Saturday, October 29, 2011

Travel: Danasan Eco Adventure Park



If you're looking for an adventure packed place where you can also relax and unwind, Danasan Eco Adventure Park is definitely the place to be. 

Danasan Eco Adventure Park is located in the high mountains of Danasan, Danao. About an hour away from Danao City. The terrain going up to Danasan is mostly uphill and there are breaks of rough road along the way. I would not advise travel with a sedan or any lowered vehicle going up because the roads can be pretty rough. To reach Danasan, you just follow the same road that leads to Intosan Resort and just go straight. There are road signs everywhere anyway so it's impossible to get lost. Here's a map, although i don't think this will be much of a guide to you. 


On hindsight, i would prefer just taking the park's shuttle (P200 RT for pickup in Danao or P300 RT for pickup in Cebu City). It is so much more convenient this way. The scenery going up to Danasan is beautiful, this is where the adventure really starts. You'll pass by rivers and a lot of beautiful mountain views. About halfway through the trip though, you'll lose your cellphone reception. So if you're the type of person who's unable to live through a day or two without a signal, better start thinking twice. The ride to Danasan seemed like forever, we agonized over the road signs that said 25km ahead, 24 km ahead, 17 km ahead, 12 km ahead... After about an hour and 15 mins, we finally reached the place. 



We left Cebu City at 6:45 am and arrived at Danasan at 9:30. We made a quick stop at Liloan to buy food. Danasan has no corkage fee for food brought into the park. This might change in the future though as they recently started serving meals in the park. Not a lot of people were there when we arrived. We had breakfast first and then scheduled ourselves for the Waterfalls Trekking (P200) because there was still a group at the wakepark. This tractor will bring you to the falls. Cool right?


The terrain leading to the falls was CRAZY! It was R-O-U-G-H! For 20 minutes (i think), we rode through the bumpy road, swaying like crazy and holding on to the tractor really tight it almost left permanent marks on our hand. 



The tractor would've taken us all the way to the waterfalls and spared us from the 1 km (i think) walk but since the roads were blocked due to a recent landslide, we had to walk all the way up to the river leading to the waterfalls. 



Now, the trek. The terrain going to the falls was ok and pretty much uneventful except for some near slips and stumbles. It was mostly downhill so it was pretty easy for the not so active ones like me. After the rough road, you'll need to walk through a long stretch of shallow river and maneuver through slippery rocks to reach the waterfalls below. 

Finally, you'll reach the first small waterfall. We didn't swim here as it was rather small. 



We proceeded to the 2nd waterfalls which is much bigger and spent about an hour here swimming. It does not look as majestic or as pretty as the other waterfalls i've seen or been to. I've seen better. But, what i really like about this waterfalls though is that the water's really clean and cold, and its really shallow so it's pretty safe, even for kids. 

There is a 3rd pool going further down but we were tired already and contented with just swimming in the 2nd pool that we didn't push through. Ours guide said it's still a bit further down, the terrain is much more difficult and the water's also much deeper in the 3rd pool. 

After about an hour of swimming, we started our way up back towards where the tractor was. If the travel going down to the falls was pretty elementary, the way back up was DIFFICULT, I almost had a near death experience with this one. It's no secret that i do not have a very active lifestyle so climbing up the very steep uphill terrain was painstakingly difficult. It was pure torture. I did not bother taking pictures of the climb up because i was very busy trying to catch my breathe and stopping myself from fainting. I was breathing so loud i was like a girl in labor. The husband carried me on his back twice when i was near passing out. Here's a picture of the terrain. Imagine climbing 6 or so of these.


Unlike the earlier trip to the the falls, the ride back to the main camp was dead silent. Nobody was in the mood to talk. Everyone was exhausted and dehydrated (we forgot to bring water) from the torturous climb and the scorching heat. We were dead tired and very hungry when we reached the camp, we rested, and had lunch. Next on our itinerary was Wakeboarding. After about an hour of rest and lunch, we headed towards the lower part of the camp for the wake park.

