Out Of The House

Life Bliss Weekend

May 4, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 1 Comment

If you visit my blog regularly, you will notice that every once in a while I write about taking a break or going for a reset after a busy season. I find myself really lucky that I can afford to take breaks. I know that these are such luxuries for a lot of people, especially for a lot of moms. A timeout in whatever form is really essential in order for us to be able to continue functioning properly. I see the value in taking a breather so much more now, as compared to when I was younger and believed myself to be somehow related to the Energizer bunny.

Busy people tend to forget that they need to hit the pause button every once in a while. Most of the time it’s because they feel that they simply cannot afford to take a break. Maybe they can’t. Maybe YOU can’t. But you should. After you’ve hit reset, you may find that things are clearer and you may emerge with a stronger, more accurate focus. But you’ll never know unless you try, right?

The Life Bliss Weekend is actually the perfect opportunity for you to claim that much-needed me-time.

This creative-living weekend retreat for women is the first of its kind. This is a partnership between Martine de Luna of Make It Blissful and Apa Alviar of The Exuberant Life Consultancy. Both believe in leading a mission-minded lifestyle, and also in life-purpose integration in whatever it is that you do. Their goal is to provide the women in attendance with a meaningful break from their daily routines. As an attendee, you can expect exercises and activities that integrate your life-purpose setting, creativity and blogging all in one.

All women between the ages of 20 to 50, whether single or married, are invited to attend this life-changing retreat. It takes place in the beautiful Casa Luminaria in Lipa Batangas on May 24-25. For complete details including the schedule of activities for the two days, and to sign up for the Life Bliss Weekend, click here.

Relax. Connect. Create. Enliven. Go ahead and give yourself a break. You know you deserve it.

“Getting To Know WordPress” Goes South!

May 1, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 13 Comments

Do any of these describe you?

I am a blogger and I blog on Blogspot
I am a blogger and I blog on WordPress.COM
I am a blogger and I blog on WordPress.org BUT I don’t know what to do with all of these plugins
I am an online entrepreneur and my store is on Facebook
I am a stay-at-home mom or dad who wants to transition into becoming a work-at-home mom or dad
I am a work-at-home mom or dad and I want to learn about web administration so I can start offering that as a service

If you feel that you are one or more of the guys I mentioned up there, then this workshop is for you. VA Support Pro’s WordPress 101 Workshop is up for another run on May 10, and this time it’s gonna be in the south! Yay!

Join my amazing friends The Happy WAHM and The Techie Mom at Le Petit Cheri, Molito Alabang, and get to know more about WordPress. This is a great opportunity for you guys to ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask about this platform. Trust me, these two are good. They’ve been helping me manage my site for almost 2 years now, and while I still feel clueless at times, it helps to know that there is always someone I can call who can help me out.

So, again, May 10, 2014, 10am-4pm at Le Petit Cheri, Molito Alabang. Click here to register.

Westgate Easter EGGventure

April 29, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 39 Comments

Like I said in yesterday’s post, the boys and I went to two Easter events this year. I really made an effort to make it to Westgate’s Easter celebration because I know that Little MrC enjoys attending events there. We’ve been to several of Westgate’s Easter and Halloween events from the time that I was working for Filinvest, and even afterwards.

Bonus: These events give me an opportunity to hang out with my former workmates.

Extra Bonus: These events also give me an excuse to invite the boys for dinner at Whistlestop, something that has become a post-event tradition for us from my mall events days.

We arrived just after 5pm, which really is the best time to come to Westgate because it isn’t too hot anymore. At the registration area, we were given a map for the stations that we needed to visit. There, we had to answer a question. The first letter of each correct answer would spell out the “secret word”, which participants needed to claim their prizes. Right off the bat, this guy knew which prize he wanted. Can you guess which one it is?

Armed with his party hat and map (and still wearing his bunny ears from Greenbelt)

The stations were spread out all across Westgate. In each one, there was a giant Easter egg, made by the very talented creatives people of Westgate and Festival Supermall. I’ve worked with these guys, and really, they are amazeballs.

