New Shopping Finds, Birthday Parties, and Other Stories

Yesterday was a hectic but fun Sunday! And though I didn't even expect it to be, it was a welcome change in the monotony of a WAHM's life hehe. Anyway, let's begin with the story-telling, shall we?

1. Organic Finds at Got Heart Community Shop

I barely venture out to the central part of the city now (I'm always in my comfort zone: the north), but yesterday, I really needed to go to Gaisano Mall for banking and buying stuff. I also made it a point to go inside Got Heart Community Shop.I'm going to dedicate an entire blog post for the shop, but here's a photo of my finds:

Yes, I'm going to take a better photo using an actual camera; nagmamadali lang hehe.

Anyway, I've always been curious about this shop not only because I'm friends with the lovely manager (hihi) but also because it stands for many things I believe in: natural materials, health, art (real art), and local resources. If you noticed, I often feature some local finds like Kablon Farms jam,  Cacao de Davao, and Real Laundry Detergent. So imagine my delight to see these brands - and more - in the shop!

Photo: http://www.gotheartfoundation.org/

2. Dencio's Kamayan

Another reason why I wanted to go to Gaisano Mall that Sunday was because my dad and I wanted to eat at the newly opened Dencio's Kamayan (right beside Manang's Chicken). Filipino food is always our go-too comfort food, and it doesn't get any better than inihaw and barbecue (at least for us hehe). We got a "mini boodle fight," my own term because I forgot the name haha, which had grilled pork, chicken, chicken liver, baked mussels, and crunchy kangkong. It costs around 780 yata without rice and drinks. Sulit because there's so many food!

Sorry, I only had my phone with me, and I couldn't take a decent photo because Yuri was being malikot.

As for me, I ate a lot even if I was supposed to be on a diet because I haven't eaten pork for so long! Yuri also ate a lot! The best part here is the service: everyone in the staff is warm and bibo and courteous, and they almost always ask us if we need something even before we call them. Kudos to whoever trained the team!

3. I want to do the whole OOTD thing again.

But I'm fat and have no new clothes!

Have you heard about Jollibee's Happy Plus Card?

A photo of me and my posse from the photo-booth at the event

Two Sundays ago, we were invited to attend Jollibee's launch of the Happy Plus card. How exciting!

I'll tell you a secret. I've never been a member of any kiddie club (outside of school) when I was young. I would have loved to join, but my parents were always super busy and there would be no one who can accompany me every day.

Now, being invited to Jollibee's events makes me see what I missed! I always adore the Jollibee Kids' Club members and hope Yuri can be a member, too!

So back to the event na hehe. We eat at Jollibee so often - it's Yuri's favorite, really! - that it has become a running joke within the family that we need to have membership cards. Haha! Imagine my excitement to know what a Happy Plus card is!

First dibs on the Happy Plus cards!

The Last Sunday of 2013

Wow, I can't believe I just wrote that. From this day on, there would no longer be 2013 weekends. Gee does time fly fast!

So how did my last weekend of 2013 go? Well, aside from meeting up with 2 of Yuri's ninangs, nothing much! Yesterday, we went to SM Lanang Premier as usual. We planned to attend mass there; however, we were late. Boohoo. (I attend the mass because my parents are Catholic and I want to obey them.) By the way, here's Yuri's OOTD:

SM and a lot of stores (like Cotton On and Forever 21) were on clearance sale. However, I wasn't interested in buying clothes at all. Really! Maybe it's because I'm too lazy to check out the sales. Maybe it's because I haven't truly worked for almost a week now (I'm on a no work - no pay scheme). Or maybe because I'm just not interested!

I also didn't buy anything for Yuri because he has still a lot of unused toys and unread books from Christmas! So, sorry, next time na siguro tayo magkakaron ng fab finds heehee.

We did buy a lot of food: some to eat and some to prepare for New Year's Eve. I will need to do some serious dieting next year. Aja!

One highlight of our Sunday, though, was meeting Jollibee - again. I could not count the times we have seen and taken a picture with the orange mascot, but I guess we're not stopping soon. While we were eating, Jollibee appeared and Yuri could seriously not stay seated. He was wriggling in his high chair and was even motioning for Jollibee to go near him using his hands. How very Pinoy. Hahaha!

Another problem was that I forgot to bring the camera. Good thing my mom let me borrow her phone. Thanks, Ma!

Ordinary Weekend at Home

I didn't have the heart to go out last weekend. Who would when all you see on TV is the devastation of Yolanda? We stayed home all weekend instead. And, of course, took crappy photos using my cell phone.

(My mom borrowed my camera for her business trip to Baguio and Manila. Her camera kasi broke, and she didn't want to use her phone's and tablet's camera. Meaning, all that was left to me was my phone's 3mp camera. Haha!)

