Monthly Archives: May 2014

Hotels in Sydney

By | Accomodations, Travel | No Comments

I will try to put some information that I know about some Sydney Hotels that we stayed in and visited.  Hopefully this can help some of you who are planning to go to Sydney.

When we went to Australia five years ago, we stayed at the Sheraton on the Park

Previous entry: Sheraton on the Park June 16, 2009

We walked by here this trip to check it out again.  It’s really a nice hotel because it is across Hyde Park

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and St. Mary’s Cathedral 

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Gigantic chess game in Hyde Park 🙂

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It’s so near all the shops – you can go around just by walking.  A few streets away is Darling Harbor already.  Three New York blocks down you reach the Rocks.

Five years ago this did not exist, but now it’s open – the Westfield Mall
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This trip we tried another area which was by the Rocks.  We stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel. It’s the orange brownish building.  Behind it is the Shangri-la Hotel.  Location wise, I would prefer the Four Seasons because of the location. Location Location Location 🙂 
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I am noticing the good looking guys in the hotel 🙂  
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I love hotel lobby arrangements – this changed after a week to Easter which was even more beautiful  Previous entry:  Get Fluffy This Easter April 20, 2014 
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Love the chandelier by the front of the hotel doors

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 Love this restaurant, the Woods, which is just by the lobby.  It’s wood fired cooking

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 The Four Seasons Hotel always has goodies for the kids upon arrival – love! 🙂 
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 The hotel is a bit “dated” but it was okay for me

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View from the room

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Click below to go to their website

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 This area has it’s own charm as well.  It’s more quaint shopping 
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 There is also a church nearby – around 2 blocks away
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 There is a small park right across:-)
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 You are by the Rocks – just right across the hotel
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 Where the Museum is!!  LOVE!! 🙂
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 It’s so near the train station, the ferry boats ( which you take to Taronga zoo ) and where the cruise ships dock.  Walk further down and you are by the Harbor bridge.  

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The hotel in this photo is the Park Hyatt Hotel.  This is a hotel for those who want to have more privacy.  I heard that many VIPs and Stars stay here 🙂  The rooms are very nice and modern.  

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They are quite strict with photography – you cannot take photos inside the hotel because of the privacy of the guests I assume! I felt so bad 🙁 James and Mom came back another day and they bumped into Cameron Diaz.  Since I was not there, no one of course took a photo!  We don’t believe unless there is proof, so I googled and true enough they were there! 🙂  They were in Sydney to promote their new movie, The Other Woman   

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 I like the Rocks area – is more relaxed compared to being in the middle of the shopping district.  And you have different areas to view the Opera House

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The view from Park Hyatt Hotel
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We were considering this hotel too but since we were booking last minute, we could not stay here.  It’s also very near George Street and the shopping district

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To Mom To Dad

By | Mother's Day, Today's Quote | One Comment

Though today is my day, being Mom, I would also like to give credit where credit is due.  i would feel so guilty if I took all the credit for being Mom!

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This is the usual perception about Moms and Dads but in my family, Dad is very much a Mom and this does not hold true at all.  It’s probably the other way around with us because we all go to Dad/Papa and rely on him to take care of all of us including me 🙂  Not to mention all the household chores he helps me with!   

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James is a very very hands on Dad, he’s actually Mom to the boys since they were kids.  It’s so hard to raise boys because I could only relate to girl matters!  It’s a good thing Papa is always willing to help!!!! What would I do without him??moms-day-is-for-dad-1.JPG

From their haircut as kids and until this day 🙂  

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How could we have moved in the dorm without Papa!??  Papa takes care of all the educational matters of the kids!

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The two boys and I are so lucky to have our Mom! 🙂   I won’t give him all the credit but I share the day with him.  Happy Mother’s Day to Papa! 🙂  We love you! We would be lost without you!  

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Breastfeeding Journey of Pam

By | Mother's Day, Tributes | 2 Comments

Sharing here a true story about my sister in law, Pam.  She had to buy this freer to store all her breast milk.  I know someone else who bought 2 freezers and another friend had a chest freezer!!  

