A Reality Bite

getting ready

2012-01-27T23:21:00.018+04:00

i have this list of baby items that i have created based on what i've read and researched on. it is based mainly from my culture as a Filipino, and at the same time, infused with modern ideas that i got from American and English cultures of raising a baby. the list i have has been passed on to friends and family, and even my pedia friend who's a first time Mom asked for a copy of it for reference. so yeah, i'm kinda proud of how that list was able to help other Moms-to-be. it pays to be OC, you know! haha!

i was checking it out last night before hitting the sack when it dawned on me how little we actually need now for our second baby. thankfully, we didn't scrimp on buying baby stuff for our first born. it didn't matter that some of the stuff we purchased were a bit expensive than the other generic brands. because they're sturdy, we'll be able to stretch their use. that's a brilliant return of our investments, don't you think?

anyway, i've divided the list into 10 sections:

- for sleeping

- for feeding

- for diapering

- for swaddling

- for bathing

- health, safety and grooming

- clothing

- for traveling

- accessories & footwear

- toys and other nice-to-haves

so far, we have almost everything we need. just a few more clothing of course since our stock are mostly for boys and there are very few neutral colored items that we could pass on to Baby L.

the other day, we were able to score this beautifully crafted crib swing from Mothercare which was on sale.

original price was AED 425 (USD 115) but we got it for only AED 190 (USD 51.65). hubby's preference is the glider version but it wasn't on sale and they don't have stock for the white one. i was pretty pleased with the purchase but was doubly stoked to find out that the mattress was being sold for only AED 50 (USD 14) and crib bale was on offer for only AED 50 (USD 14) from its original price of AED 150 (USD 40). i really wanted to get this crib because i intend to have the baby sleep in our room during night time, and having a portable one that's within reach will make it a lot easier for me, especially as i intend to nurse again for as long as i can.

meanwhile, last Thursday was victorious for us as we were able to snag a rocker which was on sale at Babyshop. the last time they had a promotion about a month and a half ago, the rocker wasn't included so we were very delighted to see that during this DSF (Dubai Shopping Festival), their part sale covered this piece of furniture every Mom would love to have. we budgeted AED 650 (USD 176) for the rocker but got it for only AED 450 (USD 123) with free delivery.

as for the back-up breastpump, we decided to let it go for the time being since there was no mark down for the item. another sale is due around May (right before summer) so we'll just buy it then. i have my trusty Medela Pump in Style Advance anyway so i'm all good. just need to replace a few parts and i can pump away again in no time.

i had a few hard-to-find-in-Dubai-items ordered from the US and shipped to my friend who will be going home for a vacay there next month. some of the items were:

a boppy pillow cover that's suitable for a little girl. we have limited options here from Babies R Us.

cushy straps from Kiddopotamus. sadly, they only sell the beige ones in Babies R Us & they cost a lot.

California Baby organic shampoo & bodywash, lotion, and sun block. i checked the Cosmetics Database.org and found out that among the baby products available in the market, this is one of the brands that have the lowest hazard in terms of toxicity. thankfully, Aveeno, the brand we're using for Dade comes very close, but i want another option that i can use for the wee one.

a tube of Desitin Maximum Strength Diaper Rash Paste that is the best one in the market -- hands down. unfortunately, it's not available here so i have to get it from the US, too. we have a tube that we're currently using for Dade for when he gets all these nappy rashes but i just wanna stock up just to be on the safe side.

meanwhile, i am taking advantage of my discounted lifetime membership in Aramex's Shop & Ship and ordered these items through Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk since they are out of stock here. when i calculated and compared the prices, i realized ordering them online is way cheaper even with the shipping costs.

Maxi Cosi Cabrio Fix Summer Cover made of terry cloth is crucial in this part of the world. i regretted not buying one for Dade despite hubby's prodding. any parent would understand how uncomfortable the car seat cover is for babies.

i bought this Dwell Studio travel case out of whim. i know, i know, i really don't need it but it's just too darn cute and my low EQ'd self couldn't resist it! :P

by next month, i have to decide on a diaper bag so it'll arrive just before i pop. i am not leaving anything to the last minute because with the upcoming move, i know i'll definitely be very busy then and risk forgetting something. well, let's just hope i won't, cross fingers.

baby # 2's progress

2012-01-25T10:01:00.008+04:00

it's about time i write more stuff about our little girl, Baby L. i’ve been so wrapped up with all the daily juggling act i do that i tend to set aside the urge to write more about her. anyway, she's due this coming May and we're all so thrilled! can you believe it, in about 3 more months, Dade’s gonna be a big brother?!! exciting times ahead.

during my last check-up at 24 weeks, doc gave me this beautiful 3D photo of our little jellybean. oh, she looks so precious, don’t you agree? i really think she looks a lot like her big brother. just look at that button nose! haha!

baby L kicks and squirms a lot frequently now, and sometimes, i feel that she nudges my sides with her elbows, too. i get startled most of the time, especially when i am sitting in a meeting. no matter how much you anticipate these movements, you will still be caught off-guard at some point. meanwhile, queasiness has finally left me alone so i can happily eat and not worry about hugging the toilet anymore. i feel great and energized these days. thankfully, i passed my Oral Glucose Tolerance Test, which i did the day after we arrived from our holiday in Manila. imagine the jetlag and weariness i felt that morning…whew! so yes, since my sugar is A-ok, you can pass me that bowl of white rice and bottle of sweetened pasteurized orange juice. whoopee!!

now that we are back in Dubai, we’ve taken advantage of the sales and mark downs of baby stores here. Carter’s is on top of our list. we, i meant i, almost went overboard buying all the lovely pink and yellow and orange clothing i could get my grubby hands on. so far, we’re covered until the 6^th month. i also bought ample newborn-sized clothing because i know how frequently they change clothes and i don’t want to make the same mistake of bringing “just enough” clothes in the hospital because in reality, “just enough” is never enough!

these clothes are just a few of what i recently purchased for the little gal :)

we will also be making a visit to Mothercare to check out their sale items, although i have to admit i’m more partial to Carter’s because they’re true to size. Mothercare, just like Marks and Spencer, have large sizes that don’t fit Pinoy babies’ shape and form. Babyshop is also on sale and we’re looking at getting a back-up breastpump that i can use. i’m eyeing this BPA-free Avent iSis Uno, which i hope they’re selling at a discounted price.

hubby also promised that this time, i’d have my own rocker to use when nursing the little one. it’ll also work great during my last few weeks of infanticipation when sleeping becomes more uncomfortable for me. crossing my fingers that Babyshop still has some stock left.

i can already picture me & Baby L bonding in this comfy rocker

here’s a photo of me of a not-so-little me at 25 weeks. i know, i know…i look like a knocked up teacher here with my top and spectacles! haha!

and yeah, for those who are wondering, we've chosen a name already. hubby got to pick the first and third names, while i picked out the second name & nickname :)

the perfect nappy bag

2012-01-24T22:02:00.009+04:00

after a lot of soul, er, online searching, i found the perfect diaper bag for our little princess.

i so love this Gramercy Park Kate Spade Stevie diaper bag!!! just look at the colors...so fun and girly! now the question is, where will i get it from?? they're out of stock from katespade.com plus they're nowhere to be found on eBay. sad :(

my next option is this Noel Kate Spade Stevie bag so that i can use it even after Baby L has grown older. this is sort of my Plan B bag, in case i don't get my hands on that colorful Gramercy Park bag.

of course, there's a third option -- the Chestnut Ridge Bag. it's currently on sale at katespade.com. i love the texture of the bag -- so chic!

waaahhh!! i'm confused!!

p.s.

by the way, here are the specs of the bag:

over the shoulder with zip top closure
14-karat light gold plated hardware
comes with changing pad, coin purse (only for the Chestnut Ridge Bag) and stroller straps
wipable lining
ksny blind embossed signature on resin license plate
6.75'' drop length for Chestnut Ridge Bag and 9.0" for Stevie Bag
size: 11.7''h x 14.0''w x 5.1''d for Chestnut Ridge Bag / 11"h x 18.0"w x 8"d for the Stevie Nappy Bag

a welcome freebie

2012-01-23T12:18:00.011+04:00

one of the things i love about living here in the Dubai is the shopping experience. you literally get the value for your money. discounts are massive and the stores usually give further mark down to the prices nearer the end of their scheduled sale. plus the items put on sale are almost always in good shape. that’s why it is quite easy for people here to fall into the trap of succumbing to debts because of all these tempting offers.

i have 2 working credit cards here, one of which is an emergency card that we got for free. the account is just there, sitting nicely with a substantial credit limit but zero balance all because we did not activate it…haha! the other card i’m carrying is my first credit card here in the UAE which i have been using in most of my purchases. earlier last year, i have requested to have its credit limit reduced to the minimum amount they would allow, which is just enough for me to purchase our family’s air tickets when going home. i had several other reasons why i requested for that but they deserve a separate blog entry.

as my card is tied to a point-generating card called Airmiles, i get to receive points every time i use it. in addition, i get to incur double points to certain stores that have partnership with Airmiles. so if i use my credit card, let’s say at Chili’s to pay for our food bill, i get points by using my credit card plus i get another round of points if i present my Airmiles. great, isn’t it?

now here’s the best part – the redemption of points. i know people might think of me as being tacky, but i do use my points to get presents for family and friends. well, i’m practical like that, haha! for instance, back in 2006, i got my best bud a hairdryer as birthday present because that’s what she wanted. so far, the Philips hairdryer is still working great and is now a staple to her everyday life. then in 2009, i redeemed Ryan’s Kitchenaid Artisan mixer, which Airmiles gladly delivered to my office within 3 days after i’ve placed my order. i was heavy with Dade then and couldn’t afford to spend so much on a birthday present so i checked out my points to see if there’s any item i could snag from their catalogue. Ryan was pretty happy with his gift and was over the moon to see his dream mixer come true.

now recently, i was put in the same scenario of finding an anniversary gift for the husband. since my Dad gave my husband a spankin’ Beats Pro over-ear headphone, i was pressured to get him a proper iPod since our iPod Nanos are pretty old and were either given as presents or handed over as a prize at work. new Beats and old iPod Nano just don’t seem right.

but then, i have no budget for a new gadget. we just returned from our holidays and are recuperating from all the expenses. we are also saving up for our upcoming move to a new apartment plus preparing ourselves for the costs of hiring a nanny the proper, legal way. on top of that, we are looking into the prospect of selling our current car to get a bigger one in time for the arrival of the new baby. so you see, i literally don’t have the means to buy a new iPod. that is until i had a lightbulb moment.

i was cleaning up my office drawer yesterday when i saw an old statement of my Airmiles card. curiosity hit me so i checked online how much my points are. i was so happy to learn that i have more than enough points to get me some vouchers from Arabian Centre which has a Sharaf DG 4U store. realizing that i could get the iPod Touch from there, i immediately dragged the husband last night after work to get some vouchers. silly goose me gave a lousy excuse that i won some vouchers so we need to drive there straight away. and because it was too cold last night, he and Dade decided to stay in the car while i made my way to the Customer Service section of the mall.

i almost jumped up and down when i was told by the sales person in Sharaf DG 4U that they have stock of the 32GB in white! i quickly claimed my vouchers, came back to the store and took home hubby’s present. i even got a free AED 50 voucher plus several discount coupons in Forever 21 and Sanrio stores. i was also asked by the lovely lady from the Customer Service kiosk to go back to her after i’ve made my purchase so i can present my receipt and add more points to my Airmiles card. on top of that, i got 6 raffle coupons for a chance to win some shopping money. how cool is that?

as soon as we got home, i gave the new toy to my husband who happily tinkered with it. he said he knew i was up to something but couldn’t point a finger at it.

here he is checking out his new gadget while Dade was watching Curious George in his iPad. such techie boys!

so yeah, when i’m desperate, i always check on my Airmiles points. they come in quite handy :)

library in the making

2012-01-22T09:37:00.005+04:00

my son has a love affair with books. sometimes we would catch him going through the pages and pretending to read out loud :) and we are so grateful he does like 'em because we've always believed in the power of books to stimulate imagination and creativity.

so during our holiday in Manila, imagine our delight when our little big boss received all these books as Christmas presents:

in as much as we appreciate all the toys and clothes our boy wonder received, we are ever grateful to all our thoughtful friends and family who gifted our son with these readings. it didn't matter that we almost exceeded our baggage allowance (boy, these books are real heavy!). we had to bring them back to Dubai and that is exactly what we did :)

Dade's big boy room

2012-01-21T21:02:00.012+04:00

we're scouting for a new apartment because we plan on moving to a bigger unit in time for the new baby. and before we finally leave this pad we called "home" for almost 3 years, allow me to share with you what we've done to Dade's room when we did a little make-over a few months ago.

these round wooden thingies welcome you as soon as you enter the room. got them from Invitation House in Manila during one of our holidays. the photos & frame were from Ninang B.

Dade's room at a glance. the room looked so small because of his toys (and that's just half of what he has!).

this is our wee one's bed. he used to have a palochina bed frame but we changed it to this white bed frame with pull-out bed. we badly wanted those from Pottery Barn Kids but couldn't afford their staggering prices so when we saw this day bed frame on sale at Home Centre, we bought it without even thinking twice. it just looks so elegant and Hampton-ish...haha!

we wanted all the furniture to be white to match the built-in wardrobes of the room. if we could only afford to spend a day to paint the walls, we would, but obviously we can't. so yeah, everything looked sterile thanks to the lack of color. the discounted Pottery Barn Kids curtains, thankfully, made the room look a bit brighter.

the bears were from Dade's very own Christening party. the picture frame, meanwhile, was a complimentary gift from Pink Pepper Photography. it is by far our favorite family picture :)

this used to be called "the command center", a cabinet which we love so dearly because it can be converted to a changing table, which made our lives sooo much easier when Dade was still an infant. no back-breaking experiences so i say it was worth the investment. here's how it looks like with the changing table installed: Hensvik Changing Table.

remember this crib from my baby shower? yep, it's very much intact as it was barely used by Dade. we intend on using this for the next baby so it's got to be disassembled before we move. for the time being, we're using it as a bin for all of baby #2's shopping loot...hehe! meanwhile, the wall decals were a gift from a friend. so useful!

next to the crib is this small side table. everything on top of it is a gift, except for the lamp shade and the iPod dock. the iPod nano, a gift from Dade's Ninong a few years ago, is kept in the room to play classical music for the little boy. i remember he used to sleep in the crib with Vivaldi playing in the background. the digital frame was a birthday gift from my Pinoy colleagues a few birthdays ago. it has most of Dade's newborn photos. meanwhile, the rosary, a present from my HS friend, was the same one we used during our wedding while the candle and cross were gifts from friends.

so yes, that's a little tour of Dade's room in our current apartment. by mid of this year, he'll be sharing the room with his little sis and hopefully, the room will be more spacious than this. more importantly, i hope that new room will have a splash of color compared to this :)

happy news

2011-11-19T22:43:00.007+04:00

what a beautiful day! it's my almost-16 week check-up today, and we found out Dade's getting a baby sister soon.

hubby is wishing for a princess in the house and he's so stoked his wish is granted. he was literally rejoicing in my OB's office after he announced the good news. we were all nervously waiting in the dark and looking seriously at the screen while my OB was doing the ultrasound. yep, no balls nor trunk in sight so it's definitely a "she". as for me, i was secretly hoping it's a girl because i'd like my own baby girl to doll up...hehe!

we're happy beyond words! we feel so blessed. thank you, God!

thank God...

