Staycation at F1 Hotel

Sometimes, you just need to get out of your home and stay somewhere nicer. Don't you agree? 

I think we all get that feeling of sometimes just wanting to be out of the house but not really travel far or prepare for an extensive trip that would require booking a flight, reservations, and an itinerary.  Sometimes, all you need is a staycation and this is exactly what we did last Easter. 

We booked a staycation at the F1 Hotel which is located at the heart of BGC, Taguig.

The first thing I really love about F1 is their outdoor dining. As you can see, it just gives you that Manhattan vibe and you can easily imagine yourself sipping some cold drink while looking at the skyline. 

It was my baby's first time to have a staycation and it was something that my eldest missed because he and I used to do a lot of staycation so this was definitely a welcome respite from all the deadlines of school and work. 

I loved that the room we booked had a king sized bed because we co-sleep with our baby. The living room area was also big enough to accommodate an extra bed without leaving it feeling cramped. Overall, definitely bang for buck for the room rate. 

The kids went swimming and since we went at a dead hour, they had the pool all to themselves which I really loved! 

Khali was able to go around and learned to float. B didn't feel conscious as well because there were no other people.

Khali also had fun during his first Easter Egg hunt. I'm go glad that F1 took little kids into consideration when they did the Easter Egg hunt so they also had a chance to win things.  

Seeing Khali happy made me so happy as well. 

We also enjoyed the food served during the Easter event and breakfast. Now because the room was so cozy and far more spacious than we anticipated, we ended up eating in our hotel room instead of dining out. 

We had a restful sleep and I actually ended up oversleeping. The beds were that comfortable and the aircon wasn't too hot or too cold. 

Overall, I have absolutely no regrets that our first staycation since the pandemic happened at F1 Hotel. Our family enjoyed our stay and that's all that matters. 

If you would like to book a room, you can message them here. 

Review of Ramenderya in BFRV, Las Pinas

If you know me, you'd know that I am obsessed with ramen. Even during the summer season, I can appreciate a good bowl of steaming, hot ramen. However, it will normally cost around 500 - 800+ for a good bowl of ramen here in the city and sometimes, that's just too heavy on the pocket, especially for someone like me who can never get enough of it. 

Thankfully, I found Ramenderya in BFRV, Las Pinas. 

Ramenderya is an online business that sells Japanese food curated and cooked by a home chef. This is made with love and I can honestly tell you that it is SO GOOD. Like, I wanna order it every day if possible kind of good. 

The soup can stand on its own. The eggs have a flavor on their own. The noodles are firm. The meat is tender and juicy and you'd want to order extras of it. I kid you not, this super affordable ramen can hold its weight if and when pitted against the more popular and resto-created ones.

The serving is also more than enough to fill you up if you're not a voracious eater like me. For me though, I had to eat two servings in one go because it was just too good. 

If you are not a fan of ramen though, no need to fret because they also serve really good gyudon and katsudon. I most loved the fact that it's served with a partition between the viand and the rice so when it gets delivered to your home, everything is still fresh and you don't need to deal with soggy rice. 

This was delicious as well. My son and I had to fight it out but being the Mom, I had to give way and let him have my share though I was sad because the food was really good. 

It was like ordering from a restaurant but paying a lower fee without sacrificing the taste. Best of both worlds. You get to eat in the comfort of your home, pay a lower price, and still experience world-class Japanese food. 

Ugh. Writing about this is making me want to eat tonkatsu and ramen again. Time to order here then!

Terra Mana Essential Oils

Since 2017, I have been a fan of essential oils so when I was asked to attend the launch of Terra Mana Essential Oils, I had to jump at the chance to learn more about it. 

First thing that I learned about Terra Mana Essential Oils is that they are not part of any MLM scheme. This means that you can just buy their starter kit or an individual oil without having to worry about meeting quota or recruiting people. 

They do have an affiliate marketing where people who refer or recommend them can earn. I think this is a really good option for those who may want to earn but not necessarily have to know an entire network of people. 

