MATI'S 2018 BIRTHDAY

My dearest Mati -- my first-born, my New and Handsome Teenager, the love of my life, my favorite foodie partner, and the other half of what makes me strong and go on, is celebrating his 14th birthday and it was something the whole YAPPY BUNCH was excited for.

Of course, even if they're okay for a simple celebration, we would still love to give the boys all that we can (like how my Mom and Dad did before). Hopefully, we inspire the little lords to do the same for their own families.

BUT, that is in the future pa. The very FAAAAAAR future.

Check out our special celebrations for the birthday of our handsome Mati (or Matthew). The getogethers may be simple but it they are surely filled with effort, appreciation, and lots of love by all of us.

Happy Birthday my dearest!!!!!!!

YAYYYY!!!!!

There was no school for students that week that's why the Yub and I thought it would be okay to sing to the celebrant at the strike of 12:00am.

MOMMY'S BLUE POSTS BOILING CRAB AND SHRIMPS BIRTHDAY

When my Mom had her birthday, we delayed her celebration because she wanted to wait for my Daddy's sisters when they arrive from Las Vegas. On the day of their flight, we booked a table at one of our current favorites for my aunts to try....

BLUE POSTS BOILING CRAB AND SHRIMPS!

Syempre because when you love something, you also share it with the people you love.

NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKSSSSSSSSS!

ANDREI'S 11TH BIRTHDAY (2017)

Growing up, my Daddy always made a fuss about our birthdays and would come up with ways various ways to celebrate. The celebration need not to be a lavish or expensive one. We could have lunch at  our favorite Shakeys but my Daddy always knew how to make the celebrant feel special.

That's why every year, the Yub and I made sure to make the little lords feel like kings during their birthdays; even extending it to a 2 week celebration to make it more memorable for them. Again, the "birthdates" may be a staycation or dinner at a fast food restaurant, but one thing's for sure, it's something that the celebrant will love.

Of course, we know that it doesn't take much to make the little lords happy. They're fine anywhere as long as there's a birthday song at the end. Still, the Yub and I want them to have unforgettable times that we will do all that we can to make it happen.

The numerous celebrations may be costly, that's why we'd just set aside something every payday. I may miss some shopping or gimik days, but it's okay -- we're celebrating something so much more worth it anyway.

So here's to you my dearest bunsoy! We hope you had a lot of fun with your 11th birthday celebrations. Truth be told, we feel that this is still not enough because Mommy, Daddy, and Kuya Mati love you so much that if we can, we'd celebrate everyday!!!! He he he he he!!!!
  

So really, thank you for being YOU my dearest. Happy Birthday and we love you!!!

Wohooo Andrei!!!!!!!

AMARE WOODFIRE BRICK OVEN PIZZA (BAGUIO CITY)

Before our trip to BAGUIO, I was already checking out online recommendations on which restaurants to go to. Of course, as much as we want to visit the popular places, we have to consider if the food will be appetizing for the little lords and if prices were affordable for for us.

My friend BAON FLAT LAYS was in BAGUIO the week before our trip and I saw the places she went to with her family. One restaurant particularly caught my eye because it let their younger diners make their own pizzas. When I asked her about the food she said it was delicious.

Now I'm sold!!!!

With that, the Yub and I really included AMARE WOODFIRE BRICK OVEN PIZZA in our itinerary. We just know that our bunsoy, whose pre-birthday were celebrating, will have a great time.

And we were SO right! 

AMARE WOODFIRE BRICK OVEN PIZZA!

AMARE was located inside a mall and there was a line for the available tables.

There were tables outside but since this was our first time, we wanted to have some AMBIYENSSSSS!

GRAND SIERRA PINES BAGUIO PART TWO

THE YAPPY BUNCH were in Baguio, our second for the year, for Andrei's pre-birthday celebration. And we thought that since we were here for a special occasion, we should also stay somewhere that would ensure the ultra-fun of our little lords.

Great thing that we were able to book at GRAND SIERRA PINES, a new hotel that proudly declared to "redefine your Baguio experience" -- and it was definitely more than what we expected. There were just many family things to do in the hotel that we're always late in doing the Baguio activities that we initially planned to do!

Check out part 2 of our AWESOME stay in GRAND SIERRA PINES. Yep. That's the word that would perfectly describe the unforgettable 3 days and 2 nights in the hotel that gave us a new kind of fun in BAGUIO.

AWESOME.

:)

GRAND SIERRA PINES!!!!!

It was a very cold morning when we work up! Brrrrrr!!!!!!

GRAND SIERRA PINES BAGUIO PART ONE

It was the second BAGUIO trip for THE YAPPY BUNCH this year and I was in search for a hotel that could accommodate us on December -- the city's peak season. Great thing that we checked out GRAND SIERRA PINES, BAGUIO City's new hotel and it had an available room for us. We booked it, paid for it, and got so excited.

We know the little lords would enjoy having another staycation in the City of Pines. As for the me and the Yub, we're looking forward for more quality time with the family and not think about work.

In the end, we're so happy with our stay in GRAND SIERRA PINES. We were pleasantly surprised at how different their accommodations were compared to others that we didn't want to leave our hotel! Well.... almost!

GRAND SIERRA PINES Baguio indeed redefined our Baguio experience. To be honest, now we want to make our City of Pines' trip a yearly thing!!!! 

GRAND SIERRA PINES HOTEL!!!!

GLENN 50'S DINER ( BAGUIO CITY )

Touchdown BAGUIO!

After about 5 hours of driving, we finally arrived in the City of Pines. And before doing any sight-seeing or hotel check-in, we're going for the most important thing...

EATING!!!

Yep! We were ravenous and we were so excited to dig in to what BAGUIO has to offer. And the first in our list was....

GLENN 50's DINER!

OUR SECOND AWESOME TRIP TO BAGUIO !!!

What do you do when you had so much fun in BAGUIO that you cannot wait to go back?

E di, GO BACK!

He he he he! That's just what THE YAPPY BUNCH did because we really enjoyed our first BAGUIO trip as a family last May that we immediately planned for a sequel the same year. It was the perfect plan too since we were also celebrating my bunsoys birthday month.

This time though we stayed somewhere different and ate in places we haven't been to. But of course, we stayed true to our Baguio Family traditions and did some of the fun things we enjoyed as kids. It was such a riot.

Check out our ginormously fun BAGUIO trip where we made many more happy memories with the little lords. Again, we had an awesome time here that we want to have another one AGAIN and AGAIN!

YIHIIII! We're in BAGUIO once more!!!!!

We left Manila around 4:00am. Though we were all sleepy, we were not able to sleep much because of our excitement.

OUR CONTI'S AND EAT BULAGA HOLIDAY

It was a holiday and I thought that since my aunties are about to leave for Las Vegas in a few days, I would treat them to something different.... 

Watch EAT BULAGA live in Broadway studio!

My Mom and sister haven't seen the show live yet so they joined us. Of course, whenever there's a family gimik, THE YAPPY BUNCH won't be far behind.

Yup. Even the asungot at the back who's covering his face.  He he he!

Syempre since it's my Mom with the family, they'll be at the very front! 

GOLDEN BAY FRESH SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Our Titas from Las Vegas (Daddy's sisters) stayed with us for a short vacation to visit Daddy during All Soul's day. One Sunday, their cousin invited the whole family for a Chinese lunch at GOLDEN BAY FRESH SEAFOOD RESTAURANT!

We're all here in GOLDEN BAY FRESH SEAFOOD restaurant!

PINK SISTERS AND JOSEPHINE RESTAURANT (TAGAYTAY CITY)

My Las Vegas Aunties (Daddy's sisters) recently had a vacation with us and one of their wishes was to go to Pink Sisters and offer prayers for my Daddy.

Since we have Daddy's sisters with us, we also thought of inviting Mom's sisters and make it a fun family outing!

FLATIRON 1771 WITH MY AUNTIES

My Aunties (Daddy's sisters) were here and we thought of treating them out somewhere for Saturday dinner that's not in our usual list of restaurants.

But where to?

The Yub and I had remembered that we had a delicious dinner date recently in FLATIRON 1771 so we suggested the BGC restaurant hoping that they would love the food as much as we did. It was a miracle that they listened to us (they never do... huhu) because we were right -- my Aunties may have been to many buffets and restaurants in Las Vegas but they still enjoyed and savored the dishes in FLATIRON 1771.

We all had a great Saturday dinner because of the delicious food and wonderful company.  Too bad my Daddy is not here with us. The great night just made us miss him more.

:(      

FLATIRON 1771!!!

My aunties were loving the set up. It made them feel young. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

JANG GA NAE KOREAN RESTAURANT

It was Karen my sister in law's birthday, and they invited the family for a Saturday Korean dinner at JANG GA NAE!

Welcome!

JANG GA NAE is located in Ortigas City and was busy that Saturday.

MANN HANN (GREENHILLS)

It was a Sunday and my family decided to eat out for lunch after mass. Usually if we're going to have a Sundate lunch, we'll just go to Powerplant Mall since it's very near our place (it's where we hear mass too). But my Mom decided that at least once a month, we'll go to Santuario de San Jose in Greenhills since it was where we originally heard mass weekly as a family when my Dad was still with us. Also, in the months before he passed, it's where my Daddy often go to everyday to pray.

