Alabang bloggers Clique

A Weekend of Happy Experiences at F1 Hotel Manila

October 28, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 4 Comments

My ABC Loves and I just cannot get enough of each other, as you will notice from my recent blog posts. We just love hanging out so much, that whenever we get the chance to we just go for it. Such was the case when Jane invited the boys and I to spend the weekend at F1 Hotel Manila in BGC together with her family, Joei and Timmy, and a bunch of other bloggers. This was a special invite from the Bossman of KTG, Spanky Enriquez, whom I was looking forward to meeting.

We drove to BGC after a football morning in Alabang, together with Joei who hitched a ride with us. Jane and Boss Spanky welcomed us when we arrived at F1, and we were given our itinerary for the weekend. I was excited to see that my mommy blogger friend, Jackie was spending the weekend at the hotel, too, with her beautiful family.

Let the staycation begin! Thank you for having us this weekend, #F1HotelManila! I love the cutie detail you put into our itinerary 🙂

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Oct 10, 2014 at 11:39pm PDT

Our weekend started off with a short Halloween program with games and giveaways for the kids. There were snacks, refreshments and coffee, too, and the boys happily munched away. Football leaves us all hungry, so we were super looking forward to the yummy food we were going to indulge in during our staycation.

The kiddo really liked the Green Lantern and Hulk cookies!

Next on our itinerary was lunch at the hotel’s F All Day Dining, where we were given a sneak peek at their Christmas buffet. I’ll be writing about our breakfast, lunch and dinner at F1 in a separate post though, so suspense muna.

First order of business, #lunch! The desserts here are really yummers. #F1HotelManila #FAllDayDining #LunchBuffet #FoodTrip #InstaFood #InstaBusog #Latergram A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Oct 10, 2014 at 11:47pm PDT

Full and sleepy after lunch, we were ready to head to our room. When we walked in and I saw the sofa bed set up in the living room, I got so excited because I knew right away that MrC and I would have our own room for the night! After 8 years of the 3 of us sharing a room, it felt so nice to have a room to call our own, even just for a night.

MrC was happy about having our own room, too!

Truth be told, it felt a little weird, too, not being able to see what the kiddo was doing on his own bed and what he was watching on his own TV. We also stayed with him until he fell asleep, then we moved to our bed after. Hello, separation anxiety! I know for sure that the little boy had fun with our setup, too, though.

I also know that MrC really liked the Batcave-ish color scheme of our room and bathroom

Two beds, two airconditioners, two TV sets, wired and wireless internet connectivity, and a big writing desk. All these made me very happy with our room. I also noticed that there were a lot of power outlets, and that’s something I appreciate. We always seem to have so many gadgets that need to be charged all at the same time, and I’m happy we were able to plug everything in all at the same time. The whole suite was super spacious, and that was such a welcome change from our usual cramped and cluttered room. Plus, there was a Quezo de Bola Cheesecake waiting for us inside! Oh my gosh, way to make me happy!

Missing my usual photobomber in my requisite hotel mirror selfie

Our room was a Fort Suite (PHP 13,100 per night). This room can accommodate a maximum of 2 adults and 2 kids, and includes breakfast. Here’s a tip from our friendly hotel housekeeping guy – when booking, ask for a corner room because these are generally bigger than the middle rooms, with no added cost. Other room types available at F1 Hotel are the City Suite Room (PHP 10,700 per night) and the Deluxe Room (PHP 9,500 per night).

Yes, I am starting my day with cake. Who cares? I’m on #staycation! Loving the #QuezoDeBola #Cheesecake surprise from @f1hotelmanila in our room. 🙂 #F1HotelManila #familyfun #sundayfunday

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Oct 10, 2014 at 4:35pm PDT

MrC and I signed up for massages, but unfortunately I fell asleep before my schedule so I missed out on what would have been the first massage of my life. The husbandry was able to get one, though, and judging by how soundly he slept, it looks like it was a relaxing massage. We actually spent most of our staycation in the room because it was a rainy weekend and the weather was perfect for snuggling and being lazy. And because we got to do just that, the boys and I were happy with our F1 Hotel experience.

