Crafts/DIY: Upcycling Binder Clips

One of my nieces had a birthday party, and I helped out with creating dish names for the buffet table, as well as the thank you tags for the party favors. I used my trusty old Nikko G nib, McCaffery's black ink and some Avery two-side printable clean cut business card paper. The paper was great for calligraphy. The ink didn't bleed, and I didn't have to worry about fibers being stuck to my nib.

The Avery paper was the perfect size for the favor gift tags and the dish names. I added some blush pink border to the dish names below to make it prettier. I also played around with my new stock of Italian crepe paper to make the paper flowers below.

I asked my sister-in-law if she had any place card holders on hand. It was the most adorable gold chair place card holder, and she only had one. Bummer.

I came up with using binder clips. But we know how binder clips come in the most plain, boring colors right? The party was very pink and we had to transform these clips into pretty colors quickly. My other niece has a collection of Duck Tape (yep, that is the brand name, so you know I'm not just barok. I am, most of the time. Haha!) that's printed. We covered the binder clips with it and they looked nicer in just minutes. By the way, washi tape will definitely work too.

There you go. Instant place card holders.

Why I Love Maleficent

*Warning: Spoilers ahead

I was looking forward to watching Maleficent ever since I heard about it. I was especially excited about how they were planning to retell the Sleeping Beauty story in the eyes of Maleficent.

I've been a fan of Disney movies, and truth be told, Maleficent is one of the most bad ass villains out there. She put a curse on a baby girl for crying out loud.

If that's not enough, Angelina's cheekbones errr Angelina Jolie plays Maleficent. Seriously, I couldn't stop looking at them on the movie poster (and the movie).

I went with my family and a couple of my titas to watch the movie up in Rockwell, courtesy of PLDT Home DSL.

Needless to say, I love the movie! I'd watch it again and again and again. It scraps the boy-meets-girl-and-falls-in-love-instantly premise, but hangs on to the happy ever after ending. The story revolved around love, betrayal, revenge and remorse. Maleficent finds love in Stefan. Stefan betrays her to be king. Maleficent puts a curse on Stefan's daughter Aurora. Stefan goes crazy and sends Aurora to the woods in the care of three silly fairies. Maleficent secretly looks after the girl. Maleficent wishes the curse to be broken and fails. Aurora pricks her finger and sleeps. Prince comes along and kisses her; nothing happens. Maleficent is sorry and kisses her forehead. Aurora wakes up.

This strong maternal love shown between Princess Aurora and Maleficent turned around the villainous idea of Maleficent into the hero that she really is. It focused on motherly love and that you can find true motherly love in the least likely of places.

This is why I think Maleficent makes a great family movie.

It was Allie's second time to watch inside a movie theater, and her first time to watch an entire movie without asking for her tablet. Yeah, we bring her own tablet and a pair of headphones as backup entertainment. It has some of her favorite cartoons and kiddie apps in it. Daddy E helped install these for Allie back at home with a PLDT Home DSL connection I kid you not. :) It even has Skype in it so when Daddy is in the office, Allie can talk to him on video.

It's little things like these that help us connect with each other as a family. Yes, just like the PLDT Home DSL TV commercial "Ask Diego". The commercial features a young, very techie family doing things together online to help each other out. Diego is the little boy with his own advice column, where his family helps answer. Real cute, by the way. His parents monitor the page, so you need not worry about that. Check it out on www.facebook.com/AskDiego.

We've had PLDT Home DSL since we moved back here, and so far, so good. If you want to have your own strong, reliable family-sized connection of PLDT Home DSL, visit www.pldthome.com.

Thank you PLDT Home DSL for inviting me and my family to spend time together.

Pouf-a-Palooza

I love poufs. Poufs make me happy. I literally was looking at all the poufs on One King's Lane all afternoon admiring each one. Here are just a few of them. They all look lovely right? Don't you just feel like you want to relax on the pouf and read your favorite summer book?

Well, I do.

One King's Lane asked me to style a room based on one special pouf of my choice. I picked the Abigail Round Pouf.

The room I came up with is a small reading room. I imagined it to have a white modern desk with vibrant home accessories. Here's the mood board I made.

I started with the pouf and played around with the accessories. I chose the big items first and went on from there.

I wanted a modern white desk, and this Alba X-Leg Desk fit the bill. It has modern "X" legs that I love. The drawers reminded me of the Parsons desk. A yellow rug with a subtle pattern was what I had in mind to ground all the items together. The Zeus Flat-Weave Rug is perfect. The color is a bit mustard and the pattern mirrors the desk's legs.

On the wall, I opted for a bluish rectangular mirror. I think this went perfectly with the turquoise bookshelf that was a steal at less than $60.

As for the small accessories, I wanted a bit of metal and color, so I chose the following: a chrome lamp and a green ceramic artichoke for the table. I picked an  oversized jack to display on the bookshelf because I just love them, and white will just pop out from the blue bookshelf. Of course, a couple of bookends is a must, and these pinecones ones work, especially if they're just $15. I also got a trio of boxes for storage in pink, and a hydrangea arrangement to bring some outdoors in.

Well, this is just my mood right now. It's kinda gloomy here in my side of the world, so I wanted some vibrant colors for my reading room. What would you choose? Drop by One King's Lane and I'm sure that you'll find what you're looking for.

Images courtesy of One King's Lane.

