Under One Roof

This bedroom idea really appeals to me…

I am not dreaming of a larger bedroom. In fact, the bedroom idea above is just fine with me. As long as there’s enough space for my books in there, a small bedroom is just fine.

I must admit, even at my age, I still get easily spooked at night. hehehe

:p

A good night sleep is a must especially for working adults. We need to recharge so that we can give our 100% the next day. No wonder there are a lot of individuals who are spending their hard earned money on stuff that will help them get a peaceful sleep. A Latex mattress is my sisters’ choice.

I have two sisters who are professional teachers. As you might know, teachers bring home some of their work specially test papers. A grade school and a special education teachers. You can just imagine the amount of work they bring home most of the time. That’s why sleep is very precious to them. They make sure to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day. If they really can’t get that much, then they sleep in on weekends. Aside from wooden blinds, both my sisters invested their money on latex mattresses for their beds. They love how good the mattress is to the back and how really comfortable it is. As for me, my choice is the memory foam mattress. A friend of mine told me about the same kind of mattress that her husband bought for them and how from then on sleep has become really good to her. I shelled out money of my own and bought one for myself. My friend’s right and sleep, which is a luxury to me, has also been oh so good to me!

Of course, a chat about our day is also a must for us to have a good night sleep. Chat first, pray, and then sleep! Trust me, you will feel recharged the next day!

There are far too many great photos of the interior and exterior of houses in Pinterest. I can tell you now that I spend so much time looking at the photos and ‘repinning’ it to my Dreams & Goals board.

All the photos especially the one above make me want to run out and pay for a brand new house! I am planning to get some things done at home this summer but the cons of staying in this neighborhood outweigh the pros. Unruly and noisy neighbors… the surrounding area that looks like a squatters’ area more than a decent neighborhood… the value of the house and lot diminishing rather than accruing…

I still don’t have enough money to get us a brand new house but I just know this year is the year for the big move!

photo credit

Sons and daughters-in-law have something in common. A love-hate relationship with their mothers-in-law! I think that even if you are loved by your mother-in-law, there still is something that will make you two clash somehow. Before that happens, why not buy gifts for a mother in law and make her love you more instead. There are a lot of gifts you can give her. I am sure she will appreciate it no matter what.

Mothers are like that. Be your own mom or your mother-in-law. They show you how much they appreciate the special things you gave her.

As all parents know, having children can mean accumulating a lot more things in the house. Clothes toys, books and games are all part of family life, but the house can get messy and cluttered with all of this.

Keeping your kitchen clean and tidy can be a stressful task for a parent, with the continuous cycle of cooking and cleaning in between everything else that happens in your family home, but it is very important to keep this area clean to avoid the spread of bacteria.

It is a good idea to look for easy clean appliances such as this Zanussi easy to Use Oven that comes with catalytic liners, to decrease the build-up of tough grease. Also look for surfaces that are smooth and easy to wipe clean. Most modern appliances come with this type of surface, this Bosch Oven has stay clean liners in the walls of the oven, to prevent dirt and bacteria from building up.

Now that you have chosen easy to clean surfaces, consider storage solutions to maximise the space. This makes it easier when you have family or guests visiting to quickly hid things away and at least appear to be organised. Look for in built storage that can hide inside cupboards, and think about where you can keep things. If you don’t have enough room inside cupboards, perhaps you could get some nice coloured boxes or jars to store things on shelves.

Ever since I was a little kid, we always had one pet dog at home. My dad would put a dog outside the house in a cage to provide as protection, most specially at night time. We all know how dogs can alert us to intruders. But a dog inside the house was a no-no. We had this fear of being bitten and my mom feared a dirty home.

Last year, when my brother was about to turn 20, he brought home a cute little pup. It’s a crossbreed Labrador, given to him by a friend of his. It was allowed inside the house for several days but when he started scratching every surface he could reach, my dad put him inside a cage. My brother was given another puppy by another friend but it died as it was actually sick when he got it. Frustrated and sad over what happened, my sister M decided to contact a high school schoolmate who breeds dogs. She got our brother a Shih tzu for his birthday!

Who would have thought that a cute little pup can endear himself to everyone at home and is now being treated as part of the family? Kobe, our 8-month-old male Shih tzu, goes to church with us and to every place we go to.

Pets, not just dogs/puppies but also other kinds, can ultimately become family members. Trust me, they not only take away your stress but are also very loyal and sweet! Kobe surely is!

Established in 1981, Vector Marketing is a $200 million company with 350 offices in US and Canada.

Vector Marketing Corporation is the exclusive distributor of CUTCO Cutlery in Canada and the United States CUTCO Cutlery is the largest manufacturer and marketer of high-quality kitchen cutlery and accessories in North America. The vast majority of Vector Marketing representatives are hardworking college students. These students can make money and develop resume building experience and even earn college credit while working for Vector marketing. Vector employees can work as independent contractors, setting their own schedules and maintain their own initiative. However, just because they are independent contractors does not mean that help is not readily available. Vector offers 3 days of comprehensive training to teach you about the product, weekly support meetings and in depth training to help you develop your skills. Contractors receive printed & online training materials as well as an opportunity to go field training with other top reps in your office. For an initial start up cost of $99 Vector contractors receive a $429 in CUTCO products to start their sample kit-these kits can be returned at any time for a 100% refund. In addition, contractors receive a package of marketing materials which include order forms, price list, company catalogue and more. If a contractor wishes to purchase more items for their sample kit, these are available at a 50% discount; contractors are also given an opportunity to win great prizes in order to help them grow their sample kit.

Vector marketing offers fantastic opportunities for those looking to start their own business.

Trina is a childhood friend of mine. We haven’t seen each other or spoken since she graduated in high school, a year ahead of me. I found her on Facebook two or three weeks ago. She is now living abroad with her husband and two kids. She is a work at home mom. She is a marketing executive and comes in to work three times a month, more when necessary. She joins weekly meetings via web conferencing.

I could feel how happy she is with her life now. She is content. We talked some more about her home life and how she’s now a really good cook. We promised each other that we will keep in touch.

I want to buy a new electric fan. Our ceiling fan is now busted most likely from overuse. I am debating with myself whether to suggest a wall fan this time around or a better stand fan than the one we have now. An air conditioner is out of the question as the electricity cost will make my pockets cry.

I also want to buy a new fridge. I was supposed to buy one last September but I hesitated and, well, I spent the money I allotted for it. The fridge we’re using was the one I bought for my mom using my salary after passing the board exams. It was back in 2000 so we’ve been using the same fridge for the past 12 years already. It’s really time for a change.

I will have to move the purchase date of both fan and fridge to next month after I settle some bills.

The idea of renting a storage unit is an interesting one. You can store whatever you like for as long as you like, and no one will question it. Yes, it costs money, but so does purchasing new items. Storage units are great for military personnel, hobbyist and collectors. Additionally, growing families can use storage units for items not being used at the moment. There are some things you just cannot sell or throwaway that will hold value for a lifetime, these items deserve to be safely stored in a storage unit. Additionally, your location may deem your need for additional storage. For example, Portland storage offers great rates for anyone not having the space to store items in their home.

It is true that storage units can be expensive. However, if you just consider it as another monthly bill it is not so bad. Additionally, some storage facilities will offer discounts to anyone agreeing to a long term contract. Once you accept the cost of renting you can enjoy the benefits of storing at a storage facility. Such benefits can include climate control and security. Take in to consideration storing item in your basement or attic. These are the places that most people store stuff, but the reality is basements are moist and attics are hot. These are less than ideal storing means, and items can be ruined. If you have irreplaceable belongings that you want to store then a storage unit is really the way to go.

Whenever my family and I travel, my dad makes sure we inform someone, an aunt or uncle, about our itinerary. We make sure that we can call someone to help us should we encounter any troubles while in transit. When we are going on a road trip, my dad gets a roadside assistance service plan. This is to make sure we can call a reliable source of help should there be machine trouble. We don’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere without any help coming.

My family once encountered a minor road accident. It was so scary we were left shaken for the rest of the ride going to my brother’s grave. We didn’t have anybody to call that time but the good thing was my dad was able to remedy the problem with the car’s hood. Still, we don’t want that to happen ever again.

My cousin once tried to cook spaghetti for his mom. My aunt, not knowing her son cooked the pasta, was raving about the spaghetti she ate. When she learned that it was her son, my cousin Jay, who cooked the pasta, she was surprised. The kid has kitchen skills she didn’t know about! From then on my cousin cooks their meals whenever he is free to do so.

I heard my cousin’s putting his kitchen skills to use outside the house. He is looking for Cooking Jobs at the moment. He dropped out of college to work because he already has a daughter to feed. I am sure his cooking skills will be an asset to whatever company he will work for.

Mr. and Mrs. Benedict are talking about donating a medical computer to the community college in their area. They are both teachers and they want to help others who don’t have enough to support their schooling. Since they don’t really have large incomes to speak of, they thought they’d do little things to help and pray it will be enough to change lives.

It is great how some people will go out of their way to help others, even if they themselves actually need help. The world will be a better place if only we will do our own share in helping those who need it.

Several years ago I dreamed of having our house renovated. We used to have a concrete ground floor and a wooden second half-floor. I wanted the whole house to become concrete so I hired a contractor and his assistant and had the house renovated. But one thing led to another and the house was left unfinished. I hadn’t anticipated the high cost of having a house renovated and then I had to deal with my mom’s illness.

The house, since then, has been left unfinished. There are still woods in almost every part of the house to hold the cement. The walls inside our home has splashes of cement and looked so dirty. I wanted to have the place cleaned up but I was stopped again and again by everyone. We are selling the house and they think it would be a waste of money to have the house cleaned up and the walls painted.

But it’s been years since we put our house in the market. Buyers come and go and still no contract has ever been signed and sealed! I want to spiff up the place a bit to make it more cleaner-looking and to brighten up the surroundings. Our house is clean, mind you, but the walls make it look like it’s not.

This summer, I resolve to have the house painted light green. That soothing green I have in mind actually. I want the whole house to be brighter and livelier!

I just wish cash will start flowing in today so I can save up for the paint job.

There are seven of us in the house. My dad, my 3 sisters, my brother, the little girl, and me. With sisters alone the clutter is staggering! Two of my sisters are teachers so that can explain a chunk of the clutter at home. And then there’s the stuff of the little girl. Her toys, school stuff, story and coloring books, and her numerous pens, pencils and crayons! Have I mentioned my pens, papers, and 5 clear plastic containers full of books?!?

I don’t know anymore how we can go about de-cluttering the house. There’s just too many of us and our stuff alone that we use on a daily basis is already A LOT! How we can minimize all our possessions is still a big question we cannot answer until now.

But we need to do something about the clutter. It’s not funny anymore. Everywhere I look there’s something that needs to be put or thrown away. Everywhere I look there’s a pile of something that needs a storage place for it. We don’t have enough space at home so storage is another problem we have to deal with.

Argh!

This summer, I swear, the second floor will be renovated! Half of the floor will be demolished and it will become storage area for all of our seasonal stuff.