The one with branding of a work at home woman

Saw this article. a good read :) 3 Tips to Discovering Your Brand as a Work at Home Woman Tags: Brand, Branding, Business, Discovering Our Brand, Martine de Luna, Personal Brand, The Work at Home Woman, Work at Home Women Posted in Marketing & PR 2 Comments » By Martine de Luna Building a personal brand is something I sort of “fell into” or did “by accident.” It was sometime last year that I realized this, over lunch with a chic and acclaimed, couture bridal designer here in my country. Looking at my blog, she quipped, “You don’t just have a blog; you don’t just write; I can see you have built a brand.” By this, she meant two things: One, that I had grown my blog to a certain level of influence and that it became synonymous with certain qualities. Two, that I had developed enough of an online presence, so that people could identify me as a kind of “go-to girl” if they wanted to start a blog, or build a website, and my blog as a “hub” for women who loved working from home. We All Are Our Own Brands: Like I said: I did all this unintentionally; it sort of just happened. That’s the thing with being a brand: it’s who you already are, and the emotional connections people have with you when they think about you. You don’t fake it; it’s not a put-on. As work at home women, we each are our unique brand. The question is, do we know what our brand is? And if we do, how are we going to leverage our personal towards our business or freelancing? 3 Tips to Discovering Your Brand as a Work at Home Woman: Your brand — the way your existing and potential customers see you — is directly aligned with what you are known for. It’s worth it to delve deeper into your brand, so that you can gain insight into the services you provide (like if you’re a virtual assistant) and the products you sell (if you’re a product-based business owner). Here’s how to know what your brand is, and how to leverage your brand towards your success. 1. Discover Your Brand, if You Haven’t Already. One of the best ways to find out more about your personal brand is to ask people: existing clients, potential customers, even friends or family. What do people say about you when you’re not around? What do people perceive about you? These findings are all related to your brand. You can use these to work on your brand, to improve your personality, and even make a few changes, if needed. You can use guide questions to help you along this act of discovery. For instance, ask yourself: What do people associate me with? What am I known for? What do I bring to the world? What comes to people’s minds when they hear my name? For instance, when someone hears “Holly Hanna”, they associate it with The Work at Home Woman, with Holly’s platform as an expert in the work-at-home lifestyle. In your case, what do people associate your name, your services, or your business with? Use this to help you understand your brand. 2. Create a Definition for Yourself. When you know a bit more about how people perceive you, as well as your work, your services, try to create a definition for it. This is much like a “company vision” or mission statement. Business coach Jess Lively (who helped me to further refine my brand) recommends that business owners or solopreneurs imbibe their “purpose equation.” This is essentially the result of two key elements: your unique gifts + helping people = your purpose equation. As work at home women, this is something we naturally imbibe, but have likely never clearly defined in our work or business. What is your purpose equation? For me, it’s “to provide creative business solutions that help small businesses thrive,” because that’s what I am known for and what I excel at. What could be yours? Define it, and let that give you clarity. 3. Craft a Brand Identity. Once you decide you want to establish and build your brand, it is wise to invest in a brand identity, or the visual elements of a brand. Many work at home women — especially those that offer professional services, or have a business — invest in a professional logo and photography. A great photo, even on your About page, is key to personal brand recognition. These visual elements of your brand should be seen across your website and social media profiles. Your photo should accompany everything from your author bio, even your email signatures. This way, your clients and potential customers easily recognize you, wherever your “brand” follows you. Investing in a brand identity, however, takes a lot of time and clarity. Spend time developing these visual elements of your brand, because they will represent you, your values, your brand promise. These are just some basic steps to discovering and defining your brand. Having a brand can really help give you clarity about your ideal customer or client, so that you can refine your offerings and really work with the people who are perfect for you. Finally, branding is never a “once-over” process. Your brand evolves as your offerings evolve, even as you evolve. Knowing and understanding your personal brand is really about bringing the heart and soul of who you are as a work at home woman into your business, into your unique work ethic. Most of all, it can give you the satisfaction of knowing that you are fulfilling a unique purpose, based on your natural gifts and skills. Have you started building your personal brand online yet? Have you ever even thought about what your brand is or might be? Let’s talk about it in the comments. Martine de Luna is the director of The WAHMderful Life, an inspirational business suite comprising a blog and live training events for work-at-homemakers. The WAHMderful Life blog and workshops are designed to inspire and equip mothers and married women to work from home, profitably and with intention. Martine began working from home as a freelance copywriter, and eventually ventured into blogging; her lifestyle blog, DaintyMom.com, has received accolades internationally, including an award for Best Home and Parenting Blog at the 2011 Philippine Blog Awards. Today, Martine runs a boutique consulting service, which offers mentoring for mom bloggers and work-at-home women. She also conducts writing workshops for women, writes marketing and communications copy for for small-to-medium businesses, and offers web design services for SMEs. Connect with her at Martine de Luna Creative Services and the WAHMderful Life website.

The one with open letter to my gradeschooler

Dear Simone, I could not believe that time is like a bullet train with you. Cliche but true. And now that you're in grade school already, i thought i'd handle it well and think that it's just grade school...I was wrong. I can say the first six years with you was really an adventure. You were not high maintenance as a baby but i vividly remember how cute your cheeks were, how hard it was for you at times to poop, and how much you loved to sleep on my chest. I thought it was the hardest part of my life, having to give birth to you but since i had no choice, (i had to do it anyway) I realized what harder challenge can i get after this. I found the answer the first time you got sick. We were in puerto galera. it was the first time i had to leave you for 2 days. your dad and i felt we needed a breather but we were hesitant to tag you along since you were just over a year old. When i found out you got a fever that same night, i knew i was'nt meant to leave you alone. I went back first thing in the morning and rushed you to the hospital. It was the biggest mistake i made, having to leave you just so i could relax for a while. after that anak, i never left you. wherever i go, I can only have peace of mind if you're with me. Six years forward, I'm sending you to your school. First day was a breeze since you were just out for 3 hours. 2nd day, i found myself crying having to see you looking for your assignment notebook in your big, big bag. and i thought to myself if i should go inside and help you find it. When after a few seconds, you found it, that was my moment. You're really trying to do things on your own...without me :( when i told the story to my husband, i cried. I cried because it's just too fast. I hope there's a slow motion button so i could cherish each day with you. Thank you anak for everything. thank you for being you. thank you that we've come to know faith and love because of you. :)

The one with officially missing you

I'm officially missing my blog and i never realized how much i do up until i started scanning my previous posts and thought that this blog is really my life journal of events and it would be such a waste if i stop updating it. So from now on, i'd be more serious in blogging again. Highlights of my life for 2013 ~ Simone is a gradeschooler already. a separate post on that one ~ Really enjoyed summer vacation with the grannies. went back to canyon cove :) love love love! ~ My brother in law, Jayson, left for Riyadh already. super heartbreaking but i salute them for the sacrifice they had to do. ~ Got a new car for simon, hehe. A Mirage. so prooud of you beh. you deserve it :) ~ Underwent D and C last Feb. It was not yet time.. All in God's time. promise to post more pics and stories soon. see you around!

The one with online shopping

My new hobby -- online shopping! Got hooked with the online buying sites but i make sure that i check their seller's official website first to know more about their deals, if it's really on sale or not. There's this store of swimwears, profile by gottex swimsuits, where i can purchase any size or color but the thing though since im not base in US i can't buy it but the items would have been really great on me. :)

The one with business requirements

When handling businesses, one thing that eats time from my schedule is getting requirements done, specially logistics-wise. I'm due for replenishing items in Partyboosters. I also wanted to check if i can start on making carpentry and crafty items for the business like the letter stands i so wanted to do for the longest time, and also the wooden fence i so wanted to start with. I also need to finish printing business cards or maybe just order some again. hahaha, have lots of things to do, have'nt started with anything yet.

The one with churchgoer again

I'm so happy my brother after more than a decade of being absent in church has finally decided to attend service again and i came with him. was so happy to see my brother going back and attending church again, reconnecting with God. I don't know what made him realize to go back to church but it was really an answered prayer. I also wanted to commend him for being able to quit smoking in an impulse. He won't be one of those guys going to a leaf cigar bar and i hope there'd be more good changes to see. love you bro! :)

The one with yoga regimen

Laely, i've been feeling that i'm on my heavy side once again that's why i tried surfing the net for some activities i can try. I inquired for some yoga sessions near our place. They say it will make you more lean and give you more strength. i just hope it won't be as expensive as i thought it is. Just the yoga accessories towel is a little pricey, as well as the mat but gym has made me a more bulky so i really wan to try this one. hope it goes well :)

The one with canyon cove 2013

super fun filled summer outing with the grandparents. :) thank you Lord for all the blessings.

