Valentine’s Day 2021 - he surprised me with these beautiful bouquet of red roses! I was about to leave the house for my unexpected job interview when a guy called me to ask if I’m home as he’s on his way to deliver some flowers. I was like... “me?.. flowers?”..
He may not be good in expressing his emotions and thoughts, doesn’t have a lot of friends and prefers to spend time with family or himself alone throughout the day but his sweetness and kind gestures are what make me so kilig! We don’t normally celebrate this day, but feels like we’re starting to do so after 16 years! ♡♡♡
Thank you for being my constant. Can’t wait to see you soon. xxxx
It’s 10:00 p.m Abu Dhabi time and I kinda feeling low today so I just thought sharing this great experience to anyone reading this atm would make me feel better.
It was my third time to visit Ferrari World in May 2017 but this was my family’s first. It is one of the best places to visit for those who have raging hormonal obsession of fancy cars and extreme rides of all ages. For what it’s worth, I would go to any amusement park whether or not it’s famous.
Ferrari World is an indoor amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is the first Ferrari-branded theme park and has the record for the largest space frame structure ever built. It also features the world's fastest roller coaster. Thrilling isn’t it?
A single ticket costs AED295 which includes park access and free rides. For more info just click here. I had The Entertainer app so we bought for 50% less. Let the photos do the talking! (;
The lady in black is my bff and the guy with the back pack is my husband’s nephew who was on a short holiday. I came to realise I was the one taking photos the whole time ^_____^
We had brunch at the Etihad Towers before going in to the park and the park entrance is by the way located inside the mall. It may sound weird for those of you who haven’t been here but yup, it’s connected to the mall. We didn’t bother to eat inside cause for all we know, food and drinks are damn expensive in amusement parks or any local attractions.
It was indeed a great experience after all. We didn’t take photos on some of the rides because of the restrictions but all I can say is that we had so much fun! It’s our first time ever to enjoy extreme rides together as family! My husband won that cute orange stuffed toy in a basketball hoop shoot and it proved me that not all theme parks/carnival games are scam. Lol
On this day five years ago, I became a Mrs and married the man I chose to be with for the rest of my life. Some people have been asking why it took so long for us to get hitched. If I can be honest with them, the answer would be…
OK. Let’s put it this way. We were relatively young and naive when we put ourselves into something we know nothing about. I got pregnant at fourteen and you were seventeen back then. All we knew was we love each other, end of story. No worries, no biggie, massive thanks to our parents! There were many thoughts to ponder along the way. School, career, bigger opportunities and a lot more. Now, I can finally say that riding that taxi on a Friday morning to Manila City Hall with our simple white clothes and be called “your wife” was the best decision I’ve made in my life.
In the last sixteen years, so many things have happened and changed. From the way we argue over the little things - when you didn’t want me to go out with my friends, where to eat and what to order, how we fought about the tiniest issues about Nicole, when you didn’t want my choices of clothes, when I used to get irritated when you could spend the day and night in front of your computer playing games and when I hated you for being overly sensitive. I know that there were times when it felt like we couldn’t stay married but we sure made it through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. We chose to give up and learn from our old bad behaviours, understand and listen to each other when we didn’t want to.
Whenever I ask you the question, “Who is your best friend?” for the last sixteen years the answer remains the same - “you’’ (;
I always remind you to be grateful because there really are so many things to be grateful for, even when your plans don’t work out the way you planned them. Now, on this special day, I want to tell you that I’m grateful for your consistency in our marriage, for your support in everything I aspire to be, for being my solid rock, for being a great father, for letting me raise Nicole the way I believe is best, for being so patient, for putting yourself in other’s shoes and that makes you kinder than ever, for cleaning up the table after having meals at restaurants or fast food otherwise and for constantly giving tips to the grab and taxi drivers and whoever serves you. I’m grateful because you don’t smoke, don’t drink often and you constantly remind me to be careful in making decisions and that makes me a better wife, better person and a better mom.
Marriage is hard but is nonetheless beautiful. It’s a choice we made five years ago and continue to make everyday. I will keep choosing you even if things were different. I will choose to love you, understand you, forgive you, I will choose you over and over again.
"I don't have regrets. I make choices, and then I live with the consequences."
“You don't argue with husbands and kids. You tell them what to do. " These are two of my fave lines from this beautiful show.
I SOOOOO SO LOVE this series to the point where I couldn't stop watching them episodes !!! ♡ ♡ ♡ The moment I saw the intro with that beautiful scenery I knew, again, that I'd finish the entire season in a day! I'm glad to have found another Netflix favourite series after ages!
Mel ( Alexandra Breckenridge ) was hired as a nurse for a year in a small town of Virgin River where he met Jack ( Martin Henderson ) OMG Daddy Jack - one of my fave actors! I love the decency of the story and how it puts me into the characters' feelings. They both look good together, feelings were raw and very well played. I also enjoyed how the nosy people of the town dealt with their realistic life issues.
I'm rooting for you, Mel. But wait, Who shot Jack? Is Vernon sick? I just cannot wait for Season 3!
Why did you leave? What made you choose to move in to a different city? Is it really worth leaving your job and your family back home? What about your family?
