Php 1,000 Pancake House GC Winner

Thank you for joining my WinilaCity sponsored giveaway. Now, it's time to announce my blog winner!

Congratulations to the winner of Php 1,000 Pancake House GC -

Puri Jc

 

Please wait for my email on how to claim your prize.

Keep visiting WinilaCity for amazing deals and huge savings!

My Daughter's Star-Ballerina Party

My daughter Skylah celebrated her 7th birthday with a Ballerina "Party of the Stars" theme. It's a party theme that she had wanted and wished for.Yes, she's really passionate about ballet that she even performed a ballet number during her party.

Preparations started as early as January this year. A party planner, my sister's friend, handled everything - from the food, party activities, party decors and all the party details. I'm really grateful to my sister and bro-in-law for giving their "inaanak" a wonderful party! We're really appreciative because we got very generous sponsors too!

Here are some preparations we did before the party.

Party invitation

The invitation says, "Join Skylah as she dances into another year of happiness!"


Save the date stickers



Birthday Messages note cards

Adult party guests wrote their birthday wishes and messages for my daughter in these note cards. Then I use these to raffle off 7 prizes for adults!



Raffle Prizes

Skylah picked the names of the 7 lucky adult guests and they get to receive these items.



Game Prizes

We have bought lots of game prizes for everyone to make sure that all kids get something. Most of these toys are from last year's Toy Kingdom and Toy's R Us sale; a few came from Divisoria.

Balloon Burst prizes
Those who get the letters of Skylah's name and the number 7 won these major prizes, while the rest got the minor prizes.





Party souvenirs

We had personalized mirrors, keychains and fans as party souvenirs.

personalized mirror


personalized keychain


personalized foldable fan


Lootbag contents

We bought all these items from Divisoria, except for the colorful eggs.





Yes, these eggs made it inside the party lootbags!



 Party name tags



Party Lootbag

I prefer using this non-woven eco-bag than the usual plastic party bags. I made use of the personalized keychain as a Thank You tag.



So there! I already received the official photos from the photographer. I'll be sharing more of my daughter's party celebration pictures in the next couple of days.

Finding a House For Rent and For Sale

I find online shopping convenient since I can always find most things I need with just a click of the mouse. It's a big time saver for I don't have to deal with the traffic and the mall crowd. I can even move from one place to the other and shop anytime of the day. 

Aside from online stores, I usually check online classified sites. It's where I can compare items and find the great deals available before making a purchase. 

AyosDito.ph is one great avenue for online entrepreneurs and buyers. It's a reliable source of good bargains from mobile phones, laptops, appliances, cars and car accessories, home and personal items, and many more.

Since it's been more than a year since we moved in at our condominium unit. I decided to browse at real estate listings at AyosDito.ph. I searched for house for sale and house for rent Philippines near my kids' school at Pasig. I did found interesting properties around the area.

AyosDito.ph is a reliable classified ads site if you are looking for an apartment for rent, condominium unit, or house for sale anywhere in the Philippines. If you're a seller, posting an ad is also easy and there's no registration required. 

Of course, nothing is fulfilling than living in your own dream home. Purchasing a property might not be that easy, but learning about house for rent can be a good start to finding your dream home. 

This year, we're about to transfer in our newly-purchased unit (hopefully). In the near future, our family would need a bigger space. For now, I'll keep myself updated with house and lot prices. I'll post this Japanese Zen-inspired house that I found at AyosDito in my dream board. Maybe in the future, we'll get to own a house similar to this one.

Easter Eggs

Our family skipped going on any Easter Egg hunt this year. We just stayed at home, heard mass at the new church inside our village and had dinner at Sofia's Villa. It's the first time that we tried this Seafood Paluto al fresco grill located opposite the Valle Verde Country Club, Pasig City.

These colorful Easter eggs are included inside the lootbag of my daughter's 7th birthday party celebration. I'll be sharing with you some pictures in my next posts. 

Take a guess what's inside these eggs. :)

Hope that you all had a great Easter!

Holy Week Reflection

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." - John 11:25-26

As we journey through Holy Week and focus on “Holy Week” activities, let us give time to reflect on the passion of Christ this week.

Holy Week is a time to commemorate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's a perfect week for meditation, reflection and strengthen our relationship with God.

