A FAST FOOD MORNING

While we were in Los Angeles for our US family vacation, I wanted to eat at some fast food restaurants but there was no time because of our very crazy theme park filled schedule. The reason for our craving was, in the few times that we were able to watch TV, we saw that CARL'S JR and TACO BELL had new mouth watering grub that is not available (yet?) in the Philippines!

So with that, my very hot niece woke up very early  and got a lot of fast food goodies for us!!!

Yohoo! Now this is what I may call the "best" unconventional breakfast there is!

While I was still snoozing, my niece Gayle went out early to buy these goodies for us!

If you're wondering who was taking the pictures, it's my dear Chinese Adonis who I kicked out of bed for this. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!

"Eat Like You Mean It"

Oh yes we certainly plan to!

According to my husband, everything was still piping hot from the bag of fast food goodies that he was controlling his cutie pie self from reaching out and getting one. 

PINK'S

I really hate the times when I could be so stupid.

Don't get me wrong, those "times" are really rare (ahem ahem) but yes it happens and when it does I want to kick my big behind for it.

Take the instance when we went to the US for Andrei's 7th birthday! When Yub and I were planning that we'll be going to Los Angeles to invade all of the theme parks there, I declared to him that by hook or by crook we will be eating at PINK'S. My obsession stems from my round the clock watching of the FOOD NETWORK. If you see some of their specials, they would always include the famed hotdog restaurant in their "best of something" countdowns. So after watching "Top 10" or "The Best Hotdog" show one after another, I was really excited and looked forward to get a taste of it. In fact, upon meeting my nieces in Los Angeles, I immediately said that "YES, we will be eating at PINK'S".

Even if my niece had promised to take us to PINK'S when we have an LA day, we got a chance to eat at the popular hotdog stand when we were in UNIVERSAL STUDIOS (SEE HERE).

So after years and years of obsessing over PINK'S hotdogs, what do I do while I was standing by the counter to give my orders?

I. Ordered. A. Burger.

Oh yes. I did. SO DUMB of me. I misread the menu and ordered a friggin burger.  I wanted to bonk my big forehead right then and there. I know that I should've just ordered one more but the sandwiches were too big even for us to finish so at that time, it felt impractical and wrong (see stupid again?).

It is really now that I am kicking and regretting everything that happened that day at PINK'S.

Haaay! Oh well. So there it is. Ha ha ha ha ha!

PINK'S!

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS (HOLLYWOOD)

Besides DISNEYLAND, the one place that I will NEVER get tired of going to is UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. Yup! By some stroke of luck, I've been to this famous theme park more than the wonderful world of Disney because every time I'm in the US, fate would always find a way to bring us to where movie magic comes alive! And I don't really mind. Though I am no Siskel and Ebert, I love movies (be it the classics or razzies)  and everything behind it.

Again, this will be a pretty long post as I would like to record here all the extreme fun we had in UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD. Though the theme park may not be as "complete" as we wanted it to be (some of my old favorites were missing in preparation for this boy wizard), there were still a lot of cool sights and attractions that made our visit truly fit for a blog entry.

Take a look and see what awaits you when you go to UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD!

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD!

100 REVOLVING RESTAURANT (PART 2)

On our 11th wedding anniversary, my husband and I celebrated with the little lords in 100 REVOLVING RESTAURANT by Chef Jessie (SEE HERE).  We had such a wonderful night that I cannot stop raving about it and giving out my heartfelt recommendation to anyone who will listen.

With that, when the very handsome Maru Sotto asked us where we want to eat on his birthday, 100 REVOLVING RESTAURANT naturally came up from my side. I was happy that my "Ladies Who Lunch" group agreed. The last time I was there with THE YAPPY BUNCH it was at night. Having a meal in 100 REVOLVING RESTAURANT in the daytime would surely put a different spin on things (pun sort of intended).

After our wonderful lunch and the candles blown, I was once again enamored with the "romance" of 100 REVOLVING RESTAURANT. At least I was able to see that having a meal there while the sun is out is something worth making a return for. I cannot wait to bring back my little family here so that they'll be able to see a breathtaking view of the Metro in the light of day.

And I got handsome Maru and my "Ladies Who Lunch" group to thank for that! 

100 REVOLVING RESTAURANT!

100 REVOLVING RESTAURANT'S maitre d' was ready to welcome us! He he he he!

The restaurant was all about peace and quiet for that lunch time. There were only a few diners enjoying their meals in silence. Hmmmm... I hope we don't disturb them too much!

DISNEYLAND (ANAHEIM, LOS ANGELES)

DISNEYLAND was not hailed as the "Happiest Place On Earth" for nothing. And yes, I strongly agree. Even if there may be more exciting or technologically induced theme parks opening up here and there, DISNEYLAND will forever be the place where all my childhood dreams came true.

