The process of moving from one place to another can be a very stressful and difficult period of time. The logistics alone can be enough to cause a significant amount of stress and they can make the whole process very uncomfortable. While there are a lot of things that a person simply cannot avoid when they are moving, there are things they can do to help assuage the difficulty the experience. Finding the right moving service, a simple way to change address, and switching over utilities can have a substantial impact on the amount of stress someone feels while moving.

The first step is of course finding a moving company that suits your needs. While this may seem like it’s easier said than done, the truth is that finding a great moving company doesn’t have to be a very difficult process. Doing a small amount of research into the background and work history of a moving company can be a good first start. There are many different websites available that provide customer reviews of all sorts of services. Using these resources to your advantage when looking for the right mover can make all the difference and it can save a lot of trouble.

Perhaps the most stressful and confusing part of moving is finding out where to go for utilities or where to switch over an address for necessary services. Using a concierge service that provides a free address change and home service connections can make the process much faster and much less stressful. Companies like Kandela Concierge Service have built their business around connecting new homeowners or renters with the necessary home services they’ll need when moving to a new area. It’s useful to use services like this because some parts of the country can be very difficult to find utilities in. This can be especially true when moving to an area where utilities have been deregulated by the state.

In the end, there are a lot of things to keep in mind when moving to a new area. While it’s not possible to make any move totally stress-free, using the right services can go a long way toward at least making it a bit less stressful. After all, it’s hard enough to manage the logistics of work, family and personal belongings. Throwing transport and utility logistics into the mix can be an unnecessary burden and can be avoided.

Three things I am thankful for when in comes to home management:

• washing machine
• microwave
• vacuum cleaner

These are my partners in making my mommy duties more efficient. I think I have mentioned before that we prepare our food in advance. I usually cook 2 weeks’ worth of food and just re heat it using microwave. It saves me a lot of time.

I also use vacuum cleaner to clean the house, specially the bedroom, it’s better since dust goes straight to the vacuum, unlike with the use of walis, where dust would scatter around the room.

And of course, washing machine! As a woman who can’t do one task at a time (a certified multi tasker here), the use of washing machine is my euphoria. I can cook, clean the house and even blog while the machine washes our clothes. It can be tiring at times but the fact that I can do a lot of things makes washing the laundry one my most favorite house hold chores (except folding clothes!). I still consider buying an automatic washing machine to save more time.. but for now, my old top loader washing machine is my ally, together with my favorite washing machine detergent for our clothes:

I have been using Pride Detergent for more than 10 years now. I love the smell it leaves on our clothes. And contrary to what others think, Pride is specially made for washing machine. Another reason why I love using Pride on our clothes is  its Stain- Away formula.. clumsy po ako in person! As in! I’d always end up with a coffee stain on my clothes or sauce stains. I really noticed how Pride cleans my clothes very well, wala ng kusot kusot! 

I also noticed that with Pride, rinsing is not a problem. Hindi siya mabula actually.. pero nakakalinis, thus making it easier to rinse. And since Pride has fine and pure granules (pure & no chalk), it does not clog the motor of our washing machine..malapit na mag 6 years ang wm ko, and so far wala namang problema 🙂 

Mas hectic ang sched ko ngayon since my part time helper gave birth.. so even if she resumes work next year, I can’t let her do all the job.. mabuti na lang talaga may mga bagay na nagpapadali sa buhay ng mga bising nanay na gaya ko 🙂

How about you mommies? Do you also consider washing machine as one of the things that makes your life easier? Have you tried using Pride Detergent? Share us your story!

I was expecting the worst with my Meralco December Bill.. was expecting a 15k bill but  it was only 10K+. Looking at our electric consumption, it was only 600+ kWh as compared to last month’s usage of 700+ kWh..and the bill was almost the same! So it was quite shocking…one of the reason why I delayed paying my bill.

Hubby said that with TRO for the rate hike, we should not pay our Meralco bill yet.. pero sa takot ko na maputulan kame, pikit mata ko ng binayaran ang aking bill ahuhu

If you’re still undecided what to do with your December Meralco Bill, here’s a guide from TV Patrol (it pays to be glued on the TV from time to time LOL)

For bills dated December 4 to December 22, 2014, two things you can do:

• Pay your bill if it is lower than your November bill
• Pay only the amount equivalent to your November bill if your Meralco bill for December is higher than your November bill.

If you have  paid your December bill, you just have to wait for the final decision from Supreme Court to refund or adjust your bill.

For bills dated December 23 onward, pay your bill guys! The rates are already under the TRO> no rate hike.

Still shocked with your Meralco Bill even without the increase in generation charge? It’s about time to lower your bill with these electricity saving tips:

1. Always unplug your appliances when not in use (argh! guilty here)..even if it is not in use, if the appliance is plugged, it still consumed electricity, and little it may seem, it can accumulate to a higher usage.
2. Use natural lighting as much as possible.
3. When cooking rice with rice cooker, as soon as the rice is cooked, unplug the rice cooker.
4. Refrigerator can increase your usage, specially if you open and close it frequently.. always plan your ref trip and have a ready cold water on the table to prevent the kids from opening the ref. >After Habagat, we decided not to put the ref downstairs (ang bigat kaya iakyat pag bumabaha!) and we noticed a big decrease on our electric bill! ayun nung binababa na ang ref, balik na namin sa dati ang bill..imagine 4 kids na gustong palamigin ang bahay gamit ang ref LOL. 
5. Don’t overcharge your gadgets and if you can, turn off and unplug your PC/laptop and your modem.

This year, isa yan sa New Year’s Resolution ko.. to be more conscious with my bill.. kailangan na magtipid! I will update you next month for my bill.. Good luck to me!