Building My Dream House

Perfect Bunk beds

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:23:00 +0000

I saw this picture on Facebook and I fell in love immediately with the idea of this bunk bed! Its so perfect and space saving and beautiful! I want one for my house! I just wish I can have rooms big enough for this on my dream house :)

Weekend Warriors: Front Yard Clean Up

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:31:00 +0000

If you look at this post, and this post, you will see that my house overlooks a nice farm and a view of the mountains. But the after Ondoy clean-up, most of the mud from the houses were dumped on the lot in front of our house, just across the perimeter fence. Over time, it obstructs the view and has grown lots of weeds and looks ugly!So one weekend, the weekend warriors strikes again for operation front yard clean up! My husband, armed with a shovel, a knife and a heavy pointed metal something, decided that our front yard deserves a make-over.I helped too, by pruning the weeds and cutting the grass. Then I planted this malunggay cutting from a nearby tree to add as bakod and for future cooking needs! While we were doing this, the owner or caretaker of the land in front of us was harvesting and shared with us some fresh pechay, perfect for our lunch of Nilagang Baboy! Here is my mom, posing with her pechay!
And after several hours, and when all that we ate for our breakfast has been burned from all that hard work, here is how our front yard looks now! Tada!

Its not much to look at right now, and yes, it rained and we had to continue with our work while it was raining and nobody was complaining because it was fun, but it will soon look a lot better. We did it last January 8 and since we will go back to the house this coming weekend, we just hope that it would look a lot better by then. I will also bring my boungavilla plants to add to those I have already planted because their thorns will be great bakod for the perimeter fence.

Our First Breakfast at the Dream House

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:55:00 +0000

We spend our first weekend at the house last Saturday because my husband had two days off when he took his leave. We first went to QC Memorial Circle in the morning and after a few hours of exercise, we went home to Montalban. And this is our breakfast: scrambled egg, pandesal, rice and tuyo, and coffee! It was a simple breakfast, made special by the fact that we are all together, and eating at our very own home. Life's simple pleasures, this is our first breakfast at home for 2012. I will continue to pray that we will be blessed with financial blessings this year so we can finally build the second floor of the house so we can move in!

Our New Year Feast!

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:28:00 +0000

Prepare to salivate over these delicious feast that we prepare for our media noche. Actually, I cant remember that they looked this delicious while my mom and I were cooking. But now that I am posting them and I am already on a diet, they look extra yummy, ha ha!For long life, my mom's pancit canton. She only cooked half a kilo and it was such a hit it almost didn't make it to dinner!And then there is this grilled liempo that my eldest child requested.Since we were not cooking any poulty products because luck might fly away, here is another pork dish: my mom's menudo. It is to die for, I kid you not!And every body's favorite grilled tilapia.And here is my Pinaputok na Tilapia, requested by my husband.
Next on the list is this lumpiang shanghai. I only bought half a kilo of ground meat so this was just enough for the whole family and there was even some to spare for lunch the following day.
And this is the tokwa that my husband wanted. I dont know why but he loves them too much, ha ha!.
And then these suman, the requisite sticky meal to make the family stick together are from the province.
And these pasta for long life, are from my husband's niece, as well as these sandwiches below.
These tacos are requested by my kids from my kumpare. They were too good!
And here is the the family who believes that the family that eats together, stays together!
It was indeed a feast and we all had a very wonderful New Year! It indeed bodes well for a prosperous 2012 for our family :)

The View In Front of My House

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:02:00 +0000

This is the view in front of my dream house. I took these photos last December 30 when we visited our house to get some left over paint and painting stuff for the other house. It looks so peaceful and calm and we never wanted to leave!
This other photo was taken at the right side and you can see the river from here. And memories of Ondoy and Sendong rushes in. Oh well, let us just wait and see what happens this year. If it is God's will that we will move to this house anytime soon, then it will happen.

Should I Let Trees Grow In Front of My House?

