HOMESCHOOLING Archives - Truly Rich and Blessed

Come Join Us at the +JMJ+ Catholic Homeschoolers Summit!

November 2, 2018 by Tina Leave a Comment

As you may have noticed, I have been quite silent here on the blog. If you’re following me on or , you’d know that I gave birth prematurely after a few more-than-the-usual-busy months of easing back into my usual routine (as I mentioned here, I was previously on bedrest). I was juggling family life, work, ~~trying to homeschool~~ homeschooling the kids, service, and preparations for the Philippine Homeschool Convention. All by God’s grace alone, of course!

So anyway, I gave birth almost a month before it was safe for our baby to come out (34 weeks) and it’s been a whirlwind of so many ups and downs and roundabouts since then…. so for those of you who have been praying for our family, THANK YOU SO MUCH! We praise God for you.

But this post is not about that. So I’ll just get to the point before the baby wakes up!

Calling all Catholic homeschoolers!

On behalf of our homeschool support group, ROCKERS Philippines, I’d like to invite you to the +JMJ+ Catholic Homeschoolers Summit happening on Monday Nov. 26, 10.30am-4.30pm, at the Feast Ortigas-Galleria Center, Lower Level, Robinsons Galleria.

ROCKERS stands for Roman Catholics Keeping Education Real, and +JMJ+ stands for Jesus, Mary, Joseph. 😊

What is the Catholic Homeschoolers Summit?

To clarify, the Summit is NOT the equivalent of a homeschool conference like the Philippine Homeschool Convention, so it’s NOT an event that will give you the basics about how to homeschool or share tips on how to homeschool your kids. There will be NO talks like Homeschool 101, How to Homeschool Multiple Grade Levels, and the like.

Instead, the Summit is mainly an inspirational event aimed to “renew” and “refresh” the hearts and spirits of Catholics who are already homeschooling or have previously homeschooled their kids. We are also open to those who are exploring or curious about homeschooling, of course! (But if you’re a Catholic parent who believes that conventional brick-and-mortar schooling is the way to go for your family and want to attend the Summit, you’re most welcome too!)

So, why call it a “Summit” then?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “Summit” as:
: the highest point of a mountain : the top of a mountain
: the highest level
: a meeting or series of meetings between the leaders of two or more governments

As Catholic parents and/or homeschoolers, God has chosen us to be the “leaders” of our families. It is only right then that we gather together in a recollection/retreat type of activity, where we can be reminded that +JMJ+ i.e. the Holy Family is our guide and model when it comes to raising and teaching our kids. 🙏🏻

Also, Jesus Himself also regularly took time out of His busy schedule to pray on the top of a mountain… on a “summit.”

So, in this case, the Summit will be a “place” of prayer, not just an event. (At least, that is our hope!) 🙏🏻

Included in our lineup of speakers are former homeschoolers Chris and Linda Padgett from the US, who are the founders of Catholic Family & Marriage. They will be coming to the Philippines for the Kerygma Conference, and graciously said “yes”to speaking at the Summit!

The Padgetts! I heard Chris speak at the Kerygma Conference last year, and he and his family are such an inspiration!

Stay tuned for further announcements about our other speakers! So exciting! 🎉 We will also be releasing the detailed program soon, hopefully by next week. (UPDATED: You can find the program and below are the posters of all our speakers and sharers!!! Praise God!!!)

Summit fees

The Summit registration fee of P800 per person will cover the usual costs when it comes to events like this: venue rental, speakers-related expenses, and other miscellaneous expenses. If you’ll be attending the Summit with your spouse, you may avail of the Couple’s Rate of P1400.

As our way of giving back, a percentage of the total fees collected will go to Tahanan ng Pagmamahal Children’s Home, which provides care, shelter, and education to orphaned, abandoned, and neglected children who—without any intervention—usually end up as scavengers, thieves, and prostitutes. 🙏🏻

Are kids allowed to join the Summit?

Due to venue constraints, there will be NO separate activities for kids. So if you can get someone to watch your kid/s for the day, I would strongly recommend it!

