Mauie Flores

When we were just starting to plan for our garden and our pocket garden, I envisioned a place where I can relax at the end of the day maybe have a drink or two with the husband before retiring to bed. All was well for a few months until recently when we noticed the number of mosquitoes flying in the area especially at night.


They aren't dengue-carrying mosquitoes and I'm sure of that. My mom-in-law tells me that they are just garden mosquitoes who love breading in leafy and bushy spots. Still, they bite and mosquito bites for me are always serious. I instructed the house boy to spray garden insecticide everyday so we can lessen the number of mosquitoes flying around. I guess we can't really get rid of all of them.

Hay, at least I'm still lucky I just have a small garden to look after. Just imagine if I have a big lawn. Aside from scouting toro lawn mowers I may be also buying gallons of garden insecticide.

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Yesterday, a salesman came to visit our home to perform a demo of the product he was selling. This product, as he explained, is a vacuum cleaner and air purifier rolled into one. I already bought a small vacuum cleaner last year and it was the one that you can typically see being sold in the home TV shopping network. It only cost us Php 2,500.

Now, the salesman claims that this vacuum cleaner cum air purifier of his was better than what we were already using. First it doesn't have a dust bag. Instead, the water inside the apparatus catches all the dust that is being sucked in. I was quite impressed, as a matter of fact. I hate dust and I seldom do the cleaning around here because I get skin allergies easily.

So, anyway, he went on to demonstrate the other features that the product can do. He mopped the tiles in our living room, vacuumed the couch, brushed and sprayed the window screens, dusted the table lamp, and enveloped the room with a lovely apple scent. I almost went upstairs to get my checkbook but I was taken aback when I heard how much it would cost us. Believe it or not, it supposedly costs 140 thousand pesos.

I was disappointed beyond words. You know how it feels when you're already excited about making a purchase and then realizing that you just can't afford it? And besides, I don't think I won't buy it even if I had loads of cash. I can buy so many things with that money. I can already get the flower lamp that we were planning to buy last year when we had the renovations and so much more!

As much as I feel sorry for him for not closing the deal, I believe that we have to set our financial priorities straight. It's overpriced and we don't need it. End of rant.


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It's final, we're spending Christmas' Noche Buena here at home and we're not going home to Bicol to spend New Year's Day either. My sister-in-law and her family aren't coming over for the holidays, too. No one's going to look after their home while they are away. Well, I kinda understand where she's coming from. Thefts and robbers frequent homes during this time of the year. Just the other day, a blogger-friend wrote about how they were almost victimized by the Dugo-dugo Gang. It was a blessing that her maid was smart and never believed anything the scammer told her. Other homeowners are not as lucky as she is.

The Dugo-dugo Gang usually victimizes househelpers who are left in the house while the homeowners are away from home. They place a call and convince the helper that her boss figured in an accident and that they need money for the hospital bills. They will then tell the helper to look for money or valuables and deliver it to the caller.

Millions of pesos have already been lost to this modus operandi. Don't be the next victim. Here are some things that you should do to protect yourself and your properties from the criminal minds of the Dugo-dugo Gang:

• Keep the househelpers informed. Teach the maids not to believe anonymous callers and inform them about the modus operandi. Tell them to verify the information first with another relative or housemate. If you have a health card, you can also inform your maid about this and tell her that, with it, you will not need cash to pay for hospital bills.
• Have a caller ID installed. This way, you have a record of the phone number used. You should also teach your helper to just take note of the number and call a relative or family friend to help verify if the call is legit or not.
• Secure your perimeter. Before they operate, one or two members of the gang will hang around in the vicinity to get more information about their next victim. Tell the helpers to have the gates and doorknobs locked at all times especially when she's all alone in the house.
• As much as possible, do not keep money and valuables at home. Keep your money in the bank and your valuable jewelry kept in a secure vault. If this isn't possible, just be sure to keep your valuables safe and keep it a secret from the kasambahay.
• Be a friendly neighbor. Build a good relationship with your neighbor. This way, they can look after your house when you're away and vice versa.

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I miss gardening. Back in Laguna when I wasn't writing for a living yet, I had more time to garden. I personally cut the grass and trimmed the plants. I also had a lot of fun rearranging and updating our garden landscape. When Christmas season comes and we need to adorn the shrubs with l ights, I'd trim them into cute shapes so that they'd look like Christmas treats when they're all lighted up.

