A lot bonding activities can help strengthen ties between parents and children. One of our most favorite things to do, and which we miss doing more often these days, is going on family picnics. When the kids were still small and we were still living in Los Banos, Laguna, we'd often head to Baker Field inside UPLB during the afternoons and bring snacks to munch on. 

My husband and I have happy memories of our kids toddling on the grass, of students playing various sports, of young people learning to ride a bike, and of other families who were also simply enjoying the cool breeze and the company of each other.

These days, we seldom get to go on picnics because there are no ideal picnic grounds near our place in Muntinlupa. But when we do go home to my province in Rizal, Laguna, we enjoy preparing food to bring to my mom's small "farm"at the foot of Mt. Cristobal. 

This summer, I'm hoping to revive at least a bit of our picnic traditions by planning a visit to our old stomping grounds in UPLB. It would be great to see my friends and have a picnic together. Our last time was the despedida for one of our close friends who migrated to Australia.

If you are near or have access to any place where you can spread a mat and enjoy food together while enjoying nature, that's the best place to have a picnic! Here are some tips that could help make picnics more fun for everyone:

1. Bring the essentials. Bring one or more big mats for everyone to sit on and to place the food items on. If you have senior members of the family going you, consider bringing some foldable chairs for their seating comfort. Pack utensils (spoons and forks), knife, small cutting board (if needed), plastic cups, table napkins, bottle opener, etc.

2. Prepare food items depending on the number of people and the time of day you're having a picnic (either for lunch or snacks). It's best to choose dishes that don't spoil easily like adobo, barbecue,  sandwiches, boiled peanuts, sweet corn, and some finger foods. Don't forget condiments like salt and pepper. If you have a cooler, make sure you put ice with the drinks to keep them cold. This container is also ideal for storing cheese or salads made with mayonnaise so they don't spoil in the heat.

3. Pack some fun stuff such as balls, kites, frisbees, jumping rope, etc. that both kids and adults would enjoy playing games with. 

4. Protect everyone's skin by making sure you also have sunscreen, insect repellant lotion or spray, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes. If your picnic location doesn't have a lot of shade, you may likewise want to bring a pop up shade tent or big picnic umbrella.

5. Plan for the after-picnic tasks. Have a big trash bag ready for your disposables as well as aluminum foil, plastic wrappers, or extra container with lids for the leftovers. Make sure to clean up and leave your picnic area better than you found it.

So, are you excited to have a picnic soon? FYI, this coming May 10, there would be a Jollibee Grand Picnic event to be held simultaneously in Manila, Laguna, Pampanga, Cebu, and Davao. The Family Bee Day aims to encourage families to go and have fun outdoors. And you can be part of this grandest picnic ever which will make for a special and memorable Mother's Day weekend for your family!

Got questions? Check out Jollibee's FAQs about the family picnic here or log on to www.jollibee.com.ph for more details. Buy your tickets, bring the whole family, and have fun! :)

For me, some of the most majestic sights found in nature are mountains, coral reefs, and waterfalls. I am so grateful to behold two last week when some of my blogger friends and I visited Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay Laguna. You can read all about our farm tour, here.

first timer

Our second day in Majayjay found us eating a hearty and healthy breakfast before taking a short ten-minute ride towards Taytay Falls which is more popularly known as Majayjay Falls. We arrived there in the morning with some dew still clinging to leaves not directly in the path of sunlight.

easy trail going to the falls

Our guides led us towards a flight of stairs going down to the falls. I was expecting a narrow and muddy trail but was surprised that the way is paved with cement blocks! That made it very easy for us to descend the winding path. It was about 10 to 15 minutes walk, I'd guess. I didn't keep count as I was busy taking photos of the interesting foliage and mountain view we were passing by.

mountain view

I come from a small town in Laguna which is part of the Philippines' Tagalog region. There, we call local chefs kusinero. When there are special occasions in the community like family celebrations or fiestas, people would usually ask, "Sino ang magku-kuse?" (Who will be the cook?) Thus, being a Kuse, is considered an honor because a Kuse's reputation lends prestige to a food event, gives pride to the host, and makes everything more exceptional for the guests.

Yesterday, I got a chance to dine in Kuse's first branch at Venice Piazza in McKinley Hill, Taguig. It was launched in November 2009 and serves patrons with familiar Filipino dishes that are usually sought by the Pinoy palate. Kuse is a great place where you can satisfy local cravings and bring balikbayan guests to.

