The Book is Back!

What? Who? Why, Superbook, of course!

Yes, folks! Remember how I invited y'all to last Saturday's Superbook SuperLaunch? Well, Saturday morning, the kids and I got to attend a special screener of Superbook at Robinson's Galleria Cinemaworld!

A and RL posing with the Gizmo standee at the Superbook Special Screener for Media and Friends.

We got to watch the episode "Let My People Go!" - Superbook's take on Moses, the plagues, and the Israelites' adventure out of Egypt. My kids were enthralled. As expected, the little boy kept asking me questions. Watching the screener made me think about my own personal adventures with the old Superbook. I loved this series as a kid! I still do. 

I must admit, I am in awe of the new graphics. And yes, that's Joy, Chris and Gizmo off to a new Superbook adventure!

Icko Gonzalez, Superbook Project Head in the Philippines (who also happens to be a good friend, classmate and brother), mentioned that Superbook had such a great impact in his life that he imagines Bible Stories as depicted in the cartoon series. This also holds true to the legacy Superbook established in me - as this is also how I imagine Bible stories!

And guess what we learned during last Saturday's screener? Superbook will be back on TV! That's right!

This Saturday, 1 June 2013, Superbook Reimagined shall air its pilot episode "In The Beginning" on GMA 7 at 7:30am. 

Catch Superbook Reimagined every Saturday, from 7:30 - 8:00am on GMA 7!

And that's not all! Classic Superbook fans are in for a treat as well!

Superbook Classic episodes will air every Sunday, starting June 2, also at 7:30am on GMA 7!

Catch the old classic (this time in Tagalog) on Sundays, 7:30 - 8:00 am, also on GMA 7!

So why relaunch an old classic? "Superbook aims to capture the hearts of the children of today," says Icko. I doubt that it's a goal that's hard to reach. Already, A has set her alarm for Saturday and Sunday. "I am waking up in time for Superbook," she exclaimed this morning.

As for me, I can't wait for Saturday. I am excited to see how this well-loved and yet, reinvented favorite, takes root in my kids' hearts. This mom is ready to relive the greatest adventure of all time. See you on Saturday (and Sunday), Superbook!

Ikaw? Batang Superbook ka ba?

NEW! SUPERBOOK REIMAGINED
Saturdays, 7:30am, GMA 7

SUPERBOOK CLASSIC (In Tagalog)
Sundays, 7:30am, GMA 7


| facebook.com/BatangSuperbook
| www.batangsuperbook.com

The Crocs MegaSale 2013 CITIBANK EXCLUSIVE!

I promised you an update, and I was supposed to post this yesterday. But as usual, work got in the way (I don't want to lose my day job, hehe). So anyway...

Citibank Philippines has announced they will be having their exclusive Crocs Megasale 2013 Preview Sale on not one, but TWO dates! That's right, if you are a Citi Card cardholder, you get first dibs on this year's biggest Crocs sale!

WHAT: Citibank Exclusive Preview Sale to the Crocs Megasale 2013!

WHEN: May 29-30, 2013 (Wednesday and Thursday); 10am to 8pm

WHERE: NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City

Just present your Citi Card to enjoy FREE ENTRANCE for yourself and a friend, plus the chance to check out this year's megasale before everyone else.

For more details on Crocs Megasale 2013, click here.

Source: | Facebook.com/CitibankPH

Because YOU Asked - Extreme 23!

I am currently stuck on the new extreme levels - 33 and 35, to be exact. My brain is on vacation, INERTIA, at rest - playing the no-brainer, HAPPY STREET. LOL!

I think, though, that the truth is this: my brain is trying to slow down when it comes to Carrot Fantasy. Who knows when the next update is?! So yes, maybe I am taking it slow. I don't mind. At least I still have those two levels undone. My brother spent a good part of the early evening in my office trying to get past wave 3 on level 33. I have gone as far as wave 18, only to have a pest bite into that lovely carrot. So sue me, I want GOLD! LOL! So yes, in the middle of trying to figure it out (and working on extra patience), I am playing Happy Street instead. Haha, it's such a lazy game. And because some folks asked for the walkthrough for Level 23, here it is.

Start by planting ELECTRIC BALL towers as shown below. Upgrade the upper right one once. Aim for the giant chest on the right. The lone ELECTRIC BALL on the left can take care of the pests.

