Life Lately: Motherhood, Gratitude, Side Hustles, and Small Wins in May 2026

 It's been awhile since I updated my blog last April and a lot of things just happened in this month of May. Relationships, catching up with friends (good thing I had time and of course I really need to make time for my valued friends), freelance work, side hustles, tending to my daughter, prepping for her school, getting through anxieties, etc. you know those stuff for moms. 

In this article, I will talk about random things that made me surpass the month of April and thrive in May. Let's get started.

What are the things you're grateful for?

Firstly, I'm grateful for the gift of life. I'm thankful for waking up each day and blessed to breathe air. I'm grateful for my job--the freelance work, affiliate marketing side hustle, I'm grateful for my good health thank God because if  my health is good I can do everything in my to-do-list especially including taking care of my daughter.

There are times when I get stressed when errands get piled up and I feel overwhelmed with stress. Times like this, I take a breather. I do breathing boxing exercises with my Zen sniffy roll inhaler. Inhale 4 counts and exhale 4 counts, repeat until I feel calmer. 

What are the things moms like me worry about?

Mom's like us worry about picking the right school for our son or daughter. We want them to learn good values as a foundation in their lives and so they grow up being fully-functioning person in the society or community. 

I worried about buying my child's back-to-school essentials like a writing pad paper

Or a schoolbag like that of Elsa frozen bag.

What are the small rewards you give yourself at the the end of the day or at the end of the week?

Like I've said before in my previous blogs, I often delay gratification but in stressful times, what I do is to reward myself after a day of tedious working. 

First Friday of the month of May, that's Labor day, me and my friend had a facial, It's not my first  time. I know it stings especially the nose area, so I gave m friend a heads-up because she might be annoyed if he she didn't know it will hurt. For me, I know pain and I just face it, head on. Haha You think I'm talking about something else? What else, we're talking about facial. I should say it hurts  just  like a having a tattoo. Oh the pricking is really uncomfortable but you know the saying: "Tiis-ganda?" Pain now, beauty later. That's it!

Moreover, I never buy things fo myself that aren't necessary. Even if I buy a gift for someone else for example, I make sure I know that  person well so I can give him/her a valuable gift which I'm sure will be very useful.

Even the relatives and my mom who passed away, I offered mass and prayed for each of them to be granted peace.

I also bought myself a mini correction tape because I will use these in my journal. Yes, I've been journaling again since last year of 2025. This correction tape  makes me confident to erase quick even if I've made lots  of mistakes. 

What  have you done remarkable for this month and the previous month?

I was actually overwhelmed travelling to the beach with my six year old daughter, but, we're able to do it! I'm so happy I finally gave in to her request and went to the beach. She was so happy. We went to Batangas and you could really notice the genuine happiness and laughter on my child's face.

Also,I wrote a book. I have started the raft 2 years ago but since there were many distractions,. I was only just able to finish it now, year 2026 and it's a milestone! Check our 'The Abyss' in your Amazon cart. It's also available in Kindle.

Conclusion

Looking back at the past two months, I realized that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. There were stressful days, moments of anxiety, and times when I felt overwhelmed balancing work, motherhood, and personal responsibilities. But despite all that, I still found reasons to be grateful every single day. From spending time with my daughter at the beach, reconnecting with friends, rewarding myself with simple self-care, and finally finishing my book after two years — these little and big wins reminded me that progress is still progress no matter how slow.

Life as a mom can be tiring, but it can also be fulfilling. Sometimes, all we really need is to pause, breathe, and appreciate how far we’ve come. Here’s to more growth, more healing, and more beautiful moments in the months ahead.