At Home With MrsC

Acacia Hotel: Home Away From Home

October 18, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

A few posts ago, I shared the story of the Discovery Country Suites staycation that I purchased through Deal Grocer. Since that was such a success, I made it a point to keep an eye out for other great deals. Meanwhile, a few posts ago still, I officially declared September as our Wedding Anniversary month. And so I spent a good deal of August planning activities for me and Mr C, and for the two of us with TLC. As luck would have it, Deal Grocer came out with an Acacia Hotel Staycation deal at the beginning of September. And that’s how we spent the final weekend of our anniversary month.

There are three things that I love most about our stay at Acacia. First, everyone was smiling – from the K9 handler at the door, to the housekeeping people, all the waiters, pool attendants, front desk staff, butlers, EVERYONE. Even over the phone, you can actually hear the smile on the face of the person you’re talking to! It put me in such a good mood being around all those cheery faces. [Read more…] about Acacia Hotel: Home Away From Home

How Essays.ph (Unknowingly) Launched My Writing Career

October 16, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 5 Comments

I know, I know, I know, it has been said many times before by several others, but it’s true, I have always dreamed of becoming a writer. From the age of twelve, when asked what the one thing I want to do before I die is, my answer has always been “Write a novel, and maybe win an award for it. Or at least have it become a best seller.” Yes, even if I manage to write just one book, and even if I end up being a one-hit-wonder, becoming a writer is my life’s dream.

It took me nearly thirty years to really get my butt in a chair and start writing regularly, but at least I’m finally here. It took a whole lot of courage for me to leave my full-time job and just focus on writing for a living. Many people ask me how I did it. Honestly, I believe the secret is to have a safety net. Something you can fall back on to fill in the budget gaps when you don’t get as many projects as you expect to get in a month. My safety net is Essays.ph.

I sent my application to the team one afternoon in 2009. I was in search of a side line, a part-time job that would give me just enough extra cash to spend on shoes and bags. No kidding, that was my motivation. Of course, I was apprehensive at first. After all news of scam employers who run away with your work without paying so much as a single centavo is all over the internet. But a friend referred me to Essays.ph, and after doing a thorough review, I discovered that their headquarters was near my place of work at the time. That was good because it meant I could go hunt them down in person for my salary should anything go wrong.

The good news is I was hired as one of their writers. Even better, I’ve never had a problem collecting salary for the work I did for them. So yes, I can vouch for this group. Essays.ph is no scam. I should know, I’ve been writing for them for years. And to this day I still put in a little extra work whenever I need a little extra cash for a nice bag or a quick vacation. It’s quick and easy. You’re given 24hours to write, then you submit and the editors review your work. Once everything’s been given the stamp of approval, you request for your salary and within a day it’s in your bank account. If you’re a fast writer, you are sure to thrive here.

Though I’m not very popular in the community because I hardly participate in discussions in the forums, I do like to lurk and read posts by the editors and my fellow writers. To a certain degree, it gives me a sense of belonging, something that I feel I am missing sometimes now that I’m freelancing. Maybe I should start engaging more in the community. It would be nice for my exchanges with them to go beyond submissions of articles and reviews anyway.

So yes, to all the working moms, aspiring writers, and anyone out there in search of ways to make a little extra money, why not try applying for Essays.ph? Maybe if I see you there, you can convince me to become more active in the forums. Maybe, we’ll see.

Much love and happiness,

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Tagaytay Weekend: My Kind of Monday Morning

October 9, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Tagaytay is one of the nicest places to be in the morning, especially during the cooler months. Being able to spend a quiet Monday morning in Tagaytay sure beats rush hour traffic, a barrage of emails and a full to-do list. A yummy breakfast at a lovely restaurant overlooking Taal Volcano makes the morning even sweeter. And so, that’s what I gave myself as a birthday present last February!

I realized just now that I don’t have a photo of the view from Restaurant Verbena. But take my word for it, it was a gorgeous morning with just enough sunshine to make everything beautiful, and a little nip in the air that made us feel like we were actually taking a break from our real lives.

The package we purchased from Deal Grocer came with breakfast for two, and the little guy still gets served free breakfast at hotels. As Mr C would say, “That’s a lotta savings!”

English Breakfast Tea for me, since I don’t like barako coffee

As expected, the little guy wanted pancakes. Mr C ordered the Tinapa Omelette and I had Huevos Rancheros. The servings were huge! If you plan on having breakfast here, make sure you’re hungry!Breakfast at Restaurant Verbena includes coffee, tea or hot chocolate, and a mini buffet of fresh fruits, juices, and assorted breads. While waiting for our food to be served, we started munching on bread and fruits. I love bread, and so I was beyond happy that we could have as much bread as we wanted that morning. Yes, this is why I’m fat.

