I Passed The Board Exam (!) and Other Stories

I'm back! I'm finally back!

I don't know if you missed me, but I surely missed my little community and, of course, blogging.

I know I said in my last post that I'm starting a new blog. It's true. In fact, I'm going to tell you more about it later. I have soooo many stories to tell you! But first, let me tell you that....

1. I PASSED THE BOARD EXAM 

Yes I did! They said that this year's board exam is that toughest so far - I'm not sure but perhaps it really is - and even the seasoned attorneys and experienced real estate practitioners had trouble answering it.

It was hard but I thought it was manageable. Yeah you can call me mayabang now, but that's not what I mean. The truth is I think I only "lucked out" when I chose which topics to focus on. I put "luck" in quotation marks because what I mean is that God gave me the right discernment.

Finding time to study was hard - I mean, I'm a mum, I have a full-time job, and I have a part-time job - so I could not even open all the resources I have had despite not sleeping during some nights. But I felt God telling me to do away with the reviewers (I think I had 3) and to focus on the actual laws and computations instead.

So to maximise my time, I practiced computations and painstakingly read the Republic Acts, Execution Orders, Presidential Decrees, and the rest.

Guess what came out in the exams?

Mostly laws and computations.

When the day finally came that the PRC announced the passers, I already received messages from people telling me that I passed, and I knew I should give credit to God alone. Yes it was me who studied and memorised and stayed awake until dawn, but it was God who gave me the prompting and right discernment on what to study and, more importantly, the sheer strength, good health, and clear state of mind.

Thank you to everyone who helped me (my mum most especially!!!), those who congratulated me, and thank you Lord!

Funny anecdote:

(The morning when I found out I passed, I told only my Papa because Mama was not yet home from a 2-day conference)

Me: Pa pasado ako!!!
Papa (without missing a beat): Anong place?
Me: Err... 

*insert Asian over-achieving dad meme here*

2. I TURNED 25 

A few days after becoming a true broker (can't say "licensed" because I don't have my license yet!) was my birthday. I turned 25!

And I have so many things to thank for: a loving partner who remains faithful to God and to me despite our situation, a smart and bibo 3-year old who gets more unpredictable each day, a supportive family, a new job where I don't feel like I'm actually working, new friends, old friends, and, of course, passing what could possibly be the most important exam of my life.

But I really need to lose weight. So help me God.

3. NEW AND OLD RESPONSIBILITIES 

However, it's not just fun and surprises. This month's one of my busiest months this year so far because, aside from having new responsibilities as a consequence of passing the exam, my old commitments are also catching up.

For instance, I have a book here sent to me by the author last April, and I need to review it. And I will. I commit to doing it this week.

4. A NEW BLOG 

Yeah, I have a new blog. It's on WordPress.org, hosted by CoffeeMags.com (thank you Pam for the recommendation, and one of the owners turns out to be my schoolmate from UP!).

So why am I still blogging here?

I have 2 reasons.

First, after several frustrating days of migrating my blog, I gave up the other night. I was able to migrate everything except my comments. After everything I did failed, I finally gave up and decided that instead of migrating, I'll take the road less traveled and begin a new blog from the ground up.

Piece of advice: Don't use Disqus or InteseDebate or any third-party commenting system for that matter and save yourself from a massive headache if ever you're considering migrating.

Anyway, it wouldn't seem like so much of a fresh start if I have a new blog but have almost 700 old blog posts. Also, I don't want to totally obliterate DavaoMommy.com from blogosphere. It was my home for more than 2 years after all. Google search will take care of it haha.

Second, I almost forgot I still have an obligation for Nuffnang. It would be complicated if I write the sponsored post in a different blog. I know I shouldn't post my new future home yet for the surprise factor, but I couldn't help it as my launching count down page is quite pretty. (And I'm hoping you sign up for updates - shh.) Here's where I'll be moving to in the near future.

5. A DREAM COME TRUE: A HOME OFFICE 

I think every remote or home-based worker will agree with me if I say having a real home office is a dream come true. I just had my own last Wednesday.

Technically, it is my mum's home office. She is not only a real estate practitioner but also the village secretary and the Purok leader. So people come to our house day in and day out. Finally fed up with all the papers and files and people filling our house, my parents decided to have an office built.

