Frannywanny

I ♥ the weekend! Oh how I value those two precious days where I get to stay in bed longer, go out for brunch or coffee with friends, watch a movie with Paul, run errands (pay our bills! ugh) and on certain weekends, go on a road trip. This is what makes the Philippines amazing. We have three big islands surrounded by various bodies of water (hello Pacific Ocean, South China Sea and a lot more) yet it is actually possible to go from north to south and back with just a car. Thanks to the RoRo , there has been a number of "cross-country" races that has been done to prove that this is indeed possible. Tiring and nerve-wracking but possible. One weekend, Paul and I joined our favorite eating and travel buddies -- the Co Family for a weekend staycation at The Bellevue Hotel in Alabang. Living at the center of Metro Manila, the farthest that most of us would frequent in the South would be Makati. Thus, upon accepting an invite to visit The Bellevue Hote l, it surely feels ...

This continues my Bonifacio Highstreet Central food review. I really love hanging out at this new wing of the Bonifacio Highstreet complex. What's there not to love about this place? With at least 80% of its tenants being restaurants, I'm just halfway through and I love how a new restaurants pop out whenever I pay a visit. Last week, at the height of my intense preparation for Yummy Eats 2012 , I said yes to a dinner invitation after getting non-stop raves not only from my blogger friends but from a certain colleague as well. As I've mentioned before , my friend T really has great taste in food and after hearing her talk about this new restaurant called 'Cue and their delicious pork chop, I knew I have to put that on the list and schedule a visit ASAP. Paul and I got there a few minutes before our agreed meeting time and we were quickly ushered to our reserved table. 'Cue stands for barbe cue as this restaurant features a lot of really good meat dishes. Defi...

Look what landed on my office desk one busy day. A box of Chocolates! H-A-P-P-I-N-E-S-S!!! It seems like someone knows that I need a little picker upper as I've been feeling a bit gloomy these days. I love pretty boxes and what more, a pretty box filled with chocolates. It was so hard to choose which one to try first. Each colored foil is equivalent to a specific type of chocolate be it a Praline ball in Milk Chocolate with Caramel Cream (Gold foil) or Praline Sticks in Dark Chocolate with Orange Cream Filling (Orange Stick). I personally love the Praline Balls in Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut Cream Filling and Cereals (Shiny Orange foil) and the Praline Ball in Dark Chocolate with Coffee Cream Filling (Black foil). Price starts at Php. 480 for the sampler box and they have bigger boxes in 250g and 500g too. Visit Villa del Conte at the 3rd Floor, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Edsa corner Shaw Blvd in Mandaluyong City. Call them at 893-2575 or 621-6101.

"Sariwon has become synonymous with serving legendary Bulgogi since its beginnings in 1938. The restaurant was established by grandmother Mrs. Bun-Im Koo from the town of Sariwon in North Korea..." Paul and I truly enjoyed our trip to Seoul, South Korea as we were able to enjoy having Korean barbecue and other delicious Korean dishes for 6 full days. We loved it so much that Paul wants to go back to Seoul soon. I couldn't agree with him more. How can we not fall in love with Korea ? The cool weather, the pretty fashionable dresses, the reasonably-priced items and the endless choices of food. Six days truly wasn't enough and we can't wait to go back to explore Korea some more. It then made sense that we took the family out for an intimate Korean lunch to celebrate my sister's birthday a few weeks ago. Located at the rapidly bustling Bonifacio Highstreet Central , we found Sariwon Korean Barbecue . The restaurant has a very modern feel which reminds me of...

After weeks of consecutive weekend getaways, Paul and I found some downtime this weekend where we were able to wake up later than usual, have longer meals with the family and go out to watch a movie. Given our busy weekend schedules, believe it or not, going out on movie dates doesn't happen that often anymore. *sigh* Which is the reason why I totally get ecstatic whenever we get to really go out on a date...just the two of us spending more quality time together. Yesterday, we headed to the Powerplant Mall to watch a movie. I totally love my husband for giving up watching Dark Shadows over the very girly romantic comedy movie What to Expect When You're Expecting as he knows that I've been wanting to watch this movie since I learned about it months ago (..and after hearing me say, "this movie got an all-star cast in it!" probably a dozen times) . Yay! Thank you Paul for spoiling me. ♥ It was indeed a fun movie with a couple of my favorite Hollywood stars like...

