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A Parent's Nightmare: S.I.D.S.

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     When I was new to this parenting thing, I tried to read as much articles as I could to aid me on the start of parenthood. How to put a baby to sleep, how to give the baby a bath, etc. And I often came across the acronym SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). This is when things in the crib accidentally covers your helpless baby's face and causes the baby to suffocate or choke, or any other crib/sleep related deaths in infants. It could happen in just a matter of seconds. It's really a scary thing. And sadly it really happens. 

       And so almost every article says that the crib must not be filled with anything at all except a very fitted sheet, and the baby. Nothing else. This is so different from what Filipinos are used to. I usually see cribs filled with hotdog pillows, a baby pillow, a comforter, and stuff toys. Yikes!


baby crib with dolls
My chubby little Rain at 3 months

        Ooops! Guilty as charged! Rain's crib had a few toys and pillows and stuff. Thankfully though we were one of the lucky ones who never experienced close calls of SIDS. Ever since Rain was an infant, she never really slept well in her crib. I remember the first few nights after coming home from the hospital, she would wake up every 2 hours to feed, and then after burping, it was a challenge putting her back down in her crib. But whenever I would make her sleep in my arms in our bed, she would sleep so soundly. And so as a rookie mom, and out of exhaustion, I would just let her. We co-slept. But again, thankfully no close call happened.

        I read a lot of good benefits too from co-sleeping. For one they sleep more peacefully, and sleeping so close to their mothers apparently helps them develop a long term emotional health: They have higher self-esteem, less anxiety, become more independent soon, and are more well-behaved in school (source). Honestly, I for one am all for co-sleeping. Until today, Rain sleeps in our bed. But I guess it's not for everyone. Because sadly there are also incidents wherein the parents accidentally suffocate their sleeping babies by accidentally laying down on them in their sleep. It's a depressing pretty picture, I know :-(

        So for those who want to co-sleep, it is suggested that the baby sleeps in between a wall and an adult. Not in between two adults. It's safer that way. And you have to be alert.  Periodically check on your baby beside you. If you feel any sudden movement, wake up! Co-sleeping is NOT for parents who drink, or who take medications that make them drowsy.

        Also, safe sleep advocates actually discourage sharing adult beddings when co-sleeping with babies. But in my case, a co-sleeper, it can't be helped. So the safer alternative is to put the babies on top of adult blankets / comforters while wearing a sleepsack so they will still feel warm even when they're outside of your big blanket.

       On the other hand, if you don't feel comfortable co-sleeping, you'll still need something to cover up your baby's body and keep him warm all-through the night while she's in her crib. And since sleep advocates discourage loose sheets inside the baby's crib, this means blankets are out of the question. Your safer alternative once again is a good quality sleep sack. Something that won't cover his face and won't come off no matter how many sleeping position changes he makes. And that's where HALO Sleep Sack comes in.


Halo SleepSack


       HALO Sleep Sack was founded by a man who unfortunately lost a child because of SIDS. And that's why he made this brilliant sleeping gear to prevent this from happening to other babies. It's basically a wearable blanket that is engineered to never cover your baby's face. And no matter how the baby moves, it will always keep him warm and cozy throughout the night.

baby swaddle
Throwback! My little Rainbow when she was a newborn! Little Baby Zamora!

        HALO has different kinds of sleepsacks. One of which that I really really wish I had when Rain was an infant. You know how newborns sleep so soundly when they're swaddled because it makes them feel like they're inside the womb again? Well, swaddling may look easy but it's TOO HARD!!!!!!! I always had to call for the hospital's lactation nurse to do it correctly and snugly. (It was only the lactation nurse that was able to do it perfectly. None of the other roaming nurses could do it). And no matter how many times I watched her do it, I could never do it perfectly. Rain would always wiggle her way out of my swaddle in seconds like David Copperfield.

SleepSack swaddle

       And so the HALO SleepSack Swaddle (P1,549.75) is the perfect blanket for newborns. It covers the whole body, and on the top part, there are swaddle flaps with soft Velcro (Yes!!! No need to do those complicated manual tucking!) which prevents your baby's arms do the "Moro" or startle reflex. The startle reflex is when the baby's arms and legs suddenly throws up into the air for no reason. I always thought Rain was just dreaming whenever she would do that in her sleep hahaha!). See how snug the baby bear is in the picture above?

HALO sleepsack swaddle

       And unlike other easy swaddle products, this one is a 2-in-1 adjustable swaddle that allows you to swaddle the baby with arms out, instead of just arms in. This way, you can adjust it to your baby's comfort as she grows. And this will also make the transition easier for the baby for when it's time to stop swaddling. Instead of swaddling the baby with arms in, wrap the flaps around the baby's chest via the underarms.

HALO sleepsack swaddle arms out

Tadaaaaaa! Now it looks like your baby is wearing a comfortable sleeveless shirt! 



       You won't need an instruction manual to use the sleep sack. There are instructions already on the sleepsack itself which shows you the super easy steps on how to use it.

HALO sleepsack zipper

        And another brilliant thing I love about the HALO SleepSack is its inverted zipper. You zip it open from the feet up. Which means it's a breeze to change diapers without taking the whole sleepsack off, or without opening the swaddle on top and disturbing your sleeping baby just to open the zipper. 


HALO sleepsack wearable blanket

       Next is the HALO SleepSack Wearable Blanket (P1,549.75) which is your alternative to loose blankets. My problem with Sleeping Rain is she always kicks off the blanket when she sleeps. She takes after her dad who doesn't easily get cold. But since we co-sleep, she ends up kicking off my blanket too! So this is actually an awesome solution to co-sleeping with blanket-kicking babies.

HALO sleepsack wearable blanket

       The v-neck design is to ensure sure that no matter how your toddler moves, it won't get pulled up and cover her mouth and nose while sleeping. And no matter what she does, she can never ever kick it off. Plus it keeps off those damn mosquitoes from her legs.  


       The cloth for all HALO sleepsacks are breathable, non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, and are flame-retardant fabric.So it keeps them warm enough, but also not too hot. Don;t you just love the designs?


HALO sleepsack early walker

       The third kind is the HALO SleepSack Early Walker (P1,549.75). This is what I got for Rain. Perfect for toddlers! This one has feet feet openings that allows them to walk comfortably while wearing the sleepsack. 

HALO sleepsack early walker

       It's perfect for Rain, who likes to do some last-minute playing in our bedroom before she actually gets sleepy. When I bought this, I was a bit distracted chatting with other fellow mommy bloggers during the HALO event and I didn't notice that I got XL. My little girl is petite, so it really looks big on her.

 HALO sleepsack early walker

       So whenever she would walk around, I had to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't trip over hehehe. (By the way these sleep sacks can be worn over your kid's onesie or jammies. I just put it on Rain after she took a bath to test it out that's why she wasn't wearing a onesie inside hehehe) I just wish they had more designs for this type. So far they only have this and the blue one. They also have another bigger size for bigger kids called HALO SleepSack Big Kids (P1,549.75) wherein the fabric used is fleece giving more warmth.

sleeping in HALO sleepsack

       Even if it was two sizes too big for her, it still does the trick! As soon as she fell asleep, I just pulled down the feet wholes to cover her whole legs and... 

