2014 Couple Date Nights: Wensha Spa Pampering!

Since our first date night involves only the two of us enjoying a comedy movie, we chose a date that includes couple of friends for this week's date - pampering at Wensha Spa!

My friend Leily's flight back to US was at 6am of Wednesday and she needs to be at the airport at dawn. So instead of letting her wait alone and sleep at the aiport, I thought of inviting Leily and Jean to join me and Raymond for our weekly date. Leily's friend Walter happened to be in town so it's like a double - date with a third wheel. sorry Jean lol!

Why Is It Cost - Effective? WENSHA SPA is a 24/7 facility and there's one by the airport in front of World Trade Center in Pasay. For any service availed of, one could stay for eight (8) hours inside the facility (including the time of the availed services). So if you want a whole body massage,for example, you will pay P780which comes with a free use of steam bath, dry sauna, hot jacuzzi and cold whirlpool. It also comes with free provision of lockers with safety automated wristband locker key system, robes, shorts and towels (and there are toothbrushes, toothpastes, comb and lotion for free use). But that's not all! The P780 (or P680 for foot spa) also comes with a free complimentary food - an eat-all-you-can buffet of Shabu shabu and ready -to-eat Filipino dishes, bottomless juice drinks and ice cream,available anytime during the 8-hour stay.

Given Leily's early flight, going to Wensha Spa is a great idea since she goes home fully recharged and ready to start work right away with the relaxing whole body massage and she was able to sleep / rest after the massage. For our weekly date, this is very cost effective since it is much cheaper than what we would normally spend for our regular massage at TonTon's (P300), dinner (usually P400) and breakfast (usually P300) and accommodation at hotel (Sogo lol) to use their sauna and jacussi (P1,500 cheapest) and it has no steam bath!

Romantic and Fun?. It was FUN to the highest level! I love the time we are actually cooking with friends, serving each other [and getting naked among female friends at the jacussi] which removes my inhibitions when I'm with my husband. And oh yes, getting a simultaneous "rub" is truly romantic. Although Raymond and I were on separate rooms during the actual massage, we both know that we are getting the same strokes that we could both apply to each other when we are at home.

The night after our Wensha Spa pampering is to date our "best night" ever as a couple! SUCCESS Baby!!

2014 Couple Date Nights: Watching A Comedy Movie!

"honey, there are far too many "lovely" fishes in the sea, but you're the one for me!- Raymond ".

That was our first date when we were sweethearts! Now that we are married, we vow to go on romantic dates once a week as part of our 2014 resolutions. But not just any dates but with a new twist - since the date has to still be romantic, fun, sweet but inexpensive or involves no money at all (to let us save for our escape fund!) So for our first date for the year - we watched My Little Bossings!

"hubby has now loosened up to take this romantic selfie after the movie"

Why Is It Cost - Effective? "My Little Bossings" is a family - oriented comedy movie entry for the Metro Manila Filmfest which featured Vic Sotto (the bossing) and the debut on movie screen of Ryzza Mae Dizon and Bimby Aquino (son of Kris Aquino who also starred in the movie). I was given two free passes by a co-alumnus of Pres. Sergio Osmena High School, which we exchanged for movie ticket at the SM North Edsa. We paid P6 for each ticket so that's only Php 12. For snacks - we have two (2) hotdog on sticks (for me!) and hubby got a hotdog sandwich for a total of Php 145. We splurged a little on drinks by having choco chip cream from a nearby Starbucks (just because I'm collecting stickers for a grab of 2014 Planner!). This cost us Php 330.

"Mhe-anne, You are my little bossing" - Raymond

Romantic and Fun? Oh - Yes! This was our "first" Pinoy movie together and we were laughing the whole time so we don't care if the story line is very simple or lack any depth. Who was looking for depth anyway? We just want to spend time together and get entertained and that exactly what happened! And it was easy to relate with the characters as evidenced by our conversation just before going to bed -

Mhe-anne: Ang ganda ng "My Little Bossings, ano honey?
Raymond: Yes, my little bossing!!! Haha.

He now calls me his little bossing or sometimes my cutie bossing! Sweet!!

2014 Vision Board: Goals As A Couple!

I wrote my new year's resolutions for 2014 which relate to hubby and our marriage. But aside from this blog post, there's nothing concrete to remind me of our goals. So for the sake of the forgetful me, I created our vision board.

