apples & dumplings

17th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta!

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 04:12:00 +0000

Last Sunday, we took Y to see the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark. We were supposed to leave around 3AM, but my alarm didn't "alarm" so we left around 4:30AM instead. There was no traffic in NLEX, just a couple of slow area because of car accidents, other than that it was smooth! Except when we reached Dau Tollway, it was traffic!!! It took us 30 minutes! We took SCTEX, but when we got to Clark, Oh My! It was traffic too!!! So we watched the hot air balloon flight from the car while we're stuck in traffic. The weather was not so good, there were a few balloons that weren't able to took off. But we loved the weather! No sun, windy, just right!

Y still sleeping...

When we got to the entrance, there was so many people!!! But that didn't stopped us from having fun! We took Y to see the different military air crafts and had our pictures taken. We also bought her a pinwheel and a toy hot air balloon which is now hung in our living room.

Dami ng tao!

We lined up to to had our pictures taken with the air crafts. It was a long line! But everywhere you go, there's a line. So might as well just wait.

Here's Y posing for the camera!

She was so excited! I didn't think she'd like to ride the helicopters, but she did! She loved the big space too. She run around and shrieked wildly that the BOS had to chase her! Ayaw pa magpahawak!

Outfit: Head to Toe - H&M

Father and son.. ay daughter pala! LOL!

We were tired and hungry by the time we finished taking pictures. I was craving for Shakey's that day so we went to SM Clark to have our lunch. No pictures because the little one was very makulit (as she is these days!) plus I was very hungry (me, the official photographer). After eating, we took Y to ride the train and the merry-go-round! It's her first time! BOS took Y to ride the train, while I took Y to ride the horses.

"Nice to meet you, Train!"

Off they go! Hindi mukhang happy si Y. Haha!

No photos riding the horses kasi andun ako. LOL!

This was our first out of town trip as a family! We should do this more often!!! :) We all had so much fun! Kaya pag sakay sa car...

Borlogs agad ang jugets!

That's all folks!

What we learned? Never go to the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta on a Sunday, it was the last day also so there were lots of families going too. In the next year or two, when baby#2 is big enough, we'll probably go and see the balloons again, on a weekday na! Plus get a media/photographer's pass so we can be close to the balloons!

20 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 03:23:00 +0000

I'm 20 weeks this week. I've gotten bigger, gained 7lbs! I gained back what I lost during the 1st trimester! And I'm bigger than when I was pregnant with Y. The OB advised to cut back on carbs and sugar to avoid me from gaining extra weight, or else I might develop gestational diabetes which I don't want to have. I've been eating anything I want, which is bad. So now, I'm cutting back. :(

I can feel baby#2's movement already, especially when I'm eating. We're excited to know the gender! We'll know in 3 weeks! I'll be doing my blood test and OGCT also, so we're doing the ultrasound at the same time. Can't wait to know the gender, but I'm not looking forward to the OGCT!

I'm lazier, heavier, and sluggish at 5 months.. what more in the next few months? I can't sit on the floor then stand up over and over. I can't run around with Y anymore. Tumatakbo na ang bulilit! With all of that, I still love being pregnant! Yeah, I do. Except for the morning sickness and all that. I like rubbing my tummy, feeling the little one move while I'm eating, and all the joy that comes with being pregnant! (BOS, I love being pregnant but I don't want another baby soon LOL!)

One Word of Breastfeeding Advice

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:25:00 +0000

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (February). For this month, we focus on back to basics. Participants will share advices - either the best breastfeeding advice they received OR/AND the best breastfeeding advice they can give to new moms. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries."

Every new mom is clueless about breastfeeding. I've read books on breastfeeding, attended breastfeeding classes when I was pregnant with Y, but when Y was given to me to breastfeed the very first time, even with all the information I have, I didn't know what to do! But! I didn't give up. I sought out advices from friends and consulted Abbie Yabot.