Here are 5 FUN things you can do during your weekend getaway at Pico de Loro Cove , Hamilo Coast ! First: Head over to the Beach Club to enjoy the sun, sand and water! We got there late in the afternoon to enjoy the cool wind while waiting for the sun to set. During weekends, expect to see a lot of families relaxing by the beach and around the pool area too. I also checked out the Sun Coral Cafe which had a Mediterranean buffet that evening. Since Mom wasn't a big fan of burritos and tacos, we skipped this and headed to the Country Club instead. As we enjoyed the sunset, my family and I had some drinks and snack while bonding. I ordered the homemade Prociutto and Arugula Pizza which has a very thin-crust and they were very generous with the arugula. However, I find the pizza to be a bit on the bland side so I added a few drops of hot sauce to perked up the taste. While dad had his beer and mommy her Buko juice, Pan and I had our Mojitos ! I loved this! It was very...

It's summer and with the temperature hitting close to 35 degrees Celsius, the need to hit the beach to cool down really sounds like a great idea every single day. Couple this with a glass of ice-cold mango shake and a good book -- this is exactly how I love spending summer here in the Philippines. Thus, the invite to have a relaxing weekend getaway with my family at Pico de Loro came just at the right time. As everyone's back from their respective trips, we post-celebrated my sister's birthday at this beautiful cove south of Metro Manila. It has been a while since my family has been out on a trip. How I miss those times when we would frequent Tagaytay whenever a 3-day weekend comes around. Papa just loves the cool weather as he would leisurely sit by our favorite hotel's balcony while reading his daily newspaper and sipping his cup of coffee. I'm glad we're all back on the road for another fun family trip! Pico de Loro is part of Hamilo Coast which is l...

When I first met Paul 9 years ago, all I remembered was that he's the guy in a blue shirt and who was wearing a gray cap. He barely spoke a word the entire evening and just sat quietly beside his friend N who invited him to our group's dinner that day. I was busy catching up with my girl friends and was obviously oblivious to the fact that there, at one corner of the room, the same quiet guy was staring at me...or so he claims he was. *blush* Fast forward months after that, we began exchanging messages online and via SMS. Later on, as we found out that we live so close to each other, we began meeting up for afternoon merienda or after dinner coffee chats once in a while. One of the first things that I liked about Paul was the fact that he makes a great eating partner. Having met guys who have a million and one conditions when it comes to food (read: no veggies, no spicy food, no exotic dishes, etc etc etc) , I was elated to find out that Paul was really game to try anything a...

Last year, Yummy Magazine launched Yummy Eats -- a fun eating and cooking fair that took place at the NBC Tent . More than a thousand readers and food-lovers flocked to the Bonifacio Global City to sample more than 30 food finds which were all specially chosen by the editors of our favorite food magazine -- Yummy Magazine ! It was indeed a fun event despite me, running around the place all day checking up on concessionaires, making sure everything goes as planned. Indeed, I went home with a big smile on a face. The buzz about the event continued days weeks months after Yummy Eats with fellow bloggers and media friends talking about it . The clamor for a second Yummy Eats was loud enough to be heard and so... ..... we're back! On May 26, 2012 at the Rockwell Tent -- we are excited to reunite, once again, with our growing Yummy Magazine community . Expect to see more than 50 concessionaires who will entice you with their mouth-watering creations. Meet some of the country...

"I'll always be your Mommy even if you're married and you'll someday be a Mommy yourself..." That's my Mommy's constant line whenever she would nag me about certain things and I would tell her not to worry because I'm a grown woman. Up until this day, Mommy never fails to call me at exactly 7PM to ask for my whereabouts. I never really got off my curfew as Mommy would start looking for us (yes, Paul included) and wouldn't sleep until she knows we're on our way home. She would always ensure that our helper would prepare breakfast for us and that I have lunch to bring to work. Initially, I thought my Mom must be the most protective Mom in the world...that was until I saw how my Amah (grandmother) was when Mommy went to Japan for a vacation. Amah would call me every single day asking if I was able to talk to Mommy online. On days where her favorite radio announcer would announce that it's a rainy day in Japan, she would call and ask if Mommy...

After a month of flying in and out of the country, finally, Paul and I were able to double date again with our friends L and T before they leave for their much-awaited honeymoon ♥. We usually would meet up somewhere in Ortigas or most recently at Eton Centris where their Chatime store is located. However, with the growing number of restaurants opening at the Bonifacio Global City , most particularly in the newly built complex called Bonifacio High Street Central , L and I decided to visit one of the many restaurants there. Bonifacio High Street Central is also where Jamba Juice and Aria are located. Coincidentally, I was invited by the Bistro Group to have dinner there with me and my friends as they just opened a new restaurant called the Village Tavern which was a franchise from North Carolina, USA . I checked with L how she feels about trying this new restaurant out with me and just as I've guessed it, she and T were game! Yay! The place was filled with groups when we ar...

