A Look back at 2017

This 2018 felt good! It is said to be a year of the Earth Dog based on Chinese Calendar. There's something in this year that I felt I should be looking forward to.

I know this will be another year to continue reaching for our goals. I have written some on my old planner just so I could polish them before writing it down to my new planner. I was kind of unsure at this point since we have a lot of things planned for the year. I have to consistently communicate with Daryl to make sure that we are both in line with our mission this year.

I have decided to write this year down as #Amazing2018. I can't wait to become close to those goals and it's very exciting to actually think about achieving them. I will blog about our goals as soon as I am satisfied with it. It wasn't just a simple dreams that I write about. I want to have a game plan and a strategy on how we could achieve them. Hindi na kasi pwede yung SANA SANA lang or the dreaming stage lang and wait until we achieve them without a concrete plan of the HOW diba?

Anyway, I want to look back on our 2017. Not just what happened to the goals but also the good and the bad that happened last year.

JANUARY

• I had trials at work specially that I felt a superior doesn't like me. What made me happy was I finally got hold of my dream phone! Lol! Pero hindi brand new although in good condition naman. What's important is I got it fully paid in time. =) 

FEBRUARY

• We had our annual physical exam in the office which made me realize that I am gaining weight from the previous APE. This was the same month when I decided to push myself to the limit and go on a strict diet. I blogged about it here. 

 

 MARCH

• I was meant to be promoted at work. I had an existing memo until mid-March. A day after the memo was lifted, I applied for a position and yes, I was hired by the end of the month! :D
• I joined the new team's outing in Calaguas Island. It was free for us while I paid extra for Daryl. I tagged along Jami and Daryl since they allowed family members to join us on this trip! :) 

APRIL

• Daryl's birthday month. We celebrated at home since we just came from Calaguas the day before. 
• Weight loss became noticeable by 2-3 people. 
• I was able to secure my SSS loan by applying in their amnesty or SSS Reconstructing Program which I blogged about here.

MAY 

• We had a quick getaway at Stilts Calatagan for Mother's Day with Daryl's side of the family.
• I stopped going on a diet at 57kgs. My initial target was 60kgs but people missed me in my chubby self hahah! Anyway, I was happy with 57kgs although it's 2kgs more than my average weight for my height.

JUNE

• My birth month. We had a short celebration, just the three of us in Shakey's Mall of Asia. We were looking to claim gift sana for birthday celebrant kaso you have to have a membership card which will cost Php400. Okay sana however, the freebie also cost the same amount. I thought about it for a while and decided not to get the card because we won't use it often. 
• Jami started going to school. He was enrolled in a small school around the area and so far, I am glad with how he's performing. 
• Daryl started his new career. I was so glad for him he gets to work in the airport which somehow co-related to his college degree. He was also happy and contented with work which was a lot important. 
• We struggled financially this month since Daryl and Jami were both starting. We don't have fund to support the additional expenses which ended up taking loans left and right. 
• Gigantes Island - Guimaras - Bacolod trip with Jami. 

JULY

• I started accepting baking orders again to help us cope up with finances.

 

AUGUST

•  I manage to get a new business partner and very active re-seller of my baked goods. 
• Finally had the chance to experience Dreamplay for my nephews 7th birthday. 

 

SEPTEMBER

• I started my Mutual Fund with Sunlife Asset Management (SLAMCI). I saw an online promo from Tipid Mommy's facebook page where you could start investing for only Php500 rather than Php5,000. I met a financial advisor na sobrang maasikaso and very helpful. Should you need one in the future, please let me know. =) 

 

OCTOBER

• I finally had the feeling of having passive income! hahaha! Although super duper small, it felt good thinking that it will grow big in the long run. 
• Jami's birthday celebration in school. 
• Took a life insurance from Pru Life UK which I will blog about separately. 

 

NOVEMBER

• Approval of my Life insurance application.
• Started building our Emergency Fund. 
• Renewed my passport.

 

DECEMBER

• Successfully saved coins from July to mid-December. Jami was able to save around 2,000+ including monetary gifts while I had less than Php3,000 of 10s and 5s coins. =) I intended to use the money for our New Year's eve budget while Jami bought a new toy and saved 50%. 
• For the first time, I celebrated my NYE away from home. =)

You know somehow I felt that we had a good 2017. I mean it was surely a roller coaster ride but nevertheless, it gave us a lot of things to learn and that we were able to start on something new. My personal goal was to become a wiser version of myself and I felt I was able to pull it off. Anyway, I believe naman that the most important thing is that you learn and ready to start again. New year never fails to replenish my hopes that I am one step closer to my goals. I somehow felt na nag mature ako. Ganito pala ang feeling, Lol! #Adulting101. Hahahah! Tita na talaga.

