It has been almost 4 months since my sister-in-law resigned from the school she was previously teaching in. I must say that their document management system is so disgusting because until now, she has not received yet her separation pay. It would have been a big help for them since she has two daughters to feed.

I have also worked for the same school. It was just so sad that after she fully committed herself to them, she was just left hanging there. If only she could find a way to expedite the whole process, she really would do it for they also need money to support their family.

I hope that the school, and other companies as well, will be responsive to the needs of their employees. They have been giving their full effort to make their companies grow, but they are not compensated well.

Last night, I spent three long hours on planning our finances. It really is not easy to make ends meet, but I have to find a way to shrink down our expenses to give way for more savings. I am looking at the possibility of availing a Medicare part D plan to help us during emergencies. Since I am not formally employed under any company, I do not have a health card to use when needed.

I have also joined in some cooperatives where I can let our money grow without too much risks. I do not have a very brave heart, and I am afraid to enter the stock market or go into mutual funds. For now, I am sticking with the cooperatives since they are risk-free.

A lot of Filipinos choose to work in some foreign land thinking that there is no opportunity laid to them here in their own country. They choose to serve people of other nationalities believing that it’s the only way to improve their status in life. How pathetic Filipinos are! They can look pass through all those discrimination just to earn more for their families. But no matter how noble and dedicated we are, we still get this kind of prejudice.

I have a cousin who is looking for jobs in health care industry in other countries. Just like many people who programmed their minds that success can only be attained in some foreign countries, she is very much willing to do anything to fulfill her dreams.

I do not have anything against OFW’s. I am just disheartened by the kind of mentality most Filipinos have. But I cannot blame them for it is a sad reality that we have to face.

Personally, I think we are not unlucky for being born in a poor country. We are just unfortunate for being born in a country with poor leaders. We have great resources at our disposal. The Filipino people are one of the most creative and talented, and the skills we possess are world-class. Yet, we do not know how to make use of our gifts. If the government can only provide programs to support and nurture them, I believe we can compete with the rest of the world, and can even emerge at the top.

My brother and my sister-n-law celebrated their 12th bf-gf anniversary yesterday. I asked them if they would go on a date. And they just answered me with a smile. Oh well, since the times are tough, they do not have the means to celebrate even if they would want to.

Jokingly, I told them that I would be giving them some Branson tickets, they would just have to pay for the airfare tickets going to the US! Char!

I am really happy for both of them. They have also gone through the worst and roughest roads in their married life, but despite everything, they still are together. I love how they seem to be each other’s best friend, and how they support each other in every little things. They are not a perfect couple. But during the times when those little imperfections blow out of proportion, their love for each finds its way to make things work for them.

A good friend from high school sent me a bad news last week informing me that her son was hospitalized for two weeks because of dengue fever. She warned me about this and told me to do everything to prevent this from happening to my kids.

I visited her little boy at the hospital. I saw there a friend who is working as a nurse. She was holding a spirometer, and she told me that she was really busy because there were many patients to attend to at that time.

As advised, I researched on all the possible things I could do to shield my little ones against dengue fever.

1. Be mindful of your surroundings. Make sure that every part and every corner of your house is clean. Do not let the mosquitoes have breeding places around your house. Remove all sources of still water like vases, pails and basins. Make sure that drainage systems and sewerage are covered at all times. Stagnant water for more than a week will most probably be inhabited by mosquitoes.

2. If possible, do some fogging once in a while. This technique can be as effective as spraying some insecticide. It kills mosquitoes and even its eggs. Newer fogging systems have come up with better developments that ensure that humans will be unaffected by its less dangerous components, only the mosquitoes or insects that it aims to poison.

4. Always keep in mind that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the carrier of the dengue virus, is usually ‘doing her thing’ during the day and goes back to its habitat just before the dusk comes. It would be advisable to stay away from places where there are mosquitoes during the said span of time.

5. Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites by applying mosquito repellents on exposed skin areas. There are so many variants available which are really effective. If possible, wear long pants and long-sleeved clothing just to be very, very sure.

I am planning to put some plants in our house. For sure, my husband would be surprised to hear that, finally, I have found some interests in them. He has long been begging me to learn how to nurture and grow some plants so we can decorate our future house with lots and plants and flowers. This way, we can also make sure that the air we are breathing can be cleaner.

I am now looking at the possibility of having hydroponic systems installed in our house. I am not sure but we can use this for the indoor plants we are planning to have.

I am looking forward to this new project. My father loves seeing plants around the house. He told me that it somehow gives him some sense of serenity after having so many troubles in his work. I will also be teaching the kids how to take care of the plants. This can be a good way to start of their environmental awareness, and I hope this can be their advocacy in the future.

I spend long hours in front of the computer every single day. I do most of my tasks online , and so I cannot afford not to go online just for a day. I am also worried that after some time, my eyesight will suffer because of my daily activities. And so I did my little research on how to protect my eyes, and realized how important it is to really do so.

Here is the list of foods which can help you preserve your good eyesight.

Vitamin C: Good sources include citrus fruits and juices, papaya, cantaloupe, green & red pepper (sweet), kale, tomato juice (low sodium), Brussels sprouts, strawberries, raspberries, mango, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Vitamin E: Good sources include almonds, sunflower seeds, safflower oil, peanuts, peanut butter, corn oil, mango, and eggs.

Vitamin A (Beta Carotene): Good sources include carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, mangos, squash, apricots, turnip greens, spinach, cantaloupe, red bell peppers, and cod liver oil.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Good sources include spinach, kale, turnip greens, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, carrots, green peas, corn, zucchini, romaine lettuce, and broccoli.

Selenium and Zinc: Oysters contain both selenium and zinc. Additional good sources of selenium include Brazil nuts, yeast, and other seafood. A few good sources of zinc include beef, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, wheat, and nuts.

It will also help if you will always have the proper lighting around the house especially in the area where you do your reading and writing activities. Hinkley lighting has been tested and proven to be one of the best to use since it is efficient and elegant-looking as well.

Invest in good pair of eyeglasses. Never settle to something that is just stylish. It should serve its purpose well of protecting our eyes against the UVA and UVB rays.

After finding out that my matouk linens were missing, I couldn’t help but feel so mad. And since I had no one to blame but myself for not keeping it safe, I just decided to not let my emotions eat me up.

I have temper tantrums. I guess, my kids both got it from me. I get so pissed off immediately. And when I do, nothing can make me smile again, and I end up having a very bad day.

I really would like to learn how to get myself on top of my emotions. I know it really is so hard, but I need to get this done in order for me to survive and live well. ‘Negativities’ are in control right now, and I hate myself for allowing this to happen.

Day by day, I am hoping that the pessimist in me will just vanish so I can really enjoy the simple life’s delights.

Our family is going through some few things… And though I would still like to believe that everything will be fine in the coming days, fear still strikes through, and keeps on telling me that we cannot tell for sure.

But despite the uncertainties, I still believe that I should keep on working too hard and hoping that brighter days will come. I still look forward to a better life for our family.

I have set a few goals for next year? Why not for this year? Simply because I am still finding ways to make my 2011 goals achievable.

One of the goals I have in mind is buying a house for our family. I will be delighted to see my kids grow in a place where we can all call our own. I have seen a house in Corolla short sales, and from this, I got an idea of how I can acquire one.

Next is establishing multiple streams of income from various online tasks. I still can’t see myself employed. I would like to continue to just stay at home so I can personally take care of my family.

That is the big question!

I have tried a lot of times to talk to and convince my own father to quit smoking. I gave more than enough reasons for him to do so, but he just told me that he is too old to quit smoking. If he stops now, his body will long for it. He said the the ‘withdrawal syndrome’ may even cause his early death, not the smoking itself. But I tell you, I really get so irritated whenever I see him puff some cigars. I have already lost a parent due to a deadly disease, and I don’t want this to happen again.

I hope one day, my father will just realize that it will be better for him to quit smoking, and have an open mind to give on to what I am begging for.