Plants and Flowers

Plants and flowers can add beauty to the house, whether it's indoor or outdoor. I envy houses with garden regardless of size, that's one thing you won't see in our 300 sq meter house. Yes we have big space in front of our house and there are four big trees namely mango, caimito and 2 chico trees that provides shading, however, you won't see grass and flowers place in planter boxes or any outdoor planters.

My sister-in-law and I attempted to plant small trees and flowers on plant boxes and slowly create garden, unfortunately, those plants died after a few months. I remember buying tomato and calamansi plants last year and the same thing happened, they all died and we accepted the reality that we're not skilled to grow flowers or any kind of plants, moreso, create a beautful garden. We may resort to hiring somebody to do the gardening and landscaping in the future.

After doing a little research in the internet, I learned tips and techniques on how to grow plants and flowers and there are numerous containers or planters available made of different materials like fiberglass, ceramic, stones etc. I guess for now, I'll be satisfied buying fresh flowers and placed them in a beautifully designed ceramic planter or vase.

Sleeping in a Bed of Heaven

My favorite Urban Zone host Daphne Osena is not only a great host and jewelry designer, she also personally design bed linens.  Her style is subtle luxury and discreet elegance and mostly, she uses calming earth tone colors and such color makes your home look more tidy and relaxing. Moreover, neutral colors bed lines will work best with any home and hotel wall paint color. Her bed linen collection is available at SM HomeWorld.

Everytime I am in department section of SM Mall, I usually visit the Home Section to check on bedding, pillow cases and comforter-set. I am fond of buying pillow cases that would match the color of the bedding collection I currently have. I am in fact, saving up for comforter –set that we can use during rainy season when the weather or climate is conducive to sleeping.  And for our bed, I’d like to buy side tables and an eye catching lamp would be on top of it. 

When Toots and I were in Cebu last year for a business trip,  we were billeted in Parklane Hotel and it’s a lot better compare to Peak Hotel we first tried during our first trip in the said province. The bed in Parklane is more comfy, it’s covered with comforter and beddings all in white colors. The feeling is like sleeping in a bed of heaven.

Boise Painting

I’ve been blogging about my goal to have my house painted after rainy season or before the year ends. I’ve also been visiting websites about home & style & reading home magazines to get an idea of what paint color I want for every area of the house. I noticed what’s in nowadays are pastel colors paint. I prefer our master bedroom to be dominantly beige in color with a little touch of brown color in it to achieve a zen & neat look. I’m still confused what color I like in my kids’ room and the living room as well. In fact, I have cut outs of areas of the house with paints that I want to copy.

I’ll ask my brother to help me find a skilled painter to do the house painting. Of course, I do not want my money to be wasted, my husband’s approval and satisfaction is one of my considerations too. Neighbors & acquaintances volunteered to do the job but I won’t take the risk. I want an experienced & knowledgeable painter. If budget permits, Boise Painting will be a great idea to ensure success of the house paint job and full satisfaction on my part.

I can not wait to accomplish this goal and I can not wait to see a dramatic transformation of my house.

My Homebuilder

My sister used to work in one of the home builders here in Pampanga and while my house was still under construction, my sister would accompany me to buy materials such as vinyl tiles, toilet bowls and fawcets and get big discounts. I did not bother to check materials and prices from other homebuilders because usually home builders are located in the same street and they offer the same prices. With the home builder that my sister used to work for, they offer wide array of selection, also, people working there who happens to be friends of my sister are kind enough to educate me of the difference of materials with different brands, thus helping me decide with my choices. Knowledgeable staff and quality materials is what new home builders winston salem offers to its current & prospective buyers.

The Hanging Cabinets I like

I was browsing Friendster few days back and I got to see the photos of the different parts of the house of my friend residing in Abra province. The only finishing touch lacking is the painting, the same thing in my own house. I fell in love with the hanging cabinets installed in her kitchen. I ask my friend where she got those cabinets and she told me she bought them in home builder store in their province and she assured me there are exactly the same hanging cabinets available in our place too because she make time to canvass for materials & furnitures everytime she's here in Pampanga.

I always surf the net to look for the design I like for my hanging cabinets in my kitchen and I stumpled upon Orlando Cabinets. They have wide array of designs to choose from. I want mine to be made of wood and if time would come I can afford to buy such, I know what to look for and if in case I would hire somebody to create one for me, I won't have a hard time describing it, in fact I have saved in my computer the picture of the hanging cabinet I really like for my kitchen. I already told my hubby about it and he agreed it will make my kitchen look beautiful.

Property Management

I was watching news earlier and the highlight of the news is storm signal number two named Feria. It is expected to hit Manila tonight between 9 to 11pm. I hate it when it rains. It’s such a hassle to go out of the house to work. Also, the roof in our comfort room located in the extended kitchen leaks especially during heavy rains. I’m looking at the entirely of our house and I realized I needed huge amount of money for its painting and to figure out the cause of leaks in the comfort room. I realized too the importance and advantage of hiring property preservation specialists to maintain the beauty of the house especially if there is plan to sell it in the future. I think rich people hires property management and won’t mind spending extra money for it as long as the maintenance and development of their property is ensured to add maket value to it.

Weird Household Uses for Food

This is an email sent to me and it talks about the uses of the things we see in our kitchen.

Enjoy learning!


SUGAR
At your next BBQ don't spend money on anti-pest candles that never work. Simmer 2 cups of milk, a 1/4 pound of sugar and 2 oz. of ground black pepper for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the mixture into bowls and put them where the flies will be attracted to them and then drown. You can also place around the house. No more buzzzzzing at the windows.

WHITE VINEGAR
Deodorant stains can ruin a perfectly good shirt. Save your whites by spraying white vinegar (no need to mix with water) onto the underarm areas. Then you can wash per usual.

PEPPER
Everyone knows Clorox's catchy ditty about keeping clothes bright, but all you need is pepper. Add a teaspoon of pepper to the wash before you add in your clothes and it will keep the colors from fading.

PEANUT BUTTER
To get gum out of a carpet, scrape up what you can, using an ice cub to stiffen it if necessary. Then rub a small glob of peanut butter into the fibers, and wipe up the whole mess with a cloth. To get rid of any left-behind PB, just dab it up with a mixture of 1 tsp of dishwashing liquid in 1 cup of lukewarm water. (Thanks to DIY Life for the tip!)

SODA
Next time your drain is clogged and you don't have time to run to the store for some Drain-O just look in your fridge! A 2-liter bottle of soda will do the trick. Just pour it down to clobber the clog.

SHORTENING
For a natural solution to diaper rash, try coating the area with a thin layer of shortening. It will act as a moisturizer.

SALT
Grease stains can be a huge pain when it comes to doing laundry. Before you wash, work a generous amount of table salt into the stain and then launder as usual.

POTATOES
Too much to drink last night and now you have puffy eyes? Apply a thin slice of cold potato to your eyes and leave on for five minutes. Then splash with cool water, put on your makeup (or just some moisturizer -- this means you, too, guys!) and head to work!

ORANGES
Don't you hate it when you have to start a fire and little bits of newspaper are flying everywhere? Next time, air-dry orange peels, which contain flammable oils that burn longer, and use those instead of the paper. The delicious smell is a bonus.

OLIVE OIL
Does it seem like nothing is working for your bad skin? Use 4 tablespoons of salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil to create a paste. Leave it on your face for 2 minutes and rinse with warm water. Then wash your face as normal. Use every day for a week and then cut back to 3 days a week and you should notice an improvement.

MUSTARD
It may make you smell like a hot dog, but rubbing a thin layer of mustard over your chest and covering with a hot towel can relieve a stuffy head and chest.

MILK
Oh no! You forgot to put the cap on your pen and now there is ink seeping into your shirt. No worries -- just grab some milk and soak the area. Depending on the type of ink, this process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Patience is a virtue.

MAYONNAISE
It's one thing when your child draws on the wall with crayons, it's quite another when it comes to your wood furniture. Rub some mayonnaise on the crayon mark and let it soak for ten minutes. Then take a damp cloth and wipeaway the mayo AND the crayon!

LEMONS
Dandruff can be an embarrassing health problem, but the special shampoo often smells yucky. Try massaging 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into your scalp and rinsing with warm water. Follow with a leave-in rinse of 1 teaspoon lemonjuice in 1 cup of warm water. Use this daily until your scalp is healed.

FLOUR
You have an ant problem but are worried about the poisonous ant traps around your pets. Just sprinkle flour wherever you see ants entering the house and along the pantry shelves, since they are most likely after your food.

EGGS
No time to hit the salon before your big event? Get your hair super shiny and conditioned with eggs! Take two beaten egg yolks and massage into hair. Start at the scalp and work in small sections. Then gather all of the hair in a shower cap, wrap in a warm towel and wait 30 minutes (you could cook the kids' dinner). Rinse with cool water and shampoo as usual.

CORN STARCH
Your child just learned how to tie their shoes and the knots are impossible to undo. Stay calm and sprinkle a little cornstarch on the laces to help you work out the knot.

CLUB SODA
There's no more worrying about drinking red wine on white carpet. Soak up as much wine as possible and then pour club soda over the area, making sure to blot and not rub. Repeat the process until the wine is no longer visible. You can also do the same for urine stains.

CASTOR OIL
While most of us associate castor oil with constipation or childbirth, did you know it can also help get rid of pesky moles in your yard? Just mix a 1/2 cup of castor oil with two gallons of water and pour the mixture down the mole(s) hole(s). Don't worry, the solution is animal friendly and they will likely relocate.

BUTTER
A jewelry box can help you organize, but sometimes those thin-chained necklaces just want to get tangled and you can't stop them! Rub some butter into the knot and lay on a flat surface. Then take a sewing needle to untangle. When finished just run under hot water to rinse off the butter.

BREAD
Next time you drop a wine glass or break a plate, grab a slice of bread to help you clean up. After you pick up the larger pieces, press the bread over the area and it will pick up all the itty bitty pieces you can't see. Bread can also help clean fingerprints off walls and wallpaper. Just rub and voila!

BANANAS
Before you throw your banana peel in the compost pile, remove any stringy pulp and use the peel as a buffer. This works with silverware as well as leather shoes and leather furniture. Just rub the peel over the object and buffwith a soft cloth. Be sure to test a small section of your furniture first!

APPLES
Sick of waiting for your green tomatoes to ripen on the windowsill? Stick up to five tomatoes in a brown paper bag with a ripe apple and seal for a few days. This will speed up the ripening process.

The kitchen I like

Hopefully my parents will be able to move to their newly constructed house first week of June when my sister will arrive from Qatar to give birth to her first baby. While I'm in the process of finalizing the floor plan of my own house, I'm surfing the net to check for pictures of the kitchen I visualize and below is the perfect kitchen look for me:




Very simple right? It has to have a nook bar and light colored paint plus the kitchen cabinet on top should allot space for the microwave specifically in the middle.