Safari themed candy buffet

Reese will have a swimming party for his first birthday and it would be more sensible to have an under the sea theme.However, I didn't want to over do the whole "blue vibe"- blue water, blue decor..might as well ask guests to come in blue. ahehehe.. Hence, I decided to go for a safari theme because of the wealth of decor possibilities.

Another thing that got me "hooked" were safari themed candy buffet decors! Candy buffets are prone to look very girly, probably because of the color of the candies and since most buffets are done by ladies and so I was thankful for a theme that would make our darling's candy spread all macho. :D

Case in point: The spread's mostly blue but it looks very dainty, doesn't it?

Here are some ideas that I found online which I plan to combine for Reese's candy buffet:

Notice that safari themed parties are big on orange and green....

and animal prints! loads and loads of animal prints!

Of course, the candy buffet won't be complete without cutie patootie containers

How creative...ah coco-nut nut!

Just thinking about all the things I have to do makes me anxious and very excited at the same time..Does anyone want to volunteer as my assistant in getting the decors ready? ahahahaa..

Chop-chop as I search for more scoops! :D

Pools for Rent in SJDM/Lagro/Fairview/Nova Area

*Updated on Feb 04 2014
Our baby Reese is a water baby. We hope we have the energy to take a video of him every morning before bath time. You should see how he gets all worked up knowing that bath time is about to follow- he wont stop jumping, he doesnt cry even if water gets in his eyes and he has "crazy eyes" even after we've dressed him up. Adding the fact that he wont remember it if we spend on a fastfood party, we decided to have a swimming party.

I so loooooove this photo because Reese looks like he's catching fish! :)

A private pool in Pansol would have been a more practical choice but we had to factor in the fact that particular guests did not have private cars and we would hate for them to miss the party because of that. So I summoned my googling powers yet again to look for pools that are somewhat within our area. Here's a rundown of the ones we checked, in decreasing order of preference:

1. "Lagro Swimming Pool"

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lagro-Swimming-Pool/130406040376571

If you clicked the link, then you would know that it's name, is, in fact, Lagro Swimming Pool. It just felt weird that the owner did not have(or fought off?) the urge to name the place something significant or unique. Anyway, this place is a stone's throw away from us.

Ocular Notes: The place was okay it looked like it can accomodate about 60-80 people, based on my initial assesment of the place. They said day swimming rate is 7500, good for 7am-5pm

2. Casa Milan Clubhouse

I have a friend whose family hosted his sister's debut here and his feedback wasnt so good but this is still very close to our house so I would like to keep it at the top my list.

credits to the owner

Ocular Notes: We decided not to include this in our choices anymore because of the inconvenience to guests. Since it is situated inside a private subdivision, guests without cars cannot visit the place easily

3. Aquaboy Resort

https://www.facebook.com/AquaboyResort

This is in Zabarte, which is about 15 minutes away from our house. The name doesnt do very well with me since it sounds very super hero-ish, but setting that aside, the place looks amazing.

Ocular Notes:

4. Casa Aurelia

https://www.facebook.com/CasaAurelia

Please do not ask me how I came to know about this resort because I just jumble the search words and somehow, I saw this. ahehehe! This place is about 20 minutes away from our house and it sounds promising because 1) It looks very similar to pansol private resorts and 2) some cousins have been here before, but I have yet to ask them how it was.

Ocular Notes:

5. A few private resorts in Fairview

These are about 20-30 minutes away from our house and they are all posted in sulit, so I have yet to check the name and other details

6. Kamarin Events Venue
Zabarte Road, boundary of Caloocan and Quezon City
Came across this place while looking for the resort where my sister will join her classmates. They also have an event hall, which according to the staff can accommodate 60-80 but in my opinion, can only comfortably fit 40-60,depending on the setup.

Ocular Notes: The pool was bigger than the others we've checked but I think there would be less space for guests. Price given was 5,800 for day rate good for 8am-5pm

Sorry that the some ocular notes are still blank.. We would do the oculars again real soon so I'd update them again in the future. Chop chop!

