It's time for Hump Day $50 Giveaway and today's event is for Google Friend Connect (GFC) or Google+ Circles. Thanks to the 33 wonderful blogs listed below, we are giving away $62 this week and not $50. Yep you get some bonus so please feel free to visit their blogs after joining.



My Tots Exactly | Frugal Experiments | Money Saving Mindy | Filipino Virtual Assistant | Tinkerputt's Turf | Blog Contests & Giveaways | Shop Vintage Clothing | Vienna Daily | Coupon Queen of Texas | Mommy Coupon Swappers | Life According to Me | Mole On My Sole | The 24-hour Mommy | WAHMaholic blog | Certified Foodies | Teach Me 2 Save | WAHMaholic Blog Designs | Extreme Personal Measures | Building Carpenters | Kenzie's Kozies | The Food, the Places and the Badtrips | Happy Home & Family | mumwrites | Living Life to the Fullest | Mom's Online Magazine | Charming Junkie | Workaholic Me | Topics on Earth | Mom's Ups and Downs| Pinay Mom in Germany| Life's Cheap Thrills | The Wandering Purple Diva | Make Money Online  There are 2 types of entries this week. You can follow a blog though it's Google Friend Connect (GFC) button, or to add a blog page to your Google+ Circles. For a short tutorial on how to Follow via GFC or to Add pages to your Google+ Circles, click here but be sure to come back to enter through this blog.

A note though: You can only join this on one blog/page. There will be a maximum of 39 entries ONLY. If you have more than 39, I reserve the right to delete duplicate or fraudulent entries. May I request that you use only one name and email address for quicker validation of entries.

On the first mandatory entry, please do not forget to write Tinkerputt's Turf referred you since it is a mandatory entry. You must complete the first 2 tasks before the others are enabled, and for all your other entries to count.

Thank you very much and good luck. By joining this giveaway, you agree to the Terms and Conditions on the bottom of the form.

Contest is open all-day Wednesday, from February 1st, 12:01am EST to February 1st,11:59pm EST (February 1st, 1:01pm Philippine time to February 2nd, 12:59pm Philippine time).

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Win fabulous prizes from Beauty Ketch Fab Contest and Giveaway .

Tess of Beauty Ketch is having her first ever contest and giveaway for those who loves beauty and fashion!

Her fab prizes for the three (3) lucky winners are:



1st Winner – (1) Wallet, Skin Elixir Whitening Lotion, and FAB Velvet Glow Blush

2nd Winner – Bliss Body Butter, Baby Bundle Cologne, and Simply Pleasure Hand Sanitizer

3rd Winner – Skin Elixir Soap, Simply Pleasure Hand Sanitizer, and Love Rush Baby Doll Lotion

Join now through the Rafflecopter below.

Please also visit her sponsors who made the contest possible.

Beauty Ketch | Coffeechic | Pinay Ads | Late Bloomer | Jenns Blog | Eye for Fashion | Beautylicious tips | Dins fashion | Samut Sari | Hobby Lovey Store | Vienna Daily | Princess Pinkalicious | Janet Luison | Manilenya Mom | Nitas Random Thoughts | Ruthlicious | The Workaholicme | Tinkerputt | I love Keisha | Yipeemedia | Fashionistainme | Trips and Travel | Pinay Mom in Germany

a Rafflecopter giveaway   

We love traveling and seeing different places. Now that we already have Jabe, we wanted to be able to travel and explore different places more so that Jabe can be able to see the world. Probably one of my dream family getaway is Orlando, Florida! And I would definitely love to go to Disney World. If given the chance, it would all be our first time to visit not just Disney World and Florida but as well the United States.

This dream, I know will soon come true. But for some, who are also dreaming to go there and that dream is already within reach, have you already tried to plan your itinerary and also look for the best accommodation in the area? For your itinerary, some of the things you might to visit are Lego Land (hubby would definitely love this!),  Discovery Cove, Busch Garden, the Old Town, the Wonderworks, and so much more..

For accommodation, vacation packages and hotel deals for families from different Orlando Hotels are now being offered through the internet through Orlandoescape.com. Visit their site for the best deals ever or like their Facebook page to get updated on their latest offerings and also get to know the best things to do in Orlando!

Happy planning and I do hope that you will enjoy your vacation, coz I am sure that whenever that dream of mine is already a reality, we would be having one hell of a vacation!

My driver's license expiration date was last 18 December 2011. But due to a jampacked schedule for the holidays I have to delay my application for renewal.

Last 17 January, a day it will celebrate its first month of expiration, Ayie accompanied me to have it renewed. Instead of going to the LTO Offices where all transactions are being processed, we went to the LTO Drivers License Renewal Center located at SM Hypermart in Tiendesitas. There are two rooms: one is the renewal center and the other room is for the drug testing center.

Things to bring when renewing your license:

1.  Old / Expired Driver's License
2. OR (Official Receipt) of your Expired Driver's License (sometimes they ask for this one)
3. Ballpen - you will be filling up a lot of forms, so have with you instead of looking or buying a new one.
4. Cash - bring enough around Php 1500 

Steps for Drivers License Renewal

Step 1 - Show your old / expired Drivers License at the Window 1 of the Renewal Center.
The staff wil give you an application form that you need to fill up

Step 2a - Give your filled-up application form together with your old / expired license at the Window 1 of the Drug Testing Center

Step 2b - Pay the drug test fee
      Urine Test              --  Php 300.00
      Medical Check up --  Php 100.00

Step 2c - After paying you will be given another form to fill up.It is the drug test consent form. Fill this up again and submit it to Window 2 of the Drug Testing Center
You will be asked to write your name and the current date on two separate strips of masking tape. You will be given a bottle for your pee. Reminder: you need to make sure that it is full. Drink lots of water prior to going to the renewal center so you will have the urge to pee in time for this test
Submit the bottle to Window 2 and wait for your name to be called.

Step 2d - Your name will be called the photo capturing and fingerprint scanning.

Step 2e - Last step for the medical and drug test would be, they would take your blood pressure, eye test, and check your weight. I didn't took the eye test since I told them I am wearing contact lenses and prescription glasses every time I drive.

Step 2f - Wait for your documents which would consist of the Application Form, Old Driver's License and the Medical / Drug Test Result

Step 3 - Submit the documents to Window 1 of the Renewal Center and wait for your name to be called.

Step 4 - Photo Capturing
If your name is called for the photo and signature capturing, proceed to Window 2. That only means that you don't have any apprehension records, and you name is clean. If they found an apprehension record, your name will be called back at Window 1, and you will be told to proceed to LTO Main Office or MMDA Office, I think.

Step 5 - Payment
Wait for your name to be called again while they process your drivers license. Breakdown of fees based on what I paid (almost a month of expiration)
     License Fee    - Php 350.00
     Penalty Fee     - Php    75.00
     Computer Fee - Php 67.63

Step 6 - Wait for you Driver's License
Your name will be called and they will give you your Drivers License and the Original Receipt.

It took me less than 30 minutes to renew my license. Good thing there are already Renewal Centers, if not, one would have to wait for more than an hour renewing a license at the LTO Office.

Continuation and last part, Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel Experience - Part 3

14th Floor is much better as compared to the 18th and 19th floor, its much newer. Room 1436 is also much better as compared to Room 1803. King size bed, bedsheet is newer and no stains, TV was LCD, carpeting is not that old, bathroom does not have mildews, molds and rust, bath towels are white, there was a bathrobe, slippers, refrigerator is working, airconditioning is a lot better, curtains and carpets are fine though dusty. I settled for this one. Jabe was rolling and rolling at the bed until he got tired and fell asleep.


Ayie arrived around 6pm. He took a shower, and we left to go to Robinson's to buy Jabe a life vest.


Bathtub drain is not working properly :( it took ages before the water is fully drained.

Breakfast was included in the package. It is at the Seasons Cafe at the ground floor. Breakfast is served from 6:00am up to 9:00am. With our experience from other hotels, food during breakfast buffet are complete until the end of breakfast time. We woke up around 7:00am, got dressed, went downstairs around 7:30am. We were greeted by the staff and was ushered to a non-smoking area. We asked for a high-chair for Jabe which was immediately given to us. 


Ayie told me to get food first. I looked through the buffet area. Looked at the different food. They have an area full of bread and pastries, soup (mami and congee), salad bar, fruits, cereals, japanese maki and sushi, rice (plain and garlic rice), chicken, beef, pork, egg station. As my usual routine, I always start with soup and salad, but since I don't like mami or congee, I went to the salad bar. Salad bar with no green vegetables such as lettuce, they only have corn kernels, bacon bits, eggs, coleslaw, etc. Salad dressing is also empty. I just told myself to get a bread, cheese, and butter for me and hard-boiled egg for Jabe. 


Jabe had egg yolk (hard boiled), and I ate my bread, butter and cheese, while Ayie went to get his food. He came back with just a cup of rice and I think, a piece of chicken. With a frown on his face told me that there is no more food. I told him to wait maybe they will refill the food. We then asked for hot tea, and they gave us a very cold tea :( . We just get an orange juice which was not cold, we had to ask for a glass of ice. We ate and decided to see if there were food that has already been refilled. Ayie got his wish because there were tons of deep-fried bacon, I didn't have my wish granted because the salad was not replenished at all. While eating, Ayie asked for water from the waiter, around 10 minutes had passed and our drinking water has not yet arrived. He asked for the second time, still no water. The third time, no water. The fourth time, finally!! 


We went back to our room, took a shower, fix our things so we can check-out early. Jabe went back to sleep after taking a bath. I made use of his sleeping time to fix our things. As soon as he woke up, we asked for an assistance to get our things as we are ready to check-out. Bellboy arrived in less than 10 minutes.


Ayie went to the reception area to pay for our room fee. Room was worth Php 3,450 with the breakfast. Bellboy and valet guy assisted us, they placed our things inside the car.  And off we went to Pandacan Fiesta.


In conclusion, based on our experience, I am not recommending this hotel. 

If only they would totally renovate the entire hotel, teach their staff not to discriminate locals from foreign tourists, give excellent service, it would be a great hotel because of its location.
 
If you are looking for a hotel within this area, consider the following:
-- If your hotel budget per night is 3,500 pesos and below, book at the nearby City Garden Hotel, it may be a 3-star hotel but service, room, and breakfast is way better than Manila Pavilion. Booked and stayed here for 3 days and 2 nights last July 2011
-- If you have a higher budget or want a hotel with a casino, go for Hyatt Hotel Manila.
 
Waterfront Manila Pavilion is unlike the other Waterfront hotels, it does not boast of the grandeur, the elegance, the fine accommodation, the friendly staff, the great service, the great food that a 4-star, 1st class hotel is expected to have.