Celebrate Father’s Day at Boracay Garden Resort

Show Dad how much he means to you this Father’s Day by treating him to a memorable stay at Boracay Garden Resort! Unwind in the island paradise of Boracay for only Php5,471net per person. Based on twin-sharing, the package is inclusive of three days accommodation, buffet breakfast and dinner and roundtrip transfers via Caticlan. Travel period is until July 31, 2013.

For inquiries, call Boracay Garden Resort’s Manila Booking Office at (02) 353-1111 or email manila@boracaygarden.com.ph.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mommies!

Smart Parenting magazine has a special treat in time for Mother’s Day this week! You can download the May issue of Smart Parenting in e-magazine format for FREE from May 10 to May 12, 2013 by simply logging on to http://summitnewsstand.com.ph/ to avail of this Mother’s Day weekend offer.

This month, Smart Parenting magazine gives you expert tips and preparations when it comes to managing the home, firming family bonds, getting the kids to eat healthy, plus secrets to looking good while rocking motherhood.

“Our May issue is always extra special for all of us here at Smart Parenting. This time, we’ve pulled out all the stops to gather eight admirable moms on our cover. Our “great eight” all belong to the new generation of modern moms who are empowered, hands-on, truly inspiring, smart, and discerning about the choices they make,” Smart Parenting editor-in-chief Mia Fausto-Cruz writes in her editorial note.

On the cover of this month’s issue are the new generation moms featuring Amanda Griffin Jacob, Chesca Garcia-Kramer, Christine Jacob-Sandejas, Rissa Mananquil Trillo, Rhea Santos-de Guzman, Ria Tanjuatco Trillo, Bianca Araneta-Elizalde, and Amina Aranaz Alunan together with their adorable bundles of joy as they generously share their own parenting and motherhood tips in this issue. Meanwhile, Smart Parenting also trains the spotlight to veteran moms Boots Anson Roa, Prof. Winnie Monsod, and Caridad Sanchez as they also share their parenting wisdom and more.

The May issue of Smart Parenting is now available in newsstands, bookstores, and supermarkets for only P125. It comes with the Nat Geo Little Kids featuring the Tree Frog on its cover. For more of Smart Parenting online, visit www.smartparenting.com.ph and become a fan of Smart Parenting on Facebook via Facebook.com/smartparenting.ph and follow us on Twitter via @SP_online.

Exploring Taal 1 - Little Bridge Resort

It  wasn't my first time to visit this place.  As Little Bridge Resort, yes,  because the last time I  was here,  the place  was still known as R & L Resort and that was many  years ago.  Today, it is known as Aplaya de Botong Spiritual and Wellness Center.  To give you a brief history,  the resort   has undergone three sets  of management.   Previously,  it was famous by  name  Sea Breeze,  R & L Resort  and Pleasant Grove.

We  stayed  in the resort  and booked in hotel room  for overnight after  exploring heritage sites in Taal which is just a few minutes away  from  the main town.

The resort has actually  4 pools.  Two pools, (kid pool and adult pool with 8ft  deep)   intended for  hotel  guests  while  the other two pools are  for cabana, apartment and  day trippers.

The  kids  enjoyed the  8 ft deep pool and  do lap swimming for hours. 

Aside from the enchanting and refreshing pool  by which the children enjoyed a lot,  the beautiful sunset and these beautiful  bountiful trees ready for harvest   gave us a  feeling  like we were on  a  grand  vacation.  We were  allowed  to pick some,  enough  to fill our  cravings. 

Love, love the place.  I highly recommend  for families, friends and those  who are looking for some leisure  time  yet peaceful  and quick getaway.   Next best stop  after touring Taal.

My  daughter just couldn't stop clicking on her camera  for her intashot.  This is what we call selfie photos,  taking photos all by herself.

Enchanting  sunset at Taal.

My misty shot.  As soon as I woke up the next morning, I got my camera  and walked around the  resort.  This is  what happened when my camera sleeps in a room of high cool temperature. There is no fog here. A moist in my  lens gave me a  hazy  shot  like this.

We settled our breakfast  from fast food delivery.  By the way, the hotel has own restaurant. You can order   at the restaurant  and they also serve local  food like  Tawilis, Tapang Taal and more.  We did not bother to grill some pork,  fish and other breaky food because  kids only  want  pancakes, eggs and hotdogs.   Corkage fee is charged when you bring  food inside.

Caption  the following photos...

The last two photos are from Joy. I just copied our group pic and photo op with Resort Manager.  Thank you so much  for  accommodating us and making us feel comfortable and at home during our stay.

