Minecraft Inspired Birthday Snack Bags

My little man is celebrating his 10th birthday tomorrow.  His birthday happens to fall on a school day.  He's excited to spend his special day with his classmates.  As a simple way of celebrating his 10th birthday, Yohan will give snack bags to his classmates.

Yohan is such a big fan of Minecraft so his dad and I thought of making custom-made Minecraft bags. We bought green fabric bags and printed a pattern of the Minecraft Creeper.  Jules traced the pattern on an illustration board and used a cutter to define the significant parts.  With a bit of black spray paint, we managed to mark each bag with a Creeper's face. 

A snack bag won't be complete without goodies. We're going to fill each bag with chips, biscuits, pretzels, chocolates, and juice. Every bag will have a tag to mark Yohan's 10 birthday.

 

40 Random Things (Part II)

Continuation ....

21.  I believe that if you can’t say anything nice, it’s always best to keep quiet.

22.  A little kindness goes a long way.  Never underestimate the power of a kind gesture or a smile.

23.  I’m always fascinated with nature. I love watching the sunrise and the sunset. I love seeing flowers bloom, butterflies fluttering, and birds singing. The full moon never fails to catch my attention.

24.  I love capturing special moments. Taking pictures make me happy.

25.  I regret many things in life. I learned that in order to attain peace within, the first step is letting go. Once you do, moving on is easier.

26.  The people you love can sometimes break your heart too. Open your heart to forgiveness.

27.  Driving still remains a dream. May be one day, I can find the courage to go behind the wheel.

28.  I’m not a perfect mom but I’m trying my best to be a good one.

29.  I’m thankful for my writing job. I learn something new from every topic I write.

30.  Kare-kare will always be my favorite Filipino dish.

31.  I don’t want to think of myself as a middle-aged woman. I always want to feel young.

32.  I love bags. I wish I could buy as many bags as I want.

33.  I have a small closet. I wish I can have a walk-in closet in the future.  

34.  When the Internet is down, I feel down.

35.  I enjoy watching horror films even though my fear always gets the best of me. The Walking Dead is currently my favorite TV program.

36.  I’m thankful to modern gadgets.  I can easily connect with my loved ones in the States.

37.  I’m happy that Bruno, my Labrador is still going strong at the age of 13.

38.  I have my own share of flaws. I’m impatient, impulsive and I tend to worry about small things.

39.  Life is full of opportunities. Never be afraid to try something new.

40.  I don’t know what the future has in store for me. I only pray that God will continue to bless me and the people I love. 

40 Random Things (Part I)

Today I turn 40. It's another milestone in life that I'm grateful for. Let me share 40 random things I've learned, realized, and discovered in this lifetime. 

1. It’s never too late to start exercising. I’m thankful that I found the motivation to walk and run around the village. 
2. 8K is possible after all. Who knows, maybe I have the strength and endurance to run/walk up to 10K.
3. Biking is fun. I just bought a mountain bike and I’m rediscovering how fun it is to be on two wheels. 
4. It feels great to lose weight and enjoy shopping again. When I was overweight, I was always frustrated when I go shopping for clothes. I just hope I can maintain my weight now. 
5. I can finally wear dresses again.
6. Getting gray hair is not the end of the world. Thank goodness for hair coloring products. 
7. I have the best parents in the world. They are kind, understanding, generous, and selfless. I love them very much. 
8. I admire my brother for being so wise and responsible in life. I may be older than him but sometimes he’s more like my kuya. 
9.  My yaya (nanny) has taken care of me since I was a baby. I’m blessed that she chose to stay with me all these years. 
10. I'm thankful to have a loving, supportive, and kind husband.  He gives me strength and hope.
11. I have a wonderful son who inspires and motivates me to face challenges and continue dreaming. 
12. Home is where the heart is. I realized that there’s no better place than home. 
13. Life is not perfect but once you overlook at the imperfections, you’ll realize that life has so many beautiful things to be grateful for. 
14. Life is a learning process.  There's always something new worth discovering and exploring.
15. Disappointments are part of life. Learn from your mistakes. When you fail, there’s no harm in trying again. As long as there’s life, anything is possible.
16. I cannot please everybody. It’s a waste of energy to get rattled by what other people think of you. 
17. Focus on the positive things in life. 
18. I haven’t conquered my fear of heights but I gathered the courage to ride the Ferris wheel and the roller coaster. I’m still hoping to experience the zipline. 
19. I love happy endings. I will always be a romantic at heart. 
20. People come and go but real friends are there for keeps.

Early Valentine's Date

I spent the first day of February by going on an early Valentine's date with the two special men in my life -- my husband and my son. We had dinner at the newly re-opened Spiral restaurant at Sofitel Philippine Plaza. Some of you may remember that back in September 2011, Spiral was devastated by a storm surge that flooded many establishments in the area. Spiral was submerged in waist-deep flood waters. Sofitel was forced to temporary close their flagship restaurant because of the damages brought by typhoon Pedring. The renovation of Spiral took more than a year to finish. It finally opened its doors again last Nov. 8, 2013.

It was our second time at Spiral. We enjoyed our first lavish buffet experience. The three of us had no doubts that our second experience would be equally great.

We went down the familiar grand spiral staircase leading to the elegant restaurant below. Lovely ladies welcomed us to the newly refurbished Spiral. We were seated just across the back of the grand staircase with a view of gentle, flowing water. It was perfect!

The food was as great as we remembered. We were glad to see our old favorites and there were a lot of new dishes added to the sumptuous buffet. For my family, it's the best buffet in the country. The abundance of food is simply overwhelming. The new Spiral is actually divided into 21 dining ateliers.  I don't think it's possible to try everything in one night.

Some of my husband's personal favorites include crabs, shrimps, crayfish, steak, bulgogi, beef short ribs, lamb chops, and the Asian pulled noodles. I love the Peking Duck, Chinese dimsum, Korean noodles, and skewered seafood. My son, Yohan love their salad, pasta, and freshly baked pizza.

I was surprised how my little man turned out to be quite a cheese connoisseur because he enjoyed trying out the different types of cheese at the Cheese room.   The three of us share a liking for Japanese, Chinese, and Italian food.  We also loved their freshly baked bread that we dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yohan preferred butter and pesto on his bread.

After that sumptuous feast, we barely had room for dessert but I knew I would regret it if I missed their delicious creme brulee. Sadly, they don't serve those melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies like before. I think Spiral should really consider bringing those heavenly cookies back. Yohan enjoyed the candy bar and the chocolate fountain. The three of us tried the Creamery which serves different types of ice-cream and toppings. Sadly I was too full to try their chocolates, truffles and pralines.

I had a fantastic time with my family and I'm so happy because on that same evening, I met a dear old blog friend in person. It was a pleasure seeing Kathy of Life is KulaYFul! She is sweet and charming in person as she is on her blog.

 

Yohan's Recollection and First Communion

I'm thankful for family and dear friends who took time to write Yohan letters for his first recollection.  Jules and I also wrote him one.  Yohan told me how touched he was by everyone's kind words.

Yohan received his First Communion last Friday. It's another significant milestone worth celebrating. The boys wore traditional barong while the girls donned their beautiful white dresses and veils.  The children lighted their candles and prayed for guidance. During the Offertory, Yohan offered fruits as symbols of good life and thanksgiving. 

I was assigned to read the Prayer of the Parents. Together we humbly asked God to guide our children in their journey in life and to protect them from the temptations that surround the world. 

Witnessing Yohan receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time gave me a sense of happiness and pride.

How to Make an Easy Diaper Cake

A diaper cake is a lovely and creative gift for expectant mothers. It's perfect for baby showers. A diaper cake looks like a traditional layered cake but instead of cake and icing, it makes use of baby diapers and other baby essentials.

I took some photos of my first experience in making a diaper cake.  Let me share the following easy steps in making one.

