Likke

The Funky Car

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:46:26 PST

Funky Car. Monkey Bar.

Traveling with Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:36:54 PST

The best of part about traveling with a kid is that you rediscover simple joys of discovering the world around you.

That's what I always feel when we get that little taste of excitement whenever we go home to Mindanao for a quick vacation. Trips with Dabby are always amazing. His endless questions are quite interesting that I find myself groping for answers to his queries that range from why a thing is of such color or to awkward questions about people around him.

What I find most interesting is when we ride a plane. He is almost always seated near the wing and always get to see the propeller outside his window. He puts his hand on the window to show that he loves watching the propeller spin moving the plane to where we are headed to -- our hometown.

Philippine Airlines has chosen to sponsor the Mindanao Bloggers Summit in Iligan City on October 29 – 30, 2011 and this is a great way to show that the number one airline in the Philippines is supporting the cause not only of travelers like families with kids but also bloggers who want to explore the world.

Thank you Philippine Airlines for choosing to sponsor the summit!

The Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2011 is open to all Mindanao-based bloggers and to interested bloggers from Luzon and Visayas, with web logs or web journals hosted by any of the publishing platforms, social networking sites with blogging features such as: Blogger, Facebook, Multiply, Tumblr, WordPress,among others, and to those individuals interested in blogging. With 100 bloggers to converge, the Mindanao Bloggers Summit is already accepting registrations.

________________________________________________________________________________

Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2011

Registration and Accomodations

Partners and Sponsors

What Excites Me to Go to Iligan City Blogging Contest

Speakers

Programme

City Tour Itinerary

If you’re joining to become a participant, register now, or for those who are interested to sponsor, contact Iligan Bloggers Society, and don’t miss out on this chance.

Homeschooling and Mobile Internet

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:46:11 PST

We homeschool everyday. Each lesson is divided into 2 days of work so we need to stick with a daily schedule to cover topics for school. With our current pace, we are very much on schedule. I even saved an allowance of about 15 lessons before June for situations like sick days or travel.

With our travel to MBS5 tomorrow to join the summit on the 29th, our lessons might come to a halt. I am joining the Mindanao Bloggers Summit in Iligan City to support Iligan Bloggers Society, Inc. And of course, I will be bringing my family with me.

Excitement of travel is creeping way too much that I can't go back to sleep at night. Seriously :p And who says we still can't study on the road right?

I was glad to know that Globe Telecom is a co-presentor of the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2011. A big telecom like Globe surely deserves a pat on the back for support blogger societies.

What I learned about Globe is that they are currently promoting their mobile internet products with their release entitled "You’re On with Globe: Taking mobile internet to the next level".

It is interesting to know that they have Postpaid options for those whose consumption includes push notifications and instant updates at bulk consumption valid for 30 days. This PowerSurf is available in 3 denominations:

PowerSurf 99 with 50MB allocation,
PowerSurf 299 with 300MB allocation
PowerSurf 499 with 1GB allocation

I do know that as a blogger and as a homeschooling mom, I need to be constantly connected to the net. So if you're also one, I bet you don't have an excuse anymore not to go traveling to summits like Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2011. You're always connected!

Experiments and Globe's MBS5 Sponsorship

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:46:48 PST

What we love doing during our down time at school is to head over and check out Science Explorer kit. We check out what available activities we can do and enjoy doing the experiments.

For this one, we chose the color-changing activity involving acids and bases. It was a short and sweet experiment that gave us the thrills of seeing purple turn to blue or red. The fizzles and sizzles of the liquids when mixed gave that giggly feeling as if you are popping those powder candy on your tongue. I forgot that name of that candy though.

What I realized during these experiments that we have is that you can follow it up with videos and articles online that can boost (or in my case - refresh) your knowledge of the subject. And of course, you can easily get those online from Youtube or Google. A good internet connection is all you need and Globe is one of the top internet services provider here in the Philippines that can give you the joy of being connected online.

When Globe announced and finalized the sponsorship for IBS' hosting of the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2011, I was so glad. It made me realize that bloggers can certainly get the support of big telecoms like Globe in their endeavors. It made a blogging mommy like me realize that you can rely on Globe to offer nice services for our homeschooling needs.

The really, really good thing about Globe's offer is that you can now join MBS5 for FREE! Yep, you don't need to pay anything at all.

Globe has been generous enough to not only help Iligan Bloggers Society realize this event, but they want to extend their generousity to the participants of the 5th Mindanao Bloggers Summit! You got that right!