From all of those advices, I think the best advice I can give to new breastfeeding moms would be: HAVE TRUST.

Trust your body.New moms often doubt they would have milk when and after they gave birth. Your milk may not have milk right after you give birth, trust your body! Always remember that all moms have milk and most babies don't get hungry the first few days. Trust your body that it will produce milk for your baby!

Trust your milk.When I started breastfeeding Y, my family doubted my breast milk. My husband was my one and only supporter. But that didn't stop me from breastfeeding, I knew that my milk was the best nutrition I could give my child. No water, supplement I never doubted my milk's capacity to nourish your child. Don't worry about your baby's weight, breastfed and formula-fed baby's weight are different. Breast milk is the best for your baby!

Have the people around you TRUST you and your milk.
Support is important to any breastfeeding mom. Moms need all the confidence especially the first two weeks of breastfeeding from the dads, grandparents to the siblings, in-laws! Good and positive vibes only!

Breastfeeding takes a lot of work and patience. Having trust helped me a lot during breastfeeding Y. Now that I'm pregnant with my second baby, I can't wait to breastfeed again!

SoLovelyn's My Breastfeeding Blessings
The Articulate Pen's Breastfeeding needs Patience
Diapers and Stethoscope's Back to Basic
My Mommyology's What I've Learned About Breastfeeding
Ms. Masungit's From One Mom To Another
The Odyssey of Dinna's Breastfeeding Words of Wisdom
Mrs. Bry126's We're All in this Together
I Am Clarice's Paying it Forward
My Mommy Kwentos' Sharing My Favorite Breastfeeding Advice
Planet Marsy's Better Than None
Mommy {T} Coach's Saved by the Nursing Mommas
Mama Drama's Patience and Breast-friends
Adventures on Planet Mom's Stubborn Me! Sure Glad I didn't give up
Nanaystrip's Eat Malunggay, Say "I Have Milk" and Love your Baby
Starting at Twenty-Five's My Husband's Best Breastfeeding Advice
Nanay *Loves* Purple's Why Attend Breastfeeding Class/Seminars
Mec as Mom's Enough is Enough
Chronicles of a Nursing Mom's On Breastfeeding Number Two - Redux

February Kick-Off: Mom 24/7 Planner Quick Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Congratulations to Catherine Corsipe and Julieanne Dimaano!

Giveaway is closed! Will announce winners soon! Thank you for joining!

Update (Feb 6) - I'm extending the giveaway until Wednesday and giving away two planners instead of one! Yay!

I'm doing a quick giveaway so the winner can use the prize right away!

I got this Mom 24/7 Planner from the SM Grand Baby Fair last weekend. I won it at the Philips Avent booth. I really wanted to keep this but I'm already using another planner so I'm giving it away instead!

From Mommy Mundo

MOM 24/7 is a 6x8inch hardbound, spiral-bound planner with special planning pages with space for Mom's schedules and kids' schedules as well. On each planning page there are special portions for reminders for our different concerns and roles as well as space for our essential to-do lists.

To make us more efficient mommies, MOM 24/7 also has special forms such as Health record pages for mom, dad and each child (up to 3 kids), family vacation planning pages, party planning pages, and more. To help us run an organized home, there is an expense tracker, grocery list, menu planner, yaya/ household help record pages. Of course Mom 24/7 has "Me" pages such as goal planning pages, idea pages, and a menstrual tracker.

PLUS! MOM 24/7 has discount coupons from Mommy Mundo partners!

All photos from Mommy Mundo

Just join by using Rafflecopter below. Giveaway ends on Monday, February 6! I'll choose the winner with the best answer! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

EQ Birthday Raffle Promo

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:16:00 +0000

Saw this ad on TV the other day. Y is using EQ Dry Diapers during the day when she's not using her Next9 cloth diapers.

No hurt in trying, right? We have no plans on throwing any party for Y this year. So this would be nice (if we win).

Read mechanics here.

