My 2013 Recap

My 2013 may not be perfect but i have so many blessings to thanks for :)

 1. Marks our 10th year Anniversary

2. My first Plane ride.

 3. My first out of town trip with B. (real out of town)

4. My first Underarm Diode Laser hair Removal.

5. Completion of my government i.d's passport, sss, TIN ID :)

i also thanks my family, friends and colleagues for making my whirl wind year possible :) may 2014 bring positive blessings to all of us :)

Belle de Jour Power Planner 2014

Finally! my BDJ Planner 2014 has finally arrived last december 1, despite the fact that i can take a note in my smartphone i still choose to purchase the bdj planner i know it's too girly :) but i really like it i had mine customized and i love seeing my name in front.

Yes i do have planners since i was high school but it's a on-off relationship but i do make sure that i use it all below is the glimpse of my planners i use before.

what i love in BDJ planner is it has everything that what a go to girl needs it has a Dream Board, 2014 checklist, Goals list, events tracker, menstrual tracker ( which i always note in my phone), Bills and Cash flow tracker and many more! but what i really love is the coupons because i know i can use half of them :) being organized is not bad and taking notes of important things will help you finish your errands.

I'm excited on what year 2014 brings :)

Belle de Jour Lifestyle card

https://www.facebook.com/BelledeJourPlanner

http://www.belledejourpowerplanner.com

Anti Pimple Battle Begin

Since high school pimple is my main problem i tried different products suggested by my friends but nothing change when i stepped in college pimple is still there i tried having anti-pimple facial from different dermatology clinic but it just give me a temporary result after a month pimple got alive again. When i graduated in college pimple stop for one year the marks are still there so i just use lightening products i thought everything will be okay since i already stepped out in puberty stage. but i was wrong when i started working pimple start to show up again and it's annoying since it affects my job as Pharmacist and i should portray a neat and clean image i remember someone told me before i was not a pharmacist ''pharmacy student ka pero ganyan mukha mo?'' (''you're a pharmacy student and you're face is like that?''). 

It's a harsh comment that i wouldn't forget, that's why when my pimples start to appear again visible in my face I visit a dermatologist in a well known clinic but she just gave me a products glycolic creams, sunscreen cream and a whitening soap she even injected my cystic pimple and prescibed me an antiobiotic that i take for 2 weeks, my face improved but again temporarily for two months. I tried lot's of products from PONDS, Neutrogena Acne Prone Soap, Clean & Clear, Oilatum bar,Kojic soap(kojiesan),Garnier, Celeteque  and panoxyl gel.

I started change my regimen and lifestyle i drink one cup of coffee a day and i change my bed sheet and pillows every week  i avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. and now i bought PanOxyl Soap free Cleanser and Benzac (Benzoyl Peroxide) 5% which is available in Mercury Drugstore, Watsons Pharmacy and other leading drugstore nationwide.

Today will be the start of my regimen i will post my review and improvement after 3 weeks or after 30 days :)

( PanOxyl Liquid Cleanser 60 ml PHP 224)

 (Benzac AC Gel 5% PHP 285)

Touch of Grace Wellness Spa

Part of my birthday celebration is to have a relaxing pampering and massage together of course with my better half b, I found Touch of Grace Wellness Spa through net. a week before my birthday i texted them and inquire regarding their couple's package, and i'm glad that they promptly respond to my text Ms. Gladys respond that we are entitled to a 20% off with 1.5 hour body massage with VIP Room and exclusive use of wet room (enclosed of Jacuzzi, steam bath and shower) for only 1,240. I set an appointment right away.

As we arrived there the staff are very accommodating, the interior has a homely feeling  you can smell the peppermint aroma, they let us change a slipper first and they guide us to the wet room , of course we soak our self at the Jacuzzi which is our first time. they allowed us to use this for 20 minutes.

The Massage was a little bit hard they asked if the pressure is okay, but still i can feel the hard pressure from time to time strokes used are thumb and palm pressing, i don't know what's the name of massage maybe it's their signature massage, i enjoyed the last part where in the pressed and rubbing is just right. i thought that some pain will last but it dissapear a few minute after the massage.

