Excited for Nathan's Mickey Mouse Party

Ford and I have decided to throw a party for Nathan this coming June 13 (his 7th month "birthday") for our Edmonton friends because we (Nathan and I) are going 'home' in Pinas this coming July and will be back only after his first birthday in November.

Noong una, sina Mylene and Cecil and Joy (and their kiddos) lang naman sana ang invited pero naisip naming imbitahan na rin ang ilan pang kaibigan at kakilala namin dito. Sayang naman kasi ang preparation kung ilang tao lang.

Anyway, I am super excited. This is the very first kiddie party that I'll be organizing. Small party at home lang naman but still, I want to make it a little more special for our little boy. I have sort of planned everything na (from the menu to the decors and trimmings) in my mind, execution na lang hehe.

Yesterday, while we were at Dollar Tree, I've chosen Mickey Mouse as the theme na lang. Since we are strictly on a budget (magastos umuwi sa Pilipinas so kailangang magtipid), naisip ko na mas economical kung Mickey Mouse na lang kasi nga it's practically everywhere - mura at madaling hanapin. Eto nga at nakabili na ako ng ilang items (for just $1.25 + 5% tax each).

Plus Mickey Mouse is so adorable! Bagay na pang-baby kasi uncomplicated. When Nathan is a bit older, I am sure he would prefer different cartoon characters na. So baka ito na lang ang chance ko na magka-Mickey Mouse theme haha!

Ooops, this cap ang nagpa-final ng decision ko. It was given to Nathan yesterday by his Ninang June and it looked so cute on him!

I will try to tabulate all the expenses for this upcoming party. We'll be allocating a budget of $300 for this, sana magkasya. #goodluck

Nathan @ 3 Months!

Yey, our dear Nathan is now 3 months old!

February 13, 2015 (Friday). As usual, it was just the three of us who celebrated. Buhay-Canada hahaha!

I was happy because I thought Ford would come home late na from his field work. I was surprised that he was home already by 5pm.

My most favorite part in celebrating Nathan's monthly "birthday" is of course the cake. For this month, I just bought chocolate cup cakes from Walmart (cheap but delicious!). The candle set is from Dollar Tree. Nice noh?

And because it's a day before Valentine, I chose a cupid (also bought at Dollar Tree) as the "topper." It's the last piece so parang meant to be hehe. So kawaii!

For the first time, I cooked all of Nathan's handa. We had spaghetti, garlic bread, spring rolls, calamari, and nachos. 

I am looking forward to the day that my baby boy can blow his cake na. 

I added this for added touch of Valentine.

Again, how I wish somebody would take our family picture! Sawa na ako sa selfie/groufie eh!

Oh, Nathan! Thank you for bringing us so much joy! We are so pleased that you are such a happy baby! You never fail to smile everytime I say "peechur peechur!"

Thank you too for being so easy to take care of. You just cry whenever you want to be fed. You don't want to be carried (buti na lang because you are so heavy na -- around 14 lbs) so hindi nahihirapan si Mommy. But I admit, I miss you sleeping in my arms. You love to "broom broom" so we have no problem bringing you out. You sleep longer na rin at night (sometimes up to 10 hours, would you believe?) so I am getting my rest na rin.

Plus you remain so cute!

They say you are dad's mini-me. Hmm, fairer version nga lang hahaha!

We love you so much, Cheeky Boy! Happy 3 months! Mwah!

Nathan @ 2 Months

Thirteen is my new favorite number. And I am so excited to welcome the 13th day of every month because that means another 'birthday' celebration for Nathan!

January 13, 2015. As usual, it was just another party for three. But I told Mylene and Cecil that we'll invite them some time in summer for Nathan's monthly birthday. We just couldn't do that now because it's winter and our house is a big mess. I am also still recovering (yeah, I am taking it soooo slow) and I can't host a party yet.

My two-month old looks so big na on this picture noh? I myself was shocked! It's only been two months but he doesn't look that baby anymore! In fact, he already wore the Baby Mickey shirt which we thought he would wear this summer pa or when we go home in Pinas. It was his first time to wear a t-shirt and he looked so cute!

Anyway, what excites me the most about this day was the cake of course! I think I did pretty well on his first month cake so I have to live with the expectations haha!

But since Ford and I aren't really into eating cakes (in fact, ni hindi nga namin natikman yung first cake), I thought of buying just a slice. Sa Safeway kami nakabili for only $3.

