I love watching moving vlogs and house renovation. Imagine my excitement when a big celebrity from the Philippines decided to share the renovation of her 1-bedroom condominium and then it turns out to be simple and so attainable. 

Based on the renovation video, Bela Padilla value books, her upright grand piano and beautiful things, too, but only keeps what she uses. Everything about her things screams expensive, sure, but she does not hoard. I love a celebrity that does not value things like having a celebrity closet, a room full of expensive and luxury clothes and accessories. I would love to own and live in space like hers. 

I wish they also redid the kitchen and bathroom or at least shown it on the video. But, they didn't. So, I can only imagine how it looks like, like any other condo kitchen and bathroom built in the Philippines. If you are curious, here's the video from the designer/contractor.

 I came across a video on the @Roommy_Roomtour Youtube channel and fell in love with the interior with eight_field house interior. The kitchen is to die for but the office space is the most romantic space in the house.

I imagine the house is really like a flat or condo because the owners are Japanese and Japanese housing are like that. But what they did to their space, it's really inspiring.

The wood material makes the interior earthy and outdoorsy. Living in a condo flat doesn't have to feel like living in a box or in a hospital with an interior that is mostly white. Watch the full video of the house tour here.

I've always wanted to learn how to bake bread. Since I took that Baking and Pastries class from TESDA and learned how to make Pandesal, I've been thinking about making Sourdough. But, I never got around it.

Browsing through Youtube and watching Sourdough baking How-to videos, while they do make it look easy, showing the technical processes makes it very intimidating to make.

First, what is a starter? A starter is a live fermented culture of fresh flour and water. Tasty's Youtube channel shared a video on how to make one and what could go wrong in making it.

From what I gather, it takes 7 days to make a starter. 7 days! Patience is a virtue.

Now, for the ingredients. Basically, not just any flour will do when making a starter. I searched through Healthy Options PH for what flours they have. Here are the best ones:

1. Bob's Red Mill Unbleached Artisan Bread Flour 2.27KG for Php510.00
2. Bob's Red Mill Organic Stone Ground Dark Rye Flour 567g for Php285.00

For the tools, here's what I found in SHOPEE:

1. Chef's Classics Basics Nylon Spatula
2. Mason Ball Jars (2pcs) 32 oz for Php570.00

Make the starter when you are ready to start baking Sourdough. For newbies like me, let's ready ourselves that we might not get it right the first time. Make Youtube our best friend. We are saved from a lot of trials and errors by bakers who shared their experiences and expertise.

Age: 40
Gender: Female   
Height: 155 cm
Weight: 60 kg
Activity: Sedentary: little or no exercise

Exercise: 15-30 minutes of elevated heart rate activity.
Intense exercise: 45-120 minutes of elevated heart rate activity.
Very intense exercise: 2+ hours of elevated heart rate activity.

Maintain weight: 1,443 - 100% Calories/day

The number of Calories required to maintain your weight seems low. Please consult with a doctor when considering weight loss. Alternatively, increase your activity/exercise level rather than decrease Calorie intake in order to lose some weight.

In the past, I find being under daily calorie intake works fast. It does not mean dieting, or not eating at all. Eat healthily, count calories if you can, and then just increase your physical exercise. The exercises help lose calories and that makes you go under your daily requirement. It's not just any exercise, it has to be an "elevated heart rate" kind of exercise. Running, jump rope, biking!

The pandemic that brought about a change in how students learn, especially in the Philippines, proved to be challenging. But those who are homeschooled, are quite used to the setup. Online school or studying from homemade you realize how the home atmosphere plays an important role in learning. 

Now, I've scoured the internet and poured more than enough time spent just watching videos that kids from all parts of the world have shared about how they are adapting to the new change. And man, it was inspiring and also cute to watch. 

The first thing they did was to create a study space. In the Philippines, not all parents are ready for it. But, thanks to shopping platforms that offer a wide variety of affordable equipment, it's not too, too, impossible. 

Choose the best but not the most expensive equipment

Except of course, if you study programming or require the use of heavy apps for school. But, if you only use it for research, email, Zoom classes, and data entry, then an Intel i5 laptop will do. Schools allow the use of mobile phones and tablets when accessing learning platforms and modules. But, the best equipment can either be a laptop or a desktop. 

 

It's all about the aesthetic.

Creating a good workspace is essential to learning and productivity. These items are all sold on Shopee and prices can vary depending on the store's sales promotion. The study space does not need to be a room if you don't have the extra space. It could simply be that less traffic corner in your house. Then, go for a minimal desk setup. 

