Mommy Fleur Day 2017

Disclaimer: I brought my camera and 2 smartphones. Ironically, I did not have much photos. Ganun ako ka-enjoy, mga bes. I, the shutterbug, forgot to take photos. *pats self in the back sarcastically*

Whenever asked if there is one blog I enjoy checking everyday, my default answer would always be Mommy Fleur. For the most part this is where I get my daily dose of positivity and empowerment. Mommy Fleur is like my Justine Bieber and although it's really no-brainer if you're an avid reader, here are just 3 of the many reasons why:

1. Mommy Fleur has a way of creating a personal connection with her readers virtually. Super power niya yan, beshies. Being a good writer is just half of her abilities, the other (and perhaps better) half is that she is such a story teller. It is such a special thing when she only accounts her day to day life but you find joy in the fact that somewhere, someone is going through what you are going through. The reassurance you get for whenever she writes about the "fails" and the "struggles" of a normal woman is incomparable. 

2. Her positivity and energy is contagious. You know when one gets those days where you just dislike how you look or how you weigh? Or those days when you just want to not go to work, stay home, hide under the sheets and pretend to be a carrot? I get those days. Maybe more often than I would've wanted to. And you know, she gets those too. But she attacks all of them with her inspiring positivity. She presses on with this "that's what you have?" attitude and kicks the bad thoughts right up in the arse. So on those days when I feel like I just want to plant myself in soil, I visit Mommy Fleur's blog and get a dose of her jovial thoughts and optimism. This way I get affirmed that bad days occur but you still get to decide how to approach them.

3. Her recommendations are fool-proof. Like when she raved about K-Palette's lasting eyebrow pen here. Or that time when she blogged about Virgin Beach Resort here. I actually went ahead and bought myself the brow pen and never looked back (at my sparse and problematic kilay). Mommy Fleur has impeccable taste - on food, products, places and people. For that - she was able to build a spotless credibility for herself overtime. Hence, I bank and vouch on this.

I chanced upon Mommy Fleur's blog several years ago when I was looking for blogs that discussed depression and being a working mother. I have been a silent reader since then. I cannot remember a time when I failed to check for updates every single day (except for some trips to reception-deprived places). I've had my fair share of panic when she went MIA for sometime and went back saying she almost lost her blog, shed a few tears here and there for friends who left for good, wanted to figure out who Janis Baez is, and felt a sense of hope for that time when she wrote about the good parks in Canada and how it would be nice to have them here one day.

Can you now imagine me getting her invitation to the Mommy Fleur Day 2017? I basically squealed, teared up, jumped frantically, pinched, slapped and punched myself. I could not believe my eyes. I have never been lucky at getting picked for anything. Raffles, lottery, what-have-yous. As in maalat na maalat any swerte sa akin. The last thing I would've imagined was getting invited. I tried and lodged my name on the comment section of her blog and forgot about it intentionally. I managed my expectations so the heartbreak would be muted. And voila! I was invited. 

Fast forward to the January 17. I briefly went to the powder room to check on myself first. I wanted to buy myself time to think kung uuwi nalang ako as I would often veer away from social gatherings like these. Wala akong kilala. I just wanted to really meet Mommy Fleur. BUUUUT, when I entered the clubhouse, Mommy Fleur was right there. She grabbed me at bineso pa ako. It felt like she was a long-time friend. I told her I was rather shy as I did not know anyone and being her usual bubbly self, she responded with an "Ano ka ba, lahat kayo hindi magkakakilala!" and quickly lead me to a table with other guests. She made sure everybody felt comfortable and she willingly took pictures with everyone. Ang nice lang talaga niya. 

The Place

The Birchwoord Residences Clubhouse was very spacious for the gathering and the venue set-up was chic. Very Mommy Fleur. It was actually the first time I went to Acacia Estates. Ang shala naman pala! 

The Food

Ayyyyy nakoooo. I don't even know where to start with the food. They served nuts and biscuits for appetizers. Bumabaha sila. If I remember it correctly, they served us growers peanuts, corn puffs and Ritz crackers. Appetizer palang busog na agad. Mommy Fleur did not have us wait so long to be served the main course. After playing rock-paper-scissors, she invited us to eat na. They had an appetizer table with all the wonderful things you can fill yourself with. What stood out the most was Wowa's super yummy dips. She made her Tuna and Pimiento dips. These accompanied with ritz were the bomb.


