Do-It-Yourself: The GIANT 3D Letters

Blame it on Pinterest and Martha Stewart but I wanted D's bash to be as picturesque and as picture-perfect as possible...given the situation that we were DIYing the whole event, you can imagine my stress level during the last week of preparations!

I've always wanted those giant 3D letters that I see in Pinterest birthday bashes. First, it's such a nice statement piece and people can always have their pictures taken there. Also, I love the idea that D's name is spelled out in huge, ginormous letters! It was a week-long battle between L and I since he wasn't sure that he can do the letters in the way that I wanted it to look. He made small-scale samples of other ideas, of which I was okay with it (but I was still praying that he would do the giant 3D effect that I wanted). In the end, I was able to get the letters that I wanted...and more!

L's sister suggested that they make the letter A into a house from the movie itself so that it'd look cooler. I was all for it as long as they do it before the allotted deadline so that I wouldn't be too stressed about it. It took them a weekend (sleepless, at that) to finish all six letters and the house. I am proud as it looked fantastic and everyone raved about it as well.

The materials used were:
- Gibson chipboard (the ones that are used for cake boxes)
- white satin sticker paper
- scotch tape
- a whole lotta PATIENCE!

This is what I also loved about Las Terrazas, it had the perfect backdrop for the 3D letters.

D's Bash: Bonjee Entertainment Services

A children's birthday party will always have a host and a bit of magic...

One summer in high school, my sister J and I decided to enroll in magic classes run by James Infiesto. Little did we know that we would have to perform magic in front of a lot of people at the end of our two-week training! Waaah! But it did open our eyes to what magic is all about, it's just about having fun and making kids smile. Sure, you know the trick but the part that I loved the most is when the kids open their mouths in awe and clap their hands. There's just something about making kids laugh and smile that tugs at my heartstrings.

I've been at a lot of kids' parties throughout the years and I've always been a stickler for grammar especially for the host. I cringed my teeth the moment I hear a mistake and L simply holds my hand as I roll my eyes, I can't help it especially since I was an English teacher to Koreans and a communications trainer for 4 years in total! It just sounds so wrong!

Then we all have heard about David Blaine and Criss Angel, now these magicians are on the dark side and it simply confuses me as to why magicians dress up like them at a kid's party! Be happy, wear happy colors! What's wrong with a little rainbow? Hahaha!

When I contacted Jymmez Infiesto of Bonjee, I was so happy that she remembered me from a long time ago. Her dad and my brother are good friends and also happens to be family friends for quite some time. I booked her and her dad for D's bash. She was quite excited as I told her how hands-on I was going to be with the preparations and all...I was also very happy to hear that they have already hosted an Up-themed bash and she has the costume for it.

Ate Jymmez as a Wilderness Explorer in her element with the kids during D's bash

Her dad, James Infiesto, is a well-known magician around the city absolutely loves doing magic for kids. You can tell it's his passion and it's something that he was born to do. Being that he was our magic teacher, I couldn't wait to see him at his best during the bash and I was all eyes on him, as are everyone else. What makes his different from all the other magicians that I have seen in other kids' parties is that he doesn't make it so secret. He makes it happy, he makes it fun...he makes the kids eyes go big and their lips curl into a smile.

He also brought with him his 2-year-old Burmese Python, Snakee. I wasn't up for pics with Snakee but I was carrying D and got the chance to have a pic taken with Snakee but I couldn't dare touch the python. All the other guests were so excited to have pics taken with Snakee, it's something that the kids never thought they could do at that event so I was very happy at that.

Jymmez and I were able to customize the games for the party as the kids were going to earn badges so we made it a point that the games would be in line with the party theme. I was also glad that I really didn't think much about the program or the party itself (in terms of entertainment and even the music) as Jymmez and her team were on top of it. I am very glad and quite relieved that that was out of my hands.

There's nothing more that I could ask for the best in entertainment...this tandem of father and daughter beats any other entertainment service provider in the city.

For more information on their packages, you can check out their FB page at Bonjee Entertainment Services or contact them at 297-6776.

D's Bash: Tina's Candy Buffet

Everyone loves chocolate and candies...what more if it's a buffet!

Whether it's a wedding, a baptism or a birthday party, people will always have their sweet cravings and nothing beats it with a candy buffet.

