This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it’s advertiser. All opinions are mine. #samsungtargettech #CollectiveBias Back-to-school is just around the corner whether we like it or not, it’s gonna be here any day soon. I will surely miss our slow mornings and homework free nights. But i’m also glad and excited that i could also get some things done without tagging along kids with me. For a mom, going Target shopping without
Simple and Easy Lego Party Ideas
Months ago my son Lucas celebrated his 9th birthday and he wanted a Lego birthday party. So i created one for him ! Yes, i am that kind of mom. I love creating and doing parties for my kids, family and friends. I don’t even know why. I know it’s stressful, time-consuming and a lot of work, but i enjoy it too. It gives me that hum of adrenaline, the excitement on creating something that makes me enjoy the process even though sometimes or most of the time, the whole process is totally not a walk in the park. There is only one thing that makes me feel rewarding when i create a party for people – their happy faces. They don’t have to do anything or say anything, just seeing their happy faces it’s good enough for me. It’s worth it. Since i rebranded this blog, this is the first “Birthday Party” blog post and i’m excited to share more of my kids birthday parties for years to come. Let me start with a very simple and low key Lego theme birthday party that is perfect for busy moms. I pretty much bought and ordered everything. The link is at the bottom of this post to where i bought the products, where the products are from or something similar. Here are the printables i used for this party : Cupcake toppers – download this printable . Thank you favor tags – download this printable. For the dessert table, i bought the chocolate chip cookies and birthday cake at Costco. It’s his favorites. I bought the pompom cake topper at Target. For the cupcakes, i bought it at Kroger. I always ordered the ones with whip frosting because it’s not too sweet at all. I made the letter sugar cookies myself and also made block sugar cookies as party favors. For the Lego cake stand, i made that myself. Ofcourse, i copied it from Pinterest. It didn’t turned out exactly like it, but it’s close enough. As long as it holds the cake right? lol. Here is the recipe for the cut out sugar cookies. It’s thick , soft and very delicious. thick, soft and delicious sugar cookies Products used : Lego Party Pack of 16 – Amazon Lego Party Banner – Target similar here Lego plates – Amazon Letter cookie cutter – Amazon Red and Blue wooden crates – Michaels Decorative Letter L – Michaels similar at Amazon Ceramic vase – Wayfair Chip bowls – Home Goods other option at Wayfair Table runner – Home Goods similar at Wayfair 3 piece tier server – Bed, Bath and Beyond
Create an Outdoor Memorial Day Tablescape with Coca-Cola Share a Coke
This simple, easy and festive party tutorial has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #IceColdSummerMoments Memorial day or Memorial weekend is one of the most celebrated holidays here in United States of America. It is a day of remembrance for those who died in service of the United States. It is also a day when family and friends get together for some outdoor activities, backyard dinner , swimming in the pool or just simply enjoying the time anticipating and looking ahead at summer vacation. If you have been following my blog, you know how much i enjoy entertaining. So creating an outdoor Memorial theme backyard barbecue is a great idea to enjoy cool summer moments with my family. To make this Memorial theme idea happen, i gathered things that i already have that would go with the theme, preferably something red, white and blue. Those colors signifies the American flag. After i gathered the stuffs that i already have that would go with the theme, i made a one stop shopping at my nearest Target and found everything i needed for my Memorial Day theme tablescape. I grab some Coca-Cola™ 20 oz Share a Coke Coca-Cola™ 20 oz Share a Coke with my husband’s name on it. It’s so cool. You know when decorating for family gathering or parties, fun little details counts. It could be a conversation starter that warms up everyone. This year, Share a Coke is back with 1,000 new Share A Coke names featuring First and Last names. ( Here is a Cartwheel offer of 20% off Share a Coke at Target ) The Set Up One of the easiest ways to create a tablescape is by setting the table according to the theme. I wanted to make it simple and easy but also have that patriotic scene around the table to set up the mood. I got most of my stuffs at Target, it was an easy and convenient shopping experience to find everything you need there. These are : Red and white squared plates ( Target ) Blue and