by The Happy WAHM
In less than a month, I’ll be in front of like-minded WAHMs again, doing what I love most – sharing what I know.
This has been in my mind for the longest time, but I’ve been putting it off coz I always succeed in talking myself out of it. I tell myself “people won’t be interested”; “I can’t make it fly”; “there are lots of workshops about the same topic, who will come to mine”; and a host of other negative thoughts. But then, if I count the number of aggregate hours (yes, hours) I spend online answering questions thrown my way, those hours can already make up some weeks.
So why not put together a day of hands on tutorial for those who are brave enough to get acquainted with WordPress, up close and personal! And I’ll have my partner, The Techie Mom, by my side, to whack me on the head if I ever tell you something that is not so true.
So here’s what we are going to do.
We are going to create a subdomain for each one of the attendees. Like yourname.margeaberasturi.com, so that you will have a real hands on experience of the WordPress.org platform.
But you ask: “I already have myname.wordpress.com account. Can’t I just use that?”
Well, yes, you can. But you will be missing out on the fun! And fun has a name. It’s called plugins!
So, yes. Our hands on tutorial will allow you to really create your own site from scratch, and by the time we’re ready to go home, you will be dreaming of ways you can tweak your site to improve its content and design.
Now, for those who already have existing hosted WordPress sites, you can, of course, use your dashboard, and apply what we’re going to share with you, when applicable, to your site.
So, are you ready to join us?
Just head over to this link => Getting to Know WordPress
I will be so thrilled to see you!
by The Happy WAHM
It’s Sunday morning. The house is quiet. The girls are out with their Dad getting a haircut, and the little boy went to tag along.
Strange, huh? The Daddy accompanying the girls for their salon visit? Well, that’s their bonding time. Me, I was sweeping the floor when they left. And now I have just finished my morning coffee and browsing through my feed, and came across a post about numbers. It’s not about the numbers, the guy said. And I wholeheartedly agree.
Each time I add a year to my age, I don’t really mind. It’s not about the number of years I have lived. It’s about how I have lived those years. And so far, so good.
I have two Facebook profile accounts, two Facebook pages, one Twitter account and three websites. One Facebook account is used to connect with family and friends, while the other is a mix of family, friends and business acquaintances, created specifically for my online branding. I have 121 people following me in my personal profile account, and 109 people following me on my brand account, not counting the people I already have as friends. I have 273 followers in my brand’s page and 289 followers on my other biz page. I’m not even aware anymore how many are following me on Twitter because I very rarely tweet.
So why am I sitting here writing about those numbers? Not to brag, for sure. Those numbers are not high enough to brag about.
But even if they are, I still won’t. See, I got those numbers fair and square. Didn’t have to pay for people to “like” me. Neither did I spam friends’ inboxes to force them to like my pages.
Well, maybe I did send my link to some friends, but only to those I am close enough to say that I am trying to get some words out and I need help. So if you’re reading this, and you happen to be one of the 10 people I sent my link to, consider yourself a close friend.
On this quiet Sunday morning, while the sun is still undecided whether to come out or not. which makes me undecided whether to do my laundry or not, I’m writing this post to say thank you to the number of people who have decided to follow me and put their trust in me not to flood their feeds with insignificant content. I may not even be consistent on the frequency of my updates, but that’s only because I really don’t post just for keeping the pages active. I post when I feel strongly about something and I feel the need to share.
So it’s not about the number of followers that I have, it’s about their reason for following me. And whatever that reason is, I want to make sure that I will be worthy of their time.
And it’s not about the number of updates that I post, it’s about what I post, and how my followers will benefit from it.
Errr… now I’m thinking… how is this post beneficial to my readers now?
Not really sure. But I had this strong feeling of gratefulness. And I just need to share how grateful I am for all the blessings, and you, if you are reading this, are one of those.
by The Happy WAHM
I really meant to write this post last night, as soon as I got home from the worskhop. But some Higher Force wanted me to rest, so I got my monster red eyes instead, which practically made me go straight to bed upon getting home.
Well, no, strike that. I actually had time to eat dinner, check my mail and my pages for urgent messages, took a really quick shower, then straight to bed.
Yesterday’s run of the Real Ways to be WAHM was simply awesome! We had a fantastic audience who asked the right questions, the food was terrific and the venue was impressive! Fast internet connection, and what do you know, there were power outlets right in front of you. Like on the table. In front of you. Right where you are sitting.
Have I described it vividly enough? The power outlet was within my reach! And there is one for each and every one of us. And some extras.
