The photo below is my Chest X-ray. And yes it does not look good. As of this writing I am already on medication for Pneumonia for 3 days. Although I am considering this as Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis due to allergies.

I just want to share my experience about taking both herbal medicine and conventional medicine and why they should go together and how they contributed to my healing.

My illness started on June 10, it started with a sore throat. As a nurse, I am educated more regarding conventional medicine but I also do not discount the facts that herbal medicines have cured a lot of people too. I also know that conventional medicine, if not taken properly can do more harm than good, but so does herbal medicine.

During the course of my illness, I never took any conventional medicine instead I resorted to drinking lemon with honey and a teaspoon of turmeric every morning. It made me feel better. And I think it really did well on making me feel better that I cough less often and never had the sore throat again for the following weeks thereafter.

After two weeks, about the first week of July, my children acquired flu although having been immunized for flu. But due to their immunization, they did not have fever but only presented symptoms such as cough and runny nose. A few days after my husband also had the flu, apart from the cough and runny nose, he also complained of muscle weakness and fatigue.

My whole family now had the flu except me, I thought I was feeling fine, I never had muscle weakness nor fatigue except for occasional coughing and sneezing, which I thought was due to my allergic rhinitis.

Until last July 15, when I felt like I have sore throat again. And so I thought the magic remedy of lemon and honey with turmeric will be there to rescue. But the coughing won't go away, and whenever I cough I feel like it wants to suck all my lungs out. i really felt terrible.

I tried to observe my self for a few more days, I was considering it as an allergy, because where I work, in the print shop, there were lots of allergens. And I also have the same case of inflamed lungs due to allergies way back in 2008.

In the afternoon, my coughing got worse but in the morning I felt better. I usually drink my herbal tea in the morning, so I thought maybe I have to drink it in the evening too. But it really did me no good. On July 18 I finally decided to have a checkup, I was already feeling so weak that morning. Like I don't have energy to do any household chores, and lying down made me feel better.

My internist told me it was really allergies that was causing my cough, but gave me medications and and antibiotics for prophylaxis. On my way to the X-ray, I can hardly talk to the technician due to my persistent cough. And the results was set to be released the following day.

So I bought my medicines, immediately took Klaricort for my allergies and so the coughing subsided temporarily. I then went home and nebulized with Salbutamol. I guess rest was all I needed that time.

As a nurse, I was exposed to different kinds of physicians, some who were there to really help, some who were they only for the money. Due to my previous experiences, I find it hard to trust a doctor, unless they have really gained my trust, just like my children's pediatrician. and my OB. And this was the reason why I resorted to using herbal remedies instead, because I haven't found an internist that I can really trust.

Lesson of the story, it is acceptable to use herbal remedies to cure one's illness but we should also use conventional medicine to help us diagnose the sickness and provide the correct medication for our illness. I was feeling so healthy because of the herbal remedies I was taking but inside of me my lungs was slowly getting sicker and sicker as time goes by.

And of course, prevention is always better than cure. ;-)

My follow up check up is due tomorrow so I will be updating this page after my internist reviewed my X-ray results.

For the meantime, you can share you experiences on taking herbal remedies and conventional medicine on the comments section below. :-)


This was the exact honey I used:

This was still straight from my mom's balikbayan box.

I purchased lemon from Robinsons or KCC. It costs 30 pesos each in Robinsons and 22 pesos each at KCC.

My dad is not famous, not rich, not extraordinary, but one thing sets him apart from everyone else: He is my first Hero.

No he is not a Super dad, like what others think of their dads. In fact, he is unique, he is not normal, he is supra normal as what he used to say.

He is schizophrenic as his doctors diagnose him. But I know he is fighting, everyday he is fighting a sickness only a few can overcome, fighting something we all have little control over: neurotransmitters. Who cares about those damned neurotransmitters anyway? Most of us don't, but these trivial things changed his life forever.

I have few fond memories of my father. Most of the hurtful ones, I simply want to forget, while the happy moments, I want to cherish forever. Among my siblings, since I was the eldest, I was the one who have more memories of my father before he got sick.

So who's my dad? He is John Rosales Balili. To his workmates, he was John, his relatives called him Tito Jean, his students called him Sir John and to me and my siblings he is Papa.

