Outdoor Photo Shoot for Baby Sophia's First Birthday

            Beginning of April, I’ve been really busy doing all the DIY props for my daughter’s first birthday. There are just a lot of nice and cute crafts one could make for a little girls party, I was able to make the Pinwheel, Pompoms, Banner, Buntings, Loot bags and even some Marshmallow Pops for the dessert table . I also wanted to have both indoor and outdoor photo shoot of her.  Normally, a professional photographer will charge around 5,000Php per session. Of course, we don’t want to spend that much, since we have our own camera. The goal is, to capture all the special moments of her 1^st birthday for lifelong keepsakes. So we just did everything ourselves, hubby as the photographer and myself as the over-all assistant. Mind you, it is never easy to take children’s photo but it was certainly all worth it! J

A day before our darling’s birthday celebration, we did the outdoor shoot at Rainforest Park in Pasig City. We only paid Php10/person upon entering the maze garden. No additional fee for the pictorial, you just have to ask permission, nicely! J

Enjoy Different Attractions in Vigan City with your Family for FREE!

               My husband and I had been planning to go to Vigan and Pagudpud since we got married in 2008, and finally we were able to make it happen, well, just recently though. It was our family’s first summer adventure for 2014. Before we left Manila, our goal was to spend as little money as possible for the entire Ilocos trip, without compromising of course the kids’ happiness. And the  great thing that we noticed when we visited different tourist attractions in the City ; Calle Crisologo, Dancing Fountain Show, Burnayan Pottery, Hidden Garden and the  Baluarte Zoo.. is that there was no entrance fee, admission fee or whatever you call it. We even saw some tarps in the Baluarte Zoo, advising visitors not to give donations, reiterating that strolling around the place and interacting with different animals are totally free. Surprising right? “May libre pa pala sa Pinas!”

So here’s the full version of our Vigan adventure:

              What’s the first thing to do in Vigan?  Of course, to walk at the beautifully paved road of the historic Calle Crisologo! It’s amazing to see how the people in this village were able to preserve the ancestral houses. Only “Calesas” (horse-drawn carriages) are allowed to pass by the cobblestone street, so one could definitely look back at the old Spanish times.

My Brave Little Boy's Funny Dental Check-up

             We went to the dentist last Monday; I scheduled the appointment days before. I asked for the off-peak time, and just as I’ve wanted, we were the only patient that afternoon. Back when Shaun was just 3 years old, hubby and I tried to convince him for 15 minutes! to seat on the dental chair for a check-up, but we ended up going home as our little boy refused to even open his mouth for the dentist. Thank goodness, this last visit was a success.

So this time, we did our best to prepare Shaun even before leaving the house. When we got to the clinic, our son immediately looked for the comfort room to pee.  Hubby had his teeth checked first, to show Shaun of what was about to happen and that it doesn’t hurt at all. While waiting for his turn, he then told me that he needed to poop, but he didn’t.  Well, butterflies in his stomach, I guess! I just told him to relax. LOL

How to make Marshmallow Pops

 



 

I made some mallow pops for my little darling’s first birthday. It looked so pretty, was so easy to make and oh so yummy! I’m glad that it was enjoyed not just by kids but also by the kids at heart. And all the positive feedback that I got is truly overwhelming, so as requested here's the step by step guide.

 

A Letter to my Son

This is a super delayed post, but I still would love to share it with you guys  :)

 

 

 To our smart, sweet, and loving son Shaun,

           You’ve already finished the first part of kindergarten. And it was an amazing experience to both of us! J I may not be able to remember the details of your preschool years when you grow up. That’s why I’m telling you here what a wonderful year it has been.
 

           As first time parents, your daddy and I were very excited to let you out of the house and  have fun at school when you were  at 2 ½ years old, so we requested your grandma’s friend  to let you (and your cousin Leocas) join a nursery class and give it a try.

             But here’s what happened. You got so excited and couldn’t just sit on your chair. You already knew some of the lessons, like the different colors and shapes. So you went in front dancing, got the stick from the teacher and imitate her, as if you were the assistant! (Lol!) That was the day when you got your very first “good job star.” Which you were so happy and proud of, but we decided not to let you continue, for we saw that you're still too young to attend a formal class.

             After a year, we finally got you enrolled. You were very excited on your first day; it was all about fun and play for you.