My Stay at Holiday Inn Baguio City Centre

I recently stayed at the newly opened IHG hotel in the Philippines, the Holiday Inn Baguio City Centre located along Legarda Road.


The international hotel chain finally opened in Baguio last June 5th, it is a nine-story building with basement parking which features 185 guestrooms, function, and a ballroom. HI BCC will be the first international hotel franchise to have opened in Baguio since Hyatt Terraces closed back in the '90s due to the strong earthquake that devastated the City of Pines.


I worked with IHG for a few years and it's been a while since I last stayed at an IHG hotel using employee discount but this time around I'm a guest looking to experience how things have changed.


If you're looking to travel the Philippines' Summer Capital and still in the hunt for a place to stay, please watch the video blog I created about my stay at Holiday Inn Baguio City Centre.

Netflix and Some Random Thoughts

Hello there, I'm back! I guess I haven't been around for quite some time now (about 4 months, I think?) I just have to take care of important stuff, yeah that's what it is. I'm addicted to Netflix recently because it seems like forever since I watched anything that I really enjoyed I didn't realize that I've missed a lot of good stuff already. I had iZombie, Bates Motel, Alias Grace, Oh My Ghost (Korean romcom series) marathon for weeks it was all worth my time and eye strain, lol. 

I also started uploading videos on my youtube channel like my makeup tutorials and past travels because I feel like I should have an outlet where I can help people by sharing my talent and travel experiences. I'm not looking to earn money or wanna make it big by becoming a youtuber or anything like that, my channel is just about the things that make me happy. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't give a damn if I don't have tons of subscribers, all I care about is the freedom to do what I like. 

Oh, by the way, it's back to school but my niece's vacation is just getting started (she'll be in 5th grade in August) hopefully we can make the most of it by going some interesting place away from people. It would be nice to get away from time to time.

VaVaVoom's The Vamp Stamp: Is It Worth Buying?

Whether you're a makeup noob (newbie), a pro, or simply just a makeup addict like myself, it's good to know about innovations coming out in the market that will help apply makeup easier. But the real question is, is it worth every penny? I've seen a lot of reviews about this product on Youtube and there's quite a lot of mixed reactions about it so I thought that it's best to try it myself to see if it works for me or not.


What the hell is it? 

According to thevampstamp.com, it is a patented stamp that allows smooth and perfectly winged eyeliner look. The person behind the brand is Veronica Lorenz, a celebrity makeup artist and co-founder of an iconic beauty product brand "the beautyblender,"  (yup, the popular makeup sponge!). Veronica was diagnosed with a benign spinal cord tumor in 2013 and lost the feeling and strength in her hands. Instead of losing hope, she turned a great challenge into an inspiring triumph by creating The Vamp Stamp brand. The VaVaVoom winged liner stamp was patented in 2014 and launched in 2017.


I purchased the medium stamp on eBay. It comes in three sizes: kitten, medium and large.

the Vamp Stamp kit

How it works

You can refer to this image for instructions on how to use it.

I think this is pretty self-explanatory

Final thoughts

I think this product is good for makeup beginners and if you are always on the go, but if you are comfortable enough with how you do your eyeliner then you can survive without it. So, is this worth buying? To be honest, it ain't cheap, if you can manage to apply your eyeliner the hard way, then you are good. If you just want to try and see if you are going to like it then it's up to you if you are willing to spend or take the risk in buying the fake version (which I discourage because of its possible harmful ingredients). I suggest to check out online reviews first before purchasing, I'm sure that will somehow help you decide whether you need it or not. 

Welcome 2018

Happy New Year!!! Welcome 2018, the year of the earth dog. 

I still have a little bit of a hangover from New Year's eve but I must say that I had a wonderful time spent with my family. My sister and I did all the cooking for Noche Buena and Media Noche it was quite tiring but was all worth it. 2017 was probably the most festive year for me because our decorations are well thought out. We decided to decorate for Christmas as early as September, I guess we're just really excited for the holidays lol.

I started working on decorating our living room coffee table which turned out well so I thought why not decorate our dining table as well? I draw inspiration from Pinterest where I found a lot of  Christmas dinner table setting ideas I'm just really happy on how well it turned out I'm looking forward to doing it every year from now on.

