A Mommy's Me Time

It’s true what they say. Once you become a parent, finding time for yourself is an everyday struggle. Make it twice as hard if you don’t have a yaya. Don’t get me wrong though; I love being around my child and I love taking care of her. You know, there was once a time when guilt finds its way to me the moment I go to the spa or have lunch out with my friends. I felt the world judging me.

What is “me time” anyway? I used to find it in little things, like that 5-minute shower when Allie was still an infant. Now that she’s a bit older, I get my “me time” fix while waiting for her class to end. I go to my barre3 class, or make paper flowers, or paint. Having this time for myself made me more patient and rejuvenated. I decided that everyone really needs a little “me time” every so often. I put guilt in the backseat and finally convinced myself that that “me time” is a means to an end.

We used to live in a two-bedroom condominium. Cleaning was a breeze. But now, cleaning all four floors we call home is not exactly my cup of tea. It takes up all my free time! For general cleaning, I had to hire professional cleaners who can do the work in a quarter of the time I can. But for my everyday cleaning routine, I try to get the best cleaning materials out there.

I tend to choose cleansers that are concentrated, efficient, effective, and easy-to-use. In the long run, I save money while keeping my home clean and fresh, fast. A favorite of mine is Pine-Sol. For a long time, I thought there was only one scent -- the original. Then I learned that there were more scents available. I was so happy! Lemon Fresh and Orange Energy are perfect for the kitchen to remove oil and grease while keeping it freshly scented. Sparkling Wave is great to use in bathrooms because it disinfects and has that ocean-y smell to it that is very invigorating. My favorite is Lavender Clean to keep my bedroom smelling like fields of lavender.

Because Pine-Sol is very effective, I only spend a sliver of time cleaning the morning mess of breakfast, giving me more “me time”.

Case in point – a couple of weeks ago, a couple of friends of mine asked if I wanted to join a celebration of “me time” by doing yoga and having lunch with friends courtesy of Pine-Sol. It started in the morning so I had to scramble making breakfast and cleaning the kitchen. It took me a few seconds to spray and wipe my kitchen counters. An eighth of a cup of Pine-Sol is all you need for half a gallon of water. I left the kitchen sparkling and fragrant.

Our morning yoga session was held at Sofit/LeSpa, Sofitel’s health and fitness center, and was facilitated by Joanne Santos.

Before it started, we shared our thoughts about “me time” with each other. Some said the usual – going to the salon, shopping, or getting mani-pedis. A number mentioned doing chores and going to the grocery. A couple responded they haven’t even heard of “me time”. Haha.

What a treat it was for us, mommies, because we all felt relaxed by the end of the class. We all needed that.

We were then ushered to a private lunch party, where we had the tastiest and healthiest dishes. We learned about calorie counting and detoxification from the ladies of Sofitel’s aesthetic center Vietura.

During lunch, Pine-Sol brand manager Renelle delos Santos shared with us some value tips that I find true.

We all had an amazing time learning about having a clean home and just chatting with each other. It was such a fun event that I lost track of time. I was among the last ones to leave. Haha.

Nevertheless, when I got home, I spent my additional “me time” painting my favorite scent.

Lavender Clean Pine-Sol

Thank you so much Pine-Sol for the relaxing and yummy treat, and thanks to Mish of Momma N Manila, and Patty of Mrs C's Sugarcoated Life for organizing this wonderful event. I will be forever grateful for letting me experience the ease of cleaning by using your products.


Some useful links:
The Value of Pine-Sol
House cleaning tips

Follow: Pine-Sol Philippines on Facebook

Photos by Jay Santos

Kitchen Renovations

If you've been following me on Instagram, you might have had an inkling that we just moved to our new home late last year. I've been posting some tiny kitchen renovations and a few laundry details here and there. I think this is becoming a never-ending renovation procrastination for me because I know that this is a temp home before the big move to the forever house, which sadly, we haven't found the ideal location yet. Someone got some high standard issues kasi! Tsk tsk tsk. Heehee.

The kitchen before.

Yes, I have a dishwasher. It's pretty uncommon to have one here in the Philippines because most households have help. I don't, so I blackmailed my husband into buying me one. I told him that he has to wash the dishes every single time if he doesn't buy a dishwasher for me.

