Product: Beauty Products for Pregnant Women

Pregnancy made me more conscious of the things that I take in and put on my body. I learned a lot that we deemed okay, even healthy, prior to pregnancy can be in fact harmful to an unborn child. On top of the list are the beauty products that we use everyday. This prompted me to carefully examine every product that I use, and discontinue those that are suspect or proven to be unsafe for pregnant women.

Ingredients that I took note of and labeled as "unsafe" are Salicylic Acid, Retinoids, Tretinoin, Hydroquinone, Parabens, and Phthalates. I also discarded anything that says "whitening".

PRODUCTS THAT I KEPT USING

Ilog Maria Honey Propolis Shampoo
While a lot of pregnant women complain about falling hair, I didn't have that problem at all thanks to Honey Propolis Shampoo. I actually have fewer hair fall now since I started using this natural shampoo.

Human Heart Nature Moisturizing Shampoo and Body Wash
The problem with Honey Propolis Shampoo is I feel my scalp is not clean enough because it doesn't bubble (as much as I want) and it's leaves my hair very rough and sticky. This is why I used HHN Moisturizing Shampoo for when I want a clean-scalp feeling, although it also makes my hair coarse and sticky, but not as much.Plus, it's better scented than Honey Propolis Shampoo.

Sheng Explains Her Long Absence

It seems every blogger is compelled to explain sudden blogging hiatus. And that is exactly what I'm going to do.

So what happened?

Well, first I got pregnant. I am currently nearing my 5th month but the first 3 months were kind of rough and difficult. I believe it's what we call the "paglilihi" phase. One of my pet peeves then was exposure to bright lights. Any of these: sunlight, fluorescent lights, LED lights, and even the light coming from my laptop screen - gave me terrible headaches so I needed to stay away from my computer for a while.

Then on my 3rd month, my OB told me that I should have the cyst in my left ovary removed. I had this cyst before I got pregnant and we had hoped that the pregnancy will at least stop it from growing, or better, shrink its size. But the opposite happened until it grew to a size that the OB deemed to be risky. So on my 15th week, I underwent a major operation (surgical laparotomy) to remove the cyst.

I was really scared, especially on the days leading to the surgery. Having a major operation is scary enough, but undergoing it with a baby inside me is almost unimaginable. But my OB assured me that the procedure is safe. Now, it's been a month after my surgery and we're both okay - my baby and I. The OB told me that it was a good decision that I decided to go through with the operation because my condition was a little more complicated than she initially thought. As a result, they also had to take out my left ovary and fallopian tube because they were already damaged.

Good thing that my baby stayed strong during the 2 1/2 hour procedure. Right now, my biggest concern is how to take care of my baby and to stay healthy for the next 4 months so I can carry this pregnancy to its full term.

And I can use the computer for hours again without having pesky headaches.

So, does this mean that I will start making reviews again?

Actually, because of the pregnancy and the operation, I use less products (I haven't tried or bought anything new for fear that it might have a bad effect on my condition), confined myself inside the house (because I need to rest) and experience fewer things (because I'm suppose to take it easy) - which means that I really have nothing to review.

Maybe I'll think of something. But for now, this is the best that I can do.

Thanks for all those who still dropped by this blog. I hope to resume my normal posts soon.

Place: Splash Island Spa and Resort at Binan, Laguna

We celebrated my Dad's 56th birthday at Splash Island Spa and Resort (I didn't know that they have a spa but their website says so).

We (meaning I was the one who's coercing everybody to agree) were originally planing to go to Calaguas, Camarines Norte's beautiful beaches, and even a trip up north to Baguio, for my Dad's birthday last March 27. But because of some unforeseen events, we settled on a much nearer and cheaper getaway. I got the whole family eight 50% off Splash Island vouchers from Twangoo which is a good deal because the resort, conveniently located in Binan, Laguna, is just 1 jeep ride and 1 tricycle ride away from our house (dalawang tumbling lang, hehe).

But even if we live a close proximity to the resort, none of us have actually gone there and have heard only what other people say about its water slides, which are the resort's main attractions. So I skimmed through the web for reviews and found a blog entry where the author expressed her disappointment with her Splash Island experience. It dampened my excitement a bit but I hoped for the best and decided not to set my expectations too high.



The Resort's Attractions

Splash Island claims to be the first (and the only?) water theme park in the country. The place is huge--7 hectares big and has 6,000 guest capacity. It does have a theme-park feel to it and unlike the usual resorts in Laguna (notably in Pansol, Calamba and Los Banos), where there are only swimming pools, there are lots of other things that you can do inside. There's zip line (P150), wall climbing (P50), Zorb, basketball hoops and I think I saw a place where you can have henna tattoo. According to the website, there's also a spa and paintball area but I didn't notice them.

