The husband and I are leaving the house around midnight to head over to Eastwood City to watch with fellow football fans the Finals of World Cup 2010 Finals (Netherlands vs. Spain). Meanwhile, if you would rather watch it right at the comforts of your own homes there are live Sopcast channels you can look into. Here’s a download link.

My mom is an avid fan of Pacquiao and as soon as February stepped in, she has been getting me to assure her that she will be able to watch the fight of her favorite boxer against Joshua Clottey. During Pacquiao’s fight against Cotto we were able to watch via this SopCast channel which I no longer have an access to.

Exactly 2 weeks from now and we will be able to watch Pacquiao vs Clottey live video streaming. Now I’m not a huge boxing fan. But my mom is. I haven’t seen anyone as excited as she is when he watches bouts of Pacman. She actually has been worried for months now. After all she has been hearing that Clottey is a strong opponent for Paquiao.

My son and I went on a playdate with other mommy bloggers and our kids, at Active Fun SM North Annex, late this afternoon.  Too bad the other mommies got caught in the terrible Metro traffic that was brought about by the most anticipated long weekend.  My son had no less than 3 hours of fun, to say the least.  And if I wouldn’t call it a day, he wouldn’t have left the place at all.  Putting it simply, it is a child’s wonderland.

my son, Jed, having the time of his life at Active Fun SM North Annex.

Now, my son had been in other mall play areas but there was nothing quite like Active Fun. There are just so many activities to do, that a playdate in Active Fun could actually turn into a family bonding time. Yes, even moms and dads could get into those bouncing houses and the play facilities. I should say that every little detail of the place was well thought of. There is even a corner for basketball where dads and sons could play and bond.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a lot when Chats of iMomOnline.net extended the invitation to me and my son for this particular bloggers event. I cannot be more thankful that I shoved my acne treatment appointment to give way to this playdate. It was so worth it. Special thanks to Apple Morales, one of the owners of Active Fun, for inviting us, mommy bloggers and our kids to such a fun event!

mommy bloggers chitchatting over pica-picas (thanks, Apple!), dutifully waiting for our kids to quit playing

Active Fun party area

Active Fun Children’s Play and Party Centre is located at the 3rd floor of SM North Edsa Annex, Quezon City. For inquiries and more info, please contact +632 3323929, 2159891. Visit the website at www.activefun.ph

“Welcome to the Magical World of Story Telling where legends and myths of pirates and princesses, tales and chronicles of fairies and fantasy will come alive in Manila!”

FESTIVAL DETAILS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manila Storytellers Showcase
28 – 29 Aug 09, 4:30pm & 7:00pm (1.5 hrs per show)
Friday Aug 28 in MAKATI @ AIM-Acceed SGV Hall
Saturday Aug 29 in ALABANG @ De La Salle Zobel – Debbie Decena Auditorium

Cherished fables and legendary tales come alive at the Showcase! Renowned international storytellers such as Randel McGee(US), Bobby Norfolk (US), Sherry Norfolk (US), and Eth-Noh-Tec (US) together with their Filipino counterparts, Melody Remorca and JK Anicoche, will present a variety of intriguing and delightful stories.

Imagine listening to stories of adventure and excitement. Hear stories of a time that used to be and of distant lands. Memories spun into tales that make you laugh and cry.

This is the only time of the year where outstanding international storytellers gather here in Manila to celebrate story telling – bringing to life tales old and new: folk tales, family stories, fables, tall tales, fairy tales, and classic stories from diverse cultures.

Manila Storytelling Seminars
28-29 Aug 09, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon (3 hrs per seminar)
Three concurrent seminars per day
Friday Aug 28 in MAKATI @ AIM-Acceed Seminar Rooms
Saturday Aug 29 in ALABANG @ De La Salle Zobel AV Rooms 1 & 2

(For personal and professional development targeted at parents, educators, librarians, social workers and other professionals.)

Take away with you the knowledge and skills in the art of storytelling for use in various environments and situations. We offer a diverse range of half-day seminars for personal and professional development targeted at parents, educators, librarians, social workers and other professionals.

Storytelling is a recognized art form that plays a significant part in lifelong learning. A good story not only entertains but is capable of imparting important concepts, attitudes and skills. Storytelling is also a fabulous tool to develop the listening and concentration of special needs children; as well as to engage and draw their attention in a way that is enjoyable and less stressful for them.

August 28, 2009 – AIM Conference Center, Makati City
1. Performances: P 250/Adult, P180/Child
__ Matinee (4:30pm – 6:00pm)
__ Evening (7:00pm – 8:30pm)

2. Seminars: P 1,800/head/seminar (9:00am-12:00pm)
__ A - Character Education through Storytelling (Randel McGee)
__ B - Helping Struggling Readers: How Storytelling Can Make a Difference (Bobby or Sherry Norfolk)
__ C - Using Asian Music, Mask, and Myth in the Classroom (Eth-Noh-Tec)
___________________________________________________________

August 29, 2009 – De La Salle Zobel School, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City
1. Performances: P 250/Adult, P180/Child
__ Matinee (4:30pm – 6:00pm)
__ Evening (7:00pm – 8:30pm)

2. Seminars: P 1,800/head/seminar (9:00am-12:00pm)
__ A - Storytelling with Paper and Scissors! (Randel McGee)
__ B - Reaching and Teaching Children with Special Needs with Stories
(Bobby or Sherry Norfolk)
__ C - Tell it! Move it! : Adding Fun and Movements to Your Storytelling (Eth-Noh-Tec)

For inquiries, kindly contact:
Ms. Abby Bacani, Event Manager
Tel:(632) 812 6288 Fax:(632) 819 3752
Email: abbybacani@oiceventsasia.com

My little guy and I had a wonderful date last night asTriNoma unveiled its very own Digital 3D Cinemavia its newly upgraded Cinema 4 created by no less than Dolby ® the global leader in movie technologies. It would have been sweeter it the hubby was able to join us but he had to teach a couple of classes over at the Bible school. But we enjoyed the special screening of Ice Age 3 just the same.

Special thanks to Geiser Maclang for the invites! You sure made my 4 year old guy one thrilled boy. It was a school night all right, but it did not get in the way especially so that we are home schooling. There was no way we could miss this, this little guy that we have loves both installments of Ice Age and there is just no better way to watch the third one than via Dolby’s surround system and TriNoma’s plush Digital 3D Cinema.

TriNoma 3D Cinema’s dynamic ambience made my date night with my son extra special. It sure is set to deliver enthralling movie experience for movie goers with its state of the art theatre systems and top notch amenities. We hope to try out the luxury recliners on our next visit. What I love best about this 3D cinema is this is way closer than the one in Pasay. Buy tickets and access TriNoma’s cinema schedule via http://www.sureseats.com

TriNoma Mall
4th Level EDSA Corner North Avenue, Quezon City
901.3694

In less than a month, our family will fly to the Boracay island to have our well deserved vacation. The little guy has prepared his bag of must haves (goggles, stuff to help him make sand castles, trunks, floaties and lifesaver). It would have been neater if we had him enrolled in swimming class for toddlers, I’m sure it would spare us a lot of warming up time in the water. It was when he was barely a year old when he first experienced the beach. He was so okay with the water. But I guess as a baby grows up and learn about the dangers of the world, he gets to realize the possibility of bad things that can happen.

Well, it can also be that we seldom go to the beach or to the pool for a swim. The last time was last year when our church family went to a resort in Boso-Boso. My little guy was afraid even with his lifesaver on. As for me, I should definitely get back to shape. Otherwise none of my bathing suits will fit me anymore. A couple of weeks back, I had my first ever body wraps slimming treatment.  While it is true that I lost an inch and a half in one treatment, I should still be disciplined enough to keep it off by watching my diet. BODY WRAPS can actually get rid of cellulites. I was told by my therapist that it depends on how long the unwanted fats have been around. Chances are, few body wrap treatments will be required to shed off subcutaneous body fat. The best to get rid of those kinds is the Guam Seaweed Mud bodywraps. I have always believed that seaweed has properties tasked for the job.

