At Home With MrsC

Picture, Picture at the Trick Art Museum in Manila Ocean Park

March 14, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 3 Comments

My sister in law, Baban, booked us at Hotel H20 in the Manila Ocean Park Complex last February as a birthday present to me. As you know, I love staycations. For me, a hotel sleepover is always a great gift to receive. So when Mr C told me about plans for that weekend, I really got excited.

It wasn’t our first time at Hotel H20. We actually booked there last year for the little boy’s birthday. Last time, though, it was just the three of us. This year, we went with Baban and her fiancee, Cy. Bigger group = definitely more fun in a place like Manila Ocean Park.

We came from Iya’s 7th at Sta Elena Fun Farm before heading to Hotel H20 that day.

We got there late in the afternoon, and by then Baban and Cy had already checked in. Last year, we stayed in an Aqua Room, which had an aquarium of fish as a wall on one side of the room. We stayed in a Jellyfish Room this time. I found the jellies in the wall a little creepy at first, but they eventually grew on me.

As seen on Instagram. Follow me? :) — As seen on Instagram. Follow me? 🙂

You Are Your Child’s First and Best Teacher: A Seminar for Parents by The Learning Basket

March 11, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

I was just thinking about all the things I plan to do differently with my second child (when I have him/her). Among the changes I am thinking about making, replacing preschool with homeschooling is one of them. I really don’t want to commit to anything right now since I am nowhere near being pregnant with my second child, plus I have always said that I am not sure I have the patience to home-school.

So why am I event considering it? Well, I’ve started meeting a lot of other moms who home-school, and I’m starting to see some of its benefits. At the same time, the primary reason why we started sending my first son to preschool at a young age was because he’s an only child, and we were worried that he didn’t really know how to interact with other kids. I’m pretty sure that this is something I now know how to address, plus, my second kid obviously won’t be an only child, so there!

Coincidentally, just when my interest in homeschooling sparked, I learned about this upcoming workshop by The Learning Basket. I feel that this will be a great learning opportunity for parents like me who are even the least bit interested in learning more about homeschooling.

You Are Your Child's First and Best Teacher: A Seminar for Parents by The Learning Basket — You Are Your Child’s First and Best Teacher: A Seminar for Parents by The Learning Basket

Afternoon Delight at Sensei Sushi

March 6, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Mr C and I have been house hunting all over BF Homes over the past few months. During one of our afternoon visits, we found ourselves tired and hungry, and we ended up taking a break at Sensei Sushi. We had the place all to ourselves that afternoon, which was great because it gave Mr C and I the opportunity to talk about our prospects. Sensei Sushi is owned by Chef Bruce Ricketts, who happens to be an alumnus of my high school alma mater, and apparently is the cousin of a friend of mine.

The menu items are listed on a big blackboard on one wall of the restaurant. Mr C pointed out that there were also more choices written on a mirror on the wall opposite the blackboard. At first I didn’t notice what was written the mirror because I was distracted by the pretty art on the walls.

We ate here last November, and apparently the prices have gone up since then.

Iya’s 7th at Sta Elena Fun Farm

March 4, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

One of the best parts about being pregnant all those years ago was having a friend who was pregnant too. I had someone as hormonal as I was going through all the crazy changes that pregnancy brings right along with me. All of a sudden, my belly didn’t seem so large, the sudden appearance of hair in strange places seemed almost normal, and I managed to keep faith that all the sudden dark areas would someday become white again. Meet Ira, my preggy buddy, and mom to birthday girl Iya, whose 7th we celebrated last February at the Sta Elena Fun Farm.

Ira and I at about 4 and 2 months pregnant, respecitvely.

Hiding our bellies behind her bridal bouquet. She was about 9 months pregnant, and I was 7 months along.

Then came Tristan and Iya. These two kids have spent Christmases, birthdays and countless other special occasions together since they were born. Wherever us mommies went, the kids (and husbandries) were usually there too.

This was taken about a year ago — This photo was taken about a year ago. Iya had just turned 6 and Tristan was turning 6 in a few weeks.

Baguio Birthday Weekend: Lunch at Cafe by the Ruins

March 2, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Welcome to Baguio! We finally arrived after six hours on the road.

The drive up Kennon Road left us all hungry so we decided to grab lunch before checking in at our hotel. Straight to Cafe by the Ruins we went, much to the delight of Mr C. He and I have fond memories of this place from many years ago. Back in 2005, we discovered that I was pregnant on the morning of a work trip to Baguio. Cafe by the Ruins was our last stop on that trip, and we knew we had to face reality once we got back to Manila.

Fast forward a few years, and there we were again, waiting to be seated with the little boy who traveled with us by tummy all those years ago. The lunch crowd was starting to pour in and there were about five groups in line before us. At that moment, I was extremely thankful that my son can sit quietly with a book or magazine, and that I bought him the new K-Zone before we left Manila.

Reminds me of myself at that age with my Sweet Valley Kids books!

Visit Isdaan in Tarlac en route to Baguio. Read about our visit to their Laguna branch.

I decided to look around a bit while waiting instead of taking the seat that was offered to me. After all, we’d already been sitting for several hours in the car. I honestly don’t remember what the place looked like when I last visited. In my mind though, things look pretty much the same.

Panagbenga2013-17 — View from the parking lot

Panagbenga2013-13 — Jam and other stuff for sale

At the waiting area, there's a wall with posters and announcements about activities around Baguio — At the waiting area, there’s a wall with posters and announcements about activities around Baguio

One of my fave restaurants north of Metro Manila is Xtremely Xpresso!

I came back and the boys were still reading

We were finally seated after about fifteen minutes at a table on the second floor. I liked it up there because it was bright without being too bright (I have glare issues), and not as busy as the downstairs area. The only thing I didn’t like was that the floor shook whenever someone walked by. I’m not used to being on shaky second floors, and the movement made me a bit dizzy.

Panagbenga2013-23 — The upstairs dining area

Panagbenga2013-24 — Al fresco dining, view from the top

Panagbenga2013-22 — Indoor dining, view from the top

I’m so happy that my favorite thing to eat at Cafe by the Ruins is a fish dish, perfect for my no-walking-meat-for-lent-mode. I ordered Ole Nick’s Open Face Tuna Sandwich, while the boys split an order of Bagnet with Sinigang Soup. I got worried that we might have a hard time with the kid when I realized that they serve red mountain rice and not white rice. Thankfully, he liked the red rice and he finished his entire plate. This is great because I love red rice, and I think it would be nice if we switched to mountain rice or brown rice once we move into our own place. Wishful thinking, planning, hoping and dreaming. 🙂

Ole Nick's Open Face Tuna (Php 190.00) — Ole Nick’s Open Face Tuna (Php 190.00)

If you can afford to waste a little time on the road, visit C’ Italian Dining in Pampanga.

The little boy's very own plate of red mountain rice. (Php 25.00) — The little boy’s very own plate of red mountain rice. (Php 25.00)

Sinigang Soup Sour vegetable soup. Comes with the Baguio Bagnet meal. — Sinigang Soup
Sour vegetable soup. Comes with the Baguio Bagnet meal.

Baguio Bagnet (Php 300.00) Crispy friend pork belly served with bagoong (shrimp paste) and tomato relish. — Baguio Bagnet (Php 300.00)
Crispy friend pork belly served with bagoong (shrimp paste) and tomato relish.

+Points
+ Great ambiance!
+ Attentive servers. It was easy getting their attention even from the 2nd floor.
+ Big servings
+ Food is great, as always!
+ Lots of parking available

-Points
– There’s was a bit of a wait for a table, but it’s probably only because we were there during a really busy season.

Cafe by the Ruins will always be one of my faves in Baguio. We don’t get to go here every time we make a trip up north, but I’m really glad we got to visit this time. I’m also super happy that my little boy loved their food. I’m definitely including this place as on our “must-visit list” for our next Baguio vacation.

Cafe by the Ruins
23 Chuntug Street,
Baguio City, Philippines
(+6374) 442 4010
cafebytheruins@gmail.com
Mon – Sun: 7:00 am – 9:00 pm

This is the second post in my Baguio Birthday Weekend Series. Please also check out my other Baguio Birthday Weekend Posts:
* The Long and Winding Road to Three Days of Family Fun

PS Check out these great blog posts about Cafe by the Ruins on Our Awesome Planet and Go! Jackie Go.

Baguio Birthday Weekend: The Long and Winding Road to Three Days of Family Fun

March 1, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 3 Comments

My birthday weekend was spent in Baguio with my boys. The trip couldn’t have been scheduled at a better time – February 25 was declared a special holiday for schools so the kiddo had no class, plus it was the weekend of the Panagbenga parades. Panagbenga is Baguio City’s annual Flower Festival. I had been to Panagbenga once before, about 8 years ago, for work. This trip was our first long road trip involving just the three of us, and we were all really excited.

First photo of the trip. Oops, the little boy can't be seen! — First photo of the trip. Oops, the little boy can’t be seen!

The flash was so bright! Lol. Off we go!

We left a little before sunrise on a Saturday. I knew that there was a parade scheduled early in Baguio that day, and that the Hot Air Balloon Festival was happening in Clark. I had a feeling that we’d hit heavy traffic if we left too early. I may have been right, since our drive was steady and traffic-free.

Roadtrip Retrospective: Laguna-bound!
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