STONECPS

I wanted to send greeting cards to all my friends and families. I know everything is online now and I can easily post greetings here on my blog and in Facebook, but I know nothing still beats receiving Christmas cards with a personal handwritten note from the sender. But I have been really busy the past weeks with my day job and sideline work that I was not able to do this.

But at least I know better now and next year I will start early in sending out the Christmas cards and I will even order envelope printing.

So for now, let me send my well wishes for all my friends and family, here in my Blog. Wishing everyone love, joy, happiness and good health for 2013 and for years to come!!

Before I start working on doing a comparative study of the different web conferencing services that we might be able to use at work, let me post here first one of the biggest upcoming events in the month of hearts, the 17th Philippine International Hot air Balloon Fiesta.

The event will be held on February 9 to 12 at the Clark Freeport Zone. Highlights of the events include hot air balloon flight, aero show, sky diving exhibition, kite flying exhibition and more.

I have asked around if this event is worth the trip and all my friends said that it is really a one of a kind event. The only draw back is that we should be at Clark field early (as early as 4 AM) so we can get a good spot to watch the take off of the hot air balloons.

Hubby is really interested to check out this event (as what we always plan on doing every year). My friend, Suzzanne, also promised to help me with our itinerary so we can have a food trip in Pampanga after attending the hot air balloon event.

But let’s wait and see. I heard hotels around Clark are already fully booked and I don’t think it will be a good idea to wake up as early as 2 AM and travel North to be in Subic by 4 AM with two kids in tow.

But if you are interested, you can check out the full schedule here: www.philballoonfiesta.net

It is just 20 days to go before Christmas. Have you made plans already for the holiday season? Have you checked for rv repair for those who will be going out-of-town during the holiday season?

As for my family, it has been a tradition for use to hear mass on the eve of Christmas and we will have Noche Buena together as a family. Then on Christmas day, we will have a reunion in our grandparent’s house. Since we just moved in to our new house, the reunion will probably be held in our house this year.

After the reunion from my side of the family, my husband and I together with our two kids will then visit hubby’s side of the family for their get together. Although I am not sure what are their plans for this year as my sister-in-law mentioned that they want to celebrate Christmas at our place too.

Although Christmas is the most expensive time of the year, this is my favorite month as the mood is so festive and you can really feel the spirit of love and sharing. I can’t wait for December 25!!

It is just four months to go before the wedding of my cousin and they are already in their final stretch of the wedding preparations.

The wedding entourage on the other hand is busy helping the couple with whatever they can do with the wedding preparations and of course, my cousin (the sister of the groom) and my sister are now starting to plan the bridal shower for the soon-to-be new member of our family.

We have a lot of options for the bridal shower:

• We can have a wholesome spa party. I know there are a lot of spas who offer home service and party service so we can have it at our place and have the spa staff come to our place and treat each guest with a relaxing spa session.
• Or we can have a rated PG party and invite sexy male dancers to entertain us during the party. We can also buy cupless corset as our gift for the bride. LOL.
• Or we can have a small party at our place where we can plan fun games like a trivia game about the couple, wedding gown making contest made from tissue paper and more.

I can’t remember the last time I attended a bridal shower so I am really excited for this one.

June is the month where majority of my family members are celebrating their birthday:

June 10: My sister Vj
June 19: My cousin Aliah
June 21: My brother Jp and Jacobo
June 30: My grand mother, Lydia

We just had a small party at my grand mother’s house yesterday to celebrate the birthday of my cousin, and tomorrow we are having a party again to celebrate the birthday of my brother and my son. (This reminds me that I should wrap the xbox and xbox 360 hdmi cable that I bought online as our gift to my brother). My aunt for sure will cook something for the occasion and I will just order cake for my brother and my son.

After tomorrow, the next celebration will be grandest as it is the birthday of our favorite grand mother (who all took care of us when we were kids), my Nanay Lydia.

I posted in a previous entry about the Pyromusical Competition happening at SM Mall of Asia every Saturday. Hubby would love to go back and watch the countries performing this Saturday but he will be working overtime again so I am sure he will not have any energy left to have dinner and watch the competition in the evening after his overtime. Also, if ever we will go, he might need to find testosterone boosters as he needs all the muscles that he can have to battle the traffic and the crowd when going home as we were stuck in traffic for more than an hour last Saturday after the show.

But for those who would like to watch the Pyromuscial Competition, here are a few tips:

• The organizers are selling tickets but I think there is no need to get tickets as the fireworks display can be freely seen in the sky.
• There are veranda restaurants which have a good view of the show who are offering reservations for dinner. We inquired with the following restaurants last time:

- The Creamery: which is where we end up eating. They charge P350 for entrance to the restaurant which is consumable on food and drinks.
- Fish & Company: They charge P250 for entrance only. No wonder there is not much patrons in the restaurant.
- Racks: They charge P500 as entrance which is consumable also on food and drinks.
- Yakimix: But I was not able to inquire for the price as they are fully booked already when I inquired

• Be there early even if the show will start at 7 PM as it can be a bit crowded and you may have a hard time getting reservations and going to restaurants if you will arrive late.
• Be prepared for the traffic that you will face after the show.