Anyway, here's how our thankfully-uneventful weekend went:

Playing with wires:

Yuri had a fascination with playing with the wires of our gadgets. I let him be because he's actually discovering what the wires' heads are for, where they go, etc. Oo, may future sa pag-memechanic. Why not. Chos! But seriously, he's been trying to insert wires into hubs since he turned 1. Disclaimer: He always plays with super close supervision and none of the wires are plugged-in.

Trying out Iya's (lola's) shoes:

Yuri, who has an unhealthy a morbid an intense fascination with shoes cannot resist trying out his Iya's kicks while she was packing her things before her flight.

Getting sentimental over a song:
Trivia: Yuri has always gotten teary-eyed whenever I softly sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Ang weird! I remember him crying over that song when he was just a few months old. Last night, we discovered a Youtube channel called Super Simple Songs. 

Guess what? They had a Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star video! We showed it to Yuri, and here are the stages of his reaction:

Stage 1: Fascination

Stage 2: Doubt

Stage 3: Getting crumply-faced and teary-eyed

Stage 4: Cry!

Suffice to say, I was very entertained for a few minutes. :-P

Ms. Universe 2013:

I also had to watch Ms. Universe 2013 as I do every single year. I wasn't able to watch the live telecast because, hello, 2AM = me soundly sleeping. Instead, I caught the replay on ABS-CBN. I decided that I am not a fan of Ariella Arida because she just can't speak. I'm not judging her smarts because she really is intelligent. There are also a lot of people who can't speak well in public (like me!), but in this case, she needs to speak properly. Case in point: jabs for "jobs" and uniberse.

My favorite candidate, based on my shallow criterion of physical appearance, is Ms. Switzerland.

Photo: http://missosology.org/

Jollibee for lunch:

There was no one in the house last Sunday who was up for cooking. Everyone was feeling lazy - well, it was only me, my sister, and my dad. So I got some coupons from a Jollibee event and called delivery service. The food was good, as usual, but service was C.R.A.P. It arrived more than an hour after I called. When I followed up, the girl from Jollibee said na na-erase daw nya ang details of my order. What? So if I didn't call to follow up, wala talagang dadating na order!

Sesame Street Sunday:
Yuri and I spent the earlier part of the afternoon running around. Well, it was he who was running around and me who was sitting down and watching him. Hehe.

Jollibee's "Maaga and Pasko" Goes Global on its 19th Year

You know how it is with the Filipinos' spirit of giving and Christmas, right? One simply can't go with the other.

After the earthquake in Bohol and Cebu, as well as the other tragedies that had happened before it, I always find myself thinking of the children. It's true that children are the most resilient, but somehow, I feel that these innocents do not deserve that kind of unhappiness. Which brings me to how Christmas is nearing and how the affected families would be celebrating this year.

I thought of donating some of Yuri's old toys and some of my old books this year. If you're thinking the same way, there's good news for all of us. This year, which is Jollibee's Maaga ang Pasko's 19th year, they are going global. Yes! Even OFWs and Filipinos based abroad can easily donate now. Oh wait, I'm sure you're familiar with Maaga ang Pasko, right? The commercials with Aga Muhlach in it? Yes, those commercials.

I was invited to its Davao City launch held last Saturday, October 26, at the Annex Building of SM City Davao. Of course, I wouldn't miss that event! Not to mention I've never been to the new building of SM before hehe. Now, let the photos do the talking:

Before the program started, the young Jolly Toy Scouts got busy creating their own Christmas cards.

The stage with the trinket-filled Christmas Tree on one side,

And the iconic Jollibee donation box in the other.

While waiting for the program to begin, Yuri found a friend sitting right behind us. Baby Empress, who is 7 months old. Super cute!

They let Yuri wear a Jolly Toy Scout scarf; he was an honorary member! In other words, saling pusa! :D

What are you doing, little boy?

When the event was about to start, friends from Jollibee began distributing Jollibee snacks to us. Yay!

Our seat was filled with Jollibee goodies. Yum!

And then, Jollibee and friends danced! A little boy beside me was squealing with joy. :D

The hosts of the program were Mike Aportadera and Joey Domingo. (Sorry for the blurred photo; there was a toddler on my lap - I must come with a warning always.)

Jollibee's 35th Birthday!

Photo from Stratworks PR

Jollibee turned 35 already! We were blessed to take part in the celebration last Saturday. Before anything else, a little back story muna.

Ms. Kezia of Stratworks first texted last Friday yata at 1am. I was already groggy then so I didn't reply for fear of texting like a drunk person. Hahaha. The next day, Ms. Kezia texted again. I really, really wanted to go, but the event was to be held in Jollibee MTS, which was more than an hour away from home. The last event was in Jollibee Buhangin, which was just 15 minutes away.) Also, Yuri was going to have his vaccine shot that day.

The ever courteous Ms. Kezia actually volunteered to have us picked up from home. Oh noes! As tempting as the offer was, I had to decline kasi nakakahiya naman. Oo may hiya ako sa katawan. But she insisted and told me that I could be picked up in another place instead. I said, okay sa Abreeza na lang! Okay, konti lang pala hiya ko sa katawan. I thought there would be a lot of us picked up. Kami lang pala! Nakakahiya! Hahaha!

