When I was younger my plans were far different. Now that I'm a mom with the children's well-being in mind and a wife to a wonderful husband who makes things happen and prays unceasingly with me, everything became different, but more beautiful.

It has been years since we drafted these plans, they were even just remainders of the list that we have almost a decade ago. For more than two years ago we managed to take that great leap of faith and decided to purchase a land.  Part of or plans are to homeshool our kids as we move to our new home, get rid of the polluted surroundings, and cramped spaces that cannot let our children freely play and commune with nature.

Fast forward to now, we want to build a tiny yet functional house such as what we watched in a series on Netflix.  In our tiny house, we want to implement zero-waste living or lifestyle and also make it a minimalist home. Tell me that this is far-fetched. I am not even finished with our list of plans yet. But you know what they say with dreams, yes? Be clear about your direction. Write it down and work hard to achieve it.

Here are some photos of the house model we were eyeing for. The only addition we wanted is a garage at the back part and an entrance door from it to the house. We wanted a semi-modern garage. And the excited husband already checked ways to troubleshoot the garage and learn more about it door if ever something happens to it or if needs repair.

My husband wants this lifestyle for us which we both believe can give us opportunity to teach or expose our children to great life skills. Having a rice field just a few steps away from home, could be a great chance for them to witness how rice are planted and how much hard work is put it before it reaches our tables.

He said he wants to teach all the tough stuff to our boys in preparation for their adulthood such as basic car maintenance skills like changing tires, machine and oil tune ups, alignments, and even basics of how to change engines. In fact, I’m interested to learn more about it too!

We also plan to have our own business and when we searched our hearts, we both agreed that it should have something to do with farming or fresh produce.  With this in mind, we want our tiny house to be surrounded wth vegetables and plants following the principles of Syntropic Farming and Agroforestry. 

The only fear I have is my husband’s transition from being employed to self-employed.  We have to be ready to give up many things such as our FREE HMO.  But should this plan come true, in God’s perfect timing, we’ll make sure to give our all.  Plus, we promise to be particular still with occupational safety and might need a tool or company that will help us with employee management, training management, and also process safety management such as what we’ve seen on BasicSafe.

But all of these will be possible n God’s time.   We’re excited to see everything unfold right before our eyes this year, if not, we always have our Plan B which I will write about soon. 

Before 2021 started, I was thinking how to make it a better year.  What can I do to improve myself this new year, how can I improve our day-to-day living, how can I level up in all aspects of my life?  These were just a few questions in my head.  The past year is too hard to describe, it is also a bit sad to think about, of course as it was the start of pandemic and the lockdown.  It was just a year and a period in our lives that no one imagined.

Having said that, I must admit that the events last year brought me some stress.  I am overdue for relaxation and pampering!  I am thinking that if I want to improve in all the roles I play, I need to take care of myself more.  Self-care is important.  I want to be a good mother to my children and I know in order to do that, I need to be in top shape, in top condition.  I need to make an effort to let myself indulge in simple joys. 

It got me thinking that having a neat, warm, and cozy home is one of my top priorities.  Now that we are always at home, I want to make our house comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.  It makes me happy to see the kids having a lovely time inside our home. They also appreciate a good smelling home and I discovered that scented candles are great staples in our household.  They can do wonders to our mood.  I am really in love with soy candles nowadays.  I came across Kevin Francis Designs online.  And wow, his soy candles are so gorgeous, the jars look sleek and sophisticated.  Reading the description of each product makes me look forward to catching a whiff of them.

I want to spoil myself just a bit and I am thinking what items I should buy.  Then I realized that I do not have a lot of decent lounge wear.  Is it just me or do you also feel more energized and inspired to do all your chores and tackle all your tasks at hand when you feel good about what you are wearing?  As for me, I am sure that I feel more inspired to do the things around the house when I am in my good loungewear.  I have been searching online for the best womens loungewear set and I am excited to finalize my order soon. 

This year, I also aim to be a better partner.  I want to be able to listen more to my husband and also to try to be interested in the things that interest him.  Though honestly, sometimes I find it hard because his interests are totally opposite of mine.  He is also tech savvy so there are times when I find it hard to catch up on what he is saying.  Just like the other day when he was talking about fiber networks and Millennium Geospatial.  I hope he appreciates that I am trying my best to listen as he talks about techie stuff and such. 

How about you?  What are your goals and resolutions for this year?  How do you plan to achieve a better you this 2021?

These days, almost, if not all, our transactions and purchases are done from home. Everything is available online - from grocery items to food deliveries, fashion and beauty needs, electronic products, furniture, appliances, toys, books, to online courses. Even job seekers and employers use the internet site like CruitScout for services. 

Online shopping popularity has increased and so have the risks. More people are trying to scam out of other people's money. How can we make sure that we shop safely online?

Here are the top 5 online shopping safety tips to consider.

Research online sellers to make sure they’re legitimate.

There are so many websites to go shopping. Some are independent online sellers. When using popular shopping sites, make sure to check if the sellers, similar to Dsoro.com, are authorized and certified online retailer of the brands you are buying. You may also use apps provided directly by the retailers.

It is also important to check out the online reviews of the products and feedback on the sellers’ quality of services. Safe online shopping sites have their customer service contact number or email address readily available. 

Make sure the website and your WiFi connection is secure.

Check that the site is secure before doing any transaction. It is very important to limit your shopping only to encrypted websites. You should also make sure to be connected on a trusted WiFi network. Free or public WiFi is oftentimes vulnerable and might mean any information you send while connected to such networks can be accessed and be used by frauds.

Secure sites and connections can safeguard that your personal information, including your credit card details.

Beware of dream deals.

Counterfeit goods are hard to spot so being aware, researching where to buy the product, what the real thing would cost will give you an idea when the offer is too good to be true.

When goods are priced significantly lower than they should be, that should raise a flag about the authenticity of the item.

Know your rights and the company’s returns policy.

This is also one information you should find out before making a purchase online.  This is very important when you are making big purchases like electronic gadgets, appliances or jewelry items. What is the return policy? Do they provide a warranty for the products they sell?

Knowing the policy can help you if something is not delivered or the product arrives broken. In Lapiazzastore.com, if for any reason you are not happy with your purchase, you can make a return claim for refund.

Protect your personal information.

Protecting yourself when paying is very important as it can cause you a lot when your details are stolen. Use a credit card instead of a debit card as there are more consumer protection from scammers in credit cards in case something goes awry. You may opt to utilize online services like Paypal so you don’t have to give your credit card information directly. Also, do not overshare information like your mother’s maiden name or your birthday as no online shopping site needs them to do business. When possible, give as little personal data as possible.

Avoid shopping in public even if you are using your own laptop with VPN connection. It’s risky when you have to enter the credit card number, expiration date and 3-digit code while sitting in a public cafe. There’s a chance that these information can be seen and be used by other people so it is better to stay at home when doing online purchases.

Just the other day, when I was browsing the internet, a very interesting line captured my attention. It says, “You are not just working from home. You are at your home, during a crisis, trying your best to work.” This made me stop what I am working on the computer. And just reflected on these words -- crisis-best-home.

The pandemic that started early in March 2020 has led us to this new work-from-home set up. Those in the freelancing business rejoiced, because there is not much of a change in their work environment. But for people who are used to working in an office set up, from 8-5, five times a week, this new set up brings a lot of challenges with it.

How do you survive? Here are a few tips.

• SET UP A HOME OFFICE. Pick a space that provides privacy while you work. Preferably with a background that is okay to show when you attend zoom meetings. You can jazz up your workspace with things that can contribute to creativity, like your favorite potted plant. It is also advisable that the right equipment for your work are all within your reach – laptop, printer, scanner and the likes.

• PLAN A WORKABLE SCHEDULE. When you work at home, the tendency is you ignore schedule. You end up having late lunch or dinner. To be productive, you still need a schedule that will fit well with the other members of the family. Determine if you work well during the early part of the day or at night. Try to wake up early and reserve weekends for family bonding. Do not forget to take breaks.

