Grogu Escaped!

The vet messaged us this morning to let us know Grogu Escaped while she was checking his wound. He ran around the clinic, but they eventually caught him. Unfortunately, his wound opened again, so they had to stitch him up again.

We were supposed to visit him yesterday, but our doctor appointment went overtime and the clinic was closed by the time we finished. We immediately visited him today.

Grogu was at the back of the cage. He started meowing when he saw us. The vet said he's been quiet for a few days now. He was probably still a bit groggy, but he pushed himself to the front of the cage to get close to us. I had him smell my fingers and he allowed me to scratch his head. He eventually quieted down.

The vet said he'd only eat at night, but he drank water and ate a little while I was talking to him. The vet was surprised that he started to eat. We should probably visit him everyday, so he'll recover faster. I'll ask the boys if we can visit him tomorrow. He has to be reassured that he's coming back to us and that he's not been abandoned.

When we got home, I had the cats smell my hand. They've been anxious also since Grogu has been missing. I keep telling them he's just recovering and will be home soon. Most affected is Pikachu since they're besties. Mando Laura, his twin, has also been looking for him. 

It's best for Grogu to stay at the vet until his wound heals. He's a busybody and was jumping around and it kept affecting the wound. We hope we can bring him home by Sunday.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Far Sighted, Near Sighted + Free Pizza!

My eyeglasses broke a few days ago. Ugh! I was in the kitchen when I heard something pop and then a lens fell. It takes at least a week for new eyeglasses to be made for me, so I used super glue to bind the frame.

I've been due to go to an opthalmologist for quite some time now. I've just been lazy, but since I have a Neuro appointment coming up some I have to know if there's changes in my eyesight. I need to understand what's causing my frequent headaches and migraine. 

Anyway, my new opthalmologist was thorough with the check-up. I opted not to go to a mall optical shop since it's been awhile since I had a thorough eye check up. My cousin said we have to take care of our eyes because our family has bad genes. Well, the opthalmologist found out my left eye is now far Sighted. My right eye is still near sighted. Weird huh, apparently that can happen as you age.

I'll get my new eyeglasses next week. Hopefully, the old one will hang on until then. I love my new opthalmologist. She's actually the spouse of our long time dentist! Their office is just beside and across Mercury Drug (Finland street).

After our check-up we proceeded to Shakey's since we were quite hungry. Ordered a family meal and was surprised by the manager with a free experience pizza! He gave us a large spinach pizza. He said the give a free pizza if you spend at least PhP1,000 for the month of May. The free pizza cost about PhP600. It was good and we'll order it again next time, maybe with mushroom or bacon. We also got 10% off our bill since I have a Shakey's supercard. We like the branch on Dona Soledad because they maintain it properly and the staff are always friendly. Next time we'll bring some food for the kittens outside.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Summer Home Management To-Dos

In the past three years since we moved to our home, we've always had to do repairs and tweaks to our house. The first two years was focused on doing a lot of repairs, but this year was different. Our summer to-do list for our home were probably the regular stuff to do to keep your home ready for the rainy season.

Here's a list of what we have accomplished for our home:

Roof Restoration/Lowered the Heat

We've been searching for the most unobtrusive way to keep our home cool in the past few years. This year we got a roof expert to check our roof. It was good we had our roof restored this year since it started to rust already. They also added a wire mesh to keep debris out of the downspout. After the restoration, our roof got a fresh coating of insulation paint. Ahh, summer has become bearable (finally!) and we won't have to worry about leaks for the coming rainy season.

Aircon Cleaning

We've been consistent with having our Aircon units cleaned. The cleaners are an authorized center of the Aircon manufacturer. Their prices are the same as others, but it gives us peace of mind that experts are taking care of our Aircon units. This year though we had to have one of our units deep cleaned. The technician explained that deep cleaning is required every five years. Our unit probably got a beating from the two houses constructed beside us since we moved. Got it fixed and it's good to go again for five years. Hopefully, the others won't need deep cleaning yet. 

Pest Control

We changed service providers last year and this one doesn't require quarterly spraying. They pinged last week and I reported some bukbok on our garage door. They said they'll drop by to check since they have a guarantee. No termites anywhere in the house and the insect that was eating our door is a wood beetle. They explained it's hard to kill, but there's nothing to worry about because they work very slow compared to termites. For good measure, they sprayed the whole house and the perimeter at no extra cost. They even left some chemicals in case we needed it. 

