Bela's 7th: Throw Back

Just look at my Rock Star princess Bela:

Thanks to my friend’s sister, Jonah for taking this picture. This picture was taken a few months ago when we attended the rock star party of Margaux. Bela enjoyed the party that is why we had ivory italian grand, guitars, rock band and more on her 7th birthday as she wanted a Rock Star themed party too.

I too love the concept of a Rock Star party that is why I was really excited when I was planning for this party. We had Jives, the popular sing and dance trio that we often see in parties, and they really did rocked the house down.

I really saw how happy Bela was during her party and she told us that it is the day that she will never forget.

Satchel Bag from Sandy's Party

Just look at this cute satchel bags that Sandy gave for her female guests on her 7th birthday party:

Photo Credit: Jojo Francisco Photography

The girls, including my Bela, just loves it.

Photo Credit: Jojo Francisco Photography

I have been looking for a small satchel bag for Bela but I can’t seem to find a smaller version that will fit her. Thanks to Joy and Sandy, I don’t have to buy one for Bela as we got it as our souvenir for Sandy’s party.

Bela loves using it every chance she got that is why I am researching about painting leather as I fear I may have to do this soon if Bela’s satchel bag will get worn out and dirty (which is really possible, specially since she carries this bag everywhere she goes).

Thanks again Sandy, Joy, Sherwin and Meg for inviting us to the party and thanks for this cute satchel bag for Bela.

Party Theme Options: Hollywood Night Theme

It is just 6 months before Bela’s 7th birthday and I think I am starting to panic already, as we still haven’t decided yet what theme to incorporate for her party. I still have to talk to my party planner as I know she will help me consolidate all my ideas and the event stylist that my cousin recommends so we will know if it is possible to execute all my plans.

But for now, this is another party theme that I am considering: Hollywood Night Theme complete with director clappers, stanchion barriers, paparazzi standee, popcorn table centerpiece and more:

I got all this idea from Pinterest and I am not sure if we will still have the time (and the energy and money) to execute all this. I was telling my friends that the more ideas I have, the higher the budget shoots up. LOL.

I will be meeting with the events stylist next week and let us see what he has to say.

Rock On!!

Last Sunday, we attended the joint celebration for the 7th Birthday of Sam and 2nd Birthday of Migo, kids of my good friend Jacqui. The theme of the party was Nick Jr Kids’ Choice Awards and kids were asked to come in their rock star/ hip hop / RNB attire and this was what Bela was wearing:

I got the shirt from Kids of Bayo, the necktie from SM, the stockings from Divisoria and the boots was an old one that I bought for her for her UN Day celebration in school. Her tita put rock star make up on her and we brought her toy guitar to complete the look and he was able to rock her costume as she was one of the kids who received a Best in Costume award.

The party was super fun with the good host, magician (or shall I say puppeteer) Wanlu, good entertainment provided by Jives and good food. Bela and her other friends enjoyed the party. They joined Jives on stage to perform and they won’t stop singing and dancing during the games and during Jives’ performance.

Now I am really convince that a rock star party is super fun so this will be the theme that Bela will be having too for her 7th birthday.

Thanks again Jacqui and Mike for inviting us. We really had super fun.

Tips for Throwing Party on a Budget

My daughter will be celebrating her 6th birthday this coming November 16. We initially have no plans to give her a party but parents can’t say no to their daughter’s request. So with a limited budget, I started my quest to plan for a 6th birthday party for my daughter.

I thought that it will be a big challenge at first but then I realized that with creativity and imagination, we could still give our daughter the party of her dreams.

Here are a few things that I learned on how to throw a party on a budget:

1. DIY. If you have a lot of creative minds in your family, tap their talents and ask for their help to create DIY items that you can use for the party. Here are some DIY party ideas:
• Instead of ordering invitations from a printing company, make your own invitations. There are a lot of resources on the web to get birthday party invitation ideas and you can use this as a template to create your own invite.
• Do not hire a professional to do the balloon decorations. Look for promo codes and vouchers and order your balloons online and search in You Tube for demos and videos on how to create simple balloon decorations.
• Bake your own cake. If you know how to bake, why not make your child’s birthday cake as one of your major baking projects. Your kids will appreciate it more as it is your labor of love for them.
2. Host the party in a venue that is free like a park, or a community center. That way you can bring your own food without corkage fee and you don’t have to pay for a rental fee for the venue.
3. Set the timing of the party early in the afternoon so you don’t need to serve heavy meal.
4. Do not hire professional host for the party. The Internet will be your best friend to search for games and activities that you can have during the party. You can search by theme and you will surely find a lot of suggested activities and games that will go well with your theme.