Ingrdients for the diaper cake:

• 47-50 newborn baby diapers (This will depend on the number of rings and layers that you will make. I used less than 50 diapers.)
• regular rubber bands
• large rubber bands
• 1 or 1/2 inch wide decorative ribbon
• cardboard or plastic cake holder (You can buy this from baking stores or you can make your own using an illustration board.)
• 1 8-oz baby bottle
• 1 4-oz baby bottle
• long wooden stick
• assorted baby things for cake decoration

Step 1 - Roll the diapers tightly (see example below) and secure each one with a regular rubber band. Make sure the decorative part of the diaper can be seen.

Step 2 - To make the 3rd (lower) tier, get the cake board or holder and place the 8-oz bottle in the center. Then place around 7-8 rolled diapers around the baby bottle and put a large rubber band around the the circle of diapers.  This will serve as the inner ring.

*Don't worry about following the exact number of rolled diapers because it may vary depending on the thickness of the diapers.

Step 3 - Next form the outer ring by surrounding the inner ring with 14-15 rolled diapers. Secure the entire circle of diapers by putting a large rubber band around it. 

* If you have a bigger cake board, you can make 3 rings to surround the baby bottle but you will need more diapers.

Step 4 - To make the 2nd tier, make another inner ring. Surround the topmost part of the baby bottle with 

 around 5-6 diapers then put a large rubber band around it. Make an outer ring using 10-11 diapers and secure it with a large rubber band.  

*The diapers used in the 2nd tier were rolled tighter compared to the lower tier.

Step 5 - To make the 1st tier, position the 4-oz bottle on the center of the 2nd tier. Surround the baby bottle with around 6-7 rolled diapers and put a large rubber band around it.

Step 6 - To attach all 3 tiers, insert a wooden stick in the middle. Make sure the stick is long enough to reach the lower tier.

Step 7 - Decorate your cake. You may add baby things like baby spoon and fork, pacifier, bottle cleaner, socks, rolled onesies, rattle and others.

Add a topper of your choice. For my diaper cake, I chose a small Ernie plush toy. Make sure that you secure the topper on the baby bottle cover peeking through the 1st tier using a rubber band, string or ribbon.

Cover the rubber bands with decorative ribbon. You may cover the whole diaper cake with a big cellophane or netting before giving it to the expectant mother.

This is the finish product. 

Photo Hunt :: Colorful

Come and join PhotoHunt

My son had a fun 7th birthday celebration in school a few weeks ago. My husband and I brought some food for the kids and gave each one a personalized birthday token. In lieu of the usual loot bags filled with candies and chocolates, we gave them these colorful miniature pots with wooden animal clips. We had the kids' names printed to give the giveaways a nice touch.

How To Make a Cupcake Tower

For our son's recent birthday celebration, hubby made a simple 3-tier cupcake tower from scratch. It was fun and relatively easy to do. Even the birthday boy helped out.

Interested to make your DIY cupcake tower? Here are the materials and simple steps.

You will need: 
2 large Styrofoam boards
2 even sized Styrofoam squares
ruler or measuring tape
marker
decorative paper (or fabric)
scissors
cutter
tape
glue
long and thin wooden stick (BBQ stick can be used)

Procedure:

1. Cut 3 Styrofoam squares measuring: *8x8, 10x10 and 12x12. Use a ruler or measuring tape to get precise measurements. Use a marker when making measurements so you can easily cut the proportions using a cutter.

2. Cover the Styrofoam boards and squares with decorative paper or fabric. For paper, you can use craft glue. For fabric, it is better to use glue gun.

3. Connect the pieces using wooden sticks. You also have the option to glue them permanently.

4. Clean the surface of the tiers. You can gently wipe the decorative paper or fabric with paper towel. Arrange the cupcakes starting from the last level going up.

Enjoy!

* You can also use round Styrofoam boards or ready made cake boards measuring: 1×8″, 1×10″, 1×12″. Replace Styrofoam squares with cylinders.