Kuse is part of the Chef's Quarter Group of Restaurants which also owns Old Vine Grille (read my food review here) and Uncle Cheffy Brick Oven Global Cuisine (read my food review here). Like it's sister establishments, Kuse is a place where you can eat heartily with friends and family as you swap stories over good food.

I love the ambiance at the Venice Piazza branch. Despite the summer heat outside, the interior is cool and welcoming. The decor, which highlights bamboo trees on one area, evokes a sense of well-being.

My husband and I, together with some of our food-tripping friends, enjoyed the various dishes that we got to try for lunch. For starters, we had a taste of the Mini Ukoy with Visayan Sauce (a crispy fried mixture of taro, shrimp, and vegetables) and Adobong Kuhol sa Gata which tickled our appetites to ask for more. 

The Paco Salad sa Laguna with Kesong Puti brought me back to those times I'll go with members of my family to the foot of the mountains near our house in the province to pick paco ferns which we use for making ensalada. I missed this dish! Incidentally, I found out that Chef Mauro Arjona Jr.'s father was a Kuse and that he hailed from Liliw, Laguna, just two towns away from where I grew up! Chef Mau, who's behind Kuse's recipes recalls that his dad was actually a farmer but would always be called to cook every time there's an occasion such as weddings and fiestas. "And he would work for the love of it, even without pay."

I smelled the Garlic Dulong Rice even before I saw it. It was very aromatic and the tiny, crunchy fishes made the rice's flavor and texture more interesting. I found it a perfect fit for the Sinigang na Bangus sa Bayabas, the soup of which, I couldn't stop sipping! It was that good! Likewise, we got to try the Inihaw na Bangus that also went well with the flavored rice.

It makes me glad that I'm not a vegetarian whenever I encounter dishes like the Kare-Kare Tagalog and Pork Crispy Pata because these are Filipino dishes that I don't think I'll ever stop eating. You won't regret ordering them when you visit Kuse!

Before we concluded our delicious lunch, our group got to sample Kuse's Sapin-Sapin Creme Brûlée, which is a good twist to the local dessert we're familiar with, and the Banana Langka in Filo with Caramel Sauce. If I weren't already full, I would have eaten more than one of those because the filo wrap was really crisp, the banana langka filling was soft and tasty, and the caramel sauce made them more lip-smacking. I am definitely going back for those!

If the McKinley Hill branch (Tel. 836-4969, open Mon to Sun from 10am-11pm, and seats 50 persons) is a bit far for you, you can also find Kuse at Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Manila (Tel. 708-9576, open Mon to Sun from 10am to 10pm, and seats 70 persons) and at Eton Centris Walk, Quezon City (Tel. 709-9817, open Mon to Sun 11am to 11pm, and seats 90 persons). I'm happy to be told that a branch will be opening soon in Festival Mall, Alabang because we live near that place!

Aside from Kuse, Old Vine, and Uncle Cheffy, the umbrella group of restaurants also include Chef's Quarter, Beurre Blanc Restaurant and Wine Bar, and Larry & Mau Diner.

I like going to NUVALI because it seems to always have something new to offer every time I visit. In fact, just last month, my husband and I were at Nuvali's Camp N, for the launching of its exciting activities for both new and skilled bike enthusiasts. 

This December, we went to Nuvali again and discovered more stuff we can do there! First, we checked out Ayala Malls Solenad 3 and watched the latest Disney movie, Moana, in one of four nice cinemas. I highly recommend parents to watch this film with their kids. It has memorable characters and a lot of beautiful songs!

Next, we went around the "Christkindl Market" holiday village that's being held until the end of the month and features traditional and modern gifts for sale including affordable items that fashionistas would love. If I have little girl, I'd probably have bought one of those pretty matching mommy and daughter outfits I saw in one of the booths! There's also a Christmas Bazaar that offers unique local goods from Laguna.

It is hard not to be biased about the local food we grew up with but I personally believe that Filipino cuisine is really one of the best in the world. After all, we have a wide variety of dishes bursting with interesting and delicious flavors. 

Via Mare Seafood Specialty Restaurant, which opened in September 1975, gave global recognition to the sophistication and complex flavors of the Philippines thanks to Chef Glenda Barretto who believed in the Filipino cuisine's potential to be world class.

Many of us love watching foreign and local TV shows and movies but rarely have time to really sit down during their actual airings. This is exactly why popular streaming site iWant TV was created to enable viewers to still catch up on shows they missed while they were busy with other things.

