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A Dose of Simple Living E-zine

A lot has transpired over the last few months. Finally, I have managed to put up my online shop which I’ve been planning to do since forever! I will talk about it in another post but meanwhile, you can check it out here: A Dose of Simple Shop.

I also have some big news! Finally (drumroll please) I’ve created the official A Dose of Simple e-zine! Wohoo!

It’s been a long time coming but it’s finally here! The first issue is about the Zero Waste Movement and how to put together a Zero Waste Kit. Below is a sneak peak:

Here’s the download link to a free copy:

A Dose of Simple Living E-zine Issue # 1

I hope you like it! Share it with your friends. And don’t forget to like A Dose of Simple on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Food for Thought

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

Walt Disney

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Taking care of furniture with a great find from Japan Home

I’ve had my home office table for almost twenty years now. It’s one of the first few pieces I bought when I decided to live on my own. It was a bit pricey then but the investment was worth it. I can’t even begin to tell you how many scripts were written on this desk!

I take care of this table by using furniture polish at least once a week. That used to be enough. But recently, my frisky cat Ginger has started the habit of jumping on the table whenever I’m working. I don’t really mind the company. But look at my poor table!

To hide the marks, I apply (read: massage) dark brown furniture wax on the scratches then finish off with Old English furniture polish.

I’ve also decided to put furniture felt protectors on one of my wooden storage drawers to prevent further scratching. Unfortunately the ‘feet’ of the drawers are oddly-shaped.

Good thing I found this cut-it-yourself felt protector pads in Japan Home Centre (which I absolutely love, by the way). This pack of 3 sheets was on sale for 66 bucks!

I love the printed grid on the sticker side of the sheets as it made it easier to mark the size of the felt pad I needed.

Once cut, just remove the sticker paper and attach the sticky side to the part you want to cover. And voila!

You can trim off the excess pad if you can’t stand seeing it. I did! 🙂

Now I wonder if they make pads for cat paws. 😉

How about you? Do you have any tips on how to take care of wooden furniture? Let me know on the comments section below.

Food for Thought:

A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy.

-Albert Einstein

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Welcoming 2019 With Plants

I thought I’d start 2019 with my first project for the year. I’ve been planning to do this for the past five years! Hah! Just kidding. But it’s true that it’s been on my mind for quite a while now.

A year ago, I bought a few air plants and planted some hanging plants in pots which I have been meaning to hang near my home office window. But I just couldn’t find the right hanging rod. So over the holidays, I finally found one–a sturdy branch from the vacant lot next door!

So using some hooks and a bit of twine…voila!

I just feel so happy and relaxed whenever I look at this corner. What do you think?

If you want to see more Decorating with Plants ideas, follow my Pinterest boards here.

Happy 2019, everyone!

Food for Thought:

A plant is the most cliche thing, but a little bit of green has a great effect on happiness. Being at a cubicle all day is not pleasing, but a little life on your desk can give you a little life, too.

Bobby Berk

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My Plant Propagation Station

These days I find myself having the most wonderful time tending to my gardens. Yes, me. The one who used to kill cacti regularly. Yes, the self-confessed plant-killer now has several pocket gardens around and inside her home. Imagine that!

So one of my most favorite things to do recently is propagating my plants. I’ve set up a propagation station in the living room and I’m happy to report that my plants are thriving well.

Here are a few photos I took last weekend. Aren’t the greens pretty?

This Monstera Obliqua is easy to propagate. Just cut beneath a leaf node and put the cutting in water. Leave it alone for a couple of weeks in a shaded area. Then when you see the tiny roots, you can plant it in the soil.

See this cute little pair of scissors? I was looking around for this for the longest time but couldn’t find anything similar. So when I saw this pair in a cute little shop in Rome last year, I didn’t think twice about buying it.

*Note: some of the leaves here are for decorative purposes only. 🙂

You must be wondering to yourself how long I can keep this up. Well, to be honest, me too! Haha. Wish me luck!

Food for Thought:

Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive, you haven’t done a thing. You are just talking.

-Wangari Maathai
Kenyan environmental political activist and Nobel laureate

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Simple living in an abandoned yard

I have been longing to live away from the city; to be surrounded by nature and just work from home. The idea that I don’t have to drive daily to the office is really appealing to me. And as always, I look to the internet for inspiration.

How I envy this couple! Both born in 1989, Yixiao and Peng Dele are freelancers living and working in Beijing. Their story of simple living began in 2016 when they rented an abandoned yard of 600 m2 in Shunyi District. 50 km away from downtown, the yard became a place where they flourished, both as artists and as a couple. Via 条 YIT.

Have you seen anything that has inspired you lately? Tell me about it! Drop me an email at adosimple@yahoo.com. And follow me @adoseofsimple on FB.

Food for Thought:

“Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning sun can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day – like writing a poem, or saying a prayer.”

― Anne Morrow Lindbergh

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My Little Corner: A Writer’s Space

I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve neglected some areas of the house, including the lanai. If you’ve been following this blog, you’d know how much I love this lanai and how I’ve rescued it from total abandonment time and time again.

Well, this year is no different. Due to work, I’ve had no time to maintain it and it has become a bodega of sorts yet again (plus the cats’ favorite hangout and occasional giant litter box). Thankfully, because of the holidays, I was able to spend a day cleaning and taking out trash and now, here it is! I have reclaimed my writing space! Yes!

This owl is guarding my every move. 😉

Surround yourself with things that you love. They will cheer you up even during your darkest moments. This watercan from Ikea, a pasalubong from my sister-in-law, just makes me happy.

I just love these painted stones from Papemelroti. And they’re super cheap, too! The Japanese cup and saucer are from a surplus shop. The embroidered table cloth is vintage and a hand-me-down from my mother. And the book is from my friend Grace Leung’s online book shop. Check it out here.

Sometimes I can’t write when I don’t have a cup of coffee on my table. How about you?

The pour over method is still the best way to brew, methinks. I use this Kalita ceramic dripper 102. I’m a bit old-fashioned that way. I buy my coffee filters from Daiso for 88 bucks/100 pcs.

The cats are plotting their takeover!

I really do hope I’ll be able to keep this space as it is now. “You can keep hoping,” says my cat Mayo.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

― Ernest Hemingway

“I have my favorite cat, who is my paperweight, on my desk while I am writing.”

-Ray Bradbury

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My Kitchen Redesign

A few months ago, hubby and I decided to repaint the kitchen. What I thought was going to be a simple task turned out to be a full-blown project! Aside from new paint on the walls, new shelves were also installed, the kitchen island repainted, and the cabinets, decluttered. It took us about a couple of weeks to complete the project. But I have to say I’m quite happy with the result. Now on to the living room!

The kitchen cabinets used to be avocado green, and the walls light brown. So the first order of business was to brighten the kitchen by painting the walls white and the cabinets light gray.

The next order of business was to organize all my plates and kitchenware. I didn’t realize just how many sets of plates and glasses I actually had hidden inside the cabinets. And I never bothered to check since the shelves and cabinets were built too high. So the solution was to declutter and sell the unused sets and install a couple of floating shelves so I can display and have easy access to the ones I’ve decided to keep.

These wire baskets are certainly clutter-busters! Bought them from Japan Store for 88 bucks each.

Putting spices in mason jars and kitchen staples like potatoes and garlic in wire baskets is a great way to make sure that I never run out of much needed ingredients.

I repainted and revarnished the kitchen island in less than 3 hours!

Food for Thought:

“Always remember: If you’re alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who’s going to know?”

-Julia Child

2018 Moleskine Hack Part 1

Hello, 2018!

It’s another year and another chance to put together (or agonize over, depending on how you look at it) my planner system. I know I’ve said (repeatedly) that I wanted to be more frugal and was very determined not to buy a Moleskine planner a couple of years ago. But I failed miserably. I did succeed last year when I bought a MUJI planner instead (which was way cheaper).

This year, I want to be even more frugal. And I also wanted to see what local products I can use as my main planner. So here are my stationery finds plus what I ended up buying as my 2018 planner.

Clockwise from top left: 1.) Grid notebook by HEMA (€1) | 2.) Fenella Smith Pug Notebook (£8.50) | 3.) Notebook by Daiso (₱88 or about $1.75) | 4.) National Bookstore 2018 Weekly Planner (₱279.75 or about $5.55)

1.) Grid notebook by HEMA (€1)

This wonderful A5 grid notebook is from HEMA, the Dutch lifestyle shop that sells everything from candlesticks to make-up. I’m just in love with it! I bought this notebook in the Netherlands (in a quaint little town called Abcoude) for 1 euro. I can either use it for logging my expenses and storing receipts or as my draft notebook for my leather craft designs. We’ll see.

2.) Fenella Smith Pug Notebook (£8.50)

Isn’t this pug notebook just adorable? This was a gift from my sister in law who lives in the UK. It has 70 beautiful blank pages, perfect for journalling!

3.) Notebook by Daiso (₱88 or about $1.75)

As you probably know already, another shop I’m in love with is DAISO. It’s where I buy my storage boxes, coffee filters and stationery (among others). This notebook is such a great find because of the combined grid pages and craft paper pages, all for the bargain price of 88 bucks!

4.) Stradmore 2018 Weekly Planner (₱279.75 or about $5.55)

And my planner for 2018 is… (drumroll please)… National Bookstore’s 2018 Diary!

Surprisingly, it’s…very nice. I love the faux linen cover with elastic closure. The year stamped on a piece of leather and stitched on the cover is a nice touch, too.

I also love the layout of the monthly calendar grid and the weekly planner plus the matching ribbon bookmark. It’s all very similar to Moleskine’s.

And to be sure that I won’t miss my old Moleskines, NB even added an expandable inner pocket!

And did I mention that the cream acid free paper is 80 GSM? I prefer this over Moleskine’s 70 GSM because this means ink won’t easily bleed through the paper (which is my problem with Moleskine).

So there you have it! My wonderful stationery finds. Up next, I’ll talk about my tools and accessories. Here’s a preview:

How about you? Have you chosen your 2018 planner yet? Tell me about it in the comments section below!

Food for Thought:

And the idea of just wandering off to a cafe with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for awhile is just bliss.

-J.K. Rowling

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1.) Grid notebook by HEMA (€1)

2.) Fenella Smith Pug Notebook (£8.50)

3.) Notebook by Daiso (₱88 or about $1.75)

4.) Stradmore 2018 Weekly Planner (₱279.75 or about $5.55)

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