10 Years Together

I remember waking up on this day exactly 10 years ago. It was raining hard and the wind was blowing hard. Two typhoons decided to hit the country that day. That couldn't dampen my spirit. Instead I looked upon it as a symbol of twin blessings.

Happy Anniversary my love.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my Dad, hubby and all the wonderful dads around the world! I would like to share this Father's Day card that Yohan made for his Dad. As you can see, he was inspired by the FIFA World Cup.  Hubby is a big fan of FIFA. He stays up until the wee hours of the morning watching the games on TV.

Vote Casted

I exercised my right to vote today. I lined up patiently for one hour to cast my vote. Things went smoothly. The PCOS machine accepted my ballot without a hitch. It felt good when the machine confirmed my vote.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Moms especially to my loving mom, caring mother-in-law and loyal yaya.

I'm on my way out to attend my son's mini soccer cup and we're celebrating Mother's Day after that. I'll catch up with you soon. Take care.

Appreciating Preschool Years

Yohan graduated from preschool last Friday (March 26). I'm so proud of my son for earning three awards on graduation day. He received three medals namely Word Smart (English), Nature Smart (Science) and Academic Excellence. My husband and I took turns going up the stage to give Yohan his awards. It was a heartwarming experience.

Preschool is a fun and memorable part of a child’s early years. As a parent, I appreciate how preschool has helped my son learn new things, build confidence and harness his strengths as an individual. Preschool is also a great start for early academic milestones.

• Social Skills – My son is an only child and preschool gave him a chance to socialize with other kids. I witnessed how he learned to overcome his shyness. He learned how fun it is to play and interact with other kids.

• Self-Confidence - He gradually abandoned his timid self and became more sure of himself. I still remember how he enjoyed talking in front of the class about his favorite pet during Show and Tell day.

• Problem Solving - There are many preschool activities that let students think for themselves. This motivates preschoolers to solve problems and overcome challenges independently.

• Arts and Crafts - Yohan enjoys making art projects in school. He is always excited to show it to us when his he gets to bring home his work. He loves to draw at home. I always make it a point to buy bulk paper for his drawing inspirations. Even my husband and I enjoy conceptualizing costumes for Yohan's school activities.

• Math Basics - My son appreciates learning numbers the fun way.  Preschool has interesting ways of teaching addition, subtraction, time telling and fractions.

• Reading Books – Thanks to preschool my son is becoming a little bookworm. Every student has a ‘reading passport’ in class. It encourages parents to read to their children at least once a week. The parent records the title of the book on the ‘reading passport’ and the child also brings the book to class to share with classmates. I read to Yohan every night and I invest in books for him. The school also has regular Reading Festivals that the kids enjoy tremendously.

• Creativity - Preschool allows my son to express his creativity in a lot of ways both inside and outside the classroom.

• Music & Rhythm – Song and dance numbers by preschoolers during special events are worth watching.

• Listening – Young kids often have short attention span so preschool teachers incorporate fun activities with lessons to encourage participation and listening skills.

• Exploration -  Preschool is not confined inside the four walls of the classroom. Field trips give the kids a chance to explore new places and learn new things.

• Independence - The Preschool Camp gave my son a taste of independence. I admit it wasn't easy on my part to let him go but I'm glad I did because Yohan had a terrific time with his classmates and teachers. It was a learning experience for both of us.

• Writing – At the beginning, his unsteady hands slowly learned to write the alphabet. Now he can write sentences and even a short story.

There are many more great things that make Preschool memorable for kids and parents. These memories will live on and bring smiles to our faces.

Have a Meaningful Holy Week

It's a long weekend for many of us. I hope that you'll have a meaningful Holy Week. For those you are going out of town, have fun but try to find some time to reflect as well. Take care.

Top in Class and a Valedictorian

His family’s love for good food and his mom’s delicious home cooked meals helped fuel his passion for cooking at a young age. He was inspired to do his own cooking and he learned to experiment with his own dishes through the years.

