Work-at-Home Mommy 101

I am blessed that I was able to make working at home work for me. Most of my working mommy friends dream of working at home to have more time for the kids and the home, too. Aside from writing for my three blogs, I am currently a freelance contributor for two foreign clients and one local client. These three employers give me regular online tasks that contribute to my monthly income. Although what I was earning from tutoring was considerably bigger than what I am earning now, I still think that working at home has more benefits since I don't have to go out everyday anymore. My schedule is also more flexible now than how it used to be.

There are other venues for mommies who want to work at home. I was just fortunate to have stumbled upon mentors and other colleagues who taught me the ins and outs of online writing. Read on if you want to know more about earning from online jobs.

Step One: Set up a Paypal account.

Paypal is an online facility where you can receive your online earnings. Set up an account and link your local bank account so you can convert and transfer your dollar earnings into your local bank account. Be informed that Paypal foreign exchange rate is different from the standard foreign exchange rate. Don't you worry, I am going to write more about Paypal in my next work-at-home posts.

Step Two: Sign up in oDesk.

oDesk will provide you with hundreds of online jobs to choose from. The online jobs posted here do not only cover writing tasks but other jobs as well such as data entry, virtual assistance, and computer programming. Jobs may pay by the hour or according to an agreed fixed rate. You will need to prepare an impressive oDesk profile which will serve as your online resumé. An impressive oDesk profile will attract more buyers (employers) to invite you for a job interview. Set up your job notification preferences so you can receive job openings through email. Start applying to jobs as soon as you accomplish the oDesk readiness test. I will also be writing more about oDesk soon.

Step Three: Respond to calls and emails.

Having online clients will oblige you to have all communication options possible. For instance, I had Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, Skype, MSN, and ICQ installed in my computer so clients can communicate with me via chat or internet calls. Assign an email address that you will exclusively dedicate for your online jobs. Personally, I would recommend using a Gmail account as Yahoo Mail may forward messages from new contacts as spam.

Step Four: Set up your work area at home.

You should have a home office. It's not advisable to be working in front of the TV or anywhere in the home that is full of distractions. My work desk faces a blank wall. By my left side is a glass window to look through every now and then. Invest in an ergonomic desk and chair as you will be spending a lot of your time sitting down in front of the computer. Be ready with your computer paraphernalia, too (e.g. speakers, mic, headset, and webcam).

Remember that working at home is not that different from working in a conventional office. You will need to be disciplined to resist temptations like taking a nap or surfing the net especially when you have deadlines to meet. You should also be responsible enough to stick to your work schedule.

I'll be sharing more of my work-at-home tips soon so please stay tuned.

"Where The Wild Things Are" Kiddie Party at Fully Booked, BHS

Moms and Dads, let the wild rumpus start! Register your kids to the "Where the Wild Things Are Kiddie Party" happening on January 30, 2009 at Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street.

It will be a fun-filled day for wild things! Kids can look forward to games, story-telling, snacks & giveaways!

Venue: Children's Section, 2/F, Fully Booked
Bonifacio High Street
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 PM

This event is FREE! To register, please email aimeediego@fullybookedonline.com or sign up at the customer service area of Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street. Or better yet, contact Fully Booked, Boni High Street for more details regarding this event.

Ten Years!

It's our 10th wedding anniversary today. While all of my pre-arranged plans have gone to waste because of trivial family matters, I am still happy of the fact the we have reached this milestone in our marriage. To think that our whirlwind romance was frowned upon by our immediate family. I thank God that He helped us in proving them wrong. Not every day was bliss, though. But every single moment was a learning and loving experience.

WATCH FOR FREE: Kapamilya Shows on Demand on iWantv!

Moms and dads, here's the chance for you to catch up on your favorite Kapamilya shows. Whether it's because of work or errands that made you miss them, you can now watch the shows anytime through your computer.


iWantv! is a website that hosts all your favorite ABS-CBN and cable channel shows. With iWantv!, watch the shows you want, anytime, for free!

The site has the freshest episodes so you don’t have to worry about missing out on anything.

