Holiday Fun in Taiwan - Window on China Theme Park

XIAO REN GUO Theme Park a.k.a. Window on China Theme Park was in our must-visit list while I was planning the itinerary for our holiday trip to Taiwan last December. J insisted on it. I've never heard of this until J told me about it. Childhood dream daw niya na makapunta dun, kasi he was fascinated by this miniature theme park ever since he learned about it when he was a little boy. I was reluctant at first because with all the Taiwan tour recommendations I've read, not one source have mentioned about this theme park. True enough, this Window on China (WOC) still exists and is thriving. WOC is the oldest theme park of Taiwan, located in Taoyuan City, which opened its doors in 1984.

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7 Travel Planning Tips with Tweens and Teens

It's summer time and I'm sure many of you are planning your vacations, if not planned out already. I have friends who made arrangements as early as last year pa! We don't travel often but when we do, I take a considerable amount of time and effort to plan each trip, whether it's to a local or an international destination. Iba kasi when traveling with kids -- major considerations would be the budget, interests, and comfort. But there's always a compromise when it comes to our itinerary.

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Holiday Fun in Taiwan - Part 2

We spent a relaxing holiday in Taiwan last December and I'm sharing with you the simple day tours I planned for the family. Last month, I featured part 1 here where we covered the northern coast with a private car and tour guide. For day 3 of our trip, we skipped the guide and booked a car with driver via Ownrides.com. Our day started at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial.

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Holiday Fun in Taiwan - Part 1

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It's the most wonderful time of the year! I truly believe it is and what I always look forward to during the yuletide season is getting together with friends, relatives, and planning a family getaway, whether it's a simple staycation or a few days out of the country. Last year, we went to Tokyo. This year, we went on a 5-day vacation to Taipei, Taiwan.

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Mothering a Teen

My Saturday started and ended with this guy. Kahit medyo napagod ako sa biyahe ko going north to south to east then north again, I was so happy kasi he experienced many firsts today.

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Escape to El Nido (part 3)

Monday, June 4, was our last day in El Nido and I didn't want to leave. Bitin eh, and it rained pa the first two days. We wanted to stay for four days, but Lagen island resort was fully booked before and after our three-day stay, so too bad for us. But we are still so thankful that everything went well, and the sun finally shone brightly that morning, with the bluest of skies and fluffy white clouds.

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Escape to El Nido (part 2)

Our amazing first day in El Nido has set the tone for the rest of our stay on this island paradise. Everything was booked with Lagen Island resort's activities coordinator upon our arrival, so we all know what to expect during our stay. Despite the rain showers during the island-hopping on day one, we still had a great afternoon and was looking forward to Tour 2 the next morning. The half-day tour will cover the most awaited visit to the small and big lagoons, snorkeling in Miniloc Island resort, and beach side lunch.

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Escape to El Nido (part 1)

El Nido is in my wish list of travel destinations for the longest time, and last weekend, I got my wish and was able to experience the beauty and wonders of the islands with my family. After our first day, gusto na namin agad mag plan for our next trip! It's a different world out there! While my photos don't do justice to how beautiful El Nido is, I will just let my pictures do the talking and briefly share what we did over the three glorious days in this little piece of paradise.

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Up and Away on the Flying Trapeze

I never imagined I would be able to do flying trapeze. I wasn't even aware there's a rig here in the metro until recently. If I wasn't doing pilates, baka hindi ko kinaya ito, hehehe. But I did suspension pilates, and I know I can hang and do inversions, so I literally took the leap and went for it.  Together with my pilates buddies and our kids, we booked a private class last week and had a nerve-wracking and exhilarating experience.

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Tokyo Winter Holiday, part 3: Shizuoka - Mt. Fuji and Snow Town Yeti

The closest to snow we ever got to experience was at Star City Snow World several years ago. When the kids tried ice skating, nag-collect sila ng shaved ice, formed into balls and pretended it was snow, hahaha! Since then, they kept asking when we can exerience actual snow. It was only last December that we got the chance to visit a ski resort in Tokyo, saw the snow-capped Mt. Fuji, and witnessed a (light) snow fall on our last day. Swerte! Very memorable talaga especially for the children.

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Tokyo Winter Holiday, part 2: Tsukiji - Akihabara - Ikebukuro

When we were planning our trip to Tokyo late last year, one of the must-see places I included in our itinerary is the famous Tsukiji Fish Market. My foodie brother and I really wanted to visit the market and sample the freshest seafood we can try, even if we had to drag the kids there early in the morning.

