Friday, December 1, 2017

Christmas 2017 Wish List

(Image source: www.happilyabi.com)

Wow, I can't believe it's already December! Just to make myself clear, I make wish lists for the fun of it (and not to ask anyone for anything). Looking back to a wish list I made six years back, it's interesting to see how my interests and preferences changed through time. The products I listed were mostly related to beauty and fashion-- makeup, shoes, sunglasses, nail polish, lol. This year, my list is totally different!

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Life Updates

(Image from google.com)

Some updates about me:

1. I danced in front of a lot of people-- in a panda costume no less! Oh my gosh-- I still can't believe I did it! Okay, one thing about me is I'm very bad at dancing. I guess all the zumba classes I attended paid off because the people who saw me dance said I did good. I still get embarrassed thinking about it. Lol.

2. Arrived in Legazpi yesterday after a week long stay in Manila. My scheduled flight to Legazpi was two days ago. Everything was going smoothly until the pilot announced that we couldn't land in Legazpi because of the strong winds. We had to go back to Manila and reschedule our flight BUT the next available flight was Friday and I could no longer extend my stay in Manila because I was already gone for far too long. I decided to reroute my flight to Naga (there were available seats for the flight yesterday) and took a two hour land trip to Legazpi. It was completely exhausting. But I'm glad I made it home safe and sound!

3. Booked a trip to Harbin this December. Something to look forward to!

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Quitinday Hills


I had quite an exciting weekend two weeks ago because Ryan visited me in Legazpi *cue happy dance*! I brought him to Quitinday Hills because we were itching for an adventure. The trek was relatively easy and the view from the top was amazing. Planning to come back here with a picnic blanket, and some snacks and cold drinks in hand!

Didn't edit some of the photos because I'm too lazy to do it lol.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Achievement Unlocked: Headstand


Yup, I finally did it! Learning this pose was definitely not easy. I allotted five to ten minutes of practice (almost) every day for two weeks and even developed red spots on my face four days to my practice. I panicked for a while, searched the net, and found out that this is normal for beginners trying to do headstands (whew!). This can be remedied by breathing properly while doing the pose. 

I used to do the pose with the wall behind me as a safety net in case I fall. But after several more days of practice and after a ton of pep talk I gave myself, I mustered all my courage and tried doing it without the wall, and I survived!

My headstand is far from perfect, and I still get out of balance from time to time. But it makes me happy knowing that I can achieve anything if I put my heart and mind to it.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

A Visit from Friends


Okay-- long story short, my friends Fran and Michelle visited me in Legazpi! I haven't seen them for a long time so I was really excited to see them and show them around my hometown. So what exactly happened in the two days that they were here? 

1. Visited Sumlang Lake and enjoyed a view of the majestic Mayon Volcano
2. Tried sili ice cream at Colonial Grill
3. Went hiking up the Quitinday Hills and watched the sunset
4. Dropped by Legazpi Boulevard and drank refreshing buko juice straight from the shell
5. Did some exercise by going up Lignon Hill
6. Tried the popular fried chicken from Four Seasons 
7. Went to Cagsawa Ruins to take photos

It was physically exhausting but we sure had loads of fun! Although I've stayed in Legazpi for more than fifteen years, this was actually my first time to go to Sumlang Lake and Quitinday Hills. Thank you for the visit, Fran and Michelle!

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Althea Food Skin Love Box Review


Ever since I moved back to my hometown this January, I find myself constantly browsing online shops. In fact, one of the things I miss most about Manila is that it has everything-- from clothes, bags, makeup, skincare products, to different types of food (Japanese, Italian, Mexican, French, Mediterranean) to various fitness activities (I terribly miss doing anti-gravity yoga). Name it, and Manila has it! Lol so anyway, I have limited access to all those things now because I only fly to Manila once or twice a month. I discovered this website called Althea around the same time I moved back to my hometown. It's a website that sells Korean beauty and skincare products. Talk about perfect timing!

I first ordered from Althea early this year which you can read about here. This is my third purchase from Althea and so far I'm happy with all my purchases. This time, I got a Food Skin Love Box which included eight full-sized products.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Blue Everything


Hi guys! Do you remember my shoot with Ben late last year? Here's another set of photos from that day. The photo above is actually my favorite ❤.

Click the button below for more photos!

