Carribean Vacation for my family

Traveling has always been one of my favorite things to do with my family. If only I have all the budget and resources, then I would definitely try to travel to at least one local destination and one international destination every year. One of my dreams would be to have a caribbean vacation. My family and I love the beach and we are dreaming of going into the world’s exotic beaches and enjoy the sun and sand. The sea breeze is something that I believe is good for their health, and that’s another reason why we are quite selective with the resorts we are visiting. All inclusive resorts would mean great savings if you plan to do some activities aside from plain lounging and swimming.

I am researching more about caribbean vacations online. Who knows, maybe soon we can fulfill our dream of visiting the Carribean. I am starting to save for our travel fund so soon enough I cam come up with the perfect budget. Do you know some caribbean resorts that’s perfect for families traveling with toddlers? I can never leave my kids since they are beach lovers too. Vacations are simply perfect because I spend it with them. Wish me luck with all my savings and resort hunting.

A Romantic Getaway to New Jersey

Gelo and I have been thinking of taking a vacation to the US. He wants to go to New Jersey so we can visit his Aunt Mimi. But I’m thinking, New Jersey? What the heck is there to see in New Jersey anyway?

Well, after doing some research online, it turns out there's quite a bit to do in New Jersey -- romantic things -- which is kind of what Gelo and I had in mind. There are plenty of Jersey City apartments for rent, but the leases are too long, and unless I wanted to hire someone to come in and do all the cooking and cleaning, I would be doing a lot of work. I decided that I want a bit of pampering while I’m on vacation. I deserve it, right? So I voted for staying in one of the romantic bed and breakfast places in the area and Gelo agrees! He wants to stay somewhere within driving distance of his aunt, so I think we’ll stay in Lambertville. That would be a thirty-minute drive to his aunt’s house and since there are something like 20 antique shops there, it means I’ll have lots of fun looking for some more old hats to add to my collection.

Since my husband and I are looking for a chance to re-connect away from the kids, we plan to take advantage of some of the really nice and romantic things you can do in New Jersey. For example, we may take a ride in a horse drawn carriage -- I’ve never even been up close to a horse. There are also several wine-tasting shops in the area. Gelo loves wine and he likes the sound of one called "Grape Expectations," where you can blend your own wine and design and print your own label. How romantic is that? We can save a bottle as a memento of our trip!

Off to Florida

I just envy my mom now because she is heading to Florida on summer. She will be meeting some of my aunts and cousins there and she is plainly excited to be with them again. As early as today, she is looking out for some south beach hotels already because it might get fully booked come summer time. So here I am , helping my mom get the best deals with her money. She is not into the posh ones though, a good 3 to 4 star hotel will do. Of course, she wants it clean , nice bathroom and beachfront.

Now i also want to look for some resorts for our summer vacation. Are we going back to Shang, or should we try somewhere else?

Take me there

During our vacation, we saw this very lovely pavillion overlooking the beach. It is surrounded by glass walls that can give you a wonderful scenery at any time of the day. The ceiling is well- architectured and the furnishings inside were so classic. I cant help but dream of having our own renewal of vows there. I know that there is a big budget with destination weddings , but I can't stop dreaming. I remember seeing great wedding venues at the Karisma Hotels in Mexico. Imagine a wedding near the beach , where the wind and sun meet. I hope that soon i would be invited in this kind of wedding , I bet it would be so romantic. I should start saving now if I want a wedding like that. Who wouldnt love this view on your wedding day ?

we are back!

We had a blast during the weekend ! Gosh, I am so lazy to do anything here in the house, and all i wanna do is sleep and rest. It was a tiring one, but its loaded with fun and good memories for our family. I have to sort out our pics then upload it to my sites. Promise to be back for my stories too.

I cant wait to go back to Shangrila. My boy had a grand time playing at the E ZONE. I think this is really a nice age for him to travel. Imagine, he cant get enough of Timezone and Billiards. I just wish they have a ping pong table too . But nevertheless, it was indeed a perfect vacation for us!

bReakfast !

Here's my boy during our breakfast at Bellevue!



He enjoyed going around the buffet, choosing some food. He got this on the 2nd day. The Koko Krunch was his fave even during breakfasts at home. He tried out some pastries and bread too. He even got some small donuts during our first day.

The buffet breakfast at Bellevue is good. It can pass for a brunch if you arrive late , just like us Hahaha. The kids were still in their PJ's during those times because they woke up late and we don't have time to change their clothes because the husband and i were hungry all ready.

Planning for another trip

Dont you just love a family vacation ?

We are off to another family vacation next month and I cant help but to feel excited. This time we are travelling with a group. My mother in law and sister in law will join us, then a friend and his family will tag along too . God knows how me and my husband misses the beach , and now , i just cant wait to hit it in a few weeks. This will also be the first time for Dominique to ride the plane. Now i am thinking if maybe soon we can go international, like the Azul Beach Hotel in Riviera Maya , i've seen pitures of the wonderful beachfront and i cant imagine us spending nights at rooms overlooking the beach. I am planning another one for November actually, when my family is here to join us, but it would just be a local destination since they miss our place a lot.

Vacation for Us

Eversince we had kids , me and my husband never had a vacation of our own. As you know, we dont have any helpers , and we dont have our parents here to look after the kids when we are out , so we always travel as a family. This is something really enjoyable but as a couple, we also want to have a time we can call our own. So as early as now, I am thinking of where to go on vacation by November since my parents will be home by then. I can only leave my kids to my parents. I am really itching to go to the beach and just relax, feel the sun , water and sand, and most of all, savor good food. I found out some Adults Only Vacations online wherein they offer luxurious places for couples who wish to have some real quiet time together. Oh i just cant wait for this much deserved vacation of ours.

new year's eve

1. How did you bring in the new year? - inside our room with my family

2. Did you drink any alcohol? - nope, im breastfeeding and besides im allergic to it.

3. Did you countdown the last few seconds? - sadly no, my son was crying coz of the loud fireworks, i forgot to check the time

4. Was this new year celebration better than last years? - definitely better coz we have our princess

5. What was your favourite moment of the whole night? - the kids woke up before 12 midnight and we were all together in one room.

6. What time did you go to bed? - around 2 am

7. Did you celebrate with family or friends? - just with the family

8. Take a lot of pictures? - not really

9. Did you wear a funny hat or glasses? - nope

10. Is this your favourite holiday? Why/why not? - one of my favorites , i should say

Moving Again?

One of my cousins recently moved from California to New York because her recent company transferred her at the NY branch. She was telling me her stories during her first few weeks of stay there, and on how she adjusted with the New York way of life. She was also able to tour within the area already, and based upon her pictures, I know that she really had a great time being in all these places. She is still enjoying NY when her supervisor called and informed her that she will be transferred again to their newest branch at Boston. She got a bit sad after hearing the news, but since she will move to a new place, she got excited afterwards. By December , she will be in Boston and as early as now, she's looking for Boston Movers already. She already had a some stuff that he plans to bring along , and she badly needs help with packing, storing, moving and unpacking too. Of course, she wants to hire a company with great feedbacks from previous clients, and not to mention, affordable rates too. She already got an estimated costing online and she is happy with the information she got. Now I wish her luck in her new destination.

Luggage Check

It's been a while since we last had an out of town vacation, and I really miss planning on one. Hubby and I talked about it, and we agreed to have another trip a few months after the baby arrives. Still a long way to wait, but its fine with me since I don't want to risk my condition now for the sake for traveling. I already had a hard time with my first trimester, and I simply want to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy without being asked to go on a bed rest. So this afternoon, I wrapped our luggage with a nice plastic cover since we won't be using it for a while. I realized , we have a small one , and maybe we should get a bigger one from Delsey for our next trip.

Binagyong weekend at Tagaytay part 1

.. oh not only binagyo.. with matching fever episodes pa of Gelo since Saturday night. But still we had fun at our room.

We left our place at around 7:30 am , because I fear the heavy traffic at SLEX. Fortunately, no traffic at all. We first stopped at Gelo's office at Laguna Technopark in Sta. Rosa because he needs to attend a very important meeting plus he needs to check their production set up for the weekend. Joaqui and I stayed inside the car coz it was raining, and when the sky cleared a bit, we went strolling around their huge parking lot ( but we weren't allowed to take pics though). Bawal daw pa picture dun sabi ni Gelo. Ang arte ha !

Here's the little boy while waiting for his dad inside the car..

** quiet mom.. sakit ulo ko **

** I am Superman! I can raise this car with just one hand **

** walang magawa na bata.. bored na! **

part 2.. At The Boutique .. coming very soon!

Kilig.

Tomorrow, June 19, Gelo and I will celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary . Yiheee!

We will start the day by visiting my OB at UST, I wasnt able to have my check up last Saturday, Dra had an emergency at the Ultrasound section, and I cant wait any longer, so walkout ako :) Since her clinic hours is from 12-2 pm, we will just have lunch at SM maybe, or even at the fast food restos at the UST Parking. I always eat rice even before it's 12 noon. As in I cant wait, LOL.

After my check up, off we will go to the mall, MOA maybe? See, no definite plans yet. I need to buy an evening bag and shoes (not too high like the ones i have now) because we will attend my bestfriend's wedding on Friday.

On Saturday, we are hitting Tagaytay for an overnight stay at The Boutique. A last minute decision for us, because Gelo wasn't sure of his schedule from work yet. So we settled for the I Dream room , i know we will have the grandest time whichever room we have. And you might ask if we will bring the little boy with us.. OF COURSE! I can't sleep without him by my side. We plan to check Bag of Beans, Pink Sisters , and Cliffside. Lets see if I have the powers, lately, i get tired easily.

I will have a separate post for our anniv of course :) later. work muna.

Budget friendly Holidays

Eversince we got married, I make it a point to my husband that we should have a family vacation, at least twice a year. I find it relaxing, and I see it as an escape from our usual life in the metro, but on top of eveything, I love spending time with them, just the 3 of us enjoying the beach, the sun and nature. But since we are expecting another baby at the end of this year, Im afraid we can't have it twice per year. It is costly to go on vacation when you are already growing in numbers,so maybe , we can stick with one vacation per year. I would still love to give my family a nice place to stay in during breaks, and that is one thing that I can compromise with budget. So as early as now, I am checking on Cheap holidays at the net , because we plan to travel early next year , with my 2 kids in tow by then. My 2 yr old son is not free anymore with the airfare, but lucky enough, I have seen good rates for the flights. I have also seen flights plus hotel deals, and that would really give you bigger savings than by just getting the hotel package. Now , I think , we can still accomodate 2 travels per year. I never thought it would be this easy, fast and low cost when you book your flights and hotels online. I am actually a bit hesitant at first to visit these sites, but after seeing the prices, I am convinced, i will definitely book with them the next time we travel.

Fort Myers Trip

After my sister's trip at Reno, Nevada two weeks ago, she is set to have a short vacation at Florida by next month. This will be her first time in the place, and she will be with some of her officemates. Their key destination is Fort Myers, the City of Palms. Known for it's water surroundings, they are really planning their itinerary ahead of time. They are renting a car for their convenience since they will travel as a group. She found a very useful site that can help you from rent a car in fort myers , to flight information, and hotel arrangements. It' a one-stop site for them , because it connects them to the best-priced websites that can provide these services. They already secured tickets for their flights, so they are just searching for the best tourist attractions the place has to offer. Of course, they wouldn't miss out the Historical Museum, and the Harborside Event museum. They are still checking the website for some travel guides and best deals they could get, to make sure that they are not missing on anything with the place. But they will definitely visit the Yacht Basin, and maybe try it too. I am more excited than her, because for sure, she will have another great time there.

Paris is for Me

Though we put a stop on our travels and vacations for this year, there's really one place that I am dreaming of.. all the time. And that is Paris. It may not be on top of my list now , since we plan on visiting my family in California next year, but i know that in the years to come, we can visit the romantic place with our kids. I love reading anything about Paris, especially seeing pictures of the majestic places they offer. I already have a partial list of my "must visit places in Paris" once we decide to have vacation there. A lot of websites offers Tours in Paris already , you can even book them online. Its always great to have a well-arranged tour with a guide because you are definite that you are seeing the best and what really needs to be seen. Everything is arranged before hand. They offer different options to choose from. Of course, I wouldn't miss out seeing the Eiffel Tower and dine at Altitude 95. A stroll down Champs - Elysees would be the best way to spend a romantic evening. The Notre Dame Cathedral is also on my list since most tourists visit this place too. If you are on the arts side, You must check out Louvre. Wow! I just can't wait to have a tour in Paris soon with my family. It gets me even more excited again after seeing the pictures.

Home away from home.

Who wouldn't love to go on a vacation with her family? It's already March and our countdown begins. I can't wait to spend the day at the beach.. Finally, the fruits of my hard labor is just a few sleeps away. I am happy whenever I travel with my family, whether it is just a few miles away, as long as it's a vacation and its a time for us to just relax.. something that is too far from what we always do at the city. I keep on researching for nice places to visit every year, or whenever we have a reason to celebrate. Anyone who has seen real estate Branson ? They have really nice lodges and villas that is perfect for families. I might check that one soon.

Go Las Vegas!

My Dear sister together with her officemates are planning to visit Las Vegas by mid of this year, when the weather is all good. Ricca actually visited the place already, but she went trying out the casinos then. This time, she wants to see some Las Vegas Shows. She's been reading good reviews of the shows and she wants to check if she can purchase tickets in advance. She is also still undecided which show to see, so I gave her a site that she can browse for reference. She really wanted this Vegas vacation a memorable one since this would be the first time that she will be with her officemates. The website I gave her also handles group tours aside from vegas shows tickets, so its like hitting two birds with one stone huh? She requested for some travel quotations and iteneraries, and she s just awaiting for the email. Oh , how i wish i can see Vegas soon too. My sister has only nice words to say about the place, that's why she is visiting the place for the 2nd time.

Hotel Reservations

Travelling has been one of my favorites currently, who wouldn't love to travel with their families right? As early as now, I already planned one domestic trip for our family on March, then come May, we might have another one when my sister arrives. Last year, we also had a few family trips that I truly enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to more travels for this year. At all cases, I am personally booking our flight and hotel accomodations. Hotel reservations is one thing I would really love to do, as I worked in this industry before. I had great deals during our 2 vacations last year. Did you know that it is easy to reserve a hotel online? You just have to choose your specific destination, your arrival date, length of stay and your preferences when it comes to rooms. Usually, they provide the lowest internet rates, so the price would really be a steal. Hotel Discounts are such a big help when you travel as a group or as a family. One of my favorite site to book would be Hotelreservations.com , because with them you can always book online, or call their toll free number. The rooms that they have online are guarantees satisfaction when it comes to service, food and cleanliness. So better check the site too for all your travel needs.

At the last quarter of the year, we might have another trip with my in laws, and I'm so excited for that. As early as now, I'm looking for great hotels at our destination, the key here is to research before travelling. We might book our flight and accomodations from one site, and that would really save us a lot. travelling in group could really be expensive, but once you know where to book, you are definite that youare getting the best deals. I am also checking out some Resorts , because our trip won't be complete without dipping into the pool or beach. And another preference of mine would be the breakfast should be included. That would save us some pennies too, than eating outside the hotel. Oh, I just can't get enough of travelling recently. CAn you share your travel sotries and plans for this year?

Sea World Tickets

A part of me would forever be a child. I enjoy visiting theme parks and all the likes. I always reminisce the times when I was still a child., and now that I have Joaquin, I would like him to visit theme parks too. We are scheduling a few international trips for next year, and I do hope we can get to see Sea World in Orlando. I already saw a few pictures of the place and the activities we can do at Sea world, and my oh my, I am so excited. Sea World Tickets are now having special offers, currently , for a limited time only, your 2nd day is free if you purchase a one - day ticket. Isn't it tempting?

Orlando is really one place I wanted to see, because it has a lot of places that I know my family will really enjoy. And purchasing tickets for these parks is not a roblem anymore, since the website offers great prices and deals too. I am sending this information to my cousin in LA, because they have a series of travels for next year, this is very useful i know. Who wouldn't want to save when you travel? It's like hitting two birds with one stone, a great vacation, without slashing your budget bigtime.