A Glimpse of Pope Francis

January 20, 2015 by

An hour-long drive across Metro Manila, a tricycle-ride from Lucky Chinatown to Jones Bridge, a 20-minute walk from Jones Bridge to Padre Burgos Avenue, and a 30-minute wait along the street – all for a few seconds of watching Pope Francis pass by.   Our less than 3-hour sojourn is really nothing compared to the hours many Catholic faithfuls endured to catch a glimpse of the Pope and to listen to him as he officiated Mass and delivered inspirational messages.

My mom’s fervent desire to personally see the Pope and my Catholic friends’ willingness to endure long hours of waiting is definitely understandable; but, what’s a non-Catholic doing among the throngs of devotees yearning to see the Pope? Simply All For the Love of Mom!  🙂

My Mom’s a devout Catholic and I knew how much she’d love to see Pope Francis.  Although I was quite worried about the crowd and the long walk we had to take, I didn’t want her to miss the chance of seeing the beloved Pope in person.

Contrary to what I expected, our adventure (more like a pilgrimage for my mom) was quite a pleasant experience.  The weather was perfect with the cloudy sky and cool air and the crowd was not as thick as I feared.  My mom was filled with immense joy when she saw the Pope.  Tears of joy streaked down her face as it beamed with happiness.  The long walk was definitely worth it!

A dear friend of mine shared with us a media brief so we arrived at Anda Circle just several minutes before the Pope passed. If we had followed the schedules listed on popular websites, we would have waited there for more than a couple of hours.  To our dear angel (you know who you are), THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Here are the photos taken by my husband using his Samsung S4.

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These sacristans from Laguna who had been waiting there since 7am were kind enough to make space for us so the kids could stay right in front to see the Pope. The police officers in our area were also very pleasant and even exchanged a few good laughs with us. 😀

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Pope Francis’ charisma reminds me so much of the affable Pope John Paul II

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Yes, we were THIS close to the Pope!

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Filed Under: Events, Explorations, Family Fun

Gifts of Experience from the Zoomanity Group

December 7, 2014 by

One of the favorite gifts we love giving our kids is the gift of adventure.  Toys break and get thrown away but memories of wonderful experiences last forever.  Each year, we take them to see special shows or to discover new places.  Among those that we’ve had great fun together are Zoomanity theme parks. We’ve been to Zoobic Safari, Paradizoo, and the Residence Inn Zoo and have truly enjoyed our adventures in each place.

Imagine my delight when I found out that the very group which has established those parks have also been giving these gifts of adventures to the less fortunate.  Every year, the Zoomanity Group opens its doors to indigent children giving them an experience that they will never forget and handing them gifts that they can treasure.

 

Zoomanity Group Christmas Giving in Paradizoo and Residence Inn, Tagaytay

On December 14, the Zoomanity Group with CEO Robert Laurel Yupangco will be at Paradizoo in Mendez, Cavite and Residence Inn, Tagaytay to welcome indigent children and to give them a gift they can keep in their hearts forever.   JB Badon, the group deputy operating manager, will be heading the activity and will be ensuring that the kids enjoy their early Christmas gifts.

In Residence Inn, the activities in store for the kids include Animal Feeding, Horseback Riding, Animal Show, Zip Line, and Cable Car.  This 2-hectare facility lies right on the Tagaytay Ridge and provides a grand view of the Taal Volcano. Along with lion, tigers and crocodiles, exotic animals are on exhibit and are for interaction.

Paradizoo, located just a few kilometers from Residence Inn, is much bigger with a land area of 12 hectares.  Farm animals like horses, ducks, rabbits, and goats are penned in this theme park.  A mini zip line has also been installed to provide more adventure.

 

Zoomanity Group Theme Parks

Zoomanity Group is operating 5 theme parks in the Philippines, aside from Paradizoo and Residence Inn, there are Zoobic Safari in Subic, Zambales, Zoocobia in Clark, Pampanga and Zoocolate Thrills in Loboc, Bohol.  Know more about the happiest places in the country by visiting www.zoomanity.com.ph.

 

Our Zoomanity Experiences in Pictures

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Paradizoo, Mendez, Cavite / 2013

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Residence Inn, Tagaytay / 2013

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Zoobic Safari, Subic, Zambales / December 2013

 

Filed Under: Explorations, Family Fun, Press Release Tagged With: , ,

One Busy Saturday

November 12, 2014 by

Saturday is laundry day so we usually just stay home. The kids spend time with their Papa or do crafts while I wash our clothes. Last Saturday though was an exception. Right after hanging the last piece of clothing to dry, we all prepped for going out.

First stop was a quick lunch before the kids’ dental appointment. I’ve been encouraging friends in another state to get their children to a Dentist in Louisville early so they can get used to the visits, and to make sure they’re free from any issues. As for mine, the kids now go to My Dentist in SM where a pedia dentist is available on weekdays. It’s also more convenient going there since it’s much closer to our place than PCMC. Both kids had oral prophylaxis and fluoride application. As always, it was fuss-free and cavity-free. Yup! Both kids have stayed cavity-free up to now. Want to know how they’ve managed to have healthy gums and teeth? Click here to read my post from last year.

