I have so many good memories about Manila Hotel. It was a frequent venue for balls and parties way back in my high school and college years. Also, Manila Hotel is memorable because my family used to celebrate special occasions in Café Ilang Ilang, an impressive buffet spread of Filipino and international cuisines. That being…
Category: Lifestyle
Meet the Diamond in the Rough Squad: Friends You Often See In My Blog
Before my blog grew and gained followers, they were the first ones who supported my passion for free. They liked my posts, shared my blog and invited their friends to like my page even without me asking for it. It’s funny that even without me telling them, they would pause before eating because they know…
A Birthday Staycation at One Tagaytay Place Hotel Suites
It has been a tradition in the family to celebrate birthdays either out of town or at a restaurant. Priorities have changed lately to give way to financing our dad’s medication and paying for car and house amortizations. I just wanted a simple celebration for my birthday this time. Perfect timing it is, the scheduled…
Yakan Village: Appreciation for the art and people of Zamboanga
When we arrived in Zamboanga, we already had a horrible experience with a tricycle driver. He did not drop us directly to our hotel and overcharged us for our fare. Worse, my friend’s luggage got broken when he unloaded it from his tricycle. We don’t know if it was accidentally (or intentionally) dropped, because the…
Home Brewing Workshop by Institute for Coffee Excellence
I love to drink coffee and I think I can’t stand a day without having a cup or two. It’s already vital in my system and daily routine to keep me functioning at work. While I love to sip my instant coffee without the frills and the hassles, it intrigues me how the commercial coffee…
Pholigo: Aiding the Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle
As our age gets older, our body embraces different changes. This includes metabolism, digestion, and even physical outlook. Realizing that my body isn’t the same as before, I started to switch to a healthier lifestyle by taking organic supplements. I have learned that for the longest time I’ve been taking synthetic medicines, these do not…
Institute for Coffee Excellence: Continuing Legacy for a Beautiful Coffee Future
When I was invited for the launch of The Giving Cafe two years ago, I already saw the passion of businessman Michael Harris Conlin to use the coffee industry as an instrument to improve the lives of the farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet. His platform for Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence (FSCE) breeds fundraising programs…
I Received My First Box of Goodies from Thalera #FREEvoritemoment
When I heard about the free goodies of Thalera being sent to its consumers, I got curious and tried to register. I didn’t expect that was legit because I was thinking only the selected registrants will be chosen to be the recipients or worse, they’d only solicit personal info from online users to be used…
Reasons Why I love Cooking (And How Can you Learn it Too)
Cooking is my passion. I started to learn some basic recipes when I was around 10 years old, mostly by helping my parents in the kitchen. I was given little tasks such as peeling the veggies, slicing the ingredients and sometimes washing the dishes. I also enjoyed watching cooking shows on local TV, such as…
Diamond in the Rough Blog Has Been Nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award!
Two years ago, I started a blog to document my food and travel adventures. It’s not only a platform to restore the memories in my adventures and look back at it later, it is an outlet for expressing myself through my passions. When I wanted to purge myself from the demands of the city life,…
Birthday Staycation at The Linden Suites
My birthday falls on the middle of the peak season at work. So instead of simply celebrating it with my family over lunch or dinner, I thought of either bringing them out of town or staying at a hotel so that it would also serve as a quick getaway and a stress-buster at the same…
Healthy Food Options Made Affordable at Salad Bar Ph
When you are in the corporate world, achieving a healthy lifestyle seems nearly impossible. Unless you prepare your own meals, your food choices are limited to fast food, junk food and processed food. I am not exempted from that so I take time to prepare my own meals at work just to maintain a balanced…
Keeping it Low Key, One Day at a Time
If you’ll notice, I haven’t written a blog post in a while. I would write one post, but the gap until the next one is a bit long. I don’t want to claim that I am losing inspiration to write, but probably I just get caught up with a series of emotions or happenings that…
One Sweet Day at the Dessert Museum
Fatma and I have been friends for 15 years already. She has now moved to Saudi to work as a pharmacist and we make it a point to see each other once in a while each time she comes home in the Philippines. We’ve surely changed a lot — not only in perspectives but also…
