A Jollibee party for me?

I am turning 40 this year (ouch!) and I told myself a couple of months back that should I be in the Philippines during that time, I will throw a party for myself in Jollibee. Yep, Jollibee!

You see, Jollibee Philippines has this Hello Kitty Fun Carnival theme and I love it! Everyone knows that I am a big fan of Hello Kitty. But I tell you, I am also very much a Jollibee girl so ang perfect lang, di ba?

(Picture taken from the net. Credits to the owner)

Sakto that we are going to Pinas again this April and we'll be staying there till mid-August. My birthday is on August 27 so sabi ko ia-advance ko na lang. I only plan on inviting my immediate relatives and barkada, maximum of 70 pax lang siguro.  I already asked my hubby for a budget at syempre game naman siya. Ang mura pa rin naman kasi kung tutuusin. Around Php20,000-Php23,000 siguro (we want to have two mascots), so less than Ca$600 lang. Yung pinakamahal na food package na yun ha. Included na rin ang cake.

I was super excited talaga. In fact, na-announce ko na nga sa mga pamangkin ko sa pinsan last Christmas ang plan ko. Nainvite ko na sila.

Picture courtesy of Laling

Kaso naman parang I am changing my mind now. You see, the primary reason why I really want a Jollibee party is my son. We've gone home in the Philippines thrice na and yet walang nag-invite sa amin ng Jollibee party. Ewan ko nga ba. Noong wala pa akong anak, ang dami-daming nagpapa-Jollibee party na dinededma ko lang. Ngayon namang may Nathan na, wala na. Favorite pa naman niya si Jollibee.

Actually noong first birthday-baptismal ni Nathan, nag-order din ako ng Jollibee food for the kids at syempre two mascots (Jollibee and Twirlie). The party was held in a pavilion at catered ang food. Nagdagdag lang talaga kami ng Jollibee para sa mga bata. Kaso naman my little boy was too young pa to remember that. Kaya sabi ko, bago ma-outgrow ni Nathan si Jollibee eh kelangan maka-experience siya ng Jollibee party.

So everything was planned na in my head. Kaso ba naman, I learned about three weeks ago that my friend Laling is also throwing a Hello Kitty Jollibee party for her youngest daughter in July. Waaah, so wala ng justification ang pagpapa-Jollibee party ko kasi nga makaka-attend na rin kami ni TanTan.

Our other friends were cool about it. Sabi nila ok lang if the same theme, different experience pa rin naman daw yun. Laling even asked me if I want her to change the theme para hindi kami magkamukha, pero syempre sabi ko hindi noh. Hello Kitty is a nice theme and her daughter deserves it.

So na-convince na nga ako na ok lang. Nakabili na nga ako ng ilang hello kitty activity kits (na on sale) na ilalagay ko sa lootbags ng kids. I was also planning on buying Bath and Body Works and/or Victoria's Secret merchandise for  adults. Pero ewan ko ba, lately eh I am having a change of heart. Parang ayaw ko na.

Naisip ko rin yung $600. I could use that money to treat my significant others separately (per group) na lang. At least makakapag-bonding pa kami nang matagal-tagal. Two hours lang kasi ang Jollibee party, medyo bitin. Syempre mahahati pa ang attention ko sa mga bisita. Madodoble-doble rin ang gastos ko kasi kailangan ko pang i-treat nang hiwalay ang mga girls ko (my core group) kasi lagi kaming may girls-day-out kapag birthday namin.

May point naman noh? But on the other hand, there's also a part of me who wants to experience a Jollibee party haha! Parang bata lang. Deprived kasi lol. I know I am not alone. May nabasa nga ako na maraming call center agents and nagpapabook ng morning parties (as in 7-8am kasi nga iba ang work hours nila) sa Jollibee for themselves. I've also seen a lot of adult FB friends na nagpa-Jollibee party.

