Work-at-Home Weekend Expo 2014 + Giveaway

Since I became a mom, my priority has shifted towards taking care of my child and grooming her to become a better citizen. I really can't imagine being out the whole day and leaving my child alone with the helpers especially after hearing about the many scary stories about nannies. I also dread the day that my child would favor yaya over me and become ill-behaved which might disrupt her overall development. My conscience won't let me do that in exchange of my full-time job. I believe there's a better way to do it, being with my family while still earning on the side, making both ends meet. I had been working an eight-to-five job ever since I graduated from college until my precious little one came out. Thanks to this Facebook group, WAHMderful Community for Work-at-Home Mom, which I have came across over a year ago that gave me the push to pursue this path. It's good to see that more and more moms have already embraced the idea of staying at home, being hands-on with child-rearing, making use of their passion and skills to create income and eventually living a blissful life. That's actually the main goal of Ms. Martine de Luna, founder of the said Facebook group.

About the Expo

This coming October 25, 2014 (Saturday), WAHMderful Life and Manila Workshops are proud to present the most-awaited event of the year, The Work-at-Home Weekend Expo 2014. This one-day expo will feature twelve (12) different talks that will be useful to those aspiring and start-up entrepreneurs; and a booth area show-casing businesses of mompreneurs, online stores, companies that offer home-based jobs, and many others that would benefit the whole family.

This event will take place at the 12th floor of Insular Life Makati from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The twelve (12) talks are divided into six time slots with two talks happening simultaneously in two different areas, one near the Multi-Purpose Hall and one inside the Seminar Room C.

WAHMderful Life: Work-at-Home Mom (WAHM) Workshops

Mommies nowadays are very hands-on and love multitasking. You can just see how much they love and so eager to prioritize their children over their high paying full-time job. Luckily, there's an option to become a work-at-home mom (WAHM) and help her husband provide for the family. Aside from happily looking after their children, they even get to fulfill their passion and make money out of it.

Want to become a WAHM but don't know how? Fret no more because Manila Workshops, in their WAHMderful Life series of workshops, has come up two workshops this April to show us how to do it and how to start up our own home-based business.

Real Ways to be a WAHM

Topics include:

• How to Run your Online Store
• How to Manage Several Projects at a Time

Sub-topics include:

• Learn how to choose the Number 1 Product to Sell Online
• Zap the fear out of E-Commerce Management
• Know the Best Payment Method for Online Selling
• Learn the most effective Marketing and Advertising Strategies for your Shop
• do everything from home, on your laptop

Workshop Details:
Date: April 5, 2014 (Sat)
Time: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm (registration  starts at 9:30 am)
Venue: 12th Floor, Multi-Purpose Hall, Insular Life Building, Ayala Ave. corner Paseo De Roxas, Makati City

Learning Fee:
Regular Rate: P1,200 (after March 31)
Early Bird Rate: P1,000 (on or before March 31)
Bring a Buddy Rate: P2,000 for 2 participants

To register, please go to this link: http://manilaworkshops.com/2014/03/real-ways-to-be-a-wahm-how-to-run-an-online-store-how-to-manage-multiple-projects.html

Speakers are:

1. Joy Gurtiza

• has been in the work-at-home world for over 10 years 
• also a blogger, a food photographer, a book author, and an online marketing consultant for a technology provider for florist retailers based in California 
• a WordPress superstar! She has set up tons of WordPress and membership sites for her Canadian employer. 
• is also helping her Canadian employer to run his business by taking care of his other employees and freelancers from around the world. 
• also an entrepreneur, she set up a small inbound and outbound call center for clients from New Mexico and Florida in 2005 to 2009. 
• While running a call center at night, she operated an English school during the day. 
• a master of trial error! From managing a small call center operation to getting people enrolled in her English school; acquiring a franchise in food business to operating a photobooth for local events in Manila. Though not all was profitable she thinks it was all worth the shot! 
• can be found blogging about her food recipes and awesome food photography at joybites.com, and rants about daily life at joygurtiza.com.

2. Ginger P. Arboleda

• graduated with a Masteral of Arts in Communications Major in Integrated Marketing Communications. 
• gained project management experience from being an account executive for two of the top Advertising Agencies in the country. 
• also worked as a Managing Director for her family’s food franchise. 
• Her longest work experience was with one of the top universal banks in the Philippines as a product manager. 
• Now, she is a mompreneur involved in handling 4 different businesses: Manila Workshops (events management company), Kooky Loopy (baby clothing business), Steps Project (advocacy) and Memory Crafters (craft box subscription business). 
• also a professional blogger for Manila Reviews and Mommy Ginger and also does Business Coaching on the side. 
• a wife to hot husband, EJ Arboleda and a mom to a cute 1 year old daughter, Zeeka

