Happy Mooncake Festival!

Last Wednesday marks the end of the Ghost Month for 2013 which means starting Thursday, people already resumed with their normal activities. Ghost month is the 7th lunar month in the traditional Chinese calendar. It is believed to be an inauspicious month when all important or major activities are suspended and this includes but not limited to wedding preparations, house constructions, etc. That is also the reason why business is at its lowest especially restaurants because no big parties were being held for the whole month. The ghost month this year started Aug. 7 until Sept. 4, 2013. I actually love the month of August because aside from having many holidays, it's my birth month! But sadly, so many bad news transpired: there was the Cebu ship incident, the Typhoon Maring, and the Million People March. I won't tackle them any further as I'm not really into current events. Anyway, I just noticed that all of those happened during the ghost month. 

But don't worry, 8th lunar month or the season of mooncake is here. I love it because aside from eating mooncakes, it also comes with the tradition of playing of dice games. And because this month is considered as auspicious month, it's also the best time to hold weddings and birthday parties. My September is full of parties, three weddings and one birthday party to be exact. Yipee I'm so excited!

And speaking of mooncake, have you seen the biggest mooncake in the Philippines? The size is 75 inches circumference, 24 inches diameter and 3 inches thick. It's real and 100% edible. It is currently housed inside Eng Bee Tin Ongpin branch just beside Binondo Church. They are famous for their hopia, available in various flavors. Aside from hopia, they also sell other Chinese delicacies, sweets, breads and pastries.

Just a side note on their other product lines. My friend highly recommended me to try their Custard Hopia (P48) because it's soft and somewhat melts in your mouth just like leche flan. It's different from regular Hopia because Custard Hopia needs to be refrigerated. I have also tried their Mochipia because I got curious with the coined word for Mochi and Hopia. I loved it because I can feel the chewy mochi inside the hopia. Then I also bought their Almond Cake (P9.00) and Coconut Cake (P13.00) as these two reminds me of my dad who used to buy them for us when we were still small. Please refer to the photos below.





Eng Bee Tin delicacies. Biggest Mooncake was there since Aug. 23 and will sit there until Sept. 30, 2013.

Anyway, I'm inviting you to visit Eng Bee Tin Ongpin and have your photo taken with the biggest mooncake and get to take home a small mooncake (just like in the photo above) for Free after liking their Facebook Page! Follow them also on Twitter @iloveengbeetin for updates and promos. You might want to participate in their ongoing promo Mooncake Photo Craze. #giantmooncake

Did you know that the owner of Eng Bee Tin is also a fire fighter? His name is Mr. Gerry Chua. He even made a coffee shop for the firemen, named Café Mezzanine. It's just a few steps from Eng Bee Tin Ongpin. The place is quiet, peaceful, a wifi zone, and a feel-good hang-out place because when you order, you also help the fire volunteers.
 





At Café Mezzanine. Photo op with Mr. Gerry Chua, the owner of all things purple in Binondo, also known as Mr. Ube.

They also give out a complimentary DVD on Fire Safety Tips and CPR Tips to remind the household on what to do in times of emergencies. The DVD also includes their history and other video clips related to their company. They also offer text messaging services known as TXT FIRE where you can receive UBE News for free when you register on the number (see the lowest portion of my photo collage) above. You can also easily report a fire through that number.

Aside from Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli and Café Mezzanine, they also own Chuan Kee and Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House, all located along the famous Ongpin Street. So if you love all things ube, come and visit them here in Binondo!

Happy Mooncake or Mid-Autumn Festival! September 19 is the actual Moon Cake Day! See you around!

Mommy Sally

Binondo's Hidden Finest

I have actually posted this write-up on my Facebook Note last August 9 as my entry to The Purple Doll's Samsung #GalaxyMega Challenge. Unfortunately, I didn't win {heart broken because my phone is still low-tech} or else I will be the luckiest mommy in this blogosphere! Haha! My consolation is that my entry was among the 20 shortlisted out of the 117 entries. But nevertheless, I would still love to share it with you and give you a quick tour to Binondo. So here it goes.

Project 700/7: Binondo's Hidden Finest

 

Background: I am a resident of Binondo for the past 1.5 years but I haven't had the chance to really explore on its surroundings because of my full time job situated by the east of Quezon City. Then when I got pregnant last year, I just stayed home most of the time. Until now that I became a work-at-home mom that I was able to have the time to roam around.

In order to fully appreciate the place where I belong to, I have decided to do a food trip adventure with a little twist. I know this has been blogged by different foodies a number of times already but I also want to have my own version of it.