Topping our vision board are "words and pictures" that relate to our financial goals - WEALTH! This 2014, both hubby and I are self - employed! It is a good thing because we can do business while taking our dream vacations. Then, as we gain more moneys from our businesses, we want to become better money managers by 1. having a budget 2. saving first 3. avoiding debts (we don't have any credit cards!)4. picking the best bank for our 4 separate bank accounts - one ATM account for our monthly budget / expenses, current account for monthly investments and mortgages, foreign account for our "escape fund" and another ATM account for our emergency fund; and 5. continue our Pag-Ibig savings even as self-employed!

Then for our other goals, I asked hubby five (5) questions which I found on the stack of papers while sorting my files in our mini library. I do not know the source of these questions so I don't know who to acknowledge. What I know is that I printed them years ago to ask during dates lol. Anyway, our common answers to these questions become "our goals"!

If You Could Travel To Another Country, Where Would You Want To Go? Definitely DUBAI! I have long wanted to go to Dubai when I was still single, but there was always a hindrance. I guess we can conquer Dubai double this time!

What Would Your Ideal Vacation Be? We want a picture - perfect holiday in Dubai checking in their treasured traditions or immersing each other in a totally unknown place. Or heart-pumping escapes in AUSTRALIA and JAPAN, both destinations I have been to before but I don't mind checking it out again with my hubby!

Since Wealth and Vacation goals are in for a long haul or a continuing goal year after year, we ask this question What Is Something You Would Like To Do As A Couple This Year? to have something more time - bound goals to work on! Our top 4 goals - 1. a BABY, a bundle of joy while we are still somewhat young; 2. a new TRUCK, possibly as a replacement of our 2010 Sportivo since we want to take our business to the destination of our dreams and D-Max fit us more than an SUV. Am I selling our Sportivo? Why not! We only need one car. 3. a new passport for hubby so we can go to Dubai, Australia or Japan. 4. more daring dates (hmm.I guess this still relate to the "baby". So the next question -

When You Think of Date Night, Which Date Stands Out The Most To You?. We love those dates where we share, talk, find time, eat to reconnect and nurture, learn, serve, give our best and celebrate each moment and interaction. Dates that do not cost much, but matters!

And last but not the least - What Is Something You Want To Accomplish Within Five Years? A Journey to Forever! getting sealed as a family for all time and eternity and a life full of happiness and prosperity!

Welcome 2014! We Are Ready For You!

My New Year's Resolutions As Newlywed!

I love to make new year's resolutions when I was single, so I thought it would be good to continue making one now that I am married. Of course, my resolutions now include stuff that relates to hubby, our marriage and the wife I have always want to be - patient, fun and positive.

Being married for three (3) months and the experiences, challenges and moments we have had in those short period is my springboard to the items I want to accomplish in 2014! I shared some to hubby as its accomplishment depends heavily on him, and it would be good that he agrees or feels comfortable.

Relationship Goals
The ideas from No. 5 to 10 were taken from the Top Ten Suggested New Year's Resolution For Couples.

1. Cuddle everyday no matter what!

2. Schedule a weekly date - every Thursday night with hubby!

3. Work 8 hours a day only - and be a wife for the rest of the time!

4. Surprise hubby once a month.

5. Vow not to keep secrets from each other.

6. Only say positive things about your spouse to family and friends.

7. Flirt with each other.

8. Learn your partner’s “love language” and find some way to show him or her that you love her in your partner’s own love language.

9. Promise yourself that this is the year to learn forgiveness.

10. Start a gratitude journal. Every day, write one thing about your life together that you like and appreciate.

Financial Goals

1. Understand our finances and make a detailed list of expenses that we need to deal with. Decided on a budget and live with it!

2. Pay our respective tithing.

3. Go grocery shopping at S & R twice a month only!

4. Apply for new health insurance together with maternity benefits.

5. Have our "escape fund" for our honeymoon trip to Thailand.

6. Save 10% of our respective income.

7. Have an emergency fund.

Fun Goals

1. Get my hubby a passport.

2. Give hubby and myself a "once" a month time out with friends.

3. Attend temple weekly.

2013 - A Year of Journeys, Not Travels...

*Re-post from My Comings and Goings blog.

Compared to 2012 where I had a dozen combo trips around the United States, Singapore, Germany, Indonesia, United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Philippines, I have only been to a handful of trips within the country in 2013 and one might say that this year was a letdown in terms of traveling. I agree that I have fewer travels, but I still consider 2013 as my best year ever - as it has held a lot of "firsts" and tons of beautiful memories on the road with my then beau and now hubby Raymond. Those moments are far more meaningful than just seeing places!

Here's a look back at My 2013 Planner which I let you took a peek at the beginning of the year. Overall, I was able to achieve that one thing to do monthly but not really in the months that I thought it would happen - but at least it happened and I enjoyed the journey!

JANUARY 5, 2013. I have detoxified and started a healthy living when I accepted my boyfriend's Forever Living Products and frequented our visit in Nuvali, Sta.Rosa to lose some pounds and get rid of my not so lovable love handles around this evo-living haven. We drive here weekly to get a feel of what it's like to actually live there since Raymond owns a house five to ten minutes away. Nuvali is my best kind of place to enjoy a smell of fresh air, water taxi ride, fish feeding, silent moments at the park and oppotune times to recreate our first date in Paseo de Santa Rosa.

FEBRUARY 24, 2013. Yes it is the love month and have hinted flowers, chocolates, a romantic meal and a weekend get-away with Raymond! I didn't get those on Valentines Day, but received them nonetheless for the whole month of February, wrapping up with a travel to Tayabas, Quezon to attend my friend's birthday. This is the farthest drive that we have taken where Raymond is in the driver seat and I starting to get used to sitting in the front seat for that holding - hands - with boyfriend while driving peg!

MARCH 7, 2013. Getting into His World. For this month of graduation and commencement, I stopped the "I" word and world by adding a new career and joining my hubby -to - be in his FLP business. We have driven around Subic, Pangasinan, Bulacan and Rizal to introduce our families and friends to health and wealth. I feel happy journeying into a new area, a foreshadowing of a new and exciting prospect of being together - forever (and in Forever Living Products!).

APRIL 30, 2013. Prioritizing. Instead of enjoying the peace and quiet during the Holy Week, April was all about Successes - as a lawyer and as a new recognized manager of Forever Living Products! But I still have lots of learning to do and one of which is definitely prioritizing myself over my family. It is the deepest desire of my heart to have my own family and have a baby!

MAY 11-12, 2013 . He's Getting Into My World. It's election time and we have done a great deal of traveling around the third district of Laguna - Sta. Maria, Mabitac, Famy, Luisiana, Pagsanjan, Sta.Cruz, Kalayaan, Pakil, Pangil, being the election lawyer for my friends Mayor Tony and Cindy Carolino. Raymond is getting a hand at lawyering!

JUNE 12, 2013. Getting Engaged. It was not with a diamond ring or the kneeling down wedding proposal you get to read on books, but our engagement is a promise to continue where we left off on the exact month and date 22 years ago and never to be without each other afterwards. Raymond and I met during an Independence Day rally inside UP Diliman in 1991. After dating for three (3) months, he had to leave for a voluntary mission for two years and promised to come back for me. But he didn't keep his promise - and we had our separate lives. We only met last year after being gone for more than 20 years. On our first date, we just knew, without having to say the words, that finally “we have found that spark that we never lost, but always been looking for.”(Ikaelelo Gaosengwe).We headed to Boracay and Bacolod to celebrate getting hitched and for our first flight together as a couple! We enjoyed helmet diving, swimming, sightseeing, eating out and just being together!

JULY 20, 2013. Our Pre-Nup Shoot. The birthday month of my hubby-to-be was the busiest in terms of road trips together. We were driving around searching for that Perfect Wedding Reception Venue which should be both affordable and available on our chosen date - September 21, 2013. We would like to commemorate the day that Raymond and I have last seen each other in 1991 which is also the anniversary of Martial Law and fell on a Saturday. With only a little over three (3) months before the big day and with a budget considerations, choosing Estancia Hotel Resort over choices like Love of Light and Glass Garden was the first and the most important couple decision we have made after getting hitched! The City of Tagaytay is a component city in the province of Cavite and only an hour or so away from Manila. Because of its cooler climate, stunning views of Taal Volcano in the middle of the Taal Lake(in Batangas), unique attractions and its proximity to our new residence in Silang, Cavite, Tagaytay is our runaway choice as venue for our wedding events. So on July 20, we had a super fun day - pre-nup shoot slash fiancee's birthday slash college GIRLFRIENDS reunion and slash Bridal Shower from Manila then Nuvali and Tagaytay!

AUGUST 3, 2013. Wedding Invites & Food Tasting. We were busy driving around the Metro to hand out our CD case with CD wedding invitations to our friends. It is a D-I-Y Project that Raymond and I put together where we incorporated music in the invites. In 1991, Raymond used to bring me to Yamaha World Band Explosion concerts. When we met again last year, he serenaded me and composed songs for me that truly brought back memories of yesteryears. We used the song compositions as part of our CD and we traveled to Paranaque to record the songs. Before the month is over, we had series of food tasting for the big day and was back in Tagaytay!

