Table for Two at Greenbelt's Secret Garden

I rarely join contests, but when I do, it must be something that I really, really, really like.  Earlier this month, as I was browsing through Instagram, I came across Greenbelt's "Table for Two at Greenbelt's Secret Garden" contest.  The name of the contest was enough to get my attention.

The contest rules were quite simple, you just have to send a photo and share your #GreenbeltLoveStory on Instagram.  I submitted an entry and hoped (and prayed) to be one of the 3 winners who will be picked to have a special dinner on Valentine's Day at Greenbelt Secret Garden. 

I was holding my breath, when Greenbelt announced the winners last February 13, so excited that I kept refreshing their instagram page for the winners, haha! and guess what?  I won!  Greenbelt then asked me to send a direct message on Instagram so they can give us some details.  I did that right away and they gave the time (7:00 p.m.) and the location of Greenbelt's Secret Garden.  The rest of the details were all left as a surprise.

When Mickey and I were on our way to Greenbelt’s Secret Garden, I had butterflies in my stomach and was quite excited with the surprise that is about to come. 

When we got to the location, they had a lovely set-up at the Greenbelt Secret Garden - a red carpet lined with candles led to a gazebo adorned with fairy lights, bottles of wine were kept chilled on the side, love songs were playing in the background, rose petals were on the gazebo floor, candle-lit tables with a bouquet of arranged red roses as a centerpiece were waiting for us.  Of course, the spectacular view of Makati's skyline was also part of the backdrop for our date that night and there was also a stage set-up for some live entertainment during dinner.  

The scent of Luxury: Lady Million Eau My Gold! Eau De Toilette fragrance by Paco Rabanne

If luxury can be bottled up in a fragrance, Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million Eau My Gold! would have to be how it would smell like.  The fragrance makes me think of a glamorous night out on the town whether with your fun girl friends or with a handsome dapper date having dinner in a fancy restaurant or just partying the night away in a super club.  The woman that wears this fragrance is bold, confident, comfortable with life’s luxuries and absolutely knows how to have fun.  

The perfume bottle is shaped like a multi-faceted diamond and has an elongated shape that encourages a more delicate feminine gesture, in which the fingers stretch out rather than grasp. 

The bottle’s design reveals the light golden shade of the fragrance.  The cap reveals the ‘Eau My Gold!’ logo engraved onto the gold design elements, a symbol of the perfume’s luxurious character.

Love is in the Air: Our Wine and Cheese Picnic Date

I’ve always wanted to go on a picnic date.  I think that it is utterly romantic.  In my thoughts, the  perfect picnic date would have to be hours before sunset, under a canopy of old tall trees, in an empty picnic area.  

During our recent trip to Baguio, we were able to do just that.  We had our first wine and cheese picnic date!  A day before leaving Manila, we went to Santi’s Delicatessen in Capitol Commons to grab all our picnic essentials.  We bought walnuts, dried apricots, bitter orange marmalade, thin crisp crackers, two types of cheese, one hard (smoked gouda) and one soft (brie), prosciutto, salami, bottles of sparkling water and of course a bottle of red wine.   

I didn't want to bring disposable plates, utensils and cups for a romantic picnic date.  The thought of using disposables will definitely kill the romance factor, haha!  We packed two plates, two wine goblets, a cheese board to put the food in, cheese picks together with cloth table napkins, a table cloth and placed everything in a picnic tote.

We thought it would be good to have our picnic date on a weekday, hoping that there won’t be much people since it’s a work/school day and also, hoping that the weather would be good.  So, we had ours on a Friday, we went up to the picnic area in Camp John Hay and it was just perfect - we had the area all to ourselves (the only company we had were a few friendly resident birds) and the weather was a cool 15 degrees Celsius.   

We set up our picnic table, had long meaningful conversations, talked about our dreams and watched the sun set.  It was magical and romantic.

Absolutely loving every minute of this

 

Our Baguio Food Adventures

As a traveler, I believe that there is a wonderful relationship between food and travel.  When you expose yourself to new food experiences, it brings forth a feeling of anticipation. 

On our recent trip to Baguio, the first order of business, after a long 5-hour drive from Manila is of course, a stop at Hill Station in Camp John Hay for lunch before checking in at our hotel.  We love that Hill Station serves great tasting food and of course, the fact that they also have healthy food choices on the menu, is enough to keep us coming back.

Here are some photos from our Baguio food adventures:

Hill Station Bistro at Camp John Hay

Back at The Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay, Baguio City

A few weeks ago, Mickey and I had the opportunity to go on vacation.  Finally, after a tight December schedule and a few residuals in January, we finally found the precious time to head up to the Baguio for 4 days of relaxation.