Crazy Christmas Hat Party!

It'll be 2018 in a couple of hours, but first let me share with you some pics from our annual family Christmas party. This year, our theme was CRAZY CHRISTMAS HATS!

Merry Christmas!

And here's our Christmas card this year! If you want to see more photos and outtakes from this DIY photoshoot, click HERE. We're currently at the Bellevue Manila where we had a staycation to celebrate Christmas Eve! Will post more about that next time.

But anyway, hope you're all having a wonderful time with your family and loved ones. MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!

Toronto Trip: The charming town of Niagara-on-the-Lake

Before seeing the Niagara Falls, we first headed to Niagara-on-the-Lake (the historic town ranked as Canada’s #1 Food & Wine Destination by TripAdvisor) for some sightseeing and wine tasting.

DIY Christmas Photoshoot 2017

And our annual Christmas card photoshoot continues! Again, I decided to DIY it this year thinking it would be easier since the kids are older... wrong! ;p

My Zalora 12.12 #OnlineFever Shopping Haul

I really try to avoid online shopping as much as I can these days because you know, dangerous! But if there's a huge sale or a really good deal, then I can't help but give in!

Zalora is currently having their 12.12 (December 12) sale and it's a huge one since it's the end of the year and I guess they're trying to get rid of a lot of unsold stock. So there's really huge discounts I couldn't resist!

Ice Skating at SM City BF

I remember ice skating when I was a kid all the way in SM Megamall. I probably only got to do it 5 times in my whole life, and I even remember an incident when my older cousin fell and had to get stiches on her eyebrow! So yeah, that was probably the last time I ever went skating.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to see a pop-up skating rink at SM City BF a few weeks ago. The rink is small, only 100sqm, and is located at the Main Atrium where Uniqlo is.

Toronto Trip: Niagara Falls

I think a trip to Toronto wouldn't be complete without seeing Niagara Falls. It's definitely part of my bucket list and I'm so happy I was finally able to see the majestic falls up close during our vacation two months ago.

Mothers Who Brunch x Uashmama

Last November 15, Sab and Michelle of Mothers Who Brunch (MWB) hosted a get-together just in time for the holidays. I've said it time and again, I really love going to these events because of the yummy food, gorgeous decor, great company, and lots of giveaways!

Staycation at Azumi Boutique Hotel

Ahhh... so many days without school! Coming from a 2 week sem break, then a class suspension because of a storm (na walang ulan naman on that day!), then another week because of the ASEAN Summit. I've talked to so many parents already and everyone feels the same - we're all going crazy with the kids at home lol! And sayang ang tuition haha! ;p

Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the only mom who's getting stressed thinking of activities for the kids to do. And I wasn't planning on going out of town this week because we already went to Cebu for the sem break. So the next best thing? A staycation!

I booked super last minute so almost all the hotels here in the south were fully booked already. Good thing I found an available room in Azumi Hotel here in Alabang (via Agoda).

Montréal Travel Diary

During our vacation in Toronto, we managed to squeeze in a short trip to Montreal which is about 5.5 hours away by car.

Temple of Leah in Cebu

We took a quick trip to Cebu last week during the kids' sem break. To be honest, I didn't really plan an itinerary since we've been to Cebu so many times before and have already seen almost all the tourist attractions. However, one place we did visit was Temple of Leah, which is dubbed as the Taj Mahal of the Philippines.

DIY Mario Bros. and Toad Costume

I was honestly late in planning the kids' Halloween costumes this year.  I would keep asking them what they wanted to go as and they would give me a different answer everyday. Finally, I just decided on Mario Bros. which I've been wanting to do for a few years now. :)

Landmark Alabang Department Store is Now Open!

Oh my gosh! I was seriously hyperventilating yesterday when we went to Festival Mall and I saw that Landmark's department store is NOW OPEN! Their supermarket has been open for a few months already and I've been eagerly awaiting for the rest of store to get finished... and finally it is! Hooray!!!

Toronto Trip

If you're following me on Instagram then you probably know me and hubby went to Toronto to attend his cousin's wedding. We didn't bring the kids anymore since they had school and it's so hard to miss even one day with all the exams, lessons, and seatworks they have. Especially since they're also catching up with all the days classes were suspended due to storms before. Speaking of which, can't believe there are no classes again today because of the transport strike here in the Philippines! The kids were supposed to have a couple of exams today and we spent so much time studying yesterday. They'll be having their sem break already this week and it sucks because now it'll probably be rescheduled when they return to school...

