Weekend Love: Bake Date with Mommy Maggie Musings

If you follow me in Instagram, you probably know what days of the week are my favorite. Yes, like (if not by ALL) most working parents, it is always the weekend - FRIDAY NIGHT, SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS.

I love the weekends not only because I get to forget about work temporarily. I love the weekends because I value my family the most. And these are the days of the week I can find the perfect reason to just devote my full time to them (well, that isn't always true but I would like to believe only they own my weekends).

I also love the weekends because those are the days I can reconnect with my passions. I can make time for this blog. And arrange playdates not only for the little kid's enjoyment but for my own as well. Just like two Saturdays ago when we went on an impromptu bake date with one of the bloggers I used to stalk now turned mommy friend, Maggie, and her little cutiepie Lucas.

Maggie and I have been talking about this bake date since the husband gifted me with a gas oven last Christmas. She is one of the experienced bakers that I personally know so I usually turn to her instant baking advice when I need them. As this was an impromptu bake date though, we did not have a baking plan. But it still turned out to be super fun. Not only for me, but to the little girl who surprised me that day.

My normally shy (especially to people new to her) little miss was extra cooperative and chatty that day. She asked Maggie if she can take a look at her making the royal icing (all by herself) and pulled a chair on her own (I think she temporarily forgot that she wasn't at home) when Tita Maggie gave her permission to.

Another good thing about playdates like this is while waiting for our end product to bake and set, Mags and I had the chance to chat about parenting ups and downs, exchange work dilemmas, talk about our the series that we are currently addicted too (thanks for the Suits reco Mags and Mike, we are now hooked!). It's always great to touch base with somebody who can relate to my daily wows and woes as a working parent.

Thanks Mags and Mike for letting us make a mess at your place. We are definitely looking forward to more weekends like this. And I hope this time with more of our baking blogger friends as well (Erl? Maqui? Sha? Mars? Pepper).

Weekend Love: Tribeca Playdates

I think my kid will forever associate the word TRIbeca with ultra fun playdates. It's only our 3rd time to join a playdate here but she already feels so at home. On our way home last night, she told me: "Next week ulit ha, Mommy? Gusto ko every weekend tayo sana nandito" Parang park lang sa paningin nya.

I do hope our gracious host Tricia will never get tired of inviting us over.

****p.s. all captions below were by Maia.

Yipee, hurrayyyyy! Weeeeeeee!!!!

Up, up to the slide!

Playtime!

Mommy, you want to taste my sand juice?

Weekend Love: Litte N@Wies Tea Party At Stacy's Capitol Hills

I was fortunately to be online when the idea of dressing up our little girls as princesses and bringing them together in a tea party was brought up in a private Facebook group that I belong to. I immediately expressed my interest to join knowing that if I ask the little miss herself she wouldn't think twice of saying YES! to the invitation right that minute anyways. Especially since she's so into everything princess-y these days.

The response to that invite was overwhelming and within a few hours, it was closed because the original plan was to really arrange a small, intimate formal party for the little girls and the organizers wanted to keep attendance to about 30 kids max. It took weeks for the organizers to iron out everything, even find a dainty place that could fit that much number of kids and their parents (so about 60-ish all in all). Several cupcake shops were considered and eventually the choice was zeroed in on Stacy's. It had a branch in BGC but it was smaller and it didn't have the space for the adults to hang out in while the kids are partying so the bigger branch in Capitol Hills became the obvious choice.

Quezon City is FAR from where we live but that didn't stop us from pushing through. I know that commuting was going to be a challenge but I normally don't let myself get intimidated by that. So come Saturday, I donned my supermommy cape and readied myself for the challenge ahead. It was just me and the kid so I really had to toughen up. I briefed the kid too that it wasn't going to be an easy commute this time so she needs to be very cooperative with me. We left home around 1:30pm and arrived at Stacy's around 3:30pm. Not bad at all. And the party was just starting then.

I immediately took the kid to the nearest restroom so we can change into her 'princess' attire (which is a borrowed flower girl gown from her second cousin). We came back to Stacy's and found an empty seat for her. It only took her a few minutes to warm up with the other kids (considering it was her first time to meet any them).

Barefoot. And Free.

A friend reacted to the caption I used on one of the Instagram photos I posted last night for this photo:

Oh to be a kid have this kind of freedom, no?

Tibs told me that prior to me taking this photo, the little miss was already swimming in the sandbox like there's no tomorrow. She's probably imagining she's in a beach.

I actually am the type who doesn't really fear seeing my kid get dirty. I played with dirt as a kid and I think that is one of the best part of my childhood. I had fond memories of serving mudcakes to friends while playing bahay-bahayan.

As my little girl is now officially a kid, I would hope she gets to do this more and more often. So indeed, I look forward to more and more playdate weekends. Because really, hearing kids laugh heartily is one of the most beautiful sound in the world. It sort of freezes my worries for a moment and transports me into bliss world (even if just temporary).

