Our 350-peso worth 6-feet Christmas Tree

Wondered where on Earth we acquired and purchased this very affordable tree? Where else but in Unitop! I've decided to put up a Christmas tree since the kids are big enough to appreciate the beauty and identity of it. What is Christmas anyway without the tree, or any sparkling lights and colorful decor to go with? 

Our Christmas 2014

Isn't it neat and DIY-ish? My decorations are the old ones that we have.
Since the actual location is where we put the stuffed toys of my kids,
I didn't get it but still designed it to be the cover of the tree base.
I'm so delighted of how it turned out a very creative idea! Isn't it?

Last year and the past 3 years ago, I just decorate our house with a Christmas garland and decorated it with Christmas balls, other Christmas accent and lights (like in the photo below).

Our Christmas 2011 until 2013

It looks like plain and simple in the photo because I captured it in
broad daylight. But when it's lit at night, it is beautiful to look at.
I thought of putting like this before because when I put a tree,
my little ones may play on the decors and lights of the tree
when its near their reach. But now, no more.

But whatever it is, it's nice to feel the spirit of Christmas with decorated surroundings. It adds to the 'feel' of what the season brings. Most importantly, Christmas are for kids and for kids-at-heart. I've been a kid and when the 'ber' months come, we excitedly bug our parents to decorate the house with everything 'Christmas-sy'. It's the spirit of this season that bring warmth and joy to one's heart and associate Christmas with merry-making and cheers to everyone. #christmastree #christmasdecors #christmasDIY

My Family Matters

It's been a long and winding road, trudging through the uphills and downhills on the crossroads of life, yet and still, I surpassed some and emerged complete (safe to say) in an imperfect world.

What I'm trying to say is, with all the odds in my life since my single-hood until I got married and had children, one thing that keeps me on my feet is my family (before and now that I have my own). I feel that I have been blessed hundredfold seeing our two kids God has bestowed upon us. Everyday, my husband keeps on saying that he loves seeing our kids in the peak of their simple joys and just the mere presence of them makes life worth the wait. I certainly agree on his sentiments. It is so amazing to see the other half of us, cut from our own flesh and blood like Adam to Eve. I fully understand now how a parent would feel and becomes selfless instantly when it comes to giving the best for their children. Every pain they experience, we want to take it from them and wished it's just us. Every now and then, looking back, how I wished that I had a child earlier. At 35, I am imagining that me and my daughters are doing already things together like strolling around, making crafts together or enjoying dressing up. For now, I'll just wait maybe 3 more years and by that time they'll fully grasp on matters and that they'll understand things easily.

The reason actually of making this post is showing to you our most recent family photo and the first ever we had. I had it also improvised its presentation so as to put in my office desk. I just had to share to you my happiness, my Alpha and Omega, and that is my family.

Home Staples with a New Twist

I love to reuse old things as much as possible. Being the sentimental person that I am, I quite hoard and hard to let go of things. What I mean about that is as long as it can be put into good use and in the future I'll be needing it even though I hardly remember its existence, why put it to trash? Reality, it can be be a disadvantage too. For one, it will occupy a square of space in your small house. Second, it can be an eyesore and is just collecting dust. Third, others may take advantage of it and can be of good use to them. I stumbled upon the website of Real Simple and Good Housekeeping and found hundred and one ways of new uses for old and unused things which we can found in our home that we don't ever imagine it'll work. View it in the entire links here and here. (All photos below are grabbed from the links of Real Simple and Good Housekeeping sites.)

Photo credits here.
I was fascinated with this. To make it more dramatic and true to its purpose,
I thought of putting washi tapes to liven up the tissue holder tube as hair clip and bands holder.

Photo credits here.
This is a beer/drink case turned condiments holder.

Photo credit here.
Okay, we all have this cassette tapes way back right? So might as well turn it into
a cord or earphone holder of our gadgets. Looks amazing.

Photo credit here.
This really grabbed my attention. Seeing those earrings made me remember my missing
South Sea Pearl earrings. It really tore my heart apart. Like it ached and skipped.

