Staycation is a combination of the word “stay” and “vacation” is not a new concept. It is simply when one chooses to stay at their home country or check-in at a hotel, instead of going abroad for vacation. A staycation or holistay, as defined by Wikipedia, is also a period in which an individual participates in leisure activities within driving distance of his or her own home. Lately, the trend has been increasing as more numbers of people now find more peace by spending time at home and have some needed rest and relaxation. More than that, staycations also offer a lot of quiet and humble benefits.

Staycations save time

Living in the Philippines means having to battle at least 3 hours of travel going from home to work and vice versa. Just imagine how much worse the traffic can get when it is a drive going to the airport! More than that, long airline terminal queues also eat up a significant part of a traveler’s day. Add all the hassle of traffic, terminal queues, departure procedures, etc. One day could easily be wasted on preparation.

Staycations are good for the environment

Checking in at a hotel also means contributing less to your carbon footprint! You would not have to use airplanes which require a massive amount of carbon emissions. Staying in a hotel is less harmful to the environment and really just pampers you to the core.

Staycations give time for meditation

Our fast-paced lifestyle limits our time to meditate and value the importance of rest. Taking a break during a staycation allows you to spend your energy on your body and use it as a time for spiritual, emotional, and physical rest and healing.

Staycations can inspire

Having some down time also gives you a chance to explore more ideas. Quiet times away from chaos can generate fresh ideas and inspirations that can later be turned to productive projects.

Staycations save money

Staycations also save a huge amount of money. You need not worry about spending so much on food, budgeting travel expenses, and expensive air fares. All staycations really ask of you is to stay put and rest at your own terms.

Already convinced to hold your well-deserved, yet affordable R & R? Century Park Hotel (CPH) is here to make it happen! Located at the heart of Manila, CPH boasts facilities and rooms that are perfect for you to simply unwind and enjoy your time with your family. Currently, CPH has Summer Solstice Special Room Rate promo which starts at Php 3,500 (net) per room per night. Now reap the benefits of that staycation the quick, affordable, and easy way at your home away from home, Century Park Hotel!

You can’t love others if you don’t truly love yourself. This is something we've heard since we were little. But loving one's self doesn’t happen overnight. 

Renowned psychoneurologist and happiness doctor Lia Bernardo says that self-love is a daily process of accepting yourself completely by living a genuine, unapologetic life. Here are some tips from Dr. Bernardo on how women can love themselves even more:

Break the cycle by starting within.

You can’t tell people how to act but you can control how you think or feel about situations. It is better to see the bright side or to let go. Don’t give anyone the power over you – this is what true empowerment is.

Know that you are beautiful.

See yourself as whole – complete. All you need to do is face the camera inwards and like who you are. For days when you need a confidence booster, check out SM's beauty section to get special deals on skincare and beauty bundles.

Be proactive.

If you are sad, always remember that everything, including happiness, is your choice. Discover what makes you happy and take steps to incorporate them in your daily routine. Happiness is more about the journey, not the destination. 

Take care of yourself.

It is important to practice self-care in all aspects of your life -- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Indulge in self-care with the Women’s Special at SM this March and avail of beauty and wellness deals from select spas and salons.

Accept yourself.

Once you’ve learned to accept and acknowledge who you really, are, all that self-doubt goes out the window. Take the time to get to know your individuality because whatever you think, you believe. Whatever you believe becomes your behavior. Revisit your belief, so you can improve your life today.  

Ladies, celebrate self-love this Women’s Month at SM! Get fabulous finds such as fashion, accessories, make-up and skin care up to 70% off during SM’s Women’s Wednesday Sale the entire month of March. 

“With a little bit of self love, anyone can change their life. At SM, we want women to make themselves a priority by letting them indulge in various pampering activities so they can be the best version of themselves,” said SM Supermalls senior vice president Jonjon San Agustin. 

For exclusive news about SM Supermalls, visit www.smsupermalls.com and its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts: @smsupermalls. 

ONE Championship returns with its first event of 2019 from Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia on 19 January. After more than a month since the promotion's last event, ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS, fans of the organization will be eager to see ONE return. 

The ONE: ETERNAL GLORY card isn't packed with every household name on the roster, but there is still no shortage of stories fueling every match.

Aside from being hungry for martial arts action, here are five reasons to watch ONE: ETERNAL GLORY.

Initially, Joshua "The Passion" Pacio was scheduled to defend his title against Hayato Suzuki in a rematch of their August 2017 clash at ONE: KINGS AND CONQUERORS. However, Suzuki suffered an injury. Japan's Yosuke Saruta stepped in to replace his injured countryman and is now the man receiving a title shot. 

The 22-year-old Filipino already equaled the score with Yoshitaka Naito with a unanimous-decision win in September at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES. He was supposed to even the score against Suzuki in a rematch. Suzuki was the last man to defeat Pacio when the former made his ONE debut in August 2017.

Pacio cannot afford to look past Saruta however. The 31-year-old veteran has a wealth of experience and will likely be looking to catch the champion slipping. Saruta has had 26 professional matches, and he enjoyed a successful ONE Championship debut in December against Alex Silva. Saruta isn't a normal replacement opponent, and if the champion takes the challenger lightly, it could be a disaster for him.

Can Pacio maintain his focus and avoid the upset?

The Christian Lee-Edward Kelly Rematch

We're along for the ride as 20-year-old Christian "The Warrior" Lee continues his hardline education in the world of mixed martial arts. His next assignment takes place at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY when he takes on the "The Ferocious" Edward Kelly in a rematch of a bout that ended controversially in September at ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON. Lee suplexed Kelly inadvertently causing a disqualification. 