I looked everywhere for a dishwasher that has two things -- a slim design and a local service option. My kitchen is itty bitty tiny so I really needed a slim dishwasher. My cabinets were already done so if I had to buy a standard sized dishwasher, I had to change my cabinets and I didn't want to take the additional hassle.

Most dishwashers sold here are imported from the states, and you can just imagine how much they are. A typical $400-$500 model will cost you about $2000 here. It's not even top of the line. Crazy, right? They don't even have warranty and the voltage is different! But my extensive research paid off because I got hold of a local supplier that sold dishwashers with a slim line model (around 500mm width). It was pretty affordable. It didn't have the drying element I was used to, but that's okay as long as it has hot water. It just dries slower.

Here's the kitchen after.

Quite a few have been asking me where I got my kitchen accessories here. Well, lo and behold, here is the list.

(1) My rugs are from H&M Home. Got them during the 30% off everything event. I just put a non-slip mat underneath because it moves all the time. Safety first.
(2) That vintage-looking fan there is by Hunter. It's available at Wilcon Depot.
(3) Curtains are from SM Home. I hand sewn them to size. I don't know how to sew using the machine I don't have. Learning how to sew is on my life list though. Teach me, Brother!
(4) Almost all my kitchen towels are from Williams-Sonoma (please open here in the Philippines already). I find them very absorbent and great-looking. What else do you want?
(5) The small potted plant is from Ikea, including the pot.
(6) Cookbook stand? Williams-Sonoma again. See? I'm a fan.
(7) For the non-dishwasher safe items in my kitchen, I use the Method dishwashing soap when available. Otherwise, Joy with Olay keeps your hands soft.
(8) The paper towel holder is by Polder. But I think the Kamenstein brand holds the paper towel better. Both are available in S&R.
(9) My handsoap dispenser is a gift from my mother-in-law. It's by simplehuman. I love it because whenever my hands are dirty, I don't have to touch the dispenser at all, and clean the bottle. Fangirl of simplehuman here. Our garbage bin (not pictured) is also by simplehuman. There are cheaper wannabes out there, but they're not as durable. Our bin is about ten years old and still perfect. Ten! Imagine that. Longer than my marriage. Hahaha!

The Missoni Home Nabarniz Rug

Recently, I partnered with Chairish, an exclusive, curator approved, online marketplace for vintage and used furniture, to come up with a mood board centering on this very colorful rug. I decided to create an office space mood board and started with the rug. I chose this Missoni Home Nabarniz Rug from Chairish because of its unusual shape and its vibrant display of color. I am currently decorating my office studio at our new home, and this style study makes me want to splash the room with tons of vibrant colors because of this amazing piece.

[1] Missoni Home Nabarniz Rug's fun, octagonal shape creates an interesting conversation starter in any space. It is made from New Zealand wool that is dyed in pink, purple and green. The 3.6" thickness doesn't hurt a bit either. $843, Chairish.

[2] Studio Mirrored Desk $499, Z Gallerie.

[3] Saarinen Executive Armchair with Casters, Chartreuse. $2,067, Design Within Reach.

[4] Dupioni Silk Drape, Indigo. $189, Pottery Barn.

[5] Rubber Coated Orange Wastecan $24.99, CB2.

[6] Arod Work Lamp, Gray. $39.99, Ikea.

[7] Tanner Bookcase. $479, Pottery Barn.

[8] Iron Circle 30" Wall Clock. $79.96, CB2.

[9] Gerrebo Picture, Gingersmere. $29.99, Ikea.

Pouf-a-Palooza

I love poufs. Poufs make me happy. I literally was looking at all the poufs on One King's Lane all afternoon admiring each one. Here are just a few of them. They all look lovely right? Don't you just feel like you want to relax on the pouf and read your favorite summer book?

Well, I do.

One King's Lane asked me to style a room based on one special pouf of my choice. I picked the Abigail Round Pouf.

The room I came up with is a small reading room. I imagined it to have a white modern desk with vibrant home accessories. Here's the mood board I made.

I started with the pouf and played around with the accessories. I chose the big items first and went on from there.

I wanted a modern white desk, and this Alba X-Leg Desk fit the bill. It has modern "X" legs that I love. The drawers reminded me of the Parsons desk. A yellow rug with a subtle pattern was what I had in mind to ground all the items together. The Zeus Flat-Weave Rug is perfect. The color is a bit mustard and the pattern mirrors the desk's legs.

On the wall, I opted for a bluish rectangular mirror. I think this went perfectly with the turquoise bookshelf that was a steal at less than $60.

As for the small accessories, I wanted a bit of metal and color, so I chose the following: a chrome lamp and a green ceramic artichoke for the table. I picked an  oversized jack to display on the bookshelf because I just love them, and white will just pop out from the blue bookshelf. Of course, a couple of bookends is a must, and these pinecones ones work, especially if they're just $15. I also got a trio of boxes for storage in pink, and a hydrangea arrangement to bring some outdoors in.

Well, this is just my mood right now. It's kinda gloomy here in my side of the world, so I wanted some vibrant colors for my reading room. What would you choose? Drop by One King's Lane and I'm sure that you'll find what you're looking for.

Images courtesy of One King's Lane.

The Ants Go Marching One By One

And then there were ants -- on the floor, on the walls, on the counter. Have you ever had this problem? They're not swarming or anything. Just random ants going around. They say it's because of the weather change. Well, it doesn't matter; I never liked ants in my house. My daughter is allergic to their bites and that makes it worse.

Image by QFamily via Creative Commons

They even ransack some snacks in the pantry. One tip my aunt taught me was to put sweet snacks on a cake stand and place that on a plate with water. The ants will never be able to cross that lake. Genius right? Well, yeah but I only have one cake stand and tons of sweet snacks. Hahaha.

So, I've asked people and scoured everywhere how to get rid of ants naturally, and here's a list of kid-safe and pet-safe home remedies of ridding your house of these pesky little things.

Baking Soda + Powdered Sugar

Mix one part baking soda and one part powdered sugar on a saucer, and place it in areas where the ants are. Powdered sugar attracts; baking soda kills. Ants have acid in their system that reacts with the baking soda and yeah, kaboom. I tried this and ants were gone in about a couple of hours. But you have to change the supply every so often because of the humidity.

Essential Oils 

Using water sprays with a few drops of essential oil (peppermint or cinnamon) on any possible entry points around the house will not only deter ants from going through but it will leave our house smelling so good.

Cornmeal

All you got to do is place a plate of cornmeal in places where the ants are entering your home and they'll be gone in about 3 days.

These are just the top three I felt safest and would work. Well, if all else fails, you can always call pest control.

The Baby Project That's Project Mom

Motherhood, motherhood, motherhood. It is by far the most fun and scariest thing in the world. It changes your life. Completely.

The moment I first realized my husband and I were pregnant, we entered the world of paranoia. It was full of what-ifs. I knew that there is so much information out there especially online and reading them all will just boost my paranoia so I didn't. I resorted to a book that I think is very helpful during pregnancy. It was a book by an American author and it's probably the most popular one out there.

When I saw that a couple of celebrity moms here in the Philippines were launching a mommy book, I got so excited. I know it's going to be a great book for mommies and mommies-to-be out there because it is written from the perspective of two awesome Filipino ladies, Bianca Araneta-Elizalde and Amanda Griffin-Jacob, and the book is based on their experiences and some topics were medically-backed too.

Well, I've been a mom to a beautiful little girl for 32 months already, and it has been a roller coaster ride of sorts. I know I'm kinda lucky that my daughter's healthy when I gave birth to her. The only scare I got was right after, when I (yes, me and not the baby) had tons of blood clots that seemed to never stop. But I had the most amazing OB in the world - that's you, Dr. Williams of Piedmont Hospital, and I knew I would be okay. Home life was never the same after that. If you've watched the Coke Life commercial, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's all about the normal mess, the constant running, everything.

Don't get me wrong, I love everything about motherhood -- especially the normal mess. It reminds me of my daughter and how much fun she's having. Okay, fine, I'm probably just lazy to clean up after her only to find the house in the same condition five minutes after. Hahaha. Having this book by my side will definitely make my life a lot easier.

I went to the book launch of Project Mom last December. I saw a few mommy blogger friends there. It was a celebrity-filled event too, as you can imagine. I saw Tweetie De Leon-Gonzales and Christine Jacob among others. It was hosted by Marc Nelson (really drool-worthy by the way) and Lexi Schulze.

The book is all about how to make motherhood fun, easy and awesome. It covers everything you would like to know about being a mom - from pregnancy until after, even shedding the baby weight! The best part is, it is centered on the Filipino mom, so expect resources that can be found in the Philippines. So if you have a friend or relative who's about to give birth, this is the perfect gift for them.

Project Mom is available at all Fully Booked branches nationwide.

---
Psst. Short stint on Fully Booked blog. Check it out: http://www.fullybookedonline.com/blog/view/4405

Interior: H&M Home 2014 Simple Living Picks

I'm sure you must have heard about it now. H&M has their own line of home decor, and they are just gorge! You can also now shop online US folks, yipee!

Look at the Simple Living collection. It's a casual combination of raw and soft textures with a mix of washed materials and neutrals with graphic prints. Here are my picks.

1 Shower curtain $19.95: This white, water-repellent polyester shower curtain is printed with the partial New York City map. I love how it is 79" long, longer than the standard 6 feet.

2 Soap dispenser $7.95: This one is matchy-matchy with the shower curtain. I love the way it looks.

3 Bath mat $9.95: The print reminded me of my DIY bus roll. The bath mat is made from thick cotton terry with jacquard-weave motif. What's not to love?

4 Candle $5.95: What had me is the no-nonsense label. The white glass diffuses the candle light and it's unscented so it's perfect for an intimate table setting.

5 Linen cushion cover $17.95: I have a weakness for washed linen cushion covers with simple prints like this. It reminds me of Victoria Grayson's wingback chair from the TV show Revenge. Well, just kinda.

6 Storage basket $12.95-$14.95: Made from woven jute, these baskets have a simple stencil print at the front. It also has a plastic lining, and the top and two handles have metal trims for stability. These will look great in a little boy's room.


Okay, more good news. Until August 22, you can get a hold of their opening offers like cushion covers for only $4 a pop and bath towels for $5. Double yay!


Note to my readers in the Philippines: A little birdie told me H&M is coming to Manila this October 2013. Well, hopefully, they bring in the Home stuff too. I'll be first in line for sure. 

Design: 2014 Ikea Catalog Picks

I wish Ikea (and the cheap prices) would already arrive in Manila. I know that's a tall order, but anything's possible.

Anyway, the 2014 Ikea catalog is up for download or online browsing. I couldn't help but window shop. Here are my top picks.

01 PALLRA boxes with lids $14.99/set of 4. Laminated cardboard, polyester and paper.

02 KVITTRA boxes with lid $5.99 to $8.99. Painted, laminated cardboard and paper.

These boxes are perfect for little trinkets, maybe photographs, oh and pens! Remove clutter from your bedroom or office with these boxes. I am a sucker for cute boxes, and I'd love to get my hands on these.

03 BJÖRNLOKA FIGUR cushion cover $5.00, 20" x 20". Designed by HC Ericson.

The design is very geometric, and it reminds me of architectural sketches.

04 PROMENAD series dinnerware $3.99 - $4.99 per piece. Classic dinnerware with a unique and playful pattern inspired by hand-painted tiles.

"I was inspired by old hand-painted tiles and architecture with mosaics. The blue color relates back to traditional porcelain, but the motifs are more unexpected. Like the hot air balloon that represents freedom and playfulness. The motifs on PROMENAD are positioned a bit unconventionally. Depending on which direction you look at them from, you see different things in the motifs. The idea is that the plates should work just as well for every day as for parties. Together with both fine wine glasses and breakfast cereal. And spread happiness for many years." - Designer Malin Åkerblom about PROMENAD

05 GRÄDDIG wall decor $19.99 / set of 3. The three wall decorations become a playful and surprising eye-catcher in your home. A different and fun alternative to putting plates or pictures on the walls. You can choose to put the buttons in ordered patterns or a little here and there and rearrange them whenever you like.

06 STUVA storage bench $79.99. Place this at the entranceway and hide your clutter.


What about you, have you seen the catalog yet?

Design: A Quick Kitchen Before and After

One of my clients asked me to design his studio unit with a limited budget. It was a tiny light blue and some ridiculous pearly cream colored space. Let me show you the kitchen... err... ette. See? I told you it was tiny.

My client wanted space and storage, and to make it more masculine and warm. The pearly cream cabinets with the light blue walls give off an icy, impersonal feeling.

A simple color paint completely changes the mood of the kitchen. Below is a digital look of the kitchen.  I was just playing around with my photo editor real quick so this will have to do.