Huevos Rancheros (PHP390.00)
Gently cooked in a Spiced Bell Pepper, Chorizo and Tomato Salsa and served with Garlic-Roasted Potatoes

Tagaytay Tinapa Omelet (PHP360.00)
Creamy Omelet with Smoked Tinapa, Garlic Rice, Parmesan-Baked Tomato and Tagaytay Pimiento Salsa

Country Pancakes (PHP360.00)
Two Fluffy Pancakes, Breakfast Bangers, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon & Maple Syrup

I would have wanted to get more bread, but since the breakfast plates were so heavy I didn’t have room for it anymore. Instead, I had a small serving of fruit and juice. Nothing like something sweet to end a satisfying meal.

We all really enjoyed the yummy breakfast at Restaurant Verbena, and our stay at Discovery Country Suites. The staff was very accommodating and cheerful, which is a huge plus. I definitely want to stay there again so we can experience their other rooms, and the rest of their breakfast specials. I love that Tagaytay is just a short car ride away. It’s my favorite place to go for an instant escape. Maybe I should start planning our next trip!

RESTAURANT VERBENA
DISCOVERY COUNTRY SUITES
300 Calamba Road,
San Jose, Tagaytay City
4120 Philippines
+(63 46) 413.4567 (Tagaytay)
+(63 2) 529.8172 (Manila)
+(63 927)523.2139
dcsrsvn@discovery.com.ph
www.discoverycountrysuites.com
#/DiscoveryCountrySuites

P.S. I’d love it if you could visit the other posts from my Tagaytay birthday weekend!

Tagaytay Weekend: Dinner at Restaurant Verbena

October 5, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Our family spent the night at Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay as part of my birthday weekend celebration last February. Since we were already there, we decided to just have dinner at Restaurant Verbena instead of going out to eat. I’d heard good reviews about the place, and was really looking forward to trying the food. I was a bit unsure though of what I would feed the little guy. TLC is not a picky eater, but the food at Verbena isn’t really suited for little kids.

I first asked for the Organic Mozzarella Cheese Pot as an appetizer because in our family, you can never go wrong with anything made of cheese. I was disappointed when the server told me that the dish was not available because they had run out of mozzarella cheese. That meant that the Crispy Fried Mozzarella was out too. Our meal wasn’t starting out as smoothly as I had hoped it would, and it was a bit frustrating. My dinner dates were getting hungry, so I just ended up picking a few things I thought we all might like, and hoping that the little boy wouldn’t fuss over our meal. It’s a good thing we were served bread with assorted spreads to help keep our hunger at bay and our moods light.

Bread + Liver Pate, Herb Butter and Sundried Tomatoes

Tagaytay Weekend: The Discovery Country Suites Staycation

October 3, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

I’m already excited for my birthday, and it’s not til February! I think it’s because I’ll be celebrating my 30th, which for me is a milestone year. In the middle of trying to decide how and where to celebrate next year, I realized I hadn’t completed my series of birthday blog posts for 2012! I actually have a whole list of pending posts that I fully intend to finish before the year ends. I’m happy that today I will finally get to cross this post off my list!

I celebrated my my last birthday as a 20-something doing two of my favorite things – eating and staying at a hotel. This staycation was booked through Deal Grocer, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite discount deal sites. I had been dreaming of a Discovery Country Suites escape for a long time, and when I saw this one I knew it was finally time for me to get my wish. And all in perfect timing too!

This boutique hotel is located along the Tagaytay-Calamba road, and is very easy to find. There are a lot of parking spaces available right in front so you don’t need to worry about where you will leave your car for the night. When we arrived, we were greeted by a very cheerful security guard. I love it when a hotel’s staff is all smiles. I think it is very important that they are pleasant and cheerful, after all they work in the hospitality industry!

You’ll know you’re there when you see this sign.

Discovery also unknowingly gave me a fabulous birthday gift in the form of a free room upgrade. The Deal Grocer voucher was valid for either the Ceylon, Andalucia or St Tropez Suite. I booked the Andalucia Suite via email, and apparently someone else booked the room at the same time through their website. The reservations person didn’t see the website reservation, which was confirmed first, until after he had sent my email booking confirmation. And so I had to be assigned a different room. Since Ceylon and St Tropez were both already booked, I got my free upgrade to the Nara Premier Suite. Happy birthday to me!

I loved the Japanese-themed room, with the tatami mat flooring and pebbled bathroom. The room is on the garden level, so we had direct access to the Jacuzzi and the pretty garden, plus our own patio area.