I wasn't able to find a nice cake topper so I just asked Ford to have Nathan's picture printed in their office. I posted it on a card board para matigas saka ko itinusok sa cake. The result is this:

Simple yet 'personalized.' I want my son to know later on that in my own little ways, I tried to make things special for him.

This is the close-up look pala of the picture on the cake. My son's so adorable! #biasedmom

Since Nathan's second month fell on a Tuesday (and we just had buffet dinner the day before for our 3rd wedding anniversary), I just asked Ford to buy pancit palabok and crispy pata at Manila Grill Express. Nagustuhan kasi namin yun the last time we went there. The pork giniling was cooked by yours truly.

Almost all of our plates are Corelle and I've grown tired of them. I wanted something colorful plating for my baby's handa but expensive dinner wares are not on the budget yet. Thankfully, I found some cheap stoneware plates and bowls and glasses at Dollar Tree! Ayan, pati sa table setting ay excited na rin ako!

More than the superficiality of celebrating a monthly birthday, Ford and I are really grateful that our son is growing well. Health wise, we never had any major 'concern' for him. He seems happy and healthy.

I noticed that he started smiling a lot and 'interacting' with us when he was just five weeks old (December 23 to be exact, thanks to my hobby of taking pictures and documenting Nathan's every move!). We were impressed. Physically, he's quite a big boy with nice flawless skin, chubby body, and adorable little face. A lot of people were telling us that he doesn't look like two months only. He can even hold his head steady na. We are very very proud of him!

Thank you for being such a good boy, anak! Keep it up! We are so looking forward to your 3rd month birthday! We love you!

Our Halloween 2014

Not an exciting Halloween, I am telling you now lol!

As I have mentioned in this post, Halloween excites me. But that excitement was cut short because I am pregnant and due to give birth this November. Hence, I don't have the energy and the funds to go all the way this year.

But not to let the spirit of Halloween down, I put up a tiny spot by our console table to 'celebrate' this event.

I realized though that I only had kawaii decors and not the freaky ones haha!

And mind you, they are cheap!

• Dancing/Singing Mummy -- bought at Hallmark WEM at 50% off ($8 + 5% tax)
• Hello Kitty -- bought at Papyrus City Centre last year at 75% off ($2.60)
• Purple Bear -- bought at Dollarama for $3
• Green Witch -- bought at Dollar tree for $1.25
• Ceramic Pumpkin Key Holder -- bought at Michaels

Now that Halloween is over, I am hoping to score more discounted Halloween items in stores. Wish me luck.

Oops, I remembering buying so many Halloween paper plates, napkins, table mats, etc. but i wasn't able to use them. Di bale, next year na lang.


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Rain started to pour in the afternoon of Halloween so I was disheartened. Tsk, lalong walang pupuntang bata para magtrick-or-treat, I told myself. The location of our house is not strategic enough for trick-or-treaters, lalo na siyempre kapag umuulan at malamig.

Still, we turned our porch lights on with the hope na may maligaw na bata.

We had an early dinner and at 6:36pm, I was already willing to go up to our bedroom to rest when suddenly we heard some kids' voices.

POD -- O ayan, may mga darating na.

Then the doorbell rang.

I was so happy! I asked the husband to give treats to the kids while I excitedly unpacked the other candies that we bought.

I put the candies in a bin (bought at Dollar Tree) and placed it near our front door for the next batch of kids. I did not unbox the Mini Chips Ahoy! yet, later na lang kako kapag nagkaubusan na.

Now what to do with these?

Kaso wala ng sumunod na nagpunta kaloka!

POD -- Buti nga di ka na-zero noh.

Kaloka, I was exchanging FB messages with my friends Cecil and Joy at marami na silang napamigay. Nainggit ako! Haha, it was so pathetic of me to "beg" for the visit trick-or-treaters. Pero ang sarap kasing makakita ng kids in costume at masarap din magbigay.

In my disappointment, napakain tuloy ako ng isang mini KitKat Bar. Cheat day, tutal Halloween naman.

My original back-up plan kung wala talagang pupunta sa area namin was to stroll around our community na lang and observe the kids. But since it was a cold and wet night, hindi na rin natuloy.

I wanted to go West Edmonton Mall din sana for the "largest indoor trick or treat festival" but my in-laws are here at nakakahiya namang iwanan. Saka di pa nga ako sure kung may pupunta bang kids sa bahay namin o wala.