Photo credit here.
Unused pillowcase are great alternative for securing your precious clothing
for moist and dust that's been sitting in your closet.

Photo credit here.
Plastic shower caps are great shoe holder.

Photo sourced here.
Didn't have any idea that coin can make picked flowers perkier in days.

Photo sourced here.
If you look closely on the second hanger that's been hanged on to the first one,
it's an old soda tab that keep it in place. Brilliant ideas right here.

As for me who is a DIY fanatic and an interior designer by heart, keeping these simple tricks in mind can help me maximize things right in my household while lessening trash and Mother Nature at its worst state. I love tinkering things in my abode to make it a cozy home to live in and as simple as these it can make a big difference. Mothers, do you agree with me?

February is Love and Giving

How fast time flies the second time. I can't stop saying this because it's indeed true like a roller coaster thing. Now it's the Love month and just yesterday we celebrated the Chinese New Year where we welcome the year of the wood horse. Everything just happens in a fast forward pace but still the season of giving is not yet over. We all know that February is the month of Valentine's day wherein we Filipinos celebrate it for the sake of love which really means a lot for us. And I think because we really are loving people, the gesture of celebrating it comes naturally within us. Like the Christmas season, a lot of establishments mostly malls and restaurants decorate its place with hearts and playing love songs in their sound systems. Isn't it heartwarming? Because Love signifies giving, we also think of gifts to give our love ones. Thus, we see vendors selling flowers and stuff to give to the love of our lives which I find really cute and mushy in an endearing way... ;-)

This month excites me because of 3 things. Well first, it's Valentine's day. Me and my hubby makes it a point to have a fancy dinner. It's just a once in a year occasion where we make a deal to dress elegantly and dine NOT just in any budget friendly restaurant. We look for a fine-dining restaurant where we haven't eaten in there yet. Now we changed plans. We planned to have a stay-cation in a hotel just within the city. It's the in thing now and we vow not to bring the kids with us. Just me and him alone. We want to hang around and be in each others arms without the kids getting our undivided attention from each other. It's kind of mushy though but in reality, married couples need this and I believe in that too. My hubby is not very vocal but he really frequently verbalizes it that I don't have time for him anymore. I know he understands because there are 2 kids that needs my utmost attention. But being a wife I should give him what is due for him. True girls? It's the time that we can spend quality time with each other and just recharge and renew away from our everyday routine.

The second thing that looks me forward to this month is our Valentine's day giveaways here in our office. Years back, the owner of the company where I'm working now, who is also my boss, gives chocolates and Valentine's tokens to single ladies. But now, every girl, single or married, gets one. What excites me is I am in charge of planning what to give for every single lady in the office. This part makes it exciting for me since I'll be getting one of it, I search for the best stuff. Months ahead, as early as Christmas season, I'm already dreading on thinking for possible giveaways. Challenging yet fun huh! Everything is all worth it especially if you see the ladies giggling as they receive their presents. Flowers and chocolates are girl's BFF same with diamonds too. Agree!?

To give you a picture of what I received in 2012, see photo below. I got this from Papelmelroti. See their link here. They have great stuff perfect for any occasion giveaways.

Paperweight

For this item, we just customized it. We bought wooden clips and glued it at the back of the "Guardian Angel on duty" sign. This serves as a double purpose now. A memo holder cum paperweight. Below, we added the caption "Happy Heart's Day!" to fit the occasion. This is a good way to hone and play one's creativity that's why I enjoy doing this annually. Last year our giveaways were envirosax bags which we got from Daiso and assorted brownies from the Fudge Factory. With the help of my ever crafty and visually gifted officemate, the giveaways makes it more alive, presentable and meaningful. Check out her blog here.

The last reason of my love for this month is my daughter's birth month. I never knew the genuine meaning of love until the birth of my first child. All the more I appreciate the meaning of giving, unconditional love, sacrifice and looking at my kid's needs first than mine are all worth it because my great joy are their happiness and comfort.

How about you? What are your thoughts on #Valentinesday? #love #family #chocolatesandflowers

Hello Kitty!

