TOPAZ HORIZON

Okay, back to virtual house viewing! May reader kasi na nagsabi sa akin na gusto niya yung mga houses na nahahanap ko sa YouTube so game, share ako again. Anyway, to the new ones on the blog, I used to share house viewings because of quarantine since March 2020, diba, and hindi lang pala ako ang nahilig sa mga home tours. I've been watching house videos a lot because I imagine what life is with a garden or I'm researching for renovation ideas, ganyan. I'm subscribed to Bryce Langston's Living Big in a Tiny House, Jenna's Tiny House, Giant Journey, Levi Kelly's Airbnb weekly tours, and Never Too Small. I watch their videos when I wash the dishes!

But last year, I discovered local real estate videos. I like the Jas & Mr. Hi Guys! husband-and-wife team kahit na hingal na hingal lagi si misis. I watch practically all their videos. And if naghahanap kayo ng bahay sa east (Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay), check niyo videos nila.

Okay, so this is my favorite house so far. 

You might be surprised na gusto ko siya kasi Loyal Readers know I love midcentury-modern styles. Yung huge walls of windows, wood floors, space, space, space! And yes I love that but I also love concrete. Yes, concrete! Lately lang, mga a few years ago when my husband and I watched "The World's Most Extraordinary Homes" on Netflix (and I blogged about how you know your life is complete) and saw some really nice houses that were made of simple gray concrete.

And this is one concrete house I found locally that I really like!

Watch, watch:

Love the big windows! Love the little room sa ground floor which will be my husband's office. I like the small but efficient kitchen. I like the big rooms. I have 3 kids but they like sleeping in one room so I think the big room in front will be their bedroom and the smaller room at the back will be their study room. And I love the master bedroom, too! The only thing I don't like is the fact that the bathrooms don't have windows. So if I buy this (I won't hehe), bubutasin ko yung bathroom walls para may sunlight and ventilation.

Anyway, this house is in Mission Hills, Antipolo. Malayo ba yun sa NCR? I heard maganda raw dun, like super. So now I'm interested to go visit that area!

And I really struggled with that! I felt, "That's it? That's all I'm meant to do with the rest of my life??"

But I also couldn't shake off this feeling that God was waiting for me. Waiting for me to do what??? And so with not much to do except to be a wife and mommy, I carried out the drudgery of cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, etc etc ad infinitum. "This is it. This is my life. Forever."

I wasn't unhappy and I didn't hate my life, but I was also looking outwards, looking at the greener grass of other women's gardens and wondering why mine was so dull. I didn't envy them. It was more like, "I know I can be more than this." It was very unhealthy.

Finally, I just unfollowed all the moms and glam women and decided, "If God wants me to be a wife and mommy, then I'll be a wife and mommy!" And I just enjoyed everything! I enjoyed being in dasters all day with my graying hair in a messy bun, washing dishes and shopping for toys on Shopee. I enjoyed chatting about Minecraft and Godzilla. I learned how to play chess, cut boys' hair, and find out how to be a YouTuber. I loved binge-watching TV shows with my husband. I fell in love with playing with hamsters. And my huge struggle was being my kids' teacher but I slowly learned to love that, too. My life was great before but now that I viewed caring for my family as my one and only purpose, it became so much better and more meaningful!

Also, I just need to say this: Shunning #mompegs on social media was a relief, like unbuttoning your jeans when you're full. Yes, my life was full but all that social media watching made me feel ill. But with no looking at others, I appreciated what I had because I couldn't compare myself to anyone else. For the first time in a long while, I didn't think I was left behind. I didn't think, "I'm not good enough. I'm not doing enough!" I was just me and I appreciated me! And I finally accepted that being "just" a wife and mommy was my biggest and most important job and role. If I can't appreciate that, why would God give me any more jobs and roles???

And right after that, after finally humbling myself and accepting His will, God said, "She's ready!!!"

So when I found this post in my inbox asking to be shared with you, my Loyal Readers, I decided to publish it. If it's relevant to me, it must be relevant to many of you, too! Here are 6 tips and strategies for better budgeting: 

For many Filipinos, personal finance and budgeting can be a struggle. This is true no matter the person’s age, marital status, or work experience may be. By following some practical advice, however, this struggle can be overcome.

Here are some simple yet effective tips and strategies so you can get better at managing your hard-earned money:

1. Know Where Your Money Is Going—Always

There are two important things you need to know to get a good handle on your personal finances: how much money comes in on a fixed basis from all sources and where this money is going. Do note two other crucial details here: fixed basis and all sources. This means that if you can’t reliably depend on an income stream (e.g., an occasional freelance project), it might be better to just leave it out of your overall budget planning.

The bottom line here is that when it comes to money, you need to be as accurate as possible. This minimizes the risk of going over budget and also gives you a clearer idea of where you can make adjustments with regards to your spending.

2. Make the Most of Financial Management Tools

When you’re dealing with numbers, it’s difficult to keep up with all the details if you just rely on your memory. You’ll likely miss an important detail sooner or later, which can mess up your entire budget.