But as I've said, the main attractions are the water slides. Sadly, the big and higher ones--Rio Montanosa, Dos Supremos, King Pilipit --are not operational. We only got to try the Big Bam Boo and Tausug Trails.  The website lists down a number of attractions, but it looks like 2-3 slides are located in the same area so it doesn't seem a lot when you're already there.

Then there's also the Agos Grandes, which refers the to mechanically generated waves in their largest swimming pool. Actually, this is the only pool where you can enjoy swimming in and where the inflatables are. It has variable depths, from ankle to 7 feet deep. The other pools are just "catch-basin" for the slides but you can also swim in there when the slides are closed.

If you want to lazily drift around, there's Balsa River where the gently flowing water will tour you around the slide areas. The water is about 3 feet deep and runs sluggishly, which I found to be too slow and quite boring.

For the kiddos who want more action, there's Water Wahoo, an ankle-deep pool with a big water fountain slide in the middle and Curl of the Orient, a low water slide where they can enjoy their own twists and tumbles, kiddie-style. There's also the out-of-the-water slide, Boon Docks, but I reckon kids enjoy the water slides more because I didn't see a single child in this area.


One important thing to note is most of these attractions are not open the whole day so it's best to know the park schedule. Good thing, the resort is peppered with banners like these informing everybody of the park schedule and a map for easy navigation:

The Food

They have a food court called Fiesta sa Pulo that offers non-fancy fares like grilled, sizzling, Mongolian and traditional Filipino dishes along with different coolers like ice cream, Halo-halo, fruit shakes and various cold drinks. Others food stalls include Shakeys Pizza, Chinese and Hawaiian food, goto, chips and snacks, and cotton candy. You can also find a lot of hotdog stands scattered around the resort.

But frankly, there is nothing to rave about the food. For lunch, we ordered 2 bilao, each costs P400 and includes 3-5 viands, 4 cups of rice and 4 sets of styrophor plates and plastic utensils. 1 bilao is good for 4-5 persons. The taste was mediocre at best, two viands--grilled pork chop and Tilapia--were unpalatable. The pork chop was not grilled thoroughly and the Tilapia tasted weird that it was left untouched after a few bites. The only thing we enjoyed were the semi-ripe (manibalang) mangoes with bagoong dip.

During snack time, we decided to go safe and ordered a Shakey's pizza. For bottled juice drinks, we paid P25 each and P35 for sodas in can.


The Resort's Facilities (Cottages, Lockers, Parking Space and Public Transportation)

The first thing that we did when we stepped inside the resort was to look for cottages. If you're on a budget, you can choose the free table cottages that are provided for guests. But if you prefer a little privacy, they also offer Cabanas and Bahay Kubo style cottages for rent. Unfortunately, because it was Saturday and we got there less than 2 hours before noon, all the paid cottages are already occupied so we settled for one of the monoblock tables and rented two lockers where we kept our valuables during our stay in the resort.

To avail a paid cottage, you have to go around and find a vacant one. If you find one, you can occupy it right away and just wait for one of the resort's personnel to come and collect your payment. This process, I think is counterproductive because, as I mentioned earlier, the resort is big and the cottages are not exactly near each other.

With their current procedure, we spend our first 45 minutes going back and forth to look for vacant cottages (we found some but we're told that those are no longer available), to the customer service area (near the entrance of the resort) to ask some help in locating unoccupied cottages (because we thought they would at least know), to the public cottages area to pick a table, to the locker area (near the entrance of the resort) to rent lockers and back to our table finally.

It would've been better, if one personnel will manage the cottage rental and will tell us if there are still vacant and assign one to us. Otherwise, just tell us that there's none and advise to us rent lockers, if we want, and choose among the monoblock table cottages instead. More organized, yes?

Locker rental is P300 and we got two vertical ones, measuring about 9 x 24 x 9 inches (this is just an estimate). The horizontal ones have the same dimensions except the it's longer horizontally than taller.

There are also enough restrooms and shower areas and they are clean, well maintained and with running water. Parking is also not a problem, and even public transportation (tricycle) is accessible, just ask the resort's guard to call one for you. But be prepared to spend more than the usual tricycle fare because this is a "special" route.

The Verdict

If you're a beach bum or someone who enjoys swimming a lot, you might not have a grand time in this resort. Based on what I've seen and experienced, I think Splash Island was designed with kids in mind, and obviously they--the kids and kids-at-heart--are the ones who will enjoy the most. The resort's attractions would have been enough to keep adults from getting bored, but with 3 main slides not working, the other two offered but limited fun.

