#marahsundari

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kikiam & squidball kind of day ft. homemade sawsawan 🫶🏻

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because of the continuous rains, some issues in our house became more visible: 1) there are now water stains on the ceilings of two bedrooms on the second floor, 2) there’s minor leaking (when it rains) and bubbling on one section of the firewall, and 3) there are hairline cracks around the house. on top of these, there are a few other minor concerns as well.

back in the summer, we asked for a quote from our previous contractor (they also built our gate and perimeter fence). we reached an agreement, but we never heard back from them. tbh, we’re no longer stressed about things like this. it’s their right to choose which clients to prioritize. but because that’s how it turned out, we’ve decided to exclude them from our next plans for renovation and construction. it’s really difficult to find reliable contractors. but we’d rather face delays than settle for someone who doesn’t see us as a priority.

thankfully, we were able to tap a contractor who came highly recommended by our neighbors. he dropped by this morning to inspect the damages. sadly, since another storm is on the way, they won’t be able to start just yet.

it’s honestly worrisome, especially since we’re talking about our home, and the kind of budget needed for everything isn’t something we can just pull out of nowhere. but Thank You, Lord, because even in the middle of all this, i can’t help but think of the many good things:

🌸 our home sheltered us through rainy seasons and intense summer heat for the past two years+

🌸 it withstood countless aftershocks since we moved in

🌸 our neighbors are kind enough to recommend trusted contacts

🌸 although repairs are needed, it’s not yet at an emergency level. and we trust our home to hold on a little longer until it’s safer to begin

🌸 we still have electricity, water, and internet. the essentials that help keep things running smoothly at home.

🌸 we feel incredibly blessed because now, we have better access to information on home care. we also have the means and energy to start addressing these things.

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ

yesterday, i was able to rearrange some things in our living and dining areas. the sun came out for a bit too. just a brief passing moment. but enough to spark a sense of hope and excitement for the outdoor activities and movement we’ll get to enjoy again soon🤞🏻

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‘Your mind is a garden and your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers, or you can grow weeds.’

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06.23 two years ago yesterday, we accepted the keys to our home 🏡

since then, life has been nothing short of amazing. not because it’s been free from struggles, but because we’ve been rooted in a space that radiates healing energy. it’s only been two years, yet it already feels like a lifetime filled with meaning and growth.

when it comes to home improvements, we’re still far from the vision we have in mind. but just having this haven where we can layer new dreams on top of old ones is more than enough for now.

this home is one of the things i want to revisit during my social media break. i will start journaling our home, its corners, stories, and the love that continues to grow here 🌱

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One of the things I’d love to start this year is working on our home blog. Ngayong usap-usapan namin yung retrospection para sa recent home improvements, mas naeencourage ako bigyan ng space yung documentation. It’ll be tough as I’d be writing from memory, but I’m sure it’ll be fun.

I’d like to keep track of our experience para mabalik-balikan namin anytime.

Deciding to own a house is exhilarating, pero kaakibat nun yung mga struggles & responsibilities na kailangan talaga pag-isipan mabuti.

It’s a long and winding road, and we’ve learned a lot and experienced many firsts.

Napalawak talaga nito yung perspective namin sa maraming bagay. It also made us aware of our relationship with money, anong klaseng lifestyle yung afford namin, anong ideal and how much resources ang kailangan paghandaan. It exposes us to a bunch of things we weren’t aware of, especially the riskiest and scariest ones.

I’ve been sharing bits and pieces of the comforting moments we experience ever since we moved into our own home, but at the same time, I’d also love to keep record of the other side of it to keep us grounded, to serve as a reminder that we’ve come a long way to get here.

And there are still too much to look forward to ❤️

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Our very first TV

Mula nung magsama kami ni Lance, never naging priority yung pagbili ng TV. May other means naman kasi to watch and play. Tapos nakaexperience naman kami magka-TV mula sa mga nirentahan naming furnished units dati.

Nung maiturnover sa amin yung bahay, hindi pa rin namin siya priority. Meron naman kasing decent monitors si Lance tsaka HDMI, yun lang, solve na.

Pero ngayong taon, habang unti-unti na nga kaming nakakapagpondo para sa mga kagamitan, napagkasunduan namin na mag-allot na rin ng budget for it.

Last year pa namin nabili yung TV cabinet. For inspo ba. Habang wala pang pambili ng mismong TV. Testing muna kung saan ipupuwesto, imagining kung anong ideal size at pagtatantsa ng layo sa upuan habang nanonood at naglalaro. Si Lance bahala magresearch about sa mga ito at kung anong ideal specs.

