Welcome to my Birthday Contest!
I’m celebrating my birthday on July 30th. That’s next week! To add to the celebration, I’m holding a contest right here so put on those party hats! 😉
I’ve been sharing these birthday balloons the past two years, and I’ve loved all the replies. Let’s take it a notch higher this time and make it a contest. Here’s how we celebrate:
Pick a balloon. Now imagine that you’re flying into the blue horizon with that balloon in hand. Whoosh! Isn’t that fun? I’m following you, holding on to my gold balloon.
You have to tell the balloon where to take us. We are celebrating my birthday together and it’s up to you to choose where we are celebrating my 31st year. You have to pick an interesting place otherwise the balloons won’t move. They’re kinda picky like that.
Leave your answers in the comments section of this entry. Only ONE answer per person is allowed. Deadline is on July 30th, 11.59 PM, Manila time. From there I will choose my top 10 favorite replies. My criteria? Creativity and personal appeal. Hey, it’s my birthday right? 😛 Then I’ll use Randomizer to pick the winning answer and announce the winner on July 31st. Please leave a valid e-mail address so I know how to get in touch with you if you win!
The prize is a one-year Flickr Pro account or a $25 Amazon gift card. Winner gets to choose.
So… where do we go for my birthday? 😀
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.
Em Dy
July 21, 2008 at 1:59 pm (16 years ago)I’m telling the balloon to take us to the coffee shop where you met and fell in love with H. I’m sure that will bring a lot of good memories.
Happy birthday Toni!
Em Dys last blog post..For Team Philippines
blue rose
July 21, 2008 at 3:09 pm (16 years ago)happy birthday toni!
uhmmm, san kaya maganda?
siguro instead of going abroad, i’ll tell the balloon to take us to the coffee shop owned by odette & company.
based on the description written by odette in her blog, parang gusto ko syang i explore. so hindi lang tayo ang magiging masaya kundi pati sila magiging masaya din.
ok ba yon? hope so…..
blue roses last blog post..monday surprise
ganns
July 21, 2008 at 3:43 pm (16 years ago)My bright red balloon and your golden balloon will take us to Vienna, where, upon landing, you and I will discover the beauty of Austria as we retrace the steps of Jesse and Celine in “Before Sunrise.” As we do so, we will indulge ourselves in the twin joys of company and conversation, the kind truly good friends are blessed to enjoy.
Happy birthday, Toni! May your most heartfelt of dreams come true on your special day.
witsandnuts
July 21, 2008 at 3:55 pm (16 years ago)Oh, July celebrant ka din pala. =)
I’ll ask the balloon to take you to Lago De Oro in Calatagan, Batangas on your birthday. Stay there over the weekend and try wakeboarding, it would be fun to try something new. Once you and H are done with wakeboarding, you’ll be relaxed and can have your moments while riding in the balsa towards the South China Sea. From there, you may swim, too. And of course, a spa and lovely dinner await you there. =)
caryn
July 21, 2008 at 5:25 pm (16 years ago)toni! toni! our birthday is only a few days away! i’m also having a contest! mine is tomorrow and i’m turning 31 too.
happy birthday!
first my balloon would take you to tokyo disneyland so that you could converse with a blond cinderella in nihongo. but hold on tight because the journey doesn’t end there. its summer in tokyo now so it’d be a great time to catch the amazing fireworks displays that they have in different locations. you could don a traditional yukata (summer kimono) and watch the fireworks amidst the matsuri (festival)-like atmosphere. the chaos of the crowds, the excitement, the food and the lights and sounds will then all give way to a quiet dinner at the top of roppongi hills.
my balloon is yellow 😉
caryns last blog post..birthday giveaways
Cathee
July 21, 2008 at 7:34 pm (16 years ago)Hey Toni, hold on tight to your gold balloon and follow my shiny purple one…let’s swing and sway to the rhythm of the wind as it takes us to magnificent Siargao Island. Listen as the roaring of the waves swoosh to the dance of brave surfers. Dare us go down and try the waves ourselves? Or do we continue our flight and search for yummy treats? What is that I smell? Ooh! Freshly steamed mud crabs, perfectly grilled fish and oh so fresh and spicy fish kinilaw…do we shout “bring on the rice, bring on the rice!”? I guess a great meal with a spectacular view of Cloud 9 is something we can let go our balloons for…what do you think?
