Mommy Moments: Weekend Bakers

Last week, my little Sam and I were under the weather and so I stayed home for two days. I think it was a relapse for me because I got sick two weeks ago but opted to report to work the following day. Workaholic much? With tons of work to finish, who wouldn't be? 

One of my helpers was also on bereavement leave and with one less handy helper, I had to stay to make sure that both kulitogs were well taken care of. 

Come weekend, with both the little boy and I feeling a lot better, I decided to make a pudding out of leftover  pandesals that have been sitting on our ref shelf for days. They seem to cry out 'please eat us already!'

Nobody wants hardened leftover pandesal so I decided to make a pudding out of it. Pudding is one of the first few recipes that I mastered over the years. This relationship between the pudding and I have long been running that I can actually make them without a recipe guide, just pure taste of the raw mixture. It's so easy to make with milk, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. You can top them with caramelized sugar or whipped cream. 

before and after, with additional ingredient of chocolate chips. 

 When the little kulitogs saw the pudding, they immediately said, 'we wanna bake too!' 

So I took out a Betty Crocker chocolate swirl cake box and let them make their own cake. The thing is, they just want to bake but don't really eat them.  

cake batter with chocolate sauce before the swirling action. 

While the cake was baking in the oven, they once again made a plea to bake some more. Haay, why did  I ever introduce them to baking? Oh, I know. Because someday, they may become great chefs and I imagine me just sitting on the couch while they bake yummy treats. hehe.

Next thing we did was a homemade playdough made of flour, salt and water. Easy and economical as I'm running out of ingredients. We tried to add color to the dough with a food color but it was not as successful (which reminds me to make a research on how that's done).

Kulitogs busy being Baker King (and Queen) 

Empty bottle used as rolling pin

Our weekend went out pretty well. We also trooped to the mall and kids played in Storyland for hours. It was also the first time Sophie rode a roller coaster and she surprisingly went gaga over it! The little boy, on the other hand, went to the Playzone and couldn't get enough of the giant balls and the slides :) 

Have a happy and safe weekend mommies! :)

Mommy Moments: Wall Art

During the summer, Faber-Castell offered a one-day art workshop for kids in our subdivision. Naturally, stage mom in me signed up the kulitog girl knowing how she loves art making. 

Day of the workshop and, oh my, you should see the number of kids that trooped to the clubhouse. Kids ages ranged from 3 to I think 15 years old. 

One activity was to design a sarimanok drawing. Mind you, design and not color . 

At the end of the activity, my little girl's work got chosen among the throngs of children's work! Yipee :)

There were 5 of them who won but she was the youngest (2 being 7-10 yrs old and the other 2 teeny boppers na). She brought home art stuff from Faber-Castell and a few coupons which we used to buy her school requirements. 

When his Daddy and I got home, we saw her work and was amazed at how she can create such an intricate piece and thought, this work is definitely frame and wall art-worthy. It now hangs proudly on our living room wall :)

Another latest addition to our 'wall of fame' is Sam's recent award in summer class that I framed together with his very first smiley face. Don't under estimate the smiley face, it's very versatile. Just add 8 legs and it becomes a spider; add 2 long ears and...taddah!... you got a bunny. Add a bunch of curly hair and he got daddy's face. See how powerful the smiley face is? 

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Mommy Moments: Dinner Date at Cafe Jeepney

 Hubby and I had a post V-day celebration last February 27. As it's a rare occasion now that we get to spend time alone as husband and wife, I decided to take my hubby out for a buffet dinner for 2 at InterContinental Hotel's Cafe Jeepney :)
 Cafe Jeepney in general is a very nice place to dine. The ambience is very cozy and unique, with Philippine jeepney (Sarao) being the inspiration for the interior design. Did you know that our pampasaherong jeep were made from the left overs of WWII military jeepneys? Filipinos found a good use for it as a public transport and had fun decorating it with imagination as the limit.

See? There's one wall decor that actually lights up :)

We got there early so we had time to take pictures. Buffet stations open at 630pm. There are several tables available when we dined considering it was a Sunday but I guess it's better to make an advance call for reservation just to be sure. 

me in a cape blouse from Saga and necklace from Tomato. 

We started off on the main menu where they served an array of oriental, Filipino and continental dishes. Some dishes were forgettable but I love the fish selection. 

What we enjoyed in Cafe Jeepney, sushi bar! The options are not that much but what they have I really likey. 

Salad bar. I only tried the cesar salad and it's sooo good. 

The main attraction (for me, that is) the looong line of dessert station which is such a gastronomic delight. Make sure to leave a lot of room for dessert. 

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Progressive School : Wiz Kid Quiz Show

Last February 29, my daughter's school held a Wiz Kid Quiz Show. Almost all students participated in the event and parents were encouraged to watch. Hubby and I took the morning off from work to attend this event.  