It was about this time last year too when the friends and i went to CWC (Camsur Watersports Complex). We were very excited then to try out wake boarding but as fate would have it, the beginner's park was closed for repair half of the day and the line was a kilometer long in the afternoon when it finally got fixed. Too bad. We had a blast in their waterpark instead. Here's what the beginner's wake park in CWC and the one in Danasan looks like.  Pretty much the same right?

BEGINNER'S WAKEPARK IN CWC

BEGINNER'S WAKEPARK IN DANASAN

As i have virtually no inclination towards sports, i did not expect to have so much of a great time wakeboarding (P300/ whole day). You get a short one on one lesson on dry land with the instructor before actually going in the water. They teach you the basics, like how to position your body, how to position your hands and feet, how to handle the pull from the cable etc. You can try to learn as much as you want from this short crash course but really, experience is the best teacher.

*UPDATE 12/1/2011
Wakeboarding now costs P1,600 per group, per hour.



If you can't swim, don't fret because you'll have a vest. When you're about to crash, just hold you're breathe, close your eyes and try not to swallow the murky brown water. Eew.


You begin with a water start by getting into the water (duh), doing a squat position and leaning on your back (much like doing a squat position but only horizontally), wearing the wake board slippers, and holding on to the the thing that connects you to the cable that pulls you. There are other ways to start though, you can do a sit start or a jump start, but these are for the more advanced riders. Here's my friend doing a water start.


Once you're ready, the cable slowly pulls you. At this point, you don't need to do anything but just let the cable pull you to a stand. Once you're fully up, you need to stretch out your arms, keep your grip on the handle firm, keep your knees bent, slowly face sideways, and position your feet wherever your most comfortable (right foot forward or left foot forward), mine's right foot forward.

My first attempt was epic - i fell within just 3 feet from the starting point! Haha.

My 2nd and 3rd attempt were all fail, i never even got to reach the middle part of the lake. Through all these crashes, i kept getting thrown into the yucky brown water and  swallowed once or twice that same yucky water. I have to learn fast! 

My friends and the instructors kept yelling, straighten your arms, bend your knees, put your weight on the board, don't pull the cable, etc., etc. At one point, when i swallowed about half a gallon of that brown icky water, i really wanted to quit. But as i am not a quitter and i really wanted to prove something to myself, i tried again... and i got it! Yehey!




It is such a great feeling to be able to stand and do an entire lap without falling!!! I fell on every turn though because this is a difficult thing to do (i think). The husband isn't even able to make a successful turn without falling. When my time was up, I had to wait again for my turn until everyone in line was through (there were about 8 people). When you're lucky and you're the only group on the wake park (on a weekday), you get to ride over and over again, until your heart's content.

My 2nd try was the best! I hardly fell at all. And I only fell because the guy who controlled the cable would suddenly accelerate the pull when he notices that I'm standing up already and really enjoying the ride. What a bummer. Here's the husband riding like crazy. He even tried to jump on his first ride.



Here's my tip to be able to at least stand on the board and ride your way in the lake.
  • Have the correct foot forward (where you're most comfortable). The instructor first told me my left foot should be forward (because I'm right handed). After several crashes, I learned I am most comfortable with my right foot forward. This made a lot of difference.
  • Don't pull the cable, just allow the cable to pull you. Hold the handle firmly but never pull. Keep your arms straight.
  • Put more of your weight on your back foot. This is what i use to balance and to carve my way in the water
  • Follow your heart. I don't get this and i don't know if this works but this is my friend Lovely's mantra during her rides and she's pretty good at wake boarding already so this must work. Haha.  

Once you get the hang of it, wake boarding can be really addicting! I wanted to ride over and over and over again. It's really great that there's now a wake park in Cebu and you don't have to travel all the way to Luzon to ride.

Overall, my Danasan Eco Adventure Park experience was really really great. I had so much fun (despite the nasty muscle aches i had the morning after).  When i come back (I'm sure very soon), i'll make sure to sleep over as a day is definitely not enough. If you're interested in spending a night or two here, here's how their rooms look like:


 

Besides waterfalls trekking and wakeboarding, Danasan also offers other activities like zip line, caving, horse back riding, etc. Soon there will also be river tubing, rock climbing, tyrolean traverse and a host of other things. 

