A Mother-Daughter Date

From time to time, I try to take my girls on one-on-one dates; just short trips to the nearby fast food restaurant where we could sit and enjoy a meal while we talk. A few months ago, I promised my eldest that if she accomplished something in school, we would eat at a restaurant (not too fancy, but not the regular fast food or in a food court either) and I would take her shopping. Well, Caila did, and of course I gladly kept my part of the bargain.

Asian Lunch Buffet at Liwan, Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana

For the past few months, my family and I have been having our Saturday lunches in fast food restaurants or food courts in the malls.  Not exactly healthy, I know, but we're always outside at 1pm, and by then, we're all hungry and we want quick fixes to fill our growling tummies. However, last Saturday was different as we were treated to a delectable spread of Asian cuisine in Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana.

No Christmas Tree? Attend Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies!

Oh hi there! How have you been? If you've been wondering why this space has been quiet for some time, well...I had been planning to update it early this month, but then things got busy (like it always does during this time of the year), and before I knew it, we're just few days away before Christmas.

Ahh, Christmas! Isn't this season just great? Busy, yes, but still great, right?  Practically everybody loves this holiday.  And to get into the festive feel, and since we didn't put up a tree this year (don't ask because I have no explanation), our family attended Christmas tree lighting ceremonies almost every night during the first week of December.

Shayan Restaurant's Meter Kebab

Thankful and fortunate, Hubby and I joined other media, press, and bloggers at Shayan Restaurant’s launch of their newest offering last week.

I like that this restaurant in Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana unites the traditions of two of the most ancient and prominent culinary cultures of the Middle East: Lebanon and Iran. Fusing authentic kitchen techniques and flavours with contemporary design and modern presentation, this restaurant provides a culinary experience to diners like no other.

Couple Time at Zen the Spa

Hi everyone! How was your Valentine’s Day?

Mine wasn’t anything other than normal. Since early this month, Hubby has been working at their site office somewhere in Jumeirah, and he’s been working longer hours than usual, so he usually arrives home late, hungry, and very tired. Naturally, you can expect that yesterday wasn’t any different. I didn’t mind though, because he more than made up for it the night before. I was still on a high from what the KFC hubbies did and the lyrics of their harana kept playing in my mind, anyway ☺

And fortunately last week, we were able to get a little bit of couple time when we went to Al Ghurair Rayhaan to attend Zen the Spa’s Pre-Valentine event. We were late and, to my dismay, we practically missed the entire program because I had gone somewhere earlier and traffic was really heavy; but luckily, Ferry was nice and understanding. Later, he called Anna, one of the spa’s therapists, and they gave Mauh (of Blessed Days in Dubai), me, and our hubbies a private tour around.

Iftar at Liwan Restaurant

During the first week of Ramadan this year, I was fortunate to have received an invitation to an Iftar event for press and bloggers at Liwan Restaurant in Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana. Hubby (my constant +1) had someplace else to go to, so I asked one of my good friends Ann to go with me.

Sandstorm, Little Chefs, and Ski Dubai

Could you guys believe the sandstorm we had two Thursdays ago? I honestly thought the they had overly exaggerated it in MI3, but when we looked outside the windows and saw how planet Mars-like everything was, we realized that the movie was actually spot on. From morning until early afternoon, we could barely see the nearby buildings; all we could see was sand, sand, and more sand. It was crazy!

Ushering in Nowruz at Shayan Restaurant

Living in a place like Dubai, you cannot miss the different celebrations that are observed by the various nationalities here. One of them is Nowruz, the Persian New Year which falls on the first day of spring. In preparation of this, Al Ghurair Rayhaan invited press and bloggers to celebrate at their specialty restaurant Shayan, an event that was just too good to pass up.

Guest Post: Hubby's Experience at Zen the Spa

Remember I won a session at Al Ghurair Rayhaan's Zen the Spa? Well, Hubby also wanted a massage, so he checked out the hotel’s website, and lo and behold, they had a promotion going on where you could avail a 50% discount off their packages just by downloading their coupon! Of course he did this right away, and he instantly told me to book an appointment for us that Saturday. Being the obedient wife I am (hehehe), I did, and we made sure our schedules were clear for that afternoon. Anyway, since he’s the one who enjoyed the session more than I did, I’ll let him share his experience. So, ladies and gentlemen, my first ever guest and his first blogging stint…my husband, Christian (aka Guchi). Take it away, Mahal! =) 

Look Good Feel Good at Zen the Spa

A few weeks ago, I joined a Twitter Party hosted by Grace of Sandier Pastures and Al Ghurair Rayhaan. There were 2 prizes of 60 minutes massage treatment each at Zen the Spa, and as luck would have it, I was one of the winners.

Yaaaaaaay!!!