Excited, that is what we are. Although the month of June is not exactly part of the summer season anymore. But whoever said that it is going to rain buckets at the supposedly peak of the summer season last April, right? We cannot have the weather or season dictate what we do with our lives, so we are off to fly in mid June. Happy to go back where we honeymooned in 2001.

It has been weeks since the weather has been especially cruel. It went to a point that doing a minor chore became exhausting. To give you a better picture, the moment I step out of the bath, without the chance of wiping myself dry, is the time that sweat breaks off my pores. I swear, I could have thought I was having hot flashes!

It was especially hard for me, because juggling multiple tasks alone is not easy in itself. The past weeks, weather was incredibly humid. There was even a heat stroke incident my little guy had to go through. I still count my blessings amidst the crisis, but weather was really that crazy.

Thank God for the rains! It was what we needed. We actually did not have to turn on the air conditioning unit last night, when we almost had it on, 24/7 in the past days. We are really grateful. It would certainly make watching from amongst the extensive Dish network deals more fun. I was just chatting with a friend who works for Dish network and she raves about all this Dish network offers. Too bad we don’t have any similar local cable company like it. This is why we terminated the service of our former provider.

Meanwhile, we rely on the internet for our weekly dose of episodes of our favorite series, 24, Heroes and Prisonbreak. The weather is really conducive that I had to ask permission from the hubs if I could watch them without him. We always watch the episodes together. I am so going to tease him with spoilers. Teehee! Just kidding. This is when I sign off and sit back to watch. Till later!

As tiring as Sundays are always for us, especially for Jeff (he preaches all day long during Sundays, three times to be exact), today is really a fruitful and blessed day for us. Our hearts are filled with joy as we see the core of our church family getting serious in nurturing their relationship with Christ.

It has been close to a month now that the core group has been meeting every single day for daily devotions. My heart is more than pleased that a door has been opened for yet another cell group in the community. We aren’t multiplying exponentially just yet (church attendance wise), the Lord is clearly more interested in working on the foundation, our core group. The contagious fire is ongoing and this alone is a testament of the Lord’s hand upon Sumulong Baptist Church-Makati.

Jeff will be extremely busy the next couple of weeks working on some logistics for the upcoming Call of Duty. Meanwhile, we plan to enjoy our family day tomorrow. We have lined up some family activities and watch a movie and maybe a couple tv series.

We look forward to watching the installments of Heroes and 24 –  our weekly fix. I have read that Satellite TV San Francisco delivers and I’m sure if we had the same kind of service, we can actually watch the episodes spontaneously as it is shown on FOX. But for now since we do not have the same service available like that of San Francisco Satellite Television, we plan to watch Freedom Writers on Monday and wait until Tuesday night to be able to watch 24 and Heroes. You might want to check San Francisco satellite tv for info on their packages, for as low as $9.99/mo. Meanwhile, the hubs and I are looking forward to watch what will come out President Taylor’s negotiation with the terrorist on 24.

The hubby and I were married three years before we were blessed with a son. During those first years of married bliss one of the favorite things we enjoyed doing together is going to the spa. We hope to be able to try out the Spa Couples package from BlueWater Day Spa. It has been a while since we indulged in this type of royalty treatment. After having heard of countless BlueWater Day Spa recommendations, I just know it’s on top of our to have list.

Truth be told, working from home can be the most stressful of all jobs. First, I cannot really shut my child out, in the middle of work, when he asks for attention. I try my best to have him understand that mama is working, but it can be a challenge. I have learned to device ways to juggle the things I do from my work as a web content writer, to the toddler I have to take care of and teach, things that I do in between and back again to the endless cycle. One thing for sure, one has got to have strong intrinsic motivators to be able to do what I do.

This is why a spa will be a treat I would like to have every so often. A Vitalift (Flash Beauty Treatment) will also be a sweet indulgence. I am not much of a fan of invasive procedures, so this the one that I will ever go through when it comes to facials. I’m sure that will be review worthy that I will post live via my beauty blog – KikayCorner.net

Now that BlueWater Day Spa Capitol Hills branch is open, I will be the most thrilled to drag the hubs with me one of these days and just soak ourselves in treatments fit for a queen and her king.