My Christmas presents 

We also had a mini kris kringle (exchange gifts) and opened our gifts at 12 midnight on Christmas day. I guess it is a mandatory thing especially if you have a kid in the family like my 9-year-old niece because kids love gifts right? I got a snow globe, a Hello Kitty mug, and phone case. Don't you just love Christmas? 

Our Noche Buena table setting and buffet bar. Video courtesy of my sister 

For New Year's eve, we had a movie marathon of some of our favorite Asian horror flicks after Media Noche. We waited until 12 midnight and watched fireworks display before opening our New Year's Eve presents. Usually, gift giving is only for Christmas but for us, it extends until New Year's Day just for fun you know. I got this cute message bottle thingy and ball that lights up when bounced from my 9-year-old niece Gabby.

Thanks, Gabby

We had the same dinner table setting for New Year's eve I just changed the table napkin foldings with a little help from Pinterest again of course. Our Christmas theme last year was quite rustic and we had a lot of the color gold so I'm thinking maybe this year it's something like a Winter Wonderland theme, we might have a lot of blue and silver for a change but we'll see.

Our Media Noche table setting and buffet bar. Video courtesy of my sister 

Wishing you again a Happy New Year, let's all make this year count. 

Cheers!!!

DIY Bedroom Moon Lamp

I always love to DIY (do it yourself) stuff and decorate, because why not make one yourself instead of buying especially if you're on a budget right? Talk about being practical, even some interior designers opt for a cheaper option but with a little help from creativity and resourcefulness, they can make things look expensive. Decorating doesn't have to cost a lot these days thanks to DIY tutorials on youtube anyone can pretty much make anything.

My DIY moon lamp

Last year my twin sister and I made a DIY cloud lamp for our bedroom using a 5-gallon water container,  used Christmas lights, cotton puffs from our old pillow and hot glue. I thought about throwing away our cloud lamp because the cotton puffs collected a lot of dust already it's time to make something else that will not invite too much dust in it. I saw a lot of DIY moon lamp tutorials on youtube but I find this video tutorial from Mad Stuff with Rob easier to follow that's why I'm sharing it to those interested to make their own moon lamp.

Here's a video of my DIY moon lamp tutorial. Please take note that you can always improvise if you prefer to use other materials. Special thanks to my twin Philly for helping me with the lamp and making the video, you can check out her blog too.

Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed watching my video and good luck in making your moon lamp. 

Lets Go Under the Sea at SEARENIABAY Cafe

Themed cafes are becoming really popular these days and if you're thinking about heading up north for the holidays then why not make the most out of your stay in Baguio and check out Seareniabay Cafe located at Block 3 Lot 3 Ciudad Grande Phase 1, Bakakeng Central. If you're a little mermaid fan (insert Ariel singing "Part of Your World"), then you will most likely enjoy this cafe. 

My sister, along with our niece arrived around noon and we got lucky because the place was exclusive to us the whole time but this is not a first, we also had the place to us last month when we visited the Unicorn Dream Cafe (you can read my UNDAS blog if you want to know more) so I'm not sure if we're just really early birds or where it's at that's why it's not crowded compared to other cafes in town. We ordered immediately because we had a tough time locating it we're quite starving already and we didn't know how long it will take for our food to be served. To be honest, it is quite far than we imagined we almost lost our patience looking for it so we thought this better be worth it. We spent our waiting time taking lots of pictures and shooting videos while our niece went on to try their cozy mermaid blanket which is available to rent for free. 

The under the sea vibe was there because of the mermaid wall art, it's cute and colorful I read on their Facebook page that it was painted by local artists. The throw pillows are really pretty my niece definitely love them but what I'm crazy about are their mermaid tail mugs and disco ball cups they're just super cute. I must say that the food was okay though there's nothing special about the menu but somehow still worth a try. 

If you want to unleash that little mermaid in you then visit Seareniabay Cafe, they're open on Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 AM-8 PM and close on Mondays.

A December to Remember

Hello December!

It's only 23 days to go before Christmas...OMGGGG!

So, I went to the mall yesterday and bought stuff for our living room coffee table to put some Xmas vibes on it. I can really tell that the holidays are just around the corner because there are just too many people everywhere I go. Does this mean that 2017 is coming to a close? Yeah, I guess so. 'Tis the most wonderful time of the year indeed.

