Help Your Child Learn & Achieve #1

Since this is predominantly a parenting blog, I will be posting tips from the book "365 Ways To Help Your Child Learn & Achieve" on a regular basis in order to help other parents like me in raising better kids.

I'll start with Tip #1:

"When your child asks a question you can't answer such as 'Why can't I see the wind.', write it on an index card. When you're by the library, get a book on it or check with the reference librarian to help you to discover the answer together."

I realized that the tip may have been written during the time when there were few computers yet and people are more used to going to the library... How lucky are we at this time and age when we can get information almost instantaneously through our phone, iPad, laptop or computer.

What I do is I "google" the information that I need every time my son asks me questions that I am not able to answer on the spot. :). This way, my son and I both learn together. :)

Happy parenting!

Family Ties

My sister-in-law who is currently working in the US as a nurse is thinking of becoming a Traveling nurse because she has some friends who are Travel nurses. However, what's stopping her from becoming one is the thought of being away from her family for long periods of time considering that they are a close knit family.

Her nurse friends on the other hand are encouraging her to apply. They already sent her some information on how to get started. Unfortunately, she's having a hard time getting started especially every time she sees her kids and her husband.

Recently, I just had a chat with her and she told me that she will postpone for now her plans of becoming a Traveling nurse. Her family is more important to her than any financial gain. Her priority is to keep her family intact. I couldn't agree with her more. :)

Nurture Spa Tagaytay

I LOVE going to spas!  With my hectic and stressful work, I need to pamper myself once in a while in order to recharge and relax. :)  My favorite go-to Spa is The Spa (Buendia, Greenbelt or BGC).   However, I also like trying new spas especially when I'm out of the country or out-of-town.

Nurture Spa is one of the spas that I've been wanting to try out for the longest time because I've heard a lot of good feedback about the place not to mention the awards that it has won such as being part of CNN's 28 Most Relaxing Spas in Asia and AsiaSpa's Top 7 Spas in the Philippines.

As such, during our recent trip to Tagaytay, I really made it a point to visit the place and try its services.

Nurture Spa is not that easy to find especially since you would need to enter a narrow side street to get to the place.  I thought we were lost already because the road just keeps on going forever until finally we have reached the place.

Entrace Signage

When we entered the spa premises, I immediately noticed the Asian/Filipino ambiance.  While waiting for the receptionist to attend to me, I took some pictures of the place.

Lobby Reception Seating Area

After talking to the receptionist, I decided to avail of their 1-hour massage for P1,400 (~$32).

The treatment rooms are further down the property. We had to pass by the garden and the swimming pool in order to reach the treatment rooms.  I told my husband and Kyle to stroll around the garden first to pass the time.

Al Fresco Treatment Area (for foot spa, etc.)

More area for foot spa

Before we reached my treatment room, we first looked at some of the rooms that are available for overnight stay.

The rooms at Nurture Spa aren't cheap.  If I'm not mistaken, overnight packages start at P11k!



This is a room inside the Ifugao Hut

After a few detour stops and looking at the other rooms, I finally went to the treatment room assigned to me.

Aside from the massage bed, there was an adjacent bathroom with bath tub, perhaps for body scrubs and other body treatments.

The massage at Nurture Spa was good but I wouldn't say that it's better than the treatments at The Spa.  They are comparable in the sense that they are equally good.  What's nice though about Nurture Spa is the unique surroundings/experience that it provides guests.

Before long, my 1-hour massage was finished... I went out looking for my husband and son so that we can go to our next stop, which is Buon Giornio for late lunch! :)

I took some more pictures of the place before we left, promising myself to come back again in the future to relax and unwind, perhaps to even stay overnight.

My rating of the place/services: 8/10

Location Map:



T-House Tagaytay

I was able to buy a voucher from one of the group buying sites for an overnight stay at T-House Tagaytay last July.  Since we specifically requested for a room with a bath tub, we had to wait for 3 months to be able to book the room.  I actually didn't mind since October is the birthday month of Kyle.  However, what I didn't foresee during the time that I booked our room is that there will be a typhoon during our chosen weekend!   What a bummer!  In any case, we decided to push through with our plans despite the heavy rains...

