A child's imagination

As a parent to toddlers, our house is in a constant state of disarray. And I have to admit, seeing the kids' things everywhere just gives me a headache! We're always tripping or stubbing our toes over some toy on the floor. And I always find some surprise under the sheets or pillows when I lie down to sleep.

So this photo I saw in FB really struck me, since it is a reminder to us parents to let our kids be kids. What we see as a mess may actually be a whole exciting world of wonder for them...

One of the things my kids love doing is piling up all the pillows and pretending it's a castle. Or when they pull the comforter to the floor and pretend it's a tent. But I really hate when they do this especially when I just fixed the bed! There was also a time they opened a pack of cotton balls and completely tore to pieces some styrofoam I had lying around. All to pretend it was snow and that they were in the movie Frozen. They also like putting all their books on the floor and stepping on them pretending it's a pathway. All this after I painstakingly arranged the books by height on their shelf. Most of the time, I admit to yelling at them to stop instead of letting them play. All because I'm so concerned over the mess they'll make.

So I guess it's really a matter of perspective. Let's not forget to let our children's imagination flourish. They are kids after all and we can always clean up after them once they fall asleep haha! :)

DIY Washi Tape Cake Bunting

First of all, it's hubby's birthday today! I had a little surprise planned for him but more on that later. I just want to share with you first the super cute mini bunting I made for his cake out of washi tape. It really is so inexpensive and easy to make but makes a great impact.

Materials:
Baker's twine (or yarn, thread, or whatever string you have lying around)
Washi tape (or you can use scrapbook or wrapping paper, just cut them up into tiny strips)
BBQ sticks (or paper straws)
Scissors

Washi tape is so easy to use for this project because it already has adhesive so no need to glue anything together. Just cut up a small piece and position in the middle of the string...

Then fold over to seal.

After you have your desired length, you can cut up your flags into whatever shape you like.

Then, just tie the string on your sticks and you're done! So simple but super cute. :)

I did 2 layers of buntings, but it's totally up to you if you just want one or maybe even more.

Like I mentioned, I wanted to surprise hubby for his special day. So after he brought Miley to ballet class, I also went off to do some shopping. When he entered our room when he got back, there were lots of balloons scattered around and of course, his cake! But I think the kids were the ones who really enjoyed the balloons after haha! ;p

So again, happy birthday to the best hubby and dad we could have ever hoped for. Thank you for providing for us, for loving us, and for always being there for us. I thank God everyday for you and I love you so much!

New pillows for my mom's living room

After I showed my mom how my living room looks now with the new pillow covers I got from The Landmark, she immediately dragged me back there to do some shopping for her own space.

We ended up choosing green and blue colors, as well as floral prints...

I wasn't able to take a before shot of her living area since when I visited her after, the covers were already replaced. But her pillows used to be an oriental themed red. Now, I like how the new covers make the space look more modern and younger. :)

And with each cover costing just P54.75, how can you go wrong? :)

Bamba Modern Bistro

I've been wanting to eat here at Bamba, located at BF Homes Paranaque, ever since I read about it in a magazine a few months ago. We were supposed to have dinner here a few weeks ago on a Sunday night but made the mistake of not making a reservation since the place was full.

Good thing hubby and I decided to come back on a weeknight for a quick dinner date. The restaurant is quite small, but makes up for it with its quaint and charming design. The outdoor seating area seems to be much bigger than the inside, air-conditioned space though...

outdoor area

outdoor area leading to the main entrance

indoor area

lots of features about the restaurant on the wall

bar (& the kitchen behind it)

They also have a Confiteria where you can have coffee or dessert, but we'll just check it out another time. :)

Based on their menu and the magazine article I read, Bamba serves a combination of European-inspired cuisine (Spanish & Italian) adapted to local Filipiono taste.

Bamba likes reinventing classic and simple dishes, just like their french fries for example. The combination of the honey, feta cheese and fried rosemary elevates the taste to a whole new level. Doesn't it look so elegant? ;p

French Fries Moderne
Honey. Feta Cheese. Fried Rosemary.
P190

For my main dish, I ordered the 3-Mushroom Raviolo. The sauce was amazing and I loved the taste of the caramelized onions!

