My son recently celebrated his 5th birthday at Pump It Up of Webster. I’m so thankful that I was able to organize everything and that the kids’ actually enjoyed the party! Let’s face it. Entertaining kids is a challenge these days. With all the gadgets around, it’s quite hard to find an activity that they would really enjoy.

My son was so happy to celebrate with his friends from our church. They definitely loved climbing and sliding down the huge inflatable slides. I didn’t need to worry at all about everyone’s safety. Pump It Up’s friendly staff were always present to supervise the area and attend to the kids whenever they needed help with something.

What I love about Pump It Up though, is that they’re really clean and organized. As mothers, we don’t want our kids playing in areas with questionable sanitation. So this was a huge plus for me! This is one of the first things I’ve noticed in their facility. They keep the play areas really clean!

They also helped me with the e-vites including sending a reminder to my guests before the actual party. This really took a load off my plate and allowed me to attend to other things. It’s always nice to have a little helping hand when setting everything up is getting overwhelming. The part I super loved about all this is, I don’t have to clean up after the party! Parties are fun but the clean up after is a feat. My family and I can just have a good time without worrying about the mess we need to clean up after. It’s like having your cake and eating it too! 🙂

Since my son is into Ninjago lego 😉 He also requested for Lego cupcakes just like I did for his brother last year. “Lego Birthday Theme”. It’s easy to make and you can buy ready made fondant in grocery stores. Use a small icing stainless tip to create small rounded shapes for the brick Lego effect.

To complete the party favors, Bitsy’s sent these delicious and healthy snacks for the kids!

If you’re thinking of a kids’ party that even the adults will enjoy, I highly recommend Pump It Up. It’s simple, stress-free, and private. The Glow in the Dark, Balloon Drop and Bubble Experience are just so much fun that you surely would want you and your kids to experience. The reservations are quick and you can choose from different packages for all party sizes. You can browse their packages and play areas here. Book a date through their online calendar and you’re good to go!

Thank you to Pump It Up of Webster for this fun and cool birthday party! You made my family and friends super happy!

Today I’d like to share my second son’s birthday theme for his third birthday celebration, which is – wait for it – Lego! He and his friends had fun playing with water guns, slides, and making candy necklaces in our backyard. For his past two birthday celebrations, we had a Sailboat and Fish theme respectively. 

My kids are big fans of Duplo ever since Brent and my mother-in-law surprised them with their own set. To be honest, I was never really a fan of Lego or Duplo. It’s incredibly messy and painful especially when accidentally stepped on. But eventually, I learned to love it. It can keep my kids occupied and entertained for hours while honing their creativity and imagination. They love to give me pink Legos or something that they created with pink Legos and I make sure to keep them with me all the time. They really are the sweetest kids!

Here’s the board I made for my son’s birthday.

I have Pinterest to thank for helping me out with this idea and that I was able to pull through. I’m not really good with baking, so I’m extra grateful for ready-made fondants you can buy at the store. I used them to design the cake and cupcakes for my son’s birthday. It wasn’t as hard as I thought. The fondants were quite easy to use, too. I never realized how relaxing and calming it was to design until I tried it.

Instead of buying Lego decorations, I used Duplo blocks to decorate the table, Brent helped design the cupcake tower.

Since our kids are half-American and half-Filipino, I decided to make Philippine and U.S Flags as fondant toppers for the cupcakes. I also made a Texas flag because we currently reside here.

Here are the Lego Duplos set that my kids love to play and some of the sets I used to help decorate the Lego-themed birthday  cake:

My First Cars and Trucks

Town Around the World (they love this set, gifted from Grandma!)

My First Playhouse (I think these are their first Lego Duplo Set)

Push Train (This is the set I used to design around the cake)

World Animal Jungle Set (where I got the alligator Lego)

I love that the colors worked well together. They really look like Lego!

Happy Birthday my sweet little boy!

