Thursday, June 30, 2011

TOYSALE!!!!

Kmart and BigW annual toysales started today. As early as last week Nix and I have been browsing through the catalogs looking for nice toys, pero mas excited pa ata ako:) Anyway I already had the toys I wanted to buy in mind even before we got to the store, some will be reserved for Christmas na. Pero naman, pagdating namin dun, ubos na yung dolls na gusto "ko". Ganun kasi sila dito, napansin ko sa toysale lang dadating lahat ng new stocks of toys and after that halos puro old stock of toys na ang nasa shelves or pa-isa isang labas ng new toys. So most really go out and buy toys during the toysales. As in you'll see shopping carts stacked with toys, ganun sila. So since wala na yung doll na gusto ko we just put it on Christmas layby and could collect the doll starting December. But we were able to buy her a scooter and her Ninang Mae got her a Barbie pool. Dapat buy pa ko ng helmet pero baka sa weekend na lang. Here's the dolls I wanted because she loves both Tangled and A Little Mermaid::
Singing in the bath Ariel


I love buying her dolls at this point because she really plays with them and "talks" to her dolls, sinasakay pa nya sa stroller and sa ride on toy nya:)



Monday, June 27, 2011

Please help save the Philippine Dragon Boat Team

Politika nga naman sa Pinas...Please read this post by Ibyang of A Wife's Charmed Life

Please help save the Philippine Dragon Boat Team

You've got mail

Actually its not really mail but my order from Amazon arrived! A few posts back, I wrote about ordering Hooked on Phonics learning system from Amazon because I wanted to start teaching Nix how to read. I'm so happy it arrived ahead of the expected delivery time frame they gave me. Nix and I were so excited opening the box and getting our hands on our loots:)

Excited with her new book:)

Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K and Super Workbook




Level 1 kit includes:
DVD, storybooks, workbook, reward stickers, flashcard, quick start guide

According to the guide we should start learning with the workbook (the one in Level 1 is all about the alphabet and learning about alphabet sounds), then proceed to practice skills using flashcards and then reinforcing everything by reading a book together or watching the DVD provided. I'm really excited about this although were going to do this slowly but surely, no pressure. I just want something that would keep her busy and at the same time something she'll learn from. I want to make most of this age wherein she's so curious and like a sponge, absorbs most so so easily.

I will post more about our progress in future. Have a good week ahead everyone!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Yum! - Yoplait's Le Rice

My friend Hazel mentioned that Yoplait's Le Rice tastes really good so the next time we went to the grocery got some to try. And indeed it tasted yum! I got the vanilla flavor and basically its like this milky custard with rice in it, like sweet rice porridge. I like eating it cold out of the fridge and it can quickly satisfy any hunger pangs I have:) Its also 97% fat free and low GI so all the more good.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

On sale: Cotton On

I'm really starting to like Cotton On already. Before I always just passed by it whenever we go to the mall since I figured its much cheaper to buy in Kmart or Target for clothing basics but I think I was wrong :) Especially now that they are on sale!!!! Like for today I got 3 tops for just $20.

blue and white stripe shirt

longsleeve top in dusty olive

long sleeve top in white


green hoodie and yellow tank top for Nix:)

Not in the picture is the blue and white stripey shirt I also got for Nix. Excited sya e, she's wearing it already:)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Beautiful

A song I learned years ago in Sunday School. Its a short song with simple words but its message is BIG on inspiration and motivation as it speaks of God's beautiful love for us:

Beautiful, beautiful
Jesus is beautiful
And Jesus makes beautiful 
Things of my life
Carefully, touching me
Causing my eyes to see
Jesus makes beautiful things of my life

It's my little girl's turn to learn it now and its so sweet hearing her sing this. Have a great weekend everyone!




Friday, June 17, 2011

Early morning shopping

Since it was already way past my bedtime last night, there wasn't much on the tv except for infomercials. Last night it was about the Your Baby Can Read Dvds. It really got me watching because they were showing all these  videos of babies and toddlers reading. I saw this infomercial before pa, while we were still in Manila and I wanted to get one sana for Nix but it was expensive. Last night I was thinking of getting it so I googled their website here in Oz and it was still expensive, $299! So I figured there is probably an alternative to teaching my baby to read that I could afford and I came upon this
from hooked on phonics.com

Since I'm not sure if they deliver outside US, I went to Amazon and saw they had this, yehey! So I ordered the Learn to Read Pre-K complete set plus this


It was my first time to order from Amazon so I'm hoping it will turn out okay and we'll receive the package as scheduled which is from end of June at the earliest (priority shipping was too expensive already so have to wait a bit I guess).  So excited:)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Cheesecake

I want some! I think I will try to make one! After making Nix' cake, I feel like I can do anything haha. We'll in a way its more cost effective and definitely more rewarding for me to just even attempt to make one. A slice would be like $6, mahal diba. Eh if I buy the ingredients, for just a few dollars more, I will (hopefully) have one whole cheesecake. Winner! Now if I could just find a good cheesecake recipe. Will google my way again or maybe any of you care to share your winner cheesecake recipe would sure appreciate it:)

me want!!!!!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Nix is 3!

