Home For 2010

The best way to start the New Year is to make you home a better place to live in. Let’s start with our cupboards. Have you noticed that there are condiments and spices that is now way beyond their expiration date? What are you waiting for? Throw it away, NOW! Are there some chipped off mugs or broken tea cups? This kind of things should have disposed even before the year starts. You know that in Feng Shui, there is a saying that you cannot have something new if you are still keeping the old ones? Like if you are longing for a new LCD TV and yet you are not disposing your old TV that is not working, you won’t have it. Personally I don’t believe it (though there are some feng shui principles that I practice) but the thing is, it is very logical to throw away things that are not working.

Work out your kitchen, make every thing looks new and shiny. Redecorate it and reinvent it. For us home makers, kitchen is the most useful thing. Here in my house, I work on the dinning table, I prepare our dishes on the dinning table. I serve my family with the help of my kitchen. It is just right to make the kitchen more organize and more homey. If you own your house, you can repaint the area or you can also change the counter tops or add some new racks. If you are like us, renting, you can try re organizing the pots and the your casseroles. You can also add some racks for new acquired kitchen gadgets (from Christmas parties and family gifts).

You can also try reinventing your house, make it more natural and airy. Use natural products and warm colors like green and brown. Also add some plants inside the house, it keeps the air cleaner and as much as possible stay away from using chemical based air freshener and house fragrant. This year, I hope we can all make our home and lives a lot better than last year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR HOME MAKERS!

New Year On The Table

New Year at home or traditions on welcoming the new year and some oddities at home but how about New Year at the table?

They say that practicing some traditions can really bring you good luck the coming year. The most famous and most practiced table tradition is putting 13 kinds of  ROUND fruits in the table. I remember last year that even rare fruits (as long as it is round) are being old in the market. Even fruits that are not ripe or fruits that you cannot use afterward, are sold at unreasonable price. It was crazy but well, there is no harm in trying. The fruits signifies the months in the coming year and the extra one for extra luck. It promises good luck all year long, from January to December.

Another cool addition to your centerpiece are bowl of coins. I am not quite sure why but my in laws are very religious in doing this. Others also put some sticky candies as it signifies the relationship of the family in the coming year, stickier, the better. Got any? We would love to hear more suggestions on how to make or house luckier this coming year.

HAPPY 2010!

New Year At Home

It was  a tradition in my grandmothers house (I was my grandmother’s apprentice when it comes to house keeping, you will be hearing a lot of her here) is to spend New Year with all the lights on. I can’t remember the exact reason why but they say it can bring good luck. And I know you are looking for things that will help you in welcoming 2010 in the best and luckiest way.

Aside from jumping when the clock strikes twelve, my relatives used to throw out coins as a way of welcoming the new year. We, the kids, would enjoy picking them up. Then after that they would tell us to hunt down coins anywhere in the house. We would look around for coins and have fun doing so. They say that this can help you or will make your year full of money.

Another must do before the new year comes is to make sure that all the containers are full. The coffee container should have enough coffee. The jar with sugar should be filled. Even the rice dispenser should be over flowing with rice (of course). And there should be no dirty laundry (or minimal) on the laundry bin. I think it make sense a bit. Keeping your house organize at the start for the year is not an assurance that it will be organized the whole year but it is a good start.

Merry Christmas House

As I have said earlier, I did not indulge in decorating the house this season. I just put some garlands on our stair case and some on our window.I cannot put up the Christmas Tree as early (or as late) as today as Chico would tear it down. I will put it tomorrow, before Noche Buena.

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So far that’s what I got here, some garlands and balls on the stairs and the Christmas socks I sew last year. Though I already got four kids now, I was too busy to sew another sock. Santa will understand (I hope). But the kids loved it and now they call our house a Merry Christmas House.

Christmas Decors Suggestions

Red and Green again? A dash of gold won’t make any difference. You feel like you have been seeing this color every year and finally you decided to make a change. Pastels are a nice choice. Colors in shades of green and pink are a god combination. It might not look very Christmas but you can re use the decors, making it the most practical choice.

For this season and maybe two more Christmas, it seems that metallic gold and silver are gaining popularity. You can pair it with vibrant color like purple or lilac. You can also pair it with green. You can try decorating your staircase with garlands, balls in metallic gold and silver and then add small flowers in different shades of purple.

I wish I can share a pic for you but I did not have the chance to buy new decorations this year as I gave birth to my baby girl last November. And so we have to be contented with our red and green theme.