A Road Less Travelled: Top Hidden Places to See in Tanay and Laguna

Some of you are asking for the details of our Christmas Weekend on the Sierra Madre mountains.
But I am so bad in remembering places and directions!

So I let my husband do it for you. I'll just put lots of pictures, plus my thoughts on the places we went to.

Start: Marcos Highway (Cogeo)

Park, Rest, Dine Restaurant (Baras, Rizal)

What’s there: Simple restaurant with some rustic and eccentric decors situated on a roadside on the way up to the mountains.  Best for resting and appreciating nature at its simplest.

My thoughts: Very simple food, nothing spectacular. But the "province" feel is very authentic and makes you relaxed after a long drive from Manila. It also preps you on what to expect as you go deeper into Rizal - old houses, province feel, quiet environment, friendly people.

 Palo Alto Falls (Baras, Rizal)

What’s there: Enter the subdivision, then a little bit of hike takes one to the falls where the cold clean water in the plunge pool invites guest for a dip.  Best for a picnic by the falls. 

My thoughts:  This is a really good place to go. Just make sure you put on mosquito-repellent lotion because there are lots and really big mosquitoes in the area. To be safe, go for the commercial brands of anti-mosquito. I'm not sure if organic ones will do the trick.

As you can see from the photos, we were even wearing shorts! But I have Off lotion with me.. so.. no bites. We usually use organic anti-mosquito but I think mosquitoes in the forest are more pesky..

 Ten Cents to Heaven (Tanay, Rizal)

What’s there: A leisure estate nicely nestled in a wide expanse up in the mountain with rooms for accommodation, zip line and other teambuilding facilities

My thoughts: This was still under construction when we went there. But the view is very good. I am just not sure now when all the rooms had been completed.

Paseo Rizal Restaurant (Brgy Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal)

What’s there: A small art gallery on the first floor, a cozy Filipino restaurant on the second floor, and some rooms for overnight accommodations in the building’s surroundings. A rest area offers a nice panorama of the area. Right across the street is a lot with rows of pine trees where seedlings are sold.  Best for a visit in December/January, when it gets foggy and cool.

My thoughts: Their suman with latik is very good!! There was also a time when there was a small band playing and a group of painters here who would paint your portrait on the spot! It feels like you're having a family reunion in an ancestral home when you're here.

I told you it's a mini forest.. "Munting Gubat"

J.E. Camp (Tanay , Rizal)

What’s there: Former President Joseph Estrada’s estate where he was detained on house arrest years ago.  There’s a museum of  Estrada’s  political show business archives and  paraphernalia. For a small fee, a guided tour of the estate allows visitors to stop and enjoy areas with different themes, gardens, play areas. There’s also a huge duck pond, a mini-zoo and a ranch.

My thoughts: Very good for children, especially if you're already tired of Manila/Malabon/Avilon zoo. It's a bit tiring to tour the whole area but the entrance fee is worth it.

Daraitan River (Rizal and Quezon border)

What’s there: A hidden river with a stunning backdrop of white rocks and lush greenery.  This is a little tricky to get to since one would have to endure a bumpy ride through rough road that starts shortly off the national highway.  Once in Daraitan proper, one must first cross a portion of the river via a raft to be able to access the greater area that is the entry point to the river and the rocks.  Best for trekking, exploring and completely escaping the city life.  Further afield is Tinipak Rock with caves and huge boulders.

My thoughts:  A very good place to enjoy nature in its raw, untouched form. I strongly discourage bringing children below 5. We are just stubborn parents who didn't know better. I, as the mother, endured glares and scolds from the locals for bringing my then 4 and 1 year old! Best to go during summer or when it is less rainy but still cold. The path is muddy and slippery when it's raining.

You have to hire one of these boats to cross the river.

See, how can you make a child walk on these rocks! Much more carry a baby while walking here!

This is the path as you go higher.

We walked this kind of road all the way up... and all the way down...

Daily Beans (Pililia, Rizal)

What’s there: A roadside restaurant/café surrounded by rice fields that offers value-for-money dishes and desserts.  Best for relaxing and watching the world slowly go by.  The area where the café is located is said to have been an inspiration to Amorsolo’s painting of the countryside in the past.

My thoughts: Feel-good food, perfect to cap your outdoor adventure before heading back to Manila. The servings are big! Their Tuna Panga is good for 4 people, yet priced reasonably. The owners are very friendly. And it is situated in the middle of the highway.

More pictures to convince you to go there :)

The road can be foggy during the cold months so be extra careful.

City Hall of Magdalena, Laguna

Lake Pandin, Laguna

Best to have lunch here! The balsa will bring you farther into the lake! You will definitely forget all your city problems!

Our lunch of small shrimps in coconut milk! Super delicious!

Farther into the lake...

Can you imagine how good it feels to take a nap right after a hearty lunch.. cold breeze.. tranquil waters.. the sound of trees and birds.. Zzzzz..

