Lots of people are buying baby bunnies this Easter for their kids. Instead, parents should be telling their kids that rabbits or colored eggs have nothing to do with the season. This is the perfect time to tell them about God's love for us--how God sent His only Son to die for our sins, and how this Son, Jesus, overcame sin and death so that we may be saved. It's the greatest story ever told and yet we choose to tell them silly stories about egg hunts and rabbits. Worse, we buy them rabbits which, by the way, make the most horrible pets for kids. Yes! I'm a rabbit owner and it took me quite s ..read more

I have many happy memories of Singapore. It's possibly my favorite city in the world after Manila. I still use the pewter bowl I made at Royal Selangor as my catchall for my everyday jewelry. Every time I take off my earrings and rings, I remember Singapore! So now that my boys are vaccinated against COVID-19, I'm hoping we could go to Singapore soon!  So here's a thorough guest article on Singapore hotels in Sentosa Island. It's a 500-hectare island located off the south coast of Singapore and a very popular tourist attraction. Previously, Sentosa was a British military stronghold ta ..read more

A stay-at-home mom DM'd me asking how it was looking for a job after 10 years as a work-from-home mom, and I was honest. I said it was disheartening. There was one HR person who kept asking me what my college course was and how it was relevant to the editing job they advertised. And I said, "Look, I'm 46 years old. College was a lifetime ago. In college, I wrote erotica. That's sex stories. I wasted my time and my mother's money. But I have more than 20 years' experience as a writer and editor, even when I was - as you like to bring up - unemployed. That wealth of experience is what you should ..read more

 1. What's a school day like? Sample schedule. 2. What is the homework load like? 3. What curriculum do you follow? If Christian school, how do you teach science, history, and literature - are there subjects you avoid? 4. Do you welcome and encourage discussion and debate from the students? 5. How do you encourage gifted kids, support students lagging behind, and address behavioral problems? Are your teachers and staff trained to handle mental health issues? 6. What are the extra-curricular activities you offer? Included in fees or extra payment? 7. What level of contact between the stude ..read more

I went back to the corporate world this year after 10 years as a freelancer/business owner and I got asked a couple of times if I got tired of the hustle culture. Partly yes, but mostly because I have 3 kids to educate and tuition is crazy expensive and needs to be paid quarterly. Unfortunately, when you’re a freelancer, the income is erratic. Sometimes, it pours when it rains. Most of the time, it’s dry season. And that's the real reason I got a regular job with a regular income. It allows me to create a budget for their education.  I wrote an article for Wyeth ParenTeam, 5 Steps to Sav ..read more

You’re thrilled at how things are going great with the guy you’re dating. He’s funny, thoughtful, and cute. Best of all, he seems really into you! But just when you think he might be “the one,” he becomes distant. Now you’re thinking if the reasons why he’s pulling away are your fault. Photo by Zhu Liang on Unsplash Before you get worried about these reasons, take a deep breath. Check if he’s really acting weird. Maybe he’s just busy at work, tired from a trip, or spending time with family and friends. After all, he has a life, too. Remind yourself that there are parts of his life t ..read more

We're done with homeschooling this 2023. We had to choose homeschooling during the pandemic but now that the boys are vaccinated and the world seems safer (fingers crossed!), we're going to send them to a brick-and-mortar school again. Meet new people, learn different world views, learn to navigate society. It's very exciting! Of course, homeschooling is much more affordable than school-school. That's why I went back to the corporate world so we can pay the tuition and save money for college. I've been doing a ton of calculations recently because a good education in the Philippines is so exp ..read more

I've been using our grocery trips as part of our homeschool lesson. It's math, home economics, social studies, and health! Plus, I think they're old enough to learn how to feed themselves. And they should know about the prices of the food they eat and so they'll not waste food. So to make it more fun, we've made grocery shopping a game! Like I'd tell them "Here's your budget. You have 30 minutes. Go!" They love it! With all the skyrocketing prices on just about everything, however, let me tell ya that it's not been fun to go grocery shopping lately. Having to see my kids' faces when they go ..read more

Hello everybody! I'm back. That's the longest I've not blogged, I think. So let me tell you what's been happening.  Today is one month at my new job! I'm not announcing my job yet because I'm still probationary status so I'll do a job reveal (haha gender reveal ang peg) the second I get regularized.  My job is very busy. Lots of writing! But I breathe writing so no biggie. Lots of meetings! Which badly drains introvert me. But since everyone is so nice, it's okay. My biggest adjustment is working in a cold office. Yeah, surprisingly, I adjusted quickly to not being with my sons bec ..read more

I haven't been blogging! Life's been hectic. Health issues, job issues, homeschooling, my husband's book launch... Anyway, until I blog (soon!), let me share all the songs that helped me write my #NotInvisibleBook https://open.spotify.com/playlist/785pPDodkRxmXvKkNPWwdk?si=40eced6c8cfa4d56 How I knew Vince was serious about me I saw my future in an instant Not invisible The lucky ones How to get in the mood for love We love the man that cooks pancakes in our house Mother's Day makes me sad Mama's regrets What I envy most Christmas is a time machine Mama's prayer for the lifelong work of her ..read more