To see their full range of activities, rates and packages, visit their website Danasan Eco Adventure Park.


♥ blushbaby





Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Nyx Haul from nyxwholesaleph.com


Look what came in the mail yesterday? I love NYX!



About 2 1/2 weeks ago i placed an order for some NYX stuff at nyxwholesale.ph. They sell NYX items at incredibly low prices. The downside though is that all of the items are pre-order so you need to wait at least 2-3 weeks for your orders to arrive.


How it works is that you place an order on their site, pay 70% of the total amount, and wait for your items to arrive. The remaining 30% you pay when your items arrive. What i really like about this site is that ordering is so easy, they regularly give you updates via email on the status of your orders, and they have store promos once in a while (they have one now until oct.31 only).

Here's what i got: 
NYX Round Lipsticks (P 95.00 / each)
Iconic, Lousiana, Femme, Spell Bound, Chic, Haute Couture, Perfect, 
and Fig (now on my 3rd tube)


NYX Slim Lip Pencil (P 95.00/ each)
Coral, Hot Pink, Nude Pink, Deep Red


NYX Liquid Eye Liner (P 195.00/ each)
Black & Brown



NYX Auto Eyebrow Pencil (P 175.00/ each)
Black & Brown


I love NYX cosmetics! They're really cheap and the quality is really great. What i am most happy about now is that they are so easy to purchase. I recall having to order from Cherry Culture before just to get hold of NYX items and pay ridiculous shipping fees from the US to the Philippines. I can't wait to review all of these! 

♥ blushbaby

Sunday, October 16, 2011

My GM Diet Experience


About a week ago, I talked about my plan to start trying out the GM Diet (click here). I will be honest to tell you that i was not able to strictly follow this diet plan. I strictly followed the diet plan to the letter upto the 2nd day, but from the 3rd day onwards, there were a few lapses here and there. Here's how my GM diet went. 

DAY 1: Fruits, except bananas. 
Weight Today: 127.3 lbs 

I started my day with 4 slices of cantaloupe and 2 glasses of water. After this i already felt full as I normally do not eat breakfast at all. By midday, i felt really hungry my stomach was growling really bad. I ate an apple and a glass of water for midday snack. For lunch i ate an apple, a pear and 2 glasses of water. I was still hungry after this, so you can imagine the self control i had seeing the daing na bangus that my mom was having for lunch.  I was hungry the entire afternoon, my stomach wouldn't stop growling. I snacked on half a cantaloupe and 2 apples the entire afternoon and about 3 glasses of water. For dinner, i avoided joining the husband at the table to avoid temptation. He ate alone. Poor husband. In my room, i chowed down 2 pears and 2 glasses of water. Overall, this wasn't such a bad day. I mean yes i kept getting hunger pangs but as I really like fruits, I had no problems at all eating them constantly. 


DAY 2: Vegetables
Weight Today: 126.8

I woke up today feeling extremely light. I weighed myself and was happy to see i lost half a pound. Not much, but this is a start right? I braced myself for a dreadful day ahead. Its Vegetables day! I am not a big fan of vegetables, especially potatoes. I know the plan says to eat a baked or boiled potato for breakfast but knowing i will not be able to stomach this, i substituted with a sweet potato instead. Now sweet potato, this i really like. Especially the yellow ones. For breakfast i ate 2 medium sized sweet potato and 2 glasses of water and i was full. Compared to the first day, the hunger pangs wasn't as terrible. By midday, i snacked on half a cucumber and water. The cucumber was yum! For lunch, i had 1 sweet potato, blanched cauliflower, half of the remaining cucumber and water. It wasn't very appetizing, but i felt full afterwards. For afternoon snacks i had store bought garden salad with no dressing. I had 2 sweet potato and half a cucumber for dinner. I am so glad this day is definitely coming to an end.

Day 3: Fruits (except bananas) & Vegetables
Weight Today:  125.8 lbs

I already lost 1.5 lbs in total. I'm so happy! I'm thinking this might just be water weight but i am so happy i am making progess. All in all, i ate 6 medium-sized sweet potatoes, 2 cucumbers, 1 cantaloupe, some kiwi, an apple, and lots of water. My hunger pangs and cravings have also been less frequent. I have also been sleeping early the past days (I normally sleep at 11 pm) to stop myself from getting the midnight cravings.