Birthday parties need not be expensive and always remember that the presence of family and friends during the celebration is more important to make the celebrant feel loved and special.

This is a guest post written by Melissa who works for You Love Coupons, where she writes articles about different diet programs like weight watchers and ediets. Her last project was an article about weight watchers code and ediets code.

Bela's 6th Birthday Party Invite

We were finally able to find the time to go to 168 to have Bela’s invitation printed. She had a pictorial with her dad one Saturday with the somewhat pirate attire that I bought for her. I was actually not that happy with the pictures yet but they were not able to have anther pictorial session so we just choose from her first batch of pictures.

We went to the same store where we ordered Cobi’s invitation and this is their end product:

I love it. This is the first time that they made an invitation with this theme and so I was really impressed with the output.

If I were to ask, I just like the plain invitation rather than the 2D version as I am reserving the 2D version for her 7th birthday party, but the manager (aka the hubby) likes the 2D version for her princess and so I did not argue. LOL.

But Bela is just so happy with her invite and she can’t wait to give it out to her classmates when she returns to school on Tuesday.

6th Bday Party Preps Update

Finally, I was able to book already the suppliers that I will need for Bela’s birthday party at Hospicio de San Jose.

We celebrate Bela’s party at Hospicio de San Jose every year but we don’t invite our friends. We go there with our immediate family only and I just order food from Jollibee and bring a magician or host and mascots to entertain the kids.

For Bela’s 6th birthday, we will still have our usual party at Hospicio de San Jose but this time, we will invite her classmates and teachers also to join us. It was only this month that I was able to book the suppliers as I still don’t have the budget yet to pay for the down payment.

But God is really good as I was able to get the money that I was expecting last week and so I was able to finalize my reservation for:

1. Caterer: Princess Delan’s – Instead of ordering food from Jollibee, I decided to get a caterer since I called Hospicio and they don’t have enough tables and chairs for all my guests (I will have 50 kids and about 10 adults from Hospicio and I will have 50 adults and 30 kids from our relatives and Bela’s friends). Thankfully I was able to find a caterer that can work on my budget.
2. Souvenirs: Wooden Kiddie Stools by Jen Gana – I saw their mini baskets and the price is just fit for my budget. I was hesitant at first to order the baskets for the boys but hubby suggested that I asked for the shape to be change to the tool kit of Handy Manny so they can use it to put their toys and other stuff. I can’t wait to see how the mini baskets and tool kit will turn out with the characters from Jake and the Neverland Pirates show as the design.
3. Magician. I am very thankful that Angelette of Jelly Bellies was still able to get me a magician for Bela’s party even if I booked less than 2 months before the party. I am actually not familiar with Bumpy the magician but I trust Angelette’s judgment and Bumpy is highly recommended by her. And for sure, no matter who the magician is, kids will surely have fun as they are very easy to please.
4. Pirate Costume: Since Halloween is near, there are a lot of costumes being sold at SM. Last week, we were able to find a pirate costume for Bela and Cobi that they can wear for the pictorial for the invitation.
5. Invitation: Hubby will have a pictorial with Bela this weekend and hopefully we can order the invitation this weekend of next weekend.

So it is party time on November 19, 2011 at Hospicio de San Jose.

Photo Booth for Bela's Party at Hospicio: Booked

Yippee, finally I was able to book something for Bela’s 6th birthday party. It is just two months away but since we are only having a simple party since we are working on a limited budget, I haven’t really started booking my suppliers yet.

It is definite already that the party will be held at Hospicio de San Jose and we will just invite our immediate relatives and Bela’s classmates. I want to book for a magician but I yet have to see if I can still get a good one since I only have two months left before the party.

But thanks to the promo from Cash Cash Pinoy, I was able to book a Photo Booth for the party at 50% off. I noticed how the kids loves posing and having their pictures taken so I know that a photo booth will surely be a big hit for the kids. And I am sure they will be happy as they can bring their photos home.

