Folding clothes

UNPACKING SALE #LUCARDI FASHION EARINGS! LAKI NG DISCOUNT !

From Cairo With Love

I have many blog readers in the Middle East and in Arab countries. I am grateful to them for spending their most precious time to read my blog, to view the photos I am sharing, and also for taking time to like and to write a comment. My readers are the lifeblood of my blog, they are an inspiration too, to continue with my writing hobby. This blog is especially written for my dear husband. The nature of his work requires him to travel around the world. When he is not at home, it is like we are on a long distance relationship again. Hahaha! We love exchanging photos, talking and seeing each other on Whatsup or on Messenger. This time, he is in Cairo Egypt. I love the photos he sent to me today. Before we met, he already went in Egypt for scuba diving, it is one of his previous hobbies, before he became a family man. Now, he went to Egypt not to scuba but for a working trip. I love my husband, I owe to him many things in my life that I am enjoying, and I am a proud wife :) 

Good evening!

A Pondering Thoughts Of A Plain Housewife

my new role in life: a homemaker.

I was folding laundry in our bedroom, on the next room is our son's bedroom. He is sleeping, a good afternoon sleep, not just what other moms called power nap. We have a leisure walk from school, funny because not yet winter, but I am already wearing my parka, and my son is wearing the new raincoat that my husband just bought. The summertime finally bids goodbye, and the cold, wet months now takes up. Daylight is late, sunrise coming out between 9 o'clock or 10 o o'clock or most of the times, a dreary and cloudy day, the entire day. I'm getting used to it.

I love to be married to the man I love and now, I am a plain housewife in my own terms.

I still not unpacked from our long weekend in Hoenderloo, I have just made of it this afternoon. It is not easy to fold or to pack or unpack when you have a toddler around. I did it while my son is sleeping. The next time I checked my phone, I have a missed call from my husband. I call him back. He said he just wanted me to know that he is not going to eat dinner at home. He is still in Germany and will be coming home a bit late. I said okay, I will just eat dinner with our son. My husband's job requires him to travel most of the time. Around Europe and around the world. Again, I am getting used to it too.

Now in my solitude, I started to write again, my thoughts, my feelings about... Being a "plain housewife". How plain? Hahaha! Sound silly? For many women, it might sound punishing, boring, simple or unproductive life. Well, I am a plain housewife in my own terms. I stay at home with a very occupied mind. It is not easy to become a stay at home wife when in your previous life, you are an active and outgoing person. On my part, the adjustment is not that severe. I am used of a quiet life, I was a homebody, and still I am.

One of the keys to happiness and inner peace is when we are grateful for what we have.. and find the reason why we do not get everything we want in life. -Maggy

I am a plain housewife in my own terms. If other housewives who are in the same shoes as mine despises the simplicity of the term "plain", on my part, I am loving it! I enjoy the role of taking care the needs of my family, spending much time with our son, the enjoyment I feel with my hobbies, and the most precious time that I spend just to be myself.

Here are some of the things that most "stay at home" wife like me can do to keep on track with her social life and her sanity intact. Forgive me for the term, but I love using powerful adjectives.

1. Have a hobby. What are your strong points? What is your talent? Why not doing them in your spare time.

2. Have time to be with trusted friends.

3. Take some time to pamper yourself. Be it in the hair salon, beauty saloon, or go out to a moderate shopping. Being a plain housewife or a stay at home wife does not mean that you will induce yourself a domestic helper! Hahaha! It is a blessed position to be called a housewife. Never forget that.

4. Keep the communication open with your husband. Marriage life is a partnership, not a guessing game. Do not hesitate to tell your husband your needs and concern. The more we open up our feelings with our spouse, the more we gain their love and respect.

5. Do not compare your life with others. This is the most common traits among housewives. The comparison will put you into misery. I have learned that one of the keys to happiness and inner peace is when we are grateful for what we have... And find the reason why we do not get everything we want in life.

Good evening, I have to go now to prepare a light dinner for me and for my son.

Happiness is.... My 15 Happiness!

Note to self: I am responsible for my own happiness.

