Score!

Speaking of reusable shopping/grocery bags...

A trip to Ikea last Sunday netted me these:


At 99 cents a piece, they go a long way to assuage my guilt over millions of wasted plastic bags generated by shoppers like you and me.

And they're cute!

The bags will now find a permanent home in the trunk of my car, ready for action every time I make a quick trip to the market. For those far from an Ikea, most supermarkets and groceries now sell their own reusable shopping/grocery bags, starting at about a buck each. Trader Joe's has them, so does Whole Foods and Albertson's, I think.

Do your part!

Price of ownership

Today, I had to wrangle with the people who make home ownership possible--the mortgage company. Ours is Chase, who, in their infinite wisdom, has charged us a late fee for a bill that we supposedly did not pay on time.

Here's the skinny: Our original loan was through a company called Loan City. The first bill was due April 1. The sticklers that we are, we wanted to pay way in advance, so we sent our first payment in on March 15, thinking that we were doing the right thing by paying early. But here is where it got complicated. See, three days later, that loan was bought by and transferred to Chase. A few days after that, we got a notice from Chase saying that we did in fact have a bill due April 1, but that it was payable to them. By then, the check we sent was long gone, to Loan City, who also sent us a letter saying that we should continue payments to them until May 1.

Thinking that they would sort each other out, we continued to pay our bills as usual. Only, when the most recent bill came, it showed a late charge. Confused, we called Chase and that's when we found out that the April 1 payment was never forwarded to them, and that we effectively have been paying a month behind since.

The kicker: Loan City is no longer in business.

Here's why I'm pissed. First, both companies sent us notification letters of the transfer but gave conflicting information. Second, we had called Chase at least twice before this last conversation, to check on our account, and nary a mention of the late payments. Third, the man on the phone for Chase made the point of saying that the account will go to credit reporting by the end of the month.

And all this because we thought we'd get ahead by making that first payment early.

Thankfully, we have a loan officer/agent who is working to clear this up. Just the same, we paid our mortgage bill twice this month, just to make sure that our credit does not get affected.

This is the price of ownership that nobody tells you about.

Just the same, I'm grateful for our home. It's a work in progress, in various fronts, but it's ours.

More recent pics to follow.

And by the way, please come visit.

Fun reads

Little time to write a full post. So I'm passing you along to some blogs that I visit when I'd rather read than write.

When I can't have Filipino food, I visit Market Manila and live vicariously. There's also tons of info on various restos and food spots in and around Manila--a real nice resource for those outside of the country.

Pinoy Cook serves up much of the same, as well as tons of recipes and tips. Written from the point of view of a busy mom.

Philippine fashion and chismis are FUN. No one catches you up like Chuvaness.

What or who are you reading online?

Do Something

Forget the bag that the fashionistas are going gaga over.

While the idea behind Anya Hindmarch's "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" is sound, I don't think anyone needs to shell out upwards of $50 on eBay (even up to $400, by some reports) for a bag that originally sold for $15 at Fred Segal Flair just to be "green chic."

Everyone can do their part, right here and now, no trendy canvas bag required. Simply say "No thanks" to plastic bags whenever you can. My personal rule: If I can carry it in my two hands, or stuff it in my purse, then I don't need the plastic bag. Do it at the grocery, at the bookstore, at 7-11.

And if you're really interested in using a reusable shopping bag, why not support our own with one of these Bazura bags?

Using recycled foil juice packs, the bags are made by a women's coop in the Philippines.

It's no "It Bag" but it gets the job done, and in my opinion, is cute in it's own way.

Sunshiny smoothie

Jamba Juice trumps Starbucks every time.

My drink of choice: Mango-a-go-go. For me, it's not so much a health thing but a taste thing. Cold coffee just does not do it for me. Mangoes, on the other hand, I'll take any way I can.

"Vibrant mangos make your taste buds skip, prance and dance! Sun-ripened mangos contain antioxidants like Vitamin C and Beta Carotene. It also has Vitamin A to help keep your immune system skipping along."

Off to get one now...

My last year as a twenty-something

I'm nine months away from turning 30, which, I imagine, is when the real grown-up stuff starts. But before I get there, I plan to make the most of my last year as a twenty-something.

I plan to get healthy (my running shoes are dusty), pick up a new hobby (will that herb garden ever be?), get involved, recycle religiously, travel a bit, and do something I've never done before. I'm still working out the details.

What would you do?

Fashion

One downside of living far from trendy cities like New York and Los Angeles is that you slowly lose your sense of fashion. Mind you, I was never one who always wore the latest trends, but I liked being around it and appreciated the diverse aesthetics that it provided.

While packing recently for a 4-day trip, I realized that my closet had gotten just so depressingly boring. Over the last years, my regular attire has come down to different combinations of about a half dozen solid-colored t-shirts and 3 pairs of jeans.

Hoping to inject some life into my wardrobe, I hit the local mall. Two hours later, I was empty-handed and very annoyed. I walked out of there with a knitted hoodie zip-up and a black babydoll dress which I bought only because they were ridiculously discounted and I felt the pressure to get something for my efforts.

Two weekends ago, I bought a pair of white Betula sandals and felt sufficiently proud of my fashion forwardness.

Someone help me.

Disclaimer

It just wasn't part of the plan. I always fancied myself as an urban-dweller, living among the hubbub of city life, the sounds, the people, the energy. Now, the only thing that regularly punctures the quiet of my street is the sound of kids playing, or the passing ice cream truck.

And being married to the military--that I certainly did not see coming.

Thus the reluctance, and the growing pains.

But while I missed on the details, the larger themes are in place. I hoped for laughter, some fun, a little adventure, contentment and a quiet happiness when imaging my life. And that I most certainly have.