It's April! (and Pink Friday #4)

It's April! I can't believe the first quarter of the year is over. Time really flies so fast when you're having fun and won't you be having so much fun if you have a perfect little princess too like me?

Anyway, I'm so looking forward to April because it seems to be the month with a lot of birthdays in my family which means food, food, food. Then there's also Easter to look forward to. I'm pretty sure this year my little girl can hunt for eggs on her own. She'll be able to enjoy it as much as the other kids. I can't wait to plan our itinerary for Easter.

To start off the month, we'll be attending the PMC Grand EB on Sunday. PMC is a group of Filipina mommy bloggers from all over the world. I've been part of the group for a couple of months now and I can say it's one of the best things that have happened to me online. These mommies help out in anything and everything, from technical blogging stuff, prayers for the family to money-making tips. Since the moms are from all over the world, the group is active and alive 24/7.

On Sunday, the mommies from Manila (and one from Bacolod who booked a trip just to attend a seminar and the EB) will finally meet. We will be sharing a scrumptious lunch and merienda at Kamayan. Since we will be going there directly after hearing mass, Daddy and little Missy will probably be with me, although they're ok to sit in a different table so I can spend some time with my mommy friends.

In this light, my pink entry for this week is my daughter's sippy. This was taken after we also had buffet lunch at Dad's a couple of month's back. We decided to transfer to Starbucks after our lunch because Daddy had to meet someone for work. My sister and I went to have tea and of course, milk for my little Missy in her pink sippy.

Happy April fool's day everyone! (Haven't fooled anyone yet but I'm sure I'll think of something!) Hope you all have a great weekend!


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The day to fool around!

Yay one more day and it's April!

I have yet to think of prank to pull on everyone today but as I was finishing some things online, I noticed Google's logo.

Apparently, it's Robert Bunsen's 200th birthday today. I didn't even have to click the link to know that he was responsible for the Bunsen Burner. That's probably the only thing I remember from my Chemistry classes in high school and college. To refresh your memory, below is a pic of Robert Bunsen and the Bunsen burner.

Photo courtesy of Skyingblogger.com

Do you participate in April fools? Have you thought of what prank to pull tomorrow?


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Fun day at Fun Ranch!

If you haven't read my previous post, The Bad, The Love and The Fun, this post will detail our super fun day at Fun Ranch.

Last Saturday, December 11th, we were invited to attend the ATD and Mommy Bloggers Event at Fun Ranch. We actually arrived late and missed the program but the event was for the children of The Good Foundation. The hosts were very gracious to provide a scrumptious buffet for the children as well as for the Mommy and DAddy bloggers and their child/ren. Aside from food, we were also given an Unlimited or Ride-all-you-can pass for the day to enjoy with our family and the children of the orphanage. What's best is we were also handed loot bags with assorted goodies, yum yum!

Photos above courtesy of Jen of Jen's Joyful Life
We had so much fun during this event that as early as now, we're considering Fun Ranch to be the venue of my little Girl's birthday party in September, if God-willing. You can read the quote below why we're considering it as a birthday venue then check out our photos to see how much fun we had!

FUN RANCH DELIVERS THE BEST PARTY EXPERIENCE

A barnyard filled with people happily singing the birthday song. A huge inflatable playground filled with children jumping up and down. A birthday celebrant wearing sports jacket racing with his best pals on a mini-go-kart track. Kids playing and riding all they want. These are some of the many things children enjoy in a Fun Ranch party.

Fun Ranch is all about having fun in a kid-friendly environment. It has function rooms that meet the needs of every creative parent looking for a unique and special party for their children from a small group of 20 to a grand celebration with 520 guests. The Big Red Barn is a barnyard in the middle of the complex. The Blue Whale Grill, on the other hand, has an aquatic theme with a working lighthouse, Leaps and Bounds inflatable playground which can be exclusively used for a minimal amount; floating huts, a pond where kids can feed the fishes and Bumper Boats for a more stimulating party experience.

Fathers and sons will surely have a blast partying at Go! Speed Racing complemented with racer amenities such as personalized invitations, Champion banner and exclusive use of the mini-go-kart track for all the guests. The gutterless Duckpin bowling, Mini-Golf and Tea Cup Ride at Family Fun Zone guarantee intimate and exciting get togethers full of bonding time for both kids and kids at heart. Similarly, parties at our indoor playgrounds set a venue for learning through play with its huge signature slides and other cool activities for children.

