Parenting Archive

My thoughts on parenthood, and what it's like to be a mom in the Philippines.

3 Ways To Get Shell V-Power LEGO® Collection For Free!

Imagine the excitement of my kids when they saw this:

Shell V-Power LEGO® Collection For Free!

3 Ways To Get Shell V-Power LEGO® Collection For Free:

Purchase of 4L Shell Helix Ultra pack: two (2) free LEGO models
Purchase of 6L Shell Helix Diesel Ultra pack: two (2) free LEGO models
Purchase of 4L Shell Helix: one (1) free LEGO model

Other Ways To Get Your Shell V-Power LEGO® Collection Model:

P1,500 worth of Shell V-Power Nitro+ fuel: One LEGO® Ferrari car model for only P150 or two LEGO® playsets for only P150
P1,500 worth of Shell FuelSave: One LEGO® Ferrari car model for only P180 or two LEGO® playsets for only P180

I can’t get them for free since we can’t have oil change outside the casa.. we have to rely on our fuel consumption! waaaaaah

And in order to complete the set (4 model cars + 2 playsets) we need to consume 5 full tank worth of gas!

It will take a year before we can complete this set 🙁 but the promo is until January 15, 2015 only.. ahuhu

Take a look at the car models and play sets and tell me if it is not worth my ahuhuu:

I really want to complete this set but if ever we won’t we’ll just have fun with the cars and build our tracks. We might join the Ready, Set, Build Promo, which according to Shell Website:

Create and Share your own world of motor racing to win great prizes. Here’s how to get started:

Kaso, we told the kids, they can’t open one unless we have four models! wahahaha

OK fine, let’s TRAVEL MORE!

Our Vigan Trip Experience

It’s a long weekend, and we’re not going to content ourselves with just a day trip. Long drive na ito!!!

Coincidentally, a hotel in Vigan is on sale at Deal Grocer (that’s my favorite deal site, bonggey ang mga featured hotels). And the hotel on sale looks very promising.. tagged as the first and only museum hotel in the Philippines, Hotel Luna seems to be a fair choice if travelling to Vigan. Yup, when we say long drive, long drive it is.

The deal is valid for travel from August 10, 2014 to December 15, 2014 except on declared holidays and long weekends….with our travel date that falls on long weekend, I am not quite sure if the hotel can accommodate us. To make sure, I emailed the hotel with my dilemma and they said they can accommodate us on my preferred dates. Purchased 2 voucher through bank deposit, emailed the scanned deposit slip to Deal Grocer and before the day ends, we were booked! Easy peasy booking!

I spent the next few days searching for things to do in Vigan and a day before our travel, our Vigan itinerary was complete:

Day 1: Friday >>>travel Friday noon and spent a night in San Juan, La Union (SJLU has a soft spot in our heart, we just can’t miss spending some hours here)

Day 2: Saturday

early morning travel to Vigan
Breakfast somewhere along the road
Visit Baluarte
Lunch at Hidden Garden/ Lilong and Lilang’s Restaurant
Check in at Hotel Luna
Afternoon walk at Calle Crisologo and Plaza Burgos
Dinner at Cafe Leona

Day 3: Sunday

early morning drive to Ilocos Norte
Breakfast at Bangui Mills/ Kang- Kang Coffee Shop
Pagudpud until afternoon
Visit a friend in Laoag
Head back to Vigan/ dinner at Hotel

Day 4: Monday

Breakfast at Hotel Luna
Visit Bell Tower, Visit Abel Weaving, Buy Pasalubong at Calle Crisologo
Lunch at Hotel then check out
Manila bound by 1 PM

Well planned itinerary no? that’s what I thought!

Day 1, we’re on the road by 1 PM, arrive in La Union around 8 PM (dami stop over eh).. slept like we never slept for ages.. pagoda coldwave lotion!

Day 2, my early morning drive to Vigan plan didn’t pushed through.. well, the kids can’t resist the beach and the pool!

We stayed at Costa Villa of course.

Vigan bound by 10 AM (we had breakfast at San Fernando, La Union). By 1 PM and still on the road, our tummies started to complain. We decided to stick to our “itinerary” and look for the Hidden Garden. I thought it was far from the centro where our hotel was located.. it’s actually not that far, maps can be deceiving! haha

It’s not that really hidden, but if you can’t find any Hidden Garden Vigan on your GPS, try searching for Lilong and Lilang Restaurant.

