ISYC held its Mother and Child Activity today, July26th, by having a block screening of How to Train your Dragon 2 at SM Marikina cinema 1.
The film showing was pretty early; the cinema opened at 8:30 and we got there at around 10am. The trailers were already starting and because the cinema was almost full, Zoe and I just shared 1 seat.
Our tickets came with snacks (popcorn and water) which unfortunately Zoe didn't like. It's a good thing we were able to have heavy breakfast before we went to the cinema.
It was Zoe's second time to watch a movie at the cinema and I was a little bit nervous that she would get bored and walk around or would want to step out, however, we were able to finish the movie peacefully.
There was a photobooth right after the movie and it was a good thing that Zoe and I stepped out immediately after because we were able to get in line early. Overall, it was a really nice experience. Dan's now looking forward to the Father and Child activity in August.
Old Navy opened its first store in the Philippines at Bonifacio Global City, just a few blocks away from my office (queue wicked smile). Since I love buying from the Gap and Old Navy online store, I decided to check the store in BGC to see if the prices are reasonably comparable to the great deals I get online.
I told my friend who is in the US now that I will buy stuff online and ship it to her house so she can take them home in August but I decided to go to the store first. The Old Navy store is three storeys high and chock-full of goodies for shopaholics like me who are clever enough in coming up with reasons to shop. Honestly, I've been looking for a nice hoodie for Zoe since she already grew out of her Gap sweater that I really love.
The second floor is dedicated to kids and I seriously wanted to go crazy. Good thing I was able to talk myself out of a shopping hysteria. The prices are pretty close to the online prices especially since you need to factor in taxes and shipping. For example, the hoodie that I got Zoe is originally priced at Php 995 but it was discounted at Php 750. It's price online is around around $14-$16 (or around Php 600-700) without taxes yet. I also got two other tops for her for around Php 400 each.
 |
| Got this hoodie in pink |
I wanted to explore the store some more because I seriously got excited with the prices but I was already over break; yes, I was just on lunch break and I was nearing the 3 hour mark. Good thing my boss was on a meeting when I got back teeheehee.
I dragged my husband to BGC on the weekend so he can check out some stuff for him. He bought 3 shirts and a sweater from Benetton. Me? I honestly wasn't able to buy anything which was why I was a little bit depressed when we went home. Wait til I get my next chance.
Before Zoe started school, I've been researching on baon ideas for her. I want to make sure that I pack healthy meals for her instead of resorting to the usual hotdog-rice combo that most kids eat in school. Good thing that ISYC is also an advocate of healthy eating and they actually forbid processed food for snacks. Although I have yet to know what they do if they notice kids eating such all the time. For the past week and a half, here's what I've been preparing for Zoe:
- peanut butter and strawberry jelly (no sugar) sandwich
- pancakes
- seedless grapes and mandarin oranges
- homemade french fries
- cupcakes
- cookies
I cut her sandwiches and pancakes in cute shapes using cookie cutters and she actually loves them. In fact, she always shows her snacks to her teachers before eating.
Since I'm a working mom, I've come up with a system on how to organize Zoe's weekly menu. I prepare the menu 2weeks in advance and I shop for the ingredients. Then, I prepare most of them in advance (on the weekend) so that I would only need to reheat or to assemble them. The things I bought for the next two weeks are:
- pancake mix (in a squeeze bottle for easier cooking)
- sliced bread and spreads (Nutella, PB&J, cheese)
- corn and carrots (made from scratch)
- chicken fingers (chicken breast coated in flour, egg, and jap breading)
- San Remo mac and cheese
- assorted cupcakes, wafers, and cookies
- apples, seedless grapes, and mandarin oranges
- homemade french fries
- eggs
Here's a sample menu plan:
Mon: corn&carrots + nutella sw + sticko
Tues: rice + chicken fingers + grapes
Wed: fries + pancakes + oranges
Thurs: rice + ham + scrambled egg + knick knacks
Fri: mac n cheese + wafers + grapes
Mon: corn&carrots + pancakes + knick knacks
Tues: cheese s/w + fries + apples
Wed: rice + ham + scrambled egg + knick knacks
Thurs: nutella sw + grapes + cookies
Fri: rice + chicken fingers + oranges
This week, she will start taking the school bus by herself. It breaks my heart to do this but we've got no choice since we both have work and don't have a yaya yet. This will be a good learning experience for her but I'll ensure her safety by keeping in touch with the bus mother and her teachers.