In The Mail

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:44:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I got a comment from Ms. Mara Mariano on my Tiny Buds Review post which I've posted a long time ago. Apparently, my review got to the Tiny Buds people and they wanted to send a complimentary bottle for me to try again. They said they have improved the product from its first batch.

And this is what I got in the mail last week! Tiny Buds Bottle Wash and their other products! Thank you Tiny Buds people! A re-review of Tiny Buds coming up and a review of one of their products!

Apples & Dumplings: First Blog Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:30:00 +0000

This giveaway has ended! Congratulations to the winners!

My blog is turning 1 on the 7th! As a small thank you to all my readers, I'm having my first blog giveaway! I feel so bongga! LOL!

There will be two winners! One winner for the Bub loot and another winner for the Momma loot!

For the Bub:

Cycles Stain Soaker

Cycles Stain Pretreater Pen
Cycles Mild Laundry Detergent
Set of 2 Bibs

For the Momma:

Archive Clothing Blue Knit Sweater (SIZE M)*

Photo from Archive Clothing

Archive Clothing Cream Pajama Pants (SIZE 25-27)*

Photo from Archive Clothing

Shoe Etiquette Maud Pumps (SIZE 7.5 but fits a 8)**

Photo from Shoe Etiquette

Body Shop Aloe Body Butter
*I bought the sweater and pants but haven't worn it, and I can't fit in it anyway, so I'm giving it away!
**I won the pumps from a blog giveaway but haven't worn it. And since I got pregnant again, I don't think I'll ever wear it again anytime soon so I'm giving it away too!

Joining is easy! I'm trying out Rafflecopter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to Philippine residents only! Giveaways end on January 31, 2012! Winners will be picked randomly.

Good Luck! :)

VBAC Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:02:00 +0000

Vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) refers to the practice of delivering a baby vaginally after a previous baby has been delivered through caesarean section (surgically). - From Wiki
I wanted to gave birth naturally, I wanted to feel labor pains, the pushing, and everything that comes with it. I'm not scared of pain. But alas, I labored but didn't feel any pain. I didn't get to push. I labored for 7 hours but I got stuck at 5cm, so I was whisked to the delivery room and gave birth to Y thru C-section.

My husband knows I wanted to give birth naturally. I was disappointed and frustrated that I didn't. When I had my follow-up check up with my OB, I asked her if I can still give birth naturally, and she said NO. My heart sank. Now that I'm pregnant again, I want to give birth naturally (if possible). VBAC is not popular in the Philippines. And I think doctors here are afraid to take the risk. Some require a 4-year gap. I'm still reading and researching about VBAC.

I'm inspired by The Milk Lady's blog post. She had a VBA2C! Only she went to Davao to give birth because she found an OB who's based there. I don't think I can do the same. So I'm looking one that is based in Manila. I actually found one but I have yet to consult her.

I have high hopes! But I won't force it if it's really not ideal or possible!

More links on VBAC:
http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10212
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaginal_birth_after_caesarean
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/vbac.html
http://www.vbac.com/

PREGNANT PAUSE 2: A Talk for Modern Moms-To-Be

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:22:00 +0000

From Mommy Mundo

Calling all expectant moms and dads!

We are holding PREGNANT PAUSE 2: A TALK FOR MODERN MOMS-TO-BE
at UCC Rockwell this February 4, 2012, Saturday starting 1pm.

These pocket events, produced by Urban Mom, the only lifestyle freezine for moms,
and Mommy Mundo, is a popular activity we have been staging since
last year and has attracted quite a following among
young, modern, parents-to-be who are interested in the latest trends
in parenting and baby care as well as traditional practices that all
expectant moms should know about.