HALO sleep sack


       ....Voila! Wearable blanket! Also, this way, she can now sleep on top of our blanket.  This means her chances of being covered in the face with the big blanket is far less than when she shares a blanket with us. I am really glad I got one for Rain. This makes it to my best baby purchases 2014 list!


HALO sleepsack specs

       It honestly sounds quite expensive frankly but that's because you're getting the best quality of everything. Everything used here is 101% baby safe (as pictured above), and it really serves its purpose! I highly recommend this! Thank you to Miss Ives of HALO Philippines for sharing with us a lot of really helpful S.I.D.S prevention information and for inviting me to the event!




Locally, HALO SleepSacks are available at www.halophilippines.com, Rustan’s, Babyland, Fishermall, Numa, and e-commerce sites like Lazada, Ava, and Cudsly.

Please like www.facebook.com/halophilippines and follow http://instagram.com/halophilippines to help spread the word about safe sleep!


More info and photos from the event held at the Pink Me Up Bar and Salon:




HALO event in Pink Me Up nail salon

Ives of HALO Philippines
Ms. Ives of HALO Philippines
HALO sleepsack display

HALO sleepsack display

HALO sleep sack Big Kids


Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Spa

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HALO spa party

        A few days ago I attended an event for HALO SleepSack and the venue was at this lovely nail and dry spa bar along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong.  Frankly, not only was I excited to learn more about safe sleeping but I was also equally excited to get some hand spa treatment (I hadn't had one in a very long time. A perfect way to spend my "me" time!). 



pink me up beauty nail and dry spa

        Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Spa is this pink and dainty heaven for your hand and feet spa needs situated at the ends of the 2nd floor of Lee Gardens Building.

pink chandelier

        The place is white with splashes of light grey and powder pink. Such a pretty combination! And I love the pink chandelier!

spa party venue

The comfy sofas are grey and pink as well.

spa party venue

spa party venue

halo spa party pink me up

        I like how they designed this side of the room like a homey bedroom dresser which you can dress up for your events. They hold bridal and baby showers, spa parties, birthdays, or even an intimate lifestyle blogger events like the HALO SleepSack event I attended (Hence the sleepsacks hung all around in the photo)



HALO sleep spa party

And hence the swaddled teddy bears lying around the place.

spa party finger food

        The dresser becomes your snack table for whatever event you're holding / attending. Not sure if they provided the dishes but I thought everything looked pretty!

pretty wall with flatscreen tv

        The other wall is painted in very light gray and decorated with pretty white picture frames. And there's a flat screen TV for your audio-visual needs.

floor socket

        I was so excited when I saw electrical sockets in between each seat. I thought they put that with the thought of customers needing to charge their smartphones. I got all excited and even touched. I even posted i on my Instagram. And then suddenly realized what it was really intended for. For the foot spa machine. Duh! I felt so stupid afterwards haha!

bloggers at beauty spa

        Here are some mommy / lifestyle bloggers relaxing and chatting the night away after the HALO presentation.

pink me up beauty and dry spa

These sinks are really built in on the ground by the way. As well as the hose.


halo spa party menu

        Anyway, we were asked to choose between these three on the list for our choice of hand spa. After careful delibiration (and after the nice lady told me that the Inside Out  has a great fragrance), I went with that one. And boy was she right!

hand spa lavander

        Here's the hand spa set. This is for the lavander though. Of course I didn't get to take a photo of the ones for Inside Out because my hands were all wrapped up.

hand spa inside out

First she scrubbed some body scrub on me.

hand spa inside out

        Then she spread some of that really good-smelling cream all on half of my arm. I can't explain how it smelled like but it was really refreshing. A bit of fruity too! But very subtle that's why I liked it.

hand spa inside out

And then like a piece of meat, she wrapped it in saran wrap for a few minutes. 

hand spa inside out

        And then wrapped it again in cold towel. I stayed like this for probably around 15 minutes? And then when she took it off, wiped off the excess cream and I was basically done. I only had that hand spa because I was worried I might end up too late if I got a pedi cure or a manicure.  I wanted to hurry home to my little Rainbow.

        I had an awesome time at Pink Me Up Beauty Nail and Dry Spa. I think it's a really nice place to hold intimate parties and the likes. And I definitely want to come back for another Inside Out hand spa treatment!

See below for their list of services and prices and directions on how to go there. The prices are not at all bad!:

Pink Me Up Services

pink me up spa menu

Pink Me Up Shaw Map


Follow then on Facebook to get updated with current promos and services!





Most Effective Mosquito Repellent Ever!

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        No, it's not some lotion or a sticker or a bracelet. Not even a mosquito coil or a big spray. It's the most effective tool to keep your child away from those pesky mosquitoes! And we've been using them in the province since my sister and I were kids!

The MOSQUITERO! HAHAHAHAHA!

mosquitero

        It's true though! Such a simple old school, old fashioned tool but really does the trick. In this case, going back to basics is best!



mosquitero


        Earlier today, I introduced Rain to the mosquitero.(We're in San Fernando La Union by the way visiting my grandmother). So okay she used it as a play tent instead but she really had fun with it :-) I even clipped an opening so she has a "door" because she loved going in and out frequently and even dance around the mosquitero.

mosquitero

        Here she is pretending to bring in her "luggage" into her new home. But yep it's a huge empty jar of water hehe.

        Watching her play inside it brought me back memories on how I would play with our mosquitero. I would even put something on top and kick it around from the inside. Aaaanyway, just got into reminiscing :-) Maybe I should really buy one for home? :-)


Potty!!!

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Potty training terrifies me. I didn't know how to start especially since Rain doesn't show me any signs that she's about to go number 2. She just does it like it's nothing and just continues playing. 

Other advices I got from other moms was to remove the diaper from time to time so the toddler will know the icky feeling of being wet/drenched in poopy, and therefore will want to use the potty instead. Or something to that effect. But honestly I'm the one who feels icky with the thought of poop in the couch or anywhere in the living room. Haha! I'm sure there are other tricks. But honestly I've just been preferring the convenience of a diaper for now. But if I keep this up, she will never learn. Bad mom!

So the least I could do was sometimes I would leave the bathroom door open and show her when I go peepee. But I would make grunting sounds as if I'm doing the deed. Ever since then, she associates grunting sounds with the potty. I would try letting her sit on the potty from time to time and she would imitate me and make grunting sounds as well even if she's not making poopoo. 

But last night, I finally saw a sign that Rain was about to go poopy! She was playing at the living room here at my grandma's house in La Union (wearing her shades and some beaded necklace) then she suddenly stopped and sort of crouched down while holding her tummy and then made grunting sounds.  

