Ceiling Fan Light - blue room

<-- Before photo

So far as DIY projects go, this weekend has been a very productive weekend for us.

This week, we decided to tackle ceiling fan lights and what triggered this DIY frenzy was that when we set up Swe-cha's study area downstairs and moved our torchlight beside his table, it left the blue room dark. Blue room is where the husband set up his home office, it does have an existing ceiling fan with a light, but the light is a single halogen bulb and it gives off a dim, yellow light. 

I started looking for electricians and getting quotes for installing overhead lights (recessed lights, most probably) and found that it will cost between $500 - $700 to get them installed and this quote snowballed when I also concluded that since we were going to have someone come and do this, we might as well get lights installed in the 4th bedroom as well. 4th BR is a longer room and will probably require 6 lights and will cost another $800 - $900. 

Now that we were looking at around $1600,... it didn't seem so simple anymore. 

So I started looking at what we already have and what we can do.... and it occurred to me that we already have ceiling fans installed in ALL BEDROOMS! So perhaps we can just go on from there.

It took a while but I did find the Minka-Aire K9515-1 Universal 12 1/4" light kit with frosted white glass. This was a good fit for blue room because it had a low profile. It takes 3 candelabra bulbs (E12 base) and hubby quickly found 100w-equivalent daylight bulbs for it. 

Cost: 

- $41 for the Minka-Aire light kit

- two 2-pack Feit 100w equivalent daylight bulbs for $17 each. Yep, the bulbs almost cost as much as the light kit itself).

- Labor: free 

Also found this awesome fixture from Amazon for $8 - it attaches to a single bulb socket and allows you to attach 5 more bulbs. We installed this in our garage where we only have the 1 bulb in the ceiling and instantly, the place looks so much brighter. 

Pictured is the new light fixture with five 60-watt equivalent daylight LED bulbs (just 8 watts each). Suddenly, it makes our garage so much brighter and I see how old & dingy-looking the garage is - we'll probably want to plan for a garage-related cleanup & remodeling project next spring. 

Study Area ver 2.0

 

When Covid-19 came out last schoolyear and we stared doing remote-schooling in March 2020, we set up Swe-cha's laptop in a corner of the dining table. That worked because they met with the teacher 3x a week, no more than an hour each time. 

When this schoolyear started, we initially stuck with the same set up but after a week, I knew it wasn't working. There were too many distractions because it was also where we ate and sometimes played games on tablets, phones and game consoles. 

So last week, I ordered another work table for Daddy (a 6-ft folding table or a training table), we got it yesterday and set Daddy's workstation up on the new table. The 4-ft folding table he was using was then brought down to this corner where we set up a study area for Swe-cha.  

I think this will also work out better because he has Physical Ed on some days and he will have enough space to exercise in front of the camera in this area. 

Hope this works out!

Snake Plants

 

I must be lethal because I've killed a few of these "hard to kill" plants and the latest casualty is the plant whose photo I have posted here... or rather, what remains of it. 

I was checking my plants and saw that this particular one had root rot - the root just melted in my hands, it was already hollow (seems like it rotted and then dried out) so I tried to salvage the 1 remaining leaf by cutting it up and then planting it in soil. Hopefully, these cuttings are still strong enough to propagate. 

Week 20: Cleaning up

I can't believe how long it took me before jumping into cleaning mode.

Anyway, I joined a Freebie community for my city recently and got a chance to offer the large soup takeout containers. Surprise, surprise, there was a taker! That large bag in the photo is around 100 containers + lids. Finding someone who wants these containers has freed up my counter space - I actually see counters!

 I also found a post looking for toddler hangers. I've been thinking about using adult hangers for Swe-cha's clothes but just haven't gotten to it. Seeing someone look for it propelled me into making the move so I can give these old hangers away. I was able to put away 50 hangers.

Needs vs Wants

Swe Cha : Mommy, I need a Mario and Luigi Hotwheels race cart

Me: You don't need toys. You just want them but you don't need them.

Swe Cha: I'm spoiled..

and then he walks away, didn't ask for them anymore.

Masks for kids

I've made several DIY masks for the husband and myself (and for family and friends too!) but haven't gotten around to making one for Swe-cha until last week.

I finally made him one but thankfully, I also did find a good deal for children's masks on Amazon. I got 4 masks with ear loops, the metal nose strip and 8 filters - all for $10. Not bad at all.

Week 18: Menudo

I've been in a cooking funk lately - it has been so hot and despite the AC going on full blast at home 24/7, I didn't really want to cook.

We almost always have rice for our meals but lately, we've just had salads, sandwiches, corn or the pandecoco that I've been ordering weekly from a friend-turned-home-baker. We've also been ordering takeout and pizza often.

Today, I went to the Shoprite to get a few items and ended up with $100+ worth of groceries.

I ended up cooking Menudo this afternoon - my style, I always make sure to say "my style" because mine wouldn't compare to the yummy menudo one can get from the turo-turo - and ended up with 4 servings. So aside from tonight's dinner, we'll be having it for 3 more meals in the next week or 2.

As of today, we should be good for the week, even if laziness strikes (or so I think). We can make (hot) sandwiches, tapa (tapsilog) and grilled kalbi (if I get around to making the marinade).