Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts

April 30, 2015

Pacific Heights Private Resort - Samal

Last Monday, I told you about our R&R slash supposed team-building with other village officers and youth. Which was promptly ruined when a group of gatecrashers, well, crashed the event. It was a good thing, though, that the resort we went to is a lovely one so our day wasn't completely ruined. (It was also a good thing that they arrived at lunch and we were still able to have fun in the morning.)

Pacific Heights Private Resort

I've actually never heard of this resort before, which is understandable as it is quite new. As the name also implies, it is a village and the resort is supposed to be exclusive for them, However, for some reason, they recently decided to open the beach resort to the public. Yay!

I wasn't able to take a lot of pictures because, for the first time ever, we went to the beach yaya-less, So I was constantly running after a little 3-year old whom we shall not name, and I was also constantly wet with seawater. But here are some photos that we managed to take:


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April 29, 2015

The Ultimate Summer Trip (Day 6): Tagaytay and Aguinaldo Shrine

Read about the entire 6-day trip here.

Hi, everyone! We must all be aware of the bad events in Nepal, Baltimore, and about our very own, Mary Jane. The best news of the morning is that Mary Jane's execution has been postponed. Praise God! I believe in the Prince of Peace and the God of Justice, and because the world is an imperfect one, justice may possibly not be served here. But I know that justice reigns in Heaven.

As much as I would like to keep talking about current events, I need to finish some blog posts before I finally take my hiatus this week. So today, I will be sharing with you some photos from the last day of our Ultimate Summer Trip when we went to Tagaytay and Kawit, Cavite.

Tagaytay

Our driver took us to People's Park to view Mt. Taal. We didn't know that it would be very far away from the volcano and we didn't anymore have the time to look for another venue as we needed to be in the airport at 3 pm. While the weather was quite hot during that day, unfortunately, when we got to the viewing area, there were clouds covering Mt. Taal. 

So the only thing I have is this super zoomed in photo:
Mt. Taal view from Tagaytay
 Can you see it?
Tagaytay
The road of Tagaytay
Tagaytay
No, that's not a "kamot-ulo" pose! It was just really really windy! 

April 20, 2015

The Ultimate Summer Trip (Day 4): Vigan Museums

Read about the entire 6-day trip here.

During our fourth day of vacation, I was left in Vigan while all of the others (including Yuri) traveled upward to Ilocos Norte. At first, I moped around in the room because I was still in pain. Because I was not familiar with the place at all, I decided to just stay in and do some self-treatment inside of go to a hospital. (It's difficult to go to the emergency room alone in my experience.)

I think I slept until 10am, and I felt my stomach getting a little better. When I felt good enough to walk around, I went out of the hotel and bought food AKA energy drink and a bunch of bananas. This was my lunch (or brunch actually) for that day:

It was really fortunate that our hotel was located just in front of a grocery. It's not your usual city grocery, but it's good. There was actually a Puregold supermarket across, too, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to buy just one drink there. There were also several 7-11s, but I think they don't have bananas.

After eating my food, I just lounged around some more and watched Shake, Rattle, and Roll on TV (the one with the Ondoy feature). At 3pm, I decided to not waste my day in Vigan. Since we were not able to visit museums before - they close early - I decided to go museum-hopping. After all, I'm in one of the most historical places in the world!

So I took a bath, changed my clothes, went out of the hotel, and asked the first tricycle driver I saw to take me on a tour. That's the thing with Vigan: everyone can be a tour guide at the drop of a hat. I was blessed that I found a kind driver who took me to places safely and didn't ask for an exorbitant fee (I have a story about being charged exorbitantly in Vigan - I will tell you about it next time). He even took me to a place that makes fresh longanisa everyday, and the driver himself dropped off our orders of longanisa at our hotel later at 4 am. How kind!

Anyway, these are the places that I saw. Forgive me for the low-resolution photos; my camera was in Ilocos Norte. And keep in mind that I was still recovering from a sickness haha #excuses

Crisologo Museum

Floro S. Crisologo was the patriarch of the clan and a congressman known for being responsible for landmark legislations that not only benefited his constituents but the whole country as well. He authored the laws behind the creation of the North’s first state university, the University of Northern Philippines, and the establishment of the Social Security System, which serves the whole working populace to this day.

On a Sunday in October 1970, while he was inside the St. Paul’s Cathedral, Congressman Crisologo was shot in the head by a still unidentified gunman.

