Nanay Notebook | Work-at-home Filipino mom

Is Homeschooling for Your Child, Part III: Other Reasons

2012-01-30T11:08:00.000+08:00

Graphics by nornir

So far we've talked about (1) bullying and (2) ADHD. For me, those are major reasons to homeschool your child. Here are other reasons:

3. Other exceptionalities. If your child has been diagnosed with retardation or giftedness, your child might benefit more from personalized instruction (in the case of the former) or independent learning (in the case of the latter).

Keep in mind that a child with retardation's greatest needs are to learn basic life skills (e.g., cleaning oneself, fixing up one's own room and surroundings, crossing the street safely, washing the dishes, following instructions) and a vocational skill that will let the child earn her own money when she grows up (e.g., handicraft, maybe clerical work, depending on the degree of retardation), and basic literacy, depending on the degree of retardation (e.g., reading, writing, counting, color and shape identification).

A gifted child, on the other hand, can learn well enough by herself. All she needs is the right environment -- the necessary materials, the necessary time, the necessary freedom. Instead of putting her in school where she will need to wait for the rest of the class catch up to what she already knows, why not let her study at home and use the time (and money) you save to enroll her in ballet class or gymnastics or astronomy or whatever she's interested in?

4. Transport issues. Either school is too far from your home or your child is too sick to travel the distance.

Some kids have to travel an hour to reach school, and I'm not talking about kids in far-flung barrios with no roads and no cars. When I was in high school, I rode a school bus that had to make 30 stops from the time I got in to the time we got to my school. That's an hour and a half, one way.

Or maybe your child is ill and too weak to travel to school. That does not mean you have to stop her education and let her run after lost time when she recovers. Let her have her schooling at home instead.

5. Religious conviction. This is not so much an issue in the Philippines, where religion has not been outlawed in the classroom. Still, some parents would like a little more religion in their child's education, or maybe a little less, or maybe a different sort of religion.

In our family, this is one of the primary reasons why we homeschool. I wanted my children to learn more about religion than I felt was being taught in our regular schools.

The best part is, as I am teaching our children about our faith, I am learning too -- I am learning things about my faith that they did not teach me in school.

6. Financial flexibility. The big difference between homeschool and conventional schools is that in conventional schools, costs are dictated. The school decides not just how much to charge for tuition but also how much you need to spend on field trips, graduations, etc.

In a homeschool setup, you can spend as little or as much as you like, and you decide when to spend. If you have a lot of money, you can choose the most expensive curriculums available -- some are even more expensive than what you pay for tuition in conventional schools. You can go to Bohol and Beijing for your field trip, so that your child can see the Chocolate Hills and the Great Wall of China personally. You can enroll your child in Ballet Manila for PE class. You can buy her a microscope and telescope for science.

Or you can use a free curriculum downloaded online, take the ALS exam for validation (very cheap, almost free), go to PAGASA Planetarium for your field trip (P25), and let your child improvise materials for art and science to strengthen her imagination and creativity.

No one will make you pay P800 to go to Enchanted Kingdom and SM Mall of Asia for your field trip. You don't need to pay P200 for a hard-bound diploma holder for your preschooler if you don't want one.

Okay, lecture over. Any questions? Please feel free to ask in the comments box below. I always reply within 12 hours.

Is Homeschooling for Your Child, Part II: ADHD

2012-01-27T12:08:00.004+08:00

Photo by: jimpetr

Yesterday, we talked about reason 1: bullying. If your child is being bullied in school, it is a good idea to look at homeschooling -- before it's too late.

Reason 2: ADHD. If your child has been labeled with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, his teacher is basically saying that your child cannot sit still long enough in the classroom to learn and to let others learn.

Without getting into an argument about the validity of such diagnoses or whether such a disorder really exists in the first place, allow me to propose that if your child is unable to sit still in school, then for his own good, he should not be there.

(And I say this with my Special Education degree from the state university to back my words.)

Let's digress a little and talk about eating styles for a second. Some people, like my friend Sampy, like to eat their food in a specific order: they finish up their cheeseburger, then they eat up their fries, then they dig into their sundae, then they wash it all down with a glass of Coke.

If Sampy learned like that too, she would fit very well in school.

But some people don't eat like that. I take a bite of my cheeseburger, then follow it with a few sticks of fries, then I take another bite from my cheeseburger, followed by more fries or maybe a spoonful of sundae. Now and then, I would have a sip of Coke.

Fortunately, I don't learn like that, which is probably why I did okay in elementary school (where there were no bullies to distract me).

But some children do learn like that -- they like their lessons in random bits and pieces.

If your child is one of these children and you forced him to finish 45 minutes of science before touching grammar or math, he would be heartily sick of science at the end of five minutes, in the same way that he would be sick of cheeseburger after ten consecutive bites uninterrupted by the taste of fries!

If you were homeschooling your child and you know that he learns like this, you could set in front of him all the material he needs to finish for the day and let him go at it in his own sporadic fashion. All you have to do is sit beside him to answer questions and make sure he's studying instead of having his third snack that afternoon. (Yes, even in homeschool, kids like to play truant.)

Will your kid learn this way? I can assure you, he will learn more in this manner than he will learn in school -- and he will enjoy it more too.

Is Homeschooling for Your Child, Part I: Bullying

2012-01-26T11:17:00.000+08:00

Photo by Marzie

First off, let me begin by saying this: Not every family, and not every child, is a good candidate for homeschooling.

You should not homeschool if

you spouse vehemently opposes it, or
your child vehemently opposes it, or
you just felt pressured to do it because you've been told "it's what good mothers do."

Well let me tell you now: I had a good mother, and she did not homeschool us.

On the other hand, homeschooling was not a very realistic option during her time. She probably didn't even know the option existed.

But now, lots of us know this option exists. And yes, there are times when it is wise to take this option.

So when should your family consider homeschooling your child?

Reason 1: Your child is being bullied in school.

Bullying is something that no child should ever have to live through. It's inhuman. If your child was bullied by her playmates in daycare, you would probably switch to a different daycare. If your child was bullied in painting/soccer/dance class, you would probably let her stop attending the class or find a different class for her to attend.

But when our children are bullied in school, we let them stay in that school with pacifying words such as "Don't pay them any attention."

Parents, you have to understand: it's impossible not to pay attention to a bully. Even if they don't attack you directly, they will attack you emotionally.

The physiology of a child allows her to heal from physical attacks relatively quickly, but the psychology of a child will suffer from the effects of an emotional attack for a long, long time.

I should know; I was bullied in school. By the grace of God, I survived it. But I still believe I will go to heaven when I die because I had already been to hell when I was in school.

Do not make the mistake of ignoring this, parents. Children who have heard "Don't let them get to you" from their parents often enough will eventually learn to just keep quiet about the bullying they receive. Then their parents think everything is now all right.

The next thing you know, the child tries to kill herself. Sometimes, tragically, the child succeeds.

One thing I've often been told before is, "These experiences will help your child grow into a better person. It will teach her to handle difficult people."

My answer is this: Maltreatment does not turn us to better people. Situational adversities, such as poverty or failure or physical handicaps, provide occasions for us to become stronger when we overcome them. But the cruelty of another human being does not turn us to better people.

If we sincerely believed that human cruelty is, in the long run, good for our children, then why are we so quick to cry "Foul" when a teacher spanks our child, even if we know in our hearts that the teacher had the best of intentions?

If my child needs to learn to handle difficult people, he does not need an encounter with a bully for that. He has his parents to practice on.

Again, parents, if your child is being bullied in school, please strongly consider letting her get her education at home.

Why not? Inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison, US President Abraham Lincoln, finance wizard Andrew Carnegie, the Jonas Brothers, and my favorite author, Louisa May Alcott, were all homeschooled, and they all turned out okay. (For a more complete listing of famous people who were homeschooled, click here.)

In the next parts of this series, I will give other situations where homeschooling may be a good option for your family, and how you can homeschool your child if you are a working mother.

Vicky's Coming!

2012-01-21T21:41:00.000+08:00

This working mom is taking a few weeks break around September. Her name is going to be Maria Victoria -- "the victory of Mary."

God is good!

Paypal and the RCBC Mercury Drug MyWallet Card

2012-01-20T18:21:00.003+08:00

Photo by: Toban Black

Once again, I've received a message from somebody asking for advice on what to do because her Paypal withdrawal to her RCBC Mercury Drug MyWallet card is taking forever to appear in her bank account.

So I'm posting this article to tell you all right now: stop trying to use the RCBC Mercury Drug MyWallet card for your Paypal transactions! It has a bad track record as far as I could see from comments I've received so far on my old article, Withdrawing from Paypal to Metrobank, BDO, and RCBC.

It's true that some people have reported successful transactions for the abovementioned card. But there are also others writing with panic in their "voices":

HI.. ask ko lang nag withdraw ako sa RCBC Mercury Drug MyWallet Card nung Oct, 22 pero hanggang ngayon d pa cia dumadating. ano kaya ang problema bakit ang tagal yata ng delay.. hangang ilang araw ba ang maximum transaction period sa ganito.. slamat..

This comment was sent on October 31, nine days since the reported transaction. Paypal transactions normally take a maximum of five days from the moment you withdraw your money from the Paypal portal to the time your money appears in your bank account.

Or, to be more specific, when you withdraw your money, the transaction appears as "Pending" for about 1 to 2 banking days (holidays and weekends not included). Then it appears as "Completed," meaning that Paypal has completed the paperwork or whatever it does in its back office.

Two to four days after it shows as "Completed," it should appear in your bank account.

In my experience, if I withdraw from Paypal on Monday, the money appears in my bank account on Thursday morning.

Here's another comment:

5 days na eh hindi pa rin dumadating ang CASH from my PAYPAL to my MY WALLET VISA CARD.'.'.' Gaano katagal poh ba ang mga transaction na ganito?

And the most recent one, which came today and prompted me to write this article:

hello po, pwedi nyo po ba ako matulungan. I have a mercury drug my wallet visa card and I successfully linked it to paypal. Nag withdraw po ako nang pera from my paypal balance to my card the problem is hindi pa rin dumadating yung pera ko hanggang ngayon..malapit na mag one month from my withdrawal. .nag withdraw ako last dec. 28, 2011. Completed na yung status. I've been emailing RCBC customer service at sabi nila di pa raw sila nakakatanggap any funds from paypal. Ano po ba dapat ko gawin? baka mawala yung pera ko

My advice to this last commenter was that she should request a formal statement or document from Paypal, so that she can show it to her bank, to prove that the money has been received by the bank.

She should also get a formal statement from the bank stating that they received no such amount from Paypal.

If she's lucky, her money will be returned to her Paypal account, minus P250 charge for the failed transaction.

That was my advice to her -- but to the rest of you, my advice is this:

Avoid getting into such problematic situations in the first place by simply getting a Unionbank EON card if you can't get a credit card to verify your Paypal account.

Unionbank has a formal arrangement with Paypal; their EON card is the only card I know that makes no deductions whatsoever on the amount you transfer from Paypal. The EON card has zero maintaining balance, though you do have to pay P350 per year to keep using the card.

I have been using my EON card for my Paypal transactions without any problems whatsoever for the last year.

Now, when you apply for your EON card, you may have to wait for two weeks before you get it (never mind that the teller said it would be ready in one week; chances are, you'll have to wait two weeks or more nonetheless -- but it's better to wait for a card for three weeks than to wait for money you transferred from Paypal to MyWallet for a month or more, right?)

Of course, I have my own complaints with the Unionbank EON card: if you try to use it for paying online purchases, it sometimes fails, even when it is sufficiently funded. It has failed me when I tried to use it to buy tickets online from Cebu Pacific. It failed me, too, when I tried to use it to pay for a home study course in California.

But as far as Paypal is concerned, if you don't have a credit card and a regular bank account, the Unionbank EON card is definitely your very best option.

More about the EON card here: How to Use Your UnionBank EON Account

DISCLOSURE: The Nanay Notebook has absolutely no affiliation with Unionbank. Know more about this blog's "no sponsors, no affiliates" policy in our disclosure statement.

Business License Renewal, Part II: Municipal Permit Requirements and Fees

2012-01-19T16:41:00.001+08:00

If you're renewing your municipal permit, here are what you need to bring -- at least, as far as my experience is concerned:

New barangay clearance. You get this from the barangay hall before you go to the municipal hall. You need to bring your old barangay clearance from the previous year, and exactly the same amount of money you paid last year (in our municipality, it was a total of Php450), plus maybe a hundred pesos or two, just to be on the safe side. That's all.
Cedula (community tax certificate). In our town, you have to get your previous year's gross income computed first before you can get your cedula. For this, I had to bring a statement of gross sales from my accountant.
Statement of gross sales. I only found out I needed this when I got to the municipal hall. I normally call government offices before I go, to avoid surprise requirements such as these, but the two phone numbers I used to call them last year are no longer functioning this year.

To get my statement, I called my wonderful accountant, Precious Ann Coria, general manager of Experior Solutions Inc., whose services I would very highly recommend to anyone. She quickly prepared my statement of gross sales and e-mailed it within 10 minutes.
Previous mayor's permit. Oh, there's something I discovered upon studying my previous mayor's permit. I was, at that time, registering a new business, not an old one. They asked me how much it cost me to put up this writing and editing business. I truthfully answered, "Nothing, because the computer and Internet I use, I have had for more than a year already."

Still they insisted that I put in an amount. I realized just yesterday that the amount you declare as your start-up cost defines how much they charge you for getting your new business registered.

So if you really needed only P100 pesos to start your home business, don't let them convince you into putting P1,000.
Sanitary permit. In our municipality, you only get this after you've paid all your registration fees. Cost is P150. You may still have to have a health examination, which could cost you up to P1,000.
Fire safety certificate. You can get your fire safety inspection scheduled after your fees have been computed, as the fire department bases their fees on how much the municipal hall is charging you. In our town, it's 10% of what the municipal hall is charging, plus P100.
SSS, PAGIBIG, and PhilHealth clearances. This is only applicable if you have five or more employees in your company.
Annual building inspection certificate (for apartments only).

For the barangay clearance, you'll probably be charged the same as what you were charged last year.

For the municipal clearance, it depends on what your industry is and how much you earned. For my industry classification, it was 2% of my gross income. I don't know what the percentages are for other industries.

For the cedula, expect to pay P100 for every P100,000 reported in your statement of gross sales.

Business License Renewal, Part I: The Municipal Permit

2012-01-18T19:41:00.001+08:00

It's business license renewal season (deadline for barangay and municipal permit renewal is January 20) so my husband and I trooped to the municipal hall to renew the business permit of my writing and editing company (Escrive) and to close the pet lodge (Blackie's Bed).

Now I normally write blog articles to give information and not to rant, but today, please permit me to just breathe out my story. I need to breathe it out. Tomorrow, in part II, I will be more informative, I promise.

The cedula

So husband and I left the house together at 1 p.m. with the agreement that I would just get the cedula (community tax certificate), which needs my signature, and let him finish the rest of the renewal process. I had pending work at the computer, but I was confident I wouldn't be out for more than an hour. After all, it was just a cedula I was getting.

So I stand in line for the cedula, clutching that little piece of scrap paper containing my name, birth date, address, employment/work, and gross income from last year. (Yes, gross income. Never mind that I had to pay for electricity, Internet, water, outsourced writers, etc. which would have given me a net income of just around 40% of my gross. The amount you pay on your cedula is P1 per every P1,000 of your gross income.)

There were three of us in line. Nonetheless, it took fifteen minutes before I got to the head of the line. It seems there was also an invisible line behind the window. Surely, we can all imagine how long it should take to fill out a cedula form for the two people in front of me.

Sign on Window 6

When I finally reached the window, the lady told me, "Oh, cedula for business renewal? You need to get your income computed for that first."

Thanks, ma'am.

Surely, I am not the first one to apply for a cedula for business renewal, considering that the municipal hall is jampacked.

Couldn't any of you have thought to post a sign beside your window, stating that we have to have this computation first before we go to you, especially since the window where you are telling me to go now lists the cedula as one of the requirements we should have before we go to them?

I go to Window 6.

Window 6

At Window 6, I submitted last year's municipal permit and receipts, plus my barangay permit and receipts for Escrive Writing and Editing, and the certificate of closure for Blackie's Bed and Breakfast Pet Lodge, for computation of whatever it was that needed to be computed.

The clerk looked through the papers. Then he told me to wait.

I waited for an hour. When I finally got my papers back, I saw that they computed for the renewal of not just Escrive but also for Blackie's Bed. I asked the clerk about it, reiterating that Blackie's Bed was for closure.

"Why didn't you say so immediately?" the clerk asked.

Um, sir, didn't you see the certificate of closure I submitted? Of the three people who handled this small sheaf of paper, nobody noticed the certificate of closure or the fact that there was no barangay permit for Blackie's Bed?

"Miss," he added, "if you're closing, you need to get an affidavit."

So I trooped to the notary public next door to get an affidavit. I was charged P200 for it. Luckily, my reason for closure was "no income." If I had declared income, the notary would have included a certain percentage of my income in his fees.

The cedula again

With affidavit in hand, I go back to the window and ask for a recomputation. By that time, I also had my statement of gross sales, which I didn't have when I got to their office. (There's also a story for that, which I will tell tomorrow.)

And of course, I had to wait again.

When I finally got the papers I needed, I went to the fire department to pay inspection fees (about 10% of what the municipal hall was charging me, based on last year's income), then I went back to the cedula window to get my cedula.

The clerk at the window said, "Ma'am, you need to pay x thousand pesos."

I almost fell where I was standing. But I was so used to being surprised by then that I was ready to just take the information at face value and pay the amount.

But something told me to ask. "Sir, shouldn't it just be P1 per P1,000 gross income?"

"Yes, ma'am, but your gross income stated here is x million pesos."

Wow! I earned x million last year? Damn, I could have bought myself my own municipal hall!

I troop back to my favorite window, whose clerk now knew me well enough to let me into the office itself.

"Sir, the man at the cedula window says my income stated here is x million pesos."

He checked. No, there were only six digits there, he confirmed.

I go back to Mr. Cedula. "Sir, they checked, and there is only x thousand stated there."

Mr. Cedula looked again. He counted the digits with his fingers. "Oh, right!" he said. "Sorry, there were so many numbers."

Well, it was the end of the work day, after all. Maybe he had gotten cross-eyed from looking at six or seven digit numbers all day. Shame on whoever it was who said that practice makes perfect.

I went to the municipal hall expecting to stay 30 minutes max. I ended up staying there all afternoon, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Okay, rant over. Thank you for indulging me. Tomorrow, I'll report how much it cost me to renew one business, close the other, and what the requirements were.

Stepping Out of Homosexuality: A Repost

2012-01-18T00:20:00.001+08:00

DISCLOSURE: The Nanay Notebook has no prejudices against the homosexual populace. This article is reposted in the thought that it might help somebody who is looking for the information it contains.

John Zulueta is the director of Bagong Pag-asa, a support group for men and women who want to step out of homosexuality.

He is himself an ex-gay so he knows the difficult transition that they have to undergo.

Allow me to quote lengthily from his article published in the group’s newsletter.

“We often ask God to change us. But when change seems remote, we either grumble or build a case against Him, particularly when we experience the same temptations again and again.

"I remember Jesus asking the invalid at the pool in Bethesda: 'Do you want to get well?' Seemingly, Christ asked a silly question since the man has been there for 38 years hoping that one day he’ll get the chance to get into the pool first when it gets stirred for healing. Why then would Christ ask such a question?

"Could it be that the man has been used to lying down on the pool side, living the life of a crippled man? Could Christ be asking: 'Are you ready for a changed life? If I heal you, your life will never be the same again. You will have to move away from the pool side where you have comfortably lived the past 38 years of your life.'"

John writes:

“What is involved in being healed/changed? It means life will not be the same. You can’t be doing the things you used to do. You can’t be going where you used to go. You need to live life differently.

"Are you changing patterns and habits – sleeping, fun and recreation habits, texting habits like texting ‘sweet nothings’ which can actually be seductive scheming in disguise? Are you willing to change your choice of clothes, fashion style, relational patterns and whatever you have been comfortable with yet you know is identified with the homosexual lifestyle?

"Are you willing to embrace your cross? Embracing something requires you to bring it close to your body. Imagine carrying a load of books with outstretched arms. How would that feel compared to carrying the same load by embracing it?

"When we embrace our burdens, they become lighter and more bearable than when we try to do away with them. Identify your cross and embrace it. Could it be loneliness? Sexual torment? Neediness? Do not deny your cross. To follow Christ is to suffer and be like Him. Only when we die to ourselves will we experience resurrection – a new life.

"Lastly, a changed life involves giving. Healing and change usually happen in the context of community. God changes us not just for ourselves but to impact our community, our society, our nation and the world. The sooner you give of yourself in order to change your community, the easier it will be for you to maintain that change.

"Remember, you do not manufacture time. You spend it. You do not create a blessing, you receive it. You were not endowed with talents so you will be above the rest; they are meant to serve others. One’s healing should reflect the character of Christ, the Healer, to the world at large."

The members of Bagong Pag-asa, a non-Catholic Christian Charitable Foundation, and Courage, a Catholic support group for ex-gays, can be contacted through Pro-life office at 733-7027, 0919-2338873 or www.prolife.org.ph. They are available to give talks, seminars, and counseling.

CREDITS: This article was written by Sr. Mary Pilar Versoza, RGS, and published in CBCPforLife.com. I have edited it for conciseness and brevity. To see the original, please click on the given link.

Teaching Obedience

2012-01-17T11:50:00.000+08:00

Oh, here's a topic close to most parents' hearts: how to foster obedience in our children.

It's not that we're power-tripping control freaks. We focus so much on obedience because we know -- sometimes from painful personal experience -- that when children disobey their parents, the natural repercussions can be more painful and more long lasting than any spanking any parent can give.

Children who do not obey their parents could end up

dropping out of school,
getting addicted to drugs,
scalded in the kitchen,
electrocuted from the electric socket,
pregnant out of wedlock,
sunburned,
etc.

So when my friend Abby Sasscer shared on our group's Facebook page these things she learned on how to teach children to obey, I thought the rest of you would like to hear it too!

Here's Abby's list:

Don't shout. No matter what happens, keep a calm tone. You can't expect a child to control his or her impulses if you, the adult, can't show that you know how to control yours. Also, when you shout, it shows that you have lost control. Children will obey better if they can see that you are in full control. Don't lose your credibility by shouting.
Don't nag. Ask questions instead. In fact, don't tell your kids what to do at all. They know what needs to be done. So ask them, and let it come from them. If their toys are all over the floor, ask them, "What do we need to do with our toys?" They know. Let them tell you. Then wait for them to do it. Never do for your children what they can very well do for themselves.
Give choices. Giving children choices makes them feel that they are being respected, as they should be. But maintain control of the situation by limiting the choices. Don't ask, "What do you want for dinner?" or you might get answers such as "popcorn" or "chocolate cake." Instead, ask, "Do you want chicken or fish for dinner?"
Say yes whenever you can. Sometimes, we say "no" when we really mean "not yet." If what your child is asking for is allowable with conditions, say yes, but give the condition. For instance, if your child asks to play outside at 2 p.m., you can say, "Yes, as soon as it's 4."

"Mommy, can we eat popcorn?" "Yes, after dinner."

Of course, if your child says, "Mommy, can I eat popcorn before dinner?" then you can say no. It's for times like these that we save our noes for.
Give them a chance to correct the behavior. Inevitably, at one time or the other, your child will mess up. Even the best kids sometimes slip and spill juice or turn in sloppy worksheets or tell a fib.

When that happens, don't punish. Give them a chance to mop up the juice (if your child has enough hand control to color pictures, he or she has enough hand control to mop up a spill), redo the worksheet, or tell the truth. If there is undesirable behavior, don't get mad or emotional or give a consequence right away.
Save the shouting for emergencies. Like "Fire" -- or "Fore!" But if you just want to give a command to your child, it's better to signal them to come close then whisper the command. Their curiosity at what you're going to say will ensure their undivided attention.
Focus on what is right. When you want a child to stop writing on the table, you can say, "Here's some paper. Let's write here."

Make no mistake: our children are not little angels. "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child (Proverbs 22:15)." But even the most foolish child relishes approval, and if obedience is the price of that approval, they will learn to obey -- as long as they are taught correctly.

Thank you so much for these tips, Mama Abby!

Rule for Kiddie Plates: Put Six Colors

2012-01-13T17:47:00.002+08:00

There's this interesting research that just came out from the journal Acta Paediatrica that says kids are more attracted to their food if

their plates contain seven different food items,
features six different colors, and
the food is arranged in the shape of a familiar object, such as a flower or an animal, or maybe letters or numbers.