Globe has offered to cover the registration fees for MBS5 Registrants!!!

For those who have registered, or will register, you get the chance to avail the free registration for Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2011 courtesy of Globe Telecom!

Just click this link and register to get your instructions on how to avail of it.

Understanding Length

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:58:51 PDT

Measuring how long using cubes

Local Online Shopping with AyosDito and a Grand Raffle Promo!

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:50:53 PST

My husband could attest the fact that I love online shopping.

Back at the time when we hoarded cards for our all time favorite Magic: The Gathering, I would be the one to handle all the online transactions from seller to seller and know a good deal about keeping myself secure during deals. I knew how to detect a good trade from a scam and pretty much proud about that fact.

And recently, with the online shops that have been established online, you can well say that it is pretty much easy now. You check their site, check their layout, find their contact info just in case, check testimonials and of course Google some feedback about them and you are now safe to transact. Everything is easier nowadays.

I have tried several online shops to purchase good and other gadgets and so far the experience have all been perfect. One good example of these shops is AyosDito.ph. It had been one of the top destinations of local sellers and buyers here in the Philippines to transact and find items of their liking with the comforts and filtering to your region. Isn't that convenient?

Today, I have browsed around to check if there are available costumes for kids this upcoming Halloween

I spotted a banner that told of a contest -- the AyosDito Connect & Win Promo. Of course, I clicked on it and see if it's a contest that I can qualify for.

Turns out it's pretty much easy to join this contest. You got a Facebook? You're good to go!

If you are wondering what AyosDito Connect is you can check more details about Connect here.

To fully register, you just need to complete your information saved on the form.

With just that, you now earn 10 entries to the raffle! So easy pie, neh?

This AyosDito Connect & Win Promo will run from August 29 to November 6, 2011 so I guess better up to gather more entries.

A total of 30 x iPad 2’s, 20 iPhone 4’s and P1,000,000 in cash will be given away as prizes for the promo and will be distributed as in weekly draws and a grand draw.

Weekly Draws - The following will be raffled off in ten (10) weekly draws: 3 iPad 2’s will be raffled off to all eligible Participants with valid raffle entries for the week, 2 iPhone 4’s will be raffled off to all eligible Participants with valid raffle entries for the week.

Grand Draw - P1,000,000 will be raffled off in the Grand Raffle on Week 10 of the promo

I hope I will win 1 million. I never won any bigtime raffle before. Hehehhe.

Sorting Numbers 1 - 10

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:48:07 PST

Sorting Numbers 1 - 10 on post its

Number 10

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:48:21 PST

Working on Number 10 activity

Nine Pretty Tulips

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:48:46 PST

Continuation for number 9

Number 9

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:48:59 PST

Nine sharks to show number 9

My List of Emerging Influential Blogs for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:49:14 PST

In support of the awesome members of CBSi, here is my list for the Emerging Influential Blogs Writing Project 2011.

1. FoodieCraft - a food blog from Dabby's blogger friend, Ate Angeli! She is one of the most in-demand food bloggers in Cebu and posts very yummy updates on her daily treats.

2. Libotero - A travel blog by Sinjin Pineda that is very helpful for backpack travelers here in the PH and abroad. Offer helpful tips so you not only won't get lost but also enjoy your stay wherever you are.

3. iSwallow - get quality food reviews from the swallowers. "Love sucks but true love swallows" is their tagline. Rabs deserves another spot as he did last year but this time with a food blog.

4. CebuMD - a virtual hangout for doctors to get updates about the latest happenings in Cebu's medical community. Doc Buboy is very passionate with his blogs and even his other writing projects that this blog is a testament to his passion.

5. Event Geek - one-stop blog for the latest updates on events happening in and around Cebu. Vernon has been my pizza buddy for events in TechTalks too and definitely deserve a spot here.

This writing project will not be possible without the support of sponsors such as Cyber Monday Deals, TRIbeca Private Residences, How To Videos, Palawan Beaches for Sale,Green and Natural Lubes Philippines, Philippine data center, Philippine online shopping, Singapore Jobs, Pinoy Party Food, Apartment for rent, and Best deals tips.

Visiting the Doctor for Yearly Flu Shots

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:50:00 PST

Last week, we visited Doctor Licille Kilantang at the clinic located near the church in Opon. We were scheduled for our yearly flu shots.

