It’s that time of the year when spring is just around the corner. The flowers are starting to bloom, but it’s not quite warm just yet. Thankfully, we don’t need to deal with snow during winter here in Auckland. But I am sooo ready for longer daylight already! Honestly, we’re pretty new at this spring … More Getting Ready For Spring
During those days that you feel down and sad, give this a try: ask yourself “How can I help?” Now, I know that most often than not, we’d rather just hibernate and immerse ourselves in all the negative emotions. That’s okay. I believe that we do need to feel these things before we feel better. … More Helping Someone Can Make You Happy
It’s been more than 2 years since the Mister and I packed up and left our home country to live abroad. Yes, it was daunting, and it was definitely a leap of faith. Of course, going through a life-changing experience like this can teach anyone an important lesson or two. I’ve listed 5 things that … More 5 Things That Living Abroad Has Taught Me
As a frugal minimalist, I try my best to make every purchase count. The stuff that enters our home should be either useful or beautiful. Over the past months, we have been intentionally purchasing a few things that have improved our everyday lives. Now, these aren’t expensive or high-tech stuff (simple living, right?), but we … More Our Cheap Life Upgrades
When it comes to our financial situation, it can be really easy to turn a blind eye and lie to ourselves, especially when we feel stuck in an already bad position. There are many ways that we can do this, such as avoiding looking at our bills, justifying our financial decisions, even if we already know that it’s a bad decision, telling ourselves that we’re not spending that much (because we’re using a credit card), pointing fingers and blaming our circumstances, expecting/waiting for someone else to pay off our debt, and telling ourselves that it’s not a big deal. … More Personal Finance: Be Honest With Yourself
Recently, I got a day off from work just to spend a slow, quiet day at home. I’ve been having headaches, and I felt exhausted. My body, mind, and heart have been telling me to slow down and reassess my life. Although I don’t work overtime, I would always feel emotionally and mentally drained after … More A Slow, Quiet, Day Alone At Home (And an Epiphany)
Here is a super simple sauce that only requires two ingredients (plus salt and pepper). This recipe is based on Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe. It can be used for pastas, fish, or vegetables. This sauce is usually done last, when your main dish is already (or almost) cooked. Ingredients: ½ cup of butter 2 tablespoons … More Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce Recipe
We haven’t really been cooking regularly for that long. Back in the Philippines, we barely had any time to cook our own meals. When we moved to New Zealand, we stayed in a small studio apartment that didn’t have much storage and kitchen space. We only started having regular weekend cooking sessions when we transferred … More Our Pantry Staples
When loved ones are going through some challenges and they confide in you, do you try to comfort and soothe them? Or do you roll your eyes and make them feel like they are unworthy and that they deserve to go through these hardships? I am hoping it would be the first one. Adding in … More I Am Still Learning Self-compassion
When we think of minimalism, we often visualise the following scenarios: Bare and white house interiors Owning super few pieces of clothing in neutral colors Becoming a nomad Becoming vegan / zero-waste While there is nothing wrong with these (I personally am working towards reducing waste), thinking that minimalism has to look like this can … More Minimalism Looks Different For Everyone
