Zoo World in Caltex...it's ZOO unexpected!

We spent my sister's birthday weekend at Fontana in Clark and on our way home, we stopped over at one of the many gasoline stations along the North Luzon Expressway (Caltex station in San Fernando, Pampanga) for late lunch. We love spending time in this particular gasoline station because of the Nike, Adidas, and Fashion Rack Designer outlet stores here. The entire Tejada family goes bonkers here.

Usually, the kids and I would just wait for everyone else in the mini playground near the Jollibee branch here - I don't get to shop huhuhuhuhu - but last Sunday was different since we learned that there's an actual zoo in this gasoline station: Zoo World.

Zoomanity Group Christmas Giving in Paradizoo and Residence Inn, Tagaytay

On December 14, 2014, the Zoomanity Group team, together with Zoomanity Group (ZG) CEO Robert Laurel Yupangco, will be at Paradizoo in Mendez, Cavite and Residence Inn, Tagaytay. Headed by JB Badon, the group deputy operating manager, the group as well as some bloggers will celebrate the Christmas season by welcoming indigent children in the said zoos.

The indigent children will get to experience some activities that Brianna, the fambam, and I experienced in Residence Inn, Tagaytay exactly a year ago:

1. Farm animal feeding:

2. Animal show:

3. Horseback riding:

They will also experience the zipline - which I can't ride because of my C-section - and the cable car that almost everyone in the family forgot to ride:

As for Paradizoo in Mendez, Cavite, we still haven't been there but what I know is that the children can get to experience the zoo's 12-hectare property that houses farm animals and a mini zip line.

This yearly event with Zoomanity Group allows for volunteers to give gifts and for the leader in zoo management to open the zoos and theme parks' doors to less fortunate, indigent kids and give them an experience they will never forget.

The Zoomanity Group is currently operating 5 theme parks in the Philippines: Paradizoo in Mendez, Cavite, Residence Inn, Tagaytay, Zoobic Safari in Subic, Zambales, Zoocobia in Clark, Pampanga, and Zoocolate Thrills in Loboc, Bohol.

Brick Adventure at Adventure Jungle

Adventure Jungle, the 2000-square meter zoo and private facility inside Manila Zoo, has a new and exciting activity area that was launched last November 30, 2014.

The Brick Adventure is a place for young-at-heart to play this famous toy building brick (Lego). The bricks can be assembled in different ways to breathe any object your mind desires. In adventure jungle, there are a lot of different animals from Lego blocks, like a 6-feet high giraffe and even Andrea, the amazing seating lady taking care of the Lego animals. The exhibit truly is a sight to see and not just your ordinary brick construction because of the gigantic construction of the toys from the usual 3 to 4-inch miniatures.

In the zoo area, you can see 58 different species of animals. Some of them are the 50-year-old tortoise Mr. T, Blu, a Hyacinth Macaw like the one from the movie Rio, and Gabbie the gibbon.

This holiday season, let's check out The Brick Adventure with Lego, and meet out amazing animal friends only at the Adventure Jungle.

For more information, check the Kinder Zoo Adventure Jungle page on Facebook, @Kinder_Zoo on Twitter, or send an SMS to Neng at +63 928 834 3476.

Zoomanity Group Christmas Gift Giving 2014

I've been a fan of the Zoomanity Group even before I had Brianna. We used to visit Residence Inn in Tagaytay when I was a kid way too often:

I asked my mom and she confirmed that these were all taken at the Residence Inn in Tagaytay. I can't post any photos of the animals because there weren't any. I understand. I mean, films for cameras then probably cost a lot so taking photos of animals without us was just too much for my average-income parents.

Of course, after I had Brianna, there were more trips to the different zoos here in Manila as well as in the provinces. We got to visit Zoobic Safari for the first time ever, two years ago:

Zoobic Safari - the only Tiger Safari in the Philippines - is a 50 hectares zoo with different activities; Zip Line, 4D realto, Tiger and Lion encounter, crocodile feeding and a lot more. And I am happy to tell you that I have tons of photos during this trip because unlike back in the 90s, I used my trusty Blackberry with 64gig of free storage space to take photos of that weekend instead of a disposable camera with 32 shots worth of film.

Zoomanity Group, the leader in theme part and zoo management, is inviting everyone to experience and visit their animal friends this December. They are also excited about the new activities coming that they will launch by the end of 2014 or early 2015 that will surely amaze the youngsters or any young-at-heart.

The Christmas gift-giving to indigent children - started by Zoomanity Group honcho, Robert Laurel Yupangco - will be held at four different locations this December 13, 2014: Zoobic Safari in Subic, Zambales, Zoocobia in Clark, Pampanga, Residence Inn in Tagaytay & at Paradizoo in Mendez, Cavite.