Advanced Happy Birthday!!!
Cathees last blog post..Get out and VOTE for the CUTIE CHILD!
Shai Coggins
July 21, 2008 at 9:41 pm (16 years ago)I’m holding a rainbow-coloured birthday balloon for your birthday. It allows me to take you to 7 special places.
As the Red tinge blinks – It takes us to my home, here in Australia. To me, one of the best places to spend time with a friend is in one’s home. So, I’d like to share you mine, when given the chance.
We close our eyes, and the Orange tinge blinks – It takes us to a Martha Stewart show, where she’s holding a Birthday Special. Free crafty and home-livin’ goodness to everyone in the audience. We celebrate and bring home goodie bags.
Then, the Yellow tinge blinks – It takes us to one of my favourite cities in the world, Paris. We walk down Montmartre and marvel at art surrounding us everywhere.
The Green tinge blinks – And, you surprise me as we’re taken to YOUR favourite city. You share why you like it so much.
Next, the Blue tinge blinks and we’re met by our husbands in a fancy New York City restaurant. It’s dinnertime and we dance.
When the Indigo tinge blinks, we’re at a spa resort with a couple of close girl friends. I introduce you to some of my best friends, you introduce me to yours. We enjoy some girly moments.
As the last colour, Violet, blinks – we’re back at your home.
And I greet you a very happy happy birthday.
What a fun ride this has been. 😉
Rach (Heart of Rachel)
July 21, 2008 at 11:16 pm (16 years ago)Hold on tight on your gold balloon while I hold tight on my purple balloon. I’ve always been curious about how rainbows look up close. I’ll take you near one and together let us glide over it and make wishes. Who knows, something magical will happen and make our wishes come true. That would be like finding the pot of gold.
Advance Happy Birthday!
Rach (Heart of Rachel)s last blog post..Weekend Snapshot #35 – Yohan’s 5th Birthday
JO
July 22, 2008 at 1:00 am (16 years ago)Grab your gold balloon and follow my red balloon… we are both going to celebrate our birthdays with a trip to the Kennedy space center and take a flight into the space! From above, we will look down on Earth and wave hello to the whole world. “,)
JOs last blog post..Mitch Asks #3
Cat
July 22, 2008 at 1:01 am (16 years ago)We’re going to FORKS, of course! And we’re taking the yellow balloon because it’s the closest thing to amber, which reminds me of Edward’s eyes.
We’ll drop by the Cullen’s house to say hi to Alice, Rosalie, Emmet and Jasper and let’s not forget Esme and Dr. Carlisle.
I’m grabbing Edward, and in his Aston Martin, we’ll head on to La Push to say hi to Billy Black, Sam and Emily, Seth, Quil, Embry, Paul and Jared. We’ll grab Jacob and you ride with him on his motorcycle.
We all meet at Port Angeles for coffee (well, at least the 3 of us will have coffee… Edward obviously wont) and chitchat about the dreary weather.On the way back, we’ll drop by Bella’s house and give Charlie a hug.
How’s that for a double date, Toni? Only on your birthday!!! Happy birthday!!!
Nyree
July 22, 2008 at 4:03 am (16 years ago)Hmm..I’ll tell my Purple balloon to take us to Africa where a lot of people are in need. There we will share and celebrate your wonderful life with them and celebrate the future birthdays you will have with them too!
Happy Birthday Toni! 
Nyrees last blog post..Locked Out
J.
July 22, 2008 at 5:05 am (16 years ago)I was SURE I’d be late in taking you to Forks! I knew many of your blog-friends would want you to spend your birthday whizzing right beside Edward and the Cullens through all those mythical and mysterious forests. (And meadows, and cliffs, and, well, YOU know!)
