Viaje del Sol: Ugu Bigyan's Potter's Garden

This is the fourth and last stop of our Viaje del Sol trip. Ugu Bigyan is a well known Filipino potter. Ugu Bigyan's Potter's Garden is located in Tiaong, Quezon. When I called to make reservations (as this is required prior to visiting), I was told that the restaurant is closed as their town fiesta was to be held on the day of our visit. That was too bad because I had read a lot of good reviews on their food and was looking forward to eating there. The shop would still be open so we went anyway.

Going to Ugu Bigyan's Potter's Garden was a bit tricky. You pass through small crowded roads and even cross a little railroad track. These roads lead you to a pretty brick house that is Ugu Bigyan's. The restaurant garden had several huge huts that can seat plenty. It was a pretty big place. You'll also see interesting sculptures scattered all over.

Viaje del Sol: Sitio de Amor

Going through Viaje del Sol's destinations, the one place that really made an impression on me was Sitio de Amor. In fact I even contemplated on just spending the whole day there instead of going around. Sitio de Amor is a farm resort located in Laguna. They offer over night accommodations and day visits.

When I got there, I fell in love.

fresh water lagoon

infinity pool

Viaje del Sol: Lake Pandin

I've read about lake Pandin from a family friend's blog. I have to be honest, I am not a fan of lakes. Murky waters do not appeal to me. Despite that, I was rather lured  into seeing this lake after my friend had expressed to me how beautiful it really was. And since then I've kept it as a destination option in the case that we get bored and would want to do something different one weekend.

After looking at the Viaje del Sol map. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is one of its 19 destinations. Learning that, immediately I decided that this should be part of our itinerary.

Viaje del Sol 1st stop: Casa San Pablo

Our Viaje del Sol trip's jump off point was Casa San Pablo. This  is where we had our breakfast since we wanted to start our trip early.

Casa San Pablo is inside Kay Inay Resort. Walking through the resort you'll see a small clean yet old looking pool, several cozy cottages and a small bridge that crosses over a stream. Walking towards Casa San Pablo you'll see grass and greens getting wider and wider. They have a lot of open space and a quiet restaurant.  What will really catch your attention are the native hammocks grouped together right beside the restaurant. The place is so quiet and really relaxing. To me it felt like a retreat house.

lots of room to run around in

happy to be out and about

Viaje del Sol

Journey of the sun it translates. Viaje del sol is not a place. It is a trip that takes you around Laguna, Batangas and Quezon's best kept secret restaurants, gardens, art workshops, farms, B and Bs and such.

This is how it works:  you get a copy of their map either online or from one of the cafes and choose which destinations you'd like to see. Currently there are 19 places on their list. You also have the option of staying overnight as some of the stops offer accommodations, really nice ones at that.

I learned about this trip from a friend a couple of years ago. When the long weekend kicked in, this trip seemed like a good idea for the following reasons: it was near, it was away from the Batangas/Tagaytay traffic, it was away from the crowds and it wouldn't cost much! My main goal was to be surrounded by greens and to take my five year old to a wide space of grass where she can run around and forget about our Ipad! I wasn't expecting much from this trip but boy was I blown away. Despite the exhaustion after, I was left inspired and refreshed.

Orange Muffins

For days, weeks and what seemed like months, my daughter has been asking me to make orange muffins. I have a feeling she saw this in a magazine or on TV and decided she wanted to have a go at it. The only problem is I cook but I cannot bake desserts to save my life. I've been teased about making brownies hard enough to build houses. The only thing I can decently bake is my grandmother's banana pie. In spite all this, I am a firm believer in fueling my daughter's interest. My ears were also ready to explode with all the "please mommy" and I knew I've delayed it enough.

Oct-Dec 2011 Plays and Shows

It has been a mini tradition for our little family to watch shows and plays when the "ber" months hit. My daughter's eyes light up when she watches. She gets so engaged with the show, you can hardly talk to her. It really is heart warming to see her so amazed and interested at something. So what's a mommy gonna do? Fuel her interest! 8o)

Here's a list of the shows I've come across so far.
Click on the titles to follow show links.

The Sound of Music
COMPANY/PERFORMERS: Resorts World Manila Production
DATES: Oct 15-Dec 11, 2011
VENUE: New Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila

• TICKET PRICES:
• PhP 2,140.00
• PhP 1,819.00
• PhP 1,391.00
• PhP 1,070.00
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Unicorn Birthday Party

My daughter has been fascinated with unicorns for about six months now. Every night she would pray for 1.) a car that she can drive and 2.) a real unicorn pet. We had planned to throw a party for her a month before her birthday so she can celebrate it with her classmates (her birthday falls on a summer month). It was also her farewell Gymboree Party. So a unicorn birthday party for a unicorn-stricken daughter it was!


I went everywhere but I couldn't find anything unicorn themed anywhere! I decided that there must be something terribly wrong with this country! I was going to order stuff from the US but it was too late when I decided. So it was craft time for me again, good thing there were only 10 children in Tala's class.

So here's how her party turned out:

Invitations- I needed roughly 12 invitations and thought it would be a waste of time to go to a graphic designer and have it made so I did it myself. All I needed was Photoshop. I downloaded some coloring pages off the net, colored them, layed them out and viola! an 80's unicorn invite!

Anvaya Cove

Anvaya is such a kiddie friendly place, i love it!

BEACH
The shore was long, sandy and clean so it was safe for children. The sand was beige and soft and the water was nice and clear. I didn't get any bites which I usually do when swimming in beach clubs. My theory is the net they put attracts all the small creatures that bite but i din't experience that there. One thing I should mention though, the beach slopes down and is quite deep so children must wear vests/floaters.

long beige sandy beach

Fine Motor Activities

Tala is going to a new school this coming school year. She has been with Gymboree since she was 2 months old and now its time to go (sniff sniff). Although we will be missing Gymboree so much, we are also excited to see how she'll react to her new school.

She had her assessment recently and according to their school head, she is very independent and smart. Although, she needs to work on her writing skills since her classmates can write their first names already and will be taught to write their last names this coming school year. I was shocked to hear this. I think writing should start at four years old. Tala only knows how to write her nickname. But I guess if she is taught in a fun and relaxed way, without any pressure then its ok.

The school head suggested we do a lot of fine motor skills at home to strengthen her little fingers. This includes cutting, tearing of paper, coloring, playing with dough etc. Since then, we have been doing one or two fine motor activities everyday. I've also printed a bunch of worksheets with her name for practice.

I'm so glad she likes doing these things and forgets about watching TV! Yesterday her bita bought her some new dough and she decided to copy the samples in the packaging today. I remember doing this too I was smaller! She made one tree, formed the volcano, the lava and the baby bird!