The mansion of the Crisologos is open for public viewing throughout the week. Visitors may find it in Vigan’s Liberation Boulevard. One may enter for free the museum and view the antiques, memorabilia and other prized possessions of the Crisologos steeped with history. (Vigan.ph)
Crisologo Museum
Crisologo Museum
Crisologo Museum
Crisologo Museum
Carruage Crisologo Museum
Crisologo chevrolet Crisologo Museum

April 17, 2015

Finance Friday: 7 Ideal Summer Businesses You Can Start Today

At long last, summer break is here! It’s indeed great to finally be able to relax and get a break from school. However, there’s that minor fact that you won’t be receiving any allowance from your parents for the time being. Don’t despair though, because there are plenty of ways to make some money at minimum or no capital at all! It’s not even about finding opportunities anymore. You can actually make your own opportunities to earn money. Here are some ways how:

1. Cellphone Loading

This is probably one of the cheapest and easiest to manage business ideas for the summer. If your summer plans so far consist of staying home, go to the nearest loading center instead. Avail of a cellphone loading kit and you’re ready to start earning. Who knows, your cute next-door neighbor might come knocking one day to buy prepaid credits.

2. Merienda Stand

Sell halo-halo, fish balls, kikiam, and cheese sticks to the kids in your neighborhood. The ingredients are not too expensive and preparation is very straightforward. This is a fun venture to start with friends or family members. Got a blender? Sell fruit shakes in the afternoon. All you need to set up is a table, chair, and a small space! You’d probably need a cooler, too.

3. Garage sale

Rummage around your closet or around the house for stuff that you don’t really use anymore but those other people might be interested in. Collect old clothing, shoes, furniture, books, appliances, and even toys, and hold a garage sale! Schedule your garage sale in advance and put posters all over the neighborhood. Be creative so you get people’s attention. Come opening day, your garage sale will be a hit!

4. Online selling

There are ways for you to earn profit from the time you spend online. You’ll find plenty of people selling everything from clothing and accessories to books and pastries through Facebook! If you don’t have the inclination to hold an actual garage sale, you can definitely try selling goods and services online. If you’re into arts and crafts and would like to sell your creations, try websites like Etsy.com.

5. Car washing

Offering services such as car washing requires only your labor as capital. Offer to wash cars of family members or your neighbors for a cheaper fee compared to car washing centers. Washing cars can actually be a lot of fun. It’s a good excuse to play with water (lots of it!) under the sun—and you get paid in the process. Just make sure to ask the car owners if they’d like their cars washed any special way and adhere to those requests.

6. Tutoring

Do a little good this summer by offering tutorial services to kids. You can advertise online or have family and friends help you tell people they know through word of mouth. Offer tutoring services for Math, English, or Science. Play any musical instrument? Teach others how!

Tutoring usually pays well and you can bill by the hour. The best thing is you only need knowledge, a few reference books, and in some cases, minimal transportation allowance.

If you’re exceptionally good in English, you can try to earn by teaching English online. Websites like RareJob.com connects you with people around the world who want to learn English. All you need is a stable Internet connection. Register with the website and pass screening tests to get started immediately.

7. Sports clinics

Summertime is when a lot of parents look for activities their children might join in. If you’re quite good at any sport, offer to teach or coach young kids (or even adults in your neighborhood) for a small fee. How to get started? Advertise a free session and invite everyone to go! It will help rouse people’s interests and let them get a preview of the sort of things they can learn from you.

Have a productive summer by using your time (this is your most valuable investment) to earn some money! Starting a small business or offering your services gives you invaluable experience. When the time comes that you go looking for a real job or ready to start a serious business, your stint as an online teacher or an online seller will get you farther than you think.

If professional employment is a long way off, at least you can get some extra pocket money to buy that gadget you’ve always wanted or grow your personal savings!

This post is brought to you by:

MoneyMax.ph is the Philippines’ leading financial comparison site where you can save money by comparing financial and car insurance products and services – fast, comprehensive, and free. We aim to give the power of smart purchase decisions back to Filipino consumers by providing everything they need to become financially savvy. Like us on Facebook to get the latest tips on how to save.


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April 10, 2015

The Ultimate Summer Trip (Day 2): Baguio Part 2

Read about the entire 6-day trip here.