If you’re planning to visit F1 Hotel, you may want to avail of their Thrills and Treats promo which runs from October 27 til November 2, and already includes 2 tickets to their Marvel Madness Halloween Party happening on November 1. Sounds like something fun to do with the family!

THANK YOU so very much, Mr. Tony Co and Pau of F1 Hotel for taking care of the boys and I during our visit. Thank you also, Spanky and Jane, for inviting us over for the weekend. We really appreciate it! 🙂

F1 Hotel Manila
32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City
+632 928.9888 / +632 908.7888
inquiry@f1hotelsandresorts.com
www.f1hotelmanila.com
facebook.com/f1hotelmanila
Instagram @F1Hotelmanila

Crochet Anywhere, a Wedding, and a Makeup Class #TheWeekThatWas

October 25, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 11 Comments

Confession: I am writing this on a Sunday and backdating it to yesterday. So let’s pretend for a bit that it’s still Saturday, kay? 🙂

My week started with my usual Sunday morning crochet, coffee and breakfast combo with MrC at Starbucks Ayala Alabang. This quickly became a weekly habit that I’d indulge in during Little MrC’s football class. It was the last of my crochet anywhere Sunday mornings for a while though, because Futbol Funatics goes on break for a couple of weeks. The kiddo is actually still deciding if he wants to enroll in the next camp, so I’m not too sure what our weekends are gonna look like towards the end of this year. As if it won’t be unpredictable enough with all the holiday parties coming up, right?

My happy Sunday morning ritual. #CrochetAnywhere #LikeALola #Crochet #gantsilyo #instacrochet #handmade #wip #StarbucksPH

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Oct 10, 2014 at 6:11pm PDT

My relaxing Sunday was followed by a work-filled week, which was okay coz I was on a self-imposed 4-day work week. Friday was reserved for my cousin’s wedding, something that we had all been looking forward to all year. If my count is right, we are 19 cousins on the delos Santos side of my family, and as each of us is starting to get married and have kids our family is steadily growing. The more we are, the more fun it becomes, and we are all very happy and excited to have Monica in our family now.

Congrats, Chab and Mon! — Congrats, Mon and Chab! Babies next, guys!

Saturday was spent with my ABC Loves, plus a couple of other blogger friends from the south. My old friend Tina offered to teach us how to apply makeup on ourselves, and it was so much fun playing with her brushes and palettes! She brought a lot of fun toys to our small makeup class (as in 2 suitcases worth of makeup!), making my teeny tiny box of makeup look so small and lacking. Must go shopping soon. Lol!

My friend @itstyn is teaching our Alabang blogger group how to apply makeup today! #MakeupByTina A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Oct 10, 2014 at 10:29pm PDT

I shared a few tips and tricks I learned from the class on my Instagram page, along with the silliest looking photos of myself doing makeup. Also gonna be writing about the class soon. Oh, and I can’t wait to share my wedding hair, makeup and gown from Chab and Mon’s wedding with you guys, too! I rarely write makeup and fashion posts, but I really felt so pretty that day that I just have to write. #GGSS hahaha.

Okay that’s all for now. Here’s hoping we all have an amazing next week!

4 Couples, 12 Monkeys

October 14, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 19 Comments

MrC and I used to go out to watch bands a lot. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever written about it here, but my husbandry used to sing in a band called Bobby Parks Movement. I was their manager. And oh my gosh, I just found proof of the band’s existence on the interwebs! O diba? This was before we became parents, of course, when it was okay to come home at the crack of dawn and sleep until way past lunch time.

Bobby Parks Movement on MYX Bandarito, 2005

I find it silly whenever I say, “Those were the days,” in reference to that time in our lives. I feel that it makes me sound older than I actually am. But that’s the truth, those were the days. Nights out have become rare occasions for MrC and me, because we have really grown into homebodies since becoming parents. But because we love Joei and the ABC, we got all dolled up and spent an evening with the group at 12 Monkeys Music Hall & Pub in Century City Mall a few weeks ago.

The moment we walked in I thought, wow I wish this place existed already when we were still very much involved in the band scene, aka in my past life working for events like Fete dela Musique and Red Horse Muziklaban. I would have loved to hold an event at this place! It’s roomy, simple but aptly decorated, and the sound is AMAZEBALLS. Plus, the food is really good, which isn’t something you find at bars very often.

