October 16, 2014

DIY Halloween Goodie Bag

I saw the reminder yesterday in my son’s notebook that we should bring candies on Friday for the costume parade. It made me confused at baka trick or treat ito and need ko ng pumpkin basket so I asked my friend about it. For the last two years, I brought goodie bags for my son’s classmates so I want to make sure kung gagawa ba ko or hindi. But my friend told me that the kids will roam around the campus giving candies to students, baka umabot pa ng college building so make sure at least 3/4 full ang padala ko na candies. 

 This is one thing that I dislike in my son’s new school, late notification. As in two days or day before the event ang notification. Like sa mga monthly offering, buti na lang may stock ako sa bahay ng pinadadala but what if wala di ba. Anyway, I texted my husband to buy candies before he goes home. 

My son’s pumpkin basket is too big so half full lang basket namin. Hehehe! 

Sharing with you the DIY Halloween Goodie Bag that I’ve prepared before. Click the image to check the DIY. 

 Nursery
Click here

  Pre-Kinder


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October 14, 2014

Lunch at Pepper Lunch Alabang Town Center

Two weeks ago my husband told me that he ate at Pepper Lunch and sobrang sarap and lambot daw ng steak and he promised me that we will eat there. He knew that I love steak. The day after our field trip in Subic we went to Alabang Town Center to eat at Pepper Lunch. I always see this every time we eat at Yabu and Vanilla Cupcake Bakery but wasn’t interested to try it. 

Upon seated, the staff gave us the menu but you have to go to the counter to order and pay for your meal. Since it was my first time, I let my husband chose my meal and my son only ordered dessert which is Goma Soft P55.

Pepper Lunch is a DIY Teppan restaurant originated in Japan that gives you fresh culinary experience because you have to cook your own food. I did not know that I will cook my own steak, my husband told me na manood ko ng TV kasi ako daw magluluto. But it was too late because our ordered came already. I was so amazed so I took picture and video and my husband reminded me na lutuin ko na kaya food ko, mawawala na yung init. Hahaha!
  
The food is assembled in the Iron plate which was uniquely designed and patented in Japan. In 70 seconds the iron plate will heat up to 260C and remain hot for more than 20 minutes at 80C. My husband ordered Beef Pepper Rice P198 and Big Ribeye Steak P635. 



My steak includes corn, long beans, rice and mashed potato. I was so happy with my steak, it was tender, juicy and true enough ito na pinakamalambot na steak na natikman ko. It almost melts in your mouth, ganito ba pag premium steak? 

 It was worth the splurge, I shared my food with my son but he only likes rice and corn so I finished the steak and mashed potato all by myself. Next time I will add more salt and pepper since I’m not fond of putting sauces in my steak. 

I love the idea of “Sizzling it your way” because I can cook my own food according to my preference. And because I loved the experience and I enjoyed my food, I know that this is not my last time eating at Pepper Lunch.

 The staff failed to ask if it was our first time or siguro kasi matagal na yung Pepper Lunch so feeling niya alam na namin. Lol So if ever you will dine in Pepper Lunch don’t forget to watch the video while waiting for your order.

 Update: March 2015

 We went back again and I noticed the limited butter on top compared to our last visit. 

Pepper Lunch 
2nd Flr, Corte de Las Palmas 
Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Read: Pepper Lunch Solenad
Pepper Lunch Southwoods Mall
Pepper Lunch Shangri la
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October 13, 2014

Field Trip in Subic

A week before the field trip day, I received a reminder about the field trip itinerary and I was so sad because the field trip is Ocean Adventure. Waah! We have just visited Zoobic Safari and Ocean Adventure last February, and sobrang fresh pa sa memories ko. Lol 

 So I was thinking if we should join the field trip or not because 

 1. Field trip day is also my son’s birthday. 
2. We have just visited the place last February. 
3. I wasn’t feeling well due to a cold and a cough. 
4. This is our first trip without Daddy because only 1 chaperone is allowed. I can imagine the stress already. 