So, you and I, we’ll take a different sort of Twilight birthday route. With my black balloon and your red one (in keeping with the colors of the books’ covers!), we’ll whiz through a dark and dangerous night and find ourselves in front of a big, well-lit, industrial-looking building in the middle of nowhere. We’re both a little scared, because the night is as thick as molasses. There’s a distant hum of machines. You’ll look at me quizzically, and down at some activity in a yellow-lit courtyard, as people scurry back and forth, wheeling big boxes into a truck. And then, you realize: we’re at the one print house in the world that’s starting to roll out copies of “Breaking Dawn” for its release on August 2! We float down to a back door, where a small package awaits. You pick it up and find out that we’re the first two people in the whole wide world to get copies of the books–and yours is signed with birthday wishes from Stephenie Meyer herself! (I’m jealous, but it’s your birthday, so that’s ok.) We whiz back to your house, and you’re deposited with a soft plop next to H., where you can snuggle in bed and read the book until you fall asleep (IF you fall asleep!) Dawn comes up and finds you warm, and loved, and happy with two of your favorite things right beside you: your husband, and a good book.
Happy birthday, Toni! (I came out of hibernation just to join in on all your birthday fun!)
odette
July 22, 2008 at 7:31 am (16 years ago)oh, advanced birthday greetings to you toni!
where else would i want your birthday balloons but here in the land of blarney!
we’ll go on the yellow double-decker bus from my pretty happy home to the old city centre of dublin, and we’ll walk the cobbled streets to the oldest pubs, and we can have a pint if you want (we can dare!) whilst listening to the indiscernible hard irish accents around us. there’s also a bad ass cafe around the corner if you’re feeling punk-ish. the old brick buildings and old churches will amaze you, the right-hand drive cars will confuse you, and the great mix of nationalities here will make you feel you belong.
then we’ll go out to the countryside, where everywhere is GREEN and lush and verdant, and we’ll see castles, rocky cliffs by the sea, and hike the mountains. it will be very cold and windy, but nothing that a good cup of java can’t cure afterwards. we’ll have a typical irish breakfast of potatoes and sausages, and i’ll get you an iced cupcake with a candle to blow with your wish. and before you sleep, you can have a hot bath with lavender drops and i’ll even lend you my thermal blankets so you can sleep warm and snug in our guestroom. how about that?
kj and i will then take you to the airport the next day, and we’ll wave goodbye to your plane as you take off for the philippines.
odettes last blog post..a few good things
lady cess
July 22, 2008 at 9:13 am (16 years ago)ang gaganda naman ng mga sagot nila, nape-pressure tuloy ako, hahaha!
anyway, i’m not getting the balloons you posted, those just won’t do.
i’m bringing you to my invention – a giant transparent balloon that would seat you and me inside. you wouldn’t want to be travelling back and forth hanging on a flimsy string of a balloon now, would you?
now this super electro magnetic balloon can bring you to your future, and even your past. you want to see how your mom gave birth to you? i’ll punch the buttons of 197_ and, whoosh! we have just been whisked right in the delivery room. ang lakas ng iyak mo ha, pero you’re so cute!
how about that time when you first saw your husband? a punch of the button here, a push of the control stick there, and there you are…. and of course,you failed to bring your camera. buti na lang i have one right here so you can capture the moment when you first saw each other. we don’t usually use our cameras for these moments, because we don’t know yet at the time this is going to be the beginning of something beautiful and significant. so now, you have a shot.
ah yes, i said the future. i can have you see yourself 5 years from now. … wow a blogging superstar! you have thousands subscribed on your blog in google reader3000 pa lang. and you have a trophy hall at home for all those blogging and writing awards.
10 years from now… your husband is hiding something behind his back. look at you, you can’t contain your excitement. your husband counts, 1,…2…
uh-oh, we have to go back to the present. the balloon is losing energy. first run lang kasi ito.
anyway, you have to go back to the present right now. your guests are worried, you’re already very late. and you still have hang those balloons for your party.
don’t worry, i’ll fix my super electro magnetic balloon so you can see more. i just need to install super electro magnetic batteries which can be bought for $25 in amazon 😀
(win or lose, happy birthday toni! may the heavens bless you with a life full of love.)
lady cesss last blog post..Beginnings
rye
July 22, 2008 at 9:22 am (16 years ago)Happy Birthday, Toni!
