The Year 2020 Starts with a Bang!

2020 January

Welcome 2020!!

It's another year and there are certainly many things to be grateful for and so many more things to look forward to.

Here's wishing for those great things to happen...

I spoke too soon... I didn't think it could happen in my lifetime but Taal Volcano just erupted! So surreal!!

Review: What I loved about the Ford Everest Titanium 3.2L 4x2 AT

22 May 2019


We took the Ford Everest Titanium 3.2L 4x2 AT for a drive to Tagaytay and back to Manila on two separate occasions, first in April and then with this trip and I can honestly say it's one of the most comfortable trips I've had :)

Though I'm just a passenger and I can't say much about the ease of driving and the handling, I can remark about how comfortable I felt while riding in the Ford Everest Titanium.

I'll list down my favorites, so read on!

Travel: The Clubhouse @ SM Wind Residences PLUS JT"s Manukan and Bulalo Point Turo-Turo Grill

20-22 May 2019

Last April, we were in Tagaytay but weren't able to visit The Clubhouse at the SM Wind Residences because we became too exhausted from the Aqua Park at Club Balai Isabel. 

This time, we practically spent the whole day at The Clubhouse aside from going out to lunch at the nearby McDonald's and having dinner at Bulalo Point Turo-Turo Grill.

Check out our photos around the clubhouse, including the restaurants we ate at in Tagaytay. :)

Review: Our Stay at SM Wind Terraces Tagaytay through Airbnb

26 - 28 April 2019

This is our first time to book a place to stay via Airbnb and we don't regret it.  We booked a condo unit at the SM Wind Terraces in Tagaytay for our 3D/2N weekend getaway.  It was located in Tower 1, at the 16th Floor.

We only had a budget of P2K-P3K and we were pleased with our decision not just because of the location and the actual unit but also, the host, Luis, and his caretaker, Wendy, were both gracious and easy to talk with.

Check out our stay :)

Travel: Trip to UP and then Tagaytay

August 26, 2012

Ordinarily, we don't go out on Sundays because we just all want to rest and stay home in preparation for the new week ahead.  But since, it was going to be a holiday tomorrow and Patrick is test driving the Subaru Impreza, we all decided to take a trip to UP so that the kids can bike freely.  We were also looking forward to having lunch at Rodic's :) So here are the kids having Taho while on break :)

Now, we didn't take pictures at Rodic's because you've seen a lot of them by now.  What surprised us though was when Patrick decided to drive all the way to Tagaytay just to test the Subaru Impreza :)  So, we decided to go to Palace in the Sky which we haven't gone to.  It was quite a ride going up through the slightly  roads zig-zagging roads and we had to do a little climbing (walking) to get to the entrance.  Apparently, a lot of people had the same thought during this holiday as there were a lot of people here too.

So here we were, taking advantage of the views from our high vantage point.

Now these two succeeding pictures actually tell an unfortunate incident while we were there.  I took this picture (notice the umbrella behind them).  It was cloudy when we arrived that's why we took it and indeed, it rained a little while we were there.  At the next picture, Patrick took the shot and after that, we all went somewhere else.  Unfortunately, Patrick forgot the umbrella under this picnic hut!  We realized it after we climbed the other peak which was about 5-7 minutes away so by the time we got back to this spot, the umbrella was gone.  Patrick was pissed because it was his favorite Subaru umbrella and it was huge and can protect all four of us.

After a rather frustrating time trying to locate the umbrella, we just decided to chalk it up to experience.  We left Palace in the Sky (I think they call it People's Park now) but I was still keeping an eye out for that huge Subaru umbrella hehe.  To console ourselves, Patrick drove to Mushroom Burger since the kids haven't eaten there yet and it has been a long time for Patrick and me too.  After our snacks of burgers, fries and drinks, the kids went outside and spent some time in the playground :)

To end the day, we had dinner at Rose and Grace restaurant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Trip to Tagaytay and Enchanted Kingdom

August 29-30, 2009

First of all, let me greet Den, my niece a Happy 18th Birthday!!! It is on her account that we're going out of town because we want to celebrate her 18th Birthday in style :)

So we chose Tagaytay as our destination for three reasons. First, we've never been there as a family and staying overnight. Second, it was on the way to Enchanted Kingdom where we'll be spending the next day at. Patrick got free tickets again as part of Enchanted Kingdom's media blitz. And, Third, we reserved a room at the Days Hotel Tagaytay because we wanted to test the discount card that I was a member of. For P3K annual membership, we get 30%-40% discounted rates at Days Hotel rooms nationwide and the same goes for their affiliate hotels.



Our first stop during our trip, believe it or not, was for lunch at the Rose and Grace Restaurant along the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Highway. For P1K+ we got our fill of Bulalo, Beef Steak, Lechon Kawali, a Tower of Nestea Iced Tea and 2 orders of Fresh Lumpia and bowls of rice! :D Not bad!! and Great Tasting too!!

It was just in time for checking in when we were done so we headed to the Days Hotel Tagaytay where we were booked at their Deluxe Room. There was 1 King Sized Bed, a couch that turns into an extra bed and our very own jacuzzi in the bathroom!! All for P4650 (inclusive of 10% surcharge). Oh and there was a balcony/terrace where you get to hang out and enjoy the scenic view of the mountain.


We then headed to Tagaytay Picnic Grove because we heard that there was horseback riding there and we wanted the kids to experience that. So off we went!! And sure enough, there were horses there, you can tell by the stench! LOL My allergies started acting up LOL But all for the kids so I soldiered on LOL For P200, 2 people can ride one horse for an hour. It's a boring one hour because they only get to go around in circles in a paddock type of field. For an additional P150, you supposedly get an adventure tour (but we didn't try that out). The kids enjoyed it though :)


After that, we went looking for the Zipline and Cable area. Arfie recommended this bit so thanks to her :) That was an awesome adventure!! Den and I decided to try the zipline. You are suspended from these zipline cables. You choose to lie flat or to sit (we chose to lie flat it was more exciting that way!) and you're zipping across the mountain. It was a rush, a scary, but exhilarating rush!! So we went both ways because it was tiring to go back up the trail on foot hahahaha The kids, Ate Mel and Patrick went on the cable car which will take the same route only on a much sedate pace. Dylan was pretending there was a dinosaur hiding in the trees LOL So that was a worthwhile experience :)




After all that excitement, we all trooped to the swimming pool at the hotel even though it was pretty cold so we didn't stay long. We then spent a long time in the jacuzzi LOL that was something :)


Time for bed!! We have an early day because we still have to go to Enchanted Kingdom :) But we still managed to sneak in a dip in the pool hahaha


And that was our trip to Tagaytay:


Our trip to Enchanted Kingdom is pretty much a rehash of what went on the last time.. Full of rides but since there were more people at the park, there were long lines and it wasn't really that much fun. I did have a chance to get a foot reflexology and whole body massage at Enchanted.. and it was heaven!! LOL You just don't know how long I've wanted to experience that ! LOL



For more pictures (and there are many!) just click here:

It's a good thing it was a 3-day weekend. We needed one day to rest before school and office started again LOL