Showing posts with label homeliving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeliving. Show all posts

Monday, April 11, 2016

Our Praying Corner


This is our praying corner. It's actually just a tall drawer counter top located on the corner of our living room, but we think it will suffice. The polished high-gloss drawer is of Vinotti brand, which is not the most expensive brand out there, but definitely the most 'glam' furniture in our house, which mostly consisted of mix-and-match of different furnitures from various brands. In other words, any frugal finds that we managed to secure for the home!

Some family dedicated a spesific corner or even an entire room for the praying nook. We picked this corner for some reasons.

The first one is practicality. Basically it's the only place where we could build one without any renovation. While having a special place for family worship would be amazing, the main point is to HAVE a praying corner without procrastination of saving the money to build one, not to mention the renovation time, etc. It's not a Pinterest project for us, and what we have now already served its purpose. There is room for improvement, of course, but I would urge anyone who plans to build a praying corner to focus on the reason WHY you want one in the first place, and its purpose for your home and family, instead of aiming for perfection. For us, this is it. We've got everything that we need.

The second one, is of course, as I mentioned, the drawer that we used for praying corner is the most beautiful piece of furniture in our living room, and one with the highest elevation, which could be easily seen from every corner of the room. Surely a praying corner deserves the best spot in the room, rite!

The third one, we spend a lot of time as a family in the living room, which also serves as a dining room and an extension of Michael's playing room. It's the biggest area of our home, where we converse a lot as a family, though it's not a quite place with all the comings and goings, TV, DVD player, table, Michael's toy chest, etc.; for us, it's just a perfect place for the purpose. Other family might treat the praying corner as an altar, a place to pray, but to us, it serves as a daily reminder. More often, we pray in the bedroom instead of near the praying corner. Also at the table before meal times, of course.

In the morning, before leaving for work, we grabbed something to eat from the table and we will see the praying corner. During the day, Michael will always see it, as well, while he is playing. In the evening, when we come home from work and sit down to eat dinner, we will see the praying corner again. It's a daily, constant reminder for us to pray, to spend time with the Lord.

We placed some icons on the praying corner.

A standing crucifix, which we got during Church bazaar. We spent a long time looking for the 'perfect' standing crucifix. During our trip to the Vatican and Assisi, we scoured the shops looking for one, yet we could not find anything suitable. It's just apt that we happened to stumble upon 'the one' literally on our backyard, aka the Church backyard! The crucifix had served on numerous Friday Mass at my office, so it definitely has a good vibe, with all the praying and worship happened around it!

A statue of Mother Mary that we received as a wedding gift. She also graced the altar for Friday Mass several times.

An empty Cana wedding wine and the prosperity ceramic bowl that I got from Holyland trip. The wine was especially bought to be consumed on our wedding day to remind us of the first miracle that Jesus did. The bowl was the first decorative object that I specifically bought for our home and it had a special lesson for me. The bowl represented the multiplication of bread and fish by our Lord Jesus Christ, yet the chapel to commemorate the event, which signifies prosperity and how Lord provides for all of us, was the simplest and humblest place of worship that I saw in all Holy Land! It didn't boas intricate architectural designs nor opulence, it doesn't scream wealth and glam, it was a serene little place. So there you go, glam does not equal wealth, in money and faith alike.

Then we also have a small orange candle that was Michael's baptism candle, and a bigger red candle with Our Lord prayer emblazoned on the glass container - a gift from Hubby, which means a lot to me.

Everyday, we see this praying corner, as it calls gently to us that above all the business and importance of day to day matters, family matters, work matters, financial matters, politics, tax, government, gossip, materialism, stuff, and everything, there is a high beauty and power out there that is forever and untainted by all the worries of life here on Earth.