It’s a garden with a restaurant inside! It’s not the food that we enjoyed the most.. it’s the tour around the place. Tamarind Bonsai that’s already bearing fruits! Amazeball! And one year old Chico that’s only 3 feet tall and it’s already bearing fruits! WOW! Grafting! I know.. but seeing those plants still amazes me.. and another one: SARIMANOK! Yup the symbolic colorful manok that ABSCBN once featured.. it’s real! And sooo enchanting!

The staff are friendly but lacks hospitality.. though the place makes you feel at home, sadly their staff were not trained on that aspect or they may be really that busy granted that Hidden Garden is already considered as a “must visit” in Vigan.

Checked in at Hotel Luna at around 4 PM.

First impression: WOW! It’s better than how I imagined it!

Hotel Luna exceeds my expectation. We were booked at a corner room so it was huge! The staff, the food, the pool, the place, overall experience is superb! Hotel Luna deserves a separate post.

We stayed in the pool until our tummies started complaining again… as planned, we strolled at Calle Crisologo and Padre Burgos Plaza, we end up eating Ilocos Empanada for dinner and watched the dancing fountain at the plaza. This is a must do if you’re in Vigan, the dancing fountain is fun to watch!

Evelyn’s Empanada is located at the side of Padre Burgos Plaza (almost in front of Mcdo)

Day 3 and we realized our Ilocos Norte plan is not possible.

I read from somewhere that the best time to “stroll” at Calle Crisologo is at dawn..when everyone else is still sleeping. Indeed it was! The street was almost empty.

We had our breakfast at Hotel Luna. Our accommodation includes 2 buffet breakfast we just paid for the kids’ breakfast which is half the buffet breakfast price (650PhP). As I have mentioned the food was great and with more than 5 viands not including Vigan Longganisa and Bacon, the buffet breakfast is worth more than what we paid for.

Another must visit is Baluarte, a mini zoo just a few kilometers away from Vigan. Actually, when you’r in Vigan, everything seems very near, in fact, Melvin, the most accommodating staff from Hotel Luna, mentioned that one can go around the tourists spots in Vigan in 3 hours. He suggested we rent a caleza for 150 an hour and the kutsero will also serve as our tour guide.

But you know, the husband loves to drive….

After breakfast, we’re Baluarte bound. I suggest you visit this place early in the morning, the heat is not fun at all.

There is so much to do in Baluarte.. live encounter and picture taking with a tiger or snake and riding at the back of a small horse.

Day 4 and we’re Manila bound… but not without having our “date” at the pool side… and then the kids went looking for us… good thing, cereals is on the house, we had a few more “moments” while they much on their cereals!

Bid Vigan good bye around 1 PM and arrived home around 8 PM… we got the long drive that we wanted! hah!

Thank you Vigan and Hotel Luna for making it possible.

_________________

of course we tried riding the callesa! Not just once but twice.. on our 2nd night, we we’re too tired to walk from mid Calle Crisologo to Cafe Leona.. we hailed a Callessa and the kutsero made our ride worth it by giving us a short tour around nearby streets..

another side note: If you’re going to Vigan, ditch the itineraries, go there empty handed, stay at Hotel Luna and trust a kutsero to take you to Vigan tourist spots.

last one! hahaha We’ll be back of course! I want to see the Bantay Bell Tower, Abel Weaving, go inside old houses, shop at Vigan palengke, stop at the beaches in Santa and see the grotto. There’s a small watch tower near Gabriela Silang park, I wanna see that too! Stop and marvel at the beaches along the road. I think I should plan for the Great North Luzon Getaway (Manila- La Union- Vigan- Ilocos Norte- Vigan- Baguio- Manila)… bonggey to!

Shakey’s Justice League Party Packages (and the story of not sexy Wonder Woman costume!)

So, I excitedly told them, we are going to attend a Shakey’s Justice League Pizza Party.. total black out for a few seconds. I thought I lost an ear from all the screams. For one, Shakey’s Pizza is our comfort food (Shakey’s Pizza Online Ordering system accepts paypal payment and free pizza for super card members!!!!!) and yes, they love dressing up as super heroes!

I asked my ever reliable, Ukay Queen sister to look for Justice League costumes. It’s a Justice League party.. we are going in our Justice League costumes.. er the kids only pala.. though I really wish I can fit in a Wonder Woman costume! hahaha

Sister found 4!!! She got Superman, Dark Knight, Robin (he is a Justice League member right?) and a bat woman. Everything fits well except for the bat woman that needs some adjustment… and then Sati changed her mind.. and honestly, I want her to wear a Wonder Woman costume. That’s the most “astig” woman superhero costume. She said, she’s willing to wear a Wonder Woman costume as long as it is not SEXY! Conservative ang bagets!

Challenged accepted! I am going to make a not sexy Wonder Woman costume!

Fast forward to party day.. ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED! And she won Best In Costume! (pakibuhat ang bangko ko please! hahaha)

O sya ako na ang magbubuhat ng bangko.. DIY yan… from the head gear down to the “boots”… all HAND SEWN!

Friday morning, I bought some fabric in Taytay (1/2 yard gold, 1/2 yard white, 1 yard red and 1 yard blue satin, total amount: 150 PhP). Spent the whole Friday sewing that costume and also making “boots” for my Superman.

And if there is Superman, there should be Clark! Mommy Lvey came with Clark, eer Ren dressed as Clark (he won as Best Costume for boys!)

#metamorphosis #alterego

Shakey's Justice League Pizza Party — Clark Kent and Superman

The event was held in Shakey’s Katipunan – Loyola branch (Shakey’s Katipunan branch has Fun zone!), one of the biggest Shakey’s branch I have been although parking can be challenging.

The party started with some introductions and news about Shakey’s Justice League Unlimited Party Packages (save as much as PhP 8,000!)

A (good for 30 persons) PhP 16,000

4 Large Thin Crust Pizza
6 Pasta Platter (Spaghetti or Carbonara)
30 Chicken N’ Mojos
30 Bottomless Iced Tea
30 Kimmy Ice Cream Sticks
30 JLUC Loot Bags
1 Gift to Celebrant (Tent)
1 Giant Pizza

Shakey’s Justice League Unlimited Party Power Package B (good for 50 persons) PhP 20,000

7 Large Thin Crust Pizza
10 Pasta Platter (Spaghetti or Carbonara)
50 Chicken N’ Mojos
50 Bottomless Iced Tea
30 Kimmy Ice Cream Sticks
30 JLUC Loot Bags
1 Gift to Celebrant (Tent)
1 Giant Pizza

Shakey’s Justice League Unlimited Party Power Package B (good for 50 persons) PhP 24,000

9 Large Thin Crust Pizza
14 Pasta Platter (Spaghetti or Carbonara)
70 Chicken N’ Mojos
70 Bottomless Iced Tea
30 Kimmy Ice Cream Sticks
30 JLUC Loot Bags
1 Gift to Celebrant (Tent)
1 Giant Pizza

Shakey’s Giant Pizza is a 32 inch diameter Shakey’s pizza must try that comes in 4 flavors (Manager’s Choice, Pepperoni, Hawaiian Delight and Shakey’s Special). Shakey’s Giant Pizza price is PhP 3950 but it comes free for every 15,000 PhP party package + 2000 PhP worth of tokens, for the JLUC package, it’s free! Now there’s more. add 300 FunZone* tokens for only PhP2500 (FunZone token is 10 PhP each).

The promo is until December 2014 only, kaya if you’re looking for a venue, book mo na ang Shakey’s. Too bad, 3rd son’s 7th birthday is next year pa (sana may promo ulit! hahaha)

All Shakey’s Justice League Unlimited Party Power Packages comes with the following birthday party amenities:

JLUC Invitation Card
JLUC Lootbag
JLUC Activity Book
JLUC Double Head Crayons
JLUC Head Gear and Cape (Batman Cape and Head Gear/ Wonder Woman Cape and Head Gear)
Birthday Party Signature Poster

As usual, after some introductions, games comes next:

Some of the prizes during the game were:

Mini View Finder
Justice League Unlimited Comics Cards
Justice League Unlimited Character Stickers

After the games, eating time.. at ngayon ko lang na discover na sobrang sarap pala ng Shakey’s Carbonora! I’ll order this on Wednesday (exam week, kaya hindi dapat mapagod si Mommy haha). Of course, pizza will always be our Shakey’s favorite.

I wonder where they ordered these cupcakes.. type ko ang lasa nya at texture:

My 3rd son wants his 7th birthday party in Shakey’s talaga, so lalo pa ngayon na nalaman nyang may Batman at Superman si Shakey’s and he enjoyed the party we attended, wala ng second thoughts!

How about you? Do you think it’s sulit to have a party in Shakey’s?

*List Shakey’s branches with FunZone: