Love Pillowcases

Aren't these so cute?


I found these here and can't stop myself from drooling.

Organic Onesies by Natsumi

We recently bought an Osh Kosh bodysuit for our little boy. I thought it was already cute...

...but this one is definitely cuter plus it's organic!

From the website:

Teach them early the benefits of growing strong and appreciate the beauty of being ‘green’! This organic cotton onesie is super soft and very gentle on your baby’s skin. It’s made in the USA and the cotton is grown without any pesticides or chemicals, making it the perfect onesie for your little sprout!

Natsumi grew up in the rural countryside on the Southern coast of Japan surrounded by beaches and mountains, which became her playground. It was there she became deeply inspired by nature. Now living in New York City, she mixes the elements of the natural world with ideas from contemporary art, design, fashion and architecture. Natsumi’s work consists of simple line illustrations and watercolors.

How was Your Valentine's?

Belated happy valentine's day to all!

How was it? Well, for me, it went by without me noticing it.

It was spent with family and relatives ~ very well-spent if you ask me. No, there were no fancy dinners, expensive gifts or bouquets of flowers (and no feeling of envy)!

It was enough to know that I had a Valentine who is happy to be stuck with me...for life. In turn, I am very happy to stuck with him just as well.

:-)

...Oh, we did watch a wonderful Valentine benefit concert featuring The Philippine Madrigal Singers the night before Valentine's. It was very good and it was for free (my relatives from the States gifted us with front-seat tickets)!!! More about this in another entry!

Flower Project

Isn't this so lovely?

I chanced upon this flower arrangement and I hope I'll be able to recreate this arrangement in time for our Valentine's lunch at home with our relatives. Valentine's Day is already next week so I really need to practice my flower arrangement skills soon!!!

Now if only flowers come in cheap these days...

Great for the Elderly

I’ve recently discovered a fantastic product for your bathroom that is seen to be safer and more elderly-friendly: walk in tubs!

Walk in tubs are something you can consider when you are contemplating on buying a tub for your family. It is presumed to be safer compared to those ordinary bath tubs wherein you always have to be extra careful when sliding down and going up from the tub. It is designed to assist the person better when entering the tub. Thus, it is good to use for all kinds of people and especially friendly to those who are a bit more elderly who usually require more support and balance in order to bathe properly.

Busy, busy, busy

I just came back for a one-day vacation leave today to host a party for my relatives and I still feel a hang-over from last night's activites. How I'll describe yesterday? Well, busy, busy, busy!

At the family front naman (my priority!!!), it's busier that ever. With my husband's new work schedule this week (for which I am slowly adjusting to), I am still trying to manage to keep up with the family's list of to-do's...oh, it's a long list, by the way.

And then back at work, it's busy as usual and I can't wait to finish all my projects on time.

Anyway, wish me luck!

Love the Weather, Love the Bed

My husband and I took advantage of enjoying the cold weather that we are having these days by bringing out our Donna Karan Home bedding. Believe it or not, this bedding and comforter was a gift to us our way back during our wedding and we never had a chance to use it until now. Talk about finding a long lost treasure! Now, we sleep like a king and queen. And as my husband puts it, “Feels as if we are in a hotel tonight, Honey.” Ha ha!

While browsing the site online, I learned that they not only have beddings but the whole range of home accesories. They also have nice drapes and lovely bath accessories which I definitely want to have too! If only I could have the whole line from DonnaKaranHome.com and the money to buy it.

I heard that they have a SALE! (wink, wink)

2009 Good Films

I admit I wasn't much of a movie buff during the past year 2009. In fact, I could hardly remember when was the last time I actually went to a moviehouse to see a flick.

Anyway, after watching the movie "Up" before Christmas (oh how I cried!), I vow to try to watch more worthwhile films in the future...and here is my guide to those good movies which I missed but can still go back to.

Here's what's on the list:
-The Blind Side
-Bright Star
-Capitalism: a love story
-Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
-Departures
-District 9
-Drag me to hell
-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
-The Hurt Locker
-Invictus
-Slumdog Millionaire
-Up

Thanks to Mercatornet for these recommendations!

