasts
4. Homemade Hot Chocolate ♥
5. Bonding with College and Highschool Friends
6. Capsule Wardrobe
7. Christmas Season is almost here!
8. Travel Plans
9. Blogging and Capturing Memories
10. Movie Time with the Family
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.
For our flight back to Manila, we went to Changi International Airport. Since we took TigerAirways, we went to Terminal 1. It was our first time so we were so happy to explore this part of the airport!
And look, we even had time for coffee...
Thanks for the wonderful memories, Singapore. Bye, for now!
Will we see you again? Of course!
Inspite of sleeping late for the NYE, we still felt so energized for the next day. After all, it was the first day of the year!
So after checking out in our hotel and settling down our luggages at the store room, off we went to have out last lunch in Singapore before going to the airport.
The lunch was definitely gooood!
Thanks to my sister for the treat! ♥
Ah, finally, after a quick dinner and window shopping at Orchard Road, we went back to our hotel and waited for NYE.
We explored the roofdeck, and wow, it's like God planned for us to discover it, we had a wonderful spot to watch the fireworks.
With this wonderful NYE fireworks plus the whole family. What more can I ask for?
Best New Year's Eve, so far! ♥♥♥
"With hard work comes great reward."
This is what I've been thinking about a lot lately. This saying because I've noticed that people nowadays, particularly the kids don't like doing the hard work. I've been raised differently though. My parents made sure that my brothers, sister and I value hard work. We would study hard, study as much as we could to pass our exams, have good grades and finish school. My parents made sure that we understand that without hard work, success won't be possible.
This is also true to achieving your goals. Without hard work, you won't be able to reach your goals. That is what happened to the company who developed the most interesting game to date, Wisdomantics. Guess what, they are celebrating their 10th anniversary today. YES, TODAY!
Woot! Woot! Congratulations Wisdomantics for reaching the 10 year milestone!
I've been told that it started with a vision. It was a beautiful vision, that is. Then it eventually became a reality. Although there had been several challenges, roadblocks, and revisions along the way, the maker still pursued his dreams until the game fully manifested! And now 10 years in the industry! Wow! Pretty amazing, right?
And guess what? I'm pretty sure there are more in store for us gamers! So, hang in there and watch out for more updates about my favorite game soon! (*wink*)
1. Relaxing but FUN weekend
2. Finished 2 novels! woot! woot!
3. Gift of Family ♥
4. Instagram
5. Blogging
6. Photos and Photobooks
7. Hugs & Kisses
8. Soccer Games
9. Warm Ups and Exercises
10. Nachos ♥
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.
As soon as we were done in Haji Lane (and thank God when the rain stopped), we went straight to our favorite place - Orchard Road!
And guess what? NO shopping for us so we decided to just relax, find a cafe, sit around and bond with the kids.
Oh, it was bliss! We were relaxed and yes, I wasn't "required" to do shopping. I've been meaning to stop myself to shop for the past few years now. I've decided to focus on the things that matter. So, thankfully, I guess I'm healed already. (*grin*)
After coffee, we met up with the rest of my shopaholic family and had dinner at Din Tai Fung! My Fave!
And look at how impressive Ion Mall was...
I just loooove the holidays! The perfect reason to go to Singapore with the whole family.
♥♥♥
After checking in at our hotel in Singapore, we dropped off our stuff and off we went to Haji Lane.
It's been awhile since I've been wanting to explore this part of the Singapore. We finally made it! But too bad, it rained. It's a good thing though that we were still able to explore the place for a couple of minutes and look, the things we discovered in Haji Lane.
Interesting, right?
No thanks to the bad weather, we weren't able to take a lot of photos and we didn't get to see the colorful buildings.
I guess it is a reason to go back to Singapore. Yes? We'll see! (*grin*)
After four days in Batam, Indonesia, and having fun under the sun, it was time to go back to Singapore. But first, last few photos...
The pool at Holiday Inn, Batam was very inviting that's why the kids had a hard time leaving this place.
Such a trooper!