The one with partyboosters summer outing

We had our recent partyboosters summer outing in a clubhouse in village east. We had a night swimming. it was so much fun having to spend time with our team, get to enjoy the evening breeze and water. It was also a bonus that the pool lights were pretty cool. It was really well maintained and it was really big for a clubhouse pool. :) It looked like Jandy pool lights in other premiere hotel pools. Hope next time we'd be able to spend our outing on a beach resort. hehe

The one with bike hobby

It's been months since my husband has been checking some bikes so that he'll have something to use for when buying things in the store, or for some exercise. A japanese bike is nice too and we some some in a japan surplus store but had second thoughts coz i'm not sure if those are the nicest ones.  I have yet to check the yakima rack, if there's something we can buy.  I hope i'd get the hang of it as well. :)

The one with Gumbo night

We are into trying out new restaurants these days.  You'd be surprised to see that the restaurants that you think are pricey have reasonable rates too.  Rather than eating in the usual restaurants we go to, we want our dining experience to be more exciting.  Last night, we went to Gumbo. ive eaten here before but not really often.  And best of all, they have  a promo.  Buy one, take one on main entrees, pasta, pizza, salads. (everything except appetizers) soo happy! we ordered USDA steak and chicken. With 495, you get to enjoy this along with two side dishes.  so technically, it's like ordering one entree for half the price. :)

The one with saving up

One thing I'm proud of my mom is how she taught us how to save, even in small things.  I realize that all of us siblings store this big bottle of water where we put coins in there whenever we come home from work.  I saw my brother's water bottle money banks and i got so excited that we have the same "banks".  I taught Simone this habit of putting extra money in coin banks, and i can see that she has gotten used to it already. :)

The one with holy week 2013

I had a very meaningful and fun holy week this year.  Simon took the rest of his paternity leave and started his vacation since Monday.  It was one whole week of family time.  We checked in at Linden Suites on a Maundy Thursday, then enjoyed our swimming, breakfast in the morning.  Then I also had a good girl time with several church mates.  We had so much fun talking about love life, family, our concerns.  It feels refreshed to be updated with each other's lives.  Then Saturday, we went to see a movie of John Lloyd and Sarah's. really really fun! and of course, Sunday is easter sunday! thank you Lord for everything.  before the holiday started, i also tried to complete my SSS requirements and SSS replacement. I'm so happy I was able to finish it, i wanted to check if i can also find online print solutions at eoncode.com but did'nt find any. Was trying to check if i can actually make some brochures if ever for Partyboosters.

Productive. fun. memorable. = holy week 2013  

The one with newsletter

So while having coffee with my friend Naan, we talked about he new job, my business, our new business ventures, and strategies or marketing techniques that we can do.  Since she's currently employed to an online company, she suggested a website where i can have make a newsletter of partyboosters. It's paper.li. We tried going to the site and i'm impressed. I might really want to try it and maybe it will be lie a brochure printing online too. :)

The one with garage sale online

I have a new pasttime...selling and buying stuffs online.  I'm a member of n@w, it's a closed online group of wives and/or moms who basically share the same roles in life. We formed an online garage sale, that instead of doing a physical garage sale, we post everything we want to sell online, describe it, explain mode of payment.  The first to say "mine" gets the item. it's that simple.

As of this writing, I'm waiting for a Lacoste bag to be uploaded. hahaha. I hope I won't get admitted to a rehab program for this, like one of those California rehab centers. hahaha.

I hope I get to say "Mine" today. :)

The one with addl battery

Everytime i have a new phone, the one thing i would always find myself is looking for an extra battery.  It's a little frustrating when your battery fails you, even on a camera, a phone or any gadget for that matter.  Like during simone's moving up day, I was all set to take pictures only to find out that i wasn't able to charge the camera so after a few shots, the camera turned off by itself.  I should have bought a maha powerex mh-c9000 so i can enjoy longer life for our batteries. It also usually happens to my phone batteries and ipad. hmmm, i really need to find a way to make my gadget's battery life stay longer. :)

The one with summer filled activities

I want to make Simone's summe uber fun this time. So i started by applying her here:

just fill up the application form, pay P550 as workshop fee, choose you schedule and that's it.  I chose April 8-12 for her, 1-3 pm schedule. She's excited already and wants to work immediately. hahaha. Good luch Mcdo!!!

I'm also interested in enrolling her to a painting workshop. So far, i have two choices, Sip and Gogh in Capitol Hills and Fernano Sena's workshop. I have both of their schedules already, just checking which one will be better for Simone.

And last week of April, we'll go back to Canyon Cove with our parents for some swimming and recreation time.

We're all excited!

The one with Kimberly Hotel

In an earlier post, I mentioned that we went here to have some quality time with the family.  We tagged along ate len so she'd have a breath of fresh air too. Then simon just googled playground in tagaytay and one of the top hits was Kimberly Hotel so we took a drive to the place. I got so excited to see the big playground and the organic farm, then the farm animals.  Simone had fun petting the rabbits, feeding them and the sheep, and i had fun buying potted herbs. The big playground was a big hit to all of us. hahaha. It has a small pool where you can dip as well.  In fairness, if i'd be chosen an intimate wedding venue in tagaytay, i'd probably choose this one.  it's really nice and still new, plus you won't see any arturo fuente cigars around as the place is a no smoking zone as well.

The one with music lessons

I'm really interested in enrolling Simone to music lessons this summer but i'm still contemplating if the timing is just right.  She just turned six last month and I'm not sure if this is the perfect time for some music lessons for her.  But when I told it to the husband, he said to just wait until she's more ready to choose what she wants.  It's better if the choice comes from her, to learn and study music.  But seeing her interest in it and her potential to learn makes me more willing to do my own little research when the right time comes for her.  So far, she tried playing around a piano, a flute, a ukelele.  She has'nt tried new Squier guitars coz im sure those are pricey but it would have been great to see her play a real guitar someday.

As a parent, i'll try my best to expose her to all the possibilities of learning or growth for her. Excited for more learning experiences for you baby!

The one with garage sale online

I'm soo happy coz i was able to declutter my wardrobe cabinet and earned almost 4,000.00 in a flash. yey! and almost all of these clothes are second hand, some were really used but still wearable, some were worn just once or twice.  I got so thrilled that from selling these second hand items, i was able to earn some shopping money. hahaha.

I love online shopping! Now, I want to do this every tuesday, to devote some time in posting items online in our n@w group.

The one with Simone's best bday gift

I'm so happy Simon bought a ukelele for Simone.  She's been loving music instruments lately so Simon decided to buy his daughter a small guitar.  When you ask her what birthday gifts she loved best, she would answer "daddy's gift to me...the small guitar." aaawww...and now, their bonding includes guitar playing and jamming.  It's not like the gibson es 335 guitar that he likes to buy for himself but at least it's something that Simone can start up with. :)

Happy playing baby. Now im thinking if it would be nice to enrol her to a music workshop. I'm torn!!!

The one with craft bonding with lola

While looking for materials to use for their arts and crafts, lola alma found some extra felt cloth.  She gave this to Simone and this is what they came up with. Cuteness!

The one with more financial plans

We're not rich people, we have dreams of a more financially stable life but of course, just to the best that we can do and achieve.  We dream of being able to help our families live more comfortable lives, help them to become more productive as well.  That's why when my mom in law's passion in sewing has opened Dresscode costumes, I really thought of pursuing a matching mom and daughter's biz for her too.  I can finance her business and maybe in time, we can be partners in this endeavor.  With my mom, I'll just support her with whatever plans she may have.  She's still thinking what to do so i'm just waiting what we can come up with.

I don't personally dream of living like the Gokongweis and the Ayalas, I dont need those china portion plates displayed on my shelf. I just want a more comfortable life.  Thank you Lord for the  blessings and for using us to be mediums of your blessings.

The one with financial investment

The husband would always ask me to take care of any financial plans that we want to try.  He admits that he's not very meticulous in familiarizing oneself on the details and benefits of financial investments, that's why, he lets me choose where to invest it.  