We arrived quite late but Dokie was very accommodating and still was there to give the shots to Dabby. Dokie's secretary was ready to leave when we arrived at quarter to six and getting ready to close shop.

She still dropped her things to take Dabby's weight and height. His baby book is already old and torn since he had it since he was born. Of course, that also means that he is a patient of Dokie ever since he was born too.

So when he saw that Dokie was already there, he proceeded with looking for the stethoscope which he mentioned he would like to see on the visit. He immediately saw it hanging on the wall and borrowed the thing for him to play with while he had his shot.

At that time, he was also carrying his letter to Ate Kaye and showed it to the Doctor who was amazed with his artwork and suggest he brings some for her to hang on her clinic. I think it's an easy job for Dabby. :)

He had his flu shots after that (and both Marc and I still have to have the shots by next month). It was quick and painless. And got his candies. :) Of course, he also returned the stethoscope.

Toy Review: A Star Performance on a Saxophone

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:50:18 PST

Does your kid love pretending that he's playing a real instrument? Dabby sure does love these kinds of imaginings. He already has a real harmonica and guitar. This time the Lola bought him a saxophone. This toy is specifically named the WinFun Triple Sounds Saxophone. It was fun to know that this is sold off on Amazon which makes it easy to purchase one if you love the product.

Product Features

Give a star performance with this jammin’ saxophone that plays 18 songs while lights flash
Includes 4 buttons that play notes and 4 lights that play short tunes when pushed
Encourages music appreciation and fosters imaginative play
Made of quality plastic in vibrant colors
Manufacturer's Suggested Age: 3 Years and Up
Dimensions: Length: 16.0 "; Height: 2.5 "; Width: 7.0 "
Product Weight: 1.25 Lb.

Positives

The tunes recorded is fun for a kid. Colors are indeed vibrant as per product description. Really nice for role playing with saxophone playing. Automatically turns off when left after play. I love that it can play notes on each of the buttons and coupled with the beats on the toy, a child can create music that he likes.

Negatives

Battery operated. I say This is a con for any toy that needs battery to work. And besides that one, the mouthpiece is not something that a kid can blow into so that's a huge minus

I recommend you check it out through the photo/link below. It is entertaining enough to deserve a three star for me. Encourage your kid to play it in another room because it gets too loud sometimes.

What I Love About Samsung 2View Camera

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:59:31 PST

Recently, I just learned that Samsung has a new camera called the Samsung 2View Camera. When I heard about it, I was like -- "Yeah, just another digicam.." I was expecting to be bored.

But when I checked out the features of this new camera, I was proved wrong. Very wrong.

Why? You see, this camera has the things you wish your digital camera has. I know I do for my camera.

The Samsung 2View Camera series comprised of three awesome models namely ST700, PL170, PL120. It offers the latest in Samsung’s point-and-shoot innovation, which is the dual LCD screen feature found at the front side and back side of the camera. Imagine that - 2 LCD screens is equal to twice the fun. And I agree.

What I found particularly interesting about these cameras is that, there is such a thing as Child Mode. Well, what does that entail? For me, Dabby is much too silly to take a proper pose in front of the cam. It is either he is too bored to smile or too busy to notice a shot on the cam.

But with these cameras, a built in “Child Mode” feature is available. With it, you can download or create your own animation to keep your kids’ smiling and entertained, as you take interesting photos of them. I say it is darn useful for taking my kiddo's pics.

If you don't have kids though and just on the way to have one, I noticed a very nice feature of these cameras that I want to use too. It's the Couple Shots or Self-Portrait. How it works is that, the front screen of the dual LCD will let you see a preview of your shots.

I find it very convenient that you can do this in a camera. No more wrong angles when I take pics of me and Mark (which is quite a few). This feature is very, very nice for me.

It might be very hard to imagine all these stuff so check out this TV commercial of the Samsung 2View Camera. I am sure you will be as thrilled as I am.

By the way, before I forget, they have an incoming contest that you have to tune in to soon. You can like their Facebook page (click on the image below) and see how you can win one of the many giveaways they will be handing out soon.

Here are the mechanics:

1. Like and Share the Samsung Camera fan page to your friends.

2. Type “Win Samsung 2View Cameras by liking and sharing @Samsung Cameras PH” in your status message box. Don’t forget to tag the Samsung Camera fan page!

3. All tagged entries will be raffled off, where two (2) lucky fans get a chance to win a Samsung 2View Camera - (ST500)!