I thoroughly enjoyed the process and preparations for my son’s birthday. When it comes to DIY, the result is always something to look forward to. It can be a hit or miss situation and it takes a lot of work – but seeing my son and his friends happy makes all the work worth it. Every time.

Do you or your kids love Legos?

Don’t forget to pin your favorite image on Pinterest <3

My husband Brent has always been a fan of Star Wars. I remember the first year we were married, he tried to have me watch Star Wars and I fell asleep… 😉 There is a new Star Wars movie out this month, and I will accept his invitation to watch it with him. I think that will be my gift to him. 😉  With the new movie out, I wanted to share a Star Wars inspired gift wrapping tutorial on my blog. You can use it this Holiday season for your presents to loved ones, who are avid fans of Star Wars. Whether you’re wrapping a gift for Christmas, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, etc., this idea is totally fun and easy to make.

Materials:

Kraft Paper

Darth Vader Photo (saw this free printable from this site and made a layout (See below) for you to print for your gift wrapping)

Scissor

Twine

Tape

Red Straw

Black Paper

Glue

STEP 1 Wrap your presents with kraft paper and seal with tape.

STEP 2 Use this FREE printable Darth Vader layout with a standard sized paper and cut the image out. It comes in two sizes, so that it will work with small or large gifts.

STEP 3 Glue the Darth Vader print out and place on top of the gift wrapped item.

STEP 4 For the lightsaber, cut the red straw in half and cover the bottom with a piece black paper, using glue to stick.

STEP 5 Wrap twine around the gift wrap and stick on the DIY Darth Vader lightsaber.

STEP 6 This is optional: You can paint the initials of the person you are giving the gift to on the bottom of lightsaber, to serve as the name tag.

That’s it! Easy and fun to create for Star Wars fans out there.

Have you watched the new Star Wars movie already? Please convince me to watch it. 😉

Check out more of my DIY gift wrapping ideas: Christmas Wreath Inspired / DIY Christmas Wrapper / Santa, Reindeer, Star Wars 

My second son turned two this month! I can describe him as a brave and strong toddler. He loves to swim (using his floaties of course) and even jumps into the water on his own. I am proud of him in many ways, especially when he copies us when we pray before eating meals and going to bed. He is such a sweet boy with lots of energy. 😉 We had a great day with his grandparents and a few friends, celebrating his birthday with swimming and splashing.

Since he is fascinated with fish I thought to make his two-year-old birthday celebration into a fish theme. To make this party more “fishy”,my mother-in-law and I worked together to create a fish birthday cake for him! My little boy loved it, and so did my eldest son!

I made a birthday banner that is different this time, since it says “two” not “happy birthday”. Here are the materials that I used. Most of them came from Hobby Lobby.

Cardstock Paper

Twine

Scissors

Tape

Glue

Pencil

*Round sized pattern (see details below)

Cardboard

White Paint (optional)

First, I sketched the word “two” on blue cardstock paper. The bigger, the better. I used one that was 12” x 12” in size from Hobby Lobby. You can make the sketch easier by printing out the word “two” from a computer, and  then tracing it onto the blue paper. Font styles depend on your preference, but I suggest to use a wider/bold font style. Finally, simply cut out the word “two”.

For the fish, I drew a big oval as the body and added a tail that would fit on an 8” x 11” yellow paper. You can use this first sketch to trace the second fish pattern. Use another paper for the stripes and tail color. I used the color orange for this style. Glue the orange pattern onto the fish body and trim the excess (as seen in the picture above).* Add the fish eyes by using small and medium round-shaped container lids. Use then to trace on black and white paper. Glue the white rounded paper, then the black circle for the eyes.

This is optional but you can create a fish rod to add onto the birthday fish banner. I used cardboard to draw a fish rod then cut it out with scissors​. I also painted it white and used yellow paper for the handle and twine for the fishing line. You can also add some fun details like small circles on the side. I used twine to put these designs together along with tape at the back of the designs.

Anyone else​ have kids turning two this summer?

I hope you all enjoy this tutorial! Have a great weekend ahead!