After our really hot afternoon in Makati, the Alabang breeze was such a welcome relief. One of the best things about Westgate on a good weather day is that you can really dine alfresco without having to worry about melting from the heat. It’s especially lovely there at Christmas time.

I actually enjoyed answering the questions at all of the stops. The promo girls couldn’t help but laugh at all the answers that the boys and I threw around. One of the skills that I’ve had to master as a writer is how to say things in a different way, and this often involves the use of synonyms. So, yes, I could think of more than one way to answer the clues given. Good thing MrC was also there to choose the most logical and sound answer haha.

Station 4 and 5, and the creepy fake Komodo dragon outside Caviar restaurant

Caviar is one of the newer restaurants in Westgate that I really hope to try soon. I hear good things about it from my friend, Joei. Just thought I’d share that.

So anyway, after going around all of the stops, we guessed the secret word and Little MrC was rewarded with his prize of choice – an even bigger Finn the Human stuffed toy. He now has a big one and a small one who sleep on his bed and keep him safe at night.

Thanks very much to the Marketing team of Westgate for having us for yet another fun Easter celebration. We’re already excited for Halloween! 🙂

Greenbelt Easter Party

April 28, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 46 Comments

We missed out on all the Easter fun last year because the little boy was sick and in the hospital. This year, we decided we would make up for it by attending not just one, but two Easter events.

Our afternoon was spent on a really fun (despite it being really hot) Golden Egg Hunt all over Greenbelt with the boys, and some of my best WAHM friends and their families. I received an email invitation from the mall’s marketing people, and I love that they allowed me to bring three more families with me. Thank you, Greenbelt! This is why I really LOVE the Ayala Malls.

We arrived at the venue early, just as the exhibitors were finishing their booth setups. The first thing that I noticed was that the place was absolutely beautiful! This is exactly how I would imagine my baby shower would look if I ever have a baby girl. Husband, friends, family and suppliers, please take note.

I love the pink and white, and the wood and pastel design combos!

We registered and were each given a postcard, which our kids used to redeem freebies and activities, a map for the Golden Egg hunt, a wrist tag to identify the participating kids, and a cute tin bucket for the goodies that the kids would collect. Of course, we chose a green bucket – green for La Salle. I definitely passed some of my school spirit on to this little guy.

Our green bucket, postcard for freebies and Golden Egg Hunt map

We had five small boys with us, ranging from 8 to 3 years old, and I was a bit worried about how we would keep track of them. Obviously, I’m not used to having lots of kids in tow since I only have one child. But thanks to the bunny ears that were being given out at the activity area, our boys became pretty easy to spot.

We literally went from Greenbelt 1 to 5, visiting stores and stalls that were marked on our map. It was quite the sweaty workout, but we all stuck it out because we could clearly see that the kids were having a lot of fun. Most of the stores gave chocolates and candies. The best was Gelatissimo, who gave free mini ice cream cones to the kids. That was a great heat-beating snack break.

One of the stops was the Greenbelt chapel where they gave the kids nice scapulars with the image of the Sto Niño. We also stopped at a new chocolate stall in Greenbelt 1 near Watson’s, called Frey Chocolates. Oh my gosh so good. I tried their white, milk and dark chocolate variants, and I can’t decide which one I like best. They have little nougat bits in them, too, like the ones at the bottom of Toblerone triangles. Yum. Sorry, I don’t have any photos. We ate them all before I realized we never took a photo of the kiddo’s Easter loot.

Egg-hunters stopping by the chapel and one of the restaurants

After we finished visiting all of the stores, the little guy asked to get a cup of juice from the drinks booth. He was really thirsty from the heat, despite occasionally sipping water from his tumbler while we were walking. I actually asked MrC to get some water from the nearby restaurants for me. He also bought me a bottle of pink lemonade Snapple, one of my favorites, and still I chose to drink water over that. The sugary sweetness did nothing to quench my thirst. It was THAT hot.

