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! =)

Nursery School Activities

Couple of months ago, we joined several school activities including Buwan ng Wika and Nutrition month. I felt this was a milestone for the both of us being me as the official Mommy of a school boy while Jami was a real school boy. Hahah!

May masabi lang. =D

Anyway, let me share with you our Nutrition Month celebration. They were asked to come on a costume based on the category given to their classroom or on P.E uniform with hat while mommies wear a color coded shirts like red for nurseries and yellow for kindergarten.

I had a hard time looking for a costume while too lazy to make one. Alam nyo naman I wasn't a very artistic type or person at wala talaga akong ka art art sa katawan. It wasn't also a competition na may mananalo so I didn't exert to much effort. We ended up buying a hat and added fresh vegetables on top. Hat costs Php 50 then Php10 for the veggie. Our classroom was to represent the Glow food which was mainly the veggies and fruits.

We had a short parade around the subdivision. This was our first event for this school year and I think was such a good experience after all. The kids were all sweaty after the walk but their teachers prepared some refreshments.

Nagulat lang ako since some students had a donut for grow food. I wonder if donut was really part of nutritious food ha?! Lol.

Couple of weeks later, we were then asked to wear a costume for their celebration of Buwan ng Wika plus school foundation day. The kids had a short dance presentation to perform in front of the crowd which mainly were the parents and students.

Since it was Nanay who accompanies Jami to school, I don't have an idea which music piece neither the dance steps that they are to perform. Nanalig na lang talaga ako na alam ni Jami ang sayaw nila. I was asking him to dance in front of me and show me the steps pero hindi ko magets yung sayaw talaga. Lol! I ended up letting it go and just wait for the day of performance.

To my surprise, sumayaw naman si Jami. The only thing was, poker face lang talaga at walang ka giliw-giliw sa pagsasayaw. Hahaha! It was fun watching him dancing. I was so proud kahit gulo-gulo ang steps ng sayaw nya. I have accepted that he wasn't really good in dancing because his Daddy wasn't anyway. Hahaha! By the way, if you wish to watch the video of their dance, you may check my IG feed on the left side of the blog or search @its_mommy_jen.

Our costume was borrowed from my nephew. I just bought a camisa de chino for Php120 in Baclaran. I bought size 10 since his undershirt was a little bigger for him, naisip ko baka sakto lang. Wrong! It was too small. I went back to the stall and had it exchanged to a size bigger than what I bought originally. It fits perfectly this time and could still be used next year in case we need it again.

We also joined our first field trip which I will share on a separate post in the coming days. Sobrang dami ko na kasing backlogs. I hope I can finish them all as a fresh start in 2018! Can't wait for the new year. =)

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!!

Campuestohan Highland Resort

The last part of our tour in Visayas was the Campuestohan Highland Resort in Bacolod. As mentioned previously, it should be done on our third day but due to our very tiring and hectic schedule the day before, we have decided to tour the place on our very last day.

We checked out of The Inns Bacolod in the morning right after breakfast and headed to The Ruins, spent some time and went straight to Campuestohan Highland Resort. It was almost an hour drive from city proper so we arrived around 9am-10am. It was Monday morning but there were quite a number of people in the area. I guess weekends or holidays can be a lot more than that but then the place is really big and could accommodate huge number of guests.

As soon as we paid for entrance fee of Php 300 for adult and Php 150 for kids (2 years old and below are free), we headed to parking slot and occupied one of the cabanas near the restaurant. There was also a pool walking distance away, and boy! Don't mention the views! Since it was located in the mountains, sobrang cool ng weather with a breathe taking views. I like the place actually! Ang sarap siguro mag overnight there.

We were unsure on how we should pay the cabanas so we asked one personnel and was told that an in-charge will go there. So basically, sila pala ang kusang lalapit sa cabanas para mag ask ng payment. Mejo convenient because you only have to get settled and wait for them to bill you. Hehe! No long lines in paying.

Cottages

More cottages

There was this bridge above our cottage which we went to immediately. All I could say was.. SOBRANG GANDA NG VIEW!!Plus free pa ang use ng bridge. We have also tried the Zip line biking if that what's it's called for Php100. Scary sya sa first time na matutong mag bike! hahahah!

Playground for kids

More parking space

Parking spaces

Oh my! the view! It was a lot better in person.