3-Mushroom Raviolo
Foie Gras Cream. Caramelized Balsamic Onions. Pecorino Bread Crumbs.
P375

Hubby got the Morning After Sandwich which looks just as good as it tastes! That fried egg on top of the bread looked soooo yummy! And the truffle oil was to die for...

The Morning After Sandwich
Ham. Cheddar cheese. Fried egg, Mozzarella. Truffle oil. Honey. Served with French fries.
P310

So happy we were finally able to eat here because it really did not disappoint. Comfort food at its finest. :)


Bamba Modern Bistro + Confiteria
55 Aguirre Ave. cor. Arsenio Luz St.
BF Homes Ph.2 Paranaque
Tuesday - Sunday, 11am to 10pm
519-7097

New pillows = New living room look!

Here's my throw pillow cover haul from my trip to The Landmark. Like I said in my previous post, there were so many cute prints and patterns to choose from that it took me forever to decide which ones to get...

My current pillow covers are in the more muted shades of purple, so I knew I wanted to go really bright and colorful since it's summer after all. Since I wanted to buy almost all the designs, I decided to just get one of each print I really liked and just mix and match!

These covers in the blue/green shade are 20"x20" and cost P69.75 each...

The rest were 17"x17" and cost P54.75 each...

I read a lot of rules in mixing prints, like sticking to the same color palette or combining patterns in a range of sizes. But if all else fails, just put them all together like I did and if it looks good to you, then it probably works haha! ;p

Here's how my living room looks now with the new covers! Laveeeeet! ;p

Can you believe all these pillow covers just cost me about P650??? That's cheaper than one pillow I originally wanted from Dimensione which was about P700. Now my living room looks completely different all for under P1k and I couldn't be happier. Best buys ever!!! :)

Throw Pillow Heaven at The Landmark

If you know me, then you know I have a slight obsession with pillow covers. I usually buy anything with a really cute pattern or print, especially if it's on sale. I actually checked my inventory a few weeks ago and I have about 20+ unused pillow covers which I've accumulated over the years!

Anyway, I have been drooling over the gorgeous pillows over at Taste Central these past few days. I've been so tempted numerous times to buy those Bungalow 300 brand pillows (which you can also find in Dimensione) that cost about P700 each. But then I remembered that I hadn't been to The Landmark in a while now. The last time was when I bought new pillowcases 6 months ago!

So good thing we had to attend a party at Makati Shangri-La, so I dragged hubby over there right after. I miss those times when I used to work in Makati, since my office was just walking distance to the Ayala area. I could just pop by The Landmark, Glorietta, or SM anytime I wanted during lunch or after work. Now, going to Makati is a special event in itself haha! ;p

As usual, The Landmark did not disappoint! Their Living Room Linens section were filled with so many cute and modern designs. I personally think they have the best selection with unbeatable prices! I mean check out the prints and patterns below. They give all those much more expensive brands a run for their money! I think the most expensive cover I saw was only about P250.

They also have these cute chair pads at just P130 each.

I was really overwhelmed with all the designs! Level up talaga from the last time I was here. I was like a mad woman carrying so many covers, I think I had one in every color haha! ;p

 These designs were P129.75 each and the material is kind of the shiny type...

The covers below come in 3 sizes, small (17"x17") for P54.75, medium (20"x20") for P69.75 and large (24"x24") for P79.75. Super cheap right?? And the material was such good quality! And I can't emphasize how CUTE the designs were! For someone who loves throw pillows this was really HEAVEN for me lol! But some of the designs I wanted were sold out in the bigger sizes (I needed a couple in medium but everything was mostly in small)... I had to work things around but I was happy in the end with my choices. :)

I was really so confused on what to get I think naikot na ni hubby buong Landmark pati Glorietta and I still wasn't done! Hahaha! I mean come on, once in a blue moon na lang ako makapunta here so might as well sulitin diba? ;p

So if you're looking to give your home a makeover, you have to check out The Landmark promise! I'll reveal my buys in the coming post so stay tuned. :)