Every little girl knows who Hello Kitty is. She's that adorable pussy cat that captures little girls' hearts. Not just the little ones but even adult girls couldn't resist her charm. I remember back then, I collect stuff that has Hello Kitty, Melody and Little Twin Stars on it. Up to this day, I still find them adorable and cute. At my daughter's first birthday party which I blogged about it here and here, I didn't think of any other character but Hello Kitty only for my little girl's theme decorations. Searching for the party favors and decors was quite a breeze because of Jollibee and party suppliers for a Girl's Birthday Party that made it easy for me to find the things I need for the event. For the giveaways, I had Hello Kitty tumblers, utensils, plate and hanky for the girls and Batman apparels for the boys like pencil case, ID string and writing supplies. Some of the decorations were provided by Jollibee. However, the piñata should have been a Hello Kitty which should look like this. But we ran out of time looking for a Hello Kitty piñata hence the Dora the Explorer piñata was what we used.

Overall it was a successful birthday event that up to now I am happy of what took place. I was very satisfied with my party suppliers from the food, the decorations, the program and most importantly the memories with my loved ones who graced the event made it more meaningful. #birthdayparty #Hellokitty #partysupplier

Party Planning + Party Suppliers = One Fabulous Party

I always enjoy things related to arts and crafts, DIY in party events. I am very fond and passionate about the details and the preparation itself though it could be stressful yet challenging and fulfilling. Every time there's invitation to these, I'll make it a point not to miss the said gathering. I feel happy seeing details embodied in the party itself. From the invitation card, to the theme, the cake, giveaways, the food and the party venue itself. It adds more jazz and excitement to the merriment when everything is dolled up. Weddings, birthdays, baptismal events are nice avenue for showcasing one's creativity.

In times like this, I go to party suppliers because it's already a one stop shop. You need not go from one place to another in order to find what you need. In today's generation, online buying or shopping gives one a lot of convenience. It saves time and energy plus you have a wide variety of items to choose from. Party decorations, favors and ideas for all sorts of event like 50th Anniversary Decorations, Bridal/Engagement Party Decorations, themed-birthday party, baby shower, baptismal, bachelorette, wedding or even Christmas, Valentines, graduation and prom events, a party supplier can cater these to you hassle-free. What's good about having a party supplier is that you can choose the items yourself and make your dream party a reality. #partysupplier #partydecorations

Feeling Blessed, Amazed and Overwhelmed: Birthday Bash a Success

Finally, it is over and it was one blast of a party! For just a short time, we were able to pull off and more, my daughter's first birthday celebration. I am very happy of the outcome though some that were planned and thought about were not materialized because of unexpected circumstances that we lacked enough time. But still, I am glad because not only the kids enjoyed, but even the young at heart. My decision to DIY the decors is a huge success and almost everybody loved what we did. I am very lucky to have a mother who is supportive of my wanting to DIY the theme and decors for the event. My mom is hats off, hands on meticulous to every detail and made such brilliant ideas on my planned layout. I am so happy with every detail that was presented. Until now, I feel that I'm still on cloud 9, still having the sting of that night's celebration. #1stbirthday #proudmama #feeling-elated 

I know I've been talking a lot and for sure you are frantically waiting for some photos. But since I'm the host, and I wasn't able to take shots of the events. I relied everything to my family and relatives who took their useful cameras and take shots as the event transpired. I requested them to send me raw copies of the photos for souvenir. Even me, I'm very excited to see real shots of the happy celebration.


Forewarn: The following photos are not my original ideas. They are inspirations and copy I got from my constant internet browsing from fellow mommy bloggers. I just made a little twist for a bit of uniqueness not exactly following the original.


The following photos are taken before the party itself. Me and some family members helped out as I make my DIY project come to reality. Kudos to you guys! They are excellent and they have full of brilliant ideas. #eventscoordination #DIYproject #familysupport

I decided to make it like this so as not to follow the usual making of tarpaulin with my child's face and birthday details on it. It is too common. What I did is I recycled the tarpaulin (which you can see through). It was from my first daughter's 1st birthday. I used the back part of it.