I wasn't really sure if she was about to do the deed or not but I didn't want to miss the chance. So I immediately grabber her and took her to the bathroom, took out her diaper and made her sit into the potty. True enough,  there was a small tiny poop already in her diaper. I let her sit in the potty longer and I made grunting sounds myself so she could continue. She copied my grunting sounds again and finally, she made poopy in the potty! And still wearing her shades and necklace hahaha! So happy!!! Yay for Rain!!! And yay for mommy bringing her to the bathroom in time hehe. Just need to keep it up until she really gets it :-) 



Thank you sister for taking our pic hahaha!



Rapunzle and Eugene Spotted in Frozen!

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        My cousin Rifka was right! If you watch Frozen plenty times, you'll see that Rapunzle and Eugene of Tangled did make a special cameo appearance in Frozen hahaha! I was watching it with Rain for the nth time when I noticed that haircut! They're one of the royal guests during the Coronation Day (For the First Time in Forever)! It's around 16:20 :-)

rapunzle in frozen
Only one Disney Princess has that haircut! Can you see her? :-)

rapunzle and eugene in frozen
And there's Eugene beside Rapunzle!


The child in me finds this really cool! :-)

Recording of Little Mermaid's Part Of Your World

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Video source: YouTube, user awodaly

        Was browsing through YouTube (damn you YouTube you're a distraction haha!) Watching Idina Menzel's Let It Go, then lead to Wicked, then lead to Lea Salonga, then lead to Disney Princesses, and then I saw this amazing clip. The actual recording of Little Mermaid's Part of Your World, which I absolutely love. I always sung this in the shower when I was pregnant with Rain :-)

        Anyway in this video you'll see the singing voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson as she records the unforgettable song that Ariel sung as she expresses her fascination, curiosity, and love for the life above the sea. Pretty cool seeing the behind-the-scenes (sort of) of this classic Disney song. Disney lovers will surely enjoy this as much as I did :-)

A Beautiful District in Boracay

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boracay

         My first time in Boracay was a few years ago before our little Rainbow came into this world. I know it has become more chaotic since a lot of establishments started popping up along the beautiful white sand beach of Boracay but I honestly still think it's the most beautiful beach I have ever been to. It's just a matter of picking the right location that suits your personality.



        During my first time in Boracay, we stayed at station 1 at a simple three or four story inn. We chose station 1 simply because we wanted to to have a serene and relaxing vacation and be away from the civilized area. But the problem was, it was a far away from the civilized area. Haha! it was quite a long walk from station 1 to station 2 where all the restaurants were. And it was a bit of a hassle to go back and fourth whenever you needed to buy something from D-Mall.


        Anyway, because I fortunately won a round trip domestic flight ticket for two from Air Asia Zest (thanks guys!!!), we decided to plan another Boracay, this time with our little Rainbow!

air asia zest

Air Asia Zest was formerly Zest Air.We had a safe and smooth flight from Manila to Kalibo. 

father and daughter plane ride

The two even fell asleep during the trip

air asia zest

Thankful for the perfect flying weather that day!

air asia cafe snacks

        And I had a quick Grilled Chicken Cheese Sandwich from Air Asia Cafe. Actually I was looking forward to ordering one of their hot meals but since it's a short flight, they only served quick snacks. 

the district boracay

        A road trip and a boat trip, and a quick car ride later, we were there! Richie was lucky to get hooked up with The District Boracay. A hotel we've been eyeing before. And I must say it's really beautiful! It's not as big as the other 5 star hotels but this one has just the right size that no room is too far from the beach. I think that's one of the best things about The District 

the district boracay

The structure has a a really modern and sophisticated feel to it. 

the district boracay

        Our room home for the night! All rooms have a lanai (or balcony for rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors) where you can hang out. You will also see that there those steel laundry lines where you can let your wet clothes dry.(Yes that's very important for us moms who does all the packing!)

the district boracay pool

This is their pool. There's a lap pool, and then a Jacuzzi at the other end. And then a waterfall wall.

the district boracay

        Go past the pool and you will see a staircase leading up to the 2nd building with more rooms. But again this is just a few feet away from the pool and the entrance of the hotel. I can't stress it enough but I really like the size of the whole floor plan.

the district room boracay

        And these are our comfy beds! I love the interiors too! Everything about it is top class from the pillows to the bed, to the laundry basket, which Rain used as a play pen!:

toddler in basket
toddler in basket
toddler in basket

Aaaah toddlerhood! Finding delight in simple things! Haha!

caruso Italian restaurant the district

        Then they invited us to have lunch at their Italian restaurant called Caruso. It was a bit small but I love how it has floor to ceiling windows so you can enjoy the breath-taking view of the beach! And the food was really good! More on that from The Pickiest Eater soon!

vintage baby chair

        Oh can I just say? I love their cute baby chair! So vintage! Rain seemed to love it too as she plays with her audio reader toy :-)

star lounge the district

         This is the top floor of The District where Star Lounge is. It's really beautiful during the day and during the night as well. A great place to have dinner, which we did. Soon on The Pickiest Eater!


father and daughter swimming

We enjoyed swimming at the Jacuzzi as much as Rain did. Look at the smiles on their faces!

playing catch in pool

Father and daughter playing catch by the pool as part of Richie's workout haha!:-) Rain loves it!

boracay beach panoramic

        You know how I was saying earlier that picking the right area in Boracay is the key? Well, I was glad that The District was in a perfect spot. It's in station 2, but not right smack in the middle of all the action. We got the peace and serenity that we wanted but at the same time it was a short walk from The District to D-Mall, hence making our beach time very relaxing! 

toddler playing in beach

I also love the fact that The District always had life guards on stand by, checking on everyone by the beach, and even lending Rain some sand toys!

baby in swimsuit

        The thing about Boracay is that so far it's the only beach where I feel safe about letting Rain run free and not worry about strong waves or her stepping on some garbage. She really had so much fun running around the beach!

clear waters boracay

With clear waters like this, how can you not enjoy it?

boracay beach white sand

I let her roam free so she can explore nature, and Boracay's powder-fine white sand!

small fishes by the beach

We saw small fishies by the shore! So cool!

crying baby

        Rain enjoyed swimming so much that she gets heart-broken everytime it was time to go back to the room. Poor baby! hehe...

cheap waterproof casing

        Everywhere on the beach people were selling these "waterproof" cellphone casing. We bought it for P100 per piece if I'm not mistaken. But I wouldn't advice you to use it underwater. Just think of it as your splatter-proof casing for taking selfies by the water haha!

boracay toddler shirt

I always make it a point to buy a souvenir shirt for Rain wherever we go. Nice right? :-)

leaving Boracay

Before we knew it, it was time to head back home. Sad :-(



boracay sunset

        I can't wait to go back to Boracay! And if I were to choose where I would want to stay, I will definitely choose The District again! Thanks so much for the warm hospitality! To   Mae, Vina, Apple, Chef Rey Dela Cruz, Cindy, April, Joefer, Myke, and Naomi, and the entire staff of The District, Thank you for making our stay a memorable one!

