Stay at Home Blessings

Malaria No More and Dream Big For Africa

2012-02-01T15:32:00.001+03:00

Last week, I received an email from Mom Bloggers for Social Good to campaign for Malaria No More's "Dream Big for Africa" project. Malaria No More is an organization working towards ending Malaria deaths in Africa by 2015. 655,000 people died from Malaria in 2010, 91% of which occurred in Africa, mostly children under 5 years old.

If you want to help this cause, join the "Dream Big for Africa" campaign. Since last week until February 16, anyone who texts "Dream" to 85944 will donate $10 to Malaria No More. He/she will also be entered into a contest to win a trip to Africa with celebrity Katharine McPhee who will help deliver malaria prevention tools this spring. To know the complete details of this campaign, please visit the Malaria No More Dream Big page.

Help spread the word about this campaign. Simply click the link below to tweet this message:
Text 85944 to donate $10 @MalariaNoMore and be entered to win a trip to Africa with @NBCSmash star@katharinemcphee. #socialgoodmoms

I Just Can't Take It Anymore! Book Giveaway

2012-01-31T11:26:00.000+03:00

This is a sticky post until January 31, 2012.

This is another giveaway post. But this time, the giveaway prize is a book entitled "I Just Can't Take It Anymore!" by Anthony DeStefano. Anthony is the author of one of my favorite children's story books "The Little Star." He's giving me a review copy of his new book, I Just Can't Take It Anymore! and one free copy to my blog readers.

Do you feel that your life is messed up? Are you stressed out or hurting? If you lost a job or if you're battling with a disease or broken a relationship, then this book is for you. It can make you smile when you feel otherwise, encourage you when you are down and give you something to be hopeful and thankful for.

When I saw the sample pages with all the really beautiful pictures and descriptions (stories) that goes with it, I instantly liked it. Some of the pictures really made me laugh. Others made me identify with the emotions communicated. I'm certain, you will also like it.

If you want to win a free copy of this book shipped to you, then join this giveaway. The mechanics is really simple.

Read the embedded message by Anthony DeStefano below and see the following sample pages of the book. Then leave a comment on this post - a comment related to the book and not spammy (otherwise, I'll delete it). And, sign the inlinkz widget at the end of this post. I'll be using inlinkz to randomly pick the winner again.

I would appreciate it also, if you would follow this blog via RSS feeds or Google Friend Connect and like Stay at Home Blessings fan page on Facebook (please see this blog's sidebar). This giveaway will end January 31, 2012.

Fruit Salad Exercise Song

2012-01-31T07:41:00.003+03:00

Here's a simple song my kids learned in school mentioning 3 different fruits. It kinda works as a massage and exercise song, too. See Kristel and Janel on video. We really should have shot the video on a bigger space. Anyway...

The Lyrics:
Watermelon, watermelon,
Papaya, papaya;
Bananananana, bananananana,
Fruit salad, fruit salad.

Now, just these 3 Philippine fruits with cream cheese dressing (cream cheese, calamansi or lemon, honey and a little water blended together) is really healthy and delicious. Of course, you can add other fruits like apple, pineapple, strawberry, etc.

4 Simple Art and Craft Projects for Kids (3)

2012-01-31T01:09:00.000+03:00

It's been a while since I posted some art and craft projects that my kids have done. So, I've decided to post some art and craft projects today. These are also simple to do but little kids would need the help of grown-ups.

The thing with the following projects is that my kids always start doing these crafts enthusiastically but it is always I who end up finishing everything. That's okay. I like doing them. Gives me some time to take a break.

The first project is a paper clay painting. We bought this art set in the Philippines. It comes with a design on a card board and different colors of moist paper clay in a plastic container. When these become dry, you can put a little water and mix before using. What we did was use toothpicks to pick up a particular colored paper clay and put it where we want on the card board. When it dries, it remains stuck on the card board and gives a nice textured design.

The second project is sand painting. My children get some of these sand painting kit when they visit the dentist as a treat. It's really easy to do but can be messy. The kit comes with a picture on sticker paper, different colors of sand and picture pattern. To do this, you lift up the top of the sticker paper, portion by portion, and put a particular color of sand on the sticky surface. You repeat this step until all the design is colored with sand. A tip for doing this is to do the portions you would put dark colored sand first then those with lighter ones. The end product looks pretty.

Paper clay painting and sand painting

The last 2 projects have something to do with bracelets. This is not just a girl thing because even my boys enjoyed doing them.

The third project is called message bracelet. The kit comes with plastic letters of the alphabet which you would use to create a word, phrase or message by slipping it through the bracelet. My daughter also made one for me and I'm still wearing it until now.

The fourth project is bead bracelet. My daughter, Kristel, received a kit as a birthday present before and she likes making the bracelet for herself and for her sisters. She puts the beads into the thread, create the design and I tie the knot.

Three Little Monkeys Nursery Rhyme

2012-01-26T00:45:00.000+03:00

This is another song, a nursery rhyme, which Janel learned in school. This can be taught as well when teaching the concept of subtraction. The child will learn to count backwards from 3-2-1 in a fun way.

