Lowdown on Nickelodeon Takotown

The Nickelodeon Halloween Event is like our holiday mecca. There are other Halloween parties we attend, but THIS is the big thing we look forward to. It's like Octoberfest. But with candies.

This year, Nickelodeon billed its event as TAKOTOWN, the Pinoy Halloween.
By Pinoy, this meant...

A creepy welcoming committee of demonyos, impaktas, tiyanaks, and aswangs perched at the gate --throwing bags and bags of candies at you. This was the bomb!

An array of game booths called Sari-sari store (which has you hitting targets on shelves using a slingshot --FUN!), Vulcanizing shop (which has you tossing balls through tire hoops), and Barberya (which has you donning bald dolls on barber chairs with wigs while blindfolded --how whacked is that?! Lol!)

And one of the hosts wearing a barong.
Yeah.

Other than those, this Nickelodeon fest is still what it's always been.

Long lines of fantabulously-costumed kids.

Hefty loads of sweets! We got a lot from Kinder Joy and Lipps --my boys' favourites!

And a dance number by --no, not Spongebob this time-- THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES!!!! Yes, they're there! You just can't see them much because... DOY! They're ninjas.

Now, the lowdown. While Takotown gave us better access to treats than last year's Fright Fest, Fright Fest was a lot more festive in feel and decor. Takotown's walls were a little bare for my Halloween taste. So I guess Nickelodeon's 2011 Planet Scream still rules our Nick list. See why here.

Don't get me wrong. We still had fun. But it could have been ...you know, FUN-er. Here's hoping for a Planet Scream Repeat next year! Woohoo!!!

LOKI: THE DARK WORLD

Well, THAT should've been the title! Why, you ask? Let me start you off with a fair warning. SPOILER ALERT.

In my opinion, Thor The Dark World is pretty much Loki's limelight. Here, he has finally lived up to his title as the God of Mischief. No longer the whiny troubled teenager he played last time, Loki now reveals to us where he got his power of illusions from, how genius a scheming mind he has, how pretty much a good sense of humor he has, how he can actually be a trusted ally in desperate times, and... how he CAN NOT really be a trusted ally in desperate times. He was awesome. Why, my children never rooted for a villain this hard!

Another character given due spotlight even for just a few minutes was Queen Frigga who was honored with a remarkable hand-to-hand fight scene. This moment reminded us that this fine picture of grace and royalty was actually a Lethal Weapon detective back in the old days. Jolly good show!

Oh. and Erik Selvig! The man has completely lost his marbles and has become so much more endearing.

Of course, there was still an elaborate evil plot in there somewhere. A new bad dude surfaced, and a new outlandish weapon is introduced.

A weapon which would have pushed Jane Foster's character to better depth, but didn't.

The progression of her love affair with Thor is cute though. It's natural. Not rushed like most film romance.

Oh, I haven't mentioned Thor, huh? That's because I still liken his acting skills to that of a slice of bread. But he does go topless for a few seconds and that in itself is worth the trip.

But the best part of the movie is the brotherly mechanics between Loki and Thor. You know how Asgardians take sibling rivalry way too far, right? Godly proportions? Well, prepare to laugh, gasp, and cry on this one. Loki really outdid himself here. (Yes, Loki again. Have I fangirled too much? Blame my kids. Loki happens to be their new hero. Lol!)

Overall, Loki The Dark --I mean, Thor The Dark World-- is brilliantly paced. The action keeps everyone at the edge of their seats, the script is cleverly written, the realms are fabulously designed, and it is a fun, fun ride from start to finish. Kids in the theater laughed a great deal. And that makes for a great, great, great Marvel movie in my book!

Catch Thor The Dark World in cinemas today. No, really. Your kids wouldn't want to miss this!

BIG TIP: Do not leave the movie house until all credits have rolled.

The Village Sports Club Halloweekend

I hyperblog every Halloween. That's because I hyperbook my boys to every event that catches my hungry-for-Halloween eye.