LITBM: Motherhood

Now for some LITBM (Laughter is the Best Medicine) Moments on Motherhood particularly on being a S/WAHM:

Is this a sign of what lies ahead for me? :-)

Secret Plan

My friends and I are planning on a post-summer outing this first week of June. It will be like a post-birthday celebration of the husband of our friend and my husband's birthday celebration as well. You see, our friend's family owns a resort somewhere in the mountains down east and they've offered their place as the venue for our outing.

Incidentally, our other friend's boyfriend is also planning to make use of this occasion to make a formal wedding proposal to our friend. When I heard about it, I got so excited! This guy is asking us for creative ideas on how to surprise our friend with a romantic proposal. So we're thinking, maybe a candlelight dinner beside the pool with a string quartet playing alongside them, a big sign or tarpaulin where the big question is written and a lovely engagement ring.

I still remember the movie "Pretty Woman" wherein Richard Gere went to Julia Robert's apartment in a limousine while holding a beautiful red rose. Maybe that's a good idea too. And oh, if you're the Boston area or in the surrounding areas and are planning to make an unforgettable wedding proposal, I suggest you get a Boston Limousine Service and go ala-Richard Gere. Boston Limousines are readily available for rent. You can also hire a Boston Limousine for your prom or wedding car needs. With it, I'm pretty sure you'll make a big impact!

Long Weekend Ahead

We woke up kinda late than usual today. Maybe it was because we were so tired last night coming from our regular weekly dinner date. We went to Conti's in Serendra for a sumptuous meal. Sorry, got no photos this time coz I left the camera in the bag. For a Thursday night, Serendra (and the parking!) as surprisingly packed! We had to wait for a about 30 minutes just to find a slot in the parking area. Anyway, we both thought it was worth the wait since the meal that we had and the time spent together were very well worth it.

By the way, I think my hubby and I could try doing some rounds of walking around Boni High Street. Apparently, jogging and walking in this area has been the current trend. I think it's a great idea! Doing some exercise in Serendra instead just doing mere shopping or dining, how cool is that? Great idea guys!

Anyway, it's a long weekend ahead! I'm thinking of bringing Zoe to the pedia on Saturday and then also go back to Serendra and let her round around there and have some great outdoor fun. :-)

Shopping Days Again

Thank God for our recent bonus, I was able to go on a shopping spree again. Gosh, it's been a long time since my last shopping "exercise". It kinda feels great, you know. I got a couple of pairs of pants and some new tops. I was able to stash away my regular pre-pregnancy clothes already last night so the cabinet is ready for my new pregnancy clothes. :-) Which reminds me, I still got more preggy clothes in my old bedroom... I'd better get a hold of those too so I can dress up with better ease with clothes that fit well my growing belly.

Hang in there baby!!! I'm ready for more belly-growing in the next months!

Zoe's Toys

As young as she is, Zoe has already accumulated a lot of toys and other stuff. Lookie here...

Too many stuff toys...(can you see Barney, Tigger and Jollibee?)

Too many plastic toys and other crazy stuff....

I wish I can get rid of many of these toys and revert to having wooden toys and puzzles that will promote imaginary play (ala Waldorf style of learning).

Broom, Broom!!!!

As we were getting out of the house to leave for work today, our little one was already outside, with a broom (a "walis tingting") in her hand, helping her nanny sweep the fallen leaves in the street infront of our home.

She did a good job, actually. Dad and I are really happy that she's growing up to be helpful, active, industrious and happy.

Getting Ready for a Feast

Have you prepared your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menu?

Well, I swear I have so many things in my head right now that I haven't finalized my menu and grocery list yet. Talk about holiday cramming.

On the top of my head, spaghetti and ham will definitely be in the menu and some yummy desserts (because of the kids). Gastronomically speaking, I want to make this Christmas a very special one but I also want sana to veer away from the traditional menu like what my Lola and Nanay would usually prepare. It's because I am torn between trying out something different (read: healthy) and sticking to the (high-cholesterol/fatty) menu basics. Hahaha!