ryes last blog post..South Padre Island Road Trip
cbs
July 22, 2008 at 10:02 am (16 years ago)i have no doubt as to the skyworthiness of our balloons, yours gold, mine blue, and would have captained them to bring us to the place invented with the specifications of the perfect journeyman – the island of manhattan – but i am pondering of a place more suitable for the occasion. a 31st birthday requires a greater journey than that and i can’t think of no other destination than what great poet, in describing the vista of our childhood, refers to as the creative place which cultivated the language of our former heart.
i am thinking of bringing us to the palace of your little rock to meet up with your moulders who brought out – in the words of montaigne – prudence in your exercises, sincerity in your deportment, grace in your speech, modesty in your mirth, and temperance in your pleasures.
i am thinking of asking the gold and the blue to bring us to no nobler place than your beloved elementary school.
cbss last blog post..SAMUT SARING SUMMER
Daphne
July 22, 2008 at 12:35 pm (16 years ago)I will take the blue while you hold on to your gold balloon.
I was hoping there will be 30 balloons so you can take one for each of the years that went by. That way you can journey back in time from the year you were born till the past year to re-experience one happy memory of your 30 years on earth.
Hmm that might be a bit tiring but I am sure it will bring a smile to your face and make your heart flutter with love, joy and everything else in between.
Happy birthday Toni!
Dr Emer
July 23, 2008 at 2:37 am (16 years ago)Hello, Toni. I would like to give it a shot…
Your contest is no longer a fantasy. It is true. Balloons can really take you to different places. This was featured in the New York Times last week. The sport or hobby — however you might want to call it — is called cluster ballooning.
For purposes of your contest, I will choose one huge blue balloon, fill it up with helium, and pray to God it takes us to these places I’d like you to see and people I know you would love to meet:
– We’d begin in Maine, wait for a mild gentle wind to take us a bit southwest to North Conway, New Hampshire, to the summer home of Edward Estlin Cummings, your favorite poet. We’ll inspect and discover the environment which inspired him to those excellent poems.
– Next stop is Phoenix, Arizona, a long trip from NH. But it will be worth it as we will be invited to have dinner in the home of Stephenie Meyer. She will dazzle you not only with her future plans about the Twilight series, but she’ll also enchant your taste buds with her grilled curry chicken and marinated duck breast with her own recipe of foie gras tart. Before the night ends, she’ll give you some signed copies of her books.
– Our last stop is downtown LA, in West Hollywood, where I have booked you on another dinner date with your ultimate companion, H. You will both dine in private at Gordon Ramsay’s new haunt at The London West Hollywood. My personal recommendations are the swordfish carpaccio with that mouth-watering yuzu sauce. Another sure winner is the wild asparagus risotto. A close second would be the monkfish wrapped in crispy chicken skin. A bit unhealthy, but it is a special day, so indulge. For dessert, my personal favorite is the the crème fraîche panna cotta with strawberry gelée, acacia honey and thyme crumble. You can never go wrong with that.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Toni!!!
Dr Emers last blog post..Dimebon for Dementia?
Nenette
July 23, 2008 at 6:05 am (16 years ago)With your spectacular gold balloon, you follow me hand-in-hand as we are guided by my lovely red balloon. Red is my favourite colour and the colour of good fortune, life, and passion… and it guides us to all the beautiful ‘red’ places in the world… we float over the brilliant orange-red Ayers Rock in Australia, glide over the red-hot lava flows of Kilauea Volcano in Hawai’i, dip our toes in the vast Red Sea, throw blood-red tomatoes and laugh with joy at the Festival La Tomatina in Spain, and finally, enjoy the structures and ceremony of legendary Red Square in Russia. We then bring you home from this busy day to the passionate arms of your true love.
I wish you good fortune, long life, and an over-abundance of passion on your birthday… and many many more to come!
xoxo
drunkenlily
July 23, 2008 at 2:03 pm (16 years ago)darn, somebody thought of Forks as well which doesn’t surprise me (commercial: i already finished the three books! waiting for the 4th installment). i guess i have to think of somewhere else, besides the fact everyone else’s ideas are good..and they really took into consideration what you really like, of course since it’s your birthday :). so maybe you can choose from the others what you want to do for that day, but i hope i can provide the starter or sort of appetizer (which makes me think if my answer will be considered for this contest but never mind, i’m here for the birthday :)).