Mission: In a span of seven days, I challenged myself to try out seven restos or a place to fill in my tummy with a budget of only P700 or at maximum P100 per food stop. Plus, they should be a hole-in-a-wall. This project was done last July 29 until August 6, 2013 from 6-7pm after my work-at-home duty, excluding the Saturday and Sunday because it's family day.

Hole-in-the-Wall # 1
Name of Resto: Quick Snack
Location: Carvajal Street, Binondo
Photo Entry:

Caption: I ordered Fried Lumpia for P45 and Guinumis (sago gulaman) for P60. Total of P105. Whoops, I went over by P5 which I would have to deduct from my next stop's budget. The place is hidden in the middle of a narrow street connecting Quintin Paredes and Yuchengco Streets.

Hole-in-the-Wall # 2
Name of Resto: Cafe Mezzanine
Location: Ongpin Street, Binondo
Photo Entry:

Caption: I ordered Kiampong for P50 and Iced Banana for also P50. The Mezza Blend (coffee) was served for free because I said I will promote their resto. You won't feel guilty dining here because all their revenues will be donated to fireman volunteers. It's a volunteer fireman's coffee shop. The cafe is located on the second floor of a chinese eatery named Chuan Kee where the stairway entrance is along Yuchengco Street corner of Ongpin Street.

Hole-in-the-Wall # 3
Name of Resto: New Po Heng Lumpia House
Location: Quintin Paredes Street, Binondo
Photo Entry:

Caption: As the name implies, their specialty here is Fresh Lumpia which costs only P50. It's fresh, hot and thick!I never liked eating fresh lumpia before but this changed everything. For maximum enjoyment, savour this as soon as it is served hot. This eatery is the hardest to find as it's hidden inside an old pink building. It's along Quintin Paredes Street and just across Carvajal Street. Look for a narrow pathway in between two buildings and you will see from the outside their red lighted signage from afar. Literally a hole-in-the-wall!

Hole-in-the-Wall # 4
Name of Resto: Dong Bei Dumpling
Location: Yuchengco Street, Binondo
Photo Entry:

Caption: Also as the name implies, dumpling is their specialty here. I ordered Kuchay (chives) Dumplings which costs P80 for a serving of 10pcs. It tasted good to think that I hated eating anything with veggies. Preparing the kuchay dumplings just right next to our table also caught my attention. The place is located at the far end of Yuchengco Street, connecting to the end of Tytana Street, and hidden behind Binondo Chinese Parish.

Hole-in-the-Wall # 5
Name of Resto: Simple Line
Location: Tytana Street, Binondo
Photo Entry:

Caption: I ordered Caramel Tapioca Black Milk Tea medium size for only P55 as it is their best seller. I am really not a fan of milk tea because I don't want to spend that much for a drink when I'm okay with just plain water. But I tried it anyway since it's way more affordable than other milk tea house. Later did I learned that the owner of that branch was one of my schoolmates. This tea house is located just beside Mandarin Mansion building entrance, along Tytana Street, two small streets away from Binondo Church.

Hole-in-the-Wall # 6
Name of Resto: Crepe de Chine
Location: Juan Luna Street, Binondo
Photo Entry:

Caption: I chose to try this place because for me it's another hole-in-the-wall of Binondo but doesn't serve typical Chinese dishes. What's good about it is that all the items in their menu are below P200. I ordered Tuna Luau for P98 which not only fits my budget but also heavy in my tummy. It can pass as a romantic dining place because of the dim lights and swing chairs that made up their cozy ambiance. This place is located at the basement of World Trade Exchange Building along Juan Luna Street, almost nearing the corner of Dasmarinas Street.

Hole-in-the-Wall # 7
Name of Resto: Sincerity Resto
Location: Yuchengco Street, Binondo
Photo Entry:

 

Caption: This place is famous for its signature Sincerity Fried Chicken but for a change, I tried their other best seller Sincerity Chami for only P90. I also didn't like eating lomi before but this one is an exception because it has lots of shrimp that contributed to its rich tasting. This eatery is right beside Veco Paper Corporation, along Yuchengco Street, a place famous for sourcing of wholesale office and school supplies.

Conclusion:
With that, my total expenses for this 7-day food trip challenge surprisingly only amounted to P578 (105+100+50+80+55+98+90) with an extra money of P122 from a budget of P700. As you can notice, every food stop I went to are inter-connected where you can easily hop from one place to another because the streets in Binondo are small. Believe it or not, some of them were my first time and a new discovery.

After this food trip adventure, I came to appreciate and love Binondo's old buildings and Chinese all-time favorites even more. And the greatest take home I had is to never underestimate the outside appearance of a place because you would never know its secret unless you try it. So come on, let's discover Binondo's hidden finest now!

Who said tight budgeted mommies can't enjoy a food trip? Think again.

And lastly, mission accomplished. The Binondo Mommy signing off.

Post-birthday Treat Giveaway!

If you have read my last two posts, you would probably know by now how I celebrated my birthday this year with so much surprises. Just a trivia: did you know that exactly the same day last year on Sept. 1, 2012, it was my first time to receive a congratulatory note saying that I won in a raffle draw from a mommy blog that I have joined? And because of that, I have decided to host my first blog giveaway to serve as my post-birthday treat to my readers. Hooray! What a nice way to start the BER months with fun and excitement.

Thank you to Czara's Hair Pieces for sponsoring my first ever blog giveaway. To give you a brief background, this online store was started last April 10, 2013 by a friend of mine whom I have met last October 2012 in a mommy event while we were still both pregnant. She is a very creative & skillful mom, a designer at heart and loves DIY stuffs. She not only loves to accessorize her baby girl thru hair pieces but ensures that in any outfit, there should be a matching head piece for that. Thru her FB photo postings, her friends would always ask where she bought the head piece her daughter is wearing. Later did we know that those were all her DIY master piece. She even gave my baby a few of her hand-made head bands. How sweet of her. Due to insistent demand from her friends, she finally made some more pieces to be available to the public at an affordable price.

Before, I never had any idea how to glam up my baby not until I saw these cool & cute head bands from Czara's Hair Pieces. Now, I see to it that every time baby would go out, she is wearing a head band that matches her dress. I became slightly obsessed to it. So if you want to make your baby stand out from the crowd, make sure to put on Czara's Hair Pieces, especially those huge and colorful ones, because they are an effective attention-getter.

Baby A wearing the different designer hair pieces from Czara's Hair Pieces.
From upper left to right and down: Kayla, Emily, Fiona violet, Hello Kitty, Christine, Fiona pink.

Let me share with you my personal picks on the head bands that she has designed. My favorites so far are the following:
1. Paula because it comes in different colors that would surely match your baby's outfit. Its chiffon fabric would give your baby the elegant and classy look.

2. Poemela because of its unique four-in-one candy color with a feather that would surely add glamor to your baby's overall get up.  

3. Fiona because of its puffy in style that strays away people's attention from my baby's few hair.
4. Christine because of its unique circular design with a touch of pearl that makes your baby look a little mature. I also love this new version of Christine (Rosette).
5. HK headband for those Hello Kitty fanatic. I love its minimalist and simplistic design. But wear it with supervision because the Hello Kitty face is hard and might hurt the baby.
6. Kayla I don't know why but I just love it, maybe because of the classy net fabric.

And by the way, Czara's Hair Pieces not only creates hair pieces for babies, but also for girls and ladies of all ages. She also do customization of hair piece either from the designs previously done or a totally new design. You can choose whether you want the design to be attached to an elastic head band, a clip, skinny metal head band, and others. She also creates maternity sash for your maternity shoot. You just need to discuss your idea with her and she'll gladly help you brainstorm and create something for you. If you want to know more about her, she is also the mommy behind Legal Mom Archives.

So for the fun part, I will be raffling off four sets of designer hair pieces from Czara's Hair Pieces. This giveaway will run from Sept. 1, 2013 until Sept. 14, 2013. I will announce the winner on Sept. 15, 2013. Just follow the Rafflecopter below. Good luck to everyone! Thanks for joining. Cheers!

Four sets of designer hair pieces to be given to my one lucky reader.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Updated 09-15-13 6pm: Congratulations to my Czara's Hair Pieces Giveaway Winner! Kindly message me your complete address and contact number at The Binondo Mommy's fan page so I can ship the items to you. I will pick another winner if you won't be able to reply within 24 hours. Thank you for joining everyone! :)

Mommy Sally

On Having Fun Without Spending Part 2

As promised, let me share with you the continuation of my birthday celebration, highlighting on how we had fun without spending.

Ever since, I don't believe in raffles or anything that counts on pure luck. I'm pertaining to those big ticket prizes such as cars, gadgets and the likes being raffled off during sale events or gatherings. I didn't believe because I haven't tried winning in a raffle draw yet. That's why I also don't bet on Lotto or play gambling because I'm afraid of risks and losing. The first time I learned to bet on Lotto was from my hubby who believes in that. 

Not until last year, when I was pregnant that I started betting on my luck without shelling out any cents. It started when I got hooked on the internet browsing for answers to my questions on pregnancy, breastfeeding, and parenting and that includes reading real life experiences of mommy bloggers. Then the whole blog giveaway thing just became my addiction. But I also screen out and choose to join only the more reliable online contests.

I had won a number of giveaways lately, just in time for my birthday. And because my free treats couldn't be used up all at the same time in one day, I've extended my celebration to day two.

Exactly a month before my birthday, I received a message from AllPromos.ph that I have won on their Daddy, Mommy and Baby Photo Contest. I randomly joined their contest two months ago without expecting to win because first off, I hate to join liking contest and secondly, they have a lot of entries, more than a hundred, and I'm just one of them. Good thing they have another criteria where my photo entry was included in the top 12 judge picks and from the 12, I won the random raffle draw. How lucky am I? And the prize package was quite generous.

One of the prizes was an 18"x24" poster mount from Print and Mount Portraits worth P1,100. It's a high quality print mounted on PVC board. So I thought of having our wedding group picture printed to make it more meaningful which we personally claimed it from their office in Makati. And I was surprised to know that the owner is just one batch higher from me in high school. What a small world!

Aug. 24, 2013. Photo op with the owner of Print and Mount Portraits, Alvin.

Every year during my birthday, I would always remind myself to visit Q Power Station. Why? Because I have to claim my P200 free credits to be loaded in my VIP Q Card. The free birthday load can be claimed within three days before or after your birthdate. When I checked my balance, I have already 844 credits, which means I have been claiming my free load for four years already. Actually five years already because I have been a Q Card holder since 2008. It allowed me and my hubby to unwind for a while, shot a few hoops, and be on our childish mode after so long. The last time we played was when we were still single I think. I immediately exchanged the few tickets we won for some small prizes because I don't know when we'll be able to have the time to play again. 

Aug. 24, 2013 at Q Power Station Rockwell. Claimed my free P200 birthday load.

And since we were already in Makati area, we dropped by Glorietta 2 to claim my P1,000 Gift Certificates at Ginza Bairin which I won from Shoot First, Eat Later blog giveaway just two weeks ago. That served as my birthday dinner date with my hubby. I ordered their best seller Kurobuta Rosu Katsu Set worth P595 and hubby tried Hire Katsu Set (3 Fillets) priced at P345. Of course mine was more mouth-watering. And because we were not familiar with Makati malls, it took us a few rounds before we were able to find the restaurant. The place is along the street (Palm Drive) and beside Wee Nam Kee. Hubby was surprised to see me consume three bowls of rice. Good thing their rice is unlimited. Breastfeeding momma got so hungry after a half day of adventure.

Aug. 24, 2013 at Ginza Bairin in Glorietta 2.

It was a tiring day for both of us but we really had fun because we were able to play and eat without spending, except for the parking. If I didn't win these free treats, I might not be able to take part in the talk of the town, the katsu craze.

Thanks to AllPromos.ph, to Print and Mount Portraits, to Q Power Station, Shoot First Eat Later, to Ginza Bairin and to my hubby for accompanying me to celebrate my birthday.

Although these treats are not really the things that I urgently need or a must-haves, I'm still thankful for whatever blessings that I got. It's my luck after all. And the only thing I could do to pay it forward is to share my wins to you through this post.

If you happen to be interested in the services of Print and Mount Portraits, I would appreciate it if you tell them that you read it from my blog. And if you still have a child-at-heart, you may want to get a Q Card too so that you have something to look forward to on your birthday. And if you want to join the katsu craze, have your authentic katsu at Ginza Bairin.

That's all for now. Share with me your winning stories too, okay? :)

Mommy Sally

Birthday Edition: On Having Fun Without Spending

Hooray for my first birthday as a new mom. I must have called for a big celebration but because my hubby always reminded me to save up, I turned to my ever creative and resourceful self and looked for other means to make myself happy. I love celebrating special occasions especially if it's my birthday. I always aimed to have a memorable birthday by expecting a customized cake, gifts, dining out, birthday greetings from friends and family and lots of surprises. I admit I still act childish in so many ways but that's how I am. Let me share with you how I spent my birthday this year.

I was excited for my lined up activities for that day. As I was about to brush my teeth, I saw no water coming out of the faucet. The whole building was temporarily out of water due to some problems. Wow what a nice surprise to start my day. We decided to transfer to my mom's house for the mean time until the water would be back.

My hubby decided to have our breakfast at the newly opened McDonald's along Jose Abad Santos Ave. corner Bambang Street. 



