A few days ago, my aunt invited us to go on a day trip to Jardin Majayjay Bed and Breakfast, so of course we said "yes."

Getting there was quite an adventure. We traveled as a group, in two cars, with us bringing up the rear. One of our relatives was driving the first car and used Waze so we could get there faster. Waze's recommended route had a lot of winding roads and (at least, according to my husband) was a harder drive than one of the alternate routes Waze suggests, which was only 4 minutes longer than the route we took. If you're going to use Waze to get here from Manila, I suggest studying all three routes Waze suggests so you can decide which one works best for you.

Jardin Majayjay also has directions on their brochure, if you'd rather not use Waze. I quote:

Majayjay is two and a half to three hours (2 1/2 hours to 3 hrs.) from SLEX/Magallanes tollway. 

From Calamba intersection proceed to Sta. Cruz. Avoid roads on left that enters the towns of Bay, Pila and Sta. Cruz. 

After Sta. Cruz on the right is GSIS Bldg. and Jolibee Pagsanjan turn right to Magdalena Town. After Magdalena, you will shortly reach a Y-shaped crossroad. 

Take the left road to Majayjay. Watch out for the second(2nd) "WELCOME TO MAJAYJAY" BROWN ARCH (Landmark: a newly built big bridge where NUESTRA SRA.DELA PORTERIA is situated along OLLA River.) 

Shortly, you will see Majayjay Bed and Breakfast signange near a guardhouse painted yellow. 

Take immediately first access road to the left until you reach the green and white gate. Drive inside and turn left to the second gate.

This is what that second gate looks like. The Jardin Majayjay signage is to the right of the gate.


This is the driveway of the Bed and Breakfast, where you can also park your car.

There's a pigeon coop there too.


Here's what the main house looks like from the driveway.


These are the steps and ramp leading up to the main house.


Now onto the inside of the main house.

This is one of the dining areas.


Opposite the dining area above are a few chairs and a sofa where you can rest and enjoy the view.


This is the area near the main door. The reception area is on the left, while on the right is another dining area.


A little bit after arriving, we were served brunch buffet-style. The food was placed in an area on the patio, and you have the option of eating outside or indoors. I wasn't able to take pictures, but we had: pan de sal and kesong puti, plain rice, sunny-side-up egg, pako fern omelette, longganisa (garlicky and delicious; my favorite viand from the meal), and daing na bangus. Drink options were coffee, water and four seasons.

This open area is behind the main house. The lawn is huge, so it's a good place for kids to run around.


There's a hammock to the right which is only partly visible in the picture. It's not very big, though.

Here's what the main house looks like when viewed from the lawn.


This gate leads to the New Wing (the house on the left) and the swings. Both can also be accessed from the lawn of the main house.


These are the swings. I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of the swings is specially built for younger kids. The other swing is slightly crooked, but you can still use it comfortably.


This is what the New Wing looks like.


We rented the Kubo Cottage for the day. I'm not sure how much the rate is, however, because this was a treat from one of our relatives. The cottage is much bigger than it actually looks on the outside.


This is the bedroom of the cottage.


There's another bed and an attic wherein you can put a mattress. The attic is small, though, so it can probably fit just one adult or two kids.


Most of us went to Jardin Majayjay with the hope of going swimming/wading in the water. We were NOT prepared for the trek to get there.

It's a long way down. The first part wasn't so bad. There's a path to the left of these stairs, about halfway to the cottage in the picture.


The walls in this part of the stairs are high so you can lean on or hold on to them as you make your way down. Some of the steps are high as well, so be careful while going down.


There's a locked gate here, but you can ask one of the staff if you can borrow the key to it.


After this, however, there are just stone steps with a bamboo railings, and then after a while, I think there were no more railings, and then no more cemented steps. I decided to turn back after trying the first step of steps + bamboo railings. I was helping my toddler go down, and I realized it would be extremely difficult for us to go down, and it would probably be harder to go up if our slippers were wet.

Out of all of us, only my father (who's a senior citizen, by the way) decided to brave it. He said the creek was nice and cold. The current was a little strong in parts, though, and the uncemented part leading to the creek also had some areas that might be tricky to navigate because of small loose rocks, so it was probably a good thing that we decided to go back.