Happy summer everyone!!!

Greenwich's New Superior Flavors!

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pizza bag

        I know some people thing Hawaiian Pizza flavor is... well... corny. But truthfully like it. I like the mixture of savory ham and the sweetness of pineapples. It's so simple yet it works. And so imagine my delight when I learned that Greenwich has taken Hawaiian Pizza into a different level!



hawaiian overload pizza

        Presenting Greenwich's Hawaiian Overload wherein they added green bell peppers, lots of juicy pineapples and delicious savory meat! This is perfect because I also like having green bell peppers in my pizza for that added crunch. (Price starts at only P99 per solo size).

carbonara party size

        Greenwich also now offers a new pasta flavor, one that Richie is thrilled about (because of the fact that he can't really eat pasta with red sauce), it's Greenwich's Creamy Carbonara! Enjoy big slices of bacon in creamy white sauce! (Price starts at only P79 per snack size ala carte).

grandfather and grand daughter

        Thanks Greenwich for making us try these new superior flavors! My dad came over that night and thankfully I had those pizza and carbonara to serve hahaha! He loved it! 

i love carbonara

The little Rainbow obviously loved it too!


Greenwich Delivery: 5-5-5-5-5 (Metro Manila), 435-555 (Cavite), 245-1000 (Cebu)
Find other store locations at greenwich.com.ph !


Strolling at ThunderBird Poro Point, La Union

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        Our grandmother lives in San Fernando, La Union. And so while we were there with my aunt for a vacation, we thought, why not check out ThunderBird resort in Poro Point? Been hearing good things about it. So we decided to check it out. We didn't check in of course given that my grandmother's house in La Union was just a few minutes away from ThunderBird Resort and Casino. So we just took a stroll. And it was quite nice! It's like La Union's Santorini Greece!

thunderbird entrance

The long entrance from the guardhouse


thunderbird lobby

And here's the driveway entrance to the lobby

thunderbird reception

Here's the reception area


dome art

Here's the dome ceiling of the lobby. So Greek, right?

thunderbird lobby

And here's the lobby per se. Very simple with a few couches. Nothing too extravagant....

thunderbird lobby

But the view of the beach is breath-taking!

view deck thunderbird

Once you come out of the lobby, there's a pretty open space for a viewing deck, with a restaurant on the right, and another snack area on the left.

thunderbird resort pool

        And here's the view once you take a peek by the balcony area. Their gorgeous pool! You can come here and have a dip at the pool even if you're not checked in, but there's an entrance fee and it's quite expensive for me. I guess the maintenance is really expensive: 

Adults - P1,200 (700 food and drinks consumable + 500 pool entrance
Kids 5-12 years old - P700 (350 for food and drinks consumable + 350 pool entrance. 

thunderbird la union beach

        The beach on the other hand is restricted to hotel residents and members only, but I was able to take a photo. Lots of sea weeds and looks like there are some corals as well, but otherwise, beautiful!

playground

By the right side, a little play area for the kids and what looks like an obstacle course.

thunderbird resort la union

Then look further ahead,  and you'll see the sea!

thunderbird resort la union

Zooming in, you'll see there are what looks like viewing sheds.

olives thunderbird resort la union

Going back to the viewing deck, on the right side is their restaurant. Sorry I didn't get to see the menu. Ooops! Hehehe.

olives thunderbird restaurant

Here's their alfresco dining area where you an have a nice view of the beach

beach view
Walk further to the right and there's a green hill with this beautiful view. Walk further up and you will see Love!

love

Seriously. LOVE! :-)

gazeebo by the beach

And beside the LOVE, is a romantic gazeeboo with sheer curtains. A nice place to propose! (Or to get  relaxing massage maybe?)

thunderbird resort la union

Going back to the hotel and accommodations, looks like these are the hotel rooms that you can rent per night. 

thunderbird resort la union

        Now I'm not really sure which of these pretty houses around the land of Thunderbird Resort can be rented or or which are residential houses. Either way, they're all nice, all following the white and blue Santorini Greece color scheme.


houses in thunderbird resort la union

houses in thunderbird resort la union

houses in thunderbird resort la union

houses in thunderbird resort la union

        And just in case you were wondering, the casino is a golf car / service ride away from Thunderbird's main lobby. 

entrance to casino thunderbird resort la union

Instead of entering Thunderbird gate, you go all the way straight until you see this gate.

fiesta casino thunderbird resort a union

And voila! Welcome to Fiesta Casino!


        There are still lots of empty lots there in Thunderbird and I can't wait to see what else they're going to put up. Even if we just went around the place, I had a great time bonding with my Tita Eva who was in town for vacation from New Jersey. She tries to come home every 2 years and so I was happy that we were able to visit her and my grandmother as well in La Union with the little Rainbow :-)


Activities and services packages posted in their lobby:

thunderbird watersports rates


thunderbird boat for hire rates

thunderbird island hopping promo rates

thunderbird aerobics class rates

thunderbird fishing

fiesta casino rules

A Night At Crimson Hotel Alabang

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crimson hotel

        Crimson Hotel Filinvest City is an almost new hotel in the heart of Alabang. A few weeks ago we were fortunate to spend a night there with some blogger friends to check it out and it was pretty great!  It's just walking distance to Festival Supermall and very near South Luzon Expressway so it's fairly easy to locate. (Not that you would need to walk or commute when going to the malls because Crimson offers free shuttle service anytime!)


crimson hotel lobby

        Upon entering the lobby, I was already impressed. I'm not an expert on hotels or interior design but I really liked their lobby. Even if it's not really high ceiling and has no fancy chandeliers, the ceiling has that wow factor. Kudos on the interior designer! Simple but still very classy!

executive suite crimson hotel

        Here is our suite for the night. Sweet! An Executive Suite with a living room (complete with a flat screen TV with cable and DVD player. Don't forget to bring your favorite DVDs when you spend your staycation here!) 

breakfast table

Oh, and a breakfast table for two by the window. Love it!

warm welcome hotel

A Welcome Letter waiting for us attached with a yummy Black Widow Cheesecake...

cake icing litpstick

Which Rain loved! Here she is sporting her Black Widow cheesecake icing lipstick hehehe. I think she was going for a Gothic look.

hotel room kitchen

        Did I mention there's a mini kitchen complete with everything you can think of. A build-in stove, coffee maker, toaster, there's even a blender stored in the cupboards!

bar stools in hotel room

        Bar stools are available so I can sit and chit chat with Richie while he cooks. He doesn't really cook but he cooks more than I do hahaha!

washing machine

        The washing machine hidden by the cabinets upon entering was a pleasant surprise! I could live here already! 

crimson hotel room

Here's our room for the night. Spacious!

hotel bed

Which Rain happily messed up within a few minutes!

hidden socket

I like this hidden socket and light switch by the bedside table drawer.

hotel desk

        The bedroom also has a flat screen TV, DVD player, and a desk. At first the aircon felt a bit warm but it was nothing a few temperature adjustments couldn't fix. After we placed it at the temperature we wanted, it was already winter cold! Just the way Richie likes it!

classy hotel dresser

        I also really like this simple but classy dresser. I never had a nice dresser my whole life. But if I did I would like it to be this simple.

crimson bathroom

The bathroom was nice as well. No bathtub but it was fine.

hotel toiletries

Toiletries

hotel toiletries

And more toiletries. I love that they have a mouthwash!

modern weighing scale

Check out their cool weighing scale!

crimson hotel room view

And here's the view from our room. You can see the pool area, as well as the Laguna De Bay.

