Kid-Style: Halloween Costumes 2012

Happy Halloween!

The kids are so lucky these days... with lots of costume parties and treats to usher in halloween.  In my time, we never even celebrate it.  I only get to see Halloween parties on American TV shows.  Well, times have changed, and I wouldn't want to let my kids down.  So here they are, jumping on the halloween bandwagon with the costumes they requested this year.

Unbeatable trio from my girl's class = Catwoman, She-Devil, and Cleopatra

A cross-breed of Skeletor and Grim Reaper, bwahahahaha...

Whether it's DIY costumes, made-to-order, or RTW, it's a chance for the youngsters to express themselves, play dress-up, be in character once a year and just have some fun!

Thanks to my dear friends for sending in photos of their adorable girls and boys in these amazing halloween costumes. =) 

Perfect match -- baby brother with adorable big pumpkin sister.

The Señorita, still poised in a bubble.  And look at those red dancing shoes... ready for flamenco!

Watch out, Captain America is coming to your neighborhood!

The Winx fairy is out of the forest and off to trek into the city... 

... under the watchful eyes of... daddy Darth?!? =)

Who will be swept away by this dashing knight in shining armor?

Cuddly fairy Abby Cadabby is a cutie pie in her frilly dress and pom-pom hair. 

 Ako si DARNA! (Pinay Wonder Woman)

This smooth ninja girl is ready for battle... yes, she's a girl ninja!! =)

Coming out party... let's welcome these babies to their first Halloween!

Little Indian warrior... Pocahontas is that you?

Sailor Moon can't seem to decide if she's putting on a headband or her hot pink cosplay locks. =)

Fresh out of the pumpkin patch in his cute bunting.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."

Double take for this baby in old and borrowed pumpkin costume, and in a new and blue Batman suit!

Kudos to the moms and dads for the fantastic costumes this year!

What's your favorite halloween costume?

More Halloween posts:
Who missed the treats in Halloween 2009?
Kid-Style: Halloween Cuties 2010
Harry Potter is in the House


I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
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Mom-Finds: U.S. Labels at SM Fashion Forum

Last Friday of the month:  Fashion / Shopping

I grew up going to Shoe Mart - that's the original name of the department store we frequent in Carriedo, Manila and Cubao during my younger years.  What began as a humble shoe store, SM is now in every major city in the country.  I love shopping at SM.  This retail giant carries a long list of local fashion brands, with some branches currently offering a select line of imported labels from the US housed under Fashion Forum.

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Mom-Grocer: What's Your Juice?

If I were asked that question, I could not answer with just one... 'coz we have lots!
See this shot from our pantry?  That's how much we consume, and you will see a combination of these drinks at any given month.

I was just lucky to have most of our regularly-purchased beverages well-represented when I took this shot from my phone.  I've been wanting to post this for the longest time but I keep forgetting to take photos of the juice we drink.  I'm the type who likes to try what's new in the market, so whenever I see something that my husband or my kids might like, I buy a small pack or two.

Over the years, these brands found a place in our pantry.  The variety ranges from:

• Natural fruit juices/concentrate - Welch's Grape, Old Orchard Apple, Sunquick, Tropicana CocoQuench, Dole Pineapple-Orange/Lychee, Del Monte Fit 'n Right Four Seasons, Tipco juices
• Fruit-flavored teas - Sola, C2, Arizona
• Carbonated drinks, colas - Roots Ginger Brew, Mug rootbeer, Sarsi, Sprite, Coke
• Fruit-flavored juices - Mogu Mogu, Nesfruta, Sunkist, Marigold

You may think the assortment is quite excessive, but with the diverse tastes and preferences of each family member in our household, you will understand why we have this variety.  And it does not even include the hot drinks.

Water is still best.  But we love drinking them because they all taste good, they provide different levels of nutrition, and the most basic is -- of course, they satiate our cravings and instantly quench our thirst for fruit and flavored drinks.

I was not able to take photos of the other brands listed above... but here are most of them in random order:

These brands of concentrate - Gina, Welch's, and Old Orchard, we usually dilute with a little water for a lighter taste.  It's usually my boys who consume more of these.

For natural and flavored fruit juices in TetraBricks, we drink them as is, chilled.

Tipco is my top choice.

Alternative juices for kids' baon to school is single-serve Sunkist and Marigold.

Unfortunately for me and the girl, our favorite Marigold Winter Melon Drink has been

out of stock of months now, while the Lemon Barley has been unavailable since last year.

This brand is not widely available so I buy a dozen when I see them.