It Was a Sige Sabado Kind of Saturday

Allie and I love doing arts and crafts, so when I got a package, imagine my excitement when I saw what was inside. It was a Sige Sabado playbox from Breeze Philippines. There were all sorts of materials for various craft activities:

1. Tie dye kit 

2. Harlequin mask 

3. Raise a monggo plant 

4. Dinosaur egg bath soaps 

5. Popsicle names and pen holder 

6. Slime 

7. Animal balloon papier mache 

8. Chocolate drawing

I asked Allie what she wanted to do and she said she wanted to make the pen holder. I guess she was attracted to the colorful popsicle sticks and the stickers that came with it.

I started showing her how to do it by making a square base first, then stacking the sticks two at a time. She helped out by handling me the sticks I needed. Halfway through the project, she was the one putting the sticks together while I applied the glue.

When we finished the basic container, I gave her the stickers so she can decorate the pen holder. Well, if you can’t tell yet, stickers are her favorite so I let her go decorate the pen holder like crazy.

Don’t you think she did an awesome job? We can’t wait to do the next project. Maybe we’ll plant some monggo seeds next or maybe do the tie dye project. It will surely keep us busy before school starts. We love the Sige Sabado playbox. It really gave us more ways to spend some time together. Thanks Breeze Philippines!

My Top 10 Baby Must-Haves

I've been often asked what I bought for Allie when I had her. It was my first time being a mom and I must say I overbought. Whenever I found something adorable in the store, I bought it. But in the long-run, I learned that there's only a handful of items that I actually needed.

So here is my top 10 list with my trusted brands that I definitely recommend to all moms out there who are about to have a baby.

No. 1 Baby Must-Have: Diapers

Pampers, for me, is, by far, the best disposable diaper for babies. I've tried countless brands, and I still go back. It's a brand I trust, because it hasn't failed me yet. I always get the Active Baby kind (purple) or Swaddlers (US version). I found that they're more comfy for my baby. You can never have enough so make sure you add this to your gift registry, if ever you have one.

If you like the reusable diaper kind, I suggest you get the adjustable ones like BumGenius with washable cotton inserts. It's a one-size fits all type of cloth diapers. Before buying though, you have to be sure that you can go through washing them every time they're soiled. I would say at least 20 pieces would last you until your child is potty-trained.

No. 2 Baby Must-Have: Desitin

At some point, your baby might get diaper rash. The one I get is Desitin Maximum Strength. Anything with zinc oxide, really, but I tried a British brand, and that one did not stick to my baby's bum as well as Desitin. So whenever I go to the US, I make it a point to buy a couple. It lasts really long too.

No. 3 Baby Must-Have: Baby Bottles

I've been a fan of Life Factory glass bottles, and I always, always recommend these to my friends and family. They have cute silicone sleeves that help prevent breakage. They're easy to clean too. I really don't remove the sleeve when I clean them. 

No. 4 Baby Must-Have: Bottle Cleaner

I've tried all kinds of bottle cleaners, and the one problem that keeps on popping up is the bottle stand. Most bottle brushes don't have stands nor containers. Some have the stand, but it's a pain when traveling. When I discovered the Oxo Tot On-the-Go Drying Rack with Bottle Brush, I was so relieved. It not only solved my problem at home, but I can also easily pack it in my bag when we travel. I couldn't leave home without it. Dig this -- you can buy the brush separately too so when it's time to retire it, you can get a new brush easily without having to buy the drying rack again. I wish, though, that they sell it here because I'm sure a lot of moms will truly love this.

No. 5 Baby Must-Have: Baby Wash

The gentle kind is always the best. I've been a Johnson's Baby lover, and I use the Head-to-Toe wash for my baby. Sometimes I use the Shea scent because it's just so awesome. I also love the lavender scent or the milk one. I really don't have a favorite as long as it's from Johnson's Baby because of their no-tears formula.

No. 6 Baby Must-Have: Halo Sleepsack

Forget those adorable crib beddings and opt for the Halo Sleepsack. They do the same thing and they're safer for your baby. Halo Sleepsacks are wearable blankets that help prevent SIDS. 

No. 7 Baby Must-Have: Infant Car Seat

The car seat we got was from Baby Trend. We got hooked with the triangular handle and the easy snap on and off from the car base. The triangular handle made it easy to carry, and I know that you will do this pretty often, so might as well make it comfortable. 

No. 8 Baby Must-Have: Stroller

I have no regrets buying our Bumbleride Indie. It's an all-around stroller and very easy to maneuver on the streets. Even on uneven sidewalks. One thing to remember is that you got to make sure that your car seat is compatible with the stroller.

No. 9 Baby Must-Have: Baby Bag

My advice? Get a manly baby bag so your hubby can carry it without him being embarrassed. Haha. We got ours from Diaper Dude.

No. 10 Baby Must-Have: Crib or a Co-Sleeper

I love having the baby inside our room, but we didn't have enough room for a crib, so we got a play yard. If you have a nursery, get a crib that can transform into a toddler bed so you can use it way after.

The most important thing to check first is to see if there are product recalls on the product you wish to buy. Please check Consumer Safety Product Safety Commission first.

I guess you're wondering about baby clothes. I have a close-knit family, and I get tons of hand-me-downs and gifts from family. As for milk, try to feed your baby breast milk. If you do and find it easy, try to express milk using a pump. I suggest getting a Medela for this one. It's a brand I have no issues with. 

So that's my list. I hope this helps!