What a Busy Week!

I can't believe it's already Friday.

On one hand, I am relieved that it's already Friday. On the other hand, I realise that I still have a lot to do over the weekend. For starters, I need to report to work tomorrow to cover up for my absence last Wednesday. Thank goodness I work from home and don't have to go out!

This week has been very busy for me. It was a mix of good busy and bad busy. Let me tell you about it.

Busy for Work

I have been given new responsibilities at work, which is a really great thing because it shows they trust me enough. I've also been made in charge of the Filipino content team. In fact, another Filipino has been added to the team this week. I interviewed her on Monday and she got hired immediately!

Busy for License Registration

But as busy as I am for work, I had to work the afternoon shift on Tuesday and be absent on Wednesday because I was taking care of my license registration. The hurdles - not to mention the steep fees! - really don't end with the board exam. But it's alright. We have no choice because we have to get our license!

What made the process fun and bearable was the fact that I came with a friend, Ate Elaine, who was also my classmate, and I also met my old friend, Sonny, who is also my brod from the counterpart fraternity. We're all brokers now, yay! I told them we should form a corporation or something. It's really all for my benefit because Ate Elaine is a CPA while Sonny will take the bar exams this November. Bwahahaha!

By the way, I'm finally a licensed real estate broker. I don't have the physical license yet, but I have a license number!

Busy because Yuri was sick

I've also been busy because of "bad" reasons. For one, Yuri came down with a fever last Wednesday, which did not subside until this morning. He's barely sick, but when he's sick, he's really weak and doesn't move much. He needed some rest and nourishment.

Today, Friday, he's feeling much better, although we keep going to the bathroom because he's having a mild diarrhoea. He says his tummy doesn't hurt though. I think it's because his food intake for the past days is mostly liquid. I won't worry until he says his stomach hurts.

And busy because my laptop is sick

And my trusty laptop is not doing well this week, too. Talk about bad timing! I don't know what happened to it. It was doing well on Tuesday night, but when I came home Wednesday evening, it was suddenly not turning on. It functions but veeeery slowly. In fact, yesterday morning, it took an hour and a half for it to start!

So I PC-refreshed it. The computer promised that the process won't harm the files, but after around an hour of refreshing, when it came back on, all of my blog photos were gone. I wasn't worried much because I could download them from the blog, but I hope it fixes the problem. It's still going a little slow now, but I'll monitor it.

EDIT: The photos are gone from my drive, but when I re-installed Picasa, all my photos are there!!! Every single one. Good guy Picasa is good!

How was your week?

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

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? :)

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

Finance Friday: 7 Ideal Summer Businesses You Can Start Today

At long last, summer break is here! It’s indeed great to finally be able to relax and get a break from school. However, there’s that minor fact that you won’t be receiving any allowance from your parents for the time being. Don’t despair though, because there are plenty of ways to make some money at minimum or no capital at all! It’s not even about finding opportunities anymore. You can actually make your own opportunities to earn money. Here are some ways how:

1. Cellphone Loading

This is probably one of the cheapest and easiest to manage business ideas for the summer. If your summer plans so far consist of staying home, go to the nearest loading center instead. Avail of a cellphone loading kit and you’re ready to start earning. Who knows, your cute next-door neighbor might come knocking one day to buy prepaid credits.

2. Merienda Stand

Sell halo-halo, fish balls, kikiam, and cheese sticks to the kids in your neighborhood. The ingredients are not too expensive and preparation is very straightforward. This is a fun venture to start with friends or family members. Got a blender? Sell fruit shakes in the afternoon. All you need to set up is a table, chair, and a small space! You’d probably need a cooler, too.

3. Garage sale

Rummage around your closet or around the house for stuff that you don’t really use anymore but those other people might be interested in. Collect old clothing, shoes, furniture, books, appliances, and even toys, and hold a garage sale! Schedule your garage sale in advance and put posters all over the neighborhood. Be creative so you get people’s attention. Come opening day, your garage sale will be a hit!

4. Online selling

There are ways for you to earn profit from the time you spend online. You’ll find plenty of people selling everything from clothing and accessories to books and pastries through Facebook! If you don’t have the inclination to hold an actual garage sale, you can definitely try selling goods and services online. If you’re into arts and crafts and would like to sell your creations, try websites like Etsy.com.

5. Car washing

Offering services such as car washing requires only your labor as capital. Offer to wash cars of family members or your neighbors for a cheaper fee compared to car washing centers. Washing cars can actually be a lot of fun. It’s a good excuse to play with water (lots of it!) under the sun—and you get paid in the process. Just make sure to ask the car owners if they’d like their cars washed any special way and adhere to those requests.

6. Tutoring

Do a little good this summer by offering tutorial services to kids. You can advertise online or have family and friends help you tell people they know through word of mouth. Offer tutoring services for Math, English, or Science. Play any musical instrument? Teach others how!

Tutoring usually pays well and you can bill by the hour. The best thing is you only need knowledge, a few reference books, and in some cases, minimal transportation allowance.

If you’re exceptionally good in English, you can try to earn by teaching English online. Websites like RareJob.com connects you with people around the world who want to learn English. All you need is a stable Internet connection. Register with the website and pass screening tests to get started immediately.

7. Sports clinics

Summertime is when a lot of parents look for activities their children might join in. If you’re quite good at any sport, offer to teach or coach young kids (or even adults in your neighborhood) for a small fee. How to get started? Advertise a free session and invite everyone to go! It will help rouse people’s interests and let them get a preview of the sort of things they can learn from you.

Have a productive summer by using your time (this is your most valuable investment) to earn some money! Starting a small business or offering your services gives you invaluable experience. When the time comes that you go looking for a real job or ready to start a serious business, your stint as an online teacher or an online seller will get you farther than you think.

If professional employment is a long way off, at least you can get some extra pocket money to buy that gadget you’ve always wanted or grow your personal savings!

This post is brought to you by:

MoneyMax.ph is the Philippines’ leading financial comparison site where you can save money by comparing financial and car insurance products and services – fast, comprehensive, and free. We aim to give the power of smart purchase decisions back to Filipino consumers by providing everything they need to become financially savvy. Like us on Facebook to get the latest tips on how to save.

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

Officially Employed with the Perfect Gigs

I know it has been more than a week since we arrived from our vacay (which I promise to write about this week - promise), but this is my first Monday with my new job after the first weekend that I did not have to go to class. (I just graduated!)

Side note before I begin: I really miss going to class. I enjoyed every second of it, and now, I have my weekends back, but I kinda feel lonesome. Huhu. Not to mention board exams are fast approaching!

Back to the show. Oh yes, I have a new job. It's still homebased, but I'm actually employed now and not just a freelancer. I've been connected to a particular company since 2011 and have worked with them full-time since 2012, but I did not have an "employed" status. Nobody among us did as we were considered service providers.

The circumstance was fine because I controlled my own time and I could work and not work whenever I wanted to (which is, of course, subject to certain conditions). I also did not have to report to a particular employer though we worked with teams. The setup was perfect for a work-at-home mom, and I used to recommend the job to everyone.

I first started to see the downside of the job when I decided to get my own property. Since it was under my name, I needed to produce my own employment certificate. I could not get one from our company because my status was service-provider, not employee. It caused a lot of trouble on our part, but thanks to God, it all turned out well. I was never able to get an employment certificate bt the way.

I still continued to work for the company because, honestly, I loved the job. I like helping students improve their work and the thought that my suggestions and comments might have helped them attain a higher grade.

But early this year, if you remember, I got into a career dilemma as we underwent a lot of changes. Still undergoing changes as a matter of fact. And when I weighed my options, I realized that though I still wanted to improve as a teacher, it ceased to become the practical choice. Instead of earning a particular amount per hour, because of the changes, inevitably, my earnings also decreased; they were slashed into more than half. I knew then that I should start looking for new opportunities.