They provide something to drink after the session and allowed us to stay in the room. I heart Touch of Grace Wellness Spa for being accommodating they treat us like a VIP's and i'm looking forward to visit them again.
Rate: 9 out of 10

 (Jacuzzi)

( for individuals or group)

 (VIP room (taken after the massage) )

(with tub inside)

Thank you Touch of Grace Wellness Spa for making my birthday memorable :)

Touch of Grace Wellness Spa

146 Scout Gandia St., Bgy. Sacred Heart, Quezon City (near Tomas Morato and Timog Avenue), 

for inquiries and reservation at (02) 380.3177 or (0927) 220.9070

Fernandina Garden Suites

Fernandina Garden Suites Review:

As I celebrate my 26^th birthday, I look for a hotel within metro manila that suit our budget, since we want to experience staycation in manila, we found this Fernandina Garden Suites through internet, and they have a 40% off promo for the month of October. It’s a catch that’s why I grab the opportunity and booked them right away. They allowed bringing of foods inside my bf texted them for the confirmation.

Location:

Located in G. Araneta avenue accessible to all transportation, you have to take a cab to get in.

Room:

I booked a double deluxe room but we were assigned at Standard room, I was about to call their attention but b stop me since a queen size bed is enough for him, he don’t want to ruin my birthday celebration, what I notice is the room has a dust accumulate on the side table, and a cob webs I wonder if they do really check and maintain each room. It has no dining table, and no slippers provided.

Bathroom drain clogged even the lavatory is clogged.

Wi-Fi is password secured ask them for the password.

 (Toiletries in a not so well maintained bathroom)

 (LCD TV)

 (Menu)

 ( Cob webs)

 ( Clogged Drain)

Staff & Services:

Maybe one of the reasons why we are assigned at the wrong room it’s because the front desk receptionist didn’t even bother to read the confirmation letter I gave to her, we were assigned right away at room 14. The Complimentary breakfast delivered to our room has only one cup of coffee so I called them to bring another one. What another off to me is the front desk called us to remind us that the check out time is 12:00, we’ve been to different hotel and never experienced this other allowed us to stay for 30 minutes without extra charge, and the front desk called us again ‘’Mam, 12:05 na po’’. It’s totally turn off to think that there’s only few or almost no guest at all aside from us but they want us to leave the place right away upon check out they didn’t even say ‘thank you’ to us.

Amenities:

No garden I thought it was a Bed & Breakfast type of accommodation that’s how tripadvisor classify. It only has a grass and nothing special. It’s far away on how the hotel describes it in their website.

Rates:

Affordable rates good for those who want a quick stay, I rather get what I pay for like what I said we booked a double deluxe room but we were assigned at standard room. The time is not flexible they don’t promote extending your time to their hotel.

Overall our stay is ruined but i don't mind it at all good thing that my bf is very understandable, it's a wake up call to both of us to thoroughly choose a hotel base on service and not on it's rates. I hope that the FGS management will improve their service.

Fernandina Garden Suites

608 G. Araneta Avenue
Quezon City, Philippines

Phone numbers: (02) 546-5014 and (02) 881-9901
Mobile numbers: (+632) 922-8172610 (+632) 922-8172538

Email: fernandinagardensuites@gmail.com, inquire@amci.ph

http://http://www.fernandinagardensuites.com/

SkinStation: Underarm Laser Hair Removal

It has been my dream since i was high school to have a smooth and hairless underarm ,i even promised to my self that after my college graduation i will undergo laser hair removal i even inquire in some clinics offering the service back then laser hair removal or known before as IPL (intense pulse light) is expensive. Good thing many clinics offering LHR and through my research IPL is different from LHR (laser hair removal) and even varies base on the machine. Because i saw some clinics posted IPL as permanent hair removal which is wrong because Electrolysis is the only procedure recognize by the FDA to have a permanent laser hair removal and the most expensive procedure.

I choose Skin Station Clinic since they have an affordable package, last july 2013 i availed their 16 month Under arm Diode laser hair removal package which have a 6 weeks interval no plucking and shaving and i really like the results my underarm appearance improve and  hair grow thin and slowly another thing is Skin Station Diode laser hair removal is painless :)

I'm also planning to avail their Underarm whitening program after my session on UA Diode laser hair removal. for more information visit their website.

