Category Archives: Urban Living

Some Energy Saving Tips for Summer

Posted on February 20, 2010 by greenbucks| 3 Comments

Summer is here but I am not exactly looking forward to spending the day sweltering in heat and wishing for the night to come.

Even if I don’t get to wake up at an ungodly hour to prepare for food to be brought to school, I do not exactly welcome summer. AND summer means droves of noisy children playing on the street. Sigh.

Well at least we don’t have to turn on the light fixtures early so we get to save energy.

The things that help us feel cool however is another concern and these are the things that make power consumption go up several notches which ruin the energy conservation scheme 🙁

How can households practice energy conservation during summer? Here are some helpful tips:

  • Try to open windows, especially those that do not have direct sunlight, to have the breeze enter your home.
  • Wear light clothes that will not make you sweat.
  • If you have to do house chores using electrical appliances, do it while the temperature is cooler.
  • Air dry the clothes you washed.
  • Check your air-conditioning unit to see if the filters are clean.

Do not forget to drink lots of water and wear clothes made of light materials 🙂

Posted in For Information, Interesting Topics, Money Watch, Urban Living

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Shabby Chic

Posted on February 18, 2010 by greenbucks| Leave a comment

I used to watch a Shabby Chic show back when we still had cable tv.

I don’t know why but I think I like the look of shabby chic furniture more than modern furniture though the latter would be more practical to have of course.

When we went malling last weekend, one table sort of beckoned me to look at “her” from inside a furniture store. Yes, it is a shabby chic find definitely but there was nothing shabby with the tag price attached to it (PhP85,000!).

One day, I told myself, I will get a small house and have it decorated like ala-French cottage with shabby chic theme. Maybe I can start with the house soon 🙂

Posted in Interesting Topics, Me, Shopping Finds, Urban Living, Visualizations

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Bookstore Behavior

Posted on February 16, 2010 by greenbucks| 1 Comment

The kids love going to Power Books in TriNoma. Not only do they get to choose a book from a variety of choices but they get to read books there as well.

Having gone to that place, I noticed several things in the children’s books section that I feel I have to discuss with the children.

  • A child gets a book, looks at it and just drops it on the floor but parents/caregivers do not tell the child to pick it up and put it back where she/he got it from. Tsk, tsk.
  • There are children who will open up a sealed book and will just scan the pages and just leave the book where ever they want to.
  • There are small children who tend to make noise or just run around the place but are not told to stop.
  • Some moms/caregivers talk very loud with their children like they own the place and that there are no other people there. (I have a video of an incident where the mom was so angry at her daughter for misplacing their Power Books card. She was berating her daughter and the nannies, telling them they are @#$%^& for losing the card. Ugh!)

So with these things, I have taught the children some guidelines:

  • They can only read the books that have been already opened and NOT open those that are still sealed.
  • They can talk in a soft voice because others are reading and consider this place as a “library”. (Yeah, never mind if one of the people there is just reading about eczema treatment while sitting comfortably on the carpeted floor of the children’s books section)
  • Put back the books where they got it from, just like what they do at home.
  • Guard their space in case someone tries to sit while one got up to get/return a book 😀
  • Be courteous.

Posted in family, Interesting Topics, social consciousness, Urban Living

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View From the Second Floor Patio

Posted on February 13, 2010 by greenbucks| Leave a comment

I enjoy going up the second floor patio of my MIL’s home.

There, while I sit on the stairs going to the third floor,  I can see a whole lot of things like treetops, lovely sunset skies, the shell lamps hanging on the trellis, flowers below the trellis, flying birds and occasionally, big planes.

Yes, the space needs new patio furniture which is the reason why I sit on the stairs.

Treetops Sunset

I don’t really mind sitting on the stairs if I see this view.

Posted in Environment, family, Philippines, Photos, Urban Living, Visualizations

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Makukulay na Balabal

Posted on February 10, 2010 by greenbucks| 19 Comments

litratongpinoy

Ang unang pumasok sa isip ko sa salitang “IYO” ay ang vocal exercises namin nung araw na “i-i-i-yo-ho-ho-ho, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho”. Hindi parang tawa ni Santa yan kungdi pataas na tono tapos pabababa yung pangalawang set ng ho, ho, ho 😀

Anyway, baka kung san pa mapunta ang usapan, ang aking post ay tungkol sa katanungan “Ano ang IYOng paboritong kulay?”

Sa aking pagtawid sa Landmark sa TriNoma kapag ako ay umuuwi mula sa aking 2x/week na “work” minsan ay nakatuwaan kong kuhanan ng larawan ang mga balabal na ito.

scarves

Medyo hindi nga lang yata maganda ang pagkakakuha ko kasi nagmamadali ang mga kasama kong mga anak ko (di ko tuloy na-adjust ang aperture at ISO, joke lang…)

Gusto ko diyan yung mga (mga talaga eh no?) blue, shade of aqua at lilac.

Ikaw?

Posted in Interesting Topics, Litratong Pinoy, Philippines, Photos, Shopping Finds, Urban Living, Visualizations

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