I started by accepting a part-time writing job for a client who owns the Christian company, Memory Cross. This was truly a blessing for me not only because my client is good (supervises but does not micro-manage, criticizes and praises) but also because my job helps me grow as a Christian. It also pays really well for a job that requires just two (2) articles per week.

Source: benziher.wordpress.com

My setup last month was to work this part-time job, work occasionally for my old job, and write freelance. Suffice to say, it was stressful and, financially, I had to keep borrowing from Job. In other words, the tiring setup was fruitless.

Yuri Turned 3, I Graduated, and Other Stories

Hi everyone! Happy Monday! As what is becoming usual for me nowadays, I don't have a proper post prepared again. I'm just so busy, and while I'm thankful, I don't want to neglect responsibilities!

I actually just came back from a vacation, which turned quite ugly for me midway because I had food poisoning. I know, right? And all I ate were the same with what the rest of our group ate. I will surely write about our adventures and misadventures in Baguio, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, Manila, and Cavite soon.

(For my friends in Manila, I only set foot there for hours and most of them were spent inside a car.)

Oh I will write about the trip and every important thing that I need to write about. Just as soon as I get to finish everything I need to do today! Reality surely didn't waste its time making its presence felt.

You see, the week before our vacation, I didn't receive important emails and didn't even receive a single email from my regular client. So I wasn't very productive that week.

However, during the trip, a barrage of important emails came crashing in. My client emailed me about a change in our strategy, I got several blog invitations and offers, and I even got a job inquiry and an invitation for interview. I had no choice but to respond and say I will be available to handle their concerns as soon as I'm back in good ole Davao. (My client knows I'm on vacation though.)

But really, I was like, where were you when I was bored and idle? Where were you?! Just kidding.

Here Comes March!

Can we just take a moment and revel in the fact that it's already March (yesterday)? I mean, didn't we just celebrate Christmas and New Year? Time flies!

Source: http://quotesblog.net/

February was truly a roller-coaster ride for me. First, my Comprehensive Real Estate (Brokerage) classes began last February 7, and even though I never imagined myself being in this field, I found myself enjoying every day of "school." Sometimes, I dread them especially when Atty. Raymond Batu (our lecturer for the legal aspects of real estate) threatens to hold an oral recitation, but I still enjoy our classes generally. I also realized they were nothing but empty threats haha, or maybe we just always run out of time. (I wrote a post about my life as a student here.)

I'm feeling floral today! 

A photo posted by Marie Angeli Laxa (@maanlaxa) on Feb 27, 2015 at 7:27pm PST

I love dressing up for school.

On the other hand, I have also done major career decisions last month. I had an almost month-long hiatus from work because I needed to decide whether I want to stay with my current job or explore new opportunities.

In the end, after the hiatus and many prayers and much self-reflection, I decided to stay with my current job but drastically reduce my hours. I explored new opportunities, and now, I'm a writer for a Christian company (I'll write about it in the next days) and a freelance writer for Writer Bay. I'm enjoying my new setup so far!

However, the downside of my career move last month is the loss of income.
 

Exhausted!

Source: internetcafedevotions.com

It's a few minutes before 6 am, I just woke up, and my body feels tired and achy-breaky all over.

I wasn't even able to work out so there is only one reason for this tiredness: work!

I have been feeling exhausted since last week. I know this is because I have begun working looonger hours because we've been required to be a lot more meticulous at work. So now, a single job takes a lot more time. For example, if I used 30 minutes for an essay before, now, I'm using around 50 minutes.

Unfortunately, this means reduced output throughout the day, and I'm being paid per essay. Before, I worked from 8 to 4:30, but now, I'm working from 8 to 6, with reduced pay. Ugh.

Well, I'm not here to complain about work again. I'm here to say I'm so tired of being exhausted. You know that feeling? Because of my longer hours, I'm no longer able to get more things done. Because I slump before my laptop for 9-10 hours, my body feels the effects, too. I get muscle aches all over.

