Friday, May 31, 2013

May has been my month!

source

So many good things have happened this May, I can't believe it! I can't wait to share the good news with all of you in time. Thank you Lord for all the blessings! Have a happy Friday everyone! :)

Monday, May 27, 2013

The SM Store: Style & More

You all know how much I love SM from my previous posts. I especially love their 3-day sales wherein I really prepare and strategize to buy everything within the 2-hour time frame for the additional 10% discount (yes, career!). Well, ever since I became a mom and housewife, I've been leaning more towards buying stuff for my kids (see here) and of course, for our home (see here). But this blog isn't called MrsMommyHOLIC for nothing. Of course, I still can't resist indulging the fashionista in me and shopping for myself! ;p

I really love that the SM Store offers all the trendiest finds at such affordable prices. When dressing up, I tend to gravitate towards prints, patterns, and loud colors. I've always felt that buying designer brands isn't really practical for looks that go in and out of style so quickly. So I've always trusted SM to carry all the latest in fashion without having to feel guilty about splurging.

Case in point, I've been obsessed with the tribal/aztec trend for a while now and I've found the perfect prints to jazz up my wardrobe.


And although I have been known to go a little shoe crazy at times, I find that the most used pairs I have are these sandals from Solemate (black) and Parisian (brown).

love the embroidery and beadwork details on my Parisian sandals
these black sandals go with everything

And of course, flats are a staple in every girl's shoe collection, and their "2 pairs for P399" promo is such a steal. I think this is one of SM's most popular sections because there's always so many people trying on flats in every color whenever I pass by. Here's what I have so far... and these probably won't be the last. ;p


I also love buying outfits there which I use for special occasions, like attending weddings. I have to be honest and say that I usually wear those outfits once because everybody's already seen you in pictures haha! And I love it when I find something great, especially on sale. Like this orange skirt I got for just P500! People were impressed when they found out where I got it and how much it was. ;p


See, you don't have to break your bank account to look & feel great. Just shop at SM! ;p And don't forget to check out The SM Store's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TheSMStore) for promos and updates.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Miley's Summer School experience

When we decided on Miley's preschool, we were encouraged to enroll her in summer class. It was a 3-week program (9-11am / M-W-F) to basically get incoming new students used to the classroom feel and be comfortable before their actual classes start. You know, so they won't cry anymore during their 1st official school day even without mommy & daddy around. :)

I was really nervous for Miley's 1st day since I didn't know how she would react. And to top it all off, I even drove the car to school (if you remember, I just finished driving classes 2 months ago so I'm still new at this). Well, we got there in one piece although hubby had to park the car for me hihi!


There were already lots of kids when we arrived. What was great is that our family friends also enrolled their daughter here, so at least Miley already knew someone. :)

Well, as expected, most of the kids were crying and clinging to their parents/guardians. When we went inside their classroom, I was able to leave Miley and step out. But I think she realized that the other kids still had their mommies around, so she started looking for me. Well, I pretty much stayed the entire time inside the classroom, along with most of the other moms haha! But I honestly didn't mind because I got to see the activities they did and how Miley interacted with the other kids. Let me tell you though, I think Miley was the most active out of all the students! She kept running around and playing with the other kids (holding their hands, touching their hair) while the teacher was reading them a story. And she was so BIBO haha! When the teacher got the arts and crafts materials, Miley got so excited. She kept standing in front of the teacher while the teacher was explaining and kept saying "my turn! my turn!" Uh-oh, looks like the teacher got herself a handful hehe!


Anyway, Miley was able to really focus when they did arts & crafts. Look at the stuff she made, even the teacher was impressed at how well Miley colored the octopus! Good job baby!


