Winding Creek Circle

The faucet in the kitchen sink needs to be replaced. The water sometimes doesnt come out even if we have the faucet fully opened. It is a good thing that the owner of the house has told us we can replace, improve or renovate the house and have the expenses deducted on our rent. (I think they dont have money to do the repairs. Oh well, we dont have either! Ha!). Kohler faucets have been the recommended ones when I asked around the hardware store. I just dont know which style the husband wants to so I need to wait for him to make a decision.

I sound like a domesticated, submissive housewife there.
(So not true, by the way).

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My favorite thing to do and write about are lists.

I so love to be able to write everything in an organized way and feel such a great accomplishment when Im able to cross it off my list

So here is mine, to be accomplished today (since it is already 1:30AM).

1. Draft to-do list for the house (one area per day).
2. Set up a mock station for myself. I think the reason why Im so depressed is that my need for organization and seeing all my stuff in one place is not happening. I need to do something about it tomorrow.
3. Set up G’s space - use cooling pad, clean, install sheet protector.
4. Buy some ink pens and art materials for the kids. Get some schedule going for them (crafts, play time, etc.)
5. Post menu plan at the ref.

Remember to breathe.

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This will be the agenda for the week:

Today and tomorrow, I will be fixing all the things we can get here at my parents’ place into the new house (the treadmill included - Im so excited about that!). Friday I will take the kids with me to the city for their pediatrician check-up. I want to make sure they get a clean bill of health before we finally reside in the suburbs. There were symptoms of hepatitis cases going on a few towns away and I wanted to make sure we are also up to date with the vaccination of the kids and their boosters.

Friday night I continue packing (all major appliances and albums and my knick knacks are still there) and Sunday morning we move to Amadeo. Hopefully, everything will be as smooth as before.

I miss having my own space here. We have a desktop and two laptops with two desks. So I camp here and there. It’s hard to find my time, which I steal when the daughter is sleeping (Thankfully she sleeps long hours in the afternoon - like now).

I will update our move here and make this into an album someday.
Love this idea.

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The house is spikingly clean, ready to be moved in. We just need to move over the big appliances and we are ready to stay there. Thank God for helpers. I got two helpers to clean the house and now even the garden and backyard are clean. I cant wait to plant some flowering plants - one day at a time, I say. Anyhow, all the things are going perfectly for us. Even the problem with (lack of) money seems so little as compared to how smooth the move has been going.

Safe house.
Clean house.

What next?

Today, we went to three prospective schools for my eldest. One school really stood out to me. The building, church, gymnasium, classrooms and bathrooms were mighty impressive. The one thing that drew me back was the summer program all new students need to go through next month. My son hasnt even enjoyed his summer vacation yet! The other school is not so impressive but the boy wanted it. The last one was OK - given that I wanted there first. I still need to consult with the husband how we go with that stage of the house move.

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So I had an eletrician check all the wiring and outlets in the house, installed new bulbs and then had all the doorknobs replaced. Phase one: security of the house done. Tomorrow we go to phase two: general deep cleaning. Since I dont have a maid yet, people here are kind enough to refer me to helpers who I can pay per day. I’ll get one tomorrow and have the place looking shiny and clean for the husband. I was wallowing in self-pity awhile ago since I get to do all the dirty job - unpack, clean and make sure the house becomes a home, AND still be a nanny/mommy/poo washer to the kids without the husband. But I realized I can really do it, as long as the husband gives me money to hire help Now, once phase three is complete, I can now demand the installation of my workspace - I got some leftover shelves from the old house. I just need an adjustable desk so that I can do some crafts while the kids are sleeping. I want to have a worktable. Hopefully, everything can be accomplished before I go back to the city by Friday.

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We just finished unloading the first batch of boxes at the house earlier. We still might need three more road trips, as we are just using an IPV truck which is not that big. Tomorrow, I really hope to be able have the doorknobs replaced and the lights installed so we can begin the hard cleaning of the house. We plan to really move in by May 1 so that give me one week to clean. It is hard because the husband needs to work so Im alone to take care of two kids and then I need to coordinate everything with the house repairs. The stress is beginning to kill me as I have been unnaturally quiet in the house (read: always staring into space).

Prioritize.

That is what needs to be done. Im now looking at ShopWiki for some must-needs in general cleaning. (It is hard when I am really undomesticated - that’s a skeleton out of my closet!). So far, we need to replace doorknobs (for security) and light bulbs. The house still has the yellow light bulbs which I found out consumes more energy from reading the light bulb buying guide. The fluorescent light bulbs are the ones that can really save electricity (and gives more light). Light controls are another option, if money was not tight, so we can easily dim everything.

Now that we are really on our own, it maybe best if I actually start learning how to be a Jane of all trades, most especially since I will be staying at home now. I need basic tools and hardware to make sure whatever small hiccup we experience at the house can easily be fixed. I need a toolbox. What to get into that toolbox is another question.

We have bed linens already for the beds. We really just need more shelves.

The list never ends.

