Apartment Therapy!

Aside from searching online for baby stuff, my current obssession is apartment therapy! I learned about this site when I read a tweet from Patty Laurel raving about it.

I love everything about the site, especially the kitchen ideas, color palettes,  and tips to maximize storage space. From the house tours, to DIY projects, I'm at awe at how these creative people were able to design their interiors, usually at a limited space.

Here are some of my favorites! Visit apartmenttherapy.com and be amazed! SOON, I'll be able to put into good use all the great ideas I'm getting from this site :)

Look at how the space beneath the stairs was maximized into a storage area.

Another view of the storage space below the stairs.

I love this dining corner! The L-shaped seater can be doubled as storage space.

Another version of the L-shaped dining corner.

I love the kitchen island. So simple yet functional.

This one too!

I'm loving the white walls! It allows you to play with colors.

Prayer for a Safe Delivery

I do not claim to be the most religious person. There are days I forget to pray, or Sundays when I'm lazy to hear mass. But I have other ways of claiming my spirituality and faith. It also helps that I have a mother and sisters who are on the more religious side, and they always remind me to pray and be good :)

I'm giving birth in a few months. Literature, online forums & real life experiences from family & friends really help, but honestly, I don't know if I'll ever be prepared!

So what will I do? I will PRAY more. Coincidentally, someone shared with me this simple prayer for a safe delivery, so I'm also sharing it with you. It's also available online here.

Prayer for Safe Delivery

O great Saint Gerard, beloved servant of Jesus Christ, perfect imitator of your meek and humble Savior, and devoted child of the Mother of God, enkindle within my heart one spark of that heavenly fire of charity which glowed in your heart and made you an angel of love.

O glorious Saint Gerard, because when falsely accused of crime, you did bear, like your Divine Master, without murmur or complaint, the calumnies of wicked men, you have been raised up by God as the patron and protector of expectant mothers.

Preserve me from danger and from the excessive pains accompanying childbirth, and shield the child which I now carry, that it may see the light of day and receive the purifying and and life-giving waters of baptism through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

(Nine Hail Marys)

I Heart Online Shopping!

Hubby and I have been window shopping the last couple of weeks, but mall stocks & models for baby items here in Cebu are still limited :(

So I resort to online shopping! How I wish I can fly to the US and shop till I drop. My gosh, prices there are WAY cheaper than here.  Even if you consider freight costs & add-on taxes, it will still come out cheaper.

Cloth Diapers

Priced at $18.95/pc or $227.40 for a dozen at www.nurturedfamily.com. This is an online store in Texas, where my sister is based. Here in the Philippines, it retails at $26/pc or P1,100.  For a dozen, it will cost $315 or P13,200. The difference is roughly $88 or P3,700.

Breastpump

Priced at $140 in Walmart, this is a great find! This costs around $360 here in the Philippines. The difference is roughly P9,200 or $220.

Even feeding bottles, strollers and cribs cost cheaper in the US, and the quality is more outstanding!

How I wish I can buy till I drop, and put all the stuff in one balikbayan box :)

Who Doesn't Love Freebies?

Yesterday, I got a prize for being a good daughter!

To backtrack a bit on the story:

My techy Popsy finally decided to replace our almost obsolete TV at our Tacloban home. He was quite sentimental about changing the TV, because he bought it in Japan when he went there in the 90's for work, plus the fact that there are two hyper kids at home who can easily destroy gadgets :)

A few weeks back, he bought a digital media player in PC Express.

Unfortunately, it wasn't compatible with our old TV. We toyed him to buy a flatscreen TV so he could continue using his digital media player. He gave in, and so yesterday, I got a go signal to finally buy one! Of course, he's paying for it :)

SM Appliance gave away a Sony DVD player for the purchased item. I asked Papa if I can have it, and he said YES!!!  We actually have a player, but it's kinda obsolete too. Besides, who doesn't love freebies? :)

Forever 21 Is Coming To Cebu!

Yesterday, I missed my Ultrasound cut-off time at Chong Hua Hospital, so Sieg and I decided to go to SM to have an ultrasound there.

Lo and behold, Forever 21 was plastered all over the North Wing! Of course I was smiling from ear to ear, and Sieg began scratching his head (joke!). It's still under construction, but what the heck, it will open SOON!

I forgot to take pictures so I grabbed some from here.

Forever 21 is a trendy fashion store  from the US which was franchised by the SM Group and brought here to the Philippines. Its other branches are in SM Megamall and SM Makati.