7 Things To Do in Brisbane, Australia

 Our flight in and out of Australia was through Brisbane. However based on research and recommendations, there seemed to be more family friendly activies in Gold Coast which was just an hour's drive away. Gold Coast is home to a lot of theme parks and we actually went to Movie World and Sea World during our stay there.

There are still a lot of things to see and do in Brisbane though. Brisbane is actually a very modern, vibrant city and what I really appreciated was how nice and friendly the people were. From the Uber drivers who kept offering us candy and water, to random people on the street who would insist to take our family photos. :)

Anyway, here are 7 fun things you can do in Brisbane, Australia:

Sea World in Gold Coast, Australia

When I saw that there was a Sea World in Gold Coast, it was definitely on the top of my list for the theme parks I wanted to visit in Australia. I love seeing marine life and I got even more excited when I saw that this Sea World had a Nickeolodeon Land which my kids would surely enjoy.

Smart Parenting feature

Check out Smart Parenting online where I was featured as one of 4 Pinay Moms who Share Useful Tips for Their Pre-Birthday Shoots.

I already posted about my daughter's 7th birthday shoot before, so you can click HERE to see more photos from that day by Mhel Mesa Photography. And if you want to read the whole article, head on over to SmartParenting.com.ph. :)

Warner Bros. Movie World in Gold Coast, Australia

This summer, we went on a trip to Australia. I've already been to Sydney before but this time we headed to Brisbane and Gold Coast.

Anyway, our point of entry was in Brisbane and at first I didn't know that Gold Coast was just a one hour drive away. Based on research and recommendations, Gold Coast seemed more family friendly with all the theme parks like Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World, Wet'n'Wild, WhiteWater World, and more.

From there, it was just basically deciding which parks we wanted to go to. The entrance fees aren't cheap so we figured we'll just go to 2. I originally wanted to go to Dreamworld and Sea World. But when you check the tickets online, the prices are bundled for certain theme parks. Like the parks included in the Sea World deal were Movie World, Wet'n'Wild, and Paradise Country. The Dreamworld package was bundled with WhiteWater World and SkyPoint Observation Deck. So in the end, we just decided to go to Sea World and Movie World.

Our Jollibee Mini Managers Camp experience 2017

Whew, I can finally find some time to relax now since we just ended the last of the kids' summer activities. We did McDonald's Kiddie Crew last week back to back with Jollibee Mini Managers Camp this week. Add to that my son's summer soccer camp which also ended last week.

Anyway, we first did McDonald's Kiddie Crew last year and the kids had a blast. I found out too late though that there was a Jollibee version, since all slots were already full when I tried to sign up last year.

This summer, my fellow moms and I made sure to inquire early and we were able to sign up our kids for the May 15-20 batch.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms everywhere! I'm sure we can all agree that being a mother is definitely challenging yet rewarding. From the moment we get pregnant, our lives change and it's a learning process every single day.

I remember having kids was something I always wanted and I thank God everyday for giving me my three beautiful babies. It's definitely not easy raising human beings and making sure they're ok and grow up to be good people.

I admit I've had my rough moments, from getting mad and screaming at them, pretending I don't hear them when all they do is bicker, hiding in the bathroom to get away from the chaos, to wanting to get away from it all. There are many times I've questioned my judgement and my ability to be a good mom. I know I'm definitely not perfect but I know for sure my love for my kids is what fuels me every single day. And I wouldn't trade being a mom for anything in the world.

So to all mothers out there - single parents (even dads!), working women, stay-at-home moms - a big salute to all of us! This is our day and let's enjoy every single minute of it. :)

Travel tips to Australia (visa & customs)

If you're following me on Instagram, then you've probably been seeing photos of our family vacation to Brisbane and Gold Coast in Australia. Before I post about the places we visited and things we did, here are just some info on how I applied for our tourist visa here in the Philippines and what you can bring into Australia.

Pho 2000 (where Bill Clinton ate in Ho Chi Minh)

I did some research before our girls trip to Vietnam last February and saw that a good place to eat was at Pho 2000.

Vietnam Vacay

My girlfriends and I had a mommies day out last February and this time we took a trip to Vietnam! Our last outing was in Hong Kong back in 2015 so we were really itching to have a girls trip again. We were originally thinking of going to Bali but then decided on Ho Chi Minh City since we wanted to go shopping (and hindi pa ready ang bikini bodies namin lol!) Actually, the last time I was in Vietnam was back in 2008 and it was actually the first out of the country trip I took with hubby back when we were still BF/GF. So this place has a special spot in my heart. :)

Anyway, we were here for just 3 days since we had to rush back quickly to our babies (husbands included ;p).