Oh, okay. Enough! Power outlets just make me excited, that’s all.
So, as I was saying, it was an event that left me feeling warm all over. Definitely in a figurative way of speaking there. But literally, too. As I actually had to go down for a while and made a short trek to Watson’s to buy paracetamol. Estimate, I had a 39-ish fever, but the show must go on. Quite unfortunate that the goodie bag from Unilab didn’t have a paracetamol in it.
I wouldn’t have taken medication, as it’s a no-no for my kidney, but hubby said texted that I had to, or risk getting chills on the bus, and travelling alone with chills wouldn’t be fun at all. So I took one tablet, and thankfully, I was perspiring before the last speaker finished. And the trip home went uneventful. Oh, and thank you again to the Cuyugans, for letting me ride with them to Alabang. 🙂
A number of attendees, I have previously met, or have communicated with through the Facebook group, but I was also thrilled to have met some wonderful new personalities. They were a responsive bunch. I just got so carried away that my slot meant to end at 12:15PM actually ended at 12:45PM. So sorry they we all got hungry. But I really didn’t notice the time. I was having fun!
A couple of ladies have noticed my red eye at the event, so I’m wondering if I’ll be showing as the red-eyed monster in the photos. But when I got home, the kids were kind of got scared. My left eye was bloody red all over, like there really was no white left, and my vision was a bit impaired. I’m guessing that a vein ruptured, so I had to hit the sack pronto.
Yesterday was like a “six degrees to” sort of thing. Like one seatmate’s mother knows my aunt-in-law in Cagayan. Another seatmate has a Peace Corp volunteer whom I’ve met here in Batangas. Another attendee is from Batangas, but now lives in Cavite, and also a homeschooler. And another one has a credit management background just like I do. So there was kinship with almost everyone, and that really made me connect with them more.
I really love speaking in workshops. I think I have been working from home for so long, working all by myself, that speaking in workshops has become an outlet to voice out my experiences, share my ideas and simply connect with people. I started out as a WAHM on my own. No community groups, no other WAHMs that I know of, in fact, the words “virtual assistant” were still quite foreign to the rest of the population that each time someone would ask me what I was doing at home, I’d have to go on a full ten minutes of explanation.
And because I know how it feels to be forced to venture into the unknown, I really want to be of help to anyone who’d believe that I know what I’m talking about.
Kudos to Mommy Patty and Mommy Ginger of Manila Workshops for pulling off another event to remember. And Mommy Donna, of course, for the moral support. And we finally got to hear Kris of Xend speak. Xend has been one of the generous sponsors of our past workshops. Hats off, too, to the brainy, Dainty Mom, the strong woman behind the WAHMderful Life Community of Moms, who introduced me to the workshop scene. And of course, Manila Workshops for believing in me, and giving me the opportunity to share my story. Because really, all the things you will ever get to hear from me in all my workshops are practices that have already worked for me, not theories that are yet to be tested.
At the workshop yesterday, I was asked to discuss the Realities of a VA’s Life and how to cope with those realities. My last slide, I’m sharing with you here.
And don’t forget to share!
by The Happy WAHM
I was just browsing through my feed on Facebook this morning, and I came across a question from a fellow homeschooling mom about printers. She’s soliciting recommendations for inexpensive, good brand printers. Having gone through the same predicament when we were just starting to homeschool, I jumped in with my 10 cents’ worth of input. But well, I write like I speak, so you can just imagine that the comment was a bit kilometric, and I was not even done. So here goes a post on my journey through printers.
Our very first printer was an Epson R210, immediately followed by an Epson c65. We bought the R210 because at that time, I was still very much into desktop publishing. I learned early on that it is always important to have the right tools for the task you want to take on. I wanted to print directly on CDs, and the R210 offered the feature I needed. Then we started homeschool, and I stopped my desktop publishing business because it was too labor intensive for me and I simply do not have the time.
Who am I kidding? The real reason I stopped my desktop publishing business was because I did not, do not, and will not ever have the talent in graphic design. Why I even started is beyond me!
On to homeschool. We needed that really important homeschool tool, the printer. As we considered brands and models, we also looked for one that would be best for board papers, because from what I knew about homeschooling at that time, we were bound to print a lot of portfolio dividers and cards, so we chose Epson c65. It is designed to print on heavy paper, but works great on an 80-gsm sheet, too.
But why Epson? Husband says, best to use a tool with parts that are readily available. Epson has a production line in Laguna, so Epson it was.
When we were offered to have the printer converted to a continuous ink system, we did not hesitate to say yes. At that time, a 15-ml. cartridge costs more than Php500 already, while a bottle of 100-ml ink costs Php150. I need not be a math genius to see how much the savings would be.
But wait!
For me to enjoy the 100-ml. bottle of ink at Php150, I had to shell out Php3,500 for the conversion first. Still, we thought that converting to a continuous ink system would be more economical, considering the volume of printing that we were anticipating. We had two homeschoolers, and there would definitely be a third. It pays to plan ahead.
After about 6 months, we started to have problems. The tubes would get clogged, there would be lines on the images, and normal cleaning would not do the trick. So we had to do deep cleaning most of the time, which wasted a lot of ink. Plus, when we print large images, the paper would feel wet, because a lot of ink goes to it.
Then our scanner died. We had to get a new one. No homeschooling family should go without a scanner, right?
So we went shopping for a scanner. And we found a Canon printer with a scanner. And it was so inexpensive. The decision to retire the Epson printer was made, since it was no longer functioning well anyway. And it has served us for 2 years.
And as before, we were lured to have the printer converted to a continuous ink system. With Canon, its own print head was used. Unlike when converting an Epson, where the print head would be removed and the conversion package would have its own print head. Which is the reason why converting a Canon is cheaper than converting an Epson. It only cost us Php2,000.
It could be overuse, or it could be the quality of the conversion, that caused the Canon to retire after a year. The funny thing is, we didn’t even get to buy new ink for the Canon. The ink that was loaded during the conversion was all we were able to consume, and then it died. Well, actually, it was like diagnosed with something terminal, and trying to save it would ultimately cost us a lot more than getting a new one.
So off we went our merry way to shop for a new printer with a scanner. And we stumbled upon Epson’s latest offering. The L100 and L200. Both have continuous ink system already built in. The L100 is just a printer, while the L200 has a scanner and copier. It was so new, the ink refills were not even out in the market, but we bought the unit anyway. The unit came with 3 tanks filled with colored ink (Cyan, Yellow and Magenta) and 1 tank of Black, plus 2 extra bottles of Black, both 70 ml. According to the staff at the store, the ink will come out with a retail price of Php250, but I have not refilled my colored tanks yet, so I have no idea how much it really costs. I have just refilled the black tank, using the first of the two extra bottles.
The exciting part about refilling, you cannot use any other ink but Epson’s original ink. When you have to refill a tank you have to input a code that’s found on the bottle itself. Otherwise, your computer, or the printer itself, will not detect the ink that has been put in. Also, you cannot be an OC about refilling, the way I was. Like, I saw the ink level on my monitor, and thought, “Oh, it’s getting low. I’m going to refill.” And so I did.
I just went ahead and opened the tank and poured in the ink. And I was like: “Why was I not prompted for the code?” And nothing happened. The ink level did not rise. And the level continued to go lower and lower.
And then one day, there was an alert. You need to refill. “Oh, yeah? Now, you’re telling me? From where I’m sitting, the tank looks full.“
Good thing this Epson baby does not talk back. So I just went ahead and opened the tank. And of course, the system detected that the tank was open. And it told me to pour in the ink, which I pretended to do. Seriously! Then it told me to enter the code. “A-ha! Let me see how smart you are.” I entered the code from the bottle that was used when we bought the printer, and the system told me I was being naughty. So this thing is smart. It knows when you’re using a used up code. So I entered the correct code, and just like that, the ink level magically rose.
We’re still enjoying this Epson L200. And if there is one important lesson I learned in experimenting with printers, it’s always best to use original, and not mess with the warranty. We’ve had this printer for about a year now, and I have yet to do any cleaning.
For mommies who are still deciding on what printer to use, here are some important notes that I have learned through my printing journey:
- Buy a printer according to your intended need for it. If you are planning to print on heavy paper or board paper, make sure that the printer can accommodate that.
- Use good quality paper to take care of the print head. The smoother the paper, the better for your print head. I use 80 gsm for our homeschool worksheets. And I do use both sides of the paper.
- Print something everyday, even just a page, to prevent clogging. This one is really important especially to those who use the converted printers.
- Go for the original continuous ink system, like this one from Epson. Not sure if other companies have followed suit about coming out with their own continuous ink system, but it really is worth it to buy and use the original. You get to maintain the warranty that way. And also, if you factor in the conversion cost, you’ll find it’s even more expensive to convert.
If I may just add here how to test for good quality paper. To know if your bond paper is really good, try to tear one up. Don’t crease it, just up and tear it in the middle. If it tears up straight, it’s good. If you get a zig-zag tear, not so good.
Photo from epson.com.ph
And oh, I just found out that the models have been upgraded to L110 and L210. So my L200 is no longer in the market, it seems. And while I’m at it, a little disclaimer here: this is not a paid post for Epson. Although I wish. Ha ha!
Happy printer shopping, mommies!
by The Happy WAHM
It has been my personal rule that I should never blog when I am emotional. I write emotionally, as it is, so when my emotions are already askew, I try to stay away from the keyboard. But it has been weeks since that day, and I am still feeling the pain that I felt then. I really feel that I have to unload this now, or I’ll never get over it.
One of the hardest things for a person to deal with is to know the truth and not be in the position to say it, if only to defend a person you love so dearly.
In the latter part of June, I came across a note that tells of a story that happened a long time ago. It was about the second man in my life, the man who practically “raised” me. He was the one who comforted me when I was just a fuzzy little baby, the one who held my hand when I was learning how to walk, the one who taught me my ABC’s and write my name on a magic slate, the one who walked me to school, up to my classroom door, the one who would get into a fight with anyone who would tease me, the one who would finish his ice cream fast, so he could “help” me finish mine.
They say a father is every daughter’s first love and a son’s first hero. But I lost my father before I was two, so this man became my first love, and my first hero.
To have him described as someone who saw fatherhood as an optional endeavor was a stab straight to my heart. How unfortunate that the one who wrote that about him did not know him the way I do. More unfortunate is the fact that she had all the opportunity to know him, and yet failed to do so. Because what she knows is the story that her family wanted her to believe.
I sat down here to write the untarnished truth from the view of the one closest to the scene of the drama. Yes, I was right there. Inconspicuous, but there. From the day when this man tried to take care of someone and protect her from her own family, to the day that same woman left him just because he’s not the prince her family wanted her to have.
Straight from the woman’s father: “Sa gandang ‘yan ng anak ko, dapat ang maging asawa n’ya ay milyonaryo.”
Sadly, we are not even close to being comfortable, let alone be millionaires. But we tried to provide within our means, and miserably failed.
From a letter we found, from the woman’s sister: “Iwan mo na ang patay-gutom na ‘yan. Wala kang mapapala d’yan.”
The standards were set so high, we could not keep up. So the woman packed and left. Just like that.
Twenty-five years after, the man is still being blamed for that separation. Still being called the absentee father. Not mentioned was the fact that it was him who sent her to school, from elementary to college. When she graduated, the father was not invited. When she passed the nursing board, no kudos to the father. All congratulations to the mother, for giving her daughter the best education.
The writer wrote about giving credit where the credit is due, but her lopsided version of the story fails to give credence to her statement. Oh, it is her note to write, and her story to tell. But I have my blog to write, and my truth to tell.
I have read, so many times, about her feeling lost, about not knowing who she is, about feeling like a part of her is missing. And again, blame it on the father who was not there. I have tried to explain and tell her what happened. But she’s been brainwashed well and good.
It’s sad to read about how she had to be strong because her father left her, but never cared for the fact that it was her mother who did the packing and leaving, and the reason why she did.
It’s sad to read about how she feels loved by her family, and knowing that that family does not extend to her father’s.
It’s sad to read about how she has to celebrate Father’s Day without a father, when she knows that she has but choose to believe otherwise.
Life is all about choices. You don’t go around life saying you are the way you are because some people made you that way. You are the way you are because you chose to be that way. When I got pregnant, I could have forced the child’s father to marry me, if only to make sure that my child will not be born illegitimate. But I chose not to. When I was lambasted with gossip at the office while pregnant and unmarried, I could have talked to each one of the mongers and explained my reason for being in an unmarried state. But I chose not to. When I was offered my dream position to head office while Jude was still a baby, I could have made arrangements for our situation to work. But I chose not to.
I am where I am now because I made choices. I am not going to say that my life is perfect. Perfection, as happiness, is a state that you choose to be in. So I go to work in torn shorts and uncombed hair. So I only get to take a bath after I’ve fed the kids lunch. So I have to work on Sundays and holidays. So I homeschool only when the kids are really up to it, which is about two hours a day. My situation is not what an ideal homeschooling WAHM should have. It is way too far from being perfect.
But I don’t aim for perfection. I simply decide that what I have is what’s perfect for me.
And I am happy, because every day, I choose to be.
Photo from hdnaturephoto.com
And this is what I call intentional living.
