How Ballet Dance Floors Are Made

 

I did not realize how important dance floor is until I saw the construction of Mabe's ballet studio, DancePull School of Performing Arts, when they added an additional studio for baby ballet.

Dance Floor is a crucial part in choosing a ballet school for your kids. Proper installation leads to correct execution, improved performance and most important of all our concern as parents: SAFETY.

I do not mean to scare you but improper studio flooring will give your kids knee injuries, shin splints and back problems. Dancing in concrete is dangerous. 

When time comes that your kids wanted to pursue ballet or any form of dance, take a look at the studio's flooring.

Summer Treat -----> DIY IcePop

Beat the heat. Make your own ice pop.

I scored this IcePop Mold for Php35.00 only, but to my 8-year old, this is an ultimate summer activity treat. She used orange juice for this one.

Iced cold fun treat to beat the scorching summer heat! (lol) sounds like an advertisement.

Raffia and Abaca Fabrics

Last Sunday I forgot to post this photos of assorted fabrics I took inside Bacolod Central Market. I went there first thing in the morning to buy Raffia fibers for Mabe's grass skirt that needs repair.

Abaca Mesh Fabric:

Sinamay Abaca Fiber:

Woven Raffia Fabrics:

Natural Twines, Knots and Ropes (there's some shells too):

Stuff for our homes:

Wide selection of wooden neck pieces:

There are lots of natural products inside Bacolod Central Market that saves a huge amount in our budget. All you need is courage to take the heat and dust (not to mention the safety of your purses).

I suggest you go and shop there early in the morning, just about the time they open when the whole dimly lit market is still calm and less chaotic, bring loose change, and have a shopping buddy with you. 

Here's what I got, this is what a Raffia fiber looked like. The costume is from three years ago, so the waistline doesn't fit Mabe anymore.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tabletiquette

Yes. There is such a thing called Tabletiquette. With the fast trend and the arrival of all versions of iPad and Tablets in the market, there are some rules in behaving and handling your gadgets in public.

I was a victim of an iPad user last night WITHOUT a Tabletiquette:

See?

So I am re-posting CNN.Com's article about iPad Etiquette:

Expect the stares.

Embrace them, even. Sure, the aforementioned gawking died down once we all got used to seeing iPads in public spaces/transportation, but if you have a non-Apple tablet, the thing will arouse some curiosity. Be nice. Answer questions about whether you consider it a worthwhile purchase. If you're not wearing headphones, you might as well have a big "Talk to me!" sticker on the back of your device.

Don't put anything embarrassing on your tablet.

Your iPad is an open e-book. You can expect a little privacy on your Kindle (no one needs to know you downloaded "The Dance of Intimacy") or on your smartphone (anyone with any social grace knows they should stay away from your personal lockbox of texts, voice mails and e-mail), but a tablet is just begging to be played with.

In more ways than one: A friend shared a tale of being handed a PR person's personal tablet and told to look up something related to a client. Said friend obediently typed a letter into the address bar -- and up popped a list of recently visited URLs, all beginning with the same letter, and all of them, yes, porn. Clear your browsing history, OK? On an iPad's Safari, you just click on Bookmarks/History/Clear History. And please, clean your tablet regularly. Shudder.

Don't get it out during a movie.

We're not just talking about theaters (keep it under wraps there, too), but home movies. The glowing screen steals your fellow viewers' attention when they're trying to get lost in the plot line. Honestly, this goes for your smartphone, too. If you can't make it through 120 minutes without checking Words With Friends, you're choosing the wrong flicks.

Use caution when bringing it into a meeting.

Sure, tablets can be the glowing stars at a conference room table: They let you look up results or give quick PowerPoint presentations on the spot. But pecking at the screen while someone else is talking -- even if you're just taking notes -- looks rude. Stick with pen and paper for note-taking unless the rest of your co-workers have gone digital, too.

Stop plunking it in front of your child as if it were a mesmerizing electric babysitter. 

***

Anyway, to make the long story short, I wasn't able to get any decent photos. All I got were photos of this lady's freakin' iPad in my camera.

AND yes, I do own a tablet too but I do have proper Tabletiquette. 

World peace!

Dealing with smelly paper bills

Have you ever received a paper money like this? I'm sure we all did. Now, can you imagine how paper bills like this smells like? ugh!

This might sound petty to some, but for us women, for mothers like me, taking good care of our wallet is important. A purse full of money is the best ever (of course!) but a purse full of smelly money is another.

My friend Sue taught me this. So, here are some tips to avoid soiling our wallet with smells we can't even describe of:

1. Put a folded paper in between the paper bills inside your wallet. You can stash bills that are fresh from ATM Machines or from the teller.

2. For paper money from supermarkets, jeepneys, taxis, local vendors (especially from the wet section!), put it in a separate envelope.

Simple. 

Smell-free wallet.

Happy Thursday!

Goodbye PMS

To shoo away the painful periods and the dreaded PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome) such as throbbing headache....

the answer: YOGURT.

If you keep track of your period like me (i have WomanLog in my Samsung Galaxy Tab), you will have an easy time a week before your period, in loading up your diet with calcium, like YOGURT, and say goodbye to PMS.

Though there are a lot of recommended foods for PMS (like Brown Rice, Spinach, Pecan, Salmon), for me YOGURT is the most effective and easy to find.

so goodbye PMS!

Masskara: 10 Must-Do (if you live in Bacolod)

The 32nd Masskara Festival is here.

I am a year older than Masskara so literally, i grew up with the event, so i am writing my own 10 Must-Do for a resident of Bacolod to enjoy and survive Masskara Festival. To be honest, a lot of families i know just stays at home and enjoy the television coverage rather than hit the streets, stucked in traffic, and get caught in the middle of the crowded streets of the city. So here are simple suggestions from a resident who experienced the good and the bad sides of the festival:

1. Know the new traffic routes. From October 1-19, the whole downtown area and all access roads from the intersection of Gonzaga-Araneta to Galo-Gatuslao are closed. Jeepneys re-routes and passes at the back of SM going to i don't know anymore (sometimes as far as Magsungay area). We all need to walk, so if you have errands and other things to do, i suggest to you do it in the morning to avoid the re-routing/traffic. It will save you from cursing the traffic enforcer, the city officials, the event organizers, etc. believe me. 

2. Know the schedule of Dance Parades. When i was in college (in LCC), our final exams always coincides with the Masskara highlights, so you have to be really sneaky in finding your way out of the crowded Rizal - Gatuslao Sts., and out of the street dancers way. If you want to watch with your little kids, I suggest Araneta-Hernaez intersection (Servando's) or NOHS Araneta gate area. The crowds in Araneta-San Sebastian going to the Public Plaza is way thicker than the crowds going south. For people holding office in Plaza Mart building and nearby offices, well, goodluck, be on holiday as well :)

3. Share to your kids the Masskara Festival you experienced from your childhood. Kids love stories like that. Try it and you will be surprised how Masskara in the late 80's sounds to your kids. If you ask me personally, i love Masskara from the late 80's to early 90's, maybe because it brings back good and happy memories from childhood. 

4. (For families with small children and teenagers) Avoid the heart of Masskara Festival: The Public Plaza. I know some people might hate me for saying this, but I am just being true and factual. Every year somebody ends up dead in that area. Merrymaking is good, but I care more for safety. I suggest that Families, Kids, Teenagers try going to the 'stomach'  not the heart, of Masskara Festival: Lacson (Tourism) Strip for merrymaking and Food! It's a lot more safer than the public plaza.

5. Experience Electric Masskara. Since i mentioned Lacson (Tourism) Strip for a safer celebration, Electric Masskara takes place in that area. Bring the kids, grab some glow in the dark sticks, stroll going north (21st Lacson) and have some ice cream and streetfoods. Don't forget to wear comfortable shoes to avoid the killer blisters. 

6. Buy a colorful mask as souvenir and home decor. Sometimes we just take for granted the intricate designs of masks during Masskara Festival, we don't ever bother to buy one and put it in our homes. Tourists are all buying masks whenever they visit Bacolod, so why not get one too.

7. Know where to park safely and traffic free. If you want to witness Electric Masskara, as i have observed, at the back of 6th Lacson St. traffic and parking is tolerable and for those coming from the north, you only have the Ramos intersection area. I will not suggest anything from those going to the Public Plaza, because finding parking there even without any event is already a pain. 

8. Eat Chicken Inasal in Lacson (Tourism) Strip. With the smell of fresh chicken inasal coming from the food stalls along Lacson St., ahhhh you'll ask for a cup of rice and a sawsawan right on. The festive mood will urge you to eat more, really.

9. Visit the Malls and the New Government Center. Robinson's Place and SM displays and exhibit masks for competition. You will never regret dropping by and see the unique talents of Negrenses.

10. Take a lot of pictures. Post them in Facebook or Twit what's happening. Relatives abroad and friends in other cities would love to browse it. Consider it your contribution to attract more tourist in Bacolod to witness Masskara Festival next year.

there you go, enjoy Masskara Festival.

to know more about the schedule of the festival, click here.

be safe everyone!