the apple cut

The new do

We took Hamy to Hair Play today for a quick trim. This was her second haircut and I tell you it didn't go very smoothly. She's too wiggly the entire time. We were literally holding her down to keep her still. Nevertheless, the end result was great. The hair made her eyes all the more bigger and her chubby little cheeks so cherubic I want to pinch.

a trip to manila ocean park

The school of fish and the mantra ray

We could have enjoyed the trip more if the place was not uncomfortably packed. We were sardined inside by overjoyed elementary students on a field trip. I can handle the crowd but the assaulting smell coming from a hundred or so sweaty kids, di ko kinaya! Sakit sa ulo so we stayed away from the mob bago pa kami himatayin.

The oceanarium was smaller than what I expected but the marine life collection was amazing. It was divided into three areas: Agos, Laot and Buhay na Karagatan. The Agos section has waterfalls and colorful saltwater and freshwater fishes. The Laot section has big tanks with big and small saltwater fishes. The school of fish swimming with a mantra ray was a sight to behold. The Buhay na Karagatan area has the underwater tunnel which is the main attraction. Hamy was so happy to see so many fishes swimming around the tunnel but she got bored easily. We went to the 2nd floor and boy it was hot! We didn't try the fish spa because we couldn't take the heat. Instead, we went inside the unfinished mall, passed a fine a dining resto and had our picture taken for a 3D bag tag souvenir. Hamy saw the kiddie rides at Quantum kaya we went in there din. Actually, mukhang mas nag-enjoy pa siya sa rides.

Manila Ocean Park

Admission:

P400 - adult
P300 - kids less than 4.5 ft
Free - babies less than 2 ft

food trip ni hamypoopi

The other night I was thinking of Hamy and all the smorgasbord places she's been to. After much thought, I came up with this list:

1. Yellow Cab Tagaytay
2. CPK Alabang
3. Gloria Maris Alabang
4. Gloria Maris Rockwell
5. Chowking Petron SLEX
   
6. Greenwich SM Molino
7. Don Henricos Filinvest
8. Tomy Roma's ATC
9. Leslie's Tagaytay
10. Super Bowl MOA
11. Pancake House ATC
12. King Bee, Gen. Trias
    
13. David's Tea House, Salitran
    
14. Super Bowl Blue Wave
    
15. Sonya's Garden
16. LZM Silang
    
17. Orchard
    
18. Ponggo's Grill at Magdaragat
19. Pizza Hut Eastwood
20. ATC Food Court
21. Yellow Cab Macapagal
22. North Park ATC
23. Kenny Rogers SM Bacoor
24. KFC Rockwell
25. KFC SM Molino
26. Kaya Korean Resto Rockwell
27. RSM Tagaytay
28. Balinsasayaw Silang
29. Sbarro Filinvest
30. Mongolian Quick-Stop Filinvest
31. Coffee Bean ATC
32. Shakey's Rockwell
33. Seafood Island Market! Market!
    

Whew! The list made me realized that she's been very gala. By the way, I let her try different tastes and textures with the general rule of "too much is bad". If the food is too salty or sweet for my taste, then it is a big no-no for her. Some foods may not be as nutritious as home-cooked meals but at least I'm not feeding her junk foods. Now, does it make me a bad Mommy? Hehe. Funny, she's never been to Mcdonalds and Jollibee -- that is if take-out meals don't count.

play center fun

Fun Ranch

The dynamic duo, Amerie and Deirdre had their first play center adventure last weekend. We dropped A&D off with the Angels [our dear yayas] at Fun Ranch, Westgate and let them play for an hour, enough time for Mommies to have uninterrupted shopping at Town Center. So convenient! Since Hamypoopi started walking, she'd rather walk than sit in the stroller (most of the time) when we're in the mall. It's so hard to keep her still! She wanted to touch everything she sees and to my horror cram every big or little object within reach into her mouth! Kaloka.

So now, super love ko na ang mga play centers. Kaya naman when we went to Town this Saturday, we tried naman Dave's Fun House, the one beside Rustan's. It was a little different with Fun Ranch but I liked it best. At Dave's, kids can do a lot of imaginative play. They have a mini hospital complete with toys where kids can pretend to be a doctor, a nurse or a patient. They have Little Tikes cars and a gasoline station where kids can stop and pretend to fill up and they also have what looks like a supermarket with grocery carts and cute stuff to buy. Tweens can play video games, too and a lot more other things to do. Of course not all were enjoyed by Hamy. She's too young to appreciate most of them but it gave her plenty of time to hone her social skills. She looked happy and mukhang bitin pa nga after the one-hour session. Oh and as far as the security goes, it's the best by far. Aside from filling out a form, they had my thumbprint scanned 5 times which were removed from their file when I scanned my thumb back to get Hamy out of the play area. No one can get her out but my powerful thumbprint. Cool, huh?

One valuable lesson learned: Never ever go without a pair of socks -- for kids and adults alike. Not unless you're willing to shed P50-P120 a pair. Ouchy.

The Piano Mat

Town Center

Admission Fee:

Fun Ranch Westgate, Alabang
Weekdays: P150/hr ; Adult/Yaya - Free! ; Unlimited Play - P300
Weekends: P175/hr; Adult/Yaya - P125 ; Unlimited Play - P350

Dave's Fun House, Alabang Town Center
Weekdays: P150/hr ; Adult/Yaya - Free!
Weekends: P175/hr; Adult/Yaya - Free!

our hamster finally walks

At one year and one month Hamy finally stood and began to walk confidently. Ambilis ng pangyayari. We were watching the TV and then she got up and all of a sudden decided to walk. She went to our room and then slammed open the door like a cowboy in the swing doors of the Wild West saloon! Grabe I was so shocked I forgot to grab a camera. Tsk. Sayang I didn't capture the moment. I don't know what got into her but whatever it is, Dada and I were definitely happy and proud that she has achieved another milestone in life. More to go anak!

Came from a stroll with bestfriend Barney.

the volo

Last weekend, we go pram shopping at MOA as a post-birthday gift to our little Hamy. We wanted an umbrella type that's lightweight, easy to fold away for transport and of course durable. One that will grow with her and be around for years. With these in mind, we found a perfect stroller... the Maclaren Volo.

With a 55 lb capacity, Hamy can happily use it for a long, long time. It's very compact and easy to fold and unfold, too. Oh and hallelujah to the easy to clean mesh seat... she pooped on her very first ride! Haha! No sweat we just wiped it clean. It also came with a raincover. Coolness!

But it's not an object of perfection. For one, it doesn't recline which is not really a biggie since she doesn't sleep that much in the stroller. The harness is hard to unbuckle (very hard for mommy!) and it has no cup holder. Despite the drawbacks my baby's loving it! We were actually eyeing the Scarlet pram but it was out of stock so we decided to get the Coffee Stripe instead. The colors give it a distinct look (red is everywhere!). So french!

the party suppliers

Our hula girl turned ONE on May 12. We had a small celebration at home and had the big bash on the 18th. The party was a blast! Everyone had fun.

Thanks to our families and friends who had gone a long way despite the weather. Party will never be a success without you guys. Salamat din to all who helped to make the party possible. And most importantly, we thank God for keeping our precious baby healthy. Cheers!

The Theme: A Birthday Luau!

The Hula Girl’s Outfit: Gras Skirt, Flower Haku [Head Lei], Leis - Hidalgo St., Quiapo
Cotton Crochet Bikini Top - DIY by MIL

The Hula Girl’s Photos: The Picture Company, Alabang
http://www.picturecompany.com.ph/

The Venue: Orchard Golf and Country Club Community Main Hall
http://www.theorchardgolf.com/

The Invites and the TY Cards: DIY by Tito Pipo and printed by Ninang Tin

The Cater: Town’s Delight
http://www.townsdelight.com/

The Cupcake Tree) and the Chocolate Fountain: Sweet Solutions
http://www.sweetsolutionsbakeshop.com

Balloon Décor, Styro Art, 3d Standee,Tarpaulin: ArTin Balloons
http://artinballoons.multiply.com

The Host: Ms. Bubbly of Clowning Around
http://www.clowningaround.com.ph/

The Main Act: Amazing Bubble Show by Clowning Around
http://www.clowningaround.com.ph/bubble_show.html

The Side: Glitter Tattoo
http://artinballoons.multiply.com

The Giveaways, Loot Bags and Prizes: Leis - Quiapo, Banig Bags - Rockwell, Toys/Prizes - Divisoria and SM Supermarket

The Food Cart: Nestle Ice Cream Party Package
http://www.nestle.com.ph

The Photographer/Videographer: Director’s Cut
http://www.directorscutdvp.com

Others: Sound System, Turkey and Lechon [Daddy's resources]

PHOTOS HERE

divi the great

Yesterday, we flew to Divisoria land after my 2-year hiatus as a shameless tawadera. I am a sucker of flea markets and I sorely missed them. Cheap quality find was gratifying. It's like stumbling upon jewels amidst chaos.

This time around I didn't shop for myself which is partly a lie. Hehe.

Went there with a main objective to buy toys and prizes for my Tia's luau party. But then I got myself two hot shirts, one summer dress and a hobo bag at 168 mall. Can't help it! It sure does feel good to find a great buy. Hehe.

We got the knickknacks at Bodega Sale. A real toy kingdom only hotter and dustier (I know bad picture). All toys imaginable big and small right in there. If you go for no-fisher price toys, this would be a great place for toy hoarding. We went home with 2 big big bags full! Got some hula hoops, jump ropes, blowing bubbles, water guns and the list goes on and on! Oh, did I mention a touch screen Tamagotchi? Really cool good find.

I enjoyed toy hoarding. If only this happened 20 years back, I'll be the happiest 7-year old toothy kid in the whole wide world!

Head home bone-tired but with a smile on our face. Thanks to my SIL for serving as a map. She knew Divi well by heart. And we shall return for more. Harhar!

a day at the beach

We went to Munting Buhangin for a much-awaited beach break. The sun was shining, balmy and salty February breeze fills the air... a whole stretch of paradise. All is perfect but the cold ocean water! Brrr. So cold that our Tia went home with a running nose and I with tons of photos of course hehe.

We actually didn't plan this. It was just a spur of the moment thing. Since it's a sunday and holiday on a monday, we thought why not spend the rest of it at the beach and voila!

Fun part is, it's Tia's first time. She was so excited with the sand and the water that the minute we spritz sunblock all over her body and her feet touches the sand she went gaga over everything. If you could see her face it was animated with so much glee. Sometimes you can't help but envy the simple joy of child's happiness.

Despite the cold water, it was a blast. One of the best spur of the moments family thing so far for this year. Can't wait for our next beach adventure!