Summer Painting

We've had our front gate painted almost every year. I think Mom used to do that too. This year though we'll DIY it. We'll use anti-rust paint and then spray it with auto paint. We already tried this with my Mom's wrought iron plant stands and they're good as new! 

Water Tank Cleaning/Plumbing

We didn't know that you need to empty your water tank once a quarter. Rod told us we just needed to clean/change the filter monthly. We had been a bit delinquent on that and the tank had a strange sound one night. Since we needed to have a few faucets repaired we had the tank cleaned too. They told us we can just empty it quarterly and use a high powered hose to clean the inside. We'll do that next time to save. We also had our drainage checked. Unfortunately, the newly constructed house blocked the underground sewage and this has caused floodwater to backflow to our garden. 

Other DIY Stuff

We learned a couple of things that we can DIY, like putting putty on a wall the cats have been scratching. We have also kept a few supplies like teflon in case of leaks, anti-rust paint, sealant in case it's needed. These things you accumulate as you live longer in your home. Now I understand why my Mom had a gazillion things in her house! 

Things I'd like to work on in the future include changing our front windows into awning windows. This will help cool down the house better. Have our screendoors fixed since the cats sometimes scratch it (it has holes now). I also want to have the kitchen floor deep cleaned and maybe repaint the outdoor walls next year. Being a homeowner is hardwork! I never really thought about it before since Mom was always there to help. We've been on our own in the past two years, so we had to learn a lot. 

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Where to Buy Pixel Phones and Chromebooks

My Pixel 7a died. It was affected by the battery issue. It was doing well, but for a few weeks the battery started going crazy. It would suddenly drop to zero even at 40%. I immediately searched for solutions and found several options: (1) Turn on battery saver; (2) Check if your phone is eligible for the extended repair program.

A friend bought the phone for me 2 years ago in Singapore. My phone was eligible for the program. I chose to get a voucher since I'm unable to bring the phone to Singapore (plus it would be scary to bring a bloated phone on a flight!). We'll eventually need to buy something if the future and I was able to use the phone anyway for two years and my 4a still works!

Anyway, I started to look around for a replacement. I didn't want to buy my friends in Singapore, plus I don't know if anyone's coming home soon. I know you can buy at GameXtreme online, but I don't want to get stressed over delivery. I found out about their physical stores, so we dropped by last weekend. They have Pixel phones, Chromebooks, Nest devices, Chromecast, and watches. The don't have it on hand all the time, so it's best to call and make a reservation. 

They had an available Asus Chromebook for only PhP9,900! It was so tempting, but my Chromebook is still solidly useful and my older Chromebooks are all still working! I saw they also have HP Chromebooks on their website (only PhP11,995!). I've been using a Chromebook for all my computer needs! That includes blogging, editing videos and photos. I'm just like any user, nothing hardcore, so a Chromebook works for me! 

Oh, I digressed! Haha! Anyway, at least you can buy a Pixel phone now at a physical shop. If you're not comfortable ordering it online just go to GameXtreme. It's useful to call ahead and reserve what you want to buy so they can have it on hand when you go.

RIP my Pixel 7a phone, huhu. (

#BeKind #StaySafe

Desert Rose 7 Months After Being Rescued

I started rescuing my Mom's plants last year. It's been a long, slow process since all her plants need to be re-potted. I re-potted two desert rose plants (Kalachuchi) last October. I placed both pots in our tiny square garden. It's a very sunny spot which the plant loves. The plant also gets some rain water when it rains. 

I was ecstatic when the plant started growing new leaves. It was a sign of recovery and by January it started blooming flowers. I was so happy since it was just two months since I re-potted them. Here's how they looked -

January 2025 vs. October 2024

October 2024 vs. January 2025

Both pots kept on producing flowers. It was a happy sight since I liked the color. The plants also have healthy green leaves and continue to grow. I'm keeping them in pots for now and will transplant to soil eventually. 

May 2025

One thing I realized is like hibiscus (gumamela), desert rose plants need to be fed with compost every few weeks. I have placed a reminder on my calendar so I don't forget. Notice the beautiful color of the flower and leaves. I took this photo the other day after I added compost to the soil early this month. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Bottomless Soup for Our Pork Sinigang!

There's a few restos where you can get a side dish of Sinigang soup. It's never enough though and we started to crave for it when it rained during election day. It's one of our favorite comfort food dishes. I managed to get some ingredients during our grocery run (minus Gabi since I couldn't find any), so I made some last night (even though it's not raining!). 