Visit our Mommy Mundo facebook page:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=NTP3Y&m=3WPkaVJrmh15FZ0&b=8IZoe22lHlelrqAD93thLQ

or click on the attached file to see our event poster:0

Topics for PREGNANT PAUSE 2 are:

- Baby Sign Language by US certified instructor Jaymie Pizarro (Baby Signs *as seen on Oprah)
- Positive Pregnancy by childbirth educator Rome Kanapi
- Breastfeeding Basics for Modern moms-to-be:)

Registration to the event is free of charge but pre-registration is a must.
We have very limited slots available so please call 5707827 or text 09178162524 to
reserve a slot now.

Please feel free to share this with your pregnant mommy friends!

If you'd like to see photos from Pregnant Pause 1: please click the link below:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=NTP3Y&m=3WPkaVJrmh15FZ0&b=KeM8Zp9yB4wWPS3NrdLMgQ

Thank you and wishing you all a great weekend!

Mom's the World!

I've already registered myself and the BOS! :) See you there!

My Little Flower Girl Proud Mommy Moment

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Warning: A very photo heavy post!

I'm a proud mommy!

Last January 15, my shobe and BIL had their church wedding. Exactly one year after their civil wedding, in short, they wed on their first wedding anniversary! :) My sister was a stunning bride! Veejay Floresca made a very beautiful gown!

But the highlight of the wedding (for me and the BOS), Y was a flower girl!!! When she turned 1, I was worried that she was not walking on her own yet. By October, she was walking na and I was so happy! The next thing I worried about is, would Y walk down the aisle and not cry or be carried by me or her papa. When we got to the church, there were a lot of guests already. Dinudumog na si Y ng mga pinsan ko and other relatives. I had to get her away from the crowd because she's not used to it. Baka mabigla and she won't walk. Good thing I did that!

Well, she walked the aisle (with me)!!! I have to make uto pa. I told her there's a Hello Kitty at the end of the aisle. Bilis kausap! She won't hold her flower at first so I had her carry her "bag" din while walking the aisle. She's so cute in her little gown! I don't have photos of her while walking the aisle, but I have photos before the ceremony started.

Gown by Veejay Floresca; Hair Clip from Forever21; Silver Toms as her shoes

Best Man

I'm so proud of my baby girl! So, if anyone is getting married soon, I'm volunteering Y to be the flower girl! LOL!

And here's some more photos!

Here's Y waiting in the car before the ceremony, I was coming from the hotel while the BOS and Y came from the house. They were supposed to go to the hotel in the morning too but I told them to stay home so Y could nap in the morning.

Photos during the ceremony. Her uncles were playing with her.

And photos during reception!

That's all! Hope to get photos from shobe! I wanna see photos of her walking the aisle!

Homeopathy

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:35:00 +0000

So lately, I've been reading about homeopathy. Y rarely gets sick but whenever she gets colds, cough or fever, I panic! I call her pedia and ask what meds to give her, but along with those worries is that I don't want my kid to take so much medicine/chemicals this young. I don't think their body can handle it and there are side effects. While I grew up with taking those medicine and they are effective, I'm now thinking twice about it.

I know some mom bloggers go to Dr. Cricket Chen, though her clinic is far from our part of the city. It doesn't hurt to visit. I really want to get rid or minimize the taking of medicines. The BOS is not a fan of drugs too. So, homeopathy, I shall do more reading about you!

Setting Goals For This Year!

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:30:00 +0000

I don't really make New Year's resolutions, because I never do them. So instead, I'm setting goals for this year!

1. Cook more this year!

I'm no cook. I try the best that I can. This year, I want to learn and cook more recipes. Use my crock pot more and buy an oven! Most of the recipes I want to try needs baking, so hopefully this year, I get to do that.

2. Fix the kids' room.

I'll be giving birth to Baby#2 on June or July. As early as now, I want to make a plan on how to fix the kids' room, if we need to buy a bed for Y. The room is currently a play room for Y, it's not a big room but we have to add a few things here and there. We need to buy another closet or drawers for the new baby's clothes, an air con, put up some shades... and I really want to repaint the crib but I don't know if I have the time. and I want to buy a table and chair set for Y! Oh my, ang dami!

