Habemus Papam! Long Live Pope XIV

We were watching something on YouTube when Sweetie saw a post that said white smoke have come out of the chimney. It was past midnight already, but we decided to wait for the revelation of the new Pope.

As a Filipino, I was hoping it would be Cardinal Tagle. I avoided watching or reading any news about "Pope-ables". I told myself it's best to let the Holy Spirit guide the Cardinals.

When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was introduced as Pope Leo XIV, I felt some disappointment, but I told myself God chose him for good reason.

I heard from a discussion when the Conclave started that the name a new pope Chiara reflects his goals. I immediately looked up what Pope XIII was known for and one of the things he did was create the prayer to St. Michael. It's a prayer for protection against evil and the devil. From that alone I understand why Pope Leo XIV chose this name. 

EWTN also mentioned that Pope Leo XIV is from the Augustinian order. I'm happy about that because I was born on the feast day of St. Augustine. It is a huge reminder for me to cling to my faith amidst all I'm facing. I prayed hard for healing when Pope Leo XIV gave his blessings (with additional prayer to Pope Francis for his intercession). 

I wasn't able to see when Pope Francis was revealed as the new pope. I was busy recovering back then from heart surgery. It would be interesting to see where Pope Leon XIV leads us all.

#BeKind #StaySafe #VoteWisely

Throwback Thursday: Childhood Toys and Clips

I was so happy when I found my Barbie collection. I lost hope that I'd still find it, but I knew Mom kept it for me. I was probably in high school the last time I brought out my collection. I boxed them all up and kept them on the upper shelves of my room. Years passed, I moved out and I knew it was just there. 

It took awhile, but they finally showed up. My 12 Barbie dolls, the bed, and all their clothes. Since the collection wasn't moved for decades, it accumulated a lot of dust. I cleaned the bed and the clothes first. I was happy to see the bed was still intact with little repair needed for the linens. 

Washing the clothes took awhile, apparently I have a lot! Good thing I had the dolls wear homemade clothes because their original clothing are still intact. I giggled when I saw the clothes I tried to make. I think it was the reason why I stuck to quilting, I couldn't get the logic of making clothes (except skirts!). Mom made a few and they're still beautiful. I'll make a proper photo shoot of the clothes when I have time. 

Together with my Barbie stuff were my clips from childhood! I had very short hair back then and my Mom would just clip them on me. I think it's a Goody set. Looks like I didn't use it that much, so I just took a photo and sent it for donation. Hope a baby girl would be able to use it more than I did :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tried "Onezo" at SM Bicutan

There's a number of new cafes and milk tea places at SM Bicutan. Onezo, located at the top level of building B across the food court, opened a few months ago. 

We finally tried it today. I got Okinawa milk tea, Miggy got panda milk tea and Sweetie got his usual oolong tea. I usually get less sugar for my milk tea, but the order taker said, "Di pwede yan". She seemed to be going through something so I just ordered and left the boys to finish their order and pay. I already had a bad experience at Mercury Drug and didn't need the additional stress, so I sat down to wait.

We got our drinks for takeaway since we had to go home to water the plants. Anyway, I found the Okinawa milk tea too sweet after I took a sip on the way home. I added more ice to water it down. Miggy said the sago was soft and the MT was okay. Sweetie's oolong tea was just okay too. 

I guess we'll be sticking to our usual.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Card Holder for Bulky Rewards Cards!

While sorting my Mom's stuff I found the hand sewn wallets I made when I was a child. Mind you, I actually used them in school (not much to put inside anyway!). I giggled when I found it and I'm lucky I couldn't find the photo of the project because it was obviously the work of the child who was only starting to sew, hahaha (I honestly don't know why my Mom still kept it!). 

Anyway, I needed a card holder. Those rewards cards from shops accumulate and I couldn't close my wallet anymore. I had some scrap fabric from a previous project and so I decided to use it for this project. It was easy to make and I'm happy I now know how to make a holder with several compartments. Here's how I made it -

Easy peasy as long as you understand the logic for folding the fabric. If I put my mind to it I could probably make this as a Christmas gift. If you'd like to make it, you can check out the tutorial on my sewing blog.

