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.

Tokyo Travel Diaries: Shinjuku Gyoen

Since we traveled to Japan in late November last year, I definitely made it a point to visit parks around Tokyo to see the autumn foliage. Shinjuku Gyoen is one of Tokyo's largest and most popular parks and is located just a short walk from Shinjuku Station.

Tokyo Travel Diaries: Rikugien Garden

We went to Japan end of November last year which was just in time for the peak of autumn. So it was one of the best times to visit the gardens and parks (aside from the cherry blossom season) because you would get to see all the beautiful fall colors.

Tokyo Travel Diaries: Ueno Park & Tokyo National Museum

We visited Ueno Park during our 2nd day in Tokyo last November. Ueno is a large public park where you can find lots of temples, shrines, and museums like the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum for Western Art, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the National Science Museum. It is also home to Ueno Zoo, which is Japan's oldest zoo.

To get there, we took a train from Shinjuku to JR Ueno Station, and the park is just next to it right when you exit the station. It was such a perfect day to visit since the weather was nice and sunny. It was about 12°C but I was already freezing my butt off lol. I was also in awe of how beautiful the sky was, since you couldn't even see a single cloud.

One fine day

I have to admit, there are days that I just want to stay at home to watch TV, catch up on my blogging, and find time to do all my DIY projects. Of course going to the mall is another thing, I'm always game for that. :) But what I'm saying is that sometimes, I tend to forget that my kids need to experience and play in the outdoors too. I'm embarrassed to say that there are moments when I have such a hard time prying my kids away from watching cartoons or playing with the iPad. I guess turning on the TV or handing them the iPad is such a easy excuse to get a little time for yourself. But what I need to keep reminding myself is to allow them to experience the simple joys in life, just like what we had before all this technology was invented.

So one afternoon, we all trooped to the park for a little picnic and tea time. I brought Miley's teacups and saucers and that's where we drank juice and ate cookies. I swear, I think I was the one who was enjoying the most! It just brought me back to when I was a kid with me and my cousins. Back then, we loved spending time in the playground, or just laying around in the grass looking for bugs and picking flowers.

cheers!

After, it was time for some kite flying. The kids kept running around trying to get the kite up. The breeze wasn't that strong at first but after a few tries, Miley had some luck!

We were just in time for "golden hour", which is the last hour of sunlight during the day. They say this is the best time to take pictures because it produces really dramatic results. What do you think? I totally love all the shots hubby took, especially the ones below with the sunlight piercing through the trees. And I totally didn't realize it, but both Sabe and I ended up going barefoot! We took our shoes off when we were having our picnic and once we started flying the kite, I guess we just forgot to put them back on. And let me tell you, the feeling was so liberating haha!

this is my absolute favorite shot from the day :)

I swear, this was one of the best afternoons we've had. I promise myself that I will make time for more of these moments, so the kids can learn to appreciate nature and bonding with family all the more. :)

Another day at the park

Running is a great way to burn energy. And I totally love it when my kids are able to play in the outdoors. At least in the park, they can just run and run in the field without me having to worry about them bumping into something or breaking anything. =)

wait for us Daddy! 

training them young

hey what's that?

ba-bye!

Just another day at the park

I just love lazy days where the only thing to look forward to is going to the park in the afternoon. Nothing beats quality time with the kids. =)

Ayala Triangle

Last weekend, we trooped over to Ayala Triangle with my mom, sister, and the kids. It was Miley and Sabre's first time to go here so I was excited for them to play in the park. We went in the afternoon and it was a good thing the weather was very cooperative (it didn't rain plus there was a cool breeze so it wasn't hot at all).

First time to eat at BonChon (sorry I don't get to go out much nowadays haha!) I liked their chicken, plus they had chapchae too, which was new I think.

Sabe was in such a good mood, he kept smiling for the cam the whole time! =)

We went on a Sunday so there were hardly any people at all. We almost had the whole park to ourselves!

Miley had so much fun, she kept running the WHOLE time! All the pictures I got of her were action shots!

Miley doing her "flying" action.

Sabe watching his Ate and trying to join in the fun. =)

We also decided to go back another evening to catch the lights show last November 30. It was a holiday so we figured there wouldn't really be a lot of people. Big mistake. We got there at about 5:30pm, and was lucky enough to get a parking slot. Already, there was a huge crowd waiting for the show.

Daddy & Sabey. We actually forgot to bring the stroller so we had to take turns carrying Sabe the whole night (not an easy task I tell you).

The lights suddenly turned on and everyone got all excited (especially me!). I used to go and have dinner with my officemates here when I was still working in Makati but I never got to see the lights show last year.

I was waving my hand to try and get Sabe to look straight at the camera. He thought I was giving him a high five (the only trick he can do so far). So cute!

I swear, its impossible to get a decent shot of Miley nowadays, she's always running around!

See how many people were there! It was insane! The lights show lasted for about 10 mins and it runs every hour from 6 to 9pm everyday this whole Christmas season.

After the show, I went ahead and rushed to Omakase to get us a table. It was so hard to maneuver my way through the crowd, there was just so many people! Luck was still on our side as I managed to get the last table inside the restaurant. Everyone else after me had to go on the waiting list already.

Miley trying to use the chopsticks.

The kids were getting impatient inside the restaurant so we had to take turns eating and then taking them out. One thing I learned bringing my kids when eating out is to be prepared to eat fast! Both kids refuse to stay in the high chair for any period of time. Plus, they both want to grab anything on top of the table to play with (usually its the breakable kind). If ever they're asleep when we get to the resto, they manage to conveniently wake up when the food arrives (figures!). While playing with Miley outside, I heard one guy angrily say to his girlfriend "This is the worst f***ing day to go here!" (they were also waiting outside Omakase for a table). Could be true, but I heard afterwards that it really is crowded almost everyday especially with the lights show. We wanted to get dessert at Banapple after but again, there were just too many people (all the restaurants were packed!). We just decided to get take-out.

Anyway, we still had fun despite the crowd and the heat. If ever we do go back, I'll be sure to go when the Christmas season is over.