Celebrated our 6th at Joaquin's Bed and Breakfast

When it comes to our anniversary celebration, I'm always in-charge on where and when are we going to celebrate it. Since our anniversary falls on the 26th of December, we rarely have the big celebration on the same date especially on our first couple of years, when my parents are not aware that I have a boyfriend :P

If you've read my previous entries, I always mention that I have a budget for everything so don't be surprised if it will be mentioned in this blog entry again :)

When planning anniversary celebration, there are 3 major things I need to consider. 

1. BUDGET- we decided to set a 3,000/each budget for the getaway (yes we equally share for the anniv celebration)

2. PLACE- depends on my mood? deep right? haha, just kidding of course we want to visit different places every celebration. 

3. DATE (yes, date! since my boyfriend is a nurse, we have to make ends meet despite of his crazy schedule so I need a month preparation, sounds OA right?) 

For the given budget? I decided to pay TAGAYTAY a visit. A bed and breakfast hotel sounds romantic?  :)) 

Here's the run down of my choices:

1. The Boutique Bed and Breakfast - It's #1 on my list because it has very good reviews and based on website info this place looks luxuriously and intimately relaxing. I'm dreaming to try the I LUST room and I love the breakfast in bed idea I think they're the the first hotel to offer that kind of service in Tagaytay. But it's way too pricey for me :((

2.  Sonya's Garden- I first visited this place when I attended a wedding way back 2008, and back then, I was already in love in this place. I love how relaxing it would be to enjoy a B&B and spa in one place! cool right?

3. Joaquin's Bed and Breakfast- I've been loving rustic themed places lately, that's why we end up going here :) the price is just same with any other 3-2 Star B&Bs but what I love about this place is, it is situated right in front of the beautiful Taal Lake (feeling tursita eh?). 

**IMPORTANT NOTE- all pictures are taken through phone camera, apologies for a not-so-high quality images that I'll be sharing in this blog. (forgot to bring my DSLR)**

ROOM RATES (as of NOV 2013)

Check In Time: 2 PM

Check Out Time: 12 NN

[Children and Extra bed- children under 7 yrs. old free of charge when using existing beds.

Extra adult is charged per night and person in an extra bed.]

REGULAR RATE

Weekdays (Sunday to Thursday)

Upper rooms Private Veranda Php 4,800.00

Lower rooms Mini Garden Php 5,800.00

Family Suite Private Veranda Php 6,800.00

Weekends (Friday & Saturday)

Upper rooms Private Veranda Php 5,800.00

Lower rooms Mini Garden Php 6,800.00

Family Suite Private Veranda Php 7,800.00

CANCELLATION POLICY: 

-All reservations require deposit to guarantee a booking.

-Cancellation prior to 48 hrs. of arrival –no accommodation charge

*NOTE: 

A non-refundable deposit and booking fee is charged for each booking.

-Cancellation within 24 hrs of arrival—non refundable deposit or full accommodation.

-No show- non refundable deposit w/ full accommodation charge.

We stayed at the Upper rooms Private Veranda  #4 for the price of Php 4,800.00 (w/complimentary set of breakfast)

here's how our bed look like. Loving the bed curtain :) It's actually my first time to have a hotel room, with bed curtains and I love it!

I'm just quite disappointed in this because it doesn't look like as a design for the rustic theme, it shows that this room wasn't maintained as I expect it to be, hello? it's 4,800/night here, give it justice. 

The cabinet, with mini refrigerator on the lower left part.

The complimentary bottled water, coffee and tea. 

When I called the front desk if they're selling bottled water, she told me they have for a price of 35 pesos! and since it was late at night I have no choice but to buy one, so I told her to deliver 1 on our room. But to my luck, it was given to us for FREE. 

I'm very particular on how CR looks like good thing it doesn't disappoint me.

View from our room, If we can only afford the lower rooms, we'll have a much better view, but this is of course beautiful as well :)

There's a diner inside the hotel, but it only offers an all-day breakfast, with limited choices. 

