I love working at home but there are some things I miss working at the office. Let me list it down.

1. I miss having officemates to chill and talk to.
2. I miss eating out.
3. I miss the air-conditioned offices.
4. I miss my 13th month pay and other benefits.

What I don’t miss from working out of the home is being away from my family.  So I guess I would have to do without the things I get from them like the free plastic business cards that cooly bears my name. There’s nothing more important than being with my little ones while they’re little. Anway, I can still go back to work when they are much older.

It’s a brand new year! I know a lot of you have really positive vibes for this new year. I am also very positive and optimistic myself. It’s only the third day of the new year and I have already written down my personal goals.

In addition to that, my husband and I had a sit down yesterday to write down our family goals for year 2012. It took us an hour because the kids were butting in and out of our conversation but yes, it’s already written down for posterity. It’s a small step to achieving our goals but I’m glad we already took that small step.

One of our goals was to have a budget for this year. I also plan to list down everything that we spend so we’ll have an idea where our money went. I am glad there are now online bill payments like ach payments because we can pay our bills easier. It also helps me to track where our money go.

I will tell you more about this later. If you haven’t done you planning yet I advise to do it right away. They say the people that write down their goals achieve success more.  It’s not too late because it’s only the first week of January.

Happy New Year, everyone!

My son loves Angry Birds? Well, who doesn’t? That’s why when we went to the mall to buy gifts he kept on saying that the only thing he wants to have is an Angry Bird t-shirt. Angry Birds merchandise can be found everywhere especially in the small stalls but I don’t know why I couldn’t find one at SM Department store that night. When at last I found a stack of Angry Birds t-shirts on sale I didn’t hesitate to buy two for him. So now he’s a proud owner of his very own Angry Birds t-shirt. Just look at his proud face!

Just one thing though, the t-shirts were supposed to be on sale but one was still worth more than P200! I hate it when stores mislead you when giving deals. That’s why sometimes I like shopping online more. For example, you get red envelope coupon codes it really means you get good savings. They don’t increase their price just so they could give a discount after.

Last month, I got an experience of a lifetime. I got to attend my very first concert ever with Jason Mraz nonetheless. It was unplanned because we found out too late he was in Manila but my hubby was a huge fan so we bought tickets anyway. It was the first time I set foot at Araneta Coliseum which they now call Smart Araneta. I expected long lines and lots of stanchions but remarkably everything was so organized. There were lots of entrance so there was no problem going inside. I guess the long lines I hear about is a thing of the past.

The concert started on time and he sang for more than two hours. My hubby said that was a feat for a singer. He really gave us a show. We’re glad we didn’t miss it. Next time though we’ll buy tickets that are nearer so we’ll enjoy it more.

We just missed the Pacquiao-Marquez event. Instead of staying glued in front of the TV we went to the playground with the kids. We were glad the outdoor playground at the mall was finally opened. We brought along my son’s cousin for our trip. We thought we could leave them alone to play there and just pick them up later but the guard said they must be accompanied at all times. So we had no choice but stay there with them. They had fun going inside tunnels that look like stainless steel drum and climbing obstacle courses, and sliding down the slides.

Little Zack also played there. Hubby was tired at the end of the day because he was carrying him all day. One thing we learned was it was tiring to have many kids. We had three that day – cousin included – and we really had no time to shop for ourselves. I wonder how other families with three or more kids manage. The parents must be tired all the time. We’re glad we just have two as of the moment. We want another one but he/she have to wait. LOL!

My helper, Bam, is nearing the end of her studies. She was supposed to graduate last March but she flunked two of her subjects and that’s what she is completing this semester. I’m glad that she has learned her lesson and is doing her best in her schoolwork. I’m confident that she will finally get her diploma this March.

Meanwhile, we are also looking for Host/Hostess Jobs online in preparation for her future. She is good around the house and I know she will be a blessing to her employer. We have been living with her for three years and we know for a fact that she is hardworking, patient, and most of all, trustworthy. If only I can afford to keep her here forever I will but she must spread her wings and find her calling so although I’m sad we will be saying goodbye to her maybe next year.

We went out last week to attend a birthday party of a 7-year old girl. I had no idea what to give her so we dropped by at the mall first to take a look. I wanted to give her something useful like a citizen watch but wanted something not as expensive because she is only 7 after all. Good thing I found an offer at Tomato They are selling inexpensive but cool looking watches for P350 each if you buy two. I immediately bought two – one for her and the other one for me.

When I was still in college, laptops were not a staple in every classroom. We had to take copious notes in our notebooks if we want to pass our exams. There was no internet either and we had to go to the library to research for information.

Students today have it easy. Laptops and internet have since become more affordable and now it is a must for every serious student to have one. I am even thinking of giving my 6 year old his own laptop to use since there are many great resource for students online. Many websites like the source sells laptops for students and offer great deals that are hard to refuse. I am still thinking about it but I know when they go on sale it would be hard for me not to click the buy button.

We’ll be having a garage sale this week. Now that all of us are at home all the time we need more space for me and my hubby to work and our son to study at. That’s why we have decided to sell some of our bulky furniture and also those that we are not using. Aside from that we will also clean our closets and sell old clothes. Whatever money we gather will be used in the construction of our office space and study area so that we can work comfortably. We might not have prestigious jobs like Veterinary Technician Jobs but I’m glad in our field of work we don’t have to go out to be able to provide for our family’s needs.

We have been busy these past few weeks visiting our in-laws. It was fun meeting them and the cousins had a blast playing with each other. However, they said too much of anything is not good and having fun is no exception. Because of the many trips we had we had been sick for the last three days – from me to my eldest and even my youngest who is only 8 months. Fortunately, it’s nothing serious just runny nose and colds. So we stocked up on medicines and vitamins at the nearest pharmacy. I am doubly careful on the medicine I buy these days because of the Actos lawsuit I heard over the news. It’s about the Actos drug which is a prescription drug for diabetes that was shown to lead to heart disease and a couple of other complications. This just shows we really can’t be too careful even if the medicine is already prescribed by our physician. It pays to research before using any medicine.