Lifetime Folding Chair and Folding Study Table

Need not be expensive.

Choosing wireless accessories will remove wire management hassle and makes the workspace a whole lot cleaner. A clean workspace lets you focus on the task at hand. These accessories go as low as Php 300.00. 

1. A4Tech Power-Saving Wireless Keyboard And Mouse Combo Kit - White
2. Baseus Wireless Bluetooth Headphone - White
3. Jaguar Power Strip with 3 sockets and 3 USB outlets

 Ever wonder what it feels like to live in a country that experiences the four seasons? I do. I was born and raised in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and the countries that I've been to have only been around Southeast Asia, too. The coldest I've ever experienced in a place would be in Baguio City, Philippines.

Here are a few walking tours uploaded on Youtube that would give us a glimpse of what it is like for other countries during the winter season.

Walking Tour around a snowy Seoul, South Korea

FOR THE YOUNG AND YOUNG AT HEART

A Boy Called Christmas film is adapted from a 2015 book by Matt Haig. It is about a determined young boy named Nikolas who meets his destiny in a magical land inhabited by elves on a quest to find his father – and bring home the gift of hope.

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022) is an adaptation of the timeless Charles Dickens Christmas story. On a cold Christmas Eve, selfish miser Ebenezer Scrooge has one night left to face his past – and change the future – before time runs out.

CLASSICS

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) is an American Christmas fantasy film drama based on a short story and booklet “The Greatest Gift” and loosely based on the 1843 novel “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.

When a guardian angel finds a dejected George Bailey poised to jump off a bridge, he shows George what life would’ve been like had he never been born.

Little Women (1994) is an American coming-of-age film based on the book of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. Raised by a strong-willed mother, sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy share growing pains, family tragedies and personal aspiration in the 19^th-century America.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) is a book from Dr. Seuss children’s book of the same name and the first Dr. Seuss book to be adapted into film. The film tells the story about The Grinch who decides to rob Whoville of Christmas – but a dash of kindness from little Cindy Lou Who and her family may be enough to melt his heart.

The Polar Express (2004) is based on the 1985 children’s book of the same name. It is a story about a young boy who takes a magical train ride to the North Pole on Christmas Eve and discovers the enchanting wonder of friendship and the holiday spirit.

FOR THE TWEENS

The Princess Switch (2018) is the first installment of three films released for Netflix. It is a romantic comedy holiday film about a Chicago baker and a soon-to-be princess who discover that they do look like twins, and hatch a Christmastime plan to trade places.

A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish (2019) is an American teen comedy film and the fifth to be released under the A Cinderella Story film series. It is about a teen who aspires to be a singer-songwriter who, despite her vain stepmother and mean stepsisters, works as an elf at a Christmas tree lot and finds her holiday miracle.

Online Apps

The pandemic brought in massive loss of jobs. For those who are not as unlucky, it also brought in a change of work setup, converting businesses into work from home. Online apps became even more useful when we can no longer function like before. 

1. GCASH - This is a Philippine mobile wallet, mobile payments, and branchless banking service. This service became very useful when paying bills and making Government service requests. It proved helpful when transferring funds to family and relatives when needed.
2. ZOOM - This is a proprietary video teleconferencing software program. The popularity of this service shoots up since the pandemic. It became useful for those office online meetings and online classes. It has overtaken SKYPE and Google Meets did not even measure up.
3. GrabFood - This is the fastest food delivery service in the Philippines. It has curated dishes, restaurants, and cuisines to help the Philippines grab their food and delivered it at the comfort of their own home. Food delivery service became everyone's best friend during the pandemic when we are no longer allowed to go out and enjoy our favorite dishes outside. The pandemic gave rise to motor rider employment.

Prepaid Renewable Insurance

1. GCASH INSURE - The pandemic also brought in affordable and renewable coverage for a lot of Filipinos who live on an extreme budget. GCASH has provided products for its consumers who wish to be ready for anything and to stay protected. What I signed up for:

• Cash for Income Loss
• Dengue with FREE COVID-19 Cover
• GCASH Monthly Platinum powered by MicroEnsure and underwritten by AXA

2. Sun Life Life Armor (Life Insurance) - Insurance coverage for death due to accident and illness. It is a one-time payment for one (1) coverage life insurance plan. For only P100 a year, you can insure yourself for Php25,000 and also can be bought for a maximum of 4 coverage or for Php100,000.