Three little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head.
Mommy called the doctor and the doctor said
"No more little monkey jumping on the bed."

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mommy called the doctor and the doctor said
"No more little monkey jumping on the bed."

One little monkey jumping on the bed
He fell off and bumped his head
Mommy called the doctor and the doctor said
"No more little monkey jumping on the bed."

Earn from Amazon Kindle

2012-01-24T08:28:00.001+03:00

For many years now, I have been really interested to learn about how people are earning by selling ebooks. I haven't done anything like it or earned from this stream of income but it's really a good way of earning passive income once you've put everything in place.

Now, I watched this free webinar end of last year which further showed how people have been earning by selling ebooks on Amazon Kindle. What's amazing is that Amazon lets people use their publishing and marketing system for free. Of course, when people sell, Amazon makes a profit.

If you're thinking of some way to earn online, this is worth a look. This is really full of rich information - about 2 hours long. You can take notes for later review. By the way, I'm sorry if it's auto playing. I don't know how to disable it.

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I am really seriously thinking about how I can also get into this. By the way, I just embedded this video here without any strings attached.

New Friends Friday #2

2012-01-21T04:58:00.001+03:00

Since Adgitize closed, I've become more or less active in blog hopping through Entrecard and sometimes Linkreferral as a way of making new friends online and finding traffic for this blog.

While doing so, I found this New Friends Friday at Still on the Verge. It's a great way to find new blogs and make new friends, while gaining new followers. I thought of jumping in and join in the fun.

Here are the steps that one has to do:

Make a post about this New Friends Friday and link it to Still on the Verge so if others want to join, they would know where to start from and grab the badge.
Make sure to Tweet and FB as well.
Grab the badge and put it in the post so others know to comment and follow.
Add your link to Mister Linky's.
Then, find new friends and let them know where you found them from!

This is the Farmer Poem

2012-01-21T04:30:00.000+03:00

I have uploaded a video of Janel sharing a poem she learned in Kindergarten class. It is about the farmer. If you're teaching or homeschooling your children, you can use this in the lessons about community helpers. This video was taken by her sister, Kristel.

This is the farmer, this is the plow
The farmer plows and plows and plows and plows.

This is the sun
It shines and shines and shines.

This is the rain
It falls and falls and falls.

These are the plants.
They grow and grow and grow and grow.

Pokemon Clay Models

2012-01-18T08:17:00.000+03:00

Playing with clay is really a good way of enhancing the child's creativity. Just look at how nice the fruit and vegetable clay models my son, Yuan, did 2 years ago. It's also a way of relieving stress - stress from school and from parent pressure, he he.

My son was really fond of Pokemon. I'm not sure if he still likes Pokemon because now, he's more interested in Skylanders.

Anyway, I just wanted to share these Pokemon Clay Models that he did some time ago. He urged his father to buy him some clay and was so excited when he got them. He searched for Pokemon images on Google, then he used the clay to copy the images into Pokemon clay models. I actually do not know all the names of these figures he made. I am only familiar with Pikachu, the one in the middle. Do you know these other characters?

I think, my son did a good job at these Pokemon clay models. I said if he can make more, maybe he can sell them...We can bake them and add a key chain. Maybe during summer vacation.

Discount on Walgreen's Prescription Savings Club Membership

2012-01-16T07:00:00.001+03:00

This post is brought to you by Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.
Our family is blessed to have medical insurance sponsored by my husband's company. We are glad that we have not really encountered any problems getting the health services we needed including prescription medications from the company's health insurance network of providers.
It is sad to hear of a related news involving Walgreens and Express Script causing a disruption in the prescription service offered to patients in the US. Walgreens, which is one of the biggest drugstore chain in the US, is no longer included in the Expert Scripts' list of pharmacy provider network since January 1, 2012. This major change will force many patients whose prescription insurance plans are managed by Express Scripts to change pharmacies. In that case, they will surely miss the convenience offered by Walgreens 24-hour stores and drive-thru pharmacies.
To minimize any disruption of service, the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club is giving discounts to their annual membership this January. A family membership costs $10 ($25 off) while individual membership costs $5 ($15 off). Members of this club are entitled to receive discounts on 8,000 brand name and all generic medications offered at Walgreens. For $1 a week, they could also avail of 3-month supplies of some 400 generic drugs. They also get the benefit of getting discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizer and supplies for diabetic patients.
This is a good opportunity for those who want to continue to get the quality service of Walgreens at a discounted price. If you wish to know more about Walgreens including latest updates, you may like Walgreens on Facebook or follow Walgreens on Twitter.

Stay at Home Blessings 4th Year Blogging Giveaway Winners

2012-01-16T00:49:00.000+03:00

The giveaway just ended. I would like to say thank you to all who joined this simple giveaway. As per the Inlinkz tool which chose the two random winners, they are

So, CONGRATULATIONS!

Jackie - winner of one-year domain name and
Aliz - winner of one-month banner ad in this blog

Inlinkz has already notified the 2 winners that they won but I will also personally send you an email to let you know how to get the prize.