We arrived at T-House Tagaytay around 2:00pm amidst heavy rains.  My first impression upon seeing the place is that it looked a bit old - not quite similar to the earlier photos I've seen of the place.  The reception area wasn't that bad except that since it's not enclosed, a portion of the area gets wet during heavy rains.  Still, check in was a breeze and in a few minutes, we were led to our room...

        Lobby Reception Desk

Homemade goodies for sale at the reception area

                                          Lounge area near the lobby

The room that was assigned to us was supposedly an "upgrade" of the typical standard garden room since it has a bath tub.  The room was not that big but the bathroom was relatively "spacious".  Still, the room was quite old and the finishes of substandard quality.  However, I liked the few small touches in the room like rose petals in the bed, reading magazines and Ilog Maria  soaps in the bathroom... 

Ilog Maria soap as part of the bathroom amenities

The cafe/restaurant was cozy and clean.  Due to the heavy rains, we decided to just have dinner there.  Quite a mistake since the food wasn't that good even if we supposedly ordered their "specialties/best sellers"...

Facade/entrance leading to the cafe/restaurant

Restaurant/cafe which can seat approximately 40 pax

For starters, we ordered the T-House Signature Salad, supposedly their best selling salad.  It had feta cheese, dried mango bits, salad greens, carrots, cucumber, onions and a vinaigrette dressing.  The salad that came out was quite disappointing.  It wasn't visually appealing and it tasted bland.  Too bad because I love fresh vegetable salads.  I can definitely do a better version of this at home!

T-House Signature Salad (P200)

For the main course, we ordered Salmon with Wasabi Mash, which was highly recommended by the waiter and Fish Fillet ala Creme Saffron.  Again, the food was "so-so".  Definitely nothing to rave about...  The wasabi mashed potato didn't work for me.  I ended up not eating it and just gave it to my husband who eats everything! :)

Fish Fillet ala Creme Saffron (P370)

Salmon with Wasabi Mash (P450)

For our 5-year old son, we just ordered french fries and gave him some of the fish fillet we ordered.

Homemade French Fries (P125)

Despite our not-so-pleasant dinner experience, I decided to still order dessert - Panna Cotta Duo (Mango and Strawberry) for me and a scoop of ice cream for my li'l boy!

Panna Cotta (P95)

The meal ended on a really bad note since the panna cotta tasted 'stale'.  I've eaten panna cotta a number of times in the past so I know that this one tasted rather funny.  Thus, I decided to just eat the fresh mango topping and didn't bother eating the panna cotta. :(  My son on the otherhand, enjoyed his ice cream with chocolate syrup.

Ice cream with chocolate syrup (P50)

Before we slept that night, we got a surprise treat from the hotel - tea and cookies for evening snacks! :) Yay! My son ate the cookies while I drank some tea.



The following day, we had breakfast at the cafe/restaurant as part of our overnight package. 

Now, I must say that breakfast is the saving grace of the cafe/restaurant.  I'll go back here if only for the breakfast.  I am a hearty breakfast eater and their breakfast meal didn't disappoint. :)

Smoked Beef Tapa with Garlic Rice & Scrambled Egg (P350)

 Crispy Tawilis with Garlic Rice & Scrambled Egg (P350) 

For our free drinks, I ordered Batangas Coffee while my husband ordered fresh pineapple shake.

Both our breakfast meals were yummy and filling! Even the drinks were good. :) Definitely  good way to start our day! :)

After breakfast, I took a short stroll in the hotel premises. I decided not to go to their spa anymore because I was planning to go to Nurture Spa for a massage after we check out.

 



We checked out at a little past 12 noon.  Check out was fast and efficient.  We didn't have any problems at all.

