TOPAZ HORIZON

I've been checking out the immigration policies of other countries. It seems like one of the most guaranteed ways of getting permanent residency in any country is to put up a business there. It's not cheap, of course, but I can see why governments want new businesses to be pumped into their economy. This guest post is a list of the 5 best states in the United States that you can start a small business in. Good luck!

GUEST POST - From the moment you wake up, it’s important that you’re full of energy, drive, and motivation for the day ahead. Whether you have a long day at the office to endure, or a mountain of household chores, your morning routine can be the difference between staying focused and losing concentration. To help give you the boost you need, here are five ways to amplify your morning routine.

We are so excited to start homeschooling this year! Well, I am. My kids vacillate - sometimes they're so excited, they're the ones planning their lessons. Most times, they mourn the coming end of the longest summer vacation of their lives. So let me edit my first sentence. I am so excited to start homeschooling this year! I even made our schedules. Check them out.

My littlest is now Grade 1.

Our school week starts on Tuesday. This is because my husband and I have work. Mondays are usually our busiest days, whether it's for work or for errands, so my husband said we should leave Mondays open for us. To make their Saturday feel like a weekend, I lumped all the "dirty" classes on that day.

The kids' weekend will then be Sunday and Monday, which they honestly wouldn't feel anyway because we're all under quarantine. If I didn't force them to look at the calendar, they won't even know what day it is.

All my sons' schedules are the same, save for my Grade 4 boy, who has an extra subject, HELE (Home Economics and Livelihood Education), which can be an hour long in case we do cooking, carpentry, or typing. But if his little brothers want to join those activities, they can. Here's what their schedule is like:

Get Ready!
After breakfast, this is when the kids will brush their teeth, comb their hair, and change into their school robes. Yes, we got Harry Potter robes! The kids took Sorting Hat quizzes and got sorted into their houses - my eldest is Hufflepuff, my middle boy is Gryffindor, and my youngest is Ravenclaw! This is a good way to get them into the right frame of mind for school while still being fun and nerdy haha.

Circle Time
To start the day, we'll all gather together for the national anthem, for prayer, and to study Bible verses, inspirational quotes, poetry, singing, reading aloud, and whatever we feel like talking about together. I only allotted 15 minutes for this but we can be flexible and extend to 30 minutes if the discussion is really good.

It's really important to encourage discussion during this time, not while in class where I think I'll be instructing more than conversing. Of course, questions are always welcome but I used to be a teacher and there's a time for instruction and then a time for questions. Because if you just keep opening the whole day to the kids, they'll never stop talking. A huge part of learning is listening.

Of course, a big part of learning is also discussing the topics, questioning, and investigating, hence Circle Time. I also want Circle Time to be their chance to learn communication skills, correct pronunciation, the art of conversation, critical thinking, and debate. 

Part 1
My kids love Math and Music so I decided we should start the day with those subjects. Then I followed up with the subjects they don't like, Filipino and Araling Panlipunan.

Part 2
After recess, we'll study Science, Reading, Language, and Writing. Science because it's always fun and can perk them up after Fil and AP haha. Reading, Language, and Writing are quiet subjects, which is good for me so I can leave them while I prepare lunch.

Wrap Up!
This is going to be like Circle Time but it's more of a summary of the day. The boys can tell me if they need more time on a lesson or they can move forward. Our homeschool provider also recommends that the kids keep a journal of their day so that they themselves have a record of their progress. So we can do 5 minutes of journaling before packing up.

My middle boy is in Grade 3.

The rest of the day is devoted to whatever they want. Sleep, play video games, play with each other. Extra-curricular activities like piano lessons, art class, language classes, quiet reading of books, and of course their chores. They can also study their lessons more, if they like.

Meanwhile, the afternoon is when I can work.

I hope this works!!!

This is just for the first month. For our first week, I don't think we'll actually follow it. I want us to settle down into the schedule. We all need to adjust to an academic routine again since there was no school for almost half a year. I plan to just get all of us get used to do the Get Ready! and Circle Time periods. I think we'll all be struggling with inertia. I, for one, need to wake up early again!

I read in some homeschooling blogs that it's good to start the first week of homeschooling on a Wednesday so everyone only has 3 days of school and won't get shocked by the change haha ("10 First Day of Homeschool Ideas" by The Reading Mama). We'll see! I'm pretty sure we won't follow our schedule hahahaha I'm just going to be chill about this whole business.

Wish us luck!

My eldest is in Grade 4.

1. My husband and I have virtual meetings with our colleagues. In our experience, more than an hour in a virtual meeting is inhuman hahaha It's never pleasant. I mean, the first 30 minutes to an hour is fine. But more than that, even I, a grown-up, couldn't sit still. What more for little boys?

2. We did try and see how the kids would take it. Over the summer, we took a few online sessions with MyNanai, an online babysitting service. My eldest actually lasted an hour without fidgeting. My two younger ones? They started standing up and leaving the session at the 30-minute mark. How rude! So mortifying haha. So when our boys' school said they'll have their classes from 7:30am to 2pm, we decided we didn't want our kids to go through 6 hours in a virtual class.

3. We were unsure of the future. During the summer, DepEd kept changing their mind about everything. Then the boys' school said they might ask the kids to come to school by the third quarter. We just knew, with how things were going in our country, that there was no way our kids will be safe by September. So we decided to keep them home.

That's it! That's why we're homeschooling! It's not because we think it's the best way to educate our kids. We don't even know how I'll be as a teacher. I bet I'll tear my hair out in a month's time haha. We're all approaching homeschooling as OUR best option, given the circumstances. And if we enjoy it, then hallelujah!

I'm actually looking forward to it. Wish us luck!

UPDATE: First week of homeschooling done and we didn't follow the schedule! We just went with the flow. The kids wanted more time for Math because they love Math. For one Araling Panlipunan class, we made the Philippine flag so that suddenly became AP and Art! Gotta be flexible =)

Because my family and I have been enjoying the newest sparkling drink in town, I decided to share the happiness by giving away Welch’s Sparkling Rosè to 3 of my blog readers! Hooray!

That's the great thing about Welch's Sparkling Juices - there's white, red, and the pretty pink rosè - they make us want to celebrate! We keep a chilled bottle ready for whatever happy occasion. And even in these crazy times, there's always a reason to celebrate. We just need to open our eyes to what's good in our lives and choose to honor it.


Let me share with you my own list on why I choose to be happy:

1. My family is together. 

And in the 5 months we've been stuck together at home, we haven't killed each other! Wow, we really do like each other! Kidding aside, I'm happy I'm with the people I love most in the world. I know so many other families aren't together or their work exposes them every day they need to leave the house. So I'm grateful. Really beyond grateful I have my boys with me.

2. We are all healthy.

It's been 150+ days and so far, so good. Please let us be healthy forever, Lord.

3. Vito turned 10!

Actually, all my sons had their birthdays in quarantine. While we always celebrated their birthdays at home, we do miss the fun we had after the kids blow out the candles on their cake. We'd usually go to Kidzoona or Kidzania. But why look for something you can't have? This year's birthdays were fun, too! This year's new tradition: the treasure hunt for their gifts! So fun! Kahit maliit bahay namin, and daming hiding places pala. The kids had a blast!

4. I'm learning watercolor painting.

I signed up for May de Jesus-Palacpac's watercolor classes and look at what I made at our first class!


I'm so happy. May is such a good teacher. I'm going to get her to teach my kids painting for the art class of our homeschooling this year.

We've been busy with hobbies these past 5 months. My kids have been learning to play the piano on their own, no classes or video tutorials. They've also been creating their own board games, writing books. My husband bought a 3D printer and he's been printing out these amazing things and learning to paint them, too. So fun!

5. We discovered lots of good food and good neighbors.

I'm going to blog about all my food discoveries this quarantine. I try to cook every day (lessen exposure to the outside world ba) but nakakapagod siya. Etong quarantine, parang wala na akong ginawa kundi magluto! My kids seem to have black holes for stomachs! So thank the heavens for restaurants and new food businesses.

Another thing I'm grateful for is my neighbors. I don't think I can ever live without pasabuy anymore. Meron pang freebies. We just Viber each other, "I have extra rambutan. Who wants?", "I baked cookies. Who wants to taste?", "I'm growing lettuce. P120 a kilo. Who wants?" or "Naubusan ako ng cheese. Pwede pahingi?" Even if the world goes back to normal, I need this newfound neighborliness forever!


I'm also so happy that Welch's renewed their sponsorship of my blog!

I like Welch's. Kaya nga I endorse all their products! Not only are they delicious, they're good for the body, too. And now they just launched their new bubbly, Welch’s Sparkling Rosè.

