Random Thoughts

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
- The Retribution of Mara Dyer Book 3 by Michelle Hodkin
- [The Maze Runner Series] - 0.6 The Fever Code by James Dashner
- Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
- [Unearthly Series] - 1.0 Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
- [Unearthly Series] - 2.0 Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
- [Unearthly Series] - 2.5 Radiant by Cynthia Hand
- [Unearthly Series] - 3.0 Boundless by Cynthia Hand
- P.S. I Like You by Kasie West (I super LIKE this book!)
- My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares (I found this boring)
- Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian
- Currently Reading: 39 Clues Series: Operation Trinity by Clifford Riley
- Currently Reading: You are Here by Jennifer E. Smith
- Currently Reading: Suddenly Royal (DNF)

What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
- Finding Dory
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Rogue One (love it!)
- Mission Impossible
- Bolt
- Princess Diaries 1 & 2
- Antman

What special days did I celebrate and how?
- Christmas! ♥

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
- I had a couple of sinusitis and allergies :(

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
- Dinner out with officemates/team
- Christmas Party/Get Together with Highschool Friends
- Went out on a date with my girl #1
- Went to Isabel's 8th Birthday Party
- Went out on a movie date with Hubby
- Went out on a date with my girl #2
- Watched Rogue One: Star Wars with the family
- Brunch Date with my Dad and Auntie
- Christmas Party/Get Together with CFC Family
- Videoke with our friends at their house
- Early Christmas Dinner at Wee Nam Kee with my Dad and Auntie
- Watched Light Show at Ayala Triangle Gardens
- Went to La Union to celebrate the New Year!

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
- Yakimix
- Yoshinoya
- KFC for Isabel's 8th Birthday Party
- Komoro Soba for a Quick Dinner
- Denny's for brunch with my Dad and Auntie
- Wee Nam Kee
- La Union Food Trip:
- Ubiztondo Grill House
- Sandbox
- El Union Coffee and Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Mommy Lu's
- Surf Shack
- Tagpuan
- Flotsam and Jetsam's Makai Bowls and Coffee
- Ol Pub
- Kahuna Beach Resort & Restaurant
- Chicboy
- Sandbar
- Sebay Resort and Resto
- Fatwave Restaurant
- Kaseiki Japanese Restaurant
- Jollibee Drive Thru

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
- A Pair of Pebbled Nude Shoes from AereShoes
- Birthday and Christmas Gift Cards ♥♥♥

What have you learned this month?
- Lesson #1: Our doubts regarding God’s providence may hinder us from recognizing, appreciating His blessing and may not allow us to effect God’s plan for our life and for those that may be affected by our saying “No” to what He wants of us. Let us open our eyes, ears, heart and mind to God’s voice through the Holy Spirit so that our will is aligned to God’s will and that God’s plan for us, and for others affected by our decision to follow Him, will come to fruition.

- Lesson #2:

Another kids' and adults' favorite in Odaiba - the Gundam!

This is actually the reason why we went to Odaiba. To see this enormous robot. And I'm glad we did, because it was amazing!


The kids were so surprised to see it. Just look at their expressions. (*grin*)



Hubby and I loved it too!


This is located in front of DiverCity Tokyo Plaza which is open from 10:00AM to 9:00PM. Restaurants are open at 11:00 to 23:00.
As for the viewing time, it is always available. ♥♥♥

Remember I posted a couple of weeks ago about me buying my favorite game - Wisdomantics for all our friends and relatives this Christmas? Well, I did! Because it's already out in Apple Store and Google Play! Woot! Woot!

You will still get the fun part in this new version. Gain the wisdom of Solomon while having fun with friends and family. You can still play in Solo, Pass & Play, or you can opt for multiplayer modes with your family, friends or neighbors. And in Multiplayer, you can opt to play against Android and iOS players anywhere in the world! Yes, that's right. Just turn on the internet and then you are good to go!

The game’s intent is to bring players together in a fun environment and impart them with wisdom from Solomon that they can then apply to their own lives. So yes, this is a great game for bonding with your kids, get together with your friends or if you alone just want to learn and have fun at the same time! I know that it is because the people whom we gave this game as a gift were ecstatic!

You would want to try it yourself. So, download my favorite game, Wisdomantics, NOW... And don't forget to spread the word, peeps!

For iphone users...

For Android users...


Enjoy the game and let me know what you think! (*wink*)(*wink*)

Happiness is...

1. Christmas Day
2. Bonding with Family ♥
3. Noche Buena
4. Freshly made Hot Chocolate. Oh YUM!
5. Holidays
6. Looooong break/vacation
7. Beach ♥♥♥
8. Photos
9. Gifts, gifts, gits
10. Family

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

Here's another highlight of our quick trip to Odaiba - The beautiful trees!

To get there and around Odaiba, here are a couple of options that you might want to take...

Access to Odaiba can be an attraction in itself, as the views of the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo's harbor and waterfront area from the Yurikamome elevated train and boats are quite spectacular. Furthermore, it is also possible to walk across the Rainbow Bridge.

By Yurikamome

The Yurikamome is an automated, elevated train with rubber tires, which connects Shimbashi Station on the Yamanote Line with all of Odaiba's attractions and Toyosu Station on the Yurakucho Subway Line. Trains depart every few minutes, and a ride between Shimbashi and Daiba Station takes 15 minutes and costs 320 yen. If you ride the Yurikamome more than twice, a 1-day pass for 820 yen is likely to pay off. The Yurikamome is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass.

The Yurikamome crosses the Rainbow Bridge to get to Odaiba and offers spectacular views of the harbor and the Tokyo waterfront. Sit or stand at the very front of the train for the most impressive views.

By Rinkai Line

The Rinkai Line connects Osaki Station on the JR Yamanote Line with Shin-Kiba Station on the JR Keiyo Line, stopping at the Tokyo Teleport and Kokusai Tenjijo underground stations on Odaiba along the way. Some trains on the JR Saikyo Line continue to run on the Rinkai Line and provide direct connections between Shinjuku, Shibuya and Odaiba.

The ride from Shinjuku to Tokyo Teleport Station on Odaiba takes 25 minutes and costs 500 yen. Note that the Japan Rail Pass, Seishun 18 Kippu and similar JR tickets are not valid on the Rinkai Line between Osaki and Shin-Kiba, even though the line is served by JR trains.

By boat

Tokyo Water Bus operates boats between Odaiba Seaside Park and Hinode Pier (20 minutes, 480 yen, 1-2 boats per hour), where there are connections to Asakusa. Direct boats connect Asakusa and Odaiba less frequently (50 minutes, 1560 yen). Furthermore, there are boats from Hinode Pier to Palette Town and Tokyo Big Sight (25-35 minutes, 410 yen, one boat per hour except Mondays and Tuesdays).

On foot

It is possible to cross the Rainbow Bridge on foot. The walk across takes about 30-45 minutes and offers nice views of the waterfront area. The pedestrian path begins a short walk from Shibaura-futo Station along the Yurikamome on the "Tokyo side" of the bridge, while Odaiba Kaihinkoen Station is the nearest station on the "Odaiba side". Bicycles are not allowed.

Note that the pedestrian walkways gets closed during the night (21:00 to 9:00 from April to October, 18:00 to 10:00 from November to March), on the third Monday of every month, from December 29 to 31, during the Tokyo Bay Fireworks Display and during bad weather.

I hope you are finding that "simple life" that you've been wanting especially during these holidays. Mine would be spending time with my family, the people I love the most. ♥

Nothing beats the Classic Christmas Songs!

Merry, Merry Christmas everyone! (*wink*)

Wishing you all a merry, merry Christmas! May you enjoy this day to celebrate Jesus and how much God loves us. Spend time with your family and enjoy every minute of it.

Merry Christmas!!!

There were no words to describe this beautiful island here are a couple of the photos and some tiny details about Odaiba. ♥♥♥

Odaiba is a popular shopping and entertainment district on a man made island in Tokyo Bay. It originated as a set of small man made fort islands (daiba literally means "fort"), which were built towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) to protect Tokyo against possible attacks from the sea and specifically in response to the gunboat diplomacy of Commodore Perry.

More than a century later, the small islands were joined into larger islands by massive landfills, and Tokyo began a spectacular development project aimed to turn the islands into a futuristic residential and business district during the extravagant 1980s. But development was critically slowed after the burst of the "bubble economy" in the early 1990s, leaving Odaiba nearly vacant.

It was not until the second half of the 1990s, when several hotels, shopping malls and the Yurikamome elevated train line were opened, that Odaiba developed into one of Tokyo's most popular tourist attractions and date spots with a wide selection of shopping, dining and leisure options.

Despite the initial setbacks, several lavish development projects did materialize, including some of Tokyo's boldest architectural creations, such as the Fuji TV Building, Telecom Center and Tokyo Big Sight. Modern city planning furthermore provides Odaiba with plenty of green space and a pleasant division of motorized and pedestrian traffic using elevated walkways and the like.

More photos later!

Here's a nice read for us parents who have kids who are starting to like Social Media...

How Much Social Media is Enough for My Kids?
By Celine Villadares

With the rapid development of technology, the younger generation has been introduced in the world where exchange of information is readily made available online. With these changes come the sudden increase of usage of social media and other mediums of communication. How much of these would be enough for your kids really? Here are some tips to get you started:

Expose to Educate:

As parents, you cannot totally ban the use of social media since some schools use these as well to give out information about academic programs and tasks. Then, social media in this aspect can be used to your advantage. Guide your child to the understanding that the use of social media is indeed beneficial, but has its own dangers too. Let them be aware which information is safe enough to be available online, and up to what extent would not be good to put up online.

Establish Rules and Policy:

When it comes to establishing rules, involve your child! Show respect and acknowledgement to their needs. Sometimes parents tend to show so much authorization over their children, as a result their children oppose. Sit with your child and discuss how many hours and which certain time in a day would be good for having access on the internet. Accessibility would involve academic functions and their own playtime.

Filter the Sites That They Get Access To:

Educating your kids sometimes won’t be enough, and so comes filtering. Filtering the sites that they get access to would somehow make you feel safer to the things that might be exposed to. Sexual offenders and negative contents online are everywhere! And those people that manage these negative aspects of the internet are very much skilled in targeting the vulnerable age group. By filtering, you can somehow be rest assured of which contents to show them.

Balance with the “Real” Social Exposure:

Don’t let social media and the other use of the internet rob your child of what “real” socializing is! Join a community group and activities that would serve as a medium of social interaction. Attend a family gathering or volunteer to the part of the community that needs assistance, by these you can let your children experience the “real” world outside social media.

Spend Time with your Kids:

Some kids tend to spend more than in social media just because there is nothing to do at home, then the solution for this would be to spend quality time with them. As they say, TIME is the best expression of love. Make your children feel that they matter and family time is much more fun! With this, parents, let your children feel that they are not on a leash, give them freedom to decide, respect their individuality. Now, if there is something that needs to be corrected, sit and discuss with them. An established relationship between family members would be a good way for a trusting one.

We cannot control the technology-driven generation of today, but parents can always have a say on how they would train their children to approach the changes around us.

SOURCE.

For the next few days (and nights) we will be staying in another area which is in Asakusa.

We are quite excited because there are a lot of nice traditional areas here.

But first of all, breakfast...



There was no breakfast available for our hotel so we checked out a couple of coffee shops in Asakusa. But guess what? We've always ended up in Mister Donut.


The kids were ecstatic because you know what, they never had a donut for breakfast. (*grin*) So it was one of the highlights of their day.

Now off to our next stop. Odaiba.

It is pretty far from Asakusa so we had to ask around for directions.


But since we were already there for a few days, Hubby got the hang of their train system.


Good thing because we started to appreciate the beauty of their stations. ♥


Lots and lots of things to see!


As for our destination for the day, watch out for it soon! (*wink*)(*wink*)(*wink*)

Happiness is...

1. Happy Weekend with Family and Friends
2. Get Together with friends from CFC
3. Gifts, gifts, gifts
4. Food trip!
5. Rogue One, movie date with the Kids
6. Christmas is just around the corner ♥
7. Christmas Lights
8. Steaming Hot Tea on Weekends
9. Desserts
10. Home made Meals ♥

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

After a very interesting and quick visit to Meiji Jingu Shrine, off we went back to Harajuku for lunch.

Harajuku refers to the area around Tokyo's Harajuku Station, which is between Shinjuku and Shibuya on the Yamanote Line. It is the center of Japan's most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles, but also offers shopping for adults and some historic sights.

And since it had been days since we've been eating Japanese food (not that we were complaining!), we had pasta for a change.


And it was gooood! ♥

After lunch, our next stop, Takeshita Street.

The focal point of Harajuku's teenage culture is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) and its side streets, which are lined by many trendy shops, fashion boutiques, used clothes stores, crepe stands and fast food outlets geared towards the fashion and trend conscious teens.

Shops along Takeshita Dori tend to be open daily from 11:00 to 20:00.
The symbol of Harajuku and birthplace of many of Japan's fashion trends, Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) is a narrow, roughly 400 meter long street lined by shops, boutiques, cafes and fast food outlets targeting Tokyo's teenagers. Because of the street's popularity, it becomes extremely busy and crowded on the weekends. Interesting shops and restaurants can also be found along some of the side streets.

And guess what? We were able to try the famous crepes there too!


And it was so, so, soooo good! Now are you convinced that you should visit this street? Yes you should!

This is so perfect to think about especially during the upcoming holidays...

To buy that flatscreen TV or bring the whole family to the beach? Hmmmmm...

To know more about this, there's a very nice article here.

Here's a bit of a slow song for you to listen today.

Perfect!

For our next stop, off we went to Meiji Jingu Shrine. And, just like what we did for in all of our stay there, we just took the trains.

We were getting the hang of it so far! Because we didn't get lost, and we reached Meiji Jingu Shrine right on schedule.

Meiji Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Located just beside the JR Yamanote Line's busy Harajuku Station, Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll.

The shrine was completed and dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken in 1920, eight years after the passing of the emperor and six years after the passing of the empress. The shrine was destroyed during the Second World War but was rebuilt shortly thereafter.

Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan. He was born in 1852 and ascended to the throne in 1867 at the peak of the Meiji Restoration when Japan's feudal era came to an end and the emperor was restored to power. During the Meiji Period, Japan modernized and westernized herself to join the world's major powers by the time Emperor Meiji passed away in 1912.

What made our visit interesting was that there was a wedding taking place. Very interesting!



Would love to be back here again soon.



Here are directions in going there...

You can take Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line from Shinjuku to Akasakamitsuke. Then transfer to Ginza line to Asakusa. The fare is 230 yen. It takes 34 minutes.

This ride is somehow unforgettable simply because we lined up for 2 hours! Yes, 2 hours and in a cold, cold, cold weather without having dinner YET.

Argh, why, oh, why did we do this?


It was almost closing time and we actually made it to this ride, so we just went with it.


And, it took us TWO WHOLE HOURS!

Go in through Woody's wide open mouth and you'll find that you've shrunk to the size of a toy! A great time playing the carnival games set up under Andy's bed is waiting for you!
Duration about 5 min.
Vehicle Capacity 8 persons
Boarding Restrictions ・Those who cannot maintain a stable sitting position alone in a moving vehicle.
・You may not ride with a child on your lap.

Was it worth IT?


YES!

And now it's time to leave this unforgettable ride. Look how lovely the ride looked from the outside...




But, I tell you, it was definitely worth the wait! ♥♥♥