Noel Discovery Bazaar

Doctor was out again last Saturday so instead of going home we went straight to Noel Discovery Bazaar at World Trade Center. This is one thing that I always look forward every Christmas season; I’ve been here for five consecutive years.

I always love bazaar because you can find unique and cheap stuff so your money can go a long way. Surprisingly, at 12 noon the place was not jam-packed so it was not really hard to shop. Aside from clothes and gifts that I have bought, here are the things that I’ve got.

1. White Board + Marker (P100) – I bought this to preoccupy my son while I’m busy doing my thing and this really works. After their (hubby and son) booth hopping for free taste they just sit near the stage and wait till I finish.

2. Cars Puzzle (P40) – the puzzle is too complicated for my son so I ended up finishing the puzzle.

3. Santa Headband (P50) – I want to buy 3 pcs but my husband doesn’t want to wear this on Christmas Eve so I only bought one for my son.

4. Angry Bird Tumbler (P100) – for hot and cold drinks.

5. Passport Holder (165) from Hello Anya – I only bought 2 pieces and this is the reason why I want to go back to Noel Discovery Bazaar because I forgot to buy passport holder for my son (may passport din nga pala siya)  

Entrance fee: P50

Bazaar Schedule 

Noel Discovery Bazaar – December 9-18, 2011 at PICC Forum Tent

                                       December 21-23 at World Trade Center

World Bazaar Festival – December 2-18, 2011 at World Trade Center

Handog Ko, Aklat Mo: A Christmas Book drive

I went to National Bookstore yesterday to buy some gift wrapper, Christmas wrapper, and paper bag and when I’m about to pay my stuff, the cashier asked me if I want to purchase books as donations. I didn’t know that National Bookstore has this Christmas book drive since 2006. 

The book is only P69.75; the cashier will give you sticker and tag where you can write your name and put it in the book and Christmas tree, then drop the book in their drop boxes. So if you want to donate some books to public institutions, this is the best way to help them and share your Christmas blessings.

What to Wear this Christmas?

Christmas is fast approaching and people are so busy putting up their Christmas tree, finishing their gift list, grocery, and most of all looking for their Christmas outfit. Yes, Christmas outfit is top of our list. We cannot deny that women love to dress up on this special occasion and we all want to be fabulous and glamorous.  Looking for Christmas oufit is difficult but with the help of Gray&Ousbourn online site your life would be easy.

Gray&Ousbourn offers fabulous designer brands so you can never go wrong with their outfit; they have plenty occasiowear for special occasion, holiday, casual wear, smart wear or even party wear. So, if you still do not have an outfit for your Christmas party, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, check their online shop now and be amazed with their large selections.  Some occasionwear are on sale so you can be in style for a fantastic price. Designer occasionwear outfits are available exclusively at Gray & Osbourn.

These outfits make me so excited this Holiday.

Isdaan at Tarlac

I’ve seen this floating restaurant on TV few years ago and I’ve been meaning to go here but it is too far from our place so I was thankful when I saw Isdaan on our way to Victoria, Laguna but it is still under construction for almost three years (been there last September 2011). Whenever we go to Pangasinan our stopover is always Hacienda Luisita, this is where we usually eat if we are hungry so Isdaan is really out of way.

Finally, I was able to visit Isdaan in Gerona, Tarlac on our way home from Baguio. You will not miss the place because you will see the big statues of fish. =)

The floating restaurant is really huge so we took our time to tour the place and take some pictures. This is the best place for a stopover and break from the long drive.

You will see the famous Tacsiyapo Wall where you can vent your anger by throwing and smashing plates, cups, and even television, of course it is not free.

There is also San Kilo Bridge Challenge, where you can take home one kilo of fish if you can cross the bridge without falling.

We ordered half kilo grilled tilapia and rice for our quick meal before braving the traffic and three expressways (SCTEX, NLEX and SLEX). There are also musikeros (musicians) who serenade diners but this is one thing that I really dislike, (ayaw ko ng may istorbo kasi pag kumakain ako). #introvertproblem

My husband always eats here if he has a business trip in Baguio so I am aware that there is nothing special about the food but I love the ambiance.

Day 2 in Baguio

After our La Trinidad Tour (Bell Church, Strawberry Farm, Easter Weaving Tour) and Tam-Awan Village, we passed by Lourdes Grotto but it was really hard to find a parking space so we no longer get off the car.

