6 Ways to Maximize Your Visit to the Manila International Book Fair (#MIBF2015)

The 36th Manila International Book Fair is here again! Do you have plans to visit the book fair? Book lovers like me usually look forward to this yearly event and mark our calendars so we don't miss it. There are many exciting things that happen every year at this fair: book launches, storyteling sessions, book signing, meet and greet with authors and illustrators, seminras and workshops and BIG discounts from publishers! 

Photo source here.

I love going to the bookstore. The prospect of finding good books to read make my heart beat faster. hahaha Thus, going to the MIBF where there is a sea of books makes me feel ecstatic. ;) 

So, with two days left of the book fair, how do you make the most of your trip to SMX? Let me share some ways based on my previous visits in the past years.

1. Get FREE tickets to the MIBF through the bookstores or publishers who will be exhibitors at the fair. You don't need to spend on tickets. Publishers and bookstores usually give away free tickets either at their branches or you can download from their websites. We got our free tickets this year from Fully Booked BGC. 

For example, you can print this ticket from OMF Lit and present it as your FREE pass.

Here are some links where you can download FREE tickets to MIBF 2015.

Adarna House
CSM Publishing
JesCom
St. Matthew's Publishing

2. Make a list. Make a list of topics where you plan to get new books. Then, check out what books (old and new) you'd like to get for these topics you have in mind. Or if you have book titles already that you are interested to buy, make a list of book titles.

3. Check out publishers for promos and events. Once you already have a list of topics or book titles, I suggest that you check out the websites or social media accounts of the publsihers of these books on your list. That way, you would know if they have promos like discounts or book bundles for the books that you like. You might also find interesting activities related to the books in your list like book launch or book signing, meet and greet with the author or free pass to special events by the publisher for those who will buy copies of their books.

Here's an activity by Scholastic for the Geronimo Stilton series.

Check out my post about Geronimo here.

Here are some examples of promos you might want to avail of.

Source: OMF Lit's Facebook Page.

Here are some book launches you might find interesting.

The official book launch of this book by one of my brothers from CYA
will be on Sunday. Grab a copy if you are a leader! Launch price is P325!

This is the first book of my friend Jomar Hilario.
It will be launched on Sunday together with other new titles
from Shepherd's Voice Publications. Take advantage of its P250 launch price!

4. Get the exact location of the publishers whose booths you want to visit. Get their booth number as well as their location. You can find this at their websites or social media posts also or at teh entrance of SMX where this is usually posted. This helps you plan your route around the book fair. Believe me, if you haven't been to the past MIBFs, you can easily get lost and overwhelmed and forget where you want to go or what you really want to buy. This brings me to my next suggestion.

5. Set your budget. After considering the promos, you need to edit your list of books that you want to buy based on how much you are willing to spend for your visit. It might be difficult to stick to your budget once you are already at the book fair (especially if you are a bookworm like me) but having a budget would at least caution you or remind you not to buy too many books or all the nice books that you will see. What you can do is make a list or mental note of the nice books you'll see and plan when to buy them. Make them part of your next shopping list or wish list for Christmas for example. You can also ask the publishers or sellers if they will have future sales and promos in their stores or branches. This will give you an opportunity to save up for these future promos.  

You can get this discount couplon when you post a photo
of yourself at OMF Lit's booth. 

6. Enjoy the experience of going around the book fair. The place might be crowded especially during weekends but you can still enjoy going around the venue by taking your time to browse through aisles and aisles of books and other educational materials that you will see at the MIBF. 

A Birthday Party Inspired by the Book Go, Train, Go! and Thomas and Friends

A few weeks after we celebrated my eldest son's 5th birthday last year, we celebrated my younger son's 2nd birthday. Since the celebrations were close to each other, I planned for something low key. Our goal is to simply celebrate his uniqueness and this milestone.

 

I was at first torn between two themes or two books, both of which are my youngest son's favorites. The first book is Go, Dogs, Go! and the second is Go, Train, Go! I decided to make it mainly a train-themed birthday party with Thomas the Tank Engine as inspiration. But I also included a dog in the cake design since my son loves dogs and there's also a dog in the book Go, Train, Go!

I was supposed to write this blog post last year days after the party but I got busy with so many things. Since my younger son's birthday is just around the corner again, I've decided to finally write/finish this blog post.

Let me share how I made his birthday last year memorable and according to the theme that he loves.

I started mindstorming months before his birthday. I jotted my ideas in my online notebook. Then, close to his birthday, I finalized the details and started working on them or executing them.

