Post Anniversary and Easter Sunday Lunch

We celebrated our 9th anniversary and Easter Sunday at Vikings SM Marikina. The bonus part was that they also had egg hunting activities for kids. Zoe got to paint and hunt an egg, only she wasn't able to find one. I also didn't want her to put so much effort since the eggs were apparently hidden under the tables and I didn't want her to disturb other diners (as I would get irritated if disturbed as well). She was still given several prizes since the organizers found her pretty ;)

Happy 9th anniversary ;)

To the man who patiently listens to my random thoughts (aka whining) at random times of the day (and night); the man who can truly make the statement 'everything's going to be alright' believable; the man who spontaneously gives unwanted bits of trivia; the man who has loved and indulged me all these years, happy 9th anniversary. You make me an extremely overloved wifey. I love you very much and I love the life we've made.

9th Anniversary Plans

My husband and I will be celebrating our 9th anniversary (5th wedding) this Friday and this is the first time ever that our anniversary will fall on a Holy Week. Due to that, we are foregoing our celebration on the day itself and will just celebrate on Easter Sunday. 

Since we're trying to cut down on expenses, we've decided to just book a lunch table at Vikings in SM Marikina on Sunday. Vikings will also have activities for kids that day since it's Easter Sunday so it's like hitting two birds with one stone.

Birthday Plans

For my 32nd birthday, my husband and I are just planning to go up to Tagaytay with our daughter to celebrate. We're trying to cut back on expenses since this year is a big year for us with Zoe starting preschool and our condo getting turned over. 

A few weeks back, I booked a room at Taal Vista through Agoda but took advantage of their Buy Now Pay Later scheme wherein the total hotel room cost will only be deducted on your credit card about a week before the actual stay. The initial price of the deluxe room with breakfast for two is Php 6,700. It was a little bit steep but I cannot think of staying at other hotels aside from Taal Vista. So we did our budget plan and we were all set. Couple of days ago, I checked back into the Agoda website and just viewed the room prices for the same hotel on the same date. You can imagine my surprise when I saw a rate of Php 5,000 for the same room with breakfast for two. So I immediately cancelled our first reservation (which hasn't been deducted from my card yet, thank goodness) and booked this room for a lower price. I couldn't help but feel really good about saving Php1,700!

Family Fridate: Brunch Buffet at Rustic Mornings

Buffets. We love buffets. So when I read the post on Rustic Mornings FB page about their Friday breakfast buffet, my husband and I didn't pass up.

We called for reservation and chose the 9am-12nn slot. The spread was already laid out when we got there and there were already quite a few people. I was a bit shocked since I was expecting it to be nearly empty being that it was a working Friday. 

The buffet was at the lanai near the entrance to the airconditioned dining area. It was small but quaint. Some of the dishes were crispy bacon, minestrone soup, garlic parsely rice, chicken fricasse, beef tapa, longganisa, pancakes, french toast, bread and fruits, omelette station. You can request for crispy waffles to be made for you and they will bring it to your table. The same goes with refillable orange juice and coffee.

Here are some of the pics that we've taken. I wish I had my Iphone 5 with me but it was still held up at work, darn it.

Tiny Tucked Gem in Marikina: PATIO VERA

I'm so overwhelmed by Marikina's food gems. We first discovered Cafe Lidia, then Rustic Mornings, and now Patio Vera. I've chanced upon this resto when I was looking for places to eat last Valentines but sadly we werent able to secure a table. So last Saturday out of my dismal mood, I told my husband to scout this place for dinner.

And there were no regrets. I was very sorry to not have been able to take decent photos because my Iphone is out for a good month (which is one of the causes of my depression). It's a wonder how Marikina has all these wonderfully nice restos hiding behind what you would think are residential gates.

We ordered seafood pasta, steak ala pobre, and garlic rice for dinner and almond sansrival for dessert. Their portions are pretty hefty considering the price. We were also very happy with the taste and quality of the food. Overall, it was not just a gastronomic experience but a total one for that matter if you also consider the ambience and the service. Real value for the buck if I may say so.

V-Day 2014

My husband and I planned on a nice secluded dinner at Vieux Chalet in Antipolo. So you can just imagine how infuriated we were when my husband called on V-day to confirm our table and the person told him that our reservation didn't push through because we were unable to pay a deposit. My husband wasn't told of their reservation mechanics when he called; someone just took his name, number, and time that we plan to have dinner. So we ended up going to Outback Libis instead.