Lovely Japanese accents

A room with a view

Mr C’s signature panoramic photo

After my shopping spree at Ilog Maria, I really enjoyed hanging out with the boys on the patio. The cool Tagaytay afternoon air plus the refreshing welcome drinks we were served was a winning combination. What a way to relax!

Our garden for the day

TLC and Me

Welcome drinks: Mango shake with mint. Yum!

Mr C and his Mini Me

We spent the rest of the afternoon being lazy in the room. Mr C and TLC checked out the available TV channels while I took photos of the bathroom. Yes, the pictures are dark and grainy, thanks to my unreliable BlackBerry camera. The camera is one of the few things I dislike about my phone.

Surfing through the channels

Off to the bathroom I go

Bathrobes! And behind me is the closet

The shower area reminds me of the sauna/baths you see in Japanese movies

The usual amenities and some magazines on the shelf

What I was really looking forward to was the wine and cheese buffet. Mr C was in a hibernating mood and decided to just stay in the room the whole afternoon, so I went to Restaurant Veberna with just the little guy. He and I both enjoyed what he calls The Wine And Cheese Party.

My date 🙂

We borrowed some magazines from the hotel’s library, and just relaxed in the room before dinner. I was a bit buzzed from the wine so I just stayed in bed and watched TV til we got hungry.

Relaxing on his bed, inside his pillow fort

We had dinner at Restaurant Verbena that night. I wasn’t about to let our stay pass without sampling the food that so many people have been raving about. We had so much to eat over my birthday weekend that I was surprised we still had space to eat a lot in Tagaytay. I’ll post about our yummy dinner, and our yummy breakfast too real soon! In the meantime, check out what we had for lunch the next day at Buon Giorno.

DISCOVERY COUNTRY SUITES

300 Calamba Road,

San Jose, Tagaytay City

4120 Philippines

+(63 46) 413.4567 (Tagaytay)

+(63 2) 529.8172 (Manila)

+(63 927)523.2139

dcsrsvn@discovery.com.ph

www.discoverycountrysuites.com

#/DiscoveryCountrySuites

Much love and happiness,

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Mexican Cravings Satisfied at Hermanos Taco Shop

September 27, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 3 Comments

If I were a skinny person and I needed to make an effort to eat a lot, chances are you would find me at Hermanos every single day. I kid you not. I love Mexican food. Oh but wait, I love food in general. But Mexican food has a special place in my heart (or should I say in my belly?)

When Hermanos Taco Shop first opened at the Molito Lifestlye Complex, it was MrC who got excited to try it out. Then, during our recent Boracay trip I was really craving for nachos and burritos, but we never got to eat in Mañana. So the day after we got back, which was the actual date of our wedding anniversary (yes, I just HAD to mention that), MrC, the little guy and I decided to give Hermanos a try. And oh my golly, my taste buds were so happy we made that choice.

We had a late lunch that day so we had the restaurant all to ourselves! The place isn’t so big, and I actually found it rather cozy. My one complaint is that they don’t have their own restroom. They only have an area where you can wash your hands.

As usual, I over ordered. I tend to get excited when I look a the menu of a restaurant for the first time, as if I want to try everything all at once. We got an order of Carne Asada Chips to start with, Quesadillas for the little boy, and a burrito each for MrC and I.

Carne Asada Chips aka Nachos
Tortilla chips with diced sirloin steak, melted cheese and sour cream
Plus pico de gallo and salsa on the side

California Burrito
It has french fries inside instead of rice, diced sirloin steak and cheese sauce
Plus sour cream and pico de gallo on the side

Carne Asada Burrito
Marinated broiled sirloin steak, Mexican rice and veggies
Plus salsa on the side

I seem to have forgotten how heavy Mexican food can be. Mr C and I ended up halving the California Burrito and having the Carne Asada wrapped. Other than that, we finished with clean plates and full stomachs after our meal. I’m glad we decided to just have water instead of ordering drinks. Our server did recommend the House Horchata, a milky Mexican drink made with rice, cinnamon and sugar, but we had already ordered so much. Maybe next time.

I heated the Carne Asada Burrito for lunch a couple of days after our visit and it was still really, really good. I could hardly finish it on my own since it was so packed and heavy, so I’d say the servings really are best shared with a friend.

Overall, we enjoyed Hermanos, and we’ll be back for sure. The only thing missing in that place is some frozen Margaritas.

Hermanos Taco Shop

Unit 9B Cluster 2 Molito Complex

Alabang, Muntinlupa

921-5892144

#/ilovehermanostacoshop

Much love and happiness,

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