I definitely have to finalize my other suppliers soon like the 3D Me Souvenir that I like and the other suppliers that I need from Jelly Bellies like the inflatable and food carts.

For Bela's 6th

Bela is requesting to visit the Bird Park, Singapore Zoo and to ride the Madagascar Ride in Universal Studios in Singapore for her birthday. Hmm….

The daddy is saying yes while I on the other hand is sceptical if we can afford another out-of the country travel this year. Hubby was saying that it is doable if we will not have a party for Bela on her 6th.

No Party? I think that is a good idea. I am just not sure if Bela will agree with her dad especially since Cobi will have a big party to celebrate his first birthday this year and Bela might request a party too. LOL.

But one thing is for sure. We just have to choose one – travel or party. As we have tons of bills to pay this year and so we have to set our priorities.

Supplier Ratings: Invites, Tarp and Souvenir Tags

Howell loves to do DIY stuff for his kids’ party and so he is always in charge of the invitation, souvenir tags and tarpaulin. But it has been a very busy month for us and I think Howell only finished the layout in just one sitting, one morning, in just less than one hour. LOL. But look at how it turned out:

Hubby is really artistic so I know whether rush or not, he will be able to come up with something really nice for his princess’ invitation. After doing the layout, he just sent it to our suking printing shop and voila, a very nice invitation for Bela’s Princess party.

For the tarpaulin and souvenir tags, he just used the same layout as the invitation and have it enlarged / reduced. I sent the tarpaulin for printing in the printing store near our place. Their rate is really affordable (I think P15-20 per square feet) and they even offer a print while you wait service so I was able to get the tarpaulin that same day. And for their price, I think the resolution is good enough so I will definitely use them again for our future tarp needs.

Of course, I will give hubby an A++ grade for doing a good job in making Bela’s invitations, tarpaulin and souvenir tags. (Of course, love your own).

Supplier Ratings: Loot Bags and Game Prizes

Supplier Ratings: Loot Bags and Game Prizes
168, Divisoria

Getting party giveaways and prizes for a princess themed party was no sweat. I just did a single trip to 168 and I was able to buy dozens and dozens of princess themed items from notepads, to white boards, pens, bags, coin purse, mugs, lunch kits, etc. Name it and Divisoria has it. I even bought everything in three stores only as I have limitless options to get for the souvenirs and game prizes.

I got the loot bags from Divisoria also. I only got it for P50 a piece. The original price is 100 but my husband was so good in haggling that we were able to get it at half the price. Then I just filled it with princess themed notepads, pens, fan, stickers, etc.

For the boys, I got Ben 10 backpacks and we got it for P25 only.

I really love Divisoria. I was able to buy all that I need for the loots bags and game prizes and there is even extras and I was able to stick within my budget.

Supplier Ratings: Party Gown

Supplier Ratings: Party Gown
Prim of Baby Fashionistas

I always count on Prim for Bela’s gown for all her birthday party. That is why when Bela told me that she wants a Princess themed party for her 5th birthday, I knew right away that I will ask Prim to make Bela’s gown again.

Bela was the one who selected this design from Prim’s gallery. I was insisting the pink flowing gown but Bela has a mind of her own already and she did not let me have a say on the design of the gown that she likes (now I am sure I will not have a say on her prom dress when she is already in high school. LOL)

They took Bela’s measurements when we picked up Cobi’s baptism attire and then we just had a fitting after. But the gown fits Bela perfectly so we were able to bring home the gown after the fitting. The gown also comes with a bag and a crown.

Bela was so in love with her gown and she loves it to pieces. She really feels like she is a princess.

Supplier Ratings: Kiddie Salon & Glitter Tattoo

Kiddie Salon and Glitter Tattoo
Arts N’ Faces

I learned of Arts N’ Faces from my good friend Peachy. I got their face painting services during Bela’s 4th birthday party last year and I am happy with their service that is why I availed of their service again for Bela’s 5th birthday party.

They have an ongoing promo when I booked. The package that I got is Premium Salon at P2,500 with free glitter tattoo. I only have to pay additional P500 if I want an extra artist for the glitter tattoo plus P150 transportation allowance for each artist for a total of P3,300.