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:36:00 +0000

When we visited the house last December 30, I saw two Santol trees growing in front of my house. I don't know if these were planted by my neighbors or they just happen to grow there but they were not there a month ago. I am not sure if I want these trees growing in front of my house. My mother said it is okay just in case we get flooded again, at least there is a tree where we can hold on to (Sendong or Ondoy scenario). But I was thinking what if a storm with strong wind hits the tree and it falls on the house?
In the morning, the sun shines directly on this tree because the sunlight comes from behind the house. I would think that this tree will grow nicely if I were to let it. But if I have a choice, I would rather plant a mango tree, instead of a Santol tree. I am still thinking whether to pull the tree or not but I don't think I will kill it. Most likely, I will just transfer it to another side. Oh well, I still have a month to decide whether to let those trees grow in front of my house or not. Any thoughts?

Our Christmas Dinner Feast

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:26:00 +0000

These is our humble Christmas dinner feast, each a request from a member of the family. The palabok came from my sister-in-law's kids.
This spiral salad is my favorite. I bought 5 kilos of spiral pasta on sale at our office and I think I have enough pasta to last me a year!
This spiral pasta is for my mother. We also gave some to our neighbors and then we also had it the following day. I also had this for lunch the following Monday!
This graham mango cake is my eldest son's request and it was the biggest hit of all. They would have finished it in one sitting if I didn't intervene!
Danniel asked for the fried chicken and with Mang Tomas, it was perfect!
And this sweet, chili shrimp is requested by my sister Kris. I will make a separate post on it later. Not on the individual picture but on the table spread above is the grilled tilapia and bangus that my husband requested. It was just a simple dinner feast and would you believe that we also have enough for breakfast the following day? This coming media noche, requests are already coming in and I am excited for this feast as well :)

Tutubi Tutubi

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:13:00 +0000

Tutubi are dragonflies. I have always been fascinated with them and have even named my first blog, To Be, To Be, Tutubi, about them. These photos were taken during my daughter's field trip in Bulacan and the reason why I put them there is because when I retire in maybe some 30 years from now, I would like to be able to stay in a home where dragonfly are still present.
Which means that the place is still free from too much noise and pollution and I can still be left alone to think and examine how I loved my life
I want to be reminded how to be carefree and how to be alive, when that time comes.

Finding A Home in San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:14:00 +0000

Last week, we bid goodbye to our dear friend Steve and his family who are now moving to the US for good. Their petition for citizenship has been granted and while it is difficult to move to a new place, they are excited for this new adventure in their family life. Good thing my friend Steve is very organized. Months before their move, he has already checked out the San Diego Real Estate and tried to look for a home that will fit their family's needs. Since this is going to be a new place, he wanted a home that would be near everything: church, school, malls and their parents so he checked each San Diego Homes for Sale. When he couldn't find what he was looking for, he checked out other listing at San Diego MLS and luckily, found their dream home! It has everything that they need and wanted and was just perfect for the whole family! I actually was in awe of the home he found for his family that I went and check the listings for some ideas too, ha ha. While I know that Steve is sad to leave the country, he is open to the new challenges that this move will bring to his family and we wish his family the best.

The YakiMIX Ambiance

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:10:00 +0000

If I were to dream a little bigger for my dream house, I want something as elaborate as these chandeliers hanging at the buffet area of YakiMIX in Podium. I love how it made the place look like an expensive hotel lobby.

It looks very classy. I love the ceiling as well and would love to have something like that in my dream home.I also love the dining area and the wall panels and decors. Very tasteful indeed. And I love the ambiance that made the dining experience very memorable!
I have to insert a joke here :
Erap: Sarap sa YakiMIX, okay ang ambiance!
Pedro: Spell ambiance?
Erap: Ay mali. Okay sa YakiMIX, sarap ng food!

He He.

