[pampered feet]

My sister & I treated our balikbayan aunt to a facial treatment at Skin Story. While waiting for her, we decided to get ourselves pampered, too by having a relaxing foot spa.

[stencilled foam]

Remember the capuccino drink I had at J-Co?

[MODERNize TOO]

Both our living & dining rooms have got that modern peg. Like what I did with the living room, I made use of the Bo Concept catalog to base the design of our custom-made dining table.

From this

[triple K]

My eldest is computer-savvy. She likes tinkering with various applications, like Photoshop.

This is what she came up with,  one weekend she was home.

[M!2 store finds]

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon leisurely looking through the many stores in Market!Market! This mall is close to my heart since it is where I started working again 4 years after giving birth to Jill & also where my friendship with Mommy Fleur began.

Some of the numerous must-buy stuff I caught sight of:

Metro Gaisano department store

wire baskets & trays

chair mirrors

[winged creatures]

The home section of Metro Gaisano is a treasure trove of good finds. There were a lot of nice things to see or buy but these winged creatures on display stood out:

country love

[one Cafe France morning]

We had healthy omelettes at Cafe France SLEX branch last  Saturday on our way home after coming from my eldest's college dorm.

Hubby & I had the spicy sardines omelette while Kirsten had the spinach & mushroom omelette. The breakfast sets came with a coffee or juice.

Cafe France is a breakfast cafe we go to when we have the chance. I love the coziness of the place, the yummy food & their freshly-baked bread offerings. 

What's your go-to place to have your breakfast?

[succulents]

These empty planters in our balcony would soon be filled with succulents, a plant variety that I'm loving now.

Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems & also in roots.

[GREEN FINDS series: WOODEN CUTLERY]

I rushed to the nearest supermarket this afternoon to buy us a week's worth of food supply & found these at the party supplies section. 

I have been looking for alternatives to those plastic spoons, forks & knives I  have on stock. Now, I can dispose of them properly & buy these instead for the next party at home.

What I love about it: compostable wood is a sustainable material, a lot better than plastic
Where to buy: Shopwise supermarkets

[IKEA coffee]

For the past couple of weeks, J & I spent our mornings having breakfast & coffee with our balikbayan uncle & aunt at our lanai. They brought with them IKEA coffee roast packs for us to try. 

l-r: filter coffee dark roast, medium roast (organic)

Between the two variants, I like the medium roast (organic) better for its smoother blend.

Catching up with family is made even more enjoyable over flavorful cups of coffee... =)

[GREEN FINDS series: ORGANIC VEGGIES]

After fetching our eldest from her dorm this morning, I stopped by Market!Market! to look for some succulents. You see, I am on my last stages of refurbishing our balcony. We already bought our patio set from Mandaue Foam & the plants are the only thing left to buy. Unfortunately, there weren't enough varieties to choose from , so I decided to get some organic veggies instead. I ended up with 2 bags full, enough for a week's fill of healthy roughage.

What I love about it: the veggies are fresh & organic
Where to buy: fruits & vegetables section of Fiesta Market (M!2)

[tote bags]

I got these Nepacena tote bags from my Tita L, who along with her husband, Tito A, stayed for almost 2 weeks in our home, right after arriving from California. These colorful & roomy fabric bags, which she crafted herself, will come in handy during shopping sprees.;)

A recent addition to my ever-growing collection of reusable grocery & shopping bags.

[store finds : BOOK STORAGE BOX]

If small clutter in the home is a concern, then this book storage box is an ingenious way of solving it.

Made of hard cardboard, this storage box disguises as a book that you can just put on top of your table or placed upright in a bookcase. 

*What I love about it: the book cover design with that Old World feel

*Where to buy: the home section of Robinson's Metro East department store 

[green finds : ECO-FRIENDLY SCHOOL & OFFICE SUPPLIES]

While waiting for the cinemas to open yesterday, my sister & I stopped by the bookstore to look around  & found these eco-friendly products on display.

It's a line of school & office supplies (note pads, pens, pencils, erasers, stationery & journals) made of recycled materials. 

What I love about it: the kraft paper/cardboard packaging without the plastic wrap

Where to buy: any National Bookstore branch 

[cool shop windows]

Over the weekend, two stores with cool shop window displays caught my eye.

First off, TOPSHOP in Greenbelt 4, Makati.

[20 in 30]

I find house cleaning so tedious, especially when you've got no help around.  For more than a year, I had to struggle with this chore since tidying up rooms in a 3-level house everyday is NO joke! =(

Good thing, I found this great tip from APARTMENT THERAPY on cleaning the house for 20 minutes a day for 30 days. I have learned that concentrating on one area a day everyday for, say, a month, would ease up your cleaning chores a bit. If you are like me who wants things spic & span but gets overwhelmed by many things to do around the house, then this would be helpful.

What are your house cleaning techniques? Do you do it in a random scheme or is there a schedule that you also follow? Share yours. ;)

[create a SLOW HOME]

A SLOW HOME is simply a house that is designed to efficiently & thoughtfully support your life - source

Having a big, stylish house with all the trendy accessories is nice, but owning a place where the spaces are just the right size & function, the rooms are efficiently organized, the house jibes with the surroundings,& all in all, it is a healthier place to live in, then a slow home is where all of us should be.

source

Do you have a slow home? Check this list if you do & amp; if not, start creating one for your family. Or you can go to APARTMENT THERAPY's A Guide to Slow Home Principles series which started last month here.

[hydrangeas for the birthday lady]

It was a simple 75th birthday celebration for my mom. Months before, my sister & I already booked the party at Cafe Juanita of BOUGAINVILLE Resort. Coordination of party details was a breeze as they would quickly confirm all agreed items thru email. The final menu was selected from among six choices & the cost/head was affordable. There was not even a cover charge for the birthday cake! And I loved the set-up they did plus the food was above par in taste. 

Her guests on that day included her walking buddies & co-Mother Butler ladies.

The birthday lady

 hydrangea cupcakes by Sherene Marquez of Sweets Box; birthday greeting banner by Crest Ad Specialist

[afloat]

My girls get to see & bond with each other only during weekends when the eldest is home. Engaging in photo shoots is what they enjoy doing together.   

A recent photo concept they did was LEVITATION. I saw these in their files: