Continue reading »]]> I have practically spent all my childhood years growing up in the presence of boys, mainly my brothers and cousins.  There was never a day that we did not spend together, whether having debates and arguments or just plainly hanging out at the local mall.  I could say that we were just so inseparable at that time until the time that we all had to part ways when we got into our respective universities.  It was a point in my life that everything changed so drastically and I had to admit that major adjustments had to be made.  I got so used to the idea that they were just a call away whenever I felt like opening up to someone about some frustration or something that was out of the ordinary.  It was probably the most difficult process that I had to undergo as far as my social life back then was concerned.  Although I have gained new friends during the transition, I still could not let go of the fact that I was still dependent on my brothers and cousins.

After a few hard years of schooling, it had seemed that everyone had almost immediately landed jobs and a few even setups their own small businesses just to get started on something.  This situation did not stop us from constantly getting in touch with each other either by mail or by phone, thus, we were almost always updated with news of each other.  I could still clearly remember the day when our youngest sibling announced the date of his wedding with someone he had known for quite sometime way back in college.  He informed us that the ceremony would be held at our local church and that they had to make early preparations since it would actually be some sort of a long awaited reunion among all of us.  I could actually consider it as second to my own wedding on account of the tension I had felt in trying to look for the right gifts for a groom.  Events like this just make everything about family more precious.

Continue reading »]]> All the while when most parents feel that their children are safe playing among their friends in places like public parks and the like, other than in their own homes, there is still that slim chance that some untoward incident might occur.  I have never been skeptical about the idea of sending kids off without being by their side just to keep a watchful eye on them, however, the fear of just not being able to see them for a couple of minutes just makes me very uncomfortable.  I have had some extensive experience when it comes to raising little tykes from ages three up to five years of age.  All I can say is that it practically does drain us of all our strength.  What was important was that I was always on top of things when it came to safety and that made everybody feel more assured.

On account of these presumptions, both I and my husband have decided to have some major additions to our small yard behind our newly renovated home.  We have just done sourcing for outdoor playground equipment and have found the best combinations for our kids.  Ever since these were assembled, I have never seen them filled with so much enthusiasm in stepping out and having the time of their lives and enjoying every minute of it.  As for their father, a big sigh of relief, and aside from this, I have more time for myself which I can devote to other chores around the house.

Continue reading »]]> Our family has always been so fond of taking long trips outside the city and at times, out of the country when budget and time permits.  However, it was always that things were agreed on months prior to the scheduled date of activity.  I grew up in a large family that adhered to doing things the traditional way which was to follow what the elder people said and sure enough, since I was the eldest among the kin, what came out of my mouth was final.  I have carried this over to the time I settled down with my husband and had children of my own later on.  I would have to say that my better half has been more than just supportive, although I knew before that he trusted me with most things, most especially when it came to running the entire house.

One among the more important things I had to take up as part of being a wife and mother at the same time was the house budget.  I know that planning out a long distance trip that involved everybody in the family did not come free most of the time, if not all the time.  So, with this always in mind, I had to find ways and means on how to cut costs and expenses to a minimum.  It is really fortunate that I have always frequented the internet looking for possible opportunities and lately, I have come across some Specials that meant savings for us without compromising what meant to us the most, which was spending quality time with each other whenever it was possible.

Continue reading »]]> There were quite a number of things that both I and my husband had to purchase a few weeks back when we just moved into our renovated vacation home some 2 hours away from the city limits.  It was really quite a sight when it was all made up inside and out, however, there were a few small items that we needed to get hold of, and these included some additional furnishings and appliances.  We both wanted it to be as comfortable as our home was and so we never really thought of scrimping on costs, but of course within reason.  I would have to say that it was a difficult task to practically re-invent the whole interior after age has taken its toll on the whole place.  It was a lot of work but was worth every single moment that we were together helping each other out in finishing what we had been wishing for over the years.

The whole process ended when we have finally acquired what we had written on a long list of things we both agreed on.  Our main objective was to make this our second abode where everybody could just sit back and unwind after a long week at work or school.  Our children definitely likes the new look we have given our sanctuary and it was all because of the careful planning that went into it.  Among the more important items that we had to get our hands on was a corner TV mount that went into the dining area where the space was quite limited.  It did not only serve its purpose but made the overall surrounding look wonderful.

Continue reading »]]> I have always been fond of farm animals and those that can be domesticated like dogs and cats.  I grew up in within a suburban setting for almost half my entire life and being exposed to animals over at my grandparents farm hours away from where I stayed, I have grown a liking towards anything that just stayed on a ranch, critters and insects alike.  I could say that I lead quite an adventurous childhood together with my grandfather, who happened to be an authority when it came to livestock’s since this was their main line of business that kept their place going.

I remember those long summers spent with them when part of the long list of tasks was to clear out the barn, which included taking out the refuse and storing them in pits and to be used later on as organic fertilizers.  I was just plainly amused at the manner by which all these wonderful creations of nature were treated.  They were just in the best of health and the pigs seemed healthier than needed.  I could say that my most memorable experience was taking care of our prized mare and she was just as gentle as any house pet.  She was just remarkably majestic and beautiful and what made her special to me was she let me ride her once in a while.  Her coat just seemed to shine when sunlight hit her and I guess it was because of the constant grooming she received and those horse fly sheets that prevented possible infestation.

