Last year, my chosen #OneWord was BALANCE. For this year, I choose FOCUS. Yes, focus. I really need it. I have so many ideas in my head, so many things that I want to accomplish, all because I want to improve myself and my family's situation as well.

Courtesy: PictureQuotes.com

Was I able to accomplish my chosen #OneWord last year? The answer is yes, but not yes. Ang gulo ko, 'di ba? I was able to balance everything last year pero nakulangan ako. I didn't extend my effort in doing those things that really matter. I just let the day pass na laging bitin ang mga nagawa ko. I felt that I wasn't doing my very best. I wasn't hard on myself but I felt that I should accomplish things much better than before. I should find time to try new things, read more books, see my friends, level up my business plan. I should have been more productive if I've committed myself more on helping my husband to provide for the family while enjoying the means of achieving it. Hindi 'yong puro finding happiness lang in doing what I love to do. I became focused in taking care of Bunso due to his special needs and training Kuya to be more independent and self-directed. Nakalimutan ko na kailangan din ako ni Loley in running Faithshoppe Philippines. Nakaligtaan ko rin na matutong magpahinga kahit 20-minute bath man lang sa gabi kapag tulog na ang mga bata. I became so focused in solving the problems of other people despite the fact that I had to solve my own too. I got T-I-R-E-D again like I would usually end up when the year was about to end and the fear of getting sick and having a sick member of the family prompted me to be extremely cautious. Although optimism helped, I should have been more flexible and persevering last year, focusing on my family's priorities rather others people's priorities.

In line with that feeling of exhaustion, I suddenly stopped blogging and hosting giveaways towards the end of the year. I stopped checking my emails thinking that I would decline invites again. I had pending product reviews and open ended collaborations. I felt so incompetent and irresponsible. I had writer's block. My brain was so drained. May mga ideas ako pero hindi ko siya ma-express ng mabuti. I would just sit in front of my laptop staring blankly whenever I had a chance to blog. I got tired of updating my social media accounts and wasted my time several times. "Magpapahinga muna ako. Baka sobrang stressed lang ako dahil sa kamu-multitasking", sabi ko sa sarili ko. 

Then on the second week of December, my best friend for three decades visited me and introduced me to her newest home-based business. She started selling high quality perfume testers, which prompted me to try and eventually became one of her partners. Mahilig kasi ako sa perfumes. What made me decide to join her aside from the good quality of the testers, sobrang affordable siya. Abot kaya sa bulsa ng lahat. Gusto namin lahat ng tao mayaman man o sakto lang maging mabango at makayang bumili ng designer perfumes.

I'm in a blogging hiatus for a month because of the new endeavor that I really, really enjoy and that is trying and testing perfume testers with my best friend and eventually selling our favorites. Who wouldn't love to smell good all the time using designer perfumes at a fraction of a price of those being sold on reputable malls? Our mini online store is open to our friends at the moment but we are planning to open it publicly soon. We are still working on it. 😊😉☺ . #allaroundpinaymama #aapmfavorites #bargainhunter #perfume #eternityforwomen #jadore #jourdhermes #guccienvyme #perfumecollection #perfumetesters #onlinestoreph #igersmanila #mommybloggersphilippines #certifiedbloggers #momswhoblogph #momblogger #17january2016

A photo posted by SJ Valdez (@allaroundpinaymama) on Jan 16, 2017 at 11:10pm PST

I also had a chance to talk to my friend and former co-worker in Xavier School who started selling a safe whitening fluoride toothpaste that I was interested to try for the longest time. After trying that and saw that it could really work, I became one of her partners and started selling it too.

