Frannywanny

Before anything else, let me wish you and your family a Merry Merry Christmas ! I remember that I would always do this Christmas blog post every single year. Except for last year where my days were just so mixed up with my nights and I began to lost track of time, of the day while trying to catch up on sleep, juggling all our tasks as new parents and basically adjusting to motherhood. Things are much better now. Much, much better, actually. We get to sleep more, routines are now in place, my twins are definitely much bigger and their personalities are more defined. I'm not gonna lie. I do miss the scent of newborn babies but I love each day spent playing with them even more. Trying to decipher their baby languages, laughing at their latest antics and a lot lot more. This is our life now. We are now parents of 1-year-old growing babies. Before we know it, they'll turn into full-fledge toddlers, then will transition to school age kids, teenagers and *gulp* move on to adu...

Well, hello there! Missed me? This was definitely the longest break that I've took since this blog was created 10 years ago. Well, I got a good excuse reason. The day after my previous blog entry was posted, I gave birth to my adorable twins J and L. What happened after that were days filled with non-stop feeding, burping, diaper changes, sleepless nights, random playtime and more. It has been 60+ days since and I'd say, we've pretty much mastered the art of not-sleeping-at-night-or-ever. Haha! Kidding aside, I'm so in love with my twins and while never in my wildest dreams would I thought that I can change diapers in 3 minutes or less as well as turn into a human milking cow, my dream of being a Mommy has finally became a reality and I'm just so so so happy. I have yet to share with you the highlights of my year but I guess you all know what will sit on top of my list. 2018 is looking very bright for our family and I really can't wait to see what's in ...

"'Tis the season for lots of feasting... fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la" Recently, I came across an article that showed how different people all over the world celebrate the holiday season and what food items are the ones that take the forefront during this time of the year. In the Philippines, out comes the glorious Lechon (roast pork) and the buttery Bibingka (rice cakes) and Puto Bumbong (Yam Rice Cakes). Did you know that KFC Fried Chicken is a Christmas staple in Japan? Here in Singapore, it's the perfect time to feast on all types of roast meats from big, juicy Turkey meat, mouthwatering Roast Pork and that to-die-for succulent piece of steak. In addition to that, there are all types of log cakes and dessert creations to have that perfect sweet ending to every holiday meal. Here are some of the yummiest log cakes to order this year: 1) Exotic Christmas Log Cake  from Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa  (S$60 / S$75) Selecting flavors that marry th...

Merry Christmas!!! Finally my most favorite time of the year is here and I'm one happy happy girl! Lately, Paul and I have been dining with friends to celebrate the holiday season. We have just been back for a few days and so far our days are packed with get-togethers and meet-ups with family and friends whom we have been so excited to catch up and be reunited with. If there's one holiday that we promised we'll never missed, it would definitely be this. So, what are you plans for Christmas Day? If you're thinking of taking the family out for a good meal, why not go and have a feast! Morganfield's recently launched their special Morgan's Christmas Feast (S$149.90++). This is good for 4-5 or even more to share! Each platter will give you 4 grilled sausages, half slab of the Christmas Cranberry Sticky Bones, half slab of the Christmas Hazelnut Sticky Bones, tender Bourbon Marmalade Glazed Ham Slices, Smoked Turkey Legs and a wide-array of sides such as roast...

"What?! IKEA Again ?!?" This was my entire team's reaction when I told them one afternoon that I'm heading to IKEA after work. No, they weren't over-reacting and I don't blame them for the disbelief too. IKEA is one of my favorite places here in Singapore and I just love shopping and eating here. I'm glad that Paul shares the same fascination for this Swedish home store too that we would frequent it at least every other week and immediately signed up to be part of the IKEA Family Club weeks upon moving in to the Lion City. As we were busy buying gifts last Christmas, we somehow managed to visit IKEA 3 times in one week. Thus, the shock from my team when they found out I'm going back to IKEA again . So, to celebrate the yuletide season, Paul and I invited our friends I, O and C as well as our cousin J to join us for a fun Swedish dinner at IKEA last December 19. This Christmas Dinner ran for only two days and they had only two sittings per day. ...

There's truly no place like... home . This Christmas is extra special as both Paul and I are able to catch up with friends and spend a lot of quality time with our families. I can't really imagine being anywhere else during this special time of the year without our loved ones around us. Of course, with all the bonding comes a lot of eating. We've been feasting, munching and partying for days on end! Tis the season for lots of merry-making, after all. Check this festive Christmas Stocking cake that Paul and I got from Shangri-la Hotel, Singapore . It's so pretty that I actually hesitated for a minute before slicing it. Inside, you get a moist vanilla butter cake that goes so well with a mug of hot chocolate. It's light and creamy perfect for those who wants something different from the usual Chocolate-flavored cakes. However, we also got a couple of chocoholics in the house (yes, O and Paul I'm looking at the two of you!) . They both enjoyed the Chocol...

