Home Sweet Home PHILIPPINES

                                  

          I started a blog few weeks ago and was so into it that I was able to write three in a row. I had another one in the process but everything was put on hold because I had an unfortunate news that my mom was sick. This is bittersweet to say, but because of that, I am finally going home in the Philippines after 15 years. It was so hard for me to leave Chicago because I've never seen my younger daughter cried so hard. It's the first time for me to go away without the whole family.

          My flight started from Chicago to Los Angeles (4hrs), then Los Angeles to Beijing China (13 hours), and lastly from Beijing to Manila (4 hours). Oh yes, 21 hours in the plane sounds exciting (NOT)!  How do you think I survived in that long flight? First, I watched tons of movies in the plane and then I set my highest score playing Candy Crush and Bejeweled Blitz. Oh my eye-hand coordination was as fast as a lightning! I tried to sleep in the plane but it was just super hard to get comfortable so I just had few cat naps. Luckily, I found some fellow Filipinos and we kept each other company from walking long distance to catch the shuttle to transfer terminal, to waiting a long time through immigration and security, and hanging out for 4-7 hours layover in between flights. At least that made our travel less brutal.

           So after a long flight, not to mention losing one of my luggage bag, I'm finally home in Philippines! It looks so crowded now and everything seems so small. I could hardly find our subdivision because there's so many establishments. It's so traffic everywhere and people drive like CRaZY! I can't drive here anymore because I'll be so scared to have accident. There's no lanes, it's bumper to bumper, the vehicles cut anytime they want and the pedestrians are everywhere.

         The best part of my vacation is that I get to see my mom and dad. They live here in the Philippines. I last saw my mom 3 years ago when she came to Chicago but I haven't seen my dad for 20 years. It's because he was a merchant marine and when I was in the Philippines, he was out of the country for work and when he went home, I moved to US already. I also saw my aunts, uncles, cousins and friends too. Though I stayed most of the time in the hospital to take care of my sick mom, that didn't stop them from visiting me. I felt so loved! It was so weird to see them all grown ups with their own families already. How time flies!

         Food Trip! OMG, I can't tell you how happy I am right now to eat DELICIOUS and authentic Filipino foods. I had Jollibee (it's our Version of McDonalds), Max's (Shrimp Gambas, Crab Fried Rice, Fried Chicken, Chopseuy), Gerry's Grill (Crispy Pata, Pork and Milkfish Sisig, Pansit, Green Mango with Shrimp Paste), exotic fruits such as Lanzones and Santol. I also had taho (tofu drink with vanilla and tapioca), Siopao (white bun with pork fillings) and many more. No diet here because we order everything in the menu like there's no tomorrow! I still have few days to fulfill my cravings. Oh my, I sure feel my clothes getting tight on me already. 

         I'm hoping to post some pictures in this blog but it won't let me and my husband is not here to help troubleshoot. So for now, I will just keep it like this and will probably post pictures separately. I will have another blog about Philippines next week. Hopefully we'll be able to go check out some places before I go back to Chicago.

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WEEKEND in CHICAGO

           CHICAGO, the Windy City, this is my home sweet home! I guess it's just right to start bragging about my own city. It's summer and there are lots of awesome and affordable family things to do in here. A weekend getaway will be nice, there's plenty of outdoor activities to do. Even better if you have few extra days to visit the other cool places in the suburbs.

 DAY 1:

Nice view of the Willis Tower (former Sears Tower) and John Hancock Building

       >  First stop, go to the Solidarity Drive between Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium to take a picture the best view of the Chicago Skyline. Usually you can find a parking on the street and pay a small fee if you don't plan to go to the museums. You may also check out the free days in the museums and event calendars at choosechicago.com.

     > Next, go to the Millenium Park to see the CLOUD GATE (famous Chicago Bean Sculpture),  JAY PRITZER PAVILION (picture below) and LURIE GARDEN. You can bring your picnic blanket and snacks to relax on the grassy areas of the park if you don't want to spend $$ for food.  Keep walking and cross the bridge until you reach the Maggie Daley Park (http://maggiedaleypark.com/) where kids can spend hours of playing. This is newish and I've never been here. Something to check out when we go there next time.