My latest grocery find is this very refreshing coconut water from Tropicana.

It's now part of the regular grocery list.

Got these samples last month, and compared with many other powdered juice we tried,

Nesfruta tastes more fruity, and less sugary, which is a good thing.

The girl is also addicted to the grape Mogu Mogu with nata de coco bits.

My boys and I are big iced tea drinkers, and Arizona delivers.

I like that they offer an interesting array of flavors.

Here's the girl sipping her lychee juice.

All our drinks were purchased at any of the following:  Puregold - Shaw, SM Hypermarket - Pasig or Mandaluyong, Unimart - Greenhills.  Nesfruta sachets were complimentary samples.

What's your juice drinks?

I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
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Fun Friday: Click-Happy with Instagram

Third Friday of the month:  Hobby / Photography / Recreation

"It’s a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your photos with friends and family. Snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram.  Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr too – it's as easy as pie.  It's photo sharing, reinvented." - Instagram

***

UPDATE - November 6, 2012:
Instagram launched the profile pages on the web! News announcement here.  
You can now view my page and follow me here:  instagram.com/mymomfriday


Before Instagram launched their web profiles, I shared my musings for Fun Friday, original post below:

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Rediscover the Luxury of Sleep with Magniflex Mattresses

"Proper rest feeds the mind, just as good food feeds the body..."  This line on a banner caught my eye as I believe this to be true.  A good rest can refresh our minds, and bodies.  Sleep heals.

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Family Friday: A Vitamin A Day...

Second Friday of the month:  Health / Vitamins

A vitamin a day keeps sickness at bay.

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I Want More Breton Shirts

It's not summer anymore but these striped tees are still hot as ever.  Since it's been raining on and off the past few months, I wanted to be reminded of those bright and cheery days with this old piece I have here.  Wearing this just puts me in a good mood.


Back story:
I was rummaging through my closet lately since there were parties lined up this month.  I realized I do have A LOT of outdated clothes.  One reason why I had this post on wardrobe too.  And then I remembered I had this Breton shirt post in the Drafts folder since after New Year!  I guess it's time to publish this now before 2013 arrives! LOL!

When I went window-shopping early January, I spotted a lot of striped tops, mostly in the colors of the American flag. I knew the nautical trend is back.  Well, to be more accurate, Breton shirts were back.  Lucky me, I snagged this classic piece from the organic cotton line of Zara.  It's now one of my favorites.  I also got the same style in plain white.  Now, I wonder if they still have more of these... I guess I better go back and check.

I've always liked nautical themed clothes. I think it's my mother's fault.  She used to dress me up in stripes, reds, whites, blues, sailor dresses, with white flat mary-janes or sandals.

Taken last Chinese New Year - worn with boot-leg jeans and yellow Headware

Cool and comfy at Hunt's Mom-Child Cook-Off

Breton shirt, a.k.a. Brittany's fisherman shirt, is a timeless French-style top with a basic streamlined cut. It's a wardrobe staple that you can dress up by layering, and still looks very cool on it's own for more casual days.

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Of course, don't let me stop you from pairing the shirt with sexy minis and shorts. Maxi skirts would look great with it too! I'm just a pants girl at heart. =)

These looks will never go out of style, I tell you.  If you're like me who's constantly on-the-go - rushing to and from school, going on weekly grocery trips to running errands, to meeting up with friends and weekend malling, these ensemble would be perfect!

For me, I typically play it up with some punch of complementary colors, and still look very well put-together.  Classic.  If there's comfort food, this is comfort clothing. I wanna buy more! (And maybe a new pair of flats too, heehee!)

Do you like striped tees? How would you wear it? :)


(All style pegs/mood boards from Polyvore.com)

I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
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I try my best to reply and answer any questions you may have on each entry so check back if you've left one. Thank you and do visit again!
(Comments with links will automatically be flagged by Disqus.)

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Foodie Friday: Seafood Salads in Asian Sesame Dressing

First Friday of the month:  Recipes / Mom-Cook

One dinner time, almost 4 weeks ago, I posted on Instagram a snapshot of this shrimp and egg salad I prepared for J.  I received some encouraging 'likes' and a few requests for the recipe.  I was quite pleased with my "invention".  And looking at J's clean plate, I guess he was satisfied with his meal that night.  So, I'm now sharing it here today. 

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VitaPops Launch with Celebrity Moms Donita Rose and Daphne Oseña-Paez

Fun, yummy, and healthy - that's the promise of VitaPops, the newest vitamin product from Unilab, makers of leading vitamin C brand Ceelin.

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