November 17, 2022

Beach Getaway at Acuaverde Beach Resort

I am enjoying my offline life now, my time revolves with crafting and traveling so blogging or updating my social media account took a back seat. We have so many happenings this year and sa daming ganap, I don’t know what and where to start my blog post. Hmmm! For now, let me reminisce about our first beach getaway this year. 

I have no idea that there will come a time when it would be hard for us to travel before kasi ang lagi lang reasons are either no budget or no time. But when COVID-19 happened, there are so many things to check and consider like restrictions and requirements before traveling. 

After being stuck at home due to community quarantine, we are missing the beach so much. Hence, every time there are changes with “Level Restrictions”, we would take a risk and book a resort. Unfortunately, our first beach trip was a failure so we settled to farm resorts, so last year we went to Gina’s Garden and Farm and The Farm at San Benito Resort.


We are happy with our farm staycations but we are itching to go to the beach so my husband looked for a resort so we can have a beach getaway before the holiday is over. He inquired to different resorts and fortunately, Acuaverde Resort has an available room. We had a Day Trip here before and we were satisfied with our stay so it became my husband’s go-to resort. But I am not a fan of this resort because I’m scared of dogs and this resort is “pet-friendly” so lagi ako kinakabahan tuwing lalabas ng room at baka may makasalubong na dogs. 


Anyway, our last beach trip was Palm Beach Resort so we were so excited because finally, after three years, we were able to go to the beach. Acuaverde Beach Resort is our first getaway in the year 2022.


We booked Casa Marina Queen for three days and 2 nights. During our trip, Antigen Test is still required so it is an additional cost to our budget pero pikit mata na lang kasi gusto namin makapagbeach ulit. PHP1,100 per person, okay na ito kaysa naman sa antigen test ng The Farm at San Benito. 

The room rate includes:
Room accommodation for 2 persons 
Welcome Drinks 
Set Breakfast 
Complimentary Bottled Water 
All Day Complimentary Coffee and Tea 
Use of Kayak and Paddle Board 

Extra Expenses: 
PHP1,600 - extra person per day 
PHP1,100 - antigen test per person 
PHP20 - Tourism Fee per person 

To confirm the booking, full payment is required, yung last trip namin, 50% downpayment lang then yung balance sa resort na namin binayaran. Also when we had our day trip, included na yung meals but this time, breakfast na lang yung included. I don’t know when they changed that. 

Beach Getaway at Acuaverde Resort

On the day of our trip, my son has still online classes so we waited for his morning classes to end before we went to the resort. When we arrived at the Tourism Center, we showed our reservation and ID’s then we went straight to Acuatico Beach Resort for our swab test. We waited for more or less 15 minutes to get our results, thank God we are all negative so we traveled to Acuaverde Beach Resort.


Upon arrival, we showed our swab test results, IDs, vaccine certs, and tourism slips. There were temperature check, an electronic Health Declaration Form, and baggage disinfection. While waiting, they served us the welcome drink which is Tamarind Juice. After several minutes, the staff ushered us to our room. 


The Casa Marina room is about 22 sqm including the veranda so it is small, medyo mahirap kumilos lalo na may extra bed kami. Despite that, the room has cable TV, telephone, mini ref, and electric kettle.




What we like in our room is the location because we have a private balcony where we can see the garden and the beach. During our stay, kami lang yung guests sa second floor so pwede kami tumambay sa labas na walang katabing guests. 




Acuaverde resort has two restaurants but only Al Fresco Bar was open during our staycation so we had our breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the cozy garden. I already blog about that so you can check my post below. 




We savored our three days beach getaway because we don’t know when we can travel again. So we eat, swim, sleep and repeat. 







“The sand may brush off, the salt may wash away but the memories will last forever” 


November 14, 2022

Breakfast at Taza Fresh Table

My mom is staying in our house for a few weeks and we just received my son’s report card, as a reward for a good performance, we went to Tagaytay for a celebration. My initial plan is Balay Dako but I changed my mind so I suggested to my husband Taza Fresh Table. We were supposed to eat here two years ago but the restaurant was closed because of the Taal Volcano eruption and then COVID-19 happened. 



I checked their Instagram account, Facebook page, and website and I was looking for their Breakfast Menu, because when I downloaded the menu on their website, there is no Breakfast Meal. I even sent a DM on their Instagram account but I did not receive a reply. I booked a table on their website but I did not get any confirmation. 

