putting that passion for music to good use

Learning how to play a musical instrument, such as the guitar, can do more than just ease the boredom or loneliness of a person. Although it depends on one's level of interest and skills, one can really make money out of it once he or she decides to become a musician, be it a full-time or part-time thing. I also happen to know someone who didn't even finish college due to financial circumstances yet is still able to feed his own family by putting his guitar skills and knowledge to good use. What I mean is that he's never been out of work as he's able to land some jobs and gigs which needed his skills and expertise. I remembered he was the one who recommended a specific amplifier to a common friend and his bandmates who have just started out as a band then and they had nothing but good words about the equipment. Now, I heard he's a master salesperson now and has been earning more by selling and performing demos of electric guitars and amplifiers.

tough decision made last year

One tough decision we have made last year was to let go of our little girl's nanny. That was tough for us, at first, because some adjustments really had to be made, career-wise, so that we would be able to attend to our little girl's needs without sacrificing our income. It was quite a challenge to keep the routine in order but somehow we have managed to pull it through. Lately, the challenge for us was to keep the house organized and in order because our daughter has been so good at messing it up. We've both been thinking of better plans this year and even in the years to come so that, a step at a time, we can better improve our finances and the quality of our family life.

the husband is up to something

I knew husband's too busy to do even a small woodworking project this month. That's why when he kept looking at Reid Supply for a couple of days now for some plumbing and woodworking materials, I thought husband was really up to something. Just this afternoon, though, while having our usual conversation over coffee, he opened up to me about his desire to realize our goal of having a family business. So, that was it - he took inspiration from the page because that's the kind of business he wants to have someday. Hmmm, what can I say? Those are guy's stuff. I wonder if I can also come up with business targeted for women or mothers? Well, I really think the famous financial adviser Francisco Colayco is a great motivator. We have learned so much lately from his lectures aired on TV about the importance of having passive income and accumulating wealth, not just money.

a year-ender report on our life as parents

It's back to blogging time once again, folks! Ahem! I thought I would be able to blog earlier than today but, much as I would have wanted to, family, work and some other  priorities really got in the way, especially towards the end of the year. Still, I hope to start the new year with a little "year-ender" of some sort.

I am happy to say that, although last year was quite a challenging one for us, we were somehow able to successfully carry out some decisions which have something to do with our life as parents.  I cannot complain anything despite that we were not able to accomplish some of the goals last year. Overall, there were more blessings we have enjoyed that we hardly notice we have also endured

some trials. I am really thankful for all the material gifts we have received last year. More than anything else, though, I am thankful to God for giving us gifts of good health and whole lot of good friends.

Our little girl, on the other hand, has enjoyed every bit about her life as a preschooler and as the lone daughter. Husband and I have noticed a lot of progress, not only in terms of academics  but also in terms of displaying good behavior. Thanks to her teacher in school for partnering with us parents in helping to mold and shape our kid.

I and husband are still discussing our plans for the year - what we need to accomplish as according to priorities. It really helps to have realistic plans even though we may not be able to execute some of them.

learn the secret to a winning musical performance

A corporate Christmas party is a fun and exciting event for many employees. Often, management would require their employees to participate in the program by sponsoring a Christmas caroling contest that would be open to all. Since this would usually involve a monetary reward for the winners, the employees would do all that they can to win by picking the right song and planning every single detail on how to go about their performance. Expectedly, not everybody can really sing that well, especially if they're picking a song with high-pitched notes. However, this should not be a problem if they are not using the standard minus one or karaoke to sing along with. For a winning performance, it would be a good idea to use a guitar accompaniment so that participants can make a good arrangement on a song. This way, they won't have to break their vocal chords just to reach a high note. After all, with a device  in the guitar, any high-pitched song or music can be beautifully arranged so that a song can be sung at a lower key. Certainly, the participating group with a member who has great guitar skills will have a good chance of coveting the prize. Well, that's just my opinion.

Activities for Preschoolers - Write, Color and Draw

What keeps preschoolers look forward to schooling each day are the fun activities they are made to do with other kids in school.  Besides playing, of course, writing, coloring and drawing are the usual activities that are being introduced to our kids in school. Prior to getting these kids enrolled in preschool, it would really help that they are also made to do these things ahead at home. Maximizing their learning potential at home would be a good preparation and training ground for them so that it would be a whole lot easier to undertake these activities later on in school. Teaching these things ahead, when we are at home with our kiddo, can really make a big difference in their performance at school. Also, doing these things at home not only strengthens the bond we have with our kid, it also keeps them busy that there would be no time for them to experience boredom.