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: , ,

Fashion Immersion for Teens at SoFA Design Institute

March 26, 2014 by

Here’s a great summer program for teens!  Those who have a keen eye for fashion and style would be thrilled to work side by side esteemed professionals in the fashion industry.  This summer, THE Collab Contessa collaborates with SoFA Design Institute and brings to us a 1-month long capsule series Fashion Immersion for Teens.

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The 1-month program consists of 4 capsules with each one running for 5 consecutive days.  A student can choose among RETAIL, MARKETING, DESIGN, or MEDIA.  Ideally, though, a student is encouraged to take all four capsules to help him or her decide which career he or she would eventually pursue.

I collaborated with SOFA Design Institute on this with the goal of being instrumental to helping teens define the career paths they would like to take.

– Collab Contessa –

The students’ actual immersion experience will be at the offices of brand partners including Louis Vuitton, Folded & Hung, Chalk Magazine, and Aranaz.   The first capsule starts on March 31, 2014 so better enrol now lest you run out of slots.

Aside from the Fashion Immersion for Teens, SoFA Design Institute also has other summer programs for kids, teens, and adults. Follow @aminaaranaz ; @loraleesoong ; @dara_ddr ; @sofadesigninstitute on Instagram for more information and updates.

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Filed Under: Busy Bees, Kids At Work Tagged With: , , ,

Hot Summer SALE at Robinsons Malls!

March 11, 2014 by

Hot! Hot! Hot!  Summer hasn’t officially started yet but we can already feel the temperature rising.  Don’t be caught looking like a sweltering pig in the warm summer heat.  Take advantage of Robinsons Malls’ HOT SUMMER SALE this weekend, MARCH 14 – 16,  and grab your summer essentials.  Get up to 70% off!  That means more savings for your summer getaway.  Mark your calendars – sale starts on March 14 (til midnight in some malls)!

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Filed Under: Beauty on A Budget, Mom's Corner Tagged With: ,

Summer Programs for our Little Boy

January 16, 2014 by

Last year, we weren’t able to enrol Jakei in any summer program. This year, we’d like to make his summer worthwhile and are now also choosing a program for him. When I asked him what he wanted to learn this summer, he had nothing specific in mind. After incessantly asking him what he wanted to do this summer, he finally said that he wants to learn how to play the drums and how to play basketball. So here are our summer program picks for Jakei. Of course, he’ll have the final say on which one he really wants.

Drum Lessons at Voice Academy of the Philippines. We’re choosing VAP mainly because of its proximity to our home. After reading drum kit reviews on Instrument Find, we decided drums would be a good instrument to learn. Now we just have to buy a drum kit! If both kids would choose music lessons, this would be a very convenient venue for us. Even if they have varying schedules, I wouldn’t have to worry about logistics. If they do push through with voice and drum lessons, I just might egg my husband to get a cool taylor for himself so they can have fun jamming. So find your drum machine and get drumming!

Basketball at the MILO Summer Sports Clinic. The schedules and venues for this summer’s sports clinic isn’t out yet but, if I remember correctly, they hold clinics at Ateneo and the Marikina Sports Center both of which are near our place.

Swimming Lessons. I don’t know how to swim and am always frustrated that I can’t enjoy summer beach outings. I’d like my children to learn how to swim not just for leisure but also as a life skill. I’m still scouting for venues near our home though.

Hiphop Lessons at Acts Academy. Like his sister, Jakei also loves to dance. The only one at home who knows how to dance is my husband but he hardly has any time to spend with the kids let alone teach them how to dance. Hiphop lessons would be a fun way to spend the summer and learn how to groove at the same time.

Filed Under: Busy Bees, Kids At Work Tagged With: ,

Summer Programs for Our Little Girl

January 16, 2014 by

With only two months of school left, we are now starting to look for summer programs for the two little ones. Jade has a knack for performing so we’ve narrowed our choices to three lessons.

Voice Lessons at Voice Academy of the Philippines. Our li’l princess inherited her Papa’s love for music. She really loves to sing but it seems that she inherited her singing voice from me (I’m tone deaf and can’t carry a tune :P). She sings much better than I do so we’re pretty sure that proper voice lessons would help develop her talent in singing. Who knows, we might soon have to buy a couple of those hanging microphones for a recording studio. ;D

Children’s Theatre at Trumpets Playshop. She had so much fun at the Playshop last year and expressed interest in joining the Playshop again this summer. We’d also be delighted to watch her performing again on the “big stage”.

Hiphop Kids at Acts Academy. Now this is one summer class that sounds real fun! If Jade chooses this over the other two, she would most likely be joined by her li’l brother. I haven’t asked yet if the summer program includes a recital but I’d surely love to see both my kids dancing on stage.

Filed Under: Busy Bees, Kids At Work Tagged With:
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