There are recurring themes for this match. Will Lee be able to control the match the way he did in the first meeting, and gain the finish to put a stamp on this short saga with Kelly, or will the Filipino rise to the occasion?

Both men face pressure to perform because of the success of those closely associated with them under the ONE banner.

Lee is the younger brother of ONE Women's Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee. Kelly belongs to Team Lakay where his training partners include Pacio, ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard "Landslide" Folayang, ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje Eustaquio and ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin "The Silencer" Belingon. 

It's a lively time for Filipino martial arts, and Kelly wants to earn his piece of the success. 

Battle of the Wushu Queens

Priscilla Hertati Lumban Goal was as active as anyone in ONE in 2018. She competed six times and put together a sterling 5-1 run during that stretch. Lumban Goal is back in the organization's first event to embark upon what she hopes is another fruitful year. The Indonesian National Wushu Champion faces another expert Wushu practitioner in Indian champion Puja Tomar.

The women's atomweight division could be headed for some transition if Lee moves up to strawweight permanently. That's a genuine possibility as she is set to challenge for the title in March at ONE: A NEW WRA. If that happens, a scramble to compete for the vacant title could well include the winner of this bout.

With integral positioning potentially at stake, Lumban Goal and Tomar may be set to put on a show. 

Action-Packed Muay Thai Clash

Italy's Joseph "The Hurricane" Lasiri returns to compete against England's Jonathan Haggerty in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai match. Lasiri is one of the most accomplished Muay Thai competitors in the world. He's won world championships in multiple weight classes and he uses a style that is traditionally fan friendly. 

He'll get a chance to test his exquisite striking against Haggerty in a bout that could feature a highlight-reel finish.

The Return of The Gracie Pupil

Stefer Rahardian, a student of the legendary Carlson Gracie, to match up against the Philippines' Robin "The Ilongo" Catalan. It's a strawweight battle that should have fans interested from the outset. 

Rahardian has an elite-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu base from his time with Gracie, but he has expanded his game beyond just grappling. He's already won the ONE Indonesia Flyweight Tournament which was a mixed martial arts contest. 

While his striking has improved, Rahardian will likely need to lean heavily on his Jiu-Jitsu to beat Catalan. The latter is a former Wushu and Muay Thai world champion who would love nothing better than to keep his bout with Rahardian standing. 

Which man will win the battle of styles?

Surely by now you've already noticed how this app How God Created has flooded your Facebook wall and whether you want to or not, you can't help but click on the site and check yours.

Since I've been waiting for my writing muse to come back, she's been like MIA since last night and I really need to finish my Nissan and Pico de Loro adventures, I decided, for fun, to check some famous person and check how they will fare when God created them. Seriously, the top 5 were so funny I made a blog post on this. It hits the nail on its head. Remember, this is just for fun.

See for yourself.

ON PRES. NOYNOY AQUINO (PNOY)

My greatest wish is to live in a 5 star hotel. Like Coco Chanel when she lived at The Ritz, or Marlene Dietrich in Hotel Lancaster. I love this idea of checking into one but never checking out. I'm not rich nor a celebrity. But if I can live in one, I will. I don't want those residence hotel type; I just want to own one suite at any 5 star hotel anywhere in the world. Wishful thinking, I know but there's just something about staying in a hotel that fascinates the Inner Rich in me. 

And the following is the main culprit: The raised bed with its height almost to my hips, lots of pillows, soft duvet and linens, unlimited hot water, a human alarm clock with you asking someone to wake you up with a call, super cool temperature of the suite with a silent  air conditioner, shelves big enough for my things, toiletries, a-phone-call away room service, 24 hours TV because there's no electric bills to pay, someone to make your bed and get this - my favorite of them all - free breakfast buffet. But then an everyday breakfast  buffet is actually not good because there will come a time that all the dishes there will taste the same.

But for me breads will not have that diminishing taste factor. I love breads. And the boulangerie section is always my first stop every morning. I have stayed in several hotels in 5 countries and almost all the major cities in ten regions in the Philippines and sadly there's only a few of them where I've tasted the best breads ever. It's more than five but I'm naming only the top  five that is memorable to my tatste.

THE BREADS OF BAGUIO COUNTRY CLUB

Yes they also serve their famous raisin bread but almost everything in their bread section is delicious. And topping it with Baguio's strawberry jam and butter is the best

THE BOULANGERIE OF SPIRAL AT SOFITEL 

I think I've died and gone to Bread heaven when I saw this bread section at Spiral. Wow just wow. I'm speechless when face with this bread scene.

THE SWEET BREAD OF ASTORIA PLAZA CAFE ASTORIA

When my best friend's fiancee came here in Manila from Belgium, he treated us to a three day staycation at Astoria Plaza. Their breakfast buffet is not that impressive but what stuck in my memory is this sweet bread that is so fluffy inside but crunchy on the outside with a liberal sprinkling of powdered sugar. I thought it was a  donut sans the hole but i was  told it was just sweet bread.

THE BREAD BUFFET TABLE AT SIGIRIYA VILLAGE (SRI LANKA)

I actually sampled all the breads on this table. And that's how addicted I was to bread. Most are crunchy but the inside is so soft and tasty. And I enjoyed munching/eating each bread. I was kind of choosing the bread buffet at Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo but in actuality most of them are just muffins and donuts and the bread is not really that appetizing for me. It was just a plain bread.