First day high

So it was my little girl’s first day of school today.

Trying on her uniform and shoes a day before her first day of school.

She’s pretty excited, because she’ll be in a familiar place (the school she’s attending was where she enrolled for summer class some months back) and will be seeing old and new faces, too. Brave little girl, my daughter was one of the few kids who were chill when parents were asked to go out of the classroom.

I thought she’d be well-behaved in class, but I heard she made one of her classmates cry. I don’t know, two grandparents of kids who attended the same class said that she was making “tukso” the other kid. I don’t know if she’s capable of that. I know that she has this knack for asking kids stuff until they got irritated. Hehe. Good thing the kid’s mom was cool about it — she probably knew that some children will be like that.

Ah, it was not unlike during summer class. She also made another kid cry. As a parent, I can only do much in keeping her in line. All I can do is tell her, after class, that what she did wasn’t right. And hope that she remembers what I said the next day, when she enters the classroom.

Well, I guess that’s all I can do for now. Tell her that she needs to be nice to others. She’s still in nursery, though, but I hope her little heart and mind can understand this concept.

The first day of school. And so another mommy adventure begins.

Starbucks Philippines brings back Mocha Cookie Crumble and Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccinos

Still feeling the summer heat? Starbucks helps you cool down with its 2 returning favorites: Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino Blended Beverage and Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino Blended Beverage.

If you need a drink to perk you up but are not too keen on grabbing a hot cup of coffee, Mocha Cookie Crumble is perfect for you. It blends the signature Starbucks Frappuccino Roast Coffee with mocha sauce, vanilla syrup, and milk plus chocolate drizzle, cookie bits, and whipped cream on top.

Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino. PHP170 for Tall, PHP180 for Grande, and PHP190 for Venti. Photo from Starbucks Philippines.

If you’re into tea, grab the Red Bean Green Tea flavor. It combines matcha green tea with red azuki beans, giving it a distinct flavor.

Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino. PHP160 for Tall, PHP170 for Grande, PHP180 for Venti. Photo from Starbucks Philippines.

And because Starbucks wants you to enjoy your drink however way you want, these featured beverages can be customized to your liking. Use non-fat milk, add syrup or drizzle, or lessen whipped cream — you decide!

The Mocha Cookie Crumble and Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino Blended Beverages are available at all Starbucks stores until July 14, 2013. So enjoy these today!

Impressions

It’s a day before the local elections in the Philippines and honestly, I haven’t completed my Magic 12 for the senators. I dunno, but there seems to be the lack of the spreading of the candidates’ platforms, and the televised debates weren’t enough to make me aware of what they want to do when they get the coveted seats in the government.

So, truth be told, I am basing my choices on my impressions on these senatoriables. (NOTE: These are purely the blogger’s opinions. They may or may not conform to yours, so don’t be offended) Here are some of them:

Sonny Angara – If based on the photos of all candidates, this guy is at the top of the ladder, so to speak. From his ads, I can see that he has good intentions. He could have made it in my list until a friend of mine told me to research about APECO. Well, there you go.

Bam Aquino – Another Benigno Aquino in the government? Dunno about that.

Nancy Binay – Even without the memes and parodies, I don’t think I’ll vote for her. Vice Ganda has echoed my thoughts quite well: “Senador agad?”

Teddy Casino – KMU, Bayan Muna. This guy seems to have a leftist stance. Looks willing to serve, though. Undecided about him.

Alan Peter Cayetano – Accused of heading smear campaigns twice in different instances. Also, his “PTK” campaign is quite vague. How will he lower prices, create more jobs, and increase income for Filipinos? Plus the ugly issue with his reelectionist wife vs. rival Rica Tinga has affected my impression of him, though indirectly.

Tingting Cojuangco – Relative of the president, mother-side. Dunno anything about her except that she’s a socialite and has pretty daughters.

JC Delos Reyes – Ran and lost during the last presidential elections. His “transformative politics” which was his platform during the 2010 elections left a good impression.

JV Ejercito – Estrada again? Has he and his brother really buried the hatchet? His TV ad with the Carly Rae Jepsen song irritates me, though.

Jack Enrile – The stigma of Alfie Anido and Ernest Lucas Jr. is very much attached to his name, even until now. On an unrelated note, one of his daughters was my sister’s batchmate in High School.

Chiz Escudero – Ever since, I’ve always seen him as a smooth-talking guy. His “Say Chiz” ads are pretty corny. Plus, he’s more interested answering questions about his love life than politics.

