Play Review: Beauty and the Beast

Play Review: Beauty and the Beast

One of my favorite bedtime stories, when I was younger, was Beauty and the Beast. I was thrilled to be invited to watch this play by Repertory Philippines, which they offer in honor of the Repertory Theater for Young Audiences' Silver Anniversary. The version they chose was the one by Peter del Valle and John Ahearn which is the closest to the original version by French author Gabrielle Villeneuve. Beauty and the Beast has gone through many adaptations since it's debut in 1740 but Repertory Philippines chose this version and made a very entertaining show. Directed by Joy Virata, the musical runs for 75 minutes and has 4 sets of casts. In partnership with Ayala Multi-Purpose Cooperative, the proceeds from the play last October 21, 2017, will go to the HERO Foundation. From their website, HERO stands for Help Educate and Rear Orphans, so every ticket counts. If you want to give a donation, become a volunteer or give a scholarship, click here.

The posters were a huge draw for me since they looked authentic for the story. I had a front row seat so I could see all the details on the costumes and the makeup and the set. Beauty was played by Alana Vicente and Jos Jalbuena was the Beast. Maya Encila's Fifi, Hans Eckstein's Pierre, Steven Hotchkiss' Jacques, and Ayam Eckstein's Mimi were the showstoppers for me though. Their songs were livelier and the dancing exuberant in their numbers. The story is so far from the Disney version that it was a refreshing change of pace. I am looking forward to attending more plays like this in the future. My toddler was enraptured with all the singing and dancing up until the Beast started chasing people. That bit scared him a lot! Personally, I loved the show and wished it went on longer than the 75 minutes we sat there, not counting the 15-minute intermission. I still have "The Laughing Song" stuck in my head until now, that's how good it was. There's a photo opportunity after curtain call, and most of the audience flocked towards downstage to have a picture with the cast. We didn't get the opportunity but I got some candid shots anyway.

I would recommend this for any fairytale reader, any bookworm, any play buff and any parent. The price of admission is worth it, the culture and entertainment of this level is worth it. Drinks and food are not allowed in the theatre but they gave out loot for the kids after the show. Beauty and the Beast by Repertory Philippines will run until December 14, 2017, so you have plenty of time to catch it at Greenbelt 1 Onstage. Tickets are available at Ticketworld ranging from P400-700 depending on the seats you choose. Hurry and buy tickets for the whole family and get whisked back to your childhood. This time, you get to introduce your own children to your beloved childhood heroes and watch them fall in love just like you did.

Carrier Review: Madame Goo Goo Nautical Mesh SSC Standard

Carrier Review: Madame Goo Goo Nautical Mesh SSC Standard

Madame Goo Goo is a very well known brand of baby carriers. They are a Polish brand and rose to fame with their adorable customized soft structured carriers. They now have ready-made baby carriers and accept wrap conversions as well. The Neo Mesh is one of their newest lines and would cost over 7,000 pesos. I was over the moon when I got picked to try one out especially since my babywearing addiction was long fueled by their custom dragon carrier (see my dream carrier below).

The carrier I got to try was called Neo Nautical Mesh and had adorable anchors on it. The white on grey made it look very minimalistic and chic, plus the neutral colors can go with either gender of wearer and baby. I like how it fits me, though at first I was scared it wouldn't go around my waist (yeah I got pudge around my midsection) it was actually a perfect fit. I thought the straps were too thin but even after hours of wear they didn't hurt as expected. I really don't know what Polish magic this has but my toddler still fit in it height-wise and lulled him to sleep (see adorable picture below).

I guess the one thing I didn't like was how it wasn't wide enough, but since this was Standard sized, I can't really complain. I imagine the Toddler one would be perfect if I was to try that out too (wink wink). I had my husband try it out and he too liked how light our kiddo felt in this unlike with our other carriers where we can plainly feel all 14 kilos of him. With the Neo, he felt much lighter, and I really think it was the mesh that helped and the lack of so many buttons and zips.