It was a grand vacation for us.  The place is perfect for family getaway who needs to enjoy and relax with spiritual aspect.  This is another  unforgettable summer  vacation  with  Mendiola and  Borje Family.  Awesome!

When we checked in at the resort, we  know  its name as Little Bridge Resort.  When we checked out, we just discovered that they already changed the name to Aplaya de Butong Spiritual and Wellness Center.  The name  just  justifies itself  why the place  is so serene, quiet  and so calm. 

Just to to give you a brief information about the resort.

All rooms are airconditioned.  Hotel and Cabana have 3 queen size beds.  We opted to stay in a hotel room near the pool with the capacity of  6 to 10 persons.    Please check their  FB Account:   Aplaya de Butong  or  visit their website for more details.

Aplaya de Butong Spiritual & Wellness Center
formerly  Little Bridge Resort
Barangay Butong
Taal Batangas

THE ULTIMATE SUMMER ACTIVITY FAIR

The Ultimate Summer Activity Fair— Mommy Mundo’s Expo Kid 5, a prelude to summer, will happen on March 2, 2013 (Saturday). This first kick-off event of Mommy Mundo for 2013 showcases tons of options of activities, for a productive & fun summer for kids of all ages. This year’s Expo Kid will be held at the 500 Shaw Events Pavilion, home of Kids Klub which has become a destination in kids’ extra curricular activities.

As another school year draws to a close, Mommy Mundo, together with its partners Jakenpoy.com, Craft MNL, our venue partner 500 Shaw Events Pavilion, and our valued sponsors and exhibitors, we invite all moms and dads to bring their kids to Expo Kid 2013 to gather up ideas for possible summer activities. “We all know that summer is a time of fun, but it can also be a productive time when we allow our children to discover their talents, meet new friends, and learn new hobbies, outside the school setting. It is a time of building happy memories that go with childhood. These can be achieves by choosing the right summer classes for them.” says Janice Crisostomo Villanueva, founder of Mommy Mundo.

 Photo of last year's Expo Kid

Expo Kid 2013 will feature major interactive activity areas for kids where they can try out crafting stations from Craft MNL, check out the fun learning modules on Jakenpoy.com, music, arts and sports activities from Kids Klub as well as Crayola. There are more booths from other activity providers from all over Metro Manila, as well as a shopping bazaar which is Mommy Mundo’s trademark mompreneur market featuring more than 40+ booths onsite.

 Photo of last year's Expo Kid

The event is open to the public with a minimal entrance fee of 20 pesos per person, which will benefit MomShare outreach projects. Everyone will also enjoy the all-day onstage program featuring the following: 

• Talented performances and demos from Kids Klub such as Julie Borromeo Performing Arts, New York Musical Theater Lab by Miguel Braganza, My Talent by Audie Gemora, the Philippine Gymnastics Academy, Taekwondo by Coach Donnie Geisler, Mathemagis - Singapore Math, KidzArt, Aikido, and Kindermusik by Teacher Suzette & Friends. 
• A multi-arts show from My Masterpiece Movement
•  Followed by informative talks for moms courtesy of the Learning Basket and Wonderworld Toys: Celebrating your child's milestones.
• Fun and educational demos will be facilitated by Jakenpoy.com and CRAFT MNL featuring screen printing Demonstration and Heritage Craft. 

Expo Kid 2013 is set to be a kids’ haven and a memorable welcome to summer. This event is produced by Mommy Mundo, the go-to resource for active and modern moms. Co-presented by PACE, Mommy Matters. In partnership with Jackenpoy.com, CRAFT MNL, Crayola& Kids Klub with the participation 500 Shaw Events Pavilion as our venue partner. Supported by Cycles&Cradle, Parteiziet and Crystal Clear. Media partners, Manila Bulletin, Sense & Style, Smart Parenting, the Style Weekend, Working Mom, Lifestyle Network, Urban Mom, www.mommypages.com.ph and Crossover 105.1 FM.

For more info on Mommy Mundo events, sign up for the mailing list at www.mommymundo.com, like Mommy Mundo on Facebook) or email info@mommymundo.com.

