A Mega Stop Over

Going to the province is one of my fave things to do. I like a breather from the traffic and pollution, and the kids like it, too.
Gabby and Sunday while waiting for our service (a.k.a. my sister's car!)
But when you're bringing your kids along, just remember: Bring lots of things that will entertain them or make the long trip or vacation less boring.
Let them enjoy nature. That's what provinces are for:
the abundance of anything green and brown! :)
Bring enough food. Or be ready for whims.
But this time, it was my sister who craved for Chowking Halo-Halo. We stopped over at Mega Station to refill our stomachs after a long journey.
Caltex Mega Station is in NLEX, San Fernando, Pampanga. Aside from other sports stores like Adidas, the Mega Station also boasts of the biggest Nike Factory Store in the country.
My sister bought his son a motorbike in Raptor Sports.
She also bought Sunday a Blender and Shake Kitchen set, and Gabby a toy car.

Buying from stores in far places like Caltex Mega Station has taught me valuable lessons. We were already home when I discovered that an important part in Sunday's Blender set was missing! Had I known, I wouldn't let my sister buy that. Sunday was able to use the Blender but not the Shaker. Regrets. :( It would have been a different story if the toy was just bought in a department store near our house. Next time, I will be wiser and I will inspect all the parts of the product I am buying before I purchase it. (As for the Raptor Sports, I am not really sure if they were aware that a part was missing in the Kitchen Set. I dont' want to judge. I just wish I am their last unhappy customer.)

But I'm the type who always try to see the good/positive side of things. I just thought then that the happy moments in the province overshadow that sad incident. And for that, I will surely be back in the province in no time!

QMC: Our Circle of Fun!

I have one simple vice. I love to visit different places especially on weekends. It can be a park nearby, a zoo in another city, or a new themed mall. You name it, it's either I already heard or read about it or it's already listed on my itinerary. I have such the itchiest feet when it comes to going out. The only restriction is the budget, of course. :)


The 66-meter tall Quezon Memorial monument.
(66 is the age of Manuel Quezon when he died.)
With Gabby and Sunday in tow, I checked out the Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) in Quezon City one weekend last December. QMC is our park of choice when the kids were younger. But when we moved to another city, going there became a hassle. It was when I missed biking that I thought of visiting it again.

I was surprised by the rehabilitation QMC has undergone. It is now more alive and offers more activities for the park goers.


The Circle of Joy: my kids' favorite part of QMC.
It boasts of ten play areas that Gabby and Sunday just can't get enough of! Free entrance, mommies!

I like it when my kids enjoy these play areas.
Playing and running make their bodies stronger and leaner.

Playing in public play areas also teaches them patience,
tolerance and respect for others.

I overheard a parkgoer said that Circle of Joy is open daily from morning till 5pm. But we were there past 6pm and there were still many kids playing. Hmm, maybe the management just want the kids to fully enjoy the play areas. :)

As long as they're happy, I am for it. Simple things make my kids happy.
And I'm one blessed mommy because of that!

While the kids were playing, I had the chance to take pics!
This balloon vendor got tired from walking and selling his stuff.
Who wouldn't? A 27-hectare circular park like this would challenge
even seasoned runners!

Another area of the park has these fitness equipments to help us
shape up and lose unwanted pounds!

I didn't know that the QMC is still so alive come night time.
With kids running around and playing with their lighted toys,
no wonder QMC is the place to be for families who love to unwind.

This is what I enjoyed the most there. The light on the monument changes colors
while the water on the fountain playfully jets and sways to modern tunes.

For someone who has been playing with colors and forms for a long while
(just like me), this musical fountain is a source of inspiration!

There are so many things you can do at Quezon Memorial Circle. Biking, running, having a picnic, play badminton, basketball or volleyball, learn history in its museum, or just relax. Honestly, I prefer going there than going to malls where I am tempted to spend some hard-earned money. Surely, I will go back to QMC. It's my nature-meets-fun park! :)

Facing 2011 and Enjoying It

It's already 2011! New beginnings, new resolutions and new hope!