 But I also have to consider these things 

 1. I already paid for this field trip because it is included in the tuition. 
2. This is the first field trip of my son in his new school, and sabi nga ni hubby, bonding niya with his classmates. 
3. This is also the last field trip that I can accompany my son because next year, no more chaperone is allowed. 

 So, in the end, I went to school to pay for the chaperone fee. We celebrated my son’s birthday in advance. Check our Mario Birthday Theme here. 

Still wasn’t feeling well on the day of the field trip, + I have a stiff neck pa, but still I accompanied my son. #momsduty Assembly time is 5:30AM and Departure time is 6AM, but we left passed 6AM and arrived at Ocean Adventure before 10AM.

A few minutes before we reached the OA, I was surprised when the tour guide said, “Let us sing happy birthday to Ethan”. Maybe the teacher remembered his birthday. Something memorable for my son. 

I received the ticket and I noticed that the rate is different. I paid P550 before, but for the educational field trip, the price is only P390.

 We went to the Walk on Wide Side Show. 

 Then Balancing Act with the African Acrobats. 

We had lunch after the two shows and went back at 12:30nn for Dolphin Tales. We knew that one dolphin named Tonka in the marine park died just recently, so bawas na yung nagshow. 

We did not finish the Dolphin Show because we went to Sea Lion Marine Patrol already, so we can have a good seat. For the last three shows kasi lagi panget pwesto namin. Kung hindi sa likod nasa gilid. Lol, if you still remember my post about OA, the Sea Lion Show is our favorite show. 

It was funny because whenever we watch the show, it seems na first time pa rin sa aking anak because in reality, wala naman nagbago sa show. It is the same show that we watched last February. I was already tired after watching the four shows, but we still had to go to the Duty Free Shops.

 Our last stop is San Guillermo Church in Bacolor, Pampanga. Honestly, I have no idea about the church, so I have to Google it. According to Wikipedia, “The church was originally constructed by the Augustinian Friars in 1576. In 1880, the church was destroyed by an earthquake only to be rebuilt by Fr. Eugenio Alvarez in 1886. On September 3, 1995, lahar flow from the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo, which erupted into world notice on June 15, 1991, buried the church at half its 12-meter height, prompting its more than 50,000 town residents to evacuate to safer grounds in resettlement areas.
In addition, this is the church where they shoot the “May Bukas Pa” teleserye, remember “Santino” 

End of our field trip. 

 Check out our first trip in Ocean Adventure here and Zoobic Safari here.
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October 07, 2014

DIY Mario Birthday Theme

If you’ve been reading this blog for quite some time now, you will notice that I don’t really splurge on birthday party because I love intimate celebration. A simple and inexpensive celebration is what I always wanted. Every year we celebrated our birthdays in different ways, it depends on our time and budget. 

 Last Saturday, my son turned six years old and few months before his birthday, I was thinking about how we are going to celebrate his birthday.  

 1. No birthday parties allowed in his new school.  
2. His birthday falls on a weekend.  
3. Three months before his birthday, I received the school calendar and surprise! educational field trip namin sa birthday niya.  

But still I asked him what is his birthday theme, my son wanted Mario Birthday Theme so I was searching for ideas since August. I was planning to have a simple birthday celebration at home. I’m still hoping and praying na baka mabago pa yung schedule ng field trip.  

Unfortunately, it didn’t happen so we celebrated his special day, the day before his birthday. My husband just called my in-laws few hours before the party. We only have cake and pizza for the food. I bought the paper plates and table cover at Celebrations Party Central. 

Sharing with you, my DIY Mario Birthday Theme.  

 Printables: Banner and Clip Art, Bottled Water, Mustache, Invitation and many more 








Giveaway - KitKat chocolate + Wrapper and Mario Coloring Book.  

Cake - Chocolate Ganache from Karen’s Kitchen.  

A month before my son’s birthday, I asked my husband if I will order a Mario Cake just like last year when I ordered a Mickey Mouse Cake but he said, we will just buy a cake then put Mario decoration. We’re not fond of fondant cake kasi. I told him na siya na bahala sa cake, basta I want a plain white cake.  