These are the questions I tend to avoid and refuse to answer from people who know me (but don’t obviously know me at all) as it usually involves a lengthy explanation and these people, for the most part, think their opinions matter.
Suffice it to say when my father told me ‘start young and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, for you’ll know yourself more and you sure can do so many things you ever wanted’ believe me - he was right.
First off, I’ve never been fond of animals (I know I sound terrible) They’re cute though. On the contrary, my daughter seems to like them, a lot. We used to take her to zoos ever since she was a baby and I know for a fact that it has helped her comprehension skills and made her more comfortable with pets.
Speaking of which, we took her to the Dubai Aquarium when she was on a holiday. Not sure if it’s still the world’s largest indoor aquarium today though. Have I mentioned that I have a weird fear of touching live fish and have been this way since I was young? Well I just did. I’m soooo scared to swim knowing that fish would come near me. OK photos here we go
What if the glass broke? Will the creatures eat us all? Those questions never go out of my mind whenever I see huge aquariums.
Dubai Aquarium is located inside the Dubai Mall. Tickets are also available online and prices will vary from where you will buy it depends on what type of pass you will take. I think prices are ranging from AED 80 - 300. If I remember correctly I paid AED 320 in total via The Entertainer app.
Our passes had access to the Glass Bottom Boat Ride. For the love of experience, we did it too! This is the part where we watched and fed the species up close for about 20 minutes. Matt, Lester’s cousin who’s on a short holiday in Dubai joined us too.
I can say that it’s a great experience after all, specially for Nicolette! xx
I watched the ‘Marriage Story’ the other night. Just when I heard the opening monologue I knew I’d love it. This is by far the best realistic film released by Netflix I’ve ever seen for a long time. A 2019 drama starring Adam Driver (Charlie Barber) and Scarlett Johansson (Nicole Barber) I don’t remember seeing Adam on screen before but sure did see numerous Scarlett Johansson films. I liked it a lot...
The story was about a married couple seeking a divorce but staying together as family for their son.
I come from a broken family. But I don’t take the word ‘broken’ literally because I don’t have a broken life. Parents may be granted a divorce, but for some reason, they’re still a family.
I loved how Nicole cared for Charlie even their marriage was over. There’s still love left, but it wasn’t enough to hold it together. I laughed, cried, and for the most part, it made me realise how difficult it is for some married couples to stay married despite deep serious arguments for the sake of the children.
The untied shoelace says it all. This film rightfully deserves 5/5.
Jumeirah Open Beach is one of the most visited public beaches in Dubai. It is a must stop for tourists in the UAE. Entry is completely free of charge, and there are showers and changing rooms for those who’d like to swim. Only thing is you have to bring your own towels and other toiletries. The showers are extremely hot, as well as the sea waters specially during summer. We saw people who changed their clothes after dipping in to the sea without having to use the shower.
You can also get your iconic shots of the Burj Al Arab Hotel in the background. Sadly, we didn’t get to take family photos because we forgot to bring our selfie stick and out of luck, no one was near us to take some good shots. My husband wasn’t in the mood for photos as well so I only got a few of my little one and the first photo appears to be the best I’ve got.
The beach was certainly clean and wasn’t too busy. Food shops are also available nearby. The lifeguards were always there to look after everyone so I think it’s a great place for everyone specially for families who want to relax and enjoy the stunning view of the Arabian sunset. Anyway, we’ll get back here and will definitely take good photos this time around!
First of all, the ambience was excellent. The place was spacious enough for 200 people I guess. There were indoor games too. Walls have screens and decorated with pictures and some stuff with autographs of sports celebrities.
It’s my family’s first time to dine in a sports kind of resto bar in Dubai. I make sure that I let them try whatever food I liked. This is the third time for me to dine here by the way, and I think you already know why.
They offer a wide variety of American food. From salads to burgers, chips and steak. As soon as we arrived, they served us complimentary popcorn and garlic bread. Since my husband and I love steak, we ordered beef tenderloin and rib eye steak plus the sides - mixed veggies, bowl of fries with blue cheese dip, fried mushroom, mashed potato and fried rice. We had strawberry mojito and chocolate milkshake for drinks.
The little one ordered beef tenderloin steak too with sweet potato for the side and of course, strawberry ice cream with mallows, chocolate and strawberry syrup for dessert.
The staff were very friendly and food was definitely worth a penny. We sure had a great time here!
I remember the six seater dining table we have at home for so many years. After my grand dad passed away, one of the main things that felt different was the dining table. He had five children and each of them had their own seats respectively. He used to tell me that eating with family is one of the most important rituals to practice at home.
The older I get, the more I realise the importance of eating together as a family and that food becomes special whether it’s home cooked, fast food or takeaway meals as long as you eat them with your loved ones.
PF Chang's Dubai Mall. One of the best Chinese Restaurants we've tried so far. We had an early dinner before heading outside the mall to watch the Dubai Fountain show. Not my first time to dine here so I knew what to expect. We ordered the original dynamite shrimp, chicken fried rice, crispy honey chicken and nuggets for the little girl cause she's picky eater just like that. I'm glad that they liked the delicious food too. The ambience was a plus!