Oh well, at least now I know. I don't think I'd be preparing candies pa for treats next year. I'd just dress my son up at kami na lang ang magtitrick-or-treat. We'd probably join some of our kids' friends para masaya.

No baby shower for Chicklet

Two people had mentioned "baby shower" to me in three days.

First was my aunt who lives in Vancouver. She's very excited for my baby and regrets that they are too far away (about 13-hour drive) to give me a baby shower. It's her thing eh, she loves cooking and decorating, and throwing parties.

And just yesterday, a "new" friend who came over our house to look at it (they want to buy a townhouse din here in our area) saw some of the baby stuff we bought and commented: "Ay sayang, sana hindi muna kayo bumili. Baka may magregalo niyan sa baby shower." She's just given birth 7 months ago and she's had a nice baby shower. I simply answered her: "Haha, sino naman ang magpapa-shower sakin dito?"

Actually, the thought that I won't be having a baby shower here in Canada started a couple of weeks ago when we went to Dollar Tree. They are selling so many cute baby shower stuff and I realized that nobody here in Edmonton would throw a shower for my Chicklet.

I felt a sad, honestly. Aside from a couple of new friends that we've recently met, it's just me and my husband who are living here. I don't work so I have no co-workers who'll party with me. Again, there were times I wished that I am in the Philippines during my pregnancy. There, I have friends and relatives who'll make me feel special and loved. I am sure I'll have a fabulous baby party there if I want to.

But I choose not to dwell on the negative. A party is just for a few hours, I keep on reminding myself. I have to focus on the good side of giving birth here - that is, I'll have a Canadian baby who will reap all the perks of first world living. That's more important than a party, right?

I also reminded myself that a baby shower is a western thing. In the Philippines, hindi naman talaga uso yan simply because we have baptismal parties where the baby receives so much gifts. Redundant na kapag nagpa-baby shower ka pa. Chicklet will be baptized in Pinas so iyon na lang ang party na paplanuhin at ilu-look forward ko.

They say we can't have everything and that is true. I am glad though that even without a baby shower party, our baby will have everything he needs when he finally shows up. Thanks to my hardworking husband!

2nd Anniversary (Cup)Cake

Hindi ako napakali.

I promised myself last year that we will have a cake on our every anniversary and I forgot! Si Ford pa ang nagpaalala sa akin on our way to State & Main (where we had dinner).

So we crammed and searched for a cake. Sadly, we ended up with cup cakes kasi wala talaga kaming magustuhan. We are not into eating cakes kasi kaya masasayang. Cakes are expensive pa naman dito sa Edmonton.

I convinced myself na ok na ang cupcakes. At least meron. I wanted to primp the cupcakes sana para maging espesyal naman kaso closed na ang Dollarama. It was past 7pm already and most stores here close early on Sundays.

Pero yun nga, two days later, hindi pa rin ako mapakali.

We still had three uneaten cupcakes so pwede pa akong humabol!

I went to Dollarama yesterday afternoon and was able to buy some foam letters/numbers and hearts (buti na lang Valentine season). I remembered having a red plastic heart plate at home (bought at Dollar Tree) and I knew na what to do.

Without further ado, I now present our second anniversary (cup)cake!

Haha, I loved it! Ayan nagka-idea na ako. Since hindi kami mahilig ni ford sa cake, pwede na rin pala ang cupcake -- lagyan lang ng konting accent!

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To recap, here's our very simple (and cheap) first year anniversary cake. I also wasn't prepared last year because Ford was only in Pinas for less than three weeks and I was so ngarag! I am glad that our second year (cup)cake turned out better haha!

And here's our beautiful wedding cake -- the reason why I want to have a yearly anniversary cake...

I promise to have a really nice and well-prepared cake next year. Excited na ako!

Excited for Vday

I am not normally excited on Valentine's Day. Feeling ko pang-highschool lang. And would you believe that in our almost 11 years of being a couple, Ford and I were never together physically on a February 14?

But then I keep seeing lots of Vday items everywhere, especially on dollar stores! I never thought Canada is this big on Valentine!

I wonder if only kids and teens buy these stuff.

I love dollar stores! I am such a "maabubot" person and I really enjoy spending some "me" time in Dollarama and Dollar Tree. Where else can you go for some cheap thrills?

I easily get swayed by things I often see. So here I am now, quite excited for Valentine!

I still have a month to prepare! Poor hubby, madadamay na naman sa kababawan ko. =)