 The day before my son’s birthday, my husband checked two bakeshops in Makati and he was informing me about the cake, price, and looks. But my son wanted chocolate cake so we ordered one of the bestsellers of Karen’s Kitchen which is Chocolate Ganache, P825 for 8” round.  

We’re having a hard time looking for Mario decoration toy, we’ve been checking different malls but my husband only found small Mario stuff. Good thing my friend read my FB status and she messaged me that she has Mario toy from Happy Meal. Yay, that was two hours before the party.  

 We were really excited to taste the cake because I’ve read so many good reviews. Some of the blogs even considered this as one of the best chocolate cake. We love the chocolate cake because it is not sweet, the cake is moist and you can really see the layer of icing, frosting, and cake. Maybe, our expectation is so high so when we tasted it, ok lang naman. Considering the price of P825, I find it too expensive because the cake is not that big compared to Purple Oven cakes.  

 Sources of my Printables

Printable Mario Coloring Pages
Mario Birthday Invitation
Mario Mustache
Super Mario Clip Art Printables
Happy Birthday Mario 
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October 02, 2014

Teacher’s Day Gift

Teacher’s Day is just an ordinary day for me when I was a student, in fact, I can’t even remember if I ever gave a gift to my teachers. I just always think na baka sabihin sipsip ako so I don’t give anything. But when I became a mom and started tutoring my son, I realized how hard it is to be a teacher. 

 I started giving small gifts to my son’s teacher when he was in Nursery to show our appreciation for teaching our son. I give chocolates or school supplies. Yesterday, I just put some school supplies and card in a box, wrapped them, and put a sticker. 

Happy Teacher's Day!

 Source: 

 For the gift tag, click here
For the card, click here 
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September 22, 2014

Purple Oven: Pistachio Stardust Cake

I’ve been meaning to try the Pistachio Stardust Cake but every time we visit their store it is not available. Two weeks ago, we went to Nuvali and I saw the Pistachio Stardust Cake but I did not buy it because I remembered that we have just baked Rainbow Cupcake again.  

Last Saturday after visiting my grandmother in Victoria, Laguna, we dropped at Nuvali to pay bills and finally, I bought the Pistachio Stardust Cake P800. This is the third cake that I have tried in Purple Oven, the first one is Grandma’s Chocolate Cake and the second one was Classic Sansrival. 

Pistachio Stardust Cake is a chiffon cake covered with pistachio icing cream. I even gave some slice to my friends and one friend said, “malambot pa sa mamon”. Hehehe! This friend is not into sweets so she liked the cake because it is not sweet.  
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September 16, 2014

Dulce de Leche French Toast

What do you usually do with your stale bread? If I’m not lazy I will make bread pudding but the easiest way to save the stale bread is making French Toast.  Last Sunday, I’ve made Dulce de Leche French Toast. The steps are the same with French Toast, the only difference is the spread, you can use Nutella or any spread you want.


1 egg 
1 cup milk 
1/2 tbsp of sugar 
6 slices of bread 
Butter 
1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder (optional) 
Dulce de Leche

 1. Beat egg, then add milk and sugar. 
2. Spread Dulce de Leche in one slice of bread and put another slice of bread to make a sandwich. 
3. Soak the bread in egg mixture just enough to coat the bread.

4. Heat your pan and put butter. 
5. Place your bread in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, 
6. Slice in half and serve.

* You can add cinnamon in your egg mixture or sprinkle it before serving the French Toast.
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September 10, 2014

Oven Baked Steak + Gravox Traditional Gravy

Steak is one of my favorite foods, so I always look for steak if we’re eating on the buffet. Happy na ko pag may steak, but of course, it should be tender and flavorful. I do cook grilled steak at home, but it was 2011 when I first tried to cook oven-baked steak.

 I can’t remember the last time I cooked oven-baked steak, so last Sunday, I cooked this again, so we can try the Gravox Traditional Gravy. Yes, I also bought this aside from Gravox Roast Chicken with Herbs Gravy.  

Preheat oven to 225C 
Season the beef. I only used pepper, salt and garlic. 

Sear the beef in butter. 

 Put slices of butter on top of the beef and bake for 30 minutes or until it is to your preferred doneness. 


