DIY Advent Calendar

I still remember when I was young, my aunt brought a Kinder Surprise Egg Advent Calendar. We were so excited for our turn to open a Kinder egg. Too bad Kinder Eggs are still not available here in the Philippines, and I don’t know if Kinder Joy offers something similar. I’ve been meaning to make an Advent calendar since my son was four years old, but I wasn’t able to do it. So two days ago, I promised myself that I would finally make one.

Advent is one of their lessons in Christian Living, so it is the perfect time to make a calendar, and I know my son would be excited to do the countdown. The Advent calendar is a special calendar used to count the days in preparation for Christmas.

I was thankful for the different ideas and free printables on Pinterest, so making an Advent calendar wasn’t difficult. Two nights ago, I printed everything I needed and started cutting.
The next day, while my son was still in school, I made DIY Christmas envelopes again because I needed 12 more pieces to complete the 24 days.

I placed the numbers on each envelope and put the activity paper inside

• You get a piece of candy.
• Write a note to Jesus.
• Make a gift for someone.
• Mom will read you a Christmas story.
• Make a fun Christmas craft.
• Watch a favorite Christmas movie.
• Play festive Christmas songs and dance.
• Pick out a Christmas treat.
• Make Christmas cards to give to your family.
• PJ Day.
• You get to play a video game of your choice for 40 minutes.
• Make a new ornament for your tree.
• Watch a favorite Christmas movie.
• Sing “The 12 Days of Christmas” 12 times.
• Make a Christmas craft.
• Record yourself singing a favorite Christmas song.
• Read a favorite Christmas story.
• Call someone you love just to say “hi.”
• Bake Christmas cookies.
• Bake something special for someone special.
• See Christmas lights.
• Drink hot cocoa.
• Read a Christmas story.
• Open a present.

Then I stuck all the envelopes on the back of an old calendar.
I was happy with the result because I thought I wouldn’t finish it on time. I hung the Advent calendar on our door.

I also printed this Christmas tree for another countdown activity, put it in a cardboard box and covered it with a plastic cover. I am still looking for Christmas ball stickers.

Sources:
Christmas Advent Calendar
Children’s Advent Calendar

DIY Paper Christmas Wreath

Our day 5 activity is “Make a fun Christmas craft,” so my son and I made a paper Christmas wreath. 

Materials: 
Paper plate 
Colored paper 
Glue 
Scissors 
Glitter 
Fabric Tape 

I make a hole in the paper plate. 
Let my son do all the pasting. 
I place the fabric tape around the inner circle. 
Write the word holiday and let my son put all the glitters. 
This is an easy craft for the kids.

DIY Santa Card

Since there were no classes, my son immediately took his Day 9 activity from his Advent calendar. Our activity was “Make Christmas cards to give to your family.”

Our materials weren’t prepared yet, so I told him that we would do it after we reviewed his lessons. I needed to refresh his memory because after 5 days with no classes, I’m sure there will be a surprise quiz again. Hehehe!

Materials:

• Santa card template

• Art paper

• Cardboard

• Scissors

• Glue

• Pentel pen

• Crayons

I printed the Santa card template, cut it out, and traced it on cardboard paper. From one sheet of paper, we were able to make three Santa cards.

Cut the pieces.

Paste the art paper and color the shoes using a black Pentel pen.

I did almost all the work. My son just helped me color the face and nose.

After that, we started pasting the parts together—one step at a time so my son could follow along, and he did it.

We enjoyed making these Santa cards. The not-so-fun part was tracing and cutting the pieces (#masakitsakamay). The card is small, so it can also be used as a gift tag.

There is no instruction on how to make this card, so I just followed the picture. 

DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments

Our Day 12 Advent calendar activity last Friday was “Make a new ornament for your tree,” and I asked my son if we could do the ornament the following day because I was already tired. I had just finished preparing all his reviewers for the 4th monthly test, but he didn’t agree with me. He said, “No, Day 12 is an ornament. We will make the ornament today.”

So after dinner, we were still making an ornament. We were supposed to make a salt dough ornament, but when I checked the baking time—waah! I couldn’t wait that long anymore, so I just printed a snowflake pattern instead.