Now I need to check what other cases I need for my stuff :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Finally Reduced the Heat in Our Home

I monitor the weather closely because heat is my kryptonite. Temperature above 30'C hits differently for a person with heart and lung issues, so you can just imagine what the 40+'C heat index does for me. 

My comment got featured on Architect Ed's channel, hehe.

We have been working on reducing the overall temperature in our home in the past 3.5 years. We chose unobtrusive solutions since we live in the house. We did the following:

• Tinted windows - https://aileenapolo.blogspot.com/2022/04/home-improvement-reducing-heat.html
• Added vents in the eaves
• Installed whirly bird/whirlwind vent - https://aileenapolo.blogspot.com/2023/04/home-on-mondays-whirlwind-vent.html
• Added ceiling vents and one more whirly bird on the kitchen roof - https://aileenapolo.blogspot.com/2024/03/make-your-home-cooler.html

I just realized we've been trying to do something annually since we moved. Well, my heart and lungs are in really bad shape, so we had to try again another unobtrusive solution. Sweetie was working on a project to get his childhood home's roof fixed and chanced upon a provider that specializes in painting insulation paint on roofs. 

So that's what we tried this year. We discovered our roof needed restoration. Parts of it had started to rust and the gutters didn't have gutter guards. After fixing the roof, insulation paint was placed. We had it done in mid-March and the roof temperature was at 36'C before restoration started. 

The roof temperature went down to 26'C. Not bad and leaving our windows open during the day made it easy to walk around the house even without the fan on. I had happy days cooking in the kitchen before summer started. The temperature inside our house has improved a lot compared to last summer. The heat though is crazy and I usually go straight down to the basement during the day to avoid the heat.

If you want to try this solution, just buy insulation paint at Wilcon and get a painter. It requires 2 to 3 coatings (dry a day between coatings). Best to get a roof specialist if you need to restore your roof. From our experience some regular contractors don't really know what they're doing. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

May the Fourth Be With You and How My Yoda Collection Grew

It's "Star Wars Day" again and we'll definitely watch the new episodes of Andor. We always watch Star Wars related films as a family with Miggy as our guide (he's also read loads of books so understands a lot about it better than me). And maybe we can watcha movie or two as well since it's easily accessible on Disney+.

I was really thrilled a few years ago when we were able to visit the Yoda Fountain in San Francisco. There are only two in the world, SFO and Singapore. Of course, Sweetie brought me to see the one in Singapore as a surprise.

I have been fascinated with Yoda since I was a child. I got to watch the films in the theater with my siblings (I was their ticket to be able to go out, hahaha). And that's why I collect Yoda (and now Grogu) figures. 

It did start with just one. Hadi had a brilliant idea to join an office contest. We had to decorate our area. I was travelling and was just surprised my desk was decorated with Yoda figures and colors. The Yoda figures stayed and people started to give me anything Yoda. 

Majority of my Yoda and Grogu figures and toys are gifts. I've kept all of them since they are precious gifts of love. You just gotta love the little, big guy 😁

Have a nice, blessed day everyone.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Finally Gave In and Installed a Plant Identifier App!

I've been slowly rescuing my Mom's plants the past two years. I was able to get by using Google Lens to identify the plants, then I research about what it needs - soil, watering, sunlight and fertilizer. It was useful and it still works for me.

Lately though I discovered Mom's other plants. Some were in really bad shape and didn't have soil. Some grew new plants and were squeezed in a pot. I had a hard time identifying the plants because of their state. Before transplanting any of the plants, I make sure to research what kind of soil it needs. I have a bad habit of overwatering too, so I make sure to understand the kind of plant I'm dealing with. Mom won't be able to save me anymore from ruining any of the plants. 

So, I gave in and installed a plant Identifier App. I signed up for the trial first to see if it's useful for me. The app basically asks you to either take a photo of your plant or access the photo from your gallery. It was late when I started to use it, so I just got photos from the gallery to try out the features. 

I didn't really read up on the app. I just selected one that had a high rating on Google Play and jumped into it (I don't really read manuals, haha). I was surprised that it does more than just identify a plant. It also tells you if your plant is sick and gives recommendations on what to do. It also has a section where it provides detailed information about the plant. 