We were at SM Mall of Asia last Saturday to attend the birthday party of B’s classmate. After the party, we saw the poster for the Pyromusical Competition and so we decided to watch it since we are already at the venue anyways.


This is the second Philippine International Pyromusical competition and it is being held at SM Mall Asia every Saturday from February 12 to March 12 at 7 PM and 8 PM respectively.

There are 10 countries participating for this year’s competition namely: South Korea, Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom (defending champion), China, France, Japan, Canada, Australia and Philippines. Every Saturday, from February 12, each of them will have the pyromusical show at 7 PM and the next participating country at 8 PM.

Hubby got really entertained that he was able to take amazing pictures of the beautiful fireworks display and I think he got really hooked as he is suggesting that we go back again next Saturday to watch the other country’s show.

Tickets for the competition are available through Ticketnet, TicketWorld and SM Tickets.

Hubby told me last night that he will sign up to join the upcoming Fun Run organized by DZMM dubbed as “Takbo Para sa Karunungan” to be held at CCP Complex this coming March.

This is the first time that hubby will join a marathon so I was even kidding him if I should start reading about force factor review to better prepare him for this event. LOL.

This marathon is open for 3K, 5K, 10K and 25K run. A non refundable entry fee of P300 (P200 for student) will have to be paid to join.

If you are interested to join too, you can contact the following person for more details:

Mr. Zaldy Naguit
4152272 locals 5674, 5641

Ms. Monica Alcala/Ms. Keisha Pascual
4152272 local 5632

I spent a lot of time browsing the net and calling hotels yesterday to look for a Halloween event where I can take B, Jacobo and my two other cousins to celebrate Halloween. All the hotels that I called yesterday don’t have an event for kids this Halloween. EDSA Shangri-la have a Halloween event but the theme is rock star and B and Jacobo’s costume is not in sync with that theme so I did not consider that as the event that we can go to on the 31st.

I was already loosing hope until I received this email from SM Advantage exclusive to their members. They are having a Galactic Halloween adventure with their show, “The hunt for Blurb.” This show will run from October 30 to 31 only and it is about Dr. Bunsen Burner’s adventure as he looks for his friend Blurb.

And as an exclusive treat to SM advantage, SM Prestige and BDO card holders, you can earn 3x rewards point when you present your card upon purchase of ticket at the Science and Discovery Center.

We have long been planning to bring B here so I guess this is the perfect time to treat her for an adventure at Science and Discovery Center at SM Mall of Asia.

Oh my gosh, I have been so very busy lately that I forgot that Father’s Day is close already and I need to shop for a gift for dear hubby. Though I have a few ideas already for our Father’s Day gift for hubby. Here is my list:

1. Some big and tall clothing that he can wear for work
2. A massage. He has been very busy these past few weeks and he deserve some pampering. A home service massage will definitely be a good gift as it will really be a very relaxing treat for hubby.
3. An out of town trip. B has been requesting for a trip to the beach so we can book an overnight stay in one of the beach resorts. For sure I can easily make a reservation since it is not the peak season anymore.
4. We can stay for overnight at Sofitel. Hubby has long wanted to try out this hotel. They actually had a promo last Mother’s Day so hopefully they will have a promo again for Father’s Day.

How about you, what do you plan to give your dear husband for Father’s Day?

Are you looking for an Easter event that you and your family can join this coming Easter Sunday? Then here are some of the exciting Easter event that I have discovered:

1. Pan Pacific’s EGGciting Easter Hunt

The event will be on April 4 from 3 PM onwards and it will be held at Conference Suite. Ticket price is P600 net per person which includes all-day access to the swimming pool, kiddie merienda buffet with free-flowing drinks and lots of games, prizes and surprises.

2. Diamond Hotel’s Pirate Easter Event

The event will be on April 4 from morning till afternoon. Ticket price is at P700 where kids will be treated with lots of fun activities like face painting, magic show, bubble show, egg hunting, etc. Kids are also asked to wear their favorite pirate costume as prizes will be given to the kid wearing the best pirate costume.

3. Taal Vista Hotel Easter Treats

On April 4, from 8 Am to 1 PM, kids 2 to 12 years old can enjoy activities such as magic show, Easter egg-hunt, face painting and egg painting contest. Ticket price is at P500 net per person inclusive of snacks.

Someone I know will be tying the knot this coming May at Acuatico Beach resort.

I love this resort in San Juan, Batangas. I haven’t actually been here since their rates are steep compared to the other resorts within the stretch of San Juan so when I learned that we will be attending a wedding here (all expenses paid – accommodation plus food and drinks for an overnight stay), I got really excited.

So as early as now I have been looking for the best under eye cream so even though I have a very big baby bump already by that time, at least my face will look good in pictures. LOL (how vain).

This will be our family summer outing too because all of us will be present for this big event. I don’t want to give more details yet as the couple is still ironing out some details of the wedding yet but for sure I will post about the wedding and our stay in Acuatico Beach resort after the wedding.

