grabbed from stunningalways.com

picture taken by my sister

Hoorraayyy for discovering new places! I admit that I am not much of a traveler but I do love vacations. Its my way to relax and get away from stress. I also consider it as a way of a family to bond together and create wonderful memories. When my mom passed away, I realized how important it is for a family to have a time together. It doesn't have to be grand, what's important is that you create lots of memories together as family as much as you can, so when somebody in the family leaves, you can still hold on to those happy memories. It always helps in moving forward...

Ok, enough of the drama because there's no feeling of sadness when you talk about Coron Palawan! I love this island! Truly, our country has been blessed by the Almighty and this is validated by the beautiful places we have here. The pictures wouldn't do justice in describing how amazing this island is! So forgive me because the ones I'm gonna share here are all taken using only Iphone 6plus and Samsung phones. The underwater shots are from GoPro we rented from our tour guide. We didn't bother bringing SLR camera because it might not be ideal to do so, knowing the activities we will be doing.

Delayed flight. No complaints as long as we arrive safely :)

Coron Palawan Itinerary Day 1

Here we go... Once we landed at the airport, we were greeted by the greenery of the place. Even if we were exhausted because of the delayed and not so smooth flight (turbulence all the way), we immediately got relaxed while riding the van going to our hotel just by looking around the place. By the way, we booked our accommodation through Agoda.com because they have great discounted rates for hotel bookings.

I can smell the grass even by just looking at this picture!

This side of the archipelago is truly breath taking.

Upon arrival at the hotel, we were greeted warmly by the staff of Coron Westown Resort. I will be posting another blog for a review of this hotel because I just loved their hotel. Its the first hotel you will pass by coming from the airport, which makes it the farthest hotel (I think) from the town proper. For us, it was ok because we wanted a quiet place to stay. There are lots of Coron Palawan hotesl in the town but we opted for Coron Westown because the reviews in Agoda website were really nice and I got convinced with the pool hahaha! We needed the swimming pool because the kids love swimming.

I feel the need to take a solo pic at the entrance haha!

The kids got excited so we swam on the pool even if we arrived late.

Coron Palawan Itinerary Day 2

The morning after. Ready for the activities

The first pool is for kids, the one farther is for adults. A third pool is located at the lower level of the hotel lobby.

Because we travel with kids and one senior citizen (my adventurous dad), we only took 2 Coron island tour, plus we didn't have enough time as the flight we booked were late afternoon(arrival to Coron) and early morning (departure back to Manila). I have to commend our tour guide, Sea Farers Tours, because they were really accommodating and we were well-assisted especially the kids all throughout the 2 day activity. By the way, Sea Farers Tour was the travel agency hired by Byahe Ni Drew show at GMA 7 when they went to Coron. The first day tour was really challenging, the Coron Island Tour. We started off at Siete Pecados where we had our snorkeling activity.

Ohana!

The marine life of Coron is one that we can boast off. Its beauty is truly impeccable. And you have to experience it yourself to see how beautiful the underwater life of this island is.

After Siete Pecados, we headed to Kayangan Lake. Getting to Kayangan Lake requires hiking 150 steps up and 150 steps down... and with 3 kids in tow, this activity was really a challenge. But everything was worth it not just because of being able to see the cleanest lake in the country but also the hiking, though tiring, is something we could always reminisce when we and the kids grow old.

Our tour guide prepared our lunch which was also part of the package. I loved their seafood dishes and they also added grilled chicken and hotdog for the kids since they are not into seafood. So us, adults devoured into this delicious meal:

Eating with hands... the best!

They also provided bottled water and softdrinks. For snacks, we had cupcakes and some native Filipino kakanin. We had our lunch at Banol beach and stayed there for a while before heading to another tour site.

Crystal clear waters of  Kayangan Lake

Whose blog is this again? Mine. So better get used to my solo pics hehehe.

My almost 5 yr old son and his dad climbing the steps of  Kayangan Lake hike

Banol Beach has fine white sands.

Swoosh and his cousins.

An hour of relaxation at Banol beach and we're off to Shipwreck which is one of the famous Coron Palawan tourist spots. We didn't take much photos because only my husband and my brother in law were able to go down in the deep water as we are all scared to do so hahaha!