3. Get back into photography.

At least make time for my old hobby. Use my film camera again or at least some of my lomo cameras. They are just gathering dust at my parents' house. This weekend, for my shobe's wedding, I'm hoping to use some of my cameras. I also want to see Y in film!

4. Put up a small business.

The BOS and I have been discussing and scouting products that we can sell. Everything is still half-baked. Hopefully we'll be able to start something this year! Working-at-home is the dream!

Keeping it short! Making a long list would just make it unreal. Hope I can accomplish everything in this list!

Four Days To Go...

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:18:00 +0000

Before my shobe's wedding! I'm no longer the matron of honor, because I got pregnant. So I had to be replaced! May pamahiin pa lang ganon? Anyways, it's fine with me because I no longer had to lose weight to fit into a dress, I can be as fat as I want because I'm allowed to be because I'm pregnant! Right?!

We bought coat, pants, shirt and shoes for the BOS. It's his first time to wear anything formal. Rakista kasi! Mas mahal pa ang outfit niya compare to mine! Haha! Oh, he needs a haircut pala! I bought a new dress too, very very cheap formal dress! And since I can't wear heels, I bought new sandals too! As in flat sandals. My mom won't let me wear even kitten heels. But it's fine, para naman sakin! I have to get my eyebrows groomed and have a mani/pedi.

But the most special thing happening is... Y will be a flower girl! Yay! Excited mommy! I hope Y will walk down the aisle (sans me, but I doubt that she will, but we're crossing our fingers!). She doesn't like big crowds so I hope hindi siya dumugin ng mga tao or else she'll just cry the whole time. I want her to be cute as she can be!

Four days to go!

SM Grand Baby Fair Year II

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:18:00 +0000

I'm going again this year, this time with my pregnant achi. Hope the payment system is better than last years! See yah!

Y's Birthday Series: Hi-5 Parties

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Note: This is a lengthy post! If you just want to see the decors, scroll down to the bottom. If you want to know my encounter with Hi-5 Parties, sit down, relax and prepare to be bored. LOL! Haha.. I just want to share my experience! That's all.

Services I got from Hi-5 Parties were the decors (ceiling, backdrop, and centerpieces), candies for our giveaway, kiddie tables and chairs, and the dirty ice cream cart.

I really saved this blog post on Hi-5 Parties the last. We had a different party planner/decorator at first. I canvassed from three planners, mind you. I didn't get to confirm on our first party planner which made me panic and sad because it was two weeks before the party, I really wanted to get them and I didn't have a decorator anymore. So I had to contact whoever is available to do my decors and Hi-5 was the only one that was available on our date. We agreed to have a chat on YM to discuss what I wanted. I chatted with Kathleen dela Merced that same night, asked her if she's done decors in Mann Hann, showed her some pegs, our theme, that I wanted to have pompoms and lanterns as decors, and what we wanted her to do.

After chatting, we agreed to meet personally and discuss some more. Hubby was with me when we met up, she discussed how she'll decorate Mann Hann, what kind of balloons she'll use, how many balloons, lanterns and pompoms she'll use. For the centerpieces, I bought small plush toys to be used for the centerpiece, and I instructed her to use them. Her assistant or one of her co-planners, Sheila, was also there with her during our meeting and she quickly drafted the estimate cost of the decors, which I liked and gave us a good idea on how much we'll spent. They gave us two options with decors and also two options for the cost. Another things that I liked about Hi-5 Parties is that they sent us a digital layout of how the centerpiece or decors would mostly look like and giving us options! They mentioned what they did before was set-up the decors at 12MN in Mann Hann. After discussing with them, I felt relieved that decors for the party will be ok. That night or the night after, they sent an email on how the decors and centerpieces options.

For the centerpieces:

We chose the third one with the balloons.

