Hello February 2013!

Whoa, that went fast. Yep, we're now at February!

How does one sanely manage 2 kids (3y.o. + newborn) while homeschooling
and working from home? Inquiring minds want to know...

Nope, we're NOT having anyone come over to help, nor getting help, nor sending
anyone to childcare.

Ahh... here's to better planning, organizing and executing :)


Photo credit

Blessed to be a Work At Home Mom!

Thank you Lord! I'm quite happy to be working again. Mind you, my current work
is really God sent. Not in an "i think so" way. But, in an "i KNOW so" way.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me - Philippians 4:13
I really thought being a WAHM had become a far stretch. My cost of living had
gone up. Naturally, my rate just had to be higher... Suddenly, I found myself
competing against "native" speakers. Sure, I was confident I was as good as them.
I wasn't as confident that people will look past "heritage". And so, I considered
going back to work. I had to think long and hard about that. After all, that meant
sending our 2y.o. M to daycare!!! But he's so young!!!

Then I realized, maybe being a WAHM wasn't just a matter of convenience.
Maybe being a WAHM was really part of God's plan for our family!?! So I
said, "Lord, I will give this my best. That's all I can do. If you want me to be a
Work-At-Home-Mom, then you will give me a work-at-home project/job."
As soon as I meant it, the opportunities arrived and my current work materialized.

Once you're lucky, twice you're good - Tim Ferriss
I have to admit it's taken me quite awhile to share this. And by that I mean I've
been working online since July 2010; fellow Virtual Assistants normally share
their good news much much sooner. It took time for me to share this because
I thought my previous VA work was a stroke of luck. Add to that "well
intentioned" people who hinted that working online was not a viable career.
Thus, it's only now that I'm back working that I can say for sure, this is the
real deal.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people 
permission to do the same. - Marianne Williamson
The good news that fellow VAs shared in our Facebook Group, really
inspired me when I had my doubts. If they could do it, so could I. Now it's
my turn to pay it forward.

I hope that in some way I have inspired you. Nope, I am not telling you
to quit your job and work at home. Work at home is not for everyone.
Pray about it and discern if this is the direction that the Lord is leading
you. If it is, do know that you are not alone. We are doing it, so can you!


I would like to give special thanks to Jomar Hilario for being an excellent
mentor. Thank you for generously sharing what you know to us all. Thank
you for believing in me and encouraging me to succeed. My learning
investmentS --- yes, I've invested and still invest in Jomar's seminars and
workshops --- are worth it!

Thank you to Ella, Eihdra, Paul, Hyatt and Jay for sharing your story and
inspiring us to pursue online success.

Thank you to Marvin for sharing the work opportunity.

Thank you to H for the love and support.


Jomar is conducting a Virtual Assistant Seminar this Sat, 17th March.
It's the last for the next few months as he has other events lined up for
April and May. It's best to sign up before the seminar as the walk-in
rate is higher. Click here for details on the Virtual Assistant Seminar:
http://bit.ly/vaseminarlive

If you're interested in attending the Virtual Assistant Seminar but can't

make it on Saturday, you can avail of the online version. Go here for

details on the Online Virtual Assistant Seminar: http://bit.ly/onlinevaseminar

Photo Credit

05 Nov '11 Manila Virtual Assistant Seminar

Whoopee! Pinay Mom Adventures is nearing it's 100th Post! As a way of celebrating,
I decided to pay it forward by giving a short sharing at the Nov. 5 How to be a Virtual
Assistant Seminar. Yes, I attended this Seminar last April 2010 and have been a Work
at Home Mom since then. Who would have thought huh?

And yet, I could not help but feel excited by the new insights gained from the Virtual
Assistant Seminar. New tools, new approaches and new friends. Thank you Jomar,
staffers and attendees; I had a blast! See you all online!

If you missed the Nov. 5 Virtual Assistant Seminar, you may want to check out the
online version here:  http://bit.ly/onlinevaseminar


Image courtesy of Jomar Hilario

3 Tips on How to Successfully Complete the VA Seminar Assignment

*** December 2014 Update ***

Technology changes and so must we. Use the tools that are recommended in
the VA Seminar. Yes, Blogger may not even be there anymore. Good luck! :)

--------------------------------------
After more than a year of dilly-dally and delay, I am FINALLY doing the VA
Assignment for the Virtual Assistant Seminar. You see, I attended the VA
Seminar last year and I've been working as a Virtual Assistant for more than
a year now. It's been really great. Now, it's time for better and brighter things.

So what's the VA Assignment for? Well, it's supposed to serve as my online
portfolio. Of course, if I had done the VA Assignment last year, like I was
supposed to, I would now just easily send my resume to prospective clients.
Unfortunately, I didn't. Soooooo, I've been working on it lately, again.
Reality bites huh.


3 Tips on How to Successfully Complete the VA Seminar Assignment:

1. Plan
    Most people dont finish the VA Assignment because they feel overwhelmed
    by what needs to be done. STOP! Affirm yourself that you're going to
    get it done.
 
