Cutty

Now that I can access our house-warming photos, I would like to share with you what kept us busy in the latter part of 2009. Most of the furniture we have in the house were the ones that survived Ondoy. I just bought decorative accents, mostly from SM, Regalong Pambahay and Landmark. Most of the rooms also got accent walls. Vic was bored-to-death with the cream-colored interiors from before. Here are some shots of the refurbished part of the house. This is living room and dining room. We also played up the lights to create the mood. As you can see, we only used recessed lights. The retailers of Soler were a great help. We got most of our lighting fixtures and bulbs from there. The curtains weren't supposed to be tied back, but we decided to do so just to let the air in. This is the hallway connecting the old part of the house to the den. There's a sliding door (hidden at this time) to seal off the den in case we'd like to turn on the a/c. Here is a shot of the de...

February used to be one of the cooler months of the year due to the wind blowing down from Siberia. Cold front ba tawag dun? These days, I'd want nothing more than to lounge by the beach or the pool. Our daily A/C usage used to be less than eight hours. But with the temperature rising and hyper-active toddlers needing their naps (not to mention, a pregnant body that's constantly craving for cooler weather) how can I cut back on the A/C usage? I am doing my part to cut back on my electricity. I've also tried to make our home more earth-friendly. I am doing my part to lessen my carbon footprint. I hope others are doing the same thing, too. Global warming, please go away. Mother Earth, please cooperate.

When we got up this morning, the only set of (new) furniture we got for our home was just delivered. Finally, the den / family room is complete. Just don't look at our empty walls. We now have an office space The media cabinet is now just right for the scale of the wall. Next in line would be a TV large enough for the stand. I can do more stuff in front of the computer while monitoring the kids and the yayas. Yey!

While Johann is confined in one of the rooms of TMC , I managed to slip out and visit my OB. This ultrasound is long overdue. It should have been done last December but we've been preoccupied with domestic stuff. Anyway, it seems that we're having a girl this time. But, we are still not 100% certain because the legs were closed, in a true girly fashion. I've decided to undergo the 3D/4D ultrasound in a couple of weeks, just to be sure. I've been hoping for a girl. We'll see if third time's really a charm.

I need to get out. I need an escape to keep my sanity. My extra-bobs help has been finding ways to get to me EVERYDAY. I've been having a hard time curbing my tongue. It is so easy to snap at everybody these days. I doesn't help that the eldest boy isn't being very cooperative also. He's been suffering from really bad cough since Saturday. I'm trapped.

... that a successful relationship requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Always with the same person, but deeper and deeper every time. Each time on a whole new level you together open in love and discover the truth of your beloved anew. There is no limit to the beauty of your beloved. If you think you've reached the end, stop generalizing. ------------------ I found this while I was looking for something to do since both kids are asleep. Very inspiring, isn't it?

I just feel so special today. I nearly cried when I heard the communion song earlier. I won't give you details. But, I'll leave you with the lyrics of I Offer My Life by Don Moen. It is one of my favorites. All that I am, all that I have I lay them down before you, oh Lord All my regrets, all my acclaims The joy and the pain, I'm making them yours Lord, I offer my life to you Everything I've been through Use it for your glory Lord I offer my days to you Lifting my praise to you As a pleasing sacrifice Lord I offer you my life Things in the past, things yet unseen Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true All of my heart, all of my praise My heart and my hands are lifted to you Lord, I offer my life to you Everything I've been through Use it for your glory Lord I offer my days to you Lifting my praise to you As a pleasing sacrifice Lord I offer you my life What can we give That you have not given? And what do we have That is not already yours? All we possess Ar...

A few days ago, I felt the urge to bake. We had lots of frozen Cavendish bananas from the province. It's the variant that doesn't really turn yellow. I don't know how else to cook it, except by making them into cakes or muffins. Out several recipes I've tried, the one liked best was the one I got from Heny Sison's class. Unfortunately, due to the disorder and chaos brought about by Ondoy and the house construction, I couldn't find it anymore. I had to resort to the next best recipe I have in my book. This one, I got from epicurious .com. It is your basic muffin recipe. Just add fruit, chocolate chips, oatmeal, nuts or coffee, it will turn out okay. One thing I like about this is the use of sour cream. By experience, adding sour cream to cakes makes them more moist and lighter. Give it a try and let me know how you find it. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/...