Mom & Baby just-woke-up look.







Hubby ordered us his all-time favorite Sausage Platter w/ Rice and
a Hot Chocolate drink meal. Yummy!



Thanks to mother-in-law for these goodies from Red Ribbon. Yey cake!

I just remembered that I have a St. Nails Gift Certificate won from The Soshal Network blog giveaway expiring on my birthday so I decided to commute to Makati for a nail pamper treat. Besides, my last manicure/pedicure was more than a year ago, during my wedding. Haha!

I had a hard time choosing from a number of nail polish colors presented in front of me. For a change, I've decided to try my very first red daring nail polish (Orly Star Spangled) for my feet nails and had a conservative nude colored nail polish (Orly Sand Castle) for my hand nails. The service I availed was worth P400 and I just got it for free! :)




I enjoyed my free Top to Toe manicure pedicure service at St. Nails Nail Spa.
A coupon that I won from TSN blog 2 months ago.



As you can see, I'm not used to pampering myself so I don't have any idea how other nail spas perform. With my experience at St. Nails, it was nice of them to serve hot cup of tea, to put hot aroma heat pack to my shoulders, bubble water to soak my feet and hands and free wifi! I was actually amazed by the purple plastic basin to soak my hands on as it was my first time to see that kind of thing. The ambiance and their stylish purple seat were also commendable. The name of the nail technician who did my mani/pedi was Ms. Sahira. Later did I know that the owner is an alumni of DLSU and his name is Saint. I didn't know him personally but his name rings a bell because he's famous in school.

St. Nails list of services.

Like their FB Page at St. Nails and follow their Twitter @St_Nails_Spa and Instagram @St_Nails_Spa to get to know them better. Watch out for their first anniversary this coming Sept. 16, 2013 as they might be having promos. They currently only have one branch for now and it's located at Petron Gas Station, EDSA corner Arnaiz Ave. (Pasay Road), Dasmarinas Village, Makati.



For our dinner, we availed of our free Pizza Hut treat, a BPI credit card promo, using my hubby's receipts. We got one Family Size Supreme Line Pan Pizza (for at least P12k receipt) and one Single Spaghetti Bolognese w/o Meatballs (for at least P2k receipt). We just added the Carbonara and 4pc Chicken Wings Honey BBQ flavor to make our dinner full. Btw, the next promo for BPI credit card is Chowking treat just in case you want to know.


We had Pizza Hut for dinner.

Of course my birthday won't be complete without my usual ritual of blowing of cakes. The number candles were only reused from baby's monthly birthday candles. Hehe! :)


My first birthday as a mom, a certified mommy on my 28th!

I'm thankful for the blessings that come my way despite having a tight budget. These free treats (St. Nails and Pizza Hut) were enough to make my birthday a memorable one. We didn't have to splurge a huge amount to be happy. In any celebration, resourcefulness and creativity goes a long way. And that's my way of having fun without spending. :)

Surprisingly, my birthday celebration didn't end here. There's still a Day 2, on my next post. Happy Birthday Binondo Mommy!

Share to me too how you spent your birthday or how you have fun without spending. I would like to hear from you. Or you may just greet me your birthday wishes thru the comments below.

Mommy Sally

DIY Bridal Shower

I can't believe I became a mommy without having attended any bridal shower aside from my own. Recalling back, I had my bridal shower a month before my wedding and it was a surprise. They got my now-hubby to be their accomplice where my hubby made up a story that his friend was inviting us for a dinner. As we enter the private room, with lights off and only candles were lit, I was so surprised to see my friends and sisters all present and cheering upon my arrival. I was so touched for their effort and got a little teary eyed as I blow off my cake. The program that night went something like this: We shared our love story and did some ice breaker discussions while we had our dinner, then we had a couple of games, proceeded to opening of gifts in front of everyone and lastly group picture taking. As far as I can remember, the games we had were as follows: banana eating contest, designing me a wedding gown made of tissue papers, and question & answer exam for me and hubby. It was quite a simple gathering but for me it was a night to remember because it was my bridal shower and they made it just for me. I would like to thank my friends who took their time to be there at my bridal shower, to my sisters who paid for the bill and joined the fun, to my hubby for making it a surprise, and last but not the least to my best friend for organizing it.

Oct. 22, 2011 at Korean Village. My surprise bridal shower.

Now it's my best friend's turn to have a bridal shower. I haven't really organized an event aside from my own wedding. Much challenging as I haven't gone to any bridal shower thus I don't have any idea on how it's supposed to be done. I just did it my own way and here is how it went.

