Being a true blue Southerner, i could say that the thriving Filinvest City in Alabang is probably one of our favorite go-to escape when we needed to shop, eat fancy or perhaps stay the night away to spoil ourselves with the most needed rest and relaxation. Weeks before my birthday my husband's asking what's my plan. And i said, all i ever wanted for my birthday was to REST and to shop (a little) for the holidays for the kids and our family as well. I was looking at my bucket list and was contemplating if we should to go back to Crimson Hotel which is my favorite, or perhaps try other hotels on the list, until i came across Somerset which was the newest in the area. So, there we agreed to book a room for my birthday.

It was funny and ridiculous, how i'd thought of planning a runaway-from-home scenario weeks ago. I was like grasping for some air and i thought of going out somewhere with my kids, while recuperating from a flu virus which caused me some emotional strains and anxiety the past days. Too much stressful situations lately made me gaunt physically and poignant resulting to some unstable kooky-ness! Yes, it happened, because i am human. So, undeterred where to head and stay for the night, while parked in a gas station, i remembered Microtel in Sto.Tomas which is just an hour drive away. I booked it online, using my smartphone that instant and was surprised to receive immediate confirmation!

Our recent trip abroad was merely a 3 days 2 nights travel. Two days of which were spent travelling to and from Hong Kong, stressful right? We barely scratched the surface of the city because what we really wanted to see was just Disneyland and Ocean Park for the kids, while the oldies (our parents, both mine and my in-laws) together with my sissy went on an arranged city tour. We skipped the latter because we've been to other places and attractions in Hong Kong before and we just got back to fulfill my daughter's 7th Birthday wish.

Days and nights must be slipping so fast. Have you flipped your calendar yet? I just did it this morning and hello! It's February na pala! Welcome to the love month- the idyllic time of the year when flowers and chocolates are flooding! Women are giggling with glee, because finally, here's to a bunch of fresh red roses, a fluffy teddy bear or a sweet romantic escape! Kilig! 

Speaking of escape, me and my husband recently had our anniversary staycation (and an advance valentine celebration too, before he left for work) at one of the most romantic place in the region, Tagaytay. Why not? It's chilly, scenic and a perfect quick destination for a total rest and relaxation. Not to mention the long list of nice restos ideal for a table-for-two dinner date.

This is the year and January is the month when we celebrated our 10th year wedding anniversary. Did i just said 10 years? How fast time flies. It's been a decade past since we pledged for our vows and exchanged "I Dos", but what could be happier than to celebrate it with that one special person whom, for all these years has been my source of [stress], i mean strength and immeasurable happiness. Hahaha! Yes, i'm a happy wife to my husband of 10 years and this deserves a special celebration! 

Staycation is one of my favorite things to do. Whether we are celebrating a special occasion or we just feel like we wanted to escape and relax for a weekend. And like I always say, being a southern dweller for most of my life, our quick go-to places will always be Alabang. It's an hour drive and nice hotels are just around the corners. 

For my daughter's birthday she only wished for one thing, "Mommy i want to stay in a hotel with a nice swimming pool!" That was quite a surprise for a 6-years old, wishing for a staycation instead of expensive toys or perhaps a lavish party. So there, i booked a room for us at Crimson Hotel.

It was two weeks before my birthday and i still haven't planned anything yet. Why is that so? Well, the busyness of life occupied me so much and my recent deactivation from social networks due to some false friendship attacks (intriguing huh?) caused me to stay away from everything, unplugging myself from all source of news and even social gatherings. Still, my instagram account is always updated in case you don't know. (Paano ba yun ideactivate for a while?) 

Anyway, i used to celebrate my birthday every year. I never want to pass it without having a very simple and intimate party with my closest family and friends or if not, i will celebrate it with my kids and my husband, by staying in a hotel and just spoiling myself with all their love and warm presence- no gifts, just having them beside me is PRICELESS. For some, celebrating their birthday isn't something to look forward to, most moms would prefer to prepare ahead of time for their kids birthday (yes i do that too), but just like any birthdays in my family, i also prepare for my birthday- because the life i was living now is my second life and i just wanna be thankful, for God has been so generous with the life He has given me. Isn't that enough reason to celebrate? (Now the second life series is another story to tell...) 

Searching and booking for hotels gives me great pains, as I have said before in my previous blog. And it gave me twice the pain searching for a nice hotel in a city not so desirable by many. There are a lot of hotels to choose from in the city of Johor Bahru Malaysia, but then again it should meet my standards which is comfort and security above value for money. I always consider Tripadvisor as one of the most useful sites when it comes to finding a hotel by reading the reviews contributed by most travellers. 

Among the hotels which has received a lot of feedbacks including the negative ones is Hallmark Regency Hotel. I actually booked the hotel almost a week before our scheduled departure. The positive comments about the hotel complements with my standards, and the negative ones made me think about it a hundred times. But God is always a great provider and adviser. 

Our first trip to Malaysia together with our kids two weeks ago is one that I consider an "all-of-God's" favor trip. The moment we set foot on the plane going to Kuala Lumpur I felt His presence. Not only for the provision of finances, the P88 pesos air tickets, our safety, food and allowances but I also got so much favors for our accommodation. 

