Quote of the Day: Successful Mothers

 

Hi Mommas!

How do you equate success and motherhood?

People look at me as a successful mother because I can juggle between work and being a mom. But they don't know the struggles I went and going through every day.  There are so many times that I really want to quit my job. During those times, all I do is pray that whatever "His will, thy will be done". 

With God's grace, I am still working and a mom of two now. Am I successful? Yes I think because I never give up even I am struggling. Because mommas are made strong to face challenges along the way.

Now, let me share this quote of the day with you.

 Successful mothers are not the ones

that have never struggled.

They are the ones that never give up,

despite the struggles.

~ Sharon Jaynes

Never give up Mommas! You can do it, we can do it!

Hugs hugs Mommas!

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Quote of the Day: Life comes with a Mother

Hey Mommas! Starting today, I will be sharing quote for the day, which are mostly pertaining to motherhood.

First to share is this one.

Life doesn't come

with a manual.

It comes with a 

Mother.

Yes, I so agree with this. Our life has no manual. We don't have life procedure or instruction to follow. But we have our mothers who guide us through this life. And when she's gone, our life literary shutdown as well. For awhile, our life will be a mess and it never gets back to the way it used to be.

So love your Mommas while she's still with you. You will have that big hole in your life that can never be filled once she's gone.

Hugs hugs Mommas!

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3Fs to Guide Parents on Kids’ Return to School

It's been more than two months since my son returned to his face-to-face classes. Although assignments, examinations, projects and other school activities are draining his energy, I can see that he's having fun and getting along with his new classmates and friends, and his teachers as well.

It's important that our kids enjoys school. Let me share Nestlé Philippines' Kasambuhay sa Kalusugan of Filipinos with the 3Fs – Feelings, Food, Fun – to guide parents as they take on a new assignment of their own: preparing children mentally, physically and emotionally for face-to-face classes.

From the Press Release kit:

As mobility eased and the threat of the coronavirus became more manageable, the Department of Education recently mandated schools to prepare for full-on face-to-face classes by November 2022. This comes after more than two years of distance learning due to restrictions resulting from the pandemic. Teachers and parents alike adapted to take on bigger roles to ensure that school-age children were able to attend to daily lessons and corresponding assignments at home.   

With this directive, however, comes a new set of changes for Filipino families as their households once again adjust to a back-to-school routine. To help with this, Nestlé Wellness Campus (NWC), the flagship advocacy program of Nestlé Philippines for nutrition education, shares the three Fs – Feelings, Food, Fun – to guide parents as they take on a new assignment of their own: preparing children mentally, physically and emotionally for face-to-face classes. 

1. Feelings

“Parents must open the communication lines with their children,” said Karina Crisostomo, a faculty member of the Counseling and Educational Psychology Department in De La Salle University. “It’s important for parents to ask, know and understand how their children feel about going back to school,” adding that this will help them in addressing any anxiety that the youngsters may have, while also trying to explain the benefits of attending onsite classes. 

It’s equally important for parents to reiterate facts about COVID-19. By instilling the importance of proper hand washing, physical distancing, and wearing of masks indoors, students will be able to feel safe as they leave the confines of their home. “How we communicate and explain these to our children are very important as we move to more face-to-face activities,” she added. 

2. Food

 As a parent herself, Crisostomo reiterated the importance of a nutritious breakfast and how it can set the stage for a great day ahead. “I always make it a point to serve breakfast and ensure that no one in our household leaves without having this most important meal of the day,” she emphasized. 

Mornings can be busy and rushed, and getting kids to eat breakfast can be challenging at times. However, giving them a delicious and nutritious breakfast is possible with a bowl of whole grain cereal and milk. Cereals like Koko Krunch not only contain essential nutrients to kickstart their day right, but it also has the chocolatey taste that kids have come to love over the years. Based on the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake1, one serving of Koko Krunch already provides 38% of iron and about 60% of Vitamins B2, B3 and B6 per 30g serving. This can help them develop a good breakfast habit, while building on their excitement for a fun day in school. 

Baon is also making a comeback and parents need to plan this ahead. Students will likely lose interest and attention in school activities when they are hungry, according to Crisostomo. As such, snacks are important to keep them focused in class and energized for play. Parents can even incorporate healthier choices by adding lettuce or tomatoes in sandwiches or prepare rice meals, fruits and veggies should their children want to eat more during recess.  

1Iron, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and vitamin B6 percentage is based on the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes (RENI) per 30g serving. This Percent RENI value is based on FNRI reference child requirement of 7-9 years old (RENI, 2002).

3. Fun

Being in isolation for much of the pandemic has made students, especially the younger ones, forget what it was like to be with people outside their immediate family, explained Crisostomo. That also meant missing their friends and playing together like they used to. Parents can take this opportunity to explain and remind their children that going back to school can be twice as fun with their friends around. Not only will they get to see their buddies again, they will also gain new friends this school year.  

“Families will need to re-establish a routine at home,” Crisostomo said. This includes meal times, setting aside time for homework as well as a target bedtime for kids, especially those who need to get up early for school the next day. 

As the Kasambuhay sa Kalusugan of Filipinos, Nestlé Philippines understands the need to support parents as they prioritize the health and wellness of their children who are returning to school this year. According to Kevin Carpio, Nestlé Wellness Campus Program Lead, parents can join the NWC Parents’ Facebook Community for additional guidance and tips in transitioning to face-to-face learning.

“Returning to school can be an exciting albeit anxious time for students. But with proper guidance and support from their parents and the Nestlé Wellness Campus, we can work together to ensure that the children are best prepared to adjust to the return of onsite classes. By living out the 7 Healthy Habits, students and their families can look forward to a happy, healthy and learning-filled school year,” Carpio said. 