Here's what we got for the decors:

20 pieces Pom Poms ( orange, white, and aqua blue)
15 pieces Lanterns (rental - orange, white and aqua blue)
150 pieces balloons in Balloonderitas
Custom Styro (rental - 5 feet tall and 8 feet wide)
2 pieces Link-o-loons wall (as pictured)
12 pieces centerpieces ( flying balloon and custom base option only)

And here's another option they gave us for the decors. But we opted for the above.

During our meeting I asked them if they have orange and blue candies since I knew they also make dessert buffets for parties. It took a lot of follow-ups by SMS before they got to reply on my request on the candies. We met another night for the contract signing, me giving them the plush toys, and getting the 5.5 kilos of candies from them! Kathleen told me that on the day of the party, Sheila will be there to see over things. At this point, I was happy and lax since I had nothing to worry about until the day of the party. NOT!

Eto na ang climax...
At 10:30PM the night before the party, Mann Hann's manager texted me to call them. So I did. They said that Hi-5 Parties was there at Mann Hann ready to set up, and they don't allow that. They told them to come back the next day at 7AM to set-up. I was freakin' panicking a day before the party. If you follow me on twitter, you would have read my live tweets. GOSH. If Mann Hann didn't text, I wouldn't know about it. So I called Kathleen to check, she said they were "making pakiusap" because they were already there and she already paid the workers who'll set up the balloons. I was the one who had to talk to the manager and the manager to their boss and convince him to allow them to decorate for at least an hour. After a few more calls, they allowed them to decorate, but if they exceeded the one hour they gave us, I will charged for a set-up fee. I WAS CHARGED for Php1,500. I can't get mad at the manager because he was just doing his job. Hi-5 Parties didn't inform Mann Hann that they'll be setting up that night, they didn't coordinate with them. It was partly my fault too as I was supposed to inform Mann Hann pala (based on Hi-5's contract), I only assumed because they've done decors at Mann Hann before. I was a bit disappointed. But! They did a GOOD JOB decorating the ceiling! I loved it. I arrived around 2:30PM at Mann Hann, they were still setting up the backdrop and inflating balloons for the centerpieces. I liked the backdrop too, they copied the Tiger! Yay! Sheila was there, she helped me set-up the dessert buffet, she also checked everything. Another thing that disappointed me that the ice cream cart came late! Oh well. But nevertheless, I liked how it turned out!

Oh, and our dirty ice cream cart came an hour late! But I didn't bother to complain anymore. I was ngarag already from all the preparations and entertaining guests, I couldn't care less anymore. Sayang lang ang daming leftover and we weren't able to take it home. Anyways!

Here's how the venue looked liked.

They did well!

Guests even got to take home the lanterns and some balloons. Oh well. Pikit-mata na lang ako nagbayad sa Mann Hann ng extra charges. All in all, I love what they did with the decors. They are affordable! I would get them again on my next party (baby#2's birthday or maybe when Y turns 7!), I would just make sure to check everything!

Hi-5 Parties
Kathleen dela Merced
http://hi5parties.multiply.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Hi5.Parties
+639178950017
ask.hi5parties@yahoo.com

Y's Birthday Series: Y's Outfits

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:21:00 +0000

Of course, the outfits had to be planned also!

For her christening...

Dress from Occasions; Shoes from Florsheim Kids (Both gifted from my SIL) These were given two days before the day. Headband from Celestina and Co.

At the party...

First Outfit

Dress from Twilo (gift from Ninang Z); Gold Shoes from Pediped. She looks so angelic with this dress! I want to take her to a studio and have a photo shoot with her wearing this!

Second Outfit

Top from Gingersnaps; Tutu (Customized) from Erin et Vivien; Gold Shoes from Pediped; Headband (Customized) from Celestina and Co.

Y's Birthday Series: iSnap Photobooth

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 04:40:00 +0000

We got the photobooth thru the friend of BOS who also did our invitation designs. She also made the layout for the photobooth. Can't say we got a good deal with the photobooth with all the group coupon deals coming out but iSnap did their job, guests were happy, I'm happy.