One of the best gifts that I have for myself this Christmas is to start having glossier and whiter teeth safely. Thanks to my friend, @iamcookieroldan, for introducing me to #AP24 Whitening Fluoride Toothpaste. It's non-abrassive, safe, and peroxide-free so I don't need to worry. . I am using this for a week and I can see and feel the difference! Yay! . If you are interested to try and test this like I do, don't hesitate to send me DM because I sell this. It really works that's why I am convinced to do so. . Have a Happy Christmas! 💕 SJ . #allaroundpinaymama #aapmfavorites #aapmrecommends #NuSkin #WhiteningToothpaste #christmas2016 #momblogger #mommybloggersphilippines #certifiedbloggers #momswhoblogph #igersmanila

A photo posted by SJ Valdez (@allaroundpinaymama) on Dec 24, 2016 at 9:32pm PST

The joy of online selling among my friends became alive again and it made me feel so productive.  I had the chance to do what I enjoy and earn at the same time. Hindi man malaki pero nakatutulong din sa pamilya. All I had to do was to buy and sell. I just had to be creative in marketing the products through social media which I could do whenever Bunso was doing his "me time". I still didn't set aside crafting. Selling perfume testers and whitening fluoride toothpaste tubes just prompted me to slow down a bit in crafting. It was still there but I put less attention to it because of its demands that I couldn't meet due to taking care of my child with special needs. Despite of that, Mom was still the one running it and providing the majority of stocks in our outlets. I still help her with the inventory and delivery during my free time especially while Bunso was in school.

The tasks that I mentioned kept me in blogging hiatus for almost two months. Doing so made me realize that I still couldn't let go of blogging and crafting totally. I was surprised to know that my blog was still being visited. I still got invites from PR's. Our clients were looking for our printed products like shirts, key holders, fans, magnets that I wasn't able to create for months due to Bunso's condition. How could I resist his "lambing" and being clingy most of the time? Hindi siya habambuhay na magiging bata kaya I savor every moment whenever I'm with him.

As days passed, I got motivated to do my usual activities and thought of ways on how to do them again along with the new things that I included in my routines. It's going to be more challenging, I know, but I believe can be doable.

Time flies. Let's use it wisely and properly. 😉 . #allaroundpinaymama #aapmmusings #quoteoftheday #instaquote #word #foodforthought #mommybloggersphilippines #momswhoblogph #certifiedbloggers #momblogger #17january2016 . 📷 Pinterest

A photo posted by SJ Valdez (@allaroundpinaymama) on Jan 16, 2017 at 10:45pm PST

It just so happened that Bunso is getting more independent, even though slowly, but I know he is getting there. All I need to do is to focus, to find time and meaning in every small detail of my endeavors but still knowing that my priority is my family. I am going to be a little hard on myself this year. I need to stretch my efforts because it's a must. I am not going to be afraid to move from my comfort zone for me to spread my wings and find more opportunities. I am going to be more choosy in accepting work or collaborations, only those that are beneficial for my family and readers are allowed. My time is precious and I should use it wisely this time. It's never too late to begin again and be the best person that I can be. I have to FOCUS on what really matters.

1. I pray.

The Lord doesn't give me responsibilities and trials that I can't handle. When I pray and offer all my pains, joys, activities, sacrifices as I start the day, all things go on smoothly.

2. I think positively.

As the law of attraction states, “In every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.” I always put in mind that each day is going to be happy and it surely is. It’s my optimism that affects everything that I do positively. I love all the things that I do despite being challenged. Seeing goodness in every bad situation makes my life beautiful and worth living.

3. I plan.

I make sure to have a daily me-time or appointment with myself that can happen anytime between 30 minutes to two hours. It's a time to maybe take a nap, do some crafting, read a chapter or two of our favorite novel, exercise, take a leisurely bath, meditate, or do something that I  really like. 

I also lessen my self expectations and do what is best for the moment. My kids are still very young and most of my time goes to them instead on myself. I make the best out of the situation. I make memories with them because someday they are going to have their independence and that is the time that I can do more things for myself and with my husband too.

5. I take care of myself.

Above all, I always see to it that I nourish myself with proper food, exercise, and rest. I admit that I eat junk sometimes to satisfy my cravings. Honestly, I don’t feel guilty about it because I believe that a little of everything is not bad. It’s just a matter of knowing how to balance everything.

For four years, as prescribed by my dentist, I take Fern-C, the number one Sodium Ascorbate Vitamin C brand in the Philippines. Sodium Ascorbate is a better form of Vitamin C. It is quickly absorbed by the body and in my case, I don’t experience hyperacitdity while taking it because it's non-acidic. FERN-C is the First Non-Acidic Vitamin C in the Philippines and the only Quali-C Vitamin C made from Europe, ensuring quality to millions of Filipinos. It keeps my immune system boosted and my gums healthier too. 
 

