Pages

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Made Multiple Hearts

I like making heart quilts. I saw this really cute heart quilt on Pinterest a few years ago. It took me awhile to figure out the measurements, but that's part of the fun whenever I make a quilt project. For this summer I thought I'd make different quilt projects using this design. 





The least thing I like doing whenever I make quilt projects is measuring and cutting fabric! I know it could be easier if I use a roller blade to cut fabric, but I'm scared of the roller blade (plus I'm a bleeder). I also noticed that roller blades get dull easily. I'm probably not using it correctly, so I just cut fabric the traditional way (ruler + scissors). It takes longer, but it's a safer way for me. 

So I got busy the past week measuring and making multiple hearts. Here's how I made it:





After I'm done making multiple hearts I'll work on several cute projects. There's going to be a disruption though since we need to vacate the basement again for some repairs. It means I need to empty my craft room again. Gah.

Measurements available on my sewing blog: https://www.needleadventures.com/2024/03/make-multiple-heart-quilts.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Monday, March 18, 2024

Make Your Home Cooler

Summer is around the corner, but it's been quite hot already. We had issues with heat in our house and found ways to make our home cooler. We got advise from architects and contractors. The most important thing to do is to make sure that the heat trapped in your ceiling has a way to exit. 




Here are some tips I learned the past few years:

  • Cross ventilation - the key to having a cooler home is to make sure that the hot air is not trapped inside your house. Air should be able to flow across the house. 
  • Put vents on the eaves of the roof - an architect told us it is better to have bigger vents on the eaves of your roof. Even better if the whole stretch is a vent. The roof usually has a gap from the wall and that's how the hot air escapes out. 
  • Use high quality insulation for the roof - insulation is sandwiched between the roof and the trusses, so it's best done while your roof is being built. The only way to add insulation is to physically remove the roof again. So don't scrimp on roofing. 
  • Attach indoor vents to your ceiling - I see this more often in offices, but it can also be done for houses. If your home doesn't have windows across each other to allow cross ventilation, installing vents on your ceiling will help release hot air. 
  • Whirlwind - most commonly used in factories, but there are available smaller whirlwind for houses. We went for this since it's cheaper and less obtrusive than other solutions. We opted for the non-solar whirlwind since it's windy in our area. 
  • Tint your windows (window film) - this helps if you have a lot of windows for your home. If you're just building your home, you can order tinted windows/doors. If your home is built already, there are options to have this installed. Of course, don't use reflective window film for your house. Be nice to your neighbors. 
  • Use block out curtains or blinds - we use both for our home. We normally bust out the block out curtains when the temp starts reaching 32'C. I normally make our curtains at home, but have also used the block out curtains from Ikea. They're really effective. 
  • Air circulator - we recently discovered the availability of air circulators. We got one for our sala and have been happy with it. We like its timer feature the best and it also displays the room temperature. 
  • Airconditioner - I think this is the most expensive solution to make your home cooler.




There are so many options, best though to integrate plans to keep your house cool from the time you build your house. It will be cheaper and you won't have to find solutions post-construction. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Shared Crosses

Late again to post today. I had thought about this topic a week ago. I didn't want the post to become a sob story so I waited until I had better inspiration. 

We all bear crosses. It's different from person to person. My most obvious cross is my health. I carry other cross which I carry with my family. It was pointed out to me a week ago that there are crosses that you share with others. The pain you carry is also shared and understood by someone else. 

I strangely found comfort in that because for so many years I thought I was alone in it. I wasn't and knowing that someone shared the cross with me made carrying it lighter. I also know people are praying for me to bear it better. 

The inspiration today came from someone I just met. If my disabilities are invisible, his is very obvious. He told us about how he powered on when he was a student forced by a professor to go up 8 flights of stairs to attend class. He had to crawl up since the lift (elevator) in their building was oftentimes busted (and once for 2 straight months). His other professors would not require him to be physically in classes, but one pushed him and would mark him absent if he couldn't get to class. 

I could still go up a flight of stairs, but I would be short of breath by the time I reached the top. Him? He had to crawl up because of his disability. He put his mind towards finishing his studies and that's how I eventually met him many years later because I need his services. 

Seeing how he carried his cross like a champion was inspiring to me. It reminded me of the passage, "None of the trials which have come upon you is more than a human being can stand. You can trust that God will not let you be put to the test beyond your strength, but with any trial will also provide a way out by enabling you to put up with it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

God will only give you trials that you can bear. Look up, have faith and He's got your back. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Saturday, March 16, 2024

How I Use Coffee Grinds

Since we shifted to grinding coffee beans I had a happy discovery! We have a steady supply of coffee grinds we can re-use. I'm happy about it because I used to ask for grinds from Starbucks. Sometimes though someone beats me to it, haha. 




Here's how I use it:

  • Compost - I used to just toss the grinds with the filter in our compost bin. I mix it up with fruit peels and veggie discards. It's better to have a good mix, but I realized there's other uses for the coffee grinds (plus I don't want the worms to be too caffeinated.
  • Sun dried compost - after some research I found out that some of our plants like acidic soil (i.e. gumamela, bamboo and our bushes). I would usually place the grinds on a metal pan and leave it under the sun for a week. Then I add it to the soil. {I add tea leaves if Sweetie remembers to save it).
  • Cat repellant - there are many stray cats in our neighborhood and they love using the garden as their toilet. They don't like the smell of coffee though, so adding the dried coffee grinds (or stale beans) keeps them away. You have to add the grinds weekly though since what they don't like is the smell of coffee. 
  • Repel bugs - bugs, especially mosquitoes, also don't like the smell of coffee. You can just put some of the grinds in small cups and put it around the house. You may also make some coffee and use it as a spray (I use stale coffee if I have any). 
  • Orchid spray - I've tried this a few times. Used stale coffee grinds to make a spray. It certainly made my orchids happy. 

I add tea leaves when available.


Happy gardening!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Friday, March 15, 2024

Homemade Thai Style Iced Tea

We found a bag of ChaTruMue at Daiso. Promptly bought a bag so we could make our own Thai milk tea at home. I watched a few videos to see which would work best for us. The idea of mixing milk and condensed milk seemed like the best option. 





I didn't have the usual materials used to steep the tea traditionally, so I just used Sweetie's tea pot. I steeped 30 grams of tea with 750 ml of hot water. I let it steep for a few minutes and then let it cool. While waiting for it to cool, I mixed 1:1 of milk and condensed milk. I put it in a milk pitcher so we could use the leftover for coffee the next day. 

I made 2 glasses of milk tea for me and Miggy, the rest Sweetie drank as tea. It's pretty potent at 10 grams for 250 ml. If you don't want the kabog just use 7 grams of tea. We liked though how sharper the taste was compared to buying ready-made from restos. Here's a short video of how I made it:




*Tip: it's a good idea to mix a small can of condensed milk plus an equal amount of milk into a small milk jug. You can store it in the fridge. Just make sure to cover it and finish it within a week. We used it with coffee and it tastes like Spanish latter/kopi. No need for sugar :)

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Video City (the movie and memories)

Back in the day when watching movies and TV series/shows online wasn't available we'd rent videos from stores. There was ACA video, Video City and other mom and pop stores where you can rent. At first you'd rent Betamax tapes, then VHS tapes then eventually VCDs and DVDs. To be able to rent you had to become a member of the chain or store. The fee was pretty inexpensive (I just don't remember how much). 

Miggy and I used to rent videos weekly. We'd borrow movies and whatever he liked. When he grew up we enjoyed watching horror movies. Eventually cable TV became available, so we rented less and less. Buying your own VCD/DVD also became cheaper. I just remembered about that time because we recently watched the movie, "Video City, Be Kind, Please Rewind".




The movie brought us back to the 90s when the main character, Han (Ruru Madrid), time traveled to the 90s. He re-appeared inside of a Video City store and met Ning-ning (Yassi Pressman). It was fun to see how a video rental shop looked like back in the 90s. Rows upon rows of video tapes. I remember me and Miggy would go around the shop to look for interesting films to watch. 

I used to collect VCDs and DVDs. I kept it in a small tower that doubled as a picture frame. It was a really cute cabinet. Unfortunately, it went under water during typhoon Ondoy together with all my CDs. Since then I have collected sparingly. I've given away those I bought post-Ondoy. I just have some favorite shows from the 90s which I found in Australia (#budol).  

If you have time for some nostalgia, watch "Video City: Be Kind, Please Rewind" on Netflix. 

#BeKind #StaySafe


Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Pulmo Rehab Masterals, New Goals

My PT changed up my regime on my second pulmo rehab session. We started with spinning and I was able to do 9 minutes! I felt fine after and my stats quickly stabilized. I still had a bit of energy so we went ahead with the other exercises. 

By the 45th minute I was tired and just sluggishly tried to complete all the exercise. My PT though is really good, he can tell when I'm already tired. My perky self disappears and it takes longer for me to lift arms or legs, haha. I still luckily finished the session in one piece.




My problem is I only feel I'm really tired after a few hours. Delayed reaction! I felt really tired after eating lunch and I rested for a few hours. Since I felt better I thought I had the energy to plant some seeds. I just sowed the seeds since the pots already had soil. 

That was a bad move on my end. I should have just rested the whole day. I felt really, really tired after dinner. I went to bed early and I rested the next few days. We're still working on my endurance. We probably need to adjust the exercise and no overdo it. 

I really want to improve and be able to bike around our village. For now my bike won't bring me anywhere since it's a stationary bike, haha. I just need to work up to 5 minutes of spinning per day. 

#BeKind #StaySafe