Fun Family Bonding Activities You Can Do At Home

Staying indoors shouldn’t be a bore.  There are plenty of things you can do together as a family.   Here are some fun activities you can do at home:

  1. Play Board Games.  Got some bored grade schoolers at home?  It’s time to bring out those board games and gather the entire fam for a game or two.   Monopoly, Scrabble, Boggle, and Snakes & Ladders are just some of the classics we grew up with.  Older folks would definitely have a blast playing Taboo, Cranium. Pictionary, Battle of the Sexes or Scattergories.
  2. Sing Your Hearts Out.  Set the volume of your karaoke players on high and have a blast belting out ballads, pops, blues, and rocks.  Just make sure you don’t annoy the neighbors.
  3. Get Into The Groove with Gaming Consoles.  Can’t take your kids off their games?  Join them as they play Kinect or Wii.  These games get you on your feet and moving around it actually makes for a great workout.

 

Mommy Milkshake 2011 – Our First Ever Family Fun Run

We made it! We all made it to the finish line together!

For the past five years, Mommy Mundo has been annually organizing a Mommy Milkshake Family Fun Run to promote the many benefits of breastfeeding and to encourage moms to breastfeed their children for as long as they could.

Although we have participated in other Mommy Mundo events such as ExpoKid, MomShare and ExpoMom, we’ve never tried joining Mommy Milkshake. This year, my husband and I decided to take the toddlers to their first ever fun run. This was also my first ever fun run as I’m really not the type who’d engage in sports activities. Mommy Milkshake was the perfect fun run for our family since we could focus more on the FUN than on the RUN. Plus, we’ll be running for a great cause by supporting the breastfeeding advocacy!

We were so excited that no one had difficulty waking up before 4 in the morning. The toddlers were excited to join the race and merrily took a quick bath and dressed up in their running gear. The moon was even still visible in the sky during our drive to Mercato Centrale.

We all crossed the finish line together! Never mind if Jade and I ran only about 100 meters and walked the rest of the way. Never mind if Jakei was too sleepy to even want to walk beside me and proved to be really sleepy and fell asleep before we reached the finish line. Husband patiently jogged beside us( I knew he really wanted to run ahead but opted to stay with the family) and we all made it to the finish line together. This is definitely one of the best family bonding moments we’ve ever had!

Shopping For Toddler Shoes at the Robinson’s Galleria Department Store

Before going home after the Moose Gear Grand Fans Day at the Robinson’s Galleria, we took a quick trip to the Robinson’s Department Store to get some rubber shoes for the toddlers. My husband and I were able to buy a pair each a few weeks ago but the mall that we went to didn’t carry a wide selection of toddler shoes.

Since we were already in the area, we decided to check if we could get some nice pairs. Most of the stores we’ve been to had benches you could sit on while waiting or while trying on a pair of shoes. What made the Children’s Section of the Robinson’s Department Store different were the small plastic chairs that children could comfortably (and safely!) sit on. There was only one kiddie chair in the area we were in but when the toddlers started quarreling on who gets to sit on the chair, a sales person promptly brought another kiddie chair to us.

I so love these kiddie chairs at this department store

My husband is the family expert in choosing shoes so he was the one who scouted for good pairs. Although he always looks for shoes in trendy style, he makes sure that these are of good quality, have great sole traction, are lightweight, and are easy to put on. He places much emphasis on good sole traction as slippery soles may lead to accidents.

matching shoes for the toddlers…Mama’s thinking of getting orange and green shoes to match the little’s girl’s…teehee!

Jade, as always, clamored for rubber shoes with Tinkerbell or Princesses on it. However, my husband found these sturdy Florsheim pairs and bought them instead. Our little princess didn’t put up a fight though and still happily wore her new white rubber shoes. Our little boy was up and running with his new shoes in a jiffy. We really are so blessed to have children who are so easily pleased.