Although there are other things to do like the zipline, wall climbing and Zorb, these activities are not free. At P500 regular high-season entrance fee, one can't help but compare this with a nearby theme park, Enchanted Kingdom, which has the same day pass rate. But EK offers a lot more rides and attractions for P500.

The foods inside Splash Island--considering their tastes and serving sizes--are also relatively expensive. And like what I noted earlier, the management could do better by organizing the cottage rental instead of leaving it up to the guests to find vacant cottages on their own.

Overall, we had fun but only because we loved watching my 2-year old nephew laughed his heart out as the waves splashed on his body, as the water sprinklers tickled him and as he bravely jumped from the inflatable to my mom's arms waiting underneath the water. Bottomline, we had fun watching him have a blast and not really because we were wowed by the resort's facilities.

We got our tickets at 50% off and for P250, we felt that Splash Island was good enough. But if we paid P500, I'd definitely feel shortchanged.

Sheng Joins a Swimsuit Contest

Haha. The title is misleading. No, I'm not joining a competition where I need to parade in a skimpy swimsuit but I'm entering a blog contest where the prices at stake are swimsuits from Cocomo. And that's what this post is about.

If you remember, I blogged about my two Cocomo swimwear pieces here. I adore them, and I feel it was such a great deal that I got them for half the regular price. But winning another one (read: getting one for free) would be the best deal yet! This is the reason why I'm joining Here, Tishie Tishie's Anniversary Giveaway, hoping I can win my third swimsuit from Cocomo. One can't have too many swimsuits, right?

What I want to win: Cocomo's Vienna Swinsuit

Fancy joining? You can check out the details here.

Product: Merrell Allegro Shoes

I bought Merrell Allegro Flat Shoes in brown suede last year.

So 6 months after, how did the shoes fare?

Hands-down, this is one of the most comfortable pairs I've owned. After the break-in period, it's been nothing but easy-stride experience for my feet. This is the ultimate shopping/casual strolling/anything goes footwear because no matter how far and long I have walked, my feet don't hurt at all.

I also like that the shoes are surprisingly easy to clean. A damp cloth and old toothbrush are all you need to clean the outer suede material. This is not exactly the most stylish nor the most cute-looking shoes you'll ever find, but for the comfort that it has given my feet, I don't regret buying it for P3,200 anymore.

Product: Ilog Maria Products

The first time I learned about Ilog Maria products was when it was featured in a TV show (which I forgot). I got interested in their natural bee-derivative products because at that time, I was getting frustrated with my pimple breakout. But I thought that Ilog Maria HoneyBee Farm was too far away from where I live and there's no way I can purchase their products without going there. Fast forward to a few years later, I learned that they have a website where I can order online and the products will be shipped to my house. The beauty of online shopping.

So after scoring forums and blogs for feedback and recommendations, I proceeded to their website and made my first order. Below is my short review for each product:

1. Ilog Maria Soaps. I ordered their mini soaps first to try and test. They come in flat round shape that is about half-inch thick, more than 2 inches in diameter and weigh 45 grams. They smell very natural and are softer than most commercial soaps so you have to keep them in a dry place to make them last longer. My first orders were Bamboo Charcoal Bergamot and Lime, Milk and Honey, and Kalamansi Ginger.

Product: Downy Passion

This isn't really a review but just a post saying how much I love the smell of Downy Passion on my clothes. Love, love, love the long-lasting floral scent.

I think we switched to Downy Passion (from the Antibac variant) after we first heard La Greta's pronouncement on her latest Downy TV commercial that she can now include Downy Passion in her expensive perfume collection. Of course, we knew that it was only part of the spiel, but the fabric conditioner did live up to its claim. It really made clothes smell so good (although I'm not sure if it's as good as an expensive perfume because I don't have one).

So why am I writing this again? Let's just say that you'll really appreciate how wonderfully-scented your clothes are when you weren't able to take a bath for a day. Hehe :P

Product: Godiva Inhibition

When I was looking for a new deo to try (after using Avon's Quelch for soooo many years), Godiva Inhibition Deodorant was among the most recommended. It's conveniently sold at most Watson's branches and was said to live up to its claims, so my choice was made easily.

Godiva Inhibition is a roll-on deo. And being a roll-on, I noted and experienced the usual complaints such as longer drying time, hence the sticky, wet feeling when not dried thoroughly and the yellow stain on clothes. I think there are no other options--no spray, no stick, no cream variants--to choose from so if you are averse to anything with balls on top, I'd say cross this out from your list.

