McDonald's Kiddie Crew Workshop 2014

Just thought I'd post about this just in case anyone needs any information about. I have not tried this workshop neither have my son (who's still a baby) joined this event yet. Although this is true, I have always been fascinated and interested in this workshop, and I will surely enroll my son when he gets a little older.

So for mommies out there who's looking for a summer workshop for your kids, you still have until tomorrow to register your kids in a 5 day Kiddie Crew Workshop at McDonalds. Your kids will be able to observe and participate in different stations of the fast food chain. They will be assigned in the drive thru, counter and lobby areas of the branch you enroll in. 

There are still 4 weeks in this workshop so register now and let your kid discover fun, learning, and friendship!

Week 6: May 5 - 9

Week 7: May 12 - 16

Week 8: May 19 - 23

Week 9: May 26 - 30 

For more information and updates, click here: McDonald's Kiddie  Crew Workshop 2014 

Photo from McDonald's official site.

Disclaimer: Not a sponsored post. :)

PART 1.2 Make your own Kiddie Party by Manila Workshops

Okay, so I already shared with you the first part of the workshop I attended last March 22, at Insular Life building Makati. You may read more about it here: Part I.Make your own Kiddie Party

The third and fourth part of the workshop was very much related. Part IV was entitled "Let's go to your favorite local grocery and bookstore" and Part V was a group activity.

The speakers talked about how paying a visit to the grocery and the bookstore can be very helpful in designing parties. All you need is the imagination and creativity to make it fit your theme. They shared different examples such as loofahs being a butterfly designs and paper straws as pick-up-sticks in a party. They also had a bunch of stuff with them that they bought from the grocery and bookstores as sample. Then we had a group activity where we were to create our own party centerpiece with the stuff we have. The first part was to look into the materials available. There were different things such as pad papers, stickers, vases, bedsheets, etc. Then we had to go back to our group and conceptualize a design. Our group thought of doing a Little Miss Sunshine theme because we saw colorful materials that we can use. After conceptualizing we were given about 2 minutes to get our materials and fifteen minutes to do our concept.

The Little Miss Sunshine Group

We used gold and red bedsheets,yellow and blue vases, paper straws,

candies, lollipops, flower curtains, colored pens and tags.

The second group created a Pajama party where they designed under the table. It was a unique idea because it looked like the kids had their own special nook inside. They also provided activities inside for the kids.

The third group won the activity which is a travel themed centerpiece. It was well thought out and their designs were fully detailed. They made use of the stickers as decors and used scrapbook papers as placemats. No wonder they won the activity.

The last group had a Morning after honeymoon theme. It was very minimal in design but what caught the speakers attention were their DIYs. They made flower cut outs out of the materials and covered the ballpens with tape. It was a unique design. They also won second place.

The last part of the workshop was the speakers sharing their suppliers to us. They shared that they only had six suppliers but these are the ones that they have tried and tested. Two of the six ones were even at Divisoria. It was such a breathe of fresh air knowing that I could really find good stuff in Divisoria because it means that its less expensive and "pwedeng tumawad".

The stores they shared were: 

OLX (sulit.com)

Entrepak

FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/Entrepak

Delightful Miss Joyce

KidiKrafts

FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/woodenkiddiestools

168 Mall

Edeng Toys Center

Will try to provide more posts about this suppliers as soon as I finished this three-part blogpost.:)

Hope you had a good read!:) 

PART I: Make your own Kiddie Party by Manila Workshops

This is a photo of a fun filled workshop by the Manila Workshops with speakers from The Event Architects. I could not really express how I LOVED not only the workshop but also the speakers, suppliers, and the staff of Manila Workshops. Though I was a shy type kind of audience, I maximized the time I was there and truly learned the basics and more of party planning. 

This is the first part of my three part post about How to make your own Kiddie Party. 

For all the raves I used in this post and my previous post (Click here to read my previous post) it's time for me to stop complimenting and start sharing.:) I hope I got you all excited with it. 

The workshop was composed of 6 parts. Each part discussed the different considerations and processes to take in planning and styling a party. 

Part 1: Let's get started.

"Any party would not start without you."

This was for me the message of the first part to us participants. That whether it's our kids party or our own, the party will start with us. Recognizing this is important because our state or feeling before, during, and after the party will have an effect on it. It was something I did not really consider before. I was not that aware that whatever I feel during an event will be felt by the entire party. What they were actually pointing out is being stressed while planning or during the event itself. It was important, as they say, to keep calm because it will set the feel of the party and even our child's state. 