I promised to write about our actual tour around Baguio City yesterday, but something came up. You know what that is? A freaking cockroach went inside our air conditioner. I noticed a clicking sound when I turned it on, and when I investigated, I saw na the sound came from the cockroach trying to escape from the a/c. Ugh creepy! I already sprayed it with insecticide, but it didn't come out, and our bed is directly beside the air conditioner, so I didn't want us to sleep in the room.

Since we haven't had the time to have our a/c cleaned yet, we've been camping in my parents' bedroom drive yesterday. So I also wasn't able to blog haha.

So much for that segue. Let's now talk about Baguio!

Early next morning, we prepared to be toured around Baguio. Our driver slash tour guide, Mang Leo, said we're heading off to the farthest place first, which was Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad, Benguet.

Strawberry Farm, La Trinidad, Benguet  
Strawberry Farm Baguio
Because strawberries cost a lot more if you pick them, (P400/kilo vs. P100/kilo of bought from the vendors), we didn't try it na. We just walked around the farm, took pictures, and bought lots of food from the many stalls.
Strawberry Farm Baguio
Baguio strawberries

June 16, 2014

Summer Can't End Just Yet! (An Unproductive Story)

I just spent my entire summer - wait for it - working!

Since I started working from home (which was about 2 years ago), I've always looked forward to summer. Not because of the outings. Not because of the sunshine. Not because school's out (which I am not affected by anyway).

It's because that's usually the time when I get to do stuff outside of work such as baking (or what looks like it), cleaning, organizing, playing with Yuri, and thinking of summer activities we can do together. This is because during this time (around May-ish), the essays on our queue start to decrease until they go down to zero. In other words, free time.

Our summer reading list - unread (and messy)

This year, though, the situation is different. Even when it's already mid-June (oh my, it is already?!), there are still so many essays on the queue. This means a lot of students are still submitting essays. And this is great! Because many essays = salary. I forgot to tell you that no work equates to no pay, too. However, I can't help but think of the things I planned to do for summer that I never got to do. Here they are:

1. The Moon Sand and Moon Dough Project

I've had the materials ready for quite some time now. I have a bag of cornstarch, flour, food coloring, and this:
Stolen borrowed sand

Yup, that's half a bucket of sand that we shamelessly stole got from Costa Marina. It was a good thing my cousins were there; they did the dirty job for me. Hahaha!

As I was saying, the materials are ready. The only thing missing is me actually mixing the stuff together. Ugh! I need to find time to make these before the weather starts becoming seriously rainy.

May 14, 2014

My Toddler Beach Trip Checklist


I know it's the middle of May, and I know (if you're in Davao, too) that the weather has turned from ultra sunny to rainy-now-and-then, but in the Philippines, it's always summer so I'm gonna go ahead and post this checklist anyway.

Actually, I prepared this post a month ago but failed to write a draft due to #brownoutproblems. And sayang naman ang photos. And we're bound for another beach trip naman so...

Anyway, if you're Filipino like me, going to the beach is no alien task. That's because anywhere you go in the city, the nearest beach is just a few minutes away. I still could remember my high school and college days when we'd go off to a beach-trip when classes are cancelled or the professor/teacher is away. It's literally pack your bags and yourselves and go!

However, I found out (not in the hard way) that going to the beach with a toddler in tow is completely different. Before, I only needed my phone, a towel, and some extra clothes and I'm good to go. I didn't even bother bringing sunblock then (my negrita photos will prove it), and I didn't care.

Now, it took me a couple of shopping trips just to complete Yuri's stuff for his first trip to the beach - and it was just a daytrip! If I could pull off going to the beach bringing just myself, it wouldn't work with a toddler because there are so many possibilities to prepare for and risks to avoid.

If you're like me who have a toddler and want to pack everything but not overpack, I'll try to help you by showing the most essential stuff I brought to Yuri's first beach trip:

1. Sunblock


First is, of course, sunblock! Evidently, one sunblock isn't enough for our company of 5 1/2 (you know who the 1/2 is hehe). In fact, Yuri gets the biggest share of sunblock because he has the most sensitive skin among us.

At first, I wanted to buy organic sunblock, but I didn't pursue it because they usually are more expensive and they don't provide as much protection as the commercially-available ones. I know that SPF 15 blocks 94% of sunblock, but somehow, I can't imagine wearing SPF 60 on my skin and only SPF 15 on my son's. At the beach. In the Philippines. During the summer.