Day 4: Bananas & Milk
Weight Today: 124.3

I lost 3 lbs! Wohoo! I started the day with 2 large lakatan bananas and a glass of lowfat milk. For midday snacks I had 2 boiled saging na saba (i googled for the english term for saging na saba and  apparently its Cardava Banana). For lunch i had 2 boiled cardava banana, 1 lakatan banana, a glass of milk and water. By midafternoon, i was so hungry i almost fainted twice. I had a terrible headache around 3 pm and felt so weak. Mom got really worried, she made me eat a bowl of oatmeal. I devoured it in less than 5 minutes. I felt a little better after the meal but was still a bit weak. Come dinner, I ate a bowl of oatmeal again, 2 lakatan bananas, and a glass of milk. I slept early.

Day 5: Beef & Tomatoes
Weight Today: 124.1

Not much weight loss today. Probably because of the oatmeal i ate yesterday. The plan calls for 2 10oz piece of lean beef but i know i consumed more than this today. All in all i consumed 3 slices of beefsteak (minus the sauce), 3 tomatoes, 2 sweet potato and half a cucumber. I wanted to stick to the diet plan but it was just too difficult as i kept getting headaches.

Day 6: Beef & Vegetables
Weight: 124. 4

I gained .03 lbs today from yesterday. Overall, i still lost 2.9 lbs from when i started last Monday. The diet plan says to eat as much beef and vegetables as you can, and i sure did! Today i ate a burger from Flame It (Yum!), a slice of beef, 4  sweet potatoes, 1 cantaloupe and a cucumber. 



Day 7: Brown Rice & Vegetables
Weight: 124.4

I woke up this morning with the realization that i do not have brown rice in the pantry. I totally forgot. I remembered making a mental note to myself 2 days ago to buy half a kilo of brown rice which as expected, i forgot about. Instead of brown rice, i had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Since its a Sunday, i cooked lunch. This is the only time i get to cook for the husband as we normally are both very busy during weekdays. I made him slow cooked adobo (hubby says i make the best adobo in the world), and some chili shrimps. By noon, my stomach was growling from all the delicious smells in the kitchen. And because we always ate lunch together during Sundays, I had no excuse (diet or whatever) to not have lunch with him at the table. It was the heap of steaming hot rice that got me and made me throw all caution into the air. It was heaven at first bite. In all fairness i only ate about 3/4 cup of rice, a lot of the shrimps, and a teeny tiny piece of adobo. For snacks i only had a stick of banana que while the husband had no bake blueberry cheescake. Ugh! The pain i had to endure watching him eat bite after bite after bite of that cake. Come dinner, the husband and i had pochero and a few other things at Kusina Uno. It was a Sunday and in normal family tradition, we always try to eat out once a week, this was my excuse. I only ate again about 3/4 of a cup of rice, lots of the pochero meat and soup, and 3 lumpia. I fear what my weight will be tomorrow....