Even if some see Holy Week as a as an opportunity to have a vacation or go to beach parties, you can still find time and immerse yourself in prayer during this Holy Week period. Some stay home and do their Visita Iglesia. Filipinos abroad and those who could not go to church can also visit the Visita Iglesia Online website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

May we see the Love of God manifested on the cross and understand what Jesus did to save us. The suffering of Christ, his passion and death, is our healing and salvation. We can bring our hurts, our sorrows, our sufferings, our failures and lay them at the foot of His cross so we can be healed.

Glory of Easter.

Easter is a celebration of the fact that we can meet the risen Christ. His resurrection gives us a message of hope, love, and grace.

May we all be blessed!

10 Places to go Easter Egg Hunting - Hotel Edition

If you're planning to spend Easter Sunday at a hotel, here are 10 places where you can also enjoy Easter egg-hunting with your family.

1. Dusit Wonderland, An Easter Celebration
Step into a world of fun and fantasy where everything comes to life!

Time: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Venue: Grand Ballroom, Dusit Thani
Fee: PHP 550/child with accompanying adult, Php 150 net for extra adult

Visit the Wizard's Land, Discovery Land, and Art Land and be amazed! Don't forget to go to Yummy Land as delicious foods await all kids. Plus enjoy the activities such as Egg Hunting, Close-up Magic, Acrobat show, Mad Science Activity, Magic Show and Art Activity.
Come and dress up like a prince, princess, king, an elf, a wizard, fairy, a musketeer and likes, the kid in best costume will receive great prizes.
Also, join the Easter Sunday Mass 9:00 am at Meeting Room 3 to be officiated by Fr. Larry Faraon.
Contact No. 238-8888

2. Easter Adventureland at Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila

Venue: Le Salon
Fee: P600 (net of taxes)
Free for children aged 11 years old and below dining at the Market Café. Adults and children aged 12 years old and above get 50 percent discount.

Activities at the Easter Adventureland: snacks, face painting, glitter tattoos, kiddie salon, parlor games, Easter Egg decorating, Mystery Egg Hunt (chance to win gift certificates for a Market Café lunch or dinner, all-you-can-eat dimsum at Li Li or overnight stay in a guest room with breakfast buffet)
For reservations and inquiries, call (02)813-8888.

3. Easter Carnival at InterContinental Manila

Fee: P1,088 net per person
Venue: Grand Ballroom
It starts with a Holy Mass at the Legaspi Room at 9 a.m.

Activities: stilt walkers, acrobats, clowns, magic and puppet shows, game machines, art and craft activities, an inflatable playground, parlor games, photo booths, cotton candy carts and a brunch buffet.
A raffle will be held with prizes like a two-day/two-night stay at Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie for two, a weekend overnight stay for two at InterContinental Manila, and a Sunday brunch buffet for two at Café Jeepney. There will be special prizes for guests in Easter costumes.

4. EGGstreme Easter Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Manila Galleria

Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Grand Ballroom
Fee: P600 (net of taxes) inclusive of Easter egg hunt, party activities, snacks and loot bags for kids
Activities : EGGstreme Easter Egg Hunt, an inflatable Twinnings obstacle course, a giant Ovaltine Velcro wall, Easter egg painting, Easter activity sheets, face painting, clay painting, egg roll
For inquiries, call Crowne Plaza at 633-7111 or Holiday Inn at 633-7222.

5. Easter Carnival Adventure at The Legend Villas

Time: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Fee: P450 per child (net of taxes)
Activities: Easter egg hunt, balloon twisting, game booths, obstacle bouncer with slide, book fair, food kiosk, loot bags, prizes, etc.
Get 50 percent off on all room categories and free Easter Carnival Adventure Passes when you book a family room or team suite.
For inquiries, call (02)702-2700 to 04 or visit www.legendvillas.com.ph.

6. Easter Egg Hunt at Mandarin Oriental

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Venue: Mandarin Ballroom
Fee: P650 for kids and P400 for adults
Activities : Easter Egg Hunt, Mad Science show, kiddie salon, glitter tattoo station, games and raffle. Kids who come in their most creative hat or headgear also get prizes.
Guests who avail of the grand Easter buffet at Paseo Uno, or the special Tin Hau holiday set menu receive a complimentary ticket to Mandarin Oriental’s Easter Wonderland.
For inquiries and reservations, call (02)750-8888.

