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He Makes All Things New (Goodbye for Now!)

November 26, 2015 by Tina 2 Comments

Just dropping by for a quick post to tell y’all that FINALLY, it’s going to happen! :) As you may (or may not, ha!) know, I’ve been praying for clarity for God’s direction and plans for “Truly Rich Mom” for quite some time now.

Well, He answered my prayers last month (on , to be exact),  and I am SO amazed at how He is making everything fall into place — so much more quickly than I had expected! :) Just goes to show that once you say “yes” and take the leap of faith, He will really make things happen for you!

So, please bear with me/us as we move “Truly Rich Mom” to a new “home” — one that I hope will bless, inspire, encourage and empower more people, not just moms… while #keepingitreal always. :)

Screen shot 2015-11-26 at 1.06.07 AM

Please pray for me and those who will be working on the site in the next few days (or weeks!). Goodbye for now, and see you once “Truly Rich and Blessed” is live online! :) (You can follow me on , and in the meantime, for updates.) HE MAKES ALL THINGS NEW! :)

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Blogging, Truly Rich and Blessed

#KeepingItReal: The Truth About Being A Pregnant, Work-at-Home, Homeschooling Mom

October 14, 2015 by Tina 7 Comments

I honestly don’t know how to begin this post. I actually had to change the post title a few times, because I wasn’t even sure about what I want to write about.

To tell you the truth, when October started, I thought I’d be able to update this blog more often… even if it was just to share how we’re trying to live liturgically despite our failures and imperfections.

“T” is for “Therese” — our simple “cake” to celebrate Saint Therese’s feast day!

I thought I would finally be able to write about the different events I was able to attend recently, like the , and the first Blissmakerie for this year (which I was finally able to write about for Philstar.com after almost a month — eek!)…

keeping it real

With my fellow Blissmakers at the September 2015 Blissmakerie (Photo grabbed from Rhiza Oyos on Instagram)

I even thought that I could (maybe!) write about all the blessings (i.e. gifts!) I’ve received lately… like the healthy and yummy juices from Juice Hut Manila, or the other goodies from Urban Essentials, TAN Homeschool, Franciscan Media {c/o my AWESOME CatholicMom.com editor Lisa Hendey!}, Mighty Baby PH, and so on!

BLESSINGS

Thank You, Lord, for all these blessings and so much more!

But, as usual, life happened. It still does… every single day.

Most days pass by in a blur actually. And when people ask me how I’m doing, especially since I am now around 6 and a half months pregnant (and HUGE for Baby’s age, me thinks!), I usually answer:

“I am/we are OK, by God’s grace. Taking things one day at a time.”

Because that’s really how it has been lately. I’ve been just getting by each day… knowing that I can do only so much (or so little, haha! Thank God I have such a helpful and supportive husband, plus parents and siblings who are always willing to take care of the kids when needed!).

I post about my reality sometimes on  and Facebook (I’ve recently changed , by the way!). I use the hashtag #keepingitreal, because I want other people to know that I’m not “perfect,” nor is my life perfect.

I don’t have the perfect marriage, nor perfect kids. I’m certainly not “Supermom” (remember there’s only ONE “Supermom” in my book!).

Our humble home is far from perfect — it’s often messy, and is in dire need of decluttering and deep cleaning! And our homeschooling days? Certainly not Pinterest-worthy, or even social media post-worthy most days!

So, am I complaining?

Nope. Or at least I’m trying not to.

Because I know that the state of “being” I am in right now is a blessing. Whether I am aware of it or not on most days, it’s part of God’s plan for my life.

Being pregnant right now is a blessing… even if, initially, I had different reactions and feelings about it — but that’s for another blog post! The ability to bear the gift of life in my womb, and to nurture that life, is a blessing.

babyboy

We’re having a boy, by the way! :)

Being a work-at-home mom right now is a blessing… even if there are moments when I just want to tear out my hair in frustration over toddler-caused interruptions and cry over missed deadlines and never-ending-to-do-lists! (I’ve actually done the latter quite a few times!) The ability to do meaningful work that also helps provide for our family’s needs is a blessing.

keeping it real

Mustard Magazine is on the list of finalists for Best Children’s Magazine at this year’s Catholic Mass Media Awards! Yay! :) #proudeditorinchief

Being a homeschooling mom right now is a blessing… even if most of our homeschooling “lessons” these days are just focused on the “4 R’s for Early Learners” of Susan Lemons — relationships, routine, readiness, reading aloud — even if 2 out of 4 kids (yes, we count the one in utero already!) are no longer considered “early learners” or preschoolers! You could also say that we try to be consistent with daily “lessons” for these 4 R’s: Religion or Christian Living Education; Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic (Math). The ability to to teach our kids at home and everywhere else we may be, and to learn new things with them, is a blessing.

keeping it real

Teaching math, reading, and life skills using Bug-opoly! :)

So what is the point of this #keepingitreal post, dear friend? :)

Well, it’s simply this:

keeping it real

The truth about being a pregnant, work-at-home, homeschooling mom (with no hired helper!) right now is this… it’s tiring. It’s overwhelming. It’s frustrating. It’s maddening. But it’s also soul-refining… heartwarming… refreshing… inspiring.

Only by His grace.

So lean in, friend… I know you and I are in totally different situations right now, and the “season” of life I am in now isn’t the same as yours. Whatever it may be, lean into the season you’re in now. Embrace it. Lean on Him; seek His grace. He’ll see you (and me!) through.

keeping it real

.

Honestly, I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back here again to write a post, but I do hope you’ll stick around — God’s been pushing me to do something different with this space, and I would love for you to be “here” when it becomes a reality! :)

keeping it real

In the meantime, if you want to see more of my writing elsewhere, be sure to check out Smart Parenting and Philstar.com, to which I contribute regularly! Thanks for being “loyal” all this time — hope to “see” you again soon!

P.S.

If you want to catch me in person, I’ll be speaking at the “Ready For The World: Philippine Homeschool Conference 2015” this Saturday, October 17. My talk is primarily for those who are exploring homeschooling or are just starting out. :) If you’re already homeschooling though, be sure to catch the other talks! Hope to see you there!
keeping it real

Filed Under: Catholic, FAMILY MATTERS, Truly Rich Reflections, Updates Tagged With: Home Life, inspiration

June 6, 2015 by Tina

I haven’t been “around” here lately, I know, and there are many reasons behind my “absence.”

For one thing, work and chores (well, life in general actually) have been keeping me busy, and while there are SO many things to write/blog about over here, they will have to wait for a while.

Another reason is that I have been struggling with something lately — and I’m “confessing” it again to y’all here, hence, the “keeping it real” part of this post’s title. (Read to know what it is, and the accompanying article. Then, please, come back here and say a little prayer for me, won’t you?)

This sin, this weakness that has been like “a thorn in my flesh,” as Saint Paul states in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, has been keeping me from writing here, because I feel very much like a hypocrite these days. (Again, keeping it real here.)

So, while I try to finish everything that I need to do for work this week and resolve to be a better person and mother, and take the necessary action steps to be such, please feel free to read my other articles that have been published recently elsewhere around the web:

On Smart Parenting:

Positive Discipline

positive discipline

Positive Discipline: How to Say No Without Saying No

5 Tips to Raising an Independent Preschooler

Back-to-School Preparations

9 More Books to Help Prepare Your Child for School

8 Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for the Opening of School

5 Ways to Help Your Child Set School Goals

On Make It Blissful:

praying (1)

The Power of a Praying Mom

On World Moms Blog:

positive discipline

3 Ways to be a More Intentional Mom: Beat Your Facebook Addiction

Ironically, most of what I have written applies to me perfectly right now — I need to practice positive discipline, need to get the kids back to a “school routine,” need to help them set goals for their studies, need to be a more prayerful and intentional mom! Ha! Talk about practicing what you preach, yes? 😉

Anyway, I pray these articles/posts will be helpful to you somehow! Till my next post here (hopefully, that will be soon!). God bless, everyone!

P.S. Before I “go,” here’s an inspiring image and quote from Kate of CentsationalGirl.com — yes to being offline more so we can live more fully!

take-time

 

What’s been keeping you busy lately? Let’s chat in the comments!

Filed Under: My Articles, Updates Tagged With: Intentional Living, Intentional Parenting, Make It Blissful, Positive Discipline, Positive Parenting, Smart Parenting, World Moms Blog

Celebrating My "Return" to Blogging with an Amazing Grace Giveaway by Moringana! :)

January 28, 2013 by Tina 3 Comments

*Gasp* January is almost over and I have written only FIVE posts for the whole month! My, how the time has whizzed by, bringing the first month of the New Year almost to a close!

Ever since my self-declared blogcation-of-sorts last month, I’ve been having trouble getting back on the “blog bandwagon.”

This blog has been on “vacation” of sorts! :)
Photo by Sura Nualpridad on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

January started out with lots of blessings — work-wise and personal-wise — and with me setting out to spend more time just “being” with my family, taking more time to rest (especially for our Baby), and being busy with more projects at work and on the side, not to mention SO many learning events (which I know I MUST blog about soon! *Gasp* again!)

If you’ve been following me on and/or , you’ll probably know what’s been keeping me busy. (If not, you can take a look at one of my recent posts on Philstar.com to find out — only if you want to, of course.)

To be honest, I’ve actually enjoyed not blogging so often, in a way. I’ve enjoyed not being “pressured” to keep up with other mom bloggers, who have been posting much more regularly than I have. (Oh, yes, I’ve spent more time reading other people’s posts, too, than writing my own! Ha, ha!) I’ve also enjoyed reading more to my kids, focusing more on our goals for homeschooling. And spending more time with the hubby, too.

However, I know, too, that God called me to blog for a reason. (Yes, as cheesy as that may sound to some of you! Ha, ha!) He’s got a purpose for this little ol’ blog of mine, and I just pray that I live up to it! :) (I talked about this a bit during my interview today for one of the shows on Family Rosary Crusade. Watch out for it this Sunday, Feb. 3, 6 a.m. on Studio 23! Teehee! {Shameless plugging!})

So yes… I’m officially back to blogging, and I hope to post more regularly starting today — at least two to three posts a week! (Ambitious, huh?! Pray that I’ll be able to do so! He, he!)

And to celebrate my “return” to blogging, let’s have an Amazing Grace giveaway — the first for the year, and the first in a weekly series — until my generous blog partner, MORINGANA, says “stop”! Heehee!

Aside from Moringana, I’ve got other giveaways coming up, so I do hope you’ll stay tuned to the blog, and follow my updates on and , too, so you won’t miss out on them! :)

Anyway, yes yes… back to the giveaway! :) Here it is!

Moringana Amazing Grace Giveaway No. 1 {2013}

FYI: I love Moringana’s malunggay capsules! :) I’ve been using them as a supplement for my pregnancy. :)
They came in really handy when I came down with a bad cough and cold last December!

One winner will receive ONE (1) box of Moringana Malunggay capsules. :) The giveaway will run for one week and is open to anyone with a Philippine shipping address. The winner shall be notified via e-mail and also announced on my Facebook page and Twitter. :)

To join, please use the Rafflecopter widget below. :) Thanks and God bless, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Amazing Grace Giveaways, Blog Contests, Blog Giveaways, blogging, Blogging Mission, Just sharing, Moringana, Reasons for Blogging, Updates

What has this mom been up to lately?

January 17, 2012 by Tina Leave a Comment

It’s already 5 a.m. and I need to catch a few Z’s before hubby and the kids wake up. Thankfully, it’s Wednesday today, which means I don’t have to report to the office (at least, I hope so! Ha, ha!)

Anyway, I realized that it’s been a week since I last posted on this blog, so I thought I’d share a bit about what I’ve been busy with lately (hence, the lack of posts!):

The busy mom! Image source here.

  • Proofreading books by Bo Sanchez
  • Proofreading Kerygma magazine‘s March issue
  • Editing and proofreading Mustard magazine‘s March issue (and learning InDesign at the same time, ha, ha!)
  • Attending meetings and our production department’s “R and R”
  • Trying to Working from home on certain days
  • Contacting and following up volunteer writers and photographers to cover CFC (*Couples for Christ or CFC is our Catholic community) events
  • Writing articles for Smart Parenting’s website (check out my latest article here).
  • Brainstorming on topics for other sideline writing gigs. (Thank You, LORD!)
  • Accompanying our son to his dance practices for the Couples for Christ Annual Leaders Conference at the Araneta Coliseum (I wrote about his performance, among other things, here.)
Around 15,000 people watched Tim dance with his friends from Kids for Christ!
  • Answering questions from people who ask about homeschooling.
  • Meeting with people from Angelicum College about organizing a Catholic Homeschoolers Summit – WOOHOO! Thank You, Lord, again! 😉 
  • Trying to homeschool Homeschooling our kids (we had/have good days and BAD days!) But I’m trying to focus on the GOOD from now on, and to make the MOST of every day! Pray for us, please?! 😉 (We’re going to try using Time4Learning tomorrow later!)
  • Thinking of things to blog about and never getting around to blogging about them. LOL!
  • Worrying about Learning to trust (again and again!) that God will provide for our daily needs.
  • Experiencing GOD again in a personal, powerful way during the CFC conferences last weekend. (Read about it here.)
  • Oh, and wasting a lot of time (waaaaahh!) on Facebook, blog-hopping and deleting e-mails from my inbox! (I.NEED.TO.PRIORITIZE.MORE. `Nuff said. LOL!)
  • Dealing with yaya (nanny) issues (Waaahhh! Can anyone recommend a dependable, honest, hard-working yaya?)
  • And, most recently, as in, just a few minutes ago, updating my homeschool blog.

So yeah, that’s it pancit. (More or less!) Of course, every day up to now, despite its downs and dark moments, has been a BLESSING.  I am truly rich in most aspects already (just lacking in the financial department for now, tee hee!), and for that, I am thankful, Lord! 😉

How about you, dear reader? What have you been up to lately? Feel free to leave a comment! 😉

Filed Under: Just sharing, Reflections, This week in review, Updates

Hi! I'm Tina Santiago Rodriguez, a Catholic wife, homeschool mom, and self-professed "media missionary." Welcome to Truly Rich and Blessed, a unique lifestyle blog about appreciating the "riches" that we have — our faith, self, relationships, resources, discoveries and experiences. I hope you'll enjoy your time here, and come away encouraged and inspired somehow!

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