Early Christmas Shopping

Thank heavens that I really need not depend on dept 56 north pole online for Christmas-y stuff... because Uniwide Coastal has an entire aisle devoted to the season. A friend of mine even spent only around P2k for a Christmas Village (with people and Christmas-y lighthouses). I got a grip, however, and bought only a few balls and bells because I told myself I better just crochet the trinkets for our tree... and make it truly our own. Good luck with that, haha.

I did buy a lot of washable markers, highlighters and decorative tapes! Not in this picture are mixing bowls and serving plate, two aqua shoes for the boys... and a foldable trolley. All we spent is P1.5k

Great bargain, if I may say so.

Homeschooling Shopping

I'm just waiting for hubs' next salary to do more homeschooling shopping for our house. Maybe a new bookshelf, at least, for downstairs and more books. And some laboratory equipment too. Haha. I have scoured the net for sites and reviews to find the best starter weighing scales and magnet sets... so in the future, I wouldn't be surprised if I also go over reidsupply.com for tooling components for my sons.

And I must admit it's bringing out the geek in Mommy. Haha. Who gets excited at the prospect of owning a scale and weight set?!

Meanwhile, can you imagine, we have just finished our 6th week of official homeschooling? And all in all, we have kept pace with the lessons in the books I bought... but veered slightly because we tackled vertebrate groups (just finished with mammals).

Balik Bukid Country Fair on the 28th

Are we going or are we not going?

Sigh.

I am a little wary of the summer heat and would much prefer the November one... but I can't stop thinking of Isobel's ice cream plus the chance to just let the kids be outdoors and in nature again.




Where else can the boys play jockey without need of horse riding apparel?

Hopefully, the money I am missing was just really misplaced so that we'll have budget for this. Plus, I think Yakee would love to see old friends there.

Crochet Freak

Weirdly enough, I have found solace and quiet in crocheting. Unfortunately, such is the escape I get from it that I have been tuning the boys out. Haha.

As I got better at it, I got worse in my parenting. So... I am declaring some sort of hiatus.

 

Didn't edit the crappy composition anymore... but I crocheted this in one sitting... when I was getting stressed at the impending departure of my sister a month ago (used one of the craft balls in my stash as decor)

 

me practicing with flowers and bows coz a friend was asking if I want to tie up with her business

 

loved learning about flowers coz they're soooo easy to make and finish (better than hacky sacks!)

 

this is a water bottle holder gift to a goddaughter :)  I thought that one single flower was cute!

 

this was the glove that I tried shortscuts with... so it ended up with horrid-looking fingers :D have to completely remake!!!

 

my first official headband made

 

the second one :)

I haven't included here the scarves made from love and really achy fingers (4 in all, last Nov-Dec)... but see how my descent into madness resulted in pretty things? Haha. Ironic too that I am a mom of boys and don't really have use for these flowers.

Anyway... in my hiatus... I will happily await the arrival of these:

 

Haha.... I should have bought more solids than ombres

 

these... bought by my sister using coupons and a lot of love!

 

there was a Valentine sale at Knitpicks so these are all girly colors

Well... I figured, if I can make SOME money out of finding solace, why not?!

Twelve Senses Gifts

Hubby, prompted by our son's interest in the stars and the planets and everything about space, bought our son binoculars (a better one than the plastic ones we use for concerts) and this telescope. Then it occurred to him that he'll make a thing of gifting Yakee with something that appeals to his senses.

So, I told him that in Waldorf... there's twelve senses... and he's now good for until Yakee turns 17 :)

But what do you give for some of those senses? Haha. It's easy for the other four obvious senses (for hearing, we shop online at qsc for guitars and amps and maybe a basic drum set; for smell, we get him cologne). Sense of balance is still okay, because that would be what the skateboard will be for. For sense of thought, probably a journal? Sense of warmth... hmmm, probably camping in the mountains?

But well... it certainly makes for interesting future gifts, right? :)

Computer Worries and Reality Checks

I just shared this picture and posted this status update on my FB wall:

I dressed the boys in matching pyjamas (gift from Ninang Karla last Christmas). Yakee said, "Mommy, I think we should make Ninang XiAh see us on webcam."

I said... "Oh sorry baby, Mommy's laptop is broken, that's why I couldn't work all day."

Yakee said, "Ahhh... so you can play with us!"

Laya can I plead 'birthday blues' to my children to justify the extended PC use? No? Awwww.... :D

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I do have the birthday blues. Weirdly enough, I have it bad again. And it doesn't help that both hubby and my sis have offered to buy me a new phone... which is sooo wonderfully loving of them... but I had to be practical and insist they spend on other things instead.

And so, we're going to Bohol in December!

