We are now staying in the suburbs. The daughter is sleeping so I can finally have some me time with technology. Internet has not been connected yet at the house so I get my internet fix at my parents’ house five minutes away. One thing I need to adjust with here is how people say some place is so near yet it really is far, and that by near, you can be qualified to walk as long as one can run on track. So when I say 5 minutes away, I actually mean that it is near but you need a ride to get here. Five minutes is close because there is no traffic (and no cars for that matter). My agenda for the day is to have the doorknobs replaced and the lightbulbs installed (see earlier post). When we moved yesterday, I realized I cannot live with a gate that is as high as my son’s height. People in the suburbs are generally friendly (and nosy) that I would freak out if a neighbor leans over the gate to make small talk. Trust me, Im anti-social on that aspect (Leave me alone! ) On the other hand, the husband is making friends here and there – too bad he wont stay during weekdays at home since he still needs to work in the city. Appliance Parts for cooking needs to be bought this week too. We need a gas range stove and the tubes that tie it to the gas tank – so I can finally cook.

I think the move will be harder for me than I thought. It is a big thing to move houses, but to move house to a different setting, quitting your job, doing more demanding work as a stay-at-home-mom with no maid at all and with nosy neighbors….ack. Im so negative.

But during these days, I think Im allowed to be at some point one time or another.

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.

Appetizer

Name a color you find soothing.
Blue – Sky Blue – always soothes me. The color of the skies on a gorgeous day.

Soup

Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience.
I have to be honest, but I dont know how to drive! (What a loser right?)

Salad

What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of?
Cotton. Im a very ‘comfortable’ person – Id trade comfort with style anytime.

Main Course

Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see?
Hmmm…I have to be honest, but Id really line up if Justin Timberlake would come here. That boy is hot! (and did I just reveal my age here? LOL)

Dessert

What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)?
The letter A

Just think Pottery Barn and I think you’ve got it. Ive been in love with the Bedford Modular System for awhile now as it looks homey with lots of space and functionality.

Here are some of the workstations I love:

Edil and I like the second one better but that is saved when we get a house of our own. At least we agreed on something – the look and feel of the house we want! (Think lots of wood and neutral furnitures with a splash of color).

Now, I am so copying this space by my friend, Gloria:

It’s perfect for small spaces and perfectly doable too In fact, I already have the bookcases and photo cube boxes (in green though). It came with the box she packed for me. I have G, like hers too . If only I can get a chair like that in green as well.

I hope my space can be fixed as soon as we move into the house. We have some leftover plywood I can get painted or varnished.

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.

I’m at the stage in my life where I really must need to decide which things need to go and which ones need to stay.
One must notice I used the word “need”.

To put it simply, Im at the stage of my life where I feel I can do everything and everything is within my grasp. When you feel that way, you generally want more things, more accomplishments, more goals and everything is generally MORE that what is really needed is forgotten.

Like family time. Taking care of the kids.
Taking care of yourself.

Do you know that for the past two years the last thing I always pray to God is, “Tell me what you want me to do. Point me to that direction.” And for the past two years, I have NEVER felt so disoriented in my life.

This is the time when I got promoted at work, cash was pouring in, the kids looked like they were thriving, my relationship with my husband is becoming stable. Everybody thought I was going in the right direction.

Inside, I felt I was driving at 200kph and I was speed-racing to nowhere.
Yes, nowhere. I know whatever I was driving to really wasnt my goal – my destination. But since I was driving so fast and I was high with the thrill of it all, I was scared to put on the brakes and stop. Because I was afraid stopping was going to pull me out of equilibrium.

But God was still good to me. He gave me a chance to stop. He gave me an opportunity to take a break.
He has answered my prayers.

Now, Him answering my prayer isnt really going to be a walk in a park or a dream come true. I’m scared shitless of what “might” happen.

But you know, I thought about it in parts last night, on the way to work, while trying to think what needs to be done next and it all boils down to this: My kids need me. I need them.

We will survive.
I want certainty. I need faith.
I choose faith.

We will survive.

Thanks Joy!

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Summer is here, and the heat can be unbearable sometimes. While a trip to the beach is nowhere in sight for us right now, it doesnt mean I shouldnt come up with my own list of summer essentials. Actually, I only have two (three, if you add one, but I hate tagging it along) summer essentials that I need – sunblock and sunglasses. Id want to have to add an umbrella but oftentimes, I hate bringing it, or I bring it and lose it within the day. I cant stand those little umbrellas that fit into most bags because Im big and I think it’s a pathetic excuse for trying to cover what will only cover the head. So I removed it from my essential list. I use VMV Armada SPF 60 for sunblock because it is lightweight and hypoallergenic (perfect for my sensitive skin). Now, with sunglasses, I struggle with this a lot.

You see, I don’t have that much of a nose that can hold any kind of sunglasses. Add to that is the fact that my face is round – so shopping for sunglasses can be quite hard for me. I dont really think the trends these days – aviators, and those really big oversized square sunglasses will look good on me.

The only one that looked good me on was my Kenneth Cole shades which broke after three years of wear and tear. It was a gift from a cousin and she called it blind-man shades (it has the style that most blind people use). But hey, it looks good on me! I need to shop for a new one!

It was something similar to this:
Kenneth Cole New York KC6028 (Metallic Black/Solid Smoke Lens)

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.

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!