If, however, you have no other choice but to bring them, you may do so but please do be mindful of the other participants’ desire to focus on the talks at the Summit. Kindly e-mail me at if you have a concern with this. (I totally get you, since we don’t have a yaya/helper and rely heavily on extended family’s availability to babysit!)

Does the registration fee cover lunch?

As indicated above, the registration fee mainly covers Summit-related expenses. Thankfully, there are many dining options within Robinsons Galleria. You may also opt to bring your own lunch to eat at the venue.

How can people register for the Summit?

Since I usually have my hands full with our baby these days, I have asked my fellow homeschoolers, ROCKERS members, and dear friends from The Learning Basket (TLB) for help with the registration for the Summit. Just click here to go to the online registration form on the TLB website! 🙂

Do you have any other questions?

Please feel free to e-mail me at if you have any questions, or text/Viber me at , or PM me on Facebook via the or on my personal account if we’re FB friends. 😉

Hope to see you on Nov. 26! Whether or not you can make it, please please please please do include the Summit and everyone involved in your prayers. Please?

Thanks, dear reader, for reading this post till the end. God bless always!🙏🏻

How to Celebrate the Holy Name of Jesus

January 13, 2017 by Tina

In the Catholic Church, the month of January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. It is a time for us to be reminded of the power of Jesus’ name, and to celebrate being called to be God’s children.

If you are looking for ways to celebrate the Holy Name of Jesus this month (and beyond, if you like), here are a few things you can do (we plan to do this, too, as part of #LiturgicalLiving and homeschooling):

1. Learn more about why January is celebrated as the Month of the Holy Name of Jesus.

You can do this just by checking out CatholicCulture.org. It explains the history of the feast (Jan. 3), and the monogram for the Holy Name.

2. Watch a video about the Holy Name of Jesus.

I found one on YouTube.com, and am sharing it here:

3. Sing a song about the Holy Name of Jesus.

I don’t remember where or when I first learned this song but when I tried thinking of songs that spoke about Jesus’ Holy and Mighty Name, it was the first that came to mind.

I found this other song, too — a beautiful hymn that I hope we can memorize as a family. It’s usually sung during Eucharistic Adoration, so I think it’s perfect for us to learn it together since we hope to go to Adoration regularly as a family this year:

4. Pray the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.

Admittedly, we have never prayed this before so I think this month would be a great time to do so. I tried looking for a video that can best guide us and this is the best I could find:

The ambitious-Catholic-homeschooling-mama in me wants to teach the kids the version sung in Latin below but I don’t think it will be possible, ha, ha!

5. Make a Holy Name of Jesus craft.

If you have younger kids in your family (not necessarily your own kids but even your nieces, nephews, etc.), you might want to try making a Holy Name of Jesus craft or two during this month. Here are a few sites that can help you do so:

– Catholic Mom

– Dawn at Home

– Real Life at Home (Coloring pages)

After reading through this list and doing a few (or all!) of our suggested activities, and you find yourself clamoring for even more ideas for celebrating the Holy Name of Jesus, you may want to check out Jen of Happy Little Homemaker’s post here.

Whatever you choose to do though, I pray that you will never, ever forget how powerful Jesus’ name is. I also pray that you will always remember how #TrulyRichandBlessed you are because God has YOUR name carved in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16)!

And if you have a friend or family member whom you think will be blessed by this article, please feel free to share it with them. God bless you!

How to Celebrate the Immaculate Conception with Your Family

December 7, 2016 by Tina

It’s the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 (tomorrow!) so I thought I would share some ideas on how you can celebrate it with your loved ones.

1. Go to Mass.

December 8 is a holy day of obligation so we Catholics are required to go to Holy Mass. More than fulfilling an obligation or requirement though, let’s attend Mass in joyful thanksgiving for the gift Mama Mary is to us. Without her and her role in Jesus’ life, we Catholics would not be where we are today. There would not even be a Catholic Church if Mary had not been in the picture.

2. Pray the Rosary together.

The Rosary is a powerful, beautiful prayer which can bless our families in so many ways. It has been known to even help armies conquer their enemies in battle! And remember, the family that prays together, stays together! 😉

3. Sing a Marian hymn.

We learned a Marian hymn recently as part of the kids’ homeschool lessons and plan to learn some more. “Immaculate Mother” would be an appropriate song to sing on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, don’t you think? Here’s a video with lyrics that you can use:

4. Make an Immaculate Conception craft.

This need not be a complicated thing nor a big production. (I am not a “crafty” mom myself, so don’t be pressured in any way to do this!) You can actually just have kids . If you’re up to doing something “more,” you can also try this craft from . Or you might even want to try making a Mary candle.

5. Watch a video.

You can try searching the Internet for videos that explain the Immaculate Conception, depending on the ages of the kids in your family. Here is one where a priest explains it:

And another one by Ascension Press that gives us a peek into the home of Mary:

Since our kids are still young, we will also be watching “Bernadette: Princess of Lourdes” by CCC of America. I was able to buy a DVD copy of it at St. Paul’s a few years ago. Below is a scene from the video:

6. Read about the Immaculate Conception.

Although the Immaculate Conception is not mentioned explicitly in the Bible, we Catholics firmly believe in this dogma. Use this article from Catholic Answers as a reference or reading material for the whole family, to learn more about the Immaculate Conception.

Besides doing all (hopefully!) of the activities mentioned above, our family will also be participating in our homeschool group’s Advent outreach activity tomorrow for the elderly priests at the Jesuit Health and Wellness Center. We hope that this will be a memorable way to celebrate our Blessed Mother’s feast day!

We hope that you find this post useful even if you’re not a parent yet — #LiturgicalLiving is something you can do even if you’re still single, or are married but don’t have kids yet. 😉

From our family to yours, we wish you a most blessed Feast of the Immaculate Conception in advance! 🙂

If you found this post useful, please feel free to share it with others. Thank you and God bless!

Last-Minute, Easy Saint Costume Ideas for Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve) and All Saints’ Day

October 27, 2016 by Tina

Source: Pixabay.com

Our family doesn’t really “do” Halloween — at least not in the way modern society does it these days, with all the gory and ghoulish-themed events and parties. I have written several times about why this is so but if you want to read just ONE of my posts, please read this one. You should also read this piece on Catholic Culture about family celebration ideas for Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

Having said that, I don’t judge parents who let their kids dress up as ghouls or goblins or axe murderers and the like on Halloween, but I would encourage them to really think twice about it. I mean, wouldn’t it be much better (and such a great witness too!) if we dressed up our kids — and ourselves, if you’re inclined to wearing costumes on Halloween — as saints and/or Bible characters? That way, you’d be hitting two birds with one stone: (1) You’d be keeping the “hallow” in Halloween, and (2) You’d be encouraging your kids and other people to focus on the saints, whom we celebrate on All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1.

Original image courtesy of Catholic Filipino Academy

The concept of saint costumes may sound elaborate or difficult to parents though; hence, this post. As a parent whose kids have been dressed as saints for the past few years, I would just like to share a few last-minute, easy saint costume ideas. I can’t sew nor do I consider myself a “crafty” mom, so easy costumes are the way to go for me! 😉

FOR GIRLS

1. Queen/princess costume (store-bought or DIY: long dress, cape or cloak, crown): Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (carry a basket of bread and roses, if possible), Saint Isabella of Portugal, Saint Margaret of Scotland, Saint Helena (carry a cross)

2. Doctor costume (store-bought or DIY: white coat or oversized polo that resembles a coat {or just wear a white blouse}, toy stethoscope): Saint Gianna Beretta Molla (carry a baby doll, if possible)

3. Maid costume (simple dress, apron if you have one, scarf over hair): Saint Zita (carry a broom or duster)

4. White dress and white veil: Blessed Imelda Lambertini (patroness of first holy communicants)

5. White dress and angel wings plus halo (we bought a set from a toy store): Guardian angel

FOR BOYS

1. King/prince costume (store-bought or DIY): Saint Constantine, Saint Wenceslaus, Saint Edward

2. Knight costume (store-bought or DIY): Saint George, Saint Michael the Archangel (add angel wings)

3. Camisa de chino and black or brown pants: Saint Lorenzo Ruiz (carry a rosary), Saint Pedro Calungsod (carry a palm leaf). If you don’t have a camisa, any round-neck plain white shirt will do)

4. Long-sleeved white shirt (polo shirt if possible) and blue jeans: Newly-canonized Saint Jose Sanchez Del Rio (carry a palm leaf if possible).

