What Simply Works! » Home and Living

Our Home

busymom — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:21:33 +0000

We received confirmation that the three boxes of personal effects we left in Manila have been airlifted to Sydney. We are now waiting for the call from the airline so that we can arrange for pick-up. But before it arrives, we are planning to get new cabinets because the rooms in the house have small built-in closets and cabinets. Otherwise, our rooms will look like a department store with racks upon racks of clothes, shoes and what not. If we chance upon good discount quality furniture like Lexington furniture, we just might opt to get wooden and not plastic cabinets.

That Christmas Spirit

busymom — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:15:20 +0000

The parties and frequent dine-outs we had during the Christmas holidays helped me to gain a bit of weight. I am underweight by 10 pounds and it’s no fun. I would look at myself in the mirror and see a ‘depressed’ or problematic looking me. All because I’m that thin.

It helped of course that we almost always dined with our loved ones. It is the conversations and laughter that motivated me to eat more. Sigh. While others resort to diet pills, here I am, trying to stuff myself with food to gain weight.

Needing Organizing Ideas

busymom — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:50:59 +0000

We’re expecting three boxes from Manila in the coming weeks. I packed a lot of gifts and other essentials (stuff that we can only buy there) that my family will help to ship out this weekend. Now, I need to figure out where to put them. We don’t have a lot of storage space and I would have to resort to buying those collapsible plastic cabinets just so the rooms will still look presentable. There are discount furniture stores out there but we’re trying to do away buying heavy furnishings right now. It’s not practical to do so since we are still renting. Hmmm, this will challenge my organization skills once more.

A New Look

busymom — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:56:06 +0000

My sister had her common bathroom renovated before the holidays. What I liked most from the fixtures are the sink, shower base and bath faucets which design I have seen from the Kohler Faucets and Fixtures series online. The whole bathroom had a blue motif and all the shades used blended well. I’m thinking of buying some accessories for her to add to her now beautiful bathroom.

Thrift Shopping

busymom — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:46:54 +0000

A popular discount store, Daiso, has now made its way to Manila. I noticed at least two branches while I was doing my Christmas shopping. I didn’t get the chance to check the stores but I’m sure, just like the ones in Singapore, they have tons of household and lifestyle products available. With the current global economic situation, I won’t be surprised to see more of this dollar store franchise spread around the Philippines.

Travel Boo-Boo

busymom — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:49:06 +0000

Experience is indeed a good teacher.

When shopping for things that I will use long-term like luggage, I make sure that I allot a reasonable budget for it and not settle for the cheapest type. I’ve always patronized the known brands and to date, I still make use of a carry-on luggage I bought 8 years ago. No kidding.

For some reason, I was convinced to settle for a local brand when I bought a check-in luggage last month. After a 3-hr trip to Singapore and another 8 hours to Sydney, the luggage handle broke as my husband lifted it from the trolley to the car. Boo-hoo. That’s what we get for scrimping on suitcases. A Swiss Army luggage seems like a good replacement.

The ‘Worst’ is Over!

busymom — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:31:32 +0000

Barely five days after our move, we have unpacked all the boxes and the apartment now is now in a “livable” state. It was a big effort to clear everything that fast but my motivation is to finish unpacking so I can move on to do other things. I have a little over three weeks left to complete my Christmas shopping, packing for the holidays and my mini-personal project. I need more hands!

Thankfully, our friends referred a really good mover (could be somewhat similar to services mover NYC offers in the US) who were so nice and helpful. But I hope we stay in this apartment a wee bit longer for us not to go through this challenging phase again soon!

I Love My Dyson

busymom — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:20:37 +0000

We finally bought a new vacuum cleaner. Yep, it is a Dyson! Wee!!! My carpet cleaning hours are now significantly lower because of a better, more powerful tool. Goodbye to our good old Philips vacuum. We’ve seen better days.

Electricity at Better Rates

busymom — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:04:58 +0000

When I first heard about energy deregulation, I didn’t know what it means and how it will impact us as consumers. Then I learned that deregulation addresses the issue of monopoly when it comes to providing services. This means that consumers are empowered to choose the company and specific services they need and want.

For example, Cirro Energy is just one of the many electricity providers in Texas. They provide cheap and reliable electricity for residential areas. There is also an energy alternative that is environment-friendly because its pollution free and it’s called Green Mountain Energy. However, there is a premium in switching to this service. Gexa Energy, on the other hand, is one of the most competitive electric companies in the same state. They compete very well with Cirro Energy and Green Mountain Energy.

It is surprising to know why there are so many electric companies in one state alone. I wondered what makes one different from the other. Well, the way they ‘package’ their services are different. One company offers low rates but with usage limits (or quota). Another provider charges more at certain times of the day. That’s why it is very important to study the services through Texas Electric Rate before signing up or switching to another company.

Keeping An Open Mind

busymom — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:12:43 +0000

We didn’t hear from the property agent today, which could likely mean that we didn’t get the apartment unit we applied for over the weekend. Would you believe that I even had a dream about it last night? I guess my subconscious was on overdrive and it shows how much I want to move to a different rental property.

With this development, I started checking for available rental properties online again. I saw this nice house up for rent but with no viewing schedule posted yet. The garden is well trimmed and the veranda has antique wood patio furniture. If we end up renting the place, I would likely follow the theme of having outdoor wooden furniture. Because I’m not expert when it comes to buying quality home furnishings, it is good that there are websites that provide buyer and manufacturers’ reviews as well as related articles. These websites will come in handy once our move is finalized.

Hopefully something good turns out this weekend. Otherwise, we’ll resume the house/apartment hunting next year.