Challenge Accepted!

Months before I gave birth, my parents and in laws already told my husband and I that they prefer to have the baptism of our baby within a month of birth. Stuff like the venue, food, number of guests, godparents, etc., were suggested but I just shrug it off. O don;t want to be dictated, It is, after all, our baby, so the decision will still depend on us and our budget. We wanted our baby's baptism after 3 months, that way, I'd be back at work and we'll have additional budget. But parents could be annoying sometimes so we gave in and agreed to have the baptism once our baby is more than a month.

I gave birth and took care of my newborn. Hospital bills, diaper, baby essentials, plus our usual bills and household expenses. Oh boy, I never though it was THAT costly! You see, I'm quite careful with our finances. I always make sure that we have enough savings in case of emergencies. On the other hand, I also discovered that I want to do and give the best of everything to my Quino. So even if I want to have a grand baptism for my baby boy, I agreed to have a simple reception at our house. And so the 2-week planning for "The Php20,000 Baptism Challenge" began.

I scouted for the most affordable caterer in the south and luckily I found one. The only downside is that it doesn't include styling so I had to research online and look for inspirations. With the help of one of my uber reliable friend we were able to come up with ideas for my baby boy's bear themed reception. Next to do is to look for a cake supplier, which was the hardest. Fondant cakes are expensive! And with less than 2 weeks, the allotted timeframe was just not enough. Good thing my tita is an instructor in a baking course (and she also adores my baby boy) so she agreed to do the fondant cake and cupcakes as souvenirs - not for free though but we only paid for the ingredients she used. Later on, I also learned that my in-laws will shoulder the lechon, my parents will provide additional sodas and beer, and that hubby's tita also volunteered to bring additional food. Whew! All these were accomplished within two weeks.

July 31, 2011 came and on a rainy Sunday afternoon, we welcomed our baby boy to the Christian community. Except for the worst baptism ceremony I've attended (the priest was so strict and I find him almost rude), the event came out better than I've expected. I'm so happy that my husband and guests liked the food choices I made. I was also one proud momma everytime I hear compliments regarding my Quino - that he's good looking and was well behaved the whole time. Add to that, we were able to beat "The Php20,000 Challenge" since we only spent approximately Php18,000 for everything.

BREAKDOWN:
caterer: Php13200 (Php220/60 pax including tax)
cake/cupcake souvenir: Php3000 (small cake with 60 pieces cupcakes)
decors: Php850 (centerpiece bears were borrowed from friends)
baptismal outfit: Php300
invitations: Php160 (Php8.00/20 pieces only since most were sent online)
ribbons/tags: Php145
church fee: Php450
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TOTAL........ Php18105