Petite Momma's World

Spiderman-Themed Party at McDonalds for Z and I

10:47 PM

Last July, we had a double celebration: Z's second birthday party and I's Christening. I initially wanted a gender-neutral party theme for them however my brother has invited his cosplayer friend to star as Spiderman at the party. With just a few days left when we confirmed the party venue and church, I've decided to have a Spiderman-themed party at McDonalds.

We really weren't planning of throwing a party for Z but our family thought that we should get Baby I baptized soon and have a joint event to save on time and money, which I think was reasonable.

Spiderman is Zoe's favorite character, in fact, she sleeps with a "Mamay" (her nickname for Spidey) action figure in her arms sometimes. As for Ignis, he wouldn't mind. Haha!

Christening

We chose St. Michael the Archangel Chapel in Fort Bonifacio to be the church for Ignis' baptism. This is the same church where Z was baptized in 2015.

Baby I's schedule for a private Christening was Saturday, 9:30AM. There was another baby scheduled after us so I was sure that we would finish early and be at McDonalds before 10:30 AM.

We got to church at 9:20 that day and was surprised that there was a funeral mass. The people at the parish office said that the mass will be finished in a few minutes. Well, it finished just before 10AM and they were not moving the casket nor were the people leaving. I was getting upset since we have reserved McDo for 10-12noon only. And that all our families and friends have been waiting for half an hour already.

I approached the parish office and demanded to start the ceremony even it if meant we had to do it at the sides of the church. They apologized and said they couldn't move the casket out yet because there was still another casket on queue for funeral at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. Oh dear.

Ganun daw talaga, Army yung asa casket so kailangan mauna sila. Anytime pwede gamitin ng Army ang slot mo. I wonder what if it was a wedding scheduled and that funeral scenario happened? Maghihintay lahat? Hala.

The parish office suggested to hold the ceremony at the Adoration Chapel instead. I immediately agreed so that we can just go and get over with it.

A few minutes later we were at the chapel, Ignis was hungry and crying, and we had to remove our shoes before going inside.

Thankfully we were done by 10:30. We had 3 pictures shot and then headed straight to McDonalds after. Mabilisan.

McDonald's Market Market

I initially wanted to book Jollibee along Bayani Road but someone had pencil booked a day before I approached the branch. I pleaded to pay the downpayment just so they can give the slot to me. They said that the person who pencil booked has 3 more days left to pay the downpayment to seal the deal. I couldn't wait til her grace period was over since I might lose other alternative venues if I do so.

With a heavy heart, I left and went to Burger King for a quick lunch. While there I called other Jollibee branches in the area and got nothing. All were booked.

I tried calling McDonalds MarketMarket branch but couldn't get through. So I grabbed my burger and stuffed it in my mouth, walked out of the resto and hailed a jeepney.

It was lunch time already when I got to McDo and the place was packed full with mostly students eating. I was immediately assisted by Karl and laid out their party options.

McDonalds Party themes

I chose the Ronald and the Gang theme since we will be using a gender-neutral theme (yun pa ang theme namin that time). Ronald and the Gang theme costs Php2000 while other themes like Ben10 were Php3000. Inclusions of the party theme were: party room, full hosting, games and 30 prizes, 1 gift for the celebrant, 30 themed giveaways and a free McDonaldland character appearance for the Ronald and the Gang theme.

For food, these were the options:

I chose the last one and ordered 45pax first since I wasn't sure yet how many people we were expecting for a biglaang binyag and party.

Tip: They allow additional pax for food on the day of the event but you can't decrease the initial pax you indicated when you booked. Kung 50 pax nilagay mo at 20 lang umatend, babayaran mo pa din yung 30 kahit wala sila. So kung di ka sure ilan guests mo, mag estimate ka muna ng mababang numero. Kasi di mo na pwede bawasan yung unang numero na nilagay mo sa form.

To officially reserve the date and time, client must pay a downpayment of at least the amount of the party theme fee. In our case, the minimum downpayment was Php2000.

I asked them if we can have a different theme and would there be any restrictions or fees. They said, wala naman daw problem if we use a different theme, bawal lang daw magdala ng pagkain mula sa labas. But for cakes, cupcakes, and candy buffet, wala daw problema.