Continue reading »]]> I remember being around some really funny people during my younger years and still struggling with school.  I grew up in a small place just outside the city and there were not so many places we could actually go to when school was out for the year other than making long trips for outdoor activities.  We would usually spend time in a local mall exchanging pleasantries and humorous stories.  We had a reputation for being a jolly group whenever we would find ourselves having a great time regardless of the place we were at.  I guess this was our own trademark and since everybody in the neighborhood knew who we were, it was not far-fetched that all our parents practically found out about everything we did around town.

I still remember very clearly the time when we had outdone ourselves when we all agreed to wear the same funny shirts.  It seemed to be the most hilarious moment for us but not until the time that we were told that it had to end immediately since according to them, it was quite offending for those who were directly affected.  We have received quite a number of reprimands and I would have to say that it had even made us more popular than ever.

Continue reading »]]> Safety has always been the concern for most of us who owns homes and business establishments.  It is a known fact that a lot of our investments are covered by insurance and that we have wisely planned it to be applied for such unforeseen circumstances and situations wherein risks are observed on a daily basis.  It is not really unusual to find ourselves spending for something that we consider a safety net when it comes to protecting our properties and the like.  However, it is also known that some do try their best to cut corners as a result of being cost-conscious, which could prove to be more detrimental later on.

Being married to someone who has been exposed to practical planning as part of his previous job, my husband always believes in looking at possibilities that might lead to probable disaster.  He has had much experience when it comes to building structures due to his former line of work which was basically being responsible for construction projects for the previous company he had served.  He was actually involved in drawing up technical layouts that were presented as proposals to his former employer prior to any project being realized.  I guess that it really does has it’s advantages when knowledge gets the best of us.  As a perfect example, he vehemently suggested that we install ceramic switch plate covers to all our walls at home that needed them.  According to him, this is one among several ways of assuring ourselves that we are protected in one way or another, since these are known to resist heat better than the other available materials.  An additional cost that is hardly negligible is actually worth more than what it can actually provide in terms of importance.

Continue reading »]]> I can consider myself as very lucky for having been married to a hands-on guy for almost a decade now.  It has a lot of advantages most especially when things need to be done around the house.  My husband has always been known for being technical when it comes to a lot of things involving machines and engines due to his experience with cars when he was growing up.  This expertise of his has always saved us a lot when it came to repairs and maintenance work at home.  It is really always a pleasure watching him work on something, most especially when I know that getting a professional could cost us an arm and a leg.

It was just recently that we made this out of town trip to visit some distant relative of mine and it was about a few days prior to our departure that he found out something wrong with our vehicle.  It was not a real surprise that something came up while he did his routinely checkup of our truck, but what was quite unusual was the nature of the trouble.  He had told me that it had something to do with a part along the undercarriage, and knowing him, he would not mention anything too specific since he knew that I would just be wondering what it was all about.  It practically took him only less than a couple of hours, from the time of purchase of the replacement part to the installation, which was less than the whole morning.  It turns out that the item he was referring to was a universal joint, and just like what I have previously mentioned, it is needless to say that I was clueless as to what function or purpose it served.  All that mattered to me was that we still made it as planned as far as schedules were concerned.

Continue reading »]]> It was not long ago when I decided to resign from my previous job as a marketing manager for one of the local companies in our area.  The decision was mainly arrived at on account of the attention that I just had to provide my family.  I would have to say that the experience it gave me was very fulfilling and was really satisfactory to say the least.  In almost ten years of service, I would have to say that it provided me with practically everything I know when it comes to this field.  There were a lot of difficult times that I had to endure when I was just starting, however, with much perseverance and dedication, it had landed me an upper management position within the organization.

Within that period of time that I was very much involved with work and nothing had seemed to be as exciting as anything, most especially when I took over full responsibility of coordinating sales and creating opportunities for both our clients and our departments.  I was then even assigned to do a thorough research on how to further improve communication among our mobile staff.  There was not much that could compare to what conferencing service could actually provide as far as efficiency and accuracy are concerned.  I could not believe it when the results and outcome came out just barely a month after we have decided to give it a try.  It definitely did wonders and it started to pave the way for other concepts that they eventually learned to adopt.

Continue reading »]]> It was a few years back that we have transferred to our new home out in the suburbs.  Both I and my husband felt that we needed more space for the family and that city living was just too much for the children while they are still growing up.  We have left our former apartment and have settled down in a larger house, about a couple of hours drive from the city.  I would just have to say that it was truly the wisest decision we have made so far.  The kid’s just love the spacious garden we have in our backyard which is abundantly planted to shrubs and flowering plants including a couple of seasoned trees to provide enough shade during summer.

This is where my husband decided to set up a small gazebo to do some entertaining of family and some close friends alike.  I would say that it was just a wonderful idea since this is the most appealing place within our property and it was just nice to show it off and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere with guests around.  In addition to some further landscaping, we have just purchased beautiful outdoor furniture to go well with the ambiance we would like to create.  I know that it will turn out to be something that we could be proud of.