This March, viewers will no longer have to rely on their PCs or mobile devices to watch movies or their favorite cable TV and local shows because they can now directly stream them on their big HD-ready TV screen at home. SKYcable has just launched SKY On-Demand, which runs on the most advanced digibox to date.

This service harnesses the capabilities of SKYcable and SKYbroadband subscriptions to allow viewers to catch up on missed episodes or relive their favorite movies directly on TV. This is made possible by the impressive and growing video-on-demand library of iWant TV.

Miriam College celebrates it's 85th anniversary this year and, consistent with its theme of "expanding horizons, creating impact," the school marks a new chapter in its rich history with the soft launch of its second campus in NUVALI.

Set to accept students by 2014, the new school will be built on a 15-hectare property in the fast-growing Laguna community. There will rise a co-educational campus aimed to provide its unique brand of holistic, values-infused, quality education to a larger and more diverse sector of Philippine society. "It will be an inclusive campus. We will have young boys and girls to educate, just like the first schools our Maryknoll sisters established in Malabon, Lucena, Lipa, Baguio, and Davao," revealed Miriam College President Dr. Rosario O. Lapus.

"Miriam College-NUVALI is envisioned to be a different expression of the same Miriam College vision and mission, with the same academic standards as our Quezon City campus," shared Dr. Lapus. "We recognize that we need not be limited to the existing model, but rather, now have an opportunity to innovate and introduce new ones. With our strong social development experience, we can now impact upon more communities in the common thrust toward national development."

Some of my blogger friends and I witnessed the Groundbreaking Ceremony yesterday which was well-attended by school staff, parents, students, and other visitors as well as graced by no other than Mr. Fernando Zobel de Ayala. 

It was touching to hear the messages written by the students which they dropped down a tube that will serve as a time capsule. One of them even expressed her wish to share with future students her love of Katy Perry songs. It's nice to imagine how, indeed, would kids in the future react when they read messages that are meant for them but were written many years ago. 

Another symbolic gesture made yesterday morning was the releasing of 85 pigeons to signify the school's 85 years. The view was awesome as we watched the birds soar high up to the clear blue skies. 

The establishment of Miriam College-NUVALI was said to be the result of a rigorous process of research, consultation, and careful deliberation involving the whole Miriam College community which started as early as 2006. After doing comprehensive studies, focus group discussions, and consultations with various sectors and the potential market, it was determined that there is a demand for a Miriam College education and that putting up a second campus in Laguna is feasible and sustainable.

Many locations were considered before Ayala Land's NUVALI project was chosen for its proximity to the Quezon City campus; the area's rapid economic growth; and, more importantly, the consistent values and philosophy it shares with Miriam College on aspects such as sustainability, community development, and environmental advocacy.

NUVALI and Miriam College's shared values and philosophy is believed to be an empowering partnership that can impact communities in the area for the better. "We can be partners in imparting the philosophy of balance, nurturing young minds, and teaching the importance of community and environment through Miriam College's excellent academic programs infused with Christian values," said Mr. Aniceto V. Bisnar Jr., NUVALI's General Manager. "Each complements the other by believing that the 'integrity of creation', which is one of Miriam College's core values, is the key to this partnership."

In the second campus, Miriam College plans to introduce new and innovative programs that combine real and virtual learning tools. To benefit the community are social programs that include the Miriam Adult Education (MAE), a night school for out-of-school youth and advocacies in the areas of peace, women, environment, teacher-training and community involvement. 

"With the help of MAE, members of the community will be able to learn basic life-skills, technical knowledge, and values to help them improve their lives and, eventually, their school status," described Mr. John Estacio, NUVALI's Operations Manager. "Similarly, NUVALI has its own livelihood and training programs [to provide] opportunities to hundreds of people from the communities." Some of the products being used and promoted by NUVALI include special paving blocks, hollow blocks, baskets, and bags using recycled paper.

Miriam College-NUVALI is covered by a 10-year development plan starting with the Basic Education: pre-school, grade school (Grades 1-2) and high school (1st-2nd year). The Higher Education unit will begin on the 5th year (2019). Construction will be in phases with special emphasis on an environmentally-sustainable school that is, at the same time, safe, student-friendly, and conducive to living and learning. A 50-50 percentage will be divided equally to structures and open spaces; building designs will adapt to the existing terrain, climate, and environment; and sustainable energy sources will be utilized.

