What's Your Rockstud?

First of all and in all honesty, I seldom look into designer brands simply because I feel it's too much for me as a stay at home mom. But for some reason, I got attracted with Valentino Garavani's Rockstud collection. I see a lot of these from our local entertainers and boy they really look good and classy. So if I were to choose my Rockstud pair, I will go for a strappy flat sandals.

Okay, let me dream even just for awhile...

image (Instagram)

I came across this image on Instagram. I fell in love with these sandals in an instant. I prefer the red one, but any shade will do as long as it's a flat sandal. I like sandals and flats because it's the most comfortable especially if you have kids and it can go with any outfit. This is perfect if you want to be stylish and functional at the same time.

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Rockstud Rouge flat sandal

This particular design fits my over- all personality.  "Simple lang, pero Rock!" (giggle!)

It's worth almost $1000, so now back to dreaming...

Transforming our Balcony

Personally, I want our balcony to look and feel cozy. This is a slow transformation, because the things that I want to put are very expensive considering that it's made for any type of weather condition. It's meant to last in short. As always, I got ideas from Pinterest. I found a couple of pictures and I kinda combined everything. The original plan was to come up with something inspired by the image below.

Since our country gets more rain than sun, we opted to get a rainproof patio set. I got our patio set from S&R, it's a Keter 3-piece Bistro Set for 6,000php. Keter has a nice selection of  outdoor furniture. 

The next on my list are wooden planks as flooring. This is the expensive part. A 4-piece set of wooden square flooring is 1,700php. I need 6 sets to cover "at least" half of the balcony. The wooden flooring is also made for outdoor purposes so no fading and rotting will happen. We're hoping to get the flooring done before the year ends or just in time for Christmas. Anyway, there's no need to rush, we have all the time, this balcony is ours!

This is what we have accomplished so far. I just want to have an accent corner where I can put my herbs and plants. Imagine it with the wooden flooring more on the side where the 2 plants are. But friends who already visited us are happy and satisfied with the present set up of our balcony. 

The plants came from my parents. They were really small when I got them, and its all grown now. I used to have a potted Basil but unfortunately, with the recent storm, the strong wind bent the whole stem, it didn't recover so I returned it to my mom for some care.

I water my plants twice a day (early in the morning and late in the afternoon). It actually depends. Lately, I let the rain do the job on watering my plants.

The door to the balcony is see- through. Most residents prefer to cover this door with blinds or curtain. As for me, I want it to be open, I just have a roll- up blind ready if the sun is really out. The purpose why I want things to be visible is to get a glimpse of the life outside our home. It's a condo, but I still want it to function like a house. I just feel that we need to let some light in once in a while. I mean, from our dining area, it's so relaxing just staring at my plants, it is very refreshing. True enough, when we were visited by the management, they instantly loved our set up. It's different and something new to their eyes.

 If you plan to buy a condo, I suggest that you invest on a unit that has a balcony. The balcony will serve as your front or backyard where you can still garden and do some sky watching. It can also be a breakfast nook, or just a place where one can spend some quiet time.

The Value of a Balikbayan Box...

I don't want to post about this but I think I need to voice out my thoughts on the issue since my family is a recipient of Balikbayan boxes. We don't get Balikbayan boxes as often like most families, but a box is surely important to us. Our relatives abroad would send a box just so they can give us gifts in time for the Holiday Season. Whatever is sent to us, everything is for family use and mostly for the kids.

My concern with this issue is all about respect, privacy and security. 

1. There's a reason why our items are boxed and tightly sealed. I'll assume that anybody in this world will never allow any person to go through their things ( big or small) without permission. We're just looking at things at a wider scale in this issue.

2. Anything that's inside the box is owned by a private individual.

3. Once you open a box, you've already stepped on our rights, our privacy and our individuality as receivers and most of all, you've disregarded & degraded the hard work and sentimental reasons of our loved ones who worked hard for those goods.

You might want to read this: Duterte slams BoC for desecrating Balikbayan boxes, milking OFWs 

 

4. Contraband? what are the probability that somebody will put drugs or even firearms in a carton box which will also be processed within the United States or country of origin.  Okay, let's be realistic, it's a possibility. But I'm sorry, I just don't see it to be the main cause/ reason of this sudden fiasco. There are bigger fishes out there! Well, not unless those sharks are your comrades.

Even if the BOC says that our items are going to be safe, I mean come on Mr. Lina, are you going to be there during the process and inspection of each box? (wish ko lang!) Kaya nga ayaw pabuksan kasi ang dami ng nawawalan. And don't say that BOC is not going to be responsible for any loses. Why can't you be responsible?  You guys wanted this in the first place. A box is a treasure chest to those longing to taste what "they think" is good, new and simply anything imported. Clearly, you'll be answerable once a box is opened.

The box that was sent to us in 2013 was delayed by a month from the time it was expected to arrive at our doorsteps because we were told that BOC was holding it. Our box was just there and BOC wasn't releasing it. (Ano hinihintay ninyo, lagay from the forwarding company?) We trust our forwarding company it's BOC we don't trust.

5. During former President Ferdinand Marcos' time, and I learned about this just now, those Balikbayan boxes were "tariff- free" for OFWs and the next Presidents respected that in honor of our Heroes abroad.

There are more serious problems that needs attention. There are mouths to feed, victims of disasters that needs help, traffic is terrible and getting worse, crime rate has gone up, employment rate has gone down and so on... Fix these problems first.

This government made things from bad to worse. A lot was lost, including lives because of your ignorance and stupidity. Now you want to concentrate on how to earn money from Balikbayan boxes? Why? is it because the "Ber" months are coming? and more people will send boxes? or is it because 2016 is just a few winks away?

The problem with the administration is they like to change things. Things that's already been functioning well, processes that has already made our lives easier. They like "change" to make a name for themselves regardless on who are they going to step on and what they're going to disrupt. This government is very one- sided. Can't we be functional by doing something smart and will benefit the Filipino people?

You want reality? my basis here is my everyday function as a homemaker. I go out everyday to bring my son to school, run errands, buy food, commute and all that. With what I've experienced for the past 5 years:  I feel so unsafe, there's no sense of security, I felt betrayed with what was going on around me.

I rode the MRT just recently with my 2 kids... "Diyos ko po!" 

I renewed my Driver's License: I got my card after 4 months. 

We renewed our car's registration: "sorry no plate available". 

Gas prices will go down by 1php but will increase by 5.

Even garlic and sugar are being hoarded.

We're basically a big landfill for some country and we're letting them get away with it. 

More street kids begging for "money".

Loads of families who doesn't have homes.

People are more desperate, furious and impatient. "The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer".

It wasn't like this 11 years ago when I ventured on having a family of my own. Yes, the previous Presidents stole money, they're as evil as the devil, but hell they  made sure that the people were "at least" given what they needed and what they deserved. And they weren't pointing fingers by the way. Sending those 3 Senators to jail is useless if the remaining 80 million are still hungry, sick and lost. 

In the end, no matter how dirty the system is, it's what you have given/ contributed to improve the lives and well- being of  the Filipino people that will always matter.

Just in: The President stops inspection of Balikbayan boxes