Writing Itch and our son's first birthday coming up!

I have a load of unfinished posts and as they say in the vernacular, tambak na! Honestly, I have pending write ups about a ton of things- from resto reviews to wedding related posts but with everything else going on, I just dont have the energy to properly finish a write up. And so my writing itch has been growing everyday so today, I decided I MUST PUBLISH SOMETHING

Luickily, I finally have a few things I can actually finish writing about. I finally got my Starbucks planner yesterday(which caused sleepness nights due to caffeine overdose and ruined budgets) and so I got very excited at the prospect of finally getting started with the planning of Reese's first birthday party!

I dont want to say much since I'm planning to blog about our selection process of every supplier and the flow of the actual event, but here are some pictures to give you an idea

So I guess you can say that I just got a booster of stage mother hormones, if you know what I mean.. Hihihih

Expect more entries to come about this birthday party planning. Ciao!

Zark's Burger- TAFT

I went to DOLE NCR this morning to process my boss' permit and was contemplating on whether I'd buy a BK stunner for my lunch or settle for a carinderia meal somewhere in front of the Bureau of Immigration(my next stop)..I was about to ride an fx, looked up and saw their logo and I decided to give it a go..After all, I rarely say no to an opportunity to have an awesome burger! Here are my notes to my first (and definitely not my last visit) to their Taft branch:

The Place:

'Twas my first visit and I was going up, I was still on the steps of the stairs but the smell was already very strong and inviting. Probably because of the structure of the building, their space reminds you a lot of a computer shop, only instead of the game posters, their posters are taped all over the place.

As you walk in, you'll be reminded a lot of a burger joint or watering hole in American shows and movies that you see- counter on the left side, small cozy tables and a live NBA game on the TV in the corner.

The Menu:

I was given a menu and true enough, there were about a dozen burger variations- the upper half choices are more "conservative", slightly bigger than your fastfood burgers, with a few similarities and distinctions that tell them apart. The bottom half were for those who crave for more- including their jawbreaker- which from research, I have gained to be one of their best sellers and surely seems to live up to its name.

I went for the Classic American burger which costs 120- with BLT and their classic patty. Add 20 and you get fries and an iced tea as well.

My lunch for that day. Yumyum!

They have unique dessert offering such as the fried mars and fried snickers and though I was interested to try them, they were a bit pricey at 125.

The burger:
The size of the burger was good enough-as I said, slightly bigger than your fastfood burger but not too big. What I hate about these type of burgers is that it's almost impossible to have every ingredient in one bite-on one bite, I had a looooooooooooong stretch of bacon that took at least 3 minutes to chew(hihihihi) and on another, it was all ketchup, buns and lettuce. Nonetheless, I knew that each ingredient was fresh and meticulously picked..and I loved it

A closer look: there was so much more bacon in person... ^_^

The fries:
Not much to say, except that they were fresh and not your "fast food" french fries that are so freakin thin and taste the same after a few days. These babies were freshly peeled potatoes and by the quantity, I'd say they used two small potatoes for every order.

Notes:
I wish the place would look more like a burger place from the outside. Like I said, it looked like a computer shop rather than a burger joint.
I'm not sure if I didnt notice it or there really werent any, but I'd love for their menu to have shakes and the like, to complete that American burger joint vibe.

My work entails a lot of visits to DOLE NCR so I know for a fact that this was just the first of many visits to come. See u soon Zark's burgers!

Because a Facebook status is not enough...

Tomorrow, Reese will go on his first swimming trip and I was about to post a Facebook status but from all the things I wanted to say, it was getting longer and longer so I decided to just blog...

I can't believe it's been 6 months since he came to our lives, 6 months since I first started comparing diaper prices and their absorbing power. Hubby and I(to fair, mostly hubby) have been waking up once or twice at night to attend to his needs for 6 months. We have been washing cloth diapers, feeding bottles, buying milk and water and taking care of a bouncing baby boy for six months. 