The great thing is that I have my own space there so it's almost like having my own office. (And mama's not home most of the time anyway!)

______ 

If you're still reading at this point, thank you! Sorry for the long post, I just have so many stories to tell after more than a month of not blogging. In fact, I have more stories, which I'll save for another post. Also, I know all of the stories I chose are good ones, but I also have problems and struggles. I just choose to share the positive ones (most of the time anyway).

Enough about me. How about you? What's up? :)

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A Temporary Goodbye

Happy Monday, everyone!

How are you coping after yesterday's fight? Job got over it more quickly than I did when he was the sports fan while I'm just the occasional viewer. I didn't even watch Pacman's old fights. Oh well, you know that I'm never the kind of woman who gets over stuff quickly haha.

I learned a lot about it though. Sometimes, God's victory is different from what most people perceive as victory. The latter might bring worldly honor to us, but God's victory glorifies Him over everything. I believe Manny is victorious because even though he didn't win the title, he got what is more important: respect and love. And this will forever be a greater testimony than a shiny belt.

I believe this is the victory that God promised to Manny.

But how are you really? I would like to know because it would be a while since I will be able to talk to you again.

I already hinted at a hiatus last week, which began last Friday, May 1. Technically, I shouldn't be writing now since I'm on hiatus, but I realized I never said my appropriate albeit temporary goodbyes.

By now, you might have known that I'm also a girl who loves drama. Hahaha.

So yeah, since I really really need to focus on studying, I decided to give up blogging in the meanwhile. I shall be back before the end of the month, and hopefully, by then, I will have passed the board exam. Woot!

Pray for me! I need all the prayers. I haven't even touched some topics, and there's just so much coverage - from laws to mathematics to ecology and geography and sociology and current events. I'm acknowledging that I could never in a million years do this by myself and I only have a chance at acing the exam with God's guidance.

Oh, and about blogging, expect changes. Major changes. Changes as in I finally took the big leap and bought a new domain name yesterday. So if you're still around when I come back (hopefully you are!), let's meet at a spanking brand new blog. :)

I hope you'll miss me half as much as I would miss you and blogging. I mean, I would surely feel different over the next several weeks because I've been blogging for years, but we all know that this is for the best. And it's not forever! #walangforever haha

So for now, I'm saying goodbye. I'll see you before June begins, hopefully with a lot of good news and colorful new stories!

Until then, may God always bless you all. :)

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Annoying Gatecrashers and Other Stories

Every muscle in my body is aching! It's 6:20 am here, I only have 40 minutes until work starts (my work starts at 7am and ends at 3pm), and I'm still here in bed with Yuri. At least I can still work with me in bed. #perksofaWAHM

The reason why I'm so tired (as well as everybody in the household - actually, almost everybody active in this village) is that we came from the beach yesterday. We had fun, yes, but sadly, because of some reason, our day also quickly turned sour. Let me rant a little and share with you what happened.

Annoying Gatecrashers

The activity at the beach yesterday was planned as an R&R slash team building activity for everyone who worked hard to make last week's fiesta (our village's first fiesta slash foundation day ever). It was planned among the village officers as a treat to themselves and the youth who laboured really hard for days and even went home at dawn just to finish everything that needed to be finished. 

Obviously, the event should be just for the officers and the youth who call themselves "Cecilia Boys." We cooked our own food and paid for our own entrance fees etcetera. The boys used their prize money from the basketball game they played in during the fiesta. And we had fun.

Including this kiddo

Until the gatecrashers came in.

Why I Am Still Here and Still Blogging

My automatic answer would be this: to stay sane. Then I may laugh as if I'm kidding. Or maybe not.

Because now that I truly think about it, I realize that the reasons go deeper than what I assume. My blog is now 2 years old, very much like a toddler, yes, and I'm still in love with blogging.

Image: http://fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/

Last year, during my first blog anniversary, I talked about the reasons why I blog. After another year, I still agree with those reasons wholeheartedly. But as things remained the same, a lot of things also changed. There are times when I didn't care about the numbers at all; there were (but fewer) times where I obsessed over SEO. There were all-time high traffic spikes and days when traffic would stall or worse, go lower and lower.