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Who’s not afraid of the dentist?

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chillin’ coz there’s no drillin’ (still cavity free! woo-hoo!)

Spending time with the kids at the dentist got me thinking about my own teeth too. My best friend who lives in California has recently had some cosmetic dentistry work done at a Dentist in Sacramento and her new smile has got me debating whether or not I should treat myself too. Whitening treatments are very popular at the moment, and so are teeth straightening solutions such as Invisalign, so I am feeling tempted to get something done. Looking after your teeth is so important though which is why if you are considering getting any cosmetic dentistry procedures done, you should always do your research first, whether you are considering going to a Dentist In batavia, or a dentist in Budapest. Nonetheless, with cosmetic dentistry on my mind, after getting their “good patient” stickers from their dentist, we bought a couple of gifts for Jakei’s best friend in school who was celebrating her 6th birthday. Then off we trooped to Antipolo.

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Jakei wouldn’t miss BFF Sam’s birthday party for anything in the world!

The kids had fun playing party games but we had to leave before the magic show started. I had dinner plans with mommy blogger friends and had to be at the train station before 6pm. Instead of going home, Papa Jay took the kids on a movie date. The kids had been waiting for the movie Big Hero 6 to be shown on the big screen so this naturally was the movie of the night. 🙂

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Kids were raving about this movie on the way home!

After the movie, they waited for me halfway to the house so I wouldn’t have to walk home all by myself. We arrived home a little after 10pm with Papa and I exhausted and the kids, as always, still full of energy. It definitely was a long busy Saturday for us, not the typical in-bed-by-seven-o-clock weekday sched. 😀

Care to share how your weekend went? I’d love to hear your stories too. 🙂

Filed Under: Eat-Outs, Events, Explorations, Family Fun Tagged With: , , , ,

Kids Ultimate Summer Experience at AMBAY

May 14, 2014 by

We’ve already had our share of beach fun last April but we just couldn’t miss Ambay Beach Resort’s first ever Kids Ultimate Summer Experience – a 3-day adventure filled with fun summer activities such as kite flying, beach art, kids’ yoga, beach games, and outdoor movies. We were supposed to head to Botolan after Jade’s Trumpets Playshop class on May 2 but decided to accept an event invite from PLDT Home DSL. We left home in the wee hours of Saturday to make the most of our weekend in Ambay. Before I do away with the narrative and let these pictures tell you how much fun the kids had, I wanted to reveal a thought I had. While watching them have the time of their lives, I couldn’t help but wonder what summer activities they will want to do when they are a little older. Will they want to come on these family vacations with us, or strike out on their own? Maybe they will want to go to one of those American Summer camps we see all the time in movies and tv shows. It would be a charming experience for them. A friend told me about her children’s time away at a camp similar to this Maine summer camp and they had an amazing time. It might be a way off, but it was something to think about. Part of me wants them to stay this little forever, and part of me can’t wait to see what happens. It’s pretty exciting when you think about it, Anyway on with the pictures!

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What do you get when you give kids some paint, sand, flowers, leaves, pebbles, and shells? One-of-a-kind art pieces any mom would love to have!

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Little girl REALLY enjoyed her first ever obstacle race! This was all FUN FUN FUN!

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Kiddie version of paintball war! Ready, aim, fire!

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I never thought KIDS YOGA could be soooo entertaining. Kudos to Teacher Adie for capturing the kids’ attention and getting them to do the yoga poses. 😉

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Little ones JUST CHILLIN’ OUT in between activities

Weren’t those activities screaming FUN?! To up the fun factor, there were also beach games for the entire family to play and movie night on the beach. This was definitely a summer experience my kids and I will treasure.

Leaving you now with a few more pics!

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Filed Under: Explorations, Family Fun Tagged With: , ,

Summer Kick Off at AMBAY!

April 14, 2014 by

Our summer vacay officially started last weekend and what better way to kick it off than with a trip to the beach. Nuj, one of the kids’ classmates, was celebrating his birthday in Ambay Beach Resort in Botolan, Zambales and we were invited. We had no plans that weekend, so off we went to Ambay.

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Celebrating Nuj’s birthday with good ol’ Pinoy parlor games!

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Boodle Fight!!! Veggie Sisig, Veggie Kare-Kare, and even the bagoong was vegan. Kids didn’t know they were eating veggie meat. ;D

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Simple amenities, Awesome peeps!

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What do you do with driftwood and trash washed away on the shore? Turn them into pieces of art, of course!

As I’ve mentioned in my previous post about Ambay, this place is for those looking for some repose from citylife. You’ll find no television, bars, or videokes here. Neither are there five-star hotel amenities. What you instead get is good ol’ sea, sand, and sun. Yep, it’s just the beach and your family. Just exactly what you need for a weekend of family bonding!

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We’re going back to Ambay to join the Kids Ultimate Summer Experience from May 2 to 4.  The 3-day camp is packed with fun activities for the kids and the kids at heart.  Sign up now to join the fun ‘coz they can accommodate only a limited number of guests. Visit the event page on FB at https://www.facebook.com/events/737531402954396/ to reserve slots for your family.

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Filed Under: Explorations, Family Fun Tagged With: , ,
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