The cabinets were refinished into this espresso color, and still used the sleek, stainless steel handles. We left the existing black granite countertop; but added  a couple of shelves right below the overhead cabinets to free up some counter space. We removed the breakfast nook to make space for a dining table for four. Finally, the walls were painted this warm mocha color, and the side wall about two shades lighter.

Here is the finished kitchen area.

 

Home: Mrs. Meyers and I

Happy Earth day people (and happy birthday to me)!

Today, I'd like to share one of my many obsessions in cleaning products. I have always been a fan of Mrs. Meyers since I discovered them back in the States. They are a line of cleaning products that does wonders to your home and smells so refreshing. My favorite scent is Lemon Verbena. It is very energizing, and it leaves your home smelling fresh and clean.

This bottle of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Countertop Spray works well for bathrooms and kitchen. It is bleach and ammonia-free, so it is pretty much gentle on your beloved surfaces. The bottles are 25% post-consumer plastics and they don't test on animals.

There are plenty of other scents you can choose from, just in case this one doesn't float your boat.

Until April 22, Mrs. Meyers is offering free shipping to everyone (contiguous US only -- bummer for me, but yay for you). So come on and shop. It's time to get ready for spring cleaning if you haven't done that yet. 

Electrolux HUSH Happier at Home

I lived with my parents until a bit after college. It may be unheard of in other parts of the world, but here in the Philippines, it's pretty common. I grew up having helpers in our home, and that meant having someone cook, clean, do the laundry, and drive for you. Yes, I lived the easy life.

When I went to the US for graduate studies, I had to do everything myself. That meant learning to cook food (and rice), clean the house, and do the laundry. I learned how to drive when I was 16, and I was driving to school almost everyday during college days. I thought doing chores was actually pretty fun, especially with the technology available like dishwashers, rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, blenders, food processors, washers and dryers.

I got married a few years later. My husband and I both enjoy staying home during the weekends and relax. He's a movie and video game fan, and I love cooking and baking. We just bought our own place in a nice and peaceful neighborhood. Watching movies on TV and eating home-cooked meals during the weekends was our way to spend time with one another. The best thing about staying at home is we get to talk and have fun without spending a dime, even if it means we have to do housework together. I usually prepare food for both of us, while he cleans our house.

Can you just imagine the noise? We get rewarded after though. We feast on the yummy food, appreciate our clean house, and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Time passed, and now I am a mom -- a mommy to a beautiful little girl who wakes up to the tiniest noise. When she was still an infant, I would go do the laundry when she's awake. Our washer was inside the house and it makes the loudest noise. I couldn't vacuum the floors/carpet because it is louder than the washer. I was dying to get a new washer and a new vacuum cleaner that didn't make so much noise, but we knew we were moving back to our dear old country. Whenever I needed to clean, my husband had to go out to the park with Allie, and I would quickly use the vacuum cleaner on our floors.

I waited and waited for technology to catch up with my silent wish (pun intended), and now it's here in the Philippines. Electrolux brought in a couple of the noisiest home appliances and turned the volume down.

I swear, this is pure genius. How would you like to get your hands on a blender that is about 10 times quieter than an average blender?

With the Electrolux Powermix SILENT Blender, I can now make smoothies and slushes without disturbing anyone, and yes, I can have a normal conversation with family while using it. I don't need to shout or turn the blender off.

Just because it's quiet it doesn't mean it doesn't do the job. It still does.

How about a quiet vacuum cleaner that won't wake up the baby? Sign me up!

This Electrolux Ultrasilencer Green boasts minimal noise level without compromising power and performance. It's environment-friendly as well. It's made from over 50% recycled plastic and very energy efficient. Perfect for the environmentally conscious. Best of all, the exhaust air is cleaned by more than 99.99% before releasing it back. Are you sold yet?

It looks gwapo pa.

If you want to know more about these amazing products, head on to the Electrolux Philippines Website.

You can also follow their twitter account @ElectroluxPH for more updates.

Inspiration: Ladders, Ladders, and More Ladders

Ladders are wonderful things. They are useful in the kitchen when you need to get that hard-to-reach Speculoos Cookie Butter in the pantry... or maybe in the library when you want that Pride and Prejudice copy that you placed on the top shelf.

But you know, you can use ladders to decorate an empty space, or repurpose it into something else. Here are some ideas I found on what you can do with ladders.

[1] Stepladders as Storage from My Home Ideas 

Just make sure to get bamboo or some wood that resists humidity.

[2] Susanna Vento's Ladder Shelves

You can do these shelves yourself; it only requires 

at least one ladder, or more of the same kind, and long planks of wood.

[3] Library Ladders from CocoCozy

Reach your upper cabinets using this library style ladder.

[4] Stepladders in the Bedroom from Martha Stewart

Make use of the vertical stacking space of a stepladder to store books,

lamps and other stuff beside your bed.

[5] Repurposing Ladders into Bookshelves

Just hang on the wall, and the rungs serve as your dividers.

[6] Another Ladder Bookshelf spotted at Idle Hand Tattoo SF, 

photo by Alex Myers

This ladder becomes thinner at the top; it was installed so that one side was horizontal.

[7] Ladder Laundry Rack by Little Lucy Lu

Roll up your sleeves and get an old ladder. This one has step-by-step photos.

[8] Pot Rack Ladder from Desire To Inspire, image by Adam Ross

Here's another way to repurpose a ladder.

[9] Bamboo Ladder as a Towel Rack from Graham and Green

What a lovely way to hang towels. Oh, and did I mention this is eco-friendly?

[10] A Branch Ladder for Hanging Flowers by Ashbee Design

Use branches from your garden and hang some pail of flowers on each rung.

Got some other ideas? Do share.

Inspiration: House Lamps

In the literal sense. How cute are these?

[1] Good Night Lamp via Design Milk
[2] Creative House-Shaped Night Lamp via Mini in the Box
[3] House Lights by Kristian Aus via Home Reviews

Crafts/DIY: Easy Hang

Do you have a hard time pounding a nail on your plywood wall (or concrete wall for that matter) to hang that cute little canvas art you have? I never had a hard time when our house used to have drywalls. But now, most of the walls I encounter are either made from plywood or concrete.

My sister got this cute "You are my sunshine" canvas art for her birthday. Her boyfriend gave it to her. Sweet huh? Well, her room walls are all concrete. So her canvas art pretty much stayed on the floor for about a month.

Enter 3M's Command Picture Hanging Strips. 3M boasts that it can carry up to 16 lbs! You don't need to drill or put nails. No more holes, cracked plaster or sticky residue, they say. Then, if you want to take the art down, it's easy to remove.

Look, the artwork is finally up. Painless and easy to put in place.

Have you discovered some other easy way to hang photos or art?

Love: Goo Gone

One of my pet peeves is the sticky substance left behind by price tags. I got a couple of white ceramic animals from West Elm way back, and while I was cleaning our bedroom, I saw the dirty, sticky goo on the animal. I tried baby oil at first, but there was still some residue left. Then, I decided to try Goo Gone, because a lot of moms swear by it. It worked! I am hooked.

I tried it once more on this big wooden 'A' I have. Because I got it on sale at Target before, the tag left this sticky mess on it. It seemed like all of Target's red tags (sale or clearance tags) have really sticky backing. Haha. I just noticed. I put Goo Gone on the cotton ball, and then apply that on the sticky goo. Goo Gone still worked its magic.

Holiday: A Very Merry Christmas

We spent the long holiday weekend at the farm. Our road trip started Saturday morning. It was pretty smooth sailing on the way there except for a couple of traffic jams. We still ended up making it in time for lunch.

We stayed at the guest house (and not at the loft of the master bedroom), mainly because it was just our immediate family who is staying. So there's space in the guest house. I must say it was way more comfortable. And less awkward. And cooler. And more peaceful.

Or so I thought.

There was a party held for the workers that first night. My mom's year-long project was done. She had a "12 days of Christmas" light display done all over the garden. The one nearest the main house was that of the 12th day -- about the drummers.

My mom had a feast prepared for the workers, complete with lechon (roasted suckling pig) and caldereta (stew -- oh em gee, it was sooo good!). Her 12 days project was all lit up. I took a few more pictures, as I figured I will just take them the next day when there was no crowd anymore.

Swans by the pond.

Our day started very early that day, and we slept very late the night before, so we were dead tired at 8 pm. We decided to call it a night and went into the guest house. Allie slept with the grandparents in the main house, so it was just us in the guest house bedroom. While Daddy E was looking for somewhere to charge his gadgets, out came hopping a teeny tiny frog. Eek! It was on the wall screen. We didn't know what to do. We were a couple of urban jungle junkies, and frogs don't rock our world. Haha. I went out and asked for help. God knows I can't sleep when I know that a tiny frog is out loose in our bedroom. Can you? Kuya Ron (one of the workers) easily caught it with his bare hands and let it go outside. Ang galing.

All the glass doors around the room were shut, as well as the roller blinds. While trying to sleep (I think it was around 11 pm), we heard a loud boom/bang, whatever you call it -- and the air conditioner and the lights (all 12 days of it) were turned off. Yes, folks, the huge transformer on the road was broken. I was grateful it was December, and the air was cool enough not to have any a/cs on. After an hour or so, I woke up, suddenly remembering that I forgot to bring one gift! Yikes. I had a backup gift, kaya lang I still had to get it from the nearest mall. So plans were made for the morning, thinking that it would take a while for the electricity folks to fix the problem.

Sure enough, the next morning, we had no electricity. So off we went to the mall and bought the backup gift. We bought na rin a small gift for Allie. It's this dragon bubble maker wand that she always held on to whenever we go inside Toy Kingdom. I'm sure you mommies and daddies out there with toddlers know what I am talking about. Daddy E got a white hat to use for the 'Prom Night' Christmas party theme at my in-laws' on Christmas day. I took my time going around the Ladies' wear section at SM getting clothes here and there to try on. Ang sarap palang mag shop sa SM nang walang tao! Every one was on the second floor in the toy section. You can hear kids having fun, some were crying too.

When we came back to the farm, my brother and sister just arrived from Manila. Aside from the mall trip, it was a pretty lazy afternoon. We just ate and slept and ate again. I probably gained a few pounds and it wasn't Christmas yet. Oh yeah, still no electricity, but they turned on the generator, so it was okay. At least the lights, the fridge and the water heater were working. Allie was still happy.

That night, in the bedroom of the guest house, we had an unwelcomed guest (yet again). I screamed when I saw it on the wall near the bathroom door. The workers probably heard me. It was a HUGE spider! It's not the small spider with thin, long legs you know. But it's not as big as a tarantula. Think the middle. It took us 30 minutes (or more), two tries, lots of screaming and lots of courage (from dear hubby, lol) to catch the spider using an empty transparent box and get it outside. Hahaha!

I think I can't take any more unwelcomed guests in our room. (lol) I would have had a heart attack had I seen a snake inside the room. I will gladly sleep inside the car right then and there.

Come Christmas eve, there was electricity already, although only temporary power. That means still no a/c and all the 12 days lights can't be turned on. Bummer.

After breakfast, my sister and I went to the garden and did a photo session for Project Happy. We didn't even bother moving the two grapefruits on the table at the garden. Haha.

Looking around, I realized there were so many Christmas trees. Well, there are no pines in this farm, but it doesn't mean there can't be Christmas trees here.

The drummer was placed on the main Christmas tree we had last year. It's prettier at night.

Some more trees...

With orange ornaments. They may be red. I'm not sure.

And yet another one. Oh, what a lovely poinsettia.

I prepared some instant Pad Thai for merienda, because we were going to hear mass during our usual dinner time. I made arroz a la cubana (special request from the hubby) when we came back from church.

While waiting for midnight, we watched Taken 2. We were so into the movie that we almost forgot the time! Haha.

We had some family photos taken near the drummer.

Look at Allie. She looks surprised. Haha.

Aww. Poor kid. She looked confused.

For the most part, I love going to my parents' farm. But Allie always ends up getting tons of mosquito bites, and she is allergic to them -- they get really big after a while. It was during those days that she got the most bites. She looked like a polka dot doll. Sigh. My poor baby. She was so kawawa.

We left Christmas morning -- after breakfast, so we can catch the afternoon/evening party at my in-laws.

The theme was 'Prom Night' and ladies were supposed to wear cocktail dresses. I was wearing my mint green one-shoulder BR Monogram dress, with a gold rope belt. Allie wore a cute shimmery fuchsia dress, white tights and matching fuchsia glitter mary janes. Yes she is wearing a tiny crown. Haha. Daddy E was so decided to win this year's costume that he completed his look with a vest, a bow tie, a white hat and a shawl. He said 'isn't this the way young guys dress up for the prom?' Uhmm. Well, we won by popularity vote. Ka-ching!

I photoshopped Allie's mosquito bites here.

But then again, I figured, nah, it takes away a bit of the story.

 I hope your holiday weekend was filled with joy and adventure too.