After months of hearing about this, we are glad it'll take place this weekend. There's no other show I'd rather watch. BTW, the SIL is co-producing this so just holler if you need tickets. --------------------------- Speaking of Valentine treats, here are some stuff I don't mind getting from Bizu . I found these in my Inbox. If you want something to start off your Valentine's Day celebration, they also offer full meals for the weekend. Pwede na . This just reminds me that we don't have dinner plans made on that Valentine weekend yet. Vic wants to go to the Highland Steakhouse. I prefer Zuni or the Sofitel buffet. Hmmm . Watchatink , Daddy-o?

Formal talks have begun regarding getting CCP as the performance venue for the final installment of the THREE choral festival. Our meeting with the VP last Friday took less than hour. Despite the brief meeting, we were able to discuss vital issues such as booking concerns with CCP and getting the VP's support on this festival. ----------------- Next week will define if we have to change our festival's day-to-day schedule. It would also affect our project theme. I will keep you updated. I also hope they give us a venue grant or discount. 270K is definitely steep for a university choir.

Now that I am about to enter the last trimester of this pregnancy, I am having great difficulty in getting the appropriate thing to wear. I used to get a lot nice stuff from Havin A Baby and Gingersnaps. But when I frequent their stores these days, I am quite disappointed with their display. HAB has become really expensive. I would have patronized them if their quality has improved. Would you believe that they've gotten more expensive than Gingersnaps? Most of their newly-released blouses are nearly P1K. Gingersnaps, on the other hand, has some nice items at a less expensive price. The only problem is the silhouette of the shirts. They're often loose and baggy, something that a pregnant woman wouldn't want to don when she's feeling like an over-blown balloon. It's nice to know that Mothercare and Bayo's maternity lines are quite nice. I'm glad to see that most of the maternity basics, like jeans, underwear and shirts are from 40% to 70% off in Mother...

My Tita said that they caught us in our weakest moment. We've been cleaning for days but it seems that we're not progressing. I was tired from all the cleaning. Not to mention, we had no idea how to clean the sofas and the drapes and the numerous pillows and mattresses. They knew we wanted to clean the air before we move back in. It didn't help that they don't offer cleaning services alone. It didn't help that they offered affordable payment schemes. If my parents only knew how much this costs, I'd never hear the end of it. Then again, Tita G said that she also paid an arm and a leg for the same thing a decade ago. It still is working and are still very satisfied owners of the unit. ------------------- In less than two weeks in our newly-improved home, we've used it thrice already to freshen up the place. I think we're already getting our money's worth.

You'll know that it's a lost cause when... ... you ask for your cellphone and she gives you the remote control. ... you ask for a " kutsara " and she gives you a " tinidor ." ... she cleans the tub for the 2 nd time and gets grounded for the 2 nd time. ... you ask for butter and she looks for it everywhere BUT the ref. ... you tell her to use plastic / silicone ladles for teflon -coated pans EVERYDAY. ... she mixes the fabric softener with the detergent when washing the clothes. ... up to now, she still doesn't know the basic colors. No wonder her old employer reprimanded her everyday. I don't blame the old employer. -------------------- I thought I was doing a noble deed of trying to train her and teach her the "urban" ways. I used to believe that everyone is trainable. Maybe she is. But after months of trying, I've run out of patience. I don't want my third child looking like her.

... that Starbucks offers extra shots or syrup for free every Monday? This promo will last till Feb 22. Speaking of Starbucks, Iced White Chocolate Mocha goes well with the Irish Cream Syrup. I usually get the iced coffee with Toffee Nut. Some find it too sweet, but it's just right for me. How I wish they offer Toffee Nut all year round.