Do More with Less – Christmas 2015

 

Can one really do more with less? Time and again, you have all read about how this working mom is always on the lookout for building things that last for our family. Of course I have clued you in on our 2015 breakthroughs that do not need to break the bank. I have always emphasized that our greatest blessings are always the ones that need not be expensive.

Do more with less – Jesus is the Reason for the Season

It is so easy to stray away from the real reason for Christmas, it can sway you to commercialism overload and with most of the bonuses getting released in December, most people spend too much time planning for what to buy rather than planning for what to celebrate. Having kids calibrates me to check on everything we are doing for December, does it point us to a family value we have all agreed to have on our Christmas calendar or is it just another party to throw/host or a shopping spree to complete? Among our Christmas traditions this year included Banahaw Elementary Outreach, creating our own Christmas ornaments, Jesus birthday party with advent-related activities that my kids joined with their friends.

Do More with Less – Give Personalized Gifts

With sales/bazaars/tiangges on almost every corner, sometimes we end up giving thoughtless gifts. Find time to involve your entire family in gift-giving and wrapping. For this year, we used our Christmas family picture as gift tags. You may also opt to go for simple wrappers like what we did with Manila paper, made special with yarn and our family picture.

Do More with Less – Host Purposeful Celebrations

We do not usually throw big parties as a family and so when we host a celebration, expect to see touches of love that speaks to everyone we know in a personal way. Christmas Breakfast with fellow couples from our spiritual family was made more meaningful with sharing encouragement from around the table, over food! Christmas dinner with all of our wedding inaanaks was also made special as each couple highlighted their marriage/life verse on our Bible at home. And of course, we will never forget our Sofia’s birthday celebration involving our friends and family to prepare and celebrate with us. The goal is to drive what needs to be celebrated at each time.

Even the Christmas tree and decorations do not need to break the bank. For this year, we used Christmas message cards we have received and repurposed them as colorful tree ornaments. This way we get to save the personalized messages we received while keeping them in time for next year’s tree. Also, don’t feel the need to decorate too much. Having four kids at home, it helps to just choose a spot or a nook to decorate, rather than to cram the house with too many Christmas decors.

However you want to celebrate, it is our prayer that your Christmas be filled with lasting memories that you can build with your family. Merry Christmas!

This blog post is in support of the #DoMoreWithLess advocacy led by Electrolux Philippines.

Need Christmas Sweets Options? Read Up.

Christmas is about celebrating the real reason for the season, it is taking the time to thank God for Jesus, the ultimate message of Christmas. Also, it is about celebrating family, friendships and building memories that last. But most moms make the easy mistake of spending all time worrying about the minute details of parties, instead of involving family with preparation for our Christmas celebrations. For this working mom, Christmas is made easier with sweets-on-the-go type of gifts. I remember preparing teachers’ gifts with kids, it was a simple bag of chocolate cupcakes but made special with handwritten cards from my kids.

Christmas cupcake

So to help moms-on-the-go like me to save time and quickly look at the best options for Christmas sweets to give away, I have listed below my best options : sweetest and yummiest treats that do not break the budget. Read on.

Mommy Chi’s Dreamcakes                                                                                         Mommy Chi is a stay-at-home mom who excels at baking right from her own kitchen. She has made quite a name for being the first stop for specialty fondant cakes. So whether it is a birthday, wedding, friends’ meet up or anything imaginable you are celebrating, you can go to Mommy Chi for options and she can help you plan it and bake them for you.

Jordan-themed-cake

Hello Kitty themed cake

Superman cake

wedding cake – chocolate moist cake with ganache with available sizes Size 6×8 , 7x 3, 8×3 10×3 , 12×5

Barbie cake with cupcakes

Mindy’s Kitchen Story                                                                                      Mindy is a wife and works full-time in the industry of Training and Development. She finds time to express her creativity in the kitchen and in her baking creations. She is on never-ending project of 51^st dates with husband discovering new food destinations. She packages her cookies and cupcakes in creative cups and boxes, it is ready to be given as gifts anytime.

