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.

Our Home Office

We had this office desk made recently from a design we saw in an Ikea catalogue. It's not exactly an efficient desk. By efficient I mean that there are no drawers where I can keep supplies, papers, etc. But we love the clean lines of the desk. It's a mess right now since it's covered with various papers and the room where it's at is an even bigger mess. We'll get around to fixing everything up sooner or later.

Expo Mom

I got this in my email and just though of sharin it here. Below also are the schedule of activities for the two day event.

MAY 9, SATURDAY

10:00 am-EXPO MOM OPENS

11:30 am- FORMAL OPENING & WELCOME

1:00 pm - Sponsor's Portion

1:30 pm- What every woman needs to know about cervical cancer

2:00 pm- Kindermusik for Toddlers & Kids by Teacher Jeannie Castillo

2:30 pm- Baby Sign Language by Jaymie Pizarro

3:00 pm- Sponsors Talk: Baby Ready with J&J

3:30 pm- Attachment Parenting & Baby Wearing by Jen Tan

4:00 pm- Yoga Kidsby Michelle Aventajado

4:30 pm- Musical Number by My Masterpiece Multi-Arts school

5:30 pm- Onstage Games

6:00 pm- Mom Massage Demoby Vier Tajonera

Raffle Draw

8:00 pm CLOSING

MAY 10, SUNDAY

10:00 am- EXPO MOM DAY 2 OPENS

10:30 am- Musical Numberby My Masterpiece Multi-arts School

11:30 am Onstage Games

12:30 pm Gymboree Portion

1:30 pm Healthy Mealsby Dona Elena Olive Oil

2:00 pm Belly Dancing for Expectant Momsby Dr. Faye Cagayan

Onstage Games

2:30 pm Your Baby Can Read! Talk

3:00 pm Happy Belly Health & Fitness by Rome Kanapi

3:30 pm A Moms Life Talk Show(tentative)

4:30 pm Mommy Fashion by Contour Fashion/ D&A Fashion

5:00 pm Expo Mom Get Together with Live Acoustic music by Paolo Santos

Raffle Draw

8:00 pm Closing


*Schedules may change without notice.

Ginger Tea

I've been overexerting my body once more and when I got caught in a bit of rain last week, I developed an itchy throat which worsened to a sore throat. And eventually led to a cough.

My usual remedy for this is salabat (or ginger tea). I prefer it over medicine like lozenges and it does the trick. After 1 day of drinking it after my meals, my throat was itch free.

I prefer to make my own tea from scratch instead of buying the powder version found in the groceries. I just slice some ginger and heat it up with a cup of water. After a few minutes, I pour the brew into my cup and add a teaspoon of honey. Honey, after all, does wonders for the voice, as well.

Not many like to drink salabat. When I was a kid, I drank it like medicine, but now, I just take it like regular tea. It's cheaper and best of all, it's natural.

Fresh Lavender

To go to Provence, France to see the lavender fields is a big dream of mine. I even had a calendar of Provence and it just fueled my dream even more.

Recently, I met this couple who has an organic store and they showed me their lavender plants. It made me so ecstatic! Lavender growing in Manila?!?! Of course, it's not exactly like the ones in France, but it's still lavender. I was told to smell the leaves and it filled my hands with its scent. Oh, wow!! Can you just imagine what it would smell like if you were standing right in the middle of a lavender field?

Oprah Says

I went to an organic store recently and saw these vegetables. I keep on forgetting what it's called. But the owner said that this was featured in Oprah's show and Oprah says that these are a very healthy kind of spinach and found only in tropical countries. I'm always on the hunt for new veggies to give to my little girl so I bought one bunch. But they were so cheap at only P10 so I bought more.

The owner of the store said they eat it as a salad and she even made me try one of the leaves. Hmmm... I didn't like it raw. It can also be cooked in butter and garlic. That sounds much better and that's exactly what we did with the vegetables.

Pineapple Porkchop

I've tried making pineapple chicken and in the three times I made it, I was never satisfied with it. So finally, I asked my mom's help since I didn't want to waste perfectly good porkchops.

Well, whatdya know? My pineapple porkchop turned out really well. But I have to work on my plating and presentation. One thing at a time. hee hee

Refreshing Snack

I rarely find this fruit in the groceries or in the markets. It could be also that I don't go out of my way to look for this fruit. Anyway, one time while I was doing my regular grocery shopping, I saw some balimbing fruit for sale and they were huge. I decided to buy one (since no one at home is fond of this fruit), after all, it's been years since I last tried this.

After washing the fruit thoroughly, I had it sliced thinly and placed in the refrigerator. Then I snacked on this. I love the crunchiness and the juiciness of the fruit. It's the perfect summer time snack. And a healthy one at that.

From A Long Lost Era

Long before the ipod or even the walkman, there was this...



When I was a kid and we'd have Sunday lunch at my lola's place, I always admired this even if I never heard it play. There's a certain charm to it that has always attracted me. A couple of Sundays ago, we went to my lola's place and I decided to take a pic of it.

For All The Moms

I couldn't help but smile while I was watching this. This is best shared.

WW 03.04.09 Medley of Flavors

Thai Inspired Dish

I cooked this several weeks ago and I've already forgotten the name of this dish. Anyway, it's easy to cook and it's flavorful and hearty.

Instead of using ground beef, I substituted it with ground chicken. It's a healthier alternative. I'll post the recipe for this dish before the week is over.