Note to self: Buy your own car!!! 

Another back story: My mom asked, "Bakit ka ba invited sa mga events? Sino ka ba?" Hahaha!

Anyway, let's proceed to the actual birthday celebration of Jollibee. It's quite different because we are used to having our birthday celebrations in Jollibee, right? This time, it is Jollibee's birthday we are celebrating. It's pretty special! Let the photos do the talking:

Late and ready to go: No Apologies shirt, Old Navy shorts, Crocs shoes

My temporary diaper bag is my sister's Victoria's Secret bag.

We arrived at the venue a little late, and by the time we got there, the Jollibee staff was already teaching the kids (most of them from the Jollibee Kids Club) a dance for Jollibee. Of course, my little Yuri wasn't able to follow the steps accurately, but he tried anyway! :-)

Photo from Stratworks PR

Yuri and I at the back :-)

My sister was chosen to hold one of the letters for Jollibee's greeting. The dalagita was the biggest kid in line haha. (Photo taken by Yaya)

Our yaya couldn't get a decent photo of us, so I took the matter into my own hands! Selfie!

One happy kid! I love this little guy!

My sister's letter: Y stands for Yuri!

The celebration in Manila was being livestreamed.

Eventually, there was a lull, which the children perceived to be the break time. I think we were waiting for the actual celebration to happen in Manila. Meanwhile, Yuri took the chance to run back and forth in front of the party area.

Don't ask who Yuri's shadow is. Hahaha. Then, we asked for a photo-op.

My hair looks great under the party hat. I think I should wear hats forever.

After that, Yuri began to get fussy. It was already past his naptime, and he wasn't able to sleep when we were home. The party area began to get too noisy for him, so I took him outside. Good thing the area outside the party area had comfy seats.

He contented himself watching the cars down the road.

Ateneo de Davao is in front of Jollibee. That's the building half-seen on your left.

Eventually, we were called back in because it was almost time for dinner. Yay! We were told to take some seats in the area reserved for the media people, but I had to request for our food taken outside because there wasn't enough space for a high chair.

After transferring outside, Yuri "read" one of his new board books while I let his food cool. 

The Story of How I Got an Instax Camera

Exactly two weeks ago, I became a proud owner of a Fujifilm Instax 210.

Fujifilm Instax Wide

Some of you asked how much I bought it. No, I didn't buy it. No way, I'm too cheap to buy myself an instant camera when I already have a digicam. Here's the story of how I got my first Instax.

Last month, I was invited to a Jollibee event, where they launched Jollitown Season 6's premiere. I was invited by Ms. Kezia Romblon of Stratworks PR. Of course, I got to meet her on the event itself.

Around five days after the event, she called me on my phone. She said Jollibee is hosting a blogger's challenge where they picked 2 bloggers in Manila, 2 in Cebu, and another 2 in Davao. I was fortunately picked as one of the Davaoena mommy bloggers.

I said yes, of course, thinking wala namang mawawala. Then, she asked for my address because they will be sending the contest "kit." Take note that she wrote the words enclosed in quotation marks! Haha! Frankly, I did not know what I was signing up for! Then, a week later, this package arrived at home:

It's so big! And it's marked Fragile! What in the world could it be???

Here's the box inside the package. Looking back, this should have been a dead giveaway! 
However, I was "in-denial," thinking there could be something else inside. 
I honestly thought may costumes inside!

The box was a bit hard to open, so I pulled the contents one by one.
This was the first thing I saw when I opened the box. 
Yay, GCs!!! I was already super giddy that time!

The second thing I pulled out was this piece of paper. Contest mechanics!
That was the time when I saw what the remaining content would be, 
so I hurriedly opened the box...

To find this!!! I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. #OAgirlproblems

Side Story:

For months now, my sister has been bugging me to buy her an Instax camera. It's affordable, but I couldn't bring myself to buy one because of the price of the film. That day, though, I surprised her with the camera. She was seriously jumping up and down, hugging the box!

Here it is with Jabee!

Another camera-selfie

It is a bit bulky and heavy, but I like how handsome it looks. Sure, it's not as cute as the Instax Minis out there, but one thing I don't like about the Mini is how small its film is. The film of Instax 210 is wide (just like what its name says) and reminiscent of our old 4r photos (tama ba?).

I read reviews over the internet on how to use it. It's a bit complicated because the viewfinder does not reflect what will be printed on the film, so one should really practice focusing the camera.

Here's my first attempt at a shot:

Welcome to the Laxa residence!

The house filled the viewfinder completely. However, when I took the shot, putol ang bubong! That was a learning experience, though, which we were able to use in the 10 Instax shots we took for our contest entry.

And that's the story of how I got my first Instax camera. :-)

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