The Power of Play

Do you remember playing patintero, piko, luksong baka, tumbang preso, 10-20, chinese garter, luto-lutoan, teacher-teacher, doctor-doctor, or dressing up with your mom's (or dad's) clothes to play adult, wrapping the blanket around your body and pretend you were in a gown, walking the red carpet, or maybe even spending the whole day just painting, cutting art paper and gluing stuff on anything you find at home? I know I have done everything and so much more when I was a kid. I'm proud to say that I have a vast imagination that I even crossover to an alter universe for pretend play. It was FUN.

With all these kinds of play though, it's very very sad to see today's kids, we call the "iPad generation." Friends are now being replaced with gadgets, socializing are done in Facebook and exploring happens in Youtube. *sigh* 

Being a new mom, it's very worrying what kind of future my baby will have. I don't want to succumb to the digital generation, although I allow my baby to see Mickey Mouse Club House on TV from time to time, coz hey, who doesn't love Mickey, right? I want my child to enjoy her childhood to the fullest, even if it means I have to hug a sweaty sun-scented muddy child everyday. I want her to experience the innocence and freedom of being a child and not pressure her into becoming an adult. She has a lot of time for that.

I once asked one of my best friends, who has a 9 year old daughter, doesn't she play outside the house with neighbors? And her answer was that she's scared that her daughter might get kidnapped. "You never know. Sometimes, crimes happen even inside the neighborhood. She plays in school with her classmates during P.E. time." And truth be told, I felt a bit sorry because I know for a fact that she doesn't know what she's missing, although I also have to admit she has a point.

I wonder, is there a safe and fun environment I can bring my daughter to when the time comes?

Low and behold, the answer came in the form of an invite from Kidzania Manila.

Skills and Crafts

I have been soooo focused on my business lately that I regret to miss out on few blog posts I intended to write. I haven't even started on my 2013 blog redesign and full-year marketing plan yet, which I have been planning to do for so long already. Do not worry though because I do not have any intentions of parking the Clueless Mrs. anytime soon- or ever- coz believe it or not, this blog, which started as a personal journal-sort of thing- is one of the things that actually keeps me going. It's my gravel path, my roadmap, my compass, my constellation, my northern star on where I want to go and what I need to do next. 

Nevertheless, I am so proud of myself for accomplishing a lot of things on the days I was MIA (Missing in Action) because I was able to secure 90% of all the legal requirements and permits needed for my business, and oh boy, *kudos kudos*pat on the back* for me coz this is the most legit of a business I have ever gone. From DTI, Barangay, to Mayor permits, name it. *phew* Special thanks to my dad for being my handsome driver and tutor on how to go around city hall.

I have also launched my new website www.fairytaleweddingsnevents.com you definitely MUST check out (not sure if online hypnosis can work but *with a very low mala-fortune teller voice* - go... to... www.fairytaleweddingsnevents.com....... after you read this post...) *crossing fingers now* (And oh, *back to low voice* ...and book me as your wedding coordinator soon...)

Anyhow, I'm particularly proud of this website because everything was specially designed by MOI. And seriously, photoshop editing up until the wee hours of the morning is no joke! I even tried (with bloody nose for five days) fixing my own domain, which I have frustratingly failed at 5x. Lucky for me, I have my last resort SOS tech support, my sis' boyfie, and after 10 minutes... *voila* it's finally fixed. *clap for skills*

What else have I made myself busy with? hmm... Mostly preparing for the very first bridal fair I will join on February 15-17 - the Weddings & Debuts 2013 Bridal Fair, organized by the Wedding Library, which will be held at the Megatrade Hall SM Megamall. Aside from the permits I have 90% secured already, we're talking about booth design, flyers, calling cards, service agreements, and the to do list goes on. And since I'm on a veeeeeeery tight budget, I have to make a lot of stuff, including my website, on my own from conceptualization, design and production. Total DIY crafty things!

Another thing, or shall I say skill, that I'm also proud about is how I managed to save and learn something new from this experience. Like, making homemade notepads! In my case, service agreements. Here's how I did it, and I'm sure you're gonna love this. 

The key ingredient? - Padding Glue (aka Padding Compound)

If you wanna go all out DIY, there's also a recipe I found for a DIY Padding Compound here but if you're lazy like me, just buy a ready-to-use one which can be found in Bookstores or Office Supplies Stores. It's a bit difficult to find actually but if you pray for it hard enough, you'll find one. *haha* 

Step 1 - Print out and gather the papers you want to bind. 

Step 2 - Align your paper in a straight edge and bind them with clips. 

For better results, (I just discovered this) place a ruler on top of the paper along the straight edge and another ruler at the bottom along the same straight edge before binding both sides with clips to hold the papers firmly together. (source)

Step 3 - Apply the Padding Glue with a paint brush. 

Step 4 - Make sure the whole edge is fully coated and allow to dry for roughly 10 minutes. Apply 2-3 more coats for better results and allow to dry.

Step 5 - Remove the clips and you're DONE!

Tip: you can also add a card board paper as backing for a firmer pad.

Price Tags?

Padding Glue P70.00, Powerbooks, Greenbelt 3

100 pcs. Short Typewriting Multi-Purpose Paper P55.00, Office Warehouse

100 pcs. Colored Short Bond Paper Moods P97.00, Powerbooks, Greenbelt 3

Paint Brush P25.00, available at any hardware stores.

So, don't throw away those scratch papers just yet. Instead, turn them into notepads you can use for your doodles, phone messages, or even playtime pads for your kids. *sigh* *I can already feel Mother Earth smiling back*

xoxo,

The Clueless Mrs.

PS- Show me some love guys, leave a comment if this is useful.