Online business anyone?

I have been working from home for a couple of years now. In the years that passed, I have thought of a couple of businesses suitable for my current situation. As of now, I do event management and restaurant/hotel consutancy. The work arrangements are usually to my favor as I am normally measured by the results of my work and not with how many hours I log in. In exception would be actual event management where you really have to be overseeing the events yourself.

One other business that I really, really dream of is to build a website. Although I have been making money out of blogging for half a year now, I still want to further the business by getting my own domain and setting up the website. I have bought one domain already and plan to buy two more. However, a main hurdle for me is website design. I want to do the design myself but it’s too time-consuming and the demand for a professional and great-looking website is higher now what with all the expert web designers around.

One option I am looking at is getting a web designer to do the design for me. Another is availing of the website services that build web page for you in as fast as ten minutes.I have personally tried the service myself and it is honestly convenient.

As I said, I have bought a domain and am just deciding now how or who will design the website. If you are a mom who has to stay at home and have good internet connection, online business might be a good business option for you. It’s fast, it’s what’s “in” and it’s not that expensive anymore.

Constantly in need of Costumes

As mothers, this is probably one of the most difficult, and on the other hand, and fun parts of childcare: HALLOWEEN COSTUMES AND MORE COSTUMES. It’s like you are going to collect so many costumes in the span of your children’s childhood enough to fill a cabinet.

I always have this difficulty and pressure to dress up my children well because I don’t want them to look lousy or I don’t want the other mothers to say that “Oh, her mom didn’t even bother to get her a decent costume.” Specially when the theme of the party is comic book characters. I mean really, how many comic book characters could there be!

It’s the same with school activities. In a year, I think we are able to have at least three costumes for various school programs.

So what do I do? One is to get what you can buy in storss or in websites. Second is to have them custom-made. Find a good dressmaker or tailor who can follow details. Just make sure you are ready with drawings or printouts of the design you want. (You know, some tailors don’t know comics or halloween. Third is borrow from your friends who have gone through the stage. Although, their characters might be outdated already. Just be sure to clean them up after use and return them promptly. Nothing beats a good reputation on borrowing and returning stuff when you need further help. I have also heard of shops who have pieces for rent so that just might be a solution for you, too. If you have the talent for dressmaking and design, this just might be the job for you and a moneymaker too!

But remember, if you decide to buy or have them custom-made, don’t give them away until you think your kids don’t need them anymore. You might regret giving them away after! Specially if you have other kids. Remember also to put these costumes in proper storage.

Be creative and resourceful. In the first place, those are requirements to motherhood. Enjoy costume hunting!

Fine Dining at Home

You might be one of those mothers who have a cabinet-full of silver plated flatware and gold banded dinnerware but have not used them for ages. Hmm… Are you as guilty as I am?

A lot of us like collecting things for our eyes only. We like buying fine china and sterling silver frames only to put them on display or storage and keep for special occasions. Well, I say go get them out of storage and have the special occasion now!

Sometimes, it’s great to break the monotony of the usual home-cooked meals and everyday dinnerplates and give your family a fine dining experience.

How do you do that?

Simple. First, take out those special dinnerware.

Second, choose a menu that you have not done before or rarely do becauseit’s hard to cook or ingredients are precious. However, let me tell you that a fine dining experience does not necessarily mean an expensive meal. Fine dining is all about the presentation and the details that go into the meal. Therefore, it is still possible to have your usual dishes. However, this time, make the presentation different. Example, instead of the usual family style where you put your dishes in a serving dish and place in the middle of the table. This time, plate them on individual dinner plates before serving like the way they’d do it in cooking shows. Three simple plating tips: height, color and garnish. Have a simple three-course meal of soup, main course and dessert.

Third, set your table the fabulous way. Candles and flowers can do the trick or even a plain white table cloth with a gold or beige runner will do wonders. No need for placemats. Declutter the table. And don’t forget your wine glasses!

Believe me, once you’ve started this, it just might go into your family’s traditions.

Do I need these baby carriers?

If you have been reading this blog regularly, you would know that I am 6 months on the way with another baby. Although this is my third pregnancy, I have to practically buy everything again because I have already given my baby things away. I did get to save some of the precious ones though. At this point, I have already purchased most of my baby’s things. Looking at my list, I still have a couple more expensive items there like the stroller and crib.