7. Easter Jungle and Activities at EDSA Shangri-La

Time: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Venue: Isla Ballroom, Edsa Shangri-La
Fee: P950 (net of taxes) per person.
Activities : Easter egg hunt, lunch for kids, magic show, dance performances, arts and crafts activities, show by Trumpets and animal face painting
For reservations, call (02)633-8888

Adventures in Wonderland at Makati Shangri-La

Venue: Makati Shangri-La
Experience "Adventures in Wonderland" as the Rizal Ballroom transforms into a fantasy world.
Alice’s Brunch Buffet at 11 a.m., followed by a one-act performance with clowns and jesters, kings, queens, and fairies.
Fee: P1,500 net (adults) and P1,000 net (kids). An activities-only pass is also available for P1,000 net per person
For inquiries call 813-8888.

8. Easter Adventure Camp and Egg Hunt at New World Makati 
 
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Venue: Grand Ballroom, New World Hotel
There will be an Easter Fun Camp survival kit, face painting, a kiddie nail art salon, film screenings, roaming mascots, magic and bubble shows and much more. The highlight is the traditional egg hunt, where giveaways await those who find the colorful eggs. Children are encouraged to come in their best survival camp costume.

9. Easter Egg Hunt at Sofitel Philippine Plaza

Receive a complimentary ticket to the Easter Egg Hunt when dining at Spiral from April 21 to 24, plus get additional tickets at a special ticket price of P500 each.

Easter brunch at Spiral features different kinds of champagne and wines, starting at P2,488 (net of taxes), valid from April 20 to 24.

Activities: Face painting, balloon twisting, games, gifts, surprises, etc.

For inquiries and reservations, call (02)551-5555 or visit www.sofitel.com

10. Candyland Easter at the Pen

Time: 11am to 3pm
Venue: Rigodon Ballroom, The Peninsula Manila
Fee: Php 700
Easter Sunday Brunch Buffet
The Lobby -Php 2,800  for adults (with free-flowing Champagne)Php 2,100  for adultsPhp 1,200  for children under 12 (with free entrance to the Candyland Easter Egghunt)
 
There will be a children's lounge featuring activities and a magic show to sweeten the deal.
For inquiries, call 887-2888.

Enjoy Easter egg-hunting and have a glorious Easter everyone!

Easter Activities and Events 2011

Easter Sunday is one of the most important Christian holidays. Malls, restaurants and hotels have lined up Easter activities such as the Easter egg hunt, egg decorating, games and more. Here are some places where you and your family can enjoy Easter:

Eggs-plore Easter at Fun Ranch 

Venue: Fun Ranch Ortigas and Alabang
Time: 2:00 pm
Ticket prices: Php450.00/ child and Php 250.00/adult
Hop in to a fabulous summer and get tons of treats! Find a prize in every egg! All kids get awesome delights like a loot bag, food cart treats and snacks, plus they get to watch a live Easter show and join the games and activities. The after party fun continues as kids can ride and play with their "Ride-All-You-Can" or "Unlimited Play" wristbands.

Easter at the Movies! at Shangri-La Plaza

 Time: 1:30pm to 4pm
Venue: Grand Atrium, Shangri-La Plaza
Registration Fee: P500 per child
How to Register:
-Open to kids from 1 to 12 yrs old
-Only the first 300 registrants will be accomodated on a first-come, first-served basis.
-Registration starts on April 2, (Saturday), from 11am to 6pm at the Shangri-La Plaza Administration office, Level 5


Rockwell’s Tropical Easter

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Power Plant Mall
Fee: P500 for 1 child and 1 companion
Watch the Rockwell Tent transform into a luau party at Power Plant Mall's Tropical Easter program. Capoeira dancers show off their moves on stage and let kids unravel culinary creativity with cookie painting. There will be special performances, games, activities, loot bags and prizes a-plenty.
For tickets and inquiries, call (02)898-1702 or visit customer care desks at Power Plant Mall.


Eastwood City's Easter Wonderland

Time: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Join the fun and revelry at Eastwood City's Easter Wonderland, a double celebration of Easter and the 7th birthday of mascots Easter and Woodluck. Seven Worlds of Play and Imagination will be set up: the Main Partyland, Animal Kingdom, Food Factory, Empire of the Inflatables, Superstar Boulevard, Sci-World, Play Town. Each world will feature their own activities, freebies and attractions for the whole family to explore and enjoy.

Wonderland passports Php 500 (includes entrance of two adult companions) will be sold from April 1 until Easter Sunday at the Eastwood Mall Concierge and City Walk Information Center Tel. No.709-9888.


