House Rules at Our Home

As parents, we raise our kids from infants and over the years teach them right from wrong.  As they grow older and becomes more involved with activities and peers outside the home, that’s when it’s best to set family rules and explain each of its importance to them.

 

HOUSE RULES

1.       Fix your bed when waking up.

2.       Do your homework or assignment before going to sleep

3.       No access to the laptop during school days unless if it’s for important reasons like projects, research or assignments. 

4.       Inform us ahead of time (and not on the spot or the same day you that you need it) for important things you need like:

ð  School fees or payments

ð  Projects/research

ð  Materials for dancesport

5.       Bring your bags directly to your room when you arrive.  Don’t just leave it on the doorway.

6.       Put your dirty/used clothes in the laundry basket and not scattered anywhere in the house.  If it’s still wet hang it outside to dry before putting in the laundry basket.

7.       Be mindful of your things so that you’ll know where to look for it.

8.       Use your personal towel, and hang it on the veranda after use.  If it’s raining, hang it in the room using a hanger.

9.       Put back your shoes in the shoe rack after use.  Not unless if it’s very dirty or smells.

10.    Turn off the lights if not in use.

11.    Switch off/plug off electronic supply and wires such as TV, cable, DVD, A/C, stand fan, iron, laptop and charger if not in use.

12.    Return things in their proper places after using.

13.    Call when you can’t come home on time or for any unforeseen events. We need to know where you are to keep us from worrying.

14.    Respect each and every member of the house.  Even the youngest one deserves it.

15.    Always remember to pray before and after going to bed.

Hubs and I called our children first for a meeting and consulted with them the contents of the house rules before we finalized everything.  We wanted them to know that we also respect their thoughts and ideas.  In that way, it could even more strengthen our line of communication with them.

Family rules make it easier for the children to align their behavior with parents’ expectations.  There are long term benefits too.  The relational skills that the kids learn at home – respecting each other’s feelings and their property – will make it easier for them to form healthy relationships with friends, schoolmates, coworkers, their spouses, and associates in the future.

7 Dangerous Acts After a Meal

This has been sitting in my drafts folder for quite sometime now.  I even forgot where I got it from but I think it’s worth sharing to my readers for the sake of our health.  Read on.

7 Dangerous acts after a meal

1. Don’t smoke -------- Experiments from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher)

2. Don’t eat fruits immediately -------- Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruits 1 -2 hours after meal or 1 hour before meal.

3. Don’t drink tea---------- Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the protein content in the food we consume to be hundred thus difficult to digest.

4. Don’t loosen your belt---------- Loosening the belt after meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted and blocked.

5. Don’t bathe----------- Bathing after meal will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs and body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease, this will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

6. Don’t walk about-----------People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.

7. Don’t sleep immediately----------The food we intake will not be to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric and infection in our intestine

I am guilty of act 3.  I am a soda drinker and I just love a glass of ice filled Coca-Cola between and after meals.  But I’m slowly deviating away from that and in replacement, a warm tea is said to be good in washing away oil and fatty deposits from our body but I guess I heard it wrong again. Lol!

Do you follow all seven acts? What other things should we be aware about when it comes to taking our meal? Feel free to share. J

Praising On Sundays: The Rejection At Nazareth

Gospel, Luke 4:21-30

²¹ Then he began to speak to them, 'This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening.'

²² And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, 'This is Joseph's son, surely?'

²³ But he replied, 'No doubt you will quote me the saying, "Physician, heal yourself," and tell me, "We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own country." '

²⁴ And he went on, 'In truth I tell you, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.

²⁵ 'There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah's day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land,

²⁶ but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a town in Sidonia.

²⁷ And in the prophet Elisha's time there were many suffering from virulent skin-diseases in Israel, but none of these was cured -- only Naaman the Syrian.'

²⁸ When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged.

²⁹ They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him off the cliff,

³⁰ but he passed straight through the crowd and walked away. 

Reflection:

Do an act of kindness for someone in genuine need without regard to how that person is perceived by others.

God, grant us the strength to do what is right and called for in spite of the clamor of  resentment that rises up from selfish people around us.