Promo Period: May 15, 2011 – May 30, 2011

Go and join! :)

5 Reasons to Join the Cebu Blog Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:19:16 PST

I have just arrived from Siquijor. Wrapped up my vacation earlier because of one thing: Cebu Blog Camp is tomorrow. I know that this is something that I should not miss this month. Or this year even.

The Cebu blog Camp is an event organized annually by the Cebu Bloggers of the Blog and Soul Movement which is the educating leg of the Philippine Blog Awards Inc. which has been running for already four years. This is the largest gathering of bloggers in Cebu.

Here are 5 reasons why I am joining the camp.

1. Iligan Bloggers Society

Inspired by the growth of blogging and the organized efforts of the bloggers from other cities and towns in the Philippines, along with two other co-founders - Lovette and Xyza - we decided it was time to form our own little society in Iligan. And of course, it was aptly named Iligan Bloggers Society. The best and only blogging community in Iligan City.

We just started organizing ourselves, had our first meet up and now gained the support of the the Tourism Department of Iligan City. Hence, the Iligan Bloggers will be joining to meet the other bloggers that we gained inspiration from. Worth travelling indeed.

Go Iligan!! :)

2. Cebu Bloggers Society

Some of the organizers of the Cebu Blog Camp itself are from Cebu Bloggers Society and it would be a great event to meet the same members of the society where I am one of the members of the Board of Trustees.

We have a long way to go with our Project Quilt for Cebu Bloggers but we will get there. :)

3. Janette Toral

I would love to meet my teacher for Blog Entrepreneurship who helped me organize my first ever Bloggable Seminar. Would have loved it if we had another one by this month but because of my vacation, I was not able to have the time to organize one.

Hoping to meet her there and gain nuggets of wisdom.

4. Social Media Marketing 101

I would love to learn from Coy Caballes of Globe and learn what I can about Social Media Marketing from the perspective of one handing a large account.

5. Other bloggers joining the Camp

I know there are still some who are joining up who are not members of blogging orgs. Some of these guys might even be influential bloggers of Cebu who just chose not to be part of an org,

Aside from that, I am well aware that there are other bloggers from places like CDO who are also coming. Would love to meet them.

And these are the sponsors of the event

THE CEBU BLOG CAMP 2011

is co-presented by

Bronze Sponsors

Geiser Maclang Marketing Communications, Inc.

Media and Institution Partners

Official Web Browser

Official TV Media Partner

Official Online Print Media

Official Photo-Social Media Partner

DONOR

Academy for International Culinary Arts

Join the First Ever Philippine Spring Cleaning Day (PSCD)!

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:51:37 PST

Indeed poor sanitation affects productivity. It is something that I struggle with at home given that I have fulltime work, homeschool my kid and have to take care of things around the house.

Everything should be spic and span or else it would lead to someone in the family getting sick and losing quality time with the kid or losing work hours. Not good.

Given this situation, we make it a habit of buying Lysol to disinfect. It could range from the toilet or the bedroom or the corner where we put the cat's litter.

If you are living in these five cities (Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Manila, and Pasay) in Metro Manila do join the Philippine Spring Cleaning Day (PSCD).

And I'm sure you're logged in Facebook which means you can also like their page at www.facebook.com/philippinespringcleaningday

Cheers to us mommies.

Five cities in Metro Manila will demonstrate how the country can save lives, time, and money, as they join the first-ever “Philippine Spring Cleaning Day (PSCD).”

In its goal to push for cleaning and sanitation as one of the most effective ways to lower the country's disease burden, representatives from the Department of Health (DoH), UP-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH), Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP), Reckitt Benckiser, Lysol, and several local government units are calling for better sanitation through the institution of the first Philippine Spring Cleaning Day.

On May 11, there will be a simultaneous cleanup across five cities, namely Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Manila, and Pasay.

“We hope to educate as well as to encourage the habit of cleaning and disinfecting of Filipino homes through this annual event,” says Marichu Gozun, Senior Brand Manager of Lysol.

According to a joint study commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), at least 20 million Filipinos are exposed to poor sanitation. This means that one-fourth of the Philippine population has poor hygiene practices, do not have the benefit of an accessible and safe toilet, or do not dispose of human waste properly. The fact that less than half of Filipinos wash their hands after using the bathroom is a very telling statistic that speaks of the country's unfortunate attitudes towards cleaning and sanitation.

Being one with the PSCD's advocacy to educate Filipinos about the significance of cleaning and disinfecting, DoH Environmental Health Chief Dr. Rodolfo Albornoz says that families should be mindful of the harmful effects of poor sanitation not only on their health but also on other aspects of their lives.