On the other hand, adults prefer just three items and three colors on their plates.

I guess this is why animal crackers and shaped chicken nuggets are such a hit with kids.

Now I'm trying to see if this study can help me feed my picky eater more things, such as, well, bananas. (How could anybody not like bananas, right? I mean, veggie haters, I totally understand -- but banana haters??? But I am still unsuccessful in convincing my daughter it is totally unthinkable for anybody to not like bananas.)

My biggest problem right now, though, is where to get seven food items and six colors to put on their plates. Six colors! That's practically every color in the rainbow, minus one!

Hmm ... maybe fried rice. That's white rice, orange carrots, green peas, yellow scrambled eggs ... red bell pepper? I'm still short one color and two food items ...

Maybe I could poke jellybeans into the banana, in a spiral shape. That should give me at least six colors -- but that's just two food items.

Really, the brilliance of these scientists never ceases to astound me. Imagine, they were able to come up with multiple plates of seven food items and six colors for their experiments!

In my case, it seems to me that the most attractive plate for my daughter needs just one color, yellow -- yellow French fries, that is.

Can you come up with seven food items and six colors that you could fit into your kid's plate? Do tell us how!

REVIEW: Time4Learning.com

2012-01-12T22:13:00.006+08:00

As mentioned in my previous article Educational and Child-Safe Computer Sites, we've signed up at Time4Learning.com, hoping it could help us in our homeschooling.

Time4Learning is a paid site, $20 per month, or approximately Php900. We signed up because during the demo lesson, Josh enjoyed himself so much, he practically begged me to sign up so that he could keep taking more lessons. On my part, I gave in because I liked the idea of a computer giving lessons for me.

It's now been three days since we signed up.

Well designed

One thing I have to commend Time4Learning.com for is that the modules are really very well designed. Josh learned all about contractions, compound words, food chains, water cycles, adding three numbers, and a good number of other things, with very little mental anguish on his part and practically no effort on mine.

The lesson plans take a bit getting used to, but once you become familiar with how it works, it's quite easy to use. If you're following a set curriculum from a different curriculum provider, like we are, you can browse through the lesson plans to find the particular lesson required by your curriculum for the day, note the chapter and subchapter, and click the links to them quite easily.

One feature that I think would have been helpful for users in this situation is a search box, but I couldn't find one anywhere in the site, not even in the forums and in the site map.

If you are homeschooling independently, you could simply set your child free to roam through the subjects, with just the instruction that he needs to complete a certain number of activities per day. Modules that are completed are marked "Complete," so it's easy for you to check what modules your kid has already done and which are still pending.

There is also a reporting feature that lets you view what lessons and activities your child has done throughout the day, and what his or her scores in the exercises and quizzes were.

A record is kept by the system on your child's hours and dates of attendance, as well as activities and scores, so if you're independently homeschooling and need to keep a portfolio, this site would be well worth your money.

All or nothing

But after our two days of use, we cancelled our account with Time4Learning.com. Fortunately, the site has a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you cancel your account within 14 days of activation, you get a 100% refund on your payment.

Last night, I received the email saying my refund has been processed and should appear in my account in five days max. I received the refund confirmation less than 24 hours after I cancelled my account.

Why did we cancel?

As I said, the site is great. It's fully featured, well designed.

It was too much of a good thing for me. It made the temptation to relegate all teaching to the computer. I missed teaching my boy -- but at $20 (or nearly Php1,000) per month, I felt obliged to maximize the benefit.

Do you see what my quandary was?

Then, too, there was for me the issue of paying for things we don't really need. Josh loves science so much, he would have learned the lessons from his own voracious reading, even without Time4Learning.com. The record-keeping feature was not of much use to me either because our family does not need a portfolio to get our kids' education validated. We are already enrolled with Kolbe Academy in Napa, CA, so that takes care of validation.

I couldn't shake the thought at the back of my mind that if I only got what I really needed from the site -- that is, the language and math lessons, without record keeping -- I may have needed to pay maybe just $10 per month.

But Time4Learning.com has no such options. It's all or nothing with them.

Recommendation

So would I recommend Time4Learning.com? Yes.

If you are a working mom with little time to teach your kids personally and want his or her computer time to be productive, or
If you're homeschooling independently and want an easy record-keeping system to prove that your child has, indeed, been spending a specific number of hours and days in school and that he or she is learning something during those times, or
If you feel that $20 per month is a small price to pay for the kind of academic mastery that Time4Learning.com will surely help your child to attain,

...if even just one of the abovementioned conditions apply to you, then I think you will be completely satisfied with Time4Learning.com.

But if you're just looking for exercises to supplement the instruction you already personally give to your child, I would say you could check out the other sites I mentioned in Educational and Child-Safe Computer Sites, which also provide excellent (though not as well organized and not always as didactic) materials for free.

Incidentally, should this review encourage you to sign up for Time4Learning, would you please tell them that you were referred by Lucy Abigail "Abby" Sasscer, the person who had referred me? This would earn for one of her kids a free month of membership. Thank you so much!

DISCLOSURE: This review is not paid for in cash or in kind by any individual or organization, and certainly not by Time4Learning.com. However, if you have an account with them, reviews such as this will merit a $25 honorarium. In the interest of transparency, Time4Learning will require that you post a disclosure statement that you received such sum from the company.

Questions about Time4Learning.com that this post did not answer? Please feel free to ask in the comments below.

The Commercialization of Childhood

2012-01-11T14:35:00.000+08:00

I've just seen this disturbing video on YouTube, and I think all parents should see it. How aggressively is media targeting our children? And what messages, exactly, are they deliberately sending our kids?

More importantly, are we harming our children while we think we are helping them? For instance, when we let our kids watch Baby Einstein, are we helping them or are we actually hurting them? What could be so bad about Dora the Explorer?

You may be shocked when you hear the answers.

The video is an hour long, but I promise you, it's well worth your time.

How do we protect our children from this kind of manipulation and perversion? Please feel free to share your suggestions.

Educational and Child-Safe Computer Sites

2012-01-09T22:12:00.000+08:00

Source: Ian Britton FreeFoto.com

If you're reading this post, you must have a computer at home. And if you're like me, your kids probably know how to use it. And you probably worry sometimes too (in my case, I worried often) that your kids may be getting into sites that are not exactly safe for kids.

So when I got this list of child-friendly, educational Web sites from my friend Abby Sasscer, who runs the Sacred Heart Home School, I immediately put the links in the kids' browser white list and blocked everything else! Now I know that even when my kids go online, they're not viewing anything violent, pornographic, obscene, materialistic, hate-filled, etc., etc.

What's more, the sites are educational! Just this afternoon, my son Josh learned all about compound words, contractions, living and non-living things, thunderstorms, ants, and armadillos in his two-hour session at Time4Learning.com.

If you want the same peace of mind that I've recently gained, you might want to check these links out too:

Starfall.com: I use this site for my five-year-old. It contains free activities beginning reading and early literacy.

EWTNKids: Since my family is Catholic, I especially liked this educational Web site by the EWTN Global Catholic Network. It contains all sorts of free activities teaching Catholic kids about their Church and their faith. There are also dot-to-dot puzzles, dress up games, music activities, etc.

Sheppard Software: Has free fun games for all sorts of subjects and grade levels. There was a game where an equation was displayed and you had to shoot the fruit that displayed the correct answer. (The kids were supposed to play it but I couldn't resist and had to "borrow" the mouse just this one time!)

Fact Monster: This site, I found myself when I was looking for arithmetic flash cards for Josh. The flash cards are great for motivating my son to practice math. The rest of the site is filled with activities and materials on other subjects such as sports, science, vocabulary, etc.

Time4Learning: We use this for our homeschooling because it provides U.S. state-standard curriculum (i.e. K-12) and activities for our kids. It's our first day to use it and, as mentioned above, Josh learned a whole bunch of stuff in a two-hour session. There is a free demo, but you have to pay to access the rest of the materials. Cost is $20 per month for the first kid and $15 for all other kids that follow. If you're not homeschooling, you might still consider the program as it is cheaper than getting a tutor -- and more fun.

SpellingCity: This is a sister company of Time4Learning. This site focuses on teaching your kids spelling, parts of speech, and vocabulary. A lot of materials are free. Paid membership, which allows you to register up to five kids in one payment, is just $25 per year.

Christmas Gift Ideas: Festive Durable Cookware

2011-10-07T11:27:00.000+08:00

If you're still looking for gifts for your loved ones, this might be what you've been looking for.

Yesterday, Chef's Classics by Sunnex Products Limited Hongkong released their new line of high-quality cookware called the Sampaguita series.

A splash of color

One look at the image above would explain so well what makes these pots so excellent for celebrating Christmas. They perfectly capture the characteristics of Filipino celebrations: colorful, bright, festive -- and overflowing with food!

Take a closer look at those colors on the pot. They're not just decorations; they're actually the names of Filipino dishes you can cook in each pot or pan.

So if you run out of ideas on what to cook for your guests (or for everyday lunch), all you need is look at your pot and there you have suggestions galore! Pork asado, chicken pastel, sotanghon, halabos na hipon, kare-kare, tortang talong -- not only do the pots and pans give you ideas on what to cook, they also let you know which pot or pan is the right tool for cooking your desired dish! How's that for a great idea?

These pots are so tastefully designed, you can serve your dishes right in them and your Christmas table will be all the better for it.

They're easy to clean too, because they are all lined with nothing less than the original DuPont Teflon. Non-stick linings can't get any more durable than that.

Proper care

Incidentally, during yesterday's media launch, the host taught us the proper way to prime the non-stick coatings of your pots and pans so that they last much longer:

Before first use, gently wash the coating with liquid soap and water.
Wipe the interior of the pot or pan with cooking oil.
Set the pot or pan on the stove and heat until the pan emits smoke.
Put the pan aside for 24 hours. You can use it the next day.

Of course, you should also remember to use the proper utensils with your Teflon-coated pots and pans. No metal spoons or spatulas, please. Use only wood or silicon spoons and turners to keep from damaging the Teflon.

Avoid using scrubbers when washing. Steel wool, of course, is a no-no. Just soak the pot or pan, then gently soap away the debris. The non-stick coating will do most of your work for you.

Quality and price

Because the Sampaguita line of Chef's Classics is made by the same Sunnex brand we have known and loved for twenty years in the Philippines, we can still expect the same high quality and durability that Sunnex has always been known for.

The colored designs are made of high quality decals, similar to what fire fighters use on their trucks and fire helmets. They are highly heat resistant.

In fact, some have observed that the longer you use these pots and pans for cooking, the brighter the colors get. Like Teflon, their only enemy is steel wool, so keep those things away from them.

The bottoms of these pans are made of highly conductive serrated metal, so even if your stove top fire only hits the middle of the pan, the heat quickly spreads evenly throughout the pan's bottom. The serration, on the other hand, keeps your pan from slipping on the stove top.

The vented glass lids make it easy for you to check your food as it cooks without needing to lift the lid, letting precious heat escape. The lids are made with tempered glass and the edges are lined with metal, so they are difficult to break; and in the rare event that they do break, they only split, not shatter, so no dangerous glass shards scatter all over the kitchen floor.

You can get items from the Sampaguita series for as low as Php599.95. If you want to get the full seven-piece set as a gift for a very special someone (or for yourself!), you can do so for just Php4,299.75 at any major department store in the Philippines.

Disclosure: The author attended the media launch of this product. She has not received, nor will she receive, any monetary compensation for this review.

Philhealth FAQ

2011-09-10T12:32:00.000+08:00

Short news: Last Tuesday, my husband Neil suffered a cardiac episode, so we had to rush him to the National Kidney Transplant Institute -- which, by the way, is currently the cheapest good-quality government hospital in Quezon City.

(Special thanks to Neil's excellent cardiologist, Dr. Joseph Michael Jaro, who obviously knows very well what he's doing. I would recommend him to anybody. Doc, you rock!)

It was a mere case of SVT -- too-fast heartrate and too-low blood pressure -- so we were home the very next day.

But during that incident, I learned a few things about Philhealth that I would like to share with you today.

Question: If I have been a Philhealth member for only one month, can I use it if I get hospitalized today?

No. Alas, although I had been a Philhealth member for years, I had neglected paying my dues since I started doing freelance work. I had only been able to start paying again last month, in August, so I was not able to get Philhealth benefits for my husband's hospitalization. (Neil is my Philhealth dependent.)

In order for one to get Philhealth benefits, one needs to have made at least three payments in a span of six months. Since Neil got hospitalized in September, I could have gotten Philhealth benefits if, say

we had paid in June, July, and August; or
March, April, May; or even
March, May, August.

Question: Can I pay in advance?

Yes. In fact, just to be sure I never get into the same predicament again, I have already paid my dues until December. In January of 2012, I will probably pay 1,200 to cover my dues for the whole year. (You can pay for a maximum of one year advance only. I've heard that Philhealth does not accept payment for more than 12 months advance.)

Retroactive payments are not allowed.

Question: Does my spouse still need to get his own Philhealth account, if he/she is already my dependent?

No -- and yes.

For immediate purposes, your spouse does not need a Philhealth account if he/she is listed as your dependent. You spouse will get Philhealth benefits under your account.

However, the question is, what happens if you die -- or retire?

Once a Philhealth member retires at 60, he or she qualifies as a non-paying member -- but only if he/she has already made at least 120 Philhealth payments. That's approximately 10 years of monthly dues.

If I retire and my spouse hasn't got those 120 Philhealth payments in his name, then I will have Philhealth benefits in my old age, when I need them most, but he won't.

There is also the question of "What if the Philhealth member dies?" Then the member's dependents will be left high and dry. You do not want that to happen to your loved ones, especially if the cost is only P100 per month.

More questions?

I hope this post has answered some of your Philhealth questions. For more questions (or to verify what I have written here), you may call their customer service hotline at (02) 441-7442.

You can also ask some of your questions in this blog. Perhaps some of the readers -- or maybe even I -- can answer them.

The Baby Hair-Accessories Maker: Interview with Ethel Bernales

2011-09-05T18:42:00.000+08:00

It’s been quite some time since we’ve interviewed a true-to-life nanay entrepreneur here at the Nanay Notebook, so I’m very happy to introduce to you today a childhood friend, Ethel Bernales.

I first met Ethel and her family when I was just five years old, not very long ago. Since then, this mom and I have been choirmates (oh yes, there was a time when this nanay sang in public, albeit with a group), schoolmates, school bus mates, and clubmates! (She and I used to be part of St. Scholastica’s Homemakers Club – not a very surprising fact, is it?)

Of course, at that time (despite the club membership), I never imagined she would grow up to become the babywearing, breastfeeding super mommy that she is right now!

Anyway, I’m sure you’re more interested in hearing how Ethel started and grew her business than in listening to the reminisces of this nanay, so let’s get on with the interview! I emailed the questions to Ethel and am posting the answers here:

Nanay Notebook: What made you decide to do hair accessories instead of, say, baby clothes or baby jewelry or mommy accessories?

Ethel Bernales: I went into baby hair accessories because it became a need for me at some point. You see, I am a choosy-but-practical mom. As long my kids’ outfits are well made, I don’t mind if they are not branded and expensive. Same goes for hair accessories. I really went around boutiques and department stores trying to find good quality, affordable hair accessories for my daughter, but I couldn't find what I was looking for – so I decided to make them myself!

NN: How did you find your source for materials?

EB: Most of my supplies come from the U.S. I purchase them online. Google is my number one source for suppliers! But I also go around local craft stores, fabric stores, and Divisoria for supplies. That's how I create unique pieces – by combining different materials from different sources.

NN: How did you learn to create these pieces? Do you still make them all by yourself?

EB: I actually didn't know I had the ability to make things like these until I had children. I used to make hair accessories for my daughter by taking apart the accessories I bought from the department stores and use the materials to make her something unique. The couture headbands are still handmade by me.

I learn by observation and practice and a few tips I pick up from YouTube. There are a lot of helpful fellow moms out there who are quite good with handicraft.

I also carry a line of accessories by other fellow moms who craft the pieces for me. I would love to expand in that direction and, hopefully, be able to train and hire fellow nanays in our hometown to help me create these unique pieces too. (Great idea, Ethel! Go for it!!! You truly are your parents’ daughter.)

NN: How long have you been doing this business? What preparations did you make before you started selling?

EB: I only started last February 2011. It took me around 2 to 3 months just to do my research, find suppliers, and have the Web site designed before I started officially accepting orders.

NN: How did you find your first buyers? How did you expand your market?

EB: It is true what they say, that when you are starting a small business, your first customers are really your relatives and friends.

Although I shopped online regularly, selling online was very new to me. I was also not very techie, so I had to learn little by little as I went along. When I felt confident enough that I could handle more orders, that’s when I began promoting my Web site and products by doing tie-ups and cross-promotion with other online businesses.

If you are selling online, you really need to take advantage of the Internet and the power of social networking to market your products.

NN: What are the biggest challenges you meet in your business? How do you overcome them?

EB: I believe that most of the challenges I encounter are blessings in disguise. For instance, there was this one time when I couldn't find the materials I needed locally, so I searched online and wrote to several potential suppliers. By doing that, I was able to find a reliable supplier, and today, we have established a good business relationship with them.

I really just try to persevere when faced with challenges or obstacles.

NN: What advice would you give other mothers who wish to start a business in baby accessories?

EB: Do your research. Be inspired by other people’s work, but don't copy them. Most handicraft-oriented moms are already inherently creative anyway, so you just need to find the style that you are comfortable with and which you want to be recognized for. Also remember that when you are making products for babies, comfort and wearability are very important.

You also need to decide early on if you would like this to be a hobby or a business. For me, this is a business that I love doing because I love the designing part. However, I believe that running a small business is the same as running a corporation – the same principles apply – but in a small business, you have to do everything yourself.

If you have no idea about running a business, then you need to research and learn more about it too.

NN: Your product pages say you accept Paypal, but your order form does not include it among the payment options. Just to confirm: do you accept Paypal payments?

EB: Yes, we do. Our Web site needs a bit of an update. I hope we’ll be able to have it updated before the holiday rush.

So there you have it, dear mommies. If there’s one thing I think we can all learn from Mommy Ethel’s story, it is this: don’t be afraid to start, even if you have to start small. The lack of expertise can be easily remedied for somebody who is willing to learn. A lot of us learn as we go, and once you begin, you will be surprised to discover that you actually know much more than you ever imagined you did.

To see Ethel Bernales’ adorable, well-made, comfortable, and affordable hair accessories, please log on to celestinaandco.multiply.com or Like them on Facebook, at facebook.com/celestinaandco.

Until next!

Landmark Trinoma Holds 50% Off Sale!

2011-08-12T15:13:00.003+08:00

First, the announcement: Landmark Trinoma has a sale! Get up to 50% discount on items, until August 15. For home items, the sale lasts until August 31.

Now, the story: I don't usually keep an eye out for sales. I hate crowded stores, so I normally avoid these things like the plague.

But yesterday, Neil and I were supposed to attend the book launch of "Embrace: The Heart of Service," the 25th anniversary commemorative book of the Rotary Club's District 3780, at the Manila Hotel.

Unfortunately, heavy rains harassed us right from our house's gate up to Quezon City, and as we heard on the radio that the downpour was moving towards Manila, we did not have the courage to risk underwater driving and ended up instead at Trinoma. You see, as I was trying to find something to wear for a Manila Hotel event, I painfully realized that I needed new shoes.

When we got to Trinoma's Landmark, a wonderful sight met my eyes: "50% SALE!" Since it was a week day, the stores were empty.

I asked Neil to "please go watch a movie," and I was off on my shopping spree!

Now when I shop for shoes in other stores, I usually take a good 2 hours to find something nice and reasonably priced.

At Landmark, however, I found something in 5 minutes!

It was so unnerving, I felt compelled to look around half an hour longer before asking a salesperson to get my size. I eventually ended up with elegant black high-heeled pumps for just P700!

With Neil's movie far from being finished, I went around and got a few more things: dresses and pantyhose for the princess, and a new wallet and belt for myself. Normally, it would take me at least an hour to find the princess a dress, but Landmark's inventory was so nice, I found two adorable dresses in a very short time.

So anyway, the gist is this: Landmark has a sale, and it will be until August 15, Monday. Don't wait until the "ber" months to do your Christmas shopping. The stores are so much less crowded now.

PS: Thank you so much to Ms. Elsa Monis, department manager of children's wear, for allowing me to exchange the dress I got that was too big for my daughter, even after the standard 7-day window.

I called their office and she told me I can have it exchanged even after 7 days, as long as the dress is undamaged and all tags and receipts are intact; just look for her if I encounter any problems. Excellent customer service! Two thumbs up!

Need a Business Card? Here's a Good Printer

2011-08-01T10:13:00.004+08:00

This nanay has just got her own business cards printed for the first time in her life. (Wow, I feel so important, ha ha ha.)

It was high time, I guess. When you're a freelancer, you've got to make sure people can find you, and sometimes, you do meet people in real life, where a Facebook page doesn't always do the trick.

So last Friday, as work burnout kept me from working, I decided to get some retail therapy by shopping online for some business cards.

I went to Sulit.com.ph and found Bayani Antonio Jr. -- but he prefers to be called Jon.

Printer review

I contacted Jon via e-mail on Thursday morning asking about his charges for business card layout and printing.

I received his reply in an hour: layout is free, 100 pieces minimum (that's one box), but if I order 3 boxes, shipping is free as well. I could pay via bank transfer through BDO or RCBC, or via Paypal. I chose Paypal.

That same evening, I received his layout for the front and back of the card. (Yep, I thought I'd promote my blog at the back and my bread-and-butter in front.)

With a few small edits suggested by my husband, we finalized the layout before I went to bed that "night," which was practically Friday very early morning already. I'm sure all you working moms can relate.

Here is the finalized layout.

FRONT

BACK

The very next day (Friday), the cards were printed in glossy finish, so they look more like plastic than cardboard.

On Saturday, he shipped them out, and this morning, I received them. (Oh how I love getting things by mail. It's one of my secret pleasures, one reason why I do almost all my shopping online.)

Final verdict: I love this guy!

Sulit.com.ph page

I'm pasting Jon's details here from his Sulit.com.ph page because I can't really depend on that ad page link to stay active forever. He's based, I think, in Marilao, Bulacan, so if you're near there, the shipping may cost you less. (He charged me the regular LBC rate for Luzon-to-Luzon shipping.)

CALLING/BUSINESS CARDS

One(1) side print                        300.00
        With lamination                      375.00
Two (2) side print                       350.00
        With lamination                     425.00
*Card box included

Free delivery via LBC for every 3 boxes

We accept payment thru BDO bank deposit
Account Name:   Bayani S Antonio Jr
Account #: 1840384601
Marilao, Bulacan branch
or pay with your card thru Paypal

For more info please contact:
                  Jon 09473938830
Mon    09267279482
                  Cathy               09074560286
                 e-mail: info@jonantonio.net

PS: Jon didn't know I'd be writing about him, so Jon, if you're reading this -- surprise! He he he. Thanks for doing a good job.

Surprising Facts About Hepatitis that Every Mother Should Know

2011-07-28T03:45:00.008+08:00

If you're like me, you could probably think of a dozen things more interesting than hepatitis, in two seconds flat.

But when my very-old-time friend invited me to cover this event she called "The Yellow Manifesto," I couldn't say no (she wouldn't let me).

Well thank goodness for that, because last night, on the eve of the first-ever World Hepatitis Day, I met a group of people fighting to eradicate hepatitis and the discrimination against its victims, and I learned a few surprising facts about this sorely underestimated and widely misunderstood disease.

