Sunday 31 January 2016

Be Summer Ready with SuperSale Bazaar Summer Sale 2016


Be Summer Ready with SuperSale Bazaar Summer Sale 2016 
Summer isn't only for kids cos we forever twenty-something also deserves a summer break. Or a summer drink, perhaps? Be it bumming at the beach or a hike to Mt. Pulag in Benguet, or just a drink or two with our friends, one could already taste the sweet summer air. 

Got your sunblock? Check! 
Beach towel? Check!
Swimwear, sunnies,  and sandals? 

Don't fret because we could buy these and more at the SuperSale Bazaar Summer Sale 2016 on February 19-21 at the World Trade Center to cross these off your vacay checklist!

Our favourite SuperSale Team is back with the longest running fashion bazaar series in the metro, bringing us their 24th event since it launched in 2009. Housing over 100 brands under one roof and up to 90% discounts on select items everyone is sure to find all our summer essentials at this fun and fab event.


Get retro sunnies from Wear Vintage, eye-catching swimwear from Beyond the Beach, spunky sandals from Tutum, organic skincare from One Earth Organics to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays, gorgeous lippies from Spark Cosmeceuticals and so much more!

Summer Calligraphy
Brewfest MNL will also be at the SuperSale event – a beer garden that will surely be a feast for your eyes, ears and tastebuds with live entertainment, awesome artisan food stalls and of course, local craft brews. Perfect for those who just want to hang out, get grub, and drink a nice cold bottle of beer after a long day of shopping. 

You might also get to see a few celebrities chilling! *wink*

Finally, a summer sale made just for us! Be summer-ready and we'll see you at the SuperSale Bazaar Summer Sale from February 19 - 21 at the World Trade Center Tent. 

Don’t forget to follow SuperSale on Instagram and Facebook @supersalebazaar and use the hashtags #SUNsupersale #supersalebazaar #SSBsummersale #SSBfashionhaul. Tons of prizes await you!

*Tickets may be purchased at the event
*For inquiries, email us at supersalebazaar@gmail.com or message us at 091787782852/09178103132

*Visit www.SuperSaleBazaar.com for further details. 

Sunday 24 January 2016

5 Things We Love about Gymboree

5 Things We Love about Gymboree 

When Baby Charley won a free annual membership at Gymboree from the Manila Polo Club, our whole family was thrilled to try it out. However, Manila Polo Club, although near and ang lakas maka-sosyal, is not quite accessible, especially if one relies on a public transpo. Thankfully, there's one in Greenbelt 5!

What is Gymboree? 
Gymboree is an international company, which thankfully is available here in the Philippines, that offers gym plays and structured programs to children aged 0 - 4 years old. The institution promises helping kids build confidence, creativity, and life-long friendships through play and learning.

indoor playground
Using one of her free 5 classes, we decided to give Gymboree a shot, played with Baby Charley, and watched her interact with the other kids. After that day, we could see how Baby Charley enjoyed the day and was looking forward to more Gym Play at Gymboree.

Class schedules at the reception desk 
There are so many things we love about Gymboree, and I think these could be summarized into 5.

What we love about Gymboree

1) Safe and Fun!  
Have you seen Gymboree's colour trademark of orange, blue, green, purple, and red? They scream fun! And it was fun indeed to be at Gymboree. Baby Charley gets excited whenever we pass by Gymboree because she knows it's fun, play time for her. She just loves everything about Gymboree, and she particularly likes the slides and the giant ball!

We also love how the equipment's arrangements are changed regularly, so if you're a regular patron like us, you can expect something new every time you visit.


At first, we were afraid that Baby Charley might get hurt playing in this indoor playground, but we were surprised that almost everything is cushioned; plus, it's a requirement that parents should always be at a child's hug reach.


Baby Charley, though already a walker at 10 months, still needs to stabilise and balance herself whenever she walks (and runs, all the time). She has tripped several times while playing at Gymboree but we're never worried because the whole play area has cushions.