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Thanks also to Medela’s double breast pump! I wish I had this during my time

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 This goes everywhere Mommy Pam goes even to Hong Kong! 🙂 

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Her baby is now 6 months old and still is drinking pure breast milk. Look how healthy and cute he is!!! I think the milk is going to the cheeks and chin 🙂 

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and arms 🙂

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Plus Mommy Pam donated all this milk which came out to 20 liters of breast milk to the Philippine General Hospital ( PGH ) ICU Nursery.   How nice that she can help other babies in the ICU at the same time her baby is so healthy drinking all that breast milk

Pam told me that it’s a UNICEF advocacy tie up with PGH called Beauty, Brains and Breastfeeding

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This milk does not come out easy.  Mommy Pam really makes sure she is able to have lots of milk.  She eats healthy.  She juices too and eats a lot of malunggay.  Aside from that, She hired a Breastfeeding Coach- Coach Z ( Zeny ).  

Coach Z has a book



 She also has a website, click below

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Cookie Dough and Crepes by Village Gourmet

By | Great Inventions, Yummy! | No Comments

 Heart2Heart loves these new products by Village Gourmet!!!!! 





  I featured cookie mixes previously which is great because you get to bake the cookies when you are ready to eat them.  This new product of Village Gourmet takes it a step further!  No need to add or mix anymore anything!!! Just form and bake!  You don’t waste anything because you bake only what you will eat!

And this is even more wonderful!!! CREPES!!!

  It comes in three variants!









  Available at Rustan’s Supermarket and other supermarkets nationwide

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Choose Joy by Michele Soliven

By | Pink, Today's Quote, Tributes | No Comments

Michele is the sister of my friend, Yvonne.  When she found out she had cancer, she had a different reaction, she did not cry, she did not become depressed, she CHOSE JOY!  She chose to look at the positive side and she Thanked God for sparing her sisters and choosing her instead of them.  Now that is proof of how selfless she is.  

Finally, her story,  from Michele herself.  Listen to her!  The happiest cancer patient in history! 🙂  She’s a blessing to all of us because she is living proof that Happiness is truly an inside job and she has been propagating this message.  She is an inspiration to many!

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Quoting from one of the messages of Pope Francis on evangelisation ( from my friend Yvonne ) ” Only the person who feels happiness in seeking the good of others, in desiring their happiness, can be missionary.  If I can help at least one of person to have a better life, that already justifies the offering of my life” spirit-filled-evangelizers-pope-nov-2013.jpg

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Best Desserts by Vangie Baga Reyes

By | Best of, Foodie, Hot Off the Press | No Comments

I was so happy to see Vangie Baga Reyes from the Philippine Daily Inquirer ( PDI ).   I have not seen her in more than ten years and she’s blooming 🙂   

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She is the famous writer of the Best Desserts article that comes out in the PDI every year!!  I believe this started in 2011

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then 2012 

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And because of it’s popularity, they published a book!!!  Not only maybe because it is so popular, I am sure she has a hard time limiting the list to only 20 that she had to make a book!! 🙂  We have so many talented bakers in our country!

They launched it last February.  Congratulations Vangie!! More power!!  

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Langka Tree

By | Household Tips, Yummy! | No Comments

We have a makopa ( tambis ) tree in our house!!!  These are the fruits -not triangular in shape but they taste just as good 🙂  I LOVE makopa!

Previous entry:  My Lola’s Makopa Tree March 7, 2009

After two years we discovered we have also a langka tree!!! This is the trunk of the tree with one fruit hanging 🙂  

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the tree extends over the bamboo walls of our house, so it is behind that coconut tree 

I went under to see and there were quite a few fruits growing

Here is the yummy langka, according to my husband who loves langka

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I shared them with some friends 🙂

Eds gave me a tip since she knows I have a lot of langka.  She said you can freeze them and eat them like ice candy!!  Good idea!!

Langka abundance on Tagaytay

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Langka at Hillcreek Gardens, Alfonso Cavite

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