Warm New Year Greetings

Hope everyone had a beautiful Christmas celebration.  Sending you warm and heartfelt New Year wishes. May your hearts be filled with love, joy, and hope this 2013! God bless.

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.

Photo Hunt :: Hope

Come and join the hunt here

This cute teddy bear Christmas tree is a wonderful project of TGI Friday's. Each purchase of a Teddy Smile brings blessings and hope for the family and beneficiaries of SOS Children's Villages Philippines.

Merry Christmas To All!

In behalf of my family, I would like to greet everyone a Merry Christmas! May love, joy, and hope fill your hearts this season. God bless.

Christmas Wishes

May you all have ...

PEACE in your heart.

MEANING in your life.

HEALTH of the body.

JOY in your home.

Wishing everyone a Beautiful Christmas!

Weekend Snapshot #53

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Christmas Decorating

We finally put up our Christmas Tree. It's the same motif as last year. Each year, Yohan helps put the angel topper on top of the tree. We also decorated the rest of the house. It's nice to feel the Christmas spirit at home.

Yohan putting the angel on top of the tree.

Our lighted Christmas Tree.

Santa motif tablecloth.

Santa collection and more.

Aloha Friday #52

Rules: Post any question on your blog on a Friday, share your answer and sign Kailani's Mr. Linky. Then have fun answering the questions of fellow participants by visiting their blogs.

Do you already have gifts under your Christmas tree? Who is the recipient of the first gift under your tree?

I'm sorry for my late entry this week. I just got home a while ago and wasn't able to post my entry sooner.

I'm not yet done with my Christmas shopping but I already have a few Christmas gifts under the tree. The first gift I placed under the tree belongs to my 5-yr old son.

Aloha Friday #50

Rules: Post any question on your blog on a Friday, share your answer and sign Kailani's Mr. Linky. Then have fun answering the questions of fellow participants by visiting their blogs.

Aside from the Christmas Tree, what's your favorite Christmas decor?

Christmas Parol (a.k.a. Christmas Lantern)
taken at Pampanga last year

I love seeing beautiful Christmas Parols or Lanterns. They come in different colors, designs, shapes and sizes. Some Christmas Parols come alive with spectacular display of light.

Frugal Christmas Tips

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. You don't have to spend too much in order to have a memorable Christmas season. Don't be caught up with the glitter and glam of the holiday season by spending more than you can afford. Make a budget and stick to it.

Here are some tips to help you save on Christmas gifts:

1. People appreciate gifts with personal touch. Consider making your own personalized gifts. For example, if you're good at cross stitch, you can give someone special a framed cross stitch work. How about a lovely quilt or a knitted sweater? If your are good in art, a painting or a sketch would make a wonderful present.

2. Family and very close friends will appreciate gifts involving your time and service. You can print a nice certificate entitling the person a specific service like a foot spa or a massage. Another nice idea would be doing chores as gifts like mowing grass and gardening.

3. Save on wrapping materials. You can make your own wrapping paper using inexpensive materials. You can use cheap brown paper which you can liven up with some art work. Or you can use colored magazines and add a personalized gift tag.

4. Give inexpensive but quality gifts like replica timepieces. These Fake watches are of high quality and functionality at the fraction of the original cost.

** Courtesy of Cool-Watches.com **

Getting Ready For Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner. I'm sure many people are already excited about the Christmas break. It is time to complete the Christmas list. Shopping can become hectic in the coming months so it's best to start early. Avoid the Christmas rush by buying some of the gifts as early as now. It's also advisable to start writing those Christmas cards so you could send them in time.

Some people love to take vacations during the Christmas break. Shopping and vacation can be quite expensive but it's a yearly treat that some people look forward to. Work can be quite demanding and stressful so an annual vacation is like a personal reward you can give yourself. If you're a little tight on the budget, you could avail of a cash advance loan to maximize leisure time. Plan a great Christmas vacation and enjoy the coming holidays with your family.

Photo Hunt :: Messy

Come and join the hunt here.

This was a messy but fun day. My husband was busy making a top hat for my son's Christmas (Broadway theme) presentation in school. Yohan was in a corner making an abstract painting. Ha ha!


I shared the step by step procedure (including photos) of making a top hat here.