3. EJ Arboleda

• is currently the Chief Technology Officer for Wunderman Manila, an advertising company specializing in creating innovative technological marketing solutions for customers. 
• has been in the IT industry for 13 years, with extensive experience in both Service Management and Project Management. 
• Before Wunderman, EJ was a Service Delivery Manager in Hewlett-Packard Asia Pac Ltd, primarily working on SAP. 
• rushes home everyday to see his beautiful wife, Ginger, and their lovely baby, Zeeka

Mastermind Class#2: 

Home-Based Business Ideas

Topics include:

• ideas for home-based business
• guidance on how to find that idea that you can work with 

Workshop Details:
Date: April 12, 2014 (Sat)
Time: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm 
Venue: Mothercare, Active Fun, Bonifacio High Street, BGC

Learning Fee:
Individual Rate: P600 per person
Group Rate: P1,500 for 3 people

Speaker: Martine de Luna of makeitblissful.com

 To register, please go to this link: http://manilaworkshops.com/2014/03/wahmderful-life-mastermind-class-2-homebased-business-ideas.html

Both workshops seem so exciting! Can't wait to attend and learn from the experts in WAHMderhood! Thank you Manila Workshops for making these practical knowledge so accessible to us modern and proactive moms.

Mommy Sally

All About Breastfeeding Workshop + Giveaway

As soon as you become pregnant, breastfeeding will be one of the regular discussions that you will be bringing up with your family, doctors and even on casual conversations with your mommy friends. Why? Because during our parents' time, breastfeeding was not the norm and until now I can still hear some naysayers about the challenges and unsuccessful stories on one's breastfeeding journey which might dishearten a first-time mom's capacity to breastfeed her child.

In order to ensure a smooth and doubt-free path to breastfeeding, I highly encourage one to attend workshops that could explain how breastfeeding works. This skill is not something innate to all women but rather takes a lot of determination, commitment and time to master the art of breastfeeding.

Here's an upcoming workshop on March 22 by Manila Workshops entitled All About Breastfeeding, part of the First Time Parents series of workshops. I hope you could take some time out and enrich yourself with knowledge about breastfeeding. I swear, you'll be amazed at how beautiful, natural and magical breastfeeding is. It's one of the best gifts that God has bestowed to us women that's why we must make good use of it. 

Toddler Care, Basic First Aid, Dental Care Workshop + Giveaway

Looking back, I missed those days when baby was still a newborn, always cuddled in my arms breastfeeding round the clock. Without noticing it, a year had already passed by and my baby has now transitioned from infancy to toddlerhood stage. Being a proactive mom, it is my duty to keep abreast of my child's growth and check on her milestones. Since then, I have attended quite a number of workshops already and still constantly on the look-out for more knowledge. Thankfully Manila Workshops has designed a series of workshops called First Time Parents where essential topics on parenting are being discussed.

Delivery and Newborn Care Workshop + Giveaway

If I were a pregnant mom, I would be so excited to attend workshops that could help me prepare the coming of my baby especially if it was my first. And that is exactly how I was before. But even though it would be for my second pregnancy, I might be attending these all over again hoping to learn few more things, brush up my knowledge, listen to stories of other moms and meet new friends.

Parents nowadays are so lucky to have easy access to various kinds of parenting workshops. And we must thank Manila Workshops and Medela Moms on this for passionately and continuously serving and catering to our needs.

Presenting to you the third installment of Manila Workshops' First Time Parents (FTP) Series of workshops entitled Delivery and Newborn Care. This event will take place on February 22, 2014 (Saturday) from 1pm to 5pm, to be held at Medela House.

Topics to be discussed:
1. Baby Milestones
2. Newborn Baby Care
3. All About Breastfeeding
4. Safe Sleep

I highly encourage pregnant mommies that they be accompanied by their husbands especially on this topic about breastfeeding because they will be the one to support and back you up when the time comes that you badly need encouragement and moral support.  

Speakers are:
1. Dr. Milette P. Romero 

    - is a practicing pediatrician who graduated from the UST College of Medicine

    - trained in Pediatrics at the Department of Pediatrics, East Avenue Medical Center, Diliman, Quezon City, and was awarded the Most Outstanding Resident of the North Integrated Residency Training Program during her Senior Year of Residency Training

    - was also named Assistant Chief Resident of the Department of Pediatrics at the East Avenue Medical Center during her final year of training

    - presently holds clinics at the MediCard Ortigas Clinic, at Express Medical Center in Robinson’s Galleria, and her personal clinic in Makati

    - will be opening another clinic at the Medical Arts Tower in The Medical City, Ortigas soon

    - a doting godparent to her sister’s children, she possesses a natural love for children, which is what inspired her to pursue a career in the field of Pediatrics

2. Ms. Joyce Martinez 

    - is a certified lactation consultant, and is the in-house lactation counselor of Medela Moms

    - is a registered nurse who also served as a Lactation Manager at St. Lukes Medical Center, Global City