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Islas de Gigantes Day 2


Naturally, we went island hopping and did some swimming on day two. Although the accommodations were humble at best, I very much enjoyed my stay here. The white sand beach was pristine! The place was very peaceful and private since there weren't a lot of people. In fact, we were the only group (well, aside from the locals) staying in the island when we visited!

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Islas de Gigantes Day 1


A blog post about a trip taken nine months back? Yep! Lol. 

So anyway, I went with a few friends to Islas de Gigantes (or Gigantes Islands), a group of islands located at the northeastern part of Iloilo. To get there, we took a flight headed to Roxas City, stayed there overnight, then took a car ride and a boat ride on the following day. Travel time is much shorter as compared to flying from Manila to Iloilo City.

Monday, July 10, 2017

Ryan in Albay!


How's everyone doing lately?

If you guys don't know yet, I moved back to my hometown, Legazpi, seven months ago. This place is definitely much more peaceful and relaxed, still, I can't help but miss the craziness of Manila -- the crowded malls, the horrendous traffic, the noise, the feeling that so many things are happening all at the same time. So far, I've been flying to Manila once or twice a month.

Anyway, right after I made the big move, Ryan said he would visit me, and we decided that May would be a good time. He brought me to his hometown, Tabaco, which was around 45 minutes away from mine, and took a good look around. He brought me to Cafe Molave, a quaint restaurant in the middle of the city, and to Ishi-aya, a Japanese restaurant he kept on telling me about since last year. We went to Mayon Rest House, located in Mayon Volcano itself, although the view wasn't as nice because it was too close to the top (lol!). I also brought him to some places in Legazpi. On his last day, we went to Donsol and swam with the whale sharks. This wasn't the first time I've seen these huge creatures but it was my first time to swim with them! Seeing them up close was amazing-- no words to describe it! 

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

25th


It's the 4th of July, which means...... it's my birthday! Time flew by so fast, I can't believe I'm turning 25 today! Here are some shots taken by Ben (check out his website and instagram) several months back. Click the button below to see the rest of the photos!

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Anilao 2017


When asked about my ideal getaway, only one place comes to mind-- the beach! Nothing really beats relaxing under the sun and staring into the horizon while listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore with a glass of ice cold drink in hand. I feel so excited just by thinking about it! Lol.

Last May, I went to Anilao with a couple of friends and stayed there for one night. We didn't get to do a lot of stuff because an overnight stay wasn't enough! We did some snorkeling though (one thing you shouldn't miss when you're in Anilao!), played beach volleyball, and took advantage of the unlimited use of kayaks at the resort (we stayed at Anilao Awari Bay). Aaand this place will forever hold a special place in my heart because this is where I first learned how to swim and be comfortable in a 15ft pool! (I just recently started learning how to swim lol.)

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Summer Air


Summer is no doubt my favorite part of the year and although the heat is sometimes unbearable, I still enjoy every minute of it! Here I am wearing a flowy jumpsuit from Miss Selfridge on a hot, sunny day in Manila.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

The Farm at San Benito


First off, The Farm at San Benito is huge! In fact, it will take you a while to go around the entire place. And what's even better is that there aren't a lot of guests staying at the resort. I can actually count with my fingers the number of guests we saw during our entire stay! 

Read on to find out what you can expect at The Farm at San Benito. :)

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

The Farm at San Benito: Pools!


Of course, a relaxing getaway wouldn't be complete without a refreshing swim! The Farm actually has quite a number of pools-- the South Pool, the infinity pool by the spa, and the man-made waterfalls. And don't forget the private heated pools if you book the Narra Villas!

The best part of our stay here was there weren't a lot of people. We rarely saw other guests-- it felt like we had the entire place all to ourselves!

Saturday, May 20, 2017

The Farm at San Benito: Activities


Some of the things that made me excited for my trip to The Farm at San Benito were the activities! Every day, the staff hands you the list of activities for the next day with their respective timeslots. They usually hold classes for yoga, qi gong, taichi, meditation, power walk, and flower arrangement, and when you're lucky, you can even join a cooking class!

Monday, May 1, 2017

Denim Overalls


I've been hearing a lot of great stuff about this place in Batangas called The Farm at San Benito and I'm so glad I got to visit it early this year! It's the perfect place for a nice relaxing escape away from the hustle and bustle of the city. These photos were taken on the first day before we got settled in.

Watch out for my next posts for more photos of The Farm at San Benito!

Monday, April 24, 2017

Ho Chi Minh Day 3: Search for Authentic Vietnamese Coffee


This day was officially allotted to Vietnamese coffee. You know, complete with the coffee filter and all lol. We searched the web for a good place that offered it and was glad that we found one several minutes away from our hotel. The coffee shop-slash-restaurant was called Cafe Runam and it gave off the same vibe as the TWG branches back home.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Ho Chi Minh Day 2: Cooking Class


Our first day was packed with activities. Yes it was exhausting but also loads of fun! If you haven't read my writeup about it yet, you may do so here.

On day two, our group joined a cooking class and we felt like farmers for a day! Before we started preparing the dishes, we gathered and harvested all the necessary ingredients. We were taught on how to pick various herbs, vegetables, and even mushrooms and were given an overview on the medicinal uses of each. Read on to find out what I cooked! 

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Errand Day


While we were in Makati for an errand, I asked my boyfriend Ryan to take a photo of me so I could post it on Instagram. I was surprised because he immediately started snapping dozens of photos-- lucky day! I don't want to flood anybody's Instagram feed so I decided to post the rest of the photos here. :)

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Ho Chi Minh Day 1: City Tour and Street Food Tour


The latter part of 2016 was super hectic for me because there were so many things going on in my life. And because of the holidays and a number of out-of-town trips, I had zero time to go online to write blog posts. 

...but better late than never, right? In this post, I'll be sharing photos of my trip to Ho Chi Minh last October! It was my first time in Vietnam so everything was new to me. Read on to know what happened on my first day!

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Althea Box #13: Vitamin Box Review

(Photo from Althea)

Hi guys! I just want to share with you my first ever purchase from Althea, an online store that carries Korean skincare and beauty products. The entire process was sooo convenient and hassle-free. I recently ordered a Vitamin Box which contained seven full-sized items for only Php 1,350 (regular price is at Php 6,006). I didn't encounter any problems. AT ALL. My order even qualified for free shipping -- yay!

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Corregidor Adventure


Corregidor is only an hour away from Manila by ferry so I don't know why it took me soooo long to visit the place. Definitely a must-see for history buffs! Click the link below to read about my experience.

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Chestnut Brown


I've been asked quite a number of times where I got my hair dyed and people would be surprised when I tell them that I colored them myself! My favorite brand is Liese Bubble Hair Color-- it's so easy to apply (just like applying shampoo to the hair), and it leaves my hair soft and moisturized (unlike other brands I've tried).

The color I currently have on is Chestnut Brown. It's a very dark shade of brown, but turns into a lighter shade after a few weeks. I'm pretty happy with how the color turned out. Though Rose Tea Brown still tops my list-- it's a shade of brown with a slight tinge of red.

Big thanks to Ben for the photos! Check out his website and Instagram here and here.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Boracay in December Day 2


On day two, we had a little bit of time in the morning for some water activities! We tried parasailing, flyfish (my fave!), and helmet diving. The weather was surprisingly good despite it being the rainy season. 

Friday, January 13, 2017

Boracay in December Day 1


So, how's everyone doing? It's already 2017 and I still haven't posted some of my trips from last year! Lol.

Just before 2016 ended, I had the chance to come back to Boracay after my trip there last June. This time, it was for a wedding! We checked in at The Lind Hotel in Station 1. The place and the view were picturesque! In fact, the wedding was held in the hotel's roof deck with an amazing view of the beach and the sunset!

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Highlights of 2016

(Photo from: Google)

Happy New Year, everyone! The year 2016 was my happiest ever, yet one of the most challenging. There were lots of disappointments, frustrations, and challenges that tested me and pushed me to my limits. But the past year was also filled with one-of-a-kind opportunities, memorable achievements, and unforgettable experiences which I'll be forever thankful for.

Last year, I made a promise to myself that I would make 2016 my travel year and I'm glad I was able to do it! Since I couldn't leave work for a long time, I decided it was better for me to have shorter but more frequent trips. There were so many things that made my 2016 amazing and I couldn't possibly list all of them here, but I'll do my best to cover everything!

Read on for the highlights of my 2016!