Monday 28 December 2015

Five Things We Love About "Disney on Ice" 2015

Five Things We Love About "Disney on Ice" 2015 

It was our first time to watch Disney On Ice at the Araneta Coliseum, and we were truly amazed with the show (of course!), You can read more about it in my blogpost, First Time in Forever: Disney on Ice 2015; however, here are the five (5) things our family loves about Disney on Ice 2015. 

1) Out-of-this-world costumes 
Disney on Ice this year features four of our favourite Disney princesses, Ariel from the Little Mermaid, Rapunzel from Tangled, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and Elsa & Anna from Frozen. It was truly amazing how the Araneta was transformed to an underwater scene to a spooky castle to a dainty village and finally to a snow village!




Plus, the characters' costumes are so bright and colourful, it's festive in the eyes of the audience.


2) World-class acrobats and choreography 
I'm no dancer, and I'm certainly not a skater, so I was truly amazed at the amazing choreography and death-defying stunts (watch out for Ariel's!) during the show. The audience gasped at every performance.



3) Musical Scores 
Any Disney show won't be complete without the songs that we'll certainly fall in-love with. Be prepared to be LSS as hit songs like Under the Sea, Part of Your World, I See the Light, Mother Knows Best, Be our Guest, The Mob Song, First Time in Forever, Love is an Open Door, and Let it Go among others be performed.




4) Disney Magic 
Since Disney on Ice is a Disney production, the audience expected magic, and there was magic! Lots and lots of it! We were truly amazed on how Beast transformed to a dazzling Prince or when Queen Elsa struck Princess Anna with a lightning.



Oh, have I mentioned it snowed in Araneta, too?

5) Family Show 
I was worried at first that my roommate (my husband, btw) and Baby Charley would get bored at the show. Maybe it's too long for Charley. Maybe it's too girly and kiddish for Boss 'Ayat. But I was wrong.



I saw a lot of Daddies with their little girls at the Big Dome, too, and they were the ones who laughed the loudest and gasped the funniest. And oh, they sang the loudest, too!


Disney on Ice is a show for everyone. See you at the Araneta Center and catch this show from December 25 to January 3. :)

First Time in Forever: Disney on Ice 2015

First Time in Forever: Disney on Ice 2015 

It was indeed a splendid, magical afternoon when Team Hernandez (Baby Charley, Boss 'Ayat, and I) watched Disney on ICe: Magical Festival at the Araneta Coliseum for the very first time.


My roommate (my husband, btw) and I were one with the hundred of kids in excitement as we watched the Disney Magic revealed right before our very eyes. We're very happy that Baby Charley seemed to be amazed with the show as well. Like the many girls who were wearing their favourite Disney princess costumes, Baby Charley was dressed in a Minnie-Mouse inspired dress .

Cute little Minnie Mouse

Before the Show 
We arrived really early for our 1:30pm show, but the Ticketnet booths were already filled with lots of people. At first we were worried that Baby Charley would be bored waiting; however, we were glad the she was entertained with the many colourful and cute Disney merchandises outside and inside the Araneta Center. Mugs (Disney characters and princesses) toys, dolls, cotton candies, and blinking toys really added to the excitement of the kids and adults waiting for the gates to open.

Cotton candy + Crown/Pascal/Olaf hat = Php400

I wanted one of these for myself



Baby Charley was fascinated with the blinking toys, so we bought this one for her. Guess, whose mommy is Php850 poorer now?



The Opening Act 
As expected, the show started right on time. It was a beautiful dance performance of ice skaters in colourful costumes. Not long after that, the show's hosts: Mickie, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy thrilled the audience even more as they introduced the first act: The Little Mermaid.

The anticipation 




The Little Mermaid 
This act was one of my favourites in the show. Sebastian and his lovely mermaids in their colourful costumes brought the audience under the sea. Ariel's death-defying performance as she transformed from a beautiful mermaid to a lovely maiden in search for Prince Eric's true love's kiss was the highlight of the act.





Guests were also thrilled with the beautiful colourful costumes of the underwater creatures and the many The Little Mermaid's songs we fell in-love with like Under the Sea, Kiss the Girl, Part of Your World among others.


Tangled
Rapunzel, Eugene, Maximus, Mother Grothel, and the Pub Thugs made the audience laughed (several times), danced, and be awed with their performance. A number of lucky young princesses (little girls in their princess costumes) got to be part of the the show, too!


Our favourite part of this act was the Festival of Lights as the Big Dome was put to darkness and the floating lights/lanterns illuminated the sky.


We also fell in-love with our favourite songs from the movie like, I've Got a Dream, Mother Knows Best, and I see the Light. 

Beauty and the Beast 
Araneta suddenly transformed from a dainty French village to a spooky Beast's castle as we watched the airheaded Gaston and the villagers, and Beast, Lumier, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and the lovely Belle danced their hearts out.



The audience went crazy when after a flash of lightning, the horrible-looking Beast transformed to a dazzling prince. It was certainly Disney Magic!


Although Gaston, Be our Guest, The Mob Song were sung. it was just sad that Mrs. Potts didn't sing the full Beauty and the Beast theme song.

Frozen
Everyone went wild in excitement when the final act was introduced: our favourite characters from the hit Disney movie, Frozen! Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Prince Hans, and that adorable snowman, Olaf thrilled the audience not only with their performances and songs, but also how they made Araneta like the Kingdom of Arendelle. To complete the magic Queen Elsa brought snow, yes snow, in Araneta!


Snow (!) in Araneta! :D

We joined the characters in singing our favourite songs from the movie like,  Reindeers are Better than People, In Summer, Love is an Open Door, First Time in forever, and of course, Let it go.