There were times I felt confident about my writing ability and there were times I thought I shouldn't be writing at all. And there were times when apart from the positive response I was used to (where the worse were just the insincere ones), I received personal attacks for speaking my mind.

As you may see, blogging is a volatile venture, and as a person who thrives in routine and familiar, I abhor volatile. So why am I still here?

Little Pieces of Happy: My Blog, Version 2.0!

Hello hello!

Some of you might have noticed the changes that occured to my blog this week. Some of you might not have. The second group are those who were busy devouring my words and couldn't be bothered to look at the blog design.

Right. As if. Hahaha!

May 2014

Anyway, the change was supposed to happen all at once. You know, the usual scenario of the developer tweaking the codes in her computer, keeping everything private. But my current codes didn't download well, so she needed to tweak the design live. That explains why you might have noticed weird changes every now and then.

Summer Can't End Just Yet! (An Unproductive Story)

I just spent my entire summer - wait for it - working!

Since I started working from home (which was about 2 years ago), I've always looked forward to summer. Not because of the outings. Not because of the sunshine. Not because school's out (which I am not affected by anyway).

It's because that's usually the time when I get to do stuff outside of work such as baking (or what looks like it), cleaning, organizing, playing with Yuri, and thinking of summer activities we can do together. This is because during this time (around May-ish), the essays on our queue start to decrease until they go down to zero. In other words, free time.

Our summer reading list - unread (and messy)

This year, though, the situation is different. Even when it's already mid-June (oh my, it is already?!), there are still so many essays on the queue. This means a lot of students are still submitting essays. And this is great! Because many essays = salary. I forgot to tell you that no work equates to no pay, too. However, I can't help but think of the things I planned to do for summer that I never got to do. Here they are:

1. The Moon Sand and Moon Dough Project

I've had the materials ready for quite some time now. I have a bag of cornstarch, flour, food coloring, and this:

Stolen borrowed sand

Yup, that's half a bucket of sand that we shamelessly stole got from Costa Marina. It was a good thing my cousins were there; they did the dirty job for me. Hahaha!

As I was saying, the materials are ready. The only thing missing is me actually mixing the stuff together. Ugh! I need to find time to make these before the weather starts becoming seriously rainy.

Davao Mommy Blog's Direction for 2014

Yesterday, I told you all about the direction I'm planning to take this year. Today, I'll talk about the direction I want my blog to take.

When I wrote a round-up of my favorite blog posts last December, I realized that my blog is a hodge-podge of personal experiences and thoughts, reviews, and Yuri updates. Many personal blogs are the same, and while this, too, is a personal blog, I itch to provide a little organization in it. Also, I want to create a blog that has a concrete purpose. Maybe it's my slight OCD that makes me want to do this, but I really want to give my blog proper and good direction.

Also, it's not in my personality to just "go with the flow." I'm a person who needs a plan.

After pondering for a while, the general direction I want to give it is raising a toddler. More importantly, the direction would be God-centered first and home-centered second. Now that Yuri will be turning 2 in just a few months from now, doesn't it make sense? While it will still contain other content, like current events and personal thoughts and views and product reviews, I came up with general categories for specific days that I will try to stick to through 2014. Here they are:

Mondays - Books and Toys of the Week
Tuesdays - The Weekend That Was
Fridays - Finance Friday (still)
Sundays - Weekend Round-up

Other categories: Toddler Reads, Toddler-Approved, Toddler OOTD, Homeschooling Updates, Monthly Fun-and-Frugal Finds

As you may notice, everything is toddler-based. The reason for this is that I'm truly enjoying raising Yuri in his current stage, which is toddlerhood. He will be a toddler for only a few years, and I surely want to remember all the aspects of this fun but challenging phase!

Also, I'm beginning to homeschool Yuri. It's nothing serious actually. Just setting aside 30 minutes or so each day (except weekends?) for free reading and exploring. I think that would be a good start, although there would be less time for me to work. Thus, the "Books and Toys" and "Toddler Reads" categories. This is also in relation to the toy and book rotation system that I'm implementing, which I will write about soon.