This is something I need to keep in mind because I have that tendency to panic when planning or during the event itself. Good thing, my hubby's the calmer guy. He knows how to calm me down so I think I'm in a good team here.:) 

Part 2: Set the Mood

This part's my favorite among all the parts. Though I love them all, this one's my one true love. In this part, the basics of party planning (that I skipped in all parties I did) was the topic. They summarized the lesson by giving an acronym using their company name which is TEA. What does TEA stand for? *drum roll please*

Things to consider under Theme are: number of guests, age and interests, venue, typeface, and colorway. This is where a dream or vision board comes to play. This is very important to do because it will help you visualize if the concept and design match or go together. With the vision board it will be easier to direct your efforts and waste of resources and time will be prevented. 

Things to consider under Expenses is: Kiddie Budget and Adult budget.

Things to consider under Atmosphere is Hear, Smell, and See

The atmosphere of the party will pull out everything together for your guests and even for your kids. If the theme is safari, sounds of tigers, lions, and other animals in a safari will help create that feel. Smelling, plants or sweet flowers will help create a princess-y feeling to a princess themed party. Seeing is putting castles or plants for a princess or safari theme respectively. This concept is just like providing your guests a 4D feel of your party.

These are three things to consider when planning for a party. Though it seems so basic some of those things I actually did not pay attention before. These could have been the culprit for some of my the downfall of my parties in the past. It's so basic that I often overlook it or did not really knew it has a big impact on the overall success of the party. Having listened to this part of the workshop was a proof that the time and effort I put in attending this workshop were all worth it. 

Will continue with the parts 4, 5 and 6 of the event in my next post. Please continue reading!:) Thank you!:)

Ready, Set, Kiddie Party: A "How to make your own Kiddie Party Workshop" by Manila Workshops

Last March 22, Saturday I attended Manila Workshop's "How to make your own Kiddie Party" at Insular Life, Makati City. And I must say, I came home more than satisfied. It was an excellent event hosted by outstanding event stylist. I have nothing but good things to say about the experience.

So let me share with you happened in the "How to make your own Kiddie Party" by Manila Workshops.

I came 15 minutes late because I rode the bus and was not able to get off at the right bus stop. It sucks because I was so close but because I was not aware of the new bus stops route I had to walk two blocks to Insular Life. Good thing that the event was just starting when I came and there were still seats available in front. It was one of my worries while walking along Ayala because I thought I would not get a good spot.

The program started with the introduction of the speakers from The Event Architects, Ferdi Salazar and Czarina Ledesma. They also showed a video of their past event styling and I was truly impressed. It was a Filipino version of events I see on Pinterest. I was amazed by how detailed and fabulous their works are.  I knew I was going to be hearing a lot of great things from them just by seeing their video.

I'll be doing a three part post for this event because that's how much I learned from them and I want to share it with everyone tips to make our parties, and I mean not just Kiddie parties fabulous ones.

Part I: The Party Workshop
I will share what happened during the workshop and what I learned in the process

Part II: The Wonderful Party Suppliers
The workshop included different party suppliers during the workshop which I also enjoyed too. There were a wide range of products made available in the workshop like decors, crafts, and even food ideas. So if you're looking for something for your event one of them might be your bet.

Part III: My Dream Party
This was a question to start the whole workshop last Saturday. I had a concept with me eversince my baby boy was six month old and I'd like to give you a little teaser on it.

So, read on and I hope you'll get a tip or two from it.

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For more workshops like this, visit: www.manilaworkshops.com

For more information on The Event Architects (TEA), you may visit their fb page and click this link: https://www.facebook.com/TheEventArchitects

 

Party Ready with Manila Workshops on March 22

When I first worked as a work-at-home Mom, I came across Manila Workshops site. I was looking for workshops and seminars I could attend as I have so much time on my hand that time. Recently, I learned of their new workshop which is totally timely for what I was doing few weeks before. (I've always believed in the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho that " The universe will conspire to make it happen." I think this is the universe conspiring to make my baby's first birthday party a success!:)

On March 22, 2014,  Manila Workshops will host "How to Make you own Kiddie Party" at the Insular Life Multi-Purpose Hall, Insular Life Makati Building Ayala Avenue corner Paseo De Roxas Street Makati City, form 1:00-5:00PM. What is also unbelievable is that it only costs P150.00! It's a good deal, right!?