That as we should live well for our lives here on Earth, let's not forget to prepare for our forever home in Heaven.
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Monday, February 16, 2015

Motherhood Is (Not) Easy


Some time ago, Marissa Mayer said that baby is easy, and the nation was in an uproar. She received a lot of hate comments, too. Well, I don't think baby is easy, but I won't say that it's the most difficult thing in the world, either. Some might argue that a child is assigned by God to be our responsibility. Yes. True. But isn't that the case with everything that God gave us? Like... Well, our job. Our role as a daughter. A wife. A teacher. A doctor. A secretary. A homemaker. A nurse. The planet Earth. All things are gifts from God, that we should take care of and be responsible for. Well, of course, family is one thing from God that we love most and we deem as most important. Well, second, after God, of course.

Comparing raising a child to let's say, leading a nation, is pointless. It's like comparing Jane Eyre to Gone With The Wind. Which one is better between the two books? Who can say? I can say that raising children is the most difficult thing I've ever done. I can say it's the most difficult thing for me. But I cannot say that raising children is the most difficult thing in the world, because everybody in the world has different experience. Have I ever lead a nation? Or running a multibillion dollar company? Nope. So I cannot say that raising a child is more challenging than Obama's job or Marissa Mayer's job. I've never been in their shoes. Only they can say whether or not raising their children is the most difficult thing in the world. ^__^
  
With that spirit in mind, allow me to share with you some things that I have learned being a relatively new mother...


Agenda and to-do-list is a must


My life is so much more detailed now with a full-time job, a husband, a baby, and a home to take care of, with little tasks scattered all over the week, month and year. I have secretaries at the office to remind me what meetings I need to attend, I don't have one for my home and family life. Well, this agenda is my secretary. Sort of. Every night I list things to be done the next day, whether professional or personal, and scratch them off once they're done. I found that without to-do-list, I tend to forget things - like bringing extra snacks for work that I don't need to buy them from the overpriced convenience store - and the day turned out to be not-very-productive. Also, I have more peace of mind and brain capacity to think of other more important things when I know that I don't need to remember my to-do-list in my head, because they all are already written in my agenda. And yes, I used 2014 agenda in this picture because my 2015 one is not as cute as this one. Basically I just use any notebook available for my agenda. Nothing fancy.



Healthy groceries are no longer a future plan. It's already here!


My grocery list used to consist of frozen food and MSG-packed snacks like potato chips, cheetos, and instant noodles. Now take a look at my cart! It's packed full with seasonal fruits and vegetables: bananas, tomatoes, papaya, avocado, watercrest, carrots, apples, pears, potatoes, broccolis. I bought ground chicken meat, fish, chicken liver and chicken feet to make broth and homemade food for my baby. I cook fresh baby food everyday from scratch, using a crockpot. Yes, chicken feet and liver. Babies, and adults too, eat them in Asia. I was raised on them when I was a baby. I use chicken feet to make broth. This is not America. ^__^  On occassion I bought ground beef, but red meat is expensive and not very healthy, so I rarely cook beef. My son eats two kinds of veggies everyday: green and red. And one kind of fruit. Fresh fruit is kind of expensive, so I buy any kind of fruit that is in season with lower price, instead of "exotic" fruit. They're just as tasty and nutritious!



I read stories about Bambi and Panda about three times a day, at least three times a week. It's been going for ... well, about eighteen months now. You do the math.


I read stories to my son on a regular basis. It's one of resolutions, as well, as you can read here. He has two favorite books, one in English, one in Indonesian. I think he has memorized them, because I get creative and change the sentences, he will protest and make funny protesting voices. Mommy is bored with Bambi, but Michael is obviously has not.


Cuteness and motherhood do go hand in hand.

See this picture? You are never too old to carry a Hello Kitty purse. Never. I am a mid thirty mom with a child, and I still rock cute things like cartoon T-shirt, sequin, and Hello Kitty! They make Mommy happy, and when Mommy is happy, she can function soooooo much better!



A selfie-lover is what a selfie-lover does.

I love taking pictures of myself with my iPhone. Whether in front of a mirror or not. Being a mother and carrying a child in one hand have not changed that. In fact, I incorporate Baby Michael into that habit. We are making memories! Haha!


Me-time reduced by 50% once I got married. After baby, it reduced even more to almost non-existent.

Baby Michael sleeps at eight everynight. But after that, my "big baby" needs attention, too. On rare evenings when he sleeps in early, I can steal some me-time for myself. Like, eating a bag Gardetto's on my own. Gardetto's original was my favorite snack in the US. I almost flipped over when I saw them at a high-end grocery store downtown. They're pretty expensive here, so I only bought one. And sorry, Hubby, when it comes to this overpriced, long-coveted, long-missed Gardetto's, it's one woman's for her own! So I waited until Hubby fall asleep before having my late-night affair with my Gardetto and curl up in front of my laptop reading my favorite blogs! ^__^
 
You CAN stay fashionable after babies. You just have to make an effort for it, and being smart about it.

I prepare one week outfits on Sundays. I start with the purse, then I organized my outfits and accessories around it. It's easier and only takes about twenty minutes. Sometimes I will carry the same purse for two weeks in a row, so I don't need to change accessories and shoes. It's a big time saver and keeps my mornings sane and fun, knowing full well that I'd already laid out what I was going to wear for the whole week.  Also, Hubby loves it when his wife looks well groomed and presentable. It doesn't have to be so difficult, expensive, nor time-consuming to look nice everyday. Your family deserves to see Mommy looking her best.



You can live your child with a sitter once in a while to have date nights with your husband. The children will turn out fine. 

Hubby and I have date nights about once a month. It could be Satuday evening, or it could be Friday night. This is a picture of us after dinner on Valentine's day last year. We believe it's important to keep the sparks and romance alive in our marriage. Marriage itself is hardwork, so it needs recharging once in a while! If you feel guilty leaving your child with a sitter, do tell yourself that one of the best gifts you can give to your child is a stable, loving, strong, and happy marriage. It's true. My parents give me that.



I love Hello Kitty and puppies and think they are super cute. But not as cute as the scenes I captured here...



A picture of topless Calvin Klein underwear model? Sexy. But as I am now a mother, this picture here is much much sexier... Yep, a father who is willing to spend time playing with his child is ultra sexy!




Even when you carry a strapping one-year-old boy who gets bigger and heavier everyday, you can still wear heels.

Some mothers still wear stilettos. I go with shorter heels or wedges, because it's more realistic - and less painful - for me.


So, is motherhood easy? Well... sometimes it is, sometimes it's not.
Is it enjoyable? Well... when the baby is being sweet and cuddly, yes it is very enjoyable to kiss him and hug him and squeeze him. When he screams and yells and hits your face with his little hands (it ouch even if he's small), and spits out his food on you and refuses to eat for two straight days, it's not so enjoyable.

But is it beautiful? It definitely is. Very, very beautiful. And I will not change having my son with anything and everything in this world.


 
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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Week in Recap: Ordinary Life

I am sad to say that Hubby's auntie, Aunt Marie, who I wrote here was battling cancer, has passed away yesterday on Monday. Please, kindly pray for her soul and for the family who is left behind, especially her children: Pram and Sheila. This is a truly mourning period for Hubby's family; with two of the youngest sisters/aunties in the family passed away within the period of less than a month.
 
Hello, Friends!
 
Last week had been a rough week and I've been really stressed out and running around like a headless chicken. Many arguments as well between Hubby and I, both of us were really drained last week, but thankfully, all have been resolved and we kissed and made up. Hurray!! Well, they say that a ship was not built to avoid the storms of the high seas, rite. So is marriage is not built just to withstand the good times, but also the bad times; sweet disposition as well as bad mood and fights. That's what makes it a covenant not to be taken lightly!
 