It's day 10 of 2018. I hope you all have a wonderful year ahead.

#GreenTeam for #Amazing2018

Re-visiting Goals 2017 Part 2

So it's 2018! Just like that!

Grabe sobrang bilis ano?! I didn't even realize that December is about to end.

Hay nakooo!

Anyway, I had a wonderful 2017 and I always wanted to look back by writing them. Good thing I discovered the use of a planner because reading everything that I have written down in the last 12 months give me so much satisfaction with the year that passed. I have realized sooo many things and even remembered some at that instant which I completely forgot happening. Weird feeling actually. Hehe.

Well, I said I had a satisfactory feeling after 2017 being able to accomplish so many things. I had a go-go energy as per my Chinese calendar prediction and I guess that was true. I did a lot of new things, gained new friends, acquired new skills and learned new stuff. It was a roller coaster ride but I really feel contented. I even reviewed my goals in August to check if I am in line with my goals. Part of it was great and some were not. I intentionally not complete all of them based on my priorities.

Should you wish to look back, click here for my 2017 goals and an update here in August 2017.

I was able to still complete some before the year ends and that made my goals for last year at 70% done. I'll write down those that I wasn't able to complete na lang to make it short. The rest that aren't on the list are completed.

Personal Goals

• Attend Workshops - No, I didn't attend a workshop still. Although this could enhance my baking skills which I use for earning extra money, I wasn't ready financially since my extra income helped us get back on our feet when things got rough in mid-2017. I am looking to at least do this in 2018 and save money for it. 
• Vaccine - No vaccine for us in the entire year. Good thing we only caught colds twice a year and no health issues far more than that. Thank you Lord!
• Loose Weight - I was able to maintain it until last month where I gained 2kg. I let it be since it's the holidays where there were food left and right. Sweets are my weakness! I don't crave rice, bread etc. But sweets?? Please! Let there be peace on Earth. Hahaha! Nag uubos na lang talaga ako ng food from New Year's Eve tapos I'll go back on dieting.

Family Goals

• Staycation & Photoshoot - are the very least in our priority this year so I intentionally didn't put an effort to it. Maybe in the coming years na lang.

Relationship Goals

• Eat Out/Date Night/Movie together/Spa Together - Yes we had some eat outs with just the two of us and we used it to talk about some things and you know, just reminisce the old time. Hehe! Hope we could have one at least once every month or every 2 weeks. I am looking for a movie or spa together which weren't completed.

Financial Goals

• Beef up Emergency Fund - Hay nako etong Emergency Fund na ito, taon-taon na lang. hahaha! But hey, we had some improvement before the year ended. I was able to save some although really small lang compare sa aming goal but at least, we had something saved. It's a big leap of adjustment but we were there. Tuloy-tuloy na ito! Wala na ng SANA, para magkatotoo naman. Hahahah!
• School Fund -  No school fund yet but this is included on our 2018 goal.
• Travel Fund - No travel fund yet since we had other much more important goal to achieve like the first two above.
• More Sideline/Additional Income - compared to last year, the holidays of 2017 gave me lesser orders but I am not complaining. The money helped us cope up faster than expected so it was a really big help. Besides, I didn't do a lot of marketing this year since I felt I need a lot of sleep at times. 

So there you have it guys! I didn't write down those that I was able to complete just so I could completely tick them off. Although I had some that are not completed, I felt happy with 2017 for being a #WiserMe version. I can't wait to start my #Amazing2018 and to see what's in store for me and my Family.

Thank you for your continued support guys! We may have a prosperous 2018! =)

Mercury Drug Suki Day Book 2018

We have 3 more days remaining before saying goodbye to year 2017.

I personally liked this year, somehow I wish it won't end but yeah, we always have to move forward.

There are a lot of things happened this year. Some I didn't actually remember! I was surprised to read about it on my 2017 planner which I bought from National Bookstore.

This year, I have found the trending Mercury Drug Suki Day book in social media particularly in Facebook. It went viral due to it's nice cover colors and interesting additional features and articles inside. I have also found out that it only requires 30 points to claim one as long as you have a Mercury Drug Suki Card. I had one years ago so I only waited until the end of December to get one.

Why now? Ayaw ko kasi ma over excite sa kakasulat eh. Lol!

