Family Vacation: A Week in South Korea for Php 60,000 ( 1,200 USD)

Last year, we were able to finally mark this country off our bucket list. We went to South Korea for a week-long vacation: staying 3 days in Jeju and the remaining 4 days in Seoul, and spending around Php 60,000 ($1,200) all in (good for 2 adults and 1 child). Here’s how we did it:

Gyeongbokgung Palace Walk: Royalty for a day

Hello! I just dyed my hair with the lightest color I have ever dared to use (which I will post about some other time), as a celebration of me turning 30. Aaand while waiting for my hair dye to settle, I’m continuing our #theabellastraveltoSouthKorea.

New Travel Series + Cheonggyecheon Stream

First, let me tell you how my week was so far: I was so sick these past few days. I had a terrible headache, I’m feeling nauseous, and I’m having stomach cramps. Before you start thinking these are probably signs of being pregnant, let me just say that my period came today (as scheduled). So yeah, I’m feeling a little better now.

Something to cool you off in summer

Recently, there have been a lot of Facebook posts on this particular treat that I wanted to check it out myself.

Bingsu is a dessert made of shaved ice and condensed milk topped with ingredients from fruits to nuts to candies. It is a popular Korean snack especially during the summer season, similar to the Philippine’s halo-halo. On a hot and sunny afternoon, we finally got to try this frozen delight!

Oh for the Love of Music!

I remember a time when Kara was 6 months old and I saw her shaking (or was she waving) her hands to the beat of the counting song we always play in the house. After that, everytime she hears music she just gets into the groove. Be it music from the car radio, ringtone of a cellphone or even a steady beat of a drum. The moment she learned how to stand, she began stomping her feet and then months later, she could memorize and do dance steps from a Hi-5 song. It might be because I played music to help Kara and I relax ever since we took her home from the hospital, or placing headphones over my pregnant belly to let my unborn baby listen to a soothing sound paid off, or maybe because Mr. G and I do music jams in the car everyday while on our way to work when I was pregnant. For whatever reason, it was then I realized Kara has a fondness to music.

Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Summer here in the Philippines can be unbearably hot. It usually calls for a swim in the beach, a dip in the pool, turning on the AC unit for almost a day or ICE CREAM!