It’s one thing that we’ve decided to finally move out of where we currently live, and another thing to actually process the purchasing of land, talking to contractors, and computing all costs.  It may be a tedious series of processes in buying a house but my husband and I look forward to the brighter side.  What’s that?  It gets us excited to look for home pegs on Pinterest, look for house inspirations on some port credit townhomes listings that makes our hearts giddy at the sights of wonderful homes for sale.

Here are some of the houses we’re eying for:

Now, from the exterior, let’s paint the interior picture.  I’ve always been fascinated with the minimalistic modern Scandinavian interior designs.  This will be best for a well-lit interior.  I see macrame wall backdrops and plant hangers for my trailing indoor plants.  I can imagine lots of my big-leafed plants enjoying its presence as complementing focal points in the living room.   The couch should be comfortable, spacious, and have lots of soft pillows and furry blanket on it.  Since we’ve started living intentionally, we want to have pieces of sustainable furniture in our house so that we help the environment and have a sense of giivng back.

Now let’s talk about security.

My husband takes special note on the family’s safety and security.  He plans to install security cameras or CCTVs in and out of our dream home.  This way we’ll be notified if ever there will be any intruders, trespassers or if there will be any incidents that may happen that needs documentation.  We’ve had this unfortunate experience before and this time we want to make it right.  My husband is even eyeing for the best crossbow cocking device for added protection.  But I said, maybe a steel baseball bat would do.  Of course, husbands and dads know best on protecting their families, so this I leave it up to him.

We’re just waiting for results of our housing loan applications to make all these dreams happen.  I’ll make sure to update my blog when we get our approval, when building finally happens, and when we’re going to have our housewarming too!

This pandemic has taught us to not only be frugal and wise in spending our money, but it also taught us not to let every opportunity to earn more money to just pass us by. We need more emergency funds as it is very obvious that this extraordinary time is here to stay longer than we expected. A good paying day job is not enough, we need to start side hustles which can allow us to earn extra money that can help achieve our financial goals faster - whether it's paying off the loans or saving for retirement.

Here are a three side hustles you can start today.

Online selling

If you have the skills to craft or create things to sell, then why not sell your products online? You can start getting creative and artistic with stationary and unique gifts, household items, printable and downloadable cards or activity sheets, and more. Using the internet to sell your own stuff offers a limitless potential to earn especially nowadays that the whole world is going online because of the pandemic.

One of the best stuff to create and sell online are shirts such as these Tee Rex tee anime t-shirts. Shirts never go out of style. Everyone from kids as young as 3 or 6 months to teens, to the yuppies and seniors – both male and female – they all use and love shirts because shirts are comfy to wear, versatile and you can always refashion them.

Rentals

One of the coolest new ways to build a passive income is to rent out your property such as your house, your car or the tools you have at home. If you have properties and things that you don't use that often, you can rent it out to others. You can actually rent our anything and everything to others like what this best fiber blower rental is offering its customers.

From buildings, office spaces and houses, to power tools, home appliances and even fashion items; you can actually earn money by renting them out.

Sell your property

No one likes to get to this point of selling their property such as the home. But if you have a property that no longer generate income for you, you better let it go before its value depreciate more over time.

One good reason for selling properties you don’t always use is you are cutting unnecessary spending such as maintenance, insurances and taxes. It’s also no longer a wise move to continue paying for mortgages for a house or condo that no one lives or rents. Selling properties such as the house nowadays is so easy because there are online services such as these best cash buyers in Houston, which help you earn back of what you have invested the fast and easy way.

You can actually think of a lot of other ways to earn from side hustles. You just need to be creative and smart with your ideas.

Side hustles are actually empowering as you are having multiple sources of income and the extra money you earn can be used to build a wealth if you turn your side hustles into a job you love.

You are your parent’s first child. They may be clueless about parenting, but that doesn’t make them less as parents. To cover this ignorance, they started reading how to raise kids and even attended parenting seminars. If you think these are not enough to make you feel good about yourself.

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The most documented childhood

Your parents may not have all of your milestones listed but check your photo album or mom’s scrapbooks. Most of them are about you. You will find it amazing that your mom even recorded and kept that first haircut and even that first tooth.

The first of almost everything

You are your parents’ first travel buddy. The first hugs and kisses are exclusively thrown to you. You own all the baby clothes first, which possibly means no hand-me-downs for you! All the baby products belonged to you first, from strollers to toys. You might even be the first grandchild in the family or your uncle's favorite.  No doubt, he may even give you his precious Stndrdz collection of blings.

The professed third parent

First, you are the house in-charge whenever your parents go to an important meeting. Second, you have the final say until your parents come home. Also, your opinion matters being the third person in authority in the family.  Additionally, you are the voice of your siblings.

Siblings look up to you

Your birthright is known to everyone. With your parents putting you in charge of the household in their stead, your younger bros and sissies have to listen to you. You then become their role model. Have you ever realized that every time you lift those weights at your home gym that looks like that of Montrealweights.ca, for instance, your little siblings look so amazed?  It is because they find you so strong and a real protector.

Feel protective of your siblings

You are not a superhero, but you are willing to fight for and protect your siblings. Funny that you could even think no one could bully your siblings other than you.

More responsible

Your mom and dad trust you enough to be left alone with your brothers and sisters. That responsibility at an early age helped you grow up to be a reliable individual.  Later on in life, your parents trust you, too, to survive college life alone and even allow you to attend boarding schools like the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools.           

You are treated like an adult early on.   This makes your maturity level improves as you grow up, too.  Add to that, as your siblings’ first teacher, you can practice your leadership skills. All these make the eldest kid highly motivated to achieve success.

Advantages of Firstborn

Being the first child has many advantages not everyone seems to notice. Having that upper hand is what builds up your personality. That alone is a big lead that makes you successful.  If you are the firstborn and you do not feel good about it, think again.

Have you ever thought about life after Pandemic? Many of us have settled on the idea of the current being the new normal especially that the lockdown seems to be extending much longer than we anticipated.

When people are living a certain way for much too long, we become familiar with the conditions set and we adapt to it and accept it as what is.

But it isn’t what is. 

Unpopular as this view may be, the situation we are in right now is only temporary. Maybe we won’t be giving up wearing masks and face shields soon, but just as with any pandemic that has hit the planet, the virus will go away (or our bodies will develop immunity to it) and we will do away with the masks, and we will be able to walk the streets and interact the way we used to.

Regardless of which, there are many things to learn about the pandemic and the standstill to which it has brought us. Three things stand out in my mind - Health, Income, and the Future.

HEALTH
Firstly, that the pandemic has made us more aware of how valuable health is and how easily our lives can go poof, just like that. Our search for the perfect diet has gone beyond the size of our waistlines to being mindful of what the food we eat does to our body.

Browsing through the web in my free time, I’ve come across many different recommended diets. From the currently popular Keto diet to vegan diets. The amazing thing about what’s happened in the lockdown is how the food industry has found its way online and have made it easier for busy people like us to access our food preferences.

Nowadays, food services not only offer fast food, but also grocery items, fine food, 100% natural meat and organic food items, to gluten free delivery services, which I think is simply fantastic! It makes it easy for me to take care of my children’s meals without feeling guilty that I’m serving them unhealthy junk!

INCOME
Then I thought about income flow. Let’s face it, it sucks for the global economy. Even well-known companies are closing down in different locations, leaving behind a workforce scampering for whatever they can find in order to provide for their families.

Which brings me to my point. Income is important. And the internet brings in the solution - entrepreneurship! The web carries with it a good wealth of resources and options to help us put together a business. What a great time to teach the kids how to put up and run one!

For instance, I was going through this website, motohash.com, and thought doing shirt designs is a great idea for young startups.

Kids love shirts! They wear them all the time. And what better way to come up with designs for them but to ask the wearer themselves, and they can take part in the creative process while you teach them the other aspects in running the biz.

FUTURE
Lastly, I thought about the future. Regardless of whether we are staying home the entire time, our clocks have not, so we can’t shove planning for the future aside while we wait this pandemic out, can we?

Have you ever imagined the things you’ll do once your nest empties? Do you dream of traveling with your husband? Do you have a bucket list of things to do when you finally have the time to do them? How about where you plan to settle and live the rest of your years?

Hawaii is nice. I came upon Soldiertosoldierhawaii.com, which is a real estate site that has an incredible listing of abodes to consider. I can’t help but imagine my older self sipping on fresh juices while hanging out at beaches every day. What a life that would be! That’s just one option, of course.

Being in a pandemic is not an excuse not to continue living. Every situation offers opportunities and it’s up to us to take them and make them into something much more. Life is life. We have to learn to ride its waves and learn the lessons and pass these wisdom to our children.

Motherhood is the most fulfilling yet the busiest job. Everyday We are engaged in so many duties to perform. We do household chores left and right, take good care of our kids, do the laundry, prepare delicious meals for our family and wash the dishes. Mostly, We are also the finance manager who balances the expenses of the family. Multi-tasking is really our thing.