The kids immediately changed into swimming attires and enjoyed the pool. Not long after, I saw Jami without his clothes on. Naghubad! Later on saw commotion, yun pala nadulas!! He was running on and off the pool. He slipped and bumped his head (backpart) in a concrete! Napatakbo na lang talaga ako and carried him. He was crying really hard! Buti na lang, there were life guards in every pool area so one accompanied us to the clinic to have him checked. Na-stress ako ng very light because the hospital can be a little far if the case is worst. The nurse checked Jami and good thing, mejo nagkaron ng redness lang yung part na nauntog. I was guessing it was his elbow who took all his weight after he slipped because he had scratches there. Jami was able to limit the head bump kasi yung pwet and elbow nya ang unang nag impact.

Thank God!!

I was really worried. I was asked to put ice and monitor him if he gets dizzy or nausea. He wasn't sleepy din so it was a good sign.

Just so I could take all the worries away, I took the chance to roam around the place and found out na super laki pala talaga! They had a lot of attractions with different themes. Ang galing lang din ng staging and the statues were huge! as in!  It was a theme park plus swimming pools! I took Jami to a stroll for some picture taking. =)

Nako! I swear the photos don't give justice to the place since sobrang ganda and well thought off. For a whole day, hindi ka mauubusan ng gagawin. Almost every part were instagram worthy! Then if you're tired of picture-taking, pwede kang mag swimming. Sulit na sulit ang entrance fee. No wonder ang daming tao even on a Monday. Pang family talaga ang place and it offers a great bonding experience. The weather was nice sobrang cool ng air, yun nga lang mainit din kapag katirikan ng araw. We also had lunch in their restaurant. The food taste okay, parang normal Filipino food. Maybe next time we could try their accommodation. =)

Sorry if under dress si Jami ha. He just got out of swimming pool after the incident so wala na akong time na bihisan sya sa sobrang stress ko. Hahaha!

"Sana anak, wag kang magalit sakin sa mga photos mo when you're old enough. I swear bata ka pa jan at wala ka talagang pakialam eh. Hahaha! Love you!" =D

Since my sister and family have to leave the place earlier (for their Cebu trip), and our flight back to Manila is around 6pm pa, I have decided to be left behind.

When the family left, Jami and I took a shower near our cottage. I must say na sobrang lamig ng tubig talaga. It's as if you took a bath with icey water!! Around 4pm, I have decided to leave Campuestohan para hindi kami abutan ng dilim sa daan.  Take note that Campuestohan is quite far from the city proper.

Mejo mahirap din pala carrying a luggage, a back pack and more than 1kg of sweet mango from Guimaras along with your 4year old kid. Nanay was so worried dahil kami nga lang ni Jami. It was a good thing that I grew up hearing Nanay's dialect (Ilongga/Hiligaynon) which is being used in Bacolod so it wasn't that hard to communicate with them. I can understand the dialect somehow but I can't speak straight so I usually answer in tagalog. Karamihan din naman sa kanila could speak tagalog so it wasn't an issue at all.

 I asked the guard to take a photo of us as a souvenir.

I rented a tricycle to bring us straight to the airport which originally costs Php800. I managed to bargain and make it to Php650. Yun nga lang, along the way, the driver said that he'll drop us off where the van would take us to the airport since tricycles are not allowed along the main highway. I just have to pay him Php500.

Seriously, ang daya ni manong. He offered to take us to the airport tapos biglang bawal daw sila sa highway? The guard from Campuestohan told us that it costs only Php100-Php150 to the van terminal. Nag inquire kasi ako before hiring a tricycle but since the tricycle driver offered to bring us straight to airport, pumayag na ako sa Php650 tapos i ka cutting trip nya ako. But I don't have time to argue, Jami was so tired he fell asleep while we were on the tricycle, plus all the baggage, hinayaan ko na lang.

We arrived in the van terminal that could bring us to the airport (I forgot the name of the building but it was on an intersection with Mcdo and Jollibee). Fare costs 150 per head (kids are free) which will leave based on schedule. Since we arrived earlier, Jami and I ate at a Mcdonald across the street and went back to secure our seats 15 minutes before the scheduled departure from the terminal.