Recently, i've been interested in knowing more about annuity and its advantages.  I tried googling Learn More - AnnuityAdvantage.com and I found out that it's not that common here yet in Manila but learning more about it will be beneficial by knowing how many percent of interest you can get by each annuity plan.

I hope I'd get the hang of this and be able to keep up with the terms and process. 

The one with moving up

I still can't believe that Simone has finished her pre-school already.  She will be grade 1 this coming June already and I'm still having mixed emotions on how to handle this.  For me, she still looks like a little kid.  I don't feel like she's a grade schooler already.  But it may also be the fact that we're in denial (the husband and i), the reason why we still can't see Simone as a grader.

I also realized that six years passed just like a breeze and for another 6 years to pass as breezy as it did, oh my, she'd be 12 and i would'nt even know.

So cherish those moments while they're still clingy, while they still opt to sleep beside you and call you everytime they need to do something.

I love you Simone. You will always be my baby :)

The one with fun-filled weekend

And so Simone's party has ended. It was a part-by-part celebration, we made sure she'll have fun and we're so happy she did. :) We started with spending the whole day with her on her exact bday, asking her where she wants to go, what she wants to do etc. it's like whatever you want, we won't contest bday plan. haha. We capped off the evening with a dinner buffet at intercontinental hotel.  I got vouchers which i used immediately.     I'll post a separate story and review on that.  Sunday we had a simple party with family and closest friends and her classmates of course.  She wanted a fairy party so we gave her just that.  It was simple yet so much fun for her.  I was computing costs of a hotel stay with family, dine out and a school party vis-a-vis the shakeys party and it practically cost the same so we I headed on with booking shakey's instead. haha.  Simon had fun as well.  Later did he realize that it was fun to throw a party coz Simone gets to bring home lots of toys and gifts. :)

Monday, it was a spur of the moment thing.  We decided to drive to tagaytay with Heart. It was Heart's first out of town trip and Simon was not complaining with the long drive.  haha.  It was so much fun not having to worry about your car breaking down because Heart is all brand new. ahehehe.  We went to Picnic Grove, dined in Celina's for a buffet, then stayed at Kimberly Hotel for playground, farm visit, farm animal feeding and petting plus herb shopping :) We had so much fun.  Went home with lots of loads, pineapples, fresh carabao milk, kesong puti, and veggies :)

All in all...it was perfect! happy birthday again my baby! We love you!

More separate stories on each event. hehe. ;)

the one with restaurant play

My real order was sushi,sashimi and maki. Haha. And when i asked about the discount she said "free discount" which means no discount.hahaha.

The one with no daddy

Whenever they fight,you'd see this sigb.haha. at first i got a little concerned that the two dont't get along until i learned from my other friends that their hubbies anddaughter figjt all the time as well. whew!

The one with love letter to Simone

I want to start this personal tradition of writing a letter to my daughter every birthday and to start it off, here's one:

February 21, 2013

Simone is 6

Dear Simone,

As the day’s nearing, I found myself remembering several years back.  The time when I had you, your first poop, the first time you got sick, how I used to cry in the office everyday because I had to leave you behind, and everything else in fast, chronological order seemed to appear like a movie trailer.  I can’t believe it’s been six years.

Thank you Simone for growing to become the daughter I have always prayed for.  I pray that you will always follow God’s path in your life, as young as may be.  I thank the Lord for adding another year into your life.  I thank Him because He has entrusted me with such a big blessing in the life of you and I will always feel grateful that He gave me you.

This year, I’ve seen a lot of growth in you.  The transition of being a toddler to a preschooler has been an interesting one.  I love that you’re very interested in studying and learning.  It makes me happy that you enjoy what you do in school.  I’m proud of all your accomplishments.  It’s not what you have accomplished but it’s the effort that you put into that I’m at my proudest mom-self. J Thank you for being the sweetest daughter, always making notes to mommy, making love letters and banners saying “You’re the best mommy”.  Thank you that even at a young age, you always try to take care of mommy. Thank you for your super funny antics, jokes, quotable quotes that not only make my day complete, but those who read my FB wall as well.  Thank you for being a student who always have the initiative to study.  I’m so happy I don’t have to force you to do your assignments.  I’m just glad I’m blessed with who you are.  You’re not a perfect daughter but im not a perfect mom.  We’ll always have things to quarrel about, you’ll always find ways to be “mad” at daddy but know that we will always love you anak.  We will always take care of you as God has entrusted us with the greatest blessing of our lives… you J

Love, 

Mommy :)

The one with latest accomplishment

It was supposed to be just dinner with my bestest friends...but things turned out differently.

You see, Simon has always been known as someone's who is really good in convincing people to try out new brands, new things.  He can really be a great agent, i tell you.  But this time, things turned around.  While we were having dinner, I was cornered by my friends to consider buying a brand new Mirage for Simon.  They computed Simon's taxi expenses, repair expenses of his old car, so we' be able to compare.  And they also could'nt find the logic why we'd have to wait to move in to the new house before we buy another car.  So after much convincing, Simon and I talked about it the whole monday.  We made a table of our options and compared the two vis-a-vis.  Then it was just so fast.  But we feel more excited for it.  He's been working hard to provide for us, he deserves it so we contacted the Jason and Naan's agent, asked for a computation and went to the office the following day.  We did'nt realize it would be that fast, it took simon to think longer when he bought me a laptop that it took him to pay the reservation fee.

The following day we were able to sell his old car immediately.  Among the 4 interested buyers who were all starting to panic to buy it the night we posted it, only one came during the meet up.  It was as if it was meant for him and he was a pastor. cool!

So anyway, two hours after, we found ourselves driving to Manila showroom and getting giddily excited to reserve and submit our requirements. :) Finally, we were able to submit and pay for reservation fee. we won't get the unit though right away. On our way home, the bank called already for the approval of our loan which made us more excited. Now we can't wait!

I'm so happy I made my husband happy. In a way, it was still a surprise since he's not expecting he'd have a car so soon, and a new one for that matter.  Thank you Lord for the provision. Thank you for the blessing.  Always use us to be good stewards of your blessings.

And to Simon, im glad you liked it. as i always tell you, you deserve it beh. i love you so much!

The one with a time for everything

These past few weeks were quite a roller coaster ride for our family.  We found out we're pregnant last dec21.  I was nervous and excited at the same time.  When we had our ultrasound, the sonologist can't confirm yet our pregnancy since it was just a gestational sac then.  We waited for a week for another ultrasound.  It had a development, the sac had a yolk sac already but she still could'nt confirm pregnancy.  It was painful for not being able to confirm pregnancy yet.  We could'nt share the joy of having another baby.  We could'nt express how much blessed we feel, we'd want to announce it already.  We can't do it because it's not yet confirmed.  So we decided to wait a month long instead of just another week so we'd be really sure if everything is fine.  After almost a month, went back to sonologist and found out that the yolk sac did'nt grow anymore.  It was the same size as our last ultrasound.  And now it seemed more flat, like a deflated balloon.  I was the first to ask the sonologist if the baby did not progress anymore and she said, "no, it did not grow anymore"  I was sad of course but I was surprised actually to find out i did'nt cry.  It was God's grace that gave me the comfort to handle this well.  I and my husband were able to accept and move on as soon as we knew about the news, knowing that God knows better.

We may not had the chance to announce it proudly in FB, record the announcement for cd replication but it was an enlightening experience to know and appreciate the miracle of life on a deeper perspective. thank you Lord.

The one with 2013 plans

I'm devoting my first day of 2013 for some quality time with the family, being a couch potato, just enjoying and relaxing.  This is the only day nobody will call for inquiries, asking for party requirements and sorts.  My phone won't ring.  I don't even want to check my work mails just for today or else, I'd start working and not stop. ahehe.  But i've already made some plans in my mind on what to do for the rest of the week, like booking the rest of my suppliers for the party this weekend, do some background screening on some potential suppliers and work on some crafts and arts for parties.

It's a good start. Let's take it a day at a time :)

The one with lesser fireworks

It's a good thing that fewer people used fireworks this year.  Less air pollution, more savings and a safer new year. Less people who'd be victims of the fireworks, thus, less people who'd be using Roll-A-bout knee walker as a result of potential accidents.  Every year gets better and better, fireworks wise. :)

We bought a lights display from Dragon Fireworks, just the simple 16-shot and also some lighting candles. My sis in law bought horns for the kids. We celebrated and welcomed new year with more food, less fireworks, cleaner air, and good music. :)

Happy new year again!!!

The one with new year habits

I notice over the years, I always do things the same way, habits that are hard to break if you may call it.  My husband started the topic while we were eating and here are some of the our habits that we subconsciously do every year:

~ I always buy "comfort food" every new year's eve.  Food like chips, cheetos, pringles, chips ahoy, chocolates, ice cream. I dont know why but i've always done this since I was a kid and Simon told me he does it every year as well.

~ I always extra clean every new year. haha. I try to declutter as much as i can, bring out the hand tools and fix whatever we can.

~ Even if we have our usual eve's dinners at our families' houses, i always want to cook and prepare something for our home.  I want to at least put an extra effort since i don't cook all the time and I want christmas or new year to be that occasion, i'll prepare something for my family. :)

What's your new year habit???

The one with happy new year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

WELCOME 2013!!!

Thank you Lord for all the blessings, for good health for my family and the whole Fermins and Tans. Thank you Lord for the challenges of life and the strength you've given us to surpass all these.  We welcome 2013 with grateful hearts, excitement and glee. :)

The one with trying to declutter

It is just one lazy day at home. The Christmas holiday just went by, my business is flourishing and I
planned everything out in advance. So in short I don’t have anything to do at this very moment. So I
decided to have a year-end cleaning at home.

I went to the basement and check out the things stored there. And I was shocked that we have
accumulated things of different sort. Old furnitures, shoes, last season clothes, kitchen tools, last year’s
gifts from friends and my husband’s endless collection of musical instruments.

My husband you know is a music man. He loves music that I’m always awed at the instruments and
brands that he has. Casio, Zildjian, Yamaha, Nagoya Susuki and one particular brand that I know nothing
about.it is a brand of a harmonica that sounds foreign to me.

Before it went for garage sale list, I needed to ask first if my husband is ready to let go of his babies.

In the end, my old things and my daughter’s are put on sale. For him, there are few but it was sold out
as soon as we put it out. Well, hubby you proved me wrong.

The one with another gadget

I'm just waiting for my husband to ask me when he can buy his own new toy.  Surprisingly, he has'nt asked me yet.  But i've looked into allen and heath site to check on some amplifiers and mixers that he can choose from.  I also want to check new keyboard or external drives that he can choose from too.  Knowing that he is a musician and a passionate one, i'm sure he'll choose a music-related gift for himself. :)

Just tell me beh what you want, and we'll see. hehe. 

The one with Christmas themes and motiff

This christmas, we decided on having certain motifs on the colors of our clothes.  my sister in law suggested red, green and blue.  Then we also had exchange gifts with a twist. It's a pretty cool game. Each one is asked to bring three gifts worth 20 pesos each and then wrap it up.  then we are asked to get a card with the following meaning: Ace means you can pick three gifts; King, jack or queen means two gifts, odd number means one gift and even number means no gift to pick.  It's so fun and more fun unwrapping the gifts and finding what gifts you can get for 20 pesos. hahaha. There was a box i thought it was something big like Jack Daniels Cowboy Hats, but to my surprise it was a 20 peso bill. hahaha. funny!

The one with anniv gift

Blessings always come in unexpected forms. and one of this was when my laptop broke and could'nt charge anymore. So i told my husband about it and he instantly suggested that he buys me a new laptop since it's been two years since i got the last one.  At first, i'm a bit hesitant as i find it a little extravagant to buy a laptop  but come to think of it, it will take longer before my laptop gets fixed plus the cost maybe half of what a new laptop costs.  So when i said yes to my husband, he researched and strolled on different malls to find out the best laptop for me within our budget range. And here's what he got for me. :)

The one with 7 years of wedded bliss

i cant believe it has been that long, we have been married for seven years already, known each other for 14 years and have been inseparable ever since.  and I will always thank God for his life.  the lines in the song "When God made you, He must have been thinking about me" holds true to us.  Yes, we may have our petty fights, disagreements, debates etc but our love for each other is still bigger than any of this.  Thank you beh for everything. Thank you for being my bestfriend. thank you for always believing in me and most of all, for always bringing me closer to God.  I love you!

The one with exercise regimen

I forgot all about our gym with all the activities and Christmas rush-ness for the past weeks.  But like what i told my friend Jill, I want to try yoga and see if it's better than gym.  I want to be more lean.  I feel stocky whenever i go to the gym but it also gives me a good feeling whenever i sweat and whenever i move and exercise.  I think i can get the same benefits with yoga.  I have yet to tell simon about it, there's also yoga for men but im not sure if he'll like that. He's been into gym mode ever since and i think he likes it better than yoga but let's see. :)

The one with ending the year soon

Christmas is over and just a few more days, the year will end too. I'm thankful for all the blessings we had this year and I'm praying for a fruitful 2013 too. We have a lot of things lined-up for next year like the house-move, travels abroad and Simone's grade school education among other things. I can't believe Simone will be Grade 1 soon! (I am so getting old! LOL). I have to seriously start thinking about what grade school she'll go to, and yes, about personalized name plates again.

Anyways, hope you all had a happy Christmas eve celebration with your families and friends, and I hope we'll all have a blessed new year!

The one with surprise gift for husband

With all the activities and errands needed to finish today, including the banner printing services i inquired to,  I'm so proud I was able to squeeze in some time to buy an anniversary gift for Simon.  I love it! I just inquired yesterday from a supplier, and when i realized that it is readily available, I asked for a meet up already and after a couple of hours, i have it in my hand.

Happy 7th Anniversary beh! thank you for everything and for the seven years of wedded bliss. :)

PS. Shhhh, this is a surprise gift so he does'nt have any inkling of thought as to what i will give. hope he does'nt read my blog.

The one with Christmas rush

Everybody is in a rush! and in no time, Christmas will be over. I went to the mall a while ago and felt that it was like a weekend with all the people rushing to buy gifts for Christmas and enjoying their small-group christmas parties and reunions.  I just hope we all pause for a moment to enjoy and feel the real meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus Christ.

The one with christmas traffic

Of course, everytime it's nearing Christmas, there's always Christmas traffic.  I'am sooo tempter to use my brother's motorcycle but im not sure how else i can borrow it from my brother but i still dont know how to ride a motorcycle. i also need to buy a Joe Rocket helmet so i'dy  be better and safer. 

Stay away from our traffic!!!

The one with house hunting for storage

It’s an odd time to be looking for a house now, but I am (again!). Lucky for us, I’m not on the look-out for a house we can live in, but more of a house that I can use to stock my party equipment. We’re prepping for when it’s time to move out of the house we’re renting now and move in to our very own house. We hope to move by February of next year (and hope the house is finished by then. Not that everything’s still skeletons with resistoflex teflon hose visible in every corner, but they took their sweet time building the house!)

So anyway, if you happen to know a great place (preferably dry and clean at all times of the year), give me a holler!J

The one with computer repair

My husband's been asking me if i want a new laptop for Christmas.  I honestly don't want a new gadget, but h offer i really tempting. haha.  My lappy is in need of heavy keyboard cleaning, some keys need to be pressed several times before it works again.  It needs serious Computer help but a new gadget might be a more comfortable option. haha.

It's starting to feel like Christmas! :)

The one with Christmas parties

When it's time of the year to go to christmas parties, it gives me such pleasure to see themed parties as well.  And our parents are on a hectic schedule attending to parties here and there.  It's nice to see them in costumes, practicing their performances etc.  I love the fact that they are busy with these things, and keeping themselves entertained.  My mom in law was Madam Auring in one Christmas party so she borrowed my earrings, necklaces, including sterling silver necklace, bangles and i bought for her a touch lamp that can work as a light of her "magic ball". haha.

It's fun attending parties, I just held one with my staff last night and we had a blast. A separate post on that.

The one with potentials

After seeing Simone's dance number, I would like to consider enrolling Simone to a ballet lesson this January, so we could see if it will really interest her.  Aside from singing, I also am very interested to checking what percussion instruments might be okay with her or if she'd be interested in one.  Right now, i know that she is interested with guitar, drum, and tambourine as well.  I don't want to force her to learning one but since that's one of her dad's greatest skills, and it would be a delight to see it in her. :)

The one with initial phase of moving in

While I am mulling over our house transfer, I thought maybe getting something like a symbol barcode scanner selection will be helpful for inventory and stock purposes. I think it might be good for keeping track of our party equipment since we won’t be stocking them in the house, and I am envisioning myself not seeing them on a daily-- even weekly basis especially on peak seasons such as this month.

Incidentally, I am relived that half of this month is over and I can look forward to quality time with my family when we can just relax and enjoy the holidays, and yeah, our anniversary. Christmas is truly the busiest time of the year-- and the happiest too J

Hope we’ll all have a blast this Christmas J

The one with Simone's christmas program

I enjoyed Simone's Christmas program yesterday.  It was her first time to dance so gracefully, memorizing all the steps, projecting as if she was a real fairy.  I was surprised to see that she enjoyed her performance. I'd have to give credit to her teacher who was so good in making them do all the steps, and considering to include in the number what kids usually love in dancing.  (read: ribbon dancing and fairy wings)

great job simone! love you! pics to be uploaded, and videos too! :)

The one with new coin banks

Now that it's Christmas season again, Simone just got two more new coin banks from her classmates and she was delighted with the new coin bank, one is a puppy and the other one is a bear.  I recently got this big old coin from my mother's house and i'm thinking of using the other coin bank for old coins, or even military coin here in the house i saw when we moved in months ago.  I know i can't fill it up but at least it may be a good start for a collection. :)

Merry Christmas!!!

The one with stage mom

The thing about getting your child into a competition is that you'd want your child to do her best, without her feeling the pressure of winning, or worst, feeling pressured to win because you are pressured for her to win. I don't know if that makes sense, but truth be told, contemplating as I am now about her recent competition, it looks as if it's always harder for the parents than it was for their kids. LOL. I mean, I had to remind myself over and over again to just be cool about it. I even thought about getting a memory foam mattress just to help me remember! Joke!

Anyway, I know I already told you about Simone winning 2nd place in the competition (it's Rizal-wide, by the way), and I also promised to write more about the details, but I just wanna rehash it again because I'm just so proud of our baby. I'm happy that Simone didn't get into her usual dramatic self and that her talents shone as a result. Congratulations, Simone!

The one with musician's wife

                                            
As a musician's wife, I know how it is to be like a "sounding board" of newly composed songs and music ideas of a musically busy mind. Not that I'm complaining. In fact, I feel kind of honored to be the first to hear of a song, to contribute my own ideas and sometimes, to be asked to sing some lines myself for a recording.

So yeah, what is there to complain about, even if I'm finding it increasingly hard to find enough space in the house to keep all Simon's music equipment in. And I'm just thinking about it now because I wondered if I should give him something of the musical variety for Christmas or maybe buy him something like those latest keyboards. But then, between you and me, Simon has more keyboards than he has time to play with them. What can I say, boys and their toys.

I'm sure I'll think of something :)

The one with another venture

I was meeting with a client yesterday and i found out that their business is manufacturing and supplying leather goods.  They are the only two top leather manufacturers and I got curious about the costs of the leather.  While she was sharing info about the business, i got excited about what we can do with these leather.  We can buy just a few sheets and try making wallets, cellphone covers etc and others out of these leather goods. Man, i hope i can make simple bags, best custom drawstring bags, wallets and passport holders. It would be a great venture to start. If only i can easily do what i can think of. :)

The one with gifts for family

As always, every year i find it hard to think of what gifts to buy for our families.  Normally, people will start shopping gifts for their families first before friends and co-workers. I do it backwards.  haha. I need to spend the whole day shopping for them.  For my mom, i thought of buying an LCD tv (since LED is still pricey) but my brothers have to pitch in haha.  A good flat panel mount will be nice to put in their wall.  I'll ask my brothers first.  What about my husband? what should i give him this christmas??? hmmm...lots of questions to answer.

The one with christmas shopping

I'm so happy i've finally started on my christmas shopping.  For a change, i wanted to finish it before the end of this month (okay, i'm exagerrating, maybe before second week of december is a better deadline) I was with my bestfriend anne, when i decided to start on buying gifts even if i don't have that list yet.  haha. And so far, i was able to buy gifts for all my three godchildren with anne, for all of simone's classmates, and three of simon's godkids.  We have a lot of boys as godkids and i don't have that much choices for gifts to buy for them. it's either a shirt or a toy. hahaha, how lame of me. :P

Merry Christmas!!!

The one with farm living

Mec, a good friend of mine, was sharing their family experience on Balik Bukid.  While i was reading her blog, i can't help but be amused with the simplest of what life has to offer.  You know, no mall or no extravagant toy can measure up to the experience of feeding an animal, petting a rabbit and riding a horse! I thought bringing an equestrian riding apparel would deem fit, but i realize you'd get all muddy and wet after all the sand play, and outdoor games.  Hmmm, i wish someday we could do this with simone and her cousins. (that is if my sister in law, jane, would'nt find it eeky to play on the sand, haha)

The one with good results

We've been using ozein ozonator for almost two months now and i could'nt be happier with the results.  For the first tihave to me, Simone has'nt caught any allergic attacks yet (and i hope she won't have one again).  Just the fact that we don't have to go to the clinic anymore, run some tests on her esp those blood tests whenever she's sick, is something i will give credit to the ozein.  We also got the ozein mobile so we can use it in the car.  I have yet to try and ozonate the water, vegetables and meat.  My bestfriend anne (who was out agent for ozein) told me that the videos on ozein about ozonating chicken and vegetables is just amazing.  I'm sure to try it next week, after this weekend's events. :)

The one with first competition

I could not believe that my daughter was chosen by her school as one of their representatives on Department of Education's Kindergarten Festival of Talents.  Her category was story reading.  When Teacher Noemi told me about it, i was mixed emotions.  I felt so happy that she was chosen, a proof that she's enjoying and thriving in school, but at the same time felt so scared about what effect it might have on her.  I was scared of myself actually.  I was not sure if i can just relax and let her enjoy just like that.  I have a tendency to be an OA (overacting) mom and i have to condition myself to be guarded at all times.   So when i told my husband about it, he was more hesitant than excited about the news.  After much talking and a deal that should she decide not to read, or throw tantrums, we would'nt force her to read at all. haha. As long as she likes to join the competition, and as long as she enjoys it, we'll let her  compete :)

And she got 2nd place! praise God. more stories to come about what happened on the day.

The one with christmas shopping!

Hark the herald angel singing falalala lalala.

Yes I am singing a Christmas song because I already feel chrimasy now. I have a long list of gift giving but I have fun with my daughter simone "wrapping" all the gifts we shop last Wednesday.
Lucky for me I got all of them on sale. That’s what I like about this season you get stuffs you want at low, low prices without sacrificing the quality. I had a meeting with my client also last Wednesday and she noticed a pair of earrings I’m wearing ( which was included to the shopping list i did). She loves it and I learned that when it comes to jewelries, she is a walking encyclopedia. She even told me that there's scott kay mens and i was like "what's that again?" i dont event know what that is but she indulged me with all the info i needed to know. haha.

Just thinking about it gets me all perked up again even after a long day of shopping and meetings. ;)

The one with wild wish

It’s a long weekend. Horay!! Family time and some fun.

Now, the problem is we don’t have a scheduled activity for it. While thinking of things that we could do, Simon and I decided to do something unconventional. Something unlikely for us even friends will be shocked if they find out what we plan on doing. You see we are not the type of people who will spend a night on the wild. But would'nt it be great if just for once we can try it? We thought of camping and hiking! hahaha. like what mountaineers do, bring utility knife, set up a tent, build a fire from stones, and all those sorts.

Then, after a lot of wishful thinking and ambitious plans, we just scrapped the whole plan out.  hahaha.  We realized this: "Who are we kidding?!" then we just went couch potato to spend our long weekend. :) Have a happy one!

The one with why we would'nt try this

The first time we saw the commercial, my husband and I were in shock "what were they thinking?!?!".  I do not want to go all eco-friendly-environmentalist-health-buff rant over this because i'd like to base my thoughts on just observations and inputs we have, and since we have'nt tried it (and we will never try it), i also want to find out what made it acceptable in the market anyway.

Maggi launched this Maggi Magic meals for those busy moms, for yuppies who can't cook, college students who stay in dorms away from home and just for people who don't know how to cook (or thought they don't have a knack for it)  The objective was fine.  What I did'nt get was the procedue and the system

1.  The plastic bag.  I dont want to claim that i'm this all-powering health buff as i have my sinful takes on eating wrong as well but eating food that was cooked in a plastic? heck no! they say there's another way to cook it not using the plastic, i hope they just hyped that and not the plastic bag. All for the love of uniqueness and out of the box rule. haist!

2.  The time.  Cooking rice using rice cooker does'nt take you 45 minutes. it's just half of that time indicated actually. so the purpose of using maggi magic meals to save time is not justifiable here.

3.  No saute needed.  For a country who always involves saute as part of cooking method, i cannot actually imagine how it would taste for pastel not having been sauteed. or the potatoes not being fried, even for just a little.

4.  I won't start thinking what the ingredients are made of to help cook the food in the plastic bag "faster"

Pardon if i sound unruly.  I just hope these companies will stop launching products just for the sake of.  I hope they won't always take advantage of the busy-ness of people, the easy way outs of things and the so-called technology.  I hope we moms will still take time to prepare food we think is best for our family, hey even if it's just fried galunggong and chopped tomatoes, i'd rather have it on my table, as long as i know how i cooked it, and what is in my food. :)

Thinking out loud here.

The one with homemade nuggets/chicken fingers

Saw this at Mad Hungry...it's yummy!

Ingredients:
Buttermilk (to make buttermilk, mix 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 cup of milk, i used fresh milk)
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Bread crumbs
chicken breast fillet, sliced

Mix buttermilk, cayenne and salt together.  i just estimated how much cayenne i want to put.  Put the chicken breast fillet and soak it for a few minutes.  Roll it over the bread crumbs.  In mad hungry, she used wholewheat bread curmbs.  Did'nt see that in the grocery so i settled for the regular one.  Then fry it in pan.  It's so tender, smells good, easy to cook and really yummy!

The one with crispy kangkong

Ingredients:
Flour
Salt
pepper
egg
kangkong leaves
oil for frying

cut the kangkong leaves.
mix flour, egg, salt and pepper
coat kangkong leaves in the flour mixture
deep fry it

Note: dont overcoat the kangkong leaves.  dont worry if the leaves are not covered too well because it will still be crunchy and crispy. If you overcoat it, it will taste more like flour.

enjoy!

The one with home cooking

Ever since i've met up with my mommy friends, i kept on thinking of ways to improve my cooking and to add more variety in the recipes i've been cooking for my family.  Thanks to Jeng and Con, they're my cooking mentors. hahaha.  I'm still learning how to make a list and plan what to prepare for the whole week.  I still can't get the routine of it so whenever i go to the grocery, I just buy whatever i think i need for the kitchen, much to my surprise, it has expired before i could have used it.

So anyway, my first attempt was during our monthly thanksgiving day.  My sister in law asked me if we can have it in our house and of course, we readily said yes.  So i asked Jeng for easy but impress-them-meals that i can make.  She gave me links of Pinoy Cook's Chicken Stuffed Cabbage and Orange Glaze pork steak.  The former was a very successful one, the latter was an acquired taste.  Using orange for your food is not a popular one but it was tasty enough as well.  But my chicken stuffed cabbage made it to their top list of favorite food. haha. Thank you Jeng for the links!

Will continue to cook healthy food for my family. I hope i'd get the hang of this soon :)

The one with ozein

In my previous post, i mentioned that we are dealing with skin asthma and allergic rhinitis of Simone.  A friend, Laksmi, mentioned about an ozonator and much to our surprise, we were talking about the same brand, Ozein.  It's a Filipino-made ozonator, cleans the air and water and even vegetables. My bestfriend, Anne, lent us her demo unit and we've been using it for a week now.  A big improvement has taken place on Simone, she can sleep through the night now.  She does'nt cough that often anymore.  Even Simon felt the effect as well.  He does'nt sneeze anymore in the morning like he always used to.  I'm really convinced with this product, will probably order one for the house and one for the car, yes they have a portable ozonator too! :)

The one with successful booking!

Been trying to get hold of Cebupacific's piso fare deals but can't get through  Much to my desperation, I called the husband and asked him to book for us, any trip, any month that covers the promo of the piso fare. hahaha.  And he was successful! yey!

I got excited because by then, Simone will be almost 7 years old and im sure she'll enjoy Disneyland more than she enjoyed it last year. :)

Til we meet again Mickey and Minnie, one year to go. hahaha.

The one with skin asthma

I've been out of the loop for quite some time mainly because my kid has been sick and i still can't figure out how we'd cope with her new condition.  Her allergic rhinitis has evolved to skin asthma now.  Our lives took a 180-degree turn when we had to change our lifestyles just so we could recover and adapt to her skin asthma.  My only prayer is that she outgrows this when she gets older.  I also pray that she won't blame me for a scar or a rough patch of skin on her body or blame her dad for the genes where she got the allergic rhinitis.

It's like we have a new baby.  When Dra Lucena told us to eliminate all factors that might trigger her skin asthma, i did'nt realize that it was a drastic change until i bought a shampoo for her, the Mustela baby shampoo that cost me 500 pesos for a small bottle.  And i told myself, "oh my, this feels like i have a baby again".  Here are other things we changed, hopefully you'll pick up tips and learnings here

~ No to chocolates.  The chocolate content itself is the one thing we have to avoid.  Not because it's sweet but because it's chocolate.  Meaning, she can still have other sweet goodies, but not so much

~ No to oily foods like fried chicken.  maybe once in a while but we have to drain the oil very well or don't put breading on the meat

~ No to chicken.  Well apparently, since Simone has been chicken lover from the start, i think she has been immuned to this already but we're crossing this out in the meantime from her menu or lessening the intake just so we can make sure it does'nt go back.

~ No to clothes being sent to laundry stores. waah. good thing we have a new helper but when my pedia told me to stop bringing her clothes to the laundry and make sure we handwash it and have it sun-dried, oh my goodness!

~ No to dust.  This is quite hard as you see we live in a tropical country where dust thrives everywhere.  Our house may be clean but it's not spic and span.  We even have to control whre the fan will be steadied so as not to dust off particles.  If i hear her sneeze,i have to look for what it is that made her sneezed and eliminate it immediately.

~ No to perfumes, colognes.  This kinda made me sad a little as we love colognes.  We love putting colognes, it makes us feel fresh but it's a big no. hmp!

~ No to egg. This is what she ate that made all her rashes appeared, on her arms, and legs.

~ Moisturizing is the key.  This should be easy but i was not used to putting lotion on simone.  I stopped applying lotion when she was 1year old.  But now, after taking a bath, i have to moisturize so her skin wont get dry and she won't itch. waaah.

Here are her new bath and body items:
~ Mustela baby shampoo - 500 pesos
~ Oilatum soap - 150 pesos i think
~ Cetaphil body cleanser - 400 pesos i think
~ Cetaphil Restoraderm body wash and lotion
~ Physiogel AI lotion when she has rough and itchy patches
~ Cutivate cream only when it's really itchy. It's a steroid cream
~ Dove unscented body soap

These are the only things we can put on her that's safe and effective.  Thank God she does'nt have rashes anymore.  Hopefully, the rough skin will soon be gone too.

More stories to share :)

The one with funny notes

It's been a while since my last update of Simone-related stories, i posted this in FB and got a lot of laughs from these. :)

A post she wrote and put up in the ref saying that her milk supply is low already. haha

We're always looking for these mosquito killers so she found a place to put them and labeled the area. :)

The one with more books!

When i posted something in my FB wall about being a walking zombie ever since simone got sick, a lot of friends, specially moms messaged me and sent their well wishes for simone.  I felt comforted just with this act of concern from them.  But when a fellow mom ( we're not that really close so her gesture caught me by surprise) messaged me and told me she will send books to Simone hoping that she'll feel better upon seeing them, I can't help but be overwhelmed with the thoughtful gesture.  you know, it's not just about the books, but it's more of the thought that a fellow mom understands the panic, stress and pain im feeling and that she has thought of a way for one's child to feel better and just do that without anything in return.  For that, i feel sooooo humbled and blessed.

Thank you Carmelyn Reyes-Latoja for being so thoughtful.

 

PS. Carmelyn Reyes-Latoja is a book illustrator of sandy's books which can be found at sandybooks.multiply.com :)

The one with wahm

I know my life has a greater purpose.  It has become more evident when I had Simone.  It was like suddenly, my life is'nt just about me, nor just about us as a couple but as a family.  And because of this, my husband and I made decisions that are life-changing, things that we know only God can control...and so far, He's the best sailor of our journey.

To cut the long story short, I became a work-at-home mom.  And many times, I find myself having a hard time juggling things; being a mom, a wife, a homemaker, an entrepreneur, a driver, a nanny, a cook, and whatever else you can label me.  haha.  I never complained.  There are just days that you don't see the end of your things to do list, hehe. But when my sister-in-law, Merci, told me while we were having our usual YM chat nights, that she sees me as an embodiment of a wahm, i was like, "yeah right!" haha.  She told me that i inspire her and she sees me as one of her motivations.  I'm glad that she sees me that way.  At least, somehow I know I'am able to motivate or encourage another mom who wants to find her fulfillment as well, as an individual (whether an entrep or an employee) and as a mom.  I'd be forever grateful that God gave me a business I can call my own, something to make my passion concrete and still be able to take care of my kid and husband.

And for that, I'm proud to be a WAHM :)

The one with what to expect when you're expecting

When i saw this film, i wondered how they could put it into film, a book that explains everything that you can expect when you're expecting.  And after watching the film, I felt a stronger desier to have a second baby! waah! i want the baby now...i want another miracle of life and I hope God will grant and bless us with one more baby. I want to have that baby bump again, to feel someone inside me is growing and to take care of another God's blessing.

The one with crazy and sick

Even if Simone is 5 already, I still can't get used to the fact that she can get sick anytime, anywhere, and that it's one of the "awful inevitables" of growing up.  She got sick, three days straight which is unusual so I had her checked up with her pedia again just so we could rule out dengue. (gosh, i really hate dengue) praise God, it's negative and that it's just cough and flu. 

We could'nt think straight, we could'nt work.  We could'nt show her how affected and how crazy her fever makes us.

And when her fever was gone, she requested for her Gelarti which she had been requesting for the longest time. hahaha. and because i can't say no to a just-recovered-from-fever kid, i gave in and bought the Hello kitty gelarti. hahaha. I'd rather spoil her than see her sick :)

thank you Lord for healing Simone.

The one with birthday once again

And because of the recent situation, I did'nt feel days passing by that quickly and I just realized that it's just several days before i turn 33. yes, i'd be 33 on monday.  Still feels like im just 28 so does'nt really matter, haha (except for the slow metabolism obvious in my weight, ahehe)

Now where to celebrate??? what gift to give to myself??? hahaha... my husband texted me the other day to choose an LV for myself as his bday gift.  But when i told him how much a wallet costs, he was like " what?!, just a little difference and you have yourself a bag already?!!!" hahaha. I'm thinking if a nice watch will do or a bling-bling. hahaha. I need to reward myself on my birthday.

Where to celebrate??? we're thinking of checking in, just dont have time yet to book one.

Where to eat??? still thinking too but definitely with the whole family, rain or shine. :)

Happy bday to me!!!

The one with habagat

It's our first time to experience this...having your house submerged with knee-high water caused by habagat (monsoon rains) and it's not even a typhoon.  I've had too many realizations after, things that made us better people, facts of life that made us rethink who we are and what we need to do with our lives. 

~ When Ondoy happened three years back, both our families and my sisters-in-law were all affected.  We were the only ones who werent and we felt so blessed that we were spared so we'd have strength to help and resources to extend.  But now, we're the only ones affected.  I remember always telling my sister in law not to worry about it, that God will replace everything sooner or later.  But when this happened to us,  I know all the things i said before still stand true, but i just can't help but feel sad and down for what happened.  Quoting what my friend Jeng said in her FB post, (rephrased): "i know everything will be alright, i know that God will replace all these material stuff, but i still can't help feeling sad thinking we're starting over agin".  I cannot relate to the starting over again as this is the first time this happened to us but i was sooo nodding over and over while reading her post, like it was exactly what i was feeling.  I had the chance to chat with Concon, another good friend of mine who was affected by Ondoy as well.  And i told her what i was feeling and that i dont have plans of dwelling on this emotion as it is not something God would like me to feel or think.  I just want everything to be back to normal.  And I know it was God-planned that we were able to chat, she enlightened me and reminded me of things to be thankful for, and that those are the things that i should focus on. And everything just seemed okay. :)

~ Accepting my friend's offer to stay in their house until we're back on our feet was really a humbling experience.  I know we've been friends since forever and that it's really not a big deal, but it's the first time we have to stay at another house because we dont have a decent place to stay in.  We stayed in Sogo hotel for four days before we decided to check out and just stay at Jill and Jon's place.  Their house is really nice as they have a guestroom intended for us but we can't help feel shy and uncomfortable that we're staying there and can't stay in our house.  I told Simon i'd rather swallow my pride just so i can be sure that my daughter is safe.  Our basement has been submerged with 6ft deep water and i dont plan to bring my daughter there until we're sure the house is ok.

~ Sometimes you expect other people to help you but the truth is, you should'nt expect them to.  I appreciate all the support our families have for us, i dont know, for some reasons though, i was expecting more from them during this time.  And suddenly, it daunted on me that maybe they were feeling the same during Ondoy, that we were not that "helpful" or at least exerted effort to help. hehe, just thinking out loud here.

~ I realize that the things that you've been trying to keep all your life, most of them are just things that you can actually let go, things that really don't matter in the end.  When our basement was flooded and I realized that most of our things were there, i found out later that i can live by even without these things.  Looking at it, it's one way to declutter your life :)

All in all, I praise God for everything.  I have countless things to be thankful for and I will forever hold on to His word and know that everything will be in His control.

The one with pizza making activity

I love doing activities with Simone, moreso, if this will be joined by her cousins.  She asked me to buy ingredients for pizza after watching a tv series in disney and i cant resist her so we went to the supermarket and bought some ingredients.  Since we bought a lot, we decided to have the activity together with her cousins Neyo and Justin.  It was really a fun day for them, albeit my slight knife injury. ouch!  Justin even told me, "i'm so happy" aaawwww...

The one with alternative habit

I'm not a smoker, and I don't think i will ever be one.  I take pride in saying that i have'nt puffed a single cigarette in my entire life.  But if you care to try something new and slightly sophisticated than cigarette smoking, there are options now like the electronic cigarettes or why not try to smoke cigars instead where one can experience more flavorful and unique smell to it. Cigars went through a process that gives its distinction to pleasurably smoking. One of the best cigars I know is the La Gloria Cubana, where its history marked its name to every cigars aficionado. It may be given as a gift to your boss or to your in-laws without doubt will see you that you have good taste.  I know about it coz my grandpa used to smoke cigars while he was in his library, soaked with books. Oh how i will always put that memory of him in my memory box :)

Just babbling around here. :)

The one with another dream collection

My brother started collecting coins when he was younger.  He got it from my dad.  I, on the other hand, doesn't know anything about antique coins. Why is it valuable to some collectors? I had a conversation once with a fellow friend who is quite engaged in coin collecting and would unquestionably research information about a coin that can complete his collections. Fanatic I can say to that friend of mine. He did mention about Mexican silver. He said that many of it isn’t exactly sterling silver so one should do acid test to ensure its purity. Oh well, I wasn’t fascinated much about the conversation but I did learn a thing or two about buying silver. Thanks bro!

The one with dream collection

It is unusual for a woman to collect something other than shoes and bags. But for me, I am starting to get fond of collecting watches.   Investing is also other means to rationalize the splurge (laugh!). I love clean design as well as functionality is concern. That’s where Bulova watch comes in. I was drawn to that brand since I want something dressy and classic at the same time where I can definitely wear anywhere, anytime. Wish i could buy one, like one for me and one for the husband? :)

The one with remembering the bulge

I remember when i was pregnant, I was large so I wasn’t pretty much excited about summer. Finding the right and stylish outfit for the coming season is like finding a needle in the haystack particularly in the Philippines. But thanks to the internet and the emerging online shopping saga, I was able to find a maternity swimwear at duematernity.com where you can find almost all types of maternity swimwear that my hubby will surely go gaga on me even if I weigh __ kilos and lots of flab.  Who says preggos can't be sexy? haha. :)

The one with yayaless again

Yes, the domesticated goddess is alive again. haha. we're back to zero with yaya help and I have my multi-tasking skills to its highest level.  I enjoy the privacy of having the house all to ourselves but at the same time, is foreseeing that i'd easily get tired and stressed with the additional household chores.  We're trying to work around a new routine in the house like having our clothes sent to a laundry shop on a scheduled basis, getting a stay out helper to clean the house and an on-call babysitter for simone everytime i have meetings outside.  Those are the immediate solutions we could think of and I'm glad so far (as in so far), everything's okay and still manageable.

Goodluck to me!

The one with more family time

For two weeks straight, been enjoying more family time with my kid and the husband. It's because either we only have lunch events or we really dont have parties that day. I cherish those moments but would always think of my staff and where they'll get money for their house needs.

Whilst enjoying more free time, I have cleaned our closets and took away old clothes i dont wear often like some Sydneys Closet prom dresses, or one-size-smaller clothes. And I hope i'd be able to pull some weeds tomorrow and fix the house furnitures around.

Loving this family time. In everything, give thanks :)

The one with accessory fascination

I've been into accessories lately.  I found this really nice store who sells wholesale accessories and i can't be more excited so i bought like ten pieces of assorted ones. I love all these new accessories i have!  I saw semi precious bead necklaces and bangles too but i want more of the costume accessories.  When you have really nice pieces of accessories, it's fun to dress up and it gives your outfit an easy upgrade.

Looking forward for more accessory buying soon :P

The one with Ice Age 4

So this movie has been a movie week for us.  We watched Ice Age 4 yesterday.  It's the first time with the kiddos and their parents.  We had such a great time.  We went to Eastwood to make sure we had reserved seats. 

Movie was great.  Sid was the funniest.  The storyline was okay too, comedy was the usual Ice age 4 comic, that's why we're thinking they won't make another sequel after this. Well, after Ice Age 3 i thought there won't be a 4 but i was found wrong. :P

The one with Amazing Spiderman

I'm a little bit surprised with me and the husband because we did'nt watch this on its first week.  It took me a while to get used to the fact that it's not Toby Maguire. And because i had so little expectation of the movie, i guess i appreciated it more. haha.

I still love Toby as Spiderman, i think because he's more of our age.  Andrew Garfield is not that bad at all, although i can't afford to giggle everytime i see his cute smile coz he's way younger than me.  You know the feeling like i cant appreciate the younger hunks now simply because i'm ten years senior than them. hahaha.

And i love Emma as an actressm esp in the movie "The Help" but no matter how much bangs she wears of knee-high boots, she would always look older than Andrew.  So it's a little hard to see the chemistry in them.

The movie had some modifications from the comics but can i just say that Andrew Garfield acts really good.  The movie is more on the "dramatic side" and music scoring really good, of course it's Hans Zimmer who else.

Next time, maybe i'd write knee walker reviews instead of movie reviews, haha. I might be a better writer of it i think :P

The one with king of comedy

It's a little weird (for the lack of term to use) to mourn if the person who passed away is an icon of true comedy and laughter.  I mean, everybody remembers him as someone who can make you laugh til you tear away, or til you grasp for air so i guess people did'nt really think he'd be in pain, in sickness or in death.  But it's just inevitable. It just is.

I heard about his passing July 10 at around 1030pm when I turned on my laptop and saw it in Yahoo News.  I really felt sad.  I know he's been trying to hang in there since his hospitalization last June 2012 but i guess i'm one of those people who never thought it would still be soon.  I know he's of age already and he has lived a full life, but you see, he's a living legend.  People who love to laugh should'nt be sick.  I guess that's how i felt. 

The following day, my husband and I were talking about his passing and to put the sorrows aside, we decided to watch a famous video clip, "Banayad Whiskey". Man, he really knows how to make people laugh, and once again, he made me laugh again. :)  It's true what he said in one of his interviews "kahit pumanaw man ako, mawala man ako, buksan nyo lang ang telebisyon nyo at magkakasama ulit tayo" (paraphrased)

Thank you for the laughter.

Jacque
John and Marsha kid
Home along da riles kid

The one with still on the end of season sale

I still can't get over the best buys I had at Bayo and decided to go there again.  I went there just yesterday to see if there were new items that are as nice as the ones I bought a week prior.  And sadly, the items on display were the same items i saw the first time.  But i'll give another try this week  and cross my fingers for more nice clothes. hahaha.

But there's always a silver lining...I saw these really nice discount bathroom cabinets at Make Room and I could'nt leave the store without buying at least one of the cabinets on sale.  When the husband saw me, he gave me a shaking head, as if saying "here we go again" so i stopped myself from buying and convinced myself that it's more practical to buy home stuff when we've moved to our new home. haha.

More shopping stories to follow!

The one with full blast party planning

Two days from now and it's my nephew's birthday! Zildjian is one! and I'm one excited aunt. (tita)

I could'nt help but interfere with my sister in law's party planning as she told me herself that party planning is not her piece of cake.  She's not used to getting all panicky and rushed for a party, even if it's for her kid.  But luckily, she has a sister in the form of moi. hahaha, just kidding. 

When she told me she'll just hire a clown and use home speakers for the sound system, I could'nt help but suggest to hire a host/magician and told her i'd be the one to do it instead.  Whatever savings they can get from cancelling it, they can just pay it to me and i'll give it to my friend Darwin who was willing to host the birthday for a super discounted rate. yey!

I also bought a cake for Zildjian.  Jane was supposed to bake one for me but her oven broke down.  And now i had to rush to go to another bakeshop and order a small cake instead.  We will also bring our beer tower, two food carts and the tarps i had made for Zildjian. yey, im excited for the party!

Happy bday Baby! :)

The one with family investment

I'm trying to do some research on investments and I'm really targeting mutual funds as one of the investments we can explore.  Luckily, I have a father in law whom I can ask about these things.  He introduced me to a plan of Pru Life where you can invest on a minimum of 12k annually and just add more into it every year if you want to appreciate higher earnings.  I got really excited about it and thought it would'nt hurt to try and invest with Pru Life.  They also offer life insurance no medical questions plan as long as your age qualifies for a plan.  I think that will be next move.

Happy investing!

The one with big projects

July is such a blessed month for Partyboosters.  We were able to close a deal with Meralco for their requirement of desk balloons as part of their Smile Campaign.  It's such a big blessing as I was able to give payroll to my staff equivalent to more than what they usually get during our weekend work, and I'm so happy that it felt like Christmas to them.

And now, I have an event with another client, well not as big as Meralco project but it's still a big event. I'm coordinating an acquaintance party for ABE College and I'm just excited to start planning the event. Thank you Lord for all the blessings!

Now I think it's high time to check a joomla host for my website domain, don't you think? :)

The one with business card

I keep on forgetting to upgrade my business card look and I would always remember it everytime i give away one, and kinda be embarassed of how it looks.  Well, it's not really that bad but i want to improve it, make the quality of the paper better, make it plastic if possible and really have nice colors and elegant to look at.  I asked my printer before to make a layout for me and I asked him to make 500 pcs for me as initial order.  I actually asked for plastic business cards by plastic printers but he does'nt have that kind so i just ordered laminated ones or those digital printed cards that are on trend right now.

My list of things to do just keeps on piling up! waaah!!!

The one with Bayo Sale

Last July 1, my family and I went to Eastwood for our weekly family bonding time and lo and behold, I was surprised to see really nice items On Sale at Bayo! and when i say Sale, I mean like 70 to 80% off! oh Man! The most expensive blouse i bought was only P250! My voice was on a high pitch the whole time and I was literally panicking which items to try out first. hahaha.

I'd have to thank the saleslady for showing me the racks where she had just put on the new sets of clothes on sale.  At first, I was thinking maybe these are clothes i wont be able to wear like tourmaster venture pants for men, or some tops that are too small for me.  But i'm just happy to find a lot of nice pieces for me, for my mom and for my sisters in law. wohoo! I bought like 15 pieces of really nice clothes.  Most ofthe tops are just P150 each.

Wohoo, can't you feel the excitement i still have a week later ? :) really really best deal.

The one with his BB

I was just starting to get the hang of having and enjoying my BB when the husband finally decided to get one for himself. hahaha.  it has been just days and he just suddenly told me that he's swapping his Rudy project eyeglasses for an old BB Oliver got from the office.  His Rudy Project did'nt come from GreatEyeglasses.com for prescription eyeglasses, it was part of his company benefits where every two years, he is able to get new glasses.  Since he's not used to wearing one, he just decided to swap it with a BB Bold. hahaha.

What my husband would do for a phone...enjoy your BB!