SEPTEMBER 21, 2013. A Journey to Forever. "On this day", anniversary of Martial Law, we started out our life together like we always dreamed and started a new journey, a journey that would lead us to forever…

OCTOBER 1 & 21, 2013. First Birthday and Paper Month-sary. Who says turning forty is OLD and no FUN?Well it is very different but it is so much fun in the adult way as it was my first birthday with a hubby!We enjoyed our mini-moon at Manila Hotel and enjoyed lots of paper gifts that made us "lived happily FOREVER after"!

NOVEMBER 21, 2013. Cotton-Monthsary. Ok, it's our second month of marital bliss and our feet (and car) take us to different hotels for series of mini - moons.My travel companions? Raymond, Cream Soda and Combos!

DECEMBER 21 & 25, 2013. Leather Monthsary and Our first Christmas as a Couple. Yes, I still hit the bazaars (but not with a big tummy yet!)for those Christmas gifts. On our first Christmas eve as a couple, my whole family celebrated with us, as in all previous Christmases when I was still single.But this time, my hubby is in - charge!

This has been 2013 for me and for us!. But I know that "in the sight of God, it is not so much of what I have done or where I have been but much more to where I am willing to go"! (Elder Edward Dube). So,this 2014 we will continue to Look Ahead and Believe!

My Hubby's First Christmas Surprises!

So you all know what my first Christmas gift for my hubby is and wondering what I got on my part? Oh well, I've got nothing but a surprised GSM - Gadgets, Service and Music!

Gadgets for the Techie Me. Raymond knew that I love surprises more than anything wrapped! So a week before Christmas, he helped me decide and actually chose a new Nikon camera for me! I've been wanting a new camera since it is almost a year now when my Nikon camera broke (and I've been using his Xperia cellphone!lol) but I can't make up my mind what to get! His gift let me capture all our memories all year round!

Cellphone. Been craving for a new cellphone for weeks, one that has a dual sim, camera and wifi since mine (though still my fave gadget) is 4 1/2 years old now. I have looked at the Lenovo brand for a change and found something I like which is not very much, but the cheapskate me didn't want to shell out any money. So I considered just getting a postpaid line to enjoy the free Samsung Galaxy S III that comes with the P600 plan without any cash out, but in the end I decided to just be happy with a new camera, so Raymond got me my Nikon Coolpix. End of story? Nah. This morning, Raymond surprised me with a Lenovo A60+ that I have checked back three times at SM Fairview and said that is his real Christmas gift! I couldn't be happier!

Surprise Acts of Service. The night we were all busy with the house repainting, Raymond asked me permission to attend a meet - up with friends. I felt bad that he had to leave me that night. Little did I know that it was his way to be able to go home to our house in Sta. Rosa Heights to get some wedding gifts that we could use in our house in Valenzuela like ceiling fan, convection oven, cutlery set, dinner set and tornado mop. The next day, he went about helping in the house renovation.

Music. Before Christmas Eve while I was all busy wrapping my little gift for him, he went downstairs to prepare the sound system for our Christmas program. After a little while, I heard "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" from some carolers, but I didn't bother to look at the windows since I already gave the coins to my sister -in-law to give to all carolers. My mother came to my room and asked me to look out the windows. I was surprised to see my hubby with his guitar and all my 11 nieces and nephews singing me Christmas carols.

Indeed, my husband knows exactly the perfect gifts for me - and that is a gift of himself for a Christmas that is memorable, fun and stress - free.

My First Christmas Gift To My Hubby!

My Husband and I have only been married for a little over three (3) months so it's our first Christmas as a couple! I thought long and hard for the gift that will carry through our whole marriage. But since the gifts we purchased for our wedding were hard enough to come up with, I went for a gift that is simple, inexpensive, something I can put under our Christmas tree but definitely something he loves! What fits the bill?

My hubby loves Trailmix - the candy-coated chocolates (M & M's kinda!), peanuts, dark raisins, and almonds we got from S & R. We served them during our wedding reception and my hubby loves it so much. It has become his favorite snack!

So I wrapped a pack of Trailmix in Christmas wrapper, included my favorite wedding picture of us with a letter giving him hint of what he is getting.

Postcript: Hubby opened his gift in our bedroom, and claimed his most wonderful elf wifey this Christmas! (wink* wink*)