BlueWater Day Spa Capitol Hills Branch

Capitol GreenStreet Commercial Center, Capitol Hills Golf Annex Building, Capitol Hills Drive, Old Balara, Quezon City

Telephone Numbers: +63 (2) 4730455, 9524829, 4350114

The hubby and I have just finished watching the latest episode of 24′s Season 7. It is our weekly fix. As expected, the plot just got thicker as it reaches its last few episodes. Next week will be the last two episodes for this season and both will be shown on the same day. What fun!

 

In episode 10, Dubaku’s team’s cover was exposed by the ever so genius Chloe O’Brian. Boy, do I just love her! Her being all straight forward and weird sure make her a darling. We saw her bloom from the previous seasons. The moles inside the inside the FBI were revealed despite their attempt to reformat the main drive because of her.

 

Towards the end of that episode, Tony Almeida revealed to Jack Bauer that it isn’t over yet and another attack is upcoming. Apparently, the very Senator who has him under trial is one of the conspirators inside the government. We see from this trailer that the White House itself will be the target. How they will all come out of it, we will find out in a week’s time. We should also find out how the first Gentleman would do after the surgery. It’s a two hour special. Jumba will threaten to kill President Taylor. Critical consequences will come of Jack Bauer’s uncovering of the masks of the conspirators. This next high impact terror will sure to glue you to your seats for two straight hours. I can’t wait!

I don’t know about you but my little guy and I loved the web premier of the sproutwells that we first saw last week. We actually have to search for more episodes via YouTube. It was a thrill especially for my little guy when we viewed its sequel where their little dog who they named Phyto came into the picture.

You could have guessed that I would choose Ruby Red as my favorite character in a heartbeat, the vegetable fashionista character. While my son loves Phyto. This dog character is as restless as he is! lol! Enjoy as you watch this clip and maybe even share the link to friends.

“What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?”

This is the message I sent to the universe at OperationImmortality.com which, according to the site will be archived in the Immortality Drive being sent into space in October, together with all other messages posted before the end of August this year.

I chose this motto, which you can check using my message ID which is 471, because this is the truth, uttered by a great man named Jesus, who claimed, both directly and indirectly, claimed to be immortal and to be God. He was tortured and killed for these claims but His resurrection backed His claims and the world was never the same again.

By His grace I try my best for this truth to be witnessed in my life. Having chosen a profession based on a calling and not on any other temporal reason I try to live this truth and encourage others to take a step back and look at their lives in light of this truth.

Check out this advertisement of a lifetime– Zara Phillips herself, the very first royalty to ever appear in a commercial, is the fresh new face of Land Rover! You will see her in this video leading her horse, while a footballer lad comes in with terrible lines, does his thing. Just watch this Horsing Around video and have a good laugh!

We have yet to meet anyone who does not like the idea of an “all you can eat” promo. More than just getting your money’s worth, it is definitely fun to know you can have more than the regular stuff allowed for a certain budget. And what do you know, this does not just apply to foodies but to music lovers as well, like the hubby and me!

There is a site who will give you just that, download all you can destination of all the MP3′s and ringtones you like, all with CD quality sound- legally. Seriously! This site is actually endorsed by all major record companies. Goodbye to piracy, people! This one is for real. Go check it out for yourself and point your browser to Altnet and sign in for the Free 7 Day Trial and while you’re at it do all the downloading you want, the sky’s the limit!

As we open up the church during weekdays as Jive Youth Center, we hope to more than just do some scholarly tutorials, have them play table tennis and darts, or even make the place available for them to hang out in. We also hope to connect with them, even as we placed key people to be in charge of the center. We hope to get the message across that they belong and we want to connect with them.