I Hate You, Manila Water

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:43:00 +0000

The last time that we went to our house in Montalban was in October and that was two months ago. We were either too busy, too lazy or something else, but we didn't visit the house for exactly two months until yesterday. We came from QC Memorial Circle for some family fun and exercise, and then we went to the house, hoping to rest after cleaning up, because we were sure was in such a state! Unfortunately, I didn't expect that Manila Water will disconnect our water service even though we have no consumption for those two months! Our neighbor said that a team from Manila Water was there early this week to disconnect the service and since nobody was living in our house, we were not able to run to the nearest payment center to settle our dues just like they and most of our neighbors did. Our bill for the month of October was P69.70 and for November, P72.45 which was for "minimum" (meaning zero) consumption. I can understand that they will disconnect the service for unpaid water that you use but when you didn't use even a drop of their water, the least they could do was to call your attention first! And they even have the gall to bill you for reconnection fee of P474.36 was was 7x more than our monthly bill! I really hate Manila Water right now. Good thing our neighbors were such great people and they offered their water for us which we use to clean the house! So my husband paid the bill and the reconnection fee at 7-11 and I called the 1627 hotline to tell them that I have paid them already and they should connect my water service right away. Of course, they told me last night that it will take them a maximum of 3-5 days before they connect it, but I wouldn't hear any of it. I called again this morning and was told that they have already reported it to the Marikina Business Office and that I should expect to get a call from them within the day once service has been reconnected. Of course, I will call them again later today if I don't hear anything!

And what is the moral of the story? Pay Manila Water even though you did not use any water? I guess that is the price we have to pay for having such services privatized! And Manila Water must not say that they provide water service because there was no service involved here, just business. Sigh.

Update: As of December 2, 623 pm our water connection has not been restored according to their hotline 1627. Can you imagine having no water for more than 2 days? What if we live at the house and they are taking this long to reconnect the service? I hate you Manila Water!

Another update: Last December 2 at 1048pm, I received a text from 09273286584, saying 'gud pm po. service provider po ito ng manila water nareopen n po ung metero ung nov 30 pa po. pakicheck n lang po ung gatevalve' I groggily replied Thanks, will do that. And then by December 3 at 1059am, I received another text from the same number 'mam gud am po. nareopen n po namin ang servisyo ng tubig nyo wala pong tao. nov 30 pa po. salamat po. So two texts from the service provider but they didnt report it to their 1627 hotline from November 30 to December 2 at 623 pm? Yeah right because I have no way of knowing who is telling the truth: the hotline or the service provider, I will just assume that they just reopened after my irate call on December 2! And I still hate Manila Water!

Patawa Lang!

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:50:00 +0000

My Sampaguita Plant

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:53:00 +0000

Other than reading and blogging, gardening is one of my passion. I have lots of plants in my tiny backyard but for the life of me, I cannot grow a flowering plant! Except for a bougainvillaea, all my plants are just vines and hanging plants. I have never made an orchid bloom too! So when I saw this Sampaguita plant being sold in Divisoria early this year, I made sure that it has roots already.So I was so sure that this plant would live under my care. But it stopped growing leaves and almost wilted. So I moved it some place where there was direct sunlight. It was difficult finding such spot because we have this high wall and sunlight only reaches the plants for some two hours in the morning but I did manage to find one and thankfully, it has now sprouted new leaves! Soon, we will have Sampaguita flowers in our mini garden. Ignore the fact that I don't have a sense of smell and will not be able to enjoy the scent because I can still imagine it anyway!

Super Space Saving Sofa!

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:02:00 +0000

Is this for real? I need to have this. Truly need this. I just hope its for real. Because it is a real awesome space saving idea!

source

How to Withdraw Your Contribution from Pag-Ibig Fund

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:44:00 +0000

A Pag-Ibig member, or those who pay monthly contributions to the fund have the following benefits:
1. Savings
2. Short Term Loan
3. Access to housing loans

Unlike SSS where you are member for life and cannot withdraw your contributions until you turn 60 and opt for pention or lump sum payments a Pag-ibig member can opt to withdraw his contributions under the following conditions:

1. A member may withdraw his TAV or savings after 20 years of membership with the Fund and after having made a total of 240 monthly contributions.