Hay ang gulo ko! Ano ba talaga? Ayaw na tuloy akong seryosohin ng asawa ko. Bahala raw ako sa buhay ko. Oh well, I have a few weeks to decide. I blogged about this para lang kapag hindi natuloy eh maalala ko itong I-want-a-Jollibee-party-for-myself thingy ko.

Hello Kitty Surprise =)

June has been good for me so far. Why, I already received two unexpected hello kitty gifts! And yeah, no occasion! Just pure thoughtfulness from a cousin-in-law and a friend!

June 3, 2015. I was surprised when Pod handed this to me after he checked our mail box. The package is from his cousin Marjo (the sweetest Marjo!) who lives in California. She got this for me when she went to Hello Kitty Cafe. Grabe, sobrang touched ako! Would you believe that I haven't met her in person yet?

The shirt fits perfectly! I love it! Thanks so muchie, Marjo! You always send me nice stuff!

June 18, 2015. Just tonight, Ford went to our friend Joy's house for some embutido. Joy experimented with embutido and asked me if I want some. Syempre, sino ba naman ang tatanggi sa libreng chibog? Hahaha!

But ayan, aside from embutido, may hello kitty na pamprito pa! Awww, sobrang happy ako! Joy is so sweet, she remembered me raw when she saw this. Super thank you talaga!

Again, I am the type of person who always appreciates kindness. That's why I want to post every goodness that I (and my family) receive to show my gratitude.

Hello Kitty Happy Meal

I was at West Edmonton Mall for almost the whole day last Friday (November 7). I went on my 10th weekly ultrasound at 10am and I asked the husband not to pick me up anymore during his lunch time. I wanted to walk and walk (my cervix is still closed) and do a bit of shopping hihi.

I had my lunch at T&T (as usual), shopped a little, and read a book while resting. At around 3:45pm, while lounging on the mall's couch, I saw a little girl carrying a McDonald's Happy Meal box. The box has a hello kitty print on it.

Sabi ko na nga ba, hello kitty ang toy ng happy meal ngayon eh! Parang may nakita kasi ako sa Facebook na ganito, I just wasn't sure kung available ba dito sa Canada.

My heart palpitated, I am always like this whenever there's a hello kitty happy meal on the market. You see, I was (still am) a hello kitty addict. I have one room in our Philippine home that's filled with kitty (no kidding!).  There's really something about this sweet feline that makes me giddy.

And so I went to the foodcourt where there's a McDonald's to verify if they indeed have a hello kitty happy meal.

Upon confirming that they do, I had a three-minute self-deliberation:

     Bibili ba ako? Haler, bawal sa akin ang fast food kasi may gestational diabetes ako.
     Eh sayang naman, yan lang ang hello kitty souvenir mo para sa 40th birthday ni hello kitty.

I haven't eaten fast food since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes so I was really hesitant. In the end, my love for hello kitty prevailed.

     Sige na nga, minsan lang naman. Hindi ko na lang uubusin ang fries, saka maliit lang naman ang cup ng orange juice. 

After paying $4.50 (tax included), or approximately Php180.00, I was one big happy girl carrying this!

The big cup was just water.

It was my first time to buy a happy meal here and I didn't know "how." Basically, you have to choose an entree pala (and that would determine the price), then the side, then the drink. Unlike in the Philippines, ginawa nilang "healthier" ang options dito, ni hindi nga rin pwede ang softdrinks (or pop as what they call it here).

I was also happy that they put everything on this box. Namimiss ko ito eh. Sa Pilipinas kasi madalas wala ng box, naka-paper bag na lang.

The complete meal -- 4 pieces chicken nuggets, small fries (I only ate a few), small orange juice, strawberry yogurt (na hindi ko din kinain kasi ayaw ko nun)...

And the toy!

Too bad I wasn't able to choose the toy. Maliit lang kasi ang McDonald's sa foodcourt at maraming tao, nagmamadali ang mga crew. They just asked me kung for boy or girl ang toy and that's it. Wala rin silang display o poster man lang ng happy meal toys.

Buti na lang I got the one with a cake. Here's the complete set pala:

Picture taken from the internet (credits to the owner)

There are eight designs. Tsk, if only I can buy them all, just like what I always do in Pinas. Kaso ang mahal din kasi, saka hindi ko na siya priority.

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I remember, whenever I learn that hello kitty is featured on the happy meal, my Mamoosh and I would rush to McDonald's Bocaue or SM Marilao and we would buy all the designs at once! Haha, those were the days!

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Happy meals do doubt will become part of my life here in Edmonton as I will soon have a child. Kaya lang boy kasi sya, magkaiba kami ng preference sa toys haha!

Christmas in my Me Room

I was feeling blue today so I decided to cheer myself up by fixing my "Me Room." Yep, I have my own room in this house. Actually it's more of a 'work/craft area' where I store all my nonsense (but kawaii) stuff like pens, papers, and other stationery. I have a huge shelf here (I'll have to show it to you later, when it's already filled up haha!) and a computer table. I also have a white couch which can transform into a bed in case we have additional house guests.

The theme of the room is white and pink but since it's only fifty days before Christmas, I decided to temporarily replace the pinks with the reds.

This couch (or sofa bed) was bought in Ikea. 

It now looks Christmasy noh? And oh I really really love my Hello Kitty Santa! I feel a lot better now.

We only have three bedrooms in this house and I know that in a few years, I would have to give this room to Chicklet (unless we move to a bigger home?). We have a guestroom but we have to reserve that for guests, especially my in-laws who I know will often come to visit us (they are just 3-hours plane ride away). So for the mean time, let me enjoy my Me Room first.

Finally, My Hello Kitty Santa!

Last year, we saw this big Hello Kitty Santa at Walmart. I (of course) wanted to buy it but we were still living in Pod's tiny studio suite then and I had no choice but to content myself with "minimalist living."

Yesterday, while I was 'strolling' at Walmart Stony Plain and browsing through their still raw Christmas shelves, I saw this Hello Kitty Santa again. Just one piece, mind you.

I clearly remember last year' design and I knew it looks exactly the same. "Tira lang kaya ito last year?", I asked myself. I looked at the tag and it states 2014. So they just replicated last year's Christmas design? Parang hindi naman nag-uulit ng design ang Hello Kitty. I doubted din naman kung tira lang ito kasi sobrang in-demand ang Hello Kitty (meron din silang Valentine version na ganito kalaki) at siguradong nauubos.

Oh well, enough of my questions. The plushie looked clean naman so I grabbed and gave it to Ford para bayaran. That  might be my last chance na na makabili nito this year kasi malapit na akong ma-house arrest nang matagal.

Kitty and the Beast

POD -- O ano na naman yan?

BIM -- Hello Kitty Santa Claus haler! 

POD -- Eh aanhin mo naman yan, lalaki naman ang anak mo?

BIM -- Para sa akin yan noh. Pagbigyan mo na ako sus. After ko makapanganak eh hindi na nga ako makakapag-shopping eh. 

POD -- Hay naku, gastos naman!  

That's my husband, makasalita lang haha!

Anyway, the stuffed toy only costs $21 (+5% tax). Not bad for a huge and authentic Hello Kitty item!

I am so excited na picturan si Chicklet sa tabi ni Kitty. His mom is a die hard Hello Kitty fan so he better learn to live with it haha! 

Unconditional Love for Hello Kitty

There's been a worldwide fuss lately about hello kitty "not being a cat." Many people who know that I love hello kitty began messaging me about this controversy...

And my reply:

"Hello kitty may or may not be a cat. Others may accuse her of being a 'fraud.' But still, I love her. Nothing can change that."

Now that's unconditional love haha!

My 2014 Planners

In my attempt to become a more organized person this 2014, I plan on using these three daily.

A stationery lover that I am, I admit to always having a new shiny planner (Starbucks planner for the last few years) at the beginning of every year. However, I normally end up abandoning it even before the second quarter starts. Yes, nakakatamaran ko na. I am sure many can relate to this.