But if you don't care about the manner of application, you might be interested in its product claims. According to the label, Godiva Inhibition can help lessen hair growth, which means less waxing, less shaving, less laser treatment is needed. Add that to the whitening and antiperspirant properties, this would seem to be the best deodorant that will ever touch your armpit.

But is there any truth to the claims?

As an antiperspirant, it wasn't impressive because there were times when I felt wet. Honestly, I doubt if it can keep me dry and comfortable during hot humid summer months.If I apply too much, I'd get icky yellow stains on my clothes. If I apply less, I'd get soaked underarms.

As a whitening product, I did see some changes, but nothing significant. Perhaps the most significant is that it didn't darken my underarms.

As for impeding hair growth, I really can't tell because I pluck my underarm hair often (which is a bad practice, I know) and if they were growing slower, the difference was very minimal for me to notice. Although I did observe that my chicken-skin (that I got from plucking) got softer and smoother since I started using Godiva Inhibition.

I forgot how much it costs (it didn't go beyond P200, I'm sure of that) because it's been a while since I used up my first bottle and have decided to switch to a different deodorant. Overall, it's an okay product. But I chose to try another brand because of its inability to keep me dry at all-times, the hassle of waiting for it to dry, and the yellow stains that it leaves on my clothes.

Product: Active White Plus Bleaching Cream

Before this post misleads you, I am reviewing Active White Plus Bleaching Cream NOT as a facial product. Read on to find where I used it.

I haven't recovered from my Boracay fever so this post has still something to do with our honeymoon/wedding anniversary trip to the island. While I was searching for new swimwears to don at the beach, I was also faced with another concern. My body is not perfect and so is my skin. There are some parts that, let's just say, darker than the others. And if I were to wear bikinis, I'd risk revealing those "areas". Well, they are not really dark like gross-"ew!" dark. But the uneven color is noticeable especially since my thighs and hips are whiter than most parts of my body.

So I set out to find a solution. The first stop was Watson's Drugstore (Actually, it's the only place I had in mind). While my husband was buying the other toiletries, I was so absorbed in scanning all whitening products on display and in reading all those ingredients in fine prints until my eyes hurt. Anything with Paraben, I placed back into the shelf. I'm not really an organic buff, but I know that the Paraben is bad enough for major cosmetic industries to refrain from using it in their products. Although, the subject is debatable, I just want to be on the safe side.

Anyway, after more than an hour of reading, I finally settled on Active White Plus Bleaching Cream. The ingredients and the price looked reasonable and I assumed it's a facial product. I read somewhere that inguinal areas are as sensitive as our face so any harsh products might irritate and make them darker. So I zeroed in on products that are formulated specifically for facial use and deemed them safe and mild enough. But that's only my theory, nothing scientific nor medical, so don't quote me on that one .

Place: Hurom-Hurom Coldspring at Nabas, Aklan

The municipal town of Nabas is less than an hour away from the famed Boracay Island. But if ever you're in town and looking for something other than white beaches and night parties, you should try and visit Hurom-Hurom Coldspring Resort in Laserna, Nabas, Aklan.

Situated at the base of a mountain, the pools of Hurom-Hurom serve as large basins that collect cold and clear spring water. They even claimed that the water is clean and safe enough to drink. But I wasn't convinced.

The whole resort itself looked pristine and was able to maintain its natural charm despite the man-made pools and cottages. Entrance is only P20 per head, which I think will go to the preservation of the place and another P100 if you want to rent a bamboo table or P150 for umbrella cottages. I'm just not sure if they have provisions for overnight stays. But based on what I've seen, I think there is none. They have functional restrooms/changing rooms but don't expect much. There are also two sari-sari stores where you can buy basic toiletries and some snacks, if you forgot to bring some.

Movies-TV: GMA News TV

Looking forward to this. I am. Definitely.








Will ABS-CBN's ANC follow suit?

Update: I just learned that TV5 launched their Aksyon TV today, beating GMA News TV's kick off by a week. Although Luchi Cruz Valdez is one of my favorite journalists, I still think that TV5 has a lot of grounds to cover before they measure up to GMA's standard in news and documentary. I also wonder why ABS-CBN hasn't entered the ring yet? Network wars, as sickening as they are, always make Philippine Television a little more interesting, don't you think?

Product: Cocomo Swimwear

Less than a month before our Boracay trip, I realized that I only have one swimwear. I'm sure you'll agree with me that wearing the same bikini for 4 days would be unfashionable and um, unhygienic. I knew I need at least two more sets. I went to nearby shopping malls but I didn't find anything that I like. I also scanned Multiply sites hoping there's something that will catch my fancy. Those that did, however, were too expensive than what I'm prepared to spend.