For instance, poor sanitation affects productivity. “The rhinovirus–the virus responsible for approximately 50 percent of the cases of flu and the common cold in both adults and children–causes Filipinos to lose an average of eight school or work days a year,” shares Dr. Albornoz. Consequently, poor sanitation also results in increased economic losses.

The campaign's concentration on household cleaning is highly significant because proponents of the PSCD believe that even the home, which is supposed to be every family's place of refuge, can be unsafe. They note that bacteria dwell on everyday things in the home that are taken for granted. “What people do not know is that they are more likely to get sick from germs and viruses in their own homes than in any other place,” says PIDSP President Dr. Lester Deniega.

UP-NIH Executive Director Dr. Lulu Bravo agrees. “We invite everyone to take part in this initiative and join the fight against diseases,” ends Dr. Bravo.

Indeed, intensified cleaning and disinfection will go a long way towards helping the country save time and money, reduce economic costs, and increase productivity as well as people’s overall health and productivity.

Be part of the first public and private initiative for cleaning and sanitation, and join the Department of Health, Lysol and partner organizations as they celebrate Philippine Spring Cleaning Day on May 11. For more details, log on to www.philippinespringcleaningday.com and like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/philippinespringcleaningday.

The Standard Room and Price Lists - Overnight At the Waterfront Cebu

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:52:19 PST

This is the second part of the "Overnight At the Waterfront" series that I have been writing about. The first part was about Lobbies and Hallways in Waterfront. Just divided it up into posts to somehow keep my blog updated within this month. :)

For this post, I'm going to describe some parts for our Room and the Prices that I have seen on their listings. It would be helpful to note this for the room that we got which is a Standard Room.

1. Beds

For the Standard Room, the officer on the phone actually gave us a double occupancy one. What we got when we arrived were two separate single beds. I ended up rearranging the beds and putting them together since first, I do want that Dabby might fall if we leave him alone in the other bed and second, there is no way the Mark and I will fit in one single bed.

So when Mark when out to get something from JY, I spent the time, rearranging the beds of the room so the three of us can fit.

2. Extra Furnitures

I love that they have an extra table and arm chairs in the room. It made it very much feasible for MTG playing. It was so awesome!! The other hotels / guest rooms that we have tried don't really have extra furniture like these.

They also have a dresser, a minibar, an cable television, closets and an extra space to put your stuff. They have 2 lamps, a telephone that you can use to contact for help (which we used for the shower "problem" we had.)

3. Air Conditioning

When we arrived at the room, the first thing that we observed was that it was so silent inside. We were able to say that it was silent because when we tried other guest rooms, they have air conditioning that hums. But this one that they have on the room was the silent type.

4. Mini-bar Prices

When the officer asked us about an extra deposit for the mini-bar stock, she was asking if we wanted to deposit for the mini-bar and so I said no. It was optional right?

We arrived at the room and saw that they have complimentary two small bottles of mineral water and two cups of coffee.

A few minutes after we arrived, someone from housekeeping actually came in our room and locked the little refrigerator at the bottom of the mini-bar. So basically, if you choose to not pay for deposit, they will lock it. You won't have an option anymore to add any of the items below to your final bill. Or maybe it's just a special case for them since it's a gift certificate?

Either way, I think it is a bit rude for them to lock it out. I understand it might be for security purposes and for us to not use it with other drinks or stuff we bought from outside.

Anyway, I took a pic of the prices they have in the mini-bar. See below:

5. View outside the window

I loved the view outside and I feel like it's literally overlooking the whole of Cebu. Of course, I could not be right since I am not really familiar with the city. All I know is that we were in Lahug.

6. The toilet and bath

They had the usual extra stuff to use. Unlike, the others though, they have toothbrushes!! Forgot to take a picture of the T&B though.

They have in a phone near the toilet and it got me to think of situations where you will really need that phone over there. Great design. LOL. Water is immediately and always warm, which fine for me.

I love it that the defaults in the accommodation at the Waterfront are for your comfort. So far, as you may know by now, I love the place!

Lobbies and Hallways - Overnight At the Waterfront Cebu

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:52:39 PST

It was a Thursday when Maam Janette Toral contacted me via email.

"Will you able to use this gift certificate?" she asked.