** The following photos are not part of the theme anymore but I'd like to share them with you.

Here is a picture of Yohan (wearing a top hat) and his classmates during their dress rehearsal. Some were not yet ready with their full costume at that time.


Here is a shot during the first dance. My son is the one in the middle wearing a top hat and turquoise beaded belt and bow tie.

My Son's Dream Kitchen (Yohanism #15)

Several days before Christmas, my husband and I were able to go to the mall. We decided not to bring our son with us because we knew the mall was going to be crowded. Before leaving, Yohan suddenly said to me ...

"Aha! I know what I want for Christmas... my own kitchen."

Yohan has developed a love for cooking because of his Dad. He enjoys helping his Dad in the kitchen and was probably inspired to wish for his very own kitchen.

As if it was all planned, we were surprised to see a perfect kitchen for Yohan at the mall. The best thing about it was the fact that it was on sale (30% discount). I called Yohan's Lola Dol (she earlier told us to help her find a gift for Yohan on her behalf) to tell her about the kitchen. She said ok and we bought the kitchen and had it wrapped at the store.

The following photos were taken at home on Christmas Eve.

Worldless Wednesday #5

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration with people dear to you. My family spent Christmas at my brother-in-law's place. Here was our Christmas feast (Wordless Wednesday entry). Lechon was the star of the Noche Buena.

Tagged :: 2007 1st Christmas Tree Blog Parade

Our Christmas Tree ~ A Holiday Highlight

We bought this Christmas tree a few years ago. My husband and I wanted a big tree. When we brought it home we realized it was too big (wide) for our living room.

We have to "relocate" one of our over sized chairs every Christmas season to give room to our Christmas tree. It's a small thing to do each year so we don't mind. We love our Christmas tree because it strengthens the Christmas spirit at home.

This photo below was taken on Christmas Eve. Yohan was ready to open his gifts.

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This is a First annual 2007 Christmas Tree Blog Parade Meme created and conceptualized by OTWOMD of Bluepanjeet.Net The purpose of this meme is to enliven the Christmas spirit by showing to the world our very own Christmas trees. They say that it is on the Christmas tree that best describes how a person celebrates Christmas. So here are the rules:

1. Copy the Logo of this meme (Download it on the sidebar and resize it that will best fit your blog or according to your desire) and post it on your entry.
2. Take a photo of your Christmas tree inside your house. A whole shot is the most appropriate photo. And post it on your entry
3. Tell something about your Christmas tree like who decorated it, what are the ornaments and accessories, or what is the theme and meaning of your Christmas tree this year.
4. You can put any title on your meme but don’t forget to include this “2007 1st Christmas Tree Blog Parade”.
5. Do the link train history. Put the link of your previous bloggers who tagged you and your own link, Example: Tag History: Bluepanjeet - “you” -

The link train will provide clue on “who tagged who” and at the same time a reference of data for the creator of this meme.

On The feast of Three Kings on January (The official ending of the Christmas Season), Bluepanjeet.Net will launch a mini site that will feature all of the participant’s Christmas trees for 2007 with a link back to their site. That is why it is very vital that you maintain the link history so that your Christmas tree will be included in the Christmas tree blog parade of 2007 and will be a part of history.

So tag now, you only have one month to spread this meme. Thanks for the tag Ms. Beng.

My Christmas Tag History: Bluepanjeet - Pinoy Ambisyoso - Kauderwelsch - KK aka Tina - “You” (Put your link here) -
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I'm tagging the following: Jenny of Hobbies and Such and Bing of My Treasures.


Christmas Tree Blog Parade List:

Somewhere in My Memory by Bluepanjeet.net
2007 1st Christmas Tree Blog Parade by Kotsengkuba.com
2007 Christmas Tree Blog Parade by Mynosebleed.com
2007 Christmas Tree Blog Parade by Enelym001.wordpress.com
2007 Christmas Tree Blog Parade by Jovi2hottie.wordpress.com
2007 Christmas Tree Blog Parade by Amorfrancis.com
The 2007 OTWOMD Christmas Tree Blog Parade by Pinoy Ambisyoso
2007 Christmas Tree Blog Parade by Reynz
2007 Christmas Tree Blog Parade by Miss Lukaret
Christimas Tree 2007 by MyGoodFinds
Our Christmas Tree ~ A Holiday Highlight by Heart of Rachel

From My Family to Yours on Christmas

Wishing all of you a thousand fold of blessings.
Happiness in your hearts.
Treasures worth more than gold.

