A Time to Get Busy Making Memories

By Maria (Ehma) Porpio

Last weekend I felt extremely blessed that I thought my heart was going to burst…

 

I worked the night shift!

You think I’m being sarcastic but I’m not. Maybe, it’s nothing more than the ordinary for some but for me being able to see my awesome colleagues again, to earn more than I thought I deserve and to be given the time and opportunity to sharpen my skills are just a few reasons why I love to work available hours anytime there’s no conflict with family’s schedule.

So because night shift can be tough sometimes and I’m getting old to be deprived of sleep (LOL), I felt I had to plan my schedule and differentiate “IMPORTANT and URGENT” tasks from the “IMPORTANT but NOT Urgent”.  Here’s what I came up with:

IMPORTANT but NOT Urgent – Their lack of urgency does not make them less important but getting them off of the list and forgetting about them will eventually move them to be urgent. So they have been assigned a day to get done…

1.       Exercise- There’s no point in going to the gym when there’s only some energy left to even move. I like to maximize my work-out and the only time I can do that is when my body has fully recovered.

 

2.       Blogging- It’s good to write but not when my brain is fried. That’s why I started writing fewer posts this month. I was on break sharpening my saw.

 

IMPORTANT and URGENT- These are tasks that need to be done. Otherwise, my world will be a total mess…

1.       Cleaning, organizing and classifying extra stuff to SELL, DONATE or GIVE, THROW or SAVE- I woke up the next day after not sleeping the two days prior and I felt LAZYYYY. It is only through tackling very important tasks that would give me energy, and cleaning is one. I am glad I did because I certainly discovered so many treasures:

 

a.       I found good old love letters that made me laugh, cry and certainly sparked that beautiful feeling of being loved once again.

b.      I found valuable gifts like books, homemade trinkets and photographs that made my kids scream with joy like they have discovered hidden treasures from a cave.

c.       I found time to bond with them as they settled, sometimes in reverie waiting for another treasure to behold.

d.      I found a more peaceful and breathable home as all the excess are either already given or waiting to be sold.

e.      I found real treasures as I will literally sell them on Craigslist soon.

f.        I found an excuse avoid shopping.

g.       I found this is the best way to pave the birthday of our Savior and to welcome the New Year!

2.       Fulfilling Christmas Family Traditions- I can imagine how disappointing it is for my kids if I have but forgotten to lighten the mood of our household with our good ‘ole Christmas festivities and traditions. In other words, I can’t just simply skip decorating the gingerbread house activity because quite honestly, having done so with them was my biggest de-stressor.  At first we planned on doing the 12 days of Christmas but since there are more than 12 days of December before Jesus’ birthday, we kind of stretch the activities for fill the days, repeating some activities twice or thrice. The opposite of so-heavy-to-be-accomplished-that- ultimately-give-us-more-stress-than-merriment…  these are my-kids-approved activities:

 

 1.) Decorating our store-bought ginger bread house

 

 

2) Reading Nativity books to each other

3.) Singing Christmas songs

4.) Christmas baking night (on weekends)

 5.) DIY craft night (on weekends)

 6.) Driving around town to see decorated houses

7.) A family walk in the park (weather permitting)

8.) Snow sledding then soup for warm fuzzies and tummies (weather permitting, again)

 9.) Random Act of Kindness

10.) Christmas movie and popcorn (on weekends)

11.) Watch Angelica’s Christmas concert

 12.) Midnight Mass 

 … Some books explained the legends behind a Christmas recipe of a 12^th-night cake. There must be a connection between that and the “12^th Day of Christmas” song. It was written that the Christmas cake is made from yeast, which according to legend is a gift of the Christ Child. The Holy family trying to escape from Herod’s soldiers knocked on the door of the woman who was kneading bread. The woman wrapped her child in her dough. When the soldiers burst into their house and searched for the Child, they were unable to find Him. After they left, the woman gave the Child back to His mother. Suddenly the dough began to rise, and there was no end to the amount of bread the woman could bake from it.

 

 

We established our Christmas family tradition based on practicality of time, money and ability. Time- if it consumes too much preparing the activity then it’s not practical. Money- of course, it has to be within budget. Ability- there’s no point in making intricate decors if the kids do not possess the ability to use the glue gun. By keeping everything simple, there’s more room for joy and laughter.

