Happy Birth-month Blog!

I just recently came back from a vacation only to find my self needing a vacation from my vacation. Since I no longer have time to book a trip, I went ahead and booked my self  the most sure way to transport my self from all the stress in my "reality".

The spa that I go to has this "Close to Heaven" package  I told my self before that I will only get that package only when I feel that the time is right. Because I can't take pictures while getting things done, I just borrowed photos from the internet.

The Package includes:

A Foot Spa

Source

A Body Scrub

Source

A body bleaching session ( This is what it looks like, all white but only on the body and not on the face). Couldn't find a similar one on the internet.

Source

And a full body hard massage

Source

And yesterday, I bid November 2011 goodbye by spending literally half of the day just getting scrubbed off my old self (read: skin). I was so happy to know that my favorite therapist is finally back after 3 months of out of town vacation and I had my self my much needed hard massage that I've been lusting for, for quite sometime now.

And because I spent almost the entire day at the spa, they gave me a freebie treat to have hair hot oil treatment. My Kuya waited for me in the spa for more than four hours! ( I love having an older brother! Haha!) But hey he got some fancy treat at the spa as well.

Still trying to rummage through the several pictures from my birthday vacay but will try to find time before the year ends.

Yes,before the year ends.

It's December now! Can you believe it? This blog is officially a year old! I only remembered that it has been year just as I was typing "before the year ends".

Happy Birthday month Blog! I can't believe you have more than 21,200 page views in one year!

Thank you and Good Vibes everyone!

Cheers! <3

Hello Ventosa, We meet again

I was so stressed out last week from "almost-marrying-my-laptop" that I needed to have two massage in a week. I had a back massage and a pedicure on a Thursday, then I went back to the Spa last Sunday to have Ventosa done.

The first time I tried Ventosa or Cupping Therapy was back in... 2006 (I think). The Spa that I go to just recently offered Ventosa Back Massage back then and I decided to give it a go. Ventosa, according to Ezine Article is:

 is performed by placing glass on specific accupoints on your back. A technique is used to create a vacuum inside the glass placed on your back which lifts the skin. The practitioner then moves the cup toward the outside parts of the body sucking the air away.

The first time I tried it, I had my sister tag along with me to take pictures. Since my back looked like Philippine's Chocolate Hills in the pictures taken while on it, I just decided to just grab decent ones from the internet.

This is what it looks like:

This photo is from this blog

Ace Water Spa (Ortigas Branch)

Ace Water Spa's first branch is in Banawe, Quezon City and I first went there with my friend Mina. We went there on a weekday so that there'll be no one we know that we can bump into.

As part of my urban backpacking trip with my cousins, we went to Ace Water Spa's new branch which is in Ortigas (which is a good thing because it's nearer to the hotel where we're staying in for the weekend).

We got really lucky with Ace Water Spa! We were able to get their grand opening Buy 1-Take 1 promo of the 4 hours hydrotherapy massage for only Php275 each. (Php550 regular price)

Ace Water Spa Ortigas Branch

Sanctuario de San Pablo

I keep getting inquiries from friends in Manila about where to go in Laguna other than the forever Pansol Swimming Pools and Private Resorts... then I remembered... Sanctuario de San Pablo!


Last year, just around this time of the year, I went straight from work, took a bus and headed to Sanctuario de San Pablo. I met up with my cousins there because my cousin Stewart and his Mom discovered the place because it's en route to our grandma's house.


WARNING: Photos are not intentionally for blogging purposes so I just chose the decent ones that can be acceptable to blogging standards. 

For updated second entry, click HERE and Accommodations section HERE

The entrance

Spa and Catch Up

I'm sticking to my promise to post things this month about the things that I love. And this post goes to... spa and catch up!


For as long as I can remember, my cousin Jihan and I has been doing this usual catch up by going to the spa or salon together. Either to get a massage, a mani-padi then head out to the nearest cafe or resto to eat. Funny, we both lived in the city but we hardly have time to really see each other there. 


So when I retired from the BPO world and moved back to elbi, I always look forward to her coming home at least once a month. I feel like she's my connection to my old world. Plus, she's just super fun to talk to that's why I'm super glad she's my cousin.


Today, she filed for a VL (Vacation Leave) just for her to attend UP fair and at the same time get mani-pedi at our regular spa destination. I remember the last time I went with her to have our mani-pedi session. She wanted to try the "paraffin package" where they apply/dip your feet to a melted candle-like substance (wax) that's super hot and she went nuts! Her feet has thinner skin so her tolerance for the substance is quite low.


Paraffin wax, according to wisegeek, are treatments are luxurious spa treatments that are intended to moisturize and soften the skin. Paraffin wax treatments are most often applied to the hands and feet as components of manicures and pedicures respectively.


But this time, she can tolerate the wax more compared before, that's why I just to have it documented. :)

My cousin's hand paraffin wax

The orange liquid is the melted wax

I don't recommend getting a "kwik dry" after getting your toe nails painted

 The "Quick Dry" polish makes your pedi dry faster; but it just leaves the surface dry but still wet on the inside of the coat. 

Poor Over-walked feet

It's best to have a pedi every two weeks

 Then we went to Cafe Antonio in elbi square to grab something to eat before Jihan goes to Feb fair to meet her college friends. She said that she wanted to try their coffee because she heard that its good. 


Cafe Antonio in elbi is one of the pretty good coffee shops in elbi.  You can check their site here. 

Panini

Tuna on top of a biscuit

Tuna Panini

Trying the cam upclose

The spaghetti is good

Can you believe that this costs P290.00 all in?

PickMeUppers: Mani-Pedi

Earlier today I had a little nega vibe hangin around in me. I blame it on the PMS. So it's a good thing, my cousin paid me a visit and we decided to hit the spa.

One of my cousin and I's favorite bonding activity is going to the spa for either a massage or a mani-pedi.


A quote from Cosmo Phils Magazine, November 2010 Issue:

So we did. (But that's not us below)

Today I decided to have my toes french tip-ed:

My nails got a different color:

I like how my manicurist, Mylene, paints my nails. She makes sure the brush reaches the sides of my nails, and the stroke of the nail color brush is consistent.


My cousin decided to get a paraffin wax:


Paraffin Wax treatments are defined as:

"Paraffin wax treatments are luxurious spa treatments that are intended to moisturize and soften the skin. Paraffin wax treatments are most often applied to the hands and feet as components of manicures and pedicures respectively. Paraffin wax is unlike more common spa wax that is used for hair removal on the face and body. That type of wax is much more viscous and bonds to the skin." (Source: WiseGeek )

I like how therapists really take care of you:

My Cousin also had her hands waxed:

Her hand was all sweaty when the wax was peeled off

A guy beside me was getting his Pick-Me-Upper as well.

And while waiting for my nails to dry, I usually go through all the colors of the nail color that they have and discovered almost similar shade and name of the nail color, manufactured by different brands. 

Meet Violet Velvet (Brand:Chic) and Blue Velvet (Caronia)

After  2 hours in the spa just for mani-pedi,( well my cousin had several stuff lined up for her) we decided it's time to go.

Note: I do not recommend putting on a "quick-dry" solution. It'll only make the surface dry, but the deeper part, like the middle part of the painted nail is nt yet done. I read somewhere that if you want to make sure that your nails are now ready, make sure to do the ff:

• Double coat is the max, do not exceed with the color/ nail color application. 
• Listen to 3 songs consecutively while basically doing noting. (Just waiting for your nails to dry.)
• Dip your fingertips into a cold water for 10 seconds and pull it up. Then Air Dry.

I tried it and it worked!