Instagram Weekend: January 21-22, 2011

Another weekend in a blink of an eye... just like that and we are almost into the second month of the year already.  Have you made any plans for this weekend?  

We were at the Bonifacio High Street last weekend to celebrate the birthday of one of the kids' swimming team-mate.  There is a building there that houses the newly-opened Active Fun, along with some other boutique stores that all cater to children.  The kids enjoyed the tri-level area of playspace so much that they stayed from mid-afternoon up to the time the store closed at 9pm, only stopping to have dinner.

What I loved most about this branch is that the waiting area for parents is at the farthest part of the room so there is less noise, and the waiting parents can talk comfortably and hear each other without having to shout.  For parents with kids who needs more supervision, the yayas can also wait at the benches near the entrance.  There are also numerous function rooms that you can rent to celebrate your child's birthday.

A helpful reminder when you bring your kids to Active Fun:  make sure you bring socks and bottles of water.  Otherwise, you might have to end up purchasing over-priced socks and water.:)

While the kids played non-stop at Active Fun, the moms found time for some relaxation at The Spa.  It is my first time to try The Spa at Boni Hi-St.  It has the same serene and calm surrounding as their other branches, but this one strikes me as being sterile-looking, maybe because the minimalist design was taken too far.  

The service however was equal with the rest of the other branches so it is still worth a second visit.

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Weekend In Instagram {October 21-23, 2011}

Last weekend started with a lunch date with B.  We haven't had one in a long while, so it was a date that is long overdue.  She had her favorite Macaroni and Cheese at Pancake House, followed by a quick trip to Starbucks for a Strawberry Milk Drink.  We regularly schedule one-on-one dates with all the kids, but I feel it is B who is really appreciative of it.  I regularly observe a significant improvement in her behavior after we take her on a day-out.  She is usually profuse with thanks, and it makes me feel like I am truly the greatest mom. :)

Dropped off J for another slumber party, this time at Discovery Suites in Ortigas.  The suite she stayed in had 2 bedrooms, a dining and living room, and a working kitchen.  The kitchen is really a winner for me - it is really ideal for hosting slumber parties for girls her age (as I think taking out a handful of pre-teens could potentially be a cause of head-ache) since you can just prepare meals in the kitchen or call for food delivery, and thus save you the travel time of taking them out for meals; yet your wallet also do not have to suffer from the exorbitant prices that hotels charge in their food outlets.  The girls are really just content with movie-marathons, lounging by the pool, and talking all night.

Saturday night, C took us out to eat at Cerchio Grill & Lounge.  I cannot particularly place what cuisine the restaurant specializes in, but most of the food on the menu would make it look like a very glamorous version of a Filipino grillery.  The place is very modern looking, with the hand-painted white loops on the charcoal-colored walls adding to the visual delight to the place; the presentation of the food was commendable, much more than what I can actually say about the food.  I found the food unexceptional.  For one, the boneless crispy pata did not get to our table "crispy" at all.  Nevertheless, the over-all experience in the restaurant is still positive as the service given to us was excellent. 

I always look forward to attending wedding parties.  The pink, blue and purple hydrangeas that filled up the ballroom reminded me of my own wedding.  I just love how any newly-wedded couple can radiate their love to fill up the entire ballroom.  I take joy in being able to bask in the sunshine of their happiness.  Weddings are also a good occasions to revel in the company of friends, good food and good wine. 

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Instagram Weekend {Sept 2011}

The past weekend was a busy one for me.  But busy is always good because it is a reminder that I have a lot to be thankful for...

The weekend activities started early - Friday lunch with some friends at a hole-in-the-wall resto deep in the pockets of San Juan.  Mely, one of my foodie friends, always discovers these great restos, and makes it a point to share it with us.  This time, it was at Maimee's Garden Cafe.  It was a family residence that the owner transformed into a cafe serving Filipino comfort food.  I love kare-kare, and their version is quite good.

 

Saturday started very early as I juggled a dice game, a swim meet, a kiddie party, and a get-together with my high school friends.

We attend a lot of dice games during the Mid-Autumn Festival season, but I simply love how this dice game with this particular group of friends turned out to be a tradition already.  Our kids have simply grown to expect this every year; and the prizes, as with the company, just keeps getting better and better through the years.

Simultaneously happening with the dice game is the third and final meet for the G-League short course.  Good thing for me they were held at the same venue so I just had to rush up and down a few flight of stairs to catch the action in the pool.  Big, big thanks to the team's sponsor for the new team jersey.:)

Come night-time, it was FUN catching up with high school friends... how great to see that most of us do not look a day older than twenty, no? :)

 

Sunday is yet another wonderful opportunity to meet up with friends as we celebrate the first birthday of a friend's unica hija.  The indoor basketball court of the RONAC Art Center was transformed into a castle fit for a princess.

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Who Do You Follow?

For all you Instagram addicts out there, are you aware of Webstagram?  Webstagram is this awesome web interface which allows user to access their Instagram account in a desktop browser.  Cool, right?  Finally, I don't have to scrunch my eyes to see details of my favorite photos.  I can now view them on my desktop and laptop. All the Instagram features are available here and it is so easy to use, and most important of all, it's FREE, too!  Check it out by heading over to http://web.stagram.com/.

One of the people I follow at Instagram is my kids' swimming coach.  Now that I am on Webstagram, I can appreciate his photos more.  I follow him because he takes such amazing photos on subjects that I love...

....first and foremost among which are MY kids... Thanks, Coach!  I really LOVE the photos!

But other than my kids, I also love the photos he took of swimmers of all ages, capturing the swimmers in action...

 

His photos affirms what many of us swim-parents know all along - that for many young swimmers, happiness is simply being in the pool!

He captures the friendship and the essence that the pool is really one big playground for the kids.  A great venue to meet friends - many of whom stay on to become best buds ... for life!

 

 And here are a few more pool shots that are simply beautiful to look at.

And if you are the type who want a little something different, he also offers up interesting people photographed from an artistic perspective, with an edgy urban feel.

 

 

He consistently finds common locations and successfully transforms the mundane to interesting by coming up with new angles to shoot from.

 

 

 

Follow him at Instagram or Webstagram to see more of his wonderful photos.  His instagram ID is:  wengman.

Sherwyn used to be a bemedaled swimmer in his youth, and has since channeled his love for the sport into coaching a young but very talented swimming team.  As you can see, he is also an amazing photographer who
covers events (weddings, birthdays, engagement, corporate functions, et al) and product launches.  He also does one-on-one portrait services, pre-nuptial photo shoots on location, company product shots, and many more. 

If you have any need for beautiful photos, give his photo team a call/message at #0917.533.0727.

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