Monde Summer Mamon-It-Yourself

When I was still younger and didn’t have kids back then, the only thing I thought about during summer was where to go on vacation, what new books to read, or what to watch on TV. Now that I have my own children, it’s all about keeping them engaged and finding what activities or classes to sign them up for so that they can have a productive summer.

I’ve already enrolled Miley in ballet and swimming lessons, while Sabe will be going to soccer camp. Mind you, these activities do not come cheap and unfortunately, they also don’t get to interact with each other since they’re taking different classes. Hubby and I also just watch from the sidelines, just like all the other parents. So even though all these extra-curricular activities are great, I still think it’s important to have quality bonding time wherein we would all do things together as a family.

That’s why I was so excited when I was invited by Nuffnang to the MONDE Summer Mamon-It-Yourself  event last April 5, which was held at Yardstick Coffee in Makati. It was a family event, so we got to bring along our hubbies and kids which made it even more special.

When we got to the venue, we were greeted by such a lovely set-up featuring rows and rows of mamon and all kinds of toppings and ingredients which will be used for the activity - Mamon-It-Yourself (MIY)!

Now you all know I’m a DIY girl at heart, so I just found this whole idea so genius! Imagine, the mamon has been around for so long (it’s been a constant baon of mine ever since I was in gradeschool) and I never even thought that this snack can suddenly be so exciting and fun to eat in more ways than one for the whole family! But I’m getting way ahead of myself... Let me take you through the event and how our fun-filled day went. :)

First, I really love that they had a photobooth which printed our Instagram pictures right on the spot with the hashtags #MondeSummerMIY and #MamonItYourself. Check it out on Instagram for more pics from the event from the other mommy bloggers who were there. :)

The event was hosted by Delamar Arias from RX93.1 (ultimate fan-girl mode!) who also brought her son Cooper (cuteness overload!). Can I just say how starstruck I was since I’ve been a “Silent Rusher” for the longest time and I’ve been listening to her and Chico Garcia’s show since I was a kid??? I told hubby I wasn’t leaving until I had a photo with her... Success! ;p

After lunch, Chef Mitchie Sison did a demonstration of 3 simple recipes for the mamon toppings: Cream Cheese & Bacon, Cookies & Cream, and Swiss Butter Cream. Who would have thought the mamon could look this glamorous? It’s really just such a great idea, I swear!

Now I’ve said it before that I am definitely challenged when it comes to cooking, but baking is something I am willing to try especially with my kids. We’ve done a couple of those easy bake banana breads and brownies, but nothing from scratch. So what I love is the delicious mamon is already the perfect blank canvass to just add whatever ingredients or toppings that suit your fancy. From cornflakes, peanut butter, fruits, chocolate, nuts, candies, marshmallows, ice cream, or whatever you may have at home! With the mamon’s flat base, the ideas and choices are endless! Monde Special Mamon is made with real fresh eggs, imported wheat flour, and milk. Baked to be delicious!

She also taught us how to make and put icing on the mamon using a piping bag. Aside from the usual frostings, you can also draw letters or numbers on the mamon to make it more educational for the kids.

Grace Barbers-Baja, aka The Spoiled Mummy, also shared some of her recipe ideas with the mamon - like cheesy ensaymada, peanut butter & banana or using her favourite ingredients like strawberries and chocolate (which she called her “Spoiled Mamon” lol ;p). Plus some tips on how to make kids’ snacks healthier by adding ingredients which they won’t notice (like chia seeds for example). 

After that, it was finally time for us to decorate our own mamons! We were all given ingredients and toppings to make whatever creations we wanted. Everyone got busy and uber creative with their mamons! It was super fun and addicting haha. :)

Yes, we take mamon decorating very seriously! ;

Our masterpieces!

And that’s not all! After the decorating activity, all the moms were further surprised with a super cute video with messages from our kids. I’m sure every mom there felt so special and loved. Watch the video below to see more snippets from the event itself! :) 

Plus, the children also presented us with special mamons which they decorated themselves while us moms were busy watching the demos. Awwwww!

Thank you baby! I love it!

This was not only such a fun event, but a great bonding experience with the family. MONDE was also so generous to provide all of us with our very own mamon decorating kits to take home! We were all so happy since we were able to have our own Mamon-It-Yourself activity the very next day with Sabe this time (who wasn’t able to join us at the event since he was sick, poor baby). Miley was so excited to teach her little brother all the things she had learned. And he not only enjoyed putting the toppings on the mamon, but eating them too haha! :)

I know that summer is a wonderful time to open children to the world around them. Mamon-It-Yourself is the perfect activity to encourage the curiosity of young minds and tap their inner creativity. It also allows kids to use all 5 senses - sight (all the wonderful and assorted colors), hearing (listening to mommy and daddy give helpful instructions), smell (the various aromas and scents of the ingredients), touch (the different textures of the toppings), and of course taste (eating the finished product!). So go ahead and try it out too with your kids and family! You can also find lots of topping ideas on their website www.monde.com.ph. And don’t forget to post your wonderful creations with the hashtag #MamonItYourself.

So thank you to MONDE Special Mamon for coming up with this genius idea that is Mamon-It-Yourself! Now, I can keep my kids’ hands and minds busy this summer, all while spending time together as a family in discovering new things. :)

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