First off, I got from the soon-to-be bride the list of her invited guest-friends. I chose a date that is more convenient for me and that was Aug. 18 Sunday. So I privately messaged each one of them if they are free on that day for a dinner. I know I started it too late, maybe 2 weeks before, because of my very busy schedule juggling work and baby. I barely have enough time to do something for myself, to blog. I almost gave up coordinating with the people individually and to come up with a common ground. Thanks to one of her friends J who volunteered to help me out by messaging everyone thru Facebook conference to finalize the date and venue. Due to majority's choice, Aug. 18 dinner was chosen out even if her friend J herself won't be able to make it. From an almost 22 invited friends down to 11 who expressed their intention to attend, I started working on the venue, backdrop, games and giveaways. 

Come Aug. 18 Sunday, it started to rain so hard in the afternoon that one by one her friends started texting that they won't be able to make it. It was the start of Typhoon Maring. From a number of 11 down to 3 including me plus her sister, the bride-to-be, and her fiancé. We couldn't cancel the event anymore because the cake had already been made to order. The bridal shower went on despite the few turnout and we were still able to lit a smile on the bride's face. The venue was held at one of the VIP rooms of The Royale Sharksfin Seafood Restaurant, 2/F Pacific Centre Bldg. located along Quintin Paredes, Binondo. We reserved one table with a private CR inside. And here are the highlights of the DIY bridal shower.

We ordered all her favorite dishes with the help of her sister. Birthday noodles, Sweet and Sour Pork, Corn & Egg Soup, Steamed Suahe, Pat Po Chicken, Polunchay, Salt & Pepper Crab, Plain Rice and a complimentary Almond Jelly dessert. 

We had a sumptuous royal banquet at The Royale Sharksfin Seafood Restaurant.

We're complete at a head count of 4 so we told the waiters to reduce the seats from 15 to 10 to make it spacious.

At 6:45pm, group picture while waiting for the love birds to arrive.

Here's the kinky cake with its yummy marshmallow icing. I enjoyed looking and eating the cake because I didn't have it during my bridal shower.

Banana Ride 3D Marshmallow Cake by Kink Cakes.

Click! Got your wacky pose in a split second!

The happy bride-to-be with the back drop designed by yours truly.

The bride-to-be distributed the souvenirs before her sister left the venue.

Group picture with our souvenirs.

Here's a simple Do-It-Yourself giveaway which consists of sweets, a pony wire and a paper tape.

A closer look at the souvenir prepared by yours truly. :)

We told her fiancé to leave the room first as the first two games are for girls only. I had no choice but to join the games in order to form two teams. The sister went ahead as early as 9pm because of heavy rain and flooded streets. We had fun even if it was just the four of us. Thanks to the friendly waitress for being our photographer/referee/timer at that time. :)

We had three games: Underwear Relay, Massage the Eggplant, and Ice Drop Eating Contest.

Cake cutting, eating and distributing. Thanks for sharing them to us. I really enjoyed this! I love eating cakes. :)

Bride A slowly sliced her cake and transferred to Styrofoam containers for take out. Goodbye Banana Riding Girl.

Opening her gifts and got fascinated with the Premiere Earthquake thingy. Haha! :)

Gift opening. Hope you like it!

An intimate bridal shower loaded with fun and excitement.

Whew, it was quite a long night. I would like to thank her sister who volunteered to shoulder the cake and surprisingly also the bill, to her friend C for the balloons, friend A for the ice drops and most especially to her fiancé M for making a way to bring his wife-to-be to the venue. Overall, it was a successful event despite the heavy rains. That night was literally a shower, a rainy one that is!

To bride-to-be Andrea, wish you all the best not just on your wedding day but to marriage of a lifetime. Congratulations and can't wait to see you walk down the aisle with your chosen Mr. Right. Two weeks left! I bet you're excited as much as I was during my time. Just a tip for you on your big day: relax, have fun and enjoy your day! You don't need to please everyone. Tips for a happy marriage: always respect your husband, don't fuss on small things, think before you speak, never assume, communicate openly, and lastly help save up for the family's future. These are based on my personal experiences. Good luck and welcome to another chapter of your life: the married life!

To my mommy readers, how was your bridal shower? Care to share your personal advice for soon-to-be married couples? Feel free to share it with me in the comments. Cheers! :)

Mommy Sally

Superbook Returns

The first time I encountered the word Superbook was from Mommy G who have attended the launching last May 25, 2013. It didn't ring a bell on me as I didn't know what it was in the first place. I even thought that it was something about books. But because of the frequent announcements that kept appearing on my Facebook wall, I began to get curious thus started reading about it. I learned that it was a TV series for kids that talks about Bible stories. And the first episode was aired last June 1 Saturday.