GM DIET CONCLUSION
Does it work? Based on experience, yes it does work. Especially if you strictly follow the diet plan. I cheated a couple of times but in the end i still lost 2.8 lbs. This is not a diet though that you can follow the rest of your life, because it is VERY difficult to follow. More so if you have a stressful 5-8 job, the banana and milk will not be enough to sustain your energy requirements. If the temptation or the cravings will not get you, then hunger, dizziness, and headache definitely will. 
I am not a fan of any diet plan that involves depriving oneself of the food you want to eat because in the end, once you get fed up (and surely you will) you'll eat double the amount of the food that you enjoy but miss eating. The GM Diet is a good way to kickstart a healthier eating habit/lifestyle probably, but in my opinion is not a good way to permanently lose weight. Now that i have been more conscious of what i eat and and the amount of food i consume, here's how i plan to permanently, and little by little lose the excess pounds:
  1. Start getting some physical activity. Hubby and i will start hitting the gym tomorrow and will do so 4x a week, for 2 hours per session.
  2. Drink lots and lots of water. The benefits of drinking lots of water will not only be beneficial to your skin, but will also aid in weight loss. I drink a minimum of 3 liters of water everyday (about 12 glasses of water).
  3. Decrease my rice consumption to not more than 1 1/2 cups of rice per day. 
  4. Eat more fruits and vegetables. 
  5. Decrease dining out to a maximum of once a week. It doesn't help that the husband has a big appetite and takes pleasure at eating good food. This is his only real vice as he doesn't drink or smoke. He has a very active lifestyle though and is involved in a lot of sports activities so he hardly gains weight no matter how much he eats.  
  6. Sleep early. There was a time when we had late night McDonalds delivery for 3 days straight due to movie marathons that end super late at night. We have stopped late night movie marathons and McDonald's delivery altogether. Last time i visited the McDelivery website was 3 weeks ago. What a feat! 
  7. Snack on fruits, camote and boiled cardava banana instead of bread, pastries and sweets.
  8. Eat everything in moderation. When i normally can down 3 cupcakes, 2 donuts, or 2 slices of cake in one sitting, i'll decrease that to maybe just 1. 

To all those trying to lose weight, or still planning to lose weight - MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU! 

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Review: My Favorite Avon Simply Pretty Colorbliss Lipsticks


Here's a quick review of my favorite Avon Simply Pretty Colorbliss Lipsticks. I'm a big fan of Avon's Colorbliss line because they're super cheap and come in a variety of colors. True, the texture, pigmentation and overall quality is not the same as the higher end lippies, but for P 99.00, what can you expect? 

Here are my favorite colors:

Avon Colorbliss Lipstick in Mystic Beige
Avon Colorbliss Lipstick in Pampering Pink


Avon Colorbliss Lipstick in Whisper

Mystic Beige is a pure beige color with a very very slight hint of pink. Before Revlon's Soft Nude (review here), this was my most abused nude color. I love that the "beige-ness" of it do not wash me out and make me look like a corpse (as what most nude colors do). I top this off with Revlon's Nude Lustre (review here) and it's perfect for a nude look. It has a creamy consistency and has tiny shimmers which is almost unnoticeable. This tends to settle on the liplines though so make sure to exfoliate your puckers first.

Pampering Pink is a color i make sure i never run out of. In fact, i have 2 backups for this just in case Avon discontinues this color. It's a nude, cool-toned pink, perfect for everyday look. It's very sheer, so you need to build this to get the color you want.

Whisper is warm pink nude pink. It's perfect for everyday office look. It's a bit sheer. 


What the Label Says

Blissful medium to full color finish with added natural moisturizing complex that helps retain moisture and improve suppleness. Contains Vitamin E, glides on smoothly. Makes lips instantly softer and smoother. Feels lightweight & non-sticky. 

Net WT. 
4 g

Price:
P 130.00 (Regular Price)
P 99.00 (Sale Price)


The Good
- cheap 
- comes in a variety of shades
- glides easily on the lips
- most of the colors are sheer but buildable
The Bad
- lasting power is not good, about 1-2 hours
-  texture not very creamy

Final Verdict
If you want cheap lipsticks with average quality and in a variety of shades, this one's for you! 


Sunday, October 9, 2011

Tomorrow I start my GM Diet


I'm getting fat. 

I know this because my favorite jeans do not fit me anymore, the sleeves on my favorite top cling to my arms like second skin, and the buttons on my button down shirt pop out, not because i have big boobs, but because I've grown wider. 

My normal weight is at 113-115 lbs. I weighed 113 lbs November of last year, gained 6 lbs during my vacation for a family reunion on December, never lost it, gained 8 more pounds this year, which now brings me to my current weight of ---- 127 lbs!!! This makes my BMI (Body Mass Index) to be 24 (The ideal range is 19-25). Though this is still normal, i am already almost marginally overweight. To compute your BMI, click here. This is the BMI classification: 


I have been meaning to get some physical activity the last couple of months to put a halt to my sedentary life, but laziness always gets in the way. Between the gym and my bed, the bed always wins. Unlike the husband who lives and breathes physical activity and sports -  i just live, breathe, eat and sleep. 

