TOPAZ HORIZON

Everyone wants to give amazing gifts and while some of us are very good at it, many of us need a bit of help looking for the most wonderful gifts. And because we're all soooo busy and because the traffic is soooo horrific, we want to do our shopping with ease and convenience.

Last Sunday, my little superheroes Captain America and Iron Man were absolutely pumped to go to the Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp. I imagined a day of chaos for me but, boy, was I mistaken! The Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp was AMAZING!!!

The Mission Camp was held at SMX Convention Center at SM Mall of Asia. I don't know why I got the idea that it would be held outdoors but I slathered the kids in sunblock, brought towels and a change of clothes, and boxes of Alaska Choco milk. When we were ready, we piled into a taxi and then zoomed all the way to MOA. There's no traffic on Sundays so we did literally zoom there. Once we got there, the kids got even more excited seeing the crowd. They immediately started playing with the other kids while we were still lined up.

With Momma 'n' Manila Michelle Aventejado and her daughter Gelli.

Inside, we did a tour first, so we can develop a game plan. We wanted to experience everything that the Mission Camp had to offer! There were four main areas:

(1) Kids Activity Zone for the younger kids. This is where they can busy themselves with arts and crafts activities like coloring, cutting out masks, building with blocks and bricks, stacking Alaska Milk cartons to make a tower, face painting, and playing memory games.

(2) Disney Mission Zones for kids 4 and up. There are four Mission Zones: the Marvel Zone where the kids skate, stick to the wall, hit a target, and crawl through a tunnel; the Frozen Zone, which is basically a big skating rink; the Ultimate Zone, which is a big obstacle course where kids test out their skills in balancing, jumping, climbing, and other major physical exertions; and the Alaska Zone, which also has lots of activities to test your kid's strength and agility, plus there's a big dome the kids enter and inside they experience virtual reality.

Safety briefing from secret agents at Marvel Zone.

(3) Parents Zone, where grownups can learn about making coffee with Kreme Top, making desserts and cooking with Alaska Evaporated Milk, Alaska Condensed Milk and Alaska Crema Whipped Cream. There was also a Toy Kingdom booth which peddled Disney and Marvel goodies.

Waiting for the coffee-making workshop to start.

Pop-up shop for Disney toys

(4) Entertainment area. In the middle of it all was a big stage where games, song numbers, and educational talks were presented for the entire family.

My kids in front.

Look at what my kids did:

Listening to Ate Secret Agent finish briefing the kids.

Iñigo is Spider-Man! Sorry for blurry pic. All parents had to stay outside and we can only look through these little windows.

Just finished their Alaska milk refreshments and about to go to the Ultimate Zone.

The obstacle course at Ultimate Zone was physically challenging!

Enjoying the ball pit at Alaska Zone.

They just missed the cupcake decorating workshop! My boys weren't happy about that but oh-so-adorable  Selene (unica hija of The Misty Mom) just jumped up to check out what new activity she can do!

We had soooo much fun! More importantly, my kids learned to be independent because the Mission Zones were parent-free. The brothers had to take care of each other and Vito was really looking out for Iñigo. So proud of my boys! They also learned how to listen carefully to instructions, and bravely take on all the physical tasks. They weren't that easy, but they did it anyway! I'm especially impressed with Iñigo because he usually has lots of reservations when it comes to new places and new things but he jumped into each new activity happily. I am oh so proud!

I'll let my kids tell you about their experience at the Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp:

It definitely was a winning day for my kids! As a parent, I am also happy to report that the event was so organized. I've been to other events where the organizers were just overwhelmed with all the kids. The Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp was well staffed—there was a LOT of them to make sure every kid and parent is attended to. The staff knew what every activity was so if you ask a question, you get an answer fast. The zones were all safe and secure, and they controlled the number of kids in each area so that it doesn't get too crowded and the staff can manage the kids better. Should accidents do happen, there was a medical team in a very visible area.

I had been a bit apprehensive when I found out that the mission zones didn't allow parents in, but when I saw how safe and secure the areas were and that the staff was in control of everything, I relaxed and allowed myself to have just as much fun as my boys! In hindsight, I should've not been so scared because Disney was involved in the event, and Disney has the ultimate credentials when it comes to giving families an exciting yet safe experience for all.

Tired but happy little boys.