Once you kill ONE pest, you will be able to plant another ELECTRIC BALL on the top of the track. Plant it. This will help you kill pests as you try to clear the right side of the track of obstacles.

Work on eliminating all obstacles on the right. Start with the giant chest, the the big yellow fish in between the two ELECTRIC BALL towers. And so on and so forth. Use the photos below as succession guide.

Giant chest will reveal four SHOOTING STAR towers.

The big fish will contain an ANCHOR tower.

The rocks below the SHOOTING STAR towers will not contain anything.
Plant MUSHROOMS to earn coins. Upgrade MUSHROOMS as you go.

Once you get the obstacles on the right out of the way, work on clearing the obstacles on the upper left of the track. Remember to plant another MUSHROOM tower (beside the first one you planted) in order to slow down the pests and earn extra coins.

Start with the rocks on top of the track.
These rocks actually contain GREEN SHOOTERS.
Replace with ELECTRIC BALL towers.

Plant an ELECTRIC BALL tower on lower left of track (right by the start of the track). Aim for the green liquor bottle right beside it.

When you have enough coins, upgrade your ANCHOR tower.

The set of rocks below will reveal empty plots. Plant MUSHROOMS in its place.

Next, aim for the remaining giant chest.

Don't forget to upgrade your MUSHROOM towers to max when you can.

The giant chest will contain GREEN SHOOTERS. 

Work on clearing the left side of the track.
Do not upgrade any of the towers that come out of the obstacles.

Replace the four GREEN SHOOTERS with ELECTRIC BALL towers, except for the lower right SHOOTER, which you will replace with a MUSHROOM.

Once you've cleared all obstacles. Delete the towers on the left (two POO/MUD towers and the left ANCHOR and ELECTRIC BALL). See below for reference.

Plant two more MUSHROOMS as shown below. Upgrade to max. Delete left-most ELECTRIC BALL and plant two more on the right (top of track).

Then work on upgrading your TOWERS, starting with the ANCHOR and the SHOOTING STARS. Plant another ELECTRIC BALL above the right-most MUSHROOM just for additional defense.

Upgrade all those ELECTRIC BALL towers!

You can add more ELECTRIC BALL towers if you wish...
But the original ones should get you to the Golden Carrot.

And voila! It's that easy. Just a tad frustrating because it goes up to 25 waves. But nothing a little patience and persistence can't fix.