DIY-ed our living room coffee table decors

Decorating for the holidays doesn't have to cost a lot. You can simply use anything you can find at home and just buy additional ornaments if you feel that it is really necessary to complete the look. We started hanging our holiday lights and assembling our Xmas tree as early as October, I know, it might be a little too early for some but who cares if you really want to experience Xmas early then why not right? I think I spent less than Php500 for our coffee table decors from the gold spray paint (I painted our mini old and boring Xmas tree and reindeer gold) to the little details like the gold leaf, corset flower, and fake grass. I added some colorful balls from our Xmas tree and pine cones for a more festive look. 

Hohoho!

I'm also done with my Xmas shopping I did it super early so I don't have to beat the holiday rush. I bought all my gifts online because it's more convenient not to mention that, it is way cheaper too, but that is only if you are willing to wait especially if it's purchased off eBay it will take about a month (or less if you're lucky) that is why I suggest to do it early to avoid problems like your stuff getting lost in the mail just like what happened to the gift I ordered on eBay for my sister thank God I got my refund because my parcel does not have a tracking number and the seller said that she isn't getting any reply from the courier company. If you've been shopping online for almost a decade now like myself, then you must be aware of the fact that online deliveries are overflowing towards the end of the year and it's a big mistake to order something online just a month before Xmas because chances are, it will not make it especially if it's a present so don't take the risk and eventually get frustrated about it and take it on social media or whatever. In case of lost parcels or any complaints make sure to coordinate with the seller first if they can resolve it instead of stressing yourself, just saying.

Listen up, I also updated my Spotify playlist to my fave Xmas songs as you can see hope you'll enjoy listening while reading my blog.


I guess that's it for now, I hope these tips will help you enjoy this wonderful season.

Happy holidays y'all, TATA! 

UNDAS 2017

Welcome November

Wait, what?!...it's November already? It's 53 days to go until Christmas, whoa. 2017 is definitely coming to a close, whether we like it or not. 

Today is All Souls Day but the scheduled blessing of niche at the columbarium which housed my mom's ashes took place yesterday at 10AM. We arrived at the columbarium a few minutes before 10:00 I'm glad the ceremony started right on time. What I like about the columbarium is that it's not as crowded compared to public cemeteries, at least in my experience. This one is conveniently located right next to a cathedral so I get to pay my mom a visit whenever I can not only during All Souls Day. It's been 4 years since my mom passed but I still miss her every day. I mean who wouldn't? Others take a lifetime to grieve the loss of their loved ones.


Halloween is my favorite time of the year because I'm a fan of stories of the unknown. Well, I guess anything that is out of the ordinary is of human interest, right? But before we all get excited about Halloween, let's not forget its true essence. All Saints Day is celebrated in honor of the saints, known or unknown whilst All Souls Day is not just about dressing up for parties and trick or treating but a day of giving alms and prayers for the dead. These occasions exist with a purpose so we must never forget what they are for.


All Saints Day


Holiday Break Chill at Ze Creamery 

Since it's the first of November my sibs (siblings), niece and I decided to try a newly opened cafe in the Baguio city called Ze Creamery. This cafe opened sometime this year but I don't think they have been around for a long time because I'm quite familiar with old cafes in Baguio. We arrived an hour before noon (I think) and the place is quite full already and the only available table is by the entrance which made us quite uncomfortable because it gets really cold and the door was open the whole time but we did not ask the staff if we can close it so that was our fault.


We checked out their menu but we are really interested in their freakshakes because they look delectable on pictures (we've been stalking their Instagram prior to coming, lol) we didn't have anything else in mind we just ordered monster fries to go with it.  I got myself a chocolate flavored freak size Death by Chocolat (hence the name) whilst my twin had some of that Red Velvet freak size too and then some baby freaks Banana Caramel and Strawberry Shortcake for my elder sissy and niece. We all agreed that their monster fries sour and cream dip was a big hit. It's best to come early so you get the best seat in the house.


Ze Creamery is located at Unit C-11, The Zone Vill (C&D), Bukaneg St., Legarda Rd., Baguio City and open from 10AM-10PM.