This event for the indigent children is a way to give back the wonderful blessings they have received from the previous and current years. Since zoos are mostly for children, this is the time of the year that they would like to share these happy places to kids who are not fortunate enough to experience these kinds of activities all the time. Participating in this event won't only give you a great time at the zoo; it will also teach you the real meaning of Christmas.

Supermommy Ale's Bagyo Tips

Back in 2009, I, myself, was stranded in the office when Ondoy struck Metro Manila. I saw how people struggled during the storm and how everything looked like after the water subsided. I was pretty much homeless for hours as I can't go back home, literally, 'cause I had, like, 5 pesos in my wallet...

I won't bore you with the gory victim details I have but I will tell you this: It made me paranoid. Even more so now that I have Brianna (I had her in 2011). Every time the rain pours, there are 5 things that enter my mind and I would love to share it with everyone, especially now that #RubyPH will make landfall this weekend. Without further ado, I bring to you:

Let's get down to business, shall we?

I am not hating on Twitter. In fact, I love the thing so much, I am actually talking to myself here. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, whatever... Stop checking it every 5 minutes especially while the rain's pouring. It won't do you any good - nakakapraning ang tweets pag bumabagyo, swear - and your battery will run out pretty quickly and you'll need all your phones/gadgets' juices during the storm. Which brings us to...

Charge everything. Your cellphone, your tablet, your laptop, your portable charger, your portable WiFi, your radio, your rechargeable batteries, everything! When there's a storm, there is an 80% chance that power will be out and you will need every drop of battery juice to last you until power comes back on. This is especially important for your mobile phones and your radio. Mobile phones because - most probably - telephone lines will be cut off, too, so for you to reach your loved ones and emergency response teams, you'll need a fully charged phone. Radio because it's the only thing that can keep you updated with what's happening that consumes the least energy among all of your gadgets. While social media can keep you more updated with what's happening, it also drains your battery like a faucet. Radio. Tried and tested.

Yes. Get your grocery shopping on. Buy everything you need: food, deodorant, tissue papers, everything! Just don't get more than what you really need. There are people who need them, too, and we don't want for them to arrive to empty shelves. I've realized this when I was walking inside the Landmark supermarket, September 29, 2009. I felt so bad watching people actually shoving each other to get the last loaf of bread on the shelf. Yes, we need to stock up our pantries for times of calamities but we can be nice while doing it.

My everyday bag is some sort of mini emergency bag because of its contents. I don't know what the actual requirements are by government agencies but for me, here are the essentials:

• Canned goods (na matagal pa ang expiration dates)
• Can opener or better yet, a Swiss army knife
• Bottles of water (2 gallons per person)
• A small radio
• Flash light (preferably the one that uses up kinetic energy)
• Extra batteries
• Chargers
• Whistle
• A bottle of isopropyl alcohol
• Deodorant
• Tissue (facial and wet wipes)
• Change of clothes good for 2 days
• First aid kit
• Towels
• A heavy duty, fully charged phone - I suggest a basic Nokia phone - or a 2 way radio
• Sanitary napkins for women
• A couple of thousand pesos
• Blanket
• Toys, books, stuffed animals

Now, I have a toddler so this list that I came up with is for parents who has toddlers or older kids in the family. If you have infants, there's an entirely different list for you.

Take note of all the emergency hotlines and social media hashtags that you need in times of disasters. Print a list of them out and post it on your cork board and/or refrigerators. This way, you can get more information, updates, and help, if ever, when you need it.

So there you have it. Hope this list helps you with getting ready for the landfall of #RubyPH this coming days. It's just kinda weird - and sad - to be getting ready for a storm during the Christmas season. Global warming... Tsktsktsk.

A December weekend to remember with Medela

Ah Christmas time. The time of the year when practically each and everyone of us has someplace else to be not only because they want to but also because they need to. Christmas shopping, reunions, trips, what-have-yous will practically make your December calendar full so it's high time you include these Medela activities to the upcoming weekend:

Breastfeeding: A Crash Course for the Busy Mom

I am a breastfeeding advocate. I've breastfed Brianna for 2 years, 7 months before I weaned her off it and I highly encourage new moms to do it. It was easy for me, being a work-from-home mom but if you're a working mom, it can get quite tricky. Medela has teamed up with Babyland to organize a free seminar on Saturday, December 6, from 8am to 12nn called Breastfeeding: A Crash Course for the Busy Mom to help raise awareness for breastfeeding for busy moms. It will be held at the Babyland at Facilities Center, 548 Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City.