To those who are not familiar with Superbook, just like me, I've done the research for you. First of all, Superbook is a registered trademark of The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. or CBN. As lifted from their website, here's an excerpt:

Comparison from before 2D and now 3D graphics of Superbook.

"Superbook is an animated series born out of CBN's desire to promote the Bible to the Japanese public. Early research determined that the best way to promote interest in the Bible to Japanese children would be through popular genres of animation and comic books.

The success of Superbook in Japan, in terms of high audience ratings and increased sales of Bibles, convinced CBN to have the series dubbed into English and marketed outside of Japan.

Since 1983, the Superbook animated series has been dubbed into over 40 languages and broadcasted in well over 80 countries and has impacted the lives of thousands of people throughout the world. Superbook's success has gone way beyond the scope of what CBN had originally hoped for it and it continues to touch lives on broadcasts throughout the world today.

Because of today's new storytelling technology, the original series' timeless message is being reimagined for this media savvy generation. The goal is to produce a new series that will honor the life-changing legacy of the original series and re-introduce it to a new generation.

Visually cutting-edge and written with modern-day kids going through modern-day dilemmas, the new Superbook animated series still aims to get kids excited about the Bible. This is keeping with CBN's vision of strengthening Bible literacy, bringing the gift of the Bible to the children of the world."

And that's the reason why I haven't heard about Superbook -- because I was not yet born when the original series was aired on TV. After having seen some portions of the previous episodes, I would highly recommend kids to watch Superbook because not only does it retell some famous Bible stories in an appealing 3D cartoon animation but it is also presented in such a way that children can easily relate to. It's a story within a story that teaches Christian values to kids which they can apply in their day to day activities. There's always a moral lesson by the end of an episode. Plus, The Salvation Poem played at the end of each episode really gave me an LSS (last song syndrome). It's so fun to sing-along and the message is also nice. 

The lyrics of The Salvation Poem.

I am grateful to be invited to grace their recently concluded event: Superbook Bida ng Pagbabago Roadshow held last Aug. 4, 2013 Sunday at Robinson's Place Midtown in Malate with Superbook Agent Bettinna Carlos as their host.

Audience and set-up at the Robinson's Midtown from escalator's view.

The event's highlights were as follows:

1. Trivia questions with multiple choice about Superbook's past episodes.

The answer for this trivia question was Isaac.

2. Superbook dance showdown

I love the Superbook's dance steps. I wonder what the title of this Superbook song is.

3. Film showing of Episode 9 "Miracles of Jesus"

All eyes were on the screen as they watch the short film on Miracles of Jesus.

4. Puppet and magic show by Zam - all kids were entertained and really had a good laugh on Zam's magic shows and comedy.

My baby's yaya was called up stage to act as puppet.

5. Go Fish! game - where it teaches kids to help one another, rain or shine.

Each group should transport their team mates one at a time while holding an umbrella and binded by a string.

6. Project E6:1 game - where it teaches kids to listen to their parents as mentioned in Ephesians 6:1

Parent and kid team. Kids were blind-folded while they grab for the colored balls in the tub as guided by their parents.

7. Bida ng Pagbabago pledge - led by Superbook Agents Bettinna Carlos and Benjamin Alves to challenge the kids to be Heroes of Change in their communities

Kids and their parents were told to stand up, place right hand on the chest and recite the pledge after them.

  

8. And lastly, photo op with Gizmo the robot

Superbook Agent Bettinna Carlos and her cute daughter Gummy with Gizmo.

The kids there really enjoyed and loved Superbook. They are certified Batang Superbook!

To keep you updated on Superbook's excitement:

Like their Facebook: www.facebook.com/BatangSuperbook

Follow them on Twitter: @batangsuperbook

and Visit their website: www.batangsuperbook.com

Don't forget to watch tomorrow's (Aug. 10) Episode 11: He Is Risen.

Superbook is showing every Saturdays and Sundays 7:30-8:00 am only in GMA 7.

Enjoy and have fun with your weekends!

Superbook Season 1 has 13 episodes.

Mommy Sally

Breastfeeding Pinays and Mob 2013 Experience

Hakab Na! A Breastfeeding Mob 2013 poster.