2011-11-09T13:55:00.004+04:00

...i don't live in the 50's!

halloween party 2011

2011-11-06T18:49:00.019+04:00

sharing with you some snippets from our Halloween Party last week. this is the 3rd consecutive year we've done this and we're growing bigger each year. more families have joined us for the party, and this time, we've leveled up by holding it in Burger King :) yep, we're done with house parties! no food to prep, no mess to clean :)

pumpkin balloon -- cutie!

Lone-ly Ranger

Mommy Minnie Mouse with Little Red Riding Hood

check out Dade's leather cowboy boots (which i got for only AED 10 at Gymboree)

Power Ranger

Dracula, Owl, Spiderman & Ninja

Mom, Dad, the little cowboy + Jelly Bean in Mom's tummy :)

trick or treat, table-hopping style

Mom, Dade & his loot

the kids had a grand time interacting with the other kids in different costumes. well, except for Dade who was super scared of Spidey! when he finally warmed up to his presence, he danced to his heart's content and played with the other kiddos, too. whew!

Burger King prepared activities for the kids. there was a face painting session, a dancing activity, competition for Best in Costume and Best Performer and a magic show which was entertaining to both kids and kids at heart. Best in Costume went to Ninja kid while the Best Performer was Power Ranger. prizes were courtesy of Burger King :)

each family also prepared some candies and give-aways to the 10 kids who attended the party. we made some stations per table so the kids could do some trick or treating within the party hall. it was so much fun! i think the parents enjoyed it more than the little ones :P

i'm so delighted the party went well despite the last-minute preparations. our party was on a Saturday and we only finalized everything a few days prior to that. lucky for us there was a slot available for us and the BK staff i spoke to pencil-booked our party even if we haven't made any confirmation or down payment. big thank you of course to all the Moms and Dads who took time to participate in this get-together. it would not have been extra fun without their presence (and goodies to give-away!). 'till next year!

photo credits to Armil Veloso who took all these beautiful pictures ad for setting up our photo booth :)

happy halloween

2011-10-30T16:05:00.004+04:00

thought of sharing our little prince's photo from yesterday's Trick or Treat at Burger King, which we arranged with our friends.

isn't he the cutest cowboy? complete ensemble with matching cowboy boots! his face was so serious because we couldn't find him a horse to ride on...haha!

will be posting more about our Halloween Party when i get copies of the pictures.

Dade’s 2nd birthday party

2011-10-27T23:40:00.004+04:00

Dade turned 2 last August and as thanksgiving for our little one’s successful trigger thumb surgery (i know, i’ve yet to blog about it!), we decided to throw a little party as he finally turns terrific TWO.

we wanted a low-key party for Dade so we booked Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen in Deira for the celebration. one thing i love about Popeye’s is their party hall which is located at the second floor. the hall is spacious and brightly painted with ample natural light coming in through their windows. they also have a play area in one corner where the kids could enjoy the slide and playhouse. food is affordable, too. a meal costs AED 25 only and that includes half a portion of roasted chicken (yes half!), rice or cajun fries (which i so love, btw), a biscuit and drink. and you can order the same for kids, too instead of getting their kiddie meal which costs the same. the best thing about their party package is that you can also bring in food from outside. so on top of the food from Popeye’s, we also served Birthday Noodles (courtesy of my kumare’s Mom), Dinuguan (courtesy of my Pinay colleague) which is a blockbuster hit, Caldereta (ordered from Salt N’ Pepper), hotdog on stick for kids (courtesy of another Pinay colleague) and some macaroons (courtesy of Dade’s Ninong A). chafing dishes were borrowed from my friend’s Mom who made the noodles so our food were laid out presentably in the buffet table.

the theme of the party was jungle safari so we pretty much had an easy time sprucing up the place. i sourced some of the balloons from Manila through a friend, then ordered the birthday boy’s hunter costume from my party planner back home, Jacque Tan of Partyboosters. for the additional balloons, we bought them from Party Centre, as well as the table skirting for the buffet table and the lime colored Japanese lanterns for the sweets table. meanwhile, we sourced the jungle cloth and periwinkle backdrop from a fabric store in Satwa. my friends who are into party planning business here in the UAE helped us in decorating the place. they spent lots of precious hours for free as a gift to our little one. isn’t that sweet?

as for the prizes, most them were bought from Divisoria in Manila by Dade’s Ninang S while the activity sets were purchased from Border’s. some of the plush toys were from bought from a stall in Modhesh World in Dubai Airport Expo. we got the brown lootbags from the Japanese thrift store, Daiso, while hubby and i pasted a DIY thank you note to make it more personalized. inside the bag were a small packet of juice, some jungle-themed candies, elephant shaped chocolates, a pack of biscuits, animal stickers and jungle-printed blowouts. i was quite pleased at how the lootbags turned out.

the printed stuff were all DIY care of our trusty printer. we were able to buy a set of jungle animal printables from Mygrafico, an online digital arts and crafts store. credits to Blackleaf Studios @ MyGrafico.com for the downloaded jpg and png photos and layouts were used for the save-the-date, invites, table centerpieces, cupcake toppers, water bottles, buntings, food labels and lootbag thank you tag. this made things a lot easier for us. plus it made the party look lively and jungle safari-looking, which is what we were aiming for.

the pompoms were also DIY. thanks to my li’l sis, B (who’s also Dade’s godmother) who bought the Japanese Paper from National Bookstore in Manila, i was able to make several pompoms through the help of Martha Stewart’s website. these lovely pompoms made such a statement when they were hung from the ceiling. the name DADE was lovingly done by the Daddy who painstakingly cut the styrofoam using a cutter. my contribution was to nail file the edges to make them smooth before painting them with blue acrylic paint.

we ordered the cake from Sugarbox, and this time, we chose a new flavor. it is a rainbow cake that’s really moist. however , i was very disappointed with how they decorated the cake because they didn’t stick to my submitted pegs. in my opinion, among Dade’s special occasion cakes (baptism and two 1^st birthday parties), this was the ugliest looking cake he’s ever had. in the end, i just decided to let it go since i didn’t want to ruin my party mood.

thank goodness we also had cupcakes made by our friend. her home-made baked chocolate-marshmallow cupcakes were so delicious that both kids and adults enjoyed its yummy taste. i provided the jungle safari cupcake liner that matched the sweets’ lootbags and placed them in our ever-reliable cupcake stand. as for the sweets, we bought them from the grocery and labeled them with funky safari names. i borrowed some containers from my friend who also bought the swirly lollipops for the party. the chocolate crinkles were home-made by the baker Daddy which was also a hit to the guests.

we also prepared “Jungle Juice” for the party for those people who prefer to drink juice than soda. it was a toss between fresh lemonade or calamansi juice, but the Pinoy lime won us over. my bessie B who was in charge of the video of Dade’s party prepared the juice and added lots of ice to make it more thirst-quenching. in a matter of minutes, B had to make a refill because people just couldn’t resist its refreshing taste.

the party was hosted by Dade’s Ninang S who prepared 2 unique games for the guests. it was a lot of fun! i got compliments from our guests later after the party because the games were really entertaining. finding items that start with the letter ‘D’ is apparently not easy at all! haha!

as a souvenir for our guests, we also hired a photobooth run by our friend, S and her hubby, L. the quality of the prints were really good and the colors looked so vibrant. S also designed a nice backdrop, as well as an adorable layout of the prints. i didn’t get to see the final layout but was so happy when i had a glimpse of it during the party. it was more than what i imagined it would be. we used a photo from Dade’s 2^nd pre-birthday pictorial for the layout where my little boy was wearing the hunter costume and gave S copies of the safari animals to remain consistent with the theme.

we could never thank enough our family members and friends who took time to come and celebrate with us. without them, the party for our little boy wouldn’t have been a success.

big, big thanks also to our friends, A (Dade’s Ninong) and G who took the beautiful pictures and for Ninang B who took the video. they’re priceless!

baby # 2

2011-10-11T11:40:00.002+04:00

they say every pregnancy is different. one cannot claim that their experience with their first is the same as their next one’s. and boy, do i agree with that!

my pregnancy with Dade was a breeze. i only had two episodes of vomiting during the first trimester and had almost zero nausea thereafter. i was eating fine and had no problem with my appetite. i had no food nor smell aversions. i was energetic and always on-the-go. i guess it’s also because of the excitement knowing that we’ll finally have our first baby in a few months’ time. but i’ve heard of other first time Moms who went through a terrible time in their pregnancy. so no matter how excited you are, sometimes, the symptoms just overshadow your thrill and you can’t help but bear the misery. and that is what i’m feeling right now with this second pregnancy.

every morning is a struggle for me. i wake up with dread knowing that the moment i enter the bathroom, my stomach would hurl and my face would turn red from throwing up. not a pretty sight at all! thankfully, i get driven to work by the husband on a daily basis. i hop on the car with all the energy that’s left of me and i try to get some extra shut eye during our 45-minute rush hour drive to work. during good days, i get to savor some drive thru breakfast from McDonalds. but on tough days, like today for instance, i bow my head to a small plastic bag on my hands and wish so hard for the nausea to finally go away.

at work, it’s a completely different story. i am always hungry so i keep a stash of crackers within reach, plus some date bars, raisins and sweet candies, too. lunch time used to be a much-awaited break for me, but now that i could barely finish my food, i realized that it’s not as fun as it used to be. i’d rather chat with my Pinoy colleagues or take a nap to kill time.

to make matters worse, i got sick a week after coming back from my brief holiday in Manila. i caught my son’s virus and since i’m expecting, i could not take any medication. i relied on warm water, lemon and honey to relieve myself, but my cough persisted for weeks. my team felt bad for me because i sounded like a sick puppy barking madly at my workstation. Wednesday last week, i decided to head to the ER just to make sure i don’t have any infection (eeeps, just thinking about it gives me the shudder!). thankfully, i don’t and was just advised to rest. since September started, i’ve taken 3.5 sick leave days already. that is so unlike me.

i am on my 10^th week now, and couldn’t wait to finish the first trimester. i hope to get over this feeling soon. i miss my usual perky self. i look pale and lethargic everyday. oh i wonder when will i rock the pregnancy glow?

wish granted

2011-09-28T20:06:00.006+04:00

when my friend went to the Holy Land last June for her birthday (we happen to share the same birthday, by the way), she asked her friends through FB their prayer requests and wishes so she could make petitions while in pilgrimage. i sent her a PM to request two things. and one of those requests was granted to us a couple of months later. the Lord heard our prayers!

a few hours after we found out about my grandmother's passing (which were a couple of hours before my flight to Manila, too) we learned that we are pregnant. yes, two pink lines gave us a new reason to smile. it gave us hope that my piece of good news will help easen the pain when i see my family.

little Dade will now be a kuya. as early as now, he kisses my tummy and refers to my belly as "baby". i'm sure he'll be more excited when he sees it become bigger in just a few more months.

we are very, very happy and couldn't be more thankful for this beautiful blessing. God is good. God is good all the time.

sad goodbye

2011-09-19T10:35:00.002+04:00

last 8 September, on the day of Mother Mary’s birthday, my maternal grandmother peacefully passed away.

i found out while i was at work, and ironically, i was the one who needed comforting than my Mom who broke the news to me. i was kept posted about Nanay’s condition through our cousin’s group in Blackberry Messenger but the finality of it all came through a phone call that i wasn’t looking forward to. my cousins and i planned on going home to see her before she passes, but we were a day too late. i guess it was meant to be that way so we wouldn’t have to see her state at the hospital. we bid our final goodbyes to her last Tuesday before she was finally laid to rest. all grandchildren and great grandchildren released white helium balloons with words “WE LOVE YOU NANAY”.

she was a wonderful grandmother and a great matriarch. one of the toughest women i know. we will never, ever forget her.

terrific two

2011-08-01T14:41:00.006+04:00

happy 2nd birthday to the other guy who stole my heart! i love you soooo much, Dade!