Why this sudden craving for garden time? Well, I've been searching for gifts that I can buy online and I chanced upon some outdoor furniture that I'm sure would look in our garden. I remembered planning to buy more blooms and replace the "balding" yellow bell that we have right now. I planned this months ago. I still haven't found the time to accomplish it.

Gardening, at least for me, is a great way to de-stress. It's gives me delight to see my plants growing and when people make compliments about our garden. It also gives me the chance to burn calories without even getting tired. How about you? Do you also enjoy gardening?


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It's always been bothersome for me to give my friends and relatives directions going to our place. Our home, you see, is built in a relatively new village which was once a huge industrial factory. We have been living here for 3 three years already and the streets still have no name. So, up to now, we only have our lot and block numbers in our address.

I am seriously thinking of having an address sign installed on our gate even with just the block and lot numbers on it. I can imagine how convenient it can be not only for the pizza delivery guy but also for me (so I can stop saying green gate, green house, two cars...), LOL! I am not even dreaming of one like the ornate home address plaques I saw in Ayala Alabang Village before. Just a simple address plaque will do.

Can you recommend any affordable supplier? I don't want to buy the ones available in the market because I still want ours to be custom-made.

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Aircon technicians are here in my home right now. The Gree 1 HP split type air conditioning unit in my son's rooms is being repaired. It conked out a few days ago with the compressor and condenser unit not working properly. Fortunately, the repair is still within the unit's service warranty so I wouldn't need to spend a dime for that.


That's one box ticked in my To-Do List today. I'm glad that the technicians came in in spite of the rains. My son's room is the hottest place in the house with the sun directly shining against its window in the afternoon. That's why this room can never do without window blinds and an air conditioning unit.

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We recently had our wooden staircase replaced because of a nasty termite infestation. Eight steps have been removed and replaced. Our trusted houseboy, however, found some of the steps mildly infested and were still in a favorable condition of sorts. He then started to work on the said steps and turned them into this beautiful garden set.



We were so happy of this project. Who would've thought that these wooden steps can be transformed into gorgeous patio chairs? And to think that I already ordered the wooden steps to be thrown away. My handy dandy alalay should receive a hefty bonus, don't you think?

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As promised, here are photos showing the kitchen and garden renovations that were done in our home this summer. We recently held my son's birthday party in our home and I'm overwhelmed with the compliments we received.

We built an extension to house our kitchen and dining area. We also had the garage covered and tiled. The landscaping was done after the renovations. It turned out to be exactly how we planned it to be. And no, we did not hire an interior designer, hehehe.

With all these renovations, almost half of our savings was touched. Then again, I always tell my husband that it's better to see our savings go to worthwhile spendings such as the renovation that we did. Traveling abroad and getting a Branson vacation package will have to wait for now.

How do you find our newly renovated home?


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Finally! My house helper is back. This is the first night, after almost a month, that I did not wash the dishes and cleaned the dining area after dinner. This is also the first night that I did not feed the dogs their evening meal. The next time the house boy will be on vacation is in two years, thank goodness!

I cannot afford a day without my trusted house helper considering the amount of workload I have. I have pending wiki articles to finish not to mention the travel posts that I haven't written yet for my other blog. I tell you, I won't need effective weight loss supplements when Junin is on vacation.

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If ever you're wondering why I am not able to update this blog more often, it's because my trusted houseboy is on his month-long vacation. It's his turn to have his much-needed rest after our return from Bacolod. So aside from doing my writing tasks and editing and uploading our vacation photos, I am also trying to keep my sanity intact while keeping the house spic and span. How do I keep sane amidst all the work I have to do? I daydream that I'm back where I was a week ago. And that is in Sipalay, the white beach I wrote about a week ago.


Upon waking up, I realize that there are chores to do even before my boy wakes up for breakfast. I tried walking our enormous American Pitbull this morning and I promised myself never to walk the dog again. My goodness, I almost lost my mind when it slipped itself off its collar! I had the presence of mind to wrap the chain of the leash on his neck until I was able to slip the collar back on again. I cannot imagine what could've been if I wasn't able to put the dog back inside its kennel again. Gah!

It's almost dinner time, I'm glad my mother-in-law cooked dinner for us tonight. Of course, I should wash the dishes after. Hmmm.... maybe I should pretend that I have pretty stone sinks than the boring stainless steel ones I have in my kitchen. I think I'll be like this until Junin gets back.

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Over the weekend, I met up with blogger friends for a writers' meeting. We just signed a 5-month contract as contributing writers for a local website! Actually, it's my second contract for the same local client and that is why I am so happy. At least, I am sure to have a steady stream of writing assignments until July. I am still praying for more writing gigs until my youngest brother graduates in 2011.