Then,  I started moping yesterday because I have officially told my breast friend that I won't be joining them at the World Breastfeeding Conference this December (in India)... mainly because it coincides with my Mom's arrival, and I would lose 5-6 days with her. And I have never really felt comfy about spending that much on me when I don't earn that much (well, I do, if you count blog earnings for the whole year, haha).

Good thing hubs spent on Indian food to comfort me.

And so, I just manic planned our Bohol itinerary instead.

But I'm still feeling down... and then my laptop refused to let me log in (thus, the conversation above). Hubs asked me if I have an external hard disk big enough to transfer my files to (yeah,  I started thinking of cloud backup solutions there and then) because he thought he'd have to reformat and reinstall things.

Sniff... sniff.

Good thing Google came to his rescue and he managed to fix my laptop. But yeah, I really should start saving more files in Google docs and what-not.

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I would just like to say that most of my computer time is still done at night, when the kids are asleep. BUT... I have been losing a lot of sleep and I know that is afecting my parenting. And I have been preoccupied with a lot of things lately. And then, there are all these chores that I have to get done.

But I guess, these reasons aren't really reasons enough to a child who just wanted to play with his parent.

Sorry darlings... Mommy has been selfish and blind lately.

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Oh something that I am looking forward to... Eden's going to have a sale :D

Going on a Country Fair!

I got my hubby to be willing to drive to Bulacan next week for the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm Countryside Fair :)  I am beyond excited for my sons because they'd be roaming the outdoors... and I will be shopping.

I have often wanted to go to country fairs like they do abroad... with merchants utilizing trailer hitches for cars so they can just sell from their car whatever produce they have harvested or goods they have made. I have always wanted the kids to 'ooohh' and 'aaahhh' over different plants and animals for sale, and compare which stall has the biggest squash or the freshest melons, to sample toys and things and dips and whatever else... and maybe find something to truly spice up a wardrobe or home.

I cannot wait!!! :)

Yes... I don't know where to get money for it... hahaha... but I cannot wait to go!

Natural Toys and Things

Like what I told a friend recently, I am embracing Waldorf education and parenting, but my sons still have mostly plastic toys. After all, I have invested in Duplo blocks and play dough molds... and they still have all those unopened ones.

But I am slowly making the transition to more natural toys. I have this wooden blocks and marbles set in my Amazon cart... and a list of toys I want for the boys that cost a total of over P20k. Just a list, yes, because I don't want to just keep buying and buying. Oh, I have ordered wooden castanets for the boys already (someday, who knows, their own wooden recorders and maybe a calf skin tambourine or drum) and a wooden top and some other wooden toys (like this one where you try to get a wooden ball in a hole). I am also thinking of getting this Anatex Magnet Express, in preparation for writing and better grip/fine motor skills.

Meanwhile, the boys paint more using flour and food color, instead of the usual watercolor made by artificial dyes. Little by little, we'd get to the more natural stuff. The important thing is that each activity is experienced and enjoyed, so they will learn :)

Tomorrow Is Donation Time

In a way, I am excited to give things away... not really because it may mean I can shop for new ones again (but that's a perk, of course... and the kids ARE growing and need wardrobe adjustments from time to time) but that I may be able to breathe better in our home.

Of course, hopefully the search for donatable items won't aggravate the sinus allergy that has kept me down all day today (because I 'rescued' some stuff from possible flooding).

I realized  I have so many slippers of Yakee's that I was keeping... since Yamee prefers bigger-sized slippers anyway, now I can give away what he's using without guilt.

I also just hope I can go to UP-PGh to drop off the things... because though LBC accepts donations now, few trust them because their parcels aren't delivered on time.

Nails' Future Best Friend

Eczema on my hands meant brittle and uneven nails, even in the best of times. Sometimes, they wreak havoc to my clothes and other linen as they snag threads. They have also gotten quite thin in places that it's like clipping baby nails sometimes.

One thing that helps is filing them but the usual file that comes along with a nail cutter does not do the job well. For one thing, it is like too hard or something and I end up getting hurt, or with more uneven nails. Plus, yeah, I think nail filing is a skill that has to be mastered.

Now that we have been trapped inside the house and going online is harder to resist, I chanced upon a site called design-glassware.com and couldn't help but want some of the nail files they offer. The files are made from Czech glass, which is supposedly made to last (and service for) a lifetime.

Particularly amazing are the glass nail files and crystal nail files that are supposed to be really gentler on nails. I can't help but think right now of investing in one of their fab manicure sets... for my sister. She's the one girly enough to dig something that comes in pink leather. And, she has the nails that require regular filing.

If the rains do not stop soon, my fingers just might start ordering!

I Want to Join a World Culture Swap

I think a lot of homeschoolers will be tickled pink joining a Worldwide Culture Swap. I am really interested to join but do not quite have the budget for sending packages to four/five families just yet. Even if I will just be sending packages in tyvek envelopes, that will still cost us... because I really want to spend on the contents as well.