For the breakfast, I ordered the beef tapa,garlic rice,2 scrambled egg and coffee while he has pork adobo, 2 sunny side-up eggs and hot chocolate. They have big servings of breakfast, we didn't finish it all :( The food was good, tapa was tender although I'm not a fan of the vegetable siding. 

All in all the experience was memorable, we love how peaceful the place was, the hotel staff was very accommodating, they assisted us in all our queries on how to go to different places since we went there without a car, they also assisted us on our food delivery for our dinner that night!

Question, if I'll be going back to this hotel? I don't think so, because Tagaytay hava a lot of hotels, and it would be much better to try a different one whenever going there for a quick vacay.

If you'll planning a night at Joaquin's B&B here are the details:

CONTACT DETAILS:

Joaquin's Bed and Breakfast

Km. 58 Aquinaldo Highway, Tagatay City, Philippines

Tel. No.  +63.922.802.1343-45

             +63.46.483.0463 or 74

Email | info@joaquinsbedandbreakfast.com

xoxo,
     Patty

A taste of Cebu's famous Ribs at Casa Verde

I've read a lot of good reviews about this restaurant in Cebu that a must-try for tourists and local residents, since I made the Cebu vacay itinerary, it was of course part of the trip! :D

We arrived at Casa Verde Ramos Branch around 7:00 pm but the place was already packed! We then arrange our reservation, and I remember we waited for about 15-20 minutes to be seated. 

Here's my cousin following up our reservation, we started feel hungry already!

The long wait is over! finally we are seated on this lovely restaurant, the resto's interior is so homey. I love the idea of lights in the ceiling, it adds a certain ambiance in the place and it makes it relaxing just perfect for catching up with friends or bonding time with family.

I'd be happier if we're seated on this part though.

Here's the reason why we L-O-V-E our experience at Casa Verde, first the food was UHHHHHmazing and second it was at extremely affordable price.  

Best Sampler (Php 275.00)

Bestselling ribs in Cebu- Brian's Ribs (Php 208.00)

I love how tender the ribs are, it's much easier to eat them compared to others that I've tried, and the sauce was delish!.Since we're not aware of how ginormous the serving of the ribs are, we weren't able to finish all of it. 

Yey! no sign of my full tummy on this denim top :))

 

With my lovely dates <3 <3

Luckily if you want to try this resto but no plans on going to Cebu anytime in the future, it's now possible because it recently opened a branch here in Manila!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Casa-Verde

Branches in Cebu

-Ramos Branch

# 69 Lim Tian Teng St. Ramos, Cebu City

-IT Park Branch

A104 The Walk Asiatown IT Park, Cebu City

-The Terraces Branch

Stall 304, 3rd level, The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu

Cebu Business Park, Cebu City

P.S. Here's how to indulge on ribs that won't hurt your pocket.

xoxo, 

    Patty

A day at Mövenpick Hotel- Mactan Island Cebu

Finally I had the chance to visit CEBU last July 2013, and part of my itinerary was to visit any luxury hotel resort in Mactan. Since we only have a limited time and budget :( we can only afford a day tour package.

After checking all the resorts around Mactan, We finally decided to visit Mövenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu. 

DAY SPLASH Includes:

-Free use of swimming pool,beach, games and gym

-1 scoop of Mövenpick Ice cream at The Lobby

-Semi-lunch Buffet at The Sails with one round of iced tea, chilled juice or soda

-15% discount on Spa Massage services at The Spa

-15% discount on all water sports activities

Price is Php 2,000.00/pax

The Lobby Lounge- Where you can have light snacks and refreshing drinks
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 7:00 am to midnight

Having my donya moment at The Lobby

The Sails- is an all-day dining restaurant, they both have an a la carte menu and buffet w/international cuisine selection.

Opening hours

Monday to Sunday: 6.30 am to 10.30 pm

Breakfast: 6.30 am to 10.30 am

Lunch: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm

Dinner: 6.00 pm to 10.30 pm

Enjoying our lovely buffet lunch! The food was delish but it's not distinctive compared with other buffet resto.

The Ibiza Beach Club- my favorite part, (and I think of the most tourists who visited here) because of the stunning ocean-view and the ambiance of the place.

Opening hours

Weekdays: 11.00 am to midnight

Friday and Saturday: 11.00 am to 2.00 am

Love the idea! I can stay here ALL day.

I cannot imagine how romantic and elegant this place is at night! If I'll have the chance to go back here I'll definitely stay all night listening to good music while having wine or cocktails with my better half. <3 <3 <3
Or going solo? You can also party at night with house music by the resident DJ!

George bodies ALERT! lol.  Jacuzzi time was the best part of the tour!

The Beach- white sand, not so clear water. 

After eating our lunch we headed straight to the beach, and as I expected it to be it's not as beautiful as what we had seen in our island tour. But still we had fun because the place is so peaceful and relaxing.

Done with the swim! it's now time to end the tour with the free ice cream :))

                           

I forgot to take pictures inside the shower rooms that can be used by the day tour guests, since we're the only one using it, we were able to comfortably took shower and change but I think, it cannot accommodate large number of day tour guests since the room is spacious enough for 3-4 guests and they only have 2-3 shower rooms.

I think they should also change the color of the hotel exterior because it doesn't really complement the design of the resort

All in all the experience was amazing, first times are always unforgettable. It really shows right? :))

xoxo, 

         Patty

3 must-reads for Investment Geeks O_O

I'm a self-confessed bookworm and I would love to share this 3 somewhat-boring yet informative books when it comes to investing. There's no easy way to be a millionaire unless you a darn lucky who won the lottery. :))

The pre-requisite among the 3 is of course the ever famous "Rich Dad Poor Dad by Rober Kiyosaki"

I remember our High School English teacher highly encouraged us to read this book, since it's about taking your steps towards that financial freedom we are all aiming for. Too bad I didn't took her advise seriously, and end up reading the book when I was in 3rd year college.

This book is a must-read because it will ignite the fire in your soul for that dream to be rich and successful. I feel bad that I only read this book later on, and didn't took all the advises written seriously. The book discuses the basic principle of investing and how powerful you can be if you just apply the fundamentals properly. I love this simply because it explains everything clearly that even if you're not a Business Administration graduate, you can understand what the book is trying to deliver. Less jargons, lovely :)

http://www.empowernetwork.com/andrewgtreantos/blog/rich-dad-poor-dad-listen-to-the-complete-book/

Second, is my favorite book as of the moment "Guide to Investing by Robert Kiyosaki" I even listened to the audio version and wrote a summary of this book. I just can't attach the soft copy here, but if you wish to have a copy just send me your e-mail address.

It's not as popular as the first book but that doesn't mean it's not as good. For me, you won't fully understand the purpose of the book, if you haven't read the rich dad poor dad. I think it's the comprehensive version of the latter, and I'm happy that a friend of mine suggested this book to me:)

Honestly, it's quite boring specially if your not into finance or investment. But for someone who wants to be millionaire not just simply rich but a sophisticated investor like our top businessmen in the country this book will help you achieve it.

Last but not the least, is *drum rolls*"The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham" 
To be honest, I haven't read this book, (why am I recommending this in the first place? Labo!) This book is highly acclaimed by financial investors and I've read some positive reviews on this. I'm really excited to read this book.

I highly recommend you read this 3 books, to unleash the CEO in you!

xoxo,
   Patty

Tea Tree Oil for Zits? Yay or Nay?

I always wanted to achieve a flawless and young looking skin? Who doesn't right?

Anyway, I've been using Benzac (Benozyl peroxide) for years already when it comes to getting rid of my pimples. But lately, I decided to try natural products since it has lesser chemical content and I assume it's healthier for my skin.

I found a blog stating the benefits of the Tee Tree Oil. and I got curious about it and decided to try it myself. 

Tea Tree Oil is not widely available in the Philippines, as far as I know there are only 2 stores that sells this TTO. One is The Body Shop for the price of Php 495.00 and Zen Zest for Php 150.00 only. 

I cannot make a comparison between the 2 since I only have the one in Zen Zest obviously because its cheaper, and on my judgement, performance wise they'll just be the same. 

TTO has some amazing benefits, but the main reason why it's available in some beauty stores or an ingredient in any beauty products is because it has power of healing pimples.

Here's the link for uses of TTO:  6 Amazing Benefits of Tea Tree Oil

For some natural beauty treatment you can use this link as your guide: Tea Tree Oil Beauty Treatment

For someone who has sensitive skin please note that it's not safe to apply this oil directly to your skin. Because it will cause you redness,irritation or it will make your pimples worse. 

I personally enjoyed using it as a part of my beauty regimen, because it's natural and cheap yet very effective. I have oily skin, and when it comes to applying oil, it's really not an issue since TTO is suitable in all skin types.

Now let's see if this TTO is a yay or nay.

PROS

-all natural

-cheap

-effective for acne (just make sure to mix equal amount of water because it's too concentrated for sensitive skin)

-packaging 

CONS

-not easily available, bought this in Zen Zest glorietta, not sure if there are nearby Zen Zest branch in my home

-strong scent (although all oils have scents, if you're not used to it like me, you'll find the smell weird)

Will I re-purchase this? Of course Yes :) 

xoxo,

    Patty

My Lips but BETTER: In2it Moisture Intense Lipstick in Tawny

Every girl should have their MLBB lipstick in their kikay kit wherever they go. Since I learned about this "my lips but better" look, I didn't stop searching until I found my best nude shade, luckily after a few days I found mine and it's the In2it Moisture Intense Lipstick in Tawny.

Why MLBB lipstick is a must? Because They are (1) excellent for everyday look (2) perfect for natural or no make up look  (3) useful when you're too lazy to have your makeup done (4) it flaunts your natural lips and many more.

When it comes to cosmetics, I always find time to review and swatch before buying not to end up wasting my money. So here, I'll share my ultimate and yet affordable MLBB lipstick :)

Here's the picture of my overused nude lipstick. You can grab your tube at any Watson's and Department Stores nationwide :) 

I'm a huge fan of drugstore products, since I always have a limited budget for my cosmetics, I need to make sure that my makeup products are cheap. I remember I bought it on sale, less 20% I think? but the regular price is Php 395.00 only. Very affordable right?

Here's the swatch of tawny, it looks dark nude on my skin but appears natural on my lips :)

Please forgive my lips, they are really not good looking :)

without lipstick                                                                                  with in2it tawny lipstick 

Here are some tips to get your own MLBB Lipstick

1. Set budget for your  makeup so you'll know what brands you can check

2. Look for shade that's closest to your lip color

3. As much as possible don't just rely on swatches, TRY them on your lips

4. Once you find your MLBB. buy it, no ifs no buts! (just kidding)

So what's your MLBB lipstick? Have you found yours? :) 

Hope this blog helped you. See you on my next blog! :)

xoxo, 

     Patty

The first blog is the hardest, Baby I know

Today is the day I decided to have my blog, but WHY?

Having a blog is not EASY and I might not end up doing it (huh?). What are the reasons that holds me back? First, blogs are very tedious, you have to compose your thoughts nicely and attractive enough so people see the sense of it. Second, too many blogs in the internet people might not notice yours :( I think I have this fear that no one might see this blog as informative as the others. Third, I'm tamad. Period.

But, this inspirational quote always motivates me to TRY (not just in blogging but in everything) :) It's currently my wallpaper and it will always be my favorite!

Since it's really my dream to have my own blog (medyo mababaw?) Now, I finally have one! Yey! 

let's start blogging!

On my weekends, I spent most of my time surfing the net, then I realized am I being productive? Do I maximize my time wisely? Sadly not :( 

I think of things I can do online, that will make me productive and do what I love at the same time. And I know what exactly I need to do, BLOGGING! 

Since I really love reading blogs, tumblr-ing, I thought why not have my own? In this way, I will not just read other blogs, but I can finally share mine. 

I believe blog is like an open diary of your life. It's a vehicle for sharing and inspiring people. What do you think will I share in my blog? We'll see! Anyway, I hope everyone will support my blog :) 

P.S. Thank you www.blogger.com it's easy to customize everything! perfect for tamad like me. 

xoxo

       Patty