Despite having no reply or confirmation, we still went to Taal Vista Hotel to eat our breakfast. We arrived past 7AM so we waited for almost an hour because the restaurant is still closed. Natetempt na rin ako magbuffet breakfast na lang sa Veranda pero since ilang beses na rin namin natry ang buffet breakfast nila, naghintay kami sa Taza




From the time we entered and left, kami lang yung diners so the waiting time is not that long. The staff gave us the menu and while browsing the menu, I realized mahal din pala breakfast meal nila, price ranges from PHP350 to PHP950 + 10% Service Charge. 


As I’ve said before, I already checked their website, Instagram, and Facebook page so I already have an idea of what to order. I was surprised lang na mahal pala ang gusto ko na order, pero dahil nagcrave ako doon sa photo nila, inorder ko pa rin. I ordered Steak and Eggs PHP950 + SC, my husband chose Tapang Barako PHP900 + SC, while my mom and son chose Taza Burger PHP750 + SC. Yellow Mango Shake PHP250 + SC. 

Steak and Eggs PHP950 + SC 
Hanger steak with two eggs any style, French fries 



Taza Burger PHP750 + SC 
Ground beef patty, Tagaytay romaine lettuce, mozzarella, potato wedges, coleslaw. 


Tapang Barako PHP900 +SC 
Hanger steak marinated in coconut vinegar, coco amino, coconut sugar, garlic, soy sauce, bay leaf, and Barako coffee.


The meals were served in less than 30 minutes but I was shocked when I saw my steak and eggs, ang liit ng steak. Ang layo niya sa picture na nakita, ito yung tinatawag na Expectation vs Reality. Toink! I ordered steak in other restaurants like Melo’s and Hogs & Cattle Steakhouse, and Outback Steakhouse and so far ito yung pinakamaliit. Konti lang din yung tapa compared sa pictures ng ibang bloggers na nakita ko. I told my mom, nasa Pilipinas na siya pero yung order niya hindi nagbago. Halos same kasi sa order nila ng anak ko sa Roft Rotisseri “Lunch Burger”. 

Anyway, the service is good and we enjoyed our food naman but whenever we think of the price, nanghihinayang kami. Sana pala nagbuffet na lang kami kasi konting dagdag na lang. Waah! #chargetoexperience 

We did not stay long because I attended the Virtual Parents-Teachers Conference while my husband drove to Caleruega for our next agenda.


Taza Fresh Table at Taal Vista Hotel 
Kilometer 60, Aguinaldo Highway 
Tagaytay City 4120, Philippines 

Operating Hours: 
Friday 12:00 NN to 3:00PM, 6:00PM to 10:00PM 
Saturday 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM 
Sunday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM 

Note: Sunday dinner is open during long weekends (Monday is a Holiday)

November 10, 2022

She Bold Stock Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale

You’ve had your turkey and your sweet pumpkin pie (or are you an apple gal?). Now onto the sales! And we’re really excited about this one. 

I have a feeling you might be prone to exhausting yourself by doing all the things in your business. We know you want to save time and money in your business, and we are all about efficiency and putting systems in place to help us be way more productive with our precious time. 

She Bold Stock Content Membership offers stock photos, stock videos, Canva templates, and marketing resources and tutorials at an amazing price! 


Have you ever spent so long designing something for your business that your eyes are starting to cross from staring at the screen? For non-designers, the struggle is real when you put in all that time and end up with a result that you’re not even happy with. 

This is exactly why Jasmine Hunt filled this membership with SO MANY AMAZING stock content!  She realized that not everyone could afford custom design, and brand photos, and even if they are professional designers they didn’t have the TIME to create custom work for clients and for themselves. And right now, you can get Stock photos, stock videos, Canva Templates for online courses, opt-ins, digital products, planners, social media, and anything you need!  Check out the exclusive deals for annual/ lifetime memberships. 

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No coupon code is needed.

Styled Stock Society Black Friday Sale: A Deal Too Good To Miss

What’s on your Black Friday shopping list this year? 

It’s the BEST time to snag holiday gifts for all the people on your list… BUT. 

Don’t forget it’s a great opportunity to treat yourself for all the hard work you've done this year. 

You deserve it, right?

And I have good news for you — because Styled Stock Society has its LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP on sale for just $600 during Black Friday! 


