by The Happy WAHM
Hit the ground running this year!
I’m really very excited about 2014, as a lot of things are in the works. I call them new beginnings, as I am finally putting into action the plans that I used to simply dream about.
Plus, a special occasion will be happening in March, and my brother, whom I haven’t seen for a long time, will be coming home for a vacation with his family, also in March. I’m most excited about seeing my nephews, and seeing my kids connect with them. My kids have been practicing their conversational English, while my older nephew has been learning Tagalog.
My dream of having an extension of the house that I can use as a home office will come to fruition this year, hopefully to be completely finished before the end of the first quarter, but if not, I will still have nine months to work on it. I mean work, like earn, so I can fund the works. Ha ha!
I also want to see to fruition the planned revamp of my sites, which has been long overdue. I built my sites on free templates, and have been dreaming of having them designed professionally. This has been put on the backburner for the longest time. I have not had the opportunity to sit down and internalize on what I really want in terms of design, color palettes and such. I just know what I want the content to be. I guess I really have not felt the need to further promote my services because I have been pretty much fully booked, so to speak, and I can no longer afford any more clients. But then again, I just need to have my brand out there, and share best practices that worked for me and somehow be of help to those who are just starting out. So yeah, this year will be about new beginnings, starting with re-organizing my home office, both physically and virtually.
Another big thing is that my podcast interview from last year has just been released. Really thrilled to be to be asked for an interview in a podcast, as this is the first of its kind [that I know of] in the Philippines. The interview happened late at night, after a long workday, so I may be talking nonsense at times. Ha ha! Please be kind when you hear me say “meat on the table” when I really meant to say “food”. I can’t recall much, but I have dwelt on that error right from the moment I said it, until now that I’m writing this post. I have not fully listened to the podcast yet, but my understanding is that it was recorded as live, so no hopes for editing out the faux pas and others like it.
Just click on the play button below, or click this link to see the shownotes. And while you’re at the page, please give me some love and click on the Facebook Like button. Thank you! 🙂
But the one thing that I’m really preparing for this January is the WordPress Re-Run. I really can’t be emphatic enough in saying that having WordPress knowledge is a big plus in going out there and presenting yourself as a virtual worker. Let’s face it. We now live in a world where everyone goes to a website for something. So people are building businesses online, and one out of six websites actually run on WordPress. So virtual workers and online entrepreneur wannabes really need to learn the power of WordPress. You need an online portfolio? Build it on WordPress. You want an online store? Build it on WordPress. You want to have a retainer job online? Your would-be employer will want you to be adept in WordPress. And that’s why we created this workshop, so we can help you with what you need.
And what’s good about attending this workshop is that the learning will not end there. We take all our attendees to a closed Facebook group where they can continue to ask us questions and we’ll continue to assist them with their respective sites. If you feel that you, or someone you know, will benefit from this workshop, please help us spread the word. Just click here to go to the registration page.
And one last thing that I want to share in this post: I have started a journal. Since my mantra for this year is journal, plan and share, I have started writing down my daily activities. And when I say write, I really mean write, with the old fashioned pen. And thankfully, someone took pity on me and gave me a really cool planner, but I’m not in liberty to divulge who the generous donor is. Suffice it to say that the donor is an awesome person, and the planner, equally so. But in case you don’t have a generous donor like I do, this one is cool, too. I have this on my laptop and it’s called the Red Notebook.
I really hope I will have more time to post here this year, but if not, you can still catch my updates via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I guess it’s always easier to just write short updates. 🙂
by The Happy WAHM
I first heard of Balik Bukid last year. But only after people were already talking about it on Facebook. From the photos and the blogs, the fair seemed like fun. So I made a promise to myself and the kids that we’ll be at the next one.
And we were.
We’ve just arrived home from this year’s Balik Bukid at Hacienda Sta. Elena. And boy, it was indeed fun! Come to think of it, fun is an understatement. It was exhilarating. More so for the kids. Each of them had a personal high.