This handsome guy, by the way, is my younger brother!

> Have you had enough walking yet? If not, head to Grant Park to see more sculptures and the astounding Buckingham Fountain.

 

                                                                                                      

> And because you're heading back to your parking lot, last stop for the day, CROWN FOUNTAIN. Don't forget to bring your kid's swimsuit and towel. I usually recommend this last because it's so hard to get the kids to stop playing in the water.

DAY 2:

     > Today you can go to NAVY PIER. After you park, go inside and head towards the front of the pier to go to the Chicago Children's Museum. Check out their website: chicagochildrensmuseum.org for hours and admissions.  FYI, Every first Sunday of the month is free admission for kids 15 and under. There's so many hands-on activities for kids and parents too! After that, you can go to the Crystal Gardens across the museum to walk around or check if there's exhibits or events.

   

    > Once you go out the Navy Pier's front yard, you will see the Polk Bros Park where kids can play. There's water fountain there too so bring towel and change of clothes just in case they want to play.

    > Next, head towards the right side of Navy Pier where you can walk along lake Michigan and see some more architectural designs. There's also bands playing sometimes so you can just buy your ice cream or churros to hang out and watch.

    > I recommend riding the Ferris Wheel for an awesome view of Chicago. There are also other rides such as Wave Swingers, Carousel, Light Tower Ride, and there's Miniature Golf as well. Check out https://navypier.com/ferris-wheel-rides/# for prices.

     > If you feel like spending a few more bucks, try the sightseeing boats that cruise along Lake Michigan. There's so many to choose from. Just go to navypier.com and check for cruises.

     > Last, but not the least, if you feel like doing some exercise, rent a bike or quadcycle and stroll along Lakeshore Drive. You can bike all the way from Navy Pier to North Avenue Beach or back to the pier and keep going up to Museum Campus, totally depends on how many calories you want to burn.

     > Do you still have energy? Drive along Michican Avenue's MAGNIFICENT MILE  or walk around to do some (window) shopping. Check out themagnificentmile.com for list of high end stores in the area including the American Girl Doll Shop. Don't forget to take pictures of the John Hancock Center, Water Tower Place, and the Tribune Tower.

   

EXTRA DAYS:

    >  If you have an extra day in Chicago, I will recommend going to LINCOLN PARK ZOO (lpzoo.org). This park is free and you can spend at least half a day in there. Outside of the zoo is the Lincoln Park Conservatory where you can find different plants from all over the world. Admission is free as well.

    > Are you feeling hot? After the zoo, go to NORTH AVENUE BEACH. It is open from May to September from 11am-7pm. Admission is free but parking is not. So if you plan to do both the zoo and the beach, try to look for a parking in between so it's not too far to walk and you don't have to pay for parking twice.

 

OTHER TIPS:

     > When you're in Chicago, make sure to try our Chicago deep dish pizza either from Lou Malnati, Giordano, Gino, Home Run Inn or Uno's Pizza. Also try our Italian beef and Chicago hotdog from Portillos Restaurant. The chocolate cake there is to die for and it's my favorite! And don't forget to bring home some Garrett Popcorns from Navy Pier or Michigan Avenue.

     > Parking is expensive so check out parkwhiz.com or spothero.com to find cheaper parking spots.

     > For all other deals in Chicago such as hotels and discounts on things to do, check groupon.com or livingsocial.com

 
If you're my families and friends and you decide to have a vacation in Chicago, just email or text me. You guys are more than welcome to visit and stay in our casa.

HAVE FUN AND ENJOY CHICAGO!

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TOP 10 REASONS TO HAVE A VACATION

     School had just ended but they already posted the schedule for 2015-2016. I got my calendar and planned my year from now until mid next year. When do you usually go vacation and how many days? Well, it actually depends on how much time off you can take.  For me, I usually plan a big vacation in the summer, usually the last weekend of July because me and my daughter, Abby, celebrate our birthdays. We also plan a small trip in the Fall because my hubby and other daughter, Bella, celebrate their birthdays in October. Isn't that something? Then comes winter and spring break. Oh yeah, we basically try to find excuses to have a vacation in every season.