It's one of the dishes that's just right for my energy level to cook. I managed without Miggy's help, but they still hovered around to help anytime I needed it. I have no idea how to use kamias or sampaloc, so I just always use Sinigang mix. I like the Knorr Sinigang mix better than other brands since it's really sour. 

Here's how I made it:

We all had happy tummies after dinner last night and I definitely slept soundly. Too soundly, I missed pulmo rehab again, haha. We still have some left over and I might have some soup later!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grogu Update

Grogu had surgery at around 11 this morning. It was a simple surgery to close the wound. By afternoon he had fully recovered from the anesthesia and was ready to eat.

The vet will keep him for a few more days to make sure the wound heals. We won't be able to make him stay in one place and knowing Grogu, he'll also remove his cone. He's an outdoor cat and loves to roam around, so at best we make sure he's vaccinated and dewormed. 

Can't wait to have him back!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grogu is at the Vet

We discovered Grogu had a wound in his inner leg the other day. It was deep and wet. We took photos and immediately consulted with our vet to see if we needed to bring him in. The vet said the wound wasn't infected and we just needed to spray it with antiseptic. Luckily, we still had the medicine and the boys sprayed the wound twice a day. 

Over the last few days, we noticed Grogu was lethargic. He also kept licking his wound. It worried me since he's an outdoor cat and he'd still go out to other places. I asked the boys to bring him to the vet. The wound was getting better, but it kept getting ripped because Grogu kept jumping from the wall. He also kept licking the wound and I was afraid it may still get infected. 

The boys brought Grogu to the vet today. The vet said the wound can heal on it's own if Grogu doesn't lick it and stays put. It's impossible to keep Grogu to stay put and much less to make him wear a cone. He'd also be defenseless if he wore a cone. We can't keep him indoors since my doctors only grudgingly allowed us to keep them if they stay outside. 

Anyway, for Grogu's safety and so he could heal faster we decided to let the vet close the wound. They would also be able to watch over him closely. The vet originally thought the wound was due to a fight, but upon closer inspection she said he probably cut himself somewhere in the neighborhood. She said wounds from fights are usually on the head. 

Our baby will be away for a few days. We'll go and visit him to reassure him he'll come back to our home. I explained to the other cats he's away to heal and that a doctor is taking care of him for now. Please pray for Grogu's quick recovery! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Fourth Grade Embroidery Project

I found a couple of school projects I did when I was just 10 years old. Back when I was elementary school, we were taught different crafts, embroidery, crochet, building crafts using bamboo. This craft classes culminated with sewing machine classes in high school. (Also, pertinent to mention we had carpentry class which they discontinued after our batch because we kept blowing up the electrical system).

Anyway, I recently found some embroidery projects. Here's a small potholder I made -

I know I have a bigger project with the same design. Maybe I'll find it as I go through Mom's stuff. And here's the sampler I submitted. I got a good grade from it.

I still use some of the stitches and use them for current projects. I love it when I get to include embroidery in my projects. Mom and Titay also used to do embroidery and I found a few projects they did. Here's one, I'm not sure though if Mom, Titay or Ate made it (or maybe Mama Lola?).

The projects I found made me happy. It also reminded me of my Mama Lola. She helped me finish my last project. It was a pillow case with an embroidery of a duck which I traced from a coloring book.  watched her while she worked on closing the pillowcase on her sewing machine. 

I'm glad we were taught all these crafts in school. Mom also taught me other stuff whenever school was out. I've been quilting a lot, but sometimes I take breaks and do other things too. Crafting has been my therapy. It's been a great way to cope with all my medical conditions :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Daddy's 92nd Birthday

Dad would have celebrated his 92nd birthday today. I wanted to order some pancit and hardinera from Buddy's, but their Paranaque kitchen is gone. We'll just try to get some tomorrow maybe. 

It's been 15 years since we got to celebrate Dad's birthday with him. He looked very healthy then and just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. We didn't have a big celebration and just had lunch at North Park. We never expected he'd be gone in less than a year. 

Life changed a lot when we lost Dad. I know that he's always been there guiding us. If he was still around we'll probably have some noodles and his favorite beef dishes and probably some nilaga within the week. He loved to eat and cook! You should try his famous beef mustasa wrap. It's so yummy!

He was not fond of material things and it's no surprise that I didn't really find any of his belongings anymore. Mom probably donated all his clothes way back and just kept the essentials (IDs and docs). What Dad had a lot of were his writings and letters (plus letters to the editor!). Going through his things has been therapeutic for me.

