What is the GoldenPass Express? The GoldenPass Express line is a panoramic train that links Montreux to Interlaken in 3 hours and 15 minutes. It is one of the most scenic ways to travel in Switzerland! They offer 3 different classes: Prestige, First and Second Class. Prestige Class An exclusive, private area, heated seats and large panoramic windows. Just knowing about these three was enough to convince me! ? The Golden Pass Express Prestige Class section is spacious and limited to only 9 seats. The section was full during our ride from Montreux to Interlaken (with all 9 seats taken,) but ..read more

First time to explore Switzerland with kids! Here’s a list of fun places we visited and fun things we did in Geneva, Interlaken and other nearby cities in between. Itinerary Now before I present our itinerary, a disclaimer: this is NOT the most efficient way to travel Switzerland with kids! Also, we are aware that we barely scratched the surface of this beautiful country. So if your goal is to get an overview of Switzerland, this is not the itinerary for you. The reason we took this route was because we had roundtrip tickets to Geneva (so we couldn’t hop to one city after another and exit at t ..read more

As previously mentioned, we are on a mission to show the kids how wonderful our country is. Next on our list is Iloilo (with a side trip to Guimaras!) Here are some fun things you can do with your kids there. Iloilo The truth is, we picked Iloilo because of a promo fare! ? We really wanted to bring the kids somewhere different and Iloilo fits the bill for our definition of “something different!” Where We Stayed Where to stay in Iloilo? We booked a room at Citadines Amigo Iloilo and absolutely loved the experience. Spoke with their manager beforehand and asked if they had a family roo ..read more

Applying for a Swiss Visa in the Philippines? I received mine on November 2023. Here’s a rundown of my experience and some tips for a successful application. Applying for a Swiss Visa If you have a Philippine passport, you will apply for a Swiss Visa through VFS. You can find all the requirements and details here. I won’t be going into the details of the application. The website is very straightforward. Instead, for the purpose of this blog, I will be sharing TIPS and my own PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. Timeline of My Experience Oct 16: Wanted to book my slot online already but couldn’t beca ..read more

Looking for fun things to do with kids at Bohol? Here’s a rundown on what we did during our trip! Our Quick Bohol Trip My husband and I are on a mission to show the kids how beautiful The Philippines is. So this year, we decided to take a lot of short trips within the country. One of the places we decided on was Bohol. We spent just 3 days and 2 nights (but hope to visit longer next time!) We hired a driver to take us on a full day tour. Here are some of the places we were able to visit during that short time!* *Note: These are the places we visited during our second day. The first a ..read more

A list of our curriculum picks for my eldest son who will be on Year 3 (or Grade 3) this year. This list is Classical + Charlotte Mason inspired. A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE BEGIN: The first question people ask when I share my curriculum picks was how did I come up with this list? Well, in a nutshell, lots of research and reading. This means, going back and forth reviews online. But eventually, I’ve narrowed it down to trusting the recommendations of Ambleside Online and our current homeschool provider, Living Learning Homeschool. Both are CM inspired. But since we do Classi ..read more

One of the most requested post on my Instagram: our 8-Day London Itinerary with Kids in London! Before We Start: This is our 8-Day itinerary catered specifically for our family. This means, our itinerary was made in consideration with our interests (F1 fans anyone?), the fact that we are homeschoolers (museums and art galleries!) and our kids’ sensitivities (I have a child with anxiety and refused to do Tower of London, for example.) Also, something to remember as you browse through our itinerary, you might wonder why we skipped a lot of fun things (like the Harry Potter tour&nb ..read more

Today, I share with you guys one of my personal favorite tools for homeschooling: The Mystery of History audiobooks (and why we just LOVE them!!) Audiobooks for Homeschooling I often share about books and curriculum that have been helpful as I homeschool my two boys. But today, I wanna talk about the wonderful world of audiobooks. In our family, we have found that audiobooks are great for: Family road trips Long car rides in between extra curricular classes As an alternative to background music when kids are working on crafts or other physical tasks Mystery of History Audiobooks ..read more

We were in Canada for three months with two kids during the summer. So naturally, we’ve visited playgrounds to last us a lifetime (but I’m sure my sons would disagree!) Because we spent most of our time in Richmond, here’s a list of our favorite playgrounds in Richmond, Vancouver and other nearby cities in British Columbia.   Terra Nova Adventure Play (Richmond, BC) Hands down our #1 favorite is this gorgeously designed nature-inspired playground! The space is huge and there’s so much to enjoy for kids of all ages. You won’t regret making the drive here, even if you live quite far aw ..read more

Spent 2 nights and 3 days to enjoy one of Clark’s latest hotels: Swissotel Clark! Here’s how we, as a family of 4 (with 2 young kids,) enjoyed our stay! Swissotel Clark Swissotel Clark is an international five star hotel located in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. We love visiting Pampanga for the activities so it was important to make sure we book a comfortable stay during this quick trip! And Swissotel did not disappoint! The Room We stayed at the Swiss Advantage Room with 1 King Bed. It was very spacious, clean and modern. The towel animals were such a nice touch for the kids ..read more