Easter Festival at Greenhills 
 
A fun filled Easter Celebration full of games and surprises.

Venue: V-Mall Lobby, Greenhills
Time: 1pm onwards
Registration Period - April 11, - 23, 2011 at all Customer Service Booths
Schedule of Events:
1pm - 2pm Easter Egg Decorating Workshop by Kid's Workshop
2pm - 2:30pm Magic Show and Balloon Twisting by TGIS 5k
2:30pm - 3:30pm Storytelling by Bridges Bookstore
3:30pm - 4pm Special Presentation by Jollibee Annapolis


Hop Hop and Away at The Blue Leaf

Venue: Blue Leaf Events Pavilion, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Activities: Magic show, acrobat show, bubble show, parlor games, inflatable rides, trampolines, game booths, face painting, glitter tattoo and kiddie salons
For reservations and inquiries, call (02)700-5259 (Wilson Greenhills), (02)724-1114 (White Plains), (02)438-7701 to 02 (Alabang), (02)519-0558 or 0917-8119686

The Great Easter Egg Hunt at Nuvali

Time: 10am-12pm
Venue: Nuvali Solenad
Great prizes await every Easter Egg hidden around Nuvali...Plus hundreds of Easter baskets from our sponsors.
Registration is free.


Easter Surprises of all Shapes and Sizes at Glorietta

Dates: April 23 - 24, 2011
Bunnies and Eggs Photostation at Glorietta 3 Park
Furry Friends (10am to 9pm) at Glorietta 4 Park


Date: April 24, 2011
Easter Hoppin' Festival (10am to 6pm) at the Activity Center
Easter Treats (10am to 12noon, 2pm to 4pm) at Glorietta 3 Park
Mad Egg Hunt (12noon to 2pm, 4pm to 6pm) at Glorietta 3 Park

Contact No. 757-4853 or visit www.ayalamalls.com.ph

Gold Investment

A good investment portfolio can help secure your retirement life, but it is important to consider investments that are safe and risk-free.

Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for gold. It is becoming one of the most popular investments. Gold is a stable, liquid investment during certain economic times and global stock market volatility.

It is also an advantage to consider to turn it into gold Individual Retirement Account (IRA). People opt to arrange for IRA gold to be assured of their investment. IRA is an investing tool used by individuals to earn and earmark funds for retirement savings, which can be funded with precious metals - like gold and silver.

Some investors are already placing their investments in gold IRA due to economic turbulence and global uncertainty.

Nothing looks more promising than buying gold 401k as the price of gold has a tendency to always increase. The quantity of gold remains the same, but your 401k gold value increases. Anyone whose considering to strengthen their investment portfolio should really take buying gold coins or gold bullions seriously. It is better to IRA gold system first and consult a financial consultant if you need to make a gold IRA transfer.

Magnolia Frozen Delights Cool Summer Party

The recent Magnolia Bloggers Summer Party was held at San Miguel Exceutive Dining Room. Magnolia executives, bloggers and foodies alike got to experience once again the classic, old-time favorite ice cream in the Philippines.

Yes, Magnolia Ice Cream reminds me of childhood days - the happiness that comes with eating my favorite Pinipig Crunch and seeing my siblings enjoy their Orange Popsies. Eating an ice cream is truly the best way to beat the summer heat.

Magnolia's Mr. Mayo Alcon re-introduced Magnolia as an ice cream brand and shared a brief history about Magnolia. Today, Magnolia locally manufacture their ice cream products at their new facility in Laguna.

Here's a good tip from Mr. Mayo - always taste the Vanilla flavor of you want to know if an ice cream brand is good. Vanilla is the base flavor, and if its good, the rest of the flavors should also be good.

That night, Magnolia introduced the Frozen Delights - Fun Bar (Php 10.00), Popsies (Php 11.00), Pinipig Crunch (Php13.00), Sweetie Bites (Php11.00), and the newest flavor - Spinner (Php20.00).


Here are the five Frozen Delights:

Spinner
Go for crispy cool! It's an ice cream cone with chocolate ripple and topped with nuts. Available in chocolate and vanilla flavors.




I enjoyed eating the newest Frozen Delight - the Spinner! I love its creamy vanilla and chocolate ice cream texture. It's not too sweet so you won't have to worry of too much sugar intake. I even got to enjoy eating 2 Spinners, unmindful of my throat pain. I would have tasted all the Frozen Delights varieties (takaw mode), only if I'm feeling better that time.

