Decorating Projects Done

As mentioned in this post, here are a couple of pictures of the new picture frame and accessories that I got. I was able to accomplish my small decorating projects over the weekend and I was immensely pleased with the results. Simply moving around objects, or keeping some old ones and bringing in new ones can do a lot to improve or update the look of the house.

The picture frame which can hold 4 pics so it's also a great space saver.

The small incense holder on top of the lacquer tray which I placed on our altar table.

Coffee and Tea Overload

But it still wasn't enough, and I'm still craving for more. I've always wondered what was so special about Vietnamese coffee and I tried it once in a popular dessert place and it disappointed me so much. But when we went to Vietnam, I tried it out and it blew me away! It was so strong and it tasted like chocolate too. We had coffee and tea daily and we even bought their coffee strainer and lots of coffee to make at home.



They prepared the hot coffee first then we stirred it with the condensed milk then poured it into the glass filled with ice. It was so refreshing!

Itching to Decorate The House

I’m quite obsessed now with decorating our home. This was how I felt when we had just newly built our house. Over the holidays, I had some free time and for some reason, I browsed through several interior design magazines. And I felt that I had not tended much to our home because of our business, so while it’s not bazaar season yet, I will take advantage of the time to tidy up our home and spruce it up a bit.

I've already taken off all the upholstery in the living room and brought it to the laundry cleaners. With a toddler at home, our couches tend to easily look so unkempt and dirty. I've also disposed of some old Alice Blue candles. After awhile, they turn icky and they haven't even gone halfway down. I've also disposed of some clutter that made it's way to our foyer table. Now, when I get home, I love looking at how neat it is.

I’ve started moving knick knacks around the house, taken down a few accessories and bought some new ones. I also bought one of those small indoor plants which just need watering once a week and placed it in our guest bathroom. I plan to get a couple more for the master's bedroom if the one I got doesn't die on me. On our recent trip to Vietnam, I bought table runners to replace the old ones we bought from Shanghai a couple years ago, salad servers made of carabao horn and incense holders made of marble. I got these, not because I like incense, but I just fell in love with the intricate detail and carvings. Of course, a trip to Vietnam would not be complete without lacquer ware, so we got a set of trays.

During my lunchbreak today, I got frames to display some photos. I’ve also selected some photos for printing and hopefully I find the time this weekend for this mini project of mine. I was inspired when we visited the home of the hubby’s cousin. Every table in the living room had framed photos and it looked so nice. It didn’t appear cluttered at all.

I'll take pics of my latest purchases and post it next time.

Resolution for 2010

This blog has been neglected way too long, and it's pretty much the same state of our home. lol.

This 2010, I only have 1 resolution which I inted to keep. Of course there are other resolutions, but if I have too many, I doubt if I'll be able to do any. My 1 resolution is to be ORGANIZED. I always, always fail here, no matter how I try to file or document anything at home. Sure, I manage to be organized for 1 week, but the rest of the time, it's complete chaos!

I realized over the holidays that I have too many documents. As if I didn't know that already! Anyhoo, I was planning to finally put all our family photos in an album. I knew I had several (close to 200 actually) printed photos lying around somewhere. When I tried to look for those photos, they were nowhere to be found. It infuriated me so! Now I need to sort through all my digital files and print another bunch, along with several hundred more photos. Argh!

Our desk, is not a desk anymore. It's piled with so many folders and envelopes. And you know those folders? Those are my attempts to organize our papers.

And that's not all. I brought out our passports for an upcoming trip this month. I also searched for my old passport to check on my US visa which is due to expire next year. I cannot find it! I turned our vault upside down and it's not there! I was planning to go to the US this year. Can you imagine the hassle? Until now, I haven't found it yet. And it's my favorite passport because it has a lot of stamps. The loss of my visa is not what bothers me, it's the sentimental value attached to the passport that I'm after.

So this year, I vow to be more organized.