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Our Home Improvement Plans

Our house was built in 2008, so it's 14 years old now. There are many parts of our house that needs to be repaired. Also, we are considering some home improvement and beautification too. The last time we did a home beautification was in 2017. 

So what are our home improvement plans?  Let me just share our plan.

Main gate replacement

Our main gate is made of ordinary metal and overtime it's already corroding. We had some repair on it before. We had replaced the corroded parts and have it repainted with anti-corrosion paint. However, since my father-in-law died and with our busy schedule, no one can do the regular maintenance on it that's why the corrosion progresses. 

Now we are considering to have our old gate replaced with a stainless steel gate like the one below, which can withstand the heat of the sun and the rain as well.

photo source

Kitchen improvement

It's always my dream to have a nicely design kitchen. But since our purchased house was designed based on the developer's design, we just tweak some of its part like taking the kitchen out of the main house occupying  some part of the garage area. Still it doesn't meet our desire kitchen design because at that time what is important is that we have a house.

For our kitchen, I want a white and wood theme kitchen just like what I always see on Tiktok.

photo source

I want the design above because it looks clean and neat even if the kitchen is just small like ours.

Living and dining room beautification

Our house is not that big so our living and dining room are basically in the same area. For this area, I also want a wood and white design.  We already purchased a Narra wood day bed sofa (similar to this one) and I am telling my husband to repaint the walls white. 

But if we do a major house renovation, I want a living and dining room that looks like the photo below.

photo source

The above simple design is just enough for a family of 4 like us. Although, in the future, I want a more spacious living room and a separate dining room. We are also considering buying another lot and have our dream house build according to what we really want. Let's see in the coming days what will be the real plan so we can have the estimate loan of the money we need.

Bedroom beautification

The last part of the house that I really like to improve is our bedroom. Recently, my husband painted it white and gray, and we also had purchased a new white bed. But it's still far to what I really like. In addition, the second level of our house, where our bedroom is, has an attic design making the rooms small. If we will have a major renovation, then we would like to push the roof a little higher to make the rooms look spacious.

The bedroom design I want is like the one below. 

photo source

Those are our home improvement plans that we will do, maybe next year after we finish paying for our van. In that way, if we need to make a home improvement loan, paying will not difficult for us. And just what I have mentioned already, we have another plan of  buying a new lot and build our dream house. Whichever will be, we will definitely share them with you.

To end this post, just a friendly tip for those who is planning to make a loan, you can check payment estimator for monthly amortization so your loan will not exceed what you can pay for. Also, it would be better if you first check the loan interest rates before making any loan, especially from a bank. You can also check which bank has the best rate to have a lower loan interest.

If you have other tips, please comment below. We will gladly read those.

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First Apartment Woes- How To Help!

photo source

For those that just graduated college and are embarking on renting or purchasing their first apartment, navigating this can be an exciting but also intimidating time. As a first-timer, there are several mistakes that are made and it would be wise to make sure that you can avoid making them. What are these common mistakes that many people make and how can you be as prepared as possible? Below are a few of them:

Renting Unseen

There is nothing wrong with looking at online listings to find your perfect apartment. 

However before you sign on the dotted line, you really should take a look at what’s available in person. Despite the gorgeous terrace overlooking the city or the 5 star kitchen, you might not be looking at the BIG picture.

The poster/ ad/listing for the apartment might have been chosen to omit any of the unit’s issues. 

Nothing kills the excitement of finding your dream apartment to realize it isn’t all that you’d hoped it would be. 

They say that photos speak a thousand words, but it’s super important to visit the apartment to see what the building or complex amenities are, if there are any intense smells or if the apartment is in a good area—all of these are important things to factor into your potential apartment. 

Ideally, it would be wise to check twice, during the day and at night. It’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Ignoring Damage

When you arrive, look very thoroughly throughout the entire apartment. Take photos of any damage that you might find even if it might be insignificant. 

As a renter, if there is any damage, you don’t want to be the one who is liable for it. 

Make sure that you provide those photos prior to moving in. Having photographic evidence could help prove that you did not do the damage but you might still end up having to be charged a cleaning or repair bill so don’t risk not being able to get your security deposit return back because of something you did not do. 

Skimming The Fine Print

When everyone says to ‘read everything’ they truly mean to read every single thing.

While this is a tedious thing to do, you do not want to end up blindsided because of something you skimmed and agreed on without really looking at the fine print. 

For example, some apartments allow you to have dogs as an indoor pet but in the fine print, it may state that there is a certain weight or bred restriction that you didn’t notice before.

 Some also have guests that can stay longer than a night or two. 

Again, each apartment complex and Landlord might be different so really make sure that you read the fine print and that you take the opportunity to ask as many questions as possible before signing anything. 

Moving In Without Essentials

As a first-time owner or renter, it’s incredible to think of all the items you’ll need at a basic level to survive. 

Purchasing all sorts of new things just to cook a meal in your apartment like cookware, silverware, seasonings, bowls, and more might be overwhelming at first. 

Also, factoring in bedding, clothes hangers, storage options, toiletries and more can seem like a lot but they are basic essentials to make your place a home. 

Before you commit to a place, be prepared to either gather these essentials all at once or live without them for a bit. 

Take a look at what friends are willing to give away or take a look at Facebook Marketplace for what others are selling in your area to get a good deal on a few of these essentials while you are starting out.

Once you become more established you can upgrade and update these down the road.

Image: Ben Harris Atlanta Real Estate

Now is the time to look for some great places you want the best to help you find only the best for you. Ben Harris Atlanta Real Estate is the one you want to call to help you hit all your points and ideas. With various townhomes and 1010 midtown condos in the Atlanta area, he is sure to work with luxury and treat his clients with VIP services. 

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