It was due to expire April 18th, the Sunday of that week and I know it would be such a waste for the certificate to go unused. I wouldn't say no to it though. Because the reason is that, we have an event for the homeschoolers on the Saturday, April 16th.

It was good timing.

After contacting and asking the Waterfront Customer Service and after a handful of calls, we were able to book for a room on that Saturday. Ms. Janette also immediately sent the certificate via LBC that same afternoon.

All was set. It was going to be a great Saturday-Sunday overnight. A mini-vacation that we are looking forward with the family. To top that, it is also our first time at the Waterfront.

It's really gorgeous hotel. I don't really care about the stars and all that since I am not much familiar with the hotels here in Cebu but when we there, we immediately knew that it was a starful (no such term eh?) hotel.

I had a handful of notes for this visit and had listed them all in my mind. It will be the things that I will note on our next visit. If ever we can visit it again, that is. :)

1. The lobby location

Since we came from the Cebu Public Library and went there via jeepney from S. Osmena St., we stopped at the IT Park and proceeded to walk the short distance from there to the lobby carrying just one bag for the overnight.

We came through the small door into the hallway and had zero idea where it was. We asked the guard where the swimming pool was (what??) and he just used his nguso to point us to the location. We turned right from there and a girl following us said that we should be going the other way. Thanks to her.

Stairs led us to the entrance and there we saw the Casino. We headed back because we though it was just the Casino and I very much know that Dabby cannot go in such place.

Ended up going back to the guard to ask where the lobby was and he told us to go forward from the Casino. So there, we walked back up again and saw that there was indeed a long hall.

2. The hallway

Hallway was lined up with restaurants and with different themes each. I remember one had Chinese lanterns and it was definitely remarkable. Another one has sort of a lit up disco floor and very much nice to look at. Dabby even proceeded to step on the boxes just like how Pocoyo stepped on those in his show.

3. The reservations counter

This is very funny! When we visited, there were some construction and modifications done on the place and it was a bit confusing where to go.

I ended up approaching a woman behind a desk. I very much thought it was the reservations counter. It was actually silly because I ended up thinking why the heck, with a huge place like this, do they have only a desk for a reservation counter. Anyway, she had beside her another woman behind that desk who was talking to their client. I showed her the GC and she pointed out that the reservations counter was in the other corner.

Later, I realized they had a sign above that says "Alamo". I think it's a car rental service. XD

(Pasensya sa taga isla.)

So after we checked in at the counter, we proceeded to use the elevator where we led ourselves the 8th floor where our room was located.

The long hallway was carpeted, clean and well-lit. I was about to skip when I saw that there was someone cleaning so I acted like was not about to skip.

Will be posting another entry about our overnight. This would be a great chance and story for me to share so I can keep my blog updated. :D Stay tuned.

Interested in Arts? Visit the "Cebu and the Arts" Forum!

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:54:09 PST

Post-Holy Week and you might be thinking of a good place to bring your kids this summer. If you are in Cebu, check out this "Cebu and the Arts" Forum on April 28th!

Photo Source: tripadvisor.com

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) and the Ateneo Art Gallery, in cooperation with the Cebu Provincial Government and Museo Sugbo, will hold the "Cebu and the Arts" Forum on April 28 at 2 p.m. at the Museo Sugbo Art Gallery.

The forum will engage a dialogue among the different art sectors in Cebu about their thoughts on the state of the arts in Cebu. There will be an open forum among the different panelists who will share their insights on the state of the arts in Cebu, the directions they hope the city will take, and the roles of Cebuano artists in the community.

Open to all visual artists, interior designers, cultural workers, and fine arts students, the Cebu and the Arts Forum is an opportunity to share the various initiatives and projects of art groups in Cebu and from artists who won in the Ateneo Art Gallery 2009 competition.

No registration fee is required.

The forum is one of the series of activities organized through the partnership between RAFI and

Ateneo Art Gallery.

An exhibit, entitled “Next Wave”, will also open on April 28, 5pm at the Contemporary Gallery of the Casa Gorordo Museum. This exhibit will feature the artworks of the 2009 Ateneo Art Awards winners Kiri Dalena and Leeroy New.

The Next Wave art exhibit will run from April 28 to July 30.

The initiative of bringing contemporary artists, winners of one of the most prestigious art competitions in the country, is a way of providing an opportunity for local young aspiring artists to learn from the works and a means of encouraging viewers to open their minds to other media of artistic expression.