From my family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas!

May the love you share with others return to you in countless ways.
God bless each and everyone.

Weekend Snapshot #9

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Yesterday, I went to the mall with my family to do some last minute shopping. As expected, the mall was full of people. I guess many were out finishing their Christmas shopping.

This cute and delicious fella is from Breadtalk. Isn't he a delightful snowman?

Tagged :: 5 Christmas Wishes

Ipanema of Under the Canopy tagged me with 5 Christmas Wishes. The good thing about life is hope. I believe that every wish is a sweet blend of hope and faith. Here are my Christmas wishes ...

1. I wish to always have my loved ones near me.
   
2. I wish good health for all the people I care for.
3. I wish for inspiration to make my life more interesting.
   
4. I wish for peace of mind. To solve the conflicts that are troubling me.
   
5. I wish to have the courage to do the things I've always wanted. Not to be afraid to try new things and go out of the norm. To stand on what I believe in.
   

Wishing is fun. I won't be tagging anyone but consider this as an open invitation to wish anything that would make you happy.

How To Make a Top Hat (Yohan's Costume)

On a much earlier post, I told you that we were preparing for my son's Christmas Presentation in school for Dec. 14, 2007. The school presentation went well. Let me share about the preparations we made for Yohan's big day. Pre-school students were asked to individually come up with a costume based on the theme. My son is in Nursery and here are the requirements:

Nursery 1 Students are asked to wear plain black outfit with "Broadway" accent for the 1st and 2nd dance. Ex. Top hat, necktie, bow tie, scarf, tuxedo,vest and suspender.

The students will wear the same black attire with "Red Heart" accent for the3rd and 4th dance. Ex. heart headdress, headband with hearts, belt with hearts, pins, necklace and the like.

My husband and I bought him a long sleeves black polo. We let him use his black slacks (which he used at a cousin's wedding) and school shoes. I'm so thankful for Yohan's grandmother, Mama Norma for making him an aqua green bow tie and wide belt. She meticulously sewed sequins, beads and costume jewelry to make it fabulous.

Here's Yohan trying out his costume for the 1st dance. It needed something else to complete the Broadway look ... a top hat. We couldn't find one at the mall so his Dad made him a top hat from scratch. Check out procedure below.


How to make a Top Hat:

Materials:

• Black Poster Boards
• Black Felt Paper
• Pencil
  
• Glue Gun
• Stapler
• Scissors
• Cutter
  

Procedure:

1. Find a large plate to make a circular pattern on the Poster Board using a pencil then cut it with a scissors.
2. Find something that you can use to measure your child's head with ~ an old hat, cap, a bowl, etc. (My hubby found an old turtle toy. He tried the turtle shell on Yohan's head and it was a perfect fit so he used it as a pattern.)
   
3. Use a pencil to draw another circle inside the earlier circular pattern you made. Cut the inner circle with a cutter (like a donut). Set aside.
   
4. Using another Poster Board, form a cylinder. The mouth of the cylinder should be as big as the inner circle in #3. Glue the sides of the cylinder together. Height of the cylinder depends on how tall you like the top hat to be.
   
5. Cut short vertical lines (around 1-2 inches long) around one end of the cylinder to form some flaps.
6. Slip the "donut" through the cylinder.
   
7. Staple or glue the flaps on the "donut".
   
8. To close the top, use the open part of the hat as a pattern. Using a pencil trace it on remaining Poster Board leaving at least 1-2 inches allowance. Cut it with scissors.
9. Cut short vertical lines (1-2 inches long) around it to form flaps.
   
   
10. Use this to cover the open top of the hat. Glue the flaps to the hat using a glue gun.
    
11. You can make the hat look more elegant by covering the hat it with felt paper. Use a glue gun for a clean finish. Covering it with felt paper hides the staple wires and flaps.
    

I'm happy to share with everyone this photo of Yohan in his costume for the 1st dance.

More photos of Yohan's costume for the second dance and actual school presentation to follow.