white stripes table runner ( Target ) Table cloth ( Target ) Flower vase ( Target ) Place mats ( Target ) Straws ( Target ) Patriotic banner ( Target ) Patriotic candle holder ( owned ) Cups ( owned ) I also wanted to share to you a little step by step graphic tutorial on how to make an Envelope Fold table napkin. It is simple, super easy and it makes your table pretty. Again, it’s the little details. The Food I prepared a backyard barbecue menu which is perfect for a nice summer weather. We enjoyed dining by the patio especially when the sun is starting to set because it creates a nice quaint ambiance. For more summer inspirations go here . Here’s what i prepared: Main dish – Easy Barbecue Chicken Kabobs Simple, easy and delicious chicken barbecue kabobs 2. Side dishes – Potato salad, mixed greens salad, corn muffins and corn in a cob. 3. Dessert – a big bowl of fruits ( strawberries, blueberries and pineapples ). The Company Nothing beats a good companionship and it’s always a great feeling to make memories especially with the ones you love. As a mom, creating memories is everything. Every holidays and occasions, i always make an effort to make it something they would look back for the rest of their lives. I’m sure they would remember how i make it extra special every time. It’s not just about the set up, but it’s about the memories you will make. What about you, who will you be sharing an ice cold Coca-Cola with this summer? Thank you so much for reading and may you have a great summer!
Benefits of Swimming Lessons for Children
*This post is sponsored by Goldfish Swimschool, as usual all opinions are mine. Learning how to swim is an essential tool for every human being. It is a must ! I can’t imagine any of us in our family not knowing how to swim and the sooner you know how to swim, the better. Today, i’m sharing the benefits of swimming lessons for our children. Safety – We all know that our world is surrounded with water and we are usually around with water. Being able to know how to swim is essential and i can’t stress enough the importance of it. The younger they know how to swim, the better. You will just never know, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Remember, you can’t always be there. Learning to swim may save their life one day Confidence – Being able to know how to swim as a young child boost their confidence. Even though they might not be interested to make swimming as a sport but the fact that they know how to swim, it makes them feel good about themselves, which helps children to become self-confident and believe in their abilities A great workout – there are so many variables on how much exactly the calories you will burn during swimming. I can’t give you an exact numbers but as far as i know the more your weigh, the more you burn. It is also a healthy lifestyle that you promote to your kids. In swimming, you are moving multiple muscle groups in high intensity cardio workout. It also releases endorphins, which aid in decreasing depression and improving moods. Social development – let’s face it, our kids will enjoy better playing in the pool with their peers if they know how to swim rather than just sitting on the side. It’s an awkward position to be in for our child if they don’t enjoy spending time in the water while the others are. I truly feel a sense satisfaction when i gave my child a tool that will serve them well through out the rest of their life. It is definitely a rewarding feeling. Thank you so much for reading and have a great day!
Simple Easter Tablescape
I hope you had a nice Easter Sunday yesterday! Here in Michigan, we celebrated Easter in a beautiful 70 degrees F weather. It couldn’t be any better than that in celebrating the day the lord has risen. I woke up so early around 6 a.m. . Took out the kids Easter baskets that i prepared the night before and set up our Easter dinner table. When they woke up, they were so happy and excited when they saw the Easter basket. Ofcourse, it was attacked right away. I also spread Easter eggs around the house and we did egg our annual egg hunt. It was a lot of fun ofcourse. When i was growing up in the Philippines, we never have this kind of tradition. We celebrate Easter just like here in America where everybody in the family gathered around and have lots of food. But there was no Easter egg hunt, Easter baskets nor Easter bunny. I didn’t even know about all that till i got here in the states. There was no social media back then, so it was kind of living in a bubble. Now that i have kids, it’s a great tradition to keep year after year. It’s also fun way to celebrate Easter. After we did our Easter egg hunt, we went to church. Then we took the kids to the playground, then we came home and prepared our Easter dinner. As usual, i love setting