Life In Capones

Last time I island- hopped was when I was 10 years old. My Auntie would take me and brother with her every time she would go to the beach. As a kid, it was one of the good memories I had. I can still remember getting pricked by a sea urchin. It was really great to be able to experience to go to an isolated island again.  Isolated, because even with tourists around, the people of Zambales was able to control the crowd and they were able to maintain the original feel of a deserted island in the middle of the ocean.

I went to our balcony around 4am in the morning. I just thought of having some "me time". When I got out, I saw the moon shining over the islands of Camara and Capones. When I went to bed the night before everything was dark at that very same spot. This has got to be one of the treats I enjoyed during our stay in Zambales. The moon served like a spot light over the islands. The sky was clear and the stars were shining brightly as well.

After my short sight-seeing of the moon over the islands, at 6am, I went to the reception area to reserve a boat for our island hop. With our experience, it's best to go island hopping early in the morning. The water is calm and it's safe to get a healthy exposure with the sun. After our reservation, I had our breakfast packed so we can eat at the island. At 7am, our boat was ready and waiting.

The boat was equipped with life vests both for adults, kids and even for a 1- year old. Our boat ride went smoothly. In the middle of the ocean, we can saw through the crystal blue green water, saw some corals and fishes.

Capones Island

 Breakfast in Capones

We chose Capones because the beach area is bigger than in Camara, with lesser visitors also because most would prefer Anawangin Cove. When we arrived in Capones, there were tourists around. Most of them, slept at the island.  When our boat man told us about tourists sleeping, camping over at the island, I feared that we might end up with trash everywhere. I'm really happy that they kept the place clean.

Me and my sister Les

One of the things we enjoyed in Capones was the clear water that housed some shells, corals, crabs and small fishes. It was quite an experience for my kids. My youngest son, played with sand for the very first time... swam in sea water. My eldest went snorkeling with his dad. It's wonderful to see my children love nature.

Like I mentioned earlier, there were tourists but the beach remained the same. Everyone had their own spots to enjoy.

The sand was white and fine. But near the water, you'll find shells small stones.

For me, it's instant paradise. I don't even have to fly some place, beat a number of people for a spot.  Define beach, adventure and fun all together, here in Zambales, we have an untouched treasure. Let's take care of it, respect and preserve the beauty of the famous islands of Zambales.

Island Hopping: 

Camara, Capones, Anawangin Cove: Php3,500

Camara only: Php 1,100

Capones only: Php 1,300

• You can stay on these islands for as long as you want during the day. It is important to make clear arrangements with the resort management and boat man before going.
• Bring umbrellas, tents or anything for cover. 
• Brings lots of drinking water.
• Food is allowed, but make sure to bring your excess/ trash back with you.
• Fishing, snorkeling is by request. Ask your resort management with regards to this matter.
• Ask your boat man about the famous lighthouse in Capones.
• Going to San Antonio Zambales

Sleek Looking Television Set Up

T.V. Mounts? Not only they make your room stylish, but most of all they're considered as space savers. Since we bought our LED TV, we have been contemplating on buying a durable t.v. mount. As of the moment, we thought that our 32" t.v. is good if we place it on a regular t.v. stand. But just recently, my husband and I decided to invest on a much bigger and more advanced television set. With that, we are greatly considering of hooking it up on the wall, so we can turn our living room to an instant entertainment area.

A flat screen TV just doesn't look right when it isn't properly mounted or placed on a high quality stand. There are tons of these types of stands online, but most of them are not going to handle the weight of a high quality flat screen television. 

You can Shop Standsandmounts.com for flat screen TV Mounts that are cheap but also have a lot of sturdiness built inside. They are even organized by different sizes of televisions so you know exactly which one will work for your home. These are quality wall mounts made from superior grade materials. You can find slim fit TV mounts, arm TV mounts, ceiling mounts and even different flat screen TV stands. 

These offer a particular style and grace that you're also not going to find at other places. This is the ultimate for home entertainment systems that must be organized and wire free. Many businesses also use StandsandMounts.com because of the prices and variety. If you are trying to set up a unique space, take a look at the different types of mounts that you can buy and use in your restaurant. 

There are ceiling mounts made for posh spaces that hang from steel wires, cable of handling all types of TV weight and making a stable yet different look for your interior. In addition, the slim fit TV wall mounts are perfect for home entertainment systems that want a sleek look with no wires showing. StandsandMounts.com is the perfect place to go to get mounts quickly as well with fast shipping.

Maternity Gifts and Ideas

In a few weeks, I will be attending a baby shower of a friend of mine. It is going to be my first event. It always excites me when it comes to Baby Shower Ideas . As much as possible, I want it to be extraordinarily colorful and it doesn't have to be wrapped in a box. I learned this from a close friend of mine in college. It was quite a learning because I make the celebrant/s happy and excited.

 

For the baby shower I'm going to attend to I plan to give a gift basket containing baby clothes in different colors. Baby clothes nowadays comes in all colors both for a baby boy and a girl. A blue shirt might suggest that it's a for a baby boy, but the additional ruffles makes it feminine. The cut and  print on the clothing greatly matters. Now, blue can also be as girly as the shade of pink. Pink can be mixed with blue, green or brown to make it more boyish.

For our mommy friends, usually we give baby showers when mommy is at her 8th or 9th month. It's not too late to gift her with Pregnancy Clothing . A cute shirt can come in handy even after giving birth.

Apparently, maternity cut clothing has been a trend lately. Personally, it's one of the things I enjoy throughout my pregnancy. Even with a bulging tummy, we moms can still be fashionable. And we can use these clothes over and over again. When buying maternity clothes, take note of the structure and design of the clothing. Then, imagine yourself in it without the big tummy. This particular shirt above can go with denim shorts, skinny jeans and a chic looking pair of flats.

AirPlay Your Favorites

The latest addition that will make our Apple experience more fun.  Actually, we bought our Apple TV a few months ago. We use it to play movies, documentaries, music, games and to view our latest pictures using our television. Online, we go to Youtube to watch the latest episodes of our favorite tv series.

Apple TV will make Apple entertainment more unbelievably fun. Through wireless streaming, you can now enjoy your favorites from your Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad in a much bigger screen. Setting up is fast and easy. Simply attach  your Apple gadget and Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi network, and AirPlay will automatically appear. Choose the application you want to use then AirPlay will stream from your Apple gadget to your HDTV.

It's like a specialized tv show, play whatever you want. Anyone in the room can view, play and listen with you.
If you have external speakers...

AirPlay technology is built into speakers, receivers, and stereo systems from manufacturers like Denon, Marantz, B&W, JBL, and iHome. source

Gaming. This has got to be one of the purposes why we got Apple TV. Since we're so much into gaming apps, being able to view our play on HDTV makes it more exciting and entertaining for the whole family. 

Colorful and exciting, because we can view it on HDTV. 3 Fs Family, Fun and Friends not only because we now have a great option for viewing, but also because we can now share our favorites with the people around us. Relaxing, because I can already set some relaxing music and graphics on a much bigger screen with surround sound.

High In Sky Eye

During the recent holiday (Araw ng Kagitingan) we went on an out of town trip to Tagaytay City with some guests from Cebu. The highlight of our trip was to experience the tallest ferris wheel in the country called Sky Eye. Last time we visited Tagaytay, that was 2 months ago, I remember seeing the whole grounds still being developed. It used to be the horseback riding park beside Taal Vista Hotel. Now, it is called the Sky Ranch. As of the moment, there is a small amusement park and food stalls already open to the public.

Here are the details:

• Entrance Fee Sky Ranch: Php100 (20% discount for Senior Citizens and PWD)
• Sky Eye Fee: Php150 (Infants below 9 months are free of charge).
• Loop Ride: Php250

Most of the rides are at Php50

The main attraction at Sky Ranch is Sky Eye which over looks the whole Taal Lake. We went around 9 in the morning, the sun was out but not too hot, the summer breeze in Tagaytay is still cool. But I advise to bring umbrella and sunglasses, because once it hits 10am- onwards, it is going to be scorching hot.

My sister and Mikee

Night visit at the Sky Ranch is also something to look forward to. I have seen images of the Sky Eye beautifully lit at night. Though there won't be any view of the Taal Volcano, the cool breeze and the warm lights of Sky Eye is an attraction already. I always thought that the Giant Wheel in Star City is the tallest. Sky Eye took the seat at (207 ft) with 32 air-conditioned gondolas making it the tallest in the country.

View from our gondola: The peaceful Taal Volcano.

They say that a gondola can house 4 people. Based on our experience, maximum of 3 would be better.  When we saw the other passengers getting off their gondolas, one problem we noticed was the difficulty of going down.

Considering that the wheel is continuously moving, it is dangerous if someone's foot will get caught at the bar in the middle of the gondola. Leg room is going to be a problem if they'll proceed with 4. We insisted that we ride by 2s or 3s. It's a good thing that the person managing the ride was very open for the adjustment we wanted, thank you.

The timing of our visit was perfect. Over-all, our guests had fun. After the 10- minute ride in Sky Eye, they freshened up some more with buko juice from a nearby food station. It was an experience for them to ride the tallest ferris wheel in the country. It is worth sharing to their fellow Cebuanos.

As for me, I'm happy that I was able to ride Sky Eye. I just love how such ride makes me feel so relaxed, as if I wanna own one.