Nothing fancy, really. But I am sure to send Adarna storybooks, like "Luis and the Enchanted Creatures" and "Tight Times" :)  What else is truly Filipino? A sungka set would be too heavy, haha... and for the life of me, I can't make a street-type sipa nor haven't seen a tirador (slingshot) for a long time now. Maybe a balisong? And peanut kisses? And a shirt with a tarsier on it? :)

I can also send pictures of our travels, sort of like post cards.

And definitely, recipes!

It's just endless, the possibilities!

Well, it's a good thing you have the option to just join a one-on-one swap... so we're definitely trying that.

Domestic Goddess

I didn't want the job... but my cousin leaving (ad our new helper not being keen on cooking) meant that I have to do most of the cooking nowadays. Well, at least the helper chops everything up for me so my contact with meats and produce is limited, and my eczema isn't that aggravated.

Anyway... I never thought I'd find it rewarding but Yakee usually thanks me for cooking. Plus, I've noticed that the boys and the helper only eat with gusto when I cook the usual veggie and meat viands (tinola, nilaga, sinigang, sotanghon). I swear, I cannot eat properly from having to fish their veggie of choice from the broth. Yakee would even say, I'm his favorite 'cooker' :)

He also thanks me profusely for crocheting him hacky sacks. I guess this is really meaningful work that a child appreciates... not my time on the PC.

So, anyway... I steamed some brocolli and made a parmesan cheese sauce for dinner, and my family loved it. Hubs even said that we should go to Baguio or Sagada (places that are super cold, with a metal building being the most practical kind of home) where vegetables are really fresh, rent a transient home, and just prepare the same dish. Haha. How's that for appreciation?

A big part of me still gets resentful that I have to plan the menu and budget the money and balance that with good food... but I like it, too.  have, so far, perfected those viands above as well as champorado.

And when all else fails, there's the daing na bangus we boy that the helper just needs to fry... and my boys thank me for. Haha. After all, I also do the marketing... every day.

Preparing for Yakee's Birthday

Yakee has come home from school with a box of chocolate mallows, an apron with a red balloon, and a felt beanie and felt tool belt with yarn balls and wooden clips... all giveaways from schoolmates who have celebrated their birthdays.

And don't I feel pressured!

But the thing is... I know the parents thought to give those away because their children are good friends with the other children already. And it's not like there is some sort of unwritten protocol that this has to be done. And apart from the mallows, the giveaways are craftsy and tons of fun. I loved them so much because they really had 'play' as motivation.

And since we're not throwing a party this year, and I want Yakee to have a birthday story told him in school (which reminds me, I need to purchase the birthday ring and beeswax candles already... or make do with diptyque candles)... and it may be his last birthday there, I have been thinking of what to give away to his schoolmates.

It's down to three things... a cloak made of velvet cloth (for make-believe play), a bug's eye toy (to look at the world in a new way) with fairy rings/hand kites or burlap frames and cut-out leaves/tree trunk (with instructions on how the child can make her own tree). The deciding factor would be the cost, so I better head back to Divisoria soon and source materials for the first and third, otherwise, I'd have to order the bug's eye from abroad already.

And I'm thinking of having a crepe cake for Yakee's birthday instead :)

(yes, all preps for him, none for me)

Extreme Couponing Makes Me Cringe

In all honesty, how I wish couponing is the norm in our country. I sure would love to have huge savings everytime I shop. And I am really amazed with the show Extreme Couponing because  there are these people who have figured out a way to double their savings and reduce items to cost nothing.

But I also cannot help but cringe at the things they buy.

Hundreds of flavored water?
Hundreds of candy packets?
Soft drinks?
Canned food?
Frozen food to last for months?
Vitamins?
Toiletries?


I mean... I like savings but at the expense of my family's health? Because I doubt they're using their savings on organic veggies to throw in with the frozen TV dinners. It's processed food! (For the record, I love sardines... the boys love Spam... but we're lucky if we open two cans of processed anything in a month).

Plus, these stuff have expiry dates right? We get those big bottles of supplements from abroad too, and unless these extreme couponers eat them instead, I really don't know what they'd do with all those vitamins and OTC meds since they also shop every three months or so.

I understand paper towels/tissue... but toiletries should also be used after a certain time, right? From what I know, baby colognes and stuff expire... so why would you hoard them and use hoarded ones on your baby?

Sorry, but that's like inviting allergies for me.

The episode last night was of a Dad who shopped galore for baby formula. But what if their baby couldn't use those? What if it made their baby constipated? And how long can formula be kept anyway?


Extreme couponing. I hope it saves health and lives too, not just bucks.

Intimidated Galore

I spent last night trying to rationalize my scheduling for our coming days so I can include reading time, formal instruction, art/music, free play and chore time. On paper, what I have so far looks great. However, I am stumped with ideas for some activities.

