Frannywanny

I'm backkkkkkkkkkkkk!! How was your long weekend? Mine was FUN!!! This was because I spent the long weekend with The Food Club as we went up north to enjoy the cool and laid back atmosphere of Baguio . In true Food Club fashion, we had a three-day long food trip complete with a late-night pizza party, Ube and Strawberry jam shopping and a lot more! This is basically the reason why every night I thank God for blessing Paul and I with friends who not only share our love for eating and traveling but who are truly amazing in their own way. ♥ While I never seem to get tired of Baguio , I always find myself exhausted after the long drive to and from. Waking up this morning was really a challenge. I could hardly pull my tired body up and more than anything I just want a really good massage. This made me reminisce about the time when I visited Toccare Spa at the Antel Spa Suites in Makati. It was upon an invitation by fellow Food Club member Abet who arranged a relaxing eveni...

Wednesday last week was a very busy day for me. I woke up at exactly 4AM, my heart and mind racing ready to face the day's series of activities. It began with a trip down to Roxas Boulevard for my US Visa Interview then off I went to work as I literally struggled to stay awake and alert. Lunch was short but sweet with half of the Club at Pedeli Gourmet Kitchen followed by a brief seminar back at the office. I finally asked to be allowed to go home early as my head was literally throbbing and my eyes were getting heavy by the minute. Little by little, I knew sleep is catching up and my awake state is fast crashing. I still have dinner to attend that day and a two hour nap would truly help. On the way home, I decided to check out our neighborhood day spa to see if I can possibly get a short full body massage. That would surely put me on a relaxing state...one that I truly needed that day. Entering Neo Day Spa along Wilson street, I was warmly greeted by the receptionist who w...

It has been a while since my family went on a trip. This realization came when a long weekend was announced and my sister started throwing suggestions on where we all can go and what we can do. You see, ever since Papa's brain surgery, he has been more unwilling to go out, this is despite the fact that he has improved a whole lot! Of course, Tagaytay was our unanimous choice as it continues to be our favorite long weekend getaway. Anyway, we took the plunge. I made some advance reservations at One Tagaytay Place after seeing wonderful comments and photos from fellow bloggers Bong , Arpee and Eric and left it all up to Him as we pray that Papa will join us for this trip. We were all in need of a breather from work, after all. The drive up to Tagaytay was a bit slow due to the traffic along Bicutan, Paranaque. Oh, how I miss those days when it would just take us an hour to get from San Juan to Tagaytay City Proper. We arrived at 3PM and after a relaxing lunch at Sonya's w...

I can't believe it has been 3 longs years since I last set foot on these powdery white sand... Boracay '07 I feel so fortunate to be able to join the launch of Astoria's newest property in my favorite summer island -- Boracay . Set to open this April, Astoria Boracay is a 3,000 square-meter property that's located right along the shoreline of Station 1 and is just one hop away from the party central Station 2 . I can still remember the time when we would have to take a long long walk from our resort located at the far end of Station 1 just to have breakfast at D'Mall which is located at Station 2. In fact, we didn't even bothered to explore Station 3 because we just got so tired of walking. There are more than 39 lovely rooms but what I'm so excited to see are their dramatic honeymoon suites. There's also a complete line of amenities to suit each visitor's needs, there's a lap pool, a kiddie pool, a coffee shop and more. While chatting with As...

December 27, 2009 (Makati City, Philippines) -- Seriously taking our plan, which is to relax the entire weekend , seriously; we woke up just in time for brunch today. After hearing raves from colleagues and friends who frequently visit Dusit Thani Manila on a Sunday, we were so excited to try out their Sunday Family Crossover Buffet ourselves. Following the brief instructions of the front desk officer, we visited the four participating restaurants to choose and reserve our table. After visiting Basix , Umu , Benjarong and Tosca , we both agreed to stay at the latter simply because of its cozy ambiance complete with a pianist happily playing Christmas tunes. Contrary to other buffets and restaurants in town, here you have to pay first. After leading you to your table, the server will hand you the bill. The charge per head is very reasonable. Pay only P1450 net for adults, P725 for children between 6-12 years old while tiny tots below 5 years old can dine for FREE! After settl...

December 26, 2009 (Makati City, Philippines) -- Today is our 74th monthsary! I guess for most couples, they have stopped counting monthsaries the moment they turned a year old together. Not for us though, we continue to celebrate every single month as a couple. I guess we just love to find every possible reason to celebrate and be merry! Feeling my need to relax and get pampered, Paul surprised me with an overnight stay at the lovely Dusit Thani Manila . Located right at the heart of busy Makati City, I was amazed at the beautiful interiors that reminded me of our recent trip to Bangkok . With its golden walls and intricate details, I felt myself getting more and more excited as I walk around the lobby knowing that I will finally have that much-awaited relaxing weekend that I've been looking forward to. Warm Hellos, Genuine Smiles From the moment we entered the basement parking and were greeted with a joyous hello from the parking attendant followed by the warm welcome that we got...