When I brought Miley to school for her 2nd day of summer class, she immediately started playing with the toys inside the classroom. I used this time to step out and stay at the waiting area. Based on my experience - out of sight, out of mind. As long as Miley doesn't catch a glimpse of me outside the classroom, she'll be okay as long as the teachers are able to distract her. Because once she sees me, then she'll start asking for me and would want me to stay inside. And it worked! I was outside for 2 hours and the teacher didn't come and get me. When I picked her up after class, the teacher said she was fine (and much behaved than last time hehe). I just wished there was a TV in the waiting room that shows what is going on inside the classroom. Wouldn't that be a great idea? ;p It's just that I kept asking Miley what they did and she would give such vague answers haha!

Me: Miley did you have fun in school today?
Miley: Uh-huh
Me: What did you do?
Miley: *smiles*
Me: Did you dance?
Miley: Uh-huh
Me: Did you sing?
Miley: Uh-huh
Me: What story did the teacher read?
Miley: Turtle...
Hubby: Ah! Turtle and the Rabbit!
Miley: no, the HARE! (onga naman)

Well, from then on, we would have no problems leaving her in school. Once she enters the classroom, she immediately starts playing and won't even look back at us (ahuhu so this is how it starts...lol!). There were other kids who were still crying and had their mommies with them in all sessions (actually there were times I would secretly hope Miley would ask me to stay ;p). I'm just so happy that she was able to adjust so quickly (hopefully, Sabe will follow suit ;p).

At the end of the program, I was surprised to receive a letter that they would be having a culminating activity with performances from the students! I was so excited and nervous at the same time. I just didn't know if Miley would dance in front of people. Well... SHE DID! I was afraid that once she saw us she would run to us or something (of course, we got a seat on the front row hehe). But, she was able to do the steps, although there were times she would get distracted or want to play with the other kids. But she was able to get through it and I couldn't be happier and prouder! After the performance, they distributed the kids' certificates and portfolios (which were the artworks they did). I was just beaming with pride the whole time. And to think this is just for SUMMER SCHOOL haha! What more when it's their real graduation from grade school, high school, or college? It was just a really great feeling as a parent. :)

Go Miley!
awarding of certificates
Miley's artworks from the summer program

Now, we're done with enrollment and all set for Miley's 1st official school day. I can't wait to see her in her uniform! I think I'll cry haha! Anyway, I gotta go practice driving some more since I'll be the designated driver once the school year starts. Wish us luck! ;p

Friday, May 24, 2013

Feel the Beat of Maddie and Matt's Music Mania

*guest post by Brenda Marie Santos

It is a fact that parents always want the best for their children especially when it comes to academics. But during summer, as much as possible, kids want to stay away from school work and stress. Summer for them means freedom and having fun. However, playing could be a lot more meaningful when kids enjoy and still learn something new at the same time, right?
Parents should take note of what their kids are interested in when it comes to extracurricular activities. It will be better if kids are not only good in school but in other areas as well. In that case, kids will become well-rounded and knowledgeable in a lot of things which can lead to a brighter future. Agree?
Yes, attending a summer workshop is one of the trends among kids nowadays but it's a little too expensive. If you've noticed that your kiddo is musically inclined and would want to be a well-known artist in the future, however, allowing him to learn how to play his favorite musical instrument will be a great idea, right?
Good thing Maddie and Matt are here to save the day! AppLabs Digital Studios Inc. never fails to showcase a fresh kind of educational and entertaining application that kids will surely enjoy playing! Dubbed as Maddie and Matt's Music Mania, the fourth installation in the Maddie and Matt series, this app will introduce your child to the featured musical instruments and teach him how to play each in an interactive way!

Maddie and Matt's Music Mania provides some basic information about the 21 musical instruments. The app begins with an interactive short story of how Maddie and Matt came to love music. After which, kids have the option to learn the parts, history, popular artists and try playing the musical instruments, some of which are paid through in-app purchases.






Not only that, Maddie and Matt's Music Mania comes with a musical test! There are three choices for every question wherein your kids just need to tap the correct answer. With this quiz, you'll be able to determine if your children have learned something from the app.