Just recently, I've started drinking FernCoffee. It doesn’t just satisfy my love for caffeine boost but it contains eight (8) vitamins and minerals (Quali-Blends) from DSM Switzerland, a perfect combination to perk up my day! This coffee tastes really, really good too that’s why I am motivated to drink this every morning!

It is a fact that my worklife ay easy with FERN-C! Subok na!

My mom raised my brother and I to be frugal. She taught us to be wise spenders and live by our own means. She trained us to know the difference between "need" and "want'. 

We were not rich but our parents were able to send us to good schools and support our needs. We didn't grow up deprived or in excess. We enjoyed life in terms of things that were tangible but with responsibility. Thanks to my mom  who was practical ever since.

Money Max Philippines has Four Mommy Money Tips that I remember our mom always telling us. They still echo in our heads.

Now that my brother and I have our own families, we experience tough times though,  but we see to it that we put our mom's tips in mind. Honestly, we've been guilty of  having bought food going bad in the refrigerator and my mom gets furious. But we have improved. Change and good habits especially in terms of saving and money matters really start from within.

We teach our kids to save and be vigilant in their habits at an early age. They also practice frugality and due to this, they become more creative and smart in their choices. We also find time to save through mutual fund and cooperative so that later on when we are old and don't have the capacity to work, our kids and us are going to have something to use. Our ancestors are not rich. We don't want our kids and us to experience the same fate that they have. Our grandparents and parents have done their part in changing our lives and theirs and we want to pass it on to our kids, if not good, better or best.

This morning, I posted this Mother's Day greeting on my Instagram account. I sincerely and truly love my life as a mom despite all the challenges that come with it.

It is and never will it be easy to raise kids. The financial, psychological, spiritual, social, intellectual, and all the aspects that encompass motherhood can be insanely difficult but nonetheless doable. The situation that I have right now has never been taught by mom through words but I've seen and felt them through her actions. I've known what to expect but experience is still the best teacher. 

For me, being a mom is still the greatest and most perfect decision that I've made in my life.

Papa always say, "Mahirap talagang magpalaki ng tao." He always says this whenever our children do something in discord with the norms that we set as their parents. Like us, our children are not perfect. We also accept that children in this generation are way beyond different in their preferences. 

Despite teaching them good values, they may go astray then realize afterwards that they have done something inappropriate. For us, learning from mistakes and standing up right after stumbling down matters but learning from other people's mistakes is much better than the former. 

But committing mistakes is inevitable. That's why we have to teach our kids morals for them to be good people and they are going to do the same when they have families and kids of their own.

Sometimes our kids disobey. The perfect example that I'm going to share with you is the situation that has happened a while ago.

Papa asked Kuya to throw the garbage, one of the few of his household duties at home. Then he refused with an attitude! Papa became agitated and told him to go to his room. (One of our rules as parents is we never talk or reprimand our kids while we are angry.)

After a few minutes of cooling down, I called Kuya and told him that Papa and I wanted to talk to him. This was our conversation.

Papa: "Anak, why do you always refuse to throw the garbage. I don't ask you to do so much for the family. As Mama and I have told you before, you have rights as a child in the family but with every right comes responsibility."

I: "Anak, we already taught you all the things that we thought you needed to know as an individual. You are already big enough to discern between right and wrong. It's up to you to decide but we expect you to do the right things because it's for your own good and it serves as a practice for you so that you'd know what to teach your kids when you have your own family. When Papa and I were kids, we were obedient to our parents not because of fear but because of love. Sana, Anak, ganoon ka rin sa amin. But we want it to be natural. Hindi pilit."

Papa: "Sabi nila, kung ano ang puno, siyang bunga. Ang santol ay hindi mamumunga ng bayabas. Tama, 'di ba? Pero ang prutas ay hindi tao kaya hindi ako naniniwala sa kasabihang 'yan. MAY FREE WILL BA ANG SANTOL? Wala, hindi ba? ANG TAO AY BINIGYAN NG DIYOS NG FREE WILL PARA PAG-ISIPAN KUNG ANG KANYANG GINAGAWA AY TAMA O MALI. It's so unfair for others to say na kaya masama ang anak ng isang tao ay dahil masama ang kanyang mga magulang. Someday if someone will tell me that you are bad because of me and your Mama, I'll tell that person that it's so unfair for him or her to say that. Hindi kami masamang tao ng Mama mo. Hindi ka namin tinuturuang maging masamang anak."