At grabe, ang sarap pala sa pakiramdam. Dati, patingin tingin lang kami sa loob ng SM Appliances at Abenson branches. Nagpapanggap na bibili, kumukuha ng flyers, at nag-iinquire ng payment terms at kung may sale.

Pero kanina, nung ginawa namin yung mga steps na yun, hindi namin mapigilan magtinginan maya’t maya habang dini-demo yung napili naming unit. Tapos nung iuuwi na namin siya, hindi kami magkandaugaga sa kung anong klaseng pag-iingat ang dapat gawin hanggang sa maipasok namin sa pamamahay namin. Lalo pa nung siniset up na namin hahaha. Takot na takot kaming mabangasan.

Finally, may TV na kami! 🥰

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Looking back, I never imagined I’d be able to cook decent meals because my Mom always do the cooking. I helped a lot with buying and preparing the ingredients, though, so I wouldn’t say my skills were non-existent.

Over the years, assisting her and watching her work in the kitchen taught me some simple recipes enjoyed in almost every Filipino household.

When I moved out, I realized how privileged I was to have someone else carry the mental load of meal planning while I focused on school and work. Juggling both responsibilities can be overwhelming, and it’s almost always tempting to rely on eating out or ordering takeout.

However, those conveniences often feel unhealthier.

Relocating to a new environment pushed us to create better habits. Limited dining options encouraged us to cook at home more often. While we miss the familiar dishes we used to enjoy, this longing has inspired us to recreate similar experiences in our own kitchen.

Tonight’s dinner, inspired by Bag O Shrimps, was one of those moments 🫶🏻

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Last week, we bought a wardrobe cabinet from San Yang (Furniture Republic). Got this at 10% off after signing up for lifetime VIP membership fee of 250 pesos. All of our purchases moving forward will also be discounted at 10% off.

From moving out as renters to moving in as new homeowners, we settled for grocery boxes, maleta, sako bags, durabox, laundry baskets, and flimsy sampayan for all our clothes. Madalas pa nga, basta kung saan pwede ipatong na surface 🥺 It’s been a struggle to take out clothes kasi wala pang maayos na lagayan. Marami kaming clothes na hindi na nagagamit for a while now.

Dahil dito, narealize ko na we only needed a few pieces to mix and match. Ang laki ng natipid namin from this—beyond laundry expenses and savings from not buying new ones, ang laki ng natipid naming oras—nabawasan yung oras sa pagload ng labada, pagsasampay, at pagtutupi; nabawasan yung oras sa pag-iisip sa kung anong susuotin. Admittedly, I used to be a hoarder of clothes (story for another time), kaya big win ito especially for me.

While hunting for a cabinet design, we realized the inefficiency of our MBR. Awkward yung placement ng windows, AC slot, and doors for both the entryway and to the tiny balcony. And nung nagkaroon na kami ng bed, we decided not to fill-up the space further with additional big furnitures. I also don’t want to use the other bedroom as a walk-in closet kasi may ibang use siya soon and currently, work office ni Lance yun. The only suitable option we have is this corner in our narrow hallway. Labas siya ng bedroom pero okay na rin. It’s situated across the full-length mirror. Unang kita ko pa lang dito, suwak na talaga. Siguro more than 5x din kaming nagpabalik-balik sa Southwoods kakatingin at kakasukat. And through all those times, pareho naming navisualize na para sa bahay talaga namin ito. Kaya nung finally may budget na at available pa rin, kinuha na namin.

Kahapon siya nadeliver and today inassemble. When the assembler went off, I noticed na hindi pantay yung doors. Mej asar ako, hindi sa staff na nagbuo, kundi sa takbo ng utak ko. Hindi naman ako annoyed, pero uncomfortable ako at aware akong mahaba-habang journey ito bago ako makaget-over dito (tested na nung nag DIY install kami ng curtain rod sa salas). I shared my fixation with Lance and he hugged me while saying:

Congratulations! Ngayon alam na natin kung anong struggle ng parents natin at para saan yung nakatuping papel sa isang corner ng aparador.

Nagtawanan kami. And I thanked him because I felt comforted. It somehow made me feel better. The joy I felt after finally having our own cabinet was almost robbed off instantly. Buti na lang I don’t have to deal with this alone and I was reminded how long we waited for this and now it’s here, I am stoked 🥹

Anyway, may cabinet na kami. Excited na ako mag-sort ng damit 🌱