      So what kind of trips do you have in mind?  I've come up with my top 10 reasons for a vacation:

1. VISIT FRIENDS AND FAMILIES

           Yes, this is #1 in my priority! It's always a good reason to go out of town to visit friends and families. Pros include getting free accommodations, eating good home cook foods, and having the best tour guides. Luckily, we have relatives and friends in California, New York and Vegas. It's awesome because hotels in these places are super expensive. They always take us to a lot of good local spots. That means, less homework for me to plan our itinerary. And the most important thing is that we really enjoy just spending time with them to catch up on our own current events.

2. NATIONAL PARKS

             No need to go out of the country. America is beautiful! There are so many places to see especially when you drive. To find out where to go, visit www.nps.gov. Most of them have entrance fees to the park, so if you plan to see a lot of them in a year, I recommend purchasing the annual pass for $80. You can buy them online or at the visitors center. Get a national park passport too so you can get a stamp every time you visit. It's a great souvenir. Among my favorites are Grand Canyon in Arizona, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion in Southern Utah, Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, and Acadia National Park in Maine. The views are breathtaking!

            If you have kids, there's always a Junior Ranger program in every parks. Just stop by the visitors center and they will give you the booklet. The kids have to answer the activities while exploring the park then if you turn it in, they will earn a badge. They love it!

3. THEME PARKS

           Another good reason to have a vacation is to visit theme parks in different places. This year, we planned to go to Six Flags a lot. Visit www.sixflags.com to check out locations. We purchased our Membership and Dining Plan (includes lunch, snack, and dinner) and it also comes with free parking. There are also days when you can bring a friend for free or at a discounted rate. Believe me, we got our money's worth already because we've been to Great America 3 times in 2 weeks. We might stop by the one in Atlanta or Missouri sometime this year.

          There's also Disney Parks (disneyparks.com), Universal Studios (universalstudios.com), Seaworld (seaworld.com), and Hershey Park (hersheypark.com). The more days you go, the cheaper the entrance fees per day. And take advantage of the resident rates too. If we live in Florida or California, for sure we'll go to these parks A LOT!

4.  MUSEUMS, BOTANICAL GARDENS, AQUARIUM AND ZOO

           My kids loved the Children's Museum when they were little. There's so many fun stuffs for them to do the whole day.  I used to have membership at the Chicago Children's Museum (chicagochildrensmuseum.com) and we went to the other Children's Museum in other states for free. I would also recommend checking out memberships for Museum of Science and Industry (msichicago.org), Shedd Aquariums (sheddaquarium.org), Botanical Gardens and Zoo. Some of them will let you go to their other locations for free or with discounted price. Don't forget to check out the museums free days too.

5. ALL INCLUSIVE VACATION

     These are really good deals. You pay one price for accommodations, foods and entertainment. I've never been to any "all inclusive vacation" in Jamaica, Dominican Republic, or Mexico. I'm not sure if I'll last being just in one place for so many days but I sure would love to give it a try. Last year, we tried our first cruise and its the BEST vacation ever! We said we'll have to do it every year. You can do this for as short as 3 days and for as long as 1 week. And if you're retired, there's even a cruise that will take you almost around the world for months! That will be great! My favorite cruise line is Carnival (carnival.com) because its very kid friendly. Actually it's the only cruise I've been so I guess we have to try the others too to compare. But I've heard that others such as Disney Cruise (super expensive), Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines are good too. 

6. BUCKET LIST

           Whats in your bucket list? I have a few in mine and I just keep on adding the list as I get older. One of them is to travel 50 states in the US, if not at least close to it, and I must say that I'm almost there! I want to do an Alaskan Cruise and go to Paris or Italy someday. I also want to try ziplining and swimming with the dolphins. Skydiving, not in my list! 

7. RACECATION

           Have I told you that I'm not a runner? I'm really not, but I was inspired to do it for 3 reasons: to lose weight, to have fun, and to travel. Last month, I did my first half marathon. I want it to be memorable so I signed up for the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Fredericksburg, VA. Well, the reason why I chose that too is that I've never been in that state and I want to make a trip to Washington DC on the way. So next time if you see me again doing a race outside of Chicago, that means its vacation time!