My recent trip to Beijing, China was business-related so I wasn't really expecting to be able to visit much of the touristy sites or have as much free time to roam around and to have food trips on my own. It was pretty good actually as it was my first time to travel alone thus I don't feel very comfortable go around such a HUGE province on my own. I happily tagged along with the group wherever our host takes us. That set-up worked perfectly fine for me. At least, the next time I get to go back with Paul , I'll have a better idea on where to go! Out of the four days that we were there, our gracious host took the afternoon off on our 3rd day to take us to the Palace Museum , otherwise known as the Forbidden City . This is located right at the center of Beijing and as we were told, everything surrounds the Forbidden City . We entered through the North Gate where the ticket counter was located. Believe me, the Forbidden City is HUGE! It actually reminds me of the Gyeong...

Hooray for Today! :) I rarely get to watch TV but during one of those rare moments, I was able to catch the new McDonald's TVC with a catchy tune and a fun, rather nostalgic story of a guy who drove through McDonald's for breakfast and along his way he saw things that reminds him (and us) of our childhood. There was a unicorn, a teddy bear, a castle built with Lego and a lot more. The message is simple. A good breakfast is essential to give you a great start to your day! This is the reason why I am so excited to spread the love this Mother's Day as 5 lucky Mothers will get a special treat courtesy of McDonald's ! Thank you so much for joining my quick weekend contest ! Without further ado, here are the winners whom I will be contacting soon to arrange for that special breakfast treat for their Moms on Mother's Day this Sunday! CONGRATULATIONS TO.... Rosemarie Samson Stonibert Lim Maria Anna Katrina A. Paz Dianne Vernadeen Sia-Lucenara  Mel...

Look who's coming to Manila!!! Two years ago, I heard about the news of this amazing musical collaboration called NKOTBSB (New Kids on the Block / Backstreet Boys). Two of the greatest boy bands of all time together in one concert. I mentioned in my previous entry that yes, this is definitely one contest that I will never miss. I love the Backstreet Boys and yes I am a HUGE fan! ♥ I squealed like a little girl when I saw their huge billboard announcing their upcoming concert  in California last year. Oh how I prayed to the high heavens that they'll come to Asia..more specifically, the Philippines SOON.... ... and they will!!! On June 3, 2012 -- 2 days AFTER my 30th birthday! What a perfect birthday gift this would make, don't you think? *wink wink*  Sadly, I might have to miss this :( My boy band concert buddy Pan is flying out for another business trip on that day and I highly doubt Paul would be game enough to endure at least two hours of fan girls screami...

In my family, there are certain dates that we give just as much regard and importance to like a regular holiday. In fact, we celebrate and look forward to it more than most legal holidays. This includes our birthdays and two special days wherein we treat our parents like royalty -- Mother's Day and Father's Day . Mother's Day is a week away and despite our very hectic work schedule, my sister and I are busy planning on what we will do for our dear Mommy on her special day. It's one day where Mommy is required to sit back, relax and leave everything up to us. Our sweet Papa would always prepare a greeting card for Mommy where both my sister and I would include our short messages in. Either for lunch or dinner, we would go out not only with Mommy but with my Amah (grandmother) as well. After all their hard work and intense labor, one day is truly not enough for us to show our utmost gratitude and undying love for them. Still planning on where and what to do on Mot...

My trip to Beijing was really short.  Too short that all days were filled up with office visits, a grand launch party and a quick stop to the Forbidden City. Given that it was my first time in Beijing, China ; I tried my best to soak in everything that I  saw, heard and tasted all throughout my four-day trip. As I was packing my luggage on my last evening, I realized that I haven't shopped for anything! *panic!* Not even my mandatory Starbucks city mug that I always make sure to buy for my growing collection. Thus, on my last day, I invited my Japanese counterparts for a quick morning shopping trip at Wangfujing . This is one place that I took note of after asking my friends K and J for shopping and eating tips in Beijing . I totally can let go of not seeing the Great Wall or the Olympic Stadium for this trip but I'm not leaving Beijing without a short shopping spree at Wangfujing ! No way, José! It was raining on our last day making it very hard to walk around and e...