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hay, time flies so fast talaga! i can’t believe that my baby is now 4yo!!!

during the 1st bday Pooh party planning, i promised hubby na 1^st and 7^th birthdays lang ang party namin for Austin. but knowing me and how addicted i am to parties (kaya nga party planner ako eh, hehe), tumawad pa ako kay hubby ng 1^st 3 bdays na lang. =)

and since hubby is also one party-addict like me, pinagbigyan nya ang luho ko and had simple parties on Austin’s 2^nd and 3^rd birthdays.

Austin’s 2nd birthday was a pool party with Barney as theme, since he was my son’s (and every little kid i guesss) favorite that time.

Austin’s 3rd birthday was a basketball party because that was the time when he was really into all kinds of balls and basketballs of all sorts. to the extent na may mini court kami na nakasabit sa loob ng van, hehe.

and so we thought, that was the last party na, next will be on the 7^th. but we were wrong!!! i just can’t stopped myself from thinking about my son’s party theme came November 2008, hehe.

because of Austin’s addiction (is an understatement) to alphabets & numbers, we decided to enroll him already at the early age of 3yo. he was enrolled in Nursery and most of his classmates were already 4yo, but he was the only one who knew (recite & write) the alphabets and numbers (1-100). he can even count 1-100 in Filipino and 1-20 in  Spanish (thanks to Dora). he also knows the hand alphabets (i thought him!) and guess what, he can recite the alphabets BACKWARDS! (no one thought him this because we ourselves can’t recite it backwards, hehe). that’s how addicted he is to alphabets (since birth)!!!

so thinking of a theme for his birthday was really a breeze. but thinking of unique ideas that my son would enjoy and executing them was the real challenge.

during the party, we had a Registration Table where guests were given an “Activity Guide”. written here all the activities for the day, schedules, instructions, and everything you need to know to enjoy the party.

kids were also given their own IDs and all the materials needed for the activities a.k.a ’seatwork’. =)

next on the list would be to proceed to the “Photo Me” booth and have their pictures taken.

then kids had to do their ’seatworks’ with the help of their parents.

after the activities, host asked the kids to fall in line and went around the venue to check (study) the different educational boards pasted around.

after that, the party program started. it began with an exercise (my toes…) and a question & answer about the educational boards. followed by a guessing & spelling game, then  a bring me (school related things) game.

for adults, we had 2 games. the shapes (of face) drawing and butt spelling where everybody went hilarious seeing all those moving butts.

after that was Recess time.

then we had Class Picture and candle blowing. it was also the actual birthdays of my 2 assistants and the twin distant relatives of hubby, so i bought each one of them mini cakes and we greeted them as well.

and the most awaited, the Awarding of Winners. kids stayed in front showing off their artworks one by one. and we picked 1 winner for every category. the parents were just so proud of their kids and ‘their’ works.

then we had the giving of lootbags and farewell speech.

the party lasted for 4 hours, grabe!!! the longest party we had in 4 years. it started at 230 and ended 630pm. everybody just enjoyed finishing the activities and the food, that no one noticed that we were partying long enough already. =)

it was indeed one happy and fulfilling party!

i’ll just list all the details of the party and the rates (for some) to help some party planning parents. =)

1.       Invitations – we did a 2D invite with a 2D blackboard where the party details were written, just like some announcement in school.

to incorporate the theme to the wording was one task i’m truly proud of. medyo corny but i really hit it, swak na swak, hehe. (ABC-123)

“Austin’s Birthday Celebration…  as he turns (not) 1, (not) 2, (not) 3, but 4 yo! =)

2.       Parang Pavillion (venue in Marikina) rent at P2,500 ONLY! – for the past 3 parties, it was always held in Marikina, because we and most of our guests are from there. it’s the first time i saw the Pavillion and i liked it right away because it was big and pretty new. the rate is also CHEAP! plus we had freebies because MIL is a friend of the caretaker. they also had tables & chairs for rental already, as well as sound system , so it was really very convenient for us.

3.       Host (English hosting, balloon twisting & games) P3,500 – she’s one of my favorite hosts because she’s pretty, nice and a really good “talker”.  she dressed up as a ‘PE teacher’ and i liked the way she managed the kids.

4.       Face Painter (P2,200) – he is my favorite talent as his hands are really good in painting and can do beautiful glitter art as well.

5.       Venue Décor (styro backdrop, balloons, letter mylars, blocks, cake arch, etc.) – of course, forte ko to kaya i managed all these things. kinarir ko talagang buuin yung mga blocks from divi noh, hehe. everybody loved the outcome and as usual, ubos ang balloons after the party. =)

6.       Cake & cupcakes – i designed my own cake and cupcakes and gave it to my supplier. it looked really nice and of course tasted good.

7.       Food Carts [cotton candy (P1,700), snow cone (P1,800), chips (P1,800), squidballs (P1,800)& ice cream (P2,200)] – feeling ko, these are the things na binebenta sa school canteen (or areas outside the school, hehe) kaya eto na lang din ang pinili kong carts. as usual, it was a hit, especially ang aming squidballs na 3 years nang present sa parties namin kasi laging hinahanap ng mga adults.

8.       Food for Adults (baked mac, rice, fried chicken, shanghai & bbq; leche flan, puto & fruits) – we just prepared our own food, kasi MIL loves to cook.  and since simple lang naman ang usual na nabibili sa school canteen, kinarir na din namin to. =)

9.       Kiddie Meal [spag, hotdogs & chicken nuggets (na alphabets and letters)] – we also offer this service to our client’s parties, kaya kabisado na din to ng mga staffs ko. kanya-kanya silang luto because the hotdogs and nuggets were cooked on the spot.

10.   Photographer (P3,000) – for the past 2 parties, we didn’t hire a photog, kaya naman salitan kami ni hubby sa pag-take ng pictures then. but i realized na we weren’t really enjoying our party that much kasi busy sa pag-document. now i know better, so i got one of my photogs to cover the event.

11.   Videographer (P3,000) – this was really not a necessity because i only had this on the 1^st birthday. but last minute, as in 2 days before the event, i decided to hire one. i just wanted to capture the smile and laughter of my son as he enjoyed all the letters and numbers around him. and now, every time i watched the video and see his precious smile and how he enjoyed his party, i realized that videographer is a must-have in every party.

12.   Projector (P2,500) – this was also a last minute thing because i didn’t realize na kakayanin kong gumawa ng AVP on my own, hehe. kinarir ko talaga kasi i wanted to show my son’s talents and skills, kaya dapat talaga supported by videos nya. 2 nights kong pinag-puyatan ang AVP, at syempre, tuwang-tuwa din ang mga Lolo at Lola sa AVP, super proud sila sa apo nila. =)

13.    OTS Photo w/ Magnet (P4,500 for 100 pcs) – this was my version of “Photo Me”, hehe.  di ba kapag student ka, hindi pwedeng hindi ka magpa-picture sa “Photo Me”, kaya i thought of having this also. the guests enjoyed this naman, it also served as their party souvenir.

14.   School Activities:

                Paint your Shirt – i had the alphabets printed on white shirts and the kids designed the shirts with fabric pens.

                Decorate your Cookie – i had letter cookies and icings, sprinkles, etc. to decorate their cookies.

                Create your Bracelet – i gave the kids plain bracelets and they put the letters of their names and other designs on it.

                Color your Frame – i just bought some character frames and the kids colored them with glitter pens.

                Assemble your Puzzle – i just bought foam animal puzzles for the little kids to assemble.

15.   Souvenirs (Lunch bags at P80 each and Stroller bags at 420 each) – of course, since school theme, i gave away Lunchbags to kids, complete with snacks and juice inside. i also had Stroller bags as major prizes for the Best in Activities winners.

16.   Others (prizes, educational posters, id tags, games materials, poppers, etc) – good old Divisoria! =)

17.   Austin’s shirt – i just had the letters iron-pressed sa supplier ko. and these letters were ‘singit’ from the “Power Of Ten”(of GMA 7)  shirts i made for Janno and the gang, hahaha.

18.   Our shirts c/o Giordano – that was the best we can find na may letters sa shirt, di nga lang complete sabi ng anak ko.  =)

of all the 4 parties we’ve had for Austin, i would say that i loved this the most! mainly because:

a.    my son really loved his theme as he is obsessed with letters & numbers, so just seeing all the decors around him, he was truly excited.

b.    he is at his age where he knows, understands and really  participates with the party program. he was not just the celebrator, he was really a part of the party, and i know that he truly enjoyed his party this time. whenever he sees alphabets and numbers now, he would always tell me “mama, party ko yan, di ba” =)

c.     the kids enjoyed doing all the activities we’ve prepared for them.

d.     i was happy to see the parents doing the activities with their kids, it was really a bonding moment for the families.

e.    and i loved the sight of proud parents watching their kids lining up in front of the stage showing of their finished activities. the parents were all standing in front with all their cameras flashing, hehe. it was really a priceless moment. =)

thank you for reaching this far! and i hope i’ve given party planning mommies some ideas somehow.

it is truly my joy doing parties! and it double the fun when your kid already knows how to “party” on his own. and a “thank you kiss” is more than enough to cover everything we’ve done.

party details can be viewed here.

complete party pics can be seen here.

yes, i’m really looking forward to the coming vacation!!!

it’s vacation time for my school boy so no waking up early (yes, 9am is already early for both of us!)

it’s Nov 1&2 next weekend so no parties for me to organize.

it’s really 1 whole week of rest!

these past few days, i’m really feeling sick, stressed, tired, burnt out and all! i don’t know, i guess i just need a good massage and a WHOLE DAY rest!

so i’m really excited for the coming week.

also, it’s time to update all my backlogs. blog my Hongkong vacation as well as our MBAP party (sorry mommies, next week na po ang pics ko ha), and a LOT more! update all my party pics and organize all my files.

waaah, feeling ko di din ako makapag-rest sa dami ng kelangan kong gawin!!!

good luck to me and happy vacation to all.

btw, yup, i got the 2 big events i blogged below. will post about it soon! thanked God! =)

as my other party organizer friend said it, there’s always something about the last Saturday of October!!!

it seems that everybody is having a party this Saturday. i’m having 3 major kiddie parties! and can you believe that i even turned down 3 party inquiries for this day alone. and all my other friends from this business are all having more than 1 party this Sat. waaah! good luck to us!

the sad thing is, there’s no party left for Sunday, hehe. lahat sila nagsiksikan sa Sat, kainis! i only have 1 booking this Oct 26. and the weekend after is already Nov 1&2 na.

and just awhile ago while i was working online at Gloria Jeans, a client called me and asking if there’s still an available host for this Sat, 3pm. goodluck, hehe. i asked all my hosts but all of them are booked, and most of them have 3 parties on that day!!! what a GOOD DAY for all of us! =) sana every weekend ganito, hehe.

so to all my party friends, enjoy the Saturday work!work!work! for us!!! that only means money, money, money!!! Thanked GOD! =)

i’m really hoping to get this 2 events next week!!! it’s a big 3-day event! sadly, i got bumped off on the 1st day because something happened and they won’t be needing my services anymore. despite me booking my other talents already for the 1st day, hay!

anyway, i’ve booked my other talenst already on the 2nd and 3rd day. but still i can’t say it’s final because i don’t have the contract yet. so i’m really praying that i’ll get it this time.

i’ll be happy to coordinate everything that’s why i’ve given it to them for FREE! besides, i’ts a charity show so i really want to be part of it. it’s xmas time once more, and it’s always my “pay back time”.

hoping…

obviously, i’m so busy. it’s been a month since my last post. sooooo many things to blog and pics to upload.

i’m really so sorry for all those waiting for our HK kwento and pics, will upload them soon, as i find time. but we really enjoyed it, tiring but happy.

and thanks to all those who sent their bday greetings. =)

as of now, i’m super busy with parties and other events. it’s a happy problem i know, so i really don’t complaint! hehe. give me more… =)

on sept 11-14, i will be on my much-needed and much-deserved vacation. i’ll be celebrating my 3*th birthday in Hongkong tomorrow with my family and parents.

unfortunately, i still have a party booking on Saturday. i’ve tried to decline the booking because i was thinking that it will be unfair for the client since i won’t be around to personally supervise the décor. but since she was a past client (we did her baby’s baptism months ago) and she insisted that she trusts my people and still wanted to get our services, i accepted her party. but no more balloons because i don’t want to worry that much on Sat while on vacation. so i just supplied entertainers, food carts, styro and swags.

it’s been SUPER busy this week, with everything needed to be accomplished before our flight. this afternoon, i had to bring the service van to my in laws and leave it there with all the things they need for the party. and i had to discuss every little detail to my assistant, just to ensure that everything will be alright. and now i’m crossing my finger, hehe. this will also be the 1st time that a hired driver will drive our van.

after that, i went to my salon at 5pm for some retouches on my hair color, foot spa and pedicure. need to be ready for Mickey, hehe.

now, it’s already 11:58pm and we haven’t packed completely yet. there are still a lot of things to do. and guess what time we are leaving tomorrow…4am!!! my parent’s flight via Cathay is 6am while our flight is at 8am. so we all need to be at the airport by 430, since isang taxi na lang daw kami, hehe. walang tulugan ito!!! atleast we’ll be staying at Terminal 3, excited for this new airport, hahaha.

btw, to all my clients, please bear with me if i won’t be able to answer your phone inquiries (SMS) until Sunday, mahal ang roaming eh, hehe. i’ll try my best to answer your emails through my mobile phone, because our hotel has free WIFI.  i just hope i can still go online at night.

good luck to us and please pray for a good weather here and in HK.

