Mommy Plannerista

Planning. Passions. Parenthood.

Weekly Planning Process

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For about three years now, I’ve been sharing photos of my planner set up on Instagram and on my YouTube channel. But how my planner looks like does not show you my actual weekly planning process. There’s more beyond using stickers to prettify my planner. The most important thing for me is to have a planning system that actually helps me manage my hectic mom life better. So, I thought it’s high time I show you the steps I take whenever I do my weekly planning.

As a work-at-home homeschooling mom, I do have a lot to consider when I plan. So my process usually involves checking several parts of my planner first such as my:

  • Inbox
  • Important Dates
  • Hubby’s Work Schedule
  • Monthly Goals
  • Work Tasks
  • Blog and Social Media Tasks
  • Scheduled Events
  • Errands
  • Chores

It is only after I consider these things that I am actually able to lay the stickers down and write on the pages of my planner. The truth is, I use stickers not just to prettify my planner but also because they highlight certain parts of my pages that are important to me.

If you’re interested to learn more about my weekly planning process, do watch my latest video on YouTube (please subscribe if you haven’t already!), which I’ve also posted below. I’m really happy with how this system has been working for me so far in organising our family life.

I hope this video helps you in your planning process too. If you have any blog posts or videos about it, please let me know in the comments. I tweak my process every so often if things start to not work anymore so any input from you guys will be appreciated.

Happy planning!

#OneWord2019: MINDFUL

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Happy New Year everyone!!! How were your Christmas and New Year celebrations? I hope you all had a wonderful time spent with family and friends. I know, I did!

Anyway, since it’s the beginning of a new year, it’s time for my usual One Word for the year post. I’ve been thinking of my One Word for 2019 since October. By November I chose one already but kept changing my mind. I was still confused until yesterday morning actually. That is, until I went back to reflect on what really is in my heart. In the end, I went back to the first word I chose – MINDFUL.

My desire for being more mindful stems from last year’s One Word, which was Declutter. We’ve been decluttering so much stuff from our house especially during the last quarter of 2018. As we went through that tiring process (which is still ongoing, by the way) I realized how much anxiety all that clutter was causing me. It was preventing me from relaxing and just enjoying our home. I realized that in order for me to prevent physical and mental clutter to invade my life again in the future, I needed to be more mindful about everything in my life.

For one, I want to be more mindful about the things that gets to occupy precious space in our house. I want to have less stuff so that I can focus on what’s most important. I want to not feel like I should be cleaning all the time because there’s so much clutter. Less stuff, less things to clean.

With less time doing chores, I can spend more time with my kids. This time though, I want to be more mindful about how I spend time with them. I have to admit that I’m a serial multitasker because there’s so much that need to get done. As a mom, sometimes we can’t help but be on autopilot all the time but this does more harm that good. I know that by not giving my kids 100% of my attention, I’m missing out on precious moments. I need to be more mindful about how to schedule my day so that I can carve out time when they can have my full attention. I want to be in the moment with my kids and enjoy it.

I also want to be mindful so I can be more aware of my surroundings, of others and of myself. I want to fully engage with the present, not worrying too much about the future. I suffer from an anxiety disorder and that is brought about by my worries. I tend to over analyze things, causing panic. I want to be more calm and have a clearer mind, to accept my present situation for what it is without judgement for whatever feelings I may have. This way, I will make better decisions based on what’s truly in my heart.

Mindfulness has a lot of benefits and I’m sure that being more mindful will bring about positive changes in me and in my family. So, wish me luck with this!

If you also have One Word for the year, do share what it is with me and why you chose it.

How We Inject Christmas In Our Homeschool

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Each year, I try to find more ways to be more intentional in our homeschool. So I thought, why not do something to be more intentional in celebrating Christmas, right? We want our kids to be reminded of what Christmas is really about aside from just giving and receiving gifts.

Like other families, we have our own Christmas traditions. However, this year I tried to start new traditions by incorporating them into our homeschool. Here’s what we’ve done so far this Christmas season.

DIY Advent Wreath

I remember making my own advent wreath as a Christmas project in school when I was a kid. I thought it would be fun to help Ziggy do the same. Besides, he’ll be having his First Communion already next year and I wanted him to be more familiar with Catholic traditions.

We made this advent wreath by reusing some random materials we found at home after I looked at some photos on Pinterest. We didn’t spend a thing on this, except for our time and effort. We made it in time for the 1st Sunday of Advent. Ziggy, and even two-year-old Zander, enjoy the activity because it involves lighting and blowing out candles. But we say our advent prayers too, of course. That is the whole point, after all.

