Archive for the ‘Home’ Category

This weekend is probably one of those rare weekends when the kitchen’s not so busy with orders. A lot has happened the previous week which made me reject all the orders that came so we were left with two – yes, two! A far cry from the usual 6-8 weekend orders — so instead of dwelling on what could have beens, we just enjoyed the weekend!

My aunt, cousins and nieces were here so we went to Manila Ocean Park. It wasn’t my first time there but seeing the Hotel H2O was indeed a first. I wasn’t able to get inside but I appreciated the hotel’s lobby, it was quite small but I got hooked with their chaise cushions, it was so soft that I didn’t want to get off it. (LOL) Anyway, the tour went well, we saw the oceanarium again and watched the sea lion show, albeit I still think that the fees are too much. They should add value to our money.

We were also able to attend a friend’s birthday party ON A SATURDAY! yes, we seldom attend parties on weekends because that’s when the influx of orders come in. We attended Keshet’s 13th birthday party held in Malate Crown Plaza and got in touch with mommy friends and their kids Amazing, amazing Saturday indeed!

Sunday? Oh the best. Had a date with DD, bought her bought her boots from Payless and we ate in Sbarro, her fave Italian fast food

How do you usually spend your day? In my case, I am in front of the computer most of the time as I get all my earnings online. Yes, it can be draining, but to know that my kids have something to eat because I earn while I sit in front of the computer, I can do this for years! My work, imperfect as it may seem, has a lot of benefits compared to my work back then.

You ask, “do you have a home office?” I certainly don’t. I only have a desk in our room, situated accordingly so I may see the kids while they’re playing. How I wish I have something like this, so I can work freely without being distracted.

Photo source

All I have right now is a desk full of clutter. You’ll see books, phones, a bag of chips, pens on a desk grommet and wires of various gadgets. My laptop looks like an octopus with all these wires!

I am drawing a plan with my husband. I just hope he’ll agree.

As I was doing some research for a post about free span buildings, I came across posts and ads about “Mother’s Day” contests. It’s on the 13th yet I don’t have the courage to join any of them because of so many personal reasons.

Then, I asked myself this, “how are you as a mom?”. It took me a while to answer the question I made for myself.

Am I mean?, do I spend much time with my kids?, do I provide everything that they need without sacrificing the time that should have spent with them?

You see, like every mom I know, I am not perfect. I get tired, irritated and I cannot give them everything that they WANT. Running a bake house and doing all kinds of online tasks can be draining and nerve wracking. It’s like that every day and it is never easy. BUT, I make it a point to spend quality time with my kids.

When I left the corporate world 4 years ago, I vowed to work from home so I can spend more time with my then only child, Yona, so I can see her grow up. And I guess I am successful in that area.

Perfection is not attainable in every aspect but it doesn’t hurt to try, to at least become the mom that your kids need. What makes me so proud is the fact that I see them every freaking minute, from the moment they open their eyes in the morning until they close it at night. I seldom go out and when I do, for sure they will go with me.

This morning, I asked my eldest daughter this: “Am I a good mom?” and she replied “No, you’re the best.”

Wow. I guess, I am  doing my job well.

That’s us watching The Walking Dead Season 2

From a shoppinggera mom, I turned into a mom who hated shopping because it has become so inconvenient. First off, mall prices are outrageous. Well you can’t blame these entrepreneurs, because with how much they are paying for rent, they need to put a huge mark up on their items’ prices in order to earn.

Second, I hate being followed and asked “anong size ma’am?”, or “pang ilang taon ma’am” whenever I shop. I always tell them that I have eyes therefor I can read, I know what I want and I’ll ask them if I have questions. It’s their job, I know, BUT they’re annoying me.

Third, malls nowadays are packed with people and I hate crowded areas!

So whenever I need to shop for my kids, shop retirement gifts, birthday gifts and all, I turn to online shopping: it’s practical, convenient and hassle-free. It may have its own risks but if you know what and what not to do, I think you’re okay.

My best advice here is: buy from reputable sellers.

How could I forget April of 2012?

I was profusely bleeding yet I was taking everything lightly. My work was my priority and I couldn’t give it up. That until my ob-gyne told me that I have to be confined soon if I don’t want to lose the baby.

My sister accompanied me to Medical Center Imus armed with nothing but prayers that the baby will be safe. Thank God the facilities and staff of MCI were awesome. Everything was clean, from medication carts to beds. The staff were also very nice and I have a super reliable ob-gyne, Dra. Lucia Kalaw-Garcia.

Turned out I had placental infarction. I listed to my OB and really rested until she allowed me to leave home again. The following month I was already shopping and the month after I was in Cebu and Leyte already, painting the cities red. LOL

Hola mommies! How do you spend serious family time at home?