Miriam College is described to draw inspiration from the pioneering spirit of its Maryknoll founders, who established the school in 1926, as it explores new horizons on its 85th year. "We remain rooted in the legacy our founders have left as we break new grounds and face new challenges in our mission to form leaders in service for the 21st century," pronounced Dr. Lapus. "We believe that education is the single most powerful force for a better world. So this is our choice. Here we are at NUVALI, fully committed to the improved of education and life in this new community."

Everybody loves a good bargain and it's such a great feeling to be going home with value-for-money stuff that are well-made and affordable. Recently, I finally had a chance to visit HMR Philippines' 5,000 sq.m. warehouse in Mandaluyong and saw so many good finds it was hard to choose which ones to buy!

I found out that HMR has been trading in surplus since 1992 and that the Mandaluyong store is the original one. Now, HMR has expanded to eight Surplus Depots located in various parts of Metro Manila and Laguna along with an ever-expanding franchise network of Save On Surplus (SOS) stores nationwide.

Speaking of SOS, there's one in Festival Mall which my hubby and I have already been frequenting since we discovered it last year! We were actually so bummed to find a tandem bike there once that has already been sold and was only awaiting pick up. But we've bought other stuff there that we were very happy about including a micro-CD player with speakers for only P990!

Over the years, HMR Philippines has become known as "The Best Surplus Depot" because its link to a strong international supply network of the HMR Group of Companies earned it a reputation of being the place to buy anything and everything from. Customers range from Classes A to E, from big corporations to small enterprises; and from famous celebrities to ordinary employees. 

Among its products are home and office furniture, computers and peripherals, telecommunications equipment, audio/video equipment, medical and industrial supplies, toys and novelty items, clothes and home furnishings, hardware tools, and many more. We were told that new products are continuously being added on a regular basis as they search for bargains both locally and internationally to offer their customers more unique shopping experiences.

For those wondering, yes, the products are brand new although some of the packaging may not be in 100% tiptop shape anymore. At HMR, surplus means excess, over production, or shelf pulls from leading retail outlets in Australia and the US.  

Prices of products at HMR are 20 to 50 percent lower than in other retail outlets that's why you'll love shopping there. When they hold sales, like the time I was there, the prices are further reduced! HMR is also willing to cut prices if items are found to be cheaper in competing stores!

This business model is really quite a unique concept. It not only caters to the needs of a wide variety of consumers with affordable surplus products, HMR also offers complimentary technical services, particularly on computer hardware and related peripherals.

HMR is moreover the exclusive Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) for the Philippines, which means they are able to sell Windows 7 operating systems and Office software for a significant fraction of retail OEM price. The company met strict requirements of selling refurbished computer units with pre-installed legitimate software at pocket-friendly prices.

Here's sharing my finds during my first HMR visit: three (3) 0.2Watts night lights for P590, three socket adaptors are P45 each, a super soft Star Wars blanket (50% off) for P445, an 8GB SD card for P249, a door knob with keys for P390, a nice condiments plate (50% off) for P75, and two boxes of latex gloves (50% off) for P75 each, which we often need for my special child's medical needs at home. 

Excited to shop now? HMR Surplus Depots can be found in Novaliches, Araneta Center, Mandaluyong, Manila, Paranaque, Muntinlupa, and Sta. Rosa, Laguna. For the complete addresses, maps, and contact numbers of these branches, please click here.

By the way, make sure to stay tuned for the launching of HMR's own sports equipment brand named Loro Sports this coming August 9. You may also want to start shopping soon! :)

As a girl growing up in Laguna, I never really thought back then about the healthy food being served on our table. I just knew that many of the vegetables, even the rice, we eat came from my grandparents' or a relative's farm or garden. It was simply natural to be regularly consuming homegrown brown rice, red bananas, and other fruits like lanzones, rambutan, and guyabano plucked from trees surrounding our house. 

Even eating native chicken and eggs laid by them were not out of the ordinary. We'd cook tinola using green papaya and dahon ng sili from neighbors or buy cooked viand from our friendly neighborhood maglalako who knows how to whip up the most tasteful local dishes. 

It wasn't until 2012 when I got to fully appreciate the many benefits of organic and natural farming. I credit the Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) for introducing me to Sir Ronald Costales who owned a fully integrated organic farm in Majayjay, Laguna.    

Friends and readers who live in, or near, Los Banos and are looking for kiddie activities this summer, I'm highly recommending this workshop. It will be facilitated by the cooking and creative genuises of Arla Diner located at 5024 National Highway, Maahas, Los Banos, Laguna. Please contact Chef PJ Aquino or Teacher Lem Rosellon at 0917-9019323 and 0949-7308170 to sign up :)