This is also my way in sharing my  advocacy in promoting fun, fun living adventure. But fun must have to start in our very own province, Laguna.

Cheers to more collection of explorations!

This is a pre-qualifying entry to the Intramuros Bloggers Challenge 2012 by IntramurosManila.Asia. This campaign is fully supported by the Intramuros Administration, Barbara’s Restaurant, Celdran Tours, Mabuhay Guides, Pilgrimage Pilipinas, Castillan Tours, Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation, Inc., Starbucks Philippines, Starbucks Facebook Fanpage, Payless Pancit Shanghai, Ruthilicious and Ruthilicious @ FB.

Actually, come to think of it, we were also in a tight budget. Salaries and checks will be due next week. Still, we crave for more!

What we did was to give a try a pizza house here at the subdivision – Olarte’s pizza. We ordered Olarte’s Special The taste is not bad at all. It can definitely compete with the leading pizza chain here in Calamba.

Even if the crust is so thick, the combination of the red sauce complimented the whole taste. Really gracious with the toppings – from lot of cheese, bell pepper, mushroom, salami, onion and I think bits of meats. Price is only P 185.00.

Verdict, family love it!

I am trying to look some contact information at the internet, only a facebook page. Anyway, here it is:

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Olartes-Pizza/227908550555033

I will update this post as soon I got other contact information and other pizza combinations to taste.

What I did this morning was to headed my way to the mall, SM Calamba. With me were my laptop, camera , planner and my notebook where I can still work.  When my son knew I will be going to Starbucks, he joined me and got breakfast.  We were there at Starbucks before they opened at 9am and even the mall was still closed.

To those of you who didn’t know, here is the Starbucks’ store operation hours every week:

• Sunday to Thursday – 9:00 am to 10:00 pm
• Friday and Saturday – 9:00 am to 11:00 pm

What caught me in the eye at Starbucks’ pastry bar was the Guilt Free Indulgence and for Raf, the huge Chicken Empanada.

The crew even recommended me the Guilt-Free Indulgence. It is sugar-free chocolate cake layered with three different types of chocolate mousse – white, dark and mocha. The crust below was coated with dark chocolate. Very sinful, I may say – smooth and light! Great for those people who are diabetic. Price is P 140.00.

While the Chicken Empanada, which is great when eaten heated got this puffy pastry and mixture of carrots, peas, potatoes, bell peppers and chicken strips. Quite huge as you can see but not that heavy breakfast for Raf. According to Raf, he will settle for their sandwiches like Tuna Waldorf on Raisin Walnut Bread Roasted Chicken Pesto and Shiitake Mushroom on Flat Bread which for him are really breakfast con lunch in one which he tried when we were in Alabang Town Center. Price is P 70.00.

After Raf finished his breakfast, he left me and went to school while me, still working inside and hooked up to mall’s wifi. 

Great to went here at Starbucks this early where one can see the ambiance of doing and planning silently alone.   Even I still love to do these stuffs to my home office, sometimes we need some sort of changing our work environment.  

Effective for me as I was productive for two to three hours while ideas keep on coming especially now that I am planning for greater blast for Calamba-Online like blog make-over as in new look, contests, giveaways but most especially posts with lot of meaty information…So let’s get it on for 2012!

Anyway, stay tuned for that…You will be hearing a lot for me here…

One can leave their shoes or slippers before they go down to the dining area.  Water was flowing under the tables and bench while you were eating and going to the table and having a slippers might slip you out.

Sharing with you some food we feasted out.  We started with veggie salad with peanut sauce on the side. This was what I enjoyed most! Rice was individually wrapped in banana leaves. In between we munched out from grilled pork and fish, with ginataang vegetables and kadereta at the side. For desserts, we ate banana cue desserts and tapioca balls. Whow, we just realized we missed this kind of food!