Stay at Home Blessings 4th Year Blogging Giveaway

2012-01-15T12:13:00.000+03:00

This is a sticky post until January 15, 2012

Thanks to all who have already submitted their entries to the Stay at Home Blessings Adgitize Ad Giveaway. But there will be some changes with regards to the giveaway. I have received an unexpected news today that Adgitize will close down come January 2012. So, in view of this, I would like to announce that instead of the 1 one-month Adgitize ad, I would now giveaway

1-year dot com domain name and 1-month 125 x 125 banner ad on this blog

There will be 2 winners now instead of one.

The same mechanics will be followed as before. May I just request those who have already made their entries (sir rob, chrisair, jackie, redamethyst and Aliz) to change the text included in the post and giveaway end date as seen below. Then, please add your link again to the inlinkz below after making the changes. You now have 2 entries each in the giveaway. The new end date of this giveaway will be on January 15, 2012.

For the mechanics and the forms

The mechanics of the giveaway is really easy. To be eligible to win takes only 4 steps.

1. Write a blog post (minimum 150 words) about your experiences regarding earning from home? If you have no experience yet about earning from home, you can write about what you think are viable ways of earning from home. (Note: Posts are not limited to earning online only as long as it is from home) At the beginning or ending of your post include this text

"This is my entry to Stay at Home Blessings Adgitize 4th Year Blogging Giveaway. Join and win one year domain name and one-month advertising."

(Be sure to keep the text "Stay at Home Blessings 4th Year Blogging Giveaway" linked to http://www.stayathomeblessings.com.)

Also, add this blog's badge in your post (copy code found on the sidebar).

2. Join Stay at Home Blessings Google Friend Connect. (See the blog's sidebar).

3. Like Stay at Home Blessings Facebook page. (See the blog's sidebar)

4. After doing steps 1-3, fill up the form below, add your link to inlinkz and leave a comment on this post.

Each person who completes all 4 steps will get 1 entry. I will check if all participants did the tasks and will delete from inlinkz their name if they do not comply. Winners will be chosen randomly via inlinkz. (Yes, it is possible to choose a winner via inlinkz and they get to notify the winners too.)

This giveaway will run from December 16-January 15, 2011. Winners will be notified on the third week of January 2012. I hope you will all join this really easy giveaway.

Faithful Blogging Prompts: What's Your Favorite YouTube Video?

2012-01-15T09:45:00.000+03:00

This is my post for the Faithful Blogging Prompt #36. The question we were asked to answer is "What is your favorite YouTube video?"

I really don't watch a lot of YouTube videos. I just go there when I am looking specifically for something - a tutorial, an additional resource for my writings or maybe a praise and worship song. But there is one YouTube video that I particularly like.

It's animated because I still like cartoons even now that I'm grown up. It's something that I believe is important for me to share to others. It's a video that can impact a person's standing in eternity. I hope you watch it and really think about the truth presented in it. Let me know what you think.

Healthy Child Healthy World Searches for the 2012 Mom on a Mission

2012-01-14T00:17:00.001+03:00

This is a non-paid post written in behalf of the Mom Bloggers for Social Good, a group of Mom bloggers who speak for worthy, charitable partner programs.

This is the group's first campaign for "Healthy Child Healthy World's Search for the 2012 Mom on a Mission." If you know a mom who has done something extraordinary in the pursuit of a mission, like Tamara Rubin - founder of Lead Safe America and winner of 2011 Mom on a Mission, then you can nominate her now at http://www.healthychild.org/mission to become the 2012 Mom on a Mission.

From January to August, one mom will be selected and honored for her inspiring mission work. In September and October, the general public will vote to choose who will become the 2012 Mom in a Mission, and in November, she will receive her grand award at a gala event in New York City.

Healthy Child Healthy World is a non-profit organization celebrating its 20th anniversary year. It was founded in 1992 after five-year-old Colette Chuda died of a rare form of non-hereditary cancer linked to environmental factors. It takes a leadership role in the promoting public health and environmental movements of the 21st century. Today, it is focused on empowering parents to protect children from harmful chemicals.

My Personal Goals for 2012

2012-01-11T17:30:00.002+03:00

Last year, I wrote a post of my personal goals for 2011. To my dismay, I did not accomplish everything I wrote down 100%. I have written a hub talking about what prevented me from actually achieving my goals. Hopefully, this time around as I write my goals for 2012, I would be more focused and persistent in reaching my goals.

Since I was not able to reach all my goals last year, most would be the same as my goals this year. These are the 3 goals I really want to accomplish for this year.

Have regular family devotions. I am glad that we had many quality devotional time as a family last year but I want it to really be a regular time together. Putting it on a regular schedule is really a must. I want the verse "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" hold true to our family.

Lose weight. I'm sad that I even added 1 kg to my weight last year instead of losing 1 kg per month. My fault. I allowed my part-time online work and other time wasters to rob me of my time to do more physical activities.

Lose weight now. Image by Alan Cleaver, Flickr

Now, on my to-do list is to do 20-30 minutes exercises everyday and to regulate what I eat - less sweets (which I really like) and more fruits and veggies. No snacking after dinner. I am gonna monitor my weight or better yet ask somebody to monitor my progress. Anybody would like to volunteer? That way, I will feel more accountability in meeting my target of losing 2-3 pounds a month.

