Monday, February 25, 2008

Goodie Bag Treat Hunting this Sunday

As I had written below and expounded on in my other blog on Motherhood, I’ve started planning for Angel’s birthday in May.  I want to be able to get most of the goodies here so that I can ship them home via door-to-door courier in time.

Yesterday I found myself in Walmart as Alan and Angel browsed the CD racks of Best Buy.  Although we are often in the area, I rarely find myself shopping there despite the bargains because Alan finds it too aggravating to jostle with the crowd.  (By way of illustration, there were actually people cursing each other out on the other aisle.)  I just wanted to see what bargains I can pick up, and true enough, the Lightning McQueen fruit snacks from Kellogg’s I was looking for were on sale.  I left the store with 8 boxes of 10 small packets each.  (40 for Manila, 24 for daycare.)

Today I snuck out of the house after Angelo dozed off in the afternoon and decided to check out the dollar store in my neighborhood.  As luck would have it, there were giveaways galore with various Disney characters on them! I snatched up a 5-piece set of 2 pencils, sharpener, eraser and mini notebook.  I only got 16 sets because they had run out, but I think I’ll just buy Winnie the Pooh and Tinkerbell for the remaining sets.  They had 8-piece markers and fancy pencils with erasers as well as the mini-notebooks sold in pairs that I can actually pull together to make up for 20 or 25 sets for the boys. 

In this week’s ad of RiteAid was an ad for Disney Cars Marshmallow Pops (1.5 oz.) which I excitedly went to the store for, but which, apparently they had already run out of..  I’m hoping to find the item in other RiteAid stores in my part of New York, or in other drugstores where they usually sell single item chocolates or candy.

I’m the crazy Mom going around planning this early, I know.  It’s really gotten me all energized, plus the thought that our guests
back in Manila will find the goodies in our gift bag unique and a real treat indeed makes it such a challenge.  So I’m hoping I can find this in some other store before it runs out this Easter season.  Wish me luck!

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Saturday, February 23, 2008

Birthday Party: Turning 4

Angelo doesn’t turn four until May but I’ve already started planning it as I wrote in my main blog, Pinay New Yorker.  We really don’t make it a project to have a big party each year, but we’re doing two this year — one at day care which is basically a simple cake and goodie bag event, and another back in Manila, like the one we had in 2006 for his second birthday.

It’s something I am getting all excited about, spending hours on end last night surfing for ideas and available giveaways to use in our “Cars” - themed party.  I’ve already asked around about the Cars-related goodies I saw in pictures in a party a friend in Manila threw for her son.  I heard the goodie bags are already available in Divisoria.  That’s one down.

At first I thought it would be a good idea to give away the attachable lunch tote from Disney Outlet’s online store, but unfortunately, I thought about it a little too late and it’s no longer available on the website.

In 2006, I bought all the giveaways in Divisoria, trekking to 168 with my brother one afternoon and lugging everything to Club Filipino where we had the party.  This time, I want to bring some of the goodies to give the loot bag a different flavor.  I’m hoping to get some candies or goodies that have franchised the character, but it doesn’t help that I came across an article that Disney will not allow the character, among other popular franchises to be associated with unhealthy food for children like candies and fruit snacks anymore.

Still, I managed to come across an ad for Easter candies in one of the local drugstore franchises that fan out weekly ads to the houses around here, and there’s a marshmallow treat with the character.  (Time to grab it before it runs out at Rite Aid.)  I figure the goodies will be okay until May — candy should hold until the middle of the year.

Meanwhile, I’m going to keep a journal of the party plans here.  I can’t believe he’s turning four…

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