Giselle Töngi was at the top of her career when she decided to pursue a “normal life” in the United States more than a decade ago. That move might be unthinkable for some celebrities, but it proved to a great learning experience for her, as her time abroad led her to hone her homemaking skills.

“It was the first time in my life where I stayed at home. I was cooking and cleaning and taking care of my child, and it was great… to be able to have had that opportunity to stay at home because I’ve been working all my life,” the self-described domestic goddess said in the January-February 2013 issue of Good Housekeeping Philippines. Read on for a few more of her homemaking tips!

(Photo by Mike Dee)