Decorating your home adds not only an aesthetic value to the property but also creates a warm and inviting atmosphere for family members and guests who come over. While first time owners are often giddy when it comes to decorating, the excitement seem to fade away as the years go by. One of the reasons why homeowners tend to put decorating aside is because of budget issues.

The truth is, you don’t need to spend a lot of money if you are thinking of giving your home a little facelift. All it takes is proper planning, organization and knowing where to find the best deals. Start by making a list of the things around the house; mark those that needs repairs and take note of the ones that requires replacement. Learn to prioritize. Ask yourself: do you really need a new coffee table or is it time to replace the sofa that you’ve been using for the past years?

If you are planning to buy a new furniture, remember that quality is the most important factor to consider. Even if you are budget, consider getting an item that might cost a little more but will surely last for a long period of time rather than going for a cheap bargain that you might need to replace again just after a few months. Be a smart shopper and know where you can find great deals and discounts. The internet is the best place for shoppers on a budget because you can find a wide range of selection that fits every budget.

For owners that are creative. you may find items around the house that you can fix and use as decorative pieces. Be a little crafty and spend a weekend repainting tables and chairs or making flower pots for the garden. There are a number of DIY activities for home decorating that you can also do with the family.

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Mina is a freelance content writer who loves to share tips about home improvement and design. She is currently working for  http://gulvafslibning.mobi/.

If I will be asked to find somebody who cannot live a day without coffee, I wil surely point no less than my very own self. I am a certified coffeeholic (my term for coffee addiction). I'm into brown coffee,  I just so love it and there's only one brand of its kind that I really love he most (better not mention it here though).

photo credit: Google image

And so yesterday afternoon, in the middle of my class, I left my student while doing their project to have a sip of brown coffee (with bread). I was just so sleepy that I want hot coffee to perk me up. And guess what? I was able to consumed TWO CUPS! err MUGS it's not really unusual to me but it was taken simultaneously. My colleague told me that it has an effect to me and I might be suffering from it. I just completely ignore what she said by telling here that I am used of doing it. Then later that afternoon, I felt like eating "isaw" so I have a bottle of softdrinks to complete my meal. I then realized, I do have lots of caffeine intake for the day. 

And true enough, it has an effect on me: I CANNOT SLEEP! yes, I really find it hard to sleep last night. I read my Amway Product Catalogue in order to drain my eyes but still it doesn't work. If I were to measure the total number of hours where I have an interrupted sleep, it might be just within two hours!

Now, I felt the need to cut down my coffee intake. Or at least I shouldn't have took it simultaneously :( 
Indeed, TOO MUCH OF SOMETHING IS BAD ENOUGH!

photo credit: Google Image

Right this moment, I'm feeling groggy while having my class...

Children love to play with different toys. Parents buy them from toy stores such as dolls, cars or building blocks. Knowing which are safe enough for their kids to enjoy playing with is very important to prevent any accident from happening.

How does one choose from the different selections in the toy stores? There are different ways to choose the best one that fits any child’s preferences. Toys can be recreational or educational depending on what is preferred.

Selecting safe toys

·         Know the age of the child who will be using the toys. There are different varieties for every age group. Check the box for printed age labels that suits the child or ask the saleslady for tips on which one to buy.

·         Educational toys are excellent since it hones the cognitive part of the brain of a child. Play with him and teach him how to use building blocks.

·         Buy books that can teach the child how to count from one to three, tell colors or identify objects.

·         Check the packaging for the contents of the product. If it contains lead don’t purchase it and instead report it to the health department. It may be hazardous to a child’s health.

·         Always test the toy first in the stores to see if it is in good working condition.

·         If the child is too young, don’t buy Legos or other similar toys since it may end up choking the child.

·         Ask other parents around who already bought their own kids toys to know which are safe and recommendable.

A child’s safety is important and should come as a priority to any parent. Playing with them can attribute greatly to their growing up stage. Know the pros and cons of any toys bought from the stores to ensure how the child may benefit from it safely.

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This is a guest post by Ciel, a photography enthusiast and an article contributor. She hopes to travel the world someday and show it through photographs. Her current writing task is for promoting a site for tagpap Hvidovre.

Lately, I felt like I am totally overtaken by bad happenings in my life. First, we lost our great step dad, next, my patience has been challenge to its peak. I easily get mad and I wanted to shout all my disappointments in life. Well, this is the consequences brought by all those things that I have decided before. And it seems like it is hard for me to understand. Why hard? It's because I failed to listen to his Words.

Lord, change my heart please with all willingness. Cleanse it from all unrighteousness.

balloons for Tatay

Letting go of the reality that Tatay is forever gone

This is the day that my Tatay will finally be laid to his final rest... I will never have the chance to see him again. The days that follow will be a different one. It is different knowing that Tatay is gone. I wish i could turn back the hands of time and should have spend more time with him. It's gonna be too late. i just hope that Tatay is happy wherever he is right now...

courtesy of Sto. Niño Devotees

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I was late again this morning in coming to school. I cannot put the blame to the driver or to the traffic. I was late because I get up late. I still have to feed my baby and prepare his milk so that his Nanay (my Mama) won't get stress in preparing all those things. It's been six days already that the whole family stays together at my Mama's house and six days since our Tatay is gone. Tomorrow will be his scheduled burial and sad to say we cannot go there at Bukidnon to pay our last respect. The situation is quite complicated so I suggested to my Mama to have our simple way of bidding goodbye to our Tatay by releasing a white balloon tomorrow. Right after tomorrow, all of us (my Manoy and his family, my other  brother's family, all our relatives and friends who will also be with us) will go back to our respective home, leaving our Mama alone in the house. Well, that's how I sees thing then. I know it will not be easy for my Mama.

Me, my sisters, my Mama & my Tatay

I've known for a fact that we can only appreciate the value of an individual when he/she is gone already. However, we tend to forget this kind of reality unless we could actually relate to it. When Tatay was still alive, he became quite irritable as his condition worsen. He constantly woke Mama up in the middle of the night. He often shout as if he was badly hurt. He's like a child who always long for attention. Mama's condition isn't really that good as well because she has a hypertension and she keeps on complaining that he barely sleeps at night because Tatay keeps on waking her up. During daytime, Tatay used to stay outside the house to keep himself from too much boredom because he has no one to talk to because Mama is busy also in doing her duty as Barangay Official in the place where we previously resided. Tatay is an extrovert type of person. He always wanted to have someone to talk to. Thus, despite his worsen condition, Tatay made an extra effort with the help of his assistant, whom Mama hired, to go to a neighbor's house few meters away from ours to talk with his so called "best friend" who is older than him yet still in good health condition. Tatay's daily routine goes on that way. Looking back all these things, I know Mama will miss him. She will miss those good and bad times that they've shared together. Tatay used to cook for her when he was still in good health, sing for her whenever we are all gathered for  a celebration. I remember how Tatay insisted to have a Lechon Baboy (grilled pork) on my 27th birthday by giving up Sabadik, his alagang baboy.He actually did the same thing when I passed the Teacher's Board Exam. Way back in College, I could easily approach Tatay for permission than Mama. He was actually my lawyer because he has the final say and Mama couldn't do anything about it. I am a hard-headed individual who always insist on the things that I want and Tatay knew about it and he understood. Indeed, he completely perform the role of a father into our life. There are five of us in the family and during our Big Day, he was always there. He was the one who walked us down through the aisle except for my little sis (Tatay's girl) who got married at the US. This is the thing that my biological father never ever witnessed because we did not allow him to.

Until now, the idea of losing Tatay for good hurts. The man who was selfless enough to accept us as his own. If not for him, I may not able to finish my studies 10 years ago and all those selfless acts that he did for all of us in the family.

Well, I am not saying good bye because I know that sooner or later, I will also have my final rest. 

Tatay , thanks for your selfless love. We will miss you!

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