This year, the persistent hunger took us to the Village Sports Club's Halloweekend. Boy, it was fun! And the fun comes from the fact that this event was waaay too organized.

Once you enter the main hall, you're handed your own Trick or Treat bag (no need to lug those plastic pumpkins around), a Bingo-esque activity checklist, and a Trick or Treat map.

The checklist takes you to a bunch of fun game booths and pocket entertainment nooks like an arts and crafts corner and a tattoo parlour.

You're also treated to your choice of uber classy food or fun picnic food. 

And then the show rolled out. It started with the energetic Cherifer Boy dancing to Psy's Gentleman... I kid you not. There were stage games, a magic show, prizes for the kids, and a raffle for the parents.
Which eventually lead to...

A Village-wide Trick or Treat!

We followed the map and went on hoarding sweets, balloons, and toys from the Pool area, the Bowling area, the Gym, the Tennis Court, the Dance Studio... WHEW! This went on until night time. So you can imagine how much goodies we got and how sore our happy feet were. :P

So did we enjoy this day? Was it overloaded with fun? 

Pshaw! Is that even a question?

The Village Sports Club Halloweekend. An event that just made it into our Halloween staple. Thanks for having us and see you again next year!

*Some photo creds to Village Sports Club on Facebook. Like it!

The Chew on Choooeys

IT CAME! IT CAME! IT FINALLY CAME!

Choooeys Baked Goodies is another one of my new comfort food discoveries. My children are real-life cookie monsters so this is perfect! I ordered the Choco Chip and the Choco Chip with Nutella (YES! Nutellaaah!!!) cookies, and they were shipped in nicely-sealed microwavable containers, as promised.

And they were GLORIOUS! Choooeys does take chewiness seriously. And the 'melts in your mouth' cliche --yup, it does happen here. Plus, it's rich but the level of sweetness is just right. There's no 'umay' factor --which might just make you eat more than planned. Haha! The dangers of awesome food.

One tiny setback. There were a bit of crumbs and broken Choco Chip pieces upon delivery (I'm looking at you, Mister Xend Guy!), but the quality of this manna from heaven can make you overlook that completely. Am I overselling this? Seriously, it is THAT good! And this family knows cookies. *side eyes little Cookie Monsters eating Choooeys while watching TV

The Nutella (YES! Nutellaaah!!!) version came intact. And that's good because this one is going to one of our dear family friends. Gotta share the love, like I always say.

In the same way I'm sharing the love with you. If you want top-notch cookies, chew on something fresh off the jar. Choose Choooeys Baked Goodies. Without a doubt, you'll fall for their Choco Chip and Choco Chip Nutella (YES! Ok, I'm done. Lol!), their Triple Chocolate, and their overwhelmingly huge variety of fantabulous Oatmeal cookies. *drools on keyboard just thinking about them; makes a mental note to order them next time

Remember, C is for Cookie. Chooodles!

Papier Macheniacs: Halloween Mask-Making Special

Sometimes our kids choose the most difficult Halloween costumes. Like, this year, my boy wanted to be Ed of Cartoon Network's Ed, Edd n Eddy. Now if you're into this kind of crazy animated humor, you'd know that the Ed, Edd n Eddy show has been cancelled way back. There's no way I'm going to find an Ed mask to go with the simple oversized duds the character wears.

Good thing we have ...Papier Macheniacs Power!!!
KABOOM!

First, we bought a typical bare white mask to serve as the foundation for Ed's features. Aaaand... I'm a little too lazy to cut out eye holes and nostrils on my own, so there.

Second, we sculpted in newspaper.

Third, papier mache time! We made sure we didn't block the holes.

Fourth, we painted it! Ok, keep in mind that the eye holes and nostrils are there for your child's comfort. They're not there to dictate your design. You still have to follow the character's facial oddities and map it into the surface of the mask. Ed's nose is a button high up between his huge eyes. And so, there it stays.
After painting, we aerated. This is the most important step. You don't want your kid breathing in paint and glue residue. You have to make sure the whole mask is completely dry and completely odorless. Got that? Cool.