2) Venue to interact with other kids 
Baby Charley is an only child, and it's just her, her daddy, and me in the house, so you can say life could be a little boring for her. Even though we play with her all the time, she still wants to play with kids her age - or any kids na lang period.

We do bring her outside often, and we travel to the province so she can meet her cousins from time to time; however, it still feels different to see her with other kids often. This is another reason why we're very thankful for Gymboree - Baby Charley can play and interact with kids - younger and older kids.

Extreme games! 
We also love how the other kids play kid-games with her. She seems to enjoy running around, screaming, climbing, and hustling with other kids, too. Moreover, what we really appreciate most is how we see Baby Charley waiting for her turn, sharing the toys and the slides, and being gentle with younger babies in the Gym Play. These are the things she has learnt and developed on her own.

Sharing the toys
3) Teaches independence and problem-solving skills, and builds self-confidence 
Gym Plays could be a mommy's worst place ever - especially if she has a toddler. I was really worried that Baby Charley would get hurt in the area, so I would choose which equipment in Gymboree would be best for her. At first I was also thinking how I could teach Baby Charley how to play on the slide, the tunnel, the basketball, etc.


But Baby Charley surprised me when I saw her go through the tunnel on her own, unafraid of what's gonna happen to her. I also saw her observed how the other kids jumped around and push the toys around. Before I knew it, Baby Charley would like to try everything in Gymboree!  Gasp!


So yes, she went through every tunnel, pushed everything, shot all basketballs, climbed all, took the most breath-taking slides, jumped, ran, tumbled, and laughed her heart out.


You could see how proud she is of herself for doing all of those on her own! 


4) Playtime for the whole family 
Gymboree does not only offer playtime for Baby Charley, but playtime for the whole family as well! This is not like those play areas where you leave your kids while you go shopping somewhere else; Gymboree requires parents or any adult to stay and play with the kids in the play area.


This works well for us because we really enjoyed playing with Baby Charley or at least watching her play with the other kids.

Daddy and Baby goofing around! 


5) It was accessible.
There are over 16++ Gymobrees in the Philippines, with 10 here in Metro Manila. Since Gymboree is an international company, you can also use your Gymboree Membership abroad. There are also 2 Gymborees in SG, one in Harbour Front and the other in Tanglin Mall, so Baby Charley can use them, too, when we visit my brother in Hougang again.


There are also more perks being a member of Gymboree like discounts and free gym plays, and seeing how much our family loves Gymboree now, we're sure to renew Baby Charley's annual membership this year.

We are in no way connected to Gymboree, and we just wanna share how much we love Gymboree, and you can check their website for more info on the locations near you.  We're a patron of Gymboree in Greenbelt 5 and we're there almost every weekend. If you see us there, don't hesitate to say hi! :)

Friday 22 January 2016

Oh my! The Gruffalo is here in Manila!

What's a Gruffalo? 

A Gruffalo! Why didn't you know? He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws. 

Gruffalo - the world's most-beloved monster is here in Manila to entrance our little ones to the magic and wonder of world-class theatre. This will be a perfect date with your little ones as Gruffalo is shown at the RCBC Theatre from January 27 - 31, 2016. 


Based on the award-winning best seller by Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler, the Gruffalo tells of an adventurous journey of little Mouse as it walks through the deep dark wood where it meets the cunning Fox, the eccentric old Owl and the party mad Snake on the way.

“Irresistibly charming!” The Times, UK
“Monstrous fun!” Daily Mail, UK

Armed with only a nut map and a little courage, Mouse must outwit them all, and after all, there’s no such thing as a Gruffalo – is there?

But who is this creature with terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws? He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. His eyes are orange, his tongue is black; he has purple prickles all over his back.


You and your little ones would surely enjoy the songs, laughs, rhymes, and scary fun guaranteed by little mouse and all its "friends". 