That’s less than the cost of two years inside their stock photo + video membership… but you get LIFETIME access. 

PLUS, they’re offering additional bonuses with your Lifetime Access. Get 365 BONUS social media captions AND 365 BONUS graphic templates with your lifetime membership purchase! 

I’m not kidding when I say this is one of the best gifts you can give yourself (and your biz!) this year. 

In case you need a *little* more convincing, here’s everything you’ll get LIFETIME access to: 

7,000+ stock photos (with new images added WEEKLY) 
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TONS of bonus resources, like marketing toolkits to help your biz grow 

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The Black Friday Sale is from November 21, 2022 12:01AM to November 26, 2022 11:59PM EST. After this, access to lifetime membership will be closed! 

BLUCHIC Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale

People say that entrepreneurs, freelancers, and business owners have to “wear many different hats” all the time. I hear that a lot and it’s true, isn’t it? We have to be our own project managers and accountants and customer service reps and so much more. 

But what if your web design hat just doesn’t fit right? As good as you might look in it, you’re not happy with the way it feels when you wear it. Nor how your website actually looks. 

I’m betting that an ill-fitting hat is keeping you from giving your website the attention that it deserves. The attention that can help your biz grow and thrive. 

You know what? It’s time to find a new web design hat. One that makes you feel confident in creating, designing, and customizing your website. And preferably, one that’s super easy to use. 

My awesome friends over at Bluchic can help! You can install and use their WordPress themes in a snap, even if you’re new to WordPress. And they have tutorials and video walkthroughs that make everything a breeze. No tech knowledge or coding skills required, either. 


Plus, Bluchic is hosting its annual Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale from Monday, November 21 at 7 am ET to Monday, November 28 at 11:59 pm ET! You can get 30% off any Bluchic product — no code required! 

November 08, 2022

Day Trip at 88 Spa Resort

If you are a long-time reader of my blog, you knew that my late grandmother used to live in Laguna so we used to visit her every month. On our way to her house, we always passed 88 Spa Resort so when we are planning for a family outing, I suggested this resort because my husband already visited this resort with his colleagues and according to him, the place is good. 


So the plan was pushed through but we did not join the family outing because the scheduled trip was just a few days before my son’s graduation, so ayaw ko naman may sunburn ako sa graduation. My family enjoyed the 88 Spa Resort so much that since then, they always go back to this resort, so mga nakailang balik na sila dito, both day trip and overnight but it was only last month, that my son and I were able to visit the resort. 

My mom like this place so we had a Day Trip at 88 Spa Resort last month; my sister-in-law called the resort to reserve but was advised that there is no need for a reservation kung day tour lang. 

Day Tour is 8AM to 10PM 

PHP1500 - Adult
PHP1,150 - (3-12 yrs old)
PHP1,071.43 - Senior and PWD

Inclusions
Access to all swimming pools 
Consumable for food (lunch or dinner)
- Worth PHP450 - per adult
- Worth PHP350 Pesos - per child
Open cottages 
Lockers and shower rooms 

Note: Foods are allowed to bring inside the resort.
FREE OF CHARGE: Bread, water, and fruits.
CORKAGE: PHP100 per head: Cooked food, chips, sodas, and juices.


We arrived at the resort before 8AM and after payment, they gave us the keys for lockers and vouchers for food. There is a separate locker for men and women but we did not use the locker so I have no idea how big it is. 




The 88 Spa Resort is huge, the lot area is more than 7 hectares at the base of Mount Makiling. It has 10 outdoor pools surrounded by palm and coconut trees. We did not bother to check the whole resort, we just stayed in one place and tried the nearest swimming pool. During our trip, there are also pools that are not working, ito yung nasa taas ng stairs. It is better to get the flyer to serve as your guide. 





The resort has Octagon Pool, this pool has 8 mini pools with different water temperature ranges from 37 to 43 degrees Celsius. It is recommended to dip in the pool for 5 to 10 minutes to improve blood circulation and metabolism. If you want to relax your muscles and release physical tension, you can sit on Taeguk Pool. There are also pools with slides located in different areas. Aside from that, you can also take advantage of their healing packages, massage services, and food trip. 