The Pool

crimson hotel pool area

        Here's Crimson's pool area. It's an area of the hotel that always seems to be windy. It's cool and refreshing. But this means it can be a bit hard to put immerse yourself in the water at first without shivering haha!

mommy and daughter swimming

        Rain seemed to be enjoying it. But I'm not surprised. She doesn't easily get cold, taking after her dad. (PS I would have chosen a more close up photo of me and Rain but I don't want to magnify my fats hehehe)

crimson pool 

crimson pool

pool area crimson hotel

At night, the pool area becomes a cozy place with moodlights where you can dine and have barbecue.

grill

Yes. Barbecue!

sausage and salad

While I happily dine on my no-carb dinner (greens with caesar salad dressing and grilled sausages)...

father and daughter

        Rain happily munches on her frilled corn on the cob while entranced with her YouTube videos on the iPad, while her dad on the other hand is entranced with the chef barbecuing. Hehehehe.

outdoor bed

They had these nice weaved outdoor beds in the shape of Hershey's Kisses.

round outdoor bed

A really nice place to hibernate after having one too many barbecues. Hehehe.


The Cafe

 cafe eight facade

        Crimson Hotel's main restaurant is the Cafe Eight which serves contemporary international buffet of breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets and more. Enjoy fresh and healthy cuisines of Southern Europe to Middle Eastern regions.

cafe eight crimson hotel

Cafe Eight has a classy long space.

sushi table

A round table filled with sushi and other appetizer

lunch buffet

This is just a section of their lunch buffet.

crepe station

Crepe station!

dessert station

And a long section of desserts!

bacon carbonara

We requested this carbonara for Rain from the pasta station

smoked salmon salad

And I got myself another helping of Caesar salad after, this time pairing it with smoked salmon!

caesar salad

        And then right moving on to dessert, I had one last serving. I obviously liked their Caesar salad dressing haha! 

mango crepe vanilla ice cream

        And then ended my lunch with some mango crepe topped with vanilla ice cream and some rice crispies and chocolate syrup! If you want more photos of the food, check out my hubby's post here!


pastry and sandwich corner

        Crimson Hotel also has their own bakeshop called the Pastry and Sandwich Corner where they sell yummy pastries...

red cake


        And amazing cakes such as this one that we found in our room! (Thanks Crimson Hotel for our yummy cake!)

The Gym

gym crimson hotel

Crimson Hotel also has a really nice gym. 

gym crimson hotel

After all, life is all about balance. Nice buffet restaurant, nice gym. Hahaha! 


selfie hotel lobby

        We had an excellent time at Crimson Hotel! Thanks so much to Twinkle and Kar for a wonderful experience! We'll be back soon!

Crimson Hotel 
Address: Entrata Urban Complex, 2609 Civic Drive, Filinvest City, Alabang, 1781 Muntinlupa City
Follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrimsonFilinvestCity
Follow them on Twitter: @Crimson_Alabang
and Instagram: @Crimsonhotel_Alabang

My Rainbow's First Passport!: Steps in Applying for Passport (DFA Megamall)

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DFA megamall

        When I found out that the whole family might be going on a fun family trip to Korea soon, aside from excitement, I felt panic because Rain doesn't have a passport yet. And based on my last experience when Richie and I renewed ours, we had to go all the way to the DFA near Mall of Asia, (which is not at all a short drive for us) and we had to get in a long line. (In fairness, even if the lines were long, they were very organized and you would be waiting in line while sitting down on chairs)

        Anyway, thankfully this time it was a lot easier for me because of the DFA Offices that opened in malls near us. There was one in Robinsons Galleria, and another one in Megamall Building C. It was my first time to renew in one of these new offices and it was a breeze!

Here are the steps I took in getting my little Rainbow her first passport ever!

DFA Website (Document Requirements)


Step 1: I went online at DFA to check the requirements I needed to prepare.

Step 2: I called the DFA Appointment System Hotline (02-737-1000). It's common to always get a busy signal or an "Try again later" automated recording. But just keep trying and you'll get a live operator soon, whom will be asking you a couple of information as she fills up your form over the phone.

Step 3: The operator will then double confirm all your details, and will ask you to choose place where you want to have your appointment set. Since I live in Pasig, the operator informed me of the DFA offices that are close to my place. In this case, it's DFA Megamall, or DFA Robinsons Galleria. And then she will inform you which time slots are still available. I of course chose the earliest appointment possible. 10:00 AM

Step 4: The operator will give you a reference number and a print number confirming your appointment. Note those down and make sure not to lose it. The operator will give you a website where you can input the reference number and print number to access your very own DFA Confirmed Appointment form (already pre-filled by the operator with your details)

Step 5: Print the form out in long bond paper. Fill out the other blank details BUT DON'T SIGN YET as you need to sign this only during your appointment.



MegaMall building C
MegaMall Building C (Photo grabbed from SM Prime Website )

        It's that easy! Before I knew it, it was the day of our appointment and we were at SM Megamall Building C by 9:30AM. In case you don't know, Megemall Building C is that parking lot building in between Mega A and B. And DFA is at the very top floor. I was impressed with how it looked like. Maybe because it was fairly new? It's just one floor but it was very spacious. 

DFA megamall
Check list

        We were the first ones there. They opened at exactly 10:00 AM. From there, it was all smooth-running. You'll show the first counter your printed form, and they will attach a small list that each staff will sign as you go along. 

dfa passport processing steps
Number system

        Then they have a number system too. So you can just sit pretty in one of the provided benches and wait for your number to appear on the flat screen that also tells you which window to go. (Note though that even if you were the first one there, the first numbers they will call are those who are senior citizens and those that are with infants).

DFA megamall
Processing / Verification Area (where they check your documents, etc.)
This is the processing / verification area. Very clean and cool. There were 12 windows so a lot can be accommodated at the same time. I didn't get to take a photo but on the other side of this room was an area that says "Copier" and "Notarial" I guess for your last minute copying and notarial needs. But during that time there wasn't anyone manning that area. 

        Next I was asked to proceed to the cashier to pay. I think it was P900 something for the normal rate (2 weeks processing) and P1,200 for rush processing (7 days). Of course given the circumstances, I had to go for the rush processing. 

