Disney presents... the most famous couple

It seemed that Halloween this year just passed us by. 

No preparations...nothing! I did not bought any costume but thanks to my sis in law, Sab, I didn't need to shell out some cash for a costume this year.

Kimi and Kenzo did Mickey and Minnie this year and opted for Trick or Treating at Brentwood Mall.

* Mickey and Minnie Photo Strips

Kenzo finally relented and wore the hat (most of the time)... he was so happy to see a Thomas costume and a Disney Cars costume. Turns out that Disney car was someone from his trial Eurhytmic class.

* Disney Family: Mickey and Cars

* Minnie my pretty mouse

* * * * *

TRICK OR TREAT 2012

Brentwood Mall

Burnaby, B.C.

Under the Big Top

We spent our Friday night at Willingdon Church. They had an event entitled Under the Big Top which let the kids wear costumes and do trick and treat, little booth games and a magic show inside a safe and indoor environment. 

* Ticket to the Big Top Event

It did not occur to me that costumes are encouraged and I dressed the kids in Fall outfit. It was good because they were coordinated anyway for their photo session.

* Colors of Fall

Even from afar, Kimi found the man with the yellow hat from his favorite TV show, Curious George. We asked for a picture and lo and behold, he got Curious George with him- LOL!

* Curious Kimi with the George's

Kenzo, on the other hand, was being pushed in his stroller, to and from each booth watching his older sister get loot candies for him to munch on...

* Love and Hate Relationship

* Simple joys from this little game booths 

There are no seven wonders

of the world in the eyes of a child.

There are seven million.

Walt Streightiff

* * * * *

UNDER THE BIG TOP

October 26, 2012

Willingdon Church

Burnaby, B.C.

I'm Thankful...

I've been quite busy these past few weeks...

First and Foremost, I am...

Thankful for the busyness because my family from the Philippines (and Netherlands), went out of their way to find a niche in their busy schedules to come here to be with me...

I would like to post something about thankfulness...

Stress is always a part of life. How we handle them is what matters...
It's easy to compare and complain...

to see what we lack, instead of what is already there in our life.

This time around, I decided to be intentional in certain things in my life.

Instead of wishing for more, (and being thanksgiving) I decided to focus on things to be thankful for...

For my hubby...
Thank you for filling my life with love and inspiration
especially giving me kids who gave more meaning to our lives

For my in laws...
for helping us with things here in the house.
taking care of the kids and loving them in their own ways

For my Ong Family...
Thank you for the love and support throughout the years,
I am what I am right now because of you guys...

For my Friends...
Thanks for the shoulder to lean on, an ear who's there to listen
...a helping hand when I need someone. For just being there to extend any help without me needing to say it. (you know who your are guys!)

For our home...
It brings us a place where we can be together and add memories as a family. A place of security.

For work...
I am thankful for the flexibility and giving me a bit of respite from home so that I come back a better mom.

For problems...
for it made me a better and stronger person. It made me realize that life is never fair but there is always a reason why it happens. It actually bought me to sit up and take notice of what really is important. 

For each day...
It meant that I am here for a purpose and a chance to right what I have done wrong from my past.

...these are the ones that are on top of my head right now,

ANYWAY...
Belated
HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Loose Button Luxe Box: Fall 2012

Loose Button decided to change their subscriptions from a monthly one to every 3 months. I don't mind that fact especially since it will give them more time to prepare and make each box better than trying to do it monthly plus the fact that I also got Glossybox at a monthly subscription

* A New and sleeker box

* The box is a keeper...

and loved the monogrammed initial on my beauty menu

* The Goods

* Loose Button's product

The prices of the full size are not listed in this menu card anymore. I would love to see the prices on it just to have an inkling how much the products I got estimates. They did put some logos with categories as follows: Rare sample, Product Launch, Exclusive Sample, and Full Size Product.

Let's go to the loot :)

Vichy- Proeven Daily Dark Spot Corrector

I got 5 sachet at 1.5ml each. I actually bought the full size before this samples and I think they got this product right. I can actually bring these when I travel- Perfect!

Eyeko- Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

I was asking my brother to look for these and I was surprised to find this in my box as well. I am running out of eyeliner and they read my mind. Full Size Product and an Exclusive Product. No need to purchase :)- Happy.

Vera Wang- Lovestruck

I got the 4ml test tube like bottle that is longer than the normal sample size. A Product Launch. I don't like to receive perfumes but so far the ones I do get, I like the smell...

Calvin Klein- Beauty

I got the normal sample size of 1.2ml. I love the smell of this one

Loose Button- Exfoliating Pad

A Full Size and Exclusive Sample of course. Will try them but I think they are for the body rather than the face.

China Glaze- Safari (Fall Collection) Nail Lacquer

I got a deep dark red this time: Prey Tell. A Full Size. I don't know if I like it but will definitely try them on my toes.

Moroccanoil- Luminous Hairspray

I heard raves about this product from mommy friend, Glenda. I am excited to try them. Listed as a rare sample but I heard them sent out before from another beauty box. I love them anyway so I am not complaining.

I love the box a lot. Almost everything is something I would love but has been contemplating on getting so... THANK YOU LUXE BOX... Keep it up!

Reds and Oranges...

I love the colors of reds and oranges.... It just feels so alive.

The first time I saw the trees turned orange, I was awestruck. I read them in countless books and saw them in pictures but never in front of me and it was really beautiful.

It never cease to amaze me even if it is my third (or was it already the fourth?) time to see them turn their colors this year...

Just love them!

