Mommy Moments – Family Trips

 

Since Johan was born, the three of us (me, hubby and Johan) only went to two out of town trips. First, was a trip to Tagaytay in January with our college buddies who came home from Hawaii.

The second was the annual Tan family outing in Laguna.



Hopefully, we could go to more out-of-town trips in the years to come.

Happy Mommy Moments, everyone!

Johan’s Best Buddies

Let me introduce to you Johan’s current best friends:

Chirpy

Jasper

Humphrey

Sandy

 Dan

These are the characters from Johan’s favorite Touch and Feel book, Chirpy Chick. This is a good book because it is colorful and comes with different textures. I wonder, though, why there aren’t any lights and sounds coming from Dan, the tractor, when there should have been  a surprise sound at Dan’s page.

I say this is Johan’s favorite because whenever we lay on the bed and I spread the book in front of him, he stops whatever he is doing to “read”. He loves touching Chirpy’s feathers, Jasper’s vinyl nose and their moving eyes.

These past few days, however, I realized he found another thing to love about the book. Holes!

Playing peek-a-boo with his foot!

He does this everytime, he’ll put his foot in the hole and laugh then remove it from the hole and put it back again and laugh again. So cute!

Caffe Ti Amo

Last week, our family spent an entire Sunday in Makati. We hopped from one mall to the next starting at SM Makati then Glorietta then Landmark and ended up at Greenbelt where we had lunch at Bonchon Chicken in Greenbelt 1. We then had dessert in Caffe Ti Amo.


Caffe Ti Amo is a nice little cafe offering mouth watering gelatos.



We all had piccolo-sized gelatos in different flavors. I was craving for blueberry cheesecake days before so when I saw a blueberry flavored gelato I immediately ordered one.


Wrong choice. I realized a little too late that the taste of a blueberry cheesecake is far too different from a blueberry gelato. My gelato is sour, very sour. Or maybe I just have a sweet tooth. That teensy little cup took me ages to finish. I was envious of my sister's Dulce de Leche gelato.

Anyway, the next time I visit Caffe ti Amo, I’ll know what not to order. =)

Planning for Two

My best friend, Mhy, and I share the same birth month, January. Coincidentally, our kids also share the same birth month which is October. Johan was born on October 4 and her son, Ethan was born on October 16. I hope the two kids will also grow up as best of friends.

Anyway, now that both of the kids’ first birthdays are coming up, aside from my own planning, I’m also helping out Mhy plan for Ethan’s celebration because they are based in Singapore. It has been a lot of fun so far because both of our chosen themes are pretty good. I’m doing a Super Mario Brothers theme for Johan and Mhy chose Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for Ethan.

See how nice our invites are? I designed both invites, btw.





My brain is on full speed these days. I’ve got tons of ideas for both of our events and I can only hope the guests of both parties would enjoy what we have prepared.

But most importantly, I wish that these two adorable little guys together with their equally pretty mommies would have loads of fun on their first birthdays.

PLM Planking

I first saw this on Maude’s blog here. Unfortunately or rather thankfully, when I tried to go to the Facebook page of PLM Planking to get some photos, the account has been brought down already. So, the photos that I’m posting were taken from Maude’s blog instead. (Thanks, Maude!)

According to Gizmodo.com:

“Planking is the act of lying facedown for a photograph. The term planking originated from Australia but is actually just another name for 'the lying down game' (I'm not kidding). The specific instructions: to put your body face down to the ground (or table, or object, or anything) with your arms to the side.”

My thoughts? Here goes:

I have no problem with anyone doing planking. I don’t care about your reasons - be it to become popular or to prove something.

But, I have a huge problem if you do this in my school uniform. It’s the school uniform that I wore with pride for five years.

Sure, it’s not the prettiest.

I’ve been teased by high school batchmates who went to Sta. Isabel and Colegio de San Juan de Letran and during that time, yes, I thought their uniforms looked better than mine.

Neither is it the most comfortable.

I’ve fallen more than once while wearing that pencil-cut skirt. I have to hike it up to my thighs when I had to brave the floods in Manila. It has always, always been a huge effort to ride a jeepney.

But it is such great honor to be able to wear it.

To be given the privilege, you have to do a  great job at the PLM Admissions Test for you to get in and you have to give blood, sweat and tears (like the rest of us did) just to stay inside. I fought hard to remain an Iska and proudly I graduated as one.

So, doing a foolish stupid act like planking, just for the heck of it, wearing MY uniform is a big deal for me.

Plank all you want but take that uniform off. Do it in the nude for all I care. Show a little respect to the University and to the Local Government of Manila that is paying for your college tuition fee.

Disgusted,

Party Preps

I’ve been really busy planning for Johan’s first birthday. I know it’s more than a couple of months away but really, time flies. Of the many ideas that I have in mind, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to execute even half of it.

I’m finally done designing the button pins that we’ll be attaching to the loot bags and would serve as thank you notes.



I also did some editing on the invite that I already made a few months ago.



The first invite is the one on the left and the edited invite is the one on the right. Better, no? I only posted the upper part of the invite as I will be doing more tweaking on the bottom part like the bar codes. Bar codes for what? You’ll see.

I wish the cake supplier I contacted on Facebook would respond to my message. I initially sent her the design of the cake that I wanted and she sent me a quote already then I sent in some additional designs but she haven’t replied yet since last week. Her quote is within my budget range so I just hope my booking would push through.

There are still lots to be done and I hope to be able to finish everything that I have in mind. With all these preps, I also hope that the party will be a huge success.

Wish me luck?

Who do you think you are?

I’m so sorry for this post but I am still seething from yesterday’s experience during lunch at Bonchon in Greenbelt 1.

My family and I were already seated at the right side of the place, in one of the two “high tables”. We were with 3 kids below the age of 7 and one infant, Johan. Imagine how difficult it was for the kids to sit on the bar-like stools, not to mention, dangerous if in case one of the kids fall. So, when we noticed some customers seated at the lower tables were already done eating we told one of the staff to reserve the table and we’re going to switch to theirs once they left.

But due to the number of customers entering the restaurant there is a huge possibility that the table we had asked to be reserved would be taken. So, me and Johan sat on the table beside the one we were waiting to be vacant. On the table we were waiting were seated three persons, I assumed the dad, the daughter and the son. They were already done eating and were just chatting. Let me just make this clear, we were patiently waiting and were sitting down. We were not acting like shadows standing behind these people and we NEVER asked them to stand up or leave. I was even playing with Johan and singing some nursery rhymes.

After a while, a woman emerged from the washroom and sat beside the dad, I assume the Mom. Then the dad stood up and went to the washroom and when he came back, he and their children stood up and left the restaurant. During this time, I was already standing knowing they were about to leave and my sister was already with me and Johan. But the mom stayed seated, took her time to retouch her make up (remember she just came from the washroom) and sipped some water. But we never said a word even if it was already 2 in the afternoon and we haven’t had lunch yet, the kids were getting edgy, still we patiently waited for her to leave.

When all of a sudden she stood up and pushed her chair hard making it bang against the table. My sister and I were surprised and we know that it was no accident. The other customers in the restaurant heard it as well and maybe due to our stomachs growling and to the fact that we are not known to make incidents like these pass, my sister and I called out to the woman, “Is there a problem?” “who do you think you are?”, numerous times to which she paid no attention to.

My sister and I were really itching to run up to her and confront her but our companions were telling us to just let it go.

I hate people like these. People who act like they’re better than everyone.

So, to you, Madam, just because you’re dressed better than anyone else at Bonchon, it does not give you the right to act like you own the place. We were all paying customers and the place is no fine dining restaurant anyway so pull your act together and go get some manners.

Just who do you think you are???

Mommy Moments – Restaurants

My family loves to eat out and we usually dine at chinese restaurants, seafood restaurants and the ever favorite, Max’s Restaurant.

The first two photos were taken during my sister RK’s birthday celebration for the past two years.

Seafood Restaurant at Seaside Macapagal – this photo was taken before I got pregnant with Johan

Superbowl of China at Festival Supermall Alabang

Johan with my sister RK at Flavors of China during one random day spent malling

The next pictures were taken at Max’s Restaurant in Festival Supermall when we did our surprise Father’s Day and Birthday celebration for my parents.

 The first time Johan ever sat at a high chair

My parents with their four grandkids, sons and sons-in-law

With the daughters and daughters-in-law

We are one big crazy, happy family!

Happy eating, err, Happy Mommy Moments, everyone!

Tonight I Bid Adieu

 















I was torn between excitement and dread on watching the final installment of my favorite series. I was excited to see how the director, David Yates, handled the movie, how the effects are, what they changed from the book and how all the characters look like now that everybody’s all grown up. But, I dread seeing it. I don’t want it to end yet. I am not ready.

I know it’s only a movie but if you have read all the books - immersed yourself in the world of Hogwarts, muggles, quidditch, patronuses, wizards and witches – you would understand what I mean.

It feels like I know Harry Potter personally. I’ve known him since he was 11 years old when told Hagrid, “I can’t be a wizard. I’m just Harry. Just Harry.” I’ve seen him fly his Nimbus 2000 and won quidditch matches. I’ve seen him struggled in Potions Class. I cried when he lost his godfather, Sirius Black. Cried even harder when he lost his mentor, Albus Dumbledore.

As I was watching the last installment of Harry Potter, I was biting back tears. Hubby’s gonna laugh at me for sure. But, there were a few scenes where I had to wipe away my tears. I cannot help it. Those scenes were just bittersweet. Like when Harry, Hermione and Ron first saw Neville, then the scene where the students clapped their hands after seeing Harry was back at Hogwarts, the scene when Harry left Hermione and Ron to face Voldemort alone at the forest…I’ve said to much, I might be spoiling it for those who have not yet seen it.

When the movie was over, I wanted to cry, I wanted to clap my hands, I wanted to stay until the credits fade away.

It is sad seeing Harry Potter for the last time.

Flexibath

I’ve been reading some reviews about this and I am taken. It has such an innovative design and a great space saver. The depth is just right for babies and I want one for Johan. Seriously, I really, really want one.

How I wish my blog’s popular so I can get sponsors for products like these. Hehe!

Taken from Mothercare website.

Product Information

• A convenient and easy to use bath that is perfect for both home or while travelling and folds flat so can be stored and transported with ease.
  
• Suitable from birth up to approximately 4 years old
  
• The bath expands to the correct size under the pressure from the water
  
• Features a non-slip surface on the bottom. There is also a plug so the water can be easily drained. The plug is well sealed so the bath can be used anywhere with out the worry of the water leaking
  
• Can be stored anywhere: under the bed, against a wall, in the wardrobe and will easily fit in a suitcase
  
• Does not contain any harmful chemicals such as Bisphenol A, Phtalate or PVC
  
• Have multiple uses when no longer used as a bath: toy box, laundry basket or a paddling pool for the garden or beach
  
• Lightweight material weighing only 1.3kg
  
• Manufactured in Denmark a comes with a life-long guarantee of design and quality
  
• Product Dimensions (unfolded): L66.5cmxW38.9xH23.8cm
  
• Folded Product Dimensions: L66.5cmxW8xH23.8cm
  
• Product Weight: 1.3kg
  
• Available in a choice of 6 colours

 

Calling Johan’s fairy godmothers?

FlexiBath is available at Mothercare and selected Dimensione shops for P2,495.