The (1st ever!) Medela House Christmas Sale

After the seminar, you might want to drop by the first ever Medela House Christmas Sale on the same date to tick off all the items in your Christmas shopping list. Doors will open at 10am for regular customers and it will be held at the Medela House at 29 First Street, New Manila in Quezon City. Enjoy discounted items from brands such as TippyToes, HipSeats, Tummy Tub, and more! will If you pre-register to the event, you'll receive a lootbag c/o Medela!

The Learning Basket Community Fair

Kids can join in the weekend fun, too! The Learning Basket Community Fair - which will be held on December 7, Sunday - has all sorts of books available for kids and kids-at-heart alike. There will also be a storytelling session with Jomike Tejido and KaHone Art, Ma'am and Mom's Educational Hub, and many more will join in the merriment as well. The community fair will be held at the Best for Families Inc. headquarters located at 29 First Street, New Manila in Quezon City.

Have a fun weekend!

Brianna on a Monster High...high.

Early November's Happy Meal toy happened to be one of Brianna's favorites: Monster High. Personally, I am not so fond of these characters because they look like witches but Brianna adores them so much, I let her have some items with the Monster High characters. I don't let her watch the series, though.

Lucky for her, 4 toys have been released by McDonald's for early November's Happy Meal (which, apparently, already ended because I just checked the McDonald's app and they now have the penguins from the movie Madagascar):

And the bebe couldn't be any more happier (and arte-er):

Chilling Chamber Keeper

The first one we got was the Chilling Chamber Keeper. It's my favorite among the set. It came with 2 sheets of stickers, a few sheets of notepads, and some activity sheets which Brianna used, like, within 2 hours upon opening the package. The box was made of plastic and is pretty roomy for the way it looks. It won't fit a standard pen/pencil but it can fit Crayolas and colored pencils the size of the pencil that came with it (which was pink, by the way).

Ghoulfriend Locket

Brianna's favorite, the Ghoulfriend Locket, came with cardboard photos of the 3 characters and their pets (probably...I wouldn't know because I haven't seen the series). It's made of plastic, too, and I love the details on the locket itself. Obviously, Brianna loves this so much, she wants to bring it with her to school everyday.

Clawsome Magnet Clip

The Clawsome Magnet Clip, I have to admit, is cute although I can't stick it on anything in our room. It came with 2 sheets of stickers - looooove the cat with an attitude - and a few sheets with the Monster High logo, I assume: a skill with a fuchsia pink ribbon like a gothic Hello Kitty.

Spooky Specs

This red plastic Spooky Specs is one of the cutest things I've ever seen. The temple parts (I had to find what they were called!) could be opened as wide as you want to. They can be snapped on and off, most probably anticipating kids to somehow break it on the hinge part (huhuhuhu my Firmoo aviators). The specs also don't have any glasses on them for safety purposes, too, I assume. Anyway, I had to take a photo of Brianna wearing it because she was too cute!

See? I told you she's too cute!

This Monster High set is pretty cool, considering the McDonald's Happy Meal toys that came before this one and I can safely assume that both Brianna and I are hoping that the next toys will be as good as this set. We'll be more than willing to collect the set in one sitting, if that's the case.

(Please, McDonald's, My Little Pony and/or Hello Kitty - again! My Little Pony for Brianna and Hello Kitty for me. Hehe.)

Get yummy food via FoodPandaPH!

I guess every single parent knows how hard it is to balance work, friends, dating, me-time, and the kids. I know I do. Sometimes, it gets as worse for me as actually forgetting to eat...or remembering to eat but not having the time to actually get food. Good thing there's food delivery services available everywhere now. You don't have to worry about getting food at the end of the day, when you just want to sit back, put your feet up, and watch Primetime Bida 'til you can't anymore.

Internet has helped us have a more comfortable life, with almost everything accessible by just clicking a button and that includes getting food. I am so guilty of abusing online ordering systems and I've probably tried each and everyone of them. One of the better systems out there has got to be FoodPandaPH. If there are three words to describe the FoodPandaPH experience, they are easy, yummy, and fuhreakin'awesome. Yes, that's one word. Hihi.

FoodPanda.PH is an online ordering system that has a wide range of restaurants serving different cuisines in their portal where customers can order and have their food delivered at their doorsteps...or desks. Some popular restaurants in their portal are Yellow Cab, Gerry's Grill, The Aristocrat Restaurant, and Tony Roma's.

Ordering from FoodPandaPH is easy...especially if you learn it using this adorable comic strip I got from MommyBloggersPhilippines.com.

The FoodPandaPH website isn't the only place you can order food from your area. They have apps for iOS, Android, and Windows so you can order food even if you're on the go.

If anything, though, I just hoped that all the restaurants in FoodPandaPH didn't have a delivery minimum fee. I mean, I am pretty sure that there are times when you just want to eat, say, a bowl of ramen noodles on a cold Sunday night and it might be disappointing to find out that your favorite Japanese restaurant won't deliver unless you order Php450 worth of ramen noodles.