I remember when I was a kid growing up (yes a little "tiyanak" does too you know), I would always wish to go to DISNEYLAND with my family. I was such a fan of all their cartoons, characters, and songs! Every time I go into "DISNEY mode", I am suddenly enveloped with different feelings of love, warmth, and fun. I remember watching in awe as the DISNEY Princesses would meet their dashing Princes and get that lovely feeling knowing they will be living "happily ever after". Yes it was something that I used to wish for all the time -- that I will meet my own Prince soon and we will go to DISNEYLAND.

From all of my day dreaming, I have already been to DISNEYLAND (US and HK) many times where each trip was more memorable than the last. But for me, the best would have to be THE YAPPY BUNCH's DISNEYLAND invasion this 2014 because not only were the boys old enough to explore around by themselves but I saw the fun they had upon with the new sights and rides that were whipped up for the little Prince Charmings.

Thinking about it now, yes this 2014 trip for us was very memorable because I always daydreamed that I will be able to save up and have fun with my Prince where "dreams came true".

And yes it did! Only this time, I went to DISNEYLAND with not just one but 3 PRINCES! 

Now THAT is something I am surely to be HAPPY ever after for! :)

Yes... we L-O-V-E DISNEYLAND!!!!

Yub parked in the 5th level of DISNEYLAND LA carpark so it was a LOOOONG way down via escalator.

EGAD! I HATE high escalators!

KULA (REVOLVING SUSHI BAR - LA)

After meeting up with some of my High School friends in Moon Korean Barbecue (SEE HERE!), dear Sheila took us back to my cousin's house right on the dot at 6:30pm because we were going out for dinner.

Me texting: "We're on our way home to eat again!!!

Yep. The eating never stopped for us in the US hence, my 12lb weight gain.... on each thigh... and forehead.

Why didn't it just go straight to my boobs instead????

Anyway, we were going out for dinner with my first cousin Ate Baby and her family at KULA REVOLVING SUSHI bar. They have been regular customers of this joint and would always post pictures of their meals there that we were all pretty excited.

And by WE, I meant Me, Mati, and Andrei. My husband detests sushi and swore to just have a burger afterwards. (Eeew so embarrassing... ha ha ha ha!). It's okay. He did try his best to be happy for us while we gobbled plates upon plates of fresh sushi.

In turn, the boys and I were MORE than happy too that we got what was supposed to be his share.

So everybody lived happy ever after in the end. La dee da! Ha ha ha ha!

KULA REVOLVING SUSHI BAR!

MOON KOREAN BARBECUE (LOS ANGELES)

Even if we were having a lot of fun in Las Vegas, it was time to pack up our bags and go to what I feel is the theme park capital of the US.... 

CALIFORNIA!

The long and winding road.... NOT!

It's going to be a 6 hour drive for THE YAPPY BUNCH!

Now as much as I love my relatives, there is a different kind of fun by going on this trip by our lonesome. We suddenly had this exciting feeling of independence knowing that we could talk about whatever we like, scream as loud as we wanted, and fart as much as we can.

YEAH! Dibs on the last one. He he he he he!

Everytime we drive to California, this is the most familiar sight for me as we exit Nevada -- the roads going up to the mountains. My husband never noticed it until he looked at the rear view mirror and shrieked like a girl realizing how high we were!

After arriving in Los Angeles, we dropped our things and chatted with my other cousin, Ate Baby. We promised to talk some more later on because we will be meeting my high school friends. 

My HS friend Shiela passed by to pick us up. Upon seeing each other there was a lot of laughter, screams, and gab gab gab! 

Here we are at MOON BARBECUE!

STUDIO B (M RESORT - LAS VEGAS)

Before going to Las Vegas, I promised myself that I will only eat a quarter of meat matched with a whole platter of vegetables so that I could still maintain my (ahem) wonderful figure. I have been pretty successful so far especially that I would just share entrees with the little lords then control my food intake by just having a side salad. Everything was going well until my Kuya Nap happily announced that he was going to take us to a seafood buffet in M resort.

Wow. Seafood and buffet. I don't need a picture to know that my diet will go downhill from there. 

We were driving to California on Sunday so we attended Saturday mass  in my cousin's parish. 

As their custom here in the Philippines, the little lords ran up to the priest to give respect (here we do it via "mano"). 

I'm sure the priest did not know this Filipino custom but he did give the kiddies blessings and a few words of wisdom.

After church, it was a long straight drive to M resort. Wow! You don't see this very often in Manila. This is what my husband definitely misses in the US!

And so we're here...

STUDIO B!