Write more hubs. I want to do a lot of writings. There's my blogging and part time freelance writing but I can only do so much. So, I want to particularly pay attention to my writing on HubPages.

Last year, I wanted to write 2 hubs every week. I didn't. I was able to publish only 22 hubs last year. So, my goal this year is to have a total of at least100 hubs. I have 58 hubs now, so 42 more to go or about 4 hubs a month which is a more realistic goal for me.

There's an air of uncertainty for us this year (Exciting!) and we would probably expect a lot of changes if we have to move back to the Philippines. As of now, my husband was not accepted in another job he applied to because of the same reason his company is ending his contract - Saudization. So, I'm putting my trust in God to help our family in the upcoming months. I am still hopeful that I will achieve these 3 goals of mine for this year.

Do Good by Joining Mom Bloggers for Social Good

2012-01-10T00:11:00.000+03:00

I've read this quote from the Weekly Wisdom that appeared on the top of the posts of this blog last week

"I don't want to get to the end of my one and only life and realize I've wasted it."

That quote woke me up . With the beginning of 2012, I really haven't given the time yet to jot down what I want to do this 2012. I have plans in my mind but it's not the same as writing them down on paper. I would share in the next post more of my thoughts on this.

For now, I would like to share about Mom Bloggers for Social Good. It's a new program that just launched today where mom bloggers are given the opportunity to use the social media and their blogs for good.

I joined this program as a founding member because I want to be part of helping spread the news, do fundraising initiatives, and advocacy campaigns for partner charity and non-profit organizations.

As the quote says, I don't want to waste my life. I want to use even this blog for good. If you want to be an advocate for issues like maternal health, clean water and sanitation, education, women's rights and others, why not join Mom Bloggers for Social Good. You can find Mom Bloggers for Social Good here:

Web: www.mombloggersforsocialgood.com
Twitter: @socialgoodmoms
Hashtag: #socialgoodmoms
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mom-Bloggers-for-Social-Good/124385917679260

Stay at Home Blessings: Income from Home 2011

2012-01-08T09:28:00.000+03:00

At the beginning of 2011, I made a post about my Income from Home for 2010. Looking back, I see that the venues of my online earnings this year was totally different from that of last year's.

I have requested those who would join my blog's 4th Year Blogging Giveaway (I hope you join if you haven't) to write a post about ways of earning from home. Now, I would like to share how I earned from home last year. This is my list of make money online from home for 2011.

Earning online. Image by mmagallan, Stock.xchng

1. oDesk.com : I am blessed to have been employed as a VA (virtual assistant) since January last year up to the present. It's just a 1-2 hour job 5 days a week but it is the bulk of my earnings from home last year. I also did some other jobs like article writing, rewriting and spinning. Income: approx. $75 per month.

2. Freelancer.com. Aside from oDesk, I also got some article rewriting and spinning gigs occasionally from this site. Income: approx. $500

3. HubPages: I talked about how I earn from HubPages in a couple of posts already. I am happy to say that this is one passive way of earning income from my article (or hub) writing. Because unlike in being hired to write for others where I get paid one time, in HubPages, I get to earn some again and again even when I often write only 1-2 articles a month. However, it's not that easy. I also have to do my research. Income: approx. $30 per month.

4. Blogging: Blogging is just 4th in my list. Earnings came from showing Adsense ads, sponsored links, online contest prize, paid posts (I don't do much of this) and Adgitize. At least, I got back my investment of $10 for this blog's domain name. For my other blogs, I just use free sites. Income: approx. $20 per month.

I'm not posting this to show off. I just want to encourage others that it is possible to earn from home through legit sites and avoid the work from home scams. It is indeed a blessing because I get to do full time care for my 5 kids (no house help) and still earn some. The income was also very timely as we had to help pay for additional expenses for my mom's cataract laser surgery.

The future is still unclear whether my husband will be having a new job soon. So, maybe I might need to do more work from home this year. Thank You, Lord, for the opportunities you sent my way.

Books on Parenting and Child Care for Special Needs Children

2012-01-06T07:28:00.000+03:00

I saw these books by Jolene Philo from the First Wild Card Tours, of which I am a member, but I didn't request them for review. However, upon reading the free chapters (embedded below), I was touched and decided to share it here.

Image from Wikipedia.

Do you have a special needs child? Or have you ever experienced taking care of children with special needs? A special needs child includes those with physical disabilities and developmental disorders.

I think caring for them would be more difficult compared to a child without special needs. Unless they put them in a special child care, it would require the parents to spend more time with them. Their love tanks need to be full if they are to show them real tender loving care. It would take an enormous amount of patience and prayer really counts a lot.

I have met Janel's assistant teacher in Nursery last year and found out that she has a special child. I really admire her for the strength and love she's showing in taking care of her child.

It's not easy. I know, because as a Sunday School teacher in the Philippines, I have had the chance to have a down syndrome child in class and she and he were quite a handful. But, you know what? They are the sweetest children ever. I could still remember every time they see me, they would quickly come and give me a big hug.

That's why these books, Different Dream Parenting and A Different Dream for My Child, by Jolene Philo are really great resource books for parents with special needs child. These communicate that parents with special needs child are not alone. There are many who go through the same frustrations and emotional roller coaster, ask the same questions and come out victorious through it all.

The first book shares practical tips for parents with special needs child. The second book is a devotional for which can inspire and encourage through the scriptures and prayers. I like the first one as it answers the question whether "special needs children are a special gift from God or not." Read the excerpt below to find out the answer. I hope you like it too.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Jolene Philo

and the book:

Different Dream Parenting

Discovery House Publishers (November 1, 2011)

A Different Dream for My Child

Discovery House Publishers (August 1, 2009)

***Special thanks to Susan Otis, Creative Resources, Inc. for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jolene Philo has been a teacher for 25 years and has published numerous articles on parenting a special needs child and preparing children for a hospital stay. She is the author of Different Dream Parenting and Different Dream Parenting: A Practical Guide to Raising a Child with Special Needs and a regular contributor to a regional monthly women’s magazine, has spoken to MOPS groups, and is a commentator for Iowa Public Radio’s “Iowa Voices.” She and her husband have two children and live in Boone, Iowa.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTIONS:

Different Dream Parenting: Parents of a special needs child will benefit by Jolene Philo's handbook of resources, inspiration and tested wisdom. Practical strategies and spiritual reflections are balanced with resources for aid and information. From becoming an effective advocate for your child, dealing with hospitalization, to family concerns and long-term care, Philo presents wisdom from voices of experience. Hope-giving help, resources and direction are clearly provided for parents of a child with a medical condition, behavioral or educational concerns.

Product Details for Different Dream Parenting:
List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Discovery House Publishers (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1572934670
ISBN-13: 978-1572934672

A Different Dream for My Child: Hope and encouragement for the parents and caregivers of critically ill children comes in an inspirational devotional package. Jolene Philo shares personal accounts from her own experiences with a seriously ill newborn son. Interwoven are the stories of how other parents have found peace and hope, how they have dealt with hospitalization, private pain, grief, guilt and loneliness, and even the death of a child. Targeted scripture, simple prayers and questions for reflection provide a valuable spirit

Product Details for A Different Dream for My Child:

List Price: $10.99

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Discovery House Publishers (August 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1572933070
ISBN-13: 978-1572933071

AND NOW...Excerpts from both books:

Different Dream Parenting Excerpt:

I Didn’t Sign Up for This, God!

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you can’t move? The car is racing toward the edge of a cliff and you can’t lift your foot to press the brake pedal. An attacker is breaking down the door to your house and you can’t raise your arm to dial 911. Your child is about to run in front of a truck and you can’t open your mouth to scream.

My bad dream became a reality in 1982. My husband and I stood beside our son’s isolette in the neonatal intensive care unit. An IV needle pierced Allen’s tiny arm, and angry red scars crisscrossed his chest. One end of his feeding tube hung on a pole beside his IV bag. The other end rose from the soft skin of his tummy. Pain etched his wide forehead and tugged at the corners of his perfect rosebud mouth.

More than anything, I wanted to reach out and take his hurt away. But I was trapped in a bad dream. Immobilized. Inadequate. Helpless. Though God had assigned me to love and care for this beautiful child, I could do nothing to minimize his pain. My thoughts were an inward scream. This isn’t what I signed up to do, God! I don’t want to be a helpless onlooker. I want to parent my child. How can I care for him? What can I do?

As the parent of a child with special needs, you’ve probably experienced the same sense of helplessness. Whether your child is critically or chronically ill, mentally or physically impaired, develop- mentally or behaviorally challenged, you want to do something. You want to ease your child’s pain, but you don’t know how. You want to help your child realize his or her full potential, but you don’t know where to begin. You want to ask God about your child’s suffering, but you don’t want to be condemned for questioning His wisdom. You want to believe God is with you, but you don’t know how to find Him.

You’re stuck in a bad dream. You can’t move. You can’t speak. You want someone to shake you awake and tell you everything will be okay. Instead, you wake up and must become the parent you never expected to be. You doubt that you’re up to the task. You’re worried about your child’s future. And you’re wondering, Does anyone understand what I’m experiencing?

The answer is yes, many parents understand your situation. In the United States,

• 10–15 percent of newborns, or 431,000 annually, spend time in neonatal intensive care according to the March of Dimes.

• 12 percent of children between ages 1 and 17 had medical conditions serious enough to require hospitalization between 2004 and 2006, the most recent years for which statistics are available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• 13.6 percent of students between ages 6 and 21 were enrolled in some kind of special needs program according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. That’s 706,000 of our country’s school-aged children.

Lots of kids mean lots of parents, dads and moms who are valuable sources of information and advice. In this book, dozens of them share with you the wisdom they gained while parenting kids with special needs.

Support can also come from the surprising number of professionals who work with families of kids with special needs. These professionals—and the resources they’ve created—are available at hospitals, medical facilities, government agencies, private organizations, businesses, schools, churches, and more.

This book brings you advice from professionals around the country and provides information about national organizations and resources. It also gives tips about where to start searching for state and local resources. More often than not, your problem won’t be a lack of resources, but a lack of awareness of them or inability to access them.

Different Dream Parenting contains six sections: Diagnosis, Hospital Life, Juggling Two Worlds, Long-Term Care Conditions, Losing a Child, and Raising a Survivor. Each section is divided into four chapters. Three chapters address practical issues. The last chapter in each section addresses spiritual concerns.

Parents of kids with special needs often wrestle with prickly spiritual questions. I sure did. Sometimes I still do. So do all the parents interviewed in this book, and most of the professionals, too. Every day, we continue to ask questions about our kids’ lives and futures. Gradually, we learn more about how to trust God’s timing and wait for His answers.

As you read this book, please ask your faith questions. Read about how parents and professionals learned to ask questions, wait, and listen. Consider the answers they have discerned and their suggestions about how to find comfort and courage in God’s Word. When you are ready, try out their ideas about how to pray and use Scripture to hear God’s answers to your hard questions. The thirty-day prayer guides in appendix A are designed to help you engage in conversation with Him.

But even with prayer guides and Scripture to guide you, I know how hard it can be to trust the God who is allowing your child to suffer. So I won’t condemn you for asking prickly questions. Instead, I’ll encourage you, cry with you, and support you when your faith grows weak. When you can’t hang on a minute longer, I’ll hold you close until your strength and your faith return.

I hope this book helps you break out of your bad dream, wake up, and move forward with joy and confidence. I pray that the stories of parents and professionals in this book will give you hope and strength.

Most of all, I hope you discover the truth God has revealed to me and many other parents. Raising a child with special needs isn’t a bad dream. It’s just a different dream. And surprisingly, a different dream can be the best dream of all.

A Different Dream for My Child Excerpt:

Children Are a Gift from the Lord, Period

Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift?

The fruit of the womb his generous legacy?

Psalm 127:3

From the moment Hiram and I learned of Allen’s condition, we knew he had a good chance of living a relatively normal life. And though his first five years were hospital

heavy, that prognosis proved true. He did well in school and participated in extra-curricular activities. Now an adult, he’s out on his own.

Not every child’s future is so rosy. Many parents of kids who survive an initial health crisis know their lives, and their children’s lives, will be quite different from what they once expected. If your child is one of those kids, you will grapple with the same issue Bruce and Peggy faced when their second child was a baby.

Their daughter Lacey, born in 1984, has the mental ability of a four or five–month–old infant. Her mental and physical disabilities weren’t immediately obvious to her doctor or her parents, though by the time her daughter was three months old, Peggy knew something was wrong.

Throughout the first year of Lacey’s life, her limitations became more noticeable. Her parents’ lives changed when they decided to keep Lacey in their home as long as they could. They understand that other parents who place severely disabled children in a care facility have made the right choice in their personal situation. “It’s not like one’s right and one’s wrong,” Peggy says.

“You have to do what God gives you peace about,” Bruce adds. The decision to care for Lacey in their home gave them peace. To accommodate their new lifestyle, Bruce changed employers. “I used to have a job where I traveled and was gone all the time. We knew when Lacey was a year old that I was going to have to be home a lot more.”

Early on, many well-meaning people acted like Lacey was a burden her family had to bear, especially for Peggy, whose life revolved around caring for their daughter. Once in a while, Peggy viewed her daughter in the same way. She began to question God. “Children are meant to be a gift from the Lord, not a burden, aren’t they? So why is Lacey a burden?”

Deep down, Peggy knew something was wrong with her thinking. One day she sensed God telling her to think about what the Bible says about kids: Children are a gift from the Lord. The light bulb went on, and she understood that the verse wasn’t just about the “perfect children,” the darling, whole and healthy, look-at-me children. “He doesn’t put any clause or condition on this statement. It’s just plain, ‘Children are a gift from the Lord.’”

In that moment, Peggy realized she’d been asking the wrong question. The question wasn’t whether Lacey was a gift or a burden. God said children are always a gift. Instead, He showed her the right questions to ask: How are you going to take care of this gift? How are you going to show the world that Lacey is a gift from the Lord? Those questions changed Peggy’s outlook about caring for her daughter. Every day, she tells herself, “I better act like this is a gift.” Over the years, she’s discovered that when she acts like her daughter is a gift, she thinks of her as a gift.

After more than two decades of caring for her daughter, Peggy wants to pass on this piece of advice to parents of special needs kids: No matter what your child’s level of need is — able to lead a normal life, in need of total care, or somewhere in between — you treat your child as a gift, you’ll think of your child as a gift. “This child is a gift from the Lord, period,” Peggy says. “Start with that foundation and move on from there.”

Father, forgive me for viewing my child as a burden. Teach me to act like my child is a gift, even during difficult times, so I will think of this child as a gift. Help those around me see my child is a gift, too.

Do I consider my child a gift from God? Do I treat my child like a gift? How do I show other people that my child is a gift?

________________________________

Thoughts on Becoming a Nurse

2012-01-01T22:36:00.000+03:00

I've mentioned in a post last August that we may need to prepare to go home to the Philippines by December 7th. However, my husband was given about two-months extension in his current work, so we had the pleasure of enjoying the holidays here. Not that there was such a celebration here but it is just good to be with the company of friends who had been with us for the past 5 years or so.

I just talked to my mom on the phone and she's encouraging us to try to apply as immigrant in the US or Canada. I'm not sure how viable that option is for us. Maybe if I were a nurse by profession, I would strongly consider going to the US. I read from TravelNursing.org that travel nurses are very much in demand. If I can have a job as a travel nurse in any state, as they say that this opportunity is available everywhere in the US, then that is quite reassuring that wherever we go as immigrants in the US, I can have a source of income. Well, that is IF I am a qualified nurse.

We have a friend who went to the US as immigrant some 8 or 9 years ago. She was not a nurse but because of the greater opportunity for nurses there, she studied nursing. Now, she's part of the RN population in the US. So, why am I saying this? That's just a thought. Just wondering whether I can do the same. But then again, maybe not.

Thank You Lord for All the 2011 Blessings

2012-01-01T08:18:00.003+03:00

Image by Svilen Milev

A Happy New Year to Everyone!

Today is the first day of 2012. But before I finally leave behind 2011, I just want to thank the Lord for all His blessings to me and my family.

Last night before eating our last 2011 dinner, my family had a short devotional. My son read some words from their devotional book "Super Devos" then each of us reflected on some of the good things the Lord has done for us.

One said thanks for God's blessings on their studies and accomplishments. Thank You, Lord, for letting all of them qualify for the Math quiz bee finals; for Janel and Yuan's being included in their classes' Top Ten in the past quarters; for Emmuel being able to play basketball now and Yuan for winning their school table tennis intrams game.

We also remembered the times when God protected them from harm and healed them like when the two girls had fallen and bumped their heads or when Yuan had a deep cut above his eyebrow from his eyeglasses (thank God, it did not pierce his eyes), or when Angel got healed recently of her severe ear ache. All these times, I believe, God sent His angels to watch over them.

We also remember how God took care of my Mom in her angioplasty surgery and her cataract surgery. Not to mention the great financial provisions.

We also thank God that we still haven't gone back to the Philippines. My husband's contract should have ended December 7, but he was extended until January 30 and was able to receive their year end bonuses. I also thank God for all the blessings I receive working from home. It's not really much but thank You, so much, Lord.

With a grateful heart, we praise and thank God for all His blessings in 2011. You're really awesome, Lord! We just continue to trust You for Your great love, relentless care and abounding provisions for the coming year 2012.

After Christmas Sales 2011 - Arts Cow 50% Off

2011-12-29T10:01:00.000+03:00

As I mentioned in another post, we will be bringing our children to the store to buy them their Christmas gifts hoping there will be some sale. Before Christmas, we were so busy with other things that it was only after Christmas that we were able to go. There weren't any after Christmas sales in the store we went to. Anyway, these are the gifts our children chose for themselves.

The two boys got an addition to their Wii game - the Skylanders game. My two sons are really enjoying this game.

The three girls got some girly stuff.

The younger two got a dog stuffed toy named Jasper. They are the ones who still like to play make belief with stuffed dolls.

My 7-year old got a Bratz Math learning toy. It's really nice. She can practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with it. Well, even her siblings can do so, too. Good preparation as well for them because all of them qualified for their school's upcoming Math Quiz Bee after the elimination round.

Even if there are no before or after Christmas sales here, there's one After Christmas sale online that I am going to avail of. That is the 50% off everything sale of Arts Cow until December 31, 2011. I am now going to put together all our 2011 photos in one photo book and order them from Arts Cow. I have ordered several photo books from them already and the quality is really commendable. Even some of my friends have created an account with them and ordered their photo books from them.

If you want to avail of this 50% off offer by Arts Cow, just go over there and when you order anything, just put the Coupon code HALFOFF and you will get the discount.

There's another offer they are giving, just in case you may want to put your photos on stretched canvass. Save $1-$4 and shipping fees ($5.99 - 8.99) on each piece of stretched canvass you order. Just put the Coupon code STRETCHCAN.

If you just prefer to have free shipping on your order only, you can use the coupon code FREESHIP15 which is good until December 30, 2011 only.

Child Development: The Early Adolescence

2011-12-29T01:44:00.000+03:00

Before the year ends, I would like to finish this series on Child Development. I have already published posts on

I hope if you have children within these age groups, you could read these posts and leave your thoughts.

For this post, the topic is about the Early Adolescent. I still don't have a child who is in these stage of development. My oldest son is only 11 years old. But then time flies, so sooner or later, I would have to deal with my son in this stage. So, I better get acquainted with what to expect or at least refresh myself on how it was like to be 12-14 years old.

Early Adolescence (12-14 years old) - Growing Independence

Physically. The young adolescent is now more conscious about how he or she looks. He or she will start to notice many growth changes happening in his/her body being in the age of puberty like having pimples, hair in unusual places, etc. A question he or she may be asking "Are these necessary for me to grow up?"

Mentally. He is more critical. Before you can convince him about something, he needs to be given reasonable answers. He can now handle abstract ideas more and can memorize well if he finds things reasonable.

