Fun On A Trampoline

A trampoline is an ideal way to get children to play outside. It might seem dangerous, but there are several ways to add a bit of safety while children are on them. You can purchase nets that can be added to the sides so that children don’t fall off. Place guards over the springs to prevent pinching and to prevent children from slipping between the sets of coils. Before buying a trampoline, it’s really important for you to check out some reviews such as 9 Best Trampolines – Top Reviews 2018.

Fun and Useful Accessories for Your Trampoline

There are a few trampoline accessories that you want to keep on hand. Springs can break if there is a lot of pressure applied to them. You can often get an entire set at a retail or hardware store so that you can immediately replace the springs when they break.

A fun accessory that you can add is a basketball hoop. The hoop attaches to the netting that is installed around the trampoline. It is sturdy and will likely provide hours of entertainment for children. A ladder usually doesn’t come with the set, but it’s a good investment so that children aren’t injured when they get on the equipment. Children can camp out on the trampoline when you add a tent that secures along the edges of the equipment. There is a large opening that zips close, keeping children from falling off the side.  This is truly useful while they are playing and telling stories at night before settling into sleeping bags.

Outdoor Fun on The Trampoline

Owning a trampoline gives children a reason to spend time outdoors. There are so many video games that keep children inside the house. Playing on a trampoline is a way for them to get fresh air.  It’s also a good way to get the exercise that they need to strengthen the circulatory system along with the skeletal and muscular systems.

The trampoline will likely keep older children at home, playing with their friends instead of wanting to go out of the house. Sometimes, children don’t get to spend enough time with their friends because of school, sports and family activities.  When they do find time to spend with friends, they would often opt to stay in cool hangout places.  Having a trampoline at home instantly makes your place the cool place to be in. It’s definitely an easy way to make sure your children stay out of trouble and have fun with their friends at the same time.

A Night at TAGAYTAY RESIDENCE INN

Before we took our mom to a pilgrimage of the churches in Tagaytay last December, I had already purchased two vouchers for an overnight stay at The Residence Inn.  I didn’t realize though that booking through the travel agency would take forever (oh, ok. just about half a dozen email exchanges) so we ended up staying at The Potters Ridge last December and having two rooms booked at The Residence Inn last March.

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Mom and my sister couldn’t join us for the March trip so we invited my friend and fellow blogger Arcee and her daughter. Check-in time was supposedly at 12noon but our rooms were already available when we arrived before 11am so we were able to settle in right then.   We were booked for two deluxe rooms for four people but were instead given the VIP suite with two connecting rooms.  Now, this may sound like a great deal but the rooms were not really that VIP-ish.  Two single beds were placed in what was supposed to be the receiving area of the suite.  So our room actually looked like a studio with an eight-seater dining table, a five-seater sofa set, two beds and a toilet & bath.  The other room had just a double bed and a toilet and bath.  The two rooms could be secured with locks and latches on both sides of the connecting door.  The last time I was at the Residence Inn was almost ten years ago and it seems that they’ve only started renovating rooms now.  The bathroom of the other room has new tiles and all but the cabinet isn’t done yet.  Ours looked like it had never been renovated.  Both rooms had televisions but there was no cable service.  We didn’t mind that much though as we were out most of the time.

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We didn’t want to go out into the stifling heat of the noon sun and opted to just have lunch served in our room.  This was when the huge dining table was much appreciated. Lunch consisted of crispy fried tawilis, inihaw na liempo, inihaw na pusit, sinigang na baboy, ensaladang mangga at kamatis,  and fish fillet with sautéed vegetables.  I found the sinigang na baboy a bit bland (I like mine really sour) but everything else was good.  Hubby was quite happy to have been able to eat  tawilis which he had been craving for.  I don’t remember the exact bill but I do know that it was less than 2K which was not bad at all.  We actually had plenty of leftovers which would have gone to waste had they not offered to store it in the refrigerator and heat it for us for breakfast the next day.

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After spending an afternoon exploring Paradizoo and taking a peek at the attractions in the newly opened Sky Fun, we had dinner at Memory Lane before going back to the Residence Inn.  Our bodies were tired and sore ( the grownups’ bodies that is) after a long afternoon and we were really yearning to have a massage. I was a bit disappointed when I found out that the hotel does not have any in-house masseuse to provide massage services.  Good thing that the hotel attendant we asked offered to contact a spa outside the hotel so we can get our much needed massage.  The kids were already fast asleep when the massage therapists arrived so hubby and I were able to enjoy our massages and with our muscles relaxed, we were all able to sleep soundly.

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Mornings in Tagaytay are definitely incomparable to the ones that welcome us in Manila.  There are no busy honking of horns or hot humid morning air.  It was the perfect sound of silence…well, until the kids woke up and the room was filled with their laughter – which was still a wonderful sound to wake up to!

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Breakfast consisted of tapa, tocino, danggit, longganisa all served with rice and egg.  We also asked for some of our leftovers to be reheated and served.  After a filling breakfast, we toured the mini-zoo before trying out the zipline which was undoubtedly the highlight of our stay at the Residence Inn.

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The zipline was amazing!  It was only about 500m long but we got to try it with our little kids.  Not only once, but twice!  There was something wrong with the cable car which was supposed to carry us back after we ziplined so they instead gave us a free ride on the zipline.  Of course, we had to walk back from the front of the hotel all the way to the back but we didn’t mind at all.  I’d rather have two rides on the zipline than take the cable car.