i’m not pretty sure if you’ve tried hiking but i love it. there’s something about the feeling of satisfaction when you reach the top and the grandiosity of everything when you’re high above. i’d love to share that with you. but i wouldn’t want to get you tired from walking (it could take hours) on your special day, good thing you thought of the balloons. so hold on to your gold one as i fasten my hand to my favorite blue. by the way, since i’m providing a starter for your day, we’re leaving at the crack of dawn (sorry i’ll have to wake you up early). donning jackets and pants (it could get cold up in the air and in the mountain), i hand you your head lamp (we’re leaving when it’s still dark so we need the light avoid tall trees and the likes on the way up) and i put on my backpack (you don’t have to bring anything else). depending on which particular mountain you’d like to go to, we arrive there in an hour or two (my favorite mountain is in baguio, i think it’s pretty far and we have to leave way early if we’re heading north even when we use balloons). perching ourselves on a solid rock on the top or somewhere with a good eastern view, we await for sunrise. you see if there’s anything else that i really love about climbing, it’s waiting for the first peak of the sun. there’s so much comfort with feeling the warmth of the first rays mingling with the cool wisp of air kissing my cheeks. i’d love to share that with you. i would think you’ve got other wonderful memories of sunrises but on a mountain, the view’s even better. after warming up a bit with the sun’s rays, i get my thermos and cups from the backpack and pour ourselves some relatively fresh brewed coffee (relatively since i brewed it early at home), grab the chocolate cupcake (store-bought, sorry i can’t bake) and stick a candle in the middle of it. with a little prayer of thanks for the wonderful years you’ve been through and hope for better years to come, a wish for good health and happiness from me, looking on the vast landscape before us, you huff and puff and blow the small flame away.
unfortunately we can’t stay long, you have a long day ahead and lots of places to go with your gold balloon and good friends. i deposit you to your next stop, hugs you and wishes you a very happy birthday…
drunkenlilys last blog post..drunken moment #2
Carla Pullum
July 24, 2008 at 1:03 pm (16 years ago)Red Ballon is taking us to disney World!
kitts
July 25, 2008 at 5:20 am (16 years ago)you go take your gold balloon and i’d get my red one. we’ll float not where but when: star-studded premier night of “Twilight” 😀 we’d park our balloons and grab some popcorn, go straight to our seats with the cast, you’d be seated beside jacob of course. then we’ll have vip time with susan so you can go ask your questions.
sounds fun? we’d cap the night with your peaches and cream 😀
happy birthday, toni!
jeanny
July 27, 2008 at 1:04 pm (16 years ago)Hi Toni. Advance Happy Birthday!
I’ll give you the green balloon…this balloon (fave color) will take us to fullybooked, you could have any books you want. I know you love reading
Then will be heading at a spa. Since bday mo…you need some pampering. We will have a foot spa then a relaxing massage (oh lalala). Then after, off we go to the coffee shop.Dun magkwentuhan tayo and just enjoy the day.
Happy Birhtday Toni. More blessing to come and stay beautiful as always
jeannys last blog post..Option
Leah
July 27, 2008 at 1:44 pm (16 years ago)Hello Toni! Happy 31st in a few more days.
Tsk..3 of my ideas were taken already……Hmmnn..i ‘d better be inventive now…
Anyway, I remember these balloons, they’ve taken me to great places on my last birthday too.
Well, hang on to your gold balloon, while I take the red balloon. Let’s glide on to the rocky mountains of Banff, Alberta and enjoy the scenic mountains and breathe in the fresh air. As we descend and take in the view (it is breath taking), you notice a field of beautiful golden flowers. And so we decide to land there. And as our feet touch the ground, our balloons turn into your presents. Your balloon into a gold ring and my red balloon into the ruby stone on your new ring.
You sigh with awe and kisses the ring which then transport us back home where your surprise party awaits.
Leahs last blog post..OCTOBER lover – a birthday tag
dyanie
July 28, 2008 at 9:18 am (16 years ago)We’ll be flying off to a carnival wherein every ride has its poster of your “blog carnival theme”. After the ride, we’ll be eating some of your comfort food placed in your favorite blue bowl.
Next in line is, there will be an arcade of “The Sims”. In the afternoon, there will be a “Twilight” party with the complete cast!