They say that don't chase happiness, instead create it. For some people, happiness is something tangible such as a big house, a successful career, or a big bank account. For quiet few people, happiness is something intangible like a happy marriage or family life, or a contentment in life. Happiness comes depends on what you really appreciate in your life. Sometimes, the happiness you feel is like a tight squeeze in your heart, you simply feel how warming it it, how reassuring that everything is okay no matter what you are coping right now.
I have written 15 happiness while I was folding laundry this morning. I want to share it with you and hoping that you also feel genuine happiness even on trivial things in life.

1.  You know what you want and you are in the position to get what you want.
2. Knowing you are beautiful, but having the secured feeling that inside, you are more beautiful.
3. Having a crazy selfie with your husband.
4. Seeing "former" friends bitter because they are not expecting that you are going to have a good life.
5. Shopping second hand books.
6.  Watching the full moon in the quiet night, in the big window of your bedroom.
7. A soothing foot massage of your husband.
8. Eating popcorn in a lazy morning with your toddler.
9. You are engrossed in a film on the tv and your husband suddenly approached with your cup of coffee.
10. Cooking a meal with all your heart for family or friends.
11. Sniffing the dirty shirt of your husband.
12. Brushing teeth together before going to bed.
13. You feel comfortable about being alone.
14. The feeling that God really exist and that he truly cares.
15. Last but not the least, finding out that you are prettier than the wife of your ex! Hahaha!

folding and writing.

happiness is... multitasking!

Have a nice day everyone! I am going to be busy to prepare for our long weekend in Hoenderloo. Till then!

A Heartfelt Note From A Personal Blogger

I am thankful to all my blog readers. 

Can I ask you something? What do you feel when someone is writing her or his day to day life and letting the world to read it? Do you feel it is inappropriate? Or very straight? Or you do not care at all? I made this blog account years ago, I was still single, and still live in The Philippines. This site is empty, dull, almost deserted. Until one time, I have read a nice blog, a sort of feelings like mine. I want to write, I want to talk to people I know or unknown through my writing. I want to keep my blog site alive, I want this site helps people and even me to get inspired.

So that's it! My blog is running now with a life blood. Adsense approved my application to place ads. My stories are now being read around the world. I found this as my outlet of release and reliëf.

My blog title sounds sugar coated but it is not. I am a very genuine person, affectionate and with passions. My blog description is about the day to day life of a plain housewife because that is me now. I am glad that I have some hobbies that help me feel still valid, not invalid.

my son with me at the doctor's clinic.

a simple treat for Burt.

our walk going home.

So, are you willing to listen to what about and the whereabouts of mine today? Life gets monotonous once you become a mother. You begin your day with the same routine, you end up your day with the same routine. But people called it a labor of love. You cannot complain because you love what you do and you love very much these people who are becoming a part of you.

I start my day once my husband is already awake. While he is in the shower, I prepare his very light breakfast, a piece of brown bread with peanut butter and a glass of water. I also prepare his lunch, cheese sandwich. Then my son  follows. I make his bread, give him a glass of milk, and he loves to go in the shower early... Prepare him to school, bring him to school, and that is the start of our active day. The compliment is: when my son smiles. I am glad that he is a happy child.

Blogging for me is a way just to be myself. When I like to relax, I sit, and type words, and it goes on and on. One thing that I learned from my Journalism course is: to become an effective writer, write to express not to impress.

Before I end up, what makes today special is that I treat again my son an ice cream in the city and he enjoyed the bus ride going to my doctor. I am thankful to those people that are spending their most precious time to read my blog. For some people, writing or blogging is shallow, but for me, blogging is a good relief not to feel sorrow. Have a nice weekend!

How To Make Your Summer Vacation Enjoyable At Home

I love summer!

My son has completed his first year in preschool this year. It means that for six weeks, the living is easy before the next school year will start in August. We have already our family  vacation in Giethoorn, upon the availability of my workaholic husband.

we welcome the summer days in Giethoorn

My son loves school. So these summer days at home is a bit boring for him. I read some tips on how making summer vacation enjoyable at home. Most of the information is for families with already grown up kids. Handling a toddler is different and requires creativity as well.
There is such a wide and varied range of development activity and abilities in the toddler age group. As a mother, we must know well what our kids' interest. We can follow them and can help them explore the right things and not getting into many of the wrong ones. Don't disregard the important role of attention span.

outdoor life

writing and mommying

summer is flowers. Flower is summer.