Our celebration was a quiet one today compared to her other birthdays but the gratitude and joy is the same. I managed to come up with a cake and she enjoyed blowing out the candle, yey! As I was assembling it last night I thought it might not work, but I really wanted to make this cake for her, no matter how simple or "rustic" looking it might turn out to be:) It's a single layer chocolate cake with ganache and marsmallow fondant. Topper was a mini bear I got from Kmart:)


taste test:)

one more piece please?:)


She likes it, yey!




We love you Nix, may God continue to bless you and help you grow into a healthy, happy and loving girl.Hug!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Coming together

I am attempting to make my first birthday cake ever and so far so good. I've made the cake, the custard filling and the ganache. Oh I made marshmallow fondant too. Google and you tube proved to be really helpful in this mini project. As well as my hubby who mightily mixed and kneaded our practice fondant haha:) Sana masarap, sana maganda, sana Nix likes it. Will post pics soon!
Have a good Monday everyone!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Toysrus Find

Remember I posted a few days ago about the toy kitchen I wanted for Nix? Well we found the perfect alternative at Toysrus. And it was even on special, sweet:)




The stove lights up and it makes funky sounds. The "blender" works as well. Sana may ganito nung bata ako, I would have loooooved it! Well Im happy our baby will get to enjoy it:)
Hope you all have a lovely weekend ahead!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Fried Chicken

I love fried chicken. This is one of the things I miss most from Manila where fried chicken abounds! Jollibee, Mc Donald's, Tropical Hut, Savory...nagugutom na ko. I think Australians aren't as fond of it as I am though. Halos puro roasted chicken and what I want is the greasy, crispy chicken I'm used to:)
Good thing my mom taught me how to do it when they came over to visit. Before I avoided cooking it cause I don't like handling chicken too much ( maarte, takot sa salmonella). But its so yummy and really simple to make so I make it most of the time now. Bonus is Nix likes it very much.
So our dinner last night was Pork Nilaga and this:

pardon the lack of presentation, was too hungry:)

Best eaten when piping hot and just out of the pan:)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Recent buys

Went to the shops last weekend since we needed to buy some stuff for Nix' upcoming birthday. It will just be the three of us but still we want to make it special that's why were planning on giving her an extra special surprise on that day. Hopefully it all works out *wink*

Anyways, since its June already end of financial year sale is all over. So tempting! Here are the things we got:

All for the kitchen so medyo allowable ang gastos na ito:)

My favorite buy which I still have to use is the mini frying pan. Madali kasi hugasan when I just need to cook a little of something diba:)

Friday, June 3, 2011

Tangled

This is our favorite movie for the moment and we've been watching it daily, sometimes even twice a day. I think its a great fun watch for kids and parents alike and I love the songs!

TANGLED
photo from www.fusedfilm.com
I like all the characters but Maximus and Pascal are especially more adorable for me, they are pretty smart creatures don't you agree?:) 

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Pink toys

Our daughter's birthday is coming up soon and when I asked her what she wanted for her present she said she wanted a teddy bear, a pink one at that and in costume:) So I'm thinking we might bring her to Build-A-Bear Workshop at the mall so she could have fun choosing her present. 
However if sana I have the budget, I would like to get her this as well:
Mini Sizzlin Kitchen - Pink
Mini sizzlin kitchen from elc.com.au

It's so cute and it makes sounds daw. Kaya lang mahal, $AUD 75 and its out of stock online so maybe I should just look for a more affordable yet as cute alternative. Weakness ko talaga ang toy kitchen stuff.

And here's another cute one also from ELC, Box of shoes :)
BOX OF SHOES
And aside from these, if I have the budget I will book us flights to Manila and throw her a Jollibee party. Oh she'd really enjoy that,I could just imagine:) I'd enjoy that too (haha) Maybe next year we could do that, God willing.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Winter

I think its officially the start of winter in our side of the world:) Thankfully though its been sunny since yesterday so none of the dark gloomy skies outside. I was even able to hang laundry outside yesterday so that was good. Nix has been sick the past few days and thank God that she is better now, still a bit picky about food but at least she's drinking milk and taking in a few spoonfuls of rice.

The months of April and May have been happily busy for our family. Our little abode here have been host to my parents, my tita, cousin and inaanak and only recently our friends who visited from Queensland. Now though they've all gone home so quiet na ulit kami dito. Look forward ko nalang next visit nila para di na ko ma-sad.


scarf and beanie  from Pumpkin Patch c/o ninang zen


Federation Square with Tita Norma, Zen and the kids



My uber pogi  na inaanak, Joaquin


Nix with her Ate Chloe


Have a great wednesday everyone!