A Month long of LOVE in February

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”

The month of February is synonymous to LOVE and Valentines Day play a big part for this time of the year.  For me, I mark this month as a special one because it was when hubs and I exchanged our “I do’s” on the day of hearts itself.  Yes, it was exactly on Feb.14. There’s more to that story which I will be definitely sharing with you all so please do watch out for it.

Love inspires creativity and it is through love that I got started with blogging last year in the month of February.  So, I’m brewing some ideas right now of a possible giveaway which I hope to do with success.  I mean, my blog wouldn’t be alive if not for my dear readers who incessantly reads about my rants and musings even if at times my posts are boring or words just jumble and tumble all over the place. But still, thank you for being so patient and understanding. J

The reason for my existence is my family and it’s my unwavering love for them that has given my life a more colorful meaning.  Together with hubs, we learn how to be better parents with each passing day from the experiences we’ve obtained from our own children.  Raising two teenagers and two toddlers feels like jumping from one moving car to another.  Yeah, that’s how I see them because they’re all too fast! Haha! We have learned to be firm with rules and not feel guilty when we say ‘no’ if there’s a need to.  And we never fail to get that i-hate-you-my-world-is-going-to-end look whenever the teens are reprimanded or I’m-the-boss look from the tots.  Ah! Kids these days (whew!)  But it is when they give you the sweetest smile or the random “I-love-you’s” that lights up our day and just melts any parent’s heart away.  Since I love taking pictures, it became my rule of thumb to document every progress they’ll make, every competition they’ll partake, win or lose we will be there for them. 

  

All these are for sharing in the month of February. J

Photo-pregnant-graphy At Our Best

I am not a professional photographer but I love capturing moments. I discovered the love for this hobby when my kids started schooling and had themselves participate in school events and other occasions.  It was my old digital camera that became my trusty companion during those times.  The kids started competing and a lot of events followed suit and I needed a better camera.  I was able to save a few pesos enough to purchase my first DSLR, a humble Nikon D60.   My new toy gave a whole new and better meaning to pursuing my passion and it has been accompanying me in my life’s journey through its lens.  I’m not saying that I’m that good already because I know I still have a lot to learn about photography.  But just recently, I was given that opportunity to act like a pro through my first ever pregnancy photo shoot with my sister.  If you’ve been reading my previous posts, you will find that she was my running partner during that enjoyable maternity run.  She was pregnant that time at 4 months and she’s due to give birth next month. 

Here are some shots of our happy preggy. J

A pose with my gorgeous crew. J

The photoshoot was a breath of fresh air for me since it was my first time to take pregnancy photographs.  It wasn’t easy as a novice for photography but because my sisters were my supportive and creative staff, including the model, make-up artists, photographer’s assistant, light finder (we only depended on the natural light of the sun and one of my sister was the lookout if there was a good sunray that gets in our studio/room), hair blower (practically fanning her hair to give that flying effect) & stylists) our photoshoot became nothing but a fun and pleasing experience.  And the results showed!  I’m so proud of our work.J

Share with me, is there something that you’ve always wanted to do? Perhaps, a talent that’s yet to be discovered and needs cultivating too?  I’d like to read about it. J 

My Angel With His Sto.Nino

I've bombarded my January posts mostly about our big festivity here in Cebu which was the Sinulog.  That's over and done with but I will not let go of that fever not until I'll share this picture of my Zef.  Of all the pictures I took, posted and shared, this definitely is on top of my favorites. 

This was during the two hours procession for the Sto. Nino which he never complained for the overflowing crowd or heat of the sun.  Rather, he participated in it with all his young heart even singing to the songs while waving his hands.  

He may be a little tyke at home but he's definitely an angel in our eyes. My own adorable angel. :-)

Praising On Sundays: The Scriptures Were Fulfilled On This Day

Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

¹ Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have reached their fulfillment among us,

² as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word,

³ I in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you, Theophilus,

⁴ so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received.

¹⁴ Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside.

¹⁵ He taught in their synagogues and everyone glorified him.

¹⁶ He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on theSabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read,

¹⁷ and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

¹⁸ The spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,

¹⁹ to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord.

²⁰ He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him.

²¹ Then he began to speak to them, 'This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening.'

Reflection:

Jesus, the Word, proclaims his mission, revealing that the Word has become flesh. Listening to the Word, we become one body in Christ, for his words are Spirit and life.