Halloween/Trick or Treat Events for Kids this 2013

I want to take my daughter and hopefully her cousins too to a trick or treat event for Halloween this year. So I searched the net for events we can go to and here are some of the events I gathered so far.

Cartoon Network's Irregular Halloween AdventureDate: October 31, Thursday
Venue: SM Megamall Event Center, Mandaluyong City

Get 1 ticket to Cartoon Network's Irregular Halloween Adventure with a minimum P500 purchase (single-receipt) of any Cartoon Network merchandise from participating Toy Kingdom and Toy Kingdom Express branches from October 1-31. Each ticket entitles 1 child and 1 adult to the event.

For more details, visit Cartoon Network Asia Facebook page.

Araneta Center's Trick or Treasure
October 27, 2013

It’s time to bring out your favorite Disney costumes and head over to the Araneta Center for a special Trick or Treasure Halloween this October 27! It’s going to be one big Halloween party for kids at the Gateway Mall, Ali Mall, and Farmers Plaza Activity Areas!

Go trick-or-treating with cosplayers, be amazed at the bubble show, get your faces painted, learn how to make spooky artwork, and more!

For a minimum single-receipt purchase of P300 at any Gateway Mall, Ali Mall, and Farmers Plaza establishment, you can already participate in all the activities!

Loads of exciting activities, fun games, and surprises are in store for kids as the Gateway Mall, Ali Mall, and Farmers Plaza will be transformed into a treasure trove of games and prizes. You can also dress up your kids in their favorite Disney characters to get the chance to win in the costume contest!

The Araneta Center’s Trick or Treasure Halloween will be from 10:00AM to 6:00PM. For more updates and announcement on events at the Araneta Center, visit www.aranetacenter.net and www.facebook.com/AranetaCenter.

Spooktacular Halloween at Starmall Las Pinas

October 27, Sunday, 1:00 PM onwards
Food Court, Starmall Las Pinas

Kids 3-12 years old can join the mall-wide trick or treat and costume contest. See also what the future holds for you at the Psychic Fest from 1 to 6 PM. For details, call 874-8805 or view their website or Facebook page.

The Crazy Halloween Carnival at Robinsons Place Manila
October 27, Sunday
Robinsons Place Manila

For a minimum P500 single receipt transaction made at any Robinson's Manila retail outlets from October 11 to 27, kids aged 4 to 12 can register and join The Crazy Halloween Carnival from 10 AM to 4 PM. Activities include a carnival game booth, spooky magic show, photo booths, games and prizes. For details, visit their website orFacebook page.

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KKK Restaurant @SM Megamall: Authentic Pinoy Dishes

One Sunday after church, my family decided to go to the mall to look around and eat lunch. This small family bonding activity is actually special because it is Bea’s first time at the mall.

Anyway the original plan is for us to at have lunch at Shakeys but my husband is not so fond of pizza and pasta so I suggested we try other nearby restos there at the basement of SM Megamall such as the Luk Yuen and this new resto (well for me) called KKK. The resto is very colorful, has interesting interiors and menu so we decided to try it.

Do you also feel some anxiety whenever you try a new resto? The feeling that it might be a wrong choice and maybe we should settle on familiar resto and dishes? I had that feeling with KKK but it turned out I was wrong.

As soon as we are seated, a waitress handed us the menu and then we were given complimentary chicharon and vinegar as appetizers. It was nice because my daughter is complaining of hunger at that time and the chicharon kept her occupied as she love this pinoy snack. The chicharon is crisp and not so salty and the vinegar is perfect as it is a bit sweet. I am guessing it is sukang Iloko.

We ordered Sinigang sa Salmon (Php 290) the KKK rice (Php 150), lechon kawali in tausi leaves and sauce (Php290), sisig Pampanga (Php190), and fresh fruit juices (Php75 each).

I apologized for the lone pic as it obviously failed to capture the yumminess of the dishes we ordered. Partly because I am so busy attending to my very active daughter, Sophie and the crying Baby Bea. Anyway, I also need to learn food photography (or food porn).

I fid everything delicious and affordable. Their servings though (especially the rice) is not so huge. I also like the claim that they prepare their dishes in authentic Pinoy way. I will be glad to recommend this resto and I think we will come back soon.  

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Official List of Philippine Holidays for 2014

In my dream world, everyday is a holiday. so the news that President Aquino signed the document that list down the official list of holidays for 2014 excited me (lol). Good to know there are lot of rest days and family bonding time to look forward to next year.

List of Philippine Holidays in 2014:

Regular holidays
* New Year’s Day – January 1 (Wednesday)
* Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9 (Wednesday)
* Maundy Thursday – April 17
* Good Friday – April 18
* Labor Day – May 1 (Thursday)
* Independence Day – June 12 (Thursday)
* National Heroes Day – August 25 (Last Monday of August)
* Bonifacio Day – November 30 (Sunday)
* Christmas Day – December 25 (Thursday)
* Rizal Day – December 30 (Tuesday)

Special non-working days
* Chinese New Year – January 31 (Friday)
* Black Saturday – April 19
* Ninoy Aquino Day – August 21 (Thursday)
* All Saints Day – November 1 (Saturday)
* December 24 (Wednesday) and December 26 (Friday)
* Last Day of the Year – December 31 (Wednesday)

Special Holiday for all schools
* EDSA Revolution Anniversary – February 25 (Tuesday)

National holidays for Eid’l Fitr and Eidul Adha shall be declared in accordance with the Islamic calendar (Hijra).

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Have You Tried: Jugnos Monster Pizza

Are you craving for pizza and want it somehow different from the usual Shakeys, Pizza Hut or Greenwich- why not try Jugnos Monster Pizza? My officemate introduced me and our whole office to this pizza years ago and we all loved it so it is one of the regular orders whenever we have celebrations at the office. Our household has also become a regular customer.

It is a must-try because it is simply very tasty. Each bite is bursting with flavor and it comes in four different sauces.  Another thing that makes it unique is they are offering it in huge party size (20 x 20 inches) that is said to be good for 6 to 8 persons.

Their pizza also comes in smaller sizes and one can choose from different flavors such as beef and mushroom monster, all-veggie monster, monster special, etc. I realized we always order the monster special so next time, I wish to try the all-veggie monster and the cheesy garlic.

Their monster size is affordable (Php448 for classic flavors and php590 for signature flavors). One can also add extra toppings for additional costs. You can also customize the pizza and request the number of slices you want. You can also have four different flavors in one pizza.

I don’t think they have an actual resto because their store in Mandaluyong which is near our house is very small. Their delivery hotline via text is 0906-305-1132.

They offer free delivery for a minimum order of Php250 and are open for 24 hours but their delivery areas are limited: Ortigas, San Juan, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Baclaran and Pasig. 

For more info about monster pizza, check out their website:

 http://monsterpizza.com.ph/

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Way to Find Great Deals & Save Money

Almost everyone especially homemakers like me dig discounts and promotions because it is an opportunity to save money. It is such a great feeling to know that you were able to buy something you like but did not shell out huge amounts of money.

 

Thankfully, the web has become a haven for discount divas because there are so many group buying sites out there that offer almost all kinds of products/items you can think of at a special price or rate. Yes there are Uber Coupons everywhere.

 

For residents of USA and Canada, a one stop site where they can choose coupons is UberCouponCodes 

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What Happened During The Last Trimester Of My Pregnancy

Last March, when I am 32 weeks pregnant, my mind is happily set to the plan that I would give birth via caesarian section around the month of May. So when my husband and I went to my ob-gynecologist for the regular check-up one Saturday, I confirmed with her our preferred date for the CS operation. Little did I know that I would give birth two weeks after that.

It started when my ob remarked that my baby seems small for 32 weeks. She said my tummy is big and the fundic height () is in normal range but she thinks it is mostly water. Actually she had been telling me since past visits to eat more, specifically add more protein in my diet and to drink 2 glasses of milk a day to make the baby bigger. I think I did just that (although not consistent with the 2 glasses of milk) and I did gained weight but she said the baby is still small. I am not sure if the fact that I am always tired because of work and other matters contributed to that.

My first baby is also quite small (5.5 pounds then) and she said that maybe it is a gene thing. But she still required me to undergo another ultrasound.

I am quite nervous but still not worried when I went for the ultrasound. But what happened after left me dumbfounded.  The OB-sonologist called my doctor to inform my condition. I actually forgot what it is called but she said something is wrong with my umbilical cord- so the nutrients and oxygen can’t pass freely from me to the baby. Thus the reason why the baby is almost three weeks behind in terms of height and weight and it is called intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR).

My husband and I were instructed to go to the delivery room right away and there I learned that I might need to give birth right away. When I asked the resident doctor the reason why - she told me that it might be the best thing to do so we can save the baby. 

Apparently that calls for an emergency because there is a risk for my baby to die while inside my tummy. Just imagine the shock and fear that I felt that moment. I felt helpless because the doctors and nurses seem so sure that I need to deliver right away. I felt so nervous that when they check my blood pressure, it was unnaturally high (I think 140/110). That is unusual because my BP is always between 90 to 120 range. Anyway they told me to relax and my bp went to normal soon after. They then interviewed me about my medical history. And I was given the first shot of steroids- needed for my baby’s lungs to mature faster. 

Then I underwent a non-stress test (NST), in this procedure they forced my tummy to contract to see if it has an adverse effect with the baby’s heartbeat. If they see that the baby’s heartbeat weakens in every contraction, it means the baby needs to be delivered asap. Thankfully, the results are very positive as my baby seems okay and can cope with the contractions. I also have no risk factors because I am not suffering from any diseases (no high BP, no diabetes, no infections).

So my OB called to say that I can go home but with the instructions that I need to go back very early the next day to get the second shot of steroids and to further discuss my condition.  The decision of my OB relieved my worries a bit and I glady went home that night.

What happened the day after? To be continued…

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Hoping To Take Stamp Collecting Seriously

I admire people who collect things. The obsession and fascination to a certain item and the choice of things to collect says a lot about a person’s character. Anyway, the reason, I am saying this is because I recently I felt this urge to collect stamps again. Yes, I actually have a small stamp collection that I started when I was in high school. I got interested in it when my eldest sister gave me her stamp collection.

Back when postal mail is still ‘in,’ I would await letters from my sisters who works abroad because I wanted to take the stamps. When sending letters through postal mail became too tiresome and long (because of the advances in technology), I kind of forgot my stamp collection too. In fact, my small stamp notebook kept in one of our cabinets hasn’t seen the light of day for years.

Out of the blue, I wanted to start and take this hobby seriously again but I don’t know where to start. In fact, as of this writing, I still have to dig that stamp notebook. Also, I think it is so hard to be a stamp collector today. Finding a person to send mail to is actually challenging.  An officemate even said that she had never sent a snail mail before.

Well I guess if I really want it, I need to exert effort so I’ll try to update my stamp collection little by little. For those like me who are passionate about stamps, I saw this group that can be of great help:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Filipinas-Stamp-Collectors-Club/174703852540858

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