Source.

5. Formal-looking jacket, bow tie, black pants or school uniform with bow tie (easily found in department stores): Saint Dominic Savio

If you need more ideas for saint costumes, check out and Catholic All Year, plus Catholic Mom’s article about saint costumes especially for kids whose moms don’t sew (the aforementioned are three of my go-to sites for ideas on “Catholicizing” everything, plus liturgical living!).

Last tip: DON’T PANIC if your kids’ saint costumes are not as elaborate as other kids’ — just remember, the main point is to dress them up in such a way that will let others know about Jesus (or at least get curious as to who the kids are dressed up as and why)! If you want, you can also have the kids wear “sashes” (for lack of a better term) that say who they’re dressed up as. Have fun, and Happy Halloween / All Hallows’ Eve in advance! 🙂

Did you find this article helpful? Please feel free to share it with others!

3 Ways to Encourage Literacy at Home

August 31, 2016 by Tina

In one of my earlier posts, I wrote about the importance of encouraging kids — and even adults — to write. Writing actually comes hand in hand with reading, and literacy is something that is close to my heart as an intentional parent and a homeschooling mom.

Sadly though, with today’s high-tech gadgets and society’s seemingly endless need for fast-paced, immediate entertainment, good old-fashioned reading and literacy-related activities may seem “boring” to some people. This should not be the case — especially if you are a parent.

Thankfully, there are many ways we can encourage literacy at home. Here are just three of them:

1. Be mindful of how we spend our time with our kids.

The writer of this helpful article on EducAsian Learning’s website, Barbara Kitane-Boero, hit the nail right on the head when she wrote:

As parents, while being light, we need to be intentional.

Experts would recommend that all it takes is to have the time and mindfulness to view each time spent with children to be a teaching moment.

No matter what time of day it is, when you (we!) are with your kids, be all there. And take that opportunity to encourage literacy as well. As Kitane-Boero writes: Let us promote “literacy with the purpose of lifelong learning, a perspective that is local and global, and a sensitivity that extends beyond the self and family.”

We can do this by taking the time to read books to and with our children, no matter what age they may be. Reading aloud to our kids — even if it is just for 20 minutes a day — has many benefits.

2. Use books as discussion starters.

I personally love it when we are able to use books — good books — as a way to engage with our kids. Kitane-Boero of EducAsian Learning agrees too.

“Good children books are really good conversation starters especially when we are aware of the specific issues we would like to have a dialogue with,” she writes in her article. “It does not put children on defense; it makes them reflect on their own situations, which then facilitates joint or independent problem solving.”

Some of the books we have used as discussion starters are the children’s Bibles we have at home, plus books with specific themes like death, pregnancy, sickness, etc.

3. Keep a home library.

Whether you live in a small, rented, old apartment like we do, or a big, airy house, having a library will do wonders in encouraging literacy in your home. You need not have thousands of books in your home library, of course — the key is to select quality books that have passed the test of time and are recommended by generations of readers before us, though there are newer titles that are worth collecting as well.

Browse through different booklists or head on over to curated bookshops like The Learning Basket to get started on — or add to — your home library. Of course, make sure your kids know that they can access the home library at all times. Encourage them to have a regular reading time every day (we call it “DEAR” time in our home — DEAR stands for Drop Everything And Read.)

And there you have it, a few simple but effective ways to encourage literacy at home. I want to thank EducAsian Learning for graciously sharing their tips with us as well — you can head on over to their blog for more tips, and if your kids want to experience firsthand what an “integrated balanced literacy program” is like, feel free to check out the third module of EducAsian Learning’s Kids Writeshop.

Oh, and if you have more tips for encouraging literacy at home, please feel free to share them in the comments! Here at Truly Rich and Blessed, we believe that our resources are part of our “riches” — and by “resources,” we also mean education. We are all about lifelong learning!