“No. 1 Children’s Show!” The Independent, UK
“An altogether winning performance!” New York Times

The Gruffalo - LIVE has grown into one of the biggest and most anticipated live shows in Hong Kong and Singapore, and Manila can finally welcome the production come 2016. The Gruffalo - LIVE 2016 will be performed by a professional theatre company from the United Kingdom.


According to Matthew Gregory, Executive Producer of Hong Kong-based ABA Productions, The Gruffalo - Live 2016 will provide a fun and educational experience that the whole family can enjoy. This will indeed be a perfect opportunity for children to experience the magic of live theatre and expand their knowledge of the art.


I can't wait for Baby Charley and me to watch The Gruffalo - Live 2016 at the RCBC Theatre from January 27 - 31, 2016. The Gruffalo Live - 2016 is brought to Manila by Concertus Manila, in partnership with ABA Productions and Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and with special thanks to Nickelodeon. 

Book your tickets at TicketWorld. Call 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.

“You see? EVERYONE is afraid of me! But now my tummy’s beginning to rumble MY favourite food is...."

Watch The Gruffalo Live 2016 to find out! 


Thursday 21 January 2016

How Young is Too Young for School?

How Young is Too Young for School? 

Baby Charley just celebrated her first birthday last year, and it was a blast! We officially have a toddler in the family, and the house has never been the same. Toys are everywhere, and there has been nonstop gibberish and babbling in the house. Despite all these, we're happy just having her around the house.

However, after Baby Charley's first birthday, people have been overwhelming us with questions like,

When is she gonna have a brother/sister?

Are you planning on travelling together? 

Yet, the most intriguing question we had was, "Which playschool are you enrolling her?" 

Playschool? Seriously? I haven't really thought much about that since Baby Charley has just turned one. No matter how bibo she looks and how likot she is, in my eyes, she's still a baby. My, she can't even call me properly. Sometimes it's mommy or mama, but often it's Baba or Oi!

What exactly do kids do in a playschool? 
Playschool or playgroup offers class that caters to (very) young students. There are playschools that offer classes to students as young as 6 months, while many give classes to kids who are at least 2 year old. Class sizes are usually small with a 2:15 teacher:student ratio, and classes are held twice or thrice a week depending on the preferred schedule of the parents.

Lessons are integrated with art, music, and games - lots of them! Often, kids are given ample time for social interaction, so there'll be lots of singing, dancing, games, and play time with other students, which I think prepare the kids to a room-full of more kids when they enter Pre-K.

What I think about it 
Most big schools require their incoming PRe-K students to attend at least 6 months of playschool, so mommies have no choice but to enrol their toddlers in one. The question here now is at what age should our babies be to be enrolled in a playschool.

This one depends on the age requirement of the big school you're eyeing for your little one. Since AC requires their incoming Pre-k to be 3.8 - 4.7 year old, we have to enrol Baby Charley in a playschool by 2017 (she'll be 2 years old, then).

I honestly feel she's too young by then. Will she be potty trained na? Can she sit still during the whole class? Will she be bullying other kids there? and most importantly, How much is this gonna cost us?

Playschools aren't cheap, that's for sure. Most range from Php 40,000 - Php120,000 - and all the kids do are sing and get dirty! Right now, we're scouting for good and affordable playschools for Baby Charley - some place that will not bring our family in poverty level. :D

Are babies too young for playschool? 
Redshirting ("to hold back") our babies for another year is a common practice in the country. Many parents feel that the older the kids are when they enter school is more beneficial since it means that their kids are more mature and hopefully much smarter than the younger ones.

However, there are some studies like Too Young to Leave the Nest, and articles like When Should Kids Start Kindergarten and Youngest Kid, Smartest kid? that explain the benefits of attending the school early. However, there are no recent studies here in our country about this.


I believe that a child's readiness to school can be observed by parents at home. If we think that our child has the readiness, the necessary skills, and the appropriate maturity to enter school, then why not? However, it is still more important that we provide them all the love and nurturing they can get at home.