Anyway, I finally paid attention to social media posts from Mommy Pehpot Blog on Facebook about buying packs of Kotex which will give you instant 10 points. I have mistakenly bought 2 kinds of Kotex that aren't included on their item of the month so no additional points on that. I initially have 14 points on my card so I only needed 16 to get the day book. I bought two packs of Kotex so I have 34 points in total before claiming.

Today, I called several Mercury Drug branches along Pasay and Makati hoping they still have some in stock! Sobrang trending nya, laging out of stock. I was even told by a lady in the cashier that their allocation of the planner has been consumed so there are chances not to have some delivered to their branch anymore.

I tried calling 6 Mercury Drug branches and was only told they will 'hopefully' restock in January third week. Sad! The 7th branch I called which was Mercury Drug Malibay branch (Pasay along Edsa) came out positive! I tried to immediately reserve one pero madami naman daw stock and all colors are available pa so no need for reservation.

I took my lunch and went there agad! Claiming one was easy, just need to present your suki card.

Some people came inquiring about it while I was there so I suggest to call the branches before going there to see if they have the daybook in stock. Sayang kasi effort eh.

The daybook is available in three colors: Green, Blue and Peach Blossom.

From Mercury Drug Facebook Page

I like the Pink Blossom but I loved the Green! I also realized that 2018 is the year of the Earth Dog so very timely sa color Green! :D Pwede din naman blue, I just like how the Green looks papansin. Heheh!

You can check Nheng's wonderland vlog about unboxing of Mercury Drug planner here.

MY TAKE:

Seriously, Mercury Drug did a good job this year since the colors of the daybook are very millenial so it caught a lot of attention. I also loved the cover, the designs are embossed so may texture. As mentioned, it has colorful articles and minimal activities like sleep tracking, eating habit, water intake etc. There are plenty of space to write down your thoughts too. 

The only thing that disappoints me was, it has no calendar. I meant it has no usual dates on each pages like most planners. I was expecting it to have one and felt sad for 1 minute. 

However, I realized hindi naman ako araw araw nagsusulat. Some days are just plain boring and has nothing to write about so I guess I could work with that. I just have to write down the day or even allocate the pages month per month to make it more organized. 

Nevertheless, the planner was really nice for the price of Php125. Some even said they only have to spend Php50 for it. Not bad at all right?! I am just happy with it plus I got the color I was eyeing for so I felt complete now that the year is about to change! 

Happy New year guys!!

#WiserMe2017

Hello everyone!

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Kinda late for my New Year's Goal but it's better than never! Hehe.

Anyway, just like everybody else who are so happy to start a new beginning, I am really positive that some of the goals that I missed in 2016 will have it's way to success this year. I can feel it! Charot! hehehe. But yeah, I know I can do it.

Last year, I have divided my goals in to 3. I had Financially, Family and Blog Goals. Click here if you want to read them.This year, I divided my goals in to 4 to make it more specific. I have Financially, Family, Relationship and Personal Goals. Under these Goals, I have listed down my sub-goals along with an official hashtag of #WiserMe2017. I saw the idea from ReigningStill blog and I found it really helpful to remind me of my one ultimate goal this year - to become Wiser.

So here are the sub-goals that I have written down on my planner and I can't wait to accomplish them this year. =)

Personal Goals

This is the first time that I'll have this category. It's sort of a self-improvement goals and I am very positive that I'll be able to achieve these for the year. =)


* Attend Workshops - This year, I am looking forward to attend baking workshops so I could accept cake orders for birthdays. I want to upgrade my skills and craft to make sure that I'll be able to deliver a wonderful cake to my future clients. I know how it feels to have an ugly cake on the most important occasion (during Jami's first birthday that's why I never get to include it on my post before) so I want to have a professional background first before accepting any. =)

*Hair Transformation - The last time I had my hair pampered was in June 2015. Imagine how long it was? Going 2 years na! Haha! It wasn't a necessity for me so I whenever I get the money enough to treat myself to a Salon, I always think that it could go a long way. Lol! So hinay - hinay lang, I know I could get it done this year. =)

*Vaccine - Last year, I was able to get myself a Flu (and my family) and Cervical Vaccine courtesy of our office's installment offer. It was deducted against our payroll and got the vaccine for less than Php2,000 per per shot.This year, I am looking to get another Flu shot for me and family.

*Loose weight - My target this year was to shed some pounds. My target was at least 20 pounds for the first 6 months. Mejo konti ba? I knew my capacity so I won't ask myself to become skinny. I know I will never be (ever since) so I am being kind to myself by just asking it to loose some pounds. Hehehe. =)

*Me-Time - From the time that I became a Mom, I never had a time for myself. I always want Daryl and Jami to be with me everywhere and every time. I guess what I want to achieve here is the chance to be able to restore my confidence. I don't shop for clothes anymore because (1) I no longer know my size (2) I am so worried that they will get bored that's why I am always in a hurry to fit the clothes kaya hindi ko na talaga alam ang size ko. Lol! Alam mo naman ang woman, when you say Me-Time, for sure shopping yan! hahahah.

*Read another book - I want to be able to read another book this year. I was never a bookworm so I don't pressure myself in reading more book this year. I actually prefer a financial book and I am eyeing the new book that Chinkee Tan just released. That's the "Raising up Money Wise Kids". I am just waiting for our budget to allow me to buy this book. =)

*Be Punctual - I lost a lot of money because I am not punctual all the time. I never get the chance to get promoted because of it. hehe! Well, I am late because I am lazy to go to work just like the old times (talking about dalaga times) but with some errands and small business that I am into. All I need is more of a Time Management to get them all sorted out. I started from January 2 and I am punctual for the last 10 days. Hahahaha! I know I could do this and my target will be until end of March to begin with. I want this to become a habit so I could pass this trait to Jami.

Well at this time, that's what I have written in my planner. If there's anything that I could think of along the way, I'll just add them here.

Family Goals

Last year we were able to hit 2/5 so this is really needs an improvement.

*Travel - Last year, we had the chance to travel to Boracay again for some beach time. We were really happy and now looking forward to have another travel. It doesn't matter if it's just within the country but syempre out of the country will be more than acceptable diba? Hahaha.

*Family Time - Weekends are family time. Regardless if we have a budget to go out or just hang out at home, as long as we are together, we are happy with it.

*Home Cooked Meals - Last year was a great year for my cooking skills. I was able to cook a lot and even prepared for the holidays myself. I want to learn more recipes that I can cook at home. It was actually hitting two birds in one stone because home cooked meals are healthier and cheaper. =)

*Staycation - I know I have written staycation last year as well but we weren't able to get one. It is a recycled goal since I want us to experience the night away from home but still be in the city. I am eyeing some sale vouchers around but it wasn't a priority so this could wait.

*Photoshoot - About a year ago, we had our first birthday and family photoshoot. I want to repeat the experience at least every two years. Photoshoot are kind of expensive you know. =D

Relationship Goals

Another category that I included this year is my relationship goals with Daryl and I. I want us to have our own time together without talking about Jami and the house, just the two of us.

*Eat Out/Date NightMovie together/Spa Together - Daryl and I seldom go out of our own. Madalas yan whenever he picks me up after work and we are hungry, saka lang kami nakaka kain sa labas pero yung tipong fast food lang lagi or cheap alternatives. That is mostly I go out at 11:15pm so we don't want a very heavy meal. Due to tight budget, we don't get to watch movies or even go to a spa at all. I want this year to be different. Yung tipong meron talagang date and time that we will go on a date together just like what we used to do before Jami.

*Cuddle and Kiss more often - I want us to increase the cuddle time and of course a kiss from when we got home or before we leave the house. We do but I want more! Char! hahahah.

*Complement more - One thing that we often forget is to complement our partners more. We used to when we were younger, pag bagong damit or bagong hair-do. I want to make sure that we still have that spark so when I noticed that he shaved his beard, I will voice out that he looks neat and pogi. Just those simple things diba? =)

*Understand each other more - Just like any other couple, we fight. There are times pa nga that we fight till we hurt each other so much but then I realized it wasn't right. For any small things that he does that annoys me, I am trying my best to breathe in and breathe out just so we won't end up with a cat fight. I know he does the same all the time. Hehehe =)

Financial Goals

It was a 2/4 for me last year so I am working really hard to at least have the chance to achieve most of them if not all. I pretty much have the same lists from last year including the School Fund for Jami's schooling and a Travel Fund.

*Beef up Emergency Fund - By the end of 2016, I was really happy that I get to save some. Mostly came from our profit in Baking. I was really glad that we started to save and that I am working on it to progress even more. Although the amount is very low, I set down a target amount for the next 6 months. I know that God will provide and give us what we deserve. =)

*School Fund - I am looking forward for this year since Jami will begin another milestone half way thru the year. I want him to start school and I have to allocate an amount to it. I am torn between a Barangay Day Care Center or a Nursery in one of a Private Schools. Whatever it is that we will decide on, I am looking to have at least some amount for his tuition fee or any school expenses. It's better that we're ready. My target is only Php10,000 until end of April 2017.

