Clarizze @ Home

Archive for January, 2012

Weather was fine. Kinda hot during the day, exactly. Nights have been hotter. Should have been colder until after mid-February when summer would normally start. But, then, January isn’t over yet. And, summery feel seemed to be pushing through.

Just in time. Hubby had finished working on our kubo (nipa hut) last weekend. He had hanged the rattan hammock which to me were too tempting, I had to stopped what am I doing and quickly jumped on it. Feels good.

We expected more and more al fresco dining  out there, lots of barbecuing, of course,  and lots of bonding moments. Sharing the kids daily activities at school and ending with the usual ghost stories that would surely make the kids vacate the kubo in haste.

Credit to the hubs for the work. “You should have spent thousand pesos if you had hired a carpenter to do the work.”

That is why I never hired one

My share today at

and at Dhemz’s 366 Blog Photo Challenge

It is indeed another year. A new year to welcome changes. Changes that open doors to different opportunities. Even those stuff that were supposed to be constant is evolving. And, my headache, for one, is making me furious.

How can have gotten rid of this headache? It is January. Another taxable year!

In December of last year, we issued payment for husband’s insurance policy. We make it a point to pay annually. We have been receiving dividends from another insurance company which have ended few years. We used the cash as payments for his policy at Insular Life. We also had one policy for the youngest daughter which will have its due payment by May. At least, we have few months to save for that.

This January, we are free. Except for real property taxes. The notices of payments were sent to us second week of this month. Due payments for the residential lot were our house stood, and the tax due for the house itself. Two separate entity. We were surprised, there had been increased in payments for the next three consecutive years starting this 2012.

We were not aware. Somehow, we thought, being legal residents of this community, of voting rights, and are “righteous” taxpayers, our leaders (Mayor, Barangay Captain, whoever might be…) owe it to explain as to the bases of increases and where would the increased property taxes go.

Somehow, somehow, we needed answers. Perhaps, the good Mayor/leaders have conducted meetings or are just following the orders issued upon by higher law. So, okay. What if what is due on the 1500 square meters of lot were only 122.80 pesos (for year 2012 only) as compared to last year’s 103.60 pesos. And, the residential tax will cost me 1,571.40 this year as compared to 1,280 pesos last year. Not yet included the increases in payments for 2013, 2014.

Am I whining because of the almost immaterial difference? No. I beg to asked the basis, that’s the point. Somebody owe us an explanation. Oh, yeah, they will just say, “Hindi kasi kayo nagpupunta sa munisipyo para alamin ang lahat”.

Why? I do think that, for once, it is their job (we paid them through our levies) to relay to us whatever information effected on us. Why do I have to checked on their offices? Wherefore, these leaders used to pay us a visit…only when election comes.

Thanks goodness, my personal handyman had let me saved few hundred pesos again. The door closer which were attached at the outside panel of this aluminum screen door had somehow lasted its life cycle. We asked for the same unit at the same shop where we bought this door, the owner was too quick to tell us a new door closer cost P1200. Aw!

Quickly, too, the husband withdrew me away from the shop saying we could look for cheaper units at Robinsons Handyman. True enough, we found this one for only 360 pesos.  Cheap unit plus free labor courtesy of my handyman who drilled it off at the wall.

The loud banging from the screen door was heard no more. I wonder what could he asked as payment

My share for Dhemz’s 366 Blog Photo Challenge.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Who wouldn’t freak out at today’s prices of medicines. Monthly, we have to allot money for husband’s antihypertensive drugs and for the kids’ vitamins and wellness. Wishing we do not have to buy drugs because somehow, seeing the assortment of tablets in one of our cabinet shelving made me feel jittery. It is as if, I am getting sick. But, then, as always is the mantra to a better health, prevention is better than cure.

Thus, we have to make sure, medicines that we needed never run out of stock. How convenient it is finding Walgreens on Twitter and  one can join them and even post whatever you needed at Walgreens on Facebook . Who ever thought of such amazing idea! We can readily order online for the tablets that we needed. And, to make life easier for us, they brought up Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens where they offer special discounts on annual membership. In this regard, for $10 a year, a family membership covers everyone in your immediate family, including a spouse, dependents 22 and younger and pets. Individuals may join for $5. Join and receive discount prices on your prescriptions.

More benefits can be availed of when one becomes a member:

Other benefits include:
-Savings on more than 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications
-Discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies
-Bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services

Hubby thought this French-inspired window needed company. He perched few petite terracotta with cactuses and some odd shaped stones we picked from river beds. Too bad the cactuses were beginning to get limp and slowly wither away due to the dry weather.

The worn-out look of the window paint and the earthen color of the pots made music together, he said Hmmm, I ain’t hearing anything

My share for Wednesday Windows

and, Thursday Brownies

And, finally, this oven have made its official cooking duties, four months after it has been bought in August. Yes, it has been only last December, where holidays and events were aplenty had this oven began its service. Two reasons were behind the postponement: 1) I wanted the oven be placed not inside our house, but on the “dirty kitchen”, instead. 2) Hubby said, it is better off on our counter top “inside” the house.

Didn’t I often wrote that me and the hubs have opposing views on almost all things? We argued on a lot of things. Er, please note that the arguments does not lead to physicality nor verbal abuses. In fact, argument have made us understand MORE of each other. I know, that sounds eccentric.

But, in the end, guess which proposal had pushed through…

The oven here is shown in a corner in our unruly “dirty kitchen”… sitting on a makeshift table that hubby repaired. It may be a compact unit but helps me with my baking try-outs. Lasagna’s in the oven

Thanks Dhemz for hosting Blog Photo Challenge at your Me and My Passion blog.

My nephew and two nieces in Australia have been happily telling me via Skype today how happy they were to see mascots at a fantasy parade in their town. I can sense how well they enjoyed seeing huge and lively mascots. Glad that the little boy had outgrown his fear for huge and masked mascots. While his two older sisters have been shouting and dancing seeing the show. Glad they had availed of the wharton center tickets  for the show. The resch center tickets offered then huge discounts because they attended the show in group.  For the upcoming events and shows, they have reservation for the madonna concert tickets. I am sure their mom would loved it. It is good to reminisce the sound of the 80′s especially when you have kids as fashionable as the pop icon and who dances gracefully as she was.

Ticketamerica.com has concerts theare and evnet tickets for the warton center and the resch center seating charts and for the diva madonna tickets.

 It is too much a burden to sweep dried leaves outside. The winds’ been terribly gusty Could not even hang out outside. Al fresco dining which we loved especially at weekends were halted. One more reason is, the “kubo” (nipa hut) is still under renovation. It is a one-man labor for the hubs…

It’s been two weeks and only two posts have been replaced I would never want to asked if he’ll be able to finish the project before March this year. Ha ha. I will try to keep my mouth shut and just watched him sawing, nailing, that is…on weekends only…

I’m sure the wood ears from this post will double up at the end of this project.

My share for: Thursday Brownies and 366 Blog Photo Challenge.