A few days before the party, they have contacted me a few times to remind me of the party and if we have other requests. I told them that a family friend of ours will come as Spiderman in the party and they said that it's okay and just let them know any requests we may have for the program. I just asked for the color of the balloons changed from white and green to blue and red to match our Spiderman theme.

You can also book through their website: http://mccelebrations.com.ph/

Other Suppliers

We got our cake and cupcakes from Dons Teodoro, a friend of my sister. We've been asking her to make cakes for us since Zoe was born and each time we do, Dons has never failed us.

For Zoe and Ignis' cake, we chose carrot for flavor.

Z and I's cake and cupcakes

The table top designs were DIY by yours truly and my first-born, Vito. We got the white plastic containers and 4-inch kraft letters through Binondo Pabili, balloon sticks from National Bookstore, ribbons from Wonderbake, and the photos of Spiderman - I downloaded from Google and had them printed at Photoline. Assorted candies I got from our local supermarket.

DIY table top decors

I didn't buy additional balloons since it would just be my sister who'd prepare the venue and pumping balloons would take time (and energy!).

Our giveaways are rosary bracelets courtesy of Faithshoppe Philippines (Thanks, SJ!).

I wanted a stress-free party planning because of the limited time (biglaang plano kasi) hence I decided to forego the giveaway bags for the kids, and other designs for the place. Tutal kakarampot lang naman ang guests namin and mostly are adults.

I also included a time capsule for Z's party. Guests need to write down on a piece of paper their messages for her and we will seal the "capsule", read and open only when she turns 18 years old. I got the box (her capsule) from National Bookstore.

Time capsule (box) for Z to open in 2033

Cosplayer Spiderman aka SpiderDan graced our party and he was a hit! He portrayed Spiderman so well, he was in character all of the time. And his costume, wow. It's like Spiderman from the movie came to life. Dan was phenomenal!

Party Day

We were late for the event so when the host started calling for participants for a game, my Husband insisted to skip the games. Our guests were hungry, too, kaya wala nang games! Haha!

We proceeded to singing Happy birthday for Z. And then our special guest was called.

Z was tired and hungry already that when she saw her Mamay come to life she was stunned! She just stared at Spiderman.

The rest of the guests had their pictures taken with our special guest and then we had lunch.

Birdie and Hamburglar danced after we ate. And Spiderman was called again for the cake blowing ceremony.

Birdie and Spidey
Photo courtesy of SpiderDan

Spidey writing his message for Z's birthday time capsule. She will open her time capsule in 2033 when she turns 18. 😊😊 #petitemommasworld #prettybabyZ #2ndbirthday #birthdayparty #instacute #instagood #spiderman #spiderDan #specialguest #marvelbaby #mommyblogger #mommybloggerph @spiderdangeromo

A post shared by Petite Momma | Kat Santiago (@petitemomma18) on Jul 28, 2017 at 9:51pm PDT

Z got gifts from McDonalds - a moon chair, which is very sturdy by the way, and cute McDonalds character bobble heads.

Family selfie
Photo courtesy of SpiderDan

A lot of those we invited did not come so we gave the extra food to our guests for take-home.

Here's a short video of the event.

Overall, we had a a stressful baptism, an easy party, happy guests, full tummy, and blessed family.

We are happy to have such great friends and family to come over and witness our baby's baptism and Z's birthday party.

God is good all the time.

fool proof gift ideas

Make Gift Giving Hassle-Free with GC Regalo!

11:25 PM

I remember way back on our Christmas party when I was in Grade 5, I overheard my classmates joking, "Sana hindi twalya makuha ko sa exchange gift." And I've realized that I also have been silently praying not to receive another photo frame that year.

Anu-ano ba yung mga ayaw naten matanggap sa exchange gift nung mga bata pa tayo?

One time I asked my husband what was the worst gift he received for exchange gift and he said, "sabong panlaba."

Don't we just hate receiving mugs, face towels, soaps, handkerchiefs, photo albums and frames when we were younger? But come to think of it, our parents then were left with little choices. What could they buy for our exchange gift that's unisex and worth less than 50 pesos, right? Hey, I grew up in the 80s and 90s. Ha ha!

Through the years - with a growing list of pamangkins and inaanaks - I have learned a few tips of my own on what and what not to give. Here are my fool-proof gift ideas by age:

Babies and Toddlers

There are a lot of baby items that you can actually live without, except for clothes.