Until I saw Beeconomic's deal of the day: for P649, one can purchase a Cocomo Swimwear coupon worth P1299. It's like a half-off deal. I took a peek at Cocomo Multiply site and thought that their products look nice. The colors and patterns were trendy and youthful. So before I gave myself a chance to think twice, I quickly purchased two coupons from Beeconomic and proceeded to Cocomo's website to place my orders.

Bondi Beach Bikini

Bondi Beach Reversible Bikini Set (Photo taken from Cocomo Swimwear)

Service: Niño and Activities in Boracay

Along with "Where to stay?" and "Where to eat?", another W-question that plagues most first-time visitors is "What to do in Boracay?"

This one was a little easy for me because I contacted a highly-recommended activity-guide in Boracay. None other than the famous, Niño and his partner Kuya Ron. They were refuted to offer the best (meaning cheapest) rates for activities in the island. At first, he was referred to as Mang Niño o Kuya Niño, so I expected he will be an older man who's seen Boracay rose from the sands. But when I finally met him, he doesn't look old, but not too young either so I started to call him just Niño. I never got to meet Kuya Ron though.

"Andito na kami sa tapat ng Yellow Cab." Meeting Niño for the first time.

Jovial, funny, animated guy, Niño was like a "kabarkada". He claimed to be honest when dealing with his guests, so when he said that the better Zorb is in Mt. Luho and the better zipline is in Fairways, we believed him. And he did offer the best rates, for parasailing at least.

Walking from Station 2 to Station 1, we passed by a number of guides offering us to do this and do that. From them we learned that the current market price for reef walking is P350/person, island hopping is P1200/boat (both the same with Niño) and parasailing is P1200/person (Niño's rate is P200 cheaper). Despite the almost similar rates, we decided to get all our activities through Niño because we feel secured and comfortable with him.

Place: Tans Guesthouse (Namaste) at Boracay, Aklan

There must be literally hundreds of reviews about Tans Guesthouse in Boracay, whether in blogs, forums and review sites. I guess, one more wouldn't hurt.

Photo taken from TripAdvisor

When you're looking for cheap Boracay accommodation, Tans Guesthouse would always be among the first recommended establishments. Previous guests rave about their rates, rooms and friendly staff. But initially, I wasn't so keen on booking with Tans. Our first visit to Boracay coincided with the Chinese New Year (Feb 3) and when I checked Tans website, I saw that the room rates around this season go as high as P2500 for a standard room. So I set my eyes on another cheap alternative, Island Nook.

But as fate would have it, one forum member posted that Tans quoted her P1,500/night for their stay on the second week of February. I wondered if I can get the same price given our booking dates are only a few days apart. It was then I decided to inquire.


Booking

There are three options to get in touch with Tans: via their email address, cellphone number and YM ID, all of which are posted on their website. I sent an email first, inquiring about room availability and rates. After a few days without a reply, I decided to send them an SMS. Someone responded right away. She asked for my email address where they can send the quotation. I received it a day later. And lo, I was also quoted a room on Feb 2-5 for P1,500/night.

I was already corresponding with someone from Island Nook and all I needed to do was deposit the 50% down-payment to finalize the booking. But I switched gears on the last minute and thought that Tans would be a better deal since it's closer to the beach and the quoted room rate was P200 cheaper. Island Nook then was giving me a room on the same dates for P1,700.

Included in the quotation email was the instruction on how to book a reservation (by deposting 50% of the quoted amount to the bank account, also given in the email, and sending the proof of the deposit via fax or email). I did that within the week--made the deposit, sent a photo of the deposit slip and informed them about it, both via email and SMS. Someone replied to me and said that my confirmation receipt will be sent soon. But it took days, and a couple of follow-ups before it was finally delivered to my inbox.

The room that was given to us was Room 2. Upon checking on their gallery, the room looks nice although I feel it's a bit cramped. So again, prompted by a forum post that said it's possible to ask for a room upgrade, I contacted Tans via chat this time and made my inquiries. Yes, room upgrade is possible and our room was instantly changed from Room 2 to Namaste F1 according to the person I was chatting with. I asked if it's possible to send a new confirmation as proof of the upgrade. I was told it will be sent in a few days, but it never came.

A few weeks before the trip, I chatted with the same person again and confirmed the upgrade. She said yes and that it was already logged in their system. Once more, I asked for the new confirmation letter and got the same answer. It will be sent, but I received none. So a few days before we left for Aklan, I decided to call to confirm again (di naman ako makulit no?). For the third time, they told me, yes we were transferred from Room 2 to Namaste. I didn't request to be sent a new confirmation letter anymore.

