Cebu-Bohol Family Adventure

Four Days. Three Nights. Two Provinces. One Great Family Adventure.

So, I wanted a HK Disneyland trip to celebrate the little girl’s seventh but hubby wasn’t able to renew his passport. And even if he was able to, he insists on taking the kids to local destinations first. I may not have gotten what I wanted but I’m not brooding. Our trip to Cebu was WONDERFUL! Cebu really opens up to the other parts of the Philliphines, so it’s great to know when and how to the travel, luckily for us there were services like OceanJet online booking so we didn’t have to worry much about it.

I’d love to tell you all about our Cebu-Bohol family adventure in great detail but we’re cramming with back-to-school preparations so these collages would have to do for now. Promise I’ll blog about everything next week. 🙂

First plane ride was “awesome” “amazing” “spectacular” according to the little princess. 🙂

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An overnight stay at the Crimson Resort was not enough to fully enjoy all that the resort has to offer. I’d stay here for a week if I could afford it. 🙂

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Why stay at Summit Circle? For one, the people from Summit Hotels are really wonderful. Then, Summit Circle is right in the middle of the city which makes going to the different tourist spots so easy.

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The city tour was EXHAUSTING but we learned a lot about our history and culture.

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Wasn’t able to squeeze a Cebu food trip in our itinerary but managed to try three of their famous foodstops.

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All aboard! First ferry ride for the kids also. Next time, it’ll be on a cruise ship! (crosses fingers)

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They found the tarsiers “so cute and cuddly”, the Chocolate Hills “nice”, the Zipline and Cable Car ride both “terrifying and exciting”…but they loved the Loboc River Cruise most! After all “we’ve never eaten in a moving boat ever before!”

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There’s definitely more to share about our trip to Cebu and Bohol that one blog post won’t be enough. Watch out for my series of posts where I’ll be including our detailed itinerary, breakdown of expenses, and tips for those taking little kids on their adventure.

Kids Summer Camp 2015 at AMBAY Beach Resort

Summer’s never complete without a trip to the beach.  For most kids, the best trips are those where they get to  have fun with other kids, too.  Which is why we’re not missing this year’s Kids’ Camp in Ambay Beach Resort.

ambay kids camp 2015

Want to know what to expect?  Click here to check my post about the very first Ultimate Summer Camp at Ambay last year.  This year’s camp is bound to be so much more fun so do come join us. Leave your worries (and gadgets!) at home and just enjoy the beach!

For inquiries, send an email to [email protected], call 0920-902-0860, or visit the Ambay Beach Resort Facebook Page. Limited rooms are available for the Kids Camp so book your room now. 🙂

 

 

Click here to read about our first vacation at AMBAY.

Mad Dash at the Scholastic Sizzling Summer Sale

SATURDATE. Nah! More like SATURATED. It definitely was a looooong Saturday for us.  Piano lessons, drum lessons, a much-delayed appointment with the wedding photographer for the final layout of our wedding album, a trip to the dentist – and, yes, we still managed to squeeze in a mad dash to the Scholastic Sizzling Summer Sale.

It literally was a mad dash.  I told the kids to just get all the Magic School Bus books they didn’t have yet and get some Geronimo Stilton books.  I saw a Klutz Galaxy activity book and grabbed that one too before heading off to the cashier.  I could spend hours in a bookstore and spend an entire day in a book sale but we had a couple more errands to run so we really had to go.  We were there for less than 30 minutes and managed to grab only these:

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Hubby took pictures of the warehouse while the kids and I were choosing books.  The pics can give you an idea of what to expect at the warehouse.

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Booths outside are where you’ll find the lowest priced books – we got Magic School Bus books at 49 pesos each!

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Most books here are at 25% off. Harry Potter books were at 40% off when we dropped by.

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Check out the Grolier table!!! If you don’t have Fun Thinkers or Logico yet, now is the best time to buy them. 🙂

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I definitely want to go back and scour each and every shelf for good finds.  Good thing the sale runs until May 24 so I still have lots of time to visit the warehouse again.  If you’re going there too, you may want to avoid going at noontime when the heat can become unbearable.  For directions on how to get there, check my previous post out. 🙂

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Kids couldn’t put the new books down! These pictures were taken around 5 hours after our mad dash.

5 Backyard Activities for the Whole Family

Among all the rooms and spaces in your house, perhaps none can be as surprising as your backyard. A great backyard is a magical place – a private space where you and your family can do anything you want. Memories are often built here, and it’s the perfect place to spend some quality time with your loved ones. If you’re looking to make the most of your backyard, here are five activities to help you get started.