To really feel the Filipino style of eating, they use those coconut bowl for the soup and dessert. Even the whole table set-up was traditionally sooo Filipino. Over-all I love the taste of the food.  Actually, I think we were the last family who leave the place not actually for the food but to enjoy the bakdraft of the waterfalls even it was man made.

Anyway,  we got already our swimming attire as we will be playing around the waterfalls after we ate even we already enjoyed the cold water touching our feet while eating.  Jam also got this glass with her to get fish around the water area.  The water is really that clean where fish is just around.

The exciting part, our swimming with the waterfalls! We love the refreshing water even it was cold.

Overall, our family got a blast of Filipino culture offered by Villa Escudero. For one whole day, we experience the richness and authenticity of country life that leave a marked to our heart – from carabao rides, delectable cuisine, rafting, swimming and most especially friendly people around.

After I posted our pictures to Facebook, there were lot of inquiries from relatives/friends here and abroad. It is just ok. I am use with it when I started to do this blog, I become some sort of an agent already. If the only reason is for me to promote more our beautiful places especially here in the south, I am very, very willing to assist as long that I can be of help.

Anyway, that ends my three part series. More to come for 2012!  Here are my list of links for this Villa Escudero posts:

• http://calamba-online.com/2012/01/03/family-get-away-at-villa-escudero-part-1/
• http://calamba-online.com/2012/01/03/family-get-away-at-villa-escudero-part-2/
• http://calamba-online.com/2012/01/03/family-get-away-at-villa-escudero-part-3/

For more information, visit their:

Website: http://www.villaescudero.com/
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Villa-Escudero-Plantations-and-Resort/337893889538?ref=t

After our museum and park visit, now it is time for us to go to the swimming pool and the water falls thru a carabao ride.  We were accompanied by folks singing Kundiman songs which I think my kids only hear during their Linggo ng Wika school activities.

First stop were the swimming pool and lake water rafting.  We were instructed that the lunch and the man-made water falls will be opened by 11:00 am. There were three pools available – two adult pool and a kiddie pool.  The bench and tables were already available.  Unlike with other resorts, you have to pay additional amount.

Did I say that my kids enjoyed their swimming escapade as they jumped and even got these stunts?  Actually, these were  not allowed.  They were instructed not to do it again.

I know this is a vacation. But I cannot help myself to be online. As I told you in my first post, still have work to do. I just escape actually.

Well anyway, bringing my netnote with me, beside the pool and the lake, I just found Cafe Indigo. You know me, I love coffee! Especially if you will take your coffee beside the scenery lake like this, I can resist to have one. Cost of coffee I think is P 55.00. Really huge serving in a big mug.

For me, this is some sort of breather. If they will allow me, I can go here just to have a coffee. With this kind of back draft, i will really come. Just also a reminder, my sun broad band did not work and sun signal was weak. Still, my globe and smart signal were working great!   That’s ok, now I can concentrate to our family vacation!

We were heading now to row at the lake. First, I was bit scared. Funny feeling, what if I will be drowned even they got this life vest with me?

But when hubby and kids were already in the middle of the lake rowing and enjoying, I was encourage to join them.   Hubby was very accommodating to be with us – an exercise rather than sitting nor watching us.  My family must have this kind of activity for them to enjoy the whole vacation or else it would be very boring for them.

There you have it.  Now we are reallyready for lunch as were all starving.  This is my two-part series blog post.  Next,, i will be sharing our escapade with the food and the man-made waterfalls.

Here are some related links:

• http://calamba-online.com/2012/01/03/family-get-away-at-villa-escudero-part-1/
• http://calamba-online.com/2012/01/03/family-get-away-at-villa-escudero-part-2/
• http://calamba-online.com/2012/01/03/family-get-away-at-villa-escudero-part-3/

For more information, visit their:

Website: http://www.villaescudero.com/
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Villa-Escudero-Plantations-and-Resort/337893889538?ref=ts

What we did was to still push thru with our get-away even for one whole day and very near in Laguna so that we can come back again and work. That was when we decided to go to Villa Escudero last Dec. 26, 2011.