When you enter the resort, feeling mo nasa South Korea ka kasi may Korean vibes, as far as I know, Korean ang owner nito. So even sa restaurant, offers both Filipino and Korean dishes. I thought the PHP450 consumable per head is enough for our lunch but I was wrong, ang mahal pala ng food, drinks, and even the ice cream. 



I was craving Korean BBQ pero hindi ko maenjoy kasi hindi pala unlimited ang Korean BBQ dito and may minimum order pa. So for our table, we ordered Pork Belly PHP900 (ilang piraso lang), Bulalo PHP700, Rice PHP60 per cup, Softdrink PHP90 and Ice Cream PHP120 + 12% VAT. They also have a set menu good for 4 persons ranging from PHP1900- PHP2000. 





Even though the day tour is up to 10PM, we left past 3PM since dumadami na rin ang guests. Overall, we enjoyed our experience here and the only thing that I don’t like is their shower room, it really needs renovation. I did not take photo of it kasi madilim din naman. 




Update: March 2023

After our visit to 88 Spa Resort, we knew that we are going back because my husband wanted to bring his parents here so before November 2022 ends we went back. This was my husband’s treat for my Mother-in-law’s birthday. Hot spring is good for senior citizens so my in-laws enjoyed their visit to 88 Spa Resort even just for a few hours. 

We left the house past 6AM and fetch my in-laws in Laguna. We arrived at the resort at half past seven. The rate is still the same and they allowed us to enter even though it is not yet 8AM. 


Our consumable voucher is PHP2,250 so for lunch, we decided to order from the Set Menu, we chose Pinoy for PHP2000, which includes special bulalo, boneless bangus, chopsuey and garlic rice. They also serve side dishes. This menu is good for 4 persons pero nagkasya naman for 5 persons. We added rice and sodas and paid the balance after check-out. 





After lunch, we did not go back sa main pool, doon na lang kami sa pool na malapit sa restaurant. We bravely tried the 41C degrees pool. After trying that pool even for several minutes, parang ang lamig na noong ibang pool tuloy. Hehehe! 



Before we left, we explored the other parts na hindi ko napuntahan during our last trip. By the way, mas maayos yung comfort room na malapit sa restaurant kaso daanan ng tao. 

November 07, 2022

Lunch at MESA

My mom is here in the Philippines for vacation so we usually have a family lunch every weekend. She suggested “MESA” for our lunch. It’s been years since the last time we ate here, we have tried the SM Southmall and SM North EDSA branches and so far we had a good experience. 

It took us a long time to browse the menu because we were thinking if we would order from the MESALO-SALO Menu, Boodle Menu, or Sampler menu but we ended up ordering our own meal since iba-iba gusto namin ulam. It was funny because it took me a long time to check their menu but I still chose Inihaw Sampler, yun din yung mga past orders ko.




Since it was not our first time eating at MESA restaurant, we thought they would serve our order in 20-30 minutes, but 40 minutes had passed, wala pa rin, so we needed to follow up twice. So our experience with SM Grand was unpleasant because it took them just an hour to serve our meals. Nagutom na kami kakahintay, we were there before 11AM and 12NN na bago pa kami nakakain. I don’t know why it took them so long to serve the food and when we ate the Inihaw Sampler, hindi naman mainit.

Inihaw Sampler includes grilled chicken leg quarter, pork belly, scallops meat, river shrimp, squid, pork BBQ and a slice of Bangus belly basted with sweet soya glaze topped with spring onion.


The food is good naman kaso mabagal lang ang service, though maayos naman ang mga waitstaff nila. We are group of 11 people and we ordered the following, pero ang nakain ko lang yung Inihaw Sampler, Kare-Kare and Sinigang na Boneless Bangus. (kung ano yung malapit sa akin) And dahil sa gutom na kami, yung Inihaw Sampler lang ang nakunan ko ng picture. 

Baked Scallops PHP260 
Pork Sisig PHP280 
Pork Binagoongan PHP370 
Grilled Liempo PHP265 
Kare-Kare Beef PHP550 
Laing 2 Ways PHP240 
Garlic Rice P50 per cup 
Steamed Rice PHP40 per cup 
Sinigang na Boneless Bangus PHP395 
Pinatayong Manok PHP335 
Inihaw Sampler PHP1295 
Kamias Cucumber PHP105 
Iced Tea PHP60 
Fresh Buko Shake PHP150 
Ripe Mango Shake PHp125 
Dalandan Shake PHP125
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