I want healthy food for my family, not just nutritious but also food that are safer, purer and more natural. However, organic food cost a little bit extra thus I started my own organic garden. My veggies are planted on pots because we don’t have extra space here at home. At first my only goal was to give my family good food to eat. I didn’t know that it would also be a hobby for me.

my Chinese cabbage after one week

my Chinese cabbage after two weeks

my Chinese cabbage now on its 3rd week

Growing plants from seed is very rewarding. Nurturing them from the very beginning and watching them grow gives me a special sense of delight.  Though I must admit organic plants need healthy amount of care  which means extra time and effort. Aside from the usual gardening tasks like watering, staking and yanking the weeds,  you need to have composters to make your own natural healthy soil to keep your vegetables pure and natural. You also need to make your own organic pesticides.

Organic gardening may sound daunting and complicated but believe me, if you will use the right tools and do some research,  everything would be easy.

Topics on Earth - Blog of rants, musings, daily encounters, views and opinions of a work-at-home Mom.

I don’t know if you will call it obsession but I do check my vegetable plants almost every hour. Watching them grow gives me pleasure. I’ve noticed that among my plants, bitter gourd is the fastest growing, almost 3 inches (just a rough estimate) adds to its length everyday. I’ve also noticed that plants do sleep too. Every night, the leaves of my Chinese cabbage (pechay) fold up its top pairs of leaves while the leaves of my lady fingers (okra) and bitter gourd droop. At first I thought my plants may be sick but the next morning the leaves are normal and healthy again.

lady finger during daytime

lady finger with drooping leaves at night

bitter gourd, leaves are fresh during daytime

bitter gourd at night

The folding and drooping of leaves are called nystinastic moves or night-induced movement. However, not all plants are nyctinastic. These movements show that plants observe Circadian rhythm and sleep too. Circadian rhythm is a 24 hour cycle in the physiological processes of living beings, including plants and animals. And just like us, plants need 8 hours or more of sleep every night.

Well, that is how the world works, isn’t it…working during the day and sleeping at night or vice versa.

Topics on Earth - Blog of rants, musings, daily encounters, views and opinions of a work-at-home Mom.

I can’t help smile while reading this book “Much I Do About Nothing”. It is about zany interviews of an annulment lawyer with spouses of Superheroes, written by Atty. Onnie Martin. I have no any intention of separating from my husband (he is the best husband a woman could ever have). I just got curious with the book so I read it.

As we all know, annulment is extremely difficult legal issue most especially in a country like ours wherein most people are still reluctant to talk about it (blame it to Maria Clara). But if you are physically, emotionally and mentally abused, PLEASE pack your bags, tag along your children and consult an annulment lawyer. I know it is easier said than done and after all what he or she has done to you and your kids, you still might want to give him/her second chance because of what we call “LOVE”. Besides he/she promised to be good this time. So there’s the second chance, you get back to him/her but after just a few days he/she is back to his/her old self…again, you are physically, mentally and emotionally abused. Maybe this time you want to consider an annulment, don’t you?

This book “Much I Do About Nothing” provides lots of information on the annulment, nullity of marriages and legal separation. I like the author’s humorous question and answer approach (imaginary interviews with a host of strange characters) to educate and help us understand the intricacies and complexities of annulment in the Philippines.

Topics on Earth - Blog of rants, musings, daily encounters, views and opinions of a work-at-home Mom.

Specialty coffee and tea purveyor, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, reinforces its claim as the preferred café chain in the country by opening its 42^nd store right at the heart of Pasay City.

Located at Two E-com Center in the Mall of Asia Complex, the new The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® store will be serving customers their full selection of specialty coffee and teas by February 18. “This newest addition to our line of strategically-placed stores will help us fully realize our vision of providing every Filipino with the best available coffee and tea out there,” explains Walden Chu, President of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®. “Being a new landmark that packs commercial, retail, residential and business areas in one unique structure, having a shop at Two E-com Center will help us reach more people and tap different markets in a way that we have never been able to do before.”

Located in an alternative business and entertainment district amidst a spectacular bay setting, the new The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® store will serve as a haven for both cult-like followers of the brand, and coffee and tea aficionados of all sorts.

“The Mall of Asia Complex is home to a growing number of young professionals working in technology-based companies and business process outsourcing centers in the area,” adds Chu. “The people that regular the vicinity are part of the growing coffee population in the country that are in constant search for the best blends.”

In line with its debut, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® branch in Two E-Com Center will be holding a special promotion that will run from February 18 to 24, 2012. During the promo period, customers can come to the store from 12:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon and purchase their favorite drink for only P100.

*This is a press release.

Topics on Earth - Blog of rants, musings, daily encounters, views and opinions of a work-at-home Mom.

It is still more than a month before the school closes for summer break but seems like RJ’s bag won’t make it to the last day of classes anymore. RJ was complaining of a hole worn through at one corner of her bag thus I had it repaired. It was quite expensive so I thought it would last for a long time but I was wrong. The stitches are coming loose and it has faded quite a lot too. I must admit it is not as durable as north face bookbag just like that of my nephew’s. Now I know what to buy next school year and I won’t listen to RJ anymore when it comes to her bags. She is usually after the design and color (it has to be pink all the time  ).

I also want to consider wheeled bookbag to make RJ’s life easier next school year. She has 10 books, 1 journal and 8 notebooks which are too heavy when carried all together in one bag, but the wheels will get the bag off her shoulders.

You might be wondering why choosing RJ’s bag is a big deal for me. It is because I want something that is reasonably priced yet functional and sturdy. Most importantly, I’ve learned from the Consumer Products Safety Commission that many children are treated in emergency rooms every year for injuries related to backpacks. Backpack weight must be limit to just 20% of our child’s body weight to prevent injuries according to Orthopedic surgeons.

Topics on Earth - Blog of rants, musings, daily encounters, views and opinions of a work-at-home Mom.