The Ateneo Art Awards was first presented in 2004 in memory of its founding patron Fernando Zobel de Ayala. It is given to three outstanding Filipino artists aged 35 and below who have made a significant mark on contemporary Philippine art. By honoring innovative, enlightened, and committed visionaries who, through their exemplary practice of the visual arts today, symbolize the hope and promise of a nation.

For inquiries on the forum and the exhibit, please contact Karl Damayo at 4187234 loc. 703.

Coloring Rainbows and Homeschooling Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:12:40 PST

It is almost one year since we started homeschooling Dabby and all I can say is that this option is a good blessing to our family. It got us involved in his education and has become a very much viable option for me given that I also work at home and online.

It can even be so much fun as a bonding tool for us. Like for instance, teaching him about rainbows can become a very nice family exercise. We went through his books that taught the basics of rainbows, read through stories that mentioned rainbows and of course, create his masterpiece of a rainbow that reinforced his knowledge of the colors.

I could not imagine working in a corporate setup for now. The flexibility of working at home and taking care of Dabby is something that the corporate world cannot offer. Besides, nowadays it is really hard (and expensive) to hire a nanny that one can trust.

One thing that helps me with this is our Cebu Homeschool Network. It is our little group of parents who are also homeschoolers. We use different curriculum but still manage to come together as a group and discuss our most basic concerns with the option.

To those interested in homeschooling, I highly encourage you guys to join our informational seminar called All About Homeschool. It is going to be an eye opener for parents who have heard of this option but are still not convinced with the option. Go ahead and click the link to learn more details.

John Estrada - Priscilla Meirelles Wedding and NicePrint Photo

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:13:09 PST

Weddings are beautiful. It brings tears to most people's eyes and bring memories of their own. Also, it gets talked about for generations of family members. Ever heard of the wedding day story of your parents?

Of course, the most-talked-about ones get the most buzz. They are celebrities after all! Such was the beach wedding of John Estrada and Priscilla Meirelles. Last Feb. 26, the couple tied the knot at San Fernando, La Union and was one star-studded and beautiful wedding for the couple to remember. All thanks to NicePrint Photo.

Photo from NicePrint Blog

Everyone and every entertainment blog was a-buzz with the John Estrada and Priscilla Meirelles celebrity wedding. People talked about the spectacular wedding that is of the showbiz couple who get married at, where else, but at the most romantic setting for a wedding -- a resort! The sand, the sea. What can be more romantic?

Take a look at this video made for the pre-wedding. It is so nice!! The black and white makes the feel that is such a memory to cherish and behold. Press the play button and see for yourself.

If you want a wedding as wonderful and as showbiz as above, why not go for an international destination wedding photographer like NicePrint. After all, remarkable memories such as these should last as long as long as we live.

Droolable Express Collection: Swimwear Everywhere!

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:52:54 PST

This post brought to you by Express. All opinions are 100% mine.

Epic wow! Is it spring? Is it summer? I can imagine it now. White sand beaches, the sun, the heat. Feel the breeze, smell the air. It's the season to get pressured into dieting!

This women's swimwear collection from Express has certainly got me drooling for a beautiful swimwear (and a body like this! LOL!) and visiting the site had me imagining a world where I can just grab one and push it into my cart and spend the next day at the beach.

Don't stop me from imagining because I need to go on. To get an idea of what I am blabbing about go check out their site and hey, don't forget to subscribe to the Express e-mail for a chance to win one of ten $200 Express gift cards! By the way, check out the sweepstakes rules because it will end ends 4.21.10 at 11:59pm, EST.Now this one below is my favorite. Consider me illusionada for these imaginations but I will certainly wear this if I had the same body.

Again, the site is Express.com for bikinis, two piece swimwear, swim suits and string bikini. Accessorize with Express spring essentials including sandals, tote bags, sunglasses and hats For Him and For Her. Also, swim shorts available for men.

How to Win a Silver Ticket to See Justin Bieber With Proactiv

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:54:29 PST

Since last year, I already knew that Justin Bieber will be having a concert here in the Philippines and it is part of his "My World Tour Concert" which be held in SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on May 10, 2011. Who wouldn't know that when a lot of my Twitter friends are Bieber fans (hello owrange!).

At that time, I was already stalking online for tickets and schedules of his tour. Not that I'm fan but I would have been raving about him if only he isn't too "mainstream". But, he is cute for a kid. I mean, come on.. look at that face!

