Give Everything a Place

If you don’t have a designated home for your stuff, it inevitably ends up scattered around the house. Organize each room in your home so everything has a place that makes sense. If you use something frequently, store it in a convenient spot — you’re more likely to put things away if it’s easy. Items that you use only a couple times a year can go in harder-to-reach places, such as in the attic or under the bed. Need more guidance to get your home organized? Family Handyman has eight organizing rules every home should follow.

Use Vertical Space

You already don’t have a lot of square footage in your home. And if you store stuff on the floor, you’ll shrink your home’s livable space even further. Instead of using horizontal space to store your stuff, look vertical. Narrow shelving units make great use of corners and other awkward spaces, floating shelves add storage without impacting your floor space, and hooks keep frequently used items in arm’s reach.

Add Built-In Storage

If you need to add a lot of storage, built-ins are your best bet. Built-ins like shelves and cabinets dramatically increase your home’s storage capacity without affecting its square footage. Built-ins are also ideal for utilizing dead spaces or adding storage in rooms where freestanding shelves look out of place, like the kitchen and bathroom. A cabinet maker is your best bet for custom built-ins that match your home’s design. You can find a cabinet maker in your area by scanning online reviews and using apps that connect you with local companies.

Buy Furniture That Does Double-Duty

If your bed and coffee table are just a bed and coffee table, you’re not making the most of your space. Rather than buying furniture that does one job, choose pieces that pull double-duty. Furniture with built-in storage is one space-saving option, but you can also buy couches that double as guest beds, turn a shelving unit into a stylish room divider, or use an end table to hide your cat’s litter box, which is always a good idea when you have guests over.

Maximize Closet Space

You’re not limited to the one rod and shelf that came standard in your closets. Increase your closet space by hanging a second rod, adding a second layer of shelving, or using the back of the door to hang small items. (Speaking of hanging stuff on doors, check out One Good Thing by Jillee’s ideas for back-of-door storage).

Keep Storage Areas Tidy with Containers

When you’re trying to store a lot in a small space, it doesn’t take long for your closets and cabinets to turn into a jumbled mess. Keep things organized and easy to find with storage containers. You can buy storage containers to fit every space and purpose, from your pantry and kitchen to your sock drawer.


When you don’t have a lot of space to work with, you have to be smart and crafty about how you use it. Otherwise, your cozy home ends up looking cramped — and no one wants that! Now that you’re armed with these space-savvy tips, you’re ready to start organizing your small home so it feels bigger than ever.

About the Author: Danny Knight

Danny is a dad living in Philadelphia. He enjoys DIY projects almost as much as raising his two children. He is the co-creator of FixItDads.com, which offers tips for home improvement projects.

1. Having your own privacy back

Imagine having a stranger live in your house 24-6 (because they have a day-off, of course!). Now imagine employing that stranger; ergo, it also means you need to act like a formal "boss" 24-6 in order to set boundaries (and also beget respect, because, honestly, you can't imagine just how rude yayas can be when they see you have your guard down).

It was so exhausting having to maintain a facade in front of our yaya back then, being careful with my actions so as not to give her a negative impression on us as employers. Most importantly, we had to be very careful with our valuables (i.e., money, cellphone, wallets, etc.) and not leave them just about anywhere in the house, so as not to tempt our employed housemate. 

Now that we don't have a yaya, we have the freedom to do anything we want—use the comfort room with the door open, leave our loose change wherever, and goof around whenever. It's really a good feeling to have your guard down in your own house!

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2. Bigger savings 

In the Philippines, the standard monthly wage for yayas and househelpers averages between 3,500 to 4,500php. For stay-in yayas, you also need to shoulder their basic toiletries, full meals, snacks, and to some employers, their cellphone load. Not to mention the electricity and water expenses, and mind you, yayas are not the best people to enlist in conserving electricity and water!

Since the time we were without a yaya, our grocery and overall household expenses dramatically decreased, allowing us to save as much as 4,000 to 5,000 a month!