So, why not sign up now and let's get started with creating the best parties for our kids!

For more information, you may visit Manila workshops site, or click "How to make your own Kiddie Party Workshop. Join now, and hope to see and meet you there!:)

A 6 month Milestone: Preparing Baby Foods

As a mom, I have been waiting for my baby to turn 6 months because I wanted him to start taking solids already. I downloaded a lot of e-books online so I would be aware of what, when, and how to feed my baby. Thankfully there are a lot of free e-books that are informative and easy to understand.

So here's a sample of how I prepare my baby's food:

1. Boil sweet potato until very smooth and then scoop out a small portion. Babies usually eat only the same size as a teaspoon at first then gradually increases their intake. 

2. Mash the sweet potato or camote in your baby's food container. I chose a container with cover so it can be placed in the fridge for another meal in a day. I also use it exclusively for my baby. 

3. Put a little milk formula on the sweet potato then pour water. If you are breastfeeding, you can also use your breastmilk to make the potato soft in consistency.

4. Tada! A natural and affordable food for your baby. 

You can also opt to use Pumpkin and just mash it because it has a very smooth consistency so no need for formula milk to make it into a puree. 

Here's my baby eating his sweet potato.

While eating his favorite Pumpkin for merienda. 

Do you have other baby recipes you do? Please share them below so I can also try it with my baby, it will really mean a lot!:) Thanks in advance!:)

Tips on Christmas Shopping for Kids

Christmas season is truly made for children. It's the time of the year where they get to dress up, give gifts, receive gifts, see their cousins and other relatives, go some place they've never been, and just be happy. Christmas, however, for adults is a different story. It's the time of the year when Mom's especially get busy buying gifts for everyone, shopping for kid's Christmas clothes, prepping for Noche Buena and Media Noche and making sure the house is clean for reunions and all that.

So, as a first time mom, I got somewhat busy with some of those things I mentioned. One of which was buying gifts. This year, as a new family, my husband and I decided will only spend gifts to children and not our adult friends anymore. It was because as a starting family, we needed to save a little money but didnt want to not be able to give gifts this season. It was not as easy as we had so many nieces, nephews, and inaanak. Though it was hard, I'd say I enjoy shopping for others and giving gifts that I think they would enjoy.

So here are some tips on Christmas shopping and some gifts that are fun and educational at the same time.

TIP #1: Make a list of everyone. 
This is a MUST. It makes the whole chaotic christmas shopping a little less chaotic. With the list on hand, you have a pretty good idea of how many gifts you need to buy for girls and boys. It's also best that you write down their ages so you're gifts would be appropriate. Have you ever had that experience wherein you're gift is no longer useful to someone. It is in some way shameful because obviously you don't know the kid and it's also a waste of money.

TIP #2. Think ahead of time
After writing your list, its important that you think ahead of shopping. What I mean here is to plan the gifts you want to buy. This makes it easier for you to navigate the malls for stuff you would need. It will also prevent you from implusively buying the first thing you see in the stores. I am the type of person who would give a thought to a gift, because it feels like I know the person very well and that I want the gift to be meaningful. Also, it's very important for me that the gift will suit the receiver and that he or she will be happy receiving it.

TIP #3. Start early.
If you already have a list, and an idea of gifts you would like to give then start shopping earlier than usual. You can start shopping as soon as the BER months are in. It will give you enough time to think about the gift, plan your budget and spend more time doing other important things when Christmas season comes.

TIP #4: Look for on sale items.
Its not bad manners to buy on sale items as gifts as long as it's appropriate and in my opinion useful. I'm not a fan of gifts that are only for display especially if you're going to give it to kids. What is more important is the function and if the gift will last. There are so many items like that such as puzzles, DIY stuff, and writing materials. Gifts need not be too expensive but it should serve a purpose.

TIP #5. Focus on your list.
Yes, its very easy to get distracted and stray away from the budget while in the malls. So being focus and finishing your list first will give you more time to stroll in the mall and enjoy yourself.

TIP #6. Enjoy the experience.
Any situation is enjoyed becomes a memory worth treasuring. The fulfillment we see everytime a kid opens his or her gift is the true essence of Christmas. So whether you have a big budget or not, always enjoy gift giving and Christmas shopping.

So, there you go, my six tips on shopping this season! Enjoy and have a blessed Christmas season!:)