I'm so happy that Alaska and Disney mounted this super fun day. Thanks soooo much for inviting us, Alaska and Disney! Thanks also for providing Alaska Milk for all the thirsty kids at the event. I saw that all the kids (and the parents, too!) enjoyed the delicious and nutritious milk drinks. They liked pointing out the beloved characters like Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Princess Anna, Queen Elsa, and even Olaf whenever they pop a straw in a box of Alaska Choco, Alaska Sweet Milk (my favorite), and Alaska Yoghurt! The drinks didn't just refresh them and sustain them for the day of physical activities, it also provided them with the essential vitamins and minerals and, with the yoghurt drinks, even good bacteria for their tummies. As a mom, I am oh so happy with all that!

I'm hoping that Alaska will have another Ultimate Mission Camp next year. Pleeeeeeeeease do it again! My kids can't wait to go again. It was the most fun they've had in recent memory, so thank you and please do another one soonest!


For more information on Alaska Milk, visit www.alaskamilk.com; and like their Facebook page, Alaska Milk, to be updated on promos and other activities.

Hello everyone! I am fresh off my latest and oh so successful Blog Biz workshop last Friday at The White Hat Yogurt at Fully Booked BGC, and I am so happy with how smart and enthusiastic my workshop attendees were. I am confident that their blogs (when they finally start blogging!) will be bigger than mine! I am so sure of it!

Hello, all you mommies who have kids who love Marvel superheroes and the walang kamatayan Frozen! There's a special day for us and our kids this Nov. 20, Sunday, at the SMX 4 at Mall of Asia—the Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp!!!

Here are my kids getting all excited about the camp:


We're so excited!!!

At the camp, there will be Disney Mission Zones for kids to complete special assignments that are fun and educational. All the activities in the Mission Zones are for kids 5 years old and up. These zones are for kids only. Don't worry—Alaska made sure the missions and the areas are safe and secure.

There will be activities for moms and dads to enjoy, too. I believe there will be cooking and food tasting goodies for us to enjoy. Hooray! I love cooking and eating!
But if you bring kids aged 4 and below (like my Iñigo and Piero), well, you'll need to be with them when they enjoy the other activity zones.

Kids may come in costume but since costumes may restrict vision and movement (hello, capes and masks and gowns and crowns!), it's much better if they come in comfortable attire.

There will be snacks and Alaska Milk drinks (of course!) so just enjoy all the fun stuff lined up for us because Alaska Milk will take care of everything. Yes, even the entrance fee. There is NO ENTRANCE FEE! It's free! You just need to register at the Facebook page of the Alaska Ultimate Mission Camp up until 11:59 pm tonight!

See you on Sunday!

A lot of couples plan to have children after they get married. Although children are, of course, a blessing and a joy, I'm telling you now that they are also undeniably a huge responsibility. So while you don’t have kids, you should go out and fully explore where you live, or where you will both live when you're married! If you live in the province or the suburbs, take a trip to the nearest city for a couple of nights. Go out for dinner, take a bus tour, and hit the clubs to party all night, and make the most of being together.
Remember: You're not just planning a wedding, you're also preparing for a marriage. And that contract ends at "till death do us part." So use your engagement period to really get to know each other. Once the wedding preps really kick in and the moving into the new home happens and the integrating into each other's families start and especially when the kids arrive, it's hard to focus on each other. All that I mentioned are wonderful phases in your married life but they can distract you from what's truly important—your marriage. So use this precious time to really lay the foundations of your union. Congratulations and best wishes!

For Vito: Paper Bots because my little boy is sooo into paper these days. He's folding them into planes and making books. He will LOVE this book!

For Iñigo: Funky Things to Draw: Animals. My preschooler loves to draw. He's really good at it. He will enjoy all the easy tips to draw. And all the pencils and erasers he'll ever need! No more borrowing from me and his Kuya Vito! I can't wait for him to open this gift!

For Piero: My Learning Library Kit: First Words. This is a box of board books, word puzzles, and blocks. At just over 2 years old, Piero is the one who talked soonest (compared to his brothers). He loves stories and chatting and singing. He is going to enjoy this box of learning tools so much!