Xia riding a horse. And a big one at that!
Bea conquering her fear of heights. I was truly worried that she’d feel the fear halfway up and panic, but she was able to hold on and finish the climb on her own, and go back down again. Truth be told, I was only able to take a total of three shots of her on those ropes. I was shaking. Very frightened that she’d have an episode. I know that feeling so well. The paralyzing fear of heights. But she was a real trouper. Even asked if she could do another climb. But my heart could no longer take it. So, no.
Jude catching a fish.
And I had a personal high, too.
I did something that I have not done even in my teen years. And not even when I was moonlighting as a production assistant for live concerts.
Today, I finally had the courage to ask a celebrity for a photo op. Look at this!
Well, I actually approached her with: “Ah, excuse me, but can my kids have a photo with you?” And my kids were like: “What? Why? Sino s’ya, Mommy?” So I explained: “Sorry, my kids don’t watch TV and they are not familiar with Philippine show business.” And she replied: “Oh, that’s okay! I don’t watch TV myself, and I wouldn’t know me either if I’m not me.” Ha ha!
So here she is with my girls.
The little boy was at that time having fun boating with his dad, which was a good thing, coz I wouldn’t have had the courage to approach Maricel had the dad been around. He frowns on these things. Being a fan and taking pictures of celebrities. It’s simply not in his zone. So it was a good thing that he was not around. 🙂
We met a couple of fellow WAHMs. Hmmm… now that I think about it, these WAHMs are both artistically gifted. Ginnie of The Green Mailbox and Nica of Carlos and Veronica. Awesome talents, these ladies!
And Xia had a bag personalized with her name by Ima, who also does calligraphy. And what do you know, the other lady in the photo below is also named Isabelle. She’s actually one of the angels of Manila Workshops.
Thrilled also to have re-introduced myself and the kids to a cousin-in-law, whose online store will be launched next year. But for now, you can find her here, and below, with my treasures. Jude really was in his element this whole day, making faces for the camera.
And lest I be accused of turning my site into a photo blog, I’d better stop posting photos here.
To the organizers of the country fair, thank you for putting up such an organized event. The attendants were all so accommodating and helpful. The facilities were well-maintained. Like the toilets were cleaned after every use. Alcohol bottles and paper towels in every turn. Attendants maintaining cleanliness of the grounds. Security personnel so snappy. All the kuya‘s who assisted my kids through the horseback riding, the carabao ride, the rope climb, the feeding, the boating, the fishing… kudos to you! You were their heroes! Until the next Balik Bukid!
by The Happy WAHM
I’m writing this post from the bank. It’s a Monday and there’s a long queue. Thought I’d better use my time productively.
I’m having two events this weekend. Gloria and the WAHMderful Weekend. To say that I have a busy week ahead of me is an understatement. Truth be told, I still don’t know how I’m going to manage the schedule. Recording and tutti rehearsal on Friday night, the concert on Saturday night, and the WAHMderful event from 9am to 4pm on Sunday. I will have to stay overnight in Manila on Friday, and still undecided whether I should go home to Batangas in the morning of Saturday, and come back again in the afternoon for the concert in the evening. Then stay overnight again on and go home on Sunday afternoon.
And before the weekend, St. Jude Science and Technological School will be celebrating it’s 4th Founding Anniversary, so that’s another event that I need to attend. Or not.
My main concern is not seeing my kids for two days and two nights straight if I don’t go home. The second concern is my responsibility to my clients. Yes, I do work on weekends, since I don’t actually work full time on weekdays, While I can be connected through my mobile phone, there are tasks that require me to be logged in to at least three websites to be able to accomplish any one of them. So I guess I need something with a keyboard for that. 🙂
Oh, well. I just need to make the best of what this week has to offer.
