Disney On Ice

While we are still fresh from our Disneyland trip, we thought the kids would enjoy Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic. We got our tickets online for only $18/pax, plus minimal processing fee. Trekked to Toronto with my 2 sisters and family. Achi was visiting then.

We were not on the rinkside, but walking distance =]

We have a good view from the 4th row because the front rows were empty.

The princesses with their respective princes performed a medley. Sushi said he was sleepy. Boys will be boys!

Sashimi got scared of the multiple Genies.

I like the Toy Story soldiers. Reminds me of childhood toys.

It's A Small World was too pretty and festive.

More than 60 characters were represented. My guess is some skaters did more than one character. I was disappointed Mcqueen and Tow Mater were not among them. That would have delighted Sashimi big time. It was a wonderful experience nonetheless.

Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas Video

Love this JibJab video my sister sent me. Watch my family rock and roll here.

Giving

"There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving."
-Henry Drummond

Last Bento for the Year

This is my last bento of the year. I will be on bento break for 2 weeks until school resumes next year. That's a pretty good break for me. I have been making bento everyday except I don't take picture of most of them. They're usually repeating and rotating. I probably have made the same things over and over. As with clothes, I just mix and match.

I am liking the food picks I got from my trip, it adds more life to the bento. Here I am trying to do an under-the-sea theme. *Fail*

I was able to get only animal picks really. I gave the flower ones to my niece. My boys won't like flowers anyway.

#1 Potatoes, hotdogs, Super Mario gummies, carrots, Laughing Cow cheese, strawberries
#2 Hotdogs, roasted poatoes, wheat sticks, cheese, blackberries
#3 Clubhouse sandwich, edamame and blackberries

Green Christmas

By the time Christmas arrives, we will have accumulated a glass jar full of candy canes from the kids’ loot from school and from my coworkers. I don’t let the kids have them unless we break one cane to split among the 4 of us which is very rare. I would mix bits and bites into my coffee or hot chocolate for the peppermint kick. I just add the least bit of sugar to taste.

I save most of my kids’ artwork, especially the ones in Christmas theme. I reuse them as gift tags to personalize Christmas presents from our family. I do the same for old Christmas cards. I cut out the message and use the cover to jazz up a plain gift bag.

This is one of those, I tagged my Welcome basket using the kid’s art. This was my welcome gift to my in-laws on their most recent visit.

I like receiving Christmas cards. I still get all giddy to check the mailbox at Christmas time. But sadly, with the influx of Facebook and email, we don’t get as much cards anymore year after year. On the flipside, it’s the practical thing to do.

The best cards are the hand-made.

This year we are not sending out any photo cards like we do each year. It’s more because we didn’t have enough time to take that photo, order the cards and (snail)mail them out on time, having just come back from vacation.

This is also a better shout out to my blog friends…

Merry Christmas!    -from The Hotpot Family

Hong Kong Disneyland

It was good to be in Disenyland once again. I think I was more excited than my boys. What made it more exciting was my globe-trotting brother decided to fly from Taiwan to join us particularly to Disneyland. My previous trips to Disneyland - Anaheim (1990)& Tokyo (1995) - were also with him, and he's the best travel companion one could have.

Between the two Disney hotels, we gravitated towards the Hollywood-theme that is Disney Hollywood Hotel.  Everything is Mickey-shaped, from lamps to elevator buttons.  I love the complimentary toiletry and slippers for 2 adults & 1 child. 

Out and about the hotel

We hopped between the hotels via shuttlebus.  We checked out the Mickey Maze inside Disneyland Hotel. The Grand Salon was grandeur indeed, with the huge Christmas tree and life-size gingerbread house

We dined at Chef Mickey.  Everything's too cute to eat.

We did all the best rides we could at Disneyland.  We took pictures with the mascots, of course!  The line-up was pretty descent.

We had lunch at Clopin's Festival of Foods'. This is the BBQ duck,

and chicken wings noodle soup

It's A Small World after all!

We watched "Disney in the Stars" fireworks from our room.

Took the MTR to Kowloon.  The MTR Sunny Bay-Disneyland leg has everything Mickey as well.

Maxim's Peking Garden

I had my pre-birthday dinner at Peking Garden courtesy of Mom & Dad. We were joined by Ahia's friend Amy. We were on a good spot we didn't have to rush out for the Symphony of Lights. We can see it from the window.

