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Raising a family, making a home.

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Around The House

Is your home typhoon-ready?

December 8, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 8 Comments

It’s really cold and dark outside, and I can feel the wind starting to pick up in the mountains of Alabang. Looks like it’s gonna rain soon, and just like everyone else I am hoping that this storm won’t be as bad as the major ones we’ve endured over the past couple of years.

We’ve started charging all of our electronics, and yesterday was spent stocking the fridge and pantry with essentials. The kiddo is home, and I am thankful that our city mayor had the foresight to call off classes a day ahead, given the expected weather conditions today. 

 

No classes tomorrow in Muntinlupa! @mommanmanila @karotitay @mahalnaprinsesa @reenavc @sinfullysabrina @camsy03 #WalangPasok #WinnerAngComments

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Dec 12, 2014 at 8:24pm PST

 

They say on the news that the storm is weakening, thank goodness. Of course, regardless of how hard this one (or the next typhoon, for that matter) is supposed to hit, it’s always best to be prepared.  With a little help from my mommy friends, I wrote a short checklist of things you should make sure to have and do on rainy days. This was published on The Asian Parent Philippines a few months ago after the Typhoon Glenda, the storm that left our house without power and water for nearly a week, and looking like Jumanji. Click on the photo to go to the post!

Is your home typhoon-ready?
Is your home typhoon-ready?

 

And since most of us moms have our hands full today with the kids at home, here are some ideas of what you can prepare for lunch and dinner to make life simpler. These soups and stews are all mom-made and kid-approved. For sure, they can help keep your families warm on this dark and stormy day. Click on the photo below to see the article.

Rainy day recipes from Filipino moms
Rainy day recipes from Filipino moms

 

In case of emergencies, here are some important hotline numbers to remember.

Emergency hotlines
Emergency hotlines

 

Here’s hoping that we all stay safe and dry today. 

Filed Under: Around The House Tagged With: #RubyPH, Emergency numbers Philippines, Soup recipes, Typhoon preparedness

Do You DIY? Halloween Costume Ideas for Crafty Moms

October 9, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 6 Comments

My brother is the king of Halloween costume DIY. I’m serious. Over the years he has put in an insane amount of time and effort into his costumes. Just to prove my point, I’ve stolen some photos of his past costumes from his Facebook page so that I can show you. His usual partner in crime is his girlfriend, and together they’ve been (clockwise from upper left) Gold Dust and The Macho Man Randy Savage, Mary (not in photo) and her Little Lamb, Billy the Puppet from Saw and a victim in a trap, and Classic TV Batman and Robin. Yes, he made these all. From scratch. That lamb costume is made out of a hoodie and cotton balls!

Boyong's amazing Halloween costumes
Boyong’s amazing Halloween costumes

 

Guys, remember that stealing photos online is bad, and can get you into serious trouble. Don’t be like me. And sorry, brother, for taking your photos without asking for permission first. 

Anyway… I have had my fair share of DIY costumes, though I must admit that the ones I’ve made are not as elaborate as my brother’s. For the most part, they weren’t even entirely made by me hehehe. Still, they were all created with love, and that’s what counts! On the left, I’m with my former team from my working mom days, and we were all crayons for Halloween. Next to it is Little MrC’s costume from last year, Ben10. The shirt was painted by MrC!

Halloween DIY
Aren’t we all so cute?

 

This year, the boys and I are going for Steven Universe as our theme. The kiddo will be Steven, I’ll be Amethyst and MrC will be Lion. We are DIY-ing, and I really hope we can pull it off!

How about you? Are you thinking about going the DIY way with your kids’ costumes this Halloween? We’ve come up with a great list of easy DIY costume ideas on The Asian Parent Philippines. Let me know if you end up trying any of these costumes. I’d love to see your photos, k? 

1Halloween Cover
Click to view the article!

Filed Under: Around The House Tagged With: DIY, DIY Halloween Costumes, Halloween, Halloween Costumes for Kids

Domestication Just Got Real #RealHousewifeLife

August 22, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 24 Comments

A major, major, MAJOR change is coming. It’s gonna take a couple of years or so for it to really happen, but between then and now, there’s a lot of preparation needed. I don’t wanna jinx it by saying exactly what it is out loud (yes, I am superstitious like that), but I can say that one of my dreams is finally coming true.

While part of me wishes that this thing could come sooner, I know that the time we have before it happens is really important. We need to prepare. I need to prepare. I need this time to push myself to get off my lazy butt, and actually start going down that long and winding road towards domestication. Believe me, the list of things that I have yet to learn to do at home is pretty long. At least I already know how to cook. I know that this family isn’t gonna go hungry on my watch.

Cook
Kusinera. Complete with hair net.

 

One super important thing that I should start figuring out is laundry. I’ve never used a washing machine in my life. I’ve been picking up a lot of useful info from my friends on Facebook about this. I’m actually thinking of doing a trial run with different laundry shops in the area, just so I know how much money, time and effort it’s gonna take for us to have our laundry done outside.

Oh, and today, I tried washing a shirt by hand. Just one shirt – an office polo of MrC that had a small stain on it. Oh my goodness, it isn’t easy ha! And my inexperienced hands kinda hurt after just one shirt. I don’t know how these friends of mine who wash everything by hand do it.

Laundry is just one thing. There are so many other things like ironing, cleaning and disinfecting, and the list goes on. I need to go beyond being a cook and driver to becoming domesticated all over. Very mayor doma-ish.

All-Around
All-Around

 

I also need to declutter and purge in a major, major way. I think that we’re gonna have to cut our stuff down by at least half. At least. That’s gonna be so tough. I’m gonna have to be super strict on what stays. The rest, well, we’re just gonna have to let it gooooo, let it gooooooo. I just need to keep reminding myself that it’s for the best.

Exciting times are ahead for our small family. I’m really excited to make kwento with all of you as we go along. For now, let me ask you this. What is your least favorite household chore? Also, what is the chore that you find to be the easiest to do? I bet that from your answers, I’ll be able to add more stuff to the list of things that I have yet to learn!

 

Filed Under: Around The House Tagged With: Domestication, House Chores

Small House vs Big House

August 12, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 29 Comments

A few weeks ago, I randomly asked my Facebook friends if they prefer to have a big house or a small house. I honestly assumed that a lot of people would choose a big house. Surprisingly though, almost everyone said that they would rather have a small house. The rest said not really big, but just big enough to fit their whole family. A lot also chose a small house with a big yard.

I used to think that I wanted a big house. But then, after giving it a lot of thought, when the boys and I move it will be the first time that we will be on our own. That means that we will be 100% responsible for our selves, and that includes cleaning up. So I ended up choosing a small house as my preference. I really feel that it will be easier to clean and easier to manage. Plus, without a lot of space, we will be forced to let go of a lot of our existing stuff, which is a long overdue activity for the tree of us. 

Living in a small house will also help cure me of my hoarder tendencies. And believe me, I like to hoard. And to hold on to things from the past. Way too many things. Some of them absolutely useless. I feel, though, that the process of letting go of my junk will be a little sad and tearful. I’m still not sure how I will do it, but at least I know that I want to. And while we aren’t exactly moving out any time soon, I think I want to start soon anyway. I want to take my time with this.

Small House Tips on Pinterest
Small House Tips on Pinterest

 

Like I said,I am a hoarder, and the concept of purging scares me, not jut a little, but a lot. I don’t know where to start. Do you have any tips? For now, I’ve just been all over Pinterest, reading up on small space organization ideas. While it does help, some of the ideas are just too extremely Pinterest. Know what I mean? Like homemaking needs to be your superpower for you to be able to pull it off. I need real-life, tried and tested ideas. Seriously. 

Got tips to help me start purging? Share in the comments! Better yet, please share your posts or your favorite blogs about staying organized. Please, please, please? 🙂

Filed Under: Around The House Tagged With: Home Organizing Tips, Homemaking, Small House

MrsC – 1, Ipis – 0

July 7, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 17 Comments

For my non-Filipino speaking friends out there, an  ipis  is a cockroach. Eeew, I know.

This morning, after my usual driver duties, I happily changed back into my PJ’s and settled into my favorite spot (aka my bed) to start mapping out my schedule for the week. And then, horror! I looked up and saw a huge, and I mean HUGE cockroach above my bedroom door. It’s been raining and so our village sewers have been seeing a lot of activity lately. I think this one sneaked its way in through the bathroom. Ugh. The good news is I am not afraid of ipis.  That doesn’t make them any less gross, though. Right? 

One thing that I have resigned myself to as a mom is that I will have to deal with these creepy crawlies, along with the icky slimy green creatures that I so fear, dark and possibly mumu infested areas, and whatever else it is that my son is uncertain about or afraid of, too. I have to be the brave one because I am mommy. I actually always believed that situations like these are what daddies are for, and he’s a macho man so he has to be the brave one. But there will be times, and I know this from experience, when there will be giant cockroaches on your pants or lizards on the bed just when daddy isn’t around. And you just have to hold in those screams and tears, and deal with the buggers for the sake of your little boy or girl. 

The memory of those lizards on my bed just made me shudder. There were two of them. On separate occasions. Why, universe, why???

Remember Spidey? I Instagrammed him last year! Yes, found him on my pants.
Remember Spidey??? I Instagrammed him last year! Yes, I found him on my pants.

So, going back to my early morning ipis  encounter, upon seeing the nasty thing on my wall my first thought was, “Oh please do not be the flying kind.” I threw a shoe at it, missed, and thankfully it didn’t take flight. It only moved a few steps and then stopped. I felt like it was staring me down or something, sort of like a battle of wits. There was only one thing left to do. I whipped out my handy dandy bug spray.

I got ready, I aimed, and I fired. After the first spray, the cockroach only shuddered a little. I fired again and it lost its footing and sort of stumbled while running away. It was the third stream of bug spray that finally got him. He fell down to the floor and ran straight for the back of my bookshelf. I suppose he’s gone there to die and I will just have to figure out how to remove his corpse from that corner of the room. Pinahirapan pa ako, diba???

We’ve been using the odorless Advanced Aerosol Multi-Insect Killer at home because, really, no one wants to subject themselves to the yucky pesticide smells that other brands have. And no, this is not a sponsored post! In fact, I’m open to suggestions to a better or more effective solution for mosquitoes and cockroaches, one that is preferably organic and chemical-free. Plus, even though this one is definitely the most odorless among all of the odorless bug sprays available, I still smell something in the air whenever I spray it. But that’s just me and my sensitive nose. Other people do not mind.

What cockroach and mosquito killers do you guys use at home? The ones that really work, ha? Thanks in advance! 🙂

Filed Under: Around The House Tagged With: Bug Spray, Cockroach Problems, Insects

Favorite Place

February 15, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 12 Comments

It’s only week two, and already I’m a day late in posting my entry to the 48 Photos weekly challenge! *slow clap* Better late than never, though, right? And I did take the photo yesterday, at least. So without further ado, I bring to you my favorite place.

Shot with a Sony TX10 camera on February 14, 2014 at home
Shot with a Sony TX10 camera on handheld twilight mode. Taken on February 14, 2014 at home.

This is home. Or rather, this is the first part of the house that you will see upon entering. Obviously, that’s our front door, and next to it you will see a wall of pictures that show our family through the years. Here you will see what we looked like several years and pounds ago, during our awkward phases, in various places around the country, and in the hippest, coolest fashion of that particular era. I don’t think this door has been repainted, ever. Or at most, it was repainted once. I think it’s due for a retouch soon.

Home is my favorite place. It’s where the heart is, as far as my world is concerned. I’ve made so many memories with my family in this house we’ve shared for 25 years. Honestly, though, I am eager to start making new memories with my boys in a home of our own, but that’s something that is still “coming soon” for us.

I have tried living in other places before, in condos, apartments and other peoples’ houses, but none of these places were ever home. Just this, our messy, cramped, not very tall house that was once surrounded by open fields, and is now walled in by much taller houses on every side. This place will always be home, no matter where life takes me.

How about you guys, what’s your favorite place?

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PS Check out my other posts in this blog series here.

PPS Promise, next week I will use my DSLR already. Also, this is the last time I’m using the Sony camera for a night shot. So, so grainy!

Filed Under: Around The House Tagged With: Favorite Place, Photo A Day, Photo A Week Challenge, Photography, Photography Challenge, Weekly Blog Challenge

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Hi, I'm MrsC, a happy wife and mom, a help-less but not helpless homemaker, who is learning to live simply in this complicated world.

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