After the party, I know you will be tired but happy. So what’s in for Dinner? Charan! Sumptuous crabs!
Cake plus coffee will be our midnight snack.
Advance happy birthday toni!
dyanies last blog post..Food trip in Tagaytay
Gracey
July 28, 2008 at 6:21 pm (16 years ago)Your gold and my red balloon will take us both to many different places.
First, we’ll hover around Holland, and, I’ll show you how flat it is. Then I’ll show you the windmills, the tulips, old markets, amsterdam, rotterdam (where I live), etc. We’ll eat in a pancake house for breakfast. Dutch people normally don’t serve it for breakfast, but because it’s your birthday, they had the place opened exclusively for us. And to make the experience really Dutch, I prepared the traditional Dutch dresses for us with matching wooden shoes. We had our pictures taken and after we ate, we dressed back to our original clothes.
After the pancake breakfast, we’re ready to hold on to our balloons again and go to Paris. We’ll stop right on top of the Eiffel Tower where I’ll have you scream, “it’s my birthday!!!!” at the top of your lungs. And we’ll both laugh. The view of the city from the top is spectacular so we’re quiet for a minute to breathe in the magnificence of it all, after which, we couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful it is. We go down to Champs-Elysees and SHOP for your birthday presents for two hours. You name your pick. It’s your day so you’re allowed to be spoiled rotten.
We have to summon the rest of the balloons to carry all the shopping bags.
Next stop is England. We’re expected to be at the Pemberley house in Derbyshire for tea. Since we both like Jane Austen, I have our whole outfit ready. We dress up in traditional english garden dresses with our hair done in curls. We head out to the garden, and much to your surprise, you see H and Mike by the table and they’re both wearing something Mr. Darcy would wear. We walk towards them with our parasols and curtsied and they kiss our lace-gloved hands. There are scones and cakes and chocolates and tea. The china tea set is so beautiful that you’re thinking of taking it home with you (which you will). We all try to sound English so we talk with British accent which caused riot during tea but that added more to the fun. We eat and laugh and talk and simply have the time of our lives. But tick tock, goes the clock.. we need to move on.
We dress back to our clothes again and said goodbye to our Mr. Darcys. We hold on to our balloons and off we go. We float over the meadows and huge estates and head to the capital city. In London, we ride the red bus and have a guided tour. After that, we go to the red phone booth and you call three people you want to talk to for a minute, just to tell them anything you want while I take your pictures. We walk and walk and spot a huge book store. We go in and buy books, a lot of books. We have to have them shipped because the balloons couldn’t carry that much load anymore, which is just fine because you’ll get them the next day. So we walk outside, ready to fly with our balloons when you spot her. It’s Stephenie Meyer in the flesh. She walks to the book store for an exclusive book signing. We head back inside and buy the Twilight series to have them signed. We’re the first 10 people there and just our luck, we get the first copies of the Breaking Dawn. We say it’s your birthday and she signs the book with a greeting and her name. You are over the moon in delight.
So we go outside and our balloons take us away. Since we have been to places, I thought the last stop would be my house. Have a relaxed evening – eat homemade dinner cooked by H & Mike, drink and relive the events of the day together.
Happy birthday, Toni!
Weng
July 30, 2008 at 11:10 pm (16 years ago)happy birthday, toni! taken na ang aking idea. i would have loved a double date…me and my edward and you and your jacob (yep, i’ve been bitten by the saga!). hee hee. but here’s another one…
my red balloon and your gold balloon will take us to phoenix, arizona for an intimate afternoon with stephenie meyer…a mini-book club sortie, if you will. and the best part, she will give each of us a basketful of loots: an autographed complete set of the twilight saga, the host, and, the rough draft of what she has written so far for “midnight sun”. ooh, the basket also has the twilight calendar and tickets to the movie premiere (for us and our hubs) and the party that will follow afterwards. of course, the plane tickets are also included! hahaha!
there. have a fabulous, fabulous year ahead! mmmwah! 😉
Wengs last blog post..The Joy of Receiving
Toni
July 31, 2008 at 9:12 am (16 years ago)CONTEST IS CLOSED!
I’ll announce the winner soon.
Thanks for the balloon trips everyone!
How I wish I could make them all come true!