I remember how our life was before he came before I got pregnant. I remember the sound sleep(which I still get more than hubby), the milk teas I was able to afford, the climbs I was able to join, and my arms were not bound to carry a boy who gets kilig (at the thought of roaming around the house) when we step out of the bedroom. I remember not caring that much if traffic is bad because hubby would understand if I come home late, not caring if die before 50 because I know I lived a good life, not caring if we don't have savings because at least, we enjoyed the things we loved.

But now that Reese is here, we would always wake up once or twice at night when he needs a changin' or milk; I only drink milk tea whenever I have excess pocket money; I get left behind on climbs and miss out the jokes and the photo ops; I am digging deep in my soul my non-existent singing talent to lull a baby to sleep; I get pissed when traffic is bad because it means less time with Reese; I am learning to save (I'll get there someday, promise!), I am trying my best to eat less meat because I wanna be strong and able for Reese when he becomes a father.

So what I really wanted to say was.....my heart is swelling with love, pride, and joy that he is growing so well, that he is in our lives, that I became a mom.. and no amount of milk teas I missed and climbs I wasn't able to join would ever be better than having him. They simply fail by comparison.

Tips for 9G Visa Processing in Bureau of Immigration Intramuros Office

Since November last year, it has been part of my tasks as an HR staff to process the 9g visa of our Korean Managers and I tell you this without sugar coating it: IT IS HELL. Two things I hate about this job is the travel time to and from the office and visa processing and I tell you, there are days when I question which I loathe more than the other. Knowing that many Foreign nationals process their visa on their own, here are some tips (based on one year of going to the Immigration office back and forth) with regard to processing.

This is how I feel like after a day in the Bureau of Immigration

1. GO THERE IN THE MORNING, BETWEEN 8-9 AM.

I say between 8am to 9am. Technically, the Bureau opens at 7am but I noticed that most of them arrive at 8am anyway, so why waste your energy getting up so early? However, the area transforms into a whole new level by 10am, since many people arrive after 9am, so to experience shorter lines and less irate immigration employees, be there from 8am to 9am.

2. DO NOT BELIEVE THE LIST THEY GIVE YOU AND BRING EVERYTHING YOU THINK IS NECESSARY

-When you check their website and other sites, there is a list of things that they will ask from you but believe me, that list is incomplete. First and foremost, it does not tell you that you have to put all your documents in a folder with a fastener and each fastener costs 5 pesos if you buy it from the folks who do photocopy near the cafeteria. Second, you should fill out an extra copy of the application form + a photocopy of your passport bio page, last day of arrival and visa stamp + i-card photocopy and fasten it to the left side of the folder for the processing of your i-card. They also ask for extra documents, especially those pertaining to tax, so bring all documents which you think are applicable.

3. DO NOT BELIEVE THE PROCESSING TIME THEY TELL YOU.

The actual processing time can actually be much shorter or much longer than what they say. 

*On one occasion, I passed a passport for visa implementation (or stamping) at 2:00pm and they asked me to come back at 5:00 the next day. So that would be a total of 11hours for stamping, which can be finished in an hour or two. The following day, I came back at 10am and passport was not yet ready. Luckily, when I came again at 11am, the passport was ready..which took them a total of 6 hours ONLY. YEY!!!!(NOTE A TON OF SARCASM)  

*On another occasion, I was waiting for a document to be transmitted to another department in the 3rd floor. It was 12:15 noon and the guy told me to expect the document to be there after 15 minutes and though they say they "dont" have lunch break, I "felt" he would go on a break anyway so I decided to take a lunch break as well and voila, when I took the elevator at 1:15, that guy in charge was in the elevator with me. A WOMAN'S INTUITION IS ALWAYS RIGHT(*wink)

*At some point, you are bound to go to window 14 where you will pass your documents for evaluation. They say they will that they will call you. They will- IF YOU ARE FOR COMPLIANCE-meaning there is is something lacking or missing in your application. If not, THEY WILL NOT CALL YOU. If you do not see your number in the small whiteboard, after a few hours, check the folders laid out near the window. You have to point to your folder and tell them which one is yours, and that's the time you can get your OPS.