He has always wanted to take up Culinary Arts but he was sidetracked to another field. When a culinary school opened nearby, he took it as his cue to pursue his interest in Culinary Arts. He's grateful that he was given a chance to learn new things and hone his skills in cooking.

I'm very proud of my husband for completing his 6-month course in Culinary Arts at MOST Institute. He graduated top of his class and best of all, the Valedictorian of the graduating batch.

Congratulations Jules! I'm happy that you are following your dreams.

A Heartfelt Christmas to All

It's Christmas eve. Yohan is very excited because the letter that he placed inside his stocking is gone. It only means that Santa already has his letter. He is wishing for Santa to fulfill his Christmas wish.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to my family and friends in the US and Canada. It's a wonderful opportunity to reflect on life's blessings. God bless.

A Pirate For The Second Time Around

My family and I went to the mall to buy Halloween treats and a ninja costume for Yohan. Superhero and scary costumes were abundant but sadly they run out of ninja costumes. I couldn't believe it! I offered to buy him another costume instead but he didn't like any of the available ones. He told me he would rather wear one of his old costumes.

Yohan was unusually quiet. I thought he was upset about the costume but I found out later that he wasn't feeling well. We were at the grocery buying treats when he showed signs of nauseousness so we decided to go home early.

Hubby and I decided to let Yohan skip the annual village Halloween activity at the clubhouse so he could rest. Surprisingly, he felt re-energized after a short rest at home.

Treats for Trick or Treat

At last year's Trick or Treat, he was Thomas the Tank Engine. This year he donned his black shirt with a skull, striped pants and hook ... a pirate for the second time around.

Captain Yohan

Yohan was able to make a few rounds in the village but the rain came at an unwelcome time. We had to cut Trick or Treat short because of the weather. Thankfully Captain Yohan wasn't too disappointed. He still managed to have fun. The other kids were discouraged to continue due to persistent rain. I have lots of Halloween treats left. Care for some? :)

(edited: 11/06/2009)
In the spirit of Halloween, I helped Yohan make Halloween cards for his teachers and pumpkin cut-outs for his classmates.

Yohan thought of the concept. I just helped him make cut-out figures.

DIY Halloween cards

Weekend Snapshot #82 - Yohan's 6th Birthday

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Yohan turned six years old last July 18. It has been six meaningful and wonderful years. Jules and I are grateful to God for giving us such a fun loving and sweet son.

Below are some photos of Yohan's birthday celebration at home...

Yohan's Transformer Cake

Hubby cooked all the food for the birthday dinner ...

Birthday celebrant with a big smile

Carbonara

Chicken Fingers

Mixed Tempura (shrimp, crab stick and assorted veggies)

Kamameshi Rice

California Maki

Tamago (Japanese omelet)

Apple in Red Wine with honey and nuts

Blowing of the birthday candles ...

Yohan's Tito Norman lighting the birthday candles

May your wish(es) come true.

Dinner time

One of the highlights of the evening was the game Yohan prepared for his grandmas, aunts and uncles. The game was called "How well do you know Yohan?" I helped my son prepare simple questions about himself and numbered them accordingly. I prepared small pieces of paper with nos. 1-14 and Yohan asked each guest to draw a number.

Yohan served as the Game Master. He read the questions one at a time. Each correct answer was equivalent to one prize. The prizes consisted of small practical items like mug, foldable hamper, lotion, powder, cologne, post-it pads with pencils, hand sanitizers, cellphone holder, chamois, etc. Guests who provided wrong answers were asked to return the numbers inside the container. There was a second round of question-and-answer for those who didn't make it on the first one. At the end, everyone got a prize. It was a simple yet fun game. Everyone had a great time especially the Game Master himself.

Two possible answers: Optimus Prime and Bumblebee

Jules preparing the last dessert for the evening.

Chocolate Salami served with Kapeng Barako (Batangas coffee).

Yohan was very happy with the gifts he received that night...

Transformers and Ben 10