Don't get me started with the main course. Hindi sila nag serve ng madami because Mommy Fleur and Wowa's principles were "quality over quantity". Pero giiiiiirl, ang sarap talaga ng food. What stood out to me most was the spinach lasagna which was the perfect balance of flavors and the lechon. Ang sarap! Wowa also made her special fruit salad for desert. If I'd rate the food, presentation and efforts of 10 being highest, 100. 100 siguro ang ire-rate ko.

The Party Proper

The party was SUPER fun. Para lang talaga kayong friends on a get-together. Everything seemed natural lang and everybody was giddy. Perhaps because it was because it's so surreal to be with those people you only see and follow online. We had a few games. And of course bilang excited akong manalo, career talaga sa How Well Do You Know Me game. Stock knowledge lang bes! Haha. I won this really pretty scissors from Paperchic Studio for the game and some Mustella Products for the raffle:

We also had a "Kilay Session" with Ms. Eliza Santiago of momama.me. It was one insightful session as we learned more of our Kilays. Alam niyo naman, kilay is really life.

All in all, I had so much fun. Albeit my introverted-extrovert nature, I did not feel uncomfortable as everyone made sure everyone feels at home. I especially appreciate the love and support Mommy Fleur's family showed that day. Everyone was so busy on their assignments and everyone in the family was just as approachable and jolly as Mommy Fleur. Apples do not fall far from the tree nga talaga. Let me just rave about the pride I saw in Lolo Papa's eyes whenever he takes snaps of the event. Particularly of Mommy Fleur. From the way his eyes twinkled with bliss everytime he looks at our dear muther, you'd really know how proud he is of what she's become. And Wowa. Wowa has been just as warm and welcoming. She took time to roam around and talk to everybody. She even dropped by our table and made a few jokes about having her "Wowa Day" in Shangri-La. Bongga! Not to mention her youth and grace. Ang ganda lang din talaga. You know when they say if your heart is beautiful it just radiates? Si Wowa yun. Because you can really feel her sincerity, support and love towards her family.

To Mommy Fleur - Thank you for being a constant source of empowerment and inspiration. You are the epitome of positivity, humility and wit. All by which a woman needs to keep life simple and happy. May you live a long and healthy life. We love you! 

Travel: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Day Tour

Looking for a place to bring your date over the weekend? Las Casas Filipinos de Acuzar may be just right for you.Situated in Bagac, Bataan - this sprawling 400-hectare property is just a few hours drive to North from Manila.


From Wikipedia:Each house was dismantled brick by brick, numbered, transported to his property in Bagac, reassembled in the same order, and then restored. Houses were chosen based on their historicaal, cultural and architectural value. Acuzar bought houses which were in a state of neglect, from the owners, and in some cases also purchased the lot where the mansions stood. The bahay na bato(Tagalog, literally meaning stone houses) which have stone foundations on the first floor and are made of wood on the second floor(constructed thus to withstand earthquakes), were transplanted from Manila (Tondo, Binondo and Quiapo, Quezon City, Bulacan, Pampanga, La Union, the Ilocos and Cagayan.)


How much would it cost you for a day trip?
Php900.00 for a day trip may be a little steep for budget travelers like we are but the day tour fee entitles one to several amenities such as access to some of the "Casas", a guided tour, access the play/recreation room, the batis-inspired pool for one whole day.

Facade

Church still under construction

One of the many beautiful casas

The lights I chased in Las Casas

The "Casas" or houses were age-old mansions owned by some of the old-rich families all over the Philippines. Most of these houses were dilapidated and had seen minimal care from the time the owners passed. The technique of slowly dismantling the houses, moving all the original parts from where it came from to Bataan and painstakingly rebuilding it just the way it used to look sounds to me like one needs to have lots and lots of passion (and money) for houses.

I am not sure how much the overnight accommodations are but as far as I remember, they are at a price range of Php5,000.00 and up depending on the rooms and pax.


Guided Tour

The tour is included in the day trip rate. I must tell you I am impressed by their tour guides who are always knowledgeable and accommodating. They will tour you around the casas and share interesting facts about them. They will also acknowledge and answer your questions.

Maranao Houses

Window View

Sunset in Las Casas

If you've seen the Heneral Luna Movie, this place will definitely look familiar to you

Aside from the fact that this could easily pass as an easier destination for whenever you are looking for a quick escape, one can richly benefit from learning so much culture in a day. Las Casas Filipinos de Acuzar is highly recommended (if not for the extra expensive sodas) and I will definitely go back.

The guided tour lasts for around 1 hour. This includes visiting each of the houses, picture taking, little trivia quizzes here and there and lots of sweat. I don't know but it seemed to be pretty warm the day we visited and I had my fair share of sweaty underarms. Do not fret as once the tour ends, they will give you clean, wet towels so you can freshen up and rest. If the tour happens in the afternoon, they will also inform you that a cultural show will occur at 6PM. You may be able to watch it while having early dinner as they set up their dinner (or mourned) buffet by the bridge. We opted to swim.

