Reached the End

I just realized it's the end of April today. I've been under the weather again the past two days. I haven't been able to do anything except water the plants in the evening. I managed to do some sewing last weekend. I'm working on a tote bag for a friend using the rainbow strip quilt I made a few weeks ago. Alas, I haven't been able to continue work on it since some of my stuff is in boxes. 

April was quite unproductive for me sewing wise. I put all my quilting materials in boxes because we changed the flooring in the basement. My sewing/maker room is still empty. The work isn't done yet. It's delayed by two weeks! I hope they finish everything by end of the week. Some of my boxes were moved to the family room yesterday. I can probably resume some sewing tomorrow if I'm able to find my iron, haha. 

Quilting has been an activity that's kept me sane. I felt incomplete the past month. It's not the same when I'm unable to create. Even my blog has taken a hit. I've been posting late and haven't been consistently sharing my posts too. The heat probably contributed to my sloth-like behavior. I also don't remember when the last time I stepped out of the house. 

Anyway, a new month is just around the corner. Hopefully, things will be better!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tiles vs. Vinyl, What We Chose

Our home had tiles in the living room, basement and kitchen when we moved it. After a few months the tiles started breaking. The contractor who did the house replaced a few and then disappeared. We were forced to get help from an architect to fix things. We had the living room and kitchen re-tiled. We used tiles for the kitchen and re-engineered bamboo flooring for the living room. 

We only had the basement flooring fixed these past few weeks. I wanted to do it last year, but the architect said they were still okay. We had to cover the floor with rubber mats for safety. Things got worse and we decided to fix the issue. We reviewed options for flooring. Wood flooring was out of the question because they're expensive. 

We also wanted something that would be easy to install. Something foolproof. Tile was out of the question since we had a bad experience with it. The foreman explained to us that the tiles were not installed properly. I used laminate for my childhood home's basement. It's still intact after 2 decades. It requires rugby for installation. The smell would be bad for me. 

We watched a couple of videos and we thought the best option would be vinyl tiles. It could be interlocked, so no need for adhesive when it's installed. We were given the option for waterproof or water resistant SPC vinyl. Waterproof vinyl is a bit more expensive than water resistant. We thought waterproof would be better in the long run, so that's what we chose. 

It took a few days to remove the tiles. This is the noisiest part of the process. We were able to save some that came off cleanly. We'll use it for a future project. After the tiles were removed, cement was laid out to make the floor even. After cleaning up the interlocking vinyl was installed. Part of the process included removing the baseboards and cabinets to ensure the planks were installed properly. And now it's done!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Gift of Love

Kuya surprised me yesterday with a gift. At first I thought it was a box of pastillas, haha. Well, the gift was sweeter than that. It was a gift of love. 

It was the Divine Mercy 3'O clock prayer. Praying the Chaplet is for those seriously injured, sick and dying is a powerful way to receive God's saving grace. It also promises forgiveness of all sins and no punishment for sin. It is a miracle that happens quietly.

Praying for miracles. 

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Cute Gardening Assistant

Since Kaley only comes to have a snack, Meredith has replaced her as my gardening assistant. She follows me around whenever I water the plants. Sometimes Grogu joins her. I'm actually glad they get along now. They used to hiss at each other when they were in the same area. I kept telling them that they should be friends since they live in the same place. 

I give them some treats to keep them in one place when I water the plants. The treat has catnip in it which I think makes them thirsty. I learned to place a fresh bowl of water before I start watering the plants since they tend to drink from the pot plates! Last night, Meredith drank from my watering jug, haha. 

My efforts with the garden are paying off. It takes me an hour everyday to water the plants. It takes a long time  because I use a watering can to water the pots individually. I was happy to see my gumamela plants flowering again. I recently gave them some banana peel tea. I have to continuously figure out what plants need to make sure they flower. 

Having Meredith and Grogu around whenever I water the plants makes it more fun for me. Lately, Brimsley's kittens have been exploring as well. They're pretty shy though, so hopefully they'll learn to play with me too. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

It Finally Rained!

It took a few days before the forecast for rain finally came true. I've been closely monitoring the weather since it's been hot. The worst day in our area was last Wednesday when the heat index hit 47'C. Ugh. It was so bad I had a dizzy spell even though I'm well hydrated. 

For a few days the forecast showed it would rain. It would start at 11 am then move to 3pm to 4pm to 5pm and well into the night. It was paasa. We've been diligently watering the plants to make sure they don't die. Good thing majority of our plants can survive without much watering so I focus on my potted plants and the veggies. Rain water provides plants with some vitamins too, so they need it badly. 

Went downstairs last night to water my potted plants. It was drizzling. Soon enough it started to rain harder. Just a regular summer rain shower (not thunderstorm level). It didn't last long. It was only enough to wet the leaves of the plants. Not bad, at least it rained.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Choco Mallows is Love

I ordered some groceries and added a box of Mallows in the cart. It's been awhile since I had some. I always bought Mallows and Chocolate Crunchies whenever I visited from Singapore. It was always part of my grocery list. Both are childhood favorites. 

I chose Mallows for now since there's just six pieces. Choco Crunchies I think have 16 pieces per box. I'm not sure if we'll be able to finish it that's why I just got a box of Mallows. My order arrived this morning and I ate one as a reward after watering the plants. Oh my! It's so good! They made some slight changes to the packaging and I think it helped keep it fresh. 

Now I regret just buying one box, haha. Anyway, It'll be easy to buy another one next time I do groceries again. Or maybe I'll get some Chocolate Crunchies. I'm so glad these childhood favorites are still available! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Heat is Not Funny Anymore

The heat index in my area reached 46'C today. I felt dizzy and had to use an ice pack to cool down. I think maybe it was made worse because I took a diuretic. Even with hydrating more I felt off for a few hours. The ice pack helped. I put it on my armpit and nape. A friend said to also put it on your groin. I moved to the living room since it was cooler there. 

I think things would be worse if we didn't have plants around our house. Good thing I decided to delay having our front lawn landscaped. The bushy bamboo trees are helping keep our area cool. Good thing they are not water guzzlers and can survive with minimal watering. I moved my potted plants under the bamboo in our pocket garden to provide them some shade from the terrible heat of the sun. 

I have also been keeping an eye on my boys. I remind them to drink after they come back inside whenever they step out. We also starting making ice using ice bags. The ones in trays are not enough to cool drinks anymore. Maybe I should make some ice candy too? 

#BeKind #StaySafe