Juggling Parental Responsibilities

Being a wife of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) is no big joke. As the hubby is working in another country, this means I'm left on my own to raise the children, keep the house and earn a living at the same time. Tough job it sure is but when you have adjusted to life like this, you'll learn to manage everything with ease. Attitude counts a lot.

It's a good thing that I have a home-based job (actually two jobs) which allows me to attend to the children's needs and keep the house neat and clean without the time constraints. I also credit my parents for raising me to be a responsible and independent person because if not, I would have depended on them all the time especially as I live far away from them. I thank my young and trusted helper or I'd rather call her my personal assistant for assisting me in watching over the kids and helping in the household chores.

Literally, I'm a single parent in this situation. But I can't complain because I know that God has reasons for everything. I'm grateful for what I have right now, for making me a mother and wife, for giving me a good job and a good assistant in the house. Sometimes, my patience may be short when it comes to instilling discipline among my two kids but always, I try to remind myself to keep my cool. And above all, I never lose my faith in God because it is with His grace that I am able to fulfill my parental responsibilities every day to the best that I can even in the absence of my partner.

How I Got Into Scrapbook Making

I've always loved arts and crafts since I was a small kid. I've carried on this passion even until now which is why I've decided recently to become a member of some a local site catering to the art of scrapbook making called Scrappin' Moms.

Everything started when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I used to collect small stationeries and I would draw some of my favorite Sanrio characters on it and then give it to my close friends in school. Sanrio was at the height of its popularity back then in the late 1970s until the 1980s. My favorite characters were the Little Twin Stars and Hello Kitty. Fact is, I collected several small Sanrio items at that time some of which I was able to pass on to my little girl, Charlotte.

My love for scrapbooking came a little later during my high school and college days. It all began with my collection of magazine cutouts of my favorite male celebrity Aga Muhlach. I was following Aga since his Bagets days and started collecting magazines which featured him. I would then paste his photos and writeups on a scrapbook. And would you believe I was able to have it signed personally by Aga Muhlach when he came to our place. Modesty aside, the actor was so impressed to see that scrapbook from his Ilongga fan.

Back in 2003, I got into the more modern art of scrapbook making which involves creating a beautiful layout of pictures and other art materials on a page. I made one for my son, JP, using just the inexpensive materials. I've long been searching for a group engaged in this hobby and it was only now that I found one.

Scrappin' Moms are all mothers and professionals passionate about scrapbooking. They make fantastic scrapbook pages using the wide range of materials available in stores today. I'm glad to be a member of this group and I hope to learn and share wonderful ideas with these amazing moms.

The Power of Mothers

I salute all mothers who juggle their roles as a wife and mom and still find the time to work to contribute to the family's income. This just goes to show that women today are not limited to being just a wife and mother because they can lead the life they want by engaging in business or other worthwhile endeavors that they're very passionate about. Whether they prefer to work in an office or work at home, women have the freedom to do things they want to fulfill their dreams and be happy people.

Very true that it's tough to be a mother regardless of whether you're a single mom or with a husband. But life wouldn't feel so great without the challenges. What matters is the attitude that we have and we maintain going forward. The challenges would be easy to hurdle if we take a positive look at life and live every day to the fullest. It's when we love our family and what we do that we become satisfied and happy individuals.

Women empowerment is here to stay and there are numerous mothers right now who are out to prove that they have the power to achieve financial freedom and make life wonderful for themselves and their families.