I miss Dad everyday. I know he's having a blast up there with Mom and my titos and titas. They're partying like they used to while keeping tabs with us down here. 

Happy birthday Dad. Love you very much!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Happy Sunday Y'all

Today was Pope Leo XIV's inaugural :)

At home we realized we needed a couple of things from the grocery. Sweetie and I made a last minute decision to make a grocery run.

Miggy decided to stay home and so Sweetie and I had an instant date. We just had merienda. We always make sure to have happy tummies before doing groceriea. It helps us stick to the list! Hehe.

Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Papaya Trees a Year After

It's been more than a year since I sowed the seeds from grocery bought solo papaya. A couple of them grew and I transferred them to appropriate pots twice. 

A few weeks ago I noticed the leaves were yellowing and with some help from the plant app, I realized it needed fertilizer. It wasn't enough to feed them rice water every other week, I needed to add compost so they would be healthy. 

If grown properly, my papaya trees should be producing fruit by now. The plants are in different stages since I failed to give them appropriate nutrition and they are not getting the right amount of sunlight. Argh! Oh well, I have to get some bigger pots to give them more space to grow. I'm asking advise from a friend on what kind of fertilizer I should give it and how often. 

All part of the learning process, I hope by upping my game we'll be able to harvest some papaya in a few months!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Watched "The Quilters" on Netflix

I was looking forward to watching "The Quilters" on Netflix. It was finally made available today, so I immediately watched. I was expecting it to be a series or at least a 90-minute docu film. I probably missed reading that it's just a short documentary.

Anyway, I finished it in one sitting and I was amazed to learn that the quilting was happening in maximum security prisons. I actually looked forward to seeing the men quilt, but I honestly missed the part that they were in prison. I was so focused on the craft, it didn't matter to me where they were located. 

It's rare to see a film made about quilting, probably because it's not a huge niche. Quilting requires a lot of patience and I can understand how therapeutic it is. Quilting involves sharp tools and it's a huge risk for where the quilters in the film are located. They said it takes a lot to be included in the group and they take care of the privilege. Not being able to quilt can be painful! 

The most enjoyable part for me while watching the film was seeing the process they went through when making a quilt. Sleepless nights thinking about how to tackle a project. Drawing the design. Cutting fabric. Sewing and ironing a gazillion times. Sandwiching the quilt with batting and making sure it's flat! Then seeing the happy face of the receiver. 

I usually make smaller projects because it takes me a long time to finish one. I only make blankets every once in awhile because it takes me years to finish one. I'm actually envious that the men in the film help each other work on their projects. I don't think there's anyone near me who quilt. Well, I usually oblige my boys when I need help with carrying or mixing colors, heh. 

Anyway, if you do other crafts, I'm sure you'll enjoy the short film about quilters. All crafts require patience and passion and that's what you'll see with this unique group of quilters. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Got Flu Vaccination

It's the time of the year to get our flu vaccination. We just went to Watsons after checking it's available today. We also went to the same branch previously.

Just check the Watsons vaccination page and schedule or you can just drop by the branch nearest you to ask when it will be available. The threw of us finished quickly and I didn't feel a thing. It's been 4 hours and I'm now feeling a bit feverish, hehe. Oh well, will just rest.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Protective Case for my Mini Air Purifier

A friend of mine mentioned on X that the most popular gadget used during the elections is the Jisulife fan. I have a fan, but it's not Jisulife (haha) and maybe I'll make a case for my Tylex fan next time. One thing that I use regularly is a mini air purifier. I have severe asthma and use it whenever we go out. It's just annoying that the switch easily turns on whenever it's in my bag. The solution was to make a protective case for it. 

I made the case as a learning project since I haven't done anything to cover a rounded gadget. Of course, I used scrap fabric from a previous project so I don't waste any of my precious stash (haha). It was quite easy to make and I'll probably make another one soon to improve my craft. Here's how I made it:

And the end result:

#BeKind #StaySafe

You Win Some, You Lose Some

After voting yesterday, we headed to Wendy's for breakfast. It's a rare opportunity to have breakfast out. We arrived at Wendy's before six in the morning and soon enough a number of senior citizens arrived too. 

While eating I felt some sadness. I realized it's the first time we went to vote without my Mom. I checked the voters list and only me and Miggy were on it. Mom didn't vote during the presidential elections even though we went to pick her up. She wasn't feeling well and told us to go ahead and vote. 