He was a good man. As a son, he was never the type to help work in the fields but he likes to stay at home and only knows how to cook rice. He tries to please his parents by excelling at school. As a brother, he was thoughtful and generous. As a teacher, he was very dedicated and passionate, he was not only known for being a walking computer but he was also remembered for his kindness and for their friendship.

I know not much about how he truly was to other people. But to me and my siblings, he is a good father.

As a father, he was a good provider. Before he got sick, he was the one providing for all our needs, working from dusk until dawn, even taking tutorial jobs at night so he can have more money to spend for our growing family.

He was our play mate as well. Even in his busy schedule he makes way to spend time with us, even just by strolling in our village and taking unlimited photos of us, or by going to the nearby river and take a bath at the stream together with the carabaos or a bunch on tadpoles. I also remember playing games with him such as scrabble, chess, snakes and ladders, word cube, monopoly and even playing cards. I feel so happy when I beat him, making feel like a genius too. He makes sure that we have a balance of work and play.

Despite his scholarly achievements, he never pressured us to become academic achievers. Instead, he emphasized the value of play in learning. He said if only he could turn back time he would play more and not focus on getting good grades, because you only get to be a child once.

He also taught us the value of reading. Every time he drops by the book sale shop, he will buy me a Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew book. He even encouraged me to read classic books such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Gulliver travels, and the like. The Little Prince was my favorite. He wanted us to develop a habit of reading. Maybe I just did not develop his great memorizing skills, but yes I learned to love reading.

He taught me to love music as well. He taught me how to sing and even had our own recording sessions. I remember hearing our recorded voices (my voice was still that of a toddler) singing nursery rhymes. He also taught me how to play the guitar, actually he just taught me how to read the chords because he trusts that I can learn on my own. He even bought me my first guitar on my twelfth birthday when he saw how eager I was to make my own music.

He also taught us how to swim. During weekends, we have our swimming sessions at the river near our house, together with some of our friends. When we were a little older, he would bring us to a nearby club house or Grotto Vista during summer to swim. But swimming in the river together with the carabaos were the best swimming lessons we had.

He influenced me to love crafting. Apart from his love for computers and photography, he also likes DIY Carpentry. He was the one to craft the bookshelves at home as well as some cabinets. He also makes invitation cards from scratch and creates his own rubber stamps to design then when a desk top printer was not yet invented. In fact, my mom still keeps all of the cards and love letters he gave her. He was also very good in calligraphy.

He also loved poetry. When I was young he would read to us a book full of poems that he created. He also keeps a little book full of love poems for Mama. He influenced me not only to make poems but to make songs out of it as well.

He was a big influence in my life and played a big role on what I have become today.

The time when Papa got sick, I was still eight then, was like experiencing a lost battle for the first time. It was devastating. Life changed 360 degrees. At our age that time, we do not really understand. All I wanted at that time was for my Papa to come back. I missed his happy face and I missed his joyful spirit. Years passed and his sickness got worse. If I base it on research, I can blame it on his electric shock therapy, but maybe it was also God's plan.

My Papa is now 65 years old, for more than 20 years he was suffering from mental illness. He is old now and even if in my heart I wish we can bring back the young and vibrant father I used to know, it may never happen now. For now, I don't pray to bring back the past, yet I pray that he will have more years to enjoy life. Yes, all I want for him now is to enjoy life, explore the world while he still can if God permits.

Yes Papa is not ordinary. Indeed he is supranatural as he claims to be. His love is genuine and he keeps on fighting his battle each day. Despite his weaknesses and his lapses he will forever be a great father to me. I admire him for his love for my mother and for us, I think that is what keeps him fighting his illness. He may not be a super dad but to me my father is my first hero, my Super hero.

For several months I have been wanting to buy a running or training shoes that I can use when I exercise at home. I have been so lax with exercise for about three months now and I am gaining weight again.

I don't want to go back to weighing more than 60 kilos. It does not feel healthy, and as I grow older (I'm at my early thirties now), taking care of my health by having enough exercise and a good diet is a must.

So after a few months of thinking it through, I finally decided to buy the shoe I was eyeing at Zalora.com.ph.

This was the shoes that I wanted.