up tablescapes every occasion. Here is my previous one last Thanksgiving and this one last Christmas. I enjoyed every bit of it. It doesn’t have to be super glamorous and over the top but i love creating tablescapes. Thanks to Pinterest for all the inspirations. Since it’s spring season, i decorated and use everything in pastel colors. Dinnerware set : Kohls / silverwares : Kohls / placemats : Kohls cake stand: Bed,Bath and Beyond / serving rack : Macy’s table cloth: Home Goods / table runner : Home Goods / table napkins : Home Goods bunny vase table decor : Kohls / large bowl vase : Amazon / glass vase for the eggs : Dollar Store curtains : Kohls (sold out ) in blue color here / banner : Hobby Lobby Easter baskets : Target / throw blanket : Target April’s wrap around maxi dress : Francesca’s ( sold out) other option here / Steve’s shirt : Tommy Hilfiger / Lucas’s polo shirt : Crazy 8 Olivia’s dress : Target ( last year ) Thank you so much for reading and have a great day! *this post contains affiliate links that i make commission of, to help support the blog
Why Teach Reading Early
Why teach reading early? Well, let me tell you first that I am not an expert of child education or anything like that, nor a super mom. But I just wanted to share to you my thoughts as a mom. We all know that reading is important and it’s always a good thing that our child learns how to read early in life. I believe that introducing and exposing them to books is a great way for our kids to learn how to read.
Underwater Discoveries at Sea Life Michigan
This is a continuation from my previous post which is our visit at Legoland Discovery Center Michigan. Read about my last post here , if you want to know more about our Legoland Michigan adventure. Today, I’m going to talk about our visit at Sea Life Michigan . Like I said from my previous post, you can do both attractions in one day but we did ours on separate weekends because we started late when we went to Legoland and we didn’t have enough time left to go to Sea Life. But you can definitely do both in one day. I believe we spent 4 hours in Legoland and 2 hours in Sea Life. So, whatever works for you. What can you expect in Sea Life Michigan ? The exhibit have over 250 different species . They have both fresh water and salt water exhibit. A total of 10 exhibits you can explore. As you go to every exhibit, children are also encouraged to collect stamps when they find the special stations. When they fill their books, they are awarded a special take-away for their achievement. It’s pretty cool, the kids get excited everytime they spot a stamping station. At the Interactive Touchpool , you can touch crabs, starfish and sea urchins. The kids were so amaze with the starfish. Just don’t touch the corals and don’t forgot to wash your hands after, there is a sink right next to it. We love the educational talks and feeding demonstration time, it’s quite interesting to learn a thing or two about some creatures. Like how to feed them, how they live and just fun facts about the specie. The staffs are also friendly, accomodating and thoroughly know their craft. Check out the demonstration schedules here. Your tickets are already included in this, you don’t have to pay extra. Among all the creatures here, my kids love the sharks, stingrays , turtle, starfish and jelly fish. Can you spot Dory? The Sea Life Michigan exhibit is not comparable to any aquarium exhibit you see elsewhere because it has it’s own unique twist to make it more fun, enjoyable and interactive for everyone most especially for the kids. Each exhibit is elaborately designed with its own theme. My kids enjoyed the shipwreck exhibit because it looks like you are in a pirate ship. One thing you can’t do on some exhibits is taking flash photography, that explains why some of these photos are kind of dark. Sea Life Michigan is not just an aquarium that you only get look around but also they made it fun and interactive for young kids. It’s like a big underwater playground for them. Their favorite thing to do is to go in the tunnels of the aquariums (which they have tons of them) to get an underwater view. It’s actually pretty cool. After we did the aquarium, the kids went to the jungle gym playground, they played there for 15 mins. As we headed out, we went to the store and they were rewarded with medals when they submitted their stamp books. We had a great time at Sea Life Michigan and it’s something we would love to do it again! Also, if you want to have a birthday party here, they can cater to that too. Go here . I hope you find my post helpful in giving you an idea on what to expect in Sea Life. Thank you so much for reading and have a great day! *This is a sponsored post by Sea Life Michigan . As usual, all thoughts and opinions are mine.