Villa Escudero is almost one-hour drive coming from Calamba – border of San Pablo, Laguna and Tiaong Quezon. Once you see the Quezon arch, turn left immediately and you will see their sign.

You will found a huge vast scenic view of rice field and coconut plantation just transcending along the entrance going inside Villa Escudero that let us be excited on what still this resort has to offer.

During the reception, the staffs were very accommodating to assist us what we can expect during the day tour and offered us gulaman drinks. Ticket price is P 1, 250.00 for regular days and P 1,400 for weekends/holidays. These include the drink, carabao cart rides, swimming, fishing, rafting and buffet lunch at the waterfalls.

We opted to go first to the museum. The museum is painted in pink designed like a Franciscan church found in Intramuros Manila during World War 2. Taking pictures inside the museum was prohibited. These were what we seen as far as I remembered:

• huge collection of religious stuffs -  monuments, silver altars,  carrozas, embroidered dresses
• coin and bills collections from different countries
• doll collections dressed in different costumes from different countries
• antique clothes and furniture from Escudero family
• Chinese oriental ceramics

It would definitely be more great if you will personally see for yourself all those great collections which served as a treasure for the Escuderos.

Beside the museum was the house of the Escudero where the family stays until now.    Tourists were not allowed to enter but can take pictures infront of the gate.

I thought we will be going out already for a swim, but still my kids even grown-ups play around the whole park running and taking pictures.

Anyway, we were still early.  No need for us to rush up since we were the first visitors to arrive here before it opened at 8:00 am.  Still more more time to explore the hacienda.

I will be giving three-part series of posts with this get-away.  Here are the related links:

• http://calamba-online.com/2012/01/03/family-get-away-at-villa-escudero-part-1/
• http://calamba-online.com/2012/01/03/family-get-away-at-villa-escudero-part-2/
• http://calamba-online.com/2012/01/03/family-get-away-at-villa-escudero-part-3/

For more information, visit their:

Website: http://www.villaescudero.com/
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Villa-Escudero-Plantations-and-Resort/337893889538?ref=ts

Definitely, as I look back, there were lot of developments not only with Calamba but for me and my family:

• We had already our very own Rizal Park here in Calamba situated infront of Town City Hall which was commemorated Jose Rizal 150th Birthday Anniversary.

• Malls like SM Calamba got increasing stores, food establishments, events and activities that kept on sprouting and growing giving the taste of the metro

• Aside from that, our family explored nearby places and provinces which was worth visiting.  To name a few, we got the chance to do our travel adventures to different places like Baguio, Pampangga, Bulacan, Aklan, Boracay, Pangasinan and Cebu.

• I got invited to be a resource speaker to different schools and I.T. events which gave me the opportunity to promote my blogs and share my knowledge like San Sebastian College, U.P. Diliman with iBlog7, P.U.P. San Pedro Laguna and I.T. Event in Pangasinan.

• My horizon as a blogger give me doors to meet new group of bloggers also and got also the opportunity to be featured at SMILE magazine of Cebu Pacific.  They  become one of my closest friends and also mentors where I learned on how I will improve more my crafts.

• Because of Calamba-Online, medias like GMA, tourists from all over Philippines and even foreigners contacted me to recommend places around worth visiting and even accompanied them.

Maybe there were some regrets and guilt feeling that I have not done yet my part to post more with Calamba-Online.   Every time I saw in my archives, I have months I did not even bother to post at all but actually have explored one.

To tell you honestly, I got also frustration to other places here in Calamba that was not that worth to share especially when we were checking resorts that was not maintained or some of my posts to other restaurants that were closed down .  How can one recommended it if  we were dismayed? Well, personally, this is my opinion.

