Thomas and Friends CapsuleToys

or Gashapon as I believe they are also called.

It will be an understatement if I say that Lucas likes Thomas and Friends. Obsessed is more like it! But the toy lover in my husband indulges our son's love of toys. Apart from the Plarail and wooden series, Lucas also loves to play with those small Thomas wind-up toys that come in capsules.

 Wind up Thomas, James, Scruffey, Annie and several trucks

 Wind up Percy and Plarail Duncan

Plarail Percy and Wind up Percy

Some of Lucas's wind up toys: Dodge, Hiro, Percy, Bertie the Bus, Percy, Annie, boats and Kevin

As you know, getting the nice toys from the machine comes with a bit of luck and well, trying so many times. For this reason, we have lots of excess characters including:

1 James
1Thomas with snowplow
4 Annie
2 Scruffey
1 Toad
1 Bertie the Bus
1 Turntable (from another series)
1 Kevin (crane)
Several track accessories (tunnel, tracks, etc.)

In case you are collecting too and have lots of excess characters , let me know. We'd be more than willing to trade if you guys have something that we do not have yet (which is a lot! andami palang iba-ibang series). If you want to buy, we also sell at cost :)

The Iceman is Back!

He started the race in 16th place BUT finished in 7th place! :)

 Team Lotus

Iceman on track

Now that Kimi's back in F1, I'd surely be watching the races again with hubby. I am sure JJ would find ways to annoy me by saying not so nice things about Kimi and his capabilities as a driver but I'd just say, "Bring it on...". :)

Baguio 2012

We headed off to Baguio City to celebrate our 13th year :) We stayed in one of our office's staff houses and I was luckily assigned the biggest unit! With all that space, I decided to invite my side of the family to sort of celebrate my mom's birthday in advance.

FRIDAY

We were up and about by 5 AM. I double checked the stuff we packed the night before while JJ was busy preparing our baon for the long trip. We figured its better to stop just for restroom breaks and just have lunch in Baguio. By 6:45 AM, we were on the road. The drive was uneventful (thankfully!) and after about 6 hours (because of the tricycles) we were finally in the City of Pines. We dropped by the house first and I took the opportunity to do room assignments. After that we went to SM Baguio to have lunch and buy groceries.

After lunch, I got a call that my parents and my brother's family are already at the staff house.  

 My nephews Matty and Miggy, Popsy and Momsy and SIL Meng

 Family picture (after Daddy's nap :) )

SATURDAY

My other brother, Tom, and his family arrived by 2AM Saturday. Our bunso arrived by 4AM. Finally, family's complete.

After breakfast, we took the kids to Burnham Park.



 Boat ride

Picnic spot in Burnham

Taken by little Matty: Hubby and I, Carmy and Tom & Meng and Teejay

 By the play area at Burnham

After Burnham, we decided to go back to the house to have lunch. The rest of the day was spent lounging around the house and well, eating :)



 Me and my siblings with Popsy

Kiddos were content to eat ice cream and watch movies

SUNDAY

Except for JJ, Lucas and I, everyone travelled back to Manila that day. After breakfast, we decided to squeeze in one more trip and took the kids to the Botanical Garden. The garden was nice, with a lot of space for the kids to run around. Merchandise was cheaper there too (cheaper strawberry jams, chopping boards, etc. But the broom is still much cheaper at the public market). It was a short trip as everyone had to finish packing. Time really flies so fast! Seems like moments ago when we first stepped into the house and now, 2 days have already gone by.

My Lugue Family

 Lolo Popsy with Lucas

Chissa and I with Momsy and Popsy

Me and hubby

It was so quiet in the house when everyone else left. By mid-afternoon, our little family was off to buy stuff from Good Shepherd and finally back to SM to have dinner. As there were only three of us left at the house, tinamad na kami to cook. After dinner, we just enjoyed the cool climate by staying in our room and watching TV.

MONDAY

We were up early because we had to go to the market to buy stuff like peanut brittle and veggies. By 8 AM we were all packed and ready to go. I was a little sad before we left the house as leaving meant vacation over na. After saying our thank yous to the house caretakers, we took our last set of pictures.

My boys

Goodbye Baguio...

And yup, we will be back again soon...

8 Foods That Keep You Full

by Camille Noe Pagan (Glamour September 2011 issue)

1. EGG
For just 70 calories, an egg delivers more than 6 grams of protein. One study found that women who ate eggs for breakfast lost more weight than those who had bagels with the same number of calories, possibly because all that protein kept their hunger in check. The egg eaters reported more energy too!

2. SOUP
Studies show that food containing a lot of water can keep you feeling full. And when you start a meal with soup, you activate brain signals that begin to tell you you've had enough to eat - so that  by the time you finish your second course, you'll be satisfied. "Go for a broth-based bowl with fiber-rich veggies like celery and spinach," says Amy Jamieson-Petonic, RD.

3. AVOCADOS
Their healthy monosaturated fats may help slow the rate at which your stomach empties. They're also loaded with folate, potassium and Vitamin E, and early research suggests that foods containing these nutrients may be more satiating than others.

4. LOW-FAT GREEK YOGURT
Seventeen grams of protein in a 6-ounce container (that's more than you get in four slices of turkey!) mean major hunger control.

5. OATMEAL
All that filling fiber (4 grams per half-cup serving in the old-fashioned variety; 3 grams in the instant) helps this breakfast stick to your ribs. It also provides a surprising 4 to 7 grams of protein (the steel-cut kind typically has the most) - and that's before you add milk. For extra staying power, toss in blueberries, which have 4 grams of fiber per cup.

6. APPLES
Only 80 calories, but one can be as filling as a meal because of the 4 grams of fiber and high water content.

7. BEANS AND LENTILS
Eat them and you may end up eating less of everything else. They're high in protein - about 7 grams per half cup - and high in complex carbohydrates, the type that takes longer to break down.

8. NUTS
They have the perfect combination of fiber, protein and fat. The best include walnuts, pistachios and almonds. Just stick to an ounce or less to avoid calorie overload.


4 SECRET FOODS THAT MAKE YOU HUNGRY

1. The three C's
Cookies, crackers and croissants! Those processed sugary carbs tend to cause hunger rebound.

2. Alcohol
Famished after happy hour? It's not just your willpower: Booze can spike your appetite, experts say.

3. Cereal
Many are high in hunger-producing sugar and little else. Look for protein and fiber like in Kashi GoLean.

4. "Diet" Foods
Some frozen dinners, for example, actually have too few calories and not enough filling fruits and veggies