Backfire, Ricochet, Strike Back!

“It’s not going to happen. I’m going to fail.”

These were the words I said days after my ambitious proclamation.

Tuition fees, service fees, miscellaneous fees, pedia check-ups, medicines, diapers, baby wipes, etc. are all piled up and driving me crazy. I was lucky enough to have kind-hearted folks to help with majority of the bills and willing to back me up every time I’m flat broke (which is, by the way, most of the time since I resigned from work).

The pressure of getting a job is nerve-wrecking. Yes, with my training, credentials and experience, I know I could easily get a decent job. However, most of these jobs are office-based. I can’t afford to work full-time in an office.

Here is my concern: my 6 month-old baby has G6PD. He lacks a certain enzyme that would cause red blood cells to break down easily. I have a long list of things he can’t eat or use. Legumes, soya, eggplant, bitter gourd (or bitter melon), blueberries, menthol, camphor, Vitamin K, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) are among others. He can’t have formula milk because most of them are soy-based so I decided to continue breastfeeding. It’s safe and practical. I have to read labels before giving him anything. His medicines have to be prescribed by a doctor. High dosages of any forbidden food or drugs can be fatal and may lead to hemolytic anemia.

Addition to that, the connection that I have with my baby is quite strong because of breastfeeding. I can’t leave him all alone or else he will cry non-stop and I really can’t stand the thought of that thought.

One day, I was browsing the internet, like I usually do, and I stumble on a page where mommies are working at the comfort of their home – MWHM (sorry can’t tell you the meaning of the acronym due to exclusivity. I assume there is a reason why it is tagged as a secret group).

I was amazed by how most of the mommies on that page are professionals and at the same time, full-time moms. There are bloggers, freelancers, virtual assistants, entrepreneurs, graphic designer, etc. I’m dead jealous and wondered how in the world did they do that? That’s when I decided to join the bandwagon. I send in a request to join, and then my request was approved after a few days.

I learned a lot from that page. The mommies are sharing their experiences as to how they started their blogs, businesses, etc. They served as an inspiration to me as a mother who would like to earn more without sacrificing the value of being with your family. But there is one thing that I still have to do to fit in, (not that I’m bullied or something. I just want to have the same lifestyle as they have) I have to look for a home-based job.

Since my working experience is mostly administrative, I look for VA position that is more on secretarial jobs. It took a me while to find one because most of employers are looking for VAs with technical internet skills like Mail Chimp, Blogger, Word Press, Etsy and others.

At last, I got a part-time associate consultant position for private consultancy. What I earn is not much, but the opportunity to start my dream, to be a work-at-home mom, is something that I am happy about. I hope that I could learn how to manage my time, to have a work-life balance, to have more time with my kids and also, if God permits, to have my own online business.

May the force be with me!https://www.canva.com/design/DAAlWNt5GOA/QfQ0dkTFiw15O7qKQsQr0Q/view

My First Shot to Lipstick Heaven

Aside from diamonds, lipsticks are girl’s best friend. A smear can lighten up a sad face. Its cover releases fierceness. You can never go wrong with it unless… you pick the wrong shade (obviously).

I’m a lippie girl. A powder and a lipstick will go a long way for me. I still have to work on my oily face, but that’s it. Perhaps, having a neutral tone and few blemishes is an advantage. I don’t have to fuzz over BB creams, concealers or foundations except for special occasions where I have to look glam! 

The tones that I like depend on the look I’m going for. I go nude for natural make-up, red for classic Hollywood vibe, and pink for a cutesy, girly look. In the future, I plan to use bold colors like light purple, sky blue and yes, even black, when I’m feeling aesthetically adventurous.

However, I can’t afford to splurge on lipstick. I have children and I have to set my priorities. Oftentimes, I have to consider their necessities before mine. Being unemployed (due to pregnancy) sucks. I can’t do what I want. I can’t buy what I want. Whenever I have extra money, I would rather spend it for my kids. Not that I’m complaining. This is just the reality I’m faced with.

Then, it hit me. I was browsing the net, reading my emails and checking my Facebook account. I noticed that there are a lot of online shops these days. What struck me the most was, a lot of women patronizes beauty products especially the ones reviewed by YouTube gurus; me, being one of them.

I got all excited and told my sister about my, at that moment, super incredible idea – to establish an online shop. She said, ‘Okay’. She was thinking about starting a business as well, but she doesn’t know what kind of business she wants to venture in.

Unknown to my sister, I jotted down a checklist of what we can do to make our business operational. I posted a survey about online shopping habits and in-demand retail products. I asked our friends to participate. I looked for potential suppliers and shipping companies. I drafted an order and payment system for us to easily process transactions. I also thought of promos to gain customers and online traffic and so on.

I presented my ideas to my sister and I think I got her attention. We were babbling excitedly about our plans when her fiancé gave us a piece of his mind.

“I know how tempting to have a variety of products, but I think you should start with only one product; Perhaps, a lipstick.”

He made a lot of sense. Starting a business is like planting a tree. You have to start small. With diligence and patience, it will grow. For example, we could start selling lipsticks to get a grasp of how online retail industry works. Once the operation becomes smooth, that’s when we could expand the business.

Currently, our plan is on halt. A lot of things happened by the end of 2013. My baby got terribly sick and I have to closely monitor his recovery. It was a patchy road, but we survived it.

After all the things that happened last year, my pregnancy, depression and uncertainties, I’m still looking forward to a better, brighter and happier 2014. I’m going to develop a better business plan. I’m going to look for a home-based or part-time job to have more time with my family. I’m going to strive harder until I get there; until I get that one spark that will ignite my fire. This I promise you, I’m going to make it happen.