Richard Gordon – I voted for him during the 2010 elections, and I’ll vote for him again. Though he may rub off the wrong way to others, I believe that this man is a no-nonsense politician and would be a great asset in the Senate. And his WOW Philippines campaign was one of the best.

Ed Hagedorn – I only knew the guy when I got to watch his biopic that starred Fernando Poe, Jr. Well, if he made Palawan one of the must-see places in the Philippines, then he must be doing something right.

Gringo Honasan – I will always associate him with coup d’etats. That’s all.

Risa Hontiveros – Looks like a good choice, but there’s something about her that’s making me think twice about voting for her. Probably the ad where she (and PNoy) sang or the one where she used her shawl to kill a fly.

Loren Legarda – I remember Heimlich from A Bug’s Life when I see her: “I’m a beautiful butterfly!”

Marwil Llasos – I saw a YouTube clip wherein he was addressing his audience in a forum. I liked that this dude has guts. And he’s a lawyer and a constitutionalist. Could be a name to add to my list.

Ernesto Maceda – Mr. Expose. He’s the oldest senatoriable, I believe. One thing that I remember about him, though, is a quote from former Manila mayor Arsenio Lacson: “So young yet so corrupt.” I have no idea if this was/ is true. But he has extensive experience in politics. This and his age may be a two-edged sword.

Jamby Madrigal – The “poorest” Madrigal, or so she claims. I will always remember her for contesting the will of her deceased aunt.

Mitos Magsaysay – A well-known ally of PGMA. ‘Nuff said.

Jun Magsaysay – Second eldest senatoriable, I believe. Former senator, too. Looks like he’s got a good track record as a politician, so Magsaysay may be one of my guys.

Koko Pimentel – How come he seems so hung up on being cheated during the last elections?

Grace Poe – Daughter of showbiz lumiaries FPJ and Susan Roces. If she wanted to continue her father’s legacy, she could’ve been an action star. Joke!

Antonio Trillanes – I don’t like this guy ever since he laid siege on 2 of Makati’s hotels, one of them left with a ruined lobby. Dude, that’s the Manila Peninsula! And at the end of the day, he surrendered. Oookay.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva – Said to be an economist (correct me if I’m wrong). Also a religious leader. I thought there’s a separation of Church and State?

Cynthia Villar – Mrs. Hanepbuhay, known for giving away houses and lots on Willie Revillame’s shows. Also earned the ire of nurses and nursing students with the statement she made during a televised debate (of which she had to explain in a separate instance). Well, the damage has been done.

Migs Zubiri – The Biofuels Act was one of the great products of his platforms. Thing is, the alleged cheating — with Koko Pimentel as his accuser — has tarnished his image.

There are at least 4 names from those mentioned above that will make their way into my list. Of course, what I’ve written here are just icings on the cake, so to speak, and I would have to do further research to complete my Magic 12.

Again, what’s written above are purely my opinions; I hope no one holds them against me.

Vote wisely, Philippines. Change is in our hands.

New look — again

I look at WordPress Theme updates and check out the new designs that come out every now and then. Sometimes it’s a good thing, sometimes not exactly — especially if there’s a really, really cute theme that’s newly launched .

I tried to resist the temptation of changing the look of my blog. But well, some layouts catch you in the eye and they stick with you. Like this one.

The previous theme I used was okay, though it kinda required me to make a header image, which I did not have the time to do so.

This one doesn’t, so that makes it easy for me. Plus it has those social media icons where I can easily link my social networking profiles to this blog (which didn’t come easy in the past themes I used).

And it has pink. Pink works for me.

So here it is, the new look of my blog. Enjoy it, as I do.

The baby is now all grown up

Well, not quite.

I guess moms tend to exaggerate things. This is one of them.

Getting ready for her first day of summer school.

I’ve actually kind of been putting off this fact, that my daughter’s growing up — and fast. Next thing I knew, I was enrolling her for summer school. Probably in a few weeks, hubby and I will be paying her tuition for regular schooling.

Truth to tell, I’m more anxious of my kid going to school than she is. But when I left her inside the classroom with the other kids and the teachers, she seemed well-behaved. Only time she complained was 30 minutes before the end of the session. She went out of the classroom and told me, “Tapos na ako.” I think she got bored with the video they let the kids watch. Good thing I was able to convince her to go back inside.

Overall, I think she enjoyed the first day. She got 4 stars stamped on her arms today. Good job, baby! And she seems keen on going back tomorrow.

Only gripe is that summer school would probably mean daily trips to the nearby Jollibee. Good luck on my budget.