I caught the best time yesterday when we went for a class. There were a lot of people with their cameras and tripods while I only got my compact one inside my bag. 

I still tried. I did caught some nice pictures of Kimi :) woohoo!

Thanks to my favorite subject :)

Applesauce Making Process

Remember the applesauce making I blogged about in school? I thought that was the end of it. We just get the applesauce then content ourselves with stories about how they made the applesauce experience from what our kids can recall. I was wrong. I was pleasantly surprise to see the wall going to the classroom plastered with pictures from their applesauce making experience.

* Nice work teachers... Apple Template to put the pictures in

* Another perspective :)

* A zoom in on Kimi's contribution... cutting the apples

Sorry, couldn;t help taking a picture of Kimi that day :)

* Ready for School

* Work it Kimi :)

Pumpkin in Process...

I decided to try pumpkin carving this year as well...

I had no experience AT ALL how to go about it so I decided to do the first thing,

take the top off and clean the inside...

I used a knife and was scared it might slip and hurt my fingers so I stopped after the top was done...

* My Zig Zag Pumpkin Top

I finally learned that I should have just put a knife at an angle and rotate it. EASY!

...I must be quite ambitious to do a patterned top instead of a plain one for a beginner.

... waiting for a template and some tools to continue with this :)

Let's see what this will look like after...

Pumpkin for Dinner

No it was not mainly pumpkin for every dish but we had to use up the pumpkin from the patch, right?

Any reason to do another get together he he!

plus we had to scrimp on our dine outs

Pumpkin being carved, er sliced up for the Pumpkin Soup

* Chef at home... Couldn't have it any better

* PUMPKIN SOUP*

Pumpkin

Evaporated Milk

Chicken Broth

Bacon preferably(we used ham)

onion, salt and pepper

Spring Onion

Red Peppers

* Pumpkin Soup by the bowl

I had to feed the chef just so he'd be inspired so I made...

* PUTO*

Finally got acquainted with my rice cooker/ slow cooker/ steamer :)

Some Veggies to keep the balance,

* FRESH ASPARAGUS*

Asparagus

Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

...and my contribution is the Spaghetti I saw feature in KrisTV

TFC has some perks, you know... I had my reservation with this recipe and had my fingers crossed the whole time I made this. You see, this spaghetti has something that we never considered to put in a spaghetti...

LIVER SPREAD. Hubby was hovering while this was being cooked saying again and again to lessen the liver spread. I did lessen and it did not tasted like liver spread at all... Hurray! It was actually good if I had to say so myself...

*SPAGHETTI ALA JULIA*

Spaghetti noodles

½ kilo of ground pork

1 pack of spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce

½ cup spicy ketchup

1 can of liver spread

½ cup of cheese

½ cup butter

5-8 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium sized onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper

Hotdogs

Mushrooms

Sugar

Salt and pepper

Put butter on the pan.  Butter will serve as the cooking oil, add onion and garlic. Pre-mix liver spread into 1 cup of water.  Put ground pork, let it cook first then mix the spicy ketchup, tomato sauce and the liver spread mixture. Let it simmer, then add mushrooms, hotdogs and bell pepper.  Salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Then put the cheese into the sauce.

* RIBEYE in CHIMICHURRI*

(Chef Stone)

Marinate the cooked to perfection.

Yummy!

* Corn on the Foil*

(Twinny's Pick)

* FRIED EGGPLANT with GROUND BEEF*

( Mama Maria's Contribution)

* Our spread that evening

It was really fun to cook together and eat together.

The best part was we enjoyed the experience of messing up the kitchen and cleaning up after.

Not the same when we just do it for ourselves.

* * *

Thanks Stone and Twins 

for the 

Pumpkin Dinner :)

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

It was a nice cold day for a trip to the pumpkin patch and they said that mid-October is the best time to do pumpkin picking so...

* Looks so fake, but this is real :)

I was crossing my fingers since it was nap time for Kenzo and hopefully he cooperates. I watched nervously as I saw him rubbing his eyes a couple of times on the way to the farm.

Good thing though that the sight of the farm and getting him to walk run around, did the trick and he forgot he was sleepy - AT ALL.

* Kenzo eager to go inside the farm

* Waiting by the main stage and into the wagon ride

* These boots are a bit big (since this belongs to Kimi before) but Kenzo doesn't mind 

* The farm, the family, the kids...

Once inside, we got into our wagon for a hay ride around the farm and into the pumpkin patch.I was expecting a truck and hay at the back but this one was more comfortable and way better than I was expecting.

* She kept us entertained on the way to the pumpkin patch

then, she began singing...

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

Good Choice... it evoked a reaction from Kimi, and she began singing with the lady.

"Mommy! that's my song!!!" 

Good Remembering baby girl :) 

* Fun ride :)

* Free at last!

* AVP Fall lol!

* Hmm... this pumpkin looks good

* Kimi, that is not a bowling ball

* Ooops bowling lane... NOT

* Snow White and the Good Step sister...

* Say Pumpkin Soup!!!

* More pose...

* Coach Stone and Little Kenzo... Throw!

Kenzo had too much of a good time and doesn't want to go home...

so when the going gets tough

* ... the stone gets going

* Easy peasy.... light as a feather

....corn maze was next.

* Twins with accent table, Kimi

* Mommy tries to copy the pose

...but is was way too muddy for us.

* This is how cave men do it

* Arrrrgh! This is way too heavy for me

* Hmph! I do not want to go yet

* Enjoy!!! Yey yey! 

* Tractor Picture

* * * * *

RICHMOND COUNTRY FARM

Richmond, B.C.