The next and last stop was Twin Lagoon. It was really nice except that we saw a jellyfish upon arrival. Good thing we were still in the boat when we saw it.

Yaayyy! I don't want to be bitten by this thing not even in my dreams!

Another challenge was going at the other side of the lagoon because it was high tide. So that means the opening under the rocks that's supposed to be the entrance to the second lagoon was somehow filled with water and you need to lie down to be able to pass through the hole. Another option was to climb the stairs if you don't like to go under the tunnel. I got this picture through pinterest so you can imagine what I'm describing:

grabbed from pinterest.com

The kids didn't like the idea of going under that small tunnel so we needed to climb the stairs. On the other side the last step of the stair was too high from the water and you need to jump because its the only way to get to the water. That was the struggle because firstly, the stair was really slippery you need to be very careful. Secondly, the kids got scared jumping from the last step because its too high. Good thing Kuya Jonas and the other guides from Sea Farers Tour were very helpful and they are already an expert to this kind of situation. Kuya Jonas carried my son, Swoosh, and helped him to climbed up and down the stairs. The other kuyas also assisted my two nephews.

We made it!

The Twin Lagoon was the last destination for our first day Coron Palawan Package Tour. It was magnificent inside the lagoon. How I wish we could stay longer but it was almost 5pm when we got there so we need to come back to the town before it gets dark.


And there goes one of the most exhausting but still amazing tour I've ever been! I hope I can really make you feel while reading how enjoyable Coron island is. But of course, nothing beats experiencing it for yourself. :)

Lastly, a cute pic from our small family!




Stay positive and pass it on!

Annnnnnnddddddddddd we're done with the half of the year 2016!!!

How are you all doin'?

As I was reviewing my goals for this year, I realized that I have fulfilled only a few on my list. And its already August. What was I doing all this time? But instead of dwelling with my sluggish progress, I'll enjoy first the things that I was able to accomplish. And on the months to come, I will double my effort so I can finish the goals I've set for this year come December. *fingers crossed*

Here's the list of things I am really proud of attaining:

1. Blood Sugar Went Down. Iiihhhhhh!!! I giggle whenever I think about it! From 170+ sugar level down to 110. I'm so happy I was able to reach my number one goal! All I need to do now is maintain the number or maybe I can pull it down a little more to 100 so I can definitely say "Diabetes, you're going down!". I'll celebrate this by eating 1 pint of ice cream... just kidding! Ha ha!


2. Bought A Brand New Nissan Almera. Ok, we are still in the process of paying for the car loan, and that would take 5 years to fully pay the loan so, technically speaking, its not yet ours. But I'm just so happy we made our first brand new car purchase! It is not the high-end Almera car but we love it and my husband and I are enthusiastic about it because somehow, it indicates that we are moving forward with our relationship and our status as well. We are both frugal in some ways, truth to be told. The main reason we wanted a car is because we feel the need to drive rather commute whenever we have to go to Manila from Bulacan and vice-versa. Jayson's parents lives in Pasay and we live with my father, so we think its just practical to have a car rather than take the PUVs because I think everybody would agree that commuting in Manila is just sooo bad (with a rainpour, its a chaos... nope, not exaggerating). And with a growing and hyper kid in tow, what a relief it is to have your own car.


3. Learned How to Drive. As of this writing, I managed to finish a 7-hour driving course in one of the small driving schools in Balagtas. Somehow, it gave me confidence in hitting the road. Of course, I cannot fully say that I am a defensive driver now. It would take me some more time to be able to muster the guts to enter EDSA! hahaha! To be honest, I've discovered that I kinda scare the road. While practicing how to drive, I realized that I am not that confident driving. I always feel like I might bump someone or something or the car might not fit in small opening streets. Well... as they say "lakasan ang loob"! I give myself 6months of practicing (I only practice during weekends because Jayson and I are busy during weekdays), and I really, really am praying and wishing that I can drive on my own (without guidance from hubby) better and confidently. But this one I consider to be a goal achieved because, technically I can drive, its just that I need more confidence while holding the steering wheel. So... Aja!