DIY Parol

For this project, I had the hubby assist Ziggy. He actually had some wood shaped into a star from last year’s Christmas. It was supposed to be for his office but was never used. So we only had to buy some cellophane and other papers to wrap the star with.

Too bad we weren’t able to light it up. But that’s okay because we weren’t planning on putting it outside anyway. We just placed it behind our Christmas tree.

Christmas-themed Worksheets

While I usually follow the lessons in Ziggy’s textbooks, every so often I also get lessons and worksheets from other sources. There are lots of Christmas-themed ones online. The ones I found were even free.

I got a Christmas activity sheet for Ziggy’s math lesson on geometry. He had to cut out and color some shapes and combine them to make a Christmas tree and a reindeer.

I also found one for his English lesson on adjectives. It involved completing a Christmas-themed story by throwing candy (ideally a candy cane) on a sheet full of adjectives. When the candy lands on an adjective, you’re supposed to use it on one of the blanks in the story. It was actually such a fun and silly game and Ziggy really enjoyed it.

Christmas Stories and Carols

I was searching our collection of books to look for Christmas-themed ones and found this book called The Lion Book of Christmas Carols. It contains the story of Jesus’ birth starting from the Angel Gabriel telling Mary that she was to be the mother of our Savior. Each Bible story has its corresponding carols.

I started reading the stories to the boys a week before Christmas, one story each day. Then I found videos of the carols on YouTube so that we could sing them with music. We really love this activity because we are a music-loving family. I think reading the Bible stories also made Ziggy learn more about the origins of Christmas, making it more meaningful to him.

Visiting Christmas Light Shows

We make field trips a part of our homeschool as often as we can. For this quarter, we made visiting Christmas light shows a homeschool field trip too. We first visited Pixar Playtown in Bonifacio High Street. Too bad we didn’t have our girls with us then.

At least, Zoe and Ziya were finally able to join us when we went to the Ayala Triangle Gardens Lights and Sounds Show. We enjoyed this one more because of the Disney theme. Plus, the light show was grander and longer than the one at Bonifacio High Street.

All these activities have really made our Christmas celebration more fun and most importantly, more meaningful. We’re not done yet though. We’ve actually been decluttering our house lately and have already segregated a lot of items that we plan to donate. We’ll be donating clothes and toys but haven’t decided where yet. But for sure, we’ll be including our kids in that activity too.

You don’t have to homeschool though to do these activities. There’s lots of things you can do as a family. Next year, I’m actually planning on doing an advent calendar activity too. How do you make Christmas more meaningful for your family? Do give me some ideas.

For now though, let us greet you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!!!!

The Best Tips for Traveling to Asia with Kids

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Kids love fun and are curious to see new things across the world. Such trips expose them to different cultures, scenery and beauty that will linger in their memories forever. They will also have numerous stories to share with their friends at school after the vacation. Any person who is planning to travel with kids, particularly to Asia, will require some thorough preparation.

Parents are responsible for the logistics of their family’s trip to Asia including the immigration one. So, the tips here will come in handy for any person who is in the process of planning a visit to Asia with the kids.

Prepare Their Travel Documents

Kids also need a passport and visa to access most countries. Most people assume that this is not important only to be disappointed at the last minute. For holidaymakers, it is easy to get your travel documents ready when using a reputable agent. The agent makes all the work easier for those with kids so that parents can have time to do other things. Make sure that the process starts early enough to allow plenty of time for processing and any delay that may occur.

Vaccinations and Medications

Some Asian countries will require vaccinations for all visitors due to certain health concerns. It may be to prevent you from bringing an illness from your country or contracting one when you arrive there. Check the vaccination requirements with your travel agent or browse the web.

If your kids take medication and need it during the travel, ensure that it is packed. It is highly recommended that one seek a doctor’s advice in such a case.

Understand the Weather Patterns

Knowing the climate guides every parent on how to prepare their kids. Some Asian countries are humid and cold at the same time. Appropriate clothing for all people is important. Kids may find it difficult to cope in such weather with just light clothes because a humid breeze can be a serious problem. Carry some relatively warm clothes, which should also be absorbent. Understanding the weather patterns lets you plan your movement by escaping some harsh weather conditions.

The Power of Snacks

Kids love eating, and they will not spare you from feeding them during this trip. It is up to you to plan their meals well. Plan to have some healthy snacks with you at all times to save a situation. Check if your destination offers healthy snacks that you would like your kids to eat when they feel hungry. Going for a complete meal every time they ask for a bite may be costly and time consuming. After all, some locations may even have no restaurants. Snacks will always come in handy when traveling to Asia with kids.

Book Accommodations and Plane Tickets

Once the dates are set, the kids will not understand if there is any challenge to the trip. Try to minimize the chances of such an event by booking the plane tickets and accommodations early. Asia is a busy destination, which increases the chances of not finding good accommodations at the last minute.

Your kids will enjoy their trip to Asia while you will have an easy time if the above tips become your guide.

 

#OnFirePHC2018: Quotes from the Philippine Homeschool Convention 2018

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Last September 22, 2018, I had the privilege of attending the Philippine Homeschool Convention 2018 at SMX Convention Center, SM Aura. The theme this year was On Fire!

I was super excited to attend because I missed the ones from the past two years. I was only able to attend the one held in 2015.

Aside from the prospect of seeing and reconnecting with my homeschool mom friends, I was of course excited to learn from the various speakers. This year, the Philippine Homeschool Convention line up was especially generous with 9 speakers during the morning plenary session and 3 from the breakout sessions in the afternoon.

With my friend, May Palacpac, of FullyHousewifed.com

 

With my bestie, Darla. It was her first time to attend the convention and she’s thinking of homeschooling her youngest child.

Going into the convention, I really felt like I needed inspiration to keep lighting my fire for homeschooling. While homeschooling has been going great for us, I’ve been feeling burnout recently because it’s hard to balance it with doing chores, taking care of the kids, and working part time too. I needed a reminder of why we decided to do this and I certainly got that from listening to the speakers.

Lessons and Inspirations from the Philippine Homeschool Convention

The speakers shared a lot of valuable knowledge and inspiration and I’d like to share some of my favorite ones with you. Please bear in mind that I might not be quoting them exactly but I tried to capture the essence of what they shared to the best of my ability.

 

Cassandra Shepherd: You Can Homeschool!

  • Homeschooling is for teaching real people to prepare them for real life.
  • You don’t have to be the expert.
  • Leave room to breathe.
  • Your curriculum is not your servant not your master.

 

 

Jayson Lo: Homeschooling with a Vision

  • Treat your kids the way they want to be treated.
  • Dreams do not come true, visions do. Visions are dreams with a deadline.

 

 

Michelle Padrelanan: Homeschooling Through the Mountains and Valleys of Life

Keep on!

K – know your goals

E – entrust your children to the Lord

E – enlist help when needed

P – pray

ON – onwards and forward

 

 

Dr. Teresa Moon: The Secret to More Time and Energy

  • We gain more time by doing less and gain more energy by loving the less we do.
  • A calm mind brings clarity, contentment, and compassion.

 

Laksmi and Vishnu Maluya: Spreading the Fire of Homeschooling

  • Focus on the child.
  • Give kids time to play.
  • Dream:

D – determination to finish

R – respect others

E – eagerness to learn

A – always be patient

M – make God our center

 

Lia Cua: Making a Difference as a Homeschooled Kid

  • Homeschooling allows kids more time and opportunity to find and pursue their passions.

 

Jen Wi-Bellosillo: Homeschooling Special Needs Kids – A Life Changing Vocation

  • Find the structure that works for you.

 

Camille Paguio: Homeschooling Works!

  • Fail better, fail faster.
  • Think out of the box.
  • Teach kids how to value time.
  • Defy the norm.

 

Nove-Ann Tan: Homeschooling 101 – Beginning Homeschooling

  • Know your why.
  • Know your what.
  • Know your how.
  • Prepare to make a mistake.
  • Find where your child is now and move from there.
  • Don’t let your schedule run you. Be flexible.
  • Be the person you want your child to become.

Moira Bulan – Bunyi: Finding Your Village – Starting and Sustaining Co-ops and Support Groups

  • Identify goals: academic, social or extra-curricular
  • Define level of involvement, rules, schedules and modes of communication in relation to your goals as a group

Gina Guerrero-Roldan: How to Inject Truth, Beauty, and Goodness in Your Homeschool

  • It’s not enough to know a lot of truth if it doesn’t change the way you live. Be doers and not only hearers.
  • We can know beauty because God is beautiful and His entire creation resounds with His glory and proclaims His nature.

The convention truly reminded me of the reasons why we homeschool. I guess it’s just normal to question yourself every so often, which I realize is still a good thing because it forces you to take a good look at your homeschool journey. We’re currently in our fourth year now and it’s just normal to experience some highs and lows. What’s important is that it still works for us and we’re committing to it for us long as our kids continue to thrive in this set up.

Thanks to the Educating for Life team for organizing a successful convention. I’m definitely looking forward to joining again next year.

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