Anyway hubby and I also figured that we should enjoy this time together just the two of us. I've always said I believe that you should give importance to couple time since that will make your relationship stronger and in turn make you better parents. And of course, sometimes you just need a break from the kids haha!

Pros And Cons Of Taking Your Kids On Vacation

You’ve worked hard all year long. The time has come to enjoy some time off. While you are browsing hotel booking sites and reading TripAdvisor reviews, you catch yourself thinking about your children. 

How will they like what you choose? How will they behave on the boat trip you are booking? Will they allow you to get some sleep? The question whether or not to take the kids on a vacation is a tough one. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons.

Gather, Inspire, Feast with Mothers Who Brunch

When you're invited to a Mothers Who Brunch event, you can definitely expect to have a lovely time with good food and great company. Sab of Sinfully Sabrina and Michelle of Momma ‘N Manila always make sure their guests are pampered, relaxed, and recharged after just spending a few hours with them.

Kuranda Scenic Railway (Australia)

After exploring Kuranda Village, we would then ride the the Kuranda Scenic Railway back to Cairns. This train ride is a spectacular journey comprising unsurpassed views of dense rainforest, steep ravines and picturesque waterfalls.

Kuranda, the Village in the Rainforest (Australia)

Another day trip we took when we were in Australia was to Kuranda. Known as the Village in the Rainforest, this picturesque mountain retreat is just 25km northwest of Cairns in Far North Queensland and is surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest.

Fun worksheets for kids

I have 2 kids in grade school and I usually make reviewers for them whenever they have exams. One place you can go to online for worksheets and other resources is Education.com.

Take for example this creepy crawlies themed word search worksheet which is a fun way for your child to learn about prepositions. For more preposition practice, check out these resources. Enjoy!

Here's the answer key:

Tori Ichi Yakitori & Bar (Filinvest Alabang)

Hubby and I just love Japanese food. So one date night, we decided to try Tori Ichi Yakitori and Bar which is located at the ground floor of Festival Mall’s newest wing.

Meeting the World's Largest Crocodile! (Green Island, Australia)

Do you remember Lolong? He was captured back in 2012 in Mindanao and was declared the largest crocodile in captivity. The Guinness record was previously held by Cassius, a 5.48-meter crocodile being cared for at Marineland Melanesia on Green Island, off the coast of Cairns in Queensland, Australia. Well, after Lolong died in 2013, the record reverted back to Cassius. And we were able to meet him!

Visiting the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of those places I'd just dream about visiting and never did I think I'd actually get to go here. But when hubby had to go to Cairns Australia for work, we jumped at the chance to go with him since Cairns is basically the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.

Long weekend staycations

I haven't been blogging lately since I've just been enjoying time with the fam, especially with all these long weekends. We love going on staycations and I made sure to take advantage of all these rainy day promos the different hotels have been offering.

Celebrating my birthday at Disneyland!

I'm now officially in my mid-thirties! Usually I don't even celebrate my birthday, but this year hubby decided we should go to Hong Kong and spend it at Disneyland. :)

Exploring Cairns City, Australia

Last summer, we were fortunate enough to visit Australia twice. The first time we went to Brisbane. The second time was in Cairns.

To be honest, I wasn't familiar with Cairns (pronounced ‘CANS’) before finding out we were going there. It's basically known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, and Cape Tribulation in Tropical North Queensland Australia.

KIDS’ CITY at SM Supermarket and Savemore

Last July 29, my children and I attended the launch of Kids’ City held at SM Southmall. It’s the biggest kiddie party ever from SM Supermarket and Savemore Market where moms can enjoy the program, shop for special deals and get a chance to win prizes the whole day. There’s also lots of special kiddie activities and the best part is, admission is FREE!

IKEA Raskog Cart look-alike

I've been meaning to buy this IKEA Raskog Trolley for the longest time. It comes in a variety of colors like white, black, turquoise, beige, and rust.

DaVinciBricks LEGO Lab

My kids love Lego so it was a treat for them to go to a DaVinciBricks LEGO Lab last July 16. It was held at McDonald's here in BF Homes so it was double the fun for them too.

DIY Hermione Granger costume

Now it's my daughter's turn to dress up for Book Week at school and she wanted to be none other than Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid costume for Book Week

It's Book Week again at school and to celebrate, there will be a parade where the kids should dress up as their favorite book character. Last year, my daughter came as Little Red Riding Hood. This year, it was my son's turn and he actually came up with the idea of going as Greg Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid!