My father had no problem climbing back up, so if you're young, don't have a fear of heights, and don't have to aid a small child on the way down or up, you'd probably be able to make the trek with no problem.

Before we left, we had merienda, also served by Jardin Majayjay. Again, no pictures, but the food was amazing. My (and my dad's favorite) was the puto with cheese. There was also biko. I didn't try the biko, but the puto was piping hot when the bilao was placed on the table, and the freshness showed in the taste. My son had several helpings of the pancit, which was also cooked in-house.

Jardin Majayjay Bed and Breakfast is a great place to visit, but because of how tiring the journey to and from here can be, I think it's better to stay here overnight rather than just taking a day trip. There's no TV or wi-fi, though, so if you, your kids, or your other companions are easily bored, you should consider bringing books, board games, or gadgets stocked with apps that don't require internet connection.

According to their Facebook page, these are their rates:


It's best to check with them before booking, though, as the picture is from a few years ago. However, when we asked how much the kubo cottage was, we were quoted P5,000, so it seems this is still accurate.

Jardin Majayjay Bed and Breakfast
Address: 18-B Gozo Subdivision, Brgy. San Miguel, Majayjay
Telephone No.: 09189181416
Website: http://www.majayjaybnb.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/majayjaybed/

My son loves the Minions. Case in point, whenever we're at the grocery store and happen to pass by the toothpaste section, he points to the Minions toothpaste boxes and shouts "Minions!"



He's actually been using Minions toothbrushes and Minions toothpaste for a few months now. He's choosy when it comes to toothpaste flavors, so it was pretty lucky that he was sold on the Minions toothpaste's Bubble Fruit flavor.



When he first started brushing, he hated it. I can't remember when the turning point was but eventually, getting him to brush his teeth became easier. For the times when he doesn't feel like brushing, though, I tell him we're going to play pretend dentist.

It's kinda funny since he's not a fan of the noisy toothbrush his dentist uses, but sometimes, come toothbrush time at home, he's the first one to say, "Mommy, go to dentist?" and then he sits down on his little chair. He then brushes his teeth, before I take over to make sure all his teeth have been brushed properly. Once that's done, we head to the sink so he can rinse his mouth. Ta-da! Teeth clean, no muss, no fuss.

If playing pretend doesn't work for you, you can also try tooth brushing songs like the one below:



If you're looking for a Minion oral care pack for your kid, you can buy some at Lazada! There are two kinds available. One is the Colgate Minion Kids 2-5 Years Old (Junior) Oral Care Pack and the other is the Colgate Minion Kids 5-9 Years Old (Youth) Oral Care Pack. Just click on the links to order.

Have fun brushing!

I spotted Fisher Mall's Facebook post yesterday about the newly-opened Kids Paradise and I just had to give it a try.

It was actually perfect timing since we were planning to go to Fisher Mall anyway to run some errands. We were at Kids Paradise pretty much as soon as the mall opened. You can find it right beside Ballet Manila on the fourth floor, near the Expo Hall.


The rates are as follows:

From what I understand, each child can be accompanied for free by one guardian. If an additional guardian would like to go in as well, then you'll have to pay an additional fee. I wasn't able to ask how much, though. The rates are actually pretty good considering a guardian gets free admission; the place is new and well-lit; and there a couple of features here that I haven't seen in other play places in malls. We'll get to those in a moment.

Here are Kids Paradise' Rules and Regulations:

To the left is a sandpit, sort of. Here's a closer look at it:

On the right side are the play booths:

There are two pet shops, a beauty salon and a bank. The bright colors and little swinging doors are quite cute. However, aside from the stools and the mirror in the beauty shop, I don't think there was much inside the booths. It would be great if there were some toys there for the kids to play with.

You can also see from the picture that there are several see-saws, rocking horses, and even a small basketball goal to play with.

My husband wasn't able to take pictures in the area above, to the left and behind the slide, but he says there's a small trampoline in there as well.

Overall, it was a positive experience for my kid, and we will definitely be back.