Extreme Stage 23, CLEAR AND GOLD!

~~~ * ~~~

EDIT: It took me all night to write this walkthrough. Well, I ended up playing the new levels and finished them. I was also playing on the little boy's iPad. I'm OC with my games like that. LOL! 

Okayyyyy... so what shall I do 'til July (According to this, Ice World won't come out 'til then!)?  And you, are you done with the new levels?

In case you missed it, Carrot Fantasy updated Extreme with new levels (20 May 2013)! Play up to Stage 35! Woohoo!

SuperLaunch!

My siblings and I grew up watching Superbook. In fact, I still have our dusty (and probably moldy) VHS tapes of the old series. It was my goal to have my own kids watch it, as I learned many a Bible story from this childhood favorite. I think A got to catch a few episodes when we lived in Ortigas Center. But like I said, the tapes are dusty and although you could still get them to play by rewinding and forwarding it on a tape rewinder, our trusty old VHS player no longer works, LOL. And yet, the tapes still sit on the shelf, as I don't have the heart to toss them in the bin.

House of Praise sells the DVD version of the old series, but they have very limited stocks, as these have been phased out by the local distributor. UPDATE: I just checked. They've sold out. Sorry.

But then, here's good news! Superbook has been REIMAGINED!

Chris, Joy and Gizmo are back - this time sporting a new look! Catch the new SUPERBOOK SUPERLAUNCH this Saturday, 25 May 2013, (that's tomorrow) at the Robinson's Galleria Activity Center from 2 to 5 PM! Here's your chance to reminisce and relive a childhood favorite, and with your kids, too!

Heaps of FUN, LEARNING and GIVEAWAYS await you! There will be interactive games, presentations, photo booths, and a ton of activities for the whole gang! And guess what? You even get the chance to meet Gizmo!

What's more, we will finally get to catch Superbook on TV next month as it airs on GMA 7! Now isn't that great news?

See you tomorrow at the SUPERBOOK SUPERLAUNCH! It's going to be SUPER!

| batangsuperbook.com
| facebook.com/BatangSuperbook

Happy, Happy Meal at McDo!

Guess who's back at McDonald's?! Oh yes, happy-happy, joy-joy! It's Hello Kitty!

Just yesterday, after I driving-thru for brunch at McDonald's, I wondered about the next toy for their Happy Meal. RL tries to collect all the toys for boys, while A would occasionally collect the girl toys if she is into it. The previous Happy Meal had Barbie for girls, and she was never into the doll.

When I got to the office, I saw McDonald's making the announcement on their Facebook Page - it's Hello Kitty and VooV for this month's Happy Meal!

So guess who will be having McDonald's everyday for the next week or so? LOL!

Catch Hello Kitty and VooV at McDonald's today! Each Happy Meal comes with a toy. Collect them all!

| Source: facebook.com/McDo.ph

#ThrowbackThursday: Beach!

My kids love the beach. But we haven't been back this year. Last year, we went to far-off Lobo, Batangas for our company outing, but the beach there is rocky. A enjoyed though, because Lobo's shore is littered with hermit crab and shells. We don't take 'em home. She just loves them!

We were supposed to go to Boracay with my siblings for Labor Day, but couldn't get any more flights (as it was a last-minute decision). Oh well, maybe we could do Subic or Anvaya before school starts. Or yes, Mia, Matabungkay! 

Here are some beach photos of the kids taken three years ago.

This was at Adventure Beach, owned and operated by Camayan Beach Resort.

A spends most of the time searching for shells and hermit crab.

It is so hot right now in Manila. Makes me want to take that drive to the beach. Why aren't there clean and decent beaches nearby? So sad.

Which beach do you usually frequent?

It's Here! Crocs Megasale 2013!

Have you been waiting for this? 

It's here and it's happening soon! Crocs Megasale is back with discounts up to 90%! 

What: CROCS MEGASALE 2013

When: MAY 30-JUNE 2, 2013, 10AM-8PM* 

Where: NBC TENT, BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY, TAGUIG

Cash payment and all major credit cards are accepted. FREE entrance for all Citibank cardholders, and P50 entrance fee for non-Citi shoppers.

Source: facebook.com/crocsph

*Stay tuned for announcements on the exclusive Citibank preview sale. They haven't made any announcements yet, but since Citibank is part of this year's sale, it is bound to happen (it happens every year, hehe). 

Growing Alfalfa

...and no, I don't mean Alfalfa from The Little Rascals, but Alfalfa... er... Sprouts. (Hehe, Corny!)

My former boss and mentor, MC, would always bring Alfalfa to work. Then she would literally force everyone to try it with pâté and bread or crackers (I think I take after her when it comes to convincing co-workers to explore food. So far, I've forced people to eat Durian, Arugula, Champorado, Guacamole, etc.). So anyway, because of her, I've come to appreciate Alfalfa with just about anything -Salads, Sandwiches, Crackers and even just snacking on it with Cream Cheese by the spoonful.

The thing about store-bought Alfalfa is this - you don't know how long it has been sitting there. Sure, it sits in the chiller section, but many times in the past, I've purchased a pack that had wilting Alfalfa inside (you can't quite see the roots). After reading a few articles on the internet, I've learned that Alfalfa is pretty easy to grow. The hard part is finding seeds.

I work close to a bunch of garden shops, and often go to get compost, etc for my planter box garden. Once, when my dad had me go to get him something for his garden, I noticed they actually sold Alfalfa seeds!

Condor Seeds is distributed by Allied Botanical Corp.
http://www.alliedbotanical.com

So, last year, we started growing our own Alfalfa. It takes 5-6 days! Nothing to it!

WHAT YOU NEED:
Packet of Alfalfa Sprouts Seeds
500g Disposable Food Container w/ lid
Paper Towel
Hand-held Water Sprayer 
Water

Get a Disposable Food Container and line it with a folded paper towel.

I didn't have plain ones that day. Oops.

Sprinkle some seeds onto the towel (about a teaspoon or two would do). Fill the water sprayer with water, and spray your seeds until they are completely wet.

The paper towel will hold moisture and keep your seed damp.

Cover the food container overnight. Keep your little sprouter container in a dark place. I just kept it sitting on the kitchen counter, under the shelves.

This will encourage seed germination.

Because it is currently hot and humid, spray your seeds with water twice a day.

RL took charge in spritzing the seeds everyday. 

Some tutorials call for you to thoroughly rinse your seeds every 12 hours. You can do this, too, to make sure you wet your sprouts. Use the lid to filter the water and prevent the seeds from spilling out of your container.

I prefer to just spray with water for the first 3 days.

On the fifth day, you can move your container to a windowsill for it get a little sun. This will encourage your sprouts to turn green.

Ready to eat!

Rinse your sprouts with filtered water a few times to get most of the husks out. Keep in the refrigerator until use. These can keep in the refrigerator for about a week at most. We usually eat within a couple of days. Remember to rinse thoroughly before serving!

Use them on hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, and many more!

Cream Cheese and Mango with Alfalfa sandwich. NOM!

Cream Cheese and Alfalfa on a cracker. Perfect snack! NOM!

I've actually tried growing Alfalfa in a mason jar (as most tutorials online show you how to grow them that way), but it didn't work for me. The sprouts don't grow as fast, and when mine were still less than half an inch long after a week, I decided to just throw them out.

I have watched a few videos on it lately, and I shall try again soon (although I followed instructions to the T that first attempt). Anyway, this way works for me.

Have you tried growing Alfalfa? Have you tried EATING Alfalfa?

Alfalfa contains a concentrated amount of vitamins and minerals - these include calcium, vitamin K and vitamin C. The best part? Alfalfa contains just 8 calories and 0 grams of fat per cup.

Mama's Magic in a Stick

I've been a fan of SoTrue since Mia first introduced me to her baby project. And I've come to conclude that  most often than not, natural is indeed better for the body. However, because I've had to deal with migraine on a regular basis, I now already know for a fact that nothing natural helps (well in my case, that is). I almost always grab a pill to get through it, if not to help stop it before it gets any worse. And yes, that means, taking medicine needlessly.

So when she had me try this new product at last month's ExpoMom, I wasn't immediately convinced it could work wonders for headaches. She was explaining how I could apply this on mosquito bites, bruises, small cuts, diaper rash, headaches, etc. and yet, when KY asked me if she could have my stick, I let her steal it from me.

But see, our friend JT started posting raves about the stick, and how it works wonders. So because I am a sucker for testimonials, when I went to visit Mia at Balik Bukid a couple of weeks ago, I bought myself a stick.

And guess what? I LOVE IT! According to Mia, Mama's Kiss has aromatherapy benefits and works as a miracle balm of sorts. She decided to make Mama's Kiss "because of lavender essential oil's soothing properties. I first used it on my son's nappy rash..." And soothing it is! So far, I've had three major migraines, and rubbing this on my temples works like a charm. Of course there are big headaches that still need medication, but hey, I no longer medicate for prevention. Instead, I am quick to apply Mama's Kiss on my temples and forehead in order to prevent a major migraine from happening. And it has worked!

It works like Magic! I love my Mama's Kiss stick!

Yesterday, while at our family's post-Mother's Day lunch, KY told me how she applied Mama's Kiss (yes, the one she stole from my bag) on a nasty bug bite. "I only applied twice. Once when it happened, and once after I took a bath. When I woke up the next morning, the bite was gone. No marks! And it didn't even itch. Magic!"

I'm telling you, this has even helped with my insomnia. Mama's Kiss is made with lavender essential oils and I have been sleeping like a baby. I was telling my dad yesterday when we were discussing the stick that it makes me relax and I feel like I'm getting a massage (LOL! It smells like I just had one kasi).

Even my little boy RL loves it. He's such a chatterbug at 1am, when we're both trying to get some shut-eye. So lately, I've discovered that rubbing this on his forehead does the trick. He's asleep in no time!

Can you say magic? 

Mama's Kiss is SoTrue Naturals' newest product. Just ask them for their magic stick. Retails for P180, 5g stick.


| SoTrue Naturals
| facebook.com/sotruecastilesoap

1 Out of 365 Days.

...now if only R would come into his senses. LOL!

www.babyblues.com

Mother's Day comes only once in 365 days. It would be nice to be able to take a break some time. Husbands, value your wives, and to you, Children, value your moms. You can never fill their shoes.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Due to Popular Demand... Extreme 17 (In Detail)!

Okay. It took me a while to get this posted. I was thinking you probably didn't need a detailed walkthrough, and you'd probably figure out my strategy from that other short post. But then, I've received tweets, comments, text messages, FB messages, etc about Carrot Fantasy Extreme Level 17. So here's that detailed walkthrough. Enjoy!

Yes, let's cut through the chase, shall we? 

Start with planting two STAR towers on the two empty plots as shown. Upgrade the right star to max, and the left star once.

Work on destroying the cloud above the left STAR tower. This should reveal a sun. Then if you have enough coins, upgrade the left STAR to max as well.

Next, work on destroying the plot of trees on the right of the right STAR tower.

The SUN and the left STAR will work on killing the pests. 

The bunch o' trees will reveal four FISH towers. Upgrade as you go. Work on destroying the small chest above the FISH to get extra coins.

Then immediately work on destroying the lower large chest. Upgrade FISH towers to max as you go.

The large chest will reveal ANCHOR towers. Make sure all your FISH towers have been upgraded to max. Then upgrade the three ANCHOR towers as shown. Change the upper right ANCHOR tower to a FREEZE tower. Upgrade to max.

NOTE: You may want to pause through this wave. There is a big pest that goes by really fast in this wave. You must have your FISH upgraded to max, as well as those ANCHORS and the FREEZE tower. These will help you kill that big pest.

Work on eliminating the obstacles at the right of the track. Start with the giant chest.

Continue with the rest of the obstacles on the lower right of track. The small crate on the left will actually reveal a STAR tower. Replace with a MUSHROOM (see photo below). Upgrade to max so you can collect extra coins. Work on the rest of the obstacles.

In the process, you will be able to destroy the small cloud hiding the OCTOPUS tower.
Upgrade that to max when you can.

Once you destroy the big lower right cloud, it will reveal four GREEN SHOOTERS (I call 'em PEA SHOOTERS, but this isn't Plants vs. Zombies, LOL). Replace the two left GREEN SHOOTERS with MUSHROOMS, such that three MUSHROOM towers line the right of the track. Upgrade all to max, including the GREEN SHOOTERS. Plant a STAR tower above the GREEN SHOOTERS. Upgrade that to max as well.

All that shooting will open up other obstacles.
Work on upgrading to max all the obstacles at the beginning of the track first.

Next, eliminate obstacles on top of the track. Plant FREEZE towers in its place. Upgrade to max.

See that POO tower? Delete that and replace with a FREEZE tower.

Next, upgrade to max those two FISH towers on the upper left of track. The hot air balloon to the right of the SUN tower will contain CLOVER/ WINDMILL towers. Delete the upper ones and replace with FREEZE towers. Upgrade to max.

The bunch of trees on a cloud to the left of the SUN tower will contain HOT STAR (red) towers. Once again, delete the two HOT STAR towers on top and replace with FREEZE towers, upgrade to max. Also work on upgrading your SUN.

Then work on upgrading the rest of your towers to max. Your game should look like the photo below.

Add a FREEZE tower above the MUSHROOMS. Upgrade to max. Plant a STAR tower under the lower right ANCHOR. Upgrade to max as you go.

Add a FREEZE tower to the right of the four FREEZE towers on top of track. Upgrade to max. This should help you slow down the pests in the last few waves.

With your extra coins, plant STAR towers under the CARROT. This will help with your defense.

And yes, upgrade to max.

By the end of wave 14, your game should look like this:

Pause your game. The replace the STAR tower (directly above the OCTOPUS) with a FREEZE tower. Replace two of your MUSHROOMS with FREEZE towers as well. See photo below:

The sole MUSHROOM should get you extra coins to plant more STAR towers
around the track. Upgrade for maximum defense.

All that maxed towers should help you kill the boss.

Pow, pow, pow! Ulch! LOL! Bye-bye, boss!

Et voila! YOU WIN!

Say what?! It's the GOLDEN CARROT!

GOLD and CLEAR! Yay!

So see, nothing to it! Good luck with your game! And remember, patience is a virtue. LOL!

Did this help you? Leave me a comment (I'd appreciate it if you'd like this post, too)! Thanks!