I know, for a fact that we have different schedules. Not all of us work on a 9-5 M-F schedule. My family, for one, has a crazy schedule Since hubby and I are focused on the bakehouse, our weekend is Monday – Wednesday. From Thursday to Sunday, we are either busy on bakehouse errands, supplier meetings or in the kitchen, busy baking.

So during our “weekend”, we make it a point to spend time with our kids. It’s either we watch movies at home (we rarely go out nowadays) or cook something that all of us likes.

Unfortunately, my eldest is getting tired of this routine. Any ideas, mommies? I need something that doesn’t involve shelling out a lot of money.

Thanks in advance!

How was your Easter Sunday mommies? Ours was so fun albeit spent at home. Holy week was tough for us as we were preparing popsicakes, cakes and cupcakes for Easter so Sunday was spent lounging in the couch, watching The Walking Dead and eat. It was a special for us because we celebrated the hubby’s 38th birthday, Lana’s 7th month, my cousin’s 14th birthday and Tatay Noy’s 3rd month (since he joined our Creator).

The hubby must have known that the budget was tight because he never asked for anything, though I know that he’s not going to ask me gifts like camacho triple maduro cigars (LOL!) I still bought him his favorite strawberry shower wash from The Body Shop.

Sharing with you a photo of Lana, just as she turned 7 months. She’s wearing her sister’s 1st birthday gown

This March, Mayor Strike Revilla launched the “Bawal na ang Plastic at Styro sa Bacoor” campaign through a fun run against plastic. This is in relation to Municipal Ordinance No. 14-S-2002 which regulates the distribution of plastic bags and polystyrene (styrofoam) and providing penalties for violations thereof.

The biggest mall in the city, SM City Bacoor joined the brigade on March 12. Even before that they’ve been encouraging people to bring their own bags as they shop and on that day, they stopped giving out plastic bags for your goodies. Other establishments followed and nowadays even the small entrepreneurs from wet markets are no longer providing plastic bags for your wet or dry goods. This leaves us Bacoor people no choice but to bring our own bayong during palengke days and bring at least 1 small reusable bag every day.

While this may be tough for the factories making plastic bags, the move has helped small communities who make rack sack bags, reusable bags and the like to earn a living. This campaign increased their revenues as well. The demand for these kind of bags is quite high giving more people within the community more jobs.

Yes, change is hard for anyone, and bringing your own bag can be quite tasking but eventually people could adjust and we’ll all see and reap the fruits of this campaign.

I really hope that every city will implement this campaign and we would also avoid using the brown paper bags because the more we use the brown paper bags, the more trees we have to cut to fill the demand.

Let’s all use REUSABLE BAGS on every occasion.

If you are spending too much money on second-hand stuff, why not have a garage sale to sell the stuff that you don’t need? It’s spring in the US so we started spring cleaning too!

My dear sister got the courage to sell our beloved magazines, (most in pristine condition), unused cosmetics, pre-loved clothes and a lot of slightly used stuff like indoor antenna and cellular booster. It’s our way of cleaning and earning too!

We sold the back issues of our favorite magazines at P10 each. Not bad considering that these magazines have been on our book shelves for ages!

The imported cosmetics at P5 – P25, books (textbooks she accumulated all these years but definitely NOT my precious books!) at P10 – P50, and many, many others!

If you need any Smart Parenting, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, OK,  FHM, Good Housekeeping, Working Mom magazine, just send me an email at entrepremom[at]gmail[dot]com then I’d be happy to check if we have a copy of it.

P.S. Our garage sale is so hi-tech that we’re using a CCTV camera for monitoring hahaha

Seriously mommies, how do you stay focused on your goals?

I am a work at home mom and just like the case of any freelancer, everything is so uncertain. One might be earning lots of $$$ now but everything ends leaving you no choice but to look for another job. I am on it, I accepted this challenge 4 years ago so I am not quitting, but then again, nakakapagod din no? My motivation would always be “it is better this way than seeing myself in a cubicle bossed around by stupid, stupid managers”.

Working at home is a dream job of any mom who wants nothing but spend time with her kids but it requires TIME MANAGEMENT and LOADS of DISCIPLINE. Sabi pa ng husband ko, it’s not a walk in the park. It is hard, much harder than I imagined it to be. At home there are a lot of distractions, an awful lot especially if you have kids and there’s the internet!!! Like right now, I am supposed to be writing pet articles, but here I am blogging like crazy hahaha

Right now we have a goal (see it here) and I really, really need to reach it otherwise all plans will be ruined. We are saving for business expansion, my daughter’s tuition fees and whole lot more. Though I must say that the plan to buy a decent wedding ring has to go back seat first, it doesn’t stop me from visiting online shops for titanium accessories hihi

So mommies, how do you keep your focus?