I ordered it on May 28 and received the parcel on June 2. But the parcel arrived in General Santos on May 31 and they were contacting me for three days. Unfortunately, my cellphone is not working for almost three days as well. Luckily they were still able to locate our house. So the parcel was actually available within 3 days, not bad eh?

So here is how my parcel looked like when it arrived.

 

The parcel includes the order form/receipt and an order return slip, in case there are defects or the size does not fit and your want to return the item.

And here is what I got inside the parcel.

And it is just pure love.

Overall, I give Zalora 5 stars for the fast delivery, their packaging and the quality of the item delivered. I am now looking forward to more future purchases with them.

How about you? Have you purchased any item from Zalora? Share with us your experience at the comments section below.

GET 15% OFF your first purchase from Zalora.com.ph with this voucher code: ZBAPZDYO

The past few weeks has been a roller coaster ride for me. I used to be a work at home mom of my two daughters but now things has changed. I have to help my husband with our family business. We recently purchased a large format printer and I was the only one who knows how to layout designs in Photoshop. So technically, I was the temporary layout designer for the business.

To make the long story short, officially I now have a job. I have to report at our shop at 7AM the earliest, then go home by 6PM, the earliest too, depending in the amount of job to be done.

Being a Work at Home Mom for three years, I was still adapting to this kind if schedule. And the hardest part was not having a household help. I wake up as early as 4AM just to update my blogs, then clean the house so that by the time they wake up,  food is served and then make sure that the kids have already taken a bath before I leave. Then from work I still have to make dinner then wash dishes and make the kids wash before going to bed, read them bedtime stories, to make up for the time I was not home.

For two weeks or more, I was physically drained. But somehow I feel accomplished. Because for a long time, I finally get to do what I love. And I get to help with our family business. I really love working on the computer, designing stuffs so that makes me feel accomplished.

As compared to my previous job where I was just compelled to do things according to my job description because that is what I was trained in college to do. A degree where I was just forced to take but does not really inspire me.

I am just so blessed to have a husband who is also so supportive of my dreams and aspirations. He knows that I am artistically inclined and that I breathe art. And he just supports me in finding my passion.


Maybe i just have to get used to this kind of thing. Or maybe I have to get a household help soon.The only thing that I find hard is budgeting my time work and for the kids. Maybe I'll find a way to make it work soon. But for now, it is still adjustment phase.

I'm writing this because I might not be able to update this blog often because I will be updating blogs which are more related to my work. I will post links to those blogs below, when they are ready for launching. :-)

 

Amidst all the hype in Social Media thanking mothers during Mother's Day, I would like to say that I am more grateful that God gave me the opportunity to become a mom. Motherhood is a gift from God, one of the greatest a woman could ever have.

I am grateful that my kids thank me for the things I do for them. That is only one of the perks of being a mother. But they don't actually need to thank me, that is my job, like I signed a contract when I decided to carry them in my womb for nine months (Genesis 3:16) and rear them to become a good person until they are able to live a life of their own. 

I am still a newbie mom, despite being a mother of two, my eldest being only 5 years old. Yet those five years have been the most fruitful years of my life.

Motherhood taught me a lot of things I have never learned when I still did not have children of my own. Motherhood opened the doors to a lot of emotions I never thought I would feel. Motherhood changed my perspective in life. Motherhood brought out the best in me.

Patience

Guiding my child as she learns how to walk, she faltered several times but I was patient enough to guide her.

Or when she(my youngest) was playing with her poop and spreading it all over the floor, I gathered all the patience I had to clean her and the house and not to get mad.

Or when during our bonding time, she(my eldest) asks about the same thing over and over again, wanting me to give her the answers she wants to hear. Answering the who, when, what, where and whys, takes a lot of patience.

They also taught me to learn to wait for my turn. Since I have two children, they have to take turns when playing with their toys or when using the bathroom. But for me, these instances made me learn how to wait for God's time. I have lots of aspirations in life I can give all my best to achieve it, but I have to wait until God says it's my time.

Courage

When you have children, you can conquer your deepest fears. 

I have to display courage so they can have courage. 

Like being courageous when surrounded with things or people I am afraid of. Or simply by speaking out my mind without being shy or hesitant. These teach my children to have courage.