MY DAILY ROUTINE

Let me first share with you my usual everyday routine. My day starts at 7AM. I prepare our breakfast, as well as the things that my husband needs for work. Of course, I should not forget the three most important things he should be wearing while at work during these days. Face shield, face mask and alcohol to keep him protected.

After eating and when husband leaves for work, I wash the dishes then take a bath with my little one. Following that we play with toys, read books, and teach alphabet, numbers, and shapes.  Without realizing it, it’s time for lunch.  I cook for lunch which will also be served for dinner.  This practical tip is to help save time, effort as well gas consumption when preparing dishes.

Yesterday, while waiting for our dish to be cooked, I wondered how meat processors pack our meats. I learned a lot online how this is done by Stemmlers Meat Processors.  Now I understand and am truy amazed how much hard work is put into it.

After lunch, dish duties, my favorite, and make my little one take afternoon nap.  That’s the only time I get to do my thing like laundry or my content creation and PR work.  Snacks follow when my child wakes up.

Dinner time is my most-awaited because it’s when my husband arrives and we get to talk about how our day went.  And when everyone’s asleep at night, I get to have my peace and quiet where I accomplish a few things for my blog or small PR consultancy business. 

To some, my typical day may sound trivial, but there are some things I want to share on how to still keep sane and how to practice self-love amidst the busyness of our mom-life.

• DON'T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF - Ask for help. Yes we are strong but we are only human . Let your husband or anyone around the house takeover. Take a deep breath and have some rest.

• MAKE A WEEKLY BUDGET and MEAL PLAN -  This is to avoid unnecessary expenses and food waste.

• INVEST IN ORGANIZERS - If everything is well-organized, this may save time and give you inner peace when you are doing the house chores.  If you are planning to make furniture pallets for your home, consider having plastic pallets instead of wood because it is more durable and easier to clean. You may check Jeco Plastics for customized plastic pallets.

• CONSIDER EMP SHIELDING - This is to ensure that your home is protected from lightning, power surges and electromagnetic pulse.

• HAVE SOME ME-TIME - Put yourselves back, freshen up and give possible chances to cope up with all the obstacles that might come your way.

“We Mothers might get tired physically everyday, but our love for our family will never be fade.”

With Work From Home becoming a trend everywhere due to the pandemic, we still have a long way in adjusting to this new normal.

After working in the office setup, adjusting to your new workplace will not be as easy as it can be, and today, I'll be giving some tips on how you can make your work-from-home environment work for you.

Here are 5 tips on how to succeed in your work-from-home

1. Allot a Personal room or dedicated space at home for you to work.

Working without a dedicated space at home will definitely result in unproductivity. Allocating a room that will serve as your office space at home or a dedicated space that will serve as your workstation will boost your productivity and avoid unnecessary distractions.

Working in the living room or your bed is also not advisable as this can result in you dozing off while you are finishing some reports or tasks.

If there are no available rooms at home, and the need for an office at home setup will arise, you can always consult home improvement specialists like Econstructinc.com  on designing and constructing your office at home. But if you are also considering your budget, you can always ask for your husband or close family members.

2. De-Stress

Work-from-home is the other term for bringing your work at home. There will be times that you will burned-out, and you won't be able to relax even you're at home.

One of the things that helped me in battling stress from work from home is plants. Indoor plants can help you in reducing stress at home and can also boost your mood.

Don't know what type of indoor plants to get for your home? you can visit Green Love  and check out their wide variety of indoor/outdoor plants that you can put at your home to help you in removing those stress away.

Working on office attire is so 2019 fashion, if not required to be on a video conference, you can wear your most comfortable clothes at home, but also maintain proper hygiene and prepare some business clothes if you are required by your employer.

4. Keep your kids busy with activities.

Kids will be kids. If you have kids at home, running down the stairs, shouting in your hallway, boisterous laughter, and crying is unavoidable. That is why creating schedules and activities for your kids' during your work hours is one way of managing unnecessary noise.

5. Reward your self

Working from home should not hinder you from having some 'me time'. You deserve a treat after a successful sales presentation over zoom or finishing your end of month report earlier than your deadline.

Ordering pizza, watch your favorite series on Netflix, or buying yourself something nice, like Simply Whispers hypoallergenic pearl earrings  can boost your morale and work and strive further.

There are still a lot of ways that can make your work-from-home experience successful, but what matters most is the proper mindset, dedication, and goal setting. Without these 3 components, you will feel stressed and doubt yourself in continuing your work-from-home job.

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.