Apparently, the cup of juice wasn’t enough to cool this guy down either. He went straight for his free cup of ice cream after finishing his drink. Oh my gosh, was I excited to see Baskin Robbins at the event! My childhood favorite is coming back to Manila real soon! I totally regret not getting a cup for myself during the event. The little boy enjoyed his scoop, though, down to the last lick.

Sweet treats, colorful crafts and my babies 🙂

After he got his ice cream fix,Little MrC decided to try the arts and crafts activities that were available for the kids. First, he visited the washi egg decorating booth, where you had to decorate a paper egg with washi tape. It was quite similar to the Easter egg banner activity we did at home. The pretty washi tapes were provided by Hey Kessy.

While the kiddo was busy doing crafts, someone decided to try on his bunny ears

After the washi activity, the little guy made a polymer clay bunny keychain at the Hobbes and Landes booth. Then, he also had a cute felt puppet made at the Plush Bunny Station by Ant’s Pocket. I love the crafty activities available to the kids at the event while we all waited for the awarding program to start. It was a great way to keep the kids entertained and occupied.

The cutest felt bunny puppet ever! It even has a tail.

The joy and excitement in all of our kids’ faces can definitely be seen in our photos from that day, and I’m really just so happy that our four families were able to celebrate Easter together. It just made the whole day a lot more fun for everyone.

Super duper thank you to the wonderful Marketing team of Greenbelt for the invite, and for assisting us during registration at the event. And congratulations on a super successful Greenbelt Easter Party! Even though we didn’t win at any of the activities, the whole experience and the smiles that it brought our kiddos was more than worth it.

Bloggy WAHMs and our little boys, and the lovely Ate Jersey

And of course, kailangan may wacky shot. — And of course, *kailangan may* wacky shot.

Sunday Seven: My Videoke Playlist

April 6, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 45 Comments

I don’t know about you guys, but I love a good videoke session. Something about singing and dancing along with a group of friends or family really lifts my spirits. And just like every videoke enthusiast, I have my set of must-sing songs, or my videoke playlist, so to speak. Because everyone in my family loves to sing, my family and my in-law’s, everybody from both sets of parents to our Little MrC, the usual three hour singing session is not enough.

For my birthday last February, we decided to check out the newly opened Music 21 in Alabang. It’s oh so conveniently located down the street from our village gate, right across Alabang Zapote Road. The place was super clean and nice when we were there because it had only been open for a few weeks. Even the restrooms were really clean, and they even had toilet paper. I really hope that they manage to keep up the cleanliness coz that’s going to be a major factor for me on whether or not we ever go back.

As soon as we got there, we ordered some food and, well, MrC started to warm up his vocal chords.

I actually remembered my videoke celebration because I saw some of our photos from that night while cleaning up my laptop’s folders. So, for today’s Sunday Seven I thought I’d share the seven songs that absolutely positively must be on my videoke playlist, no matter what.

1. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston

I may not be thebest singer, but I know I can carry a tune. As far as range goes, well, let’s just say that I can manage this song on good days. The important thing is that I have fun with it anyway, right?

I’m so glad that my sister- and brother-in-law were able to join us, coz they’re from far, far away.

2. Love Will Lead You Back – Taylor Dayne

Honestly, I don’t know why I love singing this song, I just do. And not just at videoke. In the car, in the shower, in the supermarket, pretty much every time I hear it, actually.

3. Through The Fire – Chaka Khan

Through The Fire will always and forever be my grand finale videoke song. I don’t like the version of Nina though. Once I key this song in, you’ll know I’m planning to head home already haha!

See my mom in red? She’s out-singing me, even without a microphone. And that’s my dad next to her, holding a crispy pata bone.

4. A Very Special Love – Maureen McGovern

My mom thinks that I like this song because of the John Lloyd – Sarah Geronimo movie. Well, okay, maybe I do. But I don’t sing the Sarah G version, okay?

I’m also glad that the usually shy Koko, my sister’s boyfriend, actually sang a few songs, too. Yay!

5. Endless Love – Lionel Richie and Diana Ross

Let me ask you, what’s the point of having a husband who sings if you don’t duet with him? Sure, he may sound a whole lot better than I do, but overall, with his harmonizing and my emote singing, we do pretty well together. This is one of our favorite duets, and we sometimes play a videoke version at home on YouTube and sing in bed when we have nothing better to do.

MrC did this really exaggerated version of Aerosmith’s Amazing, and we all thought it was funny. Even my brother.

6. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

I once sang and danced to this song on Just Dance at home, and I got really, really tired and short of breath in the process. Everyone thought it was hilarious. After that, I thought I wouldn’t want to sing this song anymore, but I was wrong. It’s still one of my videoke favorites.

Siblings + Significant others + Little MrC

7. I Think I’m In Love – Kuh Ledesma

Yay, an OPM song! I actually had trouble deciding between this and Dina Bonnevie’s Bakit Ba Ganyan for this list, but I Think I’m In Love wins because it’s my mom’s favorite also, and I love imitating her while singing this.

Do you like to videoke? What songs are your favorites?

P.S. If you’ll notice, I didn’t so Sunday Seven last week. That’s coz I’ve decided to alternate my weekly features. Last week I posted a recipe for pork chops and skipped Sunday Seven. This week, I have the Sunday series but no recipe. So there. Hope you guys had an amazeballs weekend!

Celebrating The Mind Museum’s Second Birthday

April 5, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 21 Comments

The other Saturday, the boys picked me up from my mommy morning at ECHOYoga Shala so that we could go to The Mind Museum’s Media Family Day to launch their summer programs and celebrate their second anniversary. As soon as I said the words Mind Museum to my two guys, they got super excited because we never got to visit the place before, and they were both really looking forward to the experience. It was thanks to my super amazing Mommy Bloggers Philippines group that we were invited to this event, so I was also looking forward to finally meeting some of my online friends in real life.

I love how the agency behind this event was really so organized. I received my invitation through email, and they made sure to get all of our names. They also provided us with a parking pass, which is a godsend if you know what parking is like at BGC. When we arrived, the kiddo and I registered while MrC went to park. We were given a small parcel that reminded me of what Snoopy (as in the dog) carries around with him when he travels. This, apparently was the actual invite, and inside there was a mini microscope that we needed for the afternoon. Of course, the little boy immediately declared that all of the contents belonged to him.

We took a quick look around when we arrived, and then we decided to get something to eat while waiting for the program to begin so that we could go on and explore right after. There was a lot of food, all of which was yummy and fun to eat. Kyle’s Lab served nice sandwiches, tiramisu flower pots (which were both yummy and brilliant, if you ask me), and this super cool iced tea with spheres that burst in your mouth. I thought at first that they were sago, so when they erupted in my mouth, I got really excited like a little kid. Hahaha I’m mababaw like that. There also were panizzas and nachos from Uncle Cheffy, cupcakes, cookies and truffles from Sophie’s Mom, and ever-so-yummy Sebastian’s Ice Cream.

So glad MrC had his camera, too. More photos!

After a quick program, where I learned that most of the exhibits are either made or assembled locally (amazeballs!), we were given a Wide-Eyed Wanderer’s Exploration Passport which had a list of tasks that we were supposed to complete. The first to complete their assigned tasks would win a prize. Right off the bat, I knew we weren’t going to be one of the first because it was difficult to not get sidetracked by all the other things to see, do and read all over the museum. So we decided to take our time and enjoy all of the areas we had to visit instead of rush through them. I think that our experience was worth way more than any prize.

At the Life Gallery, where we met a few Neanderthals

Here’s a closer look at our kinda creepy new friends, through MrC’s lens

Mind Museum representatives were stationed all over the area, putting stickers on our passport for completed tasks, assisting us whenever needed and answering our questions. I love how they are all so knowledgeable about the exhibits and displays, and also how they really take the time to explain things to you. I think that this is super important so that kids and adults who come to visit really learn a lot. And there really is so much information you can pick up in just one afternoon at The Mind Museum. In fact, the boys still weren’t satisfied with time we spent there, and they already want to go back to see the stuff they missed.