Then we went to Mines View Area for our last leg of the tour and as expected, Mines View Park is always crowded. Sometimes, we have to pay a minimum fee just to have a family picture. =

P50 for 4 shots

P10 per shot

 secret of our 24hrs trip, "buhatin ang mababagal maglakad"

Next stop is Good Shepherd, Baguio trip won’t be complete without buying our favorite ube jam and drinking my husband's favorite juice.

We skipped Botanical Garden and went to Wright Park and The Mansion, it has Christmas decors already.

The last stop is Camp John Hay for our lunch but we did not take our lunch (weird), we’re not hungry yet because we stuffed ourselves in the Hotel Veniz Grill buffet breakfast. After picture taking, we decided to go back to Manila.

 Goodbye for now Baguio!

Belle De Jour 2012 Planner

Thank you Patty Laurel for my Belle De Jour 2012 planner. I’ve got this package a few minutes ago and I was really curious where it came from, signed the form and got my package.

I was excited to know what’s inside and I have to unwrap three plastic wrappers. Then finally, I saw Belle De Jour 2012 planner, I was really jumping and shouting “yehey” and even my son joined me, he also jumped and shouted ” yehey”. 

I did not know that I won the contest but I was really grateful, the last Belle De Jour Planner that I have was a gift from my last Christmas Party at the office. This is the second time that I received a package from the contest that I’ve been joining.

Tam-Awan Village

If you are going to Baguio, do not forget to include Tam-Awan Village in your itinerary, it is a place where you can have a glimpse of Cordillera village life and commune with nature. The village has seven Ifugao huts ( Anaba Hut, Bangaan Hut, Batad Hut, Dukligan Hut, Kinakin Hut, and Nagor Hut)and two Kalinga houses (Lukkong Hut and Bugnay Hut). The Ifugao huts are very simple, it has no nails and hardware but it can lasts for many generations.

We do not know how to get there we just ask for directions. There is no signage or guide so sometimes we feel that we’re lost but we just kept on asking for directions, so we’re happy when we reached Tam-Awan Village, we’re not lost. Teee-hee!

Entrance fee: P50 adults, P30 senior citizens and students, P20 kids below 12yrs old

Opening and Closing Hours: 8AM-6PM

Going to each hut is not easy; you have to go up and down and pathway is narrow.

Tam-awan village has café, craft shop and art gallery. There are also artists who can do caricatures, minimum of P100 per head and minimum of P300 per couple. Tam-Awan village is also a venue for workshops and art exhibits. You can also stay in Anaba hut, Love Bug hut, Duklingan Hut, and Lukkong Hut for a minimal fee. I would love to try that on my next trip.

Just in front of Tam-Awan village is the Arko ni Apo, where you can find wood works and metal works of Benhur and Boom Villanueva.

La Trinidad and More

Our second day in Baguio and thank God for giving us fair weather, we started our tour in La Trinidad. First stop is Bell Church, it is a Buddhist Temple that has pagoda, landscaped garden and fountain.

Hubby and I have been here before with our college friends, we just revisited this place for my son. Though I'm not sure if he will remember this since he's just three years old. 

After Bell Church, we went to Strawberry farm but we did not experience strawberry picking or lettuce picking because it’s not yet in season. Lagi na lang hindi season pagpumupunta kami. We just bought some pasalubong and tried their strawberry ice cream P20 and strawberry taho P20. I still prefer the original taho with syrup.

Then we proceeded to Tam-Awan Village but I will create a separate post for this. Last stop of our tour is in Easter School Weaving. If you are interested in handicrafts and native fabrics, this is the right place for you, but we went here to witness the cloth weaving process. 

Once you see the weaving process you will understand why the price of the cloth is steep and you will appreciate more of their product. The weaving room is just below the store.

Pancit Bihon

Chopsuey leftover + Bihon noodles = Pancit Bihon

1. Place the chopsuey leftover in a pan.

2. Add water or broth.

3. Add soy sauce and seasoning.

4. Let it boil.

5. Add the bihon noodles

6. Cook for about ten minutes

7. Serve it hot

This is the first time that I cooked pancit bihon because my husband used to cook this dish. It is so easy to prepare and I will now do it often. My son loves pancit, he always requests instant pancit canton for his breakfast, sometimes he will eat pancit canton for 3 consecutive days.  

I’m not into veggies so I only used my favorite veggies if I will cook chopsuey, it depends on my mood what veggies will I include.

