House and Home Archives - Page 71 of 81

Sipping a glass of wine, watching the fire dancing in the night..

Isn’t that what all couples think about they’re purchasing houses with fireplaces. Over the years, the fireplace has been used as the centre of many a social occasion. This is the part of the house where the family can spend hours being together. Playing games, eating, or just plain relaxing! Many people just love the idea of sitting in front of the fire doing nothing. There’s just a certain aspects of a real fire which make it very appealing; the wonderful glowing coziness that it produces adds a special something to a cold, dark winter’s evening!

Given the many types of fireplaces available, be it built from masonry or fabricated with marble or wood, you can be sure there is a fireplace out there that will suit everyone and every home and ensure you get the look that you’re after.

Most fireplaces either need flues or chimneys, for gas or wood fires anyway, but you’d probably struggle to find these on modern houses. With many new houses now using central heating, very rarely would you find built in fireplaces and chimneys. If you aspire to a quiet night of relaxation, sipping wine in front of a crackling fire, but your house lacks one, you might want to try looking into flueless gas fires. These are actually electric fires with a realistic flame. Again there are a wide variety of styles and price ranges to choose from and very much everything is up to your personal choice and budget!

There’s still something magical about the crackling warmth of a fire giving you that feeling of security just makes you want to snuggle up and sleep!

photo source

A shirt is just a shirt not until you bond with it, not until you experienced something special while wearing it, and when that time comes, it’s no longer just a shirt anymore. It becomes a part of your life. It feels like the memories were imprinted on the shirt. And whenever you wear that shirt or see it, it brings a smile on your face or a tear in your eyes.

What is your favorite shirt? Is it the one that you wore when your boyfriend then, husband now proposed? Or is something that you wore hours before you deliver your first born? Is it the shirt you are wearing when you got your first car or the one you’re wearing when you got your first job?

For a mom like me, all my shirts are my battle gear and the memories imprinted on all those, were usually a pile of dirty laundry (thoughts while doing the laundry), a spilled milk, tantrum tears, soiled diapers and whatever antics my kids do. I can’t even remember what I was wearing when my husband proposed to me or when I gave birth to my first born. I can still recall though what I was wearing when I cried a river upon learning that I am finally having a baby girl. But that shirt, it does not have an effect on me, at all, well because the reason why I cried so hard is with me already, saying I love you and I miss you all the time..

If I have to choose one favorite shirt, I will say my black shirt is the one. I love this shirt so much because it looks really good on me. Take some lbs off my tummy and not to mention (as my first born son said) mukha akong mayamanLOL.. seriously, whenever I wear it, I feel good about my self..

There are 3 occasions in my life that I was wearing this shirt and this one best describes or summarized what my life is all about..

The Shirt and The MOMMY

I got this shirt from a thrift shop and I wore it first last March for my first born’s Recognition Day. I was wearing the shirt as a very very proud mommy. My son finished grade 1 with flying colors. He is my first born son and though we have no favoritism in the house, I have admit that my first born holds a very special place in my heart. I know a lot of moms can relate to that. First born is really special.. this is when we experienced all the first.. the first pain of labor, the first lukso ng dugo, the first happiness of being a new mom, the first hardship of being a new mom..And until now, whenever this boy reach a certain milestone in his life, I cannot help but cry.. even as trivial as blowing his birthday cake candle (sniff).. So imagine how proud I am on that special day. I told my husband that he has to be the one putting his medal on.. not me for the mere reason that if I do that, I will end up crying in the stage.. on that day my son even commented how I look mayaman on that black shirt 🙂

The second time I wore this shirt was during the Pinay Mommies Community grand EB last April. I choose to wear that shirt because as I have mentioned above, it makes me feel good. That would be my first time to meet the moms that I felt connected with, that I come to love over the course of our Facebook interactions. Part of me was afraid that they would not like me so to shake off that insecurity, I put on this very nice shirt. Coincidentally, my Mareng Ruby is also wearing a black shirt (it’s not that hard to figure that out why we all love black shirt).

The third time I wore it was during the launching of Kapuso Foundation Celebrity Ukay Ukay. It was also my first time to meet Miss Mel Tiangco and it was a very touching experience. We learned a lot of things about their foundation and how they really work hard to help people in need. During the AVP, I was deeply touched and almost cried..

Miss Mel Tiangco gave us a message that I will always remember..and here is what she said during that event:

“What the kapuso wants to offer you is for your profession, for your hobby to be a medium of public service for our people. We assure you that every single centavo would go to the kapuso classroom project. Di ba ang sarap nun, ung enjoy ka na, nag ba blog ka na, pero alam mo deep in your heart nakaktulong ka pa sa kapwa mo? At ikaw ang nagiging daan ng pagmamahal ng kapwa mo sa kapwa nya. It is really the most fulfilling thing that can happen to professional likes us. Para ka maging instrument for God’s love and an instrument to a kapwa tao na nagmamahalan.”

The three occasion where I wore this shirt represents the three most important part of me.. as a mother, as a friend and as a person who is willing to give a hand. I love this shirt so much not just because it makes me feel better, I love this shirt so much because of the memorable events that happened while I was wearing it.. I love this shirt so much but I am willing to give it up in support of Electrolux Wash-athon. This is one of my treasured shirt, but I know that through Electrolux Wash-athon this shirt will be more than a mom, a friend or a human.. I know that this with this event, the shirt will give hope and faith. And This is my Shirt Story.

I love this shirt! Now I want someone else to love it too! I support the Electrolux Wash-athon Clothes Donation Advocacy.

About Electroux Wash-athon

This typhoon season and advent of climate change, when the need forevacuation centers has been part of our society’s disaster response protocol, Electrolux Philippines is rolling out its Wash-athon clothesdonation advocacy campaign in Luzon, Cebu and Mega Manila. This year,Electrolux created the laundry mobile, which will tour Luzon, Cebu and Mega Manila to pick-up the donation and wash the clothes of those who donated. The Electrolux Wash-athon invites people to donate their clothes for the benefit of typhoon victims and other people in need. In return,Electrolux will wash the dirty clothes of those who donated!