My rating of our stay here: 7/10

T-House

3195 Calamba Road, Tagaytay City, Philippines

Sun: +63922-8THouse

Smart: +63908-8955-431 / +63908-8955-430
Manila Landline: (02)788-7356

Here's a map going to the place:

Mineral Makeup Raves

I have been using mineral makeup for more than 5 years now... It started when I got pregnant with Kyle in 2006.  I was super conscious of making sure that I eat the right stuff as well use the "appropriate" cosmetics for pregnant women that's why I decided to look for "natural" alternatives...

Mineral makeup was quite new in the Philippines then and most mineral makeups are ordered from abroad... I must have tried a dozen different brands before I finally settled on a few brands that work for me... 

Although I started using Bare Escentuals (BE), I eventually found cheaper and better alternatives, which can readily be bought here in the Philippines at half the price...  My favorite is the Ellana Mineral Cosmetics but I was thrilled to find out that Human Nature also came out with its own mineral makeup line (see top photo)...

So far, here are the mineral makeup brands/products that I enjoy:

1.  Ellana Mineral Cosmetics -  foundation/concealer (loose powder as well as stick concealer), lip palette and tinted lip spa, eyeshadows, blush (loose powder) makeup brushes

2.  Human Nature - pressed powder, eyeshadows (I bought all the colors that they have!), blush, sunflower beauty oil - what I love about Human Nature mineral makeup is that they have their makeups in "pressed" form as opposed to loose powder (which is typical of most mineral makeups).

3. Maybelline - pure liquid mineral foundation (they have the most affordable liquid mineral foundation in the market, I think!); I also use Maybelline's B.B. Cream although I'm not sure if this is part of their mineral makeup line.  B.B. cream is an "8-in-1 skin transformer" - it brightens, evens, smoothens, refines, clears, conceals, moisturizes and protects skin...

All the products that I have mentioned above are really affordable (nothing above P500 or $12) and easily available in the market... so stay beautiful and healthy!

Happy shopping fellow Mommies! :)

COMPLAINT AGAINST SHINAGAWA PHILIPPINES CANDELA HAIR REMOVAL TREATMENT

I would like to warn everyone about my unfortunate experience regarding Shinagawa Philippines' Candela Hair Removal treatment!  It was such a disappointing experience but what's more disappointing for me is Shinagawa Philippines' lack of customer orientation!

I availed of their Candela Hair Removal treatment last September 14 (Wednesday evening) for my lower legs by using a Metrodeal voucher.  That same evening and the following day, my legs started becoming itchy.  I wasn't sure if this was a normal reaction so I let it be hoping that things will subside eventually.  However, things didn't improve and I noticed that my legs started becoming very dry (flaky) and super itchy with a few red spots.

Thus, I decided to call up Shinagawa on Friday (lunch time) to complain about what happened.  The receptionist told me to go to the clinic for check up but I told her that I won't be able to go that same day because I have a prior commitment which I can't cancel.  However, I told her that I will go to the clinic on Saturday morning to see their doctor regarding my legs.  After my call, Rhonilie from Shinagawa texted me to tell me that she also experienced the same thing when she had her Candela hair removal but assured me that it means that the treatment is "working".  I told her that the Doctor didn't mention about this "side effect" when I was being briefed about the treatment.  I also asked my sister who had laser hair removal with another clinic and she said she didn't experience such a thing.

On Saturday morning, I was about to go to Shinagawa already but my son had an asthma attack so I had to stay with him at home.  It also rained very hard in the afternoon so I wasn't able to go. However, I told Rhonilie on Saturday evening that I will just go to their clinic on Sunday.

On Sunday morning, I went to see their Doctor to show him my condition and ask him about the itchiness.  He said that the itchiness could be due to shaving (which Shinagawa performed) or the laser hair removal treatment.  He prescribed 3 medications for my legs and told me not to scratch them further:  (1) Elica/Momate Cream or Lotion, (2) Cetirizine (antibiotics) and (3) Hydroxyzine (Iterax).  I told him that the medicines he prescribed would probably cost more than the treatment itself!