What to do at Legoland Discovery Center Michigan
Spring is just around the corner and so is Spring break! For us parents with little ones and opted for a staycation in Michigan, it’s always a great idea to take our kids for a little weekend adventure. My kids are Lego fanatics, so when we got the opportunity to partner with Legoland Discovery Center Michigan they were jumping with joy and excitement. Every kid or atleast most kids love Legos. Well, this place is a gem to all Lego lovers out there! First of all, I was really amazed with the interactive models of the Detroit area landmarks. We were in awe, on how they create and build these models and also I’m wondering how long it took them to put all these little bricks together. It is just amazing ! Anyways, let’s cut to the chase and proceed on…. What to do in Legoland Discovery Center Michigan Discover Miniland – this area is an art show gallery of all the models that are made with Lego bricks. We love the interactive models featuring Detroit area landmarks, the kids had fun playing with them. Their favorite is the Comerica Park. Also, it’s so cool to watch the miniland changes from day to night. How cool are those skyscrapers made with Lego bricks behind my kids’ photo. Yes, they are huge. It’s mind boggling how they do this. It took me forever to build just a house that one time, I’m just not so patient. My husband is the one who assisted my kids with their Legos. But my son Lucas, is the Lego expert in our house. He is so patient and so good in building his Legos, his desk is filled with Lego models he built himself. I’m so proud that he is passionate on what he likes to do and also credits to my husband for helping him build his Legos when he was still 3 years old. As time goes by he learned and he started to create and build things on his own. 2. Creative Workshop – A master builder is assigned for you to learn some Lego building techniques. It’s pretty cool to watch the participants did the workshop. You just have to watch out for the time slot of the workshop. We intend to do the workshop but we keep missing it, but it’s a great thing to do. 3. Play at the Duplo Farm, Earthquake tables and Lego Friends – My kids had a blast in this area and the most we spend our time on. They go back and forth going through the Duplo Farm, Earthquake tables and Lego Friends. They are all right next to each other, so it wasn’t hard to keep an eye on both kids. This is the Earthquake table, when you press a button the table will mimic an Earthquake movement. By that, it will shake the blocks. The kids enjoyed this a lot, especially Olivia. As you can tell by the picture on top. This is the Lego Friends area, my little girl enjoyed playing with the villages, buildings, cafes and automobiles. Olivia was in Lego Friends high. This is the Duplo Farm, they have a mini playground for the little kids and huge Lego blocks, almost like a life size. Olivia made a chair out of these giant blocks but I didn’t get to take a picture of it, blogger fail. I wonder what I was doing that time. I can’t believe i didn’t get to take a picture of it, that would have been so cool. You know the saying nowadays, if there’s no photo it didn’t happened. 4. Lego Build and Race – This is my son Lucas’ favorite area of all, he probably can hang out here all day. You build your own race car then you race it. As you can tell by this photo, he is in deep concentration and determined to win a race. Go Lucas go! 5. Watch 4-d Cinema – in this Cinema we get to experience with rain, wind and even snow, all under one roof. We watched the Legends of Chima at that time and my little girl was so funny, she keep on trying to reach the 4d characters, thinking she can grab it with her hands. It’s so cute to watch her.We all love this 4D theater experience. 6. Ride the Kingdom Quest and Merlin Apprentice Ride – we had a blast on these rides, I love the Kingdom Quest the most because all four of us can get into one ride. The Merlin Apprentice is awesome too. Ofcourse, the kids had the time of their lives. Who doesn’t love rides? Most of us do! 7. Eat at the Cafe – if you are hungry or your kids are hungry, you don’t have to go out to grab something to eat. They have sandwiches, salads and sweet treats. They have coffee and other beverages. 8. Play at the Jungle Gym – the fun never stops with these two kids. They were happily climbing, sliding and playing with other kids. If you got toddlers, it’s better to have them play at the Duplo Farm because even my 4 years old was having a hard time here. Unless if you want to go in the jungle gym too with your little one. The school aged kids had a blast here though. 9. Shop at the Lego Store – after all the fun activities, it’s time to go shopping. Shop till you drop ! We truly enjoyed our experience at Legoland. As you can tell on my sons’ photo on top, he looks tired and worn out but his eyes and his smile is glowing with happiness. My little girl on the other hand, was already in her stroller and kind of cranky. She was ready to retire from a long day of fun. This smile from my son is truly the joys of parenthood that outweighs the stress of parenthood. We all know that our day to day life as parents