8. HOTELS, CABINS, CAMPING

           Do you have a favorite hotel? Mine is the Drury Hotel because they offer free breakfast and good selections of afternoon snack, or in our case, it's our dinner already. They have different locations in US. So far, we've been to the ones in St. Louis and New Orleans. 

           Cabin, I just love the smell and feel of it because it's so relaxing for me. We've been to the one in Tennessee when we went to Smoky Mountains. Check out greatoutdoorrentals.com for different kinds of cabins. I like this company because they dont charge for cleaning fee as long as you keep it the way it was when you got there (others charge $50-70 cleaning fee).  It has a grill, fireplace, pool table, swing and jacuzzi. I'd like to try some cabins in Wisconsin or Indiana so its closer to us.

            Camping, we're pro campers! Did you know that we camped half of our trip to Northeast Coast? It was awesome and so much cheaper than hotels. I'm a member of KOA campgrounds (koa.com) because I know what to expect when I camp with them. They have activities for kids, swimming pools, as well as clean bathrooms and showers. You also have a choice of camping in your tent, RV or even renting a cabin.

9. FOODIES

          I'm not a good cook but I love to watch cooking shows a lot. I'm a big fan of celebrity chefs. One time we went to Atlanta just to try Top Chef Richard Blais' restaurant (flipburgerboutique.com). Best burger I've ever tried! Or whenever we're in a different state, I check Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive Inn and Dives. Check out flavortownusa.com for locations of the restaurants he visited. 

10. HOLIDAYS

          Last but not the least, I just want to have a vacation because it's a holiday. Whether its Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Birthdays, Anniversary, or just to get out of Chicago.

         Whatever excuse you choose to have a vacation, always remember that spending time with your family is always PRICELESS! Enjoy life and relax!

"WE TRAVEL NOT TO ESCAPE LIFE, BUT FOR LIFE NOT TO ESCAPE US" 

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Everyone deserves a vacation!

        How many of you have said "I NEED A VACATION!"? I do! I think of it all the time. But with all our expenses, I have to do my homework to plan an awesome but affordable vacation. My family had been to almost 40 states in just 4 years. Are you wondering how we did it? In this blog, I will give you some ideas on how to see places and enjoy without breaking the piggy bank.

        But first, let me tell you about myself. I was born in the Philippines and moved here in US after college. 21 years old and I have a job, a car and my own apartment. How awesome is that! I met my husband, Francisco (Kiko), in the nursing home where we both worked. He was flirting with me, although he claimed that I was the one flirting with him. We have lots of things in common such as eating out and going to places. At that time, we only explored places that are 1-3 hours drive from Chicago. We're both immigrants so we're scared to drive too far! At that time, we didn't have GPS so we relied on Mapquest a lot! We dated for 3 years then decided to sign the dotted line. We just celebrated our 11th year anniversary last May. Yey,  I can't believe its been that long! We have 2 children named Abby (9 yrs old) and Bella (7 yrs old).  Last year, we bought our home in the west suburb of Chicago. The best parts are that my kids stay in the same school district as before and my workplace is just next exit, which is about 10 mins drive. Not for my hubby, he has to drive 45 mins to his work.

       Like most people do, we have a routine in our family. My hubby drops off the kids in the morning before going to work and I pick them up in the afternoon. We both work full time 5 days/week. Kiko is an IT Administrator in a park district and I am a Physical Therapist in a nursing home. Both our girls have after school activities so it's always busy, busy.....and did I say BUSY yet? It's exhausting! And did you know that I finally came to my senses and started running since January to lose some extra baby fats? Yes, I go to the gym at night 5x/wk at 8:30pm. That's the only time when the kids are done with everything and I can have time for myself (by the way, I lost almost 10 lbs). I always sleep at midnight and wake up at 6am to start the routine all over again!

      Have you read enough about my busy life? Okay, let's talk about vacation (finally!). Most of my friends and relatives have told me that we've been to more places than people who lived here all their lives. IT'S TRUE! They want to know the secret. How did we do all these trips with all our other expenses? The answer is easy....ROAD TRIPS!  I'm obsessive compulsive when it comes to travel so I do my research a lot and set only a certain budget...call me your "walking trip advisor"! So far, it works all the time and kids love it! I will give you tips on how to do it so you and your family don't have to do staycation all the time.

   

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