Hello all!

I am very skeptical of posting a blog. I am not a good writer and I may not be fluent at English but I rather want it to be clear, simple, easy and understandable for people like me who did not grow up speaking English. Another thing is a question that comes to my mind is why would people be interested in spending time to hear a story or a read a blog about someone who they don’t know? And if they read my post, what if they insult me? We’ll, in short, I am convinced that I need to put something in my website and I call this a “note to myself”, post it to my own website and let it be open to anyone! This means a blog if you translate it your way. I will only regret if I don’t try! So here comes my first note.

MY JOURNEY TO GETTING TO THIS POINT IS NOT EASY!
I am a mom of 3 little ones. Ages are 10, 8, and 6. I used to work at the School District working at a Print Shop serving 45 schools, making lots and lots of copies of documents and test papers for the students. I worked 8-10 hours a day and weekends when needed. When night shifts come, I had to bring a breast pump to pump milk for my babies. I breastfed each of them for 6-9 months back then. I come home to sleep for some hours and then wake up to take care of them. During days shifts was hard as well. My work is a long day of walking, lifting , stooping and standing (even when I was pregnant of the 3). But when they were all born, I picked them up at daycare or sometimes at my mom-in-law’s house then come home, clean up some leftover mess from breakfast and then make dinner, clean-up again and get kids ready for bed. Oh, let’s just forget about the whining before putting them to bed! That is always fun to talk about, of course! Many working moms can relate. But with all that said, I got really tired being a full-time mom with a demanding job was not so easy while taking care of 3 kids and the house, I honestly had hard time admitting that I could not handle it anymore! I know could of handle the hardships but I was also looking for something else to do, carrier wise.

THE FRUSTRATION AND DEPRESSION BEGINS!
So I stayed home, enjoying my time with the kids, they are well-cared and well-fed. But deep inside, I badly needed a job to support my family in the Philippines and fund my siblings for college. I started looking for an EASY job so I am in a good mood to come home for the family. I applied plenty of jobs but… really! What could be the reason, I never get hired! I went to some interviews but I am unwanted. Why? I can only assume! Oh we’ll those jobs are not for me and they don’t deserve me. That was my take. So I started looking for home jobs, but still no luck! I have a college degree in Computer Technology I assume I can get any jobs that required the skills I have declared. But nope! So let me just move on and find another way.

FOUND A HOPE, IT IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST THING IN THE WORLD.
So it was then my 10th year wedding anniversary! My husband deposited a big amount into my checking account! I was very surprised, I know nothing else but to spend it wisely! I sent some to my parents later on for a Christmas gift. I went to Austin Community College to enroll the degree that I ever wanted. I wanted to get a Computer Science but that school don’t have it yet, so they offered me to take a programming degree. So I did, and I was super excited to take the classes! This was the most challenging trial in my life so far! Programming was not easy at all! But with so much hard work, dedication and determination, I graduated with honor two years later. So here comes my biggest fears. I can avoid the snakes but I can’t avoid the interview if I want a job! I applied plenty of my skill-related job again, but guess what… no luck! But myself being so kind, friendly and hard worker at school, I was being noticed. One day, an adjunct professor emailed me that they have a job for me if I am interested. He just believed that I am capable of learning new skills and they can train me. So I happily accepted the offer and worked at home for that job. Unfortunately my project ended, and that I had to stay home again looking for another job but at the same time, I enrolled to an Online Degree just to sharpen my programming knowledge. After 3 months, the same professor recommended me to work at the City of Austin for a contract job. While I am studying online, I happily accepted the offer again. They pay well and treated me well but that job unfortunately ended once again! So I stayed home and focused on finishing my online studies and my family. I was so stressed and frustrated with my final programming project that my kids got affected with my mood. I felt bad! It was by far the most challenging. Although I loved the challenge, but I sometimes thought, that computer programming might not be for me. But if I give up, what took me so long? I took 3 full years of Computer Programming Classes knowing that I could change my world! It is my dream to learn the most challenging work for me so now there is no going back! I must embrace it and be proud of my achievements. This is the lessons I must share to my kids that no matter how hard the circumstances will be, there is nothing and no one has the power to shatter your dreams unless you give up!

PLANNING IS BRINGING THE FUTURE INTO THE PRESENT
So now, my kids are all in school, and I am all done with my studies as well. What to do next? A lot of things comes in my mind. I want to get a job to apply the skills I have learned at school. But I am afraid of rejections based on experience. If people don’t know me, they won’t hire me. We’ll my take is, they don’t deserve my help. So for now, I took a time to build my website. I got nothing else to put in there yet but my Recipes AND then right now is my FIRST Blog. Yes, I do love and enjoyed cooking if not in my computer! My buddies had to wait sometimes before I serve the foods because I had to take a perfect picture of course, because I knew that one day I am going to publish their favorite foods to a website for my kids to use, when they are ready. Right now, they are helping and showing interests of cooking. All 3 of them enjoyed the Filipino foods, which I really appreciate! So there will be a list of menus for them when they crave for mommy’s delicious cooking!

Although I am grateful of being able to stay home and take care of the family while hubby is the only one working. However, I felt unaccomplished and my future is unsettled. I should of have some savings by now for my own retirement, being able to share to my kids about what’s great about working and how nice it is to make your own money without depending on anyone and be able to buy what you need and help others in need as well. I am constantly thinking and doing things to hopefully bring me closer to reaching my goal. First step is website almost done. I’m still  unsure what to do there but I will try every possible way I can think of.

There must be a lot of things I can do if not try to get a job again. I think it is better to get our self out there to overcome most of our fears. Most of us who stayed home for a longest time fears for rejection and failure. We fear for losing old skills and trying new skills. Yes true, we all know that it’s tough to face the failure and hear the rejection but it’s even tougher to regret that we give up. It does not matter what goal we set, let’s focus, keep moving forward, learn new skills and never let a stumble in the road be the end of the journey. We will achieve our goal, because we can!

NEW THINKING, NEW POSSIBILITIES
Since being new here, I am currently learning about Affiliate Marketing and Shopify to integrate into my website but I am unsure of what products or items would be relevant for my content. I set up Facebook Pages and Ads to connect to my website but it cost money while I am not selling much, so it is currently pending as it is also due to unfinished website. I am thinking lots of possibilities. I am interested in selling Jewelries, Kitchen/Household Stuff, maybe rent a space nearby and set up a party/event for a venue serving Filipino buffet, but all those plans are therefore have fears of failure, to be honest. I should not be! I cannot be of any tougher and more determined to finishing something than what I have been through. So, I am trying to come up with a decision to build a future. Whether online money making or catering Filipino buffet for parties at local business. There must be a portion of LUCK in the world with my name written on it. I just have to find it and chase it soon! It may take a while but I will share every journey specifically to a wonderful, unselfish moms out there who risks their future staying home taking care of wonderful children. We are not going to tell them that we are just a MOM but we are going to show them that we are a complete package! SO FOLLOW ME!