From the speech and PowerPoint slides of Dr. Madalinee Eternity Labio of the Hepatology Society of the Philippines, here are some very interesting things every Filipino should know about hepatitis:

There are not two but six types of hepatitis: A, B, C, D, E, and G.
Only hepatitis B and C cause liver cancer and cirrhosis. Hepatitis A does not.
In fact, if you have a strong immune system, hepatitis A can resolve itself without vigorous medical treatment.
You do not get hepatitis B by having your food prepared by somebody who has it. It is hepatitis A which is transmitted via contaminated food and water; hepatitis B is only transmitted if virus-laden body fluids enter another's blood stream through transfusion or an open wound/mucus membrane or sex. Don't mix the two up.
As many as 1 in every 10 Filipinos have hepatitis B, but they don't know it because the disease is often asymptomatic -- it shows no symptoms until the liver is affected.
In other words, most people with hepatitis B do not turn yellowish, as a lot of us believe. The absence of jaundice (yellow skin) does not ensure the absence of hepatitis.
An amazing 90-95% of hepatitis B patients contracted their disease not from sexual contact but from their mothers, during their infancy, as the virus is transmitted in childbirth.
If a pregnant mother is infected with the virus, very early vaccination will prevent the disease from developing in her newborn child.
The Mandatory Infants and Children Immunization Act of 2011 (RA 10152) by Senator Pia Cayetano mandates that all newborn babies be given the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours after birth.
Most people live out their childhood unaware that they have hepatitis B. They only find out when they get their first medical exam, as a pre-employment requirement. Then the company often refuses to hire them -- which is illegal, as hepatitis is not transmissible through casual contact and generally poses no threat, not even in food industries, if the business has proper hygienic policies in place.
Of every 4 people with hepatitis B, only 1 dies of cancer or cirrhosis. Some live out the rest of their lives without any symptoms. (Of course, it helps too if the disease is diagnosed early, monitored carefully, and managed well.)
Nonetheless, the biggest cause of liver cancer and cirrhosis in the Philippines is not alcoholism, as many of us believe, but hepatitis B. (In addition, liver cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the country, and it is the second most fatal.)
In fact, the HPV vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer, is not the first anti-cancer vaccine in the world; the Hepa-B vaccine, which prevents liver cancer, is.
To treat hepatitis C or delay the progression of hepatitis B, you would normally need to shell out a whopping Php700,000.
As an advocate in the fight against hepatitis, Merck Sharpe and Dohme (MSD) offers a 50% discount on the treatment cost of hepatitis B and C. They also offer free testing to regularly check if the medication is creating its desired effect in the patient.

What is the message we want to send with this list? First, hepatitis victims are stigmatized because we often think they got it from inappropriate social activities. We're wrong; they probably got it from childbirth.

Second, we are often afraid to interact with hepatitis victims because we are afraid of infection. Well, unless you "sleep" with them, they can't infect you with hepatitis B. Blood donations have been screened against hepatitis contamination since the 1990s.

You can only get hepatitis A if you let your colleague prepare your food for you right after he/she went to the bathroom (now why would you do that?), and if you do contract hepatitis A, remember that it's uncomfortable but, if you take care not to get dehydrated from the vomiting and diarrhea, hepatitis A is not deadly.

Hepatitis B infection is not the end of the world. Three out of four victims live out normal lives, medically speaking. It is the social stigma that makes life difficult for them.

It is easy to prevent hepatitis A and B. All you need is timely hepatitis vaccination, which, by the way, is much cheaper than hepatitis treatment.

Have your children had their hepatitis B vaccination? It's free at your nearest health center! (That's where all my kids got theirs.)

FREE Downloadable Printable Award-Winning (and Perfectly Legal) Children's Books!

2011-07-22T11:36:00.002+08:00

I'm supposed to be working to make up for yesterday's lost work day, as I had to play nurse to hubby who had an attack of supraventricular tachycardia (in layman's terms: super-fast heartbeat, super-low blood pressure, very dangerous. It sent him to the ICU in 2009.)

But just as I was about to start working, my friend Rich (pilya, maganda, at may magic powers) sent me this excellent link: http://canvas.ph/downloads.htm.

Mommies (and daddies), if you haven't clicked on the link yet, do so now. It will lead you to this excellent site where you can download wonderful, downloadable, printable, and absolutely free children's books written by Filipino writers. (Tarie, are you reading this?)

What's more, the downloading and printing out are perfectly legal, authorized by the publishers themselves, God bless them!

Of course, once you've read these wonderful, award-winning stories to your kids, you might want to buy the hardback versions. They are available in Fully Booked, the Ayala Museum and at 1/of Gallery in Serendra.

Let's support Philippine literature and early literacy! And cheers to free books!

Transfer Money from Unionbank EON to Other Bank Accounts

2011-07-21T18:50:00.006+08:00

I've just discovered a great feature in Unionbank's EON online banking system: It lets me transfer from my Unionbank account to other bank accounts such as BPI, BDO, Metrobank, Citibank, etc.

Why am I so happy about this? Why, it means I can now buy anything I want from eBay without having to leave the house! (Well, theoretically, anyway, he he he.)

Once upon a time, I could only buy from sellers who accepted Paypal and Gcash payments because it wasted so much time for me to have to go out and make a bank deposit. (When you're a freelancer whose pay is based on output, you gain a whole new appreciation of the adage "Time is gold.")

But with this Unionbank feature that lets me transfer to other banks, I can shop all I like!

Now all I need is the money to shop with.

How to use the local bank transfer feature

Truth is, I'm not sure if this is a new feature. It may have been right under my nose all along, but I didn't know because the first time I clicked on Unionbank's "Transfers" link, the only option it gave me was "To another Unionbank/EON account."

But the other day, seredipitously, I noticed the "Requests" link in my EON online portal. I clicked on it and saw this link: "Local Bank Transfer Request."

And there it was! The key to transferring to external banks!

I clicked on "Local Bank Transfer Request," filled out the form, waited three days, and the rest, as you know, is written in the first few paragraphs of this blog article.

And that ends my story. As usual, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Now if you'll please excuse me, I need to go to eBay and search for lovely things I could now buy -- if only I had the money! (Ha ha ha.)

PS: I tried testing it just now and discovered that the minimum transfer amount to other banks is Php500. You also have to wait three days before your transfer is reflected in the other account, and there is a cut off time of 1:00 p.m. Manila time. (It's pretty much like depositing a cheque.)

What about you? Have you used this Unionbank feature before? Do tell us about your experience!

No Market for Your Product? That's Great News!

2011-07-20T18:34:00.003+08:00

Have you ever had a business idea that you really wanted to try out but you backed out from because you felt like there was no market for it?

Well here's some news for you: Sometimes, the fact that there's no visible market for a product can be a good thing -- because that means you're the first to offer it!

The immense value of being first

There is an important value to being the first.

Think of this: What's the name of the first person to walk on the moon? Neil Armstrong, right? Even my six-year-old knows his name.

What's the name of the second person to walk on the moon?

If you answered Buzz Aldrin, you're one of the few who know. One thing I can tell you: my six-year-old does not know Buzz Aldrin -- yet. (But he does know Buzz Lightyear.)

The first always gains a special position in our brain. Who is the first president of the Philippines? Who is the second? Who is the first president of the United States? Who is the third?

Which company first sold cameras? You may not know this, but take a guess.

Did you say Sony? Probably not. I'll bet you said Kodak. If so, you're right. No matter how much Kodak gets eclipsed by the competition, it will remain a household word as far as photography is concerned.

That kind of position in the market's mind is priceless. Coca Cola has it. (How often have you had this dialogue: "One Pepsi, please." "Sorry, ma'am, Coke products only." Nope, it's always the other way around.)

Need tissue? Here's a Kleenex. Need a photocopy? Xerox it. Buy books online? Go to Amazon.com. Auctions? eBay. Pay online? Use PayPal!

See the power of being first?

Brave entrepreneur

Let me say it again: if there is no visible market for your product, go for it and establish your position of being the first.

Let me tell you a story of a real life entrepreneur who did this.

He thought up his business in the early 1980s. What was his idea? Organic vegetables!

Now that may sound like a great idea today, but in the 1980s, it was out of this world. Vegetables without chemical fertilizers or insecticides? Heck, my dad even had chemicals to make his plants grow roots!

Besides, in those days, very few people in the country liked salads. The Filipino palate then thought the lettuce a bland, boring vegetable.

Nonetheless, this crazy man decided to go on with his idea. He started an organic vegetable farm -- and soon lived to regret it. There was no market, remember? So nobody bought his produce, except a few hotels who needed something to feed their foreign guests.

The farmer ended up giving away his vegetables to the convents near his farm. But he did not give up.

Success story

Rather than cut his losses, this crazy farmer decided to spend even more by building a restaurant that served the vegetables that nobody wanted to buy.

Well it turns out, while people did not want to buy his veggies directly, they enjoyed eating them in a restaurant. And soon word spread that there was this quaint little restaurant in Silang, Cavite, that served delicious healthy food.

Today, that little restaurant is so successful that the crazy farmer had to expand it to a two-story chalet. And his little farm filled with vegetables that nobody wanted to buy? It is now 10 hectares large.

As for the crazy farmer, he is now known as the pioneer of organic farming in the Philippines. His name is Ernesto Escalier, and he is the owner of the highly successful Gourmet Farm and Refreshers Cafe in Silang, Cavite.

My own tale

Lest you think this is an isolated case, let me assure you that it is not. In fact, I have witnessed it firsthand.

Once upon a time, I had the idea of selling Gcash online. Before I jumped into it, I did a little research with this little Google tool I use to see how many people are actually searching for "Gcash online" on the Internet.

There were hardly any. If nobody searched for it, there must be nobody who wanted it, right?

Wrong. Because despite the fact that there was no market for it, I went right ahead and offered Gcash online.

Well, buyers slowly came trickling in. After a couple of completely dry months, there came one buyer in one month, then two in a month, then one per week. Pretty soon, I had three buyers in one week.

I had to close that store down, though, because (1) I was busy with another business, which was my bread and butter, (2) I did not anticipate the amount of cash flow I would need once the orders came in, and (3) my carelessness opened me to problems that I could easily have avoided had I been more prudent.

What I mean to communicate is this: Just because there is no market does not mean there are no willing buyers. If the seller comes, the buyers will follow.

So if you've got a business idea brewing in that brain of yours that you think there is no market for, go ahead and try it! It's a chance of a lifetime and you'd be foolish to let it go.

Do you have a new business that you would like to introduce to the world? Tell the Nanay Notebook about it. We'd be happy to feature you in one of our posts! (Yes, it's free!)

FREE Internet Protection for Our Kids

2011-07-16T11:45:00.003+08:00

I have another confession to make: I let my kids go online.

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. Yes, sometimes when I'm busy doing stuff away from the computer (ie, getting some food into my body or getting some food out of), the kids beg to be allowed to use the computer to watch movies or go to Google Earth.

Now how could a mom refuse a kid who asks, "Mom, may I please go to Google Earth and learn more about the Earth, the moon and Mars?"

(No, he doesn't really say that. The mother's brain fills it in.)

But recently, the boy has learned to go to YouTube to look for cartoons, or to PlayHub, which he discovered when one of my jobs entailed me to write descriptions of online games. (Yes, once upon a time, I played Flash games for a living. It could have been nice, but there was a constant crowd of people at my back disturbing me while I was trying to Learn to Fly -- I mean, write.)

So for a few days, I kept worrying that he might one day chance upon those nasty things we sometimes see in video, image, or game portals -- you moms and dads know what I'm talking about.

I wanted to install one of those Internet filtering systems we've all heard so much about -- NetNanny, CyberNanny, etc. -- but they were expensive! (Okay, they were $39 dollars. That's 20 orders from Dairy Queen, you know.)

Fortunately, I found a free one, and I've been using it for three days now. It's so strict, it won't even let me search Google images if I don't type in my password.

The first time I checked, though, it let me open the dreaded games portal. But a quick adjustment to the setting and it was all set to block anything with games.

Now I can have more peace of mind when I leave the kids with the computer (for just a very short time, really!).

Anyway, you waited long for this so here it is: K9 Web Protection. Go get it installed in your computer now.

The Woes of Business Registration in the Philippines

2011-07-11T06:43:00.009+08:00

Somebody asked me today about registering her freelance work with the BIR. Her question was what category she should register under.

Since she is working as a regular freelancer (e.g., Web designer, writer, event manager) not as a licensed professional (e.g. doctor, accountant), she needs to register as a sole proprietor, even if she has no employees and practically no office.

If she has investors, she could also register as a corporation.

But I would like to address a more basic question: Should she register in the first place?

Let me just tell you about my experience when I decided to register my business, and you decide.

The preliminaries

Before you can register as a freelancer with the BIR, you need to register with

The DTI, to get your trade name and DTI certificate;
The barangay, for your barangay permit, which is a requirement for getting the mayor's permit; and
The mayor, to get your mayor's permit

The DTI certificate and mayor's permit are requirements for getting your BIR certificate of registration.

I've written about getting my own DTI certificate. Read the details here. You can apply for your DTI certificate online and pay with Gcash.

For your barangay permit, you need to personally go to your barangay hall, bring with you your DTI certificate, and pay for registration. I've written about that too. Details here.

Now comes the municipal permit, which I think is the most difficult part of all. To get your municipal permit, you also need to go personally to your municipal hall, fill up the application form, and pay the fee.

The amount of the application fee depends on your municipality type. Since I live in a "first-class municipality," I paid around P1,500. It probably costs more if you live in, say, Makati, and less if you live in a second- or third-class municipality.

The municipal permit is much more complicated to get than the DTI or barangay permit because it also entails inspection from the sanitation and fire departments of your municipality. You have to pay extra fees for those inspections as well.

To get the sanitary permit, you and all your registered employees need to undergo health certification (X-ray, stool and urine labs, blood test) even if you never meet your employees or clients and all your work is done online.

To get the fire safety certification, your office (a.k.a. house) needs to have at least two exits and, in our municipality's case, a fire extinguisher.

Incidentally, not all municipalities require a fire extinguisher. Antipolo doesn't. Makati does.

There is no specific fire extinguisher size requirement stated in the building code, but we were advised to get a 10lb carbon dioxide type rather than the dry chemical type because the former does less damage and leaves no mess as it is just gas.

The BIR registration

Web citizen that I am, I got the requirements for BIR registration from the BIR Web site. Well, there were a few things it did not include:

If you have your office address at a place that is not your own and you are using the place for free, you need to have a letter signed by the house owner certifying that he/she allows you to conduct your business in that place free of charge.
You also need to draw a map of your place on a clean sheet of bond paper.

I found these requirements out when I reached the BIR office. The latter, I hastily drew up right then and there. The former, I had to bring back another day before my COR could be processed.

Once my requirements were complete, I had to pay the P500 registration fee and attend the seminar.

I must say, that seminar was pretty useful, and I advice all business owners to attend it themselves rather than send in some liaison officer who is not even an accountant. For a preview, you can read the BIR seminar's contents in this post, but at the actual seminar, you can ask questions and maybe even get some answers.

Oh, by the way, you may be thinking now, "Gee, it's not so expensive to register after all. Five hundred pesos is not so bad."

True, but I've so far neglected to mention one important thing: The moment you are registered with the BIR, you will need to issue receipts.

It doesn't matter if all the work you do is online. If your client is in the Philippines and they declare you as one one of their expenses—which means they pay taxes for you, which they probably deduct from your service charge, in which case they should be issuing you a Certificate of Taxes Withheld—then you need to issue them a receipt.

(This does not apply if you are not registered with the BIR as a self-employed individual.)

It doesn't matter if that receipt never reaches their hands; you just have to issue it and record it in your books of accounts.

There are printers that are accredited by the BIR to print out receipts. You can find them at Sulit.com.ph or even in the BIR office itself. Just ask the guard, and he should be able to tell you which employee has that sideline.

The minimum number of booklets for printing is usually 30, and the cost can be P40 per booklet if you get the smallest size.

Post-registration

After the registration, I encountered a few more glitches (amendments in tax activities, correction in business type, other stuff too tedious to detail here) that eventually prompted me to give up trying to do things myself and get an accountant to do my taxes for me.

The advantages of getting a good accountant are (1) you never have to step out of the house to do all your filing yourself, (2) you can be sure your taxes and all other government fees such as SSS, Pag-ibig, and Philhealth are paid on time, and most importantly, (3) you have an expert to help you avoid falling into all those little legal pitfalls—tiny little laws that you could end up breaking simply because you did not know they even existed.

I am not about to stick my neck out by listing here the tiny little laws I had almost broken from sheer ignorance, but take my word for it: a good accountant is a great help—and an incompetent one may have a smaller retainer fee but will cost you more in the tax penalties you'll end up paying.

Today, I have Precious Coria and her company, Experior Solutions Inc., doing all my government paperwork for me. I pay them three days' worth of income. So far, with all the help and advice she has given me, it's been all well worth it.

But between you and me, if I were working solely with foreign companies who don't declare my earnings to the Philippine government, and if I didn't need an ITR as proof of income for stuff such as loan applications, I would never register my business activities—not anymore, after all the hassle I'd been through just to write some articles for some magazines on a single computer in a tiny bedroom at home.

As much as I want to do my part in being a good citizen by paying taxes, the government just makes doing the right thing too hard and too expensive in this country.

Confessions of an Imperfect Mom

2011-05-19T11:37:00.008+08:00

I read the most refreshing post today on Topaz Mommy's blog. It was entitled I'm okay with not being a perfect mommy (and I'm sure my kid is, too!).

From just the title, you could tell it was a confession post. And I loved it so much, I hope she will forgive me for writing a post so similar to it.

Hi. My name is Blessie. I am a work-at-home, homeschooling, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, natural family planning, and babywearing advocate.

But more than all of these, I am an imperfect mom:

I rely on a yaya six days a week so I could do my work.
On Sundays, when the yaya is away, the 2-year-old spends most of the day wandering in the garden naked and barefoot. I've caught him pooping there, too.
I forget to give the kids their vitamins. And we didn't have vitamins in the house until a few months ago. That bottle is still half full.
I don't sterilize baby bottles. If they can survive chewing on the slippers, they can survive unsterilized bottles, I reason.
On days that I have deadlines (about 5 out of 7 days in a week), I don't get to read the children a story. I let them watch TV and play computer games instead.
I get angry and impatient. I have been known to shout at my children and my husband. Especially my husband.
If the kids don't eat crumbly crackers in the house, I would forgo sweeping for the day. And that is why crumbly crackers are banned in the house. But since I'm at the computer most of the time, they are able to bring the d*mned things in anyway.
I never fold blankets. I stuff them under the pillows instead. I never iron clothes either. Once they've been worn two hours, you won't be able to tell the difference anyway. (At least, that's what I tell myself.)
I am a terrible party planner. Our children's parties are 1-hour affairs with four things on the menu, two of them sweet. Our guest is the cousin next door and Lola Ermie, without whom, there wouldn't be balloons.
I misplace stuff a lot. I had lost my eldest kid at the supermarket. I had lost my second kid at a family reunion. I had lost my two-year-old at the airport.
Sometimes, I get so exhausted, I fall asleep without brushing my teeth or taking a bath. Heaven only knows why my husband still wants to sleep with me. I would call it "natural family planning," except it fails to keep him away.

A friend of mine likes to call me a super mom. In the interest of honesty, I have to disagree. I am not a super mom. I try my best to be one, but—to put it quite simply—I fail.

Through it all, though, I am happy to report that, by God's ability to fill in our imperfections, my children still love me and they obey me, and (of this I am sure) they know that I love them. For me, this is what counts the most.

As for my husband, I hope he knows, too, that I love him, even though I'm not like those sweet wives you see in coffee creamer commercials. Anyway, since he's reading over my shoulder as I write this (asking, "Why aren't you working?"), I guess he knows it by now.

The Question of Abortion

2011-05-18T12:54:00.004+08:00

Our third child in six years. How poorer
in joy we would now be if he had been
inadvertently aborted.

In the midst of the RH bill debates, please allow me, my dear readers, to express my two-cents' worth.

I am for age-appropriate sex education. I am for the spacing of children. I am for the education of women.

But I am against abortion. And I feel that many of us do not realize one important thing: The birth control pill -- the most popular method of artificial contraception, which the RH bill promotes -- has an abortive effect.

Hidden abortion

I'm not a medical expert, so don't take my word for it.

The Physician’s Desk Reference, on the other hand, is the most frequently used reference book by physicians in America. In it is articulated the research findings of all the birth control pill manufacturers, that there are not one but three mechanisms of birth control pills:

1. inhibiting ovulation (the primary mechanism),

2. thickening the cervical mucus, thereby making it more difficult for sperm to travel to the egg, and

3. thinning and shriveling the lining of the uterus to the point that it is unable or less able to facilitate the implantation of the newly fertilized egg.

The first two mechanisms are contraceptive. The third is abortive.

In layman terms, it means that although the Pill is designed to prevent ovulation, in the event that it fails -- and that happens -- it has a back-up method: It makes the uterus inhospitable to the embryo, so it cannot implant and is, therefore, aborted.

When we take the Pill, how will we know for sure that abortion rather than contraception had taken place? We don't. But now, we know that we are consciously taking a pill that puts a fertilized embryo at risk of being aborted.

Pro revised RH bill

Am I anti-RH? I am against the RH bill in its current form.

As I said, I am for age-appropriate sex education. I am for the spacing of children. I am for the education of women.

But I am against abortion. And I don't want a bill that promotes it in any way, however hidden. I want a revised RH bill.

What about you? Are you against abortion too?

Free Download: The Conscious Partnering Conference 2011

2011-05-18T11:59:00.000+08:00

On May 23 to 27, there will be a FREE Conscious Partnering Conference, which will teach us all how we can create amazing relationships in all areas of our lives.

Whether you are managing your own employees in your own business, managing your boss and colleagues at your place of employment, trying to maintain an intimate relationship, or raising kids and a husband (or wife), these talks can help you.

For me, the best part about it is that registration is free! What's more, if we can't make time to join the live call, we can download the recordings afterward.

I've registered five minutes ago. If you wish to register too, you can go to http://consciouspartnering.net/.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Seminar

2011-05-14T10:06:00.006+08:00

This morning, I attended the seminar required by the Bureau of Internal Revenue for newly registered businesses. I registered two: Escrive Writing and Editing, a writing and editing group, and Blackie's Bed and Breakfast Pet Lodge, the fun, friendly, and definitely most affordable dog boarding place in town! (Shameless plug, I know. Moving on ...)

So today I am writing about what I learned at the BIR seminar.

1. BIR is divided into different regional offices, which is divided into different revenue districts, with their own revenue district offices (RDOs). Since I used to work in Quezon City, I was registered under RDO 040. Now that I have left my QC job and have put up a business in Rodriguez, Rizal, which is in RDO 045, I had to move my BIR registration from RDO 040 to RDO 045. (Incidentally, I had to do that before I could register my business.)

2. You need to pay at the revenue district where you are registered. Now that I'm registered at RDO 045, if I pay my taxes anywhere in revenue district 040, they may accept my payment there, but I will be penalized 25% of my basic tax due to wrong venue of filing.

3. You don't have to go to the BIR office to pay. You can pay at any authorized agent bank (AAB) within your revenue district, or you can pay at a BIR collection office, often found at the municipal hall. Just be sure to bring your required forms with you, for stamping.

4. There are two kinds of businesses: VAT and non-VAT. If your gross income is 1.5 million pesos per year or more, you are automatically classified under VAT. If your gross income is less than 1.5 million per year, you qualify for non-VAT.

However, even if you are earning less than 1 million annually, you may also want to register as VAT if you are targeting VAT clients. The reason: VAT businesses will normally not transact with non-VAT businesses, because then, they will not be able to declare their purchases from you under their expenses. (There is a somewhat complex explanation to that. For now, just trust me on this.)

5. There are required forms for registering a business, depending on whether you are registering as an individual or as a corporation/organization. For more information on business registration, click here.

Individual	Corporation/Organization
Form 1901: basic information	Form 1903: basic business information
Form 0605: P500 for each business, plus penalty if you register with the BIR more than a month after you get your municipal/mayor's permit	Form 0605: payment form, also P500 for each distinct business entity
Form 2000: needed only if you're leasing/renting your place of business; cost is P1 for every P1,000 annual rent	Form 2000: needed only if you're leasing/renting your place of business; cost is P1 for every P1,000 annual rent
Contract of lease or proof of ownership or certification from owner that they allow you to use their property for business without charge (attach proof of ownership from the signatory)	Contract of lease or proof of ownership or certification from owner that they allow you to use their property for business without charge (attach proof of ownership from the signatory)
DTI registration (original and copy)	DTI registration (original and copy)
Mayor's permit (orig + copy)	Mayor's permit (orig + copy)
Marriage contract (orig + copy)	SEC Certificate of Registration (Certificate of Incorporation/Certificate of Co-Partnership
Birth certificates of children (orig + copy)	Corporation by-laws
Location sketch	Location sketch

6. Schedule of payments

Monthly income: If non-VAT, pay 3% of gross income, and use Form 2551M. For VAT, you need an accountant to compute and sign this document for you. Use Form 2550M. For both VAT and non-VAT, this tax is due on the 20th day of the following month. If no income, put in "no transaction" and have the form stamped by the bank or BIR officer.
Monthly remittance return of creditable income taxes withheld: This is applicable if you rent/lease your place of business. You file this with monthly income. This is 5% of your monthly rent, deductible from your total arrangement with your landlord.