 

OUR VERDICT

Overall, our stay at Residence Inn was fine.  The rooms we stayed in need to be renovated which I think they’re scheduled to be or have started to be renovated already – must be the reason why there was no phone in our room.   I saw one room near the zoo’s entrance that’s almost fully renovated already.

Although the rooms have much to be improved on, the view of Taal Lake and Volcano was wonderful. The rooms were far from the main road also so we were all able to sleep peacefully without the sound of engines revving.  Another thing that makes staying at the Residence Inn is that you get to go around the zoo anytime – even past midnight.  Unfortunately, we weren’t able to explore during the night  as both kids were sound asleep after a fun afternoon at Paradizoo. Families with bigger children or those spending the night with friends may find exploring the zoo at night a one-of-a-kind experience though.

All the staff were also nice and accommodating – everyone greeted you with a smile. Would we go back to the Residence Inn? Hmm…perhaps, after they’ve renovated all the rooms already.

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Fam-O-Lympics: The Biggest Family Event This Summer!

The temperature at the Metro was soaring but the stifling heat did not stop six families from vying for the most coveted Championship title of the Fam-O-Lympics held at the Manila Ocean Park and presented in collaboration with Crispy Fry Breading Mix.

Undaunted also by the summer heat, I joined the families who trooped to the Manila Ocean Park to witness the competition. At around 10am, I arrived at the Manila Ocean Park halfway through the opening ceremonies that welcomed guests to a day of family fun. The Ramon Magsaysay High School Band marched through the theme park to enliven all participants and guests. The main competition of the Fam-O-Lympics was slated in the afternoon but those who came early were entertained with games conducted by event sponsors and presentations by talented kids.

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After lunch, the six teams each composed of four members of a family were geared up and got ready to face the series of outdoor challenges that would test their dexterity, wit, stamina, and teamwork.

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I was able to witness the first two challenges that tested their speed and agility. The first challenge was to find the right key from among a dozen similar ones to unlock a chest. The second one was more fun since it involved dressing up like chicken drumsticks, being coated in breading (starch was used in lieu of Crispy Fry Breading Mix which is best reserved for the real thing), and jumping into a gigantic frying pan. The third challenge tested the teams’ dexterity as they played a wire loop game.

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The stifling heat got the better of me though by this time so I opted to go back inside the Manila Ocean Park main area. My timing was perfect as they were already preparing for Crispy Fry’s 2 Minutes to Cash: Fried Chicken Eating Contest at the Concourse area.

There were three categories in this event: For Kids, For Teens, and For Families. The little kids gobbled their fried chicken with gusto while the teens were a bit more reserved in eating their chicken. In the family category, the winning family of four was able to devour all ten pieces of chicken drumsticks in two minutes! All winners received up to 5,000 pesos and gift packs from Crispy Fry.
While other activities were being held at the Concourse area, the competing teams in the Fam-O-Lympics continued to outdo each other in conquering the different challenges. In the end, Team 4 composed of the Ortega family reigned as the Champions of the Fam-O-Lympics. Remoly Ortega recounts what their winning strategy, “The ‘buddy system’ that we formed among ourselves became handy in selecting the person or pair to best represent the team in each challenge. They also made me their team leader and I could not ask for more because all of them put their hearts and minds in accomplishing each task. Last but not the least, we prayed for safety, guidance and to win the Fam-O-Lympics.”

The non-winning teams did not go home with sad hearts as all teams received cash (the grand prize amounting to PhP 15,000), tickets to Manila Ocean Park Attractions, overnight accommodations at Hotel H2o and other gifts from the sponsors.  As for me, I didn’t go home with a sad heart either.  I had a funfilled day and a gift bag filled with products from Crispy Fry Breading Mix!




*****

Aspiring to promote engaging sports and bonding activities to Filipino families, the Manila Ocean Park and Crispy Fry Breading Mix teamed up to present Fam-O-Lympics. Manila Ocean Park is the all-season holiday destination within the city and is home to 10,000 marine life species indigenous to the Philippines and Southeast Asia. On the other hand, Crispy Fry Breading Mix is a product of Ajinomoto that guarantees the crispiness and yumminess of fried chicken; it comes in three variants – original, garlic and spicy.

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!

The Curious Tots and the Sensitive Makahiya Plant

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toddlers intently watching the leaves of the Makahiya fold and unfold

We stumbled onto clusters of Makahiya on the grounds of my best friend’s clubhouse.  There was a sign a few meters from us that said “Keep of the Grass” but we couldn’t resist showing our toddlers the magic of the Makahiya.  Unlike during the days of our youth when empty lots in the neighborhood were still safe to play in, our children have no luxury of exploring the many weeds, bugs and what-have-yous that we used to find in those empty lots cum playgrounds.  So, we let the toddlers stay on the grass and have a poking good time watching the foliage of the Sensitive Plant fold and unfold.

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when all the leaves had folded in this tiny patch, these very curious toddlers looked for a bigger patch of Makahiya

Here are some facts about the Makahiya plant:

  1. Its scientific name is Mimosa Pudica.
  2. Touching, blowing, warming or shaking it would cause the leaves to close.
  3. The leaves also close during nightime and reopen during daylight.
  4. Other common names for it include: sensitive plant, humble plant, shameful plant, sleeping grass, and touch-me-not. (Of course, I still love “Makahiya” best)
  5. Extracts from its roots can be used to neutralize cobra venom.
  6. Its extracts can immobilize threadworm within an hour’s duration.
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The sensitive Mimosa Pudica

Relive your childhood, explore the neighborhood park and have fun poking at those makahiya with your little ones.