Compared to what I earn from my oDesk writing projects, my local client pays more. Besides, I find it better to coordinate with fellow Filipinos than foreign bosses. Not that I'm complaining as I have had the best foreign bosses in oDesk, too!

Tomorrow will also mark the start of our major home renovation project. We were blessed with extra savings this time that we could finally afford to build my dream kitchen and dining area. It would be built as an extension at the right side of our home. That will give our main home more space as we can already transfer the dining table to the extension. We have found a reliable contractor in the person Mang Bobot, a neighbor's relative. We have already seen his past construction projects within our village and he's earned our approval. He's taking care of everything including the coordination of tasks among his pool of workers. At least, we won't need to conduct an employee screening of construction boys anymore. After everything's built, all we would need to do is to buy a new oven and hood. By the way, Mang Bobot's going to build me a kitchen counter that's going to look like a mini-bar.

Oh, I forgot to write about the new 2-seater couch and coffee table set that we ordered last week. It's made to order and will be delivered by March 17. Happy happy, joy joy! Am I excited or what?

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I believe that different scents can affect our moods. There are scents that are calming and there are those that wake all the other senses up. For me, there are certain scents that bring back memories. Like when I remember my grandmother when I smell even the faint scent of a roll of cigar. Or when I remember the place we lived in when I was little when I smell the scent of ylang-ylang flowers in the air. Scents are indeed powerful.

I am such a fan of aromatherapy. I have oil burners positioned in different parts of our home where I burn essential oils depending on the effect I want to have. I only mix two to three drops of essential oils with water and it's enough to last for two hours. You can do this at home, too.

Basically, I recommend that you have bottles of these:

• Lavender - Burn lavender oil before going to sleep to relax and calm the nerves. This is not recommended for pregnant women and people suffering from low blood pressure since the scent can induce blood flow.
• Citronella - Burn citronella oil from late afternoon until night time to ward off mosquitoes.
• Eucalyptus - I burn this oil when my nose is clogged. It's like inhaling Vicks.

You won't need to buy all essential oils at once. Start with two or three and build your collection as time goes by. You can also mix different essential oils. Don't be afraid to experiment. Lastly, just enjoy the experience!

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The two industrial fans that we bought in 2006 are now starting to conk out and I'm getting frustrated. I thought industrial fans are supposed to be more durable than the less expensive plastic ones. The industrial fans are being used in the living room and in the dining room. Every time I try to use one, I need to get a fork to wind up its blades first to get it to move. Funny but totally frustrating, really.

I am thinking of buying a new fan but I won't waste my time in buying an industrial fan anymore. I think I'll buy the ones with plastic blades this time. At least they are easier to clean, lighter to carry, and are more affordable. It's a pity that I can't even have a Minka Aire ceiling fan because the ceiling in my living room is low. I'm left with no other option but to buy a standfan.

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Here's what my houseboy's been busy at for the past few days. Aint it nice? Guess what, everything's made from scrap material. The nipa hut was made with scrap aluminum metal that he picked up from a neighboring construction project and dried grass from the vacant lots here in our village. As you can see, he's still making the other paper maché characters that will complete our Nativity scene. My husband will do the painting of the figures once they're complete. We still have some bottles of poster paint from my son's past projects. The only thing that we bought from the store was the big bottle of white glue that the helper used for the paper maché figures.

Who say's we can't make a humble Belen without buying new materials. Well, we were not planning to make a grand one in the first place so there's no need to spend for expensive industrial supplies. This one's A-OK, don't you think?

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I think we've all read and heard it before: Cleaning up is a dirty job but somebody's got to do it. But I dread the thought that it's general cleaning time once again. Believe me, you can count on me to do every household task including those that include fixing appliances but it will take me weeks before I do a general cleaning. Don't get me wrong. I love a clean house but it's the dust that's turning me off. Expect me to have a wheezing cough after doing a general cleaning. That's what I don't want to happen. Once I get the cough, it will take months before my system totally gets rid it even with medicine and all.

My sister-in-law and her kids are coming over for the holidays from the UK so doing a general cleaning is inevitable. I have a male househelper who does almost everything in the house even the cleaning. But you know, and I know the ladies will agree with me on this, that it is totally different when girls do the cleaning. We ladies can really CLEAN! Besides, I rarely ask the houseboy to clean my stuff and that's the reason why my work area is the most cluttered place in the house and my husband can't do anything about it, haha!