What better way to welcome 2011 than to feel fresh, rejuvenated and physically renewed! Days before 2011, I won an Aescultura Acne Clearing Facial GC from Kim of Beauty Addict. (Thanks, Kim!) I had second thoughts in availing it since the clinic is far from where I live. But I believe I deserved some pampering during the holidays, so off to Aescultura I went.

The Aescultura GC which Kim sent me through Air21
Honestly, what made me fret in going to Aescultura are the words Art and Science of Beauty. I don't know why. Maybe because as a graphic designer, I am so used to Photoshopping the models' flaws in the marketing collaterals that I design that I sometimes associate Art and Beauty with manipulation, digital or not. And with news of beauty operations performed by fly-by-night doctors left and right, I worry about coming out of that clinic with a scarred face! :)
But my worries are baseless. Sarah, the facialist told me that I have good skin and she didn't have a hard time treating my skin imperfections. She was also very careful and gentle. After that facial, I promised to get rid of my warts next. I have a bad number of them in my face and they really bother me. :(
With treatment rooms and beauty equipments like these,
I know I can get rid of my warts with as little pain possible. :)
This is me before the facial. I forgot to take a pic of me after!
I had tiny bumps on my face because of the treatment.
But the tiny scar and bumps were gone in a few days.

Yes, I feel refreshed after that facial. I also feel that this year is another great and wonderful year for me. May we all have a blessed 2011! :)
______________

Aescultura Art and Science of Beauty
Future Point Plaza One, 112 Panay Ave.,
South Triangle, Quezon City
+632 3765969 | +632 3724533

Capricciosa for a night

Capricciosa is an Italian word for capricious or anything characterized by whim. And last Friday, I chose to be one.

After a hard week's work, my officemates and I decided to reward ourselves by eating something we haven't eaten before. We tried Capricciosa in Greenhills, San Juan. It was a spur of the moment food whim. We didn't mind the price or the location. We just went there, not knowing what that Italian Restaurant has in store for us. For an hour or more, I just enjoyed the company of good (young!) friends and good food that Friday night! It was so stress-releasing!

Capricciosa's facadeCapricciosa is established by Chef Masaaki Honda, a Japanese chef
who worked for an Italian cafe and studied at National Culinary Academy of Italy.
He must have loved Italian cuisine so much that he put up the very first Capricciosa when he came back to Japan.
Capricciosa's interior.
Me and my young officemates :)
Capricciosa P485
Capricciosa's house specialty pizza. Southern Italian Napoleon style pizza
topped with salami, bacon, mushroom and bellpeppers. This is so yummy!
Calamari and Onion in Squid Ink Sauce (S P365 and L P650)
One of Capricciosa's specialty dishes. Fresh squid, sliced onion sauteed in squid ink and tomato sauce. This is like eating Adobong Pusit with Spaghetti Noodles. Don't order this when you are with a date you want to impress.
This is best ordered for hunger and fun! :)
And this is the fun I meant! :)
We were given plastic bibs for stain prevention purposes.
Four Varieties Ice Cream P220
Four Italian gelato in one dessert, which are vanilla, strawberry,
mango and chocolate. This is served either in one bowl or
in separate small bowls, depending on customer's request.
This is the price of about an hour of fun and food satisfaction.
For drinks, we ordered Bottomless Iced Tea P80,
Strawberry Iced Tea P95 and San Mig Light P65
I had a very good dining experience with Capricciosa Greenhills. The food was delicious and served fast. Their customer service was excellent. Their staffs were very accommodating and friendly. Special mention to Analyn, who willingly took pics of us in our blackest mouths!:)

Capricciosa, Greenbelt
3/L, Fun Dining Area, Greenbelt 3,
Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi St.,
Ayala Center, Makati, MM
Phone Number: (632)757-7811, (632)757-7898
Mobile No.: (+63)922 84-CAPMA
Operating Hours: 10am to 11pm

Capricciosa, Greenhills
G/F, Fox Square Bldg.,
53 Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan, MM
Phone Number: (632)744-0689, (632)744-0490
Mobile No.: (+63)922 80-CAPGH
Operating Hours: 8am to 11pm

I heart Magnolia Ice Cream this Christmas!

I almost forgot that there was Magnolia Ice Cream.

