November 11, 2008
It’s mid-November and start of entertaining season. We should be expecting a lot of Christmas parties, reunions and even out-of-town trips. And all I can think of is how to schedule everything. I don’t have a ‘yaya’ and as much as I would like to be spontaneous, I can’t. Everything has to be scheduled and prepared days or even weeks before. That’s how it is being a mommy.
One more thing I couldn’t stop thinking about when Christmas season nears. The food. We can be indulgent this time of the year. Lots of meat, pastries, sweet doughnuts, with unlimited cups of coffee and glasses of wine. Oh God, I get excited just thinking about it.
But best of all, let us try to be with people we love…
November 9, 2008
It just dawned on me that decorating or keeping a beautiful home is a continuous process. One that involves commitment, time and understanding. Understanding what you like and what you need is the first step to building or decorating your dream home. And there are three important things to consider–function, aesthetics and maintenance. Function, your house has to work for you one way or another. It has to improve the quality of your life. If it does not, what’s the purpose of living there?
Secondly the aesthetics, it has to work and it has to be beautiful. And I think I have an eye for beauty. Sometimes, I find myself walking into a room and looking at the furniture and accents and experience a quick hit of inspiration. I find that a simple plain room would instantly become fabulous with a few well-chosen accessories. It may be a painting or elegant candle holders. Even the feel and choice of fabrics would make a room more homey and warm. And what I love best are luxurious soft throws and embroidered quilts. They make you fall asleep and dream of nice things. Who wouldn’t want that? When I was a child, I used to come home from school and look forward to my freshly made bed and a plate of cookies and hot chocolate. It would be nice if someone does things for me. But being the grown-up, I’m now in charge of the house. And that includes the cleaning.
The maintenance. Sometimes you would find yourself with no time and housework creeps up on you. And the thing I hate most is the clutter. Clutter ruins a beautiful home. That’s why I make it a point to de-clutter and clean my house at least once a week making sure that I get under everything even the nooks and crannies. I move everything so that I can wipe every surface. Lately I’ve noticed that my bookshelves have stains and marks and I find it very hard to remove them. Apparently, bookshelves that are painted with latex paint age badly and books would sometimes stick to the paint leaving it with undesirable marks. I wish I could purchase bookcases that look elegant and paint-free in the near future. It would make my book collection stand out even more with equally impressive teakwood bookcases. Wouldn’t that be great?
Actually, decorating and keeping a home need not be stressful. With the right furniture, accessories and a little bit of know-how, one can even find it therapeutic.
Do you tutor your child yourself or you hire the services of one? I was talking to one of the moms in my kid’s school and she shared with me her observations on tutoring. She noticed that when she was still hands-on with her kid’s studies like doing assignments, planning out-of-school activities, home projects etcetera, her kid got very good grades. But when she got busy with work and a new business and hired a tutor, there was a big difference with her’s kid’s grades and performance in school.
Even the teachers knew that the kid was being tutored by a different person and not by the mom. I think teachers know this all along. With their years of experience, they could tell the difference. There’s really no question about this. It’s still best if mothers were more involved with her child’s studies or anything for that matter.
November 8, 2008
I’m a big fan of CSI the series. I just think it’s a cool job and an equally cool series. I don’t miss an episode of the three shows and I still watch the reruns every Sunday. That’s how I love crime-solving and mystery. Although at times it could be gross because of the blood and gore of some of the crimes, I still would want to belong to that elite team.
That’s why the news of a new PI Magazine called Pursuit is a welcome addition to my fascination with crime investigations, law & order or even minor home and legal research and disputes. Actually, Pursuit has been around awhile and started out as an informal e-zine which one got through email. The subscriber base grew within a couple of years and the decision to launch it as a bi-monthly magazine became a reality. This is a magazine and an online community for anyone interested in the business of private investigation, legal profession and protective service industries.
The people behind the magazine plan to make Pursuit the utmost authority in its field. You can expect Private Investigator Articles ranging from investigation techniques, new investigative tools and technology and emerging trends. If you want to learn more about the magazine, you may visit their private investigator blog.
November 6, 2008
My alarm goes off and I snooze twice in 10-minute segments. It’s hard to get out of bed especially at 6 o’clock in the morning but I do. I brush my teeth, wash my face and make some green tea cappuccino. I’ve been enjoying this beverage a lot lately.
It’s a Friday and MG’s school starts early. So while she sleeps I drink my tea and lounge around for a bit and do my morning reading–emails, moola-making and blogs. I would love to walk in the morning and have my loop around my pretty neighborhood. But I can’t. Time is not on my side today. Even though this morning, I am particularly intrigued by the facades of apartment buildings around our place. It’s awesome. Some may say “dated” but I say timeless and built for tough times. I also love looking at the lone-standing mango tree that has been there for as long as….actually, nobody knows. It never gets old. It only gets stronger. Finally it’s time to take a bath and get ready to head out.
Friday is Child on Board Day for my little one. My kid loves this part of the week because flurry of fun activities to go through. I take my camera with me just in case I spot something interesting and new that my beloved daughter does. Like at their Halloween party last week, I couldn’t pass it up. Here’s my MG dressed as a fairy:
happy weekend, people. wherever you are….
November 5, 2008
If you only have to go to one place to shop during weekends, I suggest The Lung Center. And you can find similar weekend markets in major parts of the metro. But what makes it amazing is that it doesn’t only sell food, but has a clothing section, decorative items, handicrafts and artworks and it’s relatively inexpensive. If I had to compare it to something, it’s almost like an upscale version of our ‘palengke’ but bigger, more pleasant-smelling since it’s outdoors and cooler, if you do your shopping in the morning. My favorite things to check out: tofu, native delicacies and viands, gourmet breads, organic vegetables, antiques, handmade soaps, shower gels and lotions and the dessert displays of some shops.
Whenever I go there, I always buy Callos from this vendor. I have been there 4 or 5 times and have never been disappointed. Each time, I wanted to ask her recipes but was too shy to actually do it. You can also eat there. There’s a long table and several stools and it looks more like a carinderia. No fuss, just efficient service by very pleasant staff and of course, the food…Yummy!!!
There’s also a regular fruit and vegetable market plus fresh cheese and poultry. I wish I took pictures of my last visit but I was in a rush. I wanted to be early so I could get a decent parking. That’s the only problem with weekend markets, the PARKING!!!
November 3, 2008
Do you think it’s a little early for holiday planning and shopping? I’m a bit of a procrastinator. Actually, it’s a problem. BIG TIME. So this year, I’m planning ahead and am considering making a bunch of personalized gifts. I’d like to make choco chip cookies because that’s easy or if I want to be ambitious, a painting each for my true friends. I’m not a good painter but I know they would appreciate anything I give them but they would probably criticize it at first. But that’s ok.
Are you planning for gifts already? What do you have in mind?
Since budget is tight right now, I think some of these suggestions from this website’s readers would be of help.
Me, I know what I want for Christmas. Books. Books would be great. So to all my friends who are planning to give me gifts, I will be posting my book wishlist soon. =) Haha…