For instance, if you and the landlord agree to a P10,000 rent, you only need to pay him/her P9,950, then you should pay the P50 (5%) to BIR using Form 1601E. Yes, the law authorizes you to withhold and remit this tax. Your landlord should be aware of this law if he is registered with the BIR. If he is not aware of it and he would not allow you to withhold and remit the 5%, you can report him to the BIR, and he will be penalized P50,000 for operating an unregistered business (i.e., rentals).
Monthly remittance return of income taxes withheld on compensation: You are required to file this monthly if you have employees from whom you are withholding taxes. This includes household help if you registered them as employees when you registered your business. Use Form 1601C.
Quarterly income: amount depends on income. Minimum of 5% if your quarterly taxable income is not over P10,000. Can reach up to 32% if your income exceeds P500,000. Use Form 1701Q for individuals, 1702Q for corporations. You can deduct expenses here, but not your personal exemptions.
Annual income: similar to quarterly income but mainly reflects your fourth quarter income and here you can now deduct your personal exemptions. Use Form 1701 if individual and 1702 for corporations.

7. Official receipt (OR) for services, sales invoice (SI) for goods. Only now did I realize that the SI is as good as an OR for item sales. Our lecturer said, "If your customer insists on an OR, you can give both OR and SI, but mark the OR "non-deductible for tax purposes" so that they can't declare the same expense twice."

8. Freelance services can be declared as expenses using the Certificate of Creditable Tax Withheld At Source form (Form 2307). This was of especial concern to me because I work with freelance writers, whom I cannot declare as employees because (1) they are already employed and (2) assignments are seasonal.

This can also be useful for businesses that get other part-time, contractual, or freelance help. You would need to issue a cash voucher, though, and it would be best if those vouchers have serial numbers. (I did not learn this from the seminar but from calling the Tax Payers' Assistance Service department, at 929-7676, loc. 7241.)

9. You need to file your taxes for the month you get your certificate of registration. If you get your certificate of registration on March 30, you have to file for the month of March, because the computer will not care that it's only one day to April. Just put in "No Transaction" in the monthly form you file.

10. You need to get your books of account stamped before you use them. You can get them stamped when you have your certificate of registration. You don't need to have them restamped every year. You can use them year after year after year until the pages are used up.

So that's what I learned from the BIR seminar.

Oh, there's one more thing:

Remember that at the start of the year, our Congress and Senate allocate trillions of pesos in the country's budget to fund the salaries of our policemen, teachers, health workers, etc., and award contracts for the building of infrastructure.

All this money is practically spent at the start of the year—but it has not been collected yet. This is where the Bureau of Internal Revenue comes in.

If the Bureau of Internal Revenue is not able to collect this money, the government will need to borrow it from other countries—then we are left to suffer from the interest rates.

Or the government is forced to enter into Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contracts, such as those that created our expressways and metrorails. These were all built without spending a single centavo of tax payers' money. But when they inevitably get transferred to the investor, the government is left helpless to control toll price increases and fare hikes on the metrorail.

This helplessness could have been avoided if we had paid tax so that the government did not need to enter BOT contracts. We reap what we sow.

This is why we need to pay our taxes.

By the way, dear readers, if you have questions on how to fill out your tax forms or other tax-related concerns, here is the Bureau of Internal Revenue's hotline: 981-8888.

I would like to thank Mr. Elmer A. Torcuator for giving us this free seminar at RDO 045. I hope, sir, you are reading this so that you can correct any errors in information that may have inadvertently slipped in.

Star Struck!

2011-05-09T15:20:00.008+08:00

President Fidel V. Ramos

Now just to be clear: I’m not the type to get star struck at all. If I meet a celebrity on the street, I’m much more likely to fashionably claim not to know them than to stare.

But last Tuesday, when my editor Sir Mel said, “We’re going to FVR’s office on Friday to get approval his approval for our edits on his book. You want to join us?” I was torn.

Meet President Ramos on Friday? But I had a pending deadline for seventeen articles and one research project, all due that week!

I had no choice. I had to forgo the deadlines. After all, I’ll have deadlines all my life. How often will I meet Fidel V. Ramos in person?

So on Friday, I dismissed all pending work and went to meet my favorite Philippine president.

EDSA baby

Perhaps some of you will not understand. “What’s to like about Ramos?” you’ll ask. After all, being a politician, he’s been charged with—and is probably guilty of—more sins than the rest of us. What’s to admire?

But you see, I am of the EDSA generation. For me, Ramos is a hero—one of those who triggered the revolution that freed us from the dictator.

(And please, if you were not 18 or older during the martial law years, don’t comment about how much better it was for us then than now. You can't know. I, on the other hand, may not have been 18 then either, but I have historians to support my claims that it was not better then than today.)

So yes, I admired President Ramos and am proud to say it.

On Friday, wearing a sleeved and collared shirt for the first time in three years, I went with Sir Mel and his staff to meet the former president at his RPDev office in Makati City.

First impressions

We were welcomed by a tall man in his fifties who wore a crew cut and looked like he could whip a gang of teenage boys with one hand tied to his back. He led us to a spotless room with a huge window overlooking the metropolis, and there we waited for the president.

I was a bit surprised when he came in. I had been expecting somebody tall, but it was easy to see he was just about as tall as I was. The very first thing that drew my eye was that tobacco. First, it was huge—it was about as thick as my two thumbs put together. Second, it hardly ever left his mouth, even when he spoke. Third, from the moment we arrived to the time we left, he never lit it.

I asked Sir Mel about that. Why did the president never light his tobacco? Apparently, on the first days of the EDSA revolution, FVR had prayed, “Lord, if I get out of this alive, I will never smoke again.”

But he never said anything about giving up tobacco. So henceforth, he kept his bosom buddy but never lit it.

Sir Mel introduced us to the president, telling him that I was an ardent admirer. (And I was.) The president scoffed and said, “Sus. Bola! (Flattery!)” But I could see he was pleased.

Before the meeting began, he offered us all some kapeng barako (Batangas coffee). But my heart was already beating faster than usual as it was, so I opted for tea instead.

When the everyone else’s coffee was served, he insisted that I taste my seatmate’s coffee. I took a small sip—and tasted something so potent, liquid fire flowed from my thoat to the top of my head. The cup was spiked!

Everyone apparently knew the secret of these coffee cups and laughed. With a sigh of relief that I did not have to finish a whole cup of that, I took refuge in my tea.

Up close and personal

The meeting started. Though it was mainly between my editor and FVR, the president would now and again throw a question at the rest of us. Finding out that Michelle, our graphic designer, was celebrating what she claimed was her 25th birthday, he asked, “Do you know what they say about 25-year-old women?”

He proceeded, “At 25, a woman is like a soccer ball. She has 22 boys all running after her, trying to get her.

“At 35, a woman is like a basketball: she still has boys running after her, but now there are only 10 of them.

“At 45, a woman is like a ping-pong ball. She only has two men in her life, between whom she switches back and forth.

“At 55, a woman is like a golf ball. There is only one man, and he tries to send her as far away from him as possible.”

Then he asked me, “How about you. Are you 25 too?”

Sir Mel remarked that I was married, with three kids.

The president replied in mock surprise, “Really? You look so young. You look just like one of your kids!”

Clearly, at 83 years old, the president had not lost any of his wit.

But he grilled me on the number of my kids. “At your age, you already have three kids?”

“Going on four, sir,” I grinned.

“When is the fourth coming?” everyone asked, apparently thinking I was pregnant.

“We don’t know yet,” I answered. “Maybe in two years,” I laughed.

“So,” he said, “you are not pro-RH bill.” It was partly a question and partly a rebuke.

In fact, I am very much pro-life and am against some parts of the RH bill. But since I never fight a battle I can’t win—and I was in his territory—I just looked at him and smiled but didn’t answer.

Last few minutes

Before the meeting ended, it was clear to me that while I admired this man, there were many things we would have disagreed on had I ever had the courage to engage him in a discussion.

But then again, I did not admire Fidel Ramos for his personal beliefs. I admired him for his role in this country’s history:

He played a key role in bringing down the Marcos dictatorship.
He was the president who brought electricity back to the country after the power shortages in President Cory’s term.
When he pushed for a constitutional amendment and the country protested, he actually listened and changed his plans.
He may have been corrupt like everyone else, but he respected our intelligence enough to not be blatant about it—unlike somebody we so recently knew.

Before we left, I gathered enough courage to ask him for a picture. The president gamely agreed. He called one of his staff—another straight-backed, broad-shouldered man wearing a crew cut (so many good-looking men in such a small room; I could feel myself getting feverish)—and asked for his glasses.

I didn’t understand what he meant, since he already had his glasses with him—and why did he need glasses for a pictorial?

The man soon came back with shiny gold-colored spectacles. Apparently, this was FVR's gala set.

And then, the president nudged me, “Look at my glasses. Made only in the Philippines,” he winked. I looked and saw that they had no lenses, to avoid reflecting the camera flash. Clever.

The person on the left couldn't help but grin too much

Afterward, he escorted us out of the office, through the hall, and to the front door. Amazingly, for an 83-year-old man, his gait and stance was firmer than some men I’ve met who were 20 years his junior.

On our way out, he pointed to a picture of a girl in her twenties. “My girlfriend,” he said. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

I glanced at Sir Mel with the unspoken question: “Who is she?” Sir Mel laughed quietly at me. “It’s Ming Ramos, of course!”

Right before we stepped out the door, the president again ribbed me about my three-going-on-four children. “Do you know about the man-woman equations?” he asked.

I didn’t.

“A smart woman plus a smart man equals romance,” he said. “A smart man plus a dumb woman equals an affair. A smart woman plus a dumb man equals marriage. A dumb woman plus a dumb man equals pregnancy.”

Because I was sure he was not that much against pregnancy—surely his wife and his mother had also been pregnant at least once—I laughed it off.

For whatever his position on family planning may be, I will always remember him as a hero of EDSA. Surely, he is the most competent Philippine president I had known in my lifetime.

If for those two things alone, I will always admire Fidel V. Ramos. And I will always cherish the day I met him—up close and personal.

Doggy Day Care Adventures

2011-05-06T14:26:00.005+08:00

As the Holy Week ended, we at Blackie's Bed and Breakfast Pet Lodge (my small business, you know) bid good-bye to our vacation guests.

And what a vacation it was!

It started one week before Maundy Thursday, when my husband picked up our first canine guest, Falkor.

Now Falkor, we had been told, was a golden retriever puppy. So hubby went to pick him up expecting a rambunctious little thing, as golden retrievers are reputed to be.

When he got to Falkor's house—hoo-boy!—Falkor was rambunctious all right. He was just not little! This nine-month-old "pup" was as high as hubby's waist (maybe bigger)!

So instead of putting his new charge in the transportation crate, hubby set Falkor in the backseat, where the pup could lick the driver's right ear all the way home.

At home

When Falkor and hubby got home, the kids were ecstatic. What a wonderful playmate Daddy's brought home for them! (And so sweet smelling too. I swear, ito na talaga ang pinaka mabangong asong nakilala ko.)

But after licking all the kids' faces in greeting, Falkor quickly made it clear that he preferred canine playmates. And who should become his favorite but Cutie—the mini pinscher, who, tragically for all concerned, was in heat.

She drove Falkor crazy, I can tell you that. He pursued her relentlessly, trying to climb her—a task made complicated by the fact that Cutie's back did not even reach Falcor's belly. He would nibble on her neck, and lick her face, and follow her around like some love-crazed suitor.

I must admit, I pitied Falkor, but I had to sympathize with Cutie. (I suppose if I were pursued by a penis longer than my entire torso, I would have been intimidated too!)

So for a few days, Cutie stayed in the big dog house, venturing out only when the giant pup was asleep.

Fortunately for her, a few days later, Falkor found a new playmate to bestow his attentions to: Ziggy.

The new playmate

Ziggy was a full-grown male beagle, and when he hopped out of the car, we knew instantly that Falkor had finally found his match. The beagle was every bit as spirited as the golden retriever, and they delighted in playing tag in the yard all day long while everyone stood back!

Oh, you would have stood back too, if you had been here. To stand in the way of these heavy-boned tail-waggers would have been as foolish as crossing the tracks of an oncoming train. They stop for no one. My poor aunt, for instance, was picking something up from the ground when these locomotives passed behind her, and she ended up on the ground! (She was unhurt, though. Seventy-one years of vegetable eating and keeping an active lifestyle makes for a pretty strong body, let me tell you that!)

And Cutie? She was, finally, ignored! And from her now-quiet corner, she watched as the two testosterone-laden creatures tussled and tumbled and tried to hump each other! (Ah, men.)

Saying good-bye

Last night, Ziggy went back home to his owners, and this afternoon, Falkor went home too. The house dogs are sleeping peacefully in their own nooks. The yard is empty (and poopless).

There are no dogs to walk around the village, no delinquent canine who would defecate in the middle of the street. (One of them actually did, right in front of the neighbor's house, while I was chatting with the neighbor! Buti nalang mababait ang kapitbahay namin.)

When the baby runs out the front door, there is no giant dog to meet him with a huge wet tongue, forcing the baby to run back into the house. There is no large-eared beagle playfully nipping at the house dogs' ears and tails, forcing the sleepy creatures to chase him and get a little exercise now and then.

The holidays are over, and life is back to normal. How I wish it were Christmas already.

The Hidden Wealth of TESDA

2011-05-05T19:24:00.004+08:00

TESDA logo

So often, mothers would write me to ask, "How can I find work I can do from home?"

Well, it depends on what skills you have. Can you cook? Can you fix stuff? Can you design Web sites? Can you sell?

Here's the straight, unsugared truth: if you have no skills, stop dreaming that you can work from home -- or from anywhere else. You need to have a skill you can sell.

Now if you don't have skills, learn one.

Today, as I was doing research for one of my clients, I came upon the TESDA site. And there I found a treasure trove of short-term courses one could take in order to have a very marketable skill!

I wanted to list them all, but they were so many, I eventually gave up. Anyway, here's my partial list of the courses you can take from TESDA:

Caregiving
Emergency Medical Services
Medical Transcription
Animation
Entrepreneurship
Housekeeping
Food & Beverage Service
Restaurant and Coffee Shop
Healthcare Services
Practical Nursing
Business & Information Management
Computer Based Accountancy
Computer Hardware Servicing
Bookkeeping
Internet Technology
Programming
Finishing Course for Call Center Agents
Commercial Cooking
Front Office Services
English Proficiency Course
Contact Center Services
Bartending
Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
Refrigeration and Airconditioning Servicing
Automotive Servicing
Driving
Process Engineer
Process Technician
Length Calibration Servicing
Electrical Installation and Maintenance
Basic English Language
Massage Therapy
Dressmaking
Shielded Metal Arc Welding and
Carpentry
Consumer Electronics Servicing
Building Wiring Installation
Machining
Food Processing
Gas Metal Arc Welding
Plumbing
Japanese Language and Culture
Mechatronics Servicing
Stewarding/Steward
Travel Services
Security Services
Pipefitting
Heavy Equipment Operation
Heavy Equipment Servicing
Tour Guiding Services
Baking/Pastry Production
Scaffold Erection
Heavy Equipment Servicing
Automotive Mechanical Assembly
Diploma in Applied Industrial Technology
Agricultural Crops Production
Biomedical Equipment Servicing
Engine Seafaring
Animal Production
Deck Seafaring
Computer System and Network Technology
Overhead Transmission Line (OHTL) Training

There are more TESDA courses out there. If you want to know what TESDA courses are available in your vicinity, click here.

Free Download: The Philippine DepEd Curriculum for Second Year High School

2011-04-11T11:49:00.002+08:00

Here's the next installment of the Department of Education's high school curriculum: second year (sophomore) subjects:

English II
Mathematics II
Science II
Filipino II
Araling Panlipunan II
Music and Arts II
Physical Education II
Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga II

I don't have the curricula for the third year and fourth year subjects yet. Will post when I find them.

DOWNLOAD TROUBLE? We've been receiving reports that Docstoc has been requiring payments. If this happens to you, you can also download the zipped files for free HERE.

Free Webinar on How to Earn Money from Home

2011-04-06T00:15:00.001+08:00

If you want to learn how to make money from home as a virtual assistant, you might want to attend this FREE webinar (Web-based seminar) conducted by one of my online mentors, Rhea Perry.

You must hurry, though, as the seminar is at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 6! That's less than nine hours from now!

If you want to attend the webinar, just register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/261695009.

How Much Should You Charge for Writing?

2011-04-03T23:16:00.003+08:00

This is a short post to answer a question I get asked very frequently: how much do you charge for writing?

Answer: It depends on what you’re writing and where your work will be published. Articles that are published online are generally cheaper than articles that are published in print.

Keyword articles: For online articles where you are given a keyword and are allowed to write anything, as long as the keyword is incorporated into the title and body of the article, the going rate is about 20 to 30 centavos per word. You must be a very skilled writer to get something at 40 centavos per word, and you have to show off that level of skill in your portfolio.

However, be aware that many people who buy keyword articles may be unwilling to pay a higher price for better quality articles, because they just need your articles to put the keywords in, for search engine ranking purposes. Some of them don’t expect that the articles will actually get read. Therefore, readability and impeccable writing are less important in keyword articles compared to the other article types.

Personally, I would not recommend keyword-article writing to anybody but the newest writers who are just practicing and looking for something to put in their portfolio. If you are a good writer who crafts each piece lovingly and with good research, keyword writing is hardly ever worth your while.

Blog/online magazine/e-book articles: These sometimes ask for keywords too, but not to the same degree as keyword articles. The buyers of these articles do expect the articles to be read, so they want good quality writing. For articles such as these, you can charge between 50 centavos to 1 peso per word.

Since editing is seldom practiced in online articles, you must be able to self-edit, which is never an easy thing to do. What I do is I write the article, forget about it for at least an hour (sometimes a whole day), then go back on it. I keep doing that until I run out of things that I feel needs to be changed.

Print articles: Print media usually have their own set rates for article submissions, so you simply have to follow their set rates. Regular magazine articles often go for at least 2 pesos per published word. That means, if you submit 1000 words but the magazine only finds room in its layout for 500 words, you get paid for 500 words, not 1000.

Press releases: A press release is a special type of article, because it have an advertising nature, and it is often published in print media. Press releases are usually 400 to 800 words long, and you can charge anywhere between 2,000 and 3,000 pesos for writing services only.

This means you’re not responsible for pictures or for submitting the article to newspapers and magazines, but you may be asked to go on site to cover a live event or do a face-to-face interview.

Copy writing: This is another article with a strongly promotional angle and needs more than the average writing skill. You should never take on a copy writing assignment for less than 2,000 pesos regardless of word count, because these assignments often require the use of the least number of words to impart a very powerful message—a difficult feat to achieve.

Technical articles: If the article is so technical that it can only be written by a professional such as a doctor, lawyer, or engineer, it would be best to charge by the hour. Take your hourly rate as a professional, multiply it by two, then charge for the number of hours it takes you to work on the article.

These prices are just suggestions based on my own pricing policy. If you feel you can get away with charging more, hurrah for you! But if you charge any less than these, you would be cheating yourself, and you would find it difficult to increase your prices later on.

For tips on how to write good articles, check out www.Escrive.com.

Writing and Editing Classes, Anyone?

2011-04-01T13:28:00.002+08:00

For some time now, even before I started our writing group Escrive.com, I'd been toying with the idea of offering writing and editing classes online.

Why? Because writing can be a lucrative source of income for people who want to work at home.

As for editing, a writer who knows how to edit would be a better writer than one who doesn't, and the former will get better assignments at better prices.

The question is, Is there a market for such lessons?

So, nanays (and tatays), I put the question to you:

Would any of you be interested in online writing or editing lessons? If so, please leave a comment and let me know.

Free Download: The Philippine DepEd Curriculum for First Year High School

2011-04-01T11:44:00.008+08:00

Here's the new high school curriculum that the Department of Education will be using in 2011. If I am not mistaken, it is based on the Understanding by Design (UbD) curriculum framework -- a rather difficult framework, resulting in a rather complex curriculum design.

So far, I have the curricula for year 1 and year 2 subjects.

Here are the downloads for the Philippine freshman curriculum:

English I
Mathematics I
Science I
Filipino I
Araling Panlipunan I
Music and Arts I
Physical Education I
Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga I

Curricula for sophomores to follow.

DOWNLOAD TROUBLE? We've been receiving reports that Docstoc has been requiring payments. If this happens to you, you can also download the zipped files for free here.

Free Professional-Looking Blogger Templates

2011-03-31T15:33:00.001+08:00

Have you ever wondered about those blogs that look like they were designed professionally? I have.

I mean, for a personal blog like the Nanay Notebook, I felt a regular template such as the one I use now is fine, but for a business blog like Escrive.com, I needed something that looked much nicer.

Well, I've finally found a place to get all those nice free Blogger templates: http://btemplates.com/!

There were so many templates to choose from, and the best part: they're all free!

How to change your template?

1. Just download the template you want, unzip the ZIP file, find the XML file within.

2. Go to your Blogger Design tab, click Edit HTML, and before you do anything else, if you have a previous template, click on Download Full Template in case you ever change your mind and want to revert to it.

3. Now to upload your new template, click on Browse, find your new template's folder, then click the XML file within. The in the same Blogger page, click Upload.

4. Preview and, if you like what you see, click Save Template.

Now go get your own professional-looking blog site!

Choosing the Best Cookware for Your Kitchen

2011-03-31T01:22:00.003+08:00

James Sy explains the details of
this beautiful, shiny (and heavy!)
pan to the author

So last Friday, hubby and I attended the Sunnex cooking demo and media launch of Sunnex's Mitchie Chef's Classics cookware collection.

And in addition to getting some cooking tip and tricks from Chef Mitchie Sison, I also learned a few ways to make sure that the cookware I'm getting is of the best quality.

(Special thanks to LJS Group of Companies president and CEO James Sy for taking the time to personally explain the products to this humble nanay. What a very nice man!)

Tip 1: Avoid aluminum cookware. Because I don't cook, I did not know that aluminum cookware affects the taste of food because aluminum is a reactive metal.

Now I understand why my aunt would rather use her clay pots rather than aluminum pots for cooking pinangat.

Tip 2: Look for stainless steel cookware with aluminum bottoms. Unlike aluminum, stainless steel is non-reactive: it does not ruin the taste of food and does not discolor easily either. But it has a disadvantage: it is slow to heat up.

To speed up the heating of the bottom of the pan, there should be an aluminum sheet lining the entire pan bottom, because aluminum heats up quickly.

Close-up of the high-impact bonded
stainless steel capsulated aluminum
bottom

Tip 3: Make sure the bottom of the pot or pan you're getting is entirely covered with aluminum.

It is a common practice of cookware manufacturers to sandwich or encapsulate the aluminum sheet between two layers of stainless steel because exposed aluminum discolors and makes the pot look unattractive.

The problem is, this practice makes it difficult for you to gauge if there is really aluminum sandwiched between the sheet and if the aluminum lines the entire pot bottom.

You can test this at home by boiling water in your pot. If the bubbles come from all over the bottom surface, then the bottom is fully lined with aluminum. If the bubbles come from just the center where the fire is, you've been cheated.

To avoid getting cheated, always get your pots and pans from reputable dealers who have a name to protect.

Tip 4: Silicon cookware should be unadulterated by plastic or natural rubber. Silicon is a good, durable, heat-resistant material, which makes it ideal for cookware. But some unscrupulous manufacturers mix their silicon products with plastic or natural rubber to make them cheaper. The problem is, the moment silicon is mixed with these other materials, it will melt into your food. Who wants food with rubber or plastic in it?

To know if your silicon cookware is made of pure silicon, bend it and check for the appearance of white lines. Pure silicon products will not show these white lines, so if you find them, watch out!

Induction ready (can be used on
gas and electric stoves too!)

Tip 5: If you get an induction stove, make sure your cookware is induction ready. Induction stoves are great for households with children. They help prevent burns, are power efficient, and look simply classy.

But if your cookware is not induction ready, it will not work with your induction stove.

The Mitchie Chef's Classics pots and pans are all induction ready and made of die-cast surgical-grade stainless steel with riveted handles and pure silicon-covered handles and lid knobs.

That last feature means you can grip them without needing to use pot holders. The silicon grips can also withstand heat up to 200 degrees Celsius, so you can put them in the oven and bake stuff in them without fear of the silicon melting.

Teflon-coated wok and stove-top grill

The bottoms of these pots and pans are fully lined with aluminum, which is encapsulated in the same high-grade stainless steel, so the pots and pans will heat up quickly and evenly without sacrificing the taste and health benefits of your food.

Because the pots and pans are die-cast—meaning the stainless steel was melted then poured into molds to form the shapes of the pots and pans—these pieces of cookware are very sturdy and will neither crack, warp, or even discolor. You can pass them right on to your grandchildren.

Sunnex's Mitchie Chef's Classics line of cookware can be bought at SM department stores, in the kitchenware section, and at SM Hypermart.

To learn more about Sunnex products, you can call 713-9435 to 38 or Like the Sunnex Philippines page on Facebook.

Job Ad: Home-Based Copy Editors

2011-03-31T00:04:00.004+08:00

A friend of mine is looking for editors, and yes, it can be a work-from-home arrangement! (But if you prefer a full-time office-based job in Pasig City, Philippines, that's okay too.)

Here's their job ad:

Bluepen Publishing Solutions is looking for experienced editors to meet the growing demands of its clients.

If you’re a word-lover with an excellent command of written English, as well as the ability to spot inconsistencies and errors in text, we’d love to have you on board! Currently we are looking for both freelancers and full-time editors.

REQUIREMENTS

ESL Editors
• A bachelor’s degree in your relevant field
• At least one year of experience editing ESL essays and texts
• Excellent reading comprehension
• Can work unsupervised and meet strict deadlines

Business and Academic Editors
• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in your relevant field
• At least two years of experience proofreading, editing, or writing business or academic documents
• Excellent reading comprehension
• Can work unsupervised and meet strict deadlines

Copy Editors
• A bachelor’s degree in your relevant field
• At least one year of experience proofreading and copy editing documents
• Experience with the Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Style a big plus
• Excellent reading comprehension
• Can work unsupervised and meet strict deadlines

If you are interested in any of the above positions, please send your resume with cover letter to info@bluepenps.com.

Bluepen Publishing Solutions provides editorial outsourcing and publishing services such as copy editing and proofreading. To find out more about this company, you can visit their Web site at www.bluepenps.com.

Chef Mitchie's Apple and Pear Tarte Tatin

2011-03-30T19:27:00.006+08:00

tarte tatin \ˌtär(t)-tä-ˈtaⁿ\: a caramelized apple tart that is baked with pastry on top and then inverted for serving
—Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

As promised, here's an easy-but-delicious dessert recipe from Sunnex's Chef Mitchie: the Apple and Pear Tarte Tatin.

What you need:

4 pcs firm ripe pears
4 pcs Granny Smith apples
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
(or 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, and 1/4 tsp cloves)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp dark rum
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
puff pastry dough
(or 3 parts flour, 2 parts egg, 1 part water, kneaded together)
vanilla ice cream and walnut streusel (optional)

What to do:

Peel, core, and quarter apples and pears.
Mix with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and orange juice. Set aside.
In a deep 12-inch heavy skillet, melt butter and sugar, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute.
Add pears and apples. Cook over moderate heat, turning fruits occasionally but carefully so as not to break them. Gently stir syrup until it thickens, which takes about 20 minutes.
Stir in rum and lemon juice. Simmer, turning fruit and gently stirring frequently until syrup is evaporated and the fruits are golden brown. Takes about 10 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry dough into a 12-inch diameter, 1/4-inch thick circular sheet. Drape over fruits and tuck edges between fruits and rim of the dish. Use a knife to cut several vents in the pastry.
Bake in the tart in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Turn the tart over on a serving plate and let stand 5 minutes.
May be served with ice cream and walnut streusel.

PS: I don't have rum, allspice, and nutmeg in my kitchen, and I won't buy them because I probably will never use them again after this recipe. So I'll just skip the rum and nutmeg, and substitute the extra cinnamon and ginger for the allspice. (It should be extra cinnamon, ginger and cloves, but I don't have cloves either.) The cinnamon, I will buy because I know I can use it in chocolate milk and coffee.

Cooking Tips from Sunnex’s Chef Mitchie Sison

2011-03-29T13:35:00.014+08:00

Chef Mitchie Sison doing the Sunnex
cooking demo

Last Friday, my hubby and I attended a cooking demo at Sunnex Cookware’s head office in Sta. Mesa, Manila. The demo was conducted by Chef Mitchie Sison of Ka-Toque fame (you remember the Channel 5 show where Quickfire’s Chef Rosebud Benitez was first seen too?)

Now, I must admit, I’m no cook; I just love to eat. My husband does all the cooking in our household, because we both won’t eat my cooking.

But I learned so much from Chef Mitchie’s demo and would like to share it with you now.

Tip 1: Salt and pepper are the king and queen of the kitchen. Salt is a natural flavor enhancer, so everything is better with a bit of it. Pepper, on the other hand, imparts a beautiful warm taste to food. So the two go very well together.

However, pepper turns stale quickly, so always get them whole, then crack them only when you’re just about to add them to your food. This is most easily done with a pepper grinder.

This nifty little gadget from Sunnex lets you keep salt at the left
compartment and pepper at the right. Twist the tops for freshly
ground salt or pepper. Get it for just Php900 at SM stores.

Tip 2: Chill your onions and use a really sharp knife to prevent tearing up. It’s the scent of onions that cause the sting in your eyes. When the onion is well chilled, the juices stay in the onion and don’t go up your nose. And when you use a sharp knife, you avoid bruising and pressing the onion, and that minimizes the escape of the pungent juices as well.

Tip 3: When you make caramel, do not stir up the butter and sugar. Doing so will make your caramel grainy. Be patient. Just wait for the two to melt together on the pan, and swirl them together once they’ve liquefied, and your caramel will be so much smoother.

Tip 4: When you want to cook with apples, choose Granny Smith, not Fuji. Fuji apples are delicious, but they tend to turn mushy when cooked. Granny Smith apples hold their shape much better.

Tip 5: Cream should always be added near the last part of cooking, or it will curdle. Apparently, heat damages cream and makes it un-smooth. So try to delay adding it to a hot dish as long as possible.

Oh, by the way, some of you may be asking: What did Chef Mitchie cook for us? She made Chicken Marsala with Steamed Lemon-Smashed Potatoes and Apple and Pear Tarte Tatin. (Sorry, hubby forgot to take pics of those, but you can find photos at Mommy Ruth's blog.)

The chicken marsala itself was a little beyond my cooking confidence, but I could make the lemon-smashed potatoes, which would go so well with any meat dish.

As for the Apple and Pear Tarte Tatin, it was perfect for a dessert lover like me, and it’s practically foolproof, even I can cook it! So I’ll give you Chef Mitchie's recipe for it next post.

Erratum: Ka-Toque was shown on QTV 11, not on ABC 5.

How to Add a Custom Icon to Your Blog

2011-03-22T23:12:00.005+08:00

If you look at your URL bar while you're reading this blog, you will notice that the Nanay Notebook does not have the usual orange square icon with the white B, which is characteristic of blogs that are hosted in Blogger.

Instead, we have the pink square with an N, which should also appear in your browser tab.

One of our readers asked how we changed our icon from the generic Blogger icon to the customized one.

Here's how:

You need to make an icon file first. Using your favorite photo manipulation software (Photoshop, MS Paint, etc.), make a square image file, around 150 x 150 pixels in size.
Go to http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/favicon/ to turn your image into an icon file (with an ICO extension). Just upload your image to the site, click Create Icon, and download the resulting file.
Now you need a place to host your files. I recommend Dropbox.com. It's the one I'm using. You need to download and install Dropbox into your computer. (This may sound tedious, but Dropbox is so useful for so many other things, it's really worth the trouble.)
When you've finished installing Dropbox, right-click on the Dropbox icon that appears on your Desktop. Then click Dropbox, then Browse on Dropbox Website.
In your Dropbox dashboard which appears on your browser, click the Files tab, then go to the Public folder, and click Upload.
Upload your ICO file into the Public folder, then right-click on it, click Copy Public Link, then Copy to Clipboard.
Now you need to edit your blog's HTML. In Blogger, you can do this by clicking on the Design tab, then click Edit HTML.
Find the </HEAD> tag. Right above it, you need to paste this code: <link href='***' rel='shortcut icon'/> but replace the three asterisks with the public link of the your ICO file in Dropbox.

For instance, for the Nanay Notebook, the code looks like this: <link href='http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9447065/nanaynotebook1.ico' rel='shortcut icon'/>.
Save your new HTML template.

This should give your blog its own, customized icon. Cool, right?

Did these steps work for you? Any problems? Leave a comment to let us know!

Discount Coupon from Zebebe Baby Products Online Store

2011-03-21T12:06:00.010+08:00

Here's another online store I'm sure you mommies would like to know about as well.

Zebebe.com sells baby products and ships them to Philippine addresses for a mere Php100 for Metro Manila buyers and Php200 for provincial buyers.

Now we can buy top-brand toys, clothes, books, and other baby stuff right from the comfort of our own homes!

What do I like about Zebebe.com?

Why, they accept PayPal payments! You can also pay through BDO and Gcash.

What can you find at Zebebe.com? They have

toys,
children's books,
clothing and shoes,
breast- and bottle-feeding gear,
health care gadgets,
head and body supports,
stroller accessories,
blankets, and
diaper bags.

And they hold an assortment of brands, including Baby Einstein, Crocs, Fisher-Price, Lamaze, Lansinoh, LeapFrog, Medela, Philips Avent, Playtex, and Manhattan Toy.

My favorite feature is the price filter, which lets you browse products by price.

And if your purchase exceeds Php2,000, shipping is free!

What don't I like about Zebebe.com?

The number of product options are still somewhat limited. For instance, they only have three items for Dr. Seuss books:

a 5-book beginner collection (The Cat in the Hat, Fox in Socks, Hop on Pop, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and my all-time favorite, Green Eggs and Ham.)
Dr. Seuss's ABC (which is a fun book, by the way. I got ours three years ago, and my kids love it), and
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can you?

(I must add, though, that these eight books are great, and every child's library should have them!)

For breast pumps, they only have the Medela Harmony manual pump, which has received great reviews online -- but it is not a double-breast pump, which I think every working mom should have.

And there was this lovely tier dress that I so wanted for my 4-year-old, but it only came in one size: 6-9 months. Awwwwwww :-(

Finally, their customer service is rather slow at replying to e-mails, and they haven't published a landline number, which is weird, considering that their store seems to be based locally.

Recommendation

Overall, it's a nice online store. I can guarantee you this: you can't visit it without finding something you would want to buy.

And by the way, if you do decide to purchase something, here's a coupon code that you can input to get a Php50 discount on your purchase: nanaynotebook. (Use the Php50 to buy your kid ice cream or a cheeseburger.)

Happy shopping!

Disclosure: The Nanay Notebook and its author did not receive any compensation for this review. We are not affiliated with Zebebe.com. But yes, we may use the coupon code too, to get our own Php50 discount!

FREE E-book Download: How to Make Money from Your Blog

2011-03-18T13:36:00.003+08:00

For all my readers who've been asking me how one can make money from one's blog, here's an e-book that will answer your questions much better than I can: Six Figure Affiliate Blogging by Zac Johnson.

To download it, just go to www.BloggingTips.com. A pop-up will show that will offer you a free download of the e-book. You just need to leave your name and e-mail and subscribe to the blog.

I've read it and it's chockful of useful information. I must tell you, though, that if you follow it, you'll need to do a LOT of work on your blog. If you don't have a lot of free time, you'll have to do it little by little, as I intend to do. The important thing is to start.

So what are you still here for? Go download, and happy reading.

Disclosure: This site and author are receiving no compensation or rewards for promoting this e-book. We are not affiliated with BloggingTips.com.

Site Review: Human Nature Online Cosmetics and Hygiene Products Store

2011-03-17T20:01:00.004+08:00

I'm a fan of online shopping. Why, with three kids to dress and lug around every time I go out of the house, it's a blessed relief to be able to shop in my pajamas and sitting on a chair.

And what's my favorite online shopping site of all time? Human Heart Nature.

Disclosure: The Nanay Notebook and its author are in no way affiliated with Human Heart Nature. We are receiving absolutely nothing for this review.

What's Human Heart Nature?

Human Heart Nature is an online store of natural products:

cosmetics (lipsticks, mineral face powder, foundation);
beauty products (moisturizers, toners, lotions, lip balms, scrubs);
hygiene products (hand sanitizers, shampoo, facial wash, feminine wash);
etc. (anti-mosquito, massage oil).

It is the brainchild of Gawad Kalinga volunteers Anna Meloto-Wilk, Dylan Wilk and Camille Meloto. The company employs Gawad Kalinga residents and gets raw materials from Philippine farms, giving a good source of income to Filipino non-rice farmers.

What do I like about Human Nature?

I like their advocacy, but I also like their prices and the convenience I get from shopping with them, and the quick and cheap shipping!

We all know how expensive natural products can get. But you can get Human Nature products at prices very similar to store prices for regular products.

And when I order them online, I have the benefit of seeing customer reviews first, so I know which products to choose, and what to expect. So far, I have bought their

Aloe Vera and Lemongrass Nourishing Shampoo
Moringa Facial Wash
Triclosan-free Sugarcane Hand Sanitizer
Citronella Bug Spray
Moisturizing Shampoo and Body Wash: Egg White and Aloe Vera
Mango Butter Conditioner
Bee Propolis and Beeswax with Calendula Lip Balm, Watermelon Flavor
Sunflower Beauty Oil (for lightening stretch marks and underarms)
Goat's Milk and Cocoa Hand and Body Lotion, Strawberry Scent (I think this scent has been phased out. what they have now are coconut, mango, and guava.)
Eucalyptus and VCO Moisturizing Massage Oil
Aloe Vera and Chamomile Baby Shampoo and Baby Wash
Aloe Vera Children's Shampoo
Triclosan-free Acapulco Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap
Super Fruits and Black Rice Grain Exfoliating Facial Scrub

I've liked them all (also because I always check the user reviews before I purchase anything). You can see some of my reviews at Nature-friendly Beauty.

I pay using my PayPal credits or, if those are zeroed out, I can use my credit card. There is also a bank deposit option.

Then I add Php80 for shipping, and I usually receive my order the next working day! How's that for instant gratification?

What makes Human Nature different from other "natural" product manufacturers?

So-called natural products are a dime a dozen nowadays because there is no government regulation of the term "natural."

But Human Nature takes "natural" seriously, so it has created its internal standards for its products. When Human Nature says "natural," it means

the ingredients are biodegradable and at least 95% natural, the same standard set by the Natural Products Association in the USA;
the ingredient come from a renewable resource with no petroleum compounds and be processed in a way which is not damaging to the environment;
a non-natural ingredient is only permitted if there is no readily available natural alternative and the ingredient meets strict criteria regarding human and environmental safety and biodegradability.

Human Nature also has its brick-and-mortar store where you can shop physically at 463 Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, plus a good number of dealers all over the Philippines.

To learn more about Human Nature, visit their site at http://humanheartnature.com.

Xend Express Now Picks Up in San Mateo and Rodriguez, Rizal

2011-03-16T12:10:00.005+08:00

I received great news from Xend Express today: Starting March 16 (that's today) they will be picking up packages in San Mateo and Rodriguez, Rizal, as well!

(The offer used to be just for Metro Manila, Cainta, Taytay, and Antipolo.)

This means I can send packages again without ever having to leave the house. I can revive my eBay sales, which had suffered ever since Air21 stopped offering their free pick-up service. (I think Air21 still does free pick up, but only if your shipping fee reaches at least Php1000.)

Anyway, I just thought I'd share this bit of welcome information to all you moms (and dads) out there in San Mateo and Montalban (a.k.a. Rodriguez), Rizal. Xend Express has reached us, whoopee!

For more information on Xend Express services, you may visit their Web site at http://www.xend.com.ph or call their customer service hotline at (02) 960-8282.

Disclosure: The Nanay Notebook and its author are in no way affiliated with Human Heart Nature. We are receiving absolutely nothing for this review.

Install CommentLuv on Your Blog and Reward Your Readers

2011-03-15T17:09:00.005+08:00

Source: Techiemania

If you look at the bottom of this post, a short way under the "Post a new comment" box, you will find a new feature: CommentLuv.

What is CommentLuv?

CommentLuv is the blog writer's way of thanking her commenters by giving them a way to promote their own blogs too.

You simply input your blog's URL into the "Site URL" box, and CommentLuv automatically retrieves your latest blog post and displays its title and link beneath your comment so that everybody going through the comments will see your posts on your blog as well.

How to Install CommentLuv

If you're a blogger and you want to install CommentLuv on your blog, you need to

Go to Intensedebate.com and sign up for an account.
Go to your dashboard (http://intensedebate.com/user-dashboard) and at the right sidebar, look for the link that allows you to install IntenseDebate on your blog.
Follow the steps on how to install IntenseDebate.
Once you're done, go to the plugin page, at http://intensedebate.com/plugins.
Find the CommentLuv plugin and click Activate. (It should appear to the left of the plugin name. If it does not, make sure you have properly installed Intensedebate on your blog and are logged into your blog and Intensedebate. If everything seems right, try clicking Refresh.)

That's it! You're done! Now invite your blogger friends to view your new blog feature and add their URLs so that they can share their excellent content with your readers too!

Scam Alert: Civimom

2011-03-13T16:04:00.006+08:00

A reader asked me about Civimom today, asking if the company was a scam because "one of the requirements for this job is to pass a 10-document test" and I had mentioned in How to Find Work-at-Home Jobs and Not Get Scammed that you should not send the client free sample work other than what you already have in your portfolio.

One thing I keep telling moms before they try out an online opportunity is

Always Google the name of the company and the word scam so that you can see if there are any scam reports on the company.

So that's what I did for Civimom.

What I found is that there are no explicit reports that Civimom is a scam. But I also found that of those that did apply, either they were still waiting for the results of their application or they were told that they did not pass the application.

So am I saying that Civimom is a scam?

I am saying that I have found no proof that it is not.

If any of you know of anybody who has worked for and has been paid by Civimom, do leave a comment, then e-mail me your full name and contact number at NanayNotebook@gmail.com so that I can confirm that you are making the testimonial of your own free will, without any material or non-material coercion from the company.

Testimonials without the required e-mail will be deleted.

Other comments are welcome.

Getting a Barangay Permit

2011-03-11T11:23:00.008+08:00

We've just got home from the barangay hall to get barangay permits for Escrive (the writing group) and Blackie's Bed (the pet lodge cum doggy day care).

It was pretty simple, surprisingly. With the four-year-old and the two-year-old kids riding the six-year-old stroller, I

went to the barangay hall,
told the lady at the window I was there to apply for a barangay permit,
showed her my DTI certificates, and
paid for the following:

Barangay permit = 300
Barangay clearance = 30
Sticker = 50

That's for each trade name, so it all came up to Php760 (Php380 x 2).

Disclaimer: Rodriguez is a first-class municipality. Fees may be different in other municipality classes.

Of course, I called the barangay hall first before I went there, to confirm what I needed to bring and what I needed to pay for. I've learned by now that you should never go to a government agency without calling first, just to make sure you don't waste your time and trip.

Incidentally, if you're from Burgos, Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal, the number of our barangay hall is 998-5280. You would not believe how much trouble it took me to get that. It was not available online when I needed it last December, so I had to call Rizal's Governor's Office, which sent me to a number that turned out to be a private number, etc., etc., -- I can't even remember anymore how I finally found the barangay hall's number, but -- woohoo! -- I did!

So now I have the DTI and the barangay permit. Next stop: mayor's permit!

The hat over the fence

To tell the truth, there came a point in time when I just wanted to drop it all and go back to regular freelance contractorship.

Why? The paperwork was daunting! DTI, barangay permit, mayor's permit, BIR registration, application for printing receipts, and heaven knows what else, to say nothing yet of computing my taxes and, of course, the most painful part of all, paying the fees!

But the problem is this: I had already registered the two trade names at the DTI last January, and I found out yesterday from my accountant friend that if you have registered already to the DTI, you need to register too to the BIR within 30 days or risk getting penalized.

Well, it's been exactly 60 days since I registered Escrive and Blackie's Bed at the DTI, so I have at least one month's penalty . . .

For about ten minutes, I considered just getting the trade name registrations cancelled. But I found out that entails an affidavit of cancellation, which heaven only knows how much that will cost. And it also means I have to physically go and fall in line at the DTI since they have, as of the moment, no online facility for cancellation of trade names. (If I remember correctly, there used to be one, at the same online portal where I registered, but the portal seems to be down again.)

So here I am with the proverbial hat thrown over the fence. I have practically no choice but to push on to the bitter end of the paperwork trail.

I comfort myself with the thought the the birth is really the hardest part, and once the "baby" is born, it's mostly sweet. Not easy, but sweet. I'm sure you moms can relate to me.

It's the same with businesses, I guess. The start-up part is daunting. But if you don't go through the birthing process, you will never have the joy of seeing the business grow.

How to Earn Money from Your Blog

2011-03-04T12:55:00.004+08:00

To tell the truth, I have not earned enough money from this blog to actually write a post on how to earn from it, but two friends cajoled me into writing this.

Anyway, I'm also writing this post anyway to share my experiences, and also to answer a question once asked once by one of my readers: Do you actually earn money from Google ads and Nuffnang ads?

Google and Nuffnang

One of the reasons I started this blog was to have a place to put Google ads in. These are a good way of earning passive income while you do something you enjoy -- blogging.

Now I started this blog in January 2010, and as of last checking two seconds ago, I've earned $18.95 (about Php821.00) from Google ads, which I had added to my blog soon after I put the blog up. As for Nuffnang ads, which I added to my blog in November 2010, I've so far earned Php133.

If you want to earn from ads:

You need readers. You need blog traffic. You need reader-friendly layout. And you need time.

There are plenty of Internet resources that will tell you how to get blog traffic, but one thing they will all tell you is (1) you need to post quality content regularly and (2) build a network by commenting on other blogs.

One thing that has helped me promote my blog too is by building a Facebook page for it. If you have Facebook or Twitter, leverage those to promote your blog.

Now when people reach your blog, don't drive them away with a cluttered layout. (Somebody please tell me, by the way, if you find my layout cluttered.) Keep your sidebar as simple as possible without sacrificing functionality.

And make it easy for people to subscribe to your blog by giving them an e-mail subscription option. If you don't know how, read my previous post, How to Add E-mail Subscription to Your Blog.

Now the hardest part is to wait. As time passes by, you will get more readers and your ads will get more clicks. Just wait, and while you're waiting, keep writing.

(To all you wonderful people who have been clicking on my ads, thank you!)

Paid links and paid posts

I must admit I've tried a few of these, but since my blog targets Philippine readers, there are just not enough opportunities for me to earn money from these.

If your blog targets an international audience or at least North America and Europe, you may have better luck with paid posts.

Direct advertising

A blog can be a great marketing tool. You want to sell something? Tell your readers about your wares! I've had a pretty good stint with selling G-Cash and Globe Autoload, and my buyers all found me through my blog!

(I've discontinued the service though. Some PayPal trouble. Click here to see how the story starts, and here to see how it ended.)

If you're more comfortable selling through Multiply or eBay, you can link to your store sites from your blogs. We will be happier to buy from people whom we know and trust through their blogs rather than from somebody completely anonymous.

If you have questions or suggestions on how other moms (and dads) can also earn through their blogs, please let us know!

How to Add E-mail Subscription to Your Blog

2011-03-02T00:07:00.007+08:00

I've been finding interesting new blogs recently, and I've found the e-mail subscription feature very helpful: if the blog I like publishes a new post, I could receive the feed on my e-mail. Cool!

I loved that feature so much, I thought I should offer it to my readers as well. So I searched for how to do it.

Here's how:

Go to your Feedburner account. If you don't have one yet, open one by clicking here.
In the "My Feeds" page, check if you already have a feed for your blog (look for your blog's name under the red Feed Title bar). If so, go to step 3.

If not, enter the URL of your blog into the text box and click Next. Fill out the "Feed title" and "Feed address" boxes, choose RSS feed, and click Next.

Now you can follow the next instructions to customize your feed, or you can click on My Feeds at the upper righthand side of your page. Now you will see your feed under the "Feed Title" bar.
Click on your feed title, then, in the page that appears, click on the Publicize tab.
Click on Email Subscriptions in the left side bar.
At the bottom of the page, click on the Activate button.
In the "Subscription Management" page, choose your language.
If you're using Blogger or TypePad, scroll a little down the page, find "Use as a Widget in," choose "Blogger" or "TypePad," then click Go! Select the blog where you want to put your e-mail subscription widget, then click Add Widget.

If you're not using Blogger or Typepad, copy the HTML code that you'll find in the text box and paste it into the a Text/HTML widget that you can find in your blog's back office (where you arrange the layout, add posts, etc.)
Adjust the widget's position in your blog layout, then click Save.

That's it! Now people can have your new blog posts sent to their e-mail address every time you update your blog. Isn't it great?

PRODUCT REVIEW: Aprica Carrier Slings

2011-02-25T13:14:00.011+08:00

My smallest baby and me trying out
the Aprica carrier sling

After taking a close look at Aprica's car seats, I next moved my attention to their carrier slings.

I love slings as much as I love car seats. For one, they're safe to use on escalators, while strollers are not. And I love the closeness that slings give me and which strollers deprive me of.

So as I carried my toddler into the Aprica launch using my Php400 pouch sling, I took a look at Aprica's Php4,000 version.

Neglected market: the daddies

I'll cut to the chase: for my own use, I would still prefer my Php400 pouch sling, and I believe a lot of sling-wearing moms would agree with me.

But I think there is a market Aprica may have neglected when they pushed this product: the daddies.

When my husband saw the Aprica carrier sling, he loved it!

He loved how it looked and felt like a backpack, how the adjustments were made just by pulling the straps -- like with his backpacks.
He loved the gender-neutral color and design -- in fact, the one we were looking at was in desert sand color, which perfectly matched his cargo pants.
And he loved the ergonomic design of the material: the breathable mesh and spine support for the baby (my husband is an EMT, among other things).

What I did not like about the Aprica carrier sling

For myself, I preferred my pouch sling for the following reasons:

I could fold my pouch sling easily and tuck it into my bag. Hubby, on the other hand, wouldn't mind wearing the empty backpack Aprica carrier on his back should baby want to go down.
I could put baby more easily into the pouch sling all by myself. On the other hand, it would be nearly impossible for me to put the Aprica sling on in the front-carry position without another person to help me close the strap clips at the back. But for my husband, this was not a problem because he would only use the carrier in a backpack position anyway.
I could use my pouch sling as a breastfeeding cover. My husband, on the other hand, never breastfeeds :-P
My pouch sling costs so little, and it would have been great if my husband could use a P400 pouch sling as well. Unfortunately, my husband would never use a pouch sling -- or a ring sling, for that matter. They just look too girly for him. But with the Aprica carrier, I could pass the baby to my husband without any problems.

What I liked about the Aprica carrier sling

The design really keeps baby securely held. Unlike with the pouch sling, where a fidgety toddler occasionally slips out of position, you never have to worry that your baby will fall out of the Aprica carrier sling.
The two-shoulder support lets you carry baby longer without getting tired or without hurting your shoulders. With the one-shoulder support of the regular sling, the sling material could dig into one shoulder could hurt after some time. Also, with the imbalance of the weight, you could easily get tired with a pouch sling. This is not a problem with the padded two-shoulder-supported Aprica carrier sling.
The Aprica carrier sling lets you carry the baby on your back more comfortably than with the regular sling, which tends to squash one breast when baby is carried backpack style.
Compared to the cheaper backpack-style carriers we see in the market, the Aprica carrier sling is cooler and softer for baby because of its ventilated mesh material and "marshmallow" padding.
It is also easier to put baby into the Aprica carrier sling because you don't just have holes to shoot baby's legs into. Instead, it has sturdy clips that allow you to open the front panel of baby's "harness" to attach the carrier to baby. To let baby out, you don't have to lift your baby out of the carrier either. Just release the clips, and let your baby slip down carefully.
The Aprica carrier sling provides generous support for your baby's buttocks and allows baby's weight to be more evenly distributed on his hips (a wide area) rather than on his groin (a small area).
The neutral colors and design mean I can share baby-wearing tasks with Daddy. And with baby on his back, leaving his hands free, Daddy can still carry the groceries as well!

Recommendation

I think the Aprica carrier sling is a good gift for your husband on his first Father's Day. Not only will he love the fact that you no longer have to lug around a stroller to malls, where you need to struggle with elevators, he will also benefit from the unique bonding experience he can get from wearing the baby so close to himself for a long time.

And even if you have a stroller, when the baby inevitably cries to be taken out, Daddy (and you) will appreciate the fact that he can still carry baby comfortably while keeping his hands free -- to hold on to the escalator safety rails, eat a cheeseburger, load groceries onto the car, even take a pee!

Disclosure: The Nanay Notebook received no material compensation for this review.

WANTED: Cooking Blogs

2011-02-21T19:58:00.003+08:00

A friend of mine who works at a PR company is looking for bloggers she could invite to cover a special cookware event. Do you have a cooking blog or a mommy blog where you could post an article on cookware? Do send me your link via the comments box so that my friend can check out your blog!

(Please make sure there is contact information on your blog too. If not, please email it to NanayNotebook@gmail.com. But leave your link on the comments box first.)

"What's so great about going to a cookware event?" you may ask. Well, there are three things I can think of:

First, you get freebies. Oh yes, this is by far the best thing about joining an event as a member of the press/publicity team. You get far better freebies than if you just attended the launch as a potential buyer.

Second, you get to network. You meet people that could open surprising new opportunities for you to work at home. One of my fellow mommy bloggers got a new writing assignment when she attended the Aprica media launch.

And third, you get something new to write about. It opens up your world and rewards your loyal readers with something interesting and new to read about.

So send us your bloglink now!

UPDATE: The event will be on March 25, 2011. I'm not sure up to when the organizer is accepting applicant blogs, though.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Aprica Car Seats

2011-02-19T09:54:00.010+08:00

I'm a sucker for car seats. I love the peace of mind they give me that even if the babies and I fall asleep while we're traveling home, none of them will fly out the window should a sudden stop occur. And I love the extra cup holders they have, for the inevitable McDonald's Drive Thru meals we always have on trips to my in-laws.

So when I joined the Aprica media launch with blogger moms Martine, Tina, and Michelle, it was the car seats I took a really good look at. Here's a quick list of what I found:

PROS

Special newborn cushions come with the car seat to keep even newborn babies snugly and safely held cocoonlike in the seat. Simply remove the newborn cushions when you baby grows out of them.
Fully reclineable back for newborns keep airways open and breathing unobstructed. Unique feature. I've never seen this in other car seats before.
Easy swivel to standard upright position, both rear-facing (3 to 9 months) and front-facing (9 mos. to 4 years old), like conventional car seats.
Extra-high sides and thick, firm padding provide optimum protection from side crashes. Aprica car seats have the highest sides I've seen too.
Easy-to-adjust five-point harness. All you have to do is press a lever at the front of the seat to loosen the harness, pull the adjustment strap until the proper tightness is achieved, then release the lever to lock.
Very sturdy and long lasting. Mommy blogger Martine, whose baby uses an Aprica car seat, says in her blog that they received it from an aunt, and though the baby who had used it previously is now 12 years old, the car seat is still in perfect condition: no tears, no damages, still perfectly safe and comfortable for Martine's baby.

Man, we've only had ours for four years and the foam is almost completely gone! (Fine, maybe the fact that I machine washed it had something to do with it. I don't recall anything in the manual that said "Handwash only," and I'm an avid manual reader!)

CONS

Doesn't seem to have a LATCH system that allows you to install it easily in the car without the need for seatbelts. Not much of an issue in the Philippines since our cars are not equipped with the LATCH system in the first place anyway.
No cup holders. There is one in the model for babies 9 months to 11 years old (yes, they will be babies to me even when they're 40 years old), but there is none in the fully reclineable model. And I want two cup holders, not one.
The price. From what I've seen, their cheapest car seat comes at Php20,000. Some go up to Php50,000. There is a credit card six-month-installment 0%-interest option, though. And if you trade in your old, functioning car seat or stroller before the end of March 2011, you'll get a Php4,000 discount.

So would I buy an Aprica car seat? When I can afford it, yes. The old one got worn out after the second baby, and I want something that will last until the sixth.

Disclosure: The Nanay Notebook received no material compensation for this post, except for the meal we had at the media launch and the bag of free samples from the event sponsors. Thanks to David's Salon, De'Longhi, Goody, Junior Magazine, Philips Avent and Sunnex for the cool gifts!

What Adarna Storytellers Do

2011-02-18T00:11:00.001+08:00

Last June, I had the pleasure of being one of Adarna House's storytellers. And since then, a few people have asked me about it.

Now, I will tell you how it works as well as I can remember, but I can't be very sure of the details because I stopped doing it many months ago. You see, I live in the farthest, northernmost corner of Rizal, where there is no such thing as a "nearby venue." So the commute took up too much time for me.

If you live in Quezon City or Manila or Paranaque, though, this could work for you.

How it works

If you get accepted as storyteller, first, you will attend a short orientation at Adarna House in Quezon City where they will tell you everything I'm going to tell you now and more.

Once you're oriented, you will receive a text message when there is a storytelling assignment available. You may accept or not accept depending on your availability and willingness to go to the venue. The venues are usually schools holding book fairs, or even malls such as SM Megamall or stores like Powerbooks.

If you accept, you will go to the venue with your Adarna storybook. It would be good if you have your own set of storybooks so that you could practice at home, but if not, you may borrow from the Adarna booth that will most likely be at the venue as well because, as I've said before, most of these storytelling sessions are conducted during book fairs.

Again, let me emphasize: it would be best if you had your own Adarna books collection (1) so you can practice at home and (2) in case there is no book fair going on, which is also a possible though not common scenario.

How it pays

Adarna pays transportation allowance if you ask them to, and as long as the amount is reasonable. If, for instance, there is MRT available from SM North Edsa to Magallanes, it would be unreasonable to bill them for taxi fare for that commute, but they will gladly reimburse your MRT fare.

Then, if your storytelling session starts in the morning and ends in the afternoon, you'll get a lunch allowance as well.

Each storytelling session is paid PhP350. A session is defined this way:

If you tell two stories in immediate succession, that is one session.
If you tell one story then there is a waiting period before the second story, that is two sessions.
If you tell three stories all in succession, that is two sessions as well.
If you tell three stories each with a waiting period in between, that is three sessions.

Payments can be deposited to your bank account or picked up at the Adarna office.

More questions? Let me know.

How to Use Your UnionBank EON Account

2011-02-03T15:37:00.006+08:00

*file image from the UnionBank EON page

Question: Do I have to apply for an ATM account to be linked to EON? Or is EON is just like an ATM account but used more for online transactions? Is it funded through online only, or can it be funded over the counter?

Answer: No, you do not have to apply for an ATM account to be linked to EON. EON is an ATM account, but functions as a debit card, not a savings account.

How is it similar to a savings account? Well, you can deposit over the counter.

How is it different from a savings account? Well, since it's a debit card, not a savings account, (1) it does not earn interest, and (2) you have to pay an annual fee of P350 to maintain the card. There is no maintaining balance.

How do you fund your EON account through online transactions, i.e. PayPal?

Use your EON card as a debit card to verify your PayPal account. Simply hover over Profile, then click on Add/Edit Credit Card, then input your EON card number -- the big numbers near the middle of the card -- when PayPal asks for your debit card number.
Add your EON bank account to your PayPal profile. Again, hover on Profile, then click Add/Edit Bank Account. This time, when PayPal asks for your account number, you use the smaller ones at the lower left corner of the card.
PayPal will give you instructions on how to complete the verification process. Once you are verified, you will be able to transfer your funds from PayPal to your EON bank account with zero charges from UnionBank.

By the way, if you transfer from PayPal to your bank and you see Completed in the transaction, do not expect to see the funds in your bank account immediately. Completed means PayPal has completed the process of releasing your money, but that does not necessarily mean the bank has completed the process of releasing the funds to your account.

My experience is if I transfer money from PayPal to my bank on, say, Tuesday night, it will reflect as Completed on PayPal on Wednesday and show up on the account by Saturday morning.

Job Ad: Full-time Writers, Swiss Company, Good Pay, Great Boss

2011-02-01T11:06:00.006+08:00

Want a good-paying full-time writing job where you'll get to work with intelligent people and probably the best manager you'll ever meet in your life?

Then here's a job you'll want to apply to: EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Instructional Designer. It's a job post from goFLUENT Philippines.

What does the job involve? Well, if it's the same as when I worked there, it involves creating -- mostly, writing -- material to be used for teaching English to Europeans. You'll probably also get to subtitle and crop very interesting short-documentary videos (they'll teach you how) and create Flash quizzes using Adobe Captivate (they'll teach you how) and upload material into the Internet using an FTP (they'll teach you how).

Basically, the only skill you need to bring with you is the ability to write clearly, correctly, and concisely. You should be good enough with words that you'll be able to describe what a spire is to your four-year-old niece, in such a way that she can create a correct concept of it in her mind without you having to resort to drawing or showing a picture. (They may be able to teach you how to do that as well, but it sure helps if you can already do it to a certain degree before you apply.)

And how's the company? As I said, I used to work there. My reason for leaving had nothing to do with the job.

If I were single without kids, I may have stayed there forever.

Designing Your Web Site and Registering with the DTI

2011-01-29T05:19:00.003+08:00

I received an e-mail a few minutes ago from a mom asking me if we need to register with the DTI if we put up a Web site, and also, what are the do's and don'ts we need to remember when creating a Web site.

So to answer:

Do I need to register my Web site with the DTI?

First, let us set the following presumptions:

We are talking about a business Web site that you use to advertise and conduct business over the Internet.
You are conducting your business with a trade name, like Escrive.com, not your own name, like FleireCastro.com.
You intend to get a business permit for your business.

If all three presumptions are correct, then yes, you do need to register with the DTI. It is not your Web site that you need to register, of course, but your trade name.

Why? Because the municipal registrar will be looking for your DTI registration when you apply for your business permit.

Now some of you may be asking, why would I want to go through the hassle of getting a business permit and, as a result, needing to pay taxes on my business?

Well, for one, it's the law-abiding thing to do.

Second, you need your DTI registration to register your business with the BIR so that you can issue an official receipt in case somebody asks for one. Also, if your online business is your sole source of income, you need to register it with the BIR so that you can get an ITR, because there are times when you need to show proof of income.

I hope this has answered our reader mom's first question. Now let's go on to the next:

What are the do's and don'ts one should remember when putting up a Web site.

Now this is a question probably best answered by a Web designer, which I am not. But here's what I've learned so far from putting up my business Web sites:

DO'S

Do make sure you include a contact number and e-mail address if you are creating a business Web site. A physical address would also help establish your trustworthiness online.

Do write a detailed and semi-personal About Us page. This is a very good way to establish your credibility and also gain your customers' trust, as well as their affinity. Get as personal as you can get without endangering your personal safety and privacy. We like to know that we are dealing with living, breathing, feeling human beings behind a Web site.

Do research first what keywords you want your Web site to target. Do you want people to find your site using dog or dogs? Doggy day care or doggy daycare or doggie day care?

I use the Google Keyword Search Tool, which shows me that of all five terms, dog gets searched 246,000 times in the Philippines, while dogs is searched only 90,500 times, and the latter has more competition too. Doggy day care gets 170 searches, doggy daycare and doggie daycare both get 73.

Since keyword research is a vast topic, I will write a separate post on it, but this is the most basic: find the most number of searches with the least competition in your targeted locality.

Do include a Privacy Policy if you're putting Google Ads on your Web site. It's a Google requirement. You can get one from JenSense.

DON'TS

Don't fill your page with too many ads. When is it "too many"? I'd suggest you ask a sibling or your mate to look at your site and ask what they think of it. If they say it looks too cluttered, you probably have too many ads. If they don't say that, probe further: "Do you find the ads too distracting?" The answer will let you know if you need to cut down.

By the way, don't ask a friend -- he or she will probably lie to you to be polite.
Don't fill your page with too many widgets either. To find out if you have too many widgets, see the tip above about "too many ads."

That's all I could come up with. For more do's and don'ts for designing your Web site, click on the link.

My DTI (Mis)Adventure

2011-01-27T00:16:00.005+08:00

I wasted three hours and P100 fare on Tuesday. Why? Because I went to the DTI for, it turned out, no reason at all.

But that's the end of the story. Let's start at the very beginning—a very good place to start. (I really should delete The Sound of Music from my desktop.

Online registration

On January 12, 2011, I registered Escrive Writing and Editing and Blackie's Bed and Breakfast Pet Lodge with the DTI. I filled out the online application form, paid via G-Cash, and downloaded the certificate, all ready for printing.

Now, the instructions on the DTI NCR Web site goes:

There are three (3) modes in registering business names:
Purely over the counter - Registration can be done at any DTI Field Office. Here in NCR, DTI-NCR has four Area offices and three satellite offices
Online end-to-end – File application online at www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph, pay the required fees through G-Cash, and print certificate at your place. However, the owner must go personally to DTI within 10 working days to present one photo-bearing national issued Identification Document (ID) and the duly-accomplished application form with signature.
Hybrid – Combination of over the counter and online application
File application online, pay and get certificate at DTI Office or at selected SM and Mail and More outlets
File and pay online and get certificate at any DTI Office or at selected SM and Mail and More outlets

I had chosen the second option: online, end-to-end.

So after applying and paying online, I downloaded an application form, duly accomplished it, added my signature, and scrambled to DTI on January 25, nine working days after my date of registration, to submit the application form and my photo-bearing driver's license.

Beating the deadline—or so I thought

For good measure, I printed out the certificate along with the application form, for a reason I'm not sure of. I guess I'm just a bit paranoid when it comes to dealing with government offices.

Then I took the 10-minute walk from our house to the main road, rode an hour on the FX, took the MRT to Ortigas, bought myself four pieces of Master Siomai and a glass of gulaman drink, which I am never able to resist every time I use the MRT, chowed them down, then walked the rest of the way to the DTI office in front of SM Megamall.

I forgot the name of the building where the DTI was located, so when I saw a building with a Philippine flag in front, I walked in and asked the guard at the PCGG lobby where I could find DTI. He was nice enough to point it out to me.

When I got to DTI, there was a looooooong line. Well, it was a one-room office about 50 square meters big, so maybe it just looked crowded.

The security-and-information officer

The security guard at the door was, apparently, the information officer as well. He was explaining to a woman what she needed to do to register for a franchise, so I patiently waited my turn.

When he finally turned to me, I asked, "Kuya, saan ba ako dapat mag-submit nitong application form and ID?" (Sir, where should I submit my application form and ID?) He took a look at the application form I had printed out, then saw the DTI certificates I had also printed out.

"Ma'am, nakabayad na po kayo sa G-Cash, 'no?" (Ma'am, you've already paid with G-Cash, right?)

"Opo." (Yes, sir.)

"Wala na po kayong kailangan gawin. Pupunta lang po kayo dito kung may problema at hindi niyo ma-download yung certificate ninyo." (You don't need to do anything anymore. You only need to come here if there's a problem and you can't download your certificate.)

Oh-kay. Now I distinctly remember the Web site mentioning nothing about that. I don't need to go to DTI if I am able to download my certificate?

So, my paranoia kicking in, I asked Mr. Guard, "Are you sure? Are you very, very sure?"

He was sure.

Calling customer service

But I wasn't. So I called my husband and asked him to please go online and get me DTI's customer service number.

The text message arrived: 751-3330. (Yes, that's DTI's customer service number. I could have kicked myself for not calling it before leaving the house and trusting that Web site instead.)

I went back to the MRT to find a pay phone. The Ortigas station's Master Siomai lady pointed me to a PLDT pay phone—the coin type, which I had not used since I learned to use a cell phone. But I wasn't about to call a government office using my non-unlimited cell phone load. Luckily, I had a handful of change with me.

I dialled the number and inserted P1. "Thank you for calling DTI customer service. All our customer service officers are handling other calls at the moment . . . "

At P1 per minute, I knew I had to feed the phone more coins. So I dropped in P5. "All our customer service officers are handling other calls . . . " the speaker said again.

As my P5 ran out, I inserted P10, steeling myself to wait for ten more minutes. But while I still had P9 pesos credit, a customer service officer answered the phone.

I told her my story and repeated my question: "Is it true that I don't need to submit anything anymore if I am able to download the certificate?"

She put me on hold, conferred with, apparently, a seatmate, then confirmed what the guard said.

So, relieved to not have to join that long line in the small room, I bought another order of siomai and gulaman, ate it up before taking the MRT, then settled myself in an FX taxi for another hour-long ride home.

Summary

The good: The DTI online registration works. You can complete the whole registration process online. And, contrary to what their Web site says, you don't have to submit anything to the DTI office anymore if you are able to download your certificate.

The bad: The DTI NCR Web site needs updating. It's so easy to update a Web site. Why is their Web site not updated?

Moral: Before traveling to any government office, call them first to confirm any information you found on the Web site. Again, the DTI customer service number is (02) 751-3330.

Paid Ads vs. Paid Links: The Important Difference

2011-01-25T19:03:00.005+08:00

In Passive Income Tip: Advertise on Your Blog, I talked about adding paid ads on your sidebar. The question is, what is the difference between a paid ad and a paid link?

Why is this a relevant question? Well, you see, Google hates paid links. It penalizes sites who have paid links by lowering those sites' Google ranks.

But a paid ad and a paid link look very similar: they are both paid, and they both contain links. So what's the difference?

Ads vs. links

With a paid ad, the advertiser is paying to display the ad on your site so that your readers could be enticed to visit the advertiser's site.

With a paid link, the "advertiser" is paying you to simply put a link on your site towards the advertiser's site, not to invite people to visit their site, but simply to gain backlinks.

If you own a blog, you are probably familiar with what backlinks are and why they are important. Backlinks are links from other sites that lead to your blog, and they are important because the more backlinks you have, the higher you rank in Google.

The downside of paid links

If you put paid links in your blog and Google discovers it, then they will penalize you on their search ranks.

So how do you avoid getting penalized if you put in paid ads? You need to modify your link. Instead of simply putting in A HREF=" " around your paid ad, you put in A REL="NOFOLLOW" HREF=" ".

The nofollow tag prevents your link from being counted as a backlink and will therefore not affect the target site's Google ranking.

When to put in paid links

This is not to say that we should avoid paid links altogether. After all, what do we want Google rankings for, if not to attract Web traffic, hoping those readers would click on our Google ads?

If your earnings from Google ads are less than what the link buyer is willing to pay you, there is no good short-term reason why you should shun the paid link.

After all, Google search is not the only way to invite traffic to your blog. There is also Facebook, Twitter, and your friends' blogs!

What’s Wrong with Paid-to-Click Schemes?

2011-01-21T14:11:00.005+08:00

One of my writers asked me if I had ever written about paid-to-click work opportunities, because he was interested in trying one out. “Maybe some people would be interested too,” he said.

Well, I have never written about paid-to-click schemes, but I will now—not to talk about how you can sign up for one but to say why you should not. (The writer backed out of his plan to sign up for one too, by the way.)

Short background on Web ads

Web advertisements often work this way: the ad is displayed on a site, and the advertiser pays the site a certain amount every time somebody clicks on the advertiser’s ad on that site.

The presumption is that when somebody clicks on an ad, that person is interested in the product and has the potential to become a buyer.

But in a paid-to-click site, it doesn’t work that way.

How paid-to-click sites work

At a paid-to-click site, people don’t click ads because they are interested in what the ad offers. They click on the ads because they are paid for every ad they click.

Mind you, they are not paid to view the ads; they are paid to just click. And since they want to earn as much money as they can in the shortest time possible, why bother to view anything, right?

So the people who are paid to click never view. Which means they will never buy either.

What's wrong with this picture?

Now, at the risk of being redundant, let’s go back to why advertisers are paying for clicks: they hope people would view their site and become buyers, of course!

And what happens to advertisers who become victims of pay-to-click schemes?

Why then, they are charged for clicks that have little or no chance of getting converted. The advertiser’s money is wasted, the site earns money without giving any real service, and the person clicking but never really viewing the ads gets paid for not doing any real work.

I don’t know about you, but I find something terribly wrong with this picture.

Whose problem is it?

A very few of you may think, “That’s the advertiser’s problem, not mine. I have a family to feed.”

Well, think about this: if a site has no qualms about cheating its clients on the left (the advertisers), what makes you think it would have any qualms about cheating its clients on the right (you)?

Paid-to-click schemes often turn out to be paid-to-click scams. A quick Internet search will reveal that.

And even if they do turn out to be paying, remember where the money they’re paying with comes from. What goes around comes around.

The gist: stay away from pay-to-click schemes. Your time and self-respect is worth more than the peanuts they pay you for every second it takes you to click those ads.

Passive Income Tip: Advertise on Your Blog

2011-01-21T12:26:00.005+08:00

Wondering how to monetize your blog? Here's one thing you can do: advertise!

If you look at the Nanay Notebook's sidebar, you will see I have a few advertisements there myself. One of the advertisements is for The Country Living Grain Mill.

Now to make things clear, I have not purchased any products from the Country Living Grain Mill. This post is not a review. I am simply alloting space on my sidebar for them, for a corresponding ad fee.

And if you wish to do the same on your blog, well, here's good news: the Country Living Grain Mill is accepting applications from other mommy bloggers who also want to post the Country Living Grain Mill's ad on their blog sidebar or footer.

All you need to do is e-mail a link to your blog to harveyscoffee@gmail.com, along with your proposed price for posting their ad for six months on your blog.

They pay via PayPal but may be open to other payment options as well.

And that's all there is to it. Now go send that e-mail!

How the Lonely Goatherd Killed My Productivity

2011-01-12T18:21:00.003+08:00

A new bane has fallen on my productivity. The one-year-old has fallen in love with the lonely goatherd, and twelve-or-so times a day, he would accost me at my seat in front of the computer, with the walis tambo in his hand, demanding, "Mommy, ting Ooh-le-too-too!"

Now if it had been the four-year-old or the six-year-old asking me to sing "Yodel-lay-hee-hoo," I would simply have said, "Baby, I can't. Mommy's at work."

But how do you reason with a one-year-old, and a very charmingly persistent one at that?

So Mommy takes the walis tambo, uses it as a mic, and sings her nth rendition of that annoying Sound of Music classic:

High on a hill was a lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Loud was the voice of the lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Folks in a town that was quite remote heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Lusty and clear from the goatherd's throat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

O ho lay dee odl lee o, o ho lay dee odl ay
O ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay

A prince on the bridge of a castle moat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Men on a road with a load to tote heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Men in the midst of a table d'hote heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Men drinking beer with the foam afloat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

O ho lay dee odl lee o, o ho lay dee odl ay
O ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay

One little girl in a pale pink coat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
She yodeled back to the lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Soon her Mama with a gleaming gloat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
What a duet for a girl and goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Ummm (ummm)...
Odl lay ee (odl lay ee)
Odl lay hee hee (odl lay hee hee)
Odl lay ee ...
Ya ha ha, lay ee odl lay o, o ho lay ee odl lay,
O ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay

One little girl in a pale pink coat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hoo hoo
She yodeled back to the lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Soon her Mama with a gleaming gloat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hmm hmm
What a duet for a girl and goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Happy are they, lay dee o lay dee lay o
O lay dee o lay dee lay hee hoo
Soon the duet will become a trio
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Hmmm hm hm hmmmm, odl lay ee
Odl lay hee hee, odl lay ee
Odl lay odl lay, odl lay odl lee, odl lay odl lee
Odl lay odl lay odl lay, hey!

The PayPal Saga: Payment Refunded to Buyer!

2011-01-11T11:54:00.010+08:00

So the nightmare has culminated. After all the documents I sent PayPal to prove that the buyer had indeed received the almost-6,000-pesos worth of GCash he had paid for via PayPal, PayPal still decided to refund the money to him. (The document was an e-mail from Globe itself indicating that the amounts had been received by the party in question.)

That was in December 31, 2010—almost two weeks ago.

And despite the buyer's assurance that he would simply refund via bank deposit, his previously accessible phone has gone permanently unavailable. And three e-mails from a week ago have gone unanswered. What's a girl to think?

My mistake was this: I should have required a scanned ID and not just relied on the PayPal verification process. (To all you online sellers, let this be a lesson to you too.) The scanned ID would have proven to PayPal that the PayPal transactions were indeed done by the PayPal owner and not some hacker.

But lesson learned. I am truly thankful to God that, at this point, six thousand pesos is no longer very painful to me. There was a time it would have killed me. Now, the only difference it makes is that the kids will have to wait longer for that bike and sidecar that we could have used to enjoy the sunny afternoons around the village.

UPDATE: To date (March 4, 2011), the buyer has not communicated with us. But thank you, God. The children have their bikes, and we are able to enjoy the sunny afternoons around the village!

A Blog for Writers

2010-12-29T18:28:00.001+08:00

I was going to postpone plugging this new blog until after I've registered our writing group with the DTI this coming January, but I had nothing to edit this afternoon and didn't feel like writing yet, so I decided to advertise to my readers instead!

For all aspiring writers out there, especially those who would like to make money by writing from home, do check out Escrive.com. We post all our writing tips there, and they are specially targeted to writers of online articles.

And if you're already a good writer, do check out Escrive's About Us page, to see if you would like to join our group. We are looking for freelance writers who have good research skills, can write information-filled and concise articles, can withstand rigorous editing, and can follow instructions to the letter.

In return, we will never, never ask you to write keyword articles or, heaven forbid, rewrite a single article into four different versions at ten centavos per word.

If you have questions about compensation, please e-mail us at editor@escrive.com.

If you wish to apply as writer, please send us your application letter and attach your resume, one sample article written for offline submission, and a sample article written for online publication, in DOC or DOCX format. Please clearly indicate which is which by prefixing the filenames with the following tags: resume, offline article, online article.

Final note: Since we do all invoicing and work tracking using Google docs, please make sure you have a Gmail account. Payments are made via GCash, UnionBank transfer, or PayPal, depending on writer preference.

Using PayPal? Protect Yourself

2010-12-20T17:49:00.014+08:00

So one thing I've learned this weekend is that PayPal can get trigger happy. (Actually, my favorite client told me that. And his statement was based on personal experience.)

And though PayPal is quick to file cases for the smallest reasons, they're not always as quick to resolve them, despite all the user's evidence and cooperation . . .

72 hours and counting. Refresh inbox. Refresh inbox. Refresh inbox. No luck; no replies from PayPal.

For you who are wondering what I'm griping about, you can read it here: PayPal Troubles, GCash Store Temporarily Closed.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned right now, PayPal sucks big time. BUT it's still the biggest and, as far as I know, the most secure network out there for transferring money. In fact, I am forced to admit its trigger happiness probably benefits more people than it hurts.

Probably.

The good thing about all this is that I've learned a new lesson in life. Here is what I've learned on how to protect yourself from PayPal:

Lesson 1: Use the PayPal Invoice. Whether or not that thing you're selling falls under the buyer/seller protection clause, still always use the PayPal invoicing system. Most customers will let you pass the charges to them anyway. It's still often cheaper and more convenient for them to pay extra charges than get out of the house and pay through a bank.

Now using the PayPal invoice system won't protect you 100 percent, because I've seen stories of people still getting problems with PayPal despite using the invoice system -- heck, in one of the transactions they have on my case, I had used the invoice system -- but it does somewhat lessen your risks. I think.

Lesson 2: Don't keep more money in your PayPal account than you can afford to lose. Never mind the fact that you have to pay 50 pesos every time you withdraw less than 7,000 pesos from PayPal.

If PayPal gets antsy while your thousands are still there, it could suddenly take that money, and you can kiss it good-bye. I say it's better to lose 50 pesos now and again rather than risk losing Php 6,999 in one blow.

If your balance is zero and PayPal suddenly decides to hold some payments that had been sent to you five and a half months ago, then your PayPal account will simply turn negative.

Then if PayPal decides for some reason to send the money back to the buyer instead of returning it to you after the hold, then PayPal might hound you with letters asking you to pay them back for the refund; but as everybody knows, those letters can't really hurt you. (Of course, I'm presuming here that you really are an honest seller, and that the refund was unfair.)

Lesson 3: Upgrade your account to Business. If you're a high-risk user, i.e., you're using PayPal to sell things online, make sure you upgrade your account to Business. After all, it's free.

The reason is this: you are not allowed to have more than one personal account in PayPal, but you are allowed to have a separate business account and a personal account. If your business account gets problematic, then you'll have a personal account you can still use.

But this is the caveat: each account must be connected to different bank and credit card accounts. You can't use for your personal account a credit card or bank account that is already linked to your business account. And you can't remove bank or credit card accounts from your PayPal account if a case is ongoing.

Which leads us to . . .

Lesson 4: Never link more than one bank or credit card account to any single PayPal account. My mistake was that all my bank accounts were linked to my original account, so when I needed to open a new one that I could use, I had no bank accounts or credit cards I could link the new one to.

Lesson 5: Do not link your PayPal account to your eBay account in such a way that you allow PayPal to get funds from your bank or credit card to automatically pay for purchases you make on eBay. This kind of authorization may not only allow them to get money from your bank to pay for eBay purchases but for other things they think you should rightly pay for as well -- such as if your buyer claims you did not deliver a good to them (even if you did) and asks files a case for refund with PayPal. In this case, zeroing out your PayPal funds will not help because PayPal can simply get money from your bank account or credit card.

Lesson 6: Have a UnionBank EON account for PayPal. Whenever possible, the credit card or bank account you link with PayPal should be the one you can most easily close out. A UnionBank EON account is easy to close out.

Lesson 7: For refunds, use the refund button. Unfortunately, this is only available if somebody indicates when he sends you the PayPal funds that he is paying for an item he bought from you. It is not available for personal payments.

But remember: if somebody sends you money, don't send it back, except through a refund button. This is what triggered my PayPal case, I suspect. PayPal thought I was helping somebody get a cash advance from his credit card using the PayPal system.

(No, I wasn't. As far as I know and believe even until now, that person didn't even use his credit card in that transaction. He sent it from funds already existing in his PayPal account. That's what he told me, and that's what I believe until I have evidence to the contrary.)

Lesson 8: Do not use your PayPal while you are in a country different from the one where you registered it in. If you've always used your PayPal in the Philippines, don't use it while you are in, say, Canada. Open a Canada account instead.

Otherwise, they may think somebody in Canada has hacked your account, and they will freeze everything for about three months. (This happened to my favorite client, when he accessed his Canada account from India.)

Lesson 9: Always get a scanned image of a government ID from your online buyer. It should be unmodified. The "Date Created" in the Properties should be exactly the same as the "Date Last Modified." This is such an easy step nowadays: you could take a picture of your ID with a digicam and it's done. Tell them to make it low resolution and black-and-white if they're worried about identity theft. If they're unwilling to give this requirement, they're probably scammers anyway.

So those are my tips for protecting yourself from PayPal. I still think PayPal can be a darned useful service. For one, I could never get paid by my clients without it.

I just wish they would resolve my issue soon -- even just half as fast as it took for them to create it, that would be fine!

Live and learn.

PayPal Troubles, GCash Store Temporarily Closed

2010-12-19T14:21:00.001+08:00

Yesterday, I received an e-mail from PayPal that forms part of every e-tailer's nightmare:

Hello (my full name),

To protect you from problematic transactions, we sometimes request additional information about PayPal payments.

We need more information about this transaction. Please log in to your PayPal account, click the "Resolution Center" tab, and provide more information by 12/24/2010.

We recommend that you not ship the item until our investigation is complete. If you've already shipped the item, please log in and let us know where you shipped it.

We have placed a temporary hold on the funds until we complete our investigation.

Summary: "We have found reason to be suspicious of a transaction that went on in your PayPal account, and to protect ourselves from chargeback, we have decided to hold all funds from the involved account until we have decided whether to give it back to you or refund the buyer."

The thing is this: I don't keep funds in my PayPal. The moment they're in, I send them right to the bank, because that's the only way I can spend them.

So what happens is PayPal takes away money that isn't there, and I end up with a negative balance that will eat up whatever comes into my account.

Wonderful news for Christmas season. And two days before the writers are due to get paid ... GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

(Dear writers, don't worry. I will find a way. Rather, the Boss will make one. He always does. Still, I'm sure even Moses' blood pressure rose slightly as the horse hoofs came thundering and he came face to face with that ocean.)

"So what happened, Blessie?" you may be asking.

Well, I'm not sure, but I suspect it's this: one of my old-time clients sent advance payment to reserve GCash. The problem was, the stock had already run out, as usual, so I had to send the exact same amount back.

Since the payment was sent voluntarily, not requested for, there was no "Refund" button. As far as PayPal could see, what happened was somebody sent me money, and I sent it back for no apparent reason.

And PayPal thought I was helping this person get cash advance from his credit card this way. (Yes, it's a he, and a very nice-sounding he, too, but he's married, ladies, so I can't introduce you). And that's not allowed under their terms.

Hence, the inconvenient investigation.

How long does such an investigation take? PayPal says it could take as long as 180 days. Fortunately, PayPal has operations on Saturday and Sunday as well, so at least it's not 180 working days.

But the gist is, the money I'm using to buy the GCash that I sell to you, loyal patrons, is completely trapped in PayPal. Please pray with me that this issue gets sorted out, well, by Monday, so that operations could return to normal.

In the meantime, we wait.

Cold Season and the Nasal Lavage

2010-12-08T16:36:00.004+08:00

It's cold season, and almost everyone in the household has a runny nose or stuffed nose or both.

And I got a tip from Doc Bro that I would like to share with everyone: nasal lavage!

Yep, it's great! I use salty water to wash out the nose and clear out all the gunk right up to the sinuses. I've read it also helps you get over the cold faster.

(I think this was originally a yogi practice from India. They inhale the salt water and it goes right down their throats. Non-yogis may find it yucky for some reason. The non-yogi method involves pouring the water into one nostril and letting it drip out the other.)

Making the saline solution

You mix about one-fourth teaspoon of non-iodized salt with eight ounces of water. I use the baby bottle for measuring this.

If you're finicky, you might prefer to use distilled water. Filtered is fine. Heck, if you can drink it, you can wash your nose with it -- as long as it's water, not coffee.

How do you know you've measured things right? Taste it. If it tastes like tears, it's right.

Actually, the main reason we add salt is to keep the water from stinging in your nose.

When you've got your mixture right, put it in a very clean squeeze bottle with a not-too-small hole. I use one that used to hold feminine wash.

Using the nasal lavage

Now go to the sink, tilt you head sideways, press the hole of the bottle on the upper nostril, and press. The solution goes into one nostril, up the sinuses, out the other.

It may sting a little if you put too little or too much salt, but it's a very small sting. If you're just starting out, it may help to keep the water lukewarm.

Don't tilt the head back so that the water doesn't flow down your throat, but if it does, it's okay.

Breathe through your mouth as you wash your nose.

Keep washing until the water is clear. Then blow your nose gently.

Repeat with the other nostril.

Nasal washing for kids

This was hard, especially for kids below four years old. So I did some research.

The easiest way to teach kids to do the nasal wash is to make it a game and keep the kids within their comfort zone. Start by having the squirt bottle in the bath. Let them get used to getting squirted in the face. Squirt on the cheek, mouth, chin, nose.

Eventually, you can get them used to little squirts in the nose.

Proceed gradually. It could take weeks before you can actually get them to squirt a lot of water into their nose, and longer before they will let the water go from one nostril through to the other.

But researches have shown that this practice not only helps heal colds but also prevents it. So in my opinion, it's well worth the effort.

No Woman Is an Island

2010-12-06T18:12:00.002+08:00

I don't think I've ever formally made the announcement, so for those of you who don't know, two months ago -- September 29, to be exact -- this nanay began getting help from other writers so she could keep her commitments to her clients and still have time to homeschool the kiddies and, er, sleep.

Oh, I remember the days when I tried to be superwoman and do it all myself. I slept every other night just to be able to meet my deadlines. The kids were forbidden to talk to me during work hours, which was from whatever time I woke up to 9 o'clock in the evening.

And then one day, I got sick. The bane of the freelance worker: no work, no pay. And I remembered something I learned from the financial management seminar I had attended:

The true measure of your wealth is not how much money you have in the bank.

The true measure of your wealth is how many days you will survive if you are, for any reason, suddenly unable to work.

I was shocked. If I get sick for one week, or we have another Ondoy and we lose electricity or Internet, our family would starve.

The next day, I posted a call on Facebook and Pinoyexchange for freelance writers. I pay them from my own salary. On the other hand, I am able to accept more work from more new clients.

Does it even out? No, it does not. In fact, one of my writers has a bigger net than I do.

But I am able to sleep now. And the kids can talk to me again. We actually have time to homeschool. Heck, we were able to go on vacation for three days, and the work got done almost as if I were not away at all.

And now, my finances are more in my hands and in God's hands. I sow the seeds, he makes them grow. I don't have to wait for some landowner to think about raising my wages.

Still, it's hard. Finances are tighter than they have ever been. Because now, I am not just responsible for my own pay. Other people are looking to me for theirs.

But God makes a way. And I am learning lessons in humility, which I have been receiving for eight years and still have not learned.

Maybe God is upping the notch a bit. Dear God, can't you just wave your hand and change my heart and turn me into someone humble instead of purging the pride out in this painful way?

Baby Lost at the Airport!

2010-12-03T00:35:00.006+08:00

Quick confession: the family went on a little holiday these last few days of November, and the baby got lost at the airport!

Oh, we found him in about five minutes. He was at the top of the escalator, on the floor above ours, in the arms of an airport employee who, quite reasonably, gave me a short lecture about keeping an eye on my kids!

I know, it was totally my fault, and the baby's guardian angel definitely deserves a promotion.

In the days after that, he was either in the sling or on the safety harness — or both.

Poison Control in the Philippines

2010-11-26T20:02:00.004+08:00

Eureka! I have found it. Poison control in the Philippines!

Here's their number:

(02) 524 1078

Yes, there is one—can you believe it? It's based at the Philippine General Hospital, and you can call them 24 hours a day.

Oh, and they answer the phone within two rings!

Forgive my overenthusiasm. It has not been a year since I tried to call 117 to find out if they could help me should my child ingest poison. You want to hear what happened there? Oh dear. Read it and weep: What happens if you call 117.

Oh, and I had tried calling the Philippine National Red Cross too. No luck there either.

So yes, I am overjoyed to find out that there is, in fact, a poison control office in the Philippines. Should my children accidentally ingest something toxic in the middle of the night, I will not be guessing what number to call, hoping the d*mn number works and that there is somebody competent and helpful who will answer on the other side.

Sidenote: Yesterday, my 4-year-old daughter climbed up the kitchen counter, reached up the 6-foot-high shelf, and swallowed an adult iron supplement tablet. Grrr.

A Freebie Blog You Must Bookmark

2010-11-20T10:01:00.003+08:00

Just a quick post to share a new find:

If you like freebies as much as I do, bookmark this URL (just as I did): Mukhangpera.com.

Don't let yourself get turned off by the mercenary-sounding domain name. We smart 'uns never judge books by their covers, right?

In fact, Mukhangpera.com was christened with tongue in cheek. Its real aim, in addition to updating us on sales and freebies, is to "teach you how to make money online and offline."

The MP blog is written by Karen Ang.

And have I found anything worthwhile in the site? Well, so far, I've signed up for a free Ingat kit from IngatPilipinas.com. I don't know what's in there, but I'll let you know as soon as I find out!

Selling Things Online: Interview with Karen Lopez

2010-11-19T12:19:00.011+08:00

We have a treat in store today for mommies wanting to start their own online retail stores!

Mommy Karen Lopez is the owner of the highly successful MOMtrepreneur Shop, and she has kindly obliged to give us an email interview today.

So without further ado, here's the interview!

NANAY NOTEBOOK: Please tell us something about yourself.

KAREN LOPEZ: I am a mother of three beautiful girls, ages 17, 10, and 1 year 10 months. I love to cook for my family, and I love traveling, discovering new places with them.

NN: What did you do before you started your home business?

KL: I was an events planner before, and I also used to teach events planning seminars.

ROUTINE IS IMPORTANT

NN: Could you please tell us about your work-at-home job? What is it about?

KL: My business is about giving unique and helpful products to mommies and babies. My working day starts after the older kids go to school and the baby has had her breakfast.

At 8:30, armed with a cup of hot tea, I begin my work day. I check my emails, FB page, and Multiply, and I answer inquiries. Then I take down orders and text the clients regarding payment options. I also arrange delivery schedules and review our inventory. This takes the whole morning already.

After lunch, I meet with suppliers/sub-contractors and my sewers to check on their progress. I also check if we still have enough packaging and labels for our products. And I also check schedules for receivable payments from stores and resellers. Then I go back to my laptop and answer some more emails and messages. Then it's time to pick up my kid from school and do some errands such as going to the grocery, etc. Then when I get home, I start to prepare our dinner.

That is my typical day. But sometimes, it gets so hectic with more meetings, pickups, and deliveries. Also extra errands, like parent-teacher conferences, doctor's visit, etc. It gets extra chaotic when it's bazaar season.

STARTING THE BUSINESS

NN: How did you come up with this business?

KL: We had been wanting another baby since my second child was 3 years old. But after years of trying, my former doctor told me that it's impossible for me to have another child.

But after 10 years, just when we'd given up, I find out I was pregnant with our miracle baby, Isabella. It was a risky pregnancy and I was put on bed rest for months, which meant no work — no events planning, no teaching seminars — for me. That's when the idea started.

Ten months after I gave birth, MOMtrepreneur Shop was born. All our products were created or sourced because of our own needs. And I am proud to say that we use all the products that we sell. I don't carry any product that I don't believe in. Comfort and safety are very much important.

NN: What specific steps did you take when you were just starting? Didn't you feel any apprehensions about starting out on your own?

KL: I started out small with just one or two products. But I didn't feel any apprehensions because I started out small, and also because I know my products will be helpful to mommies, just as they've been helpful to me.

NN: What difficulties did you have then? How did you overcome them?

KL: As for difficulties, it was not that bad because I am quite a resilient and persistent person. Maybe my only complaint is that sometimes I get too busy, especially during bazaar season. But I make sure I spend quality time with my family after the bazaars.

DOING THE BUSINESS

NN: What is your role in your business now? Have you delegated tasks?

KL: As of now, I am a one-woman act, from inventory, to production, to sales & marketing, art work, etc. But my eldest child helps out in bazaars during weekends. And now, I've hired sales people, and I am training this girl to be my assistant.

NN: What difficulties do you meet now? And how do you overcome them?

KL: I don't really consider them as problems. Nothing is easy in this world. You just have to take a deep breath and tackle the job. I always believe that things can be difficult but not impossible.

NN: What would you say prepared you to be able to do the things you are doing now?

KL: I love working — I started working when I was 14. The sense of accomplishment and my family is what fuels me. Also, being a working mom has really trained me to multitask.

WISE ADVICE

NN: What advice could you give mothers who also want to start a business like yours?

KL: Start small. Do not be in a hurry by investing big, because if it fails, you lose big too. If you start small, the risk is not that great.

And most important, you have to be passionate about your line of business. You should not get into it just for the money. So if you're passionate about fashion, go into that business. If it's cooking or baking, then go into the food business. (Now will be a great time to go into food, since it’s the holiday season.)

I got into this because I am passionate about everything about moms and babies. And I am passionate about offering products that help moms and will continue to help them in this journey called motherhood.

NN: Thanks, Mommy Karen! Please invite our readers to your blog or website.

KL: Please visit our website, www.Facebook.com/MOMtrepreneur. And we will be opening our first store, MOMtrepreneur Shop, in Shangri-la Mall (4th level) by November 30. Please do visit us there to find unique, fun, and helpful products for mommies and babies.

- - - - - -

P.S. Want to see more of MOMtrepreneur on the web? The Nanay Notebook has found more of Karen Lopez on Smart Parenting. Check it out for more advice on putting up your own online store.

You can also meet Karen Lopez in person! MOMtrepreneur Shop will be at Expo MOM this Saturday (Nov. 20) to be held at the Rockwell Tent. They will also be in the International Bazaar on Sunday (Nov. 21) at the PICC Forum.

And here are some of MOMtrepreneur Shop's products. Two weeks ago, I got the ladybug safety harness for my three-year-old. Shipped pretty fast!

(Please click on the image to enlarge. When the new window opens, press CTRL then use your mouse scroll wheel to zoom and make the image larger and clearer.)

Please click on the image to enlarge.

How to Find the Perfect Business for Yourself

2010-11-16T16:46:00.007+08:00

For most of us, one of the biggest stumbling blocks to starting our own business is the very first block: "What product or service shall I sell?"

The answer many successful business people always give: find something you're passionate about.

But some of us want more specific instructions than that.

So here's a set of specific instructions.

Get a large piece of paper, some scotch tape, string, and a pencil. Tie the string on the pencil, and tape the paper and pencil somewhere very easily accessible to you but out of reach for the toddlers in case you have any. This brainstorming activity lasts a few days and needs writing, so you need to make sure you have pencil and paper handy whenever you need it.
Adjust your mindset. In this brainstorming phase, you are not looking for a business; you are looking for a hobby with benefits! And you are looking for ways you can serve others.

Two of my online mentors, Rhea Perry and Bo Sanchez, have said the same thing: Don't look for ways to earn. Look for ways to serve.

The more you serve, the more you earn. The money is a delicious side benefit. But I can tell you from experience, the joy of serving is delicious too—but like all delicious things, you can't appreciate it until you've tasted it yourself.
Start listing down things you enjoy doing. Do you enjoy
- taking care of babies?
- teaching a subject?
- giving massages?
- finding misused apostrophes on ad billboards?
- making up stories for your children?
- cooking huge meals?
- cleaning the house?
- washing your car?
- wrapping gifts?
- organizing parties?
And it's not just the regular enjoyable things you can put on this list. What things do others consider work but gives you so much satisfaction?

My mom, for instance, loves cleaning the house and doing the laundry. On bad days, she goes to my sister's house and my house, takes out all our clothes hampers, and washes clothes like there's no tomorrow. It's almost tempting to gloom up her days just so we can escape doing the laundry ourselves, but we love her too much.

The point is, what others may find tedious, you may find enjoyable. Don't let others' opinions affect your "enjoyable" list.

Don't worry either about whether you're good enough at these to actually charge for them. If you enjoy doing these tasks, you're probably much better at them than somebody who doesn't like doing them at all.

And for somebody who doesn't like to do these but needs them to be done, your service will be a God-send—and you can charge higher for them too.
List down things you wish you have ever wished you could buy or rent. Have you ever wished you could
- buy prepaid load online?
- rent a stroller for a three-day trip?
- buy a pre-decorated Christmas tree—or rent one, to avoid the hassles of storage?
- buy secondhand or vintage Reader's Digests?
- buy used but decent house clothes for your baby? (Babies, as you know, are often very sanitized and disinfected creatures. They seldom have body odor or athlete's foot. And they usually grow out of their clothes before the clothes have a chance to wear out.)
- rent a chocolate fountain for your baby's first birthday?
If you've ever wanted to buy or rent any of these, chances are somebody has wished the same thing too. List them down!
After a week or so, you'll probably have come up with a pretty good list. Now you can start thinking about businesses you can do from these list items. If you like cleaning houses, you could offer general or weekly cleaning services. If you enjoy taking care of kids, why not open a family day care of sorts, where friends can take their kids when they want to go out by themselves for a movie and grandma isn't available?

Now, don't wet-towel your business even before you start it: don't concern yourself too much with marketing.

In fact, you don't want a big market yet—not while you're starting and practicing. Remember, this is a side business. You don't want it to take too much time or too much overhead.

Of course, your side business can eventually turn into a fulltime business. Let it grow naturally. Starting slow will let you make less mistakes. Wanting to start big will only keep you from starting at all.

The important thing is to start!

I read this interesting story from The Simple Dollar:

The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced. All those on the right, solely on the work's quality.

He further said that on the final day of class, he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the “quantity” group. Fifty pounds of pots would earn them an A.

Those being graded on quality needed to produce only one pot – albeit a perfect one – to get an A.

When grading time came, a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity.

It seems that while the “quantity” group was busily churning out piles of work – and learning from their mistakes – the “quality” group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.

The important thing—I can't say this often enough—is to start.

P.S. We all have our excuses not to start: "I don't have the time." "I don't have the money." "I don't have the skills." "I have small children in the house." "My husband/wife is not supportive." "My landlord will never allow it."

Before you let yourself listen to all sorts of reasons not to start walking towards your dream, watch this video by Wayne Dyer: Excuses Begone! (What's Stopping You from Being Where You Want to Be?).

Five Businesses You Could Launch This Christmas Season

2010-11-16T02:45:00.008+08:00

Christmas is coming fast, and if you can't feel it yet in your bones, trust me on this: you will feel it soon enough on your pocketbook.

Now's the time a lot of us are thinking of ways to earn more; fortunately, Christmastime also comes filled with great business opportunities.

Here are five of them:

1. Cake/cookie selling. As Christmas approaches, bazaars are mushrooming all around, and these are the perfect places to launch small businesses like homemade cakes and cookies. The foot traffic in these places are great, and these people will be tired, hungry, and needful of quick energy that a sugar rush provides -- the perfect victims to your sweet desserts.

What's more, cakes and cookies are terrific, foolproof, and inexpensive ideas for office gift exchanges or Christmas desserts.

2. Babysitting. As parents have to go out to more Christmas parties, there will inevitably be times when they will need to leave the children with somebody they trust. A neighbor -- like you -- could be the perfect candidate if your kids are already playmates with their kids. But they won't come knocking if they're not sure how you'll feel about watching over their kids. Imagine their relief and joy when they find your flier on their gate, letting them know that their kids are welcome at your house, even if you charge a set fee per hour!

And once they know your doors are open at Christmas, they'll be more likely to come knocking the rest of the year too!

3. Pet lodge. Christmas time is vacation time, and not all pet owners can or want to bring their pets with them. Let them know you're open to housing and feeding their pets while they're away! It will free their minds, and your kids will have a Christmas playmate.

4. Catering or cook-for-hire. We all love to eat, but we don't all love to cook, and believe it or not, some of us would rather hire somebody than be forever indebted to our more culinarily-talented relatives.

So if you're a good cook, spread the word that your services are available. If you send out fliers, clarify if you would include shopping for ingredients in your charge. You could include your menu suggestions too, and get their mouths watering!

5. Gift wrapping. This one is highly seasonal work, but it could help with your highly seasonal expenses. Simply post a sign in front of your house that you offer gift wrapping services and wait for the Christmas crammers to come calling. Stock up on tape, boxes, and wrapping paper. In any case, these are non-perishable, and if you don't get to use them up, you certainly will next Christmas!

One thing you could do to extend the lifespan of this side job is by informing your gift-wrapping clients that you will also offer book wrapping (with plastic cover) come start of the coming school year. (Then, of course, if you told them you would do it, you really ought to!)

Incidentally, if your kids are big enough, it would be wise to "volunteer" them too in this activity. You're going to need lots of hands!

None of these ideas work for you? Here are fifty more ideas you could look at: 50 Side Businesses You Can Start On Your Own.

A Peek Into the Nanay Household

2010-10-29T22:12:00.003+08:00

A couple months or so ago, the TV crew of Net 25's MOMents came to visit our home.

Here's what came out of that visit.

How to Find Work-at-Home Jobs and Not Get Scammed

2010-10-28T10:34:00.008+08:00

The Nanay Notebook has a new offering. Look up at the page tabs up there: do you see the new one that says "Find Work"?

Yes, we've been receiving so many emails from moms asking if we know of any place where they can find work they can do from home (I wish they would comment instead), we've decided to add this page to our site.

Click the Find Work! tab and check it out.

A word of warning: BEWARE OF SCAMS!

As you should already know, the Internet can be full of scammers, and even the best job posting sites (such as Odesk or Elance) have their share of this filth.

So here are a few tips on ...

How Not to Get Scammed When Looking for Work-at-Home Jobs

1. Always keep all transactions and communication within the job posting site's system. For instance, if you found the job on Odesk, use Odesk's system to communicate with your buyers.

Never give out your personal email. Using the system means all your transactions are recorded within the system. That makes it easier to resolve disputes should any arise.

2. Never accept payment offers outside of the system. Job posting sites require the buyer to send the payment to the job posting site, not directly to you. The job posting site will then send you your payments via PayPal.

This is the safest method for you, so keep within it. Never accept direct payments from the buyer to your PayPal. And never accept offers to pay via Western Union, unless you are sure the buyer can be trusted. (So far, the only ones I have trusted to send me money via Western Union are Google Ads and Triond.)

3. Avoid sending "sample" work that the buyer can use. If they want to see how you write, a sample work from your portfolio should suffice. If they ask for something they can already use for their site, be aware that the risk is high they have asked hundreds of applicants for these "samples" and that way, have gotten work done for free.

4. Realize that jobs should pay you, not the other way around. If the job requires you to pay them anything so that you can work, it's 99 percent guaranteed to be a scam.

How to Get Money Out of PayPal Without a Credit Card

2010-10-25T00:07:00.010+08:00

When I was just starting to work online, one of the biggest things that held me back was this: If I get paid via PayPal — and on Elance and Odesk, all payments are made via PayPal only — how can I get my money out without a credit card?

A credit card, you see, is a requirement to have your PayPal account verified. With an unverified account, you can only transfer money to other PayPal users, but you can never withdraw money from PayPal to your bank account.

Well, there two ways to get your money out of PayPal without a credit card:

Find a friend who has a verified PayPal account, and ask that friend if he/she will let you transfer your PayPal funds to them and give the cash to you.
Open an Eon account at UnionBank. The debit card they will issue can be used for verifying your account at PayPal, so you can withdraw your money to a bank account.

An additional advantage of opening a UnionBank Eon account is that if you transfer PayPal funds to this account, there will be absolutely no service charges from the bank. If you transfer from PayPal to other banks, there is a service charge ranging from about P70 (Metrobank) to P200 (BDO and RCBC).

Note: I've only listed the banks I've actually transferred money to. Just because a bank is not listed here does not mean it has no service charge. It probably does.

Home-Based Call Center Work: Interview with Donna Donor-Javier

2010-10-14T20:06:00.006+08:00

It’s been two weeks, I know. This Filipino mom has got a not-so-secret project, and it’s taking up a lot of work. I’ll be unveiling it when everything’s been ironed out.

In the meantime ...

Welcome to the second of our series of interviews with real-life mommies who have succeeded in earning income working from home.

Mommy Donna has, not one, but two jobs she does from home. She’s part of the support team (HR) of a virtual call center, Homeshoring Solutions, and she also teaches English to Koreans on the side using Skype.

This interview was conducted via IM and naturally begins with one of the most common concerns of working moms:

NANAY NOTEBOOK: Do you have a yaya for your son?

DONNA DONOR-JAVIER: Nope. Ever since, I’ve never had one.

JUGGLING FAMILY AND WORK

NN: How do you hold classes???

DDJ: I’m in (my work) room while he entertains himself in the other room. He’s been trained to keep quiet once I have my headset on, although, of course, at times, he can be cranky too.

I started working from home when he was a year old.

NN: How does he amuse himself?

DDJ: Playing with his toys — sometimes my mom takes care of him when I’m super busy.

I live with my parents. When my dad got sick, I needed to leave my job to manage everything in the hospital and at home. Then when I was ready to go back to work and started applying, my mom called to tell me that they needed to rush my father again to the hospital, so na-trauma na ako.

FINDING A HOME-BASED JOB

NN: Has Homeshoring Solutions always been your employer since you began working from home?

DDJ: Yes, Homeshoring was my first home-based job.

NN: How did you find out about it?

DDJ: They had a posting at BestJobs.ph.

NN: You’ve been there how many years?

DDJ: I’ve been with Homeshoring for more than two years now.

NN: Is the English-teaching job from Bestjobs.ph as well?

DDJ: Yes.

HOME-BASED CALL CENTER AGENTS

NN: If somebody applies for a home-based call center agent position at Homeshoring Solutions, what can they expect? Is it a regular full-time job with regular full-time government benefits?

DDJ: No government benefits. People can work either part time or full time, depending on their availability. We pay our agents by the hour.

NN: What sorts of accounts do your agents handle?

DDJ: Most of the campaigns that we handle have to do with sales, so it's a plus if the applicant has sales experience (inbound/outbound, cross-selling, upselling). We don't accept those who have zero call center experience.

We are also hiring people for non-voice accounts — virtual assistants, web developers, SEO experts, etc.

NN: Okay, last question: what advice would you give to other mothers looking to work at home?

DDJ: When they do their job, do it professionally. Earnings in home-based jobs can really provide decent living, but it takes time, so just be patient, and their time to earn big bucks will eventually come. They just need to do their best in their job.

NN: What do you mean by “it takes time”?

DDJ: Some are not patient when they get into this job. They want to earn big immediately.

If an agent’s statistics suck, he or she will get “sent home” early. If they have good statistics, their rate per hour can increase, and their position may level up too!

HOW MUCH CAN YOU EARN?

NN: Are you at liberty to quote the hourly pay the company gives?

DDJ: Yes. One hundred pesos per hour, as a starter. TLs are earning 25k++. However, some campaigns can be more generous than others, so the per hour rates might be different.

NN: Could one be assured of eight hours of work, since they are being paid per hour?

DDJ: If you are doing good, you are guaranteed more hours than those who are not.

NN: Would you say, then, that this is more of a supplementary income job? Or could somebody actually support her family all by herself from this?

DDJ: I advise those who are breadwinners to do home-based jobs on a part-time basis first, especially if they are newbies in the business. Eventually, they can do it full time.

Excuses Begone! (What's keeping you from being where you want to be?)

2010-09-20T11:38:00.007+08:00

Here's inspiration for a Monday morning. If you're at work, wait until you get home to view this. Because if you view it now, I'll guarantee you won't get any work done today.

This is part 1 of 13. Thanks, Tita Vidda, for introducing me to Wayne Dyer!

Free Snapit Screen Capture Software Registration Key

2010-09-18T02:11:00.005+08:00

Don't you just hate the fact that screenshot images get degraded when you paste them on MS Paint to be able to save them as image files?

Try SnapIt, a screen capture software which allows you to capture anything on the screen, including

windows,
menus,
full screen,
rectangular regions,
web pages, and
shots of moving images.

The company is conducting a promotion that allows you to get a free registration key simply by writing a review in any blog/forum/Twitter/Facebook, etc.

Just contact julia.taylor@digeus.com with a link to the review, and she'll issue you a registration name and code.

Promo lasts until October 15, 2010.

To know more about Snapit, you may visit its website: www.Digeus.com/Snapit.

Social Media Marketer: Interview with Fleire Castro

2010-09-17T13:44:00.005+08:00

This is the first of our series of interviews with real-life mommies who have succeeded in earning income working from home.

Our first mom who so kindly shares her experiences with us is Fleire Castro, social marketing assistant and project manager.

NANAY NOTEBOOK: Please tell us a little about yourself.

FLEIRE CASTRO: My name is Fleire Castro. I am a freelancer and a homeschooling mom. Some know me as Mae Castro at oDesk, and sometimes Likke on my social profiles. Stalk me out sometime if you wish to get in touch. :)

NN: What is your work-at-home job?

FC: I have two: a full-time programming job and my part-time jobs as a social media marketing assistant and project manager. Yes, they are all work-from-home.

Often, when people ask me what my work is, I just say “programmer” when I want to avoid weird looks and people asking me, “Social what???”

NN: Valid question, though. What is a social media marketing assistant?

FC: A social media marketing assistant is somebody who helps companies find and use the right channels and tools to engage a brand’s followers or potentially interested connections.

For my social media marketing projects, I handle client social media accounts and keep them updated.

NN: So you must be on Facebook and Twitter a lot, huh?

FC: Those are the top channels right now.

NN: This is a very personal question, but I’m sure some readers would want to know what percentage of your income comes from your fulltime programming job and what’s from your part-time work?

FC: I earn 50% of my income from my part-time projects, which are either social media marketing or project management work.

NN: Okay, so let’s talk about your freelance jobs. How long have you been working as a social media marketer and project manager?

FC: I am on my second year freelancing. Within that time frame, I have developed extra hands.

Kidding aside, it involves crazy time management abilities to handle a full-time job, part-time projects, homeschooling a kid and running a household at the same time.

Sometimes, I go to sleep too!

NN: Oh, I know what you mean! Now we’ll focus on your job in social media marketing (SMM). What skills would we need to be able to do a job like that?

FC: For SMM, you need skills in writing, basic knowledge of SEO, a bit of copywriting, and lots of awesome conversational English.

NN: How did you acquire those skills?

FC: From college. From my previous jobs. From self-learning. I am an Information Technology graduate so I attribute most of my skills to my college degree. I was also able to work on two office jobs before turning to freelancing. The rest are self taught through lots of reading and doing.

NN: And how do you find work as a social media marketing assistant?

FC: I mainly find work via online job boards, specifically, oDesk. I send out a sincere application letter to openings that I know I can help out with — I have mentioned it in my recent article How to Succeed in oDesk? which answered a question from a fellow mommy.

NN: Do you have any advice for our readers who want to do work like yours?

FC: As Seth Godin has said, “If you want to go into marketing, then market.” Market yourself. Market your favorite band, TV show, your blog — start somewhere.

NN: Do you have a website we can visit for more information?

FC: I maintain just two blogs. It gets crazy sometimes, and I don't get to update my work blog which is at Web Working & Social Media | Fleire Castro.

But I always make sure to update my son Dabby's homeschooling blog at Likke. Do visit me there and check out the crazies that I do!

Work at Home as a Virtual Assistant

2010-09-03T04:42:00.008+08:00

Last month, I got a new job, and now that I've more or less learned the ropes, I'm eager to tell you about it.

What's the new job? This nanay is now a virtual assistant!

What is a virtual assistant (VA)?

A VA is somebody hired contractually to do administrative work for someone else.

Two keywords: First, contractually, meaning no employer-employee relationship. You don't get paid holidays and sick days. You do your own paperwork for taxes, SSS, and Philhealth.

Second, administrative. VAs do detail-oriented and organizational tasks such as writing, designing, scheduling, phone answering.

VAs are not consultants. We do not give advice on how to run a business or how to market a product. But when the owner knows what tasks need to be done to run her business and market her products, we do those tasks for her.

Different kinds of virtual assistants

There are as many kinds of virtual assistants as there are jobs that need to be outsourced. Some of the most common kinds of VAs are

Writers: write press releases, technical material, sales letters, blog entries
Graphics/website designers: provide web graphics, templates, illustrations
Event planners
Phone-call takers: customer service, sales
Internet marketing support: manage Facebook pages, post on forums, update Twitter

Note: Most VAs do several of these, either for different clients or for just one.

What skills do I need to become a VA?

1) Computer literacy. You should, at the very least, know how to use Word, Excel, Google, and Skype.

2) Resourcefulness. Often, your client will ask you to do something you have never done before. You need to be able to quickly learn how to do it. And you need to be able to get it done.

3) Administrative skills. You are, technically, running your own business. You need to know how to answer the phone properly; compose a proper email; write output reports, work journals, and invoices; and do your own taxes. The best VAs will have several years of corporate experience behind them.

4) Soft skills. It's not enough to be competent. You need to be able to communicate that competence to your clients. And you need to be able to convince your clients that your specific competence is the one they need for their business to succeed.

5) Integrity. You are working at a remote location in your own time. This requires a huge amount of trust from your clients, for them to believe that you are doing your best possible work in the hours you are charging them for. This trust can be very fragile; be careful not to break it.

What tools will I need?

Always required:

A speedy computer
Reliable broadband Internet (I recommend Globe DSL.)
A phone
A Paypal account (It's the easiest and safest way to get paid.)

Sometimes required:

Skype (downloadable for free)
A headset and mic
Printer and scanner, or a fax machine
A webcam

Optional but very useful:

Time-tracking program (I recommend Grindstone.)
A Blackberry (This I do not have!)

How can I find work as a VA?

There are actually several ways to do this.

1) Try out Remote Staff. Click the link to find out more about this company that hires people to do fulltime work from home.

2) Open an account at Odesk and Elance, then browse through the jobs there. Remember that most VA jobs are advertised by their specific titles such as "writer" or "web designer" or "forum poster".

Ads for "virtual assistant" are often for more personal-assistant-type jobs, where a Blackberry would really be helpful, if not necessary.

Keep in mind too that many Odesk and Elance jobs begin as short-term contracts, but as your client gets to work with you longer and knows you better, there could be a chance that you will get offered longer contracts.

For instance, my client's graphic artist began working for him at Odesk, but is now working for him fulltime.

When you've built up a portfolio, you can market yourself through a Facebook page and your own website.

3) Market yourself via Facebook. You could send a private message -- not a shoutout if you are still employed -- to your Facebook friends that you are starting out independently, offering such-and-such service in this field that they know you've been doing well already for several years, and if they ever need this service or know anybody who needs it, please keep you in mind.

You could also open a Facebook page for your business, and if you're not the shy type, you could use your own name on it! After all, when you send your Like invites to your friends, it would be very hard for them to refuse to Like a page that has the name of a person they actually like (you!)

(My social media expert friend Fleire did this, and I certainly found it hard not to click on Like because I do like Fleire.)

4) Put up your own website. It need not be anything fancy or complicated, as long as it has

An easy-to-remember descriptive name with a .com ending
A contact form on every page (make it easy for your clients to contact you!)
An About Me page that describes some of your personal as well as professional background
A Services page detailing what you do and how it can benefit your client
A Portfolio page
A list of your rates

You don't need to be a professional web designer to build your site. Blogger.com offers easily customizable templates, and there are others you can download for free online. (I'll also be releasing a free ebook for non-techies on how to customize your webpage/blog -- as soon as I find the time to write it.)

Blogger also gives you the option to get your own .com domain name for just about 500 pesos a year.

You could also have a blogspot.com domain name for free, but if you are building a business site, it just won't look professional to have "blogspot" attached to it.

When you've sowed the seed, give it time to grow

Like any business, don't expect your VA business to prosper overnight. You need about to build up your skills, your network, your client base.

On the other hand, this is something you can begin building up even while you keep your day job. Then, when work gets more stable, you could find the courage to completely let go of your office work and immerse yourself in your new business.

So don't fret if you don't find a fulltime job as a VA immediately. What's important is you begin to "plant the seed" early. The sooner you do that, the sooner it will start to grow.

Free Books from Adarna House!

2010-08-05T15:47:00.002+08:00

Okay, I'm using up my fifteen-minute coffee break (hi, boss, if you're reading this ...) to pass forward this freebie announcement from one of my favorite book publishers, Adarna House.

They're giving away free books!

Of course there's a catch, but a very small one if you ask me. Just choose one of Adarna House's books, write a short review of at least 400 words, and e-mail your review to ergoe@adarna.com.ph. Once they publish your review, they will send you the books, so include in your email the titles of the books you want to receive.

For more details, please go to the related post at the Adarna House blog. You want to view that post because there are guide questions there to make it easier for you to write the reviews!

By the way, did I mention that each review will earn you TWO free story books of your choice?

So what are you waiting for? Go write that review!!!

Truly Rich Mom

2010-08-05T11:02:00.006+08:00

If you're a fan of Bo Sanchez, like I am, the "truly rich" phrase would ring a bell. It alludes to Mr. Sanchez's Truly Rich Club, a group of people who are learning how to be rich so that they will have something to share!

And this morning, through the comments section of my Get Rich Slowly post, I met a fellow mom who also has a blog that I believe the Nanay Notebook readers might also be interested in.

The name of her blog is Truly Rich Mom. The author's name is Tina (I don't have her last name), and she advocates homeschooling, breastfeeding, and financial literacy for every Filipino family.

I can think of no better way to describe her blog than by this verse she put right below its title:

Do not worry and say, "What are we to eat?" or "What are we to drink?" or "What are we to wear?" All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. (Matthew 6:31-33)

Her latest post that I landed upon when I saw her blog for the first time explained why breastfeeding is pro-family, pro-life, pro-poor, and pro-God. I highly recommend it as the insights are unique, as far as I've seen.

If you would like to read her blog and see what it has in store for you, you can click right here: Truly Rich Mom.

Happy reading!

Free Webinar: How to REALLY Write a Book in One Weekend

2010-08-04T11:28:00.002+08:00

I'm just taking a few minutes to send you all this RUSH announcement as the free webinar will be held at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, Thursday!

I'm copy-pasting this text from an email sent to me by Rhea Perry, who is the also author of Ten Things This Mama Taught Her Kids About Having Their Own Business, a wonderful (and free!) ebook that I've reviewed in this blog. (To read the review, please click on the title. To get the free ebook, please click here!)

Anyway, here's her email:

10 Reasons Why You Should Write a Book

1. God has done a great work in your life that others are waiting
to hear.

2. If you don't give the message, the lessons you have learned will
be lost.

3. If you share the message with others, the message will live
forever.

4. If you share your message with others, it could change their
lives.

5. Your children are waiting to hear it.

6. Your grandchildren will want to hear it.

7. When you look at what God has done in you and for you, you will
realize how blessed you are.

8. You will be recognized as an expert in that arena.

9. You may be asked to speak about your topic to spread the word
even more.

10. You can create another stream of income with every book you
write.

Whether you would love to write fiction or non-fiction, your
message will never get to those who need it until you write it down
in a book.

Tomorrow night, Wednesday, August 4 at 9 PM Eastern time, author
coach (and one of my Best Friends) Kristen Eckstein will show you

How to REALLY Write a Book in One Weekend

Kristen wrote her most recent book in 3 1/2 days. She says it's
possible.

However, there are certain strategies you really need to have in
place to make the "weekend" successful.

Tomorrow night at 9 PM ET [9 a.m. in the Philippines], Kristen will expose the truth in a
complimentary web class that you can watch right on your computer!

Reserve seats for your family here:

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=FfJph&m=1gEmHC0sKZdPeP&b=j6DVf2w.umYm2frdlkk8IA

If you haven't met Kristen yet, tune in at 9 PM ET tomorrow night.
Trust me, you'll love her!

So many books, so little time...

Rhea!
who wants YOU to write that book!

P.S. You are welcome to forward this invitation to all the writers
you know. It may just change their lives!

How to Manage Your Money and Get Out of Debt

2010-07-28T23:33:00.008+08:00

I'm on my first week in my new job as a virtual assistant, spending a lot of time learning the ropes and getting into the groove of things, which means I'm not able to write one of my long articles that I know you all love so much (hahaha).

So instead, I'm gonna let Davey here do the talking for me. It's a nice short lecture; I hope you all gain something from it!

Did you like this video? Let us know!