Maybe because of time or money matters, some families opt to spend summer vacation at home. If you are a parent of a toddler and a full-time housewife, I would like to share with you some of the enjoyable time I had during summer days at home.

Water fun. I live in a country that has four seasons. Summertime is a time in the water, to bare and get color. My husband bought a portable swimming pool with fountains that my husband put in our garden, now my son enjoying so much.

our homegrown strawberries

my husband 

my typical Dutch summer at home

time for gardening

Photography. I love making nature photos, but nothing can compare the feeling of making photos of my family. Summer is also the time for many flowers. Family and flowers are my special summertime subject. Grab your camera or phonecamera and document your special moments through photos.

waterfun

not feeling bored with this :)

one of my most favorite subject

our mini resort in the garden :)

Open house for some friends. I am very selective in making friends but that doesn't prevent me to be a good friend. I came from a country where hospitality is one of the main characters of the people. My husband is also happy to see that I invite some friends at home. My son loves it when I invite some friends with their children come to our home. Why not share the warmth of your home during this hot season? It is not how grand what you prepared. It is always the thought that counts.

homey

open house on summer

outdoor cooking

barbeque with our friends

Barbecue. Who doesn't enjoy a great barbecue? Hahahah! Not me! Here in The Netherlands, one of the best things during summer is the barbecue. Barbecue is both a cooking method and apparatus. We have both! Hahaha!
In The Philippines, we always have grilled fish or grilled meat. Western people has barbecue. In this country where people spend most of their time indoors, once summer comes, expect it that you will always smell the delicious aroma.
I hope you are also enjoying your summer vacation, anywhere you are in the world. I have some photos that I love to share. All about my homey summer at home. Enjoy!

I Love Homemade Pizza

The modern pizza was originally invented in Naples, Italy but the word pizza is Greek in origin, derived from the Greek word  pēktos meaning solid or clotted. The ancient Greeks covered their bread with oils, herbs and cheese. The first major innovation that led to flat bread pizza was the use of tomato as a topping. It was common for the poor of the area around Naples to add tomato to their yeast-based flat bread, and so the pizza began. - myenglishpage.com

my very own really thin crust pizza

I have first look where pizza originates. Regardless, I eat only homemade pizza. My husband and my son both love pizza. Before, we just buy a ready-made pizza in the supermarket, put it in the oven and pronto! Ready to eat pizza. Until one time, I told my husband if we can make our own pizza. The dough, the  topping, everything. My husband was the first one who tried making our homemade pizza. And I love it right away!

making dough

mixing is easy with our Piet Huysentruyt mixer

 preparation of toppings 

We have tomatoes, onion, paprika, pineapple, and old cheese for our topping. Sometimes I also put mozzarella. We love pepperoni pizza. When I saw the commercial of Domino Pizza, they have burger pizza, we also made like that one.

complete pizza dough mix in a pack

pizza in the oven

For our dough, we buy a complete pack in the supermarket. In the box are the flour, the tomato sauce, and olive oil. I mix the bread flour with the olive oil and 200ml water. I have all the cooking help in our kitchen, provided by my husband. My husband bought a Piet Huysentruyt (a Belgian TV chef and author of five best selling cooking books) mixer when I started to make cassava cake. I also use it now in mixing the pizza dough.

I don't mind the work and the mess, as long as it is for the love of my boys.

Kneading a dough is easy for me using the rolling pin. I knead dough in our granite countertop. I make a not round pizza dough. Last night, I made a really thin pizza crust. It is like a big achievement for me that when my husband comes from work he feel relax that our dinner is ready. Unlike before that it is him who think and decide what we are going to have for dinner after a busy day at work. I love this part of my life, being a housewife, shopping and cooking for my family. Anyway, I have some photos to share. All about my family's love for homemade pizza. Enjoy!