joining december photo-a-day challenge hop

bloghop

I know I’ve been on-and-off with this blogging thing and it has been ages since I made a personal post. But I do hope you won’t tire of those out-of-nowhere posts, either, as this is where this mum gets to earn her keep! 😉

Anyway, this month, I’d really love to change the tempo and to inspire me more to blog about something personal every single day, I decided to join the December Photo-A-Day Challenge which is hosted by Mama Making Changes.

Today’s prompt is all about smile and this is my entry:

blog hop, mum's thoughts, Jared

The little man gives me more than enough reason to smile everyday. Not only because he never fails to get one from me whenever he flashes that winsome smile of his, but also because I find all his antics endearing and funny, that even when I am at my most vulnerable state and is  just a few inches from throwing a tantrum, I always end up smiling whenever he does. He is one sweet little man and he sure brings joy and happiness into my otherwise drab existence.

Thank you for the smiles you brought into my life, baby, just when I needed them the most! ^_^

By the way, this challenge is also a hop, so do join us:

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“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas..”

Christmas, mum's thoughts

I took out the Christmas decor box a week before November ends and put up the Christmas tree one hot, lazy afternoon that me and the little man were just relaxing at home. The tree is easy enough to assemble by one person and it took me just a little over 20 minutes to finish it. The little one was busy playing his time away as I work on our Christmas ornaments. I’ve kept all the decorations from last 2 Christmases in a sealed box and are  recycling them up for use for yet another year. I plan to use them in the next 5 years or so {am a cheapskate like that, see ;)}

Christmas, mum's thoughts

We have a few additions to our decor this year ~ these cute stuff toys that I won from a giveaway. It was the little one who decided to put two bears together as he thought each will be lonely apart, what do you think? 🙂

I placed the tree in Jared’s kiddie table’s spot and relocated the table in a corner under the stairs. We have quite a small living room and half of it is occupied by the little man’s toys and other effects so we only have a very tiny space to work and move around. I just hope there will be enough space for all the gifts, though! 😉

I still have to look for a few more ornaments for the tree, as well as a trimmings to add color to my otherwise blue tree, and a Christmas stockings with Jared’s name on it. Where do you think I can get one?

Have you started putting up your Christmas decorations?

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We’ve just been Jamba-fied!

event, food, healthy eating

One lazy Saturday afternoon I got an invite from Geiser Maclang to get first dibs on Jamba Juice, which was slated to open its very first branch north of Metro Manila the next day. We were going to Quezon City later that day, anyway, so I gladly RSVP’d to the invite 🙂

Jamba Juice in a nutshell

Jamba Juice Company is a leading restaurant retailer of better-for-you, specialty beverage and food offerings, including but not limited to great tasking whole fruit smoothies, freshly-squeezed juices and juice blends, breakfast wraps and mini-wraps, hot oatmeal, sandwiches and California Flatbreads founded in 1990. There were 769 Jamba Juice store locations globally as of April 2012.

The Active Camp

event, food, healthy eating

To celebrate the opening of their SM North EDSA ~ The Block branch, Jamba Juice came up with The Active Camp and treated Jamba Juice drinkers to one thrilling afternoon of fun, exciting, healthy activities. A play area was installed in one corner complete with slides, a swing and trampoline where the rowdy toddlers can jump to their hearts content. My little man particularly had a wonderful time with the slide and gave it a go about several dozen times! ^_^

Other activities such as rappelling/wall climbing, Zumba and trampoline jumping catered to the teens and the grown-ups. A photo booth was also set-up so that participants can have their photos taken.

“Aside from further bolstering the thrust of Jamba Juice as a brand that complements dynamic living, we wanted our customers to experience the things that Jamba Juice passionately upgholds,” says Jamba Juice Philippines’ Managing Director, Sharon Fuentebella. “You can Zumba the day away, wall climb, challenge someone to survive the trampoline, or ride the Jamba Juice Bike Blender for more than five minutes to see how ideal Jamba Juice is for an active lifestyle.”

The Jamba Juice Bike Blender

event, food, healthy eating

The Jamba Juice Bike Blender is a one-of-a-kind device from California that highlights Jamba Juice Philippines’ Give Me Five campaign. It has been a prominent fixture in previous store openings {in Alabang and SM Mall of Asia}. The campaign, on the other hand, is a partnership with the Bureau of Plant Industry – Guimars National Mango Research and Development Center {BPI-GNMRDC} and encourages guests to ride the stationary bike for five minutes in exchange for one mango seedling to be planted in the Guimaras Mango Park. This supports the locally-grown Guimaras Mangoes, which are arguably the best in the world.

I gave the bike a go and I say, it is good for someone who’s only form of physical activity is to do the household chores and run after my little one. I would’ve loved to do 15 minutes on the bike, but you have no idea how 5 minutes crawl when you are in a stationary bike. My legs were both tired even before I finished pedaling my very first 5-minute set.

And we’ve just been Jamba-fied!

event, food, healthy eating

The highlight of the event is tasting the goodness that Jamba Juice has to offer.  We’ve sampled the Cheddar Tomato Twist and Parmesan Pretzel and downed it with a tumbler of the very delightful Strawberry Smoothies. What a perfect way to wind down after a tiring day.

Thanks Blanch of GMCI for the invite. 🙂

Do not forget to visit Jamba Juice at The Block, SM North EDSA and for more updates, visit the Jamba Juice Website {jambajuice.ph}, like the Jamba Juice Facebook Page {www.facebook.com/jambajuiceph} and follow Jamba Juice on Twitter {twitter.com/jambajuiceph}.

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