Kids Day Out

"Tweens love to enjoy their time by themselves with little or no intervention from their parents." --- TargetWoman on Tween Parenting

And that's just what happened three weekends ago when my daughter joined her cousins on their mall "hang-out". That's how she and my fifteen year old niece puts it, a "hang-out". They don't want me tagging along. I even read my niece's post in my daughter's social networking account asking why do I have to be there. I had to laugh at that. They think they're adults that they can go on their own. Then she asked me what I will do. I said I will just watch a movie while they go around the mall.

They cannot bear the fact that there will be a mother tailgating them. Here's the deal. I allowed my daughter to join them since three older cousins joined too - ages seventeen to twenty. I texted and called several times just to check where they were and how they were doing.

This is a milestone in my daughter's tween years. This is the first time she went out with cousins without me. She and her cousin Jill were the organizers of this "hang-out". I love their enthusiasm. They were calling each other and sending emails about their "itinerary". I don't want to spoil the fun. I just needed to be sure my daughter will be taken cared of. The three older cousins are really responsible kids.

I did my own thing - bought some things, had my pasta fix, and read a good book at Power Books - Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen. I intend to buy this book after my I finish my current read, The Pillars of the Earth.

So what do kids do without the presence of any parent?

They hug bears. They make silly faces. They take pictures even inside the wash room.


They pose endlessly play endlessly. The upper right picture, my daughter with her puppy dawg eyes, is my favorite. :)


They enjoyed the last few weeks before school started. School is on its third week for most of them. The fun they had in this get-together will last them a few months before they plan another "hang-out".

***More snapshots at WS.

The King of Pop

Before I became a fan of alternative music and the radio station that played them - WXB, I was glued to 99.5 RT, Rhytm of the City, for my daily pop music fix. The station ID keeps playing on my head for a few minutes now.

I never missed RT's broadcast of Kasey Casem's American Top 40 every Sunday. I even list down the songs in my notebook. That was the mid-80s. Radio, television and yes, song hits and music magazines were my allies in my music exploration. There was no internet yet as we have it today.

I started on pop songs before new wave captured my attention. New waver it was called but it sounds really tacky now. You guessed it right, Michael Jackson was on top of my list. I was ecstatic having my own Thriller cassette tape. It was a prized possession.

Songs from the Thriller album were our favorite back in high school. My friends and I danced to PYT (Pretty Young Thing) during our home room presentation. The boys danced to Thriller complete with tattered white shirt with red undershirt to have a gooey blood effect coming out of their bodies. Haha.

It was the time of baston, today's skinny jeans, bitin pants (cropped pants) and leather jackets. Aga Muhlach, the local teen idol of the 80s, and half of the high school boys copied MJ's style - leather jackets with heavily padded shoulders, a hat, sequined gloves, and all that iconic fashion statements.

My taste in music shifted to alternative after high school. I will never be caught dead listening to any of MJ's songs. It felt like I needed to put my music to a different level. That was juvenile thinking.

As I was maturing I got to appreciate Michael Jackson's music again. I was not affected when he was branded as Wacko Jacko. I admired him for his talent. Elaborate outfits and cosmetic surgery aside. I was not a big fan anymore but I was again fascinated by his songs. One of my favorite songs remain to be You Are Not Alone. I love the lyrics, I love the video (even how he looks in the video) and I love his soulful rendition of the song.

Again, I am not a big fan, but his death is sinking in. It's sinking in like I have lost a good friend. I feel sad about it. A blow in growing old in age is seeing The Icon who occupied the greatest part of my generation, Generation X, leave - gone forever. I am very much affected. Michael Jackson was the common ground in one of the happiest and most unforgettable years of my life. Michael Jackson was a great part of my youth.

I am reminiscing now watching some of his music videos over at YouTube. God only knows why things happen the way they do.

May you rest in peace, Michael Jackson, King of Pop. I bow to you. Thank you for the music. I pray for a good life for all your children too. May they be guided properly and may they live well.

Health Kit

Tuesday, June 16, marked the first day of school for my daughter. She told me she can't believe classes has resumed. Better believe it, girl. She is happy to be with her classmates again, especially her best friends.

It's good to note she is excited about school. I am too. Oh yes, just like most moms (and dads) I'm also wary about the A(H1N1) virus. Prevention is the best. I adhere to a positivity thought that instead of highlighting the negative, it is better to implement positive actions.

*I reoriented my daughter about keeping good hygiene at all times.
*I have demonstrated the proper way of washing hands.
*We also advised her to keep away from crowds for the mean time, like the school canteen and the play area.
*I visited the school's wash room for grade school and have already given my feedback to her adviser.
*A health kit is a must.

All moms I know personally have included alcohol and hand sanitizers in their children's school bag staples. I'm sure most of our kids have this in their bags even before. My daughter's school has the mandatory health kit for each child inside the classroom since she was in preschool. One shoebox for each student kept inside a cabinet in the classroom - extra shirt and underwear, alcohol, toilet paper, facial tissue, small towel, soap, etcetera.

So now aside from that, I bought my daughter a pouch which she can carry anywhere she goes. It contains the necessities - alcohol which I portioned in a refill sprayer, hand sanitizer, small towel, liquid soap, Nivea lip care (for her chapped lips), facial tissue. The importance of using them properly is strongly emphasized during this time.

It's good also, temperature of each student entering the school is being checked. The advisers of each class also had another thermal check at the clinic yesterday. A circular from the school's management was submitted to all parents to inform us the measures implemented to prevent the nasty virus.

Let's pray that this virus will soon be gone. The War of the Worlds flashed on my mind where the aliens attacked the earth just died on us, earthlings, because they cannot survive our planet's microorganisms. But then, we are humans and we rule our earth. Virus, begone.

My Daughter's "First Job"

Even before school was out my daughter and I were thinking what could be a good summer activity for her this year. Maybe she can file receipts and arrange files and folders for his daddy, an hour at least three times a week. But she was not excited about it. Of course, in this day and age, who would? Read: b.o.r.i.n.g. I didn't push it.

McDonald's Kiddie Crew was out of the question as she had spent two summers already joining the young team. She's going eleven and quite tall for her age so we both think she won't fit already. I'm not sure too if they still offered it at the branch near our place. I have not seen any announcement.

She had guitar lessons last summer. Swimming lessons are enhancements of what she already know. She wanted something new for the rest of May.

It's a good thing the last time we visited her favorite clothes shop, Orange Juice, we filled up a membership form. They regularly send emails for updates - sale, new items, activities. I received an email announcing their opening for this year's Juice Crew.

I checked OJ's site and read about the activity. My daughter and I both liked what we saw - bonding with fellow kids, learning a few things about kiddie fashion, and more importantly, I find it a good venue to express the creative talents of the children and build their confidence.

We joined. I let her email them and answer a few questions about herself. Short and sweet. We were happy when someone from OJ called a few weeks after to inform her she is one of the OJ club members to join in this year's summer activity. According to the website, around 200 applications were sent and 24 of them were chosen.

Day 1 was orientation and getting to know the other kids. She had fun because they played fashion consultants, created slogans and tags and had snack together. They dressed up their model too and explained why they chose the style.

My daughter has an innate talent when it comes to expressing herself visually. I would like to further hone that. She is more artistically inclined than I am. She probably got this from my mother.

I lifted the picture below from the OJ site. More pictures of the kids at Club OJ. Here their group huddled to create their earth-friendly slogan.


Days 2, 3 and 4 were spent in their assigned OJ store. We chose Shangrila because it is the nearest from our place among the choices (Rockwell and Alabang Town Center were the other two). I stayed for a few minutes on her first day. I just want to observe how she's doing and of course, take pictures! Some are a bit blurry because I hurriedly point and shoot.

She met new friends and they bonded for three days. They communicate until now through emails, chats and their social networking accounts. I'm talking about ten year old girls here. What was I doing when I was ten?



Materials were given to them at the store to create their bulletin board. What do you know? The little ladies decided to have their picture taken in a nearby photo shop and tuck them in in their boards. See their various poses. I love the jump shot the most. Kids love the camera, don't they?


They were allowed/encouraged to choose the clothes they want displayed. She is helping the very amiable sales associate dress up the mannequin with her preferred top and bottom. Check out her finished product, it's the picture I posted in my Visual Merchandising entry.


My daughter taking it easy listening to music.


There is plenty of time to bond with the other OJ kids.


And her first ever salary - lifetime discount card at OJ (we love this!), a necklace, and gift certificates. Great! Substantial enough for a ten year old. :)


I found out from Club OJ's site that this activity was published in Manila Bulletin's Fun Page and its website. Juice Crew Chronicles was written by a thirteen year old young miss, this year's spokesperson for OJ.

We subscribe to a different newspaper so I was not able to secure a copy (or copies for that matter). I am now asking my newspaper supplier if they still have the May 30 issue.

My daughter's the one in the middle. Scanned pictures below were lifted from Club OJ site. Click the pages below if you want to read.


I like this kind of exposure for my daughter. I want her to get used to talking to people, young and old, to always have a ready smile and learn how to act on situations. I had a fun time watching the kids talk to customers and act as junior brand managers. My daughter's social skills is good. A little shy at the start but she gets comfortable easily. Not overbearing but she can speak her mind when needed.

To sum it up, in my daughter's own words, "I had a great time mixing and matching clothes. I really, really like my new friends!" Well, learning and having fun go together perfectly.

***More snapshots at WS.

Visual Merchandising

Visual merchandising is vital in the retail industry. As we know competition is stiff especially inside a huge department store where all sorts of marketing buzz are implemented by each tenant or concessionaire. Products (and services) of a company is best advertised inside a mall or the store itself on how they position items that will catch the public's attention. A plan-o-gram represents an ideal way to display but sometimes even this is a source of debate between the head office people and the front liners.

Am I encouraged to go inside, look and buy just because of an attractive display? I have to say yes if I am not in a hurry. Each of us is a potential customer. We might not buy right away but if a product gives a good impression after checking it, it just might find its way in our next purchase list (whether as a need or as a want).

An interesting article, The Way the Brain Buys, tells us the science and psychology of shopping.

People tell market researchers and “focus groups” that they make rational decisions about what to buy, considering things like price, selection or convenience. But subconscious forces, involving emotion and memories, are clearly also at work.

Here's the facade of our favorite apparel store for pre-teen girls, Orange Juice. It has an eye-catching display of the latest styles of clothes for little ladies - a feast to the eyes of mommies and their tweenies. A lot of my daughter's clothes from OJ still look good after a year or so. I call that value for money. Now I just posted a free advertising. :)

My daughter paired the top and bottom and asked the associate to display it. I like the white bottom actually.

One of my daughter's activities last May was to be a part of Club OJ's summer project. I'll be sharing more about this fun and fruitful summer activity of my daughter in my weekend post.

***More about "advertisement" at Photohunt.