Ms. Liby, the owner of Arts N’ Faces, is so easy to talk to. I just inquired through text and deposited by down payment and my booking was already confirmed. The two artists were also early at the venue so the kids were able to enjoy the Kiddie Salon and Glitter Tattoo while waiting for the party to start. They also work fast but their finished product was really great.

I will definitely book them again for my future parties.

Supplier Ratings: Magician

Magician: Amazing Arnold
Booked through Jelly Bellies

I booked the magician through Jelly Bellies four months before Bela’s party. Luckily, Angelette of Jelly Bellies was able to give me a number of options for the magician and I was choosing between Alex Lagula and Amazing Arnold.

I actually wanted to book Alex Lagula first as I heard a lot of good feedbacks about him and his package offers a complete show: magic show, hosting, and balloon twisting. But Bela requested to have ventriloquism and Amazing Arnold is the one who has that trick and so he was the one that I booked.

I actually saw him perform already as he was the magician during the first birthday party of my sister in law’s son and he is actually good. His magic tricks are not the usual magic tricks and he even has illusions. I was not able to watch him though during Bela’s party but my guests said that they really enjoyed his show and judging from the pictures, the kids and even the adults had fun watching him.

Supplier Ratings: Cake

The cake supplier was my last supplier to book as it took me a while to find a supplier who:

• is affordable
• can deliver the cake to the venue or has a pick up point that is near our place or the venue
• I think can execute the design that I like well

If not for the recommendation of my sister-in-law, I would not have discovered Sugar Dots (Maybe if she only has a website and she uses one way link then she would have a good positioning in search engines like Google, then I would have found this supplier easily).

I saw her Facebook page and saw this Candyland cake creation of hers:

And I fell in love with it. I told her that I want something like this but instead, the theme will revolve around princess and tea cup party as that is the theme of the party. I was thinking that there will be a princess topper, just like the cake above, and then the details will include tea cup.

And this is her creation for Bela’s cake:

What I like:
• the cake is actually unique, as what my host was saying
• Me-anne, my cake supplier, really took time to put details on the cake. The tea cups even looks like it has a tea inside and I think me-anne used jellies to make it
• The cake is all edible so we were able to give out everything to our relatives and friends after the party

What I would have wanted:

• I would have like it more if she created a cake just like the Candyland cake that I like and just use the tea cups and the tea pot as the details of the cake and not as the central theme or highlight of the cake design as I wanted to emphasize the theme “Princess” rather than “Tea Party”
• Me-anne did not send me drawings of the cake designs before she actually does it and you will just see the design upon pick up. If only I have seen the layout then maybe, I could have emphasized to her the layout or design that I like.

Supplier Ratings: The Creamery

My sister was the one who recommended The Creamery to me when I was looking for a venue for Bela’s birthday after she saw it in Facebook. Hubby and I visited the place and hubby liked it. I actually find it too small for the number of guests that I am having but hubby really like the venue and so I can’t say no to my Manager. LOL.

What I actually like about them:

• They have different party themes and each theme comes with free decoration according to the theme. We selected their Princess Theme and they decorated the venue with pink and purple balloon decors, Princess theme backdrop for the stage, horse drawn carriage, princess and castle standee and the crew are all dress up as Prince and princesses.
• Their party package is a little affordable (Shakey’s party package is still cheaper) and it comes with food for kids: spaghetti, mini burger, chicken, juice and ice cream; loot bags, name tags and party invites.
• They have a designated party coordinator who contacted me weeks before the party to coordinate the party details with me. The party coordinator was also present during the party and she was my point person whenever I have concerns during the party.
• I was so busy entertaining the guests that I was not able to pay attention to the program but according to my guests, their host was really good. He has good diction, good command of the English language and he knows how to catch the attention of the kids.
• I was not able to eat also but my relatives said that the food was good. And they gave us all our left overs including the ice cream from the ice cream buffet that was left after the party.
• They are flexible with the party program and I can bring my own magician without any corkage.
• The crew are attentive and there was one or two crew who is always assisting the host during the entire program to make it more organize.

