Basic Party Planning

I don't usually throw a big party for my kids unless it's the 1st birthday. We usually just spend time with the family with a different activity each year. But since age 7 is an important milestone for my little boy, I decided to give him a surprise birthday party!

I started with the theme. My little boy loves playing Plants vs. Zombies and he mentioned once that he wanted to have a PvZ collection. And so I have a theme in mind but the challenge is finding stuffs that have PvZ labels. I remember last Christmas when we went to Divisoria (a place where you can buy stuffs in bulk and pay less) there were really limited items with PvZ logo on it. Good thing I discovered where I can buy glossy photo paper and ink jet friendly stickers that I can use for printing designs.

Now the budget. How much can I shell out for the party? Oh well, since it's a very special day I already reserved all my incoming incentives for this. The company I'm currently working for is very generous when it comes to convertions of vacation or sick leaves. Being a helpdesk is also a plus. Sponsors are also around. One Tita sponsored the cake while the other Tita sponsored the lootbags. Some friends gave discounts on their products and services. Ninong Glen helped with the designs and art stuffs.

Plan the venue and the details. When and Where. My kid is a homebody so most of his friends are in school. So to make him happy with his friends on his special day I opted for school. I had to ask permission from the school head and asked the number of preschool students attending the afternoon class.

Food. I had to book a take out party from Jollibee for the kid's food. He loves Jollibee so It's really not a tough choice. I'm also preparing cupcakes each with a PvZ character on top. For teachers and staff, I'm preparing not so kiddie food. At home, where relatives and friends are invited to celebrate with us, I'm preparing dinner for everyone.

Activities & Games. Since the party package includes Host, balloons,games and prizes I added an interactive contest for the guests. And since this is a surprise, they have to make their best and most creative PvZ hat at home and bring it to the party. Best hat will be chosen by the birthday boy and a surprise gift awaits the winner. Separate prize for the kids and for the teachers. The highlight of the party is the PhotoBooth. Of course, everybody loves taking pictures and I'm sure it's going to be fun, fun, fun!

Souvenirs & Lootbags. I remember having a funny early morning conversation with my party supplier.
Me:  Plants Vs Zombies is the theme that's why I'm looking for plants (cactus) as give away.
Him:  Of course! Would you like to give away Zombies instead?
Nice point! :D So instead of giving out zombies I should really give plants instead for their souvenirs. Not only will be able to help fight global warming by planting, It will also save their brains from being eaten. :D

It really helps if you have a checklist of all the details you need for the party. It saves you from forgetting little things especially if you are juggling time between working and setting up the party. It'll be much better if you have a calendar of activities too.

I'm recommending these people for your party needs:

Norie's Kitchen
Norie’s Kitchen is a custom cakes and premium pastries supplier in Cavite and Tagaytay Area. They make character cakes and elegant wedding cakes.

Howell Tolentino
He offers pre-birthday photo shoot too. Check his works here:
Howell Fauxtography 
Foto Shack!









Here are some of the resources I came across with while planning this special party:
How to make a PvZ costume
Party Checklist
PopCap games
PvZ Wiki
PvZ guide

Now I can't wait to see the happy face of my little boy on his birthday. I'm actually excited!

Kid's Pre birthday Photoshoot

My little boy is turning 7 in a few days and i'm still in search for the best close up picture for his birthday tarp. Browsing through the hundreds of pics on my hard drive, I can't help but feel so thankful and blessed for being the chosen mom for this smart and fine little boy. Pictures could really take us back to moments and feelings we've always cherished in our hearts. I can still remember how happy I was when I first saw him. His arrival had change the atmosphere in our home. He had made our lives even more colorful and meaningful. His first word was Mama and from that moment I felt I'm the luckiest parent in the world. His every milestone marks our most joyful days.  He surprised us with his wit and charm. He had made us proud for his every achievements. And the best part, he still continually surprise us and make us proud.

Now giving back for the endless joy he gives our family, we planned on a surprise birthday party for my little boy. And that means hours and days of organizing and research. I came across The Organized Parent  which offers tips on how to be organized and make a mom's life easier. They also have tools like calendars and organizers that you can download. Great help for moms who are always busy trying to get things done while switching from Mommy mode to working mom mode. They even have a book:  The Five-Minute Mom’s Club: 105 Tips to Make a Mom's Life Easier.  Check it Out
 

And since I need a nice close up picture for my boy, I decided to schedule a pre-birthday photoshoot for him. Of course he doesn't know it's for his birthday. I don't need to explain further anyway since my kid naturally loves taking pics of himself, us and stuffs. But I need advise on how to make a great photoshoot for kids. I plan on having these pictures enlarged too and put in a frame for display in our house so I have to make the most of it. Here's what I got from 5 Minutes for Mom site.

5 Minutes for Photography: Kids Photo Shoot
1. Go somewhere different. Anything new make kids excited!
2. Take along props. Makes each shots interesting.
3. Keep them thinking about everything but the photos. Catch the natural reactions.
4. Shoot photos like crazy. Like I always say. Don't blink!
5. Dress for success. The kid is the star of the shoot not the clothes.
6. Go with the flow.

Now I'm the one who's excited!

Rich Money Habits

I've subscribed to this blog's newsletter to enrich myself with practical advises on how to gain financial freedom. He's launching his very first ebook guide:

Rich Money Habits - 8 Ways To Shift Your Money Habits and Be Rich.

“This book contains the most important and most essential tools you need to start your journey towards becoming Truly Rich“

- Foreword by Bo Sanchez Best-Selling Author of Choose To Be Wealthy

Click here to visit Rich Money Habits.

What You Should Never Forget

I subscribed from Bo Sanchez'  Soulfood  newsletters and it's delivered directly to my inbox. Today Bo Sanchez' teaches about the value of Family. "What You Should Never Forget". As a parent, we know how important it is to spend time with our kids for us to know their thoughts, plans in the future and their dreams. It is in those quiet uninterrupted moments with them that we get to know the kind of person they want to be.
I love reading Bo's notes but this particular newsletter kind of affected me. This part in particular:

"I was even more convinced of my family goals when I read the frightening statistics from David Perdew about “fatherless kids”. According to statistics, children from a fatherless home are:
·        Five times more likely to commit suicide
·        Thirty-two times more likely to run away
·        Twenty times more likely to have behavioral disorders
·        Fourteen times more likely to commit rape (this applies to boys)
·        Nine times more likely to drop out of high school
·        Ten times more likely to abuse chemical substances
·        Nine times more likely to end up in a charitable institution
·        Twenty times more likely to end up in prison for a long period of time

You see, I'm a solo parent and this kind of statistic will surely affect me. But guess what? On top of this newsletter was God's love note for me and it says:

I should not be sad. Instead I should empower myself so I can be a mom and a dad both to my kids. I've always believed that if kids are happy at home, they will never seek love anywhere else. My youngest sister is a perfect example. I should not be afraid.

And while I was writing this, I got a new email:

February 11, 2011

Dear Sheila,

Be a Blessing Expert. So you can spot a blessing a mile away. So you can

know a blessing’s shape, smell, color, and sound. So you can see blessings

everywhere.

Be happy,

God

P.S. Sheila, Blessing Experts are happy people.

Just looking at all my blessings, I'm perfectly happy. :)

PS. Never Forget Your Family.  Except for God, nothing else is more important. Get powerful inspiration and instruction on how to build your own family. It’s never too late.

What makes your day?

For couples, the anticipation of seeing their love ones each day whether in school, workplace or on a date is really exciting. Others who are lucky get special notes through texts, cards, post it or emails and that's something to look forward to everyday. For family members who have been away for so long, the arrival of their balikbayans are worth the wait and each day after that is really something to treasure. For me, I look forward to seeing my kids arriving from school each day and be able to play with them.

Since Valentines day is fast approaching, anybody who is in love will surely get bitten by the bug. I get my own lovenotes too. Not only during special occasions but everyday. It completes my day, as if the sender knows exactly what to keep me up. Let me correct that, HE really does.

Here's one of my fave from His everyday love notes:

How about you? Have you ever been excited with something everyday?
His love is so abundant I'm very much willing to share:
Get your lovenotes here:

Manila VA Seminar

As part of my Educational Investment, I'm attending a VA seminar this Saturday which will be conducted by my online internet mentor Jomar Hilario. He has trained different kinds of employees and landed them online jobs that they can work from home --part time and full time. He is personally endorsed by Bo Sanchez and Larry Gamboa whom he helped in their businesses.

I consider this seminar as an opportunity for me to upgrade my skills and creativity. I already did my research and background reading about being a virtual Assistant but seeing my mentor teach on a live seminar is like being with my favorite artist Jason Castro (Christian singer from American Idol season 7). Yeah, I'm a big fan of people who love their crafts.

I might be leaving the corporate world soon and acquiring knowledge such as this would be a very good back up plan. Besides, my kids are growing up fast I don't want to miss any precious moments in their growing up years.

Now if you are ready to settle at home while earning then click this link:

Manila VA Seminar

 See you there!