The Food


We arrived starved by lunchtime so we immediately looked for somewhere to eat. Las Casas has several restaurants showcasing different menus from Mexican to Italian to Filipino Cuisine. We tried out Cafe Marivent for lunch. They offer lunch buffet for a very affordable price. However, the food selection is a little common and limited. Overall, I give it a 3.5/5. I was not able to take a photo of the food here or the dinner we had at La Bella Teodora but what I can tell you is that the pizza in La Bella is superb and amongst the 2, I recommend La Bella Teodora to satisfy your hunger. 

Food: Tori Ichi Yakitori & Bar

Y'all, I'm a sucker for Japanese Food. Well... for food in general.

The people closest to me could attest to the fact that you can feed me Japanese food everyday and I won't complain. Hence, the inception of my back to back Japanese Restaurant Series I plan to do this year.

Let's kick that off with this new, minimalist restaurant we chanced upon in BGC - Tori Ichi.

Menu

At first glance, one would think they might be a little on the pricier side. Truth is, hindi naman nalalayo sa price ng mga kilalang Jap fast-food, bes.

We browsed through their menu and found several interesting dishes (ehem, set meals), and were thrilled to see that at Php380.00 - you'd get 5 assorted Yakitoris, Egg Rice, Miso Soup and Matcha Ice Cream for dessert. Bagay na bagay sa wallets namin!

I must say this restaurant is a contender when it comes to customer service considering they are relatively new. The staff would greet you, help you with the menu and eagerly assist whenever they can. Oh, and they also served Tazukuri as appetizer (they were generous enough to give me a refill because, PG lang ang ate niyo. Hehehe.)

Tazukuri

Egg Rice

Our Feast

We ordered Hourensou Bacon, which is basically sauted spinach with bacon. This costs Php125.00 - not bad for a really tasty addition to the set meal.

However much we enjoyed the Hourensou Bacon, I can confidently say their Butabara Karashi or Pork Belly Skewers were one of the best we've tasted. With the woodsy taste, freshness and tenderness, this sure gives Kuretake's skewers a run for their money. 

Because we were really savvy for the pork skewers, I just realized now how we kinda took for granted all the other skewers. Not that they were forgettable but the pork was really goooooooooood. 

We also almost forgot we had a scoop of Matcha Ice Cream. Thank heavens we did not as it was the "realest" Matcha Ice Cream I have tasted. Do not quote me on this as Matcha may be the last flavor I will order when given several choices so my "Matcha Radar" is sort of week.

Matchaaaaaaah

Here's my hatol:

Customer Service: 4/5

Taste: 3.75-4/5 (I think they can still improve the other skewers)

Cleanliness: 3/5 (I gave the staff a feedback that there were fruitflies everywhere. It sort of bothered us but not really enough to stop us from eating. Nakakailang lang talaga. They graciously acknowledged and pledged to do something about this.)

Value for Money: 4/5 (Oh! I almost forgot to mention they had this buy 1 take 1 promo for all Yakitoris until 6PM)

All in all, we spent a little more than we would have for a weekday afterwork dinner. However, there were no regrets at all as we left the place filled up and happy. Would I go back? Yes. Would I recommend? Yes.

Tori Ichi Yakitori & Bar is located at Net Quad, 4th Avenue Corner 30th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

We got invited to the Mommy Fleur Day 2017!

I do not often get invited to events like these and I have the least buenas when it comes to raffle, contests and anything that has to do with lady luck. So I literally cried upon seeing her email invitation for the Mommy Fleur Day 2017. Naiihi ako sa killing, mga bes!

Kukwentuhan ko kayo. Just wait for it!

Travel: Amazing Ilocos

Anyone who knows me would know my last name sounds like it has Ilokano roots - which rings true. My grandfather's clan originated from Batac - a town I only heard minimal stories of. After all, most of my Lolo's relatives are now isteytside*. Albeit the "root" advantage, I have never gone near Ilocos in my 20-something years of living. 

Until early 2016.

Let me take you on a mini-journey in discovering some parts and cultures of my dear Ilocos.

We left Manila as soon as I got off work a little past 1AM. We were happily driving to the North until SCTEX and TPLEX happened. I have been raving about these improvements as they may have decreased travel time to the North by several hours. BUUUUUUUT, driving in them at dawn on little rest is not a good idea. These long, dim and carless roads have tendencies to lull one to sleep. Best advice is to be well rested and well prepared for the trip AND try to have more than one person who can drive in the car. 

At around 7AM, we were greeted by this view:

And I knew I was almost home

Tired and sleepy - we've reached Vigan at approximately around 9AM. That's including multiple nap, food and weewee breaks.

Where we stayed

Vigan Plaza Hotel

The best part about our stay in Vigan Plaza Hotel is its accessibility. We were literally at the center of Vigan which buys us the luxury of time and the advantage of moving like sloths and never being late. For this short trip though, we did not get to experience lounging around since we had to maximize our time. The stay comes with free breakfast and the basics. Nothing too fancy - but everything mostly rustic and creepy. Just the way we liked it.

Who toured us

While discovering Calle Crisologo at night, we chanced upon a "Manong" who was offering a guided trip via his tricycle the following morning for only Php300.00 for two. We were hesitant but went on with it since we thought it was a bargain considering we would no longer be burdened with fuel and parking slots had we brought the car. We agreed to meet 7 or 8-ish the next morning. He was on time if you may ask. *smiles*

I lost his number but I am pretty sure there are lots of them roaming Calle Crisologo. Just profile the "Manongs" you are getting services from thoroughly and the best piece of advice I can give you here is if they bring you to a vigan longganisa and bagnet factory - DO NOT BUY. It's a trap.

Where we went

Bantay Bell Tower

Our first stop was Bantay Church and Bell Tower - one of the most popular destinations in Ilocos. No questions to that. Really. 

Bantay Church was a sight to behold as well

We had to pay an entrance fee of less than a hundred pesos as the tour does not include fees. Save for the constant photo bombers you will get - a hundred pesos was well worth this beauty.

View from one side of the tower, those little white specks are actually tombstones (I think)

The light I was able to chase

And these bricks

Next stop was Pagburnayan Pottery Making. The artsy girl in me was literally jumping when I learned we would try pottery for this trip. I always wanted to try out Pottery but haven't had the chance before. 

Burnay Jars

As I was being coached by another "Manong" on how to shape my jar, I really did some contemplating. I always thought the experience would be messy and I would be all over the place - turns out it was quite relaxing. I would gladly have it as a hobby if only I have unlimited access to the materials (and had ample space at home for all the jars I plan to make).

Me in action

As much as I wanted to stay, I was reminded we have limited time. So I had to wash off and get moving.

Next was Hidden Garden where plants are being sold at very affordable prices. At this point, we were running behind schedule so I had to rush in buying my Citronella and Kalamansi plants and leave. They have a wide selection of plants which one would really enjoy if only there was enough time to get acquainted with each of them.

Hidden Garden

Due to my constant bugging, we were able to pass by this weaving store. I wanted to see how they come up with such intricate designs and got so amazed by the way these women weave. It looked so easy but I just knew it was not.

Women weaving

Calle Crisologo is a story in itself. From the cobblestone walkways to the stores in it, there are no questions as to why it is as popular as it is. You'll find you are really transported in an era where technology was nowhere to be seen (save for the gadgets we all have lol).

Calle Crisologo at night

We all may know by now that Ilocos has lots of churches and they pride on being able to restore their integrity and heritage. Paoay Church is no exception. The church has been able to keep its stunning architecture the way it was exactly built. This stunning beauty works in contrast with the bluest of skies and the greenest of grass making it truly a sight to behold.

Looking for a worthy place to cap off your vacation? Paoay Lake is sure a contender. After all the chaos, we felt the need to unwind and seal our Ilocos vacation with even sweeter memories of stunning sunsets and placid waters.

Calm Lake

Sunset at Paoay Lake

Now on to the best part: FOOD

I firmly believe that if one really wants to immerse herrself in a certain culture - eat as a local and Ilocano  food is something I get very excited about. Why? These guys like crispy things and the food has managed to reach Manila and make itself more accessible. Despite this, there is this certain authenticity when you eat something where it has originated. Again, a collective dump of the things we managed to stuff our stomachs with.

Inihaw na Vigan Longganisa

Not a Papaitan fan but this one is legit

The world-famous Vigan Empanada fresh from the pan

Okoy FTW

Below is a collective dump of all the random interesting things:

I must say this trip was rather short and sweet. Maybe shorter than I would've wanted it to be. Despite of, I have certainly felt a connection to my roots and found ways to justify some traits I have. Like maybe having the tastebuds for food with distinct flavours. Or being kuripot (sometimes lol). 

There are still so many places in Ilocos I would have loved to see. And one day soon, I will.

*A term used by many Filipinos to describe fellow Filipinos who are now residing in the US.

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