1. Eat outdoors.

Nothing brings the family together like a good meal, and even more so if it’s outdoors. There’s just something so special about eating with your family outside in the fresh air. And to make it even more memorable, treat it as a special event that your family can look forward to. Plan it beforehand and set up a time during the week to do it (Sunday lunches are what many families love to do). Then get your whole family to join in the preparations, from the planning and cooking to the cleaning up after the special meal. You can even set a theme for each occasion so that every event is different and exciting and watch from the man shed as your children and other family members play outdoor games.

2. Play outdoor games.

Backyards are the ideal place to play games and get active with your family. Not only does it provide ample space for outdoor games (i.e. sports, children’s games), but it also gives you the privacy to have any kind of fun you want. If your backyard has enough space, you can even set up equipment and tools that you’ll use for whatever games you’ll play. Much like eating outdoors, playing outdoor games with your family is almost always a fun and memorable event. If you and your family want something a little more challenging but fun, you may be interested in making your own backyard escape room. Interested in learning more or want some inspiration? You can visit escape room atlanta to find out more.

Image by Photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image by Photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3. Do arts and crafts.

Backyards, decks, and patios are the ideal place for getting your hands dirty doing arts and crafts. Unlike inside the house, you won’t have to worry about making a mess in the backyard. This inevitably makes doing arts and crafts with your family much more fun and exciting. A friend told me that Jeanne Oliver provides some really fun arts and crafts courses that the whole family can enjoy. It might be a good idea for families that aren’t that experienced with arts and crafts. Try undertaking a big project as a family, where everyone contributes and helps out each week in creating a piece of work. Once you complete it, there’s no thrill quite like it.

4. Go camping outside.

If your backyard is grassy and ideal for camping, then spending a night there with your family can definitely be a memorable experience. It’s a fun way to use your backyard and the little ones will love your sense of adventure – even if it’s just outside your house. And if your backyard isn’t ideal for pitching a tent, a night out with your family in the deck or patio can still be just as much fun.

Image by Pakorn/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image by Pakorn/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

5. Read, nap, unwind.

Unwinding together in the backyard often brings families closer and creates many positive memories for the future. Making time every week to read, talk, play music, or simply relax together out in the backyard can be wonderful activity for any family. You could set times during the week to do this, or even just go out there whenever you feel like it. The more time you spend together, the closer your family will be.

Every backyard has the potential to be a truly special place for most families. They’re private, secluded, and provide the ideal setting for many family activities. If you need to spruce up your backyard or are thinking of building a better backyard, deck, or patio, then consult with those who know how do it best. Backyard specialists like Additions Building can recommend the best options for your property (click here to see samples of their previous work) and build them for you at fair prices. That way, you won’t have to spend much time worrying about your backyard – you’ll be busy enjoying it with your family.

Affordable Summer Workshops in Marikina City

2,000 pesos for an art workshop with twelve sessions? Just 2,000 pesos?!  Unbelievable, right? I could hardly believe it myself but it is true!  I know for certain because both my kids are already enrolled in two classes. 🙂

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3,000 pesos for both classes already 🙂

The Marikina City Tourism, Culture and the Arts Office (MCTCAO) has been offering Summer Art Workshops for several years now. This, however, is our first time to join the workshops so I really can’t tell you what to expect.   What I do know is that this would be a great way to keep the kids busy this summer. The best thing is they get to learn a new skill!

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Poster from https://www.facebook.com/marikinatourismofficialfanpage

Schedule of Courses Offered

If you’re still looking for a summer program for your child, do check out the programs at the Marikina Summer Art Workshop 2015. Courses offered include Voice, Ballet, Modern Dance, Painting, and Teen Theatre. There are also several courses on instruments including Violin and Saxophone.  Here are the revised schedules they gave us today:

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Registration already started yesterday and will continue until the end of the week.  Orientation is on April 10 and workshops will begin on April 13.

How To Register

  1. Go to the MCTCAO (at the ground floor of Marikina City Hall) and fill up the necessary forms.
  2. Pay the registration fee at the City Treasury (directly across the MCTCAO).
  3. Go back to the MCTCAO and show your Official Receipt.

Workshop fee is Php 2,000 per course – definitely among the most affordable summer workshops in the country.

For families of government employees, the discounted fee is Php 1,500 per course.

You can get 300 pesos off if you enrol in groups of 5 or more. So, gather your neighbors and friends and enrol together so you can avail of the workshops at only Php 1,700 each. 🙂

 

 

*I am not connected with the Marikina Tourism, Culture, and Arts Office. For inquiries regarding the Summer Art Workshop, kindly call them directly at 646-2360 to 69 loc 208.Â