I was really glad that we made it safe! Daryl picked us up from the arrival area in Naia terminal 3 na. It was such a relief because I can no longer carry everything with Jami being so sleepy. hahah! Although I am glad that I was able to experience riding the airplane just the two of us, I am sure hindi ko yan uulitin for quite sometime. =D

Campuestohan Highland Resort
Talisay City, Negros Occidental, Philippines

The Ruins, Bacolod

Part of our Bacolod trip in June was to visit 'The Ruins'.

The original plan was to go there in the late afternoon but due to some adjustments, like not realizing na close pala ang museums and heritage houses every Monday, we went to SM and completely forgot our itinerary. Lol! Naalala lang namin when we were having dinner and it was already past 6pm and The Ruins closes at 7pm. Toink!

We have decided to go there early morning the next day before our Campuestohan Highland Resort tour. As I have mentioned previously, transportation was not an issue on this trip because my sister brought along their car. It was a really good plan and money saver since you don't have to hire private cars/vans or group tours which can become really expensive especially if you have kids in tow.

This day was me and Jami's last day before we go back to Manila while my sister and family's travel to Cebu so we have to check out from The Inns Bacolod and bring our things with us.

It was around 30 minutes drive to reach the place. Entrance fee was Php120 for adults and Php20 for kids.

The place was well maintained, huge and perfect for big events like wedding. Sobrang ganda siguro ng place na to if it was not burnt down.

Inside The Ruins

Not allowed to go up

Short informative video of the historical place.

I also captured this shuttle's schedule pick up and drop off if you wish to go to the Ruins without private cars or not to hire a tricycle which could be a little pricey dahil malayo-layo sya from the city proper.

Over all, it was a nice experience to visit this historical place. The story of The Ruins was very touching and saddening of course. I just wish we were able to visit around 5pm when the lights are on plus no rain showers. Nevertheless, if you are planning to visit Bacolod, don't forget to include The Ruins on your list. =)

After Christmas Rush

Okay so it's official, tapos na ang Christmas and all are well rested na somehow.

Last couple of weeks kasi, sobrang aligaga ng mga tao, they are everywhere so sobra din ang traffic here in Manila.

How did you celebrate your Christmas? Did you stay at home with family & friends? Went out of town or out of the country? Shalaaa.. Regardless on how it was celebrated, I hope you had a wonderful time.

Well, I know I have mentioned before that I didn't grow up celebrating Christmas day. The day I always look forward to was celebrating New Year's Eve. It was a special one because it reminds me so much of my childhood. Super exciting!

You might be confused but yes, you are reading it correct. We don't celebrate Christmas because we grew up in Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ).

When Jami came, we always go to my byenan's house to spend the night. Walang gift giving actually. I never get used to it even those aguinaldo's so I don't pity Jami for not getting one this past few years of Christmas. I strongly believe in the religion I grew up with so I never felt "kawawa" growing up for not having what everybody else has. I believe na hindi din sa perang nakukuha yan to feel the joy of Christ being born and saved us from our sins. Diba? So don't be judgemental that some are "kawawa" or "sana ganyan ka din" because they don't get money from Ninongs and Ninangs.

Okay too much negativity. hahahah! Sorry, I just have to release that.

In a matter of days, it's 2018 and I feel so excited and somehow not ready. I was looking forward to it last month tapos biglang anjan na pala and I am not "that prepared" pala. Lol!

You might ask, prepare saan?

For the coming year, syempre. I felt I have all the chance in the world to start over, be wise, make good decision etc. Eto lagi yung exciting part ng New Year so this what makes it feel special for me.

This time, we might celebrate it to my byenan's house. Feels weird kapag naiisip ko because I have been having new year's eve sa bahay namin. I feel sad somehow but I think I'll be fine. Besides, we are celebrating it with family pa rin naman. That's what's important.

Let's cherish the remaining days of 2017! Happy Holidays guys! =)

Jami's School Achievement

There have been a lot of events in Jami's school in the past couple of months. We had Nutrition Month, Buwan ng Wika and Foundation Day and lastly, their field trip. I am so glad to be part of all these. I remember those are the usual school programs during my time and it was a good reminder now that I attend them not as the student but as a Mommy na! Emerged.. those good old days! Lol.

Anyway, during the first few weeks of school, I was really worried since Jami doesn't know anything about this new environment which I even blog here. Diba nga hindi naman kami nakapag prepare like going on a summer school? It was pure house training lang.

Fast forward to August, we had our fist quarter exam and long quizzes. I was so anxious we have to review every night on each subject they will take the next day. Good thing ganon na today because you can only focus on one subject unlike when I was a kid. Feeling ko sabay sabay lahat. Lol!

May pa exam na agad si teacher! 😱😱 #JamiAtSchool #JamiNursery1 #JamiMilestones #JamiSchoolSeries

A post shared by Jen Alipio (@its_mommy_jen) on Jul 19, 2017 at 6:00pm PDT

The result came out all perfect!! I can't believe it! I was only expecting at least some checks but Jami proved me wrong. When their card was handed out, he was ranked 4th place over 23 students in their classroom. I was so happy! Imagine our of 23 students, naka top 4 pa ang anak ko!

Couple of weeks back, we had our second quarter exam without any expectations again. Although I was kinda nervous ulit, hindi ko alam if enough ba ang reviews namin every night. When I came home one night, his exam papers were given. I was doing the happy dance inside seeing all papers with perfect scores. This time, yung exams nila were 1-25 to 30 items na unlike nung first quarter na mejo konti lang.

Then two weekends ago, I went to their school to get his card. When I arrived, sabi ng mga teachers if I have a phone with me because they have posted the ranking sa blackboard.

Si Jami namin na uuuuubod ng kulit sa classroom, nauuna sa pila pag uwian na, madaling ma distract kapag nagtawanan sina classmates join din sya. Pero.. nag uuwi ng perfect scores sa mga exams at nakasama sa top last time. Tapos ngayon, with High honors na, Anak?! Masyado mo naman ginalingan! #dwyanejames #Jamiatschool #jamiinnursery #jamischoolseries

A post shared by Jen Alipio (@its_mommy_jen) on Nov 17, 2017 at 7:12pm PST

Omaygad! My heart was pumping so hard!

Nag top 1 na sya!!!

The teachers were congratulating me. From top 4 to top 1? I cannot imagine really.

Now the challenge was to keep it that way. I always remind Jami to listen to teacher and ask questions if he doesn't understand something. Although the feedback that the teachers gave was very encouraging like Jami knows the answer and if he was asked by teacher, sumasagot agad. The only thing that we have to work on is his penmanship. Mejo mukang kinahig pa ng manok eh. Hahah!

Every weekend, we try our best to practice writing specially pag nakita kong bored sya in watching TV. I encourage him to practice and make him copy words na nakikita namin sa kung saan-saan. I think one thing that works for him is that, he looks forward to answering his books so that's what we use in reviewing his lessons. I also do my best to think of the things that he watches on TV, his favorite things or something he usually do so I can relate it to his lessons. In that way, mas natatandaan nya. Well, that's what I think and so far it's working naman.

Practice kami ng sulat! ☺️☺️ #dwyanejames #jamiatschool #jamischoolseries #jaminursery1

A post shared by Jen Alipio (@its_mommy_jen) on Oct 4, 2017 at 9:39pm PDT

Like last night, he showed me their activity tracing letter K. The writing is terrible pa rin so I asked the name of the picture which was a 'kettle'. He doesn't know daw. I told him it was the kettle which we use in the kitchen that makes sound when the water is boiling. Ayon, na gets na nya. Haha! When he hears the kettle sounds, sisigaw na yan "Mommy yung init" so he's very familiar with it. Hindi lang nya alam na kettle pala ang tawag dun. :D

I am looking forward to next quarter and hopefully ma-maintain ni Jami yung nasimulan na nya. As much as possible ayaw ko naman na ma pressure sya but I encourage him to study and improve everyday. When I get home from work, bago pa ako mag bihis, tinatanong ko na yan kung anong ginawa sa school tapos we will check his books and notebooks before I eat dinner. We have been doing that since the start of the year and Jami has improved a lot. He recognizes the books they used for the day so hindi na ako hirap mag hanap.

Honestly, I didn't imagine Jami to do good in school. Sobrang malikot nga kasi sya, paikot-ikot sa room and sometimes hindi nagpa participate sa group works. But then, those are the things that he does at the start of the school. Since July kasi, parents are not allowed inside the compound so I am not sure if his behavior has improved too. I guess it did because he had high grades this second semester. I am praying that he will continue the best things that he is doing now. It really brings honor to the family.

Good job to our baby! We love you!