Because Aug. 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week, I would like to dedicate this blog post to the support group that had helped me, in one way or another, to succeed in my breastfeeding challenges. This Facebook support group is none other than the Breastfeeding Pinays which I have been a part of for about 6 months already when baby was still 2 months old.

It's a fairly new group which started just this January 2013 by Ms. Abie Co-Floreza together with the other 6 admins namely: Bing Guevara, Clarice Avinante, Velvet Roxas, Ting Patriarca, Pittipat Chupungco and Rachel Terrobias. I have met four of them in person while the last three, I have yet to know them. The group was created to provide online support and information to families who are interested and who believe in breastfeeding. They are a bunch of supportive, helpful and passionate breastfeeding advocates who try to answer member's concerns to the best of their knowledge and personal experiences.

As of now they have close to 4,000 members already which means that more and more people believed in the group and found it helpful in their breastfeeding journey. Even if you don't actively participate in the forum discussions, but by merely joining the group, you can also learn from the questions and answers posted by other members. Some of your concerns might have been asked by others as well.

And to further reach out for more people and bring awareness to the whole nation, the admins together with other breastfeeding communities and advocates have decided to organize a breastfeeding mob. And I'm proud to have graced the said event together with my Baby A.

The breastfeeding mob was held last Saturday Aug. 3, 2013 inside Aristocrat, Roxas Blvd. due to heavy rains instead of the initial plan which is supposed to be at Rajah Sulayman Park in Malate. I have been looking forward to this event as it would be my first time to join a rally. Unfortunately, rain started pouring so hard in the afternoon almost nearing the assembly time. Baby and I were all set for the mob while waiting for my mommy friend Edel to arrive so we can hitch a ride. However, the weather worsened, flooding the streets in Edel's place and making it risky for her to traverse. We were mulling over if we will still continue because we are afraid to get stranded along the way. But because we are one proud Breastfeeding Pinay mommies, we couldn't take not to partake and support this movement that we both believe in.

I had baby wear a jumpsuit, bonnet and covered her with a blanket upon entering Edel's car as the rain was really hard. My mom even warned me not to go out that day but I disobeyed. It was almost quarter to three when the rain slowed down while on our way to Aristocrat. We were so excited!

Upon arriving at the venue, we were surprised to see a big turnout. Mommies with their babies were already in their formation and have started parading. We hurriedly signed in at the registration area, signed a waiver and wore our sticker ID. We were quite confused as we don't know where to line up as the mob was about to start. With the moms already seated on the floor preparing to latch their babies, we also rushed to find our space to settle down and do the latch or "hakab".

"Hakab na! Hakab na! Hakab na!" was the battle cry of the flash mobbers while latching their babies in front of the several media people. I couldn't believe that I was able to do it in public without a nursing cover. It was liberating for me as I grew up from a very conservative family thus the times that I tried feeding in public was very rare. This experience allowed me to boost my confidence to feed in public and to love breastfeeding even more. I came to realize that I made a good decision to resolve nipple confusion as soon as possible. Now I can easily feed my baby anytime anywhere without worrying if the stored milk I brought would be enough, worrying of the spoilage and lugging around breast pump paraphernalia.

I hope that after this breastfeeding mob, where approximately 225 moms (more than 100 in Manila, 90 in Cagayan de Oro, 30 in Davao, 5 in Bacolod) did the "hakab" all on the same day, breastfeeding would become widely accepted and become the norm around the world. I also hope that expecting moms and soon-to-be married ladies would be convinced and put breastfeeding as their top of mind. That's our responsibility as moms, to give what is best for our babies.

I'm glad to be part of Hakab Na! A Breastfeeding Mob 2013, the first in Philippine history. Hoping for more breastfeeding awareness activities in the years to come.

Congratulations to the Breastfeeding Pinays for a peaceful and successful event!

Happy National Breastfeeding Awareness Month to everyone!

Here's a video clip from GMA Network's Balitanghali: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/video/172269/balitanghali/mahigit-100-ina-sumali-sa-breastfeeding-mob-sa-maynila

A photo op with my friend Mommy Edel and the two Breastfeeding Pinays admins/organizers
Ms. Abie Co-Floreza and Ms. Clarice Anne Talavera-Avinante inside Aristocrat, Roxas.
They are also the mommies behind Tickled Moms.

A photo op with breastfeeding advocate/blogger Ms. Jenny Ong of Chronicles of a Nursing Mom.

A photo op with Mommy Edel and Ms. Bing Sugue Guevara, one of the active admins of Breastfeeding Pinays.

P.S. Thanks Edel for the ride, for without you, I won't be able to make it as well. Cheers!

 Mommy Sally