I was contemplating to extend our stay in Tans for one more night but they told me that they are fully-booked for the weekend. If we want to stay longer, we will have to transfer to another room. I wasn't really sure if we'll stay for one more night. It was just a thought, a 'what if' [we had a grand time and wanted to extend our time in beach] thought--a premonition perhaps of how I will feel about Boracay. So I figured I'll just settle it once we're there already.

Overall, I had a pleasant experience dealing with Tans reservation. I got a bit confused at first because the person I was sending SMS to was not the same person I was chatting with. But everything turned out well in the end. We got Namaste F2, which was like a twin of F1 and I was more than happy because they didn't charge us additional pay for the upgrade.


Accommodation

We arrived in Boracay at 10 a.m. of February 2. I was given an instruction through SMS on how to find Tans Guesthouse. It was simple and easy to follow:

Alight in D'Mall. Walk towards the beach front. Facing the beach, go towards the left and look for Shenna's Resort. Beside Shenna's Resort is E.S. Pascual store. Enter the alley beside the store.

Tans Guesthouse is second to the last building in that alley. I saw Ms. Jeanette on the reception booth and made my introductions. I asked if an early check-in is possible (check-in time is 2:00 p.m.). It would have been ok if only our room was already vacant. So we just deposited our luggage to them and decided to have lunch and stroll along the beach until our room is ready.

We went back a few minutes after 2:00 p.m., our feet and legs spent and tired from walking. Ms. Jeanette asked someone to accompany us to our room. She said it was at the beachfront and I wondered which alley would take us there. But when the staff led us to what seemed like a narrow, dingy space between Island Souvenir and another building (it was Sea World I think), I was a bit apprehensive. It turned out our room was behind the Island Souvenir store. And honestly, the way to get there wasn't appealing.

But when the staff opened the door, we were welcomed by a pleasant surprise. Namaste F2 is spacious, with 1 queen-sized bed and 1 single bed on the left side. Opposite the beds are the closet (with enough cloth hangers inside) and a cable TV. On the right side of the door is where you'll find a small dining table, sink, a personal ref and the bathroom. The bathroom is spacious, too with a hot and cold shower, bath tub, toilet and vanity area. The walls looked like they were newly painted and the whole room looked and smelled clean as well. For P1,500/night, on what other hotels deemed to be a super-peak season (because of the Chinese New Year), it was truly a great deal.

However, (won't it be nicer if everything was perfect?) I wasn't able to connect to their Wi-Fi. They gave me two passwords but none worked. But I wondered if it was their Wi-Fi or my laptop that's having a problem because when I got home and tried to connect to our Wi-Fi, I was also getting errors.


Breakfast Buffet

Included in the room amenities is a free breakfast buffet for 2 guests. Breakfast is served from 7 a.m to 10 a.m. at the rooftop of the Tans Guesthouse. We were given a green stub that will serve as our meal ticket during our stay. I didn't know what to do with it when we first came for breakfast, and since Ms. Jeanette was there, I thought it's ok to start filling our plates with food. Then a group came in and I saw one of them showed the green stub to one of the servers. Nobody checked ours anyway, so we proceeded to eat our breakfast. But the next day, I did what I saw and showed the green stub.

We had 3 breakfast meals in Tans. We usually come at around 7 a.m. so the chaffing dishes were still full. Among the dishes that were served in the buffet were tocino, longganisa, cocktail hotdog, fried egg, crispy daing, daing na bangus, ginisang ampalaya and beef tapa. The food was ok, it wasn't stellar but it wasn't bad either. I actually like the tocino, longganisa and the crispy daing. They also have coffee sachets but we're not coffee drinkers so we just brought bottled juices or iced tea drinks everytime.


Verdict

Many claimed that Tans Guesthouse is one of the cheapest yet decent places to stay in Boracay. And I agree. Except for the not-so-appealing entrance to our room, I have nothing but good words to say about this budget accommodation. The location was great, the room was nice, the staff were friendly and best of all, the price was reasonable. In a highly-commercialized paradise such as Boracay, those things are hard to come by. I was just too glad that I chose to stay with them.

Place: Affordable Places to Eat in Boracay

As mentioned in the previous post, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary in Boracay and Nabas, Aklan. We were there for 8 days and the plan was to spend our first four days in Boracay and thereafter, we'll stay at my husband's relatives in Nabas. So we can't splurge everything in Boracay because we have another four days to make the most out of our Aklan trip.

That's why once I got our activities arranged, I started researching for affordable places to eat in Boracay. Based on my computation, if we don't spend more than 200 for every meal, we'd have enough budget to try one of the more expensive restaurants. So my criteria for what's affordable include menu items that don't go beyond 200 and restaurants that are local to Boracay and cannot be found in Manila. That makes Yellow Cab, Andok's, Mang Inasal, Pancake House and the likes already disqualified from my options.

After Google and a few blogs, this was the list that I came up with:

1. Paluto at D'Talipapa
2. Jammer's
3. Big Mama's
4. Smoke
5. Dalisay Paradise Nest
6. Hawaiian BBQ
7. Crafty's Rooftop Bar
8. Blue Berry Restaurant
9. Bite Club Grilled Burgers
10. Island Nook

Actually, we only got to try a few. And here are my reviews for those that we were able to have the pleasure of eating at:

Clueless About Cars

We've been wanting to buy a family car for the longest time. I remember my dad intending to buy twice, and each time, whenever he already has enough money to make the purchase, something always came up. And he would end up spending the money on these emergency expenses instead and put our dream of buying a car on hold.

Last year, he started perusing car sales websites again and my mom has hinted that he is serious about buying this time. And if things turn out well, we would finally have our much-awaited family car before the year ends. I'm crossing my fingers.

The thought of having our own car excites me but at the same time, it reminds me of how clueless I am about cars. As in I know nothing--nada, zip, zero--about cars. But I trust that my dad knows enough to make a good choice. I remember him being a car mechanic of my grandfather's old Ford Piera.

As for me, I fancy about taking driving lessons and educating myself about cars. I stumbled upon this Houston auto repair website and found it to be very useful. Things like water pump, transmissions, timing belt, etc are still quite alien to me. But I appreciate the car reviews and ratings, and the ability to choose you car's make and model and find out what people are saying about it and what problems are they having with it. I also like the Auto Repair Encyclopedia--really helpful for someone who is as clueless as I am.

So which car will it be? That would depend on my dad's budget. But based on the pictures that I caught him looking at, I think he prefers the 4x4 type, the quintessential family car. If money is not an issue, I'd definitely want to buy a ford expedition. Why? It's Ford and it looks just awesome and the reviews are not bad either. But it's really up to him.

Hopefully, when we finally have one, I know enough about cars to make a decent review about it :) Hopefully.

Place: Boracay Island

My husband and I were Boracay virgins until we decided to celebrate our one-year-delayed-honeymoon-slash-1st-wedding-anniversary in this island last February 2 to 5. And to say that we were excited was an understatement. We were exhilarated.

The days leading to our first Boracay trip were spent scouring shopping malls and buying the things that we will need: traveling bag, swimwear, toiletries, pasalubong (for my husband's relatives whom we will visit in the nearby town of Nabas, Aklan), accessories, etc. I also did a thorough research on the internet for the most practical accommodations, places to eat and water activities to make sure that we'll have a blast without burning deep holes in our pockets. (I will review these 'finds' in the succeeding posts.)

When everything looked set and covered, I braced myself for this:

Arriving at Boracay, I was surprised to find that it pretty much resembles some cities in Metro Manila. Except maybe for the terrain, the locals speaking in their native dialect and the density of foreigners, everything feels the same: sprawling establishments, busy crowd, honking vehicles, etc. I remember thinking, maybe it's because we're not yet at the beach area. So I waited for that moment.

Our tricycle dropped us at the entrance of the infamous D'mall. D'mall also turned out to be a surprise because I was expecting it to be like the "usual" souvenir shops area, with meager stalls displaying their goods. But no, it is a mini shopping mall (except that it's open-spaced) where both high-end brands and local wares can be found. The ground is paved on most parts and the whole area looks like a posh market plaza.

When we emerged from D'mall to the beach front, I was no longer surprise to see that the whole stretch is littered with different sorts of business establishments. Boracay is like someone having an identity crisis who has, so far, successfully managed to stay sane. The white, powdery sand and clear blue water will remind you that you're far from the pollution of the city, but the shops and restaurants that lined up the beach will make you feel that Boracay is a city in itself and you're right smack in the middle of it. Rest and relaxation meets comfort and convenience. The best of both worlds, as they say.

I only have one complain though. For people like us who were traveling on a budget, I find the foods in Boracay horrendously expensive. And this is despite the fact that I've listed all the supposedly affordable but still decent restaurants and we've exerted efforts to locate them. I found a few but still, at the end of every meal, I find myself trying to justify the amount we paid for the food that we just ate. Cheap by Boracay standards, but not necessarily cheap by mine.

Expect for this however, everything is perfect. The place, the people and the atmosphere. Different kinds of people from all walks of life will find something that they will enjoy in Boracay. It may be the beautiful beach, the laid-back ambiance, or the engaging vibe, the great parties, or the many things that one can do in the island. Boracay will be happy to cater to everyone.

Surely, Boracay had me smitten and it had planted a longing in my heart--a longing to go back. I'm sure it's not the most beautiful beach in the Philippines and it is no longer the pristine island that some people hoped it to be. But it has a different charm that makes people come back to it again and again. And I am one of those people. Yes, I have resolved to go back there again.

Till then, Boracay.

Product: RCC Amazing Touch Antibacterial Facial Lotion

I briefly touched on RCC Amazing Touch Antibacterial Facial Lotion on my post about EC27 Guava Soap and RCC Amazing Touch Products. But I feel it deserves a separate review.

As I said in the other post, I stopped using this facial lotion (it's a cleanser actually) and EC27 guava soap for close to 8 months now because I felt they weren't working for me anymore. Since then, I've been trying different facial products, soaps especially including Cyleina Organic Soaps, GT Carrot Soap, Shulammite Carrot Soap, and Mediherbs Anti-Acne Soap but to no avail. For a while, I thought Shulammite was doing a good job of drying out my pimples, but it failed miserably by the time I had my period.

I also used DXN's Ganozhi Toothpaste (yep, you read it right: toothpaste) but that too deserves it's own post. Bottomline is, I wasn't satisfied with the results. So I decided to use RCC Amazing Touch Antibacterial Facial Lotion again, hoping that the immunity period has expired already.

Good thing (or was it the opposite?) that when I went to their nearest branch in Festival Mall, Alabang, they have an on-going buy-2-take-1 promo, so I went home with 3 of this:

It's a specially-formulated product exclusive in RCC Amazing Touch clinics. It has Clindamycin, an antibacterial ingredient commonly used in topical acne treatments. It also contains Thymus Peptides, said to help boost the skin's immune system and fight acne-causing bacteria.

Sheng Reviews Blue Sky Scrubs

No, this is not something that you use for cleaning. Scrubs are medical personnel uniforms and the site, Blue Sky Scrubs offers some of the best high fashion scrubs online.

Why fashion matters?

I'm sure you've seen nurses and even doctors running around in hospitals, clad in dull pajama-looking uniforms. Yes, they are comfortable and perfect for people who need to move a lot. But I'm sure you will agree with me when I say they are hardly fashionable. If you're as gorgeous as George Clooney and Eric Dane or as beautiful as Katherine Heigl, maybe you wouldn't mind. But not everyone is.

Two years ago, when my mother was confined in the hospital a few days before New Year's eve, I bumped into a former classmate who works there as a therapist. I know I was bad, but I couldn't help but comment on how fat he has become. And he said, "it's just the uniform". Well, he is fat indeed, but he was also right about the uniform. It just makes him look more fat.

There's a need to look good.

It's easy to see why Blue Sky Scrubs ventured into creating fashionable medical apparel. The profession should not deter anyone from looking good. The job itself entails a lot of stress, which can make anyone look and feel drab. Wearing colorful and trendy fashion seal medical scrubs might help in breaking the "fattening", "boring" sleepwear fashion that dominates the hospital. I'm sure nurses and doctors alike will welcome the idea of looking fab.

As for quality and service, I only have customers' testimonials to base on. And of course, expect that you will only read positive feedback on their site. But I did a little research and stumble on these reviews. They actually sound like a great medical scrubs supplier. If you want, you can try ordering one of their discount scrub sets, to know for yourself how they will fare in terms of product quality and customer service. But fashion-wise, if you'll ask me, I'd definitely give Blue Sky Scrubs a try. 

Note: This is a sponsored post.

Product: Opal Conditioner

Opal Conditioner (One Minute Treatment) has been getting a lot of raves from forum members in Girltalk. It's supposed to make your hair softer and smoother. So being someone who's always frustrated with her hair, I have to try and see what the fuss is about with this hair conditioner. My hair, by the way, is what they call "buhaghag" and it is my lifelong dream to wear a black, shiny and naturally straight hair (without having it treated at the salon). I don't expect Opal conditioner to give that to me though, but if it can tame my hair, then that's good enough.

Opal Conditioner is a product from HongKong and locally, it is available at most Watson's branches. They said it comes in many variants/colors, but I bought the pink tube because it's the only available variant at the Watson's branch that I went to. This variant is for deep repairing treatment.

Opal One Minute Treatment (Pink "Deep Repairing" Variant)

The directions on how to use this conditioner can be found at the back of the tube. There it says that you must apply and leave it on your hair for about one minute and then rinse thoroughly. It is also to recommended to use this conditioner twice a week only.