First Christmas Party In School

Last Friday, the kids joined their first ever Christmas Party in school. They were excited mainly because they were going to a party but, young as they are, weren’t looking forward to anything more than playing with their classmates. School is a brilliant place for the kids to have a Christmas party as it’s a familiar place to them full of their friends. For parents though, nothing could be worse than having to go into the office on a day off to have a party, which is why Christmas party venues are so popular. Whether it’s a hall, restaurant or marquee, a Christmas party is always better in an exciting venue. For kids though, it can be incredibly exciting to be in school having fun. It makes a change from sitting at a desk!

The school asked us to bring finger food for sharing so the kids and I baked some brownies for their classmates. We don’t have a decent oven so we had to make do with an oven toaster mix. We added some Hershey’s mini-Kisses to the mix which made the brownies taste really good. And I mean REALLY good! I also was supposed to make cheese logs but had a hard time molding the cream cheese so ended up making canapes instead. Not for kids, I know, but moms and dads were going to share the food, too. As expected, the kids opted for hotdogs, chicken nuggets and marshmallows (was extremely proud of my Jade who got a banana!).

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Jade mixed the brownie fudge mix and Jakei stamped the shapes on them. šŸ™‚

There was also a short program which was held outside the classroom. Had I known that there was going to be a program, I would have chosen something else for my little girl to wear. Geez, she was wearing her long-sleeved Christmas shirt and leggings under the stifling heat of the almost-noon sun. šŸ™ Good thing the artist in her didn’t mind the heat and she still performed the best that she could. They sang three different songs but I wasn’t able to take a decent video nor pictures as my little boy kept running to the food table to get marshmallows.

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If you’ll look closely at my kids’ hands, you’d see marshmallows! šŸ˜›

After their presentation and snacks, they exchanged Christmas gifts. I’m glad that most of the parents took time to check what each child wrote on their Christmas wishlist stockings as most of the kids received what they really wanted. My little girl got the guitar that she asked for. Though my little boy didn’t get a Spongebob toy, he was still happy with the Imaginarium art set that he received. Technically, it has a sponge and a bob though. LOL!

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Excited to open her first gift this Christmas!

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Her new guitar completed her rockin’ Christmas outfit!

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Both my kids had fun during their Christmas party. The mom-slave though wishes that there wouldn’t be any temper tantrums next year. And will keep in mind not to let any of her children wear long-sleeved shirts. šŸ˜›



Halfway Done Through Our Christmas List

We were scheduled to go to the Kids Craze Christmas Warehouse Sale this morning.Ā  Unfortunately, our laundry is as high as a mountain already and our house in complete disarray. Ā So hubby and our little man went toy shopping while our little princess and I did the laundry and attempted to put some order in the house.

Hereā€™s the loot the two men brought home from Kids Craze:

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I was a bit sad not to have been able to go to the warehouse sale but my spirits were lifted when I got to do a little bit of shopping as well.Ā  I say a little bit because I went out late and hubby wasnā€™t with me so I had to buy only what I could manage to carry home by myself.

Hereā€™s what I managed to lug going home:

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I managed to save 38% (yes, I computed!) from the regular retail price of my Body Shop purchases by using my Body Shop Rewards and SM Advantage Cards. Ā Not in the picture are a few toys I bought at SM Department Store. Ā I found some cool Spiderman coin banks for only 50 pesos each and a one-of-a-kind doll house that opens up like a tool box. Ā I’m so tempted to get my little princess one for herself but promised hubby I won’t be getting the kids any new toys. Ā Oh, and SM Department Store also provides free gift wrapping to all shoppers so I have a few less gifts to wrap.

With these new purchases and the items I’ve bought and kept in our gift box throughout the year, our Christmas list is already halfway done. Ā However, this means I have to face my dreaded Christmas Rush crowd while shopping for the rest of those on our list.Ā  Fortunately, my husband likes to shop and would be willing to do the shopping while I burrow in our cozy home.

EVERYTHING ABOUT SANTA: Where It’s Christmas All Year Round

Only a couple of days left before December starts and most homes are now bedecked with holiday trims. Ā  If you still haven’t started adding that festive flair to your home or are still on the lookout for decorations to complete your picture perfect Christmas home decor, Ā do check out Everything About Santa. Ā  Aside from the hordes of Santa Claus figurines and ornaments that are on display all year round, EAS also offers Christmas trees and ornaments, Christmas Villages, Nativity Scenes, Angels and various novelty items.

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Whatever you’re looking for, EAS would most probably have in its wide selection of holiday decors. Ā Whether you are looking for a dainty centerpiece or a durable outdoor nativity scene, there are numerous items you can choose from to find the holiday decors that would perfectly suit your taste.

One of my favorites in their collection are the Christmas villages. Ā Each one includes music and festive lights. Ā There’s no need to worry also about spiking the electric bill because these Christmas villages use LED or fiber optic lights.

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A serene village with a central church featuring a choir singing outside and 2 kids skating. A strip of the fiber optic water and a turning tree add flair to this attraction. (Php 2,499.75)

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Kids will definitely love this Christmas Carnival with a moving carousel! (Php2,999.75)

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The train moves! Here’s another one that will surely delight kids – and kids-at-heart. šŸ˜€ (Php3699.75)

Of course, Christmas is really all about the child Jesus, a house would not be complete without a nativity scene.Ā  Whether you want a small nativity scene for your foyer or a big one for your front garden, EAS has one that will surely suit your taste. Ā Here are some of my favorites in their current selection:

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If you love Precious Moments, you’ll absolutely love this adorable Holy Family scene.

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EAS wouldn’t be everything about Santa without their assortment of Santa figurines. From Santa plates to Santa candelabras to Santa climbing the chimney, they have the most collection of Santas in the Metro. Ā And they have Santa all over the house all throughout the year!

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Everything About Santa accepts online orders and ships merchandise through reliable courier service. Ā Like theirĀ FBpageĀ atĀ https://www.facebook.com/everythingaboutsantaĀ to see their current selections.Ā  Better yet, visit their showroom at #11 St. Anne Street, Provident Village, Marikina City to personally see their wondrous assortment of Christmas decors.



Fancy Momma’s CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS CHRISTMAS CRAFTS Workshop

Fancy Momma is conducting a Christmas Traditions, Christmas Crafts workshop at Fully Booked High Street on November 17.Ā  Fancy Momma will be sharing some meaningful traditions that you can add to your existing family traditions.Ā  Sheā€™ll also be teaching eight Christmas crafts you can do at home.Ā  The workshop is open to parents and children so if youā€™re looking for a place to take your kids this weekend, you may want to take them to this workshop for some fun bonding over Christmas crafts.

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Looking Forward to Christmas Gatherings With Family and Friends

It’s almost Christmas again and with the Yuletide comes the season of get-togethers and family gatherings. Gathering the entire family for Christmas Mass, setting parties for officemates and for neighbors, and organizing reunions with former classmates are definitely things we look forward to every year. However, those who have arranged gatherings know for a fact how difficult it is to set a date when everyone is available. We all know how difficult it can be around Christmas to get around, especially when you want to see your elderly relatives who need extra support, they might find it easier to get around if they have the right equipment. This may include a walking stick or maybe even a mobility scooter, you can check out a great post to read to get some ideas of a good quality product, one that will enable you to have fun with all of your family at Christmas.

This month begins the incessant exchange of phone calls, text messages, and emails trying to get everyone else’s schedule and fitting them into a calendar that has only four weekends for all the different gatherings. It would be wonderful if all of us had access to audio conference calls so we could just arrange a schedule to all be present during the conference call so we can finalize the details of the gathering. An hour of conference call would be less time consuming than days of email exchanges.

Nonetheless, gatherings and reunions are worth the time and effort spent organizing them. It may take weeks, or even months, to organize a four-hour event but the memories shared during those four hours will be remembered forever. Truly, Christmas gatherings will always be one of the highlights of the season.