Life's Precious Moments at Precious Moments Restaurant

Along  Buendia Ave.  near corner of   South Superhighway,  one would never expect  that there is an extra ordinary  restaurant  nestled in this  busy  highway.   I am talking about  the Precious Restaurant and Gift Shop  near  Cash n Carry.  It was my first time to visit the place and I never imagined it would be really precious for me and my  younger daughter whom I tagged along at the event.   Who doesn't know about Precious Moment, their famous tag lines "Dear God" and other cute stuff.   Before going to Precious Moment, I had a handful information about such place but I never knew there's more inside when I actually  entered the restaurant  and hear more  stories from  Restaurant Manager Jojo Sunillo.    Although I found some photos in the Internet,  still  everything was a big surprise for me.  Right that moment, I already knew  I will  be back here with my family and friends and let them experience a fine dining surrounded by cute dolls and other collectible stuff.    Aside from dining, one would also enjoy shopping for gifts  and  Christmas items. It's Christmas everyday in the shop.   As soon we get inside, my daughter couldn't believe what she had seen in the interior, the ambiance and everything  inside. Glad I tagged along my girl. she really had a wonderful day that weekend. She's totally amazed and she already requested to come back soon.

Photos below were taken at the first floor, Sam Brew Coffee.

After taking photos, we proceeded  to the second floor.   We were totally amazed when we went upstairs and everything was a revelation.  Different Precious Moments memorabilia such as dolls, bags, etc delighted our eyes.  We went there and thought about having a food trip alone without our knowledge that  we would be  really surprised that day.  It wasn't about dining alone but the feeling of satisfaction and having real quality moment at the restaurant.  This is what Precious Moments is all about, sharing, caring and touching lives.

I took more photos but  those shots weren't enough. I swear I'll be going  back here and promise to visit again  together with my family next time. I know for sure that my older daughter will love the place. Below are some photos taken at  the second floor. 

Sam Butcher, an American artist,  is the creator of  Precious  Moments characters.  Most of us are familiar with these figurines and  adorable little creatures with droopy soulful eyes but we're not aware that these  dolls have  been produced in the Philippines since 1981,  not for local sale but for export to other countries.   Last July 10, 2010,  Precious Moments  opened its  first store in Metro Manila.  Our country must be very lucky  and privileged to have Sam Butcher, the famous creator of Precious Moments products.   
It was  July 22, 2011 when  Philippine Precious Moments Collectors Club (PPMCC) was formally organized with 62 members.  Today the members have blown up to more than 600.  If you want to be a member of PPMCC, please contact them and visit their website and their  social  networking sites provided below.

We were served the following variety of extensive menu. Seaweeds and Century Egg Salad, Korean Squidd, Crab with Bihon, Baked Spare Ribs, Braised Pata Tim, Sweet and Sour Lapu Lapu, Szechuan Style Prawns, Classic Carbonara and Mango Float for desert. Such food, which  were all like home-cooked  that suit my taste and  I totally  forgot about my diet again.  It was  very seldom to see my younger daughter who is  a very picky eater ate like the food were all her favorites and   perfectly blend with her taste buds. She loves the Korean Squid so much and it was her first time to eat squid. She doesn't really eat when I cook this food at home.

Over all I could  rate the food to the highest level I could give. I am not exaggerating because I actually tasted a bit of everything.  Aside from the food, you will also experience  Precious Moments memorabilia around.  The P-Noy Dolls, Aquino Sisters and Cory dolls caught my attention.  I swear there would be second, third and more visits here.  I will definitely visit back  and take more photos next time.

Let me share you some photos of the food we had during our visit.

And here's what we have for our dessert. What a sweet  way to end our meal. Mango Float.

 

Mango Float, Truly heaven! 

 

Precious smile with  Iced Blended Cookies and Cream. I swear, it tastes better that the one sold in a known coffee shop in town.

Trivia: The Country Manager shared stories/trivia  about the food tasting event wherein 5-star hotels and fine dining restaurants joined and voila!  Precious Moments won the  Best Food  and  Best Coffee  category.   No doubt, my little girl who is already a coffee lover was all smiled upon giving her a bigger  iced coffee cookies n cream.

Oh, there's a native food available too. We were rushing for the another event and had no time to go shopping,  but I'll make sure to buy some in our next visit.  Promise! It's been barely a week and I'm craving and couldn't sleep well, I want to go back real soon.. very soon.

 Precious Moments is perfect for wedding, christening and family events like reunion and anniversaries. Call them early and arrange the the menu and package that you want. Christmas is just around the corner, and it's Christmas everyday in Precious Moments.   You may  place your reservation ahead  for your Christmas Party packages now.   Please  call  and book early to avail  special freebies and discounts.


 Precious Moments Restaurant and Giftshop
95 Sen. Gil Puyat, Ave., Brgy. Palanan, Makati city
02 8875252 or 02 3871092
Website:  www. preciousmomentsmanila.com
Facebook: manilapreciousmoments@yahoo.com