 

Humility

Saying sorry depicts humility. There are times when I say something wrong or commit a mistake, but admitting my fault to them shows humility that they can emulate. And saying sorry even when I was not at fault shows great humility.

Following the rules even when I don't agree to it. Or by respecting other people's opinion without being rude when contradicting them.

Sharing what I have even when I only have few of my stuff is being humble.

I also learned to give credit to others especially to God for my accomplishments or for whatever possession I have because He gave me everything I have.

 

Gratefulness

Teaching them how to say thank you even for trivial things. I also learned how to be grateful with the little things I have.  

I learned to be grateful for each moment I spend with my family. Thankful for all the blessings I received be it big or small.

Before I thought that there are things that i am entitled to because I earned it. But it's simply not that way, everything comes from the Lord, and because of my sins I am only entitled to death, but with God's grace I am able to cherish the life that I have now. So whatever I have, be it big or small, anything that is bestowed to me by the Lord, I am grateful.

Forgiveness

I learned to forgive big and small faults. Many times my children hurt me, physically, but unintentionally. And those trite moments they hurt me, I learned to forgive.

Many times they also hurt each other, but it is just amazing how children can easily forgive each other. This taught me how to forgive others who also hurt me big time.

Persistence

Have you watched a kid doing the same task over and over again, trying so many times, just so he or she can achieve what they want? Like a child trying to climb over their crib, so they can finally escape their mini cage.

Children are persistent. This taught me how to try and try even if I fail many times.

At first try, we may not get what we want, just like in business or in our work. But we have to be persistent, because great things take time.

Creativeness

Many times people buy my children toys but then they only play with it for a short a while because all they really want to play with are my pots and pans and the sand and plain paper where they draw and paint. They make their own toys too, with recycled boxes and old clothes and socks.

This sparkled the creativity in me too. I was able to make use of the things around the house and made them purposeful, thus saving me money and providing lots of creative 'me' time.

It also allowed me to make ideas into creations.

Thoughtfulness

I used to be selfish and thought only about myself. But having children made me think of them most of the time. I learned to think of their need first instead of mine. I learned to think a step ahead when it comes to what they need.

I learned to be thoughtful not only for my children, but to people who matter the most to me.

Trust

I used to have an issue with trust. Many times people have hurt me and broken my trust. But one incident of my child being bullied by her best friend reminded me again about trusting other people.

I used to mistrust other people because I wanted to protect myself from being hurt again. From trusting again and being betrayed afterwards.

But dealing with people requires trust, whether they fail us or not is part of it. But not all people are the same, there are people who are good and genuine. Not trusting people hurt my relationship with others. Trusting them will create a bridge towards the gap I created between them and me. And hopefully will enable me to relate to them better.

Selflessness

As I said earlier, I used to be selfish. I used to be success driven, materialistic and full of myself. But having children, taught me to become selfless.

My children taught me that life is not all about me, about what I can get, but what I can give.

They taught me to live for others. Because that is what makes life meaningful.

Love

Storge, the kind of love of a parent to a child. It may not be "Agape" or Godly love, because I am only human and I am naturally sinful. But I learned to love my children as a parent loves their child.

I don't believe that loving your children is an instinct, because if it is, then there wouldn't be mothers choosing abortion. But it is a choice, and one of the greatest choices in life that I have made. 

I learned how it is to truly love when I married my husband, but I learned that I can have more love to give when I had my own children.

Yes, mothers are truly a blessing to the world but being a mother is a greater blessing. Only few are chosen to become mothers. And only a few are really able to live up to the Godly role of being a mother.

To all the mothers, mother-to-be, foster mothers, once a mother, whoever you are, let's thank God for the blessing of motherhood. Cheers!

I believe Summer is the second most expensive season apart from the Christmas Season, especially for families. 

Why? 

Because it is the time when a lot of people tend to travel to various travel destinations for leisure, because the children have no school and it is a great opportunity for family bonding. Second, because of the burning heat, people would just like to be submerged in cold water or turn on the air conditioner for the whole day if it permits, thus the whopping electric charges. Third, Summer is also the time where you spend for graduations in the month of April and for tuition fees come the month of June.