I will still be doing old posts, such as weekend posts, Finance Fridays, and Toddler OOTDs. I will still be reviewing stuff, but for "Toddler-Approved," I will focus on toddler stuff, such as toddler recipe, toddler toys, toddler books, toddler-friendly restaurants and places - basically anything under the sun!

Finally, I vow to be less concerned about statistics and more concerned about content. I will strive to create posts that are enlightening and inspiring and avoid writing posts that are judgmental and negative. I pray to be able to represent Jesus in my blog, which is a heavy aspiration but a noble one! Don't worry; I will try to not be preachy! Heehee!

I hope you'll still enjoy reading Davao Mommy (Mom Meets World). Thank you for the support last year, and I hope to still "see" you this new year!

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Looking Back: My Favorite Blog Posts from 2013

It's finally the last day of the year! I can't believe it! (If you're concerned that I'm spending the day blogging on my computer instead of cooking and helping in the kitchen, don't worry - this is a scheduled post. This means the feelings I mustered about the end of the year are just simulated hahaha.)

Anyway, I really could not believe how this year flew so fast. It has never happened to me when I was not a mom yet! I mean, seriously! Didn't my little boy just turned 1 early this year? Now, he's about to turn 2! Oh no! Also, I still remember very vividly the feelings of anticipation and apprehension waiting for Yuri to take his first steps. Now, I have to worry about him not climbing upstairs. Time doesn't fly when you're having fun; time flies when you're watching a little person's life unfold in front of your eyes!

I need to steady myself, and I think remembering this year will help. To recap what happened this year, as well as the highlights of my blogging, here are my favorite posts from 2013:

January

I remember that it was early last year, when Yuri was just around 9 months old, when he first fell down from our bed. That single accident led me to rearrange the bedroom's furniture (single-handedly) to find an arrangement that is safer and would work for us. After consulting Google and some mom blogs, I decided to have a side-car crib arrangement, and we still have the same arrangement now!

Our Sleeping Arrangement - Sidecar Crib

February

By the end of February, when Yuri was already 11 months, he still did not have any teeth. I didn't really fret about it because I was scared he would bite me while breastfeeding. I was really surprised when a small tooth erupted on the 28th! I didn't think he would have teeth soon because he didn't demonstrate the signs of teething. He did not fret at all, but he did keep chewing on stuff.

News Flash!

March

Of course, the highlight of this month was Yuri's first birthday! I only got to spend weeks preparing for his birthday, and while it wasn't perfect, the real essence of it was how people around us care for Yuri and how extremely blessed we are to have him in our lives.

Y Turns 1

April

April this year, I did the unthinkable and decided to pursue a little online business. By that time, students from the US were about to go on summer vacation, so the number of essays I review grew considerably less. I needed to augment my income, so I cleaned up my closet and sold some of my clothes. The clothes were quickly sold, but I stopped selling immediately because of a certain problem.

Business Blues

May

Unlike me and my siblings and Job, Yuri didn't walk before his first birthday. I was eagerly awaiting his first steps, and I didn't worry (at all) because I knew they would come soon. Other people were commenting (some with accusatory tones) why a 1-year old wouldn't walk yet, but I know different children had different timelines. Alas, on May 15, it happened! He stood up on his own and took his first steps!

Y Can Walk! (And Other Updates)

June

June is my birth month, and I would always anticipate the coming of June no matter how old I get. Hey, I have an old soul but I have a young heart! For my birthday, I did a lot of "special" birthday posts - heehee - but this gratitude post is my favorite:

Birthday Post: 23 Things I'm Thankful For

June was not all fun and lightheartedness, though, as by the end of the month, I encountered news of a premature child whose mother died in childbirth. She needed breastmilk and a lot of help, and while moms in the city did their best to help, God took her back to heaven, too, to be together with her mother.

Knocking On Your Kind Hearts

July

In line with PNoy's State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, I did a fun twist to it: a State of the Baby Address (SOBA)! While political commentators might not be impressed, I surely enjoyed putting together bits and pieces of Yuri's life in a tongue-in-cheek blogpost. Yuri turned 16 months then. :-)

State of the Baby Address! (SOBA)

I also got (unexpectedly) invited by Jollibee to take part in their blogger contest. If I remember it correctly, there were only 6 of us mom bloggers who were invited to join: 2 from Luzon, 2 from Visayas, and 2 from Mindanao. Jollibee sent me a cool Instax camera, and my family and I had fun going to different places in the city to take snapshots (my favorite thing to do)! I didn't know who won the contest, but I am forever grateful to the experience.

10 Instax Shots, 4 Places, 1 Jolly Family!

August

I also received another blessing in August this year. I was one of the winners of Rinadesign's giveaway! Though I didn't win first prize (a fellow blogger did!), I was sooo happy I got the chance to have Rinadesign's beautiful creations for free. While I chose some for my mom and sister, the rest was for Yuri. Hence, at just 17 months, we already have a complete study table! Haha!

Yuri's Study Table is All Set - Thanks to Rinadesign! 

September

The first highlight of September was my mad baking skillz! Haha, I'm kidding. I don't know how to bake in the oven, but I did try baking using the microwave. Here's what I was able to do:

Noob Baker: 5-Minute Peanut Butter Chocolate-Chip Cake

Another blog milestone also happened last September. Davao Mommy got featured in an international website, Mommy Hotspot! I didn't expect it at all, and when I read the email in the morning, I jolted up from bed! I try not to bask in self-centeredness, but I still feel honored.

Davao Mommy is featured in Mommy HotSpot!

Finally, Yuri turned 18 months during this month, which marked the beginning of his "toddler-hood." I was very excited and a bit apprehensive at the same time! However, I could not deny that I enjoy his company more and more as he grows older. I would forever treasure my memories of Yuri as a newborn, but I prefer his toddler self! Haha!

Lessons from an 18-month Old

October

I wrote a post on October about getting rich, which might have garnered mixed reactions. I couldn't blame some because like them, I was raised to think of "poverty" as a "noble sacrifice." However, when I became a Christian and started reading the Bible daily, I really could not see anything biblical about the mindset. On the contrary, God promises prosperity for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Please keep in mind, though, that prosperity doesn't mean amassing riches but acting as stewards to bless others.

Finance Fridays: Why I'm Deadset on Being Rich

On a lighter note, October also marked the anniversary of my blog! Yay! (Okay, the actual anniversary of my blog actually falls on September 22, but I didn't have time to write a blog-versary post until October.) Until now, I still couldn't believe I was able to blog regularly for a long time. I didn't think I would be able to achieve it. For my blog-versary post, I wrote about the reasons why I blog, which are also the reasons why I persevere doing it without any concrete returns.

Why I Blog (My Blog Anniversary Post)

November 

November saw me unleashing my inner photographer. Haha! Okay, so before you get the wrong idea, while I took a photography class back in college, I never had the "talent" to make pictures. I was just an avid "picture-taker." However, when Yuri began walking more and more independently, I suddenly had the desire to take beautiful photos of him. It is hard to do this, since I only have a cheap Samsung camera and my toddler never stays still, but I do try!

Yuri Through My Lens

December

December of 2013 is special to me because I truly opened up to God for the first time in 2 years. I rekindled my relationship with him, which faded for some reasons. In return, God sent me beautiful messages, helpful warnings, and delightful promises. I pray to obey him always and trust in his plan.

The Season I am in: Planting

Job and I also made the choice to follow God's order and create a major change in our current lives. I haven't blogged about it yet, but this also happened in December.

Lastly, we took the first step to investing. Finally! After a year of studying about it and preparing for it, the time has finally come to concretely commit to creating a financially independent life.

Finance Friday: The First Step in Investment

Whew, that's a lot of posts! I didn't realize I wrote so much this year! Well, I actually realized that when I was browsing through my 2013 posts and choosing which were my favorite. Haha! Writing this post made me realize that God truly and faithfully blessed me this year despite my sinful ways. It also made me realize that while I encounter problems, they were very few in comparison to the blessings. I shouldn't have worried so much about these problems when they were just minor bumps in the road!

The good thing about looking back is being able to thank God for the year he has given us. Thank you, God, for everything. I'm seriously looking forward to a rocking new year!

Happy new year to all of you!!!

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Contemplating on Some Changes

Hello, readers and random Google visitors!

A year and a month ago, (on a completely unrelated note, it's our monthsary today!), I started a blog that I planned to become serious in. It feels great that after a year, I'm still here, blogging.

I'm also giddy that I'm finally on the top 150 blogs. I'm flirting with 90+ these recent weeks. That's a long way from 300+ haha! And it's a big deal for a 20-something mom like me.

Photo: www.cpsu.org.au

However, I did buy a domain in a hurry. I wanted to be connected to my city, Davao, and, well, I am a mommy, so I checked if DavaoMommy.com was available. Lo and behold, it was. Without further ado, I bought the domain (on a promo discount).

The domain did work for me because I was getting some invites to attend Davao-based events. However, however, however, I feel the blog is getting too restricted. I do love meeting and hearing from readers from Davao area, but I'd love to hear from readers from other places in the world, too!

Also, the greater reason is that, from the start, it never reflected who I am really. Who I am personally. Drama. But seriously, I want a title that is more me!

This is not really a drastic change. All I'd be changing is the title of the blog. I'm not brave enough to start a new blog altogether; after all, it takes hard work to do so, so I'm sticking to the URL. However, please expect a new title and headline.

Plus, I'm also contemplating on, once and for all, buying a professionally-designed theme. Why not? I have my eyes on a website already. So you can also expect a blog re-design. Soon. :-)

PS: I wanted my blog title to be "The Mom Next Door." Of course, I did a quick Google search to see if someone has got the name already. However, the search revealed porn videos. I got on the wrong side of the internet again!!!

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I've got a Sunshine Award!

Photo: lovestitches.blogspot.com

First of all, thanks to Donna for nominating me! Second, I'm so sorry for this super-late post. I would like to say that life got in the way, pero in reality, there's just too much backlog for this blog! I'm glad I can finally blog about this now. The things I need to do I'll copy from Donna's blog:

• Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
• Share random facts about self.
• Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
• List 11 bloggers to recommend. They should be bloggers you believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love!
• Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate, answer & let all the bloggers know they've been nominated. you cannot nominate the blogger that nominated you.

Dami! Haha! Anyway, let's begin.

11 Random Things About Me

1. I'm afraid of butterflies.
2. I've been writing (stories) since I was 6.
3. I don't eat okra.
4. I don't eat fish.
5. I'm an online essay instructor by profession.
6. I only lasted 2 months as a newspaper reporter.
7. I'm a socially awkward person.
8. I always get jittery talking on the phone.
9. I dream of having a preschool.
10. I'm currently obsessed with designer bags.
11. I've had the same Smart number since 2007.

Answers to Donna's 11 Questions:

1) What's your beauty regimen? What particular brand of beauty products you are currently using?

Gah! Not applicable! I've had ZERO beauty regimen since Yuri was born. Nope, not even a regular facial wash. This question reminds me to take care of myself already!

2) In what way do you reward yourself?

I am a shopper, albeit a kuripot one. Good old retail therapy always calms and destresses me. Also, I tend to time these shopping trips kung sale so less guilt. Plus, it's not just clothes, shoes, or bags. I also love doing the groceries. :D

3) What song best describes yourself?

Hard one. I don't really associate myself to a song, but my hands-down favorite song is Hillsong's Everyday.

4) What's your favorite place (specific) and why?

The mall. Seriously. But if you want a profound answer, I'll choose the beachline of Lanuza, Surigao del Sur.

Photo: www.flickriver.com

It's amazing there because despite the quietness of the place, the waves are thunderously loud! This makes the place a surfing destination. Of course, it helps that you're with a loved one. Teehee. Unfortunately, I don't have a personal photo because my memory card got corrupted after my trip there. Huhu.

5) What's your top 3 favorite food?

Chocolate, cake, pizza

6) What 5 things you can't live without?

My phone, my laptop, bag, diapers, and my ATM

7) What's your top 3 favorite blog? Share their link too.

Topaz Mommy, Mommy Fleur, Sugar Go Spice

8) What's on your shopping/wish list? Name 3.