DFA megamall
Encoding Area

        Then I proceeded to the Encoding Area to have Rain's photo taken and so I can double check the personal details in Rain's passport.

DFA megamall

A box on stand-by for little applicants hehehe.

DFA megamall

Smile Rain! (3 takes!)

DFA megamall
Courier / Delivery

        You can choose to have your passport delivered to your doorstep or for pick up. If for delivery, the final step is the courier / delivery. But since I was worried that  might not be home when it's delivered, I opted to pick it up for my own peace of mind. After all, I'm often in Ortigas area anyway. Then the girl gave me my receipt and indicated the time and date of pick up. 

DFA megamall

       Photo of the halls leading to the other areas like Releasing, etc. The comfort rooms are also very clean.

DFA megamall
DFA line at  past 10:00 AM

        We were done in under 30 minutes. As soon as we came out, there were already a lot of applicants lined up outside. 

dfa megamall

        The line continued inside the mall. But still not the chaotic level of line so it's still okay. Overall it was very organized and comfortable especially since DFA Megamall is fully air-conditioned.

first passport
Rain's first passport!

       After 7 days, I went back to DFA and was able to quickly get Rain's first passport ever! Kudos DFA Megamall! 


Frozen Toys Always Out of Stock in Manila But Found These...

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        Always out of stock. That's pretty much the gist for now. My little Rainbow loves loves loves the animated movie (who doesn't?) and I would really love for her to get to play with some Frozen merchandise.

        The sucky part is that when we were at this tiny mall in San Fernando La Union called CSI Mall, I saw a whole bunch of Frozen toys there. And I was pretty sure they were original. Because it was the same ones I would see online. But I hesitated on buying because I thought maybe it would be less expensive back in Manila. The toy I had my eye on was 1,200. Can you believe it? For two small dolls! So there, I didn't buy.

        Fast forward to when we got back in Manila. The following day we went to Crimson Hotel for a blog gig. During our rest time, Richie went to a nearby mall to buy Rain a Frozen toy. Out of stock. Apparently the wealthy Alabang moms buy out all the stocks as soon as the shelves are restocked. Uh-oh... Oh well for sure there will be in Megamall or something. 

        A few days after, I went to Toy Kingdom. And all Frozen toys are out of stock and they weren't sure if they were ever going to get stock again. Heart-broken, I walked back to Podium. On my way back, I passed by St. Francis as I always do. Then just when all hope was lost, I passed by a toy stall and found these...



Disney frozen plastic figurines

        Only P100 per figurine. And they were the only Frozen merchandise there! From Elsa, to Anna, to Kristoph, to Sven, to Olaf, and even down to Prince Hans of the Southern Isles! Just one plastic figurine per  character. So yes I  bought them all! 

Disney frozen plastic figurines

        Are they original? The vendor says yes. Because all the toys that are displayed in the glass cabinette are supposedly original. Of course I can't really be sure. If you look under, it says Disney Vietnam. But anyway their appearance didn't look THAT bad. And at this point I didn't care haha! So I went home with a small plastic bag of the whole Frozen cast! (No boxing whatsoever!)

        I mean St. Francis Mall! Who would have thought, right? Never underestimate the power of tiangges!


        And then a few days back, we got a message from our friend Tales from the Tummy couple friend Richard and Irene saying they saw something Frozen at Powerbooks. And without batting an eyelash I said GET IT!!! It's  a magnetic magic slate attached to a book that shows you how to draw Frozen images. Pretty cool!

frozen dolls
In awe that she actually has Queen Elsa and Princess Anna dolls hehe
        And then just this weekend, the kind-hearted Jane Go of the Sugar and Spice blog surprised Rain with two bigger dolls of Queen Elsa and Princess Anna! Such a sweetheart that Jane! She got this from eBay! It's one of Rain's favorite toys right now! :-) Thanks again Jane!

MAGNUM MANILA OPENING ON APRIL 8 2014

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Magnum Manila

        First of all, I never knew a Magnum Cafe existed in places like Milan, New York, Toronto, Paris, etc. Second of all, I never would have thought Manila would be opening one soon! On April 8, 2014 to be exact. At the SM Aura SkyPark Dining! And will only be operating for 12 months!  

        Given the fact that I love Magnum bars, you can only imagine how excited I was when I heard this great news, and more so when we got an invite to try it out before it opens to the public! Check out my detailed pleasurable experience over at The Pickiest Eater

        In the meanwhile, of course I would also want to share at least some photos of my experience here in my humble mommy / home and living blog!


magnum manila #makemymagnum

THE Magnum Bar upon entering!

magnum manila ed calma

Beautiful interiors by Ed Calma

And behold! The Dessert Dishes Menu 
by Chef Miko Aspiras. With descriptions straight from the menu.

rainbow magnum

Rainbow Dream (P250)
White chocolate covered vanilla Magnum bar covered in dreamy rainbow cake crumble, on a moist slice of cream cheese rainbow cake

Personal note: Perfect for my little Rainbow!!!


cheesecake magnum

Pink Friday (P290)
Strawberry marbled cheesecake, on a bed of speculoos tea cookies and strawberry nerds, topped with a pink chocolate dusted vanilla Magnum and strawberry coulis


cookie dough magnum

Cookie Dough Skillet (P250)
Warm chocolate chip cookie dough topped with two vanilla Magnum bars, dark chocolate and chopped pecans


death by chocolate magnum

Death by Chocolate (P250)
Deep dark chocolate lava cake and chocolate truffle Magnum topped with brownie pieces and chocolate crispearls


#makemymagnum

And my very own Magnum Bar! #MakeMyMagnum (P100) 

Check out more details like the savory creations of  Chef Him Uy de Baron at The Pickiest Eater Magnum Manila Entry.

Spend the Lenten Season At F1 Hotel Manila!

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        The Lenten season is drawing closer and closer. And while others think of it as a time to go on a vacation, a lot still take it to heart by repenting and purifying themselves by giving up things we indulge in as a kind of sacrifice as a way of imitating Jesus' 40 day fasting in the wilderness. But at F1 Hotel Manila, you can do both!

        F1 Hotel Manila graciously invited us with other food and lifestyle bloggers last weekend to once again experience a relaxing weekend in this beautiful hotel at the heart of Bonifacio Global City to have a taste of what they are preparing for Easter!

        First off, F1 Hotel Manila has prepared beautiful and delicious seafood entrees that will not allow you to break your no-meat fasting.

Tofu Quiche

        For appetizer, the we had the Wild Mushroom and Silken Tofu Quiche with Organic Arugula and Micro Sprouts, drizzled with Citrus Vinaigrette

tomato and basil pesto soup

        For the soup, we had Tuscan Style Tomato and Basil Pesto Soup with Focaccia Toast and Fried Cherry Tomatoes

steamed baby lapu lapu

        For the Main Course, the options were Steamed Baby Lapu-lapu Fillet, Mini Ratatouille, Lemon Capers Butter Emulsion, Saffron Potatoes

rosemary roasted chicken

         Lemon and Rosemary Roasted Chicken Haricot Vets, Onion and Apple Marmalade, Roasted Potatoes...