Materials:

• Snowflake template

• Paper plate/Cardboard

• Glue

• Scissors

• Glitter

• Thread

I cut the pattern and pasted it on the paper plate. I didn’t have cardboard, so I just used a paper plate.

We cut the snowflake, added glue, and I let my son put all the glitter. I only had gold and green glitter, and my son chose green.

Let it dry, tie a thread, and hang it on the tree.

Kakulay lang ng Christmas tree

DIY Build a Snowman

We’ve been doing a lot of DIY and crafts this month because of the advent calendar activity, and day 16 was the last craft that we did, “Make a Christmas Craft” 

For the longest time, my son wanted to experience snow and build a snowman. Oh yes, he wanted real snow, and we all know that we don’t have snow in the Philippines. I don’t know when I can grant his wish, but for now, we can “Build a snowman” using this template. 

While my son was in school, I cut the snowman template and put everything in a ziplock.

Before we studied for his 4th monthly test, I let him do the activity. I gave him a notebook where he can paste the snowman. 

Do you want to build a snowman? Click here for the snowman template. 

Zoobic Lodge

I won Zoobic Safari Package last month, the package includes 5 entrance tickets, 5 free rides and 1 overnight package in Zoobic Lodge. I got excited because I haven’t stayed in this hotel so I immediately search for it. I have no idea that the zoo offer rooms too because the last time that we went to Subic, we stayed in Camayan Beach Resort.

I was having a hard time in getting information even the website have limited information and photos of Zoobic Lodge. Then I found out that Zoobic Lodge a.k.a. Tiara Hotel is the former Crown Peak Homes. Waah!, I stayed here 14 years ago, yes more than a decade already. I went here with my college friends. My excitement was gone already because I know it was already an old hotel. I’ve been reading reviews pa na it looks creepy, knowing me na sobrang matatakutin and I don’t watch horror movies nga, parang I don’t want to go na. But my husband said, sayang and kasama naman daw siya. 

So I asked my husband to call the office to check if we could use the gift certificate even on weekends. There was a note kasi na “not valid for weekends and holidays”. The staff said yes because there is an available room. Day before the trip, my husband called to confirm our reservation and he was surprised because there was no reservation under his name. We emailed the gift certificate to reserve and still no reply. My husband called again to follow up and reserve na nga daw. 

We really hoped that it was really reserved but we prepared ourselves for worst scenario, just in case makalimutan ulit. That is the reason why after our Zoobic Safari tour we went immediately to Zoobic Lodge, to check if we could check-in because if not, we will just go home. 

Good thing that our room was really reserved. After watching the Animal Parade in Zoobic Safari, we went back to Zoobic Lodge. The hotel was really old and I was praying na sana marami kami nagcheck-in. #paranoid 

I must agree with other reviews because I find the place creepy. Everything is old and really need an improvement. Actually, the room is big, it has a kitchen with fridge, you have an extra bed pa, Thank God that the aircon is working fine. 

The bathroom has hot and cold shower, it has a bathtub but you can’t use it kasi wala naman pantakip sa butas. Lol I thought they won’t provide towels but they deliver it to our room without asking. Soap, toothbrush and toilet paper for toiletries. 

Zoobic Lodge has a mini restaurant where you can eat so we did not go out anymore for dinner. There is wi-fi too in the restaurant but I haven’t tried it.

P95, grilled liempo for my son and porkchop for me +iced tea

P85, one veggie and one meat + iced tea

I told my husband that we will go home after breakfast but he promised my son that they will swim. Around 7AM my husband asked the staff what time open ng pool, he was informed 8AM kasi lilinisin pa daw niya pool. So we had morning walk around the area while waiting for 8AM. 

We went down and only to find out that the pool was still closed. My husband looked for the staff and was told na 9AM pa daw at maglilinis pa. My son cried already because he wanted to swim but we have no choice but to wait. 

Ready to swim na but still closed

We went back to our room, I took a bath and persuading my son to take a bath too so we can go home. But he was determined to wait til 9AM so he could swim. At 9AM, they went to the pool and it was still closed. And the staff was eating and saying, mamaya na bumalik na lang kayo at maglilinis pa nga. Oh my goodness, we wasted our two hours waiting for the pool, I don’t understand bakit ayaw niya iopen. Maglilinis pa? Two hours na nagdaan, ni hindi naman niya ginawa. #lokohannaito High blood na kami mag-asawa so my husband and son took a bath and we went home. 