Given the roster of partners who put this place together, though, I’m not surprised at the excellence in detail put into everything from the ambiance, to the equipment, to the menu. Behind the amazing food and ambiance are Raymund Magdaluyo, who owns Red Crab, Sumo Sam and Seafood Island, Neil Arce, an old friend from Zobel, and co-owner of 71 Gramercy and Tipsy Pig, Neil Paras of Big Bad Wolf, Mike Gelacio, who co-owns Publiko and Universe, Prive’s JM Rodriguez, club and bar owner, GP Reyes, and one of 19 East’s partners, Yuri Allado.

Musical programming is taken care of by Parokya Ni Edgar’s frontman, Chito Miranda, and Champ Lui Pio. Marketing and operations is handled by the lone lady in the group, Cesca Rivas. The DJ lineup is carefully put together by DJ Keith Haw. With JB Music’s head, Jerico Fernando involved, you know exactly why the sound system at 12 Monkeys is as good as it is. Completing the lineup of partners are Magic 89.9’s DJ Tony Toni Bueno and Solar Sports TV’s Jinno Rufino. Now that’s an all-star cast, if I’ve ever seen one.

Borrowing Jane’s photo of the opening band the night we were at 12 Monkeys

Our visit came after an intimate dinner at Yumi Japanese Restaurant (blogging about this soon!), which was just next door. That didn’t stop us from sampling the different dishes that we had heard were to die for at 12 Monkeys. First came drinks. No pub experience is complete without a beer, in my opinion, so it was a rather huge mug of Stella Artois for me, and a Cerveza Negra for MrC. The other girls ordered a pretty cocktail each – a yellow cocktail called Sweet Monkeys (PHP250) for Joei, a very pink Very Berries (PHP250) for Jane, and a kiwi-filled green Ivan’s Secret (PHP250) for Mish.

His & Hers beers, and colorful cocktails

Once we were all settled in with our drinks and the band started to play, the food came in, one exciting plate after another. Chef Pete Ayson developed the menu at 12 Monkeys based on the taste and preference of each of the partners.Our spread started off with Killer Chicharones, a basket filled with crispy hog skin, chicken tail poppers and skin served with spiced vinegar and spiced ketchup. A second basket on our table contained Cesca Pop – golden shrimp popcorn, grilled lemon, crispy fries and cocktail sauce.

Killer Chicharones (PHP195), Cesca Pop and His & Hers Iced Tea – Notice that the glasses for guys are different from the glasses for girls

I only tried one piece of chicharon, but the boys ate it happily. I really liked the Cesca Pop, and end up finishing the whole basket, including the fries. So good when you squeeze the grilled lemon over everything! The Spam Fries was something that we all couldn’t get enough of! This was tempura style assorted Spam served with honey mustard, cumin ketchup and kimchi mayo. So good, it was gone in 60 seconds! I would love to take Little MrC to try these. I’m sure he will really enjoy.

I love that the pizza selections are categorized as Picha Pie, obviously after that Parokya ni Edgar Song. We were served Ivan’s Palabok Pizza and The Sisig Tribute. The Palabok Pizza really tasted like palabok! As in, it’s even better with calamansi squeezed over it. I never would have imagined this would make a good pizza, but it works. The Sisig Tribute was yummy too, and nice and spicy. This is perfect for my friends who love sisig but don’t like eating rice.

Thai Beef Salad, The Sisig Tribute (PHP320), Ivan’s Palabok Pizza (PHP350), Chunky Monkey Pie (PHP290) and Sticky Pudding (PHP285)

I didn’t get to try the salads, but I will next time. Apart from the Thai Beef Salad, which had mixed greens, tamarind beef fillet, cucumber, tomatoes, radish, toasted peanuts and chili lime dressing, we were also given a Fried Chicken Caesar Salad. This I am interested in for next time. A bowl of this salad comes with homemade Caesar dressing tossed into romaine lettuce, and topped with saved Parmesan cheese, smoked bacon bits and a country fried chicken fillet. Sounds like my kind of salad!