24 Hours Trip in Baguio

Baguio is known as “Summer Capital of the Philippines” so there is no doubt that people love to visit this place, especially during summer season. I’m one of those people who visit Baguio every summer. I was seventeen when I first set my foot in Baguio and the rest is already a history.

Would you believe I’ve been in Baguio in different status, I was single, in a relationship, engaged and married (parang Facebook status lang, hehe) so I can definitely say that Baguio is very dear to me, I will never get tired of this place.

After visiting my in-laws in Pangasinan, we went to Baguio to spend the rest of our long weekend. We’re supposed to stay until Tuesday but we were able to finish our itinerary within 24hrs. Yes, we explored Baguio within 24 hours. Sharing with you, our itinerary.

Read: 2 Days Trip in Baguio

Day 1 in Baguio; Sunday 

1:30PM – Arrival at Hotel Veniz
3PM – Late lunch at Solibao at Session Road
4PM – Start of tour

1. Baguio Cathedral
2. Burnham Park

Baguio Cathedral and Burnham Park are both walking distance from the hotel.

6PM – Dinner at Good Taste (beside Centermall)
7PM – Back to Hotel Veniz

Read: Hotel Veniz Review

The weather did not cooperate with us but the rain did not stop us, we still went out to tour my son. We started our walking tour in Session Road, looking for a place to eat our lunch. It is nice to walk up and down and feel the city; you will see different restaurants, establishments and wagwagan (ukay-ukay).

Then we went to Baguio Cathedral. It was Sunday so the place is really crowded even it was raining.

Last stop is Burnham Park; my son really enjoyed his boating experience.

We went back to Hotel Veniz because I can no longer stand the freaking coldness of Baguio, my jacket is not thick enough to keep me warm and my legs are really shaking.

Day 2 in Baguio; Monday  

7AM – Breakfast at Hotel Veniz Grill
8:30AM – Start of Tour

We check-out early so we can finish our itinerary.

La Trinidad and more...

1. Bell Church
2. Strawberry Farm
3. Tam-Awan Village and Arko ni Apo
4. Weaving School
5. Lourdes Grotto
6. Mines View Park
7. Good Shepherd
8. Wright Park
9. The Mansion
10. Camp John Hay

Before 1:30PM we went home, we skipped PMA and Botanical Garden. Last stop is

11. Lion's Head at Kennon Road.

Read: Day 2 in Baguio
Tam Awan Village and Arko ni Apo
La Trinidad and More 

Food Trip in Baguio 

Solibao

We had our late lunch at Solibao, we’ve got sizzler platter of pork binagoongan, lechon kawali, and soup of the day. The sizzler platter is already a complete meal; you have fried rice, egg, meat, veggies and one piece of puto bumbong for dessert. I’m not into veggies but I enjoyed their vegetables, you know that it is really fresh. I also love their puto bumbong while my son loves their soup.

Good Taste

I’ve read a lot of good reviews about Good Taste so I see to it that I will not leave Baguio without trying this restaurant. It is located beside Centermall. At 6PM the place is already jam-packed, there are people waiting on the stairs for their takeout order and it is hard to look for a vacant table, it only means that this restaurant is really good.

We ordered fried rice, soup with siomai and garlic buttered chicken. I’ve read a lot of good things about their chicken so I was really expecting that it was really good.  But I was disappointed when I saw the chicken, it is not the chicken that I’ve been thinking of, I thought I will be eating a crispy garlic buttered chicken like Wong Sau’s Buttered Chicken. Well, it is also my fault because I did not ask.

Garlic Buttered Chicken is like buffalo wings, hubby and I dislike Buffalo wings so we did not enjoy our meal but if you like Buffalo wings you will love this. But I still recommend this place if you want an affordable meal.

Hotel Veniz Grill  

I did not expect that we will have a buffet breakfast at Hotel Veniz. My husband said, their buffet breakfast is better than Microtel Baguio when it comes to choices.  We all love their French toasts with cream.

Read: 2 Days in Baguio

Pasalubong from Baguio

We’ve spent our long weekend in Pangasinan and Baguio, a very short trip plan but we enjoyed our sweet escape. Speaking of Baguio, I will never leave Baguio without buying my favorite ube jam from Good Shepherd and Romana’s peanut brittle. This is really our favorite pasalubong or bitbit pack from Baguio.