Swoon!! :) Anyway, if you have read my previous posts about Proactiv, you would know that aside from Katy Perry, Justin Bieber is also an endorser of Proactiv! But let's get on to it. If you are looking to see him live in concert, read on and you will know how to win Justin Bieber concert tickets when you buy a Proactiv Kit.

How to Win a Silver Ticket to See Justin Bieber Live in Concert?

It's pretty simple. Just purchase a kit of Proactiv acne and pimple fighting skin care solution and you will have a raffle entry.

Consumers who bought Proactiv Kit from the listed participating outlets, online, door-to-door delivery hotlines, and mall kiosks during the duration of the promo period are entitled to join the raffle.

If you purchased one kit, it is equivalent to one raffle entry. The raffle ticket is activated:

22 Days after purchase for 30-day kits
26 Days after purchase for 60–day kits

Don't forget to read the fine print and details of the promo!

Okay so next thing you should do would be to comment and add your thoughts on my comment form, buy a Proactiv kit and follow Proactiv Solution Philippines on Facebook

Globe Offers for Mobile Workers

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:59:53 PST

Mobile working is the "in" thing. I have said "in" because a member of the Facebook group for Third Team Media had mentioned and discussed the possibility of creating a mobile office for us web workers. And with this becoming rampant, reliable mobile connection is certainly a must.

When I heard that Globe was offering POWERSURF, I was amazed. I have my eyes set on this since it is much cheaper than what I am currently using. Basically it is a consumable, prepaid mobile internet offer that allows subscribers to surf the internet for 60 minutes for just P15 within one day. That's only P0.25 per minute. How cheap can it get? Now I can get on-demand internet for just a few pesos that doesn't cost an arm and leg.

Another interesting move by Globe is by bundling up a data plan with gadgets. For example, I am eyeing a tablet that uses Android. I have my Apple products but want to try out using another mobile OS. So for that, the Samsung galaxy tab looks like eye-candy.

The good thing is that Globe diversified its plans to include above tablets and also Huawei S7.

Oh, and final thing. I also learned that Globe has partnered up with GetJar. Getwhut? It's GetJar - the world’s second largest applications store with over a billion downloads to date. It provides more than 75,000 mobile applications to consumers in more than 200 countries for both feature phones and smartphones across all major platforms such as Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, iPhone and Symbian.

Because of GetJar, Globe users are now able to access apps via the Globe WAP site. An example of an app you can download is Post't which lets you post your updates on several sites with one update.

It makes me feel secured that Globe is stepping up its game with data plans and gadgets that are accessible and reliable for web workers like me.

Pyrofest at SM City Cebu, Koreans and the Long Line

noreply@blogger.com (Fleire Castro) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:55:48 PST

Along with the other members of Cebu Bloggers and other folks for the matter, we greeted Sinulog by watching the Pyrofest at SM City Cebu. It was a night to remember and a forgettable fireworks display because of what we endured after it. Thank goodness to the vids I took, I remembered how beautiful it was.

We were to meet at Coffee Bean at the Northwing but as usual, venue was changed to Starbucks Northwing. After dinner, we went down to the first floor to Coffee Bean as agreed upon and saw a huge, really huge crowd waiting for the Pyrofest to being. Muscled our way to go out but we met Farley from Iligan by the entrance. I was so happy to see him there. Really miss Iligan.

There we also met up with Bjorn Bernales, a fellow CBSi member and we were looking for the other members. Had to text Sinjin to know where they were. We ushered ourselves to Starbucks where we met the other members - Angeli, Mikyu and met for the first time Beejing.

Stayed for a few minutes and had to excuse myself to venture into a long line of femmes waiting for their turn at the comfort rooms. It took me so long to get back that the group already left to watch the fireworks display. Had to stay a bit there in Starbucks so Dabby was trolling with the Korean group beside us.

So the fireworks contest started, of course, I did not get to know who the contestants were and where they are from. We were too concerned with the really huge crowd of fireworks ogglers that we were already thinking of how to get home by then.

Dabby and I went at to the Don Merto side of the store to get an open view of the sky. It was good enough. The fireworks display was so uber amazing. I was only using my point and shoot so no fancy pics to show you. Here's one and a vid of the foreworks.

Two contestantss to go and we opted to go home after it. We had a hard time going home after it that we were able to arrive at 12am in the morning. It was devastating to be in that situation that we vowed never to go out again next Sinulog. Or maybe we were just in the wrong place and time. I won't go into details of how there was no support from SM for their stranded mall goers. I mean, it's not their fault right? Anyway. That's all for now. XD