The End 
Before the show ended, there was another performance from the hosts, the skaters, and the Disney Princesses. Plus, it was such a surprise that they danced with...LIGHT SABERS!



That Sunday afternoon was certainly filled with love and magic as we spent the day watching Disney on Ice: Magical Festival. It was our family's first time to watch it, and it certainly won't be the last as we're gonna be including it as one of our family Christmas traditions.



Read five things we love about the show here.

Mommies and Daddies, you still have time to catch Disney on Ice at the Araneta Center. 











Sunday 20 December 2015

Prepping for the Holidays

Prepping for the Holidays 

With no doubt, Christmas is one of the most festive holidays in the Philippines since it lasts for almost 2 1/2 months, and in my family's case even longer. Christmas means a lot of things: (trying to) complete the Misa de Gallo, shopping for gifts, and visiting relatives in the province. Unfortunately, it could also mean traffic, crowded malls, lack of parking, and swindlers. 

Here are some ways we did to make our Christmas preparation hassle-free especially for Baby Charley. 

Shopping 

1) Make a Christmas list - and stick to it
Lists are a very important tool especially for a compulsive yet OC buyer like me. With the list (and a strict budget), we could lessen the time we're spending inside the mall. This way, we're sure we're not forgetting anyone, and we could stick to our budget. 

Many moms prefer going to Divi or Baclaran for their Christmas shopping; however, if one is patient looking for the good stuff, you could actually find the perfect cheap gift for everyone - without the hassle and the siksikan of shoppers. 


Psst! I found Baby Charley's gifts to her younger cousins at the Landmark supermarket for Php22 each! :) 

2) Schedule your Mall Time
Mall schedules could be our bestfriend and worst enemy. Thanks to the longer mall schedules, we could have longer time to shop. However, that could also mean the same thing for fellow working class people in the Metro. 


Mall opening hours either during weekends or weekdays are usually the best time to shop as there are fewer people, shorter queues in the cashier, and nicer and more patient sales ladies. We also make sure that we leave the mall by 3pm to avoid the traffic jam and to make sure we could get a cab right away. 

3) Bring only what you need
Shopping is fun and therapeutical, too! Most girls feel good while shopping yet devastated afterwards when bills start to pile up. Yikes!

Moreover, to avoid being a prey to holdapers, bring just enough money to shop, to eat, and to get you home. We also avoid bringing large amount (cos we dont have a large amount) of money. If you're not a compulsive buyer, using your debit cards is actually safer and more convenient. 

4) Dress (and the baby) comfortably 
Christmas shopping means a lot of walking and waiting so it's important that you're properly clothed for battle. Wear flats (I usually go for Sanuk) and a backpack so your hands are free to hold the baby. 


In fact, I find it more convenient to leave Baby Charley at home with my roommate (my husband, btw) while I shop. At least, I only have myself to think about. 

5) Take advantage of free giftwrap from malls 
I have no talent in giftwrapping; that's why I have my gifts wrapped at the mall. 

Toys r Us and Toy Kingdom offer free giftwrap for a minimum purchase. Marks and Spencer, H&M, F21, and Zara's paperbags could also serve as a giftwrap already. Rustan's, SM, and Landmark offer a giftwrap and a paper bag together.

However, if the lines are long at the toy stores or department stores, we would just buy a paperbag from National or Powerbooks especially if we wanna meet the Go home by 3pm schedule. 


What we also find helpful is printing our very own Christmas cards. All we needed was a cute pic from the internet and a pack of sticker papers. 

Travelling 

1) Pack well
Going home to the province for the holidays could be challenging since many would also be doing the same thing. Since it's just my roommate and I with the baby, with the gifts, and with all those bags, we make sure we're only bringing the essentials - especially if we're gonna commute. 


Usually, we have one big eco bag for all the gifts, a backpack for Charley's stuff, another backpack for both of our stuff, and a handcarry with milk and wallet. This way, we could leave all our bags, except for the handcarry, at the compartment. 

2) Schedule your trip
We're only travelling to Batangas this year, but we still need to plan the best schedule to travel. Travelling close to Christmas could be more difficult because of the rush of passengers and limited trips. 

Travelling during the morning is also better than during the afternoon or at night. 

3) Have your fares ready
Just to be on the safe side, have your fares ready in your pocket. This includes your fare for the cab, the bus, or even a small change for the porters. This way you wont be opening your wallet often which could attract the attention of others. 

3) Dress well and smartly
just like while you're shopping, you have to dress well and appropriately when travelling. Have a scarf ready instead of a huge jacket especially for the baby. Sometimes we also bring a small blanket for her especially since it's been raining lately. 


As much as I love skirts and dresses, I avoid wearing one whenever we travel with Charley. I find it more convenient to wear just a shirt paired with shorts or pedals. (Check out the cute ones in Regatta)

4) Prepare entertainment for the Baby
A happy, well-entertained baby means a blissful trip for everyone. Thank heavens Batangas is only 1.5 - 2 hrs away from Manila, so Baby Charley doesnt get bored much during the trip. 

However, we still make sure we have her pillowcountrymen (her pink Hello Kitty pillow), a V-tech book, and her milk ready just in case. 

However, the most important preparation is the Advent.

Our family, small as it may seem, prepare huge through the Advent season. 

Sadly we cant attend the Misa de Gallo because of our schedules; however, we set aside a period of the day for prayer and reflection as we fill our hearts with gratitude with the bountiful blessings we receive each day. We also take this moment to pray for our family and our marriage, our health, and our decisions. Of course, we also pray for those we love. 

It is only through a grateful heart can we truly say we have prepared well for Christmas.