    That being said,
    a. Decide on when you will work on the assignment. Daily? Weekly?
        I suggest scheduling this to coincide with your inspired moments.
    b. Decide on which tasks to work on first. Don't expect to do it all at the
        same time.
    c. Look at what others have done. Gain some inspiration and get some tips
        on how to go about doing it all.
    c. Join the FB Group and ask questions from others as needed.

2. Do
    Just do it. One step at time. Rest when you feel tired. Afterwards, work on
    it again.

3. Check then Act
    If you noticed, Check then Act are nicely bundled together. Why? Avoid
    the common mistake of analysis by paralysis; move move move.

    At the end of each week, assess what you've accomplished. Check to see
    if you're progressing as planned. Make the necessary adjustments so that
    you can work better towards completing your goal of submitting your
    VA Assignment. Stop only when you're done.


My Progress
I'm probably 15% done; still have a looooooong way to go. I am terribly
resisting the urge to just get the VA Assignment done and over with.
It's important to do a good job because completing the assignment will
result in more online mileage; it will show if you put in the effort or if you
did things half baked. Patience truly is a virtue.


Need a little more motivation? You might want to read this and this on why
I use blogger.


Want to know more about the VA Seminar I attended?
Click here for details on the Online Virtual Assistant Seminar:
           http://bit.ly/onlinevaseminar

Go here for more details on the Virtual Assistant Seminar (Live Event):
           http://bit.ly/vaseminarlive


Image courtesy of bludgeoner86

Start Now and Use Blogger

Starting something new is a difficult thing. You may have your reasons, here are some

of mine:

- There's always tomorrow.

- It's too hard.

- What if?!?

- It's gonna explode!

- Do I really have it in me to do this?

And on, and on, and on....

Yesterday, I asked everyone to make a wild guess on what The Sartorialist, 

Vosgesparis, and Ode Boutique had in common.

The usual answer: fashion, style, artistic and black + white. Okay these

are all true. But....

THE ANSWER:  Blogger.com

Whaaaaaat?!? Yes, this is a "technical" post of sorts...

The Sartorialist

Yes, The Sartorialist has been using blogger since time immemorial. You don't believe

me? Use the original URL: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com and see where you'll end 

up. Okay, he recently switched to Wordpress. But there's no denying that he did really 

well when he was still using blogger; think Time Magazine 2007 Style and Design 100
and paid advertisements from fashion brands.

VosgesParis

I love VosgesParis for its minimalist zen type approach to home design. VosgesParis 

is obviously an artist. But I love the fact that that she mildly tweaked her blogger theme

to make it all her own. 

Ode Boutique

Who would have guessed that Ode Boutique is running on Blogger. Even more

surprising is the fact that web developers now get paid to do Blogger design and 

development. I'm sure hard core developers will be screaming in protest. In the
end, it boils down to what works for the client. Interesting!!!

And so, to all who've been deliberating and delaying on starting their 1st website,

my suggestion to you is this: Start Now and Use Blogger. Blogger really is the

simplest thing to use. You can always move on to other platforms. What's most

important is that you take that first step and get yourself online. And......

May that first step bring you to better and brighter things!

Image courtesy of Blogger.com

What do these 3 sites have in common? --- It's not what you think!

What do these 3 sites have in common? --- It's not what you think! 

Make a wild guess and send me your thoughts. 

The answer comes out tomorrow. 

Enjoy!

Image courtesy of the sartorialist, vosgesparis and odeboutique.

What is a Digital Nomad?

Image courtesy of kangotraveler

In the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of people
hopping off from one country to another. Real people who've decided to ditch regular
life as we know it to head off to some other part of the world. You may know them
as digital nomads, location independents and vagabonds. Tim Ferriss of the 4 Hour 
Work Week, you sure put a lot of icing on this cake.

I had a funny conversation with my mom on why digital nomads, location independents
and vagabonds exist. You have to understand, there are many Overseas Filipino
Workers aka OFWs living and working in various parts of the world. OFWs usually
go overseas because there are better job prospects overseas. Yes, it is usually a case
of necessity. Most would rather be at home with their families; if only...

On the other hand, digital nomads, location independents and vagabonds, go overseas
for more personal reasons. They usually just want to experience what life has to offer
in this side of the world. Yes, a great number of them are here in Asia. Lo and behold,
a bunch of them were recently in my backyard for their MBA. They're here to try out
the food, the culture and the slower pace of life. Of course, it's a plus that their Dollars
and Euros go a long way here.

Mind you, this lifestyle is not just for slackers. A good number of them are
entrepreneurs. And how do they manage that? Virtual Assistants, like myself, are
hired by these digital nomads, location independents and vagabonds to ensure that
work gets done even while they're in some tropical isle.

If you're wondering, Is this for real? Or, Has the world really changed that much?
Oh yes, it most definitely has.

My life as a Virtual Assistant is taking on a new direction; hopefully for the better.
I will try to post more on this. Stay tuned.