And the feature I like best is you can save the photo to "my garden". You can then click on your plant list and access the information. Another section is where you can check the diagnosis for each of your plants. I had no idea that some of my plants are sick and just need to be sprayed with baking soda once a week. Hopefully, this will help make my garden as lush as Mom's!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Two Years Without Mom

It's been two years now since we lost our Mom. I got very sick when we lost her and I was practically immobilized from being productive for a year. I knew I needed to get going especially sunsetting our childhood home. I got help and had everything boxed. It was only after Mom's first year death anniversary, that I finally got moving and started sorting her things. 

One year later and I'm not done yet. I only realized that she had kept a lot of stuff in every nook and cranny of our home. Sorting her things is what helped me through the grief journey. I found a lot of mementos from my childhood, Miggy's childhood and my siblings (although not as many). I stayed the longest in our home (from birth) and it was really a surprise to find a lot of things that brought me joy as a child. 

We have since donated a lot of pre-loved home items and books to charities. Old outdated appliances were sold to the mambabakal and we used the proceeds to get help again to clear the back area of the house. I've only kept Mom's albums. There are more than 10 boxes! It will probably take time to scan the photos. Some of the albums are irreparable already, so I just removed the photos and placed them in safe storage boxes. 

My grief journey started in 2019 when Dr. Koo said Mom's heart was deteriorating. He advised against surgery and told us to just let her enjoy. Mom did and was gardening until the day before she passed. She left a beautiful garden and what she considered her treasures (essentially our childhood stuff and a gazillion photos!).

I hope to finish clearing our home before the end of the month, so I can focus on saving her plants and propagating what she left in her garden. I'm figuring out how to get the huge cacti that's still growing! We have since restored her plant stands and I've been busy re-potting her plants. I'm in awe that they're still alive! I feel closest to my Mom when I'm working on her plants :)

Love you Mom! Enjoy your bottomless Coca-Cola up there! Kisses to Dad, Mama Lola, Papa Lolo, Titay, Tito Ben, Tita Ming, Tito Tony and Tito Mom! 

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Mega Throwback! Prep School Days

I've been slowly finding old photos and negatives the past few months and much, more slowly scanning them. I found a bunch of smaller negatives (I think 110 size?) and tried to see if I could still retrieve the photos. One set were Christmas family reunion photos and with it were some photos from preparatory school. 

Bangs forever!

I only realized how old I was when I saw a photo with my teacher, Mrs. Alfaro. Yes, I still remember her name! She was the nicest and most caring teacher a 5-year old could have. I probably remember her because I got very sick once (tonsillitis!) and she took care of me. 

Anyway, the photos are I think from a field day/parents day. We wore a Filipiniana costume and performed at the St. Cecilia's Hall. I was obviously at the back (I had bad coordination even back then!). Here are more photos with my classmates! (Please holler if you're part of it!). 

I know the quality of the photos aren't good, but hey, you can still recognize me since I was very fair skinned! Haha.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Dainty Kitchen Curtain!

Mom left a huge stash of fabric and retaso (scrap fabric). It took me months to go through it and I'm honestly not done yet washing it. I found one really cute embroidered fabric, I believe normally used for dainty dresses. It was white, but was in a bad brownish state from being kept for many years. It took me a week to restore it to almost white. 

I set aside any delulu plans of sewing a dress or skirt. I'd probably fail since I don't really know how to sew clothes! After months of pondering I decided to make a curtain. The fabric was long enough to make one for our kitchen window. 

But alas! It wasn't long enough. I decided to be creative and thought about adding fabric to make it longer. I was inspired from browsing a book on curtains at Booksale (I regret not buying it!). Anyway, I decided to use denim-like fabric to keep it neutral. 

Mom also left some lace. It also took me awhile to restore their color to white. I think she got most of them when she was teaching me how to quilt when I was a child, so you can just imagine how long they've been in storage. Anyway, I added some lace as an accent.

Here's how I made it:

And my new summer curtains!