Comfort

The days and nights are chilly once more. Now is a perfect time to read a good book in bed with blankets around me and a nice mug of hot tea.

Open For Breakfast

We always eat out for Sunday breakfast and this is where we're going next week.



Everything looks so yummy!

Dengue Watch

Got this in my inbox from the ECHOStore

Sleeping Aid

Lately, I've been sleeping less and less. Well, I do sleep late, as in 12mn but I also keep on waking up several times each night. I've stopped (ok, lessened) my caffeine intake during the day, but it has hardly helped.

I'm a tea drinker and while I was at the grocery last night, I remembered that I should replenish my stock of Celestial's Sleepytime tea. Hopefully this will do the trick.

Typhoon Alert - 8 Super Tips To Help You Keep Your Ground!

Copied the article from here. It's better to be prepared at all times.

Here is a quick run-down of the things you can do before it arrives:

1. Repair broken doors and windows, and make sure your exits are free of obstructions in case you need to get out (or in) quickly. Tape over big glass windows that could be shattered by flying debris. If you have time, cover windows with plywood or storm shutters.
2. If your area is flood-prone, plan to move to an evacuation center or to higher ground before the water level reaches one meter (or a little over 3 feet). Try to park your car on high ground. Secure your garbage indoors where it won't be carried away by the flood and create more health problems.
3. Store enough food and fresh drinking water for a few days. You may well lose power, so stock up on candles, batteries, rain gear, and thick blankets.
4. Secure items like furniture in your yard or on your balcony. Better yet, bring them indoors. Also remove anything from your roof that might be easily blown away.
5. Clear out gutters and drains around your house to avoid adding to the flood damage problem the typhoon will visit on your area.
6. Carry a battery-powered radio with you to listen to the news about the typhoon. Know what's happening in your area. Stay alert for announcements for emergency evacuations, and be sure you know what the evacuation routes are, where shelters are located, and how to get help if you need it.
7. Even when the typhoon seems to be over, and the sky is clear, do not leave your home or shelter until the authorities tell you it is safe. You may be in the eye of the storm, where all is peaceful and quiet. But this is deceptive: you still have to go through the other side of the typhoon.
8. After the typhoon, check your home and property for potentially dangerous damages. Clear large items from doorways and paths. Be sure to check electrical appliances and outlets for possible shorts that could start fires. Make sure your gas service is being delivered properly for the same reason. Inspect trees for damaged branches that might still fall on your house. And have your car inspected for water damages that may not be apparent until you want to go somewhere!

UTI Remedies

It's been said that certain juices can cure UTI, but I never got to try it till now. Last week, I knew for certain that I developed UTI since I was feeling all those tell tale symptoms. But I was too lazy to have a urine test and wait for the results and then visit the OB.

So I bought a box of cranberry juice and guzzled it all up in two days. Then when I dropped by Robinson's grocery, I saw bottles of Lipa buko juice. In the three or four days that I drank juice, I noticed a significant improvement in my UTI. And it's practically gone!

Instead of spending for antibiotics, I ended up saving a lot and getting a big dose of Vit C (care of cranberry juice) and a whole lot of natural benefits.

Can You Find The Fish?

Sorry for this pic. lol. I took such a close shot. And it's burnt on the sides because I didn't put much olive oil.

This is one dish that's a staple at home because it's so easy to prepare. I just patted some salt and pepper on the fillet of sole, drizzled some olive oil, squeeze a sliver of lemon, added a generous helping of dill (picked from the garden) and topped with some leftover lemons.

In it goes into the oven for 20 minutes or so (depending on the size of the fish). It's a healthy and yummy way of serving fish.

Decluttering One Step At A Time

I've read all there is to read on decluttering. All the tips and tricks, but of course it all boils down to actually going through your things and setting aside what's to be thrown out and what's to be kept. And this has to be a part of your routine, otherwise clutter will just pile up again.