Every year, we always plan to check out the Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival that is held at Subic but we always end up not going since the events always start early and hubby doesn’t want to go through all that trouble especially we have a toddler in tow.

When we went to Subic a few weeks ago, I saw their poster along the highway but of course, there is no way that we can attend this year’s festival again as I am pregnant. But for those of you who want to check it out, you still have until tomorrow to join this year’s Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Below is the schedule for tomorrow which I snagged from the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta website:

Philippine Army Flag Jump 5:20-5:30AM
Hot Air Balloon Flights 5:30-7:00AM
Candaba Birds Fly-in 6:00AM
Philippines/Thailand/Malaysia/Indonesia/UK Paragliding Exhibition 7:00-7:30AM
ACFC Ultralight / Microlight Aircraft Formation Flights & Flour Bombing 7:30-8:00AM
SIL Helio Courier Short Takeoff and Landing Demonstration 8:00-8:30AM
Meynard Halili / Bill Wright Aerobatic Air Show 8:30-9:15AM
Philippine Coast Guard Rescue Demonstration 9:15-10:00AM
AOPA-P Light Aircraft Balloon-Bursting Competition 10:00-11:00AM
CIAC Fire-Fighting Demonstration 11:00-11:30AM
Pilot Proficiency Events Awarding Ceremonies 11:30-11:45PM
Radio-controlled Model Aircraft Demonstration 11:45-12:00NN
Winch-Launched Glider Demonstration 12:00-12:30PM
AFP / Civilian Skydiving Exhibition 12:30-1:00PM
Airlink/WCC/AAA/Omni/PPA/CA/Orient/Light Airplane Flyby 1:00-1:30PM
Kite Flying Exhibition 1:30-2:30PM
Valentine's Day Flower and Candy Drop 3:00-3:15PM
AFP / Civilian Skydiving Exhibition 3:15-3:45PM
ACFC Ultralight / Microlight Aircraft Formation Flights 3:45-4:15PM
Meynard Halili / Bill Wright Aerobatic Air Show 4:15-5:00PM
Philippines/Thailand/Malaysia/Indonesia/UK Paragliding Exhibition 5:00-5:30PM
Hot Air Balloon Valentine's Night Glow 5:30-7:30PM
Valentine's Day Fireworks 8:00PM

I can’t believe that time really fly so fast. I can still remember when I had my Christmas shopping rush last year and now, in just a few weeks, its Christmas time once again. One of the reason why Christmas is my favorite holiday is because it gives me all the reason to go shopping. LOL.

I love giving gifts and it has been my tradition to give gifts to all my relatives, god children, friends and colleagues. Of course, on top of my list is my dear daughter. My husband and I have been thinking to buy her educational toys like Leapfrog’s Clickstart. I actually showed it to my daughter and she actually loves it to bits. Next on my list are my cousins and god children. I am reading at the buying guide for clothing for girls as I am thinking of just buying casual clothes to all my girl cousins. At least it will be something that they will really use. Children’s books are also a good gift idea as it is something that kids will enjoy and something educational.

I can really feel the spirit of Christmas!!

Come as a pirate or a mermaid in this year’s CCP Halloween event entitled “Pirates, Mermaids, and Musical Treasures: A Halloween Family Concert” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on October 30, 2009 at 6 PM.

The Metro Manila Community Orchestra (MMCO) will perform music such as The Little Mermaid, Camille Saint-Saens’ Aquarium from Carnival of the Animals, selections from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance and Handel’s Water Music; Charles’ Tenet’s La Mer and Offenbach’s Can-Can from the Orpheus in the Underworld. The musical will be directed by Captain Josefino Chino Toledo.

Those who will watch the concert are invited to come in their best under the sea or pirate costume for a costume parade at 4 PM and a price will be given to the most creative under the sea costume.

There will also be a petting zoo of orchestral instruments before the concert starts which I am sure kids will really enjoy. If only we are not away on the said date, I would have asked hubby to purchase the tickets right away as I know our daughter will have a grand time touching and trying out the instruments.

For more information, you can contact Ticketworld at 891-9999.

A few years back, our company had a team building exercise where we joined Habitat for Humanity in one of their projects. I was hesitant at first to join as I am sure that it will be one long and tiring day as we will be building houses (aka manual labor). But hubby convinced me to participate and I was really glad I did because it was one rewarding experience. Imagine, I was able to build a home that they will be donating for one of the homeless Filipino family.

So when I learned about RUN FOR HOME, a project of Globe-Ayala Land City Run for Habitat For Humanity to help build homes through Habitat for Humanity for the benefit of Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig Project, I said that I should help promote it and I will really try to join to help Habitat for Humanity again.

The Run for Home event will be on July 19, 2009 to be held at Bonifacio Global City. Registration will be from June 19 to July 3, 2009. You can choose from 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K races. And for Globe subscribers, you can join the vent for as low as P300.

So join now and I assure you that it will be one rewarding experience.