Happy Birthday to ME!!! =)

for more personal HK kwento, please click here.

tagged by Karen.

Players: Ozzy’s Mom Me,Myself + 2 Kidd Designs Fun.Fierce.Fabulous Me and Mine Little Peanut Pea in a Pod Creative in Me Notable Bistro Sugarmagnolias Around the World My Life in this Wonderful World My Online World My Happy Place Iam Dzoi Suburban Sass To the Moon and Back Raising Sandy All Things Me Feels Like Home Because Life Is Fun Stars, Movies and Sunshine Growing Up With Bea My life , My Own Piece of Heaven, Gaple, Apple of Yanple, YOUR BLOG HERE

1. When was your first kiss and where?
~ simple or torrid? haha. i was 17yo when i had my 1st bf, so that was also the time i had my 1st kiss. i’m really having a HARD time reminiscin’… sa Fort Boni yata. =)

2. When was your first real relationship and how long did it last?
~ after HS graduation, it lasted for 5 months. then we got back and lasted for 2 years.

3. What age were you allowed to date?
~ i think when i turned 18yo. so based on my answer above, ako ay suwail na anak. hahaha.

4. What’s the craziest thing you did (for love) when you were a teenager?
~ i planned to surprise him on our anniv by following him sa USA. pero ako ang na-surprised kasi he went home instead. =)

5. How long was your longest relationship and what’s the secret?
~ 2 years for bf-gf. 4 years and counting now sa married life. secret, nothing really, i guess being open with each other.

6. How long did you date before you decided to settle down?
~ 2 years.

7. How did you know he was the ONE?
~ i guess because of all the signs i asked from HIM. you know, i’m one believer of signs, hehe.

8. Now, at what age will you allow your kids(s) to date?
~ hay, with the generation now, i think around 12yo, may gf na sila. though if i can, i want him to date when he’s 18yo, atleast he’s already mature by that time.

9. When it comes to your kids dating, will you be a cool parent or a strict parent?
~ just right. been there, done that, so i know what they’ll go through. though i hope we’ll be open to each other.

10. What piece of advice can you give to your child when they start dating?
~ same with Karen, enjoy life to the fullest! they can never go back to that “sweet ‘kilig’ times”. oh, i miss that time, really! =)

i’m tagging Cynch, Jade, Liza, Rhea, Toni.

aug 3, 3pm at Makati Parks – Cars party

i’ve decorated Makati Parks several times already. this is one of the fav venues in Makati since the venue and parking space is quite big, and the rental fee is affordable.

down side though, they do accept max of 3 parties a day. so we’re usually given only an hour to decorate the place. though it’s not really a problem, because as i’ve said, sanay na kami dito.

good thing last aug 3, there was only 1 party, so we were there as early as 12nn. i guess there’s not much parties in August. =(

the décor is almost quite the same with my past parties here. but i made a new innovation on my usual cake arch. i made MY new “link-spike” cake arch. =):

this is also the 1^st time we’ve provided Kiddie Food for parties. yes, we do offer kiddie meals now. since i got a lot of raves on my spag cart before, i’ve thought that i can now offer it as a complete kiddie meal package, hehe.

it’s just styro-packed though, don’t want to invest yet on those food warmers and all buffet style, NOT YET! =)

and i was happy to see all the kids (and some adults as well) enjoying our kiddie meal.

it’s already 2:30 am and i’m still up.

as i’ve previously blogged, i’m supah busy this week. that’s why i’m still working until now, even if i’m really dizzy and all. you see, i slept at 3am yesterday and woke up at 6am. and i haven’t slept until now. waaah!

but that’s not the reason why i blog. my Tita from the USA just YMed me and asked details about my brother’s wedding this Friday. and she told me to sleep already coz she knows it’s already late here.

i was about to shut down my laptop when our PLDT line rang. of course i answered it, this can be an emergency case i thought.

and can you believe who called…someone’s who’s inquiring for my party services. yeah, at 230 in the morning!!!

she was checking my site daw, then she tried to dial the landline if it’ll work. and i answered the phone within 1 ring, so we were both surprised, hehe.

it was a valiid inquiry,,, and i thought it was worthy of blogging. hahaha, one for the record huh. =)