SSS Loan Restructuring Program

Part of my goal last year was to pay my SSS loan that I took late 2012. This wasn't done so I had to recycle this goal to this year. Good thing, they have a restructuring program that's open to those who has a delinquent loan status.

Just to give you a background, I took out the loan without knowing where to put the money. Maka-loan lang ganun! Hahah. I cannot remember if somehow, I had the need back then but definitely don't remember using it to something worthwhile. I submitted the voucher 3 months late to our payroll because I didn't know that I had to. Basta tinago ko lang and I thought it will be automatically deducted na. Hay naku, those days na batang-isip ka pa talaga.

I know I have mentioned before that I tried to pay this off when I get back to corporate 3 months after giving birth to Jami but our company said I cannot since it's near maturity date daw. Good thing, the SSS Loan restructuring program opened its opportunity last year up to April 2017.

When my schedule allowed me, I took advantage of the program to finally settle my outstanding loan with SSS.

How to Apply in SSS Restructuring Program 

 

Photo from sss website

Applying for the program is easy.

1.  You just have to go to the nearest SSS branch and ask about the Loan Restructuring Program.  
2. You will be asked to fill out a form. Lining up can take a while but surely it will be worth the wait. When you're called, bring the paper back to the staff for processing. Take note that they require you to notarize some papers/forms.
3. You will be asked to wait for your name to be called again. This time, the paper works are ready and the staff will explain to you how much your amortization will be depending on how long you wish to pay for your balance. Once agreed, you will then sign the papers. Copies will be given for your own records along with a voucher like paper.

That's it! Or at least how I remembered it was. It just took a little over an hour waiting for my name to be called which I understand since it was the last couple of days of the program. You may check SSS website as to when the offer will recommence.

Paying the SSS loan is very convenient since you can drop by at any bayad center, Department Stores etc. I am paying mine here in Savemore, Chino Roces and so far so good. I haven't visited the SSS branch yet to confirm if my payments are going thru, but for my own records, I kept all the receipts just in case I need it in the future.

My SSS loan reached Php24,000++ because of interests and penalty. The principal amount was only Php15,000. Because of the restructuring program, I was able to minimize it to Php18,000. They removed the penalty charges around Php6,000+ which was a really big help. Sayang din yung Php6,000 ha. Anyway, I have decided to pay it for 24 months. I want to be able to pay it slowly but surely. Yeah, sayang yung interest rate charged for another year instead of paying it for 12 months lang but I opted to stick to my budget of less than Php1,000/month. I think it will be better knowing that I will be able to pay it slowly kesa mapasubo ako to pay more than my budget could allow tapos magmi miss din ng payment diba?

As of the moment, I was able to pay 6 months of my monthly dues so that means I have 18 months left. Thinking of it that way makes paying the loan easier than to think of it as if one and a half year ko pang babayaran. Lol! Hindi ko nga na feel na pang 7th month ko na this November.

Being under the restructuring program allow the members to pay the loans easier and be able to get back to non-delinquent status. During the course of the loan, the member is not allowed to apply for salary loan. You can only do so 6 months after your paying term. That means I will be able to take out a new loan November 2019 pa which is fine because I am trying to avoid taking out new loans. =) By the way, if any chance you missed the payment in three consecutive months, the penalty amount taken from your loan will be returned back. At least that's how I remembered the staff's explanation. If you have further questions about the program, please call the SSS hotline 920-6446 or visit any branch.

I know being able to pay my loan from SSS is a huge relief. Ang lakas maka feel ng financial freedom! Loooll!! Hahaha joke lang. But yeah, it feels good paying your debts and knowing that you don't need a new debt to cover the previous one. =)

When I get the chance to visit the SSS branch, I will update this post to confirm that all my payments are indeed being submitted correctly. For the meantime, let's assume that it is and all is well. =)

Jami's 4th Birthday Celebration

It took a long while before I post another entry ano? Mejo naging busy lang ako setting family goals, hehe. I also re-opened my small time business so during free time at home, yun lang ang madalas kong gawin. I have no time to check things online kaya during office hours, mejo busy ako kakacheck! Lol!

Joke lang. =D

Syempre nagwo-work ako! Hahaha.

Anyway, one of the things that I look forward this year was Jami's 4th birthday. Since he started going to school, I know he got to at least celebrate one birthday at school. It was a perfect timing they still have regular school on the day of his birthday (fell on a Monday) but wasn't doing too much school stuff anymore because they are about to go on semester break.

It was Nanay whom I asked to speak to the teacher about the plan. His classmates have been celebrating birthdays in the school too, almost every month meron, minsan twice to thrice a month pa ang may birthday. Jami wanted to celebrate his birthday at school too since nakikita nga nya that his classmates sing happy birthday to the celebrant. Eh bida-bida tong anak kong to kaya gusto nya din ganun! Hahah. Last minute, Jami wanted to celebrate his birthday at home na lang kaya lang, nakapag notify na kami sa school.

I have decided to order Jollibee meal the night before his birthday. Since we were on a tight budget, I only ordered what I think the kids could eat in school. I don't want to go all out since we still have to allot a budget to celebrate at home. We had Jollibee Spaghetti and Yum burger which cost me more than Php 2,000 for 23 students plus 3 Jollibee Spaghetti with Chicken for his teacher. The crew I spoke to doesn't recommend to add fries, shanghai or even drinks dahil madaling mag lapse yung food. I actually ordered exact number of meals only, walang pasobra dahil may food pa naman sa bahay for lunch.

I have paid the orders in full so I only have to pick them up early next day. Our pick up time was 9:30am and the food has to be ready at 9:20am. It was a breeze placing such amount of order in Jollibee Casimiro.  Please bear in mind that only orders Php3,000 and up can be delivered for free. We arrived just in time and I am really glad that the food was ready so we didn't waste any time. The party will start at 10am and I want to be there earlier than that. On our way back to the school, I saw a local store that sells Dan Erics ice cream so I ordered 28pcs of regular ice cream in a cup for 10/each, bought Zesto tetra pack the night before for their drinks and an 8x8 dedication cake from Red Ribbon for candle blowing. I was really looking to buy a custom-made cake for Jami but I have decided last minute to buy local cakes.

When I was asked to go inside, we prepared the cake and his classmates sang Happy birthday song for Jami. I can see that he was overwhelmed and a little shy since nasa harap sya ng classroom! OMG, I was really happy kasi I never experienced that during my school days. Mga RK (rich-kid) lang talaga yung may kaya nyan before. Hahaha! We then distributed the food to the kids with the help of the teachers.

It was a very simple birthday party for a short period of time but the happiness it brought me, Daryl and Jami are beyond measure. For someone who didn't get the chance to do something like that, it feels surreal! hahaha OA lang. But yeah, thinking about it now makes me feel happy, - for Jami. I am so happy Daryl and I made this happen together. He did absent himself from work just to help me out and witness this new milestone for Jami. =)

After the school party, my sister and Sab arrived. They played for a little while and ate what's left in school (they had 3 absences) kasi wala pang food. I called Ambers in Las Pinas for delivery but because of the volume of orders they received that day, they can accommodate and deliver mine at 1pm pa daw. I agreed na lang since it will also take time if we order over the counter sa branch nila. I bought another cake so Jami could blow one at home. Yan lang naman ang dreams ng batang yan, mag blow ng candle hahaha!

I have been asking him the whole day if he's happy and he kept on saying "Yes". That's what's important naman diba? Ako, I don't care if we don't have so many visitors as long as our families are there to celebrate with us. As long as Jami's happy, his Daddy and I are happy.

Dear Jami,

You've grown up to be a super kulit but sweet and smart boy! I am really surprised how you do academically. I know we have very limited time to do "study time" at home and we can only do it if it's exam week but you never failed to do your best and understand your lessons. I feel pressured actually sa dami ng perfect scores mo, I don't know why! hahaha. Joke lang naman kasi Anak yung sinabi ko sayo na "gusto kong umakyat ng stage sa graduation mo eh". Hahaha! I was just kidding and was only trying to challenge you but yeah, you're doing it! Hindi ko nga alam kung naintindihan mo ba that's why I am so surprised every time you come home with perfect exams. I want you to keep doing it. Don't be afraid of change and that always try your best in everything that you do. I know you still have a lot of things to learn and I am quite unsure at times if what I am doing is right. I am praying so hard that God help us to guide you and mold you to a better person in the future. I want you to reach for your dreams but never ever afraid of failing. Just keep trying! I love you my baby! You are the best thing that ever happened to Daddy and Mommy and we couldn't ask for more. 

Again, Happy Birthday and wishing you good health, be smart and a good, loving heart. I love you! =)