How about you? What brand of sunblock are you use for you and for your little ones?

2. Skin Protection Kit

May 5, 2014

Yuri at Costa Marina Beach Resort

I really don't know how much salt and saltwater Yuri ate and drank last Sunday.

I am no beach bum for a couple of reasons. First, I'm a mall-and-airconditioning kinda girl rather than an outdoorsy girl. Second, I don't know how to swim. #confession

However, when Yuri was growing up and beginning to develop a mind of his own, I noticed his certain affinity to the water and the outdoors. Water plus outdoors equal to beach, right? So I was willing to drag my butt to the beach all for the love of Yuri! Good thing Samal Island is just 30 minutes away!

Long story short, after too many cancelled plans, postponed dates, and change of venues - our first options were Villa Amparo or Playa Azalea - we finally found ourself in a beach that is a lot nearer to Davao but still beautiful on its own merit: Costa Marina.
Only 15 minutes away from Davao's shore, Costa Marina is a popular beach getaway for many Davao locals because of its affordable rates. I also chose this resort because it's a lot "quieter" than the more popular Paradise Island.
Well, it wasn't really quiet that day since we were surrounded by a lot of barkada-type groups who were drinking. That's the downside of going to the beach on a Sunday. Nevertheless, I still appreciated that the beach wasn't crowded.

Just like what I had thought, Yuri immediately fell in love with the sea! It was love at first sight and he wasn't even slightly frightened of the waters.
When we went to deeper waters (me carrying him of course), he even wanted to let go and swim on his own. Not yet, baby!

Then, while other kids (like me) would scrunch up their faces upon tasting seawater for the first time, this kid of mine licked his lips and said, "sarap!" It was hard for me to keep him from drinking more. My goodness!

May 1, 2014

April's Happy Packages

Oh, c'mon. It's May today? Seriously, how did that happen?

I haven't even gone to the beach yet! #WAHMproblems

Anyway, I write about my grocery finds every month, but for this month, I have nothing to write about. There are three reasons why.

First, I'm trying to minimize buying processed and packaged food, so most of the time, I only buy fresh produce. It doesn't seem to make sense to write a post full of fruits, veggies, and meat.

Second, since the mortgage we have to pay for our house will be increasing effective next month (which is today pala!), I need to minimize my expenses. Especially on food.

Third, I really didn't find a need to try something new because I'm contented with the current brands I've tried. So I didn't really have a new "discovery" to feature.

Buuut I did receive a number of packages this month! Some of them I bought while some of them I received. I think they're rather post-worthy because they are useful not only during the summer (so hot!) but also throughout the entire year. Here they are:

Ready for the beach!

1. Sunblock - Coppertone Water Babies and Belo SunExpert

Sunblock's a no-brainer. In a tropical country like ours, sunblock should be used year-round. Yuri used to use Midori natural sunblock with an SPF of 30, which is frankly enough, but since paubos na, I felt the need to buy one with a higher SPF since this year's summer is just - grabe - drought level. I know Coppertone's not natural or organic, but it's the most cost-efficient for me. And I used it as a child so...

Meanwhile, the Belo sunblock is from - drumroll - Sample Room! This means I only paid for its shipping. I haven't tried it yet but I soon will!

Another addition to our library. Yay!

2. Bible Story Set

Ah, another addition to our growing library. I love this set of books because it's the prize I won from joining MomsterTeacher's blog givewaway. I was blessed too much because God allowed me to win three contests! What I love about these is the way the stories of the Bible characters are written in a simple way - perfect for kids.

I'm excited to introduce Yuri to Jesus; actually, I already did!


GIGA Baby Balm, GIGA Massage Rub, and GIGA Insect Repellant

3. Gifts from GIGA Philippines

I wrote and raved about the GIGA products I've tried, and they really are some of the best natural products I've used. Despite trying several brands of insect repellent, GIGA remains to be my favorite. And even as a toddler, we still use GIGA baby balm for Yuri's insect bites and minor cuts. Yuri just loves using it on himself and I'm not even kidding.

They didn't have to, but GIGA was kind enough to send me a small gift containing - what else - my fave products! They also included something I haven't tried yet: the massage rub. I love it! Perfect timing, too, since I'm looking for a minty balm just in case Yuri catches a cold. Nice!