    - earned her Nursing Degree from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and followed up with a Master of Science in Nursing Degree at UERMMMC Graduate School

    - also conducts presentations and academic talks on the ABC’s of Lactation Management for Nurses, as well as Breastfeeding Classes for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers

    - a breastfeeding advocate, she provides lactation coaching and counseling, not just for breastfeeding and pregnant mothers, but also for their families, while actively organizing and promoting national breastfeeding campaigns

DATE: February 22, 2014 (Saturday)  
TIME: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
VENUE: Medela House, #29 1st Street, New Manila, Quezon City

Learning Fee:
Regular Rate: P600
Couple’s Rate: P1,000

Kindly go to this link to register: http://manilaworkshops.com/2014/01/first-time-parents-delivery-and-newborn-care-feb-2014.html

Here, I'm giving away four couple seats (4 pairs) to this workshop. Just follow the Rafflecopter mechanics carefully. Giveaway will run for a week, from Feb. 13 until Feb. 19. 

Winners will be announced the next day and will be submitted to the event organizers. Good luck and feel free to invite your pregnant mommy friends especially those first timers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mommy Sally

What To Know Before Giving Birth

You think you don't need to study anymore after graduating from college? Of course No! Continuous education is a must in order to improve one's self. The moment I knew that I was pregnant last 2012, fear of the unknown got into me especially because I was a first time mom. I was overly stressed with so many things. I had lots of questions in mind, lots of decisions to make, lots of preparations to do, even finding a good OB was my initial concern. Luckily, there are lots of seminars for us to attend and be informed nowadays. It's a mom's responsibility to prepare for the coming of her baby. It pays to be prepared.

This coming Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, there will be a talk about What To Know Before Giving Birth organized by Manila Workshops in partnership with Medela Moms, Inc. and co-presented by Stemcord Philippines, Inc. This will be their first workshop for 2014 under the First Time Parents (FTP) Series which aims to help first time parents or even experienced-but-need-refreshers parents be equipped with topics on Pre-Birth, Delivery, Newborn Care and Toddler Care and of course Breastfeeding. Succeeding workshops will be announced separately.

What To Know Before Giving Birth will be a 4-hour workshop running from 1:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon to be conducted at the Medela House with address at #29 First Street, New Manila, Quezon City (between Gilmore Street and Robinson's Magnolia).

Topics would include:
    1. What to expect during your OB check-ups and visits
    2. Pain Management
    3. Pregnancy Nutrition
    4. Cord Blood Banking

There will be two speakers for the said workshop.

1. Dr. Diana Liu-Sarmiento, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology practicing at the Asian Hospital.
    - She is a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.
    - She completed her internship and residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UP-PGH and proceeded with her fellowship in Trophoblastic Diseases also at UP-PGH.
    - She is a consultant at the Asian Hospital Medical Center.
    - She is a writer for the Women’s Health and Wellness section of Yahoo! South East Asia. You may visit her website for helpful information pertaining to Women’s health and pregnancy with an online question-and-answer section called Magtanong Kay Doc.

2. Ms. Cecile Leah T. Bayaga
    - She is a registered nutritionist-dietitian and a full-time faculty at the College of Home Economics, University of the Philippines-Diliman.
    - She has been teaching Principles of Nutrition, Nutrition for the Lifecycle, and Medical Nutrition Therapy for the past 12 years.
    - She has published scientific articles on glycemic index, essential fatty acids for brain development, and clinical nutrition.
    - In 2005, the Nutritionists-Dietitians’ Association of the Philippines awarded her as The Most Promising Nutritionist-Dietitian.
    - She is happily married for 9 years and a mother to their son, Gabby.

Should you be interested to attend, kindly click here to register. Learning fee for individual is P600 while couple fee is P1,000. Payment mode is via BPI, Unionbank or Paypal.

Manila Workshops is encouraging everyone to register and pay till Jan. 22 (Wed) so that you can have the Manila Workshops Learning Circle Card.

Payment Details: 
1. For UnionBank Bank Deposits, please deposit to the following account: 
Account Name: Geraldine P. Arboleda 
Account Number: UnionBank EON Savings Account 109452023555 

2. For BPI Bank Deposits, please deposit to the following account: 
Account Name: Geraldine Anne Therese P. Arboleda 
Account Number: BPI Peso Account 1923-1262-59 

3. For Paypal, please make payments to: 
Email Address: gymger80@yahoo.com
*Kindly add the Paypal fee of Php 100 to the price of the workshop 

Good news! Because you have read this event invite from my blog, I will be giving away free seats for three (3) interested couples. Just simply follow the Rafflecopter below. This will only run for a day and will end by 11:55pm of Jan. 22 as I need to submit the names by Jan. 23 to the organizers. Hope you understand. So help me invite your first time parent friends, pregnant friends, or planning to get pregnant friends. Thank you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Mommy Sally