Is that our name?

Yesterday afternoon, we were at Robinson's Supermarket to grab a quick snack when I happen to notice the name of one employee.

It's a combination of me and my husband's name. I couldn't help but ask for a picture of his ID. Totally amazing!

You think you don't need PhilHealth?

Think again!

If you're wise and you think about protecting your family, you shouldn't neglect your health care insurance. PhilHealth is a Philippine Government health care program. It only costs Php300.00 every quarter and you get both outpatient and inpatient coverage. It may not be as comprehensive as American health care but it's not bad, eh?

For the past years, I had very little knowledge about my insurance and benefits. My recent resignation pushed me to take a closer look of our coverage. Soon enough, Gilbert and I headed to the Angeles City branch. I was honestly expecting an exhausting and difficult experience like all the horror stories I hear about local government offices. To my surprise, it took us only less than an hour to accomplish what we intend to do.

We were informed politely by the security guard/information assistant on what form to fill-up and which area to proceed. The next lady from the Membership Section was very friendly and concerned about our queries. I deactivated my membership so that Gilbert can add me as his dependent. After about ten minutes, they handed our new Member Data Record so our last step was to proceed to the Cashier and pay for our coverage. It was that easy!

There were enough chairs for everyone and best of all, the entire room was cool enough so waiting for a few minutes doesn't make people frown. Kudos to the management of PhilHealth Angeles City! The office is located at Nepo Mart II, Nepo Commercial Complex, Angeles City.

homemade body scrub

Scrubbing your skin at least once or every other month will help remove dead skin cells and promote healthy skin. There are numerous spa centers within Angeles City and body scrub service ranges from Php420-Php850. If you want to cut down your personal expenses, just head towards your kitchen cabinet and make your own body scrub.


Begin by hunting for ingredients that will exfoliate and moisturize your skin. I'm sure you have brown sugar, salt or coffee in your kitchen cabinet. Your next step is to look for a moisturizer such as coconut oil, olive oil, honey or avocado. These will keep your skin looking younger and smooth. Then adding a little fragrance or aroma such as vanilla or lemon will make a nice complement.

NOTE: If you're allergic to any of these ingredients, please do not use them as a scrub.

Here's my favorite homemade scrub recipe:

Mix together one cup brown sugar, one cup organic oatmeal, one half cup honey and about three tablespoon of lemon or calamansi juice. Apply the mixture all over your neck, arms, body and legs with gentle, circular motions. Let it dry for a minute then rinse off with lukewarm water.

You don't need to spend a fortune to look and feel great. All you need to do is put together the right ingredients that appeals to you and enjoy your healthy smooth skin!

Hotel Vida - A Review

August 8, 2008 was detox time from our busy lives as we took a day off and spent an overnight stay at Hotel Vida. This hotel is a true gem! It is located in Clark Special Economic Zone, Angeles City and it is nearby all that you would want to do in and around Clark.


What I like about it: It took me only about 15 minutes to make a phone reservation. We were then entertained promptly when we arrived. Our junior suite room was decorated exquisitely. We even have fresh fruits as welcome tokens for our stay.

The kitchen was very cozy with its modern style furniture.

Gilbert enjoyed the spacious living room and the comfy trundle bed.

The pool side view from our soft bed is also marvelous and the ambiance is very relaxing. All hotel staff were courteous and accommodating.

Salt Cafe/Restaurant was also excellent for fine dining. Waiters and chefs served us with a smile. Well worth the money!

What needs to be improved: First, they could have used bigger bathtubs in the hotel rooms. Don't get me wrong. The tub is clean and comfortable to soak in but my 5'11 hubby just couldn't fit in. I also realize that the tub is really small because water is rolling off the bath tub side and sliding off the edge when we shower. Second, when I made our reservation, I was guaranteed that Wi-Fi connection is free of charge. When we got our total bill, I was surprised to see an additional Php500 charge for Internet. Well, I was totally in-love with the place so I didn't protest about the misunderstanding anymore. We were very satisfied overall. We highly recommend it to our friends and relatives.

My ratings for this hotel are:
4 of 5 = Check in / front desk
5 of 5 = Quality of Service
5 of 5 = Value for Price
4 of 5 = Rooms (Bathroom, Kitchen, etc.)
5 of 5 = Cleanliness

You can view more about Hotel Vida by visiting their site: http://www.hotelvidaclark.com/