On September 19, I sent a formal complaint email (together with a picture of what happend to my legs) to Mr. Besa (Shinagawa's Marketing Manager) to request for the following: (1) reimburse me for the cost of  their prescribed medication as a result of their treatment, (2) refund me the Metrodeal voucher worth P300 which I wasn't able to use after the incident and (3) for them to inform future clients about this possible side effect.

I didn't receive any reply from Mr. Besa so I decided to call him up the following day to talk to him but the receptionist said that he's not around so I just requested for a return call (which I didn't get).  I asked the receptionist if Mr. Besa received my complaint letter and she said no because he has a problem with his computer but when I asked Rhonilie if Mr. Besa received my email, she said yes.  In fact, it's already being evaluated by the Medical Director. I told her that I'm expecting them to reply to my complaint email formally for consistency.  I also asked her to give me the name and email of their Medical Director but she refused to give the information to me.  I started wondering what kind of a company is Shinagawa because instead of attending to customer complaints, it appears like they are ignoring or hiding away from them! 

Eventually, through my own research, I was able to get the name and email of  their Medical Director Michelle Rivera Nuez.  I sent her a complaint email as well last September 25 but she also ignored my email.  I asked Rhonilie if the Medical Director got my email and she said yes.  Up to now, I have not received any formal reply from Mr. Besa or Dra. Nuez!  They didn't even acknowledge my email or get in touch with me to find out more about my situation.  If Shinagawa is an honorable and responsible company, they would have been concerned about what happened to me. 

My brother and sister-in-law are also doctors (although they migrated already to the US).  I also have uncles, aunties and cousins who are doctors so I am appalled at how Dra. Michelle Rivera Nuez is choosing to ignore the situation and not think about the welfare of Shinagawa's clients!

Just this week, I already sent a formal complaint letter to DTI about Shinagawa Philippines (including a picture of what happened to my legs).  I'm not sure if DTI will act on my complaint (I'm not even expecting it) but at least I want this incident put on record.

I know the amount involved is only small - it might not even be worth my time...  I just don't think that what they did to me is fair.  I'm the victim here and yet instead of being apologetic or concerned about my condition, they decided to ignore their responsibilities/obligation to their clients...

Update (as of October 22):  Metrodeal "reimbursed" me for my voucher by giving me credits for future purchase(s).  For your reference, the landline of Metrodeal is (632) 788-6591. I initially had a hard time contacting them but once I was able to talk to them, they didn't give me a hard time with the reimbursement.

As for Shinagawa, sadly, they have chosen to ignore my complaint, which only shows what kind of a company they are.  I'm not sure if this is how their head office in Japan would handle the situation but the local franchise surely does not know how to treat their customers well... What a major disappointment!  Paging Masako Uemori (President of Shinagawa Lasik & Aesthetics)!

Update (as of November 5): After almost 2 months since the time I had my Candela Hair Removal treatment, my legs haven't gotten back to normal yet and have remained super sensitive, experiencing regular dryness and itchiness!  I don't know up to when this will last... but I surely regret availing Shinagawa's Candela Hair Removal treatment! :( 

Steve Jobs: iSad, iMourn, iSalute

                                                           (Photo taken from this site)

My husband and I were on our way to work this morning when we found out from the radio show of "kabayan" Noli de Castro in DZMM 630 that Steve Jobs passed away...  We were SHOCKED!  Although it was inevitable, I still couldn't believe that he died just a few weeks after he stepped down as CEO of Apple and barely 1 day after the launch of IPhone 4S...

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Iphone and I cannot thank Steve Jobs enough for coming up with such a cool product that's so easy-to-use!  The guy is a GENIUS!  I've read stories about his temperament, his obssessive-compulsiveness (OC) and his very, very high standards.  But I am thankful for those traits because if Steve Jobs were less OC or less of a perfectionist, then we wouldn't be having such great products like the Ipod, Iphone and Ipad! His success story as encapsulated in his Standford Commencement Speech  is so inspiring!

Just like the rest of the world, I'm sad... and I mourn the loss of a truly great man... I salute Steve Jobs for making our world a better place to live in through his innovative products...

Rest in peace, Steve Jobs! :)