With my second year here in Calamba-Online, everything will be a beginning again as I shared my reflections with Live Life Fullest with this link – http://livelifefullest.com/2012/01/01/happy-1st-birthday-live-life-fullest/.  To summarize that post, the single and best move that I can do is to begin again.  No turning back but only lessons to learned.  No ifs, no regrets, no questions but start now!

I am not making any promises but I will always make it a point to give time to post no matter how busy or occupied I am. I will not be accepting any excuses, only results and that is my commitment to my two blogs and harness more my creativity to make it more informative as best as I can.

For the two years that what has been and for the years that may will come, cheers to my dear Calamba-Online!

Great that New Year also was Sunday. We thank the Lord for the fruitful year that was been and another more years to come.

Even our family love adventures like traveling and eat in different places, maybe it would be best was to explore first our very own place. Definitely, our family we will be venturing more our exploration not only here in Calamba but also nearby provinces here in Laguna and southern part.

That is what we promise for this year 2012 – more travels, more eats but most especially more bonding moments with the family as we share our most loved and unforgettable experiences here in Calamba, Laguna.

Again cheers for the another great year 2012!

This was already subsided but made me quite irritated. Outmost, I cannot go out and lot of rest for me..

How can I cook for the family?

What we did was to order food outside just to make up our New Year’s eve at home. We ordered the Christmas Bucket Feast of KFC – 8 pieces chicken where half of it were Hot and Crispy and Originals, 4 fixins loved by my kids – mashed potatoes, drinks, rice and to make it more festive yet sinful, the four streetwise spoonful desserts – choco mousse, choco banana pie, choco tiramisu, mango cheesecake. All for P 630.00. Very enough for five in a family!

We opted to include the spoonful desserts rather than buying a cake. From Goldilocks, Red Ribbon and Mernel’s Cake at SM Calamba, huge people lined up just to get a cake. Cannot managed to wait that long because I was not feeling well. This would also be a new taste for my kids especially the three choco flavors since they always tasted the mango cheesecake.

In between for merienda, gathering around while watching and listening, kiddos requested for pizza. Since I have my Shakey’s Pizzanatic where I can buy one and get one more free pizza with a drink, we ordered Shakey’s special and Ham/Pineapple, both family size thin crust. Price is P 580.00.

We have also lot of fruits for this New Year – mango, grapes, oranges, melons and watermelons, all loved by the family.

To complete the whole treat for New Year’s Eve, pasta is a must. Have tried my best to cook the meaty cheesy pene pasta and my daughter Jeng almost grated the whole bar of cheese to make it more palatable.

There you have it! Our food for this New Year’s Eve.

Cheers, guys for the great 2011 as we welcome the unfold of 2012. Again, a greater year for Calamba-Online as we will be celebrating our 2-years in a row for 2012. Happy New Year!

Have to rest because there would be a lot more reunions with our family/friends that will be attending to..What more, preparing to be fit again by running, biking and swimming with hubby to regain my health condition.

Even I have close contact people around where I can get the best seat, I rather decided to be with my family, watching and enjoying the whole gathering seeing the green scenery of the whole surrounding where small lanterns served as back draft.

We just use the lens of the camera to get as much shots as we can.   Few only but the whole event was great.  The concert was performed by some of the country’s top musical artists from the voices of Billy Crawford, Kyla, Nikki Gil, Kris Lawrence, Isabella, Shiela Valderrama, Vincent Bueno, and Ms. Kuh Ledesma.

Since we did not bought even our flash for the camera, we just enjoyed watching the sky lanterns lightened and  blown out in the wind.  I thought this was just another movie scene we have seen at “Tangled” by Rapunzel.  So it is true.  Simple but spectacular.  Seeing and comparing it with other countries, lanterns were really a lot.  Even there were few enough at the sky when it flied, this was a good start.

Again, thanks Nuvali with this fabulous experience as we enjoyed the whole experience. Anticipating for more concerts, more events for next year!