Dade @ 1 and Dade @ 2 - back-to-back

it'll be a "terrific-two" year, i promise you that! :)

excited

2011-07-10T20:40:00.006+04:00

our monkeydoodle's turning 2 in a few weeks' time. so yep, this party is what's keeping me (and the DH) busy. we will be doing lots of DIY-printables this time -- from this save-the-date down to the cupcake toppers. thanks to our trusty printer, we'd be saving on printing costs. more moolah saved, more moolah for the parteeyyy!

credits to Blackleaf Studios @ MyGrafico.com for the awesome design!

still alive

2011-07-10T14:36:00.002+04:00

bear with me, dear friends as i am struggling with lots of stuff at the moment.

brb!

ice cream lover

2011-06-29T14:31:00.008+04:00

my little family loves going to Ikea. if there’s one shop in Dubai where we would spend most of our time indoors to window shop and eat at, Ikea is surely on top of our list. apart from their interesting furniture and home items, we also love their cafeteria and bistro!

whenever we feel like having a bite in between meals, we hit their bistro located just right across their check-out counters. they serve snacks like chicken shawarma, donut and hotdog on a bun. but this bistro’s best-seller is their vanilla ice cream, which only costs AED 1. really affordable soft ice cream on a waffle cone, and that is my son’s ultra fave! just look at these pictures:

the first time we had him eat the soft ice cream all by himself was after his sutures were taken off from his trigger thumb release surgery. it was a treat for him for being such a brave boy. and now, every trip to Ikea merits him a cold, sweet treat. that’s Mom & Dad’s little way of thanking the little fella for being so patient with us ‘cos we take so long in checking out stuff at the store (and we know for a fact that it really bores him! haha!)

one fan day

2011-06-27T13:57:00.010+04:00

one fine Saturday afternoon, my family & i went to see our friends who live in the Marina area. but instead of driving all the way there, we decided to leave the car at the Mall of the Emirates and take the Metro so we don’t have to worry about car parking. it was a good plan because our friend’s building is just right next to the JLT station.

anyway, halfway through our drive, i read a retweet by my friend, K about Martha Stewart’s schedule that afternoon where she will sign magazines at Tavola in Mall of the Emirates. now i knew the day before that Martha's in town, but i didn’t know about the sigining. i tweeted her that morning and didn't read that tweet in my timeline. well, as expected, i jumped at the opportunity and begged the dear husband to let me queue for an autograph. thankfully, he obliged (as if he had any choice – haha!)

the signing was slated from 2:00 – 3:00 pm, and i got there just in time. the line was from outside the store already, and you could tell that the people who came are real fans who took time to go and see her. well, most are Moms who are 30 and above...hehe! i queued for about a little over an hour and i was so nervous that i might not make the cut since it was already a few minutes past 3:00pm. good thing i made it, although unfortunately, i wasn’t able to take a picture with her because the organizers were in a rush by the time i got to the desk. besides, since i wasn’t prepared, i didn’t have my camera with me so i just used my trusty Blackberry. i didn’t have any of her magazines either so i just bought from the Filipina SAs who are going around selling the magazines. it was a toss between an Arabic Martha Stewart Everyday Food & MS Weddings Middle East, so of course, i grabbed the English magazine.

Martha Stewart signed this for me:

and i got one for my informant, too, who is a much bigger fan (hello, K!):

she’s very nice and super friendly to everyone. she also took time to answer questions thrown in by her fans. i didn’t ask her any question when it was my turn, but this is how our conversation went (as far as i recall):

Me: omg, i can’t believe you’re here! i just tweeted you about the weather this morning & welcomed you to Dubai, and now you’re here in front of me! *super giddy, excited voice*
MS: yeah, here i am! *cheerful voice with a sunny smile*
Me: pardon the heat of our summer.
MS: oh yeah, it is hot here! whew!
Me: thank you so much! enjoy your stay in Dubai!
MS: thank you! and thank you, too for coming!

so yeah, that was my short & sweet fan-to-idol encounter with a Hollywood celebrity & Emmy-nominated Best Host. i’m sure you can tell i'm still that thrilled about the whole thing :)

the power of technology

2011-06-22T17:16:00.001+04:00

a lot of people aim to put their entrepreneurial skills to practice by setting up their own companies and fulfilling their dreams of being their own boss. in these challenging times, business-minded folks utilize all available media to promote their products and services without shelling out a lot on costs. the important thing is that they are able to reach many of their target audience as possible.

one of the most affordable but most effective ways to promote a company’s products is setting up a website for your business. through web hosting and managed hosting, a website will be made personalized and would give a more professional appeal to the business. if companies want to secure themselves, they can also do a colocation to guarantee that their data is safe and impenetrable by others. not only can it improve the speed but can also ensure safety of the client’s hardware, giving the client peace of mind.

i know that when we finally decide on building our own enterprise in the future (well, it is free to dream, right?), we will definitely make use of these, too.

switch

2011-06-07T14:23:00.005+04:00

while waiting for our lunch at CPK one fine weekend, the hubby kept himself preoccupied by working on the kid's activity page while the wee one kept himself busy playing with the iPad.

di ba parang baligtad, no? :P

pooped

2011-06-06T15:57:00.002+04:00

last Saturday afternoon, all 3 of us were gathered in the living room, each doing our thing. i was chatting with a friend my phone, hubby was watching TV and the little boy was playing with his car in a corner. when hubby and i decided it was time to leave the house and hit the grocery, we found the little boy on the bean bag softly curled up like a fur ball sound asleep.

he looked so cute i just had to take a photo. see the red car nestled in his right arm? :)

on his own

2011-06-05T11:55:00.008+04:00

two weeks ago, we decided to let the little one take another step further towards independence. after laboring for half a day, i was able to finally fix Dade’s room and allow him to sleep on his own big boy’s bed. it was difficult at first to accept the fact that my baby has now grown into a young boy, but i decided it’s time for him to learn to stay in his own room and sleep on his own bed. i know that if i prolong his co-sleeping routine with us, it’ll get more difficult to convince him to sleep in his own room later on especially once he learns how to vocally express his protest against it. so yeah, it’s either now or never.

we did psych ourselves to do this and prepared ourselves mentally, physically and emotionally for this big change. for 22 months, Dade co-slept with us so it’s also not easy for us to just move him to his own room. no more baby’s breath, no more kicks and smacks from our little monster in the middle of the night and sadly, no more instant sweet kisses in the morning to wake us up. haay!!

a few days prior, we bought a couple of beddings set for the wee one at Ikea. we chose the colorful patterns with hues similar to the colors seen in Dade’s room so he would be enticed to hop on his bed. so far, that has worked because whenever he feels like checking out the pages of his books, he would sit on his bed on his own without any prodding from us. he also enjoys playing in his own room now so our living room looks a lot less like a daycare center and more of a proper area for us to lounge and relax.

meanwhile, apart from fixing the bed, we also arranged Dade’s “command center” – a cabinet with a detachable changing table that he’s been using since he was born. hubby finally took off the changing table, too, so now, all of Dade’s toiletries and other essentials are placed in the cabinet for ease of use.

here is a pic of Dade’s sleeping area with his favorite plush toy pals.

and here he is in his jammies like an angel fast asleep.

yeah, big boy indeed. oh gosh, where did my baby go?

latest book

2011-05-29T08:07:00.008+04:00

hope i get to finish this at least in a week's time. i miss reading a lot, and i thought maybe this book will help bring my mojo back.

glad i was able to snag this paperback 40% cheaper from the Smoker's Centre at the Marble Walk of the centre. good thing i remembered how much the book was a lot less priced from there when i was this close to buying it from Border's yesterday.

let the reading begin!

reminiscing this year's easter egg hunt

2011-05-27T02:07:00.024+04:00

(so sorry for this super late post, but i just had to share this before i accidentally hit the delete button on my drafts folder)

our Easter egg hunt with the kids was just so much fun i must share it with you. after all, we only spent like a week to prepare for this activity for the kids, and we believe we pretty much did a good job :)

i think we had about 10 kiddos all in all during that afternoon. they were all game to play so that was easy. the kids hunted the eggs which were scattered and safely hidden within a 15-meter radius from our gazebo. in a matter of minutes, all the eggs were found. each kid received a prize, of course, courtesy of Aunt H.

little Guianna picking up the egg she found

Karl found one, too!

Dade hesitant to let go of the egg

get-togethers at the park are always pot-luck fun. here are some of the treats the kids, as well as the grown-ups, had:

luscious cupcakes c/o the Ranolas

my corned tuna ala king

delicioso macaroons from the Velosos

hotdogs & pineapple

and here are some of the give-ways the kiddos took home after a tiring afternoon at the park:

egg nuts & bunny mallows

m&m's :)

easter sugar cookies by the hubby

bunny chocolates

we would happily take on any excuse to go to the park and just relax. and going for an egg hunt just doubled the fun! for next year, we'll make sure it will be another happy one for the kids.

the master baker

2011-05-11T11:05:00.005+04:00

hubby got his baking mojo back, and i couldn't be happier! since our new cooker with oven was installed over a week ago, he has baked 3 times already (not minding the sleepless nights). one batch was for my colleague who was leaving the company, while two batches were paid orders – 384 pieces of butterscotch bites given as tokens for a kiddie birthday party by a good friend and 100 pieces of chocolate crinkles for home consumption by a local colleague. wow, right? the husband is saving up for a Mac Mini so his earnings went straight to his technological update fund. he’s super happy! :)

everyone tells me how extremely lucky i am to have someone who can bake for me at a drop of a hat. well, not really. sometimes i have to bribe him you know. haha! i'm super proud of him! as a supportive wife, i do my best to show my appreciation and i try as much as i can to purchase the essential baking tools and equipment he needs. like for instance, a few birthdays ago, i got him this mean machine:

and then just last year, i got him this weighing scale:

plus this rolling pin:

and this baking mat:

then last month, this spanking new cooker with convection oven:

if there’s one thing that i contribute to the baking bit he does is that i do the packing! yep, i am the master motherpacker in our household! :D i wrap, i jar, i box! the good side of it is that i get to choose how his baked goodies are handed over and presented to his customers. with our collection of boxes, cellophanes and goody bags i hoarded from Chocolate Lover in Manila, not to mention my growing collection of ribbons from satin to the grosgrain kind, he never fails to make a good impression on his goods. so yeah, i do support him in every way i know possible.

oh, and did i tell you i’m his guinea pig, too? yup, motherpacker na, taste-tester pa!

queen for a day

2011-05-08T09:46:00.007+04:00

to all the Moms out there, here’s wishing you a happy mother’s day! i hope you get to be treated like a queen even for a day. we all deserve it, you know. being a mother is the toughest job there is, bar none!

for my second Mom’s day, we’ll hie off to the newly opened Hotel JAL and will have a 4-course dinner at Indo Thai to indulge on some Asian cuisine. that is after we hear mass at St. Mary’s Church. can’t wait already! :)

before i finish this post, let me share with you what i have stumbled upon from the net. witty but heartfelt description of what being a mother is. i got teary-eyed reading this.

POSITION: Mother, Mom, Mama

JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work, in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required -- including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties are also required; frequently, on very short notice.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite your tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat -- in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include, floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required, unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION: Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18, because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it, and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS: No health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered -- however, this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life, if you play your cards right.

have a great day, Mommies! xoxo

gift of gold

2011-05-05T12:41:00.000+04:00

bessie B is racking her brains trying to think of a nice gift for her goddaughter who will be baptized next week. she wants something that’s classy and timeless. i suggested that she get the little one her first jewelry set, and was she so thrilled with the idea! the first thing she asked though was the price of gold so she can set aside a budget for the set she is going to get. i joked that the gold price shouldn’t matter since she earns so much from all her freelance work. haha!

kidding aside, i reminded her that gold prices change and the cost will depend on the day she makes the purchase. If she must, then she can check out the gold spot before she makes a final decision. doing research by looking for spot gold will be very useful so that one can be armed with the right information when haggling for the best price. it wouldn’t hurt to try and get the best deal, right? after all, one has to be wise when spending money these days.

tickets galore

2011-05-02T15:05:00.001+04:00

my husband is a huge fan of sports – the spectator kind though. he has always dreamed of watching games in stadiums and ball parks in real life. so while we daydream for a visit to the US sometime soon, he has asked that if in case it pushes through, we must go to at least a game or two. i said i’d be happy to oblige if we can squeeze it in our schedule and most importantly, if we can get tickets at a good price.

first in his list is to get New York Giants Tickets. of course we would also have to score New York Yankees Tickets to watch them batters swing since they’re nearby. however, i told him that if we get him these tickets, we also have to get United Center Tickets for the whole family to watch Disney on Ice. it’s too bad we’re gonna miss out watching Daniel Tosh on Mandalay Bay because it’s happening this May. so yeah, no Daniel Tosh Tickets for us, unfortunately. did i mention that we also have to get Jersey Boys Tickets for our aunt and uncle who will be taking care of us during our planned visit? good thing there are reasonably priced tickets available which aren’t too painful to the pocket.

crossing fingers that our plans push through!

Wednesday happy thoughts

2011-04-27T10:24:00.004+04:00

Happiness is...

1. Dade’s successful surgery – his thumb can now be straightened!
2. a peaceful and meaningful holy week for the family.
3. easter egg hunt at the Creek Park with good friends.
4. being surrounded with wonderful people.
5. my lola’s improving health.
6. good food.
7. moonlighting opportunities for extra cash (so i can save up for that bag!)
8. savings $$$
9. BBM. brings me and my sisters closer than ever despite the distance.
10. promise of something big next month. can’t wait for May!

to know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

spa & dinner date

2011-04-26T12:23:00.002+04:00

last week, i had a much-awaited spa date with my girlfriends J & B. our common available day was a Monday and we drove to Dubai Media City where Chill Spa is. we booked for a 60-minute Aromatherapy massage and 30-minute full body scrub. it.was.heaven!

the best thing about this deal is that we got it for only AED 160! woot woot! thanks to Cobone, we’re able to grab these packages at less than half their original price.

we had dinner afterwards at The Noodle House in DIFC where we also got 30% discount thanks to my company ID. so you see, our night was sooo sulit – relaxing and tummy filling with big savings. now who wouldn’t want that?

i really had fun with my girls! i hope we could do this more often. it was a welcome respite from all the work, wifey and mommyhood duties that i juggle everyday.

quickie

2011-04-23T08:23:00.006+04:00

while it's still quiet in our household, let me write a few lines about what we are up to this Holy Week.

for starters, i was able to hear mass last Palm Sunday, and to complete my intent to do things for this semana santa, i took 2 days off from work. last Thursday, hubby drove for me so i can do the Visita Iglesia. well, ideally i'm supposed to visit 7 churches, but the UAE only has exactly 7 in its shores and i didn't plan to do a cross country in one day, so i've decided to just see 3 out of 7. and we didn't go by foot either because the distance between the churches is impossible to do, especially in this kind of weather where summer is ready to seep in. we went to see St. Michael's Church in Sharjah, St. Francis Church in Jebel Ali, Dubai, and St. Mary's Church in Oud Metha, Dubai, where i was able to attend mass amid the throng of people. in all these three churches, i lighted 4 candles with the same wishes: good health, peace, meaningful blessings and family solidarity. long day, i say, but it was all good. super worth it!

on the contrary, yesterday was a quiet day spent at home. hubby & i baked sugar cookies for the Easter Egg Hunt scheduled today for the kids, while in the evening, i caught up with my ironing. meanwhile, the little boy was having withdrawal symptoms because we have completely banned the use of his binky/pacifier when going to bed. he was not in his best mood at all, i tell yah! well, sorry for him because we are not giving in! in fact, i just chucked his binkies straight into the bin.

today, we will be spending the afternoon in the park with some friends to do our Easter Egg Hunt in advance. since Sunday is a work day here, we've decided to do it one day early, even if it is a Black Saturday. it's for the kids anyway, and we badly want the kids to experience egg hunting , especially now that the little ones are in the super exploratory stage. i'm sure they will have fun hunting those colorful eggs.

tomorrow, we will hear mass in the morning and then eat out to celebrate Easter Sunday. i will milk what's left of my long weekend and spend it in the best way i could -- with my two boys. how about you, what are your activities this Holy Week?

not so baby anymore

2011-04-03T10:17:00.016+04:00

i don’t know if it’s just me or Dadelicious has just gotten way bigger over the past couple of months. he now looks like a little boy and is far from the look of a baby who just went past the line between babyhood to toddlerhood. these are recent pictures from my phone that were randomly taken in the past month.

me wanted to give in to my Strawberry Banana smoothie craving so off we went to Caribou at 9:00 pm that night. he ended up running around the coffee shop saying hello to the other customers. he even went table hopping to give a friendly wave. future politician? lol.

he now prefers to brush his teeth by himself. we compromise by letting him do the brushing for the first 2 minutes, and then i take over. he knows the night time drill by heart – he will be cleaned up, changed nappy, applied lotion to and put on a fresh pair of jammies. afterwards, he will then point to his toothbrush and toothpaste to clean his pearly whites. btw, the jammies he’s wearing came as a gift from Aunt S. such a cutie!

i am so glad my son turned out to be a fruit monster. he loves all kinds of fruit! but his favorites are from the berry family – blueberry, blackberry, strawberry & raspberry. he could finish a pack of in just one sitting. susmio, expensive ang taste, literally!

my son loves my his iPad to bits! his day is never complete without playing with it, so you can just imagine how sad he was when one day, after he drained the battery dry, we couldn’t recharge the iPad. he made do playing with its box, swiping his tiny fingers through the screen and poking at the applications while waiting for something to happen. it was heartbreaking! thankfully, when i brought it to the every trusty iStyle service centre, they were able to recharge it again. apparently, it was completely drained so it took a while for the charging to commence. whew!

i have been saving some books for Dade to touch when he’s a bit older. after he ruined his “A Very Hungry Caterpillar” book, i was careful to give him books, especially the thin-paged ones. the other night, i read “The Grufallo” to him. before switching the lamps off, i made him flip through the pages and look at the pictures.

we got these cheapo shades from Ladybird when he was only about 6 months old. now he’s strutting it like it’s an Oakley pair, and we love it! too bad he’s missing that nose bridge for that pogi effect. lol.

and just taken a week ago, here he is wearing his cute hat. binata na! (he's now a teenager!)

oh, where did time go?

Earth Hour 2011 and beyond

2011-03-27T15:51:00.004+04:00

ok, this is really embarrassing to admit but yesterday was our first time to participate in the annual Earth Hour. i know, i know, shame on us for not bothering to participate in the previous years, but hey, it’s not what you do during Earth Hour, right? it’s what you do AFTER Earth Hour.

i take pride of the fact that the bulbs at home – living room, dining area, two bedrooms and ensuite bathroom – are replaced to energy-saving bulbs since last year. my husband and i decided to do that after our electricity bill spiked to almost double its average. the chandelier’s bulbs were swapped from 60-watt ordinary bulbs to 10-watt energy saving bulbs bought from Ikea. so now, our living room is brightly illuminated in warm light thanks to a total of 30-watt per hour of energy consumption! and the same goes for the rest of the rooms in our apartment. even our lamps have 5-watt bulbs :)

we also had the A/C in our unit inspected since it was barely spewing cool air, which defeats the A/C’s purpose. after the control box was changed and maintenance was done, our electricity bill went back to normal. it was apparently the culprit!

meanwhile, most of the batteries we have at home are the rechargeable kind. when Dade was still a baby, he used the swing frequently so we had to invest on rechargeable batteries. and i am soooo glad we did! yes, it was a bit heavy on the pocket but at the end of the day, we know we still ended up with huge savings.

we do recycle old newspapers, too, by bringing them to Ikea. there are specific bins for old newspapers and magazines placed by the Ikea entrance from the parking for people to drop off their bunch of old newspapers. these get recycled and turned into Ikea’s famous paper bag. they are also used to wrap glasswares at the check-out counters.

to recycle plastics, we do bring our PET bottles and plastic bags to the loading bays in our Precinct Buildings here in the centre. as our company supports recycling, which is part of our CSR, they have allocated several recycling bins for paper, plastics and aluminum cans. i do take advantage of these and bring my trash from home to work…haha! it’s the least i can do as a concerned employee and citizen.

hubby and i also plan our trips to save on gas. we try to fix our schedule and organize what we have to do when we need to go to a specific area. it doesn’t only help save gas – it also saves us time. now that is really precious!

so yup, those are a few of the little things that our household does for Mama Earth. we just hope that the little things we do help heal her and make her feel cared for and loved. i mean, we don’t want to go all the way so soon and buy ourselves a new LED TV (haha!), but i’m sure she appreciates our baby steps for now. how about you, did you participate in the recent Earth Hour? do share your plans going forward, as well. perhaps you can impart more tips on how to conserve energy and help save our ailing Mother Earth.

of flea markets and bubble baths

2011-03-14T14:24:00.008+04:00

last Friday, i tagged along with friends G & H when they leased a stall at the Dubai Flea Market in Uptown Mirdif. they sold some used stuff such as clothes, shoes, belts, hats, toys and other baby items. i, on the other hand, sold some chocolate crinkles and butterscotch bites baked by my hubby. i also showcased a couple of nappy cakes and gave out cards for those who wish to order. flea market is not exactly the place to go to when selling this kind of stuff because the buyers would think the price is too steep (and they did!). i wasn’t actually expecting to sell anything – i just joined ‘cos it seems fun and i had nothing better to do on a Friday afternoon.

meanwhile, hubby’s butterscotch bites were a hit. they’re a crowd pleaser, just as i expected. there were a few boxes left of the chocolate crinkles, which didn’t go to waste since the little boy & the big boy ate them for snacks yesterday .

i was pooped after the flea market stint because it was a bit hot that afternoon. i think the lovely winter weather has stretched itself too much that it could no longer hit end of March at least. just thinking about the summer weather here is already giving me the shudders!

Saturday was spent with my two boys at home. we had a grand time bumming around doing absolutely nothing. oh, it was pure bliss! haha! since we had a lot of time in our hands to just dilly dally, i gave the wee one his very first bubble bath. i made use of his tub which thank goodness still fits him. for the bath, i used the California Baby Bubble Bath in lavender for that relaxing feel. i also gave him 2 rubber duckies for him to play with.

he was disoriented when i soaked him in the tub filled with bubbles. as it was strange to him, he gave me that panic-stricken look. he warmed up to it after we started blowing bubbles at him and taking a few snapshots.

to cap off our lazy day, we went to the nearest Caribou Coffee shop where hubby and i got our strawberry banana smoothie fix that i was actually craving for days now.

the new ride

2011-03-08T11:45:00.004+04:00

after careful thought and consideration, the husband and i decided to finally put the Quinny Buzz stroller to rest for the next baby (although i am not preggy yet, just to set the record straight) and get a new one for our little boy’s current use. we’re concerned he might end up wrecking the stroller because he is so active now, even when seated. since we invested on a pricey but super stable stroller, which thank goodness came as a gift, we thought it’s best to maximize its use till the next baby.

so last weekend, off we went to Babyshop to get him a new Quinny Zapp during their weekend bonanza sale. we were extremely happy with this purchase because we were able to use our Mashreqbank WOW points and we only threw in a couple hundred dirhams to buy the item. quite a steal, right?

one thing we liked about the Zapp is that it is sturdier compared to most umbrollers. we were contemplating on getting a Maclaren Quest or Triumph because it is much more compact but considering Dade’s fussiness in the stroller, we decided against it. hubby was very pleased at how the Zapp folds compared to the Buzz. we now have more than enough space at the back of our car. whoppee!! traveling will be a lot more easier for us. it’s also quite easy to maneuver – i can even use just one hand. the new Zapp models no longer have the carry bag, but it does have the shopping basket now, which is more important for us.

above is a recent snapshot of the little boy in his new rebel red ride taken last Saturday in front of Ikea. we were then waiting for his Ninang B who promised to get him a table and chair set as a super advanced birthday pressie. he looks impatient here, i know. but as soon as Ninang B arrived, he was back to his sweet, pa-cute self.

liven up the candle

2011-03-07T18:31:00.008+04:00

apart from my interest in making diaper cakes, i also decorate candles for occasions such as Christening. i like turning ordinary looking candles into the special looking ones because for me, they are a significant symbol of commitment by the godparents to become second parents to their godchild.

the first one i made was for my goddaughter, Zoei Armay. her motif was pink & brown. i also decorated the basket, which i bought from a flower shop in Karama.

the next batch of candles i decorated was for Hannah. her motif was the popular pink & brown combination, as well. they also incorporated polka dots in the invite so i decided to get some satin flowers with white polka dot prints. luckily, i got them at a steal price from my suki in Satwa.

the latest batch of candles i spruced up was for my goddaughter, Amara Andrea. i was challenged by the motif of fuchsia pink and orange, but i'm so glad i was able to scour some nice materials. glad the candles looked elegant-looking afterwards.

funny that even my friend from the US also inquired about shipping the candles from here all the way to Seattle. i am so flattered!

Dade's 1st Birthday Party (Dubai) Supplier Ratings

2011-03-07T09:13:00.010+04:00

we decided to give our little Dade another party in Dubai for our friends and relatives here, albeit low-key. it was a typical Mc Donald’s birthday party, but was made extra special because of people who love our little boy so much.

the party was sponsored by my Dad who wasn’t able to make it to Dade’s 1st birthday in Manila, so we only spent a minimal amount that went for party favors and cake (and my blowdry…hahaha!). everything went smoothly as planned, and we couldn’t ask for any better party for our little rascal.

so here goes our supplier ratings, and for all the Dubai readers of my blog, i hope this post helps in your kiddie party planning.

venue & food: Mc Donald’s Jumeirah Beach Branch (the branch with the Drive-Thru, located right next to Commercial Bank of Dubai)

dirham power: quite reasonable. you just have to pay AED 100 to reserve the date and time of the party, and pay the cost for all the food consumed towards the end of the party

inclusions: invitations, party hats, place mats, balloons, party host, mascot, Mc Donald’s prizes for games and lootbags
rating: 5*** (highly recommended)

what i liked about McDonald’s is the fact that it is super convenient. all we had to do was show up and bring the cake and the birthday boy! balloons were all over the place, and the banner, albeit generic, was put up already. what a breeze!

we ordered Big Tasty and McRoyale Meals for the adults and Kiddie Meals for the
kids. actually, guests were made to choose which meal they like between the
two. for dessert, we had apple pie and chocolate and caramel sundae. i made
sure the meals were upsized so everyone would enjoy big fries and drinks.

our host, Joy, was lovely to work with. a few days before the event, we met up with her at the branch to discuss what we wanted to do with the party. i told her about the balloon burst and the pillars that we were to bring for additional decors. she was very accommodating, and she understood what i wanted. come party day, she delivered properly, and i was so happy she didn’t sound like the other hosts in other fastfood parties i’ve been to here in Dubai. she spoke English well so that helped a lot with our other non-Filipino speaking friends.

the crew also had this orderly way of making sure the guests are tagged with the right meal they ordered. everyone had a sticker on their clothing to get their correct meal. Joy also ensured the kids get the nicer give-aways for the kids – not just the usual “happy meal” prizes. i wish i was able to bring home one of those cute rulers but alas, the kids beat me to it.

cake: SugarBox
website: http://www.sugarboxonline.com/
blog: http://sugarboxtreats.blogspot.com/
tel no: +971 6 566 0901
dirham power: AED 500 + AED 60 delivery fee
rating: 5*** (so highly recommended)

it has always been a huge dilemma finding a decent cake here in Dubai. thank goodness my friend and kumare, Mabe referred this quaint pastry shop in Al Qasba, Sharjah, which is just minutes away from our place. a week and a half before the party, we went there to place our order, give the picture of the cake design we want, hand over the Sesame Street toppers that my cousin S has bought from the US, and choose the cake flavor. my only concern was that they didn’t ask us for any downpayment, and i had no receipt or invoice whatsoever of the order i placed. so i had to call and send emails to the shop in order to have a proof that i did make an order. the last thing i want for my little boy’s party is a missing birthday cake!

on the day of the party, i received a call from the owner of the shop. Her Highness, a Sheikha from the Emirate of Sharjah, had called to assure me that the cake is all done and looked perfect, and advised me that it will be delivered to Mc Donald’s at the agreed time. now that is customer service!

we picked the red velvet flavor, and i am so glad we did! we served the cake during the party, and everyone loved it! it was luscious and not too sweet. the cream cheese filling was just right.

and because it was a hit, i ordered two more cakes from them for my friends' two boys' birthday party the next month. not only do they bake great-tasting cakes, but they also make cakes according to the design you want.

photographers: Dade’s Ninang Beth & Ninong Armil who are both photographers by profession
dirham power: free – labor of loveratings: 5*** (super duper highly recommended)

with Ninang Beth

with Ninong Armil & his family

Dadelicious is super lucky to have photographer godparents! we didn’t have to hire photographers, which saved us a lot. everything was done all for the love of their godson. my colleague even teased me that all we needed was a red carpet because there were so many flashes coming from all directions…haha! most importantly, we cannot be happier with the photographs – all super nice!

videographer: Studio K – owned by Dade’s Ninong Kelvin who is a “filmmaker” by profession

website: www.studiok.ae

dirham power: free – labor of love

rating: 5*** (super duper highly recommended)

Dade’s party was like a high-profile event because not only did he have two professional photographers clicking their cameras the entire time, but it also had two videographers, with one operating a jib crane filming the celebration. dinaig ang wedding namin! (his party beat our wedding!) big savings, as well because we didn’t have to shell out even a single dirham to pay for the video coverage. i’m sure you can tell how pleased we are of this :)

to see the video teaser, click here.

balloon pillars: my kumare, Hazel (please PM me for her contact number)

email address: khpg2010@yahoo.com

dirham power: free – labor of love
rating: 5*** (so highly recommended)

what can i say, i have good “wasta” (connection or network) in Dubai…haha! so for Dade’s party, i also had free balloon pillars by his cake & give-aways stand, and did not spend anything, too, as it came as a gift. Hazel & her hubby quickly made the pillars in time for the party, and i was super pleased that the colors perfectly matched the theme of the party. she even let me choose the mylar balloons for the toppers. sweet!

balloon burst: Party Centre
dirham power: AED 60
inclusions: 1 big transparent balloon with 17 small balloons, inclusive of decorated stick with prick to burst the balloon
rating: 5 (highly recommended, based on my experience)

Party Centre is the best place to go for of your balloon and party needs here in Dubai. but since my friend has already volunteered to create a pair of balloon pillars for Dade, we only needed to order the balloon burst for the party.

prizes and give-aways: Diviland
dirham power: really cheap – sorry, toxic to convert from Peso to Dirham
rating: 5*** (so highly recommended)

we brought some of the stuff that were left from the party in Manila to Dubai to give them as give-aways & prizes for the party. good thing we did because we saved a lot of money and headache from trying to source Sesame Street-themed stuff here. even Dragon Mart, the Dubai version of Divisoria, does not carry any Sesame Street item at all.

some of the stuff we brought here are the personalized bubbles with Sesame Street theme and Dade’s name, plush toys, wallets, coin purses, pencils, lunch bags, stickers, stationery set, soft balls and straw cups.

cake toppers, lootbags, plates and table napkins: bought from Target in US
dirham power: i’ve lost all the receipts, but i am very sure it’s cheaper than when bought from Party Centre.
rating: 5***

i am so glad my cousin bought these stuff from the US. the cake toppers saved us a lot because i didn’t have to ask the cake maker to create 3D toppers that would’ve probably cost me an arm and a leg here. the plates, table napkins and lootbags matched one another so that was a plus for me. the plates were used to serve the cake so imagine my delight that we didn’t have to serve it in an ordinary paper plate.

*****

so there you have it, my supplier ratings for Dade’s birthday party in Dubai. hope this somehow helps my Dubai readers in case they want to throw a kiddie party for their little ones. toodles everyone!

our V-day celebration

2011-02-28T15:10:00.019+04:00

Feb 14 this year fell on a Monday so hubby and i, with the little one in tow, celebrated after work. we didn’t make any special plans nor gave each other gifts this year. we thought we’ll be spending our money more wisely starting this year. so yeah, we just trooped to Dubai Festival City, and from there, we decided on where to eat because they have the most variety of restaurants we can choose from. we opted to go to the marina area to enjoy the cool breeze of that young February evening. Dade enjoyed seeing watching the birds by the water.

our celebration was plain and simple but heck fun! because we food lovers had a gastronomic feast at Jamie’s Italian! (that rhymes! haha!)

everybody knows how much of a fan my husband is of Jamie Oliver. so you can just imagine how much it was of a treat to him when we stepped in to the rustic, laid back restaurant of his favorite chef. good thing we arrived early because apparently, later during the evening, the resto was on a 45-minute waiting time.

leaning over the table (love their red Stokke high chair!)

interesting chandeliers

we ordered nibbles first -- bruschetta with chargrilled ciabatta rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and topped with oven dried tomatoes cooked with basil, garlic and creamy ricotta.

next, antipasti – crispy squid with garlic, chilli and really garlicky mayo. anything with garlic for us is LOVE!

i ordered pasta for myself, and oh, did i order the most divine pasta dish there is! their prawn linguine (pan fried garlicky prawns with tomatoes, chilli, rocket and fennel) is to die for! i am not too fond of rocket leaves and i always set them aside when eating salad, but with this dish, i finished it (with Dade) in no time. it was yum-o!!

hubby, on the other hand, ordered their burger italiano -- British beef pattie with melty fontina cheese, crispy salami, soft lettuce, tomato salsa, dill pickles, chilli and crispy fried onions, which is delightfully gooooddd!!

unfortunately, V-day this year was a dry night in Dubai owing to Prophet Mohammed’s birthday. nonetheless, i received a special mocktail drink from their bar. hubby had to make do with fizzies (read: softdrinks in can…haha!). before we left, i snatched him an apron from the store for keepsake.

after dinner, we went off to have dessert at Yogurberry. we wanted to have Red Mango but for some reason, it was closed. we ordered the largest tub they have and had strawberries, raspberries, kiwis and lychees for toppings. Dade, as usual, had the most share of the frozen yogurt, as well as the fruit toppings.

all in all, it was a LOVE-ly evening for us.

the wee one's new buddy

2011-02-28T07:47:00.001+04:00

Dade has a new friend. his name is Chip. he is an adorable monkey that tags along with Dade whenever we’re out and about. he helps us keep Dade safe, especially now that he frequently skips the use of his stroller and prefers to walk instead. next to Ernie, Chip is his favorite plush toy to lug around.

sorry for the blurred photo -- this kid is just too fast for us!

Chip was a birthday present from Ninang S, my dearest cousin who adores him so much. whenever we use this harness at the mall, we always get asked where we got it from. unfortunately, Eddie Bauer harnesses are not locally available here. my cousin got it from the US when she did some online shopping for her baby (she’s due to give birth anytime soon, by the way).

hubby and i love Chip, but it is Dade who loves him the most. he hugs and kisses him whenever he sees him inside the car and he’s always so excited to wear him. he thinks it’s more of a toy than a harness to restrain him, which is good for us.

thank you, Ninang S for this great gift!

Dade’s first storytelling experience

2011-02-27T10:09:00.010+04:00

(not that i don’t make an effort to sit with Dade and have our storytelling sessions before going to bed! this one was his first with other kids around.)

i cannot believe i actually forgot to blog about this! i was looking at my P&S camera photos when i suddenly saw these pictures taken last September. (so yeah, you will see a lot of super delayed posts from hereon…haha!)

my friend H handed me over an invitation from Ralph Lauren to come and attend their storytelling session at Dubai Mall last September (sounds like ages ago!). the storytelling was done in time for the opening of classes. we went after Dade’s Kindermusik class (which i have to blog about, too!), and boy, was it so much fun! my little munchkin was the youngest who came and he did charm everyone in the store.

here he is being carried by the Marketing Manager of Ralph Lauren who was so enamored by him:

apart from the storytelling session, there was also some sort of a treasure hunt game where the kids would need to find stickers shaped of an apple, a baseball glove and a dog paw. once completed, each kid would get a goody bag with a storybook inside.

my little boy enjoyed his time immensely. he walked around the cozy store with a happy smile, waving hello to everyone who was passing by. he particularly liked this chair and kept coming back to sit on it for like every 5 minutes.

because i was so busy, i didn’t get a chance to sample the canapés and mocktail drinks served for the parents. Daddy Ryan didn't join us inside because he was guarding the stroller with our stuff outside. oh well, my toddler, like any other, is truly a handful so that was expected already. what’s important is that he had loads of fun. i bet this picture will prove that:

my stress buster

2011-02-17T12:17:00.013+04:00

friends, let me share with you one of the things that help me unleash my creative side and relieve my stress from the juggling act that i do on a daily basis.

i humbly present my nappy cakes -- given as baby shower & just-given-birth gifts:

the Sarah Jane cake

the Amara diaper cake

the Zoe diaper cake

the Reese diaper cake

i've long wanted to take a stab at creating nappy cakes, but never got the chance to finally try it until i came here to Dubai. for one, diapers are way cheaper here than from back home so buying a huge pack is not as heavy on the pocket. the downside though is that there are very limited ribbons & other decors to find here. it's a good thing baby items are also abound and a lot more affordable, too.

here is the first ever nappy cake i've ever sold to a colleague who asked me to make one for her when her friend had her first baby.

i hope to be able to make more & play with more colors. i want to make a rubber duckie-themed nappy cake one of these days.

level up

2011-02-08T07:54:00.000+04:00

God is so good indeed! after surviving 3 waves of redundancies the past year, i was promoted to a much more challenging post.

so last Saturday, we went for a little celebration at Outback Steakhouse in Festival City.

the first month of the year has just finished, and so far, so good. i am officially claiming 2011 as my year!

toxic

2011-01-30T11:30:00.001+04:00

can you tell that the recent months were super busy for me? i realized i have not posted anything cohesive at all. i should be ashamed of myself! my FB account is updated, while this online diary is far from being apprised.

i’ve already drafted a few posts to be published, but i just haven’t had a chance to skim through the archived photos. i hope to be able to do that this week. will be posting on my super duper delayed supplier ratings for Dade’s Dubai Party, our holiday celebrations, my new arts & crafts project, Dade’s first trip to the zoo and our 5th wedding anniversary celebration.

be right back!

5 blissful years

2011-01-04T08:55:00.002+04:00

yep, our marriage is 5 years old today...and we couldn't be happier!

will share more photos soon of how we celebrated our milestone. for now, let me entertain you with our favorite souvenir photo of our first day as husband and wife.

5 years and still crazy in love as ever! :)

welcome 2011!

2011-01-01T16:32:00.005+04:00

let's raise and clink our glasses as we welcome the new year with hopes that it will be better than last year. may we be doubly blessed this 2011! God bless us all. cheers!

4th church wedding anniversary

2010-12-27T23:05:00.003+04:00

i cannot believe it’s been 4 years since i walked down the aisle of San Agustin Church in Manila. oh, it was a lovely day that i will forever treasure! it was the day we signed and sealed the deal in front of God, our families and friends. it was truly unforgettable!

we’re so thankful that we were able to celebrate our church wedding anniversary tonight. much thanks to my friend, H who gladly took care of Dade while we sneaked in an exclusive dinner date. how i missed going out with the hubby alone!

we ate at Caramel, one of the elite restaurants and lounges in our centre. we ordered their famous Steak and Frites and Grilled Chilean Sea Bass. yummy! perfect for a special occasion such as this.

next week is another occasion not to be missed – our 5th wedding anniversary (civil), which we also celebrate. so yeah, we have two anniversaries that are only a week apart. cute, isn’t it?

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T08:06:00.001+04:00

warm wishes from our family to yours! :)

my baby can sign!

2010-12-23T09:40:00.003+04:00

when Dade turned one, my friend Mandy gifted him with a Baby Sign Language book. it came with a fridge magnet that shows 4 basic signs that are commonly used, and we’ve placed it in the kitchen where we can find the magnet instantly and refer to. i was ecstatic because i wanted my little boy to learn how to sign. i got interested in baby signing after i learned its benefits -- can help the kids learn how to speak and expand their vocabulary, more advanced mental development and enhanced parent-child relationships. but what made me buy the idea is the reduction of tantrums out of frustration (because the parent or caregiver cannot comprehend what the baby wants or feels).

last night, on our way home from the mall, our darling Dade signed “eat” to my delight. i fed him a huge jar of Hipp Pasta Twists with Courgette & Mozzarella and he finished it in no time. he was in a happy mood while eating because i was able to quickly tend to his need. no more clothes tugging and crying because we can now communicate properly when he’s hungry and wants to be fed.

i have to give credit to my husband who has been teaching Dade how to sign. he’s always been good with kids, and now he’s putting that gift to good use. he teaches patiently to Dade. it’s not a surprise that the little one learned all his tricks from his Dad. i’m sure my husband is quite happy that he’s the first to discover the many new things that our little boy does.

Christmas goodies

2010-12-22T15:32:00.005+04:00

…for my team, that is.

since i joined the company, it’s always been a custom for me to give out Christmas goodies to my team mates. after the restructure of our company around mid of this year, my team was merged with another sector so i had new team mates, who by the way are the coolest people ever!

my hubby toiled late last night to prepare 3 kinds of baked treats to go to the goody bag – butterscotch, chocolate crinkles and gingerbread cookies. we have a stash of boxes bought from Chocolate Lover in Manila during our trip last year, which we made use of during this festive season. i just added a red organza ribbon to tie the handles and placed a gift tag on each of the bag with handwritten names of my team mates.

for my two friends at the LD, i gave each of them a jar of individually wrapped butterscotch. just added a red ribbon to the jar i got from Ikea to give it some flair. i like it that the jar has some stars printed around it so it gave the gift a more Christmas-sy look. the cellophane to wrap the square-cut butterscotch were from Chocolate Lover from Manila, as well. i am so glad we hoarded these items during our vacation last year. you can never find these kind of stuff here in Dubai, and if you do, they are priced really high. so it does pay to stock up on hard-to-find items, especially for packaging purposes.

i am delighted that they loved my simple gift. it’s just amusing how some of them don’t want to open their boxes yet because they are saving them for the weekend. and when they do see someone munching on a cookie already, they would ask for a small pinch to taste. talk about being greedy with their treats! haha!

updates on Dadelicious

2010-12-21T10:15:00.011+04:00

just a quick update on the wee one before the year finally folds.

swimming
we realized that Dade isn’t exactly fond of the waters. it took him more than 20 minutes to pacify himself the last time he went for a swim with his Ninang B. poor Ninang B had to get in the floater with him. later on, the boy wouldn’t stop splashing water. we took it as a sign that he’s no longer afraid. yes, we could bring him to go swimming again soon!

hungry
Dade gets really pissed when he’s hungry, that much i can tell you. just look at this face – taken at P.F. Chang’s Bistro.

he was able to finish 2 pieces of chicken dimsum and lots of spoonfuls of rice and spinach. he’s also learned to let us know if he’s hungry by tugging at our clothing (it’s so cute when he tugs at our shorts when at home!). Dade’s also learning sign language now, thanks to Mandy’s birthday pressie for him, to avoid any tantrums when he cannot express himself properly.

techie boy
my little one knows how to switch on my ipad, unlock the screen, swipe his fingers through the screen and play his Sesame Street videos all by himself. seriously! he practically plays with my toy more than i do. oh, and he also knows how to play Fruit Ninja and scores combos randomly.

milk intake
Dade still drinks 4 cups of 6 oz milk in a day. he eats solids at least twice a day, with cookies and fruits in between. this is a picture of him drinking his milk while we were having coffee at the mall.

dumping stuff
we noticed how Dade grabs stuff by his hand and then dumps it in a bag, box or bin. one time we were supposed to leave the house to go somewhere and i was desperately trying to find his other shoe. my Dad, who was here then on a holiday, suggested that he might have put it in the paper bag for disposal. true enough, the missing pair was there! goodness!

now look what i found in my purse the other day.

giggles
my son is very frugal when it comes to giving a smile or stifling a giggle. so it is a big deal for us when we see him give a warm grin or a hearty laughter spontaneously. like this picture for instance.

we were at Mercato Mall then, and we sat for a while as i spoke to Dad on the phone. out of boredom, he & Ryan played with the silicone cups we bought from Tavola. he grabs the bunch of silicone cups and shoots them in the paper bag, after which, the Dad would cheer him on. so had so much fun doing it, he was laughing his heart out the whole time.

come January 1st, Dade will be turn 17 months. so far he’s mastered kissing the hand (pagmamano) and give us kisses to make lambing. he’s also trying to speak a few words, and sometimes babbles to us, as if telling us a story. he still co-sleeps with us, which i have to admit is the best part of my day because we get to cuddle a lot, especially now that the weather is nippy and all we ever wanna do is stay in bed. i really am savoring these moments before he grows up feeling binata na and all.

arm’s length away

2010-12-19T10:51:00.003+04:00

how fast time flies! Christmas is just 6 days away now, can you believe it? have you done your Christmas shopping? how about wrapping ‘em gifts? did you shop for the Christmas dinner already?

it may not be as busy in this part of the world, but our family will definitely be super busy this week for the holidays. we’ll be baking lots of goodies for my team mates, as well as for my Pinoy colleagues. i cannot afford to buy gifts for each of them so we’ll just give something home made with love. goodluck to me & my hubby who will be working on a tiny urban kitchen this week…hehe!

i’m glad we have bought all Christmas pressies for our families and friends here, and had them all wrapped already. our tree has been put up 3 weeks ago, and it’s brimming with gifts underneath – mostly gifts for Dade’s friends here in Dubai. we’re also half done shopping for ingredients for the food to be prepared for our Noche Buena feast. now all we need to do is keep the house clean, cook food and welcome our guests on the evening of the 24th.

the Christmas atmosphere may not be as jolly or busy as back home, but we will make do with what we have and we will try to make it special for our little boy. we’ve always been home for the holidays every year, except in 2007, so it’s a bit difficult to be away this year. we’re missing the get-togethers, meet-ups, the Christmas songs played wherever we go, the rush that the holiday season brings…haaayyy!!

well, if there’s one thing that made me and hubby smile last weekend, it was this precious little bag that has one of the things that make up a Filipino Christmas.

now we just need to buy queso de bola and we’re all set.

Dade's (and hubby's) first Metro ride

2010-12-09T12:45:00.002+04:00

Dubai's own railway system opened September of last year. however, it took us months before we finally had a chance to ride it because we didn’t find any reason to take it in the first place. my first ride was around May, and i was with my cousin S. we took it from Mall of the Emirates to her apartment, 21st Century Tower which is just right in front of the Financial Centre Station (yep, a 10-minute walk from my office building).

last month, we were invited to come celebrate our friends’ daughter’s 6th month birthday at their flat in Dubai Marina. Ryan and i thought it was the perfect opportunity to take the train with the little one since the JBR Station is just right next to our friends’ building. and since it’s kind of difficult to get a parking spot at Dubai Marina, we thought of taking the Metro and just leave our car in a mall in the other side of town.

here’s a picture of our wee one on our way to JBR station:

the trip was long, i tell ya! it took us 45 minutes from Deira City Centre Station to JBR Station, which would normally take a little over 20 minutes by car at the maximum speed limit. it has a lot of stops so you can tell the little boy became fussy towards the middle of the ride. despite our level best to entertain him with the view outside, he still insisted on getting off my lap and walking around, which we prevented him to do so and much to his dismay!

we were relieved when we finally had to get off our stop because the boy was annoyed already. good thing he was entertained by the walkalator so he was back to his usual self before we arrived at our destination.

the ride back went way smoothly because Dade was already tired then. but before he fell asleep, i took this picture of him and the Daddy as a little keepsake.

footwear galore

2010-12-08T10:08:00.004+04:00

my little boy has tons of shoes! i reckon i will not be buying any new ones until he turns 2 & ½. he’s received shoes as presents, which are not cheap by the way regardless of their minute size, as well as hand me downs from his friend, my godson Karl.

in the past 4 months, he’s received all these hand-me-down shoes in mint condition:

would you believe that the handsome pair on the top left was used by 3 boys already before they were handed down to Dade? the first owner is now 8 years old. see, the shoes are indeed in great condition.

all the other shoes Dade has used since birth are kept in a special drawer in his closet. i’m saving them in case i get a baby boy again. i just couldn’t let go of these shoes, as much as i couldn’t let go of his clothes and other stuff that mean a lot to us…err, me, or those that have sentimental value.

shopaholic

2010-12-06T10:40:00.004+04:00

seems like the wee one is going to be a shopaholic himself when he grows older. he sure knows how to pick out stuff from the racks.

i couldn’t help but snap a couple of pictures because he’s just so darn cute! he’s going through the racks like a real big boy – as if he actually knows what he wants for himself, and ready to pick out his choice from the available options.

head bang

2010-11-29T16:26:00.004+04:00

this year has been tough on me, physically. i caught flu twice, and had a UTI attack once. and just last week, i had to go and see a doctor because i was having frequent terrible headaches.

but among my trips to the ER this year, the most recent one was the worst. i was so nervous because the doctor ordered a CT Scan the same day. now i know a lot of hospitals take advantage of the health insurance coverage of their patients by ordering several procedures that they don’t necessarily require, but i don’t mind at all, especially if that procedure is needed to rule out certain illnesses. however, it’s not reassuring to hear that you’d be subjected to a CT Scan when you’re suffering from a massive headache that isn’t going away.

here’s how the intimidating machine looks like:

it didn’t take that long, but i was super nervous the whole time. i asked my boys to go home and leave me there because i didn’t want them to wait that long for the procedure and results.

i was relieved when the doctor told me my CT Scan results were negative. diagnosis was migraine, and i was asked to see a neurologist within the same week for follow up. the neurologist said the same thing, but he was able to point out why i get my migraine attacks, and it’s all because of stress. i also have tension headaches to top it all off. so yeah, i now officially belong to the group of people suffering from this incurable, debilitating curse. this is karma’s way of letting me know that migraine is serious, and shouldn’t be used out of context.

just the same, i’m so glad it’s just migraine and not something else. i’m quite thankful it can be prevented and is easily manageable with the right meds, healthy diet (goodbye chocolates, Chinese food & cheeses) and proper sleep.

i just hope there'll be no ER trips again for the rest of the year and the coming years, as well.

Dade's 1st birthday supplier ratings

2010-11-26T09:08:00.025+04:00

warning: this post is a long read one. unless you do not want to be bored to death by my opinionated post, then i suggest you go to another blogpost i wrote because believe me, this will take a while. and yeah, it took me a while myself

to finish this because of the number of suppliers i booked for the little fella's first birthday party. whew!

anyway, if you've decided to go on ahead and read this, well, just remember that i warned you, ok? :P

so here goes my super duper delayed supplier ratings. hope this helps.

venue: Northeast Greenhills Clubhouse

location: #21 La Salle St. North East Greenhills, San Juan City

tel no: 7260550

capacity: 150 - 180 pax

peso power: P8,000 + P8,000 refundable bond

additional charges: P500 per power outlet usage

inclusions: use of the clubhouse for 5 hours (3pm -8 pm) & sound system

rating: 5*** (highly recommended)

we love this venue! good thing the place was still available when i called last February because someone cancelled their booking (thanks to you, whoever you are!) the contact person, Ms. Marily, was very easy to deal with. she pencil booked us and gave us a week to pay the downpayment of P4,000. the remaining balance and bond was paid a month before the event. when we were discussing about the decors, she even gave us options on how our party planner could start decorating given that the event fell on a Sunday and the clubhouse was being used for the Sunday mass.

a week after the party, we went back to refund our bond, and we were happy to learn that she only charged us for three power outlets for four foodcarts and one photobooth. yay!

what we liked about the venue is that the place has high ceiling with beams that could be used to hold the swags and balloon drops. natural light could freely come in, too because of the glass windows and glass doors at the end of the room. it also comes with a stage, too, which is ideal for me because the guests at the back could easily watch the goings on in front during the program and games. there’s also a park with playground, and most importantly, there is ample parking space with a security personnel to assist the guests. for it’s price, definitely sulit!

party planner: Partyboosters

website: http://partyboosters.multiply.com/

tel no: 6922366 / 0917 8985227

peso power: reasonably priced (just ask Jacque for a quote)

package: Booster Package

booster package inclusions: 1 pair of 6 ft. balloon pillar for stage (mylar balloons on top), 1 entrance arch, 1 cake arch, 10 mylar balloon centerpieces, balloon stage decors, 18" balloon burst, floating balloons for size of venue good for 150 pax & up and swags

add ons: backdrop & standee "Dade's Party Is Here", plus 2 centerpieces

rating: 5*** (so highly recommended)

Jacque has never failed me…ever. the first time i hired her services for my son’s baptism, everything was more than ok. even my referred clients were quite happy with her work.

she delivered beyond expectations during Dade’s party. the place rocked big time – super colorful & lively! there were also free add ons like the additional balloons for the balloon drops, plus the buffet table’s arrangement. all i had to do was provide her the plush toys in the morning of the event, and when we came in the afternoon, it was all arranged already.

she also supervised the event with so much ease. she coordinated with the host/magician, and also made sure that all the prizes and give-aways were properly arranged before we came to the venue. when Jacque saw the melted icing on the cupcakes, i think she was more upset than i was. at one point, i even saw her trying to clean up the icing on the cupcakes to be displayed using a spoon because she said they would look bad in the pictures. haha! talk about being OC -- like me!

for an event like this, it really is important to have a party planner whom you can trust. and i say Jacque did very well. we are so pleased we hired Partyboosters for Dade’s party. it was a wise decision indeed.

caterer: Verleo Catering

website: http://www.verleo.com/

email: verleocatering@yahoo.com

tel no: 3653315 / 3675082 / 4470896 / 3619379

peso power: P290 for adults / P130 for kids

adult menu: Japanese Fried Rice

Braised Birthday Noodle with Quail Eggs or Carbonara

Chicken ala Pobre

BBQ Spareribs

Steamed Fish Fillet with Soy Sauce (my favorite)

Stir-Fried Assorted Vegetables

Desserts – Mango Crepe / Peach Almond Fruit Cocktail

kiddie menu: Baked Spaghetti

Chicken Fingers with Garlic Mayo

Hotdog with Mallows

Dessert - Brownies

rating: 5*** (highly recommended)

i’ve read a lot of rave reviews in n@w and in another group i've looked into so i did not hesitate to book them for Dade’s party. and boy, am i glad we did! most of our guests were very satisfied with the yummy food they served. the generous portions of food laid out on the buffet table gave us more than enough to take home, too. they were able to accommodate my request on the colors of the table linens to be used. two days before the party, my AE Angel (who is truly heaven-sent) called us to check up on last minute requests, and she even volunteered to deduct P30 for each table since we are not using their centerpieces.

they may not have fancy buffet table set up or special centerpieces to match our theme, but they delivered beyond our expectations. the waiters were in proper uniforms and were polite to the guests.

oh, and i also loved the fact that they don’t charge corkage fees for the cases of softdrinks (courtesy my friends, Mr. & Mrs. F of Coca Cola Tigers team) we brought. they happily served them to the guests during the party.

all transactions were done via email and YM – totally fuss-free.

host: Flooch

contact person: Jacque of Partyboosters

peso power: please contact Jacque for the rates

rating: 5*** (highly recommended)

while planning for Dade’s birthday party, i only had one host in mind to book – and that is Flooch. imagine, you already have a host, magician & ventriloquist in one. lots of savings indeed!

his games, magic & ventriloquist show was quite a hit to all our guests. i never wanted to leave my seat while watching because it was so amusing. hubby & i particularly liked the games for the kids. they were unique and well thought of. we also liked the part where he gave out prizes to all the kids, making sure that none was gonna go home empty-handed.

we were also delighted that he used a gorilla for his ventriloquist act. you see, we fondly call our little boy “monkey” (he was dressed up as a monkey during last year’s Halloween) because he loves bananas. if you want a Class A host with a good command of English and an excellent rapport with both kids and adults, you can bet your money on Flooch. worth every peso paid!

invitations: Business Shoppe

website: http://businessshoppe.multiply.com/

email: business.shoppe@gmail.com

contact person: Lhoelit

tel no: 9973072

peso power: ranges depending on the style and quantity of order

inclusions: 2D pop up invitation with red, blue, green & yellow envelopes & sticker for sealing. minimal additional fee for map.

rating: 4***

never thought finding a supplier for a pop up invitation is that difficult. i scoured the net looking for a supplier in Manila for weeks, and was so close to giving up. it’s either the suppliers’ prices are super expensive or they have a minimum quantity that is more than what we need. good thing i stumbled upon this supplier who gave the most reasonable quote and lead time.

despite the negative feedback i heard about the contact persons in Business Shoppe, i thankfully never encountered any difficulties when i chased them for layouts and delivery of invites. all transactions, save for one, were done via email.

i want to give them a 5 star rating, but because they printed the invites in glossy paper, i just have to give them a lower rating. it was too late to ask them to reprint the invites so i just settled with what they delivered. the invites looked great anyway, and we received a lot of compliments from people who received them.

i carefully chose the wordings for the invite, and made sure that i incorporate phrases commonly heard in Sesame Street. the invite reads:

The Sesame Street Gang says,

“B" is for Birthday and "P" is for Party!

Come on over as we celebrate

Daniel Jayden Erix’s 1^st Birthday

on Sunday, 1^st August 2010 at 2:30 pm

at the North East Greenhills Clubhouse, San Juan City.

We hope to see you there!

This invitation has been brought to you

by the letter “D” and the number “1”.

cake: Les Sucreries

website: http://lessucreries.multiply.com/

email: vtn_mkc@yahoo.com

contact person: Veronica Ngo

tel no: 0917-8566186

peso power: ranges depending on the size. please do note of additional delivery fee & layout fee (layout fee is deductable from the total price of the cake).

rating: 5*** (so highly recommended)

let’s be honest, most people order birthday cakes for posterity purposes. the cake’s design is the priority and the taste is just secondary because we rarely serve the cake anyway. and because of this, we ordered a 3-layer cake, with two lower layers that are dummy.

we wanted our son’s cake to be extra special and different from his fondant baptismal cake, so this time we opted for the “star icing tip” type of cake. the cake is topped off with a large 3D Cookie Monster & lamppost next to it. we know it’s usually Elmo who takes the limelight in every Sesame Street party, but not for us. hubby & the little boy are more fond of Cookie Monster so we decided to choose him for our 3D topper.

one can never go wrong in choosing Veronica as your cake supplier. she delivers really well. Dade’s cake looked super spectacular -- we were so happy with the details! the cake was also delivered early so when we got to the venue, the cake’s already there. special thanks to Dade’s godfather, Nick who paid for the cake as a gift.

the only comment i have with Veronica is that she takes a while to reply to emails. but she replies immediately to YM when she’s online.

cupcakes & cookies: Cuppy Klyde Bakeshop

website: http://cakesbycuppycake.multiply.com/

contact: Jane Reyes

tel no: 0908 5570277

rating: cupcakes – 3*** / cookies – 5*** (highly recommended)

Cuppy Klyde is the same supplier we had for Dade’s baptism cookies. i am very happy with how Jane works on the designs of the cookies. they look like they’re done with passion – not just for the aesthetics but also for the gastronomical delight of whoever pops them in the mouth.

i originally ordered for cupcakes only, but hubby, at the last minute, suggested that we add the cookies. good thing we did because when we opened the boxes of the cupcakes, we were disappointed to see that the icing has melted. we picked it up on the same day at Megamall Megatrade Hall since Jane is an exhibitor in the wedding fair. we suspect that the icing has melted during transport from Cavite to Mandaluyong. it was a mistake that i didn’t check the boxes after we picked them up because we were in a hurry.

i wasn’t able to taste the cupcakes, too, so i couldn’t tell how they fared. but i guess they were yummy because they were all gone before the party finished.

photographer: Warren Camitan

website: http://warrenjcphoto.multiply.com/

email: warrenjc6@yahoo.com

peso power: P7,500

inclusions: 2 photographers (labor only), 2 locations – maximum of 5 hours, minimum of 250 hi-res photos stored in in DVD with custom cover and label. free 25 pieces 4R print (edited – photographer’s choice)

rating: 4.5***

Warren’s a very easy person to deal with. polite, accommodating and super patient. i swear, when we picked up the DVD’s from our meeting place, we were late for almost 3 hours because Dade was running a fever that day, and he didn’t even complain!

what i personally liked about the pictures are the candid shots Warren & his 2^nd photographer took during the party. the kids looked like they truly had a grand time! it really meant a lot to me that they were able to take numerous candid shots because the pictures looked like they were telling a story.

it’s also good to note that they were on time when they arrived at the hotel for the preps. they were also quick at delivering the pictures. less than two weeks after the party and we already have the pictures in DVD.

i wanted to give a perfect 5 star for them, but because they failed to take a picture of the details of the invitation, the gifts & registration table with the registration sheets i made, i thought of deducting half a star. i’m a sucker for details eh.

for more pictures, please click here.

videographer: Thor Productions

website: http://thorproductionkids.multiply.com/

email: thorproductions@gmail.com

contact: Thor & Carmela

tel no: 0919 6752473 / 0915 9711901

peso power: P8,500

inclusions: 4 hours video - one location, 1 Dvd copy of edited video with personalized cover and casing

rating: pending

i couldn’t say much about our videographer because i haven’t seen the video yet, not even the teaser. we booked Thor Productions because they’re the same team we got for Dade’s baptism and we were happy with the teaser. more importantly, we booked them because of the quality of the videos they produce. we wanted nothing less than hi-def, and we’re very sure this Thor & his team can deliver.

guestbook: Mediamonsters Productions

website: http://mediamonsters.multiply.com/

email: mediamonsters.productions@gmail.com

contact: Liza Que

tel no: 02 5159017 / 0917 5421717

peso power: P2,000 (old rate for repeat customer)

inclusions: layout & printing of 20 pages photo guestbook with free pen/marker

rating: 5*** (highly recommended)

dealing with Mediamonsters is a breeze, as usual. i just provided them the pictures, the cover & layout i want, and they did it in a jiff! layout of the pictures was nicely done. can’t ask for a better supplier.

photobooth: Say Cheese Ph

website: http://www.saycheese.com.ph/

email: saycheeseph@yahoo.com

contact: Zandro Gonzales

tel no: 02 4374170

peso power: special rate for me since i’m friends with the owner, but you can check their website for the rates

inclusions: projector & screen, stop time, unlimited photo prints, customizable photo design, online photo gallery, DVD to store images

rating: 4.5***

the photo booth is just as i imagined it to be. they have cute hats, wigs and other props the guests can use to take wacky pictures of themselves. the layout is also what we had in mind. special thanks to my SIL & BIL who helped with the backdrop tarp!

now you ask why i only gave 4.5 stars. it’s not actually about the photobooth, but more on the projector. it had a few glitches which caused some minor stress to me & our party planner. we really wanted to play Dade’s AVP created by his Ninong Armil. i’m just so glad it still worked out in the end.

guest name tag: Printbox

website: http://printbox.multiply.com/

email: printbox888@yahoo.com

contact: Cielo

peso power: P2.50 per name tag

rating: 4***

getting the name tags was a last minute decision. i ordered them a couple of weeks before we flew in to Manila. they’re ok and they’ve served their purpose. i’m just happy that my request for various characters per name tag was accommodated.

the name tags were printed in a plain matte finish sticker, but i wish i chose the glossy material. when printed in matte, the colors looked dull and flat, although the supplier suggested that based on experience, the ones printed in matte come out livelier.

lootbag: Personalized Picks

website: http://personalizedpicks.multiply.com/

contact: Catherine Manzano

peso power: P105 / bag, minimum of 10 pieces per design

rating: 5*** (so highly recommended)

it took me months to decide on which lootbag to get for the kids but i found myself always checking out this particular kind of snack carry bag they have on their website. i decided that among the options, it was reasonably priced, useful and just about the right size. and so after several email exchanges on the design and all, the items were shipped to my in-laws in Manila a few days before we arrived.

i was super impressed with their work the moment i've seen the lootbags in real life. they look like they were store-bought! they didn't look cheap and the materials they used were the ones i had in mind. i didn't have the lootbags printed with Dade's name because i want the recipients to use the carry bags again. i mean, seriously, who would use a bag that has another kid's name written on it, right? instead, we just made thank you tags that we individually placed on each bag to give them a personal touch.

oh, and i just have to mention that when i told Catherine that one of the bag's zipper was damaged, she refunded me without hesitation. excellent customer service indeed! that's why i eagerly referred her to my friends and family because i know she will be able to deliver.

foodcarts: Polkadots Events

website: http://polkadotsevents.multiply.com/

email: polkadotsevents@gmail.com

contact: Jhoanne Paris Henson

tel no: 0919.8047006

peso power: please contact Jhoanne for the rates

rating: 5***

foodcarts: NYFD, Waffle Time, Big Chill & FIC

the foodcarts were a hit! i am so glad we were able to get these foodcarts at the last minute through Jhoanne. she was very easy to deal with and she pleasantly accommodated our queries. quick to respond to emails, as well.

bubble bottle sticker: Yooprints

store location: National Bookstore Glorietta 5

peso power: P3.00 per sticker

rating: 5*** (highly recommended)

although the bubble bottle stickers ended up being more expensive than the bubble bottle itself, we were still happy to have gotten their services. fast and easy and convenient location. the staff who attended to us was kind and very patient. i think i changed my mind more than 3 times but her face didn't even show any sign of wanting to complain. the print outs were just as i wanted them to be -- they were perfect! all i needed was to bring a picture of Sesame Street and give the wordings. they worked on the stickers in no time, and within less than 30 minutes, they were all done.

unfortunately, we don't have any picture of the bottles :(

save the date: SIL Kaye

peso power: labor of love

rating: 5***

my SIL is very creative! i knew that i could depend on her for something like this, and i was right. the way she's done the Save-The-Date was how i wanted it to look like. she even made various options to choose from. big thanks indeed to her for the fab lookin' Save-The-Date for Dade's birthday!

******

there you have it -- my long-overdue supplier ratings. ok, next one is the Dubai party supplier ratings. wish me luck i finish it before Christmas...hahaha!

thanks for taking time to read :)

revamp

2010-11-21T10:05:00.000+04:00

i really think this blog needs some serious revamping. i need to spruce it up a bit and post more cohesive stories to make it more interesting. since we came back from our holidays last August, i could barely make time to write. i’m so busy with so much stuff at work and at home, and i haven’t even had time to post all the topics and stories i wish to share. below is a list of things i want to write about, and hopefully i’d be able to publish them soon:

- Dade’s 1st Birthday Party in Manila
- Dade’s 1st Birthday Party in Dubai
- October happenings
- Manila holiday
- Dade’s 1st haircut
- Dade’s favorite cookies
- Halloween Party
- Eid holidays
- my Christmas wishlist (which includes webhosting. i’m so excited to get my own domain name already!)

got to get working on these and post them before the year ends. please blogging mojo, won’t you come back to me?

quick catch up

2010-11-14T07:53:00.012+04:00

my goodness! it's almost mid-November and i haven't even had the chance to blog about anything since the month started. am i that busy?

anyway, as the world watches Pacman & Margarito fight today, i'd take a few minutes to write something short about how we are doing right now.

Dade's newfound friends
last month, we visited Bessie B's new apartment, and we were thrilled to have finally met the dogs she's babysitting for her friends. at first, we were concerned about Dade getting near the dogs because even if they're generally small in size, they could still knock him over, you know. good thing both Fritz and Alma are more on the gentle side. it took Dade only a few minutes to warm up to them, and before we knew it, they're friends already.

we'll be hanging out at B's place tomorrow 'cos our long holiday is coming up (Eid Al Adha), but we heard from her that she already returned the dogs 'cos their Daddy came home already. so yeah, no doggies tomorrow to play with, but we'll go swimming instead :)

the favorite toy
Dade's best buddy is Ernie. my SIL bought this plush toy when she shopped for prizes and give-aways for his birthday party. he loves this toy to bits! it's so cute whenever we see him walking around the house lugging Ernie around.

oral hygiene
when Dade had his 15th month vaccination, his pedia reminded us about the wee one’s oral hygiene. and we were happy to tell him that we have been brushing his teeth since the first ones erupted. now that he’s a bit bigger, i got him a more befitting BPA-free toothbrush from Mam from the Softlanding. we got the toothbrush cover from Babyshop, and his Earth’s Best toothpaste from Healthy Options in Manila.

i’m glad the little boy has no qualms about brushing his teeth. in fact, the other day when i was changing his nappy from his “command center”, he grabbed the toothbrush, took out the cover and almost put the toothbrush in his mouth. i just hope he’ll have the same enthusiasm when it’s time for him to face the dental chair the first time.

balloon making
my husband has this thing about balloons. last month, our godchild, Zoei celebrated her first birthday here in Dubai, and we helped make some balloons for the ladybug and bumblebee party theme. while practicing at home, these are what he had made so far:

and for the party, this is what he’s done:

i’m proud that the hubby also has this artistic side in him. it makes me happy that i have a supportive partner when it comes to my arts and crafts. truth is, when i stumble upon a road block when i’m working on my arts and crafts stuff, he’s always there to suggest a solution.

Starbucks ice cream
yep, you heard that right. not only does Starbucks venture into creating coffee concoctions, but they also sell ice cream under their famed name. but these creamy-licious sweets are only available in supermarkets, stocked right next to Ben & Jerry’s, Baskin’ Robbins and Haagen Daazs. we tried the caramel macchiato flavor which rocked my tastebuds the first time its first spoonful laid into my mouth. yum-o!!

Christmas shopping
i am proud to say that we’re 95% done with our Christmas shopping. we started real early, like around August if i remember it correctly. we took advantage of all the promotions we’ve seen around the malls, and we’re pretty lucky we scored a lot of pretty good stuff, especially for the kids. last week, we’ve also sent our cargo box for our families back home. i hope they come in time for the holidays.

now all i need to do is put up the Christmas tree so i can start wrapping ‘em gifts. but first, i need to find 800 white rice lights for my tree. and so the hunt begins!

********

so there you have it, a bit of an update from my side after weeks of being so quiet. i have so much stuff to blog about, and i hope to be able to do that during the Eid break. we’re getting 4 days off so that’s a very long weekend for me…hooray!!

‘till next time, folks! take care.