They had problems setting up the booth, it took them about forty-five minutes to set-up. Yeah, that long. I had to follow up several times. I was getting anxious at the start of the party because of this plus our ice cream cart was late and most of our guests came late.

Their set up was only ok, it wasn't the usual booth that I've seen and used from parties I've been to. Two personnel were manning the manually taking the pictures which was making the photo-taking slower. The venue name in the print outs were even wrong at first. Good thing my sister noticed and changed it to the correct name. The photo paper they used is good, that was one of the things the BOS had to consider. Backdrop was just a simple monogram of Y's name. The layout was made by BOS's friend who also made our invitation, cupcake toppers, and giveaway labels.

My yaya, helper and my sister's yaya got a lot of prints! Grabe as in. Sinulit nila ang photobooth! Haha!

iSnap
239 Salcedo Street cor Benadivez Street,
Office 4 Island Tower, Legazpi Village, Makati City
+6327527062
www.isnapcreatives.com

Y's Birthday Series: My Chocolate Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:50:00 +0000

Our menu package from Mann Hann didn't include any desserts (if I were to add a dessert, that's Php100 additional which I thought wasn't sulit) so I made the dessert buffet, got My Chocolate Heaven and a dirty ice cream cart.

The package I got from them is their Silver Package which includes:

– 4 hours service (inclusive of setup)

– Your choice of 2kl chocolate fondue on one 2-layer chocolate fountain

– Your choice of 7 dippings

o 4 regular non-fruit and

o 3 regular fruit

– Free colored sprinkles and honey coated crispies

– Good for 80-100 pax

We communicated thru email only. It was easy and fast. I emailed them what package I wanted, the dippings, type of chocolate (I got the bittersweet), and sprinkle colors. They require an initial of 50% downpayment upon confirmation of your reservation and they will send you an agreement/contract. I re-confirmed a week before the date of our party just to be sure.

On the day of the party, one personnel from MCH was there to set-up and man the chocolate fountain. He got there an hour before the party. The set up was simple, nothing fancy. The chocolate fountain was a hit with the kids! Not so much with the adults though, they just ate the fruit dippings haha! The bittersweet chocolate was good and we still got leftover chocolate from the party!

If you're planning a party and you got the luxury and time to DIY, I suggest you just DIY your chocolate fountain. You can always borrow a chocolate fountain from a friend, buy your own chocolate, fruits, marshmallows, and what nots, paper plates, and toothpicks. Easy! Would I still get them on my next party? Maybe, maybe not. What got me decided to get them for Y's party is that they're not expensive. I would still recommend them to you!

They offer chocolate fountain packages ranging from Php1,500-Php10,500, they also offer dessert bar packages. Email them to get their updated price at list of packages!Website: www.mychocolateheaven.multiply.com
Email: mychocolateheaven.info@gmail.com
Contact No. for Metro Manila:
Mobile : 09178007215

Y's Birthday Series: Arts N' Faces

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Yes, almost four months later and I'm still not yet done with Y's party series! Hopefully I'll get to finish posting by this week!

At first, I didn't want any additional entertainment besides a host/magician/entertainer but when I chatted with a friend and she mentioned the entertainment she was getting, I thought why not add a face painter?! Both kids and adults can enjoy! I read up on forums on who's good and mostly recommended by moms but also budget friendly. Then I read about Arts N' Faces which offers discounted prices on their packages. I got the Php1,750 package which is good for two hours of face painting and glitter tattoo. Check their site on how to reserve a date thru text. They also require a 50% down payment.

The artist arrive early at the party. It was a guy, I should have requested for a lady artist because I didn't really like how the guy looks, not kid-friendly. He wears those earrings with a hole in the middle, basta. But he's good and friendly, still lesson learned! All of the materials they used are hypoallergenic, very safe for kids! Most of the kids got to have their arms or hands painted. I myself got a flower painted on my hands!

