J's 11th {A Pampering Party}

There are new things coming up for this blog. And in preparation for the exciting times ahead, the blog will be moving to a new home!  While I will still be writing about our phenomenal life, it will now have a new name. 

From now on, I will be doing all of my posting at The Phenomenal Mama

I hope you could all bookmark the new site and follow me there!

I will still be keeping this blog open so you can read all of my old posts.  But you won't miss a thing with the new blog as it will have all of the old posts, as well. 

* * * * *

For J's 11th birthday, she requested for a spa-themed party.  You know that I do not indulge in spa treatments, so looking for a suitable (read: clean interiors, good quality of service and affordable rates) nail spa proved to be quite tricky as I had no idea where to start looking.

As my days are quite hectic, I just decided to look up a list at spot.ph.  I made a few calls among the nail spas on their list, and Posh Nails seemd to be just perfect for J's party.  I made reservations at Posh Nails along Connecticut st. in Greenhills.  For 2 hours, J and her friends had the entire spa all to themselves.  

My girls and I managed a quick photo-op before the guests started arriving.

The guest soon came one after the other, and everyone was treated to an hour of foot soak and cleaning, foot massage and pedicure, too!

The customary group shot

B had herself a good time, too!  She invited a few of her friends... and together, the young girls kept on giggling and chatting.

 

Initially, I thought of bringing the girls to a restaurant for some after-spa snacks, but since I booked the spa for an exclusive event, the management was gracious enough to offer to set up a buffet table at the reception area.  Here is J taking charge of decorating her buffet spread:

Brie and I helped a little, too...

...to bring the reception area from this...

 .....to this!

I designed her invite, cupcake toppers, birthday banner and other party labels using photoshop and some graphics I just grabbed from the internet.  

 

To ensure that we do not leave the spa too messy, I served finger foods.  Chips and cookies to munch on while having their nail spa.  For the snacks proper, I ordered a 36-inch pizza from Big Guys Pizza and several boxes of Chicken Charlie.   As is our custom, the birthday cake is from Estrel's.  

 

My friend, Meng, is a heaven sent as she made the best-tasting cupcakes, which were a nice and perfect addition to J's yummy spread. I just added my own cupcake toppers which I hastily made on the day itself.  Just look at those beautiful cupcake towers!

And of course, I also served my Chocolate Chip Cookies!  I always get compliments whenever I make this, and J's friends are ALWAYS craving for this and begging for more.  And I am not one to disspoint, so...

The birthday girl blowin' the candles on her cake

I am very happy with how Posh Nails Greenhills handled our event.  I definitely recommend them to anyone planning for a spa-themed birthday party.  Thanks to Ms. Kelly for coordinating! 

J was very happy with how everything turned out.  She just loved the experience of gathering all her good friends in one place and having lots of girly fun with them.  She enjoyed taking on a more active role in decorating the place and of course, in the hands-on practice of how to become a good party host.  At the end of the party, she commented how tiring it was to move from one group of friends to the next, but that the compliments and the smiles on her friends' faces were more than enough to wipe the weariness away!

Let me end with a shot of the girls' colorful pedis!

Posh Nails Spa

2nd Level, Fox Square Bldg.,
Connecticut St., Greenhills,
San Juan, Philippines

Tel: 496.8713

Big Guys Pizza

G/F Madison Square Ortigas

Madison St. Cor. Ortigas Avenue

Tel:  570.8603

Chicken Charlie

15 J. Abad Santos st.

Little Baguio, San Juan 

Tel 477.7422

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SJP

It's just perfect timing that while I was sharing with you awhile back how a tolerant and laid-back attitude helps me in order to parent my kids with a smile on my face, here comes Sarah Jessica Parker showing us how to embrace the fun, spontaneity and insanity that comes along with raising three kids - with style!

She is shown with husband, Matthew Broderick, their oldest son, and their twin daughters.  I am especially endeared with the shot of SJP and her two daughters, amidst all the mess in the kitchen.  It reminds me of the fun the kids and I have bonding in our own kitchen while we bake our fave sweet-treats. Now, if only I could rock those stilettos!

 

 

 

“Like a ship avoiding icebergs” is how she cheerfully describes the running of her life. “The internal lists, the children’s doctor’s appointments, the letters to write, the school projects. . . .” At night she lies in bed and does what she calls every mom’s “strategic planning” for the day ahead: “What you have to do and how to get the kids from A to B, and whatever is required of you at your work. And maybe you can toss in friendships that need to be attended to. . . . The thing that’s most surprising to me is how much we do in a day.”

Read her entire Show and Tell with Vogue here. 

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Phenomenal Tip: How to Parent Your Kids With A Smile On Your Face

As a full-time mom, I am often asked how I keep my sanity handling three rambunctious kids?  It is really all about finding that right mix of balance between structure and chaos, and generally a lot of LETTING GO. 

For instance, a typical scene in the car can let you in on the type of attitude that I have developed which allows me to smile in spite of the chaos that goes on… 

The kids get out of school very hungry and at the same time their bodies need a healthy amount of carbohydrates to keep up with the training that they are going to do later in the day so I allow them to eat their after school snacks in the car.  ( Shhh! Their dad doesn't know) The interior of the car is occasionally left looking like what can only be described as a wreck in the aftermath of their afternoon snacking.  Occasionally pasta gets spilled, grapes are thrown on the floor, or there’s an occasional sticky dribble of yakult on the leather upholstery.  Do not even get me going with the scent that lingers from all those food.  I do not even raise hell anymore as I hand over the baby wipes to let them clean up their own mess.  But without their knowing it, the driver still does find himself with an enormous amount of cleaning up the next day. 

And if their mess doesn't get to you, just imagine the noise level in the car is almost always at a high maximum.  B and R and their verbal combats are a standard and habitual occurrence that I treat their clatter as white noise.  I hear them but I do not listen to them.  There's no way out of two talkative kids stuck in a small space!

While I still place primary importance on structure and routine, there is also a huge place in my life as a mother for growing a more tolerant and laid back ATTITUDE.

Here are some tips on how I manage to get along with a smile on my face:

1. I do not think I can carry out a wise management of my home and family apart from my relationship with the Lord.  I small-talk with Him throughout the day and ask for the ability to faithfully, patiently and lovingly complete my tasks.

2. Routine is a beautiful word in my world.  I am able to organize my day and complete my tasks because of it.  My kids do well when they know what to expect. And my husband gets all the benefits of a peaceful home.

3. Flexibility.  One of the advantages of making the rules is I can also break them.  With 3 fast-growing kids, our routines constantly need adjustments from time to time, as something is added or another is dropped.

4.  Keep priorities in the right place - Relationships are what matters. I remember what a friend posted on her FB wall, and my heart was really convicted with her message: We all want to be the perfect mom, but our kids just want to have a happy mom.

5. Mind your own business.  Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying.  Stop seeking the validation of others and be confident in yourself.  Just concentrate on loving and taking care of yourself and your family.

(The above-mentioned tips are an excerpt on my Q & A with Michelle of My Mom-Friday for her Mom-Style feature.  You can read the entire post and view some photos on her webpage right here.)

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