I: "It's up to you, Anak, how you use your free will. But we hope and believe that you will use it to do good things. We love you, Anak. You are a good kid. Please don't forget that. "

Then Kuya began to cry. He was apologetic. We closed the conversation with this statement:

"We love you, Anak. We want what's best for you. We want you to be a good person and that goodness is something that you can pass on to others and to your future wife and kids." 

And it was sealed with a warm embrace.

I know that this conversation will recur, once, twice, or even more than ten times. At the end of the day, it's part of parenthood. It's part of my zestful life as a mom.

Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there who share the same challenges and triumphs like I have. As I always say, let's savor every moment. Each day is worth living because God has given us the best vocation in the world.

Last year, I chose GRATEFUL as my #OneWord. This year, the best word that I think of is BALANCE.

There were unexpected, both good and bad moments in my personal and family life last year. Blessings poured most especially in my stint as a mom blogger. I felt truly blessed because those opportunities were so overwhelming for a simple, non-famous blogger that I was. What made me more happy was the fact that I was able to extend my blessings to my loved ones and readers.

I spent blogging late at night just to catch up on my commitments. I felt great doing it! It was my breather. Piles of mom and biz duties drained me. Finding time to sleep and rest longer was not an option for me. All I wanted to do was to fulfill my blogger duties and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Being a public person gave me more opportunities to meet people. I became too friendly not knowing that my openness and friendliness could lead me to deceiving, jealous, manipulative, and "evil" people, so to speak.

Before 2015 ended, due to stress and other factors, my family's health became very, very unstable. Hubby and I didn't have anybody to depend on so we had to take care of our sick kids despite being ill too. 

Thank You, Lord, for healing my kids through their caring doctors and nurses. Thank You for giving our family strength. We love You, Lord. Thank You. Thank You. #allaroundpinaymama #hospital #instadaily #healing #nokialumia630

A photo posted by SJ Valdez (@allaroundpinaymama) on Nov 21, 2015 at 2:40pm PST

As a mom, I had to be strong. I was in denial. I didn't listen to my body. I had to keep moving forward and do my duties for the welfare of my family.

Everything was affected--- our work, business, and kids' studies. Our recovery was slow. The primary reason was we abused ourselves through focusing on our goals. We failed to pause for a while, breathe, and relax.

Our stay in the hospital for almost a month last November (This was the month when I was hosting the Domex Giveaway. It was so stressful because I couldn't be online most of the time.), the hospitalization of Kuya during Christmas day up to the 27th, and my admission in the Emergency Room after New Year and being sick for a week, made me realize so many things and they were rooted in always finding BALANCE in everything. Our family started DOING THE THINGS THAT WERE ESSENTIAL at the moment. We became closer to one another and most especially to the Almighty.

Let me summarize my realizations through these quotes:

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." 

- Mahatma Gandhi

"So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then an hour to spend their wealth to regain their health."

 - A.J. Rebmarteri

"Life is about balance. Be kind but don't let people abuse you. Trust, but don't be deceived. Be content. But never stop improving yourself."

 - Unknown

"Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving forward." 

                                                               - Albert Einstein

Aside from my realizations, I truly appreciate the love, prayers, support, and understanding that YOU, my dear buddies, loved ones, readers, co-bloggers, and PR friends, have shown our family. Marami na akong utang sa inyo. Honestly, I find it difficult to start blogging again because until now I am still picking up the pieces. Napagod ako ng todo. My friends would tell me, "Girl, pumayat ka!" Sino ba naman ang hindi papayat sa pinagdaanan ng family ko? All I could say was, "This is definitely the fastest way to get slim but definitely not the safest!"

But here I am, typing my very first blog post for 2016. It's all because I'm doing one of the things that I love to do not just for myself but for you too. Maraming salamat sa suporta. This year, rest assured that I'm still going to blog and collaborate with companies and advertisers but I'm going to slow down a bit for the sake of my family and WAHM life.

I'm back... with more surprises in the coming days. Promise!