Now I have dainty kitchen curtains. The denim add-on matches my cat kitchen covers. :)

For measurements, https://www.needleadventures.com/2025/04/diy-dainty-summer-kitchen-rod-pocket.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Jaybucks Homemade Pizza

While I was watering the plants, the boys were busy making Jaybucks pizza! It's a simple pizza made with Del Monte pizza sauce, cheese, Purefoods ham and ready made crust. Easy peasy to make.

It's always a treat to have homemade pizza. It's filling and not too heavy for the tummy. One of these days we'll try to make it from scratch (when it's not too hot!).

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tealive Now Open in Dona Soledad

Sometimes I feel the universe is conspiring to bring all my favorites near me! Tealive is one of my favorite milk tea places which I frequented whenever I visited Kuala Lumpur. 

I discovered it at KL Sentral. I usually got a room there because it's close to the office and after work I'd walk around to get some takeaway. Tealive had a stall near the escalator, so it's easy to spot. I'd always buy some and match it with whatever dinner I'd get for takeaway. 

They opened also in Singapore during the pandemic, but wasn't too accessible for me. I was so happy when a friend told me they also opened a branch in the Philippines. There was one in my city, but bit far. We would order once a quarter via Grab (delivery fees are expensive).

Anyway, I'm so stoked! Tealive now has a branch near us. If our village wasn't enclosed it would be walking distance from our home! Ah well, always good to have an excuse to go out. They opened last April 2 (quite obvious we rarely go out!). Ahhh, time for me to finish my drink and sandwich!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Watched "The Two Popes" Again

I remember watching "The Two Popes" when it first came out a few years ago. I watched it again today with Sweetie since I wanted to remember Pope Francis' journey.

I've been sad all week, but I have a feeling that Pope Francis would want us to rejoice. He has gone back home and the AI-made posts of the Pope together with Jesus is a reminder that Pope Francis is happily with Jesus now. 

I have avoided watching any news/videos on speculations on who will be the new pope. The new Pope will be rightfully chosen at the Conclave. I just hope and pray it will be someone like Pope Francis. Someone who will also have a big heart to love and accept all. 

Go watch "The Two Popes" to appreciate better the work done by Pope Francis in the past 12 years. He was so different from Pope Benedict, but their differences just showed why they were both very important for all of us. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Propagating Bougainvillea and Rescuing Plants

I took cuttings of Mom's huge bougainvillea tree. She has various colours which I hope to propagate. I made several pots out of the cuttings. Mom told me before you just need to stick it in soil and it will grow. I hope it will be successful.

We got another set of Mom's plants. The summer heat has been making them crispy and I can't rely on the caretaker to water them properly. I've been learning a lot about plants since I have to research before I re-pot and organize them.

I saw a pot of snow white aglaonema and I was ecstatic. I told Sweetie the other night I didn't have other varieties of aglaonema and wanted the white one. I didn't actually notice that Mom had a white one, so I was really happy when I found one in her collection. It looked so sad though, so I dunked it in water for 30 minutes. It's recovering well now.

Other plants I got: yucca (I think) -

A bromeliad

And orchids -

I'm still working on re-potting them. I hope I'll be able to save them :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Booksale!

When we went out the other day, we dropped by Booksale. It's good exercise to walk from building C to building A to visit our favorite bookstore.

They didn't have any quilt books, but I managed to get a couple of books which I need for future planning. The staff said the books that arrived for the week were cookbooks. Oh! But Sweetie found a rare Whitney Houston piano book! It was only PhP20!

Miggy didn't find anything he wanted so I followed him after paying for the books I got. Sweetie usually takes longer since he also looks for books for Dad to read. 

Will go back soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

One Second Everyday: March 2025

It's almost the end of April and I forgot (again) to post my one second everyday video. We spent most of the month at home. We worked on sorting Mom's stuff. We just went out to get supplies.

A second a day isn't that much, but it gives a good glimpse of what happens everyday. Completed a full quarter, so I hope to complete the whole year again!

https://youtu.be/_-pi6DOd8E8?si=7HbrVb99jL8iIi_2

#BeKind #StaySafe

Mary Grace Now Open at SM Bicutan

One of our favorite places to eat is Mary Grace. It's where we eat whenever I have a check-up and we've dined at their other branches as well. So, we were happy to see it finally open a branch nearby.