Big or small, Fun Ranch caters to anything you want to celebrate. Aside from birthdays, corporate parties, graduation and reunions have found their way to Fun Ranch. So, for a hassle free party, come to Fun Ranch because kids rule here!

Fun Ranch is open everyday. For inquiries you may call 396-5290 or 706-3019. Visit our website at www.funranch.com.ph or for more information about this topic, please contact Ana May P. del Rosario by calling 706-3029, or e-mail Ana May del Rosario at arose41506@yahoo.com

Little Missy's first time to see a Ferris Wheel


First time to ride a Ferris Wheel and she wasn't scared of heights!


View of the Carousel from the top of the Ferris Wheel


Queueing


We read about stars while waiting for our turn on the Carousel. The people were amazed she could read on her own :)


Enjoying the ride


We rode the purple airplane (Red Baron)


Weeeee


Little Missy's first Bumper Cars experience. She wanted to drive and was looking for the horn.


My future golfer? Like mommy like baby?


Train ride with Daddy. Chuggachugga Choo Choo!


Lovin' the ride


She wanted to ride this too but I know she can't take it. Maybe next year.


She absolutely loved the hanging bridge. Good sense of balance.

Let me know when you're visiting Fun Ranch... maybe we'll be there too :) Happy weekend!

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Happy 41st birthday Sesame Street

Happy belated 41st birthday Sesame Street! (Nov. 10th)
Thank you for being a part of our lives.

I was supposed to original video but it was incomplete :(


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Countdown to 2

In 3 days, at exactly 6:36pm, my little girl will be 2 years old.

I still remember years ago, when we had a hard time conceiving. We tried a lot of different things just to have a child, and when we gave up, God gave us His precious gift. This is when I really felt in my heart that he chose the right time.

The very first thing we decided to buy was her playard. Although I knew she would be a girl, I still wanted something neutral so we opted for something in denim and brown. I love it as soon as I saw it. Then the salesperson said they had a bassinet stroller of the same color, plus an attachment for a car seat. We thought about it for days but had it reserved. It broke our wallet but it was worth it. We used the detachable bassinet until she was comfortable lifting her head, the carseat doubled as her high chair and the stroller, we still use until now.

This was the most memorable "shopping spree" I had before having a baby. All I felt was contentment, excitement and anticipation. But months after she was born, the same stroller was used to wheel her into her Pediatrician's office. It was for her ear piercing.

A lot of people told me to not have her ears pierced, to just let her decide when she comes of age. Personally, I would have liked that. But as someone who had her ears pierced as a baby, I had second thoughts. I can't thank my parents enough for having my ears pierced when I was only months old. It probably really hurt, but I was too young to remember so I have never been traumatized by needles. This was what led me to decide to have her ears pierced at 5 months. She actually took it pretty well. She just cried when the doctor held her lobes but when he let go, she only cried for a couple of seconds.

Sadly, those earrings got lost when she was about 14 months old. We had to buy her another set but that didn't go too well. We thought she could handle the regular ones but the ends were too sharp and she kept scratching. To this day, she still wears those baby screw back earrings type. Come to think of it, I should buy her a new one... as a birthday gift.

But, she has more on her mind nowadays than earrings. She has been particularly fond of animals, especially monkeys. I guess it might be because of her Curious George books. She just loves him! It's actually why we've been buying her monkey baby clothes since before she turned 1. And, as a treat to her, we might take her to the zoo on Friday. We thought it's high time for her to see a real monkey. I really hope our trip to the zoo pushes through. If it does, I'll let you know what happens to her... and the monkeys.

Oh well... thanks so much for reading. Thanks for sharing with me my fondest memories of her "baby-hood". Once she turns 2, I'm pretty sure time will fly even faster... and yes, I know about the Terrible Two stage. I say, bring it on!

Any tips for me on how to handle a possible terrible two?

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Just 2 more months!

Just 2 more months and it's my little missy's 2nd birthday! Time flies sooooo fast!

Since I'm still in the planning stage of what were going to do then, I excited about something I saw online. Their souvenirs were like bag tags printed on ID cards. Picture on the ID card and a short thank you note on the badge holder. I think it's awesome.

If I could find a cheap portable ID printer and badge printer that I can rent for that day, I think I'm liking the idea. The picture on the card would be my daughter and the guest (you wouldn't want to use it as bag tag or bookmark if the picture was somebody else right?), taken on the day itself, and our short thank you note at the back of the badge. Don't you think it's neat?

I'm liking the idea because of the following factors:

1. It's personalized, whoever is there on THAT day gets to have one.
2. I don't need to buy so many pieces and then have a lot of leftovers. I don't think I can use that again for her next birthday.
3. I don't want to buy a lot of pieces before hand because her birthday falls during typhoon season. Last year, I had to postpone her birthday 3x because of the super typhoons.

Sounds good? Now I have to find resources for this. I have no idea if there are ID and badge printers for rent but it's worth a shot. The only thing I might have leftovers of at the end of the event are the unused ID cards. I guess I have to find myself a good deal, probably on consignment if I can so I can return the extra ones.

Aside from being unique, I somehow think it's also economical.

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Toys, lollies or candies

I've been looking online for educational kids toys. I was thinking, instead of a lot of kid stuff for giveaways on my daughter's birthday, maybe it will be worth it if it's just one item, but really educational. I'd rather give a child just one gift than six, knowing that they'll learn something from it.

I know the purpose of toys is for enjoyment, but if the correct toys are used, the enjoy and learn at the same time. I've seen a lot of ideas from other bloggers. The linkies I join every week enables me to meet a lot of great moms with great ideas. In fact, I'm also leaning at doing some educational giveaways myself. I could print out some of her pictures, or those that are memorable for her and make them out as coloring books or something like that.

Also, when I did a post for birthday ideas, Mel at themeaparty.com also left a comment for a great idea on the cake and food to go with the theme. I blogged about a cowboy-themed party then. I'm browsing her site as I type since her ideas are great!! She has suggestions from invitations to drink, to games... I'm getting excited all over again.

Blogging and joining groups and linkies have really helped me a lot. There are truly a lot of great moms (and some dads) out there who put their artistic side to use and save lots and lots of money. I'm so happy that I've come to know and learn all this now that I have my own little princess. DIYs will probably become my next hobby... well, when I get a helper that is, and if our funds allow me.

Perhaps I'd still have to buy some toys, educational of course. But it would be extra special if instead of free candies and lollies, I can make a keepsake that's unique and would remind the guests of my little tot. As parents, we're not keen on really big celebrations. We can have a small one but make sure that everyone and everything in it is memorable for everybody.

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Ultimate Birthday Gift - Disney World Package

I received word that I won an all-expense paid vacation package to Disney World!

I've been blogging about my little girl's birthday that this news totally surprised me. I hurriedly run to my PC to research about Disney World Packages so I'd know how to spend my prize. From someone who hasn't been outside her own homeland, I was so amazed at what Walt Disney World, also known as Magic Kingdom, has to offer.

I felt giddy just reading about their theme parks, water parks, resorts, golf courses, and other recreational activities. It took me less than an hour to be convinced that this was the prize of a lifetime, for me and my family.

I was ready to reserve tickets and confirm hotel reservations when I felt someone shaking me. It was my little girl, waking me up at 8am. Ugh! It was all a dream! Oh well... I was told to dream big.

Anyway, wouldn't it be just a great, big miracle if indeed I won something like that? When we were younger, my father's siblings all decided that they'd take their kids to the US for a short vacation and to visit Disneyland or Disney World. My father, the ever practical and logical man that he was, decided against it and didn't agree. We (my 2 siblings and I) were the only ones who didn't go through the process of passport application, visa application, etc. I remember him telling me about it then, and it didn't really bother me. When he was telling me about it, I recall him saying that we should only live within our means. Then, it didn't really make sense.

Now though, it makes perfect sense. I am actually grateful I learned that lesson. Now that I have my own family, I will treasure each and every moment that brings us closer to having that grand vacation. I would love for my daughter to be able to visit such places, even all 5 locations around the globe, as long as it is within our means.

Two weeks from now is my birthday. Let's see where that takes me and my family.

Have a great day everyone and thanks for reading.

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Birthday Registry

To sign or not to sign up for a birthday registry, that is the question.

I'm debating whether or not to sign up for a registry for my little one's 2nd birthday. It's not that I'm choosy about the gifts that she should receive. I actually like them all, whether it be kids toys, dresses, footwear, books or personal stuff. I'm just concerned that some of the toys she may receive may no longer be fit for her.

In clothes for example, she wears 3T... and she's not even 2 yet. Her shoes could almost fit her cousin who turned 3 a couple of months back. I know some people would say I'm just probably biased in saying my daughter is a big kid. Almost all parents are anyway when it comes to their children. I just don't want people to get offended when they don't see my daughter wearing or using their gifts because they don't fit her anymore.