Tina is a good friend of mine from high school and I was able to get in touch with her for D's baptism. I wasn't sure about a candy buffet on a baptism since I was expecting that kids would be the ones swarming around the table...boy, was I wrong! The adults loved it so much!

D's personalized Elmo candy buffet during his baptism (November 2012)

Most of the chocolate fountain packages would only include the dips but Tina's services go beyond that. She makes it a point to personalize it and go with the motif and theme of the party. With D's bash, she had personalized water bottles for everyone and also incorporated the names of the candies, dips and fountain to our theme of Up.

D's personalized water bottle for his birthday! Too cute!

She also added personalized lootbags so that the guests could bring home more treats. Our creative juices came out since we were too excited and wanted to put everything into the buffet! Our kids (about a year old apart) will be attending more parties soon so we needed to keep ideas fresh and unique as well.

You can contact her through her FB page at Tina's Candy Buffet or her mobile number at 0922-996-0092 or 0926-730-8531.

D's Bash: Porky's Lechon

A birthday is not a bash without lechon...especially when you're in the Philippines!

Naturally, we knew that we wanted to serve lechon during D's bash and there was only one name that popped in our minds, Porky's. It's a family-run business and also happens to be good friends with my Mum. The nice thing about Mila's is that when you ask for lechon to be served, they always call Porky's and they already put it in their choreography the cutting and serving of the lechon so that everyone can get a piece of their scrumptious roasted pig! Each lechon comes with dinuguan as well...

All their yummy lechon being roasted
(photo grabbed from their FB page)

Feast your eyes on these!

Prices range from P3500 and above depending on how many people will be served. They also do deliveries within Davao City.

They are located at #003 Singkil Street, Bayanihan Community, Matina. Contact the Del Mundos at 296-1289 or 297-3267.

D's Bash: Alternative Catering Services by Mila's

In our family, whatever occasion it may be...when it comes to catering, we just had one caterer to call and that was our friendly and close neighbor, Mila's. They changed their name to Alternative Catering Services by Mila's but we still call them Mila's. Hehehe! It was started by Mrs. Mila Teves and is now being run by her daughters, Langga and Honey. They were also the ones who did our wedding reception and D's baptism.

I'm a loyal customer and an avid fan especially if the service is good and consistent. Mila's is proud when it comes to their food as they do not use MSG (vetsin) and their drinks are very healthy, they do not serve soda or carbonated drinks.

When you book them, they will be the ones bringing in their long tables for the buffet and also the table cloth and decorations on the table (just a simple flower centerpiece) that is a match and in coordination with the theme of the occasion. It's an all-in kind of service with them, their buffet ranges from P220-P270 inclusive of rice, drinks and your choice of dessert.

Assorted fruits in season for dessert

All-in buffet by Mila's

As with any catering, there are instances that you would have more guests than usual...no need to worry since Mila's has covered that. They usually put a buffer of about 5-10% of the number guests in case of such situations. They also bring extra plates, spoons, forks and glasses so that you won't have to worry.

You can visit their booking office along Bacaca Road at Partyholics and inquire about their packages, their contact number is 224-3081, look for Langga.

D's Bash: Las Terrazas Clubhouse

D's venue was something that L and I have thought about long and hard. Given that it's going to be a children's party, we needed a space where they can easily go around and maneuver their way through and we also wanted the parents (especially with babies) to be able to run out in case their babies have a wet nappy or already in the midst of their tantrums. We also wanted it to be a big space and not enclosed so that the loud sound system would not scare some of the babies and kids (as D hates it when he's in an enclosed space and the sound system is blaring).

Las Terrazas Clubhouse was where we had our wedding reception. I wanted it because of the view and also because guests can have their pics taken everywhere and anywhere and still have a great background of Davao City. I also loved the fact that we had our glam shots taken during the wedding and our photog didn't have to edit the photos anymore.

We needed to move the area from the second floor to the ground floor since the stairs was something that I was wary about. I didn't want the babies and kids going up and down the stairs during the party, that's extra work for the parents and nannies! Also, I wanted it to be a worry-free kind of party since the kids can just wander without really getting lost. And it doesn't hurt that the backdrop is simply the view of Davao City...nothing can beat that.

Las Terrazas Clubhouse (photo grabbed from their FB page)

The rates of their function room rents aren't as bad as well. We booked the lower left function room but we were free to use the corridors and space surrounding it (ground floor) so we were able to maximize the space. There was a veranda right outside the function room but I opted not to use it since it was raining the night before the party and water was leaking through, I didn't want the horror of putting the guests there and having to move them in case it was going to rain hard on D's birthday night.

Along with the use of the function room, they have a wet kitchen where the catering staff can use to store their food (of course, clean as you go policy), it also includes the use of the 25 square-shaped tables and 100 chairs (rattan and wrought-iron), a marble-top table for the gifts or cake, lattice divider (that we used as the backdrop for the stage) and the platform as the stage. We were also lucky that one of our moms from the Peas in the Pod group put the event under her name so we were able to get a 20% discount on the use of the clubhouse (whee!).

Were there any other events booked together with D's party? Nope. They make it a point to book only one event per day so that they can also maximize the use of the facilities. And they allow decorating of the place a day before the actual event as long as there are no other booked events. Their sound system was available though you need a back-up in case their sound system would not be working, we were able to bring a back-up sound system from our godmother so that was ticked off our list.

If you'd like to contact Las Terrazas Clubhouse, call them at 244-0432. Also, make sure that you call them before heading there so that they can set an appointment with you for an ocular inspection and if you wanna check the place out.

The First Birthday Bash

The day has finally arrived as we celebrated D's first birthday last Saturday, July 27.

I will try to write a post for each of my suppliers as well as post some pictures as well.

Here are the details of his bash:

Location: Las Terrazas Clubhouse
Dinner Catering: Alternative Catering Services by Mila's
Lechon: Porky's Lechon
Candy Buffet: Tina's Candy Buffet
Video Highlights: Tonn Navales
Photos: CJ Liamzon
Party Host and Magician: Bonjee Entertainment Services

Everything else, including the physical arrangement and decorations, were done by Team Damien (me, Lau, Jam, Shimran, Rap2 and more relatives and friends). We made it a point to hire the professionals that are already good at what they do and have been part of our occasions through the years. D's godmother was nice enough to offer that she be in charge of the cupcakes for his big bash. We opted not to have the cake as it wouldn't be enjoyed by everyone since that would mean slicing it and putting it in platters and then distributing them to everyone and also because there's no space in the refrigerator for the leftovers.

Being the OC that I am, I made sure to book the suppliers at least 2 months in advance (except for the catering as they live a block from us and we know that they can be booked last-minute). It was around April when I was already full-on party-planning mode (see my previous posts) and have finished almost all of the things for the party itself.

There were definitely a lot of kids at the party and that made me happy because the party program and magician were really meant for the kids. I was also very happy, though terrified at the same time, that James the magician brought along Snakee, his 2-year-old Burmese Python at the party. A lot of kids and parents were ecstatic and happy to have pics taken with Snakee but I was a scaredy cat. Hahaha!

If there's anything that I am proud of, I am proud that L and I didn't kill each other with the decorations (LOL!) and also that it really made us more patient with each other as we work in very different ways. I was planning for the worst (given that it was supposed to be the rainiest night of the week) and L was planning it to be the best bash in pictures...in the end, we both wanted the best for D, who was very happy and was smiling in almost all of the photos!

Speaking of photos, I have yet to get the photos and video highlights of the big bash but I'll be posting separate posts with my suppliers and how our relationship evolved to being good friends.

(Extended) Breastfeeding: A Habit Hard To Break

I've been breastfeeding D since Day 1 and now that he's about to turn 1 year old, there are tons of bumps that we've already crossed and tons of happy moments that we've shared. Nearly all of what I wear in public is thought of in such a way that it should be easily accessed by D's mouth so that when he cries or demands or simply wants to comfort suckle...it's ready and available right then and there. Somehow, it's become a habit of ours to just be in sync with each other's moods and feelings. I guess that's what happens when you're attached to your baby because of breastfeeding.

L, D and I co-sleep and even though a queen-sized mattress is big...looks like we need something bigger because D can sleep in half of the space. Yes, how can little babies take up A LOT OF SPACE is beyond me but we manage through it. He has yet to stop his night feedings and it's been a couple of months since I've been actively pumping for his stash during the day when I have classes or when I have to run errands. I still make it a point to pump at least twice during Saturdays and Sundays so as to keep up with the stash.

First thing that people ask me when they find out that I'm breastfeeding D, "How many teeth does he have?" I smile and answer, "He has six teeth and more coming too!"

Yes, the biggest fear of most moms who breastfeed directly is the eruption of the teeth. Actually, I noticed D's teething stages as early as 3 months but I didn't feel any "pain" or discomfort until he had actually bitten me (by accident, of course) when he was 9 months old. The biting pangs and incidents simply happen when I don't get to read his emotions and his cues...but when we're both in the moment, I can quickly tell if he's fussy or if he's already bored and that's usually the time when he feels like my nipples are made of rubber and can be pulled and tossed around and all that.

As of writing, I have wounds on both nipples...I actually clench my fists when D latches on these days only because it still stings. But the pain's manageable. Don't get me wrong, it's painful but I'm looking at it this way...I've been through labor and back and was able to go through the whole 10cm and effacement with no medical intervention, the latching and wounds are simply part of the process of breastfeeding. I am in no way going to stop because of a few winces and stings. I'm not hardcore...I just have a high tolerance for pain and I'm quite thankful for it too!

I keep on looking back to Day 1 until today and I look at L and D while they're playing...I don't think that I'd be this attuned to them if it wasn't because of breastfeeding. I was able to learn how to be patient with myself and with D (it was quite a rough start for the both of us) and I was also able to learn how to be thankful for my family as my support group.

It truly is a hard habit to break, I don't know when we will stop and I don't know how we will stop...I don't even wanna think about that because...it's not something that I'm looking forward to, though it's something that is bound to happen, hopefully not too soon.

Transitioning to Toddlerhood

D is turning 1 year old in 24 days, hence the countdown to his big O-N-E has begun. I'm quite excited at the commitment that I have for his birthday party but at the same time, the undeniable fact faces me...I am about to have a toddler in the house (insert sarcastic and funny remark...).

I'm quite excited with the prospect of having my very own hurricane in the house. I know that a lot of moms and dads who have had toddlers (my parents included) will always tell me ALL THE HORROR stories that they can tell me about what life is like with a toddler. Wow, thanks so much! I'm not sure if you're happy about it or you just wanna make me feel miserable. I hope it's the former but I do know where they're coming from...I just wish that it was put more delicately, like not scaring the first-time parents. Instead, supporting them and telling them the tricks of the trade of being a parent to a toddler. It doesn't hurt, right?

I remember when I gave birth to D and all my other high school batch mates were also pregnant and about to pop...I was more than happy to tell them about my birthing experience but I was also careful with my words, I wanted them to anticipate it with excitement, happiness and joy as opposed to dread and fear. Why put so much negativity into such a happy occasion? I've always believed that if you really want to support someone, you give them a nice picture but also give them warnings but without discouraging them. It's a balance but I make it a point to do it.

I'm starting to hear a lot of "horror" and "terror" stories about having a toddler in the house:

"Halaka, samok na kaayo ang balay!"
"Nah, payat jud ka ana samot ba!"
"Goodbye na lang sa mga gamit ninyo..."
"Kapuy kaayo ang bata uy...purye gaba lang..."

Hmmm...anything positive about having a toddler? Like maybe when they pick up their toys and put them in their respective boxes? Or when they try to help you with other chores? Or when they start talking and babbling as if they're in a conversation with you?

I appreciate all the stories but I wish that people, in general, would be more positive when giving stories. I know that D will be a handful and I'm already expecting that. I thank God, everyday, for Yaya Wilma as she can always carry half of the load during the day. We're already expecting the worst (not really) but we're definitely hoping for the best.

Toddlers are expected to make a mess...they're expected to be noisy and loud...they're expected to be kids and just run around and play...what else do you expect of them? They're kids...they're learning and exploring and they want to have fun.

Right now, I can see that D is slowly transitioning from a baby to a toddler and I can't help myself but wonder, how fast time flies. Last year...he was still in my tummy, kicking and punching and basically telling us he wants to see the world. And now that he's out and about, I'm sure he wants to see more.

This sure transition to toddlerhood is something that every parent will go through...this time, with us, we want it to be a memorable and positive experience for everyone. Are there going to be bumps? Oh yes, a lot of them. But in the end, it's all about D exploring how wonderful and great the world is. And yes, I will be there...every step of the way.