My little son. Mama and Dada love you!

My eldest son has been liking “ninjas” a lot.  I think he’s been a fan of them ever since he was an infant. My husband would lift him up and have him pretend to jump all over the house (walls, sofas, etc). This year for his birthday, he was the one who kept telling me that he would like ninjas for his birthday. That’s why I planned to use a touch of Ninja Turtles and a colorful theme for his special day. I saw some ninja turtle birthday ideas when it came to food. I tried to make the fruit tray and saw Ninja Turtle cookies in a grocery store. We also played “Pin the Mask” on the ninja, thanks to my friend Karla who led the game. We had a great time with our friends and their kids, who are close to my son’s heart. I thought to prepare Filipino dishes like lumpia and skewered pork barbecue, so our friends could taste some FIlipino dishes that we love. Here’s a recipe of Filipino skewered pork barbeque in case you guys want to try it. It’s actually a street food in the Philippines, which I loved to buy often when I lived there. It’s perfect if you dip it with spicy vinegar and eat it with rice!! YUM!

(Special thanks to my sister-in-law Suki for the birthday decor!)

Filipino Skewered Pork Barbecue

2 lbs pork, sliced

½ cup soy sauce

½ ketchup

8-10 cloves garlic, minced (I used garlic pressed, similar to this)

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1-2 teaspoons sriracha (optional, but it’s good!)

2 teaspoons of lemon juice (fresh or it can be from the bottle of concentrate)

1 cup (or more) of Sprite (Yep!)

Bamboo skewers – Soak a night or at least 20 minutes before you use it. It keeps the skewers from getting burnt during grilling.

Instructions:

Combine soy sauce, ketchup, minced garlic, brown sugar, pepper and salt, sriracha, and lemon into a flat container (I like to use a glass baking dish), stir it well with a fork. Place sliced pork onto the dish and mix together with the sauce. Pour the Sprite evenly over the pork. Cover it and refrigerate it to marinate overnight.

After it’s marinated, skewer the pork with the bamboo sticks. Keep the sauce aside. Ready the grill at medium heat. While waiting for the grill to be hot, cook the sauce from the marinated pork with a low heat and stir. Wait for it to bubble while cooking. When it’s cooked, I taste it and add some sprite, ketchup and brown sugar depending on how I want it to come out. For my son’s party, I found it a little spicy for our visitors who were kids, so I added these ingredients to adjust it. This cooked sauce will be used to brush onto the barbecue while on the grill so it’s juicy and moist. Put the barbeque pork on the preheated grill and start to brush the cooked sauce on each side of the pork. Grill 10-12 minutes per side. Keep rotating it and brushing the pork with the sauce keep it moist. Cooking takes about 25-30 minutes. I used a charcoal grill to cook this, but you may use a gas grill too.

Try serving it with spicy vinegar and rice! It’s totally delicious!

Anyone here tasted this skewered barbecued pork before?

My eldest son is turning 3 years old this month. Truly, time goes by so fast. He went from a baby to a big, sweet (and hyper) boy, who is also a good helper.  I still remember when I was pregnant with him. It was different than with my second child because I was actually pregnant not only with my eldest, but with another one as well. I also remember Brent’s facial expression when I shared the news with him. His jaw dropped and he couldn’t talk for a few seconds. Haha! I wasn’t familiar with the type of pregnancy I had until I experienced it myself. It was called Vanishing Twin Syndrome. Even though we went through that, God has always been good to Brent and to me. He is always there for us, helping raise our children. If you have met my eldest, he is sweet, although he can be very active (He has so much energy!). As some people say, boys will be boys. 😉 Here are a few gift ideas for 3 year-old toddlers that you will want to check out.

ONE Waterfall Discovery Wall

My kids totally love water! I think this is something we would like to consider getting him, especially now that winter is over, and he and his brother can play outside.

TWO Play-doh

My son loves to play with this together. He requests for us to make snakes or alligators, while his little brother only requests for a ball.

THREE Play-mags

Another cool thing to check out is this magnetic toy, where you can build towers and other structures. I saw this on a playdate with a friend and my son loves it.

FOUR Magnetic Letters and Numbers

They got this last year and I use this mostly when I’m trying to cook. I let them play with these on the fridge door while I cook.

FIVE Books (Harold and the purple crayon)

Books are always a great gift idea. My eldest loves storytime, which I’m so happy about because I’m not into books. 😉 Here’s a book he got from his cousin. He loves this book because of its creative story.

SIX Water Paint Reveal Pads 

No-mess painting for toddlers! I first heard about this from a friend who suggested I get it for my travel to the Philippines. I didn’t have the chance to get one, but it’s a good thing Korea Airlines offered a similar item for our kids in the plane. They totally LOVED it!

SEVEN Magnetic Wooden Block Set 

I think this is good toy to build their imaginations. I would like to have this for him!

EIGHT  Trampoline

My boys have this and they love it. It’s a good way for them to release their energy, and is better than having them from jumping on the bed and sofa 😉

Do you have any gift ideas you like to give for a toddler? I’d love to hear them. 🙂

Say hello to the precious Zoie who just turned one this month! These are the pictures I took from her first birthday photoshoot, together with her mom and dad. It was so sweet of her mom Charm to create and prepare props for her shoot. They made it so much fun and cute, just like Zoie! I love how Charm did the DIY cardboard sign saying “One”. Great job Mom and Happy 1st Birthday Zoie!

Photography by Em Smith (me)

What’s your ideal photoshoot theme for your little tot?

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:10

What gift to give for a first birthday? Check out these 5 real moms who shared their favorite first birthday gift ideas!These gifts are not only useful, but appreciated by both the parents and their children. 

There are so many toys, clothes, and other items out in the market that it can be hard to decide what to give as a first birthday gift. Today, five real moms share items with my readers who are looking for that gift. Whether you are a first-time parent, grandparent, sister/brother, relative or a friend, these featured items will surely be useful and interesting to those little movers!

“I bought these shoes for Mila for her first birthday and I have been so happy with them. She literally wears these little Adidas Infant Shoes every single day. They are extremely quick and easy to put on a moving toddler. She can wear them without socks for hot, sunny days and there is plenty of room for socks on chilly days. What I love most about this product is that they are machine washable! Making life easier for mommy. I also appreciate the price point and not to mention having a stylish little tot!”

“Kai loves playing with his Noah’s Ark set that features various sounds, animals, and a simple piano. Together we use it to identify animals and their sounds, sort shapes, and retell the biblical account of Noah’s Ark. I love most that it is a toy that serves multiple teaching purposes and can be played with independently.”

“My favorite 1st birthday gift is a baby board book with big images of everyday things that they see. It was perfect for both my little ones because they recognize the images and it peeks their interest to try to name the images, and also encourage them to try to speak and talk!”

“All my kids have loved Fisher Price “My Little People Farm A lift-the-flap playbook. It works on something different every page, counting, colors, shapes, opposites, and sounds. We read this book probably more than any others. It’s a time that you can spend with your child reading but it is also teaching them to understand certain commands. Whether it’s a touch and feel, flip the flaps, or pushing buttons at correct times in the book, we love them all. We are big story book readers so it’s definitely a gift that is always welcome here.”

“We like this toy because it serves many purposes. It has buttons that make sounds which Neon finds very entertaining, it also serves as a walker, and it has a detachable seat which Neon can use later once he perfects his balance.”

As for me, I love the Mega Bloks that we received for my eldest son, on his first birthday. He still uses them and plays together with my youngest son. Our favorite things to build include a tower, airplane, or Noah’s Ark where we can put their little animal toys inside. These Mega Bloks keep them busy too, which is truly helpful for me when I need to clean or prepare meals.  

Comment below to share your child’s favorite gift she/he has received. Or do you have any suggested items for the little movers?