Our Goldfish Swim School Experience
When we first walked- in to Goldfish Swim School, we were greeted with a colorful room decorated with fun tropical style decors. The first thing that came out from Olivia’s mouth was ” Wow! “. Right there, my little girl was already impressed with everything she saw – the big swimming pool with streamers all over, the little play area and the faux palm tree in the middle of the room which she taught was real. The room is so fun and inviting for the kids especially the little ones. At the reception desk, the receptionist walked us through the whole process of how their class works. She was thorough in giving us details of all the information we need. Then we went to the changing rooms that looks like cabanas, Olivia loves the colorful doors. She thought they look like playhouses. Then, we were guided in this big hallway with chairs around this big glass walls. It is the waiting area for parents while they watch their kids doing their swimming lessons. It is so cool how they set it up that way. You will never missed out anything with your child. Since it was Olivia’s first day, I went in the swimming pool room with her instead of me sitting in the waiting room. I figured, it will make her comfortable and at ease for me to be there during her first class. The last thing I want to happen is her shedding some tears on the first day. So I was glad that the instructor is very understanding. During her first session, the instructor taught the kids how to get comfortable in the water. There were three kids in the class, he gave each kid a pool toy that they could play on the side while taking turns on taking each kid in the water and do some lessons. It was pretty quick, the kids didn’t get bored and my daughter enjoyed playing with her pool toy Aurora. When it was her turn, she did amazing in following the instructions and I am so proud of her ! Since Olivia is in Junior 1 (3-4 years old) , I figured that I share to you what they will cover in this age group. No tears in swim class for 3 consecutive lessons Barbell kicking Breath Control in Underwater Dip -10 seconds Superman Glide – 5 ft Sea Otter Back Float – 5 seconds (assisted) Octopus Front Float – 5 seconds (assisted) Pulling paddle- 5 ft crab walk climb out ” elbow, elbow, tummy, knee ” ( assisted) jump, turn, swim to the wall ( assisted) Rollover from-to-back ( assisted ) Rollover back- to – front ( assisted ) Just like any regular report card, they have a skill level to pass so they can move on to the next class/level. This has been our second week in the class. So far, she has been so good. She really enjoyed the class and she always looks forward to it. Check out their programs HERE for corresponding classes your child belongs to. They also offer family swim time schedule everyday, where you can enjoy swimming with your kids and the whole family. You can even invite your friends during family swim time! Isn’t that a great idea to have a playdate here ? I think so too. After her lessons, I gave her a quick shower, changed her clothes and dried her hair by their hair drying section. I really like how they designed and set up the whole place. It was kid friendly, fun, inviting, clean and well maintained. Their main focus are the kids and we all know that working with kids is not always easy. So, big credits for this guys for making swimming class fun and exciting. If you forget any swimming gears, they have everything in their little swim shop. They have bathing suits for boys and girls, googles, t-shirts, towels, backpacks, toys, sweaters, tote bags and diapers. During our first day in class, they gave us a big tote bag with a t-shirt, a pair of googles and some little goodies in it. We really enjoyed our Goldfish experience so far. So stay tune for more as we share it through our blog and social medias from time to time about our amazing experience here at Goldfish Swim School . Check out this video tour of their facility. They have different locations nationwide. In Michigan alone they have nine locations ! Thank you so much for reading and have a great day! *Thank you Goldfish Swim School for sponsoring this post. However, I only accept services and products that would benefit my readers. As usual, all opinions are mine.
Lunchtime with Eatpak’d and a Giveaway!
As a mom, I always have that dilemma on my kids lunches for school. I want to provide food that is healthy but takes a lot of time to create, so sometimes I end up providing food that is convenient but low in nutritional value. Guilty!