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3. Less stress

The thing about yayas is that they're not very consistent and committed to their job. Gave them clear and simple instructions? They forget them about a minute after. Asked them to come home at a certain time after their day off? They arrive the day after, forcing you to leave from work or double the household chores. Told them specifically to be careful with some of your stuff? They break or damage it. 

What's more is that no amount of asking them nicely or giving them a decent lecture about taking responsibility would leave a lasting impression on them to teach a lesson. They commit the same mistakes again and again and again, which honestly stresses me out more than having to calm down a toddler with a tantrum.

Without a yaya to monitor, manage, and give constant instructions to, I find myself happier and less stressed. Of course, baby is also happier to see a happy mommy too!

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4. More control over household chores

As mentioned, yayas are not the most reliable persons. That's why when I leave instructions, it's almost always never followed, and you have to acquiesce to just letting them do their thing just so long as the job gets done.

Being a neat-freak parent, there are things I'd like to be done a certain way because (1) it's more efficient, (2) it leaves lesser mess, and (3) it's more practical (i.e., lesser time and electricity/water consumed). 

Now that we don't have a yaya, my husband and I have more control over our household chores, and that also includes controlling the amount of cooking oil, dishwashing liquid, condiments, laundry powder, etc., to use when cooking or cleaning the house—all of which equates to bigger savings and a more efficient household.

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5. Cleaner house and healthier baby

Both my husband and I are very particular with cleanliness and keeping things in order—the same with our one-year-old too, who of course follows by example. Honestly, yayas are not the neatest people in the world. They don't clean as they go, and they're not very mindful about hygiene (e.g., washing their hands after using the comfort room, keeping their hair to themselves and away from the food, cleaning their feet when entering a no-slippers room, etc.). 

Without the innate neatness and bodily hygiene, it can sometimes leave our household in a constant state of mess to which I have to repeatedly remind our yaya to please clean up, and worse, sometimes having the risk of our baby catching a cold or cough (or head lice!!!) from our yaya.

Now, we find our home a lot cleaner than we had a yaya. And because we have more control over how we do certain house chores, like sweeping and mopping the floor and cleaning the comfort room, the quality of cleanliness is ten times better than a hired help!

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1. Less "me" time for mommy and playtime with baby

With a full-time homebased job, a baby to take care of, and a household to maintain, you can just imagine how much time I have left for myself—none! 

I usually wake up early in the morning to have a good headstart with my job while my husband cooks all the food for the day. And when the baby is awake, we do everything together (eat and take a bath) to save time, which also means no "me" time for me.  And while I work, our little girl has to play by herself (hopefully without a tantrum) so that I complete my tasks, which I find quite sad and lonely for her not having a playmate.

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2. Double the work

Being a mother who stays at home and with an 8-hour job means double the work! Imagine having everything in one place: your home, your job, your responsibilities, all without breathing space. 

I am very lucky, however, to have a husband who knows how to cook, clean, do the laundry, and take care of our baby, so we both have an equal share of the household work. And we make it a point to have a few minutes to ourselves at night to recharge.

3. Overfatigue

With so much to do at home, an active toddler, and a full-time job? Exhaustion to a whole new level.

I'll leave it to that.

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4. No support at home

One of the good things of having a yaya, for me as a mom who stays at home, is that I have someone to talk to while my husband is at work. And of course, when our baby has accidents or is sick, I have someone to assist me.

Without a yaya, I only have Kitkit to talk to (who doesn't say much, actually, and when she does, I can't understand her), and I have to wait for 9 to 10 hours for my husband to arrive home and tell him all about our little (mis)adventures at home. It's lonely being at home 24-7 with just our baby to keep me company most of the time, and even with the presence of online friends, it's just not the same with face-to-face interaction (of which I have no time to do so).

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For now, we're perfectly fine without a yaya. And with the real estate investments we have, saving a significant amount of money at this time isn't so bad (in fact, it's great!). But sooner or later, we will opt to get a yaya again, especially if we're planning to have baby number 2 in a few years' time.

Do you have a "no yaya, no problem" story to share? I'd love to hear it! Share it in the comments below :-)

Article Written by Ashley Taylor

No matter the disability, people who have them have the fundamental right to create and maintain their own loving family. Yet parents with disabilities often face persistent, systemic, and pervasive discrimination. If you are one of these parents, it may help to know you are not alone. There are 4.1 million parents with disabilities in the United States. That means roughly 6.2 percent of all American parents have a developmental, psychiatric, sensory, or physical disability. 

Parenting with a disability is just like everything else in life — it just takes some basic preparations that address your specific needs to make it easier. The following home modifications make it easier for families to keep up with their busy lives while making their environment a safer place. While many of these updates are simple, they are not free. This can make things difficult for parents who are already living on a strained budget. Fortunately, there are various grants and programs available for Americans with disabilities who need to make home modifications, such as the following: 

• The US VA Specially Adapted Housing Grant and Special Housing Adaptation Grant 
• The Think Alive Achievement Grant 
• Rebuilding Together Americorps 
• The USDA Rural Housing Repair Loans and Grants Program 
• American Red Cross 
• The Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) 
• The Self-Sufficiency Grant from ModestNeeds.Org 
• The Individual Adaptive Equipment Grant from the Travis Roy Foundation 
• The Gary Sinise Foundation Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment (RISE) 
• The Assisted Living Conversion for Eligible Multifamily Housing Projects (ACLP) 
• The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks 
• Lions Clubs International 
• American Parkinson Disease Association 
• The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) 
• The National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification 
• The Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America (RESNA) Catalyst Project 

Installing grab bars in the bathroom can make mobility much easier for parents with physical disabilities. Grab bars come in different sizes, materials, colors, and finishes to suit your personal preferences. The important thing is installation. Screw them directly into wall studs to make sure they are sturdy and can support your weight. You can also mount them on acrylic or fiberglass tub surrounds by screwing clearance holes using a standard drill bit. For ceramic tile and tubs, use a masonry drill bit to screw clearance holes. There should be two grab bars by the toilet: one aligned parallel to the floor and about five or six inches above the toilet seat, and one perpendicular to the end of the horizontal bar. Stall showers should have a vertical bar just inside where the door closes, as well as a horizontal bar placed slightly above waist-high along the side wall. For shower and bathtub combos, the placement is similar, but the vertical bar needs to be installed opposite the faucet wall. 

You can’t always pay attention to where you’re going when you’re juggling a baby. Removing tripping hazards in the house can prevent serious injury around the home. If your home has worn carpet that’s peeling or fraying, it’s time to remove it and either replace it with new carpet or consider a hard flooring option. Make sure rugs do not pose a tripping hazard by securing them with tape or removing them altogether. Reduce clutter on the floors by adding more storage options around the house, with things like secret shelves and rolling bins, that you can easily push out of the way. 

You’d be surprised at how things you used to find simple suddenly become complicated when you are a parent. Beat parental brain fog and fatigue by labeling common items you need with textured tape or braille if you’re visually impaired. This can make things such as meal preparations easier and faster, as you don’t have to go crazy looking for the right item. 

Parenting is a wonderful journey full of surprises—but those surprises don’t have to be accidents due to a disability. You can make your home safer with simple modifications that ease mobility and make daily duties more convenient. From adding grab bars to the bathroom to labeling food in the kitchen, it’s the little things that can give you an edge as a parent living with a disability.

About the Author: Ashley Taylor

Few situations are more stressful and frustrating than having a car full of screaming children on a long road trip. To most, just the thought of having to travel any amount of distance with a troublesome child can cause them to cringe. Not only is this frustrating, but it’s also dangerous due to the distraction the child may cause while you’re driving. 

Kids seem to engage in a wide variety of activities as part of their regular play. However, did you know that hobbies can help kids improve their fine motor skills and cognitive abilities? Not only that, but hobbies are great for developing creativity and socialization skills. There are endless hobbies your child can discover, so you’re bound to find one that they can be passionate about. 

Learning music can actually help your child perform better in school. By exercising their ability to recognize sounds, music increases children's language development skills. Music also helps with pattern recognition which can be beneficial in mathematics. Plus, the challenges involved in learning an instrument are a wonderful way to teach patience and self-discipline to any kid. Help your kid get started by bringing them to a music store and letting them try out different instruments. If your school has an extracurricular band program or after-school music lessons, make sure you take advantage of these. 