When you’re a mom, you basically want to buy all the accessories you see in the store or on the web but then, you come to a point when you think if you really need all of them. Like me, I wonder if I really need a baby pram for my newborn? I am a little bit on the worrier-side when I have a newborn. I like carrying them when I travel and have all these ceremonies of cleanliness. Though I remember that it does get to a point when you wished you had something to carry them in. Strollers and carriers won’t do until about 3 or 4 months.

A baby pushchair would be the most useful and used specially when they are starting to gain weight. I remember using a tabletop carrier that can be swung. It’s good when you bring the baby along in parties or trips where there will not be a comfortable place for the baby to lie down. Luckily too, today’s cribs are collapsible and easy to pack that you can lug them around when you travel.

Therefore, I have decided that I will get a crib, a stroller and a carrier. A stroller will be most cost-effective since I will be able to use it for a long time. Same with my crib. The carrier is for places when the stroller will not be convenient.

Getting on to the 3rd trimester

I am getting on to the third trimester of my pregnancy. I feek heavier and bigger. My posture is taking a lot more effort to correct and my maternity clothes have all gone out of storage.

I told my doctor about the feeling of being very heavy because I am feeling pain in the groin everytime I stand up after lying down or sitting for quite some time. He checked my records and I was surprised by what he said. According to my medical records, my weight now at 6 months was my weight just before giving birth in my first two pregnancies.Oh my! But he told me not to go on a diet and just eat when I need to since the demand from the baby will be greater now in the last trimester.

I have to agree. This is the time when the baby gains weight and needs more protein and calcium. Much as I feel like going easy on the eating, I have to just eat reasonably.

A straight eight hour sleep has been scarce since I became pregnant so I am drinking milk before I go to bed to help me sleep better. Luckily, I am enjoying vegetables and fruits a lot more so I have no problems with constipation. Luckily, I have not also been having bouts with cramps or toothache. I remember being bothered by brain-drilling toothache and leg cramps in my first pregnancy. I am glad I have a husband who tried to soothe my pains and help me through the sleepless nights.

By the way, wish me luck. I just got another project for a coming city event. Hope everything goes well with it and with me too!

Do you believe in Santa?

Yup! I agree, this is too early! But hey, as parents who are pulled in a million directions, it’s never to early to think about months ahead.

I have personally stopped believing in Santa. I did when I was a child. Now that I am a parent, it seems inevitable even to the most principled parent not to let your child indulge in the fantasy. In the first place (to the nth place!), it’s Christmas.

The reason I am talking about Santa is because of a a website that promotes/sells letters from Santa. Yup, you heard me, Santa letters. Not just that. These are Santa letters with varying packages ranging from the Basic package, which includes a letter from Santa only, a Standard package which has a gift with the Santa letter and a deluxe package which has limited goodies with the letter.

The items and letters are honestly very creative. The letters are personalized and customized for every child you have up to six children if you are ordering for that many kids. I checked out the sample letter and really, it’s cute! The script used made the letter look like it’s handwritten. I also tried ordering. It is very convenient, fast and easy to use.

Now you ask me, why should I give Santa letters? First, I think because it’s christmas! It’s a time that kids love so much. We, as parents, have to make it as memorable as possible for them. They honestly love Santa and I am sure a parcel from Santa, even if it’s just a letter, will light up their eyes. Two, it’s an easy solution to our problem to gift-giving. It’s both easy and hard, you know. Easy if you have a young kid who doesn’t mind getting five dolls. Hard when you have given them all sorts of toys and gifts that you run out of ideas already.

So if I were you, check out the website!

Sane wedding planning

In the previous city where I lived in, aside from my full-time job as a marketing manager, I also organized weddings and events with two of my closest friends. It was fun, fun and fun for us! Although when we do clients, we would go crazy with work because we still had our day jobs to take care of.

The wedding planning industry in that city is flourishing. There were so many weddng planners that we are even surprised we even get any client at all. Luckily, we had regular clients.

In our work as wedding planners, there are a couple of things we have learned and have shared with our couples.

One of them sticking to a budget no matter what. We have seen couples who salivate over expensive cakes, limousine cars, multiple string bands and those sort of stuf, knowing that they cannot afford it. Their married life will start off better if they don’t owe a lot of money, we tell them.

Second, prioritize what will be with you even after the wedding. With that we mean putting importance to pictures and their wedding rings.

I always think that pictures and your wedding ring, wether simple or custom wedding rings, should be spent a lot on more than the other requirements of the wedding day. Why? Because after all the food has been eaten, after all the guests have left, after you have put away your wedding dress and removed your makeup, your pictures and wedding ring will be what will stay with you forever aside from the memories, of course.

Recently, more and more improvements have been done to photography and wedding rings. Photgraphy have been taken to a phtojournalistic level. Your pictures are more composed, not “okay-everybody-stand-smile-and-look-at-me” kind of photos. Photo albums have gone beyond the slip and pages. There are now storybooks, organized montage and digital copies that will surely stay foerever more than the printed ones. Wedding rings have gone to the next level too. There are now custom wedding bands that have vows or bible verses engraved on the inside. How precious! Stones have become more abundant and the designs are just plain fabulous.

However, at the end of the day, it is wether you can afford it or not that will matter.

One last tip, when planning a wedding, have fun with your partner. The stress will be there. Don’t let it ruin your preparations or forget the reason for the preparations.

A Virtual Zoo?

The city where we live in does not have a lot of choices in terms of entertainment for kids. We have to travel at least about 30 minutes to get to the nearest garden or resort where they have a few animals. It’s not even a complete zoo!

At this point, we have probably visited every mini-zoo in the region. Now, this is sad because my two little daughters really like zoo animals. They enjoy watching their cds about animals a lot. However, the choices are not a lot.

I came across this website that is a virtual zoo. They feature a whole lot of animals from cutest to ugliest, biggest to smallest, weird, endangered and so much more. It is truly a complete zoo (maybe more complete than most zoos). I particularly like the portion on endangered and funny and weird animals. The website will continue to enthrall your children with animal activities and crafts.

It also takes your kid’s birthday jungle party with a zoo animal party page that has invitations, balloon twisting instructions and party sets. And before you log out, be sure to check out the animal books and toys for your children’s delight.

Hiring temporary help

Where I come from, it is sometimes a difficulty getting people who will work for you on a temporary basis. Usually, I would need people for cleaning or moving labor. Sometimes, I also need helpers for my business. Small jobs that don’t really mean hard labor like delivering of letters, preparing of mailers, packaging, event assistance, promotions assistance and the like.

Why is it difficult? Because most of the time, the people who want to work for you are not exactly the people you want. That is, their qualifications are lacking or their experience does not match that of the work you are sourcing out. Sometimes, you don’t even know where to start looking, who to ask or where to search for the help you need.

I came across this website, www.hireahelper.com, that helps fill the void by putting up jobs needing temporary help and people who are available for certain types of jobs. Example is if you are moving houses either in New York or Chicago, you can look for Chicago movers or New York movers in their website. I think that it is a great website to go to if you need temporary help. However, the greater thing about the website is that it sets a venue for people woh are in need of jobs even though temporary.

Sometimes you just really need a break

As a working mother to two kids and one coming up, I feel like I just really need to get away. I am lucky to have the luxury of a helper or my mother who could take over my house. And I don’t mean just a stop to my favorite coffeeshop or spa but a real getaway like Hawaii Cruises or a trip on Royal Caribbean.

Those might seem too long a vacation to go on to but, hey, with all our hardwork (with or without a salary), we definitely deserve one.

Some people might get rejuvenated by a trip to the spa or a half-day off on your own or a lunch date with girlfriends. Some are charged up after a weekend in a resort. However, some might regular Alaska Cruises to get all those stress out of their systems.

For me, a trip back to my hometown revs me up. But if that is not an option for me yet, a massage, visit to the salon or a good soup and pasta lunch is enough for me. At home, I like reading books and watching my favorite cooking shows. Sometimes, you just want to stare at the ceiling for hours. This works for me sometimes but, most of the time, it does not because I get pressured not doing anything when I have tons to do.

If you are working and taking care of children and a whole household, be good to yourself. Leaving your kids for a short time or a weekend does not make you a bad mom. On the other hand, it actually makes you feel better about doing the things you ought to do when you get back from that needed break.