About Me
Hi, I’m April.
Welcome to Relax Lang Mom -a blog born from breaking points, recalibrations, and home-cooked hope.
Two years ago, after a decade of building our life in the Metro, our family business collapsed. We lost almost everything: savings, investments, security. Everything went into paying debts and employees. My husband sank into depression. I shifted into survival mode.
We isolated ourselves. Pulled our son out of school. Postponed our daughter’s enrollment. We talked about returning to the province to rebuild, but we couldn’t move—literally and emotionally. We scraped by with what I could earn from freelancing.
I returned to online buy-and-sell after years away. For a time, it gave us breathing room—until the platform I relied on shut down. I pivoted again: selling food, delivering meals. I’ve always loved feeding people.
About Me
A Time For Healing
In the middle of this chaos, something surprising happened: we began to heal.
Without money for vacations, restaurants, or shopping, we had time. Time to talk. To listen. To be present. For the first time in years, we were investing in something we’d neglected -each other.
I realized how absent I’d been. Always working. Always preoccupied. I used to get annoyed when my kids asked me to play or chat. I fear they carry a gap in their childhood memories too few of them include “family.”
Now, we spend more time with our son, who grew up mostly with YouTube and a laptop. We’re slowly helping him detach, day by day. Learning how to live intentionally. Reclaiming moments that matter.
Our marriage, once brittle and volatile, is also shifting. We’re relearning how to walk through life without tearing each other apart. Some days are still hard. But there’s more honesty now. More trust.
What changed?
It would be easy to say losing the business changed us. But what really changed was our relationship with stuff.
Letting go of things like gadgets, jewelry, endless kitchen tools, even clothes -cleared space for comfort, not clutter. I still love beautiful tools and good food, but I no longer chase newer, bigger, or shinier. I choose what adds value. I say no to mindless accumulation.
Why I Blog
This blog is a reminder.
Of what matters.
Of how far we’ve come.
Of how life can surprise you in the ruins.
I’m not advocating poverty, or romanticizing struggle. But I believe in simplicity, intent, and the quiet joys of living life on your own terms. Even when you’re scraping by. Especially then.
I know I’ll find success again. But this time, I’ll carry these lessons with me.
This blog is for anyone trying to live, not just exist.
Recipes, Reviews, and Real-Life Stories.
Aja!
April Pagaling
Update, 2025: Where We Are Now
It’s been eight years since I wrote this. We’re not exactly where we hoped we’d bebut we’re still together, still learning, still cooking.
My son is older now and still weird in the best ways. My daughter has grown into herself with grace and a little sass. My husband and I have weathered storms we no longer need to name.
I’ve built a life around writing, food, and storytelling slowly, piece by piece.
This blog has changed with me. It started as survival. It’s now a space for sharing joy, mistakes, kitchen experiments, and ways to make home life just a little lighter.
Still rooted in the same three things:
Simplicity. Intention. Happiness.
—Much love
❤️❤️❤️ April