Many people grow up without learning how to cook. Don't let your child be one of them! Getting kids involved in the kitchen is one of the best ways to teach them about nutrition and give them a deeper appreciation for the food they eat. Plus, following recipes can help boost their math skills as they connect concepts learned in school to practical applications. Encourage your children to help you with dinner prep, or get them involved in shopping. Perhaps they’ll even end up making meals for you one day! 

Kids love to collect things such as coins, rocks, buttons, and stamps. Although these collections may seem a bit silly, they can actually help your child learn about the world around them. For example, finding unique rocks while camping or hiking can teach kids about the various types of minerals and natural formations. If your child is interested, purchase a mineral book and a magnifying glass so they can examine their specimens closely. Help them label their rocks and store them neatly so they remember where they picked them up. 

Backyard astronomy is a great way to get your kids outdoors and thinking about their place in the world. While examining the stars, kids like to contemplate the nature of the universe, how the world started, and what possibilities exist in space. These questions can get them excited about a career in science! Backyard astronomy is also a great way to spend time with your child while you learn something for yourself. 

Sky and Telescope recommends starting out with a simple pair of binoculars before buying a more expensive and sophisticated telescope for your child. Then, grab some astronomy books from your library or print out maps of your local sky from the internet so you can identify star clusters and constellations. 

Setting up little science experiments is tons of fun for children and parents alike. You'd be surprised by the number of fun experiments you can conduct in your own home with household materials. For example, this rainbow magic milk experiment is a simple way to help kids learn about the interaction between soap and fat molecules. Before you conduct an experiment, let your child consider what might happen based on their knowledge of how various substances react. These fun activities can spark a long-lasting interest in chemistry, biology, and physics. 

Importantly, make sure you create an environment for your kids that allows them to pursue their interests. Remember that they may require lessons, certain supplies, or educational materials to get started. You can even set up a special hobby area where your kid can paint, read, write, or practice music without distraction. Finally, take the time to participate in their hobby, whether that means helping them out or encouraging them to stick with it. 

About the Author: Maria Cannon

Maria Cannon believes we’re never too young to dedicate ourselves to a hobby. She created HobbyJr to encourage young people to find a hobby they love. Maria has suffered from depression and anxiety for years. Her hobbies—gardening, quilting, sewing, and knitting—play a major role in maintaining her mental health.

Being a first-time parent is both an exciting and daunting experience. Believe me, my anxiety before I gave birth was nothing compared to the anxiety I felt the moment I first held our baby—it was crippling to the point of me thinking everything I was doing was wrong.

However, the beauty of parenthood is that, despite the lack of a step-by-step user manual on how to care for a little human, somehow, our intuition takes over the initial anxiety and points us to the best direction. Every new parent should know that there is no perfect way to care for a baby—every baby is different, thus, their needs and the way they respond to your care is different too.

To help you ease out the newborn-stage anxiety, here are some newborn baby care tips for new moms and dads. 

This is the second part of the Newborn Care Tips series. In the first part, we talked about newborn baby care tips on sleeping, feeding/breastfeeding, and diaper changing. If you want to know more about the aforementioned topics, head on to Newborn Baby Care Tips for New Moms and Dads (Part 1).

Here, we'll talk about bathing a newborn baby, caring for the cord stump, and soothing a fussy and crying baby.

While most WAHMs are at their wit's end almost every day, it's not entirely impossible to be on top of things, or even just be able to go through the day without missing a single task. All it takes is effective time management. 

Here are five practical time management tips for the busy work-at-home mom:

As a mother, you always need to be at your best as much as possible in order to care for your family. When you're breastfeeding, the motivation to stay healthy for the sake of your baby is much more pertinent. 

However, at some point in your breastfeeding journey, it's not impossible to fall ill—whether it's just a simple cold or something more severe. And when a breastfeeding mother gets sick, one question plagues us: Should I continue breastfeeding my baby? 

The simple answer is, it depends. Studies have shown that very few illnesses require a lactating mom to stop. However, considerations must be taken into account when medications are involved.

So what should breastfeeding mothers do when you get sick? Here are tips on how to manage your sickness while you're breastfeeding, and to determine whether it's safe to breastfeed while on medication.

Children can enhance their education, fitness, and coordination through outdoor play. A world of discovery and activity is just beyond our back doors. Children on the autism spectrum often respond well to the type of experiential learning that being outdoors offers. Rather than learning through a lecture or reading, kids can learn by doing. Science, art, and other subjects become easier to understand when placed in front of children to touch and experience. 

Here are some exciting backyard learning activities that are beneficial for children with autism, and some tips on how to ensure safe backyard fun:

1. Learning through nature. Set up a discovery pit for your child that will incorporate tactile learning. All this requires is setting aside an area that can be used for scientific discovery and learning about leaves, plants, insects, and rocks.
2. Movement. The outdoors allows you to expand your child’s ability to run, play, and have fun. It may be easier to develop coordination in an outdoor environment.
3. Changing up regular lessons. Try taking a normal learning activity, such as reading or doing any lesson that would usually be classroom based, and bring it outside.
4. Relaxed observation. Spread out a big blanket, lie on your backs, and observe the sky. Watch for airplanes and birds and test creative thinking by making pictures out of the clouds.
5. Treasure hunt. Make a list of natural things in your backyard, such as flowers, tree bark, dirt, grass, and leaves. Send your child off on a scavenger hunt within some defined borders. This activity will develop identification and memory skills while also teaching about limits, boundaries, and rules.
6. Traditional games. Take playtime to the driveway and use chalk to make a hopscotch board. Have a sidewalk chalk art show. Back in the yard, encourage a safe game of hide-and-seek.
7. Follow the leader. This game develops motor and social skills by encouraging interaction and mimicking play. Appoint someone to be the leader of the group, who then can do random activities in the backyard. Be sure to set some ground rules first, such as not having an older child lead a younger child to do unsafe physical movements.

Although children can learn much from their interactions outdoors, parents should be cautious of potential hazards that pose risks to children. Tools, chemicals, and other outdoor hazards should be off-limits, and play areas should be kept slip free and free from accident-causing clutter. While securing potentially dangerous areas is important, so too is creating safety plans and instructing your children about barriers and appropriate outdoor behavior.

Since some children on the autism spectrum can wander if not closely monitored, backyard pool safety is especially important. Besides ensuring that your child has basic swimming skills, there are other safety precautions to take. For example, parents can secure a pool gate and only allow access to the pool area when an adult is present. Other safety measures include using a pool alarm, which triggers an audible sound when the surface of the pool water is disturbed. Similar alarms are available for the gate to the pool, and it’s recommended that parents install both to add extra layers of protection.

Through interacting with nature in the backyard, children on the autism spectrum can develop skills and enhance their learning. In addition to gaining knowledge about plants and animal life, they will develop coordination and social skills, too. The outdoors also offers an opportunity to learn and practice new rules, which can prepare your child for school and other activities outside of the home.

May—A very special month for our little family, as it marks the birth of our precious daughter. To celebrate her first birthday, I'm sharing our birth story. It's truly a wonderful memory to reminisce, one that I never wish to forget. So here it goes:

It was a sleepy afternoon at the office on May 10. I was working on some last-minute edits on my writing project, trying hard to concentrate while the contractions came and go. The contractions had been kicking in since early that morning, at 15- to 30-minute intervals, until it got closer and much more pronounced as the sun started to set.

I already informed my manager that I might not be able to come in the next day. I was not due until May 26, but the past days, I have an inkling that my baby might come sooner than expected. As my shift ended later that day, I've already texted my husband, my OB, and the rest of my family that D-day is near: our little girl is coming.

Despite the 10-minute contractions, I still had time to eat dinner, go back to the office to get my slippers, walk around IT Park, and wait for my husband outside my office while he took a dump (I know). 

Admitted

By 8:00 PM, Jerome and I arrived at the Perpetual Succour Hospital with my hospital bag in tow. My then-pregnant sister and her husband were already there, busily prepping me on what to do next. It was my first baby, so I didn't have a clue on where to go and what to do next. As the nurse helped me to lie down on the gurney, I asked him if I could just walk to the Delivery Room instead. The nurse, bemused, told me I couldn't for safety reasons.

As we approached the door to the Delivery Room, I took off my jewelry and wedding ring as I hurriedly kissed and hugged Jerome. He was visibly tense and nervous. I was too, and I wished he could go inside the DR with me, but sadly he couldn't (hospital protocol).

Jerome waiting for me outside the Delivery Room

I was still 2 cm dilated, but the baby's head was already engaged. The resident doctor gave me the option to go home for the night and wait it out, or have myself admitted to the hospital for monitoring. I went for the latter option; I had a strong intuition that my labor will progress between the wee hours in the morning, and we lived a considerable distance from the hospital.

Labor Room

At around 11:00 PM, I started getting bored and hungry. I was the only patient in the Labor Room and was strapped to the non-stress test machine all night, which meant I couldn't walk around freely. I wasn't allowed to bring any personal items, even my phone, but I took the risk and asked the doctor if I could read a book. Surprisingly, she said yes. I asked her to get my book from my husband, and for a few snacks and some water too.

By around 1:00 to 2:00 AM, my contractions became more regular and more painful. With every strong contraction that came, Romans 8:18 was on loop in my head:

The pain that you've been feeling can't compare to the joy that's coming.

I read my borrowed copy of Lisa, Bright and Dark while the resident doctors slept, all the while wondering what Jerome and my sisters were doing outside while waiting for me. I munched on the cookies and brownies that Jerome gave me. It was a long, long night, and all I could do was wait, read, and eat.

My family waiting for me at the hospital room while I was in labor

Occasionally, I unstrapped myself from the non-stress test machine on my own so that I could go to the comfort room to relieve myself, and then strapped myself back again, confident that I did it correctly because I watched the doctor closely earlier that evening.

Come morning, I was half-expecting I was already in active labor, but to everyone's dismay, I was still 3 cm dilated. I worried that I might be put under the knife, considering how slow my labor was progressing. More patients started coming in at 8:00 AM. By 11:00 AM, there were already four of us in the labor room, and doctors from the Cebu Institute of Medicine relieved the night doctors. It was also by then that my OB decided to artificially induce my labor with oxytocin.

Induced

By noon on May 11, an hour after the induction, all hell broke loose. I was in terrible pain. I could't bring myself to eat, my book and cookies forgotten at the bedside table. I couldn't think straight. I begged for the doctor beside me to lower the dose or to get me an epidural. I never knew induction could be this painful.

"Ma'am, naa pa'y mas-sakit ana. Three cm pa ka (Ma'am, the pain will be worse than that. You're still at three cm)," the doctor said, attempting to soothe me.

Yeah right, I thought sarcastically. I was positive I was more than 3 cm dilated at that point, but I was too much in pain to retaliate.

I was mostly ignored after that, and they transferred the non-stress test machine to the new patient beside me, so my contractions weren't monitored anymore. I cried silently as the contractions became stronger and more frequent. It seemed that I only had a few minutes' respite before the contractions came again, more painful than the one before. I couldn't resist the urge to push; it was like my body unconsciously telling me what to do.

Finally

By 2:00 PM, a resident doctor finally checked on me. As her gloved fingers hovered near my opening, about to perform an internal examination, my water broke in a large gush. Just like that.

It was a blur of harried activity after that: The resident doctor supporting my opening as my baby's head crowned; the other doctors frantically calling my OB, who was thankfully only a few minutes away from the Delivery Room; the nurses and hospital staff preparing the Delivery Room; the orderly ushering me to sit on a wheelchair to be transferred to the DR; the nurse supporting me as I mounted myself on the delivery bed; my OB running, her heels loud on the tiled floor.

"Okay, Kris," my OB said. "Hold the rails beside you, pull your body up, and look at me. Push!"

I did as I was told, took a deep breath, and pushed.

In a split second, I heard my baby cry. A cry so loud and determined, I couldn't believe my ears that she's finally here.

