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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

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

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

Review: New Favorites from Nu Skin

Christmas came early this year. A couple of weeks ago, a friend sent me some products to try out.

After a couple of months of being in so much stress over a recently concluded project, this was exactly what I needed! So read on to know more about these products.

LIQUID BODY LUFRA

First on the list is this wonderful Liquid Body Lufra.

The Claim: The promise was very appealing: will provide essential exfoliation, will smoothen dry, rough areas, and will improve skin tone and texture.

The Test: I’m not suere if I was able to capture it in the photos but after the first use, my skin certainly appeared smoother and more supple, thanks mainly to the finely ground walnut husks. The pores became less visible, I guess because the dead skin has been sloughed off. The sweet bubble gum scent is lovely, too! I love body scrubs, especially those of the natural variety. And for sure, this one will be a favorite.

POLISHING PEEL SKIN REFINISHER

The Claim: enjoy skin smoothing results clinically proven to be equivalent to a professional microdermabrasion session without ever leaving home.

The Test: The skin finisher has pumpkin enzymes that help dissolve dead and damaged cells, making it a cheaper (and better?) treatment than microdermabrasion. I’ve never had a microdermabrasion so I can’t exactly compare the two. I do find it easy to use this product: just dab and spread the product on clean face and neck, leave it for a couple of minutes or until you feel a tightening on your skin (do not let it dry completely, though), then using your fingertips, gently massage face in a circular motion. The dried layer will carry away your dead skin cells, leaving your skin looking and feeling polished.

I can tell you that the product stays true to its promise. After use, my skin indeed felt smoother and tighter. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s for sensitive or acne-prone skin as it tends to leave the skin a bit dry. I just dab on a little moisturizer after each use to keep my skin hydrated. Would I recommend it? Of course!

NU COLOUR ADVANCED TINTED MOISTURIZER

The Claim: Now, here’s my favorite… the advanced tinted moisturizer. At first, I was a bit confused as to what exactly this product was. I’ve been looking for a day moisturizer with sun protection. So I thought this was perfect under my liquid foundation. But upon application, I realized that it was actually make-up. My friend confirmed that it’s a DD or Daily Defense cream, foundation, moisturizer and anti-aging cream rolled into one. Isn’t that fabulous?!

The Test: What I love about this product is that it’s very light so it doesn’t feel sticky at the end of the day. I also love that it’s a foundation so it covers spots and blemishes effectively. Finally, you don’t have to slather a lot on because a little (just a couple of pea-sized drops) goes a long way. Should you get a bottle for yourself? Yes, please.

Overall, I was quite happy with the three products. But if there’s a stand out, I have to say it’s the tinted moisturizer.

How about you? Have you tried any of these products? What did you think about them? Please tell us about it on the comments section below.

Food for Thought:

I’m a big believer in that if you focus on good skin care, you really won’t need a lot of makeup.

-Demi Moore

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

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)

Share the love!

Share the love!

Share the love!

LIQUID BODY LUFRA

POLISHING PEEL SKIN REFINISHER

NU COLOUR ADVANCED TINTED MOISTURIZER

Share the love!

Share the love!