If you've noticed I haven't posted anything recently. That's because I transferred to a different platform. I'm still getting the hang on it but I have posted a few if you might be interested.

Head on over to https://diapersandstethoscope.wordpress.com and you might be interested. I'll see you there.

Blue

Clays and Men

Journal

Why do I write? Why won’t I write? Even when my mouth is shut, my mind is continuosly talking. There are things that I need not utter to anyone but myself... hence, the journal. What do I write? Well, I’ll share a glimpse of what’s inside.

A trip to Universal studios. I thought I’d keep the map of the whole area. Although I would have wanted to keep the whole map with the front and back but it won’t fit in my journal.

Flowers given to me by my husband and my kids. Flowers wither and die so I thought I’d keep some of it.

A note from a man who cleaned our hotel room. It has personality and sincerity at the same time. Whether it was him who wrote this or not, it was still a pleasant surprise.

I try to keep all the pages filled up. Though I like to be those wonderful journals I see on Instagram with all the stamps and stickers, I can’t seem to do it. I don’t think I’m one of those type (took me a while to accept that). So instead I write what I think and I write what I like. It is my thoughts and nobody should invade it. It is my own personal internalization, my own personal growth.

My thoughts, my words; 

My mind, my heart.

I speak of my mind;

And I speak of my heart.

- ambquezada

My Own Compost Pit

There are a lot of ways to make my garden blossom. But I do not like to use any artificial products. Instead, I decided to make my own compost. I collect scrap veggies, excess fruits, egg shells, soil and everything natural. Dumped it in a sack and once in a while I turn the sack to shake everything inside. Whenever I plant, I get a few soil at the bottom and add it in my pot.

Tissue Rolls

I read an article in Pinterest about using tissue rolls as pots. Ever since, I have been using these as my growing pots. Here I’m showing you how I turn them into pots.

These are all used up tissue rolls. Save the middle part, don’t throw them away.

Cut about 3/4 inch on one end. Make sure you cut around 5 of it.

Next is try to fold them over each other but save the last one and reverse fold it so that it’ll lock into place.

Like so.

Push everything toward the middle trying to flatten it out. Don’t worry if it’s not even on all sides, as long it can stand flat. There may be times when there will be a hole in the middle, it’s okay. Water will pass through it. Just make sure that the hole in the middle is not so big or the soil may fall.

Here is one that is standing flat on it’s own.

So here are my tissue roll pots, ready to receive seeds or seedlings that I’ve rooted in water.

Pruning Herbs

I think if you want to grow herbs, you have to be prepared to really care for them. They are very sensitive and require your attention. One of which is to prune them properly if your’re using them in teas or in cooking. If not, it is still important to prune them from time to time. It will be very beneficial to do so as they will produce more leaves and grow better when pruned.

Here is a peppermint.  This is my sister’s herb. She wasn’t able to use them as she is still breastfeeding my nephew. I’ve read that peppermint may decrease breastmilk supply so she allowed me to harvest this plant for my teas and for planting more peppermints.

As you can see, the stems are very long, some of the leaves have dried out.

Here it is after pruning. I’ve also added more soil with a bit of compost to rejuvenate this plant. The extra stems were not wasted, I planted them on another pot. Eventually, this herb will yield more leaves.

Happy Mother's Day

Thank you dear hubby for this. Was really surprised!

Happy mother's day to all moms out there!

Poppy Love

My Herb Garden

We bought these herbs on my birthday last year. Some of them were given by officemates. I’m not the greatest cook but I can feed someone. I love herbs, for garnish and for my tea. I’ve worked with some of them back when I was still eating grilled foods. I marinated my chicken with rosemary before grilling them. These days, I shy away from them, just a matter of personal preference.

So I’m showing you my herbs. I’m thinking of selling them since I was able to propagate them. I’ve seen them grow in a shady area and a sunny spot and have noted differences. 

This is my peppermint (Yes there are different types of mints). This was given to me by my officemate (Thank you very much Ate Paz). It doesn’t thrive well in a shady spot. When I transferred it to a spot where it received at least 4 hours of morning sun, it thrived very well. I was able to snip a few which I used for my tea and for propagating. This leaves a very fresh feeling in your mouth.

This is my tarragon. Back then, the stems were very thin, the leaves were small. When I transferred it to a sunny spot, this plant became bigger, the stem, tougher. You may be surprised by its scent, especially when you’re not used to using herbs. But you will love this plant and its taste. 

This is my mint. I just call it mint. People just call it mint. Much like the peppermint, it leaves a fresh feeling in your mouth. This is a crawler. If you plant it directly on your graden, it will overrun your ground. Better to plant it in a pot. It thrives well in a spot where it receives at leaves 4 hours of sunlight. 

This is my sweet basil. It has a very strong scent and taste. When I put it in my tea, I use only 2 leaves. This plant thrives in a spot where it receives at most 3 to 4 hours of sunlight. Too much and the leaves will turn yellow. It goes well with  spaghetti and pizza.

This is my stevia, a natural sweetener. When used in tea, I usually cut 3 1-inch stalk or about 9 leaves to make it sweet for me. But if you prefer otherwise, then you may use just a few leaves. It thrives in a sunny spot or any spot with at least 1-2 hours of sunlight.

Another thing is the soil. What I did is a mixture of soil, rice hull and carbonized rice hull (if you have them). It’s usually 1 part rice hull, 1 part carbonized rice hull and 3-4 parts soil. I mix them up in a pail. The rice hull and carbonized rice hull will serve as fertilizers and help in drainage.

As to other forms of fertilizers, I just used banana peels and empty egg shells. I have my own small compost. Small meaning I’m using a rice sack for my compost. So safe to say, it’s all natural, no pesticides.

I have other plants at home... limes, tomatoes, some fruit trees and other vegetables. I want to produce my own vegetables. It’s the only way I’m very sure I’m eating all natural food, free from growth hormones or pesticides.

Full Throttle Ahead

Where do I even begin? It doesn’t seem to slow down on this side of the planet. Everyone is always on a hurry.  When one good thing is happening, another thing is going south.

If only it’s like school where you get a break after 10 months of studying and you just enjoy summer vacation for the next 2 months, which the kids are having right now. I so envy their life; full of mysteries, full of questions.

We’ll as they say, life must go on. Onwards we go.

Air Plant

Mama loved plants. I used to follow her around the house when she was mending them. I found these airplants all bunched up. I’m seeing so many hangers and stands for them on the internet but I didn’t wanna shed any penny, so I decided to try this one out. I had extra copper wires for my bonsai and experimented with them. 

Sit Still, Look Pretty

One of the best scene I took while out on the field. Beautiful as it is. 

Vivid

I always prefer to show colors. I want you guys to see what I saw. And putting it in black and white would hide all the wonderful details.

Here are some of the shots I took while in Sarangani Island and in Balangunan. 

Beautiful Words

I'm a sucker for good pensmanship and poetry.  Sharing to you some of them that I found on Instragam. 

I need to get back on the track. 

Note: Photos are not of the writer. Photos are taken from various sites. 

Growing Them

Planting My Own Veggies and Herbs

I've been growing vegetables, seriously this time 😁. Let's say it's my current favorite past time. 

Cherry Tomatoes

Stevia and Mint

Lime

Basil

A few arugula I replanted that my sister-in-law planted in a big pot.