Bonus tip: Of course, you have to take photos. Shoot down so the holes on the mask are hidden. It would be great if you could get your kid to wear white hypoallergenic eyeshadow, too. :P

Now aren't you just thrilled to take on any character costume your kid dishes out this holiday?
Happy Halloween and Happy Papier Mask Macheing!

Have Ball. Will Papier Mache.

Is this adorable or what!
Kirby is by far the cutest fighter in all of Nintendo land. And now he can be yours... in the flesh! Or at least, in 3D paper. And all you need is a ball.

We have an old ball slowly deflating to its demise in the kids' toy chest. We could've had it re-aired. But where's the fun in that? So we went with re-purposing, Papier Macheniacs' style.

All it took was a bit of last week's newspaper sculpted into Kirby's cute little limbs. You might need a little more tape than usual if you're using a rubber ball.

Then, it's a tissue and glue attack! I love how smooth the tissue press came out. No air bubbles. No nasty folds. Cheers for smooth ball surfaces! Needless to say, don't use a textured ball for this project. And start glueing immediately after sculpted newspaper-taping. The tape can easily come off of rubber.

My boys' favorite part is next: PAINTING!

A perfect segue to spilling the beans on my latest papier mache discovery. Flamingo Water-proof Poster Paint. WATERPROOF!  Flamingo gives brilliant coverage, excellent fills, and the most vivid colors. It is definitely our new papier mach staple. A bit of warning though. With waterproofing power comes a bit of chemical fumes. Make it a point to paint in a well-ventilated area.

Just go to town with the details...

And voila! KIRBYYYY!!!!

Not only do my kids have a new loveable, sturdy, waterproof friend to play with... but we've also given an old ball new reason to live again.  *awww...*

Cloudy with a Chance of Fun Time Part 2

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.
This movie is nearly perfect. Nearly because the film was never really cloudy and not once did I see a single meatball. Which kinda tells you that Sony Pictures Animation didn't really count on having a part 2 to its successful Cloudy with a Chance of Meatrballs part 1 --which, by the way, was indeed cloudy and did feature meatballs.
Had this been foreseen, director Cody Cameron could have demanded for a series title that was less specific, say, Food Trip or Appetite Adventure or A Movie Done in Good Taste. Haha!
I digress, don't I?

Other than that very minor nitpicking, CWACOM2 is a supreme blast! A delectable eye candy of colorful food preps, colorful backdrops, colorful characters, and the most colorful plot twist in cartoon history. This time around, the food... IS ALIVE.
Now does that freak you out or what!

Each fruit, veggie, and meat produce are designed to represent certain animals, thus, making them Foodimals. The visual display of each edible beast (edibeast?) is spectacular. And their names are in puns! Being a punster myself, this gave me great joy. There are shrimpanzees, tacodiles, cheese spiders ---fun, fun, fun!

The story continues from where CWACOM1 left off. With Flint Lockwood and the gang facing yet another adventure in Food Science. Taking the helm of evil is Flint's childhood hero, Chester V. --Food Bar business magnate, yoga enthusiast, and conniving a-wipe who sought to crush Flint's dream to uplift his own. Sounds like any insecure boss you know? Hmm?

The kids will love this film for 4 reasons:
1. The food-animal hybrids are really awesome!
2. The jokes and puns are just everywhere. My kids went on a laugh-a-minute trip!
3. Like its predecessor, it's an animated science fiction film --what's not to like about that?
4. It tells kids that anyone can invent anything that can change the world. If your kids are as crazy as mine, they'll go glassy-eyed and gravitate to that philosophy. Believe you me.

Oh, and another one!
5. It inspires children to respect their food or it'll bite them in the butt! Now that's a message loaded with parenting win, if you ask me.

Looking to spend a fun-filled family night? Watch Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2! Just make sure to roll out the non-talking popcorn, ok?