2. A member may also withdraw his savings under any of the following valid grounds:

a. Retirement
• Early retirement at age 45
• Optional retirement at age 60
• Mandatory retirement at age 65
b. Permanent departure from the country
c. Permanent or total physical disability
d. Insanity
e. Termination from service by reason of health
f. Death of the member
g. Optional withdrawal at 10 or 15 continuous years of membership
• A member who registered under RA7742 may be allowed to withdraw his TAV
after 10 or 15 years of continuous membership.
• A member who registered under RA9679 may be allowed to withdraw his TAV
after 15 years of continuous membership.
h. Other causes as may be provided by the Board of Trustees

I am helping my ex-boss process her withdrawal of her Pag Ibig Fund savings because she is permanently leaving the country to reside abroad. But her permanent visa has not been issued yet so we will have to wait it for before we file again. I only learned that after her documents were returned to me.

For those leaving the country permanently, here are the requirements:
1. Filled up provident benefit claims form. Download here.
2.Notarized sworn declaration of intention to permanently depart from the Philippines.
3. Immigrant visa or residence visa or equivalent
4. 2 valid ids with signature and photo of claimant
5. Special power of attorney if member cannot claim personally.

It is preferable that the member file this before leaving the country so that he does not need to have the documents authenticated at the Philippine consulate of the country where he will emigrate.
source

Japanese House

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:16:00 +0000

What a cute yellow Japanese house! This is a design in the Dragon Express ride at Star City and I snapped a picture while we were on the roller coaster for kids!

Yep, the only roller coaster rides I enjoy and dare ride are those made for kids, ha ha!

Pedring: How High Was the Flood?

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:31:00 +0000

This is the view in front of my house after I took this picture last Sunday. On better days, this is a corn field and sometimes, there are vegetable crops. The boundary of the subdivision property is the wall on the foreground.

And from here, you can see how the flood water from the river has encroached on the field. And during Ondoy, this field was covered in water, reaching up to the ceiling of my house. During Pedring, according to my neighbor who had to go to the evacuation center in the morning, the flood water level was just two rulers short of the wall and it would have flooded us again. Thankfully, the water receded at around 6pm on Wednesday.

But my neighbor opted to stay at the evacuation center at the nearest public school for the night rather than risk being flooded at night. I dont think there is no way we can move here unless we have a second floor because I cannot leave my kids and mom at home and go to work when there is a threat of flood. So, what to do now?

Typhoon Pedring: Ondoy Redux

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:05:00 +0000

source

This could have been my home and I am lucky that this time around, our place was spared. The picture above was taken at a home in San Mateo, Rizal which was very near our place in Montalban. My neighbors were already at the evacuation center at around 2 pm on Wednesday when I was texting them how they were at the height of Typhoon Pedring's fury. I texted them again in the evening but they only replied in the morning of the following day to say that they were already back at their house and that the water thankful didn't reach inside our homes. While I was able to breathe a sigh of relief, I was thinking when will it happen again. I guess you can say that our resolve to move again to our dream home has once again dimmed. Unlike residents in Provident Village whose homes were once again submerged in water, only Ondoy was able to destroy our home so far but the dreadful sense of loss and helplessness remains. I don't know if we will feel safe again in this home whenever there is a typhoon so I don't know what will happen in the future. I don't know.

Remembering Ondoy

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:59:00 +0000

We will never forget the devastation of Typhoon Ondoy two years ago. We were one of the lucky ones who only suffered damage to property because the unlucky ones lost loved ones and not just property.
But the said thing is, after the calamity, we are back to ignoring nature and all the things that have caused us to suffer this much are back again. Our forests are still denuded, our drainage systems are still clogged and a lot more. Hay, I just pray that Ondoy will never happen again because we are not prepared.

Pacquiao's House in LA, California

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:54:00 +0000

This is old news but I only saw this today so please allow me to express my amazement at this beautiful house of the Pacquaio's in Los Angles, California as featured in PEP magazine. I know that they have also bought another new home, the one in Forbes Park this year and I am really happy for the couple and their family. My ultimate dream is to own a beautiful home and this is really something that I envy them. I just wish I have the money to buy a home as amazing as this.

So, check out more photos of this drool-worthy house at PEP at this link.

After 6 Years of Paying Amortization

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:00:00 +0000

Our home loan was approved in 2005 and after 6 years of paying monthly amortization, we have paid only 34% of the principal loan amount! This is for a 15 year-loan. Of our monthly amortization, only 16% of that is being deducted from the principal. That is why we decided to pay more than our monthly due because the excess will be charged to the principal amount. This way, we will lessen the number of years we will have to pay the house. We plan on paying some more using our extra money like bonuses and the like, but again, life gets in way. There are more bills to pay and living expenses that has to be prioritized! Oh well,we knew what we were getting into when we took out this home loan and I guess we really just have to live with our choice especially because it will lead to the realization of our dream: that of owning our own home!

And if you want to find out how to compute your mortgage real estate payments, see this mortgage calculator from Foreclosure Philippines.

Would You Like Some Tax Refund with That?

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:29:00 +0000

One of the paperwork that I dread yearly is the computation of income tax, especially when I need to pay more than what was already deducted from my salary. While it is easier for employees like me because our tax is computed automatically and deducted from our pay, there are purchases and other expenses that can still minimize the amount of tax we need to pay. However, computing these deductions manually and doing the necessary paperwork is sometimes too tedious you would think its not worth the refund anymore. Good thing that there is tax extension deadline that gives you more time to work on it and see if you can get the biggest tax refund possible. I actually look forward to the month of February because that is the time we are informed whether we qualify for a refund or not. However, since I have not filed any additional dependents nor changed my status, I am stuck to not getting any refund. But since I pay for my kid's education and pay amortization on my house and my second-hand car, I think I should at least get something by way of refund! I am now checking out how to work these things when I saw Turbo Tax Deluxe and I hope I can make my filings in time and with more tax refund to look forward to!

Can You Apply for a New Pag Ibig Housing Loan if your Spouse has an Existing Housing Loan?

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:02:00 +0000

I have asked the Pag Ibig personnel handling my account about this question: Can You Apply for a New Pag Ibig Housing Loan if your Spouse has an Existing Housing Loan? And the short and simple is NO. Your co-maker in your loan is usually your spouse and since a house is a conjugal property, it means that both of you applied for and are paying for this loan. But if you applied for a loan when you were single and is now married and your spouse would like to apply for a new housing loan, this is possible. My neighbor in our Montalban house did it. The house beside us was in the name of the wife when she was still single and they now took out another loan from Pag Ibig on another property, now under the name of the husband. So, what does it means for us who owns a house mortgaged thru Pag Ibig but is not comfortable at moving at it right now and is loooking for other housing projects, hopefully to be financed through Pag Ibig? It means that we have to pay our existing loan in full and apply for a new one right after. Yes, I asked this also when I was processing my insurance claim after the Ondoy disaster.

For more answers to your questions about the Pag Ibig Fund, please refer to this FAQ's.

Loving My Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:57:00 +0000

The best thing about blogs, they just keep going! I know that I have not posted anything in this blog for some time now but it does not mean that I am forgetting it completely. Its just the dream house project is in some kind of cross roads after the recent typhoon. I am still thinking whether I should altogether give up on this house and rent it out or just wait. Wait for what, I really dont know! But this blog will keep on going now matter which way I take on the future of this house. Right now, I am exploring the possibility of just renting it out and I may have a post about it soon!

Disclosure Policy

noreply@blogger.com (Dinah) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:50:00 +0000

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