* Coin to Piggy Bank - Last month, Daryl and I started to save our coins. I have this plastic container that we are using now to put our coins. Most of the time, I would ask Jami to put all the coins in it. I can see he enjoys it at the same time, he's able to practice his counting. The reason we're doing this is so Jami would adapt into this habit of putting aside money. I personally wanted the money saved to go to his passbook.

*Travel Fund - Since we want to travel at least once a year, we have to have a travel fund. Honestly, I don't know where we'll get the money for it since we are a one income household at the moment. But then, any small amount saved will get big later on. Lol!

*More Sideline/Additional Income - I am still very active in baking and selling my goods. I have a reseller here in the office and she's in-charge of selling everything for a fee. I am really glad I was able to make this a dream come true. I have been wanting to bake since 2 years ago and to think that it was no longer just a dream is a big accomplishment for me. =)

*SSS Loan Update -I haven't been able to go to any SSS branch yet but I heard of their Loan Restructuring Program and I am looking forward to take advantage of that. My officemate who had the same case with me went in one of their branch and I heard that they offer a very good deal so I will surely allot a day to go to an SSS branch soon.

I am feeling good about this year although there were some mishap as early as now. I know that it's too early to get demotivated and that I could always control the end result if I'll do better in it. It will be a #WiserMe2017 so let's rock on shall we?!

Goals! Update for First Quarter of Year 2016

I just got back from a vacation last week and it was fun! We had a lot of first actually. Jami’s first airplane ride was the highlight of it. Next na lang yung beach and our first major trip as a family ever! Hehe.. We went to Boracay for 3 days and 2 nights which I’ll tell you about in the coming days. =)

Anyway, sobrang bilis ng panahon ano?! Grabe we’re halfway thru May and ilang tulog na lang, June na agad! OMG. Hindi ko ma feel ang panahon!! For some Mommies out there, feel na feel nila because another school year is about to start! I heard from some of my officemates na nag papaaral ng kids, grabe na talaga ang tuition fee ngayon! Kaya I really have to do something about our finances to make sure na maka cope up kami sa gastusin later in life especially kapag nag school na si Jami.

Well, I am going thru major changes now especially in our finances since it’s the very first time that I understood how to budget our money. And because of our recent family getaway, mejo kailangan munang magtipid. Hehe..

This post is just a look back on what I want to achieve this year. From time to time, I wanted to be able to understand how our life is at this point and what we can do to change to plan B if plan A isn’t working. At the start of this year, I have posted my goals here in the blog and even printed it out to make sure that it’s accessible whenever I want to focus.

Financially

**Savings - I wrote about continuing the 52 weeks money challenge that I had last year. This was a fail since I never get the chance to save following this. I was actually putting the money in a cooperative in the office and we're about to get the money by the end of June. It was a mid-term savings that I had (since it's 6 months) from January and I am so glad my money earned Php500 the last time I was checked. I had 2 shares so it was a total of Php1,000 for both shares. Not bad isn't it? Saving Php600 per month in my atm savings won't give me that much of an interest diba? So I am quite happy with it. I was thinking of adding more shares pero there might be some changes in the coop on the next term raising the amount from Php300 to P500 a month so I might have to think about adding a share.

**Junior Savings Account - Back in 2014 when I started a Junior Savings Account for Jami. It was a form of a passbook to basically just put in money as long as I can and give it to Jami when he's older. It took a year before I realized that I am not making progress on this part so one of the plans I had this year was to actively put some money in it. Since this passbook doesn't earn a huge amount of interest, I minimized the amount being placed to Php1,000 a month. Later this year, I have decided to make this as our emergency fund. I have read in a book that Emergency Fund should always be accessible anytime for any emergency situation that may arise. I am aiming for a 3 month worth of my salary and hopefully, I can pull this off by the end or at least first quarter of next year. At this point, I am still far from the goal but I am loving the progress that we're making. =)

**Loans - I am still working on paying these loans from government agencies (Pag-ibig and SSS). By the end of June, once the coop was released, I'll use the money to pay off the Pag-ibig loan. I hope I could manage to pay both of them this year.

