Anniversary Dinner at Il Ristorante – Niko Romito, The Bvlgari Resort

Since Hubby works in the construction industry, he often proudly points out the projects he worked/is working on whenever we pass by them. I’ve only entered a couple, but most of them we just admire from afar.

For our 10th wedding anniversary this year, Hubby booked us in Il Ristorante – Niko Romito which is located at one of his past projects. I remember the countless days he had stressing over almost everything when he was working on The Bvlgari Resort. Well, he always stresses over all the projects he works on ☺ But what probably made this different was it’s a luxury property and the demands were great, so the stress level was really high. Which is also the reason why he was particularly proud of this one.

How to Get a Papal Blessing Parchment

Years ago, I told Hubby that I wanted us to have a renewal of vows for our tenth wedding anniversary.  I wanted to have another wedding, complete with an entourage, with me wearing a beautiful wedding gown and hubby wearing a tux, and reception dinner, Unfortunately, we never set aside any budget for it nor did we actually sit down and plan anything, and since our anniversary is in three months, you can be sure that that idea won't be pushing through.

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.

A Cheesy, Yet Sweet Pre-Valentine’s Day Surprise

Days before yesterday, I knew our group of Kids for Christ coordinators was going to have a pre-Valentine’s dinner on Saturday night (some wives didn’t, though), but I didn’t know where. But then I saw this tweet from Asiana Hotel yesterday afternoon 

and for a reason I can't explain, I immediately felt or knew that Manila Grill was where the dinner was going to be. Originally, I thought “What will happen to the husbands’ plans if the hotel is closed off?” But after I shared the tweet to our group on WhatsApp, all the wives kept teasing and increased their expectations. The wives who didn’t know anything were saying things like
“Dyan ba ang surprise nyo sa amin?”
“Kaya pala nagpapasama ang asawa ko sa Deira mamaya.”
I even joked “Ang bongga ha! Napasara nyo ang Asiana?!” and “Formal wear ba? Kailangan bang naka-dress? ☺”

Spa Treat for Our KFC Daddies

When you think of spa treats, you automatically assume women are the ones being pampered. However, last week, as our (advanced) Father’s Day treat for them, it was the hubbies in our group of friends who were taken care of.

Since Father’s Day falls on a Sunday which is the first day of the working week here, we decided to give them their surprise on Thursday night, so that they would really enjoy and relax right after a busy work week and before the weekend.

Friday Brunch at Al Dawaar, Hyatt Regency

Our Mom and Dad from Germany are currently in town. Their last visit was 4 years ago, and this time they brought along Mom’s relatives, so we took them around the city again to show the different sights. One of the places we took them to last Friday was Al Dawaar in Hyatt Regency for brunch. It will be Hubby’s and my 7th anniversary later this month, and since they’ve never been there before, we decided to treat them there as an early celebration.

We were served appetizing bread and butter almost as soon as we sat down at our table, which Caila and Sophie just couldn’t get enough of. However, we made sure not to stuff ourselves too much of the bread so that we had room in our tummies for real food. We all had a light breakfast earlier (the night before, I told them not to eat too much), so we enjoyed practically everything that was served on the spread, especially the dessert!

Our Mother’s Day Surprise

If you think our evening on the 7th of May ended uneventfully after Anne’s concert, think again.  Our husbands had planned something for us that swept us off our feet.  Here's what happened...

When Hubby fetched me, he wasn’t in Pepper. He had walked! His reason? He had been waiting for a while, but because there were so many cars causing a traffic jam in the area, he decided to park the car instead and walk to meet me. I was like “Huh?! Hindi kaya! Gumagalaw naman ah!”

Anyway, so we walked to the place where he said he left the car. On the way, he asked if Bentoya was still open because he was feeling hungry. Since we were going to the airport to fetch his friend arriving from the Philippines, I said we could eat there instead. Still he insisted that he wanted to eat Japanese food, so I just agreed.

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! =) 

Our Postponed / Extended V-Day

I know the Day of Hearts was a week ago, but I wanted to share how ours went. Humor me, ok? =)

Valentine’s Day fell on a weekend (for most) this year. It was a working Saturday for me, so while I was stuck at the office, Hubby was at the KFC monthly activity. At around 10:30am, he called me to go down the office building and I just knew he had something for me. I was right.

A Late Birthday Gift of Time

A couple of weeks ago, I finally bought my gift for Hubby’s birthday (which was last December 6). Yeah, I know… overdue and very late. I had good reasons though: (1) I was waiting for the DSF sales and promos, and (2) It was taking him a long time to choose. Again =) The thing is, I didn’t want to get him another gadget. My past gifts to him were a laptop, iPhone 4, LED television screen, and Samsung Galaxy Note (I can’t remember which one, though). I knew he would have loved to receive a pair of Jordan shoes but he had several of those already, and I didn’t want to feed on his hobby. What I wanted to give him was a watch. The catch was he’s never worn or owned a watch during his entire adult life; the last one he had was when he was still in college, so I didn’t know what he would like.

A Great Wedding Gift Idea

Hubby and I were part of the service team of our CFC cluster’s Marriage Enrichment Retreat 1 that took place over the weekend, and definitely we were busy. Hubby was the head of the Marshalls and Logistics Committee while I was part of the Child Care Committee. Fortunately, the overnight activity took place in Auris Hotel at Tecom (unlike past MERs that took place in other emirates), so the journey going to and from there wasn’t long.

Anyway, I just wanted to share the souvenir that the participants received. It was such a nice token, the service team also ordered these souvenirs as well.

It’s a Marriage Memory Jar! Whenever something good or special happens, the couple will just need to write the details on a piece of paper, and put it inside. Or if they go out on a date, they can get a remembrance from that event (a paper napkin from the restaurant, a movie ticket, stationery from the hotel, etc. ) and put that in. It’s a nice way to remember all the special things that they shared and went through together.

One thing that makes it a memory jar especially for (church) married couples, is the sand. There are 3 different colors of sand inside: neutral (white-brown), blue, and orange. There’s an explanation for this.

In all marriages, there is the husband (blue) and wife (orange). But a couple alone can never make their marriage work. Someone should be part of it. Of course I’m not talking about having an affair. I’m talking about God…who is the only third person that can should be part of every relationship. Without Him as the foundation, couples won’t be able to face and overcome the problems that come their way…their marriage wouldn’t last.

Initially, the jars were distributed with only the neutral colored sand in the jar, and the blue and orange sands were given separately.

At the signal during the program, the couples poured in their colored sands into their jars together, at the same time, and were asked to mix them well. The challenge given to them was if the day comes when one or both of them want to part ways (and for sure, that day will happen), they need to separate the different grains of sand. If they could do that, then and only then can they break up.

Practically impossible to do, of course.

Which is why the jar was such a nice token for the MER1. And why I think it’s such a great wedding gift idea. Or even a wedding anniversary gift to couples.

And it’s not expensive too! All you need is a big glass jar, normal sand (from the beach), 2 different colored sands (the ones used for ours were from Ikea; any colors will do), different colored papers to write down memories in, and whatever things you want to use to decorate the jar.

Simple, easy, yet very meaningful.

6 Years Ago and Today

Sorry for the Silent Treatment...

...but I'm currently having a great time in Germany.

I'll be back with lots of posts about our trip as soon as I can when we return to Dubai.

Tchus!

Day 27: 18 April - Surprise Rose

I wasn’t feeling well so I stayed home with the girls while Hubby went out to buy some groceries. When he rang the bell, I opened the door and saw him with a long-stemmed rose between his teeth. It was so unexpected and so sweet!

Day 21: 12 April - Boodle Fight at Asian Flavors

My first boodle fight

And everything was super delicious and super sulit!

There were 4 different boodle fights to choose from, which are good for 4 to 5 (or 6, depending on your appetites) people, and they all include drinks and dessert…for only Dhs199.

And fortunately for me and Hubby, they allow take-away if you have leftovers.  You didn't think the two of us managed to eat everything, did you?! =)

Asian Flavors

Baghdad cor. Damascus St., Al Qusais

Phone: 04-2359690

Day 8: 30 March - Family Time at Home

Before leaving for work in the morning, Hubby and I sat down to pray together.

We received a delicious cake when the General Manager of Riviera Hotel came to the office for a meeting.

After so many evenings of being busy and going home late, Hubby and I finally had a free night to bond with our daughters.

Caila led the prayer again before going to sleep. She asked Papa God for the same thing (to give her a good dream), but it was longer and more elaborate.

Day 3: 25 March - Coffee Date

Morning conversations with Hubby while sharing a cup of cappuccino.

thankful thursday: skyping with hubby

Thanks to Skype, we can see and talk and be goofy with each other even though we’re miles apart.

what made my heart smile on valentine’s day

Belated Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 

So, how did you celebrate the day of hearts? Dinner by candlelight? Movie-date? Or did you just opt to stay at home and enjoy the freedom from the traffic and crowds?

When Hubby went away last Thursday for a business trip, I thought that my Valentine’s Day would just be like an ordinary day. However, this was not the case. Although we didn’t get gifts for each other (we actually don’t celebrate this occasion that much), there were some nice things that I received which made my heart smile yesterday.