 It was a hit again with my family, and my son even said, “Mommy I love beef”. The gravy sauce is good, and my husband told me again na kalasa ng Gravox gravy sauce yung gravy ng ibang restaurant na nakainan niya. I still have half a kilo of beef in my fridge, so I will cook this again.
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September 01, 2014

Fun with Clay and Homemade Play Dough

If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a mom, it’s that you don’t need fancy toys to keep a child happy — sometimes, a simple ball of play dough can spark hours of laughter and imagination!

In this post, I’m sharing how a little Pinterest inspiration turned into one of our favorite bonding activities at home. From homemade play dough recipes to printable mats and sweet surprises, here’s how we’ve been having fun (and making a bit of a mess!) with clay and creativity.

My son’s first experience with Play-Doh was about three years ago, when I bought the Play-Doh Cars 2 Mold N Go set a few weeks before his third birthday. He’s a huge Lightning McQueen fan, so he was absolutely thrilled! For a few days, he played nonstop… until, of course, we ran out of Play-Doh.

When I checked the toy store for refills, I was surprised at how expensive they were — definitely not in my budget at the time. So the toy ended up sitting in a corner, and that was that… until I discovered Pinterest (a true mom lifesaver!).

That’s where I found a recipe for homemade play dough, and just like that, my son’s Cars toy got a second life! We made our own batch at home, and he couldn’t have been happier.


Why I Love Play Dough (Even as an Adult!)

Yes, it’s messy. There will be bits of dough everywhere. But honestly? It’s so worth it. Play dough is amazing for developing fine motor skills, sparking imagination and creativity, and even helping kids (and adults!) relax.

I have to admit — I enjoy playing with it too! Growing up, I always wanted Play-Doh, but we couldn’t afford it back then. So now that I can make it at home for my son, I think I’m just as excited as he is.

Clay Adventures and Play Dough Mats

If you remember my post about our clay modeling session in Nuvali, that was such a fun day! Since then, my son has really gotten into clay and play dough. He even received a clay set as a Christmas gift, and I bought him a clay activity book last summer to keep him busy during the break.

Recently, I found some adorable play dough mats on Pinterest — you can print them out and use them again and again. I just print ours on regular paper and cover them with a plastic sheet (laminating works too if you want something sturdier).

We had so much fun pretending to make dinner, ice cream sundaes, and cakes. It’s amazing how something so simple can keep a kid entertained for hours!




my work

my work
Click here to download the file.  

A Sweet Little Surprise

A few weeks ago, I printed another set of mats, and while I was covering them, my son saw what I was doing and asked, “Mommy, can I have yellow play dough this time?”

So while he was at school, I secretly made a batch of yellow dough. When he came home and saw it sitting on the table, he ran to me, hugged me, and said, “I love you, Mommy!” #cheesymoment

That night, we played together with his new dough and mats. Simple moments like that just melt my heart.



Apple tree and Snow Tree

Cactus + Sun

This is my work! :)

Click here to download the play dough mats. 

Homemade Play Dough Recipe 

If you want to try making your own, here’s the recipe I used — it’s super easy and budget-friendly!  I got the recipe from "Musings from a Stay-at-Home Mom". 

Ingredients: 

1 cup flour
1 cup water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/3 cup salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Food coloring

Instructions: 

Mix all ingredients except the food coloring in a saucepan.
Cook over low to medium heat while stirring.
When the mixture starts to thicken, add the food coloring.
Keep stirring until it becomes doughy and starts clumping around your spoon.
Remove it from the heat, let it cool, then knead until smooth.

 The color I tried was supposed to be strawberry red, but it turned out more pink or light purple — still cute! And the best part? My son didn’t mind at all. He was just so happy that Lightning McQueen was back on the road again.

If you want to experiment, you can also try Martha Stewart’s version:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 cup water
Food coloring

Simple Joys 

Whether it’s store-bought or homemade, play dough has given us so many hours of laughter and bonding. It’s such a simple activity, but it sparks so much joy and creativity. 

Sometimes, the best toys aren’t the ones that cost a lot — they’re the ones made with love (and maybe a little flour and salt).
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