Thankful, there are various financial management tools that can help you set up, plan, and stick to your plans. First and foremost would be your bank’s own mobile banking facility, which you can use to check your transaction history, pay bills, and transfer funds. You can also use mobile banking to secure your account by activating two-factor authentication.

There are also budgeting apps you can download, although even a basic spreadsheet program can go a long way when it comes to tracking your expenses. You may even prefer the traditional method of using a ledger. The key is to find a tool or method that best matches your needs and works for your style of planning.

3. Set Realistic Savings Goals

When you’re trying to save money, don’t fall into the trap of going full throttle right at the outset. You may end up pressuring yourself too much and end up burned out (and without any savings to boot). Instead, set realistic goals based on your current financial standing. If you’re starting from scratch, saving 10% of your income every month is more reasonable, achievable, and sustainable, right?

Then, after some time, you can scale up your goals. This can make you feel more accomplished and therefore more motivated to save and manage your money the right way.

4. Try the 50-30-20 Budgeting

Also called the rule of thumb, this budgeting scheme allocates 50% of your income for your needs, 30% for your wants, and 20% for savings. This is a pretty simple but solid structure, especially if you don’t have a lot of loans to pay off.

If you’re having difficulties with keeping the bills at or below 50% of your income, review where you can make adjustments. Maybe you can follow a 60‐20‐20 model instead. The most important thing is to set aside money to save and invest; remember to also give yourself the opportunity to enjoy your money reasonably.

5. For Minor Goals, Try Envelope Budgeting

Ideally, you should open separate bank accounts for your savings and emergency funds. Doing this will prevent mix-ups that can throw your budgeting off-course. For smaller, more short-term goals, however, a separate bank account may not be practical. In these situations, the envelope method may be a great solution.

The envelope method of budgeting literally makes use of envelopes. Simply label them accordingly (e.g., new smartphone, weekly coffee shop order) then regularly put away an amount inside (e.g. Php 100 per week). This simple budgeting strategy is quite effective for smaller purchases because you’ll have easy access to the funds. It also makes it easier for you to monitor if you’ve made enough for your minor financial goals.

6. Review and Update Your Budget Regularly

Last but certainly not least, make sure to check your financial status regularly and update your budget accordingly. There are a lot of things that can happen that can affect your plans, both good and bad. Maybe you’ve received a salary increase or you’ve paid off a loan; maybe you got sick and had to be hospitalized, so you had to dip into your emergency fund. Perhaps you’re planning to get married; if you already are, maybe you and your spouse would want a child.

All of these things can affect the way you spend and save money. Thus, it’s wise to update your budget and financial projects whenever there are such changes. It can save you a lot of headaches and confusion later on.


As you can see, these are pretty simple tips that are easy enough to implement. Of course, remember that everyone has different financial situations at any given time. Thus, don’t think of these as rules but rather as guidelines. The most important thing, in the end, is consistency. This, more than anything else, can help you achieve your financial goals.

Good luck!

I finally have one! I finally got an air purifier for our home! My husband and I have always wanted to get one since we became parents almost 12 years ago. We live along EDSA and also have allergies. But when we were shopping for one before at a baby store, the air purifiers we found were priced at 50K. Pricey! So we decided to just buy air conditioners with air filters.

Okay, background first. Acer is a brand we have at home but our Acer products are a notebook and a tablet, which are both used by my sons for school. So we have a relationship with this brand. So when I saw that they started a new consumer line focused on cleaning the air as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I didn't doubt the brand. I knew them already. I also liked that the new line is all about a technology that combines "Smart" and "Freshness" so that we can have a "Simple Pure’" lifestyle.

Acerpure is the name of their air treatment line of products. They have 3 now:
1. the acerpure cozy f1, which circulates air
2. the acerpure pro p2, which purifies air
3. the acerpure cool c2, which does both

We had to get the acerpure cool c2, of course!

Here's what I love about our new acerpure cool c2 air purifier and air circulator:

1. It's so beautiful! 

The sleek design makes it occupy very little space. It also looks like R2D2 and that's what the kids call it. I call it Wall-E. Its swivelling head reminds me so much of that little robot that did mighty things. And I feel our acerpure cool c2 is cute but mighty, too.

2. It cleans our air.
And this is the mighty thing it does! And why I really wanted it in the first place! This baby has the Ag+ Silver Coated Filter, which is certified to eliminate bacteria like E.coli and even viruses like the H1N1 and COVID-19. After our COVID experience a few weeks ago, this is the most important feature of all!

Its 4-in-1 HEPA filter removes not just fine dust particles and pollen, it also filters out pet hair. We have a rabbit and hamsters that shed their fur regularly, not a good thing for a family with allergies!

3. It deodorizes our air.
That's another thing I love - our home smells fresher. The acerpure cool improves indoor air quality through 10 million negative ions to get rid of harmful gases like formaldehyde. And I have three boys who like to fart a lot. I have pets that stink. I have neighbors who cook and the aromas of their cooking sift into our condo. And since we live beside a major highway, I keep our windows closed so our home sometimes smells stuffy. But with the acerpure cool c2, not anymore!