**Additional Income - I am so glad I was able to use some of my 13th month pay last year to buy a convection oven that I am using to bake goods. I sell them in the office and I am so glad that it was a hit. I am looking forward to grow the business although I stopped last week due to our vacation. Hoping I could get back this week and moving forward. =)

Family

**Staycation - It is still one of the plans this year. I was thinking of having a staycation on my birthday although there were still plenty of bills to pay due to our recent trip. I still have couple of more months before the year ends so hopefully, this can be made possible. =)

**Travel - Early this year, I was able to score a seat sale for a roundtrip ticket in Boracay. At last! It was Jami's first airplane ride and family's first out of the island tour? Lols. Although traveling could really be fun but expensive, I'll be planning our travel carefully in the future and make sure that it's only one major travel per year only. Hehe. We also had the chance to go to Baler in March so we had 2 this year na. =)

**Househelp - This is definitely the least in my priority at the moment. I can't accommodate another expenses (yaya's salary, food, electricity etc that she's going to use). Since Daryl's not working at the moment, sya na lang ang mag aalaga for the time being until he finds a new job.

**Daryl's Passport - Second least priority since we're not leaving the country anytime soon anwyway. So this can wait.

**Family Photo - As the days are passing by, we are getting to use with a family photo. It started when we traveled to Boracay. It was really fun taking pictures of us so this will continue and I hope we could post more of this in the coming days. Ang hirap lang because walang magpipicture lagi so it has to be selfies lang lols. =)

Blog


**Renew blog domain - yes, I was able to renew this in January.

**Blog Event - I was able to attend an event although it wasn't as plenty as last year so I hope I could attend more in the coming months.

**Earning - I failed to blog often since I was really busy with baking and office so earning is one of the least that I could expect in this blog. =)

 **Projects - there was a project being offered couple of months ago but never heard anything from the client yet.

**Giveaway - yes! I had my first giveaway which was sponsored by Trisopure. May isa pa ngang hindi na claim. Lagi ko kasing nakakalimutan! hayyy.. Tomorrow, I'll drop by in 7-11 para mai ship na talaga.. Sorry Jing. :)

**Improve Blog Photos - nothing has changed. Camera became one of my least priority so sorry na lang sa basher ng blog na ito. Pagtyagaan muna ang photos for the meantime. :p

I saw some improvements in some part of the plan. I am so happy at least I made some things possible and I can't wait to accomplish all of these that are remaining. There were some additional plan/goal though, like getting a VUL from Sunlife which was my very next priority. I am looking to start probably around July. =)

How about you Mommies? Did some of your goals came true? 

My 2016 Goals

It's the first Monday of year 2016!!!

Back to school and work na! Honestly, ang dami kong back logs na dapat ng maipost nung December pa pero until now, I can't find the right timing to post each of them., Hayyy.. Hoping I could start with it this week.

Anyway, I have been seeing a lot of posts about their 2016 Goals! Syempre papahuli ba ako? Hahaha! I was looking thru my old posts if somehow, I blogged about my 2015 goals pero hindi ko mahanap at hindi ko maalala kung saang post ko isiningit so I can't say that it's my yearly thing. But then, hindi naman siguro huli ang lahat for that diba?

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I had my 2015 goals written at the back of my planner. I went back to it last night so I could see if I was able to fulfill each goal. It appeared to me that not all the goals were ticked that indicates na nagawa ko na but then, happy ako because there were some goals that I was able to accomplish! Yey for that! I reviewed the goals and I realized that I still want to go ahead with most of them. Most of the goals I have this year was a continuation of what I wrote last year naman.

I categorized my goal this year to make it easier for me to see my priority better.

Financially

• Savings - I basically want to go ahead with the same plan I had last year in achieving my financial goal. I would want to continue my 52 Weeks Money Challenge in the same format I had last year. As I said, it was customized on how I get paid so it'll be easier for me rather than following the usual increment. I am pursuing the 10 peso increment still which will leave me Php13,780 at the end of the challenge. 

Dates on the photo was for 2015 calendar

That was the old dates and template, I haven't been able to update it yet but it was how exactly it looks like. Bi-weekly, I will spare Php530 (alternate of high amount+lower amount e.g Feb 8 to Feb 14 (Php480) + Feb 15 to Feb 21 (Php60) = Php560). Although I have a different approach this year, I am hoping that I'll be able to finish it until the end of the year. I have the Php300 from the Php530 savings as a share to my 6 month long cooperative here in the office so that leaves me Php230 to spare every week. I think it'll be easier as I would see the coop share as a responsibility more than my will to save the money. Php230 is easier to spare than the whole Php530. Kind of the same pero with coop, I won't be the one holding the money that could save me a lot of stress for not buying anything unplanned plus the interest that my money will get.

• Junior Savings Account - Back in 2014, when Jami was 8 months old, I started a BDO Junior Savings account for him so I could save some money while he's growing up. I just then realized that I failed to update the account and I haven't been able to deposit any money since then. This year, I will spare Php300-Php500 every pay check to be deposited straight to Jami's bank account. Every money he'll get from our relatives and friends (birthdays Christmas or any occasion) should go here. 

• Loans - Back in 2012, I filled a loan from these 2 government agencies (Pag-Ibig and SSS) that up to know, hindi ko pa nababayaran. Imagine kung magkano na ang interes nito. When I went back to corporate na kasi, I was trying to have it deducted sa salary ko pero hindi na tinanggap because it's past the 2 years keme na daw. I have to go straight to their agencies to fix it so I'll try my best to find a way to go to their offices. I am planning to start from the lowest so I could tick it off once fully paid.

•  Additional Income - I am planning to find a business I could get into for a purpose of an additional income. I was once told by a friend that and swerte ko daw sa business so I have to consider this. When I get to think about business, nanghihinayang ako with my online business that I closed down dahil nga sa hirap pagsabayin ang full time work then online business. Nawawalan ako ng time kay Jami.

Family

• Staycation - Since last year, I want to at least have one staycation for the 3 of us where we could just lounge and take a rest while staying in the city. This didn't go ahead last year since it was replaced by our Photoshoot. 

• Travel - it was also a continuation of my goal last year. I would like to go to Boracay which I think is the best when you have a toddler in tow. Alam mo yun, yung makapag relax lang talaga. We don't have to take all the activities because we have Jami but the thought of setting foot on the powdery sand and the beach.. hayyyy... Missing the old days na kasagsagan ng travel. I was suppose to book a flight during a sale seat pero male late na ako sa work so hindi ako nakapag pay over the counter. =( Sana matuloy na this year!! I also want to have another summer getaway either with my side of the family or just the 3 of us. I was in-charge kasi to plan the family reunion this year pero wala pa akong nauumpisahan.

• Househelp - I badly want to get a nanny for Jami so someone could watch over him while Daryl and I go to work. I also want to have someone in-charge of Jami's eating habit para masanay na sya to eat table food. Yan kasi yung dapat talaga namin pagtuunan ng pansin. House chores naman I can do every weekends. Mejo maselan naman din ako sa paglalaba so mostly, si Nanay ang naglalaba eh. Hehe or if she's not around, ako na talaga.

• Daryl's Passport - I have been bugging him on getting his passport so if we'll get a chance to book a cheaper flight then we could always push through with it. I planned to get one for him during Jami's application pero hindi naman complete yung requirements nya. Nyek! sabi ko nga sa kanya, kapag nagkaroon ng Zombie outbreak at required ang passport para makaalis dito sa Pinas eh maiiwan sya. 

Daryl: Papakain na lang ako sa Zombie!

• Family Photo - I am so mad at myself hindi kami nakapag Family picture 2 consecutive New Year na. hayy naku! I want this to become our yearly thing na din eh. Nice kasi you can always compare yearly of how your family's growing diba? =) 

BLOG

• Renew blog domain - It is due to expire this January na so I have to make sure I'll update it. =) 

• Blog Event - I am looking forward to attend more Blog event this year so I could meet more Mommies. You'll never know whom you'll be friends with! Ang sarap maging friends ng mga Mommy Blogger sa MBP, Promise! =) Attending more relevant event is definitely a dream come true for me from this blog no! kala ko kasi talaga dati, wala ng mararating ang blog na ito eh. It opened a lot of opportunities for me.

•  Earning - The least I could expect from my blog is to earn money. Anything that I earn from it (small lang naman syempre), goes to this blog. If it's monetary, I always make sure that I'll invest it on this blog like the domain name. When I get more monetary benefit from it, I'll have a theme custom made for this blog so it'll be more appealing to all of you. =)

• Projects - I was so lucky to be part of Mommy Bloggers Philippines where I first got the longest project I had so far. It's still ongoing and I am looking forward for more this year. =) 

• Giveaway - I have been blogging for almost 2 years na since the re-birth of this blog in March 2014 but until now, I never hosted a giveaway pa. I am planning for one pero wala pang budget. Alam nyo na, wala naman akong sponsor so I have to get everything out of pocket. Hopefully on the 2nd Anniversary of It's Mommy Jen blog, makapag giveaway ako as a thankful token for those people who have been reading my blog. 

• Improve Blog Photos - Sabi ng troll/basher ko, improve ko daw yung photos ko. Wala kasi akong matinong camera that I could use to take photos. Hopefully this year, magawan ko na ng paraan para wala ng masabi ang dakila kong basher. 