• EAT HEALTHY.  Remember that to function well, you need to nurture your body. Working from home means you have unlimited access to your pantry. You find yourself munching all day, with no physical activity at all. This could easily result to unnecessary weight gain, or worst, obesity. Remember to plan a healthy menu for the week so that you won’t be stressed on last minute decisions of what to serve your family for lunch and dinner. If at some point you feel drained and you want an expert help in eating healthy – you can try a local private chef for “on demand catering”. Consider it a reward to be able to enjoy a rewarding home dining experience with Food Fire + Knives. 

• TAKE BREAKS. Working from home entails rigid hours in front of your computer and you lose track of time. Be sure to take breaks. Give your mind and body that necessary break and you will feel refreshed to tackle work. Try to include in your daily schedule, a few hours outside of your house, to do some brisk walking, running or even gardening. You can do some indoor exercises and simple yoga when working out outside of your home is not permitted. But if you have already gained weight, you don’t have to worry. Help is just a phone call away. One on one coaching, virtually or in person is available at Live Well Metabolic and Weight Loss Clinic. Love your body. Stay hydrated, avoid binge-eating, sleep well, work-out.

• CONNECT WITH EXPERTS. When you stay at home for a long time, there are lots of little emergencies that can come your way. Stop being micro managing everything and trust the experts! You have packages to be delivered, find a trusted courier. You need groceries, have them delivered. Maybe it is time for a much needed haircut, look for a salon home service. It is also important to have your car in tip-top shape. When social distancing is compromised in public transportation, your own vehicle is the next best thing to take you places. Check out Craft Customs for your custom steering wheel concerns.  Connecting with these service providers will lessen anxiety and can make you devote more time for your work deliverables.  

Staying home is the new normal for everyone.  Are you loving it?  Or you still miss the old normal when you could go out freely just about anytime without wearing masks nor face shields?  I’m in between.  I am loving it because it’s practically saving me money from unnecessary expenses when I’m out of the house.  Plus, I get to stay with my children as I do my work at home.  Next, I don’t need to hurry and always dress to impress others.  If I do dress up and put make up on, I do it for myself and for my husband.

I’ve also had some brand or item discoveries that could help our lives become more convenient, improve my skills, and even sparked some ideas as I stay home more than ever in my entire working life.  Let me share them to you.

• Korean TV Series – I can’t believe I didn’t start binging on Korean TV series earlier!  Glad staying at home kind of forced me to sit down, relax and Netflix more.  Because of this, I developed my love for Korean series!  So far, I’ve watched more than 20 and my top 5 would be: Crash Landing On You, Descendants Of The Sun, Start Up, Something In The Rain, Itaewon Class, The Goblin/Guardian, Oh My Venus, Fight For My Way, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, and While You Were Sleeping.

• Drone – Because of watching too many series on Netflix, I began to notice the cinematography of each episode or movies.  I used to wonder how those long or top aerial shots are done so seamlessly that makes you want to fly with it.  When I watched some documentaries, I discovered there are many types of drones.  I also saw many vloggers use this such as Wil Devaugn and Erwan Heusaff in their videos.

• Cleaning and Santizing Technologies – There are many technologies and even services that are available in the market and here is my top list.  First, the UV Care Robot Cleaner that saves you a lot of time and energy making sure the floor is neat!  The SleekEZ, it’s originally a horse (or large pets) grooming brush which may also be used to grooming tool removes shedding hair, dirt, and dander not only from pets but also from furniture, pet bedding, saddle pads, autos and carpeting.

• How Dad Courted Mom – Oh yes, this makes it to my awesome list of discoveries!  My mom passed away six years ago.  But whenever my dad would talk about her, it’s as if she just had a vacation somewhere and hasn’t come back from that trip.  My dad revealed how he crossed regions without any travel experience just to ask my mom for marriage.  He also shared how they planned, should mom still be alive and we’re all off to living our own lives, to consider living in a quality nursing home for seniors such as here: https://spectrumhealthcare.com/services/seniors-for-seniors/.  For practicality’s purposes and so that they will be taken care of professionally and also meet new friends their age, that’s why they gave this a thought.  But since he’s by himself and I take care of him, he dismissed this thought.  Besides, I don’t think there’s any facility as good as Spectrum Health Care here in our country.