At 2:15 PM on May 11, Juliana Kate was born.

Our little girl, born 5 lbs 6 oz in just one giant push!

All the pain, fear, and anxiety I felt during pregnancy and labor vanished the very second I heard her strong cry—her first breath.

After she was cleaned up, she was brought to me by the midwife. The first thing I said was her nickname that we fondly started calling her even before she was born: Kitkit.

The moment I said her name, her tiny eyes fluttered and stared back at me. She had a curious expression on her face, and when our eyes met for the first time, my heart melted.

They say motherhood is a calling. I never knew what I wanted more in my life until that very day, the day I had Kitkit. It was then that I knew that being her mother and being Jerome's wife was what I was made to do. And there's no greater joy than that.

The proud daddy

Exhausted but utterly happy

Our first morning together as a family

Here she is, our little girl. So perfect and pure.

Everyone seems to talk about postpartum depression (PPD). There are myriads of reference articles, research, and support groups available for PPD, but prenatal depression seems to be swept under the rug.

Prenatal depression, antenatal depression, or simply depression during pregnancy is a real thing. Often, people discount the feeling as something "normal" and "expected" during pregnancy, what with all the hormones and bodily changes a woman goes through.

But the truth is, being depressed during pregnancy is not normal nor expected, just like how being clinically depressed isn't normal for non-pregnant people.

Here are some useful information on what you need to know regarding prenatal depression and some practical tips on how to cope with depression during pregnancy—coming from someone who also struggled with prenatal depression.

The birth of a baby is a momentous event for any parent. And with every new addition to the family comes the gruelling process of updating your government papers. Some government offices require an NSO copy of your baby's Birth Certificate when processing requests. This is why getting an NSO copy is important.

After giving birth, the first document provided to you is the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) copy of your baby's Birth Certificate. This is available 15 working days after the date of registration, but it takes about 6 months to 1 year for the NSO Birth Certificate to be available.

DISCLAIMER: I am not an employee of PSA/NSO nor an agency. I am a blogger who is only writing my experience. Please take time to READ the entire article; all the necessary information are here. If some information are not stated here, please contact your nearest PSA/NSO office.

Here's how to get your baby's NSO Birth Certificate fast in just 1 month through electronic endorsement:

The moment you have kids, your life as a woman drastically changes. Every decision you make is all about your family's welfare: your husband, your children, your home life. For some moms like me, your career takes on the backseat as you put your family's needs first. 

The first thing that comes into mind when a mother stops working from her corporate job is, can we afford to live on just one income?

The short and practical answer is probably no, because life in general nowadays is expensive. Which is why getting an online job is a very likely option for many moms who decide to stay at home.

Last year in mid-2017, I gave birth to our first baby and transitioned from being an office worker to a work-at-home mom. It's the best decision I've ever made, but if truth be told, it wasn't a decision we took lightly. It took us months to finally make the big leap of becoming a full-time work-at-home mom.

To help you gain some perspective on your decision, here are 5 things to consider before deciding to quit your corporate job and become a work-at-home mom:

Weddings are every bit as magical as any fairy tale. Little girls often dream of having their dream wedding, with fairy lights and beautiful gowns and pretty flowers. I know I did.

But every future bride knows (at some point or another) that as much as we want our wedding day to be perfectly magical, the planning phase is almost always like walking through hell and back. Especially on such a tight schedule and a limited budget.

When we got married last year in 2017, we only had 5 months to prepare. With a baby on the way, we didn't have the luxury to have a huge budget for our wedding, nor the time (and mobility) to run errands for the wedding preparations. But that didn't stop us from having our dream wedding.

That's when we stumbled upon Vangail's Perfect Union, an events coordination shop that's based in Cebu City. For less than 200,000php, we had our dream wedding!

It was a windy morning on the fourth day of January. I stood alone in front of the entrance of the church, the large wooden door closed. I was wearing a long white gown, my veil softly swaying as the wind carried the delicate fabric to its gentle wings. All I could hear was the muffled sound of the wedding march on the other side of the door and my own beating heart.

It was the day—the day I'll change my name and become his forever.