 

So go ahead and grab your family around the table and start making memories. This is the time to get busy for it… the spirit of Christmas is a time to get busy with the important people in our lives, not stuff that overwhelms us.

 

An Attitude of Gratitude Goes a Long Way

by Maria (Ehma) Porpio

Gratitude as perceived by the receiver:

After a long day of therapy and no sleep, Luke's weakness finally gave in. From having a difficulty transitioning to being sensitive to what triggers him, he then had a meltdown. It was already quite a battle to deal with this behavior at the comfort of our own domicile, let alone at the Therapy Center. His misery couldn't wait for us to even get to our truck. Others perhaps call it a struck of luck but I rather recognize it as a blessing when during his loud cries, hard kicks and seemingly helpless emotional decline, Dr Rydell, the owner of the Center led him to the floor to give him a massage and to aid him with the right breathing technique, without saying the words breathe in and breathe out. After only a couple of minutes, he calmed down and in front of me and the two therapists surrounding him, he said words we never expected he would say considering his prior tenor. He stood up and said, "Thank you, guys!" Those two simple words were positively unprecedented and there was not a dry eye in the house.

Gratitude as a blessing to the giver:

When I used to work for my dad, I had two different assignments for different reasons: one, as an Accounts Collector for clients whose debts are due and two, as Santa’s elf as I was tasked to deliver calendars, T-shirts and Christmas wishes to all loyal clients. Along with the latter is my opportunity to be able to deliver, aside from T-shirts and calendars, but also rice and canned goods to the outskirts of our city for our less fortunate neighbors.

The first job was the hardest and most draining of all as people tend to get defensive facing me with their rants and raves. Or worse, they fell into the cowardice to avoid me at all cost. Although, there were many I know who didn't wait for the end of the month to settle but there were also a handful clients who were unimaginably irresponsible. It is only during Christmas time when they opened their homes as the delivery of Christmas cheer was expected. These were the people who had no satisfaction as they long for more instead of feeling grateful for what they already had.

However, as I finalized my task, delivering goods to the outside community, I felt overwhelmingly blessed as I saw these less fortunate among us whom after receiving the packed rice and canned goods had the most genuine smiles and sincerest “THANK YOUs”. While the other group of people I mentioned above usually demanded for more, like a bigger calendar or more shirts, these poor community felt we gave them more than enough waving all the way until we couldn’t see them from afar. It was indeed heart-warming and until now, that memory still finds me blessed and compelled me to give not just abundantly, but also intentionally.

Treasure in intentional giving:

Dave Ramsey, one of my favorite authors of financial freedom and America’s trusted voice on money explained the value of purposeful giving very clearly. We are only stewards of God’s creation, including wealth. All our money are God’s; we are simply managers. Then if we have the knowledge that everything isn't ours, we will then manage whatever we have on our hands according to God’s plan. God’s plan doesn't include indulging the whims of the complainers because they can never be satisfied no matter how much you give them. They might perhaps need some enlightenment as opposed to money which will lead them to mismanagement and more sorrow since if they're not healthy to take charge of small amount, how much more if entrusted with abundance. God’s plan doesn't support the lazy so they don’t need to work. God is not happy when we give everything without knowing how His wealth was used, either for His glory or not.

Matthew 25:29-30

“For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (From the parable of talents)

That attitude of gratitude is a prerequisite to contentment. Only when we possess that ability can we feel we have more than enough because blessings outpour to anyone who has the trait of first, recognizing the gift. 

Make that attitude of gratitude go a long way:

The two virtues are indeed married to each other. It is also when we feel contentment that we are most grateful. When we don’t want anything else but feel we already have everything we need, that’s when we find ourselves the happiest. And because we have that overwhelming joy, we can hardly contain it, we are then compelled to give and give and give. It is only when we give that we find Christ within us. That's what the spirit of Christmas is all about.

         

My Frugal Finds to Fabulous Favors

It's beginning to feel and look a a lot like Christmas. In my household, preparations were set even before December started because I think there's no point on getting rushed for this most important celebration. After all, Christ is the reason for the season. 