I would love for her to receive a lot of educational kids toys. I do believe that ages 1-4 are the best time to teach them. They literally absorb everything like a sponge. As of the moment, she can read most of her books already and surprised us a couple of weeks back by spelling some 3 letter words! I got a knack at letting her spell cow earlier. She looks up as if thinking and says, "C..O..Wa". That made me realize that how she spells isn't because she memorized the words. When I ask her what letter is W, she does say double-u. This is another reason why I'm thinking having a registry is an advantage. At least I'd get to put in toys that I get a feeling she'll love.

The thing with registries, lots of people think that you only list the expensive ones. When I signed up for my bridal shower registry, I had stuff in there for about $1 or so. Sure there were expensive ones, but I didn't expect people to buy it. I signed them up so that if ever we'll buy it, we get an additional discount. Out of all the people who attended the shower, only 2 got from my registry. It wasn't after I opened all the gifts that I realized that the other gifts were way more expensive than those I chose. From that time on, I made sure, that when I was invited to an event and the celebrant signed up for a registry, I check that out first. I may end up saving a lot and buying something I know they'll love.

So given that only a few actually check out registry lists, do you think it's still a good idea to sign up for one?

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Birthday Surprise

After posting a greeting to my nephew Ray Paolo who celebrated his birthday 2 days ago I also dedicated a sort of feedback regarding the cake I bought for him yesterday.

When we got to my mom's place, my sister hurriedly called me. She said that Milkita of Unican sent her about 600 pieces of candies to giveaway. Woohooo! My sister gave away some of the treats but reserved half of it for my niece's birthday celebration on the 26th.

Thank you Milkita for being part of their celebration. I hope we win too in September.

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Birthday Theme

My little one turns 2 in September. I know it's like 4 months away but things seem to be going by so fast that I am thinking of a theme for her party this early.

September is one of those typhoon months in our country. Last year, I had to postpone her party three times, yes 3x, because of major typhoons hitting Manila. Typhoon Ondoy, or internationally known as Ketsana, wrought the biggest havoc and that was the exact date of her party. A few of my friends tried to go but I called them all and said not to, since we were starting to get stuck in heavy floods.

Anyway, since that time of the year is pretty cool because of the rain, I was thinking of a Cowboy theme. At least with all the layers, the kiddos won't sweat much. Being me, I googled cowboy boots before I even thought of the costume and I would love to get my daughter one of those pretty kids John Deere Boots... and it comes in pink and white, yay! Now that I found a perfect pair for my daughter, time to match one for mommy (and maybe daddy) too, right? I found us these Twisted X Boots, and mine can also come in pink and brown to match hers, while a light or dark blue and brown pair would be perfect for Daddy.

Now for the costume. I found some great stuff on ebay, but I thought most of them just look like layers. Frugal me thinks, as long as I have the right boots, scarf and hat, I can pull this off without actually buying a set for the costume. Well actually, I still may need to buy a vest. But at least I spend less right?

I'm getting so excited just thinking of what games to play or what to decorate with. I'm liking what I've thought of and seen (online) so far especially because it's unusual for us here. We don't really have cowboys so this should be one unique party.

Please do let me know if you have any ideas for cheap giveaways or prizes for games. I'd love to hear them. I don't promise that this will be the final theme, but it's a start. Last year we had a fairy (Tinkerbell) party and it was too girly. I felt sorry for the boys that they couldn't dress up much. Now I think it will be more enjoyable for all.

Hmm... so what's next? We'll see tomorrow. Hope y'all are enjoying your Saturdays!

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Red Ribbon Cake - Chocolate Creme Roll

This is not a sponsored post. This is merely my personal opinion and experience regarding Red Ribbon's service and their Chocolate Creme Roll.

I decided to bring a cake or roll for my nephew since it's his birthday. Together with some of our relatives, we will be going to their (my mom's) house later and bring potluck. My sister said she will be having spaghetti ready at around 6pm. My cousin, who is his god-father, will be bringing Roasted Chicken and my grandmother will be bringing the juice.

I decided to call both Goldilocks and Red Ribbon Bakeshop. In the end, I opted for a Chocolate Creme Roll from Red Ribbon. The girl on the phone said it was one of their new products. Besides, you only had to order a minimum of P250 ($5.40) for delivery versus P300 ($6.50) for Goldilocks, which would mean a roll and something else. I placed the order at 11am and scheduled it to be delivered at 2pm since we would be leaving at around 3pm.