SkinStation
http://www.skinstation.ph

Spa @ Cocoon Boutique Hotel

I'm a massage junkie i really love good kneads and since it was a stressful week for me b and i decided to use the coupon i bought at Deal grocer last March 2013 it was a 60 minute Signature Body Massage and 30 minute Reflexology worth 800 pesos.

B set an appointment at the spa at 5:00 pm and were just on time i remind b that i want a private room so we just add a 100 pesos for that :) the receptionist are welcoming and introduced us to our therapist and asked us if we want to have a shower first of course we want  :) below are some photos taken inside (i didn't bring my camera so we use our camera phone instead) sorry for a low quality photos see the place with yourself and you will be amazed :)

(sauna)

(Private Room)

I love the heated bed :) we thought that the heat is coming from the essential oil but not, i feel so relaxed i know b is also feel the same way, i was smiling the entire session i highly recommend this place i read many bad reviews on discount voucher that they didn't get what they deserved some merchants almost didn't want to accommodate those people who purchase the voucher. But the Spa @ Cocoon Boutique was different they almost treat us like a royalties :) we feel like VIP's since were the only client that time and B told me that he want to back here. I rate them 10 out of 10.

(See you next time!)

Spa @ Cocoon Boutique Hotel

61 Scout Tobias corner Scout Rallos Streets,
Bgy Laging Handa,
Quezon City 1103, Philippines
Trunklines: 632- 9212706 to 08
Fax Number: 632- 4137281
www.thecocoonhotel.com

DIY: Legazpi City Tour

In a short notice and time i decided to go in Legazpi City and see the perfect cone face to face, b was hesitant at first but then he can't resist me, what's on my mind is a budget travel later on i will post all the expenses we had.

FARE: so first i secured the plane ticket we booked Zestair which is known to have a cheapest rate when it comes to airline we are hesitant because i read some bad reviews like late and cancelled flights but we are so lucky that MNL-LGP zestair are on time :) (anyway it was my first time to ride in a plane :) i've been in a Passenger Ship, Bus and RORO). another thing is we are seated were we can view the the perfect Mayon Cone.
Anyway we decided to try bus going back to manila, but i think much way better if you ride a plane it will only takes 30 min.

View from the top

ACCOMMODATION: A separate blog post and review can be view here. Not a hotel but a condotel which is clean and affordable.

TOURIST SPOT:  Our first stop is at Gaisano Mall of course after we leave our backpacks at Pinehurst. 

we want to try the Chili Ice cream at 1st Colonial Grill we actually love their tinapa rice which is our first time to taste. Chili Ice cream is sweet but has a stingy chili after taste!

Chili Ice cream

Lignon Hill:

I like this hill compare to People's Park in tagaytay, it was well maintained, regular joggers are free to enter, b and i just walk from the entrance up to the top it was a victory when we reach the top area.

Albay Parks & Wildlife:

It's not a part of our random itinerary but it was just beside the lignon hill so we still visit the park it was small but clean. 

Embarcadero: 

Night party goers will love this place, restaurant, dine strips and mall in one. 

Biggs Diner:

Known as a local Mcdo and Jollibee in Bicol are we're happy to taste their local burger.

Cagsawa Ruins:

The Famous Cagsawa Ruins and Mayon at the backdrop.

Small talk cafe:

I love the ambiance of this cafe the only glitches is not all written in the menu is available.

EXPENSES:

3 days & 2 nights

Fare- 3551.22 (one way via Zestair MNL-LGP)
          1510      (LGP-MNL)
Accommodation- 2400 pinehurst through agoda.com for 2 nights
1st colonial- 417
Lignon hill entrance- 20/each
Albay park Wildlife- 20/each
Biggs Diner- 306
Small Talk Cafe- 373
Souvenir- 190, 120

How we make our Legazpi tour in reality, i just search online, read blogs and forums too we don't even need the help of Tour agent. and also look for piso or promo fare of airlines.