We stayed for two nights at Johor Bahru, Malaysia and another night at Kuala Lumpur. The trip was very tiring, especially for the kids. On the last two days, my husband got sick, my son is having some leg pains and my daughter is ongoing medication but she managed to keep a cheerful disposition. Then my camera lens was broken. I guess I was the only one who stayed fit as a fiddle. But God has always been a source of strength and healing. And in Him we are highly favored! 

One of the things that I consider when booking hotels for our trips is comfort and security. Some people may scrimp comfort and would settle for a lesser hotel to allocate the budget for shopping. But It would be nice for me to settle on the contrary. Because tours are tiring and exhausting, and it's always nice to have a cozy space that you can call a home while on vacation. I know there are a lot of budget hotels around that will not compromise my standards, hence, searching for hotels gives me great pains and consumes most of my time. 

I was given the favors of booking a first class hotel in the very heart of Kuala Lumpur City, Malaysia. It's classy, homey, spacious, comfortable and most of all it's FREE! 

Our first staycation for this year as a family (because it's the first time that our kids are with us) and the last staycation for the year, officially kicks off at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila. Let me thank my ever loving and generous husband for the birthday gift! Hahaha! As much as we wanted to travel a lot, (which i have mentioned in my earlier posts) there are priorities that we wanted to stay focused and i really thank God for hotel privileges, which can suffice the need for a total rest and relaxation without flying. 

Here's another series of staycation we had on a weekend in Manila! If you'll notice, me and my family love hotel-cations once in a while. Staying in a hotel for a night or two gives me a total breath of comfort and relaxation away from all the bustles in life. But apart from that, i need to confess that i really have this obsession with hotels, and one bucket list i have is my 100 hotels to visit before i die! Now, how was that?

Our summer staycation for this year officially kicks off at Acacia Hotel Manila. If you'll notice, i am becoming obsessed with hotels. One of my goals is to at least visit 1,000 hotels before i die. How possible?! I may sound funny but hotel gives me feeling of home less the chores. Thanks to the the widespread buying site subscriptions we had today, scoring promos and discounts are just a click away!

It's quite ironic but honestly, this was the first time that i visited the town proper of Nasugbu, Batangas, most specially their white beach! I have lived in Batangas all my life, but still, there are sooo many places that I've never explored yet. Thank God, it was time to celebrate another anniversary and so we decided to spend a night at Canyon Cove, Nasugbu, Batangas which is just an hour drive away from our place. 

We really wanted to travel once in a while, but there are some projects that we need to prioritize. Also, believing that this is a year for investments & wise spending of our hard earned money- i didn't book any flights or trips for this year. Instead, hotel staycations will be our alternative. Speaking of hotel- our first staycation officially kicks off at Hotel H2O Manila!

We were actually booked from 3 different hotels by Ensemble E-travel, but confirmations are hard because of the volume of tourists who are visiting Puerto Princesa that time, [according to them]. So, from Asturias Hotel, to Fleuris and then to The Legend Palawan, finally we got a room for 2 nights plus 1 night FREE! I really don't know why they booked another night for us, anyhooo i thank God for it. 

Our Hongkong trip was a quick and a not-so-well-planned one. I acquired the air tickets out of my impulsiveness and also because we were confident to travel with another couple who ended up not joining because of an urgent and unexpected matter. When I heard the excuse, I was actually having second thoughts if we will still pursue the trip. But then, after thinking a hundred times, I told myself, "Sayang ang plane ticket! Tara lets go!" My husband and I decided to pursue the trip and I booked our hotel 3 days before our departure.

I always do a lot of research, reviews and blog reads before finalizing a hotel but Panda Hotel is an exemption. Why? Because I booked it through a travel agency and I was too busy to do searches because I wasn't really sure if we're going and I was cramming 3 days before our flight due to a lot of to-do list. So I relied on my travel manager's advise and there we go.

Hello Panda! 

My first visit to Subic wayback 2002 was a Lions Club International Convention. As part of my mom's active organization memberships years ago, me and my sister have the perks of visiting new places from time to time because my Mom wouldn't want to leave us home alone. 

It was a group tour and we stayed in Subic Homes for three days. I love the place because it was clean, quiet and comfortable. The place where we stayed is very nice and cozy. I'm happy I was able to visit it again after 9 long years, now with my husband and kids as well as my in-laws. 

The place has the same clean and quiet surroundings. And I noticed some improvements with the housing facilities in the nearer areas. I booked a unit with 3 bedrooms plus a servant's quarter near the kitchen and a garage at Binictican Heights. I was actually referred by a cousin in a website for the contacts. The place was big enough to accommodate a party of twelve (12) including two kids and a nanny but quite creepy and old unlike the other units just a few blocks near the entrance and the pool.

Family Living Area 

Crown Regency Residences served as our home for three days during our family vacation in Davao City. My initial reaction with the place was quite good, spacious and comfortable for my kids and the rest of the family members especially my parents. It has a home-like ambience and charming mediterranean architectures. Some areas of the room needs to be refurbished though the interiors are quite nice and clean. (Some of the photos are courtesy of Crown Regency and Tripadvisor, I wasn't able to take more photos because I was too busy attending to my babies' needs).

Facade of the Hotel