Honey Lemon Cupcakes in lemon buttercream frosting with sugar sprinkles

Espresso cookies in dark chocolate

 

Soft and chewy dark chocolate cookies

 

Mommy Jane’s Go Sweets Mommy Jane is not new to the limelight kitchen, with her son sharing the limelight on the Philippines’ franchise of Junior Masterchef. But she herself excels at baking and creating sweets masterpieces. Whether it is Christmas or not, you can see her with clients left and right who never tire of sampling her sweet creations.

candy buffet

pulvoron

yema cake

Mimi’s Pastimallows Pastimallows are known to be available from the south, but no need to travel far to get the best-tasting pastimallows. Mimi has them fresh from her oven. She got her name from her cute and adorable granddaughter who instead of calling her lola, calls her Mimi. Baking masterpieces always made out of love.

Listen to this Author’s Podcast here

TYPE KITA 3: PASS ON THE PASSION

On December 12 and 13, type lovers and lettering enthusiasts will be in for a treat! The team behind Type Kita will be holding the 3^rd installment of their annual typography exhibit! The previous Type Kita exhibits offered visitors with an incredible showcase of local typographic art pieces, on-the-spot workshops by some of the country’s well-known hand-letterers and calligraphers, and for the bargain hunters, a slew of handmade crafts and printed goods from local entrepreneurs.

The 3^rd Type Kita exhibit promises to be even bigger than before, with over 60 participating exhibitors and artists sharing their talent for this event-for-a-cause.

Set during the holiday season, the Type Kita Exhibit will serve as a big Christmas gathering for type enthusiasts around the metro! With live art, demos, art trade and gift giving activities, it’s the perfect holiday feast for type lovers!

With the theme “Pass on the Passion,” the event aims to foster camaraderie and to strengthen the local type community during the Christmas season by focusing on the value of collaboration and sharing! With this event, type-enthusiasts can give back to the community and share their passion to others as well. Proceeds from the event will be for the benefit of PEARLS- a non-profit organization that aims to provide unprivileged kids with Peace, Education, Aspiration, Respect, Love & Smiles.

 

Activities for the event are as follows:

PASS ON THE PASSION EXHIBIT

For this leg, exhibitors are encouraged to work and collaborate with other artists to share their talent and trade skills as they develop their pieces, strengthening the idea of sharing one’s passion through art.

ART TRADE/ TOOL SWAP 

Art Trade Manila will lead an art-exchange activity where artists and guests can bring their works or writing tools and trade it with fellow type-enthusiasts. It’s like a massive exchange gift activity but more fun!

LIVE ART

Some of your favorite local letterers will also be invited to paint on wooden panels as part of the live art exhibit. Glass panels will also serve as a big doodle wall canvas!

And because the venue will be bigger, Zig Philippines will also be displaying large scale art murals as part of the exhibit.

INSTAGRAM EXCHANGE

Type Kita exhibits are also the best place to build your network with fellow type-geeks! To further promote camaraderie, participants will be given name tags for their IG handles so they can easily follow each other and keep connected even after the event!

GIFT AND CARD DRIVE

One portion of the event will allow guests to write Christmas cards, design covers of blank notebooks and leave behind hand-lettered pieces as part of gift kits for the kids of PROJECT PEARLS.

LIVE DEMOS AND ACTIVITIES

Pass on the passion for type with free demos such as lettering, calligraphy, watercolor lettering and many more! There will also be a scheduled film showing, some live art & for the hoarders, there will also be pop-up shops for tools and type merchandise.

CHRISTMAS POTLUCK

To keep the Christmas spirit alive, they will be holding a simple get-together/Christmas potluck to celebrate the community this holiday season. You may bring food and drinks too if you want to join in the feast!