(Opens actual list in phone) An everyday bag, new divider plate for Yuri, insect bite cream for Yuri

9) Given that your partner allows you to spend a day (24 hours) with a particular famous guy, who would that be and why?

A few years ago, it would have been Ely Buendia. Now, it's Chantavit Dhanasevi.

Photo grabbed from his Instagram account: instagram.com/terchantwist

10) Who is your biggest inspiration in life aside from God and your family?

Yuri and Job. Of course. :-)

11) What is your prayer to God at this moment?

A prayer of thanksgiving for blessing me with such a great life!

11 Bloggers I'm Tagging

1. Van of http://www.joysofawifeandmom.com/
2. Marie of http://www.mommyunwired.com/
3. Farida of www.inlovewithsunflower.com
4. Maye of www.momaye.com/
5. Krisna of themudrabelle.wordpress.com/
6. Janz of www.deliciouslyspicy.com
7. Lou of www.louopena.blogspot.com
8. Rea of theunfoldinggene.blogspot.com/
9. Kat of theunstressed.com/
10. Devi of missusontheblock.blogspot.com/
11. Kristine of www.ruralmomkristine.com

My 11 Questions to You

1. Which famous, dead personality would you like to meet right now?
2. What are you thankful for?
3. What gadget are you willing to give up today?
4. What time do you usually wake up?
5. How healthy are you?
6. What do you look for in a blog?
7. What is your guilty pleasure?
8. What strange talent do you have?
9. If you could switch lives, whom would you switch with?
10. What is your dream job?
11. What do you want to receive this Christmas?

Wow, you made it this far. Congratulations! Haha. Thanks for reading and I hope you have fun answering the questions!

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Why I Blog (My Blog Anniversary Post)

Happy Monday, everyone! How was your weekend? Mine went pretty uneventful. We didn't get to go outside because this week is my sister's exams week. Instead, we did some general cleaning. Unexciting, right? But we discovered pretty nifty finds from the recesses of our cupboards that I will tell you about soon!

Now, let's get to the real business. This is supposed to be my blogaversary post (woot!), but I got swamped and never got the time to compose it. DavaoMommy.com was actually born 22nd of September last year, and I would like to celebrate it by sharing to you the reasons why I blog. Which means I'm one month late! Better late than never!

Originally, I wanted to have a mommy blog because I wanted to embrace motherhood. You might know that I became a mom early, only at almost 22. Too young, but somehow, I wanted to show that age and good mothering are not mutually exclusive. A young mom does not need to turn the responsibility over to her parents; she can handle it. She needs to. Like what they say, nakagawa ka nga ng bata, diba? That has been my purpose in creating this blog. That's why I talk about mothering, tips, product reviews as if I were a decade older. (Well, I am an old soul hehe.) I want to show that a young mom can be hands-on and responsible, too! If there are readers who are young moms, too, cheers!

On the other side, I also wanted to show how one can be a young mom and have fun at the same time. Also, you can still take care of yourself and pursue what you want - without compromising family, of course. :-)

I want to share stories. I was born a writer and a storyteller. Aside from that inclination of mine, I am also a "sharer" by nature. You see, I believe in weaving sentences to tell a story. I look forward to life's show-and-tells. I like sharing views and opinion and observations and random experiences; I am not the type to keep them to myself (although I have secrets). So, except for the cheesy poems and songs I wrote in high school, naturally, I want to write my stories and share them to the world - or, at least, to whoever wants to listen. A blog fulfills my need to write and share my stories.

The final and simplest of my reasons is that I cannot not blog. I've written many (obscure) blogs since 6 years ago, and it comes naturally to me. I am reminded of a Thought Catalog article that my friend/ former officemate, Tin, tagged to me on Twitter. "She will write for a living because she will not know how to make a living sans writing." And this is true. All of the jobs I had - all of them - involved writing. It's only logical, at least for me, to keep a blog and regularly write in it. It keeps me sane and connected and free.

I have a slew of other reasons, such as having no one to talk to or wanting to preserve memories, and these are also true. However, a deeper examination of my purpose will reveal the three reasons above. And I know that if I stay true to my purpose, I'll remain happy with blogging.

How about you? Why do you blog?

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