Actually,I know the internet can provide me with so much ideas and projects... but executing them will be a problem. I am a sloth, after all. But this is it.

On top of this, there is that on-going decluttering. I have asked our helper to start going through my old magazines (when I say old, I mean decades-old) at the other house so I can transfer my Readers Digests there, and use the shelves in our home for our books and art materials. We have yet to fully back up all the files on the old desktop so we could give, donate or throw it away already. I am also considering letting the TV go or buying a flat screen one and use peerless mounts to maximize space. Hopefully, we could create 'office' spaces for hubs, myself and the boys.

 I am intimidated because I am committing to things that will ask so much of me.  And I now have to keep fighting that sucky inner voice that keeps telling me I am not creative nor resourceful nor fun enough.

This is it.

Shopping and Shopping

I was salivating over a Grimm's Set of 2 Handmade Wooden TANGRAM Puzzles on Ebay and also pouring over the wooden toys by Toys and Stuff . I am looking for toys for my sons that require them to do something, not just clicking on buttons, to enjoy the toy... like shooting a ball inside a cup. Someday, I expect both to be proficient with yomega yoyos and all kinds of puzzles and playing with foot sacks. Which reminds me, I have yet to crochet them their own hackysacks.

But I felt I couldn't justify the purchase... and ended up buying books from Amazon instead. I spent the same amount on six books (two of which would be future gifts to mommy BFFs).

And well, now I just ordered two Glamouflage wraps from Eden (they were on sale, what could I do?).

So, yes, maybe I should have just bought the wooden toys I wanted for my kiddos in the first place... otherwise, this shopping spree might not end.

Home Improvements for Homeschooling

Despite not having a lot of extra funds, we decided to have some repairs and upgrades done in our home. I have also started really going through our stuff and throwing more and more things away, even if I'm only doing it 15 or so minutes per day. I have even let go of my magazines (parenting and wedding, not yet the travel ones and Readers Digest).

And because I want to adopt a less/no-TV policy at home, I am thinking of investing in gateway laptops instead of a flat screen. Just so we could have more space and also finally throw out the desktop. Hubs and I are intent on creating our own office spaces, a homeschooling space and a play space for the children in our 25-m first floor.

Wish us luck! :) Right now, I am dreaming of buying shelves every other month to help organize our things, but what are we to do with our chests that also contain stuff?

Welcome Back, Regular Wardrobe

On one hand, I am still happy about having invested in great nursing wear that I can continue wearing till now (though I've lost enough weight for them to be a little loose on me and not as flattering as before). On the other hand, I am looking forward to investing in very sexy lingerie again (think lace!) and tops that don't have to be accessible because my son is already over a year old.

Nope, I have not stopped breastfeeding him. But nursing him is not anymore what defines my everyday existence. He can easily be distracted now to nurse at more convenient times for me (like during the car ride to somewhere). It slowly creeps on you but you do realize that your wardrobe options encompass your whole cabinet again, and not just this few pieces that are getting a little frayed.

But yeah, I still seldom wear necklaces because my son is at a stage where he yanks everything, if not put it in his mouth.

'Tis The Season to be Charging

... and I'm not, shopping and charging it to my credit card, that is.

You see, for the longest time, I have only been using a complementary credit card. But when I lost it, I started using the BDO credit card issued me (just because I opened a dollar account at BDO). It's the first time I am being billed for credit purchases and still getting the hang of it.

Like, when is the cutoff for purchases if I am planning my credit according to expected cash flow?

And I was waiting for the billing for this month, having forgotten that I seemed to have said yes to their offer of online billing. Thus, I have just incurred interest charges on unpaid balance. Hehe. What a painful way to learn.

I have also been intending to look into what rewards I can get and how, or where, when I use my credit card. Some banks offer free movie tickets, some offer free fast food. I just hope I can really maximize my charges and still get perks like those offered by cashmoneylife Best Business Credit Cards, definitely more enticing and useful than free pizza.

I was planning on charging anything and everything I can to avail of rewards points and establish my credit standing, but still pay off all charges when they're due so as not to incur interest charges. Hopefully, such will be the case in the coming months.

At least, within a month of using my credit card, I have already asked for my annual fee to be waived. Hubs has been paying annual fees for both our cards for 7 years now... that's around P20-30k we could have used shopping! :)

I Did Not Shop

An e-mail containing a list of sale scheduled last weekend was sent in our Yahoogroups. I checked it and bit my lip but willfully did not go to any. Even the one at my second home (Robinson's Ermita) where Accessorize was offering their cute accessories at 30% discount. I wasn't looking for transit token cufflinks or anything as fancy, just matching necklaces and earrings.

But my material whims have to wait till after I have spent on the birthday party and found money for the Waldorf crash course I want to take.

Heaven will provide and I am keeping the faith.

Besides, I still have all the fabric I bought to be turned into nice outfits!