It was a nice experience shopping for our toddlers’ shoes at the Robinsons Department Store. Aside from the kiddie chairs making the toddlers feel comfortable, the salespeople are also friendly and accommodating. And they do have a wide selection of shoes and children’s wear.

Family Time: Toddlers’ First Fans Day

No, the toddlers did not have a fans day. Though they may be THE stars in our home, they are relative unknowns in the world outside. Last Sunday, my husband and I took the toddlers to attend the Moose Gear Grand Fans Day at Robinsons Galleria. It was the first time any of us attended such an event.  The crowd and the noise were quite overwhelming that the toddlers became quite cranky halfway through the event.  They did enjoy some parts of program though.

toddlers in rapt attention

showing her dance moves while watching the Goin' Bulilits on stage

little girl refused to let go of her gift from Moose Gear

Papa entertaining the little ones while waiting for the event to start

Check out how other families spent their time together this weekend at Family Time.

Christmas Gift of Adventure: Day 2

An entire Saturday afternoon spent discovering some of nature’s wonders at the Manila Ocean Park was indeed very tiring.  We all had a grand time but at the end of the day, our bodies were all just craving for a comfy bed to sleep on. 

City Garden Suites
12.18.2010

Why did we choose to stay at City Garden Suites?  Aside from its proximity to Manila Ocean Park and Aliw Theater,  we had a voucher from Enjoy Philippines which gave us 40% off on the tariff rate of our one-bedroom suite. 

We were dead tired when we arrived at the hotel that all we wanted was to get to our room and prepare for bed.  Checking-in was a breeze as my hubby had already booked and paid for the room days in advance.  When we got to our room, the bathroom had not been cleaned well and the toiletries had not been replenished.  Housekeeping was quick to respond though to our complaint and toiletries were replenished and bathroom cleaned in a jiffy.  The beds were comfortable but we opted to create a makeshift cot on the floor for the toddlers so we could sleep peacefully knowing that there’s no danger of them falling off the bed.
Once the kids were asleep, we requested room service massage for two to soothe our aching muscles.  The massage was very relaxing and could have put me straight to sleep had not Jade and Jakei woken up halfway through it.  There goes my “me” time again. 
 



the bed was big and comfy

 





but the tots slept on the floor

 

  



breakfast at Cafe Miranda



 

 
Morning Stroll at Luneta Park
12.19.2010

Ok, so it’s officially named Rizal Park but it will always be the Luneta Park of our youth.  Bagumbayan, Luneta, Rizal…whatever it may be called, it still remains one of our country’s historical landmarks which we parents should show our little ones.

  

    

 

The Little Big Club Concert
12.19.2010
 
Angelina Ballerina was there. So were Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Thomas the Train and Pingu.  But, really, all we came for was THE purple dinosaur and his best friends.
BARNEY!  The toddlers absolutely love this purple dinosaur! So who was I to deprive my two adorable children of the chance to watch Barney live in concert.  Good thing my husband was all too willing to finance our most expensive day out to date!



  



Jade twirling like Angelina Ballerina while waiting to be allowed to go to our seats.
Checked out the souvenir items when she got tired twirling.



All eyes and ears on the stage as they watched their favorite characters on stage.
Intermission – Time for Papa and Mama to keep the toddlers entertained
After intermittent cries of “Where’s Barney? I want Barney.” during the first half of the show,
the toddlers finally see him and his friends on stage!


The concert has ended but the toddlers were still waiting for more.
Did we have fun?  Heck, yes!  And next Christmas we definitely will give the kids a gift of adventure again.  Perhaps, we might even be brave enough to venture that out-of-town weekender.

Are we going back there? 
  • City Garden Suites: No… unless we have another discount voucher.
  • Luneta Park: Yes, when time permits. 
  • Little Big Club Concert: Definitely yes!
What did we love most about the place? 
  • Little Big Club Concert: The tots loved Barney, of course!  Husband and I loved watching the tots sing and dance.
Our Toddler-friendliness Rating: 

  • City Garden Suites: 6
  • Luneta Park: 8 
  • Little Big Club Concert: 10