My camera in a poor lighting condition. Hehehe

4. Samsung WB150F

April 9, 2014

Two Natural Ice Cream Flavors You Can Make this Summer

I seriously cannot recall how it felt during the cold months of January and February.

Even though our weather here in the south is a bit on the "cool" side now because of the storm (Oh God protect us!), the air is still hot and humid.

As it's already officially summer, is there a better thing to do than eat ice cream?

Yes, there is something better. Make one!

This week and last week, I made two different ice cream flavors that you can create at home. Aside from being more affordable than commercial ice cream, these only have two ingredients each. What's not to love?

First one is the classic avocado ice cream. Americans might be surprised to hear that we eat this fruit in sweet desserts. Anyway, I love avocado because it has protein and healthy saturated fats which we all need.

To make the ice cream, you only need two ingredients: avocados and condensed milk.

Yes, I know condensed milk is not the most nutritious stuff on the planet and it raises the cholesterol level of this ice cream, but there's no better replacement for this (unless you can suggest one?). Plain milk makes the mixture too liquid, which is not good in creating ice cream, while honey does not make it creamy enough.

I seriously believe it's still better than commercial ice cream!
How to make it? Just blend the two ingredients together! I don't have measurements because you only need to add the milk from time to time until you achieve the flavor you want.

The second ice cream you can make is a lot healthier than the first: banana-peanut butter! I actually first wrote about it last year. I love bananas because they're rich in potassium while peanut butter is full of protein.

Like the name suggests, you only need bananas and peanut butter.

You can use any kind of peanut butter, but I shy away from using brands with too many ingredients. My current favorite is the local Danes brand as I have yet to see a brand here with just peanuts as the ingredient.

Anyway, just blend the two ingredients together! Again, I don't have a measurement for this. Just gradually add the PB until you achieve the flavor you want.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a photo of the actual ice cream because we quickly ate it all up during a power interruption. Fail!

That's it! Have a great summer!

Tip: You can make any fruit combination that you want. Just remember to use fruits that are fleshy and not those that are juicy (oranges, watermelon). While these fruits are great for juices and smoothies, I don't think you'll be able to make creamy ice cream with them.

PS: This week or maybe next, I might make mango ice cream. Yum!

PPS: What about durian? Ooh interesting, although there are only two people in the house who eat durian: my mother and my kuya. Hihi

PPPS: If you're not fond of ice cream (how come?!), here are two healthy alternatives to battle the summer heat:
Yogurt
Ice-cold chocolate made of 100% chocolate callets from Cacao de Davao

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April 11, 2013

Teal and Sandals

It's been a week since I've written a decent post. My excuse is that I'm busy. I'm working on a garage sale of my clothes. You see, since I've lost weight (yabang!), a lot of my clothes don't fit me already. It wouldn't make sense to keep them in an already overflowing closet, so I decided to just sell them for cheap.

Ugh, an overflowing closet. Don't all girls have this problem? I wish I can say it's a good problem, but not really, since when you look at it, the only clothes that you still wear comprise just a third of the heap. And I still can't decide whether to sell them on Facebook or Instagram. Any suggestions?

On the other hand, I'm keeping most of the dresses I bought post-pregnancy, mainly because they are very comfy and are perfect for breastfeeding. Here is one of those dresses:

Dress: Forme
Bag: Parisian
Sandals: Mario d'Boro

On Y:
Onesies: Carter's
Shorts: Kidstyle
Sandals: Disney
I'm sorry for the angle. My sister took this photo sitting on a chair. Anyway, I got this dress on sale! It was originally priced at P900+ I think, and I got it for only less than P400. It's lightweight so its ferfek for summer! :-)

Both Y and I are wearing sandals. It is summer after all! Please ignore my dark knees. Does anyone know a solution for it? Please tell me.

Uh, we still wear rattle bracelets from time to time. :P

Rattle bracelet: Mothercare
 My dress goes along with  the details of Y's bracelet. And Y's sandals are a shade of blue, too! Teehee.

She does!
 We were supposed to wear this onesies (is it right to say "onesy"?) the day before, which is my sister's Recognition Rites. She's an honor student after all, so she rocks! Unfortunately, the ceremonies begin at 8am, and Y woke up late. Oh well!

I don't know how to end this post already, so let's just take a look at this photo of Y. Hahaha!


Can you spot the pink rabbit peeking from behind my bag? :-)
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