Fulfilled Dream 2015

How's everybody? and yes I'm back. 2015 has been a year of surprises and our focus went around our new home.

Early last year, my family and I welcomed 2015 with some good news, an early move- in at the new 2 bedroom condo we just bought. The official turn over was expected late in 2015, but God works wonders and we got our condo almost a year ahead of the original time. Throughout the year, my husband and I worked on the interior. Every 3 months since the final build- out, we add something new. And we're so proud that we  met our deadline on time. Exactly 2 weeks before 2015 ended, we were able to finish everything. 

During the 3rd quarter of 2015, our new home was featured in a write- up by Rappler. Yes, they went to our condo interviewed my husband and took photos of our humble home. A few weeks after, another group came and did a photo shoot with the whole family, interviewed us and of course took images of our condo, again. I will not mention names behind this production, but definitely our page is in one of AyalaLand's magazines--- which was Ayala's early Christmas gift to the family.

Early? because a week before Christmas, we were handed copies of the said magazine. Our family and our home was first to be featured. This I have to say, the spread gave great emphasis on how we gave our new home a personal touch. We are very happy with the write up. It's quite different from the rest, especially the story and reason behind this move we made on getting our own home and why we chose AyalaLand. It's a fulfilled dream because we designed the interior. The cut of our unit is exactly what we wanted. Location wise, it's in the middle of everything, it's a "prime property" at the heart of Quezon City. Everything we wanted for our dream home, we were able to achieve.

Family, Faith, Set Priorities, Dreams, Hard Work and Sacrifice are the key words. At this time of crisis our country is undergoing, most of us think that acquiring such property will only remain a dream. I thought of that too, because there's just my husband working for the family. As parents and as partners, we'll have to put our foot down at some point and say, let's do this! Those key words, are the things we hold on to even up to now. Nothing is impossible, it's up to you or it's up to us when and how to make these dreams and goals happen.

Thankful. 2015 started and ended right. As we enter a new year, we're set to have new goals and life improvements. Change will always be there and we need to embrace it and let ourselves explore what life has to offer. Take risks, always be good to others and fear will not haunt you and prevent you from fulfilling your dreams.

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 Blessing of Our Home

The home blessing added light and positivity to our new home. Our parents were very happy with what we have achieved. Of course, they're so proud of the hard work my husband has poured. It was a dream come true for us as a couple and as  parents. It was a goal we were so focused on. Even if life's a bit hard for most in this country, we are blessed that God graced us with the resources in order to attain this goal--- being able to provide a permanent shelter was one of our dream for our children. 

We had a solemn celebration with our close family. Our good friend Ricky graced us with his presence too. As always, my husband and I are known for small but intimate gatherings. We saw the value in celebrating with just the special people in our lives. Even our officiating priest felt that he was home... He stayed longer than expected and shared a meaningful conversation with us. Through that, we were able to build a certain bond with him. The Parish Church isn't too far, that alone is a gift.

Our home will always be Christ- centered. Our faith binds the relationship between family members. It serves as the light to whatever we take inside from the world outside the walls of our home. 

Now I can say that...

We've now officially moved- in!

A Personal Touch To It

How does it feel to have your own home? It is the most rewarding I have ever experienced. I mean, my husband's the only one working... and yet we're able to purchase of great value and something important for the whole family. Among anything else, to provide proper shelter has always been our main goal from the beginning of this journey. Speaking of beginnings, like our wedding, any event that come into our lives, we always put a personal touch to it. 

With our condo, we didn't hire a painter. We just went with the idea that we had to do it ourselves. We're not experts, but we're blessed with friends who knows these things and they helped us. They taught us how to paint like we're good at it. I gotta say, it will take a lot of skill to paint. It may look simple and easy, but doesn't run that way.

In the end, all the hard work paid off just looking at our walls and knowing that we did all the painting. (please excuse our photo we decided for an impromptu  photo op hehehe!)

It's been a month since the plan for the home improvement of our new condo was rolled out. We started as we worked with our contractor for the design we want, particularly for my kitchen. Then, we had to accomplish proper permits for the build out and security requirements for our workers. The purchase of construction materials followed. In- between the process, we go on location to personally inspect the furniture we had custom made. On top of everything, life continues. 

Please bear for my absence. We're at the last leg of the build out and we will be moving- in soon. I really can't wait to share this new chapter in our lives... Until then...

Home Project on Its 1st Phase

It's been a month since I announced the turn over of our new home. As of the moment, we've already accomplished the requirements needed to be submitted to the building manager for home improvement. Materials are ready, we have people working on our cabinets and even our dining table is custom- made. 

But at some point there had been a turn of events. My husband asked for my consent if he can be the one to take care of the design, color and fixtures. In other words, I'll have to trust him on everything. Also, I will not be able to see our unit until the whole build out is done. It's a surprise. I think he's making up for the spoiled surprise from last month's plans. I gave our engineer (who's also our friend) my word that I'm okay with whatever my husband wants. Knowing him, he is more particular with these kinds of things. We both have the same taste that's why I'm not bothered with the whole idea.