The staff at the reception asked? 

Staff: Sir, di na kayo maliligo. 
Husband: Hindi na. 
Staff: Sir, pasyensya na po kayo dun kasi Blah! Blah! Blah! 

Hindi ko na inintindi kung ano sinabi niya about dun sa isang staff na ayaw buksan ang pool. All I knew is, we wasted our two hours waiting for nothing. I don’t know if that staff is under the Zoobic Lodge. We’re not dying to swim in that pool, it just so happened that my husband promised my son that they will swim, trust issue ito. So we convinced our son that the pool is dirty at may mga frog. We promised that we will swim in other pool na lang.

Anway, although the place was creepy for me, wala naman ko nakita o naramdaman na kakaiba. Lol The service was ok except for the pool staff. I don’t know about the room rates but I saw this in our room. 

Zoobic Lodge
Tiara Building, Upper Cubi, 
Subic Bay Freeport Zone,
2222 Zambales
(047) 252 8638

Revisited Zoobic Safari

It is very unusual to me that I will revisit one place or attraction within a year because I always wanted to visit new places and discover new things. But this year, I visited two places, twice in a year. Last February 2014, we had a family trip in Zoobic Safari and Ocean Adventure, then last month my son had field trip in Ocean Adventure and at the same time I also won Zoobic Safari Package in one contest. Sayang lang, kasi after field trip ko na nakuha prize.

Klook.com

We’re supposed to use the gift certificate last sembreak but my husband was busy as a bee and could not take a vacation leave so it was only last weekend we were able to use the voucher. We left at 5AM and made a quick stop at Petron Lakeshore for our breakfast. My husband suggested “Fiesta Keni!” (Mangan Tanan), it is an eat all you can breakfast at P149. 

He always eats here if he has business trip up North. The price is worth it kung malakas kumain but for somone like me and my son, lugi. My son only ate one fried egg and rice for P75. 

Tuyo, longganisa, tocino, fried egg, salted egg, rice and coffee. I only ate salted egg, longganisa and rice. 

Then off we went to Zoobic Safari, I just gave my gift certificate and paid P20 per person for Environment Fee. Again, there’s no tour guide available, second time na so feeling ko wala talaga tour guide, para sa mga nagfield trip lang. Lol

We started our tour again in Bird Walk and went inside the Bird Thrill. Last February, this was closed so we were happy to experience this on our second visit. We had our first bird feeding experience in Residence Inn Zoo, pero mas maganda dito kasi standing position naman. Hehehe! P10 for the bird feeds. 

Next stop is the Zoobic Cave and Forbidden Cave, we skipped the forbidden cave and went straight to Tiger Safari, crowded kasi at may kasabayan na nagfield trip. 

Last time, solo namin yung jeep but last weekend we have to share it with other groups. The chicken is P200/3 so I paid P70 for my share. Since we did not avail the package, we only had tiger safari and no more lion safari. 

Then we moved to Close Encounter, Savannah, Animal MuZooeum, Aeta’s Trail, Hip-Hop-Bay-a-Walk and Croco Loco. During our last visit, masipag yung staff, she was giving us information on every site, trivia about the animals and other information so I was disappointed last weekend, nag sight seeing lang kami till we reach the Croco Loco. 

Hubby and son tried the crocodile feeding again for P50. 



We missed the Amazing Bird Show and my son did not want to leave the place until he watch the show but he has no choice because we did not want to wait til 1:30 or 3PM. 

We went to Zoobic Lodge to check if we could check in early but unfortunately 2PM pa daw. We ate lunch at Aristocrat near Harbor Point Mall, they have good service here. 

Then we went back to Zoobic Safari to watch the last show which is Animal Parade at 3PM. We waited for almost an hour, we were happy because it was a different show and it was nice to meet the Zoo mascot. I did not know na may mascot pala each zoo. 

Click here for our Zoobic Safari last February 

Zoobic Safari 
Group I Ilanin Forest 
Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines 
Telefax: (+6347) 252-2272; (+63) 929-7072222