One of my favorite stops was the new Space Shell Planetarium where we watched the newest show that they offer, “Back to the Moon for Good”. It is a story about the Google Lunar Xprize, a space competition where teams race to be the first people to successfully make it back to the moon.

Apart from the areas around the museum that we needed to visit, our passport also required us to go to each of the exhibit booths inside the function area. At these booths, we learned about the summer activities and classes being offered by The Mind Museum. This is a great option for parents who are still thinking about where to enroll your kids for the summer, especially if yours are older kids who are into learning and discovery. Here’s a list of the activities coming up this summer, as well as their corresponding schedules and rates. For Summer Program FAQs and full program details, email summerprograms@themindmuseum.org .

C.S.I. 101 (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM per day)

10-13 years old | April 8 | Php1,500/head
14-17 years old | April 11-13 | Php3,800/head
18-25 years old | April 26-27 | Php 3,200/head

MARINE SCIENCE CAMP at Anilao Batangas (Ages 7 and up)

May 1, 1pm-530pm | at The Mind Museum | Half day briefing & workshops
May 2-3 (2 full days, overnight) | at Aiyanar Resort, Anilao Batangas | Workshops, Dry & Wet activities
Rates: Php7,500/ head | Php7,000/head for a group of 2-3 | Php6,800/head for a group of 4
Rates inclusive of transportation, accommodations, food, and activity materials

Making a mini canon at the Junior Mind Mover station

JUNIOR MIND MOVER PROGRAM

7-9 years old | Apr 23-May 10, Wed-Fri, 9am-12nn | P2,500/head
10-13 years old | Apr 22-May 17, T/Th/Sat, 1pm-6pm | P5,000/head
14-17 years old | Apr 29-May 23, W/Th/F, 1pm-6pm | P5,000/head

SOCCER SCIENCE (Ages 13 to 22 years old)

May 14-15 | 9am-5pm at The Mind Museum, 6pm-8pm at BGC Turf
Php 2,800/ head. Inclusive of jersey bib, snacks and use of facility fees

If you’ve never been to The Mind Museum before, I suggest you wear comfy clothes and shoes when you visit. I made the mistake of wearing platform shoes, and so I eventually gave up and sat down with a plate of snacks while the boys continued to walk around. It looks like they had a lot of fun while I chatted with my bloggy mommy friends, coz they came back with the cutest set of photos. Warning: Photo dump coming in 3… 2… 1…

Yay I found photos of me in MrC’s camera!

MrC tells me that the kitchen display is made of fiberglass or something like that. Looks so real, right?

The two eventually got tired, and so it was time to head home. On our way towards the museum exit though, I remembered that I hadn’t seen Stan. Stan is the first T-Rex exhibit in the Philippines, and is cast from real dinosaur fossils. Super cool.

Like I said, the boys are really excited to go back to The Mind Museum. Lucky for us, they are offering a special Summer Day Pass Rate of P450/person for adults, children and private school students, and P150/person for teachers and public school students. What’s even luckier is The Mind Museum gave us a special token of four all-day passes that we can use on our next visit. Now, because I love you guys, I’m thinking of giving away two of these passes to one lucky blog reader, maybe as a giveaway on Little MrC’s birthday. What do you guys think? Who wants to go to The Mind Museum?

The Mind Museum
Website: www.themindmuseum.org
Facebook: #/themindmuseum
Twitter: www.twitter.com/themindmuseum
Instagram: @themindmuseum
Tumblr: http://themindmuseumblog.tumblr.com

Hey, hey, hey! I’m giving away 2 tickets to The Mind Museum to celebrate Little MrC’s birthday! Click HERE to join. Giveaway ends on April 20, 2014!