Peking Garden
3/F, Star House, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon

Best Christmas Song

Play and sing along

THE CHRISTMAS SHOES
It was almost Christmas time, there I stood in another line
Tryin' to buy that last gift or two, not really in the Christmas mood
Standing right in front of me was a little boy waiting anxiously
Pacing 'round like little boys do
And in his hands he held a pair of shoes

His clothes were worn and old, he was dirty from head to toe
And when it came his time to pay
I couldn't believe what I heard him say

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

He counted pennies for what seemed like years
Then the cashier said, "Son, there's not enough here"
He searched his pockets frantically
Then he turned and he looked at me
He said Mama made Christmas good at our house
Though most years she just did without
Tell me Sir, what am I going to do,
Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes

So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out
I'll never forget the look on his face when he said
Mama's gonna look so great

I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love
As he thanked me and ran out
I knew that God had sent that little boy
To remind me just what Christmas is all about...

Romulo Cafe

Not your usual Filipino dishes at Romulo’s Café

The resto, named after Filipino Statesman Carlos P. Romulo, has pictures everywhere of him taken with other political figures during his service as Foreign Affairs Secretary under several presidencies including the long Marcos regime.

Baby squid in garlic

Flying tilapia fish with 3 sauces (sweet chili garlic, honey bagoong, pickled ampalaya and soy vinegar)

Boneless Crispy Pata (pork leg) Binagoongan (with shrimp paste)

Gambas baby shrimp sauteed in roaste garlic

Adobo Rice

We also ordered the Beef Bulalo (marrow) soup with corn, Sisig Rice, Gising-gising (green chili) and lechon kang-kong.  I didn't have a chance to take picture of the rest. I was probably too busy eating - burp!

All of us!

The boys posing with their... uh-hm... Pomegranate juice - lol!

Romulo Cafe
32 Scout Tuason cor Dr. Lazcano
Tomas Morato, Quezon City

My Favourite Glossies

On a normal routine I go to the library every week. I borrow books and DVDs for the kids, and magazines for the self. Hub often asks me what magz I want to subscribe to. I say nah, because I like 'em all. Besides, why buy when I can borrow them from the library. The bonus is not having to clutter the shelf or pile the recycle bin.

This week was Bingo! I got mostly current issues of my constant favourite glossies. Enough to keep me busy on my downtime.

Fashion: In Style, Lou Lou Celibrity Style Guide, Vogue
Life:  RealSimple, Chatelaine, Canadian Living
Home:  Good Housekeeping, Canadian House & Home, Style at Home, Better Homes and Gardens
Parenting:  Today's Parent, Parents (US & Canada), Canadian Family
Gossip:  Hello! Canada, People, Us Weekly, In Touch

K'nex Christmas Tree

When we came back from our vacation, it’s like Boom! It’s Christmas already?! I normally would have all Christmas presents wrapped and put under tree early in the month. But not this year.

We decided not to put our tree up.   We didn't know then how long it will take us to recover from jetlag and get back to the routine. Hub just didn't feel like it =[ This photo is last year.

So I built this little tree out of the kids’ K'nex. Well, this K'nex was really mine from 19-forgotten. I was only able to bring it here (finally!) on this recent trip. Forgive the tree, I didn’t have any diagram to follow. I built it from scratch. My gifts are piling slowly and they're now dwarfing the tree.

So this is our only indoor holiday decor. We’ll make it up next year.

Happy holidays!

Bento Land

I wasn't leaving Hong Kong without a stop at JUSCO. I'll do what it takes even if I had to bug the hotel concierge around midnight just to get directions.

And I did just that.

Jusco carries Daiso products, most of which are priced at HK$12, unless otherwise noted.

I almost wiped out this section.

日本城 Japan Home Centre was just a few blocks from our hotel. I was able to get Glass & Lock that are cheaper than I would find here in TO. Only they were bulky, but they made their way here =]

日本城 is also in Robinsons Galleria QC.  Everything sells for P66 or P88, but most of the things I bought were P88, tsk tsk, though they have very limited items for bento fixing.

There's more variety in Saizen. I could spend hours in this store alone. I came out with bento boxes, tools and things,.. and lots more! This is uber wasteland.

Saizen & Japan Home Centre
Robinsons Galleria 3rd Floor
Edsa/Ortigas, Quezon City

Jusco Living Plaza- Hong Kong
Unit 310 and 313, 3rd Floor
Star House, No.3 Salisbury Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Japan Home Centre - Hong Kong
G/F., Hilton Towers
96 Granville Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon