zero deductible

Another lesson we learned from the stolen purse incident is when you get a comprehensive car insurance make sure you apply for the zero deductible on glass repairs. For an additional $5-10 a month it assures you that you won't have shell out cash for any damage on your car windows. Without this you feature in your comprehensive plan, you have a $1000 deductible per incident. Bummer, right?

weekend misfortune

I'll get right to the point - our car window was smashed and my purse/diaperbag was stolen last Sunday!

It was a relaxed Sunday afternoon. The sun was out and the weather was great. After playing at the park we headed off to church to pray before the service started. Since we were just going to stay for a couple of minutes I decided to just leave my bag in the car. When we returned to our car after 15 minutes, we found shattered glass on the front passenger seat and saw the whole window was smashed to pieces. Then we realized my bag was missing. That was the only thing they took. The GPS and Ipod were still in the car. Within the next hour they were able to use my check card for a $300 purchase in Target. It's a good thing service is very efficient here in the US and we were able to put a hold on all bank/card transactions in no time.

The moral of the story, never leave your bag in the car no matter what. No place is safe. Not even the church parking lot. It was a costly lesson learned. Hopefully you won't have to pay the same price.

practical design solutions

One of my bestfriends, Anonymous, sent me this message after reading this post that I wrote the other day:

maybe you should help me do some home improvement too! my place is just a toy dumpster...we now have 3 rooms full of toys! F's bedroom, the spare bedroom AND the living room! plus bec we don't want to hang anything on the walls since we're renting, it looks so blah! should i perhaps take pics and send to you then you can come up with some ideas?

I'm far from being an expert in interior design but practical I am and good taste I have so here goes trying to help out a friend in need.

To my dear Anonymous, I have a two part response to your dilema. First, let me introduce you to the renter's best interior design solution - 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips. This allows you to hang as much photos, paintings and prints without having to hammer a nail through the wall! In Manila we got them at Ace Hardware and here in the US we get it at Target or Walmart. I'm sure you have it over there in Switzerland. They also come in hooks for the heavier frames.

Aside from wall art, you can also incorporate character to your space by adding floor lamps, plants, jars and mirrors as seen in these photos.

Now to address your clutter issue, I have three words for you - storage, storage, storage! Let me share with you some of my favorite design ideas that allow us moms to organize and de-clutter without scrimping on style.

use matching baskets or bins to corral your clutter

use benches and ottomans that double as extra storage compartments

giant baskets and chests can be both decorative and functional

I hope you found these helpful, Anonymous.

Happy nesting, bunnies!

photos courtesy of designsponge.com, diyideas.com, ikea.com, apartmentherapy.com

home improvement: bud's room

For the past months I've made a conscious effort to restrain myself from decorating Bud's room. We wanted to keep stimuli in his room to the bare minimum while we were sleep training him. So for months the walls have been bare and the toys out of sight.

Now that he has no problem putting himself to sleep, we've started sprucing up his room with some fun frames and wall stickers. Here's the work in progress...

wall stickers from Ikea and frames from a garage sale

You probably noticed he still sleeps in a crib. I do plan to put him there for as long as I possibly can!

minnesota gurls

Here's an amusing musical parody of Katy Perry's "California Gurls". I can so totally relate! Geez, have I been living in Minnesota that long??

home improvement: toy shelf

I know I've been very deliquent with updating my blog. I can't believe how easily time passes. Even as I am typing now part of me is already going over the other to-dos that I need to attend to after this quick post.

I've been on home improvement mode for a month now and I've been trying to organize and decorate our home one area at a time. Nothing fancy or elaborate. Just trying to make it look more like a cozy home than a daycare. I get surprised with how little things like new rugs and towels could do wonders for a bathroom. Or how a few frames and a vase could change the mood in the living room.

Today I just completed my project for the week which was to decorate our "toy shelf". This particlar shelf in our living room is literally full of toys! Since it's still part of our living room, I wanted it give it a more polished look. Here's how it looked before:

Here's how it looks like now:


I just put 6 new items on the shelf and now it looks like adults DO actually live in this house!

The house is still a work in progress so I'm pretty certain I will be writing more about my home improvement projects in the coming weeks. Feel free to give me your ideas and suggestions, ladies!