During the occasional times when I do the general cleaning, I use a damp rag to wipe away the dust and mop away the floor. I don't have a vacuum cleaner yet but I think I will have to buy one. Probably, I can get a steam cleaner that is compact and lightweight but it's pricey and I still have to save up for that. The other day, I saw a gel-like cleaning tool in the hardware that worked like a blob sucking the dust from surfaces. The printed text on its cover says that the dust will stay inside the blob and it will not touch the cleaner's hand unlike when you use a regular rag. The name escapes my mind at this moment but it's a good option for me. I just hope that it's not that expensive.

Do you have cleaning tips to share for dust-allergic people like me?

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If we have known earlier that our water supply here in our location will not be that abundant, we might have made second thoughts in buying our house. Well, actually, I think ours is just an isolated case. You see, our water supply comes from the local water company but it is coursed through our village administrator. The village administrator adds up maintenance fees and village dues to our bill. This is really not much of a problem for me if only we are not experiencing problems with our water supply.

In the beginning, we have only experienced troubles with our water supply during the summer season. After a few months, we experienced water shortage in the morning probably because most of the neighbors are taking a bath and preparing for work and school. We still experience these periods of shortage up to now.

We have showers both in the first floor and second floor bathrooms but we seldom use them because of this problem. Instead of planning to install a bathtub in our bathroom and replace our fixtures with Kohler faucets, we may have to prioritize setting up a water tank and electric pump first. We just need to verify with our village rules if this is allowed.

Do you experience waterless days in your area, too? How are you coping with it?


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I just finished talking to my sister over the phone and she shared the good news that they may be already leaving for Australia in February. I am so happy for her and her husband because the migration is really part of their long-term plan. Now, the problem is they've already been married for more than a year and over that period they have acquired some appliances and furniture. She told me she's not keen on selling her desktop computer and that she'll just be leaving it to my care. But how about their other things? I guess she will have to box the smaller things up and haul them over to my mom's place.

In my entire married life, we have already made three move outs. The last one was the hardest because we had more things to move to the new place. Although the cardboard moving boxes were a big help, we still had to get rid of the bigger furniture that we cannot use in our new place anymore. I remember how happy the garbage collector was when we gave him Ralph's old mattress. At least someone got to sleep on a more comfy place so I don't feel too bad about that.

As much as I am excited for my sister and brother-in-law, I am also feeling anxious on devising the perfect moving out strategy for them.

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I passed by the hardware store last weekend to buy some plumbing supplies for our kitchen sink and I saw a stack of AC filter boxes along the aisle where I was heading to. I was tempted to buy a box for our air conditioner but I did not push through with the purchase. Just like many others, the silent voice inside my head told me that it's not really needed. But is it?

Contrary to popular belief, AC filters are actually essential accessories of air conditioning units. Yes, I know, all air conditioners come with a plastic and net filter that is detachable from the grill and can be washed as needed. Still, that filter is not enough to keep the dust from coming into the unit.

So to convince my self, and yours, of the importance of AC filters, I have compiled a list of reasons why we should buy one now. Here they are:

• AC filters keep your AC running efficiently. Keeping air free of dust makes it flow in and out of the AC unit effectively and electricity is utilized well.
• AC filters allow your AC unit to evenly spread the cool air around the home. By doing this, the AC system tends to work efficiently at a lowered thermostat and lowered energy consumption.
• AC filters lessens the need for repairs. Since your AC breathes in and out efficiently, there will be less chances of damage.

AC filters should be changed as often as needed to prevent indoor air pollution. This is especially needed by homes that are airtight or have poor ventilation. Indoor air pollution may cause allergies and respiratory diseases among the members of the household.

So are you convinced now? Well, I am.

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Who ever thought working from home is easy hasn't even tried it yet. As much as I appreciate the times I am able to spend working in bed or in my kitchen, I am now realizing that there's more than there is in being a work-at-home mom.

For one, I need to upgrade my home office furniture. We still need to save up on that. After the major renovations that we made in my son's room, I am left with his old desk and a folding chair. At first, I was happy with how my work station looked like. It was simple and space saving.

Later on, I realized that the old desk and the folding chair doesn't match at all in terms of height. Since the chair cannot be adjusted, I end up getting wrist and back pains after a few hours of typing. My immediate solution would be to prop my laptop on a breakfast tray and work in bed or right smack on the living room carpet.

This cannot go on for long as I am already feeling severe back pains that get too uncomfortable even when I am lying down at night. I'm going to start solving the problem with buying an ergonomic office chair come payday.

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