So let me just tell you more about my glorious weekend. The Gloria concert is a fundraising effort for a dear friend, Brutus, who’s been battling the Big C. We had our first fundraising concert for him last April, and we really need to raise more. Hence, the new effort. I’m really hoping that we can entice more people to come. Those who cannot come because of prior commitments can still buy tickets to give away to people who they want to be blessed with the music and fellowship. As a matter of fact, I have, on hand now, 16 tickets to give away, courtesy of a few generous people who cannot come, but want to share their blessings for our friend.
Should you find it in your hearts to help out in this effort, please feel free to share this really awesome poster created by one of the members of The New Covenant Singers.
As you can see from the poster, there will be five choirs at the concert. Each choir will have its own repertoire, and a tutti at the end, to perform five songs with John Rutter’s Gloria as the finale. Our friend is a member of four of the five choirs. He’s our power bass. There could be four to five members from each of the sections, with him as the only bass, and still his voice would ring above everyone else’s.
I know we cannot really raise the million that he needs, but we’ll really be happy to see people come for an evening of praise and fellowship.
And in the morning after, I’ll be off to the WAHMderful Weekend event as one of the “experts” to ask. Hey, look! There’s a poster!
There will be four keynote speakers, and a huddle up with us, the real players in the featured niches in WAHMing. The attendees get to choose the niche they want to know more about of. My business partner and Tehnical Operatons Manager of VASupportPro, Jennyfer Ang-Tan, will be with me in the Virtual Assistance huddle, too. We’ll be ready to answer your questions about the virtual assistance and online store management niches, including how to set up a WordPress website without paying an arm and a leg, how to set up an online store, and I’ll also be throwing in the 5 Ws to Becoming a Virtual Assistant. All our answers will be based on real-life experiences – what worked, what did not. We’ll be sharing how we can actually support a family with just one client. Yes, it is possible!
Ready to transition to a work-at-home career? You can still register here!
A whole blog post, and my number still has not been called. Oh, well. I think I’ll just catch up on my reading. 🙂
by The Happy WAHM
Another workshop over, and more to go! My sleepless nights and stressful days are far from over, but I’m not worried. Gone are the days that I worry about waking up with skin breakouts due to lack sleep, or stress.
Well, truth be told, I never really worried at all. I was a tomboy growing up, so a whole day would pass without even looking at the mirror. I take a bath, I comb my hair, and that’s that.
As a folk dancer back in high school, I would wear make up at every event. And since I was a simple soap and water person, pimples became part of my facial features. Still, no worries. Didn’t really care.
Then off I went to college, and the pimples continued to haunt me. Still, I continued to defy any beauty product. No to facial wash, no to cleansing creams, no to toners. No to even going to a salon. I do my own nails. I don’t color my hair. And I basically had two hairstyles in my 44 years on earth – long and short.
And then after having three kids, I met my mother-in-law. She would give me lipstick, lotion, toner, day cream, night cream, cleansing cream, foundation, etc. And with the exception of the lotion, all of those went to my sister, or to friends. But her words would always resonate in my oft sleep-deprived brain: “You have to take care of yourself. You have to feel beautiful for your husband.”
About a year ago, I started to notice melasma on my face. My mother’s side of the family has it, so I guess it is kind of genetic? Not sure. I just joke about being mestiza as reason for having it. But deep inside, I was starting to worry. I also started to notice the darkening of my pimple scars, too. Things that I really didn’t care about were beginning to cause me concern. Especially since I’ve been spending all my waking hours with my impressionable kids. Their quips of “Maganda ka naman, Mommy, kahit hindi ka mag-ayos,” started to get on me. My kids are conscious of how I look, even when I’m not.
So I started staying longer on the facial care aisle at the supermarket. But still felt no love for what I found there. I was afraid to try any of those out as they might do me more harm than good.