*SPONSORED POST* Ho ho ho ! Christmas is two days away and for the past weeks, Paul and I have been showered with gifts from our dear friends and colleagues. I guess it’s pretty obvious to the world how much we both love food thus 99% of our gifts got were either food items or food/cooking-related items. Hooray! While this is the time of the year where we have the license for non-stop merry making and treats eating, we always have to be on guard against increasing cholesterol, gaining more unwanted weight, having a bigger and not so flattering waistline and for Paul and I, we’re also extra cautious towards our blood sugar level. We’re both not getting any younger after all and we both made a pact to stay healthy for one another and for our future family. Others might think we’re being overly paranoid but you see, my father-in-law was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes a few years ago and while he gets to maintain a better sugar level now, the possibility that Paul could inherit ...

My mom's friend once said: "Give out food and more food will come to you...give out money and more money will come back to you." She was so right. Food has been my way of sharing the love with my friends, family and colleagues and I've been blessed with abundant food coming back my way every single day. Who's complaining? My tummy has been very very happy! Yesterday has been another stressful work day for me. As I spent really long hours at work to the point that Paul had to literally pull me out to have a good and filling dinner. I continued working at a milk tea shop while waiting for my sister's call for us to pick her up. Then, I came home to... ...a box of delicious Date and Nut Torte sent by one of the sweetest couples Paul and I have the privilege of knowing and being friends with. Thank you A & I! You guys rock!

As much as I love spontaneity and change, I also do value traditions. There are just some things in life that are best left untouched . These are the ones that you can always count on to happen at the exact same time of the year, every single year. These include mine and Paul's week-long birthday celebrations, our wedding anniversary dinner date, our summer and 3rd quarter ("autumn") travel getaways and collecting the Starbucks Planner . Readers of this blog must have noticed what a big Starbucks Coffee fan I am . This began way before I actually became a Starbucks partner myself. From the time Starbucks Coffee first opened its doors in 6750 fifteen (15) years ago, I've began collecting mugs, tumblers and have been a frequent visitor most especially during my university years. Friends who couldn't find me around the campus know exactly where to go. Thus, being able to be part of the Starbucks Coffee Philippines team a few years ago was just like a dream come tr...

If there's anything that I'm fashionably attracted to, then it would be on accessories . I'm a firm believer that a piece of jewelry or accessory can add more personality to your everyday wear. As such, my jewelry staples includes a good piece of watch and my heart and locket white gold bracelet that I've been wearing since my High School graduation. While surfing the internet, I visited one of my favorite accessory brand Jean and Rosz and checked out what are the new items they have available. It was then that I saw the Charity Bracelets. For only Php 150 per set of 4 leather bracelets , Jean & Rosz will donate the sales proceeds to their partner charity institution. There are about 9 colors to choose from and believe me, I had a hard time choosing my 1st four colors! Thus I let my ever-stylish friend Jean decide for me. Here's what she came up with.

When I predicted that 2012 will be a busy year, I wasn't expecting for it to be THIS busy. I've been buzzing around like a busy bee ever since I returned back to work on the 2nd day of the year. Meetings conducted one after the other, reports growing by the number and a lot more! Don't get me wrong, I entered the year with an optimistic heart and I'm just so happy doing what I'm doing right now. In other words -- I. Love. My. Job. Still, after a hectic work week, what makes my heart flutter is the thought that the weekend is here! This is the only time when I can stay in bed longer, catch up on my favorite TV shows and go out and eat, eat, eat to my hearts content! Aside from Chinese and Japanese cuisines, I love Filipino food. How can I ever say no to that mouthwatering Lechon or that heart-stopping, oil-dripping Garlic Pork Adobo that goes perfectly well with steamed white rice? Oh the thought of it always puts a smile on my face. There are a lot of Filipi...

One thing that Paul and I love about Christmas and about being married is that ever since we tied the knot, we finally can celebrate the holiday season together! You see, for the past 7 years when we were dating, Christmas for Paul means driving to his hometown in Pampanga to celebrate the holidays with his extended family. Whereas for me, I spend Christmas Eve with my mom's side and Christmas Day at home with my immediate family of 4. Not wanting to join the holiday rush and to just waste precious time in traffic, we decided to postpone our annual Holi-date to the day after Christmas where almost everyone is back at work and the roads are free of cars and the malls not that filled with frantic shoppers. So there we were at 11AM right in front of Seryna Japanese Restaurant , our Holi-date venue for the year. What we failed to take note was that the restaurant opens at 11:30 which means we have to wait for half an hour more before we can finally have lunch. Drat! I'm star...