The hubby recently just found a site to download movies wherein we could get a hold of good, clean and fun films that can be of entertainment for the middle school students who will swing by the center. Movie2b.com has a library of films wherein all versions for DVD, DivX, PDA and even for iPod are available. This is just so convenient even as most downloadable movies have such limited types of format and we often find out after the download that the format does not fit our player.

We recently signed up and we hope to explore more on the great stuff that we could find in it. We hope to report how things go in the next weeks in our youth center.

Lately, my son and I have been watching lots of animated movies such as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Cars which is his favorite. My wife recently downloaded some extra videos of Jed’s favorite movie and it is about Mater, Lightning McQueen’s companion, and the ghost light. The beginning of that short movie contains a background music of some country music which sounds really nice and kind of relaxing and laid back.

A good source of music in this genre is HDRadio.com. Country music lovers can listen to new country music stations all around US or particular Florida High Definition Radio stations. HD Radio is not like satellite radio. It is a ground antenna based radio or simply a digital version of FM and AM. If you listen with a Polk Audio I-sonic ES2 you can even “tag” the songs that you like in your iPod and then download and buy the songs from the iTunes music store at a later time when you sync your iPod to your laptop or PC.

In dealing with young people, it is very important to understand their culture. Many young people like rap music. In fact, many of them who are also into social networking, embed rap videos in their profile page. They might even have gotten the video from RapArtists.com which is a source of information about rap artists and their music, albums, discography and many others. We just encourage the youth that we deal with to be cautious in choosing the songs they listen to, based on its content and lyrics.

My first encounter with Cher was when I was a college freshman. It was more than a decade ago when I first heard a remake of the song that she and her former partner, Sonny Bono popularized back when they were still an item. I instantly fell for the song and had to do quite a research on their original version. I loved it. As the years went by, Cher did a movie and then recorded a hit making song that ushered her back to the throne where she once was.

When Kuya Jessie, a friend blogger, wrote about her in one his previous articles, it was only then that it occurred to me that she was already as old as my mother. It is just ultra amazing that there is just no trace of old age in this immortal diva. My own mother cannot even believe it when I told her that they are the same age. Can you believe it, that she is even back doing concerts? My mother is scheduled to fly to America next month and she just might want to buy one of those Cher Tickets at Caesars Palace to watch her live. Her relaunch to the concert scene is a much awaited event to many of her fans.

Father’s Day is fast approaching and my wife has been asking me what gift I would like to receive. I have thought about getting a second laptop, or maybe just giving me one free night a week to get my exercise routine back and go back to play soccer with my teammates. But as I was surfing in the internet, I came across this great contest by Charter that can allow me to spend Father’s Day in HD.

A particular page in Charter’s site allows visitors to register with their own and their father’s e-mail address and other information about themselves. After finishing the registration, visitors can submit a short essay answering the question: Why does your dad deserve the nation’s biggest HDTV?

If the registrant’s dad lives in a Charter Communication serviceable area that is qualified, they get an entry for a chance to win America’s biggest HDTV with the best Charter High Definition service and The Charter Bundle FREE for life,  yes that’s for life.

One lucky dad will receive the Grand Prize. A High Definition TV, FREE Charter HD service and The Charter Bundle for life. Other prizes for this contest include Charter’s Biggest Bundle, FREE for a year and FREE Charter HD service for a year.

The hubby and I each have 1 and 2gb micro sd cards in each of our music phones. Why such heavy memory? Simple, aside from the fact that I snap photos on just about everything, we both are music lovers. More than half of the memory stored in each of our sd cards are of music, carefully categorized by genre. I even have a special folder for the little guy too. He loves music as well. He would sing all day long if he can and lulls himself to sleep with just about any song that pops in his head.

We are one musical family, that’s for sure. I have great news for music lovers like us. Now you can actually get free music downloads legally from Get Free Music From MPFree.com. Yes, legally. Now you don’t need to run the risk of getting your computer facility get all those viruses from using unreliable software. No cost or credit card need to be entered at all. All one has to do is sign up for offers or complete surveys. You get to choose all the songs you want from their 750,000 collection. That’s fun. No more nasty viruses for your pc, just all-legal, fresh tracks straight from a legit site.