Second, their price is super competitive against the market. It's way more affordable than the usual price range of essential oils and this is definitely something that oilers all over can rejoice about. 

Third, the Terra Mana Essential Oils are more pure compared to others. I was able to test them myself and I am extremely happy with how undiluted it is and how potent the effect was. Definitely bang for buck. 

Lastly, I love that though it seems oily, it is easily absorbed by the skin and the scent or smell is far stronger than the usual essential oil. 

We had a small workshop where we were taught how to make 4 different oil bottles ranging from immune support, mental support, mood support, and sleep. Here are the 4 different recipes in case someone wants to make their own.

IMMUNE SUPPORT 

Defender 

Frankincense Essential Oil

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Mental Support 

Fir Needle Essential Oil

Rosemary Essential Oil

Peppermint Essential Oil

SLEEP 

Lavander Essential Oil

Frankincense

Cedarwood Essential Oil

MOOD SUPPORT 

Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Frankincense

Bergamot Essential Oil 

Lemongrass Essential Oil 

I loved their Defender Essential Oil the most because it helps fight off viruses. I hope they make this available soon. 

Look of pure concentration while making my own oils. 

 If you are interested in getting your own kits or bottles, simply click on the links in the post. Don't forget to use CODE KATHYBALMORES on checkout so you can get 10% OFF. 

You can also watch my unboxing and first impressions here. 

Website - https://www.terramana.co/mskathykenny 10% DISCOUNT CODE - KATHYBALMORES

How to Keep the Love Alive When You are Parents

I have been with M for almost 5 years now. To be honest, this is the longest relationship I have ever had, and sometimes, I worry if we still have a bit of romance left in us. After all, raising a teenage boy and a toddler can be quite draining. Sometimes, you just don't have it in you anymore to make an effort. 

However, this should not be the case. So, I would like to share with you some simple ways that M and I keep the love alive. 

1. Always give each other a kiss good morning, good night, or before one of you leaves. ALWAYS. 

2. Hug when you want to or when you feel like you need it. Hugs are actually one of the most intimate things you can share with your partner. 

3. Spend time with each other, even an hour a week makes a difference. Make sure that when you spend time with each other, you spend time WITH each other and not just sitting beside each other but glued to your phones. 

4. Go out. It doesn't have to be anything extravagant but go out and eat out. If budget is limited, cook pansit canton at home and have a date night at home. 

M and I took advantage of his swapped day off and spent an entire day together. We had breakfast at Army Navy and then had lunch at Cabalen. After, we watched Batman and were lucky enough to have the entire cinema all to ourselves.

It was such a blast having an entire theater all to ourselves because there were no noisy people or anyone to disrupt the movie. 

Lastly, we had dinner at Tenya where I enjoyed downing this tempura bowl. Seriously, it was so good. 

We talked, we laughed, and we had a great time just being us again. M and I. We were not parents for a day and it felt great. Of course, at the end of it, we had to go home but we went home recharged and excited to see these little ones once more.

And this is how you keep the love alive when you are parents. 

Review of WOW MOM PINAS in Moonwalk, Las Pinas

Have you ever had Mediterranean food? I can't say that it's a staple in the food that I eat so it was with delight that I was able to try this out when I discovered WOW MOM PINAS based in Moonwalk, Las Pinas.  

I super loved their samosa. I could have eaten the entire plate on my own but I had to share.  It was comfort food, something that you can eat and eat the whole afternoon while watching Kdrama or reading a good book. 

It's that kind of food. 

The other one that I wanted to have as a staple in our meal plans would be the mango kani rolls. It's healthy, it's delicious, and it has greens. Perfect in aiding us in our quest to eat healthily. 

They also had three kinds of pasta and as always, we had different favorites in the family. I personally liked the Charlie Chan pasta. In fact, I ate 3/4 of it. My brother preferred the pesto pasta that had spicy sardines on it because anything that comes with a zing is a plus in his book. M and Khali finished off the creamy spinach chicken pasta. 