Scratch this off my bucket list, so happy to be able to say that I have tried a Madame Goo Goo carrier at last! I would recommend this to all parents, for those who have 4 month-olds to toddlers. The price is really worth it, a very good investment. Plus if you get the customized ones, you'll have a legacy carrier already! Thank you so much for the opportunity to try this, if only I could keep it... well one can dream, can't they? Check out their Facebook and Instagram for more information about this amazing brand and see how marvelous their designs are.

Shop Review: Hey Mom Shop

Shop Review: Hey Mom Shop

Most moms have a tough time when their kids are sick. They have to multitask: doing the common household chores, taking care of the family and taking care of the sick child. There is almost no time at all to go to the drug store to buy medicines. But there is a new website in town where you can buy the leading brands of medicines and vitamins. Introducing the Hey Mom! Store where you can buy your pediatric care products at a competitive price.

Online shopping has made buying needs and wants easier for people and medicines should be no different. I personally like how Hey Mom has brands such as Ceelin, Solumux, Tiki Tiki, and Growee since my kid uses them. They also have other well-known kid brands as well as some adult personal care and medicines too.  Another great thing about them is their best seller bundles which give moms the chance for more savings while getting all the necessary stuff in one package. I believe that Hey Mom can be a mother's partner in keeping the family, especially the little ones, healthy and strong since they have a complete range of healthcare goodies.

But how to use Hey Mom? Just sign up on the website and then you can cart all the basic health items you need. For payment options, there is cash on delivery, debit card, and credit card. The best thing for me is they deliver so no need to go out to buy meds when the baby is sick! Remember that old adage is true, health really is wealth, so what better gift to give? I suggest buying bundles of baby and kid care then wrapping them up as gifts, all you'd need is Christmas wrappers.  The bottles are already packaged amazingly, full of bubble wrap and AirPlus. This e-commerce site is really a godsend for moms. For more information about Hey Mom and their health care products follow them on Facebook.

Carrier Review: Risaroo Golden Snitch Woven Wrap Size 6

Carrier Review: Risaroo Golden Snitch Woven Wrap Size 6

Potterheads rejoice! Risaroo Wovens has released an exclusive limited edition woven wrap called The Boy Who Lived. It comes in 3 different shades: Ink, Spellbound, and Sunshine. Sunshine has a beautiful shade of golden yellow that represents the Golden Snitch, the smallest Quidditch ball that's worth 150 points when caught by the team seeker. The design is comprised of four different elements that pay homage to our beloved Scarhead: Gryffindor House, Quidditch, Hedwig, and the Deathly Hallows. This wrap is part of the Geek Files collection by Risaroo Wovens and was released August 5, 2016.

 

Being a huuuuuge Potterhead, I almost cried when I had the chance to test this gorgeous wrap out. I loved how it looked, literally like sunshine in a wrap. It was so soft and squishy and I was excited to try it out! It's actually quite heavy when unfurled and I had a bit of trouble wrapping me and my son in it for a back carry. I tried a Double Hammock with a modified chest belt and it was fine for a moment. But once I started to move, my son (who is a leg straightener) was near falling through. So we switched to a front carry with a Ponds finish but the thickness of the wrap didn't quite make the finish look as good as I wanted. We settled on a regular FWCC and it looked divine.

Sunshine has major sleepy dust still and worked wonders on my toddler and other babies who tried it. I was fortunate to find mothers interested in trying a wrap and most of them fell in love with it. The positive keywords I got from them were: supportive, soft, beautiful, and warm. The negative keywords were: slippery, thick and limited (haha I added this). We all had a blast in having wrap novices and experts alike try Sunshine out. Some of them expressed such delight in using a wrap like Sunshine that they'll be finding wraps of their own!

I would recommend this wrap for experts who love all things Harry Potter. It really is such an amazing keepsake that would probably become an heirloom if I had it. The fact that it's a limited edition adds to its beauty. There are other Harry Potter themed wraps from Risaroo Wovens and you can check out their website to get yours! Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to keep updated with new releases as well, I know I will be waiting with bated breath for those. Crossing my fingers for a Slytherin-centric one soon!