All Souls Day


Experience Unicorn at The Unicorn Dream Cafe

The Unicorn Dream Cafe
for unicorn lovers

For unicorn lovers just like my 9-year-old niece, The Unicorn Dream Cafe is the perfect place to be. It was a rainy All Souls Day but the weather did not stop us from fulfilling my niece's unicorn dream, lol. There's no one inside the cafe but the staff probably because of the weather when we arrived half an hour before noon and we're glad because we're able to take lots of pictures and enjoy the place to ourselves.  I can see from my niece's eyes that she was having a great time because she kept taking pictures of pretty much everything inside the cafe she even borrowed one of the unicorn headbands (free to rent) and we did too, eventually. The lady who served our order gave my niece candies (for trick or treat I suppose) and a pink balloon, it was very sweet of them. The place was really cozy and the ambiance was magical it is something that kids would definitely love.


We tried out their bestseller freakshakes of course, as well as their colorful and yummy rainbow nachos which are good for 2-3 pax. I got myself the Purple Gurple milkshake which is a mixture of ube and vanilla topped with lots of candies and a donut. If you're not a fan of freakshakes and don't think you can finish something like that then you can opt for milkshakes without toppings instead. They also serve sandwiches, pasta, juice, soda, etc. They are usually closed on Thursdays but since they are closed yesterday November 1st, but they are open today.


The Unicorn Dream Cafe is located at Marand Nest Bldg., Bonifacio St., Corner Sumulong, Baguio City. Business hours are from 11AM-8PM (MTWF), 10AM-8PM (Sat, Sun) and close on Thursdays.

Helter Skelter September

Hello September

Cheers to a rainy start of the Ber months and it's here to stay, unfortunately, so make sure you're all geared up for this weather or at least have an umbrella always handy unless you want to end up getting soaked and sick afterwards which is a pretty bad thing. Just be prepared, that's all. 

It's been a week since the finale of Game of Thrones Season 7 but I still have a little bit of a hangover because why not? A lot has happened in episode 7 and it left every GOT fan hanging. To be honest I'm not sure if I will be patient enough to wait until next year or the year after for season 8 because I'm just starting to get hooked. There are way too many odd theories sprouting everywhere and it's driving everyone crazy just like the weather, it's insanely unpredictable. I will miss waiting for new GOT episodes every week I hope season 8 will come back sooner than expected. 

Waaaaah!

Sooooo, my twin and I went apartment hunting again somewhere in Pasig and Mandaluyong a few days ago. We decided that it's best to find accommodations in Pasig because traffic is ridiculous so we stayed at this condotel called the studio 18 residences located inside a private village in Pasig while we're looking for a pad to rent. I have a review of our stay in this condotel in Tripadvisor but in case you want to know how it went, let's just say it's a 50/50 kinda thing. Anyways, it's a failed mission because we did not find a nice pad or location so we might keep looking, I dunno yet. 

The Studio 18 Residences

Yep!

My state of mind right now? Dory says just keep swimming, kinda apt with the weather these days, isn't it? 

Welcome September

Just dropping by to say...

Have a good one!

Keep Calm August

Welcome August

Can anything get any calmer than the rain? Oh well, rainy days are here again so instead of contemplating the rain I decided to find something interesting to feed my mind. I'm not really fond of tv series, to be honest, but when my twin sister started watching Game of Thrones I realized that I didn't want to be left behind so when she finished all 6 seasons and became engrossed, I thought I might be missing something huge here. So far were on season 7 and still awaiting episode 4 and I can't wait to find out what happens next because the intensity in every episode is unreal and I don't want to miss a thing anymore it's like my whole life depends on it, lol. I'm still rooting for the Starks and hopefully, Arya will be reunited with her siblings and cousin, Jon Snow who was revealed in Season 6 episode 10 as the daughter of Ned Starks sister so he's no longer the bastard son that we all came to know thanks to Bran Starks's gift. I'm quite sad though because I'm not sure how long Jaqen will be missed (snort). I still think that Daenerys's dragons are the cutest monsters I'm looking forward to seeing more of their fierceness in the coming episodes.

I guess I'm hooked with G.O.T., aren't you???

I'll see you soon Jaqen

Way to go, Jon Snow

GOTS7E4 soon