CHEERS: Making Every Day Special

If you’re someone who loves having people over or just simply having simple celebrations at home, one thing that’s always present in the table aside from food is… paper towels and napkins! I for one always have a huge supply of tissues at home. It’s always present in the grocery list since it’s just something we use everyday.

I’m sure you’ve come across the Cheers brand in the supermarket with its colorful and fun design. I’ve personally been a Cheers user for many years now. Did you know that this product is made of 100% Virgin Pulp and has no artificial whiteners and elemental chlorine which makes it truly hygienic?

Our Movie World Vacation Video

I just hate flu season! I've pretty much been sick for like a week already and have just basically been in bed all day. It started with my youngest getting a fever, then my other son, then me. Then of course we all got cough and sipon too. Now that me and the kids are starting to get better, poor hubby has gotten a sore throat and has also taken a sick leave. Haaaay when will this end??

We always seem to get sick this time of year, probably since it's the start of school and of course the kids get exposed to all kinds of viruses. So many of their classmates have also been absent as well. The only good thing about this is I've lost weight lol! I haven't had the appetite to eat much lately since I can't taste my food. Oh and I've been binge watching and catching up on some shows like 13 Reasons Why and Grey's Anatomy.

I've also been quite uninspired to blog since I've been feeling so crappy. So in the meantime, I'll just share the video I made from our visit to Warner Bros. Movie World Theme Park. This is the very first video I made from our vacations and effort and pag edit haha. I just used the software the came with my camera so everything's pretty basic. I really have so much to learn pa, especially since I want to make family videos of our trips from now on. And the kids love watching it over and over too! Anyway, hope you enjoy this video! :)

Our koala & kangaroo encounters at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

I'm a big fan of Steve Irwin and it's definitely a dream of mine to go to the Australia Zoo. However, upon checking the location, Australia Zoo is quite far from Brisbane City where our hotel was. Actually, it's like the same distance that Gold Coast was, which was about an hour away.

Another alternative was to go to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary which was nearer and cheaper. Only 12km from Brisbane City, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary with more than over a hundred koalas. Here you can hold a koala anytime, hand feed kangaroos, and meet a large variety of Australian wildlife in beautiful, natural settings.

Gold Coast: Surfer's Paradise & The Island Hotel

I feel so blessed to have been able to travel to different cities in Australia this summer. I've already been to Sydney a few years before, and last month we were able to visit Brisbane and Gold Coast. We also just arrived from Cairns last week, so it was definitely an adventure filled summer for us.

I'd have to say though that out of all the places we visited, the kids loved Gold Coast the most. The Gold Coast is renowned for its white sand beaches as well as its famous theme parks, like Movie World and Sea World which we were able to visit.

A day at Sta. Elena Fun Farm

One of my daughter's BFFs celebrated her birthday at Sta. Elena Fun Farm last month and I was really excited about it since I've never been here before! My daughter's field trip was actually held here 3 years ago but I had just given birth to my youngest that time, so it was hubby who accompanied her. They had such a great time and the pictures looked awesome, but we somehow never got around to planning a visit. So now, finally, we were able to go as a family (and for free lol!) ;p

Another school year, another kid enters big school

I can't believe summer is officially over for us and it's now the start of another year in the big school. My son is entering Grade 1 while my daughter is now in Grade 2.

Our updated picture frame wall gallery

I first put up these photo frames back in 2012 when we only had two kids. I've been meaning to change and add photos ever since we had Skyler and finally I've gotten around to doing it.

Here was one side of the wall before:

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).

Trattoria Altrove in BF Homes

Hubby and I love pizza and we've been meaning to try out Trattoria Altrove in BF Homes for quite some time now. And finally, we got to have lunch here on one random weekday.

Downtown Vancouver

Here's the last part of my Vancouver travel diary. For the rest of my Canada posts, click HERE. :)

A LEGO Birthday Party

My little boy Sabre is now 6 years old and he wanted to have a Lego themed party this time around.

Vancouver Vacation: Stanley Park

Stanley Park is one of Vancouver's top tourist destinations. We were there last August and I just fell in love with all the trees and gorgeous views.

The Vancouver Aquarium

Right now, I'm busy planning a family vacation which hopefully will push through next month. One thing I love doing is making itineraries and researching online about sights and attractions that we should visit. One place hubby and I love going to is aquariums or zoos. Which is why we made sure to check out the the Vancouver Aquarium during our trip to Canada.