For my husband me: Color Chart by Itoya grid journal because I am a new convert to bullet journaling!!! I actually got into bujo (yes, that's what they call it) because of Vince. He wanted to try it out and I've long known about bujo but thought it was boring. Then I checked it out on Instagram (#bujo and #bulletjournal), and I was swept off my feet! I've been doing bujo since September and, yes, I have found planner peace at last!
I love Color Chart by Itoya because the pages are the smoothest pages in all the world. And it lies flat. Look at that! I'm still planning on giving this to my husband but he insists I should have it because I'm THAT in love with it.

For Vince: Color Chart by Itoya pencil case. I love how clever this is because it attaches to your notebook! I'm giving this to him as a partner to his Color Chart by Itoya journal and because green is his favorite color, but since he says I should have the journal, I don't know what to do. Oh, I know! Buy another set!


For my sister: Chameleon pens. This set will be perfect for my sister who loves to draw and do calligraphy. Chameleon pens are special alcohol-based markers because they gradually darken, so she can add gradients, highlights and shadings to her drawings and calligraphy projects automatically! Check this video out to see how it works. Amazing, right? She will love this!

For Papa: Caran d'Ache Supracolor Colour Pencils and Classic Water-Soluble Pastels. Caran d'Ache is the luxury brand when it comes to writing and art materials. I plan to give these to my Papa because he used to draw nudes and landscapes and portraits. Now, he's obsessed with Facebook (aren't we all?). I've come to think that Facebook is making us all stupid especially lately so I hope these luxury art pencils and pastels will make him draw again and make him spend his twilight years doing something beautiful again.

There you go! National Book Store is most definitely the gift destination of the season! Well, of every season since they offer lots of things everyone will love. Books, magazines, journals, pens, arts and crafts materials, stationery supplies, and little things for the home. Definitely more than a book store!

You can check out what other shoppers have found at National Book Store by following @nbsalert on Twitter and Instagram and checking out the hashtag #GiftsTheyllLoveAtNBS.

P.S. I'll tell you more about the shopping event that National Book Store held for the media next week. I have videos of influencers shopping at NBS and tell you more about the NBS Gift Generator, a special shopping app you'll find useful this Christmas!

I'm agonizing over my blog's new template. The fonts are all over the place. The size of the fonts of old blog posts are tiny and the size on new blog posts (starting with this one) is a larger size. I don't know if I have the energy to edit all 1,200 past posts!

Please be patient as I fix the bugs. Or if I don't haha. Maybe I should just start a new blog altogether! The inconsistencies in the posts from before the new design is driving me crazy!

So anyway. What do you think? Do you like Topaz Horizon's new look?

Bust out the popcorn, folks. National Geographic just rolled out the fight video to end all fight videos. Well, not really. But you gotta watch it and then read the comments anyway. That's what the popcorn's for!

Watch it HERE.

So here's a recap:

Mr Penguin came home from fishing one day to discover that his wife was with another penguin. Let's call him Pablo. That's him up there with Mrs Penguin.


Then, before they get to the point where they might actually kill each other and they're like, "Dude, we don't have to kill each other over a ho, right?," they both call for Mrs Penguin to choose between them.

And to everyone's shock, she picks Pablo. It gets worse, guys. Right in front of her husband, she takes Pablo's flipper and says, "Come home with me." Home being the house Mr Penguin built for her, where all the adultery had been happening! Grabe!

This drives Mr Penguin insane and he goes in for the kill. He chases the cheating pair, drags Pablo out of his house—yes, his own house!—and proceeds to peck his eyes out. Mrs Penguin watches as the two men in her life battle it out.

But Pablo—either he's too macho or well rested because his day had been spent in bed with Mrs Penguin while Mr Penguin had been out all day swimming and hunting in the ocean, ya know, being a good husband!—Pablo wins. Mr Penguin calls on his wife to stay true to the penguins-mate-for-life thingie but Mrs Penguin says, "Go away! I LOVE HIM!"

And Mr Penguin walks away, bloody, defeated and without a wife and home. The end.

So let's now get to the fun part. The comments! Here are my favorites:

Tragic.

Mr Penguin better get a DNA test.

So true! Don't forget the hashtag: #AnimalFightNight!


Let's look at that again:
Tragic!

May twist sa end. Uso yan ngayon sa movies.

Clever! I totally LOL'd because nerd.

Well, Heidi, you're in for a treat because Mrs Penguin just opened up on Twitter!

Well! Love in a hopeless place! What do you think??? Team Mr Penguin vs Team Mrs Penguin? I can't decide!