Good thing I recently discovered this link for some Christmas menu ideas. Now all I have to decide is what is doable for me - without breaking the bank or making a mad rush to the grocery store.

Can't imagine that Christmas is just around the corner. Frenzy! Frenzy!

Tita and Zoe

My sister was in Manila last weekend and we got to spend some time together. It was so much fun!

Zoe and her tita-look-alike:


"Tita, can you pls. give me a fone for Christmas?" Lol.

Until we see each other again -- maybe when we go to Iloilo!

Love Those Beautiful Things

When I assess my character, one of my obvious traits would be my love for the arts, for soothing, pleasing and beautiful things and love for music. I am admittedly very tactile and I enjoy touching and seeing beautiful sights and things. For example, I also find interest in calming music, dainty art and fancy food presentations. A good meal with fine wine, that's my idea of a great dinner date.

It is because of this trait that I want to always put a touch of class in our home. It need not be very costly. It just needs to be pleasant-looking but still functional. I may love the stuff in Ikea, but ultimately, if given the budget, I still prefer classic pieces of furniture for our home. If only I had a good sum of money, I would probably invest on antique furniture. For the bathroom, I think I would want to have those beautiful Copper Sinks that I recently saw online. There's this Copper Sink that I truly adore and would want to install on our main bathroom. And for the kitchen, wouldn't it be great to have matching Copper Kitchen Sinks? This would be a fantastic complement to our copper-shaded granite table tops on the kitchen counter.

Ain't all of these the reflection of the good life in all its guises?

Maintaning Your Property in Good Condition

A few years back, my husband worked for a property management office. He managed a premiere office building in the heart of the city. As part of his job, he was tasked to maintain good tenant relationship, do building inspections, submit property reports and manage the conduct of pest inspections. Most of their building tenants where multinational companies, thus, his building's reputation needs to be maintained at the highest level.

Why is it very important to maintain your property in good condition? For businesses and investors, a well-managed real estate property can generate income and great profits. Therefore it is the role of a property manager to see that the properties are preserved and enhanced to the worth of their real estate investments. This can be done by a through inspection of various needs of the property: pest inspections, periodic waste removal, grounds keeping and equipment safety, etc.

Letting Go

It's funny that when you hold garage sales, you seem to get that feeling of "attachment" to your things especially when your expensive clothes and shoes which you used to own and love are being taken away by the neighbor's helpers and drivers at only 10-50 pesos each. Yikes! As if you still want to hold on to that shirt or that blouse, thinking that maybe you are still able to wear it again someday. It's crazy....

However, I think that is only the initial feeling. When you enjoy yourself selling your goods, earn some money and see the manang labandera return to your garage sale the next day already wearing your clothes, then, it's definitely worth it. :-)

An Unexpected Gift

I recently got a surprise of my life last weekend.

Ever since I was born, I had lived in the same place with my parents. So I guess you can say that I practically grew up with our house. However, after around 25 years of living in our house, my parents decided to have the house rebuilt into a bigger house. Too bad, my mother enjoyed this new house for only about two months before she passed away. And because of the big expense we incurred with the house construction plus my mother's hospitalization, the finishing and interior design of the house was put into a halt and had to wait for a few months before its final completion. My Dad even thought of going into a refinance mortgage for his short-term housing loan but decided otherwise. Now, everything has been settled because of my Dad's efforts and God's grace.

Anyway, with my Dad remarrying last May, he decided to transfer the title of the house to my sister and myself. I don't know about the legalities of all these real estate properties but honestly, I didn't expect my Dad to do that for us. At any rate, it was really a show of love on the part of my Dad and I admire him so much for being a great Dad who always looks after us and who always wants to give the best to us.

I love you Tatay (and Nanay) and thank you so much for this gift. :-) I promise to take care of this house which is like the 'monument' of your love and sacrifices that you put in for the whole family.