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!! :) May you all have a deliciously-filled Holiday spent with your dearest loved ones! :) Cheers, Frannywanny and Paul

I never thought I'd get THIS busy. Don't get me wrong, I am truly thankful for all the blessings showered upon us and let it shower even more! We've been spending our weekends doing the rounds with our dear peanut distributors and Paul, especially, has been busy taking orders and allocating stocks for our customers. Our entrepreneurial dreams are slowly becoming a reality and we're truly grateful for that. ♥ As we've been spending most of our waking hours on our business , we really haven't had the time to head to the mall to do our Christmas shopping..and Christmas is just two weeks away!! Once in a while, I'd inject a short shopping trip in between work and dinner but more often than not, I'd go home empty handed as it's really hard to choose and decide under great time constrains and set shopping budget. Can you relate with this? It's a good thing though that my Christmas list is not totally empty. A month ago, I purchased a couple ...

I can't believe it's finally December ! It just seems like yesterday when Paul and I celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple and in 24 days we'll be celebrating it again for the 2nd time! Time surely flies extra fast when you're having fun and I am sure having a blast this 2011! Imagine being able to attend the weddings of two of my closest friends, spending more time not only with my family but with my in laws, taking out of town trips and a million food trips with friends and a whole lot more! Mommy and I can't help but get emotional whenever we see our house well-lit with Christmas lights which were carefully installed by my Dad. Three years ago, we were still unsure if Papa can fully recover from his brain surgery as he was still undergoing motor and speech therapy and was 100% dependent on his personal nurse. Today, he can move around, talk, listen and eat on his own. Best of all, he would even walk all the way to Greenhills just to get his regular...

Here's one great gift idea for the holidays! My friends, Chefs Angelo Comsti and Aileen Anastacio , came up with this quick and easy cookbook called Home-Made for the Holidays that features 60 Christmas treats that you can enjoy in your own home or to be given out as gifts to your loved ones. They have easy recipes on how to make caramel popcorns, gingerbread cookies and step-by-step guide on how to make potluck-perfect dishes like a caviar pie or even a White Chocolate Cheesecake! I'm so proud of both Angelo and Aileen as they finally have their very own book! Both are contributors of Yummy Magazine while Angelo Comsti used to be Yummy's former food editor (and my very popular cooking demo chef) while Chef Aileen is the talented lady behind Goodies and Sweets. Home-Made for the Holidays is available in all National Bookstore outlets for only Php. 895 !! Buy your copy now! :)

Once again, we have reached the -ber months where people start to make their Christmas list, families decorating their Christmas trees and for avid Starbucks Coffee fans like myself, we head to our favorite store to collect enough stickers to bring home our very own Starbucks Planner ! This is really the start of the countdown as on November 3, 2011 ; Starbucks Coffee will begin giving out stickers for every drink purchase for customers to collect to be able to redeem and get one of the five planners available. Yes, you read that right! From having three attractive designs last year, Starbucks Coffee Philippines now has FIVE for you to choose from! Last night, I was lucky to be able to see the Starbucks 2012 Planner up close and to be able to lift through the pages, run my fingers through the wooden cover and go through each month by month as I read the opening pages. I know you're all dying to see what Starbucks Coffee has in store for all of us planner fans so read on a...

This Christmas, I truly had a hard time drawing up my Christmas list. Not because I suddenly won the Lotto (though I wish I did) and am abundant with material things but simply because I have found contentment and I simply couldn't ask for more. I am lucky to be extra blessed this year... 2010 has been a great year for me..in my career, finding new friends and keeping the old, having not only one but two wonderful families and of course, I was blessed to be married to the man of my dreams, Paul . Christmas is all about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, my Kuya Jess, who came to this world to save us from evil. Through the years, he has been there to by our guide. Dear readers,  This Christmas, I wish you and your family peace , love and unity . May we all welcome the new year with more optimism and openness in our hearts to have a raring 2011!!! Cheers! Love,  Frannywanny

We are down to the final leg before Christmas Day hits and with a little more than a week left, people will surely be out rushing to finish off their Christmas list. Here's a handy list that I came across in ClickTheCity.com where they have the complete mall hours to guide all the last minute shoppers (like yours truly) out there: please click to view full size shopping photo credit: http://brandkeys.blogspot.com/

2010 is a year that brings more optimism and hope. With a new president whom every Filipinos hope will be able to improve the current situation of the country to the growth of several business sectors, everyone is eager to welcome 2011 with a brighter, happier start. I've noticed that this year's Christmas is more festive too. Bright lights line up the streets, children are once again singing merry tunes and at the corner of Ortigas and Meralco avenues, stands a beautiful well-lit compound where the public can visit and enjoy with their entire family. Meralco once again opens its doors to the public this Christmas with a Paskuhan (Christmas) Village, Toy Town and a life-sized electric train. I was privilege to witness the lighting of the entire Meralco compound which was headed by Meralco's chairman Manny V. Pangilinan himself. After the countdown, the Meralco logo on the building lit up and the sky was filled with bright and colorful fireworks. Christmas is t...