Maddie and Matt's Music Mania is now available for download on the Apple App Store for free! However, other musical instruments can only be played and enjoyed through in-app purchases at $0.99 each. For that enjoyable learning experience, let your kids take music lessons with Maddie and Matt now!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Cintai Corito's Garden: Breakfast

Based on reviews online, the food at Cintai Corito's Garden is a bit pricey and not really that great. For dinner, the buffet menu we were offered at P550 per head consisted of bulalo soup, pinakbet, pork adobo, & tilapia. We actually opted to eat out since there are restaurants outside the resort just a few minutes drive away near the Lipa area (Hap Chan, Uncle Cheffy, Max's, to name a few) that will probably be a lot cheaper.

For breakfast, we were asked to choose from a set menu the night before. Maybe if there were more guests, they would have served it buffet style. The meal was served in an outdoor setting at about 8:30am. See below for what we ordered. :)

outdoor breakfast area
tapa
longganisa
tocino
nasi goreng

I wasn't really that hungry, but everybody enjoyed their breakfast. For me, the tapa, tocino and longganisa kinda all tasted the same, but the nasi goreng was really good. And the cups of rice were huge! They also kept refilling the juice pitchers and provided coffee and tea. :)

So if you're planning to stay here and the food I posted looks good, then go ahead and give their dinner/lunch menus a try. :)


- Click HERE for my post about the resort
- Click HERE to see the activities we did & animals we saw
- Click HERE to see our Garden Villa

Cintai Corito's Garden: Family Fun

What made me really enjoy our stay at Cintai Corito's Garden were all the animals and activities you could do. According to their website, "Cintai is a beautiful sanctuary to unique animals such as alpacas, spotted deer, mini horses, peacocks and a whole lot more." So don't be surprised if you see some peacocks, chickens, or geese just crossing the road or walking around the garden.

We were informed that the bird feeding happened at 7am, so we woke up bright and early to check it out...


After, we decided to check out the peacocks and deer...

can you see the baby peacocks in the cage? so cute!

Then, we arranged for a pony ride. This was probably the highlight of the trip for me since it was Miley's first time to really ride a horse (we rode a horse in Baguio but that was just for picture taking ;p). Sabe didn't want to ride though, maybe when he's a little older...


There was also a big cage with a monkey inside. Unfortunately, Sabe got a little too close to the cage and before we knew it, the monkey ran towards him and pulled his hair! I swear it all happened so fast! I was really upset with myself because I've seen those "When Animals Attack" shows so I know how unpredictable animals can be. I'm just thankful it wasn't worse (I think Sabe got more scared from our screams!) but we suggested to the staff that maybe they should put an outer barrier around the cage or at least a warning sign or something. Haay, I swear Sabe was really so accident-prone this trip hehe. ;p

I HATE YOU DAMN MONKEY!

They also had a koi pond...


You could also borrow a bike if you want to explore the resort and the different facilities. We just rode around the rotonda area though...


My mother-in-law wanted to go fishing, so we all went just to give it a try. I wasn't really expecting them to catch anything, but I was so surprised when my sister got one after a few minutes! Everybody got so excited and competitive after haha!

fish pond with tilapia
the helpful and patient staff who baited the hooks
fresh catch!

My mother-in-law caught 2, and hubby (who at first couldn't get anything) managed to catch 6! I think they emptied the pond hehe. When we were claiming the fish during check-out, we were told that each fish we caught would cost P100. But they told my mother-in-law earlier that it was only P50. Hmmm, maybe they weren't expecting us to catch so many? But anyway, the issue was resolved quickly and we just paid P50 per fish. Just be sure to clarify with the staff, or set a limit for the number of fish you'll catch if you don't want to spend so much (si hubby kasi e, ayaw magpatalo, ang dami tuloy namin fish! but in fairness, it tasted really fresh when we cooked it for dinner that night ;p).

Right when we were about to check-out, it started to rain. So I guess we were still lucky for having good weather during our stay. :)

Click HERE for more pictures of the place and HERE to see our Garden Villa.