4. Started Homeschooling. This one is the toughest I must say. Its really hard to teach when you know for yourself that you are not a teacher by heart. But thank God for the privilege of being a mother -- I almost always can do anything and everything! Sure it takes a lot of crying and emotional blah blah but I'm just happy we've started. Its always the hardest in the beginning, not knowing if we're doing everything correctly, but I know God will guide and help us. I just wish I will have more energy and enthusiasm because it can really be tiring to homeschool a toddler after a whole day's office work. I'll write more about homeschooling next time because a single paragraph won't accommodate my entire feels about homeschooling haha!


Still, I have so much to accomplish for this year. But I still have 6months to do so. And I am happy with the results of my goal setting because slowly things are beginning to materialize. I may or may not be able to reach 100% of my goal for this year (lets see by December), but I am glad that I was able to reach those that I really prioritized.

So, whether you're at 99% or 20% completion of your goals right now, keep in mind that the most important thing is to keep on going. Never ever compare your achievement to other people's achievement because you will never ever catch up. What you need to always check on is your own progress.

And now to end this post, I wish all of us goodluck for the next few months to come before the end of 2016! May we all reach our goals this year! As for me, my ultimate goal for December: 120 lbs weight.


Mood:




Stay positive and pass it on.

grabbed from Writing About Writing Facebook page.

And that, my friends, is my main motivation for today's post. :)

I wish I could have the enthusiasm to write every single day. Unfortunately, there are some days my mood affects my drive to write. And when that happens, I really struggle to go back to writing as I feel that I do not have any interesting subject/topic to write about.

Thankfully, I stumbled upon this FB page: Writing About Writing and saw the picture above. It was hilarious at the same time reminded me of how long my blog has been idled. The owner of the FB page would also posts things about not giving up when it comes to writing though a lot of times it takes a great effort to put into words what is exactly going on in your mind. So, thank you for this FB page! I figured out I am not alone in the struggle :)

The truth is, I have so many things in my mind that I want to write about. Unfortunately, when I am about to start writing, something would always come up, like I need to attend the my kid, or a household chore needs to be finished, etc. And then the motivation to write suddenly goes down when things like these cut you off just when you are in the momentum to type in every single thought that wants to burst out of your brain. Can you imagine how frustrating is that???

Although I don't consider myself a "professional" writer or blogger, I do write because I love to and not just because I have nothing to do (obviously, I barely have time for myself being a mother). I feel like I'm unloading a pile of thoughts out of head everytime I write and publish a post. Its my euphoria.

And so from now on, I've decided that this is going to be my mantra every day until I convince myself apply this in my life:

grabbed from FB page of Writing About Writing

I really, really wish to become a better blogger. But I do know for a fact that the only way I can be better in this field is by writing even more. So goodluck to me on to becoming a professional writer and blogger. I am starting to believe that this is the profession I am gonna be someday which I will never want to retire.

Dear Universe, please let me be a professional blogger! Thank you in advanced!

As a Filipino, we must always do our part in making this country a livable one. And one way to do that is to vote. I am not going to endorse or suggest any candidate as I believe we all have different opinions and preferences and I totally have enough drama in my Facebook newsfeed from friends who, all of a sudden, became political analysts.

My only advice is for all Filipinos around the globe to not just vote, but be a responsible voter. Do your own research instead of reading rants in social media or listening to hearsay from people. It is our "right" and "privilege" to vote. Its not just some plain task to accomplish. Because in voting, we declare our love for our country and for our fellow Filipinos. In voting, we are not elite or middle class or poor, we are not Tagalog or Visaya, or Mindaueno, we are not pro or anti whatsoever. In voting, we are Filipinos and we hope for the best not just for ourselves but for this beautiful country we call our own.

If you are a responsible voter, then I definitely salute you! And as some establishments recognize your effort and time for being a responsible Filipino, here are some treats waiting for you after you vote on May 9:


From Starbucks PH:

From https://www.facebook.com/StarbucksPhilippines/?fref=ts

From DQ:

From https://www.facebook.com/dairyqueenphilippines/?brand_redir=15508591668

From Chili's:

From https://www.facebook.com/ChilisPhilippines/?fref=ts