On top of the many tasks needed finishing last week, we also got cheated by the store where we usually buy building material for our renovation project, named KendiM*s. She sent more expensive material for lesser quantity without notifying us, with an excuse that she is out of the cheap brand and she was trying to "help" us. Help us! She could just have sent a quick text telling us she was out, and we would have said OK anyway. When I said so, she said in a very impolite tone to take our business elsewhere, which I quickly reply "You dang sure we will!" This kind of dishonesty and rude attitude we will not tolerate, so no more business with that store! I was determined to find another, more honest, store to take our business to. And glad to say, we did find a better store with even better prices. Ha!
 
But looking back, I realized that even during the extremely strenuous week, we still had many delightful, lovely moments sprinkled on top, middle, bottom and all around. ^__^ Allow me share with you, Friends, also as a reminder that even in the middle of the darkest pit, God still sends us small love packages tied with a pretty ribbon everyday!
 
About food...
 
On the weekend we decided to heat up some frozen dim sum that Hubby bought from a coworker. The dim sum came in packages of ten each, and overall they are way cheaper than if we go eat them at restaurants. We had siaomay and fried shrimp tofu. Hubby had some black coffee with a piece of chocolate biscuit with cream filling. I said dim sum is supposed to be eaten with green tea, but Hubby argued that it's Chinese tradition. In peranakan culture (mixed of Chinese and Malay culture, common in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia), people have dim sum and coffee at Kopitiam or CoffeeShop. Delicious!

 
 
Remember the little ice cream parlor Hubby and I went on the evening of Hubby's birthday? We went there again in the afternoon and this time, I made sure that I took lots of pictures! The place is really cute and it reminds me of my parents' home in my hometown. Lind's in an ice cream chain originated in my hometown, but they have opened several branches in other cities, including Jakarta where I live now. The interior and furniture is pretty similar to that of my parents' home: heavy wooden chairs and tables, some with marble tops, heavily gilded mirrors, huge Chinese vases, antique objects and ornaments and clocks. Ow, and lots of lots of greens that add more homey and secluded, serene ambiance.
 
 The wooden furnitures and lush greens makes this place feels nice and cozy.
 
 
For me: Tazmanian devil. A mix of chocolate and moccha ice cream with hazelnuts, chocolate sauce topping, and cherry on top. Yummy and pretty looking, rite!
 
 
For Hubby: Praline Macchiano. I guess it has lots of coffee ice cream in it. Not sure of the mix. As usual, my cofee lover husband ordered coffee to go with the ice cream. Look at the cute sugar sachet! I love pretty details like these!
 
 
 
About Michael...
 
Remember the wine and coffee station that I created for Hubby's post family birthday party? It was made of a small cart that was used for Christmas parcel, and now I repurposed the cart as a toy for Michael. He pretends that the cart is a train, and the dolls are his passenger. He has such a good time pushing the "train" around the house and made little "choo choo" noises, and collecting payment from the passengers! He really enjoys the game. I don't often buy Michael new toys. He just play with everyday things around the house. Even his dolls are not new, except one Winne The Pooh doll that I got him from grocery store, they are old dolls of mine or gifts that I laundered clean and gave him to play with. The reason is not just about being frugal with money, but also with space. I don't want toys invaded his playing space. Besides, I want him to be creative with whatever resources he has around, and appreciate his things. We don't want him growing up with the notion that he can ask for whatever newest game is out there and we will buy them for him.
 
Actually, the main reason I kept the cart is for him to play with. However, over the past year, the little cart had served as his lunch station, cleaning supply container, and wine corner station! The time is just right to turn this little cart into "new toy", since Michael is now way too tall to push his walkers. The cart is the perfect height for him now.
 

 
 
 
Michael has also learnt to put trash in the proper place: the trash can.
 
 
Some might be horrified to see this picture of a toddler playing with Johnnie Walker boxes, but let me assure you that they are empty boxes. Hubby loves wine, so we do have a modest wine collection at home, but we don't keep any other alcoholic beverages. However, a part of my job is the Penthouse office, so sometimes I bring home empty beverage boxes for play or storage. The boxes are pretty sturdy because they are used to keep breakable bottles and they are very pretty, as well. Michael plays with them like legos, he organized them like blocks.
 
 
 
Rrr... then he made them a stool of some sort. ^__^
 
 
Michael is terrified of doctor's visits. That's why I had an idea to get him a doctor toy set so he can familiarize himself with the idea of doctor and immunization. While playing, I can also explain to him in simple words and sentences that doctors are not bad people who like to hurt him, they are there to help him, to heal him, and to avoid him of getting sick. This is the set I bought him. The set is for toddler aged three and above, but it should serve its purpose. I kept most of them in the drawer so we won't be losing them, and just gave Michael the stetoscope, the scissor (Michael thought it was a nail clipper), and the syringe needle. Oh, and the phone. Michael loves the phone, and having an old rotary phone is a new and interesting idea to him, since he only knows click and dial phone, or modern cell phones.
 
 
Michael loves his new toy set! As result, his dolls, Mommy and Daddy, and the childminder are all turned into "patients". Here he is, looking so serious playing with stetoscope as dr. Lung M.D., with his "patients". Well, I'm not sure if our next doctor's visit will be more "peaceful", but it's worth a try. Besides, he's having a good time playing!
 
 
About winding down afterhours...
 
Last week was pretty tense, that Hubby had trouble sleeping. To try to induce him to a good night sleep, I tried a simple trick of aromateraphy. I don't like wearing perfume, but I have some body spray that people gave me as gifts. I usually share my gifts with the girls at the office, but I keep some things for myself, like this bodyspray from BodyShop called Pink Grapefruit. I have another one called Japanese Cherry Blossom, but this grape one is Hubby's favorite of the two, so I used this a lot last week. I sprayed our linen and his pillow as well as the curtain, and the subtle sweet scent permeated the bedroom, created peaceful and serene mood in preparation of a good night sleep. I don't know if it's a mental thing, like you were telling yourself "Oh, I'm using this so I will sleep well tonight", but it worked! If you have some trouble sleeping, you should try it. Tell me in the comments if you have tried something like this before and whether or not it worked for you. It worked for me and my husband.
 
 
Hubby's reading all includes his cell phone. He reads e-books and news on tab and Samsung Galaxy Note before bedtime. I prefer to read real books or blogwalking or watching YouTube videos on my laptop before bedtime. My eyes are not keen to small screens like cell phones or even tablets. This kind of companionable time is what we have on most evenings before we go to bed. Sometimes we watch DVD or just talk.
 

 
I know it's not good to snack before bedtime, but sometimes I like to indulge in moderation! These "worms" are cheese sticks with flour, egg and garlics and they are just devilicious! I try to keep my portion small, though.
 
About small projects...
 
One of my last week's to do list is to organize the top of my main bedroom fridge. I have two baskets there: one white with pink roses that I got at a Daiso store (kind of Japanese style Dollar Store), and the other is a brown box with green birds embroidered on it that used to be... guess what, a parcel container! I keep rolls of wrapping papers and aromateraphy sticks in the first basket, and all sort of junks in the other. I used to have used grocery plastic bags to line the room trash can, papers, odds and ends, my hairdryer and straightener, snacks, my glasses and glasses boxes, and lots of junks. Basically I threw everything that didn't have a home there in the basket! It looks ugly and overflowed!
 
One of the small projects that I wanted to tackle last week was organizing this basket. I threw away things that belonged in the trash can, then tidying up a bit. This is the before and after picture. Now I can see everything in the basket without having to dig around! It looks much nicer too, sitting on top of the fridge.
 
Small projects like these make me feel accomplished and good about myself. It takes about five to ten minutes, so I don't need to dedicate a big chunk of time to do it, otherwise I will feel overwhelmed and choose not to do it at all! If you need an extra mental boost and motivation to get organized, try doing small projects like these. Tackle one or two each week, and you will get the whole room organized before you realize. I also decoupaged some used cardboard boxes with wrapping papers, which I will share in another post.
 
 
 
About life at the office...
 
One of the ladies was celebrating her birthday last week, and she ordered pizza for us. Here we are, with the birthday girl!
 

 The pizza went pretty fast!
 
 
About last week's favorite Bible verse...
 
An antidote to keep me thinking of positive, beautiful thoughts, despite the ultra stressful week that made me want to scream.
 

 
 
About whatever is lovely...
 
 
I love being a woman! There are so many lovely little things available for women today. Little things and big things that make us happy. I enjoy blue clear sky, a walk in the park with my son and husband on Saturday mornings, walking fast, cold drink in the middle of a hot day, and many many more. But I want to highlight some girlie stuff that add some sparkle to my week!
 
This lovely flower necklace...

 
 
This blue beaded pouch that used to be my coin purse, but now I turned into a cell phone pouch for my phones, because my old one is no longer proper to carry around.
Inside I keep a lipbalm, my phones of course, a lipgloss, a scrunchie, and a USB. I carry this pouch with me all day, every minute of the day, literally, during my working hours. That's why it contains more than just cell phones!
Speaking of lipbalm, I started on this SilkyGirl magic pink lip balm last week. I used to wear this for a long time, then I switched to another product from SilkyGirl, but didn't like it. Now I'm back to using magic pink. It's the kind of balm that looks sheer but leaves a fresh pink tint on your lips. It moisturizes as well as beautify. Very practical to wear at the office! I don't need to reapply lipbalm AND lipstick every hour or so.
Aaaaand.... as if a continuation of His words to think about anything lovely, God gave me this lovely sign on Friday, to close the exhausting week. I was walking around the mall on Friday evening just to unwind for half an hour or so before going home, and I saw this sign. I stopped.
 
Bath & Body Works is coming to Jakarta, to the mall close to where I live!!!!! I love the BBW three wicked candles so much, but you cannot get them in Indonesia, so I'm super super excited. I just hope they won't jack up the prices like they did with Payless Shoe Store. Here in Indonesia, Payless is not cheap!
 
 
Last week's to do list:

  • Start to read and contemplate on Hebrews part of the Bible.
  • Start to read one new book. I read a comic book and finished it, haha!
  • Read Chapter 8 of Kitami Masao's "The Swordless Samurai: Friends and Family", a historical story of how a Japanese "warrior" who could not fight rose into power and unified all of Japan with his power of mind, interpersonal skills, and shrewdness.
  • Renovation project week 10: putting concrete for the 2,5th floor, putting in plumbing system and door frames.
  • Updating iTunes on my laptop, so I can upload files from my iPhone.
  • Fix the broken dining chair and Michael's nursery window latch.
  • Laundry old dolls.
  • Grocery shopping.
  • Organize the main bedroom fridge and top of the fridge.
  • Organize the coffee station corner.
  • Organize my personal facebook pictures.
  • DIY: decoupage two book cases from used A4 paper cardboard boxes.
  • Saskia's wedding.
  • Visit next neighborhood park with Michael and Hubby on Saturday.

This week's to do list:

  • Read and contemplate on Hebrews 2.
  • Start reading Gary Thomas: Sacred Marriage.
  • Read Chapter 8 of Kitami Masao's "The Swordless Samurai: Friends and Family", a historical story of how a Japanese "warrior" who could not fight rose into power and unified all of Japan with his power of mind, interpersonal skills, and shrewdness.
  • Renovation project week 11: finishing walls, looking for gate maker, start buying floor tiles, looking for other stores to buy building materials; just in case.
  • Updating iTunes on my laptop, so I can upload files from my iPhone.
  • Organize the china closet.
  • Organize our book shelves.
  • Continue organizing my personal facebook pictures.
  • Buy, wrap and send wedding gift for Hubby's cousin.
  • Send caregiver care package to Bandung.
  • Looking for new childminder. Our current one is pregnant.
  • Write one fashion post.
 
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