One thing I also looked forward to was seeing our neighbors, the Titos and Titas and friends I grew up with. Sadly, I didn't see any of my Mom's friends and just saw one of my friends. I may have been too early, but then my Mom would've been 90 years old this year. 

I'm writing this post while watching the news. I'm happy to see two of those I voted for senators are in the top 5 and the party list I voted for is #1 on the results. The rest of those I voted for did not win (maybe only the vice mayor?). Oh well, you win some, you lose some. At least there's still hope. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Voted Early (Philippine Elections 2025)

I'm really grateful to COMELEC for opening the precincts early for PWDs, senior citizens and pregnant women. We went at 5 in the morning to vote to avoid the crowds and more importantly, the heat. 

I wasn't feeling well yesterday. My mind willed my body to cooperate. I did not want to miss exercising my right to vote. I was still a bit unstable when we arrived at 5:06am. 

The process was pretty straightforward. Check your name on the list and cluster, go to your precinct, show your ID, sign on the list, get your ballot, vote, feed your ballot to the machine, check the receipt and then get inked. We were done in less than 15 minutes considering I kept making sure I did not overbite (of course I had a kodigo).

I was expecting to see my Mom's friends. I belatedly realized my Mom would've been 90 this year, so most of her friends would be +/- 10 years of her age. I'd usually see Tito Mel overseeing the PPCRV and childhood friends running around as volunteers. I've been away too long and the PPCRV volunteers now we're probably kids when I lived abroad.

I never changed my precinct. My voters ID is still the original one they issued when I registered for the Sangguniang Kabataan elections. My whole family voted in the same precinct and I actually found my Mama Lola's voters ID from the 70s. That's what you call legacy :)

Vote wisely!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Public Office is a Public Trust, Time to Break Political Dynasties

 "Public office is a public trust" is enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution (Article XI, Section 1). It is a clause that all of us should remember, especially candidates.

What we've been going through in the past 9 years has been disenheartening. Year after year, candidates promise to do things better, to make our lives easier. Sadly, we're still plagued by so many issues, especially corruption. I remember during PNoy's time, it was Secretary Butch Abad's job to put controls on spending and regular reports on reducing corruption was made. We saw a lot of improvements especially in our economy. 

A big problem that contributes to backward progress are the political dynasties. My professor, Dr. Julio Teehankee, has made a study on this and discussing why electing the same family is bad for us. In the city I live in, the same family has been ruling over the local positions for over a decade now. They just switch around positions (congress/mayor/vice mayor etc.). You'd think that after ruling over our city for over a decade they would have at least solved all flooding issues.

Sweetie sent me a list of local candidates. He noted that there are 5 people with the same family name. They are obviously from the same family. I hope they realize that public office is not meant to be a business or security blanket for you and your family. There are surely a lot of talented and skilled people who can manage our city. 

Vote wisely tomorrow!

#BeKind #StaySafe #VoteWisely

Caterpillars have been Eating My Calamansi Plants

I've been trying to grow veggies the past few years. All the greens I tried to grow are gone. My Calamansi project started in September 2023. It took time for the seeds to sprout and now I have several of them growing in bigger pots. I placed them in two areas of our home to ensure they grow. 

I have so far managed to keep them from dying. I spray Neem oil weekly and feed them fertilizer every other week. Biggest pest for my calamansi are caterpillars. Some grow so big they finish all the leaves! Luckily, the bigger plants survive, but some smaller plants don't, huhu. 

I researched companion plants for citrus fruits. They supposedly help ward off pests. You can plant marigold, basil, lavender, peas, tomatoes, chives, garlic, and fennel. I got marigold seeds, but haven't had the chance to plant them. My basil, lavender, tomatoes, chives and garlic all died. One thing that is left standing are my fennel plants (was sold to me as dill!). 

Plant on the right had fennel in the same pot.
Left plant didn't, so all the leaves are gone!

Anyway, since it's been so easy to grow fennel, I just cut off some and planted it beside my calamansi plants. After a few weeks I noticed that the leaves of the calamansi plants  started growing bigger. Those that didn't have fennel were continued to be pestered by caterpillars. 

Leaves slowly growing back after I added fennel to the pot.

I have since added fennel to the rest of my calamansi in the pocket garden and they are slowly growing new leaves to replace those eaten by caterpillars. Yes! Now I can focus on making sure they are fed well and hope they'll finally produce fruit by next year!

#BeKind #StaySafe #VoteWisely

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