Cintai Corito’s Garden

 Sitio Pandayan, Malabanan Balete, Batangas | View Map
 Mobile: +63917.833.1508 / +63917.833.1728
 coritosgarden@gmail.com

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Cintai Corito's Garden: Bali in Batangas

One thing about Cintai Corito's Garden is that they don't have a beach, only swimming pools. So I had to convince hubby quite a bit before booking since he prefers going to the beach when taking out of town trips. However, I noticed that we spend most of the time in the pool anyways since the kids enjoy it there more. And since the place had 4 swimming pools, I was sure they would have fun. Another thing that really made me want to go is that they have animals such as a pony, peacocks, geese, deer, and many more which I wanted the kids to see. Plus, it is only about an hour away from the city so it would be a great place to just relax and unwind.

reception area / parking

The place is definitely huge and sprawling. Expect to get lost and a out of breath when walking from one place to another, especially when climbing steps. But the place is beautiful and you really feel like you're in Bali with all the decors, carvings and structures. Everything also looks and feels new, probably since they've just been open for under 3 years. And there are so many nice spots to take pictures! I swear, if I knew about this place when I was getting married, I would have loved to have my pre-nup pictorial here. :) They also have 2 pavilions for special events (in fact, there was a wedding reception in the outdoor pavilion when we were there). Again, if this place was available back then, I would have seriously considered this as our wedding venue! ;p

feeling fashion blogger lang ang peg lol! ;p
so many areas with tables and chairs scattered all over where you can just lounge around
the outdoor pavilion where events are held
even their outdoor restrooms/changing rooms are so nice
check out the inside!
love all the Balinese-inspired details & decors

And now, the swimming pools! I'm not sure many people know about this place yet because we seem to be the only ones there during our first day so we had all the pools to ourselves (although there was a big company outing the next day). We first checked out the kiddie pool which had a little bit of a shallow area, then mostly deep at about 4ft. So you still had to watch the kids closely or keep them in floaters. I just wished they would have made it evenly shallow so that the kids could splash around more. I mean, there are 3 other pools anyway...


After, we moved to the biggest pool. The kiddie playground is located just a few steps away so the kids played here after they grew tired of the pool. There was an incident that happened though which is completely GROSS. I wasn't there since my sister and I wanted to check out the other pools, but according to hubby, a RAT suddenly jumped into the pool while they were swimming! The staff quickly got it out and killed it but everybody was pretty grossed out after (and of course, nobody wanted to get back in the pool anymore). The thing is, I also read in an online review that a snake got in the pool when they were there. Here's the review from Agoda.com:

I was relaxed all the way until our last swim on our last day. A snake (small.. but sheesh, still scary)... got in the pool (and quickly got out also).. came from the man made "waterfall" beside the pool. And I had my 4-year old son with me! I understand that the place.. being almost 5 hectare filled with trees, plants... may house some free roaming animals/insects... but seeing a snake in the pool just trumps all positive and relaxing vibes I got from the place. (Kristine C.)

I was actually on the look out for snakes while we were there so I really didn't expect the rat attack! I don't know which one is worse (probably the snake? but I'd probably be FREAKING OUT either way). Since the place is so huge and full of shrubs and trees, for sure there are really all kinds of animals all over. These are probably isolated incidents so just be careful and know that you've been warned!


Since nobody wanted to stay in the big pool already, we transferred to the other pools across the resort. These were much smaller but also deep, so the kids still had to be in floaters.


Another thing, there are ants all over the place. And not just normal ants, HUGE ones. There's also lots of mosquitoes so be sure to keep your kids in pajamas and slather lots of insect-repellent!


Overall, we had a good time since it was something different from our usual beach trips. Meanwhile, you can check out our Garden Villa HERE and the activities we did & animals we saw HERE. :)


Cintai Corito’s Garden

 Sitio Pandayan, Malabanan Balete, Batangas | View Map
 Mobile: +63917.833.1508 / +63917.833.1728
 coritosgarden@gmail.com