        And last is the Tofu Agedashi Vegetable Pasta, Nori Shreds, Teriyaki Sauce, Forbidden Rice Pilaf (which we obviously didn't order so I wasn't able to take a photo. I'm not a fan of tofu as a main course hehe. But I'm sure there are some tofu fans out there somewhere.

pineapple tatin

        And finally, for dessert, this really scrumptious Caramelized and Spiced Pineapple Tatin with Toasted Almonds topped with Vanilla Ice Cream. Honestly this was one of the highlights of the day for us. It's really good!

f1 fish n chips

        For the kids, there is Fish n’ Chips. Which Richie stole a couple of pieces for himself while Rain wasn't around hahaha! 


f1 holy week


        Another nice family treat that F1 Hotel Manila has prepared for everyone is a nice Movie Showing set under the stars! The Holy Week Reel Deal! 

f1 canary lounge
Canary Lounge
        Watch fun flicks that the family will sure enjoy set on the Canary Lounge. I forgot the whole list of movies they will be showing but I do remember that they will be showing Frozen! Yay!!! What's even more exciting is that hotdogs, popcorn, ice cream, snow cones, and sodas will be available! How fun is that?!

f1 easter 2014

        And then finally, come Easter Day, F1 Hotel Manila takes you to an out-of-this-world adventure with their Easter in Space event! Kids and kids at heart can enjoy an exciting space-themed Easter Egg hunt around the hotel with space-themed games, plus more fun activities await at the Infinity Ballroom! 

        But that's not all. They will also be giving fun surprises from Enchanted Kingdom, Toy Kingdom, Chupa Chups, Fruittella, Hershey's, and San Miguel Corporation!  

suman platter


        For the the month of April, F1 Hotel Manila will also be featuring a delicious spread of suman buffet as a way of celebrating the Suman Festival. This is F1's yummy Merienda Cena which is available daily from 3PM to 5PM until April 30, 2014. Priced at only P295 per head.

special suman

        And also, the LuzViMinda Buffet is back featuring amazing dishes from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao! 

kesong puti bistek sushi

        I was quite intrigued by their pinoy sushi namely the Kesong Puti at Bistek Sushi (which I liked)...

tinapa sushi

        ... and the Tinapa Sushi which was also interesting but was a bit too fishy for my taste. See other unique dishes below from the LuzViMinda buffet:

squash flower with cheese

Kesong Puti Squash Stuffed Squash Flower

kanding

Kanding sa Nangka

crispy catfish in coconut cream

And one of my favorite main dishes was the Crispy Fried Catfish with Spicy Pumpkin and Coconut Cream

f1 hotel buffet

Look at the one on the far right. Taba ng Talangka Fried Rice with Green Mangoes, anyone?

f1 hotel buffet

And many many more!

        We were able to sample F1 Hotel's Suman with chocolate dip and I must say it's really delicious! And I'm not really usually a big fan of suman. Even Rain could't wait to eat it!

        As I keep saying, F1 Hotel Manila is one of the perfect places to spend a relaxing staycation not only because of it's great amenities but because of the oh-so convenient location. At the heart of Bonifacio Global City! So spending your staycation here is definitely a great way to spend Easter! 

F1 Hotel Manila
32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City
928-9888 / 908-7888
www.f1hotelmanila.com
Like them on Facebook: f1hotelmanila
Follow them on Twitter and Instagram: @f1hotelmanila

Thanks so much Mikco for our wonderful weekend! It's obvious in this gallery below how much fun we had!:

boy and girl playing
Baby RinasRainbow and Baby MommyPracticality playing with toys at the Lounge!
spanky enriquez
My hubby The Pickiest Eater, Spanky, Jill of The Food Scout, and Jane of Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
Jane Go Sugar and Spice
Selfie with Jane hehe
Joan Lim
Add caption
withJoan of The Food Alphabet  

Chef Sau Del Rosario F1
F1 Hotel Manila's Executive Chef, Chef Sau Del Rosario!
with Jill again and Joy of Occasions of Joy
Richie and Bea from Click The City!
A happy picky eater and his plates!
Canary Lounge
I love this pic! Rain with Chef Sau, enjoying the change in altitude (since Richie and I are short people and Chef Sau is tall. But you got that...)
The sofa bed
Main bedroom. Our room for the night!
We have a balcony!
Richie and Rain enjoying the comfy bed!
Me and my little Rainbow. She is not amused because Richie was blocking her Disney Junior.
Swimming! We got Rain a firetruck lifesaver from SnR which is just across the hotel
Mmmmm.... bacon....
And just like that, his day is complete!
Adobo for breakky!
Kwela F1 chefs by the open kitchen! :-)
I really liked their Chicken longanissa
Night drinks at Canary Lounge!
And mga Donya! ;-)
Jill's not so thirsty...
Raine, Jill, and Oliver
Joy, Moi, Bea
Louise of Mommy Practicality and hubby, and Martine of Make It Blissful! One of the top lifestyle / home and living bloggers!

Pico De Loro Cove’s Pico Astro Camp this Summer!

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        I remember when I was still a kid, one of the pastimes that my cousin and I love to do during browouts is to stargaze. My late uncle Bobby actually had a telescope and we would hang out by our old family house’s huge terrace and fall in line one by one to take turns peeping at the telescope. Often times we would even see shooting stars! What fun childhood we had and I’m really thankful for that!

star gazing
Pico Astro Camp (Photo from Pico De Loro)

        But this summer, kids can experience this too and look up at the stars and planets with an amazing star gazing experience only at Pico De Loro Cove’sPico Astro Camp happening on April 26, 2014!



        The Pico Astro Camp, together with the country’s foremost Astrophysicist Dr. Rogel Sese, Ph.D and Regulus Spacetech, aims to teach space science and astronomy by not just peeping through telescopes, but through fun, educational, and interactive games and activities for kiddos!

        For children ages 5-10, they can learn more about how huge our galaxy is and everything in it, and how it all works by making beautiful arts and crafts.

        While children ages 11-15 years old will have the time of their lives as they race their very own homemade rockets in a friendly rocket race! Rates are only Php1,200 per person (members), and Php1,500 per person (non-members). 

        And of course, everyone can experience watching the cosmos with their naked eye using powerful specialized telescopes! Even the parents for sure will feel like a curious kid again!

        Come and join this fascinating galactic experience only at Pico Astro Camp. For inquiries, call +63 2 464 7845.