The Falafel Sandwich was a first for me. It felt like eating an enlarged panini. It was definitely an experience because it was also very healthy. I think that was the one thing that I felt eating the food of WOW MOM PINAS. 

The Pita Bread, falafel, and hummus were also new discoveries for our family. Since we've never been exposed to Mediterranean food, this was definitely a first for us. To be honest, it wasn't bad at all. It was definitely surprising in the beginning but it was in a good way. I'd definitely want to explore more of this cuisine.

I would definitely recommend WOW MOM PINAS to anyone who wants something different for their lunch, dinner, or celebration. I think that it's important to discover new dishes and learn about the culture of other people through their food. 

So, Who Blocked Me on Twitter?

My name is Kathy, and I’m a reformed Twitter addict. 

Years ago, I was so into Twitter that I tweeted over 15,000 times in just one year. Sounds crazy, right, but this was the story of my life back in 2015.

Due to this addiction, I met the Twitter police multiple times. The Twitter police appear when you tweet over 100 times in an hour. This was how addicted I was, and this was also how I ended up having to check who blocked me on Twitter because it happened a lot of times to me. 

Twitter is the social media platform where most people are vocal about their thoughts. Called the dumping ground of ideas you usually wouldn’t post on other social media platforms, Twitter can be a breath of fresh air from all the curated feeds that you see online. However, this can also lead to many fights that had me checking who has blocked me on Twitter?

When someone blocks you on Twitter, you don’t get a notification. There’s no fancy mail saying, “You’ve been blocked!” However, there are three ways you can check who blocked you on Twitter. One is to visit a person’s profile, the second is to try tagging their handle on a tweet, or the third is to send them a direct message. 

If you are can see their profile, it shows that you can not see their tweets or message them if you cannot tag them on a tweet, and if you cannot send them a direct message no matter how much you try, you can say that this person belongs to the group of people who have blocked me on Twitter. 

You also won’t be able to see their tweets, comments, replies, quotes, retweets, or any form of activity on Twitter. You also won’t get any kind of notification regarding their account. In short, they don’t exist in your Twitterverse, and you don’t live in theirs. 

If you are curious about who may have blocked you or how many people have blocked you, you can also check the website Blolook. It will show you how many profiles have put your Twitter handle on their block list. You can also check if someone you blocked has blocked you by checking on the mutuals. 

It can be pretty hurtful when this happens. A Twitter block can feel like a digital punishment or being shunned by someone. It can also make you think, why would someone block me for no reason? 

I learned that the people who blocked me on the Twitter app did it because I tweeted too much. I drowned their feed, and every time they checked Twitter, it was me, me, me. Instead of being appreciated for my thoughts and opinions, I became a nuisance and an obnoxious person on Twitter. 

I realized how much of a pain I was with my over-the-top thoughts and Tweets. I realized that just because I could tweet as many times as I wanted did not mean I should tweet incessantly. Sometimes, fewer tweets could command more attention than an entire barrage of tweets being sent out in such a short period. 

Finding out who blocked me on Twitter has been refreshing because it taught me that less is more, especially when it comes to my words. I learned to be more careful of what I put out there and what I share with the world. 

I’m still active on Twitter, but now, I no longer have to worry about who blocked me on the app because I finally learned that even if Twitter is a dumping ground of thoughts, it doesn’t mean that I should dump my thoughts in one go. Tweet tweet.  

Review of Egg-yo 애교 in Moonwalk, Las Pinas

Egg Drop sandwiches have invaded Las Pinas. 

The hottest snack to hit in recent times, egg drop sandwiches have been making the social media rounds which means that I want to have a taste of it. Luckily, we had one here in Las Pinas and so I made my way to  Egg-yo 애교 which is located in Moonwalk, Las Pinas. 

They have 9 choices to choose from which can be quite overwhelming if you're new to the whole thing. 

My super favorites were OMO which was samgyupsal in a sandwich. I mean, what's not to love? It definitely made me go OMO OMO! 

I also loved the Cream Cheese Chicken aptly named AH-SSA! For beef lovers, I recommend JJANG because it's beef bulgogi in a sandwich. 

I loved that they used premium ingredients and it did not feel like they scrimped at all. 

For those who may be not too adventurous and want to go for something safe, they also offer JAGIYA which is premium ham and cheese as well as YEOBO which is bacon and cheese. 

If you're a spicy lover, then there's AIGOO which is a spicy tuna melt. 

They also offer this in a box of 6 which I feel is the best way to go and give it a try. You get 6 flavors in one box and you can have a really filling merienda while discovering which EGG-YO is for you. 

Whatever your craving or preference is, there's definitely something for everyone at EGG-YO.

Review of Sugarhouse in BFRV, Las Pinas

They say that you can't have your cake and eat it too! Sugarhouse in BFRV, Las Pinas says otherwise and I agree with them. At Sugarhouse, you can have all your cakes and eat them too because that is exactly what we did.

First, we had the Chocolate Truffle cake which was hands down the winner of them all in our household. This one did not survive 24 hours, I kid you not. It was literally gone in 24 hours. 

Love chocolate? This tender, luxurious layer cake is for you. With a ganache glaze and a fabulous bittersweet filling, the indulgence is so worth it. 

I personally loved this one. This Mango Torte cake was made of chewy nut-meringue crust covered with mango sauce and topped with the sweetest fresh mangoes in season.  A crown of whipped cream finishes this frozen best-selling dessert.  I feel that this is best served with coffee.

On a diet? Fret no more because Sugarhouse in BFRV, Las Pinas also serves No Sugar Chocolate Sans Rival. Sans rival is a Filipino dessert cake made of layers of buttercream, meringue, and chopped cashews. This version is covered with chocolate toppings and has no sugar in it so you can eat to your heart's content.

Last, but certainly, not the least, we had the Cashew Toffee cake. This is a light chocolate chiffon cake filled with chocolate mousse with the slightest hint of rum. What makes it even more special is that it comes glazed with extra creamy buttercream and then topped with cashew toffee bits and chopped cashew. 

Confession: I ended up eating all of the cashew toffee bits and chopped cashew on top of the cake. Yikes! 

Which one got your attention? 

Review of Ianne's Kitchen from Las Pinas

Everyone knows that I am a foodie. I love trying out new food and eating out is my main vice, second to my arts and crafts supplies hoarding. 

I love finding out new places to try and when the pandemic hit, I shifted my hunt to small businesses that deliver food to your home. This is how I learned about Ianne's Kitchen. 

They have a lot of my favorite dishes: salmon, chicken wings, lasagna, and truffle mushroom. 

Let's start with the Bacon Alfredo. This one did not survive the day. My son and my brother devoured it. It was a good thing I got a couple of bites in. The bacon was cooked just right. It was crispy but not dry, the alfredo sauce was creamy and just perfect. 

The Baked Lasagna passed M's taste buds so much so that he brought an entire pan to work. It was filled with baked layers of lasagna pasta with delectable sauce, sumptuous cheese, and lots of meat. 

The salted egg chicken was definitely for the books. Amongst the four chicken wings flavor, this was my absolute favorite. It literally tasted of salted egg which a lot of other chicken wings lack. It was creamy, salty, and had that "itlog alat" feels. 

The Baked Creamcheese Salmon was also a house favorite. Healthy, delicious, and good for the heart. What's there not to love?

The serving size is also very generous for the price which was a definite plus.

Now the real star of the night is the Truffle Lasagna. For me, almost anything with truffle instantly becomes 100x better. This was no exception. 

Cheesy, goeey, creamy, dreamy. It was a truffle pasta lovers dream. The only thing that I did not like was the size. I wish I got something bigger. 