I did gave my concerns though, like an alarm system and that he needs to look for a trusted alarm Monitoring company. For our first home after we got married, we installed an alarm in the house we rented. Not that we we're waiting for somebody to trespass, it's to double security. My next concern is my kitchen. Any neutral background will do, as long as I get proper storage for my kitchenware and then I can play with the shades I want to use to highlight my favorite spot in our home. 

The room for our little boys is going to be Lego inspired. Since they have tons of Lego toys,  we plan to keep the present color of the walls and then accentuate thru color blocking from the bedding, the study table and other things to be brought in. As a matter of fact, they already have a 2015 Lego calendar for starters.

We basically got stuck with our old things for the past 10 years. We have been renting for the past 10 years as well.  Preparing for a new home can be pretty stressful but it's all worth it especially, because it's ours now. We can put anything we want. As the queen of our castle, the thing I love about this whole event is to shop for new furniture and appliances. Now, I can surely put every detail I have in plan to use.

Official Turn Over of Our New Home

I have to say, my husband worked hard for this and our partnership made everything run smoothly.  Everything fell right into place. Several sacrifices were made. In terms of monetary, we gave up on a lot of things including out of the country trips just to be able to save up for our home.

The feeling is unexplainable, unbelievable and way extraordinary... very rewarding.

I didn't really have any idea that the official turn over was going to be this soon. As always, my husband planned for it as a surprise for me. Well, I kinda spoiled the surprise this morning, which explains why I'm wearing "pambahay" during the turn over. (see picture below)

We were placed in a situation that we had to go together for our errands. All I know was my husband needed to bring our car somewhere for maintenance (his excuse) and I on the other hand, needed to fetch our eldest son from school. Although, handing me the keys on Christmas Day is something special, I guess God still wanted me to come along to experience the whole process of the turn over.

It's a good thing I was there because it's a must to inspect our unit and the agent gave us final briefing on some important house rules we need to take note of, especially we plan to do home- improvement (add- ons, repainting, stuff we want to install)  after the Holiday Season.

It's officially ours!

After the tour, we went to the turn over room and a "welcome sign" greeted us. Some papers were signed and we were given a gift basket from Domex.

We chose Ayala Land because we trust that they put great value on their properties and  their clients. They make sure that the over- all environment is safe, the community is family- friendly, the staff is well- managed and the facilities including the buildings are maintained.

It was with the Ayala Land agents when we didn't feel rushed or pressured. They are not pushy, they don't shove flyers on prospects and once an inquiry's made, they're very courteous and accommodating. We also heard a lot of good feedback from our friends who got their own properties from Ayala Land.

On making an investment, make sure it's long- term, it's worth every cent, get what you really want and go for the best.

A week before Christmas Day, I received the most valuable gift ever... a new home. Today, Ayala Land Company formally handed the keys to our new condo. Praise the Lord for this wonderful blessing.

Welcome To The Christian World Mikee!

Here are the bits and pieces of a well celebrated occasion. It was an intimate gathering with our close friends and family. 

Welcome To The Christian World Mikee!

The name Mikee was derived from his first name Michael. There are 3 reasons why Michael.

1. I am a St. Michael the Archangel devotee, I truly believe in the power of his prayer.
2. My eldest son Franky was born on the feast of  St. Michael the Archangel.

3. In memory of my husband's younger brother named Michael who passed away a few days after he was born.

Our close friends graced us with their presence. Being able to celebrate with them is such a blessing. Most of them are the Godparents of Mikee.

The Baptismal Mass was short but it was filled with moments contemplating on the purpose of the Baptism, how sacred it is and the importance of our obligations to the Catholic Church and as parents. As always, my husband and I always make our celebrations simple yet worth remembering just like our wedding. Being in the presence of the people close to us and the people we love makes everything special. Lunch followed in a nearby Max's Restaurant.

After A Short Break...

For those who are wondering why this site was not accessible for the past week, here is the answer. It all started on Facebook. I took precautionary measures to save my accounts and to prevent these culprits from stealing my identity.

A REPOST

3 days ago, I received a notice from Facebook, that a log-in attempt was made from Makati using my account. A hacker in action. It continued for 3 days, which forced me to close Sweet Nothings temporarily, until everything is secured again. This was not the first time when someone or a group of people tried to steal account information from yours truly. Aside from my websites, Facebook is the only personal account I am presently maintaining. How personal? Well, whatever you read on my blogs, those are just parts of a more colorful journey which I share with my close friends and relatives.

Phishing, hacking, identity theft, these are risk once you start making online transactions. But this time around, I felt very uncomfortable. The fact that I don't have a single clue why, made me nervous.  Of all the bloggers, and of all the Facebook users, these questions bothered me: Why me? what's so special with my account? I've been at my best since I started blogging following all the security measures online.

This hacker was very persistent.  It continued for 4 days, at least before I deleted my Facebook. Whoever you are, stop this nonsense, you won't get anything from me.  I can get rid of anything that may become a threat to me and my family, even if I need to give up the things I am very passionate about.

Some people had it worse. In my case, the hacker was not able to access my account, thanks to Facebook's preventive measures. But it didn't end here. After closing Sweet Nothings, I found out that a link from my food blog was being viewed from a Facebook account. For sure, this person may have been trying so hard to get through my blogs too. But thank you for linking my food blog on your Facebook. Eventually, I had to close From My Kitchen and Beyond as well.

0o0o

Now, Sweet Nothings is back... I'll take it slowly. It's a free world. It's up to me to create posts that can still be interesting and exciting to read. But at the same time, security is there. Pictures are going to be lessened , and over-all, everything is going to be moderated for now.

It's always healthy to have a fresh start. A little change in- between our busy lives. It's good to be able to take a rest from going online. I gotta be honest, it's like I'm back with life without the internet. I may have lost my Facebook, but my family and friends will always be there with or without Facebook.

Our Favorite Corner

Our Favorite Corner in Our New Home

It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home. ~Author Unknown

A warm light, some scented candles and flowers are enough to make everything fall right into place. This is also the corner where my husband plays his music. The corner where we derive inner peace and relaxation. The corner that makes us glow all the time...

School, Parenting, Lesser Me, Mostly Us...

After thanking 2009 for a memorable year, it's now time to set our goals and dreams f0r 2010.

I saw a lesser reason for me as an individual, I saw content on my part as a person, and I am very thankful that at an early age, I'm done with myself, I'm done with pampering myself with what I want. Besides, I'm a SAHM, and being a stay at home mom doesn't require too much to live everyday. I've graduated on being just "Enchie" and I passed the exam on being a great Mother and Wife. We will all come to a point when we realize that "I'm happy, I can't think of anything for myself!"especially when all we see everyday is our family.
For the past 5 years, I enjoyed "the real life", living by our small dreams, anything that money can't buy. Like having my own family, witnessing my son's every milestone, being a hands-on parent with all the laughter we share.

One of the main highlights of 2009, was my son's firsts in school. It was made official that it feels like I will be attending school once again. Teaching him his lessons, giving him advance notes and feeding him all the good values on becoming a good student. A year from now, we will be choosing a big school for him... A big part of 2010 is going to be all about Franky. As parents, we hope for him to follow the footsteps of his Dad, Lolo Pops and great grandpa on being BLUE. We will do our best to give him the best of everything. We are going to triple our efforts not only for this purpose, but throughout the time he'll be going to school.

Family is the only inspiration I have at hand. As a person blessed with this experience, I will do better and be at my best everyday. Inspirations--- my Mom and Mama (my mother-in-law). I don't see them often, but remembering their own tales that defined them as parents and wives are enough so I can create the right environment for the family and be sensitive with the small things my husband needs.

Like I said in most of my posts in the past, "it will take your entire lifetime to know your partner". It is also the secret in keeping the flame going and for the sparks to light some more. Something that will keep the relationship healthy, something to look forward to everyday, something to laugh about, and something to be proud of. And I don't need 10 years just to realize all these.

My recent discovery--- My husband loves to cook! He is now officially the King of my kitchen. He cooked for my birthday, he cooked for Christmas Eve, he cooked for New Year's Eve. From planning the menu, shopping for the ingredients, preparing the ingredients and cooking, he did everything! This holiday season, it was my first time to actually hear him wish for a cookingware. He baked, he grilled, steamed, sauteed. As for me, I was just sitting and playing around being a Queen.

One thing I love about Dolf is him being super thoughtful and sensitive. Even if I don't utter a word, he knows... And he doesn't need an event or something big just make him feel that he needs to be thoughtful or be extra- sensitive. It's already in him, it's his nature. He makes sure that I am well-taken cared of with our without his presence around. And as early as the first day of the year I am already Thankful once again to The One above for bringing more color to my life---

2010 is going to be all about values on life, family and keeping a positive disposition. It worked for the past 5 years, why not now.

Thank You 2009

Another year will soon leave and a new beginning to set place. We're still very thankful for the material things that satisfied us. But the most important are the reasons and purposes, the thoughts that made 2009 a worthy year, inspite of the hardships and loss. Tell me, CHANGE played a big part this year right?

On a personal note, 2009 has been very kind to me and my family. So much milestones as a parent has been achieved. So much lessons learned and discoveries made to take as motivators.

Related Entry: Thanksgiving Entry

Thank you 2009 for these achievements, discoveries and lessons. It made us complete, it made us open ourselves to new perspectives.

With that, we gladly accept every challenge for the years to come and look at it as opportunities in disguise.
With that, we will continue to keep a healthy mind & body.

With that, we will continue to show our love in service to other people.

With that, we will live a simpler but a meaningful life.

With that, we are greatly honored to have reached a new chapter in our lifetime.

No more fears, only new beginnings... Let us take every challenge to the next level and take it as a learning curve. Pray & Hope for a good, humble, a God-Fearing, God- Loving leader who will serve as guidance to a cleaner government system. Good life, Good Health, Clean living for all Filipinos. Inspiration for others and Being a Positive Thinker.

Fireworks Sm Mall of Asia

My life in the blogosphere will remain the same. The things that will make it different are the new tales that I will share with my boys as another year unfolds.