shoe box

Look at that! Christmas time went by in the blink of an eye. It’s been years since we had our shoebox project through our wedding 2.0 in 2015.

In lieu of the usual congratulatory gift, we encouraged our guests to make a kid smile by bringing a decorated, unwrapped, regular-sized shoebox full of children items.

Much to our surprise, our humble request was met with an overwhelming response. Shoeboxes filled with numerous children’s items were pouring in during the wedding 2.0 event. Some people even gave cash which we used to purchase additional items like toys, school supplies, and personal hygiene products. Our guests were amazingly generous. Once again, our heartfelt gratitude to all of you!

The shoeboxes were intended for the kids in my Barangay (a.k.a. community) back home in the Philippines where we had enlisted my parents, siblings, nephews and sister-in-law to help coordinate and hand the gifts out. Logistics took longer than we estimated, and it became a Valentine’s gift instead of a Christmas gift. 😀

Since then, it has become an annual tradition for my husband and I to participate in the Operation Christmas Child (Samaritan’s Purse) shoebox project. We figured, instead of buying Christmas gifts for friends and extended families, we will focus on the Operation Christmas Child.

Ten (or more) countries are working together to give gifts to children in more than 100 countries… isn’t that amazing? The shoe box not only brings a smile to a kid’s face but also gives hope. Click this link for more details. (Disclaimer: This is a personal advocacy without profit involved.)

Ciao for now! 😉

(Note: Wedding 2.0 happened in 2015. I’m just behind with my blogging. 😅)

A lot of weddings are pretty much out of control these days… starting the marriage in debt to throw a fancy event for the entire world to attend is not our cup of tea. Planning a big event is stressful enough without worrying how to pay for it.

Taking the non-traditional route was pretty much a given since Jellybean and I are somewhat unconventional, our wedding 1.0 proved that – intimate, low-key and laid back.

With our wedding 2.0 (a.k.a. wedding celebration) in mind, we stuck to our principles and aimed for a chillax, no fuss, and no frills event.

✔on point venue = boat + river cruise as a memento

✔ quaint = purple yam & young coconut cake + scroll + Mario & Peach cake topper

✔ no frills = cocoon flowers instead of fresh flowers + minimalist decoration

✔ no fuss = “shoebox” project in lieu of gifts + “bubble” entourage

✔ chillax = serene ambiance + chill guests

With our limited budget, it wasn’t possible to invite everyone. 😦 Our sincere apologies. ✌

To our family and friends who sacrificed their time and travelled far… as well as to those who lent their helping hands one way or the other, thank you so much! ❤

Good times! Peace out… 😀