We have done mostly DIY gifts. They don't cost so much. All of which average only to $5 or less but because they're all made with time, talent and much love, they are priceless:

1. GIVE-SAVE-SPEND Jars for 5-12 year olds-

The concept of teaching them how to manage their wealth at a very age is a gift for life.

2. Starter Emergency Fund for tweens- 

I found this idea on the internet and I can't begin to tell you how much I love it. It teaches older kids to keep an emergency fund and not rely on credit cards forever. Those old frames that has been collecting dust in your basement? Use those to for creative gifts like this:

3. Vanilla Sugar Scrub for awesome co-workers-

I found this recipe on Gooseberry Patch and made this last year to give to my friends. They love it. It leaves the skin so smooth and moisturized.

Recipe:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sweet almond oil ( I bought mine at Sprouts for $9.99 which I was able to make 5 jars out of it. So that leaves approximately only $2 for the cost)

2  vitamin E capsules ( I got mine in bulk from Sam's)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl combine sugar and oil. Cut capsules with scissors and empty their vitamin E oil into the mixture then discard capsule. Add vanilla and stir well.

4. Winter Survival Kits for visiting guests-

These are products of the Tin Can project we made a month ago. Here's the link to that:

http://treasuresinthemundane.blogspot.com/2014/10/diy-tin-can-project.html

In this beautiful tin crafts, I am then adding: Lip moisturizer, Hand lotion, Hot coco, etc for my loved ones to not only survive winter but cherish the season as well.

Love much,

Maria (Ehma) Porpio

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Tree Trimming or Tree Decorating?

A day after Thanksgiving is now an important part of our family. No, definitely not because of the Black Friday Event. In fact, this was how it became an essential component of our Holiday celebration in order for us to avoid the tendency to shop. If you read my previous post

http://treasuresinthemundane.blogspot.com/2014/11/caveat-emptor-let-buyer-beware.html

I shared some thoughts about not going with the crowd of eager bargain hunters during this time. We started a simple but meaningful family tradition of having a big deal on our Tree Trimming and gracing the occasion with a Hot Coco Fete. 

While everyone was busy, my daughter initiated a conversation which grew to be an interesting topic. Here's how it went:

Angelica: Mom, I think the "tree trimming" term originated a long time ago when nobody still thought of selling fake trees. They must be literally trimming their tree before decorating it.

Me: That is thought provoking but I'd still rather call it trimming than decorating.

Angelica: Why is that?

Me: Because, I like the thought of trimming the non-essentials to allow the more important things. That's why we started this tradition, anyway... Now clean up!

It was a very meaningful occasion for all four of us. 

It is a wonderful life!

May your days be merry and bright,

with love from all four of us!

Thanksgiving Greetings from the Modern Day Pilgrim

 

by Maria (Ehma) Porpio

Let us vicariously travel back in time during the 16th century when the pilgrims first celebrated Thanksgiving...

"It has been written that the first winter was devastating to the Pilgrims. The cold, snow and sleet was exceptionally heavy, interfering with the workers as they tried to construct their settlement. Then there was this Indian native named Squanto whose importance to the Pilgrims was enormous and it can be said that they would not have survived without his help. It was Squanto who taught the Pilgrims how to tap the maple trees for sap. He taught them which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal powers. He taught them how to plant the Indian corn by heaping the earth into low mounds with several seeds and fish in each mound. The decaying fish fertilized the corn. He also taught them to plant other crops with the corn.

The Pilgrims had much to celebrate, they had built homes in the wilderness, they had raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. They had beaten the odds and it was time to celebrate."

I had many Squantos in my life as an immigrant, a modern day pilgrim who endures the humble beginnings in this foreign land. And I never cease to praise our God for them every Thanksgiving...

There are my cousins and friends who adopted me to live with them and raised them as their own. They are the ones who put up with my immaturity and lack of better judgement. Without them, I would probably have died not like the lucky less than 50 pilgrims who survived the winter.

There's my ex-boyfriend then, now my husband who waited lengthy excruciating years to endure a long distance relationship. I lived through the cold winter nights with phone cards by my side as I was able to listen to his voice (the advent of Skype was still an impossibility then). Although uncertain about our future but for that moment, his promises kept me warm and company. 

During those moments, I have never given up hope. I have never let go of my faith in God. Those were in fact, the times when I felt Him closer to me than ever. 

For the million things to thank for, it would probably take a book to write not merely a half of everything. But most of it all, I thank God for breaking me so He can make me new again...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone... Don't forget to thank your Squantos!

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There is Random Act of Kindness in Intentional Money Management

Second Post for Thanksgiving Week
by Maria (Ehma) Porpio

A colony of ants gathers food for the rainy days after they have had enough to eat for that day. Even the smallest form of living creatures understands the concept of saving.

I have never seen an ant gather food alone. Have you? Whatever they earn, they pass on to the neighbors beside them. Whenever they see food, they let everybody know so everyone will do the job. Take note: Do the job, not let others do it. What a humbling lesson of hard work and giving, much more because they are from ants. I repeat, from ants. They are not even equal to humans.

But King Solomon, himself in all his wisdom and wealth never failed to appreciate the brilliance of ants. In Proverbs 6:6-8, he said:

“Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.”

I see how much my husband works. I witness how he pours love to us, his family no matter how much the pressure of responsibilities at work can consume his strength. I appreciate his willingness to smile despite the struggles of balancing a healthy lifestyle. That’s why it pains me to hear people say that he doesn’t give enough to the whims of others. There are purposes in the fruit of his hard work and they are prioritized accordingly. That’s when the, GIVE, SAVE and SPEND jars are filled to the brim. Any overflow is also allocated proportionately to where God intends to find meaning in our hearts.

In my previous blog

http://treasuresinthemundane.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-closer-look-to-our-familys-cash.html

I explained the percentage allocation in our household. Without this, we would not have known how much of the income we are saving. Are we saving enough or are we only hoarding? We are supposed to give at least 10% to the Church. Are we denying God of our promise to give back? Do we cater to our own craze that we can never have enough to save for rainy days?

Our household intends to continue budgeting, giving purpose to every purchase, having intentions of saving, so when we know that every penny has a goal, then we will have no problem giving abundantly. My fellow blogger and newfound friend, Jane posted an image on facebook. It says:

“You cannot give what you do not have.”

Then I remembered the quote I stumbled upon from the first female prime minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher who was also known as the “Iron Lady”.

"No one would have remembered the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions. He had money as well."

Simply put, if we manage our money well since money by itself cannot do the trade and cannot pay purchases, it has to be managed by someone holding the money then we will be able to live a truly rich life… a life without the headaches of where to find food for the next day… a life that is not a burden to any family member because one can take care of himself… a life that can truly give because there is no other purpose for that money but to enrich others as well.

I tell you, there is random act of kindness in intentional money management. And I am always moved by any kindness of anyway, shape, or form. There is so much truth is the saying, “No amount of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.” As I browsed the internet to see creative ways to show random act of kindness so I can plan to do 37 of them before I reach my 37th birthday, I feel some of the ways are already naturally expected of us. Smiling to strangers and offering to open doors for the person behind you are among a few and I might not put that on my list because they seem effortless. But offering coffee, buying groceries, sending money, volunteering to clean ovens and visiting a friend who lived miles away are some I am considering. However, all the ones I have chosen to do are not just seemingly impactful. In fact, they are seemingly impactful because they involve giving a portion of our hard-earned wealth.

Then it makes me feel truly rich and blessed to be able to afford to give, no matter how small!

I always tell my daughter to spread sunshine before she walks to the bus stop and when she replied, “Mom, there are people whom I am really having a hard time spreading my sunshine to.” Then I tell her they are the people who need it most.

There are plenty of people who need our kindness. Join with me on this crusade. Let us spread them. But first, let’s start from ourselves. Let us be intentional about our money, Loves!

Caveat Emptor (Let the Buyer Beware)

First post for Thanksgiving week
by Maria (Ehma) Porpio

As we approach one of the most celebrated Holidays of the year, Thanksgiving Day, my mind holds a race for the many things needed to accomplish. However, my heart calms me down in knowing I have more than a million blessings to be thankful for. There is no place for disquietude. So as I listened to the heart and sat down to intentionally resume blogging, I came upon several Black Friday Sale Events. A little click went a long way. Although no purchase was made but my precious time that was supposedly allotted for something more useful was spent… 3 hours was wasted… gone!