Listen to this Author’s Podcast here

 

Shroff Travel Offers Exclusive Travel Deals to Pinoys (Up to 50% Discount)

Pinoys can be steps ahead of the travel game and plan for discounted and worth-the-money family trips for the rest of 2015. With ten more holidays on the Philippine calendar, you can now make sure that you do not get stuck at home while watching the news on a holiday.  Listed the remaining Philippine holidays below for everyone’s quick reference.

Sep 24	Thursday	Id-ul-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)	Common Local holidays
Oct 15	Thursday	Amun Jadid	Muslim, Common Local holidays
Nov 1	Sunday	All Saints’ Day	Special Non-working Holiday
Nov 2	Monday	All Souls’ Day	Observance
Nov 30	Monday	Bonifacio Day	Regular Holiday
Dec 22	Tuesday	December Solstice	Season
Dec 24	Thursday	Christmas Eve	Special Non-working Holiday
Dec 24	Thursday	Maulid un-Nabi	Common Local holidays
Dec 25	Friday	Christmas Day	Regular Holiday
Dec 30	Wednesday	Rizal Day	Regular Holiday
Dec 31	Thursday	New Year’s Eve	Special Non-working Holiday

SHROFF TRAVEL can be your family’s official partner in building memorable travel experiences especially those who have great passion for exploration. That’s one of the reasons why they make it easier and affordable for tourists to discover the Philippines and the rest of world by offering these special travel deals. They also offer flight promos and issues ticket on all airlines so booking your tour with them is hassle free.

For more information about Shroff Travel exclusive travel deals, please visit their BOOTH # F1037 & F1042 during the 26th Philippine Travel Mart at SMX Convention Center (SM MoA) on September 4-6, 2015.

Backed with more than  21 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry, Shroff Travel guarantees its customers with professional services in providing overall solutions to their travel needs. This year, as they participate in PHILTOA’s 26th Philippine Travel Mart, they are offering international and domestic exclusive travel deals that will surely make everyone excited to take their next holiday!

INTERNATIONAL PACKAGES

3D 2N – SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA with Tours – USD 173

3D 2N – BEIJING, CHINA with compulsory Tours – USD 64

3D 2N – HO CHI MINH Free & Easy Only – USD 72

3D 2N – HANOI Free & Easy – USD 75

3D 2N – BALI INDONESIA Free & Easy Only – USD 62

3D 2N – KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA with Half Day City Tour – USD 76

3D 2N – BANGKOK, THAILAND with Tour – USD 92

3D 2N – SINGAPORE – USD 145

3D 2N – KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA Free & Easy – USD 124

3D 2N – SEOUL, KOREA with Complimentary City Tour – USD 170

3D 2N – MYANMAR with Tours – USD 196

4D 3N – OSAKA, JAPAN Free & Easy Only – USD 720

4D 3N – TOKYO, JAPAN Free & Easy Only – USD 812

DOMESTIC PACKAGES  3D 2N FREE & EASY for as low as:

Puerto Princesa – Php 1,948

Cebu – Php 1,959

Coron – Php 1,969

Boracay – Php 1,990

Batanes – Php 2,736

Davao – Php 2,754

Bohol – Php 2,756

Ilocos – Php 3,782

El Nido – Php 3,932

 

For  more details about these travel deals and other tour packages, please check the NOTES on Shroff Travel Facebook Page.

Experience Life with Shroff Travel!

For complete information about their available services and packages, please contact  (+63 2) 524 2222 / (+63 2) 524 3636 or text 0917 890 3637. You may also visit their website http://www.shrofftravel.com to search for available tours, flights, hotels, transfers and other travel needs. Book competitive offers with great value for your money!

Stay connected with Shroff Travel! Like them on Facebook  for a chance to win a 3day 3 nights stay in Boracay! Follow their Instagram / Twitter @ShroffTravel and don’t forget to tag them on your travel photos and use their hashtag for a chance to win surprise gift from them. #ExperienceLife #ShroffTravel #WeCare