You can also catch live news programs such as ANC, Teleradyo and Al Jazeera.

iWantv! is exclusively available to SKYBROADBAND and Bayan DSL subscribers in Metro Manila. If you are not yet a subscriber, check out the websites and see what package fits you best.

WHO CAN WATCH:

SKYBROADBAND and BAYAN DSL residential subscribers with at least 512kbps package.

Also available to ZPDEE, Bayan Broadband and Surfer by SKY subscribers, but also only if with at least 512kbps download speed.

AVAILABLE CONTENT:

VIDEO-ON-DEMAND:


Available programs as of January 2010:

• Katorse
• May Bukas Pa
• Dahil May Isang Ikaw
• Pinoy Big Brother
• TV Patrol
• Bandila
• SNN
• The Buzz
• E-Live
• Wowowee
• Maalaala Mo Kaya
• Kalye
• Correspondents
• Profiles
• XXX
• SOCO
• Bottomline with Boy Abunda
• Sports Unlimited
• Showtime
• Lifestyle Channel Shows (MetroWear Randy Ortiz 60s, MetroWear Gala, Metrowear FDCP 2008)

LIVE CHANNELS:

• ANC
• DZMM Teleradyo
• Al Jazeera
• Myx

HOW TO USE iWantv!

1. Go to www.iwantv.com.ph.
2. If you are a first-time user, register to get a username and password. Please be ready with your SKYBROADBAND or Bayan DSL account number since this is a requirement. Check your personal email after registration to get your username and password. If you already have an existing username and password for iWantv!, log-in with the details.
3. Choose whether you want to watch live TV or video on demand.

You need to have a PC running on a Windows operating system (XP or higher) with Windows Media Player 11 installed. iWantv! will not work on a MAC OS. However, it will work if the MAC also has a Windows operating system (XP or higher) with Windows Media Player 11 installed.

If you have a broadband connection of at least 512 kbps but still have poor video quality, excessive buffering, or a total lack of video, this can be due to a lack of computer processing power or general traffic congestion on the Internet. Try not to run other applications while accessing streaming media. Also, if you are accessing the video through a Local Area Network (LAN), you may experience excessive buffering or connectivity delays as a result of network congestion from the other users on your LAN.

Only viewing or streaming of the shows are allowed. You cannot download any of the shows. Also, the site is available for Philippine viewers only. For Kapamilyas outside Pinas, you may want to check out TFCnow.

Mc Donald's "Tween" TV Commercial

My boy is already a tween. And even though he tells us that he plans to be a priest and will NEVER date girls, I know that we will pass through this phase. I got teary-eyed watching this ad. I guess I'll never get over the fact that he's my baby and that I cared for him all his life.

Tweens are kids whose ages are between 8 and 12 years. They are in between the early childhood years and the teenage years and this is the reason why their stage is often overlooked by parents. The tween years is a period of extreme emotions, expectations, and responsibilities. Parents should be ready to address their needs, too.

So how should we, parents, deal with the tween years? Here are some of the points I gathered from various parenting resources.

• Ask open ended questions that can't be answered with a "yes" or "no." Encourage your tween to engage in a healthy discussion to know how they feel about things.
• Show positive ways on how your tween can deal with "bad hair days." He/She can listen to music, read a book, or play video games.
• Never use hurtful words to correct your child. There's a big difference between behavior correction and verbal attacks.

The tween years may look as tumultuous as the teenage years. But it's an inevitable stage and we can only lovingly accept it.

Meet Gabby!

This is Gabby, our youngest niece. She's the newest princess in my husband's side of the family. You see, before Gabby, my mother-in-law had five grandchildren. The oldest, who's now 16 years old, was the only girl. This is the reason why everyone adores this little girl. She really is a darling!

I had the chance to have Gabby all for myself in the airport while waiting for our flight to Naga City three days before New Year's Eve. At first, I found it cute to be running after her. But after a while, I found it tiring. I gave up in less than an hour. That's when I realized that I should be thankful I don't have a toddler anymore.

But then again, I'd gladly give anything to have another baby. Never mind the sleepless nights and troublesome toddler years. Baby and child rearing resources are just a click away, anyway. I am really hoping and praying for this so that I won't be running after baby nieces and nephews anymore.