When I was a gradeschooler, my sisters and I would wake up early to see a bottle of Magnolia Chocolait waiting for us at our door. That was my earliest rendezvous with Magnolia, the brand. Later, the rendezvous became an affair when I realized that I also love their ice cream. For years, I didn't taste any other ice cream brand.

I came to love Magnolia more when I was able to drop by at its plant in Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City when I was in high school. Located inside the plant was the Magnolia Ice Cream Parlor. I remember I got a bit excited because I got to choose many flavors! During that time when malls and other hang-out places were still scarce, going to that ice cream parlor was already something a teenager like me could brag about! And since we lived in San Juan (a municipality then), we would pass by that Magnolia Ice Cream plant whenever we went somewhere north. I clearly remember seeing happy faces of Magnolia employees. Could their happiness be one of the reasons for its delicious flavors then? :)

With the merging of Magnolia with Nestle a few years after, I began welcoming other ice cream brands. Slowly, I forgot about Magnolia.

Until this December. When NomNomClub invited me to a Magnolia Ice Cream Bloggers' Event, I immediately said yes! I again felt the same excitement I had on my first visit to Magnolia Ice Cream Parlor years ago. And this time, meeting an ex-love was delicious! Magnolia, with the Nestle brand no longer tagged with it, now offers Nuts, Cakes and Fruits: The Magnolia Ice Cream Christmas Limited Edition 2010. I got to sample the three flavors and I fell in love with all of them!

Vanilla Praline contains cashew praline with
streaks of caramel ripple in a vanilla ice cream base. Yummy!
Caramel Cheesecake contains cheesecake bits with
streaks of caramel ripple in a caramel ice cream base. Nomnom!

Apple Strudel contains apple cinnamon bits with crushed chocolate pretzels swirled with a combination of green and red apple ripple. Triple Yummy!


My kids were able to taste the three new flavors, too and they love all of them! Sunday likes Apple Strudel and Gabby wants the Caramel Cheesecake. I like Apple Strudel. I don't like apple but this flavor made me want it. It is so yummy!

These Magnolia Ice Cream Christmas Limited Edition flavors in 1.5L tub will only be in supermarket and Monterey shops until February 2011. So hurry and grab them all! Believe me, you will fall in love with them, too! :)

PS: Want to win Magnolia Ice Cream GCs? Join NomNomClub.com's blogging contest today!

I Dream of Going to Batanes Someday

My husband’s “No!” is sometimes my “Yes!”

Working in another country and thousands of miles away, Fred requested that I do not travel anywhere far. He cannot bear the thought that I am in this or that province and not safely seated in front of our desktop computer chatting with him. I understand him and how he feels. He is just worried that something might happen to us while he is away. But I always love to travel! That’s the main reason this blog was aptly addressed wondersandwanders.com. I’ve always wanted to explore and discover new places.

Just like Batanes. It is always included in my Top 5 Must-Visit Destinations list. I dream of going there since my college days when I was still free to go anywhere I please! That dream was deeply embedded in my subconscious that when I watched the movie Leap Year, I almost thought that the rolling hills and staggering coasts of Ireland were that of Batanes. Believe me, I was so fascinated with that National Geographic documentary-like movie that I watched it more than ten times! But I know I don't have to go to Ireland to appreciate those sceneries. Batanes is Ireland’s countryside, Asian version. And maybe, even better!

I would love to see Batanes's green landscape and blue waters!
Seeing these rugged cliffs would be a dream come true!
This is what I look for in a perfect tourist destination.
For me, a getaway is not a getaway if it doesn't have long, sandy beaches!
When I told Fred that Seair is holding a contest on Batanes Winter Bloggers' Tour and showed him the images of that stunning province, he immediately said, "Join! Join Seair's contest!" to my surprise. What happened to all his apprehensions? He said he finally realized that while working there, my world, including that of our kids, should not stop revolving. We should continue to discover new places and things while he also explores the sights and wonders of Saudi Arabia.

Fred plans to take us to Saudi Arabia because he foresees that he will be working there for a long time. His employer has already given him the go signal and promised financial support for our transportation and housing. God willing, the kids and I will be with him when he renews his contract. While waiting for that time to come, I think it's best that I continue exploring our homeland. And the best way to start again is on top. Geographically, that is Batanes.

Fred’s “No!” became a “Yes!” this time. It only took Batanes to make him agree. :)

Update: I didn't win in this contest. But it's alright. The winners all deserved to win. :)

A Day at the Market

I thought of bringing Gabby and Sunday to Market! Market! at The Fort because I haven’t been there myself. My officemates told me that there was this sports store in the 5th floor that offers running shoes at discounted prices. We went there lunchtime. Although I’m also window shopping for LCD TV and maybe a TV table to go with it, I decided to bring the kids out for some fresh air! I was a bit disappointed because the mall was kind of crowded. But it was understandable because of the holiday rush.

The Market! Market! shopping mall
The Serendra beside Market! Market!
This Serendra Piazza is best visited at night.
Perfect for gimmicks and meeting with friends or a date.
The Play Zone of Market! Market! with the Serendra at the back

Gabby and Sunday didn't leave Market! Market!
without trying its Play Zone.

Before heading home, Gabby and Sunday enjoyed looking at
these animal sculptures with their bodies covered with plants.


It was a fine weekend for the kids. I hope you'll have a fine one, too! :)

This Christmas...

It's been a while since my last post. Many things have happened. And they brought emotions I've never felt before.

This will be the first time that I will celebrate Christmas without a father. Sadly, he passed away two weeks ago. Whenever I feel the loss, I just try to see things positively. I tell myself that he just joined our Creator.


And for Gabby and Sunday, this is the third time that they will celebrate Christmas without Fred. The first two years was when Fred went to Saudi Arabia and they were too young to ask for presents then. Now that their Daddy had to go back to KSA again, they already know what they want for Christmas. We went to the toy store last Sunday and they took pics and sent them to Fred. :)

But the four of us will still be together this Christmas. Virtually together, that is. We'll just call Fred on Christmas Eve or maybe, go online.

To all of you who kept visiting my blog while I was away, thanks so much.
Your visits just reminded me that life has to go on. And move on I will! :) Have a blessed December!

Cakes, Celebrations and Confessions

Last month, Fred was asked to be the godfather of Alex, my brother-in-law's daughter. In lieu of the gift, the parents asked if we could buy the baptismal cake and we happily said yes.

The baptismal cake we bought for our Alex
Because I was too busy with work, I wasn't able to drop by any Red Ribbon or Goldilocks store a week before the baptismal date. I thought that ordering cakes is easy. But I was wrong. I learned some lessons about it and here they are:

1. Order a week before the event. Goldilocks and Red Ribbon Bakeshops have a three-day lead time. That will give the bakeshops ample time for baking and decorating your cake, especially if it's a three-layered one.

2. Ask if there are charges for delivery or for other services. Because I was a day late (from the lead time), I decided to order from the Goldilocks branch nearest my office. Since I cannot order their Celebration Cakes anymore, I ordered the cake on display and decided that I would just buy a cake topper and some decors. I requested the staff to put the cake topper just above the greetings. Good thing I asked them if they will charge me on that, because they would! Imagine, just putting the topper on the cake would cost me P75! I decided against it and did it myself instead.

some details on the cake topper
3. Check out other bakeshops. I just ordered from Goldilocks when I remembered there was a Red Ribbon just a block away. Out of curiousity, I still went there and found out that they offer more beautiful cakes, more themes and they're more affordable! Hmm...maybe next time.

4. If you want it delivered, order cakes from a bakeshop of your choice near the venue. It will save you delivery charges and you can be sure that it will be delivered on time and undamaged. Besides, when the delivery is late, you can easily check on them.

The baptismal-themed cake topper I bought from Goldilocks
5. Be creative. Don't fret when you cannot order the design or theme that you want for your cake. Toppers and other theme-coordinated decors will save the day.

6. Never lose your receipt. Your Baking Order Number is written there. If you call the bakeshop for some changes on designs or names on the greetings, they would ask for that BO number, or your OR number.

I love this soft and sweet flower icings!
Anyway, it's a good thing that I learned a few things on ordering cakes. Next time, I know better. Good thing, too, that I had a part of that baptismal cake and ate it too! Yummy! :)