Our Rainbow Vacuum Demo experience (to buy or not to buy?)

I've been referred to have a Rainbow vacuum demo a number of times before, but I've always said no since I know how expensive it is. But I've read such great reviews about it in online mommy groups, saying how it was SO worth it since the unit can last for decades and they have superb after-sales service. And since my family can be prone to allergy attacks, I figured it was time to see for myself if we should indeed get one.

Vacuum Cleaning Service with Happy Helpers

As part of my new year's resolution to organize and declutter around the house, I've decided to get a cleaning service to vacuum our mattresses. This has actually been long overdue since we moved in our home 5 years ago! I realized I really needed to get this done since we've all been getting symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Like I couldn't get a good night's sleep since my throat and eyes were always so itchy, plus we're all sneezing and getting runny noses all the time.

I searched online and read all about dust mites and bed bugs (ewww!) which was probably the culprit for all our allergies. That was when I found HAPPY HELPERS through some recommendations from a mommy group. There were actually other companies I inquired with, but what made me ultimately decide on Happy Helpers (aside from their lower price compared to others) was that they're a social enterprise that employs women from Gawad Kalinga communities.

Kids Room Inspiration: Bunk Beds

My 6 year old daughter and 5 year old son have been bugging me for a bunk bed for quite some time now. And more so since our vacation at Legoland Malaysia because the hotel rooms there have bunk beds for the kids. They're currently sharing a room with a pull-out bed, but I'm sure that's not as fun for them right? ;p So I've been looking around online, trying to get some ideas. And boy, even I got excited with the idea of having a bunk bed! These designs are amazing!

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DIY Triangle Accent Wall

After I painted my kids' room blue, I knew I wanted to do something with the main wall behind their bed. It previously had an owl mural so the plain blue was just looking well a little... plain. ;p

IKEA shopping loot

Here's the stuff I bought from IKEA Hong Kong:

I'm currently stoking up on duvets and this one had a cute print and was one of the cheapest ones out of all the designs.

ÖDESTRÄD Quilt cover and 4 pillowcases, Queen size – HK $129.9

This was one of the duvets I've been wanting for the longest time! I just love the alphabet design! :)

EIVOR ORD Quilt cover and 4 pillowcases, Queen size - HK $169.9

I love colorful prints and this pillow was just too cute to pass up. And there are even pineapples in the design!

KNAPPSÄV Cushion, multicolour - HK $69.9

I love this holder which fits all my cute paper napkins perfectly.

LIKSIDIG Napkin holder, white - HK $25.9

This placemat has a cute design and made of plastic which makes it easier to wipe and clean after eating. :)

KLISTRIG Place mat, multicolour (4 pcs) - HK $25.9

This picture frame is made of plastic but the ornate design is really nice. And it can be used hanging or standing up.

KVILL 5x7 frame, white - HK $59.9

These colorful plastic bowls and glasses are perfect for the kids' snacks.

KALAS Bowl, assorted colours (6 pcs) - HK $19.9

KALAS Mug, assorted colours (6 pcs) - HK $19.9  

Miley actually held on to this stuffed toy as soon as we entered and she even wrote her name on the white tag with a pencil! So we had to buy it talaga hehe. And we also bought this cloth crown which if I remember correctly was on sale that time, so I think it was just $19.

HASSELMUS Soft toy, mouse - HK $11.9

VITSIG Children's hat - HK $39.9

My son is currently addicted to straws so he was already so happy with this purchase hehe. It's a bit wider than a normal straw and the colors are so cute. :)

SOMMARFINT Drinking straw, assorted colours (100 pcs) - HK $7.9

So many cute stuff, so little time! I'm really happy with everything I got but if only I could fit so much more in our luggage! I wanted to buy tables, chairs, rugs... Definitely can't wait to travel again to another country with an IKEA store. :p

IKEA in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

When we went to Hong Kong last month, I knew I just wanted to go shopping in one place only. I wasn't interested in going to the night markets or the fashion outlets, just IKEA. Yes, I was on a mission lol. ;p I've been lusting over so many of their products for the longest time and was so excited to finally be able to visit an actual store! The last time I was able to go to an IKEA was in Singapore 4 years ago.

Our main itinerary was really Disneyland, but we had a free day to do whatever. So I did my research and found out they had 3 branches in HK - Causeway Bay, Kowloon Bay, and Shatin. We decided to just go to the one in Causeway Bay since we really haven't been around that part of the city yet during previous visits. So at least we could still explore after with the kids.

We took the MRT to Causeway Bay and we were supposed to go out at exit E which was the closest one based on the map. But we ended up in a different exit (probably because we were looking for the nearest elevator since we had 2 strollers) and I had to ask somewhere for directions. Good thing we were still pretty close, and we finally reached the place after walking for a few more minutes.

The IKEA I went to in Singapore was huge and it was like a warehouse type building. Here, we had to go down an escalator since the store was in the basement. So it was definitely smaller, but still complete.

I love how the store is laid out into different sections as you walk through (living room, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, etc.) which makes looking for things more organized. I totally love the set-ups of the different areas, especially the bedrooms, which gives you a lot of inspiration when setting up your own space. It makes you want to buy everything and redo your whole house, ang gaganda! ;p

The kiddie bedrooms were so cute too. Miley was like, "Mom can this be my room?" There were so much I wanted to buy (like that leaf canopy below) but we had limited space in our luggage so I had to prioritize.

Of course, the kids were getting so bored already after a while (including daddy), but they got excited again when we reached the toys. And thank goodness for this little play area that kept them occupied for a bit while I looked around. ;p

I thought we had reached the end of the store, but then there was another level going down and that's were all the accessories and decorations were pala! I was drooling over all the trays, plates, bowls, picture frames, artworks, and many more. Haaay, pwede ba iuwi lahat? The 2nd basement was also where you pick up the items you liked from the upper level (like beddings or furniture).

paper napkins

rugs

We were so hungry after since it was already lunchtime. I was excited to eat in their restaurant but I got disappointed when they only had a small cafe without even any tables or chairs. Basically, you just buy your food and eat standing up. Good thing we were still able to eat their famous meatballs which were so yummy!

Oh how I wish I could buy everything I wanted and bring them home! Can they just please open an IKEA store here in the Philippines already? Anyway, stay tuned for my shopping loot in the next post! :)

www.ikea.com/hk/en/

Our new bed (with tufted headboard!)

The first major purchase hubby and I made after we got married was our plasma TV. Then, we bought our bed hehe. ;p We just wanted something simple and classic, so this is what we ended up buying in SM.

Back when this was the only piece of furniture we had, when we were still staying at my mom's place. Sarap, walang kalat!

It held up fine all these years, but as the kids got older, they learned to jump on the bed. And they loved jumping on it until I noticed a couple of months ago that there was already a huge crack on the bottom of the frame:

broken right in the middle!

Hubby tried to fix it, but as you can see, he didn't do a very good job hehe! He used electrical tape and picture frame hangers haha! It was one jump away from fully collapsing so we decided to just buy a new bed.

This time, I knew I wanted a bed with a tufted headboard. Aside from it looking so nice and elegant, I wouldn't have to worry about the kids hitting their heads on the frame anymore (which has happened so many times!).

We went to SM Our Home and found this bedframe (queen-sized) which was on sale from P29,950 down to P23,960. And there was an additional 10% off since we got it during the mallwide sale and we had an SM Advantage Card. Plus, it was payable in 6 months, interest-free! Yey SOLD! :)

You can even customize the color of the upholstery (they showed us swatches like black, brown, red, blue) but in the end, we decided to go with what we saw on display which was this grayish color. With the new taller height of the headboard, my pole wire decal is a little bit covered though. Still thinking if I should keep it or just hang something on the wall. What do you think? :)

Anyway, super love these studs that run along the sides too!

And check out the sturdy base! I think it has enough support for the kids to jump on all they want haha! ;p The only cons would be that there's no space to put anything underneath (I used to have some orocans under the old bed for extra storage) and it's now harder to get all the dirt and dust under the bed (hirap walisin!) But it looks so nice so parang tiis-ganda na lang diba! :)

I think in the end, I'm kinda happy the kids broke the old bed so we could get this new one. Super happy with it! And hope it lasts a lot longer than 5 years! :)

Pineapple Crush

I'm currently obsessing over pineapples and love how they're popping up almost everywhere these days. From fashion to home decor, it's so fun and funky that I can't get enough of it! I don't know how long this trend will last, but here's some fruity finds I'm definitely crushing on for now :)

(L-R) 1. Topshop 2. Forever 21 3. Urban Outfitters

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throw pillow covers from Seek the Uniq: (L) jute sack, (R) plantation

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images from Pinterest & Etsy

one piece suit from J.Crew

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canister from Seek the Uniq

tank & cotton shirt from Forever 21

decorative glass cutting board
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So what do you think, are you a fan of this trend? :)