I had four flavors of the chicken wings. What stood out the most for me was the salted egg and the garlic parmesan. While the others were not bad, this was just a personal preference on my end.

We did end up consuming all of the chicken wings, all 24 pieces of them. 

If you ever need to serve guests who suddenly drop by, feel too lazy to cook, or just want to make the day extra special for you and your family, message Ianne's Kitchen and order from their wide selection of delectable eats. 

I'm sure that you won't regret it. 

Review of Absolutely Sweet Cookies from Las Pinas

I'm a cookie monster. There, I've admitted it. One of the things that make me super happy is seeing a bunch of cookies and Absolutely Sweet Cookies from Las Pinas did just that for me. 

I had the chance to try three variants from their shop and all of them were a delight to my taste buds. When I say delight, it did not survive more than 2 days and we're talking about 3 dozen cookies here. 

My favorite was the Salted Milk Chocolate.  I loved the combination of the salt and the chocolate. It was sweet with a touch of saltiness that blended really well. 

My two kids loved the Triple Chocolate Chip since it had a combination of all the different kinds of chocolate which is favored by most kids. I liked that this was sweet but not too sweet. It was just right. 

This can be gifted to cookie lovers who prefer a level of sweetness that wasn't over the top. 

The Dark Chocolate Chunks were favored by my husband. I woke up to half of the dozen gone. If that doesn't tell you that he liked it, I don't know what will. For me, I loved the bite sized parts. It gave the cookies a luxury feel. When I bit into it, I felt like I was eating a Php100+ piece of cookie. 

Absolutely Sweet cookies is available in Las Pinas. You can order through their Facebook page and my recommendation is to pair with fresh milk and eat it in your pajamas for that ultimate, comfort food feels. 

Food Styling: Kathy Balmores

Photos by: Mark Balmores

Enjoy Nestle's Summer Pantry Essentials this Shopee 4.4 Sale with up to 20% OFF

One of the staples in our home are coffee, creamer, milk, and things to help us be healthier. This means that on a monthly basis, we replenish these which is why I was so happy to find out that Nestle will be having a sale during the Shopee 4.4 sale and will be giving out discounts of up to 20%! 

This summer, we need to constantly stay hydrated and on top of water, I wanna make sure that my family drinks enough to stay energized, healthy, and ready to slay the day. Sharing with you some of the items I will be buying multiples of because we use it like crazy in our household. 

NESCAFE Gold Intense Instant Coffee:  I love the stronger taste and richer aroma of NESCAFÉ GOLD INTENSE coz it's expertly crafted with a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans roasted to golden perfection to create a coffee experience like no other. I also love that it comes with a free glass. Haha. 

BEAR BRAND Fortified Powdered Milk: My husband loves this so I make sure that I prepare this for him before he goes off to work. Since he has a really early shift, at the very least, I want to make sure he has warm milk in his tummy before he starts his day. 

This is also the only powdered milk that has 100% Vitamin C, Iron and Zinc as well as 100% Vit D, Protein and Calcium. 

MILO Powdered Choco Malt Milk Drink: Powdered chocolate malt milk drink made with the natural goodness of MILK, MALT, and COCOA Contains ACTIV-GO® - a special blend of PROTOMALT®, VITAMINS, and MINERALS that gives my kid the nutritious energy he needs for a busy day. MILO is high in Vitamins B2, B3, B6, B12, C, and is a source of Iron for energy release. It's also great served iced in the morning and hot at night. 

NESTEA Cleanse Lemon Cucumber Powdered Green Tea: Refresh with a delicious blend of all-natural green tea, lemon, and cucumber extracts with NEW NESTEA CLEANSE!  It's high in fiber which aids in digestion and has no added table sugar.  Hoping to start my wellness journey with NESTEA CLEANSE! 

Grab your Nestle Summer Pantry Essentials up to 20% off on 4.4 ShopeePay Sale!