4. PROCESS YOUR AEP FIRST
Your AEP or Alien Employment Permit should be valid at the time of the Visa application so before you process your 9g conversion or extension, process your AEP first. If it is a new AEP application, it will take about a month since you have to complete the requirements and wait for the publication in a newspaper but for renewal, it can be done in less than 10 working days.

5. Be Familiar with the Dollar Exchange Rate*(Updated as of December 30 2013)
I processed our operations managers' visa last September and two others just last week and surprise, surprise, the amount were different. Only then did I notice that the amount actually depends on the current exchange rate and probably due to the recent Haiyan catastrophe and many other things, the peso value is lower and thus, fees are higher.

GENERAL TIP:
Probably the only things exact in this agency are the things pertaining to money:
For sure, what you see in the list is the actual amount you should pay and second, the cashier does close at 5pm. Other than that, you cannot trust them to be accurate and precise and similar to customer service, the last person you talk to can say something completely different from the next person who does. So just to be sure, ask twice.

~I will update this list as I continue to process visas but for now, these are the tips I can share...Ciao!

Food Review: Angel's Pizza

As with previous instances, I hardly find time to write but when I do, I am usually on a roll and after my post on bridesmaid dresses, I decided to make this one as well.

I had the chance to buy their pizzas because for our son's monthly birthdays, we usually have mini-celebrations. I was so set on getting Yellow Cab Pizza but after finding out that Pepperoni Friday Promo was a one time thing only, I thought of Angel's Pizza as a cheaper alternative.

They actually have a wide menu but since I only bought pizzas, I'd rather focus on it for now. What I probably like most about them was that there were so many flavors to choose from! Most were just variations of one another but nonetheless, it was a good thing to know the taste would vary with slight differences.

I availed of the buy 1 take 1 family pizza for 550- making each 12" pizza 275 pesos, which wasnt bad at all. I got Angel's Medley and Chicken Parmigiana.

General Points:

* The place wasn't exactly enticing for dine-in and I think 90% of their customers actually order take out or pizza for delivery. Still, I appreciated the efforts to make waiting time bearable- the chairs were huge and magazines were available.

*Service was fast as promised! I almost raised an eyebrow when the crew told me that pizza would be ready in 12-15 minutes because there were at least 3 other groups of customers waiting aside from me, but as promised, the pizzas were ready even before I got back from buying cola from a nearby store.

*Some might say that the dough was too chewy but we liked it because it meant that the pizza was more filling- I could hardly eat my 3rd slice(I usually eat 4 or more for thick crust)

*The flavor of the pizza wasnt too overpowering. I think it's best for people who much on pizza non-stop especially while in front of the tv, because you can take a bite between scenes

Angel's Medley

Angel's Medley has beef, pepperoni, mushroon and mozzarella cheese. I liked it because the beef was well cooked unlike in particular variants I've tried in other stores before but the sauce was a bit too sour for me, tasted like tomato paste straight from the can.

from their website

Chicken Parmigiana
This one is actually not on their website yet, probably because it's new compared to the other pizzas. My family actually liked Angel's Medley more but being the weirdo that I am, I liked this one more. It has white sauce, barbecue chicken bell pepper and tomatoes. I liked that the white sauce was very subtle and yet you can still distinguish it from the usual marinara. I also liked that the chiken wasn't too sweet(which is why I don't like Yellow Cab's Barbecue Chicken Pizza).

credits to chinesenamatakaw- forgetfulness strikes again and I forgot where I saved my own shot

Final Points:
All in all, we'd definitely order again and probably try two of these- Angel's Aloha, Fancy Aloha, All Meat, Angel's Supreme or Cheesyburger

Website: http://www.angelspizza.com.ph

Till next time!