I had a few spoons of the After Hours Goto Special because I love goto and just couldn’t say no. This bowl was goto perfection! It’s Filipino-style congee served with beef tripe, garlic flkes, century egg, pork floss, homemade candied dilis, scallions, tofu and fried crispy pork belly. If you ever come to 12 Monkeys, you MUST try this!

Borrowing Jane’s photo of the After Hours Goto Special (PHP285)

I knew I had to save room for dessert, so I decided to skip the Laksa Lomi, a red curry lomi noodle soup with squid balls, white shrimps and fried pork belly, and the Barbecue Feast. Note to self: Order the barbecue next time because it looked really good. The platter was loaded with chargrilled baby back ribs, barbacua chicken wings, coleslaw, potato salad and Java rice.

The last main dish served to us before we all threw in the towel because we were too full to function was the 12 Treasures Claypot Rice. This was black rice, soy chicken, Chinese sausage, pork ribs, shiitake mushrooms and bok choi cooked in a claypot bowl. I have to try this next time, coz it really sounds yummy, too. Diba, not your usual bar chow!

12 Treasures Claypot Rice (PHP365) Photo by Jane

Dessert was a slice of Chunky Monkey Pie and Sticky Pudding. Both had banana in them, keeping with the whole monkey thing, I guess. The Chunky Monkey Pie is a cream-filled banana cream pie topped with whipped cream, chunky peanut butter and crushed choc nut. The pudding was made of banana walnut bread in butter toffee sauce, topped with vanilla ice cream. Both were yummy! After a spoonful of each, I literally couldn’t eat another bite.

I just love our ABC group! It’s always fun when these guys are around.

THANK YOU so very much to the management and staff at 12 Monkeys for taking care of us and stuffing us silly. I had such a great time that I’ve already asked MrC to take me back there to see some of my favorite bands play. It’ll be great to hang out and pretend we are young and free, even just for a night. Thank you, also, Joei for putting this fun evening together for the ABC.

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It’s been a while since MrC and I went to a bar hehe. Super enjoyed #GirlsNightOut with my #ABC loves and our husbandries at 12 Monkeys. The food there is amazing! And ang ganda ng sound! Hope to catch one of my favorite bands there soon.

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12 Monkeys Music Hall And Pub
5/F Century City Mall
Kalayaan Avenue, Poblacion, Makati
For reservations call (0917) 570-3222
For private event inquiries email 12monkeyspub@gmail.com
Follow @12MonkeysPH on Twitter and Instagram, and like 12MonkeysPH on Facebook

Doors open at 5pm
Entrance fees vary based on the performing band
Table reservations go for 6-8k, consumable
The VIP couch close to the stage costs 15k, consumable, and can seat 10-12 persons

Enjoying My Little Mommy Luxuries at Crimson Hotel Alabang

October 10, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 9 Comments

I’ve been dealing with a lot of domestic drama lately because our helper has been very un-helpful. I won’t get into details because just thinking about her makes me angry. She did something unacceptable again today, and this really made me wish that I could escape to one more staycation this weekend. But alas, we are going to be mostly home over the next couple of days, and so I will write about a past staycation instead to make myself feel better.

I love the look of Crimson Hotel’s reception desk

I love staying at hotels for one simple reason – I get to feel like a donya for 24 hours. I know that it sounds bratty, but it’s true. I have this list of mommy luxuries that I like to indulge in, and an overnight stay at a good hotel automatically gives me at least 5 of those things. Let me explain by showing you which of these indulgences I got to enjoy during our recent staycation at Crimson Hotel in Filinvest, Alabang.

A nice, clean, spacious space all to ourselves

As you know, we live in a really full house. As in, full of people and full of stuff. Our room is bursting at the seams with all of our things, and we even have stuff stored in the living room and outside the house. I get to leave all that clutter behind when we stay at a hotel. I know it doesn’t solve the clutter problem, but at least for a couple of days, we actually have our own space that is clean and quiet.

I especially loved this makeup mirror, and that it was placed in front of the window. Natural light FTW!