Centuria Medical Makati Holds Women’s Health and Financial Wellness Expo
The month of March is very emphatic on celebrating and honoring women. You’ve seen events, activities and programs centered on recognizing women’s contributions to the society and likewise celebrating their individuality. In conjunction with the International Women’s Month, Centuria Medical has organized an event last March 16 to promote awareness on women’s health, wellness and…
Why Visiting Your Former School is Life Changing
Last October 2017, I visited my high school with my friends Rekha and Euri. It started with a random tagging at a Facebook post then popped the question “Tara, visit tayo sa CSA!” “Kailan? Bukas pwede ako !” Knowing that it is very rare for us to meet schedules due to work responsibilities, I took the…
Traveling Essentials for the Smart Backpacker
I love to travel. The idea of going to the mountain, a secluded island or a remote city in the country thrills me. With my frequency in traveling, somehow I already have a list consistent list of must-haves when going outdoors. Completing your traveling gears makes it easier to set a routine when packing. It…
#Bestmeever Book Launch: Of Positivity and Possibilities
We all have our low moments. Inevitably, there will be circumstances that would challenge our faith and test our character. Sometimes, all we need is a ray of sunshine to cope. These come in the form of people, sometimes situations, or even an inspiration from a book. #BestMeEver is a book that presents little nuggets…
United Bloggers Philippines Holds Thanksgiving Party
The year 2017 was remarkable for me. It was the year I started to join groups in blogging which paved the way for me to meet new friends and be introduced to local brands in the community. It opened doors of opportunity for me and likewise deepened my perspective about this passion through exposure to…
Hortikultura 2018 Happening on Feb 2-11
LIFE IN THE CITY Living in the city has its perks. Being the center of business and commercialization, it has created changes and differences in the lives of people. However, as technology advancements flourish too quickly, the fast-paced modernization also poses hazardous effects towards our health. In an urban zone where towering edifices almost dominate the…
Tips in Planning a Staycation with the Family
Staycation is now a well-rounded alternative for family outings, a great idea for a bonding activity. Considering the unfavorable condition of traffic nowadays, many prefer staycation over out-of-town travels to save time and energy. It’s easier to plan, based on my experience. I have always initiated staycations with my family during holidays or special occasions….
Christmas Gift-Giving Hacks and Thrift Tips
Since I started working, I consider gift-giving as an important part of our Christmas celebration. It’s my little way of giving back to others, sharing my blessings with them. Gift-giving is also one of my primary love languages to other people so I do cherish this chance to express my affection and gratitude. Inevitably, choosing…
10 Things You Can Do This Long Weekend
Nope, I am not part of the population rejoicing over the recently declared long weekend due to the ASEAN Summit. I got work to do during these days, sadly. However, I can at least suggest some activities you can do or places to visit during these holidays. Planning an out-of-town trip sounds a good idea,…
Justice League Grand Launch: Will You Join the League?
The most-awaited movie of the year is ready to rock the theaters soon. But before that much anticipated premiere, Pacific Licensing Studio, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and SM Supermalls set the stage ablaze as it launched DC’s legendary superheroes, the Justice League last October 14 at The Block of SM North Edsa. The…
Nailaholics Celebrate #NationalPamperingDay again! (Market!Market! Experience)
It’s my first time at Nailaholics. I used to think that specialized nail services like these are too luxurious for my taste. Good thing, Nailaholics held its second year of National Pampering Day, and that I was one of the recipients of this complimentary gift together with its other loyal patrons. Its aim was to…
Things I’ve learned from the Food Photography Workshop by Ricky Ladia and Fujifilm PH
Last August, I attended a Food Photography Workshop organized by Hole in the Wall, Fujifilm and Ricky Ladia. When I knew that the registration was free, I hurriedly signed up. I know that photography workshops can be way too expensive so I did not let this opportunity pass. Ricky Ladia worked as a photographer for…
October 17, 2017 is #NationalPamperingDay!
Today’s “millenial” generation has become active in wearing many hats at work, school, church and community. Although I am evasive about being labeled as a member of it (still in denial, yeah!), I am not exempted from having that active lifestyle as I juggle career, home, blogging and church ministries all at the same time….