So these are my lock-out discoveries and I am so glad I discovered them.  How about you?  Care to share any?

I've been blogging since 2012.  That means I'm celebrating my 9th year this July.  One of the things I’m asked about is, “What’s your secret for staying strong in the blogging world?”  My answer will remain the same from the time I was starting to this date – Perseverance and Passion coupled with the right tools you’ll need to thrive.

True, there were a lot of bloggers or social media personas that come and go for many reasons.  Here are some:

They couldn’t keep up with the industry’s demands

They got tired and demotivated

They found no more reason to continue.

They don’t have the right tools to succeed.

First three reasons are more psychological and emotional in nature.  The only person who could turn things around for her is herself.  But for the last reason, I can share what worked for me to succeed and still be around for almost a decade.

Tools that Bloggers or Start Ups Need

• Passion – It all begins here.  Whether business or blogging, ask yourself, “Why are you doing what you’re doing?”  If you know the answer to this question, you will most likely stick around.  And passion is the driving force for a person to persevere in whatever he or she puts her heart and mind into.  How do you know if you’re passionate about something?  When you can’t stop thinking about it or when you are extremely happy doing something even for free.  I feel that way for blogging and also with my startup PR/Marketing consultancy gigs.  I feel so alive when I accomplish even the most trivial things related to my passion.

• Skills – Of course you have to supplement the passion with the skills you need for blogging or starting a business.  Passion can’t be ignited optimally if the skills are lacking.  You may not have the best skills, but you can always improve it.  Always face the day with a can-do attitude and always be goal-oriented.

• Dependable Computer or Laptop – I couldn’t stress how important having a reliable computer or laptop to help your passion and skills come together.  Don’t settle for less, always look for the best desktop computer for business use or for blogging or social media work.  Always think of long-term.  Invest on this gadget or equipment which as a blogger or a start up business owner, you’ll most likely abuse.  

• Social Media Presence and Engagement – So okay, you’ve written an article or you’ve launched a product, and then what?  You need to get the word out and invite people to consume what you’re offering.  Let people know that you’ve written an awesome blog or that you’ve launched an innovating product that will make their lives easier.  How?  Through social media!  Sell your content or what products or services you have to offer in order to be known.  Make sure too that having a presence on social media is a window to more opportunities.  Make sur to also engage with the followers who built their trust in you by replying to their messages or answering their inquiries.

• Thirst For Learning – Never stop learning and desiring to improve on yourself.  Study the trends on the field you’re in.  Enroll in short courses to help you with your passion and your skills.  Invest in yourself.  Never say you know it all because the moment that happens is the moment you start to spiral down.

Let’s self-check.  Have you got all these right tools to help you succeed?  If you lack in these areas, how do you think you could improve?

One of our family’s goal this year is to finalize purchasing our own land and build our very own house.  I’ve shared in this post how every married couples and those starting a new family should have the mentality of leave and cleave.  I know it’s easy to say but hard to actually do it.  But with God’s grace, it can happen, if you pray for it.

We’ve been processing this since 2018 and we’ve had a number of challenges, but we didn’t lose hope.  There was one point during the negotiations that our seller changed his mind about selling the property.  I was shocked and heartbroken.  My husband and I both agreed that if it’s for us, God will make a way.  If it’s not, then we should accept His will and look for another property or maybe a house that will fit our family’s space needs and also budget.  Quickly, the seller came back to tell us that he decided to sell again and even apologized for the confusion.   I gave the deepest sigh of relief I could ever let out.

We continued to plan for our future house.  We also discussed how we should be moving our stuff from the current to the new house.  

Here were some ideas that came up:

• Moving trucks or services – We need to include in our projected moving in budget the services we’ll need from moving companies.  We are looking for the likes of moving companies in Tampa that also offers packing of the items, big or small, to be moved.  That way, all items will be secured and safely arrive the destination.

• Portable Bridges – Wait, is there such a thing?  Yes!  Learn more about it on one of the websites I checked.  But first, why do we need this?  The property that we are going to purchase is at the end of a common alley that somehow needs some crossing to do from the main road going there.  For trucks or small services to move our stuff, this is a must need.  We’re still looking for some service providers here.

• CCTV cameras – This is for security and safety reasons.  We plan to install four to six cameras to cover the front and back and side of our house’s exterior, and the rest to be placed inside.

• A House Dedication – We will be dedicating our new house to the greatest provider of all.  This will be a Christian ceremony where the place of dwelling will be lifted up to God for protection.

• House-Warming Celebration – The celebration will be just a small gathering of people really close to our family.  Since we’re still living at a time when mass gatherings are prohibited, a small barbeque party at our roof top would be a great idea.  Of course, we’ll need a few bottles of wine and I’ll make sure I buy the type of wines best for barbeques.  Oh yes, there are wines for this, click here in that piece of information I found online.

I am really excited to turn this dream into a reality.  Right now, we’re finalizing requirements our bank needs from us.  Again, if this goes smoothly, then it’s meant to be, if not, we’ll accept God’s will too.  So help us pray for this dream!  Until my next update!

Hello loves!  If you’ve noticed, I’ve been updating my blog with fresh content on my thoughts about life in the pandemic.  I also talk about our family dreams and how to achieve them.  I just realized that I haven’t been blogging as much as I used to and I feel sad about that.  My 2020 had been busy with many campaigns that involved social media that I kind of neglected my blog.  I’m happy with those campaigns but not about how I parked writing on his space which I was first known for.

I remember when I was just starting, I used to invest my time in following other bloggers, researching about their success stories, doing what they said were effective to drive readers, and even reading a lot about SEO.  I even checked out Ignite Digital, an SEO company based in Toronto that offers services for digital content creators and website owners such as myself.  I learned a thing or two about optimizing my content, have a website analysis, and see self-check on areas I need to improve on.  Learning something new got me really excited.

That’s also the reason in less than a year, my blog rang a bell to brands and PRs who got me as their brand ambassador.  Everything was new to me then, being a beginner in the industry which only started as a passion for writing and sharing experiences that other moms could relate.

So why did I lay low on writing last year?  I know I shouldn’t.  But as a human being finding her way how to get through the pandemic, I got side-tracked and lost focus.  Then I was again reminded of my whys for doing this and being in this digital world.  What’s my purpose?  What again is my WHY for content creation.  I want to go back to the times I was starting when the zest and excitement for writing used to put me on fire!  I guess I need some kind of a force gauge that may be applied to digital assessment or measurement of push and pull into creating content.  So that when I see my force or efforts aren’t enough, it will signal me to find balance and exert more to be able to bring my writing dojo back.  But the good news is, it’s coming back and I am happy that you are here right now to read my thoughts about this.

But good news is, I plan to be more active again.  Go back to my whys, write about my experiences as a mom of boys, as a former single mom, and as a person who activates practical living.  I am sure if you’ve been a follower of my blog since I started in 2012, you’ll be guaranteed value-adding content.  Who knows I might have big brand clients again who’ll need my blog services like how it used to be in the glory days of blogging?  I’m excited to be signing contracts once more where I’ll need legal assistance such as Kazmi Law to notarize my MOAs!  Well, that’s cherry on top of my writing cake!  For now, let me ease back to my first love in the digital content creation, blogging.

Happy mid-week everyone!  

Every newly-wed couples dream of having their own homes for their family to live in.  Well, that’s the way it really should be.  But, living in the Philippines, where it’s culturally accepted that married couples still live with their parents, sometimes delays that plan or that dream.  And why not?  It’s practical, it’s convenient, and having your extended family around you makes it a livelier and safer environment to live in.

But personally, no matter how it’s more practical to just live with our parents, we still believe that every family unit should have their own place of dwelling.   That’s what we’re aiming for.  We still live with my dad, who’s widowed by my mom a few years ago.  I can’t just leave him because I look after my senior citizen father.  But as a Christian, I know that we have to leave and cleave.  This means, once married, we should leave our parents and cleave or live with our spouses.  Given that, we’ve prayed hard for this plan to happen, and though there’s still no finality (that’s why I still haven’t shared it publicly).

Sharing today some of the nice to haves in our very own home someday:

• Swimming pool – I am a water baby and I love swimming.  It’s the only sport I know I am quite good at.  It would be really nice to have your own pool where I could do my daily lapses and even teach my younger kids how to swim.  Especially these past few months when we’re staying home most of the time due to the pandemic.  Having our own pool could most probably help me keep a fitter body.

• Multi-media studio – For those of you who still don’t know, my husband and I are bandmates since 2006.  We used to perform in bars, hotel lounges, and private events.  My husband is a musician and I am a vocalist.  We’d love to have a small multimedia room where we could record songs, do our vlog filming, record voice overs, and teach our kids to play the instrument.

• A basketball court – My eldest is a basketball player and dreams to be a professional player someday.  A basketball court that has a Calhoun Cover-All so he could play with his dad or his teammates rain or shine.  This cover-all on our court could also have many uses such as when gathering is permitted, we could hold parties for families and friends during special occasions.

• Bath Tub – It may be hard to maintain, but I still want a tub in our master’s bedroom!  That tub should of course have a heating system that’s useful especially on colder days.  I saw that it’s possible to equip existing water pipelines with this technology here: https://heatline.com/product/retro-line/. 

• Solar panels – We go inspired by the house of #TeamKramer where they used solar panel technology to power their lighting and home appliances.  I also wish the same for our own home.  I also researched that there’s another technology where hydro solar air can turn to water heat pump.  How cool is that?  Now that’s what my swimming pool and bath tub needs!

I’ll be sharing our house pegs in the blog soon.  Meanwhile, how nice it really is to plan for your very own dwelling right?  If you’ve experienced day dreaming and wish listing like this, please do share! 

Happy 2021!  Wow I can’t believe that 2020 flew by so fast.  This year my ultimate priority is to ensure that my family and I have good health.  With all the health scare that’s happening around the globe, I realized that we only need the essentials in our lives, nothing more, nothing less.

What am I talking about?  I’m sure it’s the same with you all, first is to have a strong faith, maintain beautiful relationship with my family, and last but not least, family.  With this, I learned to live simply and be grateful for every little blessing that our family receives.

Made me think, wow, my priorities and what I perceived to be needs, adjusted to the changing times. Speaking of those perceived needs, they have something to do with luxuries which I really thought we needed.  I remember I was asking my husband to please buy espresso machine immediately, since we are both coffee lovers!  Every time there were sale activities via Lazada or Shopee or Amazon, and even other international e-commerce sites, I would excitedly let him take a look at those what I added to my cart.  I don’t know why it kept on delaying, then BOOM.  Towards the end of 2020, I was rushed to the emergency room of the hospital nearby.  It was my first time to palpitate due to too much caffeine in my system.  It was a life scare for me because it was a first for me.  So that espresso machine in my cart that kept on delaying, I let it go.  I was told to stop drinking coffee and other colored drinks for the time being while I was experiencing palpitations.

My husband also had a realization on his perceived needs and what truly are the essentials.  He actually wanted to purchase a new family vehicle after having been fully paid with our first family car.  But then 2020 happened and we all know what that meant.  It was as if the world took a pause for all of us to recalibrate, reset, and reflect on our lives.  Because of the pandemic, we set that plan aside, even if we were already set to purchase one complete with comprehensive insurance, and even found a really good motor deal here now, we didn’t press that plan.  We thought, there’s a right timing for everything, and besides, we still have a service we could use in case we need to go somewhere.  Funny thing, last year, the car wasn’t fully utilized because we didn’t go out unless really needed.

You see, even if we plan ahead, if God says it’s not what He wants for you, things will not go our way.  And that’s okay.  That made us consider to always have an analytical balance (if only that can be scientifically measured like how scientists do) on everything in our lives.  That balance applies to all our priorities, our needs, wants, the essentials, and also in human relationships we have with everyone we know.

How about you?  What were some of your realizations of priorities, needs, and wants?  Share them on the comments below.