There had been instances that we received the same kind of baby items as gifts, like bolster pillows, waterproof bibs, spoons, plates, and sippy cups. As much as I appreciate the gifts, babies and toddlers don't need 3 sets of pillows or 5 sippy cups, to be honest.

But clothes? Ah, the saving grace.

Baby and toddler clothes can be ridiculously expensive. I can get myself a shirt a third of the price of a onesies. And babies grow faster than you want them to.

MY TIP: buy clothes for babies and toddlers.

And when you do, make sure to get sizes that are at least 3 months older than the age of the recipient. I specially like the ones the kids can wear when they go out for a stroll. I guarantee you, the parents will be ever so grateful.

Preschoolers

A few years ago, I was so sure to just buy age-appropriate toys for my friends' kids and my inaanaks. But as my own kid go through preschool, I have noticed that he'd just play with the toys gifted to him on a certain period only. Most often, he'd choose the ones he really likes - toys that we, his parents, gave him and leave the others untouched for weeks. Because we know him so well we are able to give him what he wants most.

But for our inaanaks and/or children of friends that we only see 1-2 times a year, it's harder to choose what toys they'd prefer. I spend hours on toy store aisles deciding which they'd like.

MY TIP: Get them any item that has their favorite cartoon character on it.

Image from Google

Kids love Spongebob, Elmo, Hello Kitty, Ben 10, Captain America, Batman, you name it, our malls and tiangges have it. Kids would love anything that has their favorite character on it - from crayons and stickers to beddings, tumblers, bags, and dolls.

It's budget-friendly, too. You can get items for as low as 10 pesos (stickers, coloring books). Or go lavish by getting them a school bag or a doll.

Grade school

Now this could be a tricky one. The recipient could be too young or on his/her tweens already.

MY TIP: Get them games-related gifts

You can get them puzzles, board games, balls, card games, badminton, and PS or XBox games. It's just a matter of what is appropriate for their ages.

With just board games, you can already get a wide variety of choices: from Snakes and Ladders, Chinese Checkers, to Chess, Monopoly, and Scrabble, as examples.

Teenagers

Now these kids are exploring their wings outside of home and socializing with their peers.

MY TIP: Get them tickets for movies, concerts, meet-and-greet sessions with celebrities, or theatre.

They would love to watch movies with their friends, shout their hearts out at their favorite band's concerts, or bond with girlfriends over a Broadway show.

Adults

When you are trying to pick a bunch of gifts for families and friends who are adults, it's difficult to search for the perfect gift for them. But fret not.

MY TIP: Get them Gift certificates

Most of the adults we give gifts to are part of the labor force, meaning, kaya nila bumili ng mga bagay na kailangan nila. So that leaves you to getting them what they want. But that's the problem, you are sometimes caught in a stressful situation trying to figure out what the recipient would appreciate getting. Much more if you are talking about at least a dozen people on your gift list this year.

This problem is solve by gift certificates.

Let them choose what they'd like.

I particularly like using Sodexo Premium Pass because it can be used in dozens of establishments: from department stores and restaurants, to clinics, appliances, specialty shops, and so much more. It's the number 1 gift certificate in the country and is accepted in 9000 outlets. I know my recipient would appreciate having the liberty to choose a gift for him/herself.

Outlets where Sodexo GCs are accepted
Click image to enlarge

Senior Citizens

How many times have you asked yourself, "what can I give my in-laws this year?" Or "what would my parents want to receive?"

MY TIP: Get them something sentimental

At their age, they simply want something that would bring back memories or would create new memories to hold dear.

You can get an old photo of them, have it digitally restored, and framed.

Give them a memorabilia of their favorite song, movie, or artist. Or get them a fan sign or video greeting from one of their favorite artist.

And if an artist from their younger years is set to have a concert, get them tickets for it.

If it's a couple and they have not tried anything grand in their life because they worked hard for their kids, it's time to give back and let them experience luxury. Whether it's a dinner in a restaurant they haven't been to, or a staycation at a hotel.

It's almost September, have you started your list for Christmas? I hope these tips I shared helped you.

Receiving gifts can make us happy, but sending ones can make us truly ecstatic. And by giving well-thought gifts, we are making the recipient feel our well-wishes, love, and respect.