Now that it's out there, though, I want me some ramen.

Doc McStuffins Hugs and Snugs Contest

Lately, I've been on the mommy mindset a lot: thinking of where I'd get the money for Brianna's upcoming birthday party (in school), trying to budget what money I have now to last at least til the end of the year, scheduling different activities for Brianna, the boyfriend, and I to enjoy... It gets tiring a lot of times and I do quite a lot of nonsensical things whenever I take a breather from being a mom. One of those "nonsensical things" was join this contest in Disney Junior Asia called the Doc McStuffins Hugs and Snugs Contest and guess what?

WE WERE ONE OF THE WINNERS!!!

They sent us a bunch of Doc McStuffins toys as prize and they all came last Monday:

What we got were the following:

1. Doctor Dress-Up Set (which Brianna opened right away)
2. Musical Light-Up Mic
3. I Feel Better First Aid Kit
4. Big Book of Boo Boos
5. Doc & Friends (Stuffy)
6. Doc & Friends (Chilly)

That is one happy little girl!

I had her open one of the prizes right away, as promised. She picked the Doctor's Dress-Up Set and this is how she looks like in it:

A quick review of the Doctor's Dress-Up Set:

1. The white doctor's lab coat and striped inner shirt were too big for her right now, which is perfect for next Halloween (MUHAHAHAHA saved, like, 800 pesos for next year's costume).
2. The signature Doc McStuffins pink headband is not of standard size. I guess it would fit a kid with a cone for a head or something. It was that tight.
3. The doctor's name badge came with interchangeable inserts: There's one with Doc McStuffins' name on it and the other one's blank for the kids' name.
4. The pink plastic stethoscope doesn't make any sounds or even just light up. It's so cute, though.

I kept everything else so I can wrap them for Christmas. I explained to her how she'd have more gifts to open for Christmas if she didn't open everything in one go and she was immediately on board.

We already have some of the prizes (Musical Light-Up Mic, Doc & Friends - Stuffy, and Doc & Friends - Chilly) and Brianna, being the thoughtful girl that she is, told me we could give them to her cousins/titas (my baby cousins) as gifts this Christmas.

Personally, I can't wait to open the I Feel Better First Aid Kit. I've seen that one in Toy Kingdom the first time they had Doc McStuffins toys in stock and I immediately fell in love with it...okay, I totes love anything that comes close to being an organizer of sorts. Anyway, I am posting the reviews of the other toys after Christmas, once she opens them.

I love joining contests and I love winning them but most of all, I love winning them for my daughter. It makes me feel like I'm making her feel proud of me. Yes, right now they're just petty online contests but next time, I'll win in life and she will be so damn proud I'm her momma just like I am proud that she's my daughter.

The Supermommy has emerged from the breastfeeding station.

Thank you, Lord, for second chances, am I right?

It has been 2 years since Supermommy Chronicles was last updated and a lot has happened to both Brianna and I in my blogging hiatus but now, I'm back, packed with 2 years worth of insightful - albeit, frustrating - experiences that I want to share with everybody. (No, I don't know EVERYTHING, I'm not a know-it-all... #hugot101)

Anyway, along with the comeback are a few new updates for Supermommy Chronicles:

1. A new blog look. I got rid of the boxes from the old Awesome Blogger template and just went with the Ethereal Blogger template this time. I changed the colors to fit my preference and viola! A new blog look. It just looks so much better and neater now.
2. A new blog banner. I just had to get rid of the actual pink Superman logo from the old blog header because a friend ruined it for me. Plus I wanted to actually capture the essence of a Supermommy on my banner. I was thinking of including a shadow photo of the New York skyline on the banner but thought it was too pretentious if I did...also, my Photoshop (okay, you caught me...it's Picmonkey) skillz aren't enough for me to pull that one off. Credits to http://www.wannabeheroine.com for the Supergirl vector image.
3. Proud member of Mommy Bloggers Philippines. Yes, I actually joined a community for mommy bloggers to get the latest on parenting strategies, products for kids, and everything else I need to learn about in my attempt to become the super-est (eh?) mommy who ever lived.
4. Supermommy Chronicles social media accounts. I've finally gotten around to setting up the social media accounts for the blog. To be quite honest, this decision took, like, 2 full days of deliberating with myself. I just ended up telling myself "Meh. Hayaan mo silang okrayin ang grammar ko..." I just gotta suck it up. Anyway, just click on the icons to follow my online accounts (I've yet to set-up an Instagram account for the blog):

     So, there you go. Welcome to Supermommy Chronicles. Hope you pick-up a thing or two from me. :)