Pico de Loro Cove is located in Nasugbu, Batangas. For inquiries, please call Pico Sands Hotel at + 63 2 464 78888. Visit their website at http://www.picodelorocove.com and stay connected at facebook.com/picosandshotel and instagram.com/picodeloroclub    

Vikings Opens Mother's Day Contest: The Best Mom

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        Even before your very first heartbeat, your mother has been there for you. Raised you inside her until you were ready to be born into this world. From your first cry, to your first baby steps, and way until you're all grown up to choose to face the challenges of life independently. I'm not just saying this because I'm one, but mothers really are something else!

image from Vikings Facebook Page

        And as a special way of celebrating Mother's Day, Vikings: Luxury-Buffet Restaurant is holding a Mother's Day contest called "The Best Mom"! It's open to all for a chance to win a free meal for 4 at Vikings! 



Just answer this question: Why is your mom the best?

1) Contestants may send to Vikings their inspirational expression on why his/her Mom is the best through the form of essay, photo, artwork, song, poem, video, or photo.

2) Contestants must submit their work through e-mail to vikingsmarketing@gmail.com on or before April 20, 2014 without delay, in order to make their entry valid.

3) When submitting his/her work, contestant must include in their entry:

- His/Her name
- Address
- E-mail Address
- Age
- Phone Number
- A picture of his/her Mom
- A picture of contestant 

4) 5 winners will be chosen and announced on April 25, 2014 through our social media sites.

5) Winning entries will also be featured on our Mother's Day mural that will be displayed on the store front during the week of Mother's day.

You can start as early as now! Get those creative juices flowing and you could win the buffet experience of a lifetime!

Lifeproof Megamall Branch: Good Customer Service

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        I finally convinced Richie to buy an iPad mini. Not only is it good for travel, but mainly because he and Rain usually fights over our existing iPad 3. Haha! He loves his Android Samsung but it would be nice for him to have the best of both worlds. Plus, he really does need a tablet for his future travels. 

        And while the iPad has excellent touch responsiveness whateveryoucallit, Richie still wanted an Bluetooth keypad that is already built in inside an iPad mini casing. 



        So when I went on a hunt for one at Cyberzone in SM Megamall, I thanked my lucky stars that the very first store I went to had it. I took a photo of it and sent it to Richie for approval and he loved it. In fact, that afternoon we went back to buy it, but unfortunately turns out it wasn't compatible for iPad mini retina (which is what Richie has). Toink! So just in case, I left my number with him so they can contact me in case they have it in stock. Heartbroken, we went home. 

        That night, the salesman Jeth called me from their office and said he found the case that we wanted that's compatible for our unit. It was the only unit left too. So he took it and reserved it for us right away. So as a customer, I really appreciated that. 

        Then this morning, we went to Megamall to finally buy it. But Jeth wasn't there. It was another salesman, Jess. Jeth's shift wasn't until the afternoon. I was worried that we went there early for nothing. But as it turns out, Jeth already advised Jess about us and the unit was already there. Awesomesauce!!! 


        Thank you Jeth, and Jess (in the photo) for the awesome service! Although we technically didn't buy a Lifeproof item, the assistance we got from them was top notch! 


        And oh, this is what we got! A Griffin leather casing with a Bluetooth keyboard attached! 





                     Happy Blogger!

Lock Down!: Don't-Leave-Me Phase

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        She's in a stage now where she wants me to almost always carry her because she's worried I might leave her. Can't blame her because at 2 years and 6 months she's now more aware whenever I leave her with the care of her Yaya or my sister. Yep. She's in that Don't-leave-me phase!

        And so now even during sleeping time, she would refuse to sleep on the bed but wants to sleep on top of me or Richie instead. Making sure we're on "lock down". Literally. So yes, it's going to be even harder for us to leave the house now to attend to work and leave her behind, but it's okay. Because I know I will be missing this phase before I know it :-(

        Anyway, after a long nap-less day, she's finally asleep! Will give it a few minutes before I slowly put her down to bed and put on Shawn -T's hip hop abs hahaha! (Try it! It's fun!)

        Planning on exercising tonight since I wasn't able to exercise this afternoon. Did you know that exercising before sleeping helps you burn more fat while you're asleep? Just found that out now. Thanks google! :-)

Anyway, have a pleasant evening everyone!

CalChews : My Yummy New Daily Vitamins!

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        I remember when my sister and I were only a couple of year olds... We would sneak into our bedroom when our dad wasn't there so we could steal some Flintstone chewable vitamins. I think we could only take it once a day but it was so good that we wanted more! And now that we're all grown up, I never thought that I would still come across something similar that would have me fighting the urge to take more than one a day. Because it's just too delicious! Readers, meet CalChews!


CalChews is a delicious health suppliment (calcium to be exact) that tastes something like a tootsie roll. 


CalChews are from Pascual Healthcare Corporation (PCHC) that contains 500 mg of calcium plus 400 IU of vitamin D3. Apparently, these are good for cellular and bone mass development that helps our body absorb calcium more. It also has 40 mcg of Vitamin K (which a tool that aids in protecting arteries from calcium build-up)


I love the packaging. It's a flip top box!


They come in chocolate and caramel. Which for me are both equally good! 


I believe this is perfect for me and for all other moms out there (especially toddler moms) who carry their toddlers during a big portion of the day. With vitamins this delicious, you won't ever forget to take your calcium vitamins daily! 

Make CalChews your daily source of calcium! I know I have!

You can buy CalChews at Mercury Drug and other leading supermarkets and drugstores nationwide. 

Learn more about calchews here:
Official website www.calchews.com
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Make a Difference in Life with MADiL Flip Flops!

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        I remember the days when slippers we're plain and boring and only used inside the house. Now, they're called flip flops and can now be worn out of the house as part of your "OOTD" (outfit of the day). They come in a wide variety of colors and designs to choose from.

        I'm glad this has become a thing because I am so a flip flop girl. It's so comfortable to wear. Sure they cost a lot more but you will find out that these flip flops will last you years and don't easily get worn out. 

                             


        And it's thanks to Jane Go of Sugar and Spice, that I came across this new flip flop product (or at least it's new to me) from the US with interchangeable bands and charms! 

                               

        It's called MADiL which stands for Make a Difference in Life. With MADiL, you can easily personalize your flip flops to match your outfit of the day, or to show your personality with the interchangeable charms. Or simply accessorize to match your mood for the day!

        The really cool part about this is that the "make a difference in life" does not only mean you can wear different charms and bands for your flip flops. That would be shallow. Hahaha! It's "make a difference" because for every purchase of one pair, $1 goes to help fund cleft repair surgeries  for children worldwide! 
                               

        When buying a pair, it already comes with an extra set of bands plus a charm, aside from the pre-installed bands with the M charm. MADiL comes in 5 colors: pink, teal, slate, white, and brown. I think I'll get a brown one for my second pair. 

                                
                             

        The bands on the other hand comes in a variety of colors as well. 

                                  

        Just some of the many pretty studded charms!
                              


        A pair of MADiL cost P999 (includes extra bands & a charm). Extra bands are P150, regular charms are P200, and charms with studs are P250. Not bad!;-) 

For orders or inquiries...
Email : madilph@yahoo.com
Instagram: @mymadilph
Facebook: mymadilph

                                  

                               
       
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