Pinipig Crunch
Chocolate coated ice cream on stick topped with rice crispies. Available in Vanilla Crisp and Sweetcorn flavor.



Popsies
Ice Lolly available in Choco Cool and Orange Thrill flavors




Sweetie Bites
Ice Cream on Stick available in Cookie Craze and Cheesy Bliss flavors.



Fun Bar Surprise
Ice Cream on stick dipped in chocolate that comes in different colors. It has a surprise top ups on every flavor! available in Cool Bubblegum, Cotton Candy and Choco Loco flavors.




With Magnolia's recent tie-up with the province of Guimaras, we can now enjoy this newest flavor - Guimaras Mango Festival (Php 230/1.5L). These are limited edition ice cream flavors available in Mangga't Kasuy and Mangoes and Cream. I can use the GC that I've won to buy this!

Ms. Rizza hosted this event and the Pilipinas Got Talent finalist’ “Velasco Brothers” gave an amazing performance.



Winners for the “Best in Summer Get Up!” were also chosen and of course, the three luckiest bloggers won ice cream party packages worth P2000, P3000 and P5000! Several prizes were also given away and gift certificates were raffled off. Luckily, I won one GC! My family also enjoyed the frozen delights I took home.

It's really a cool summer party with Magnolia!

Watch out for the mobile ice cream vending peddlers that would be roaming around town.

Also visit Magnolia Ice Cream website and Magnolia Ice Cream Facebook Page.

Bb. Pilipinas 2011 Winners Crowned

Lovely candidates competed for the much coveted titles in the Philippines most prestigious beauty pageant. It had been a night of beauty, brains and glamour. The Bb. Pilipinas winners were crowned and declared as the Binibining Pilipinas title holders at the Araneta Coliseum. Here are the official results:

Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2011 - #26 Shamcey Supsup
Bb. Pilipinas International 2011 - #33 Dianne Necio
Bb. Pilipinas Tourism 2011- #25 Isabella Manjon
Bb. Pilipinas First Runner Up - #27 Janine Tugonon
Bb. Pilipinas Second Runner Up - #34 MJ Lastimosa

Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2011 Shamcey Supsup
Photo Source: www.bbpilipinas.com

Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2011 Shamcey Supsup bagged three special awards. She will represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2011 beauty pageant to be held on September 12 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Special Award Winners:
Miss Friendship - Samantha Purvor
Miss Talent - Shamcey Supsup
Miss Philippine Airlines - Shamcey Supsup
Manila Bulletin Reader's Choice - Luzelle Felipe
Miss Creamsilk - Shamcey Supsup

Other Special Awards:
Best in Swimsuit - #13 Quennie Rehman
Best in Long Gown - #23 Luzelle Felipe
Texters' Choice Award - #7 Angelia Ong
Best in National Costume - #2 Elizabeth Clenci

May they truly embody the true beauty of a Filipina and make wakes as they represent the country in international pageants.

Congratulations ladies!

-----
Well, I'm just a pageant aficionado and I enjoy watching beauty pageant coronations. My sister also does. This time, she got to watch the grand coronation live at the Araneta Coliseum! 

Proud of Our Bronze Medalists

recognition day

It's been a fruitful year for my kids and my little sister. They learned a great deal along with their countless school activities, programs, and events.

My Kinder son, my Grade 1 daughter and my sister all grabbed the 3rd Honors Award! They all ranked 3rd place over-all in their grade levels. We're so proud that they achieved these awards without putting pressures on their shoulders.

Kinder 1 Third Honor

Grade 1 Third Honor and Best in Conduct

Grade 4 Third Honor

Every year, their school give due recognitions to students who shows exemplary performances in school - both in the academics and extra curricular areas. From each grade level, only the top three students who got the highest rank are recognized as the First, Second and Third Honor Awardees. There are also other awards and certificate of merits including Perfect Attendance Award, Leadership Award, Best in Conduct, Most Improved and Best in Extra-Co curricular.

class advisers

school principal and chairman

Though, their future isn't just measured by their grades and medals, I know they're in a good start. This serves as an inspiration for them to keep in mind the importance of education.

My sister is also a lyre player during the recognition program.

lyre player

Keep up the good work kids!

with the proud sister and bro-in-law