5 Fun Swimming Pool Games for your Kids.

Beat the heat by spending the day splashing away in your very own swimming pool. Because kids can become bored quite easily and may not enjoy simply wading in the water, it's a fantastic idea to introduce them to some new, fun swimming pool games that will keep them amused and active for hours. With some simple supplies and a little bit of imagination, your kids and their friends will remember these games for years to come.

The Noodle Race
What kid doesn't know what a noodle is? These flotation devices made out of foam are long, skinny and are the perfect thing to ride around on in the pool. Collect enough noodles for all of your kids to each have one and instruct them to mount the noodle as though that are riding a horse. This should easily allow them to float in the water while their legs dangle on each side of the noodle. Without using your arms, bob, sway and kick your legs to make yourself and your noodle ride around the pool. Whoever completes their designated number of laps first is the new noodle race winner. Switch up the game by blindfolding players, only allowing them to use certain motions and more.

Bumper Boats with Floats
As long as you have a few different tubes, it's easy and tons of fun to play bumper boats in the swimming pool. If you are familiar with the Bumper Cars ride that you find at most amusement parks, you may have an idea of how this game will be played. Each kid should sit in their tube without falling through the hole. Using their feet to kick off around the pool, players will bump into each other, trying to knock the other players off of their "boat". The last player left on their tube wins the game. Be sure to include important rules such as no hitting or pushing.

Treasure Hunt
Kids love to be able to use their imagination and that's just what they'll do in the game of Treasure Hunt. Gather up lots of coins and toss them into the pool. Be sure to spread them out evenly. Send all kids into the swimming pool and tell them that they're on a hunt for buried treasure. Children must then dive down into the pool and retrieve coins. Allow the kids to keep their winnings and see who collects the most.

Water Basketball
With just a tube and a ball, kids will love playing water basketball. Set up teams and swim, jump and paddle around the pool to get the ball and throw it into the tube to score points. Players can pass the ball to other members of their team or simply practice free throws from across the pool.

Bottle Toss
Using a clear water bottle with the label removed, fill the bottle with water and allow it to sink to the bottom of the pool without the kids watching. Send the kids out into the water to find the bottle. Whoever finds it first wins. Swimming pools can provide many hours of fun for kids throughout the Summer months – However be sure to maintain a safe swimming environment. Never let your kids swim unsupervised, be sure to install a pool fence with a locking gate and make sure your pool cleaning schedule is actioned regularly.

Join | Palawan Hidden Hills Getaway Giveaway!

Ready for an awesome vacation? Or dying to have the much-needed R&R?

Welcome to Palawan Hidden Hills Getaway Giveaway! 

Hosted by The Travel Bug 

In cooperation with What’s Up  |  Henry’s Mom Blogs  |  My Own Travels  |  Sporadic Thoughts  

|  It’s My Party  |  Home Is Where The Heart Is  |  Red Lips and Pinky Toes 

 |  The Bunny’s Review  |  Boracay Resorts Bookings

Enjoy free accommodation and relax in the tranquility of Palawan when you win in this amazing getaway sponsored by the generous owner of Hidden Hills Private Resort. The whole prize will total to $400 (excluding transportation) and yours for free when you win the amazing getaway prize! 

Hidden Hills is your exotic vacation home in the Philippines, situated in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The exclusive villa is a lovely rustic chalet which sits on top of the hill with an additional loft built downhill to accommodate additional guests.

The whole villa is a masterpiece and truly a place to enjoy a quiet time, to de-stress and marvel at Mother Nature's best! To get more info about the property and view the gallery, please click this link.

The Prize:1 winner will be chosen to avail the 2 nights/3 days free accommodation. 
The prize is for 2 persons in one accommodation.

Prize includes:

• Accommodations : Exclusive use of the entire property 
• Welcome Drinks 
• Welcome Pack / Fruit Basket 
• Daily Freshly Picked Flowers From the Garden FREE 
• Unlimited Coffee or Tea&nbsp
• Mineral Drinking Water 
• Eat-All-U-Can Fruits & Veggies in season whatever grows in the farm FREE!!! 
• FREE FRESHLY PICKED BUKO (YOUNG COCONUT JUICE) ON ARRIVAL. 
• Cutleries & beddings / towels/ flip-flops / rain boots / beach mats provided for use 
• ONE BOTTLE OF WINE (Seasonal Welcome Compliments) 
• Cleaning services (daily) 
• Cooking Assistance

Please note that transportation is EXCLUDED in the prize. 

Important:

• The dates chosen by the winner will have to be discussed with the owner of the Hidden Hills for the availability.

• The prize is NOT convertible to cash and is valid for a year upon winning

• The winner is responsible for his/her plane/boat fare, if applicable. Visa formalities, if required, will be the sole responsibility of the winner.

This will run from 15 January to 15 February 2013 (12:00 a.m. Dubai, UAE local time or +4 GMT and close at 11:59 p.m.), and a single winner will be chosen via rafflecopter.com after all the entries have been verified.

This giveaway is open WORLD WIDE.

Join now and next thing you know, you may just find yourself relaxing in Hidden Hills!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: The Rebel Sweetheart did not receive any payment from the sponsor to host this event. The prize will be awarded by the owner of Hidden Hills as soon as the entries are verified.

Isdaan Floating Resto & Fun Park.

After my sister got married last December, the odds that my siblings and I dine together went from seldom to rare. You see, the three of us have separate houses, have jobs (me being the work-at-home kind), have weekend schedules that don't jive with each other... well, you know the drill.

But now that Mum's at home, we see to it that we dine together more often. Everyday, during dinner, if possible. Last week, Mum scheduled a Sunday lunch for the entire family. But instead of the usual home-cooked meal or fastfood delivery, we hied off to Calauan (not Bay, Laguna as most people think) for a late lunch at Isdaan.

Big fish. Isdaan! :)

The moment you set foot on Isdaan, you will be greeted by a wide parking space, a pond teeming with crocodiles, and the sight of sumptuous lechon de leche.

Man-made lake, where you can go boating. 

Don't worry, they're fake.

These ones are real. Really good. :)

Oh, and there are chickens hanging out at the entrance, too.

Once inside, you wouldn't fail to notice these life-size wax figures scattered all over the place.

Former Pres. Joseph Estrada, more popularly known to Pinoys as 'Erap'.

This Erap wax-figure sits comfortably at the lounge of the souvenir shop / pasalubong area located right beside the resto's entrance.

My Mum is pretty, isn't she? She's only 49 years old, btw. :)

There's an array of goodies you can buy, including these bags of yema bites.

Yema bites, Php 100/bag.

To get to the dining area, you have to cross this hanging bridge. They're safe to tread on, and pretty sturdy so no need to worry.

The statues add the 'zen' feel to the place.

This is how the dining area looks like. Ours is actually a cottage, spacious enough to fit a family of ten.

The cottage where we were seated.

Singing cooks and waiters, to my grandmother's delight.

Hammin' it up for the camera.

They have a pretty vast menu comprised mostly of Filipino dishes. The menu is pretty much complete, too, as they have everything from soups, appetizers, meat, fish, and vegetable entrees, rice, and desserts.

Kids get complementary balloons and lootbags filled with candies.

And because it'll take about an eternity for the food to be served, the little man and I killed time by taking photos at the play area.

When we came back to our cottage, the food still wasn't there. My grandmother was already complaining of famine, haha. So yeah, more photos while waiting.

A good thirty minutes later, the soup came.

Crab & Corn Soup, Php 297 for one huge bowl.

Followed by the little man's 'kiddie meal'.

1-piece Crispy Chicken Fry + Spaghetti, Php 224.

Then the rice came, served in small pots like this.

Sinaing na Kanin, Php 99.

Afterwards, the entrees arrived one after another.

Kalderetang Baka, Php 342.

Kare-kareng Baka, Php 342.

Calamares, Php 180/half kilo.

Crispy Pata, Php 396/half kilo.

For sides, we had this platter of green mangoes, onions, tomatoes, and bagoong.

Tinadtad na mangga, Php 76.

We had buko juice and iced tea as refreshments, but I managed to take a photo of the latter only. The buko juice was at the far end of the table, and the elders were already busy eating.

Iced tea, Php 120/pitcher.

We didn't order desserts as our tummies were filled to the point of bulging. There was no longer room for sweets, haha!

The food at Isdaan was good, but the taste isn't as mind-blowing as I had expected it to be. I still say that Mum does a better job when it comes to kare-kare. The place itself is gorgeous, and the kids will find the play area and magic/puppet show enjoyable, but they really need to improve on the cleanliness. Hello, oily placemats! Hello, black ants marching on our table!

Also, if they could expedite the serving time, that would be great. We all know people could get pretty grumpy when they're waiting - especially when you make them wait for too long. Thankfully, my grandmother was entertained by the Singing Cooks and Waiters. I wouldn't know what could happen otherwise, haha!

Oh, and make sure you have cash ready. They don't accept credit cards.

Isdaan Floating Resto & Fun Park
National Highway, Calauan, Laguna

Social Enterprise Products | Purpose Beyond Profit.

Remember the launching of the Human Heart Nature Laguna Concept Store that happened two Saturdays ago, and how impressed I was with its posh, new look? Here's another thing that really blew me away.

The 'Social Enterprise' wall!

Food products! Lots and lots of food products!
There's Enchantea, a bottled drink made from these five ingredients: lemongrass, duhat, pandan, and calamansi.

Enchantea, Php 35/bottle.

This all-natural and healthy beverage is co-designed, brewed, and bottled by the residents of the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan.

Goodness you can drink!

Also from the same farm are these Golden Eggs.

Golden Eggs, 6 pieces at Php 140. 

Instead of the usual red, these salted eggs are dyed in turmeric yellow - the color of hope for Gawad Kalinga. Food-grade and all-natural dyes are used to color these eggs, making them safer and more fit for consumption.

Cafe de Sug, Php 250/pouch.

Cafe de Sug, on the other hand, is more than just coffee. It's also an attempt, a continuous effort to change the negative mindset about Sulu.

Instead of being in the spotlight for rampant killings and terrorist attacks, Sulu is slowly becoming known as home to this bold and flavorful coffee.This Tausug brew is made with whole roasted, premium Arabica beans grown by the Gawad Kalinga Sulu Sibol community. 

Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolates, Php 100/bar.

Craving for chocolate?

Have a bar or two of these artisan chocolates from Theo & Philo - the only bean to bar chocolate from the Philippines. Made from Davao cacao beans, each bar of Theo & Philo is infused with creative and uniquely Filipino flavors.

Dark Chocolate with Siling Labuyo on the left, Dark Chocolate with Green Mango and Sea Salt on the right.

70% Dark Chocolate.

Note that these products do not come from the normal enterprise. Like Human Heart Nature, these brands have more than just profit in mind. They are what we call the social enterprise - a social economy that  operates like a business, produces goods and services for the market, but manages its operations and redirects its surpluses in pursuit of social and environmental goals*.

An equally noble goal of social enterprise (aside from generating income to pursue more of a non-profit's mission) is the involvement of the marginalized - thus creating capacity and self-sufficiency for individuals, and impacting their communities and lessening reliance on the social safety net (eg. the Enchanted Farm, the Sulu Sibol Community). 

So next time you take a sip of Enchantea, or enjoy a cup of Cafe de Sug, or satisfy your craving with Theo & Philo, keep in mind that you are not just delighting your appetite. By supporting these brands, you are - in your own little way - also helping to build a more sustainable economy and a stronger nation.

Enchantea, Golden Egg, Cafe de Sug, and Theo & Philo are also available at the Human Heart Nature Flagship Store in Quezon City. Cafe de Sug can also be ordered online.

*Defining the Social Economy, Fiona Salkie.


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