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Reality Bites: My Baby is a Tween

M turned 11 three weeks ago. My baby is a tween na! Well, last year pa naman, when she turned 10, she proclaimed that she's officially a tween na daw. Siyempre, I don't want to face that reality yet. And before her birthday month ends, allow me to share some of my special and challenging moments with her. She is, after all, my spunky little lady.

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Tokyo Winter Holiday, part 1: Shinjuku - Shibuya - Harajuku

We loved Tokyo! It was my family's first trip to Japan last December and I wished we could have stayed longer. Bitin talaga ang 5 days. My brother and his family joined us on this winter holiday vacation and one of the objectives of this trip was to visit a ski resort for the snow, as requested by the kids. Well, lahat naman kami gusto rin maka-experience ng snow =). 

There's so much to explore in Tokyo alone, so ang hirap gumawa ng itinerary that will accommodate the different interests of the adults, teens, tweens and toddler. I've asked some friends who've been to Tokyo for their recommendations and travel tips. Lots of research too from online resources, some of which I included at the end of this post. Eventually, I was able to come up with a feasible list of activities and places to visit for our group. I would have wanted more sight-seeing though.

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A Year of Many Firsts -- Thank You, 2017!

"It is not joy that makes us grateful. It is gratitude that makes us joyful."

2017, you were awesome! I think this is one of the best years for my family, and for myself. I have so much to be thankful for and I honestly don't know where to start.

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Staying Healthy this Holiday Season

Christmas is just around the corner and we are all so excited for our upcoming holiday vacation in Japan! It's gonna be our first trip there so I want to make sure everything will be in order and we'll all be in the best of health in the days leading to our trip. Kaya todo vitamins na ang mga kids and I'm trying to keep our environment clean. Mahirap na... I don't want any of us to get sick during this most wonderful time of the year.

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High School Life Away from Home

The boy has been homeschooled since fifth grade. We are currently finishing fourth quarter of our grade 7 school year. There's an overlap, but everything will be sorted out very soon. Today, he starts grade 8 "away from home" -- in a new school, meeting new friends, taking on new challenges, and entering high school in a totally different environment. I was the one feeling butterflies in my stomach while on our way to school this morning. I am getting teary-eyed and feeling emotional as I write this. Ewan ko ba! Bahala na what I will write about. Ako talaga ang may separation anxiety. I never expected I'd feel this way.

2015                                                                    2017

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Coding for Kids and Teens - Junior and Master Coder Classes

While many from my generation would not understand what this is all about, the digital natives -- our children, can quickly grasp the concepts of coding.  It is the language of the present and the future. If you've been following me on social media, you may have seen some snapshots of my son during his coding classes and from my blog feature on JACK - Junior Academy for Coding Knowledge, published last summer. He already finished three different courses and he's asking for more.

Google Tilt Brush summer program at JACK

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Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Heritage Resort in Bataan

Third Friday of the month: Fun Friday / Travel / Recreation

Take a peek into a bygone era -- 18th century Philippines, reconstructed on a 400-hectare property development in Bagac, Bataan. Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a "heritage resort by the sea", a living museum with over twenty colonial houses and buildings from different parts of the country that were transported and rebuilt to recreate old towns back in the day.  When I learned about Las Casas a few years ago, I was already intrigued and wanted to bring the family there. We finally got to stay for two nights last weekend and the sights left me in awe.

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Our Preview Stay at Okada Manila

I first learned about Okada Manila late last year as they prepared to welcome delegates from the Miss Universe pageant. What really made me took notice was how they described their rooms and amenities. Touted as the biggest integrated resort development in Manila, each luxurious room and suite in Okada features a Jacuzzi and advanced in-room technology. They also house the world's largest dancing water fountain and soon, an indoor beach club with white sand!

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Family Shoe Shopping at RES|TOE|RUN

I love shoes! I enjoy shopping for shoes, not just for myself but for J and the kids as well. To be honest, it is quite difficult to find hip and functional shoes for the boy and the girl coz they're both in the tween and teen ages. We usually go from one store to another just to see what's available for them. Problem solved for us coz Res|Toe|Run has expanded their children's footwear line in the past two years. So there's now more choices for the whole family in one store!

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