To be honest, the main drive I have for this blog is to help others find happiness here in Manila. When I think of what life would be like with the beautiful free libraries, story time, well maintained parks and gardens, free day care while I exercise etc. I let my mind wander and feel a bit cheated. And that's just silly because you know what, we have such cool and unique places and activities right here. Sometimes we have to look really deep and other times we just  have to reinvent the ordinary. This morning, we reinvented the ordinary at Jamba Juice. Did you know Jamba Juice has a "make your own" option? Kids are welcome to go behind the counter and make their own smoothies. Follow along below to see all the fun.

First step, get your gear on. Jamba Juice keeps a small number of hats and aprons on hand. Too cute, eh? *Find a location near you. If you have a group larger than two I would recommend reservations. Krispy Kreme offers a similar experience as well. Baby brother wanted to join in on the fun. When handling food you must always wash your hands. Jamba keeps small step ladders just for this occasion. They are so accommodating to young children.  We ordered two different smoothies so the kids each had different ingredients. First ingredient, fruit juices. *Here is a healthier guide to Jamba Juice if you are looking for low sugar and calorie intake. Followed by your yogurts and sherbets. The kids loved the feeling of independence and ownership using the tools. It really was a great hands on experience. The two assistants, Jane and Cha, were so helpful and kind. I love Filipinos natural tendency to be endearing towards young children. I can't help but wonder if our experience would have been different in another culture or another place. I love living here for these exact reasons. The boys followed the recipe for each smoothie by adding the signature frozen fruits. All the ingredients looked of great quality and the kitchen itself was very clean and tidy.  Don't forget about your free boost! We are fighting colds so added the zinc and antioxidant boost. If you have a thing for pebble ice Jamba Juice is the only place I have ever seen it Manila. I know, amazing! My pogi kuya looking all ready for his first job. Slow down! Again, we cannot thank the helpful staff enough at Jamba Juice at Hanston Building on F Ortigas Jr. We just walked in this morning and asked if the boys could make their own and had this fun experience. We like to get Jamba Juice and then spend a little time at Ortigas Park. It is right in Ortigas Center but the kids always enjoy new/old places to play and explore.

Things To Know:

• No reservation is required but if you have a party over two I would recommend calling in advance.

• You can find a location near you here.

• We used to love getting JJ on BGC High Street and letting the kids play in the fountains that shot up from the ground. Unfortunately, there is very little open space on HS and those fountains have been covered. BUT at Alabang Town Center there are still the fountains just up the sidewalk from JJ. I would recommend getting a smoothie and letting your little ones run in the water fountains.

1. You do have to pay for the smoothie but the "make your own" experience is free.

2. This would be a great rainy season activity.

3. Krispy Kreme does a similar hands on experience. Read about it here.