Last year, Caila had given me a card which she had made from school.  But this year, she was sick and absent for most of the week.  So what she did was write this small note first thing in the morning after I greeted her Happy Valentine's Day and gave it to me as soon as she finished

The day before, I had informed our ET barkada that I was going to have a lonely Valentine because Hubby was away.  But, yesterday afternoon, as the T’s dropped me and my daughters off at home after a party we all attended, they surprised me with this

Then in the evening, Hubby finally got the chance to call and spoke to all of his girls (me, Caila and Sophie), and later sent me this image on WhatsApp

Now who wouldn’t feel loved after getting all that?

the erik santos-parokya ni edgar-eraserheads concert

A concert where Parokya ni Edgar and Eraserheads perform back to back is definitely one for the books. So of course I was absolutely thrilled when I won a couple of tickets to this rare event. Although we liked both groups, I was more of a PNE fan while Hubby favoured the E-Heads more. Still, it was a great opportunity to watch them live, so in the afternoon of the 27th of December, we headed to the Meydan Racecourse for our date.

It said on the tickets that the gates would open at 4pm, but we were only let in more than an hour later. Good thing the weather was still cool. While waiting, Hubby and I took pictures.

And since the RJs of Tag 91.1 were also hanging out in that area, we took pictures with them too.

Finally, the organizers started letting the people in. We first had to queue in separate lines (men and women) according to the area specified in our tickets, have our bags checked, and were each given concert paper wristbands.  Then we took pictures again.

We were getting pretty hungry by the time we entered the grounds, so we went to the NKD Pizza booth to order pizza and bottles of water for ourselves.

my date while waiting for our pizzas

 After we had our fill, we headed to the area which had the perfect view of the artists who would be performing…right in front of the stage!

We didn’t have to wait too long because a while later, Louie Da Costa, Maria Maldita, Chikay, and Bob Kebab came out and started entertaining the crowd with their conversations and jokes. And then shortly after that, Erik Santos came out. I’m not a fan of Erik’s, but that night I realized that he actually has a nice and powerful voice. Sorry naman; I don’t get to watch ASAP kasi. And in fairness, ang gwapo pala nya! Hahaha! Being a balladeer, he mostly sang love songs and a few upbeat ones as well. My favorites were Miss You Like Crazy and Sana Ngayong Pasko. Nakakakilig lang.

When Parokya ni Edgar performed on stage, that was my favourite part of the evening. Chito was really funny and accommodating, singing most of the songs that the crowd asked for. He sang Bagsakan by himself, the original of which was sung with Francis M. and Gloc 9, and he also gave in to a fan’s joking request and sang Elesi, which we all knew isn’t theirs. Hubby was disappointed that they didn’t sing Ang Parokya, but I guess they didn’t have enough time to sing all their hits. Anyway, I really liked that Chito was game and entertaining, talking to the crowd in between songs, making jokes while lightly referring to his recent scandal, and thanking his fans for all their support.

Of course, the Eraserheads were the final performers of the night…well, the last ones that we watched. Compared to PNE, they were able to sing more songs in the time they were given onstage. I guess the major reason why is Ely didn’t really talk that much to the crowd. They mostly sang and played their instruments. Suplado masyado, but I heard that he’s really like that. Oh well. Basta kami, nag-enjoy kahit papaano.

In between the three Filipino artists, MC Jin (an American Chinese rapper) and Lira (a South African singer) also took the stage and entertained the crowd. Lira sang mostly soul and jazz music; and although it’s not particularly my cup of tea, she was ok. I also don’t fancy rap songs, but surprisingly, I enjoyed MC Jin’s performance. He was pretty cool and most of the messages in his songs had sense and meaning; not just about cars and the beach and other trivial things. He mentioned that he had starred in 2 Fast 2 Furious with Paul Walker, and rapped some lines as a tribute. When his crew were giving away his CDs, I eagerly managed to get one of them. That’s another advantage of being in the front =)

And to top it off, I won another treat from Tag that night! Some time in between performances, the RJs were playing the Bring Me game, asking the crowd for different items. Chikay was sitting on the barrier about 2 people away from me when she asked for a picture of at least one Tag RJ. I immediately whipped out Tisay, opened the Gallery folder and quickly showed her the picture of me with them which we had taken earlier. Panalo agad! She jokingly commented that they didn’t look like RJs because they didn’t have enough make-up on and they looked haggard.

our loots

Falling in love again, jamming, singing, and winning…all in one night. What a great way to celebrate our December monthsary.