So 2pm came and went. By 3pm, I was on the phone twice, once with a Red Ribbon customer service rep and the second time with a supervisor. They had no idea what happened to the order and the supervisor assured me that she will contact the branch manager ASP. By 3:11pm, I got a call from the branch. They informed me that the rider had an accident. His motorcycle was hit by a jeep.

They apologized for the delay and also let me know that the roll I ordered was the last one, thereby meaning it was ruined. They offered me 2 half rolls, a discount and waived delivery fee. It was around 4pm then when I got the rolls.

As a customer, I was very frustrated and disappointed (before knowing what happened to the rider). What if I ordered a really big cake for a grand party? But I also told the manager that knowing the story behind the incident, I also feel for the rider. I even asked how he was and if they already took him to the hospital to be checked. I also thanked them for the discount.

Anyway, about the cake, we loved it! It wasn't too sweet but very chocolatey. I love the chocolate fudge in the middle as much as the choco cream covering the whole thing. The cake itself was very soft too. We will definitely order it again. It's only P150 ($3) for half a roll.

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She turned 19 months today

Happy 19th month birthday to my little princess!

I know I probably shouldn't be counting months already and just say she's just a year old but sometimes it seems it misrepresents her. I know I'm biased because I am her mom, but I believe every parent shows bias when talking about their children. I also know that most 1 year old can do what my daughter can but in my eyes, in our eyes as parents, our children will always be special.

Anyway, our day started slow, rest for hubby basically for a very hectic week. But in the afternoon, hubby decided to take us with him to a bachelorette party! Wooohooo! You may be thinking, a bachelorette party for a 19-month old??? Oh.. this one is all clean fun. No dancers or kinky games or anything, it was a simple gathering of friends wishing the bride-to-be happiness and success in the next chapter of her life.

Before we went to the "party", hubby decided to buy a couple dozen of Krispy Kreme doughtnuts as our share for the food. When we were about to pay for the doughnuts, the kind lady at the window (we ordered through their drive thru) took a liking to my little one. She gave her a free mini strawberry donut and the long green KK balloon! I guess her birthday is her lucky day. I should remember that, every 24th is her lucky day. Maybe that will come in handy for her, and me, sometime!

So off to Antipolo we go, with fresh, hot, KK doughnuts yummm! On the way, we also bought a small bag of cashews, it's one of the things Antipolo is famous for. Buying the cashews was a good call. We lost our way a couple of times so it's good that we were munching on something while being lost. Imagine being lost and hungry! I'd probably go mad and pick a fight with Daddy the whole time!

When we got to the party, it was so fun meeting hubby's co-workers. They were speaking different languages and I found it all so interesting. Multi-lingual, multi-cultural people having fun together. So this was hubby's world. Now I know why he said it was challenging at first but excited at the same time. Yes, I still remember those words from his first day at work.

They all had fun with my little princess too. She was dancing to any tune, ballroom, 80's or hiphop. She was even dancing to karaoke music :) They also loved seeing her run all over the place. She also loved patting Fluffy the dog, geez my girl never thought twice about patting him. As soon as I put her down, she just ran towards him and patted his head! (After of course I asked the owner if he bites!) They also loved watching her read her flash cards!


It was fun hearing hubby's co-workers talk. They tried to talk to my little princess in Korean, German, Thai, Bahasa, etc. Wouldn't it be amazing if they understand some of my daughter's babble?? Maybe for me it's just blah blah blah, child babbling but what if some of those yadayada actually meant something in a different language. Now, that's interesting! I have to ask them to talk to her again soon and let me know if she's multi-lingual too.

Hope you had a great Saturday. Thanks for reading.

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Happy birthday Hubby!

It's my hubby's birthday today! Yay!

Our original plan was to start early, go to a rented resort for the kids to swim. Unfortunately, as of this writing, we're still home. The car won't start. I guess it's the car way of saying happy birthday maybe? We're now waiting for my cousin to drop by to help out charge the battery with his car's.

Also, my happy birthday greeting to hubby was such a surprise. I've been sick since 12am. Good about it is my little one has complete recovered from the sniffles. If you watch Heroes, I guess I'll start to call myself special. I simply absorbed her illness. Also, since I'm sick, I won't swim. I'm the official photographer of the day then.

Photos later. Hope you enjoy your Friday. Thanks for reading!

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