It's a non-alcoholic drink so everyone in your family can have a glass. It has a light taste - a little sweet and a little tart - that's made delightfully refreshing because of all the bubbles! Even though quarantine is still in effect, we didn't put off our celebrations and you bet Welch’s Sparkling Rosè was part of every celebration - kahit simple Sunday lunch lang, a bottle is there! Elevate experiences, diba?

You, too, can raise a glass and celebrate any occasion (birthdays, anniversaries, virtual graduations, baby showers) with Welch’s Sparkling Rosè. You can get Welch’s Sparkling Rosè at Waltermart, Robinsons Supermarket, and Landers. You may also have Welch’s Sparkling Rosè and other Welch’s juices delivered at your doorstep by visiting https://acefoodservice.com. You can also order from the following online groceries: metromart.com, Lazmart, and waltermartdelivery.com.ph.


Join my giveaway!

Or you can join my blog giveaway! I have 3 sets of gift bags, each with 2 bottles of Welch’s Sparkling Rosè. For you and a friend. Or both for you!

Just leave a comment below telling me what you're happy about. It can be one thing or it can be a dozen reasons to celebrate! Make sure you leave your Facebook name or Instagram handle so I can reach out to you in case you win.

I'm going to pick ONE WINNER from the comments. Then next week, I'll have a Facebook giveaway. And then another one on Instagram after! Good luck!

For more #realgrapegoodness from #welchssparklingjuices and #welchsph, follow @welchs_ph on Instagram and #sharewhatsgood!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Fontanilla G. Tina! You won my Welch's Sparkling Rosè giveaway! Please send me a DM over my Topaz Horizon Facebook page to claim your prize =)

*This post is brought to you by Welch's.

I've really been enjoying my new tiny fruit friend - blueberries! Ever since I found out you can buy fresh U.S. blueberries in Manila, I've been experimenting with how I can include it in more dishes. I made a blueberry breakfast bar that was nutty and delicious. And to my family's surprise (mine, too!), I made a really delicious lunch using blueberries as a sweet and tarty ingredient. Check out what I made!

Easy Leafy Blueberry Salad
Just toss salad greens, a handful of blueberries, and another handful of walnuts or cashews into a bowl with the salad dressing of your choice (this is Kewpie mayo). Done and delicious!


Blueberry Balsamic Pork Chops with Blueberry Sauce
Click this link for the recipes for the balsamic-marinated pork chops and blueberry sauce. But you can just grill some pork chops your usual way and serve with the sauce, which is also good with vanilla ice cream!

This blueberry sauce is so easy to make and so yummy!

For dessert, let's just keep it simple: a small bowl of fresh blueberries. Blueberries have a mellow sweet taste that you can pop and pop and pop them in your mouth. Your taste buds won't get overwhelmed, but you'll definitely want more. Blueberries are so snackable!

I've been feeling good about adding more fruit to my diet since I'm more of a vegetable girl than a fruit fan. Plus, I think my body's been benefiting from all the antioxidants, Vitamin C, and soluble fiber blueberries are packed with. Here are a few more reasons why I like adding blueberries to my diet:

Blueberries are so easy to add to anything!
It's small enough that just a handful adds fun to your yogurt, breakfast cereal, salad, sauces, smoothies, fizzy drinks, etc etc etc! The taste won't overwhelm your dish at all but when that little blue ball pops in your mouth, the delicate sweetness and light tartness is a lovely surprise!

Blueberries are packed with goodness.
Good things come in small packages, as they say, and this is so true with blueberries. It may be small but it sure is mighty when it comes to nutrition. Each berry is a great source of vitamin C, fiber, manganese, vitamin K, and a host of other essential nutrients.

Blueberries are good for middle-aged me!
Since they're so full of good stuff, blueberries may help me stay younger longer. It benefits my skin (builds collagen and speeds healing), my gut (increases good bacteria), my blood sugar (manages the levels), and my brain (helps improve memory).

Of course, I'm supposed to eat half a cup a day to really get all those benefits. So that's why I was looking for ways to add blueberries to every meal!

Fresh blueberries are now available at S&R Membership Shopping, Always Fresh PH, Fruit Loot PH, and Dizon Farms Delivers.

Get to know more about this mighty fruit from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council here: www.blueberrycouncil.org and the U.S. Blueberries Philippines accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

*This post is brought to you by U.S. Blueberries.