Long, uninterrupted (well, mostly) showers

Because the boys and I share a bathroom, we have this unspoken rule that we should leave the door unlocked in case someone needs to do something in there while we’re using it. Fortunately, ours is a big enough bathroom that we can all use it at the same time. One can shower while another uses the toilet, and the third person uses the sink. It works for us, especially on rushed mornings, but oh man do I miss my bathroom privacy. At Crimson, I got to indulge in a couple of long showers and other quiet moments in the super spacious bathroom. Oh what a treat!

This is what the boys look like while I take photos around the room

Drinks. Including alcoholic ones.

Just lounging around and enjoying the sorta view

We were given access to the Executive Lounge at Crimson during our stay. There, the boys and I happily cooled off with glasses of juice and cans of soda. I was hoping to stay there all the way through happy hour, but we were told that they don’t allow children to stay once they start serving alcoholic drinks. We had to forego the beer and cocktail buffet because there was no one who could watch the kiddo for us, and also because MrC and I didn’t feel right about leaving him somewhere so that we could drink. Yes, it was the responsible thing to do. Lol. I had a mojito with dinner instead. And speaking of dinner…

A delicious dinner that I didn’t have to prepare myself, complete with dessert!

Yes, I had all of these (and more) for dinner

And it was a Mexican dinner, too! One of my favorite cuisines! I wrote about our Sabores de Mexico dinner experience a couple of weeks ago, and you can check it out here.

The ultimate cold air conditioning + comfy bed + fluffy pillow + thick blanket combo

If I had my way, my bed would be as lush as a hotel bed. Maybe someday, we can invest in a fluffy bed. (Hint, hint, MrC!)

Funny story, at Crimson the boys decided to have me sleep in the middle. Between the two of them and the blankets, I was sandwiched in warmth! I would wake up every once in a while when it got too hot and wiggle myself out of the blankets. Then when I’d get cold, I’d wake up again and squeeze back in. This went on a few times til morning. I still felt pretty rested, though, thank goodness.

Breakfast and coffee waiting for me when I woke up

Little MrC fixed his own plate, and made a happy face out of his pancakes and French toast

Happiness is waking up to a cup of good coffee and a yummy breakfast. On weekends, MrC sometimes takes care of this for me at home, and for that I am really grateful. That weekend at Crimson, though, was a super treat because their breakfast selections at the hotel are really, really good! I especially loved the cheeses and cold cuts that they served, and their breads too. The cheese ensaymada and the cream filled doughnut were super winners.

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My first (and favorite) plate at any breakfast buffet is filled with bread, cheese and fruit. This was the first of many plates from this morning’s breakfast at Cafe Eight. 7 hours later and I am still burping. The breakfast spread at @crimsonhotel_alabang is officially one of my faves in the south. #SouthEats #CrimsonHotel #FilinvestCityAlabang #BreakfastBuffet #InstaFood

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But wait, there’s more

Aside from my luxury list, there’s still so much more to do at Crimson. They have a really nice gym, which I probably should visit next time, especially after eating all that bread. They also have a really nice pool, which we were sadly unable to try out because it was so windy while we were there. That’s something to come back for next time. That, and happy hour at the Executive Lounge lol. Ah! And I also have to remember to take home some of that ensaymada from the pastry corner next time. So good, promise!

Crimson Hotel's gorgeous pool — Crimson Hotel’s gorgeous pool area

The best part about our Crimson staycation was that the boys and I were there with four of my favorite families – Michelle’s, Jane’s, Joei’s (yes, Joei and Timmy are counted as a family in my book) and Kaye’s. It’s always fun for all of us when they are around, and I love how we are starting to build such fun memories together as a group. Since Little Miss QC was with us that weekend, we were officially ABC+K! Cute, diba?

THANK YOU so very much (again) to our lovely hosts, Twinkle Lacsamana, Karina, and the wonderful staff at Crimson Hotel. The boys and I had the best time and we can’t wait to come back! And super duper thank you, Jane, for arranging this for our little sisterhood. We love you!

CRIMSON HOTEL FILINVEST ALABANG
Entrata Urban Complex,
2609 Civic Drive, Filinvest City,
Alabang 1781 Muntinlupa City
Phone (02) 863 2222
Email info.alabang@crimsonhotel.com
Website http://www.crimsonhotel.com/manila/