What I did not like about them:

• I think they booked parties with only one hour interval per party so my guests already started to arrive starting at 2:30 PM and the party before us just finished by that time. We could have started the party at exactly 3:00 PM as almost all my guests are present already but they are still not finish with the setup by 3 PM and so we started the party 30 minutes later which gave us little time to finish the program. I still have the awarding for the best in costume but we did not have any time left for that. I wanted to get an extension but they won’t allow me as they have another party (our party was from 3-6 PM and there was a 7-10 PM party after us) after us.
• When I inquired for the price of the food, they did not mention nor was it indicated in the price sheet that there is an additional 12% VAT so I was not able to include that in my budget and this is no joke as it involves thousands if pesos.
• Also, when I inquired, they did not mention that there was a minimum number of dishes to order to book a party with them. So even if I just wanted to serve light snack as my party time is merienda time, I have no choice but to serve heavy meals as they require minimum of 5 dishes to book a party. It was only when I paid the reservation fee that I was informed about this.
• They have corkage for any other food that you will bring in.
• I have around 40+ kids who attended the party and the venue was really too small for my number of kids. Also, the place does not allow for the guests to interact as the venue is divided into three – one near the Cosmic kidz side, one inside the restaurant and another one in the open area which are all divided by a glass wall. And since the inside of the restaurant has a big bus décor in the middle, it makes the place even smaller and it is difficult for me to move from one area to another as there is not enough room so I was not able to entertain majority of my guests.

Service and food wise, I will give The Creamery an A+ rating. But unless they remove the big bus in the middle of the restaurant, then I won’t be booking anymore parties with them.

Bela's 5th Birthday Party @ The Creamery MOA

Last November 20 was Bela’s party with her classmates and some close friends and relatives at The Creamery in Mall of Asia. She had a Princess Tea Party as the theme for her birthday. Bela was the one who chose this theme and she specifically said that she has to wear a gown.

On the day of Bela’s party, we have to wake up early as we still have to drop by at St Scholastica for the measurement taking for Bela’s costume for her ballet recital this December. After St. Scho, we just dropped Bela home as her lola still has to set her hair. We left Bela and we have to leave right away as we still have to pick up the cake in Caloocan before heading to the venue to start setting up before the guests arrives.

When we arrived at the venue, the party before us just finished and so they are still fixing up the place. It was already 2:30 PM and our guests are starting to arrive already and they still have no place to stay. The staff of the Creamery finished with the setup by 3:00 PM and the party officially started by 3:30 PM. The host from the Creamery started with the games for the kids where everybody joined and had fun including the mommies. After the games was eating time. (I was not able to taste the food but my relatives said that the food was good.)
After eating time was the magic show by Amazing Arnold. I already watched him perform before though I did not get to watch his whole presentation this time. But from the looks in our guests’ faces, it looks like they had fun with Arnold. After the magic show was the Candle Blowing ceremony and the giving of the loot bags to the kids.

Looking at Bela’s face, it looks like she really had fun. This is the stage where she can really appreciate parties as she was even the one who plan for everything about the party. Plus her wish that her classmates will be there on her party came true as a lot of her classmates attended the party which really, really made Bela very happy and excited. She has been talking about this party for days which goes to show how happy she is with her Princess Tea Party.

So every handwork and penny that we dedicated for this party was all worth it.

Bela's 5th Birthday @ Hospicio de San Jose

Every year, we celebrate Bela’s birthday with the kids of Hospicio de San Jose as our thanksgiving and our way of showing gratitude for giving Bela good health all these years. It is already our 4th year in Hospicio (we celebrated Bela’s first birthday at Missionaries of Charity in Tayuman) and so the kids there know us already.

Since I called Hospicio two weeks before the date that I was eyeing (which is November 21 as it is also Cobi’s 5th month birthday), they already have a booked party on that date. So hubby suggested that we just do it on the 16th which is Bela’s actual birthdate. Luckily, November 16 was declared as a holiday so we were able to have the party early instead of the original plan of having it after the classes of the kids which is around 4:30 PM.

I just booked a party package again with Jollibee Mendiola as what I do every year. They arrived early and started setting up the balloons and the food as soon as they arrive. The kids started coming around 2 PM and we started the party around 2:30 PM when all the kids are present already.

They started with the games and Bela had fun joining the kids. Then it was eating time and then the presentation of Jollibee where he did a dance number. Then there was candle blowing and Bela and her dad sang a song for the kids again.

The party ended with the thank you song from the kids which never fails to touch my heart.

Thanks to my friends, colleagues and Twitter mates who donated cash and goods for the kids. They are really so thankful for the donations that we give them. Till next year…