So after mass in Santuario, we all squeezed ourselves in Greenhills Shopping Mall thinking of where to eat. It was then that we decided to go for Chinese and landed ourselves in MANN HANN! 

MANN HANN is located where our favorite Sun Moon Chinese restaurant used to be.They have renovated the place and it was so far from the Binondo look of its former tenant. He he he he he!

SARSA (ROCKWELL)

Whenever THE YAPPY BUNCH are in our favorite Powerplant Mall, we always go to our usual restaurants -- Healthy Shabu Shabu, Mongkok, Pepper Lunch, Kenny Rogers, 8-Cuts, Press, Cafe Mediterranean, Mamou, Mcdonalds, Jollibee, etc etc., I'm usually happy and contented with our default choices but there was a time when I suddenly can't take it any more. I don't know. Blame it on PMS (or menopause???!!!) but when my guys asked me where we're going to have dinner for our usual Saturdate, I was somehow hysterical (no joke) at demanding that anywhere is fine as long as we haven't eaten there before.

So that's how we ended up in SARSA. Although we have already eaten at the establishment when it was still Kafe Batwan, but technically, TECHNICALLY, it's still a new restaurant for our taste buds.

He he he he he he!

Check out our delicious dinner at SARSA!

SARSA is located outside the Powerplant Mall but it was just a short walk from their doors.

Inside, SARSA is well lit, chic, and warm. It somehow has that New York cafe vibe. 

CONTI'S GREENHILLS

Would you guys believe that the Yubhub and I still celebrate our MU or MAG-UN Anniversary? Yep! Gross right? Ha ha ha ha ha! For those who don't know, it's the Anniversary where I gave him my much awaited (Yihiiii) YES to officially mark that we're a couple.

BLECH. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Now before you go "AWWWWWWWW THAT IS SO SWEET" on me, oh please don't. We really celebrate it so that we could have more reasons (and justifications) on eating out. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Check out our simple (yet very satisfying) mini-celebration at CONTI'S! 

CONTI'S!

OOMA ROCKWELL AGAIN THE NEXT DAY

As mentioned in my super explanatory blog post yesterday, I will be eating again in OOMA Rockwell but this time with the bunsoy Andrei and Team Campo. I was here the previous day with the Chinese Dimpol and Master Mati that's why I have different dates this weekend because the former was in Lucena while the latter stayed with my Mom. Still, I certainly didn't mind making it a straight twosome here.

It's OOMA anyway!!!! Who's going to complain having 2 straight nights of delicious food???

We're in OOMA!!!!

OOMA ROCKWELL

In the months after my Father passed, we realized that THE YAPPY BUNCH cannot just go out as one group like we always did before. Since we don't want my Mom to be left alone, my little lords made it a point to have one stay with her to keep her company. Don't get me wrong. It's not like we don't invite her to go with us or my Mom demands us to stay with her. In fact, we've had many weekend gimiks with her where she gamely joins my silly fam. But there are many times when she just feels to stay at home because she's busy with the business, she just wants to watch her koreanovelas, or she just doesn't feel like going out. Sometimes when she knows that we're supposed to go but would cancel plans for her, she would actually force us to continue with our plans. But still, a promise is a promise made to my Daddy -- we will NEVER leave Mommy all alone.

For that upcoming Saturday night, it was going to be a complicated one. The Yubhub was going to Quezon province to attend something, my older brother had a raket, and I was going to meet with Team Campo at OOMA because they wanted to cheer me up. I invited my Mom to go with us but she said she'll stay at home na lang.  Master Mati was supposed to be my date because I wanted him to try OOMA. But when my brother said that he had raket, he realized that nobody will stay with his Lola. So he just volunteered to do so. He just recommended Andrei to be my date especially if Team Campo would bring their little girls.

Awwwww... My thoughtful Handsome Teenager!

With that I realized, oh my poor Mati. He was supposed to be the one who'll join me at OOMA because I know he'll love the food. But when he studied the situation, he volunteered to forego his craving and just stay at home. Excited pa naman siya.

THAT'S when the Yub and I thought to have an insta-Fridate in OOMA just so my little foodie could have a taste of the food. Uy! What a great idea!

So yay!!! Everything worked out and everyone will be happy!

Yun lang, I'll be eating in OOMA for 2 days in a row.

Naahhh! I don't mind! Like I said, EVERYONE IS HAPPY! :)

(Haba my intro no? He he he he he he!)

OOMA! Here we come!

OOMA!!!!!

We parked in Powerplant Mall and walked our way to the restaurant. It was a cool night so this was actually fun.