This should also be time where we find ways to save money and be financially efficient. We should not allow seasons nor anything to control us financially, especially if we are still not financially free.

So how can we save money, eh? Here are some ways you can employ right at you own home.

1. Make your own iced treats.

Of course, everyone would love to have and ice cold treat during summer. But you do not have to buy them every time. I remember making iced candies and lollies or halo halo at home when I was still a kid.

A glass of halo halo costs at least 65PHP when bought in malls. But if you have lots of folks at home, you can just make this treat at home and your 65PHP will go a long way. Or you can make mais con yelo or saba con yelo instead, so it would be much cheaper. 

It would be much cheaper if you would just make iced candies and lollies. But I would advise you to make them from natural sources, such as fruits like mango, melon or watermelon which will also provide good nutrition, thus hitting two birds with one stone, right?

2. Share a room with others.

If their are a lot of people in your household, sharing a room with others especially when you are using air conditioner would help you save electricity charges. 

One thing we do in our home is also opening all the windows before 10AM, because at 10AM that is the time when heat is starting to catapult. But before 10AM the heat is still tolerable and the cold temperature that is from night time will be preserved.

3. Turn off appliances that are not in use.

This is a general advice actually, but when you have children at home sometime you tend to forget turning off the appliances when you are already chasing after your kids.

Make this a routine and it will help you save money.

4. Make or buy your own swimming pool.

If you can not afford to go to the resort everyday and your children would really love take a water plunge, then make your own pool.

For children below two, you can make use of a large basin. For larger kids you can purchase a larger inflatable pool. But always make sure that your children are supervised.

5. Play outdoors.

You can play outdoors especially before 8AM and after 4 PM. This way your children can have lots of fun in the sun. 

You can also play under trees if you live in a place with lots of trees around you. Trees provides a cool breeze which can also help provide coolness to beat the summer heat.

Note: This advice goes out to those who wants to save money and be financially free. If you already are, then maybe you've come to the wrong place.

Photo Credit: Morguefile.com

Girls love to shop, that is a fact. However, shopping can be addicting and can cause damage to finances if not done properly. If you are left with stress after shopping because of high credit card interests, or because you have to borrow money from others to be able to buy your wants, then shopping is not really giving you a positive effect. But if you know how to shop wisely, then shopping will be enjoyable and fun.

But not many of us really know how to shop wisely. It was never taught in school. Most people only learn how to manage their finances when they are already confronted with financial problems.

And since shopping is something that most people do, it is important to learn how to shop wisely. Buying clothes is a necessity, because clothing is something we use everyday. However we should all learn how to buy clothes the frugal and smart way so that it won't hurt our finances.

I have curated simple tips to help you and me to shop for fashion items in a financially intelligent manner. I have made these as part of my personal finance values to help guide whenever I am about to shop for our clothing needs.

1. Make a list.

Make it a habit to scan your wardrobe and list items that you need. Listing what you need will help you allocate a budget for that specific item and will give you enough time to save for it.

Make sure are only listing what you need and not what you want. Because when you actually consider what you want, for sure the list will be endless.

2. Plan your shopping.

When you have already made a list of what you need, then it is now time to plan how to buy those items on your list. Provide a budget for a specific item. For example, I need to buy a pair of running shoes, I will allocate 3000PHP for that running shoes. So the shoes I will be looking for should fit on my budget which is only 3000PHP. When I have already saved up 3000PHP in cash, then that is the time that I am allowed to buy the item.

Also plan your shopping according to scheduled mall or store sales. I like to check sales on malls Facebook page. This way, you can schedule your shopping on the day where there is a mall-wide sale.

3. Shop alone.

If you can shop alone, do it. As much as possible avoid shopping with shopping crazy friends because there is a tendency that they will convince you to buy something that is not your list or something that you do not really need.

Shopping alone will also give you focus. Bringing children especially toddlers along when shopping will divert your attention to their needs and will sometimes cause you to make impulsive shopping decisions.

4. Compare prices between shops.

Before buying an item make sure that you have already checked all the shops offering the same product and be sure to only buy the best deal. Also consider online shops when scouring for best deals.

5. Only buy discounted items.

Why buy clothes at full price when you can actually buy it half the price? Most shopping malls and stores always have their mall sales where items are sold at half the price or even up to 70% off, take advantage of those sales.


6. Shop for items that are classic.

It is very tempting to shop for clothes that are in the fad. Ask yourself if you can still wear that style even when it is no longer in the fad. If not, you should just stick to the basics and shop for classic items which you can wear whatever the fad is.

Do not be a fashion victim. Instead create your own style and stick to that style of your when buying for fashion items.

7. Buy quality items.

Shop for items that can survive the wear and tear longer. It is sometimes enticing to buy the cheapest piece only to find out that it can be worn out with just one use. Always check the quality of the products that you are buying.

Look for quality products especially when buying shoes, because you wear shoes more often and carry the weight of your body so they are much easily worn out. As much as possible go for brands that are known for their quality. Comfort and quality are your first priority when looking for shoes.



8. Pay in cash.

You read it right. Pay in cash. Don't use credit cards if you can not pay it in full because it will only incur interests and will lure you into the debt trap.

Save money for the things you like to buy instead of using your credit cards. If you think you do not have enough knowledge about credit cards, do not use them. But if you can pay your credit cards in full, all the time, then maybe you can use it. Or better yet, use a debit card instead.

My children loves to eat cookies, I mean who doesn't? But they are picky eaters as well, especially my youngest. So on finding snacks and food to feed them, it has to be delicious and it has to suit their taste.

My daughters love the taste of butter, so I decided to make butter cookies and looked for a great recipe that is easy to make and can use up the ingredients in our pantry.

So here it is, the Melt in your Mouth Butter Cookie Recipe:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup or 1 1/2 stick of  (Elle & Vire) butter, softened, preferrably unsalted
1 cup Sugar

2 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla


Instructions:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar using an electric mixer at medium high speed until mixture gets pale and fluffy. Then beat in egg and vanilla.

3. Reduce mixer to low speed, then add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.

4. Form dough into a 12-inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm, at least 4 hours.

4. Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

5. Cut enough 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices from log with a heavy knife to fill 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart (chill remainder of log, wrapped in plastic wrap). If garnishing with coarse sugar, sprinkle slices with it.

6. Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.

Disclaimer: This recipe is derived  from Epicurious.com

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When I started this blog, I wanted to share how I can manage to have fun with my kids even with a meager amount. Me and my family have been doing this for the past two years for we were saving up for our Canadian dream which unfortunately was not granted to us. So as of January 2015, we are picking up the pieces of our shattered dreams, moving on and making new dreams for our family.

I also have been following Mr. Chinkee Tan about how I can be able to manage my finances wisely. It is very timely for us, since we only have a very small money to rebuild our dreams and start anew. But when you have goals in life and you know where you want to go, you can face any challenge that confronts you.

Me and my husband came from a family that were not financially intelligent, no one taught us anything on how to properly handle money. Just like any typical Filipino family we were taught to get a college degree, then find work to have a stable income. But what comes next after having an income stream? That is something we were not taught.

We were struggling financially that's a fact. I personally don't want to work as nurse anymore because the income I will receive from that job will never be sufficient instead it will create a more negative balance on our finances and will also not be beneficial for my young children especially if I work night shift. My husband on the other hand, struggled with his computer business not earning as much as it does 3 years ago. But even if we regain a stable income stream we realized that we need to have a plan and change our ways so that when time of drought like this comes, we will not be greatly affected.

I have been maintaining several blogs that provides me with passive income and one of these blogs is this one : The Frugal General. Just this March, while updating my blog I received a message on my Facebook page, which I only created a few days back, from a stranger wanting to have a collaboration with my blog. Just when I thought that nobody reads this blog, finally someone has read it and appreciated my efforts.

It was Mr. Sagarit from International Marketing Group that invited me to a free seminar about Practical Money Management and Investment Strategies. I was hesitant at first, thinking what's in it for me? So i gave it a try and I was very pleased with the first seminar I attended.

The seminar taught me a lot of things that I have never learned before. I used to read Rich Dad, Poor Dad and some of Mr. Chinkee Tan's financial literacy books, but what I have not learned is where to actually invest my money and when is the right time to invest.

The best thing perhaps that I have learned from that seminar was how to Build a Solid Financial Foundation, and it includes these steps:

1. Increase Cash Flow
Yes, this first step may seem obvious, but you really have to increase your cash flow if you want to be able to suffice for all your needs and to have a positive financial status. If you have an increase in cash flow the tendency is you have more money to budget, and more money to spend and save.

But the question is: How? Well first, don't rely on your hand to mouth monthly income. You need to find ways on how you can generate more income.

Apart from increasing your cash flow, you also need to leave within your means. If you spend more than your income, even if you earn a lot, you will still have financial deficit.

2. Invest on Healthcare
Secondly, you have to save for your healthcare. Because your health is your greatest investment, if you suddenly got sick but do not have health insurance, all you investments will go down the drain because you have to use your other investments so you can save your health.

3. Insure Proper Protection
This calls for investing Life Insurance. Because we are all uncertain for our future, if you are the breadwinner in the family, it is important that you have to acquire a life insurance. However, if you have already saved up enough money in the bank which your family can immediately use once something inevitable happens to you, then you can skip this step.


4. Manage Debt
If you have debt, you can start paying them when you already have secured healthcare and life insurance. You should have a repayment plan in managing your debt and make sure that your goal is to pay all of your debts so the rest of your income will be used either for savings or acquiring assets.

5. Create an Emergency Fund
An emergency fund is a sum of money in your savings that is intended solely for emergency purposes. A sum of 3-6 months of your average monthly income is the amount you have to save for your emergency fund.

Failure to save up for an emergency fund can also damage your finance when certain unexpected circumstances happen. So it is a must that you are prepared when that time comes.

6. Acquire Assets

Lastly, when you have already achieved the previous steps it is now time to start acquiring assets through various investment vehicles. You can now buy a real estate property, invest on stocks, buy mutual funds and so on and so forth.

This only the first series of the 33 seminars that they conduct. However, only the first two series can be availed for free. The other series are free for members of IMG.

To learn more about investing and personal finance, you can attend a free seminar conducted by the International Marketing Group through their Wealth Academy.

If you are from General Santos City, I can help schedule a seminar for you by sending me an email through jangfalle@gmail.com.

Or you can answer this simple form below so I can be the one to contact you.

Just this February, me and my family had a short trip to Davao and we brought the kids along. Even if our trip was short we tried to find a place in Davao where the children can have fun even for a short time so as to make their trip quite memorable. Then we ended up in Davao Crocodile Park.

At first, I was hesitant to go there because I don't really have fond memories there way back more than 15 years ago. It was very much different and more developed as I remembered it. And I was thankful that the children actually enjoyed their short field trip.

Entrance fee is 200 per adult and 100 per child (2-12 years old). Luckily we went there on a Tuesday, so my mother-in-law went in there for free because they provide free entrance fee for senior citizens every Tuesday but only 50% off during regular days.

Here are some of Davao Crocodile Park features that you and your children can enjoy:

 

Of course, the place would not be named as Davao Crocodile Park if they don't have crocodiles, right? they actually have numbers and numbers of crocodiles there. They also have breeding grounds for crocodiles. They also sell crocodile meat, which unfortunately, we did not get to taste.

I believe they also breed ostriches since the have a large breeding ground of ostriches which is also nice so that they have a large place to run about.

 

This peacock is only one amongst the collection of birds they have in DCP. Common birds are taken cared of in DCO and I'm sure the children will surely appreciate looking at the different species of birds.

This tiger was walking back and forth while we take his picture. Seldom can we see tigers on mini zoos, but DCP has several of them. It was nice that my girls weren't frightened of the tiger.

 

Another great attraction in DCP is the Butterfly Garden. Although I must say that their butterflies are very few, but at least your children get to see live. As you seldom see butterflies nowadays in the city.

So there, if you are looking for a short educational trip for the kids, you can consider checking out Davao Crocodile Park. 

I will post other places to visit which would be worthwhile for the kids in my future posts. Hope you all drop by my blog often.

Organizing your stuffs is not only a tedious task but also quite an expensive one. While canvassing different stores for the price of organizers, I have discovered that organizers as small as 2 inches by 3 inches can cost at least 50PHP. For something that small, that is already quite expensive (Well, at least for me).

So I thought of ways where I can save money while organizing my craft supplies. Since my kids love Graham crackers, we have quite a few empty plastic boxes of them. I thought of recycling and restyling them to make them look prettier.

So here is what is cost me:

6 Graham cracker boxes                  -     Free
Double-sided tape                            -     10 PHP
Gift Wrapper (15PHP each x 2)      -     30 PHP
TOTAL                                                  40 PHP for 6 Boxes

Now here is how I made these pretty boxes:

 

It's easy peasy right? Hope you got an idea of recycling your boxes and plastic boxes at home. I have here another example which might inspire you.

There you have it! Have you made this craft in the past? Or just recently? I would be glad if you share your creations with me by writing links to your blogs on the comment box below.

They say "Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world." The right shoes does not need to be expensive because it is the girl wearing the shoes that matters. However, whatever the price tag is, women's love for shoes is definitely undeniable.

But what if buying shoes would be a great financial strain? Then you should look for shoes that feels right, looks right and fits right on your budget.

Can you still find good shoes even when you have a tight budget? Of course you can. Here I will share with you where to find great deals on shoes for women and children here in General Santos City.

This post was way over due but I find it something worth sharing so I finally found time to post it here. My eldest daughter (not the one in the above photo) keep on telling me to make her a Little Red Riding Hood cape. So after a few weeks of peskiness, I finally gave in.

Despite being short on budget I managed to make her a Little Red Riding Hood cape with only one meter of fabric. Yes, one one meter. And that cost me 40PHP.

So here is my step by step tutorial on how to make a Little Red Riding Hood cape using one meter of fabric.

 I have always been on a quest for finding foods that my little toddler girl would eat. She really is a picky eater and with her sweet tooth most of the time, what she consumes are the unhealthy staple food from the supermarket, such as cookies and cake. We all know that these foods are processed and contains synthetic sugars which are not advisable for children and adults alike.

So while surfing the web, I stumbled on the use of oat flour, which I believe is way better than all purpose flour which is made from wheat. And since oats have more health benefits than wheat flour, I decided to use it for baking and making treats for my picky toddler.

Filipino Polvoron is one of my favorite dessert, I had my little toddler Chamomile try it. She liked the House of Polvoron Classic Flavor, so I thought of making her polvoron out of oat flour. And I'd like to share with you my recipe.

Haven't posted on this blog for quite a while, been busy with my other sites and attending to my toddler who has skin asthma. So in my attempt to make healthy food for my children especially for my toddler I tried to test different cookie recipes, because she loves to eat cookies. And since almost all cookies from the supermarket are jam packed with unhealthy sugars, I decided to bake their cookies from scratch.

I really love Anzac cookies so I made my own version and replaced the dessicated coconut with bananas instead. And oh they are really yummy, I lessened the sugar because bananas are already sweet and I don't want my cookies to be too sweet because it may make my kiddos hyperactive.

Searching for baby products online lead me to this new found website (at least for me): Cudsly.com. And I like how the process of buying online was easy. And in this post,  I would like to share my shopping experience with Cudlsy.com.

In today's technology almost everyone has access to or uses mobile phone. And in order to use your mobile phones to call text or access the internet, it has to be loaded with prepaid or postpaid loads.

As a work at home mom without any household help, I find it very tedious to go out of the house and look for a nearby store to buy load. And by that, I mean walking half a kilometer away to the nearest store.

I am writing this a few months before me and my husband celebrate our fifth year as husband and wife. As a Christian, I base most of what I do according to what is written in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17), as is it said that it will guide us in everything that we do.

I have only been born again a few years back and I must say that most of what I know about my functions as a wife and a mother has been influenced by what the society tells us. In this day and age, women are empowered and liberated as opposed to women in the past where women are the minority. But as a child of God, we have to know what God tells us about the function of a woman in the household.

I am a lover of reading. Reading online and offline materials is an everyday task for me. And this habit of reading is something that I want to instill in my children early on. So I make it a habit to buy books every week so that my eldest child who is four as of this writing will have a new book to read each week.

So I like to explore book shops especially the Book Sale shop in KCC for cheap books. Here are some of the books I bought for about 20 to 35 pesos each.

A Simple Prayer for mothers this Mother's Day.