Just Kidding loots

2010-10-28T12:41:00.009+04:00

ok, i know my son has already loads of stuff to fill his room, but the Mom in me just couldn’t help buying him treats when i saw that Just Kidding was having a clearance sale, both in their online shop and warehouse in Al Quoz.

i’ve always wanted Dwell Baby stuff for our Dadelicious, but was too stingy to
spend on toys that are worth more than AED 100 (USD 28). when i saw that their prices went down to as low as 70% off their regular price, i did a mad dash to the Al Quoz Warehouse last Saturday to check out the items.

i scored a couple of hand puppets that are only priced at AED 18 each (barely
USD 5), originally with a AED 75 price tag. i’m glad Dade adores them! i bought extra pieces to be given away as gifts.

i also got him this cute Babylicious bib for only AED 20 (a little over USD 5), which is adorable, but super useful.

i wanted to grab the Dwell Baby Mind Blocks, a classic toy which they added a twist to. however, i was taken aback when i learned that they’re offering only 25% discount in their warehouse. i know for a fact that it’s 50% off from their online store, so i decided to just leave the item and order online instead. that evening, i did order for the Mind Blocks, which are just the cutest blocks ever!

we also ordered the Skip Hop Swipes, which is a useful case that keeps the wipes moist and prevents them from drying out. it can be hooked to the stroller or be placed in the bag, whichever the parent prefers. it has a quick-draw opening which makes it super easy to grab a baby wipe with one hand when you’re on the go. isn’t that neat? oh, and it’s BPA-free, phthalate-free and PVC-free, too!

i never imagined i’d be so hooked with baby/toddler stuff shopping. it’s an absolute joy for me as a parent to find stuff that are dirt cheap, but uber functional and at the same time stylish. i know a lot of Moms can relate to me, but i’m sure the Dads are raising eyebrows already…haha!

blackberry is love

2010-10-14T08:08:00.003+04:00

ok, first thing's first. blackberry is here to stay. hooray!!

let me give you a brief background on that. last August while on holiday in Manila, i got a BB Message from my bessie B saying that the TRA in the UAE announced the cancelation of the services of the Blackberry Internet Service (BIS) effective October 11. we were all shocked and disappointed learning about this piece of news. you see, a lot of people in the UAE, whether business people or not, are subscribed to BIS. it makes it easy for people to communicate with one another, and chatting through BB Messenger is just the best thing ever in mobile phone technology :)

anyhoo, we’re just soooo glad the ban was lifted at the eleventh hour. and what better way to celebrate that than a complimentary coffee, doughnut, loyalty card and a Blackberry skin courtesy of Research in Motion and Caribou Coffee (yay, Canadian peeps!). this promotion will run for 3 Thursdays in a row at the DIFC, Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates branches of Caribou.

i got my freebies this morning, and it sure did wake me up! now i have this cheery self walking around the halls at work with my ponytail bouncing like a cheerleader’s. see, told you i’m a sucker for freebies...haha!

empty

2010-10-10T10:29:00.004+04:00

this is completely unheard of from where i am from.

surprisingly, this Starbucks outlet didn’t even had one single customer when we passed by yesterday at half past one in the afternoon, and to think that it’s situated inside a mall. it’s so strange because for a weekend, this coffee shop should be busy with people and not look desolated. hubby and i could not believe our eyes!

we bet the reason why it’s empty is because they don’t offer free wi-fi :P

grocery shopping

2010-10-07T11:58:00.006+04:00

whenever we need some small items for our pantry which we run out of or are not available in the hypermarkets that we frequent to, we always run to Spinney’s. it’s just a stone’s throw away from our place which is super convenient for us to go to before heading home after work.

last week, we did a quick grocery shopping and used our wee one’s new Infantino shop & play grocery cart cover that he got as a gift for his first birthday (a shoutout to Aunt Shelai & Uncle Lito for this dandy pressie!).

allow me to share with you how the little man is enjoying his new take-away “upholstery”.

not only can it be used for the grocery cart, but also for high chairs when in dining in fast food shops and restaurants.

i bet you can tell he loves bananas! haha!

our Wendy's experience

2010-10-07T08:07:00.005+04:00

a couple of Thursdays ago, our family trooped to Dubai Festival City to grab some stuff to give out as presents for Christmas (yup, we're that early when it comes to Christmas shopping!). we realized we haven't had the chance to try the newly opened Wendy's branch in Dubai so we decided to have burgers for dinner.

the food wasn't that exciting, to be honest. and we're so glad we never really expected much because we've been warned by friends that their food is not the same as the Wendy's we know back home. truth be told, their burger had a funky taste! good thing their baked potatoes were good, otherwise, we would've ended up totally unhappy with the experience. too bad they don't serve their famous iced tea, too. and unfortunately, we failed to buy a cup of chocolate frosty for dessert.

it's a dual-brand branch, but we only tried the Wendy's burgers and passed up the chance to try Arby's. maybe next time we'll give it a try.

never let anyone take advantage of you...

2010-10-05T22:38:00.005+04:00

...especially those people who constantly put you down, or is just using you to get what they want and then they will treat you badly the next day. do not ever sacrifice your own happiness to satisfy those people because it’s not worth it. they do not care about you nor will they ever feel remorse for using you.

i read this from my sister's tumblr account. it hit home, that much i can tell you.

and yes, i have faith that this, too, shall pass.

thank you friends for being there, and for the love & support. hugs!!

crystal clear

2010-09-28T10:50:00.001+04:00

i already had four people asking me this morning if i’m ok. they said i haven’t been my usual self lately. they don’t see me smile anymore, they hardly hear me laugh, and they just observed how quietly i work in my little corner.

it’s hard to take a short deep breath and pretend to say that you are ok when you are in fact not. sorry, i really just can’t hide what i feel. i’m a transparent, what-you-see-is-what-you-get person. it’s not my nature to say something and then show a different face.

i wish things would turn out ok for me in the next coming days. even i miss the sound of my cheerful voice.

sad musing

2010-09-27T12:48:00.000+04:00

ok, first two posts for the day and it’s all about satisfying the stomach. sorry, i’ve been struggling to get some nice thoughts out of my system. truth is i’ve been wanting so badly to let out some steam.

sometimes life can be really unfair. i don’t normally complain about my life in general, but the way things are going for me at this stage, i feel that i’ve now reached a saturation point. i am exhausted and frustrated beyond words. i don’t think randomly shedding a tear or two in between doing something is healthy anymore. i have to do something NOW lest i want to succumb to depression and later on to nervous breakdown (yipes!).

i just hope in the next coming weeks, things will improve. i need to see some signs of progress because i don’t want to see myself going through this for a very long time. no one else can help me other than myself. i guess i better claim for the best and pray that everything else will fall into place.

i keep reminding myself that i am too blessed to be stressed. i’ll just immerse myself in happy thoughts until i drown. that is way better than drowning in misery, right?

free coffee at Caffe Nero

2010-09-27T07:58:00.001+04:00

this UK coffee chain has opened it's shop in our centre, and so one Thursday early evening, the husband and i decided to give their coffee a try. i had vouchers for the buy one free one coffee so in case we get disappointed, at least we know we didn't pay for two cups & just wasted our money on one...haha!

we ordered Mocha Frappe Latte and Caramel Frappe Latte. what’s different about their cold coffee is that they have ready-flavored coffee in their chiller, which you just have to grab. you bring it to the counter to pay for it, and then they will blend it for you with ice. i personally didn’t like it because it doesn’t have that texture, and it felt like i was just drinking cold, thick coffee.

anyway, free coffee is still free coffee, so what the heck! i still have two vouchers good until November so maybe we’ll try & order other variants they have on our next visit.

my recent addiction

2010-09-27T07:48:00.004+04:00

i can't get enough of this popcorn! once i've opened a bag, i can never stop eating. how's that for someone who's on a diet...haha!

anyway, i'm so glad we have it here in Dubai :) we can easily drive to Dubai Mall after work to get a pack whenever we feel like munching on them. i love it's caramel flavor -- super yummy! each popped corn is evenly coated with caramel it's just so divine! perfect for the caramel lover like me.

i haven't tried the other flavors like cheese & butter. maybe one of these days i'll try them, too. for now, let me just indulge myself on these sweets.

Math help

2010-09-24T21:46:00.008+04:00

it’s back to school once again. students are probably dreading the need to wake up early so they could get to their schools on time. but i bet some students consider it the least of their concerns. some are much more worried about the return of the homeworks and exams. well, you can’t blame them. after a summer of not doing anything school related, it’s not exactly easy to switch on and digest the lessons in a snap of a finger.

a lot of parents do support their kids by enrolling them in K-12 and college tutoring, no matter how old the kids feel they are. that is to help them in their Math word problems (and even factoring polynomials), for instance. they also take advantage of Free Math help and Free homework help in order keep their kids on track and follow the subject matter more easily. i am a parent myself, and if i see there is a Math problem solver you can find, why not seek his help, right? College algebra ain’t easy for everyone so if there’s Math homework help you can get, it won’t hurt to grab the chance.

quick pick me upper

2010-09-15T09:34:00.015+04:00

a compliment in the morning can always start your day with a smile. hearing people say how nice your outfit looks on you or how your make up blends well with your skin color can totally make your day. but my most favorite compliment of all is hearing people (yes -- men, women & in between) say they love my shoes. i get all cheery & giddy excited! (yep, i'm that shallow, too -- haha!)

yesterday, i wore my purple shoes from Zara to match my lavender top & black pencil skirt. but today, since i’m wearing my navy blue dress (which i got from Unica Hija from back home), i decided to break in my new pair of navy peep toe pumps from my favorite store, Zara. even before the clock hit 9:00 o’clock this morning, i already got 5 compliments for my new pumps. and you wouldn’t believe these people: they ask me if i get my shoes from the Philippines! yes, they think shoes made from my home country are among those with nicest styles they’ve seen. (whoopee!)

my new 4.5 inch pumps :)

i just love shoes! if you’re a frequent visitor of my blog, you’ll know how wound up i get whenever there’s a new shoe purchase. double excited if i get them at a steal price. i may not have bought my first Manolo, Choo or Louboutin yet, but i promise to own a pair of each in this lifetime. better check out the Brands For Less and see if there’s a treasure i can find in there. oh yeah, there's a cheapskate in me alright! what's not to love about a bargain find? :)

pa-cute little boy

2010-09-13T23:00:00.006+04:00

you know how elders usually teach babies to flutter and squint their eyes when you say, "beautiful eyes?" well, we did teach our son that trick, too. but instead of saying, "beautiful eyes", he responds to "pa-cute, pa-cute Dade". and it does work :)

he normally does this when he's in the best of his mood. or if when he's already warmed up to a new crowd. our squirt is not exactly the shy type. once he's settled with other people's presence (which is like almost instantaneous), he can easily bring himself to come with anyone no matter how recent he's met that person. yup, we've been told many times that our son could easily be kidnapped because he goes with almost everyone. we take that as a compliment.

poor Yumi

2010-09-08T16:09:00.005+04:00

...is damaged again :(

for the first time since my husband started driving, he got into an accident he caused. it was last Thursday, a day before Dade's birthday party here in Dubai. he was on his way then to pick me up from work. it totally freaked me out when i learned that he unconsciously swerved to the right lane and bumped the van in front of him because he fell asleep while driving! goodness gracious indeed! thank God no one was hurt, and that the damage was just minor on both vehicles. and yes, thankfully Dade wasn't with him when it happened. my Dad was in town then for a visit so he babysat the little one when Ryan went to fetch me.

we're so grateful we have a reliable insurance company that will take care of most of the expenses. once the car goes for repair in the shop, we will have a private car to use for 10 days or until the car gets all fixed, which is included in our coverage. that saves us a lot of rent-a-car money so it's a pretty wise choice, i tell you :)

anyway, the expenses & the traffic fine are ok with us as long as everybody's safe. to my husband's guardian angel, thank you for looking after him. and thank you, God for keeping everyone away from harm!

quick catch up

2010-09-02T15:56:00.010+04:00

trying to share some snippets of what has happened so far with our little boy. now that he is officially a toddler, it was time for us to upgrade our reference book. goodbye, the first year...hello the toddler years.

we are suckers for Earth's Best products. my little boy loves their cereal, teething biscuits, bottled food and toothpaste :)

however, despite Earth's Best being a proud sponsor of Sesame Street, our little boy is not particularly enamored with Elmo. just look at the expression on his face:

a few days later, this is what he did to the poor thing:

in other news, i went shopping the other day for a couple of new clothes for work. i found this pair of shoes at a bargain price.

my Barney shoes :) -- this is bright purple in color irl

from AED 195 to AED 70 -- how can you resist that?

tomorrow is Dade's party here in Dubai, and i can't wait already (talk about being overly excited!). so yeah, stories are in order next week.

bye for now!

party planning part 2

2010-08-30T22:40:00.003+04:00

Dade is having his birthday party number 2 here in Dubai, and the party planner Mommy in me is at it again. yes, despite the very busy days i have at work after coming back from a month-long holiday, i decided to make proper preps for my son's party with his friends here. we still have some party items left from Dade's party in Manila, and we're using them as prizes and give-aways since our theme is still Sesame Street to keep the 1st birthday theme consistent.

last weekend, we shopped for the lootbag candies & cookies, and earlier this evening, i finished putting them all inside the lootbags that my cousin bought from Target when she was in San Francisco. i've also put together the give-aways for babies since we're expecting at least 5 to attend.

so far, we have the following in order days before the party (thankfully!):

party venue, check.
invitations, check.
cake, check.
prizes and give-aways, check.
photo & video, check.
party decors, check.

cross fingers everything goes well on Friday. after this, i promise i'll be giving blow by blow details of Dade's parties and our holiday in Manila.

swamped!

2010-08-22T15:21:00.002+04:00

i am so sorry my dear blogging friends if i haven't had time to update this blog. we returned from our holiday last 12th August, but since coming back, work has been up to my neck. seriously, we only had time to clean the apartment yesterday, and we're only halfway done. the chores have piled up, and so has the laundry.

i know that i owe this space lotsa stuff. we have so much holiday stories to tell i feel like i'm gonna burst one of these days. i have yet to post Dade's 11th month & pictorial pictures, his first birthday supplier ratings, our Gymboree experience, meet up with friends and family, and our take on the Philippine's weather & water shortage problem (my goodness!). please give me more time folks -- i will post them as soon as i'm done with this project at work that is due this week.

Math online tutoring

2010-08-15T21:56:00.005+04:00

i used to be a Math whiz when i was young. seriously, i was an excellent student in Math. i often competed in inter-school quiz bees as our school's representative. my parents were very pleased because they didn't need to hire a tutor for me. most students my age then had difficulty understanding the lessons in Math, and i do recall having to teach my classmates in their assignments. it was harder for students back then to actually get the help they need in comprehending the lessons.

good thing K-12 students can now get online tutoring so their lives will be a lot better when dealing with the much-dreaded subject. 5th grade Math has become easier, and so is 4th grade Math. 5th grade Math may be tougher than it looks, but with the proper online tutoring tool, students can excel in this subject, too. before they know it, adding fractions will just be a piece of cake.

online tutoring is not only great for 4th and 5th graders, but also for K-12 students who take up Algebra 2. yes, a lot of people may find Algebra 2 difficult but good thing help is now available to those who find it challenging. i know formula for volume and graphing linear equations can seem daunting, but there is hope now that online tutoring is within one's fingertips.

the baby model

2010-08-08T19:22:00.003+04:00

just wanna share our toddler's first modeling stint...haha!

the day after he celebrated his first birthday, our wee one was brought to the kids' salon for his first haircut. afterwards, we met up with my sisters and niece for a pictorial at The Picture Company. Dade looked like a shaolin so i thought it'd be cute if he'd wear the Chinese costume. good thing he did because several days later, i got a call from our photographer about the happy news that his picture was chosen as the profile pic of The Picture Company in Facebook.

you can view the actual profile pic here.

the stage mother in me was over the moon!