The service was sulit. I didn't hear any complains on getting any allergies after the party. I super recommend them!

Check their site: Arts N' Faces

14 Weeks Pregnant and Feeling Better!

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:53:00 +0000

I'm 14 weeks pregnant this week, and feeling a lot better! The morning sickness is almost gone... No more throwing up, I can eat properly, and I don't feel empacho all the time now.

With my first pregnancy, I was throwing up all the time. Well only after eating breakfast. The toilet bowl was my bestfriend.. and every time I see that toilet bowl, it makes me want to vomit. #TMI This pregnancy, I don't throw up much but I feel bloated all the time and I just want to sleep it off, but I can't because I have to work. But a few days before New Year, I bought potato salad from a cafe downstairs in our office building which I threw up an hour after, was the worst I had this pregnancy! My throat was burning til the next day and I think I threw up blood. I think I scared the BOS. I was on soft diet for a day!

But I'm all better now. Eating is easier. I still get tired easily and I feel sleepy all the time! But the good thing is, I feel A LOT better now. And hopefully, I'll have a smooth 2nd trimester!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:26:00 +0000

2012, here we come!

Happy New Year to my dear readers, friends, family! 2011 wouldn't be the same without this blog and twitter!

I'm still lazy to blog but I promise to blog soon!

Christmas Shopping at Chicify

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:38:00 +0000

Because I am lazy to go to the mall and buy gifts, and I want to avoid the mad shoppers and long lines at the gift wrapping stations, I decided to buy Christmas gifts for my friends and family (girls only) at Chicify.

I won't reveal what I bought for my friends because some of them read my blog :) Here's what I bought for my achi and shobe.

For my pregnant achi:

For my shobe:

I had a smooth transaction. Though I paid two days late (I notified them), I paid on a Tuesday and I got the package a day after! Very fast! I had them gift-wrapped everything too so I won't have to wrap (Told you I'm lazy!) anymore. One rant though, one of the gifts' wrapper has a rip. I don't know if it's the courier's fault or Chicify's. But I'm still glad about my purchases! Wala nga lang ako nabili for myself. Hehe!

I had a great shopping experience. Will definitely order again soon. And I recommend them too! Great selection of clothes, shoes, bags... a real temptation island for me!

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:52:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

It's been a busy holiday season! Hope you're having a great one!

Sorry for the lack of posts! I've been a grinch this season because of the morning sickness. Will get back to blogging really soon! And as promised, a giveaway for my first blog anniversary!

Enjoy the rest of the holidays!

The Night We Had Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:24:00 +0000

My SIL gave us a box of Pizza Hut a few weeks ago. Y being the chismosa that she is, tried opening the box. I don't know how she knew that it was food! She really forced her way into opening the sides and she started pulling out cheese and the pizza dough! It was so cute!

December's Here!

noreply@blogger.com (apples & dumplings) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:55:00 +0000

Finally got to blog! I've been lazy these past few days.. I don't know if it's because of the pregnancy or I just don't have anything to blog about. Well, I still got some birthday posts still left in my draft folder, I just have to look for the photos.

It's December na! Have you done your shopping yet? Well, I haven't. I'm still lazy too. Haha! I'm always panic buying when it comes to Christmas gifts. I'll probably shop online, because I don't want to go siksikan with other shoppers at the mall. I don't think I have any patience for that right now. I just need to buy a gift for my nephew. I don't have any inaanaks yet!

Oh by the way, Y is walking already. And now, she doesn't play in her room anymore. She likes to walk around the house. Minsan ayaw pa magpahawak.. she fell so many times na. With bumps here and there, hay. With this pregnancy, sometimes I can't keep up anymore. I get tired agad. But she's so cute walking and blabbering all at the same time.

Work has been toxic lately. QA team borrowed me for this month so I'm on QA duties now. At first I had fun using a barcode scanner, but when you have to scan fifty times at a time, it gets annoying. LOL!

More updates later! Have to work muna!