After I’ve written the post Mamma Mia I remembered how I tried solving the puzzle as to who Sophie Sheridan’s real father was. The clues were all about equal making the task of finding a definite answer quite difficult. I was glad that each one was treated equally at the end. Though with today’s technology, a quick paternity test would have provided the definite answer.

While we were in Gold Coast, we thought of getting some wine to complement the Christmas dinner. However, due to several reasons (well, alcohol age restriction wasn’t one of them), we ended up to be wineless during that period. Neither myself nor my husband are really wine drinkers but on some occasions, we do take a sip (literally). Here in Australia, there are just a huge range of wines that a wine-lover would surely enjoy. In fact, having a wine of the month is something someone can look forward to.

Mamma Mia! Here we go again! My daughter CN is now singing a few ABBA songs, thanks to the hit film Mamma Mia! which we watched a few nights ago. As a musicale, the movie did not fail at keeping everyone glued to the television while humming the ’still famous’ tunes. I have to admit that it is the first time I get to ‘digest’ the lyrics of the songs. Anyway, it is a good funny film. And though may not be fit to be labelled a ‘family film’, it is good to keep everyone entertained with a little guidance from dad and mom.

This school holiday, our family has already gone for a series of theme park visits. Though myself and my husband are not really theme park ride fanatics, it is definitely refreshing to visit one… and all the more to visit many! As parents, nothing beats having a good look at the eyes of our children having fun all throughout. And besides, you don’t get to visit a theme park everyday anyway. In our case, these wonderful theme parks are also a thousand kilometers away.

Actually, I realize that even if the theme parks were just a short drive from home, it would be difficult to be a ‘main stay’. The cost of tickets would have to struggle against other items in the budget. One way to save cost is to take advantage of offers being made by theme parks in order to make the visit as pleasurable as it can get. These would include annual pass, or even multiple-entry pass.

Of course, discounted tickets cannot be beaten. Morey’s Piers is one of the best water parks in New Jersey and is currently offering its annual holiday sale. Now that makes a sweet deal for a Jersey Shore beach vacation. I’m sure that such offers would help in making the theme park experience available to more families.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, we recently went for a holiday at Gold Coast, QLD. Gold Coast is not only known for its seemingly endless beaches, but also for its theme parks. During the week when we visited, the weather forecast indicated some showers towards the end of our trip. Hence, we decided to go and hit the theme parks early on.

First stop was Warner Bros. Movie World. The kids were full of energy at this point, since it was just the start of that long holiday. The Shrek 4-D show was a knockout as it presents a whole new meaning to the words ‘watching a movie’. The bumper rides are also a hit to our kids. Our 4-year old CN did not make the heigh requirement to the big bumper cars but took her turn on smaller bumper cars type of ride. Capping the WB Movie World day was a ride on Wild West Falls where RD braved riding on her first ’scary’ ride. CN was too small to go on that ride so it was only RD and my husband C who took the drop. Anyway, at the end of the day, everyone was happy and tired… though still had a lot of energy for the next day at Sea World!

A number of advertisements (print, television, internet) have injected a great level of creativity to easily catch the attention of its audience. Some would touch on something personal while others make things light and funny in order to promote a sale. Call it ‘anything goes’. It is for this reason that we parents should be on our toes when it comes to ads our children get exposed to.

We celebrated the coming of the new year 2009 with some friends as we watched the fireworks display at the Sydney Harbour. The event is a real crowd drawer so we opted to go to a less crowded park with a decent view. Though the spot we went to did not give a full view of the Harbour Bridge, we still enjoyed the fireworks display.

So Happy New Year everyone! I hope this is not too late. I guess it isn’t. After all, it is still a new year!

Tagalog Translation:
Sinalubong namin ang pagdating ng bagong taon 2009 kasama ang ilang mga kaibigan habang pinapanood ang mga fireworks sa Sydney Harbour. Ang pagdiriwang na ito ay talagang dinadayo ng mga tao kaya nagpasya kami na pumunta sa isang lugar na di gaanong maraming tao ngunit kita pa rin ang ‘fireworks’. Hindi kita ang buong Harbour Bridge ngunit nasayahan pa rin kami sa pinanood naming ‘fireworks display’.

Kaya Manigong Bagong Taon sa lahat! Sana hindi pa ito huli. Palagay ko ay hindi pa nga. Kasi nga naman, bago pa rin naman ang taon!

Over the past few weeks, we had some extra calorie intake because of the holiday feasts. But with all the walking we have done on theme parks and beaches, we have probably burned up enough calories too to keep the weight gain in control. Though, at the end of all the walking, I feel that my feet has had enough. Things could be worse for someone with Plantar Fasciitis. So I guess have to give my pair some TLC to keep in in shape.

As the holiday season wraps up, several shops have put a wide range of merchandise on great bargain prices. Even with the economic challenges, it does seem to be a good time to do some shopping and perhaps save up a bit. For moms, the timing may also be right to give the home interior some new accents for the new year. Votive candle holders are interesting pieces that would surely lighten things up.

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Here’s a summary of our 10-day holiday to Queensland. We started off at Sydney and stopped at Coffs Harbour for an overnight stay. We did have a chance to look around the area just to get an idea for future trips! In the morning, we drove up all the way to Gold Coast, Queensland where we stayed most of the time. As we are already close to the capital city, Brisbane, we decided to do a day trip to it as well.

Just looking at the map alone makes me feel tired. But with all the fun that the entire family had, we can really say it is definitely worth the trip!

After more than week, I’m finally back on the blogger’s seat. We went for a holiday at Queensland (Gold Coast and Brisbane) hence my blog became very quiet. I actually planned to do some write ups while we were there but the wireless broadband coverage did not have a decent signal at the place we were staying. But if I think about it, even if I did have internet access, I probably wouldn’t have the strength to type in a few words after a full day of having fun out in the sun.

These days, one of the challenges of a mom like me is to get the best food and nutrition for everyone in the family. With a lot of grocery shelves loaded with artificial ingredients, finding someone reading labels while walking on the grocery aisles is not uncommon. It is also on the same note that a lot of products find the need to highlight the word ‘Natural’ or ‘Organic’ in order to attract buyers. So you’ll probably see natural fruit juice, bread or biscuits made from all natural ingredients, and even all natural food supplement or even weight loss pill. In order not to spend hours reading those labels while shopping, I guess it is best to do homework and find out what’s inside the box.

While doing my groceries in the past weeks, I can’t help but notice the plethora of magazines on the checkout stands which promote tips on preparing for summer.  On the top of the list of topics talks about body fitness for summer wear.  On paper, it all seems to be a walk in the park. But as many have tried, I think more are still in search for the best fat burner.  Well, I guess whatever the case (or weight) may be, the best thing to do is to simply enjoy summer with friends and family.

Holiday activities are definitely peaking up. The shops have been packed with people trying to complete their Christmas list. One of the sensible tips regarding Christmas shopping is to leave kids at home. That will surely make moving about quicker, especially if you have a stroller or pram to push around. Having the kids stay at home also creates the moment to buy that secret gift which the kids will only discover on Christmas day (well, if the wrapped present does survive not being opened or being shaken to pieces). Though sometimes, having the kids around makes the shopping experience great, too!

When my mother came over to Sydney for a visit, one of the things that immediately caught her attention was how houses are constructed here in comparison to Manila. At least for the few house constructions we have seen, it was really quite quick for the builders to clear up land (which may include demolition of existing structures), put up the house frame, and eventually do the finishing touches. It really is amazing to watch the whole structure develop day after day. Perhaps the success may be attributed to trusted companies like Schumacher Homes. Their experience certainly plays an important part in building these dream homes.