And I'm not even losing weight! I no longer have the time or energy to clean up Yuri's mess, much less actually work out. And because of stress, I find myself eating more. Huhu.

Then I also couldn't churn out substantial blogs anymore. After working, we eat dinner, wash up, and before Yuri gets to sleep, I already fall asleep. Yesterday, I fell asleep on Yuri's playmat while watching the news -  as in TV Patrol at 7 o'clock.

What's worse is that I don't remember the last time I had a decent devotional. I haven't touched my planner-slash-devo notebook (see review of Certified Positive planner here) and haven't had a long prayer with God for the longest time. Because, you're right, I keep falling asleep.

This morning, I was berating myself for falling asleep again last night. I had planned to finally do a decent devo but, you know, I fell asleep again. I even left my cellphone plugged into the power bank. But while I asked God for help (and deliverance?), He reminded me of this simple poem I had read so many months ago:

And We Can Uplift Each Other

I don't remember the last time I blogged lightheartedly. Oh I remember pala. It was during Job's birthday the other week. Was it only 10 days ago? It seems like a lifetime.

Last week, I felt down for reasons I will describe below. However, there was also one thing that occurred last week that forced made me to remember the happy things. Look at this photo:

You see toys; I see hope.

This photo was sent to me in an envelope containing more photos and a letter. A thank you letter. See, the envelope came from World Vision. Aside from the photo above, there were other photos depicting a handsome smiling boy in a shopping cart with her mother, shopping for toys and clothes.

The boy is a 3-year old, almost the same age as Yuri, and one of my World Vision sponsors. The letter came from him and his mom, thanking me for my meager contribution to their joy. Joy not because of the toys and clothes but joy because of the hope that we can help each other and uplift each other. It's not impossible pala.

And it made me rethink some things in light of a different context:

Searching for the Bright Side

Hello! Are you having better, brighter days?

As for me, I'm trying to "move on" and return to regular programming, but several occasions throughout the day, I still find myself vividly imagining what the 44 must have felt during those grueling hours of combat. Actions, gestures, words and all.

And, no, I don't know anybody from the troops, but that's just me. I find it scarily easy to empathize and get involved because it's my second nature to put myself in another person's shoes. Most of the time, it's a blessing, but at times like this, it can be a curse. For example, I'm so immersed into this tragedy that it almost engulfs me. Even Job is a little scared for me; he has to consciously steer the conversation into a "safe" topic.

But the truth is, aside from the infamous incident we all know now too well, I'm personally sort of going through a crisis myself.

Source: www.levo.com

I hate to talk about my petty worries at a time like this, but I also know that I have to release my feelings in my blog.

Before the Grind Begins

It's Saturday, the third of January, and also officially the last day of "vacation." Technically, I don't get a vacation, but because the students are on Christmas vacation, it means there's almost no essay to review over the holidays. Thus, self-imposed vacation for me.

How are you?

I feel as if it's been so long since I last interacted with someone online. I know there are still occasional updates on this blog, but my mind has been far from blogging during this vacation. Aside from the busyness that comes with the season, I just wanted to make the most of this down-time. The truth is that I have several things I need to blog, but I don't want to sit in front of the computer just to blog. After all, this is the only time of the year when I can afford to not look at my laptop for a whole day!

Today, I was able to review four essays this morning and none at all this afternoon. So I'm taking a short time to drop in and blog. There are also many things in my mind that I feel the need to write something to let off some mental steam.

Source: allthingsdisneysfrozen.tumblr.com

Aside from going back to regularly working, here are the things that face me once Monday begins:

1. I need to go back to eating a healthy diet. 

I'm sure you have heard this a million times, and like many other people, I've pigged out a lot over the holidays. I actually can't wait to eat red rice, white meat, and vegetable salads again!

2. I seriously need to go back to exercising and working out.

Which I haven't done in, like, a year, and my body is seeing the effects. I'm so big.

3. I will be beginning my review classes for my brokerage exam.

This means I won't have any weekend free from January to March. I'm a bit anxious for it to start since I haven't been in a classroom setting for years, but I'm also excited to learn a lot of new things.

And some long-term preparations:

4. I need to get ready for a family trip on March.

5. I also need to prepare for the official start of our homeschooling on June.

So now, I'm making the most out of the last day of vacation and, at the same time, worrying over some stuff that I don't need to worry about. #OCDproblems

What about you? What do you need to do once vacation is over?

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

I am a Sanctimommy (or at least I used to be!)

Lately, as a stress-reliever, I would read posts on STFU Parents, and I encountered the term, "Sanctimommy." Apparently, it's an old term so I'm a late bloomer. For those of you who also don't know what it means, here's a definition:

Emphasis on the lack of humility people! Despite the negative connotation, I easily identified myself as a Sanctimommy. And I think some of you may agree with me! Right? Aminin! For example, I remember when the sister of my sorority sister gave birth. A week later, I saw a photo of the newborn baby drinking water! Water! I immediately messaged my sis and told her  why a newborn can't drink water. Take note that I do not even know her sister haha. It's a good thing my sis is good-natured or I could've received a mouthing right there and then!

It has something to do with my being a self-confessed know-it-all, my constant debates with my father at the dinner table growing up, and my dose of OC-ness that I had taken from him. I just can't stand it when things are incorrect; I literally feel itchy, promise! Maybe that's why I'm a teacher by passion and profession. But I'm getting way ahead of my story.

So yun na nga, I'm a Sanctimommy. A silently judging one. You're feeding your toddler junk food?! Oh the horror! You're letting her watch TV?! Shame on you! You're actually letting your baby use the iPad?! Don't you even care?!

And I dished out a lot of unsolicited pieces of advice, too! Oh yes, I am so annoying.

On the flipside, because I'm aware of this mentality, I would always try to choose the "good" choices: breastfeeding, homeschooling, organic, stainless steel, manipulative play, outdoor play... The list goes on, but I do these because I want to be the ultimate mom - whatever that is.

That used to be my lifestyle; "perfect mommy" used to be my peg - until I became yaya-less.

How to Prepare to be Yaya-less

My co-worker at home (that's not a functioning laptop; don't worry)

Yayas are not forever. Ideally, they would be here until the kids are old enough to take care of themselves, but what if yaya goes against the plan and leaves unannounced? What do you do?

I am not familiar with the WOHM (moms who work outside the home) setup, and I have only lived the SAHM lifestyle for the first few months of Yuri's life, so I will be talking about how to prepare to be yaya-less as a WAHM or a work-at-home mom.

The beauty of my work is that it is timed. Unlike other jobs, I can't just leave an essay if I need to do something else because I need to finish reviewing it in more or less 30 minutes. It's a little tough, and if your work has the same strict nature, don't worry. Here are my tips:

1. Prepare several months in advance.

As many of you know, our ex-yaya had a disgraceful exit last Thursday. I did say last weekend that we were able to immediately cope with the changes. Why? Because I already prepared to be yaya-less several months ago. I don't remember the exact month, but I remember preparing when I understood that the yaya was not sincere with her job. I knew that once she finds the opportunity, she would leave.

So I began taking care of Yuri in large chunks of time. Usually, the yaya would take care of him from 8:30 to 11:30 am and would resume at 1:30pm to 5. Cold turkey, I began being in charge of Yuri until 9:30am, and sometimes, 10am. Then after lunch, I would be in charge of putting him to sleep and will only give him to his yaya at 4pm. Sometimes, Yuri doesn't leave me at all.

That way, I already know what to do to work while Yuri is with me, so no one is shocked.

And in the case of household chores, nothing much changed since we all did our chores. We washed plates ourselves, laundered clothes ourselves (send them to the laundry shop), etc, while the ex-yaya was still here. In other words, be as less dependent on your yaya as you can starting today!

2. Begin disciplining your child early.

I Got A New Title (and a phone, too!)

In 2010, I got the title, UP alumna; during the same year, I became a member of the workforce. It was 2012 when I got called "mother." I became a "blogger," too. Can you guess what my new title is?

Nope, you'll probably neveeeer guess. Even Job had no idea. Even I didn't have any idea until last Wednesday, too!

Ehem, as of yesterday, I'm officially a Real Estate Accredited Salesperson.

(Technically, I still need to complete my requirements and get my license from the PRC but you get the idea.)

Come March next year, God-willing, I may call myself a Real Estate Broker, too.

(After, ugh, 8-week reviews and an exam!)

This is so surreal because I don't have any background - or interest - in real estate at all!

But my mother has been wanting me to at least try for some years now. I don't have to do it full-time anyway naman daw. And she just told me about this seminar last Wednesday ha, so I was really shocked. I didn't have the heart to refuse her anymore since she's been requesting me to do it nang ilang beses na, and this might be the last of the seminars for accrediting salespersons.

New Perspective

Working from Home vs. Working at the Office

So yesterday, when I was finishing my report for the day (with a bowl of macaroni salad beside my laptop), I chanced upon this infographic that made me smile.

As in Cheshire cat's grin level.

Look at this tongue-in-cheek outline of a typical day of a homebased worker vs. an office-based worker:

Save for the masturbation part, it's funny, right? But don't get me wrong. My days are NOTHING like the one described above!

For starters, the life of a single homebased worker and the life of a WAHM or work-at-home mom are worlds apart. Despite my flexible schedule, I still find myself waking up at 6:30 - 7am because a certain unnamed toddler wakes up that time. Also, because of the nature of my job, I can't do my work in an hour. Instead, I work for 6-8 hours each day. But that's not bad at all because I earn more and I don't even have to leave the house.

Yet there are some things here that I can certainly relate to. I take a lot of time to eat, I eat lunch comfortably in bed (with my toddler - yes I know I'm a bad mother haha), and I get to be updated about blogs and the news via internet.

And, oh, I take a shower before my lunch break, too.

Let's just keep that a secret.

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

Under the Weather Thursday

I'm very thankful that our weather has turned from smoldering hot (which caused the brownouts) to fair and rainy. However, a side-effect of the rapidly changing weather is sickness.

I actually started to get sick the other day, Wednesday, but still worked because, well, I didn't want to miss work. Then, yesterday, Honey (Yuri's yaya) had to go to school to get enrolled for the new school year, so I had no choice but to be absent. That was okay because I felt even sicker than I was the other day and I really wanted to rest.

However, as you mothers would know, there isn't really true "rest" for a toddler mom. So I tried to lay on the bed while my toddler ran around the room and only got up when the situation called for it.

Mom in the Disposable Mask

 Yuri entertained himself by playing by himself and with himself

He loved himself, too.

Then I let him watch some Instagram videos. He loves Vito's videos by Frances Sales

We ate a lot, too. We emptied the pantry again. My father often remarked that I'm the only one he knows who has a big appetite in the morning. Well, I have a slightly good appetite for a sick person, too!

 

I was just reminiscing the moments when I watched Disney Junior in the wee hours, and one of my favorite cartoons was Gaspard and Lisa. Then just yesterday, somebody gave us boxes of these chocolates! Thanks!

Don't look at me. It's the boy's doing. He licked the chocolates while I ate the almonds haha.

Of course, the sticker is mine!

When we finally finished the box (errmmm), we opened a tub of peanut butter. Hey, no judging! Yuri ate the most of it!

Then I went back to lazing in bed  and Yuri played hide-and-seek...

...with himself. Kawawa! :-)

While I enjoyed watching movies like Click and The Book of Eli. And the walang kamatayang...

I woke up feeling a lot better today - but the bad news is that my Yuri has fever! Poor Yuri wasn't in the mood to eat anything - not even peanut butter! But the good news is that he's more active now and even ate three pieces of toasted mamon. I hope the fever will be completely gone before the day ends.

How about you? How are you doing? I sure hope you're doing better than we are!

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

What is a good mom?

Yuri's "gift" to me. A "basket" daw with "bananas."

Hallmark doesn't make any money from me because I don't celebrate holidays except for Christmas, Easter, and birthdays. I looove these major holidays, but I see the "rest of 'em" as just ordinary days.

I don't even celebrate Valentine's Day, much less Mother's Day.

I guess that's just how we were raised. My family is not big on celebrating birthdays na nga, Mother's Day pa? The same can be said for Job, although he tries to send me simple "special" messages on those occasions (but I love the just-because messages more...)

But there's one person who never fails to send me heartfelt greetings on Mother's Day. That's Honey, Yuri's ate or yaya.

Although I'd never admit it to her face (sorry, I was never the expressive type), I feel blessed that God sent her to us to help me take care of Yuri. That's even though she makes me want to scream sometimes, okay, many times. I mean, ako yung may event pero 10 minutes nalang ako nakapaghanda kasi she took 40 minutes to get dressed? Mga ganun.

But that's off-topic hehe. Really, I feel blessed because in spite of her kaartehans and, sometimes, disobedience, I believe in my heart that she truly loves Yuri. I think that's the most important trait you would ever need to find in a yaya.

Going back to Mother's Day, that early morning, while Yuri was still sleeping and I was laughing over a joke Job cracked, I received this text message:

Of course I was touched. Who wouldn't? I don't think all household have helpers who are as thoughtful as Honey. But never being the emotional type, I immediately thought, "Oh no, she thinks so highly of me. Whatever have I done to deserve that?"

First of all, I'm far from the alpha-perfect mom image. I let my child eat sweets and processed foods. I don't really care when he touches something dirty. Sometimes I give him what he wants when he throws tantrums. There have been times when I want Yuri to go away because I'm busy or stressed at work - though I will never have the heart to tell him that.

I am not "the best mom ever." I let Yuri watch TV and play with gadgets so that I can rest after working. I sometimes tell him to pee in his diaper because I'm too sleepy or lazy to get up and accompany him to the potty. Sometimes I let him bite on a toy that I know is dirty. One time, I even let him eat a lollipop.

The Things I'm Thankful For

My current circumstances find me ranting and complaining more often . I don't always do them aloud, but I see them in my planner-diary. I know they happen in my heart, and God knows what's in my heart. Somehow, they don't work for His glory. At the same time, I am getting tired of this spirit of ungratefulness and melancholy, so it needs to be quenched.

I often listed a number of my worries in my planner (and in here), so I'm doing the reverse. Despite the circumstances, I now choose to count my blessings. Praise Jesus!

What are the things I'm thankful for? A lot, actually innumerable, but yesterday was such a beautiful and smooth-sailing day that I felt compelled to write a gratitude post.

I know it's not true that if we are in the Lord, we are exempted from the world's troubles. That's not the way it works. I believe that there are days when we are tested with fire to strengthen our character and, hopefully, glorify God.

However, we are also given days that are smooth-sailing and sweet. They also test our character in a different way, but I'd like to believe they are there to give us a glimpse of what life would be with God and without the effects of sin. Yesterday, I had one of those days, and boy did it feel great!

1. I hope I am not speaking too soon, but my laptop and I were (I think) finally getting along well. And just in time because the 7-day replacement period ends today! Hehe. There's nothing wrong with it, but I was just so used to my old laptop. But I'm very grateful to God for giving me provision to replace my battery-less brownout-unfriendly laptop! 

So this is how it feels to be helpless and frustrated

So this is how it feels to be helpless and frustrated.

I know I sound like an ungrateful brat who couldn't find anything to be thankful for, and I'm apologizing in advance because, in a way, that's true.

However, you need to know where I'm coming from. I'm an unmarried mother who can't legally get support from my child's father. That sounded wrong so let's get that straight. He wants to support us but I can't freely "get" it because we don't have the blessing of my parents yet. It's a long story but I hope you get it. The point is I need to work hard to provide for our needs and wants.

I don't have problems doing so, to be honest. God blessed me with an awesome job so that I can earn while I stay home with Yuri. It's a job that has provided for us for almost three years now. But this daily power interruptions - it's making me feel so frustrated. It's wreaking havoc on my work and personal life.

God knows how much I avoided making public complaints about these brownouts. I tried to keep a cheerful spirit about it and even wrote a positive post about it, but it's so hard. I get worried. I get frustrated. I feel helpless that I can't do anything to alleviate my young son's suffering.

I have a type-A personality so I always have a plan. I always have a backup plan. But I have absolutely no control over this.

You see, we've been experiencing brownouts since March or April but it wasn't really felt because they didn't last long and they were infrequent. Then they became more regular. Then they became longer.

Just recently, we began experiencing two daily brownouts: 1 was 2 hours long and the other was 4 hours long. Imagine not having electricity 6 hours daily during the summer. It was almost untolerable.

Last Tuesday, our power went out at 5pm and didn't come back until 9pm. When the electricity finally came back, we finally settled in for what I thought would be a good night's sleep. Then, at 1am, I woke up because it felt really hot. The power was out again. Poor Yuri was drenched in sweat and I had to change his clothes. Upon doing so, he woke up and got terrified because he recognized it as "bawnout." I don't know why he gets scared because our room is always dark or dimly lit, so I'm guessing he's scared of the heat. The power only returned at 3am.

On the same morning, our power went out again at 10am and returned only at 2pm. Yes, we didn't have electricity during the peak of the summer sun.

Last night, when I was giving Yuri a sponge bath before bedtime, he told me, "Tulog na tayo, takot bawnout." My son, at 2-years old, already understood the concept, anticipated it, and got scared by it. A 2-year old shouldn't be afraid of anything. They should be brave - even to a fault. But somehow, my 2-year old understood that we should get to sleep early before another bout of power interruption occurs again.

To add insult to injury, starting today, we have to suffer 7.5 hours of brownouts daily. That's almost 8 hours. What's next? 10 hours? 24?

Sometimes I fantasize about moving to another place, but that's just what it is: a fantasy. Sometimes I just want to curl up into a fetal position:

Okay, that was just an excuse to include Yuri's adorable photo here. #comicrelief

Kidding aside, I want to say it's unfair. I want to cry foul. Especially when I hear about other areas in the city that don't experience brownouts as long and as frequent as we do. But the reality is that many provinces in Mindanao also experience what we experience, some even worse. I have no right to complain.

But I also have my own reality to worry about. My reality is that my laptop, even if new, can only afford me a little over 2 hours of work. My reality is that, as a freelance worker, I do not get paid if I do not work. My reality is that, as a single mom, this is major bad news.

My reality is that I am alone taking care of Yuri at night. My reality is that I cannot change his sweat-drenched clothes and fan him at the same time. My reality is that I have to hold him carefully when I go downstairs to seek a cooler area in a completely dark night. My reality is that I'm the only one who can appease him when he cries because he's terrified. His tears and sweat combine, and as a mom, I feel oh so terrible. My arms ache when I use the handfan as an attempt to make his sleep comfortable, but I don't even have time - or, frankly, the energy - to think of my own comfort. This is my reality.

Lord, just like how I physically comfort my son, I know You want to spiritually comfort me. And I really do feel Your comforting spirit in the dead of the night. I yearn to seek Your presence as I am alone. I know you know how I feel because You've been through a lot worse. And while You keep reminding me to have a gentle and thankful spirit in these trying moments, You also tell me that it's okay to feel helpless. That I shouldn't be so hard on myself. Well, I really should feel helpless, shouldn't I? After all, it's all out of my control. It's You who are in control and You are in charge.

Lord, it's terribly difficult, but I'll keep holding on to Your promise that, just like how I carry my son downstairs barely seeing anything, You will carry me through every rocky path. Unlike me, though, You see everything, including my future.

If my son can trust me, how can I not trust You?

Finally, I'll hold on to what You keep telling me that all things that happen to me You will use for my good and for Your own Glory.

Amen.

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.