Well I realized that at 34, I am not exactly young. Admittedly, I tend to forget a lot of things already. Sumasabog din tuloy ang utak ko. I have so many plans for this year so I better list everything (I am non-techie so an electronic planner won't work for me).

My three 2014 planners have different purposes:

The Red Planner/Journal will serve as my diary where I would write everything that happened on each and every day. Again, makakalimutin na ako. I have to start documenting my 'everyday life' again (because nobody else will). I can not blog everyday so  mas kumpleto ang documentation sa written diary.

The Hello Kitty Monthly Planner will be my "everyday bitbit" planner. It's small and thin so I can bring it anywhere. It will serve as my scheduler and "quick look" reminder. It obviously lacks space so I will just use post-its for extra notes.

The Weekly Desk Pad Calendar will be placed in our kitchen area (that is, when we move to our town house later this month) which I will share with my husband. This is where we'll put everything that we have to be reminded about - menus, things to buy, house repairs, bills payments, social activities, etc.

By the way, I bought the first two planners in the Philippines. The red one in SM Department Store and the Hello Kitty in National Bookstore. Bringing these planners was a good decision because I found it hard to find a nice but cheap planner here. I am not sure if I am ready for Filofax na (I am not sure if I am a Filofax girl).

I bought the desk calendar at Target. I had to get it because it's 50% off (haha!) and I love its floral design and colors.

I am keeping my fingers crossed na mapanindigan ko ang mga planners na ito this year. Goodluck to me!

Welcome gift package from the Husband

This is such a late post. But it's better late than never, right?

I arrived in Edmonton last November 6 and when we reached my husband's place, this warmly welcomed me...

Isn't my husband the sweetest? We have no other family nor friends to help him welcome me here in Canada so he did everything by himself!

Let me briefly enumerate (and explain) the contents of his welcome gift package:

• PURPLE BALLOON. Balloons make me happy. I prefer balloons over flowers. He chose a purple one because it was our wedding motif. This color eventually became our official couple color.

• LOUIS VUITTON WALLET. He bought this wallet a couple of months ago (when he thought my visa would be released already) and had my initials CRB engraved on it. He said that since I'd be starting a new life here, I will be needing a new wallet to carry my new cards, etc. LV is my favorite luxury brand, by the way. 

• MICHAEL KORS BAG. He purchased this bag weeks ago at Cross Iron Mills in Calgary. I am a bag-lover and a purse never fails to thrill me.

• BMO CREDIT CARD. Ford is not only sweet, he is uber generous as well! He made sure that I'll have my own card (albeit an extension of his card) the moment I arrive. 

• STARBUCKS CARD. The Starbucks card was a recent phenomenon in the Philippines and I was sad that I wasn't able to enjoy it fully yet (I am a self-confessed Starbucks addict). Ford got me a Canadian Starbucks card to wipe away my bitterness haha! 

• DOLLARAMA GIFT CARD. Dollarama is my wasteland! I fell in love with this store last year when I came here in Edmonton for a six-week visit. Haha, my husband knew I would do some Dollarama shopping the moment I arrive so he bought a gift card for me. Aaaaw! 

• SHOPPING MONEY. I didn't have any winter clothes and boots prior to my coming here so the husband promised me some shopping money to buy what I need -- a sort of clothing allowance lol!

• HELLO KITTY COIN BANK. The coin bank actually came from the Philippines (I am a kitty addict, too!). When he went home last January to attend his brother's wedding, he asked me to give him a coin bank so that he can "deposit" a hundred dollar (which later on became two hundred) every pay check. This would be my bag fund, according to him. The day I arrived, that kitty coin bank already contained $4,600! I was amazed! 

• WELCOME BANNER. My husband is left-brained and never creative. Therefore this simple banner was already an effort for him. I can never ask for more.

Thanks so much, Dear! I really really appreciate this! 

I love you and I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. Mwah!