And now, off we went back to Singapore thru the Ferry.
The ride was so quick, we didn't even realize that we were back.
So, hello again Singapore! What did we do for two more days? Will post about it tomorrow! (*wink*)
1. Trip to Beijing with Mom and brother
2. Survived our 5 days there! Woot!
3. Food trip and Family Bonding ♥
4. Highschool Friends
5. Online Tasks
6. Family ♥
7. Quick Date with the Hubby
8. Blogging and Instagram
9. Family Day
10. My kids
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.
A few days ago, I just came back from Beijing and had the time of my life there with my Mom and brother. Oh it was a trip of a lifetime. An experience that we will never forget. But, what most interested me more was the culture, the traditions and the items that I get to see only in China.
Souvenirs of course I was able to buy, but I couldn't forget the instrument shop near me when we were exploring the alleys or popularly known as Hutongs. The guitars and instruments I found there were authentic, of good quality and worth buying. Too bad, I couldn't bring it home! Good thing there's an online shop for good quality guitars. All I have to do is just choose what I like, add it to my online shopping cart, pay with my credit card and that's it!
Aaaaah, the joys of having a fast and reliable internet and of course, discovering an instrument shop. Definitely priceless!
We wanted a light lunch for this particular day since we had a heavy breakfast from the buffet PLUS we've been eating nonstop since we arrived so we just had sandwiches.
I was surprised that the servings were huge! And these are yummy too!
I'm glad we did order the sandwiches. It was a heavy lunch after all!
And, look what the kids are having...
Yup, and that includes the "kid-at-heart". HA!
For our second night in Holiday Inn, we explored the place more and we realized that there is a hidden beauty in this place.
Holiday Inn Resort Batam, located in Marina City, is a popular choice for travelers. Only 25 kilometers away, this 4-star hotel can be easily accessed from the airport. For those of you who want to venture out, Waterfront City and Waterfront City Ferry Terminal are just some of the attractions available to visitors. Here, every effort is made to make guests feel comfortable. To do so, the hotel provides the best in services and amenities. A selection of top-class facilities such as a concierge, business center, shops, and family room can be enjoyed at the hotel.
Holiday Inn Resort Batam is home to 275 bedrooms, all tastefully furnished to provide comforts such as a hair dryer, daily newspaper, coffee/tea maker, balcony, and ironing facilities. Throughout the day, you can enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the fitness center, Jacuzzi, indoor pool, sauna, and spa. Superb facilities and an excellent location make the Holiday Inn Resort Batam the perfect base from which to enjoy your stay in Batam Island.
I love that this resort is in a very good location too. Check these out...
- Waterfront City (0.9 Km / 11 min walk)
- Waterfront City Ferry Terminal (1.8 Km / 22 min walk)
- Distance to airport: Hang Nadim Airport (20.6 Km)
I could stay here forever! ♥♥♥
Of course as a family who loves to swim so, so much, we scheduled one whole day for swimming. And, look, the kids had a blast!
It was a day of relaxing, family bonding and food trip.
I won't ever forget this day in Holiday Inn Resort. Interested in booking this place?
Here are more details...
Holiday Inn Resort Batam
Waterfront City, Marina City, Batam Island, Indonesia 29422
Click here to view on the maps.
We've a couple of hours to rest right after checking in to our beautiful suite. And afterwards, off we went for our family dinner at the Japanese Restaurant inside Holiday Inn.
This particular meal is quite special because it is my brother's treat. ♥
And, not only that, we are also complete. Well, almost. We missed our Mom here and for the rest of our trip.
The food was oh so good. It is pretty authentic. It's like we were really in Japan. ♥
A memorable dinner for our first night in Batam? Priceless!
Thanks again, Dandok for the treat! ♥♥♥
1. My birthday week :)
2. Getaway with Mom and Brother
3. Another Year, Another opportunity to DO GOOD
4. Life
5. Simple Joys
6. My Family
7. Online Window Shopping (*wink*)
8. Work, work, work ♥
9. Great Wall of China
10. Coffee!
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.