My first time to swing on a tree branch

Need I say more?!

If you love to go on roadtrips with frequent stops to take pictures, this place is for you!

Leave me a message if you still want more pictures or need help in getting there!

Time to pacify my bickering kids, 

Andrea

5 Life Events That Changed Me in 2014

Hmm, okay, so what did you last know about me.. Ah! You can read it here!

So, what happened from August of 2013 up to today?

Here are 5 relevant events in my life that forever changed me! (drumroll please..)

5. I am still a WAHM but higher paid and with more varied work.

Remember my first job as a WAHM? Well, I am no longer with that first client and with Lifebushido.
I am still a VA-Accountant/Financial Analyst but also sort-of a Project Manager for that client.

This time, I get to interact with other members of her team which is really so much fun for me! Plus, I get to learn more about technology since they are mostly designers and web developers.

Oh, and I learned how to communicate my rate increase. :)

4. I got a new skill that can be used in my work! 

And that is... Online Marketing and Social Media Management!

It was late 2013 when I enrolled for online marketing lessons. And because I have no background whatsoever in marketing, I wanted to have first-hand experience in managing social media accounts for a client.

I was rejected right and left in my online applications mainly because I have NO experience!
(I wonder how can you ever get experience if nobody wants to hire you..)

But of course, having been able to find a client before in the "online world", I persisted...
And succeeded!!

Yes! I now have a client for social media management! And guess what, I didn't even apply to this client!

I worked for him before for a project-based Accounting/Web-research job. And 6 months after that job, he contacted me again to ask if I could work for him in social media.

Hey, he didn't even know I studied online marketing!
All he knows is he really liked how my previous work turned out and how I strategized to deliver that work to him!
(yes, that Accounting job was a bit of a challenge)

Lesson learned:

3. I am now homeschooling my son.

Why? You'll see why later.

But for now, let me tell you how much I've realized how bright and smart my son is.. (fine, I'm biased! But he REALLY is!)

But the better thing is..

I get to instill in him the values and discipline that would have otherwise been not focused on in a traditional school.

And I realized that I can be creative in making lessons interesting huh?!

2. Our family is now part of a Catholic community, the Feast.

Even when I was still an employee, I already felt the calling to be a part of this community. But due to "more important" things and uncertainty of what it's really about, I postponed attending.

But the call was still there..
And the rest, as they say, is history.

Bonus! My husband is now playing for the Music Ministry!

And the biggest life event for this year...

1. Moving to Dubai

Yes, from the Philippines to Dubai!

My husband was assigned to work here for the short-term.

Oh, I cannot tell you in detail how much this change worried me and kept me awake for many nights.
Our family weren't even together for 2 months!

But here we are now, happy, safe and together. :)
(And by the way, this is why I considered homeschooling in the first place)

It is our first time to spend Christmas in another country.
Although nothing compares to the festivities at home, we are very thankful to have friends who have become our family here. It makes the holidays as happy and the experience more memorable.

Merry Christmas to you!

Off to prepare breakfast,

Andrea

P.S - These photos are by my husband. Beautiful noh?!:)

The fun, funny and feisty mom is back!

Hey, hey everyone!

I know! It's been more than a year since my last post!
And so many things have happened!

Everything good, not so much bad (rather, they all turned good eventually)
Blessings, blessings, blessings!

Stay tuned for a better, happier blog!

Excited,
Andrea

Update on my 2013 Wishlist: I'm now a WAHM!

For those who are not familiar with the acronym, WAHM stands for Work At Home Mom. :)

My wish to become a WAHM came sooner than expected due to circumstances beyond my control.  I plunged into WAHMhood without being fully prepared but, as a mom, aren't we really built to deal with surprises all the time?! And so with this 'unpreparedness came blessings which started pouring in from Day 1 of my being a full-time mom.

To cut a long story short, I officially became a WAHM 15 days after my office resignation took effect.  Imagine, just 15 days! I haven't even had time to catch up on chores! Not that I'm complaining though.

So, I'm now currently working as a part-time Financial Analyst in Odesk. 

Having more time in my hands, I was searching for more earning opportunities when I came across Lifebushido whose motto is 'Anything is possible'.  I browsed through their site and I was impressed with their belief that Stay-at-Home-Moms "are an incredibly capable and vastly underutilized group of people for getting great work completed".  Wow! While housewives are usually looked at as JUST homemakers, this company sees them as valuable assets who can immensely contribute to their business!

What's also very unique, very interesting and very appealing about them is that you will work with them to discover and explore your unique talents to see how you will best fit in Lifebushido based on their needs and business ventures.  At least, as a WAHM, I don't have to live with boring jobs and office politics which were some of the things I escaped when I left the corporate world.

Another is their concept of Triangles where I get to be part of a team of different people from all over the world!  I'm so excited to learn from these people coming from different countries, having different cultures, having a lot more experience yet possibly having the same passion and dedication to family as I am!

Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm excited?! :)

For those who are interested, I am sharing with you this opportunity.  You may check their website at http://www.lifebushido.com/8.html or you may email them at jobs@lifebushido.com.  They are very accommodating and will be glad to help you.

I'll keep you posted as I progress in my WAHM career.  Yahoo!!

Yey! We have no househelp! :)

We have no househelp for two weeks now.

For two weeks, I have been juggling my office work and household chores.  I requested to be able to work at home in the morning while my son is in school and be allowed to bring him in the office in the afternoon.

I was also forced to leave my daughter to my parents in another town, two-hours away from our place, which means we won't get to be with her everyday.  It was a painful decision, but we had no choice.

Yet, in spite of this 'household crisis', I am very much happy and fulfilled.  Weird as it may seem but honestly, I feel a lot less stressed than when we had TWO househelp.

Okay.. so what if the room is cluttered and the kitchen is messy? So what if I haven't done my laundry nor cleaned the restroom? I haven't felt this much at-home in our own house... I have never been more at peace... Ah... can I say that 'This is the life...'

Maybe, this is a blessing in disguise...

You see, I've been a working mother ever since.  But, ever since I had my second child, there's this burning desire to be able to just stay at home and personally look after them.  As days pass, the more difficult for me to leave them in the care of a nanny.

I planned to leave the corporate world in 2 years time... but I guess it won't happen anymore... Because I will be leaving the corporate world in a few months time!!!!!!! :)

To be honest, this is also a painful decision for me... because eventhough I wanted to be with my kids the whole day, I cannot bear to be at home the whole day!  And I will definitely miss my officemates who are my friends more than colleagues... the working environment which is a home more than an office... my team who are my merienda buddies more than my staff...

But then, I have to create another chapter of my mommy life... I know it will be another fun, funny and feisty experience...

Cheers to being a full-time mommy!

I am a Billionaire.... Soon!

Hiyee! I'm excited to be posting again to update you on my 2013 Wishlist !

Nope, I have not yet enrolled in a fitness class nor have resigned from my day job (this would be better news, though.. hehe), but, I am finally using the SAM method of investing in the stock market! Yahoo!

After about 6 months of deliberation and a bit of hesitation, I finally humbled myself and admitted that I cannot go on investing in the stock market without guidance from someone who is more knowledgeable and focused on the topic.  You see, for the past year, I have been just buying and buying, regardless of whether the stock price is low, high or getting higher.. Not a bad strategy, but not the best either.  Since my primary objective is to build an educational fund for my kids, I had to make sure that I'll be able to lock-in the gains I realize from the market increases and that would mean selling my shares.  But, I cannot just sell randomly, I need to have someone tell me when it's time to sell and where to re-invest the sale proceeds.

And so, just this month, I finally joined the Truly Rich Club.

And what a great timing, after signing up, I learned that Bo already gave the go signal to sell BPI shares when it hit P91.  Wow, at that time, my BPI shares (which I started buying in June 2012) is already at P100! So, I quickly placed a sell order with Citisec hoping that it would still be sellable at this amount.  And, yes, it was sold immediately! I earned 24%! Imagine, 24% in 6 months versus 1-3% in banks for 12 months!  Woohoo!

As of this writing, I am holding shares of 7 companies, two of which I plan to hold long-term for retirement purposes.  The combined growth of these 7 companies is at 9%, with 22% as the highest and -1% the lowest.  

Whoa, I never thought stock market investing would be this exciting.  I always thought it's only for geeks and the rich.  Lesson learned, everyone can invest in the stock market.. EVERYONE!  And always,  ALWAYS,  take action before making a conclusion.  Hadn't I joined and tried the SAM method.. Had I let my fear and hesitation overcome me.. Had I believed that I can do it alone.. I wouldn't be a millionaire soon.  Oh yes, you read that right, I would soon be a millionaire (billionaire, even!).. 

Want to be my co-billionaire? Read more at Truly Rich Club.  Happy investing! :)

Frustrating Four?? Nah..

They say that after the Terrible Two comes the Terrific Three...
Is there a Frustrating Four??

Ugh.  I have been dealing lately with an almost four-year old who would keep on whining, cry loudly and answer back at me.  I have been testing, through trial and error, different approaches to discipline him but nothing have been successful so far.. But, last night, I was so surprised of how behaved he was! I am very proud that I am writing it here for everyone to see how good my boy is!

1. Took a bath without delaying tactics, alibis, coercion and power struggles.
2. Brushed his teeth on his own for the first time! He even wanted me to floss his teeth!
3. Read 3 prayers from the prayer book recently given to us as a gift.  He was repeating after me in spite of the prayers being long and the words hard to pronounce.
4. Woke up on his own the next morning and even volunteered to go downstairs to eat and dress up for school while I take a bath.  He usually would just lie in bed waiting for me to go down with him.
5. Rode the school bus in a happy mood, waving goodbye as the bus drove away.

Aaahh.. These are happy mommy moments indeed.. :)