Well, I still have some goals pero small personal wants lang naman like shopping of clothes for me etc. I am thinking of setting up a timeline for each of these goals to make it realistic. I have yet to create a timeline for it. Once finished, I'll show them to you too. =)

Cheers to 2015!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

source : google.com

Back to reality it is. First day of work for 2015 and I have heard na OA ang tao sa bank. I have been back to work and eto, windang agad because I had things to accomplish ng sabay – sabay. I want to take it slow lang. I have officially re-open my mini business. Starting today, January 5, I am accepting new inquiries and orders ulit. Hoping we’ll have a bountiful year. =)

I am sure you all have been very hopeful this 2015. I am too. I am looking forward to change a bit – in a better way.

I am so thankful with 2014 for giving me so much opportunities to grow as a person, as a mom and as a future wife.

It has been a year when I had ups and downs in terms of money and in some life situations.

I have been very busy thinking about James’ birthday and fulfilling my duty as a Mom.

I have been introduced to some blogging events though I was not able to keep up with it due to another opportunity that came my way.

I opened my business The Jeimis Shop in Facebook.

I gained new friends thru blogging, Mommy Joy of Happiness of Joy Blog ; Edel of Life In Manila Blog ; Mommy Rackell of mommyrackell.com blog.

I have so much to be thankful for and this post would be longer than it’s supposed to be. Although I know there’s always be room for improvement, this 2015, I am open for growth, learning, activities and blessings of course.

I am not fond of new year’s resolution talaga though I have been making this when I was young, I don’t think I made a change anyway. So this year, to make it official, I’ll be happy to post this on my blog so that you guys can also remind me if I am going off track on my goals. Game?

1.      Time Management -  I really would like to be able to manage my time efficiently. I am very thankful with my friend for giving me a planner. I actually don’t know how to use it kasi I didn’t have one before. I am taking it as it is. Planner means, planning ahead of time. I wrote down some of the things that I want to do on a specific day and before my day start, I am looking at it so I can keep up with the schedule. I will do my best to do things on the time they are supposed to be done so that I won’t have to reschedule them. It usually happens in my business kasi. I want to set a cut off date as to when they can order and when will I go to my supplier to get their stuff. With that, I can do more and would be able to accomplish things effectively.

2.   Family Bonding – I want to be able to establish more family bonding for the three of us. I wrote down 12 things that we can do every month as a family like travelling near or far. It won’t get so hard naman kasi we can always borrow Daryl’s Mom’s car. Daryl is learning how to drive so hoping that we can later on travel without a need of a driver. I have been travelling before I had James and it was really fun. I want James to experience beach, oceans, different kinds of places, people and the experience. It was a great bonding experience for the family and I am looking forward for more travel this year!

3.     Savings – I have been reading Kuripot Pinay’s Blog since last year and found how important it is to save. Although I wasn’t able to keep up with her posts lately due to my new business ventures, I am coping up to see how successful she has become especially with her 52 week money challenge. I actually tried this last year, around May, I made a 40 week money challenge but I failed. I was planning to have the money saved as James’ fund but I was not able to finish it at all due to some expenses along the way. I am looking forward to start the year right financially. This time, I have copied one of Kuripot Pinay’s template on her 52 week money challenge. You just have to choose on which increment you prefer and what you can think you are capable of. The money will be used as our emergency fund.

4.     Pay/Avoid Debts – My 2014 has been really a pain in the ass in terms of financial. I have been on debts left and right so this year, I am looking forward to wisely manage my money and to lessen or clear out those debts. I would need to improve my cash flow to cover those debts.

5.      Get Fit – Last year, I gave myself ample time to recover from the Csection I had when I delivered James. I was told kasi with all those pamahiin na “magpa isang taon ka muna”. Have you heard of that? Binat it is. I kind of afraid to get binat so I think there’s no harm naman to follow. Besides, it’s like taking care of myself too. I don’t want to force my body on the things that I can do before I got pregnant and had the operation although some celebrities like Jolina Magdangal who underwent the same operation were able to work out after months of giving birth naman. Baka masyado lang akong mapag paniwala sa mga kasabihan. Hahaha. When I showed Daryl that this is one of my goal, he said he won’t believe it daw. Hahahah! Grabe sya sa kin ayaw nyang maniwalang magda diet at mag eexercise ako! Pag ako lang talaga pumayat, “Who you” sya sakin! At dahil jan, isa ito sa top 5 ko =).

I still have a lot of things that I want to accomplish but this is the first 5 that I want to focus on. Yung iba kasi mejo minor details lang naman. Kung baga, these 5 are the huge chunk of what I want to achieve this 2015.

How about you guys? Did you establish your New Year’s Resolution? Let me know!!