I contacted the same cake supplier who supplied my eldest son's cake and cupcakes during his Rockstar party. I like relying on the same suppliers once I find good and trustworthy ones. It lessens my stress due to uncertainties.

I also contacted the same caterers/food delivery service: Amber for spaghetti and pork barbecue and Chooks-to-go for the roasted chicken. We ordered beef caldereta from Goldilocks. For the ice cream in cups, I reserved and bought them from the minimart near our house just like what I did during my eldest son's birthday party. I also bought pichi-pichi from a nearby branch of Don Benito.

The cake and cupcake table set up with the birthday banner minus the toy train
and the ice cream in cups which should be in the no mud cargo truck. ;)

Food delivery services are party life savers!

I bought the other sweet treats and the contents of the loot bag from the grocery just like in the previous parties I organized.

Below are the additional treats we served which were inspired by the story in the book. I arranged them in such a way that they would look like cargoes being pulled by Thomas the Tank Engine. The toy train is my birthday gift to my son. It doubled as décor on the day of the party.

Additional treats: Sticko logs, biscuits covered with milk chocolate (from cows),
and cocktail hot dogs. Not in photo are the chocolate ice cream in cups (no mud!)

Loot bag contents

I sourced other lot bag contents from different malls. Looking for Thomas the Tank Engine items is not as easy as finding Lightning McQueen items. When my eldest son's birthday party theme was Cars, my mom and I did not have a great time looking for giveaways. They were in abundance. There were many choices. But with Thomas the Tank Engine, the stocks were limited and I had to visit several malls to check which ones have these items. Thank God we eventually found some items at Market Market and Festival mall in one of our visits.

 

I was glad that we found Thomas the Tank Engine paper plates and cups, too! Then, I bought blue plastic cups for the adult guests. We served ice tea and minute maid juice to the adults and ready-to-drink juice to the kids.

As for the invitation, I just made one myself and created an event in Facebook where I invited immediate family members, ninongs and ninangs and close family friends. I emailed the e-invite to those who are not on Facebook frequently. I also sent text messages to make sure that guests got my email or saw the Facebook event I made.

Here's the invitation I made on Power Point.

It was a good thing I found a Thomas the Tank Engine Happy Birthday banner. I just made additional decors in line with the party theme like signs and food labels. These were inspired by the posts I read in the internet.

I ordered balloons and rented tables and chairs from the same supplier I got for my eldest son's birthday party. I'm really glad to have discovered that there's a supplier/provider for these items within our village. No need to pay extra charges for transportation costs and they can easy deliver. No worries about traffic or delays.

It was just a small/intimate party but we enjoyed our time together. My husband was still in Sweden that time so we used Skype to let him "join" in the celebration.

Mateo with his Ninang Raquel.

Mateo with his Ninong Pete and Ninang Ana.

After singing the birthday song to Mateo and letting him blow the candle on his cake, we had our early dinner already.

I did not prepare games anymore. I only prepared coloring pages related to the theme and crayons to keep the kids occupied while the adults mingled and chatted with each other. Then, Mateo and I read the book Go, Train, Go! to our guests.

The Thomas the Tank Engine coloring pages kept the kids busy.

Mateo entertained his guests by reading to them Go, Train! Go!

  

I believe that birthdays should be celebrated even in simple ways because it's one way of showing our gratitude for the gift of life and for celebrating the gift that the person is in our lives. Birthdays happen only once a year. It's a great opportunity to make our loved ones feel extra special, important and loved! (Of course, we should strive to make them feel special, loved and important every day.)

Time flies so fast! In a week, my son Mateo will be turning 3 years old. Watch out for my next post where I will detail my preparation for his 3rd birthday party. It's a construction-themed party this time! 

 

Our Adventures with The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I've been trying to get a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book ever since I learned about the book; but only paperback editions or small board books were available whenever I was in the book stores to check its availability. One time, when a big board book was on stock, I hesitated when I found out about the price. I thought of waiting for a sale before buying a big board book for my kids.

 

Then, announcements were made about the dates for the 35th Manila International Book Fair. I checked one of the local bookstores (Fully Booked) where I know this book is being sold. I checked the available stocks and their prices. I took note of the versions that I'm most interested to get for the boys. I also hoped and prayed that the book would be on sale during the fair.

 

I included Fully Booked as one of our priority booths to visit this year during the MIBF. I'm glad we did check this book out during the fair! Although the big board book was not available at their booth when we visited, a staff offered to check the availability of stocks from the Fully Booked branch in Mall of Asia. The great news is that a big board book was available and it included an audio cd of the story (read by the author himself). The regular price for the board book that we got was P640. But it was also part of the sale so we got the book at 20% discount! I was so happy! As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait! I'm thankful that their staff went the extra mile by getting in touch with the nearby branch so we could still purchase our desired book at the size that I wanted.

 

You can read more about our MIBF experience here.

 

The boys and I wasted no time in enjoying our new book. We read it the following day after we bought our copy. We also listened to the author tell the story. Then we did some activities as we reread the story in the days that followed.

 

If you have small kids, you might want to try the same activities that I did with my boys. They surely made our storytelling sessions more fun!

 

The first part of our activity was hand-painting cut-outs of what the caterpillar ate in the story.

 

1. First, I drew the food that the caterpillar ate on a white board using a pencil. 

 

2. Second, I cut them using a pair of scissors.

 

3. Third, I guided the boys in painting the cut-outs using their fingers. We also mixed some paints to get the colors we needed. To make our painting activity less messy, we covered our dining table with used paper and had wet wipes and rags close by.

 

 

 

 

4. After painting all the cut-outs, we air-dried them while the boys took their naps. I also added some details on the cut-outs using a black sign pen when they were already dry.

 

 

 

5. As soon as the boys woke up, we read the story again. This time, we used our painted cut-outs. I handed the boys a puncher. I told them that as the caterpillar eats something in the story, they will take turns punching holes on the cut-outs. The boys enjoyed doing this! What they did was punch a hole on the food cut-outs that they themselves painted. They were proud of their work!

 

 

 

We had the second part of our activity the next day.

 

6. The following day, since my mom visited us, we asked her to make a caterpillar for us using a green yarn, which we planned to use in lacing/threading the hand-painted cut-outs.

 

7. We read the book again. This time, the boys were excited to thread the cut-outs using the crocheted green yarn that my mom made. Again, they took turns lacing/threading cut-outs that they themselves painted. The boys proudly showed their grandma the cut-outs that they painted.

 

 

8. After our storytelling activity using our new props, I tied the ends of the green yarn to secure the cut-outs and prevent them from getting lost.

 

 

9. Lastly, my boys sang a caterpillar song. They spelled the letters in the word BUTTERFLY by singing it. So, now even my 2-year-old knows how to spell BUTTERFLY!
 

My plan is make two more caterpillars using different materials next time -- one would be small while the other one is big. Watch out for our next adventures with the very hungry caterpillar!

 

Have you done some activities with your kids that were inspired by this book? Feel free to share it in the comments. Would love to learn from you, too.

 

Flowers for me from my baby

I received six (6) flowers from my youngest son, Mateo, yesterday. He did not pick them from our garden or bought them from a flower shop. He picked them from the board book we were reading before his nap. He picked them one by one and offered each one with a smile.

His loving gesture certainly warmed my heart and put a big smile on my face.

I believe that it's still a long way to the day when he will give flowers to another girl. So I will hold on to these memories as long as I can and enjoy them while I am the only special woman in his heart/life.

I know that it's his way of saying "I love you" to me. 

 

I love you, too, baby! Thank you for the flowers you gave me. I love them!

 

Our Brainy Baby board book 

 

I praise and thank God for giving me this opportunity to work from home most of the time. This kind of work set up provides me with many heartwarming moments like this one. Because of the kind of lifestyle that I have, I get to spend more quality time with my kids.

 

Even my eldest son does this to me. Sometimes, he gives me real flowers. Other times, he would ask his Dad to buy flowers for me. One time, he saw some flowers on the center island while we were inside our vehicle on our way to an appointment, he said, "Those flowers are for you, Mommy!" Then, he pretended to pick them for me. How sweet!

 

I once read that investing time with our kids while they are babies or while they are young is one of the best investments we will make in life. I believe that this is true whether you are a Dad or a Mom. Kids grow very fast! So fast that even when you stay home all the time or most of the time, you would still agree with that statement. I had been a full time stay-at-home mom when we only had our eldest but I still felt that time went by so fast.

 

Thus, I plan to work from home at least until my youngest son is seven years old. That's still a little more than five years from now. I pray that God would continue to let me enjoy this kind of lifestyle.

 

UPDATE (August 15, 2013)

Mateo gave me flowers again this morning while we were reading The Three Little Pigs. He saw a big purple flower on the last page of the storybook then gave it to me. When he noticed the smaller white flowers, he gave them to me, too.

After that, I asked him if he wanted to play with our keyboards. He said yes. He played with it for a few minutes then pressed the demo key so there was music playing while he played with his stuffed toys. Then he went to me and asked me to dance with him.

So we danced cheek to cheek while swirling around our living room.

*Added this to the Catholic Bloggers Network Monthly Link Up Blitz.

A Book Review of A Child's First Library of Learning

Here's another article I wrote for Smart Parenting Online's Parent Rated section.  I recommend this set of books to parents who want to invest in their kids’ early education, be they homeschooled or not. It’s a much healthier alternative to watching TV and playing computer games.

 

************

 

I came across A Child’s First Library of Learning at the grand opening of the Active Fun branch at The Fort, and this set of books impressed me right away.
 

 

A Child’s First Library of Learning is composed of twenty four (24) hardcover books covering topics on life, nature, science, and our world. The pages are filled with pictures and illustrations in full color that keep the child interested, thus providing more opportunity for knowledge. What I find most interesting about this set of books is that it features and answers over a thousand questions, many of which our curious, young children are bound to ask.

 

Here are some examples:
• Why does it rain?
• Why does it rain even if the sun is shining?
• Why does lightning flash?
• Why does thunder rumble?
• Why are rabbits’ ears long?
• Do fish have ears?
• Why do stars twinkle?
• Why is the sky blue?
• Do typhoons occur everywhere in the world?
• Why are there deserts in some parts of the world?

The books enable parents to answer their children’s questions whether they really don’t know the answers to these questions or they simply do not know how to answer them in a way that their children can grasp. These books are a big help to parents, especially first-time parents, who are still finding ways to manage their kids’ insatiable, natural curiosity about the things they see and hear around them. Providing answers to kids’ questions also encourages them to be observant and remain curious. By using these books, we are telling them to seek for answers to their questions, which sets the foundations for the love of learning, books and reading.

Click here to read the full article to find out why I recommend this set of books.  I can also help you schedule a presentation if you are interested to find out more about these books.  Just leave a comment or email me.

 

Activities Inspired by the Book In the Forest

I just finished meeting with a client regarding a new HR project I was going to do when I saw that there's a Booksale at the ground floor of their building.  The book lover that I am, I gave in to the urge to search for good books from the pile displayed.

 

That was almost two years ago and this book that we read again today is my great Booksale find that day.  In the Forest, a touch-and-feel adventure is a nature trail book by Maurice Pledger.

 

 

 

"If you love nature, take a look at what is hiding in this book.  All sorts of wonders are in store, as round the forest you explore.  There are things to feel and things to see -- a scaly snake, a fuzzy bee, a velvet flower, a snail's shiny shell, and lots of things to count as well.  So come, get ready.  Don't delay!  We're on a nature trail today."  These are the opening lines that you'll read when you open first open the book. 

 

I loved the book right away as soon as I went through the pages.  There are many things that a young reader can explore in it.  Every page is filled with surprises that the child can either touch, count and feast his eyes on.  It's truly an adventure!  It also made use of rhymes and rhythm making it fun to read aloud and listen to.

 

My kids took turns exploring the book -- lifting the flaps and touching it.  There were also questions on every page asking the child to search and count for things with a specific color.  My eldest eagerly looked for these things and counted them aloud while pointing them to me and his baby brother. 

 

My eldest son and I also had an art activity.  We made a "fuzzy, buzzy bee" which he played with after we finished making it.

 

Here are the steps in making our bumble bee.

 

1. We looked for a toilet paper tube.

 

2. We drew lines on yellow paper which my eldest son cut using a pair of scissors.

 

3. My son put some glue on the yellow strips of paper.

 

 

 

4. I helped him paste each strip around the toilet paper tube.  We left spaces in between for the black strips of paper we will later glue.

 

 

 

5. We drew lines at the back of a used bond paper using a pencil and ruler.

 

6. My son cut them along the lines to form strips.

 

7. My son painted the strips with black paint using his fingers.

 

 

 

8. We air-dried the strips.

 

9. Then, my son put glue again on them when they were already dry.

 

10. I helped him paste them and put them around the toilet paper tube beside the yellow strips so that they form alternating yellow and black strips.

 

11. While we were letting the black strips dry, we drew circles on white paper for the face of our bee and for the tail end.

 

12. My son glued googly eyes on the face and drew a smile using a colored pencil.

 

13. Next, we attached the white round papers including the face of the bee at the ends of the toilet paper tube. 

 

14. We cut short, black strips from the excess black strips we used earlier to form the antennae.  We used glue to attach them near the top/face.

 

15. I drew some wings on white paper which my son cut using his scissors.

 

16. We pasted the wings on the body of our bee.

 

 

 

That's how we made our bumble bee out of a toilet paper tube! 

 

Next time, we will make ladybugs, another colorful creature that we saw in the book. 

 

Until next time!