We're in between bazaars now and I've got a bit of free time, so here's my game plan:

1. Work one area at a time. Like last night, I worked on the foyer for around 5 minutes. I only did an initial sweep of the huge pile of bills and letters. I will be more thorough tonight.
2. Weed through all the papers and bills, throw or file the papers. Best if you have the trashcan beside you.
3. For every 1 item we bring into the house, 2 items must be thrown out.
4. Don't tackle everything in 1 day. Do some decluttering and organizing in 5, 10 or 15 minute sessions. Small steps...

Hopefully, this week, I can accomplish a lot.

What's for Lunch?

I cooked a big batch of spaghetti bolognese and now we have a lot of leftovers. Guess what I had for lunch? : )

Stuck On You

I hate how stores like to stick their prices on all of their products and it’s so hard to remove. Most of the time, I’m rubbing and scratching at those sticky price tags. Why can’t they just tie the prices with ribbon or use an adhesive that’s so much easier to remove. But I doubt they’ll do that soon. Hello, SM? And you know how National Bookstore likes to stick their price tags on all the ballpens? They’re not just content with the price tag, they have to cover it with scotch tape too.

So till they come up with something better, I’ll clean up with Goo Gone. Just a few swipes of this on the left over adhesive and then it’s clean and gone. No more dirty fingernails. But for a small bottle, it costs something like P150. By the way, I got this from Handyman.

For The Dads Now

Shoo Fly

I bought this citronella plant two weeks ago and so far, it seems to be thriving in our garden. I wanted to plant this near our front door, but I didn't have a big enough pot.

The lady whom I bought it from said that I can boil the leaves and use the water as an insect repellent spray. I need to wait for more leaves to grow before I try it.

I'm all for keeping those dengue carriers at bay, especially now that it's been raining often.

From Japan Home to Our Home

I like going through the different racks at Japan Home because there are always some good finds.

On my recent visit there, I was able to buy these:



This solves my shoe space problem. When we had our bathroom designed, I made sure that we (or at least I) had ample space for my clothes and shoes. Turns out I still lack shoe space (or I just buy too many shoes?).


I bought several of these because these are just so handy! My mom uses long plastic bags for the umbrella when its wet, so instead of her using those unfashionable plastic bags, not to mention, unenvironmentally friendly too, I got her a couple of these water repellent umbrella cases. Now, she can keep one in the car. I also got a couple for myself too.

Organizing In the Kitchen

In our kitchen, I used to keep scraps of paper and pens inserted among other things in one plastic basket. Then the scraps of paper started to multiply and so did the pens. It started to annoy me that when I needed a pen, I couldn't find any. It was all buried under the mess in the basket. The helper didn't even think of arranging it.

On one trip to the nearby Handyman, I saw this wire mesh. It's the right size to hold pieces of paper and some pens and pencils. It even has a magnet at the back. I decided to get it and stick it on our ref. Now, I don't have to scrounge around for pen and paper.

So This Is How The Plant Looks Like

I can't recall if I've ever seen a cauliflower plant. So when I came across this, I had to take pictures. The plant itself is so leafy while the cauliflower is nestled right in the center.

Pineapple Porkchop

I cooked pineapple porkchop yesterday and I tried to cook it based on memory since I didn't get to write down the recipe when my mom taught me this dish.

I didn't measure any of the ingredients because I just eyeballed everything.

I had 4 pcs of porkchop and marinated it for a couple of hours in soy sauce (I like the low sodium variety), calamansi and garlic.

Fry the porkchop pieces. On the side, I mixed some pineapple juice with some of the marinade and a teaspoon of cornstarch powder. Set this aside.

After the porkchops are cooked, set aside. I only removed a bit of the oil from the frying pan, then I poured in the pineapple juice mixture. By the way, my mom just uses the juice from the canned pineapple tidbits. But I like my porkchops with a bit more sauce so I use a lot of juice, about half of a canned pineapple juice.

Then I put back the porkchop pieces and let simmer a bit. When it's nearly done, I throw in some pineapple tidbits.