I didn't mind that the print at the back can be seen because it is an evening event. For sure, you won't see any shadow of the back part coming from the ray of light outside by night as the lights from within gives a certain effect on it. My inspiration for the tarpaulin is from the catalogue of 101gramsofeyecandy and for the flowers on the glass from Ms. Ging of fortyweeksandthensome. The masks I incorporated are extra supplies from my eldest first birthday. I didn't know it would make a great show.

See that balls/pompoms from above? That came from an inspiration again from Ms. Ging of fortyweeksinthensome. She's very creative and I love her dainty pieces (Link here on how to do it).

Okay. That jar on top of the tables are my mom's product of idea. She alternately put the name of my girl and then a slogan of 'It's a party' from the stock board. We bought the It's a Party cut out from National Bookstore. Cute noh! She filled the empty glass bottles of sardines with decorative stones. Good idea too so that the table covers won't run and fall. I don't know where she got the idea. So apologies if there are other who did the same thing. Maybe it's just a coincidence.

To date, I haven't started unwrapping my daughter's gifts. I'm excited actually to come home now for some cute surprises for my little one! *wink*

These loots are from my aunt based in Canada. This is one timely event as many blessings are showered in time for my daughter's first birthday. I'm floored, humbled and #blessed.

I will be sharing to you a separate post of the real party. #feelingexcited #partyhangover #jollitowncrazy

I am very happy because I got a lot of compliments of the whole celebration. This won't happen if not for my husband, my family and God Almighty. They are my movers and shakers. They made this possible.

How about you? What's your creative birthday idea like? #partyideas

Check on my other blog, Craftifacts, for more design ideas I made for the birthday of my daughter's first. Click here.

Rushing in Two Weeks: Nique's Birthday

My daughter's #1stbirthday is coming up in less than 3 weeks from now. I don't have anything realized yet. So I'm cramming with all nice but practical ideas for my daughter's big day. I don't want also to spend too much unnecessary stuff that will be useless after the event. My hubby and I had strictly imposed to stick on our budget for practical reasons. And I believe in that too. So I thought of #DIY-ing. My theme would be that of candies and lollipops. Something colorful, vibrant and cheerful yet the color not too bold with a touch of pastel hues. Good thing I came across Ms. Martine of Dainty Mom blog guest post of Mommy G of forty weeks and then some.

I am inspired by her theme she did for her daughter's first birthday. It's very personal, unique and fun. Almost everything in the preparations is her idea and made by her. See her post here and here for the invitations and her inspiration. Most of the birthdays or any similar occasions I attended is they use tarpaulin with the celebrant's photo and the event's details on it. I want to veer away from that for the meantime and make instead a personalized one. I still have the existing tarp from my baby's dedication and thought of using the back as the canvass for the wall design. Mommy G's wall design which her sister painstakingly made looks like this and this. Though the latter link is her creative idea and made for the dessert table, might as well make it too for the wall backdrop design. To further enhance the other walls, I'm thinking of putting buntings with my daughter's photos in it. It'll make sense right?Ceiling design would be something like this too. Thinking of party favors for kids should be useful so an idea like this is something so brilliant. A #desserttable is becoming popular nowadays and I love how she displayed it to this . Photography, I solely rely to friends and relatives who will be bringing camera by that time. I'm sure they will gladly share the captured photos to me and will ask for a copy from them. The cake will be sponsored so I'll be spared with that expense (hehehe...). Entertainment is to be taken cared of by hubby's friend (#Jollibee we'll see you real soon). He'll be responsible with the games and prizes. So the the major thing to consider for now is the venue and caterer which is very important. Though we already have in mind which caterer to contact. I hope we could finalize utmost next week for the real venue (cross-fingers! and wish us good luck too!). I hope to pull this off gracefully and successfully in my own little way. If pushed through as planned , it would be my first #DIY project for real. Happy Birthday anak! Papa, Mama and Ate Mariella loves you dearly.

Did I miss something out in my preparations? Please share a thought.