We were on the fence where to eat brunch, but when we saw Mary Grace open we immediately decided to eat there. The branch looked very inviting. It felt like we were dining at someones home.

The staff were very kind and efficient similar to their other branches. I got the tapa, Miggy got tocino and Sweetie got a special plate. I especially liked the mango pickle this time (it came with the tapa). It wasn't as sour compared to other branches. Ah, a perfect meal.

We were so full so we skipped dessert. We just got a mini cake for takeaway before we went home. Tried the black velvet cake. It's so good! I had a reaction though. It probably has an ingredient that doesn't go well with my meds. Next time we'll ask if they add any alcohol to their cakes.

Mary Grace at SM Bicutan is open during mall hours (10am to9pm).

#BeKind #StaySafe

Potholder Made from Scrap Jeans

It's been over a year since I started sorting my Mom's things. I was so surprised to find a boat-load of craft materials. I thought I was done with it, but I'm still finding beads and scrap fabrics in other boxes. I haven't even started sorting her kitchen items. 

I recently found a bunch of coasters made from scrap Jeans (maong). I remember she started this project back in the 90s. It was her assistant, Grace, who worked on the project with her. She gave us one potholder over a decade ago and we're still using it. It's actually beside our stove right now. We put it in a net and just toss it in the washing machine when it gets dirty. 

Anyway, of course, the bunch I found smelled like it's been hiding since the 90s. I washed it a couple of times and let it dry under the sun for a few days. Gathered it up and thought I'd make a new potholder. It would be nice to use whenever we line up dishes buffet style when we have guests. 

It looks easy to hand-sew together, but it isn't. It took me two days to finish one and I re-developed calluses on my fingers, haha. I made sure to double the stitches to make it sturdy. It was a good project to re-start my sewing hobby. I had been using my sewing time to sort through my Mom's stuff. I had to start sewing again to keep sane. 

I like how it turned out. Maybe I'll make a few more since we need a number of potholders for dishes whenever we have guests. I might prioritize making a new curtain though for the kitchen. I need something that will let more air in since it's been very hot! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Rest in Peace Pope Francis

I was just scrolling through socmed when I saw a post that Pope Francis just passed away. I wanted to make sure it was true, so I sought out news sites to confirm. We watched the urbi et orbi and his ride around the Vatican last night and I even told Sweetie, he looks like he recovered already. So, seeing the news was a huge shock for me.

In 2018, we had the opportunity to be at Pope Francis' daily blessing at the Vatican. I felt so much love at that time and called up my Mom because I wanted to share the moment with her. I told her then that I wanted to bring her next time we went to Rome. 

I'm so sad, but happy for Pope Francis that he's been called back home. He really showed that we must live life with love and deep faith. Rest in peace Papa Pope. Please send my love to my family and friends up there, especially to your katukayo my Papa Lolo Francisco. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Not Every Voice Deserve Your Attention

It was wrestler Michelle McCool who said, "Not every voice deserves your attention". Sweetie was watching the WWE Hall of Fame 2025 while I was working on a project, so I was listening while the hall of famers gave their speeches.

I was originally going to write about Fr. Jerry Orbos' feature on Bernadette Sembrano's channel. I picked up a couple of reminders as well from the interview, particularly to "live your mission".

Combining lessons from a wrestler and a priest seems so far-fetched, but the life of Michelle and Fr. Orbos' were both riddled with challenges. They both pushed and come out victorious in their own paths.

The past few years have honestly been very challenging for me especially health-wise. I have not functioned normally since I retired and had a couple of heart episodes. COVID-19 and other issues made things worse and my mitral valve needs a replacement.

I put my head down the past few months to prepare for the challenge. I've also been praying for strength and healing. My doctors wanted me to do surgery last February, but I wasn't ready. I hibernated to stabilize my mind, my heart, my soul and my faith. I purposely reduced the noise around me. As Michelle McCool said, "Not every voice deserves your attention" (especially those who are up to no good).

And I realized, it's time. I'm ready to push forward to live my mission and as Fr. Jerry Orbos said, "Promise sealed with a heart". Just trust in God.

Happy Easter everyone 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe