Being Involved in a Car Accident, Building a Montessori, Getting Proposed to, and Other Year-End Highlights

Looking after Laces and Tiaras proved to be challenging when we got into a car accident at the beginning of 2016. We were on our way home when a speeding bus hit us. Things could have been much worse but I was only left with bruises and fractures that required me to rest for a month. We may be called home anytime but I’m grateful that I was given more time for things I ought to try. 

Twenty-third

When I turned 18, my Papa made sure to bless me with an unforgettable affair. Like a kid in a candy store, he asked me to choose anything that would make up for an “extraordinary” birthday. I enjoyed the ball and cherished the words spoken that night but something was amiss.  I told myself that it would be the last time that I’d fritter away a fortune for my birthday.

Upon turning 20, my birthdays became celebrations for other people – children in particular. I am not sharing this to sound holier-than-thou because this is definitely nothing compared to the deeds of full-fledged volunteers. I am also a fan of people who do good things without chasing the spotlight.

Still, I want to acknowledge people who have been patient and nice enough to join this year. I initially wanted a Disney Princesses theme but to avoid frowning boys, we opted for the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang. The creative Dreams Come True team did our wonderful setup. They specialize in making parties appear magical through their imaginative (and cost-friendly!) standees and backdrops.

A Call for Aspiring Hope Givers

A child growing up loved, cared, and nurtured is a wonderful idea. However, not everyone gets the chance to have the components that will make their childhood as remarkable as it should be. Last year, I got the chance to be with kids of farmers in Tagaytay. The lifestyles of these kids are devoid of luxury yet they are happy because they have their families with them. How about those who do not have such kind of fortress?

There are kids who have been abused and abandoned due to the destitute circumstances of their parents. On the other hand, there are some whose future remains unknown due to the looming threats of their illnesses.

Nonetheless, the situations of these kids do not make them less deserving of things that other kids their age enjoy. They might be underprivileged but that doesn't mean that they are not entitled to be cherished. 

Dream-sprinkled Cupcakes

What’s more heartwarming than spending a Saturday with your face smeared with flour and your hands spattered with icing while kids excitedly recount their dreams? 

‘cause It’s Never Too Early for Christmas

For most parts, pleasing kids has always been easy. Take them to McDonalds and they’ll smile as if they’re in a first-rate restaurant. Listen to their stories no matter how mundane or imaginative and they’ll give you an irresistible smile. Yes, they can have tantrums that root from the deepest parts of nowhere but even if they can be little Veruca Salts at times, nothing you do for them is ever wasted.

   

   

Be a Child's Hope with Wish Postcards

Have you ever thought about kids without a future? No matter how endearing they are, the chance of them reaching their third, seventh or eighteenth birthdays is hazy. Depressing? Definitely. But it doesn't mean that they are not entitled to blissful experiences.

Make-a-Wish Philippines is a non-profit foundation which aims to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses. The wishes range from material things like bicycles and computers to actual experiences like meeting a certain celebrity or being a fashion designer for a day.

This Yule season, Make-a-Wish launches its limited edition Wish postcards bearing original illustrations from talented artists. Some designs include:

Starsurf by Dan Matutina