My mother, who’s been actively using whitening soaps to treat her hyper-pigmentation, introduced me to Evaderm. It’s a premium whitening soap with kojic acid as its primary ingredient. It’s something that I would not really try if not for these three reasons: 1) I know the manufacturer personally. 2) The manufacturer uses her own products, and she has the skin that I could only dream about. 3) It’s FDA approved.
The first week just went by without any fuss. I was using soap, just as I always have. No big deal. It was my mother who actually gave her day by day assessment of the product. No feeling of skin tightening, no itchiness, no feeling of dryness, etc. And I would just say, “Yeah!”
Then I attended a parent-teacher meeting at my daughter’s school, and people started commenting on my skin. They were asking if I had a treatment or something, as they noticed a different glow. Bear in mind that I still don’t look at the mirror that much, so I was clueless on what they were talking about. 🙂
After about a month, I checked on my pimple scars, and they were barely noticeable. Hmmmm… something must be working! And also, when I looked at some snapshots, my face would appear like it has foundation on. I guess it’s the coconut oil in it that helps keep my face moisturized without actually using any moisturizer.
I have yet to see if by continuing to use Evaderm, I’ll be offered a modelling stint and be the face to represent the product. Dream on, o ye empowered WAHM! Right now, I need to get back to work and be thankful that there have been no episodes of skin breakouts, even when I only get 3 hours of sleep on most days. And that’s all thanks to Evaderm, just as I hinted at in yesterday’s post.
Want to try it yourself? Just head over to their Facebook Page to know more about this product. Or you can take my word for it and head over to any Generika Drugstore branch or Sta Lucia Supermarket to grab your first bar.
by The Happy WAHM
One word. Successful.
And it was.
The workshop borne of a Facebook status of someone in my friends list pushed through despite the storm signal being up at number 2. With only 18 days of preparation, from the moment I made the announcement that I’m going to conduct a WordPress Workshop for WAHMs (without even consulting my partner), we were able to confirm 20 warm bodies, out of the 41 who actually registered. but with the final date not being a fit with their respective calendars, the rest just begged off and asked that a re-run be scheduled, and soon.
This workshop was a first for both me and my partner, Jenn Tan, although I’m not a stranger at coordinating events. I knew what we needed to do and have. Only problem was, we both have demanding clients to take care of. So we thought it best to ask for the assistance of a good friend, Patty, who is a professional event coordinator an event coordinator extraordinaire. I knew I wanted the workshop to be at colab, a place I fell in love with when we had our Real Ways to be WAHM workshop there. And when it comes to food, I knew we’re safe to go with Almost Gourmet, so we did.
The preparation was not easy, especially for Jenn, whose task was to create sub-domains for all the attendees. She had all kinds of trouble installing the script and all, and all I could do was pray that the glitches would be sorted out. True to her moniker – The Techie Mom – she, of course, got everything ready for the event.
The one thing that we really made sure would be out on time was our special giveaway.
Special thanks to the designer of the mug, Chris Oliver Tan, Jenn’s other half, and of course, to The Mug Shop, for the wonderful print.
And a workshop would not be complete without certificates! Those, I printed myself, kudos to my ever reliable Epson L-200.
We loved the questions that were thrown our way, and really, even the basic stuff could not fit in a day of workshop, so to be able to address more of our attendees’ questions, we have created a Facebook Group where we can continue to support these ladies who have bravely trooped to the workshop despite the rains and traffic and storm signal.
And despite the lack of sleep and the stressful days leading to the workshop, I am so grateful that I didn’t have the unsightly pimples to show, thanks to my trusted soap, which you will read more about in tomorrow’s post!
I should not forget to mention, and thank, Xend, for always being so supportive of WAHM workshops.
With the workshop over, and it being a Sunday, I’m going to take a bit of a time off, maybe go to the supermarket with my ever comfortable jeans and shirt, but this time, sporting my new-found A-Strap comfy feet friends.
But before I go, let me say again, THANK YOU to these awesome ladies!
Will there be a re-run?
Stay tuned!