The kinder level getting ready for the first question.

Questions ranged from math, science to civic and culture, language, spatial, etc. and were categorized as Easy, Average and Difficult questions. The questions were flashed on a projector screen and read to the students as well. The students wrote the correct answer on the paper provided. At times up, the teachers/teacher aids checked the answers of each student and showed a sign to the tabulator if the answer is wrong, right or no answer. They do not verbalize the result as this may frustrate kids to go on with the quiz show.

At the end of the quiz bee, guess who won? My daughter Sophia! She's the Wiz Kid 2012 Kinder Level.

Proudest Mommy moment for me really :) When hubby and I were driving back to work after the contest, we were still in awe that our little girl won. It is at this point in my life when I thought, "I must've done something right. "

She also got certificates for subjects like civic and culture and science for having one of the highest points. 

For the per subject category prizes, since quite a number of students got high points there were tie breaker questions and Yay! she was able to answer the questions too! (tsimis to, the boy in red gave him a rose last Valentine's day. I found it cute, the dad was furious. haha!)

With proud parents. Sulit na sulit and half day leave namin :)

With her teacher Cath who guided them during review sessions. Thanks T. Cath :)

The little girl can't get enough of her very first medal that she slept with it that night. Haha! 

Congratulations again to our little princess. We are so proud of you! :)

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Sophie's 5th Birthday Part2 : Trip to Ocean Adventure

We got these certs and reserved them especially for Sophie's birthday. 

Once inside the park, you will be given a tour schedule with highlights on what shows you can watch based on the time of your arrival and the seating availability. This way, shows are not overcrowded and visitors are well guided. In fairness, Ocean Adventure Park is very organized- parking is a breeze, toilets are clean, the whole area is well kept plus the attendants are very courteous.

First on our schedule is the Adventures of Olongapo Jones show

These guys are really amazing! Galing how well they're coordinated in their stunts. Entertainment to the max :)

We also enjoyed the sea lion show.

The kids can't get enough of the Seatrek and Aquarium tours

Sophie was excited to see a giant birthday cake for her

Last on our schedule was the dolphin show. It was fun and the whole show emphasized on caring for our ocean and protecting the sea creatures. 

I missed my blog and I missed Mommy Moments. Been very busy but let me make a shameless plug for our new programs My Beloved, Good Daughter and Legacy. Please watch our new shows and thank you for making our network still No. 1 in ratings! Shameless talaga, di ba? :)

Mommy Moments - Mommy's Fave Photos

For Mommy Moments, I'm sharing my fave photos of all time. 

I'm into photography and SLRs have a soft spot in me. These first two photos are one of my fave since they were taken using a consumer film-based camera a long time ago, nothing fancy about the gadget. Plus, I wasn't able to immediately see what I took until I saw the prints and I love how these turned out. 

 Another set of photos I love were taken during my wedding. It's a rare moment that we have a family photo so I love this photo because it's one of those rare moments.
I also adore candid shots that's why I chose John Ong of Imaginenation to take our wedding photos and he's simply the best!

Another of my fave photos, with my family. This photo shows the fun side in us :)

And this one is a classic, I still vividly remember this moment when Sophie was so worried that his brother was bathing in the sun because he is uncomfortable. Sam was only 1 week old here and Ate was quick to run to his brother's side when he as much as coo.

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Today's Mommy Moments talks about Mommy's Fave Products. I have a few to mention and these products I have been before I even became a mom:

1. Maya baking products - flour, cornstarch, brownie mix, cake mix, pancake mix. Name it, Maya got it. I'm a cooking addict and have been learning dishes since I was 10 yrs. old (i'm glad both my kids are interested in cooking at their age now) so these products I have tried and tested for years. It just never fail me.

2. Dove and Ivory - these are the only products I use on my kids. I don't use the other children's product because it has Paraben and other chemicals that are harsh to kids. My little boy had several skin allergy attacks when he was a baby so his pediatrician advised to switch to gentler soaps like Dove. Good thing, he outgrew the allergy when he turned one. I never switched to any soap product after that.

3. Human Nature products - this is the end all of all products! It's organic, safe and has a wide range in their selection. Definitely no paraben, phthalates, PEGs in there. I currently use them for my kids (shampoo, insect repellent, hand sanitizer, etc.) My husband is addicted to the smell of citrus burst Hand Sanitizer. Go organic! :)

4. Vinegar and baking soda- these are miracle makers and natural at that! They clean the stains in your kitchen, bathroom, walls, etc. etc.  Baking soda is a perfect odor deodorizer .

As you can see, I try to go with natural as much as I can. A friend asked me once I hope I was able to share some tips to all the moms out there :)