Productive Weekend - Some Gardening and Arts-N-Crafts Time

It has been a very, very productive weekend for our little miss. I don't know if it's the days she missed in school that has gotten her extraordinarily energetic and receptive of every activity that I suggested for her to do this entire weekend but what I know for sure is that she enjoyed every bit of those activities.

Saturday, a village playmate dropped by early for a playdate session. The little miss was actually insisting to watch TV (because it's a weekend mommy) but since I'm still not fond of TV time I wanted to veer her attention away from it fast. And what immediately came to mind was this recent project that a fellow n@w Mec did with her boys. So I got some scrap manila paper, a used cardboard box and old magazines. With Ate Inday's help we cut out some leaves from the magazine paper and traced the two girls arms on the cardboard to resemble tree trunks and cut that as well.

Here's some photos I took to document the activity:

Then today, Sunday, Ate Inday got her involved in planting some of the vegetable seeds that Lola brought home last night from a trade fair at the World Trade Center in Pasay. I just proved that TV never stands a chance against any outdoor activity at any given day for this little nature-loving girl. Despite being a little neat-freak, she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty as long as it involves some planting/gardening.

I had been keeping these eggshells for future mosaic projects but they're starting to irritate Tibs already (having been sitting on our backyard for long and some of them turning moldy already) so Ate Inday thought might as well make use of them. Our plan is when the seedlings start to sprout, we will just break the eggs to transplant them directly unto the soil.

seeds galore!

making good use of our eggshells

our little patch of garden heaven. hoping to turn this into a patch of various vegetables soon!
(waiting for pechay and tomatoes to sprout from these eggshells soon)

Afternoon Playdate At Tribeca

We love joining playdates. When Maia hears that word, it's like magic to her ears. I guess because her playdate experiences were always very pleasant and it's where she gets the excuse to run, hop, skip, shout and be just her kiddie self all she wants (well not that we prohibit her from being such at home but I just have the feeling that being around adults almost all of the time somehow gives her the impression that she needs to grow up fast just to be able to catch up).

Each time I get an invitation to join a playdate, I immediately block that date (if it isn't blocked by a prior commitment yet that is). Maia and I are now 'almost' pros at commuting that distance has somehow become very mundane for us to consider. Well, QC is really far but Makati would still be okay for us. It's usually just the two of us who comes to these playdates but I'm really lucky having a kid who now gamely walks with me and rarely asks to be carried except when of course, we have to cross via a footbridge where she gets awfully scared so I would be left with no other choice but to carry her. 

Yesterday, Tricia (who is also a n@w) invited us for a playdate with other n@w kids at Tribeca (those blue and white buildings you see near Sucat in SLEX). Friday pa lang, the kid was so excited already she can hardly get some sleep! (mental note not to remind her of a next day lakad because it renders me super tired the next day) She helped me pack her playdate 'essentials' and some toys to bring since we were told there's a sandbox installed in the playground (another yey for the little miss since she loves to play in the sand). 

Maia's playdate essentials - human <3 nature's pocket handsoap, extra change of clothes, snacks, towel, paper handtowels to keep her back dry, water bottle, by nature spf 55 sunblock, wet wipes + first aid kit - alcohol, band-aids, by nature's baby salve (plus mine too)

So mid-afternoon our twosome left the Daddy at home and headed to Tribeca carrying with us the prospect of a really, really fun afternoon. It drizzled already when we boarded the jeepney going to Alabang but I was still hoping that the crazy weather would cut us some slack (it is summer afterall!) and spare that area where Tribeca is situated.

Weather was such a bummer, wasn't it?

We were the first guests to arrive and got there just about the same time as Tricia. It was starting to get gloomy then but the kids didn't seem to mind. Maia immediately raided the dollhouses and claimed the pink (yet unfinished) one as her own. Kids spent about 30 mins frolicking in the playground and the sandbox when the warning drizzle started and we ran for cover towards the tents on the other center of Tribeca's football field (awesome, right? they have a football field inside the condo compound). And that was how our day ended. It was all heavy downpour from that moment on and we weren't given any more opportunity to enjoy the awesome playdate venue. There was still so much to do had the rain skipped that part of the south. The playdate was supposed to be timed perfectly since there was an event at Tribeca that day and there were picnic mats, balls, and i forgot what other activities (but definitely plenty) for the kids to enjoy. But because of the rain, we had to content ourselves with munching on the free snacks instead. 

Maia and Aki raid the sandbox together with Raine, Zoe and Raj

She tried so hard to fight her fear of heights but she got stuck on this part of the ladder and was crying for help. I had to push her up and encourage her to move on till she was able to slide down on the other side.

This one's mine! MINE!

Ano naman to, Mommy? May mga tools sya eh!

food stubs c/o Tribeca, yay free snacks!

It was still a fun afternoon. And with the rain cutting the playdate short, we have now perfect excuse to schedule a repeat again (and maybe several more repeats after that hehe). Thank you Tricia for inviting us over!

Baking With Aki

Advance warning: This post is going to be photo heavy. If you're not up for it, please skip this post.