The advertisements were so enticing to pass by. I thought if I were the person I was before, less resistant to temptations, more likely to succumb to persuasions, I would probably end up shopping to my heart’ content this Black Friday and proceed to spending more than a hundred dollars plus shipping and tax. Now, our Budget states to only spend a hundred dollars for a week of groceries. If I spend our week of groceries and more for things that will eventually end up in the garage sale or donations bins, I will spend the next whole week lamenting for my bad behavior. If I think I can afford wear Prada and deprive my family of food and sustenance then honestly, there’s no way I can afford it.

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  1 Timothy 5:8.”

This Friday, while the shops will be crammed with eager bargain hunters, I think of staying home because it is our family tradition to put up a tree and have a hot coco party for the tree trimming. Not only that but Black Fridays just seem to leave a negative imprint on our family’s memories. I mean, literally.

Years ago, my husband and I tried to join the frenzy and prepared ourselves for the very early morning hustle and bustle. My plan was to get good deals on kids’ clothes while he targeted to procure a cheaper external hard drive. We both got what we wanted but not for long. I paid approximately $300 for clothing which the kids outgrow amazingly in less than 6 months. It seems like I bought more than they can wear within that duration. My husband, on the other hand celebrated the moment of owning a hard drive by trying to maximize the purchase. He stored all family photos, baby pictures and important documents on that drive that it became one of our priceless possessions. Then seasons passed, something happened to that storage material and we can hardly get somebody to fix it because it was an older version. Electronics upgrade faster than anyone’s pay raise. I wish all purchasers are warned:

Caveat Emptor! 

A warning that notifies a buyer that the goods he or she is buying are "as is," or subject to all defects.

Because when this is tagged on all merchandise, buyers will pause to think, “What could be the defects that can come with this item?” Perhaps, this should be thought of before even buying anything at all. If I spend my money on something, what harm or good does it bring me? Is it worth the price I paid?

Looking back, I think we were both able to get a good deal on both purchases. Don’t mind the half a thousand dollar loss but consider the experience. It taught us so much good. It made us try to avoid the Black Friday Events and has allowed us to bring forth our creativity: we now have a family tradition in place.

I am not advocating against Black Friday Sales but I’m definitely encouraging to start a cautious attitude when it comes to this. Caveat Emptor, here are my numbered thoughts on making our hard-earned dollars work for purchases we feel we need:

1. A $10 discount for a $50-purchase is a waste if the purchase is only worn once and ends up sold for $1 in garage sales.

2. Buy enough to last for a certain period of time. I usually give flexibility for kids’ sizes on clothing. My son is 5, so I bought some size 6 or 7.

3. Make wiggle room for kids’ preferences. One dress I thought would fit and look good on my daughter. After a month, it still hangs in her closet. She never really likes the material and ended up outgrowing it. That one was not her choice but mine. So when if I shop for clothes, I make sure I can return it if it doesn't work or better yet, bring them on some shopping spree but remind them of our financial limitations.

4. Keep the love of electronics at bay. You can never keep up. Like the experience we had above.

5. Always, always, always cultivate contentment! When I see ads for Black Friday, I also imagine our Tree Trimming Event that day. The joy to look forward to wanes the enthusiasm to shop.

We may never see the old photographs again as we still search for a fix on that broken external hard drive. But one thing is for sure, we will not ever hurry purchases again. If it takes for us to miss some bargains, who knows, we might find more helpful bargains and that is: never purchasing any at all. It is always good to be aware!

Now go let all your buyer loved ones beware!

...But I Sure Love My Tour Guide!

by an Autism mom

Maria (Ehma) Porpio

My sweet friend sent me a text today about Autism. It is a picture of a dad walking with his toddler daughter and the message goes like this: 

"Autism is a journey I didn't plan but I sure love my tour guide!"

I didn't wait any minute to text her back as I could not help laughing while my tears kept escaping. She made my day. What a blessing to have a friend like her!

Let me share with you images of my tour guide (during one of our family-pizza-making-night), who has not only showed me the way but helped grow tremendously as well:

Caught by the act... licking the remainder of the dough.

Our flattened pizza dough... Luke with his best sister ever!

Oh what fun to put cheese toppings!

Now finally, eating the fruit of their labor.

I am so loved by God because He gave me a son who taught me well. Autism is not something to be embarrassed about but a grace to be celebrated anytime we get the chance...