It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

When I was in grade school, we always have a project called Paper Poinsettia before Christmas. We used red crepe paper cut in the shape of each petal. Then we paste 2 pieces together with thin wire and tied 5-6 petals with yellow 'nectar' to form one flower. The last step is to wrap the stem with green crepe paper to complete the project. We need at least 3 flowers to submit to the teacher. It was fun doing it but sometimes when the red and green color of the crepe paper stays in my hand even after washing them, I wished I could just buy a real poinsettia to bring to school.

Now that we have our own home and Christmas is just around the corner, I thought of the poinsettia. I wanted a real Poinsettia on our foyer to welcome guests and remind them that Christmas is here. We saw pots of them on sale here and we didn't have second thoughts on buying it. Here's how it looked on our console table:





We have put up our Christmas tree and assembled the Christmas village in our living room. Lito and the kids wanted to include Thomas the Train so the village was completed with rail tracks. Our holiday has started, celebration of the kids and Lito's birthday and Christmas parties to come. It's going to be a busy season.

"All I need to see standing by my Christmas tree"

Miss Clearance

I admit I'm a shopaholic. Sometimes I just want to go to a store, browse thru the racks and check out the items. It started when I was stressed in the office or domestic and I found myself going to the shopping mall to unwind. You wouldn't believe that it gives me a different kind of high just hearing the sound of hangers and the cash registers LOL. It came to a point that I needed to hold on to my cash and cards but I didn't give up on shopping. Actually, it paved the way for me to discover the one part of the store that I've been ignoring but is worth browsing too - the clearance racks. I also learned about the ukay-ukay or second hand stores from the internet and bought items there like winter jackets before going to the US last 2008.

Now that I am here in Canada even if I have my own job and can purchase from my pocket, I maintained that frugality in shopping. Lito and I were not into signature brands (although I found out that the vintage stores here in Canada carry lots of cheap branded items) and are not picky when it comes to buying pre-loved items. We got our Joovy Caboose, Evenflo highchair and some branded toys like Little Tikes, Playskool, Fisher Price etc. for the kids from garage sales and second-hand baby stores.

I went to Goodwill->pre-loved items store last Friday where I found nice home decor items - IKEA frames for a dollar each and decorative mirror for our new apartment. I just hope these items are still there when I go back on Friday because it's additional 50% off on all items. My BFF Joy also told me about Value Village, also a pre-loved items store along Lawrence Avenue. This store is very nice you wouldn't think it's a used items store. The items are organized per category, per size and color. I liked the furnitures and I also found nice but big toys for the kids - kids bike for 10 dollars, a little tikes plastic bike for Lex worth 7 dollars. It will be hard for me to bring them home and besides, we'll be moving. Maybe next time. Here's the one toy I wouldn't pass up, when I saw it I already felt it's perfect for my Lex - an IKEA brand abacus toy, almost new and the price tag is wallet friendly (see the tag?) You know, a shopaholic like me never comes out the store empty handed hahaha.

Christmas and toys for my boys

Thank you Jesus for this day, Happy Birthday! The day started with opening of gifts and the kids enjoyed the toys they received most of them their request. Last night, they opened their Megabloks toys (Tiny Tuff and Lightning and Mack). Today, Aloy got his farm and Kyle got his Elmo guitar. Both of them also received a Fire Fighter and Construction/ Engineer gear. Aloy also received a real binocular which we can use when we go to Baguio later this week. It was a busy day for my boys, playing and enjoying their latest toys.

Toys for the boys

After sleeping over at mom’s, I miss my kids and I felt giving them something to make up for the one night I was not with them. Wendy asked me to accompany her in buying things for Candy at Rustan’s ATC and I ended up buying toys for the boys. I like one of them, it was a sale toy videoke with 2 mics and a cassette player that sounded llike a real one and I bought it for only P 600. My kids loved it. Kuya Miggy tried singing along the Nursery Rhymes I put on the cassette. The toy videoke machine had 3 buttons that produces 3 different sounds (claps, laughter and boos). Kyle was busy playing with these buttons while Aloysius sang.

Christmas is for Kids

Eversince Irvin and Faye arrived for the holidays, my kids' christmas already started. Their pasalubong included lots of toys for the kids and looks like it's never-ending. Today, we went toy shopping (again) at ATC and checked out the new Toys R Us store but eventually bought from Rustan's. The CAT version of a Megabloks Construction station - a Tower Crane almost as tall as Achilles and a TOMY Rescue Truck added to our collection of Megabloks and TOMY toys. I wished I was young again. It was a different feeling looking forward to receiving gifts and goodies rather than giving them (although it also gives a different sense of satisfaction) Here is a proof of joy in my kids eyes:

Pampa

Pampa is the name of the mascot of Pampers diapers. It's an elephant, the first stuffed toy that Aloysius received when he was still a baby. It was mailed to me by P&G when I submitted empty Pampers wrappers as proof of purchase. Since then, Aloy called all his stuffed or furry toys Pampa, (One of Kyle's first words is also Pampa). I used to be against playing stuffed toys because it's not good for the kids health and it's a girls toy but when I realized that these toys are also their comfort toys (they can't sleep without it), I let them play as long as it is not too furry.

Thomas train etc...

My sons are lucky because Lito and I are also fond of toys that's why each time we have a chance, (and money or vice versa hahaha) we buy them toys. Toys are also investments esp when you are collecting. Their value increases as time goes by. But for us seeing their faces in wonder at the sight of a new toy, that's priceless. Instead of us buying toys that will be broken after a few months, we buy TOMY trains. Our enthusiasm started when Aloysius received his first TOMY train set when he was still 3 years old. We had acquired different tracks, accessories and trains eversince (My favorite is Thomas and Henry). Now, our train set can fill up our whole room (it's not really that big). I just wish that our kids learn how to keep them properly after playing...kapagod! Paging Aloysius' and Achilles' ninongs and ninangs, you can add to our collection of TOMY trains, hehehe.