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Another work day has ended and we are also one day closer to the big move.

I havent really talked about the house we are moving in, have I?

Let’s see if I can describe it well. It’s a bungalow located one house down across the street where public transport passes through, so it’s prime location. It has a a garage, a space for a garden, and a HUGE backyard - filled with banana and chico trees. We plan to fence in an area where the kids can play up to a certain point and maybe keep a couple of chickens for poultry and egg supply (seriously!). The house itself is nice, albeit a little rundown (The previous family who rented it had seven kids). There are three rooms and one bathroom. The master bedroom faces the street and is wide, so I plan to keep my workspace/office station there. Matthew gets his own room, and the spare room will be our storage room/maid’s quarters (if we get one). The cabinets are sparse, so I think we need shelves. The kitchen cabinets need to replaced but that has to wait.

Sounds lovely? The main concern would be water supply. Water is every other day! When I learned about it, I seriously wanted to back out - I cannot function without running water! I have kids who get dirty after an hour!! So we need a water pump or a water tank (but then again, that has to wait) - so nice neighbors are giving us drums (hehe). The house really has potential, but it will take work (and money) for it to look like it, so we wait. The owner told us any renovation we made, as long as there is receipt, can be deducted, pro-rated, from rent so that is fine with me.

This is actually a few minutes aways from a steel building a company is building for a warehouse of coffee beans (The place is famous for their coffee). (The Figaro Farm is about 15 minutes away from us). Steel buildings are the future models for warehouses and offices, in my opinion. In the Future Steel Blog, here is what the director has to say:

They offer great value for the dollar because their trussless design means you have 100% usable interior space. What’s more, they are based on the strongest architectural design ever conceived, the arch. So they’re easy to assemble, strong, durable and can offer you years of dependable service.

Now, take a look at the design of a steel building:

It can easily function as a backyard garage, car garage, woodworking shop, mechanic Shop, an all-purpose utility shelter, recreational vehicle, boat and camper storage.

All Future Steel Buildings include a warranty against perforation for a full 30 years from the date of purchase. So you are really investing on quality work. You should read their blog.

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This is my first house move as a married woman, and I treat it as if we are moving to a bought (not rented) house and that we have enough money to do things that will make the house as comfortable as we can BEFORE we move. I was so wrong. We will be moving into a house that isnt really fixed the way I would want it to be. If I were the one in charge (and if I had the money), I would have repainted all the walls, fixed the kitchen sink tiles and cabinet and installed shelves. That would be idealistic. Realistically, with the all the expenses, that would not be possible. So we stick to the basics and need to prioritize. So we do. We would be securing the house, replacing all doorknobs (five doorknobs and two double-locks for the main and back doors), and installing and replacing new lighting fixtures with flourescent lighting so we can save energy (the lighting fixtures all used the yellow bulbs).

We need to install at least seven new lighting fixtures (six in the house and one for the garage) - and then my husband promised me a new lamp shade for the workspace I need to have (and didn’t compromise). Ill be staying at home while working and studying and I need that space.

I love this kichler lamp I saw over at Farreys.com. We are going minimalistic with the house and with the workspace shelf and table I have in mind, this would be perfect.

You can find it here.

I honestly can get lost in Farrey’s. Their product line of lighting fixtures is just what I like and imagine what my home would have when I get to have one. I particulary like the lineage collection of the minka lavery line because we are in love with dark wood, and their fixtures have that color and zen feel we want our homes to have.

Aren’t the design and style so beautiful? Farrey’s is actually a wholesale lighting fixture store for every area of your house. They even have products for showrooms. I love the products they have online.

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Oh wow, things are finally looking up. We got the keys to the house last weekend and we are going there mid-week to do general cleaning and change the doorknobs, and install double locks. The box I ordered from the US with nice beddings and linens, towels and pots and pans arrived today. We still have a LOT to buy but as I keep assuring myself, “Slowly but surely”. And stick with the basics.

I have a huge post about furniture (window) shopping but Im still trying to gather up links and pictures for you. Stay tuned!

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Now that we are talking about going to the US, we always have had plans to migrate. It seems all our long-term plans are in the US, hence we arent even tied to anything here. We dont own a house, but I plan to buy one through the home loan program of the government by next year. It just seems such a waste of time to invest on something you will leave behind in one to three years. Anyways, if there are plans to migrate, of course, there are also plans as to where (which state) we will settle. As of this point, we are open - whoever actually has the best offer for my skills. We have relatives in California, Nevada, Chicago, Ohio and lately, a family or two has relocated to Colorado as they have acquired a sizeable chunk of Denver real estate that really is too good a deal to let go. They dont know anybody there so the move was a leap of faith. I honestly think they will survive though. We always do.

Back to house dreaming, I really prefer a house over a condo unit. I want a garden, a huge backyard for my kids to play in and space for party entertaining. I prefer the suburbs - I want a quiet neighborhood. I want to have a settled home by the time I reach 40. I want to give my kids that kind of security - something I never had as a child.

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