mum's thoughts

Marching On This March

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mum's thoughts, March, summer, goals, new year goals

March ought to be a very promising month and I only have one word right now to describe it ~ busy! First off, this will mark the start of my most favorite season of all ~ summer! We may have yet to decide where to go for our summer vacay, but I am sure we are definitely going to get our hands full.

For the first time March is going to be a rather busy month for us as we prepare for the little man’s final exams for this school year. Can you believe how quickly time flies? I am still in awe whenever I think Jared’s almost finished with his very first year in school and I cannot help but feel rather accomplished. Yes, we might have been tardy on so many times, but my little learner sure learned so much this year and I cannot help but feel proud! We are also gearing up for the Culminating activity in school a week after his 4th quarter examinations and it should be a very exciting time for our preschooler {and for mum + dad, too!}

The little man is also looking forward to his swimming lessons and has asked me time and again whether his lessons with his coach is starting anytime soon. I meant to enroll him as soon as his school is over, thus giving him more time to enjoy summer and the water. I am sure he is going to enjoy his lessons this year, like he always does, as he absolutely loves the water.

This month also happens to be a very big day for my youngest sister as she is getting married this month. Now, I may not be all ecstatic about the prospect of being all dolled-up and donning a dress, but the little one is doing ring bearer duties for the first time and that is just about enough to keep me both excited and on the edge at the same time. Besides, it will surely be one amazing experience to see everyone in the family in their Sunday bestest! I am sure I will also get teary-eyed to see my sister finally walking down the aisle. It  will mark another important milestone in her life and we are delighted to be there to witness the momentous occasion!

March + Productivity

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books, mum's thoughts

Mum’s Personal Goal {2014}: Read A Book Each Month

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books, mum's thoughts, reading, 2014 goals, new year goals, goals

It sure will be helpful and practical to set reasonable and attainable goals this new year, 2014, so, instead of saying “I will read more books this year,” I am opting for “I will read 1 book each month,“ that way if I was successful in my goal, I will have read 12 books at the end of the year or if I am even more successful I would’ve probably read more. Being the book lover that I am, I set out to read more at the beginning of each year. On most times, I was successful with my goal, but there are also times, like last year, when I read the least number of books. 

Last year I purchased and got many a number of books that I cannot wait to read, so this year, I set out to read a book each month and I plan to add more as my reading journey progresses. Check out my list of books-to-read this year:

  • Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina ~ I was lucky enough to score a copy last year as a present from my sister, Belle, but never found the time to finish it, so this will be the first book I’ll ever open this year, unless the Universe presents another opportunity, that is!
  • John Green’s Fault In Our Stars ~ I got a copy of this from bookdepository last year, which I gave to my sister as a very late birthday gift. I was able to read a few chapters but was not too keen on finishing it, so I will try again this year. A movie adaptation will be out, so it will be a great motivation to finish the book first before I go to see the film.
  • Matthew Quick’s Silverlinings Playbook ~ Silverlinings is one of my most favorite words ever and much like Pat in this book, I am also a believer of those. I aimed to read this book after I saw the screen adaptation and fell in love with Pat. I have been successful to read halfway thru, I think, until I got preoccupied with something else, so this year i vow to finish this great read, and find out for myself if my sister’s opinion that the movie is better than the book is actually accurate.books, mum's thoughts, reading, 2014 goals, new year goals, goals
  • Adrian Rogers’ The Lord Is My Shepherd ~ I was fortunate enough to receive great books to read last year and I do hope it continues this year. One of the books I hope to receive a copy real soon, and include in my non-existent bookshelves, is this devotional. Published by Lifebooks, The Lord is my Shepherd is now available in leading bookstores nationwide for Php145 a copy. Here is a bit more info about the book, in case you’re interested to get you or your family and friends your own copies:

In this hectic, demanding life, we are all looking for a heart-contentment that fulfills our yearning for love and protection…

For a quiet place to rest. For guidance and comfort and deliverance from fear. The secret lies in the gentle words of Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. . . .”

This beloved psalm’s beautiful lines feed and comfort our souls. But its greatest gift is that it offers what we all need-the secret to satisfaction in this life, and in the one to come-and promises what we can all experience-an intimate relationship with the loving Shepherd who fulfills the very longings of our souls.

“Where are you looking for satisfaction? How will you know when you’ve found it? And when you think you’ve discovered the secret of satisfaction, will it last for eternity?

“In the deepest recesses of our hearts and minds, there are hungers that cannot be satisfied by the things of this world. St. Augustine once said that we were created with a God-shaped void. I agree. Only God can meet the deepest longings of our hearts. Nothing can satisfy us apart from a personal relationship with Him….

“Who knows what will satisfy your deepest needs better than the One who made you? As your Creator, He can see what your needs are going to be tomorrow and ten years from tomorrow. So He certainly knows what you need today!” –Adrian Rogers

I will make sure to update this to-read list as new books pile up and can I just tell you now that I am also currently planning on putting up a separate blog for all my books, the reading challenges I joined and my reading adventures. I will tell you more about it as soon as my ever-gracious host is done setting it up. And just a little teaser, the new blog will be aptly named Mum Reads, one of my new babies for this year.

Do share your reading list for 2014, I’d love to read all about it!  :heart:

image is from freedigitalphotos.net

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mum's thoughts

Hello September!

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mum's thoughts, goals

Time really flies when one is having fun! I hardly notice September was already here since I was busy with the preparations for the little man’s simple party at his playschool, and we have been preoccupied celebrating our birthdays! {You can check out details of my preparation in my post here and the celebration itself on Jared’s Little Corner :)} I just woke up one day still feeling giddy about our birthdays and September is here! 🙂

I have no big plans for this month, well aside from finally having the right amount of energy to work out and lose a few pounds and put up the Christmas tree as early as I possibly can, perhaps, except to save up for the holidays. So no unnecessary spending and my mantra for this month is save, save, save!

I have outlined a number of goals to achieve this month, for my little family and for my blog and here are a bunch of them:

Parenting Goals:

  • Learn a few more new meals that the little man will actually eat
  • Spend more time outdoors with my son
  • Buy a bunch of essentials for Jared as he’s outgrown most of his white sandos and shorts
  • Look for writing and traceable printables that my tot will enjoy
  • Get the little man to watch less telly and read more books!
  • Re-teach nursery songs {it has been sometime since we did this}

Personal Goals:

  • Sign up for the new 21-day Meditation and actually finish it this time around
  • Spend more time in my mat
  • Look for running apparels {and thank heavens I can now get a bunch for free!  :-D}
  • Eat more fruits and veggies and less meat!
  • Start writing on my journal again
  • Finish a couple of books on my list
  • Hunt for DOLE’s Garden Kit
  • Finish this month’s Photo-a-Day Challenge down at Fat Mum Slim’s

Blog Goals: 

  • Write at least one post daily
  • Join the BPC meme {or other still-active memes around}
  • Our Facebook Page is nearing 6K followers, hopefully it will reach the mark by the end of the month {or atleast, by the end of the year}
  • Promote our Instagram Page, too!
  • Work on all those backlogs!
  • Find time to blog {being a mum is top priority so this almost always take the backseat, I aim to set aside a couple of hours each day to do work around here, conveniently around the time my little one is fast asleep}

Apologies that this turned out to be a long post, I simply love lists and I tend to get carried away. Hopefully, I’d be able to achieve each of these items. I will get back with you at the end of the month for my progress and if you created a similar set of goals for this month, do not hesitate to share them in a comment below.

A sweet September to all!  :heart:

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