3 of my son's adolescent friends. My son is the youngest.

Socially and Emotionally. How much the growing child wants independence! He is always hoping that dad and mom would consider his opinions and objections in different issues.

There's also so much social pressure at this stage! The young adolescent feels that he or she needs close friends of the same sex whom he/she can confide with - someone whom they can share secrets about their crushes and admired person. He/She needs someone who can understand his/her undefined shifts in emotions. As parents, it is important that we should be there for them and guide them especially now that they're starting to enjoy more freedom.

Spiritually. Spirituality for them is becoming more personal. They do not go to church or pray simply because they are told. They do it because they want to. By now, it is extremely important that the adolescent knows who Jesus is to him. Is Jesus Lord? Is Jesus His Savior? Or else, he may never be made to believe in Christ any more. Though he would look for some real proof about it in order to believe and not just feelings. As parents we need to introduce Jesus Christ to our children while they are still young, so that when they have grown-up, they will not abandon the faith.

Stay at Home Blessings Adgitize Ad Giveaway

2011-12-26T07:51:00.000+03:00

Update: Please see update regarding this giveaway here.

Stay at Home Blessings is now 4 years in the blogosphere. Hooray! I thank God because I never really thought that this blog would last that long. There have been times when I thought of just abandoning this blog. But then, I have not until now. Also, this year 2011 I've been blessed to have earned more money from home via online opportunities, one of which is through Stay at Home Blessings.

As a way of thanking this blog's visitors and readers, I am giving away a 1-month Adgitize Ad worth $14. I thought of giving away an Adgitize ad because I like how it works. Not only do you get to advertise your blog and increase your blog traffic, but you also get to earn back the advertising fee you paid for. So, this $14 prize is actually worth about double its value or $28. If you want to know how Adgitize works especially about the earning back the advertising fee part, check out my post that talked about Adgitize.

The mechanics of the giveaway is really easy. To be eligible to win takes only 4 steps.

1. Write a blog post (minimum 150 words) about your experiences regarding earning from home? If you have no experience yet about earning from home, you can write about what you think are viable ways of earning from home. At the beginning or ending of your post include this text

"This is my entry to Stay at Home Blessings Adgitize Ad Giveaway. Join and win one month blog advertising worth $14."

(Be sure to keep the text "Stay at Home Blessings Adgitize Ad Giveaway" linked to http://www.stayathomeblessings.com.)

Also, add this blog's badge in your post (copy code found on the sidebar).

2. Join Stay at Home Blessings Google Friend Connect. (See the blog's sidebar).

3. Like Stay at Home Blessings Facebook page. (See the blog's sidebar)

4. After doing steps 1-3, fill up the form below, add your link to inlinkz and leave a comment on this post.

Each person who completes all 4 steps will get 1 entry. I will check if all participants did the tasks and will delete from inlinkz their name if they do not comply. Winners will be chosen randomly via inlinkz. (Yes, it is possible to choose a winner via inlinkz and they get to notify the winners too.)

This giveaway will run from December 16-January 5, 2011. Winners will be notified on the second week of January 2012. I hope you will all join this really easy giveaway.

P.S. You will need an Adgitize account to participate and win this giveaway. If you have not yet joined Adgitize, you can join now or later. I hope you would consider signing up by clicking my Adgitize affiliate link. It is FREE to sign up.

A Blessed Christmas to Everyone!

2011-12-24T14:20:00.002+03:00

It's Christmas! From our family to yours ....

Have a Blessed Christmas!
May the joy, love and peace of Christ fill your heart.

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30 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge Update After 30 Days

2011-12-22T10:36:00.000+03:00

The Christmas season is really a busy time. My children had their third quarter exams the second week of December, so I had to tutor my 4 kids. This week had a lighter schedule, they just spent the week for their school sports intramural and Christmas party. A surprise for me is when my 2nd son, Yuan, came home yesterday bringing a gold medal for being a champion in their table tennis tournament. I'm so proud of him.

Yuan's medal.

Last Sunday, December 18, was also my son, Emmuel's, birthday. He's now 11 years old. But we just had a little celebration last night with his friends. It was a simple celebration. I prepared a chocolate cake, baked chicken and pancit. We still haven't bought him a gift. In fact, we haven't bought all our kids any gift for Christmas yet. We usually just bring them to the store and let them select what they want, but we give them a budget. He he. So, we expect to do that this weekend.

Christmas Bell project of Kristel

I was really busy right? Oh,yeah, about the 30 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge. Since I was so busy, I didn't accomplish the 30 hubs goal. I was only able to write 2 more hubs to complete only 8 hubs in 30 days. But next year, I would surely try the challenge once more.

I hope you can visit these hubs
How to Make Storage Containers Using Recycled Materials
Christmas Bells - Ornaments and Song

Christmas craft project of Yuan

Then after the 30 days was over, I was able to write another hub
Christmas Craft for Kids That Tell a Christmas Story

Since the children were also busy making their school Christmas projects, I took the opportunity to make hubs out of them. I hope you can read them.

So, Christmas break starts today for my kids. My kids will be rocking my world again in the days ahead.