Over pasta and sinful dessert last Saturday night at Fudge (click here for the review), my friends "pressured" me into trying out the GM Diet. They have been on this diet for a week already and apparently this worked for them. It also seems healthy too so I decided to give it a try. 

What's the GM Diet? 

"The GM diet, also known as the General Motors diet, is a 7-day eating plan that offers significant weight loss results. Unlike other diets which require intake of supplements that aid in losing weight, this diet relies mainly on natural produce. The main objectives of the GM diet are to get rid of the excess pounds and at the same time alter the individual’s eating habits towards a more organic lifestyle. The benefits of the GM Diet are: 

  • DetoxificationIn contrast to what many people say, the GM diet is an effective way to start detoxification. Indeed individuals are deprived of eating fat, unhealthy proteins and carbohydrates during the first few days of the week. But at the same time their body systems are cleansed and the toxins that keep them tired, stressed and overweight are flushed away. Followers of the GM diet are inclined to drink up to 2 liters of water each day, which is sufficient to digest all the food they have consumed and wash away all the unwanted entities inside their system.
    Regular detoxification aids in faster digestion, regular bowel movement and urination, and eventual weight loss.
  • Faster Digestion: GM diet fosters digestion in two significant ways. First is through the foods consumed each day of the diet week. Individuals are subject to consume only high fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables that are low in sugar. These meals alone already speed up digestion as they are easily absorbed by the stomach.
    Digestion is also sped up with significant water intake. Foods that are rich in fiber still need water for them to be dissolved into nutrients. With regular water intake, the overall digestion process is maximized. In turn individuals get to use all the nutrients they have consumed and at the same time utilize their reserved energies through by means of metabolism.
  • Regular Bowel Movement: One of the reasons why people tend to be overweight is the unnecessary wastes trapped inside the body. These include elements that have not been able to be digested and had to be removed from the system through defecation. Due to the high fiber foods and consistent water intake in the GM diet, the solid entities in the digestive system are flushed away from the body in a regular manner. Bowel problems such as constipation and LBM are thus avoided.
The above mentioned processes all contribute to faster weight loss effects. Through the GM diet, individuals not only get to lose weight; they also find the way towards a healthier and cleaner lifestyle. In time, those who follow the diet also get rid of their poor eating habits and find ways to enjoy life in a more natural manner."


The GM Diet Plan




I will start this diet tomorrow and hopefully i'll have the willpower to stick with it. Wish me luck! 




Saturday, October 8, 2011

Food: Afternoon Delight at Fudge


A great way to end a stressful week is through good food and the company of best friends. The girls and I had a short but sweet afternoon delight at Fudge yesterday to spend quality time with our dear friend Aileen, who's visiting Cebu to celebrate her mom's birthday. 

Fudge is a quaint little pastry shop located in 888 AS Fortuna St., across Wilkins and besides BPI. It's a really cozy place to have dinner or dessert with friends and family. We arrived at 4 pm and the place was packed. Aside from the sinful desserts, Fudge also serves really good pastas, sandwiches, salads and a few hot plates. 








It took us a long time to decide what to get, they were just so many to choose from! As half of my friends were on a diet, we all decided to share - although i would've personally liked to have all the food all to myself. Haha. 


Fudge Chocolate Cake
Tip: Eat this immediately before it softens. 
The Ultimate Combo
Layers of oreo crust, cheescake, frozen mango float, and tiramisu. 


Pandan Sansrival

Army Navy
Club sandwich smothered with melted cheese

Hand Held Caesars
A wrapped Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken

Spaghetti Carbonara
My favorite! Super Yummy! 
  
Lava Cake w/ Vanilla Ice Cream
Absolutely to die for! Heaven! 



I love Fudge! I wouldn't mind eating here day after day after day. The prices are a little steep for some of the pastries, but i wouldn't mind spending for a really good cake. Writing this post, I am resisting the urge to drop everything and go to Fudge right now, if only to eat their Lava Cake & Cheescake Delight. 

Whenever you're in Cebu, Fudge should definitely be on your to go to list. 
To know more about Fudge, visit their Facebook page here.